WIAW: Everyday is the same

Today's a shorter day. I picked up an extra hour, but it's during break. I picked up a class yesterday and it was a first! I worked with students with severe disabilities and was pretty scared!

So my last week has looked like this...

6:45 A.M. Breakfast at my desk: coconut flour mug cake with Greek yogurt "frosting." 0 period starts early at 7 - they meet everyday though so class is less than an hour.

 

10:15 A.M. Favorite Quest Bar flavor! I always get hungry because I eat so early.

12:25 P.M. Clearance spicy ketchup over greens, avocado, and a turkey burger with my co-workers even though I don't have to stay.

3 P.M. Some cheese, some tortilla chips, some chocolate when I get home.

7:30 P.M. Post-nap & workout dinner smoothie: strawberries, frozen mango, greens, Sunwarrior vanilla, and almond milk.

10 P.M. Relaxing with wine, popcorn, and "Some Girls." Hoping it's good...

Let's not forget little spoonfuls of this...

Some purchases/eats to come this week:

My inner hippie gets unleashed at Mother's Market. I've gone to several of their locations and can spend hours there! My favorite location is the one in Santa Ana - it's huge, has a hot food bar, cold food bar, juice bar, pizza, DIY sandwiches and burritos, etcetera.

Wild Friends [new?] sesame cranberry

Reed's cabarnet grape kombucha

The Bu, a Ventura-based company, has melon?!

I can't resist a deal, especially with a $1 off coupon!

How many hours do you go before getting hungry?

Any new finds or tried any of these items?

A hop & a skip (LifeFactory water bottle & Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown reviews)

The street sweepers come on first Fridays. I woke up groggy to move my car and ran errands: bank, send Foodie PenPals package, buy water because we're out and don't have a filter, and get moving.

My get moving resolution: if I start, I'll find some energy. I drove out to the Back Bay. Most people were running, which I dislike doing but should, or biking. My bike needs to get back in commission, and since I'm free tomorrow, I should work on that. I just walked.

The sky was again somewhat overcast. This picture doesn't show the overcast skies...

Maybe you can tell the difference here. The sun came out at noon. I walked for an hour and some change and covered maybe 3+ miles. I'm a slow walker if there's no one else with me. :(

I headed home for white fish (pollock) ceviche I made last night. I had two mini bowls and my little cousin who never eats veggies got into it too!

Totally easy to make too. I just did it by sight:

• Pollack, cooked because I don't trust lime juice to cook it
• Lemons instead of lime because we have a lemon tree
• Diced onions
• Can of Trader Joe's tomatoes with chiles, drained
• Mini peppers from Costco because I have to use them up
• Avocados as garnish - did I mention we bought 20+ of them?!
• Salt & pepper

My mom "surprised" me with my birthday present. By surprise I mean, I bought it for her. Since my water bottle is MIA/in the backseat of an Austin car, I got a new one. I could have asked my friend to send it to me, but the Kor Vida water bottle was a little small? Or at least it felt like it. The bottle was actually 25+ oz whereas this LifeFactory bottle is 22 oz. My Sigg, which I used for 2 years, held 34 oz! No wonder I'm not used to these smaller ones.

So far, here are the important points.

• Glass and aluminum > plastic of any sort, plus Camelbaks would hurt my teeth and Nalgenes don't fit into my cupholder
• Sigg is the biggest. Size matters!
• Sigg's new formula makes it prone to denting.
• LifeFactory holds both hot and cold beverages.
• Kor and LifeFactory have wider mouths for easier cleaning, at least the ones I bought.
• Kor is designed locally (Fountain Valley, CA) but made in China. This was a big one for me. I was all about local until I found that last tidbit out. :/ P.S. Siggs are Swiss while LifeFactory is French (glass), Polish (cap), and American (sleeve).

I'm unsure about the glass, but I watched a video in which the LifeFactory bottle was dropped and rolled. It seemed to do okay. I'm sure it can break if you want it to though.

I took a nap since I woke up a few hours short of a good night's rest. When I woke up, I unwrapped a birthday present from my cousin: Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown.

I tried level 1. Thumbs down on it being only 30 minutes. I didn't really sweat. I did like the poses that targeted my lower back like her variation of camel. I had to drop to my knees with all the tricep pushups/chaturangas but so did her advanced person. 

I'm not a huge yogi, but I believe I'm more advanced than level 1. I'll try level 2 and get back to you. I know this won't be a substitute for a good, live yoga class.

No doubt you've heard of Jillian. If you've tried her DVDs, what's your favorite?
What's your favorite workout DVD?

John Stamos & WIAW

What the heck is this, you ask? Breakfast.

A very odd one actually. I wanted a smoothie bowl and it turned into this frozen thingy: 1 scoop pomegranate cranberry goat whey protein,  Fage 0%, coconut-almond milk beverage, and then topped with 1/4 cup of Fiber One (yeah, that's right!) and coconut pieces.

I packed lunch. This was less sightly: tuna, avocado, and spinach. It's definitely avocado season!

I stopped by my favorite yogurt place for lo-carb peanut butter froyo.

Dinner wasn't much (deli meat & broc - I've been lazy with cooking) and left me hungry so I consumed this new-to-me flavor, traditional lime.

I tweeted John Stamos.

Mr. Stamos, can I trust you?

Yes, I can. This lime-flavored yogurt is the only one of its kind and tasted like pie!

I tried to go to the gym afterwards. I went for 30 minutes before I got frustrated. The gym at 5 P.M. and 8 P.M. is so different. The gym was way too packed so I took an impromptu rest day and came home to watch "The Sitter" and eat Love Grown!

And after OD'ing on granola tonight, I read this guest post from The Actor's Diet to feel better.

Quick fixes: Domino Magazine & garlic breath (LiveFit Day 60)

I woke up to another PowerPumpkin Roll. About 2/3 of it at first. I may have enough pumpkin for one more.

I finally got myself out the door for a 1.1 mile run to the gym. The run was fantastic and I made it pretty quickly though I didn't time myself. Next time.

My eyes had to adjust to the light inside the gym, or lack thereof. I completed Day 60 of the LiveFit Trainer, but I got dizzy after the first set. Not sure if it was the light or what. My workout was kind of eh...

 *I've decided to omit old weights since this is more cardio lifting than before. My weights are the same mostly though. I'm using more bodyweight since my form slacks with some weights.

Despite the dizziness, I ran another 1.1 mile home. I immediately drank my protein shake, made with Blue Diamond Almondmilk/Coconutmilk mixture (not as coconutty as just coconut 'milk' by the way).

I finished my PowerPumpkin Roll and dug into a huge bowl of Miracle Noodles with chicken and 'shrooms in pasta sauce.

I ate pretty late so I expected to come home for dinner. I knew I'd be hungry at work though. Thankfully, my coworker brought her kale salad to share with me. It was good but left a taste in my mouth.

Which I remedied with a few ounces of peanut butter flavored low carb and low cal (8 cals per ounce) frozen yogurt. It was perfectly delicious and tamed my breath.

I made calls to a couple of Barnes & Noble to no avail. I decided to pop into one near work and found it!

Domino Magazine folded a few years ago and I never got into it until too late. I received their last 3 issues from a free subscription through the purchase of their book. Well, they're back with a special edition: Domino Quick Fixes. Apparently, there's no new content, but it's new to me.

The issue was $10.99. I signed up for the Barnes & Noble Educator Discount Card because personal items get a discount, but nope, I still pay full price on magazines.

I ate a quick dinner of leftover tuna over spinach, a hardboiled egg white, and 1/2 cup of Fage 0%.

Done. Now to read "Domino" or Hot, Flat, & Crowded.

Quick Meal Plan Monday Sunday Night

Monday, April 16

• Shakeology Greenberry; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; tuna salad w/ spinach; Fage 0%; tilapia + sweet potato 
• LiveFit Day 61 (cardio: TurboKick); yoga
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 4
  
• Send package
• Review Phase 2

Tuesday, April 17

• Smoothie bowl; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; tofu salad; Chobani; tuna salad
• LiveFit Day 62
• Work 3:30-7:30
• Watch "The Sitter"
• Write WIAW post

Wednesday, April 18

• Egg white bake; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; tofu salad; Fage 0%; tilapia + 1/2 sweet potato
• LiveFit Day 64
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 4
  
• Write 3 for Thursday post
  

Thursday, April 19

• Egg white bake; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; tofu salad; Fage 0%; tilapia + 1/2 sweet potato
• LiveFit Day 65
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 5
  
• Write Friday's Letters post
  

Friday, April 20

• Egg white bake; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; tofu salad; Fage 0%; tilapia + 1/2 sweet potato
  
• LiveFit Day 66
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 5

Saturday, April 21

• Huckleberry; Sunwarrior + 1/2 banana; Porto's Bakery
  
• L.A. POP Pilates Meet Up 12:30PM
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 5

Sunday, April 22

• The Color Run 9; LiveFit Day 67
• Read Hot, Flat, & Crowded
• Study ch. 5
  

Hoarding: WIAW & LiveFit 57

I've had the same old breakfast for the last three days so instead, I took a picture of my meals for the day: shrimp 'taco,' Sunwarrior protein, tuna salad spinach, and strawberry-banana Chobani.

While I packed my meals, I also made my breakfast for tomorrow: Power Pumpkin Roll!

It looks amazing and the stats are fantastic. There are ~35 grams of protein in a little more than 366 calories (according to Powercakes).

After a morning of procrastinating, I headed to the gym. I never go to the gyms here at 11 or 12 and realized there are tons of noon-time gym goers. The weight room was packed so I found it difficult to do the circuits for Day 57. I was super nervous but kept telling myself that this isn't my hardest workout - I've survived harder.

I got over being nervous really quickly - dudes don't do a whole lot of high knees in between their sets. I was sweaty, but not overly tired afterwards. I subbed other exercises for jump roping because I didn't have one available.

I got a nice surprise in the mail: my refund check and Love Grown coupons. I split the refund check with my mama and saved my coupons because they aren't carried here or L.A. or San Diego?!

After work, I stopped by TJ Maxx and saw Love Grown! I grabbed 4 more bags. I had to hoard. I dug into the only one I hadn't tried, apple walnut delight. Raisin almond is still my favorite though!

I had to stop on by America's Cup Yogurt for a teeny bit of yogurt since it was RIGHT THERE.

And went into Movie Q next door.  I rented "Beauty & the Briefcase" even though I already got "The Descendants" from the Redbox. Good thing I'm off tomorrow.

I just finished watching "Beauty & the Briefcase" and enjoyed it. Oh, ABC Family, you guys do good. Except the silly ending where they profess their love for one another.

And I will profess my love for Matt Dallas.

Questions for you:

Is pumpkin a vegetable?

What has been your hardest workout? 

Do you ever get a teeny bit of dessert like this?

What do you hoard?

9:08 (LiveFit Day 52)

How many more days will I tell you I slept in? All week except Tuesday when I woke up super early.

I get to today because I don't work this afternoon!

 First of all, it's FRIDAY! Secondly, it's Spring Break 2012!

Though I'm not very exciting and don't have much planned. I have pending plans to do a day in L.A. and a day in San Diego when I'm not working at my other job. More on that later today.

Breakfast yesterday was Peace Love and Oats' egg white oatmeal again. I just love incorporating the egg whites I already eat into my oats. I'm just not creative with the 2 egg whites I eat every morning so putting them into my oats is perfect - my oatmeal becomes more voluminous.

I swung by the grocery store to buy my kiddos some snacks for our last day together (Chex Mix on sale). I spotted these in the sale section for $1.89: Western Bagel Perfect 10.

Look at that protein content!

I love this picture they have on their website: 

Since I got such a good deal on the bagels, I bought myself Laughing Cow's strawberries and cream spread. I love Laughing Cow but am always hesitant to shell out $3.99. After I thought about the price of my goat cheese, I went with these.

One problem: I have to use these sale bagels quickly. My breakfast this morning involved a bagel, 1/2 banana, and 2 egg whites.

I headed to the gym after work and a quick tuna dinner last night.

I'm starting to like chest days! :) And running! Not a joke. I actually just like running at this particular gym because the mirrors are right in front of the treadmills. I felt like I was racing in a pack.

I ran 20 minutes at 6.5 mph and completed over 2 miles! I ended up improving my time from 10:00 minute to 9:08 minutes thanks to a .5 sprint at the end.

My left foot cramped a little but all is well now and I can't wait to get another 20 minute run in. I know my cardio is supposed to be 30 minutes, but I haven't done a full 20 minute, non-stop run yet. I do a 10 minute warm-up to make up for it.

See you later for Spring Break 2012 plans! What are your spring break plans? Do you have any suggestions for quick trips to San Diego or LA?

Still faster than the couch (LiveFit Day 50 & WIAW)

I tried this challenge!




Yesterday: I kept this in mind as I anticipated cardio. I'm having a hard time.

I made myself a bowl of Peace Love & Oats' egg white oatmeal last night. I stirred in 1/4 cup of pumpkin. I reheated it this morning and it was good as new.

That chocolate-y stuff - Walden Farms' chocolate syrup. It's not fantastic, but it's good for what it is: calorie free.

I woke up super early to get my workout in. As in 6:15 A.M. so I could enjoy breakfast too.

I didn't feel like I deserved all those green areas. It was a tough workout altogether. I really struggled though after help from my co-worker, I was able to do the narrow pushups by thinking of them as chaturanga.

 

Flo Rida kept me going. I love this song.

I ran. 24 minutes with 2 minutes walking.

"No matter how slow I run, I'm still faster than my couch." -Anonymous

My shipment of Sunwarrior came last night from Open Sky. I was a little concerned after reading Clare's thoughts of the Warrior Blend.

One scoop protein, 1/2 frozen banana, and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk = good. A little powdery and thus, coconutty.

I stopped by Starbucks for coffee because it's closest to work. Just a plain ol' coffee for me. I drink it black; I'm hardcore. :)

Then my day went on: work & more work. I packed tuna salad for lunch and turkey slices with Laughing Cow & broc for dinner.

Since I didn't get a chance to post on Monday, you get a double dose of food.

Oats for breakfast made the night before and microwaved in the AM.

I decided to sleep in then ate again. It was National PB&J Day, but I didn't have the J.

Snacking on Love Grown granola in the car. So dangerous. I had to remove them.

Chicken in Hak's BBQ sauce and broccoli for dinner.

One of my Instagram friends is doing #bamfit April photo-a-day so I thought to join.

 

 Here are the first 2 pictures.

Game face.

Flex. Muscle under the fat and a picture of me as a kid.

YOUR TURN! 

Do you ignore an exercise you don't like? For me, it's running and I'm tackling it. 

Have you tried 0 cal foods like Walden Farms? Do you like them?

What do you mix in with Sunwarrior?

Do you make a funny face when you are lifting hard? I scrunch up my face. :/