Totally not what you think. ‘Get Your Drink On’ refers to H2O, guys. Today is “Thirsty Thursday”. The minimum you should drink daily is half your body weight in ounces. I’m aiming for a gallon. It’s mid day and I’m halfway there!
Okay, so I got my email from TIU for today’s challenge. It’s a new video paired with another awesome HIIT workout. It’s the same video from yesterday – which I did at home. Gotta say I loved it. I skipped the gym so I didn’t do any running for cardio, but the workouts I did brought my heart rate up just the same so it’s all good.
My Workout Last Night
12-15 reps each, repeated circuit 4x
followed by this workout
So instead of doing the 1st workout tonight, I’m going to be lifting weights. Not sure if I’ll be doing lower or upper body. Depends on what the hubs is doing. And, of course, I’ll be doing this HIIT workout:
Makes for a great workout, I would say.
Anyway, drink up! Stay hydrated especially during your workouts. VERY important! And no soda! Soda (dark or light, diet or regular) is BAD. Did you know that you can gain up to 12lbs a year just by drinking soda on the regular? Yeah, just don’t do it. Drink water.And if you don’t like plain water, you can flavor it with crushed fruit like strawberries. Me? I like plain water. And none of that sugar crap thingies either! Water does a body good!
Some of the best recipes are ones that you throw together. Well… maybe not always. But I’m pretty good at judging what flavors kinda mesh well together. I don’t use a lot of seasonings other than sea salt, black pepper, chili powder (any other natural spicy seasoning), and sometimes Mrs. Dash. The natural flavors of veggies and herbs are enough for me to cook without adding anything else to it. Oh and the only condiment I use on anything (like sandwiches) is mustard. Mayo and ketchup are big no-no’s for me. Haven’t tried the all natural ketchup… but I can do without ketchup, so it’s okay.
Anyway, this week, I went grocery shopping without having planned out my meals. I just kinda went through the store and picked stuff out. Which can be a little dangerous because you could totally end up with foods that don’t make sense together and then you’re stuck with not knowing what to cook for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I bought lots of veggies because that was important. I also bought some ground turkey because I knew that I needed lean meat in my diet. Also bought some eggs because eggs are GOOD for you!!! And then I bought yogurt, protein bars, and other healthy goods.
When I finally got home and started putting things away…I realized I had NO CLUE as to what I was eating for lunch and dinner for the next few days. It’s happened to us all. You go to the store, spend the BIG BUCKS on groceries, and realize you bought nothing.
Okay, so I’m rambling on and on about groceries. The point of this blog post was to show you some of the meals I “threw” together. Either meal could be eaten for lunch or dinner. And since I’m the only one that usually eats this stuff, there’s usually enough leftovers to last me a good 2-3 days. I’m not picky with food, so if I have to eat the same thing for 3 days straight, I will. It’s hard to buy stuff to make just ONE serving.
Ready to see what I made? Okay, here we go. The first meal I threw together was this:
Ingredients: lean ground turkey, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, red and green bell pepper, corn
Seasoned with a little bit of sea salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin
Served on a bed of romaine lettuce
And guess what? It was de-lish!!!!
🙂
Another meal I just threw together…
Ingredients: tuna, tomato, avocado
Served on either lettuce or whole wheat sandwich thins
Not bad, right? And no, this isn’t all that I ate. I had my usual breakfast and snack stuff, but no need to go into that. Like I’ve said before, most of my snacks and regular meals are repetitious. Pretty boring. But hey, it works.
I had a friend ask me how I’m able to eat just a protein bar and not want to eat anything else. My answer? You have to eat the kind that are actually healthy for you and not just packed with carbs and sugar. If you don’t know which ones are “good for you”, check the labels. If you can’t pronounce the words listed in the ingredients, chances are, they’re not good for you. The bars I snack on are all natural. Packed with protein and good calories. FYI, protein is the key. Protein is what makes you full. Consume enough of that each meal and you won’t be so hungry throughout the day. And eat a lot of veggies. Very low in calories. And although you may not think so, it can actually fill you up.
So there you have it. My home cooking skills at its best. 🙂
So one of my faithful readers informed me last night that I’ve been slackin’ with my blog posts. Took me a minute to realize that it was almost a week since I had posted up anything on here. Wow. Where the heck have I been? I blame my crazy busy schedule. I guess I have to re-evaluate my priorities and work on my time management skills. My blog should be a priority.
Okay, so let’s recap for a second. I’m still doin’ Tone It Up’s Bikini Series Challenge. I believe today makes Day 9. I am still working out like crazy and eating clean – completing their daily challenges the best that I can. And I am feeling GREAT! Lovin’ the HIIT cardio workouts. I don’t think I’ve sweat that much in a 20 minute cardio workout before… gotta say though, there are some days where my legs feel light as a feather which makes these HIIT workouts a lot easier to accomplish. And then there are days where my legs feel like they weigh a ton and I can’t seem to keep up. And those days are the toughest. Because it takes effort to push yourself mentally. But all worth it in the end.
Here’s what my workout today consisted of:
I warmed up with a brisk walk for 10 minutes before starting this. Even stretched. Then got right down to business. I know you’re thinkin’ “16 minutes is easy.” Maybe so. But this definitely makes you work up a sweat. I know it made me sweat like crazy. After I was done with 16 minutes, I jogged for about another 5 minutes or so and then cooled down with a 5 minute brisk walk.
Then came home and did TIU’s new Beach Ball Workout video:
**Did this circuit 4x thru with 15 reps each move**
I’m a bit ambitious when it comes to new workouts.
🙂
According to the weather forecast, it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. And I’m workin’ from 6am-3pm… so I’m thinkin’ of skipping the gym tomorrow. Still planning on working out at home though. Maybe do the Beach Ball Workout again and a series of maybe 4 other toning circuits? Hmmm… will definitely let you know what I decide to do.
So if you haven’t worked out yet today. Try this workout. It’s a pretty good one. Trust me. 😉
Anyway, I hope my posts about my workouts help ya’ll out even just a little! To my faithful reader who graciously brought the issue of ‘slacking‘ to my attention – I hope this post pleases you. And I will do my very best to keep my blog current. I promise. 🙂
Okay, so I’m not going to even attempt to claim that I am the best cook in town.
Yes, I can cook.
Yes, I can be a domesticated housewife.
Can I host my own cooking show?
Probably not.
I’m not that good.
Anyway, I decided to share with ya’ll what I made for dinner last night.
It’s some tilapia dish.
For those of you who don’t like seafood… well, I don’t know what to tell ya.
Seriously, you are MISSING OUT!!!
My husband doesn’t like seafood at all.
So when I’m making anything seafood at home, I have to make something else for him.
Yeah, that’s a whole other story, but not talkin’ about that right now.
Here it is. Last night’s dinner.
Okay, so let’s call this recipe “Some Fish Dish“
🙂
When you’re done laughing, go ahead and read on.
It gets better. I promise.
It’s a pretty simple recipe.
You can use any type of fish. I’m usually eating tilapia or salmon. Lots of it.
Ingredients (for 1 serving):
1 4-6oz tilapia
1/2 a red bell pepper (diced)
1/2 a green bell pepper (diced)
1/2 brown onion (diced)
1/2 a lemon
parsley (or any fresh herb you like)
olive oil
white wine
Directions:
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (olive oil)
Place fish in baking pan
Scatter/sprinkle fresh herb onto fish then add veggies
Squeeze lemon all over
Drizzle some olive oil and some white wine
Place baking pan into oven and let bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven)
TADA!
Dinner is served!
So what do ya think? My cooking skills ain’t too shabby, right?
😉
Okay, okay… I can’t take ALL the credit.
I lied. It’s not my recipe.
But I did cook it myself!
And I made a couple of modifications to the original recipe.
…like added the green pepper and brown onion, and used parsley instead of dill.
(that’s because I didn’t have any)
Like I said before… I can cook. But I’m definitely not a chef.
Here’s where I got the recipe:
Now, I know my dinner doesn’t look anything like the one in the video. I was aiming for some crispness to the veggies and fish, but apparently I put way too much lemon juice for just ONEpiece of fish. In comparison to the 4 or 5 pieces shown in the video.
It may seem as if I was a little ambitious today with the workouts I did. And yes, I’d have to say that my arms and legs were about ready to fall off when I was done. But at least it wasn’t painful to get through. I enjoyed every second of it. Loved the new Under The Sea workout…I may have to up the intensity just a teensy bit. Maybe more repetitions next time. Not a big fan of the Mermaid, but loved the entire circuit overall. As for the Bikini StrapWorkout… always a goodie. I remember when I did it the first time. The hardest part was the tricep push-up with an upward row into a fly move… and now I have no problem doing it. LOVE IT!!!
So… overall? Great workout today. The soreness in my legs is going away!
🙂
Meal Breakdown
M1: toasted whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter and cup of coffee
M2: 2 eggs + lean turkey breast
M3: Chocolate Chip Clif Bar
M4: whole wheat pita pocket stuffed with salmon salad mix, lettuce, and alfalfa sprouts
M5: Grilled tilapia, sauteed eggplant, black beans, and salad greens w/balsamic vinegar
Pretty repetitious and not so exciting, but it does the job and I’ve been pretty lazy.
There are some recipes I’d like to try and I will definitely be posting up recipes and pics when I decide to make those healthy dishes.
But for now… this will have to do.
************
Question of the day:
Do you have a favorite recipe that’s not-so-healthy that you’ve ‘healthi-fied‘?
Tone It Up launched their 2nd Annual Spring Into Bikini Series Challenge and I have to say I am extremely excited to be doing it again this year. Last year they launched the Bikini Series in the Spring and because the series was a hit, they re-launched it again in the Summer. So for those that missed it in the Spring (myself included), we were able to do it again during the summer.
If you’re new to the whole Tone It Up craze, the Bikini Series is an 8-week challenge that follows a series of workouts that’s specifically designed to help whip your body into shape by burning the maximum amount of calories and toning up those muscles. They also have a nutrition plan that is optional (one that I live by) that is packed with information, tips, and recipes. It’s not a fad diet…it’s a lifestyle change that requires you to be fully committed in order to get the results you are seeking. If you’re interested in learning more about the Bikini Series and Tone It up, click here or click on the photo above and it will take you straight to their website. It’s not too late to join if you want to be a part of it! And no, I don’t get paid to refer people… this isn’t a multi-level marketing scheme.
Okay! So moving on! Day 1 of the Bikini Series started yesterday. Let me start off by saying that I haven’t been to the gym in about a week. I worked out 1 time last week and then was out for the rest of the week because of my accident. This past Sunday was my first day back at it…and was told to take it easy. Well, I thought doing a 20 min HIIT cardio run on the treadmill + doing 5 different weight machines was taking it easy…until I woke up the next morning sore as heck!!! When I checked my email and saw what my TIU trainers had planned for our 1st Challenge of the Bikini Series, it was almost painful to read. BUT! I did it. Didn’t complain once. And it felt GOOD once it was all over.
😛
First up: the 8 Toning Moves from the SELF Magazine Drop 10 Challenge
Repeated this circuit 3x. My legs were sore from Sunday’s workout and the 1st circuit was painful, but it loosened up my muscles some so I was able to get through the entire workout without stopping. I also did this circuit at home in my living room before I went to the gym. My sister-in-law had gone to the gym earlier and informed me that it was PACKED! So I held off on going till later on that night.
When I finally made it to the gym, I did the 2nd part of my workout.
This:
I have to say…
I’ve done this once or twice before and it seriously kicked my butt.
And last night was no exception.
I did a 5 minute warm-up of just walking at a speed of 3.5 and my thigh muscles were tight. I knew then that this one was going to be a struggle. Not just physically, but mentally, too. When I hit the 20 minute mark, my mind was ready to quit. I kept having to push myself to do 1 more set…after each 5-min set. By the end of the 40 minute workout, I was sweating like crazy and I was in pain. But I was soooo glad I didn’t stop at 20 minutes. Or 30 minutes (which I almost did!). Walked for 5 minutes to cooldown.
Came home and downed a whole bottle of THIS for hydration:
I'm officially a BIG fan of this stuff. 🙂
My meals for the day:
M1: toasted whole wheat English muffin w/natural peanut butter and a cup of coffee
M2: 2 egg scramble with onion and sliced turkey (deli meat)
M3: slice of turkey deli meat, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, 1/2 slice of mozzarella cheese stuffed in a whole wheat Pita Pocket
(with mustard) and some baby carrot sticks on the side
M4: White Chocolate Macadamia Luna Bar
M5: Grilled tilapia w/veggies and black beans + salad w/balsamic vinegar dressing
**drank approximately 90 oz of water**
I took my measurements and took my “before” photos that I will be posting up at the end of the Bikini Series along with my “after” pics. I’m not focusing on weight loss this time around. I’m focusing on toning and building lean muscle. I’m sure I might lose some…because I do still have some fat that needs to go away (even though many of you will disagree with me). Seriously though, if you plan on doing this challenge, you should take ‘before’ pics and your measurements even though you may not feel comfortable doing it. You don’t have to share that info with anyone. It’s just easier to keep track of your progress. And you’ll be amazed to see your body transformation. I, for one, did not want to take pics of myself at all at the start of my journey… but looking back I’m sooo glad I did.
Also wanted to share with ya’ll… something I’m also VERY proud of. I was sittin’ in my living room all afternoon yesterday blogging and doing some online shopping for my trip to Hawaii in a few weeks and was faced with temptation. My self-discipline was tested GREATLY yesterday. Because the whole time I was sitting here, I had to look at this:
Yay for self-discipline and strong will power!
Definitely one of my weaknesses. And no it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to my niece London, who happens to be away at her grandma’s this week. And I’m quite proud that I didn’t even sneak a couple when no one was looking.
😉
No really, I didn’t. I promise.
🙂
ANYWAY! I’m off to a great start. Bikini Series, I will not be defeated. I will be bikini ready this summer.
🙂
BTW, checked my email this morning. And my workout for today is going to KILL my legs. Just saying.
I took a Personalized Fitness class in college. Not by choice. It was a requirement. Yes, the University I attended is one of the few colleges that still requires you to take PE classes in order to graduate. Back then, I thought it was stupid. But now, I think it’s a great thing. And YES I did have a choice in what type of PE class I wanted to take. This one was the easiest one for me. Because the class only met once a week for 50 minutes. AND it was more of a lecture class with maybe about 4 class sessions of actual physical activity. But here’s the catch. I had to do some type of physical activity outside of class at least 3 times a week.
So how did my professor keep tabs of our workouts during the week? Yup, you guessed it. She also worked at our school’s gym facility. No, I’m joking. 🙂 Had you going there for a second, huh? 😉 Anyway, we were held accountable for the workouts we did by keeping a journal using her FITTE method (which I will explain in just a little bit). She would collect our journals biweekly to read through, grade and comment, and then hand it back to us the next time our class met. Of course, you knew who actually worked out and who didn’t. Because if you did work out at least 3 times a week, you’d definitely see some kind of result at the end of the semester. Whether it be an increase in our mile run (which was done once at the beginning of the semester and at the very end, as sort of an evaluation) or visible physical results like weight loss or muscle definition. So I’m pretty sure she knew who was lying and who wasn’t. Still. A fairly easy class to pass. Which is why it was only worth 1 unit.
Okay, so back to her journal method. I will say, that if anything, this is probably the most valuable tool I have used from this class. Yes the lectures were helpful, too, but do I remember any of it? Not really. My professor is an Olympian. She’s originally from Polland but has been living in the U.S. for about 20 years now. (You can Google her if you want. Her name is Anna Wlodarczyk.) ANYWAY! Back to the journal thing. She started training for the Olympics when she was 9 and she’s kept a journal of all her daily workouts since. She uses the FIITE format. Which stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type (of exercise), and Enjoyment. And the purpose of keeping this journal is simple. To keep track of what workouts you did and how you felt after the workout so that you can kinda go back and look to see if you’ve made any kind of progress. If you’ve improved. If you were able to achieve your short and long term goals. If you had injuries and what kind of struggles you faced. It’s all recorded in your journal. Some of us don’t have the best memories so a tool like this can come in handy.
Here’s an example of what my online journal in the Tone It Up Community looks like:
**CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A BETTER VIEW**
At the time, I honestly didn’t think I’d ever use this FITTE method post college. But when I started working out like crazy again, I found myself relying on this method to help keep me on track of what I did and when I did it.
So I highly recommend keeping a journal…especiallyif you are trying to achieve a goal that you knowcan be hard to reach. You should try it. And then tell me what you think. 😉
At first I wasn’t going to blog about this. Because it has nothing to do with health or fitness or fashion…or anything I’m interested in. However, I’m very frustrated. And even though this isn’t about anything I usually write about, it does affect my progress with my fitness goals.
I have to take a few days off from working out. Why? Because I was involved in a pretty bad car wreck yesterday on my way home from work. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries as a result of this 6-car collision and I am okay. Just a little whiplash. So, of course, I am a bit sore today with some stiffness in my neck. Nothing major. I know I’m not a doctor… but I’m able to move and walk around so I take that as a sign that I’m not seriously injured.
To my friends and family (you know who you are) that have expressed deep concern for my well-being – I appreciate your concern. I love you all but I really think I am going to be okay. I don’t see or feel any back problems in my future and I’m not in a lot of pain. But if the pain I am feeling persists and doesn’t go away any time soon, then yes I will see a doctor. In the meantime, I’m just going to try and rest as comfortably as I can in my own home.
I’m not gonna go into detail about the accident itself, but this is what my poor car looks like now…
And as silly as this may sound to many of you reading this… one of the first thoughts that entered my mind once I realized that I was okay was “Great. Looks like I won’t be making it to the gym tonight.” Yes, that’s the fitness junkie in me talkin’. I think prior to the accident, I was actually planning my workout routine in my head. Because I was planning to go to the gym after I made it home. And then when the firefighters and EMT guys were checking me over and asking me questions about whether or not I wanted to be transported to the ER for X-rays, I continued to have thoughts of how this would affect my future workouts. Maybe I was trying my hardest not to think about what they were saying. How they wanted me to get checked out to make sure that nothing is wrong with me. How my refusal to go to the ER for X-rays releases them of any liability if I should suffer paralysis or any problems including death as a result of this accident. In the end, I chose not to go with them and if I do have any kind of pain in the future, then I will get checked out.
On a scale of 1-10, the pain I’m feeling is probably a 2. Or 3 at the most. My neck hurts. My left shoulder hurts. And somewhere in my left shoulder, it kinda feels like a pinched nerve. Again, I’m not a doctor so I don’t know what this all means…but it’s not pain I’ve never felt before so I can deal with it. I’m just very frustrated because once again, I have to put off working out till my body feels better. My trip to Hawaii and my sister’s wedding are just a few weeks away and this little setback is totally bumming me out. I had plans. I had goals. So I guess now, the only thing I can really do is watch my eating habits. What I put into my body outweighs my physical activity, so I have no choice but to make sure I don’t spend my “off” days eating junk food that will totally reverse everything I’ve worked so hard for.It’s sad because I’ve actually contemplated maybe doing some squats or lunges or something to keep my body active. But I know it’s not smart and I don’t want to add any other injuries to my list. Rest is my only option.
I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for the sake of my sanity. I feel like I haven’t felt normal for the past month or so. I was sick for awhile. And now this. It’s driving me crazy. And just because I am frustrated, doesn’t mean I’m ungrateful. I know I’m fortunate to have sustained only minor injuries, and trust me, I have thought about all the what-ifs and all the things I could have done differently. But what’s done is done and I can’t obsess over things I cannot change.
Anyway, will be posting up workout updates as soon as I can. I promise! 🙂
fab . fit . me 
