Thank you so much for such a great response to the ‘Integrative Nutrition’ book giveaway! I was worried there wouldn’t be any interest. You all put a big smile on my face 
I loved hearing all your favorite foods, and it’s so nice to “meet” a few new people and discover new blogs. I just realized I didn’t tell you my favorite food! But I also don’t think I can pick just one either: Yogurt Parfait perhaps is #1, but I also have to mention Greek Yogurt, Nut Butters, and .. Nachos (the ‘super’ kind with all the fixings)!
FITNESS
My booty may be sore now, but it’s going to look good at the end of all this! :p Seriously though, my legs are screaming for a rest, but what can I say, it’s my favorite thing to work, so I don’t mind the soreness.. just my body getting stronger! Turns out Physical Therapy is a mix of a painful yet therapeutic massage & stretching plus a great glute workout. So I ended up working glutes Sunday, then PT Monday, rough hike Tuesday, then PT and legs with my trainer today. Needless to say, they’re ready for a rest! .. and HIIT was just not in the cards today :p
Check-In
Today was measurement day with my trainer. And good news! Just adding cardio back in and being more mindful of my nutrition I lost weight (~2.5 lbs), went down in body fat % and a couple measurements (the one’s I’d want to go down). I knew good things had happened because I could feel it and see it (hi abs!), but it did surprise me a bit by what a difference a week can make. I feel almost as if my body said (yes I’m crazy and I feel sometimes like my body has a mind & thoughts of it’s own), “thanks for feeding me all that, but I’m ready to get back to my happy place”..
eeck, so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post specific measurements or not, mainly because I want to avoid criticism, or maybe I’m just a little self conscious, but sticking with my ‘keep it honest’ pursuit, and because I want everyone to know that the changes really are quite attainable and you do not have to kill yourself to see them..
So right now I’m right around 130 lbs, and am at 12% body fat. My weight isn’t all that far off from what it was a year ago, but my body fat is much different, and I look different. I wish I had a picture of a year ago, but I wouldn’t have let anyone take one of my in a bikini at that point :p My goal is to maintain around 10% at 125 lbs in the “off season.” Some may think that’s low, but I know for me and my body type that it is safe and completely manageable.
A Nap Sounds Good.. but I’ll Do Cardio Instead
Lifting with my trainer was great. I’m going up in weight and I’m getting more & more pain-free range of motion with my back.. yay, happiness After PT and lifting it was back to school for a couple meetings, during which I totally hit a wall and all I wanted to do was go home and go to sleep. But I really needed to get into the gym for cardio, more because it’s important for me to get back into the cardio habit, than anything else. My workout wasn’t crazy, my legs were dead, but I pushed through and did a Treadmill ADD session..
5 min warm-up walk at 4.0
1 min at 6.0 then increased by 0.2 up to 7.0 (5 min total)
3 min incline 10 walk at 4.0
1 min at 6.0 then increased by 0.2 up to 7.0 (5 min total)
3 min incline 10 walk at 4.0
3 min jog at 6.5
3 min jog at 7.0
5 min reclined bike warm-down
Like I said, totally ADD random, but I was doing anything to keep myself interested & focused. Ended up burning 285 calories.
NUTRITION
Just a couple pictures today, because again I forgot to take photos of my on-the-go meals.
Hit-the-spot Breakfast of 1/2 c Cottage Cheese + 1/2 c plain Greek Yogurt + 1/2 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder + 1/3 c Kashi Go Lean + 1/2 tbsp Ground Flax..
Throughout the day I snacked & lunched on 2 Protein Pancakes, a piece of Kabocha Quinoa Casserole, 2.5 oz Chicken Breast (all that was left) and 1/4 c Edamame..
I was so ready for dinner!
1.5 c Baby Spinach topped with 1 c Spaghetti Squash mixed with 1/3 c Cottage Cheese, 2 tbsp Hummus, 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast and a new find, Tempahtations..
Prep Mixing..
Finished product..
To finish off the day I had a fun little mix. I usually avoid carbs late in the evening but I just couldn’t resist hot out of the oven Kabocha! I topped 100g (what would I do without my scale?) with 3 oz plain Greek Yogurt and 1 tbsp (specific measurement to keep me PB craving intact) natural Peanut Butter. Completely satisfying..
FUN
Fruit Not Fat
The other day I did a quick product review on Galaxy Granola. By now I’ve tried all 3 varieties they sent and I’ve had to do my best to practice portion-control because it’s so darn good! You’d never know they replaced fat with fruit by the taste of it.. yum.. kind of watch to go back a parfait now :p But anyways.. Galaxy Granola has also launched a movement called ‘Fruit Not Fat’ that has a blog to go with it. They’re also on Facebook & Twitter.
As I’m pretty new to the blogging world, this was my first official product review. Y’all (love that “word,” it’s completely underused) know how important eating healthy is to me, but it should also be enjoyable! When I first heard about Galaxy I was pretty sure I’d like it, after all, I love granola and anything to make it healthier is right down my alley, but I was even happier to hear that this wasn’t just about a product but also about a bigger movement that encourages people to enjoy delicious & healthy food as part of an active lifestyle. So check out the blog for healthy posts, recipes and tips!
New Editions
Not at all related to the 90s R&B group, but instead, new items are coming to my OpenSky Shop. I’ve been waiting on these bad boys for a bit so I’m so excited to get them up and share them with you all. I’ll post specifics tomorrow!
And the Buy 1, Get 1 Free Promotion is still going on for the Sagaform Red Bowls!
And of course.. giveaway is going one more day, so keep’em coming!
And
A fantastic post by May on Eating Locally
Fun Links
Congratulations to your measurement progress! It’s amazing how much different one week can make.
I’ve heard of Nutritional Yeast (from Oh She Glows). Does it really have a ‘cheesy taste’? I’m definitely thinking about giving it a try as it has a lot of health benefits.
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
I guess it’s a little cheesy.. almost cheesy & nutty if that makes sense. I love it, but I’m also familiar with the taste from childhood
As if there was any doubt with the measurement thing
Good job! I haven’t tried the tempehtations yet. Did you like the one you got? And thanks for the granola review and website link. It’s always nice to hear it from others rather than just believe what “they” say on their ads and sites.
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
haha, I totally forgot to mention that part :p .. but yes, I did like them! Not sure if I’ll get them often because of the sugar content of the sauce that already there, but they definitely taste great and have a good texture.
Sometimes it’s great to just quiet all the noise and do what YOU KNOW your body needs…and see it showed! Yay for having abs back!
Congrats on the measurements check-in! I had the epiphany last week that I needed to listen to what my body was saying. Turns out, a craving for water cannot be fulfilled by a carb binge.
Do you use calipers to test body fat percentage?
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
Thanks! And yup, my trainer uses calipers. I’ve heard it’s more accurate than the electronic version but not as good as the H20 tank. I think they’re all relative and just try to use one method consistently (ideally with the same person measuring in the same way.)
Congratulations on the measurements! I’m glad you posted your measurements.. I’m trying to get past the idea that I should only pay attention to the scale- body fat is more important! I think you look awesome!
great job with your measurements girl! THAT IS AWESOME! how tall are you?
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
Thanks! I’m ~5’3.5″
I love your cardio routine yesterday… I know you were struggling with what to do, and that seems like a perfect fix. I’m going to try that one the next time I’m at the gym (tonight?), though I might start at 5.5 instead of 6. These legs don’t really go 7 miles an hour! Keep up the good work
Congrats on all your progress! Back on track & feeling good.. good for you! Stay healthy!
congrats on your stats! what are you basing your bf% on? i had calipers done and the electrical impedance done and i dont trust either. i want to get a dexa scan!
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
I/my trainer uses calipers. Calipers & electronic measurement really can vary a lot, but I don’t really care about the specific number as long as it’s going down! :p