hey hey.. we’re over the hump! Nothing at all interesting to report on my end, just chuggin along with these projects.
FITNESS
Minor Vent
So this isn’t going to be the nicest thing I’ve ever written.
We all have our slip ups with nutrition and exercise, and I will never pretend like I don’t, but I will never understand people who continually complain about not loosing weight but yet make no changes to their unhealthy diet or lack of exercise habits. Fine, don’t change, but please don’t complain about not having results or judge me for my choices.
I make mistakes with nutrition & fitness all the time, I’m still learning, and figuring out what works best for me. The biggest change I’ve made to my attitude, and I think starting Yoga has played a huge roll in this, is not beating myself up and getting depressed when I miss a workout or eat something that I probably shouldn’t. Instead, I’m trying to make each slip an opportunity to anlayze why it happen, and what I can do better next time to prevent it. The more I do this, the less slip ups I’ve found myself making, and the happier I am because I’m not mopping about because I had a few cookies or missed Spin class.
Last week I had fun.. maybe do much, with regards to beverages and desserts that were enjoyed. Usually when things like that happen I do a little extra cardio in the gym the following week. My schedule this week did not permit that, so instead I’ve made a point to be particularly mindful with my clean eating, and I wasn’t anticipating and progress in my measurements. I know why.. and I deserve the results I get. Turns out, even though my weight stayed about the same, my body fat % went down ever so slightly, as did my waist measurement. I was definitely reassured by this because my moderate carb-cycling has been going great.. I’m full, haven’t been craving starchy carbs (since I’m still getting plenty of carbs from other sources) and don’t feel deprived in the least. I’ll be so curious to see how next week goes after a squeaky clean week! (I totally digress again..)
I guess my point is, if I have a point since this has turned into more of a ramble than anything else, is that you have to own the choices you make and live with them.. it’s your body to take care of or mess up. That doesn’t mean don’t enjoy a happy hour here and there are treat yourself to a dessert (Red Velvet Cupcake anyone? :p), but know that you’ll have to pay the price in some way. Heck, most of the time I’m even more pumped to have a great Cardio session and end up burning even more anyway!
One of my favorite parts about Nutrition & Fitness is that every meal and every workout you have the opportunity to do it better, to turn it around.. so no need to complain or beat yourself up.. own it, learn from it!
NUTRITION
So it’s funny.. I didn’t realize it until I sat down to write this post but I pretty much ate the exact same thing Tuesday & Wednesday! The only difference at all was a mid-day snack..
Breakfast the last two days: ~100g Kabocha heated, sprinkled with Cinnamon and topped with 3/4 c plain Greek Yogurt + 1/2 scoop PB Protein Powder and ~1 tbsp raw Sunflower Seeds..
Lunch was on-the-go Salads: Spinach + Chicken Breast + Artichoke Heart + Walden Farm Calorie Free Ranch Dressing..
Tuesday I made this fantastic new concoction.. a new version of my usually kabocha shake..
Kabocha Double Protein Shake
80 g frozen Kabocha piece
1 scoop Cake Batter (or Vanilla) Protein Powder
2 oz Extra Firm Tofu
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
3/4 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
dash Stevia Extract
Blend. Top with something tasty. Enjoy.
Kelp Noodles
Always love a new discovery..
Have you ever had these? I picked them up at Whole Foods last week, curious to try a noodle substitute that only has 6 calories and 1 carb per serving! At first test I was unsure. They don’t really have much of a flavor and are oddly crunchy. But then I mixed them with 1/3 -1/2 c Lactaid Cottage Cheese + 1 tbsp Hummus + 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast, added Savory tofu, and microwaved for a couple minutes.. fantastic healthy cheesy noodle substitute! I used up the second 1/2 tonight..
Evening snack on Tuesday was just 1/2 c plain Greek Yogurt + 1/2 scoop PB Protein Powder + 2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds..
Dessert tonight was unpictured because I gobbled it down so fast. My intent was to make Protein Fudge, but I ended up mixing in 2 tbsp plain Greek Yogurt for a rich, chocolate-craving satisfying pudding like treat!
I’m loving using various raw Seeds (especially Sunflower, Pumpkin, Flax and Chia) as a method of getting my good fats. I love the texture it adds, and I’m much less likely to eat a cup of Chia seeds than a Peanut Butter :p On a related note, my trainer wants me to increase my fat intake to up to 50-60 g! That seems like a lot to me but I trust him and know it’s what my body needs. So expect to see a whole lotta Flax, Udo’s, Chia and Sunflower Seeds 
Thursdays mean it’s almost Friday, which is basically the weekend.. so make it a wonderful one!
Fun Links
Yes! Happy (almost) weekend! PS~ Loving the book so far!
WHAT you eat cookies??
This was a really great post. It’s all about balance. I think I may even stop calling them slip ups at this point. Because if I associate something really negative then I feel like I’ve done something wrong and punish myself or beat myself up rather than see it as an opportunity to figure out what caused me to eat that extra graham cracker or feel that I MUST have a snack after dinner. Does that make sense? We are always so down and so hard on ourselves for every minor oops whether it’s an extra snack, that 2nd glass of wine, or lower weights than you wanted…We forget that we also worked our booties off running, spinning, kicking, lifting, working, etc.
Yes, we have choices & have to own up to them. I love that you wrote that! In fact, my wednesday post made a similar ppoint that we can enjoy BUT we have to be aware. We all know what we put in our mouth. It is whether we acknowledge it OR whether we try to fool ourselves about how much we are actually eating.
Hi! I recently started reading your blog this past week and I love your balanced approach to food and fitness.
I have to say i completely agree with you about people who complain about their weight/image. The same principal for people who complain about their job/husband/boyfriend, etc. If you are unhappy – change your life! However, I think often when it comes to these things people are dealing with other emotional/mental issues that prevent them from being committed to making that change. I know for a long time I was unhappy with my body (I wasn’t overweight at all, just not as fit as I wanted to be), and it really took a serious shift in thinking for me to actually become committed to making the necessary changes in order to see improvements. But, I did it. Everyone is capable!
I also heard someone else say how they feel the best about themselves/their body when they are *treating it right* (ie. eating well and exercising). I’ve noticed that I’m the same way. When I eat clean, exercise a decent amount, my self image is soo much better.
have a great day!
i could not agree more!! I am a personal trainer and work in a corporate fitness center. I have a memer who complains almost daily that he is not losing any weight yet comes to the gym almost daily, and works out. Given, his workouts could be a bit more intense BUT I asked him the ohter day about his diet. Thats where I found the culprit, he is going home and eating CRAP, i mean white bread, pasta, chicken parm, stuffed shells, and he is wondering why he isn’t losing weight. I said that if he is serious about it, he has to have his diet in check and gave him some suggestions, we’ll see what happens!
Kelp noodles look so interesting!
Inspiring as usual (and I hope I wasn’t the one that was complaining). Now instead of going to chick-fil-a for that breakfast sandwich, I’ll be whipping up some more protein pancakes. My body thanks you!!
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
Definitely not you! .. if fact, you have totally inspired me with all your crazy marathon & triathlon running.. which reminds me.. I really want to get a bike
I agree with you on the balance! Congrats on the body fat! You are working hard for it!
ahh amazing eats!!! i totally agree w. you about ppl who COMPLAIN and dont do anything..gets on my last nerve
You’re so right. Own your choices and take action if you actually want to meet a goal. And boo on anyone who is judging what you’re doing with your life. My personal view on it is that life isn’t a race. It’s about gathering experiences and learning from them. I think I might give those kelp noodles a try. I’m all about new foods!
Thank you for you inspiration! I have a similar problem around peanut/almond butter. It is so hard to stick to 1 serving!! Sometimes I think it’s best for me not to buy it. Any ideas on what to replace pb with besides seeds? THANK YOU!!
Twitter: NourishedFit
says:
I did a post a bit back where I analyze my silly PB cravings. For me, a big part is the texture. So I often have hummus, greek yogurt + protein powder or even kabocha.. all have that rich creamy flavor I seem to want! Another option is Coconut Butter.
a-FREAKING-men to your rant up there. thank you! i have way too many people like this in my life who tell me i am “lucky to have such a good metabolism” or it “must be easy for me” to build muscle. and that it would be “way too much work” for them so they just eat donuts. ok, you struck a chord! thanks for letting me relate!
That was a really great post! I know that somedays I get down on myself, but after I spend a little time reflecting I realize how proud I am of my body and how really most of the time I do great, plus I’m here to LIVE life and enjoy it, not spend time being upset about what I ate. I just need to recognize that I did eat it and move on to long term healthy actions.
Great post – I am a firm believer in “hitting the restart button” when I’ve had a bad meal. It’s all about balance!
that noodle-y nutritional yeast savory tofu mixture looks yumsters! you inspired me to buy nutritional yeast again and I am obsessed!
I am glad you are till accomplishing your fitness goals living in the “real world”
wishing you continued success!!
Question…..you typically are eating the kabocha as a carb source correct? Do you buy it fresh or canned? I am going to try it!
I agree with you so much about the whining! Life is hard, but you are the one that can change your attitude, perspective and behaviour! I’m so glad you aren’t feeling guilty for eating fun stuff.
life is so short. Why should we beat ourselves up for enjoying life and good tasty food?! I think you are a beautiful girl and I wish you nothing but the best (cheesy I know…but I meant it sincerely!)
Barbara
Amen to this:
, is that you have to own the choices you make and live with them.. it’s your body to take care of or mess up.
Kelp noodles. WAY too crunchy for me, i dont really go for em but some people love em.
I posted today about something that you may find interesting re wanting to maybe explore figure/bikini stuff
see u tuesday!
You are totally right about having to find a balance, this is something I’m working on. I used to be very all or nothing about fitness and nutrition, and would go from one extreme to the other, but I’m finding that a nice balance is working better and I feel better mentally too.
totally agre re: your rant! SO frustrating!
I get that too, people wanting to be in better shape, and asking me what I do, their eyes glazing over as they think to themselves, “well that’s far more work than I want to put into it, I’ll just stick with what I’m doing”. You reap what you sow.
On your meals this week, I go through phases where I will eat the same thing every day for weeks. It seems to make things easier, don’t have to think too much about what to eat and when I find something I love I just have to have it all the time. Then I get bored for awhile and move on to some other thing.