Ya’ll are the sweetest! Saying I make dieting fun is such a great compliment (Thanks Jessica.. aka author/creator of recipes I drool over every morning)! For me it’s all about alleviating boredom (my barrier to enjoying any form of static cardio, haha), gotta keep it interesting.. aka maintain some sort of sanity while dieting.
FITNESS
Yeah pretty much everything hurts.. but in that oh so great, I’ve had great workouts this week sorta way. But it was definitely a push-through sorta day too. Recently someone left a comment asking about energy levels with carb-cycling. Well, I don’t know any secrets… Especially in the beginning, I’m often really physically tired, but you just have to push through it. Maybe it’s cheesy, but I often find inspiration at those points by picturing myself on the national stage, and wanting to do everything in my power to get up there knowing I worked as hard as I could to get there.
So today was Shoulders & Glutes. I changed things up every few weeks, but today included:
Shoulders: BB Push-Presses, Arnold Presses, Lat Raises, Reverse Delts
Glutes: DB Sumo Squats , Leg Press (high & wide stance), BB Squats, Glute Kickbacks (weighted on the pulley machine)
After that it was Spin class. We did a ton of lifts and hills today, so it was almost like a 2nd glute workout and I got a great calorie burn.
NUTRITION
I love love Janetha’s Yoats.. but sadly it’s too many carbs at once for me right now on a low day, so I wanted to come up with a similar hot-cold combo. Enter Shoats (aka Shake + Oats.. seen on April’s blog too). This morning I cooked up 1/3 c organic Rolled Oats, and a Low-Carb Fruity Protein Shake (3/4c UVAB + 1 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder + 2 tbsp Sugar-Free Strawberry Syrup + Ice + Glutamine).. isn’t it pretty? Oh and it was so good, and really filling!
Snack was a Plain & Simple Protein Pancake, followed by a lunch of 4 oz Chicken Breast and a Diet Spinach Bar..
A little later I had a ‘I’m tired and hungry’ inspiration. I had a lovely container of plain Chobani Greek Yogurt and happen to stumble upon a packet of Starbucks Via. A pick-me-up snack was created!
Plain Greek Yogurt + 1 pack Starbucks Via + 1 packet Stevia..
Afternoon snack was Lemon-Coconut Agar Pudding..
Post workout I had no appetite, non at all. Does that ever happen to you? I know I worked out hard when food sounds horrible, haha, but eventually I went with Shirataki Noodles with 4oz Tilapia mixed with ~1 tbsp Walden Farms BBQ Sauce..
Dessert looks like it’s going to be a Mocha Protein Pancake (1 scoop Cappuccino Protein Powder + 1/2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa + 3 tbsp Egg Whites + 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar).
Macros were spot on today: 49.3 g Carbs, 195.5 g Protein. Measurements are Friday, hopefully I’ll see progress!
FUN
Not sure if you noticed but I recently became on affiliate of Love Street Living Foods. They have a great variety of healthy products (and the Chocolate is amazing.. IIN sent a sample when I enrolled), so check it out.
What inspires you on the days you’re exhausted or upset? Whether it’s in the gym, at work or school.
Fun Links
When I’m exhausted, two things help: cooking, and tending to my garden. Yesterday I had neither option as I was working in London for the afternoon and felt a sudden energy crash at 3pm (makes sense – I had been up since 5am). So I went out for a walk around the neighborhood via a stop at the shops for a bottle of water and I felt completely refreshed. Amazing what 20 minutes of fresh air and movement will do for the soul.
I have definitely had those days when I am not hungry at all post workout. I never thought about why. But maybe pushing super hard is part of it? Usually what keeps me going is knowing how good I’ll feel once I get going with the workout. However, I am trying to really and truly pay closer attention to my body and recognize just being tired vs honestly needing a rest day.
OK, I want those mocha protein pancakes now!
Inspiration: Not to give up… if I am tired, I still feel better after the workout.. something is better than nothing to me unless it is “beyond pooped, like no sleep pooped”.
When I am upset, the gym workout works off the stress!
That happends to me too! I don’t realize I’m hungry after a workout until I actually start eating. Then I am starving.
you go girl! you are going to do awesome in Vegas! Woot woot -…push through – we are all here for you as moral support – mood swing and all, !
coffee packet in greek yogurt you are GENIOUS!! I never thought of that alyson!! woww I gottta get some of those via packets and try that out asap! I just got the BIGGEST pacakage from NuNaturals, with all of this stevia extract stuff and can’t wait to whip up some goodies!!
when I am exhausted, a great workout always gets me energized!
What a great idea to flavor yogurt! I would have never thought of that!
And that happens to me a lot- not feeling hungry after a workout. But then I eat and it kicks in! LOL
When I’m tired and upset I find going for a walk is a great refresher or going to the gym even if I might not feel like it, I always come out feeling better. Yes those days when you aren’t hungry after working out, I agree, it means you worked hard! I used to get that after kickboxing quite a bit! I have often heard that exercise quells the hunger pangs, well that’s a sometimes for me…usually I could eat an elephant by the time I leave the gym.
Mmmmm….LOVE the yogurt and coffee packet idea! Might even try that today. You sound great! Miss you! xxoo
I love the espresso yogurt idea! What keeps me motivated is twofold 1) I know I’ll feel better (physically) after a workout and 2) I know I’ll feel a lot worse (mentally) if I don’t do it.
OOO love what you did with the yogurT!!!! go you!!!!!!
oh goodness. gracious. this is a great idea! i never eat yoats lately due to the high carbs. i gotsta try shoats!
Hey sweetie! Thanks for the great comment today (and the drive by comment) and glad to hear you’ve had to publish/cringe moments too. I mean we all have,right. But you and I are “real” on our blogs, i.e. we tell our life story, not just what we ate or how many cups of oats in a granola bar recipe type of thing.
Anyway, sounds like you’re killin’ it in the gym! And we have to get together next week or whenever you have time. I know you have the Vegas show and for some reason my brain cells are failing me on your other show. Anyway, lots to talk about and fill you in on
xoxo