On the fitness front this week was definitely a move in the right direction..no where near where I need/want to be.. but I’m being ‘glass half full’ this beautiful Sunday morning. In fact, this morning I woke up to Christmas music playing over loudspeakers.. it was nice, and hard to be mad about being woken up. .. But I’m getting off topic..

Yogiversary

I didn’t get in all my weight & cardio sessions in this week, but I did go to 4 yoga classes (sore!), and am starting to feel much better  and excited about workouts. For some reason Yoga has become that first step for me when I get off track. I think it’s because I genuinely enjoy every moment of a yoga class, whereas even though I love the feeling after 30 minutes of HIIT Sprints, I can’t say I particularly enjoy it mid-sprint when I feel like my chest is going to explode, and it’s hard not to get down on myself for getting more out of shape than I’d like.

Actually, I finally found a Yoga studio here I like. It’s still nothing compared to my studio & teachers back in Arizona (ya’ll know how picky I am when it comes to fitness/yoga classes), but I’m thankful to find a place I feel comfortable and can start getting back into the groove. And it couldn’t come at a better time, because I got an email today from the Yoga studio in Arizona, reminding me that it is my ’1 year anniversary’ from the first class I took there. CRAZY! SO much has happened between then and now, but at the same time it feels like yesterday. I remember being genuinely nervous about going, and so delighted when I enjoyed it, and ecstatic in the following weeks as I became more familiar with the basic poses, types of classes and teachers whose style I really connected with. I have had so many ups & downs this year, what a roller coaster it has been, and having a yoga practice (even in my infancy stage) to help center & focus me, when I’m at times flailing, has been a true blessing.

A Night with Michael Pollan

Friday night I went to see Michael Pollan speak at the finale of sorts to Edible Austin‘s Eat Local Week. It was pretty good.. my friend who went with me seemed to enjoy & find it interesting, I guess I was just a little disappointed because I’ve read all his books and was hoping for closer examination of a specific topic, or new current event topics. Instead he mostly just did a synopsis of previous book material. Ah well.. still pretty interesting and glad I went.

On another exciting note, when I got home late, super hungry, I found a lovely care package from my parents waiting for me..

Love the Lefse

Holiday Baking is a big tradition in my family and there are a few items in particular that cannot be missed. One of those is Lefse! To sum it up in a ridiculously simplistic manner, lefse is sort of like a Norwegian potato tortilla. That’s simplistic because it’s actually quite the time consuming, labor intensive project. I think people most commonly eat it with a little bit of honey and cinnamon, but my favorite has always been grilled with a little melted cheese. But last night a lefse with my dad’s homemade Lox was the perfect  midnight snack

Mid-week I also did a little holiday baking of my own (Picky Palate’s Festive Candy Cane Kissed Brownie Bites)

Thoughts?

What helps keep you grounded and focused during turbulent times?

How do you get back on track, or as I sometimes say, find your fitness mojo?

.. was my alarm x 2 today…

FITNESS

Alarm #1

First, he woke me up at 5am in hot pursuit of a flying bug of some sort. To his credit, he did catch it, but I was wide awake at that point, so I figured I might as well head to the gym and get my cardio done early. Today was just a plain old (read: boring!) steady state day. I started with 15 min. on the Treadmill (5 min. warm-up walk, 5 min. quick walk at 10.0 incline, 5 min. jog), then hit the Elliptical for 30 min. of resistance intervals. I started at resistance 6.0 and went up 1 every minute. I wrapped it up with a few minutes of pedaling it out on the bike.

A few hours later it was off to my trainer’s studio for Leg day and measurements. For measurements my weight, waist and body fat % all went down slightly. This was my first check-in since getting a new workout & nutrition plan, so gotta start somewhere!

NUTRITION

Post-cardio I went with Vegan Overnight Oats topped with a couple sliced Strawberries.. with a side of Iced Coffee

But after lifting was the fun part.. my cheat meal of the day! I got a panini from Great Harvest. It was Turkey, Swiss & Avocado on Spinach & Feta Bread. It was just the right size, but I was so hungry, and pretty much inhaled it..

Alarm #2

Fortunately Killer’s Alarm Cat skills came in handy later, when little did I notice that this was happening..

There’s something wrong with my sink, one side is super clogged. I guess I accidentally hit the Dish Washer, causing it to start, but with the drains clogged, it just came right out the front! grr.. so for now dishes are being washed by hand, hopefully they can come fix it soon!

I spent a good part of the day getting work done at Barnes & Noble, but at 3:30pm I headed up to watch Fitness Universe on webcast. Naturally I needed a snack to go with it..

Kale Nachos seemed like the perfect option! I just baked Kale Chips (425 F for 8 min) and topped them with Humnut Sauce (2 tbsp Hummus + 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast + 2 tbsp H20), Artichoke Hearts, 1/3 Avocado, Seitan and Salsa..

I saw these on Naomi’s blog a while back, and just so happened to have all the ingredients.. Chickpea Blondies.. the only change I made to her recipe was I replace the Banana with 1/3 c pureed Butternut Squash..

These turned out pretty good. Not too sweet and a good texture.

Approximate Nutrition Facts (approximate because I forgot to add the Butternut Squash)..

And the perfect topping for this healthy snack.. Look what I found at Great Harvest!

I’d heard nothing but fantastic reviews but hadn’t had a chance to try it. And guess what, the rumors are true, it is definitely up there as one of the best tasting nut/seed butters ever!

I am beat from a great week of workouts. I’d be probably be lying if I said I was just going to relax.. lord knows I’ll probably still have the computer on my lap (while watching True Blood) working on one thing or another :p

FUN

Anyone else watch Fitness Universe? It was fun to see some of the same people I met at Camp Savage and competed with at Fitness America. As far as my opinion of the routines.. well, the Fitness America Pageant federation just has different rules & regulations.. as in not very many. Because of this I think it would be really hard to judge, because some girls are amazing dancers but do very little strength or tumbling, while others may not be as graceful but do crazy cool acrobatics. Hands down though, Annette Perry, the winner, truly is an amazing performer and dancer. Congratulations to everyone!

I just wish NPC Jr. Nationals was webcast too…

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

If you happened to catch the Tweet earlier you already know.. but I am now a member of the 2010 class at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition!! I stumbled across this program a while back and had been tossing around the idea of pursuing it for sometime. The more research I did, and the more I reflected on my professional and personal goals moving forward, the more I realized that INN was a development opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Their philosophy is directly in line with my health beliefs. INN takes a holistic approach to health overall and nutrition specifically, with an emphasis on bio-individuality– that no one plan works for everyone. The program teaches a 360 approach; acknowledging that nutrition, physical activity, personal relationships, career and spirituality are all sources of nourishment, and are aspects of health that need to be addressed and balanced. The philosophy explains how “everything we consider a source of nutrition is really just a secondary source of nourishment.” That food is in fact secondary to other aspects of life–  ”food can fill you, but it cannot fulfill you.”

The program starts in February, so I’ll be doing the distance learning option (though it would be so cool to be studying in NY). Another awesome feature of INN is their emphasis on professional development and ensuring that their students and graduates are given the tools they need to start seeing clients and developing their business as soon as possible. Upon graduating you qualify for certification under the American Association for Drugless Practitioners as a Health & Wellness Counselor.

I’m so excited!

So, other than that… Today started just as any other 1st day of winter break should start.. with a delicious breakfast and a lot of lounging around catching up on my reader and tweeting ..

FITNESS

After Thursday’s day off, I was ready to get sweating!

Weighed-In eeck

So I got measured today.. naturally I wasn’t particularly excited about this, but I knew it would be a good thing to both track changes and keep me in check. Everything was how I knew it would be, with the biggest increase coming in my waist. No surprise there, as I tend to loose and gain over my abs first. I was however pleasantly surprised to find that my body fat had only gone up approximately 1.5%. Turns out when the puffiness went down I still have muscle there :p

I also checked out a new yoga class and teacher tonight at Candlelight Flow. Probably my least favorite so far, but there’s only one way to find out what I like, so no worries.

NUTRITION

I’m on a new kick, in the form of Protein Pudding! Breakfast this morning was Protein Pudding Mess. In the mix we have..

Chocolate Protein Pudding (1 scoop Nectar Chocolate Protein Powder + 4oz Oikos Yogurt + 1 pack Sweetleaf)

Warm Maple Apple (~1/2 apple + WF Maple Syrup + lotsa Cinnamon headed stove top)

1 tbsp Naturally More PB

12 g MixMyGranola

I snacked on a couple Fitness-ized Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies before my lifting session. My post-workout meal looked quite a bit like breakfast but instead of pudding I made a thick protein shake and topped it with the rest of the Maple Apples (there were lots but they sunk in haha) and a Blueberry Fiber Cake. I was moderately obsessed with these fiber cakes over the summer. They come in Blueberry and AppleCranberry and have a whopping 12g of protein per serving. I’ve found these at both Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

Per usual, by the time I got home from Yoga I was ravenous.. though it definitely didn’t help that I stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way home. :p Any who, dinner was just the other half of the stuff acorn squash I made a couple nights ago.

I was in a baking mood tonight, partially spurred by the roommate decision to make it a holiday movie night! So here we go..

Chocolate Peppermint Luv

There was an extra roll of sugar cookie dough left over from the cookie party we had last week. It’s been taunting me for a week, so it had to go to use tonight. So I made a cheater’s version of We Are Not Martha’s, Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies. I didn’t have hard peppermint candies but I did have a bag of Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses. So after the cookie bar came out of the oven and the semi-sweet chocolate layer was spread on, I sprinkled them with chopped up Candy Cane Kisses..

And then I tried to break it into those adorable bark-like pieces. The result.. FAIL. haha, taste-wise, they were just fine, but the chocolate didn’t stay stuck to the extremely undercooked cookie. ahh well, like mother always said, cheaters never prosper :p

After that fail there were still a bunch of leftover chocolate chips and kisses.. what’s a girl to do?! .. How about make Double Chocolate Peppermint Covered Graham Crackers?! I think graham crackers are a highly underrated snack item. I melted the Kisses in the microwave, dipped the graham crackers and let them chill for 20 minutes.

I used the chocolate chips for the second chocolate layer, then sprinkled them with smashed Holiday M&Ms. Lovely..

I took a survey.. of the 2 other people who tried these (aka my roommates), and they receive an A+! Perfect serving size, great peppermint taste, and 3x the chocolate fun. Definitely will have to remember this one.

Along Other Lines

Check out this great post from Healthy Chow on slowing down and appreciating the moments

And an interesting critique, which I agree with, of The Biggest Loser from Mohr Results

And I’m spent..

Wow, just had one of the Chocolate-Covered Grahams and I’m  sugared out for sure. It’ll feel good to sweat that out tomorrow!

What are you all up to this weekend? Last minute Christmas plans, parties? .. as for me, I’ll be working on my resume :/.. well, and working out here & there and catching up on a big stack of magazines! Have a wonderful Saturday!

A Busy Thursday

For breakfast I went wish a fantastic bowl of Rich & Creamy Protein Mocha Oats, topped with a tbsp of Better n’ PB

missed you!

The night before I cooked up a batch of 0-Carb Protein Pancakes, so I snacked on a couple of those throughout the day, in addition to testing this out:

I thought it was good, but I like the Gingerbread flavor better

Lunch was pretty basic, just Baby Spinach with 3 oz Chicken Breast and chopped Tomatoes + Walden Farms Ranch of course. I was actually wishing I had something warm, but it did the trick.

Knowing sweets were on the horizon, I made a dinner that I hoped would fulfill my sweet tooth. I think you know what’s coming.. Kabocha! I sliced the whole thing, coated one half with Swerve (sugar replacement) and Cinnamon and left the other half plain, and popped it in a 375 F oven for 40 min. Added a little protein in the form of Ham and a couple tbsp Pumpkin Hummus. Seriously awesome dinner!

a perfect combo

Oh and buy the way, yes, I am that girl..

I had my old Starbuck’s drink for the first time since July yesterday. My drink is: double tall, sugar-free cinnamon dolce, soy latte, light foam, extra hot. So yes, I am that person in front of you in line that you give either a dirty or ‘ok you’re crazy’ look too Isn’t he beautiful?.. I looked under the cup to determine the pronoun to use there :p

Cookie Party!

So it’s no secret that I love to bake! Unfortunately I have no ‘off button’ when it comes to sweets, so I don’t allow myself to keep classic dessert & baked items (using “classic” to be all things not clean or fitness-friendly) around the house. But as I mentioned yesterday, Friday is our MBA Holiday Party (180 rsvp’ed, crazy), so I had a wonderful excuses to use up baking items leftover from Thanksgiving and try some new fun recipes!

Mint Brownie Pie

1st batch of: Peanut Butter Chip Oatmeal Cookies

fresh out the oven: Chocolate Chip Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie with Rum Butter Frosting

1st batch of: Cinnamon Chip Cookies

sugar-coma just looking at it all!

Started the evening with a lil Holiday music playing thanks to my DJ roommate, then later put on ‘Love Actually,’ my all time favorite Christmas movie. I was busy in the kitchen so didn’t sit down to watch, but no need, I could hear it from the kitchen and I know the movie by heart

Currently cooking up dinner, then need to get cleaned up, pack up the goodies, and head to the Holiday Party!

Hope you all have had a wonderful Friday, mine’s been fantastic! Any movies you love so much you could probably recite them beginning to end? Others on my list include Disney’s Aladdin and Brown Sugar.

As you’ve probably picked up on from my previous blog and negative/stressed tweets, it’s been a rough week. It’s was a combination of things. Being in the 6th week of cutting, being overwhelmed with finals, and the the job search I should be doing, wanting to participate in holiday festivities, etc etc. But today I finished finals for the trimester. Which means I’m two-thirds the way done with my MBA. But yet I was still in a funky mood. On the way home from work I decided, screw it, I’m going to bake, even if I can’t eat it.

Ingredients

First, Apple Spice Muffins with Cinnamon Frosting. I used a recipe I saw on Megan’s Munchies but instead used plan Apple Juice and Cream Cheese Frosting with a bit of Cinnamon mixed in.

I love to decorate, can'tcha tell

I didn’t want to do multiple batches, so I made use of my mini-muffin tins.

While those were in the oven, I mixed up ‘Throw It All In’ Fudge which I found at Natalie’s Killer Cuisine my ‘Throw-Ins’ were Heath Toffee Bits and Reese’s Pieces , then I topped it with Candy Pumpkins. Of course I wanted Candy Corn by the store was out.

Halloweeny Fudge!

I had tons of extra ‘Throw-Ins’ which were perfect for decorating the cupcakes.

Minis & Fudge

Long story longer, I am starting to feel better, refreshed, rejuvinated, and ready to attack the next 22 days. I don’t know what it is about baking that makes me feel better, because it wasn’t even the process of enjoying my works effort. I stood in the kitchen by myself, the house was completely quiet, and iced & decorate cupcakes for a good 20 minutes. I relaxed, I breathed.

AM HIIT cardio, work, meeting then spin tomorrow. Looking forward to feeling myself in the gym again. Have a wonderful Hump-Day!