Welcome back, ladies! After a week off (and in my case, that means OFF from fitness and healthy living), it was definitely no easy task getting back to the gym and my normal practices of food-prepping and vegetable-steaming. I’m trying to implement the “no excuses” mantra back into my lifestyle, though, as a sort of push to get myself back to “normal.” After a few days back into a normal schedule, though, it feels good to have vegetables back into my diet and some exercise squeezed into my schedule. Without further ado here are some of my most recent eats and exercises!
EATS:
In honor of St. Patricks Day on Monday (and the serious need for nutrients back into my diet), I whipped up this DELICIOUS, albeit not the most appealing to the eye, smoothie.
Green Smoothie
- ½ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 frozen sliced banana
- 5 large strawberries
- A big ‘ol handful of spinach
- Optional: a pinch of guar gum (great for thickening it up!)
–> BLEND AND ENJOY!
A lot of my classes begin too early for me to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, so I am often taking it on the go. I’ve written about overnight oats in this wellness series before, which is one of my favorite on-the-go breakfasts. Another creation that makes an appearance is the peanut butter-and-…. wrap. The “….” takes on various forms, depending on what I am in the mood for that day. It varies from banana (the classic and most popular choice), apple, berries, or some sort of combination!
Peanut Butter and …. Wrap
- 1 whole wheat wrap (I prefer Flat-Out Whole Wheat)
- 2 tbsp nut butter of your choice
- fruit of your choosing (banana, strawberries, blueberries, apples, raspberries….get creative!)
- optional: sprinkle of granola or crunchy cereal
–> wrap it all up and FEAST!
*this particular version is crunchy all-natural PB with sliced nanner and strawberries. YUM (obviously paired with a side of coffee).
Does this qualify as #foodporn? or just #chipotleporn? Either way….I can see the envy in your eyes. Her Campus so kindly provided HCOSU with a Chipotle catering voucher so we could fill our stomachs to the brim while catching a viewing of Chipotle’s newest series “Farmed and Dangerous” — SO COOL! I posted this picture and wanted to make mention of Chipotle’s food because it often gets a bad rep as diet-derailer, but it doesn’t have to be! As long as you’re choosing the right ingredients and limiting/avoiding the not-so-healthy ones, you can stay on track. This bowl is so delicious and my go-to order at Chipotle:
- brown rice (light)
- black beans
- chicken
- lettuce
- veggies (extra)
- LOTS of salsa (I am kind of obsessed)
- **guac if I’m feeling splurge-worthy (with both my wallet and diet)
Hopefully, you get around to blending up a nutrient rich smoothie this week or chowin’ down on some yummy eats as a distraction from the bipolar Ohio weather and gloomy schoolwork that surrounds us!
Onto the MOVES of the week:
Monday:
After a little over a week-long hiatus from working out, I was pretty unsure of how easily I’d be able to get back on the horse, but I surprised myself by cranking out a serious sweat session following this routine:
- This quick eliptical workout
- Followed up by a circuit workout targeting my whole body:
*Repeat each circuit 3x before moving onto the next*
CIRCUIT 1:
- Weighted Squat (12x)
- Overhead Press (12x)
- Walking Lunges (12x each side)
CIRCUIT 2:
- Bent-over row (12x)
- Tricep Extension (12x)
- Side Lunge (12x)
CIRCUIT 3:
- Pushups (10-15x)
- Supermans (15x)
- Wall Sit (1:00 min)
–> BONUS CARDIO CIRCUIT: In between each circuit, complete this cardio circuit for an added challenge!
- 10 burpees
- 10 squats
- 10 jump squats
- 25 mountain climbers
- 25 leg lifts
Ohhhh, baby, was I sweatin’ at the end of this workout–and, boy, did it feel GOOD!
Tuesday:
The nice weather had me high on endoprhins and life itself allowing me to fit in an 8-mile run between class and work. The sunshine works MIRACLES, people! I was really excited to have successfully completed this distance without terribly much trouble because I am really itching to do another half-marathon in May or June! If it’s not sold out yet, I’m angling to do the Columbus Cap City Half-Marathon because I love running on Columbus’ flat terrain. Not to mention, the running community out here is AWESOME!
Wednesday:
All the ambition of that long run left me a little sore on Wednesday, but I had promised a friend I’d complete T-25 with her. T-25 is a new workout plan made up by the same guy who founded Insanity. It’s 25 minutes of straight work, no breaks, that incorporates cardio as well as strength training. DANG. This was definitely a challenge, but I really liked how it was only 25 minutes, eliminating the excuse of, “I have no time to workout.” The DVDs are available on Amazon (or eBay to save some $$$) and there are certain varieties on YouTube where you can watch regular ol’ humans doing the workout as you follow along with them.
It feels really great to be back in a routine and properly nourishing and exercising my body again, but I have to admit, I miss the darn sunshine.
**Here are some fun links you may enjoy that relate to some of the stuff I talked about today!
- kick-a** playlist for when you’re killin’ it on the eliptical/treadmill/bike/etc.
- want to become a pro-smoothie maker? BINGO –> right here.
- Want to become a runner, but lacking the information to get started? Try a couch-to-5k program!