Double Time

Happy Thursday, or should we say, Valentine's Day eve! I am preparing myself today for what tomorrow will most likely bring. Donuts. Candy. Chocolate. Date night, delicious dinner and drinks. Calories. We are having Fit Friday at work tomorrow in hopes we can motivate people to stay strong (I was partly behind this one) but I have a feeling there are some sweets in my future and I think that is just plain OK for a sweet holiday. What makes it work for me is doubling up today! Paying extra attention to my diet today and hitting the gym twice in hopes I burn off a few sweethearts in advance. It's all about the balance and cutting yourself some slack.

Started the morning with an awesome fusion fly spin class and headed back for a double dose later tonite. Let's hope it's worth it and I get a HUGE box of chocolates for vday!

Need. Food.

What is it about winter and wanting to eat ALL the time? Is it just me? I swear I am hungry non stop no matter what I eat or what I do. I will blame it on the cold. However I still have to be on a beach in 3 weeks so this is going to begin the week of no excuses. I have stuck to my eating about 60% of the time, falling off the wagon more often that not :(  Ugh, go away winter, I need warm sunny skies with happy outdoor workouts!!!

Today is Monday. It's not been the best Monday for me so far, but always a great day to start over like its a new year. I ate my bad day away in leftover birthday cake (sometimes, it's just what works) and tomorrow it will be time to get back on the wagon! The workouts are there. It's always the diet that needs tightening up, be ready for some foodie posts!

Sometimes it just takes a reminder to one's self that we are healthy and strong and no matter what, today is a good day.

On the wagon. Off the wagon. On again.

Ugh, sticking with a healthy diet can be such a battle sometimes! Especially for a sugar-holic like me, who is desperately trying to reduce her sugar intake!!! I figured out that for me, half the battle is staying full. As long as I am not starving when it's time to eat then I can convince myself to pass on the bad stuff, but if I let it go too long and my stomach gets the best of me... well... this happens.

On a better day, I remember to bring good, healthy snacks, like some organic edamame I found at Costco. Easy afternoon snack, and probably a better choice than the donut, although not quite as tasty. But probably a better choice in the long run. I guess it's all about balance.

Thursday Motivation

Thursdays are tough. After working hard 3 days in a row, I am always finding I lack a little motivation on a Thursday... like sleeping in and skipping the gym this morning :( But I am a fan of resting when your body is tired and I was very tired. It will make tomorrow's workout better and I am going to keep an extra close eye on my food intake today. And maybe if I can sneak away late tonite after everyone is home and settled, I found a new hot yoga studio with late night classes!

My motivation today was simple. I just got online and shopped (didn't purchase, that's for when I reach my goal) and found some new teeny bikini's for my big beach trip. That's exactly what I needed to just say no to the giant candy dish sitting on my desk at work (that was NOT filled by me!).

New Eats

Started off a new week with a half day at home with my kids for MLK day and it just so happened to be sunny and 50 degrees so we took full advantage of it. What a way to start a week! I took the kids on a long walk to get some fresh air and exercise, we ran and played at the park and enjoyed all things outdoors. I love days like these when I am reminded how much I love the outdoors and how much opportunity there is to get in shape and be with my kids having fun at the same time.

And then today hit. 5 degrees on the way to the gym this morning. Yuk. I could think of no better way to combat the cold than treating myself to a giant cup of Panera coffee, my fav, and I decided to try out their new hidden menu item, the power breakfast bowl. I give it a 10! Low cal, high protein, low sugar, just what I needed to start my day off right, and warm. A nice break from the same old breakfast I eat day after day after day.

Going, going, going...

Some days you have it. Some days, not even close. I find between work and my kids I am going, going, going all the time and unless I stop for a moment, I barely even notice the exhaustion. But then it hits, like today. Extra busy week at work maybe, or just that time of the year, but I. Am. Tired. I couldn't even drag myself out of bed for my workout, I just skipped and laid and stared at the ceiling and then eventually drug myself to the shower and then to Starbucks on the way to yet another crazy day at work. I guess today has now become my rest day. It didn't stand much of a chance.

I noticed I was feeling tired when I was working out last night, I ended up burning 100 less calories than usual because I was just exhausted, which is a sign that my body needs a break! Today is my reminder, sometimes rest is just what you need to make tomorrow stronger! And coffee. A LOT of coffee. And probably a diet coke, or 3...

Feeling the Burn

Happy Tuesday! Week 2 of Operation Beach Body in full effect. Hitting the gym hard, testing out some new recipes to keep me full and trying my best to stay away from the candy dish. So far, so good. I got a fancy new watch from my hubby for Christmas, life has been so busy lately I had not even opened it up so I took advantage of the nice weather this weekend and we hit the slushy trails for a family jog to test it out. Oh how I have missed outdoor activities!!!! When it goes from -9 degrees up to 60 you would think it was summer. We were at the driving range hitting golf balls by the end of the day wearing Tshirts!

My running team = Cardio+Resistance training!

I don't think the little one is going to be in a stroller much longer so we need to get him going on the bike, then I am going to have to start running a lot faster!

My goal with this watch is to record my calorie burn so when I am keeping track of my food I can balance it with what I am burning. Also it's a great way to make sure I am actually working hard...no sense in getting up before 5am if you are not going to push it hard! I found a way to set it up that I can keep track of my calories when I'm running or indoors taking a class. Finally I can keep accurate count of how much I'm burning so I know if I can eat a little more :)  Monday's early morning workout class, pushing myself as hard as I could, and I burned 510 cals in an hour! I thought that was pretty sweet.

I Heart Friday.

What a week. Work was crazy, life was crazy, to say TGIF would be an understatement! So far week 1 of operation beach body has been pretty successful. Today was a bit of a bust, starting with coffee and bagels and a mid-day after lunch cookie...you can't be perfect all the time right??? I missed the gym today because of work and stress ate my way through the first part of the day so my plan is to get back on track tonite and maybe try to squeeze in an extra workout this weekend. The weather is looking up, the freezing weather is supposed to take a break and I got a fancy new running watch from Santa so its about time to break it out of the box.

Between the chaos of work and life and the fact that I tend to move a million miles a minute, I decided my work for 2014 is going to be CALM. I have a great friend who has challenged me for the last 5 years to come up with a word every year to keep me on track. I've had some really great ones the past few years (grace, devotion, passion, fruitful) but I think calm is going to be a winner for me this year. So in celebration of my word, I am going to leave work an hour early and get a massage before I pick up my kids and start the crazy weekend. Taking care of myself is part of the plan to being a happy, fit working mom. My calm is at the gym, quiet time after my kids go to bed, closing my office door and listening to music while I design, there are so many things that I am going to keep in mind to keep my mind calm. Less anxiety, more go with the flow. Very out-of-the-box for me. But that's what a goal is for!

What's to Eat?

Oh man is it hard for me to come up with new things to eat!!! I am stuck in a rut so I did some searching online on my favorite sites. Here's my pick for the week, appropriate for the coldest week of the season:

Pot pie soup

Recipe from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-soup.html

Tasty and filling, low cal, low sugar, lots of protein and I have been eating it for lunch all week! I like anything that I can portion out for the week, grab and go. Quick and easy, that's the key for me!

The time has come.

Oh yes, the time has come to get my act together, to get it in gear, eye on the prize... vacation is coming!!! It's about the only good thing about a day like today when the high is around 5 degrees and we are all stuck inside.

I am taking a lovely little trip to St. Lucia with my husband for our 10 year wedding anniversary. We leave in exactly 52 days and this body needs to be beach ready. While my workouts have been pretty decent lately, my diet... well... it could use a tune up. Starting off strong in 2014 with a trip to the store spending most of my time in the produce section. (ignore the marshmallows, 5 degree weather requires hot chocolate!)

The strategy:

1. Less sugar. Very tough for me.

2. What makes less sugar easier for me is being less hungry, so regular meals and snacks. Veggies. Protein. Candy.

3. Count those calories! Time to get re-acquainted with myfitnesspal.

4. Accountability. That's what this blog is for.

5. Keep on working out. Try to mix it up. New classes. Back to running if the ice ever melts.

Wish me luck. Bikini here I come!!!

Workouts:

Sunday - fusion fire class

Monday - early a.m. fusion mix class

New Year, New YOU!

Happy 2014! I love a new year. I am a sucker for some resolutions. Why not? Even if you only stick to them for a short while, atleast you get a jump start to a better year.

I'm starting my 2014 with bronchitis, meds and a doctor's order NOT to exercise. Yuk. But a couple days of rest never hurt anyone.

I have been thinking about my resolutions. The usual are always top of the list, stop eating so much sugar, less late-night unnecessary snacking, more veggies, all that standard stuff. Then I saw this magazine on the rack at the grocery store and it made me think (a. I should stop buying so many magazines...) that maybe I need some more balance in my life. I wake up, work out, work a long day, play with my kids and do chores around the house, watch tv and go to bed, then get up an repeat that over and over.

So here is my plan for 2014:

My Resolutions

1. Less tv before bed, more reading and quiet time

2. Take a few more breaks

(get up from my desk more, skip a day here and there at the gym and do something else)

2. Get a tattoo. Yep, I have always wanted one. I think now that I am an adult I can make an informed decision. Just need to get the guts to go... stay tuned. 

4. And the usual stuff. Less candy. More veggies!

5. Take better care of my face. More sunscreen. Anti-aging. Time to accept the fact I am not getting any younger and this is the only face I've got.

6. And this is just for giggles. Less Diet Coke. Cue laughter... I'm going to try. Really, I am.

Easy peasy.