Lemon Berry Smoothie

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup Pineapple
• 1/4 cup each  Frozen Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries 
• 1 scoop Protein Powder

Blend and enjoy! 

Roughly makes about 2 servings.

Nutritional Info per serving:

176 Calories, 19 g Carbs, 3 g Fat, 14 g Protein, 5 g Fiber, 10 g Sugar

October Challenge

I am challenging myself to a few things this month. Why? I have been at 170-172 for the last month or 2. It needs to stop. I'm not even losing inches. I'm just steadily stagnant. I hear this is actually quite common when losing weight. But what do you do when you hit a plateau? You do something different.
I almost signed up for Shakeology, Beachbody's meal program where you replace one meal with a shake. It's $120 for one month and you have to continuously do it for I don't know how long. I'm not trying to bash it, but I did a little bit of research. I read a lot of good reviews for it, other than being pricey, but I thought, what is the difference between this and making your own smoothie or shake every day as a meal replacement? So, this is one of my goals.

• Smoothie/shake every day as meal replacement. 

I've already been in a smoothie kick already, so why not? I will post more smoothie/shake recipe's for you, as well. 

Second, I have a cheat day every Saturday. I rest that day and I eat good for breakfast and lunch, but dinner I go out to eat with my husband, as a date, and we don't eat like Olive Garden every Saturday night, but sometimes, they're bad places like Papa Johns, sometimes, they're reasonable like Panera or Jason's Deli. I don't know if anyone else can relate, but every time I have a meal, it has to be an amazing meal. If not, it's so disappointing. When I eat out, I like to EAT! Eating is an experience to me, not just to live. I love tasting things, I think I was supposed to be an exquisite french chef in this life, but I'm not. This is my problem! I eat because I enjoy the experience! Not to get nutrients! Now my aspects are changing. I eat to get the proper nutrients. You can still eat fabulously and healthy at the same time. But still, I always have the cheat meal. So....

• No eating out this month.

Not at all. No lunches with girlfriends, no date night at a restaurant, no ''I don't feel like cooking tonight". I've already planned my meals throughout this month, so there's no excuses. 

I've also planned out a few workout challenges this month:

• Plank challenge
• Be able to fully run a mile
• Splits Challenge

The splits one is mostly my own thing. I've been stretching after every workout to slowly stretch out my hips more and more for flexibility. 

Two more things:

• Drink half of my body weight in fl oz of water (so, as of now 86 fl oz or 10.75 cups)
• Log everything that enters my mouth onto Myfitnesspal.com 

I used to log everything I ate for about 3 or 4 months. It got to a point where I was eating throughout the day just guessing how much everything was in calories and I would log it all at the end of the night and I was right! So I stopped logging and just trusted myself. Every one in a while I would check to see if I was doing good and I still was. But then I went on vacation and ate whatever I wanted and didn't workout. It screwed me over. So I'm back to logging. If you would like to add me, my user name is blkenigma8

Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Shake

Who doesn't enjoy the childhood go to sandwich: PB & J?? 

Other than my insane weirdo of a husband. (I know, right?)

Well, here is a twist on the classic PB&J

A PB&J Protein Shake.

Admit it, I blew your mind a little.

Ingridients:

1/2 Almond Milk

1/4 cup Pure Peanut Butter (Not processed, no sugars, just PB)

5 strawberries

1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein powder (I used 1/2 a scoop of Body Fortress)

Blend and enjoy!

One of my first responses to this shake was "uhh isn't that unhealthy?" Alas, it is not.

329 Calories, 22 g Carbs, 17 g Fat, 22 g Protein, 6 g Fiber, 9 g Sugar

Peanuts are a healthy fat and have so many nutrients as well as it being a great source of protein. It is also considered to be a 'designer' antioxidant. Next to grape skins, peanuts are the richest source of resveratrol, a supplement known to extend life and have been known to produce better endurance. 

Sources:

Nutrition Diva

Lean Green Smoothie

This smoothie was made using an app from the Google app store called Smoothie recipes.

I'm on a fruit and veggie fast today, mostly in smoothie form, so prepare for 4-5 smoothies today.

For breakfast, I chose to have a Lean Green Smoothie. Anything green is a great way to start the day!

Ingredients:

 1 cup Honeydew Melon

3-4 Ice Cubes

1 cup Green Grapes

1/4 Cucumber, peeled and shopped

1/4 cup Broccoli Florets

1 sprig Mint Leaves

Blend, serve and enjoy!

Strawberry Orange Sunrise Smoothie

This smoothie was inspired by my favorite yogurt, Yoplait's Strawberry Orange Sunrise.

I wouldn't recommend this smoothie as a protein smoothie, but more as a dessert. I added in some carrot juice, which you can't even taste, because Carrot juice is so healthy for you and I can't stand the taste. 

Ingredients:

Squeezed Orange Juice

1 cup halved Strawberries

1-3 halved frozen Strawberries

1 Banana, slightly frozen and cut into 4 pieces

a dash of carrot juice (optional)

Blend, serve and enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

Inspired by FitSugar

This is so great when you're craving something sweet, especially since there is only 157 calories. What?!!? Heck yea! You save like 800 calories by having this instead of a Cinnamon bun. 

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, cut into four pieces

1 cup Almond Milk

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp pure maple syrup

Cinnamon stick for awesomeness 

Blend and enjoy!

Best part of this delicious smoothie is the benefits:

Almond milk- great cholesterol lowering-effects from Vitamin E, magnesium and monounsaturated fats.

Cinnamon - aids digestion, recommended for treating loss of appetite and upset stomach, prevents bloating and treats heart burn and nausea.

Banana - help with depression, from traces of tryptophan which converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes one feel happy. Helps against leg cramps during workouts. Reduces PMS symptoms. 

Sources:

FitDay

Annie's Remedies

Food Matters

Green Monster Smoothie

Green smoothies are a great way to get a lot of nutrients from broccoli, spinach, kale, celery, etc.

I know it's hard to drink it when it's so green! But not only is it delicious, but it's so good for you. I've even started replacing my coffee for this green smoothie.

Ingredients:

6 oz Naked Green Machine

1/4 cup frozen Pineapple Mango mix

1/4 cup Broccoli

1 handful fresh raw Spinach 

Blend and enjoy!

Strawberry Burst Smoothie

This was possibly the best smoothie I have made yet!

I picked up some of this stuff

from Dillon's yesterday. They were buy one get one free!

I highly recommend these or Naked drinks for smoothie bases.

So I decided to make a delicious strawberry smoothie with the Strawberry C Monster as a base. 

Ingredients:

Odwalla Strawberry C Monster

1-1.5 cup Strawberries (Depending how big your blender is)

1-2 pieces of pineapple

Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

Blend and enjoy!

Turkey and Zucchini Sliders

I got this idea from Living Crunchy. So cute, so easy and so good!

I didn't look at the recipe, I just saw the photo from pinterest and I just did my own thing. 

Moist ground turkey, burst of garlic and basil and a tasty crunch of perfectly grilled until tender zucchini.

What you need:

1 Zucchini

1/2 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp fresh cut basil leaves

1 tbsp fresh cut parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 egg white

1. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan or in a panini machine.

2. Mix together ground turkey, leaves, salt, powders. 

3. Crack your egg in a separate bowl as to not add any shell into the mix. Separate egg yolk from whites. 

4. Add egg whites to turkey mix and thoroughly mix together. 

5. Drop small spoonfuls of turkey mix onto heated pan or panini machine and flatten.

6. While turkey is cooking, chop your zucchini vertically. 

7. When your turkey is done, set aside. 

8. Place zucchini onto panini machine or pan and cover. Heat for only about 2 minutes, or until lightly tender. 

9. Stack together and enjoy!

The original site added in avocado (yum) but I added Litehouse's lite Jalapeno Ranch. Enjoy!

Strawberry Raspberry Banana Smoothie - Jamba Juice Copy Cat

Raspberries are amazing. I recently stated liking them, myself, and I can't get enough of them!

Raspberries are so rich on Vitamin C. 1 cup of them has 32 mg, which is about 54% daily value (based on a 2000 calorie diet), Manganese (Mineral important in forming bones, connecting tissues, blood-clotting factors, sex hormones, and is involved in fat and carbs metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. It is also important for the brain and nerve function) 41% daily value, and dietary fiber (32% daily value).

The list goes on and on for vitamins and minerals. And they are so great in smoothie, salads, pastries/desserts, again, list goes on and on.

I bring raspberries up because I was craving them today.

I was craving a raspberry smoothie. 

This is my own attempt to make Jamba Juice's Strawberry Raspberry Banana Smoothie.

(I went there once thinking that they would make beyond amazing smoothies. They were good, but they didn't add in any secret ingredient to make it their own and super special, so I make my own now.)

Recipe:

1/4 cup Pure Orange Juice

1/2 cup Raspberries (I like frozen)

1/4 Strawberries (again, frozen)

1/2 Banana

1/2 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein powder

And presto. I gotta say, mine was better than Jamba Juice. 

(I like frozen better because the smoothie's aren't as liquid-y and obviously, makes it colder)

This was my recovery smoothie. I only used a half a scoop of protein powder because I plan on having another smoothie later after I run when the set starts setting. 

Blog Parties:

Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Sources:

Wikipedia

LiveStrong

My Day!

For breakfast I tried something new. Special K's Nourish Multi Grain Blend with Quinoa Maple Brown Sugar Crunch flavor. 

I gotta say, I wasn't impressed. 

I feel like I can make better, myself, for a less expensive price. 

But for one who is on the go, maybe you should try it out. All you do is heat up some water and pour to the line in the cup and let soak. 

My workout was tough today. I was sweating cats and dogs. I tried out some CrossFit moves my mother taught me while she visited and holy. cow. lick. My lungs, heart and quads were working! I wish I had someone to take pictures, but I'll describe what I did in as best detail as I can.

Warm up:

1 min Jumping Jacks

1 min skips across room, back and forth

1 min side skips across room, back and forth

Workout:

Push Press, Squats, jumping over weighted bar. 

Start off doing 10 of each. Then 9, then 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

No breaks, no rest, no catching your breath. 

In the words of Jillian Michaels "Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going!"

Once I was done with this, I did some ab work:

Lay on your back, knees up, feet down. Hold a 10 lbs weight above your head, arms straight. Sit up ALL THE WAY, keeping yours arms above your head at all times. This works out your abs and shoulders. You better believe me, it works you! 2 sets of 25 of these

2 sets of  25 flutter kicks

2 sets of 25 scissor kicks

2 sets of 25 Russian Twists with 10 lb weight

Then a little bit of arm work:

I mostly added this in because I haven't worked out my arms in a while and I wanted to wake them up

25 bicep curls, slow

25 kick backs

25 shoulder raises

25 fly's

25 rows

Stretch:

I added a few yoga moves here. I did a full sun salutation sequence and some muscle stretches. 

All this took me less than 40 minutes, warm up and cool down included and I burned 437 calories. I feel like I burned way more though. But even if my heart rate monitor is lying and this is the minimum, than awesome!

 I was craving a raspberry smoothie. 

This is my own attempt to make Jamba Juice's Strawberry Raspberry Banana Smoothie.

(I went there once thinking that they would make beyond amazing smoothies. They were good, but they didn't add in any secret ingredient to make it their own and super special, so I make my own now.)

I gotta say, mine was better than Jamba Juice. 

This was my recovery smoothie. I only used a half a scoop of protein powder because I plan on having another smoothie later after I run when the set starts setting. 

Recipe will be posted soon.

Lunch!

I made Turkey and Zucchini Sliders. How adorable are they?!?!

Recipe will be posted soon.

Also, I had a dessert:

Half a Gala Apple, 1/3 a Banana and This -->

Have you tried this deliciousness yet? You need to.

Around sun set I went for a small 2 mile run. My shins were killing me and I felt like I worked out enough so I cut it short. But I had to take advantage of the weather. 

I'm not proud of dinner. Ladies, TOM is here (Time of month) and I was craving a burger so bad. And I justified it by saying I ate good all day and I worked out like a beast. Normally I would say, okay a cheat meal or a small indulgence isn't bad, but I went on a road trip and was eating horribly the whole time. So I can say that I really didn't need a burger. But I got one. From Five Guys. And my husband and I split a regular side of fries. It was greasy and delicious. But that was it. I have dinner planned for tomorrow and I'm not giving into temptations. 

That was my day! I'll try to figure out a way to take some pictures or a video of what I'm doing.

CrossFit... What is it?

A couple of years ago Zumba was all the rage. You couldn't watch TV without a commercial selling videos. Xbox Kinect also made a few Kinect video games for it. It was a huge new revolution! Now it's died down. I still do Zumba for many reasons. 1. The rage had died down, it's not nearly as jammed packed in classes now. 2. It's great cardio 3. it's so much fun 4. It has given me so much more confidence with my husband ;) and in the very rare times I go to a club. Zumba is a great workout, I do it a few times in the week, I highly recommend it for anyone. I'd even recommend it for those who want to CrossFit but are still a little overweight or are scared to try it out. It's great for working out your heart. Plus, Zumba is starting to do songs that are just about your arms, legs or abs! so you get to start working out those muscles as well. I digress. 

But now I feel like the new thing is CrossFit.

What exactly is CrossFit?

Well, according to Wikipedia, CrossFit is a "strength and conditioning program designed to help people gain a broad and general fitness". CrossFit incorporates a lot of different exercises together. I have been to a class and I gotta say it was pretty intense. It's not something you can jump into expecting to come out feeling like a champ. That class kicked my ass. In the classes defense though, I was very overweight. If I tried to do what I do now I would have had the same reaction. 

The above hierarchy is basically what CrossFit is about. CrossFit has the same concept of Zumba: keep moving. "Constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement" You want your heart rate to keep going, never giving it a rest, working those muscles to get stronger. In CrossFit you're involving your own body weight (also like Zumba) or using heavy weights.

When I was the class, we did a lot of squats, lunges, push ups, high intensity cardio moves. Some with weights some without. I did most of it without weights just because it was my first time, which I recommend for anyone. 

The point of CrossFit is to work out every single muscle, in a different way. A lot of workouts aren't just squats or lunges. You could also work out your shoulders as well or your back while doing squats or lunges.

I highly recommend this style of exercise for those who are a bit more fit, those who have lost a lot of their wight already and want to tone and tighten. Your heart rate is going to go through the roof and if your heart can't handle it, it could be dangerous. Also, make sure you're doing these workouts properly. If you do a simple move the wrong way, you could seriously injure something or pull a muscle.

What are your opinions on CrossFit? Do you have any workouts that you do and love?

I'm Bragging a Little...

I'm back from my mini vacation! I had to go back to Washington to pick up my moms car and to get my licence renewed. And I just want to brag a little! 

Ok, I know it looks like a mug shot, but it's not. On the left is my previous licence. I took this photo with I was 19, I was around 160 lbs and not looking to work out and get healthy at all. On the right is my current photo, I'm now 25, 170 lbs and I feel I look a whole lot thinner. My face looks more ovular than round, you can see definition around my neck and shoulders and I just plain look happier!

I also saw my childhood best friend at her wedding. (I'm actually not ashamed of showing myself in this photo! I'm so proud of me and my body. It's slow, but it's coming along!)

We saw each other for the first time in about 6 years, from the last time I visited and 13 years from when we were kids. 

 

I did workout a bit. My mother showed me some cross training moves that I will show you guys and will be incorporating into my workouts.

Cinnamon Scones

This recipe was adapted from Money Saving Mom

I came across this scone recipe and tweaked it a bit to make it low carb and healthier. 

It was low carb at first, but I had to add in whole wheat flour to thicken it up in the end.

What you need: 

-2 cups flour (I used 1 cup Almond Flour and 1 cup Oat Flour)

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup butter

-1 egg, separated

-3 Tablespoons honey (I used granulated Splenda)

-1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice)

Crumb Topping:

1-2 tbsp sugar, I used Splenda)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

 1 cup powdered sugar

1-3 teaspoons milk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

What you need to do:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

-Separate the egg white and yolk. Set the egg white aside.

 -In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk, honey (or splenda) and buttermilk (or milk/lemon juice mixture). Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

 -Form dough into a ball on a floured surface. Roll or pat out to half an inch in thickness and eight inches in diameter. Cut into eight equally-sized pieces.

 -Transfer to a greased baking sheet (or Parchment paper). Whisk the egg white until froth forms and brush over the tops of scones. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over egg-white-topped scones.

 -Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

 -Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze forms. Drizzle over scones after they bake.

I also froze some of them for a later time

Here is the nutritional value:

188 Calories, 17 g Carbs, 13 g Fat, 5 g Protein, 4 g Fiber, 5 g Sugar

Blog Parties:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Introducing the Loyalty Program!!

      I know I have very few readers and that's okay. But I stumbled across this site called Punch Tab. And I knew I had to do it! Basically, every time you click onto my blog, you can redeem points. And if you share my blog through Facebook, Twitter or Google  you get more points! If you comment, you guessed it you get points. And I'm not talking about 5 -10 points. You get 100 for checking out my blog and you get 200 for sharing and commenting! You can then redeem your points. Not for meh stuff either.

For starbucks, target, amazon and more gift cards! Heck, even I'm checking out my blog every day and sharing! I want gift cards!!
     So share with your friends. But every once in a while, could you actually show a little interest in what I say? that would be fantastic. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. :)

Apps I use

I received a question from x0m36a asking if I use any apps and what do I use.

Well, I do use apps and am always on the search for more. If you have any that you think I should try out, I'd love to know.

My top favorite:

• NikePlus - My #1 app I use on my phone to track my running. I love it because it has GPS tracking, and tracks your pace and the elevation. I can also view my runs online and compare them to last runs.   can also connect it to Facebook so it'll remember my password and posts when I run and it'll have a cheer sound for you when your friends like it. Nike does so well tracking every little detail for your runs and I love it. I like to race against myself and out-best myself constantly, so with this app, I can do just that. Plus, you can connect your music to it and pick a power song.

• Endomodo - Endomondo is great for tracking just about anything outdoors. I mostly use it for walking and playing tennis. But what I love most about it is that when you're done working out, it'll post onto myfitnesspal how many calories you burned.
  
• Myfitnesspal - Best calorie/food/workout tracker. I love that I can use it from an app or online. I can fix it up however I want it and post recipes and it'll save them. There are a lot of great people who are working on the same goals as you and you can friend them or find your Facebook friends and keep each other accountable. (Add me at blkenigma8)
  
• Instagram - this is more of a motivational app. I post my results, foods I eat, motivational words, the works. I love getting tips/ praise from other people, even if I don't know them or doing the same for other people who have lost weight. (Follow me at blkenigma)

Others I use:

• Nike Training Club - This is great for at home workouts. I mostly use this in the winters and I don't  ant to go to the gym. It definitely gets your heart working and leaves you sore the next day. There's also a lot of variety so you won't get bored. 
• Calories Burned Calculator - This app has a lot of workouts listed under it to choose from. Like A LOT. you put in your current weight and height how long you did the activity and calculate. It's a great way to be as accurate as you possibly can.
• LifeKraze - I love this app just as motivation. I post what I've done in the day and people comment or they give me high fives or points. Its like instagram, but with pictures and words but without the negativity. 
• Sworkit - this app I've only used a few times. It gives you a lot of moves to try out. I mostly use it for stretching if I'm trying to stretch a specific area and I don't know what to do. 

Goals and Rewards

It is important to keep motivated as you lose weight and to not fall off the wagon. One way that I do this is by having goals and rewards.

This is my current and not updated goal/rewards. I've already hit 170lbs, so I got myself some new kicks.

These are my new and awesome running shoes. I use them solely for forward direction activities (walks, running) and not for zumba, turbo kick, etc. (btw, I used to not have ankles and that line going up my calf. How awesome is that??)
So, now that some time has passed, I want to update my goal/rewards.

170 lbs New Running Shoes

165 lbs Newer Magic Bullet (mine is crapping out!)

160 lbs Heart Rate Monitor

155 lbs Haven't decided yet

150 lbs Mini Vacation

145 lbs Haven't decided yet

140 lbs Clothes Shopping!!! (Hubby totally agreed to it! No shoes though :( But I can get those now!)

This bad boy (maybe girl, since it's pink.) is my next toy. The Polar Women's FT4 Heart Rate Monitor. 

A couple of notes if you're going to do this. 

• NEVER EVER reward yourself with food. You're not a dog! Especially fattening foods. I used to lose like 5 pounds and say "Let's go to Chili's now!" and get fattening foods and gain it all back in no time. You're training your body and cutting out that bad stuff. Every once in a while it's ok. I usually have my cheat day once a week, but lately, I honestly don't really want to. And when I do cheat, I feel gross afterwards.
  So, don't train your body that after you do good to do bad, ok? One step forward and two steps back, is what that does. 
• Don't reward yourself with clothes until the end. Mine is set to 140 right now, but if I decide that I want to get to 130, I'm going to wait.
  If you're jonesing for some shopping time, either buy some workout clothes, buy a pair or pants or a bikini as a goal for yourself, or visit this woman's site: Merrick's Art
  She takes her old clothes and redesigns them! I actually have a few clothes ready to resew sometime!
• Always re-evaluate your goals/rewards. Like I said before, I may want to go down to 130, so I'm going to see how I look at 140 and reevaluate!
• This system is tricky. I don't really depend on the scale that much. Because I do weights and cardio every day, it's hard to judge how much a weigh through a scale. I usually hit a certain number and then gain a few then after a few days I lose it all again. You gotta remember that muscle weighs more than fat. I am getting thinner, but sometimes weigh more because of it. Right now I'm fluctuating around 170, so I just crossed it off the list now. 
• Patience. Of all people, I should not be the one who says to be patient. I'm the worst person when it comes to patience. THE WORST. But with this, I've learned to be patient. I used to be like "oh I'm close to my goal, I'll just have my reward now." It was like celebrating my birthday before my actual birth date. When it came to my day, it seemed so sad. I wait to get my reward until I hit my goal. It only makes it so much better. It's worth the wait. 

Also, I have my goals and rewards posted here:

Idea from pinterist. I do not want to take any credit for this.

Up on the top left I have pounds to lose and pounds lost. 

Bottom left I have all my classes lined up and color coordinated for which gym the class is at.

Top right is motivational words, my goal/rewards and how long I can hold plank for

Bottom right Are some notes and my monthly plan. 

I highly recommend doing something like this. It keeps me on top of my game and lets me write down my schedule and ideas for workouts. My husband also puts notes up there and leaves me some motivating words. 

Day 9: Operation Eat Clean

It is Transformation Tuesday!!

Crazy, right???

Anyway, today I'm taking it easy. After the fall in the shower, the shin splints and me over doing it with weights last night, I definitely think its time to take it easy. 

I want to go to the light zumba today, do some ab/oblique/back work, yoga and/or a walk later tonight.

Sounds like a lot, I'm sure I won't do at least one of those, but it's my goal for today.

Breakfast:

Special K's Protein Meal Replacement Shake

They're not bad tasting, but I think Slim fast tastes better. 

Lunch:

Is this not the most random lunch ever??
3 chicken pot stickers, hard boiled egg whites, 1/2 a kiwi, grapes, homemade hummus and bagel chips.
I got hungry all of a sudden, so I just grabbed a bunch of stuff!

Day 8: Operation Eat Clean

So, last night I fell in the tub. I was taking a bath, grabbed hold of the sides of the tub, and my right hand slipped, scrapping my right arm against the very hard side of the tub. I have a huge bruise on my right arm and it hurts...a lot. 

Anyway, wanted to share my senior moment. 

Yesterday, a girlfriend asked me if I moved out of the 170's. I said no not yet, why? She said I looked like I dropped a good chunk of weight. Which made me feel amazing. She even kept interrupting herself to tell me, "Seriously, you look so good!" The scale has definitely not been my friend; it's good to know that I actually am losing weight.

Today's Breakfast:

What? Not coffee?? yea... remarkable!

Chai Tea and Pumpkin Oatmeal with Pure Maple syrup on top and my vitamins.

I actually didn't like the oatmeal after I ate a spoonful, so I had a muffin instead.

Still super sore today. My bones feel brittle, I have shin splints (I think from my new running shoes) and my muscles are sore too. I don't think I'm going to go to Zumba today, but I'm going to do yoga, a run, and my arm day.

Pre-workout juice:


I'm running with all my might and this is my dog, Triskit.

Moooommmm! Are ya coming??
He actually kept running forward and running back to me the whole time.
Way to make me feel like nothin', Triskit.


It didn't really matter anyways. My shins skilled me right off the bat.
I tried to make it as far as I could, but I went back home.

And I wrapped my shins in ice packs.

Dinner though was pretty good!

Fish Taco's with a fruit salad!
And this time I made them with one 100 calorie tortilla.
Last time, I made them with 2 small white flour Mission tortillas. This time I used Flat Out's wheat and flax seed wraps and cut them in half.
Fish tacos included a beer battered cod (surprisingly healthy), cabbage mix for cole slaw, shredded carrots and a chipotle cream (Greek yogurt and sour cream)

Then after a few hours of recovery, I went to the gym and did my arm day:
(In each hand, so double the weight)
Inside Curls: 12 lbs, 3/12 (3 reps of 12)
V ups: 10 lbs 3/12
Tricep Dips: 3/12
Hammer Curls: 12 lbs 3/12
Fly's: 10 lbs 2/12, 12 lbs 1/12
Reverse Fly's: 10 lbs 1/12
In and Out curls: 10 lbs 3/12
Kick Backs: 10 lbs 1/12
Shoulder Shrugs: 17.5 lbs 3/12
Overhead Press: 10 lbs 3/12
Chest Press: 12 lbs 3/12

Tricep extension: (only 1 weight) 17.5 lbs 3/12

I over did it. I was so maxed out that I could barely push the door open to leave the gym and to drive home.
I'm gonna feel it tomorrow, for sure!


Recovery smoothie
Orange juice, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/2 kiwi, 1/4 cup strawberry, 1 scoop Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Protein powder.

And now, I'm off to take a hot, hot, hot shower and go to bed!
Good night all!