WIAW: a busily relaxing day?

sharing WIAW, on a Thursday!

 

^^I started the morning off with some bible-ing, journaling, and coffee-ing. accompanied by my bridesmaid bouquet from this past weekend :)^^

^^breakfast was a scrambled mess (the best kind of mess) including eggs, zucchini, and eggplant. banana and almond butter on the side.^^

^^I’ve been all about the jumbo salads this summer! lettuce, cucumbers, celery, carrots, salmon, and salsa.^^

after lunch, I chilled by the pool for a little. And by a little I literally mean 30 minutes because it was SO hot out & I have ADD. I was drenched in sweat just from laying outside.

^^snack time: frozen berries + almond butter. coconut butter + berries is my favorite, but almond butter does the trick as well!^^

Thank you thank you to my amazing parents for this new sleeping bag. PLUS it’s orange. I’m in heaven, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin (but actually it’s so hot, will I even need a sleeping bag?!)

^^finally: dinner. ground beef, summer squash, zucchini, and tomato sauce.^^

Questions of the day:

Is it dead summer heat where you are yet?!

Pool or Ocean- what do you prefer?

I’m ocean all the way, but that’s 3-5 hours from here!

WIAW + Burn Those Legs Circuit!

Good morning! It’s another WIAW, and mine is filled with random eats. It definitely wasn’t a typical day of eats for me, but then again, what is a ‘typical’ day? Just listening to what our bodies tell us, and that’s what my day was. Stay tuned to the bottom of this post for a circuit workout that is sure to get your legs working!

Morning: I started my day with a walk around campus, and down the swamp rabbit trail. I got off to a later start than usual, so it was unnecessarily hot, but still a nice walk.

When I got back home, I showered and then threw together a quick breakfast while getting ready. Turkey slices, apples, and almond butter. Simple and nutritious. Not exactly breakfast fare, but it did just the trick.

After breakfast, I had to drive to a meeting (at Cracker Barrel). We ended up talking for about two hours and I was getting hungry again, so I had a scrambled egg while there to tide me over.

When I finally made it home, I was pretty hungry for lunch. It was so hot out though, nothing sounded appetizing. I ended up eating a bunch of trail mix, followed by a green juice for some extra nutrition. Not a ‘typical’ lunch but.. I was went with what I was craving and it did the trick.

After working on applications for a while, I headed over to the gym and did a killer leg workout. {Details below :)!}

Dinner was a major fail. The boyfriend and I were supposed to have “Paleo Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs” for dinner, but I seriously underestimated how long meatballs take to cook (hey, I was a vegetarian for 6+ years) and didn’t leave enough time for them before I had to head off to bible study. Instead, we just had the spaghetti (whole wheat for him, squash for me) with sauce, asparagus, and goat cheese. The Trader Joe’s Vodka sauce was delicious and I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, our little protein-lacking dinner didn’t have much staying power (in retrospect I should have realized that veggies + cheese wouldn’t, but I was in too much of a rush to worry). By the time I made it home from Bible Study, 3 hours later, my stomach was grumbling loud enough to practically have a conversation with me. It was bad, y’all.

I threw together a snack of a gala apple, some yogurt covered raisins, and some BBQ Veggie Skinniez from the Daily Crave. I picked them ups few days ago from TJMaxx and they are so good! This little plate did the trick, and I was able to nod off to sleep without eating my pillows.

Now for the Burn Baby Burn Legs + Abs Circuit!

This workout was hard but it felt awesome. I started off with a fast mile run, and then went straight into the circuit. Your legs will be sore after this one!

Questions of the Day

What’s something fun you ate this week?

Do you like circuit workouts?

WIAW- eating at home.

Today’s WIAW is filled with quick and simple eats that I have been making during these study days. Being at home can sometimes make healthy eating difficult. The snacks are right in the cabinet and eating is more fun than studying any day! But I don’t want to be snacking away all day, and missing out on filling, nutritious meals. One way I avoid this is by making a dish, then putting everything away before I start eating. It’s easy to keep snacking away when the jar of almond butter or the bag of chips is sitting on the counter.

^^Oats, almond milk, banana, cinnamon, and almond butter. The lazy girl’s bowl of oatmeal. I just let it all sit for a minute, to soften the oats, but I didn’t actually cook them. It’s too hot for that nonsense anyway!^^

^^For lunch, I made a big salad. Lettuce. tomatoes, shredded cheddar, hardboiled eggs, and chips + hummus on the side.^^

^^A little later, I grabbed some almond butter and dark chocolate for a snack.^^

The afternoon was spent studying. Then, I ran to the gym and did some weights, Arc, and stretching there. Then, my mom picked me up and we headed to dinner together. She was gone all weekend, so it was good to catch up.

^^We went to a little italian place for dinner. Salad, and gluten free penne with chicken, sundries tomatoes, spinach, and garlic. It was amazing!^^
The rest of the evening consisted of studying, studying, and a glass of white wine. Not too shabby for a Tuesday.

What did you eat this Wednesday?

How do you keep from snacking when you’re at home all day?

Healthy & Quick- study day eats.

It’s major crunch time for me here at school. But that doesn’t mean I want my nutrition to suffer. Im not going to lie, this week will probably include more chocolate, snacks, and way more caffeine than I normally like, but I’m not going to beat myself up. Whatever keeps me sane.

One thing I do know though, is if I eat unhealthy foods and pass up my normal vegetables + fruits, I’ll reach my test days feeling tired, cranky, and mentally weak. Good foods truly fuel my studying and I need to keep on track with that!

Breakfast

Yesterday morning started off with a simple, easy breakfast. Udi’s Gluten-Free Toast, with almond butter (that looks like a little animal!). On the side I ate some frozen fruit. This breakfast didn’t take away from my study/packing time, but it did leave me satisfied and fueled for a morning of work

A few hours later, I walked over to campus. I really do love the 1 mile walk. It’s a great break and it forces me to get some time outside, on days when I would normally be locked away studying all day.

For lunch: a “falafel salad” (minus falafel + chicken) from our campus restaurant. Simple and delicious. I love a huge salad to fuel my studying. All those vegetables are great brain power! Plus cheese + chicken give it more staying power. Proteins and fats are even more important than the carbs, so I try to include some in every meal I eat.

Studying took up the next 1.5 hours, and then my workout. I hopped on the treadmill and did an easy 3.18 mile run. After that, I was still feeling pretty good, so I hopped on the Arc trainer for another 30 minutes of sweatin’. Working out is truly my de-stresser, and it re-energizes me when I know I have to go back and stare at a computer for the next hours.

As a nice treat, on of our Health Sciences professors organized a “Study Day Recharge” in the library. Healthy snacks, yoga, and a much needed relaxation. I grabbed a few snacks to much on while studying. Green smoothie, homemade hummus + veggies, and a few local strawberries. Don’t mind if I do 🙂

After another hour or so of work, I headed to the dining hall and grabbed this monster salad to-go. The boy got Thai takeout, but I wanted to save my money for a friend’s birthday dinner tonight. Plus I know I usually eat more rice than I intend to and that just weighs me down energy-wise. This salad + some blue corn chips I had in my apartment did the trick.

I spent the rest of the night with my boy, working on our recommendation-letter requests and watching the coolest Disocvery Channel shows- Marooned and Dual Survival. Who says you can’t be productive and have fun at the same time!

How do you stay healthy during stressful weeks?

rice for dessert?

Yesterday afternoon I shacked up in my apartment to get some reading done. The book I am reading for my Environmental Health class {Bottlemania by Elizabeth Royte} was a lot cheaper on Kindle. But, I don’t have a kindle so I ended up downloading it to my computer. I’ve done this with a few books this semester and I don’t mind it so much… the only thing is it gets a little tiring staring at the screen for hours, but with a little adjustment {turn down the brightness, make the pages smaller} its pretty good!

Dinner:

For dinner I stuck around the apartment and used some food in my fridge up! On the menu: some baked salmon {with citrus and spices on it}, some spaghetti squash, and lemon hummus on the side. I am loving lemon hummus right now- it goes with everything! This dinner was quick, easy, and so so good!

 

Workout:

For my workout I headed over to the gym. Boy was it freezing outside!!!! The 1 mile walk there and back was definitely a struggle! For my workout I hopped on the Arc Trainer for 30 minutes. Quick and sweaty.

  

After my workout I headed back to the apartment and snacked a bit while I studied. I tried these Rice Rollers. Gluten Free, vegan, and pretty short ingredient list! I’ll take it! They basically tasted like sweet rice cakes, and we’re pretty nice as a crunchy snack.

How are your workouts going this week?

Any fun snacks you’ve had?

weekend recap and some exciting news!

this weekend was go go go, which is just the way I like it. My mom and I got up every morning (at 6! >.<) to walk together, which was really nice. I’m only home for ~1 more month so I have to soak up as much family time as possible! Even if it means 6 am mornings on the weekend…

^Saturday morning also included a scrumptious brunch with one of my best friends KP, her cousin, and my sister. We went to Maureen’s Kitchen– an amazing breakfast place right down the road from us! They’re pretty famous for their specialty pancakes (like Lemon Poppy Seed, Pumpkin Walnut, Pistachio…mmmm!) but I wasn’t in the mood for something too heavy, so I went for some baked oatmeal instead. It was mm mm good! With dried fruit and nuts mixed in, plus some milk on the side (which worked out well because it was definitely a little dry^

The rest of Saturday/Sunday’s eats didn’t get too well documented….I’m currently in my 3rd week of organic chemistry at Stony Brook University, so both days were pretty consumed with studying for that. The grade isn’t make or break, but it will definitely be a factor in my applications to med school, so I want to do as well as possible! Unfortunately that means my life right now is about 95% studying/going to class, with a mix of workouts, food, and family time filling the rest. It’s not terrible but let me tell you, it’s not how I envisioned my last month of summer!

 

^here are the only 2 meals I apparently captured- dinner from Saturday and lunch from Sunday! Simple easy plates with some veggies, protein, and fats. Hummus is one of my true loves.^

Anyway! On Sunday I decided to bake up some things to have them ready in the fridge for the week. It makes my life so much easier when I’m packing lunch for the day, or grabbing a quick snack. I find that having lots of healthy (and tasty!) choices on hand prevents me from a going for the unhealthy snacks (yes I mean you- giant bag of chocolate chips!) you know what they say:

here are some of the products:

   

^steamed asparagus^

^baked spaghetti squash^

^and something everyone needs to make RIGHT NOW- rosemary and olive oil baked sweet potato wedges. yum! Just drizzle ~2 T Olive Oil on them, and sprinkle as much rosemary as you like^

and now……

exciting news in my fitness life! I’ve decided to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

The race takes place on February 23 {2014} in the Disney Park in Orlando, FL.

For me this will be a pretty big deal! I’ve never run more than 3 miles! (before this weekend). I’ve been training for about 3 weeks already, but I didn’t want to share until I was sure about the race. It’s definite now- registered and officiallllllllll 🙂

Right now I’m following the 10-mile novice plan from Hal Higdon. At this rate I’ll be running 10 miles by September…what?! So I may look into doing another half in October (by my school) or maybe some other races like a duathlon or triathlon.

This weekend I had my first 4 miler, and I did it! It’s funny how I always think of running as soooooo hard, meanwhile I can get on the elliptical/bike/arc and go for an hour…. so why shouldn’t I be able to just run for an hour? As I was running my 4 miles this weekend I kept telling myself that… ‘hey! You workout for 40+ minutes ALL. THE. TIME. you’ve got this in the bag!’ and I did!

Happy Running!

surveyin’

I’ve seen this survey floating around and since I love questions/lists I thought I would join in!

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

yum smoothie! Smoothies are the best- a base of almond milk and protein powder + any frozen fruit- a new creation every day!

2. How much water do you drink a day?

I try to drink 80+ oz per day- I love my Contigo water bottle! It has a top that is double secure so I can throw it in my bag on the go and not worry about spills. Keeps me drinking and hydrated all day.

3. What is your current favorite workout?

I’m loving at-home workouts right now! Getting things done on my time. The best is cardio in the morning and then I do weights/toning at night while watching tv! Makes it fly by.

4. How many calories do you eat a day?

Good question! I don’t really know but if I had to guess I would say 1500-1700 a day is probably the average. Instead of focusing on calories, I focus on eating clean- whole, unprocessed, real foods. That doesn’t mean I don’t have some treats- but I try to make that the exception and healthy eating the rule.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

So many! How to choose?

guac! plain simple and yummy!

yogurt with nut butter

hummus and veggies

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

Lunch is usually a big salad that I can throw together easily- lots of veggies, some hummus or avocado, and some sort of protein like a veggie burger.

this is a typical salad!

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?

probably…my abs! I love to crunch it out!

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

hm… mostly I enjoy everything but I’ll say arms for the sheer fact that they’re my weakest link.

9. What are your “bad” food cravings?

chocolate chocolate chocolate!!! It’s my weakness (but I don’t really mind!)

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

I take a probiotic supplement!

11. How often do you eat out?

Hard to say…pretty infrequently! Mostly due to $$ consciousness and business. Probably once every 2 weeks.

12. Do you eat fast food?

Nope! Makes me feel gross, I don’t see any need for it!

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

My wonderful family!

14. Do you have a gym membership?

Yes! I have a membership at our local university for the summer. It’s so close, which is great, because I can bike there as a convenient warmup/cool down!

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

Too few…. probably 6 per night. I like to get 8 when I can, it makes me feel so awesome all day long!

16. Do you have a “cheat” day?

Not really. I have a moderation mentality. If I have the chance to have a delicious piece of cake or a special ice cream…I’m definitely not going to pass that up! By eating healthy most of the time I am able to balance with a few treats once in a while.

17. Do you have a workout buddy?

Yes! My amazing boyfriend Nathan is a fitness lover like me and we always have fun working out together. Hiking is especially great with him.

18. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

The best thing is…feeling great.. I love my healthy lifestyle because I’m happy, energized, and feel like I focus more on the moments of life rather than poor eating or what people think of me.

19. What was the last healthy thing you did?

Worked out this morning! I love to get up and get my sweat on – after a little coffee of course!

What are your favorite healthy habits?