Some days you have it, some days you don’t

So, I got my ass handed to me at Crossfit tonight, but before I get into that let’s discuss what’s going on:

Today was my first day back at school. Tomorrow is my first day with kids. I couldn’t fall asleep last night because of these facts (and I probably won’t tonight either).

To make the most of the situation I am waking up to meet my friend Maureen for a run at 5:30. Running (or working out) with a friend on school mornings is one of my favorite ways to start the day, but I lost my motivation to wake up that early a long time ago. Tomorrow will be my first attempt in a long time to workout before school. Wish me luck!

This morning I headed to school around 6:45am to get some work done before my 9am teacher’s meeting. While I was being productive as I could be after a summer off, I munched on a waffle-pb-& banana sandwich and sipped a french vanilla iced coffee.

I only needed to be in school until 12:00 so I didn’t pack a snack, water, or a lunch. Bad idea. I was there putzing around until a little after 4. I was so hungry, but I figured I could eat my Clif bar (per usual) and be all set to go for class tonight. Boy was I wrong.

WOD: The Seven

7 rounds

• 7 hand stand push ups (modified on 24 inch box)
• 7 thrusters (65lbs, John wanted me to try more but I stuck with what I had)
• 7 knees to elbows (I did them for real this time!)
• 7 dead lifts (105lbs)
• 7 burpees
• 7 kettlebell swings (18kg)
• 7 pull ups (banded)

Ya- crazy right? And I was the only girl in class.
Nothing about my workout tonight was RX (as proscribed) which was a bummer. I just didn’t have it in me. Not eating lunch really did not set me up for success. (SIDE NOTE: I NEVER skip meals!) John, the trainer, really encouraged me to amp up my workout by adding weight to my thrusters and adding more depth into my hand stand pushups, but I just couldn’t.

Some days you have it, some days you don’t.

After my third round I started to feel a little light headed and dizzy. Oddly enough, I also felt extremely tired. Like, yawning while I was doing pull ups tired. Weird? Not so much, you’ve got to give your body enough fuel and I most definitely did not.

I did 14 reps into my 4th set and stopped. Total time: 24 minutes-ish.

I sat, got water, and put my stuff away. John and I chatted for a sec about diet. He is a pretty smart guy and seemed to think I may need to eat differently to get more energy. He immediately knew I didn’t eat enough which is why I had such a hard time. That’s one thing I love about Avalon Crossfit, no shame needs to be felt over a bad night. All the trainers know so much that they give advice instead of passing judgement. Of course I was upset with myself for wasting such a good workout though.

I never really thought about my diet and how it could impact (good or bad) my progress at Crossfit. I really enjoy wine and chocolate and eating how much of what I want, when I want, but he got me thinking. He suggested the Zone diet and showed me and article to read over. I printed it out and plan to read it over before bed tonight. I am not necessarily looking to change things up in my diet, but I am not opposed to it either. This summer has taught me I have no real self control when it comes to tasty beverages, pizza, and sugar. I work hard at Crossfit and wold love to see some more results- maybe this could help me see some?

IDK- now I am rambling…..

I’ve got teeth to brush and a face to wash before I park my butt in bed. I really want to not be a flake and cancel on my early morning run so I need to start the falling asleep process by 9:00pm. At least that’s my goal.

Have you ever decided to change up your diet? What brought you to the decision to do so? What successful changes have you made?

Clif Bars and Energy

Before I headed to Avalon Crossfit tonight (and after drinking my water 😉 ) I had a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar.  They are pretty high in calories (240) so I don’t eat these babies just as a regular ol’ snack.  I save ’em for pre-workouts and choose Luna bars or Clif Mo-Jo bars as my snackies because they have around 190 calories a bar and seem more fitting for a snack.

These things are my go-to workout fuel (if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!). When I first began my on-boarding sessions with Tristan I had sent him an email explaining that sometimes during the classes I felt shaky and lethargic.  While he acknowledged that part of the reason I felt that way was because my body may not be use to such high intensity workouts, he also sent me some really good information about properly fueling for a high intensity workout.

 Tristan’s Tips on What to Eat Pre-Workout:

• Try to eat something 1 to 2 hours before your workout (any closer than that, and you won’t have enough time to digest much of it).
• Though everyone is different, try to eat 20 to 30 grabs of protein and 50 to 60 grams of carbs. Avoid fat for the most part, because it will just slow down absorption in your stomach. The carbs should be “simple,” so they digest easily, like bananas, Clif bars (woop woop 🙂 ) oatmeal, etc.
•  Post-workout is just as important, because if you wait too long to eat afterward, your body might start “eating” away at your muscle to repair the damage done from the workout. Try to eat more quickly digestible carbs and some protein within an hour after your workout. You can have something small, even like half a Clif bar, to tide you over until you have a real meal.
• Try experimenting a little bit with portions and different foods. If you like bananas, then one day you should add one to your lunch, another later in the day, then eat whatever you usually would pre-workout.

I used the tips and found for myself that having a Clif bar 1 1/2 to 2 hours pre-workout was the best for me.  I also love bananas and eat one for breakfast everyday, but one a day is plenty for me.

Tristan and all the folks at Avalon Crossfit are really knowledgeable and approachable about anything that I have ever needed from food to hydrating to modifications!  If you are interested you should call Tristan up and set up an onboarding session.  In my opinion you won’t be sorry.

Wednesday’s WOD:

Motto: “Steady is fast”

Warm-up:

• 10 Turskish get-ups with 4lb kettle bell
• 10 air squats

Skill/Strength:

• 5 x 5 Squat clean

WOD for 4 rounds:

• 100m run up and back (200m total)
• 5 turkish get-ups with right side (I used 8kg)
• 5 turkish get-ups with left side

I finished in 13:35 and followed the motto “Steady is fast”.  I usually move in slow motion for a lot of what we do at Crossfit and try to get the form right.  I also think (and I may be the only one who thinks this) that it hurts way less if you go slower.  With that being said I am never winning any prizes or beating any records.  Today, however, John gave me the unofficial honor of the “Perfect Form for Turkish Get-ups”.  *SMILE*  For those of you who don’t know what a Turkish get-up is, take a looksie below:

I did that but with a kettle bell instead of the guy’s wife 🙂

After we cooled down with a few stretches and talked a little more about push-ups.  Then I headed straight to the liquor store Jack’s parents for a couple of beverages and some Regina’s pizza.  I had Pizza Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday this week.  Do you think I need an intervention??

Tonight I chose to try out something light and fruity: Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry.  At 95 calories it is light enough to eat with pizza and sweet enough to hide the fact it is a Michelob (I am a Miller Lite girl all the way).  Definitely a different alternative to some of the heavier summer beers out there.

Tomorrow is Thursday people, let’s rejoice!

Night

~L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shake It Up

Only in New England can it be 70 degrees one day, and then, the day after the first day of spring, snow!  I mean, I guess since we haven’t seen snow in so long I should’t complain and it is not like it’s sticking, but come on!

Operation Breakfast Smoothie was mildly successful today.

By mildly successful I mean it was drinkable.

I made it with 1 frozen banana, 1 cup skim milk, a handful of ice (which DID not even become blended at all), and a scoop of chocolate Shakeology.

It tasted like a freezer-burned fudgesicle and had the consistency of warm, melted ice cream.

Not very refreshing but….

I drank it all and was completely satisfied until mid-morning.

Shakeology claims to be “The Healthiest Meal of the Day” and it actually helped my friend Meghan lose over 100 pounds last year by replacing one meal of snack with a shake each day, and of course eating right and exercise!

By the end of week four I should expect:

• improved digestion and regularity
• reduced cravings (man is this one chocolatey shake)
• increased energy and stamina
• lost weight
• improved mental clarity

I really wanted to try it out as a healthy snack choice.  If I replaced a meal with it I have a feeling I would drop dead in Crossfit 😉

I love that it came with a monthly calendar that gave daily suggestions for how to create different shakes!

Since I am going into my second month at Crossfit and I am giving Shakeology a try, I am going to be taking some measurements tonight to track my progress at the end of April.  I am not going to be a slave to the scale, I don’t even own one, but taking measurements will help me track my progress.  I can’t wait to see what one month will bring.

Game plan?

• Shakeology once a day for snack
• Crossfit 3-4 days a week
• Running 3-4 days a week

I guess once I figure out how to blend things together appropriately I will be golden!  All you smoothie makers out there (Starbucks that includes you) make it look so easy.  Or maybe I am a moron?!

Do you have any fitness or health goals for this month??

Lunch was delish so I must share it with you.  I made a shredded chicken sandwich with lettuce, and an individual string cheese.  Oh, and the best part was the tortilla.

It was perfectly spicy.

See what I mean?  Yum!

Tonight I have Crossfit.  The WOD is titled “Filthy Fifty”.  Sounds intriguing, yeah?!

Do you have any smoothie advice for me?  I am dying over here trying to perfect my smoothie skills!

~L

Total Tool

After catching you guys up on my weekend, I finally gathered up the motivation to go for a run.  Despite the three hours preparation and new playlist, the run was hard.  My shins burned for the first mile or so (which I am thinking may be due to jumping rope Friday and doing plank jumps Saturday??).  After my body warmed up I was able to complete 4.22 miles, including a couple hills.

When running in sunny but cold weather I dress in three layers:

• sweat wicking tank
• long sleeve running shirt
• zip up jacket

I also wear a fleece headband to keep my head warm and regular gloves from the dollar bin at Target.  I usually take the gloves off once I warm up, but I HATE having cold ears so the headband stays put.

I also wear a Spibelt (which acts as a carrying pouch as well as a belt to keep my tank from riding up.  In my Spibelt I keep my phone and keys and cough drops or gum to keep my mouth busy as I run!

My Garmin gps helps track pace and mileage and my ipod touch keeps me rocking during my run.  I look like a total tool with all the ridiculousness on my body, but it keeps me running nonetheless 🙂

I then got to doing what I loathe the most: food shopping.  Man is there nothing I would rather do less than food shop.  I always leave it until Sunday and I always put it off as long as I can.

This week I went in prepared with lunches, dinners, and snacks for the week.  I spent about $75 (which is what I spend on average) and after I got home I chopped, and cut, and boiled, and froze, and prepared salads and sauces and sandwhiches.  I am all set for the week and it is quite an accomplished feeling!

Lunches are shaves chicken sandwiches made on Trader Joe’s Habanero Lime tortillas.  I have never had them but I am hoping the are good.  One thing I am NOT good at is making good wraps!

The one thing I am most excited about it attempting to make some smoothies for breakfast. I have tried this before on a whim, but luckily for me I have a few good recipes to try out this time.

Oh, and a spanking new blender! Check this baby out:

I hope it is a pretty decent blender.  I of course did NO research previous to purchasing so I could end up being a worse smoothie maker than me.

I shall let you know.

Off to eat!

~L

Four Days of Food

I love food.  Though whenever possible I try to make it whole-some and healthy, sometimes you’ve got to splurge.  I will have to admit, I splurged a lot over the past few days!  But I do want you to know that I feel very little guilt when splurging because I am striving to reach a happy balance of healthy eating, exercising, and living in the real world!  Unfortunately I splurge for days on end sometimes.  I think i am already in vacation mode!

I mean, sometimes I need to add the extra piece of cheese to make a sandwich more gooey….

A Little Grilled Cheese Action on Thursday

see, extra gooey

while you're at it, throw in a handful of Trader Joe's salsa chips..perfection

Sometimes I have to add an extra half cup of chocolate chips to my oatmeal cookies bars, because chocolate makes EVERYTHING taste better….

Chewy Oatmeal Bars: sub maple syrup of sugar and add dried cherries

don't forget the extra half-cup of chocolate chips. What a treat!

When a recipe calls for butter to grease the pan, you’ve got to do it!

Fresh veggies ready to roast with a drizzle of EVOO

Grape tomatoes, broccoli, zuchinni

breadcrumbs and bake!

And when you’re feeling a little nostalgic, and want to remind yourself of eating breakfast at The Depot after CCD on the weekends when you were little, a sprinkle of confectionary sugar does the trick!

French Toast

Sliced plums and strawberries

and a glass of chocolate milk

I need to get back to cooking more at home.  I am finding myself eating out A LOT!  Sometimes two meals a day!  When I am looking for healthy inspirations there are a few blogs and sites I visit to find recipes.

Carrots and Cake (I got the recipes for both the oatmeal bars and Giada’s veggie recipe pictured above on this site)

Healthy Tipping Point

Eat, Live, Run

Kath Eats Real Food

Food Network (I love Giada’s recipes!)

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

~Doug Larson

What is your favorite “splurge” when eating??

~L

Week 6 Running Club Recap/Nutrition

Well, you know what they say: better late than never!  This is my recap about the topic of nutrition/weight-loss from last week’s running club.  I am by no means a doctor or a registered dietician so what I am sharing below is a combination of what I have been reading and what works for me 🙂

Last week we talked about setting goals for running. Upon asking yourself why you run many of you will probably say to lose weight/maintain weight loss.  And, it is true: running burns about 100 calories per mile (based on a 150lb person) which makes it a great choice of cardio for weight loss.  To lose 1 lb of fat you must burn/cut about 3,500 calories from your diet.  This can be done with a combination of exercise and changing your eating.  Changing eating habits and losing weight will ultimately help you become a better runner because you will have less weight to carry around and strain your body.

So how do you start eating healthy?

1. Keeping a food journal: this blog has been a great way to document most of the food that I eat.  I am very honest and will admit when I ate three pieces of pizza or a bag of Doritos.  I also have a black journal that I write down what my meals are/will be.
2. Planning Meals and Snacks: I try to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day and when I go food shopping on the weekends I make sure that I know what I will be eating for meals and snacks throughout the week.  Now this isn’t to say that my plans don’t change, because they do, and being flexible is important because then you don’t set yourself up for failure by thinking that you are “cheating”.  Planning also prevents me from the mindless snacking that I do when the hungry horrors hit me mid-afternoon and during certain weeks during the month.
3. Start each day with BREAKFAST: Eating breakfast sets the tone for your eating throughout the day.  By beginning your day with a meal made of a mixture of protein and a complex carb, you are energizing your metabolism and replenishing your body’s energy levels.  Breakfast “skippers” tend to believe that it helps them “save calories” but they are more likely to overeat later in the day because they are more likely to munch on snacks to stave of hunger until lunch.
4. Choose foods that are filling.  Complex carbohydrates (such as vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa) and fruits (which are simple carbs but are important because they contain fiber which slows their digestion) keep you satisfied longer and keep your blood sugar levels stable and eat slowly.  It takes 20 minutes to realize when you are full.
5. Read food labels. The shorter the list of ingredients the better!  The foods should contain ingredients as close to their natural state and have a minimal amount (if any) of refined sugar.
6. Increase your physical activity! The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is.  The more muscle have, the tighter and more toned your body will become.  Muscle takes up less space than fat so you will appear more slender.  Remember, no matter how much strength training you do, women can not naturally look like body builders!
7. Stay hydrated I am still working on this one!  Dehydration leads to less effective work outs (amongst other things).  You should drink fluids throughout the day and when exercising, drink to replace sweat.

In terms of running, here are some tips I took away from the articles and discussion last week:

1. Hydrate with at least 2 cups of fluid 2-3 hours before training
2. Fuel your body with a lean protein/complex carb snack 2 to 3 hours before training.
3. Eat within 30 minutes post exercise to boost energy

What is your favorite pre-workout/post-workout snack? Some of my favorites are (in no particular order):

• oatmeal
• Larabar (any flavor)
• Cliff Bar (a new fav.)
• Yogurt and fruit
• Kashi bars: chocolate coconut/ pumpkin flaxseed
• Apple with 2 tblsp of peanut butter
• a bowl of Trader Joes’ Twigs and Clusters cereal, yum!

Until tomorrow

~L

Developing Healthy Eating Goals

Hello all!  I am loving vacation because so far I have been able to post in the afternoon and evenings, it is awesome!  🙂

Today was perfect weather wise and also very productive for me.  I had plenty of time to ponder some new goals.  To me, goals are the most important part of maintaining a fit life.  I have found that food and fitness goals encourage a healthy life style by giving me something to work towards. Goals prevent eating and work out boredom.  Goals that I have set for myself have brought me to where I am currently, which is a million miles away from where I ever thought I could be.  For me, they need to be several small, do-able goals that add up to big changes.  When I was sitting today and thinking about my most current goals, nothing specific came to mind (eek!).  This means that I have been just going through the day-to-day motions of my eating/gym routine.  THIS IS NOT GOOD!

One thing I do know is that my diet has been very…well...relaxed.  I am finding I have a lot of “special occasions” to over-indulge with wine and sweets (who can’t find a reason to have a glass?).  As a result, I am finding myself with mood swings and energy highs and lows like you wouldn’t believe.  I think part of it may have to do with not listening to my body’s cues of hunger, but also in making poor choices in the food I eat.  That is why my most current set of goals I am pondering are related to HEALTHY EATING.  My goal for the next few weeks is to read a ton of materials (magazines and books) and decide what I feel is healthy and DO-ABLE for me!

To begin developing my HEALTHY EATING goals I first have to define what I feel is healthy, and what is not.

Healthy According to Lisa:

• Drinking lots of water
• Eating all food groups
• Eating appropriate portions of lean protein (chicken, turkey) and complex carbohydrates (whole grains)
• Eating lots of fruits and veggies
• Choosing foods that are closest to their “natural form” (less processed/refined foods)
• Eat 3 meals a day with 2 snacks
• Choose meats that are organic/free range/natural
• Be mindful of where my food comes from and what it is made of (ingredients list should be shorter, meaning it is closer to its natural state)
• Knowing what “moderation” is!  By this I mean, not depriving myself but not justifying/overindulging.

Unhealthy According to Lisa

• Simple Carbs- white rice, white sugar, white flour (all are processed)
• Justifying overindulgence!
• Unnecessary alcohol consumption (see moderation above!)
• Junk Food: including candy, fried foods, refined sugar, etc (again, see Moderation)

What would you add/take off my “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” list? I am hoping to develop some new eating goals by the end of April so I want to know everything you know and where you learned it!  Share your successful eating habits with me, tell me what works for you!

After spending much of my afternoon reading healthy living books/mags at Barnes and Noble (and drinking a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte), I stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up a few snacks that I would classify as healthy.  Unsweetened and dried pineapples and cherries are “healthy” snack options to me because they each have one ingredient: dried (pineapple) (cherry).  YUM!

Just like a fruit roll-up, except healthier!

Tonight for dinner I made Chicken Picatta.  If there is anything I love cooking with in the world it is LEMON!  It is so fantastic when added to any dish, and obviously it is the key ingredient in picatta.  I got Trader Joes All Natural Chicken breasts and seasoned them with Salt and Pepper, then dredged then in whole wheat flour.  I cooked them in 3 tbsp EVOO and 2 tbsp butter.  And while I was cooking I enjoyed a bottle of Grenache wine that Jack bought me in Vermont.

When the chicken was cooked all the way through, I placed them on a dish.  To the pan I added 1 cup of chicken broth and 2/3 cups of lemon juice.  I let it simmer in the pan until it reduced a little and added 1 tbsp more of butter.  Then I added the chicken back to the pan and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  I served it over a cup of whole wheat pasta.  MMMMMM

Well, I think did more reading today that ANY TEACHER should do during April Vacation 😉  so I am going to bed!

Night!

~L