Weekend roundup and a tabata quickie

Friday: worked out. A lot. Like, ran those dang stairs in downtown for an hour. Did you miss my photo on instagram? Probably. So, here’s a pic of my new office

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Fast forward a bit, and this is what I surprised Tyler with

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Homemade sangria, STEAK, grilled portobello and baked taters.

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Hi, doesn’t that look delish? Ok, bye.

Saturday: I did my hair and put makeup on. But that’s not all!

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Tyler took me downtown for lunch. We also walked around a bit and enjoyed the wonderful sunny day.

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Saturday night: I finished my book, we drank weird beer, and played scrabble.

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Sunday: breakfast of champions, lunch (more like snack), sunny walk and burgers

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;

Lots on the agenda today. BUT, I leave you with this:

Feeling sluggish? Have 16 minutes laying around? Way to feel awesome and maybe sweat a little bit?
(hint: the answer should be yes to all of these. Unless you dot feel sluggish… Then good for you!)

Try this 16 minute tabata workout!
tabatas are 4 minutes sets where you work hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 and repeat 8 times
1st set: jumps- not just your run-of-the-mill jump rope. I want you to jump HIGH
2nd set: weighted plié squats- get LOW
3rd set: stability ball crunches- if you don’t have a ball, do regular crunches on the ground with your legs straight in he air..FEET FLEXED
4th set: overhead press… You’re only doing this for FOUR minutes (with breaks) so grab a heavier set of weights and really push yourself!

Feel better? I do just typing this. Hasta luego!

Fantastic Friday

Well hello there.

This Friday morning has been just as grand as Monday morning.

I got in a quick interval workout at home, watched The Pauly D Project, and took Layla for a hike at Nose Hill Park.

My glutes, quads and Hammies are super sore from yesterday’s burnin’ workout, but this hike really helped. It was a little chilly, but after a few minutes at a brisk pace, I was ready to peel off some layers. We saw lots of deer too. Actually, Layla didn’t…which is good because I would have probably lost my arm once she took off after them.

Another reason why today is good: I am now 5 days clean of sweets. Pretty awesome if you ask me. If I have a craving, I satisfy it with strawbs or mango…sweet, but not stick-to-your-hips sweet. Phew.

3rd reason: Im on my way downtown in a few minutes to get all my paperwork done for the Y then I am meeting with my Wednesday afternoon co-instructor and we are going through a mock workout. I have two different ones planned- we’ll see what she goes for!

4th: I really really really want a pair of these

Like, seriously, I really want them. Talk about a conversation starter.

5th: Since I will be teaching an outdoor bootcamp AND I have been out for long hikes and walks with Layla, I really want to get something that’s easy to carry all my necessities in (phone, keys, chapstick)

I can’t decide between a Spibelt or and Armpocket. Does anybody have either of these? Any input would be really appreciated!

Last, but not least, my new tunes for the week:

(Only two explicit songs! I’m so tame)

And on that note, I am going to whip up a smoothie and hit the road….Jack.

Today I…

Today, I went for a walk with Layla.

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I ate tons of almond butter

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I took a picture of a random house

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And of my crazy post-workout hair

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I ran up a really steep hill and felt like this

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I got the table runner my mom made us in the mail

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And ate a plate of veggies

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I also officially added eye cream to my daily beauty regime (sigh)
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Now, I’m wearing a Vikings sweatshirt (Tyler is their only fan)

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…And waiting till I have to pee bad enough to get me off this couch and into bed.

Adios!

Grilled Naan Pizza, Donuts, and the Stairs of Death

Yesterday was full of more delicious eats. I just kept that good Monday going!

Lunch was a spinach salad with tomatoes, mushies, leftover grilled carrots and nonfat greek dressing.

Followed by a few slices of this wonderfully sweet fruit (Mango- if you didn’t want to play the guessing game)

It was a B-E-A-Utiful day out, and I think I still had a ton of energy from that Razor Blast Powder 8 that I took the pup for a 90 minute hike. Usually, girlfran can be found on her bed…or our bed, but yesterday, I found her out front. Lounging.

Pretty soon we were running up and down the hills, soaking up the sun and beautiful view

An hour and a half later, we both returned home….struggling. That hike combined with my intense morning workout really wiped me out. And Layla is just a fat pig, so anything would exhaust her.

Not gonna lie, I thought I killed her. I must have crouched down on the floor a dozen times to make sure she was still breathing. Last thing I need to add to my resume is dog-killer.

Once I was satisfied she’d survived, I went on the porch to soak up a little more sun

I’m gearing towards being the official Lululemon-branded tan. Seriously…I went to go find a pair of shorts to change into so that I wouldn’t have a terrible calf tan, but then I realized I didn’t bring a single pair of my shorts with me from Boston. Gah. I wasn’t out for too long though- I noticed some creepy dude walking up and down the street and stopping just across from our house and staring at me. So I went inside and locked all the doors. Much to my relief (or should I be scared?) A cop car patrolled the block for the next hour or so. Looks like some other housewifey-lady such as myself got spooked a little more than I did and called the cops.

Dinner.

Tyler is a pizza freak. I swear to God, if he were the decision maker for meals, we’d have it every night for dinner. And to be honest, the pizza bug has worn itself onto me. To change it up a bit, I decided to grill up some Naan pizzas for us.

I got the toppings all ready (pepperoni, chicken, peppers, onions, feta cheese. Not pictured: Homemade sauce and regular cheese for Tyler)

We fired up the Barbie, brushed olive oil on either side of the Naan (I use the term ‘brushed’ very loosely. I didn’t have a brush, so I used a paper towel instead. Messy, but the job got done) and tossed them on the grill. After about 4 minutes, we flipped the bread, added our toppings, and let it grill for another few minutes.

The result:

I only used Goat cheese on mine, and it still proved to be too lactose-y. Insert tummy grumbles here. But whatever, it was T.A.S.T.Y.

I decided that I was going to go without sweets for the next two weeks- just as a personal challenge. And I have already found my sweet-reward once this challenge is over: Jelly Modern Donuts. For some reason I have had a huge craving for donuts lately, so what better way to ‘earn’ one than by abstaining from sugary treats for a couple weeks?

This pic is on their website, and I had to wipe the screen of my drool

I want the Maple Bacon and the Bourbon Vanilla and the Salted Caramel….I wouldn’t mind trying all of them. If I had to.

Stop looking at the donuts and finish reading this post!

Today’s workout was going to be a no brainer. 40 minutes on the elliptical, 10 min of strength intervals and 10 minutes of abs. Bing, bang, boom and I’d be done.

I dressed up in my all pink attire and got to walking to the gym

Looking chipper as always for a 7am workout

Get this: 5 of my last 7 workouts have been at 7am! Pretty great, if you ask me. I get the rest of the day to do what I want, I have more energy, and I have been more inclined to make healthy eating decisions. Golf clap now, please.

I mentioned this on Facebook yesterday, but I thought I’d throw it on here as well: I am teaching my first boot camp in downtown Calgary next week! I haven’t been able to teach since I moved a couple months ago, so I am REALLY excited. The best part: It’s going to be outside! The bester part: It’s going to be by these stairs:

(Source)

Bwahahahaha. Those are going to come in HANDY.

Love my Mondays!

Scary, but I’m really starting to love my Mondays. I’ll wait for you to finish gasping before I explain why.

Done yet?

K good.

Actually, I’ll let you wait a but before I explain. Just need to recap Sunday first.

Breakfast started with an English muffin topped with leftover guac and scrambled eggs. Pretty dang delish and tons of protein. Helps with the hangover, too. Ok, I’m not sure if that’s proven, but it is in my case.

After breakfast and oodles of coffee was consumed, Tyler suggested we head to Bowmont park for a walk. (Note: It was really my idea, but using the power of suggestion and persuasion, I made Tyler think it was his idea..this is how successful relationships work, people.)

And of course, the youngin’ found her way into the water. I’m pretty sure Tyler almost took a dunk. She was not behaving on the leash AT ALL. There were tons of people out with their dogs and she was just overwhelmed. Lots of whining and half-woofs and scampering.

I managed to take a shot of the river while we crossed one of the bridges. I just thought it was so pretty that you can see the mountains in the background. Look harder, they’re there. (Ooooh correct grammar on their, there and they’re. Jen for the win)

Of course, since it was Sunday, I had to make some sweet treat once we got home. BUT, I decided to make it a healthy sweet treat. For the sake of my thighs. And hips. (Oh god, my hips. Cringe)

Here’s what I suggest: If you want something sweet and indulgent, go ahead and make the full fat version. Honestly, it’ll satisfy the craving. But, if you just want something to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it, try this recipe (I came up with it myself!!!)

Protein Brownies

  • 3/4 c unbleached flour
  • 1/4 c cocoa
  • 1/4 chocolate protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2/3 c sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 c nonfat plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In one bowl, combine flour, cocoa, protein powder, salt and baking powder.

3. In another bowl combine softened butter and sugar. Once completely mixed, add in egg, applesauce and vanilla.

4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Then add the yogurt until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips

5. With a spatula, spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from dish and serving.

If you try this recipe out, let me know what you think! (I didn’t tell Tyler they were healthified and I caught him going to the kitchen a few time for a brownie!

The sun was still out after I finished baking, so I decided to take advantage. I mean, who knows- it might snow again.

And I got started on another book

I forgot about the whole sun thing, and now sport a terrible sock and capri tan line. G-ross.

Once dinner rolled around…I was craving veggies. And veggies we did eat.

Grilled carrots, mushies and onions and Frank’s RedHot Chicken. To grill the veggies, I slathered them in olive oil, s&p, wrapped them in foil and tossed ’em on the grill. The carrots look burnt, but that’s actually where they carmelized and were really sweet! All in all, good dinner.

Sunday night’s workout was a quick 20 minutes of cardio/strength intervals. It consisted of:

  • Jump squats
  • Leg lifts
  • Pushups
  • Jump rope
  • Sit ups
  • Squats
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Stability Ball hip raises
  • Jacks

Ok, now I can tell you why I love Mondays. Well, for starters- it’s the first workout post-weekend. For some reason, I always have tons of energy. And I can really just get a fresh start.

Pre-workout, I tried out some of this stuff

Razor Blast Powder 8 in Triple Berry. I was nervous to take it because I haven’t yet tried it, and I didn’t know how my body would react to it.

WELL.

Holy balls, did it work. I walked to the gym at 7:30 this morning and absolutely killed my workout. What workout did I do? Glad you asked:

10 minute warmup (I did HIIT on the spin bike)
Round 1 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
Reverse lunge with fly (12 reps w/8lb weights)
Jump Squats (10)
Plank Hold (60 sec)
Round 2 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
Plie squat w/lateral raise (12 reps w/8lb weights)
Mountain Climbers (10)
Plank Hold (60 sec)
Round 3 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
Bicep curl w/overhead press (12 reps w/12lb weights)
Weighted side lunges (10 each side)
Round 4 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
Stablilty ball lower back extensions (12)
Stability ball roll out (10)
Round 5 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
10 double hop jumps
4 pushups
Round 6 (Do 2x before moving to next round)
Weighted Russian twist (10 each side)
V-ups (4 with hold at the top)
50 jacks
Round 7
Fire Hydrant (10 each leg)
Crossover mountain climbers (10)
Fire Hydrant with toe kick (10 each leg)
Crossover Mountain Climbers (10)
10 min Cardio (I did HIIT on the elliptical)

Fuel (otherwise known as breakfast) after this workout was a bowl of eggwhite oats. Delish

I combined oats, an egg white, almond milk and water with a scoop of pumpkin and 1 tbsp of chia seeds. 2 minutes in the microwave and topped it with almond butter.

YES. ALMOND BUTTER. Finally, after three weeks sans any nut butter, I finally have to jars of this nutty goodness!

Happy happy happy Jen. 🙂

Off to take advantage of this lovely day and take my terror of a dog on the trails!