Get up and go. Now. Go on a walk, do 15 lunges in front of your computer, pick up that weight. Do something! Keep that resolution going. You got this!!
YOU BET YOU SHOULD!
Get up and go. Now. Go on a walk, do 15 lunges in front of your computer, pick up that weight. Do something! Keep that resolution going. You got this!!
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I don't know about you, but I'm freezing!! With these below average temperatures I find myself training on treadmills and staying home as much as possible! So let's get a home-based killer workout. Kettle bells. You can pick one up at your local sporting store, price is dependent on the weight you buy. I would recommend starting with a 10 or 15 lb. you'll get a good burn, and if it gets easy just add more reps. Check these out for under $25 Around the body pass: standing tall, feet shoulder width apart, brace abs and pass the kettle bell hand to hand around your torso
Deadlift: with the kettle bell on the floor, squat (butt out, back straight, don't let knees come past your toes) and pick up the kettle bell, stand and squat to return KB to start position. Front squat: hold KB at chest level, squat (butt out, back straight, don't let knees come past your toes) to 90 degrees, and return to start position. Figure 8: in squat position, pass KB hand to hand between your knees and around the other side. Swing: standing with feet shoulder width apart, swing the kettle bell between your knees, and use the momentum to bring it up to chest height. (As if shooting a basketball granny style). TAKE CARE TO NOT ROUND YOUR BACK. Half Get Up: laying on your back, bring one are to 90 degrees, arm should remain straight in the air the entire exercise. Use opposite arm and leg to sit up. CIRCUIT STYLE: complete 15 reps of each exercise (15 on each side if a one sided exercise) 2-3x through. STRENGTH STYLE: complete 4 sets of 8 reps of each exercise Have you tried this workout? Let me know how it goes! I made this recipe from fitness magazine.com for dinner last night. Too yummy not to share. Low in calories, and high in fiber, it fills you up after a long day. And with its high protein content, it's perfect for dinner after a workout. But be careful, the couscous gets spicy! (YUM!!)
Ingredients 1 cup whole-wheat couscous 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon finely diced jalapeno pepper 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons red curry paste(I used green because I like it better) 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic 3/4 pound shrimp, cleaned and shelled, tails on 1 7 ouncecontainer 2 percent Greek yogurt (I used non fat) 1 teaspoon grated ginger Lime wedges (optional) Directions 1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Combine with mango, jalapeno pepper, 1 teaspoon of the lime juice and half the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together red curry paste, vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of the garlic and remaining lime juice. Add shrimp; toss to coat. 3. Mix together yogurt, ginger and remaining cilantro and garlic in a small bowl. Season to taste with black pepper. 4. Heat a grill to medium high. Grill shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. 5. Arrange shrimp and couscous on a platter and serve with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with lime wedges if desired. Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Amount Per Servingcal.(kcal)405 Fat, total(g)6 sat. fat(g)1 carb.(g)60 fiber(g)9 pro.(g)31 Is it still motivational if it is almost 10 pm? I hope so. If nothing else, maybe you will feel motivated tomorrow!!
What a week it has been. Busy busy. But as I was thinking about how "hard" I feel things are lately I was remembered of a motto I have used quite often throughout my life. I CAN DO HARD THINGS! No doubt the going gets tough. Early morning workouts, late night jogs, eating, cooking, counting.... BUT You can do hard things! Keep it up. Recommit to yourself this week. What hard things are you working on? Welcome to 2013 everybody! I can't believe it. 2012 was a whirlwind year for me with a decision to return to school, taking up running, and plenty of family time. While out last night, a friend asked what my resolutions for 2013 were, and I honestly hadn't even thought about it yet. I guess I'd better get it together! There are something I want to get done though:
I am running Canyonlands Half Marathon on March 16. My goal time is 2 hours. I'll keep ya posted! I am GOING to keep track of this blog (should be easier now that I'm out of classes, but we all know how my free time fills up...) I plan on traveling a little bit this year with my sweet husband when we graduate in April. When and where is yet to be determined! What are your resolutions for 2013? Is better fitness on your list? Send me a message with your top fitness goal for 2013 and receive 10% off a new training package! Good luck on your resolutions. Here's to a New Year! Jessica Looking for a power-packed, healthy way to start your day? If you are anything like me, you might need something quick, on the go, that will keep you full for the morning. What's could be better than a parfait in a jar?
Let's start with the granola recipe: Coconut Cashew Granola from melskitchencafe.com 3 c. old fashion rolled oats 1 c. slivered almonds 1 c. cashews 3/4 c. shredded coconut 1/4 c. dark brown sugar 1/4 c. pure maple syrup 1/4c. vegetable oil 3/4 tsp. salt 1 c. raisins Preheat oven to 250degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. COmbine both mixtures by slowly pouring the liquid over the oatmeal mixture and stirring well. Divide in half and pour onto two 11x17" rimmed baking sheets, spreading out into and even layer on each sheet. Cook for 1 hr. until golden. Removed from oven and transfer to large bowl, slightly breaking up clumps. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed. 1 serving = 1/4 c. Calories: 144 Fat: 62 cal (43%) Carb: 71 cal (49%) Protein: 11 cal (7%) Yum right? I eat the granola plain, or as a cereal as well. But to make the Breakfast Jar, I use a small mason jar and add 1/3 c. Berries 1/3 c. Strawberry yogurt 1/4 c. Granola Take your jar and enjoy a yummy breakfast on the go!! 1 serving "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose!" Have I mentioned that I am a ridiculous Dr Seuss fan? (Seriously. My future child will have a cat-in-the-hat room.) Anyway. Talk about one of my favorite quotes. Sure, there are some things in life that we can't control, the inevitable. But much of what we do (our eating choices, our workouts, OUR ATTITUDE) is controlled by our choices. Point yourself in the right direction, and GO!
You got this. JP It's a little chilly in Utah today. I guess winter really is setting in. Looking for something to warm you up? Try this veggie-packed tortellini soup!
Tortellini Soup
If you are tired of starting over, stop giving up! Any time I decide I want to start something new, whether it be diet, exercise, studying... I feel as if I have to start on Monday. It makes sense, it's the start of a week, a chance I start fresh. But then I find that if I lose focus sometime during the week, I wait until Monday to start over. BUT what good is it to work on something for 3 days to then take 4 days off? So stop starting over! Each day is new, and a chance to start fresh. So start today, and then start again every single day this week! Keep it up this week!!
Jess Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I am grateful to have this year to spend with family and friends. I feel so blessed. And on this holiday that tends to be focused on food, our tips will relate to portion control! When we start an exercise or weight loss plan, it needs to be supplemented with a healthy diet. What happens when you start walking more and eating healthier, but do not see the results you expect? Talk about frustrating right? This lack of results can lead back in part to portion control. Let's start by reviewing the categories of the Food Guide Plate Each meal should look some what like this. Half your plate should be fruits and vegetables. A quarter of your plate you should grains (aim for whole-wheat, whole-grain). A quarter should be lean proteins, with a small serving of dairy. So what counts as one serving?
Fruits and Vegetables: one cup. One cup is roughly the size of your fist. IE: a medium sized piece of fruit, or measure one cup of chopped veggies, sliced fruit, or 100% juice. Grains: one ounce. This can be harder to measure. If you have a food scale at home, use it. But it can range from 1 slice of bread, 1/2c. of rice, 1c. of cereal... it varies per food. Read more about measuring grains here http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-counts.html# Protein: three ounces. An easy measure is about the size of your palm. Protein choices should be lean in nature, such as chicken or turkey, lean cuts of beef, beans and legumes. Vary your proteins. Try and work in some seafood (if you can!!) Dairy: one ounce. Dairy is referred to as milk, milk based desserts, cheese, and yogurt. One ounce is a string cheese, a 1x1 cube of cheese, one cup of milk or yogurt. Aim for low fat dairy products. When in doubt, read the nutrition label for what counts as one serving. So, let's talk about a couple meals: Breakfast: 1 egg (protein) cooked with 1 oz. cheese (dairy), on a piece of whole-wheat toast (grain), 1 c. of 100% fruit juice, and 1 medium banana (fruits) Lunch: 1oz. whole-wheat pasta (grain), 1c. diced tomatoes, 1c. spinach (veggies), 3 oz. chicken breast (protein), topped with 1 oz. parmesan (dairy) Dinner: 3 oz. salmon filet (protein), 1 c. asparagus, 1 small baked potato (veggies), 1/2c. whole-grain rice (grain) (our last serving of dairy will come at dessert) Dessert: 1c. plain yogurt topped with 5 sliced strawberries and 1 tbsp. honey Practice portion control, sit at the table, and eat off a plate. Eat when your hungry, eat slowly, and stop when you're full. Practice reading food labels, and good luck during this Thanksgiving!! JP |