Day 4 of the Shred went well but difficult to get up this morning knowing that's what was coming. The video mysteriously turned off during the final 3 minutes but I kept going. The side squats and push-ups are getting especially painful, making the cardio part more challenging. I am proud of myself for doing it in the morning because my work schedule has been going until about 7:30pm, making it so easy to make up excuses when I get home.
Today I have kept a good distance from the Oreos and ice cream but they keep creeping into my brain. I think I may suggest that the someone who bought them hides them and distributes them very sparingly.
I had a green monster shake for breakfast with 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 bag baby spinach, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, and a frozen banana. It made me feel super energized after the workout.
For lunch, I made a mediterranean wrap with one chicken breast (seasoned with Emeril's Essence), spring greens, spicy red pepper hummus, and some shredded cheddar cheese. It was very good and filling.
For dinner, I am sharing my favorite (and easiest) taco recipe. I have shared this with many friends and every one of them has called or emailed me raving about it. It was a definite hit on Bunco night. Long live Martha :)
I hope to get back to posting pics very soon...the boyfriend dropped my camera on hard tile while in Mexico and its not working now :(
Have a great day!
Still Shredding
Shred Day 3
All is good but I feel like there is a huge painful knot on the back of each arm where my tiny triceps used to be. It hurts...
Anyway, I self-diagnosed my knee injury today. Chondromalacia. Seems I either have a misalignment or am just getting old. I'm going with Option A.
I ate very healthy today except for those lovely Blizzard Cookies n Cream Oreos the boyfriend brought me. Don't try them. Really don't. It's not worth it. He also brought me Ben and Jerry's new Milk and Cookies flavor. He is trying to sabotage me. Grrrrrr.....
Shred Day 2
OK...so I've stuck with it a whole two days. Go...me.
My gluts hurt and my pecs hurt. I screamed during the second round of push-ups. My knee isn't too pleased with any of this but it's hanging in there.
Gonna look like this in no time :)
Stop laughing. And I mean it.
That sexy lady up there happens to be Tracy Anderson. I was watching her workouts designed for Madonna and Gwyneth on Youtube today and was intrigued. When the budget allows, this video will be next on my rotation:
I am totally committed to Jillian for now. But I will get bored eventually and need something new. I am trying to prove to myself that I can commit to 25 minutes every day before I sign up for a session with Madonna's trainer.
Ha! Good night.
Day One
Day One has officially been tallied.
In an effort to get in better shape, while giving my injured knee a little bit of a break from running, I have signed up for this:
It's only about 20 minutes. But it's a sweaty, screaming, vomit-inducing 20 minutes. OK. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it HURT. I'm sticking with it though.
I'll keep you in the loop regarding any (hopefully) weight loss or new muscles....
FINALLY. A complete book report :)
So...after a bit of a struggle, I completed those three reads from so far back.
The first two were great. That last one? Not my thing but I forced myself to finish it.
Here's the scoop:
My Life in France by Julia Child was just what I expected. It took me back to my appreciation of food and my love for all things Provencal. I loved that she is unapologetic for any stumbles in her cooking adventures. She says such "admissions only draw attention to one's shortcomings."
The best thing about this book is the love story that saturates it. Her husband's belief in her dream and encouragement is inspiring and makes them such a likeable pair. Their tradition of sending out Valentines is so adorable.
Her descriptions of her place in Provence take you there as she writes about the "deeply quiet, sparkling nights" and "the little owls talking back and forth."
I....want...one.
Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' in the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy Through Wine, Chocolate, and Your Ipod Playlist was a fun read that was also fun-ny. He encourages us to enjoy one delicious moment, one beautiful moment, and one funny moment every day and who couldn't use more of that kind of advice? I also thought this would be a great daily topic for journaling and have been trying to do just that :) Some of my favorite passages:
"A human who's able to simplfy their life moves faster and farther toward their purpose than one who's bogged down with emotional and financial baggage."
"I say it's worth every bit of social awkwardness to remain true to yourself, to put yourself in the light even if nobody can see you there."
And that last read. The City of Falling Angels. It actually didn't turn out to be fiction and actually says so in the very first sentence (oops). It is journalistic nonfiction. Though an interesting take to visit a city and piece together actual occurrences to create a plot with actual real-life characters, I couldn't get into it. The strong historical aspect combined with so many characters was rather puzzling and hard for me to follow. I thought I would enjoying learning more about Venice but not so in this context. Oh well. Did learn some interesting tidbits though. Did you know that the ambient nocturnal sound level in Venice is a very low 32 decibels? 45 decibels is typical for most other cities. Of course, this is due to no automobile traffic but contributes to making Venice so peaceful.
So there you have it. It has been a very busy few weeks for me. I ran a half marathon, attended the Kentucky Derby, and, most recently, returned from a good friend's wedding in Mexico. It has been an absolute blast but I am ready to lie low for awhile and get some reading and cooking done. My three next selections:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin:
I followed her blog for several years while she was writing this book so it has been on my list for awhile...time to nail this one down.
Next up: Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
This one has been on my radar for a few months. I mean...COME on. A love story with recipes? Need I say more?
And the third:
An Italian Affair by Laura Fraser
Happy Reading!
The Chocolate Strawberry Pie
So I have been secretly craving this pie forever...and the craving overtook me a few nights ago at about 10pm on a work night. Crazy, right? Here she is in all her glory...
Underneath all those sweet strawberries lies a thick layer of fudgy chocolate goodness...next time I plan to use dark chocolate to make it just a bit more sophisticated :) I think this would be great for Mother's Day since chocolate and strawberries are two of her favorite things!
Found the recipe here...I'm still a bit confused because the recipe calls for 5 oz of chocolate or 1.5 cups. When I measured 5 oz of chocolate on my scale it only came out to about .5 cup so I went with something in between.
Bon Appetit :)
Still Reading
Well I have yet to finish my final book for this month, The City of Fallen Angels. To be honest, it has been a struggle for me to follow and finish and I am only halfway there. However, I have pledged that I will finish...but it may be awhile.
On another note, I am stupid excited about this:
Planning for my Eat Pray Love Release Party is already underway...invitations to follow...expect girlfriend fun complete with yoga, indian food, great pizza, and lots of laughs :)