Treat Yo'Self (But Not To Laundry)

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I have seen other bloggers talking about Pregnancy Brain, which I certatainly do not have, but it does remind me that I have another condition: WEDDING BRAIN.  So, please excuse this jarbled post. I have five things to share and they are only marginally related (and, even then, only if I try very hard). And we're off...

How can you be so beautiful and so mean at the same time? 

1. Meet my new best friend, Jack. He is like any new best friend: I am crushing hard on his beauty, but HE IS HURTING ME. Well, my feet at least. Maybe I need to re-think this relationship... Seriously, though, proof of pain = blister within ten minutes.

2. We met with our band last night to discuss music for our nuptials. I am getting married in ten days, you guys. This is real life. And I can't wait.

3. I have been hot-and-cold on Quest bars lately. At first, I loved them, but then their consistency started to remind me of plastic and after trying other bars I just got sick of the Quest bar taste. But then this guy walked into my life.... MOTHER EFFING COOKIE DOUGH. I figured I'd give it a try. My very first thought was, "Oh my gosh, I bet my fiance would actually eat this one!" It is to die for.

Please excuse my wedding prep mess. It's everywhere and I'm drowning in it.

4. Proof that *somebody* needs to do their laundry: I actually ran and went to the gym today in this get up. I feel that it should not have been allowed, yet I did it anyway. Colors that were invited to the party: Blue, teal, taupe, yellow, purple, orange, red, gray - and pink, if you count my face after my interval workout. I think I actually ROYGBIVd. <-- Can that be a verb?

5. Somebody's spoiled... #treatyoself #preweddingpampering

What about you?

• What's the most embarrassing outfit you've worn to the gym?
• Would you rather do laundry or wear something ridiculous?
• What have you done lately to treat yo'self?

Werkin It Out

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I went to DSW on my lunch break yesterday in search of a new clutch. No dice. What did I end up doing? Trying on a badass pair of heels. 

Are these considered a weapon? 

I was so tempted to buy them and wear them for my bachelorette party weekend, which is coming up this month. But that's when I realized: I already have a few badass pairs of heels that I haven't had a reason to wear yet. I guess it's time to bust those babies out.

Time to work those calf muscles...

Just because it's creepy looking doesn't mean you have to judge.

Wednesday: 15 minute Elliptical, 30 minute Treadmill

On Tuesday night, I had my first dress fitting for my wedding gown. Because I was out in the 'burbs, I ended up having dinner with my mom and sister and just crashing at my parents' house. In the morning, I finished watching The Bachelorette (seriously, when you watch it on Hulu, there are so many commercials that it's just like watching it live). After about 30 minutes, when I was on the treadmill, my mom came down and hopped on the elliptical next to me. It was too cute.

My "5:30 is too early for a wakeup call" face.

Thursday: Bodypump 

I've been recording my Bodypump weights in a note on my phone. Ever since I started doing that about a month ago, I've been able to increase my weights in almost everything. I also now feel like a badass because I'm pumping more weights than almost everyone in the class. Lesson: You can lift more than you think.

I just take notes of how much I lifted, and how I felt. Then, when I'm loading up my bar for each track, I reference my notes. If last time was easy, I increase the weight. If it was "good," I typically increase there, too. If it was "good/hard," I leave it put. And if it was "very hard" (or sometimes just "FML!"), I might drop it down so I don't injure myself. That's my basic method right now.

And yes, this was followed by the Mean Green Post-Workout Smoothie.

Red in the face = happy runner

Friday: 7 mile run

I have a love/hate relationship with long runs (Note: Some of you think 7 miles constitutes a "short" run. You're super heroes. I'm not). When I am in the habit of making my runs last a long time, I enjoy them... but it makes me hungry angry hangry if I do too many of them in one week. I'm currently experimenting with eliminating gluten from my diet (more on that later - I started having allergic reactions to gluten - boo), so it's hard to find much that satisfies me, because all I want is a pretzel bun or pizza. I'm trying to incorporate longish runs about once a week, so that I keep my endurance but don't over-do it on my joints (or appetite).

Hot class + Hot outside = Lose the soaking wet shirt, woman.

Saturday: 20 minute run to The Mercury Method, Barre Fly Class, 20 minute run home

I used to either drive to The Mercury Method if it was an early 6am class, or have my fiance drop me off and pick me up if it was a later one (there is limited parking in the area). Lately, I've started running to the class. It's perfect because a 20 minute run gets my heart rate up, which keeps it a bit higher during the entire hot workout (it's 98+ degrees! yikes). Then, my run home tends to be part run, part cool down walk, depending on how exhausted I am from the class.

CXWORX tools

Sunday: Bodypump, CXWORX

Back to Bodypump. I love you so much, Les Mills.

I was also super excited for the CXWORX class. I used to go fairly regularly and saw great results, so I'm trying to keep this part of my Sunday routine. Thank God they're both in the same room and one right after the other! Makes it so easy on me.

Monday: 40 minute run

I had a pretty lame run on Monday night. I was major struggle town and alternated between a 6mph jog and a 4mph walk on a high (8-12) incline. I was in a bad mood and there was a lot of "Debbie Downer" talk going on in my head, and I'm convinced that those were the culprits. 

Shoulder Burn-Out in Solitude in the Pilates/Yoga room

Tuesday: 60 minute Pilates class, Shoulder burn out

After the 60 minute pilates class, I did a shoulder burn out routine. Basically, I start with 10 lb weights and do a variety of shoulder exercises. When 10lbs is too much, I drop it down to 8lb. Finally, after I can't do that, I drop it to 5lb. It ends up with totally burned out shoulders and only takes 5ish minutes. Refueled with some protein after that.

Wednesday: We'll see!

My plan was: 20 minute run to The Mercury Method, Control Class, 20 minute run home. But, there's apparently supposed to be a crazy awful storm until later on, so I'm not sure if that will be do-able. I may end up doing my own workout in the apartment, just to avoid being struck by lightning. 

Absent Minded Professor - WOTDs

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At my gym, there are lockers with keypads you can use to lock them. This means I can no longer just search for my lock and know that my stuff is inside... because all the locks look the same.

Earlier this week, I totally effed up and forgot where my stuff was. I mean, they all look the same. I had to get someone to let me into like five different lockers before we found my stuff. Pretty sure she thought I was some kind of gym locker bandit. 

Now, I have to resort to things like taking a picture on my phone of my locker number, or writing it in pen on my hand. Actually, the above picture is from when I signed up for a spinning bike and thought I'd forget what my number was. 

This is the story of my life... complicated theories? Got it down pat. Logic games? Nail it. Remembering a simple number? Impossible.

Wearing the same pants over and over? Check. Okay, no, I don't wear these Ellie camo workout capris every day... but I have worn them twice this week and taken a picture in almost the exact same pose. Time to throw those babies in the wash...

And finally, an awful "I just woke up, why the eff am I at the gym?" picture. This is real life, folks. Also, I was terribly pale in that picture. Don't worry. The situation has been remedied.

WORKOUTS OF THE WEEK:

Wednesday: Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Thursday: Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Friday: First day off Juice Cleanse, No Workout

Saturday: 20 Min Ab Work, Spin Class

Sunday: CXWORX (Ab Class)

Monday: Body By Science, Muscle Definition Weights Class

Tuesday: Pilates

Wednesday: 4 Mile Interval Run

I've put together a pretty awesome plan for the next few weeks. If you haven't noticed, I'm a huge planner, especially when it comes to food, workouts, and travel. Here's a sneak peak of what the tentative exercise regimen will be: Weights, Resistance, Cardio, Weights, Resistance, Cardio, Weights. 

Movie Watching on the Treadmill and other WOTDs

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Last week was a lazy week, so this week I made up for it. Mostly. 

I also ate a lot of cheese and bought some delicious ice cream sandwiches. So we should probably just call it a wash :)

Wednesday

30 Minutes Weights (Arms, Shoulders), 45 Minutes Pilates
I think I've almost perfected my arms and shoulders routine. It's basically a circuit of exercises that build on each other, so that there is no break in between and you don't put down your weights for about 7 minutes of arm exercises. I end up having some serious burning going on afterward.

Also, why do I love Pilates so much? Lawd, it makes me happy.



Thursday
60 Minutes BodyPump
I am so not a morning person, so any time I make it to the gym for 6am Bodypump, I feel like a freaking rock star all day. This time, I totally overloaded my weights for almost every exercise, so I not only felt like a rock star, but also felt like a tightly wound rubber band all day.
Ready. To. Snap. Is it bad that I loved it?


Friday
45 Minutes Weights 

Saturday
9.3 Mile Run
I woke up on Saturday morning knowing I had a full day that would start around 11. Still, I was determined to get in a long run. My arbitrary number was 9 miles, so I set out to make it happen.

I watched most of the movie "This Means War" on a treadmill. I warmed up, did mile 1 at 6.0, mile 2 at 6.5, mile 3 at 7.0, mile 4 at 7.5, mile 5 at sprint intervals between 8.5 and 6


...followed by this delicious beast:



Sunday
Rest
For some reason, it's hard for me to take skip days. I have to sit there and rationalize it with myself. After the insane (for me!) run the day before, I decided I owed it to myself.

Monday
4.8 Mile Run, Body By Science
I used to take a weights class before Body By Science, but lately, I've just been running. HBO wasn't working on my iPad, so I watched a bit of The Mindy Project and I don't know what else, and ended up ringing in at just shy of 5m by the time my fiance arrived.

Then, Body By Science. I upped my weight on almost every exercise. I'm still really excited about the leg press. I upped my weight to 210, but still feel like I could have done more. It's crazy what your legs will let you do!

Tuesday
30 Minute Tempo Run, Arms/Shoulders/Abs Weights
I was so tired yesterday afternoon. I walked slowly to the gym and spent a solid ten minutes just changing my shoes and putting on my heart rate monitor (I had already changed into my running clothes before leaving work). I was just feeling really slow and sluggish, for some reason (read: I ate too many pecans. Can this make you cranky and slow? I'm going with yes).

I got on the treadmill and watched the last 15 minutes of "This Means War," with Reese Witherspoon, which I watched most of during my long run on Saturday. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but I guess it was cute. Still think she chose the wrong guy! After that, I tried to start the movie Wanderlust, with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd, but just wasn't feeling it. Wop wop. Cranky.

For some reason, this workout just didn't go well. I was in a bad mood and couldn't shake it. Then, after a pretty short 30m run, I hopped off and tried to do some weights. Still cranky. Not sure what it was, but hopefully today will be better...

Wednesday
9 Mile Run

Workout Wednesday - WOTDs

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It's so cold out in Chicago that I'm actually blow drying my hair. This is quite an event, in that I generally do it once every month or two, simply because my hair is quite long and I'd rather spend time on other things. Oh, and there's always my irrational fear: flipping my head over to blow my dry my hair freaks me out because I feel like the girl from The Ring (Warning: Do not click that link if you're scared of her. I squealed in fright just because of my Google Image Search. Oh, the things I do for you...).



Now, #WOTDs... Ever see people posting on Instagram their "#OOTD?" Also known as Outfit Of The Day, it's an easy and awesome way to take a selfie without feeling too weird about it. So, if that's acceptable, I'm convinced #WOTD is also acceptable.

Workout. Of. The. Day. I tried to stick to my plan, but am hoping you'll call me on it if you think I've failed :)


Wednesday: 15 Minute Stairmaster & 45 Minutes Pilates
This is normally one of my "Choice" days, so I decided to try something new. My gym had a 45 minute Pilates class that I was able to make it to after work. It was amazing. The thing I love about Pilates, as opposed to Yoga, is that it rocks my core so hard that I can feel it the next day. And, on top of that, I walk out feeling like I'm floating on sunshine because the class is so calm and relaxing (despite my abs and upper legs wanting to SCREAM the whole time). I'm planning to make it back for another Pilates class today, if my schedule allows it.



Thursday: Bodypump
Ever since I first tried Bodypump, it has grown and grown on me (you'll see that I took two classes this past week). I'll be sharing more about my so-called Bridal Bootcamp later, but basically I am changing the way I do Bodypump in order to accommodate my fitness goals for my wedding in August (yes, this August!). I'm upping the weight on all of the upper body tracks and keeping the wait fairly steady on the lower body tracks. More on that over the next few weeks - stay tuned for a whole series of Bridal Bootcamp posts.

Friday: Skip
Friday is not usually a skip day. Generally, I do a Stairmaster Sprint and a 30 Minute CXWorx class on Friday mornings. But, I was actually out in the suburbs on Thursday for a special something (come back tomorrow to find out!). We didn't get back until fairly late, so I decided to ditch the workout and take a rest day. Basically, instead of working out, I drank coffee. In the dark.



Saturday: Arms, Shoulders, and Back Weights & 60 Minute Spinning Class
This day rocked my world quite literally. I started with some completely new weights workouts for Arms, Shoulders, and Back (Again... stay tuned for more info on these... I know, I'm a total tease. Get over it.). Basically, I totally 'destroyed' my upper body using weights immediately before destroying my lower body in a spinning class.

A note on spinning classes: Man, how much you trust the instructor really makes a difference in the quality of your workout. On Saturday, we had James as an instructor, whose classes I am pretty much obsessed with. He gives us a lot of information and warns us about what's coming. Mostly, I just appreciate that his class is well timed, well structured, organized, etc - so that, when he tells me to give it my all, I trust him and push myself to the limit instead of holding something back just to be safe. I walked out of that class totally red-faced and feeling like I was about to puke.

You can be sure that I followed this workout up with a delicious protein shake and lots of water. It was very necessary.




Sunday: Kundalini Yoga
After Saturday's insane workout, my body just needed to chill out. Justin and I took a Kundalini Yoga class, which was... interesting. Not my favorite thing ever, and I didn't feel particularly challenged by it (other than my challenge to not get up and walk out). Read my review in this post.

Monday: Bodypump
Yet again... Bodypump. The instructor on Monday is a different woman than the Thursday instructor, and they handle their classes slightly differently, so I enjoy going to both. The have very different energies, so to speak, so it makes both of these classes amazing yet different.





Tuesday: Full Body Weights & 35 Minute Stairmaster Sprint
This, sort of like Saturday, was pretty much an 'ultimate' day, in my opinion. I totally rocked the weights by doing an entire Body By Science routine, then alternating between lower body exercises and upper body exercises. I also didn't take any intentional breaks between machines (so, my break just consisted of the time it took me to get up, switch machines, set up my weight on the new machine, and start the next exercise), which meant that my heart rate stayed elevated pretty much the entire time.

Then, I switched to the Stairmaster Sprint workout, where I read my beloved Young Adult book, because I'm writing a young adult book, so it's kind of like research... right? At least, I'm telling myself that.

All in all, this workout took me about an hour and 20 minutes, including some time to run down to the locker room to grab my Kindle in between weights and cardio.




Wednesday: Pilates & Megan Fox's Butt Workout
I'm planning to do this after work... fingers crossed!

All in all... Cardio/Pilates, Cardio/Weights, Skip, Cardio/Weights, Yoga, Cardio/Weights. Not bad, but it's obvious that I go heavy on the days that combine cardio and weights. Those are the days I feel most accomplished with my workout.

What about you? What aspects of your workout week made you feel most accomplished?

An Entirely Unofficial Guide to Gym Etiquette

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I love my gym. It's conveniently located on Randolph Street in the West Loop, also known as Amazing-And-Trendy-Restaurant-Street. So, great food and great gym on the same street? What's not to love?

With January comes what I call the "New Years Resolutioners," or what some of the girls in a book club I went to on Saturday called the "January Joiners." If you're one of them, I'll preface this post by saying: Good for you! The gym is awesome. You should keep going all year long, and you'll be so happy by the end of it!

And also... There are some unwritten rules. Please follow them.

1. Watch Your Drink

I think it's pretty much common sense to keep your beverages out of other people's way. It's better for others, obviously, and it's better for you. Because, one, your drink won't spill, and, two, people won't give you the stink eye.

Somebody doesn't subscribe to this rule.
Not the best place for your La Croix, bro.
Even though I am tempted to drink it.

2. Urinal Rules Apply to Machines... and Lockers, too
I'm obviously not a man, so I can't speak from actual bathroom experience, but I've heard it's a fairly well followed rule: Unless necessary, don't park yourself directly next to another dude.

Now, I really don't mind being next to other people at the gym. What I do mind is when I'm on one of six Stairmasters, the rest of which are open, and some guy comes up and hops on the only machine that is directly next to me. Not necessary.

Similarly, if I'm half naked trying to change for a workout, you don't need the locker right next to me unless it's insanely crowded (like, we're talking if Justin Bieber is at the gym or something - yeah, that happened).


3. Stop judging my screen!
This is semi related to number 2. Because, I'll admit, part of the reason it's weird for you to unnecessarily hop on a machine right next to me is because I'm probably trying to sneak and watch an episode of Girls (okay, that's a little too raunchy for the gym).

I usually bring my iPad so I can watch something on Netflix or Hulu Plus, but a week or so ago, I randomly decided to flip through the shows on the actual TV attached to my machine. Imagine my utter joy when I realized that, not only was The Notebook on tv, but it was at the BEST PART.

"Get in the water, baby! GET IN THE WATER!"

4. Eyes ahead, Private!
Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes unwillingly stare at the women who are like 8 months pregnant and kicking ass on an elliptical (how do you do that?). But, in general, it's pretty creepy to just stare people down, and trust me, people can feel it.

When you're in a workout class, unless you're temporarily checking out your neighbors to make sure your form is right, there are three options for your eyes: stare at the instructor, stare at yourself in the mirror, or stare at the ceiling (for mat work and such - it's actually good form for ab exercises).

"Stare at the ceiling, Carly, stare at the ceiling!"

No, I'm not trying to be rude -- mostly, I just want to save us all from the awkwardness that ensues when two people accidentally make eye contact toward the beginning of a class. Then, of course, it happens every few minutes for the rest of the class, because you both feel so awkward about the first time it felt awkward.

Cardio Mash Up Workout - Free Workout Printable - Burn 600 Calories

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If you're like me, you get bored. Sure, you could probably stay on that elliptical for longer -- if you wanted to. But you don't. And you get bored. So you leave.

Nevermore, my friends. This is the ultimate workout for people with exercise A.D.D. You won't have to be on any machine for longer than 15 minutes, and you won't have to do a single thing for longer than 5. You can do anything for just 5 minutes, right?

This workout specifies which machine to be on and breaks each 15 minute machine segment (treadmill, stair master, elliptical, bike) into 5 minute chunks. Try not to take breaks in between machines, other than a very short stretch if you're feeling too tight or a sip of water.

Before I give you the workout, here are a few additional tips:

• Be honest with yourself: focus on the perceived exertion/difficulty level. If the workout specifies that you should be pushing yourself to about 90%-100%, then force yourself to work that hard.
• Don't stress the hard parts: Each 15-minute segment starts out moderately difficult and ramps up, ending with the most difficult part of that segment. Don't worry - just keep in mind that, as soon as you get off that machine and start on another, it'll start over again and things will get easier (at least for a few minutes!).
• Mind the order: If you can't manage to do these segments in the specified order, it is okay to change the order up. That said, it is designed this way for safety, to protect you from mistakes and joint damage that can result from fatigue, so keep that in mind.

Without further delay, here's your workout! Click on the image to enlarge and print!

Click the workout to enlarge and print

3 Ways To Make Your New Years Resolutions Attainable

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Let's talk about New Years Resolutions. According to Forbes, by June, 64% of us will have already abandoned our New Years Resolution... and that's only out of those of us who make a resolution to begin with. Those aren't the best odds, are they?

I used to be avidly against New Years Resolutions. It seems that people rarely achieve the aspirations they set for themselves as the year turns, so I tried to stay away from even setting a goal that was associated with the new year. But this year, I'm turning over a new leaf.

I'll be back tomorrow to discuss my New Years resolutions and give you advice on how to accomplish your fitness resolutions and nutrition resolutions. But, for now, we're going to take a crack at why people tend to fail when it comes to their ability to achieve their NYE goals.

This post is designed to help you re-frame your goals so that they will be attainable!

Reason Number 1: Your goal is too vague.
Vague goals simply don't empower you to reach the end. Think of it this way: If you have no idea where the finish line is or how many miles you have to run, it would be much more difficult to run a race. The same goes for goals and resolutions. If you decide that you want to "get fit" or "get trim," you're doing yourself a disservice here. Sure, getting in shape is a good thing to work toward, but your goal is not specific. What does it mean to be fit and trim?
To resolve this issue, try re-framing your goal. For example, instead of trying to "get fit," aim to "work out at least four days a week."

Here are a few other suggestions for goal re-framing:

Fitness related goals (such as "get in better shape" or "slim down") can be re-framed as...

• My goal is to work out at least four days per week.
• My goal is to surprise my body by incorporating one new workout routine each month.
• My goal is to start weight lifting once a week (or, if you're already weight lifting, to add another day of weight lifting each week).
• My goal is to run at least twice a week, and increase my distance by a quarter mile every two weeks.
• My goal is to run a marathon.

Food and Nutrition related goals (such as "eating better," "eating healthy," or "watching what I eat")...

• My goal is to eat salads for lunch at least 5 days a week.
• My goal is to pre-make my lunch salads at the beginning of each week.
• My goal is to avoid McDonalds this year.
• My goal is to only drink alcohol one night per week.
• My goal is to avoid alcohol on week nights.
• My goal is to cook dinner at home and only eat out one night per week at the most.
• My goal is to drink 8 glasses of water per day, at least 5 days per week.

Organization related goals (such as "get organized")...

• My goal is to start a calendar and keep it updated with all of my activities.
• My goal is to take everything out of my closet, put back in only the clothing I should keep, and get rid of the rest.
• My goal is to put all of my clothing either in the laundry or back where it came from, avoiding ever leaving clothes draped over my bed or chair, etc.
• My goal is to create a spreadsheet to start tracking all of my financial obligations.
• My goal is to find out how to start automatically paying my student loans (or other loans), and then implement that plan.
• My goal is to make a list before grocery shopping, every time.

Reason Number 2: Your goal needs to be segmented.

There are other goals that, while they are specific, still need to be broken into segments. Take, for instance, your "quit smoking" goals. Some people can go cold turkey, but some people need to par down slowly. Here are a few examples of goals that can and should be segmented. In general, this list should include anything that would need to ramp up over time. Some of the above goals, such as running a marathon, can also be segmented using a training plan.

• "My goal is to lose fifteen pounds" can be turned into "My goal is to lose five pounds by April 30th, another five pounds by August 30th, and another 5 pounds by December 31st."
  Note: A goal like this should also be accompanied by some of the fitness and nutrition goals above.
• "My goal is to finish planning my wedding" can be turned into "My goal is to book ceremony and reception venues by February 1st, book a photographer by March 1st, and book food and other vendors by April 1st."
  Note: Believe it or not, this is very similar to a marathon goal. When planning a goal like this, it's a good idea to do a Google search or Pinterest search to find some tineline suggestions.

Reason Number 3: Your goal is unrealistic.

If your goal is unrealistic, you're setting yourself up for failure. Sometimes, failing just once or twice can make us lose our inspiration for the goal in its entirety. Be understanding of the fact that you will occasionally disappoint yourself - nobody is a rock star all the time. So, try to build in a margin of error that will allow you to give yourself a break while still working toward your goal. Here are a few examples of goals that might be unrealistic. Be sure to keep your own abilities and personality in mind, as some of these will differ for each of you.

• "My goal is to lose thirty pounds." (Or any said amount of weight)
  Is that really attainable for you? For some of us, losing thirty pounds would be unhealthy. For some of us, it's simply not in our DNA. To find out what your target weight should be (or at least to get a ball park estimate), try this calculator from FitWatch.
• "My goal is to become Director of my department." (Or any career goal)
  Is that really attainable for you? Depending on where you currently stand, some career aspirations may be out of reach for the next twelve months. Consider looking at an organizational chart of your company and setting a goal for yourself to get one promotion to the next level up the ladder.
• "My goal is to skip dessert." (Or any other act of abstaining from something)
  Is this really attainable for you? For some of us, this is something we can do. But for others, it is too difficult to hold out all together. Then, when we lose willpower and eat that delicious slice of Tiramisu in February, we feel as though we've already blown the goal and give up. Instead of giving up, consider making the goal more realistic by allowing yourself ice cream but avoiding desserts while out at restaurants, or limiting yourself to one restaurant dessert per month.

There you have it! So, have any of you re-framed your goals? Or did you have them adequately set from the beginning? 

Comment on this post to commit to your new years resolution and share it with the world!

Fitness Tips & Week In Workouts

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Happy Monday! Back to the daily grind, and a week full of workouts and awesome meals. Or maybe a week of sitting on the couch and eating Oreos. Up to you, I guess...

I haven't done a Monday Fitness post in about two weeks because of my moving fiasco. That's a pretty poor excuse, but... deal with it! I'm back. 

In this post: A week of my workouts and a few fit tips. 

A Week In Workouts:

• Monday: Spinning Class, 1 hour
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: Yoga
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Stairmaster Sprint, 1 hour
• Saturday: Spinning Class, 1 hour
• Sunday: Body By Science (Weights), 20 Minutes Elliptical
• Monday: Spinning Class, 1 hour

Things:

Did you notice I'm enjoying Spinning Classes? Yeah. At my new gym, they have a room dedicated to Spinning Classes (I guess most gyms do if they offer spin), so they seem to have a ton of Spinning options every day. Because, I mean, why not, right? Anyway, I need to cool it on the Spin Classes. My butt is going to... well, fall off or something.

Tips of the Week:

1. Pre-cook your meals. That way, you guarantee you'll be getting nutrition without letting the hassles of life get in the way (running out of time, getting too busy, being too tired to make a meal). It only takes 1 hour on Sunday, and it means the world to your fitness. Great abs are made in the kitchen, my friends.
   
   
   
2. Be adventurous. Try a Spinning Class! Or if you already 'spin,' try yoga. etc. Change it up and make your body adapt to something new.
   
3. Eat breakfast. Just do it. It's really not that hard. Suggestions: Make yourself eggs. Half egg whites, half with yolks, then add some spinach and cheese (and more if you're fancy). Too "busy" for that? My breakfast this morning: Erehwon Rice Twice, Almonds, Chia Seeds, and Strawberries thrown into a bowl with Coconut Milk. Tastes like Strawberry Shortcake Soup. For Breakfast.