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Doggone It
Happy Saturday friends!! This is my last weekend as a working woman. Or, at least until I become an employed Torontonian. <—that word looks silly
I was thisclose to calling it a rest day today, but I got my butt out of bed and managed to stay pretty active!
I passed out at the usual time last night and was up at the usual workweek time. My body likes to stick to a schedule, what can I say.
I’ve actually been going through nut butter faster than I can eat oats out of them! Not today though. I’ve been saving this baby ;)
I savoured this so slowly that it actually got cold by the end. Something that never happens in the insulated jar. Maranatha should just sell near-empty jars ;)
That held me over for a while because there was probably a quarter cup’s worth of almond butter in there (exaggeration, maybe). Grabbed a “treat” for a snack to power me through kickboxing.
I want to like this flavour, as in my head it should taste like a chocolate chip cookie (probably my favourite food on the whole planet).
But I think I rather just eat a buttery cookie. Still a decent bar though – Maple Nut is the best!
Body Combat was not as tough this week! It’s a new “release,” which means the songs and moves have all changed. A lot less jumping around, and a lot more punching. Meant my heart rate was lower, and my already sore biceps are now super angry at me. Incline curls kill them every single time.
The forecast called for rain today, but it hadn’t started yet by the time I got home. Archie was aalll over me to go for a walk, so I tempted fate and took him. Ten minutes in the sun came out and it was beautiful!! Ended up taking him along the river, for just over an hour. Archie was a total rockstar and made friends with everyone we met. People are never that friendly when it’s just me ;)
I also did a lot of observing of my fellow dog walkers – it’s true that people and their pets resemble each other.
It was almost 3pm by the time I sat down for lunch and I was starved.
Nothing fancy, just food in my belly as quickly as I could get it there.
Hummus, laughing cow, tuna and tomato sandwich.
Lemon yogurt mixed with plain (to cut back on the sweetness) and some All Bran Buds for crunch.
This was crazy delicious. It was probably part hunger, but definitely a satisfying meal :)
Archie had something to eat too, and then passed out from exhaustion.
Poor fella, he was really struggling to keep up towards the end of the walk! He definitely doesn’t have the same energy he did 13 years ago…
Dinner was a quick and simple stir-fry.
Shrimp and chicken breast with a plethora of frozen veggies (Europe’s Best Imperial Blend) sesame oil, Bragg’s and a drizzle of teriyaki.
And just so we’re clear, I had a piece of chocolate after every single meal today ;)
After dinner, I went out for another walk with a friend! 90 minutes in and all around downtown. T’was fun, but my feet are hurting after being on them all day. Going to spend the rest of the evening curled up, finishing Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: The Pioneer Woman’s true life Harlequin romance story . Love her.
Question of the Day: If you could get any (additional) pet, what would it be? This is something else I think about a lot, because I reallyreally want a dog someday. Probably the only thing that makes me desire settling down. Depending on where I live, I want either a basset hound or a cavalier king charles spaniel. Both of which probably resemble me in some way ;)
Springing to Life
Happeeee weeeekend :D I’m going to be straight up right off the bat here. I had a boring day! But, it was at least the first time I didn’t have to wake up to an alarm in 19 days, so that was a bonus. Slept in till 6:30. Woo! :P (there’s a note of sarcasm there, only crazy people use the term “sleep-in” and “6am” in the same sentence).
I woke up this morning knowing I wanted one thing and one thing only: custard oats. Then I opened my fridge to discover a near empty jar of almond butter. Sweet!
Looook into my nearemptyjarofalmondbutterrrrr…
To eat oats out of a jar, one requires a long spoon.
And an upside down reflection.
Don’t forget to lick the lid!
I never used to eat the crusty nut butter at the bottom of the jar until HEAB taught me that pouring hot oatmeal in there makes it dreamy.
Caution: oats in a jar is very hot! I actually finished my coffee before I finished the oatmeal.
Gym didn’t open till 9am this morning, which seemed like an eternity. It was busy when I got there too! (9:15, didn’t want to be one of those annoying people who wait for them to unlock the door). Today was a full-body weightlifting day. I made it up as I went along, hopefully I can remember it all…
Started with 21 minutes sprint intervals on the elliptical.
| Exercise | Weight | Reps | Sets | Target |
| Superset: | ||||
| Wide-grip deadlift | 60 lbs | 8-12 | 3 | Legs, back |
| Good morning | 55 lbs | 8-12 | 3 | Hamstrings, back |
| Superset: | ||||
| Dumbbell fly | 15 lb dumbbells | 8-12 | 3 | Chest |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 15 lb dumbbells | 8-12 | 3 | Shoulders |
| Superset: | ||||
| Plie squat | 15 lbs | 12 | 3 | Quads, glutes |
| Single-leg deadlift | 15 lb dumbbells | 8 each leg | 3 | Hamstrings, glutes |
| Superset: | ||||
| Seated cable row | 55 lbs | 8-12 | 3 | Back |
| Incline dumbbell shoulder press | 20 lb dumbbells | 8-12 | 3 | Shoulders |
| Straight set: | ||||
| Walking lunges | bodyweight | 24 | 1 | Legs |
| Superset: | ||||
| Forward tricep extension | 15 lbs | 15 | 2 | Triceps |
| Barbell 21s | 20 lbs | 21 | 2 | Biceps |
| Alternating set: | ||||
| Medicine ball squat | 11 lbs | 12 | 2 | Whole body |
| Russian twist | 11 lbs | 32 | 2 | Abs |
| Lying medicine ball throw | Arms, chest | |||
| Alternating set: | ||||
| Prone jackknife | bodyweight | 12 | 2 | Abs |
| Hamstring curl on ball | bodyweight | 12 | 2 | Hamstrings, calves |
| Plank | bodyweight | 60 sec | 2 | Abs |
Phew! I think that covers it! It looks like a lot, but I was sort of all over the place. I know I probably should plan these things out. But then I get all stressed about remembering it all and getting the machines I need to get to. It’s a lot more fun to just go with it :)
I was a starvin’ marvin by the time I got home. I made something I never get to have during the workweek – a smoothie!
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 big scoop plain yogurt
- 1 scoop IsoLean peach-mango protein powder
- 1/2 tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 banana
- ice
- 1/4 tsp each guar and xanthan gums
It’s important to get every last drop!!!
What would you call a smoothie stache on the forehead??
Smoothies go right through me, so lunch was shortly after.
Turkey and baba ganouj pita.
These pitas have been in the freezer for too long, every one seems to fall apart when I defrost it :(
The weather was absolutely gorgeous here today. There was no way I couldn’t take advantage of it! So I went for a walk along my favourite running trail late this afternoon. I was greeted with the usual view when I stepped out into my driveway.
Never gets old. Top three things I will miss about Fredericton when I move in June: 1) the river, 2) my gym, 3) my university.
I carried my camera around my neck a la Peter Parker and played around as I breathed in the fresh spring air.
I LOVE SPRING!!!!!
Spring is my favourite season. I love how everything just starts to come alive again after a long and harsh winter (albeit, this year wasn’t too bad). There’s a vibrancy in the air that you can feel, and everyone is more alive and friendly. And I love how inviting the warm sun is, even though the air still has that bite to it. Perfection.
When I got home, I reheated some turkey goulash from earlier in the week
Skipped the egg noodles and just had spaghetti squash, for no reason other than the fact that I have a mound of it in my fridge that needs to be eaten. Makes for wonderful leftovers :)
Flashback Friday
I wanted to flashback to past Easters this week, but, well, I have no photo evidence that the month of April exists. For the past 5 years, I have spent Easter weekend holed up writing end of term papers and studying for exams. Clearly, nothing worth taking photos of happened during that time. It’s actually quite weird not to be doing it this year!
Anyways, so I am instead flashing back to February 21, 2010 when I made mini egg cookies.
I almost wanted to call this flashback lame, but there is nothing lame about these cookies my friends. So far, my favourite of the Treat Monday treats. I urge you to make them for your Easter celebrations, or at least to use up that giant bag of Mini Eggs you got. Recipe is found here!
And with that, I’m off to bed. I am doing absolutely nothing this weekend, as both my parents are off travelling. I’m stuck in Fredericton bored out of my wits instead. I can’t wait to get out of this city!!!!!
Question of the Day: What’s your favourite thing about spring?
P.S. Check out my guest post over on Kristin’ blog!
Things I Learned – January
Another month gone, another list of things I learned! If you’re curious here’s what I learned in…
July
September
October
November
2009
Now on to this month!
- As much as I wish it could, my body is not built for 6 workouts a week. I need a rest day every three days or my body and immune system shut down. I know this. There is nothing wrong with working out 4-5 times a week. In fact, that is more than enough.
- I am not as socially inept as I thought I was. Embracing my social awkwardness has actually allowed me to come out of my shell.
- The only thing that could possibly make custard oats taste better is eating them out of a near-empty almond butter jar.
- I do not have to be doing something productive with my time during all waking hours. Even more, I do not have to feel guilty about not constantly checking things off my to-do list.
- Despite whatever opportunities arise in the future, I will not stay in my current city when my work contract is up. For the sake of my mental sanity, it is time for me to get out.
- I am no longer allowed to bake or cook when I’m sick and full of mucus. It leads to things like kitchen fires and flat sweet bread.
- Protein bars take 5 minutes to make at home, and produce much tastier and healthier results
- I like going to bed early and being awake early. Plain and simple. There’s no point in pretending I want to do any different.
- Staying home all weekend because you don’t want to shovel is okay. Staying home from work because you don’t want to shovel is not.
- Cottage cheese and feta are an awesome pairing, and make for a stellar pita-filler when I’m running low on other protein.
- The older I get, the more I appreciate my family. I am so lucky for the family I have.
- I need more fat in my diet. My skin is in awful shape.
- I really am not a 9-5, mon-fri person.
- Sometimes, I just feel like snacking, and it’s okay if that means salt & pepper Popchips and a cheese sandwich for dinner.
- My home is a reflection of my state of being. If I am unhappy, my living space becomes an unhappy place to be.
- Lindt Fleur de Sel is officially the best chocolate there is.
- My living room can be an awesome place to work out.
- I don’t need to be a grown up, I just need to be me.
- Guar and xanthan gums are intimidating and require more experimenting with on my part.
- I don’t have it all figured out, and I probably never will. Maintaining my weight and eating habits will always require a conscious effort on my part.
- Deb is a genius for inventing the hot chocolate smoothie.
- Just because a person turns 24, does not mean they have to give up eating marshmallow fluff and sprinkles.
- Everyone needs to send their smoothie ‘stache photos to Janetha.
- Sometimes I need to dismiss my fear and embrace new relationships. Sometimes I need to work harder to restore old relationships. And sometimes I need to let go of relationships that just don’t work.
Your turn!! What did you learn this month??
