healthy

Learn Something New Every Day

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Good evening friends!

I loved reading about your opinions regarding the Bridal Party BYOB decision, I think that the final decision will be a fun six pack of beers, with a cheapy bottle of champagne for the fun of the trolley ride.  It’ll be good for pacing myself and even better for deliciousness and options.  I also plan on bringing some water bottles and a tasty snack or two.

So the day went swimmingly well, though not exactly as planned.  Sometimes that’s how the best days work, right?

Around 3pm, I had my work buddy drop me back off at Jiffy Lube.  I know it’s less than a quarter of a mile from my office but honestly, in this nasty heat, even that would’ve left my outfit so drenched in sweat it would not have been work appropriate.  They changed my oil, rotated my tires, and I had a coupon for $10 off.  I got back into the ol’ cav and it drives like a dream!!

Maybe not as good as it drove in 2006...But I definitely don't have many pictures of my car.

I have had my Chevrolet Cavalier for a while now (pushing on 9 years), and it’s gotten me everywhere I’ve needed to go, and back again.  However, it’s also dealt with its fair share of nicks and bumps and rear ends in the time, so it’s always nice when I can give it a little TLC.  I think it’s a girl car, so it wears one of my tiaras on the back.  And this princess is ready for her long journey to Pittsburgh and back.  960 miles on the agenda.  Luckily, though, that’s round trip.  And honestly, having done the 700+ mile trip to Ole Miss and back, I’m not too worried (except for the part where I have to wake the beau up before 6am… that won’t be pretty.)  Oh well, I started packing tonight and hopefully we’ll have everything ready by tomorrow so we can just wake up and go.  That’s the plan.

The plan for working out was AbSculpt followed by BodyPump.  Alas, AbSculpt turned out to be a totally different experience, as the substitute instructor was (GASP) a pilates princess.  Real talk, this woman was flipping her legs around and doing core workouts that my puny ab/back muscles struggled to handle.

Really, what person thought "Hey, this probably works out some muscles." then just did it? (Source)

The craziest part?  The woman instructing the class was just casually chatting the entire time, like she wasn’t even doing more than standing in line at a coffee shop.  Meanwhile, I was gasping for breath as I tried to “inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.”  Read: choke an occasional exhale out and sound like a pregnant woman in Lamaze class as you inhale… Cute, right?

What did I learn from the class? I learned that Pilates is HARDCORE. Much more than I ever thought. I definitely gained a new respect for Pilates…. as well as the desire to take BodyFlow, because I sense a challenge to my muscles (and my drive to have a stronger core… something I could really use.)  I learned that my abs…. they need a lotta work.

Since I got more of a muscle/core workout and less of a cardio blast in, I skipped Pump and hit the elliptical instead.  A hard fought 33 minutes later, and I was drenched and exhausted enough to head home.

610 calories, and I forgot to turn my HRM on until halfway through ab-class

I thought I would have some sort of protein shake or something like that when I got home, but all my Almond Milk was at the office… Next option?

Kiki the Kiwi. Wait, you don't name your food before you eat it?

Here’s another thing I learned. I don’t really like kiwi.  I don’t mind it as a topping in my FroYo, or in a giant fruit salad…. but alone, it just doesn’t do it for me.  Oh well, so glad I only bought one.  Save those tasty oranges for the long trip to Pittsburgh.

Now I’m off to watch The A-Team… maybe I’ll learn what boys see in this kind of flick?  Luckily, I don’t need to learn what I see in it… I’ll give you a hint.

Ok, it was a big hint.

Hee hee hee….

Did you learn anything today?

Have you ever done pilates? TELL ME YOUR WAYS!!!

Healthy Choices at the Airport

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good afternoon (or evening… really it all depends on when I get internet access at this point.

So it’s 3:08 pm as I start this post, my flight is scheduled to take off at 3:35.  However, since Murphy’s Law states that every time you really want to go somewhere, your flight will inevitably be delayed…  Guess what happened to mine?

As a fairly frequent flyer (1-2x a month, though this past April/May it was more like 3x), I am very accustomed to airport living.  Once, on a flight to visit Ryan for our 2 year anniversary, I got stuck in the Charlotte Airport overnight….  I learned quickly that you don’t have many options when you’re stuck, so you may as well make the best of it.

My bed for the night.... the floor was heated... so there was that.

In the summer months especially, and with the Healthy Living Summit right around the corner, I figured that some of y’all would be traveling.  And, if you’re an unlucky duck like me and thunderstorms in Tampa somehow prevent your flight from RDU to PHL (damn air traffic control), you might be doing your best to stay healthy and fit in the airport of your choosing (or the airport you’re forced to stay in for reasons beyond your control.)

Here are my best tips for Healthy Choices at the Airport:

1. Don’t Check Your Bags

Ugh, bag fees.

This one will be healthy both for your wallet, and your body.  Airlines are frequently the fastest/easiest way to get from point A to point B, and they know it.  They’ve got the monopoly on the sky, unless your daddy owns a jet (if so, I have a deep-seeded friend crush on you, and think we should make things official.)  They have been jacking up the prices on checking bags for a while now, and there’s no sign of stopping (unless you’re on Southwest…. which checks up to two bags fo’ free. and is awesome.)  However, if you can cram all your junk into a carry on bag or two, you’ll save anywhere from $50-$100 round trip, and you’ll be getting some awesome muscles, lugging your junk around the terminals.  Speaking of that, it reminds me of point two.

2.  Even if your bag has wheels, and is meant to be dragged behind you, BUCK UP AND CARRY IT LIKE A CHAMP!

Then your arms will be jacked, like mine.

It’s awesome to whiz around the airport without being the constraints of a wheeled parasite acting as an extension to your arm.  I’ve learned it makes me faster, it makes me able to turn on a dime, and it gives my biceps a good workout.  I like to pretend it’s my own little “Les Mills” class.  I call it Body (scratchout) BaggagePump.

3. Be a little late.

This symbolizes late... but also just a love of my new watch.

Now, this next tip is not for the faint of heart.  If you’re not prepared to deal with stress or chaos and you’re not familiar with the airport you’re in…. maybe steer clear of this one.  But I’ll be honest: I’ve never sprinted harder than those few times in my life where I’ve heard my name called and I was still in the security line at the Philadelphia airport.  It’s like an endless cavern, that airport, and maneuvering my way around rabid Eagles fans and jaded students coming home from Temple, UPenn, Drexel, etc. while carrying my (incredibly full) bags has left me sweaty, panting… and on the plane.  Extra challenge? Do it in flip flops (the only way to travel, IMHO).

4. Avoid this place.

Demon icing

Seriously, I’d recommend a daily snack of pretzels and whipped cream for 2 weeks before I’d suggest going to Cinnabon. Their stats are insane (as in disgusting), and their food ends up making you feel like a sticky faced food monster.  You’re better off without it.  Trust me.

5. Healthy snacks almost always make it through security!

Ah, that's more like it.

I like to always have a few snacks on hand, something to stave off cravings for $18 cheese fries and $6 bags of chips.  I reccomend fruit and vegetables, cut up or prepped.  Dips are a great way to add some flavor, and I got lucky enough this flight to have my boss decide she hates chewing carrots and eating edamame hummus.  JACKPOT! (I’ve even heard of folks who’ve brought overnight oats on plane… it’s worth it.) Other good choices: Fiber One bars, homemade trail mix, pre-popped mini bags of popcorn. Bad choices: Doritos Fiery Habanero.  It will burn your mouth and you can’t even get liquids through security.  And your fingers will be orange.  Don’t blow this one.

6. Stairs, if you dare

Epic climb.

Airlines are full of convenient things like moving sidewalks, elevators, and escalators.  Screw em.  Go the long way, take the stairs instead, do it twice.  I’ve switched to taking the stairs everywhere I go now, and it gives me a great feeling of superiority when I see all those people waiting on the moving sidewalk for the slowpokes to move to the right. Just being honest.

7. BYO(water)B(ottle)

Beware: if you're near me at an airport.... I'll take a picture of you.

Airports are great for water bottles, as long as that bottle doesn’t contain fluids.  Try this funky one that I creepily took a picture of, I bet it feels great on your hands.  There are water fountains all over the place. GO NUTS!

8. Don’t pull your hair out

Just drink me.

I know the airport can be stressful, but don’t pull your hair out… or your eyelashes and eyebrows (they have a term for that, and you should probably get it checked out if that’s your first option).  Baldies aren’t cute (unless they’re ________)  If you’re feelings really stressed, go grab a beer.  I’ll be so expensive you won’t have any money left to buy those $18 cheesefries I talked about, and they’re made from grains…. grains are healthy, right?

Well…. luckily that only took me 30 minutes to write (and that was with the constant distraction of sneakily taking pictures of airport shenanigans.)  Guess I’ll go try to think of something to do for the next 3 hours (UGH!)

Edit: It ended up being a 3.5 hour delay. bleak.

Do you fly often?  

What’s your favorite airport?

Are you flying anywhere anytime soon?!

http://bit.ly/nwc9Du

Quick Update: Confession Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

True story….  I just have a moment to write this before I head off, but I really needed to share this with everyone.

On my lunch break today, I rushed home for a quick workout.

This is what I look like when I am a sweaty moster:

Instagram did its best to make this picture cute. A for Effort.

Can I just say how difficult it is to workout listening to stand up comedians on Pandora?  Laughing builds abs, right?

Speedy Demon

377 calories in 28 minutes, Mama likey….

Second confession:

Whipped Cream. A dangerous canister.

My snack today was a Southwest Airlines bag of pretzels and whipped cream with sugar sprinkles on top. Much more whipped cream than this was consumed.  Having access to a full canister is dangerous business.

Life’s all about balance, right?

BodyJam: Booty Blast Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / Leave a comment

Good morning lovely ladies and gentlemen!

It’s a GORGEOUS Sunday morning and, after looking at a forecast for nasty weather all weekend, I’m happy to say that was the opposite of what really happened.  It has only deepened my belief that I can trust the weather man/woman as far as I can throw them (which, despite how jacked I am, is not very far).

Maybe the weather person weighs 10 lbs? If so, I'm set.

After a quick breakfast of cinnamon cranberry pancakes (using the complicated recipe of Hungry Jack Pancake and Waffle Complete Wheat Blends + cinnamon + Ocean Spray Craisins) and some sugar free syrup, I was fueled enough to hit the gym, and hit it hard.  Despite having just spent my rent’s worth of money on workout clothes at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which starts July 15, GET YOUR SHOPPING SHOES READY, FOLKS!), I donned my normal workout attire, not really expecting too much from this workout.  You know how sometimes you go into the gym and it feels almost like your duty?  This was one of those days.

Well, a few minutes into the BodyJam class, that opinion quickly changed. The class was with Alison C., my favorite instructor at O2 Fitness in Chapel Hill because she makes everyone so comfortable in getting down and dirty with their dance moves.  We were popping, we were locking, dropping, dripping, snapping, spinning, I think maybe someone taught us how to dougie (if you don’t know how to dougie, use this instructional video.everyone will think you’re cooler than you already are, especially if they watch you practicing.)

Those peaks? Probably dougie-ing.

We finished the class with a house/tribal set that DESTROYED my booty.  There were a lot of kicks, jumps, and a weird scoop leg move that blasted my booty.  The whole rest of the day, every time I sat down/stood back up, I got that sore reminder of how smooth my moves were.  Fantastic booty burn.  I complimented that blast with 30 minutes on the reclined bicycle, reading my book du jour, The Justice Game by Randy Singer. It was great because I didn’t even realize how long I was riding, and VOILA it was pool time!

Before the pool, we stopped by Quiznos where I picked up a small toasted Veggie Caprese and some baked Lay’s.

Poolside Gourmet

More pooltime, more sunshine, more reading, and it was time for dinner! (I know, my life revolves around food.)  Having burned over a thousand calories at my workout earlier, I felt as though I had some room to indulge.

99 cent margaritas? Don't mind if I do.

Which, of course, was followed by an UNBELIEVABLY GOOD meal.

Chicken Quesadilla, Chile Relleno, and beans (the magical fruit.)

This has inspired me to make a chile relleno of my own ASAP! I don’t know what I’ve been doing avoiding these my whole life but peppers + mexican fillings = dream come true.

We migrated to Roth Brewing Company (which will be a separate post entirely), had a blast, and finished the night off with some serious dance battles on XBox Kinect.  Never in my life have I enjoyed playing a “video game” before!!  I whipped out a few of those BodyJam moves, and (of course) went undefeated.

That's me cutting a rug at my best friend, Cait's, bachelorette party.

Best night I’ve had in the Triangle in some time, and was filled with friends, food, and (luckily for my waistline) fitness!

Do you like to dance?  If so, where? The club? The Discotheque? Group fitness classes? Dance studios?

Have any good recipes for stuffed peppers?

Enjoy this stunning day, and the tail end of your weekend!

Microwave Titration: Office Hardships

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Here’s the thing: I dont remember much about high school chemistry class.  My teacher’s name was Mrs. Arensberg, my friend has a seizure in the middle of one class, and we did an experiment with titration.  Just because I remember that I did that experiment, I couldn’t tell you what titration means.  I vaguely recall, though, that it involved messing with one beaker, and then another, trying to get the right balance of fluid into a bigger beaker.  My chemistry major whizkid boyfriend is going to hate this post so much.

Titration is not.... you can't just make up definitions for.... nevermind.

Yup, just call me Jordan Nye the Science Guy. (Fun Fact: I met Bill Nye when I was in college, he visited UNC.  Less Fun Fct: He was a total asshole.  Seriously, not nice at all.) 

That’s all beyond the point.  What I’m getting at, is that the act of adding some from one beaker and some from another always sat with me as how titration works. And I feel as though, every day I use the microwaves at work, I’m doing my own little chemistry experiment.  Only, instead of trying to balance liquies from two beakers, I am trying to balance out the power of two different microwaves in the office.

In the red corner, we have this little gem:

Heater of all foods good.

This microwave is the jack of all trades. It can toast, it can nuke, and it does it all without burning anything.  My food always emerges hot, not crusty, there are often treats on top (such as chocolate chip cookies or chocolate frogs like I saw yesterday!!)  It’s a beautiful thing to walk over there, and my popcorn never stinks up the office by burning.  Sometimes, when I’m waiting for my popcorn, I do wallsits by this microwave.  I love it.

Then, in the blue corner, we have this eyesore:

DEMON MICROWAVE!

This. Microwave. Sucks. It turns frozen meals into hard as rock, inedible blocks, it burns the living daylights out of popcorn, and I constantly have to change the length of time as well as the power level.  And on those rare occasions when I am cooking a veggie patty in one, and want to make steamed veggies in the other… I have to choose which gets the demon (or wait 8 minutes to eat instead of 4). 

 
Today, the Morningstar Grillers Chik’n Patty had the shame of being put in the demon.  I had to watch it like a hawk and, even still, the edges got a little burnt/crisper than I usually like.  Despite my best efforts, it was not my finest work, but I avoided the great Lean Cuisine Rock that happened in 2010 (seriously, I couldn’t pull the enchilada from the rice… it was bad.)
Salvaged meal

Chicken patty slathered in laughing cow blue cheese and Frank’s Red hot (A favorite sandwich combo of mine)! The vegetables, of course, were perfect.  Corn, carrots, peas, and green beans.  I rounded things off with a sugar-free jello cup, and I get a feeling I’ll be sneaking over to that beautiful microwave of treats to sneak a cookie… or the head of that frog!!

Until then, I’ll leave the titration to the beau.  I’ll take care of everything else… especially of looking classy.

Don’t worry. I got this.

What’s for your lunch today?

 
How are the facilities at your office when it comes to whipping up a tasty meal?
 

Hybrid Crab Cakes and Whipped Avocado Sauce

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Today was a day of temptation, as a meeting at work featured cookies and fruit cups.  I held off from the temptation of cookies by focusing on a much more delicious snack (note the dripping sarcasm.)

Oh, neat. Celery.

Paired with Athenos Hummus (which is not nearly as delicious as the Sabra I had earlier today and, comparatively, it is dry and grainy.)  Oh well….

I thought I was playing it cool, being all healthy and junk when…. WAIT A MINUTE!! WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE?!

Honeydukes Chocolate Frog!!!!

It came complete with a Godric Gryffindor trading card!!  My coworker just recently came back from Orlando, FL after spending a long weekend in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She brought back a chocolate frog, which I consider a major tease/appetizer for my trip to Orlando in October!!  That’s right, home of such major attractions as Julie of PBFingers and former haunt of Meghann (Meals and Miles). Oh, wait, also home of such exciting spots as Disney World, Universal Studios, and Halloween Horror Nights is where I’ll be the weekend before Halloween!! (I’m welcoming any tips and advice of what to do in the sunny city as this was a totally random flight plan spawned by the Southwest Airline 40th Anniversary SUPER SALE!!)

Obviously, I had to have a few bites.  Oops.

Tonight, for dinner, I decided that, when life hands you crab flakes on sale, make crabcakes!

Since I’ve never undertaken such a wild dish as this, I knew I needed some inspiration, and so I of course looked to the internet.  Taking a bit of two recipes, one from the Trans-Ocean website for Cajun Crabcakes, and another for “The Wire” Worthy Crab Cakes from The Kitchen Sink.  They both looked good, so this is what I ended up with:

Recipe Hybrid Crab Cakes

  1. 1 tablespoon of Fat Free Greek Yogurt from Trader Joes
  2. 1 tablespoon of Hellman’s Low Fat Mayo
  3. 1 egg white
  4. the juice of one lemon
  5. a few splashes of worcestershire sauce
  6. Salt and Pepper
  7. Cajun seasoning
  8. 8 oz of crab flakes (Trans-Ocean was my choice)
  9. 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  10. 1/3 of a red pepper, diced
  11. 2 to 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, stir together ingredients 1-7 (yogurt through Cajun Seasoning) together. Add the crab, mashing the heck out of it so that it’s got a nice finely mashed texture.  I wanna say stringy, but that sounds gross. But I guess that’s what I mean. Add the panko, red pepper and maybe some more spices if you forgot to add them earlier (like I did.) Split the total mix into four even parts and mold each part into a round little cake. Refrigerate the cakes for at least 30 minutes.  This will help the cakes hold together a little better on the pan.

Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add two crab cakes and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes before flipping and doing the same on the other side (or until lightly browned and heated through.) Remove the first two cakes to a plate; and repeat the directions above. If necessary, add some more oil to the skillet and cook the remaining two cakes according to the directions above. Serve warm, and maybe with a little of this yummy whip.

Whipped Avocado Dipping Sauce from Kristin of the Kitchen Sink’s Recipe
1 avocado, skinned and pitted
juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and whip with a wire whisk (alternately, place the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse) until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Serve chilled.

This recipe worked out pretty well though I think, if I didn’t have the sauce, it would’ve been a bit dry. It was a healthified version of a dish that I’d only had SUPER FRIED in the past, which also helped. The peppers added some crunch to it, and I bet it would’ve been excellent in a sandwich with some lettuce, a tomato, and a sandwich thin!  Maybe tomorrow, as I have two leftover cakes!

Since I’m hoping to FINALLY get back to the gym tomorrow, I’m off to sleep in hopes for an early workout!

Have a splendid night, and remember (remember) the 5th of November (the beau rented V for Vendetta, which he’s never seen before…. Adorable.)

Lunchspiration and Zumba Gear!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

After coming back from a long weekend, it’s always hard for me to get back into the swing of eating things.  My cupboards are usually bare, I did my best to empty out the fridge before we left, and I’m so exhausted that the idea of a long grocery trip is often beaten by the idea of a nap.  These past few days were no different.

I flew back to RDU on a slightly later flight than usual and arrived around 1:25, so was able to be back to work by 2pm.  Truly, the Southwest Airlines route from RDU to Philly and back is unbelievably easy, frequently very cheap/on sale, and never takes longer than 1.5 hours.  I can’t even talk about how convenient it’s made living 300+ miles away from my family.  But, as they’ve yet to add personal masseuses and white noise machines on the flight, I still find myself tuckered out after a day of traveling.  I managed to grab some of the “essentials” last night at the store:

Most. Random. Essentials. Ever.

Truly, though, I was just getting what was on sale as I knew, fairly soon, the changing of the sales would occur (as it does every Wednesday).  That left me with a still fairly bare cupboard.  Then, right before lunch, it hit me.

Flatout Wrap: Unwrapped

The Full Monty

  • Flatout Wrap (light Italian)
  • Egg scramble inside with: red pepper slices, sauteed spinach, salt and peppah
  • Reduced fat Sargento 4 cheese blend
  • Carrot (cut myself!)
  • Sabra Hummus from yesterday’s shopping trip

I’ve tried hummus of all kinds, Athenos, non-name brand, Trader Joes, Harris Teeter…. they don’t hold a candle to the creaminess of Sabra, and the rich nutty taste of this particular flavor (Roasted Pine Nut).  Now it’s gluten free, too, which doesn’t really effect THIS GIRL too much, but worth mentioning for everyone else out there!

I also got an awesome package in the mail….

Zumba Nation, baby!

A brand new Zumba shirt (and bracelet, not pictured!) from the ladies over at Zumba Goodness.  Big thanks to the girls, Sarah and Kasey, and congratulations to them for a year in the Zum-biz!!

Can’t wait until next Tuesday when I can rock it out at Zumba class at O2 Fitness (the new instructor KICKED MY ASS last week, so I’m ready for her to bring it again.)

Workout plans tonight are a little tough, as I’m on call from 5pm-9am tomorrow morning and have to be by my phone/a computer all night…. maybe that’ll give me some time to whip up a healthy meal and finally unpack my life as I’ve been living out of my suitcase lately.

How do you get inspiration for lunch time variety? I’ll be honest, I saw a tweet from FlatoutBread and another from Sabra Hummus  and it just hit me.

Do you have any gear particular to the workouts you do?  I have seen instructors rocking the official Les Mills gear, and I want the Body Attack shirts SO BAD. So if anyone else wants a 6’1″ blonde (who’s currently rocking quite the suntan) to model their Les Mills attire…. just gimme a call.  Or a tweet.

Back to work, overtime today to make up for my unbearable lateness of being yesterday.

(If you caught that pun, you win!!)

The Death Deck

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Love decks of cards, but Egyptian Rat Screw not quite intense enough lately?  Have I got a workout for you!!

After a long day at work, the gums weren’t feeling 100% but definitely a little better than earlier, so I popped a few Advil (that claimed to be expired…  I like to live dangerously), threw back many glasses of water, and knew I was ready to hit the gym, and hit it hard.  Luckily, today I had a friend! Melissa, a new employee at my office, came off as a fit gal from first meeting, and when I mentioned how much I love my gym, O2 Fitness, and how there was a contest going on if you brought a friend in to win a year of free gas, she was totally down to come with today. We got changed at work and hit the gym hard.  After giving her a little tour of the facilities:

Here's where I spend like... 5 days of my week. It's getting pretty serious.

we steered clear of the group fitness room and went our separate ways for the first 20 minutes. I got my race on with the strangers next to me on the elliptical (and kicked everyone’s asses, duh) for 2 miles, and then hopped off to join her in something she called “The Wreck Deck.” I didn’t hear her fully when she first told me the name, so I thought it was called “The Death Deck”. Little did I know how right I was…

Death Deck Setup: Prepare for your doom...

Here’s the way it works:

  • Take a deck of cards, any deck will do. 52 and 2 jokers is all that’s required.
  • Each suit is a different exercise
  1. Clubs are legs. Squats or lunges is the exercise she had listed, with weights or not, whatever makes you comfortable.
  2. Diamonds are pushups. Chest, tricep, diamond, cat (for numbers 6 or less). On your toes, on your knees, or if you are as EXTREME as Melissa, put your toes on one medicine/bosu ball and each hand on another. Then you will impress everyone around you.
  3. Spades are abs. We did these things she modified from V-crunches where you sort of balance on one butt check (easy enough if your butt cheek is a cushiony pillow of joy like my own), then in the middle, then the other butt cheek. That’s one. (Here’s a video of a V-crunch, even though that’s not exactly what we did: V-Crunch!)
  4. Hearts, ironically enough, are Burpees. Or mountain climbers, when you are less extreme or feeling extremely tired. For every one burpee that I didn’t do, I tried to do 2 mountain climber sets. Hopefully it evened out.
  • For the numbered cards, do one rep for each number (aka a 8 of hearts means 8 burpees!)
  • For the Face cards, a jack = 11, a queen = 12, a king = 13, an ace = 15 though!
  • For the jokers, do five reps of each exercise
  • DO THE WHOLE DECK!!

Here’s Melissa drawing the last card (we were both super elated at this, and I’d only down half the deck!)

ONE.... MORE.... CARD!!

Of course, it was 5 burpees. we pushed it out, gave each other copious amounts of high fives, and felt more boss than ever!!

Death Deck: You and I will meet again.

I was proud as a peacock and, to end the day at the gym, Melissa did me a solid and signed up for a membership (translation: new workout buddy andddddd a free month!)

To sum it up, this was basically the coolest day at the gym that I’ve had since I discovered My So-Called Life streaming on Netflix. Admittedly, that wasn’t at the gym, but it felt equally as cool.

Have you tried any new workouts lately?

How do you choose to get swoll?

Eating Good in the Neighborhood (pool.)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Good evening all you morning glories!!

I’ll admit, last night I was running on empty for a few hours before I got home. Two and a half hours volunteering in the blazing heat, a long day at the pool, emotional episode of Extreme Home Makeover (I have more feelings than I should), so when I got back to the apartment, I could barely keep my eyes open let alone my hands typing.  My sincerest apologies to anyone who was chomping at the bit to hear about the life and times of Jordan.

The following post is for my sake as much as advice for others in a similar situation.  In this summer season, it’s extremely tempting to lay out by the pool, eat a mountain full of burgers/hot dogs/grilled delicacies and throw back dozens of Bud Light Limes (the beer snob inside of me cringes, but luckily my inner Jersey girl enjoys it too much to be judgey.)  However, with two days in every weekend, this can really add up.  I’ll admit, my Memorial Day weekend was a bingefest full of the following:

Each of these was filled with at leat 12 Bud Light Limes

Don't worry, I only ate 2/4 bags of chips

I decided to up my game and come up with some ways to keep your body from ballooning into a lobster shaded blimp over the course of those summer days and nights by the pool.

  • Rolls are for suckers and saps. Seriously, if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it is that cheap hot dog buns and burger rolls can actually make the delicious grilled meat significantly less delicious. Lettuce = your friend.  And I promise you, I’m not saying this as part of any ulterior Atkins motives, I love bread and think you should enjoy it… when it’s good. But why waste carbs and calories on cheapy rolls that have all the nutrients bleached outta them?! If you’ve got quality bread, go for it. but if not… don’t even bother.
  • Fruit, fruit, the magical fruit. Summertime is that beautiful season where you can get delicious fruits on the cheap. And it’s always a welcome addition to any BBQ or grill out experience.  You’d be amazed at how surprised people are when you show up with cut fruit, like you’ve given them a new opportunity to live their wildest dreams.  But really, you sliced some watermelon, threw in a pint of washed blueberries, and pulled some grapes off the vine like any quality future soccer mom or dad would. The best part about this? You’re guaranteed that something at the BBQ will be delicious and healthy.  And you seem like a MasterChef.

    this is a game changer

  • Healthy dips are your friend. That being said, while I could (and would love to) bathe in a vat of guacamole, moderation is important in every way/shape/form. Use some crispy veggies as your dipping tools or, if you must, baked chips. Hummus, guacamole, they give you the same feeling as dunking baguette slices into pizza dip, without the same level of bloating poolside.
  • If you must drink beers, go for light. I know, I know, normally I would never advise this. But truly, the sun and dehydration and lack of eating normal foods can make those heavy beers go straight to your head. No one wants to have to call the lifeguard on you for being a wastey face at your neighborhood watering hole.  It’s not classy, and it’s just the worst hangover you’ll ever have in your life.

    Thank goodness for the Miller Lite-guards to save the day. But seriously. This is someone's job.

  • Speaking of which, get in that pool! It sounds like a given, right? Getting in the pool at a poolside event?! why the heck not? However, let me share a fun little pearl of wisdom. “Be like the duck.”  Doesn’t make sense? Roll with me…  Ducks look like tiny cute calm critters on the surface but, under water, they are a flurry of activity.  Yesterday was the first time I did a few of these exercises from the Fitness Magazine Pool Workout, and it was great because no one realized that I was working it or they were too embarrassed to mention it in front of me. Either way, I feel like I squeezed in some fun little exercises without cutting out any fun times with my friends. Even just treading water is more than standing there, right?
  • Sweet Sangria. I have to admit, I’ve never made my own Sangria. But I’ve drank other people’s, and it’s. just. the best.  Plus, it’s jam packed with healthy stuff like fruit and wine and… wine.  Here’s a recipe I found which is next on my “list of things I want to make that give me a sense of healthiness and also make me feel like I’m chilling on a spanish coast”: Healthy Sangria.  More often than not, it’s tastier and more refreshing than those BLLs, and much much prettier.

    Did you know Tori Amos has a song called Sweet Sangria? Now you do!

  • Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink?! No way, ladies and gents. Even though you may feel like you do not have to drink water because you are in the water and at the pool, you are not a creature who can be hydrated through osmosis (seriously. didn’t you go to 7th grade science?!) You are a person, and people are happiest and healthiest when they are hydrated to the brim. For every poolside adult beverage you have, why don’t you enjoy a cool water bottle as well? It will slow you down so you don’t get too buzzed, and it will keep you from passing out from dehydration. Once, when I was a little kid, I missed a chance to swim with sharks because I got dehydration and semi-fainted. You don’t wanna miss out on shark swimming, right?! (Feel free to insert any other cool experience if shark swimming scares you.  When you faint from dehydration, you can’t have any fun.)

    I'm fun and friendly!!

I think those are all the little bits and pieces I can think of right now that will keep you (and me!) healthy and happy, without having to roll us outta the pool like Violet Beauregard post blueberry transformation.

Do you have any tips and tricks for staying healthy at poolside BBQs and events?

Did you realize that’s the second time I’ve mentioned Violet Beauregard in this blog which isn’t even a week old?

Stay happy, slather on that SPF (skin cancer is no joke), and enjoy your Sunday!

 

Really, Fiber One?

/ foodsweatandbeers / 1 Comment

As I poured some almond milk into my cereal today, I had a moment to look at the back of the box. Here’s a question.

Far out, man...

Has your breakfast experience EVER at ANY POINT IN YOUR LIFE resembled the back of this Fiber One Honey Clusters box?

If not, we’re in the same boat. If so, did that breakfast contain a few blueberries, some fresh strawberries, and a hit of acid or two?

If the answer to the SECOND question is no….

What are you eating?

seriously. I feel like they should hand these boxes out at Bonnaroo.

Are your breakfasts a hazy wavy daze?