Butts and Guts

Tonight I happened to be at the gym just as they were doing Trainer Time.  This is a new thing they started where at certain points throughout the day one of the trainers is there to help out (for free!). The trainer on duty tonight was putting on a mini-class for 30 minutes focused on butts and guts.  Since I was one of only a few people there, I jumped at the chance for a free training session.  She ran me and another lady through some familiar but challenging exercises, and a couple new ones that I hadn't ever seen before.  Here's one I thought was fun!

Platypus walk:  Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and bend your knees until you're in a deep squat.  Hold your arms bent, with your hands on your hips.  Start by moving your right foot forward in a walking motion, still while in the squat.  Don't worry, it's supposed to look like you're a sumo wrestler!  Do this for the length of a room or about 20 steps.  Turn around and walk back.


Enjoy!

Great butt exercise

The past few workout classes I've gone to have featured a new (to me) type of lunge.  It's called the "curtsy" lunge, and it does an amazing job of working your butt.  It's actually kind of fun to do, and it's pretty easy to complete a few sets of 15 in your living room while watching your favorite show (hello, the Voice!).

Start by standing with your feet together.  Take your left foot and cross it behind your right about 1 foot, with both knees bent outwards.  You will look like you're doing a deep curtsy. Holding your stomach tight, slowly move back to your starting position.  Try to do it without too much momentum in order to maximize your muscle tone.  Repeat with your right foot and do each side 15 times for 3 sets. 

Enjoy those tight gluts!

Mint!

Do you have salad every day for lunch like me? Here's a tip to spice up your daily salad. Try adding fresh mint to the lettuce or spinach leaves. It adds a nice kick to the flavor and smells great too! You might even be able to skip your after lunch gum or mint. I use a mix of spinach and romaine topped with strawberries, strawberry vinaigrette, and sprinkled with mint. Yum!

Habit Update

I stopped tracking my diet after Joanna's wedding when I got really off-track, which hasn't been great.  After taking stock of my life though, I realized that while I backslid on some things, I've truly made lifelong "habits" of others. 

Habit:

• eating salad for lunch every day - and liking it!  I've gotten into adding fruit to the salad (and am trying some fresh mint tomorrow!)
• no more sweet cereal for breakfast.  Thank goodness for breaking that bad habit!
• taking breakfast (fruit) to work (eating later means I won't snack on M&M's at 10am as usual)
• much lessened sweets cravings, especially at night
• we've completely substituted turkey for chicken!
• home cooked meals for most nights, including lots of veggies & herbs we didn't eat before (ex: peppers)

Struggles:

• Puppy chow and skittles!  I just can't kick them if they're around, but I don't seek them out.
• Working out.  Too many hours at work means I never make it to the gym.  This is hard for me because I've been a gym rat for years and I love working out.
• Portions: I don't measure anymore - I just don't have time!  Instead I eyeball it and "think" I'm doing ok, but I know I'm eating more than I should.
• At restaurants I now order what I "want" vs. what is "good".  Who's kidding though, it can't be that bad because we so very rarely eat out.

Overall I'd give myself a B.  It's not going terrible and I'm not gaining weight (which honestly was never the purpose of this whole journey, just a surplus benefit), but I definitely don't feel as good as I did two months ago.  My goal for the next month is to get back in the gym at the very least.  It makes such a difference what a little exercise will do for your mind and body!  I feel so junky from not working out more than once a week.  Ask me in July how it's going...

Habit of the Day: Herb Hint

Habit of the Day: Try planting herbs near your entry way.  This year I planted mine in the planter and pots on the patio, so as I come home every night from work I see them.  It's not only refreshing to see all this pretty greenery (it's been proven that the sight of nature relaxes people) but it reminds me that they would be good to use in our dinners!  I've been trying to work my herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, chives, and oregano) into our menu on a more regular basis.  It's nice to spice up our dinners, it saves us money since the store bought herbs are about $4 a pack, and it's all fresh and organic!

Strawberry Help needed

I'm in desperate need of help with my strawberry plants.  A few years ago I planted a strawberry plant that has thrived every since.  Unfortunately it produces tiny strawberries.  This year I bought another plant that was supposed to have normal sized strawberries, but those are showing up tiny as well.  I'm guess it's something that I'm doing wrong.  Has anyone ever grown strawberries before, and if so, do you mind sharing tips with me?  I was really excited to have fresh strawberries this summer, free of pesticides.

Peas Galore!

It's really exciting to see plants sprouting out of the ground from seeds that I planted a couple of months ago.  In fact, between the rainy May and sunny June, my pea plants are out.of.control.  Work has been busy and we're in the process of remodeling our basement, so my garden has been a little neglected.  This weekend I ventured back there to check on the progress and realized my pea plants were attached to everything! Yes, the little stringie things that allow them to climb had instead wrapped around the neighboring vines, causing one.giant.lump of pea plants.  I spent about 30 minutes trying to gently untangle them and only lost a couple of plants.  Since I planted so many more seeds than the past years I had to take TWO trips to Home Depot for plant stakes to hold them all up.  They're all set up now, and I just need to remember to occasionally go out there and keep tying them up as they continue growing.  I can't wait for yummy home-grown peas (and tomatoes, green beans, green peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelon)!