Yoga: It’s What You Put Into It

I am by absolutely no means a yoga guru, but as someone who all but hated yoga less than six months ago, I had a revelation during today’s morning class.

Yoga is all about what you put into it.

You can make each and every yoga class a walk in the park. You can day dream your way through it and do the bare minimum.

Pigeon Pose???

Or.

Or you can push yourself further into every pose, stretching your muscles and making your body work.

Today I pushed myself and it was definitely a workout.

I’ll be 100 percent honest when I say that I used to think yoga was not a work out. I now know I wasn’t pushing myself and I wasn’t immersing myself in the stretches and sun salutations. Yoga is not the same kind of workout as a BodyPump class or intervals on the treadmill, but it is a workout.

Breakfast

After yoga and a long walk with Sadie, I was more than ready for a cold breakfast!

Apple Yogurt Bowl

I made myself an apple yogurt bowl by combining the following:

• Vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 sliced Granny Smith apple (the other half went into my mouth)
• 1 c. cooked Flax-Z-Snax butter pecan hot cereal
• Three dashes nutmeg

Nutmeg Makes Things Prettier... And Tastier

Well Hello There!

What It Really Looks Like When I Eat It

I love the serious staying power that I get from a breakfast that combines high-protein Greek yogurt, whole grains and fresh fruit.

Sch-weet!

Question of the Morning

It’s an open-ended one…

What are your thoughts on yoga? Love it? Hate it? Think it’s a bunch of boo-hockey? Think it’s life-changing?

Share away! 😀

Workout Playlist: Disney Style

This post will do one of two things to you:

• Make you roll your eyes at me and think I’m 5-years-old
• Make you feel so happy inside that you want to sing Disney songs aloud for the rest of the day

Let’s hope most of you fall into the second category. 😉

Last night I was updating my iPod with new music (hello, Dynamite!), and inevitably found myself searching iTunes for upbeat songs that always make me happy and make my workouts feel like a positive experience.

Enter Walt Disney. 😀

Disney

Disney music always makes me happy. I think it’s the nostalgia I feel when I hear one of my favorite songs from my childhood. I instantly feel care-free and all warm inside.

Plus, Sadie loves singing to Disney songs.

La, La, La

Last night I created this Disney-inspired playlist to enjoy during my next cardio workout. I think it might be a little too heavy on the Disney music (I typically like to throw in a song or two among my normal music), but, then again, how bad can a Disney music overload really be?

• I Just Can’t Wait to Be King – The Lion King
• I’ll Make a Man Out of You – Mulan
• Friend Like Me – Aladdin
• Circle of Life – The Lion King
• I Wanna Be Like You – The Jungle Book
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Mary Poppins
• Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah – Song of the South
• Be Our Guest- Beauty and the Beast
• Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid
• Just Around the Riverbend – Pocahontas
• One Jump Ahead – Aladdin
• True to Your Heart- Mulan
• Why Should I Worry – Oliver & Company
• Be Prepared – The Lion King

Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was rather exotic.

Kool Kiwi

Okay, not really, but the addition of kiwi to my yogurt bowl sure did feel a little tropical.

Along with a cup of Greek yogurt and two sliced kiwis, my breakfast bowl included half of a sliced apple and pearled barley for some whole grain goodness.

Look Haaaaarder (Rafiki, anyone?)

Yum!

Workout

Today was my first day back at BodyPump after a week away from the class.

It’s amazing what only seven days away from something can do to your body. This class felt HARD, but in a good way. BodyPump, you’re the best! 😀

Question of the Morning

Do you like Disney songs? What is your favorite Disney song? Any songs I just have to add to my playlist?

How to Work Out in the Morning

Buy one, get one free deals get me every time.

Thanks to a fantastic BOGO deal at Publix yesterday, I now have two packages of Toufayan thin bagels in the delicious “everything” flavor.

Everything bagels are so flavorful. I don’t generally like thin bagels, but the everything flavor is a good one. I love the combination of the onion flavor with the texture of the poppyseeds. Yum!

Everything Bagel + Cheese

For lunch I made myself a Provolone cheese bagelwich that I enjoyed with a side of grape tomatoes and a sliced red pepper.

Bagelwich

Red Hot!

Lunch also included a fresh apple.

A Taste of Fall

Monday Lunch

Operation Healthy appears to be in full swing! 😀

How to Work Out in the Morning

Beep, beep, beep!

What? The sound of your morning alarm doesn’t motivate you to wake up early and hit the gym? 😉

In all seriousness, it can be very hard to get to the gym at any time during the day, let alone before the sun comes up.

I remember when I made the transition from afternoon workouts to morning workouts. In my first job after college, I hit the gym after work. I got off work at 4:30 p.m. and was able to work out and still be home by 6 p.m. This schedule worked very well for me.

Then I changed jobs. All of the sudden my hours were all over the place. I’d often be at work after 7 p.m., and frequently found myself in the office later than 9 p.m. It was not fun. (Side note: I was seriously miserable in that job and quit after finding a new job less than eight months later. Lesson learned: Bigger pay check does not equal happiness!)

As I became accustomed to my new schedule, I found myself irritated that my varying hours and demanding workload cut into my gym time.

Gradually it became clear to me that if I wanted to make my health a priority and get my heart pumpin’, I had to work out before I went into the office. This meant waking up in the 5 a.m. hour. The horror!

The first week was a challenge. My workouts were not nearly as intense and I felt sluggish.

The next week wasn’t so bad. By Wednesday, I felt like my workouts were returning to their normal intensity. Plus, it felt amazing to be done with my workout as I headed into the office. Checking something off my to-do list before 7 a.m. felt great!

Once the third week of my new morning workout routine rolled around, it felt natural. I didn’t have the desire to sleep in anymore because I felt like I would be missing something. I didn’t want to drive to work without that feeling of post-workout satisfaction.

As I shifted my work outs to the morning, I found the transition easier by following these little tips:

• Commit to it: Your first morning workout will not be fun. You’ll be tired and cranky, but that’s okay! Don’t give up. General consensus says it takes around 21 days to make a habit. Commit to keeping up your morning workouts for 21 days and they will begin to feel like part of your routine.

• Schedule a Workout You Want to Do: For your first morning workout, schedule a workout you want to do. Don’t tackle sprints or a five-mile run on your first morning workout if this is the workout you dread the most! Plan to take your favorite spinning class, walk your dog, or bring a friend with you for an early morning yoga session to give yourself something to look forward to when you get to the gym.

A Walk with Sadie: A Work Out I Always Look Forward To!

• Revel in the Post-Workout Sense of Accomplishment: When your morning workout is over, make a mental note to remember how great it feels to have your workout done before the day really begins. Remember this feeling when the alarm goes off in the morning.

• Make it Easy on Yourself: Make getting to the gym in the morning as effortless as possible by laying out your workout clothes, filling up your water bottle and having your keys ready the night before. (Click here for my tips on streamlining your morning routine.)

• Enjoy that “I’d normally be at the gym right now” Feeling: When I switched my workout to the morning, I loved thinking “I’d normally be at the gym right now” around 5 p.m., when I would typically be working out. It made me appreciate the effort I put into getting my workout done earlier in the day.

*Special thanks to blog reader Katie for inspiring this post! 😀

Of Possible Interest:

• My yogurt mousse mentioned on WomansDay.com (WomansDay.com)
• A beautiful post from Gabriela about learning to love yourself (Une-Vie-Saine.com)
• Red face following a workout: What’s the deal? (FitSugar.com)

Question of the Afternoon

• When do you prefer to workout… morning, afternoon or night?

Vacation Anticipation

Good morning!:D

Let’s begin with breakfast, shall we?

I branched out from my typical Greek yogurt flavors at the grocery store this week and nabbed a cup of blueberry Chobani to use in one of my breakfasts this week.

Today was the day!

I made myself a fruity yogurt bowl with blueberry Chobani, sliced apple and a dusting of flax seeds.

Blueberry Yogurt + Apple + Flax

It was creamy, crunchy, sweet and filling. (Adjective overload! 😀 )

Close Up

Hump Day Breakfast

Vacation Anticipation

Tomorrow I am taking a half day at work so Ryan and I can beat the rush down to the Florida Keys for 4th of July weekend.

We’re meeting up with my family on Thursday night to enjoy a weekend of scuba diving and outdoor fun. I can’t wait!

The anticipation of my upcoming vacation has me feeling very antsy! It’s hard hunker down and check important things off my “to do” list when all I want to do is pack and get on the road!

Workout

Working out is such a great release for me and the gym helped me work off some of my anxious feelings this morning.

I took my typical Wednesday morning BodyPump class where I got to experience the latest release (Release 74) for the first time.

I really, really enjoyed it! I thought the lunge track was killer, but in a great way. I could feel my legs burnin’!

Post-Pump, I took Sadie on a 40 minute walk around the lake by our apartment. On our walk Sadie saw her first armadillo!

'Dillo

I’ve gotta be honest… It was nice to see one of these guys alive for once. I feel like 95 percent of the ‘dillos I see are road kill. 😦

Hope your day is off to a great start!

Question of the Day

Which do you think is worse, packing or unpacking?

I absolutely hate packing. Unpacking isn’t so bad because I just dump everything in the laundry. 😉

Weekend Warrior

P.U.

The Brie cheese we bought yesterday at Whole Foods may be the stinkiest cheese I’ve even encountered.

Stinky Brie

The rank stench isn’t enough to put me off though, and the pungent cheese was the highlight of my lunch today.

For your viewing pleasure…

Brie + Apple Sandwich

I made myself a Brie and apple sandwich on honey wheat Pepperidge Farm deli flat bread.

On the side, I enjoyed a pop of color in the form of grape tomatoes and a sliced carrot from the farmer’s market.

Pop 'o' Color

Fruit (apple, tomato) + Veggies (carrot) + Protein (cheese) + Fat (cheese) + Whole Grains (bread) = Well rounded meal

Monday's Lunch

Weekend Warrior

As you may have noticed from my posts this weekend (namely the three-dessert extravaganza on Saturday night), I tend to indulge more than usual on the weekends.

By indulge I don’t mean I have an extra cookie or two… I really indulge, and sometimes eat so many sweets that I feel ill from all the sugar.

This doesn’t make me feel guilty, because it isn’t something I do daily, but it is something I’m becoming increasingly aware of.

Since I don’t deprive myself during the week, I know my weekend indulgences are not brought on by depravation or cravings, but rather by opportunity.

On the weekend, I find myself eating out more often, attending a BBQ at a friend’s house, or engaging in other activities where unhealthy food is available and often the center of the activity.

This realization prompted me to brainstorm some tips to help myself maintain my healthy eating on the weekends, which I thought I would share with you below:

• Eat a healthy breakfast: Start your day on the right foot by eating a breakfast that includes healthy carbs, fat and protein.
• Take time for snacks: I am often busier on the weekends and won’t eat my mid-morning or afternoon snacks like I normally do during the weekdays. Make it a point to eat your snack to avoid extreme hunger (and possible overindulgence) come mealtime.
• Assess your surroundings: If you’re truly at a special event (like a wedding), indulge (but don’t overindulge) in something special (like wedding cake). If the event is a routine BBQ or a simple get-together with friends, don’t use it as an excuse to down copious amounts of chips and dip.
• Fit in fitness: My days off from the gym put me in lazy-Julie mode. Even on rest days, get out of the house and go for a walk to remind yourself that healthy-living occurs on days away from the gym as well.
• Keep your hands busy: I tend to head into the kitchen when I’m hanging out around the house simply because I like to be doing something. Watching TV or a movie can make me antsy. Keep your hands busy with something else (file your nails, pet your dog, exchange hand massages with your boyfriend, flip through a magazine) while watching TV to avoid the urge to wander into the kitchen.

Do you struggle with healthy eating on the weekends? What are your tips for maintaining healthy eating habits over the weekend?