First Chill

For the first time since the end of winter Ryan and I walked outside this morning and the air was chillier than it was inside.

Helloooo, autumn!

I immediately said “I hope this means cooler weather for our wedding!”

Ryan then made the astute observation that everything is about the wedding these days. Yes, yes it is.  I mean, c’mon! We’re 45 days away and our invitations were mailed out yesterday (VICTORY!). 😀

Workout

Today’s morning sweat session included a BodyPump class, followed by 15 minutes of light cardio on the elliptical. I’m not sure what it was about the bicep, tricep and shoulder tracks during BodyPump today, but my arms feel like Jello right now!

Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was a yogurt bowl that included a cup of Oikos vanilla Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup of 1% cottage cheese and a sliced nectarine.

Nectarine + Greek Yog + Cottage Cheese

I topped the bowl with a sprinkle of nutmeg before digging in.

Spices Make Everything Nice(s)

Aaaand, since it was a little chilly outside, I also enjoyed a tumbler full of Barnie’s cinnamon butter cookie coffee that I snagged for free from my gym.

Drink Up!

Yum!

This little glimmer of hope for cooler weather has me all excited about fall fashion!

What fall fashion item are you most excited about wearing?

I think I’m most excited to bust out some cute boots!

Not-So-Quiet Brain = No Yoga

I normally come back to work after long holiday weekends feeling tired and in need of another long weekend.

Today, however, that is not the case. I actually feel rested, relaxed and rejuvenated. What a pleasant surprise.

I think I felt a little too rested because I just couldn’t get into the yoga class I planned to take this morning. I lasted about 5 minutes in the class but my silly brain wouldn’t shut up, so I headed into the cardio room at my gym to sweat it out.

My workout ended up a lil’ somethin’ like this:

• 15 min. elliptical
• 10 min. stair master
• 10 min. elliptical
• 5 min. stair master
• 10 min. elliptical

I was clearly in the mood to jump around a lot this morning. I also saw people drop off magazines I wanted to read, which made me hop on and off the machines a few times.

Breakfast

Breakfast was one of my favorites.

A simple peanut butter and fresh fruit sandwich, prepared on a toasted sweet wheat Alternative Bagel with juicy nectarine slices and a couple of dashes of nutmeg.

PB + Nutmeg

Nectarine + Nutmeg

You know I also enjoyed a peanut butter finger or two while making this bad boy.

PB & N Bagelwich

Dig In!

Not a bad start to the day, if I do say so myself.

Big Day!

Today is actually quite a big day in the world of Peanut Butter Fingers.

Here’s a clue…

What Could This Mean???

Any guesses? 😉

Stay tuned…

20 Minutes of Intervals > 5 Mile Run

You would think that running five miles non-stop would be more challenging than alternating walking with running for 20 minutes, but for me that just isn’t the case.

This morning I did a 30-minute interval workout on the treadmill and was one heck of a sweaty mess by the time I was done.

30 Minute Treadmill Interval Workout

For 20 minutes, I alternated running at a 9.0 pace for 20 seconds with walking at a 4.0 pace for 40 seconds. Let me just tell you that those walking breaks go by quickly!

At the conclusion of my workout, I couldn’t help but feel like I got a better workout doing 20 minutes of interval training than I would have if I ran five miles. When I run, I get into an almost zen-like state and just sort of go, only challenging myself toward the end of the run. During the 20 minutes of intervals this morning, I challenged myself for 20 minutes straight!

Since I really wanted to flip through one of my bridal magazines, I finished my workout with an easy 20 minutes on the elliptical.

Breakfast

Thank you again to Lindsay for sending me several Glo Bars and packets of Barney Butter. They both made a delicious appearance in my breakfast today!

Nectarine + BB + GB

To make my morning meal, I sliced a large nectarine before topping it with a packet of Barney Butter and a crumbled Chocolate Chia Glo Bar.

Drool.

Of course I didn’t let any Barney Butter go to waste…

Every Last Drop...

Along with my nutty nectarine bowl, I also enjoyed a banana.

All Together

Git in mah belly! 😀

Question of the Morning

• Do  you prefer a short, intense workout or a longer, less intense workout?
  

Operation Healthy

Last night around 10 p.m. Ryan and I both laid in bed feeling overly full. We were both experiencing a serious sugar coma.

Sugar Coma

This weekend was quite the sugary feast. Between the two of us we polished off:

• An Oreo creme pie
• A batch of Funfetti cake mix cookies
• Several mini desserts from Carrabba’s
• One pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
• Small batch of scones
• Several helpings of animal crackers

Before drifting off to sleep, we declared that today would be the start of “Operation Healthy.”

Both of us have been snacking on a lot of sweets lately and I’ve noticed myself feeling more lethargic and sluggish than usual. I can only attribute this to the myriad of indulgent treats I’ve been enjoying daily.

I am all for indulging every day, but in moderation. A cookie or two every day is completely fine, but I haven’t been eating just one cookie. I’ve been enjoying birthday cake at work, baked goods at home and overly indulgent weekends.

Operation Healthy commences today and we’re working together to shift our sweet tooth away from inordinate amounts of baked goods. I love to bake, but a whole batch of cookies chillin’ in a home where only two people live spells trouble… especially when those two people are self-proclaimed cookie monsters.

I will still have my daily treats, but they will be controlled and limited to one or two yummy goodies every day. I don’t want to gorge on ice cream since it only leaves me feeling overly stuffed and lethargic. This decision is not motivated by my weight, but rather by my health and the way I’ve been feeling. I want my energy back! Watch out spinach, here I come! 😀

Workout

I slept like a ROCK last night. I think I yawned my way through BodyPump this morning, and by the time I was actually awake, the class was over. One of the many benefits of early morning workouts!

After the Pump, I took Sadie on a 40-minute walk around the lake near our apartment. Today was apparently “awesome stick day” because Sadie tried to entice me with about five different sticks. She jumped around like a nut job and got quite a few smiles from strangers. Sure, it’s cute when she’s not yours. 😉 Just kiddin’… I love my stick-obsessed pup!

Breakfast

Breakfast was sweet, but healthy! Operation Healthy is in full swing! 😀

Yog + Fruit

Today’s morning meal included a bowl of Greek yogurt, topped with slices pineapple, nectarine and strawberries.

Up Close & Personal

Monday Breakfast

Protein-packed, sweet, creamy, and delicious! Score!

Question of the Morning

• Do you find it difficult to stop eating indulgent foods once you start?
• How to you switch back to healthy eating?
  

Nectarine-Stuffed English Muffin French Toast

Wanna know what I was thinking about during BodyPump this morning?

Nectarine-Stuffed English Muffin French Toast

That.

With every bicep curl, I imagined biting into a cool, perfectly ripe nectarine.

With every lunge, I pictured myself cutting into doughy French toast, while inhaling the fragrant scent of cinnamon.

Fortunately I didn’t have to wait too long for these little daydreams to become a reality!

After BodyPump and a quick 40 minute walk with Sadie, I came home to make myself the breakfast I was pining for all morning.

I started by stirring two egg whites, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl until the spices were fully incorporated into the whites.

I then dunked a Thomas’ whole wheat English muffin into the mix and cooked the English muffin French toast on the griddle until it was ready for eatin’.

While the French toast was cooking, I ate half of a nectarine…

Summer Fruit is the JAM

…and chopped up the other half to stuff in between the two English muffin halves.

Missing Something...

At this point this breakfast was missing a little somethin’ somethin’.

Syyyyyrup

Syrup!

Once the nectarine-stuffed English muffin French toast was fully coated in syrup, I sprinkled it with nutmeg for a little extra flava.

Breakfast is Served

Craving successfully satisfied.

Sadie

And just to satisfy those of you who check this blog only for pictures of Sadie…

Hi Friends!

All of you Sadie-lovers out there should know that the gas coming out of this dog this morning was lethal. Seriously. I think a squirrel innocently climbing a tree in our backyard may have passed out when the scent hit its nose.

Pulse of Central Florida Interview

In case you’re interested, Pulse of Central Florida, a neat blog that explores Central Florida hot spots and hidden gems,  posted an interview with me yesterday as part of the site’s “People Pulse” series.

Question of the Day

Which do you prefer, peaches or nectarines… or is it a toss up?

If both fruits are equally fresh and juicy, I prefer nectarines solely because the fuzziness of a peach is kinda creepy.