Good to Know

It’s good to know 95 percent of you side with Ryan on the Swamp Beast debate. 🙂

Apparently those of us who enjoy splashing around in the bathroom are a rare breed. We’ve got to stick together, Beasts! 😉

Lunch

Hello, loverrr (said in Carrie Bradshaw’s shoe-loving voice).

Noodle Bowl

What is it about a big bowl of pasta that makes me swoon?

I’m going to chalk my love for noodles up to their doughy texture. I just love slurpin’ them up.

Today’s big ol’ bowl o’ pasta included:

• Carba Nada basil fettuccine pasta
• Ragu marinara meat sauce
• Fresh spinach
• Roasted cauliflower and broccoli (leftover from last night)

Carba Nada Basil Fettuccine

Come in Close for the Good Stuff

So satisfying!

I usually take my calcium supplement with breakfast, but I forgot this morning, so I got to enjoy a little sweet treat in the form of VitaFusion calcium gummy vitamins after lunch today.

Gummies for Grown Ups

These things are like candy.

Throw a wrapper on each individual piece and they could rival Starbursts! 😀

Question of the Afternoon

Which do you prefer, Skittles or Starbursts?

I love pink Starbursts, but I also love red, orange and purple Skittles… so I guess my answer would have to be Skittles since I like more of ’em.

How to Handle Exercise Guilt

Three Ingredients = Fantastic Lunch

Noodle Bowl

1. Carba Nada egg fettuccine pasta
2. Ragú marinara meat sauce (My favorite since I was a little girl… Did you know it’s all natural??)
3. Steamed broccoli

Lunch

As you can see, my favorite noodle bowl has returned in full force.

Pre-Lunch Yoga

Since I awoke at 5:30 this morning and skipped my usual workout, I arrived to work very early. This allowed me to check a bunch of things off my to-do list before lunch, and still have time to skirt out of the office for a quick lunchtime yoga class at my gym.

I knew the instructor teaching today’s class typically teaches beginner and light yoga classes, so I figured attending her class would give me the stretching my body has been craving without putting me through an intense workout.

Since I left the gym because my body felt too tired this morning, I didn’t want to put my body through anything too strenuous today. I want to rock my 8-mile run tomorrow and a day off from strength training and cardio is just what the doctor ordered!

I high-tailed it to the gym and did a quick-change in the dressing room.

Quick-Change

Today’s yoga class was perfect.

Usually I like a more challenging yoga class that makes me sweat, but today’s class was light, easy and sweat-free. The instructor lead us through simple poses that gave my body a much-needed stretch.

I felt ten times better afterward!

How to Handle Exercise Guilt

As it turns out, I’m not the only one who struggles with exercise guilt. It sounds like a lot of you guys also grapple with this emotion and have the desire to overcome it. Our bodies need rest and we should enjoy days away from the gym without feeling like we are slacking off.

After reading through your comments (Seriously, I love you guys), I’ve complied a little list of tips on how to handle the emotions associated with exercise guilt (or basically how to justify why we shouldn’t feel guilty in the first place):

• Taking a day off often makes your next workout a stronger and more powerful one.
• Rest days give our muscles time to recover and help prevent injury.
• Our life should be our priority. Sometimes family members, friends or our job require our time and attention more than the gym.
• If you struggle with doing no activity at all, do something light such as going for a long walk with your dog, thoroughly cleaning your apartment or taking an easy yoga class.
• Your body knows when it’s had too much. Listen to it. If the thought of running for five minutes or doing one set of bicep curls exhausts you, that may be your body telling you it’s time for a break.
• If weight gain is your concern, understand that 3,500 calories equal one pound. Your workout likely burns nowhere near that amount, so taking a day off from the gym doesn’t equate instant weight gain.

So tell me… How many days are you taking OFF from the gym this week?