“If You Keep Doing What You’ve Been Doing…”

Last night’s foam roller tutorial with my friend Merri started like this…

Merri Rollin' it Out

And ended like this…

"You're on the floor. Clearly that means you want the love."

The floor is Sadie’s realm. Enter at your own risk! 😉

Merri showed me how to use the foam roller to work out kinks all over my body. We rolled away during the commercials of The Bachelorette, which we started watching 30 minutes late since our cable went out! I missed Roberto’s hometown date. 😦  (I did see Chris L.’s though and oh-my-gosh how adorable is his dad???)

We also enjoyed a super yummy and super easy dessert that Merri brought with her. She made lemon sorbet vanilla wafer sandwiches by spreading lemon sorbet between two vanilla wafer cookies to make a mini ice cream sandwich. Perfect for a summer night!

Today’s Workout

I woke up bright and early this morning feeling a little down because Tuesday is typically a running day for me in my half marathon training plan. Since the ol’ heel is healing (seriously that pun will never get old), I opted for 30 minutes of cross training (15 minutes on the stair master, 15 minutes on the elliptical) before taking a yoga class.

I haven’t taken a yoga class in almost a month (thank you Exercise Log for bringing this to my attention).

I really enjoyed the class not only for the great stretch, but for a couple of things the teacher said that really struck a cord with me:

• Every day you decide to work out you make a decision to benefit your health. This is no small feat. Be proud of yourself for making your health and well-being a priority.
• If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep looking how you’ve been looking.

The last statement really struck a cord with me.

Of course you can take it in a positive or negative light, depending on whether or not you’re happy with the appearance of your body.

If you like what you see in the mirror, keep on keepin’ on. On the other hand, if you want to see changes in your body, you may need to reevaluate what you’ve been doing in the gym or what you’ve been eating. The statement seemed almost like a toned-down form of tough love.

Take it or leave it, I just thought it was thought-provoking and wanted to share. 😀

Breakfast

Breakfast was enjoyed in the backyard with this beast:

"Oh! Hello There."

Sadie was feeling extra chipper this morning, so I enjoyed my yogurt bowl out back while playing fetch with the monster.

"Stop Taking My Picture. Seriously. Throw the Dang Toy."

"Let's Do This All Day! Allllllllllll Day!!!"

My breakfast came together quickly thanks to some fresh berries I had on hand.

Berry Yogurt Bowl

Summer berries on sale = Heaven.

Yogurt Bowl + Vitamins

On the side of my berry full yogurt bowl, I also enjoyed two VitaFusion calcium gummies and one L’il Critters multivitamin. Vitamins that taste like candy and fruit snacks are the best! 😀

Question of the Morning

How often do you change up your workout routine?

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.

I Won’t Grow Up

This morning started off on the right foot with a five-mile run.

5 Mile Stats

I leashed Sadie up for our usual loop around the lake near our apartment and really enjoyed this run. I had a lot of things to think about which kept my mind busy and prevented me from thinking too much about the actual run itself. A full mind = A fast run!

Note: Save all your thinking for long runs. 😉

Breakfast

Though I really enjoyed our run, my breakfast was definitely the highlight of the morning thanks to the inclusion of two new ingredients in my breakfast smoothie.

Coo-Coo for Coconut

Since Ryan and I are heading south to the Keys around lunchtime today, I wanted to start my vacation a little early with a tropical smoothie. Coconut screams tropical, so I figured adding a little bit of coconut flava would immediately transplant me to a beach. 😉

My smoothie included:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 c. frozen strawberries
• 1 scoop strawberry protein powder (vanilla would also work)
• 1/2 c. light coconut milk
• 1/2 c. cold water
• 1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 tsp. Bob’s Red Mill xanthan gum

Blend baby, blend!

Island Pour

Spoonful of the Tropics

I filled my mega-huge “J” cup with the cold and creamy smoothie and slurped away.

J = Julie's Cup

I enjoyed this smoothie en route to the FedEx store because I had a package awaiting pickup.

In Transit Breakfast

Can you tell I hit several red lights and got bored on my way there??? 😉

Package Pickup

When I picked up my little package, I opened it immediately (as I do with all gifts…unless the sender is smart enough to write “don’t open until Christmas” or something to make me feel guilty for opening it early).

Check out the goods!

Chewy Vitamins

The kind people at Northwest Natural Products sent me two jars of gummy vitamins to sample after they read about how much I enjoyed their L’il Critters Gummy Bear vitamins. Apparently I need to grow up a bit and enjoy some “adult” vitamins. 🙂

Before taking gummy vitamins (I take a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement every day), I would always forget to swallow a pill. Now that I’ve switched to gummy vitamins or chocolatey calcium supplements, I look forward to consuming something tasty and always remember.

Somethin’ to think about if you always forget to take  your vitamins! 😀

Since I had already taken my L’il Critters multi-vitamin before picking up this package, I decided to sample the VitaFusion calcium gummy.

Calcium Gummy

Two of these chews contain as much calcium as two 6-ounce glasses of milk, and as much vitamin D as 3 ounces of salmon. I’m a big proponent of added vitamin D to my calcium supplements because optimal levels of the  vitamin can aid in the prevention of breast and ovarian cancer. Gotta keep those ta-tas safe!

This gummy vitamin appealed to my candy-loving sweet tooth and tasted delicious. I think I could have eaten half the jar in one sitting, but since it’s a vitamin, I exercised some self control and only enjoyed two.

Question of the Morning

Do you take any vitamins or supplements every day?