Tasty Tuesday – Foodie’s Guide to Snacking

Hey, happy Tuesday! Tasty Tuesday! šŸ™‚

Are you a snacker?

I am a “snacker”. Oh, I am such a “snacker”.

I am one of those people who needs to eat every couple hours. WHAT to eat is a big question here as you want to keep your body fueled, not overwhelmed by what you put in your month in between the meals.

I have been on the hunt for perfect snacks and sharing my finds with you today.

{ONE} Homemade Peanut Butter and Banana.

First of all, you can easily use store bought PB if you don’t feel like making your own. If you do feel like making your own, check out this recipe here that I used. I should have processed mine a little longer though – it is a little crumbly.

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{TWO} Smoothie

There is nothing like a good smoothie to keep me going until my next meal!

Usually I put all the ingredients for my morning smoothie in the blender cup the night before and put it in the fridge. Whirl it up in the morning after breakfast and take to work with me. This way I don’t reach for that candy in the break room at work but drink my delicious smoothie that keeps me going until lunch.

The flavor possibilities are endless and you are your own chef!

Smoothies

My “must include” ingredients are frozen fruit and cottage cheese/yogurt – they create the thick and creamy consistency that I like.

{THREE} Homemade Hummus

Love it! Try making it using this recipe and you will never buy hummus again! Have it with veggies or tortilla rounds.

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{FOUR} Fruit

Perfect snack! Sweet, juicy and good for you. Prep some the night before or on the weekendĀ (rinse, peel, cut, pack in zip lock bags) and take to work.

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{FIVE} Nuts

If you love nuts as much as I do, it is probably very difficult for you to avoid buying and eating nut bars. Am I right?

ChooseĀ raw nuts over nut bars andĀ spare yourself that extra added sugar. Don’t buy the “super-protein-and-fiber-packed” promises on the labels. Just eat raw nuts instead.

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{SIX} Homemade Granola

Is a super-snack! Make a batch on the weekend, pre-pack in zip lock bags or small plastic containers and enjoy during the week.

Here’s a recipe for you to play with – add/substitute the ingredients depending on what you like and keep it healthy!

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Add fruit and/or cottage cheese/yogurt to it and you got a perfect snack or breakfast!

{SEVEN} Baked Oatmeal

This is not only a GREAT breakfast, but also an awesome snack – one of my all-time favorites. Make a whole batch on the weekend and you have a ready snack/breakfast for the whole week.

One of the base recipes is right here for you – play with it as you like.

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Enjoy with yogurt, fruit and/or cottage cheese on top.

There you have it – 7 snack ideas for 7 days of the week.

To sum it up, here are some general guidelines when it comes to snacking:

  • Prep-prep-prep. Don’t be lazy to do your meal/snack prep on the weekend – you’ll be happy you did. Rinse and pack fruit and veggies, make a batch of baked oatmeal, granola or hummus and pre-pack for the weekdays. Cut up and freezeĀ bananas and other fruit for your smoothies. Put all the ingredients in the blender cup the night before for your morning smoothie.Ā You will thank yourself later.
  • Always carry a healthy snack in your purse. Never leave the house without one. What happens is – you are out and about – > you get hungry – > Les Big Mac. Don’t let it happen and have a healthy snack with you.
  • Make smart choices (choose raw nuts over sugar packed nut bars).
  • Before you buy, ask yourself – can I make it myself? If you can – make it!
  • Let fruit and veggies always be your number one choice when it comes to snacking.

Share: link up your favorite snack recipes below or share in comments: what is your favorite snack?

Stay fit!

Lena

MNB Challenge, Week 2 Recap – Nourish

Hey guys! It’s the weekend! YEY!

We are totally and completely snowed in this week!

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I needed a training plan to shovel all that! My back and arms are still sore…

Anyway, back to the business – Ā today I am going to tell you about Week 2 of the Move. Nourish. Believe Challenge that I am taking part in.

You can find the first week’s recap here if you missed it last Friday.

So, the second week was all about nourishing your body.

{MONDAY} Go Meatless

This week’s Monday was announced to be Meatless Monday by the challenge hosts Fit Approach and Lorna Jane Active.

The name speaks for itself – we had to go meatless.

Meatless Monday

I had oatmeal with honey and frozen raspberries for breakfast, pasta salad for lunch and Thai food (salmon, fried rice with veggies and tofu, and rice noodles) for dinner as it was Simon’s birthday and we went out to eat.

{TUESDAY} Bring your lunch to work

Tuesday was Bring Your Lunch to Work day. That one was easy for me – even though I didn’t get my usual massive food prep done last weekend (as I spent most of it in my Spinning Instructor Training), I still managed to prep salads for a couple of week day lunches and also took some leftover fried rice with veggies and tofu to work with me from the night before.

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{WEDNESDAY} Write it down!

On Wednesday the challenge was to journal our food and show what we ate (another easy one for me since I do it every day with MyFitnessPal).

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

{THURSDAY} Thirsty Thursday

On Thursday the challenge was to make a healthy smoothie. Another easy one for me! I usually make a smoothie every morning and take it to work with me to have as a morning snack as I have breakfast pretty early and usually get hungry by 10:30 am.

Carrot Cake Smoothie

So, the Thursday smoothie was:

1 carrot cake popsicle

1 frozen banana

2 tbsp. Activia Greek yogurt (vanilla)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp sliced almonds (to garnish)

3-4 frozen raspberries (to garnish)

1/4 tsp chia seeds (to garnish)

{FRIDAY} Go raw!

Now, that was a heard one for me… even though I love salads, fruit, veggies and smoothies.

I did some prep.work the day before:

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So all I had to do on Friday was stick to the plan! That made it a lot easier for sure.

Breakfast smoothie: spinach, kale, celery, avocado, frozen banana, almond milk

Breakfast smoothie: spinach, kale, celery, avocado, frozen banana, almond milk

Lunch was an all-veggie salad with spinach, avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, red onions, cornĀ and pepitas.

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Dinner unfortunately was not raw…hubby took me out to eat for Valentine’s day, so my plan did not work šŸ™

Now – on to Week 3 of the challenge – the Believe part! Stay tuned for the recap next weekend.

Question: have you ever tried raw eating? What did you think of that?

Stay fit, friends!

Lena

Dreams Come True – Awesome Weekend Adventures

Hey guys! How was your weekend? Mine was AWESOME!

As you probably remember, I had becoming a SpinningĀ® instructor as one of my New Year’s Resolutions.

Well, this past Saturday I went for my Instructor Training session at the East Shore YMCA in Harrisburg, PA. It was a full day of training + 2 awesome rides – all done by an incredible Master Instructor Meg McNeely.

Gosh…where do I begin?

Well, first of all, for over a year I had no idea that the classes I was taking were not actually SpinningĀ® classes. They were indoor cycling classes – thanks to Meg and Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. – now I know what SpinningĀ® really is šŸ™‚

With this knowledge came a lot of revelations (mostly unpleasant) – starting with the basic moves I’d performed in cycling classes for the past year and a half being not so good for me, and ending with the whole different philosophy behind SpinningĀ® classesĀ as opposed to the classes I’d been taking… and unfortunately, I was not alone. 13 other people in the group were sitting there nodding their heads as Meg described the misuse of the terms SpinningĀ®, SpinĀ® and SpinnerĀ® and the basic moves used in indoor cycling classes that don’t do you any good and may be harmful.

This training was an eye opening experience!

I didn’t really have time to take any pictures except my Polar FT40 screen after rides.

Ride 1

Ride 1

Ride 2

Ride 2

I still have to pass the online assessment and get my instructor card, but I now have the Certificate of Completion of the instructor training which gives me the right to start teaching.

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I am SO excited!

Now on to looking for a place to teach and continuing my education as an instructor. So far I have one place expressing interest I my services. We’ll see what happens!

Meanwhile I have a lot of work to do profiling classes, choosing music and thinking it all through while learning-learning-learning.

On a slightly unrelated subject – I have just been accepted to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador!!!

I have been waiting for a loooong time for this to happen. First, Fit Approach didn’t have their application process open when I first found them, then they opened it, I applied and waited and waited šŸ™‚ I am SO excited to finally become a part of this wonderful community and to be their Ambassador. Thank you, Fit Approach!

Thank you, my wonderful friends, blog readers and my family – for your constant support and encouragement in what I do. I wouldn’t be able to do it without you!

Now I better go check what else was there on my Resolutions list and get cracking šŸ˜‰

Stay fit, my dears!

Lena

Five on Friday: MNB Challenge, Week 1 Recap – Move

Hey guys!

Happy Friday!

As you probably noticed from the social media, I am participating in the Move, Nourish, Believe Challenge hosted by Fit Approach and Lorna Jane Activewear.

In this post I am going to tell you what the 5 days of the challenge were all about this past week in the format of Five on Friday! (hey, I’ve been on fire with this lately, haven’t I?) šŸ™‚

{MONDAY} Sweat-it-Out!

On Monday the challenge participants had to show their favorite way to sweat. Well, that was a no brainer for me – Spinning of course!

My fav way to sweat-1

and, of course, I had to sweat in my favorite way that night:

Monday night spinning class with MJ

Monday night spinning class with MJ

{TUESDAY} Change it up!

On Tuesday, we were supposed to try a new way to sweat – select a workout from the challenge website and show the post-sweat selfie. I chose two workouts from the website: the 10 minute core challenge and Work it out with this Wednesday workout – with dumbbells.

It was fun! I normally don’t workout at home (too many distractions), but the weather was crappy so it was nice for a change. I really liked it! I should do it more often, and now I have just the resource for great quick workouts at home. A lot of them don’t require any equipment at all!

And here comes the selfie šŸ™‚

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{WEDNESDAY} Let’s get planking!

The goal was to plank for at least five minutes – either in one setting or splitting up.

On Wednesday we were snowed in and I worked from home – so I had time to get into my planking! Got it done in two sets – 2.50 minutes each. Whew!

Lets Plank

{THURSDAY} Buddy up!

Thursday was a “workout with a Friend” day! I buddied up with my husband for an awesome lifting session!

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{FRIDAY} Fave Friday!

This day is about sharing our Five Fitness Favorites. So here we go!

Five Fitness Favorites

You all know of course, that mine are – spinning, yoga, lifting, planking (Oh look at that 5 min plank! It is my Personal Record so far of continuous planking on straight arms)Ā and Polar FT40!

This challenge has been so much fun! I am meeting a lot of new and interesting people and sharing a ton of fun with them!

Next week is the “Nourish” part of the challenge – all about good food! Stay tuned, guys šŸ™‚

Now, your turn! What are your Five on Friday or just things you’re loving lately? Link it up below or just tell me in comments to this post.

Have a great weekend!

Lena

Last Week’s Exercise Recap and a Fit Family

Hey guys! It’s Monday again! I know, I know…But hey – it is a new beginning, isn’t it? Say, if you didn’t exercise as much last week (like this girl) or made not so good ofĀ food choices (like this girl, too), you should be happy for this chance to start over, right?

Yeah, me too šŸ™‚

So, let me tell you what I did to exercise last week and a little about my fit family members. šŸ™‚

{MONDAY}

Was supposed to spin, but got held up at work until late and then I had a Skype call with mom scheduled for that night, so I didn’t work out. Rest day #1.

{TUESDAY}

I don’t remember what the excuse was, but that was a Rest day #2! Keep reading šŸ™‚ I am going to get to the exercise part eventually.

{WEDNESDAY}

I finally sucked it up and decided to try something new. The Wednesday Y schedule had Zumba on it, so I decided to go for it.

I had very little clue of what I was doing, but I had a blast!!! I really liked the atmosphere of the class – it felt more like a party than a workout. Thank you so much, Terre, for a great class!

Totally killed my knees though. I did my research in advance and chose the shoes that had little tread, but it still wasn’t enough for my knees.

So I amĀ a recovering zumbanaut šŸ™‚ Still.

Check out what a great burn it was, though! More than in some of the spinning classes I take.

Yeah, baby!

Yeah, baby!

{THURSDAY}

Guess what? Aha, that wasĀ the rest day #3. Right after work we headed to Simon’s swim meet. Oh, that was so much fun! I am so proud of him! Scored a smile, too (can’t take that for granted when it comes to TA boys:) )

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He swam like he had a motor!

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They also had a small party for seniors there that night. So sweet!

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Simon got a bag of candy and a balloon with his name on it.

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Of course the kitty had to have the balloon when we got home šŸ™‚

What do you mean it's not for me? Who is it for then?

What do you mean it’s not for me? Who is it for then?

{FRIDAY}

Had to suck it up again and go lift – I am a fitness blogger after all, right? Not gonna keep my readers interested if I post about kitties all the time šŸ™‚

Anyway, on Friday I decided to go for an evening workout!

I walked on a treadmill for a bit to warm up:

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And then lifted some heavy stuff!

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I mostly worked on my arms, shoulders and abs as my legs were still sore from Zumba and I was saving them for Saturday morning šŸ™‚

The gym was almost empty. So were the locker rooms, so I had some fun after the workoutĀ šŸ™‚

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{SATURDAY}

On Saturday I took an early spinning class with Tara so I could later go to Carmen’s basketball game. The class was a blast! I could feel my heart in my throat the whole time – that’s a sign of a good workout šŸ™‚ A cold refreshing smoothie after that workout never tasted better šŸ™‚

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Shortly after I got home and showered, we headed out to Carmen’s basketball season play offs. Her team won both games they played that day and are officially the #1 team in their league as of last Saturday. The last two games will be held next Saturday and I am sure these girls will be the Champions!

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{SUNDAY}

Was a busy day – all the prep. work for the Super Bowl (grocery shopping, cooking, setting the table, etc.) and….such a disappointment… Don’t even want to talk about the SB…

Let’s just end this with Sunday being Rest Day #4!

So. Let’s see… I didn’t exercise as much as I usually do last week, but I had a fun, busy week full of fun events and pride for my step-children.

I’ll count that as an AWESOME week!

Now, tell me: did you have a good week?

Stay fit and awesome, my friends!

Lena

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday!

Just checking in today with a quick recipe that has been my “go to” breakfast lately. These cottage cheese pancakes are super delicious and come together in 15 minutes! Mix the ingredients the night before, make pancakes in the morning in 5 minutes and be happy. šŸ™‚

You can also add some protein powder to this recipe for extra protein boost to your breakfast.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tbsp. cottage cheese (I used 1% fat)
  • 2 tbsp. whole grain flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. The mix may be lumpy because of the cottage cheese.
  2. Make pancakes.
  3. Enjoy!
https://leanlena.com/cottage-cheese-pancakes/

Motivation or…Monday?

Hey guys! How was your weekend? Mine was busy! Between the Saturday morning workout, Carmen’s basketball game and a killer workout aka house cleaning on Sunday, it feels like there was no weekend at all!

Anywho. Did you have a good week last week?

Mine was terrible.

I felt demotivated, lazy, blobby and overall so-so sorry for my poor self!

Result – only two workouts last week:

Monday night spin class with MJ

Monday night spin class with MJ

Saturday spin with Johnny D.

Saturday spin with Johnny D.

Between Monday and Saturday, for 4 days that is, I did sweet nothing.

I don’t know what came over me these past couple weeks…I am just generally not feeling good. Not at all.

Everything seems useless, pointless and doneĀ in vain.

What do you do when you feel that way? I try find positive things around me and count my blessings.

So, I’m gonna try!

{1} I have a wonderful family!

Carmen's science project got 2nd place at the fair!

Carmen’s science project got 2nd place at the fair!

{2} I got my CPR certification – one step closer to becoming a spinning instructor

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{3} I am in good health and so is everyone I love.

{4} I make kick $ss salads and everybody knows that šŸ™‚

yep, like this one

yep, like this one

Ok, so that’s 4 blessings – one for each day last week that I felt crappy and didn’t workout.

Now I need to suck it up and go spinning tonightĀ  even if I have to drag my butt to the gym. Because guess what? I am NO QUITTER!

How do you motivate yourself on days you feel like crap and don’t want to workout?

Weekly Exercise Recap

Hi guys! How are you this fine Monday morning?

I feel like I didn’t sleep at all last night…still not awake! I blame the weather…

Anyway, I wanted to share my weekly exercise recap with youĀ – with ups and downs of the last week. Here we go!

{{MONDAY}} Spinning

As always on Mondays, I took a spin class with Jim last week – 12.5 sweaty miles and pure joy of great music and company.

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{{TUESDAY}} Weights and Strength Training

Usual weekly meeting with Jim at the gym šŸ™‚ Awesome as always! I am starting to feel more confident in the weights room on my own. I think I can have the sessions with Jim once in 2 weeks now instead of weekly, and keep going by the usual schedule (twice a week) on my own.

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{{WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY}} – Unplanned Rest Days

I don’t know what happened. I had a crazy week at work and a couple of commitments in the evenings, but generally – I was just not feeling it. I could not motivate myself to workout. I was sleepy all the time, very sluggish and lazy – all those 3 days. Felt terribly guilty for not working out, but still could not bring myself off the couch in the evenings.

{{SATURDAY}} Walk and Weights

On Saturday morning I finally started feeling guilty enough and feelingĀ like I owe myself a workout šŸ™‚ So I got up bright and early and headed over to the YMCA.

Normally I do my Saturday double – spinning+yoga, but this time I felt like changing things around and bringing some variety to my workouts.

So I walked a mile on a treadmill:

Saturday Walk

And then did some weights!

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All that made me feel just GREAT, which immediately resulted in this happy “selfie” in the car šŸ™‚

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After the awesome workout and all the “selfies” were done, I headed home and made myself a super energizing power smoothie.

1/2 cup (firmly packed) kale, 1 frozen banana, 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp. Vega protein powder, 6-8 whole roasted almonds

1/2 cup (firmly packed) kale, 1 frozen banana, 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp. Vega protein powder, 6-8 whole roasted almonds

{{SUNDAY}} Yoga Practice and Home

A while ago I got a free gift from Yoga Journal – a DVD (first in a series) with home yoga practice. I didn’t subscribe for the rest of the series since I rarely get a chance to workout at home, but got to keep the first DVD they had sent me. Yesterday, while hubby was taking a nap, I decided to give it a try! I have to say – I regretted not subscribing to the series! It was a great flow with just enough challenges for my home practice.

Sunday Yoga

I absolutely loved practicing yoga at home – I dimmed the lights, turned on my candle warmer, fought off the kitty who was extremely interested in my yoga matt, and just spent an hour doing something for myself. Who doesn’t love that? I should definitely do it more often!

And that concludes my weekly exercise recap!

What was your favorite workout last week?

Lena

Five on Friday

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week and are ready for an even better weekend!

While you’re still waiting for it to come, here’s my “Five on Friday” – a weekly post about 5 things that I have beenĀ loving, liking, enjoying, etc.. lately.

{{ONE}} EOS – Lip Balm

Blueberry-Acai

Blueberry-Acai

Love those things! Carmen got me hooked on those – she started collecting them a while ago. I got her a set of lip balm and hand lotion by EOS for Christmas. She already had the lip balm flavor that was in the package, so I kept it for myself šŸ˜‰

I am not a lip balm/chopstick kind of person at all…But I LOVE this series! It is sweet, too!

{{TWO}} Nike Air Total Core Cross-Trainers

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$70 at Kohl’s.

I have shoes for running andĀ walking, so I was looking for something light and easy to slip on for my cross training. Found it!

I love these shoes! They are extremely lightweight, comfortable and stylish!

Let's go lift some heavy stuff!

Let’s go lift some heavy stuff!

{{THREE}} CND Creative Scentsations Hand & Body Lotion – Pear & Dandelion

It looks like this post is going to be about girly stuff šŸ™‚ Oh well, let it be. Next on the list is this magic hand and body lotion.

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What’s interesting – I don’t like any other kind from this CND series – just pear and dandelion. I absolutely cannot survive the winter without it! I use it mainly as hand lotion, but it is good as body lotion as well. I buy it in 31 OZ bottles. Seriously!

{{FOUR}} Naval Oranges

oranges

Image and Oranges Source

I made my husband go to Walmart at 9:00 PM and get me those the other day. It says it all!

I crave them, I eat at least one a day and I don’t see the end of it in the near future.

{{FIVE}} Ceramic Candle Warmers (Electric)

LOVE those things! After searching everywhere – Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, etc., I got mine from Amazon.

You put in a candle in a glass jar into this thing, plug it in, it heats up and melts the candle. I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it makes my house smell! I got a candle with the holiday season scent and we enjoyed it so much! It also lasts a lot longer that if you would light up that candle.

Your turn! Share links to your “Five on Friday” posts with me or just comment here! I would love to hear what you’ve been loving lately.

 

NY Resolutions: Status Update

Hi! Happy Tuesday, guys!

I thought I’d give you a status update on my New Year Resolutions postĀ today.

So…one of the resolutions was to become a spinning instructor in 2014.

I have been thinking about it for a while now and even did some research before making that resolution! There are a lot of optionsĀ out thereĀ for all kinds of goals, willingness to travel, price rangesĀ etc. etc..

I looked into online training and certification with AFPA.

I looked into going to Philly for a pre-conference training and certification at the SCW MANIA in February…

Another option for instructor training I was looking at back when I first started thinking about becoming an instructor was with Mad Dogg Athletics. Last time I checked, the closest to me (geographically) Ā instructor training session they had was in Washington, DC. It’s not that far from me, but would still require travel, time off work, accommodation and meals expenses on top of the training cost, that I wasn’t really looking forward to, so I kept researching.

Once I made this resolution in the beginning of this yearĀ and made it public, I looked at their website again and…they had a session scheduled on Saturday, February 8th,Ā 30 minutes away from where I live at a local YMCA!!!

Of course I signed up right away!

Marked my calendar!

Marked my calendar!

So, on February 8th I am going for aĀ 9 hour spinning instructor orientation training.

Last Friday I got a box in the mail from Mad Dogg Athletics.

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with my Instructor Manual in it!

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Now – study, study, study!

Also, on Thursday this week I am taking my CPR certification class. Mad Dogg Athletics does not require CPR certification card for the training, but I will definitely feel better if I have one! šŸ™‚

Ok, so for those of you who are looking into becoming a certified spinning instructor, here’s how to do it with Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.:

  • Head over to their website and find the next instructor training session near you.
  • Register and pay for the training online.
  • Receive your Instructor Manual in the mail.
  • Study, study, study!
  • Attend the training session and receive your certificate of completion, which allows you to start teaching.
  • Take the online assessment test at your convenience.
  • Upon successful passingĀ of the assessment test, get your instructor certificate in the mail – valid for 2 years.
  • EarnĀ the required number ofĀ STAR point (CEC’s) in two years by attending their events, taking online courses, or other continuing education events/training (which you can later petition to be counted as your CEC’s).
  • Renew your certification in two years.
  • Enjoy being a spinning instructor and teaching! šŸ™‚

Pretty awesome, huh?

I can’t wait for my training and getting certified – SO super excited!

Question: have you started working on making your NY resolutions a reality yet?

Motivation Monday – Last Week’s Exercise Recap

Hey-hey, my fitness gang! How are you this wonderful Monday? Ready to face the week?

I feel ready and excited! Why? Because it is a new start. New beginning of everything – it is your chance to start the week off right by eating healthier, exercising more and being happier šŸ™‚

So, let’s look at my last week from the exercise standpoint. Here’s what I did:

Monday: Spin Class –Ā 12.5 sweaty miles!

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It was freezing cold outside that night and I left the sensor for my heart rate monitor in the car. I realized that after I got changed for my class and decided to ride “naked” rather than go back to the car in my capris and cycling shoes. So, “naked” ride it was! I have to say, it felt a little weird not to be able to see your heart rate, but it was definitely liberating not seeing the calories burnt. I think subconsciously as I approach my goal number of calories burnt during the class I stop working as hard as I should. So, I definitely enjoyed my “low-tech” ride on Monday!

Tuesday: WeightĀ Lifting and Strength Training with Jim at the Gym

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I feel like I am still burning calories from that one. It even hurts to type, leave alone steer…

I have noticed that I got a little too comfortable with my routine with the weights… Those personal trainers, they can read minds, you know? Just as I thought that I wouldn’t mind increasing the weight/number of reps, he did just that!

Oh. My. God.

That step forward is always killing me the first time I take it. I just hope that next time will be better and I will enjoy it a little more, and maybe suffer a little less afterwards… šŸ™‚

Wednesday: Always Yoga Day, I mean ALWAYS.

After my killer workout on TuesdayĀ it was a very much welcome practice. Looooove that stretching.

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Thursday: a day of relaxation and not knowing what to do with myself

Rest Day

Is it just me or is there anyone else who feels like he/she is getting fatter by the minute on a rest day? šŸ™‚

I do!

Anyway, it was nice to spend the evening “couch-potating” with hubby and catch up on the new Big Bang Theory.

Friday: Rest Day

Was originally supposed to be a yoga day, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So I listened to my lazy mind body and made it a rest day. šŸ™‚

Saturday: Spinning+Yoga

Totally paid for my two rest days by making it a “Saturday Double”:

Another 12.4 sweaty miles!

Another 12.4 sweaty miles!

 

Followed by a relaxing yoga class

Followed by a relaxing yoga class

Sunday: Yoga

Was initially supposed to be a “pump day”, but I got caught up in the 49-ers game and only made it to yoga. Hey, it was totally worth it!

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And that is what I did last week!

Tell me: what was your best workout of the past week?

Five on Friday

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

As usual, here is the Five on Friday postĀ – five things, events, adventures, foods, etc.. that I am loving/enjoying lately.

{{ONE}} Trip to get our wedding rings.

I dug this picture out from that trip and it made me feel so good!

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We went to Frederick, MD to get our wedding rings and stopped at a Starbucks on the way. We were still unmarried, happy and full of goof like above šŸ™‚ Now – the only thing that’s changed is the “unmarried” part. Yep, still full of goof šŸ™‚

It was a great trip on a beautiful September day that I will always remember with warmth in my heart.

{{TWO}} Healthy Living Blogs Tea Swap

Yeah, I participate in a lot of swaps… But I can’t help myself – it is so much fun and I get to meet new people!

The idea behind this one is so simple and so fun – you get a name and an address of a person and you send them 2-3 teabags of your favorite tea. You then receive tea from somebody else on the swap in return. So – you get to meet 2 people.

Here’s what I got from Mindy atĀ Just A One Girl Revolution

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I sent my tea package to Jessica at Fit & Fab Yogi. I haven’t heard back from her, but I hope the tea made it to her and she enjoyed it.

If you are interested in participating, keep an eye on the Healthy Living Blogs website for the new round of the program to start

{{THREE}} Meal Prep

I love it. Simply love it.

I usually get my “cooking bug” all active on the weekends anyway so why not put it to a good use and prep some meals for the coming week? Exactly – no reason why not.

Last week's salad prep for hubby and me

Last week’s salad prep for hubby and me

Things I usually make:

  • Quinoa
  • Hardboiled eggs
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Beet roots (boiled/steamed)
  • Chicken breast (baked, grilled, fried)
  • Wheat berries
  • Roasted nuts

These are the ingredients to throw together a great salad to take to work for a healthy lunch! And it saves you time on the weeknights when you are tired and oh so tempted to grab some comfort food for lunch or go out.

Seriously,  who wouldn't want this for lunch, right?

Seriously, who wouldn’t want this for lunch, right?

{{FOUR}} Single Serve Blender

I got this baby for Christmas from my husband and I am absolutely loving it!

Neither of my family membersĀ is a big fan of smoothies, so the single serve is just perfect! It has travel cup, too – so it is super easy to just make one serving, detach the cap and drink on the way to work.

Look what goodness I have made so far:

cherry-banana goodness

cherry-banana goodness

If you think that making a smoothie is a rocket science – it really is not. Check out this cheat sheet for making smoothies that I am using, curtsey of Super Skinny Me.

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Ā {{FIVE}} Polar Loop

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I know I have more gadgets than I can handle already…But this is something to wish for šŸ™‚ Love the way it looks and what it does!

Maybe…maybe if I am a good girl, Santa will bring it for me next year šŸ˜‰

Check out the features and prices:

Awesome, right?

Now – your turn!

Share your Five on Friday with me.

 

Resolutions Anyone?

Hey you, guys! And Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great time off with your loved ones, enjoyed the holidays and all back in the groove now.

New year is the time for resolutions, decisions, new goals and re-evaluation. It is to the point where it is borderline pure pressure and stress, isn’t it? Everyone is asking about your resolutions, sharing theirs, and looking for “resolution buddies”. Uuuurgh! Pressure. I hate pressure. Pressure has the reverse effect on me – the more I am pressured, the less I want to do it. For me, what does the trick is ME actually WANTING to do something. So. Let’s get the pressure off of you and have you relax for a couple minutes while you read this. This post is about me and my goals for 2014 as well as looking back at 2013. No pressure on you, navigate away if you like šŸ™‚ Or…Keep reading šŸ™‚Continue Reading

Five on Friday

It’s that time of the week again, my friends! TGIF!!!

So…here we go, Five on Friday – five things I am grateful for, things that I am liking, that entertain/amuse/puzzle me – all good stuff!

{{ONE}} Kat – My Best Friend.

Everybody should be as lucky as I have been with people in my life. I have the most wonderful friends in the whole world, and the best friend ever that I have had since the first year of college.

Somewhere on the way to a folk rock fest

Somewhere on the way to a folk rock fest

Her name is Katerina and we met when we were both trying to go through the admission exams at college to be a translator.

We’ve been friends for many years, and haven’t seen each other for the last two. I am very-very-very excited about my upcoming trip to see my family and my dear friend! Lots of things to catch up on!

{{TWO}} Jim at the Gym

Told ya – I am incredibly lucky when it comes to people that come into my life.

About two years ago I took the first yoga class at the local YMCA that Jim taughtĀ and I have been addicted ever since.

In the two years I started going to his spin class every Monday, 3 of his yoga classes a week, and I now have personal training sessions with weights every Wednesday with him at the gym. Yep, my readers know that I spend a lot of time with Jim at the gym.

I am incredibly grateful to Jim for never ending inspiration, support, sharing his experience with me and letting me enjoy his company.

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Seriously, the guy rode almost the entire Lewis and Clark Trail onĀ his bikeĀ  – he is DANG AMAZING.

Check out his blog – I read it as a book – cover to cover!

{{THREE}} Sugar Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

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I am so grateful for these! They have been my go-to cheat treat for a long time now šŸ™‚

{{FOUR}} Ice cream.

For its size, Carlisle, PA has A LOT of ice cream places. We have Bruster’s, Meadow’s, Leo’s, Rita’s, and now – Sweet Frog.

Sweet Frog

Sweet Frog

Leo's ice cream pie

Leo’s ice cream pie

Meadow's

Meadow’s

I live in heaven!

{{FIVE}} My Polar FT-40 sports watch and heart rate monitor.

I am so glad I got it! It is a great tool to give you an idea of what you’re doing activity wise, keep track of your heart rate and fitness level.

Take it to your yoga class

Take it to your yoga class

It will connect to your spin bike monitor so you can see your heart rate during the class

It will connect to your spin bike monitor so you can see your heart rate during the class

Take it with you when you go for a bike ride outside!

Take it with you when you go for a bike ride outside!

And those are my Five on Friday!

Your turn!

Motivation Monday – Last Week’s Exercise Recap

Hey, guys! Happy Monday to you!

Hope you had a great weekend.

I haven’t done a Motivation Monday post with weekly exercise recap in a while – simply because I haven’t been exercising nearly as much lately due to my bad cold and later – bronchitis.

All better now and pretty much back in the game! So here’s what has been happening on the fitness front in the past week.

Monday and Tuesday – rest days (good start to the week, right? šŸ™‚ ) as I was still recovering from my cold/bronchitis.

Wednesday – had a wonderful yoga class with Jim at the Y. One of my co-workers joined me for the class and we had a great time!

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Thursday and FridayĀ – rest days (told you I was taking it easy).

Saturday – did my usual double. Oh did that feel good!

11 sweaty miles!

11 sweaty miles!

Followed by a great yoga class!

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Sunday – in addition to running errands (lots of walking), cleaning the house (lots of walking), and meal prepping (lots of walking), hubby and I went to the gym to lift weights! I love working out with him!

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I think it was a pretty good week for the condition I was in, and that I managed to stick to the rules:

Credit: indulgy.com

Credit: indulgy.com

It was a little hard to get back in the game afterĀ the 2 week break, though. The first week I didn’t know what to do with the free time I suddenly got on my hands due to not working out! But the second week (when I got a taste of doing nothing and having extra time), I felt like I am slipping back into my natural laziness! Couldn’t let that happen.

Credit: www.motivationblog.org

Credit: www.motivationblog.org

Credit: www.losgatosfitness.com

Credit: www.losgatosfitness.com

Because once you take that exit, you realize there is no turning back!

What did you do for your exercise this past week?