Rest, Recover, Repeat.

 

Happy Wednesday!

For the past week I have lowered my activity level substantially. I felt like I just needed a break from working out for awhile. My body asked and I’m listening.

I consider myself an athlete. An athlete who has been in training all year around.

The truth is, everyone- every body needs a break.

HOW I KNEW I NEEDED TIME OFF:

• Workouts that use to be easy for me became harder.
• I felt like weight was on my shoulders throughout every workout.
• Working out became something I had to do. The drive to push myself diminished.
• I gain weight no matter how clean I eat or how much I worked out.
• I am always tired.

I do GPP daily, teach fitness classes throughout the week 3+ times a week, along with training for marathons and such. The last year I have been doing 2-3 workouts everyday, besides Sunday.

Basically, GPP every morning and teaching a Body Pump/Attack or Running at night. Which basically my body has become accustomed to endurance wise. But trained or not, it still adds stress to the body, and mentally and physically its caught up to me.

I have actually gained weight through this process, which has probably been the most frustrating part of it all. Working out and eating clean! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am overweight or a scale nazi person but my clothes aren’t fitting right and I spend way to much money at lulu to buy more human clothes.

---> JK but its funny.

I have a lot of muscle, which I am proud of and love. I have never been stronger in the gym. But being the one that can power clean or deadlift the most weight isn’t what health is to me. I’m like everyone else, always striving to find balance in all aspects of health.

HEALTH TO ME:

Health to me isn’t about the “6-pack” or the fastest time on the board. Its about achieving a balance in my life overall- Mental, emotional, social, spiritual, financial and physical! The physical part should serve me- to help me magnify all other aspects of health, not pull from them. I didn’t use to think this way. I thought it was all about how I looked and how well I performed. But it’s not. GPP has helped me realize this more and more every day.

I have been in the health/fitness industry for years. I’ve studied nutrition, the body, participated,learned, taught, worked and sweated my way through it. It is my passion, I know it, I love it, I live it!

 

My best advice to you that I have been taught and learned is that:

LIFE isn’t just about your workout. Living life, outside of the gym is what will make you happy. Be active and use your fitness to propel yourself to find the balance. Let the physical serve you.

{Haha! Not really, but live longer if you do.}

Taking this break with only make me stronger and Ill come back mentally and physically ready to work, to change and reach my goals.  I’m excited to see how my body reacts to having time off. So far, so good!

I will still be coaching and teaching at the gyms I currently work at, so I will workout twice or so a week, I will be spending time walking, stretching, rolling, and just recovering. I am focusing on my nutrition as well. {as always}.

I have made a to-do list for things I want to focus on more during this little break. My house, mainly my yard will thank me.

I love working out and its actually not easy for me to NOT work out. It is important to me though, and I really love what I do. I just knew it was time to rest. everyone needs it! I started 7 days ago and feel better then I have the last 3 months. I’m itching to run, but I know the break will be good for me.

Besides… I have my big surprise for the blog that I’m getting ready to launch at the end of this week!! EEK! I can’t wait!

How often do you take a break from workouts/diets?

What is one thing you procrastinate and workout instead?

Not Always Organic

Happy Monday!!
Did you guys have a busy day like mine was? Mondays are always a little crazy but I look forward to Monday and the structure and schedule that comes along with it after a fun weekend. Well, maybe everything but laundry…
This morning I headed to the gym and the workout today was a total body circuit. For 10 minutes we had to do as many rounds of possible of 3 different exercise, rest one minute then move to the next triplet—three times! The workout was 32 minutes long and it was rough! …. so I guess that means it was a good workout. I definitely felt a little drag after consuming my body weight in chips and salsa at family BBQ's yesterday. I love rough Monday workouts!
I made a shake with a fresh peach post workout!

Let me tell you this was absolute heaven post sweat fest. I LOVE peaches and I need to go purchase a plethora of them this year because this shake may happen every day!
I used my new post workout protein powder. I purchased this after chatting with a friend about post workout nutrition and this came highly recommended.
After Shock- Pina Colada!
Pina Colada plus Peach = Heaven!

After a quick errand to Costco with the hummer and the jeep..

It was time for LUNCH!

I grilled some tilapia, baked some sweet potatoes and roasted some broccoli. This is a common lunch for me but today I melted 1 tbsp. of coconut oil over my yam today and it gave it a whole new delicious flavor.

I guess I’m on a coconut kick today with my shake and then my yam.

Let me tell you, Coconut Oil + Yam is the JAM!
Eating Organic?
One question or comment I get a lot is, “You only eat only “organic” foods huh?”
Confession?
Um. NOPE. I eat mostly healthy but not always organic.


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I would LOVE to eat organic all the time. I’m not a fan of pesticides and antibiotics that are found in fruits, eggs and meats. But it can get pretty expensive, especially meats. I can grow my own garden, raise my own chickens but there is no way I’m going to kill, pluck and cook those chickens or deal with a cow in my backyard. Those are some pies I don’t ever want to deal with.
So I try to purchase organic fruits and veggies only in the dirty dozen. Not all the time though! I do not buy organic chicken, or beef. My sister, MIL and Dad have chickens so I am able to get eggs from them which is great!
Make sure you wash your produce thoroughly before eating organic or not.
Here is the dirty dozen and clean 15 list you can check out.

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It is apple and peach season around here and there are local fruit stands all over! There is one that I pass on my home from the gym and I stop by and pick some up every now and then. I love to support local families by buying their produce and it always taste better then getting it from the grocery store.

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So I guess my point is you can still eat healthy without eating organic. Eat what you can organic, but I don’t think you need to stress about it too much. Some people may argue the health benefits and what not but don’t think you have to eat organic to be healthy.
Question of the Day:
Do you buy Organic? Thoughts?
Coconut oil goes great with________?

Simple Salmon

Happy Thursday! Today has been a great day! Minus dealing with a minor flood up in our master bedroom.. oomph. Sad to say we spent the majority of the day pulling up carpet, collecting fans and figuring out where it came from… bright side? The kids have their own personal splash pad. AND we have actually been wanting to get new carpet anyway so I’m kind of okay with it. Just bummed it had to happen that way.

For dinner I made a easy and quick salmon dinner! Salmon is probably my favorite fish from the sea. Salmon is power packed with disease fighting vitamins, acids and minerals.The health benefits of eating salmon actually speeds up your metabolism. Which affects your sugar absorption rate and can lower your blood sugar level. Not to mention is packed with protein and heart healthy Omega-3.
I through this together as I went and it turned out to be pretty tasty. You can’t beat a recipe that only requires  4 ingredients!
LEMON PEPPER SIMPLE SALMON

Ingredients:

• Wild Salmon filet
• 1/3 C. Lemon juice
• Mrs. Dash – Lemon Pepper
• 1 tsp Crushed Garlic

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven 375 degrees.
2. Place filet in glass oven safe dish
3. Pour Lemon Juice over the top
4. Spread Garlic over the top
5. Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper
6. Bake for 30-35 min.

Enjoy!

So light and flakey!
I eat salmon probably once or twice a week, depending whether or not I can find it on sale or snag some from my fishing Uncles.
I do prefer it to be grilled but Brent was gone (AKA the grill master). It still turned out fantastic being baked though.
Have a good night!! Tomorrow is FRIIIIIIDAY!
Question of the Day:
How do you cook your fish?
What is your favorite fish?

It is only the beginning..

hey guys! I took a little hiatus for a few days in trade for a little extra time with the fam! We spent the weekend at the pool.
This morning marks the first day of GPP RX + week. RX + week is our “hell week.” It is a week of 2 a-day workouts. We also follow a nutrition plan that was designed by our coach. It is pretty much going to be a good challenge for me. 2 a-day workouts plus the classes I’m teaching this week. It’s a guaranteed sore maker week for sure.
This morning after workout #1, I came home to enjoy a protein shake and plan my week out. I am having to plan on mostly AM back to back workouts due to work, kids, play time, husbands gym time, etc.
 
I haven’t done an early early workout in quite a while… Now that the Olympics are over I may get to bed at a decent time. I also may sneak in a nap during the twins nap during the day. Rest and recovery is crucial this week and I’m planning on staying on top of it.

In the mix:

• 1 Cup Silk Almond milk
• 1 scoop plant fusion Chocolate
• 1 C. Frozen Berries (Cherries, pom arils, raspberries, blueberries & strawberries)
• 3 C. Spinach
• Ice

Lunch came quick today, after a quick trip to Costco for a few groceries for the week. Which I got sucked into a VitaMixer demonstration.. (Now have pre-settings). At least the kids and I got a few different sample smoothies for standing through the 10 min. demo.
I welcomed this full blown salad.

In the bowl:

• Fresh spring mix
• Sweet potatoes
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Green beans
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• Walden Farm dressing- Honey Dijon

I’m really going to miss fresh veggies straight from the garden once winter hits around here. They bring a salad to a whole new level. They are full of so much flavor and add just the perfect of amount of crisp and crunch to the bowl.
I taught body attack (which was a complete sweat fest). I’m sure the air conditioning was not on in that room cause it felt like it was 100 degrees in the room.
I had an hour before I had to be at RX + Workout #2.
And just so you know.. I’m not the only crazy..

There was a great group of GPP peeps to storm this hill sprint workout!

What a GROUP! This community continues to inspire everyday! How awesome are the kids that kept up with us? Oh, and threw water balloons at us when we were done…
Here are a few of my favorite girls of the night.

Day one is done and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store! I’m off to bed. I’m tired and my 5:30 am alarm is not to far off. Rumor has it the RX+ workout has something to do with bleachers..
If you’re a local folk. There is a deal going on right now to come try GPP. Don’t skip out on this opportunity! Check it out!
Question of the day:
This or that?
Group fitness or Community fitness?
Garden Tomatoes or Cucumbers?
Stay up late or Wake up early?

Olympic Test

Happy Monday!!
I hope your week got off to a good start today, and if not, tomorrow is a new day right?!
We had a great weekend!

• Wicked
• Wheelers Farm
• Olympic Marathon

I know this picture has been posted on about a million other blogs, but how amazing are these women! Seriously. When Flanagan crossed the finish line and fell to her knees I just wanted to get down and crawl over to her and pick her up.I have never ran a marathon in 2:37? and probably never will..  What a team. They inspire me for sure!

• A hike with this handsome guy

This morning I had planned to go to GPP first thing but a certain little boy woke up at 4:30 am and demanded blues clues. Yep. Blues Clues. Three hours to be exact. I tried to fall asleep but was interrupted after every episode… MAAAAILTIIIIME….
I decided to push back my workout to a later time in the morning and made a little breakfast in hopes to catch a little energy.
Breakfast:

3 eggs + 1 whole egg, spinach, mushrooms, and peppers. Along with half of a frozen banana and almond butter that was devoured while my eggs cooked.
Mid morning I whipped up a protein shake to take on the go for post workout, along with lunch because I had some errands to run this afternoon and knew I wouldn’t make it home in time for lunch.

In the mix:

• 1 C. Almond milk Vanilla unsweetened
• 1/2 banana
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 scoop elite Egg Vanilla
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Ice

Workout:
I went to GPP for the WOD then did a quick 3 mile run after.
Lunch:
I totally ate in the car while running errands- Lucky me even forgot a fork. Totally classy.

When I got home and got the twinners down for a nap I was craving cake.
Microwave Blueberry Muffin

I haven’t made one of these forever. Mainly because I only have ONE can of pumpkin left…

Mix together:

• 1/2 C. pumpkin
• 1/2 C. egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 3-4 drops of NuStevia Vanilla Drops
• 1/4 C. Frozen Blueberries

Cook in microwave for 5 minutes.
Workout #2
When Brent got home from work, I went to Body Attack and then did half of this workout I created earlier. I was sweating after just one round!
I have been loving watching the Olympic sprint competitions and wanted to see how fast I can push myself. Watching them has definitely been motivating to get my training in!

Ready, Set. BANG!
Dinner came after another fun park trip!
 
These two would swing ALL day if I would let them. I don’t mind taking them to the park everyday. It gets a little energy out for them and their excitement for the park makes me smile.
Dinner:
Dinner came together pretty quick.
Roasted yellow squash, simple spinach salad and some grilled chicken covered in Walden Farm Honey Dijon Dressing.


I am loving all the fresh veggies, I have collected from friends gardens… I really may start my own next year but I’m afraid plants come to my house to die.
Now, I’m just relaxing on the couch with a little Olympic Gymnastics. I should probably go to bed just in case someone wakes up again.. (he usually sleeps great, but lately I think he has just been dreaming blue clues.. or maybe cause it’s the only time of the day we have to actually watch TV?)
Pretty good start of the week!
Question of the day:
Which Olympian inspires you?
Do you have a garden?

Olympic Sprint Motivation

Last night I skipped out on blogging to spend a little extra time hanging with Brent while cheering on team USA gymnastics. Go GABBY!!
I don’t know gabby personally but I was on the edge of my seat and holding my breathe, crossing my fingers and all nervous like while they were tallying up the final scores.

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I’m pretty proud of that little chica.
Yesterday recap:
Yesterdays workout left me with some dirty knees. ---> Lunges are a girls best friend and Manimals are just as “fun.”

After the workout I took the twins to play at the park until naptime. I am telling you, these two never get tired of the park and it’s the first thing they want to do every morning! While I was there I decided to make up a fun little park workout! I can’t wait to share it with you guys. There are lunges, box jumps, pull ups, pushups and sprints. I’ll get it up ASAP so you can take your kids to the park and get a little workout in at the same time!

Workout:
This morning Brent prepared some fit mixer aminos pre-workout

I headed to GPP to tackle the WOD. It was all core today and I was glad because my shoulders are pretty useless today after yesterday and Wednesdays workouts.My couldn’t do the back extensions weighted for 60 seconds… let alone the RX weight.  I did not even come close to RXing that beast.  Something to work for I suppose. Afterwards, I had a little extra time so I went to the gym for a few tabata sprints. I jumped on the treadmill and the 400 m sprint Olympic competition was on.

Talk about motivation! I used my gym boss app (Its FREE) for tabata sprints. I set the incline to 1.5 and set the speed to 11!! In 20 minutes I was dripping!! I watched the Olympic sprinters legs and tried to just keep up with them. So Sweaty!

Olympic Sprinters are legit! Not to mention inspiring!!

Lola jones ^^^source
Why Hello, abs, arms and legs!
We had a play date set after at the splash park with my SIL’s
I headed home for a quick shake.

In the mix:

• 1 C. Almond Milk unsweetened Vanilla
• 1/2 Banana
• Frozen Berries
• 1 scoop Fit Mixer chocolate
• Ice
• 1 tbs Chia Seeds

Then it was time for some fun!


We had a great time running through the splash pad and playing with our Aunts and cousins!

They both fell asleep before we got home, and we literally live 3 minutes away. They were tired nuggets. Hoping that nap goes for a little longer today. I’m hoping to get some chores done before they wake up!
Lunch

Before I do the chores I had to eat first. Duh.
I made some ground turkey and threw it on a bed of lettuce with some green and yellow peppers, sweet potato and drizzled it with Walden farm honey mustard dressing!


Tonight we have plans to see WICKED!!

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My FIL bought us these tickets MONTHS ago and I have been so excited to see it! I have only been to a handful of Broadway plays, my favorite is Momma mia. I am a huge fan of Broadway musicals! I may or may not have a few in my running playlist.. Here I go again!
Question of the day:
Have you been to a Broadway Musical?
What is your favorite Olympic event?
I love watching gymnastics but am totally inspired by track and field as well.