Category: Fitness Links

Working Out Through My Herniated Disk Injury

Warning: I am not a doctor and I cannot speak to your injuries. Please seek medical advice before doing your workout. I was given the ok to do certain things/moves and my doctor knows that I am very tuned into my body, so he was ok with me going slow.

I had been going merrily along my fitness journey, and made one simple mistake stepping off a ladder. I thought I was on the bottom rung, and I was not. I ended up landing improperly and herniating a disk in my lumbar region. The pain was bad but I as able to mitigate it a little with ibuprofen.

I continued to to do my Muay Thai workouts and even forced myself through sit ups for three days after that. You see I have scoliosis and deal with back pain daily. I don’t let it stop me generally, so this time I tried to tough it out. That night and into and into the next morning. I was in excruciating pain. I had exacerbated my injury and could not move much. As a matter of fact any movement sent shooting pains down my leg. Any movement in my back, hip, and leg would cause pain. I ended up going to the doctor to find I had a herniated disk that was pushing on my sciatic nerve. That the pains I was feeling and the instability was normal with this kind of injury.

I had to lay down on the floor of my living room with my legs propped up barely moving, only to get up to attend to my human functions. I was in pain walking, in pain sitting, in pain laying there. I had to convalesces in home for 2 weeks. I saw my chiropractor 3 days a week to keep things in alignment and it was a game of waiting. I kept asking when I would be able to get up and do anything again. I even had a bit of depression, thinking that I would never be the same and never be able to move again. Because you see, when you have incredible pain, it is hard to see to the future. Depression is also I am told is normal in an extreme injury.

My doctor said it would take 3 months for it to heal completely. After the second week, I was given the ok to do what I could. No kicking, no bending, no twisting, and absolutely NO jumping.

I started slowly. I informed my trainers that I was severely injured, and what my doctors said I could do. They worked with me helping me, and giving me alternatives to my training. I made sure to ice my back before and after work outs. They let me lay down on the mat when needed, and they were there when I had questions. They helped me work around my injury. When I first started it was painful, and I paid for it afterward. However, I kept going. I kept going to my doctors appointments. I pushed through. My doctor was surprised at how fast I was healing. How my pain and numbness was ebbing. It would get better and I would aggravate it. But I was making steady progress towards better. Every two weeks or so my pain in my back and hip, and numbness in my toes would ease if just a bit.

My doctor truly believes that my activity though painful, and sometimes tear inducing, was what lead to my rapid amazing recovery. Because I did not lay and only let my muscles atrophy, I was able to ease back into the workouts I do now. It kept my spirits up, and I as able to keep working at it. If I had to lay there and not move for 3 months I might have given up on a whole lot of things. I enjoyed realizing that after a week, the pain of just twisting and moving would be slightly less, even if just a bit. Through out my training I had to lay on my back, no sitting, and only standing when I needed to. The only time I was up on my feet was to work and to workout.

See this article from Beachbody.com about tips for working out during injury. This is a great article to get you started.


“It is very important to know the difference between a real injury and pain. During a workout, you may tweak something and experience pain.
Your initial reaction might be, “Ouch … but OK, I’m not bleeding, let’s tough this out.” If you have pain, stop working out right there and evaluate your symptoms to check the severity. Don’t just try to walk it out and hope for the best.
Of course we all want to be tough and gut it out, but the consequences for continuing to train and not taking enough time off to heal can be severe. Most of the time, it is a good idea to just stop and heal up before training again.”


https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/10-tips-when-training-with-an-injury.html


Tips:

  • First and foremost… listen to your body ( I admittedly have a hard time doing that. The drive to excel can make me blind to my pain. )
  • Inform your coach/trainer. (Let them know what you are going through. Let them know what your doctor said. A great trainer will understand, and tell you to let them know when you need to stop, or the movement is painful.)
  • If you feel a pain stop. (Learning what muscular pain is vs. skeletal, or joint pain is important. There is a difference between tired muscle and pain of injury.)
  • Be kind to yourself…(You are going to take time to heal, so do the things that you can. If you are not able to do everything, know that after you heal you will be able to.)
  • Don’t loose hope
  • Work around your injury
  • Keep your nutrition up (Don’t just let your nutrition slide cause you have been hurt)
  • RICE method is good to use ( If your injury is such that Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation will help your injury)
  • Use lighter weights if you are weight lifting
  • Warm up
  • Ice before and After injury (If it is applicable to your injury. If you have just had a say hysterectomy, icing won’t help. =) )
  • Stretch after workout
  • Use proper form when working out (Go slow and make sure you use proper form. Using proper form will prevent more injury.)

My back is much better now. I am back to running, and can sit for a few hours without pain. I train hard now, and kick at 100% now. When my back starts to hurt or feel not 100% I lay down, stretch and try to rest it. I also go to my chiropractor often to keep back and hips in alignment.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions let me know.


Healthy Lunch… Rainbow Hummus Veggie Sandwich

Having a hard time finding something healthy and filling to eat? Try this quick lunch sandwich. One of my favorite, I got my husband hooked on them. He even craves them. My kiddos love to eat them as well.

It is as simple as filling the pita bread with a layer of hummus, and any sliced veggies you fancy eating. You can change out the veggies to keep it interesting. I have added calories and nutritional information for this particular sandwich I made. What ever you change will change these numbers of course.

The more color the better. The color indicates different vitamins and minerals that your body needs to run like the well oiled machine it can be. Red and orange fruits and veggies, like bell peppers, oranges, and carrots usually contain vitamin C, vitamin A, retinol, and lycopene. Green and yellow fruits and veggies, like avocado and pistachio, have luteins that help prevent degeneration as you get older, and they are high in vitamin C. Dark greens give you Iron. Green cruciferous veggies such as broccoli contain, iron, vitamin K, folic acid, as well as potassium. Blue and purple fruits and veggies tend to have anthocyanins or antioxidants. Eat the rainbow for your health.

Here are great articles on the colors of fruits and veggies if you want to read more about it.

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/colors-vegetables-nutrients-2311.html https://www.color-meanings.com/fruit-and-vegetable-colors-meaning-and-benefits/

Recipe: Rainbow Hummus Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pita bread cut in half
  • 2 tbs or 50 g hummus
  • two small hand full or 24 g arugula
  • 1/2 or 99 g bell pepper
  • 10 slices or 42 g cucumber
  • 3 slices or 22 g tomato
  • 5 g onion

Directions:

  • Slice up veggies, cut bread in half, put a layer of hummus inside the pocket on one side and stuff with veggies. Enjoy!

Stats for all of that food:

Calories 299, Fat 12.3 g, Fiber 7.8 g, Carbs 38.4 g, Sodium 530.1 mg,

Protein 10.6 g

The best ting is mt kids love to eat it as well. Thanks for reading and let me know if you liked this post.

Pants that pass the THICC girl booty test…squee!

My booty, but more importantly this pattern fabric is fantastic

Did you hear that all they way over there? That squee of delight when I just tried these pants on last night. I ordered these pants to try them out, and I did a 2.5 hours of training in Muay Thai and Kali. I got them on recommendation from my trainer/coach in Muay Thai. She uses them, and I thought, hey I will give it a try.

I am always on the look out for good workout tights. I work out about 5 to 6 days a week. So I need pairs of tights that will perform, not break down after two washes, have some compression (the ugly truth is I have loose skin from losing 70 lbs), are comfortable to wear and fit over my posterior, and bonus is they have awesome patterns and styles. However, as I have children and a family I could not just buy all the things I wanted. I decided to try one pair of pants.

I will give you all the pros and cons of these pants so far as I see them. I got the Dragon Skin Next Level Leggings.

Pros:

  • They don’t use the “standard” size numbering system, that was developed not taking into account different bodies of all different kinds of women. They use their own models names, and measurements. If you get your measurements and order by that, you will have a great fitting garment.
  • The stitching is strong and stands up to vigorous exercise. (Note: Thighs that rub together. )
  • The fabric feel fantastic its silky and thick, wicks sweat, and moves with your body as you do your exercise. It does not feel cheap.
  • It passed the panty test. (When standing you cannot see the panties through too shear fabric, also normal stretching and bending did not reveal any view of panties.) (I have had tights that you could read the writing on them through the pants just standing there.)
  • The pants stay up, no rolling or sliding down the body.
  • It passes the thicc booty test. (When you have a larger posterior, often times patterns will get distorted and look horrible if they are stretched over an area. It also draws attention those areas that are larger and you may not want to have attention drawn to. As you can see the stretch was perfect and did not distort the pattern. )
  • Last but not least they have fantastic customer service. (They noticed right after I ordered that they were out of the pants I ordered. I had not been to my computer so I did not see the email. In a mater of 24 hours customer service person Chloe had emailed me that they did not have my pants, and did I want to change it, or for the trouble cancel and get money toward a different order? Then in the next hour she emailed me once more that she found them in their Canadian store and was going to have the Canadian fulfillment center send them to me. Heidi was fantastic from the Canadian side as well. )

Cons:

  • For me really the only con so far is that pant leg is long on me. I am a short person. 5 foot, so everything is long on me. But really its not all that much of a con. I am going to try their capri’s next. You can see them bunched up around my ankles in the pictures.
  • Front view
  • Side view
  • Side view
  • View with Grrrl logo
  • Side view
  • Pattern in different less light

Now about packaging. Generally when I go to the store, I have been trying to use less disposable bags. So I did not think I would care about the packaging for this. However, I think they used just enough packaging to ensure that my garment got to me safely, but made the packaging meaningful. I love the little details. The purple-pink of the outer packaging, and the washing instructions on the outer brown paper bag packaging. Both are recyclable and they brought a smile to my face. The best surprise was the tag that the pants had. If you were giving this to a friend, you could address the garment to them.

” In today’s society we are programmed to see each other as competition. At Grrrl, we are changing the game. We exist to break the cycle of competition, and band together as sisters.

As our newest member for the #GRRRLARMY, your initiation consists of letting another Grrrl know something great about her, because chances are, she doesn’t see it in herself.

Flip this card over and fill in the blanks. Sometimes it’s easier to write it down and hand it over. “

Other side:

” Hey Grrrl-FRIEND! I wanted to tell you that

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Don’t forget, you were born perfect. You go Grrrl!”

You can see in the pictures below if you want. There is not much more to say. I was not paid for this review. It is just how I feel about this product.

I did find on their website that I could become an ambassador for them, and they will give me credit. They gave me a link I could give you, and a 20% off coupon that you can use when you decide to order. Even if they did not have the ambassador program, I would still support this company. It is doing good things for us girls/women/ladies out there. We need to lift up and support each other.

Here is my Thinks with Spinks link for you to try, and below is the coupon code.

20% off coupon code nom1yq8d

As always thanks for reading, and let me know what you think.

  • Packaging
  • Washing instructions
  • Pants
  • This tag says it all
  • Other side of tag

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali…Elbows and Espada Y Daga

Me and my Coach

2 hours and 30 minute training tonight.

30 minute warm up of 200 kicks and 50 knees.

Some days are just mediocre. Here is what I mean. Some days are annoying I am struggling to get the new techniques or even my body to do the old techniques in the correct way. Then there are other days where it is fantastic, I am learning new things, I am buzzing along, and I am doing great while I still make mistakes I am jazzed and doing fantastic. Then the pendulum swings back and hits the middle, where I am doing the techniques I have learned already, and helping less experienced students develop their skills. Helping others is a different kind of satisfaction then beating my body into submission. I am getting some work in but nothing to write home about. Well today was one of those days.

We worked on elbows today in Muay Thai. We went through all 9 elbows. 1 = horizontal elbow, 2 = upward diagonal elbow, 3 = downward diagonal elbow, 4 = vertical up elbow, 5 = downward vertical elbow, 6 = side in elbow, 7 = side out elbow, 8 = tach malach (spelling is probably wrong) or spear elbow, and finally 9 = spinning elbow. We worked on the parry or scoop and entry with elbow. We also worked on scoop, elbow entry, and then followed up with spinning elbow. I have two videos of me doing some of those elbows.

https://youtu.be/IG_9Q1Jf5EI
Parry Jab to Elbow Entry
https://youtu.be/Evg2RENoj4s
Parry a Jab, Elbow Entry, to Spinning Elbow drill

In Kali we worked on Espada Y Daga. Which translates to sword and dagger. This was fun, and surprisingly easy. I say this even though I made plenty of mistakes and needed to work on my footing. I was able to figure out how to cut my opponent and get out of the drill as well. We then got to spar afterward. Where if we had actually used real weapons I would have died many times. However, I got many good strikes in and would have been able to win a few fights. One of my friends even laid me out on they floor. We say in a knife fight the winner bleeds and the looser gushes. So if you end up in a knife fight expect to get cut. Anyway enough of my babbling. Here is a video of me doing the drill.

https://youtu.be/pokT5A1RqAY
Espada Y Daga drill

If you made it this far, wow, I have rambled. But this is the reality of a fitness journey. Not every day is going to be sunshine and sparkles. Not every day is going to suck. Some days are going to be meh… but I have still shown up, and put my time in. These days are days when it may seem like I am not learning a lot, but it will all culminate in the end.

Thanks for reading… =) Keep up being awesome you.

Check out Grrrl clothing for workout clothes. If you use this link it gives me referrals. I have another post to talk about some tights I got from them. https://www.grrrl.com/ref/652/?campaign=Thinks.Spinks

A Small Bit of Hope for the future… my progress pictures

Having one of those days where I need reminding that I have made progress. Some days I feel old and achy, and feel like I am not making progress. I am wearing the same shirt/tank here. I can see a small amount of progress… but I have to remember I also had a back injury in between the 3/10/2018 and yesterdays picture. Every day I look in the mirror I don’t see the progress. I know a lot of people have body dysmorphia and I am not a special snow flake, but that is why I take the pictures. (note: I am un-diagnosed with Body Dysmorphia, however, based on the fact that I focus on the negative and do not see the progress its a red flag and easy leap to make that assessment.) So at moments like these I can go back and look. Maybe an see some progress/hope to see progress. The pictures are my small hope that in the future I will see something better.

Please know I am not crying out for positive feedback. I don’t ever want to put the burden of constantly holding me up on my community, friends, and family. However, this is how I cope with some of the negative feelings that crop up. I look at my pictures, try to find some positive things/changes, and then soldier on. I can not make changes if I just sit there in inaction. So no matter how bad I feel, I push through. I acknowledge I am feeling this way, talk to people I trust, and then push through.

I don’t know if this will help anyone. But like I said this is how I try to cope. One day I will look back and hopefully be surprised how far I have come. My little bit of hope I put out into the world. =)

Full Body Weight Lifting workout…for the week 1/21/2019

This is the weight lifting workout I will be doing for this week. As always modify to your abilities. The weights I put in are for my reference so I can keep track of my progress

If you made a new years resolution and are having a hard time keeping it up. Be kind to yourself. I don’t think resolutions are the best way to go about this. This is a journey and you are going to be on it for the rest of your life. Pick up and keep going. Even if you hit a bump. I have been talking to my friends and they feel guilty that they stopped something they started for two weeks. Guilt may just make you pause to inaction. That is not positive forward movement. Don’t let one misstep derail your life change.

| The Ultimate Full-Body Workout | (I got most of the workout from Bodybuilding.com)

Warm-Up: Perform 1 Round

  • 10 minutes on the elliptical
  • Dumbbell Halo: 10 reps in both directions
  • Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 10 reps
  • Standing Dumbbell Scap Raise: 10 reps
  • Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 10 reps
  • Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 10 reps
  • Planks for 30 seconds

Complex 1: Perform 5 rounds, resting 60-90 sec. between rounds

  • Dumbbell Clean: 3 reps 20 lbs each arm
  • Dumbbell Push Press: 3 reps 25 lbs each arm
  • Dumbbell Front Squat: 3 reps 20 lbs each arm

Complex 2: Perform 4 rounds, resting 60 sec. between rounds

  • Dumbbell Crush Press from Floor: 10 reps per leg 50 lbs
  • Bent-Over Row: 10 reps 3 25 lbs per arm
  • Reverse Lunge: 10 reps per leg 25 lbs per arm

Complex 3: Perform all movements with right arm, then left arm, resting 60 sec. between.

  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch: 10 reps 20 lbs
  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Farmer’s Carry: 100 feet 40 lbs
  • Sit ups 10 reps
  • Renegade Row: 10 reps 25 lbs

Keep up the good work. If you had a hiccup keep be kind to yourself and keep going. Remember its a journey not a race. But you can’t make any progress unless you keep trying.

Again if you have made it this far, thank you for reading. Talk to me, let me know if you have any questions.

Healthy Lunch…Tuna Avocado Salad…

Healthy lunches… even when you don’t feel like eating. I have days where I am busy, and can’t/don’t think I have time to eat. I have days were I am just not that hungry. However, I know if I don’t eat I will be hangry later, and may make bad decisions. So its best for me to eat something healthy and protein rich instead. It seems to help and I can then make better decisions. I also know that I am working out a great day 5 to 6 days a week.

Today I am going to go run a 25 minute HIIT run, and then do a superset weight lifting workout.



“A superset is a form of strength training in which you move quickly from one exercise to a separate exercise without taking a break for rest in between the two exercises. ”

https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-a-superset-3120397

The above article is a good quick read if you are interested in supersets. This is the workout I plan on doing.

Workout:

25 minute HIIT run on the treadmill cause we are inundated with snow

  • Stretch, and 3 minute warm up
  • Run for 1 minute at fastest I can run
  • Run for 1 minute at a steady pace but not slowly
  • Repeat above for 6 minutes
  • Run at steady state for 4 minutes
  • Run for 1 minute at fastest I can run
  • Run for 1 minute at a steady pace but not slowly
  • Repeat above for 3 minutes
  • Run at a steady state for 7 minutes
  • Cool down jog for 2 minutes

Weight lifting:

  • Full Squats: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Stiff-Legged Deadlifts: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Bench Press: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Bent-Over Rows: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Barbell Curls: 3 Sets x 10 Reps
  • Single leg Dips: 3 Sets x 10 Reps
  • Abdominal Work (Leg Raises, Decline Crunches)
  • Full Squats: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Stiff-Legged Deadlifts: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Bench Press: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Bent-Over Rows: 4 Sets x 8 Reps
  • Barbell Curls: 3 Sets x 10 Reps
  • Single leg Dips: 3 Sets x 10 Reps
  • Abdominal Work (Leg Raises, Decline Crunches)

Tuna Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole avocado
  • 1 packet of Starkist Tuna Creations
  • 40 g of Sour cream or 2 tbs
  • 10 g of Mayo or 1 tsp
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, or about 1 cup

Directions:

Mix tuna, sourcream and mayo. Salt and pepper to taste, slice tomatoes and cut open avocado.

Calories 495, Fat 36.9g, Fiber 15.1g, Carbs 27.1g, Sodium 447.5mg, Protein 19.6g

I hope you enjoy and have a great day. Thank you for reading. I am off to the gym to get my workout in now.

——————————-

My results:

I completed the full 25 minute HIIT run.

Weight lifting: I increased the reps and recorded the weight. Will up the weights next workout.

  • Full Squats: 4 Sets x 10 Reps 40lb
  • Stiff-Legged Deadlifts: 4 Sets x 10 Reps 40lbs
  • Bench Press: 4 Sets x 10 Reps 40 lbs
  • Tripod Bent-Over Rows: 4 Sets x 10 Reps 20 lbs
  • Barbell Curls: 3 Sets x 10 Reps 20lbs
  • Single leg Dips: 3 Sets x 10 Reps
  • Abdominal Work (Leg Raises, Decline Crunches)
Not glamourus photo after workout.

Lunch Meal Planning…You did what?

Where to start? That is pretty much always the question. When you start something new, it can seem daunting and overwhelming. Here is how I started meal planning for myself and my husband. It does help that I am a chef and know about nutrition in the capacity of a professional chef.

Change only one type of meal for 3 weeks then add on. Whether its snacks, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the meal only matters in whatever is easiest for you to stick to. For me I started with lunches.

I looked at what I wanted to do or what my goals were. There are so many people out there that will tell you their way is the best way, and it may be for them. But here is a tip, you’re a biological animal, and as such you are a complex creature. That means what works for one person does not always work for another. I wish it were so. I teach cake decorating and Baking and Pastry, and I often tell my students, that I wish I had a magic wand that I could wave and they would all be able to decorate a cake like a pro. However, what is required is experimentation and practice. The same goes for meal prep, and getting into the groove.

There are several ways to meal prep, but here are a few core things I focus on.

  1. Decide if you are going to count your calories only, watch/count your macros, or just eat intuitively.
  2. Get yourself a food scale if you are going to count your calories or macros.
  3. Decide what your goal is: Bulking, leaning, maintaining or something else
  4. Choose a protein, complex carb, and veggie/fruit
  5. Learn to prepare those things/gather recipes
  6. Get your Tupperware/lunch containers ready.
  7. Weigh and write down what you put in the containers, so that food entry into a tracker is much easier.

Now to count calories, macros, or eat intuitively. If you are newly embarking on a fitness journey, you may not be familiar. I will touch on these subjects to give you an base understanding, and tell you what I do.  But first if you are going to count calories or macros you are going to want to calculate how much your body needs to eat to function. Here is a great website that will do that for you. It has a calorie calculator on it, that will give you your total daily energy expenditure or (TDEE). This is the amount of energy it would take your body to just lay in bed all day long, respirating, and living. Not getting up and mowing the lawn much less going to the gym to pump out a few sets.

https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/


Here is my recommendation: If you are just starting out. Count your Calories and Macros. The structure will be good for you. I have been doing this for years so I can eyeball some things.


Counting calories, has been done for many many… so many years. It is just that. You log your food, and figure out that a large boiled egg is about 75 calories. The calories in a medium apple is about 95 calories. Add those two together and you get 170 calories consumed for that snack. Simple right? Yup! There is more to nutrition than that of course but that is a good way to get your toes wet as it were. Counting calories alone though falls short, in that you can eat 300 calories of grapes, and 300 calories of doughnuts and it would be basically the same from a numbers standpoint. However, the nutritional value of 300 calories in grapes and 300 calories in doughnuts is extremely different. “


“DOES IT MATTER WHERE MY CALORIES COME FROM?
Human metabolism is complex, and gaining or losing weight takes more than hitting your calorie goal. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates all have different nutrient functions in the body, and an effective diet will include at least a little of all three macronutrients.

Protein builds muscle and maintains other body tissue. Fat provides energy, regulates hormone production, and keeps you full. Carbohydrates also provide energy and help you sleep at night.

Theoretically, eating fewer calories than you expend can help you lose weight, but the type of calories you eat influences your results. For example, if you eat very low-carb and have trouble sleeping, your hunger levels could rise and you might struggle to keep your calorie intake low enough to lose weight. Or if you don’t eat enough calories from fat or carbs to power your workouts, you could end up burning fewer calories than you think, because you’re not giving it your all in the gym.”

bodybuilding.com

I could not have said it better. So we know that calories count and where they come from counts. So now we go to learning what our macros are. Macros is a over view of what your body needs to run. Macro Nutrients are the carbs, proteins and fats your body needs. Just as I said earlier the kind of calorie you take in is important. While bacon is fun to eat and tasty, its protein and fat content are completely different than say the equivalent amount of chicken breast.

These are the Macros I need to hit every day to meet my goals. So not only do I need to make sure I eat enough calories, but I need to make sure I get this much protein in, and this much carbs in and this much fat in for my body to function like a well oiled machine.

👇 WOO! YOUR MACROS ARE BELOW 👇

MY MACROS

2337CALORIES

155PROTEINS

238CARBS

85FATS

Last kind of eating change would be intuitively eating. It sounds ridiculous at first, but eating when your body tells you that you need it. It sounds stupid but, we (especially Americans) are very bad at telling when we are hungry or when we are just having cravings. Do you want that piece of cheesecake cause you are hungry and skipped a meal, or do you want it cause you are craving sugar and your body needs protein and healthy fiber. That is usually my problem I don’t get enough protein given my own proclivities. I will eat more plant based. I will dedicate a blog post to what your cravings may mean you need later.

Now you will need a scale, and this is the one I use all the time. It is inexpensive and does what I need it to do. It is call Ozeri.

https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B01LAVADW2?ref_=Oct_BSellerC_289787_0&pf_rd_p=f4f0c6e7-19a1-5664-a4fe-e138f678cfbf&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=289787&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=T28AR18FGYZ9X1D0415P&pf_rd_r=T28AR18FGYZ9X1D0415P&pf_rd_p=f4f0c6e7-19a1-5664-a4fe-e138f678cfbf

Now to the meal prep I did… This post has been long enough.

I prepped Sunday night for both myself and husbands, lunches. Lunches are the hardest meals for both of us to get in. This is the meal that helps us most to have prepped.

Protien – Chicken, black beans

Carb – brown rice, black beans, veggies

Fat – Chicken, black beans, and oil used in cooking

Southwestern Chicken

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 5 x Chicken breast
  • 1 tbs – Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle seasoning
  • 2 tsp – ground cumin
  • 2 tbs – vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Garlic powder to taste
  • Brown Rice – (Cook as directed on package)
  • 1 can – Black Beans
  • 6 cups – Broccoli and Cauliflower mixed veggies
  • cherry tomatoes

Directions:

  • Cook your rice as the directions tell you
  • chop chicken in to bite size pieces, heat pan up with two tbs of veggie oil. Season chicken and cook till chicken is done.
  • Cook Broccoli and Cauliflower mixed veggies
  • Open can of black beans and heat up in sauce pan. I added some garlic powder and a pinch of salt.
  • Assemble into lunch boxes, I measured each item and wrote it down for easier entry into food tracker.

And last but not least, you will need a food tracker. I use the one that goes with my FitBit watch, but there are free ones out there. One of the best I have heard about is My Fitness Pal.

I track my macros, and this is what I prepared for myself and husband this last Sunday for lunches. I hope this helps if you are just getting started and if you have already been doing this. I hope this gives you an idea of what you can put into your lunches. Its simple just make things you will like to eat.

This has been a long post. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great day!

New Years Resolutions… Should we or Shouldn’t we?

New Years Resolutions… I say NAY. Make life changes.

I was going to do a pros and cons list, but the onion article made me laugh today and I could not do better than them.

“PRO

Pretty easy to think of ways in which you suck.

Many gyms offer discounted memberships in the new year to prey on suckers like you.

Previous Guinness World Record not even that many hamburgers.

It’s never worked before, but it might work this year.

CON

Pretty pathetic to hear someone own up to their weaknesses.

Perpetuates idea that we should always be trying to improve ourselves.

Might set unhealthy precedent of actually getting things done.

You always do this. You always say you’re going to follow through and then you go and let it slip through the cracks. You’re a joke.”

Credit The Onion — https://www.theonion.com/pros-and-cons-of-making-new-year-s-resolutions-1831261190

Ahem, with that said. I have done myself and seen so many of my friends make resolutions that are either really difficult or unreasonable to do. In the end it makes the resolution maker feel bad, like a failure, and if you announced it to your world in social media, now your friends and family have seen you fail.

Now what I think should be done and what I did was make life changes. I know other people have said this, and I am rehashing some of the same things. For me I decided to be come healthier. That seems nebulous and it is. I had to do research, had to figure out what I wanted to do and I tackled each thing separately. I learned it takes about 21 days or 3 weeks of consistency for a person to develop a new habit.  Know your current life requirements/funds/limitations and plan around that.

What did that mean for me? I stared four years and four months ago, with a small achievable goal. I wanted to get some sort of work out in. At this point I was not certain what I wanted to do but I knew the requirements that I had to meet to make it work for me.

Requirements at the time:

  • The kids were little, 5 and 6 years old so I needed a workout that I could do at home, with little people around.
  • I wanted something that was economical, because I was worried about failing again, and children require considerable adjustments to your budget. Youtube was my answer to that. I specifically used Fitnessblender.com they are a great resource to use.
  • Exercises that did not require a great amount of equipment. Both for the amount of space I have to work in, and again, commitment. I did not know if I was going to be able to keep this up. I did not want to go and blow money on a lot of equipment.

After I had been able to keep working out two days a week up for month I decided to add two more goals. I added posting on social media so that I could keep track of my progress, and as a means of checks and balances among my friends and I. Next, I added cleaning up my lunch meals. I wanted to start eating more healthfully, and figured if I could at least start with lunch, were I am less stressed and more caffeinated, I can keep to it.

I continued to add to my life long changes. Changing up eventually every meal, changing my workouts to suit my current goals, and following my passions. I did not succeed at every change, because every person, and each individuals body is different. As much as we would love a quick fix to things we don’t like or want, we must experiment to find what works for us. I still to this day fall into this trap, of wanting a quick fix. Sometimes falling for the next fad, hoping it will get me to a life long change that I want faster.

What does life changes mean? You are going to stumble, you are going to mess up, you are going to get hurt like falling off a ladder. Ask me how I know. You have to get up, brush yourself off, when doc says its ok to get back to it, get back to working out and do what you can while you can even if you have a boot on for a broken toe that is in your foot. This is a life change, not a change for this year, or just next year. It’s a change for the better, to make you feel better, and get you closer to the bad ass that you are and want to be.

Free Youtube Workout Video Suggestions:

These things worked for me. Do your research, read, read, read. If it feels like some one is selling you something they probably are. I tend to read several articles about the same subject and take the common elements that I find in all of them, this seems the be a great way to strip out opinions and receive consistent information.

Next Blog: First workout of the year!