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Fresh Start

Welcome to Monday and a brand new week!  I’m ready to start this week fresh and get back on track.  Scott is back from his business trip which makes me a happy lady. I missed his face so much! And with him being home,  I’ll be able to get back to my routine.

Taking last week off was needed but man I did miss the structure and routine of my days.

The weather today is crazy. It’s 50 degrees and super windy because the temps are going to plummet and be frigid all week.  We might even see more snow!

Yogurt and coffee

I wasn’t super hungry when I got up this morning and only wanted something light, so a yogurt bowl it was.

  • 2% Fage
  • Homemade Granola
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Coconut Flakes

Plus coconut oil + butter coffee.

Scott’s plane landed and I was waiting for him to get home before diving into lunch.  I snacked on a pear and some leftover potato salad while I prepped some stuff for lunch and some stuff for the week.

Potato Salad

The potato salad was pretty basic with mayo + dill as the seasonings.

Brat, tots, sugar snap peas

Lunch was a total rando plate of leftovers and things that needed used up; Jalapeno cheddar brat, tots, and some sugar snap peas.

Pork roast, potatoes, and carrots

Dinner was super easy because I wanted to maximize the time I got with Scott today once he got home. I decided on slow cooker pork roast with potatoes and carrots.  This way dinner was ready to go and I wasn’t spending a bunch of time in the kitchen.

I know this was a super quick post but it’s time to go hang with Scott and get caught up on everything that happened while he was away.  Chat with you tomorrow!

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Fitness Friday: Taking A Week Off

knee_sleeves_barbella_socks

I took the week off from training and did absolutely nothing.  Not a damn thing but stuff around the house and I also binged on Criminal Minds.  It was glorious and also difficult.

This wasn’t something planned out but something I decided on last minute.  I realized the past few weeks that I’ve been getting tired more easily and feeling a lot more joint aches after workouts.

Going 5 days a week to workout was not a big deal but lately it’s been a struggle.  My body gets so worn out and exhausted that I end up taking a day off.

It sucks.  This isn’t a place I want to be.  It makes me feel like my body is falling apart.  The worst is that it makes me feel like I’m old.

I hate feeling old.

So this week I decided to just chill and give my body a full on break.  It was difficult because I like working out and I like seeing my FitFam each day.

Yes I said it, FitFam. My gym is my second home. I miss lifting that bar and cursing with each stupid burpee.

But I feel like my body just needed this down time.  I’ll be back next week and hopefully this rest will prove to have been helpful.

Have you ever taken a break from training?

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Thoughts On fitbit Blaze

For those that may remember, I got a fitbit Flex a few years ago and at first I loved it.  Then I hated it so very much. For starters, it would go to sleep way too easily without my knowing.  I could be driving down a particularly bumpy road and it would go to sleep.  Making a smoothie? Yup, it would go to sleep.  You get the idea.

Plugging in exercises on the app was a pain in the ass.  You would have to create exercises if you did anything other than run or walk.  Then you had to guesstimate how many calories you burned because the app required that you put in some number.  Instead of being easy it became cumbersome and I hated it.  I tossed it back in it’s box as I cursed it and moved on.

Fast forward a few years, once I was doing CrossFit consistently, I wanted to be able to track my workouts, calories burned, and so on.  Wearing a traditional heart rate monitor during the workout was uncomfortable. I also started running again so wearing a GPS plus wearing a HRM was annoying.  Isn’t there something that does all these things? In frustration, I started looking for other options.

I went back to fitbit site and saw that they know have a whole line of devices.  The Blaze is what caught my attention because the features seemed to be exactly what I was looking for.  Plus it connects to your phone (iPhone AND Android) alerting you to text messages and phone calls.

fitbit Blaze

It took me a long time to decide to make the purchase because I was afraid of spending the money then hating the device.  Scott finally convinced me to take the plunge so I purchased the Blaze with a purple band.

Hands down, I am in total love with this fitness tracker.  It has everything I was looking for and fits my needs perfectly.

It has a HRM and while I’m sure it might not be as accurate as the old school ones, I don’t mind. I can go to the “Today” tab and see all my stats which is so handy and much preferred over having to open the app each time.

It does track sleep and it goes to sleep on it’s own.  I assume it detects sleep by lack of movement and slower heart rate.

It has multiple workout modes to choose from:

  • Run
  • Bike
  • Weights
  • Treadmill
  • Elliptical
  • Workout

YEEESSSSSS! Weights is what I use if I’m doing an hour weight session and workout is what I pick for CrossFit workouts.  Run for running, clearly.

The run option does have connected GPS, meaning it uses your phone for that.  I went in with some apprehension on this because I thought that I would have to have my phone out and have to read that for distance.  Nope, the watch just connects to your phone via bluetooth and then mileage is displayed on the watch screen. The watch will buzz when you hit a mile.  Once you’re done, you can check your stats and see pace, distance, splits, and even elevation.  It’s awesome!

And because you are logging the workouts right on your phone, you don’t have to worry about logging them in the app saving lots of time and frustration.

There is a timer on the watch as well if you want to time yourself doing whatever.

There is also an alarm feature so that you can set alarm reminders or sleep alarms.

Plus it connects to your phone so you’ll get buzzes to let you know if you have a text or phone call.  I believe that if you use the calendar and mail program native to your phone, you’ll also get buzz alerts to let you know about mail and events.  I use Gmail and Gcal so I don’t get those.

I was afraid that it was going to be bulky and while it is a bit large, it is not a problem at all.  Sometimes while getting dressed or putting on a jacket, I have to be sure it doesn’t catch on a sleeve but otherwise it is just like wearing a watch.

Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about the Blaze!  If you’re looking for a fitness tracker or perhaps considering gifting a tracker to someone, definitely consider the Blaze.  And if you have any questions about it, give me a shout and I’ll answer them as best I can.

Disclaimer: This post is not associated with fitbit, they don’t even know I exist. I purchased this product myself.

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Past The Funk

Hi, gang!  How was everyone’s night? I had a splash of bourbon last night and two peppermint chocolate squares while I watched more Criminal Minds.  I ran the pups out for a last potty run and then we headed to bed. I read a bit, I’m currently rereading The Whole 30 because I’m going to be doing that challenge again in January.

I did finish Food Freedom Forever a little while back, and the book was alright. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. I thought that it was going to be more about Melissa’s story, background, her journey, and how she found food freedom.  Instead it’s a guide so that you can find food freedom.  It is basically doing a Whole 30 (without saying do a Whole 30) and then following reintroduction steps.

I feel like this book is maybe geared more towards people who haven’t done a Whole 30 and who need help getting started with incorporating whole foods into their diet.  It’s a nice ease into eating real food without the pressure of a challenge or a complete diet change.  But for those of us that are mostly there, I don’t really think this book is for us.

If you read the book I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Ok, earlier this week I have been in a funk.  It happens. I deal with anxiety and sometimes also get the blahs.  Truth time.  Exercising and eating well helps to keep those things in check but sometimes I just need to be quiet and alone for a bit.

That happened for a few days this week but thankfully I’m coming out of that and am feeling much more like myself.  Whew!  Being outside also helps and this morning it was sunny and the air was so crisp and refreshing. I needed that!

Yogurt bowl and coffee

Breakfast was another yogurt bowl and some collagen coffee.

  • 2% Fage
  • Homemade Granola
  • Crushed Pecans
  • Coconut Flakes
  • 60% Dark Chocolate Chips

It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and amazing blue skies.  The pups and I went shopping and then I did some chores around the house.  Lunch was sushi from Whole Foods and topped with sriracha mayo.

Sushi

It’s shrimp with avocado and cucumber.  And yes topped with mayo which is my new favorite way to eat these rolls.  I ate lunch in the kitchen while I prepped stuff for dinner and washed dishes.

Grain free pizza

Dinner was pizza!  The last time I made a crust I forgot to write down the measurements for the ingredients.  Rookie mistake! The crust I tried to make this evening wasn’t as good but it did the job. It is a grain free curst using almond flour, coconut flour, rice flour, and tapioca.

The toppings were:

  • Spinach and sundried tomato pesto
  • Moz
  • Italian sausage
  • Red onion
  • Pepperoncinis

Now I’m going to have a splash of red and keep watching Criminal Minds.  Yes I’m on vacation so that means relaxing and indulging.  Sorry not sorry!

 

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Netflix and Chill

After dinner last night I made a small bowl of popcorn and had a splash of white as I watched Criminal Minds. Then I hit the hay because I was passing out on the couch with the dogs.  I took them out for their last potty run of the night and we all went to sleep.

Fort Collins finally decided that it’s winter so the days and nights have be extra chilly which means I needed to bust out the flannel sheets.  Mmmm I love flannel sheets!

Up early this morning as I’m waiting on a package to get delivered that needs a signature.  It also means I can’t go anywhere so that I don’t miss the delivery.  Which is OK because it’s cold and crazy windy out so staying snug in my little house is perfectly fine with me.

Yogurt Bowl and coffee

Breakfast was a yogurt bowl with:

  • 2% Fage
  • Homemade granola
  • Homemade cranberry sauce
  • Chocolate chips

Chocolate + cranberry is one of my favorite combos!

Tuna Salad and Snacks

Lunch was super simple but delicious, tuna salad with veggies and plantain chips.  The tuna salad had:

  • Mayo
  • Green Onion
  • Sriracha
  • Diced Dill Pickle
  • Diced Pepperoncinis

And seasoned with Flavor God Garlic Lovers.  I munched on lunch while watching more Criminal Minds and that’s basically the theme of my day.

Taco Bowl

Dinner was a taco bowl with:

  • Ground bison seasoned with Flavor God Spicy Everything and with some salsa added
  • Rice
  • Roasted yellow squash
  • Cheddar
  • Green Onion

Mmmmm filling and perfect for Taco Tuesday!

I have not watched Martha and Snoop yet because I’m waiting for Scott to be able to watch it with me.  He’s got stuff going on in the evenings this week and I know he is going to want to see it.  That’s OK, I’ll be able to double up on episodes next week and two shows back to back will make for an awesome night!

I know I’m not super chatty this week but since it’s my “vacation”, I’m trying to be on my computer as little as possible, hence the shorty posts.  I know you understand! Till tomorrow!

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All The Leftovers

I was up bright and early this morning at 5am to see Scott off to his appointment.  Then I laid back down but couldn’t really sleep.  It was more of that twilight sleep where you’re sort of conscious but also dreaming.  When I got back up I was so terribly groggy.

My coffee may be decaf (I can’t have caffeine) but I was still singing its name.  Then I made myself a big breakfast bowl.

Sausage, egg, potato breakfast bowl

Sausage, egg, and leftover roasted potatoes all topped with some Cholula.

Lunch was super easy, I heated up some leftover green beans along with a chicken and basil sausage.

Chicken basil sausage and green beans

Dinner was also leftovers, cue the obligatory post Thanksgiving turkey soup with carrots and potatoes.

Turkey veggie soup

My goal for today was to claim a couch cushion and stay put and I completely achieved that goal.  Post Thanksgiving, I take the following week off and use it as a time to relax, get centered, and grounded. I decorate the house for the holidays, binge on Netflix (Criminal Minds right now!), and hang.  So there’s going to be a whole lot of nothing going on this week and it’s glorious!

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2016 Black Friday Weekend Holiday Sales

Holiday 2012

Hey gang! A bunch of my favorite places are having huge sales this weekend and I didn’t want you to miss out on scoring some mega deals!

FOOD

50% Off the entire store at Flavor God. I love these seasonings and use them daily!

Vital Proteins Collagen Trio includes, 20 oz. Collagen Peptides container, a box of Collagen Peptide Stick Packs for on the go, and a #stayvital 24oz Shaker Bottle.  If you’ve been curious about trying out the peptides that I keep talking about then this deal is for you!

SKIN

15% off your oder for Small Business Saturday at Fatco. I use the body butter, face cream, and oil cleanser.

25% Off sellers at Primal Life Organics, use code Holiday16. I’m thinking of finally trying out some of the Vitamin C Serum!

Free Lip Sheer ($30 value) with $125 purchase at Beauty Counter.  I love their daily shampoo (it smells like lemons!), the charcoal bar face cleanser, and their mascara.

GEAR

25%  Extra off clearance and sale items at Nike with code Extra25 (I scored some Metcon 2 for $73!)

40% off items at Title 9.

20% off everything at Belle and Bell.

15% off your order at JerkFit with code cyberwod15 (Starts on Sunday through Monday) I love my nubs!

BOGO at 50% off at Qualo Rings, no code required. (If you need a ring size guide, here’s a printable PDF. Qualo says their rings fit snug so be sure to check out their sizing guide to convert.)

Unbroken Designs, use code SCHOOLOFWOD for 20% off your order. I have a headband and lifting belt from them!

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Fitness Friday: Turkey Time

Knee sleeves and pineapple socis

Monday:

Rest day. I woke up not feeling 100% in the morning.  I was debating about going to the gym the entire time I was taking care of the dogs because I hate missing workouts but my stomach also felt like junk.  I was putting on my gym clothes and I felt like, yeah this probably isn’t going to be a good idea.  I wouldn’t be able to have full energy and give it my all today so instead I stayed home. Meh.

Tuesday:

Feeling so much better. I know what my issue was yesterday and now I’m wrestling with sharing that or not.  It could be seen as TMI.  Hrm.

Anyway I was able to workout.  I ran a mile before going to class.  I did a walk run combo to see if that helped my shins at all.  It did, they only got slightly sore during the run and didn’t fully cramp up.  My friend, Lori, suggested that I might have tight calves so I’ve been working on stretching and rolling them with a foam roller.

Workout today was AMRAP for 20:

  • 5 Clean and Jerks
  • 10 Toes to Bar
  • 1min Rest

We were supposed to go heavy-ish on the clean and jerks but I’m still battling shoulder issues and unfortunately can’t go very heavy.  I did mine at 50lbs today and even by the end my shoulder was getting very sore and tired.

I’m thinking about purchasing a pull-up bar so I can work on pull-ups and toes to bar at home.

Wednesday:

Started off with a mile run/walk with Kira.  My shins did not bother me at all today! Perhaps it’s because I’ve been rolling them out? I’m going to stick with that and see if it continues to help.

The workout today was rough and thanks to holiday indulging, my energy has been so low.

It was a 25 min AMRAP

  • 25 Empty Bar Thrusters
  • 25 Burpees
  • 25 EB Sumo Deadlift Highpulls

Ughhhhhh I got in 3 rounds + 10 but it was slow going.  Well my burpees are super slow and thrusters, even with an empty bar just kill me.  My legs and arms were shaking at the end.

I’m trying to not let this frustrate me because I did it to myself.  That’s what happens when I indulge and don’t get enough sleep.  With running, I was able to get away with it a little more but with weights? Nope. You have to eat well or you’ll do poorly in the gym.

Thursday:

It was so chilly and breezy but I still did a 1mile run with my running buddy.  Rolling out my calves has helped so much! I ran three days in a row this week without any shin issues.  Hooray! I’m going to continue to focus on stretching and rolling out those calves so that I can get back to running.

On Wednesday our coach said that we’ll be doing a fun holiday workout on Thanksgiving morning.  Yeah, I think that’s code for challenging and long because this workout was not fun.

Hero workout Vito: 33 each of:

  • Chest to bar pull-ups
  • Hand release push-ups
  • Jumping lunges
  • Toes to bar
  • Sumo Deadlift Highpulls
  • Wall balls
  • Lateral burpees (over a plate)
  • Abmat sit-ups
  • Plyo push-ups
  • Box jumps

We were able to do this workout in any order we wanted, we just had to do a full 33 reps of the move before moving on to the next move.  I got all the stuff I hate out of the way first like burpees.  They take me forever to do and I hate them.

I was the first in class to finish which never happens and I had a brief panic attack thinking that I didn’t complete the whole thing.  I did because I went back over my list and made sure, but WHEW for a second there I thought I did something wrong. Some stuff was modified, like I can’t do chest to bar so I did banded pullups.  I also can’t do toes-to-bar yet so I raised my knees as high as I could.

It was nice to get in exercise before getting ready for the big day!

Friday:

Rest day.  That’s two this week which is not what I’m shooting for but life happens.  I went in thinking that I was going to take Friday off because I knew I’d be tired and I also wanted a quiet morning to myself.  Maybe that sounds silly but sometimes I need to have a morning alone to regroup and get centered.

Summary: 

Lots of grandma moments but also progress with running and I’m choosing to focus on that more.  Yeah, I would like to get past feeling tired and sore all the time but I’ll get there.  Right now, I’m going to be happy with the fact that I can run multiple days in a row without shin issues! Also, if you have any recs for a pullup bar at home please let me know!

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So Very Tired

Last night I had a splash of red wine along with a cheesecake slice that I picked up at Whole Foods.  I thought that it had a chocolate cheesecake layer and chocolate ganache layer but I was totally wrong.  It had a chocolate cake layer and a chocolate pudding layer.

Yuck.

Chocolate Cheesecake

I scraped off the cake layer (sorry, I hate cake) and tasted the pudding layer which I ended up not liking.  I had the regular cheesecake layer and that was only alright.  It was a total sugar rush and left me feeling icky afterwards.

I should just stick to making my own treats but I always harbor hope that I’ll find something tasty from someplace else.

We did get to watch Martha and Snoop last night and oh my goodness it was awesome.  Martha and Snoop in turkey hats!

martha_snoop_turkey_hats

This morning I got up and went for a run with my friend before hitting the gym.  I was starving when I came home and could not get food in my belly fast enough.

Yogurt Bowl and Coffee

Yogurt bowl with some frothy coffee.  The coffee was made with SO Delicious Mint Chocolate (more about this stuff on Saturday).  Standard yogurt bowl:

  • 2% Fage
  • Granola
  • Chocolate Chips

After breakfast it was time to get started on some Thanksgiving day prep. I got the turkey in a white wine brine, cubed the potatoes and got those soaking, and made cranberry sauce.  Then it was time for lunch and I kept things simple and easy.

Ham wrap and carrots

Ham, lettuce, and mayo on a grain-free wrap, and carrots. Unpictured but I also had some chips and jalapeno artichoke dip (both from TJ’s).

I made the pumpkin pie and got the creamy cauliflower casserole started, then I did dishes and that wrapped up all my Thanksgiving prep for the day.  I am freaking beat!

Brat, baked sweet potato, and sugar peas

Still keeping things simple and easy for dinner, jalapeno cheddar brats, baked sweet potato with butter, and some blanched sugar snap peas in a little butter and Flavor God Garlic Lovers.

Now it’s time to chat with Scott for a bit before heading to bed. I might not even make it to 9pm tonight!

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October Barbella Box

October Barbella Box

October’s Barbella Box did not disappoint!

The Chestee Sports Bra

A padded bra but not in the way you might think. These sports bras have extra padding on the chest (not boobs) to help prevent bruising during workouts.  Think doing front squats and cleans.  The chest and collarbones can easily get bruised during those movements and Chestee helps keep that to a minimum.

We were asked specifically to provide measurements to make sure that we received the right size.  Chestee says that they want their bras to be snug and a little on the tight side.  I provided the proper measurements but there was a part of me that thought I should have gone up a size.  I was right.  The bra fits but it’s super snug, so much so, that I had to have Scott help me take it off. Fun for him, not for me.  I’ll have to try it again once I lose a few inches.

JerkFit Nubs

These are little sleeves that go over your thumbs to help prevent chaffing and blisters during workouts where you’re using a hookgrip.  They are fantastic! I use them for deadlifts and love them.  Seriously, I’m such of fan of these guys. They do take some getting used to because they make your thumb a little bigger, so there is some adjustment but it doesn’t take long.

Bruise-Be-Gone by Pulse Skin

10ml roll-on bottle made with essential oils along with good for your vitamins.  This stuff is perfect and the roll-on makes it easy to apply.  I had just got done doing a crap ton of front squats and rolled this guy all over my shoulders because that’s where I tend to bruise up.  It didn’t take the bruises away but helped make the area less tender and the bruises didn’t stick around as long.

Koios drink by Mental Titan

Energy drink infused with MCT oil to help provide energy and mental clarity.  You guys know, I don’t drink supplement or energy drinks so I don’t have any feedback to provide you.

Ginger Tea and Candies from Prince of Peace

There’s no website for this company (that I could find) but a google search will bring up places that you can purchase it from.  The candies are hard ginger candies and tea is crystallized ginger pieces that make a quick tea. I haven’t tried them out yet but am really curious about the tea!

Summary:

I loved this box!  Aside from not being able to use The Chestee right now, it’s a great bra that I can’t wait to try out. The nubs are always in my bag ready to go and the bruise be gone is great stuff!

If you’re looking to treat yourself or someone you know this holiday season, snag a Barbella Box! It’s such a great variety of goodies for the female lifter.