A Tuesday Like a Wednesday

Good morning lovelies! How was your Tuesday? Mine was pretty fantastic. Sorry for not posting last night – the picture uploader was taking centuries.

Breakfast

It started off with my personal  breakfast of champions: fruit and cereal (and pumpkin coffee amongst bobby pins and keys). In the bowl went Kashi Heart-to-Heart with unsweetened almond milk alongside an apple.

My first Food Service Systems exam was yesterday and I’m pretty sure it went swimmingly. Then, in my second class, my professor ended it on the perfect note: “Oh, and we don’t have class on Friday.” 4 day weekend?! Hooray! (We also have this Monday off for Columbus Day)

Snack

I managed to snap a picture of one of my snacks today because it was a first-timer for me.

I found this little guy in the nut butter section at Whole Foods for just $0.79 and decided to take it to class in a Tupperware container with some baby carrots. Um, holy yum! I love almond butter. I could drown myself in its glory. The little packet was the perfect serving size too.

Lunch

These pictures don’t really do my lunch justice. Because it was pretty bomb. And it combined Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. What? No one ever said I couldn’t do such a thing. I stuffed a whole wheat pita with Sabra roasted garlic hummus, kale, and tomato slices and had it alongside a salad (with invisible carrots) topped with Trader Joe’s Asian Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.

Staying Motivated While Working Out

I cranked out some homework before heading to my third and final class of the day. Then, it was time for spin class! I know I say this every week, but I just love spinning. There is nothing like hopping on that bike, pedaling your heart out to amazing music and being cheered on by an incredible instructor. With that said, here are some key motivators to staying on top of your workout mojo:

Do What You Love

This one  might seem like a no-brainer but it actually takes more effort than one might think! Exercising is like shopping for jeans (which we know can be a very daunting task!). You have to keep trying things until you find what works for you. Personally, I love the group environment of classes (Mind.Body.Barre, Butts & Gutts, Spinning, Kickboxing, etc.) and the mental benefits of strength training. Check out what your local gym offers and take a few. Worst case scenario, you get a great workout and meet some really nice people!

If classes aren’t your thing, try out different machines at the gym. Spend 15 minutes on each one to decide which one floats your boat!

Source: Shannonpaiges.wordpress.com

Have a Plan

So many people go to the gym without a plan-of-action. In my opinion, that can totally squash your motivation. Plus, walking aimlessly around a huge gym deciding what to do is simply not fun – and exercise should be fun! Try planning out your workout before you go to the gym. I write down my workout on a 8×11 index card, bring a magazine, pop in my iPod and I’m good to go. Some sources with great workout moves are: Women’s Health, Shape and My Workout Log isn’t too shabby either.

Invest in DVDs

When I’m not at school, I don’t have access to free fitness classes and complementary gym use. Aside from teaching Mind.Body.Barre, I go for runs and use my family’s exercise bike, weights, and resistance bands in our basement. When all of those are sounding less-than-appealing to me, I pop in an exercise DVD to work out to. Physique 57,  Tracy Anderson and Bob Harper (a fellow vegan!) all offer amazing workouts. Definitely a worthy investment!

Use Your Mantras

It sounds corny. It sounds cliche. And maybe it is both of those things. But mantras work! When you aren’t feeling inspired to workout  (we’ve all been there!), psych yourself up with some feel-good sayings. Some of mine are:

• You’ve never regretted a workout.
• Quitting makes you weaker. Working out makes you stronger. 
• Work out for those who can’t.
• Get out of your head and into your work out.

Tonight was Matty’s night to come up for dinner. He chose Big Fresh, a local restaurant that serves organic, healthy cuisine. We hadn’t been there in awhile, so I was excited to go back. For my entree, I chose the Tempeh Special, which featured tempeh sautéed in a molasses sauce with kale & red onion, and a side of beets. I subbed the brown rice for extra veggies. It was so delicious. The molasses sauce totally made the dish. I also ordered a cup of celery soup but ended up taking it home for later. My eyes were too big for my appetite.