Five on Friday!

It's that time again!

I am linking up with Darci and company!

[one]
John and Sherry from Young House Love are pregnant again! Is it odd that I am excited about a pregnancy for people whom I have not met? To my non-blogging or non-blog reading friends it might be a weird concept, but to those who read blogs just as much as I do I think it's a very accepted concept!

[two]
These chips! Yet again I am sharing a savory snack, but I got these last night and I am loving them. A little crunchier than I would like in a chip, but they do satisfy my craving for chips. And they are made from root vegetables, so there is a serving of vegetables in every ounce!

[three]
I put egg whites in my coffee cup this morning. Luckily I hadn't poured my coffee into the cup yet (I pour my cream in first, then coffee on top), but man would that have been an unpleasant concoction.

[four]
It's Friday! And in my world that means it's time for a drink some drinks. I went on a job interview this week, and got rejected. I have been rejected so many times in the past few months that it's too painful to count. Sooo I am very much ready for a drink. And I realized that I already have everything I need to make a cosmopolitan! What a happy accident!

[five]
In my job interview this week I got asked some pretty crazy questions. One of them was; "If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?" I was caught soooo off guard that all I could think about was a dog, because I am loyal and active. But now that I have been thinking about it, I wish I would have said a honey badger, because the honey badger doesn't give a shit.



So now I am super curious, if you could be any animal, what would you be and why???

Fail Proof Vegetarian Chili

Let me start out by saying that I am not a chef. There is a reason that this blog does not feature many recipes. I mean, I'm decent at cooking, but I never attempt a recipe that appears to have too many ingredients, especially if there are too many ingredients that I have never heard of. That is not to say that I don't love the taste of complicated food dishes, I just prefer when someone else makes them.

Example: I LOVE creme brulee, but you will never see me using a torch in the kitchen. It would not be safe.

However, there are a few things that I can cook, and find to be pretty easy, and pretty fail proof. Chili is one of those things. I feel like you can pretty much throw anything into chili and it will turn out. However this totally contradicts my rule about not making things with too many ingredients, but you kinda need lots of things for chili. Oh well, I am a walking contradiction.

I love chili because it's so nutrient dense. You can throw so many vegetables in the pot, and it tastes better than if you were to eat all the vegetables separately. The batch I made this time is oozing with nutritional value.

Since I am a vegetarian, to me chili does not mean having ground beef or turkey, but you could easily add meat and I am sure it would turn out great.

I decided to try making this in the crock pot, which I rarely do, but should probably start doing more often. Ya know, so I can really cement my status as a Midwestern gal. Minnesotans really love their crock pots.

Because I just kind of threw things in the pot, I won't really have exact measurements, but bear with me!

Ingredients: 

Fresh Produce

1 poblano pepper

1 zucchini 

3/4 of a yellow onion 

1/2 a bag of baby carrots

1 sweet potato 

3 cloves of garlic 

A handful of kale 

Canned goods

1 big can (read: 28 oz) of diced tomatoes

1 normal sized can (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans

1 normal sized can of dark red kidney beans

1 small can (6 oz) of tomato paste

1 small can (4 oz) of sliced jalapenos

some water 

Seasonings

cayenne pepper 

chili powder 

red pepper flakes

cinnamon

salt

pepper 

So basically I threw all of that into a crock pot, except for the kale, I put that in about 2 hours before it was done. I drained all of the cans except for the diced tomatoes, I threw the whole can in. But then it seemed a little thick, so I filled up my empty tomato paste can and put 2 cans worth of water into the mixture. Although I don't think I would have needed any because as the day went on it became more juicy. See, I am not a chef, I have no intuition about this sort of stuff. 

Then I threw in seasonings, I didn't put a lot of cinnamon in, just a little. And enough cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to make my nose run. 

Changes that I would make next time would be using some vegetable broth to give it a little more flavor. No kale, but replace with spinach, which was my original plan but my kale was closer to spoiling. Overall I loved it and found it to be extraordinarily easy. 

How does everyone else make chili? Do you follow a recipe? Or just sort of wing it? 

R.I.P.P.E.D.

I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts outlining and critiquing the various things that I have tried at the gym. I am not a professional trainer, so all of these posts will be my own opinions, and personal findings.

I have done a post on cycling, and rowing. And for this one I will be focusing on a class called R.I.P.P.E.D.

Description:
R.I.P.P.E.D. is a choreographed class that is designed to be a plateau proof class because the choreograph changes every few months. The name of the class is an acronym that describes the format of the class and stands for Resistance. Intervals. Power. Plyometrics. Endurance. Diet.

Each song represents one of those words, so the song for Intervals has a much faster tempo than the song for Resistance. In the classes that I have attended, no certain diet plan is discussed, but it does serve as a reminder that diet plays a role in weight loss.

For a month or two the choreography to each song is exactly the same, which is designed so that each class you can get better and stronger.

Duration: 50-55 minutes depending on how much time each instructor spends demonstrating different moves.

Level of like (10) or dislike (0): About a 7. I think the concept for the class is good, teaches a lot of basic workout techniques. However I get extremely bored with classes when I know exactly what to expect. If I know that a class has a burpees portion, I start out the class with a feeling of dread. As opposed to walking into a class feeling excited and then having burpees sprung on me.

This also happens for me with music. In the current release I don't like two of the songs, so now I find that I don't want to go to the class as often because I hate the songs so much. Also I find that I like lifting weights on my own much better. When I lift weights on my own, I tend to life a lot heavier, and push myself harder. But that's just me.

Benefits:
-The class is designed so that you ideally will burn anywhere between 750-1000 calories in each class. When I finally get myself a heart rate monitor, I would be curious to see if this is true for me.
-You get a full body workout. There are aspects of cardio, strength/resistance, core, and stretching.
-You learn new workout moves. The current release has a move called clock lunges, and they are actually kind of fun!



Advice for first timers:
-Go more than once. If I had written this post after the first class I attended I would probably not have had anything positive to say. But I forced myself to go back, and once I had learned the material I ended up enjoying the class a lot more.
-Tell your instructor that you are new. This can be hard or intimidating to do, but trust me, if an instructor knows that you have never attended the class they will break down the choreography a lot better.

And if you want to learn more, or find a class near you, here is the link. 

Five on Friday!

Slowly but surely I am getting the hang of this blogging thing (it's only taken a year and a half...). I think the one piece of advice that I never seem to follow is to blog about the things that I love to read. I mean, I do and try, but then there are other times when I think my life is too boring, so I just don't share. One example is food. I LOVE reading blogs that post the kinds of meals they eat throughout the day.

Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers is one of my favorite blogs to read because almost daily she is sharing her meals, and snacks. I always get ideas of what to eat. So I am going to work on posting more food ideas!

The next thing that I am trying to get better about are link ups. My most favorite link up is Five on Friday, and I stumbled upon this link up from Darci at The Good Life. I love reading them. So even though I am extremely late to the party, I am finally going to join!

[one]
Coffee. I am the true definition of a coffee drinker, maybe even bordering a coffee addict. But this week I have three different flavors that I am alternating between. And I gotta say, I am loving the strawberry shortcake flavor!

[two]
Breaking Bad, Breaking Bad, Breaking Bad! I started watching this show a couple of years ago, then I lost interest because of certain characters dying off. But since the series finale is Sunday, I spent last week catching up on part 1 & 2 of season 5. Even though there are parts of this show that I don't particularly love, it is still a phenomenal show, and I cannot wait to watch the finale.

[three]
My porch. Because I hurt my back again, the only comfortable place that I found for me to sit is on our back porch, in adirondack chairs. Today has been flip flopping between sun and rain, and I am loving it. A very peaceful way to drink my coffee and read blogs!

[four]
These little things! My favorite junk food are chips. When I didn't care about being healthy, chips were pretty much my form of crack. These are a great substitute. They are crunchy, and salty, but not overkill. Chips murder my taste buds. I found them in the produce section of a Super Target. And these have some great nutrition facts. For 22 pieces: 120 calories, 6g fat, 15g carbs, 3g fiber, 200mg of sodium, and 4g protein.

[five]
My foam roller. My foam roller has been my best friend for the last two days. I have been rolling out my IT bands, and hip flexors in attempt to heal my back faster.

Have a great weekend, friends!

It Happened, Again.

My back, is screwed, yet again. UGHHHHHH!!

I don't even know what to do. The first time that I injured my back was in April. I was in a HIIT class, doing squats, I felt something shift, and my whole back tensed up. Ever since I have had a sensitive lower back, and experience lower back pain and stiffness almost weekly. However it has never been as bad as the first time I injured it. Until now.

Last night I was planning to go to a half hour Core Fit class, then stay for Step Class, and Chisel (weight lifting). I usually lift weights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I successfully finished Core Fit, I was feeling good, feeling thin, and I was ready to complete two more classes. The ironic part is that I have been attending Core Fit in an attempt to strengthen my core, and better support my back.

Step and Chisel used to be my favorite classes of the week, but ever since the instructor left, it hasn't been the same. But one of the girls who always attends the Step class is now training to be an instructor. And last night was her first trial run. She killed it! She was soooo good. She used the same music as the old instructor, had similar moves, kept up speed, and didn't mess up once! I was so excited for her, but also jazzed that I would have a good instructor back.

Because I was so amped up, I was going beast mode on the bench. Then she called out the Charleston Kick, and the minute I bent down I felt something shift, pop, and crackle (anyone else thinking about Rice Krispies?) in my lower back. Immediately I began to feel a tingling sensation shoot down my left leg and butt cheek. All I was thinking was OH SHIT!!

Here is an example of the Charleston Kick, but we were using benches, not bosu balls. I actually really love this move, but I guess my back does not.



I immediately stood up, marched in place, and tried not to panic. However all I wanted to do was scream out in pain. But I have such a tough time walking out of a class early, plus I didn't want the new instructor to think I hated her, especially since she was doing so good. So I stepped out of class for a minute, tried to stretch out my back and hips, I lightly foam rolled, and went back to class.

You might be thinking that I am an idiot for going back to class, but don't worry I took the rest of the class realllly easy. I modified everything. Because there was a lack of bounce in my step, I mirrored the old ladies in the back of the room. Actually, I think the old ladies were going harder than I was! But that's okay, I had to listen to my body. Even though I was going slow, there were times when I felt like I was going to puke. Blah.

Class finished, I told the instructor she was a rock star, and then I ran waddled out. Of course I had walked to the gym, so I was going to have to toddle my way home. As I left I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I was in pain, but more so I was mad. Raged. I wanted to attend Chisel but my body was failing me, again. And I knew that I was going to have to rest for a few days, not a fan.

Thank god for sunglasses because I cried as I walked home. Although I had the quivering bottom lip going on, so I am sure that people knew. I am not one of those girls that just kinda weeps, I definitely have an ugly cry. Every step I took I could feel something crackle.

I am uninsured and broke, so I am turning to Dr. Google for help. I am icing my back, doing light stretching, and taking expired vicodin for the pain. I already have troubles falling to sleep, and staying to sleep as it is. Last night was hell. No position was comfortable, and normally I toss and turn in my sleep, which was near impossible last night.

I am getting some ibuprofen tonight because it mixes better with wine than vicodin it's an anti-inflammatory, which should help any swelling go down. Also, I am no expert, but just from reading my own body, I really think my lower back issues are connected to my hip flexors. I often get really tight and sore hip flexors, and IT bands, so I am going to focus on stretches for my hips, and foam rolling my IT band. Wish me luck!

Dieting Myths...er Truths

I have been dieting and exercising long enough that I would dare say that this has become a way of life. However when I started this whole process I didn't believe a lot of things I was told. I thought healthy fitness loving people were always telling lies to make themselves feel better for virtually starving. You know the things that I am talking about.

"Drink a full cup of water before each meal and you will eat less." (This is true)
Or "Stand while you eat and you will be prone to eat less." (This seems ridiculous)

Anyway, I have found that some of these things that I once thought were myths, are actually true. Mini aha moments, if you will. These are the things that I have found to be true for me, but some of you may find them to be just as ridiculous as standing while you eat.

1) Eating protein helps to keep me full longer. That and things high in fiber. If my dinner includes a high protein veggie patty, and brussels sprouts, I will definitely be satisfied until bed time.

2) Oatmeal makes a great breakfast because it coats my ribs and sticks with me longer. I can make it to lunch without wanting to chew my fingers off.

3) Drinking cold water better hydrates my body, and drinking warm water makes me feel full. I learned this the hard way. I once brought a water bottle filled with warm water to a cardio class. By the end of the class I felt so full and bloated that I thought I was going to throw up.

4)Keeping a food journal really does work. Counting calories, or Weight Watchers is actually the best way to start. You never realize how much you are consuming, until you write it down. I can't count calories or points anymore because it makes me batty. However I do still try to keep a food journal so that I can monitor myself, be aware, and not go overboard on what I am eating each day.

5) Chewing gum while making dinner helps me to avoid snacking while cooking. I have a terrible habit of eating while I cook, chewing gum helps.

6) Be mindful when eating. I once heard that as Americans we are constantly thinking about food, until we are actually eating it. So in an effort to enjoy my meals, I try to focus on the bites that I am taking, and really enjoy my food.

7) Snack often. I try to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. I prefer it to be this way. Eating 3 big meals causes my stomach to stretch, so I try to break up my meals, and eat more frequently.

source

Row Machine.

I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts outlining and critiquing the various things that I have tried at the gym. Some thing I love, some I don't. I am not a professional trainer, so all of these posts will be my own opinions, and personal findings.

The first post was dedicated to cycling, and can be found here.

So for this post I am going to focus on rowing. 

Description: The row machine looks like this:

source

It is a stable machine designed to mimic the motion of rowing a boat. The handles are the oars, and the seat moves as you push your feet. It's kinda hard to explain while typing, so here is the video that I learned proper rowing form from:

I was actually a little intimidated to try the rowing machine. I wasn't sure if I would know how to do it right, I thought I would try and then everyone in the gym would be starring at me while I was doing the motions completely wrong. This video really helped, and now I feel pretty confident about my skill level.

Duration: I usually row in increments of 10-15 minutes, but you could definitely do more. On days that I don't have a class to attend I will do circuit like workouts, and rotate between strength exercises with 10 minute cardio blasts in between each set.

Level of like (10) or dislike (0): A 9 or maybe even a 10. I love it for short, quick cardio blasts. I find that I work harder when only doing it for 10 minute sessions, compared to 30 minutes all at once. But that's just me.

I will usually do intervals, go really hard and fast (TWSS) for about 30 seconds, and then I will slow it down for 15 seconds. Repeat.

Benefits:
-It's a great low impact cardio option. Because you  sit while you are working, I find it not to be as difficult as running, but my heart rate still spikes. Plus I don't worry about injuring my back or knees as much as I do with other activities.
-It utilizes a lot of muscle groups. My legs, my upper body, and working to stabilize my core.
-Its a great aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Your body is dealing with resistance while utilizing your oxygen supply with repetitive motions.

Advice for first timers:
-Make sure to use your legs to really drive the motion. Your legs hold the power more than your upper body. Not to say that you don't use your upper body, just don't neglect the legs, they are your biggest muscle group.
-Be prepared to get calluses on your hands. Or at least I get them. But that could be because I lift dumbbells first, then row, then lift, etc. A lot of friction is put on my hands in a small period of time.