Getting my sweat on!

It may be over 80 degrees out all this week but the best place to sweat for me is Bikram yoga!

I did it for the first time about a year ago and as hard and miserable as it truly is there is no better feeling afterward.  My mind and body both always feel amazing and when I add it in to my normal running and lifting routine I can see my body transform.  I haven't been in quite a long time so I was happy to get back into last week. 

For anyone that hasn't heard of Bikram before it is a style of yoga that is done in 90 minute sessions and consists of the same 26 moves and 2 breathing exercises repeated every time.  The kicker is that the room is heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity!  Even just standing in the room would make you sweat so trying to stay active in it is hard, it is truly a physical and mental test.  My favorite part about it is that since your muscles are super warm it is much easier to get in a deep stretch which has helped with my running and lifting.  Also as much as I hate sweating I can tell that my skin is so much better from all of it lol!

Anyone want to know what it is like for the first time can check out this amazing article from buzzfeed!  You walk out looking like a hot mess and the first thing you need to do when you get home is lay out all of your clothes because to say they are gross would be a major understatement.  Also I usually go through 2 full water bottles while I am there and then another with an electrolyte replacement when I get home.  It def isn't for anyone but I love having it in my routine!

Plan for the tonight is to get in a 3 mile run since I am officially in training for my 10K coming up in 3 weeks and my marathon relay portion in 8. Then I am taking a normal yoga class at a new studio just a few blocks from my house that just opened last week.

I also have to share that I basically had the most amazing lunch that I am now addicted to. I have a bunch of cooked quinoa and shredded chicken in my fridge so I decided to mix it up with some hummus, feta, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts for an amazing filling for lettuce wraps. I love Mediterranean food and this hit the spot. It was also ice cream social day for my group so of course I partook because well my willpower is nonexistent and no one was every happy by denying themselves ice cream!

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

In an attempt to get back into my healthy eating routine after a few weeks off I really wanted to try something new. I love love love stuffed peppers and have made them in a few different varieties over the years. This week I decided that I would try to make a Mexican stuffed pepper that would be both filling and flavorful to get me back on track. I am pretty proud of the result and it was a great use for the shredded chicken I make at the beginning of each week. You could also sub in any other meats or just take it out completely in order to make this dish veggie friendly. I didn't add any cheese to the stuffing mixture but rather choose to add it on top when I was reheating them throughout the week for my lunches; I also added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top for a sour cream taste with a kick of added protein. These will for sure become part of the normal dinner rotation!

 

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

 

 

Ingredients

3-4 Bell peppers with seeds and tops removed

1 cup black beans drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup corn

4 oz shredded chicken breast

1/3 cup favorite salsa

1/2 T cumin

 

Cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt toppings optional

 

Directions

1) In a medium bowl combine beans, quinoa, corn, chicken, salsa, and cumin.  Mix completely and test for seasoning and spice level

2) Place bell peppers in baking dish and fill evenly with quinoa mixture

3) Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until peppers are softened (adding a little water to the bottom of the baking dish will also help the peppers soften while baking)

4) Enjoy!

Weekend recap!

I could not have asked for a more perfect weekend!  Since this was the first one with the BF away I knew it would be hard but my girlfriends stepped up to the plate and made every day awesome. 

On Friday I decided to keep it low key and drank some wine with some close friends and played cards against humanity.  Seriously it is the most hillarious game and it def gave me a good dose of laughter therapy!

Saturday my friends had planned on going to a wine and food festival but the weather basically demanded that we postpone the festival and soak up every ounce of sun next to the pool.  There are a few apartment pools in our area but there is only one that basically turns into a party every weekend.  It has been nicknamed ROHAB because it is the perfect bit of rehab after a long week.  Bonus there was also a super cute pomeranian pup that was running around and made instant friends with our group, dogs make everything better!!  Saturday we were there from 11-3 before we dragged ourselves inside to clean up and head to the festival.  The wine and food festival is a really cool small event where you get to try a variety of wines from all over.  It was fun to be there with such a big group!  From there we just kept the party going with some drinking games and then we headed to the bars.  It made for a long, late, and perfect summer Saturday!

 Sunday we decided to nurse out hangovers and head back to the pool for some more sun!  It was another perfect day and we couldn't pass up the opportunity since there may not be many more left.  I got a little too much color but it was so much fun none of us wanted to leave.  We capped off the night with a "family" dinner at P.F. Changs that is going to be a new Sunday tradition!

Overall it was really such an amazing weekend perfect friends, perfect wine, perfect weather, the only thing missing was the BF but I made sure he got to enjoy it from afar by sending him and obnoxious amount of pics lol!

I'm back!

So to say I have been MIA is an understatement!  So many changes have occured in the last month and I am finally at the point to get back into a new normal routine.  So what has been going on.....

Well the BF has officially moved.  Back in April he decided to attend the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Business MBA program, which required an obvious move and a lot of preperation.  Both of us were excited for him to begin something so big and life changing and the actual move came up on us so quick.  The weekend before we decided to throw a huge party with everyone of our closest friends so the BF could see everyone one last time.  The party was a blast and it felt so incredible to have so many friends there with us to support him.

 

 

Even though the weeks leading up to the party were fun we were also trying to move me into my new apartment and get the BF all packed up, needless to say with work, school, packing, emotions, etc it was exhausting!  The only perk was that I think I was too dang busy to actually realize what was happening which was a good thing at the time since I didn't become a complete hot mess HA.  That Tuesday after my workday we finished packing up the Uhaul and headed out for MN. 

 

We planned on doing the whole drive at once but we actually stopped right at the Wisconsin border for a quick nap (only slept 3 hours) at about 2 am.  The whole trip took us about 16 hours and in all honesty it was miserable.  The only perk was being stuck in the car with the BF, but we both decided that when I make the move we will be paying to have my stuff shipped for me! 

Once we arrived it was all about quality time and soaking up as much of eachother as we could.  Most days we spent at the pool and nights were about exploring the city.  To be honest it was one of the best weekends we have had which was perfect, until I started to realize it was coming to an end.  Saturday night I was a total wreck, since everything was perfect I hated that I would have to leave and it would be another month before we could have that time again.  And lets just say the amount of crying in the security line of the airport for my one way flight back was a little embarrasing. 

Thankfully the BF is the most amazing man in the world and knew that leaving would be so much of a struggle.  I arrived home to the most beautiful roses and such a heartfelt card.  It really did make me realize why I loved him so much and that he will be the person to make a long distance relationship worth every minute apart.

 So where is life now.... thankfully I am only a few bottles of wine and one emotional breakdown in lol!  It has been one full week and I finally feel like I am settling into my new normal routine.  Technology is a god send and between texts, phone calls, and facetime I feel like I haven't missed a moment of his new life in MN.  My girls have also been more amazing then I could have ever imagined.  The frist few days my phone was flooded with advice, funny stories, encouragment, and care from those who are closest to me, and even a few girls I am just starting to really adore.  I knew my friends would be there but having this much support has made me realize how truly lucky I am!  Only 4 more weeks to go until I get to visit again and until then I know my girls will make everyday special.

I am trying to concentrate right now on finishing school (only 2 weeks to graduation) and getting my eating and workout routines back on schedule.  The few weeks of moving and parties left me not feeling so hot about myself so I am finally back on track and ready to get moving again.  This started as a place for me to keep myself accountable and share my food and workout routines so I plan on keeping that up from now on!



Ruined by Soffe Shorts

So I officially decided today that I hate traditional running shorts!  Pretty sure that a liftime of the classic cheerleading and dance costume of Soffe shorts or spandex ruined me from the look and feel of real running shorts.  A few months ago I picked up 2 pretty cute pairs from UA and I really just can't get into them.  First I don't understand why they don't roll at least twice without getting bunchy.  You can roll a pair of Soffe shorts like 3 times before they look weird (albiet they look super short lol).  And second I feel like there is just an insane amount of fabric loose around my thigh.  I hate that when I sit down to stretch I feel like you can see straight up them, because you can, and that they get all bunched up when I run.  I understand this is total #firstworldrunnerproblems but I still had to vent!

I was able to get in a good run today though on my lunch hour.  The first two miles went pretty smooth and I had to walk a bit of the third but it still felt great to finally get a run in outside.  It has been too balls hot to do anything outside since the start of July but the current mid to low 70s is perfect.  Followed it up with my favorite flavor of NUUN which I am sadly now out of :-(  I was actually really surprised that I love the grape most since anything artifically flavored in grape usually makes me gag!  Guess I will have to do another Amazon order soon.

Hopefully everyone is able to get out and enjoy the weather today!

Starting Over

I need to make this my new life motto!  The last three weeks have been a mixture of amazing vacations, getaways, and celebrations. This has meant that the last three weeks haven't included much in terms of fitness.  Since we left for Minnesota I have gained around 6 pounds and can tell that I have lost a lot of the tone I worked so hard to gain.  I know it isn't always about the numbers but when I know every 6 of those pounds came from alcohol, fudge, eating out, snacking, and more drinks it makes me realize that I need to do something.

Tuesday was my first day back to work and my gym from our weekend trip so I decided to pack my favorite shirt, print off my new honeymoon bikini routine from tone it up (which is brutal by the way), and get to work! 

 

The BF and I also decided that we are going to start having roller dates instead of wine dates!  Both of us suffer from hip and knee pain and the rollers do so much good but we have been slacking hardcore.  Now we are trying to commit to at least 3 roller dates a week!

Wednesday I did 30 minutes of cardio on the eliptical and another tone it up full body routine. And then we went to trader joes and stocked up on some of our favorite healthy staples, and just some of our favorites!  I have a slight obsession with Peanut Butter Panda Puffs and trader joes is the first place I have been able to find them in a few years so I was a super happy camper!

Tonight we have plans all night so I decided to get in early for a cardio session.  I have been dying to try the Itty Bitty Cardio workout from tone it up but my gym is usually too busy to take up the interval time on the treadmill.  Since very few people are at the gym at 6 am I decided it would be the perfect time.  The cardio kicked my booty but it was awesome to feel so accomplished so early in the morning.  Also didn't hurt that I was able to burn 500 calories in 40 minutes!

 

 

Plan for the next few weeks since I don't have too many major events (only one or two a week which is sadly basically none for me) I hope to keep up the good work and watch my food intake like a hawk. Thankfully I have recruited my bestie J to keep me motivated.... things are so much easier with a good friend!

I don't think I can eat anymore fudge!

This past weekend was my final big vacation of the summer!  The BF and I decided that we would love to do a weekend getaway just us two before he left for Minnie in August.  I haven't been to Mackinac Island since I was in middle school and we thought it would be the perfect place for a quick weekend trip.

 



I have gone with my family before but was never able to actually spend the night on the island because of how pricey it can be.  We decided to go all out and stay at The Grand Hotel which is by far the fanciest hotel on the island.  Thankfully they were running summer specials and by staying on the off nights we were able to get a great deal on a food and lodging package!

There are zero moterized vehicles on the island so you have to arrive by ferry and get everywhere by bike, horse, or walking. Since I can't ride a bike (long story) we decided to walk most of it except for a quick horse taxi ride to get to our beautiful hotel.

 

 

We could not have asked for a more perfect experience, everything from the food to the room to the staff were wonderful and there was so much to see and do.  My favorite part is that every night at 6:00pm every guest on the grounds has to be in formal attire.. women in dresses or pant suits and men in a suit coat and tie.  The BF and I love dressing up and it was so amazing to be in such a timless place with guest that also enjoyed the experience. 

The hotel has a lot to do but most of it involves walking through their gardens, playing bocce ball, golf, listening to live music, and porch sitting.  The BF and I had the hardest time just sitting and enjoying ourselves and our environment or walking around the gardens we constantly were asking eachother "what do you want to do?" instead of just enjoying the place we were in.  Def taught us a lesson that we need to just let ourselves relax more often and step away from the chaos and plans of our every day life.

Anyone not from Michigan that might not get the fudge reference in the title, Mackinac Island is known for their fudge shops.  So much so that they call their tourists Fudgies because they mainly just come or talk about the fudge!  About every other store on Main Street has their own brand and flavors of fudge and each one is more than happy to hand out as many samples as your heart desires.  The BF and I decided that we had to try each place before we made a purchase and then bought a pound and a half because we thought we should lol!  I ate all of my peanut butter fudge before we even got home and we are still working on a tiny bit of turtle fudge still.

I am so happy we were able to get away just us two for some much needed quality time before we start oh so joyous long distance hell relationship!