Homemade Chipotle Salad
Posted: May 18, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts Leave a comment »I have to be at my new job earlier than I used to go in, so I’ve had to work more quickly in the gym in order to avoid having to get up any earlier. It’s a little bit stressful, but it also makes me work harder! Here’s what yesterday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Strength:
- 15×4 Bent over rows
- 15×4 back extensions
- 10×4 Bent over front raises + Upright rows
- 10×4 Deadlifts @ 85#
- 5×4 Inverted rows
- Workout 1 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 OH squats @ 35#
- Workout 2 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 Front squats @ 35#
- 100 Med ball slams
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
Most of my meals have been pretty repetitive this week, but I did have a couple interesting ones. First up: this one with fried eggs over leftover steak and sautéed green peppers. I have been eating lots of typically “lunch” or “dinner” meals for breakfast, but this was a nice combination of both. Who says you can’t have a nice, juicy piece of steak for breakfast?!
I’ve also been on a berry kick this week, eating this big container of strawberries and blackberries with my eggs and peppers for breakfast the other morning.
But the star of the show this week as far as meals go though was, by far, my homemade Chipotle salad. I love, love Chipotle, but since we don’t have one where I live, I’m not able to go very often. The other night, I didn’t know what the heck to have for dinner, but I saw a jar of salsa in the fridge, so it gave me the idea to try and recreate the restaurant’s salad myself.
First, I cooked up chicken and peppers in a pan, sprinkling the peppers with just a bit of cumin at the end.
To build the salad, I went layer by layer, just like they do at the restaurant, adding everything that I usually get when I go there.
First up, some romaine lettuce, sliced up into thin strips.
Next came the peppers, cooked up so they were nice and tender. (If you haven’t tried slightly burning your peppers, you should. It makes all the flavors really come out well.)
Next up came the chicken, which I cut up into very thin slices so it was moist and tender.
And last, but not least, a couple spoonfuls of hot salsa to top it all off. Who needs dressing when you’ve got salsa?!
I gave it all a good toss, and voila! It tasted just like I had gone out and bought it. Seriously, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of doing this before; it was awesome and I practically licked the plate clean!
When it comes to salsa (like anything else), you have to be careful about which one you choose if you’re trying to avoid artificial ingredients. Unless you’re planning on leaving the jar on your shelf for years at a time, there really is no need for all that extra garbage to be added to something that can otherwise be very healthy. Salsa is a great garnish that you can make at home if you choose, but if you’re buying it from the store, be sure to check the ingredients list before you buy.
This brand is one of my favorites because of its taste and texture…
But also because of what’s in it (or not in it).
Just real ingredients and nothing unnecessary!
If you’re a Chipotle fan, definitely give this salad a try. You could easily add beans, cheese, or onions too, just like you’d get if you went out!
Lunch At Home & 100% Clean
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: workouts, cardio, daily, strength, crossfit, nutrition | Tags: workouts, cardio, strength, daily, crossfit, nutrition Leave a comment »One of the (many) things I’ve been loving about my new job is that it’s much easier to go home for lunch. My commute is approximately two minutes now, so it takes me all of five minutes to get from my front door to my desk. I know some people like having a long commute where they can think… or be alone… or whatever… but I don’t. At all. In fact, I don’t see driving as “relaxing” in any way. I see it as time where I could be doing something more productive/fun, and so whenever I do have to drive, I end up making lists and plans in my head the whole time anyway.
I have been bringing my lunches to work just in case I can’t get home for whatever reason, and one of the things that makes packing lunches much easier for me is this little guy.
It is a salad dressing holder, and it’s perfect for taking dressing on the road with you. (Who wants to lug a whole bottle of dressing to their desk and back every time they want a salad?) My mom and my aunt each got me one, which is great because I do wonder if, after a while, they will start to smell/taste like the dressings I put in them. All of the pieces come apart and they are pretty easy to wash, so I haven’t had that problem yet, but it’s always good to have backup in case.
The other day, I made a dressing right in it by adding some olive oil, red wine vinegar, and jerk seasoning and giving it a good shake. This salad had romaine lettuce, spinach, red peppers, carrots, and cucumbers, even though you can’t really see much of it hiding beneath the chicken.
Most of my other meals have been pretty standard lately (chicken, steak, eggs, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, etc.), but yesterday it was particularly sunny and warm, so I decided it was the perfect day for a special smoothie. When I ran home for lunch, I threw a frozen banana, a few frozen strawberries, and a little bit of water into my GNC blender. After a couple minutes, it was absolutely deeee-licious. Doesn’t get much better on your lunch hour than drinking a healthy, fruity drink in the sun, does it?
For the past week, I have been eating 100% clean, and the difference has been visible. My stomach aches have reduced, and for the first time in a while, yesterday I didn’t feel like I needed a nap by the time the afternoon rolled around. I know I’ve said it before, but it really is crazy how much what you put into your body affects your daily (and long-term!) health and well-being. I generally eat pretty well, but all those “treats” add up after a while, and since I’ve committed fully, it’s been great.
Feeling better has not only given me what I need to tackle my new, more demanding job, but it’s also given me more energy in the gym.
Here’s what Wednesday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk; 15 back squats @ 45
- Deadlifts:
- 15 @ 85#
- 12 @ 105#
- {8 @ 125#} x5
- Workout:
- Run .5 mile
- 25 Thrusters @ 35#
- Run .5 mile
- 25 Thrusters @ 35#
- 30 Pull-ups
- 50 Cleans @ 35#
- 50 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 100 Weighted side bends
- 50 Cleans @ 35#
- 50 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 100 Weighted side bends
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
And here’s what Thursday’s looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Front squats:
- Warm-up
- 5×5 @ 135#
- Workout (15 min AMRAP):
- Run 1 lap
- 10 Push-ups
- 15 Air squats
- @ 35#:
- 50 Hang cleans
- 50 Shoulder presses
- 50 RDLs
- 50 Back squats @ 45#
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
I thought that run/pushup/air squats workout was going to be a piece of cake, but I was wrong. We did it as a group, and I’m not sure how many rounds we got through (there were a lot, and I lost count after about two), but I definitely felt accomplished afterwards!
I know my posts have been a little sporadic lately, but my meals have mostly been shoved into my face between meetings, and besides my new job, everything else has just been pretty normal this week. Hopefully I will have something fun to share after the weekend.
Have a good one! 
Guest Post: Finding a Healthy Balance with an Inspiration Board
Posted: May 16, 2013 Filed under: fitspiration, guest post, lifespiration | Tags: fitspiration, guest post, lifespiration Leave a comment »Today I have a really cool guest post from a reader. Michelle has a passion for health and wellness, and she has written a piece that will hopefully help you find what inspires you to live better as well. Although I’ve never created my own inspiration board, I tend to use fitspiration posts and Pinterest to do the same type of thing, so Michelle’s words really resonate with me. I hope they will for you, too! ____________________________________________________________________________________
It takes trials and errors to find a healthy balance in life’s various facets. This holds especially true when searching for a healthy balance in achieving and maintaining our fitness goals. However, you can create an inspiration board to detail and strategize your health and fitness goals. Envision the healthy balance required to meet your goal, and place pictures representing proportioned balance on your board. If you strategize your goal this way, organization and motivation unite to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and losing sight of balance.
How do you strategize and organize a healthy balance? Begin by scouring resources for images that represent your goal and all that you need to achieve that goal. Include pictures that symbolize inspiration and motivation. Pictures of healthy foods, action shots of an inspirational person, and a list of daily exercises work well on healthy, balanced inspiration boards.
After you collect the pieces of your collage, choose one image that best signifies your goal and place it as the focal point of your inspiration board. It does not matter if you have a short-term goal, such as dropping one dress size, or a long-term goal, such as an overall healthier lifestyle to live longer; the central image signifies your goal and visualizing it on a daily basis reminds you of your purpose when the daily steps to achieve the result overwhelm you.
It is now time to surround your focal point with the other pictures that inspire you to meet your goal. Health and fitness goals require an equal balance of diet, exercise, motivation and emotional health. Organize the pictures in a manner that makes sense to you: four quadrants, a tier system, a Venn diagram or broken into daily or weekly achievements.
The foods you eat comprise one-fourth of a healthy balance, so create a collage of healthy foods you enjoy, foods that you want to try, and healthy, tempting recipes. If it inspires you, include methods of disguising food you should eat but dislike. You can find inspiration by discovering what makes food fun and what dietary changes you can sustain for an extended time.
What images motivate you to exercise? Pictures of exercise equipment, a painting of a path for jogging in a field of flowers, or images of a crowded gym work for some people. Write a list of exercises you want to perform on a daily basis. Depending on what gets you up and moving, you might want to include a playlist of upbeat music. This is your inspiration board: What works for you?
Why should you include a motivation section on an inspiration board? Despite apparent redundancy, personalizing and visualizing your motivation keeps you on a balanced track. Use this section for pictures personifying the reasons behind your goal. A person crossing a finish line, a special outfit for a special day, or a grandparent surrounded by children might remind you why you have a goal, or perhaps you have other reasons. Search for images of a special person or event that inspires you, and place the picture on your inspiration board.
Emotional health is vital for a healthy balance but is often neglected. If you include pictures of relaxing activities, such as a bubble bath, a garden or favorite books, you have a visual reminder of the importance of emotional rest and relaxation. Placing prompts for leisure gives you a respite from focusing all your attention on diet and exercise and rejuvenates your spirit so you can carry on.
Get as specific and detailed as you must: This is your board to seek daily inspiration, so you want images that light a fire within you and not someone else. Use pictures that enable you to visualize your goal and see the healthy balance required for success in reaching for your particular stars.
Check out this example fitspirational board:
I’m really inspired by yoga for a number of reasons and it is the focus of my inspiration board. Yoga focuses the mind and body, teaching ourselves to find a spiritual balance. I also love that yoga can be done anywhere, even the beach! Simple yoga poses are simple stretches that can be done in the comfort of your own home or when traveling. Yoga is great for beginners and the more advanced athlete.
I’m new to golf, but I find it very relaxing. I’ve been learning at Kaluhyat, which is a New York golf resort. They’ve got great instructors, and several courses to practice on.
As part of my personal mission to live a healthier balanced life, I need to get better at taking care of my body. I’m taking more precaution to protect myself from harmful UV rays. Problem is, I love the sun; to compromise, I bought a floppy beach hat (similar to the one pictured from Wet Seal) to help shield my face and eyes. Wearing sunglasses can help prevent sun damage to your eyes that could cause cataracts.
Improvement in your daily diet is where you notice the most change. The best way to start is by adding more fruits and veggies to your regular routine. Try a tasty green smoothie as your mid-morning snack. They may look funky, but they taste great and can be adjusted to your liking!
Photo Credits: Syracuse golf club | Yoga Class | Green Smoothie | Floppy Hat | Yoga Mat
Questions:
What inspires you?
Have you ever made any type of inspiration board?
What are some tips you’d give to others on finding their inspiration?
Focused On Work
Posted: May 15, 2013 Filed under: cardio, circuits, crossfit, daily, nutrition, paleo, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, circuits, crossfit, daily, nutrition, paleo, strength, workouts Leave a comment »Other than starting my new job (which has been going really well!), not a whole lot of new stuff has been going on around here over the past couple of days. I’ve been doing the usual eat-sleep-work-workout-repeat routine, and things have been going pretty smoothly, all things considered. I’m still trying to adjust to my new schedule (I have to be at work a little earlier), and figuring out when the best times to do things are, but I’m sure I’ll get into a groove shortly.
There are times when I’m more focused on fitness, or on relaxing and enjoying myself, or whatever else the case may be, but right now, I’ve definitely been focused on work the most. (Nerd Alert: I even ordered this book to brush up on my Excel skills.) Honestly, I’m liking that fact a lot, and I’m really enjoying learning about my new role and all that I’ll be doing. I think that this change is exactly what I needed!
There have been a couple new things around here lately, in food form, of course:
I tried jicama for the first time… but I didn’t like it. Jicama is a type of Mexican yam/turnip that I’ve heard a lot about, so I used my julienne peeler to shred it up in an attempt to make jicama hash browns.
I cooked it in a pan with black pepper, but apparently that wasn’t the right choice because it was definitely not very good. (That’s me sugar coating things.) I know some of my cookbooks have jicama recipes in them though, so next time I’ll go for more of a structured approach, and hopefully it will taste a lot better.
I also tried yams for the first time (I’m behind the curve, I know), with much more positive results. I cubed up a yam and baked them in the oven, and even reheated in the microwave, I thought they were very good. (You know something’s good when it’s tolerable right out of the microwave.)
Next time, I’m going to cook them just as I need them so that I don’t have to reheat them… I bet they’ll be even better!
I’ve also done a couple of fun new workouts this week, just in case anyone’s following along!
Monday:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk on treadmill
- Back squats:
- 15 @ 45#
- 12 @ 95#
- 10 @ 135#
- 8 @ 175#
- 5×5 185#
- Workout (21-15-9):
- Shoulder presses @ 35#
- Box jumps
- 50 HR push-ups
- 100 crunches
- Cable circuit (4x @ 35#):
- 12 Curls
- 12 Upright rows
- 12 Push downs
- 12 High rows
- 12 Hanging knee lifts
- Core circuit (4x):
- 20 Swiss ball crunches
- 15 Back extensions
- 10 OH side bends (each side)
- 5 Hanging knee lifts
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
Tuesday:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk on treadmill
- Strength: Push presses and Back squats
- 15 @ 35lbs
- 12 @ 55lbs
- 9 @ 65lbs
- {5 @ 75lbs} x5
- Workout (Repeat 5x, running one less lap each time):
- Run 5 laps
- 10 snatches
- 10 Bent over rows
- 10 crunches
- 100 Box jumps
- Cool-down: 10 minute walk
And now, I would like to leave you with this awesome picture I found on Instagram:
I knew I was onto something with my love of near-death bananas!
Questions:
What are you focused on right now? Work… Family… Fitness… Food… Fun?
What’s new in your life right now?
How do you like your bananas?
Bestowed Giveaway!
Posted: May 14, 2013 Filed under: nutrition, product review | Tags: nutrition, product review 6 Comments »A couple of weeks ago, a company called Bestowed reached out to me asking if I would be interested in checking out one of their boxes. They are a monthly subscription company where you can sign up and pay to receive one of their boxes each month, delivered to your door. Inside each box is an assortment of nutrition and lifestyle products, each one hand-picked by celebrity nutritionist and author Heather Bauer.
I looked through their website a little bit, and was immediately intrigued by the products and brands they include in their boxes. They choose what products to feature based on “a products’ ingredients and nutrition, and how it fits into an overall eating regimen,” also considering “things like where a product is made and the packaging that it comes in.” Some of the more popular brands they feature include Kashi, Chobani (<3), Kind, Enjoy Life, Nature’s Path, Justin’s, Green & Black’s Organic, as well as a host of others.
My box arrived last week, and I couldn’t wait to dig into it.
It can be tough to find out about new products unless you’re constantly searching for them, so this format is great for getting exposure to healthy new products. You can try them out and see if you like them before spending a ton of money on a whole pack, and you can learn about new things you may not have seen otherwise.
Inside the box, I saw a couple of brands I recognized, and a couple that I didn’t. But the box came with a guide to most of the products, giving a little background on the brand and the product itself, which helped me learn more.
Pretty much immediately, I dug into this dark chocolate bar. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this brand, and 70% dark is pretty much my jam. Let me tell you: it did not disappoint. The flavor was so good, and it was so smooth and creamy… I loved it.
A little while later, I also tried this raspberry fig bar, which kind of tasted like a Fig Newton – except way better. Since I’m trying to stay away from processed foods and grains, this isn’t something I’d reach for every single day, but I would definitely buy them on my own for the occasional snack. They are dairy free, and the ingredients list was pretty decent – a winner, I say!
I don’t like coconut, so I gave the Kind coconut granola to my friend (who is mildly obsessed with granola) and he said he really liked it. He said the coconut was not overpowering, and it mixed really well with milk. I have tried the Kind bars before and they are great, so I would bet their granola is on point too.
Subscriptions are only $19/month or $209/year, and you probably couldn’t even buy all the stuff in the box for that price!
Now, here’s the fun part:
In case you want to try out a box for yourself, the company has offered to give one of their free boxes to a lucky C&C reader as well!
To enter the giveaway, do one or more of the following:
1) Leave a comment on this post saying why you’d want to try out a Bestowed subscription.
2) Leave a comment on the C&C Facebook page saying you entered the giveaway.
3) Tweet about the giveaway: “I entered @megduv’s @bstowed giveaway! http://wp.me/p26sz1-2Fd”
And just in case you don’t win, the company is also offering all of my readers $5 off their monthly or annual subscriptions when you use the code 5OFFBSTOWED01 at checkout.
I’ll announce the giveaway winner next Monday!
What I Did Do
Posted: May 13, 2013 Filed under: daily | Tags: daily 3 Comments »I didn’t take a single picture of my food this weekend.
What I did do was:
Went to the gym with my mom and cousin and did this workout:
- Warm-up: 10 minute walk
- Strength:
- 15×4 Bent over rows @ 45#
- 10×6 Deadlifts @ 95#
- 5×5 Inverted rows
- 15×4 Back extensions
- 15×4 Bent over front raises @ 20#
- Workout 1 (21-15-9):
- Box jumpovers
- Med ball slams
- Workout 2 (Decided to do a 12 min AMRAP halfway through and got 11 rounds):
- 9 Cleans @ 45#
- 6 Thrusters @ 45#
- 3 OH squats @ 45#
- 100 crunches
- Cool down: 5-10 minute walk
Went shopping and out to lunch with them, enjoying every minute of it!
Did groceries and stocked up on all kinds of fruits, veggies, and meats:
Bought some new jars (for $1 each at Christmas Tree Shops) to make my cabinet more organized:
Saw The Great Gatsby, my first 3D movie, and although it was a little long, thought it was really great!
Slept in and relaxed…
Prepped a whole bunch of healthy meals to detox after a weekend of eating out:
Watched a whole bunch of Swamp People…
And because today is my first day, spent some time getting things in order for my new job.
Between getting things done, spending time with my family, having a couple fun outings, enjoying some restaurant meals (and a little too much ice cream), and taking a few naps… I’d say it was a great weekend.
I am off to meet my new coworkers, so let’s hope everything goes well.
I have a really fun giveaway tomorrow, so be sure to check back then!
Happy Monday! 
Food & Family
Posted: May 11, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, strength, workouts Leave a comment »At dinner last night, my cousin said “I feel like all we did today was eat…” and he was right!
Luckily, he and I got up early yesterday morning and headed to the Y first thing. We knew it would be a full day of eating and family, and it felt good to start the day off with a little sweat!
I did my normal type of workout to start, and he did his own thing for a while before joining me for workout 2 and the rest of the stuff. Here’s what it looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Bench presses:
- 15 @ 45#
- 12 @ 65#
- 8 @ 75#
- {6 @ 75# + 10 sumo squats with high pull @ 30#} x5
- Workout 1 (3x):
- Run 3 laps
- 25 Back extensions
- 25 Crunches
- Workout 2 (21-15-9):
- Box jumps
- KB swings @ 25#
- 100 Med ball slams
- 50 Reverse curls to overhead press
- 100 crunches
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
I pushed him hard and was happy to show him a couple new moves, and he did awesome! It is so fun to teach people new things and push them because most of the time, they have no idea what they’re really capable of!
When I got back home, I toasted up a couple of leftover banana-egg-almond pancakes that I brought with me. Topped with a whole bunch of berries and maple syrup, they were just as tasty the second time.
A little later on, my whole family headed down to the cemetery in Massachusetts where my grandmother’s family is buried. My memere passed away in October and was cremated, but she wanted to be buried with her parents, so my family had a small ceremony for her while we were there.
She was a very special lady and I know she would’ve been very happy to see us all together on such a bright, sunny day.
Afterwards, we all went out for a special lunch together – something that doesn’t happen very often anymore with everyone being so busy in their own lives. It was so nice to get to remember Mem together, catch up with everyone, and share some laughs for the afternoon.
My mom and I were stuffed after lunch, but ice cream was Mem’s absolute favorite food in the world, so we went out for some in her honor. Her favorite was mocha chip, but I got milky way and it was delicious!
The afternoon was filled with TV-watching, errands, and naps… but once we regrouped, my mom, cousin, and I headed back out to the mall to do a little shopping. I needed some new dress pants for work and some new workout shirts for the gym, and I found a couple of both.
Then, as if we needed another treat, I suggested Mexican for dinner. We don’t really have a good, authentic Mexican restaurant where I live now, so I haven’t had it in quite a while, which is obviously a problem. Chips and salsa to the rescue!
I got my usual beef taco + chicken enchilada combo, but I was so stuffed I could barely finish it.
We finished off the night at my cousin’s baseball game, and then I promptly fell asleep on the couch. A 6am gym time, plus family time, running around, and a whole bunch of good food makes for a very tired person… but it is always so good to be home!
