Ab-licious Workout

Hi All!

Hope you had a great day.  It was a little warmer today, and although I contemplated going for a quick run, time just got away from me.  Sometimes it takes way longer than expected to just run a few errands.

First order of business?  Stock up on ingredients to make juice!  I figured that since I wasn’t likely to juice every morning (short on time/not a morning person), it would make more sense for me to juice and freeze.

I stocked up on organic apples, lemons, cucumbers, and a big bag of kale.  I have never seen bagged kale before, but it was the only kale I could find in the grocery store.

I wanted to make my juices ‘greener,’ and I figured kale would be the best addition.  I really don’t eat much kale, and because I know how good it is for me, I love to juice with it.

I split up the ingredients and my freezing containers, and set out to make 6 servings.  A little trick that I read in my juicer manual was to put a plastic bag in the waste pail to make clean up easier.  Eventually I would like to use the pulp to make some fiber-rich meals, but today I was focused on being a juicing queen. 🙂

How good does that juice look?  It really was such a pretty color, and made the house smell amazing.

I plan on putting lids on these babies and putting them in the freezer.  Each night I will take one out and put in the fridge so that it is thawed for me to drink in the am.  I had thought about using an ice cube tray, but wasn’t sure exactly how many trays I would need for a week.

After juicing and freezing, I settled in at Starbucks to get some grading done.  I tried their nonfat Chai Latte for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.  Although it was sweeter than I usually like (I like black coffee and plain espresso, I know, weird), it was a nice ‘warm me up from the inside out’ drink.

Can you see my Uggs peeking out? 🙂 I really enjoy reading my student’s work, and really like seeing the progress they make throughout the school year.

After spending way too many hours in Starbucks, but really getting a lot accomplished, I packed up and headed to my gym.  This week my gym is offering a few free classes of ones that are usually an additional cost; Pilates Reformer, TRX Band Training, KettleBoxing, etc.  All the super cool classes that I don’t usually attend 🙂

I walked into the studio and was a little intimidated by how complex the machines appeared to be, and was nervous I would not be able to handle it.

I was completely wrong.  I loved the class, and I think my background in yoga helped me to really pick things up quicker (I am a 200-hour Hatha yoga certified teacher).  We used the machines to do leg presses, extensions, etc. on our backs, and I really feel like I got a good full body workout.  Especially my core- my abs are so sore right now!  It’s a good sore though 🙂

Tomorrow my Lululemon order should come in the mail (can anyone say second Christmas!?!) and I will finally get to Zumba. 🙂 I think I need to schedule more days of Zumba a week.  Although I have no rhythm, my heart melts thinking about how much I ❤ it.

Any big plans for Friday or this weekend?  Zumba-ing like me? 🙂 I always look forward to the weekends because I always make sure to have fun workouts scheduled with friends.  Scheduling keeps me accountable. 🙂

xxo Stephanie

 

Juice-ified

Hi All!

Sorry for the delay in this post today.  I had a super busy day and had planned to blog at Starbucks, but their internet was down 😦  It’s okay, we’re just rolling with the punches over here 🙂  Here is my post from this am:

First thing first, Dr. Os snapped a picture of me and my little love bug sleeping this morning… I think he’s actually a human trapped in a dog body. 🙂

When I woke up I had an amazing surprise waiting for me on my doorstep.

My juicer!

I have been searching for one for awhile, and when I finally found this one on Amazon on sale, I knew I needed to order it.  I scrounged around the fridge and figured I’d try my hand at my first juice.  This was definitely my favorite combo- it was so unbelievably fresh.

1 large lemon, 2 small granny smith apples, and 1 large english cucumber

This was the first morning I didn’t drink any coffee either.  It is amazing how energizing fresh juice can be. 🙂

I’m off to Starbucks to get some grading done, and then heading to my first Pilates Reformer class.

Ever taken a Pilates Reformer class before?  Did you like it? I am usually a yoga girl, but my gym is offering a few free specialty classes this week.  I am excited to try something new and work out some new muscles.

xxo Stephanie

Health = Wealth

Hi All!

Today was such a good day, despite the cold weather here in Jersey.  I am just starting to get over my cold, and was itching to get back to the gym!

I was all bundled up and ready to face the cold! Side note- still working on how to take good blog pictures, bear with me por favor 🙂

At the gym I was all set to run my 4 miles, but after my warm-up on the elliptical, I knew my heart was racing faster than normal.  I had Dr. Os take my heart rate (who needs a heart rate monitor when you’ve got him around? 😉 ) and we both decided it would be better if I lifted instead.

I spent some time working on biceps and triceps and called it a day.

Although I was disappointed with my ability to push myself hard today, I knew it was a smart decision to listen to my body. Dr. Os knew I wasn’t super happy, so he stopped at the juice bar to cheer me up.

Apple, carrot, and celery.  Although it wasn’t my favorite, it was very fresh.

Do you juice or drink fresh vegetable juice? What is your favorite combo? I just purchased my first juicer and am excited to try different combinations.

Time for some Modern Family, tea, and bed 🙂

xxo Stephanie