Words to live by: "How am I improving?"

I had a FANTASTIC holiday weekend and spent time with my hubs, my family and my friends. Mother Nature was just kind enough to bring us some sunny weather on Monday to help us really celebrate and appreciate the weekend. :)

I'll be honest, my diet only came along for part of our excursions this weekend. I have found that too much meat in my diet tends to upset my stomach, so I try to gear my daily eating towards more vegetable based proteins and greens. However, a freshly grilled burger is sometimes too enticing to pass up!

mmmmm delicious......

Sometimes, you just have to live in the moment and enjoy that treat. This is okay, too! Your diet does not exist in a single meal or a single day, but in the meal choices you make over weeks, months and years. An occasional treat will be that much more special. Don't fret over having one indulgent day or meal.  :)  In the meantime, I am going to make sure that these treats are appropriately spaced apart. 

In my "fresh start" for the week, here is a recipe that I love, is simple to make and is good for you, too!

Brocolli Salad

1head of raw broccoli diced in ½" pieces
1 carrot - shaved
¼ of a red cabbage
¼ of a red onion finely diced
handful of pine nuts or white beans (canned or cooked)

veganese (I really enjoy the grapeseed oil version) or mayo to taste

2 tablespoons of honey

4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
pinch of cayene pepper
pinch of salt

Place all ingrediants in a bowl, mix and serve. Measurements above are to taste. I tend to like my food more acidic and less creamy so I typically add more vinegar versus veganese but this is up to you. 

 

one of my favorites!

 

Lentil Terrors (aka Lentil burgers)

2 cups uncooked lentils

spices

serve on bun. :) 

JUST KIDDING  - I made these one day without cooking the lentils.  My husband and father had the pleasure of eating them.  I am lucky they did not lose any teeth.  Frank dubbed them lentil terrors after consumption

Enjoy and let me know about your progress!!!

Gratitude

This weekend marks our annual Memorial Day weekend.  While most of us here in the US think of this as the start of summer, I must remind everyone what we are truly celebrating.

Memorial Day is a US holiday remembering of all the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

THANK YOU, to all the military men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom.

Instead of posting about exercise or fitness today, I am simply going to list a few things for which I am thankful. It is so easy to overlook the many wonderful things we have been given. Take a few minutes every day to write down 3 things for which you are grateful. I think you will be surprised about how quickly you will start to see other things in your day in a positive light! J

So, today I am thankful for….

1)      My freedom – thank you soldiers for the ultimate sacrifice.  This is a great country to grow up in and as a daughter of immigrants I always remember the opportunities this land has to offer.

2)      My husband – I am lucky to have married my best friend and a person I will have the pleasure of growing old with (God willing)

3)      My parents – for doing the best job at the hardest job this world offers you – and being great at it!

4)      My brothers – for helping raise me to be the strong woman I am (or at least think I am ;))

5)      My sister – a military woman, a great mother and an inspiration for me

6)      My friends – for truly being my extended family

7)      My in-laws – an addition to my family – I am one lucky girl to love them as if I was an actual blood relative

8)      My home – for the roof over my head, the pillow under it and the covers that keep me warm at night

9)      My food – for nourishing my body

10)   For CLEAN water – the elixir of life

11)   For the Sun – for its warmth and energy

So, that’s it for today……thank you for reading this and the opportunity to share…..

XOXO

Veeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Here's the notebook where I list my daily "grateful" notes - thank you Jen Fordham for personalizing it for me =)

 

 

Work out with a partner......

Holy smokes, I did it! I did it!!!!!! I got through a full Thedailyhiit workout! All 8 exercises 3 times through! Sure, I had to modify the reptile push up and I only did so many reps of each, but I finished!  It was extremely hard (I am not going to lie) but I am proud that I completed the workout!  I have to give a big shout out to my hubby, Frank-the-Tank, for pushing me to finish.

Which brings me to today’s post.  I know that when I share exercise time with someone, I train harder and the workouts are more fun.  It’s not to say that I am not focused, it’s just nice having someone motivate me in my moments of weakness. This can often happen when you are first starting out or when you are returning to a fitness program.  Startup can be a hurdle because your body needs time to adjust to the changes (good, healthy changes!) :)

Luckily, I married someone who equally enjoys being active. More importantly, we understand how integral exercise is to our general health and well-being.  Think about it this way; if your body can handle intense workouts a few times a week, how much easier will your regular daily activities become? You might feel sore or tired now, but you are making your body an energy powerhouse and before too long you will feel the difference!

It’s not to say that there are days when I have no drive (at all) to train and all I want to do is binge on delicious treats (ooooo, cheesy poofs)!  But after a few weeks of training, I (mostly) can’t wait to get to the yoga studio, gym or park for a run.  Thankfully, Frank and I seem to alternate willpower on those days so we motivate each other to complete some form of exercise.  We have our daily comedy hour in casa de Ortiz-Glodek filled with lots of procrastination and whining (usually from Frank! heehee!) to muster the energy to workout instead of submitting to the comforts of bed and TV. But between the two of us, we get the support we need to fit in "just one more workout"!

Besides doing something beneficial for our bodies, we also get to spend quality time together doing something that is healthy.  We used to love going out for dinner and many drinks for some 1-on-1 time but that wasn’t necessarily good for us. Not to say that we have completely eliminated doing this, but it has been commonly replaced by spending time together practicing yoga, lifting weights or BodyRocking (thedailyhiit).

I am in this to make some lasting life choices and I hope I can motivate you to try something new in your life, too. If you ever need a a workout partner, I am here!  Give me a shout out on my blog or Facebook and I will be your support and motivation!

 

Below are some photos of my workout - whew!

 

1st exercise in the dailyhiit workout - jump squats with diagonal touch

 

 

2nd exercise - ball jumps

 

 

My moment of weakness - yes, it happened after only a couple of minutes but this workout is exhausting!  It pushes you to your limits. And I am trying my hardest to get back into shape!  Thankfully, Frank was behind the camera phone telling me to push, that I could do it! 

 

Oh and I did - woohooooo!

 

Part of the 3rd exercise - mountain climbers

 

            

Part of the 5th exercise - modified reptile push up - don't be afraid of these! If you have to go down on your knees, do it! Just make sure your form is right and then build your strength until you can do this with two straight legs

 

 

6th exercise - side to side squat and leg lift

 

 

8th (and last!) exercise - one leg to cruch (right)