Week 3-Workout week in review + Sweet Potato Cookie Recipe

Good Morning!  I woke up so sore this morning, and I don't know about you but I LOVE it!  I know that I worked hard and its a good reminder to keep my eating on track.  Do you love being sore?

So, I am at the end of week 3 and I am noticing a change in how strong I feel during my workouts, I did burpees twice this week and didn't want to pass out!  I see a burpee challenge coming soon!

Here is my week 3 in review-
Monday- Chest and arms circuits + treadmill intervals 2 mins at 3.5 mph, 1 min at 6.0 mph- repeated for 30 minutes. 
Tuesday- Jillian Michaels Kickboxing workout 20 minutes and treadmill intervals same as Monday's

Wednesday- I tried out a Baby Boot Camp class (day one of burpees).  You can read more about my experience here.  It was a great workout, and got me thinking about starting my own Stroller Fitness Class for mommies and their babies.

Thursday- Day off.  I had my second Bowenwork session.  Bowenwork is a kind of massage that works to correct muscle imbalances.

Friday- Legs with treadmill sprints circuits- This workout kicked my butt and I loved every minute of it!

Saturday- Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed & Shred (day two of burpees)- 30 minutes and Jillian Michaels Kickboing abs workout.  I was a sweaty mess, but felt so good after my workout!  You can't tell in the photo but I am dripping sweat and my hair is a mess...sign of a great workout!

Working on my fitness!

Saturday's sweat session burn!

My weekly totals! 5 hours and 20 minutes- 2,400 calories!

Sunday- REST

As far as my eating for the week, I started off really strong with meals and snacks prepared.  I had a cheat meal on Thursday night (pizza) and a few pieces of Dove Dark chocolate, until then I had no sugar.  I planned on making dinner Friday night, but my little one wasn't feeling well so I sat with her instead.  We ended up making Friday nights dinner on Saturday, grilled chicken and scallops and those yummy zucchini fries.  All in all I would say a good week.  I have learned not to beat myself up over a few slip ups, no guilt, and to move on with the next meal or snack as a fresh start.  You have to go with the flow, life isn't perfect and neither are we, so we have to do the best we can and know that it is enough.  No negative self talk here!

*You can get all my workouts here.  I will be posting my next 4 weeks soon, so come back for those!
How did your week go?  Did you get all your workouts in? 

Okay, on to the yummy stuff!  I was poking around on Pinterest, as I usually do, looking for healthy cookie recipes for my little one and happened upon these sweet potato cookies!  The recipe is from Kitchen Queen Eats Clean. 
I am going to make these soon and I will let you know how they are.  Let me know if you make them too!  I love trying new recipes...here it is:

 

Here is the recipe rundown-

You will need: baking pan, parchment paper, large bowl, food processor, medium pot, mixing spoon. 

Recipe adapted from : The Betty Rocker 
 
2 cups pureed sweet potato (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup oat flour (can be sub. w/ another kind of flour)
1/2 cup nut butter
2 eggs
3 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Spices:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp La Boite Yemen #10 (a blend of ginger, cinnamon, and clove- sub with 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp clove, and additional 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
1 tsp cacao powder
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Boil a medium pot of water. Peel and dice sweet potatoes, add to water. Cook till they can be easily forked. Once they are done add to the food processor and pulse till smooth. Let cool.

2. Mix dry ingredients- oat flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the nut butter with a fork or a pastry cutter if you have one. I ended up using my hands.

3. Add eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix in sweet potato and then chocolate chips.

4. Scoop onto parchment paper or foil lined baking sheet- I used a mini ice cream scooper. Then press down with a fork.

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Please feel free to share your week in review, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Yeah no, Don't Put Me Down for Cardio + A Few Interval Cardio Workouts

If you are a Pitch Perfect fan, as I am, you will know exactly what the above photo means, if not...you are missing out!  I will be the first to admit that I don't love cardio the way that I love strength training.  That is until I learned about the wonder that is interval cardio training.

First lets talk a little technical about cardio there are two main types, low intensity (steady state) and high intensity or interval training.  Steady state is getting on a piece of cardio equipment, treadmill, elliptical, bike, you get the picture, and staying at a steady heart rate for the whole session.  Some believe that this is best for weight loss because you are in your "weight loss heart rate zones", sounds right but what happens is your body adapts to this quite quickly and you won't be burning as many calories as you once were.  This is okay if you can only stay at low impact for medical reasons, but for those of us looking for a challenge high intensity interval training (sometimes called HIIT).

HIIT is cardio with a twist and there are two ways I incorporate them into my workouts, the first is on the treadmill with 2 or 3 different intervals per 30 or 45 minute session.  I will also add them in during my strength training to burn more calories and not have to do a separate cardio session.  High intensity intervals work by raising your heart rate then letting it recover many times over and over.  This forces your body to adapt and change.  It doesn't know what is coming next and will keep it guessing.  This process also boosts your metabolism and can even burn extra calories once your session is complete.  In my book HIIT is the clear winner.  Now that being said it is good to mix up your workouts and to have some days that are lower intensity to let your body and muscles recover.  It is even nice to get outside and go for a walk on a recovery day, this will also help your sore muscles because it gets you moving and blood flowing to help them recover.  Have you ever noticed that when you are sore and you sit around how stiff you can get?  This is why getting moving will help!

Okay, ready for some workouts?  Here are a few workouts I do that incorporate HIIT!  Let me know how you do...you can thank me later ;-)

Workout 1-
Treadmill Intervals:
5 minute warmup @ 3.0-3.5 mph (do not skip this, you need to warm your muscles up before the HIIT session)
2 minutes @3.5
1 minute @ 6.0
30 seconds @ 7
Repeat with the 2 min @ 3.5 and continue until you have reached your desired time.
I guarantee that you will be sweating and that the 30-45 minutes will fly by.

Workout 2-
Circuit workout (total body with HIIT mixed in)
5 minute treadmill warmup @3.5 mph
Circuit #1- Repeat 3x before moving on to #2
Pushups- 30 seconds
plank hold 30 seconds
bicep curls- 30 seconds
jump squats- 30 seconds
1 minute sprint on treadmill at 6.0-7.0 mph

Circuit #2-
Upright dumbbell row- 30 seconds
tricep kickbacks- 30 seconds
bicycle crunches- 30 seconds
jumping jacks- 30 seconds
1 minute sprint @ 6.0-7.0 mph

Circuit #3- (if you're still alive! Stick with 2 circuits if you are just beginning to workout)
Reverse lunges- 30 seconds
bridges- 30 seconds
toe touch crunches- 30 seconds
mountain climbers-30 seconds
1 minute sprint @ 6.0-7.0 mph

* A few notes:  use a weight that you can lift for 30 seconds but is challenging.  Also, find a fitness timer that beeps at you when you need to change circuits.  I use a Gymboss interval timer.  Its bout $20 but well worth it.  You can set your time and a rest time to get to your next circuit.  I love it!  Make sure to let your heart rate fully recover before starting your next circuit.  You can also just do 2 rounds of each circuits if you are doing these for the first time.  Also, if you are doing this workout at home and don't have a treadmill you can do sprints in the space that you have just run back and forth for the minute at a full out sprint.

Get on that treadmill and get going!

Stop back and let me know how you do!  I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for stopping by!