Week in Review 12/15-12/21

Happy Sunday!  I have decided to get back to my week in review posts.  It is such a great accountability tool for me.  I posted on my Facebook last week about the struggle I am facing right now with trying to work through my relationship with food.  For a large part of my life I have been on the restrict/binge pattern.  I also have a tendency to get really close to my goal then sabotage my progress.  I am working with Anna Lavonne Richardson to help me overcome these obstacles that are holding me back from getting to where I want to be with my health and fitness. It is a whole other post in itself, but I just wanted to share a bit of what I am going through right now.  I know I am not alone in the struggle.  Once I get farther along in my journey I will post an update.  I hope that one day I can post about how I was able to overcome this struggle and get to a good balanced place.  I have been there before and I know I can get there again and this time stay there for the rest of my life.  If this is something you are going through too, send me a message, we can do it together.  Having a support system is important, and knowing that you are not the only one and not alone helps so much too!  You are worth the time it takes to work on the person you want to become.  That is my goal for 2015, to over come this hard point in my life and move forward.  It comes down to the mental aspect of it all and having positive self talk.  It is all a work in progress.

Source

 Week In Review 12.15.14-12.21.14:
Monday- lifting: chest & arms, cardio: HIIT intervals on the treadmill 20 minutes
Tuesday- rest day
Wednesday- lifting: back & shoulders, cardio: tabata 20 minutes
Thursday- lifting: arms, cardio: HIIT treadmill intervals 30 minutes
Friday- lifting: legs, cardio: plyo intervals during my leg workout.
Saturday- rest day (I had planned on getting a workout in, however my little one cut her toe pretty deep and I had to take her to get it glued to stop the bleeding...stressful afternoon!  She is okay though, she didn't even cry once, she is a tough little girl.)
Sunday- rest day
Total calories burned according to my Polar Heart Rate Monitor- 2082

My plan for this week is to get all my workouts in!  Life can definitely get in the way sometimes and Christmas is this week.  We don't have anything going on until the evening so I plan on getting all my workouts in.  I love to workout....if I had someone making all my meals for me life would be so much easier.  I do enjoy cooking, it's the cleanup I don't love!
Here is my plan for the week:
Monday: lifting: chest & arms, cardio: 20 minutes HIIT treadmill intervals
Tuesday: lifting: legs, cardio: 20 minutes tabata
Wednesday (Christmas Eve): lifting: back & shoulders, cardio: 20 minutes HIIT treadmill intervals
Thursday (Christmas): cardio- Jillian Michaels Kickboxing- arms & abs 40 total minutes, 30 Minutes of Jillian Michaels Yoga inferno
Friday: lifting: legs (no cardio)
Saturday: rest or steady state cardio in the morning
Sunday: cardio and yoga

I am hoping that having a plan will help me to stay on track.  Usually is does help to know what I am doing each week.  Do you plan your workouts in advance?

The other thing that helps is thinking about what I am going to make each day to have in my fridge.  My eating is so much better when I am prepared with healthy choices and I am not eating out so much.
Here is a quick peek of what my weekly dinners looks like:
Tonight: turkey burgers with zucchini pasta and a little tomato sauce
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: pork chops and Brussels sprouts
Wednesday: Christmas Eve dinner with my in-laws
Thursday: Christmas dinner with my family
Friday: most likely Christmas dinner leftovers
Saturday: a dinner out at a restaurant
Sunday: back to Turkey burgers, this time I will do a salad with hummus on the side.
My breakfasts are always similar, eggs, either bacon or chicken sausage (Applegate Farms), and fruit.  Sometimes I make Kodiak Cakes protein pancakes, or a piece of Rudi's gluten free toast or hash browns. Lunch is always a post-workout protein shake.  Then I have an afternoon snack usually an apple and almond butter.  Having some structure helps during the week.  Sometimes I will have lunch out with my little one or friends during the week too.
What does your week look like?  Do you plan your meals in advance?

I also have some fun news! I am working with a few of my Sweat Pink Sisters, Amber of Bold Fit Mom and Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness to create a weekly linkup!  I have been trying to get involved in more linkups.  It is a great way to meet new bloggers and find new blogs to read and be inspired from.  We are hoping to get launched after the first of the year.  Which will be great since this is when people start to pay more attention to their health and fitness!  Stay tuned for more details and the launch date! If you are a blogger we hope you join us!

Have a wonderful Holiday week with your families! Make some time for your fitness and remember that at most it is 2 meals that you have to indulge, its not a whole week!  You can stay on track to reaching your goals with a little planning.

Today I am linking up with Mommy Runs Fast and Jill Conyers for the Weekly Meal Planning Link up.  Check it out and find some other super cool blogs to follow!!

Holiday Gift Guide for the Fit Girl in Your Life

It's so hard to believe that Christmas is only 10 days away!  I still have a list to make and shopping to do!  As I was thinking about the things that I would like to have for Christmas today I decided to come up with a list of things that the fit girl in your life might like, weather she is your wife, girlfriend, best friend, or family member.  I hope to make your Christmas or Holiday shopping a little easier this year.  Let's get started with this super fun and fit Holiday gift guide!

1) Gym Boss Interval Timer

I love my Gym Boss!  I use it when I want to get a timed circuit or tabata workout in.  It is also perfect if you travel and need to get a quick workout in.  There are a ton of fun colors to choose from!



2) Jump Rope
This is a simple gift that you can use as a stocking stuffer.  What fit girl doesn't like to jump rope?  You can pair it with the Gym Boss for a quick cardio workout!




3) Heart Rate Monitor
There are tons of different heart rate monitors on the market these days.  My favorite brand is Polar.  They have tons of models, so be sure to research what each one offers and choose the one that will do what your fit girl will need. If you know your fit girl is a runner Garmin offers a great line of watches to choose from. 



4) Workout DVD's
These are total time savers when you need to get a quick workout in at home.  I use them all the time to change up my workout and keep things fun in my workouts.  My favorite line of DVD's is Jillian Michael's.  I have tried a ton of hers and they are all great workouts!  Here are a few of my faves: Kickboxing, Yoga Inferno, 30 Day Shred, Yoga Meltdown, and Killer abs.




5) Ankle Weights
These are another great fitness add on gift.  I started using them in my leg/glute workouts and they really do make a difference.  You can get her a 2.5 lb pair and a 5 lb pair to switch it up.  They aren't just fashionable they are functional too!



6) New Gym Shoes 
What girl doesn't like to open up a brand new pair of shoes for the Holidays?  I know I get excited for a new pair every year.  My fave brand is Nike.  I choose the Free Run's every year because they are light weight but provide enough support for my lifting, HIIT and even my DVD workouts.  They are so versatile!  If you aren't sure what brand the fit girl in your life needs try to check out the ones she currently uses and get her the updated version (although make sure to include a gift receipt in case they don't fit right!)


  
7) Workout Gear
The one thing that always gets me excited for a workout is a cute new tank or pants!  I am always excited to try them out.  My favorite tanks right now are my ones with cute sayings from Pretty Fit Athletics.  They are comfy and soft and I love the motivational sayings to get me pumped up for my workout.  I am an ambassador for these tanks...use the code Angelena10 for 10% off your order!  Pair the tank up with a pair of Under Armor Capris and the fit girl getting this new outfit will be thrilled!  


8) Training Sessions with a Personal Trainer 
If your fit girl is looking to take her training to the next level she might like a few sessions with a personal trainer at her gym.  As a personal trainer I loved working with the clients who received training sessions as a gift, they were always so excited to workout.  If you don't want to choose a specific trainer you can purchase a gift certificate for her gym so she can use it on whatever she would like there.


9) Boxing or Yoga Classes 
You can search online for a studio near her home, check reviews from others who have visited so you can pick one she will be sure to use!  Most of the time these studios offer gift packages, so you can choose as many classes as you think she will use.  It is a fun way for your fit girl to change up her workouts!


10) A Subscription for a Fitness Box 
Set up a subscription for a fitness box that will come to her house every month or every other month!  It is the gift that keeps on giving!  I have received boxes from Bulu Box and I love the assortment of products they have to try.  You can get 50% off your subscription with code: BULUGAN016.  She will be thrilled to get her product box each month!  The other product box I received is from Fab Fit Fun, it was a gift from my husband.  I loved the new things that came each month to try.  If you want to check it out click here to sign your fit girl up!

As a fit girl I know that these are some great gifts your fit girl would love to receive for the holidays!
Are there any other things that you would add to the list?
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!

Creating a Healthy Gut + Paleo again?!?

Last week I had the worst stomach pain/ache that I have had in a really long time.  I have a sensitive stomach and some mild food allergies/sensitivities.  So when I was feeling so bloated and full even when I was hungry I had no idea what was going on, but suspected it was what I was eating (processed food) and not eating (veggies).  It would come and go and I really wasn't eating a lot because of the pain that I was in.  Friday night was the worst, we went to lunch at a place we frequent and I had soup and a salad, for the rest of the night my stomach was so bloated and I was in pain anytime I moved.  I had my hubby stop and get me some kombucha, which is a fermented pro-biotic drink (more on that in a minute).  He said if I was still in pain in the morning I should go to the urgent care.  Well, if you have read any of my previous posts you know that I believe in healing naturally with food and lifestyle as opposed as going to the doctor for everything ( I know going to doctor when needed is important).  Saturday morning I was still in some pain but not as bad.  I struggled with the decision to go to the urgent care, but my thought was they would tell me I had a stomach bug and give me an anti-biotic.  I hate taking anti-biotics, they kill ALL the bacteria in your gut...good and bad!  Did you know that your gut health is directly linked to your immunity!  So I didn't want to wipe out all the bacteria in my gut (if that was even the problem).  So I decided to stick with the kombucha and cut out the foods I know are inflammatory to me, dairy, grains and sugar.  I made sure to eat lots of whole foods and made a few green smoothies to get some vegetables in too.  I also drank 1.5 more bottles of kombucha. By the evening I was feeling almost 100%! By Sunday I was back to normal and even ate a full meal (something I really hadn't done all week).  I was so ecstatic to have found a natural healthy way to get by gut health working properly again.  Kombucha to the rescue!!

The reason the kombucha helped so much is that it is a cultured, fermented pro-biotic drink.  I chose the GT's kombucha line because of the high pro-biotic count it has and the fact that they are live cultures means they helped right away.  I had had a few in the past here and there when I thought I was getting a cold and it always helped.  The link between gut health and immunity is not something that is new to me.  I have worked hard to get my gut health to where I wanted it to be in the past.  However lately, it was taking a backseat and I wasn't eating enough whole foods let alone veggies.  So enter the stomach ache.  I feel like my body was telling me something was wrong.  It was up to me to listen and figure out how to make it better.  I am happy I went the route of the pro-biotic and whole foods.  Had I gone to the doctor I most likely would have been given and anti-biotic and taken it I would have been left off with no healthy gut flora.  I am thankful that my past experience as a nutrition coach at Lifetime gave me the education to follow the path of natural healing.  Here is an awesome article by Dr. Mark Hyman on how to take care of your gut health.  Read it and learn how you can take charge of your own health by making your gut a healthy place.

I think this was my reminder that I need to pay more attention to what I am putting in my body.  I wasn't eating fast food or junk food.  However I was eating more processed food than normal and wasn't cooking enough of my own food.  I also know that I was not eating enough veggies. So that is a priority for me going forward...for me and my whole family.  I have made the decision to go back on Paleo for at least 30 days.  I know this will be a great re-set for my gut and overall health.  For me this means focusing on whole foods and avoiding the ones I know cause me the stomach pain.  I will keep you posted with my second journey with Paleo.  I remember how awesome I felt the last time I was paleo for 8 weeks.  All my sugar cravings were gone, my energy levels soared and I lost weight too!  So stay tuned!  Have you tried and elimination diet to re-set your gut health?  If so what is your favorite one?  I think that most Americans have some sort of allergy/sensitivity to the food they eat, but aren't connecting the dots to why they feel so terrible and are gaining an alarming amount of weight!  Whole foods is the way to go!!

 Lastly, I wanted to share a smoothie I made last night that tasted like chocolate and had greens!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Chocolatey Green Smoothie
1 scoop Vega Sport Chocolate Protein
2 tbsp. Spectrum Decadent Blend Chocolate + Coconut
1 apple
1 banana
2 kale leaves (no stems)
1 cup spinach
1.5 cups water
Ice
Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Life...It Gets So Busy! An Update On What's New!

 

It has been a little bit since I have posted, I have just been so busy and unfortunately my blogging ends up taking a backseat.  Not that I don't love it, it's just at the end of the day I am pooped and ready for a glass of wine.  I am still working on finding my balance with all things in my life, being a work from home mom and growing my personal training business, keeping my house in order (this suffers most days, sorry hubby!), daily responsibilities, spending time with my daughter, working out and then all the other little things there are to get done in a day, oh and I took up knitting and I have a list of things to make for people (more on that later).  I have learned to give up in trying to get everything done everyday and make sure I get the important stuff is done daily.   I know that not everything has to be perfect and if get most of what I need to done and my daughter goes to sleep happy then I had a successful day!  Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed, so make sure you are taking the time to live life happy!  The photo above was taken by our photographer from Lulu & Lula.  She does great work and I am so happy she captured this photo, this is one I will treasure forever!

I also mentioned earlier that I learned how to knit!  I have been wanting to learn and decided to take a few classes at my local Micheal's Craft Store.  My cousin and a friend went with me and it was lots of fun!  I have been working on wrist warmers and boot cuffs ever since.  I posted some pictures on Facebook for fun and have had some order for them!  I am surprised people are willing to pay for my knitting!  I am thinking about opening and Etsy shop next year.  This will give me time to get some "inventory" for a shop.  Right now I am happy taking individual orders and working on them in my free time (mostly at night while we are watching tv and Ariana is sleeping.)  Needless to say it is a fun hobby and I am excited to have learned.  Check out the few things I have made and let me know what you think!

Last thing I want to mention that as a Pretty Fit Athletics Ambassador I now have a discount code that I can share with you all.  If you have had your eye on one of the cute tanks at Pretty Fit Athletics now is the time to get one!  You will get 10% off with the code angelena10.  Head on over and start your collection now!

I think I have caught you mostly up to date on what has been going on in my life.  I am going to try and blog at least once a week!  I really enjoy it and need to just get on to share new things with you all!