A Quarter of the Way There

Happy Thursday! Are you guys ready for the weekend?

Bo and I feel like we’ve been going non-stop since December 10th when we hosted our first of two holiday parties. Since then we’ve flown over 4,000 miles, spent time with our families in Savannah, celebrated New Years in Cozumel, and started 2012 with a busy work week. This has left no time for relaxation, breathing, or even collecting our thoughts. This weekend’s agenda is short and sweet, leaving plenty of time for relaxing.

  • Take down Christmas decorations and put them down in storage unit
  • Unpack
  • Run the Joe Kleinerman 10k

Like I said, short and sweet!

Even though it’s been a busy week, I’m proud to say that thus far I’ve stuck to my plan 100% so far! While I know we’re only five days into 2012, rumor has it that it takes 21 days to start a habit. Therefore, I’m quarter of the way there! 

Today was a great test in my recommitment to Weight Watchers and tracking everything I eat.

Instead of enjoying my planned soup and salad for lunch this afternoon, five of us went out for a girl’s lunch to wish one of our co-workers farewell as she begins a new chapter in her career. I wouldn’t have missed this opportunity but going to a Rain Thai restaurant for lunch didn’t allow for many healthy options. Their menu was limited to 12 or so different lunch options, of which more than 8 were deemed spicy.  (source)

In the end, I ordered pad thai chicken.  An old favorite of mine, I haven’t had it in ages and forgot how much I love it and how difficult it is to stop at just a few bites. (source)

Thirty minutes and lots of laughter later, I realized my bowl sat before me, empty. At the same moment, I realized my stomach hurt terribly. Instead of getting frustrated for over eating and indulging, I went back to the office, opened my Weight Watchers tracker, and tracked restaurant pad thai into my tracker.

imageWhile I didn’t eat lunch at Noodles & Company, this option seemed to be the most similar and realistic to what I ate.  The points were a bit shocking but instead of getting frustrated or discouraged, I decided to use this as a test and practice listening to my body. Since I had used up all my points for the day, and would have to use Weekly Allowance points, I vowed not to eat again until I was truly hungry.

Tonight at 8pm, my stomach finally growled. If I wasn’t focused on listening to my body I would have eaten around 6:30 or 7 tonight since I was out of work early. Since I had such a heavy lunch I was craving a big salad. I’m rocking the homemade dinner resolution this week!

Remember Tuesday night’s pork chops? They were the perfect salad topping tonight!

001I topped the last bit of my bagged lettuce with cherry tomatoes, onions, leftover green beans, cherry tomatoes, and sliced pork chop with Annie’s Naturals dressing for a delicious dinner!

As promised, below is today’s Weight Watcher food journal for your reference.

image

Share Button
Follow:

Gym Free Workout Options

It’s that time of the year when every gym is packed to the brim with new members, part of the “resolution club” hoping to uncover a new them through hours of dedication at the gym.

For some, they are in it to win it and ready to commit. For others, it is a short lived relationship that will end far before their annual membership ends.

But, what if you can’t fit a gym into your lifestyle right now? For some this may be due to a new child, an ailing parent, a demanding job, frequent business travel, or simply budget. Across the nation the cost of a gym membership continues to increase each year as gyms offer more perks for their members such as child care, thorough class schedules, scented towels, and improved service.

Just today, my friend Lindsey lamented on Facebook about the fact that her reliable fitness partner, Exercise TV, no longer existed. Before last week many people relied on this as an at home fitness solution.

image

Luckily, for both Exercise TV addicts and people who can’t fit gyms into their life right now, there are two great new options available for far less than the average gym membership: Daily Burn and Gaiam TV. I’ve tried both of these over the past few weeks and have really enjoyed each of them!

 

image

When Gaiam TV reached out to me about reviewing their new site, I expected to find a website with streaming yoga videos and workouts. While this excited me, I can’t live on yoga alone and therefore doubted how often I would use the site if I purchased as subscription. However, a few weeks ago, when my trainer cancelled last minute I turned to Gaiam TV for a workout substitution and was very pleasantly surprised.  Within seconds I was logged into the website and browsing their library of Jillian Michaels workouts, organized by categories, which included far more than yoga alone. The site is very easy to navigate for even first time visitors, even featuring a what’s trending section to direct visitors to their top videos and features.

imageI also love that Gaiam TV makes working out while I travel an easy option. Since you can access it via computer, iPad, television (using HDMI adapter) and iPhone I can break a sweat in the comfort of my hotel room when doing a yoga, fitness, or strength video. Gaiam also features films and documentaries which can be enjoyed during a plane trip, commute, or lazy evening at home.  Unlike other websites, which only deliver yoga workouts, I love that this site incorporates over 2,000 workout videos in one place which are accessible, on an unlimited basis, for only $9.99 per month. In addition, they offer a free 10 day trial so you can try it risk free.

 

While Daily Burn isn’t a new kid on the block, they have recently launched new features on their site that have made it a comprehensive fitness and nutrition power house. Daily Burn provides workouts and nutrition advice customized to help you meet the goals you share with them during the questionnaire portion. For example, I said that I had an average of 45 minutes to work out each day and wanted them to provide me with very specific nutritional guidelines which would make it easy to follow.

Within minutes, I was provided a full menu along with suggested recipes.

image My favorite part isn’t the menu but instead the grocery list it creates so I can ensure I have all the ingredients accessible when it comes time to prepare and cook each meal or snack.

In addition to the nutritional information Daily Burn suggested, it also provided me with a first workout based on the feedback I provided.

image If only I could figure out how to let them know that I need a workout that can be done in my small, New York City apartment. Oh well. After you complete the workout suggested, or any of the other workouts, you provide feedback which allows them to alter the workouts moving forward.

Daily Burn is a great option for people who are looking for a holistic nutrition and fitness program, not just a live streaming workout video. In addition, subscription is only $9.99 per month which is far less than a gym membership alone.  While I think some of their nutritional suggestions needs to be taken with a grain of salt, this is a great starting point and provides inspiration and ideas!

Similar to Gaiam TV, you can access Daily Burn from your computer, iPad, iPhone, television (using an HDMI connector) or Droid.

Question: Have you tried either of these workout options yet? What are your thoughts? If not, what is keeping you from trying them?

Today’s Food:

image

Share Button
Follow:

Easy Weeknight Meal Idea

While we were lounging by the pool in Cozumel and spending hours chatting, Amy and I discussed our goals and resolutions for the coming year. Kicking off a new year with a close friend by your side means that your resolutions are well thought out and have been vetted before they are shared with anyone else.

012While balancing a full time job, long distance MBA program, and a new life in Seattle with her husband Ryan, Amy has still found the time to cook a few delicious meals each week for them. She loved my resolution to cook more often and volunteered to share one of their favorite, easy weeknight meals: seared scallops with pumpkin soup.

She originally found the recipe in Women’s Health but has since adapted it to meet their busy schedule, taste buds, and preference. She suggests pairing this with a hunk of fresh, crusty bread and a glass of nice chardonnay. 

Seared Scallops with Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

12 oz fresh bay scallops (You can use sea scallops but bay scallops tend to keep better in the refrigerator)
1 can (15 oz) unflavored pumpkin puree
8 to 10 chives, chopped
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1 Combine pumpkin, honey, butter, and broth in a medium saucepan, and heat the mixture on low until it’s warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the mixture warm.
2 Preheat a cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Add oil to the pan, and then add scallops. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they’re firm, browned, and caramelized. Be careful as bay scallops cook very quickly and depending on your heat they may take less time.
3 Pour soup into wide-rimmed serving bowls. Add scallops and garnish with chopped chives and a liberal sprinkle of salt (finishing salt if available) and ground pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

Share Button
Follow: