Lazy Hump Day

Today was a lazy, lazy hump day. Tomorrow is a national holiday here in France so today kind of felt like a Friday. But not one of those happy hour, celebratory Friday's but instead a "get me the hell home" Friday. After busting my butt at work, I pretty much sprinted home to sit here and spend hours on the computer. 

I did try some new Pilates videos, though. I always like trying out something new to keep my motivation going. Followed up my workout with a Tone It Up PBBP smoothie - peanut butter banana protein - that was super delish. The recipe is below :)

Hump Day Munchies - 

Breakfast: Kellogg's Extra Fiber All Bran 

Snack: hot cocoa

Lunch: leftover fajitas and beans with 1 tbsp cheese

Snack 2: blueberry muffin

Dinner: PBBP smoothie

*This is absolutely not recommended as dinner, nor should be a replacement for a meal. I was just sooo not hungry and I don't think you should ever force yourself. 

Okay, let's whip up some protein smoothies!

1/2 frozen banana (I freeze my banana's because I don't have ice, but you can add ice with a fresh banana)

1 scoop protein powder (I use Trader Joe's vanilla)

1 tbsp appx. Bob's Red Mill wheat germ

2 tbsp appx. peanut butter

a splash of milk and/or chocolate soy milk

Blend everything together and enjoy a filling post workout shake!

Workout - 

POP Pilates videos

- Teeny Bikini

Bruised Up Fajita Time

 Friday night I had what the French call a "nuit blanc" aka an all-nighter and it was an absolute blast. The evening started off with a 50's costume party and ended with dancing all night and seeing sunrise at Montmartre. But in between all this goodness, I managed to hurt myself...or my friend managed to hurt me. While swing dancing the evening away, my friend took a little tumbled in her heels which found their way straight on my foot. To my horror, my foot suddenly started to bleed and swell up but there was no way I could start crying and limping around dressed like Sandra Dee at the end of Grease. Plus I didn't want to be a buzzkill for everyone with me. So...I kept dancing...and dancing...and dancing. I woke up Saturday morning afternoon with a seriously swollen foot and bruising everywhere. I could barely walk on it. This majorly killed my plans of going for a long jog that day. Or Sunday. Or Monday. Or today. I was on a roll last week, too! I was so proud of myself. And as they say, "a body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest." That couldn't be more true for me this past weekend. Suddenly my janky foot has slowed my motivation. I did squeeze in some pilates and some foam roller ab exercises last night but man, it's just not the same. 

To make myself feel a little stronger on the motivation front, I've been perusing my favorite fitness blogs for healthy eating, since that's pretty much all the control I can have right now. Watching Tone It Up YouTube videos I found a video for fajitas...now, my boyf is Mexican and a seriously good cook, so we know good Mexican food in this house. Buttt, France apparently has a distaste for all things spicy so our ingredients aren't quite available. This fajita video did, however, inspire me to do a little modified, less spicy but still healthy version for dinner tonight. I was planning on taking a photo but ate it all up a bit too quickly! Enjoy!

Today's munchies - 

Breakfast: TIU protein pancakes - SERIOUSLY DELISH

Snack: two ricecakes

Snack 2: bread roll from the boulangerie 

Dinner: fajitas, .5 cup kidney beans, 1 corn tortilla

Snack 3: cherries

- Teeny Bikini

Lady Time

Nothing is more of a buzz kill than lady time - you know, that time of the month. In our house, it's "lady time." It always seems that just when I'm getting going, auntie flow comes to visit and messes me up. This month she is not going to get the best of me! Okay, so I caved last night with a few glasses of wine and some teeny petit-fours (bite sized desserts), but that's not so out of the ordinary for me ;) Thanks to my boyf who kept nagging and nagging at me today to get up and just go for a quick jog, "Teeny Bikini, GET UP NOW and go for a jog!"  I'm glad I listened because it helped kick the cramps for a minute and definitely made me feel better. Katy Perry's Teenage Dream cd always helps, too ;)

Wednesday May 25:

Food -

Breakfast: yogurt cup, apple

Lunch: white bean and tuna salad (cannelli beans, half can tuna, red onions, cucumber, vinaigrette)

Afternoon Snack: two rice cakes with pb and honey, square of Trader Joe's chocolate

Dinner: ground beef patty and side of fries (I didn't eat them all though!)

Dessert: white wine, two bite sized pastries

Fitness - 

30 minute jog

5 minutes stair sprints

TIU Sandcastle workout

Thursday May 26:

Food - 

Breakfast: yogurt cup

Morning Snack: apple

Lunch: spinach ravioli and cheese sauce (ahhh, I couldn't help it! I was in a state of lady time distress!)

Afternoon/Pre-workout Snack: two rice cakes with pb and honey

Dinner: bowl of veggie soup

Fitness -

30 minute jog

TIU arm pyramid

160 ab reps on foam roller

- Teeny Bikini

Motivation Monday

A few things motivating me today: the sun, new tunes, Dailey Method and, of course, bikinis! I got another break today between work and went on a 30 minute run with the boyf. As a former track and cross country superstar, he is the perfect running buddy. He can push me in just the right way to get me going but also knows how to take it easy on a beginning runner like myself. Each time we head out together, he teaches me something new and gives me a new challenge to add to the dish. Today, we hit "some" stairs - he loves stairs, hills and all things I find ridiculously painful and difficult. But of course no amount of girlfriend complaining can get me out of it. In the end, I'm always thankful because these little challenges always make me feel more accomplished afterwards. The challenge today? Next to Sacre-Coeur there is a set of stairs that's about 235+ steps...the goal today was to do intervals up half of the staircase. My lungs literally said "hell no, we're done" 6 steps from finished. But it gave me a new goal to set my sights on. If I can get to the top of those stairs (skipping every other - aka "hard" interval the whole way) without stopping I will be extremely close, if not at, my ideal fit level. So, that said, that is the new goal. I've got to keep the tunes coming and get going! 

Other reasons for motivation? The sun was shining!!! It's gorgeous outside! After running, we decided to take a bike ride around Paris (1.5 hours!). We rode along the Seine and spotted tons of ladies and gents getting their tans on along the banks of the river. Tans always motivate me! Especially tans in cuttte bikinis ;) Lastly, I am so pumped for my new Dailey Method dvd. I've just ordered it and can't be more excited. Dailey Method (or DM) was my absolute favorite workout back in California. I was a religious DMer because it was the first thing I've ever done where I saw and felt results immediately. I couldn't be a bigger supporter. If you've not heard of it, DM is a mix of pilates, ballet barre and yoga that encourages core and spinal strength and health. One word of advice: CHECK. IT. OUT. They just came out with a dvd and since I'm all the way in Paris, I'm thrilled to get some DM back into my life!

Monday Munchies - 

Breakfast: yogurt

Morning Snack: two rice cakes with PB and honey

Lunch: salad with cannelli beans, tuna, red onions and cucumber and balsamic vinaigrette

Afternoon Snack: McDonald's salad no dressing

Dinner: tba

Monday Fitness - 

33 min. jog

leisurely bike ride

- Teeny Bikini

You're Body Never Fails to Remind You

You always know when it's been a while since you've put your body into motion. Of course, you've probably had a mental reminder every now and again, "ooh, I really oughta workout soon..." but what never fails is your body. It tells you. And it tells you with serious soreness. This morning I went for a nice jog (thanks to some cancelled classes, I got to go to work late, aka find some time to workout that didn't involve me waking up at an insane hour) and my legs couldn't be killing me more. Every step I've taken since finishing my jog has been one of pure misery. But, hey. It's ok. It wouldn't hurt like this if I used my legs a bit more!

Friday Foodness - 

Breakfast: banana, strawberries

Lunch: picnic outside of the Louvre involved 1.5 glasses of white wine, salami and cheese sandwich, apple

Dinner: we're going to a restaurant called Chartier and I usually have a small grilled steak and haricot verts but we'll see!

Friday Fitness - 

35 minute jog 

- Teeny Bikini

How Much Is Too Much...

Yogurt? In my quest to maintain a healthier diet I have become a yogurt addict. I love love love some fromage blanc with fruit and dark chocolate chips (just a tablespoon, no more!) but I am starting to wondering if it's okay to eat sooo much yogurt. I pretty much eat yogurt twice or three times a day...I know it could be worse, I could be downing Cool Whip, but hey, I'm just trying to stay focused! Everything in moderation right?

Monday Monday:

Goodness Foodness - 

Breakfast: oatmeal with flaxseed

Lunch: lentils and quinoa (again!)

Afternoon Snack: cashews and apple

Dinner: filet of pollock (white fish), zucchini, steamed rice

Dessert: 1.5 cups (I know!) 0% fromage blanc with dark chocolate chips

For Real, Gotta Up the Fitness -

Not even gonna lie...

Tuesday Tuesday:

Food Sitch -

Breakfast: two rice cakes with peanut butter and honey

Morning Snack: tea and sparkling water

Lunch: lentils and quinoa (last day of leftovers!)

Afternoon Snack: cashews, hot cocoa

Dinner: pork chop and steamed rice

Dessert: two kiwis, square of chocolate with almonds

- Teeny Bikini

Chillin' Out Sunday

Things have been off to a decent start on Operation Hot Bod. I have been working out and eating pretty decent, though admittedly with room for improvement. Thursday kicked off with a good swim (16 laps, 8 breast, 8 freestyle) and then the Tone It Up slimming pyramid. Seriously, the TIU pyramid workouts are fantastic. It wasn't the tempo run or jump rope sesh I had planned, but moving is the point here. And I'm done with beating myself up over it. Thursday eating was pretty good, too. Oatmeal breakfast, as usual, salad for lunch, green beans and grilled fish for dinner. Friday was an AM meeting with the foam roller. If I haven't mentioned my relationship with my foam roller yet, let me break it down. It's a love-hate. No less, no more. Without it, I feel a constant pain (due to a lovely hereditary Scoliosis) and guilt because I know that each time I skip a day (and wear gorgeous shoes that give my heart joy and my back pain), I will regret it. But then, when I do say, yes, foam roller, I'm going to be good today and take you out for a spin (or roll, hehe) it returns the love with some serious pain action. I know, it's "good pain," you know, that pain that's actually not pain but your IT band yelling, "yo, why have you neglected me so long?!" but it still sucks.

Anyways. Friday was a serious foam rolling session followed by the TIU arm pyramid. Food could've been better though...oatmeal as normal, eggplant and chicken for lunch, lentils with quinoa for dinner. Anddd, a delicious strawberry vanilla mousse for dessert. But to be fair, the whole of the mousse was tops 3 oz. so I'm really not going to feel so guilty. Saturday....yesterday was supposed to be the day of the week. But life got hold and errands were a-callin'. Eating was great and finished off the day with a killer uphill 20 minute bike ride. Now, this bike ride was not my attempt at making up for the run. No, I must be honest. It was totally unplanned, but I'm glad it snuck in there. After visiting the boyf at work, I missed the last metro of the night. While everyone else was hailing cabs, I (or should I say my extremely frugal wallet) decided to haul it home via Velib, the bike rental system in Paris. Glad I did though, cause it kicked my ass. 

So here we are on Sunday...

Food?

Breakfast: 2 ricecakes with pb and honey

Lunch: chicken and broccoli stir fry over 3/4 cup steamed rice

Snack: 2 cups (I know) 0% fromage blanc with chocolate chips and strawberries

Dinner: I am in the middle of making some lentils with quinoa

Fitness:

I'm planning on a cardio workout video from Direct8...I'll report in later on how it goes :)

- Teeny Bikini