My New Fuel

Ever feel like you're running on empty? I used to but not anymore. Good food, exercise, and taking care of myself is my new FUEL. I'm just BURSTING with energy again today. I SAY, WHAT THE HOT HECK IS GOIN ON HERE? I went to sleep at 1:00 last night and woke up at 7:00 refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Trust me, this is NOT like me. Even my skin looks better. Your 30's aren't so bad after all ladies. Don't be scared. It's all about how you treat your body and mind. It all starts from the inside out.

BREAKFAST (meal #1)

To fuel my body right this morning, I decided to make protein oats. I've actually never made this before. I'll be honest, it wasn't bad but it wasn't that great either. Maybe it's because I'm forced to microwave oats at work? The protein powder got a bit lumpy. Trial and error. I might try this again but next time I'll mix the protein with water FIRST, wait until it is fully dissolved and then add it to the oats.

• 1/2 cup Irish oats
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• dash pumpkin pie spice
• tons of cinnamon
• Splenda to taste

I'm not saying it was bad. I'm just saying it wasn't as creamy as I like. Not a fan of lumpy oats. I ate it all though. :)

LUNCH (meal #2)

Lunch on the other hand was MUCH better. I cooked up four egg whites with one serving of sausage style Morning Star Farms crumbles last night to bring in today. I stuffed this into a whole grain and flax FlatOut with spinach and Sriracha sauce. It burned so good! I think I used a bit more sauce than originally intended but no matter. It was good even with numb lips!


I also enjoyed a sweet and juicy blood orange.


I didn't leave the office for a break today. THE TRAGEDY! Instead I spent it hiding in Ann's office with a nice cup of green tea. We chatted about the usual... Food, food, our gym, exercises and of course, more food.

SNACK (meal #3)

I've been missing bananas like crazy. I finally indulged and had one with my yogurt mess today. Into the mix went a 4oz cup of 0% plain Oikos, a sliced banana and a drizzle of sugar free blueberry syrup (Smucker's). I INHALED THIS! I had to remind myself to breathe.


WORKOUT

After work it was off to the gym for some cardio torture. I would much rather work on strength training (I enjoy it more) but I KNOW I need more cardio to get the weight off. The new plan is to focus on a full hour of cardio every Tuesday and Thursday as well as some ab exercises afterwards.

Elliptical - Interval Training - 1 hour
Resistance 6-8
4.9 miles
715 calories burned

Situps with 8.8lb plate
x75
Ab Machine
100lb x 15 (3 sets)
Crunches
x20 (3 sets)
Scissor Kicks
x20 (3 sets)

Okay, that wasn't so bad. Was it great? Uhm, no! HA! But I did it and now I feel SUPA DUPA! I hustled home and made myself a "mini smoothie".

SNACK (meal #4)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 packet Stevia in the raw

It was the perfect amount. The HUGE cup I made yesterday was almost impossible to finish. Truth be told, I dumped a bit of it out. I was working on that bad boy for over an HOUR and I just couldn't finish it. Tragic, I know. That's actually never happened before.

This cool treat was balanced out with a hot bath. Ahhhh, it felt so nice. Nick was visiting his Mama for dinner so I soaked and swam around in my huge tub for EVER. Loved it!

After my swim I checked the mail and came across a lovely box of goodies. The very friendly folks at Kaia Foods sent me a box of treats to sample. I received some fruit leather (vanilla pear, spiced apple & lime ginger), sprouted sunflower seeds (garlic & sea salt, teriyaki, cocoa molé, sweet curry) and a bag of cocoa bliss granola. Everything looked and sounded SO amazing. They sprout, mix and dehydrate their organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps! Amazing! I'm sure you'll see me enjoying these goodies and posting about them very soon. VERY soon!


DINNER (meal #5)

Tonight is another NO CARB night (I do this 3x a week) so naturally, a salad was in order. I had a fresh Avocado at home and I was daydreaming about it ALL day today.

• Spinach
• Sweet Butter Lettuce
• Avocado
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Chick Peas
• Leftover Tofu
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Spray Butter

I loved this mix of flavors and textures! This was SO good!

I think I'll unwind with TV now and call it a night. Time to watch some What Not To Wear and Say Yes To The Dress before Nick gets home. He hates both shows passionately. Men just don't understand! I NEED IT! AND I ALSO NEED TO CRY FOR NO REASON WHILE WATCHING IT! I can't explain it....

HUGS and WELL WISHES! ;)
Ildie