Fine Dinning

SXSW is over  and I can now reassemble my life...or at least attempt.  I did my best with the workouts and the clean eating...and did my fair share of socializing and music outings...Seems as though this was a successful attempt to do "it all" during that crazy week.

I am feeling rather close to you guys now, so I am going to have to confess...I only made it to my corefit 1 time last week...I know.  Gasp.  I am pretty annoyed at myself too, but I made it up (kind of), with quick jogs after work.

Can't dwell on it though. Back on it today...and I had an excellent workout this morning... cooked a healthful breakfast...and have done the stairs once at work today.  Great way to kick this Monday in the...you know what. 

Breakfast today:
Two eggs scrambled with spinach, veggie sausage (1 link) topped with basil and avocado.
3 large strawberries diced and a handful of blueberries.

 

What I really wanted to share with you all today was a little European flair I have in me.  As a child, my parents would take me to France for months at a time to visit my great Grandfather...Insane cook.  Although I was young, I still miss those french style meals he used to cook.  He always cooked fresh, healthy meals for us like : Fresh Veggie soups, french green bean salads, and of course....french bread on the side.

So last night, I went to Whole Foods to pick up something for dinner.  I was getting tired of the whole...fish, brown rice and veggie dinner... so I went back to my roots to create a simple yet delish dinner.

I grabbed some gorgeous looking radishes, fresh spinach, basil, avocado,  hearts of palm and fresh mozzarella for  my veggies.

Then saw some beautiful smoked rainbow trout- Done!
And I know many of you will shreak at the thought of "white" carbs...but I grabbed a french baguette as well...I was feeling very European! Moderation is key with all of this.
There is a lot to be said for making your food look pretty on the plate.  My plate looked phenomenal.  Vibrant red radishes, the green of the spinach with creamy white mozzarella and hearts of palm on top.  This meal was fit for a King if you ask me.  I was careful not to use much mozzarella ( about two table spoons), and I made my famous dressing....splash of olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a splash of balsamic.  MMM MM good.
Go a head a give this European meal a try.  I wont even be mad if you allow yourself a little baguette...but I am being serious... MODERATION.  :)   If you aren't a fan of smoked trout...you can also try your favorite flavor of hummus for a little extra protein.  Or just add a handful of chick peas over your salad.   Enjoy! 

Stay tuned this week as I explore tasty ways to go to your favorite restaurants without feeling guilty about it.
I am talking about Eddie V's, Uchi, Roaring Fork and many more.

COREFIT Week numero deux

I had a major fail this Monday and I am just going to blame it on the time change.  My alarm went off and I just couldn't get my body to move.  So...corefit was a no go on Monday.  The worst part was, I couldn't even make it up because I had rehearsal for a show I am singing at this week, right after work.  The best thing I could do was to eat as clean as possible.  Hearty egg scramble, the rest of my squash spaghetti, and a quinoa salad over greens.  I still did not feel as good as I do when I get my  double workout in.  I didn't have that energy, that feeling of accomplishment that I get when I do my corefit AM workout.

Today I made it...and although during the workout I was gasping for air, losing feeling in my arms and shoulders and feeling just plain tortured...there was no greater feeling than finishing that hour workout.  I felt energized, strong and ready to start my day.  Corefit has been giving me results.  I have more strength in my arms and legs, and I am gaining agility.  I can run around townlake everyday on my own just fine...but sprints...that is a different story.  It is pretty hard to talk yourself into doing 30 minutes of some sort of sprint - without someone yelling at you to do it.  Ryan does a great job of not just "yelling", more like speaking loudly with conviction :) - that we are going to make it through the workout.  That is why I like this program.  He motivates each and everyone of us.  He calls us out by our names and gives us high fives when we finish with something insane.  I must say...it is rewarding, and maybe that is why I keep coming back for more. 

New Love

 I hope I didn't get you too excited...for my new love is...Spaghetti Squash. Wow, have you tried this yet?  What an awesome little veggie, well not so little.  I have heard time and time again that you can substitute pasta dishes with spaghetti squash, and being a fanatic about my pasta (carbs in general), I have been stubborn to give it a try.  I went a head and decided to be creative this weekend and bought myself a nice looking (whatever that is) squash, and looked up how to bake it.  

This was the easiest thing ever to cook, probably more simple (for the not so average cook) than boiling noodles.  I cut the squash in half...added some olive oil...teeny pinch of salt and pepper and placed it face down on a cookie sheet, then slid it into a 450 degree oven.  

I went over to my DVR...poured myself a glass of red vino and caught up on my American Idol.  Thirty minutes was the perfect amount of time for me to rest my feet and relax.  Once my timer went off I got up, pulled out the squash and set it aside while I warmed up my organic, low sodium tomato sauce .   In a pan I sauteed some shallots, garlic, and mushrooms to add to the sauce (adds so much flavor!).  I also tossed in a few veggie meatballs (made from vegetable protein). 

I scrapped out the squash (which came out looking just like noodles, no effort involved)...poured over my perfect pasta sauce...couple of basil leaves and parm on top....

Et Voila ! 

 Do not be afraid to give this one a try.  The squash was absolutely delicious.  It has so few calories and is loaded with vitamin C, Niacin, B vitamins and potassium, and best part of all...NO WHITE FLOUR- which does nothing for our bodies. 

I will have more on my training routine coming your way this week.  Just wanted to give you guys a healthy dinner idea for this week. 

Health and Happiness

T

Keepin up with the hoopla

Man it has been a busy week.  The SXSW vibe is starting to kick in and the cell phone is starting to ring with what parties to attend etc.  My drive to work out is being slowly drowned out by the "to do's" of spring time in Austin.
I have noticed how much more mature I have gotten over the years, however.  I have had to learn to juggle: full-time job, clients, teaching classes, walking my dog, music, social life AND my own workouts on a day to day and let me tell you it is exhausting! But god help me if I let my social life fade away...Not going to happen. I am a single, 26 year old gal for goodness sake. So I have had to manipulate my life style a bit to fit everything in.   For example, if I am going to go to ANY of the SXSW hoopla (yes, I said hoopla) next week, I better know that I will be waking up at LEAST 30 mins earlier to get in a longer workout.  Right now my workout consists of: Corefit (M/W/F) in the AM  with a light jog in the PM and Tuesday/Thursday - run in the AM with teaching classes in the PM and Saturdays (teaching, running and pilates)....SO my PM jogs will be erased next week...meaning, time to put in an extra 30 mins SOMEWHERE...also meaning my cocktail intake will be dwindled down a bit...which I am okay with.

I have even started taking the stairs once a day at work.  Oh, did I mention I work on the 16th floor of the Chase Tower ? Ya, I don't even count the stairs because if I start counting, I believe I may change my mind to do it.  But here is the thing for those of you that work in the corporate world and have the option of taking stairs to your office...I timed myself taking these stairs ( I usually go around 2:30 PM to break up my day), those 16 flights of stairs literally take 3.5- 4 mins long to do, but they make SUCH a positive difference in my day.  I am sitting down the majority of my work day...so taking 4 minutes out of the day to climb up some stairs to re-energize makes me feel less guilty about sitting down and gives my heart a little wake up call, don't need that thing slowing down any time soon.  So hopefully, I will survive the SXSW craze by putting in longer workouts in the AM, and not skipping out on my stair climbing ...along with eating clean, as I try to do on a regular basis.

I made an awesome breakfast this morning that took only 7 mins to prepare and it was delicious and filling and added substantial fuel to my body after a tough strength workout.



Veggie Scramble Breakfast Burrito






- Two Eggs (can sub 2 egg whites 1 egg)- Scrambled
- Mushrooms
-Spinach
-Veggie sausage ( you can use turkey sausage (lean) if you want but make sure its lean
- Sprouted whole grain tortilla
-Cholula (who doesn't love Cholula!?)
-Basil to top it off

Sometimes I just really don't have the time on my lunch break to walk the dog, run what ever errands I have, and cook a healthful meal (all in 60 minutes).  So I got a little help from my favorite local juice bar, The Daily Juice.  This place is a life saver.  Not only are they excellent at making smoothies...but they have pre-made food, grab and go if you will.  I grabbed a smoothie there yesterday and couldn't resist grabbing one of their quinoa salads.  So for lunch today the choice was simple:

Quinoa salad (made by Daily Juice folks): with red bell pepper, thyme, mint, pistachios, dried apricots and parsley... and on the side ( for a little added protein ), a *morning star faux chicken pattie.
Awesome lunch.

Alrighty, there you have it.  Have a great weekend!  Make your workouts happen (At least once this weekend!), eat clean, and I will catch up with you on Monday- unless I have an epic idea or story that will change your life :)

Health and Happiness

Ty

The Little Engine that really had no other choice...

There are seldom times in my life when I say to myself: "There is just NO way I can do this....", and today was one of them.  Corefit (week 2).  I walk my tired self to auditorium shores, the entire time I am hoping today will be "an easy" day.  It is cold, windy, and worst of all....I don't see any equipment when I arrive.  Automatically I know this means all cardio day.  I probably need it though, since I hosted a wine and cheese event at my office the day before...I begin to regret such my delicious decision to indulge (it was FAT Tuesday for crying out loud).

The workout begins. 

Sprints, suicides, push-ups, sprints up a hill, bear crawl up a hill, bear crawl DOWN a hill...man I was shot....Oh, and did I mention I am in a class of 4, and I am the only girl.  I get so darn competitive that I try my best not to be the weakest link...Its tough.  But if you know me, when I am in pain, or sad, I usually crack a joke, or laugh...a  lot (hides the pained look in my face...or atleast that is what I think). So I try to do the work out with a smile across my face....

Just when I think I can't take anymore Ryan Nail (owner of Corefit) throws this one out.

" Push-ups across the field, then jump on your partners back, and sprint up the hill"

Partners back?? I can barely run another sprint up the hill on my own, let alone have a grown man on my back!  And then I hear "Go!"

I didn't really have a chance to dwell on it...I was focusing too much on the push-ups...when I lift my head up I see its time to go.  I look to my partner and he jumps on my back... I literally can't feel my legs at this point.  Ryan is right there with me encouraging me to fight up the hill...it is a 3 teared hill...the 2nd tear is by far the steepest part. I now know what it is like for ants carrying a leaf or a crumb on their backs, approaching an ant hill...yikes.  I start to crack a joke...then stop...I just realized if I started to laugh it would be over... My partner and I would be on the floor...and I really didn't want to do that.  I knew if I fell just once, it would be 10 times as hard to get myself back up....

"Come on Tyler, Come on!!" 

Holy hell, I made it up the hill, I felt good, I felt accomplished, I had given that my all.... 

and then I hear....

"Okay, 4 more times guys!"

Yep, and guess what... I did it.  I finished it and I honest to goodness did not think I would.  The minute I thought it was over, I just had to tell myself "I must do this" and having everyone at the camp rooting for you sure gives you that extra push. 

I should have known how insane this workout was going to be when I heard Ryan call it the: Charlie Sheen workout - "Its just that crazy!" 

All in all, it felt good to accomplish something that seemed impossible...all before 8 AM.  Felt really good.

I quickly ran home and prepared a meal fit for a champ:

My veggie egg scramble:

2 Eggs

couple of mushrooms

baby spinach

1 veggie sausage link (diced)

topped with fresh avocado slices

I was inspired and fired up to now finish the rest of my work day. 

You are what you eat...so eat something sexy

As much as it saddens me...I have to say. There are a limited number of salads I would order at a restaurant that I like or that aren't loaded with calories.  So, I created one that has tons of nutrients, protein, crispness, and taste.









My grilled shrimp salad consists of:
- wild/fresh shrimp ( put in pan with garlic, lemon and white wine)
- Organic romaine lettuce
- boiled red potatos (cooled)
-fresh avacado
- sweet cherry tomatos
- french green beans or (grilled asparagus)
- squeeze of lemon
- my Dijon, evoo, and balsamic dressing
- salt/pepper to taste

Open up a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc or a glass of water with a lemon and you are in for a smashing dinner or lunch!

Re-Vamping Your New Years Resos!

So, it is now March 8th, 2011.   It seems as though the fire and the drive you had on that very first Monday (January 3rd), has disappeared.   No more salads at lunch...no more getting up at 6 AM for a long run..something has changed...ITS SPRING!  Along with the perfect weather there are tons of events going on: concerts, happy hours, and coming your way...SXSW...When will your workout fit in with all this? And how are you going to make those healthy meals when you come home after a happy hour tipsy and lazy... and lets be honest...craving P Terry's burger and fries (maybe a milkshake) :/  

Well, here we go. Time to revamp, and reignite that fire.  Guess what? It is not going to be easy.  I am a personal trainer/Pilates trainer AND fitness instructor and I am having a hard time with it.  For goodness sakes we are young and social and frankly, cooking and putting away 2 hours of our day to fitness (on top of FULL TIME jobs)  doesn't sound appealing, especially with weather like we have now.  So I will make this as painless as I can. 


I will be experimenting with new menu items (I am no CIA Chef), and new workout routines.  Spoiler alert: Trainers get burnt out too! (OMG!?) yes, we do.  So, not only will I be giving you fitness tips, but I will be trying out new fitness programs around Austin and let you know how they are going.  I started with COREFIT last week and I am already feeling better about my fitness. 


Yes, $250 bucks a month (double my cable/internet bill), seems like a pretty steep price to pay...and I grit my teeth writing that check...but one week later... I am feeling good about myself again, I am sore as all hell (which hasn't happened in a while) AND it has driven me to want to get back on a routine.  I am not only doing corefit, but I am inspired to take long runs at night, and I have more energy when training my clients or teaching my classes AND (my favorite part), I have been inspired to start cooking up healthy meals again (because I have the energy to do so!)... weird, its almost like a science:  Routine workout = energy= confidence = drive to want to continue= results


Interesting. 


Stay tuned for more on Corefit and what results I get...AND quick, easy, healthy and seriously delicious recipes from myself (don't be afraid, I promise I am not that bad). 




Health and Happiness!


Ty