Over here, it’s an equal split between the early birds

(Bell and I are wide awake)

and the night owls.

(Pilot and baby are snoozing away)

Early bird gets the…

waffle

A quick breakfast with two Van’s waffles, topped with almond butter and jelly, a salad with Goddess dressing and an egg

+ tea

I’m thinking it’s a farmer’s market kinda day

Hope you have a beautiful Saturday!
xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Do you burn more calories in the morning or at night? If you’re wondering if you should work out in the morning or at night to get the most bang for your buck, think about when you have the most energy. There are different thoughts on this debate, but what it comes down to is your ability to have an effective workout. If you workout when you feel energized, you’ll work harder and burn more calories.

After last blogging about living in cave mode,

we were out and about all day today… and it was glorious.

I packed up a little breakfast

(nothing like a turkey sandwich in the morning)

and we went to the squadron to say hi,

2 doctor appointments,

a lab appointment

and back home to free Miss Bell.

She always gets a little antsy when she stays home all day, so we took her on a little walk around the neighborhood to shake her legs out.

We walked 2 streets down and back… plenty for me right now

Some eats:

I am obsessed with these chocolate-covered acai berries from Costco. There’s a giant bag in the pantry and my hand can usually be found in it…

dinner and a movie, courtesy of our neighbors.

Not sure if the movie will happen, but dinner was fantastic: salad with apples, pecans, goat cheese and vinaigrette, paired with shrimp that the madre left in our fridge, along with copious groceries. If we’re going to be in a cave mode, we’re well-prepared Non cave dwellers, what are you up to this weekend?

Hope you’re having a great night! <3

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Being present and higher concentration will yield better results. Instead of just going through the motions during your next workout, take time to really focus on the muscle group you’re working. A British study found that by concentrating on the specific muscle during work, you can increase muscle fiber activation. For example, while you’re doing a bicep curl, picture the muscle in your mind as you flex and extend. More bang for your workout buck!

Zumba song of the day: “Taboo” Don Omar. I’ve had this one of the playlist since summer… and still love it.

*Thank you guys for being patient and hanging out with me this week while we’ve been getting to know our newest family member. Blogging has been random as we settle into things and start to get into a routine, but every day it’s getting a little easier. Sleep deprivation is no joke, but it’s 100% worth it, and I’m very thankful to have the Pilot and our Tucson family helping us out and savoring all of the moments.

Lots of fun stuff in the mix for next week, including Winter Shape Up 2012, which starts on Monday. Super excited for this one

I spoiled my dinner tonight….

in the best way possible.

After this afternoon’s acupuncture appointment –which was much-needed. I missed it!- I went to Whole Foods to grab a couple of things and get a smoothie since it was on the way home.

tropical green with mango, kiwi, pineapple, banana, spinach, kale and coconut water

While I was there, my nana texted to see if I wanted to stop by the madre’s and say hi. When I got there, she had jalapeno poppers in the oven –half of them stuffed with goat cheese just for me- and beef and vegetable stew on the stove that she was making for dinner.

So nana, mom and I sat at the table and ate jalapeno poppers (the other half had cream cheese, cheddar and chorizo), chips and salsa, and pineapple juice mocktails. It was a lovely little appetizer hour.

Bonus: I was sent home with beef and veggie stew + poppers for the Pilot

Dinner is served, hubby

Some more eats:

Lunchtime salad beast

turkey, toast croutons, bell pepper, goat cheese, greens, flax oil, balsamic

Errand snack of yogurt with pomegranate arils

Someone is hinting to me that it’s playtime…

See ya in the morning!

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: With all the extra January resolution-ers at the gym, also more germs! Little reminder to be extra mindful about wiping down equipment and washing your hands like crazy <3

Two days in a row

of seeing the sun rise

(it’s amazing what an extra hour or two will give ya in the morning)

and this breakfast.

I call it breakfast pizza, but it’s more like an unrolled wrap. Same thing

Brown rice tortilla with Dijon spread onto it, 2 eggs, goat cheese, mixed greens, sea salt and nutritional yeast

+ tea in a zebra mug

I’ve been using my stability ball as a chair lately, and it’s funny because while I’ve seen people do it and know the benefits, it’s taken me this long to utilize it in this way. I’m officially a fan.

(If you’re curious about using a ball as a chair, check out this post)

Some of the benefits:

-Because the ball is unstable, it encourages you to utilize your core muscles to stabilize while you work.

-Using the ball will improve balance and spine alignment, as the most comfortable balancing position requires good posture.

-You have an exercise tool available to you all day! You can bust out some stretches or workout moves during breaks from work, which will not only help with focus, you’ll work on strengthening muscles and burn a few extra calories. For an awesome stability ball workout, check out this one I posted not too long ago.

-The ball promotes good blood circulation throughout the entire body, since you’re consistently moving to change positions.

-They’re extremely inexpensive, and many vendors sell stability ball chairs with backs and arm rests <—fancy stuff. I think that having a back on the ball negates some of the benefits, and just stick with a regular ol’ exercise ball.

It’s cardio time over here, work and acupuncture. I’m stoked for a needly nap.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and I’ll see ya later!

xoxo

Gina

Something to think:

“It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more ‘manhood’ to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.”

-Alex Karras

Something to watch:

“Share a vegan cookie and talk about your day”

Love it.

A lovely morning

for chocolate

(it’s hard to decide between dark chocolate with sea salt or almonds. This bar has both, which solves the dilemma. I always like a piece in the morning while breakfast cooks to wake me up)

eggs and toast

and a superfun Zumba class.

I’m excited to get to take classes and assist this week instead of teaching them so I can roll at a slower pace –when I teach, I like to go cccrrraaazzzyyy-and warm up a little in the wintery chill. I tend to stay indoors as much as possible during winter, unless I go for a run, or bundle up like this and take Bell for a walk:

Source

I used to really, really despise the winter, which is laughable since I’ve only lived in fairly warm climates.

(Valdosta, GA = crops in January)

It still gets pretty cold here in Tucson, but definitely no blizzards or constant snow storms for us… or I might die.

Anyway, winter and I still aren’t really pals, especially when it comes to outdoor workouts, but things have definitely gotten better since I discovered comfy and functional winter active wear.

Here are some of my favorite warm and toasty workout pieces:

Running tights/crops:

Asics Running Tights

I have a pair of the Asics crops, and not only are they super stretchy and comfy, they’re actually warm, too. Nike also makes some good ones, so I’ll usually hit up the outlet and see what I can find.

Layering tanks:

Cotton tank from Target

In the summer, I always prefer tech tank tops over cotton, but in the winter, cotton seems to feel better. It holds heat and stays in place, while giving a base layer for either a long-sleeved tee/zip-up or jacket

Long-sleeved tech tee or zip-up

I’ll either skip this one and just wear a warm jacket/zip-up over the tank, but if it’s even colder, I’ll add a long-sleeved layer in there too. This tech tee is one of my favorite because it doesn’t feel too heavy layered under a jacket, and has thumbholes to help keep it in place.

Long-sleeved tee

Warm zip-up or jacket

For moderately cold weather, I love this Nike half zip

Nike top

and for even chillier, I break out the North Face.

North Face

(the fleece version is extra cozy, too)

Accessories

My head feels like it’s suffocating in a full beanie, so instead, I prefer these thick ear warmer headband things to keep my ears from freezing.

NB headband 

As far as gloves go, they make some awesome techy running gloves, or you can do like me and get the ones from Target or Walgreen’s for a few dollars (this way, when I lose them, it’s not such a big deal). My hands usually warm up fairly quickly, so I’ll either put the gloves in my pocket or leave them on the sidewalk to grab on the way back.

All of these are great for running, outdoor bootcamps or HIIT workouts. Just make sure to layer as necessary, protecting your hands, ears and feet.

Here are some tips for staying safe outdoors for cold weather workouts

How often do you work out outside in the winter? What workouts do you depend on to warm you up?

Some of my faves:

-Dance cardio- Zumba or DJ Dance Cardio… we steam up the windows!

-Spin- I always warm up quickly in spin

-Hot yoga- It feels so good to walk into a hot yoga room and instantly feel like a normal person instead of a snowball.

Off to work for a little while- see ya later with a Family post <3

xoxo

Gina

Every morning when I wake up, and every night before bed, I burn a few candles. It’s a calming thing, and I think it makes the house smell so lovely.

(Fresh Balsam from Bath and Body Works is my holiday candle obsession… I have 4 of the large ones dispersed around the house, as well as oil for the oil warmer. It smells like a piney forest)

This morning, our house was already filled with the aroma of apples and cinnamon when we woke up

homemade applesauce!

I picked up a bag of apples just for this purpose, and last night was the night.

The Pilot peeled the apples while I prepped dinner, and then we chopped them up and added them to the slow cooker with a little brown sugar, lemon peel, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg.

(I never would have thought to add lemon peel, but my recipe friend Google told me it was a good idea)

It cooked for 8 hours on low, and kept warm throughout the night.

Now the fun will be finding things to top with it.. I’m thinking ice cream, waffles and yogurt would be amazing.

Just made some hot cocoa,

and am off to work for the afternoon. It’s my last official day before leave, but I’m on call from now on. I’ll miss my work friends, but I’ll be there to workout, see everyone, and teach/work in the weight room if they need me in the meantime <3

Enjoy your Saturday!

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Quite a few things can be made in the slow cooker overnight to have for breakfast- it’s a great option if you want something warm in the morning, but don’t have a lot of time to be cooking before you leave:

Some ideas:

Make ahead steel cut oatmeal (I’d do this in the slow cooker instead of stove top)

Slow cooker oatmeal (coconut would be fantastic in lieu of the half and half), adding in fresh berries and toppings in the morning

It would also be fun to try a breakfast casserole- this might be a good experiment for this week

Let me know if you have any more ideas!

Need a workout quickie? Check out the Black Friday Frenzy if you’d like some gym-spiration

Santa came early!

I’d been lurking the oGorgeous website since the new bags were released, and the above silver bag was on my Christmas list. I was beyond excited when my friend Cassey offered to send me one- it just arrived today. As you guys know, I hardly ever do product reviews on the blog, but wanted to help spread the word about these beautiful bags, especially since Cassey is a good friend of mine and is so very talented. 

I love the option of the short straps, or the long strap

and couldn’t wait to fill it up with some of my gym staples to take to work.

It has a lot of pockets, and there was plenty of room after I added the following:

-wallet

-dry shampoo

-moisturizer

-eyeliner

-deodorant

-lotion

-floss

(I don’t mess around with makeup in between classes, but if my face is washed and I have moisturizer and eyeliner on, all is bueno)

-outfit (Wunder Unders and tank)

-snacks (in case I want something different than what I brought, or need more fuel)

-sneaks

-Polar FT40

-iPod and headphones

*I forgot to add my bamboo facial cleansing cloths. They’re perfect for in-between sweaty classes

The bag has some amazing features, and I’m so excited to start using it every day. I was worried it might be too blingtastic with the sparkles, but it’s perfect. Ideal size, compartments for jewelry and extras

and clasps that rotate (tangled gym bag straps are no fun).

Bella was a fan, too

(I was totally holding a piece of chicken in my hand when the Pilot took that picture)

Tonight has been a pretty chill night. The Pilot was craving pizza, so he got takeout and I made something easy for myself at home.

It’s not the most visually appealing thing, but fantastic nutrients:

Greens, Goddess dressing, 2 baked sweet potatoes, heated up turkey (tempeh would be a good option, too), goat gouda, garlic, salt, pepper and chives

So good

I baked a sweet potato for this little thing, too.

Shower and bed are calling my name.

See ya in the morning!

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Do your bangs get curly after a sweaty workout, too? My favorite way to keep this from happening is to pull them tightly to the side and put one bobby pin to hold them down against my head. I look like a total goober, but when I take the bobby pin out, the bangs are still straight.

Heads up: If you have your eye on an oGorgeous bag, too (or would like to pick up one for a holiday gift), Cassey is offering Fitnessista readers a 10% discount off entire orders by entering the code “FITNESSISTA” at checkout (good until December 22) + there is free shipping right now on all bag orders. If you’re a fitness professional, email Cassey  at cassey@ogorgeous.com for an even better deal.

‘Tis the season

for cookie overload

shopping ‘til you drop

holiday parties

(Dick van Dyke!)

cards (we got 4 today and I realized that we’re slackers)

 

One of the things about traveling is that it can easily put a damper on your fitness routine. As much as I enjoy kicking back over the holidays, I also love working out to keep my sanity, health and fitness level in balance. (Nothing will clear your brain from a crazy family member like a good sweat sesh)

Here are some of my tips for taking your workout with you if you’ll be away from home this winter:

1) Sneak it in. Don’t have time to hit up the gym? No worries- many holiday activities burn extra calories and the little things really do add up.

I also like to use the layover in between flights to get in some leisurely airport cardio. I’ll walk to my gate to make sure the flight is on time and nothing has changed, and then spend the rest of the time walking around. It feels great to shake out my legs after sitting on a plane for so long.

2) Make it quick. An effective workout doesn’t have to take a huge chunk out of your day, and even if you only have a short amount of time, you can still make it count. My favorite ways to get in a good sweat in a short amount of time:

-Supersets or circuit-style training

-HIIT

-Tabata intervals

Lots of workout quickies on the fitness page if you’d like some inspiration <3

3) Check out local gyms or yoga studios to see what types of deals they offer. Many gyms will do a “first time free” card, and yoga studios will often offer a week of classes for first-timers at a sick price.

4) Explore your surroundings. The best way to enjoy a new city is by foot, but try to take a buddy with you if you’ll be going for a hike or run. If you’re heading out solo, map out your route beforehand and leave it with your family/friends, and practice safe strategies like wearing reflective clothing at night, always carrying ID and a cell phone with you.

5) Workout where you are. There are so many at-home workout options to explore, and I’ll usually pack a couple of workout DVDs in my suitcase if I’d like to do a hotel workout or something in there room where we’re staying. There’s usually going to be down time during the day, and it’s a great opportunity to head to your room for a short workout while everyone else naps or rests.

Fitness tools that travel well:

-Workout DVDs

-Jump rope

-Interval timer

-Sneakers and comfy clothes

-Yoga mat + downloaded yoga podcasts, ready to go (I like YogaDownload.com)

-Resistance bands

We’re staying put this holiday season, but are usually out-of-town. Hopefully this helped out those of you who will be traveling <3

Are you traveling this holiday season? Where are you headed?

Any tips for keeping your workout routine while away from home?

Morning friends! <3 Hope you had a lovely weekend.

It was quite a whirlwind over here:

-Winterhaven: Kyle and Meg got engaged (!!!)

-Brunch at Nana’s and the Street Fair

Lots of fun stuff! And now it’s Monday….

Source

Nothing like a kick in the pants to remind yourself of all the things on the to-do list you blew off this weekend. So worth it

Also, nothing like a glorious breakfast made by someone else, to put a morning smile on my face:

Nana’s egg casserole to my heart + toast and tea

Check out the height on this beauty:

Amazing.

I still can’t believe I only had one yolk a day for so long and started eating two yolks just a few months ago- I was missing out! It’s one of the things that’s brainwashed into you if you’re trying to lose weight (as I was, quite a few years ago), along with the fact that “eggs will raise your cholesterol” and high cholesterol runs in my family. Taste wise, egg yolks taste so much better, and that’s where all of the nutrients are found. You can read more *here*, but eggs also don’t have a huge effect on blood cholesterol- saturated fat in the diet does.

My dad was asking me about ways to lower cholesterol naturally, and it’s not something I’m too familiar with. I was going to send him *this article* but let me know if you have any tips <3

My favorite ways to make an egg:

Egg-stada style

(An omelet, flipped over instead of in half, with toppings of choice)

Steamed (so much easier than boiling)

Egg Puff

What’s your fave way to enjoy an egg? Vegan friends: what’s your breakfast protein of choice?

I’m out!

See ya later today <3

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Wintery workouts burn 10-20% more calories to keep your internal body temperature up. If you’re taking your workout outside, be sure to bundle appropriately and fuel for that extra burn <3

Today, I was on-call for work since my schedule is winding down until my leave begins. I didn’t plan on being off in case they needed extra coverage, but ended up not having to go in.

So, instead of teaching, I got to enjoy my first Brother’s Breakfast and spend the morning with these two guys:

They hang out every Saturday while I’m at work, and other family members or friends will join in. Today it was me

We had breakfast at Blue Willow, which was Kyle’s request (he said Good Egg is dead to him):

I enjoyed the two-egg combo, scrambled, with fruit, turkey sausage

(apologies for the iPhone photos.. I had the paparazzi camera with me, but we knew the family seated next to us and I felt weird busting it out)

and quite possibly the best breakfast potatoes I’ve ever had. A little bit of scallions do magical things as far as flavor goes:

With full bellies, we headed over to Nordstrom Rack, where the Pilot got his first pair of Sperry’s- he LOVES them

and to Tucson Mall, to see what we could find.

Can you believe I actually started Christmas shopping before Christmas Eve? I don’t even know who I am right now.

It was a successful BB, and now we’re chilling at the house for a little while before going to visit Vies. I’ll take lots of pics!

See ya later <3

xoxo

Gina

Today’s tip: Think it’s challenging to stay hydrated in the summer? It’s even more difficult to remember to drink water when you’re chilly in the winter. Keep tabs on your water intake for a couple of days and see how you’re doing… and sadly, hot cocoa doesn’t count

Something to talk about: What fun fitness events do you have going on this weekend? I’m playing it low-key, but sending lots of good luck wishes to those running the Tucson Marathon and Half Marathon tomorrow <3