Face It Friday

It’s time to face the facts…

…not many of my co-workers would have any idea what peanut flour is, and would probably look at me like I’m a weirdo if they came into my cubicle and saw me snacking on this…not that it’ll stop me 🙂

…my black bean, carrot, baby corn, snap pea, tomato salad on a bed of romaine probably wouldn’t be the most appealing lunch to a typical 22-year old…they don’t know what they’re missing.  Besides, who likes to be “typical“? 

…my La Tortilla Factory whole wheat, low carb wrap spread with Sonoma Jack’s pepperjack cheese & sugar-free strawberry Smucker’s is going to trump answering a phone call while I’m on my afternoon break at work.  It’s a “break” for a reason!

…the gym peeps at the YMCA where Jarid & I workout are probably getting so tired of witnessing our shenanigans while we’re there.  We have too much fun giggling and challenging each other that it probably gets annoying.

…but don’t think that their opinion is going to stop us from PDA while we’re hot, sweaty messes…or taking photo documentation for that matter 😉 

 Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

XO.

Well Hey There, Summer.

 

Verse of the Day: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” –Mark 12:30-31

As with the transition from Fall to Winter, I feel like Spring has been skipped over (with the exception of the weeks of straight rain that we’ve had!).  There was no middle ground.  It went from torrential downpours to weather in the 90’s in a matter of hours, in my mind.  Welcome to Summer 2011, everyone.

Breakfasts during summer couldn’t get more refreshing than a cool, sweet protein shake.  This one consisted of a handful of baby spinach, some iced coffee, a Mocha Mint About Time protein packet, a handful of ice, a frozen banana, and some unsweet vanilla almond milk.

In honor of the weather changes, I’ve also changed the nail polish to a “barbie” color, as Julie would call it.

Hot pinkk with matching toes!

To me, bright colorful pinks, oranges, and yellows scream SUMMERTIME.

Snackage at the desk once I got to work was two slices of multi-grain light fiber one toast & forty spices hummus (only 50 calories a pop).

 

 

And as I mentioned yesterday, the perfect light lunch is necessary for these humid afternoons.

Shredded romaine, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, purple cabbage, and grilled chicken breast.

I felt kinda tropical once I added the peach-mango salsa (from Costco).

I enjoyed two brisk walks throughout the day (each about 20 minutes) with my girl friends at work. 

And I just had to show you my little pineapple air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror of my car.

Afternoon snacking took place around 3pm and was a classic favorite.

Gala apple + baby carrots dipped in peanut flour paste

Crisp, juicy apples are one of the many fruits that I crave when it’s hot out, along with cantaloupe and watermelon!

When I arrived home, I brewed some more iced coffee to replenish the stash I keep in the fridge.  This time, there was nothing more appropriate than Campfire S’mores roast by Cafteá.

 Can you guess what took place next?  As if I’m not totally predictable in my scheduling…

Is it just me, or do you wear less makeup when you’ve got a bit of color, too?  I tend to stay away from the “perfected face” look and go more natural in the warm months.  Funny faces in the gym mirror are obvious and necessary.

494 calories; max hr 164

Here’s what I did:

• 10 min. on the dreadmill (warm up – intervals between 6-9mph)
•  1 hr. on the Cross Ramp
• Ab work (planks, crunches, v-ups, in-and-outs, etc)
• Hip adductor/abductor machine (3 sets of 15 each)
• 3 sets of 15 pushups

Thennn, Jarid showed up and we went to grab a bite to eat at Subway.

I got my go-to turkey sub on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, mustard, green pepper, cucumber, and sweet peppers. 

Jarid got the chicken-bacon ranch with all kinds of stuffings.

After we dined at the park, we went back to the YMCA for a little walk around the development close-by.  It was a beautiful night ❤

I can’t believe it’s already Friday tomorrow!  Don’t you just love short work weeks?!

1. Do you have a “regular” sandwich that you ALWAYS opt for at places like Subway, or do you try something new each time? I’m a faithful turkey sandwich lover.

2. What is your favorite flavored coffee and who makes it? My all-time favorite summer flavor is Green Mountain brand Island Coconut coffee.

Xo.

 

Another Day In The Life.

Getting in the Game 

READY: 

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples.’”- John 8:21

SET:  In playing sports or just in normal life, we often hear it said that we need to “get in the game,” meaning that we need to mentally focus on whatever task we’re doing. I grew up playing sports and was quite a hyper child. My coaches constantly had to tell me to slow down and focus on what I was doing. Even today, that is difficult for me and for many of us as our minds tend to wander, and we get distracted by the constant activity of things that are going on around us.

Focusing—or, getting in the game mentally—takes discipline, and it is an important practice for us if our goal is to be at our best mentally and physically. The sport or task really doesn’t even matter. It’s true for normal life and work as much as it is for sports, and it’s so important if we want to do our tasks well and with as few mistakes as possible.

If focusing is so important in life and sports, why do we believe that it is any different when it comes to following Christ? According to many polls, the average Christian today spends little to no time reading the Bible and even less time actually meditating on it as we are told to do in Scripture (see some of the referenced verses below). Is it any wonder why we have such a sin problem, even in the church?

If we want to follow Christ, then we need to follow Him—to seek Him out daily as we’re told, and then take Him with us throughout our day by meditating on His Word. We can’t give our best for Him if our minds are constantly elsewhere. Remember, it’s those who discipline their minds to abide or live in the Word of God that really experience true freedom through Jesus Christ. Read it for yourself in John 8:31-36, and, as your coach would say, “get your head in the game.”

GO: 
1. Do you spend time alone with Christ daily?
2. How much time do you spend thinking about or meditating on God’s Word?
3. Do you really want to follow Christ? If so, how are you seeking Him out?

WORKOUT: 

Joshua 1:8
Psalm 1
Psalm 119:11, 105
John 8:31-36
James 1:25

It’s been crazy hot lately, as you can see from the picture.  96º is nothing to mess with. 

By the time I arrived at work yesterday, I was pretty warm, and when lunchtime rolled around I was glad to have packed something light and refreshing.

Ribboned zucchini, diced tomatoes, and grilled chicken breast with fat-free lime basil dressing drizzled overtop.

I felt like the workday was here and gone in the blink of an eye, which I’m definitely not complaining about.  It was a good day.

I tried a new-to-me afternoon snack today!

Eat. Think. Smile. Bars which were given to Momma FF to pass down to me, by one of her AWESOME clients for review on the blog! In Gear Cycling & Fitness has two locations, one in Hummelstown and one in Cleona!  The bars weren’t my favorite (a bit dry, but with good flavor/ingredients!), but I also got some of the Crispy Thins & Granola Clusters which are DELICIOUS.  The full review is coming soon 😉

Next stop: YMCA!

Haha.  Cheesin’.

No makeup.  Ha.

We did 30 minutes of cardio (each on the elliptical), and then a circuit of ab work and some pushups.  Note:  Side planks are much more difficult and efficient when you have a partner to literally try to push you over.  Maintaining balance takes more corework!  Haha.  I finished up with another 30 minutes on the Cross Ramp and then went home to shower, grub, and relax.

Spinach salad with diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and light balsamic vinaigrette

For some reason, on hot days nothing tastes better than a refreshing, light salad.  Accompanied by a protein shake made with another newbie product that I heard about from Julie.

ABOUT TIME whey protein shakes

I may or may not have also eaten the rest of the chickpea can contents sprinkled with cinnamon & splenda.  Don’t knock cinnamon sugar splenda chickpeas til you’ve tried them.  Those Auntie Anne’s cinna sugar pretzels have NOTHING on them 😉

 

The rest of the night was spent watching the Dallas vs. Heat basketball game curled up on the couch together.  We actually flipped back and forth between that and John Q. (which is an excellent movie!).  Guys have come and gone, but I reallly like this one 😉

Happy Hump Day! 😀

XO.