i decided to take a slow walk around the neighborhood with my little guy yesterday instead of heading to the gym. rest is equally important..i have to keep reminding myself of this. i always want to go hard, every single day. moderation is key- yes, even with exercise. how can you tell you should just chill out for a day or two?
- persistent muscle soreness. i used to think this was a good thing. unfortunately if your muscles don’t have time to repair themselves, they can’t get stronger. don’t confuse that initial soreness you get from not working out after a long time with this kind of soreness. it’s more like a dull ache. means your muscles need a BREAK. sit down somewhere. this also proves how important it is to switch up your workouts (i do so on a weekly basis) because doing the same thing day after day can lead to overtraining, injury, and just pure boredom!!
- decreased performance. when i know i can lift a certain weight easily but all of a sudden it feels like it has tripled in size, that’s a major sign of exercise overload. don’t take backwards steps. rest, then come back to that bar ready to add weight, not subtract. if i’m taking a cardio class and i get winded extremely fast and we are barely getting started, that’s another red flag right there.
- simply burned out. i love me some fitness. but there have been times where i’ve hopped on the elliptical machine and hopped right back off after like 30 seconds cause i just didn’t want to be there. i just wasn’t feeling it. at ALL. when it gets like that for me, i know i don’t need to be anywhere near the gym. at that point it’s about recovery and letting that ‘missing the gym’ feeling come back on its own.
- always tired. more like exhausted. working out is supposed to have the opposite effect and give you energy, making you feel better. even if you are getting enough sleep at night but find yourself mentally and physically drained all day long, too much exercise could be the cause.
- fat gain. working out too much can actually reverse the weight loss process. overtraining signals the body to start burning muscle for fuel and store more fat, resulting in some weight gain. boooooo.
i taught my weights class this morning and was so pumped i hit the stairmaster for some cardio afterwards. it’s amazing what a break and a good night’s rest can do for your body. when you think it will slow your progress down or mess up your routine, it does the exact opposite! i had a big bowl of oats for b-fast with some blackberries (currently in season and on sale) and some toasted pecans. yeah i burned them all up!!
for my mid-morning snack, i threw the rest of those burnt pecans in about 3/4th a cup of 2% greek yogurt (21 grams of protein, remember!!).
the 0% has a tendency to taste like sour cream, it’s true. i like the 2% because the added fat makes it creamier. i also added some fresh strawberries, flax-seed, and a drizzle of honey for less than 200 cals.
lunch.
hummus & carrots and some of the tuna salad i made yesterday. i have NO bread in the house right now whatsoever:( not even a whole wheat tortilla or crackers, nothin. so i just ate the tuna as is. for my starch, i roasted a sweet potato in the oven for about 30 min on 400 deg.
i cut it like an avocado, then sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on it. ok and a little butter. delicious.
sweet potatoes also make AWESOME baby food. toss a roasted one in the blender and add a little chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. the little one loves it.
it’s been two weeks since my perm and i am determined to take better care of my hair once and for all. washing it TODAY. i’m so bad about going too long without washing it- i mean i’m always sweating it back up anyway! sigh… i wrote it, you read it, so i’m gonna stick by it. now to decide on dinner…
what do you top your plain yogurt with?
le
fit foodie le 
I LOVE Fage Greek yogurt. I usually eat it with blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. All three are on SUPER sale at Ralphs (Kroger for you guys). I just paid $2 for raspberries and $1.50 for a quart of strawberries. And the sweet potatoes make a great grown-up soup too, especially with peppers. My fave. BTW Loving this blog!
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thanks a bunch for the blog love, m shelly! isn’t Fage the best?! especially topped with fresh, ripe fruit, yum. and yep, sweet potatoes are so versatile and so GOOD for you- love them:)
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wow after looking at your lunch i feel bad about what i ate today. My co-worker talked me into trying this new food place across the street and now i feel terrible because first of all it was not good at all, it would be a little okay if i could actually sit back and say this was godd and worth all the calories and grease lol The sad part is i had turkey meat loaf greenbeans and carrots that i brough from home. I am going to have to stay away from all this work place interferace lol
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i’ve done that before- brought my own lunch then ate out instead, lol. sorry to hear that it wasn’t worth it though!:(
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Ok question – would you recommend cardio or weights when trying to lose weight? If time is limited (say an hour)? I can’t wait for your fitness blogs 🙂
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me either, LeAnn, they are coming though!! and for weight loss / slimming down overall- DEFINITELY cardio. what kind? the kind nobody wants to do- sprinting. sprinting the straights and walking the curves (one of my fav track workouts) is an exellent beginner exercise for running. in my experience, that gets you GREAT results the fastest, however, there are tons of different types of cardio! spinning, kickboxing, stairmaster, jump rope, etc. intensity and frequency is key. 1 hr is all you need! i could go on (and i will in a new post lol) but i hope this helps girl!
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Perfect weather for a walk with the LO, Max and I got in our mileage today. Great tips about rest and recovery, I’m usually on 4 and off 1 (active rest). I didn’t really take off after the half like I should have, because I was so excited that I wasn’t sore as I was after my first half (3M Austin 2010) that I was running a day later lol. What do you do for active rest days?
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it is SOOOO hard for me to just sit down for the entire day! i usually take a long stroll outside with the LO though and limit it to that. now that he is mobile, that’s a workout in itself around my house these days! i know you can relate;)
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Cutting out the snacking is hard! I still find myself eating chips/ chocolate or something else including pepsi after a tough/ long run/ ride… |The body craves the sweet and salt.. I try to keep it to Fridays, and beer on weekends haha
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you got that right, it’s tough man. i find a handful of something everyday is the best way to go for me. else i’m finishing the entire bag in one sitting:( good luck over there!
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