Handful and a 1/2 of fresh berries – blueberries & strawberries (or you can do frozen berries as a substitute for the ice cubes)
A big tablespoon of {Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter, 16 Ounce} this stuff is so good. I typically do the unsweetened kind but I had to try the vanillaand woa, it’s good
A few ice cubes
Blend…pour….and enjoy!
This is such a tasty & filling protein shake. Doesn’t have that artificial sweetener after-taste.
Next time you’re in the mood for a sweet, cold treat – maybe try this?! It kept me full for a couple hours
#yum
There she is – in my Maureen & Brian’s wedding mason jar :0)
*Discloser: I’m still going to have ice cream today…it’s Memorial Day Weekend after all!
It happens from time to time that I need to mix up my workout routine. The reason for this recent “revamp” is that my husband and I are moving to the ‘burbs. That’s right, after 9 years in Boston for me, it’s time to ‘settle down’ up on the South Shore of MA. With the relocation comes the need to find a new place to work out.
my boys at the beach near our new house
With some hesitation, I entered the doors of CrossFit Bare Cove (in Hingham, MA) last week. I had tried CF once before (this CF will remain nameless, it was in the city) and was literally scared out the door. My friend Robyn and I were offered a free trial class and essentially got our butts whooped. This gym gave off the vibe that – if you didn’t work out here, you’re not in shape…and the trial class felt like the way of proving that. We tried that one time and never went back. #scaredstraight#straightoutthedoor
So, needless to say, I didn’t go into CrossFit Bare Cove with an open mind…
Day 1 – the vibe at CF Bare Cove is different. I signed up for the On Ramp course which consists of 5 intro classes for $50 (reasonable, I think). You’re not thrown into the actual CF classes.* On Ramp is focused on refreshing your understanding of the basics – especially form. At first, I fancied myself ‘too advanced’ for the On Ramp class but admittedly, I’ve benefited greatly by slowing down and reminding myself of good form and truly learning the core CF moves and fundamentals. At the end of each On Ramp class there is a ‘mini’ work out. One day, for example: we did 5 rounds of 10 push presses and 50 single jump ropes for time. Although technically an abbreviated work out, your heart rate is high, sweat is dripping by the end, and you realize a good work out can be squeezed out of 10-15 minutes. #efficiency
*The first Saturday, I was able to participate in an actual class. We started with a group warm up that consisted of a relay-type race using weighted medicine balls. After the warm up (that felt like a real work out, frankly) we moved into the actual work out (“WOD”). There were about 6 lines total, 4 people per line, and we did another relay work out. This one consisted of 3 stations: 10 kettlebell swings (weight based on your preference/ability – but the heavier the better), 25 sit ups, and a rope climb = 1 round. You couldn’t start a station until the person in front of you completed their set. The goal was to complete as many rounds in 30 minutes. I was pushed to the max in this work out. I somehow got myself into the line with a couple of the trainers so our pace was fast. I struggled with the rope climb but tried to hustle through the other stations. There were times I felt guilty that I was slowing the group down but I pushed ahead. I didn’t have time to whine to myself! There was a lot of encouragement among the team that kept everyone motivated. In the end, each team wrote their collective rounds on a white board and it was clear the team I was on tallied the most rounds. It wasn’t a big to-do…more so provided some perspective and certainly feeds into the competitive spirit that CF fosters. Before leaving on Saturday, I was adamant on ‘figuring out’ the rope climb. One of the trainers, Ali, even lent me her shoes thinking that the CrossFit Nano shoes that have a rubberized grip on the outside might help my feet grip the rope better. The shoes certainly helped and I got almost half way up the rope. But seriously, she lent me her shoes – she let me put my sweaty feet in em’. So nice. I left the gym exhausted but pretty damn satisfied with myself. Following this work out, I experienced the worst soreness over the next 3 days. Areas of my body were sore that haven’t been in years like my upper back and back of my thighs. Getting out of bed hurt. But, it actually made me happy! #results #tonethewiggle
my first official CrossFit pic! Just try to find my lil head
I finished out On Ramp at the end of last week. I decided to sign up for a 12 month membership that’s around $189 a month/unlimited classes. Not cheap. CF is notoriously pricey. But, I’ve always felt that – investments in your health are worth it. Although I might have to pull back in other areas (e.g. no daily Starbucks!). As of now, I’m aiming to go 3x during the week and 1x on the weekend.
It’s true what they say about working out…it’s not just physical. It’s mental. It’s spiritual. It gives you another outlet for energy and to derive strength. When I’ve been at the gym, I’ve felt empowered and in control. It takes my mind off of work and day to day stresses (that I often obsess over) and keeps me in the present. It’s also helping me think differently about how I talk to myself. I tend to get the ‘I can’ts’ but this work out pushes you and frankly, I find myself having to push the ‘I can’ts’ aside and just keep trucking.
So yea, I never thought I’d be a CrossFitter. But I am really impressed with the community, Mike, the owner of CF Bare Cove (and also CF SciCo!) has built. My body might be tired but my mind and spirit is feeling really good. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.
Have you tried or do you do CF? What do you think?
Let me know if you have any questions for me if you’re considering trying CF for the 1st time!
Last thing – sharing my (current) fave song for #fitspiration– vids a bit sexual #enjoy
This year I rang in the New Year in a low key way. I spent NYE and NYD up in New Hampshire in the White Mountains with my husband, Nick. Last year, NYE was a bit of a disaster for me. Pretty sure my hangover lasted 5 days. Ick. This year, I vowed to ring in the New Year in a more controlled & loving fashion 🙂 We spent a couple days eating, napping, and yes, drinking to our hearts content. While I was up in those calm White Mountains, I started my resolution list for 2015. I realize having too many resolutions might just set me up for failure – but hey, I’m going to throw out a few to see what really sticks. Below are my resolutions. 4 categories – lifestyle,beauty, relationship, and money.
What are your resolutions? Do you believe in stating a couple resolutions at the start of the new year?
I’m finding it quite inspiring.
Lifestyle:
Get back into the gym and get fit – I seriously love the gym. When I’m there. It’s getting there that’s the issue…getting out of bed in the morning, to be exact. I love boxing class and pushing myself and seeing myself improve day by day. I love working out to rap music and getting excited during class when I hear a favorite song. But, this last year or so, I fell off the gym wagon. Hard. I paid for a $150-a-month gym membership and maybe went 3x in the course of the last 5 months. Shameful, I know. But here I am, making a pledge to myself to GET BACK TO IT. I’m ready to feel & be fit again. This is one of my top 2 goals of the year. #fitwithit2015 #bethgetoutofbed2015
A few of my favorite workout things: 1> Lululemon Wunder Under crops 2> IAMMAI sweatshirt 3> Twistband headbands, the best 4> BKR water bottle
And now some random Fit-spiration. That’s right, Joseph Gordon-Levitt – I mean, this guy, GOT FIT for Don Jon. I have to applaud him for his metamorphosis. #randomfitspiration
from scrawny to brawny.
Beauty:
Wash my face every night – I state this one knowing it’s a taller order for me (because I’m lazy and sometimes pass out in the fetal position on the couch during the week — that should probably change too). BUT, I want to do it. I’ve seen the positive results of religiously washing my face each night and I’ve seen the results of the counter (sudden break out, uneven skin tone etc.) I am somewhat obsessed with my skin and the sight of a mere line or wrinkle…and now is the time to better care for it. So, here goes it. Every night…wash and moisturize. #operationwashyourfaceeverynight2015
Send thank you notes – I fancied myself good at this at one point but then I realized I got a bit lazy. This year I want to be better about acknowledging nice gestures/experiences/opportunities with good ole, real paper, thank yous. #showthanks2015
Love these Kate Spade thank you notes. Good quality paper ❤
Be more patient with my hubby – I’m sure I could be more patient with many people and things…but one person who deserves more patience from me is my hubby. He’s a hard working guy…who is the ying to my yang in many ways. He’s thoughtful and funny and smart. I tend to jump at him for the little things…and this year, I want to be more mindful of that. I want to think twice before I snap at him to “stop chewing your beer!” or “stop being so slow!” (when he’s walking “Nick-style” into a restaurant) or assuming he’s not listening when he’s really just taking a moment to think 😉 Because, he’s my BFF. Plain and simple. #bepatientspreadthelove2015
This guy. That face. ❤
Money:
Pay off my credit cards – this is it, it’s the year. The year I say “see ya” to my credit card debt. I’ve been good about managing it and using cash more often than credit. BUT, I’ve been carrying some CC debt from the days when I had little funds to spare (shout out to all those assistant media planners out there, it gets better). I want to pay it off once and for all. #debtfree2015 (except for school loans, car payment, and mortgage hehe)
I agree with her. Retail-therapy is A THING. But, bye bye cc. Who’s cuter than Isla Fisher?? Confessions of a Shopaholic – good flick
Last week was a success – Monday to Friday evening I stayed on the program while also getting in a work-out 4 out of 4 days
Friday night rolled around – I had planned ahead to have a shake for breakfast and lunch and save my 400-600 cal meal for dinner…because I had plans with a friend. Well, I did pretty well – starting with salad and then moving onto 3 small slices of pizza. I like to think I’m a good date but I think I was closer to a wild, ravenous animal when a real meal came my way. I left dinner with an upset stomach and the feeling that I definitely exceeded my 400-600 cal allotment (even though the pizza was practically cheese-less!) and that I was far too focused on food
Despite a stomach ache, I came home and had a light dessert of dark chocolate and almond butter – it was a good alternative to the CVS candy I wanted to eat. This is where I realized this program was do-able for me during the week but once Friday night/the weekend hit, it got a little more tricky and not flexible enough (for me!)
Saturday – I did well in the AM and had a planned cheat in the PM as I had plans to join my friend for her bday dinner at a delicious Italian restaraunt in Beacon Hill. Sure, some of you might think – ‘you still could have planned ahead and chosen a light meal!’ – but no, I wanted to enjoy myself…that included an extra dirty gin martini
Sunday – I was also off the wagon. The sun was shining and my hubby and I ventured to the drive-on beach – there were beers, lobster rolls, french fries, and ice cream. Did I feel guilty? Yes. In the big scheme of things, 9 days is not a long time to stick to something – but Sunday was legit one of the first summer days in Boston and I literally soaked it (and ate it) in full force
enjoyed a couple of Yuengling Lights – good stuff
So, here I am on Monday – back on the wagon – I should be on my first cleanse day – but instead I want to continue with shake days until mid-week when I’ll finish out with 2 cleanse days
Overall, I’m looking forward to focusing on Weight Watchers which feels like a more manageable and realistic program for me
I like the Isagenix shakes and I looooveee the Isalean meal bars (chocolate decadence flavor is AMAZING. and it didn’t hurt my tum – score!) – I want to continue to weave these into my healthier meal planning
My dutch chocolate Isagenix shake…I like to drink out of a fancy glass for dinner. Yum!
I felt really good when I was doing this program (especially my mood!). I would do it again…and aim for more consistency. Funny thing is – today I was in the crabbiest mood ever – which I’m sure is residual effects from my weekend’s antics!
My goal at this stage is to stick to a plan Mon-Fri but with the acceptance that things will come up and I need to plan better in advance to avoid binging or guilt
I certainly feel progress – my clothes are looser! But I’ll share the real #s at the end of the week once the wagon wheels are a bit more on track 🙂
Energy-wise I’ve felt pretty good throughout the day – however, when it comes to my work outs – I don’t feel like I have as much steam. I did a spin class on Day 3 in the PM and although I made it through the class I found myself pretty distracted and struggling a bit throughout it. I wasn’t able to wake up the next AM for a boxing class because I was so drained – instead I want to do a run tonight (Day 4) since the weather is so nice in Boston!
My mood has been good! In the morning my mood is particularly good and I’ve felt calm and positive on my morning commute – that’s a big plus! I’ve read quite a few reviews on this system and people mention a feeling of mental clarity and being more energized – I can vouch for that as well
The shakes…they’re pretty good. You’re supposed to mix the powder with water. I find them a bit bland but I am used to mixing my protein shakes with water, almond milk or coconut milk, strawberries and/or bananas, and typically some cinnamon. The first 2 Isagenix shakes I had I kept just mix + water. But this morning I threw a banana into the shake and it tasted much better. The shakes are pretty thick – some people don’t love that. I like it because it feels more substantial and filling – but I add extra water if I want to thin it out a little
The 2 shakes a day thing is do-able…I’ve been doing 1 for bfast and 1 for dinner – having the 400-600 cal meal for lunch. Pic below of my Day 3 lunch** – it was glorious. I will say – it’s kind of a bummer for me to have a shake while I watch my husband cook up and enjoy a well-rounded dinner. I found myself on Facebook the entire time he cooked/ate because I didn’t want to be tempted by what he was doing.
**PS: If you know me well – you know I HATE cold chicken. This program has definitely helped me be LESS PICKY when it comes to eating. I ate that nicely seasoned cold chicken yesterday like it was a plate of perfectly heated nachos
I know what you’re thinking – DAMN that’s a big serving…yes, yes it is…my husband put it together for me (such a sweetie!!) – for the record, I didn’t eat the entire thing, esp the rice because I knew it was over the calorie count I was going for
I’ve decided to join Weight Watchers at the end of this 9 days. I signed up on Day 3 and entered in everything I ate just to see what the Isagenix system equates to – funny enough, my meals/snacks for the day came in at the Weight Watchers points I’d be allotted (26 a day) – nice! It made me realize – this is a good next step for me. I want to continue to do a shake everyday (most likely for bfast) but I can manage my other meals on the Weight Watchers system and not have to worry about having to have a 2nd shake everyday – it’s just not realistic for me on an ongoing basis to substitute 2 meals for 2 shakes
Side note, the Isagenix shakes with water-only are 6 pts on WWs. My Vega Sport protein powder with water-only (read post of it —> here) is only 3 pts. The Vega Sport protein is soy/dairy/gluten free and I’ve loved it for awhile. So I might go back to those for breakfast because they’re a lower pt value and I still find them filling for a couple hrs
Although I’ve been tempted at times to cave and grab some candy at work or have a beer with my husband on the couch – I’ve been able to fight temptation successfully. It wasn’t all that difficult. I think a big reason is that when I started this program I was fully ready and committed to make some changes. I really don’t want to get off track. I remind myself that 9 days isn’t a very long time and that so many people have seen amazing results from this program. I am so curious to find out if it’s as successful for me! That suspense is keeping me going. I might take my measurements midway through just to see…and I’ve been weighing myself here and there (still about 3 lbs down) – but the one thing I’ve noticed is that my clothes feel a bit roomier. It could all be ‘in my head’ because I know I’m consuming less – but either way, it’s a good feeling!
I’ve also found that so many friends/acquaintances when they hear about what I’m doing are very supportive. They give me words of encouragement. It’s pretty nice! The more people I tell – the more likely I am to stick to it – I really don’t want to tell everyone ‘actually, I quit after day 4 and went on a huge binge’ – feels kinda embarrassing haha. I’d rather be an inspiration that these things are totally do-able!
It’s good to have a tangible goal in mind other than a # on the scale / inches you want to lose. Maybe it’s feeling your best for a class reunion OR being ready for your annual family pool party OR being able to better keep up with your active kids. Mine is looking better in a bathing suit this summer! Call it vain – but whatever, I want to put it on and feel good. I also want to see if this program will help me minimize the awesome cellulite that thrives on the back of my thighs. Overall, I want to feel more solid – in my bikini and in my work out clothes…I want to look fit – lean & mean. I’m not into that uber thin look. Picturing your goal in your “minds eye” is also a good thing to do when you get discouraged at any pt during the program
– emphasis on THE VANILLA!
this stuff is so good. I typically do the unsweetened kind but I had to try the vanilla and woa, it’s good
@BethOnBeauty 