Month: August 2013

Happy Birthday, Mom! (and other random things)

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Today is a very special day as it is Momma Gag’s birthday!!! I’m sure by the time she’s read this blog post, she has already had a day where she’s been spoiled by all of her friends, but she really deserves nothing less! I’m sure most of you regular B2B readers have seen my mom’s comments, which she does on almost every post, and I cannot thank her enough for her continued support in all my crazy adventures (there’s a new one that I’ll be sharing soon!!). I especially appreciate her always being there when I’ve “hit my wall” and call her in tears during the midst of a meltdown… there’s just something about talking to her that makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER! So mom, thank you for always being there for me and for being the cutest, sweetest, most fun mom around!

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(Like mother, like daughter… except I can’t even come close to holding my own around her!)

Anyway! I feel like I have lots of random things I want to share with you, mostly lots of pictures of sweet Emma at her 1st birthday party… gosh I just love that little girl. I headed home after teaching kickboxing on Saturday morning (I know, I know… you all probably think I go home all the time, but I hadn’t been home since the 4th of July! And, I love being home in Maine. Period. End of story:) ) and got caught in ridiculous amounts of traffic. Literally, I couldn’t even believe how much traffic there was. Shouldn’t people have been on the road early on Saturday to get to their vacation spots? Jeesh!

I finally made it to the party and couldn’t wait to snuggle all of my favorite babies! Zeke is literally a baby, not a newborn anymore. He has grown SO MUCH!

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And Sara seriously looks phenomenal. The “mom” thing looks great on her!

Emma was cruising around everywhere and watching her and Rozzie play together made me laugh so hard!

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Playing in buckets of ice… who knew how fun that could be?!

My favorite part was watching Emma go TO TOWN on her birthday cupcake!

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I so wanted to do the exact same thing, but people would have gave me weird looks so I contained myself 😉

After that, I met up with an old friend for dinner. We grabbed sushi and I would show you pictures, but there was really nothing picture-worthy about the food or drinks so I’ll spare you. The whole experience was hilarious, though, because nothing went right. One example, was when I asked the waitress what her favorite roll was (because I always do this when I go to restaurants- I want to know what the staff eats) and she responded “I don’t like fish so I’m not a good one to ask”. Ha! Why are you working at a sushi restaurant, then?! Anyway! Fun dinner other than that 🙂

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day in Maine. Summer without humidity is the most amazing thing! I had Danielle take pictures and videos for me that I used in my burpee post that I posted yesterday and then we went on a nice walk/jog around Shapleigh. It was fun to do that together!

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We spent some of the afternoon at the Mahoney’s pool (my favorite place to spend hot, summer days!) and then grabbed an ice cream before hitting the road. It made me remember how much I love ice cream 🙂

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And, that’s about it for my random musings/weekend catch up!

 

Oh, except for I forgot to tell you that my parents got a new kitten! Renee (little Renny, as we call her) is just the sweetest little girl ever! So fun to play with a kitten instead of a big (fat) cat like Charlie!
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Questions for you: Do you ask servers what their favorite meal is when you go to a restaurant? Have you ever gotten a cake in the face? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Zucchini Boats

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Hi there! If anyone else has a garden this summer, then I’m sure you can relate to the abundance of veggies that are coming from that garden right now, right?! Unfortunately for me, the only thing in abundance is massively large summer squash. I mean, seriously? Look at the size of these things! It’s just not normal.

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Anyway! I’ve seen some zucchini boats floating around the blog world and internet world and since I had a decent sized zucchini (not obscenely large like the summer squashes above), I figured that was the perfect thing to make this week! I didn’t want to stuff it with ground chicken since I just used ground chicken in my Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna that I made last week, so my mom suggested that I buy uncooked chicken sausage, take it out of the casing and cook it on the stove as I would ground chicken or sausage. Mom, this was a great idea! Chicken sausage is so much more flavorful than ground chicken so it’s always a great addition to a veggie-filled meal.

I also cooked up my favorite veggies to have in any dish: onions, peppers, broccoli and corn. As I thought about what I could use to help keep everything together in the boats, as well as provide a little boost of flavor, I remembered another trick from mom: add cream cheese or any other type of cheese dip to veggies, because it makes it seem like you’re eating a rich, cream sauce when you’re not! Mixing red sauce and cream cheese was just what the dish needed! I highly suggest trying this recipe if you, too, have zucchini and/or summer squash growing out of your ears.

Zucchini Boats- Stuffed with veggies & a light creamy red sauce

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 3 uncooked chicken sausage links
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 3/4 cup chopped broccoli
  • 3/4 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 tbsp. cream cheese
  • herbs and seasoning

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1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seed part to create the “boat” that will hold the stuffing.

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2. Cut up the veggies and cook them in the pan. I always cook the onions first (for about 3 minutes or until translucent) and then I add the green peppers, broccoli and then corn. While these are cooking, I throw all sorts of herbs and seasonings into the pan: sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, etc.

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3. When the veggies have finished cooking, remove from the pan and add the chicken sausage (removed from the casing). Cook just as you would cook ground chicken. When it’s fully cooked, the veggies back in, as well as 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and 1 tbsp. of cream cheese. The cream cheese helps to make a nice, smooth sauce (learned this tip from mom).

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4. Once everything is combined, scoop it into the boats, top with cheese and bake at 350* for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese gets nice and browned.

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2 words: Holy.Yum! Such a healthy and light summer meal! Now I just have to figure out what to make with the 3 ginormous summer squash and 1 more good sized zucchini….

Questions for you: What’s your favorite recipe that incorporates zucchini’s and/or summer squash? I’m in desperate need of good ideas!! Do you have a garden? What’s your favorite summer veggie?

Wednesday Workout: Burpees, burpees, burpees. I <3 Burpees!

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This week’s “Wednesday Workout” isn’t necessarily a workout, but rather an ode to burpees! It’s no secret around here how much I love burpees; in fact, there’s RARELY a time where I teach a class that doesn’t include them. Lately, I’ve been learning all sorts of new ones that I’ve been bringing into my classes and based on my member’s reactions to them, they love to hate them!  Which is why I am writing this post for you today: I want to share my love of burpees and all my favorite types of burpees with you! I am hoping you’ll either incorporate them into your workouts that you do or teach, because they really are one of the best cardio workouts.

*Side Note: I thought it would be fun to incorporate both step-by-step pictures AND video’s for my favorite burpees- let me know what you think! I apologize that the video’s are blurry; it must be something internal because the camera wasn’t moving when the videos were taken and I took a couple “test” videos and those came out just like these. I hope you can ignore that and focus on the burpees instead 🙂

1. Basic, most common burpee- this is the one I did up until just months ago. Starting from standing, place your hands on the ground, jump or step your feet out so you’re in high plank position, jump or step your feet back into your hands and do a nice, big jump at the end!

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IMG 0183 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

2. “Real” burpee (or, CrossFit burpee)- Start out just as you would when you do a basic burpee, but instead of jumping out into high plank position, jump out and drop your whole body onto the ground. From there, lift your whole body up, jump your feet in and perform a big jump at the end.

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IMG 0184 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

3. Surfer burpee- Perform a “real” burpee, but instead of jumping your feet in and doing a big jump at the end, push yourself up from the ground and land in a “surfer” stance. Drop back down to your stomach, jump up and land in a surfer stance at the other angle. I love these because they work your legs A LOT when you land in the low squat “surfer” stance.

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IMG 0185 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.
4. Frogger burpee- Perform a big forward jump, drop down into a “real” burpee, push yourself up and do a 180* jump so you’re facing the other direction. Jump in that direction, drop down into a “real” burpee, and continue on.

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IMG 0186 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

5. Burpee/Push-up/Side plank/Tuck Jump- I have no idea what to call this burpee, but I recently learned it from someone at a work conference (not a workout conference, mind you, I just talk about fitness all the time and found someone else who loves fitness!). For this one, you start out doing a basic burpee, but when you jump out to high plank, do 1 push-up then open up to a side plank, come back to center and do 1 push-up, open up to a side plank on the other side, come back to center and do 1 push-up and then jump your feet in and instead of just jumping up, do a TUCK JUMP at the end of the burpee. Killer!

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IMG 0187 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

6. One-Legged Burpee- Follow all steps as the “basic” burpee, but instead of jumping out with both legs, tuck in one knee and only jump back with one leg. Alternate legs jumping back for each burpee. You can also hold a small bender ball in between your knees here, too!

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IMG 0188 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

7. Angled Burpee Jumps- Start out with a “basic” burpee, but when you jump your feet out into a high plank, jump them out to the left. Jump them back into the center (at your hands) and then back out to the right, back to your hands, back out straight, and then jump them in and do a big jump at the end. So, it goes: down, out left, in, out right, in, out center, in, jump up.

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IMG 0189 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

8. Burpee w/squat landing- This is similar to the “surfer burpee” in that you don’t perform a big jump at the end of the burpee. Instead, when you jump your feet in, you stick your landing in a nice, deep squat. In addition, lift your hands so you have to balance in that low squat. After your landing is “stuck”, place your hands back down, perform a “real” burpee and then push yourself up and stick that low squat landing.

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IMG 0190 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

Your turn!! Share with me: What is your FAVORITE burpee? Least favorite? Did I miss any?

Weekly Workouts: A heavy workout week

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Good morning, friends! How are you doing? Now that I have the keys to my new apartment, it’s been hard focusing on anything except for moving! My parents were planning to come down on the 16th and 17th, but I’m trying to figure out a way for them to potentially come down this Friday to at least move the big things in: my bed, dressers, couch, chair, table, etc.

Anyway! As my title suggest, this past week was a heavy week with regards to workouts. I COMPLETELY forgot that I agreed to sub Kate’s 5:30 Sports Conditioning class on Wednesday, so that was a big surprise when I finally made it back in the office after lots of travel and looked at my calendar and saw that! It all worked out, though and since it’s right before my normal class, it’s not really a big deal.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I ran 3 miles in the morning and did some core strengthening exercises since my muscles were pretty tired from Sunday’s BodyPump class. As much as I like my workouts in the evening better than in the morning because I have more energy and more time, it feels great that I am getting back into the “swing” of morning workouts.
  • Tuesday- I got up at the hotel in Atlanta and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by 4 rounds of: 10 box jumps, 10 incline push ups, 10 squat and press and 10 stability ball leg lifts. Felt great!

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  • Wednesday- Realized I had to sub Kate’s class which was kind of a bummer since I really enjoy my Wednesday runs along the Charles before teaching UXF, but I still got a great workout in between teaching the two classes!

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(I taught a fun stations circuit in both classes. Multiple people told me they were sore on Thursday. Music to my ears!)

  • Thursday- Taught SHRED and then kickboxing. I made up the routine on the plane (on a napkin, mind you), and to my happy surprise, it came out just as well in person as it did in my head! That never happens 😉

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(I wore the most obnoxiously loud colored outfit to teach on Thursday… yikes!)

  • Friday- REST. After 6 consecutive days of workouts, and two of those being doubles, my body was calling for rest. I also had the day off from work which was icing on the cake. It felt weird, but surprisingly good, to not plan my day around my workout! I did do lots of walking around the mall, though.
  • Saturday- Taught the same kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA as I did in Thursday’s class at the BSC. Awesome energy in the class!!
  • Sunday- Danielle and I went for a nice walk/jog around Shapleigh, covering almost 2.75 miles. I did some ab work after and also did lots of different kinds of burpees. Hint: fun post coming up on Wednesday!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Even though I don’t have anything after work (I was supposed to do something with Jess but I decided that could wait) I wanted to get my workout done in the morning so I could have the evening to grocery shop, cook and start to pack!
  • Tuesday- Likely working out in the morning again because I want to start bringing stuff to my new apartment!
  • Wednesday- Probably a run along the Charles and then teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- SHRED and Kickboxing!
  • Friday- I have a 3 hour training for the latest UXF Burn release/format/abs… Last time I was trained on UXF Burn, we worked out like crazy people!! It’s so funny to workout with a group of fellow instructors because we all push ourselves way more than we would any other time 😉
  • Saturday- I am subbing a SHRED class at the Central Square BSC, so BSCers- COME GET YOUR SWEAT ON!!! 🙂 I’m thinking there will be a second workout of the day while dancing at Christy’s wedding 😉
  • Sunday- Rest!!! Maybe some moving, but mostly rest!

Questions for you: Do you look forward to dancing when you go to weddings or parties? How many weddings have you gone to this summer? Fellow instructor friends- do you work out harder when you’re in a class with all instructors?

Have a wonderful week, friends!!!

The Great Protein Debate- Need Your Help!!

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Hey friends! Boy was it nice having yesterday off! Even though I was busy with a car appointment, shopping, dealing with canceling cable, gas, and electricity only to set them back up in my new place, I did find time to relax in the sun for a little bit! I also talked to my friend, Jess about an exciting new opportunity that I will hopefully be sharing with you in the next few weeks AND picked up the keys to my new apartment!!! Eeek!

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Luckily, my shopping trips were very successful! Not only did I get some super cute things for Emma’s birthday party tomorrow, I also got some great deals for myself, including a dress for Christy’s wedding next weekend (holy crap time is flying by!). Here’s the loot! It may look like I spent a lot, but I promise I didn’t! Stores are having incredible deals right now.

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(The green thing on the back of my phone is a post-it “to do” note… I keep them there so that I won’t forget things! 🙂 )

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While shopping, I meandered into GNC to check out the protein options. With the amount I work out and the fact that I’ve recently cut back dramatically on sweets, I feel like I really need to up the protein in my diet. Rather than filling myself up with unnecessary sweets and “filler” foods (don’t get me wrong- I love treats and snacks and certainly don’t deprive myself, I am just trying to nourish my body with more of what it NEEDS based on my activity levels), I want to keep myself satisfied with foods that will help keep me fuller for longer and help fuel me through my workouts.

But, here’s the problem- I have NO IDEA what type of protein to buy. I asked a friend and he said:

-Whey protein

-One that has 20 grams of protein per shake

-Chocolate is the best flavor

Helpful, but I still need more help! I haven’t done a lot of research, but after checking out a number of different websites, this one in particular, I do think that Whey protein is probably the best option for me as I am just trying to supplement my diet and help repair muscle after spending 1-2 hours in the gym at least 5-6 days a week. Plus, it’s not like I don’t eat any protein; I have Greek yogurt almost daily (usually about 13g/container), in addition to chicken and/or fish, but I definitely need more!

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I did a little research and read that “recreational athletes” should be consuming anywhere from .4-.75 grams of protein for every pound of body weight (every site had a number within this range), which would mean on the low end, I need about 48-50 grams of protein daily. In order to get from the 30 or so grams of protein I likely eat in a day, to the 50 or so I SHOULD be consuming, I think a protein shake would be perfect!

But, that brings me back to the question: what type of protein powder do I buy?! I would love to be able to buy a few different kinds to try them out, but they all come in such big packages and are definitely not cheap, so that wouldn’t be a smart route for me to go. I also want to make sure it TASTES good, because there is no way I’m going to suffer through drinking something that tastes like garbage.

Here’s where you come in! Do you use protein powder? Do you have a brand you’ve found to be particularly “good” in terms of effects and taste? What would you suggest for a “newbie” protein powder user? Please help! Clearly, I need it 🙂