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Listening to your body & taking rest

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Well hello there, B2B readers! Happy, happy Friday 🙂 What’s going on this weekend? Any fun plans? Mine is relatively open, besides a girls night at my place tonight with Danielle, Amy and Rachel! I’m so excited to finally have people over and to check out a restaurant or bar in the area.

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Anyway! On top of being excited about having the girls over tonight, I am excited to have a few days off from teaching. I don’t know what it is, but this week has totally kicked my butt. Actually, when I really think about it, I have felt completely beat ever since before my move, which is going on 3 weeks at this point. Something about that just isn’t right… or normal. I am one who generally has loads of energy and can push through two-a-days at the gym like it’s my job (haha, I guess it kinda is my job!), but lately, I find myself really lacking in energy. I’m not sleeping well, yet I pretty much have to drag myself out of bed every morning. I’m exhausted, yet I’ve continued to workout. Anyone who’s read my weekly workout posts can probably agree that I don’t give myself enough rest, which generally doesn’t bother me, but lately I’ve felt like I’ve been pushing myself too much.

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My old injuries have been popping up (shoulder, hip flexors, knee, shin… the list goes on and on), which can only mean I’ve been overworking them and it’s their way of showing me it’s time to slow down, right? Even though I could push through these little injuries and ice after every workout and foam roll the life out of me, is it worth it? Probably not. If I don’t listen to my body and take the rest it clearly needs, will I likely get more injured? Probably.

So, with that said, I’ve decided to take at least Friday-Sunday off from any sort of physical activity (except for walks and staying active like that…). I know 3 days off from working out may not seem like a real “rest”, but for me, even taking 2 days in a row off is a lot, so 3 days off in a row will likely feel a long time! Pending on how those days go, I may extend the break until next Wednesday, which is the next day I need to teach. I really need workouts for my mental sanity on top of physical fitness, so if I’m miserable then I’ll incorporate light, steady state cardio on Monday and Tuesday.

I’m excited to let my body heal and have some time to chill out. I have a million errands that I need to run this weekend, but I hope to get to the beach and relax, too. It will also be nice to have a few days where I am not planning my day around my workout (this has become so second nature to me that it doesn’t bother me, but it feels weird/nice when I don’t have to!). If nothing else, forcing myself to rest and relax might even turn out to be enjoyable? What a thought! 😉

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on taking extended rest days and listening to your body! When is the last time you gave yourself more rest than usual? Do you go through phases where you find yourself being too intense with your workouts? Have any nagging injuries?

Leave some suggestions of things I can do to keep myself occupied this weekend 🙂

Living Alone: Things I’m Lovin’, Things I’m Missin’ and Weird Things I’m Doin’

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Well, I’ve officially lived alone for 12 days. It may not seem like that long, but in that short amount of time I’ve realized that it’s very different living alone than with roommates! There are a lot of things I love about living alone, but there are a few things I do miss about living with people!

I didn’t hate living with roommates at all and didn’t move out for that reason, but I think there comes a point where it’s just time to move on and get your own place. I think this is especially important to do before you get married (at least, in my opinion) so you can learn what it’s like to be completely on your own before you really settle down. Marriage is not anywhere in the horizon for me… yet… (it’d be great if it happened within the next 2-4 years, though. Not that I can plan that, but it would be nice! 😉 ) but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself because of living alone for just a short amount of time (here’s where the ‘”weird things I’m doin’ ” comes in!).

Things I’m Lovin’

1. When I come home from work and teaching and/or the gym, I know the apartment will look exactly how I left it. I’m really trying to de-clutter and keep things organized since I don’t have much space and, so far, so good!

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2. I don’t have to wait for the bathroom in the morning, or ever! This drastically cuts down my “get ready” time in the morning.

3. Everything is mine!! Granted, I’ll miss this when it comes to getting ready to go out and I don’t have multiple closets to work with, but on a day-to-day basis, I like knowing that everything is mine and only mine. I can keep things where it’s convenient for me and not have to worry about hogging space. It’s lovely.

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4. I can watch whatever I want on TV. I’m not a big TV person (Athena and I were laughing about that over the weekend… how we both aren’t big TV people at all and can’t wait to use Sunday football afternoons to blog instead of watch football), but sometimes there is something I want to watch that I might not have gotten to watch before.

5. When I clean, the apartment stays clean! It’s so easy to keep up with little chores on a daily basis when I live alone. It doesn’t hurt that my apartment is now 1/3 of the size of my old apartment!

6. Loads of room in the fridge! Living with 2 other girls who both love to cook and have plenty of fruits and veggies and leftovers in the fridge makes for a jam-packed fridge up until Saturday every week. My fridge and freezer look so empty, but I love it!

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7. Shorter commute into the city for work and play. With the airport T stop being just a half mile from my apartment and 2 stops to get to the aquarium, getting in and out of the city is a breeze!

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8. The park near my apartment. It is so nice to have a well-maintained, beautiful park just a short distance from my apartment (I actually walk through it to get to and from the T every day). I’ve really enjoyed my runs and boot camps that I’ve used it for!

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Things I’m Missin’

1. My sister and friend, Amy, who is also like a sister! We really had a lot of fun living together so it’s weird not seeing or talking to them every day.

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2. Multiple closets, shoe options and jewelry options. Once I pay off all of the new things I’ve had to buy for the move, I will need to go shopping to extend my current wardrobe.

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3. Having style advice. I am really not very good at looking stylish and staying current with what’s “in” and “out”, so it was nice having two roommates who were impeccable at it!

4. Charlie! I know, I know. I used to hate him, but over the past year and ever since he got out of his naughty kitten stage, I’ve really started to like him, so it’s weird not having him around to greet me when I get home. Luckily, my upstairs neighbor has a big Garfield cat, Chartruese, who roams around outside and loves to be pet!

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5. Living in Somerville where it’s a little easier to get to and from places. I am really loving East Boston thus far, and once I get my EZ Pass updated to say I am an East Boston resident (the tunnel charge will only be 40 cents!!!), it will be even better. With that said, I was so used to living in Somerville and knew my way around so well that it felt like home. I’m not there yet with Eastie, but I know I’ll get there. I already loveeee my new commute to and from the city!

Weird Things I’m Doin’

1. Leaving cabinet doors and draws open. If I know I’m going to be going back shortly- let’s say I’m making lunches or cooking/baking and constantly opening draws and cabinets to get things- I’d rather just leave everything open.

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2. Using the same plates/bowls/silverware day after day. I have a dishwasher, but it’s so much easier and faster to just wash my dishes after I eat and put them in the drying rack. Come the next meal time, I don’t have to even open a cabinet or draw to get a plate, bowl, fork, knife, etc. because everything I might need is already in the drying rack ready for me to easily grab! I literally think I could live with just 1 set of silverware, 1 plate, 1 bowl and 1 cup. It’s ridiculous.

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3. Being obsessive about keeping things organized. As soon as I finish using something that’s usually stored in a closet or draw, I immediately put it away. I guess there could be worse things, right?!

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4. Obsessively locking my doors. I’ve never been crazy about that, but living alone I feel much safer when I know I’m securely locked in. It’s taken a lot of adjusting in order to not freak out every time I hear something outside!

I’m sure these lists will only grow as time passes in my new place. Overall, though, I have to say I am really loving the whole “living alone” thing. I feel like a real grown up!

Questions for you: Do you live alone? If so, what’s your favorite thing about living alone? Whether you live alone or not, what’s something “weird” that you do?

I’ve got work today and then going out for Athena’s birthday! Realllly looking forward to a casual night out with some new friends. It’s been a long, not so great week. Tomorrow, after teaching kickboxing at the YMCA, Danielle, Chuck and I will be heading north for the long weekend!! Maine makes everything better 🙂 I hope all of you have a great long weekend, too!!

Avocado Banana Bread

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Say, what?! Avocado banana bread? You’re probably thinking that cannot be true, or, if it is, it must not be very good, right? Well, it is true, my friends, and it is a delicious combination.

I came across this recipe years ago over at Live, Laugh, Eat and it has been my “go-to” banana bread recipe ever since. The avocado is a healthy way to help keep the bread moist (ew, I hate that word) and the beauty with this recipe is you can’t really taste the avocado. The banana flavor absolutely trumps the avocado, so don’t worry, you’ll still feel like you’re eating banana bread.

The cooler early morning temps over the weekend, paired with overly ripe bananas & a very ripe avocado, made for a perfect excuse to dust off my baking pans and spend my Sunday morning baking. I tried to follow the recipe, but you’ll see below that I did make some changes.

Avocado Banana Bread

recipe from Live, Laugh, Eat, but slightly adapted by myself

Ingredients:

I halved the recipe… just an FYI

  • 2 med-large bananas
  • 1 med-large avocado
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil -I didn’t have coconut oil so I used milk (I must have googled that substitution somewhere)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice – Again, I skipped this and am assuming it’s because I added milk? The recipe is old!
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/4 cups of whole grain flour (I used 1/2 c whole wheat, 1 c oat, 3/4 c spelt)– I used regular ol’ white flour
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seed (I ran out so I didn’t include this)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* F

1. Mash the banana and avocado. Add in the rest of the ingredients up until the flour, and including the vanilla.

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2. Slowly fold in the flour & cinnamon.

3. Add in the chocolate chips.

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4. Grease a loaf pan and bake at 350* for about 35-40 minutes.

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5. Cut a nice slice, add some butter, and enjoy while it’s still warm!

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This was the perfect Sunday morning treat! I haven’t baked since I cut back on sweets and since it was summer and too hot to bake, I didn’t really miss it… that is, up until I started baking on Sunday morning and realized how much I enjoy it!

Questions for you: What word grosses you out the most? Do you like to bake? Do you make a lot of substitutions when you bake?

10 Things To Do Before Summer Is Over

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Hey Friends! Happy Friday! I hope you’ve all had a good week.  Mine was relatively uneventful, but I worked out before work on Monday and Tuesday and it was SO NICE to have some extra time after work to do, well, whatever I wanted! My Tuesday workout wasn’t terrific (I did one of my recent UXF workouts and it is really hard to do those first thing when I don’t have the energy I do at the end of the day!), but it was something so that’s all that matters!

Anyway, I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but ever since August 1st came around, it seems like everyone is officially doing a “summer countdown”. I don’t know about you, but I am NOT ready to even think about summer being over! I know I’m probably not alone when I say this, but I cannot believe how fast the summer has FLOWN by. But! Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to do fun summer things before we officially step into fall.

10 Things To Do Before Summer Is Over

1. Go to a local produce stand and buy fresh summer veggies! Or, visit a friend who has a garden; I’m sure they would love to share the fruits (err, veggies) of their labor. You’ll be amazed at how fresh your salads and meals taste when you eat freshly and locally grown veggies.

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2. Go out on an ice cream adventure! There’s something about going to an ice cream store just to get an ice cream cone. And when I say “ice cream cone”, I mean just that: get real, full fat ice cream. None of that “fro-yo” crap (ok, jk, it’s not crap, but get the good stuff!).

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3. Get outside and enjoy the weather! Go for a run along the water or a pretty trail, grab a friend and go for a power walk to catch up, get an iced coffee and stroll through your city or town. Soak up the nice weather while we still have it!

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4. Find a new beach, grab a good book or magazine and a cooler and take an afternoon for yourself to relax and chill out.

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5. Go shopping! Stores are FULL of summer sales right now, but summer isn’t over yet so everything that’s on sale is still great to wear for the rest of the season. And, getting a good deal is a great feeling 😉

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6. Check out a farmers market and talk with the vendors. They always have loads of information to share! If you’re in the Boston area, you have to check out the SOWA Open Market in the South End. I have only been once, but I’m dying to get back!

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7. Find an outdoor workout class or boot camp to take. My friend, Athena recently went to an outdoor CrossFit Class that looked like SO MUCH fun!

8. Find a fun roof deck or outside bar to go to and spend an afternoon there! Day drink and push all your other “to-do’s” aside! Take advantage of nice weather and the great mood it puts people in.

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9. “Summer clean”. Go through your closet and bureau and clean out everything you haven’t worn in the past year. I recently did this and couldn’t believe how much I could donate!

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10. Make a fun summer cocktail. Sangria is always a good choice and Rachel provided a delicious recipe in her Guest Post a few weeks ago!

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Focus on the now and stop your “days left of summer” countdown. That little trip you’ve been putting on? Plan it! That recipe you’ve wanted to try? Make it! The new restaurant you’ve been wanting to go to? Go! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Questions for you: What’s something on your “summer list” that you still want to do? Favorite roof deck bar? Have you been to any outdoor fitness classes? What’s something I missed?

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 🙂