Guys.... remember like the last ten posts when I said that the holidays were killing me? Well here we are on a Wednesday to make up for no Tuesday post. Oopsie! Yesterday was like crazy busy- but we did end up with a bunny sooooo I'm not that mad. Isn't she cute? And I can't even tell you how much I hate the lighting in my apartment. We are in a basement and I obviously didn't take these at a great time so... sorry for the low pic quality! My bad. Set a timer on your phone and do 1 min of each exercise. Repeat the circuit 3 times. You can always finish it off with a few minutes of jump ropes too :) 1. The SwitchStart with one leg up and switch in the air so that your other foot is up on the step. Does that make sense? 2. The Side StepThink, "one, two"- both feet need to be in each position before you move on. Make sure you move one foot at a time. 3. Push UpWhat would a circuit be without these? I chose to do mine wide, but you can always switch yours up. 4. Burpies!These are legit. Don't skip them! 5. Tri DipsMake sure to keep you wrists in line with your elbows as much as you can. Also- get your booty realllllly close to the ground, but don't rest it down there. 6. BridgesI took out some of the levels on my step to show some modifications- you can do whatever feels most comfortable for you. Remember to keep your core pulled in and your bum tight. 7. Bunny HopsHad to keep with the bunny theme. These are just regular box jumps. 8. LungesI just did a wide lunge here. I gently touched my knee to the ground on the way down. Try to keep you front knee in line with your ankle. Since you'll need to switch legs do 1 minute on the right side, 1 minute on the left for each circuit. 9. Backwards JumpsI love involving the brain in my workouts- this looks simple but it required some concentration! Basically the same as bunny hops except that you are facing the opposite direction. 10. Sit UpsYou know the drill. I didn't use my step with this one (obvs). I'm just going to be real here for like one second. I am posting this really late today because honestly, I am super self-conscious of these photos. Sometimes it is really scary to put yourself out there- especially when you know (and see) all of your flaws. My cute hubby told me to just post them... who was anyone else to say that I didn't look good enough to post these on a health blog? I'm trying to internalize that... but it's tough. I'm just trying to remind myself that I am on a journey and that even though I have a health blog, I definitely don't need a barbie doll body. I see lots of other bloggers that do, so it can be discouraging- but who wants to read a blog about someone who is perfect? That's way too high of a standard to live up to. Ammmiright? Thanks for listening to my rant!
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Remember THIS post... or THIS post? When I talked about how much I love Hungry Girl? Yep, still obsessed. Today I'm bringing you a slightly modified version of her 'Sweet Potato Apple Pack.' It's so so good and just so perfect for winter I want to die. Nothing says holidays like cinnamon. nutmeg and cloves. I know that Christmas has passed, but if you're like me, you probably have a couple more holiday parties and/or a New Years Eve party that you could bring this to. You'll encourage your friends to eat healthier without having to sacrifice that yummy warm, homey flavor. Ingredients:
Directions:
This recipe makes 2 servings and each serving is roughly 250 calories.
First of all, Merry Christmas! This is my favorite holiday. I absolutely love spending time with my family, playing in the snow, eating delicious food and relaxing. So Merry Christmas from us, to you! We got to stay up at a cabin near Sundance, Utah with the Crosby side and I can't even tell you how freaking fun it has been. Love these crazies. I'll do a personal post about it soon :) One of my family's (and Skylor's family's) favorite things to do is watch movies together. Like we are movie whores. On top of that- we LOVE Star Wars. My mom is obsessed with it, so the movies are a big part of my childhood. We all really enjoy those movies so we are going together to the new movie tomorrow. #holla So obviously I needed to buy a Star Wars shirt and Kohls had an AMAZING selection. I'm not even joking when I say there was at least 20 options of ladies shirts. My is the Rock n Republic brand (which is a go to brand of mine anyways) which worked perfectly. Plus it is pink, so winning. Ya feel me? You can find my shirt HERE and these supes comfy Nike sweats HERE. My brother and sister-in-law brought up there sweet dog, Dolly. I'm obsessed with her! She's actually pregnant right now so I am trying to convince Skylor to let me get one of her puppies. Fingers crossed. How cute is my mom?? Freaking love this lady. I hope you all had a very happy holiday with your family and loved ones! Muah!
I've said it before and I will say it again- the Holidays make me feel like I'm drowning! You'd think it would/should be a time for relaxing but it seems so much busier than a lot of the other times in the year.
Soooooo... sorry for the late post today! I meant to get it all set up last night, but then I decided to finish my Christmas shopping before it got too crazy. I definitely missed that boat because it was INSANE out. But on a good note- I got all my shopping done! Go team. Alright, for realz onto this post now. I picked up the most epic Hungry Girl bible at DI a few weekends ago (you can find it HERE). I LOVE Hungry Girl. Like she's the bomb. Her notes are upbeat and her recipes (for the most part) are easy and yummy. Skylor likes them too! I have a few Hungry Girl books at this point and you really can't replace them. There's different ones in each book- however, this bible book is HUGE and I don't think I need another low calorie book for a long time. I extra love that I got it for like $4 at DI haha. My favorite part ;)
This is a super simple recipe and something that has become a staple for busy mornings cause it literally takes like 2 minutes to do. I buy liquid egg whites (she just uses liquid egg in her recipe, but I prefer egg whites only) and a few rounds of the laughing cow cheese and BAM. I like to pair mine with some spices for the top, just as some extra seasoning. You could use anything really- but I like putting Spike or the Red Robin seasoning on mine. Hungry Girl has a lot of variations of this, so you might see those on here once I get sick of making this everyday.
Recipe Adapted from Hungry Girl
Ingredients:
125 calories; 1.5g fat; 547 mg sodium; 3.5g carbs; 0g fiber; 2.5g sugar; 20g protein
There's nothing quite like having a furry little workout buddy with you when you're doing stairs. I freaking love that face SOOOO much. I loved having this cute and my other cute (aka the husby) with me today! I needed a dose of both of them after this crazy week. This is just a quick little workout you can do- all you have to do is find some stairs and put on your tennis shoes! Do each exercise for 1 minute splits- repeat for a total of 3 circuits. Warm UpWalk up and down the stairs, gradually increasing your pace until you get your heart pumping and your muscles warm. I recommend at least 5 minutes. 1. Run the stairsAfter your warm up, run up and down the stairs for 1 minute. 2. LungesMake your way up the stairs by doing alternating lunges. I want these low and I want you to squeeze your legs and butt on the way back up. Keep this very intentional- we want to engage the brain too. 3. GrapevineThis is my favorite set of the whole workout- just do a simple grapevine up the stairs. This will keep your mind involved (cause you don't want to trip and biff it... trust me) and its just good for overall coordination. A simple grapevine is front, side, back, side. Alternate sides. 4. JumpsSimply jump onto each stair with both feet until you hit your minute. 5. TricepsUse one of the bottom stairs for your dips- when you bend your elbows, try to keep them straight back. As you extend, keep your core and butt tight. 6. Push upsYou got this. 1 minute of push ups. You can switch up your grip on each circuit to change things up. 7. One-legged JumpsDo one minute on each side- its as simple as it sounds. Make sure to keep your knees soft, don't hyper-extend. Make sure you do 1 minute each side, this exercise will take 2 minutes. 8. Step Up Kick BacksStep left, kick right back. Step right, kick left back. BOOM. You got it. Be sure to squeeze your butt as you kick back. 9. Decline LungesTake your time with these so that you don't injure yourself. I step down on every other step and drop my knee onto the middle step. Don't forget to repeat the circuit 3 times! Be sure to do a cool down (just walk up and down the stairs) and bring your heart rate down. This is super important! We don't want any venous pooling or anything else. I finished off my workout with a mend juice & some awkward selfies with this one. Seriously. I can't even tell you how obsessed I am with this pup. PS-hubby and I were having some technical difficulties with the camera today... so sorry that some of these are out of focus! We are workin' on it ;)
It's going to be a short post today cause... its the holiday season and I feel like I'm drowning! My house is a MESS and I'm a mess but its just this time of year right? (Who am I kidding... my house is always turned upside down!) Buttttt onto the post. I've really been excited to share this cause it is AMAZING. It's vegan, naturally sweetened and tastes so so good. Like, its not that pretty but the taste totally makes up for it. I got this recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's book It's All Good (and trust me, it is good). Slightly adapted from It's All Good Ingredients:
Gosh, now I am seriously craving this. Its good enough to satisfy any sweet tooth (I pinky promise). Plus it takes all of like 5 seconds sooooo that's a plus. You definitely need to try this drink! I shared some with a girlfriend this morning and she was not digging the looks of it at first. But then I forced her drink it and now she's obsessed with it and can't wait to make it for her hubby.
If you try it out, tag me on insta so I can see your cute pics! Muah! Happy Friday! I need a weekend SO bad. I've had this set of workout cards forever and they are one of my go-to workout sets... especially when I travel! I'm pretty sure I snagged these at a Borders before they closed the store so they were mega cheap, but Amazon still sells them HERE. These would be a perfect stocking stuffer for anyone that's into fitness (or you can always sneak them into your own stocking :) ). Jillian has a few preset circuits but its also SO easy to go through and create a circuit that works for you. Hate burpies? Use something different, there's a ton of options! I like to use the preset circuits as a base and then switch out exercises as I want to/need to. Makes for only a little bit of prep work for a unique workout. I'm the type of girl that loves to switch up my workouts to avoid boredom- I enjoy a different challenge every now and again! I struggle making it through a 90-day preset program just because I don't love repeating workouts super often. It's one of my goals next year to officially finish a 90 day-er. I've made a few modifications to this circuit but I hope you like it! What do you guys think about the slideshow photo effect? Does it work well when you're trying to do the workouts or is it a hassle to have to wait? Just a disclosure... I'm not claiming that my form is perfect. This is just how I would complete the exercises with a weight that was easy to demonstrate with. Feel free to up the weight if you need to! 1. Dumbbell Presses on Body BallYou'll do 20 reps of these. Make sure you are exhaling on the push upward. Hold for a beat at the bottom. Remember to keep that booty up! 2. Dumbbell Fly on Body Ball with CrunchesComplete 20 reps. Be sure to exhale on the way up and try to keep your arms parallel to the floor when in the lowered position. This is also a core workout, so try and activate your abs, mmk? 3. Squats50 squats, no rest, no weights. Be sure to squeeze your butt on the way up to get some extra burn (haha I kinda laughed while I typed that). 4. SprintsFollow up with a 1-minute sprint; 7mph (women) and 9mph (men). If you're outside without a treadmill, just run as quickly as you can without totally exhausting yourself. 5. PlankHold pose for 20 seconds. Keep your core tight, back straight and booty down. 6. Close Grip Push UpsYou'll do 10 reps of these bad boys. Keep your hands as directly under your shoulders as you can (I should've brought mine in a bit closer- perks of taking pics, right?) Also, I did girl push ups cause, well, I need to work on my strength. Feel free to do 'boy' push ups if you can! Try to pull your elbows into your sides as much as you can on the way down. 7. Side Planks with Inner Thigh RaiseThis is a very small movement! You are doing 10 reps on each side, so 20 reps total. Keep your core strong and your belly button pulled in. From a regular side plank, lift your leg towards the ceiling. Try to keep it as straight as you can. 8. Plank PoseRepeat plank pose for 20 seconds. Same rules apply as before :) 9. Close Grip Push Ups10 more reps. Challenge yourself to try some boy push ups! I did, but they were definitely not as pretty haha. 10. Side Planks with Inner Thigh RaiseAgain- repeat as before. 10 reps on each side. 11. Plank Pose20 more seconds! 12. BurpiesGo straight into burpies from plank pose. Do 10 reps (sucka! JK). From the plank you will jump your feet in towards your hands so that you are in a squatting position. From the squat, jump straight up, return to squat and jump back to plank. Boom. 13. Sumo SquatsYou'll do 50 reps of these at a quick pace. Make sure your feet are wider than shoulder width apart and angle your feet outward. Be sure to not let your knees go beyond your toes. 14. Sprints1-minute sprint; 7mph (women) and 9mph (men). 15. Frog Push UpsDo 20 reps of these really weird push ups. Stay on your palms and the balls of your feet throughout the exercise and try to keep your shins parallel with the floor and your knees off the ground. These feel really awkward but they are also tough and a good exercise! 16. Static Lunges with Lateral Shoulder RaiseRegular lunge with a regular lateral raise. 10 reps with each leg forward. Be sure not to let your knee go over your toes. 17. Bicycles50 reps- 25 on each side. Remember to bring the opposing elbow to each knee, keep your core tight and your leg straight (well the one that is extended). 18. Jump RopeJump rope for 1 minute. My favorite cardio exercise :) You can repeat this circuit again, for a better workout. I like to finish with cardio- 20 minutes on treadmill is perfect. I stay at around 5mph- a steady pace is just fine to end this workout.
How freaking amazing does this look? Heavenly right? I'm a hot chocolate addict during the wintertime, so I am always looking for ways to spice it up (and still stay in a reasonable calorie dept). This recipe is absolutely perf. Recipe from Hungry Girl Ingredients:
Directions:
This recipe has like 50 calories in it. #HOLLA Don't forget to tag your girl on insta when you make this goodness! I'll be sure to check it outttt.
PS- sorry for the short post today- Tuesday will be longer, promise. I'm thinking a workout post- so stay tuned! |
HollieI'm a college-grad, certified group fitness instructor and certified personal trainer looking to get my healthy to the next level. I hope you can find a little something here that will help you on your journey too. Archives
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