You Are What You Eat!

HOLA HOLA!!

Haha this picture is SO ME!

I missed you guys this weekend! I was super busy so I wasn't able to post but IM HERE!! I hope everyone had an awesome weekend and I hope you didn't throw away your weeks worth of great workouts and healthy food choices. It is sooo easy to fall into a slump. You spend monday through friday hitting the gym and picking apples over bags of chips and then as soooooon as you get off work Friday, you're screaming

"PASS THE MARGARITAS AND BURRITOS!"

                                    

Man...if I could.......

                                               

BUT TAKE IT FROM ME.........people who look like this...

Don't take cheat WEEKENDS and eat this....

I know we would REALLY like it if we could...but we can't have our cake and eat it too. You cant eat crap and expect to look amazing- unless you have those crazy genes that allow you to remain small while eating whatever you want. But don't worry!! Your metabolism WILL SLOW DOWN ONE DAY!!!!

Haha Im just jealous, thats all =)

 

We have to stay motivated!! It's easy to fall into the "This one burger won't hurt" trap. YES IT WILL! I'm not saying its not okay to indulge every once in a while- but BEWARE OF THE TRAP!

 

   Yesterday morning I had a 10-miler to accomplish and MAN, was it painful. When working out alone it is so easy to give up when the going gets tough (and your damn legs start to hurt). I must admit, I wanted to stop SO BAD and make a beeline for my apartment but I stayed out there and finished it up. Its not always easy. Its not always beautiful and glamorous like the women's Nike commercials but we must fight through the bad workouts! Don't be easily discouraged! Remember, if it's hurtin, it's workin!

I know this post was quite short but I'm pretty tired. I will post a better one tomorrow, promise!

We will talk about workout pain and relief options! Stay tuned!


Before I go, I'd like to leave you with a little pic-cha...

In other words, drink more water! You can even jazz it up with mint, strawberries, lemons and limes! Water is great for you! It even tricks your brain into thinking your tummy is full so you won't stuff yourself when eating!

DRINK UP!

 

Nighty Night!

Court

What the HELL is she Wearing??

So last night I was INSPIRED by my friend Brittany. She texts me and says "could your next blog post be a lesson on what to wear when in the gym?"... PERFECT!

I don't know what some people are thinking when they dress to head to the gym or out on a run. If you are pleasinly plump or even a skinny-mini, wearing "up your butt" shorts and a sports bra to a public place is NOT OKAY. Its distracting- and not in a good way. This goes for guys too!! I know the buff dudes wanna look good FOR THE LADIES but seriously, wearing those itty bitty spandex shorts and crop tops (or t-shirts you have ripped to shreds so that you only have a piece of cloth in the front and a piece in the back) doesn't do it for us. Unless you are in the comfort of your own home, Put on some damn clothes. Thank you! So lets do a BEST DRESSED and a WORST DRESSED rundown.

 

BEST DRESSED...

 

 

And although I wouldn't wear it out in public (James would shoot me)..an occasional runner does the sports bra/running shorts combo. If you MUST wear only a sports bra..make sure your shorts/pants arent clinging to your skin.. like so...

 

But seriously, most of my readers live in Memphis..do you REALLY want to run around the streets of M-town barely dressed? If so- I hope you got your pepper spray.

 

NOW FOR THE NO-NO LIST...

 

Put some clothes on people. Seriously.

 

Now for our HEALTHY RECIPE OF THE WEEK!!!

 

 



NO BAKE ENERGY BITES!!

I found these on Pinterest and might I say, they are YUMMY!!

 

All you need to make them is...

 

1. A cup of dry oatmeal

2. 2/3 cup of toasted coconut flakes

3. 1/2 cup of peanut butter

4. 1/2 cup of wheat germ

5.1/2 cup of chocolate chips

6. 1/3 cup of honey

7. 1 teaspoon of vanilla

 * I didnt have any coconut flakes and they were fine*

 

MIX IT ALL TOGETHER AND STICK IN THE FRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES THEN ROLL EM INTO BALLS! YUM!

 

I hope you guys give the balls a try. Heehee.

 

I ran 5 miles today in the hot sun...and I felt like this..

ENOUGH SAID

 

Okay!! I gotta go park my tush in front of the tv..

GREYS ANATOMY COMES ON TONIGHT!!!

HORRAAAYYY!!



 

Peace Out!

Court

Burning Up!

BONUS BONUS BONUS POST!!

I know I've already posted once today but I after the run I just experienced I must share with you some important "Rules of the Road".

Yes, this is me right now. The look on my face portrays exactly how fun this run was.

I started extra late- which is not good, especially when you are running downtown alone. I didnt get to finish because the sun went down and the hobos came out to play.

I'll make up for it tomorrow- don't yall worry.

 

OKAY!

 

So do you know when people say "I was just soo dern busy that I forgot to eat"..

I'm always like...

YEHHHH RIGHT!!

 

I'm such a greedy girl..there is no way I could forget to eat..right?

WRONG!!

I didn't remember to eat until after I was outside working on mile 1. Damn. IT IS SOOO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO EAT- especially for us fitness people. We have to stay energized. And I dont care what anyone says- if you dont get proper nutrition, there is no sports bean in the world that can give you energy to complete a great workout. I wanted to fall down in the grass and stay there until someone noticed- and brought me a snack. But I kept going. I will NEVER do that again.  

 

ANOTHER THING!!

It is important that you NOT skip meals. When you skip meals and become SOOOO hungry, you will eat ANYTHING! Then you'll feel guilty afterwards. If you consume healthy snacks throughout the day, when its time for your meals, you won't be as hungry as you can make logical decisions. There have been many times when James was crusing along (while my stomach was eatingmy back) and he would calmly say "Where would you like to eat hunny?"..and I'd be like..

I DON"T CARE! I WANT EVERYTHING! FEED ME NOOWWW!!

 

lol

 It is also important that you eat until you are satisfied-- not until you are STUFFED. There is a big difference. Eat until you are not hungry anymore..don't keep eating to the point you're uncomfortable. The ONLY time it's okay to eat until you can't breathe is Thanksgiving.





Totally Kidding...kinda.

 

ONE MORE THING..

There is a difference.

I am guilty of this every once in a while. Are you really hungry?? Or do you need to find a hobby?

Think about it the next time you try to reach for some Oreos.

 

NOW PUT CHA HANDS IN THE AIR IF YOUR FACE FEELS LIKE THIS WHEN YOU SWEAT....

This could be due to a number of things.. the only reason I thought of this random topic is because the little crack under my nose is on FIRE right now.

This can be caused by makeup or facial moisturizer residue that adversely reacts with the sweat. I use hydroquinone and a tretinoin as an acne/scarring treatment and I forgot to wash my face before I went out. These treatments actually make your face more sensitive to the salt in your sweat and cause it to burn. Wiping off your face too hard with your tshirt or towel probably doesnt make it any better.

Sweat bands help/ and make sure you wash your face before you exercise. Aquaphor (in the baby section) before and after your run helps.. AND WATER! Staying hydrating during your heavy sweat sessions can actually alleviate the burn since your sweat won't be as salty.

Ok guys, thats all for tonight!

I hope you sleep well!

TOMORROW IS THURSDAY!

Every Thursday I will post a fun and healthy recipe for you to try! So stay tuned..

 

May the force be with you,

Court

What Runners Pooch?

Hi Guys,

Well I actually miscalculated and today was a rest day on my running schedule. That is actually good news because my legs still hurty hurty hurt-hurt! So in the spirit of rest days, I decided to have THIS for breakfast.. judge me if you want to, I'm a marathon runner now so if I wanna have a mini muffin I WILL HAVE a blueberry mini muffin. And it was GOOOOOD too.

Now I promise I am a semi-clean eater but even the dedicated fall of the wagon once, or twice..or three times. Ya know- be happy. Don't worry that muffin VANISHED from my body after the workouts I suffered through today. Keep reading.

 I was supposed to rest but I teach a kickboxing class and a cardio sculpt class on Monday nights- back to back- and yes, I do the whole damn class with my students. What a rest day this turned out to be! But I love teaching fitness classes because I love sharing the joy with my students..and the pain, of course =)
 It's always good to switch up your workouts- for example: I love to run. But I can't just run all the time- I have to switch it up so that I can give certain muscles a break and engage other unused muscles. And running can get really boring- really fast. Confuse those muscles! Go swimming, or hiking..or do some yoga!
I asked a few of my students to stay and take a picture with me for my blog so that I'd have something to share with my readers-- these are the troopers that remained for the sweaty pic..All the pretty girls scooted out the door. Haha I'll catch em next time.

 

 

OH! I found this helpful picture today which shows one how to run CORRECTLY. Seriously, pay attention to this picture because I promise you- I run with my shoulders slumped and I look like Quasimoto (I'm spelling it like I think it should be spelled- do me a favor, don't google the correct spelling- be nice. It's Monday). I am CONVINCED that I have a Runner's Pooch becuase I dont have good posture while I run. I really tried to fix it but its soo hard to stand up straight while running. You can also get a runners pooch when you don't stretch out your hip flexors properly. So after each workout make sure you STRRREETTCCHH!



Hip Flexin!!

NEW PROTEIN SOURCE...

James tried ISOPURE yesterday and he says that he really likes it. I tasted it and it doesnt taste half bad. A small after taste but it has 40 grams of protein and its not thick, like a shake. Its actually tastes like watered down Kool aid... only drawback is- its pretty pricey. This bottle is $4 but the actual powder is $60 for a few weeks supply. Yikes..

Not too shabby..

 

Before I go:

 

Since I've been shoving protein supplements down your throat, lets go over some sources of protein that we should all include in our diets...

1. boneless skinless chicken (organic is best)

2. canned tuna

3.wild salmon/tilapia

4.beans and lentils

5. eggs (organic if you can)

6. lean beef- sirloin is good

7.greek yogurt

8.quinoa

9. almonds

10.cottage cheese 

Yummy yummy! Now I'm hungry!

OMG doesnt this look sooooo good? Bananas are actually not the best fruit choice for you but they are soooo tasty! My parents would always know when I snuck in (in my college years) to steal food from their pantry because the bananas would be missing! hahaha!

Okay guys!
I hope you have a good night! Tomorrow is my 3 mile trek so I'll let you know how it goes!

Peace and Chicken Grease,
Court

No Nonsense

Booyoww!!
Today was supposed to be a cross training day so James promised that he would tag along with me to the gym so that I can do moves-- and he could snap photos for you guys. But this happened...

 

So i ended up ALLLL ALONE. But that's okay! I kept a positive attitude...

And set out to the gym alone. Don't mind that pile of crap to the left- just a little pile that SOMEBODY (not me) was supposed to take to the trash this afternoon...

 



So I made my way to 10 fitness (gym in Little Rock that costs- you guessed it- $10/month) for 60 minutes of cross training. I didn't go to the functional training gym (functional training is kinda like a crossfit gym- I'll explain that later) because my legs are still a bit sore from yesterday- going from nothing to 9 miles is pretty tough on your body so I took it easy today. 

I hopped on the bike and rode for 25 minutes- just a nice easy ride (intensity of 8, no hill intervals today), watched a little tv and before I knew it, it was time to get off!

I then got an exercise ball and two 8 pound weights and did sit-up jabs.

 

1. Grab an exercise ball

2. Grab your weights- whatever size works for you

3. Lay back on your ball with the weights in each hand

4. Sit up and jab your right arm hard to the left (punch your boss hard!)

5. Lay back on the ball with your core contracted

6. Sit up and jab your left arm to the right (punch him/her hard again!)

7. Repeat..and repeat and repeat and repeat

 

I then did burpees on the step...

So you put both hands on the floor jump both feet back (you'll be in pushup positon). Jump your feet back to your hands (butt shall be in the air- like you just dont care) and stand up, jumping on the step in a fluid motion. It might be difficult to keep it flowing when you first start out but thats okay! Just keep it up. It will get easier with practice =)

 

After I finished with my burpees and ball jabs (heehee), I went for the No Nonsense circuit. This is to be done continuously without a break until the entire circuit is finished. Then you are to repeat it 2 more times! GO HARD and don't hold back. If done correctly, you should be dripping! If The No Nonsense workout is all you plan on doing, running a mile (or two) before and after will add a little intensity to the workout! Give it a try!



 

 

After my workout was complete, I headed to Kroger to pick up some TP and wandered on the health nut aisle...

 

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE!!

"Get Rich Quick" schemes are not the way to go.. So why would one think that "Get Fit Quick" schemes are effective? Slim Quick and Hydroxycut may work for some but why do we always try to take the quick and "easy" route? Work out, eat right and the results will come- I promise. Put the pills down, grab a stick of celery and join a bootcamp. Sheesh.

 

 

 So I wandered on down and passed by this.. I love Muscle Milk. People have different opinions about protein shakes but I think this is a good one. They also have a "light" version for people that want to keep the calories low. But if you need more protein in your diet, these are great (and yummy). LET ME BE CLEAR-- if your diet calls for more protein, it is better to consume more protein with actual whole foods- supplementing with shakes is not the BEST choice. But Muscle Milk is a good shake.

 

Anddd finally. I walked past the frozen dessert aisle. And stopped. Then kept walking. Then turned around. And walked down the aisle. What the heck. Its Sunday. Calories don't count on Sundays. You didn't know that? lol. Well if I must have ice cream, Im gunna go with SKINNY COW. It is the BEST ice cream with 1/3 of the guilt!! I got a mini cup of Dulce de Leche. 150 calories and 1 gram of fat. We wont mention the carbs and sugar content- its Sunday. Remember? haha!! If the ice cream container can fit in the palm of your hands then its all good. I don't make the rules =)



 

Well tomorrow is another running day. I have 3 miles so I'll knock that one out bright and early in the morning!

What workouts will you partake in tomorrow? Share with me!

 

Talk to you guys tomorrow!

 

 

Peace in the Middle East,

Court