Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Running

Fog, Food, and Free Weights

Hey Hey, Hip Huggers!

This morning, I had planned for a run.. but the fog was ridiculous!

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So, while I waited for the sun to come and do it’s thing,
I cooked up this complete breakfast and grabbed a book to
keep me busy. Just until the fog let up a bit.

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2 hours, a LOT of fog still lingered… and no sun.
Visibility had to be 10 yards or so. Just too dangerous
to run, even at the speed I planned on sloshing about at.
So finally,  I opted for a quick lifting sesh instead.

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For the first time in quite awhile,
I concentrated on just one muscle group
and keeping my heart rate between
70 – 80% by still having an active rest in between.
My workout consisted of:

Shoulders:
15 Dumbbell Presses
15 (ea.) Single Shoulder Presses
15 Pulse to Full Presses
***

Between each of these sets, I performed 15 squats
to keep my heart rate up and immediately jumped right
back into the shoulder work with little recovery.

3 sets of all that and I was toast.

I felt very alive after that burn, so
still wanted some cardio… any cardio!
Luckily, my neighbor text and asked if I wanted to stroll, yo.

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***
Showered, stretched, and satisfied.
Now I’m home snacking on a banana
with a few handfuls nuts and berries.

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***
I’m currently updating my blog page… hyper complicated.
So be patient if ‘ish looks weird on here. I’m a novice.

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Wish me luck, I need a fresh outlook for the New Year!

Question: What is your favorite social media site?

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Eating, Fitness, Lifting

Strep in the Name of Love

Hello Hip Huggers!
Yesterday morning, I had a lovely appointment at my doctor’s office.
My throat had been feeling mighty sore and I wanted to rule out death strep….

Not 2 Legit 2 Quit lucky. Boo.

Good news, I just barely have it and felt better after just 2 doses yesterday.
Perfect, because I’d planned a workout with my neighbor this morning.
It has seriously been almost 2 months since we had a good, tough, workout together.
So, Pamela had to push past the pale prognosis for her pal.
For friendship fitness sakes.

Workout: Full Body Circuit with Weights

We absolutely slayed our poor, unassuming arms.
I put together an 8# weight circuit of lateral raises, combo curls, combo presses, and
dumbbell rows. Just enough to reacquaint ourselves with the arm muscles, and get a burn.
But, I love working full body so I had to add in some squats and lunges.

I had an unexpected errand earlier, so I hadn’t eaten anything pre workout. Novice.
So post workout, I was sure to get my 2 legit groups in;  greens and proteins. Love.

Now I’m sitting here baking spaghetti squash and contemplating the next quarter of my life!
Getting more and more excited about getting out of my own ass head and
finally pursuing my dream of becoming a legit certified personal trainer.
The true corner stone for a fitness based career, no matter how big or small (no pun intended).
Sharing fitness is something that I truly love and I feel its my call of duty to the world, before I expire.

Fitness and Family, 2 Legit Loves!
See you after tomorrow’s workout, Hip Huggers!

 Question: How often do you do Full Body workouts?

Eating, Fitness, Running

Rooting for the Red Team

This song Aloe Blacc has been in my brain since the holidays.

This song reminds me of Robin Thicke my Root Chakra.
Why you ask? Because I’m a weirdo.
 I carry my stress worry in my hips/lower back.
So, anytime I hear the word red as of late,
I’m subtly reminded to tend to that chakra.
Chakras are influenced by, of many things, color,
and the Root chakra likes red. So this year,
I am making a conscious effort to eat more red foods,
paint my toes red, drink way more red wine, and wear more red.

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Absolutely.
***
Proof of my happy breakfast: I scrambled up some eggs with white cheddar,
and danced some turkey pastrami and crunchy red peppers.

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I couldn’t sit for too long and daydream.
The kiddos go back to school Monday, and I had lots to do.

I got busy and washed & combed my girlies hair.
Folded clothes. Watered dying plants. Cleaned bathrooms.
Took a siesta. Just tried to get my mind house right.

Since I hadn’t lifted a finger weight since early December,
I opted for a quick session to get my muscles warmed up
and reminded this is how we do…

But I was feeling myself and just couldn’t stop running.

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8 mile tempo run and arm workout for the winter!
Kept it under 11 minute miles and felt red great!

***
For recovery, I made a quick salad.
Romaine hearts, cherubs, feta and lots o’ leftover chicken
with my ranch and black gold, Texas tea so I wouldn’t
crash and burn after that long run!

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Took a nice Epsom salt bubble bath
for these hard working muscles.
And now finishing up blogging about my day
with you awesome people.

Powering down, Hip Huggers!

Question: What’s your favorite color?

Eating, Fitness, Running, Yoga

Priorites & Poblano Poppers

Happy 2015, Hip Huggers!
2 days into the New Year and I’ve already made some scary important decisions.

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1st decision: I’m running the HC15k again!
Now, this is only big news because… I wasn’t gonna.
My traditional HC running buddy has a knee injury
and is out for the count in long distance running, boo.

But, I love this race!
And this year, that medal is super sweet.
The only thing holding me back, is my fear.
So, I’m pushing thru that and signing up!
Thnks fr th Mmrs Lisa, maybe next year! 🙂

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My 2nd decision is to pursue personal training.
I was hung up on the idea that I’d get stuck working at a gym, or fitness club.
That’s not what I want my PT to be solely about.
I want to teach fitness classes at the park, yoga in my home or yours,
and become a certified running coach.
And the foundation for all that IS personal training, in my opinion.
I am doing so with help of a dear friend of mine who has a lot of
expertise in start ups, personally and professionally.
This blog, Instagram, Facebook, Podcasts will all have a hand
in making Runs With Hips, LLC come true!
So, in Feb, I begin. Hangry fears and all!

***

After making up my fears mind to do all this.. I needed some fat.
So, cheesy eggs with sautéed ‘shrooms and peppers it was..
and some bacon I fed the dog didn’t eat.

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Then it was time for some sweat.
3 Mile Walk + some Arm work, a la yoga.. hot right?

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Speaking of heat,
I was craving jalapeño poppers baaaaaad last night while watching the Rose Bowl.
No way was I gonna dare put the junked up, fast food ones in this vessel, no.

I remembered I had some frozen poblanos I hadn’t used all up.
Of course cheddar cheese and cream cheese is always on hand,
and even had a few pieces of bacon to wrap it up!
That turkey bacon loner over there was for the hubs…
He doesn’t eat the oink..

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Threw these babies in the oven and boom! So delish!
I could only manage to eat one… that’s LCHF for ya!

***Poblano Poppers***
8 slices of bacon
2 Poblano peppers, seeds + membrane removed
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
8 toothpicks

•Clean peppers, half, and set aside.
•With a mixer, blend cheeses and garlic.
•Fill pepper halves w/ cheeses. Wrap with bacon.
•Use toothpicks to hold together.
•Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Eat just one!

Could also use traditional jalapeño peppers,
or as a friend from Instagram is experimenting with,
sweet paprika peppers of course! This was my first go at it
so I’d think maybe 8 of those would do!

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Yummy.
Well, I’m off to clean up and cook dinner early
so I can get my Friday night life back !

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Get It! Have a Happy Friday, Hip Huggers!

Eating, Fitness, Running, Yoga

Last Minute Call for Alcohol!

Hello, Hip Huggers! It’s  New Year’s Eve!!

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Absolutely and Always.
***
I actually just returned home from a last minute physical (for insurance purposes).
Lucky for me, my hubby went ahead and signed me in… the wait was 2 hours!
But I got the BEST news to end 2014: I have the BEST lab work I have had
since regularly going to the doctor for physicals 4 years ago… a la weight loss.
With the exception of my 35 inch waist and BMI of 30.3, I was very happy with my results.
The big kahuna, my total cholesterol is 189: 101 Ldl & 79 Hdl 
I am a low carb, high fat eater, so I always anticipate my Ldl to be elevated.
My Dr. said my Hdl is so good, she has no worries about the Ldl, and to continue my eating plan. Yuss!!
* Fasting glucose was 66;
* Triglycerides awesome at 45;
* Blood pressure 117/71 

Pleased to say after finding an eating plan I love this year, I am in great health!

***

Got home … and was starving! So I whipped up a few eggs, sautéed some mushrooms,
and shredded some Kerrygold  cheese. Sliced up some red peppers, brewed some peppermint tea,
and now I am sharing my hectic afternoon with you all on the low low blood sugar.

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Also awesome, if you follow me on Instagram or just watch the ticker over there,
you will see I didn’t wait until the New Year to get back to running a bit!
I ran 5 miles last Sunday after I blogged and I ran 3 Monday.. .yeiii!!!
If I can manage 10 miles a week, Lifting Wed/Fri., and yoga all up in the mix,
I think I will have found the solid ground of balance I have been seeking… at last!

While we’re grounded here, last night was my husbands last minute Christmas party for his job.
Late I know, tis the season to buy a planner.
I was tagged to Stop Drop and Yoga before we left so,
here’s my dressed up version of Ustrasana, or Camel Pose.

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I’ll be repeating this ensemble  sans the backbend as we head out for the night!
Visiting friends in Egypt an hour away and ringing in the New Year with old friends and new memories!
I was trying to figure out a festive gift to bring, then my neighbor brings by some of her hand crafted Coquito!

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Alcohol!! In a sassy bottle to boot! Perfect last minute timing!
And something us liquor enthusiasts can all enjoy!

***

And as this year comes to a close, Hip Huggers, its been a fantastic year blogging with you!
Here’s to an even more blogtastic year!! Thank you, ALL!!

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Happy 2015!!!
Safe travels all if you’re getting out…and stay warm! See ya next year!!

Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Uncategorized, Yoga

Gettin’ In the Check In…

Hello Hip Huggers!! Just checking on in wit ya…

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You’re here now. That’s all that matters.

If you check in with me on Instagram, that little ticker right down there in the right hand corner, you’re up to date on my yoga challenges.
So, I’ll talk a smidge about other things that have been progressing over the last couple of weeks.
Since my last post, I have been doing a lot of reeling in on realizations about my fitness, you know, staying on my toes…

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First, I had a short tenure again with MyFitnessPal.
After a few days of fitting all my macros, I came to the conclusion that I don’t really need a food tracker any longer.
Aligning with my fitness goals, I just need to continue eating whole, real healthy foods as I have been.
Being certainly mindful of my protein intake, keeping a close watch on fats, and gettin’ in my fiber goals daily.
With delicious real meals such as this one from last night…

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Next, BodyBeast has been pretty much everything I have expected.
Not for the weak-minded I must say, because you will certainly be humbled when you are lifting drop, super, and giant sets!
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I had to break out my 5 lb. weights…yes. However, It lives up to the name.
I am seeing gains again. Check out this PUMP!!

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I DID have to take a week off though, and that totally had me in the dumps.
I overextended my quad in yoga during a Vinyasa flow.
To be precise, too many lunge variations to quick in the sequence kinda irritated my upper left quad.
In short, a lot of fast flowing lunges that ended like this…

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I was afraid I had pulled a tendon at first, that’s how bad it hurt.
But after icing and resting a few days, the pain has completely subsided.
Thank GOD! Lesson learned: Slow down to keep up!
Being sidelined from everything because of one thing is not a good look…
And trust me, I’ve worn it. Never. Again.

So, I had to scale back and return to less intense yoga and workouts.
Running was out of the question, so I picked a few 10 minute full body workouts to do daily,
After that pump, I trek over to the ‘Incredimill’ for a quick 30 minutes of walking intervals with hills,
or get it some step aerobics to get that heart rate up as well as that fitness…
For a fat burn that looks like this…

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Sometimes less is more. The name of the game in forever fitness, Hip Huggers

Check It!!

Question: What is your favorite form of Cardio?