Come, Come!

Hey guys,

Just a heads up that my new site is up and running! 

For more minusthirtythree, please follow the link to my new page :)

www.minusthirtythree.com

Thanks for visiting and for all of your support!

Weekly Workout Recap + A LOT to do this weekend

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd stop in after lunch to say hello and see the day is going.

My day? My day is going great! I have 2 days left (after today) of work and I have so much planned. I actually spent yesterday manually writing a list of my 'to dos' for this upcoming weekend.

Before I give you a 'check' tasks for this Thursday night until Monday (woop woop for having 4 days off). I'm gonna do a quick recap of eats this week and last weeks workouts.

Breakfast

A breakfast just wouldn't be a breakfast without a class peanut butter and chocolate protein powder w. an XL black coffee.

Yumm!

Lunch

Breakfast filled me up quite a bit today and I didn't get too 'snackish' throughout the morning.

Lunch was a delicious HUGE salad w. a HUGE bottle of water!

*I added 3-oz of pork loin also but I snapped the picture prior to this

spinach + edamame + mixed berries + tomatoes + mixed nuts + white cranberry balsamic vinaigrette = best.salad.ever

Also, this has been laying on the side of my desk for some time now .. a girl at work actually yelled at me to eat it and I told her I'd wait for my stomach to settle. She kept saying I was a rabbit and laughing with everyone. I'm not gonna lie .. I was a little intimidate .. sometimes people get food bullied..

..or is that just my excuse so I can eat cake?


Weekly Workout Recap

Sunday - Gym

• 2.5-mile run, 2+ mile incline walk and 12 in 12

Monday - Run & Metabolic Meltdown

Tuesday - Night off

 

Wednesday - Metabolic Meltdown

• Heavy lifting night

 

Thursday - Night off

 

Friday - Gym

• 5-Mile Jog

 

Saturday - Legs & Shoulders

 
• Barbell Squats - 12,10,8 (50-lbs, 70-lbs, 90-lbs) + 45-lb bar
• Seated Calf Rise - 3x12 (45-lbs, 55-lbs, 65-lbs)
• Leg Extension - 3x12 (115-lbs, 130-lbs, 145-lbs) <-- Killed me on the last set
• Shoulder Press - 3x12 (20-lbs) <--did my second set using 25 for 6 but had to downgrade to 22.5 for the remaining 6
• Side Lateral Raise - 3x12 (10-lbs)

 

I have to say, I had a really good week on the workout front.

No complaints at all. I can only hope that my plans don't get distorted this week and that I have a great weekend in every aspect and not just workouts.

 

Making the Most of Days Off

Exercise / Fitness

• update my playlist
• go for a lane swim
• take a yoga class
• take a class at the gym
• Metabolic Meltdown: Friday + Monday
• schedule next weeks workouts like appointments (has to be done)
• workout with Tiffany since she's visiting
• do X amount of squats and sit-ups EVERY day while I'm off (number TBD)

In the Kitchen

• make green juice
• make a spaghetti squash dish of some sort. Something new!
• bake a new cookie
• make Robs amazing protein bars
• make a crock pot dish

Being Social

• host a brunch on Sunday
• meet Val to give her her birthday gift (I missed the birthday evens Saturday night)
• have a coffee-blog date with Rob
• catch-up on Homeland
• have a lunch or dinner with my Mom

Household

• clean the fridge
• re-arrange or fix up the living room
• clean the basement workout area
• hang up ALL of my clothes that are chilling on my floor
• vacuum my room
• wash the bathroom for head to toe

Week Prep

• load my Tim Horton's card (insert reasoning here)
• meal prep and PLAN

Errands/'has to be done'

• get an oil change
• buy a shovel (no, I do not have a shovel)

Blog

• post atleast 4 blog posts (if I'm feeling inspired)
• update the blog diaries (omg, I have so many new blogs that I'm in love with)
• work on my minusthirtythree Facebook page

Me Me Me

• get a hair cut
• spend a morning in bed reading a book
• challenge myself to 1 of 8 CNC challenges
• catch up on outstanding blog posts that I'm dying to read
• update my 'daily note card messages' for a post at the end of February <--thanks to Katie
• take my body measurements
• camera shop :)
• ^pending the above .. look into taking a camera class (this is a must)
• sleep lots

just because..

• give ATLEAST 1 bag of clothes to good will
• make a casserole of some sort for my neighbor :)
• bring mom birthday presents (was waiting for Samantha to return from her trip)
• Buy a new keurig K-cup coffee bunch to try

Questions
1. What are your plans for the weekend?
2. When should you 'go go' and when should you 'lay low'? In your opinion
3. Do you have a hard time relaxing?

 



The Secret Lover of V-Day!

source

"Will you be my Valentine?"

"Excellent. I knew you'd say yes!"

Yup! A card with those words written was what David woke up to yesterday morning :) Such a keeper I am .. my god!

I actually woke up with a HUGE smile on! I looked at him with a big stupid 4-am grin, and he said "Happy Valentine's" .. in the raspy, I-can't-talk, leave-me-the-hell-alone-I'm-tired voice! And I smiled, leaned over for a Victoria Special 1-million dollar cheek kiss and was on my way :)

So, leading up to V-day, I'm usually very "I don't care, it's a waste of money .. blah blah", but a few days prior to the 'holiday',  I get the flu. I guess I'd call it the 'love bug'? hahaha yes!

I'm not huge on gifts or anything, but I did buy David a little fealth bag and filled it with energy bars for his breaks at work! I know they're not the healthiest, but I thought it'd be a nice switch-up from the Lindor and Hersey's theme (though I did get 2 Hersey's marsh mellow treats cause I figured they'd be a little filler..and they were cheap).

The V-day Bag

Isn't it cute? Maybe it's just me .. but I was SO excited to leave this for him haha I placed it by his work clothes and then thought about it as I cruised along the highway sipping coffee and wishing that I had worn red. haha and yes, I need a life!

I left a cute little card that I bought. womp womp..

Buttttt, I also made him one for when I saw him in the night.



Like when we were kids and had these envelopes on our desks
<3

Onwards with the V-day talk .. since I've moved departments at work, I find myself always hoovering around the scaffolding boys. They're like my little family <3

As I was browsing the isles of Dominion, I decided that I'd pick them up a little somethin somethin to keep in the good books (and suck up hardcore, right?)

Aren't these cute? I even got them on sale! 50% off ;)

And I had to use every ounce of energy not to eat them all. O wait .. I ate them.

Note: 190-calories for ONE!

I then decided to make a little v-day bag for the boss' scaffolding wife (she's not actually a scaffolder .. we just email and Facebook about recipes and workouts and all that fun stuff).

She is also the reason I struggle with resisting treats! She used to constantly send in baked goods (on an occasion and off) and I actually told my boss that she is the BEST baker I have ever eaten treats from! Like super woman in the kitchen. This time, I decided to send her a little something!

(O, and when I delivered this yesterday, Scott had a big container of her Christmas cookies on the desk and tried to hand them off to me .. and I might of had one .. cause it's Valentine's and we're allowed to do that, right?)

Crazy-cakes.

Just to show a 'little' restraint .. I did skip on the muffins.

The Guilty Workout

After work, I felt super guilty from my consumption(s) throughout the day. Like .. VERY guilty .. Like put-your-hands-up-I'm-poking-your-dough-boy-belly-guilty..  so I headed to the gym to burn a few calories.

I did a 5-mile jog in an hour (5.0mph). Two of those minutes were at 4.0mph when I started with a minute walk and finished with a minute walk!

I was a sweaty beast when I finished and I felt amazing! I finished up my workout with some shoulder press, chest press and 50 mountain climbers.

Not even kidding, I passed on Bodyflow twice this week and skipped stretching. I feel so much worse than the two weeks I went consecutively. It's like I lose my flexibility and my muscles are just continuously aching!

After my workout, I received a little Valentine text that asked if Cupid's arrow had got me yet.

..so I decided to race out of the gym.

When I got home, my bedroom was filled with some presents from #1!

Yup, that's my blanket in the shape of a heart!

..don't be fooled though.. that wasn't the first time he did that haha

Beautiful flowers that I placed in a classy vase.

Like c'mon? Energy chews/ bar and a gift certificate to Sportscheck? Ha, you know me too well! :)

And raspberry iceberg wine that we had intended on drinking but were both too exhausted.

Such a keeper, right?

It was actually the best Valentine's Day, ever!

Thank you to whoever you are.. :)

....

After opening my presents, I realized I was starving and immediately opened the Power Bar. There was really no need since it has a substantial amount of carbs and sugar, but I was far too lazy to cook some protein-enriched post-jog meal!

yum!

Today

After feeling like a weighed-down ton, I decided that I had to eat super clean today. The cleaner you eat, the cleaner you feel!

The cleaner you feel, the better you feel!

The better you feel, the better your day will be!

..Or maybe it's just me.

Breakfast

I started out my morning with a cup of spaghetti squash (needed a vegetable today), a quarter of an avocado and some hot sauce.

I had immediately regretted not packing more in my lunch as this meal was delicious!

A few hours later, I had a nice black tea (Thanks, Sam), half a greek yogurt and some plain greek yogurt.

I ate really well today and I got a quick legs and shoulders workout in tonight (damn gym closes at 8) so ya .. I'm happy! Back to a routine. No more binges and no more eating bad, feeling like hell then repeating.

Anyhow, overall I had an AMAZING Valentine's day/night and it makes me all the more excited for next year :) (man! This post is certainly all over the place isn't it?)

I'll be planning next year in advance I'd say. On a side note, we really shouldn't need a set out day to express appreciation, gratitude and love towards another, should we? No. (although it's a great occasion to buy gifts)..

Regardless, my new goal is to make all my days as exciting as yesterday!

I have a lot of good side-kicks (carpool, co-workers,family,David) so I think it'll pretty easy to ensure that happens. Just gotta keep the right mindset!

Night Lovers!

Questions

1. Are you a lover or hater or the big V-day?

2. Did you do anything this year?

3. Are you planning on buying any of that 50% chocolate now that it's all said and done?

WIAW

Greetings,

It's Wednesday and I totally would have posted my WIAW today but I was far too busy to snap pictures throughout the day!

This is the first time I've done this, but I'm posting WIAW from last Wednesday.

Yup, had a post last week that was ready to go and I ended up passing out (lap top open, lights on).

I'm telling you this cause [A] I didn't eat anything close to all of this today and [B] I felt like it would be a waste of a post if I didn't press publish.

So ya .. just know, below, was drafted last week.


Breakfast

Breakfast was a protein pancake ( minus the oats to save on carbs). I was pumped to make a breakfast smoothie, but I was all out of almond milk. I wasn't too torn up about it seeing how protein pancakes are always a *win*! Yum!

And I skipped on topping the pancake with anything (since the coconut oil gives oodles of taste) and I had 3/4C of stawberroes (measured) <-thank-you!

About two hours later, I ate half of the blackberries shown below. I was saving the others for Thursday.

And I obviously scarfed down a pear since they're my absolute favorite.

At 12, I had some celery with all-natural peanut butter.

And then had my 'lunch' at around 1:30. I had a half of a tin of light tuna, tried dijan mustard (which I didn't eat due to the tangy taste), ate the zucchini with a half pack of 100-cal hummus and was then far too full to even look at a tomatoe.

Around 4-pm, I was getting a little peckish (which ended up being more than peckish), so I had some plain greek yogurt with an apple.

I didn't have Metabolic Meltdown until 8, so at 6:30, I had a few bites of this black bean brownie. 

You must be thinking 'whoa! This girl eats a lot!' But please take into consideration that the days are longgg haha .. or so I tell myself that as an excuse.

Again, killing time before MM and I had to eat again.

Starved I tell ya!

Supper

And then I came home to a wonderfully delicious stir fry that was cooked by my mother and delivered by my sister (number 1 fan)!

 

So, quick question. Do you enjoy reading a WIAW post? I sure do love writing them (quick and easy filler post that puts my diet into perspective) and I definitely enjoy reading them! I read a post from another blogger who said she sees no point in writing them as it's unbeneficial to read what another eats. I found this strange because I mean, I read for recipes and ideas and just to get a grasp on ones lifestyle. Not to compare my eats to theirs.

 

Anyways, it had me thinking that perhaps noone cares what Victoria B Wade ate on Wednesday haha Regardless, I shall continue to write them because it keeps me 'aware'.

 

Ok, no pictures, but a list of today:

 

Breakfast - Protein Smoothie (Isoflex, mixed berries, natural pb, unsweetened chocolate almond milk) + 1XL black Tim Horton's coffee

Snack #1 - apple

Snack #2 - 2 stalks of celery with literally a 'dip' of pb (strange for me..) / mixed fruit (1C black berries, 1/4C pineapple)

Lunch - pork sirloin (approx. 4.5oz) and 1 carrot/1 parsnip <-- all done together in the slow cooker last night! yum!

Snack #3 - plain greek yogurt w. 1pk of stevia mixed in

Supper- pork sirloin (approx. 4.5oz) and 1 carrot/1 parsnip <-- again

Snack #4 - camino chocolate chips + 2 banana protein cookies

 

Now, I am off to be a nobody and drive my life away on that damn highway!

 

Later lovers!

 

Questions

1. What did you eat today?

2. Do you like reading WIAW posts?

Guest Post - Running my Fist Half Marathon

Guest Post

Last week I was thrilled when Victoria offered me the opportunity to do a post on completing my first Half Marathon! I’m going to share with you a bit about myself, then my motivation, training, nutrition and any tips for those considering running their first Half Marathon.

About Me

I am one of Victoria’s very good friends; I’ve known her since middle school and we hang out with the same group of friends. I am an extremely busy lady balancing three jobs as a full-time Marketing Specialist at an IT company, part-time Game Operations staff with the St. John’s IceCaps and an RPM Instructor at GoodLife Fitness Clubs. Luckily, these jobs still allow me to live a very active social life and the chance to unwind, because working three jobs can become extremely overwhelming at times.

I have always been trying to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. But it has only been over the past year where my life has changed considerably when I decided to make healthy living a priority. I was unhappy and uncomfortable with how I looked and felt so I decided I needed a change. I work in downtown St. John’s on Water Street and there is a GoodLife club right across the road (Bonus!). I began doing lunch hour RPM classes. RPM is a 45 min moderate to high intensity indoor cycling workout where you can burn up to 675 calories on average. There are many benefits to this class including the release of endorphins that leave you with a natural high. I hated to miss a class and was going 5-6 times a week; I was hooked! 

The instructor at the lunch hour class noticed I was always there. One day, she approached me and said they’re currently recruiting for new RPM instructors and that I should attend the next audition. With about a month to prepare, I spent every waking minute on a bike. I wanted this so bad. I completed my audition in May along with about a dozen other potential instructors, I wasn’t too sure about my chances but I figured it was worth a shot. I was told I’d receive an email if I was going to advance for training. I waited and waited and finally got the email that would forever change my life. Next thing I knew I was on a plane to Nova Scotia where I was going to spend a full weekend of training towards the first step to becoming a Les Mills RPM Instructor! I successfully completed the training, and then spent 3 months from June – August training to submit a video that would be sent to Les Mills Canada for certification. I received an email on Monday, October 7^th at 3:18PM on the successful completion of my RPM video and announced an officially certified RPM Instructor J

Never in a million years had I thought I would be a fitness instructor. Now I’m teaching classes 4-5 times a week and I’m able to share my passion and motivation to members that attend my class. Along with teaching RPM classes and attending the gym on a daily basis, comes clean eating and training properly and I have never felt better! My lifestyle has made a complete 180 and I credit all my success to hard work, dedication and motivation from my friends and family.   

 

Thankfully, Vic and I share the same motivation and goals when it comes to living an active, healthy lifestyle. We bounce ideas off each other, push each other at the gym and set goals that allow us to keep our minds and bodies in check.

 

Pushing Further

Back in November Vic registered for the 11K Run to Remember. I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for me to start building new goals and pushing my body further. I was always a runner but only on the treadmill and had never registered for a race before. So I registered for my first ever race and completed 11K in just over an hour. My goal was to just finish, so I was extremely happy with how I did. It was an incredible accomplishment for me with the short amount of training I did and for someone who doesn’t normally run outside.

This accomplishment motivated me to set another goal, a bigger one. In November I registered for my first Half Marathon, the Hypothermic ½ Marathon hosted by the Running Room. This left me with 9 short weeks to train for what would be the toughest thing I have ever put my body through to date.

 

source

 

Motivation

So that was it, I signed up to run a Half Marathon, there was no looking back. Building mental stamina is essential. It’s one thing to be motivated to begin training. It’s another to stay motivated every day. Staying motivated and developing the proper mindset is key to enjoying training and crossing the finish line with a smile on your face.

Goals

Finish time goals, weight loss goals, “just finish” goals…we all have a reason(s) for wanting to run a half marathon. You must have the right goals and reasons for running in order to be successful. I had a “just finish” goal in mind, this was my first Half Marathon; I just wanted to finish it.

Wear the right gear

Treat your feet to a good pair of running shoes (or three!). Running shoes will be the most important piece of gear. Shoes are designed to fit feet with different arches, pronation, and more. Visit a local specialty running store to find the best shoes for your feet. I treated myself to a pair of Salomon Speedcross Trail Runners, not your typical running shoe and it was a road race but they were ideal for this race where I could encounter snow, ice, etc. I visited the Running Room and they suited me up with a Running Room jacket and a North Face thermal long-sleeve shirt and I also bought a pair of Lululemon speed tights. When I went to pick up my race kit, every runner was given Running Room gloves and toque as well. All this gear prepared me for the challenging, cold conditions. Just remember; lightweight warmth without sacrificing breathability.

 

Nutrition

Carbohydrates provide the fuel runners need. During half marathon training, 65% of my total calories came from carbohydrates, particularly complex carbohydrates. 10% should come from protein (you need 0.5 to 0.7 grams per pound of your body weight each day). 20-25% of my total calories came from unsaturated fats. During my 9 weeks of training I made sure to get the get the proper nutrition to stay strong and allow for adequate recovery.

Recovery
 

Obviously, it is important to run for half marathon training, but recovery is equally important. I did not run every day. Your body needs to rest between runs so it can recover from one run to the next, getting stronger between each run. Nutrition and eating the right foods at the right time also play a vital role in recovery.

Hydration

On runs of an hour or more, I carried fluids with me everywhere and consumed 6-8 oz. every 20 minutes. On days that I did not hydrate enough, were days where my training suffered. Drink ALL the water.

Avoiding Injury

I used my non-running days to rest and recover. Ice down any soreness, particularly in knees or shins (most common) four times per day for 15-20 minutes. Injuries often sneak up without warning. Doing all the right things right will minimize your chances of injury.

Pre-Training

Before you begin half marathon training, you should be able to run for at least 30 minutes without stopping. Distance is not important right now. You just need to get your body used to running. I got this advice from several avid runners so I felt I was in the right place to train and complete a half marathon.

Combinations of run/walks are great to use during pre-training because they ease your body into the exercise and minimizes the chance of experiencing a running injury.

Training

I gradually increased my mileage each week. As a general rule, total weekly mileage should not increase by more than 10% from week-to-week. I completed a 10 mile run about three weeks before the race; this would be enough to prepare me for the finish. I then tapered off in the final weeks leading up to the half marathon to allow my body to recover from training and so I would be strong on the big day.

Following is a recommended beginner half marathon training schedule I used. This schedule assumes you have been running for at least four weeks and can run 30 minutes without stopping before beginning the schedule. Where I was 9 weeks out instead of 10, I started on week 2 and went from there.

source

Half Marathon Day

I began tapering in the final weeks before the half marathon to help my body recover from half marathon training and be strong for the big day. I also did a carbo-load the week leading up to the race. Given the atmosphere at this marathon, I was full of adrenaline after leaving the starting line. One thing I had to keep in mind; distance running is about endurance and pace is critical. Maintain pace to save everything you have left for your big finish!

 A Little Reminder

And there you have it folks, my first accomplishment of 2014; I completed my first ever half marathon. It was one of the toughest things I have ever put my body through but totally worth it. I’m the type of person that likes to set goals and work towards them. This goal kept me on track to train and eat properly. Yes, I may have slipped up a few times with late nights and 5 o’clock beers on a Friday night but it’s all in moderation.

 

I like to think I’ve inspired and motivated people to establish and work towards personal goals. My next goal is to run the Tely 10 but under a certain time. I’m always looking to challenge myself and I suggest you do the same; because without challenge you don’t see change ;)

Source: Information for post can be found at http://www.marathonrookie.com/half-marathon-training.html 


 

  

Try Something New Tuesday - Apple Chips

Howdy, blogaroos! How goes the Tuesday evening? Good? Me too. I'm a little tired as I was up until after 1 last night which ended in less than 4-hours of sleep. Not cool, Victoria. I had Metabolic Meltdown from 6-7-pm and my heart was just otg after that.

Hate restless nights.

Anyhow, Just stopping in to say hello and share a few things.



Day 3 back at the gym

Yup, I went to the gym yesterday, even though I knew that I had Metabolic Meltdown after supper. I ran a firm 3-miles and then walked 1-mile on a 5.0 incline. *shaking my hips and pretending I'm being sexy*

So ya, that's like 12 miles (or something like that) in 3 days. Win win!


Try something new .. Monday?

After the gym, I was soo hungry!

I had a banana, 2 coffee and 2 banana protein cookies throughout the morning but it definitely wasn't enough for a good fueling!

When I started to head home, I reached into my gym bag to find my water bottle and pulled out a simply bar! Score! I tried the caramel one last week (heart) but had never tried the chocolate. Yum!!

The rest of my night went as follows:

• post-run spaghetti squash
• shower
• nap
• pre-metabolic meltdown spaghetti squash w. mixed nuts
• metabolic meltdown
• Starbucks
• home
• shower (again)
• apple + protein bar
• reading
• bed
• restlessly laying there
• dying to pass out
• texting
• Facebook creep
• phone call
• creaming my limbs?  (dry skin with this cold weather)
• sleep
• wake
• work

..exciting life I live hey?

Breakfast

Today I started my morning with a protein pancake using Isoflex .. not impressed .. didn't find the powder in 'pancake form' had much of a taste. Perhaps I just used too many egg whites?

Either way, slab anything with peanut butter and you're good to glow ;)


Lunch

Lunch today was a container of spaghetti squash (obsessed) with sriracha sauce + a smoothie (1-C mixed berries, 1 Scoop of protein powder, 2-C of almond breeze - 265-calories)

And for desert you ask?



CRISPY APPLE CHIPS ! :)

I definitely haven't been up to date with my 'Try Something New' posts. Gezz.. I don't think I ever stay up to date with anything I plan on making a new 'blog must'. I know, I know .. I'm a blog poser. I just can't keep up .. but I'll continue to babble on and on about pointless topics that revolve around the little life of me and hope you keep reading :) ..please keep reading? You're my favourites haha

So, wanna know what I saved for my 'Try Something New' post?

Martin's Crispy Apple Chips

Whoa! It was hard to hold out until Tuesday on these apples! Samantha cracked the bag on Sunday evening (little taste tester, wa?) and I patiently waited until Tuesday so I had a little blogaroo for ya!

Ingredients? APPLES! 40-calories/7 chips.

These = Grrrreat!

They are O so tastey and made with dehydrated apples. Only apples. So sweet and so hard to just eat 'one serving'. Ugh. Story of my life though.

They sell for $2.99 and they're so worth it! (I feel like I use the word 'so' a lot)..

I bought them at the Natural Food Shop on Sunday and I think I will be revisiting for some more taste testing!

Anyhow .. I skipped the gym tonight because 1. I can not move and 2. I'm just exhausted .. meaning that now I must rest. And by rest I mean dream. And by dream I mean a bikini on the beach with tan skin, long hair and me dancing around like the alarm won't buzz after. Lifeeeee

Night, friendlies!

Ps. Stay tuned .. guest blogger post coming sooner than later ;)

Question
1. What's something new you've tried lately?
2. Have you ever shopped at the Natural Health Shop?

Fantastic Sunday Off - high as a kite :)

What a high on I was on Sunday! Holy smokes! There actually had to be something in the water!! I text David and said "I don't know what kind of endorphins my body is giving off, but I feel like I'm on drugs!" From the moment I woke up, I was rearing to go. I think I'm finally back in 'mode' to get healthy and get in shape. Our trip to the Dominican is in less than two months and if that isn't reason enough to get 'bikini ready' .. I don't know what is!

I sported the ol' two-piece last year in Vegas/California, but I definitely wasn't feeling on top of my game with how I looked. I know it isn't all about how you look, but ya have to admit, confidence booms when you're feeling comfortable in your own skin, right? Right.

Anyhow, a play-by-play of my off the wall Sunday goes as follows. 

Breakfast

After a 9:45 wake-up, I started my day with a smoothie, coffee and water.

In the mix was a small banana, 1/2 scoop of chocolate peanut butter combat protein powder, 1-C of Kirkland mixed berries, 1T of all-natural peanut butter, 2-C of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1-C of ice water.

I knew I probably wouldn't be home for a few hours, so I made sure I had a big and energizing breakfast.

Workout

I was gonna do the same workout as yesterday but I was running in different sneakers and they definitely didn't serve me well. My shins were aching and it was just an uncomfortable run. I ran 2.5-miles on 6.0mph for a total of 25-minutes. After my run, I walked on an incline of 5.0 for 30-minutes and punched out 2+ miles. Not bad for someone who had bad legs.

After my cardio, I did a '12 in 12' workout. That's 12 sets of shoulder exercises in 12-minutes.

12 in 12
3 x 10 Shoulder Press (20-lbs)
3 x 10 Shoulder Shrugs (20-lbs)
3 x 10 Side Lateral Raise (12.5-lbs)
3 x 10 Cross Overs (12.5-lbs)

I probably would have skipped the weights if I hadn't of run into Caitlin where we got on the topic of trimming up for down South. She too, is going on a trip the same time as myself (Caitlin does Cuba) ;) haha <--that's my daily attempt at being funny. Fail.

After the gym, Samantha and I text back and forth on supper plans and we went with vegan macaroni and cheese (compliments of miss Georgia Brown..Hi Georgia / Thank you for the great idea). I had the rice noodles at home but decided to go all out and get the dairy-free cheese at Natural Value in Dominion.

It was definitely a great idea to go with a vegan meal because Sam had bought a massive box of tofu at Costco.

After Dominion, I headed to the Natural Health Shop. It was my first time there and I've had it written in my book 'to do' for quite some time now! I love all that stuff and I buy a chunk of my groceries at Natural Value so it seemed like a fit.

Look at all the goodness, right? Sam and I have been on a hunt for soya sauce but everything we found was SO high in sodium. Like 38% of your daily intake high. I managed to find a bottle at the Natural Health Shop that has 6% per T. This sounded perfect since our macaroni and cheese called for 2T. It's fermented soya sauce and the owner told me she has been using the stuff for 20+ years. Score!

I also got some goodies to try out.

I bought rye flakes, apple chips and some pre and post-workout Vega mix. I've heard some good stuff about Vega (plant-based protein) and thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. Steven swears by it.

Funny how I got the Vega to try, because after I left the Natural Health Shop, I headed to Popeyes for some Nutriwhey.

They didn't have any Nutriwhey on hand so I was pretty disappointed. I went to Cavedog cause I was sure they'd have it .. butttt they were all out of vanilla.

I'm pretty particular about the protein powders I use cause 1. I hate chalky-tasting powders, 2. I hate powders that don't mix well and 3. I like powders that have a good consistency for baking.

The girl working at Cavedog assured me that I'd love Isoflex and said that it's so light that it "floats" haha I said f-it and went with it.

Bonus: Notice how FULL to the rim the powder is? Omg, I usually expect to open the tub and it be half empty (this is quite common) so I was super pumped! (o the little things in life).

When I got home, I tried my first Iso shake and it was loved it! Yum!

..Followed by a small bowl of leftover chicken that Sam cooked a few nights a go.

The girl at Cavedog also told me that she too, bakes a lot. She said that she used vanilla Isoflex to make oatmeal cookies the night before.

The little darling was lovely enough to write down the recipe for me (which I totally ended up whipping up for snacks this week).

After my little run-around, decided to start some meal prep/baking (and this was ALL before 2-pm! La-la-la-lifeeee .. I walked in my door at 1:52).

Samantha was coming home for 5, so I did a few things before prepping us supper. My afternoon went as follows:

• showered 
• did a hair treatment
• shaved my legs (this is big)
• cleaned my room
• took down the Christmas tree (stop judging)
• tidied the living room
• did dishes
• started and finished a blog post
• read some of my favourite blogs (you gals know who you are)
• started the new storage room in the basement
• reorganized my closet 
• reorganized my books

Then... then it was baking time :)

Protein Banana Cookies 

Prep Time: 5-minutes MAX 

Cooking Time: 15-minutes 

Serves: 9

Ingredients 

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350-C

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mash up the bananas

3. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients

4. Using a regular-sized spoon, portion the batter in 9 servings of cookies

5. Bake for 12-15-minutes, remove and let cool

6. Eat desert for supper :)

Holy hannah were these cookies delicious!!

The girl with the recipe told me she had a mind to eat the whole batch ... ugh .. these definitely won't last a week. Sam and I both ended up eating 2 and I'm sure she's gonna pack a few for her lunch! Yum! :) Thank you whoever you are!


After desert-baking, it was time for supper prep. We cooked the vegan Macaroni and Cheese. I won't give you the recipe as I cannot steal the thunder from Georgia as this was her wonderful recipe!

Damn, she's one hell of a vegan! I usually don't experiment with vegan recipes but I was impressed with this one! Surprised actually.

The only thing I would have changed with this recipe was using dijon mustard (as she had advised). Instead, I only had lime mustard from Liquid Gold in Halifax (this gave too much of a tang..) .. yet I still managed to eat it :)

If you're interested in making this, the brands I used were:

After supper, I:

• cleaned up the dishes
• curled my hair (cause ya'kno .. I'm really cool on a Sunday night)
• ripped the ass out of my Samantha's jeans
• headed to Starbucks
• drank too many coffee for a Sunday night
• organized all the photos on my lap top
• relaxed for the remainder of the night

Now, that's some Sunday isn't it? Ahh yiahhhh!

Anyhow, I shall be off as Courtney is meeting me at Starbucks for a Monday morning catch-up :)

Later lovers!

Questions
1. What makes a 'productive day' in your eyes?
2. Do you have a 'go to' protein powder?
3. Have you ever tried a vegan dish?