Fittbottomed Girl's 12 Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

As I stayed in bed as long as I could this morning, I decided what better way to celebrate a day off then to workout. Today's workout was based around the 12 days of Christmas. I messed it up the first 3 rounds but then I got it right. So what you want to do is the 1st exercise once... then the 1st exercise and the 2nd exercise.... and so on.

Heres what you'll need/I used:

Squat Press: I used a 24 lb. body bar but you could use dumbbells or even a loaded barbell

Renegade Rows: Dumbbells I used 15 lb.

Chest Press: I used the flat bench for this but you could always use dumbbells and a stability ball
Deadlifts: I used a barbell but these can be done with bodybars or dumbbells too!
KB Swings: I used a 20 lb. kettle bell
Box Jumps: Find steps to do these on or you can use a flat bench, I used a 12.5 inch box
Pull-Ups: Assisted unless you're feeling extra strong
Leg Press: If you don't have access to a leg press machine do Goblet Squats instead

You want to rest as little as possible. I grabbed water twice and almost puked once but managed to complete the workout in under 30 minutes. I probably could have done much better but I kept messing up in the beginning. Here's my before and after picture. I even made a nice sweat angel!! 

xoxo,

Planks on Planks on Planks

After discussing what our next challenge should be with my partner in crime, Lindsay, we agreed on doing a plank challenge and incorporating push-ups in there as well. The plank is the best exercise to strengthen your core, which is a huge aspect of being able to do a handstand. Your core is a complex series of muscles that include your entire body, minus your legs, head and arms.

There are tons of plank variations that challenge all the major muscle groups. By strengthening these muscles you will not only become stronger but help prevent injury. Planks require no equipment, machines and you don't have to be in exercise attire to perform one. This means you have no excuse to not participate in this challenge with us!

Push ups also help strengthen your abs, along with building lean arms and shoulders. Push-ups are also excuse free as they do not require equipment either. I'm currently developing the challenge and will be posting more information after Christmas. I hope that each of you give this challenge a try. You have no excuse not to!

xoxo,

A Year In Review

As 2013 is winding down, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. This past year has definitely been a roller coaster ride. I HATE roller coasters. The feeling of falling is not one I enjoy and I’ve never been so excited to get off this ride. I started off the year with The Whole 30 challenge. Killed it. Got lean. Got stronger. Then came the morning I lost my car. I’ll never forget it. Walking to the metro at 4:45 AM in the snow is something I hope I never have to do again. But like I always say, things could always be worse. I took my situation and made the best of it. Since many aspects of my life were out of my control, I took control of the things I could. I decided to get in even better shape and became certified to instruct Group Exercise.

I spent my weekends running around the city making memories with my best friend, Emily. This year I was able to experience amazing live music by a very diverse group of artists. Carl Cox, unfortunately, was not one of them. When we were not getting our groove on at music festivals or sharing stories over brunch, we visited the shore. Besides the 7^thannual Island Party, my favorite summer shore memory was when we went out on Conrad’s boat and a tidal wave came out of nowhere.

This year I gained many amazing friends. One I’d like to shout out personally is Andi. The few months we lived together were so much fun. Andi and I both share a passion for health and wellness. If you haven’t checked out her blog, do so! She shares delicious recipes and workouts.

As summer ended, I had to make one of the toughest decisions I have thus far. I decided that I had to move back in with my parents. With the roller coaster ride that was my life not slowing down, I packed up my things and headed back to the good ol’ shore. Of course, the first three weeks were terrible with my dad being sick and being furloughed but once again, I made the best of it. The government has re-opened and my dad’s doing much better.

This fall was very exciting from getting to see my girls from college; finding out my cousin is pregnant to turning the big 2-5! My girlfriends from college and I finally found a weekend where we could all get together. We all met up in New Jersey and spent the weekend catching up and reminiscing about the good ol’ days. We even worked out! I took them through a boot camp that had them thinking of me for the entire week I’m sure. Finding out my cousin is going to be having a baby in May has got this anti-child fit bottomed girl chomping at the bit to buy cute onesies! And turning 25… pshhhh ain’t nothing but a thang! Totally in my prime! Hahah ok enough of that… I’ve been 25 for a month and on most nights I’m in bed by 8:45.

So this roller coaster ride is coming to an end and I have high hopes for 2014… meaning it’s time to set some goals. First thing on my list is learn how to do a handstand. Which means I’m definitely going to need to build my upper body strength. A returning goal for the 3^rd year is to become more flexible. This will help with my handstand mission. Looking back on 2013, I realize I didn’t even capture half of the moments I shared, therefore in 2014 I will take more pictures. Since I’m already registered for the St. Michaels running festival, I might as well add run more to the list. Let’s change that to run more often. OHHH actually the first thing that should be on my 2014 goals is to BLOG MORE! I wasn’t very good at posting weekly this year… so that’s something I’ll definitely work on as long as you long as you guys keep reading.

xoxo,

Personal Training

I know I know. I'm the worst. Last week I slacked and didn't post the Halloween Workout. I hope that you didn't let that stop you from being active. I've been busy and actually took a part-time job at a local gym.

Easton Fit4Life recently posted that they were interested in expanding their team.Turns out they are the perfect Fit4Me. hehehe


Fitness success is directly correlated to how hard and often you work out. Each person possesses different methods of motivation. If you are the type of person who finds internal motivation a challenge, personal training is for you! If you have trouble getting to the gym on a regular basis, don't feel like working out when you're tired, or struggle with eating the proper foods personal training is for you!

A personal trainer isn't just some gym rat. They are fitness professionals that give you the motivation you need to reach your goals. A personal trainer is an extremely important part of your journey to a healthier lifestyle.

If you are interested in loosing weight, toning up, or taking your workouts to another level let me help you. Together we can develop a plan to reach each and every one of your fitness goals. I will not only take you through your workouts, I will teach you what you need to know to maintain your new healthier life.

The first two people to express interest in training will receive 2 sessions FREE OF CHARGE! Don't pass on this amazing opportunity to change your life. You may contact me by leaving a comment below or email me at xoxobharris@gmail.com .

xoxo,

HawaiianTemptation

I planned on going for a run this morning but when my alarm went off I reset it and went right back to sleep. On my way to work I instantly regretted it. My hour and a half drive gives me a lot of time to re-evaluate my life. When I finally arrived at work I found out that I would be leading the 1.5 mile walk during lunch time. This made me feel a little better about not going for my run. After a 12 hour day I come home to Dominos pizza and wings on the stove. Not only is Dominos my favorite but it was HAWAIIAN! MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!

I resisted temptation by sautéing some chicken breast and heated up some brussel sprouts. Living in a house full of temptations is a daily test but I refuse to succumb to them. I have set my alarm for 6:15 and won't make any excuses....even though I didn't eat the pizza ;)

What temptations were you faced with today and how did you overcome them?

Halloween Workout Week 2

Alright guys and gals it's time to pick it up this week.

Music Monday
For each song you are going to alternate between two exercises after doing 20 reps. Keep going until the song is over. If you need to grab water or catch your breath don't take too long!

Song                                                                                                    Exercises
Sweet Nothing- Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch                 Jumping Jacks & Cross Jacks*

Get Like Me- Nelly ft. Nicki Minaj & Pharell                       Speed Skaters & Lunges

Roar- Katy Perry                                                                    Squat w/ C.R.** & Single Leg Bridge***

So Rich, So Pretty- Mickey Avalon                                         Leg Raises & V-Ups

This Is What It Feels Like- Armin van Buuren                       Squat Jumps & Donkey Kicks

Royals- Lorde                                                                          Side Kicks & Mountain Climbers

*Cross Jacks

Start on the balls of your feet with your knees soft, arms in the air, and abs tight. Pull your left knee and right elbow to meet at the center of your torso, squeezing your abs as tight as you can. Return the arm and leg back to the open position and now cross the right knee and left elbow in front of your torso.

**Squat w/ Calf Raise

Stand with your feet about three to four feet apart, toes turned out. Bring your hands together in front of your chest, and squat down so your thighs are parallel with the floor, knees over the ankles.
Raise your left heel off the floor, and begin to pulse the hips up and down, isolating the left calf.
Continue pulsing for 30 seconds, and then switch sides to complete this exercise.

***Single Leg Bridge
Lie on your back, and place your hands on the floor for stability as you bend one leg and lift the other leg off the ground.
Then, pressing your heel into the floor, lift your pelvis up, keeping your body in a stiff bridge position.
Slowly lower your body to the floor and repeat. Switch legs to complete one rep.

TABATA TUESDAY
Perform EACH exercise for 30 seconds then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat each exercise 4 times. This workout should take you 12 minutes.

Push Ups
High Lows (reach high across your body with your right hand and then low with your left)
Bicycle Crunch
High Lows (reach high across your body with your left hand and then low with your right)

Wednesday
Find a flight of stairs and run up and down them 10 times. Next perform 15 X 10 X 5 of Dips, Mountain Climbers, Toe Taps and Knee Raises. For the knee raises place one foot on the 3rd step and bring the other knee towards chest.

Thursday
15-20 Minute run

3 sets of 25 reps
Crunches
Sit Ups
Reverse Crunches
Russian Twists

2 sets of 20 reps
Scissor kick
Elbow to Knee
Jack knife

Friday will be a short day. We will only do cardio.
30- 45 Minute Run

If you don't understand any of the terminology or not sure what exactly I mean feel free to leave a commit below and use Youtube for instructional videos.

xoxo,

24 Day Challenge

So the government is currently shutdown which means I got to have the day off.  Last night was something like the night before a blizzard in the sense that all night I kept checking the news for closings. I couldn't really sleep at all (due to the coffee I had at 10 AM) and decided to wake up at 6 and begin my Advocare training. As some of you may know I have become a distributor of Advocare. I am really looking forward to helping people loose weight and improve their lifestyles.

I'm looking for individuals who are ready to make a change in their life. The Advocare 24-Day Challenge is a great way to cleanse your body of toxins, prep your body for nutrient absorption and achieve your next weight-management goal. The challenge is broken up into two phases. Days 1-10 is a cleanse phase. For 10 days you cleanse your digestive system and remove the body of accumulated toxins that contribute to our weight gain. Days 11-24 are the max phase. During the max phase you  focus on weight management, appetite control and overall wellness.

The 24-Day Challenge will not only change you physically but will provide you with the energy you need to live a healthier more active life.

Each participant will receive:
1 box of Herbal Cleanse:

Probiotics which support your body’s overall health by improving your immune system and aids in digestion to enhance weight loss

Fiber Drink which moves toxins and waste allowing for proper nutrition absorption

Herbal Cleanse Tablets which rid the body of impurities 

1 bottle of Omega Plex

Omega 3 fatty acid supplement which is an important component of nutrition. Also reduces your risk of heart disease.

2 Boxes of Advocare Spark Energy Drink

Spark is a multi-nutrient energy drink that has 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients that give you healthy balanced energy without making you jittery like coffee.

1 box of Meal Replacement Shakes

Choose from chocolate, vanilla, berry, chocolate mocha or vegetarian dark chocolate. Loaded with 24 grams of protein, 26 vitamins & minerals and is only 220 calories!

and

Your choice of one box of MNS Max 3, C, or E

Max 3 is Advocare’s most comprehensive system. It covers weight management, appetite control and overall wellness.

Max C is geared towards appetite control.

Max E is a blend of nutrients designed to speed up your metabolism by giving your more energy and burns more calories.

If this is something you are interested lets get in touch! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email at xoxobharris@gmail.com

Halloween Workout

Fall is finally here. Pumpkin spiced everything, apple cider, beautiful sunsets and amazing weather. Before you know it... we'll be squeezing into costumes and drinking spiked cider. With that being said... lets get ready! Each Sunday I will post a weeks worth of workouts that will have you tightened and toned up by October 31st.

Week 1:

Monday
Warm up with 10 minute run
Perform 4 rounds as fast as you can. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TIME

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Crunches
• 30 Jumping Jacks

TABATA TUESDAY!
Warm up with 10 minute run
Perform intervals of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for a total of 4 minutes.

• Squat Jumps
• Mountain Climbers
• High Knees
• Bicycle Crunches

Wednesday
Warm up with 10 minute run
Perform circuit 3 times

• 20 Alternating Lunges Right + Left=1
• Timed Plank. Hold as long as you can.
• 10 Leg Raises
• 5 Push Ups

Thursday
Warm up with 10 minute run
20X25X15
Perform 20 reps, 25 then 15

• Squats *hands on head
• V-Ups
• Elbow to Knee's *start in plank and then bring right knee to left elbow
• Donkey Kick

Friday
Warm up with 10 minute run
Perform Monday's workout again and try and beat your time!
Perform 4 rounds as fast as you can. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TIME

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Crunches
• 30 Jumping Jacks

xoxo,

Vacation

Having a full time job really makes summer not feel like summer. Lucky for me, I requested a week off in August. Back in January I thought it would never come and here I sit at my parents house in Easton.

My vacation kicked off with a somewhat spontaneous trip to Baltimore. My roommate and I headed up to Charm City around 6:30 met up with some friends and then headed over to Rams Head for the


Baltimore edition of Made in America. I honestly couldn't even tell you who performed. The scene was much more relaxed then the week before for Big Gigantic in DC. The Budwieser's were flowing for free and the crab cakes were fresh. I even had a shell in my crab cake which made me smile. Once we all were intoxicated we decided to venture over to Mad River in Fed Hill and danced the night away. It was so great to be back in Baltimore even if it was for only a few short hours. We ended up venturing back to the District around 4:30 AM.

Saturday morning I woke up not feeling too great but knew I needed to get to Easton sooner than later. During my packing extravaganza I wondered how many calories were in a Budwieser. Yes, these are the things I think of

Once I was all packed and fed (bacon and eggs) I made my way to the Eastern shore after stopping at the Annapolis mall to exchange some shorts and Starbucks to keep me awake. Starbucks ended up having a promotion that after 2 pm you could bring you receipt to any Starbucks and get a refill $2. Well once I got home, I chatted it up with my 2 Aunts who were in town and took Starbucks up on their offer. I have never had two coffees in a day but it was much needed.
when hungover. A 12 oz. Budwieser turns out to be 145 calories. A Budlight isn't even that much better. Budlight is a whopping 110 calories per 12 ounces. Talk about empty calories. And for you Cider lovers *cough Emily cough* one Angry Orchard is an insane 210 calories!!!

2nd Annual Catilina Wine Mixer

After dinner I headed to my friend's birthday party. I had so much fun that Sunday I laid in bed all day and slept. Monday I couldn't take  it anymore and headed out for a run. My phone was dead and I left my charger at the party so I had no music or tracker. I run the same route at home so I know it was
about a mile and boy was it hot! The humidity here is rough! I kind of enjoyed running with out music though. After I got a little cardio in I went to a friends to layout.

Tuesday I planned on waking up and running but realized I had forgotten my running shoes at my friends (I am very forgetful). I rolled back over only to be woken by my dear mother asking if I wanted to go out for lunch. Of course my answer was yes so I jumped out of bed and got ready. For lunch we went to Oxford and ate at The Masthead. I had a softcrab BLT which  was delicious. I swapped out the ranch for their homemade sweet corn vinaigrette. After lunch I napped all afternoon. Didn't even get up for dinner. I know I know whats wrong with me!

Today I got back into it though. I woke up and snuck into the gym. Since I hadn't lifted in days I did all three circuits. While working out, a lady came up to me and asked where I got my workouts from. It's so humbling when people come to you for advice. It's one of the reasons I created this blog.

Here's today's workout:

20 minute warm up on Arc Trainer
Push Ups
Bench Press
Pec Fly
Narrow Push Ups
O.H. Tricep Extension
Dips

Wide Grip Pull Down
1 Arm Row
Seated Cable Row
Underhand Cable Pull Down
Alternating DB Curl
1 Arm DB Preacher Curl
Standing Biceps Cable Curl

Leg Press
Leg Extension
Barbell Squat
Leg Curl
Calf Raises

Finished with Core.

Tomorrow I will head back to the district and then Friday, Fit Foodie Fantic and I are going to create a workout to do on the Mall so stay tuned for that! Hope everyone's having a great week. Only two more days until the weekend!

xoxo

Learn something new errryday

One thing I learned today was that no mater if you are hungry or not ALWAYS EAT BREAKFAST.

This morning I woke up with a little less time then usual to get ready. I am usually starving in the morning. Today I wasn't. I came down stairs and downed my fiber drink. I thought about making some breakfast but decided against it, got ready and headed to the gym. Once I walked into the gym I immediately realized that I was dragging a little.

Warmed up with 10 minutes on the bike. I really need to put new music on my phone. I normally listen to pandora while working out but the gym has no reception so thats not an option. Anyway... today was leg day.

Heres how it went:
The usual 3 sets of 12
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Squats on Smith Machine
Leg Curl
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises

I didn't even feel like doing any ab work. The only thing I wanted to do was eat. For breakfast I had a banana and chaboni greek yogurt in peach. I'm really starting to like the taste of greek yogurt. After I had eaten something I felt much better. Before workout #2 I had a Pure Organic Apple Cinnamon Bar. The bar has 8 total ingredients. 8! How awesome is that? Organic Dates, Organic Apples, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Walnuts, Organic Cashews, Organic Almonds, Organic Rice Protein Concentrate (ehh not the best but least its the 7th ingredient!) and Organic Cinnamon. For 200 calories you get 5 grams of Protein and 4 grams of Fiber. My only issue with this bar is the price. It's just so darn expensive to eat healthy sometimes. For the cost of the single Pure Organic bar I could have gotten two bags on peanut butter M&M's (my favvvvv).

I was then ready to do some core work. After I got my crunch on, I took Step Aerobics. I need to buy some new shoes because these Nike Free's aren't cuttin it. They kill my feet in class and I have holes in the toe on both shoes!

For lunch I had a salad. Instead of the usual grilled chicken I had left overs from my roommates date night. It was Prociutto and Spinach Wrapped Chicken. I'm sure it'll be up on fitness foodie fanatic's blog soon.

Dinner was sausage, lots and lots of peppers, and a sweet potato. Overall very clean day! I'm very proud and ready to do it all again tomorrow. 

Put in work, Put in work, Put in work, Put em' in the dirt

Today I did work. By work I mean I spent 3 hours working on my fitness. Usual morning routine: wake up, make breakfast (same as yesterday), pack lunch (same as yesterday) and head to the gym. Today I did 30 minutes of cardio before my strength training. After I broke a sweat on the Arc trainer I headed over to the weights. Today was Back and Biceps. Here's the workout:

Wide grip Lat Pull-Down 3X12
One-Arm DB Row 3X12
Seated Cable Row 3X12
Underhand Cable Pulldown 3X12
Alternating DB Curl 3X12  It really started to get tough here.
One-Arm DB Preacher Curl 3X12 UGHHHH struggle city
Standing Bicep Cable Curl 3X12
Finished with ABs and then had some greek yogurt post workout.

That was workout #1. After my yogurt I took an Ab class followed by a sports conditioning class. Needless to say baby girl is beat. Once I got home I had dinner already in the over for me thanks to my kind roommate. Ran upstairs showered and by that time dinner was ready. Tonight I had talapia and a sweet potato. I always need something sweet so for dessert I had a few blueberries and a chiboni bite. I highly recommend them. They are only 100 calories and delicious. Tonight I had coffee with chocolate chips (probably not 100% cleanse approved but it's a better alternative to Oreos.

Tomorrow is leg day!!! I'm really excited. Squats are my favorite. Welp folks I'm going to go watch another episode of Orange is the new black and call it a night.

xoxo,

Back to the grind

Lately I've been been a very naughty girl. I've been eating like crap, haven't been lifting, and have been feeling anxiety about it all. I feel much better when I'm in control and lately I haven't been. With all that being said I've decided to get back on track. Get serious again with my training and stop eating so much gosh darn gluten and grains!

To get back into the swing of things I started my 10 day cleanse. This go around I gave peaches and cream a try. It is so much more delicious than citrus. The citrus was impossible for me to get down. This morning I almost enjoyed the fiber drink. I will say... I don't know that it has the same effects as citrus if you know what I mean haha...

For breakfast I had an omelet with veggies from my dad's garden, bacon and some almond milk. Once I got to work I had my measurements taken which were worse than I thought. But that's ok. It's going to help me push myself even harder.

Weight: 133.5
BP: 100/68
HR: 72

Bicep: 10 1/2 & 10 3/4
Flex: 10 7/8 & 10 7/8
Chest: 33 7/8
Waist: 27 1/2
Abdomen: 28 1/2
Hips: 40 1/4
Thigh: 19 1/2 & 19 1/4
Calf 14 1/4 & 14 1/8

Body Composition:
Abdomen 19
Suprailiac 17
Tricep 14
Thigh 33
Bodyfat percentage 24.3
Body Fat Weight 32.4
Lean Body Mass 101.1

After I got my measurements taken I hit the weights. Today I focused on Chest and Triceps. Here's my workout:

Superset 1
Wide Pushup 3X12
Bench Press 3X12

Superset 2
Flat Bench DB Flys 3X12
Narrow Pushups 3X12

Superset 3
Overhead Tricep DB Extension 3X12
Tricep Dips 3X12

Followed by lots and lots of core!

After my workout I had a banana and then a few minutes later I needed lunch! Lucky for me I packed a delicious salad this morning. I prepared a chicken breast that I had marinated in herbs for 24 hours. I boiled some eggs and used some peppers my dad had given me. I used my roommates mandolin to slice up some cucumbers. I can't believe I haven't used one of these before. It makes everything so simple.
Then I added a few cherry tomatoes. Needless to say I didn't finish the whole thing. Later on I had some Honey Mustard Almonds. The aren't the best snack but I need a little something to get me through the day.

I got some more cardio in in the afternoon when I taught class. After work I rushed home to stuff my face and find out who wins the bachelorette!!! For dinner I had talapia, asparagus, and my left over salad. Today was a pretty good day. Myfitnesspal says I still have 334 calories that I could ingest to be under my caloric goal and lucky for me I'm not hungry. It's probably because I'm so into the  bacholorette I can't thing about foooddd
ahhhhhh!!!

Great Interval Workout

I have come to realize I am strange. Every Thursday I wake up at 4 AM with no problem. I wake up as soon as my alarm goes off and get ready and head to work. I usually go to bed anywhere from 11:30-12:30. I am not really tired at work and rarely nap when I get home. This is such a blessing.

So today, my High Intensity Interval Training class was really fun. Yes I realize my definition of fun may be different from most. Whether or not your agree, it WAS a great workout and I have to share it!

For those of you new to HIIT it is an enhanced form of interval training where you alternate periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. The short intense format allows for optimal fat burning. Long story short, you'll burn more calories doing 10 minutes of HIIT then running 10 miles on the treadmill. hashtag afterburn

Today we performed 4 sets of 2 exercises. Each set was performed back to back with 15 seconds of recovery between rounds. Each exercise was performed at 100% effort for 20 seconds.

Set 1 20 seconds each BACK-to BACK 4X
Squat Jacks
Spider Pushup
15 seconds recovery then repeat
After 4th round 1 Minute water break

Set 2
Star Jump
Mountain Climber
15 seconds recovery then repeat
After 4th round 1 Minute water break

Set 3
Thigh Slap Jumps (knees up to hands)
Push Up Jacks (modification Plank Jacks)
20 seconds recovery then repeat
After 4th round 1 Minute water break

Set 4 PUSH AS HARD AS YOU CAN THIS ROUND!
High Knees
Dynamic Squats
20 seconds recovery then repeat
After 4th round 1 Minute water break

Tabata: 4 Minutes, 2 exercises, 20 seconds work/10 seconds recovery 4 rounds
Frogger
Heel Kicks

If you have any questions on how to perform any of the exercises you can always Youtube it or send me a message and I'll be happy to help!

Now I'm off to my softball game. Hopefully we can pull a W !!!

Zucchini Bread

Hope your 4th of July was filled with lots of yummy eats and delicious treats. I was able to experience  independence day in the nations capital which I highly recommend to do before you die. We started the day with a little BBQ at our house and then ventured down to the national mall. Everyone told me it would be crazy but besides the thousands of people it wasn't bad at all. The metro home wasn't even as crowded as you would think. I guess this wasn't their first 4th of July...

I'm sure many of you, like myself, indulged this weekend with the endless amounts of cookouts. Well thats ok. We are human. Everyone deserves a little break now and then. Well breaks over. It's time to get back at it!

Since my sweet father of mine sends me back with tons of fresh vegetables, I decided to make some Paleo Zucchini Bread tonight. It was really easy to make. Heres how what you need:

• Loaf Pan
• Grater 
• 1 Medium Zucchini
• 2 eggs, whipped
• 1 medium banana
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

Heres what you do:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Shred your zucchini and remove the excess liquid. This was the most time consuming and I really didn't get all of the liquid out I should have but it was 9:30 and I still had to make cucumber salad! I used paper towels.
• Mix all your ingredients really well.
• Pour into loaf pan.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool, cut and serve with some cold almond milk!

Enjoy!!

Picture is a little blurry because my phone got wet this weekend. Whoops

The past few months in review....

Well well well. Look who has been neglecting their followers again. I’m the worst I know!

Here’s what I’ve been up to….

My best friend Lindsay visited the first week in May and to no surprise, we had a very active weekend. We kicked our reunion off with a 6.34 mile tour of all the monuments. The following day we hiked the Billy Goat trail. She even brought along some yummy Paleo Primal Pacs.

I completed my first 5k! The Color Run was the perfect race to be my first.  They aren’t lying when they say it’s the happiest 5k in the world. Even though the weather was overcast and rainy it didn’t stop anyone from having a smile on their face….well maybe Carlye. She hated me that day ;)

I had an amazing Memorial Day weekend with my cousin. We are usually attached at the hip during the summer time but this whole full time job and living in DC has kept us from soaking up the sun. Lucky for us we made it to Seacrets on the best day.

My softball team has been on a losing streak but the playoffs are what really matters. We still have a chance at that number one spot! We have a game tomorrow so hopefully I’ll be able to brag about our losing streak being over.

I am teaching a different style of High Intensity Interval Training class at work. I now am able to incorporate weights, which is a lot of fun.  I have been taking certain Crossfit moves and putting a spin on them.

I haven’t been as strict with my paleo diet nor have a been cooking delicious meals lately. It’s probably because during the summer I’m always on the go. I did make the delicious Paleo Artichoke Chicken Pasta fromwww.paleomg.com again. It was just as yummy as the first time if I had to say so myself. Even though I haven’t been eating 100% paleo I have been eating lots of fresh veggies. My dad actually made me my own garden this year. A few months back I gave him a list of things I’d like him to plant this year:

·         Peppers

·         Lettuce

·         Cauliflower

·         Tomatoes

·         Squash

·         Cucumbers

·         Eggplant

So far I’ve had lettuce and beets from the garden. I’m looking forward to the eggplant the most! I’d like to get back into making my own hummus.

Summer time and live music go hand in hand; therefor I have been going to see many different bands. This past weekend I went to Firefly music festival in Dover, Delaware. WOW. What an amazing time. The lineup was phenomenal and the company could not have been better. I made many new friends and shared many laughs. I even met a cute boy. We got weird and did push-ups together after Red Hot Chili Peppers. If you know me, it probably doesn't surprise you that I was turned on by the amount of push ups he could do.

Besides listening to great music, there were many fun things to do at Firefly. I was impressed with the healthy food options they provided. I was talking about it to my cute new friend and he said, "hippies know how to take care of their bodies" and I guess in a way they do. There were ton of vegetarian options and even a few vegan selections. I really wanted to try some of their vegetable juices but went with Heineken's instead. I did indulge in a Strawberry Banana smoothie on Sunday because it was so darn hot!

           

Each morning they offered yoga. I never made it because the walk was so far but I thought that was pretty cool. In the mornings I just soaked in the peaceful vibes being outside offers. I don't really get that anymore living in the city.

I promise to be better.

What have you been up to?

xoxo,