Archive for August, 2012

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August 31st, 2012

Get Excited

by Tiff

There are lots of exciting things going on right now.  Here are a few that are getting me all fired up!

1. Fall : I’m not in full-blown fall mode yet, but these things are starting to get me ready for the colors, the crisp air, the football, and the fall produce.

punkin

BTW – The magazine has a recipe for bacon mac n’ cheese.  I think Kevin’s going to appreciate this issue!  (Anyone else take unwanted magazines from work?  That’s where I get all mine.  I have more recipes than I can fit in my cabinets.)

2. Long Weekend : How could I not be fired up for the long weekend???  I have plans to party, plans to work out, and plans to watch football, yet I have NO plans to work for four whole days.  Yessss!

clemson paw

3. This Girl : Speaking of party – my college buddy is coming to visit tonight.  She was this girl at my 21st birthday, and this girl at my wedding.  We always have a good time together, so I’m sure this time won’t be any different.  Since she isn’t in a huge hurry to leave tomorrow morning, I may even drag her to the local farmer’s market with me.  Yay Yay Yay!

tiff turns twenty-one  getting ready

  • Got plans for the weekend?
  • Anything exciting you at the moment?

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

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August 30th, 2012

Motivation Nosedive

by Tiff

My motivation has seriously taken a nosedive this week.  Anyone else?  I’ve been keeping up my workouts, well – except this morning.  I just didn’t feel like running in the dark today, so a run and a little runner yoga have been pushed back until after work.

Really though, that doesn’t mean I’ve wanted to work out.  Or clean up my house.  Or go to work.  (Okay, I never want to do those last two, but you get the idea.)  The week is just going by so slowly for me.

Are you in the same boat?  I hope not!

So what’s a girl to do?

 dumbbell  pump

Go to body pump.  That cheered me up yesterday.

http://i0.wp.com/profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc6/211155_48736069129_228377301_n.jpg?resize=180%2C180

Only do 6minutes of yoga instead of the planned 20.  (Stressing about fitting in yoga for relaxaion is just silly.)

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/onlinevitalicious_2223_12932746

Eat a Vitatop.  I went over my calorie “limit,” and I use that term very loosely, by 100 calories yesterday.  Sometimes a girl just needs chocolate.  (These are overpriced.  They’re convenient and tasty, but every time I eat one, I tell myself to never buy them again.  Call me Brittany because whoops, I did it again.)

On a side note…

I’ve been researching plant-based diets (vegan).  I’m not becoming a vegan, but I’m flirting with the idea of going vegan with benefits for just a wee bit.  It’s in response to this trash I’ve seen in the news this past week.

I was just about to start a high-protein diet too, so who knows where I’m going with this.  High-protein yet low-tummy ache vegan diet tips would be appreciated!  (Lentils, tempeh, and I don’t get along.)

  • What’s your recent, “Sometimes a girl/boy has just gotta…”?

Posted in Fitness, Food | 14 Comments »

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August 29th, 2012

“Finest Kind” of WIAW

by Tiff

Happy WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) Y’all! Here’s a little recap of what I worked and ate yesterday.

5:15 – Run: This was not a good run for me. It was humid. I was dragging. And it wasn’t pretty. Not all runs can be good ones, so better luck tomorrow!

6:30 – Breakfast: vanilla whey protein oats with chia seeds

oats

9:30 – Snack: rice cake topped with yummus

yummus

Noon – Lunch: half sweet potato, cup of broccoli, can of tuna in water topped with a lil’ roast red pepper spread

lunch

3:00 – Snack: 3 pumpkin protein bars (There is actually a lack of protein powder. I was in a hurry on Sunday and totally forgot to add it to the mix prior to baking. Whoops! I guess they’re just healthy pumpkin bars instead.)

pumpkin bar

6:00 – Appetizer: Smuttynose Brewing’s ‘Finest Kind’ IPA <;-- such a winner!

brew

7:30 – Dinner: roast & stuffed eggplant (Mediterranean-inspired ground beef mix inside)

dinner

8:30 – Yoga: still sticking to my nightly yoga this week

;

  • Ever just forget to add ingredients to a recipe? I often get a little flighty when cooking in a hurry.

Posted in Food | 18 Comments »

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August 28th, 2012

Yoga – The Cure for the Common Life

by Tiff

I’m no serious yogi. I have a hard time clearing my mind, taking the time to practice, and most of all, stretching. In the words of my high school cross country coach, “Tiffany, you’re about as flexible as an oak tree!” Thanks Coach.

I’ve only been to one “real” yoga class, and I only went to that one because the kind folks at FitSugar paid for it. I usually stick to freebie videos I find online.

YAS Spin/Yoga

However…

I like yoga. I like the calming effects. I like focusing on my breathing. I like feeling all the little muscles I usually forget to notice. I even like trying to touch my toes.

Kevin and I have committed to doing one yoga session every night this week. It has to be longer than 20 minutes, but it doesn’t have to be hot n’ sweaty bikram or rapid-fire power. I usually only stick to power yoga videos, but that’s usually because I’m doing yoga for fitness.

chick n' beans

Side Note: I had this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken last night, and it was glorious.

This week is different; I’m doing yoga for relaxation. I haven’t been sleeping well the last few weeks, and I think the calming effects of hatha, vinyasa, and restorative sessions might help me turn off my brain at night.

Regular yogis already know the benefits of yoga, but for the newbies, here is a list of 10 others.

  1. “A sunnier outlook” according to Self Magazine (which I think would strengthen social relationships)
  2. Less aches & pains, especially with back pain
  3. Lower blood pressure (from reduced stress and the small aerobic benefits) according to WebMD
  4. Better sleep (I hope so!)
  5. “Steamier sex” also according to Self Magazine
  6. Better digestion (mainly when twists are included)
  7. Management of chronic health conditions, according to Mayo Clinic
  8. Higher self confidence
  9. In-tune with mindful eating, according to Yoga Journal
  10. Fitness benefits (increased strength, muscle tone, flexibility, balance, etc..)
  • Do you practice yoga?
  • Ever practiced yoga for a specific reason?

Posted in Fitness | 11 Comments »

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August 27th, 2012

Work Hard & Play Hard

by Tiff

This weekend I worked hard and played hard.  Usually that’s how it goes, but I guess I technically did it backwards.  I played a little Thursday, and I played a bit more Friday before working hard on Saturday.  (It was my b-day weekend – I’m allowed!)

On Friday, I enjoyed a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat at the house with a few friends.  (Gotta’ drink the wheat beer before it goes out of season.)  We all enjoyed a little happy hour before loading up & heading out to Mellow Mushroom for dinner.

pizza

The bday girl got to pick where we went to dinner.  Ummm… duh – of course I chose pizza!

hoppy

Kevin and I ordered Foothills Hoppyum with dinner.  The waiter accidentally poured an extra pint, soooo we split it.  (Twist my arm!)  Side note – I loooooove this beer.  If you like IPAs, you must try it!

This is where the “play hard” ends and “workd hard” begins.  I woke early Saturday to roof a house.  What???  Yeah – I’m not sure what I was thinking when I signed up either.

roof

This was my first Habitat for Humanity build, and I had a blast.  (I didn’t even fall off the roof!)  The other members were really cool, so we all went for fish tacos and beer after the build.  These are my kind of people!

build

It’s not just diet n’ exercise that are about balance – it’s kind of a life thing.  Work hard ~ Play Hard.  Eat Salads ~ Sometimes Get Pizza.  Sounds good to me!

  • What have you done to work hard or play hard lately?

Posted in Brews, Out & About | 15 Comments »

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