Workout Update

So... almost 6 weeks ago I started a 6 week workout program.  I am still working on completing the 4th week.  The whole working out 6 days a week is somehow not happening right now.  If it's not one thing it's another: migraine, lost sleep, vaccine side effects, etc.  However, I have been able to workout most days of the week.  If I miss a workout, I just pickup where I left off the next day.  Perhaps for my next workout program I will choose something that is only 3-5 days a week.  And if I feel up to it I can always throw in a run on the off days.

Recipe of the Week

Spicy Garlic and Lime Chicken
Serves 4, Total time: 25 min.

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (halves)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsps garlic powder
3 Tbsp lime juice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and parsley.  Sprinkle seasoning mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet on medium heat.  Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes each side.  Sprinkle with 2 tsps garlic powder and lime juice.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

I'm sure you could use less butter or substitute something else for it for a healthier option.  I found this recipe on yummly.com

New Home

There are some things that I didn't talk about in the video that I will need to be organizing (such as office supplies), but at least you'll get an idea for how our apartment looks & is set up.  Hopefully it wasn't too long for you (9+ minutes).

Recipe of the Week

Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast
Total Time 1 hour 45 min, prep time 15 min

Ingredients:
1-1/4 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lb Roast

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir in the olive oil, and allow the mixture to sit about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Place the roast on the prepared baking sheet, and cover on all sides with the spice mixture.
4. Roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. 

This recipe was found on yummly.  Click here to see the recipe there, including nutrition info.

Recipe of the Week

I found the following recipe on allrecipes.com.  It's actual title there was "Grilled Salmon I", but I renamed it, haha.  Also, since I only cook for 2, typically, I reduced the amount of ingredients as necessary.  The ingredients shown are as they are in the original.  Also, instead of seasoning the fish prior to marinating, I did it afterwards... So, do whatever floats your boat.

Sweet & Tangy Grilled Salmon
Servings: 6, Time: 2 hours to marinate, 30 minutes prep/cook

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb salmon
lemon pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1.  Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2.  In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and oil until sugar is dissolved.
3.  Place fish in a resealable plastic bag with soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4.  Preheat grill, or pan.  Place salmon on grill/pan and discard marinade.  Cook salmon on each side until it flakes easily with fork (about 6-8 min per side).

New workout

So I completed the "3-week to a Bikini Body Workout", although I extended it to 4 weeks.  Last week, I didn't really do a workout "program".  That week, however, I did go on a four hour hike, a 1 hour hike, a 2.5 mile run, and lots of walking through downtown Seattle.  So... there was still lots of physical activity.

This week I will be starting a program entitled "Intermediate Running for Weight Loss".  Now, I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, but I do like the looks of the program.  I found this program on the Women's Health Magazine web site.  The pre-requisite for the intermediate program is that you be able to run/jog for 30 minutes at any speed.  The program starts you off with 30 minute runs and over the course of 6 weeks gets you running for an hour straight.  The runs are 4 days a week with 2 days a week doing resistance workouts, and one day for rest.  There are two different resistance workouts for the first 3 weeks, and another two different resistance workouts for the final 3 weeks.

Recipe of the Week

BBQ Roasted Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes
Total time:  55 min, Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup italian dressing
1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1/4 cup bbq sauce
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Toss potatoes with dressing in 13x9 inch nonstick pan; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder.  Bake for 25 minutes.
3.  Stir potatoes, push to sides of pan.  Place chicken in single layer in center of pan; sprinkle with remaining chili powder.  Drizzle with bbq sauce.
4.  Bake 20 min or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender.  Transfer chicken to platter.  Stir potatoes to evenly coat with pan drippings.  Spoon around chicken on platter; top with parmesan.

Recipe of the Week

I've decided to post a recipe a week.  It may be something new that I really loved, or it may be a regular favorite.  So the recipe of the week this week is....:

Maple Mustard Pork Chops
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1 small clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
2 bone-in pork chops

Directions:
1.  In a small bowl, stir together the syrup, mustard, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
2.  Place the chops and mustard mixture inside a large ziploc plastic bag, then thoroughly coat the chops.
3.  Cook each side of the chops on a skillet.  In the last minute of cooking, pour the remaining mustard mixture onto the chops.  (This recipe states 3-4 minutes on each side on med-high heat.  I prefer to cook mine on med-low to med, and I don't use a timer, I just judge by appearance, and make sure the meat is cooked thoroughly before removing from heat)

This recipe is a regular in our house.  We got it from menshealth.com when my husband was doing the Belly Off program.  I usually serve these pork chops with apple sauce and some sort of green vegetable.

Snacks & New Recipes

I thought I'd first share they types of snacks that I normally eat throughout the day.  I eat 2-3 snacks during the day.  I typically try to pair something with protein with some sort of fruit or vegetable, but that's not set in stone for me.  Having protein with a snack helps to keep me from getting hungry sooner.  Here are some of the items I will have:

• Protein:  Nuts, lunch meat, lowfat string cheese, chocolate milk, cottage cheese, yoghurt
• Fruits or Vegetable
• Popcorn
• Toast

I also wanted to talk about a new recipe I just tried out.  Being that it's the fall, I really wanted to try some pumpkin recipes, but I also wanted to keep it on the healthy side.  So... I just made some whole wheat pumpkin muffins with cranberries and walnuts.  They tasted how I expected... healthy.  Haha.  But I did enjoy the one that I ate, and I made it a little less healthy by spreading some margarine on it, yum!  If you're interested in the recipe, let me know!

New Home

We have recently relocated to Washington!  So... we have a new home to take care of.  I am still in the process of unpacking.  We were sort of homeless for like a month.  It was hard to eat right and exercise during that time, but I did manage to sneak a few workouts in there, and some hiking, dancing, etc.

I have unpacked all of the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and bathroom boxes.  There is still a lot of stuff I haven't put away because I am waiting to unpack the guest bedroom stuff.  Once I do that I will begin figuring out the best places for all of our items.  I have a lot of possibilities in mind.  We were lucky enough to have a detached garage included in our apartment, and that currently has a lot of our tools and all of our yard care stuff.

We also have a fitness center & pool as a couple of the apartment amenities.  Carlos and I have been taking advantage of those for our workouts.  We started working out regularly last week.  This week I am starting a program called "3 Weeks to a Bikini-Worthy Body".  It's a 3 week program, and is 6-7 days a week (depending on what you choose).  So Mon, Wed, and Fri, I do cardio at the same time as Carlos is doing his workout in the fitness center.  Sun, Tue, and Thu, mornings I am doing the strength workouts.  Saturdays, Carlos and I plan on doing something active, such as going on a hike, walking, swimming, etc.

Now, that we're getting more settled, I hope to blog on a more regular basis again.  Ta ta for now!

Last week in photos

So the photo plan actually started out working quite well.  Each day before the photo we would straighten up a bit, since there wasn't too much to pick up.  I think Thursday was when I started to let it go a bit.  In my defense, I received some pretty huge news on Thu.  More on that later.  :)

I took photos of kitchen and living room.  However, I will only post living room, due to time & formatting constraints.  Here are the photos:

July 10

July 11



July 12

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 16

Housekeeping July 10-16

So... My housekeeping plan for this week is as follows. I took a picture of the state of our living room and kitchen this morning. I hope to keep these rooms in these states (or better) for at least a week. I will take photos each day to track the progress. Below are the starting photos.



Ultimate Fitness Plan Week 5

So... I'm finding that it's a lot easier for me to get going with the runs than with the resistance training.  In the morning anyways.  I think in the afternoons it would be the opposite.  I'm not sure how to explain why this is.  So, I guess I won't for now.  Week 5 went well.  I shifted the workouts again, since I got to bed so late on Independence Day (and by so late, I mean just after 10 pm, haha).  It worked well though.  Tomorrow I start on the 6th and final week of this workout plan!!  Time to choose a new one.

Ultimate Fitness Plan Weeks 3 & 4

Week 3 went well.  Although I did have to do like I did on week 2, and shift the last three days.  Tuesday night of week 3 I set my alarm, but somehow did not turn it on... So I slept late and didn't get to work out that morning.  That evening I had a public meeting to attend after work, so working out that evening didn't happen either.  Therefore, I shifted the days as I did in week 2.

Week 4 has somehow been more difficult.  I've gotten in all of my workouts, but it has been so hard to wake up and hard to get moving.  Maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping wonderfully this week... For some reason I've been taking longer to fall asleep and waking up 30-60 min before the alarm this week.

Thoughts on this workout program:  I like the 5 days/week thing.  The program isn't as challenging, physically, as I thought it would be.  I'd like to pick something a bit more difficult for the next one, and perhaps 3 days of cardio instead of 2.

No Good Excuses

Cleaning has not been going well this week.  Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure displeasure.

MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 20

SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 25

Ultimate Fitness Plan Week 2

Things are still going well on the new workout routine. I had to switch things up a little this week. I had to go out of town on a business trip on Wednesday (and had to be at work at 6 a.m.). I thought about just doing my workout that evening. However, by the time I got home it was almost 8 p.m., went to eat at my mother-in-law's, and didn't get home again until after 9 (which is my new bed time). I decided to just shift my workouts. So last week, instead of Mon-Fri, I did Mon-Tue and Thu-Sat. I am happy that I still got in all five workouts.

Housekeeping June 6-12

So... How did things go this past week? I will tell you.

Keeping things clean: This went very well. We did a fairly good job of keeping things clutter free. However, there were a couple of reasons that this went better than usual. There were a couple of days that we were expecting guests, so of course we wanted things tidy for them. And, a more unfortunate reason, is that our little ant problem somehow turned into a HUGE ant problem overnight. That is now under control, thank goodness.

Organization: We worked on the house organization for a while on Saturday. We went a lot our possessions in the small room (we still need to go through stuff under the bed). We gathered a lot of stuff to give away or throw away, therefore making more room (woot woot). We just need to continue doing this kind of work most weekends, and it won't be long before we'll have a place for everything.

Ultimate Fitness Plan Week 1

So I have completed week one of the latest workout program for me to try. It actually worked a lot better than I was expecting it to. I expected that it would be harder for me to get to bed on time and harder to get up. I actually did really well getting to bed and getting up on time. I was also pleased with how easy it was to fit in the workout and shower (I normally shower in the evenings) and still be on time to work.

The workouts weren't too difficult, and I, of course, especially enjoyed the run outdoors with the sunrise! It felt good and looked beautiful. I am looking forward to next week.

Clean House Vlog #1

My Breakfasts

First, let me begin by saying, I am quite a small person, and don't eat as much as most people.  I'd like to think that I eat the amount of food that is appropriate for my size, and you should do that too.  ;)  Also, because I am not able to eat too much (it just won't fit into my stomach), I am not always able to have all food groups at all meals, as some people recommend.  I just try to fit a variety of foods in throughout the day.

For breakfast I try to have something from more than one food group, and try to always incorporate some sort of protein.  For example, today I had shredded wheat cereal, grapes, and grilled slice of turkey breast.

Things I like to have for breakfast:

• Cereal
• I love, love, love cereal.
• Any cereal we buy has to meet three requirements.  1) The main ingredient must be some sort of whole grain, 2) it must have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, and 3) it must not have more than 8 grams of sugar.
• We use 2% fat milk.
• Turkey Bacon
• Grilled turkey or ham
• Oatmeal
• I use pecans or peanut butter to get more protein
• I sweeten the oatmeal with fruit or honey
• Eggs
• boiled, scrambled, omelet
• Toast
• I do indulge in real butter, and often use jelly (no sugar added) or honey.
• Fruit

On the weekends for one breakfast we'll sometimes indulge and have something like pancakes, waffles, french toast, hash browns, etc.  It is very, very rare that we ever eat out for breakfast, and it is very, very, very rare that we ever have any precooked food for breakfast (frozen breakfast meals, etc).

New Workout Plan

So... I have decided that I am more consistent with my workouts if I use a workout plan that is for a specific amount of time.  For instance... the one I am starting tomorrow is a 6 week "Ultimate Fitness Plan".  I find that if I have a specific time period that I will be doing the workouts, then it's easier to push through it when I don't want to work out (I say to myself "just 4 more weeks", etc).  At the completion of the program/plan, I then find and begin a new one.  It keeps things interesting to my mind and my body.

The plan I will be starting tomorrow is definitely ambitious for me.  Not that the workouts are difficult, it's that it is a 5 day a week plan.  I am typically proud of myself if I do 3 days a week, but this is a workout plan that I have been really wanting to try.  I actually found it a year ago on womenshealthmag.com.  It is probably no longer available since its full title is "The Ultimate Fitness Plan 2010."

Each week in the plan has three days of resistance training circuits (5 different circuits, 8 different moves varying by the day and week), and two days of cardio intervals (3 different interval sets with the freedom to choose which one).

This is also ambitious for me since I will be trying to do the workouts in the morning before work.  Which means I will need to go to sleep earlier, which is easier said than done, but let's see how it goes.  I would do the workouts after work, but it is just way to hot outside (and inside actually) here to attempt that.

So... I will update you on how the week goes.

Introduction to Home and Body

This blog will serve to document my efforts in two areas.  Keeping the house clean and organized, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (working out and eating right).  I will talk about how things are going in the aforementioned areas and will post photos.  I am also seriously considering doing some video blogs, which I will also post to this blog.  Please read the information below to get a glimpse of my struggles.

Home
     My home is small.  We have a lot of stuff.  We are not the most disciplined when it comes to keeping things clean and neat. 
    
     Problem 1.  Ever since my husband and I moved into this home, it's been a huge struggle to keep things tidy.  We don't have enough space for the amount of stuff that we have.  Last year I went through all of my belongings in order to get rid of things that I no longer needed or wanted.  We had a yard sale in October!  We are still going through the process of going through the remaining items to figure out just exactly how to get things to fit.  Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, we have managed to obtain a lot more stuff since the yard sale.
     I had in my mind this idea of how things would go.  1) We'd have a yard sale.  2) With the extra space in our storage room I'd move rarely used items from inside of the house to the storage room.  3) I'd have places for all of the remaining indoor items.
     This plan is not working for several reasons.  I didn't account for the amount of stuff that my husband does not want to get rid of, or has yet to get rid of.  I also didn't account for the fact that my husband would be bringing more stuff from his mom's house to our house.  And I understandably did not account for the fact that our close friend would be moving to another country, and that we would be taking on so much of his stuff.
     So...  My plan so far is to continue to move my rarely used possessions from inside the house to the storage room.  I will also try to help my husband with his stuff, and in his decisions on whether or not it's something worth keeping with the amount of space that we have.  We will of course, have to both re-evaluate what is actually important to keep.  Now... I just need the motivation.  I will document our efforts in this area.

     Problem 2.  How hard is it to walk dirty clothes to the hamper instead of dropping them on the floor?  Well apparently, for me and my husband, it's pretty difficult.  It's little things like this that make it hard to keep the house clean (other than the lack of space).  It's embarrassing, I know.  But that's why I need to put it out there.  It's not something I've always struggled with, and it is something that I think is made more difficult by my husband.  I try to keep things clean, but when it's just me doing it, it gets to be too much for me and I end up just going back to the usual routine, aka. leaving dirty dishes on the table, leaving dirty clothes on the floor, leaving out any object that has just been used instead of taking the 2 seconds to put it away.  So...  I will document our efforts in this area.

Body
     Now, this is not as big of a struggle for me, but I would like to improve on working out regularly.  It was never a problem for me until I started working full time.  Over the past four years of working full time, I have slowly become better at managing my time and at exercising more regularly.  I am finally at a point where I feel comfortable taking on more ambitious exercise routines.  I would like to document my success and trials in this area.  For me, it's not about losing weight or changing my appearance (although I wouldn't mind being a bit firmer and stronger).  It's really about being healthy and feeling good for a long and fulfilling life.