fitness

July Squat Challenge

07.03.2013

Here it is!! The much anticipated July Squat Challenge! Want a firm, tight, booty? Well this is how it’s done. Squats, squats, squats will do wonders for your butt. Be sure to take before and after pics so you can track your progress. Pictures are the most efficient way to do so, so don’t be shy! At the end of the month you will be happy you did.

The most important thing about squats is proper form:

Shoulders up
Chest up
Eyes Forward
Knees behind toes
Weight in heels
Hips back
Abs tight
Glutes engaged

Use this pic as inspiration! I mean, seriously this is some major motivation! (photo via Pinterest, sorry I don’t know who this woman is to tag her!)

I have been doing my squats but this will be my “before” photo. 🙂 Don’t forget to use weights to give you a challenge and make up any days missed!

Who is joining me ??!! Let me know and we can update each other on the Facebook page!

Have a great 4th of July!!

What I Ate Wednesday #2 (#WIAW)

06.26.2013

Happy Wednesday! I am linking up with Peas and Crayons for my 2nd edition of What I Ate Wednesday. I usually try to eat 5-6 meals a day, plenty of protein, veggies and complex carbs. It may seem like a lot of food, but my metabolism has sky-rocketed and I seem to be hungry every 3 hours. (That’s a good thing though!) Also, smaller portions more times a day is what I’m going for. So here’s what I ate:

I have been eating tons of tilapia lately. Just season with pepper or Mrs. Dash and you’re good to go.

I made this “salad” in a large batch and have been eating it throughout the week. It’s tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers and zucchini topped with a little balsamic vinegar. And of course chicken on the side. 🙂

I got a huge box delivered from my fav company FITzee foods and this enchilada is one of theirs. You can read more about FITzee here and here.

Heading out for a run to prep for the Live Ultimate Run on Sunday, then to an 8pm bikram yoga class at Body Temp Yoga SF. How are you staying active today?

Thanks for reading!!

My First Full Marathon!!!

06.18.2013

I still can’t believe it. If you follow me on Facebook, I’m sure you’ve heard the news, but for those who haven’t, I completed my first full marathon this weekend at The Wipro San Francisco Marathon! It’s kind of a funny story, and definitely did not imagine my first marathon to happen like this. So here’s how it went.

Believe it or not, I went to the race with the thought of running the half. I had a full marathon bib, but havent trained and was definitely planning to wing it. A friend of mine has been training like crazy for her first full, and I got a couple of runs in with her but had no intention of running the full 26! At mile 2 I told her, “Wouldnt that be crazy if I ran the full with you?” Crazy, it was! When we approached mile 13 if was feeling great and she turned to me and said “so….what are you going to do.” I honestly didn’t even think about it, I went for it! Most everyone would want to be finished at mile 13, right? I’m not going to lie, when I saw the half finish line it was hard! But I knew I could do this, I knew I could finish the full and how amazing it would be if i did.

I couldn’t have asked for a better cheerleader by my side. My friend, Luba stuck by my side the entire run. She was motivating me like crazy, talking to me the whole time, telling me not to give up. I never doubted her, but by mile 20 my body was definitely taking a hit. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! But I knew I had to finish, there was no other option. By the last mile, I was dragging but it was amazing to hear so many runners rooting me on, telling me we were almost done.

Although it was by no means easy, it was also one of my biggest accomplishments. I still can’t believe that I completed my first Full marathon with no training! It was an emotional experience. By the last mile I couldn’t hold back the tears. The feeling was unexplainable.

I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else try this, but I do recommend you train and go for it! My mind and heart literally took over my body and I accomplished something that I never thought I could. It’s so important to listen to your body and what it is telling you. The only reason why I went ahead with it is because I knew that I could make it. I knew my body could handle the pressure. All the strength training I do is what came in handy. My heart was telling me yes. So I went for it. Push your body, but know your limits. Train, train, train so you are not as sore as I am today!!

I will post later about post-marathon recovery, as it’s one of the most important parts. I am the most sore I have ever been before, so now its time to take care of my body and replenish all the nutrients I lost during the 4 hours and 46 minutes of running. The soreness will fade but the awesome story will last forever.

Congrats to all my fellow runners! You can finally say “I did it. I never gave up. I never quit.” Those moments of pain turned into memories and an accomplished goal that only 1% of the population could obtain. This was the world’s 15th hardest marathon course! You did it! Now you can thank yourself for the rest of your life. It’s truly a life changing moment.

Next up is the Live Ultimate Run in San Francisco on June 30th! To sign up enter code: AmbassadorJenna for 10% off your entry!

“Running is like celebrating your soul. There is so much it can teach us about life.”

What I Ate Wednesday

06.12.2013

Super excited to participate in my first “What I ate Wednesday” or “WIAW” link up, hosted by the fab Jenn at Peas and Crayons! Loving this idea to give you guys a bit of background on what I eat throughout my day, but also keep a diary, notice my slip ups, successes and patterns. May give you some ideas, may put a disgusting look on your face, may inspire you to try something new…you decide. 🙂

“WIAW is about food and fun! It’s about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, noting changes in your diet/lifestyle, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, nourishing your body with the foods that work for you, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so. much. more. ” –Jenn from Peas and Crayons

Celebrate Food. Celebrate blogging. Celebrate Individuality.

So here is what I ate:

I know this looks pretty gross, but so yummy! I seriously look forward to this every weekday morning. Fage Nonfat greek yogurt with berries is THE best! Only yogurt I buy on a weekly basis. Then I add some oats..weird but delicious.

Mid Morning snack: Ezekiel bread with almond butter and some berries.

Lunch: broccoli, chicken and sweet potato. Looks a little boring, but believe it or not I haven’t gotten sick of it yet. I prepped on Sunday and made this same lunch for the whole week. Only takes about 20 mins and just grab and go on your way to work. Keeps me on track and accountable!

Sensible snacking! I bring these two items in my purse everywhere! Perfect for on-the-go.

Zucchini pizza. Oh boy. This is the first time making this and it exceeded expectations! Here’s what I did: Cut the zucchini in half then again on the bottom to create a flat surface. Brush with olive oil. Add toppings such as garlic, cheese, tomatoes and basil. Cook for 20-30 mins at 375. This is a MUST try! You will thank me later. 🙂

Apologize for the not-so-good photos. They were all taken with my iPhone.

Thanks for reading!!

Portion Size / Live Ultimate Run

06.07.2013

Happy Friday! Hope you all had a great week! It’s a never-ending battle with me to get my portions correct, so I thought this chart would be a huge help not only to you guys, but myself included. These portions look teeny tiny but keep in mind you should be eating 5-6 small meals a day! This is a HUGE issue when going out to restaurants. Most places load up the portions, leaving you the option to finish the whole thing. My personal advice: take half home with you! No need to be overly stuffed. This will only eliminate the “6 meals a day” theory.

So keep it small. Keep it simple and enjoy!