Working Out in the Second Trimester

Now that the fatigue has worn off, the nausea has stopped and the migraines have calmed down, I am ready to work out! Except, I forgot the beast of slothfulness that prevents me from actually getting to the point of working out. Such excuses include, but are not limited to, the gym is so dirty, the gym is so far, my armpits are hairy, I've got too much work, dinner takes a long time to make, I'll just go tomorrow, I'll just eat less, or I took the stairs today... isn't that enough? Recently, I have learned a new enemy... the tiny bladder. After working out for no more than 20 minutes, I have to go pee. At this point, that means taking all my stuff with me and then when I'm done, I often think - my heart rate has gone down, should I just leave?

On the other hand, the mighty mighty endorphin kick I get is awesome when I do go to the gym! Yesterday, I only went to the gym for 25 minutes, used the elliptical for that or less, and felt good the whole day. The whole very long day in which we traveled 40 miles at 10 AM to watch a bowl game as the ESPN Zone, then drove 10 minutes to watch a basketball game live, another 40 miles to pick up our car, another 30 miles to go home and dress, 10 miles to my company holiday party and 10 miles home, all through the heavy downpour of rain and congested roads of LA. It was a very terrific but long day and as tired as I was, I am confident my endorphin boost helped!

So onto more gym visits and more inspiration for myself to get my workouts back to 5 days a week!

Here are some helpful tips I have come up with that will help me and YOU get back into workout mode (that crazy insane place where you are just dying to work out everyday cuz it feels sooo good!)

1) Go with a friend (this way you are less likely to bail, whether it means a friend to the gym or a friend over to go through that exercise video you keep meaning to do)
2) Work out in the morning (way more effective than putting it off until the late afternoon or night when everything else seems to be more important, helps you start your day and feel refreshed!)
3) Schedule it! Put it in your calendar so you hold yourself accountable and are able to visually see what you need to accomplish including your work out!
4) Vary your work-outs. I like to do my at home videos like bar method, pilates with a band, my GIAM 4 pound ball and the big exercise ball, but I also like to throw in some days at the gym, some days on my own (dancing or putting together weird core wanna be yoga moves on my own), and of course, once our budget is doing better, maybe some paid for classes with an instructor and other students where I have to make sure I'm not slacking off cuz of the pressure from others around me!
5) Don't treat it as a chore. Working out is fun, but it's not unless you have the attitude that it is fun.

Vitamix How I Love Thee

Apparently, for the last 6 months, Andy and I have not been using the Vitamix correctly! We went to Costco (where we often fill up on lunch by eating the samples) and talked to the Vitamix rep about why our machine made funny sounds. It's supposed to make that sound! And in fact, you're supposed to use the high variable speed for liquefying anything, whereas we had only used it correctly for our green spinach drink, hummus, Cafe Rio salad dressing and soup. Armed with that knowledge, I started my quest re-engaging in smoothies using my wonderful Vitamix, and anything else I need to blend (like salad dressing!)

I have made the most delicious drinks from simple items!

Orange Julius (recommended by our Vitamix dude but modified by us)
1) 1 orange peeled with white stuff (cuz it's healthier)
2) 2 cups vanilla soy milk
3) 1 cup orange concentrate
4) 2 tablespoons of honey
5) 1 teaspoon of vanilla
6) 5 frozen strawberries with stem (healthy!)

Just for Sophie (my niece and I always make smoothies with whatever is in the house, she loves helping but loves the whipped cream more!)
1) 1 mango
2) 1 orange peeled with white stuff
3) 2 slices of pineapple
4) 1 cup of frozen blueberries
5) 8 frozen strawberries with stems (protein)
6) 2 cups soymilk
7) 1 teaspoon of honey
*If you don't have frozen fruit, just use 1-1 and 1/2 cups of ice, but if you have frozen fruit, you don't need ice. We also have done it with water instead of milk, but you may have to add more fruit for flavor. You can also add a dab of whip cream for the kiddos, and when Andy isn't looking, I put 3-4 carrots which when blended with all that fruit, have no flavor!

Cafe Rio salad dressing (given to me by my sister in law, Tammy!)
1) 1 lime (roll it on the counter before squeezing it in for more juice)
2) 1 bunch of cilantro
3) 1 1/3 cup of light sour cream
4) 1 whole pack of Hidden Valley Ranch powder mix
5) 3/4 cup of light mayo
6) 4 tablespoons of green salsa verde
7) 2-3 crushed garlics
8) 1/8 teaspoon of tabasco (or more if your heart desires)

Our Weekend of Carb Overload

Pizza
Paninis
Cheeseburgers
Fries
Bread with Spinach Artichoke Dip
Meatballs
Fruit Tarts
Chocolate Fountain
Caramel Popcorn
Baked imitation Fried Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
One apple with a dead worm in it (reason to ditch organic)
Blueberries
Pilsburry Rolls

And that sums up my weekend... with the fruit only being part of what I packed to avoid getting hungry on the drive to Phoenix. It's okay to overload on carbs every now and then.. it just means that today is a day of salad, fruit and high protein to balance out my carb overloaded weekend.

We're a Fruitful Family

Growing up, we always had fruit around. It was like our rice. I ate fruit for breakfast, as a snack when I came home at 3 and after dinner. You could guarantee at least 4 types of fruit in our household at any given time.

My brother and I both realized how spoiled we had been growing up when we went off on our own. I still had enough cash flow to buy myself apples, strawberries, oranges, blackberries and berries, but stayed away from the melons, cantaloupes, papayas, and pineapple because of all the cutting it required. My brother, even worse off in New York, demoted himself to only apples and bananas. When I visited him as a result of many free flight tickets from work trips, I would often splurge and we'd buy fresh cut fruit from Whole Foods (hoity toity!). Oh the joy!

Even to this day, I cannot eat grapes with seeds. Why, you ask? Because mum always cut them in half, removed the seeds and served it to us that way. Spoiled? Just very cared for I think....

I have since learned how to cut my own watermelon, pineapple and cantaloupe (I don't like the green kind... whatever it's called) but I'm quite sure my brother is still quite deprived of the daily nutrients we received growing up as he treasures the days he's home for the holidays where he can find cut watermelon, strawberries (with condensed milk... mmmmmm), pineapple and berries on any given day (so long as they're in season).

It's good to be full of fruit. It's like getting your dessert and your snack all at once. Ode to fruit. How I love thee.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

The sheets come hard - all you have to do is fill a large plate with some warm water and soak the sheet in the water for 1-2 minutes, until it softens.

Then, take the sheet (now limp) and fill it with goodies as follows:

-handful of cooked vermicilli
-shredded carrots*
-shredded cooked chicken or whole cooked shrimp
-cilantro
-bean sprouts
-sliced cucumbers
-chopped fresh Thai basil
-fresh mint (I don't like this in the roll, just as a garnish)

Wrap like a mini burrito and eat with sauce! I have never made the sauce but my makes a killer fish sauce... unfortunately, at this time I'm unable to get the recipe from her so here's one I googled:

4 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (Chinese kind)

*pickled Vietnamese vegetables
2 cups rice vinegar
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups sugar
In medium saucepan, combine above and cook on medium until sugar dissolves.
Put desired sliced turnips and carrots into glass jar with tight fit lid, pour sauce in and refrigerate overnight

Skincare is a Must

Ever seen a skinny girl with nasty skin? Gross.

Basics of skincare:

1) Wash your face (pat it dry with a clean towel or tissue paper that won't leak leftovers onto your face)
2) Use toner (feels good, rids any excess dirt not removed from your wash and makes the skin all one color)
3) Use moisturizer (more moist your skin is, the more OOMF it has and the younger it looks...dry skin = old skin)
4) If you're going into the office, SPF 15, if you're out in the sun, SPF 25 and don't forget to reapply, if you're going to the beach, the tan only looks nice now missy.. in 10 years, you'll be sorry... lather on the SPF like the Asian mommas and just use bronzer to get the desired tan.
5) Drink lots of water (like lots and lots and lots)

Fresh Watermelon Juice

I like juice. What I don't like is the sugar content in most store bought juices.

Luckily for me, I have learned the art of buying sweet watermelon!

Tap on it with four fingers together (like when you're burping a baby but lightly as if for the first time).... if it sounds hollow (like nothing is in there) it is ready and most likely, sweet!

Take it home.... refrigerate it and then cut it up. If you only have one fridge like us, chop it up, put in some ice (just water, zero calories), and nosh it up in your blender (or if superior like us, your Vita Mix!).

Fruit juice WITHOUT any sugar besides what's already in the watermelon. Miam!

Convenient Push-Ups

It takes a while for the water to get warm when I shower. In its place, I can...

a) stare at myself in the mirror
b) wander around the house
c) watch TV
d) do some push-ups

D is fun and good for you! Using the sink, I place my hands so that they create a perpendicular right angle in my elbows, my body is in a plank position at approximately 45 degrees since my feet are about 3.5 feet away from the sink. Imagine it for a second (if you don't have as much bathroom space, adjust your plank angle, you'll still get a good work-out). 12 reps.... twice... and water is ready and my arms are just sore enough to have worked out a bit.

Not sure if it works.. but it sure feels good to do something productive in a mere 3 minutes.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese people don't like cheese. My aunt once told me eating cheese makes your butt grow big (hence all the flat butted Chinese people).... but whether or not that's true, it's important to remember for a delicious Chinese chicken salad, NO CHEESE should be used!

You can make your own dressing... but considering you probably don't have all the typical Chinese ingredients lying around, just go buy some Chinese chicken salad sesame vinaigrette! My favorites include: Feast from the East from Costco (beware of the really big spout) or Wish Bone's Light Asian with Sesame and Ginger Vinaigrette.

1/2 can of Mandarin oranges drained
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
3 1/2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 head of cabbage (mix it with white and purple) - throw in some shredded carrot for visual presentation
3-4 scallion sticks (also known as green onion) chopped and use mostly white parts
2-3 chicken breasts cooked and sliced (don't season)

Serves 6-8 people

This is an easy salad which devoid of cheese, is high in protein and fiber yet sweet and fun to mix into your regular lunch or dinner routine. (For dinner as a main salad, use more chicken

Yummy Broccoli Salad

Not sure how good this is fat content wise... but I do know that using smart substitutes goes a long way and everybody loved it... so here's the recipe:

1 cup LIGHT mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar (can use Splenda if concerned about calories)
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (red wine vinegar works also!)
Whip the above together and set aside in fridge for about 30 minutes

Combine above dressing with:
3 bunches of broccoli or about 1 lb (uncooked, at first I cooked it cuz I'm lame like that)
2 fiji apples, peeled and cut into small dice cubes
1/2 cup sliced almonds (can add more depending on your preference)
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 cup raisins (can add more depending on your preference)

Egg White Breakfast Burrito

It's more expensive to buy egg whites in a carton... but trying to take out your egg whites from a normal egg usually means less egg whites than you wanted so I normally use 3 egg whites to get about 2 eggs.

2-3 egg whites
Pepper and salt for flavor
1 cup of cooked spinach
4-5 Cherry Tomatoes
1 cup of black beans
sprinkle of cheddar and jack cheese
1 wheat tortilla
Flavor with Tapatio or Tabasco and Ketchup

Cook egg whites, cook spinach, cook cherry tomatoes (cut in halves), and heat black beans

In another pan, place tortilla with cheese, once it's half melted, put the other cooked stuff on and wrap into a burrito of healthy yum.

Oatmeal Goes a Long Way

Oatmeal is the best item to eat if you're going to do a workout in the morning. It fills you up, keeps you energized and gets you going until after the workout. For a good post workout, eat a banana or an orange.

I am a huge fan of brown sugar and craisins or raisins with my oatmeal but for something more fantastically awesome and creative, try some maple syrup (not too much!) and bananas with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Or, as my Mom used to do, she'd put some oatmeal into soup - YUM - especially if you want a saltier breakfast. Lastly, we'd often steam eggs and put in a little bit of oatmeal and milk, also another staple favorite when I'm craving a salty breakfast.

Oatmeal! It goes a LONG way!

Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups of Spinach
1 1/2 cups of white grape juice
1 Orange (cut off orange part, leave white healthy stuff)
1/2 Banana peeled
2 cups of ice
Teaspoon of Honey

Blend until liquidish.