Zumba Fuel.

This afternoon, I decided at the last minute to hit up Zumba after work. Confession: I haven't been in over a month... I knew I wanted to do some kind of activity when I got home because I took the morning off and hence, felt sluggish all damn day. I considered yoga... Thought about walking around outside until I remembered the heat... Contemplated fighting the 5 o'clock gym crowd for a treadmill or stair master... Then, I finally said "Fuck it, I'll just go to Zumba." I hesitated though, since my ulcer has been nagging me off and on lately. But I sucked it up, rushed home to change and made my way to class.

Thank you, Ulcer, for playing nice today. I finished the whole class and left soaked. It gets a little embarrassing at times; I've always been a big sweater and today's routine left me drenched. I have a sweat band, but I prefer to look like a complete tool in the comfort of my own living room and not, y'know, in public.

ANYWHO, definitely going to start going again just about every week, if I can. Plus, she teased us with some NKOTB next week, so how can I not go? Pretty pumped.

Since today's class kicked my ass a little more than expected, I was ready to come home and throw together a good re-fuel meal:



A sweet-potato veggie scramble, of sorts, served with a toasted English muffin on the side. I took a pan, heated up about 1 tsp. of olive oil and added the following:

• frozen spinach
• diced red onion
• 1 large chopped mushroom
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• diced tomato
• about 1/2 clove minced garlic
• 1 chopped sweet potato (pre-cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup egg substitute (still found another carton hiding in the freezer this week)
• grated parmesan
• shredded cheddar
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne
• parsley

I was trying to finish off some produce and also wanted to break into the sweet potatoes I bought at the farmer's market a couple of weekends ago. Great flavor! And definitely filling.



This would've made a bitchin' wrap too. Maybe next time. Good night!

Gone official, gone foodin'.

Trying to fit multiple things into the blog today, so hang in there kids. My feedback on French Women Don't Get Fat is indeed around the corner (as in, hoping to post it in before the end of the day because I finished the book yesterday and cannot wait to blab!), but since I had some other bits to share, I thought breaking everything into two posts would be a better fit. This week is going by a little too fast for me, which has been good in some ways (see: typical work week), but a bit unforgiving in others (see: blogging stuffs).

First: I haz a new domain name!

http://stretchjeanincident.com

I suppose it wasn't a necessity, but the original URL (http://thestretchjeanincident.blogspot.com) was hideously long and buying a shorter version was cheap, even by my standards, so there ya go. Update your feeds and bookmarks if you'd like, but if you don't want to bother, the old URL will still remain active.

I don't foresee any major changes resulting from the new URL, but it has motivated me to plan a possible blog face lift and more pages, particularly some dedicated to recipes, DVDs and maybe fitness. Yes, I realize all of those topics are incredibly unorganized currently and yes, I promise to fix it. Slowly, but surely.

Second: New Favorite Food Links.

I'm a bit reluctant to label myself a "foodie," because I don't feel I meet the requirements (or can even define them) and the idea of such a label is relative, arbitrary and at times, a bit silly. However, I'm finally moving closer to a place where I just love and appreciate good food (rather than fear or struggle with it) and I love that there are some decent blogs running wild with that same appreciation. That said, there are a bajillion food blogs these days, but I've found a few that I just really dig and wanted to shamelessly promote:

Serious Eats. They publish regular restaurant/product reviews, recipes and special food features (tips on preparing testicles, anyone?). I've found it to be a great resource, not just for my palate, but for my brain as well. It's a site that not only makes me want to continue trying new things (without necessarily making me a crazy hungry maniac every time I read it), but also fascinates me, from a general education standpoint. I'm a nerd for new knowledge these days and what better subject to hold my attention than food? Eeeeexcellent.

The Kitchn. This site features a mix of kitchen designs (geared toward small apartments primarily, but the ideas could easily be adapted on larger scales), recipes and general food Q & A. It's a great resource for some cooking/meal planning basics and of course, great kitchen design ideas, should you be in the market.

Doug is all about design (he friggin' BUILT our platform bed and made his own desk with floating shelves, for example), so his ability to recognize the importance of stylish, yet incredibly functional design within all aspects of the home has indeed rubbed off on me. We don't own a home yet, but when we do, we intend to customize the shit out of it. That said, I plan on using The Kitchn as a resource, as they have some great ideas for storage, appliances, colors, textures, etc.

Food Network Humor. Just for fun, obviously. If you watch Food Network regularly and find yourself mocking the hosts, this is a good site to vent your frustrations and/or encourage your mocking. I personally love the Food Network Drinking Game. One of these weekends when I'm feeling bold (and not planning on leaving the house), I might just open a bottle and play along.

Third: Fitness Notes.

Still rocking the strength training and noticing MORE bitchin' results. I know it'll make me sound like a narcissistic bee-yotch, but I totally spent approx. 10 extra minutes (not all at once) looking at my body in the mirror, lovingly, this morning. Seeing some definition come back in certain areas and enjoying the disappearing of flab in others. But the best part? I haven't been beating myself up at the gym and I've been enjoying wine & chocolate. I know, punch me in the gut for sounding like a total douche-y informercial. But it's true. And I'll expand on that when I write about the French Women... book later.

Monday, I did Jari Loves's Slim & Lean DVD. Tuesday was 24Cycle class at the gym. Yesterday, nothing. Today, I busted out an oldie that I haven't touched in mooooonths (possibly a year? I dunno):



Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones. I must admit, even though I hadn't done this DVD in forever, I was still feeling a bit cocky and thought, "Yeah, I'll just bust through this and will probably use heavier weight the whole time." Psh. I suppose I did bust through it, but not without struggle. And I used heavier weight for maybe like, 2 moves. The rest of the time, I was rockin' the 5 lbs. weights.

Best move that I totally forgot about that made me say "Oh, Jillian, you dirty bitch!" out loud? Plank rows. Granted, they're easier for me now than before, but they still snuck up me. Hell, I can say that for any move performed in plank position. Buh.

Last time I did this DVD, I still felt like giving strength training the middle finger. But now that I don't totally hate it, it was a great workout to re-visit. I still prefer Jari Love and Jackie Warner for strength workouts, but it felt good to throw in Jillian's routine, for old time's (and variety's) sake.

My cramps aren't totally kicking my ass today (well not now anyway), so I think I might make it to Zumba tonight, after a 2 week absence. But if not, I'm not going to beat myself up. I totally go through phases with my workouts and easily become obsessed with certain trends, eventually burning myself out (including, but not limited to: Zumba, 24 S.E.T., incline training, sprints and running). That's not to say that I no longer think Zumba is totally awesome, I'm just trying not to be so strict in my workout schedule these days and settling into the same routines. Going on a different night is always an option, as is just listening to my body and doing what feels the most welcoming at that particular moment. The only exception to this new philosophy is 24Cycle, because I have to reserve a spot and I expect to be tortured a bit. I'm starting to build a somewhat sick relationship with that class; I signed up for the Saturday class this week as well.

Fourth (and last):Hall & Oates Week.

Between gals on Twitter, Doug, our housemate James and I, Hall & Oates seem to be on regular rotation this week, so I decided to officially declare this week Hall & Oates Week, or "H.O.W.", if you will.



You have between now and Saturday to rock this shit out. Enjoy!

Another week down.

A check-in post, of sorts. Nothing too exciting to report these days. Unless my new Green Monster addiction counts as exciting. I've been whippin' these babies up every morning before heading to work. My mix of choice:

- 3/4 cup almond milk (I reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for coffee)
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 4 or 5 strawberries
- 1 scoop Chocolate Green Superfood
- 2 whoppin' handfuls (or more) of fresh spinach

I started out using just the plain Superfood powder, but the chocolate flavored one took the taste to a whole new level of awesomeness (bananas and chocolate? Hellooo?!). I've also tried adding blueberries, peaches and/or chia seeds and they've all turned out great. I can't wait until my friggin' PB2 shipment finally gets delivered (it's been backordered since early February!) so I can start experimenting with some PB-flavored goodness. I suppose I can use the regular PB I have now, but I think the powdered version would just mix a lot better.

I wasn't a huge smoothie person before (mostly because I was too lazy to use/clean the blender), but these babies taste so good and just leave me feeling so great that I can't stop making them! I'm getting a good chunk of veggies, fruit & calcium all at once. And because they turn out sweet and creamy, it's like having a milkshake in the morning. Plus, it's the perfect vehicle for the crapload of Superfood powder I bought a couple of months back. Love them so much!

Fitness

In fitness news, things have been chuggin' along, but this week was a struggle at times, thanks to SMLT (Stupid Monthly Lady Time). Yesterday was probably my most bloated and miserable day all week, and of course it had to be the day we learned new stuff at Zumba. I just couldn't get into it at all because all I could think about was how miserable and fat I was feeling. I almost left at a couple of different points, but I was determined to see the new moves. I know exercise is supposed to help, but last night? Not so much.

I ran 3.5 miles this morning and feel a little better. Trying to get psyched for the 5k tomorrow, but the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy. Great. Cold I can handle (sorta), but rain? Buh. I have zero rain/waterproof gear, so it'll be interesting. I don't necessarily want it to get canceled either because I've been working pretty hard this week to keep my endurance and speed up, despite feeling like a hot, bloated, crampy mess most of the time. Whatevs.

I suppose that's all for now. I'll post some follow up notes about the 5k tomorrow. Happy weekend!

Z-Z-Z-Zumba!

Fitness

Last night, I tried my first Zumba class and. I. Friggin'. LOVE IT! Omg. I've had quite a few people tell me over the past few months that I should give it a try, including the owner at my [now] old gym. For no good reason, I just took everyone's excitement with a grain of salt.

I like to dance for fun, but never gave much thought to dance-based workouts. And in all honesty, I threw most of them into the "Lame" and/or "To Be Ignored" categories when it came to trying new fitness routines. Don't ask me why I thought this because I have absolutely no good reason, other than maybe I thought they wouldn't be challenging or worth my time... Yeah, I can be a jerk sometimes.

Well, I had previously made plans to go grocery shopping, but I also hadn't worked out yet and was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to. I was feeling pretty restless but not in the mood for treadmill or step mill stuff, or DVDs or magazine routines... So, I looked at the 24 Hour class schedule and whaddya know, a Zumba class was on for 5:30. Needless to say, my curiosity (and boredom) got the better of me, so after work I went home to change and made my way to the gym.

Once I figured out who the instructor was, I immediately thought that yes, maybe I could indeed benefit from this class. Why? Her ass was amazing. There was some old-school Michael Jackson playing while we waited for class to start, so that put me in a good mood while I did some stretching. As expected, the mic system was still out, but whatevs.

Unlike TurboKick, I think there was maybe only one other person besides me who was completely new to Zumba. That made me a little nervous, but again, whatevs. All nervousness quickly vanished as we got into the warm-up because I was totally workin' it! Within seconds, I thought "Omg! I can do this! This is actually fun! OMG!"

Definitely a small learning curve. And our instructor (Larissa) did a good job of giving us rundowns of each routine beforehand. Plus, the moves themselves were pretty basic, so it all felt really natural. That's not to say that I didn't completely f-up from time to time... I still can't comprehend Salsa. I've tried it a couple times before and the stepping just seems so difficult to me. Maybe I'm putting too much effort into it? I don't know.

Love, love, loved the whole workout (minus Salsa, haha). The soundtrack made it easy and fun. And the tempo helped me break out a respectable sweat.

The only downside is that I am completely sore and busted today. I still had some lingering soreness from TurboKick on Wednesday, so all of the extra squatting, hip-shaking and booty-rumping (yeah, I made that up) from Zumba has left me in pathetic shape today. At one point during last night's session, I felt the most miserable cramp in my right side that I actually said "Owwww!" out loud. Had to slow down a bit at that point. It's mostly my back and sides that are bothering me, but I think between walking around the grocery store tonight and taking some advil later, I should still be up for 24 S.E.T. tomorrow morning.

So now, not only am I a Group Fitness Class convert, I'm totally a Zumba convert. I'm already looking forward to next week's class! Still debating on doing it again on Tuesday, but I also want to try the 24 Cycle class too, so I need to pace myself! If I wasn't so sore and didn't have plans tonight, I would probably try Zumba again at 5:30, heh. It was so much fun! AHHH!

Anywho. So it would seem that I'm already getting my money's worth on my new membership just based on classes alone. I'm so glad I made the switch and finally decided to break my group-class prejudice. They aren't lame and the are fun and challenging. See what you've been missing all of these months, Stuffy Old Tam?

Food/Mindful Eating Progress

On the food front, I've made some progress this week as well. I only "discovered" it a couple of days ago, but instead of fighting my hunger or giving into it too much, I've finally put the following Mindful Moment tip from Eat What You Love into practice: If you're only a little bit hungry, you only need a little bit of food.

For so long (even up through the beginning of this weeK), I've fought with how many meals/snacks I should have throughout the day and when. Well, this week I decided to throw the idea of snacks and meals out the window, in a sense. My hunger patterns throughout the day vary slightly, but remain pretty consistent for the most part since my schedule rarely changes. That said, the past couple of days, I've found that breaking up my meals (particularly breakfast and lunch) into 2 parts seems to work pretty swell. Because when I do get hungry, I'm usually only a *little* bit hungry, not full-fledged starving. I think I got used to the idea of packing a lunch and eating all of that lunch at whatever time I designated as lunch time. It's not like I pack a ton of food, but by eating my entire lunch at once, I noticed I was full, but within the next couple of hours, I was kinda hungry or just feeling needy for some type of extra food.

By breaking my first two "meals" into two "parts" (or snacks, or mini-meals or whatever the heck you want to call them) I not only get the appropriate amount of fullness satisfaction, but also quite a bit of psychological satisfaction because I'm enjoying "more" foods over the course of the day ("more" being in quotes because I'm not actually adding more food at all and in some cases, am eliminating mindless and/or unnecessary snacks and nibbles).

For example, today I had a corn tortilla with 1/4 cup of egg whites and some diced tomato at around 7 am. I was indeed hungry, but still not quite ready for a full-fledged breakfast. And instead of forcing myself to not eat anything at all and going hungry for another couple of hours and having a full-fledged/complete breakfast around 9 am (like I had practiced the previous 2 weeks), I figured something small and light was fine for now and I would have something else later. A little after 9 am, my stomach started growling, as expected, so I finished "breakfast" with some Greek yogurt, Kashi cereal and some chia seeds.

At around 12, a little hungry again. Instead of having all of my lunch, I just had a slice of Flax Oatbran bread with berry jam. That's held me over so far, and in about another hour or so, I'll have the tuna/hummus/feta salad I also packed.

I know it probably sounds simple enough and probably not worth mentioning, but it's made quite a difference for me this week and has taken a lot of the guesswork (and stress) out of figuring out when I "should" or "shouldn't" eat. I can eat whenever I want, as long as I eat the appropriate amount of food for the level of hunger I'm feeling. I feel so much more in tune with my body this week, it's amazing.

Feels good to end the week on some positive notes. May/may not check-in over the next couple of days, so enjoy the weekend ladies & gents!