Sunday, May 22, 2011

I think I can.

Hello!!

You're probably wondering what I've been up to lately. I'm wondering the same thing.

Seriously.

Okay, I guess I've been sort of productive. I went home this weekend and got to work out with my parents and didn't cook anything. More on that in a bit.

I promised you guys some ideas on how to change up your workouts. One of the best ways to keep in shape is to cross train. In other words, doing a variety workouts as much as possible. For example, running one day, yoga the next, kickboxing the next, etc. If you don't have access to fitness classes such as yoga or kickboxing, not to worry. You can do a lot with cardio machines and weights at the gym.

The other day, I did the stairmaster for the first time in several months. I forgot that it actually is quite a killer workout!

Side note: the important thing to remember about the stairmaster is not to hold onto the bars. The point of the stairmaster is to simulate climbing stairs, and your entire lower body is doing the work. Holding onto the bars provides less of your body weight for your legs to work, and hence decreases the effectiveness of the workout.

Anyway, 30 minutes on the stairmaster is definitely do-able and really gets your sweat on! If the stairmaster isn't your thing, the elliptical and treadmill can also be your close friends!

If you find that cardio machines are boring, here is a tip: find a machine close to the free weights (or weight machines), and get in some cardio/strength intervals. For example: 5-7 minute run on the treadmill followed by weighted squats and planks or push ups; another 5-7 minute run, followed by weighted lunges and shoulder presses; and so on. This makes it a lot more interesting and also keeps your body guessing what the next fun set is!

And as I always mention, there are some great resources online for convenient workouts at home (YogaDownload, BodyRock). YouTube also has some good stuff!!

Hopefully that's enough motivation to last you awhile. :)

I mentioned that I didn't cook anything this weekend. I did eat a lot, though! For lunch today, my mom made a hearty salad and grilled eggplant sandwiches.

Salad:


Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, corn, and dried cranberries, dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt/pepper.


Mmm...so refreshing (especially after doing some Zumba)!

The grilled eggplant sandwich:


The sandwich consisted of: eggplant, tomato sauce, cheese, and ciabatta bread. Super easy and so delish!

For the grilled eggplant, slice an eggplant, drizzle the slices with olive oil, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.


For the tomato sauce, prepared tomato sauce works, but homemade tomato sauce is healthier and definitely tastier!

This tomato sauce included fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. No water or canned tomato sauce necessary.


After toasting the ciabatta bread, assemble the sandwiches and add the cheese. Also, since ciabatta is so thick, it's a good idea to prepare the sandwiches beforehand to let the sauce soak into the bread. Yummmm.


If you don't like eggplant...please reconsider!! I am seriously considering featuring eggplant for a week again after eating this sandwich!

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