Love Of Oats

A blog dedicated to balancing a healthy and fun life… with oats!

Tag Archives: elliptical

Manic?

Ahhh, this is a little delayed due to computer/internet issues last night so let’s just pretend that it’s Monday!

Last week, I posted my workout schedule and stuck to it all last week!  I really think the whole accountability thing of putting it on paper (or internet!) really does help… The only thing I didn’t do was my spinning class and instead replaced it with a long walk and playing outside!  I felt great & energized all week and I really think it has to do with the ability to exercise outside in the sunshine, do you guys feel that way?  Already I got up extra early and fit my workout in before work and now I feel amazing!

How am I doing with the Push Up Challenge?  It was easy at first but now it’s getting tough, I’ve been sore the next day but stretching and yoga has helped!

How am I doing with my 8 minute abs every other day plan?  Great!  I think it’s easy because it’s compacted into 8 minutes which more than likely you can fit into your day.  My abs feel stronger already, so let’s hope I see some changes in the coming weeks!

The Shred?  I did the Shred 2 days last week but didn’t do the cardio portion in between to give myself a break.  I felt strong but also felt like crying!  Jillian is tough.  However once I kind of got the routine in my head, I was able to do my own version of her strength movements on my 3rd strength training day and incorporated some bicep curls, upright rows, tricep dips, and shoulder presses…

So, without further adieu here’s my plan for the week going forward!

  • Monday – 5:30pm spin, 8 min. abs, pushup challenge – DONE!
  • Tuesday – 1 hour long power walk, light strength training – DONE!
  • Wednesday – elliptical for 45 minutes, 8 min. abs, pushup challenge
  • Thursday – spin at 545am, light strength training
  • Friday – elliptical for 30 minutes, leisurely bike ride for 30 minutes, 8 min. abs, pushup challenge
  • Saturday – spin at 8am
  • Sunday – 1 hour bike ride (weather permitting), 8 min. abs, pushup challenge

Lent

Ooops, I totally forgot to mention that I got the award featured in this post also from Hallie.  I knew I was forgetting someone :/  So go check out her blog, because she is another lovely lady!

For breakfast, I decided to switch it up and have some really toasty Kashi blueberry waffles!  Of course I needed something to dip them in, so I mixed 1 T of PB2 with maple syrup!  My oh my, Erin, this is such a great combination! 

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in winning a jar of PB2 OR a goodie bag full of PB2 and other treats, check out my giveaways to celebrate my blog birthday!

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I also snacked on some of these grapes.  I picked out the ones that were still decent and had to throw out the rest!  Ugh, I hate wasting food but they went bad so fast!

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Speaking of breakfast, what do I always include in every breakfast no matter what it is?  Hint:  it’s not cinnamon, although that’s a close second!

Mid-morning, as a snack, I snacked on 1/2c oats.  I cooked them in the microwave at work with water & cinnamon.  Mid-afternoon, my snack was a Pure Protein bar that Heather sent me.  It’s my guilty pleasure!

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Yes, you’ll see that I skipped over lunch!  I was planning on meeting my brother for lunch today but he is a busy college student and had to cancel… It stinks we didn’t get to have lunch but I completely understand what college was like, believe me!  I found out we had to postpone lunch early this am, so I didn’t have time to grab a picture while I packed it up.  I whipped up a super quick pb&j on an english muffin alongside an apple and carrot sticks, celery, and ff cottage cheese. 

I’m planning on hitting the gym after work today for about 40 minutes on the elliptical and then a 30 minute condensed version of P90X chest, shoulders, and arms.  Some of you have been asking how I’m doing with it.  This is week 5 and I am LOVING the muscles that I have formed.  I should have measured my arms to see if i had any growth.  I am doing the lean program, but I swear that my muscles have grown a little and become way more defined, but I’m not complaining.  I like feeling like I’m tough (or wishing I was!)… hahahaha ;)

Lent

I usually don’t talk TOO much about religion, so I hope you don’t take offense to this post, but it’s a big part of my life so I thought I’d explain my intentions for Lent.  Like some of you, I am devoting to change something during the next 40 days.  Instead of giving up some sort of food, I have vowed to make a conscious effort reduce the amount of time I spend on the computer and replace that time with more prayer and kind acts instead.  God has truly blessed me with the life that I am leading and I feel like this is something I can do to further strengthen my faith.  I feel like I have good intentions most of the time in terms of my faith, but I often let things get in the way and then my intentions go unfulfilled.  Hopefully this is something that will go past the 40 days of Lent.  I grew up in a Catholic household and although Bill and I attend a Christian church now, I still like to incorporate a little of each faith in my daily life.  I will also still be avoiding meat today (Ash Wednesday) and every Friday until Easter.  I know that this practice is man-made, but I feel like it’s a sacrifice for me that I choose to make, since God has made the ultimate sacrifice for me.  Wish me luck!