137.6…Guest Post: Full-On Fit!

I’m bringing you something different today: a guest post! Today’s guest blogger is Carolyn Fallon and she blogs over at Full-On Fit. I hope you enjoy her post and will check out her blog!

My Journey to Yoga


I never really thought about yoga for myself. I was already in fairly good shape; I kickboxed and took spinning classes, and everything was going the way that it should. Then I realized that I was really stiff, and it wasn’t just because I had been on the road for a while! While all of the exercises that I currently did involved stretching and warm ups, they were relatively cursory. Sometimes, we just stretched for about 10 to 20 minutes beforehand, and sometimes there was no cool down at all.


I was also looking to tone up, and lose a few extra pounds. I know that yoga isn’t meant to burn hundreds of calories per class, but I also found that yoga can be extremely helpful in toning muscles and losing excess fat. This made me even more interested in yoga.


Because of this, I made the decision to start looking into yoga, and what I found surprised me. My sister was pregnant at the time, and I discovered that yoga was great for pregnant women; it made delivery easier, and it also helped them recover faster. My sister became increasingly interested to join me. On top of that, yoga was fantastic for flexibility and posture, two areas that I am habitually bad at. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Glen Axelrod states, “Yoga is excellent for strengthening both flexibility and balance.” Yoga is also fantastic for stress relief and circulatory health, and at that point, I was sold.


It didn’t take me long to find my first yoga studio, and though I was a little worried about walking in and being surrounded by people who were far more flexible than I was, I soon realized that I had nothing to be scared of. The studio itself was quite lovely and quiet, and as soon as I walked in, I relaxed without even knowing that I had been tense! The instructor guided us through the first parts of the movements, and as she worked with the newer students, I realized that there were other students who were doing far more advanced variations in the background.

The yoga class was conducted with purpose, but it was also very relaxing. I found that I needed to concentrate on what my body was doing, and that with that in mind, I could not worry about the rest of my life. While my thoughts were still there, I realized that they could be put aside for a while. Part of yoga is the mindfulness regarding what it takes to really be in the moment, and that is something that I didn’t even realize that I needed.

Hatha yoga was the first type of yoga I tried, and it is intended specifically to help you relax, to improve your stress and to stretch your muscles. I love it a lot, and now I use it for everything from a warm up, to a cool down, to a way to simply wake myself up when I am feeling tired or lethargic. I’ve also lost 3 pounds since I started! It is astonishing to realize how easy it is to fit yoga into my life, no matter what I am doing.

If you are someone who is invested in making sure that you can get a really great
experience out of yoga, I recommend finding a great studio near you. It certainly gave me something that I have added to my regimen, and after getting started, I never looked back.


Carolyn Fallon is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well being. She is an avid spinner, healthy cooking enthusiast and lover of life. Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com!




Thanks Carolyn! I hope everyone was inspired to get some yoga in their lives, if they haven’t already! Make sure you check out Carolyn’s blog!

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137.8…Back In The Gym

Yesterday’s lunch was simple yet awesome.

Turkey and cheddar on wheat bread with a side of pickle chips. I wanted to keep it light because I knew dinner would be heavy…

Burger Night at the club! 

I look forward to this every Sunday. I ordered a burger with cheddar cheese, red onions, tomato slices, arugula, garlic aioli and onion rings. And I ate every bite. 

Things were back on track this morning with breakfast.

Pineapple Chobani, Cascadian Farms granola, strawberries and raspberries.

The instructor who teaches Monday’s Cardio Muscle class had decided to do more of an upper body class so she invited me to come and give it a shot!

I did sit out the cardio and lower body parts but participated in all the upper body and ab workouts.

It felt really good to get back into the gym! I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow…it’s been awhile since I’ve done any sort of workout.

Lunch may have negated all my good efforts though. Lisa helped me run an errand and her kids wanted In N Out for lunch so that’s where we went. I didn’t fight them….I love In N Out.

I didn’t eat all my fries so I guess it wasn’t that bad. :)

What’s the longest you’ve gone without working out?

Technorati Tags: Everyday,Burger Night,Chobani,Cascadian Farms,Granola,In N Out

136.0…Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Are you hosting a Halloween party or going to one this year? I have the perfect appetizer for you to make!

Last night I brought this Pumpkin Cheese Ball to our neighborhood’s annual “Trunk or Treat” party and it was a big hit!

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp minced onion

2 Tbsp salsa

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp minced jalapeno

Handful of crushed Doritos

Stem from a bell pepper

Directions:

With a mixer, blend cream cheese with shredded cheddar, minced onion, salsa, ground cumin and minced jalapeno. Scoop onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; chill at least 2 hours. To serve, unwrap, roll in crushed Doritos and press a bell pepper stem into the top.

Printable Recipe

Thursday night we met Alicia and Joe at our club for dinner. It was “Southwestern” theme night but I wasn’t super hungry so I just opted for the soup and salad bar which is always awesome.

I went back for 2 more plates of salad after this one. I haven’t had a ton of vegetables lately so it was probably best.

Friday’s breakfast was a cinnamon raisin English muffin with peanut butter and some strawberries.

I took the kids to school, went to a meeting and then met the girls at Loveboat Sushi for lunch.

Love our Friday sushi dates. Love.

I went to the grocery store, got the laundry started and picked up the kids from school. I got dressed and met Lisa and some friends at our club for a Halloween happy hour.

Check out the musician dude in the background. Yeah.

Random fried snacks:

Lisa, me and Annette:

 

I didn’t wear a costume but I did rock some orange pants with my black tube top.

Yesterday’s breakfast was a stack of delicious pancakes that my husband made. Well…I made the batter, he flipped them.

Our spin instructor, Vince, is moving to South Carolina and a going away party was set up for after class. I obviously can’t work out because of my broken foot but I can go to parties! Especially ones with mimosas!

Yeah!!!!!! My friend Denise brought the best almond croissants from Trader Joe’s. You pop them in the oven and they come out like the most delicious almond croissant you’ve ever tasted! Have you tried these?

In the middle of getting ready for our neighborhood’s Halloween party, I quickly heated up the last of the beef stroganoff for lunch.

Every year our neighborhood does a “Trunk or Treat” party for Halloween. In the past we would decorate our car trunks and the kids would “trick or treat” from trunk to trunk. This year we used golf carts (for safety reasons) and decorated them. Just like last year, my son had several friends come to the party and sleep over. Including my kids, we had 10 kids we were in charge of. Well…mostly my husband. Because of my broken foot, I was stuck in a beach chair all night.

Only picture I got all night. (Thanks Brooke!) Me, Brooke and Lisa. I was a Gangster Girl by the way. :)

Dinner was random chips and a slice of the kid’s pizza. The kids went to bed at a reasonable hour but were up at 5:45 this morning. At 6:30am we were flipping pancakes, pouring milk and trying to stop 10 kids from eating a ton of candy.

Eventually all the kids were picked up and I made my breakfast:

Toasted English muffin, an egg and cheddar cheese.

Today will be a day of rest….and burger eating…it’s burger night at the club tonight!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween this year?

Technorati Tags: Everyday,Pumpkin Cheese Ball,Halloween,Beef Stroganoff,Love Boat Sushi

137.2…Dangerous Foods

Tuesday was very relaxed at my parent’s house. We hung out, watched TV and picked up El Pollo Loco for dinner. I love that place.

Two piece white meat chicken meal with tortillas and cole slaw. 

Yesterday morning’s breakfast was a toasted bagel thin with herb and chive cream cheese.

Before I left my parent’s house for San Diego, I made a quick salami sandwich on wheat bread.

Salami is one of the things I cannot keep in my house. It is a dangerous food. I would eat it all at once. I cannot help myself around it. I don’t buy it…I just go to other people’s houses that have it and eat it there. :)

Other dangerous foods: pizza, chocolate chip cookies and cheese.

I drove straight from Los Angeles to a cooking class at our club. It was a class on grilling.

We sat outside on what turned out to be a lovely afternoon and watched the chef grill up all sorts of things. I enjoyed some wine while watching the grill master at work.

Salmon and veggies:

Loved the grilled veggies! The salmon was perfectly cooked….just a bit of pink in the middle.

Steak with a chimichurri sauce:

I think I could eat chimichurri sauce straight with a spoon. So good!

Pound cake, Chantilly cream and strawberries:

What went on the grill? The strawberries were put in foil with balsamic vinegar and rosemary until they became a bit macerated. Delicious!

This morning I had a cinnamon raisin English muffin with peanut butter and strawberries. I’m really loving these English muffins!

I took the kids to school and went to some appointments. Lunch was a quick stop at the Corner Bakery for a half BLT sandwich with a cup of baked potato soup. Very comforting.

I went to a meeting at the school and came home. I need to pick up the kiddos soon and then we are meeting some friends at our club for dinner. Enjoy your evening!

What are your dangerous foods?

Technorati Tags: Everyday,El Pollo Loco,Peanut Butter,Bagel Thin,Corner Bakery

136.8 yesterday, 137.8…On the Up & Up

On Sunday night Lisa brought her kids over and we ordered pizza from Sublime. I had a couple slices with a glass of wine. A perfect meal if you ask me.

Yesterday morning I had a toasted English muffin with peanut butter. I brewed some coffee and put it in my Starbucks cup from the weekend. Yes, I saved my cup. I find that coffee at home tastes better in that Starbuck’s cup.

I took the kids to school and then went to my follow up appointment for my broken foot.  Everything is on the up & up! Healing just fine. Here is the newest x-ray:

Yes I will be glad when those pins come out. They blow.

I met Lisa for lunch at Love Boat sushi. I had some tuna and yellowtail sushi (the shrimp was Lisa’s):

I ordered the Angel Roll (spicy tuna, shrimp, cucumber and avocado). Check how beautiful they present their rolls:

They made a candle out of a cucumber cut thinly and rolled up!

After lunch I ran some errands, picked up the kiddos and came home to get ready for Hot Wing night! Alicia, Joe and their kids came over just in time to dig in!

I don’t think I could ever get sick of these hot wings. After getting everything cleaned up, I was more than ready to get off my foot. Bedtime was super exciting. :)

You know what else was exciting? These Cinnamon Raisin English muffins:

I toasted one and added peanut butter. Along with some strawberries, it was an excellent breakfast.

I dropped the kids off at school and then hit the road for Los Angeles to visit my dad. We picked up sandwiches at Luciano’s for lunch.

I ordered the Italian sub and it was excellent!

Besides my foot, you know what else is on the up and up? My weight! I think I need to take a break from all the sushi, soy sauce and fried hot wings…at least for a few days. :)

We plan on chilling here the rest of the day. Fine by me! :)

Does anyone else reuse their Starbuck’s cup?

Technorati Tags: Everyday,Sublime Pizza,Peanut Butter,Starbucks,Love Boat Sushi,Hot Wings,Luciano's

135.6 today, 135.2…Cravings

Thursday night I dug around in my freezer to find something for dinner. My foot was hurting and I wanted something fast. I found a container of Tomato-Yogurt Chicken Curry and decided that was dinner.

It wasn’t as good as the first time. Can’t win em all.

Friday morning’s breakfast was Pineapple Chobani yogurt, Cascadian Farms granola, strawberries and raspberries.

I took the kids to school and went to their Jogathon which was beyond cute. They run laps on the field while raising money for the school.

Afterwards it was lunch with the girls at Love Boat sushi!

Awesome lunch. 

I picked up the kids from school and then Lisa and her girls came over for dinner and a sleep over. For a looooong time, I’ve been craving one of my favorite meals ever: Beef Stroganoff. I decided to make it for Lisa so she could experience its glory.

She’s a beef stroganoff convert now. The original recipe says it serves 6. Yeah right…I’m lucky if I get 4 servings out of it. It’s so good I can’t stop eating it.

Saturday morning’s breakfast was an egg sandwich on an English muffin. Each bite got dipped in ketchup.

I took my son to his tennis lesson and then both of them to their scouts thing at the school. For lunch I happily enjoyed some of the beef stroganoff leftovers.

After I picked them up we went to Alicia’s son’s birthday party at their house. I enjoyed some wine and pizza.

Perfect Saturday night dinner!

This morning we had a bunch of leftover pancakes to use up so I gladly ate them for breakfast.

I’ve just been working on getting my email cleaned out and my desk cleaned up. Lisa (aka my life saver) brought me lunch from Wahoo’s.

Love my taco diet!

What are you craving right now?

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