Home Gym–GHM style

 

Yesterday on GHM’s facebook page, I posed a simple question. A question that I’m sure you often ask yourself too:

Since I worked on Monday, I had an extra day off this week and so I took Wednesday off. You would think it would be easier to workout on my day’s off, but it’s just the opposite!

My gym is on my way to work, and so I am totally in the habit. I think it’s fair to say that I am honestly in love with the way exercising makes me feel. I love going to the gym. But on my day off, I rarely go in to that part of Durham. Instead I stay south, and often don’t even get in my car.

But I knew I needed exercise. I woke up in a FUNKY mood…that only comes around once a month…and I wanted to shake it. So Plan B: I thought I would go for a quick run. One step outside and…

I quickly realized that wasn’t an option. Not only was it just plain hot, but it was MUUUUUUGGY!

On to Plan C:

SELF Workout Builder!

I found this a few weeks ago, when I was looking for a few new ab exercises to rotate in to my regular routine. I love tear out pages from magazines, but one to two minute videos are AHH-mazing! Easy to follow. Quick to learn.

Plus I didn’t have to drive anywhere.

You just drag videos from the right side, down in to the scroll bar. Then you can play through. And one thing is for sure, I need some heavier weights!

Like most bloggers, I started reading:

The New Rules of Lifting for Women a little over a month ago. Actually, I started the book when Parrish and I went on this picnic. I’m not strictly following the workout plans, but I have definitely learned a ton! And just in a month, I went from not being able to do any chin-ups, to being able to do FOUR! Plus I have upped my weights in lifting significantly. I hadn’t really thought about needing new weights at home, but yesterday’s workout made that obvious!!

After my SELF workout, I treated myself to my favorite smoothie:

and shopping! I didn’t actually buy anything, but it was still fun to just take my time with no real agenda. And I may or may not have watched three episodes of Cashmere Mafia on Netflix. All in all, a great day off!

So what about you? Do you stay motivated on your day’s off?

Rock it to the Beet

 

Tonight Parrish had a pretty late soccer game, and so we planned to have supper “on our own”. And while we did go to the grocery store today, I sort of blanked and didn’t end up making my own arrangements.

So after looking through my GHM recipes…and drooling over this cheesecake recipe…I decided to get my booty off the couch and cook those beets!

My new food for April! Recap February and March!

Not the prettiest beets in the bunch! Actually,

They were quite ugly. Elephant Skin!!! But don’t judge a book by it’s cover!

I started by peeling the beets

and then chopping them in to bite size chunks.

You WILL get dirty purpley.

And you know, while my beets were definitely ugly on the outside, they were quite pretty on the inside!

Here’s lookin’ at you!

Once chopped, I tossed the bits of beets with olive oil, garlic salt, and oregano. Spread on to a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for ~30-40 minutes.

Divine!

I LOVE beets!! Who knew?!

Once they were in my bowl, I drizzled them with creamed balsamic (balsamic, honey, olive oil) – about 2 teaspoons.

Beets, welcome to the family! Sweet, savory, and not the least bit “earthy”.

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Thank you guys so much for your input on GHM facebook on new workout songs! Since I received so many great ideas, I thought I would share my Top Five Faves that are always in rotation:

1. Florence + The Machine – Kiss with a Fist

2. Jay Z – On to the Next One

3. Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed

4. 3OH!3- Starstrukk (feat. Katy Perry)

5. Britney Spears – Hold it Against Me

5k and CAKE!

 

This past Saturday I knocked another item off of my 11 in 11 list (here and here), I ran another 5k.

But the best part of this 5k is that it wasn’t about training, pacing, and time. It was in memory of a teacher that taught with my sister. So this 5k was about honoring her and spending time with my bestie, BIL, and Lil’ Gluten Loves Me.

It was a SUPER chilly morning, but we were excited. Even Ella was…

well…I don’t know if she was excited per say, but my bestie packed her snacks. So snacks were exciting!

We ended up doing the entire race together. Ella and I ran ahead at the start, but the majority of the race we were all side by side. We ran mostly through a neighborhood, and with the exception of a few killer hills, I really liked the course. My legs felt strong and my lungs felt ready. At the end, I wanted to keep going. Huge difference from my last race. Going to the gym everyday is paying off. Not only in how my clothes fit, but mostly in how I feel. Strong and ready. I like it!

My favorite part was seeing my bestie cross the finish line.

Ella’s favorite part:

 

a never ending post-race fuel pretzel.

Seriously never ending. SERIOUSLY Lil’ Gluten Loves Me!

I didn’t reward myself with pretzels. Instead, I bought myself a cookbook. (This may become a race tradition!)

I think this one may take me a while

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Tomorrow, I’m going to tell you about how chocolate and caramel became my new best friends.

Luna

While some of you may be second guessing my choice in pre-race supper food, I’m thinking you’re going to like what I chose for the morning of.

Someone tweeted about these last week, and I’ll admit that I was skeptical. Luna and Clif bars were both something that I waved goodbye to the day of my Celiac diagnosis. So long, farewell.

Until now.

Luna now has a few bars that are gluten free! Mint Chocolate Chip being one of them. Be sure to check the upper right corner of the package for the

gluten free-ness! PLUS the statement of 12 GRAMS OF PROTEIN! Yay-yuh. I was also excited about another statement on the back:

Say more things like that Luna bar.

Taste-wise, this bar was pretty good. It was very sweet and chocolatey. Which, we all know that I’m a savory gal. But it was a small enough bar that it wasn’t overwhelming.

The texture was really nice. Not gritty or sticky.

With chocolate chip crunches! I love crunch

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I hope you guys are having a Happy Sunday! I’m enjoying the rest of my time with my bestie, BIL, and Lil’ Gluten Loves Me.

Full recap of the race tomorrow morning AND I’m going to tell you ALL about these:

Here’s a teaser: GLUTEN FREE, chocolate, caramel

Quick like Cheetah

Last night, I was on my own for supper and so I FINALLY used a box of thin rice noodles that I had picked up at Whole Foods forever ago.

I had never cooked with these before but I knew what I wanted them to taste like.

P.F. Chang’s gluten free Singapore Street Noodles. So I diced some veggies and sautéed them in a quick sauce.

 

Very quick.

And I prepared the noodles according to the directions on the box. Once cooked, I tossed the noodles with the veggies and

Voila!

It didn’t taste exactly like P.F. Chang’s, but it was pretty darn close!

I loved the consistency of the noodles. A lot like what I remember angel hair pasta to be like, but even lighter. And it was pan to table in about 15 minutes.

I also really liked the sauce (which I also found at Whole Foods). The sweetness in the tomatoes complimented the smokiness in the sauce.

For more filler, you could add cabbage and carrots to the sautee and even toss it with cooked chicken or tofu.

But for quickness and ease, I loved this noodle dish as is.

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In other news I FINALLY bought new running shoes!

If you follow me on twitter, then you know that I’ve been on “rest” due to medial shin splints all week. One more day to go, and I will be taking these babies out on the road!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions on shoes. Having not bought new runners in four years, I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for. I was really leaning towards a pair of Asics, but ultimately I decided to go for a pair that was American Made.

I’m not super crazy about the colors, but this pair felt the best around my ankle. Hopefully having a new pair will help me

than I already do! And fingers crossed the pain in my right leg doesn’t creep back.

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Parrish and I are off to Clemson this weekend for a game and then it’s Lil’ Gluten Loves Me ‘s birthday party!!

I can’t wait to see that rascal and my bestie sister! :) She’s making gluten free pumpkin sugar cookies for the tail gate AND gluten free yogurt pancakes on Sunday!! I’ll be sure to share ;)

I Did It! 5k Race Recap

 

I didn’t train.

I didn’t eat breakfast.

I didn’t hydrate the night before.

I didn’t stretch.

I didn’t know where to pick up my chip to get timed.

But 45 minutes after the gun went off…

I DID IT!!

I’ve always been a slow runner, and at my best, 45 minutes was the fastest I could ever run 3 miles. So to be able to finish the 5k at my own record best…I was pretty excited!

And my SIL Katie did it under 30!!!! I can’t remember if she finished in 26 or 29 minutes, but either way I was SUPER PROUD of her!

So how was it? One of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life! I am the type of person that when I run and I see a hill, I start making excuses to stop. Pretty much every time! And this 5k course was full of hills! But I did. Around mile 1 I started regretting my absence of breakfast and water, but I realized I was too far away from my car to turn around, so I pressed forward. Has that ever happened to you? You realize you’re so far in the course that you can’t stop or turn around :)

After the race we went out for lunch at a local favorite:

And ordered the BIGGEST salad on the menu:

I ate most of the egg before I took the picture :) And I washed it down with a big glass of:

Gluten Free Beer – The water of champions

It was okay…but it’s no Redbridge.

I was pretty much on a high all afternoon. My endorphins lasted all the way to the book store. I decided to reward myself with a special treat that I’ve been wanting for a looong time!

Ellie Krieger’s So Easy :)

I’m a firm believer in rewarding yourself, but making sure that the reward is healthy. I can’t wait to plan the menu for this week and use my new cookbook!

And how am I feeling a few days after the race? SORE! I can’t remember the last time I ran outdoors! I’ve been a treadmill girl for over a year, maybe even two! So my shins are pretty much trashed! I’m thinking I should have iced, but that’s just another lesson learned.

Thank you guys so much for your support and sweet emails, comments, and tweets! It made all the difference! :)

Super Funky

 

I have been in such a funky mood today! All day I’ve tried to shake it off, but have had no success! Which is hard to believe, because my started out with this tasty dish:

Gluten Free Raspberry Oats

Topping my oats with fresh jam was a great idea! In the mix: 1/3 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 skim milk, 1 tbsp. chia powder, and sliced banana (KERF method). I topped my oats with fresh raspberry jam and it was SO good!

After breakfast I headed to work, and I could feel the gray cloud looming. I’m  not sure if I was just sleepy, or if it’s PMS, but I just couldn’t shake it. Of course I had to fake it till I make it at work, because you can’t be in a bad mood and give good customer service. PLUS, when the livelihood of artisans in developing countries depends on how you interact with customers, perspective isn’t hard to find. :)

But commuting home I still felt low. And then my Ipod wouldn’t charge, and I couldn’t find the bladder to my backpack water bottle. I’m hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling energized! It’s my VERY FIRST 5k!

Now, I’m going to be honest. I haven’t trained…really at all. But it’s a fun run race, so I’m not nervous. PLUS it’s benefiting a great cause! PLUS PLUS I’m running the race with my future sister-in-law Katie, and I pretty much adore her! So it’s sure to be a fun day.

Speaking of fun days…there was a ray of sunshine today! Photo Shoot!

Gluten Hates Me Gear!

I’ve been working on a storefront for a few weeks, and while I’m not totally finished uploading designs and tee-shirt colors, I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys!

I’m sporting the American Apparel tee in Raspberry…size X-LARGE! I kid you not! I have ordered AA women’s shirts before and knew they run TINY! SO be aware! But' they’re so soft!

Max approved!

So the Gluten Hates Me Gear store front is officially open! Feel free to share feedback and requests!

ANNND be on the look out for a GHM Gear giveaway in the very near future!

****Off to bed and to a better morning tomorrow! To help cheer the mood, I thought you guys may enjoy some additional photos from Parrish’s photo shoot. He enjoys a method of photography he calls “rapid fire”.

Klassy.

Wish me luck tomorrow!! Eeek…getting a little bit nervous!! :)