5 Sometimes Healthy Ways to Beat Winter Gym Boredom Blues

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You wouldn’t know it if you looked at me, but I’m definitely your quintessential gym rat. I may not have bulging biceps, carry around a giant milk jug filled with protein powder or grunt when I lift weights, but I am most certainly as close to a gym rat a woman can be. As I mentioned in last week’s post, other than the kitchen, it’s sort of my happy place.

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So, it’s not surprising that most cold winter days, you can find me warming up at the gym with one of my circuit workouts. Over the years, I feel like I’ve perfected the art of getting myself to the gym whether it’s below zero or blizzard conditions. Some people complain that the gym bores them, so that’s why I use a few tricks to ensure that I’m never bored at the gym during those frigid, snowy winter months where exercising outside just isn’t an option.

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(I’m freezing my a** off…he’s getting exercise. Lucky dog.)

5 Sometimes Healthy Ways to Beat Winter Gym Boredom Blues 

1. Plan Your Entertainment: Sometimes all you need to make the time go by at the gym is some simple entertainment. For some, that may mean a good trashy magazine and a date with the elliptical machine. When I go to the gym, I like to read one of my favorite healthy living magazines, such as SELF and Shape, while I’m on the elliptical. I’ve also been known to schedule my workouts during primetime tv shows. Biggest Loser is a GREAT motivator for running ya’ll. It’s like having a trainer in your ear for free! Finally, if your gym has internet, bring your hand-dandy iPad and catch up on your favorite healthy living blogs (especially mine!). If it’s fast internet, you can catch up on your Netflix/Hulu shows OR, you can download a couple shows to your iPad through iTunes. While this does cost money, you can ask for an iTunes giftcard as a holiday gift or stocking stuffer!

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(Food Network Magazine and The Voice are great gym time entertainment)

Currently, I’m barreling my way through Parenthood on the ol’ iPad on the stairmill. I’m glad that I sweat so much on that machine because then people do not notice the buckets of tears that usually fall from me during every single episode. Continue Reading →

Posted in: Healthy Living, tips \ Tagged: , , ,

Let’s Talk About Breasts, Baby!

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Hello from Boston, and happy Monday! I’m here with the BF for a work conference all week, and then we’re headed to the Cape for the weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to a week of exploring one of my favorite cities on the east coast.I’ve already unknowingly walked across the Boston Marathon finish line. As a marathon runner myself, I still find it hard to come to terms with what happened here just a few months ago. I’ll write more on my Beantown Adventures on Wednesday.

A glimpse of some exploring...

A glimpse of some exploring…

But, first, today’s post. Nope, there was no typo in the title. Typically, my Monday posts are light-hearted, fun and capture the randomness of my weekends in my new home. But, today, I want to talk about breasts. Well, actually breast cancer to be exact. Unfortunately, it’s been a reoccuring theme in my life.

If you read my blog, you probably know that I rarely, if ever, get serious on the SHLB. And, while I do discuss highlights of my personal life, I prefer not to get too deep on any particular issue.

I keep it light with cupcakes, wine and margaritas 90% of the time. And Goldfish.

I keep it light with cupcakes, wine and margaritas 90% of the time. And Goldfish.

Ultimately, however, living a (sometimes) healthy life involves taking care of your mind, body AND physical health. It means getting those annual exams and suffering those miserable moments in the dentists’ chair twice a year. AND, it means taking control of your health whenever you have the chance.

Over the past few years, BRCA genetic testing has become increasingly common, especially among women who have “high risk factors.” Without getting too scientific, for those of you who don’t know, BRCA genetic testing involves discovering if you have a mutated form of the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation have an increased risk of breast cancer – in fact it indicates as much as a 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer. That’s pretty big.

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Most recently, this important genetic test was in the news because Angelina Jolie found out she had the mutated gene and therefor opted for the most aggressive precaution, a double mastectomy. Well, I’m no Angelina, but I’m a woman who knew she would have to face the music and take this test sooner or later. So, here’s my story… (p.s. – if you stick to the end, I’ve got some delicious cookies to share with you! I can’t keep it serious for an entire post.)

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Posted in: Healthy Living, Life Changes \ Tagged: , , , , ,

A Trip to the Mediterranean and Bucket Lists

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I’ve got big plans scheduled for next weekend (more on that later), so this weekend was full of rest and relaxation. Whenever we can, if we know we have big plans coming up, we purposely try to keep it low-key for the week leading up to the big plans.

Our weekend included an early morning hike up a nearby mountain.

The bugs and humidity were so worth it once we saw this view!

The bugs and humidity were so worth it once we saw this view!

And a “trip to the Mediterranean” through a meal cooked up on Saturday night. The meal included homemade hummus, tzatziki sauce, baked pita chips, a Greek salad and smothered chicken. I promised the BF we’d be transferred to the Mediterranean, and I feel like I delivered!

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Here are the abridged recipes I used to make this meal. I highly recommend that you give them a try, because everything was delicious!

Feast fit for the Greek Gods

Feast fit for the Greek Gods

  • Pita Chips: Cut pitas into 8ths, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes
  • Hummus: Blend together 1 can chickpeas, 1/4 cup liquid from can, 1 tbsp tahini, 2 garlic cloves, 5 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste
  • Tzatziki: Mix together 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 finely chopped cucumber, 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp lemon zest and top with olive oil and mint for flavor
  • Greek Salad: Chopped romaine, feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers; dressing = 10 tbsp olive oil, juice from a lemon, 1 tsp red wine, 2 cloves minced garlic and oregano
  • Mediterranean Smothered Chicken: From my girl, Kristen at Iowa Girl Eats (sans pasta)

However, instead of talking about food and fitness, today I’d like to talk about goals and bucket lists. Why am I getting so deep, you may ask? Well, because, my friends, next weekend we’re headed to my hometown, Omaha, to celebrate my 30th birthday!

And, like any milestone birthday, turning 30 makes you think a little deeper (which I don’t often do!) about what you’ve achieved in life so far and what you’d like to do next… (settle in with your lunch folks, this one’s a lengthy post!)

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Posted in: favorites, Healthy Living, Life Changes \ Tagged: , , ,

How to Get your Post-Holiday Healthy Groove Back

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Oh, hello and welcome back from what I assume was a fun and food-filled holiday weekend. Hopefully, like many of us, your weekend started around 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon and the relaxation and indulgence continued through Sunday night.

Hopefully, you had a lot of these this weekend!

Hopefully, you had a lot of these this weekend!

I took a break from the blog this Friday (in case you haven’t noticed, I post Monday/Wednesdays/Fridays), because I was really proud of the content in my post from Wednesday and decided it needed to stay front and center for a while :-). And, although 4th of July is over, I STRONGLY suggest you try the cookie recipe. It received rave reviews from our holiday crew, even the toughest cookie critics!

I’m going to recap some of the good times from our long weekend, but then I’m going to wrap up this post with some helpful tips for getting back on the healthy train after a long holiday weekend. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling raring and ready to jump into my Sometimes Healthy routine.

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Posted in: Healthy Living, holidays, Hudson Valley, Mexican Food, tips

Sweat, Ballpark Food and Pantry Raids

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This weekend was jam-packed full of Sometimes Healthy activities that had me raring and ready to go to the gym on this dreary Monday morning. From a Yankees game and a wine filled pizza night to a six mile run in the mountains and a Girls on the Run 5K, it was the perfect balance of health and indulgence.

Friday, Sweat Day

One of my focuses on workouts this summer is diversifying and expanding my cardio workouts. I’ve always relied heavily on running, so I’m trying to mix in some functional workouts and other cardio machines. I was really in the mood to sweat Friday morning before a weekend of fun indulgences, so I threw together this circuit workout.

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Posted in: Girls on the Run, Healthy Living, Hudson Valley, Monday Cheer \ Tagged: , , , , ,

There is No Place like Nebraska Syndrome and Tailgating with Donuts

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Help me readers – I’m sick.

I miss "wide open spaces" and big, spacious grocery aisles!

I’ve got this very rare “illness.” Usually get it about 3 – 4 times per year. It’s characterized with extensive periods of feeling sorry for myself, longing for country music and “wide open spaces,” dreaming of large grocery stores with diverse baking aisles and produce sections, wanting to turn the corner and run into someone that tells you to “have a good day” because they actually care and needing the comforting sight of chain restaurants and never-ending cornfields.

I call this illness “There is no place like Nebraska” syndrome. Time and draft beer are the only cure…but it never completely goes away.

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Posted in: Eating, Exercise Motivation, favorites, Healthy Living, Nebraska

Crumbs Cupcake Monday and Healthy Switches

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I’m really taking this whole “fly by the seat of your pants” thing seriously!

I heart trains better than planes.

This weekend, I headed an hour north of the city to hang out with a friend and get in a little relaxation time. It was an hour away, but between the spectacular views of the Hudson River and the endless rolling hills, it felt like I was worlds away from the concrete jungle.

During the weekend, I didn’t so much as look at a computer. I barely even picked up my phone! Continue Reading →

Posted in: Healthy Living \ Tagged: , ,

Getting High on Stress

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Oh Twitter, how you love to distract me from my work.

Of course, I think this Monday most of us New Yorkers were either in a bit of a “Hurricane Irene” fog or unable to make it into the office and therefore trapped in our respective homes.

(Sidenote: I am in a chocolate/wine fog from sitting on the couch all weekend with Michelle, making our way through our Hurricane Survival Pack and watching every chick flick known to man. This morning in spin class, my legs felt like tin…then the instructor played a Selena Gomez song at the top of a hill…It was a rough class, to say the least, but I persevered.)

Therefore, I willfully allowed a few tweets to distract me during work today, figuring that I was in a similar boat with those that were still transfixed by all of this non-stop Irene coverage (On a serious note, while I’m very happy NYC made it through unscathed, I’m definitely thinking about those that were affected and hoping for the best for all).

When Women’s Health tweeted the following, I just HAD to click on it.

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Posted in: favorites, Healthy Living