Lean Machine WEDNESDAY! [Week 3]

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This week is just flying by! Here are my Wednesday meals and workout!

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WEDNESDAY MEALS:

Breakfast:

I was starving when I woke up! Getting ready this morning was torture; how are you supposed to concentrate on how straight your eyeliner is when your stomach is basically eating itself?

After getting ready I had to head to Chemistry and take a stupid quiz before I could finally eat my yummy yogurt parfait.

The wait was worth it, I loved every single bite!

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Lunch:

Since quinoa pizza was a bust, I didn’t have any leftovers that I was willing to eat, I grabbed a lean cuisine meal from the freezer.

It was actually very tasty!

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Dinner:

After last nights depressing meal, I needed a pick-me-up. Pasta is usually my go-to for situations such as this.

I originally planned to have Alfredo ravioli, but decided to try and stick to healthier alternatives. So I made spinach and ricotta ravioli, using only olive oil and Parmesan cheese as toppings paired with some broccoli. I loved this because it literally only took, like, 5 minutes to make. I was tired after a long day so I didn’t feel like spending tons of time preparing a meal.

I had more broccoli than this, but almost forgot to take a picture. I had already started eating when I remembered.

I didn’t mean to have pasta for lunch AND dinner, but sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Mmm, cookies….

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WEDNESDAY WORKOUT:

WEDNESDAY:

I did my usual Wednesday gym thang, but my phone was dead so no picture.

Also, no creepy weirdos!

I did total body strength training, followed by several mat exercises and some stretching.

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So this is what my Wednesday consisted of. I am in the process of working out the kinks to my blog updates, so next week should be more detailed and better organized.

Please like, follow, and comment to let me know what you think!

Cardio Crusher TUESDAY! [Week 3]

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Here are the meals and activities I completed for this lovely (or not so lovely) Tuesday!

Seriously though….when is this winter crap supposed to be over with??

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TUESDAY MEALS:

Breakfast:

Today I stuck with my normal yogurt parfait and blueberries. No more adventures in yogurt land for me, I’m sticking to my ole’ faithful vanilla.

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to incorporate into my parfaits because they are just so good for you! Here are some of the health benefits they provide:

1. Boost Immune System — blueberries contain numerous components which aid in bacterial and viral infection prevention
2. Neutralize Free Radicals — Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can enter our bodies and cause cellular damage. Blueberries contain nutrients which can neutralize these harmful effects, which in turn reduces the likelihood of cancer.
3. Improves Memory — through scientific study, it has been established that regular consumption of blueberries can aid in reducing age-related memory loss and protect your brain from oxidative stress (which can be caused by the presence of free radicals).
4. Improves Vision — So apparently carrots aren’t the only ocular super foods out there! There are nutrients within blueberries, including Vitamin A, which help to maintain and enhance your eyesight!
5. Lower Cholesterol — Cholesterol is tricky, because it is an essential component in the make up of our cell membranes. When cholesterol levels become too high, however, it can clog our arteries…and that obviously isn’t good. Blueberries contain compounds which help reduce the amount of cholesterol within our systems to help prevent this from occurring. Regular consumption of blueberries has proven to be more effective in lowering cholesterol then some prescription drugs available, and better yet come with no additional side effects!
6. Improve Heart Health — Blueberries contain fiber and antioxidants which are beneficial for heart function and health.
7. Prevent Urinary Tract Infections — Blueberries contain compounds similar to those found in cranberries which can help prevent, and even cure, UTI’s.
8. Support Digestion — Blueberries contain high amounts of dietary fibers and other nutrients which help support a healthy digestive system. I can personally attest to this, because since I’ve been eating these guys on a regular basis my bowel movements have become more regular and I have experienced less bloating (sorry for the TMI).
9. Reduce Belly Fat — This is probably my favorite benefit provided by blueberries. It has been observed that after 3 + months of regular blueberry consumption, a reduction of belly fat can occur. I’m sure this depends upon the person and their habits, but I”m hoping it proves to be true with me since I am eating better and working out more.
10. Reduce Signs of Aging — Blueberries contain anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants which promote brain health and can help to reduce its deterioration over time. This means it is able to regulate our body processes more efficiently, which helps us look younger longer!
11. Regulating Blood Sugar — Blueberries rank low in the glycemic index, which means that individuals with diabetes can consume them on a regular basis. They are actually good for regulating blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes!

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Lunch:

I originally intended on having leftover spaghetti this afternoon, since normally I am cooking for myself and there is always so much left. But as I mentioned in Monday’s posting, I have two fatties staying with me and they ate it all!

So instead, I just had another Turkey and avocado sandwich. I love how yummy my avocado looked today!

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Dinner:

I was going to make Shaksuaka tonight, but apparently no stores in this town carry the key ingredient, mina harissa (it’s apparently a Moroccan sauce blend). To make this meal, I’m gonna have to order it online.

So instead, I made the quinoa pesto pizza I had planned for tomorrow.

For those of you who don’t know, quinoa is actually a  seed that can be prepared and consumed in a similar fashion to whole grains (such as rice). It is high and protein and contains all 9 of the essential amino acids, making it a healthy substitute to many other starchy carbohydrate options available.

I’ve been wanting to try quinoa for a while now, and tonight I finally got around to it by making quinoa crust for pesto pizza. And let me just tell you, it was terrible.

The taste itself was fine, if not a little bland. The texture was strange, but tolerable. I guess it was just such a disappointment because I was expecting pizza, but that is NOT what I got. I may try this recipe again later in the future when I’m feeding just myself, and not two other individuals who would have loved nothing more then a big disgusting McDonalds burger for dinner instead of the healthy crap I’ve been forcing down their throats.

I cooked the quinoa first, which took about 15 minutes. Once fully cooked, I mixed it with the other ingredients as described in the recipe and baked it for an additional 20 minutes.

After cooking the quinoa crust, I added the toppings and baked for about 5 minutes until the cheese melted.

I ate two pieces, very begrudgingly might I add. Deja and Justin were good sports about it, but when I returned home from the gym they said they were still hungry and wanted actual food (not in those words, but I got the point).

I would have been fine with just having this, but they peer-pressured me into eating Wing Stop with them. And thats for reals, the truth. I repeatedly said no for a good 10-15 minutes before caving. I only had 4 wings and a handful of fries, with water…no soda.

Lesson for today: quinoa pizza is, basically, the worst pizza ever! But in case you want to try it yourself and see if its something you’re into, here is the recipe:

>>> Quinoa Pizza with Creamy Pesto <<<

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TUESDAY WORKOUT:

There is this machine at the gym, which I have absolutely no idea what its called, that I really enjoy using because you can program it to work different parts of your legs.

I have it set to the highest setting because I really feel it in my butt…and as the title of this page might suggest, I really want a bubble butt.

Here are my stats:

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Bubble Butt MONDAY! [Week 3]

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So I decided to take a different approach to my blog updates.

I originally planned to post once a week with recipes and workouts over a seven day period, but that was making for some extremely long reads!

Because of this, I decided to try and making daily updates instead and see how I like it.

So, here is my progress for Monday of Week 3!

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MONDAY MEALS:

Breakfast:

I originally planned on having my normal yogurt parfait with Greek non-fat vanilla yogurt. When shopping at the store I spotted a new yogurt that was infused with green tea and thought I’d switch things up a bit and give it a try.

I regret that decision.

This yogurt was NASTY! I made the parfait in a hurry before heading to class, so by the time I got around to trying it I was stuck incorporating Calculus rationale into chemistry lecture. So when I took my first bite, only to be met with more disappointment and despair, I was super pissy.

So no breakfast for me today. I threw that *%#@ out!

Seriously….so gross.

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Lunch:

For lunch I decided to throw together my regular turkey sandwich with avocado spread, deli sliced turkey, pepper jack cheese, spinach, and green bell pepper. I paired it with an Ambrosia apple, which I enjoy eating because they are so soft.

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Dinner:

I am a huge fan of spaghetti, especially now that I’ve discovered all the rich flavors that can be added by throwing in some veggies!

I normally have so much leftover, which works out for throwing together quick meals after the fact. When preparing this meal, I forgot to take into account that my fiance and best friend are both staying with me this week, so there was hardly any left by the end of the night. I hope that means they liked it!

I had a hard time finding a decent red pepper at the store, they were all so bruised and sad looking. Winter ruins everything!!! Fortunately, after some serious digging I found one that looked to be in decent shape. I also chopped up some green onion, spinach, and mushrooms to add to the sauce.

This is one of my all-time favorite meals.

>>> Spaghetti with Turkey Marinara <<<

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MONDAY WORKOUT:

I made it to the gym later than usual. I normally try to go right after I get off work, but I was starving by this point. After dinner, and making a quick run to the store to buy some new shoes (thanks babe!), I made my way to the gym.

Normally, the guys in there leave me alone to do my thing. Lately though, there have been these weirdos at the bench next to me who have been distracting me.

Today, some guy walked over and asked how much longer I’d be using my 20 lbs. free weight. I felt bad, so told him he could use it. He grabbed it and walked off, so I went to go check out the weight wrack to see what else was available that I could use to do my leg exercises with.

And wouldn’t you know it, there were four other 20 lbs. free weights available. So why he needed MY weight, I’ll never know. But it was annoying, so I needed to rant about it.

Anyways, here’s me at the gym. It’s kinda blurry, I was in a hurry because my phone was about to die:

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So this is my Monday, in a nutshell! Let me know what you think of the spaghetti….I’m pretty proud of it.

Please like and follow my page for daily updates on yummy (and sometimes not-so-yummy) recipes and try and new workouts to achieve that fitter and healthier lifestyle!