Weekend Challenge- Easter Weekend March 30th-31st

I’m here! I’m alive! And I apologize for slacking to the highest degree. I promise to be better this week. I already have a yummy meal planned to share with you and I know you’ll love it. Pregame hint: get some salmon and asparagus 😉

I guess you may wander to this page tonight or tomorrow morning to get the low-down on your new weekend challenge. Well, here it is! Between the Easter egg hunt and basket candy, the dyed eggs, and the yummy Easter meal, you may need a little metabolism nudge this weekend. Enter the 1-minute egg hunt training program. It’s all about the stoop and ground touch!

The first 30 seconds go to the squat jump. All-out, as high as you can jump, and make sure you touch the ground with your fingers every time you squat down. As many as you can in 30 seconds! When time is up, immediately switch to speed skaters for the remaining 30 seconds. When you “skate” onto one leg, reach over and touch your foot with the opposite hand (i.e. left hand to right foot). Finish that, and you’ll have a quick minute of exercise under your belt (and the perfect training for getting to those Easter eggs quickly and efficiently without tiring out!) Try to do this before each meal, and maybe once or twice in between meals as well, say when you’re waiting for your afternoon snack to cook or before your morning shower.

And because I feel bad about abandoning my few but faithful followers, it’s time for BONUS ABS!

Do 25 reps of each exercise, and then rest for 30 seconds at the end of the set. Repeat twice more, for a total of 3 sets, 300 abs!

1. Leg raises
2. Full crunch
3. Bicycle
4. Kayakers aka Russian twists
5. Plank- 30-60 seconds.

In other news, tomorrow is already the last Lils’ t-ball practice and these kids are spoiled rotten. If I don’t get the best coach of the weekend award for an Easter egg hunt, medals with their names engraved on the back, and baseball cupcakes, I’d like to meet the person who one-upped me.

Healthy baseball funfetti cupcakes. Yummy 🙂

I’m currently flipping between the FGCU/UF and MSU/Duke basketball games. Go Michigan State!!

A happiest of happy Easters to everyone. I hope that your church services are inspiring, your meals are filling, and your company is loving.

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ

Weekend Challenge March 16th & 17th

Happy Friday everyone! You week is almost over and it’s time to relax! Your Weekend Challenge isn’t an active one this time. I’d like you to try drinking 1 (8oz.) glass of water before each meal. I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately that say this helps to fill you up so you don’t eat as much during your meal. So before breakfast, lunch, and dinner this weekend try drinking some water to conquer that initial hungry feeling. Then chow down (hopefully a little less than you normally would)!

Another thing you can try if you find yourself with the munchies and looking for snacks all weekend is to hydrate. Lots of times your brain will tell you you’re hungry, when all you really need is some fluid. Listen to your tummy!

Do something fun outside this weekend. It will make you happy, and you deserve to be happy.

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ

IT’S PI DAY EVERYBODY

March 14th=3/14=3.14. You know what that means? Only that you get to look forward to a pi-themed workout and healthy pi(e) for dessert. Let’s get cracking.

The workout today will provide a good mixture of cardio and strength training. There are two workouts. One for those of you who don’t have access to weights at the gym, and one for those of you who do. Do each exercise for one minute. There will be 3 minutes of cardio (3 exercises), a 1-minute rest, and 4 minutes of strength training. Here are your options:

At Home: No Weights

3: Jumping Jacks
Mountain Climbers
Squat Jumps

1: REST

4: Lunges
Push-ups
Squats (touch the floor with your fingers every time you squat down!)
Diamond Push-ups
REPEAT 3-5 TIMES

With Weight

3: Jumping Jacks
Mountain Climbers
Squat Jumps

1: REST

4: Lunge with Bicep Curl
Curtsey with V-Raise
Squat with Shoulder Press
Squat Pulse holding weight straight out in front of you
REPEAT 3-5 TIMES
*3 minutes of cardio can also be substituted at a fast pace on an elliptical/treadmill/bike etc.

And what would Pi Day be without super delicious yummy almost-homemade pie? My pick (the same one I made last year) is Easy Peanut Butter Pie. My love of peanut butter may sway my vote a bit when choosing this over a fruit pie, but I can’t resist! You’re all invited over to have a piece of mine when I come home from work tomorrow night. First come, first serve!

So happy Pi Day to all, and may you find the perfect way to celebrate!

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ

Smoothies and Mood Boosts

As I start writing this post I do it partially because I feel guilty for not posting a Weekend Challenge for those who follow it (or make their best effort to). I also do it just because I feel like it’s time to share something new. I want that something to be smoothie knowledge, not that I have very much, but I do love making/drinking smoothies and I know they are SO good for you. So what I’ve just decided to do while writing this last sentence is to chat about smoothies and then try something I haven’t before that will hopefully motivate you and/or make you feel silly and happy. So. Topic 1.

Smoothies are a great way to disguise the veggies you don’t like to eat. Like carrots. And spinach. They’re also a yummy way to get a serving of fruit, and usually dairy as well. I keep lots of frozen fruit in my fridge, including bananas and fruit that I bought from the produce section but couldn’t finish before it went bad. I don’t measure anything. I add the fruit (and veggies) that I’m in the mood for, say some strawberries, or peaches, or both. I dump in a 6 oz. container of fat-free vanilla yogurt and some milk. More times than not a spoonful of JIF Natural Peanut Butter mysteriously finds its way into the blender as well. I have yet to figure out how. Usually with all of the frozen fruit I put in I don’t have to add ice, but sometimes I want my smoothie really cold, so ice helps. I figure the great thing about smoothies is you can mix together a bunch of fruit and it won’t taste bad. You can guesstimate measurements and it won’t taste bad, either. You can camouflage vegetables you’re not in the mood to eat, add protein powder after a workout, become your own chef. I’m ranting about smoothies like they’re so inspirational. I guess they’re just healthy, delicious, and nutritious! Try them. Peanut butter and banana, strawberry banana, peach, pina colada (virgin of course) and banana. Because they’re such a popular thing right now there are many, many recipes floating around the internet if you’d like to follow directions the first few times you make one. And here’s a very helpful added bonus for you: After you’ve finished making your smoothie, rinse your blender with water, then fill it with water and soap. Blend. And now it’s clean! (And you’re not cutting your fingers on the blades) Go make one you can slurp on while you read the rest of this post…

 

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ

“Lung Conditioning”

For some reason hearing the phrase lung conditioning seems a lot less painful than “cardio”. Maybe I’m the only one. It almost sounds relaxing. Well I’d love to tell you this workout is just that, but I’d be lying 😉

Good news is you will most definitely feel relaxed and accomplished when this half-hour Tabata session is over. It’s all about cardio (lung conditioning!) and abs today. I’m so excited to share this with you and I hope you have the same love-hate relationship with it that I do.

Remember Tabata from an earlier post? 20 seconds on and 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds, a total of 4 minutes. These 4 minutes equal 1 set, and there are two exercises in each set. In this instance, the first exercise is lung conditioning and the second is an ab move. Like this:

(any exercise with a * by it has a how-to picture further down the post)

1. Jumping Jacks
2. In-and-Outs*

1.High Knees/Butt Kicks (do two of each)
2. Bicycles

1. Burpees (no push-up)
2. Scissors*

1. Frog Jump Squats*
2. Crunchy Frog*

1. Mountain Climbers
2. Kayakers aka Russian Twists

1. Squat Jacks*
2. Plank Jacks*

In-and-Outs Step 1. Use your hands to support yourself

In-and-Outs Step 2. Use your hands to support yourself

Scissors Step 1. Try to keep you foot flexed and your leg as close to straight as possible

Scissors Step 2. SWITCH! Try to keep you foot flexed and your leg as close to straight as possible

Frog Jump Squats Step 1. Wide squat stance and make sure you’re fingers touch the floor!

Frog Squat Jumps Step 2. Explode into a high froggy leap, which you can tell is oh-so-fun by the look on my face

Crunchy Frog Step 1. Hug your knees. This one is hard to do at first, especially the balance part.

Crunchy Frog Step 2. Legs go straight out in front of you, not necessarily this high. This one is hard to do at first, especially the balance part.

Squat Jacks Step 1. Basically a jumping jack in squatted position. Stay low!

Squat Jacks Step 2. Basically a jumping jack in squatted position. Stay low!

Plank Jacks Step 1. These can be done with straight arms in push-up position or as shown. Move legs in and out like you would a regular jumping jack. Try to keep your butt down! I’m cheating here, shame on me.

Plank Jacks Step 2. These can be done with straight arms in push-up position or as shown. Move legs in and out like you would a regular jumping jack.

Any other exercises you aren’t sure how to do can be found easily in an online search. So now it’s your turn. Try this on a cardio day, or when it’s raining outside and you can’t go for your usual walk/jog/run/skate/bike/hike/swim/skip/cartwheel. Oh, look! Ideas for fun exercises to enjoy outside! Isn’t that something.

Mommy was here to visit this last week and a half. She left this morning and now I’m lonely again! I guess taking pictures of myself doing exercises is one strange way to pass the time. Luckily the only eyes that saw me belonged to the neighbor cat. She’s always being nosy.

I’m hoping next time to post some smoothie ideas. Why don’t you get a head start on me and try making one yourself today? Delicious and nutritious!

Check back tomorrow for your Weekend Challenge!

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ

Weekend Challenge March 2nd and 3rd

TGIF! And here’s your weekend challenge to prove it.

Frog Jump Squats are awesome for a cardio kick start, as well as waking up those booty and leg muscles. Try doing them for 30 seconds before each meal, and if you sit in one place for more than a half hour do it for 30 seconds when you finally do stand up. As the crazy guy from P90x would say, “YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 30 SECONDS!” Really, how hard can it be?

Hint: Make sure when you squat down you legs are in a wider stance and your hands touch the floor each time you come down! Count how many you do each time and try to beat your own record!

Do something exciting this weekend with your free time. Maybe something you haven’t done before. Try a new exercise routine, that craft or recipe you’ve been wanting to try, something outside, a movie you’ve been telling yourself you’d see, a new restaurant with your friends, your options are endless!

Good Things 🙂

FS&JJ