Don't Force the Love

No matter how much you love doing something, as soon as it starts to feel like work or starts feeling forced, it may be time to take a break from it.

It's no secret that I love to workout. But what sport do I love doing the most? All of them! I am passionate about different activities at different times. And I am always looking for new activities to add to my repertoire.

I tend to go through phases in my workout routine. For a while I may be all about lifting, then it might be running or Jiu-Jitsu. Right now my focus and my new found love is yoga. I might be all about one thing one minute and completely focused on that and trying to perfect it, and then I may be on to the next thing for a bit. I do what makes me happy at the moment. I want to be excited and full of enjoyment and love in my activities.

As soon as what you are doing stops being fun, it may be time to take a step back and move on to something else. The key is to just keep moving. If it is something that you truly love doing, your passion for it will spark again and you can come back to it. If not, that's ok. You learned something new. You should never force yourself to workout doing something you don't love. Where is the fun in that? And it has to be enjoyable to make it a habit.

I know we all have those days that we don't really want to go to the gym or go run or go to that spin class, but we make ourselves and then we are happy that we went when we are done. That is different. If it's starting to feel forced all of the time, switch gears and try something different for awhile. It is a great way to prevent burnout and to keep your body moving and guessing. Also, switching things up can help you get over those humps or plateaus. There is also something to be said about your mental biochemistry affecting your physical biochemistry. If you're just not that into it, you may not get the results you want when you want them.

Working out should be fun. It's an enjoyment in life and a celebration of what your body can do. Find what you love to do and enjoy it!

Happy National Pi Day!

Recipe for a simple healthy macro friendly pizza in 30 minutes or less.

Carbs:
Sprouted grain tortilla (I like Ezekial tortillas)
1/4 c no sugar added marinara sauce
Veggies- I usually add 1/4- 1/2 c of whatever sounds good or what I already have on hand. Onions, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Protein:
4 oz protein- steak, hamburger, chicken, bacon, sausage, ham. (I use whatever meats I have leftover from previous meals, what I already prepped for the week, or deli meat.)

Fats:
A little cheese (Feta, goat cheese, Tillamook cheddar, mozzarella) and/or olives


Preheat oven to 350'. Place tortilla on baking sheet. Add sauce, veggies, protein, and  top with cheese. You can get very creative with the veggies and protein or keep it as simple as you want. Bake for 15 minutes. The tortillas make for s very crispy yummy thin crust. I usually top with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a little sriracha for a kick. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

One of my favorite snacks to cure a sweet tooth.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

1 Frozen Banana
8 oz Almond Milk
1/2 scoop Phormula-1 Chocolate Milkshake protein powder
1 T. Sunflower Seeds or Nut Butter
1/2 T. Cocoa Powder
1/4 t. Vanilla Extract

Blend and then top with 1 T. each
Coconut Flakes
Granola
Almonds
Cacao Nibs

Meal Prep Monday

I am not one to spend hours one day a week prepping all of my meals for the week and placing them into individual containers. However, I applaud those that are. I did it for years when I was competing, and I know how tedious it can be. Tedious for a day, but does save you time the rest of the week. And I realize some people stay on track better with their eating when they are fully prepped this way.

I personally prefer to prep a different way now. I prefer to eat my meals fresh if at all possible. I know others are this same way. I am not one for reheating food unless it is something I can heat stovetop such as soup or chili. I don't even own a microwave. Have not for years, and I don't miss it. So I have found a way to prep that I feel saves me time, but keeps me on track, I can make most of my meals fresh, but I don't have to spend an entire day in the kitchen. It just requires a little bit of time over a few days, a little bit of planning and routine, but it fits better into my busy schedule.

Day 1. Clean out fridge, take mental inventory of what I have, make a meal plan for the week (exactly what I will eat for my 3 meals every day plus 2-3 snacks a day), and make a grocery list.

Day 2. Grocery store

Day 3. Prep snacks ready to grab throughout the week. (I think this is a really important step and where I could fail if not done.) I like to do individual bags of dates and almonds and deli meat for grab and go. I might also slice some veggies, make a big bowl of salad to use throughout the week, or cook some things in bulk that I can use in recipes during the week. I.e. Quinoa, rice, bacon. Things that don't require a lot of work, but take time to cook. Things that will simplify my cooking and save me some time the rest of the week.

That's it. I don't like to spend more than an hour each of these days on the tasks. So it's easy to find the time spread out over a few days rather than cramming it all into one day. I know this isn't the ideal way to meal prep for everyone, but this is what I've found works for me. I like to keep it simple because if it's too complicated or time-consuming, I'm less likely to stick with it. And knowing that I will only be spending a short amount of time on it each day, I enjoy it.