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Pedometer Power January 26, 2012

Posted by cirellih in Exercise, Food, Goals, Health, Lunch, Motivation, Moving.
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I have recently acquired a pedometer. This may seem like a mundane piece of information, but it is shaping up to be a pretty exciting purchase.

The goal: 10,000 steps per day.

The reality: Trying to beat my record of 15,573 steps from the weekend.

Who would have thought a pedometer could be so addicting? It’s a great way to get motivated!

Apparently, I have not changed much since grade school. I was the type of student who lived for stickers. Tell me that I need to get a certain number of stickers on my homework to get a prize… I would do extra credit out the wazoo. A great student pencil for doing well on a test, I was so there.

Now on my pedometer, I have a little animated person who lifts their digital arms in the international symbol of victory:

This, my friends, is all I need to make me want to reach the 10,000 step goal each day. I only have 8,254 steps? Let’s go for a walk Oliver! It might seem silly, but it works.

For lunch today, I needed some power foods to get me through the afternoon. Lentil soup from my co-worker definitely fit the bill for a hearty, stick to you ribs kind of meal.

Curry Lentil Soup:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin powder or seed
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cube vegetable bouillon
  • 1 lb lentils

Directions:

  1. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil and margarine in a saucepan until tender.
  2. Add the spices and saute for one minute.
  3. Add the water, bouillon, and lentils.
  4. Cook until the lentils are tender. About one hour.

A side of garlic bread, and I definitely was ready to go on that extra-long walk in the afternoon. The soup was perfect. Nice and thick with lots of spices and onions. Great for a cold winter day!

Pumping the Irons January 28, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Exercise, Food, Goals, Motivation, Planning, strength training.
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As part of my new and improved exercise plan I have decided to add in some more strength training components. The hubby bought a Gold’s Gym Slant Bench which has an adjustable back and resistance levels which can be set to the desired level.

Not particularly the most complicated piece of equipment, but it allows me to work out my upper body and to attempt crunches. I’ve decided that strength training is an important aspect of my routine as well as yoga, walking, snowy outdoor activities, and eventually gym time.

My goal for the weekend is to plan out meals for the week. I think that this will counteract my typical behavior of standing in front of the fridge desperately hungry and trying to rack my brain for something to create from the meager foods left at the end of the week.

Weight Watchers has a cool system where you can type in a few foods that are in your fridge and they give you recipe suggestions. We’ll have to see what they come up with for pasta, cilantro, peppers, lettuce, ground beef, and chicken!

Besides, I have to be super healthy tomorrow… the day before the dreaded weigh in!

Skiing, Showshoeing and Yoga, Oh my! January 25, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Exercise, Food, Motivation, New Year.
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Increased exercise is the second part of my New Year’s Resolution 2011. As an attempt to increase this, my hubby and I went skiing and snowshoeing on Sunday. Eldora ski resort is the closest to us in Boulder… a mere 30 minute drive through some of the most incredible canyon roads I have been through. Now, I am not much of a downhill skier. Much more of a cross-country sort myself, but Chris loves to ski and I have promised to learn. The first time I tried skiing was at Eldora four years ago. Since then, I have gone one other time in Syracuse, NY where the hill suited me just fine.  I remembered shooping down the hill and having lots of fun!

For some reason on Sunday though, the panic side of my brain decided to register. Despite heading down some harmless runs with names like, “Bunny Fair” and “Ho Hum” my eyes told my brain that the hills were too steep, and that I was going to crash in a nasty heap on the side of the mountain. Luckily, I made it down in one piece, not one fall the whole day!

The conditions weren’t the nicest. Very windy and cold, but at least the sun came out in the afternoon! When we could brave the slopes no longer, we headed to the chalet for some hot food. I’m not sure about chicken soup, but clam chowder is definitely good for the soul. Something about the warm, salty goodness is reviving. I felt fit as a fiddle and ready to go!

For the second part of our day, we decided to snowshoe. It was my first time trying out snowshoeing, and I loved it! The forest was calm, I kept my heart rate up without overheating, and it seemed like we were the only people around! Definitely something I would like to try again.

Today, I decided to keep up my exercise routine and chose to do some Hatha Yoga. One of my friends from AmeriCorps turned me onto yogadownload.com which has been a great resource for the past few months. I’m too cheap to get a membership, so I do the 20 minute free classes. It is so nice to be able to have an instructor in the comfort of my own home soothingly telling me the next position to slide into. A definite must after a long Monday!