I was STARVING last night at work. There is a Subway right next door, but I just try to avoid Subway. A little back story, I worked at Subway in high school. Anytime you are on the clock, Subway gives you a free meal. Let's just say, I have had enough Chicken Bacon Ranch subs to last a lifetime. I got burned clean out on Subway. OMG! AND Subway does not have the best subs. Sorry all you Subway lovers. In my opinion they are like the Buick of subs... and by Buick I mean old school Buick because new school Buick is slick on the luxurious side. But anyways, back to the post. LOL! I was STARVING so I decided to walk next door and get some Subway. I got the kid's meal. CUTEST THING EVER!! You get a cute little reusable bag, a 4 inch sub, apples, and your choice of milk or juice. You can get a cookie instead of the apples, but I thought that kind of defeated the purpose. Like, why? I was sooo impressed with this kid's meal that I wanted to share!
This is my cute little reusable bag! Excuse the
key board. #workflow
Half eaten sub. It was only 4 inches guys.
New Sunchips!! DELICIOUS! They taste like
Cool Ranch Doritos... kind of. LOL!
I am SOOOOO upset with the Grizzlies right now! Why in the HELL would you trade Rudy Gay??? We have done SO well this season!! What the hey Grizz!!?? Rudy Gay, all Memphis fans will truly miss you!! I wish you all of the best in Toronto (insert confused face here). #gritgrind? #grindtime? #howdoesZbofeel?
It's Recipe Wednesday again!! Yaaay! So, I decided to share this DELICIOUS recipe with you guys. I first tried it like 2 years ago. It is not super hard, but it does require some preperation. The thing I like most is the Essence seasoning. You can use it on anything. It adds a nice flavor with a little kick! Oh, and be sure and use a nonstick skillet for the salmon. The herb crust can get a little messy. It doeeess call for a lot of butter. I know. Before my wonderful health venture big country (that's me) used alllll of the butter. Now, I have cut the butter in half. Baby steps my good people, baby steps! Mmmm mmm. Enjoy!!!
Preheat the fryer. For the salmon: Season each side of the salmon with Essence. Evenly coat each side of the fillets with the Dijon mustard. With the chopped herbs, crust each side of the salmon completely. For the sauce: Fry the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside on a paper-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, combine the shallots, garlic, and wine together. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Reduce the wine by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a whisk, mount in the butter cubes one at a time until all are fully incorporated and slightly thick. Season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and potatoes, continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Re-season if needed. For the salmon: In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the pan is smoking hot, add the salmon. Saute the salmon for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Place the sauce in the center of the plate. Place the salmon directly on top. Garnish with fresh chervil sprigs and Essence.
Alot of my conversations now involve fitness. Go figure. Haha! Although I have workout partners here in Florida, I like to have workout partners afar. It doesn't hurt. You may not be able to workout together, but your friends can encourage you from wherever!
This is crazy Bryant. He lost that awesome hat. SMH.
So, recently I was talking to my dear friend Bryant (Memphis, TN), and the topic of abs came up in conversation. Bryant and I both agreed that we want abs. It's no secret. LOL! But the thing with abs is they are SUPER hard to attain. We decided that we would have an ab challenge amongst ourselves.
I have shared with Bryant the Ab Ripper X video, but he is punking out on me!! Smh. BUT he has agreed to do 200 abs a day. Let's see if he holds up his end of the deal. ;)
So my ab challenge is ongoing. I am going to alter it here and there, but in the beginning I will perform Ab Ripper X every other day. Alot of my workouts are core focused, so this will help bring that good 6 pack to life as well! YAAAAAYY!
Ab Ripper X (25 of each exercise, no breaks):
In and Outs
Bicycles
Crunchy Frogs
Cross leg/Wide Leg
Fifer Scissors
Hip Rock and Raise
Pulse Up (heals to the heaven)
V up/Roll up
Oblique V Ups
Leg Climbers
Mason Twist
Before picture. There is a slight ab flow there. :) Stay posted for updated abs!!
"...Lord keep my body strong..." these words were sung by the Bethune-Cookman Chorale on Sunday morning, and resonated with me something serious. If you have never experienced the Bethune-Cookman Chorale, YouTube them. I mean everytime I hear them my spirit is blessed. I am all about keeping my body strong and healthy. I workout and eat healthy because I feel SOOO much better when I do. Trying to explain a release of healthy endorphines to someone who doesn't workout is like trying give a cat a bath... shit is hard. LOL! On the flip side, you have to give your body ample amounts of rest.
All I could think about yesterday was working out. My plan was to leave work early, workout, and then proceed to job #2. Well, of course I had a HUGE project that was due by close of business and I barely got it done by 4:30 pm. I needed to leave work by 4:00 pm to get my workout in... fail. So, I said "It's fine Heidi. You will just get a late night workout in when you leave HR Block." I was supposed to leave HR Block at 9:00 pm. Yeeeaaa, this girl didn't get off work until 10:30 pm. I was DOG tired. My mind kept telling me I could go to the gym... do something light, but my body was not having it. Plus, I was EXTREMELY sore and tight from Saturday's workout. So, I skipped my workout last night (don't scold me, I already feel bad). I seriously went home, ate, watched Dallas (some DAMN good drama-check it out), and passed out. This morning I woke up feeling revived!!! I instantly thanked God because yesterday was a struggle. So I say all of that to say, make sure your body gets PLENTY of rest. When your body is not well rested it creates this astronomical snow ball effect- you're grumpy, you over eat, you're mind functions and processes at a slower rate. It's just really not a good look. So get some sleep my good people! Turn off your phone and zzzzz it up! :)
This was my view on Friday. Clear, blue skies!
I must share with you my workouts from the weekend! Boy were they some serious workouts. So, Friday afternoon I left work early to catch a good run before the sun went down. The run did a body good! It was sooo refreshing having that good Vitamin D kissing my skin while I ran it out. One great thing about living in Florida, the sun ALWAYS shines!!
Friday's Workout:
3 mile run
Ab Ripper X (This is the P90 X ab workout. You can YouTube Ab Ripper X and find the actual P90X video. It's phenom.)
100 push ups
After my 3 miles. Excuse the pimple. I am trying new face wash. Rrrggh.
I was in a rush because I needed to make it my boss's farewell happy hour. I was 30 mins late (typical Heidi fashion) but I made it aaannndd I only had 2 glasses of red wine! Whoop! Bye bye Shannon! You're the GREATEST supervisor a girl could ask for. I wish you all of the best in the years to come! XOXO!
2nd Set- Repeat 3 x's
20 side leg lefts (each side)
100 squats
3rd Set- Repeat 3 x's
15 burpee push ups
12 suspended abs (You literally lay on your back and hold your legs up at bout a 60 degree angle. Hold for 5 seconds, bring your legs back down to starting position, that's one.)
5 Set- Repeat 3 x's
12 calf raises (20lbs)
18 hanging leg lifts (Hold on to the pull up bar, bring your knees to your chest. Try to keep your core steady, alternate your knees from side to side. R, L = 1. DO NOT SWING!! It's hella hard, and if this is your first time you should probably have some assistance... I did :))
GRAND FINALE
60 flutter kicks
60 scissor kicks
60 seconds 45 degree angle leg hold.
At this point I was exhausted!!! But my workout partner/trainer always hooks me up with great workouts for the freezy. Although, he said he was going to start charging me if I didn't go harder at the gym! *confused face* Needless to say, I will be going harder. I need my extra income for other things, like purses and shoes! :)
Today's workout is pure cardio!!! I am a cardio junkie, and if I don't get my fix I start having withdrawals. We will for sure get 3 miles but might end up getting 5... who knows what the day will bring! :) ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TODAY!!! It is the least you can do! XOXO!
This kid right here gives me LIFE!!! I've watched this video a million times! ENCOURAGE SOMEONE!
Your girl is dragging today, let me tell you! But it's all good! My back is a little sore from yesterday's workout! Whoooo! I love it when my body is sore from a workout. That means, I worked some muscles a little harder and a little deeper. It really is a feeling of accomplishment, folks.
So, people like to think that you can just change your eating habits and POOF! all of your weight will magically fall off. NEGATIVO! (Please note, that when these people lose weight, these are the same people that gain the weight lost PLUS SOME right back!) So you say, "Well Heidi Mae (that's what my closest friends and family call me), you're telling me that I have to workout everyday in order to lose weight. I am not doing that!" NOOO, that is NOT what I said. BUT you do need to sweat 3-5 times a week. The idea is to remain ACTIVE! Personally, I LOVE CARDIO! And truthfully, you should too. Cardio is the golden ticket to weight loss. You burn lots and lots of calories and fat when doing cardio. If you are not a runner, walk. If you don't like to walk or run, join a Zumba or Aerobics class. I also love cycling! My trouble areas are these thick thunder thighs! #bowbowbow *does stanky leg* Cycling tones your legs and lower core while getting your heart rate up, up and away! Cardio conditions multiple parts of your body, including your heart! You can't live without a well conditioned heart now can you? So get that heart rate up... pant a little. You won't die. I promise! :)
My Cardio Today:
3 miles
I am also doing the 30 Day Cardio Challenge with Mr. Shut Up and Train. If you have not registered for this AMAZING cardio challenge, please do so immediately. You get 30 days of FREE personal training and nutritional guides. The guy is awesome. He is based in Atlanta. There is no telling how much his services are, and he is offering them to America for FREE! This is one bandwagon I suggest you jump on! Go to www.mrshutupandtrain.com and follow the links.
KUDOS TO MY GRIZZLIES!!!! YAAY! We beat the Lakers last night, 106-93! D. Howard, you look like the biggest idiot the league has seen in quite some time. From what I hear, Kobe doesn't like you either. SMH.
"The Grizzlies beat the Lakers that's an upset." -Gotti
Look at ZBo. Ya'll don't want nooonne! #gritgrind #grindtime #welcometothegrindhouse
Today is RECIPE WEDNESDAY! Yaaay! Well, so you guys know, I do not post a recipe that I have not in fact made myself. Honey, if it is not tasty I am NOT going to recommend it to you! I just can't put you out there like that. LOL! I am now working two jobs! I know, insane. I am very thankful that God has blessed me with an AMAZING job, but I have a baaad habit. I like to shop, and when I shop I buy very expensive things. So, in order to support my habit, I have picked up a second job at HR Block for the tax season. My mom put me on. She does it every year. It's easy peasy. I don't do taxes, I greet clients, make phone calls, basic administrative duties. Sooo, with all of that being said this week's recipe requires NO COOKING!!! I know, you're probably thinking WTH?? HA! Check it out, ROTISSERIE CHICKEN BABAAAYYY! I mean God truly blessed this earth when the grocery stores started selling rotisserie chicken. They are $7.50 and feed this family of one for an entire week. You can make chicken salad, you can make chicken tacos (whole wheat tortillas, low fat sour cream, and low fat cheese), you can just have chicken!! They are sooo good, you can get whatever flavor you want, and if you are as lucky as I am you can ask your grocery to make one especially for you! So this week, enjoy the luxury of NOT COOKING! Pick up a rotisserie chicken, steam some veggies, and by all means, please, ENJOY! :)
Look at all this shicken!! Yes, shicken. We can have us a shicken party! What flavor do you want? I call dibbs on the lemon pepper! BOW!
I think I shared with you guys on Tuesday that I have started a detox for this new year. Well, allow me to be brutally honest about the detox. THE FIRST 3 DAYS SUCKED!!! Oh my gah! I have never been so hungry and exhausted in my life. The detox is very simple. For seven (7) days you consume nothing but fruits and veggies. Starchy vegetables and carbohydrates are not allowed. No potatoes, turnips (if you're country), bananas, etc. You are allowed to have nuts. However, I am severely allergic. A friend of mine suggested the Larabar, which is organic, for a little substance. Ummm, yea nut filled. I LITERALLY ate a crumb of the apple turnover bar and my ears, throat, and mouth reacted immediately!! I said dang! Good thing I didn't take a bite out of the thing. I did find some Larabars that do not have tree nuts (those are the nuts I am allergic to). They are DELICIOUS!! You have GOT to try them, especially if you have a sweet tooth... pure satisfaction. After day 3 I was energized and feeling muuuch better. I probably lost a total of 7 lbs. However, I was not doing the cleanse for weight loss. I needed to rejuvenate my body. I was feeling sluggish and not motivated to workout. There were some toxins I needed to release. The cleanse definitely helped with that.
Below are only a few of the yum, yum, yummy, yum, yum Larabars! My favorites (and only ones I am not allergic too) are Peanut Butter Cookie and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie. DE-LISH! Everyone I have recommended the bars to love them.
We all travel down the road of life. We take different avenues, travel at different speeds, and utilize different rest stops. But at the end of the day, we are all traveling to a better place trying to be better people. That's the most beautiful thing about life, you can be whoever you want to be... you can go wherever you want to go. Two years ago, June 1st, I made the decision to lose weight. I had no idea this decision would create a brand new me. Alicia Keys has a song off her new album called, "Brand New Kind of Me". The song is PHENOMENAL! Definitely some motivational words. I am not a fan of "Girl on Fire" but this track has placed me back in Alicia's fan pool! :) (I've linked the video for you, so check it out!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOSv1TIa58M
Early morning workout today. RRGGH! I DO NOT like early morning workouts. I am not a morning person and I in NO WAY pretend to be. If it were up to me, the work day would start around 10:00 ish. My nana used to always tell me that I would have to work the night shift whenever I got a job. Unfortunately, night shift is not offered in the legal profession. HA!
Today's Workout: 15 mins on the elliptical 20 Ski Abs (3 Sets) 30 Mountain Climbers (3 Sets) Leg Raises- Right Side, Left Side 15 each side (3 sets) Rotating Abs 10 on each side (I use the cable pull machine for this exercise. I set the machine at 15 lbs, arms extended, and rotate my body.) 10 Moving Planks (HHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDD) Stretch and Breathe!
I hope you guys are staying WARM!! It is 58 degrees in Florida. For those of you who live in Florida you know that is FREEZING!!! So cold I busted out the wool skirt and tights today. Brrr. Peace and love guys!! XOXO
Weeelll, just in case you didn't know, this country girl can EAT!! However, I am super busy. Between work, the gym, my volunteer efforts, long phone calls with my best friends, and everything in between, I do not have time to cook during the week. Extensive recipes are completed on the weekend.
Today's recipe is simple. I mean, so simple it is done effortlessly. Seriously. Be impressed.
Roasted Carrots
Ingredients: Baby Carrots Olive Oil Salt Pepper
I'm telling you folks, it's super easy. So, you take as many baby carrots as you desire and toss them in LIGHTLY in olive oil. This morning I made about a handful of baby carrots and tossed them in about 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. That should be your ratio. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and place the carrots in the baking dish. the After you have tosssed and assorted the carrots, season them LIGHTLY with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F for approximately 25 mins. (Adjust cooking time to suit your taste).
If you desire a sweeter taste, drizzle the carrots with raw honey and place them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Mmmm.
So like most of us, I have started the new year off with diet and exercise!!The holidays were detrimental to my midsection. I indulged something crazy... turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes (like with mounds of sugar), cakes, pies, cookies (I have a bit of a sweet tooth), egg nog martinis! There were no reservations this holiday season, trust me. Amazing food was readily available and this country fried bombshell DID NOT resist. Sometimes you just need a little comfort food and some good cocktails! :)
But as we start the new year I have changed my diet... back to that clean, lean, healthy eating machine. Since my diet has been so horrible these past 2-3 weeks, I have decided to detox this good body of mine. For the next week, I will consume nothing but fruits, vegetables, and 70+ ounces of water a day. I do drink coffee, but I always have my coffee black. It is prefered that you eat everything raw. However, you are allowed to steam, sautee (light oil), grill, bake, or broil your veggies. Do not over season your veggies, minimal to no salt. I have also joined the 30 Day Cardio Challenge with Mr. Shut Up and Train. The challenge doesn't allow any fried foods, fast food, or alcohol for 30 days! And to that I say, LET THE FUN BEGIN!! Here's to a new, healthy, and fabulous year... country fried of course :)
