#LEAN14: fitness focused february.

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For the first month of LEAN in 2014, I really nailed it with healthy eating. The goal(s) that I didn’t do too great with, though, were the exercise-related ones. Although a lot of it had to do with the month being full with moving, launching Speakable, etc., the truth is that I also was just seriously lacking motivation to get my booty down to the the gym.

BUT - now that I’ve moved to a new apartment and new neighborhood, my motivation in every area of life seems to have shot through the roof. I guess I’m one of those people who does well with change because my energy and attitude is better than it’s been in a long time.

So…I’m ready for it. Now that I’ve made healthy eating more of a habit, this month it’s time to conquer the fitness end of LEAN14. And I must say I’m already off to a good start.

1. join a gym.

Done!

I wasn’t planning on joining a gym in my new neighborhood just because gyms in New York are crazy expensive (my old building had a gym in it). But then Rachel discovered Blink Fitness, which has locations across the city, and is only $20 a month!!!! The gym is incredible – it’s huge with hundreds of machines, a great free weights area, clean locker room, etc.

(The only downside is no classes, but for $20/month beggars can’t be choosers.)

I went with Rachel yesterday for my free trial and signed up online as soon as I got home.

2. master the stair master.

Yesterday was actually the first time I’ve ever used a StairMaster, and it wrecked me. If I’m being honest, I could only do it for 10 minutes! I’m determined to whip my butt into shape (literally), though, so this month I’m going to try to work my way up to at least 30 minutes.

3. start the day off on the right foot.

Although I tend to be more of a morning exerciser, a lot of times I don’t end up making it to the gym until after work (and…sometimes that means I don’t make it to the gym at all). I’ve found a few things that help me to stay motivated throughout the day.

First of all, since I work from home I can wear my workout clothes all day. That really helps me to actually feel like I want to exercise.

Secondly, since I work from home I can also squeeze in the strength portion of my workout in the morning/during the day. With my yoga mat, dumbells, planks, and these butt exercises, I’m good to go!

Followed up by a green (protein) smoothie, of course.

4. harness others’ energy.

One of the things I love about my new neighborhood is that people seem to be more into fitness in general. There are way more gyms around here, and healthy restaurants/juice bars literally on every corner.

I actually just snagged a 6-pack from Juice Generation (thanks to a promo code from one of my amazing readers, Katie!).

Not to mention Rachel is really into health/fitness too, so it’s great to be able to keep each other motivated!

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What are you specific health/fitness goals for February?
Any other StairMaster fans out there?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: a month in review.

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I can’t believe January is already over! It was definitely an interesting month – taking on January Jumpstart while also planning a move, launching a new company, and keeping up with other life stuff.

Overall I would say that January Jumpstart was a success for me. Even though I didn’t stick to all of the goals 100%, it really held me accountable to keep up with healthy choices instead of letting them fall by the wayside a week in. I’m excited to keep up with LEAN14 for the rest of the year.

But for now, here’s a recap of how I did with my January Jumpstart goals.

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day – YES

2. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables each day – YES

3. Exercise 3 days a week (30-60 min combo of strength & cardio) – Eh, not so much. Some weeks I did great, others I did 1-2 workouts, or none at all. With the move and Speakable launch, life has been crazy!

4. Squats, squats, and more squats – see above

5. Eat more clean, whole foods – YES

6. Eat balanced meals and less snacking – Yes and no, I definitely cut down on the snacking, but not entirely.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night – YES

8. Limit soda/energy drinks to 3 per week (an improvement for me) – YES! I actually did way better with this than I thought. I haven’t had a single soda or energy drink all month.

9. Allow more time to walk/take the subway instead of cabs – Nope. I blame the Polar Vortex.

10. Track more of my meals/workouts here on GML – Not as much as I wanted to. At least I still have all year 😉

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And to wrap things up, here are some of my favorite #LEAN14 posts from January:

(Click the image to go to the post)

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Did you do a January Jumpstart of sorts?
How is LEAN in 2014 going for you so far?

#LEAN14: my favorites from pinterest.

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I mentioned earlier in the month how I made a Pinterest board for LEAN in 2014, and I’ve gotten quite pin-happy on there ever since. Here are some of my favorite – dare I say fitspirational – pins for #LEAN14.

(Click the image for source!)

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What’s your biggest health/fitness motivation?
Have any favorite motivational quotes?

#LEAN14: how to not hate vegetables.

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I must pat myself on the back for doing really well with regularly eating tons of vegetables so far this year. I’m really planning on keeping it as a habit throughout Lean in 2014.

My “secret” to doing so is pretty simple – I’ve learned how to make vegetables taste as good as possible. And I’m not just talking about salads (because – let’s be real – you can make anything good by covering it in salad dressing).

In the past I would just force myself to eat veggies in any form because I knew it was good for me, but that never lasted. So instead of making vegetables just bearable, I’ve realized what a difference it makes to have vegetables taste delicious - something I actually want to eat!

Here are my 5 tips for making vegetables tasty (and not hate eating them).

1. roast them.

Roasting vegetables is hands down my favorite way to cook them. Here’s a great guide to roasting vegetables:

My favorite roasted vegetable is definitely butternut squash with a bit of salt and cinnamon. It gets all caramelized and sweet!

2. add avocado.

I love adding avocado to just about everything. It adds great flavor, a buttery texture, and healthy fats. I actually prefer avocado over salad dressing – if you use a really ripe avocado you can mash it up into a “guacamole dressing” of sorts.

3. add butter.

Butter seems to have gotten a really bad rep, but I’m a huge fan of it. First of all, just a little bit of butter goes a LONG way and can add incredible flavor to vegetables. Secondly, I fall in the camp that believes saturated fat is not bad for you. Not to mention that fat helps your body absorb nutrients, and you want to get the most out of those veggies, right?

4. “pizza-fied.”

One of my favorite ways to enjoy vegetables is to PIZZAFY them. Simply add:

* marinara sauce
* Italian seasoning
* parmesan cheese

This works especially well with steamed greens, roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spaghetti squash. Obviously this is no replacement for real pizza, but it’s still delicious!

5. in soup.

Most soups already have vegetables in them, but I like to take it up a notch by adding my favorite greens (spinach or kale) in the mix. I actually prefer chunky over thin/watery soup, so extra vegetables help bulk it up while adding nutrients at the same time.

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What’s your favorite way to eat vegetables?

#LEAN14: peanut butter banana bites.

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If you’re a peanut butter lover like I am, you probably know that banana and PB are a match made in heaven. That’s right - move over jelly, your time is up.

It really doesn’t get much easier than these peanut butter banana bites (which I’m sure you’ve seen floating around on Pinterest too). They’re one of my go-to’s as a perfect healthy snack or dessert.

All you need is one ripe banana and 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter (or the nut butter of your choice).

Slice the banana, then make little “sandwiches” by adding peanut butter between two slices.

You can eat right away, or I like to put in the freezer to let them set and become denser.

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What’s your favorite flavor/food to combine with peanut butter?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: healthy alternatives.

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With this month just about halfway through, I must say I’ve been doing a pretty good job with sticking to my January Jumpstart goals. I’m really glad I made the goals attainable, but they’re still making a huge difference.

One of the things January Jumpstart (and LEAN14 in general) has opened me up to is trying new healthy alternatives when I see them. For example, this Earth Balance Coconut Spread. It is so SO good!

It has the consistency of coconut oil but tastes more like coconut. I’ve been loving it on top of a sweet potato with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

I’ve also taken YOUR suggestion(s) of using TruWhip instead of Cool Whip in Easiest Ever Frozen Cookie Sandwiches. I also switched them up a bit by using Ginny Bakes Coconut Oatmeal Bliss Cookies. I’m going to be hooked on this treat for a looong time…

And of course, there’s the old favorite healthy alternatives. I’m lucky to live near a Blossom Du Jour when I want to order takeout, where I get my favorite Smokacado Wrap.

What are some healthy alternatives you use? Any new food finds? Would love more of your suggestions!