Hey guys – happy Friday! Before I get into today’s post, I wanted to share a Winter Shape Up update! As you guys know, this is a fun 4 week challenge I co-host every January/February with my friend Gina. It officially kicks off on Monday and we hope it inspires you guys to try some fun new healthy recipes and to get active in a positive, sustainable way. 🙂
Here’s a link to the Winter Shape Up landing page, where you’ll also find a link to the week 1 meal plan and grocery list, which I published this morning for those of you who want to go grocery shopping this weekend in preparation for the challenge kick off on Monday! Gina will have the week 1 workout plan up by Sunday night or Monday morning. The workout videos (which we filmed together this year!) are hard but fun and include modifications and options if you’d like to dial things down or up. We filmed them 1 week after I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in November, so I’m the one demo-ing the modifications for many of the moves, especially anything leg related. 🙂
Also, if you’re joining us for this year’s shape up, be sure to join the private 2017 Winter Shape Up Facebook group! It’s a positive and motivating space for you guys to encourage and cheer on each other during the next 4 weeks. Enjoy!
And now, here are some food and fitness highlights from this week!
On the fitness front, I was finally feeling better (getting over a cold) by Wednesday, so that morning I hit up an early morning interval workout class at BLAST via ClassPass (<—affiliate link for $30 off) with my buddy Chelsea.
It’s a treadmill/boot camp workout kind of like Orange Theory – you do a mix of running/sprinting on the treadmill and then some weights, lunges, push ups, etc. on the floor. It’s a great workout! The only bummer about this class is it’s hard to talk – too loud and you’re all over the place – and chatting with friends is always my favorite part of a workout. 😉
I showered at the gym and headed straight to my volunteer English teaching from there, so I had breakfast on the go while walking the mile there. Eating breakfast while walking is obviously not ideal but I figure once a week it’s not a big deal – gotta do what you can! I had a peanut butter perfect bar (I know, obsessed) and a whole milk latte. Did the job! Plus an unpictured banana for some extra carbs. 🙂
I teach from 10 to 1, and we usually take a break halfway through – it was sooo nice out on Wednesday (almost 60 degrees, hence the spring dress, bare legs, and flats) so I had my snack outside – a couple hardboiled eggs with spinach I bought that morning from Pret a Manger while getting my latte.
Lunch after I finished teaching was at nearby Glen’s Garden Market. Their pick your own prepared foods market plate lunch is my fave! Chicken salad + beets + butternut squash + kale apple salad. With a peach Honest Tea on the side!
As for dinners this week, Matt and I have been enjoying some more Sun Basket (<- affiliate link for 3 free meals) action – a kale salmon salad + a yummy lentil, quinoa, and black rice vegetarian dish were among the highlights.
We had some of both left over, so I combined them the next day for lunch – and added some crackers and cheese on the side. 🙂
I also had two fun dinners out this week in Arlington! The first was on Sunday night with my mom at Kapnos Taverna. We shared some of their dips with bread (so good – salty flatbread), then I had the salmon tartar, an arugula and apple salad, and a lamb dish with yogurt sauce. It was all small plates, so I loved getting to try a bunch of different things. All delicious, and I brought some of the leftovers home for Matt to enjoy too (he was off watching football with friends while we were at dinner). 🙂
The other dinner out was last night with Matt and my mother-in-law, who is in town for a workshop! We went to SER in Ballston. I went there once before but just for drinks/appetizers, so I was excited to be back for dinner! We shared two of their seasonal side salads between the 3 of us (delicious – very fresh)…
And then I had their seafood pasta dish. Also yummy! Plus some red wine. 🙂
As for other workouts this week, I did one other workout with Chelsea yesterday morning – again via ClassPass, but this time at Madabolic in Arlington. It was a more cardio (vs. strength) focused interval class this time – tough but fun!
I also had a great stretching/mobility session with Paul from Capital Energy Training this week – we missed last week because I was sick so it was good to get back into it!
As for today, I had an early AnneTheRD client so I’m saving my workout for a little later – hitting a yoga class for a nice break in a bit.
After work today Matt and I are driving north for a weekend ski trip with friends. I’ll see you back here on Monday with a recap of my mediocre skiing skills! 😉 Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!
