Monthly Archives: August 2013

Toasty Morning!

August 28, 2013Food for Thought, Workoutsbreakfast, crossfit, food, healthy-livingharkey12

I was going to name my post this morning ‘Sweaty Morning’ since I got in a nice, long workout before the workday. But as I was finishing up on the elliptical around 6:20 AM, I was watching the sunrise out the windows of my gym. It was truly breathtaking and turned the sky a hazy orange. The site of the orange sky sent chills up my spine, and I was immediately cozy and content. It reminded me of a crisp, Fall morning! At least the way it looked….yes, it was already over 70 degrees outside, with a forecasted high of 92 today. Yuck! So even though it is still summer and humid and icky hot, my brain is in Fall mode, and I’m officially ready for cooler weather here in the Ozarks! So back to where I started, ‘Toasty’ seemed like a better word to describe my feelings this morning. Toasty feels more warm and cozy than the words Sweaty and HOT!

Wednesdays are always a little fun and different for me because it is my night off from Jazzercise. This makes the day fair game for whatever workout I want to dive into. This morning, I awoke around 5 AM to get a nice long workout in at my gym. Since I had almost more than an hour to burn once I got there, I started with a 30-min. interval workout on the treadmill. Mostly a mix of incline walking, jogging, and 30-second sprints. This took me up to 3 miles, and I was a sweaty mess! I then completed a circuit of strength training on the weight machines (no free weights today!). I did mostly upper torso (shoulder and arm) work, but did a few sets of leg presses and hamstring curls as well. Gotta take advantage of an empty gym!

This left me about 10 minutes before I had to rush home, so I completed my workout with 10 minutes, or 1 mile, on the elliptical. I tend to be a cardio junkie, so mornings when I get in some good strength training make me feel extra awesome for the rest of day!

Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was courtesy of my productive self last night. I prepared a bowl of overnight oats last night and washed a bowl of berries that I would stir in this morning before digging in.

Into my overnight oats, I added…

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup vanilla soy milk
1 TB chia seeds
1/4 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
1 packet of splenda
a couple shakes of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon

This concoction is a go-to breakfast for me since it just has to sit in the fridge overnight! This morning I added in the berries and tossed the container in my bag on my way out the door. I eat my breakfast at work, and my overnight oats are always a treat when I’m at my desk!

My coworkers think I’m crazy. I haven’t coaxed them into trying my cold oats yet. But they’ll come around. 🙂

Hope your Hump Day is off to a great start! Catch ya later!

Day 1, Complete.

August 27, 2013Food for Thoughtharkey12

Day 1 of a blog can be exhausting. Yes, over the past week or so I had been slowing planning what I wanted to say, how I wanted it to look, etc. But today has been a mind vomit overload. If I had posted everything that popped into my mind, I would have around 25,689 posts by now!

Okay, not really. But I’m trying to chill and pull my thoughts into one actually sensical post for the evening. On that note, here’s my first food post for thought…

Breakfast

Breakfast today was very typical for me during the work week. I’m not one to jump out of bed early and start cooking eggs and bacon. I’m lucky if I can remember my grab-n-go staples on the way out the door.

My breakfast consisted of a small cup of Greek vanilla yogurt, a nectarine, and a Special K Protein bar (not pictured). The nectarine was the highlight for sure! Sweet and tasty, but not the least bit mushy. Which I hate. Mushy fruit freaks me out.

Lunch

Lunch was rushed today as I was not watching the clock at work and it was rather late before I left. I arrived home to a crazy puppy and a hungry belly. I threw together a spinach mix salad with some snap peas, radishes, and a sweet pepper that I ate like an apple on the side!

A little lite Italian dressing makes salads like these one of my faves. I then threw together a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard and some more greens. For some reason, I’ve been on a big salad greens kick lately. They go into just about everything I eat. Makes me feel healthier I guess?? Regardless, it was delicious and filling.

See that small orangey thing in the back? It’s a super thin slice of cheddar cheese. Yes I’m lactose intolerant. And yes, I LOVE cheese. So I typically opt for a tiny serving (that slice is only 35 calories worth) of the yummy stuff once a day and it doesn’t upset my tummy too much. So far, so good today!

I’m heading off to teach a 6:45 Jazzercise class. Have a great night and get out there and do something fun while the sun’s still shining!

Mac & No Cheese is Up and Running!

August 27, 2013Daily Life!harkey12

Welcome to Mac & No Cheese!

So you’re wondering….who would eat Mac without Cheese? Well, since I love cheese as most people do, I would be asking the same question. But in reality, this foodie/fitness lover is very lactose-intolerant. So, sadly, most of my noodles are served with no cheese!

Also, I was trying to be puny with this clever blog title. Mac is also the name of my tiny dog, a Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix I rescued a little over a year ago. He brightens my days and makes me happy happy happy!

I’m sure you can see why I love this little face. (And post way too many photos of him on Instagram!)

Pressing onward, I’m hoping that most days here at Mac & No Cheese will be filled with fun, food, and fitness. In a nutshell, I’m a young Jazzercise instructor that likes to try out new and healthy recipes!

I have a passion for fun workouts, yummy meals, and of course, Mac. But that’s enough about me for now. For more info about me and my crazy life, check out my About the Author page. I should have it up and running in no time!

Hope your Tuesday is treating you well. Mine so far has consisted of a semi-busy day around the office. I’ll see you after lunch!