Plan for March

Wow time flies right now. I can't believe tomorrow is already March. Did we not just celebrate New Years Eve?!?
It is time to think about summer, bikini season and leaning out. Because of my shoulder I couldn't lift as heavy as I wanted but I still pushed myself. Unfortunately I had to make a lot of changes from the Ashley Horner program and decided last week that I will restart with the whole program after my Birthday in April. This is not how I planed it at all but I do not want to destroy my shoulder. I had/have to listen to my body!
I will keep lifting heavy (as heavy as I can with my shoulder) for the next two weeks and then I will start to increase my cardio and reduce my calories a little bit. I have to say I do look forward to being leaner again and hopefully I will see some more definition overall.

What is your plan for March?

Happy Friday!

Miami Beach Getaway

We got to Miami and the weather was awesome. So of course we needed some ice cream ;-). For the very first time I tried some sugar-free ice cream. They offered it at the gelato place and I was curious how it would taste. It was very good! Definitely not something I would eat on a regular basis but it was worth the try.

We went out for dinner in Miami Beach at A fish called Avalon and it was delicious. I had salmon with sweet potatoes and vegetables. 

They had a beach volleyball charity event with Sports Illustrated models on the beach on Thursday. They all looked gorgeous and it was fun to watch. 

We took some bicycles that you can rent everywhere in Miami for a ride and went for lunch.

And of course I had to go for a run on the beach. I don't get the chance to workout on Miami Beach every day. It was awesome and I definitely could get used to it. I also loved that they had workout equipment outside for everybody to use. 

We had a great time in Miami. It was the first time for me and my husband and again I indulged way too much :-). I actually had a hard time after getting back home getting back on track and I am paying the price for it now. I have some breakouts and my abs are definitely gone :-(. 

But that is ok because I am not going anywhere until mid April so the next few weeks will be working out and clean eating to the T!

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

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Happy Wednesday!!!

Make time!

We are in Miami :-) on a little getaway. That many getaways after each other wasn't planed it happened spontaneously. But life happens and I definitely won't say no to it even if it means it will be more challenging with keeping on track. 

This morning I got up an hour earlier and went to the hotel gym for a quick workout. I did arms and 20 minutes interval training. I am ready for the day! Miami here I come ;-)...

Did you make time for a workout today?

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

Long weekend, a yummy treat and some meatballs

We are having a long weekend here in the USA because of Presidents Day (Monday). I stayed home  so far because my husband was away until today.
Friday evening I had my treat meal. Pizza Hawaii and a Red Velvet Cupcake a friend of mine made for Valentines Day. I enjoyed it while watching a cheesy chick flick :-). It was delicious!

Saturday I went back on track. I walked my dog three times and went to the gym for a great back and shoulder workout. I also added 20 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). My left shoulder still bothers me so I can't lift as heavy but I am doing a lot of cable exercises which helps a lot. I definitely can also see that I am not as lean. I got a little bump on my belly (nothing crazy I know but (I call it my woman's belly) when I gain weight it always pups out). I am already curious to see how my body will change in a few weeks when I start to lean out again. Hopefully I will see some more definition!!!

And Saturday evening I baked myself some sweet potatoes and meatballs. I had a little spinach salad with mushrooms and peppers on the side (not pictured).

Ingredients

1 1/2 extra lean ground turkey

5 garlic cloves

1/2 onion finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 celery stalk finely chopped

Mix everything together in a bowl. Bake at 400 F for about 30 minutes (depending on your oven).

Enjoy!

Are you happy?

In the last few weeks I didn't feel like myself. I was very tired, down and had a hard time motivating myself for things. I also had some health issues and finally saw the doctor this week.

All the tests they did came out fine. Really good actually and I am healthy! I am super relieved. But what I found out is that I was and still am stressed. I was so stressed that it started to affect my health. I was moody, super tired because I couldn't sleep, had breakouts and at the end my hormones went CRAZY. I never felt this way and this made me think.

The last few weeks were stressful because of my husbands work, some personal problems and I am unhappy at my current job. When I left Switzerland in 2010 I didn't just leave my family and friends I also left my job. Since moving to North America and living the life of a military spouse I am struggling with finding my place next to my husbands work. The past few jobs I had were not what makes me happy but I took them because I can't be too picky. We often life in small towns and job opportunities aren't as great as in a big city.

In the last few weeks my current job got really stressful and it started to affect my health. After talking to my husband I made the decision to quit. I will keep working with them until the end of March. This decision wasn't easy but I am happy I did it. What I will do after I do not know yet but I do know that I will not just take an other job just because.....

Are you happy with your life? Are you happy at your current job? If not what will you do to change it?

Life it too short do what makes you happy!!!

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day! 

T-Shirt is from Sincerelyjules

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

Leg day!

I worked out legs and glutes today. I normally work them out twice a week because my legs and butt are the weak part of my body. When I started lifting I didn't like leg days, now I LOVE them. 

Growing up I never liked my legs. I didn't wear skirts or shorts unless I had to. It wasn't until my mid twenties that I started wearing dresses and skirts on my own. Weight lifting helped me to accept my legs. I still have a long way to go until I have them the way I want them :-) but I am grateful that I have two healthy legs that carry me wherever I want to go. 

Work HARD, Dream BIG!!!

Weekend fun with a LOT of treats!

My husband and I went to Atlanta for the weekend. We both had Monday off and took this opportunity for a little getaway. It was so much fun and I definitely indulged more than I should have but it is ok because life just happens!

 First treat was a nonfat caramel macchiato. I never drink coffee but if I do it is this one.

I love Quest Bar's for road trips. For the first time I tried the flavour Apple Pie and I really like it. Yummy!

Saturday evening we went out for dinner with some friends. I kept my dinner healthy but I had some wine. I didn't drink alcohol for a whole month. Definitely felt it on Sunday :-(. 

On Sunday we went to the Georgia Aquarium. My absolute favourite were the otter's and the Albino Alligator's.

And Sunday evening we went to Empire State South for dinner. If you are ever in Atlanta go there for dinner. The food is AMAZING! My dinner was again healthy (not pictured) but I allowed myself a dessert :-).

Now we are back in reality and back to our routine! 

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!

I can't believe how fast time flew by and now you are already 11 years old. We went thru so much together! Love you! 

Happy Saturday!!!

Fitness & Booze ?!?

The weekend is here! Time to relax and wind-down with a glass of wine. Stop what? But what is with my fitness goals? Can I stay on track but still enjoy myself on the weekends?

Here are some facts:

1. Alcohol has little to no nutritional value. It goes straight to your bloodstreams which means you are taking in empty calories.
2. Alcohol slows down your metabolism which means it will slow down your fat burring process.
3. Many alcoholic drinks are packed with sugar. Especially if you are mixing your alcohol with juices or energy drinks.
4. Alcohol effects your judgment. Suddenly a cheese burger and french fries as a midnight snack sounds amazing and isn't that bad anymore.

However, if you have a drink or two in moderation once in a while it won't hurt you. There are even some studies that suggest moderate alcohol consumption can provide health benefits. 

Here are some tips that help me stay on track with alcohol and my fitness goals:

1. When you are having some alcohol, try to eat very well and stay away from greasy food.
2. Make sure you drink enough water! I have a glass of water with every glass of wine.
3. Try to stay away from the sugar drinks and try instead a sweet glass of wine or a vodka lemon only with some lemon squeezed in.
4. And last but not least if you have some alcohol enjoy it and don't feel bad about it! 

I personally don't drink very much anymore. I enjoy a glass (or two :-)!) of wine once every few weeks. I save that glass of wine for a special night, a friends birthday, a date night or a little getaway.

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

Fruit

Growing up I learned that fruit is good for you. My mum always had apples and bananas at home and depending on the season grapes, mandarines, strawberries or other berries.
When my dad got sick with diabetes I learned that eating too much fruit actually isn't good for you because of the sugar. And during the time I did Jamie Eason's LiveFitTrainer I watched my fruit intake for the very first time.
This days I normally have a banana and some berries every day. I often eat blueberries in the morning. They are slow to digest and they have moderately low amount of sugar compared to other fruits. I often eat Bananas after my workouts in my protein shakes. Because of the sugar from the banana the body will absorb the protein faster which you want for muscle growth and recovery.
I learned over the last year that this actually helps me reaching my fitness goals better.

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

Trying new things

I love trying out new things, seeing new places and learning new things. I like being challenged because it pushes me and brings me further.

Today I push myself by learning an other new language...Spanish! I am so excited!

Have a great day! 

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!

Weekend fun and a favourite new snack

I had a normal two days off weekend but it felt really short because my husband had to work on Saturday :-(. I made the best out of it and studied, did our groceries for the week and went to the gym. I had a great leg workout and oh man I am still sore :-).
Saturday evening we had some friends over for dinner and I cooked. It was also my cheat meal (which I will rename for me as my treat meal) for the week. I, of course, made a delicious chocolate mousse. It is a recipe out of a Swiss cookbook and it was AMAZING! ;-)

We enjoyed the beautiful weather and took our dog to the dog park on Sunday. I did some prep cooking and went to the gym for an arm workout. I still don't do a lot of exercises for my chest and shoulders but luckily most arm exercises are ok as long as I do not use heavy weights. I was super happy to see a little bump. Progress is happening woohoo ;-)!!!

After my workout I refuelled with a protein shake and my new favourite snack. Brown gluten free rice cracker with all natural peanut butter and unsweetened coconut flakes. Yummy! 

And last night we went to a friends house and watched the Super Bowl. I don't understand anything about this game but it sure was boring. I used one of my How to handle the weekends tricks and ate before we left the house. 

Did you splurge during watching the game last night or did you keep it good?

Happy Monday!

Progress

A few days ago a stumbled over this (first one) picture. I took it after finishing Jamie Eason's LiveFitTrainer in 2012. The other pictures I took this week...:-)! I am super happy with the progress! I just hope that my arms will grow more over the next few weeks.

2012

2014

2014

Work HARD, dream BIG!!!