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No, really. I hate them! I know that they are good for the brain, foster creativity, blah blah blah! I step on them, vaccum them up, and pick them up daily. My 5 year old stayed in his bed for an entire month (a feat in its self). We told him that if he did so, he could pick out a toy at the store. After browsing the Lego isle for almost an hour, he finally decided on a helicopter and dinosaur set. Of coarse it is for older kids which means he would not be able to put it together himself. We got it home and I asked him to wait until his dad got home to help him put it together. Father son bonding right? He was really excited and I felt bad, so I told him I would do it. I swear there are 4,000 pieces! I seriously spent 2 hours puting this stinking thing together. When I was finished, it did look really cool. I was very proud! Last night he was playing upstairs when he said "Mom, come look at this cool thing." I went upstairs to witness the destruction of all of my hard work! He had a "helicopter crash". What the crap? It is a good thing I kept the instructions! This time Dad is puting it back together! Am I a terrible mom?
12 Week LivFit:
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O.K. guys it's week 1 of my new program! I am loving it so far. All strength and no cardio for 3 weeks! It's my dream workout! So, I decided to take my measurements this week and document the changes in my body as I progress. I was going to do it in my journal, but I thought I'd share it with you all! Here are my stats for Week 1.
Weight: 118.4 pounds (I am not trying to loose weight! I might even gain a little with no cardio!)
Fat %: 18.9%
Biceps: 10 1/2 in.
Chest: 36 3/4 in.
Waist: 27 in.
Hips: 36 1/4 in.
Thigh: 19 1/4 in.
Calf: 13 1/4 in.
I will document my progress each week! Hope this is all worth it!
Clean Eating Tip:
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How cheating on your diet can be good for your mind and figure.
By Jennifer Sygo, MSc, RD; Photography Peter Chou; Recipe by Emily Zaler
Striking a balance that works for you is the key to avoiding the pitfalls of eating too perfectly. Just like you need to build rest and recovery into your workout routine, finding a way to enjoy some of your favorite, or even forbidden foods in moderation, is an important tool to keep you on track in the long run.
How often you choose to indulge depends on a few variables, including your personality, your goals, and the types of foods that you tend to crave. If you are weeks away from your first fitness competition, then keeping cheats to a bare minimum is probably best. On the other hand, if it’s a regular day or a regular week, then enjoying a planned cheat meal or favorite snack can help keep you on track. While some prefer to enjoy a small treat every day, others do better by having one “free” meal per week, or enjoying an extra glass of wine or a dessert when they go out socially.
As for the size of the cheat you can afford, that depends on a few factors. We know that cutting calories can help you to lose weight, but being too restrictive for too long can actually slow down your progress by making it difficult for your body to build all-important lean muscle. If you know that you’re consistently eating much less than you are burning (by 500 calories per day or more), then you might add a cheat food to help you to meet your daily needs. In these cases, you will want to make your cheats a bit healthier, since you’ll be eating them often. If you have less wiggle room in your diet, then you might want to limit your cheats to a few times per week, or keep the portions or calories lower when you do indulge.
On the other end of the spectrum, full-out cheat days or weekends can be risky in the long run, especially if you throw all common sense out the window. In the end, you’re better off having a pasta dinner or dessert on Saturday night than spending two whole days gorging on candy and fast food, followed by a week trying to undo the damage.
And if you don’t feel the need to cheat, that’s okay, too – there is no need to force yourself to indulge if you are comfortable with your current routine. The most important thing is that you maintain a routine that is stable, and sustainable, for you.
How often you choose to indulge depends on a few variables, including your personality, your goals, and the types of foods that you tend to crave. If you are weeks away from your first fitness competition, then keeping cheats to a bare minimum is probably best. On the other hand, if it’s a regular day or a regular week, then enjoying a planned cheat meal or favorite snack can help keep you on track. While some prefer to enjoy a small treat every day, others do better by having one “free” meal per week, or enjoying an extra glass of wine or a dessert when they go out socially.
As for the size of the cheat you can afford, that depends on a few factors. We know that cutting calories can help you to lose weight, but being too restrictive for too long can actually slow down your progress by making it difficult for your body to build all-important lean muscle. If you know that you’re consistently eating much less than you are burning (by 500 calories per day or more), then you might add a cheat food to help you to meet your daily needs. In these cases, you will want to make your cheats a bit healthier, since you’ll be eating them often. If you have less wiggle room in your diet, then you might want to limit your cheats to a few times per week, or keep the portions or calories lower when you do indulge.
On the other end of the spectrum, full-out cheat days or weekends can be risky in the long run, especially if you throw all common sense out the window. In the end, you’re better off having a pasta dinner or dessert on Saturday night than spending two whole days gorging on candy and fast food, followed by a week trying to undo the damage.
And if you don’t feel the need to cheat, that’s okay, too – there is no need to force yourself to indulge if you are comfortable with your current routine. The most important thing is that you maintain a routine that is stable, and sustainable, for you.
This is one of my family's favorites! I have to double the recipe because they all have seconds! It takes me about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. I found the recipe on Rachel Ray and cleaned it up a little! So good.
Creamy Peanut Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans low sodium, organic chicken broth
1 cup natural peanut butter
6 scallions, sliced (dark gree parts kept separate)
1 cup fat free half and half
Sea Salt
Asian hot sauce
Lime wedges
Directions:
Puree broth, peanut butter, and scallion whites in a blender. Pour into pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Sir in half and half, season with sea salt and asian hot sauce. Top with scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.
I have a confession, I like putting together the lego monstrosities (and I don't know how to spell that...) I have a friend who superglues the big ones, maybe that would work? Good luck with the new workout!
ReplyDeleteI am sooooo trying the super glue thing!That is such an awesome idea. Thanks Alyssa!
DeleteI hate legos as well. They are all over the stinking place and my mother in law keeps getting more and more of them for my son.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog you are getting me more motivated to clean up my plate. RIght now I am doing a two fast from sugar. This is a tough one for me but know it will be good. Seeing your guns makes me wanna work harder. so here goes.
Yeaaaa! You can do it woman!
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