Blog Archives
Chunky Monkey DeLites
Yesterday morning I dropped my mom off at the airport at 5:20am. She always picks the earliest flight so I was prepared for the dark drive. Since the airport is so close to my work and I don’t have strict hours, I decided to just start my workday at 6:00am. I had a thermos full of coffee and actually opted for no music instead of my usual morning country. The office was practically empty and so quiet, it was kind of nice. I did hit a wall around 1pm and fueled up with some apple slices and peanut butter. I had a gym workout that night that I wanted to be energized for! It’s always a little more difficult for me to run in the evening than first thing in the morning. That’s why this morning I planned a 5:00am treadmill session, logging 5.85 miles during the morning news before the sun came up.
On my lunch hour, I drove one block to the mall to walk a lap and stop at GNC for my favorite Quest bars. (Always nice to give the eyeballs a break from the computer and move the legs!) This little guy (I just assume it’s a boy) was sitting so patiently in the truck next to me, I wanted to hug him! So I just took a picture instead. So serious :)
Dinner was a quick salad that we threw together with leftovers, made fancy with avocado and feta and blueberries.
But I’m really here to share dessert!
Chunky Monkey Ben & Jerry’s is tempting but I had more than my fair share of ice cream in the last couple of weeks of school. The compromise: frozen banana slices with PB Fit and mini chocolate chips.
PB Fit and other similar powdered peanut butters dehydrate the peanut by squeezing out the oils, thus removing about 90% of the fat content. Yes, fats from nuts are healthy and I enjoy regular nut butters regularly! But sometimes when using peanut butter for dessert or extra treat, it is helpful to reduce the calorie and fat content. Plus I genuinely like the flavor and the texture of the powdered pb. I used one large ripe banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter powder mixed with 1.5 tablespoon of water, and 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips; this dessert is 2 servings at approximately 160 calories each.
I sliced the bananas and laid them out on a plate, mixed together the peanut butter powder and water and measured out the chocolate chips. I put a little dab of peanut butter on each banana slice and sprinkled a couple of chips on each. Then I popped the plate in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes until the bananas were slightly frozen. *Best enjoyed with an episode of Grey’s Anatomy while I try to play catch up with my Hulu account. (When I logged in for the first time in a while last week, I had over 70 episodes in my queue! Someone missed the entire season of the Voice #sadday)
Since I had to walk to the store after dinner to buy the bananas, the 2 mile trek nearly cancelled out the calories from the treat. Victory! I’m a little tired from the past couple of 4:20am wake up calls and I have another one coming tomorrow so I’m turning in early tonight. Goodnight!
#TBT 8 (Can we fast forward to this weekend already!?)
Good morning! Throwback Thursday means we are less than 24 hours away from THE LAST WEEKEND OF COLLEGE. And remember that little post/question I put up last week? Well, I found something to do. And you’ll just have to wait and read all about it next week. :)
Annnnnnyways……………..
Yesterday, I completed another cardio workout in the comfort of my apartment’s fitness room which involved hopping from treadmill to elliptical to treadmill. Nothing unusual.
Except the temperature.
The thermostat is protected by a locked plastic case, and the heater was on as I entered the little gym. It was already hot and I hadn’t even started working yet! The heater remained on during my entire stay and when I left, the thermostat read 75 degrees. Take that and add one intense stationary work out (6 miles plus elliptical time, some core work afterwards) and you have some prettttttty sweaty clothes.
So in lieu of my sauna-esque workout, I found this little scientific breakdown post to bring back to life as today’s throwback. (How so many people rave about “hot yoga” classes, I do not know.)
P.S. This is about as “scientific” as it gets on Strong Like My Coffee ;)
Originally Posted on June 11, 2014
“Did you have a nice swim?”
Actually I just ran.
“Oh, so you just got out of the shower?”
Nope, this is pure perspiration right here.
“How long were you running???”
Oh you know, 30 minutes.
The amount I sweat looks completely disproportional to the intensity and effort I exert during a run. It seems logical that, after nearly 8 years of running, my body should be well-adapted to cardio activity and sweat less right?
I will be forever envious of fellow female runners who can shake out a pony-tail after a solid treadmill session with nothing more than a slight mist on their hairline. Meanwhile I’m towelling off my soaked face, my hair dripping as I sprint to the shower and avoid chit chat in my sweaty state.
What gives?
I took to the world wide web to answer my eternal question of why the heck do I sweat so much if I am “in shape”?
***I can rule out “hyperhidrosis” or an actual diagnosis of excessive sweating because this only happens during exercise, thank goodness.***
SOME SWEET SWEAT FACTS:
Basic Anatomy:
- The autonomic nervous system controls the sweat function, a natural response to the rise in body temperature.
- Sweat is 99% water, 1% sodium and other compounds (on average). Some people have “saltier” sweat than others.
- The odor accompanying the release of sweat is not the actual sweat itself; it is the bacteria that lives on our skin around the sweat glands that becomes “activated” with the sudden moisture.
Sweat Factors:the amount a person sweats is related to the number of sweat glands, their gender, some genetic factors, source or reason for sweating (stress, spicy food, exercise, etc.) and overall body mass.
Other Interesting findings:
- Several sources report that more cardiovascularly-fit people sweat earlier into their exercise session because their bodies have learned to expect the rise in body temperature and attempt to cool off sooner into the workout.
- Because fat and body mass act as insulators, heavier people require more sweat to bring down their body temperature. This is why larger bodies sweat more.
- A red light for me: “CAFFEINE CAN INCREASE PERSPIRATION.” :(
What it boils down to:
The body contains between 2 and 5 million sweat glands. More glands = more sweat. I.e. Sweat volume is not a sign of fitness.
If you are a light sweater, I’m a jealous jellyfish. If you are a faucet, include extra hydration into your pre and post-workout routine. Drink up, buttercup!
Sweaty Sources:
http://cathe.com/sweating-profusely-during-exercise-does-it-mean-youre-out-of-shape
http://www.fitsugar.com/Why-Some-People-Sweat-More-Than-Others-145870
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/30/sweat-too-much-normal-sweating-facts_n_4659752.html
Don’t Underestimate…
Do not underestimate the power of some of the moments we take for granted.
Like a phone call with your mom or dad.
Or a completely crossed-off to-do list.
A weeknight off from cooking for the best salad bar in town.
Tuesday morning began differently than usual. I had a Face Time conference call at 8:00am, Eastern Time. I’m a West Coast girl, so I was not-so-bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed at 5:00am. A pre-coffee meeting, oh my. The earlier-than-usual Tuesday called for some additional coffee and serious motivation to get through my workout in the gym.
After a banana, I decided to break up my “strictly running” pattern with a little time on the elliptical. When I made it to the fitness room, I saw Father of the Bride on TV. Classic! I loved this movie when I was little, and its sequel equally so. My hour split between the elliptical and the treadmill ended with just enough time to shower and look business-professional for a presentation in my last class of the day.
I sat through my last advertising lecture (it’s all just a big group project from here on out!) and started to become more nervous for my presentation later in the afternoon. Every semester ends with multiple presentations, but this one in particular was one-on-one with my professor in his office. Immediately afterwards, he gave feedback which I really appreciated. All my nerves were for nothing and I could look forward to the rest of my evening hanging out with one of my best friends. :)
First I threw off my heels and changed into boots and a sweater. Before we headed downtown for dinner and shopping, we decided on a pit stop to one of the parks where we would have cross country practice at least once a week. There was a whole herd (okay probably not a herd….like 10 or 12) deer munching on grass right next to us as we walked by! (Reminded me of the time was just stumbled upon some elk in the Grand Canyon!)
Walking around the park was a phenomenal idea because there were surprisingly SO MANY walkers, joggers and runners out. I love being around lively, active, fit people. Whenever I’m in a desolated place, I always wonder why no one else is out and about. It’s a beautiful day, why are people inside?! :) That’s one of the things that I loved best about visiting Boise, ID. It’s an ACTIVE community, that was for sure.
We talked nonstop for a couple hours and had to fuel up with some AMAZING salads at The Mix. I added tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, edamame, sunflower seeds, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, mandarin oranges, yams, corn, and housemade gluten-free croutons to mine with some chipotle orange vinaigrette on the side. I took a pretty picture and then demolished it ;)
Re-fueled, we walked around the shops a little more and I ended up buying a couple cute patterned headbands with bows because they looked very “Southern.” It’s a girl thing, right?!
Don’t underestimate the re-energizing power of a night out, fresh air, fresh food, and a fresh perspective from someone else. I can easily let my inner happiness get swallowed up by the stress of any situation but I am lucky enough to have incredible people in my life to remind me what I’m working towards. It makes all the petty little things seem so small.
And NOW, I am completely done with my senior capstone class so I am going to watch an episode of Sex & the City (TV twice is one day?? Who am I!) and probably fall asleep four minutes into it. I did wake up before 5am after all ;)
P.S. This is the song I listened to on repeat during my workout when Father of the Bride was on commercial. Love it.
