Oh Lentils... How I Love Thee!

These Lil guys are delicious and a very versatile, nutrient-packed, addition too so many meals and snacks!  You can get these lentils at Trader Joe's.  As the label reads, they are ready to eat warm or cold; and in my opinion taste great either way.  You can also buy lentils in bulk at your local grocery stores (if they have bulk bins, there are usually black and/or red lentils for purchase).

 For a 1/2c. serving, Lentils provide 120 calories, zero fat, 20 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fiber (giving a net card of 12 grams), only 2 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein.

 Today's lunch... Fresh spinach, one piece of nitrate/nitrite-free bacon, tomatoes, fat-free feta, and one serving of lentils, drizzled with a splash of balsamic... SO GOOD!!!  It was hard not to make another salad.

Love2LiveFit

Bulgarian Split Squat = Gluteal Love

I know the quality of this picture isn't the best... but my client and friend I call Stroupie's form while performing Bulgarian split squats is spot on.  To hit more gluteal muscles you want to kick the forward foot out more in front.  To hit more quad muscles you would have the forward foot back a little closer to the bench; in either position the knee should always track right above the ankle.
When lowering into the eccentric position, I tell my clients to mentally push the elevated knee towards under the bench.  Now, it doesn't even go under the bench at all; however, by having them direct it that way targets more gluteal activation, then not.  And we all Love to do that!!!


                                                                         Love2LiveFit

Travel and Fitness!

 It was a hot one in L.A. during the last week of July this year.  I drove me and my son down to Alhambra to spend a week with my 95 year old grandmother who lives alone.  She has lived in the same house for over 70 years, she even told me she paid $3,500.00 for it... Crazy!
Anyway, knowing I would be down there for a week presented me with the fitness opportunity that I teach to so many of my clients... Train while you travel.  Gathering the equipment I could fit into my suitcase, and trunk of the car came rather easy.  I brought two mats, a pair of perfect push ups, resistance bands, a pair of gliding discs, a jump rope, and the most valuable piece of training gear, my bag of sticks!

Sticks is a workout I surprise my clients with randomly, and they always respond with the same dreaded sigh... Because they know that the sticks unveil their fitness fate with each pull out of the bag.
My training plan for the week was to complete each stick in the bag.  Usually when you pick a stick you put it back in the bag, and it can only be repeated two more times, and not twice in a row (stick fitness rules), however my plan was to not put any
sticks back in the bag and try to empty the whole bag by Friday.
Well... I didn't realize how many darn sticks I had created over
the past few years, and only completed 98 sticks, with 42 more
remaining.  I trained with the sticks 4 days with a 20min. warm-
up of jumping rope.
The environment of my grandmas garage was the rawest  gym
I have ever trained in, besides the outdoors.  I honestly felt
like a bad ass, lol; sweating my butt of in 88 degree temps
with more humidity in a day then we get all year up here in Reno, NV.
After my first workout, I went in the house and my grandma tells me that she wants to come out tomorrow and watch me.  I replied, "really?".  She said, "well, naturally, I want to see what it is you do".  She is so darn cute, and I Lo her so much.
Her watching me train, turned into her pulling my fitness fate with each stick; it was awesome!!!
The garage has been completely cleaned out since my grandpa passed away15 years ago, and the only things that remain are the washing machine (no dryer, yes I lined dried all the laundry and me and my son really enjoyed that), the old radio (pictured below), and a few yard tools.  It was muggy, dusty and dark; and I killed those workouts!
I have done my stick workouts before, yet it had been a long time; and doing so, gave me a clearer understanding for what I put my clients through:).

I was amazed how good of a workout I got using minimal equipment.  This just reiterated to myself that you don't need a lot to get a good workout done!!!


      No Excuses Right?  Because that is the only thing getting in our way... Our self.

                                                Love2LiveFit

All the gear that kicked my butt!!!

Sticks I didn't complete.

Sticks completed.

Finally Back into a routine and busier then ever!

This summer I decided to take a trip to L.A. with my son to visit my grandmother (check out the following blog).  She is 95 years old and lives alone.  She doesn't see very well anymore and doesn't get many visitors these days.  We drove down and stayed 6 days.  I cleaned, cooked, took her out to lunch, did laundry, organized her cupboards, etc...
We had breakfast and coffee every morning on the porch, and every afternoon we relaxed on the porch and she really enjoyed watching me and my son play catch.

While I was down there, I was pursuing to get my old job back at a spa I worked at for 3 1/2 years as an Aesthetician.  Working part-time on the weekends would really help out and allow me to continue training, cooking, and being home during the week for my son when on school breaks.  And I had really missed the line of work since leaving in 2012.
The day after I returned home, I went in for an interview and was hired on the spot... Yay!  It has been so good to be back and work with all the amazing people there again.  It really is a zero stress job for me and I like to refer to it as the softer side of what I do, when you compare it to the trainer in me.
I am grateful and blessed to be doing my passions for a living!!!  Going back to work on the weekends has taken me a little to get use to in regards to organizing my time between fitness, studying skin care, my son's sporting activities, planning our wedding next month, cooking, and blogging; but I feel that I am finally getting a good routine established and will hopefully be back to blogging regularly.
Going back to work as an Aesthetician may now bring some skin care blogs to my site along with the fitness and food.  Stay tuned...