Gabby’s Workout Plan

(Read the title of this post as if Kanye is singing it–it sounds a lot more exciting!)

I love to work out, as my friends and family members know very well. I’m known to wake up at an ungodly hour to hit the gym or go for a run. Sometimes, early in the morning is all the time I have for a workout. By doing it early, I also get it over with and feel great all day long. Working out is my biggest stress reliever; last Sunday I was really angry about something the moment that I woke up; instead of letting my anger get the best of me, I went for a long run to clear my head and distract myself. Working out seems to simplify all of my problems. Thus, when I don’t do it, I tend to get more stressed out. It becomes a problem in itself!

I am sometimes asked what I do when I workout. I try to change it up between cardio days and endurance/lifting days. I don’t want to be some skinny minnie with no muscle. No thanks. This summer, I completed a Tough Mudder with my dad and some of his friends. I am crazy, I know. My least favorite obstacle was the electrocution; no one needs that. I started training in January for the race, which was in June. I definitely noticed a physical change in my body, and I liked it. It feels good to feel strong.

Some of my friends ask me about my workout routine. Maybe when we were younger it was cool to be super thin, but now many of us are more concerned with being toned and strong. Here is my workout routine, for those who were wondering or just are looking to do something different themselves!

Saturday: Run. I love running, but my knees aren’t in the best shape and I can’t always do it. I try to run once or twice per week. My runs are generally done outside and are between 5 and 8 miles. I just reached the double digits for the first time yesterday. Yay 10 miles!

Sunday: Run or lift. Depending on Saturday’s performance, I will run if I feel up to it. If not, I head to the gym and do a little cardio and lift weights. More on that if you keep reading!

Monday: Cardio and lifting.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Spin. I LOVE spinning. My dad is an instructor and I have him to thank for getting me into it. It’s such a great way to get an awesome workout that’s not hard on your joints. It’s also great for your legs and booty. And the sweat is awesome, NOT gross! Sweating is good, people. I think I feel my absolute best right after a spin class. Who needs dresses or heels when you’ve got spin shoes and spandex, right? Right. Fun fact: Sweat smells because of bacteria that lives in your body. Sweat comes from the apocrine glands, which release perspirtation rich in protein and fats that bacteria feeds on.

Friday: Cardio and lifting.

My Lifting Routine: I usually start out with 30-40 minutes of cardio to get a good sweat going and to wake me up. I can be found on the elliptical (which I only do if I’m feeling lazy cause I don’t consider it real exercise) or the stair master.

Post cardio, I stretch a bit and then get to the fun stuff. Here are a few of my go-to moves.

The Goblet Squat. A great full-body move!

Single-Arm Barbell Swing. Great cardio and full-body exercise, particularly for the shoulders.

Cross-Behind Lunges. For the legs and abs!

Plank To Pushup. Works your abs like no other and keeps your heart rate up.

Lunges! For the legs.

I also usually do pull-ups, work with an exercise ball, and more ab moves. More on those in a future post!

-G

Note: I am aware that I should take day off every once in a while. But for me, not working out is a stressor. I realize that I’m too hard on my body and need to let it recover, but I have trouble actually giving myself a break. I’m working on it. 

I’m Hung Up On…

Well, here we are again. I have another JT update to share. I pre-ordered the new album and have been listening to it on iTunes for free. He is killing the music game, per usual. Murder, Anxiety, and Drink You Away are my favorites tracks so far. I predict that Murder will be his next big hit. Mark my words, people. Also, Grey’s is back, which improves my life tenfold. Miranda Bailey, you are my spirit surgeon. But as much as I love the show, I think it’s time for ABC to put the kibosh on it. It’s getting a bit silly now and I’d like to see it end before it gets too ridiculous. Like, more ridiculous than a plane crash and a shooting and a bomb and a power-outage.

Music: I’m get more and more sick of Miley Cyrus everyday. Honestly Miley, just go away. Leave us be.  I say that and yet here I am, giving her exactly what she wants, watching her videos and talking about her and giving her all the attention she could ever need. I watched her new video, 23, which I guess is supposed to have something to do with Michael Jordan? Miley, I don’t know much about basketball, but what I do know is that you cannot touch MJ. He is the king of all things and you’re just, well, being Miley. Your tongues are out for very different reasons and we would like for you to keep yours in your mouth.

Wear: I’m really wishing I were more hipster so I could wear this Free People Kaftan. IT’S SO VIBRANT AND SUMMERY AND FAB! Summer, please do not go. We could be really happy together; don’t leave me! Coach has captured my attention recently with their fall shoe line. When I think of Coach, I usually think of those stupid mini-purses with the colorful coach “C” all over it. Please tell me what they carried and why the heck it was necessary to carry one into the middle school cafeteria. Coach is killing it this season, particularly with the Honey Bootie. I’m kind of dying for these.

Eat: I need this Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash with Black Bean Guacamole right now. I’m on a black bean kick right now (I actually always eat them so I don’t know if it’s a kick as much as it a lifestyle) and add them to everything. So filling and nutritious and wonderful. I suggest black beans with a little parmesan and Sriracha; so tasty. Also, I can get down with these Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes With Avocado Frosting.  Healthy and chocolately? I cannot say no.

Musings: If you’re a person with eyes or ears, you’ve read or heard about the diet that supposedly solves all health problems and makes you fit and healthy and awesome. Drum roll please…THE PALEO DIET! Hazzaaaaaaah. I’ve considered it before but then I’m like, nah, I like black beans and cheese and oatmeal. And I don’t think cavemen had those things. I found myself thinking about trying the diet on Friday morning; Friday afternoon, I found this article, titled A Caveman’s Response To The Paleo Diet. I found myself laughing at we humans for acting like we know about the caveman’s diet. Like, did cavemen eat filets of salmon and thinly sliced onions? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say no. We do not live the caveman life and need to stop acting like it. I understand that we have the tools now to take the caveman’s diet up a notch, but we shouldn’t call it the caveman’s diet if that’s not what it is. We have so much delicious food at our fingertips and I think we really ought to take advantage of how lucky we are. I say no to you, paleo diet. I’ll take my peanut butter and processed dark chocolate, thanks.

Where: The Hotel Cipriani in Venice. This looks pretty sweet and I’d like to spend the rest of my life there. Like, look at the suites. I see us all being very happy there, popping olives and sipping wine and tasting cheeses and being classy. Also, the hotel was in Casino Royale. If it’s good enough for Daniel Craig, you know I’ll take it.

Wishing you a wonderful week! To those who will be watching Revenge tonight, happy watching! I hope you don’t get as confused as I inevitably will.

-G

I’m Hung Up On

Music: JT has a new song out so you should probably buy it right now. Speaking of JT, he is on the cover of the NY Times Men’s Fall Fashion issue. Also, thoughts on Avicii’s new album? I’m digging it so far. I like that although Avicii’s music is put in the dance category, it’s not too techy. I don’t feel like I have to be an EDM freak to enjoy it.

Eat: Dying for these Fudgy Brownie Bites. Healthy and fudgy and raw and delicious?! What could be better? I vote we make these and play chubby bunny with them. Comment if you’re in. Also, as if we needed more reasons to make Lentil Soup.  I could definitely get down with Korean Glass Noodles with Vegetables from Hungry Girl Poor Vida. I’d like to eat a big ol’ bowl of these. One more link to make your mouth water: 200 Healthy Dorm Recipes, for my friends living that college dorm-kitchen life! Simple and healthy is key, mis amigos.

Wear: I’m kind of dying over these smoking flats from Burberry. But since I don’t exactly have $500 to spend on, well, anything right now, I may have to snatch up J.Crew’s suede loafers, which are much closer to my price range. Hey, I haven’t gotten new shoes in a while and I’ve done well so far this semester and I deserve something nice. Also, all of my flats smell freakishly bad, which is likely due to my perpetually funky feet. When you work out on a daily basis, your feet tend to get a little nasty. No shame in my stank.

Musings: My latest obsession: The Chalkboard Mag. As Pressed Juicery’s portal into online health and wellness, TCM is my new go-to for nutrition tips, expert advice, and all things detox. In other musings news, a friend sent me this hilarious “Surviving Whole Foods” article. It’s all so true; I am shocked by how much I can spend on oats, veggie burgers, and frozen veggies, I’ve never met a poor person with special diet needs (are lactose intolerance and Celiac disease creations of the 1%?), and that parking lot is crazier than post-Yankee game traffic. Also, 8 Plausible Reasons To Stay In Bed, Eat and Watch Netflix All Day. #3 is too true.

Where: Sweet Green, specifically their new Back Bay location. My new go-to for healthy, delicious food, SG is committed to sourcing organic and local ingredients for their salads, wraps, and juices. The cherry on top? They have froyo too! All a gal could ever want. My salad literally blew my mind; arugula, sweet potato, chicken, quinoa, goat cheese, red grapes, spicy broccoli and balsamic vinegar. My friend got the guacamole greens salad as a wrap and loved every bite. It was the best thing I’ve eaten in a very long time, as most of my diet these days consists of sweet potatoes, black beans, and spinach.

Enjoy your week!

-G

Chocolate Covered Bananas

Warning: the backstory behind this recipe is kind of boring, but in a cute, spontaneous way. So keep reading. One day this past week, one of my roommates asked me if I wanted to make chocolate covered bananas with the fruit we had in the kitchen. I immediately said yes. And that was that. Moments after our conversation took place, I was in the kitchen chopping and skewering bananas.

This is such a simple, fun task that anyone at any cooking level can do. It requires virtually no actual cooking (unless you melt chocolate over a double boiler, which we don’t have  in our little dorm kitchen). All you need are bananas, a freezer, and a microwave.

Another great thing about choconanas (that’s what we’re calling them from here on out–I’m going to make choconana a thing) is that they’re very healthy. Bananas are one of the healthiest fruits out there, and chocolate is good for you, too. Right? Yeah. Just so long as it isn’t white chocolate or milk chocolate! Both are heavily processed and low in nutrients. Basically, the darker the chocolate the better. Stick a few nuts on your choconanas and you’ve added healthy fats and a little protein. I’m starting to think I should eat these delicious snacks for breakfast.

Chocolate Covered Bananas

What You’ll Need:

Bananas
Chocolate Chips (we used semi-sweet; dark chocolate would work as well)

**Suggested toppings: nuts, coconut, sprinkles, cookie crumbles, caramel.

What You’ll Do:

Peel bananas and chop into 2 inch pieces. Stand bananas upright on a plate on top of parchment or wax paper. Place any sort of stick in the tops in the bananas and push down until the sticks are about half way into the fruit. I suggest using straws, as they are thick enough to support the weight of the bananas. And they’re pretty. Leave in the freezer for at least 2 hours to freeze.

When you are ready to dip the bananas in chocolate, melt about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. After this time, stir the chips and heat them up for another 30 seconds. Continue this process until the chocolate is smoothly melted. If you like, you can add a bit of coconut oil to ensure a smooth consistency. I’d also suggest adding peanut butter to the mixture. PB makes all things better.

Once your chocolate is melted, you can begin dipping your bananas! Submerge them in chocolate until all sides are coated.

**Warning: The coldness of the bananas may cause your chocolate to freeze itself. If this occurs, pop it back in the microwave to warm it up again.

If you are using nuts, now is the time when you should dip your choconanas into chopped nuts. Place the treats back on the parchment paper and back into the freezer when they’ve all been coated. You can eat your choconanas now or in about 30 minutes, when they’ve had a thorough amount of time to freeze with the chocolate.

Hope you enjoy!

-G

I’m Hung Up On…

Hey, all. I’m taking a healthy break (and by healthy break I mean 10 minutes) from finishing Lost to share the things I’m obsessing over right now. I’ve been watching lost since last year and I only have 2 episodes left and I don’t know what I’ll do without it once I’m done. My roommate doesn’t want me to finish because she knows I might have a psychotic break upon viewing the final scene. Like, what will I do with all of my time? Definitely not homework and surely not anything too productive. Do you have any suggestions for shows I could start watching? I’m thinking about Orange is the New Black, as everyone seems to be talking about it and I actually met Taryn Manning over the summer.

Music: Justin Timberlake‘s new album, The 20/20 Experience Part 2, that he will bless us with on September 30. I don’t know if I can wait that long, honestly. I’m hoping the album will be like his last one; somewhat poppy and dancy but soulful. JT can do no wrong in my mind. Sidenote: I’m seeing him in concert in November with my best friend and I cannot contain my excitement. Attending a JT concert has basically been my dream since I was 10 so this is a big deal. It’ll probably be a religious experience.

Eat: These Black Bean and Corn Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Sorry I’m not sorry to be posting about sweet potatoes again, but they’re seriously the perfect food. A meal in themselves OR a vessel for other yummy ingredients! Black beans are another one of my favorites, so the combo of these two rocks my world. For dinner last night I actually had a baked sweet potato with a side of black beans and goat cheese. Too bad I didn’t think to put the beans in the potato. Silly me.

Wear: Bralettes. I’m behind the trend on these, I know. But I just bought my first two and they’re amazing. I wore this one yesterday and didn’t want to take it off. It keeps everything where it should be but also feels like I’m not wearing a bra. Hello, heaven, thou name art bralette. I also felt super feminine. Be warned: one must think closely about the shirt one wears whilst donning a bralette, otherwise things could get very awkward very quickly.

Musings: 6 Signs You Might Be In Love. I feel this way about peanut butter so that’s alarming. I love how it smells (sinfully delicious), it has witnessed my more embarrassing moments (shoveling it into my mouth on the floor at strange hours of the day), I fantasize about its body (so smooth, so rich, so comforting), it makes me feel differently about myself (happy and/or fat, depending on the day), I immediately include it in my long term goals (I need to bring it on every vacation, it must be in my room at all times, “will there be PB where we’re going?” is always a relevant question), and it’s generally present in other aspects of my life. Like in class when I can’t pay attention and am thinking about PB instead.

Where: Here. Someone take me here, please. Beach, fitness, healthy food, sun? Count me in. Just imagine how happy you’d be here, soaking up that vitamin D and being healthy and loving life. We could go together. I’m a good time.

-G

 

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