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Hi Friends!

Well, the day is finally here! Hubby and I are on our way to Hawaii. I’ve only been waiting for this trip since I was about 10 years old. I’m so freakin’ excited!!!!! My plan is to pop in here and there with some pictures and recaps of our vacation days…but just in case I decide to swear off the computer, I didn’t want to totally abandon you guys! I have a series of guest posts lined up from some of my very best blogging friends. They are all amazing and I love them so much for taking the time to write posts that I can share with you guys! It should be a good mix of food and fitness to keep you guys entertained!

Today we’re kicking things off with a fitness post from Elle.

A few things about Elle:

• She is a fellow future RD. She’s actually in the middle of her internship right now and she just finished up her master’s coursework. She’s SO CLOSE to being done and I’m so proud of her.
• She is totally gorgeous.
• She is recently engaged and thanks to her fiance’s  job she gets to travel all over the world on all sorts of amazing trips.
• She has a killer sense of style and I would like her to move here and tell me what to wear every day.
• Oh and she also posts delicious recipes and amazing workouts so be sure to check out her blog!

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Hi Lean Green Bean lovers! Since Lindsay is the queen of efficiency, I thought I’d share one of my booty blasting weekday workouts with you. I’m currently finishing up grad school for nutrition but long gone are the days that I could sleep until 7, wor out, shower and eat breakfast before class at 10! I started my dietetic internship about 4 weeks ago and had to quickly adapt my morning workouts to be able to get to the hospital by 7:30am. It’s tough getting out of bed in the morning but I’ve never regretted a sweaty start to my day! Factor in just 40 minutes for everything – including a warm up, cool down and time for stretching.

Here’s a quick description of the moves if you’re not already familiar:

• Squats with side kick: squat down, kick leg out to the side as you stand up; alternate kicking leg with each squat
• Renegade row pushup: grab some weights ( I use 5-10 pounders), complete a pushup while holding weights, row one arm back and repeat with the other arm
• Tricep dip with leg extension: your usual tricep dip using a chair only when you push yourself up, lift one leg out straight as you squeeze your glutes
• Squat thrusters: holding weights at shoulder height, squat down and while returning to standing position, push arms up overhead (a.k.a. the shoulder press); bring arms back down to shoulder level as you squat down
• Back lunge bicep curls: holding weights, stand with arms at 90 degrees; as you lunge backwards, lower arms until straight and complete a full bicep curl as you return to standing

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down. A quick 5 minute walk/jog will actually help control your breathing early on – you likely won’t feel like you’re gasping for air from the get go! That will come about 4 minutes later. 😉

If you’re a fan of this booty blasting weekday workout, feel free to stop by my blog, nutritionella.com for other sweaty workouts and healthy recipes, too!

Have a great one!

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You better believe i’ll be trying this workout when I get home!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

It’s Friday again already!

I have a few fun workouts to share with you this week so let’s jump right in!

Friday: I wanted to do an outdoor workout so I headed to the park with every intention of just running…except it would be on a different path and provide a nice change of scenery. But when I got there, there was a bunch of empty soccer fields. For those of you that don’t know, I used to be pretty good at soccer. I played in a premier league in middle school and early high school before I gave it up to focus on volleyball. HOWEVER, I probably haven’t been on a soccer field in at least 10 years. But I reached back into my memory bank and tried to put together some sort of workout with some of the stuff I remembered doing at practices.

Here’s what it ended up looking like:

For the suicides, I started at one goal line, ran to the top of the penalty box and back, to mid-field and back, to the top of the other penalty box and back and then to the opposite goal line and back.

If you notice the pained expression on my face behind that fake smile, it’s because I spent the entire workout thinking one of the following:
a) Holy shit soccer fields are A LOT bigger than I remember.
b) I can’t believe I was ever in good enough shape to run around one of these fields for 90 minutes
c) I’m gonna die.

So there you have it. When I played we’d do something like this for our warmup. And then practice for 3 hours. CRAZY.

I also snuck in a couple of walks and did my first 3 minute plank in forever!

Saturday & Sunday: Rest days. We did some yard work on Sunday and played an awesome game of sand volleyball. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, I’m pretty much incapable of wearing matching clothes to do yardwork. Here’s my most recent attire. Light purple, hot pink, three shades of blue, some black…you get the idea 🙂

Monday: I was in the mood to run but it was raining for most of the day and my treadmill is currently broken. Just as I was about to give up, I noticed that the rain had let up so I headed out to squeeze in a couple miles. I ran two 9 minute miles and then walked a mile to cool down. Just as I was finishing up, it started raining again so I headed inside, set my timer for 10 minutes and walked up and down my staircase. I wasn’t running up and down…I was just walking up and down at a steady pace for 10 minutes straight to see how many times I could go up and down. My goal was 40. I got to 43!

Tuesday: I needed to mail my Foodie Penpals package so I decided to walk the 1 mile to the post office instead of driving. After I mailed the box, I took the super long way home to make it a 4 mile walk and then did a few planks.

Wednesday: I decided to give my legs a break and I headed to the basement to do a weights workout. I picked exercises that focuses on shoulders and back. Here’s what it looked like:

#PROOF

Thursday: I didn’t feel like running but wanted to do something that would get my heart rate up. So I headed out to the front steps and did this workout:

Everything that says staggered is done with one foot up on the step and the other on the ground.

#PROOF

You could easily do this workout using a box, a park bench,
a weight bench or even a curb!
Also, please excuse my crazy hair in the photo above.

I didn’t have a big block of time yesterday to take my regular 3-4 mile walk to help me get my 10,000 steps…but I did manage to find 3 shorter 15 minute blocks of time to walk!
I challenged myself to go a little further during each 15 minute walk:

So there you have it! My week of workouts. I also guest posted for Laura this week and shared another fun workout:

It is KILLER. Laura and I both shared our #PROOF pictures in the post and we are sweaty messes 🙂 CLICK HERE to check it out.

A couple other things of note:

I got bloodwork done for the first time in a few years because I had to get a physical for my internship and let me just say, I’m pretty darn proud of my results:

I’m most proud of my HDL cholesterol actually. Last time I got it checked it was in the 30’s and one of my goals when I started exercising regularly was to increase that number. In case you don’t know, HDL is the good cholesterol because it clears excess cholesterol from your blood and returns it to your liver, thus preventing it from forming plaque in your arteries! Aerobic exercise is one of the best ways to improve your HDL.

I’ll leave you with this picture that my fitfluential friends shared on their page this week as part of their motivation campaign:

More important than the photo is the message I posted with it when I shared it on instagram, facebook and twitter:

Sometimes I eat ice cream after dinner. I’m not afraid to eat carbs and I don’t count calories.

BUT, I also workout 4-5 days a week. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I lift weights. I choose lean sources of protein, eat healthy fats and drink lots of water.

Strive for balance, embrace moderation and work hard to make YOURSELF proud. The rest will work itself out.

Have a great weekend!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

Happy Friday 🙂 I have a couple new workouts to share with you…but before we recap my week of workouts, I want to share something else with you guys.

On April 6th, I got my Fitbit (To see the post I wrote about why I love it, CLICK HERE). I charged it up and on April 7th I wore it around. I didn’t workout and I didn’t put any extra effort into getting steps. It was a Saturday I think so we were out running errands. I walked 5,800 steps. That night I decided that from then on I wanted to get 10,000 steps every day. Today is June 8th. That means that every day for the past 2 months, I’ve walked at least 10,000 steps! Pretty cool, right?

Here are the Fitbit charts from all but this past week:

When I was working, it was easy. I’d easily get 6,000-7,000 steps in a 3 hour shift. But there were days when I wasn’t working. When I had my treadmill laptop stand, it was easy. I could get 6,000 steps while checking my email and reading blogs in the morning. But currently my treadmill is broken 🙁

What I’m saying is, it hasn’t been easy every day. And some days I only clear 10,000 by about 10 steps….but it doesn’t matter. I’m still getting to 10,000. I’m making the extra effort to move more, be more active, walk when I’d rather nap…

I thought I’d share a few things that have helped me get my 10,000 steps each day.

Let’s break it down:

• Leave Early: When you have somewhere to go, and you have a little extra time, leave early. I would leave for class about 30 minutes earlier than I needed to and spend that extra time walking around campus to get some extra steps in. Prior to getting my fitbit I would have just sat on the couch, or in the classroom and waited for class to start.
• Walk Daily: If you have a dog, take them for a walk every day. If you have a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/child/friend/coworker- go for a walk with them! It doesn’t have to be long. Squeeze in a 15 minute walk here or there and it’ll get you about 2,000 steps. My dogs have had more walks in the past 2 months than they previously had in a whole year.
• Take the Stairs: It’s a no brainer, friends. Any time you find yourself getting ready to take the elevator or escalator, find the stairs and take them instead. Every step counts.
• Be Indirect: I almost never take a straight path to wherever I need to end up. Use a zigzag pattern to walk across a store, walk around the perimeter instead of straight up the middle, park on the opposite side of the parking lot from the department you need to go to, walk up and down those extra aisles in between where you are and where you need to go instead of just passing them by.
• Walk and Talk: If you’re on the phone, walk around. I understand this might not be possible at work, but if you’re at home talking to your mom, or at your kid’s soccer game talking to a friend, walk around. There’s no reason you need to sit still to talk on the phone.
• Set a Goal: There’s no way I would be walking 10,000 steps every day if I hadn’t made it a goal for myself. If 10,000 is too many steps for you at first, aim for 7,500. You need something to strive for each day or you probably won’t be motivated to get all those steps.
• Take a Lap, Not a Nap: Next time you feel like laying down for a nap, go for a quick walk instead. Tell yourself you’ll walk one mile and then if you’re still tired after that, you’ll lay down. I bet, a lot of the time, after you walk, your energy will be restored and you won’t need that quick nap. And if it’s not, then hey- at least you got some steps in before you rested!
• Set the Timer: If having to walk x number of miles each day seems daunting to you, break it down into blocks of time. Whenever you have a small chunk of free time, set a timer and walk. It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 min, 15 min or an hour. Walk around your house, walk up and down the stairs, walk outside…just set the timer and go! And don’t stop until it goes off. Repeat throughout the day.
• Develop a Routine:  After trying to reach your goal steps for so many days in a row, you’ll find you develop some routines to help you get there. You learn when it’s easiest for you to fit in a walk. You learn which walking route to take depending on how many steps you need. You start doing everyday tasks a certain way in order to maximize the number of steps it takes you to do them.  Then, on days when you’re really struggling…stick with what you know works to get you to that 10,000 mark.
• Have No Shame: There is no shame in heading to the basement at 11:45pm to pace around and run in place in order to get those last 500 steps in. There’s no shame in going to the bathroom every time you have the slightest urge to pee, even when you really could hold it, just to get some extra steps….No shame, friends. Do whatever it takes to get those steps!

So there you have it. I don’t set a lot of goals, but this is one that I actually like accomplishing each day!

Let’s review this past week, shall we?

Friday – Sunday: I pretty much took the weekend off. We had our college reunion and were gone for part of the weekend and to be honest, I was just tired. I didn’t want to work out. So I didn’t. Sunday night I did some planks and we played volleyball.

Monday: I did a new 100 workout that worked both my arms and legs. It was ROUGH. I was sore for 3 days…especially my legs. Holy Moly.

I used 12# dumbbells and a 10# med ball.

#PROOF

When Hubby came home, we headed out on a 12 mile bike ride. I stalked a heron, trying to get a good picture and we rode enjoyed the view at the dam.

Tuesday: I was so sore I could barely walk so I stuck to just abs and walking the dogs.

Wednesday: It was National Running Day. My legs were still sore but I forced myself outside to do the following:

The third 10 minutes of running was miserable. I didn’t think I was gonna make it. But I did it!! Also note how red my face it. When I run, my face gets RED. It doesn’t matter if it’s just for 5 minutes, or for the entirety of an hour long soccer game. My coaches used to bench me because they thought I was overheating…but no, my face just likes to get red 🙂

There you go! Some new workouts and tips for walking.

So tell me… Do you have a goal for daily steps? What’s your favorite way to sneak in some extra steps throughout the day?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

It’s already time for another weekend. I LOVE short weeks 🙂

It’s been a busy, active week! Let’s recap shall we?

Friday: I did an arms and abs workout and let me tell you…it was a good one. I was sore for about 3 days!

#PROOF

Saturday: I ran 3 miles and biked about 10 miles!

#PROOF

Sunday: 15 mile bike ride and 1 hour of sand volleyball

Monday: 4 hours of yard work and a 2 mile solo walk instead of a nap

#PROOF

Tuesday: 8 mile bike ride with the hubby and a 3 mile walk with the dogs.

Wednesday: I took my last final and then squeezed in a 2 mile run before hubby got home from work!

The first one was actually about 8:10 and then I slowed down a bit on the second one…but still! My speed is coming back!

Fun fact: In middle school I could run a sub- 7 minute mile!
Maybe I’ll be able to do that again someday 🙂

Thursday: We were waiting for our mulch to be delivered so I wanted to squeeze in a quick workout that didn’t require any equipment! This one’s called the BW20. Basically because I was lazy and didn’t feel like coming up with a name for it. BW for bodyweight. 20 because it takes 20 minutes!

I finished up with 3 planks. It’s been a while since I’ve done planks and boy were they rough!

So there you have it friends! How were your workouts this week?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

PS…if you want to see my workouts before Friday, follow me on instagram! (username: theleangreenbean) I post them right when I’m done.

Hi Friends!

It’s Friday. I’m so excited for the weekend! We’ll be heading to the Farmer’s Market for the first time this year and hopefully getting some work done in the yard. I have two great workouts to share with you today, but first we have some other things to cover!

First, I’m being featured on Fitness Magazine’s website this week as their “Fit Blogger We Love”! I’m so excited about it! If you want to check out the post, CLICK HERE!

Second, I get to do a REALLY exciting interview in a couple weeks with Ellie Krieger!!! Yes, THE Ellie Krieger. Like from The Food Network! How cool is that?! I love her and have several of her cookbooks in my collection. She’s an RD, a New York Times best-selling author and the host of a TV show called Healthy Appetite. I’ll be interviewing her via phone and webcam so I’ll be able to post the video of the interview for you guys to see!

The best part? I can ask her any questions I want about healthy eating, snacking, nutrition, etc….so here’s your chance! Do you have a question you want me to ask her? Leave it in the comments or email it to me and I’ll do my best to get it answered!

Third, oh…well that’s all for now I guess. I was really getting rollin’ with my list!

Anyways, now we’re back to regularly scheduled programing. It’s Fitness Friday so I have two workouts to share with you guys!

On Monday, I did this workout on the treadmill:

I covered 3 miles in the 30 minutes and was a sweaty mess by the end!

#fitfluential #PROOF

On Wednesday I went back and re-did one of my old workouts. I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I upped the speed on my runs to really push myself, and i’m not gonna lie, I almost threw up after the last run. I wanted to decrease the speed SO BADLY for the last 2 runs…but I powered through and I was so proud of myself!

Holy moly. I was a mess after this one.

Give it a try! Let me know what you think 🙂

Now it’s your turn, friends! Leave me something good for the weekend….a question for Ellie, a fun workout you did this week, some fun weekend plans? Let’s hear it!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–