Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 02:45 PM
Hi, guys! Happy Hump Day! 
I received quite a few requests to post my “Rock Out” playlist, so here it is:
- Get What You Need – Jet
- Peace of Mind – Boston
- Up Around the Bend – CCR
- Troublemaker – Weezer
- You Are the Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne
- You Better You Bet – The Who
- Barracuda – Heart
- Love You Madly – Cake
I’m obviously a big fan of rock! 
I usually use this mix when I am running 5K races– it helps to get me pumped up. I “save” this playlist just for special occasions, like races, so I don’t get sick of it.
I’m actually loving MotionTraxx’s free downloads lately. I’ve been using Fitness Magazine’s ‘Lose 10 Lbs’
interval routines from the MotionTraxx site. There are 3 mixes in the series and each one has instructions for conquering the intervals. I love them!
You can also find more exercise playlists here. I really need to update these lists, so feel free to leave a comment with your favorite workout tunes. I’ll add them to the bunch. Plus, I’m always looking for new music.
Mid-morning Snack
Before I left for work, I grabbed a cranberry-pistachio biscotti to snack on. I’m surprised that might oats didn’t hold off my hunger this morning. Must have been the soy milk!
Lunch
In less than 60 seconds, I threw together lunch for today: leftover Hawaiian pizza, grape tomatoes, and a chocolate Attune bar.
All packed up!
Cold pizza.
Tomatoes.
Chocolate.
Afternoon Snack
Unfortunately, lunch did nothing for my hunger. 
I was about to eat my arm when I walked in the door of my apartment this afternoon! I went right for the pistachios– at least I know they’ve got lots of antioxidants! I ate about a handful and a half before I even took off my coat.
Then I made myself an egg white sandwich with buffalo sauce and a slice of soy cheese. Very filling!
NuVal Buzz
Check out Shannon’s post on her blog: Do You NuVal?
Guess the score of my breakfast on Trading Up Downtown and you could win some Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea, Scharffen Berger, and Chocolove dark chocolate!
—
Off to the gym before the crowds come!
See ya!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation
Tags: MotionTraxx, workout music
Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 08:51 PM
Even after writing a post about staying active in the winter, I seriously considered skipping my workout this afternoon. The cold, snowy weather was not motivating me to get my butt to the gym, but according to my 5K training program, I was supposed to run 2 miles today. So, I reread my post for a little inspiration and then told myself to just do it. Basically, don’t think about it, put on my workout gear, go to the gym, and just get it done. And, that’s exactly what I did.
I arrived at the gym, warmed up, and ran 2 miles on the treadmill in 17:12, which was a little slower than Thursday’s 2-mile run, but still a decent time. I then walked another 1/2 mile as a cool down, stretched, and headed home. Mission accomplished! 
I’m so glad that I got my workout in today! It would have been so easy to skip it given the icky weather.
Dinner
Tonight’s dinner was one of the best that I have eaten in awhile– mostly because of this deliciousness:
I absolutely love risotto– and, this Tomato Basil mix was really wonderful, especially with chunks of chicken breast thrown in. I’m psyched that there are lots of leftovers for tomorrow!
I also had a salad topped with balsamic vinegar on the side.
Dessert
For dessert, I enjoyed a Lindt chocolate Reindeer.
And some pumpkin spice tea.
This flavor of tea was nice, but it definitely needed some sweetness. It was really spicy, but not pumpkin-pie spicy like I had hoped. I ended up adding a squirt of agave nectar to sweeten it up.
Mal just decided to bake brownies, so I guess I’ll eat one of those for dessert, too!
Time to veg! Mal and I have been hooked on Californiacation lately. It’s such a good show– and totally addicting!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation, products, workouts
Tags: Californiacation, Harry and David Tomato Basil Risotto Mix, Just do it, pumpkin spice tea
Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 05:09 PM
Brrrrrr! It’s COLD out there! 
Despite the freezing cold temps, Murphy needed some exercise in his little pug life. Living in the city, it’s tough to find places that allow him to run around and play like the crazy pug that he is. Most parks in the area require that dogs stay on leash, which isn’t all that much fun for a 7-month-year-old puppy. However, our friends, Dave and Marie, have a small yard at their apartment, so we took Murphy to have some puppy playtime with his favorite doggie friends this afternoon.
Bella and Grady were well dressed for the occasion. Stylish even!
Murphy’s camo harness didn’t keep him warm– maybe he needs a doggie sweater?
Pug vs. Bijons.
Murph was pooped by the end of puppy playtime. He’s passed out and snoring in his crate right now. He definitely gave playtime his all.
On our way home, Mal ran into the grocery store to grab a few things for the week.
Check out the nutritional superstars that ended up in his bag:
I just had to laugh. Typical guy, right?
Snack
After puppy playtime and some errands, I made myself an afternoon snack. It’s almost dinnertime, so I kept it small.
I had candied pecans, a cranberry-pistachio biscotti, and a glass of iced coffee. It was the perfect afternoon snack.
(Can you believe that I drank iced coffee after being outside in the cold for hours? What wrong with me!?)
Lunch
For lunch, I whipped up something quick: carrot sticks + peanut butter.
And Oikos Greek yogurt with [me] & Goji cereal mixed in.
Quick and satisfying.
Fitness Motivation
This morning, a reader emailed me with this question:
My New Year’s resolution is to lose 20 pounds. I’m eating more healthily, but I have trouble exercising consistently. I always lose my motivation after just a few weeks, especially when it’s cold and dark outside in the winter. Do you have any advice for me?
I think a lot of us struggle with this same thing (I know that I do!), so here’s how I replied to her email:
Hi [reader's name],
Thanks so much for your email and question. I know exactly how you feel about losing motivation during the winter months. It’s tough to leave my nice, warm apartment to go outside into the cold to exercise.
As for advice, check out the post that I wrote about winter motivation. Hopefully, it’ll give you some ideas to keep you motivated. For me, simply putting on my workout clothing almost always gets me to the gym. I wake up and immediately put on my gear, so then a trip to the gym pretty much seems inevitable. What’s the point of wearing workout clothes if you’re not going to exercise in them? This strategy works 99% of the time for me. In addition, setting up a defined workout schedule each week helps me stick to a plan. I plan my workouts on my blog as well as in my iPhone. Setting a fitness appointment with myself helps me carve out time to exercise and stick to it.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Tina
—-
I have a yummy dinner planned for tonight. I might start cooking soon!
See ya later!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation
Tags: puppy playtime, staying active in the winter, winter motivation
