Sweat x 3 = Feel the Burrrrn

I had the whole day off from my retail job, which usually doesn't happen on Mondays, and since I don't know how to relax because I'm always go go go, I went to the gym!  On Mondays, there is an instructor, Ivan, that teaches kickboxing and it's usually a rockin' class that kicks your butt.  So off I went and although it was still a calorie scorcher, it wasn't what I remember taking the last few times I went to it.  I think it might be that since it is in the morning on a weekday, a lot of older people take the class, so he simplified it a little more for the crowd.  When I work out in a class, I like to challenge my body AND my mind.  Before the gym though, I grabbed a quick snack on my way out the door because working out on an empty stomach is a no no...but I'll write a post about that later!

I went straight from the gym to help a friend move and for a few hours...aka sweat for 2 more hours while lifting heavy things and moving them to and fro.  Always fun  :)

Finally made it home to relax for a bit and made my self some lunch.  Today it was leftovers made from leftovers...score!  I've been craving some mac and cheese lately but I usually can't justify it.  It doesn't have much protein (especially the Kraft variety), it doesn't have many other nutrients in it, and it's a refined white carb.  The other day, though, I found the Annie's variety of mac and cheese and it looks and pretty much tastes, exactly like Kraft, but with whole grain noodles and organic ingredients.  Slightly more justified by this point.  So the first round of left overs came from the steamed vegetables I made the other day when Keefer and I made some delicious chicken.  I cut the broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower into smaller pieces and mixed them into the whole pot.  Viola! Completely justified mac and cheese!

With 2 small plumbs and a big bottle of H2O

After lunch, I'm not gonna lie...I took a nap.  I good 1.5 hour nap and I was zonked out.  But, since I had the whole day off, I planned something intense.  Are you ready for this?  I went to three group fitness classes today.  It's not something I do all of the time, and is definitely not something I suggest doing all of the time, but once in a while is AOK.  The alarm went off and roomie and I left for BodyPump and Step.  Now, if someone would have asked me, "hey, let's go to the gym today for 3 hours!" I would said, " yo, you crazy?"  But here's what makes it pretty easy, seriously, easy! :  Group fitness!

Group fitness gives you a plan.  It gives you somewhere to be at a certain time.  We've all been there, you're at home and saying, "ohh, well, I'll get up and go in a little bit."  Then a little bit turns into an hour, then an hour turns into three, and you've lost every last bit of motivation that you once had.  But with group fitness, in the morning you say, "hey, I'm going to kickboxing tonight and it starts at 5:30."  So guess what, instant appointment.  It's easier to put on a calendar if you need to; to help manage your time better.  Once you're at class, it gets even easier because guess what?  You don't have to plan our a routine.  You just show up and someone tells you what to do!  Finally, there is a whole group of other people there to do what you're doing.  Yeah, some find it intimidating to work out infront of others, "what if I make a fool out of myself?  what if I can't do it right?"  Well, guess what, get over it.  Seriously.  Suck it up and just do it.  As long as your moving, you're burning calories!  Who cares!  We're all in the same boat!  Not to mention, with all of those people around you, it pushes you to put forth more effort because who wants to look like a weakling...not this girl!  I like to think if I'm really going at it, I might inspire someone else in the room to kick it up a notch.  Other definitely do that for me!

We came home and I made myself a delicious fresh mango protein smoothie!

Fresh mango smoothie:

8oz skim milk

1 scoop designer whey vanilla protein powder

6 ice cubes

1 fresh mango, cubed

1 handful fresh spinach

(I promise you can't taste it, but you get all of the nutrients and it makes it a lovely shade of green!)

Add in blender with the heaviest ingredients on the top of the pile, lid on, blend!  Enjoy!

Today's lesson learned:

Three hours at the gym is never easy, especially in the motivation department, and shouldn't be tackled all of the time. When you add group fitness into the mix, however, you have an instant appointment, a pre-laid out game plan, and increased motivation to feel the burn.  Go out and find a class near you!