Monday, December 6, 2010

Step Up To Change


I am a creature of habit.  I know this.  I like routine, I like a schedule, I like to know what the outcome will be before it actually happens. 

I guess that makes me safe, boring, predictable when it comes to most things in life, but then there is a part of me that thrives on adventure.  I told Toly this past weekend that if I were a single girl, living with no other commitments or set backs, I see myself taking a year of my life to live in another country, not having any real "plan."  Maybe some of this interest stemmed from my recent viewing of Eat Pray Love, but I do always remember having this dream as a little girl.  

As I get older, I realize that I'm more rooted than I really think.  It's good to stay grounded but it's also good to take a few leaps of faith every now and then.  One of my favorite quotes goes like this…

"People who don't live on the edge take up too much room." 

Recently, I put aside my fears and tried something new that I've been eyeing for months now.  I go to the gym almost every day, and every day, I stick with the same thing.  Running.  I love to run, that's no surprise, but there are so many machines I've wanted to try but I've been afraid to break my routine. 

The other day, I faced my fear and stepped up on to…..


I have no idea why these things scared me, but the Stair Steppers were unfamiliar territory.  I kept hearing how unbelievably hard it was and saw people dripping in sweat after only being on these for 10 min.  I knew I needed to stop wondering and just try it. 

Well, after 20 min, I was sold.  This thing is HARD but definitely worth while.  I'm not sure how long I would last because I started to get a little crazy after 4000 steps.  Walking up and up and up with no end can make one insane.  

My next gym fear…Spinning!  I am scared to death to take a Spinning class.  Why?  No idea.  But it's next on my list.  Baby steps. 

After a great weekend, I had a wonderful night's sleep last night.  Breakfast was crisp and refreshing. 

1/2 Granny Smith Apple, Blackberries, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Kashi Autumn Harvest, Applesauce, Carmel Oikos, Granola Sprinkle, Cinnamon Raisin PB



I love this breakfast. In fact, I love it so much I sometimes eat it twice (see more on that later). 

Work was busy, productive, as usual, and I eventually left the office later in the morning to run some errands.  I needed to pick up a few groceries for the week and while I was there, I decided to make use of the Salad Bar. 


I have a problem with salad bars.  I want a little bit of just about everything.  And I also want it all in the same container.  The problem?  It ends up weighing a small fortune for something I could easily make at home.  But today, convenience took over frugalness.

As I was approaching the end of the bar, I saw the Hot Soup Steam rising from the crock and took a peak at what was inside.  Hot Creamy Tomato Soup just looked so amazing on a cold cold cold day.

My Soup and Salad lunch ended up being a great choice and I ate this when I got back in the office.

When I got home tonight, I wasn't feeling up for a big heavy dinner.  While the rest of the family enjoyed stir fry, I opted for something a little lighter.

English Muffin with Organic Maple Almond Butter, Almonds and Banana 

I also ate the other half of the apple and made a mini version of my breakfast bowl (minus the cereal).

This is just what I wanted. 

Hope everyone had a happy Monday! 

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15 comments:

  1. Good for you for trying a new machine :) And you will love spin! It adds great variety into a week or workouts!! Mmm tomato soup- one of my favs. I've been enjoying it a LOT recently. Whenever I see it out at restaurants, I have to get it. Josh isn't a tomato soup fan...so its hard to make it at home unless I freeze most of it to eat later.

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  2. I am definitely a creature of habit as well - I can't help it!!!

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  3. how is it possible that I'VE taken a spinning class and you haven't? honey, if i can do it, you definitely can!!!

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  4. For me I always had trouble with the eliptical machine. I wasn't coordinated enough to manage the legs AND arms at the same time. I'll stick with my treadmill :-)

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  5. that salad looks delicious! so many things crammed into there!

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  6. Oh my gosh at the gym this morning I was JUST thinking about how scared I am of stair steppers...they seem SO difficult!! You've encouraged me to try it though. And spinning is WAY more fun than people let on. It's a great workout, but it flies by!!

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  7. I would totally take a spinning class with you if we lived near each other. :) I've never done one either!

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  8. I LOVE the stair steppers! I find them so much more fun and challenging than the one where you just pump your feet up and down. It gets your heart rate up SO quickly and is quite an efficient form of exercise!

    My gym is really bare bones and doesn't really have classes, but I second Andrea... if we leaved near each other I'd definitely try and take a class with you!

    Have a great day, love :-)

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  9. I am definitely scared of the StairMaster. I always think I am going to fall off or miss a step!

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  10. i think i need to take more classes because they really do help break up routine and work your body in a different way. I love the stair machine tho! its my favorite! I want to move and travel across Europe for a summer....maybe after grad school and when i have no loans?!? Eat Pray Love was awesome and i am reading the book now! highly recommend it!

    Lo

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  11. I'm the same as you - creature of habit. But definitely need to switch it up in a while! I love that quote and it reminds me of my favorite "Ships in the harbor are safe, but that's not what ships are made for"

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  12. We have similar fears of new machines at the gym. I recently just started exploring to new territories and used the stair machine too. Holy cow that was hard.

    I still haven't done any spinning classes. Baby steps for me.

    What brand of maple nut butter do you use?

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  13. Yeah, I love the stairmill! So glad you tried it. I do it all the time, but not for longer than 20 minutes! I would probably go crazy ;)

    CONGRATS on purchasing a house! I am a bit behind on reading blogs but I got your comment. I am so excited for you!

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  14. Don't be scared of spinning...it's amazing. I love it so much I got certified to teach it. The beauty of spin is that it's a solo activity; you alone control your resistance, so no one can tell how hard you're working which means you can and should take it at your own pace. Be sure to tell the instructor you're new though, they'll teach you proper bike setup, and go through the basic hand positions.

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  15. I faced my spinning fear the other day! Warning: your but will hurt. That was the most shocking thing for me, by but hurt from the seat so much! Otherwise it was great! And I never last on the stairmaster more than 5 minutes..I get so dizzy! You're brave to do 20!

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