Still At it

For those of you who may be wondering.  Yep, I'm still juicing.  I'm still making green (and not so green) smoothies, as well.  This is a pic of juice I made this morning.   It consisted of one apple, two carrots, and a beet.  Healthy stuff.

Oh, and my super affordable Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor is STILL getting the job done very well.  It's even cheaper now than when I bought it a year ago.  Can't beat that!

My Workout Philosophy

I get a lot of questions about my workout regimen (and diet, but that will be another post).  Really, my workout routine is not very intricate at all.  I am a simple girl...and that translates to pretty much everything going on in my world.

Getting Juicey...

So I told you guys that I'd bought a juicer because I wanted to include juicing in my journey of eating healthier.  So it's been a few weeks (months?) now and all I can say, is that I'm glad I jumped on this bandwagon.  The juicer I bought was the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor. It cost me about 60 bucks on Amazon, but I've heard you can find them slightly cheaper in Walmart or Target stores on a good day.  There are many, many juicers to choose from in all kinds of crazy price ranges.  I chose this one because it was 800 watts (which seems to be the ideal wattage), it got good reviews overall on Amazon, and at 60 bucks--if it becomes another kitchen apparatus that ends up in a cupboard, I won't feel all that bad.  I have to co-sign on the good reviews that I think this is a sufficient juicer for the price.  The pulp doesn't feel too "wet" (a sign that you juicer is not extracting as much juice as possible), but I will see an occasional chunk of fruit/veggie that somehow made it through without being pulverized.  But hey, I by no means am expecting perfection.  Overall, I have to say that it is a good juicer.

Now, I haven't gone crazy creative with the different kinds of juices to make.  I bought the book Complete Book of Juicing: Your Delicious Guide to Youthful Vitality. This book has a gazillion of recipes and it gives you the nutritional benefits of every fruit and vegetable known to man.  An excerpt from the book on why juicing is beneficial:

FRESH JUICE VS. WHOLE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES


You may ask, "Why juice?  Aren't we suppose to eat whole fruits and vegetables to get the fiber?"  The answer:  Of course you are, but you should juice too.  Juicing fresh fruits and vegetables does provide some fiber, particularly the soluble fiber.  And it is the soluble fiber that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.  Think about it--fiber refers to indigestible material found in plants.  While this is very important for proper bowel function, it is the juice that nourishes us.  Our body actually converts the food we eat into juice so that it can be absorbed.  Juicing helps the body's digestive process and allows for quick absorption of high-quality nutrition.  The result is increased energy levels.  Juicing quickly provides the most easily digestible and concentrated nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables.

I've tried a few different juices, carrot-apple-ginger being my favorite.  I also tend to use carrot-apple as a base to throw in some other veggies that are full of nutrients like spinach, kale, beets, wheat grass, etc.  I've even made my own "V-8".  And I have to admit, I feel like I have lots more energy since incorporating fresh juice into my diet.

Pulp.

Yum.

Verdict:  Get to Juicin'!

Bottoms up!

Yea, so I l know I told you guys that I would do a "resolutions" post, but unfortunately I waited too long to draft said post and.....I really just don't feel like it anymore.  SO...you will more than likely just see my resolutions mentioned in future posts. 'kay?  

Anyway, I just got a new juicer in the mail and I am stoked.  One of my resolutions is to have a healthier diet, and I specifically wanted to incorporate juicing into it.  This year, I'm on a quest not to just LOOK better (does that quest ever end?), but to FEEL better as well.  As you know, I've already jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon and juicing will be the perfect little sidekick to that.  I ordered my nice AFFORDABLE juicer (with good reviews) from Amazon.  Affordable meaning less than 100 bucks. I decided to throw in a book on the subject as well.  I will do a review on the juicer and book, as well as my favorite concoctions, in the near future after I've had a chance to take both for a spin.  Stay tuned!

Keep It Tight Update

5 months post preg / 133 lbs. / 5'9

I am the mother of 2 kiddos.  I workout about 3 times a week.  I don't do anything insane.  I eat what I want in moderation, but try to eat healthy.  I like my wine & spirits and I eat dessert once or twice a week.  I attribute some of this to genes--but I'm a firm believer in no matter if you've had children or not...you can "get back" with a little determination!

Have a great weekend lovies.

Keep it Tight

I've been a little under the weather the past couple days, but how hard is it to sit and pedal?

Sent from iPhone

Flashback Friday Anyone?

Since we happened to be on the subject of fitness and health in my last post, I thought I'd share with you all this picture one of my friends posted on Facebook of me when I was in my 8th month of pregnancy.  I ADORE this picture because I think it epitomizes the tone of both of my pregnancies.  I still always had lots of fun, and I was always very much active.  I get a lot of props from people I know because of my "snap back" ability after having my kids.  Most don't realize that I was very much in shape prior to getting pregnant, which makes it A LOT easier to get back down to where one would like to be, and also, I continued to workout and remain active for as long as I could through each pregnancy.  It really is no magic secret to it!  Anyway, hope you all have a slammin' weekend!

xoxo,

-Nik

Keep It Tight: A Little Motivation

So my youngest has finally reached the 3 month old mark, which means he is now old enough to stay in the Kids Zone at the YMCA.  This is a big deal, because I can actually get back to a real workout routine that includes weightlifting/strength training/yoga/pilates.  Up until now, I've been doing mostly cardio (walking or running outside with the jog stroller), but I kind of gotten burned out on that--not to mention, it's becoming too chilly outside for my taste.  I've still hit the gym on the weekends at times when hubs is home, but that would be only once, maybe twice, a week. Anyway, to celebrate being able to get back to a REAL schedule (for me that is 3-4 times a week--no weekends), here are a few motivational photos:

Lets Move!!!

xoxo,

-Nik

Making Progress...

Over the past couple of weeks, my sister seems to be the only person who has been able to get me to hit the streets it seems.  She came by to see the kiddos and then we decided to go to Rosa Mexicana to have drinks and made-to-order-right-at-your-table guacamole (my fave).  It's happening a bit slower this second time, but I'm making progress in getting back to my pre-preg weight.  I'm not really sure how many pounds I've lost, as I don't have a scale at home--but I use my clothes as a guide.  I still have a few (or more) pounds to go is what my favorite pair of jeans are telling me. haha  I'm quite pleased, though.

Almost 6 weeks post-preg (and yes, I love this baby blue leopard tank--you've seen it before)

Started off with 'ritas and ended with sangria!

My lovable sis, of course!

xoxo,

-Nik

Run the Straights...

...walk the curves.

xoxo,

-Nik

Operation: Get my body back - 4 wks post-preg

So it has been 4 weeks after I've had my son.  I gained a total of about 35 lbs with this pregnancy and am down 25 lbs.  There hasn't been much I've been doing exercise-wise except for walking, as I'm not suppose to start any "real" exercise until after my 6 week postpartum check-up.  So after allowing myself about 2 weeks of recovery, what I've been doing these past  weeks is walking for about 30 minutes about 4 times a week.  I haven't really changed much as far as diet--but I am being just a bit more conscious.  I'm getting back to eating more fish and seafood, which was restricted somewhat because of pregnancy, and have lessened the amount of sugary juices and drinks that I craved (and drank) through my whole pregnancy.  I'm also about to jump on the "green smoothie" bandwagon and will start incorporating those into my diet, as well.  Just recently, I stumbled upon a blog post talking about the benefits of taking 2-3 tablespoons of organic ACV daily, and how it helps prevent all kinds of ailments, gives energy, helps with digestion and also encourages weightloss.  I haven't made it to Whole Foods yet, but will add this to my regimen as well.  So without further ado, here are my 4 week pics.  (please, pardon the crappy pics--I sold my "good" camera in preparation for an upgrade)

As you can see, I still have a bit of a gut, and yes, that damned dark line (also known as the "linea negra") is still there.  With my last pregnancy, it took a full YEAR for it to fade completely and I'm expecting no difference this time around.  I can get in most of my pre-preg clothes, but it's not comfortable and I feel like a stuffed sausage, so I've been kickin' it in my leggings and loose tops still.

After my 6 week check-up, I'll be able to hit the gym again and start some light weight lifting which works WONDERS.  I'm also planning to give Bikram (hot) yoga a try--thanks to Groupon. Stay tuned for my next update in a couple of weeks!  I plan to go into more detail regarding my workout regimen once I'm back into full workout mode again. :)

xoxo,

-Nik

Operation: Keep It Tight

"Operation:  Keep it Tight" is a cute lil' moniker I've given to my workout regimen.  I'm very much into "keeping it tight".  It's great for health and just makes me feel good, not to mention what it does for my appearance. *smile* For those who'd like to know, I workout about 3-4 times a week.  Nothing special, nothing spectacular--just a good clean workout for about 30-45 minutes.  I tend to jump on the treadmill at the YMCA or go run outside for about 25-30 minutes.  I don't always run that full amount, I sometimes powerwalk some of that.  I do try to make sure at least 15 minutes of that time was actual jogging.  Next, if I'm at the Y, I do a little weight training......



I tend to focus more on my arms (biceps, triceps), shoulders, back, and abs.  I don't do much weight training on my legs because I feel like they get a good enough workout from running/walking, and also from the fact that I usually end my workout with 7-10 minutes on the StairMaster machine.



That contraption above is KILLER!  It's great for the legs and also works those gluteous maximus muscles, i.e. whips that butt into shape.  Like I'd mentioned earlier, I only use it for 7-10 minutes at a pretty brisk speed.

Also, for the moms out there who might be reading this, a lot of the time when I'm running/outside my little one is with me in his jog stroller.  Now, I know the "Cadillac" of jog strollers is the B.O.B. brand, but if you want a really nice affordable brand of jog stroller--I personally own a Schwinn (they also make the InStep brand).  The one pictured below is exactly like my Schwinn (except mine is blue).  This particular model they only make under the InStep brand as of now.



So there you have it.  My very simple workout regimen.  I'm on a mission to stay in shape.  Operation: Keep it Tight is in full effect.  Ten-four, over and out.  :)