Link Love #76

Another quick pop-in to say hi! Yesterday we pigged out on some dim sum and went over to Baker Beach. Nathan and I had never been there before and it was beautiful! Except for the naked man walking around trying to get into everyone’s pictures.. Luckily mine made it out crack free 😉

I’ve had some catching up to do of my own on all of the great blog posts around the interwebs from last week and in case you missed some too, here ya go!

Health

How Many Calories do Runners Really Need – Run to the Finish

How Many Calories do Runners Really Need? – Run to the Finish
5 Red Flags That Show You’re Taking Healthy Eating Too Far – MindBodyGreen
Understanding Fasted Cardio and Fat Loss – Born Fitness
3 Tips to Restore Balance in Your Life – FitAspire
How to Know When You Need a Rest Day (or Week!) – Lifting Revolution via fANNEtastic food

Fitness

5 Reasons You Should Try Bodyweight Training + A New WAHM Workout – Mussel FIT

5 Reasons You Should Try Bodyweight Training + A New WAHM Workout – Mussel FIT
You, Too, Can Pushup! – Katrina Elle
Four 30-Minute Workouts – Peanut Butter Fingers
You Only Get Better By Doing: The Mastery Kettlebell Workout – Lifting Revolution
6 Exercises for a Strong Back – Happy Fit Mama

Food

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri – Half Baked Harvest

Short Rib Pho French Dip Banh Mi with Thai Basil Chimichurri – Half Baked Harvest
Bacon Gouda Chive Dip with Secret SUPERFOOD Ingredient! – Cotter Crunch
Fried Chicken and Waffle-Tots with Honey – Climbing Grier Mountain
Deep Dish Dark Chocolate Cake with Almond Butter Swirl – A Clean Bake
PB&J Grain-Free Breakfast Cake – Yeah…immaeatthat

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from last week?

Link Love #75

With my parents coming out to visit us tomorrow, I’ve been thinking a lot about how different things are this year then when they visited last year. A year ago, we were pretty fresh to the bay area; just about 2 1/2 months in. We took them all over the place touring, tasting, and pretty much making this place our own. I had just gotten my NASM book to start studying and aside from the occasional web design gig, I was completely jobless. It was a strange feeling and it was downright hard. I had Nathan, but good lord it was hard to meet people when I was at home all the time.

One year later, I have 3 jobs—2 of which are personal training at gyms—and a list of clients that thankfully keeps growing. Some friends have quickly come and gone, and others have become good friends. Like a spending-the-Jewish-holidays-with-her-family kind of friend. We’re living in a new area of the east bay and loving how much we have at our fingertips and how easy it is to get around. Things are moving in the right direction and I’ve said it before, the move to California has been such a great learning experience.

Last year, I was psyched to just see my parents again after almost 3 months. This year, while I’m just as psyched to see them again, I feel like we have so much more to show them. And not by showing them around the city, but by showing them what our lives have evolved to since they visited last. Shoot, we’re even giving them a place to stay this year.. it’s like we’re real, live grown ups!

And with that, a few things to share with all of you. Enjoy!

Health

How to Live in Harmony with High-Fiber Foods – Kris Carr

How To Live in Harmony with High-Fiber Foods – Kris Carr
Eating for Health & Eating for Abs. Do you know the difference? – Food & Nonsense
FYI Friday – Nutrients Requirements for Active People – Calcium & Vitamin D – Pretty Little Grub
11 Ways to Manage Stress and Feeling Overwhelmed – Love, Life, Surf
Because Being Healthy Means Not ALWAYS Being Healthy – fannetastic food

Fitness

DOMS: The Truth About Muscle Soreness & How To Recover Faster From Workouts – Lifting Revolution

DOMS: The Truth About Muscle Soreness & How To Recover Faster From Workouts – Lifting Revolution
Body part splits or whole body workouts | the pros and cons – FitKnitChick
30-Minute Jump Rope + Strength Training Workout – Pumps & Iron
Upper Body + Cardio Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
Fit Tuesday Workout – Fitnessista

Food

Beef Barbacao Bowls – Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Beef Barbacao Bowls – Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Gluten Free Breakfast Power Bowls to POWER Your Day – Cotter Crunch
Irresistible Super Fudgy Chocolate Brownie – 1000 Lovely Things
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies – Running with Spoons
Apple Fritter Bread – Averie Cooks

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #67

With only 2 days left in 2014, I thought I’d share my top 5 posts from the year and, of course, my link love post seemed like the perfect time to do so. Ironically enough, some of them are from years past! Still delicious though 🙂

#5: Foodie Friday: Pancake Variations

#4: Recipe Remix: Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes

#3: Foodie Friday: Apple Pie Protein Bites

#2: Foodie Friday: Dark Chocolate Dreamy Powerballs

#1: Fudge Ems!

Thank you all for making 2014 such a great year of blogging for me!

Health

4 Myths About Eating Gluten Free – RDelicious Kitchen via fannetastic food

4 Myths About Eating Gluten Free – RDelicious Kitchen via fannetastic food
Breaking Plateaus: Confuse your body – Katrina Elle
Blueberry And Green Tea Extract Protects Hard-Training Runners – Runner’s World
The Smother-In-Law: Standing Up for Your Health and Food Choices – Huffington Post
Travel, Work Productively During Holidays – Evernote

Fitness

How Music Can Boost a High-Intensity Workout – The New York Times

How Music Can Boost a High-Intensity Workout – The New York Times
12 Days Of Christmas With The In-Laws Workout (Real Time Video) – Lifting Revolution
HOT Holidays At Home Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
My Gift To You – The 12 Days of Fitmas Workout! – Thrive Personal Fitness
4 Things You Should be Doing After Your Workout – Your Trainer Paige

Food

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka Muffins – How Sweet It Is

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka Muffins – How Sweet It Is
Double chocolate Paleo gooey cake – Fitnessista
Crispy Kale Caesar Salad Chicken Pizza – Yeah…immaeatthat
Turmeric Persimmon Porridge – Nutrition Stripped
Goat Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Swirls with Pomegranate Honey + Pistachios – Half Baked Harvest

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #66

We had the best dinner last night. For realz. We planned on having a nice roast turkey breast on Sunday for dinner but when I saw the sale on turkey breast ($.99/lb what whaaaattt!), we didn’t realize it was frozen until picking it up at the store.. Sunday afternoon. Whoops! But we brined the turkey overnight, seasoned the crap out of it, and popped it in the oven. It was sooo good!

I also had some sweet potato latkes leftover and we roasted a bunch of carrots. And do you see the sprinkling of salt?

Oh, that’s some special salt. That’s some truffle salt. It made the dish. I don’t think I can top that dinner for the rest of the week now! Good thing there are lots of leftovers 😉

Health

Whole and Healthy: 5 Reasons to Embrace Self-Improvement – Joyce Cherrier

Whole and Healthy: 5 Reasons to Embrace Self-Improvement – Joyce Cherrier
Eating Clean vs. Orthorexia – T-Nation
Why Setting “Just for Today” Goals Might Work for You – Your Trainer Paige
Intuitive Eating – Learning to Love Food Again Love & Zest via Run to the Finish
The Basics | Carbohydrates, part II – Nutrition Stripped

Fitness

Jillian Michaels’ Kettlebell Swing Reminds Us That Trainers Are Like Doctors – Lifting Revolution

Jillian Michaels’ Kettlebell Swing Reminds Us That Trainers Are Like Doctors – Lifting Revolution
15 Minute Arms and Abs Bodyweight Circuit – Peanut Butter Fingers
5-Move Action Core Workout – My Fitness Pal
Holiday Barre Blast Workout – Fitnessista
8 Total-Body Moves that Double Results—in Half the Time! – Shape

Food

Thai Coconut Cabbage Soup {Paleo} – Cotter Crunch

Thai Coconut Cabbage Soup {Paleo} – Cotter Crunch
Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Baklava Bites – Peas and Crayons
3-Ingredient Chocolate Bark (with a bunch of add-ins) – Yeah…immaeatthat
Deep Dish Spinach and Prosciutto Quiche with Toasted Sesame Crust – Half Baked Harvest
Braided Cardamom and Chocolate-Hazelnut Bread – Floating Kitchen

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #64

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway?

After staying with my parents for 2 weeks in Baltimore, it feels downright strange to be back in California. I’m a little confused as to where I actually live and why my parents aren’t around watching tv at night. Ha! Of course, Nathan and I made sure to get a little pick-me-up after we landed.

Well, that pick-me-up really ended up making us even more tired after a 3 a.m. wake up call so we just made our way to the grocery store and then back to the apartment to unpack. Just in case we didn’t have enough beer in our lives, we successfully hauled about 12 more beers back from Baltimore! Do you know how hard it is to find Bourbon County Stout?!

It was a long, tiring day so I was more than thankful for a delicious bibimbop carryout dinner from around the corner. Success!

I knew it was necessary when the thought of even microwaving the meatballs in the freezer seemed like too much. Yep. But now we’re back to the daily grind.

Health

10 Tips for Stay Healthy During the Holiday Season – Eating Bird Food

10 Tips for Stay Healthy During the Holiday Season – Eating Bird Food
All About Cider Vinegar – The Lean Green Bean
Mindful Monday: Herbs for Winter Wellness and Immunity – The Foodie Dietitien
The One Thing Top Nutrition Experts Do to Stay Healthy During the Holidays – Greatist
6 Ways Perfectionism is Sabotaging You – Too Much On Her Plate

Fitness

Fast Paced Upper Body Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers

Fast Paced Upper Body Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
The 25 Reps Of Christmas Workout {Bodyweight} – Lifting Revolution
Why I love Drop Sets & Why They Are Effective – Powercakes
30-Minute At-Home Workout – Pumps & Iron
My Top 3 Exercises to Build the Glutes – and Why Squatting isn’t One of Them – Trainer Paige

Food

Pomegranate Sesame Chicken with Ginger Rice Pilaf – Half Baked Harvest

Pomegranate Sesame Chicken with Ginger Rice Pilaf – Half Baked harvest
Bourbon Peanut Butter Gingerbread Healthy Bites {Cyber Monday Giveaway} – Cotter Crunch
Crepe Cake with Pistachios And Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting – Food Faith Fitness
Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Farro Salad – Fit Foodie Finds
Peppermint Pretzel Marshmallow Fudge – Joy the Baker

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #57

Today is the kind of day that has become more and more common over the past couple months. I have an early morning at Athleta—6 a.m. to be exact—and whereas I used to be completely bummed that I’d miss my morning workout. These days, if a 6 a.m. shift means that I take an unplanned rest day because I just don’t feel like going to the gym when I get home, well then so be it.

Last week as I walked home from work, I tried bargaining with myself.

It’s not that long of a workout.
If I go to the gym before I sit down at home, I can definitely do it.
No cardio today. Just hit the weights and get it done.

Then I realized how tired my legs really were. Which made me realize how tired my whole body was. And if I just go home, put my feet up, and rest a bit, I’d be able to hit it harder at the gym the next day. And that’s exactly what I did. I’ve said it before, but it really is a hell of an idea to actually listen to your body. Who would have thought that you own body knows what’s best for it? It’s certainly a challenge for me and I know it is for others too, but it’s something that I’m really focusing on, especially with the holiday season coming up. That said, I want to challenge you to focus on listening to your own body more. Deal? Deal.

Health

Got a Nutrition Question 2: Iron. Are You Getting Enough? – Food & Nonsense

Got a Nutrition Question 2: Iron. Are You Getting Enough? – Food & Nonsense
Three New Natural Supplements and How We Use Them – Cotter Crunch
10 Smart Tips for Eating Healthy on a Super Tight Budget – The Kitchn
I’m a Fitness Professional, but I Don’t Think Fitness Should Be Your Life – Trainer Paige
Exercising For Your Health is NOT a Joke – Slim Sanity

Fitness

Back to Basics Arm Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers

Back to Basics Arm Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
This Exercise Can Give You Kim Kardasian’s Butt & Jessica Biel’s Abs – Lifting Revolution
No-Equipment Tabata HIIT Workout (Lower Body) – Fit Foodie Finds
5 Stretches Every Runner Should Be Doing – Jamie Walker via HuffPost Healthy Living
Med Ball Tabata Workout – Pumps & Iron

Food

Caramelized Sweet Potato and Kale Fried Wild Rice – Iowa Girl Eats

Caramelized Sweet Potato and Kale Fried Wild Rice – Iowa Girl Eats
Healthy Sticky Chocolate Fudge Cake (like, super fudgy no joke) {Gluten, Dairy + Grain Free} – Top With Cinnamon
Baklava Whole Wheat Biscotti – Yeah…immaeatthat
Carrot Noodles with Mushrooms and Sausage in a Cashew Cream Sauce – Inspiralized
Breakfast Baked Acorn Squash with Greek Yogurt, Honey & Pecans – Ambitious Kitchen

Food for Thought

How do you plan on listening to your body more?
What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #45

Don’t forget to enter my Swanson Vitamins giveaway!

This week is crazy nuts! I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot these days but damn if it’s not true. Busy is good though and it definitely makes me appreciate my weekends even more. Because I had my Recipe Redux post on Tuesday, I wanted to make sure I got in a good link love post this week. So it might be a couple days late, but still packed with goodies!

Health

Diet Review: The Alkaline Diet – Food & Nonsense

Diet Review: The Alkaline Diet – Food & Nonsense
It’s Not Okay To Do Things Like A Girl – Lifting Revolution
Make Exercise Fun, Eat Less Afterwards – HealthDay News
For Transforming Your Body or Changing Your Life, Perspective is Your Greatest Tool – JillFit via Nia Shanks
Why Exploring New Trails Helps me to be UNBUSY, Trail Workouts, Plus Mizuno Kazan Shoe Review – Cotter Crunch

Fitness

30 Dumbbell Exercises Missing From Your Routine – Greatist

30 Dumbbell Exercises Missing From Your Routine – Greatist
Benefits of HIIT – Lower Blood Sugar – Slim Sanity
Quick Bodyweight Ab Workout – Pumps & Iron
Hop On, Hop Off Treadmill Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
Bootcamp WOD – Fit Foodie Finds

Food

Thai Steak Salad with Sweet Spicy Tahini Dressing and Sesame Chili-Lime Cashews – Half Baked Harvest

Thai Steak Salad w/Sweet + Spicy Tahini Dressing and Sesame Chili-Lime Cashews – Half Baked Harvest
Pear and Dark Chocolate Baked Oatmeal – An Avocado a Day
No Bake S’mores Bars – Treats with a Twist
Sweet Corn, Peach, and Cherry Salad with Goat Cheese and a Lime Dressing – Flourishing Foodie
Pistachio Kale Pesto with Zucchini Noodles + Cherries – Edible Perspective

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from last week?

Link Love #37

Yesterday was a first for me—Athleta got a ton of new product in so we had a “flip” where the entire store is rearranged and new product is incorporated into the displays. It’s not really anything I thought about before, but when I got into work at 5 a.m. yesterday, you bet I was thinking about it! It was kind of nuts but I also kind of enjoyed it. I was also finished with work by 10 a.m. so that’s a plus. Oh, and there’s some pretty cute new stuff that you should definitely check out [come see me!] The 4 a.m. wake-up call had me walking around like a zombie for pretty much the rest of the day, but I have to admit, it’s nice to really feel tired again.

Nathan also found out about a Target deal good through 5/24 for $10 off your $50 grocery purchase. We also had a $10 gift card so I was pretty excited to get $50 worth of groceries for $30. It’s the little things 😉 I also made him come with me to keep me on track ha! Anywho, it’s catch up time and as usual, there are some goodies.. enjoy!

Health

How to Improve Your Self Esteem – Smart Fit Chicks via Barefoot Colorado

How to Improve Your Self Esteem – Smart Fit Chicks via Barefoot Colorado
9 Habits Of People With A Healthy Relationship To Exercise – HuffPost Healthy Living
8 Habits To Stop When I’m A Mother To Daughter – Lifting Revolution
Balanced Living or Healthy Living? – Cowgirl Runs
Why Hydrating After Exercise is Not Enough – The Lyons Share

Fitness

20 Minute AMRAP Crossfit Workout – Blonde Ponytail

20 Minute AMRAP Crossfit Workout – Blonde Ponytail
A Fun, Full-Body Resistance Band Workout – Workout Nirvana
10 Minute Workouts You Can Do At Your Desk – Peanut Butter Fingers
At Home & Travel-Friendly Total Body Resistance Band Workout – Trainer Paige
Making Workouts Purposeful – Cotter Crunch

Food

Beet Chips with Avocado “Mayo” – Peachy Palate

Beet Chips with Avocado “Mayo” – Peachy Palate
Easy Apple Noodle & Rhubarb Crisps – Inspiralized
Banana Bread Truffles – The Lean Green Bean
Grilled Caprese Toast with Burrata Cheese + Grilled Avocados – Half Baked Harvest
Fresh Pineapple Avocado Pea Shoot Salad – Pineapple & Coconut

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from last week?

Link Love #35

Yesterday was exhausting and exactly what I needed. I had a bunch of errands to run and needed to drop Nathan at work [hellooo one car!] so I get up extra early to get my workout in. I also had an appointment in the city so I met an old Baltimore coworker for lunch. She moved out here a month before us for a new job but we’ve only been able to meet up a couple of times. We went to Sushirrito for lunch and it was so good! I got the Bonsai Salad and the tuna was amazing but I’ll definitely have to go back and try one of their -rritos!

With all of the running around, I hardly sat down before dinner at 6:30! It’s a good kind of exhaustion, though. Today I start a new gig [details to come!] and I’m really looking forward to it. It should be fun and it’ll get me out of the house and running around more.. more good exhaustion! Anywho, I was a bit MIA last week on the social media scene, but I did happen to catch a ton of great posts to share with you. Enjoy!

Health

How to Face Your Fears to Get the Body You Want – Lifting Revolution

How To Face Your Fears To Get The Body You Want – Lifting Revolution
The Dangers of Complacency in Weight Loss – Fit to the Finish
Motivation Monday – Choosing Contentment – Cotter Crunch
When Hardcore Turns Into Harmful – JillFit
Happy Weight vs. Ideal Body Weight – Delicious Knowledge

Fitness

Vacation Workout – Full- Body Resistance and Cardio – Wheres the Beach Fitness

Vacation Workout – Full-Body Resistance Band and Cardio – Where’s the Beach
Build a Mean & Clean Workout – Bonnie Pfeister
Cardio Boot Camp Workout – Pumps & Iron
TRX Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
Core & Burpees – The Workout Mama

Food

Tijuana Street Fries – Half Baked Harvest

Tijuana Street Fries – Half Baked Harvest
Sriracha Chicken Cauliflower “Fried Rice” – The Lemon Bowl
Oat, Nutty Seed Bars – Knead to Cook
Barbecue Salmon Tostadas – Peachy Palate
Mexican Grilled Polenta Pizza – Edible Perspective

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Favorite Workout Round Up

Have you entered my Bob’s Red Mill giveaway yet? Today is the last day!

Over the past few weeks since Best Body Bootcamp has finished up, I’ve really concentrated on figuring out what is right for my body in terms of food and workouts. I’ve experimented with more intense weeks of workouts and lighter weeks. I realized recently that stress has been tearing me down and the lighter workouts have been my friend [thank you, Lindsay]. That said, I’ve still been killing it at the gym, just at a more relaxed pace. Funny what happens when you actually listen to your body, huh?

Ironically enough, I’ve started incorporating more running into my workouts. It’s also made me realize I have some core work to do.. gotta get that strength!

In looking for inspiration, my ever-growing Pinterest board has been quite helpful. Turns out, I’ve pinned some pretty awesome workouts and I wanted to share some of my favorites that I’ve done with you.

Upper Body

Lower Body

Core

Combo

Full Body

These will all get your heart racing and muscles burning. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Food for Thought

Where do you look for workout inspiration?