Mint Condition - Thin Mint Blog

Keep the Resolutions Rolling!

1/15/2014

How are you doing on your New Years Resolutions? So far so good in my world. I have analyzed my previous years goals and made a list of new ones for this year. As I was taking a look at last years goals, I started to think about the ones that I didn't achieve. Some were because the goal was something that deep down I didn't have the drive to accomplish. Some were because I lost sight of the goal and just plain forgot about it. As a result I am trying to address these issues from the get go!

First off, before I put a resolution or goal on my list I spend some time asking myself, "why do you want to achieve this?" and "do I really want to spend the necessary time it will take to achieve this?" . I could say all day that I want to learn Italian, but why? Because it would be cool. But I do not currently have time or energy to spend towards this goal. Therefore, resolutions like this were nixed.

One thing that I have learned as a personal trainer is that nothing will truly be achieved unless you are ready to take on the challenge. Whether it's to lose weight, complete a triathlon, get out of debt, quit smoking, become a better listener, or start a business. No matter the goal, you must have a conversation with yourself and decide if you are finally going to make the necessary sacrifices to get where you want to go. No goal will be reached without some sacrifice, its your job to determine if you really want it bad enough.

The second focus that I have about this years goals is to keep it fresh. Fresh in my mind, fresh by changing up the way I think about the goal, fresh as in the opposite of stale. Old stale anything is never any good (although you can make some killer bread crumbs from old stale bread). Constantly picking new mini challenges that align with my larger goal will hopefully help to keep it a top priority.

The theme of my goals for 2014 is To Train My Weaknesses. In business, health, personal, and pleasure, focusing on improving my shortcomings can only make me a happier and healthier person.

One of my biggest fitness weaknesses is running. Cant stand it! But in an attempt to finally get over the fact that I suck at it, I signed myself up for a 10k. So I made this Cardio Challenge for both myself and my clients. Feel free to participate. If you finish, send me an email and I'll work on a special treat for you <3

Tasty Tuesday - Black Bean Soup and a Grilled Cheese

11/5/2013

I was craving some carbs this evening and was very close to just having mac n cheese for dinner but I decided to try something a little more nutritious. There is a local restaurant called Pom Poms Tea House that has, not only fantastic samiches, but an amazing black bean soup every Tuesday. I usually have lunch free on Tuesdays and have been frequenting to get a fix. This week my craving came a little early so I decided to figure out how to make my own. Now, this soup is sooooo good but I will still hit up Pom Poms on the regular.

I am sorry again! I did not measure anything exactly. I just kinda tossed it together. Here is what I used:

1 can of Black Beans
2-3 tablespoons of Salsa
1/2 cup Quinoa
Vegetable Broth to loosen the mixture
2 tablespoons of Low Fat Greek Yogurt
2 Small Slices of Wheat Bread
1 Slice of Applegate Naturals Monterey Jack Cheese
Little Butter for toasting :)

I cooked the quinoa according to the package. Then, I put the rest of the ingredients (not the grilled cheese stuff) into a pot and heated everything up. I added some avocado to add some creaminess. While my soup was warming, I made a grilled cheese and dinner was done. Thats it!! So easy and so delicious. It made about 3 to 4 servings so I put the rest in the fridge for lunch today (I had to add significantly more vegetable broth to the soup when reheating it because the quinoa soaked everything up).

This took literally 20 minutes and the most advanced kitchen skill that I had to do was cut an avocado. The rest was opening a can/tub and spooning out the contents. Please do not say that you cannot cook. If you say you don't like black beans well, Im sorry cause they are a protein & fiber packed food, that some have called one of the worlds healthiest foods.

Rise and Grind - Making Morning Workouts Happen

11/4/2013

Daylight savings time has given us an extra hour of daylight in the mornings and taken one away from us in the evenings. This should be even more reason to squeeze in your daily exercise before you start your day.

Besides providing a greater chance of getting a workout in, due to less distractions, morning workouts provide you with time to mentally prepare yourself for your day and to focus on your goals, fitness and life goals alike. The only going stopping you is hitting the snooze button and missing out on the opportunity to get your blood pumping before you tackle your day. Here are some quick and easy tips to help you get out of bed and into your sneakers or onto your yoga mat.

Sleep in your workout clothes, or at least in part of them.
Prepare your workout gear (yoga mat, gym bag, iPod) before you go to bed.
Set your coffee maker to start brewing when your alarm goes off.
Pre-plan your breakfast.
Go to bed earlier to ensure your rested.
Recruit a partner (or a trainer) to meet you early in the am.
Sign up for a morning WOD or group exercise class.
Set your alarm to play upbeat music.
Start with a good long stretch.
Post a pic on a social media site to give you some extra motivation #riseandgrind & #thinminpt

Big (and little) Things Happening!

10/24/2013

For the past two months I have been scheming up some big plans for not only my blog and website but also for my Personal Training Business, Mint Condition Personal Training. I have ideas out the wazoo for training, blog content, merchandise, even fitness apps. I am slowly but surely making some progress and you will be seeing a lot of new things popping up from Mint Condition Personal Training over the next 6 months.

One of the next things that will be happening is I will have a Co-Creator for Mint Condition!! My friend Sara has been talking to me about starting her own blog for a while now and one day I had the brilliant idea of bringing her on to help write mine, which will now be ours. I have so much going on that it would be great to have her point of view and to have some more content available for all of you.

Sara is a little spit-fire and has a lot of the same interests that I do, however she has some really cool things to bring to the table and to contribute to my point of view for living a healthy and active lifestyle. She is a CrossFit Warrior with a flair for organizational techniques. From organizing your living spaces to ensuring the most efficient use of your time, thus leaving you time to exercise or cook, to organizing your schedule to make room for your priorities. She loves to help people and will be such a great asset to the ThinmintPT Fitness Blog.

Stay tuned for her first post!!

Workout for your Wednesday

9/25/2013

See photos below for descriptions of each exercise.

Walk Out to High Plank Position and complete a Push Up. Walk back to standing. Bend Knees or Widen Stance to make easier.

From High Plank Position Bring Right Knee to Right Elbow and then do the same on the Left.

From High Plank Position, shift body weight to right side and reach Left arm to the sky. Repeat on other side.

From High Plank Position jump feet in towards hands, stand tall, then reverse the motion back to High Plank. To modify place hands on a box, bench, or chair.

From a standing position, with hands on hips or head, jump feet to a wide sumo squat, keeping weight on heels. Then jump feet back to standing. Land soft with bent knees.

From standing with hands behind head, bring Left Knee up towards Right Elbow. NOT elbow to knee, stand tall the whole time. Repeat on other side.

From Standing with hands behind head, reach left foot very far back into a lunge position. Front Knee should not travel over front foot. Repeat on other side.

From standing with hands behind head, step out to side into a side lunge position. Sit back onto heel and keep knee from moving over the foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes. Repeat on other side.

After you have completed 2-3 rounds slide into Pigeon Pose from a High Plank Position. Hold each side for 30s.

Meal for your Monday

9/16/2013

I whipped up this meal last night and then had it for lunch today. It was so easy and so delicious, I think I've out done myself! Here is what I used:

Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey
2 Garlic Cloves (decided to leave one out while cooking)
1 Zucchini (decided to leave one out while cooking)
1 Tomato (decided to leave one out while cooking)
1 Can of Black Beans
2-3 Tablespoons of Chipotle Salsa
2 Big Handfuls of Spinach
Chili Powder to taste

After browning Turkey. Sautee Scallions, Tomatoes, and Garlic.

Drain Black Beans and heat up. Add sautéed mixture to the can of Black Beans and added Chili Powder.

Mix Black Bean and Tomato mixture together.

Sautee Zucchini and Spinach.

Add Zucchini and Spinach to the Ground Turkey Mixture. All Done!!

Like Ive said many times, I started this meal by examining my fridge and then filling the gaps with a trip to the grocery store. Hope you enjoy!

Soak Up The Summer

8/25/2013

With less than a month left of summer, take the time to get out and enjoy it! Before you know it we'll have to exercise in multiple layers of clothing, yuck. Also, take advantage of the summer time foods, like berries! Get your friends and family involved and take some fun summer photos :)

Tans fade but memories never do!!!!

Monday Meals - Too Busy

8/5/2013

One of the easiest ways that I fall off of my healthy living plan is when "I'm too busy to eat healthy". This should really be translated into "I'm too lazy to plan ahead".

Today I start working part-time for my old boss doing some copy writing and marketing. I am excited to reconnect with her company and absorb as much as possible. However, this will make three jobs! In addition to trying to grow my personal training business (and this blog), I have also been working at a restaurant 4-5 nights a week. Let me tell you... restaurant hours combined with personal training hours make for a dozy of a crazy schedule and if I don't plan my meals ahead I end up having dinner rolls dipped in blue cheese dressing for dinner. Not good. Well, delicious, but not good for my rear end ;)

Before, I had time in the middle of my day to eat lunch and make something for dinner, but now many days of the week I will be gone all day, so I have to plan ahead!

Here is what I planned for today's sustenance:

Breakfast before my training clients - a smoothie with - frozen blueberries, a banana, coconut milk, chia seeds, and frozen coffee ice cubes (simply left over coffee poured into ice cube trays).
Snack #1 - an Orange and some cinnamon almonds.
Lunch - Quinoa with veggies (this time I used zucchini, onions, red peppers and garlic; simply because thats what I had).
Snack #2 - Wholly Guacamole and Tostitos
Snack #3 - Barney Butter Almond Butter and Strawberries
Dinner at the restaurant - Meal replacement shake***

*** I am not usually a fan of protein powders and/or meal replacement products because I believe you can get everything your body needs from real food, however I am going to give some a try this week and see how I like them. My lunch box needs to be a lot bigger to fit another meal in it!! If I like the product I've chosen I will let you know.

The fact of the matter is, I will not maintain my current level of health, nor will I trim down any more unless I take the time to make sure I have the proper foods at reach.

Rule #1 about losing/maintaining weight = YOU CANNOT OUT EXERCISE A BAD DIET!!

Learn it and live it :) Happy Monday.

Time to get back on track!

7/8/2013

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July! I spent time with friends and family around swimming pools and at the beach, finished off with some Fireworks at the Fountain at Lake Eola. I also ate a ton of food and am ready to get back on track with healthy food and some extra exercise!

At one of the parties, hosted by my best friend Jessica (those are her beautiful children above), I fell in love with a very tasty pulled chicken recipe. I had at least three sandwiches at the party and then one for leftovers last night. I was not the only one who enjoyed these yummy chicken sandwiches, the kids loved them too!!

Of course, I didn't take any pics of the food because I was too busy playing hide and seek with the kiddos :) What fun little tykes!! Anyways, I found the recipe on a great blog called Foodie with Family. The recipe is called Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken. The photo below is from Foodie with Family, I just wanted to make sure you could see how delish these sandwiches look!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Since this is a slow-cooker recipe it is great for make ahead meals and is quite easy to make. Also, its has Sriracha in the title so you know its good!

OK, its time to lace up my sneaks and hit the pavement! I'm gonna run for 20-30 minutes and end with this Core Killer Workout I just whipped up!

Quinoa and Coconut Crazy

6/19/2013

One of my favorite flavors is Coconut. Its my top choice when picking candles or lotion and definitely when it comes to smoothies or desserts. Something about the scent puts me in a tropical state of mind. On my last trip to the grocery store I found my cart filled with multiple coconut products. SO Delicious Coconut Milk both unsweetened and vanilla flavored (another one of my favorite flavors) and a variety of Coco Cafe's.

Coconut milk has many different benefits and is a great replacement for regular milk. It is packed with:

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamins B1, B3, B5, & B6
Iron
Selenium
Calcium
Magnesium
Phosphorus

For more benefits of Coconut Milk, check out this article Fabulous Fat: 15 Benefits of Coconut Milk.

One of the ways that I have been using this wonderful coconut milk is in this Bikini-Ready Tropical Chia Smoothie that I found on Yummy Mummy Kitchen. It's fruity, filling and so easy to make.

This smoothie calls for 1/2 cup of frozen mango, 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple, 1/2 of a banana, 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds and enough coconut milk to get the smoothie mixed thoroughly. Remember, you can use any fruit flavors that you would like or that you have on hand. Delish!

Now, onto my next coconut obsession. Coco Cafe! This wonderful drink is a mixture of coconut water (hydrating), espresso (caffeinating), and a splash of reduced fat milk. They come in three flavors Regular, Mocha, and Vanilla. While all three are great, I'm a fan of the regular flavor because it isn't as sweet as the others. I love these in the morning when I am slightly dehydrated but really need some caffeine.

I also love showing up to train a client, really early in the morning and showing up all pumped and ready to kick their butt. I'm sure it can be quite scary to have me walk in with my crazy caffeine eyes at 6am, but a half asleep trainer would not be good. So thanks to these wonderful drinks I can continue to frighten my clients :)

I have noticed that these little babies have a decent amount of sugar, mostly from the coconut water itself but I'm sure the milk adds a little too. Just keep this in mind :)

Crazy Part 2 - Quinoa

What is quinoa and why am I crazy about it? While quinoa is often lumped into the cereal or grain category, it is actually from the same family as spinach, swiss chard, and beets. With a similar texture and taste as brown rice, quinoa can be used in any way that you would use rice. Now, here is why I love it. Unlike brown rice, quinoa is extremely nutrient dense, is considered a complete protein, is super easy to make, and works well as leftovers/plan-aheaders.

Benefits of Quinoa:

Overall nutrient rich protein - Adequate source of all nine essential amino acids.
Twice as much fiber as most other grains.
High concentration of flavonoids - powerful antioxidants that help corral cell-damaging free radicals.
Anti-inflammatory Components
Maintains Nutrient Benefits even after Cooking

Basically, no matter what you add to the quinoa you have a meal that is high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants.

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions and then sauté up some veggies in garlic and olive oil to add to the quinoa. For the recipe above, I drained a can of tomatoes with jalapeños and added them to the quinoa to add more flavor. I then added sautéed asparagus and shrimp, as well as some feta cheese.

Remember, mix and match any protein and any veggies you have on hand. Get inspiration from pasta and rice dishes and create a quinoa version. Next on my list is Vegetable Fried Quinoa!

Hope you are having a crazy week!!