A Short Story Called "Dinner"

Once upon a time, there was a very hungry young woman. She'd worked ALLLLLLL day and while she was happy to have been so productive, she was tired and NOT in the mood to make dinner. 

Luckily for her, she'd fully stocked her kitchen the day before and had nothing to worry about! She decided a light but filling meal was just the thing she needed and pulled out all the ingredients.

- A fresh veggie mix 
- Extra firm tofu
- Some extra veggies (squash and mushrooms) to toss in
- Rosemary
-Thyme
- Black peppercorns
- Garlic powder
- Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing

        She threw it all in a pan and let it cook on high.

Did you know that cinnamon is said to be good for your heart AND your brain?
Food for thought. 

Meanwhile, on a table nearby, she cut up a fresh peach and grabbed a handful of blueberries to add to a bowl of Greek yogurt, all sprinkled with cinnamon, of course!

And.... Voila! Dinner. 










                               And she lived happily (and healthfully) ever after!

                                                   - THE END - 

How Groovy!

Hey everyone!

I have been missing in action a bit if you haven't noticed! I've been home visiting with family and friends and have started a new job so I've been busy. Of course, working out sort've fell by the way side. Don't get me wrong, I squeezed it in here and there but none of my workouts was worth writing about. Until last night, that is.

Back in the City I love for the past five days, I finally managed to get back into the groove of bringing my (slightly larger) behind to a gym for a proper workout. Well, "proper" may be stretching it...

Introducing, GROOVE HOOPS! My local YMCA (on 14th between 1st and 2nd for those of you in NYC) offers this class on Mondays at 8 PM, directly after their Punk Rope class. You remember when I took that one, right? I enjoyed it but it kicked my butt and I was reminded just how horrible my coordination can be! This time around, I definitely experienced deja vu as I tried to keep my arms and legs in some sort of semblance as our class progressed. But let me start at the beginning.

Here's the entrance of the 14th Street Y.

Groove Hoops was led by Stefan, an adorable curly haired blond with awesome capris. I actually arrived at the Y a couple of hours early because I wanted to get in a regular workout (some cardio, a bit more work on my legs, and a bunch of core work) before the class. As I worked out on my own, I grew pretty excited about the class.

Here, I must tell you something not many people know about me. I happen to be AWESOME at hula hooping. No really I've, like, won contests and everything! During the summer between second and third grade, when I attended a day- camp around the corner from my home, there was a hula hooping contest and, after no less than an hour and eleven minutes of non-stop hooping, I was named the champ. It is definitely a top ten moment from my childhood... 



So again, I was really looking forward to Groove Hoops- I just knew I'd be in my element. That said, I didn't really know what to expect- Have you ever heard of a class like this?

Well, in a nutshell, the class wasn't what I thought it might be. That's not to say it wasn't fun (it was!) but rather than break the class down by focusing working on specific muscles, Stefan taught us a bunch of tricks. While we were still "active", it wasn't nearly as intense as I think it could have been.

Luckily, we established rather quickly that we could all hula hoop decently (i.e. keep the hula hoop swinging around our waists for several minutes at a time). The first few tricks that he taught us involved turns. Typically, when a person hula hoops, she naturally throws the hoop either to the left or right, often without noticing her preference. For example, I always use my right hand to throw the hoop to the left to get started; I don't think about this before I do it, I just do it. Stefan explained that whichever way you throw the hoop, an easy (but cool looking!) trick is to turn your body within the hoop in that same direction. If you do this just right, the hoop actually stops moving as you turn then continues on its way as you stop back in your original position. I mastered it.

Feeling pretty dang awesome, I welcomed the next lesson. ... And it's fair to say I failed miserably at it. It involved tossing the hoop around our hand. Now, to be fair, I have a pretty severe nerve damage from an accident I had back in 2007 so having the hula hoop pressing against it over and over again as it swings around isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Still, I can't use that as an excuse- I just plain stunk. If there is more than two steps in a move and at least one of them is done behind my back, it will take me awhile to get the hang of it. I did eventually improve but I still couldn't twist the way Stefan showed us. Oh, and I have bruises forming already on the backs of my hand and up my arm from the hula hoop pressing against my skin.

One of the last tricks Stefan showed us was allowing the hula hoop to gradually drop from spinning around your waist to spinning around your knees. This is TOUGH and I never quite got it. The best I could do was keeping it around my knees for about six seconds before it clattered to the floor. Dangit. My almost third grade hula hoop pride declined a bit every time dropped it.

Stefan showed us a few more tricks but they were so advanced that, unless you had all of the other tricks down, it was impossible to even attempt. I happily spun my hula hoop around my waist (two at a time, even!) for the last fifteen minutes of class, dignity (back) intact. Some people, like this girl to the left, were pros and could do a bunch of tricks!

Also, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIeuA81cv1Q
The woman in it wasn't in my class but that's definitely the same gym we were in- Would've been cool to see her live!


Bottom Line: I probably wouldn't take the class again. I love hula hooping and I'll be the first one to give it a go when I see a hoop sitting around but the class didn't blow me away, despite Stefan's enthusiasm and genuine friendliness.

Pros: The class is held inside the 14th Street Y which means I get a lot of bang for my buck. I was able to get in a great workout in their main gym and, though I didn't take advantage of them, I could've enjoyed their sauna and pool for no additional cost if I'd wanted. The staff at the 14th Street Y is very nice and helpful- I spoke to three of them during my visit there and I found them all incredibly helpful and polite. This must rub off on the clientele- Everyone's very chill and NOT pretentious at all, unlike some gyms. It's definitely a kid- friendly gym. Not that they're out on the main floor but you do see parents picking their kids up from swim practice; actually, there were even these two adorable little boys- no more than four years old- who brought their own miniature- sized hoops to class and participated on the side as their mother took the class. It really added to the class ambience (and I'm not "kid- friendly", per say).

Cons: Like I said, the class format wasn't what I expected. While I enjoyed learning new tricks, I didn't feel like I targeted any area of my body in particular and that's not what you want when you "work out". Or, I don't at least. Secondly, the time of the class could be better. Eight o'clock at night on a Monday is tough for most of us. Even an hour earlier would have been a lot better.

So what do you think? Would you have been tempted to try Groove Hoops like I was? Should I give it another shot sometime? (Or just buy my own hoop and spin to my hearts content on my own?!)

A Straightforward Question

We all work out for different, varying reasons. Most of us do have a primary reason in mind: To lose weight, because it's healthy habit we're cultivating, because it's our only time that is truly time spent alone, with our own thoughts.

I fall in the last category. The first two categories, particularly the second, certainly come into play but I know what keeps me going back to the gym, hitting the pavement, and signing up for some crazy classes, all really boils down to my "Me Time".


So, what do you think about?

Me? I think about a lot of things, most easily broken down into "the past", "the present", and (of course) "the future".

"The Past": Whew. In my short (allll-most) twenty-six years, there's a lot there. Good childhood memories like time spent with my cousins or causing ruckus with my friends while we rode around on our bikes for 6+ hours a day (talk about a great workout!) Sometimes, though, as I push past my mile or a particularly high rep, my mind begins to wander to... somewhat darker periods. I definitely reflect on those at times when I felt my weakest, mentally and emotionally. Usually, though, I'm thinking about it from a good, strong place as I pound the pavement or count off my last reps. I don't know if it has to do with feeling physically in control in the moment or what but... it's actually a really good way for me to work through some of my most confusing and difficult feelings. What about you? Surely we've all had some trying times in the past that we still think about from time to time... often when we work out and are, for the most part, alone, with those thoughts.

"The Present": As a woman front and center in her mid-twenties, the "present" represents A LOT, to say the least. Talk about having a plateful! For the most part, I LOVE IT. I'd much rather have a a lot going on in my life than not but it can be almost too much to handle at times and my workouts are often the only time I really and truly step back and just... BE. That's actually always been the case- My refuge/sanctuary absolutely is any place I can go, work out and sweat with no one in my face (unless it's a trainer or instructor I'm paying to be there, of course). Career options, romance options, family/friends both near and far, travel plans, my spirituality, my short-term goals... the list goes on and on. It's a lot of thinking and  it's so nice to do it on my own time.
Let's be honest, we haven't had the life experience it really takes to make some of the important decisions we find ourselves facing as we mature and a lot of it is guess work based on intuition and advice from others.... Becoming focused and centered is KEY to making smart decisions today to make an even better tomorrow.

"The Future": Ahhhhh.... "Future". I definitely do not have the details hammered out but "the future" to me is more of an amorphous plan where I'm happy and healthy and so are the people around me. As someone who is your typical  Type- A list-maker, with at least four calendars going at the same time, this may come as a surprise to some who know me. I certainly have goals in life and a blueprint of sorts (flexible as it may be!) that I mostly stick to but I've mellowed out in the past few years to realize that at the end of the day, me and my loved ones being happy and healthy is all that really matters; the details work themselves out, whether we plan down to the last minute or not.
That said, there is a lot on my bucket list (live in another country, create a family, become a successful, published writer, start my own business, travel as much as possible to very remote places in the world, etc.) I am constantly considering my opportunities for the future and I find that thinking about all of this while I'm huffing and puffing away is often just as beneficial to my mind as the workout is to my body!



So what do you think about? Do you find, like me, that thinking about life while working out tends to alleviate stress? Or, do you prefer to use your time working out just zoning out?  

So Long, Summer... Hellllll-O Fall!

Summer has come and gone and we now find ourselves at the start of Fall. Can you BE-LIEVE it?! I can't. Autumn, especially in the Northeast, is one of my favorite times of year but I will miss the carefree attitude that summer demands. (Sigh.)

I went pretty low-key last weekend for Labor Day because I was fighting off a cough (and I won the battle- Yay!) but I made sure to send off the season with a legit summer meal: Lobster salad, corn on the cob, asparagus, strawberries, and lemonade. Mmmmmmm.....

Whoops! Almost forgot to plate my baked fingerling potatoes with basil and extra Virgin olive oil!

Even better, I got all of my ingredients- including the basil- from the Union Square Green Market which means all locally grown, organic products- YUM!

Not to be outdone, of course, Fall has her own special dishes that make my mouth water just thinking about them now. Crockpot meals full of veggies like these, fresh baked goodies, and seasonal coffee drinks abound during these cooler months and I love the homey-ness feel they inspire. For instance, try this little snack I whipped up in no time at all while I was switching my Spring/Summer wardrobe over to Fall/Winter:

One sliced green apple, sprinkled with cinnamon and baked at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes (so they're still a little crunchy!) accompanied by Spiced Chai also with a sprinkling of cinnamon- MmmMmmMmmmmmmm! You'll thank me. 

    ENJOY & share your favorite *healthy* Fall dishes!

Hey, Mister DJ...

I've been cooped up most of the long weekend getting over a minor yet very persistent cough and I'm THRILLED to be headed out the front door as soon as I post this for a nice, l-o-n-g run (... jog) along the Hudson. I know that, besides the beautiful scenery, I'm going to rely on....

                                   Mi musica! 


I actually need it for a lot of things…. Dancing, putting on my make-up, driving a car, and cleaning just to name a few activities. I definitely need it for any type of cardio workout I do, though. Here’s a list of some of the songs that have become tried and true faves:

-                                             Busta Rhymes: “Break Ya Neck”

-                                                              Beastie Boys: “Intergalactic”

-                                                  Gloria Estafan: “Turn the Beat Around”

-                                                      Missy Elliott: “Get Your Freak On”

-                                                                        OutKast: “B.O.B.”

-                              Jay Z: “On to the Next One”, “Run This Town” (w/ Rihanna)

-                                                            Cirque du Soleil: “16-Papillion”

-                                                              Cyrus the Virus: “Electronica”

-                                      Beyonce: “Run the World”, “Diva”, “Get Me Bodied”

-                                                                      Katy Perry: “Firework”

-                                                                       A.R. Rahman: “Riots”

-                                                             Black Eyed Peas: “My Humps”

-                                              Wyclef Jean: “Hollywood Meets Bollywood”

-                                          Ludacris: “Welcome to Atlanta” and “Move Bitch”

-                                      Florence and the Machine: “The Dog Days are Over”

-                                                             Green Day: “American Idiot”

-                            Electronica Techno Orchestra: “Badinerie from Orchestral Suite #2”

-                                                                               Techno 4: “Hot”

-                                                   The Ting Tings: “That’s Not My Name”

-                                            Eminem: “Till I Collapse” and “Lose Yourself”

-                                                              Pitbull: “Give Me Everything”

-                                                           A.R. Rahman and M.I.A.: “Oh … Saya”

Again, these are tried and true (somewhat of a euphemism for “dated”, if you haven't noticed….) so share some of YOUR favorites with me- I’d love to update my playlist!

To Infinity... And Beyond: Abs BLAST!

I didn't have it in me to stay away from NDG Wellness for very long. Even though I have said from the get-go here that I fully intend on being honest and giving accurate accounts of my workout experiences, I felt a little guilty for slamming NDG in my last post. Well, "slamming" may be too strong a word to use but I definitely felt a little guilty for my critique. I think this all harkens back to the childhood lesson, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". However, a quote from one of my favorite movies is "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me!" So, I stand by my earlier criticisms as they were only reflective of what I encountered at the studio on visit number two.

Can you identify the movie? Another favorite quote of mine from it is, "I like pink- Pink is my signauh culuh!"

Anyway, I went back for a third time to take a new class and I am happy (and a bit relieved) to report it was a much better experience than last week!

I chose to take "Abs Blast" which is a 45 minute class that claims to "tighten your abs for that tight sexy midsection you always wanted!" It promises to help you achieve abdominals that are neither too thick or muscular but also not soft or untoned. Need I remind you that my core is my very favorite area to work on so I had my eye on this class for awhile and was definitely looking forward to it!

HUBBY!

Though feeling a little under the weather earlier in the day, I summoned the energy to throw on my workout gear and head north to the Chelsea studio on Tuesday afternoon. I arrived a little early, as usual, but this time for a reason. Remember that my last visit left me with a bad taste in my mouth as far as their customer service was concerned and I was ready to test them. As soon as I was buzzed upstairs and entered the studio, I was greeted warmly by a smiling woman I have never met there before. No one else had arrived yet so after asking her a quick question about the class, I settled in on the sofa in the waiting area. A few minutes later, the adorable pup I introduced you to before came screeching out of a back room straight for me. She is just so adorable. As I was petting and cooing at her, the receptionist remarked that, "She always finds a favorite!" She also informed me that her name is Hubby. Plus one for making small talk with me- Nice move, NDG. My fellow classmates then began arriving as well as Nicole, the owner and part-time teacher. She said hello to everyone and mentioned we'd probably start class five minutes late to accommodate those who were rushing over from work. I didn't mind at all and appreciated the heads-up. I was also happy to hear she'd be teaching us.

As we got started, Nicole instructed us all to grab two five-pound dumbbells and a workout mat. We started out stretching (Yay! Do you think she read my gripe in the first post about not stretching? Or maybe the workout gods whispered a little something in her ear... Either way, I was happy we got in a good five minutes of stretching before our workout!) We then did a series of exercises that involved holding the weights and kicking our legs up in front of us but with the real focus on contracting our abdominals. We continued doing this but added twists as well which targeted our obliques. Nicole is the queen of reps and had us all breaking a sweat almost straight away! After the first twenty or so minutes of doing these types of moves, she had us unroll our mats and lie down. I was excited because I was dang tired (Remember, I was under the weather! And, kicking up your legs for twenty minutes straight with few breaks is no joke!)

We continued using our legs to work our core by extending them straight out, horizontal with the body, holding them that way for several seconds and then kicking them out slowly only to repeat the process (again and again and again- Thanks, Nicole!). We did several variants of sit-ups, some with twists, some while holding weights. I love how she mixes things up because you're too busy learning the new moves to get bored. After we finished that, Nicole had us stretch again which felt fabulous after contracting our muscles (and not just our abs- between the kicks and holding the dumbbells, our legs and arms got a pretty great workout, too!) Then she released us, high on endorphins, to go out and conquer! Or, you know, just grab a water and our towel to wipe the buckets of sweat we'd produced.

Would I Do It Again? AB-solutely! (Heh heh heh...) It was a great class and as with all of the classes at NDG, I felt the effects immediately.

Pros: Well, as I mentioned, the experience overall was better this time. The receptionist was friendly and Nicole did a great job teaching. She's very professional and you can tell she's paying attention to each class participant because she makes comments or gives directions to each person. It makes me feel good to know that if my form is off or if I'm not doing a move correctly, she's got me. Additionally, the music was great! Nicole has an ear for what works not only for each class she teaches but even for each move she has us perform. At one point during class, she paused to make a quick song change because, "That song was too fast for what I'm going to have you all do." I didn't mind the brief interruption as she was ensuring that the vibe was just right for each sequence we did.

Cons: It was still a little hot in the studio. It's safe to say it wasn't nearly as bad as the "Diva Kickboxing" class I told you about in "Sweat, Schvitz, Steam- I Did It All!" but that's most likely because we did less cardio work today than we did then. Also, I noticed that despite starting a few minutes later, we still ended class according to the original schedule which shaved a little time off our class. It was probably an honest mistake... But still, I noticed.

So tell me, do you like working on your core as much as I do? Why or why not? Do you think NDG made up for their failures mentioned in my last post?

Sweat, Schvitz, Steam- I Did It All!

Yep, I did.

I spent an hour back over at NDG Wellness this afternoon for another heart-racing, sweaty, exhausting workout! Operative word being "sweaty".

If you will recall, I took the Stiletto Workout offered by the Chelsea-based NDG Wellness Center earlier this summer. Also recall, I loved it!

Well, folks, it's finally happened. After months of attending fitness class after fitness class, I now report to you with less than stellar results.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate the workout. No, in fact, I can already feel the hint of soreness that I will bask in tomorrow morning- the sure sign that I in fact worked out my muscles well. What I hated this go around was the experience and for two main reasons.

Like last time, I arrived at NDG Wellness about 15 minutes earlier. After taking the elevator up to the 5th floor studio, I came across the owner, Nicole. She was on the phone at the front desk so I quickly smiled and waved and headed to the reception area. There was already another girl sitting there and she asked me what time the class started. I informed her that it started at 11:30 and she mentioned that she'd rushed over because she thought it started at 11. Ok, no big deal but as I sat there with her, and Nicole continued her conversation on the phone for the following 15 minutes leading up to the class, I realized this paying customer had been sitting here for at least a few minutes (I'm guessing ten) and Nicole hadn't even spoken to her yet (which is why she had to ask me when the class started as soon as I sat down). Hm, no bueno. 

I realized I was just being harsh. I didn't know the situation and perhaps Nicole's phone call was of dire importance (which is why each of the other five class participants who arrived after me also did not receive a warm reception). Ok, fine whatever. Time for class to start and besides, a different instructor was teaching it.

I cannot say this with absolute certainty because I have never taken a kickboxing class before but I'm guessing that "Diva Kickboxing" is actually the exact same as other kickboxing classes, except set to music. Remember from the Stiletto Workout post that the music Nicole played was one of my favorite things about the whole experience. Sadly, that wasn't the case today. The music wasn't awful but it wasn't that great and there was often a lag between songs- Not good at all for a fast-paced cardio class like this one! But again, perhaps I'm just being really picky. It's possible.

The instructor, Layla, was gorgeous. Like, "Hi girls, I'm a model but I also happen to enjoy teaching kickboxing" gorgeous. I was pleasantly surprised that she started us off with several stretching exercises. Again, referring back to my Stiletto Workout post, the lack of stretching was one of my only gripes about that day. For the next 50 minutes, Layla then had us do a series of jabs and lunges and kicks and elbows and twists! It was all very fast-paced and a very good workout. True to character, I was right up in the front so I could watch my form as I performed the dozens of moves Layla taught us but I realized quickly how UNcoordinated I became if I watched myself so I stopped and just went with it. Layla said all the right things ("Good job!", "One more set!" "Keep your abs tightened!", etc.) but she seemed a little bit disengaged. I don't know, just something I noticed from time to time during the hour.

One HUGE distraction was the heat in the studio. Oh. My. Sweet Lord! I honestly can't remember the last time I sweated so much. I understand it's a workout class and sweating comes with the territory but it was waaaaay too hot to be working out during the summer in a smallish studio with seven other women and no air conditioning. Give me a break. I had to stop a few times just to wipe the sweat out of my eyes! I watched in the mirror as my light blue shirt turned navy and I started to wonder if this was an element of the class. You know how some people really enjoy Bikram yoga because it has the added intensity of being hot as hell? I thought maybe that's what this was. I finally convinced myself it was and that is the ONLY way I managed to make it through the class. Just out of curiosity, I asked Layla about this after class and she confirmed my earlier suspicions- Something was wrong with their air conditioner. (And they're "working on it".)

So, alllllll of this complaining aside, I will tell you that I did have a good workout. I would've preferred for the whole experience to be a bit more friendly (staff-wise) and comfortable (temperature-wise) but the bottom line is I got what I went in for: A kick-ass workout.

Would I do it again? Begrudgingly, yes. I don't have it out for NDG Wellness so I will definitely return and would encourage my friends in the City to try out one of their classes. So far, workouts-wise, they are two for two. Ambiance-wise, they're one for two. Based on my first experience there, I know that they have it in them to provide an outstanding workout experience and I want to give them that opportunity to prove that this less than stellar visit was just a fluke.

Pros: Consistently (can I say "consistently" after just two visits?), they provide intense workouts that really give me the feeling that my time and money there was well-spent. Despite the below-par attitudes I witnessed today, I know Nicole is cool and I suspect Layla is as well. Hopefully I don't ever catch them on their "off" days again. Price-wise, this was a great deal as it is one of the five classes I bought for 25 buckaroos in my Lifebooker Loot deal. Hurrah for $5 classes!

I almost forgot to include a picture of this little cutie! She's Nicole's pup and, while I didn't get her name (again, Nicole on the phone = No time to ask), I did have a chance to play with her for the few minutes leading up to class- So Sweet!!! 

Cons: I already mentioned everything- No need to rehash, right?



So what do you think? Can you empathize with my complaints or am I being hyper critical? What little things have bothered you in the past about fitness classes?