Never Miss a Monday Pt. 2

Another Monday is slowly approaching again. I used to dread mondays because it meant that my freedom was gone and I had to go back to the rigmarole of working again. Now that I'm a student the lines of freedom and responsibility have blurred and my weekends are now spent doing homework and studying. So to me the weekend just isn't as exciting to me anymore. With the new outlook I have on life, Mondays are starting to look more appealing. It's the start of a new week, it's a way to sort of cleanse your mind of the past and start fresh again. Last week I didn't meet my gym goal of doing my fasted cardio for 5 days, all though I did do more than the week prior, so win? But I'm not going to dwell on that. I have a new week and new goals to achieve. So  here are this week's challenges. 

Shantece G.

Music:

1. Darude, "Sandstorm"   (What a throwback!)
2. Azealia Banks "212" ft. Lazy Jay
3. J-Lo "Booty" ft. Pitbull
4. Papa Roach "Last Resort"
5. Jason Derulo "Swalla" ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign

Workout:

So, I really like the fasted cardio and I'm going to continue doing that again this week. My goal is to actually get through all 5 days this time. I am also adding upper body workouts into the mix. I will incorporate the following 4 exercises every other day on top of my fasted cardio. This week I'm also going to be joined by my boyfriend which is great! I think that having the right kind of support and structure is key to meeting your health goals. 

Bench Press 4x10 with challenging weight

Bent over rows 4x10 with challenging weight

Dumbbell curls 4x10 with challenging weight

Tricep pull downs 4x10 with challenging weight

Recipe:

I love soup and I love curry so when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to try it. There aren't any really crazy ingredients to find and I hate complicated recipes so this one should turn out all right. It's vegan and paleo friendly to boot so that's always a plus. 

 https://reciperunner.com/thai-sweet-potato-carrot-soup/

THAI SWEET POTATO CARROT SOUP

Never Miss a Monday Pt. 1

So, I'm trying to do this whole weight loss journey thing once again. I think I'm at attempt 37,645... but who's counting right? I've never had this much trouble in my life getting back into shape. A lot of it has to do with me having PCOS, as well as straight up being lazy and unfocused or driven. I mean, I know that I am unhappy and uncomfortable in my current state, but sometimes it's still not enough. You have to mentally be ready, you can do that in two ways... forcing yourself until your mind eventually gives in ( about 3 weeks into a solid routine) or one day it just happens, you are ready, willing and able. Well for me that day has finally arrived and I hope that it continues. I feel like I've turned over a new leaf and I am in this whole process of improving my life in a more positive direction and that includes being comfortable in my own skin. So every week I am going to add 5 songs that I personally have on my work out playlist aptly titled "Get it Tight", a new recipe and a new exercise. Hopefully it will inspire and encourage you to try them out for yourself. If you do, let me know what you think. I'll be posting my thoughts as well. 

Shantece G.

Current me....

Me 5 years ago and what I would like to go back to being. 

Music:

1. David Guetta - Dangerous (Ft. Sam Martin)
2. Omarion - Post to be (Ft. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko)
3. B.O.B - Raybands
4. Above and Beyond - Sun and Moon (Ft. Richard Bedford)
5. French Montana - Pop That (Ft. Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne)

Workout:

Try fasted cardio. Basically what I've been doing is waking up in the morning and heading to the gym to do 30 min. of cardio. Now I personally don't like to do the same thing for 30 min straight. What I do is get on the treadmill for 10 min, the bike for 10 min, and the elliptical for the last 10 min. I also increase my speed for a 30 sec. sprint by 8:30 and then cool down at 9:00 min. I don't eat anything before the workout that includes any protein drinks and stuff like that, just plain H2O for me. I've seen a significant reduction in my weight within my first week of trying this and I'm going to see how it pans out in the long run. Last week I was only able to make it to the gym on 3 mornings so I am going to attempt this again for 5 days this week. 

Recipe: 

 http://sugarapron.com/2015/04/28/avocado-salad-with-tomato-cucumber-mozzarella/#more-906

This is a link to a delicious looking Avocado salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and mozzarella! If you're vegan then maybe replace the mozzarella with a vegan cheese of your choosing. I honestly love salads and especially all of these ingredients so I think I'm definitely going to enjoy this one!