Yippee, it’s Wednesday! 😀 And you know what that means…
It’s party time!
True to my early bird ways, I was up at 5:30 this morning. But I was tired, so I’m pretty sure that the only reason I was actually able to drag my sorry butt out of bed was because of the promise of a delicious breakfast…
[eggy bananafied oats topped with almond butter and chocolate/caramel pudding]
I didn’t end up passing out at 9:30 last night, like I thought I would. I was up until 11 doing… I don’t even know what. I remember there being a computer. Books were involved at some point, too. Oh, and I definitely remember this beautiful sight…
Rainbow sunsets 😀 Nature never ceases to amaze me.
And speaking of amazing… any guesses as to which book I picked out of the crazy stash to read first?
Drum roll pleaseeeee….
My thoughts so far? Ah.maze.ing. I’m completely smitten. And I’m also smitten by my new favorite pre-workout snack…
… which I inhaled before powering through a 20 minute HIIT workout on the treadmill, followed by one of my last strength routines in Stage 1 of The New Rules of Lifting for Women.
I’ve been following the lifting program for just a little over a month now (I don’t follow the diet plan) and dayyyuuum… I’m loving the results. I’ve definitely gotten stronger and leaner, and I just feel… good. Happy. Healthy. It’s nice 😀
And the best part of it is that I think I’ve finally reached a place where I can say that I have a perfectly healthy relationship with exercise. I no longer look at is as a way to burn extra calories, but as a way to make myself healthier. I used to suffer from the “exercise more, eat less” mentality, meaning that the more I exercised, the more I was tempted to restrict my intake (because that makes perfect sense), but now the complete opposite is true. The more I exercise, the more I want to eat so that I can become even faster and stronger. I hate the feeling of dragging through a workout, or dragging through a day in general, and I notice that it doesn’t tend to happen if I’m properly fueled, so I fuel…
After I managed to pick my sweaty and shaky self off the floor (stability ball jackknifes kill me), I was more than eager to dig into my favorite lunch…
[mango tofu protein smoothie – Greek yogurt topped with trail mix, Puffins, Kashi Sunshine, puffed wheat – unpictured salad beast]
… and because I was still feeling a bit peckish after that, I followed it up with dessert, which came courtesy of my dad. He knows how much I love my Greek yogurt, and has to listen to me complain about the lack of variety up here in Canada, so he picked up this gem just to shut me up because he loves me…
… and I. am. in. LOVE. The combination of sweet mango and slightly tangy orange is just to die for. Be still my fluttering heart. Mmmm yessss. Err. Sorry. I was having a moment…
MOVING ON
The afternoon was devoted to this, that, and a little bit of everything in between. I worked. I shopped. I got hungry. I ate an afternoon snack…
[a perfectly sweet nectarine alongside the last muffin]
… I ran some work related errands. I cussed like a sailor when I hit rush hour traffic on my way home. I eventually made it home. I whipped up a quick dinner…
[Pumpkin Hummus Tortilla Pizza]
… I blogged while it baked. And nowwww I just want to relax and do nothing at all. I’m wiped, and tomorrow promises to be yet another crazy day with even more condo viewing in the afternoon. Sigh.
It’ll all be worth it in the end. It’ll all be worth it in the end. It’ll all be….
Love you guys! Wish me luck!
. – . – . – .
Let’s chat. Why do you exercise? Because you truly enjoy it, or because you feel guilty if you don’t? Do you do it to get stronger, or to burn calories? Have your views on it changed over time?
this was really lovely to read Amanda, you are so inspirational, whether you realize it or not. And if you dont start believing it because Im telling you. 😀 😀
I dont know, after reading your posts, I always get a buzz and i just feel like that you are such a strong person, and I mean I dont know all of your story about your ED but just knowing how far you have come in terms of recovery, and look at how you are living your life, and how happy you are. Its actually amazing. 😀 I only hope that I shall be in your position one day very soon, I know Im in the process despite it sometimes being slow.
I love the sunset, its absolutely gorgeous, the colours sunsets produce is incredible.
i’m so sorry this comment is late.
I hope you are having a lovely Sunday.
Love Jess xx
I exercise because I love it. I love the feeling and energy I get from a good sweat!
I exercise because… I don’t think I always enjoy it but I enjoy the results. It has turned to a habit and I don’t ask myself if I feel like doing it or not. I simply do it and move on. I really love swimming but it is not even on my exercise list. It is filed under “Hobbies” 😀 .
And you really like “The Alchemist”? For me the style of Coelho is just too plain. I read the whole book in like 2-3 hours and then I was happy to put it on the shelf knowing that I will never touch it again. Personal opinion…
His plain writing style is actually one of the things that I loved about it. The book had such a profound message which I thought contrasted beautifully with the simplistic words.
I could lie and say I exercise because I like it… but it’s mostly because I want to look good… and I want to eat more… Is that lame? I mean, I DO like the feeling I get after I exercise, but would I do it if it didn’t help me keep my weight in check?… probably not? Thats sad but probably true…
I exercise because I truly love it, but sometimes it is guilt induced.
Exercising is something I am currently dealing with- I mean how I approach it and why I do it. I exercise because I do love how my body feels, but I still feel quite compelled to engage in physical activity to burn calories. I have talked about this on my blog before but it’s really time for me to re approach this difficult subject for myself.
P.s. your eats look phenomenal as usual 🙂
Wow, that sunset is breathtakingly gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pink rainbow before!
I remember the first time I ever did a strength training routine. I felt so empowered afterwards; its an entirely different feeling than a cardio workout. I workout mostly from habit now. I’ve worked it into my routine for so long now that it would just be weird not to. And obviously I enjoy it–there’s nothing better than being drippy with sweat and knowing you’ve worked hard!
I used to exercise for fun – swimming, riding etc – then I got an ED and it was to burn calories, and now it’s because it’s fun, and it makes me feel like a superhero! I can hand on heart say I enjoy the stuff I do 🙂
I used to workout obsessively just for the “calorie burn.” That took all the fun out of working out and it became a chore. Now I work out because it makes me feel good. I have no clue how many calories I burn during each workout, and I don’t care anymore.
P.S. I thought I was the only one who ate hummus on their “pizza” 🙂 Such a quick and delicious meal.
“The Alchemist” is a wonderful read–enjoy! <3
I luv ur pics!
I feel as though we have a similar taste for favorite foods. I would eat oatmeal or greek yogurt messes and protein shakes for every meal if i could. But I also love veggies and hummus and what not. Crazzzy 🙂
But I am getting better at my relationship with exercise. I do yoga because, well, I teach it, and I love bringing the sense of calm and strength to others. I take Les Mills group fitness classes because almost everyone in my family teaches them (mom, brother, stepdad, sister-in-law, myself, close family friends…) and they are the funnest things in the world! And I lift because it makes me feel so strong. I’m actually kind of thinking about getting into bodybuilding competitions.. haha. I’ve always been around exercise and always will because my mom has always been a fitness instructor (even when she was preggo with me 🙂 ) and we own a health club and now I’M a fitness instructor. It never stops! (sorry for rambling in your comments section, by the way ;D)
The sunset is so beautiful! I’ve been meaning to check out the The Alchemist for a while now. I really need to get to it! I used to workout only to burn calories and I honestly didn’t enjoy it at all. My views have definitely changed though. Now I exercise because it makes me feel good, stronger, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. It releases a huge amount of stress too which is one of my favorite parts about it :]
Oooh, I’ve heard good things about the Alchemist. Let me know how it turns out. And that sunset picture is gorgeous 🙂 I exercise because it makes me feel truly alive and it ridiculously empowering. Not to mention, running is such stress release for me. It’s a time I get to be alone with my thoughts and sort them all out. I must say however, that I didn’t always feel that way about exercise. I used to think of it in terms of how many calories I was burning. Once I changed my mindset, my attitude towards exercise changed as well 🙂
I exercise to get stronger and I also like the feeling after a good sweat session. I may be tired during the day, but I know once I exercise I’ll get an extra burst of energy!
I love to run and ‘work out’ for the high I feel after. But I definitely suffer from guilt with rest. Maybe i should try more lifting to change my perspective a bit..
LOVE stability ball jackknifes! They are so hard, but you totally feel them working :). I used to workout for the whole calorie thing too…ugh that was awful. Now I do it because I love it- I love the way I feel mentally and physically. Also, I do it for my health. I was an exercise science major and I know all the awesome ways that exercise contributes to better health- basically it’s a wonder drug!
I saw on Liberte’s fb page that they released that new flavour, but I haven’t seen it in stores here yet. It sounds so good!
I exercise because it makes me feel good! And because it’s good for me. I like knowing that by making exercise a regular part of my routine, I’m reducing my risk of tons of diseases, cancers, and heart problems. My family has a history of high blood pressure and cholesterol, so I hope that by exercising I’ll be able to avoid that!
That rainbow sunrise is beautiful! Wow.
How in the world did I miss your post on pumpkin hummus tortilla pizza?! I make your pumpkin chili scramble all the time so I know this will be amazing too!
I exercise because it keeps me sane and is one of the few moments out of my day where I can have pure, unrestricted “me” time. Also, seeing the changes in my body is not-to-shabby of a reason either 😉
Hummus on a pizza!? You’re brilliant!
Can I come over someday and enjoy a pumpkin hummus pizza with you, while discussing life-changing books? I haven’t read The Alchemist, but have heard good things. It’s officially on my reading list now, per your recommendation. Oh, and what is that delicious chocolate-looking pre-workout concoction? I’d like some of that too. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on exercise. I once subscribed to the “exercise more, eat less” mentality as well. In fact, this outlook ruled every part of my being. I was a slave to exercise, as my entire day was centered around it. I’d be lying if I said that I’m 100% over exercise addiction. Sometimes I feel obligated to workout–as though I “need” to go six days/week in order to stay “healthy.” When I feel this way now, it’s not so much about the calories, rather, the “control” to do what’s right for my body. The lines can be a bit fuzzy…How much is too much?
Most of the time, however, I exercise because it makes me FEEL GOOD–both physically and emotionally. Like you said, a well-fueled body is a happy, healthy body. And that really IS nice. 🙂
Of course you can come over for pizza! I just need a 30 minute warning in advance so that you can enjoy it straight from the oven 😉 And the chocolatey pre-workout goodness was just some cottage cheese mixed with vanilla protein powder and cocoa powder 🙂
Ahh girly, you seriously take stunning photos and eat the most amazing food..therefore I am doubly jealous! And that sunset, gosh I’m a sucker for sunrises and sunsets…
I admit that a part of me exercises to burn calories but my relationship with exercise is getting better. It keeps me mentally sane, I love the endorphins from it and afterwards I feel great. I guess I enjoy it because I’m actually physically able to do it now and it makes me realise how much stronger and healthier I am now whereas before I could barely walk around for an hour. I see it as a reminder of how powerful my body can be when I fuel it properly with good food 🙂
I still remember the days where I barely had any energy to do anything, which makes me appreciate what my body can do even more now. I’m kind of smitten with being healthy 😀
Good luck with all your viewings! I used to exercise just to burn calories, now I exercise because of how it makes me feel which is totally awesome! I can’t imagine not exercising, it just makes me feel kind of centred but also really strong and fit – and to feel that way I know I need to eat well to be able to get the most out of my workouts. I love that feeling of achievement too, whether its adding a few seconds to my plank hold or managing another push up its great 🙂
Nice blog! The hummus pizza looks soo good. Hummus is pretty much amazing with everything, so I’ll have to give it a shot! I love substituting mayo with hummus on sandwiches. It has much more flavor, and less empty calories. It’s sooo good!
I still struggle with exercise thoughts of just burning calories. But I don’t actively restrict its just in my mind. I do enjoy it though as I guess a part of the ed for me was to feel that I was good at something be so determined to see that number go down on the scale and that was the only pleasure I had in my life. But now I get lots of satisfaction from exercise I love feeling stronger out on the bike be able to go faster, feel my muscles get stronger.
All of your food looks amazing!!! I really need to get my hands on that weights book sharpish-it sounds awesome!!!
As usually, Im in love with your eats! Everything looks SO good!
Im so happy for you that you have found peace with exercise! And youq are getting the results you deserve 😀
I used to exercise just to burn calories. I could skip school and tell my friends I was sick- only to go to the gym and work out for 5-7 hours! I even had two memberships, so the gym-staff shouldnt notice my crazy habits. Oh, those were the days.. 😛
Or not! I had to separate food and exercive, because I finally understood that working out, wouldnt zero out my binges. And that I would just binge even more if I kept up my out-of-control work-outs. This is many years ago though.
Nowdays, I love running (when they are pain free) and yoga and walking. I think I would have issues cutting them out (and that is a good thing!!), but Im not obsessed about them. And I never think of how many calories I have been eating, and how many I should burn off!
Agh! Too delicious to even describe, your eats. Nomnomnom.
Oats? Always a win. Puffins? Makes anything and everything more win than it originally was. Speaking of mango, I had mango soy yogurt today! I agree, the flavor of mango in yogurt is definitely a good thing. Though yours sounds bunches better than mine- mixed with orange? Perfection!
To be perfectly honest I don’t do any hardcore “exercise” at the moment. I do some ab work, the occasional workout DVD, and lots of walking with my dogs and such. I think I’d have loved Zumba, but I never got the chance to try! No worries. I just enjoy being active in general! Sometimes I lose patience with dedicating a time in my day for “working out”. I think I’ve just not found a workout that fits me yet!
<3
I think that being generally active is the most important thing anyways… On days where I’m busy running errands and stuff, I don’t usually bother to get a “proper” workout in, because I’m basically on my feet all day anyways, so I count that as my exercise 😀
The idea of a delicious breakfast also always helps me waking up 🙂 And that rainbow pictures is so beautiful!
That is awesome that you have found your healthy relaationship with exercise!! It is so hard to do this, because do exercise from various (wrong) reasons and media keep “bombing” us with messages that we need to workout to get thin and thinner. I love that workous give me energy, boost my mood, make me strong..it is all amazing. But this attitude didn´t appeare overnight, it took a lot of periods of over-exercising, under-eating, over-eating and under-exercising, until I have found the right “ratio” 🙂
Wow, the rainbow sunset is gorgeous!
Breakfast always gets me out of bed too 🙂
My views on exercise have definitely changed over time. I used to do it to burn as many calories as possible, but then I began to find certain exercises I actually enjoyed doing. Also I started feeling and seeing how much stronger I was getting and I just began to love exercise in general. I love strength training and short runs and how they make me feel afterwards 🙂
I like some forms of exercise just because I enjoy doing them… like, I like walking places, and I genuinely enjoy running. I also like how I feel after doing certain other exercises (namely elliptical) because endorphins = fab especially for anxious littl eme 😉
But I was realizing in one fitness class I did today that I was really just doing it in hopes of looking better and that that was not really good enough motivation for me, which was why I kept skipping the class even though I paid for it… so I don’t know. It’s a mixed bag unfortunately!
Glad your’e loving the alchemist. Like is aid, one of my faves. 🙂 & written by a Brazilian author to boot 😉 hehe
I truly love excersize, but it also fuels my ed and has become an addiction. So it’s a really confusing thing for me. I do know that my favourite forms include; bikram/hot/power yoga, and hiking. Im not sure about running, and I really want to try lifting!
I want orange-mango Liberte, the best flavour I’ve tried is the fig-date.
you blogged you baked you wiaw-ed and I have goooot to read that book! can’t wait to hear your recap/opinon when you’ve finished it! hooray for loving it so far! <3 Happy WIAW dahhling!
That post-workout snack looks delicious. I am adding more chocolate to my meals, and am in love. I can’t believe I was saving it for dessert so often when I can enjoy it all the time!
I also love Liberte yogurt. When I lived in Vermont I was able to find it all the time, but it’s not quite as common in Massachusets. Sadness. It’s so delicious, and I had their coconut yogurt on my trip to Quebec last week – it’s amazing. Have you had it?
I have, yeah. The lemon one is really good too 😀