Should I Go To The Gym Sunday

Sunday and I have always had a love-hate relationship. On one hand Sunday practically begs for a comfy afternoon, my favorite pair of leggings and something on Netflix. On the other, Sunday is an unfortunate reminder of all the homework that I neglected to bother with. With all of these conflicting messages, it can be hard to understand Sunday. What does Sunday want from me? Is it cool if breakfast is at noon? Do I study for that test I just remembered I have? Should I look cute? The most challenging part of our relationship is easily making the decision on whether or not I should go to the gym. This has been a long relationship and certainly not an easy one. That being said here are a few things about
the gym and Sunday:

• I think that going to the gym is a great way to start your Sunday. Get it out of the way in the morning before you start doing all you need to be ready for the week.
• If you don't want to go to the gym, don't go. It's okay. But if you decide it's not happening at least try to get some exercise in. Go for walk. Do some crunches. Take the stairs a couple extra times.

In case you were wondering- the answer is no. No, I have not made it to the gym today and I am most definitely not planning on making an appearance there this evening. Happy Sunday!

Gym Dress Code

I'm just about the last person who can give advise on what to wear at the gym. I rarely wear matching sox,  don't coordinate my outfits whatsoever and have been caught on multiple occasions wearing a shirt that reads "physexy"  (the combination of the words physics and sexy, a shirt designed by my high school physics teacher). Trust we when I say I have NEVER felt sexy wearing that shirt. While I do not exactly have the right to comment on what other people wear to the gym I have granted it to myself for the sake of this blog and my mom who is probably the only person that reads this.

Gym Dress Code (Part One)

1. I don't want to see your stomach. That's what shirts are for. It doesn't matter to me if your the most fit person in the building or just beginning at the gym, put your stomach away please.
2. Sneakers. Why anyone would not wear sneakers to the gym is beyond me. Sneakers. Sneakers. Sneakers. Just wear sneakers.
3. Boys who cut their shirts where arm holes should be so you can see how "huge" they are getting. Go home. We don't care. (I take that back, some of you can stay.)
4. Jackets. I actually haven't seen too many people do this before but it's been done. Some people begin their cardio work outs in jackets and slowly pull off layers to increase sweat levels. This one just makes me nervous. Won't you get hot? Is it snowing on your side of the gym? What happens if you sweat too much? Do you have mittens too?

this is okay

this one's just funny

why

Click Here! (I promise it's funny)

Groovy With Smoothies

I remember it all oh so well. One day in Spanish class during my senior year of high school my teacher, Senora Bolanos (who was easily on her 7th "health kick" that year) started telling the class about this new smoothie she tried with bananas and peanut butter. For once, I didn't mind steering from the days instruction. Peanut butter and banana smoothies are absolutely my most favorite type of smoothies. I like to keep it simple with my smoothies; peanut butter, banana, ice and a splash of milk or almond milk (fair warning- do not try to put dry roasted peanuts in this smoothie to "enhance" the flavor, you'll regret it forever). However, there are hundreds of recipes out there for peanut butter and banana smoothies and there is certainly one for you! Below I have posted the links to a few different recipes I found on Pinterest.

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Peanut Butter and Banana Green Smoothie

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

peanut butter

 

milk

bananas

ice

Why are Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothies a Healthy Choice for me?
Bananas are high in potassium and low in salt. They protect against muscle cramps during workouts, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with the production of white blood cells. Not only is peanut butter a great source of protein but it serves as an energy booster and is heart healthy as well. Peanut butter also aids weight loss and is packed with nutrients.

Fair Season Means Fried Food Season

Fall is the season of fairs. All over the place, weekends are used to host fairs featuring events, rides, livestock, attractions and most importantly delicious food. While it may be completely appetizing, more often than not the food offered by vendors aren't typically health-conscious selections. French fries, onion rings, cotton candy, kettle corn, ice cream and donuts are all among the common foods one might find at a fair. Fried food has become an especially big thing at fairs in the past couple of years, you can literally get anything fried these days. This being said I have made a list of tips for those of whom, like me, will be attending a fair this season.

1) Walk. Take advantage of the huge fair grounds and make it a goal to visit every attraction. Get some good use out of a pair of sneakers.
2) Indulge. But indulge consciously. Pick one fried food or unhealthy snack to buy at the fair, not two and definitely not three.
3) Make good liquid choices too. Bring a bottle of water to keep yourself hydrated and encourage yourself to stay away from any of the high-calorie sweet drinks you could be tempted to buy at the fair.
4) Bring your own snack. If you think you might get hungry, sneak a piece of fruit in your bag just in case your tempted for another delicious basket of onion rings.

This weekend I will be attending the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. Below are some photos from past Fryeburg fairs as well as a link to it's homepage.

 

 

Click Here to for the Fryeburg Fair Home Page

Not Hiking Cadillac

This past Friday I took a spontaneous trip to Acadia National Park with a few of my friends. With minimal camping experience and a severe distaste for the cold I was eager to say no but was persuaded by the promise of a hike up Cadillac Mountain. We arrived to the dark and cold campground around 8 in the evening and set up after 30 minutes worth of circling the campground in hopes of finding our campsite. I love hiking and now is the perfect time of the year to take advantage of our beautiful state. Hiking is great for a lot of reasons.
1. You don't have to be an athlete to hike. There are all sorts of trails of varying distances and difficulties. There is literally a trail for everyone.
2. It's great for the booty. The workout that hiking gives you is great for your lower body, it works your claves, thighs and most importantly, your butt.
3. Your heart and lungs will thank you. Hiking, or pretty much any cardiovascular routine is great for your heart and lungs.
Back to my story. Around 8 the next morning we took off from our campsite in search for coffee and Cadillac. When we arrived at Cadillac that perfectly sunny Saturday morning, we could not have been more disappointed. Standing outside of the blocked entrance stood a park ranger who informed us that Cadillac would be closed to vehicles until noon. Even though our trip did not go as planned, we still had a great time and at least had the intention of getting some good physical activity this past weekend.
Below are pictures of me not hiking Cadillac this past weekend.

Breakfast With Katie

"Breakfast With Katie" is the title of a blog I will have some day describing my favorite part of the day in all it's glory. From my nothing-but-fashion-forward outfits (usually a big t-shirt and slippers) to my wonderful dining partners (my dog, Brady) to the location (my kitchen and sometimes my bed) and of course my phenomenal meals (eggs, fruit and lots of coffee). For now, this future blog title will inspire tonight's blog post which is, believe or not, about eggs. Keeping with my theme of healthy living, eggs are a wonderful source of protein and vitamin D, a great choice for a healthy start to the day! Just the reason why I eat eggs for breakfast all the time. Egg white omelets, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, you name it. Most of us know that protein is egg-celent (sorry, I couldn't help myself) for the active body but not many of us know why. Protein is important because it provides the amino acids that our muscles need to rebuild themselves after using them when exercising.
Why Should I Eat Eggs?

• Eggs raise levels of HDL also known as the good cholesterol
• Eggs are rich in iron, phosphorus, selenium and numerous other vitamins
• One large egg contains roughly 77 calories and 6 grams of protein
• Eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids
• One egg contains 113 mg of an important nutrient for the brain, Choline

Say "Yes" to New Things

To my surprise, I recently discovered that Cardio-Kickboxing has nothing to do with running and kicking in unison. When my friend asked me to join her at the class that would take place this past Monday at our Recreation Center I was most definitely hesitant. Why do a class that I know nothing about when I could stick to my routine at the gym? Run the track, drink some water, hit my favorite machines and keep an eye out for any cute boys playing basketball. As you can imagine, I said "yes" and am quite happy that I did so. Cardio-Kickboxing is a high-impact cardiovascular workout that incorporates traditional aerobics, boxing and martial arts. Not only was there great music, an awesome instructor and a  phenomenal workout, the class was a lot of fun. For the calorie counters out there, Cardio-Kickboxing burns an average of 350 to 450 calories in an hour. While there is obviously no harm in saying "no" I strongly advise that you try new things and push yourself when it comes to physical activity. Any time you try something that you have never done before, you are pushing yourself. Just say "yes".

Click Here to Access UMaine's Group Fitness Schedule