Showing posts with label pret a manger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pret a manger. Show all posts

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Can't.stop.eating

sweet chicken chili and coriander sandwich for lunch from Pret
My workout yesterday: Back/Chest, 8-10 reps, 3 sets
  • barbell row
  • incline dumbbell press
  • dumbbell pullover
  • machine chest press
  • back extension 
  • straight arm pulldown
  • cable crossover
Snack attack yesterday afternoon. I seriously couldn't stop eating!! I had some sweet popcorn w. chips
wheat bread w. spaghetti sauce and goat cheese=perfect snack!
Then some unpictured chocolates...

I was super frustrated yesterday because I showed up to my Zumba class only to find out it was cancelled due to the crazy rioting that's been going in the UK. It's so sad that these punks are disrupting the lives of so many innocent people. Grr!!!

T took me out to eat after I got back home fuming. We went to Thai Aubergine for some delicious Thai food.
http://thaiaubergine.co.uk/
Finger lickin' good chicken wings
spare ribs- the sauce on these ribs= SO GOOD!
shrimp curry-the sauce is a bit watery but the flavor is still pretty tasty
egg fried rice- I hate blurry Iphone pics!!
beef pad thai
more fitness reading materials- I might have gone a bit overboard on my magazine subscriptions, hehe..
eggs, toast, hummus
Agenda: PUNCH class, tea w. a buddy, study, ??

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Sweatin it out..

I was craving some Korean food when we got back in from Belgium last night so we ordered delivery from Ginnan. I don't know of any other place that delivers Korean to our house- The food is good but not great.
I needed my weekly fix of kimchi..
Bibimbap
sushi platter
eel over rice
bbq pork

Back on the grind this morning! Let me tell you how hard it is to get back into working out if you haven't done it in a while. I typically like to workout when I travel but I just decided not partake this time around ;) I think I got in one workout out of the 5 days we were there, hehe.. I guess its nice to also take a break and let my body recover some. I've also noticed that my bum foot isn't hurting anymore so I'm very grateful for that!

Gym time: A lovely treadmill run for about 30 minutes before the sweat got the best of me!
after the gym I stopped by Pret to get another salad
I sliced in some beets from our fridge for a nice sour addition.. Delish!

Agenda: Zumba practice, mail my transcripts, send in my personal statement, teach Zumba, relax!

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Cucs and Goat cheese

talk about a random but healthy snack: cucumbers with a tablespoon of goat cheese. crunchy and savory just how I like it :)
Dinner last night was Bigham's Indonesian chicken satay with some added prawns and broccoli. I managed to sub another zumba class and not totally fall apart from my recovering cold..
eggs and toast for breakfast

I proceeded to go for a run later in the afternoon. BAD BAD idea. About 20 minutes into the run, I started feeling a.w.f.u.l! I guess I'm not completely over my cold after all! My bad.. :(

Most of my morning/afternoon was spent researching and working on my personal statement. Thankfully I have my brilliant husband tearing it apart editing it. ha! Red ink EVERYWHERE. Bad Hanna Bad! :-) Not that I mind though because I'm always grateful for help---lord knows I could use it! I'll just have to keep on truckin! More on this later...
I stopped by Pret a Manger for lunch after my run. Don't ask me how but I managed to get lost while trying to get home from Regent's Park so I was actually running/walking for an hour!
I really love Pret a Manger's soups because they are filling and very hearty. Mmm.. soup when you're sick is peeerfect!
an afternoon snack that's pretty much dessert: banana bread w. a spread of nutella.. Yum!

Agenda: teach zumba, rest

Friday, 22 July 2011

Targeting your glutes and hamstrings

more soup and crackers w. hummus prior to teaching zumba
Tonight's class was definitely better than yesterday's. I just have to remember that I can't please everyone-- must please myself first! It sounds selfish but if I look at it the other way around, I'll always end up miserable knowing I didn't do something different for SOMEONE else. Sigh..inner peace is all I seek..
Speaking of inner peace: here's an affirmation for today from TDL.
http://www.thedailylove.com/
TODAY'sAFFIRMATIONS
I approve of me.
 
I live my own authentic life from the inside out.
 
Did I mention, I approve of me.

I was planning on cooking up something already "ready made" but T made a great suggestion of kabobs
sometimes this no carb thing isn't such a bad thing! Okay.. so maybe a platter full of meat is a bad thing but last night it just tasted SO GOOD!!
the spicy red sauce and a lil bit of garlic yogurt sauce to counterbalance all that heat!
T'was mighty tasty!

I made some french toast for breakfast to break out of the routine of eggs n hummus.
  • 1 egg
  • splash of vanilla
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tablespoon 1 tsp flour
  • 1/3 cup milk
Mix well, dunk bread, place on hot skillet, set of fire alarm before 8 a.m., and ENJOY :)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/fluffy-french-toast/detail.aspx
I think I needs me some Sports Direct anonymous.. gone are the days of needing to buy black work pants and in are lots and lots gym gear. It's for my job--- I swear ;)
In the bag:
  • 2 nike sports bra
  • 2 nike shirts
  • 2 nike dri fit pants
I would also like to find a job at Nike just so I can score discounted swag.

My package yesterday also included more Zumba clothing.
You can't teach unless you look the part! Well that's not true really but I swear it makes doing it more fun!
Thank god I got the large because these tanks run small!!
I also ordered my first pair of Zumba pants and they fit wonderfully!! I love the elastic waist band that doesn't cinch at my love handles. Hate it when pants do that!! I also don't know why I ordered the mesh top because its completely see through. Either I'm going to have to wear a tank top underneath or just go sports bra commando!
after Sports Direct, I stopped by Pret to pick up lunch that I ate at approximately 11a.m. ha! I musta been hungry!!

the usual tuna and cucumber sandwich w. a side of popcorn. It definitely hit the spot!

Fitness bit of the day: From The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises

Glutes and Hamstrings

The bonus benefits of working your G&H are: 
  • Great calorie burn: Since the glutes are your biggest muscle group, they're also one of your top calorie burners
  • Better posture: Weak glutes can cause your hips to tilt forward. This puts more stress on your spine. It also pushes your lower abdomen outward, making your belly stick out.
  • Healthier knees- Your ACLS rely on your hamstrings to help them stabilize your knees. Having a strong set of hamstrings can help your ACLs do their job and lower your risk of injury. 
Some exercises I like doing that targets the glutes and hamstrings are:
  • Hip raise with feet on swiss ball
  • Single leg hip raise
  • Swiss ball hip raise and leg curl
  • Barbell deadlift
  • Back extension
  • Dumbbell straight leg deadlift
Did you know that changing the direction of where your toes are pointing while doing exercises such as the swiss ball hip raise and leg curl can target your hamstrings in different areas? Pointing your toes outward emphasizes the hamstring muscles on the outside of your leg and pointing your toes inward targets the hamstring muscles on the inside portion of your leg.

Song of the day: Alicia Keys "What it feels like to fly"

Friday, 15 July 2011

You've been schooled!

more yummy beet and piri piri chicken leftovers for lunch.
more of the same hummus and eggs for breakfast.. I better switch it up before my tastebuds get tired of the combination!
I had such high hopes for this watermelon but it turned out to be overly ripe. Note to self= eat watermelon that sells itself as "ripe watermelon" right away! :o)  Booooo!!!
I had a few overly ripened bites and then gave some to the dog.
she loves it for its sweet taste!!
 nom nom nom....

In the gym: 3 sets of 12-14 reps
  • swiss ball dumbbell chest press
  • plank single arm row with dumbbells
  • straight arm pulldown
  • push ups (I'm trying this new thing called being on my toes instead of my knees! haha.. I could only squeeze out 6-7 reps but I was shaking by the last rep so I could tell my muscles were reaching failure!)
  • oblique side bends on back machine
  • swiss ball reverse curl
I was doing some ab exercises and a gym floor PT came up to me and totally schooled me on how to do my ab exercises more efficiently. He pointed out that my hip flexors and lower back (rookie error!!) were doing most of the work instead of my abs. I have to be conscious about keeping my belly button pulled in and shoulders off the ground more. Ouch!! I could definitely feel the difference. It's such a small change but it hones in on your abs instead of other body parts (legs, back, hips). He was incredibly helpful in pointing out what I could be doing better- turns out just because you're a level 3 PT, doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement!! Love it! Bonus- I also managed to get some help with the dreaded assisted pull up machine. For some reason, that machine has always scared me and I never went on it. Turns out, its not so bad and I'm really looking forward to using it to strengthen my upper body!! 
Pret a Manger tuna salad--- why mess w. perfection! :-D

Agenda: take my whiny ass pup to the park