Good Morning Gym Rats and Happy Thanksgiving Eve! It’s a dark and dreary Wednesday morning here in Portland
The office is extremely quiet today and I just pray it stays this way. I’m hoping to get out of here early this afternoon and hit up the gymmer for my mid-week StairMaster and core sesh. I’m flying south for a few days in early December and have been adding cardio to my lifts each day so far this week in case I make it to the beach. I looked in the mirror the other day at the gym and decided I wasn’t quite shredded-up enough to don my teeniest bikini in full confidence so I’m on a 2-week shred right now LOL. After Monday’s chest sesh I did 30 mins on the elliptical where I alternated 4 min segments peddling forward and 2 min segments peddling backward. Then after yesterday’s leg sesh I again did 30 mins on the elliptical but this time I did a HIIT routine which repeats 90 secs rest at low-intensity, 60 secs fast at mid-intensity, 30 secs slow at high-intensity, then 60 secs fast again. I NEVER do cardio on or after leg day but I’m pushing through this week for the sake of my 2-week shred as well as to combat any delicious desserts I decide to indulge in tomorrow! Thank goodness my shin splints haven’t been acting up too badly lately. Tomorrow morning I’ll be hitting my bi’s and tri’s and likely also doing the special Thanksgiving morning “Turkey Burn” spin class at 8:30. Come Friday my legs will probably be useless but that’s okay because I’ll take a few days off from cardio again until Monday (Friday – back / Saturday – off / Sunday – shoulders). I’m loaded-up on coffee and Ibuprophen this morning as my lower back is hurting from yesterday’s stiff-leg deadlifts and I think the pre-workout I have taken the past couple of days is what has caused me to wake up at 4:30 in the morning both yesterday and today. No pre-workout today though; just straight-up BCAAs in my shaker!
I’m not sure if it’s the increased cardio, the pre-workout, the decreased sleep, a combination of the above or something else entirely but my tummy has not been happy these past few days. It seems to be the worst right after I drink my mint cookie whey so I’m taking a break from that for a few days to see if it makes a difference. I think maybe I’m just experiencing whey overload right now and need to cut back but I wonder if whey goes bad after a while? The massive 5-lb bag I bought early October is almost out so I may as well finish it but I think I’ll stick to smaller quantities in the future! The casein I make pudding with at night doesn’t seem to bother me at all thank goodness. Love my “clean” desserts J
Tonight I’ll be making my orange-cranberry sauce to bring to my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It’s super easy to make. All you have to do it boil down whole cranberries, add sugar or a sugar substitute to taste (I like approx. ¼ cup sugar to 1 bag of berries) and then grate in orange rind. I use a potato masher to break down the berries and once it reaches the desired consistency I pour it into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sooo easy! Just make sure that if you make it you aren’t wearing white clothing as the berries will burst when they heat up and spray their juice all over the place! Cranberries are excellent antioxidants, low-calorie and high in vitamin C and fiber. I add them to all sorts of recipes like pumpkin bread and apple sauce, crisp, or pie! Cranberry sauce is also a great alternative condiment to top your turkey with as opposed to the fattening gravy on the Thanksgiving table!
What’s your favorite dish to eat on Thanksgiving? Will you be making a “clean version” of it this year? Are you changing your workouts at all this week to combat the calorie overload? Please share in the comments section below. Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!
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