WIAW #17

Good evening! Its another WIAW post and I'm going to continue posting like I have the last few weeks. Instead of posting everything I had in one day, I'm posting all the things I ate this week that caught my eye! This girl likes variety! 

----What WIAW isn't about----

Comparison - Judgement - Restriction - Guilt

----What WIAW is about----

Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

WIAW is about food and fun! It's about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, noting changes in your diet/lifestyle, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, nourishing your body with the foods that work for you, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so much more <3

-peas & crayons

BBQ chicken (finger licking goodness) with roasted garden veggies, green beans and broccoli and cauliflower! 

Friday went to the store for the hubby and I to grill outside!

And this was the awesome outcome! Steak pinwheels stuffed with parmesan and spinach, roasted cauliflower and grilled mushrooms! Initiate face plant.

Sunday we grilled flank steak (can you tell I love steak?) and asparagus and roasted and mashed cauliflower!

For lunches this week I whipped up a batch of Skinny Taste's Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup for the hubby and I!

Monday nights I have Tax Accounting night class so salads are usually on the menu! Roasted shrimp, avocado, broccoli, feta.... Happiness!

PIZZZZZZA! My kryptonite! I did an extra workout so I could exhale this! (and two more pieces heehee) 

My sister made these bad boys.... And I was the official taste tester and photographer (which is just as important - right?). Skinny Taste Flourless Brownies! DE-FREAKING-LICIOUS!

On a side note a suggestion I'd make - double the almond milk and instead of half a teaspoon of oil use a full tablespoon!

And now I'm hungry... 

Again.

As usual.

Question: What neat new recipe did you try? Or did you make? Link up if you want!

Eat clean, train mean, && inspire others!

-Jaren 

Kiwi Cravings

Good evening all my favorite people! The weekend is almost upon us so hang in there!

I have decided to start a new segment called "Kiwi Cravings..." to share with you all new gadgets, recipes, treats, clothes, ect that I may be crushing on! Hopefully you will find something you like or what to try and if you have something you want to share for me to try or check out be sure to add it in the comments below!

First off: Pure Protein Bars

These things are straight dangerous! Taste almost like a snickers bar but have 200 cal, 20g of protein, 16g of carbs (1 from fiber and 2 from sugar), and 6g of fat! Not saying eat these bad boys all day every day but this is definitely my favorite bar I've found so far! DROOL.

Skinny Taste Black Bean Flour-less Brownies

{photo credit: Skinny Taste}

Holy wow, don't they look delicious?! My sister pointed me in the direction of this recipe and I am definitely making these this weekend! Brownies are a point of weakness for me so I would feel less terrible about eating the whole pan (just kidding) if they were healthy! I'll let you know how they turn out!

Wonder Woman Wrist Wraps

Say that 5 times fast! Whew! Found these on Etsy and they are soooooo cute! I think I NEED these. Being fashionable in the gym is important right? I bet I'll hit a PR with those babies!

Wod Gear Crops

Look at the color of these crops!!! Be still my heart! I have a pair of their running crops and I LOVE THEM. LOVE LOVE LOVE. They are thick, comfortable and stay in place while running and during wods! And their customer service is amazing! I must say I even like these more than my Lululemons!

Working on my weaknesses

I can only speak for myself but I know when I'm not good at something I tend to avoid it so I don't get discouraged. That is changing. I am dead set on mastering my pull-ups, pistols and toes to bar... I've been spending a lot of time lately building on those without beating myself up about it. Everyone grows at their own pace, slow and steady wins the race my friends.

On a bad ass note - I am happy to announce that I have been chosen to be a Fitfluential Ambassador! FitFluential is a nationwide network of fitness enthusiasts sharing their journey both online and offline through multiple social media platforms. I am honored and excited to be apart of such a fun and encouraging community!! Check out their website and sign up to become a member!

What are somethings you are loving right now? Please share!

Eat clean, train mean, & inspire others!
-Jaren

Crossfit Open 2014

So ladies and gents, lets be real...

We have roughly 3 days until the Crossfit Games Open begins and the first workout is posted. I know a lot of people are still debating if they should put themselves out there and register or not. Last year I didn't register because I was new and super intimidated. I was thinking - "No way I can do this", "People are going to think I'm weak", and lastly "I don't want to kill myself."

A lot has changed since then... I'm stronger, more confident, and this year I'm looking forward to getting my ass kicked in the Open. I still can barely do a pull up, my double unders aren't consistent, and burpees still make me want to puke sometimes... But that doesn't matter. 

The Open isn't just for those hardcore Crossfitters hoping for a spot at Regionals, or those headed straight for the Games. The Open is for EVERYONE.

You heard me, EVERYONE.

It doesn't matter if you just started Crossfit or if you've been at it for years. It doesn't matter if you can't lift as much as you want, or you don't finish wods as fast as others.

What matters is you. This is your time to see what you are really made of! 

The Open is a way to push yourself and test your limits. To see what you can and can't do. Its a way to benchmark yourself - you can compare your performance against other years that you have registered. 

If you do one more rep than you anticipated - you come out a winner. If you happen to PR a lift in the middle of the Open - you come out a winner. If you finally get that pull up or double under - you come out a winner. If you have a blast and become closer with your box buds - you come out a winner.

You aren't competing against everyone.... As always, you are competing against you. Don't worry about who is watching you, what others are doing, or what others may think. They don't matter. This is your journey... Focus on you. Focus on doing your best. 

If you do good and get into Regionals, SWEET. But that isn't what really matters... Just go out there, have fun, push yourself, do your best and you will come out on top!

You still have time to sign up. Just do it.

Question:
What is your favorite protein bar?
Are you registered for the Open?

Eat clean, train mean, && inspire others!
-Jaren

Roses are red, violets are blue...

Wall balls always suck, and sled drags do too!

Unfortunately for my husband my birthday and Valentines fall in the same week. But yay for me and the shower of presents that ensue. Lucky for him though, if its Crossfit or fitness related, I want it. So this week I received lots of new toys to motivate and thoroughly kick my rear into shape.



From my hubby I got a Fitbit Force for my birthday and a 14lb wall ball for Valentines day. Nothing says I love you like a wall ball. Here go do Karen, hope you can walk tomorrow. The Fitbit Force is AWESOME though. Hubby got one for me and one for himself. He runs way more than I do so his steps are like twice mine (my inner competitive side is not pleased with this) but I love being able to see how active I am throughout the day. The only thing is I still have to wear my Polar FT40 for Crossfit to track my activity but you can't win them all.



From the parentals, for my birthday, I got a Rogue Fitness Fatboy Sled and a Wod Love tank! Can't wait to drag this thing around the neighborhood, maybe I can make a dent in the Fitbit steps that the hubby is ahead of me. And these shoulders and legs are about to be in trouble!



My brother and law also shares a birthday around Valentines so this year we celebrated our birthdays together. Well Hubby didn't check with the parents on who was getting what and also bought me a sled, so Dino got extra presents! But actually it benefits me because now I have a sled to drag around when I head up to Oklahoma to hang out! Win for the both of us!

Can you tell I'm a happy girl?

Sparkly things and roses... Who needs them. Give me Rogue gear and workout clothes and I'm set!!! (Okay roses would have been awesome too but who am I to complain?!)

I also wanted to share with you a new tape I bought, Jillian Michael's Yoga Inferno. Did you know Jillian said in one of her recent podcasts that she won't even do her own dvd's because they are hard? For some reason that just cracks me up! Anyways, it tough and fun. I didn't think it was going to be tough but I was wrong. Workout two literally killed the back of my legs for two days. So try it out! You can find it at Target for $9! Definitely worth it!



Also got some yummy goodness in the mail this week! When these bad boys showed up on my doorstep I was ecstatic! Heat them up for 15 seconds in the microwave.... Heaven. Definitely a must try.



Last but not least I wanted to share a little wisdom. Recently I have seen a lot of people pointing fingers ad criticizing others because their fit lifestyle doesn't match their own. Lets remember everyone's fitness journey is different. We all have different goals, plans, and triumphs. Some may want to be able to keep up with their kids, some to just be healthy, some to look good, and others to compete. Don't look down on someone else's journey just because it doesn't look the same as yours or they aren't doing the same as you. Be kind, inspiring, uplifting and helpful - and we can all help each other accomplish our dreams.

Well I'm off to go drag heavy things around the neighborhood! Wish me and my legs luck!

Question:
What did you get for Valentines day?
What are your fit goals?

Eat clean, train mean, && inspire others!
-Jaren

Also a huge thanks to Real Fit Girls on Instagram for the shoutout! Check them out for motivation from Instagram's finest Real Fit Girls - @real_fit_girls!

New Gear and Goals!

Hello my lovelies! Oh how I have missed you.

All is swell here: lots of work, school, and crossfit. It’s a never ending cycle. (PS. Managerial economics BLOWS)

Anyways onto the fun stuff.

Spent my weekend in Oklahoma visiting my sister and her family! It was such a great weekend, the weather was awesome, and it was nice to just hang out and relax!

My little sister Logann and I drove up Thursday and didn’t get there till after midnight, it was a long drive in the Camaro but we passed it by listening to lots of Muse, Glee, and Mumford & Sons. We had to stop in Denton at Chipotle on the way up, duh!

Friday we went to the outlet mall, had lunch at Smashburger, picked my nephew up from school, and bought a fire pit for Candace’s back porch. Then I managed to get a wod in there home garage! Candace’s hubby made a sled with a tire and that thing is no joke.

Then I ran around the yard and chased the kids for hours which is tons of fun and a great way to stay in shape fo sho. 

After that I worked on my handstand while Candace made Chicken and dumplings aka Awesomesauce. The rest of the night was filled with time around the fire making s'mores. No better way to spend the evening for sure.

Saturday, the Hubby (who arrived at 2am Saturday morning) and I went to Dick’s in search of Reebok gear. Our Academy’s back home don’t carry Reebok. This girl loaded up.

I also got a pair of red shorts, not pictured. Those shorts are probably the best pair of shorts I've ever bought. They are a smidge short but if you are used to Lululemon's run speedy's then they won't bother you. I also think they are more comfortable then my Lulu's, the waist band is think and soft so no uncomfortable muffin top. The sports top is super comfy, maybe not good for running or box jumps, but great for everything else.

After fajitas at their local Mexican restaurant we spent the rest of the evening with my niece and nephew making more s'mores and carving pumpkins. Texans represent!

I was super bummed with the weekend ended.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my short term and long term fitness goals so I thought I would share them here.

Short term:
Back squat 200lbs (I’m at 185 right now)
Do an unassisted pull up
Be able to clean my body weight
Eat less starchy carbs
Run more
Continue to work on my 100 burpees for time (epic suckage)
Drink more water

Long term: (1-5yrs)
Get the nerve to compete in my first crossfit competition
Get my NASM
Get my Crossfit Level 1

Tonight the hubby cooked Skinny Taste's Shrimp Cobb Salad and Creamy Cilantro Dressing while I worked on my quiz. Now just relaxing with a Purple Haze (first beer I've had in AGES), carving MORE pumpkins and watching the Conjuring. SCARIEST MOVIE EVER.

Can you believe that tomorrow is Halloween already? We don’t get many trick or treaters out here in the woods but we did buy one bag of candy. And so I wouldn’t touch that candy I bought myself a Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup! NOM.

Questions:

Do you have any long term or short term goals?
What do you plan to be for Halloween?

I want ripped abs not hands!

Anyone can ask me how much I love Crossfit and like 99.99% of Crossfitters I’m blissfully obsessed! That doesn’t mean that since I started Crossfit that I haven’t been caught in the gym cussing up a storm questioning why I started this brand of torture in the first place… 

But that only happens for two reasons: falling on box jumps and when I tear my hands. I fixed the box jump issue with some sweet Rigor Gear guards so lets talk about hand tears.

Nothing sucks more than hauling butt through toes to bar, pull ups or cleans and having to stop and utter some obscenities because your hand is missing skin and bleeding.

After looking around the web I have found some tips for preventing and treating hand tears.

First of all your hands rip for one of two reasons: 
1. You’re a softy and your hands haven’t had time to thicken up
2. You haven’t treated your hands to the right kind of loving.

Prevention

Contain your callouses, keep those hands sanded down and smooth. Use a nail file, corn shaver, cuticle scissors, or a pumice stone to keep those bad boys in check. I have even read about people using dremel tools… If that’s true or not I don’t know.

To quote the Crossfit Journal, “Ideally, your entire palm surface should be one thick callus with no bumps or ridges in any one particular area. In order to do this, groom your hands always after a hot shower or bath (this allows the calluses to swell up). While the calluses are still “swollen,” I take a double-edged razor and very carefully shave the dead callus bumps down a little at a time until the bumps are about even with the thickness of the rest of the hand. With my younger students, I simply ask them to get a callus stone (you can buy one at any drug store), and gently sand the callus down even with the rest of the skin. Remember, whenever you groom or shave your calluses, don’t overdo it, since you don’t want to go too deep into your skin. Always leave enough thick skin so to facilitate your workout the following day. The goal is to maintain an even and consistent thickness of hard skin throughout the entire palm.”

Keep your hands well moisturized with a good lotion when you aren’t busy wodding!

Use tape, gloves or Second Skin to protect your hands!

You can also use chalk to help protect your hands during workouts, but there is a thing as too much chalk which can lead to even more tears.

Another thing you may want to look at is your grip! Having improper grip can add to tears on your hands. Fit Bomb has a great article on this! Clicky.


Treatment

Soak your hands in salt water or in the tub with Epson salt to dry out the skin and help with the healing process.

Some people trim the torn skin, but most say leave it attached for faster healing, it is up to you. 

Use Neosporin or any other kind of antibacterial medication to clean the affected area. Some people use alternative aids like vitamin e, tea bags, and Dermabond skin sealant - but I haven’t tried those methods.

Cover the affected area, I use Band-Aid Tough Strips, I love the H shaped bandaids! They are perfect for this purpose!

Aquaphor or a thick lotion will assist the skin in recovering and speed up the replacement of new healthy skin!

So take care of those hands, remember lots of scrubbing and lotion to keep those pains away!

Todays WOD:

This girl is SORE. No joke.

The Hubby offered to cook dinner while I soaked in the tub! {WIN}

And created this delicious meal! Dinner is served! Skinny Taste Asian Edamame Fried rice & Skinny Kitchens Low Carb Chicken Lettuce wraps!

Now I'm off to watch one of my favorite shows, Extreme Makeover Weightloss Edition!

Nighty!

Questions:
How do you protect your hands?
Do you believe in gloves or no?

Eat clean, train mean, and inspire others!
-Jaren

Sources: Diamond Bar Crossfit, Crossfit New England, Examiner, and Crossfit San Jose.

MIMM #10

Happy Monday Friends! As much as I dislike Mondays, I’m glad to be back to routine after several days of holiday festivities.

So let’s talk all about my marvelous long weekend!

Thursday I got up early and ran sprints in the home gym. I had to share the TV with my niece who basically went crazy when she saw Lightning McQueen flash across the screen… I’m a sucker for Cars!

Afterwards involved lots of cleaning, cooking, and partying! We had all our immediate family and friends over for ribs, Mom’s homemade cole slaw, and grilled veggies! My friend Sarah brought Skinny Taste’s Red White and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip – which was amazing! Mom made this beauty.

Friday involved this deliciousness for lunch!!

And an evening of fun with friends and my niece and nephew.

Saturday I got up early and ran to town to make goodies for a friends party.

Nothing like a summertime cruise in the Camaro.

Then the hubby and I made the long trek down south, it was a blasty blast! Even though we didn’t get home till after two am. YIKES.

Sunday, we saw Candace and her family off back to Oklahoma… Sad business.

Then the hubby and I went to see the Heat!

It was pretty funny, I could just do without the F-word every other minute.

We did a little shopping as well at Target and Academy, my two favorite stores!

Picked up a new lunch kit so people would stop asking me if I was bringing a 12pack to work everyday. Plus it is pretty and stylish. Grabbed some more coaches tape for Crossfit wounds and new ice packs for my lunch kit since they get yucky after a while.

Can never have enough Yoga DVDs and I LOVE Jillian Michaels.

At Target I grabbed some Yes To shampoo and face wash. My little sister swears by it and introduced me to it, plus I’m always looking for ways to cut chemicals out my life. Also needed some more Stash’s green tea, and a new scrubby for my Crossfit induced callouses…

As for today, I managed to yank myself out of bed at 4am to get my butt kicked.

It has been a rainy day here in South Texas which is rare for the summer so this girl is going home and taking a rain and tin roof nap. Win.

Question:
What neat things did you pick up this weekend?
How did you spend your fourth of July?

Eat clean, train mean, and inspire others!
-Jaren