Summer eats

Zoodles! Our new favorite meal. Ever since I got a spiralizer in my Christmas stocking, we have been experimenting with different dinners using zucchini noodles.

Last night we used fresh tuna + zucchini noodles and it was so yum! We have also used shrimp, chicken, crab cakes… basically any meat is great on top of them. All you have to do is marinate the meat in sauce of your choice, cook it, and throw it on top of the zoodles.

We use about 4 zucchinis for 2 of us because they cook down a lot [and also because my husband eats a ton]. Put them in a pan with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic salt and let them get slightly soft. So easy! If I can do, I promise you can too.

The perfect summer meal. Easy and fresh.

Weekending: spring cleaning!

This weekend at home was spent catching up on life. I feel so accomplished after all we got done!

Thursday night started off with an adorable ice cream date...

Friday I went straight to the gym after work. My best friend Kate that lives in Charlotte was home for the weekend so of course we headed to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner and margs! As always, my heart was so happy to see her and catch up.

I wore this top [yellow sold out] and dressed it up with a beaded handband… my go-to these days when I'm too lazy to do my hair. My nail color is OPI "Kiss Me I'm Brazilian". The perfect color for Spring!

Saturday we ran lots of errands, including a meeting with our travel agent to plan our graduation/2nd anni trip in December. More details on that later! I wore a simple white 3/4 sleeve top and added a fun necklace.

Then we went with my family to a little festival called Piratefest. Our hometown of Greenville is the home of the ECU pirates so they always have a festival in the spring with lots of games and rides and fun activities. My niece was amazedddd by all the mermaids and pirates. And since her daddy couldn't be there, G got volunteered to ride all the rides with her ;) Those two love each other so much! He is going to be the best daddy one day!

Then it was time for the gym. I don't exactly love going to the gym but I do love our gym dates. I am so proud of myself for how regularly I have been going. I feel stronger and so much more in shape than a few months ago.

Don't all normal people leave the gym and go straight home to make a vodka cranberry? Because I do. The sparkling cranberry with a fresh lime makes for the perfect light, summer drink. We cooked out on the grill then watched the movie Nightcrawler. It was pretty good, but not the best ever.

Sunday we went to early church which was the best idea EVER. It made our day seem so much longer! After the gym and grocery store we cleaned our entire house. We even cleaned every closet out and got rid of all the stuff we never wear. It felt so good to clean out and "down size" our closets. We finished the weekend with the Masters and dinner at my mom's.

It sure felt good to catch up on everything this weekend. I feel refreshed and ready to start my 3rd week at my family medicine rotation! Happy Monday!

Linking up with Meghan and Biana

Thoughts for Thursday: my take on fitness and health

I have always been interested in fitness and health. I have worked out and played sports my whole life so when I got to college, it was an easy decision when I chose to major in Exercise and Sport Science. However, when I started PA school, exercise and healthy eating were the last things on my list of priorities. I usually woke up around 5am to study a few hours before class, sat in class from 8-5, then went straight home to study until bed around 11pm. Literally not a single minute to spend at the gym. For 1.5 years the stress of PA school completely took over my life. I felt unhealthy, I gained weight, lost energy, was tired all the time, and never exercised.

This past January I started clinicals, so I am no longer having to study every waking moment of the day. It's more like an 8-5 job with a big exam at the end of each month. While I still have to study, I now have time to get back into my routine of exercising and eating healthy. For the past 3 months I have been able to go to the gym almost every day. My husband meets me at the gym and is my "personal trainer" aka he tells me what to do and I [mostly] listen ;)

I suck at cooking and don't really enjoy it either but thankfully my husband enjoys it, and is a great cook too! He cooks every single one of our meals. Yes, I am lucky! Being that he is a health nut, our dinners are always super healthy. He keeps me on track with eating because if it were up to me, I'd probably have a pb&j or microwavable pizza for dinner every night [pure laziness]. 

Some of the common myths that we hear as women:

1. Plain salads are the healthiest thing for me… FALSE [you need a protein always!] The hardest thing for me is trying to incorporate protein into every meal. I could honestly be a vegetarian. My husband craves grilled chicken. Me, notsomuch. However, protein is essential to build lean muscle and lose fat. If you like salads, just throw some turkey or chicken on top for an added boost of protein!
2. Skipping breakfast= less calories consumed= more weight lost… FALSE. The most important meal is breakfast!!! It is essential to start your day with protein, such as eggs. This boosts your metabolism and will give you energy to start the day. When you starve yourself, your body eats your MUSCLE to compensate. This is not good!!
3. Lifting weights is going to make me big and bulky… FALSE. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard women say they only do cardio and don't lift weights because they don't want to get "bulky". News flash: you won't get big by lifting weights. Lifting weights improves bone health, decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis, and has SO many other health benefits. Low weight, high repetition weight training will tone your muscles and have you looking lean and fit!
4. The less you eat, the more weight you will lose… FALSE. See #2 :)

Here are some of our meals from this week:

Spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, almond slivers, and grilled chicken topped with a little bit of strawberry vinaigrette dressing

"Rice bowls" except the rice is actually pureed cauliflower [no carbs!]. It's SO easy to make! Put whole cauliflower in a blender then warm in a pan. Mix with peppers, onions, grilled chicken, salsa, avocado, and any other yummy goodness to create your own Chipotle rice bowl!

Grilled salmon over zoodles with a spinach salad. We cooked our zoodles with fresh garlic and some red pepper flakes and it was so yummy!

Homemade lettuce wraps… they were just as good as PF Changs!

Eating healthy and working out consistently is a constant battle but it's so worth it! In the past 3 months I have started feeling so much better about myself which improves my marriage, my attitude, and my overall well-being. Please contact me if you have any questions or want advice regarding meals or exercising! I would love to help!

Linking up with Annie!

True life: I'm addicted to Lululemon

So it's time that I confess my addiction... to Lululemon. If you don't know what the heck that is, you must live under a rock [just kidding]. It's amazing, comfortable, stylish workout clothes. In college one of my good friends worked at Lulu and convinced me to buy a pair of their "Wunder Under" crop pants for our cycle classes. After I looked at the price and passed out convinced myself that they would be worth it, I took the plunge. Yes, $82 is quite ridiculous for a pair of workout pants, but THEY ARE AMAZING. Once you go Lulu you never to back.

After my pants purchase, I was hooked. I bought a tank and fell in love. Then jacket, headband, more tanks, more pants, and my wallet wanted to kill me. I justify my purchases by telling myself that having cute clothes to wear to the gym will make me more likely to actually go! And it's true... I get excited to workout.

 The pants on the left are the "Wunder Under Crops in cotton" which I basically live in. They are so soft, and perfect to throw on when lounging around the house or even to go run errands. The pants on the right are the "Wunder Under in Luon" which is more of a spandex-ish material. These are great to workout in. They fit tighter than the cotton crops. Aaand they have a cute, colorful band around the waist!

I am obsessed with headbands. I have NEVER worked out without one. My hair is naturally curly and it drives me NUTS to feel "fly aways" on my face when I'm hot and sweaty. The headband on the left is the "Fly Away Tamer" and it is amazing because it has silicon grips in the inside so it doesn't constantly slide off your head. The headband on the right is the "Bang Buster" and it is much wider and reversible! I usually wear mine slightly over my forehead and love the way it keeps all the hair out of my face.

This tank is called the "Scoop Neck Tank" and has a built-in bra. I know what you're thinking... "built in bras don't work" but THIS ONE DOES! You feel totally supported AND it comes in so many pretty colors!

This tank is the "Cool Racerback". This one doesn't have a built-in bra. My favorite thing about this tank is how long it is. I HATE shirts that are short; I feel like I am constantly pulling them down. This tank covers my large booty so I don't feel weird during my workouts.

This short-sleeved shirt is the "Run: Swiftly Tech" and it's perfect for throwing over a tank. If I have to run errands before the gym or have to go somewhere right after, I throw this comfortable tee over my tank top. It also comes in so many cute colors!

Here are a few pics of how I wear my headbands:

Sooo have I convinced you to spice up your workout wardrobe yet?!