28 to Great Update- Finding Balance

Twenty eight days have come and gone, and the barre3 challenge is officially over. It's a good thing because I leave for Europe on Friday, and I am pretty sure they live off bread, wine, cheese and pasta in Italy. God Bless the Italians! I am coming for you and all of your delicious gluten, dairy and alcohol products! As they say, "when in Rome"! (side note, I am not going to Rome)

As you know from last week's post, I spent the week in Sun Valley. Going into the final week of the challenge, my goal was to do the best I could to stick the "rules", but I knew it would be difficult. I mean, who could resist a Bowl of Soul and raspberry muffin from Java? Not this girl!

This final week for me was a test of the "28 to Great" principles in the real world! And here is what I concluded, and what I really already knew, life is all about BALANCE (it's no coincidence that balance is a key principle of the barre3 practice), and overall I am doing pretty well!

Each day you are faced with a variety of choices; choices about what you eat, how much you exercise, how much you sleep, how much you work, etc. If 80% of the time you make healthy, balanced choices and 20% you eat chocolate, drink wine, sit on the couch and watch a movie, then I believe you have achieved a healthy balance in your life. Some days call for tea and some days call for coffee. Sometimes a salad satisfies your hunger and sometimes it takes a cheeseburger. One day you might exercise for 2 hours and the next day not at all. Everything in moderation.

As I talked about last Tuesday, the constant quest for perfection can be exhausting. While the premise of the challenge was not "28 to perfect", it is easy to convince yourself that if you don't follow the "rules" you are a failure. It is extremely common for women to obsess over being the perfect healthy eating, lean and mean exercising machine (Gwyneth Paltrow's blog GOOP could make us all feel lazy and unhealthy).  But I say, if you even signed up for this challenge and made small efforts to better yourself and improve your health, then you've done well.

I will honestly say that participating in the challenge was a lot of work. I spent time getting in more workouts, hunting down obscure cooking items, prepping and cooking food and planning out how I would execute the challenge principles in my daily life. There were aspects of it that I found well worth the extra efforts, but others were not, i.e when my husband leaves town for 2 days I will drink wine! There is no substitute!

Life is all about balance, and in my final week I achieved just that. I did a few barre3 online workouts, I went alpine and XC skiing nearly every day and I worked out with my mom at the gym. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I drank hot chocolate with whipped cream, I ate pancakes, cookies and pizza and drank wine...even at lunch (GASP)!

On Friday I will be getting on a plane bound for Austria and Italy and again will do my best to balance healthy choices with indulgence! I will definitely be using barre3 online to get in some workouts while I am away. I promise to post updates from across the pond when I have a chance!

In the mean time, don't forget you can use the code "15barre3CC" to get a 15 free trial of barre3 online (expires February 8th).

28 to Great Update- Day by Day

Three weeks down and only one to go! As I mentioned last week, I am spending this final week in Sun Valley. I wouldn't call it a vacation, as only trips that don't include children are truly a vacation. This my friends is a trip!

Back to 28 to Great (or what might end up being 21 to Great)....Last week I pushed reset after Sunday night's gluttony and gave it my best effort to follow "the rules."

Let's take it day by day...

Monday- I taught class and went for a 5 mile walk. Then in the afternoon I made these homemade granola bars (recipe here). I modified the recipe adding almonds, coconut and raisins. Honestly, I don't think I will ever buy a granola bar of any type ever again. When the Mini Fashionista starts school, these homemade treats will be going into her lunch box.

Baking these was my way of avoiding the barre3 bars. Really it was just replacing one poison for another. And, once again I ate too many. However, I figure once they are gone, then I can't eat anymore...so the faster I eat them, the sooner they disappear (completely illogical, I know).

Tuesday- Tuesday I actually made it to the studio and took an entire 60 minute class!! It doesn't happen often, so It was a rare treat! I made a delicious "28 to Great approved" lunch of DIY salad for my fellow instructor Bonney. Here is a picture of Bonney and the Mini Fashionista at our lunch table. I really wanted to open a nice bottle of white wine, but instead we drank lemon water. Refreshing!

Bonney brought over some healthy energy bars she had made and we commiserated on our lack of self control for these "healthy treats". Misery loves company, so it was nice to know I am not the only one with a portion problem! Tuesday night I made a great flank steak and roasted vegetable dinner and finished it off with a class of white wine. I guess I hadn't stopped thinking about it since lunch, and the lemon water just wasn't cutting it! 

Wednesday- I ate too many "homemade" granola bars. End of Story.

Thursday- I once again made it to the studio to take class and then I taught class. There were no more barre3 bars or granola bars to eat, so I stuck to the rules. I ALMOST made more, but I used all the self control I had and instead ate blueberries. Let's be honest...they were not as satisfying.

Friday- Let's pretend I'm keeping score: +2 for Regan...taught the 8:45 barre3 class and then took the 10:00 class. Then let's talk about dinner. We went to Ken's Pizza, and if you go to Ken's, you can't not eat Pizza. It's an unspoken rule. Let's call this -2 (I ate two pieces). Oh, and there were those two pieces of dark chocolate that I ate after lunch....maybe I shouldn't be keeping score...

Saturday- Quite possibly the worst travel day of my life. We started with a 3:15 wakeup call for a 5:30 flight to Sun Valley. Due to weather we never made it to Sun Valley. We made it back to Portland after  a refuel in Bend and a flight change in Seattle....8 hours later. Oh, and did I mention only 1 of our 3 bags made it with us? Needless to say this was not a day of exercise or healthy eating. I was lucky to eat at all. This is life though! And sometimes you just have to go with it.

Sunday- The final day of the week! We finally made it to Idaho and let's just say I'll be back on track come Monday.

I hope you all have a great start to your week! Look for two posts from Katie's recent trip to California! I'm sure she'll have plenty of non-28 to Great approved food and wine to share with you!

28 to Great Update- The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Week 1 of the 28 to Great challenge was good...I'd give myself a B+ for overall effort and compliance. Week 2 wasn't quite so great. It quickly went to s**t when the Mini Fashionista and I got colds, and we became, for the most part, on house arrest at the beginning of the week.

Working Out
All of my barre3 workouts, except the classes I taught (6 in 4 days) were online at home. I got in one 40 minute workout and two or three ten minute workouts. The dog got walked nearly every day, so at least I was able to get outside and get some fresh air. It wasn't the week to challenge myself in the fitness department. Sometimes it's okay to take a bit of a break, especially when you don't feel 100%.

The Good
As for the dietary portion of the challenge, let's start with what I did right...I drank lots of tea, did my best to drink water, and for my meals I managed to eat lots of vegetables, good fats and lean protein. I was especially proud of myself for taking a salad (photo 1) with me to my Junior League meeting on Wednesday night. Photo 2 is the barre3 Red Bean Quinoa Chili (recipe here) which is my favorite dinner dish so far! Photo 3 is a lunch salad which consisted of roasted vegetables and pork tenderloin that we had eaten the night before. Photo 4 is a breakfast of Greek yogurt, berries and walnuts. As always, we drank lots of smoothies too. I revel in that fact that the Mini Fashionista knows what flax and chia seeds are!

The Bad
As for my bad choices of the week...I once again ate too many of those delicious barre3 bars. I will NOT be making anymore this week. I splurged on a glass of red wine at dinner on Saturday night, but stuck to the "rules" of eating...while eating out, so I was proud of myself for that.

The Ugly
And then there was Sunday....well Sunday night was a complete right off. We were invited to a dinner party and all rules were broken. We enjoyed a most delicious Raclette dinner, complete with wine cheese, meat and more cheese and meat. It was worth every calorie! There were some green vegetables involved, but really, who wants to see that when you can stare at all of that animal product?

Onward to Week 3
As for this week...it's most likely my last week of really giving the challenge my best effort. We head to Sun Valley on Saturday for a week, and it will be challenging to keep up my disciplined eating, although I plan to give it my best efforts. It will be nearly impossible to resist a Bowl of Soul and a raspberry muffin at Java.

As for getting in my barre3 workouts...it all depends on whether or not my parent's Internet cooperates. I'm not holding my breath. Regardless, I will be getting in lots of alpine and cross country skiing and probably some snowshoeing as well, so it's not as if I will be sitting on a couch stuffing my face with Bon Bons.

Speaking of skiing...on Sunday I filmed a 10 minute barre3 ski conditioning workout, perfect timing for my trip!  Stay tuned for news of it being posted online for all of you to workout with me!

28 to Great Update

One week of the barre3 "28 to Great" challenge has come and gone (plus one day...we had to do a Golden Globes recap)!

Last week I taught 7 classes, took one class in the studio, and did 4 barre3 online workouts (two 10 minute workouts and two 30 minute workouts). I also walked my dog for at least half an hour six of the seven days. By the end of the day on Saturday (I taught two classes in the morning), I was tired and aching and looking forward to sunday, my "rest" day!

Here are some other high and low points of the week!

- My +1 went out of town on Thursday for 48+ hours, so I wasn't sure how I would make it through without a glass of wine at the end of the day. I was also highly tempted to put some wine in a water bottle and take it with me to the movie on Friday night. Talk about an act of self restraint. I made it through the entire movie without wine, candy or popcorn! Instead I took three of the barre3 "donut holes" and was actually quite satisfied!

P.S. Les Miserables is AMAZING! In my next life I'm coming back as a Broadway star or Stacy London. Either will do.

Now back to "28 to Great"!

- I have been eating way too many of those aforementioned barre3 bars... three pans this last week, if I'm being honest....and with very little help from anyone else. Lesson for week 2, moderation. But honestly, those are the only thing that satisfy my cravings! If I gain weight after these 28 days it will be because I ate my weight in barre3 bars.

- Despite sticking to many of "the rules", I have broken a few too (GASP!). I will confess to using sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened, chocolate chips in my barre3 bars (only twice), generic cocoa powder and salad dressing out of a bottle.  I live for the Trader Joe's low fat cilantro dressing, and so does the Mini Fashionista, and the Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette is my go-to for salads when I don't have time to make my own dressing. Oh, and I ate white rice instead of brown. I might die a slow processed death...but it's what I had in the cupboard.

- More on "cheating", I have definitely taken a few bites of the Mini's food...a little pumpkin flax granola here and there and a few banana chips swiped from her little snack bag. Sunday I had a piece of Rittersport chocolate and a decaf nonfat latte. Sure, it's not a part of the "plan" but let's be real...I don't need to loose weight, I lead a healthy life and I'm human! At least I didn't cave in to the wine!

And now on to a few positive notes....

- I am eating way more vegetables than I normally do! Hurray for green leafys!

- I am doing my best to drink lots and lots of water.

- I have been setting my alarm for 6:00 to walk my dog before the Mini Fashionista wakes up.

- I really enjoy checking in with Katie at the end of each day to see what she ate, how she is feeling, etc. It adds a new level of interest to our converations (not that she is uninteresting).

And most importantly, I feel so incredibly energized by this wonderful community of women (and men...we know they are out there) participating in the challenge.

Here are a few photos of all the healthy (and photogenic) food I have been eating!

1) Carrot, sweet potato and leek soup with salad 2) Those dangerous beasts the barre3 bar. They taste like healthy magic cookies 3) Green smoothie with kale, carrot juice, pear, banana, blueberries, chia and flax seeds 4) Sweet potato and carrot red lentil curry. 

If you want to see more of the recipes, check out the barre3 blog. These are all modified versions of what is posted. 

28 to Great

As many of you know, I am an instructor at barre3 (read more about my barre3 journey here) in Portland, and Katie works out at the barre3 in Georgetown. 

Yesterday began barre3's new year challenge called "28 to Great". Clients are challenged over the next four weeks to do barre3 (and some sort of additional activity: running, walking, etc.) six days a week. 

My barre3 "arm candy". I decided these hair ties make great workout bracelets! 

The barre3 workouts can be done in the studio, online or a combination of the two. The challenge also includes a nutrition plan created by Andrea Nakayama of Replenish PDX.  

It may surprise you, but this is the first time I have ever participated in any sort of a workout/nutrition "challenge". For the most part I lead a balanced life, exercising, eating well and splurging when I want to. So what motivated me to join? Well, there is always room for improvement in our lives, so why not. Here are a few of my motivations for participating in "28 to Great"!

1) Since having a baby I find that eating a full, healthy lunch has become a challenge. I spend so much time preparing food for the Mini Fashionista that my needs are often overlooked. One day in, and I already see how my lunch is healthier and more filling.  

2) We eat a lot of fruit, but sometimes I fall short on the vegetables. The challenge has me thinking more about veggies, veggies, veggies, which is always a good thing.

3) I'm competitive, and I love a good challenge, so bring it! 

It's not too late for anyone who wants to join. You can find more info here. I promise to report back in the coming weeks on how it is going. Katie has a lot of travel planned in the next month, so this will definitely be a challenge for her, but I know she is equal to the task. 

In the mean time, let me share my new favorite snack recipe, the barre3 bar!! 

barre3 bar
These bars are so easy to make you can whip them up within minutes. They don’t need to bake and all you need is a glass dish and a food processor.Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your needs. Sample before pressing into the dish and adapt anything to taste.

Ingredients:

6 dates, pitted

2 TBS coconut oil

1⁄4 cup sunflower butter or almond butter

1⁄4 cup goji berries (raisins work too)

1⁄4 cup shredded coconut flakes

1⁄4 cup ground flax2 tsp ground cinnamonaCouple pinches of sea salt (unless sunflower or almond butter is salted)1 cup almonds

Handful of cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips (I prefer cacao nibs)

Preparation:

1 . Place the pitted dates and coconut oil in the base of your food processor. Add the seed or nut butter. Whirl these three ingredients until blended.

2. Add the goji berries or raisins, the coconut flakes, the ground flax, the cinnamon and the sea salt and whirl in the food processor again, until the mixture is well incorporated. It’s OK if its a bit more chunky at this point.

3. Add the almonds and the cacao nibs or chocolate chips and pulse your food processor until you have a chunky mass that looks like cookie dough.

4. Scoop dough-like mixture into a 8×8 glass container and press the mixture down with the back of a spoon.5. Store in the fridge for at least one hour to harden. Cut into bars to grab-and-go to your barre3 class and store extras in the refrigerator.