LIFE

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Last night I watched the film, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” a story about a man who gave up his day dreaming and embarked on adventures he once only imagined.

I think sometimes we see ourselves doing something remarkable, but we let fear and the opinions of others keep us from going on our big adventure.

In reality, we don’t all have the luxury of leaving our day jobs like Mitty to become an adventurous adrenaline junkie, but I like the message of doing rather than just dreaming. And this could relate to our fitness, health, career or even relationship goals!

Help! Living with Unhealthy People!

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My friend and I were having a conversation the other day about how difficult it is to stay committed to healthy eating habits when you live with people who frankly don’t care about their health.

It’s hard to avoid the stacks of junk food in the cabinets and leftover pizza in the fridge. The most vulnerable moments are usually after a hard day at work or any time you’re looking for something easy to grab to eat.

BUT I have learned, that like anything, it’s all a mental game. You have to tell yourself no! Remind yourself how hard you have worked for your body to be healthy before you grab a donut from that box on the counter. I went as far as labeling a shelf in the cabinets and fridge to remind myself what food I can grab to eat and what I need to avoid. A little over the top, I know, but it’s worked for me so far!

Hopefully I can eventually motivate the people I live with to start taking care of their bodies! I’m sure my weekly meal preps overwhelm them though! Please share any motivational tips you have on this subject. I would love to share with my friends!

Simply Fit Meal: Tuna & Egg Salad

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As a Pescetarian, I’m always trying to find new ways to add protein to my diet. I recently came across this article on Stronglifts.com called Build Muscle on a Budget, which inspired me to make a simple Albacore Tuna and Egg Salad. I mixed the canned tuna chunks with one chopped hard boiled egg, chopped celery and pickles, and mustard. Topped this mixture on some lettuce and Voilà!

What I learned:
Canned tuna has 40g of protein per can and whole eggs have about 7g of protein per egg!

Sunday Fit Day: Claremont Loop

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This morning my boyfriend, his family and I hiked the Claremont Wilderness Loop in Claremont, CA. I’ve never been on this trail before, but it’s a local favorite and we thought we’d try it together. I’m happy to say that it turned out to be a great workout and bonding experience for the family.

The trail starts on North Mills Avenue and although there are two parking lots, we had to park in a residential area nearby due to all the visitors. It was pretty crowded, but I was told that’s normal for a weekend.

There were four adults and three children in our group. The youngest was in a stroller, and boy did that intensify the hike. The adults would take turns pushing the stroller uphill. It was a complete body workout! I felt the burn in my thighs, calfs, core and arms.

The two children on foot were able to keep pace, but after five miles they were quite tired like the rest of us. I definitely recommend this trail for families who like the outdoors or just want to accomplish something together.

I can’t wait until the next family hike!

Simply Fit Tips for the Office

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As I stated in my previous post, I have a new career this year! I’m really happy in my new position, but my biggest challenge is keeping up with my healthy habits.

Like most of corporate America, my day is spent in my chair facing a computer screen. I find myself making less time to eat meals and drink water. To make matters worse, office parties and meetings usually call for sweets and salty satisfactions that break every rule in my book! And in the evenings, after spending what feels like an eternity staring at the rear of someone’s car, I’m too exhausted to even think about getting my workout in, which means gym sessions feel impossible.

So, what do you do? It’s a difficult question for almost everyone to answer these days. Even when I start to motivate myself to get back on track, some big project pops up and everything else gets put on hold. I finally decided to make a plan!

Pack your lunch!
We have all heard of meal prep and yes, it doesn’t seem that entertaining, but it’s worth it! Make Sunday Funday spent preparing some of your favorite meals for the work week. Visit my Pinterest @justsimplyfit for some fun and healthy recipes!

Eat your breakfast!
A lot of that drag I feel around 10 a.m. comes from skipping breakfast. I make sure to prepare yummy protein smoothies/shakes for the morning ride to work. And if that doesn’t appeal to me, I’ll prepare a healthy omelet to eat at my desk when I first get in.

Drink lots of water!
Make it easy on yourself and always bring a full water bottle with you to work. I always pack my favorite 20 oz Nike water bottle  everyday and carry it with me to meetings so that I avoid sugary drinks.

Snack while you can!
It is really important to make sure you are eating in between your meals! I make sure to have healthy snacks in my drawers at work for every craving. For instance, Trader Joe’s has awesome trail mix packs that come with a little bit of  dark chocolate for sweet cravings. And for those who have a weakness for salt, I have some low calorie Kale Chips I bought at my local organic market. I even leave healthy snacks in my car and gym bag to make sure I counteract any reason I make up to grab some junk food.

Exercise during breaks!
We all have those days when we stop concentrating and start slumping over in our chair. When my spirit is down and I need a pick me up, I usually do some exercises in the office. Now, I’m not trying to break a sweat, but I do want to get my blood flowing a little bit. You will be amazed at how much energy you’ll get from just performing a few simple exercises! Here are some of my favorites!

1. Walk it out
Any opportunity you have to take a walk or the stairs, do it! Bring your running/walking shoes with you to work each day and grab a coworker for a stroll around the block. When I worked in Downtown Los Angeles, I used to love walking to my favorite stores nearby during lunch. I always came back to the office feeling great.

2. Find a wall
Walls are everywhere! Find an open space in your office and do some wall sits! Stand with your back against the wall and slide into a squat position. Hold this position for 30 seconds or longer.

3. Pop a squat
As silly as it may feel to do squats at the office, we all know the benefits of this exercise! Do about 15-20 reps and I guarantee you’ll be walking around with a little more pep in your step knowing you just worked those glutes!

4. Just Dip
Grab a non-rolling chair and work on your triceps by doing some dips! Try 10-12 reps and feel the burn!

5. Give me 15
I love sexy arms, so when I have a moment I’ll do some push-ups on the floor in the corner of my office or against my desk. Start with 15 reps and raise the number each day to push yourself.

Looking for more simple exercises? Check out this article called “Deskercise!” to find more!

Get to the gym!
To motivate myself to head straight to the gym after work, I pack my gym bag with my workout clothes the night before and change right after I finish my tasks for the day. Once I am in my gym clothes, I have no excuse to go home. When I get into my car, I make sure to put on my workout playlist to get my energy up. Any Calvin Harris song usually does the trick!

Let me know if these tips help and share some more!