Hi Guys! Because I forgot to say it before: Happy Thursday..one day closer to Friday! 🙂
I’m in a bit of a rush right now because I sort of forgot I had a major project due for class tomorrow and I need to get it down this afternoon before I go to work (and I’m going to work a bit earlier than usual). So…I will be doing that first, then, if I have time, I will answer some questions 🙂
I actually went to the gym this morning about an hour after I had breakfast before class. I went then because I knew I would be working on my project all afternoon and wouldn’t have time. I did some strength training and ab work for about 30 minutes or so. After my workout I snacked on a banana on my way to school.
For lunch, I had hummus on a whole wheat english muffin with spinach and cucumber! Sort of like two open faced sandwiches…and yes, there IS hummus underneath those veggies! I also had sliced pear and a yogurt thats been sitting in my fridge awhile that I need to eat before it goes bad. To end my meal, I made a cup of peppermint tea with honey (honey bear!) that I’m sipping on right now. I love to end my meals with peppermint tea—you guys should try it! It’s like the perfect ending. 🙂
And one last thing….how cute is my new placemat I found at Target this morning??!! I just HAD to buy it! I’m a sucker for cutsy kitchen things…hehe
Oh, and I highly encourage you all to first look at the FAQ section before posting a question because more times than not, I’ve already answered it! Examples are my exercise regimen, what university I attended and so on. Check it out! 🙂
Sarah
February 7, 2008 at 5:51 pmAww!! I absolutely love your placemat! Perfect for valentines day. 🙂
Lisa
February 7, 2008 at 5:59 pmI have a question: If you eat spinach a lot will it cause constipation? Kinda random but I was curious. I’ve been eating a lot of it the past few days on sandwhiches like Jenna’s and was wondering! Is it b/c it has a lot of iron? (that’s what my mom said) But I thought dark leafy green foods had lots of fiber in it and would keep you regular!?
thoughtS?
JennS
February 7, 2008 at 6:10 pmdoes any body have any suggestions for exercises that target love handles and saddlebags? lol. please help.
Evie
February 7, 2008 at 6:21 pmQuick Queston for the group:
How many are vegetarian? How many of you are vegan?
For the vegans: I really would like to become a vegan, but right now it is not that great of an option because I am but a poor college student, and vegan food tends to be… well, pricey! Really out of my budget (which is really just restricted to the campus meal options! Not very vegan-friendly.. BARELY vegetarian options available).. I was wondering, how do you get by? What are your “staples” and is there somewhere I can find these cheaper than a health food store?
Btw, Jenna, I LOVE your placemat.. so cute! 🙂 Good luck with your project!
The weekend’s almost here!
Christie
February 7, 2008 at 6:22 pmJennS,
The sad truth is you can not “spot target” when it comes to working out, your body just chosses where it pulls fat from so toning up and losing weight has a lot to do with diet to loose “all over” weight. I would not recomend doing any sory of weighted exercise for your love handles which can potentially build muscle and look more bulky.
kelly
February 7, 2008 at 6:30 pmJennS-
i am a certified personal trainer and get this question all the time. I agree with Christie in that you can spot remove fat, but would recommend weighted exercises, strength training is VERY important. First because, which most people know, muscle burns more calories which will get you burning off the all over fat faster. but also because weight training (especially your back) is great for preventing injury, toning your body so it looks better and more uniform than it already does, improving your posture and strengthening your bones to prevent osteoperosis and other bone problems. so do your cardio, weight train all your major muscle groups, dont forget flexibilty, and you will not only lose weight but tone and sahpe your body.
AshleyP
February 7, 2008 at 6:48 pmHey! I meant to post the other day, but I was reading at work and got caught up in doing something else and just remembered. I’m definitely interested in the French inspired eating group! I live in Tallahassee right now (just graduated from FSU in December) but I grew up in the Brandon area and my parents still live there. I come home some random weekends to spend time with them, and if I’m ever down when ya’ll are meeting up, I’d love to join in! Is there a place to sign up that I missed?
JennS
February 7, 2008 at 6:48 pmhey Kelly, THANKs! maybe you could help a little more 🙂 I am 5’11 and 144 pounds, so I am not overweight I am simply not toned (my back does hurt) could you recommend some morning exerices that would help me? I am planning on running in the mornings as well. I am getting married and want to look fabulous on the beach. haha.
jenna
February 7, 2008 at 6:52 pmAshley,
PERFECT! Would you mind if I gave your email address to my friend Kate and she will contact you with more info and when we are having our first meeting? 🙂
Megan
February 7, 2008 at 6:54 pmHow much added sugar is ok to have in a day (not from milk or fruit)?
Phoebe
February 7, 2008 at 6:56 pmJenn S,
In the couple of gyms I go to there are hip adductors/hip abductor machines (one gym has both in one with knee pads that swivel, the other two gyms have 2 separate machines). Your hip adductors are your inside thigh muscles and your hip abductors are your outside thigh muscles (“saddlebag” area). (Unless I have that backwards but I think adductors=thighs together and abductors= thighs apart) They both provide resistance to bringing your legs together and apart and they really tone up the inside and outside of your legs. I love it. The positioning of the machine makes you feel a little bit like you are at the gynecologist though or is that just me?!
This isn’t really the “love handle” area (I think that’s not really a major muscle there and thus pretty hard to work out) but the obliques machine (twisting from side to side ) gives you very sleek sides higher up which is still an improvement — it makes your stomach look so much better even if you don’t have killer abs.
jenna
February 7, 2008 at 6:57 pmMegan,
the “usda” says to not go above 10 tsp of sugar in a day…..I don’t really agree too much with the usda, so I would say less. I think the key is just to be aware what you are putting in your body and not consume junk or anything with a load of sugar (or artificial sweeteners) in them. Hope that helps!
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 6:58 pmSwitched my name on ya, sorry. though i would keep it consistent for all the blogs.
JennS
First off- Congrats on getting married!
You are in a good spot if you dont need to lose weight, and just want to tone up. a lot of people get discouraged because it takes a while for fat to drop off so when they are strength training and not seeing progress they get discouraged. Im not a big morning person so i rarely work out in the mornings, but i would say just do the same stuff but make sure your warm up is a bit longer and you stretch more (its a shock to the body to go from sleep to being really active, prime time for injury.) Im all about maximum resluts in the least amount of time which means full body exercises. running stairs is great for butt, thighs, and calves. lunges with an overhead press using light weights are great, etc. If you look on sparkpeople.com, they have great exercises.
As for your back pain, its probably due to posture. if your pelvis tilts anteriorly (forward, like your belly is concave and your chest is forward) then your abs and hip flexors are tight while your hammys and lower back are weak. you want to work the hammys and lower back. If your pelvis tilts posteriorly (like your sticking out your belly) then your hammys are tight and and your abs and hip flexors are weak. you want to stretch the tight ones and work out the weak ones. this can eliminate about 90% of all lower back problems by just balancing out your muscle tone.
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 7:02 pmhaha Pheobe you are right with the abductor and adductor. the way i remeber it is if your legs are spread they are in and ABnormal position. i use little things like that to remember things.
here’s a tip: if you use the adduction machine (where you squeeze your legs together) with each rep, once your knees are completely together hold for 3 seconds and the release SLOWLY. you will really feel it.
and yes, the machines are a bit obscene, lol. The adductor machine in my gym faces the entire place, i feel like everyone is staring at me. maybe i should stop assuming everyone is perverted.
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 7:05 pmaw man, i switched up the anteriorly and posteriorly. anterior for a belly that sticks out and curve in your lower back and posterior for a concave belly. sorry.
Nadia
February 7, 2008 at 7:10 pmEvie,
I’ve been a vegetarian for about 8 years now and briefly (about 6 months) experimented with veganism while dating someone who was a vegan. I found it terribly restricting and difficult but I’m sure that was primarily due to the fact that I don’t cook and I missed my “everyday foods” like english muffins, certain cereals, granola bars etc. I also got tired of having to look at the ingredient list of every food item to make sure it didn’t contain dairy, honey, eggs etc. I can’t eat dairy anyway (I’m lactose intolerant) but finding products that don’t contain honey or eggs was a challenge. I am a pretty good cook but just lazy about it. Again, I’m sure it would not have been that difficult if I would have been less lazy and just cooked for myself 😛 My ex-boyfriend (the vegan one) was an amazing cook and made all of his meals so it was easy for him to maintain that lifestyle. I also believe it is easier to become vegan and stick with it if you are committed to other aspects of a vegan lifestyle (aside from what kind of food to eat) such as buying animal-friendly products i.e. if you’re turning vegan for ethical reasons.
I’ve been able to stick with vegetarianism because I just hate the taste of meat. I stopped eating meat simply because everytime I did I would get really sick and lose my appetite for weeks! As a vegetarian, some of my staples include tofu, pb, pasta, sweet potatoes, veggie burgers, hummus, lentils, smart balance butter spread, oatmeal, fruits and all vegetables prepared in different ways (love veggies), soups, seitan, tofutti products, vegan lunch “meats” (the ones that don’t actually taste like meat lol), soymilk, soy yogurt, walnuts, cashews, vegan organic food bars, chickpeas, brown rice – ofcourse I only listed the items that are also vegan.
I recommend getting vegan cookbooks and preparing meals for yourself for a while (inevitable if you want to make veganism your lifestyle). You’ll be able to gauge whether you can stay committed to it.
JJ
February 7, 2008 at 7:14 pmJenna,
I made the olive oil cake today – very different (I definitely taste the olive oil, but I love olive oil, so that’s fine), and quite delicious! Any recommendations for storing the left-overs?
Amy
February 7, 2008 at 7:15 pmJenna, I was referring to the lentil soup you created with roasted vegetables (you called it a matter of quality), I don’t know which one to make!
Oh and you have to take a picture of the group of you all at the french women meeting 🙂
Laura
February 7, 2008 at 7:18 pmJenna, just curious, I know you like to bake a lot and eat a variety of bread type products, but as single person its hard to have so much variety. I know yo can freeze food, but I don’t exactly want a few months worth of rolls and other bread products sitting in my house at one time! Any ideas?
VeggieGirl
February 7, 2008 at 7:23 pmYikes, sounds like you’re quite bust indeed – hang in there, Jenna!! At least you had time to have a proper lunch this afternoon, despite rushing – kudos!!
And that place mat?? Too adorable for words!! I love the vibrant, cheery design :0D
**Evie:
I am a 19-year-old vegan – here’s a link to my blog (maybe it will answer some questions on foods and such, if you look back through my archives): http://veggiegirlvegan.blogspot.com/
emily
February 7, 2008 at 7:38 pmCan you use egg substitute in your olive oil cake? Thanks!
jenna
February 7, 2008 at 7:45 pmEmily,
I have never tried…but I’d like to see how that would turn out…do you mean egg beaters or do you mean eggless substitute? Cooking/baking is all about trying new things and coming up with fantastic new meals!
Allison
February 7, 2008 at 7:57 pmThat is the cutest placemat ever, I’m going to check our target for it!
blueberrybabe
February 7, 2008 at 8:01 pmhey girls- non food post here. i just wanted to vent bc i feel so overwhelmed right now. i work at a really small company (7 people) and I am the youngest employee (I just graduated college in May). everyone keeps dumping thier work on me, even stuff that THEY are supposed to be doing. i have had a lot of intense work experience before and didn’t mind the workload as long as it was MY work. i kind of just want to curl into a ball and cry 🙁 what do some of you office workers do when you feel like this? thanks…
JennS
February 7, 2008 at 8:15 pmKelly, you’re awesome, start your own fitness blog! I have one more question for you and i think this will be it (well its kinda two) do you recommend any strength exercises for at home for shoulders/back? Because my back is weak my shoulders kinda “sit forward” if that makes any sense… I want to strengthen that part of my body right behind my arm (like the back side of the arm pit?) also, how do you firm the bottom part of a tush?
jenna
February 7, 2008 at 8:16 pmHi girls~~
i’m posting a comment on my own blog 🙂
I need some advice….do any of you all take a really stellar (all natural) vitamin that you would recommend? I’m in the market for one but don’t really know which one to pick because the vitamin aisle at whole foods is so scary with so much to choose from! I’ve heard conflicting ideas about taking a bunch of “gel caps” versus one regular old multi because your system readily absorbs the gel cap more efficiently. Any thoughts?? (nothing too expensive!)
Tina
February 7, 2008 at 8:23 pmCute placemat! Your sandwich looks wonderful too– I never think of adding spinach like that. Thanks for the idea!
Arika
February 7, 2008 at 8:28 pmI take the 365 brand Adult Multi for Women. I got it at Whole foods, and it seemed like the most well rounded for the best price. I just take one right after breakfast so it goes in with all the food, and haven’t had any problems : )
VeggieGirl
February 7, 2008 at 8:41 pmJenna, I recommend the Solgar® brand of vitamins (I take their vegetarian multi-vitamin – no “funny stuff” or animal products in it!)
Maggie
February 7, 2008 at 9:02 pmblueberrybabe — sorry your work isn’t going well right now. when people hand you task after task, maybe question if this takes priority over the other things you’re working on. this might remind your small staff that you already have a lot on your plate. it’s hard to adjust to a lot of responsibility right out of school, but i usually find that even if i have to stay late to finish a project or check e-mails while watching project runway, i feel valued and productive trying my hardest. there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and you’ll come to it looking like a dedicated employee!
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 9:45 pmthanks! i was kinda thinnking about starting my own blog…a lot of people seem to have a lot of questions…
if your shoulders are rounded it means you pecs are a bit tight and your lower traps and rhomboids are a bit weak. stretch your pecs a lot to loosen them up and dumbell flies, lat pull downs, back extensions should help a lot with that. you can just search for those, i know sparkpeople.com has pictures so you can do them properly. my fave for working the bottom of my tush (like where the crease is, lol) is stairs, curtsey lunges (regular lunges but you cross over the other foot instead of going straight forward and another one that idont think has a name. yo ustand feet shoulder width apart, neutral spine. shift your weight to one foot and move the other one a bit im fron, just to make sure you dont put anyweight on it (you can still leave your foot on the ground) do a one legged squat, as deep as you can comfortably and push up to standing. but instead of stopping in standing potion, continue to raise up onto your toes, then dip back down into a squat and repeat. if its too hard you can use both legs, but one legged really engages every part of your legs; inner, outter thigh, butt, hammies, thigh. thats my fave. i do ten with each legs. its hard to explain it in words, let me know if i need t be more descrpitive.
Meagan
February 7, 2008 at 9:47 pmHello fellow readers!
I recently moved to Tampa and was excited to hear that some of you may be in the area! I would love to meet people interested in cooking and eating healthfully. I have lived in Spain and Brazil and am really interested in how culture impacts how people eat…my husband is Brazilian so I have some first-hand experience. I am enjoying this blog very much…thanks for the hard work! If any of you live in Tampa or the surrounding areas, it would be fabulous to start a cooking club – or get together for a great meal!
JennS
February 7, 2008 at 9:47 pmawesome thanks! how do you stretch Pecs? thats it! I promise! you’ve been so helpful. I love this community.
Trina
February 7, 2008 at 9:50 pmJenna,
I always go to GNC–do ya’ll have that there? I am pretty sure it’s national…anyways, if you go there, they can actually find you a great multi-vitamin that suits your exact lifestyle and needs! I like it b/c they can actually tell me exactly what the vitamin has in it and how it will suit me!! Hope you find something!
Laura
February 7, 2008 at 9:50 pmKelly T…….please start a blog!!! You’ve got an automatic fan base 🙂
jenna
February 7, 2008 at 9:57 pmMeagan….I’m right up your ally—an email will be coming your way shortly! 🙂
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 10:00 pmhmm im thinking a blog may be in the works….ill keep you guys posted!
to stretch the pecs by yourself, face a wall (almost with your nose touching it) and put one arm out. press your palm into the wall and kind of twist your body the opposite way (wow, i am bad at explaining things, let me know if this doesnt make sense) you should feel the stretch in your chest. then do it for the other side, too. if you have a partner, you can sit in a chair with your arm behind your head, with your hand resting near your opposite shoulder and have the partner gently (GENTLY!) pull back on your elbow.
Christie
February 7, 2008 at 10:53 pmKelly T,
Do you have somewhere i can contact you, I have my undergrad in exercise science and I have some thing i would like to get your opinion on. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Christie
Kelly T
February 7, 2008 at 11:44 pmi guess i can give you my email, kellycturner@hotmail.com
no crazies, please.
Heather(II)
February 8, 2008 at 1:07 amJenna,
I take the Trader Joe’s Multivitamin for Women.
Heather