Here we are again my friends, another week since the last What I Ate Wednesday come and gone and I have no idea what happened to it. The summer is just flying by, I don’t even remember July! The other day when I was dating things at work (we date the syrup bottles for one month ahead so we toss them if they aren’t used by that date) and I found my self writing September. September. Don’t get me wrong, it’s my favourite month- the beginning of fall, crisp cool breezes, cardigans, school and of course my birthday, but it threw me for a loop. It always seemed so far away and now it’s less than a month away!
Anyway, enough about the inevitable passage of time, I am actually here today to share with you my eats! Now, this What I Ate Wednesday post isn’t going to catalogue a single day of food. I fully meant to take pictures of all my eats yesterday, I did. But life got in the way- I overslept my alarm and proceeded to race to work very late (without breakfast I might add, I never do that) and was so thrown off I didn’t remember to take any pictures of my food until dinner. The universe has been laughing at me lately and I haven’t been quite as “together” as I usually am. Ah well, I am taking it with a sense of humour and hopefully I sail on through it soon.
So instead, I’ll just be sharing pictures of things I’ve eaten recently!
To close out this post, I thought I’d (finally) give my review of Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred!
I decided to take on this fitness challenge a couple months ago as a way to get me back into the swing of things working out. While it’s meant to be done for 30 days straight, I didn’t do this, rather I ended up doing it about every other day for 2 months. It has 3 levels and it is suggested you do each level 10 times before moving up. Here are my thoughts:
positive:
- there are 3 different levels, each with it’s own workout and they get progressively more difficult. This means that by the time you get bored of one workout, it’s time to move on with the next. I like that she introduces movements and exercises in Level 1 then adds to them and makes them more difficult in Levels 2 and 3. This gives you time to work on form before hurting yourself doing an exercise you’re not ready for!
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she works your whole body, all at once. No simply doing bicep curls here. You’re doing bicep curls with lunges, military presses with leg extensions, planks with shoulder rows. That way you make efficient use of your time and get a great workout in 20 min (score!)
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each workout is only 20 minutes long so it’s easy to fit it into your day
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the workouts are hard. I thought the first one was a little easier, but still made me sweat. Levels 2 and 3 left me pouring sweat and panting. But in a great way!
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Her 3-2-1 system keeps the workouts interesting! 3 minutes of strength (30s of a “serious strength move” followed by 1 min of a compound exercise and repeat), 2 minutes of cardio (2 exercises, 30s each, alternating) and 1 minute abs (1 or 2 different exercises, depending). You don’t have time to get bored or realize your muscles are tired! All the switching between exercises makes the workout fly!
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she doesn’t count reps- I hate when reps are counted. It makes me feel like finishing the exercise is ages away and that I couldn’t possibly complete “blank” more reps. By not knowing exactly when I’m done the exercise, I just keep pushing, going on auto pilot until she tells me to stop
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I saw a major increase in muscle definition after completing this, particularly in my abs. By Level 3 you are basically somehow working your core with every exercise. I love the way my stomach looks now!
negatives:
- warm-ups and cool-downs are short and not really adequate. Not a big deal, just tag some of your own stuff on and you’ll be fine. I particularly recommend adding a glute and calf stretch to the cool-down.
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she doesn’t discuss all points on form in the first round of each exercise. Sometimes she doesn’t mention key things until the second round. Not a big deal for experienced exercisers, but for beginners, this could cause some problems and perhaps even injuries!
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Level 2- there is a lot of exercises performed in a plank position one after the other- I have weak shoulders and this at times got painful! Might not be a problem for others though.
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this might just be my DVD player (or rather my PS3) but I couldn’t skip the DVD intro when I would start the DVD each time. This meant I had to listen to Jillian explain the workouts EVERY SINGLE TIME I wanted to do a workout (so 30 times). This kind of sucked. Not a huge deal, or a reflection on the quality of the exercises, but just annoying!
Overall, I definitely recommend this video! It’s a great way to get in a great workout at home if you’re short on time. Plus, nice abs never hurt right?
I hope some of you find this review helpful! Let me know if you have any questions.
I will be back soon with another recipe for you. Hopefully in that time the universe stops using me as it’s entertainment and things start running a little more smoothly in my life! If nothing else, I’ll take waking up in time for work! Enjoy the rest of your weeks and Happy WIAW!
Been looking for another workout video that will challenge me a la Jackie Warner – - and this sounds like it might be the one!
Aweomse Ann! I really love it- quick and gets the job done ;)
MMMMMM, sweet potatoes!
You know my love for Jillian :) 30DS was the first Jillian DVD I bought and I love it, though I definitely think Ripped in 30 is much harder. However, after not doing 30DS for almost a year, I found it very challenging when I went back to it. I like that there are almost no repeated moves in any of her DVDs so you don’t get burned out on any one move. If you push, you will get a lot out of every workout. Again, you can’t go wrong with any Jillian workout in my opinion, but make sure you let us know how you like Ripped when you do get around to trying it!
As for not being able to skip the intro, have you tried using the DVD menu button? That’s what I always use to get to the main menu and then pick my workout; I’ve never had to sit through her intro.
Oh I can’t wait to try Ripped in 30 now, I’m totally up for the challenge! I’m in the yoga zone right now, but I’ll definitely do Ripped when I’m feeling the intense workouts again. I go in phases with these things. It’s like my body feels like it needs rest and I’m ok with listening :)
Ya I tried every button imagineable! A few other people have commented they tried everythnig too and could never skip it. You must just be lucky!
Brazilla Vanilla Butter! Okay, maybe it’s a bit silly, but silly food is good for the soul! ;)
Oh I totally agree. Food is meant to be enjoyed in every way :)
I am totally playing catch-up this week, too! Where does the summer go?
Btw, I look forward to seeing what you make from your pantry items!! I have a whole year to dwindle mine away… I have so many beans, though, I have wanted to count them all to see what it would take to actually eat through them. The stats might scare me!! ;)
I know, it’s going by so fast! I’m sorta ok with it though, that means I get to move soon!
It’s going to be interesting, since I love buying new ingredients all the time, I’m going to have to get creative I think! I hope you do count your beans, I’m intrigued ;)
vanilla brazilla. brazilliant butter. vanilli brazilli. brazillian butter. lol
Heheh you are far more creative than I am
nooo. is it fall already.. wait.. want there supposed to be summer in between.. Pfft. me super pissed. we had like 2 days of 80 and a half day of barely touching 90. hmmph.
on another note, that is one large tato! love the shredded carrot salad. and the brazenutter!
Aww that sucks! We definitely got summer here, but way too much of it. It’s been so hot and humid that I haven’t been enjoying it at all. I think I’d actually enjoy the weather you’re getting!
Hahah yes it was so big but sooo good! Thanks Richa :)
Looks wonderful Gabby! I have a bag of Chia in my cupboard, but I have never tried it. I will now, inspired by you! Thank you!
Oh it’s so versatile Anne! I have a couple more recipes for it coming soon if you need more ideas!
Looks so tasty and beautiful, Gabby!! I have a bag of Chia but have never used them – now I will try, inspired by you! Thank you!!
Always such tasty eats you have Gabby! I have a Gillian video series – I did it regularly last summer. Loved getting an intense workout in such a short amount of time. I would love a bowl of that delicious looking nut butter Mmm!!!
Thanks Heather :) Which video series do you have? I have a couple for of her videos but haven’t done them yet. I’m kind of in a yoga groove again, but I’m sure the more intense stuff will appeal to me again soon. I go through phases in everything from food to workouts, books etc.
It’s such a creamy nut butter :)
Hmm would have to get back to you on that…. haven’t done it since last summer, lol. It’s one with 4 different workouts to cycle through. Im more of a yoga girl too – but I go through phases of weight training, high intensity workouts… What kind of yoga do you practice?
We sound very similar in our workout styles! I do a few different yoga styles, all depends on my mood. I really enjoy Hatha, Vinyasa and Ashtanga and recently tried Yin yoga which I loved. I’ve tred to like Bikram but I just couldn’t get into it. The studio I like going to offers a variety of styles, but lately I’ve just been doing whatever feels right at home. Trying to save a little money before the move. Can’t wait though, I have a potential energy exchange with a studio in Toronto- yay for free classes!
I heard Shred is a lot better than the Ripped in 30 I did. Which I really didn’t care for the 3rd week. but it was okay. thank you for the review. and the porridge looks great!
I have the Rippied in 30 DVD but haven’t actually done it yet, so I can’t really compare them. When I can say is though, I really enjoyed the 30 day shred! You should definitely try it!
That chia seed porridge is one of my favourite breakfasts- so healthy but so naturally sweet!
I quite like Jillians workout dvd (I am still stuck on the first one though – me soooo weak haha) I can’t skip her intro either so I just run around the room or do jumping jacks until she stops talking :)
xo Emilie @ Hungry Delights
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one whoe can’t skip the intro. Yes I always take that time to change and get my shoes on and grab some water. It’s when I forget about that intro and have to sit there and watch, that’s when it’s frustrating. I will have to dance next time :)
Oh gosh, I left my parents with probably $400 worth of pantry items, including lots of special fancy ingredients that I had stupidly hoarded instead of using! So I know the feeling of desperately trying to EAT ALL THE THINGS. Problem is I totally failed :P
I am so guilty of doing that too! When I find something I like, I stop eating it because I’m so afraid to run out! Why are we so illogical at times?
At least you are finding loads of deliciousness in New York to make up for it ;)
I love the 30 Day Shred! I haven’t done it at all this year. You may have just inspired me to bust that thing out! :)
Awesome Lindsay! It’s definitely going to be a workout I’ll come back to- it’s just so efficient and she gets results :)
The universe may have been laughing but you laugh right back because it can’t consume your delicious food :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Haha so true! What an awesome way of looking at it!
what’s in the chocolate chia shake? Sounds so good – I’ve been on a chococolat kick, making cocoa/flax/banana/coconut smoothies :) The nut butter sounds amazing too – never thought of putting it on a sweet potato!
I will definitely get a recipe posted soon for that chia shake- I’m experimenting with a few different additions trying to get it right. The one in the photo is almond milk, cacao powder, vanilla powder, chocolate protein powder, chia seeds and ice.
Oh nut butter is amazing on sweet potato, you HAVE to try it!
Love the feedback on Shred so helpful; and Love the name of the nutbutter, I think it is perfect!
Glad I could help and thank you! There were just far too many syllables without coming up with a short form ;)
how about “vabrazenutter” or “vabrazebutnutter” – hihi butnutter. sorry, I unleashed my inner child.
Your eats look gorgeous, and the nutbutter so delicious. would love to see the recipe!
Hehe “butnutter”, love it!
Thanks very much, I wil definitely post the recipe soon :)
That new nut butter you made looks so good…and I love the name ;-) Recipe soon?!?!
I cannot agree more with the frustration I’ve had with that workout video and how it won’t let you skip that intro…trust me, I’ve tried way too many times and almost have thrown my remote out the window! What I do now when I do that video, I take that time to put on my shoes, get my glass of water and start doing a little warmup myself…I’m a multitasker!
BTW…where do you work? Do you work at a coffee shop? For whatever reason, you talking about dating syrup bottles got me curious….it’s not Starbucks is it? Oh, I’d be way too jealous!
I’m glad you like the name :) Yes recipe very soon, I promise! It was born out of needing to use up some nuts I had lying around and it came out so well!
Hehe I do the same thing! I start the DVD, go get changed, set myself up and grab some water. I just found I didn’t always remember to do this and that was when I got really frustrated. Oh well at least she gives you a good, energetic workout to help sort out some of that anger ;)
I absolutely do work at Starbucks. I guess I’ve hinted at it, but I’ve never come out and shared it here. I guess I’m just trying to be careful- they are such a big company and I don’t want to say/do anything wrong! I’ve worked there for about 6 months now, but have worked in coffee shops for years. I just love the atmosphere!
oh my gosh youre moving! that’s so exciting! i know the feeling – you can’t drink tea fast enough! delicious eats as always! that sweet potato looks down right incredible!! :)
Yes moving on September 1st! It’s so exciting, but so stressful at the same time! I can’t wait to be moved, but the process is never smooth or easy lol.
Thank you Caralyn- sweet potatoes have to be one of my favourite foods- you barely have to do anything to them and they are delicious and you can pair them with sweet or savoury toppings. LOVE :)
Hope you had a lovely day :)
I will definitely have to check out Gena’s protein fluff. I am constantly making almond milk, so I have a whole bag of almond meal, but it’d be nice to have something else to try with it. I need to start eating more sweet potatoes! They often appeal to me at the store, but if I end up buying them, they typically go bad! I guess I get more focused on other foods. P.s. I tried your veggie cereal this morning and loved it! Such a great way to get some fruits and veggies in and start the day off right. I didn’t even taste the broccoli, and I used 2 pears instead of apples. With the cinnamon and coconut, it’s perfect!!! Thanks girl!
It’s definitely a great way to use up all those extra bits of it you have around. I’m moving soon and facing having to through out tons of pulp, so this recipe has been a saviour- so easy!
Yesss more sweet potatoes in your life girl- they are just so satisfying and can be dressed up savoury or sweet!
So glad you liked the veggie cereal! I haven’t made it in a while- I think I’ll need to soon. You’re so welcome :)
Sorry you’ve been having a hard time lately. It’s funny but the saying it never rains but it pours is so true, things seem to go wrong in groups!
Your meals look great. I go through phases of sweet potato. I crave it and eat it all the time then I get sick of it and go off completely and it’s a long time before I’ll go near it again. I’m just about the stage of liking it again now.
I totally agree with your review about the 30 day shred. Mine does not let me skip the intro either so I have to remember to put it on while I’m getting ready or a 20 minute workout can take a lot longer.
I have lately started doing it again lately but only half of it. That’s all I’m motivated to do but like you I’m already seeing improvements in my strength and definition so it definitely gets results and I can easily find 10 minutes a day.
Thank you Katherine! I definitely have phases with sweet potatoes too- I never really get sick of them, but I’ll forget about them for a while then go crazy for them!
That’s great that you’ve been doing some of the 30 Day Shred. I try and remember to turn it on while I’m getting ready too but when I forget I get super annoyed. So glad you’re seeing improvements :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Jillian Michaels DVD. I found the details super-helpful, as it made me realize that I might not want to try that particular DVD just yet.
Glad I could help!
Don’t worry, I can polish off a whole sweet potato myself. Food of the GODS! I forgot about that chocolate almond protein fluff – I remember it. Going to put it on my list to make this weekend. Your chocolate chia shake looks yummy too!
Good that you are having a sense of humor with what the universe is dishing your way. Best attitude for it and to listen. Have a great week!
Hahah oh good, sometimes I feel like I eat way too much! But hey, we are all different right? And if we feel good eating a huge sweet potato like that, well our bodies must really be needing it :) Definitely make the fluff! It’s so easy and I found myself constantly going to the fridge to sneak bites of it. I’m hoping to share my recipe for the chia shake soon- just need to tweak it!
Thanks Kibby, I have the day off tomorrow, so some rest and relaxation should hopefully set me right!
Great idea to top a sweet potato with nut butter! Thanks for the review of the Jillian Michaels DVD, looks like it’s worth checking out!
It’s one of my favourite toppings! I love how you can go sweet or savoury with sweet potatoes.
I’m glad you found my review helpful :)
I am so with you, I can’t believe how quickly the summer has flown by! This is a good thing for me as my summers are so busy so it’ll be nice to get a break soon! September is my favorite month too for all the same reasons, even the birthday :) When is yours? I’m sure you may have mentioned the date before but I forget.
Your meals look awesome! Don’t mind as I proceed directly to that amazing sweet potato! That looks so delicious!! I’ve never tried it with nut butter, that sounds like a perfect breakfast. Your salads look delicious, I haven’t been eating enough salads lately, I need to get back on that. That vanilla brazenut butter looks great and I love the name, I think it’s cute!
That’s great that you challenged yourself with the Jillian Michael’s workouts. I’ve heard great things about it. I just found out about this series called “Tapout XT” which is like Insanity and P90X but with MMA workouts instead. It is 90 days and I really want to try it once I get my whole shoulder/neck situation in order :)
When I was in High School I worked at a bakery and I had to be at work at 6am on Saturday and Sunday and I remember oversleeping only one time but I was horrified! I definitely know how that felt but it will all sort itself out for you I’m sure of it :)
have a great day!
Yes you seem to be so busy, I don’t know how you do it! Although it seems like my life is soon going to become like that- between going back to school, work, and a couple volunteer things I’m working on getting right now, I don’t know where I’ll fit sleep in. I’m really excited though, I think it will be great! My birthday’s on the 17th, when’s yours? :)
Oh sweet potato with nut butter for breakfast sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve never done that, but it’s certainly great for dinner. I only ever put nut butter on half my sweet potato though, it feels too much like dessert if I do the whole thing. And thanks, I’m glad you like the name! It was just too wordy without shortening it!
That Tapout XT sounds perfect for you- I actually got my hands on some of the Insanity DVDs and oh man they are INSANE. Like they look way crazier than P90X. I’m not sure I’m quite ready for those yet- I think I’ll always be a yoga kind of girl, with intense phases in between lol
I felt so horrible sleeping in! It sucked because I had to get written up for it- my manager felt so bad doing it because I’m a really good employee but he said he had to in order to be fair to everyone. Oh well, nothing I can’t bounce back from! As long as it doesn’t jeopardize my transfer when I move, it’s all good :)
What a bummer that they had to write you up but I know it won’t interfere with the transfer, especially since they didn’t want to write you up to begin with! I’m sure you’ll have a lot of people on your side, but I don’t think one write up will have any negative effects. Everyone oversleeps at some point in their life, it’s not like you cursed out a customer ;)
My birthday is the 22nd!! That’s so awesome! If you are settled in to your new place by that time we should do our package swap for our birthdays! It would be so fun!
That’s such a great idea Sarah! I love it! We should definitely do one :) That’s so funny our birthdays are so close, no wonder we have so many things in common!
Yay that’s awesome, it’s so on! I know that’s what I thought too! :)
I have yet to try ´Jillian Michael workouts- they seem quite intense!! as usual I love looking at your WIAW, we seem to live in the same foodie planet! Have a wonderful rest of the week and dont workout too hard ;)
Thank you Alexia! Yes her workouts are intense, but I love that you get such a great workout in such a short space of time! Plus she definitely gets results.
Hope you have a great week as well :)
Breakfast looks delicious! It’s been so hot here that I wouldn’t buy for a second that it’s September, and the start of fall, but I agree – time is moving! I want it to keep moving quickly until next Wednesday, when I get my surgery nad then after that I just get to be at home for 2 weeks :)
Good luck with your surgery next week! It’s nice that you have something so great to look forward to after it :)
i can’t believe it is already starting to feel like fall for you!
about the large sweet potato – more power to you! i often have sweet potatoes, topped with a healthy fat/protein source, as a major meal component. in that case – i usually shop for the largest (within reason) that i can find. they are so delicious!
Haha it doesn’t quite feel like fall, but I was definitely shocked to find out just how close it is!
Yes the more sweet potato, the better :) I’m so glad they’re healthy lol