My Home Gym + Blogroll!

Hey my Peanut Butter Banana Brownies! <3

Thanks for all of your comments on my Pumpkin Spice Muffins! Those are seriously one of my favorite muffins EVER! They were eaten all up within days of making them! <3

I don’t workout at Spectrum Fitness Gym any more. I’m kind of sad that I don’t, as I miss all the classes I could take, the variety of machines I could use, and the motivation I could get from the other individuals there.

But now instead of working out at Spectrum, I workout at home in my home gym. I love how it is really convenient (as it is just down the hall from my room), customizable, and all mine! It works for me and I truly love it!

Here’s a view from where you enter.

It consists of:

My workout DVDs (plus some more which are in a different area of the house); these are in the bookshelf to the right when you enter the room.

My dumbbells: 2 pounds, 8 pounds, 3 pounds, and 5 pounds.

The Stride Trainer! They have pre-programmed workouts on it and they are NOT easy! It may not look hard, but it has SERIOUS INTESITY in those pedals!

My big bouncy ball. He’s a jolly happy soul.

A mini-trampoline and a jump rope.

My blue yoga mat.

My mom’s stationary bike.

My treadmill!

And, a weight machine outside around the corner of the workout room (the workout room is on the other side of the wall behind it). I don’t use this one very much, as I prefer dumbbells, but my parents like it.

And that’s my home gym!

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I took some time the other day and reorganized my Blogroll into different categories (you can see it here). I’d love to know if you have any ideas for different kinds of categories I should use. Also, if I don’t have you on my blogroll, just let me know and I’ll be glad to add you!

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What is your favorite way to workout? Time of day to workout? Pre-workout/Post-workout snack? I usually workout after I get home from my early morning scripture study class, but some days I’ll do it in the afternoon.

Do you ever mix-and-match workouts on different DVDs to make one workout? I’ll do that with 10 minute workouts: like, I’ll do Tamilee’s Tight on Time DVD (Total Body, Arms and Shoulders, and Abs: each 10 minutes), pair it with Jillian’s 10 minute workout segment on the Cardio Max DVD, and then maybe do a 20 minute Winsor Pilates workout.

Which recipe do you want next? Carob Chip Cookies? Oat Pecan Scones? Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes? Pumpkin Spice Milkshake? Or Homemade Whole Wheat Bread sticks? You have the power in your hands.

xoxox,

FAQ!

You guys are so thoughtful with your questions!! I have had so much fun answering each and every one of them. You guys are AMAZING!

Alrighty, here we go!

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What is your favorite healthy food?

I would have to say Pizzerts! Especially Almond Joy and Reese’s ones!

What’s your philosophy on eating? (like are you okay with eating meat, what is your opinion on restrictions, etc)

I feel that you should feed your body the best foods you can. The more unprocessed, organic, and REAL, the better.

I am not against using animal products, but I try to use plant substitutes whenever possible. Since I am lactose intolerant, I do not use dairy products. Therefore, much (if not all) of what I bake/make is vegan/vegetarian.

I try to avoid processed sugar. I use fruits to sweeten my baked goods whenever possible, if not, I use agave/honey/stevia sparingly.

I focus on  Vegetables and Fruits, healthy fats, good carbs, complete proteins, and WHOLE grains.

You are so cute! do you like to workout? if so, what’s your workout schedule like?

Yes, I love to workout! Usually, I workout 4-5 times at the gym (cardio and weights). I also do abs every other day, with stretches after all my workouts. I like the Precors, Ellipticals, and Treadmills for my cardio, and I either do the weight machines at the gym or dumb bells at home. I also really enjoy workout videos and PILATES!!! They truly work the core!

What inspired you to start blogging?

When I see my friends making not so great choices about their health/body, becoming obsessed, not loving themselves, it really depresses me. We all have so much potential. I wanted to share my love of nutrition, my journey towards balance, my passion for all things health, my love of baking, and join the many health bloggers out here!

Are you a 3 meal person or do you eat frequently throughout the day?

I’m more of a frequent meal person. My typical day includes a snack in the morning (before my workout), breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and a snack in the evening. So I guess I eat 5-6  times a day, but it varies since I strive to listen to my body. If it says I’m hungry, I feed it. If I’m not, then I don’t. I strive to be in-tune with my body’s hunger cues.

Have your parents ever objected to your way of eating/nourishing your body? Have they ever thought it was “not normal” or “weird”?

I wouldn’t say that they have ever objected. They may think that I am really weird to eat 100% Bakers Chocolate, avocado on toast, etc., but I wouldn’t say that they object. I am so grateful for my family. I am so grateful for all of their support. They are always there for me, and I know that I can go to them with anything, and they’ll be there for me.

I am so grateful for my mom. She is the first person I go to when I have a problem. For example, she was who I turned to when I realized I was becoming restricting. We talk about everything. She helped me get back to balance.

I am so grateful for my dad. If I need to talk and have someone hear me out, I go to my dad. He always listens.

I am so grateful to my sister. She always reminds me to have fun! Especially with my food! Hehe, she is always trying new things!

How did you get comfortable with your body image- its SO HARD for me.. i hate the way i look even though I know im at a healthy weight?

One thing that has helped me is to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. If I find myself criticizing my thighs, for example, I replace those thoughts with three positive ones like “Oh my gosh, Gorgeous! Your eyes are beautiful!”

When I look in the mirror, instead of looking for the things I don’t like as much, I try to compliment myself. I feel instead of hating mirrors and starting my day off disgruntled about myself, I feel why not have fun!

You know, I still sometimes look in the mirror and not like what I see. But, I have made a truce with the mirror. You might even catch me saying mirrors are sexy!

What’s your favorite past time outside of cooking/baking/nutrition? What do you like to do outside of food/nutrition?

Some of my favorite things to do include doing counted cross-stitch, playing the piano, and reading. I haven’t had much time lately to do a lot reading, but I really love it. I also love blogging, shopping, and hanging out with my friends!

What was your favorite city to live in and which one had the best local food?

I loved the Watermelon in Adana, Turkey (Adana is in the southern part of Turkey). Those melons were HUGE!

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Do you have similar views as I do?

xoxox,