Gotta love Tibetan food
Getting ready for Dagabi Cucina!
Great meal for us and Chris’ friends visiting
Great walks with the pup
Cuteness
Shopping…
Pizza
A trip to Estes Park!! (yes that is a fanny pack)
Homemade cookies
Homemade donuts
Stanley Hotel…
Elk!!
Passed out pup
Epic mini golf
Arcade games
Bowling
BONUS KITTY PIC
I’ve been aware of the unique flavors that New Zealand candy brings to the table since I’ve been getting them from my Kiwi relatives since I was little. Many of them you will find in the UK as New Zealand is still part of the Commonwealth, but all the same, it’s just darn tasty. If you ever get the chance to try Kiwi candy, don’t pass it up! And if you’re worried about calories, it’s all in kilojewels, so it doesn’t count right?! (Wrong…but we don’t have to think about that) Let’s list some favorites.
“Perky Nana”…one I haven’t tried before but it’s my nickname!
Chokito
This is Chris’ personal favorite along with one of my aunts, Raewyn’s. I must admit that it’s pretty delicious. I only discovered them during this trip and I’m glad I did! It’s like a softer chewier 100 Grand bar…yeah it’s that good. Chocolate-y goodness!
(Image source)
Pineapple Lumps
Now these are my favorite, perhaps of all Kiwi candy. It’s pineapple-flavored chewy piece covered in chocolate. I will literally eat an entire bag and look for another. I think this one is a love or hate type of deal. They make me happy
Crunchie Bar
Now this goes across all the Commonwealth, but for me, it’s a Kiwi candy. Oh, the crunchie bar. Growing up, this was probably my favorite candy from NZ. It’s basically like honeycomb covered in chocolate. This one is really hard to hate. Delicious crunch followed by that sweet chocolate melting in your mouth…well now I’m drooling.
Moro
Ooh, another favorite of mine. This is kind of like a crunchier milky way bar. You get that decadence of the chocolate and caramel on the inside but also a little crunch of the bits. We bought a huge mini bag of these for our drive from Auckland to Wellington and they didn’t last long.
Licorice Allsorts
Ohhhh, allsorts. They have gotten so much worse over the years, but we still know where to find them. Of course, licorice allsorts aren’t exclusively Kiwi, but they are for me! If you don’t like black licorice, it’d be a good thing to stay away from them. But since I’m a weird American with a Kiwi mother, I love them! It’s basically black licorice compiled with different flavors like chocolate, fruity, and vanilla. They are divine. Especially beside a glass of milk.
Jaffas
These are basically thumb-nail sized chocolate balls covered in an orange coating. These are so so good. Perfect alongside a cup of tea. If you serve them to others, they won’t last long. It has that wonderful crunch of the coating and then the creaminess of the milk chocolate inside.
Minties
These are what they sound like…mint-flavored chewies. Kind of like a minty taffy. Lovely to chew on and enjoy, especially after a meal or after other sweets!
Milkybar
I nearly forgot this one because I didn’t eat it on our last trip there. It’s basically just delicious white chocolate. I know some people aren’t white chocolate fans, but my mum and I sure am. We love this bar. Wishing I had one next to me right now!
Flake
I usually get these in the form of minis, but you can get them in chocolate-bar-size as well too. They are basically little bits of chocolate stuck together, creating a “flake”-like texture once you bite into it. It all falls apart in your mouth. It’s super good chocolate because it’s Cadbury and we all know they make the best. Great to crumble over ice cream!
I obviously can go on and on, but I will stop. I found a great website that lists all the NZ candy (or lollies, I should have been saying this whole time) here. Check it out if you want to find out more about Kiwi candy. It really is the best! Make sure you pick up and try each one of these when you visit New Zealand! Any of my Kiwi relatives can totally send me some right now!! And as always…stay hungry and fit!
Wonderful, as far as I’m concerned. There are several factors to this. In my adult life, I’ve used Air New Zealand twice to New Zealand, and both times it has been fantastic. 12-hour flights aren’t easy, but Air New Zealand definitely makes it easier. I’m surprised at the fortitude and endurance the flight attendants have for the whole entirety of the flight. Let’s go over the reasons why Air New Zealand rocks.
View from inside the airplane just getting into New Zealand
1. 75 movie choices. Yes, seventy-five. Usually you have to pay for even one movie, but here you get 75! They range from Despicable Me 2 to Whale Rider to 2 Guns. My goal is to usually watch one or two movies before attempting a sleep and then finishing with one when I wake up. Chris unfortunately watches like four our five and doesn’t get sleep. Go team.
2. Meals of decent to good quality. I know this doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment, but it is! Usually airplane food is blargh! But Air New Zealand does it well. I never had a stomach ache and everything tasted good, especially breakfast! Oh and both are free.
3. An epic safety video. I mean epic. It was completely Lord of the Rings/Hobbit-ed out! Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits galore! Even Peter Jackson made an appearance! It was such a good surprise. We were laughing the whole time. One of the few times I actually pay attention to airplane safety features. Last time I rode Air New Zealand it was Richard Simmons, which was of course hilarious.
4. No baggage fees. Yep. I couldn’t believe this one either. We did have to pay them going from America, but not back! It was so nice! Especially refreshing after Frontier now charges for carry-on items! Can you say rip-off!
5. Wonderful attendants. How would you feel serving a bunch of annoying Americans for 12 hours stuck in a small space high up in the sky? I would definitely not be cheery and helpful as all the Kiwi attendants were. They show that they care about the service you’re getting and want to help you best they can. Like the Kiwi people, they are friendly, laid back, and good-humored.
6. Wellington Airport. I know this doesn’t necessarily count, but still. Check out the post. It’s awesome.
7. Free New Zealand wine. I can’t tell you how upset I was when I realized the wine was free and I didn’t take it! I couldn’t help but laugh when they were carrying the leftover bottles in the morning, saying “Wine, anyone?” Plus, New Zealand wine is among the best I’ve had. Before I didn’t like white wine, now I do! Yeah if this isn’t a perk of an airline, I don’t know what is.
Those are just a few reasons why Air New Zealand knocks it out of the park. And yet another reason to visit New Zealand. If you’re going to fly to New Zealand, choose your Kiwi airline and you won’t regret it. It’s the best way to spend those 12 hours locked in an aircraft. And as always…stay hungry and fit!
Wellington, New Zealand, of course! No really, it is absolutely awesome. And that’s mostly because of Weta Workshop (which you will see in a later post), which created most of the props, weaponry and armor, and lots of the digital effects in Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the Hobbit and more. They are truly amazing. More on them later. Tolkien fans will love this airport. I think the shock factor is a big part of this airport’s coolness. You just don’t expect what you’re going to walk into. And my family did a great job not saying anything (shocker there).
So when you get past checking and get into the terminal, you are first blasted with three huge eagles with Gandalf atop one of them hanging from the ceiling. I was totally amazed. I mean these are huge props, huge. We estimate 20 feet in each direction. Yeah it was literally awesome. Side note: recent earthquake in New Zealand (as in 2 nights ago) actually knocked one of the giant eagles to the ground! Nobody was hurt but…woah.
And then you walk by more shops and restaurants, and then…boom. Gollum comes reaching in from the ceiling. And I don’t mean Andy Serkis-sized Gollum. I mean freaking huge–42-feet kind of huge! It’s Gollum’s head and arms reaching in for a fish, with bubbles about too! It’s really hard to describe how amazing it is. You have to see it in person to really feel the impact. Especially for Tolkien fans.
HE’S GONNA EAT ME
The rest of the airport is definitely unique too. All the shops are Kiwi-focused from Haka shirts to Kiwi poo to Merino wool everywhere! If you leave your shopping to the last minute, this is a perfect spot for you! Food options are also excellent, better than the average as far as airports go. Keep an eye out for awesome statues like dwarves and sheep. In addition, as far as security goes, it’s a breeze. Don’t even have to take your shoes off! Take that, America! Just kidding…kind of. Anyhow, if you’re looking for yet another reason to head to New Zealand, do not miss out on the Wellington Airport.
One of a few there…
baaa
BONUS KITTY PIC
Nymeria kneading…always
No contest. Burgerfuel wins. In all honesty, I never got to have a Burger Wisconsin burger but they should not open at 5:00 p.m. at so many locations (they didn’t open until late!). Burgerfuel served me the largest item on their secret menu at 9:00 a.m. That won my heart. With that being said, I will say nothing more about Burger Wisconsin, to be fair. (Editor’s Note: after we left New Zealand, my brother was able to get Burger Wisconsin as it finally opened, and he said it was pretty tasty. Looking forward to trying it next time around)
The first Burgerfuel burger I had was in Taupo, New Zealand. It is a chain based out of NZ that has locations in Australia, Iran, UAE, Dubai, and Sudan. (I could be totally wrong about the last three… I think two are correct.) So was the second, no more than 14 hours later. That was the impression it made on me. And these are not inexpensive burgers… they cost a ton. And I still went back.
Part of the huge family at Lake Taupo, New Zealand
First course, The Bastard. This is the largest item on their public menu. Off their website, it contains, “1/3 pound 100% pure NZ grass fed beef, melted cheddar, bacon, beetroot, juicy mango, avocado, salad, relish and fresh natural BF aioli.” It cost about $13. I didn’t get fries or a drink but someone else in our group did. Their spud fries and kumara fries were both delicious. It is supposedly 1200 calories and went down easy. The meat was cooked well and the condiments made it one of the MOST DELICIOUS BURGERS I HAVE EVER HAD. The beetroot, mango and avocado were fresh and top-notch pieces. The trademark aioli and relish caused salivation.
The Bastard
Second course, The Ultimate Greedy Bastard. Add a second 1/3 pound patty, a piece of their chicken, and an egg. There might have been one more item. This one is not on the menu, it is above The Greedy Bastard on the secret menu revealed by an employee after I complained The Bastard was too small. It was about $24 and was so good for a breakfast sandwich. I had a hard time finishing the last tenth of it. I have no ideas how many calories or grams of protein/carbs/fats it had. The employees had awesome customer service skills. The facility was clean and had an inviting but cool vibe.
EPIC! Ultimate Greedy Bastard
Trying to get my mouth around it (Aunt Raewyn in the background)
Finally, Burgerfuel invented the DOOFER. A picture is below but it is essentially a burger holder so you don’t make a mess! What an amazing idea, plus they are made of 100% recycled material. Everyone else who got a chicken sandwich and fries enjoyed their meal. I would have liked the opportunity to sample more of their menu but so far I am very impressed.
So if you are in any of the countries listed above try to stop by a Burgerfuel and let me know what you think of it! Five Guys, Smashburger, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and even In-n-Out doesn’t compare.(Alana will kill me for that last one!) This is just based off the quality of a single sandwich at each, not the meal as a whole. In-n-Out wins in that category. More New Zealand/Kiwi posts coming up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!
P.S. – Burger Wisconsin, if you want to compete, open earlier! Burgers should be available for lunch, says I!
If you want to see more of our New Zealand pictures, follow us on instagram! @nanatiger and @hungryandfit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Sajah literally fell asleep between my feet last night in about 5 seconds
Sadly, we are back from our 2-week trip to New Zealand. This is my fourth time there (my mum is from there and her huge family), and Chris’ first time. Every time I think about how we aren’t there anymore, I feel like I’m going to cry…and I don’t really cry. There are going to be loads of posts about New Zealand coming up, about food, fitness, guides to cities and so forth. Lots of good stuff. I wanted to keep this returning post to the point. Here are a few things I learned on this trip to New Zealand:
1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. The people of New Zealand (the Kiwis) are incredibly down-to-earth. They don’t take themselves too seriously, for the most part, and are there simply to live and do what makes them happy. I think loads of people in the States and elsewhere could take a page from their book in this lesson.
my aunt Raewyn and uncle Michael at Huka Falls (they’re twins believe it or not)
2. Family first. I already knew this one, but this trip hit it home once again. My mum is one of eight siblings which means I have a huge family over there. As I visit more and more as I am an adult, my relationships and bonds with them grow deeper. Chris, my brother and his girlfriend, and I toured the South Island together for the first time and it was wonderful. But sometimes I found myself wishing that we were back at Nana’s, sitting around, roaring with laughter. I miss them so much now. Seeing them once every few years is just not enough!
From left to right, top to bottom: Aunt Raewyn and I, Kai and Sophie, Aunt Carolyn and I
3. Live simple. This goes for many people of New Zealand, not all, but many. They may own huge pieces of land, but a lot of it is just that–land. The beauty of New Zealand speaks for itself and you would be a fool to miss it. It was always my end goal to end up in New Zealand (as I am a citizen there), but I find myself wanting to move there sooner and sooner to live that kind of life! I remember this place on Akaroa (beautiful spot on the South Island) of this fish stand on the wharf where the guy would go out fishing (click site here), bring in the catch of the day several times of the day, and either sell the fish raw or cook some fish and chips up. That life sounds awesome to me.
Off the wharf in Akaroa
4. Don’t be afraid to spend money. This one is tough because we obviously aren’t all made of money. This certainly goes for Chris and I. We spent quite a bit of money down there and wanted to do even more! If you want to do something that you know you’ll regret later if you don’t, just cough it up and do it. You can always work more when you get home (as we are doing now).
Food is expensive there!
5. Don’t judge others and just let go. So that side of the family…when everyone gets together we are incredibly loud and almost always make a scene wherever we go because of how ridiculous everyone is. That being said, we got looks from people everywhere we went! But not angry looks, more of amusement. Just realizing that should make people second-guess judging people just because they are a little loud and…different.
Chris found a big stick…
Just because I don’t have the entirety of my mum’s thousands of pictures yet, I have to show you a daily thing between my family (this is last trip in 2011)
A constant reaction from me and imagine that multiplied by about 10
6.Just sit down and look outside. This is huge!! If you don’t sit down and look outside in New Zealand, I have to call you an idiot. But this goes for wherever you are. Find beauty in everything. Find a moment just to sit down outside, look at the sky, mountains, plains, whatever you have. I did this lots of times by myself and with company to just enjoy mother nature.
Just before a sunset at Lake Taupo, North Island
7. There’s always a reason to smile. Even if someone is going through a rough patch in my family, they always find a way to smile or laugh. And I mean always. Whether it’s through pranks, family love, or just having a conversation, you will never ever ever see a lack of smiles on my kiwi family’s faces. And I honestly believe that it’s good for you. People don’t laugh as much here!
Us on the ferry to the South Island
8. Do what makes you happy. This connects with a few other points. There are so many ways that we complicate life nowadays and strive for things that we think can somehow create happiness. Or sometimes happiness isn’t the goal anymore. That makes me crazy! I need to bring it to my own life as well. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, don’t make an excuse to go do something that will bring joy to you. That real happiness that is deep within. Get it!
Picking cherries with Sophie for instance…
9. Fresh fish is the only way to go. I didn’t have to worry about whether fish was farmed or not to the places we went to eat at, it was all caught that day pretty much with a few exceptions! I can’t even describe how good the fish is there. Probably the best fish and chips I had was some that my Aunt Pam and Uncle/Godfather John cooked. Absolutely amazing. Don’t know how much fish and chips I ate there. Go fresh or go home.
Drooling constantly.
10. Switch off. I didn’t use my phone much over there (except for pictures) because I hadn’t unlocked it so I would get a billion roaming and international charges. On the South Island, there was rarely any internet. For Americans, it’s sadly tough to go without these things. But I found it to be liberating and really nice for most of the time. Sure we all swarmed the internet when we got it, but otherwise we forgot about it. We just drove through the windy hills, steep cliffs, and by the ocean and just looked out and enjoyed each other. I am personally going to try to avoid being on my phone all the time, and just enjoy what’s around me.
Not even accurate description of our sleep last night…brutal, jet-lag made us not fall asleep for a while!
I can’t wait to get all the other pictures from mum, Chris, Sophie, and so forth. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little sample of pictures and what I learned while I was there. I could go on and on, but it’s time for me to go to bed. To all my family reading this, I miss you!! Can’t wait to head on back to my future home. And as always…stay hungry and fit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Although I am super bummed not to be in NZ anymore, there are two cats that make it a little better
This is a guest post by Ben Brown: Freelance writer, author and walking enthusiast Ben Brown looks at the best in breathable technologies – and why it works.
Breathable qualities are an essential characteristic for outdoor gear and modern materials and manufacturing processes ensure that this essential ingredient is built into most sportswear today. In fact breathable fabric could be argued to be more important than wind-proofing and waterproofing fabrics (or at least as equally important). However, there’s plenty of jargon to wade through (enough to get you into a real sweat) when it comes to choosing the right gear for your outdoor pursuits. In terms of breathable it helps to understand the basics.
Natural Cooling Systems – The Naked Truth
Breathable garments are designed to work in conjunction with the body’s natural cooling system; perspiration. “Garments” is a broad term and, in the case of outdoor gear, it includes everything from the tip of your headgear to the tips of your boots and shoes. As we overheat, our bodies produce sweat to cool us; the moisture evaporates, our skin cools and we return to our optimum temperature. This is fine if you’re not wearing any clothes at all, but not so great if you’re trekking up a mountain or running a marathon (in both cases clothes being more or less required) or conducting any other kind of sporting activity. For hikers, skiers, mountaineers and long distance trekkers. Balancing the need to stay warm and dry means that the body’s natural cooling mechanism can become a problem. Once clothing becomes damp from perspiration, it can remain so, keeping us cooling longer than we need to and eventually chilling us. While problematic at any time of year this can be a serious issue in winter when staying warm while outdoors can equal staying alive. Breathable fabrics operate to solve this problem by effectively drying quickly. Moisture is moved away from the skin and evaporates from the surface of the material, meaning our temperatures remain constant. While traditional materials, such as wool, have these qualities, modern polypropylene and polyester have been designed to create lighter weight garments with the same qualities. In terms of wool, often used in part in fleeces as an insulation layer, look for high quality merino wool products.
Wicking Qualities and Why they Work
While wool has been favoured as a breathable, fast drying fabric but the modern equivalents are considered more efficient. Today they are designed to incorporate ‘wicking’ qualities. Wicking describes the process in which moisture is moved from the skin and evaporates quickly, transferring it away from the skin in the same way that heat evaporates wax from a candle. For base layers, designed for a range of outdoor activities, materials with wicking qualities are ideal. For insulating layers material that is also breathable allows moisture to be quickly removed from between the layers and a final breathable waterproof layer ensures that excess moisture is drawn away from the body, while keeping out rain and or wind.
Horizontal Rain and Minuscule Vapours
Waterproof and breathable outer garments are now widely available and may seem an unlikely combination of qualities. These garments let moisture out and yet also stop it from passing through from the outside. The simple science behind this seemingly magical quality is the fact that moisture vapour from sweat is actually made up of smaller droplets, which can leave the fine mesh of the fabric, while droplets that form on the outer layer of the material (droplets in this case often being pelting, horizontal rain) are too big to enter, these run off thanks to waterproofing coatings. In many cases over time both the waterproofing and breathable qualities of this type of garment becomes compromised but regular treatments with recommended products help to restore and/or maintain jackets and coats.
Buying Tips
Buying appropriate waterproof outdoor gear is essential. For winter activities robust, strong outer layers are advisable, especially for mountaineering, trekking and hiking. Summer brings it’s own challenges in terms of weather conditions and lighter weight coats are advisable, unless climbing to high altitudes. For cyclists and runners these lighter weight outer layers are often ideal, even in winter. However, in all case ensure the best quality (usually branded) items are chosen. At this time of year as the winter sales and Boxing Day sales beckon, it can be the perfect time to restock on all manner of outdoor gear, from tents to clothing and waterproofing products. Where possible always buy quality outdoor wear and kit, as apart from its effectiveness it can last for many years (and many adventures) to come.
We made it! We finally arrived after 12 hours of flying and another of customs. We’re a little groggy (Chris is actually sleeping on the couch right now), but we’ve made it! Just in case you wondered where we’ve run off to…we are here in New Zealand for two weeks for a cousin’s wedding and to explore both islands! Some of you know I’m half-Kiwi, meaning that my mum is from New Zealand. We are very excited for this trip. My mum, dad, brother, and his girlfriend will be arriving tomorrow. My aunt picked us up and we are just getting acclimated. This post is going to be picture-heavy. Just of things we did in California and things we’ve just done in New Zealand! Here goes…
In NZ at a park across the way!
Let’s start with Christmas in Santa Monica, California (my hometown). We arrived Christmas Eve and boy did it go fast. We saw lots of family and friends, ate tons of good food, and got in fun workouts. Christmas loot was incredible this year, some of the standouts were the Jawbone UP, a mixer, Star Wars CCG cards, Amazon gift cards, oh and…A GOPRO!!!!!! Yeah Chris went a little overboard this year in terms of presents, so so excited to use the GoPro in New Zealand. We actually got footage of us “surfing” (there were no waves that day), and you’ll see it once I learn how to edit it.
Just arrived in Cali
Star Wars cards…super rare!
Jawbone UP…records movement, sleeping, and eating. A wrist band.
GoPro!!
Joys of opening packs
This was at a delicious Christmas Eve party with my family…Chris eating children of course
Gotta love Santa Monica..
In N Out…
Bay Cities!!
Mum’s homemade breakfast
Japanese food with Sophie and Kai
Epic Tekka Don
Time to move onto workouts…we did some improvising home workouts
Some at the beach with friends…
Rope climbing!
He got all the way up
And don’t forget the surf!
Beautiful picture from the GoPro camera
The five days in California went by incredibly fast, but I’m not surprised. Then on Sunday night, we loaded our stuff into a car, Dad dropped us off at the airport and we were on our way to New Zealand! We arrived to New Zealand Tuesday @ 5:30am. Yes, Tuesday…we skipped Monday! 18 hour time difference plus 12 hour flight will do that to you I guess. Here’s a few pictures from the journey so far…
Mum and I with travel pillows
Had to get this journal for the trip
Food at LAX
Airplane food, not bad!
Little itty bitty beginning of sunrise
They don’t refrigerate eggs here!
Chris’ epic kiwi breakfast
Going for a walk
New Zealand is just pretty
We hope to update you as often as we can, depending on internet of course. Probably the hardest part of all of this is being away from the cats for so long, but it helps to know that they are in good hands in Boulder. We are in Auckland now but will soon be travelling south. So excited to be here with Chris and my huge kiwi family for this trip. We are going to have lots of great food and find fun creative ways to workout on the road. Happy New Years!! As always…stay hungry and fit!
Although we love our gadgets and gizmos, we don’t often write a post about them or review them. However, there are some that are exceptions to this and one of them is Waze. I had downloaded this app about a year ago, but only recently started using it after my brother’s trip here. Waze is a travel/map app and it is incredibly useful and fun.
We all have been through the frustration of Google Maps. Perhaps it led us in the wrong direction or forgot to tell us a turn. Hey, I’m a big supporter of Google Maps–more than most folk anyhow–but I’ve got to be honest, Waze has it beat. Let’s start with a little description so I can show you why it’s better than Google Maps. So you start Waze as a noob, an amateur with an avatar that has a pacifier. This is motivation to use the app more and more to gain points and discard that rookie-telling pacifier. For the avatar portion, once you get enough points, you can choose what “mood” you’re in which is basically your avatar. I’m pretty sure mine was “sleepy” yesterday (no surprise for a Monday, huh?). And there are leaders in each area in terms of points, so there’s always motivation to use it!
Thaaat’s meeee
So how do you get points? It’s pretty easy. You gain points simply by having the app on and driving. You can also gain additional points by reporting different things, which is getting to why Waze is so great. You have the ability to report hazards like stopped cars, accidents, weather, traffic, and even hidden police officers. Everybody works together in a community-like setting. As you are driving along and Waze is open on your phone or tablet, you can see all the hazards or traffic coming up on your route. This is really nice not only to be able to avoid it, but for safety reasons to. You can even see the other “Wazers” on the road which makes it feel even more like a community. I love that part. All working together to help one another.
This app is also excellent at setting routes. First of all, you can input your “Home” and “Work” addresses so it’s easy to plug in. When you type in whatever address you are trying to get to, it will give you several routes, their mileage, length of route concerning time, and ETA. And for each route, it shows you all the “reports” aka the hazards, traffic, accidents, and so forth. In addition, along the route, if traffic is slowing down, it will show you the average speed at which traffic is flowing. Pretty neat.
Vroom vroom, night mode
To sum, this app has Google Maps beat with its sense of community and foresight with traffic and planning routes. Hungry and Fit gives Waze a big thumbs up. Use this smart traffic app to stay hungry and fit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
Precious is all I can say
As some of you know, we are traveling to New Zealand at the end of December. Which also means it is going to be summer. Which means we can’t cover up our bodies with massive amounts of clothing like we are currently doing in Colorado (was -5 degrees F when I woke up this morning). Which then means that we want to look even better by the end of the month! Health and fitness are always top priorities for us, but throughout the rest of this month, I may not have pizza or creme brulee more than twice a week ;). Here’s my plan.
Actual picture I took of New Zealand last time round
No thanks!
Usually, I go with whatever “workout split” I want. A workout split is basically how you are splitting your training of each muscle group. Usually I don’t structure mine and kind of do what I feel like or match it up with Chris. However, I decided for the month of December to create my own and follow it to the best of my ability. Here’s what it looks like:
As you can see, Core and Legs come up twice throughout my split. It’s a tough call but probably my favorite muscle group to develop (maybe tied with shoulders…and even back) is the legs group. Seeing my squatting weight go up and up is an inspiration for myself. Feeling the strength in my legs and the shape of my body change is exciting. Which is why legs are repeated. And core…sometimes I ignore it, so it’s best to focus doubly on it if I’m going to spend a good amount of time in a bikini. I plan to do strength workouts at least five times per week.
Armz
Human flaggin’
Now let’s move to the topic of cardio. My general goal is to do two forms of cardio per day of my workouts. This is most likely going to be running (always trying to improve something I’m weak at) and elliptical (a form of cardio I can always do due to non-impact and ease). For running, I want at least 20 minutes and elliptical for 30 minutes. I know sometimes I’m not going to get both, but I’m going to do my best. Along with strength training, I aim to do these at least five times a week.
The awesome Stocking Run with Chris, Kai, and Sophie (will blog about later)
Some pump up tunes
And now let’s talk about rest days. I’m allowing myself two rest days per week. That doesn’t mean I will always take them, but if they come up, I’ll use them if I need it. Rest days could include yoga, walking, hiking, or….nothing! Many people push a little too far and forget their rest days which leads to overtraining and in the long run hurts your goals! Rest when your body tells you to! Listen to it!
More workout pics
Armz
Now we turn to (dun dun dunnn) EATING. I love to eat! Love it love it love it. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that. However, if I want my muscles to really shine through, it’s time to throw a little discipline into the eating routine. I’m going to do a good amount of clean eating (but nowhere near the extreme version during my contest prep), with two full cheat meals a week. This means splurging on a 3-course meal including desserts or pizza, etc. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to have a square of dark chocolate when I feel like it, but I’m going to focus my efforts away from sugars and towards proteins (to make this body happy!).
A recent lunch
And that’s my December health plan. If I follow this, the clean eating, strength training, and cardio should whip my butt into shape just in time for a New Zealand summer! Create a health plan to stay hungry and fit!
BONUS KITTY PIC
zZZZ
