As per my new training plan Tuesday morning began with a very early yoga session. I did the Yoga for Runners podcast which lasts 20 minutes almost as soon as I had woken up. It was great, not so much a workout but just an opportunity to focus and relax my mind before my day started, although it did work up a little sweat!
Breakfast was a bowl of Dorset Cereal low fat flakes with blueberries, chopped apple, almond milk and some almond meal (leftover from making the milk). I also had a mug of yerba mate tea:
Lunch was a salad including spinach, romaine, lentils, carrot, cucumber, dried cranberries, spicy pumpkin seeds, cool oil and herbamare seasoning:
I also had a bowl of grapes. Mid afternoon I snacked on half a 9 bar before hitting the gym for my first ever Body Pump class! The class was fantastic, I absolutely loved it. I still need to figure out the best combo of weights for each track but I felt like I had an excellent workout. I’m looking forward to next weeks class already!
Dinner was Thai Green Vegetable and Soya Bean Curry with steamed greens, brown, wild and red rice, shoyu, ume vinegar and a sprinkling of mixed seeds:
I sometimes forget how much I love Thai Green Curry! I was so chuffed when I found a vegan curry paste – I still have some stashed in the freezer.
Dessert was a little experiment: pumpkin protein pudding! I blended a tin of pumpkin puree with 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon and ginger. I had half topped with grape nuts cereal:
This was nice but I wish I hadn’t used my old whey protein powder, it just goes to show how my taste buds have changed as this tasted way too sweet and artificial. Wish I had used Sun Warrior or even my vanilla hemp instead!
This morning I was off to the gym first thing. I did 30 minutes of speed work on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of HIITs on the step machine, cross trainer and bike followed by my abs and core exercises. I really felt good during this workout, I think that I’m much better doing my cardio focused workouts on a morning when possible. I’m going to see how I can rearrange my days so I can do it more often.
Breakfast was a giant smoothie containing kale, spring greens, 2 nectarines, frozen mixed berries, vanilla hemp protein powder, matcha green tea powder, maca, spirulina, ground flax, 2 large tablespoons of almond meal (leftover from almond milk making), xanthan gum, rice milk and water. I topped it with some viva pure raw apple honey granola and goji berries:
I had this bowl plus more – it practically filled the whole blender, it was extremely filling. The granola tasted amazing – love the size of those huge crunchy chunks!
Lunch was some Clearspring miso and ginger brown rice ramen noodles with carrot, cucumber and red pepper plus 2 Clearspring tamari and black sesame rice cakes spread with tahini:
This was so good, I am in love with those noodles and the rice cakes with tahini tasted just amazing. I also had some fresh pineapple and blueberries:
For the first time in ages I wasn’t hungry for my usual afternoon snack, very weird especially after my workout this morning. I decided to just wait until dinner and make sure it was a big satisfying meal! I really fancied a sweet potato so I made a one pan, hash type dish that turned out to be so good I want to write it out as a recipe so I don’t forget!
Tofu, Sweet Potato, Courgette and Kale Hash (serves 1 hungry person!)
- Half a standard block of tofu (mine had been frozen then defrosted which gives it a more spongy texture)
- Tofu marinade: 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 sweet potato, microwaved for 5 minutes then chopped into 2 cm squares
- 1 courgette, chopped
- 1 cup of chopped kale
- Oil for frying (I used coconut)
- Seasonings – I used dried oregano, herbamare and shoyu, but you could play around and use what you fancy
Begin by cutting the tofu into strips or squares and marinating in the soy sauce and mirin for at least an hour. Heat some oil in a pan to a medium heat and gently fry the tofu until browned. Set aside. Add more oil to the pan and add the onion and courgette and fry on a medium heat until they are beginning to brown, then add the partially cooked sweet potato followed by the kale. Continue frying until the sweet potato has browned and the kale has wilted down a little. Add the tofu back to the pan along with the seasonings. Serve:
Seriously this was amazing. I love how thrown together meals can turn out so good!
Dessert was two chopped apples with Plamils Coffee Chocolate:
I’m really feeling the DOMS after yesterdays Body Pump – I can really see why so many of you love it! I’m so glad that I decided to give it ago. What workouts / fitness classes have you not tried yet but would love to give a go? I would love to try a proper Pilates class or a kettlebell class.
Hope your all having a good week, I feel like I’ve never stopped as work has been pretty busy. I’ll be back tomorrow with a review of Crazy, Sexy Diet, have a good one!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes glad you loved body pump- it is addictive :)
You wil get the hang of the weights soon (eg lunges/ squats/ back can all be the same etc). I think either yoga or pilates would be good for me but they are at bad times (eg when I am at work) or really expensive (eg £10 per session) which I feel is too much.
:)
I’ve been wanting to try body pump for ages, but it isn’t on at a convenient time for me. I think I might have to rearrange my schedule to fit it in. It sounds fab! Glad you enjoyed it. Doesn’t the instructor give you any help about what weights to use?
Oh wow – no wonder you enjoyed your sweet potato hash, it sounds delicious!! Well to be honest, everything you make sounds yum haha!
I keep looking at the bodypump class at my gym but I guess I’m too scared to just give it a go! When I get more confident I really want to start going to some classes..
My God, your breakfast smoothie is monster!!
I too would like to try a kettlebell class. And proper pilates is excellent — I did it while I was in the States, with an instructor from the Boston Ballet, and OMG was it hardcore! Brilliant!!
I’ve not done a kettlebell class but I’ve done some things with kettlebells in a workout plan I had written for me. I really recommend them. You get a really good workout.
I’ve always wanted to try BodyPump, but haven’t been able to find a class close to where I live :(
I have all the ingredients for that hash and it sounds amazing, so I might have to make it!
hi laura great post. used to love body pump but i am a total yoga bunny now. can i ask you how much maca powder you use? i bought some after hearing it balances hormones and gives energy. i googled it and found a few horror stories. dont know if was my imagination but i did feel emotional after taking it for a few days? maybe taking too much? thanks heather x
So happy that Pump went well: I think we have a new convert :) Any favourite tracks in particular? Not necessarily for the music, could be those where you feel strongest or just those where you love the moves? I love shoulders, triceps and lunges but struggle on biceps and back (the latter’s because I’m so scared of dropping the bar in the clean/press, but the music is always really energizing).
Ooh, that sweet potato hash looks good. Recipe=bookmarked.
I would LOVE to try a proper yoga class: one of those superflow, ashtanga or bikram (or moshka) classes that seem to be all over the US blogs. UK yoga seems to be way behind the times. I’d also like to try kettlebells: there’s a class at my gym but you have to pay extra for it (on top of an extortionate membership fee? No thanks!) Apparently it can make huge differences to your physique though ~ Not that you need it with those guns! I’d be happier if I could balance my bottom and top half though: I hate the former being two sizes bigger than the latter!
xxx
I’m really looking forward to trying a flexi-bar class :)
Yay to BodyPump! I love it too, I so need to get to a class I haven’t been for ages! Food looks amazing, do you do 30 minutes on each machine at the gym?! x x
I’m pretty sure the simplest meals, like a good hash, are the best!
Maria – yes I think it will be addictive! I think I had the right weights for the back, lunges and squats but too heavy for the chest and biceps!
Jemma – yes, but unless your already lifting barbells for several reps you don’t know how much weight is right for your body and what to add for each track, especially when the movements are different and your completely new to it. I think next week I’ll be fine as I’ll know whats right now that I have done one class
Nicky – it took me a while to get the confidence to go to classes on my own, you should just give it a try, I found that they were no where near as scary as I thought!
Alison – that sounds fantastic, I would love to do Pilates like that!
Attackoftheraebot – I would love to give them a try but my gym doesn’t offer any classes, plus I think my workout plan is full enought at the moment, I think they would be great for progression though.
Sarah – let me know if you give it a try its delicious!
Kiddie 26 – I only really use maca in smoothies about twice a week and only at a teaspoon a time. I haven’t noticed any side affects apart from not getting mood swings at my time of month which makes me think its working positively for me. I think the only way to try is eating a small amount and seeing how it works for you and your body
Jessica – I quite liked the clean and press as I felt all hardcore! I also liked the squat and lunge tracks which surprised me as usually I prefer upper body work. They also offered a kettlebell class at my gym ages ago and were charging extra for it, I don’t think so!
Fondantfitness – yes I’ve seen those advertised, they look really good fun!
Tam – sorry you must be kidding, I need to remember to write that out more cleary but god no I certainly don’t do 30 minutes on each machine, its 30 minutes in total, 10 minutes on each x
Madeline – I completely agree!
I had the worst DOMS after body pump! I couldn’t lift my arms up haha, good kind of pain though :-)
I’d love to try bodypump but it seems like that’s the one class at my gym that attracts all the ‘hardcore’ gym-goers, you know, the ones that look like they just live in the free weights area! I’d be very nervous of being a newbie :-/ Mind you, I felt the same way about spinning classes this time last year but now I go twice a week and really enjoy it. Bodypump just seems that much more hardcore though!
You’re food looks so delicious, as usual! Especially the giant smoothie and hash (:
I haven’t been to a proper yoga class for ages, just been doing my own thing at home. I hope to get back into it when I’m in a better place physically.
Hope you’re having a lovely Thursday xxxx
Your hash looks fab, I could totally go for something like that right about now!