Mid Week Motivation: My Current Health & Fitness Routine

Hello everyone!

It is July 1st! Can you believe it?! Lets take some time and enjoy the view.

Felt this would be the perfect occasion to bring back the "Mid Week Motivation" series (if you missed the previous posts search "Mid Week Motivation" on the search bar to your right).

Today I want to chat about what I am currently doing for my health, fitness, and lets be honest- my sanity! I don't know about you but maintaining a fitness routine helps me be more focused, motivated, excited, and disciplined with pretty much everything going on in my life. As the saying goes, when in doubt, work out!

[Workouts:]

Honestly, I am not doing anything crazy. For the past several months (pretty much since the beginning of the year) I've kept pretty consistent with the cardio portion of my workouts. During the past month or so, I have been incorporating weights and strength training in to my routine, as noted in this post.

CARDIO: So basically, 5-6 times per week I am at the gym. I have found that hitting the gym at around 11:00 am-12:00 pm on most days is what works for me the best (I currently work from home during the first half of my day and then head out to my other job in the late afternoons). Find the perfect time that can work for you and make it happen. Remember that all you need is at least 30 minutes of high intense cardio. 

My routine is currently at 45-50 minutes plus a cool down. I use the elliptical for about 15-20 minutes and the treadmill for the remainder. 

I proudly wear my Spartan shirt to the gym when I want to feel fierce. Little do people know that race almost killed me. But I made it out alive :-D

WEIGHTS: I do workouts incorporating weight training and strength training about 2-3 times per week. Either Monday, Wednesday, Friday OR Tuesdays and Thursdays depending on what I may have going on in a particular week. I have been using my workout DVDs but strongly considering signing up for a gym class incorporating weights at a local gym. I enjoy working out at home but it would be nice to  break the routine a bit, and meet new people while I'm at it.

Post-workout shameless selfie

[Food:]

I dislike being strict with what I eat or denying myself anything. I simply made a decision to make a conscious effort to eat something that is good for my body each time I eat a meal. I currently eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) PLUS snacks whenever I am hungry. I don't believe in starving to death waiting for a next meal- that's something that can simply set you up for failure. If you are hungry, eat something! Just remember to make a conscious effort to make it healthy.

I cook, I bake, and I love to eat {if you think I'm lying just scroll back to prior posts, there is a good amount of food involved, and more to come}.

Restriction is not for me and allowing myself to eat well is something that has worked for me tremendously in terms of getting fit, maintaining a healthy weight, and keeping cravings at bay (don't get me wrong, I still get cravings but definitely not as much as before). Plus, I never feel like I am depriving myself.

Just yesterday I was watching a show about this "new" diet that allows beer and drinks in moderation. Some idiot on the TV show (one of the hosts) said "oh wow that is genius". I am sorry, but having things in moderation is something people have known for....ever....some people just choose to ignore it seeking the easy way out. I know the word idiot sounds harsh but I'm just being honest. It's been common sense for a while. 

Ok peoples, thanks for reading. What is YOUR current fitness routine? Or, if you plan to start one soon, what are the plans??

Love,

Mabelle

Fortunate Fridays {Consistency Edition}

Hello ladies (and gents?)!

How was everyone's week? hope you all had a successful and productive one. If not, there is no reason to feel down about it. Tomorrow is another day.

You may have noticed I've been a bit quiet on the blog this past week. Work has been super busy (in a good way) so I'd like to apologize. Thankfully I've been able to keep up with the Fortunate Fridays posts. I feel gratitude is so important and taking the time to acknowledge the good things in our lives is always worthwhile.

Without further 'ado, here is what I felt fortunate for this past week:

1. Tickets to a super fun comedy show in the city this past Saturday. Felix and I were able to attend a show at StandUpNY for the first time and absolutely loved it. Had a great time there and had a super fun conversation with a very talented comedian (Hi Tom!)

2. Attending The Chew with my sister and being part of the "live studio audience". I was surprised with some free tickets and so I made my way to the show. Yes, I was on TV and no I am not ashamed. Super fun crew.

3. Work and staying busy! This may sound weird but I am actually so incredibly grateful for all the work I have been getting and for the blessing to pursue my passion. Slow and steady wins the race. Thank.you.God.

4. Being able to keep up with the gym: consistency is the key my friends-- My eating may not necessarily have been perfect lately to say the least (i.e: A bit too much junk food, specially in the evenings a few times this week). However, I've been committed and faithful with hitting the gym and completing my Jillian Michaels strength training workouts. Something that motivates me to hit the gym is my Ipad (i.e: reading magazines and/or the paper while I am working out). I feel like time just flies by. Highly recommend!

5. Having people that love me and care for me and whom I can reach out to--- because of the nature of my work I spend too much time on my own. I work from home now so I don't have the "luxury" of having people around and chit chatting throughout the day. As much as I love it, it can get lonely sometimes! I have to remind myself that I am blessed with a circle of amazing friends and family and a special someone that I can reach out to when necessary. That in itself is a blessing and I am so grateful for it. Whats the benefit of having everything you want in life if you have no one to share it with? :)

Here is another inspiring meme I came across this week, thought I'd share:

And that's all folks!

Shameless Selfie 

What do you have planned for the weekend? It's supposed to be "semi-nice" here in NYC (meaning sunny but a bit cold). So I plan to make my way to Brooklyn to visit one of my friends that moved there recently and just spend quality time with people I love in general.

Tell me, have you ever been a member of a studio audience? How was it? If not, what show would u love to attend?

Love,

Mabelle

Fortunate Fridays {I did it! Edition}

First things first, breakfast this morning ;)

Ezequiel bread+almond butter+ café au lait + fruit

 

I wasn't sure how to label this Fortunate Friday edition considering I still have one more step to go before is finally "over"....and by that I mean: Commencement!!! After 4.5 years of being a part time MBA student and a full time employee; yesterday evening I attended what was my last course as a graduate student. I literally cannot believe it and I am still in some kind of mental 'shock' mental high. I guess it will hit me when I am finally walking at graduation.

Me walking towards my last class:

This week was tough but also amazing at the same time. There is nothing better than waking up each morning to do things that you ACTUALLY want to do. Okay, let me clarify that--- I would in fact start off each day studying for finals and working on final projects which was definitely not "fun". However, looking back, those were things I was intrinsically motivated to do because I knew it was my last week of "hard work" and I was working with a purpose-- doing well in each and every one of my classes!

After doing school work I would go to the gym, run, do some strength training, and then prep myself some lunch. Thereafter, I would shower and get ready for school. I would get to my classes feeling quite amazing and refreshed instead of exhausted and dying as I was feeling when I would be running around as a full time everything.

My schedule would look like this: drag myself out of bed to rush to my corporate job (always late!)---> to school--> to an 1 hr commute back home. IT WAS EXHAUSTING. So, doing things on my time since I left my job feels quite amazing and I am truly enjoying every second and feel super blessed and thankful for this current phase in my life. :). Now that finals are over and I finally have time to blog about my job situation; please stay tuned. Very exciting things ahead!

So anyways, without further 'ado, here is what I am feeling super fortunate for this week:

1. Finally feeling that I am getting in the grove of my healthy living + working out routine! {You know that feeling where you actually feel excited to work out and look forward to it? or that feeling when you get exited because you need to go grocery shopping for healthy goodies? well, yes I am there. That feeling does exists and I love it.)

2. Spending mothers day with family and with my amazing mother. First of all-- I love my mom and I've said that here a million times. :) Second of all, Considering I don't get to see my extended family very often; family get-togethers on special occasions are a perfect opportunity to remind me how blessed I am to have a family that cares about each other and loves each other no matter the circumstances. I had a heart to heart with one of my cousins that really helped me put some things in to perspective and that made me very happy. Thanks Shey!

Throwback of my mom and I:

3. My Nutribullet! I know this is random but I received a Nutribullet for my house apartment warming party last November (yes, last November) and I just recently had a chance to finally use it. Can I just say I am in LOVE with the convenience?!

4. Having the motivation to get through my last week of classes and actually finishing every single one of my projects on time and to the best of my ability! I have to admit, just last week I was terrified! Seriously wondering how I would get everything done. I felt like walls were closing in on me (mentally). But things had to get done and somehow they got done and is now over!! Thank you Jesus! Just a friendly reminder to myself (and whomever out there needs to hear this message): even when things seem impossible just convince yourself that they will get done and do your part. Don't ever wonder IF they will get done. Just know that they WILL. Even if you aren't 100% sure how.  ;)

5. Love. I am fortunate because I am loved. People look forward to being in my company and show me that they care one way or another. This is kind of a general statement but this week I realized that I don't acknowledge this as much as I should. I spend a lot of time on my own and as much as I enjoy my "solo" time, sometimes I forget that I have people in my life that genuinely love me and care about me. People that feel happy and excited for me during my successes and are right there to lend a helping hand during not so great times. I need to place a post-it of this on my mirror of something. But, I feel fortunate for LOVE. :)

6. The courage to say the things I feel. Considering our time in this world is limited; it is kind of a good idea to express our feelings regardless of the outcome. I believe I've spoken about this on the blog before but as I get older, I realize the importance of speaking my mind. I rather speak my mind than go through life and then look back one day and wonder "what if". I speak my mind, do the best I can, and then I let the universe take its course. Trust me, that has to be one of the most peaceful and  liberating feelings in the world! :)

 

***Images of the Week***

 

Chronicles of my last week of class:

My finance professor brought "Melissa's" mini-cupcakes to class (delicious):

How my apartment looked like during finals week (Needless to say I am cleaning today):

 

 

Post-Gym High:

 

 

 

....And I leave you with my favorite Meme this week:

 

"When our heart wins the fight against fear, wonders begin to reveal themselves".

-Paulo Coelho

 

 

 

Tell me, Any plans for the weekend? Do you own a Nutribullet? Any recipes I should be trying? :)





Why I enjoy a Healthy Lifestyle

Hey All!!

I haven't passed by here in a few weeks and you probably could very well guess why. When I start getting inconsistent with my posts it usually means I am dealing with a pretty stressful life or simply just have a whole lot going on and this is no exception. 

I must confess....

I haven't been running since October when I ran my half marathon and my 10K only a week apart. I had decided to take a break from running in order to give my legs some rest from the months of training and the actual races but the "break" has extended for longer than expected. The fact that we've had bipolar weather here in NYC which is now gearing more towards freezing temperatures has not helped at all!

What usually happens when I stop working out consistently? my "consistent" healthy eating also go out the door. I have to admit that I still incorporate healthy foods in to my diet most of the time. However, it is also true that junk food, fast food, and other not so great consumption have made their way in to my life one way or another. 

I must confess...

When I am stressed I feel anxious and when I feel anxious and stressed I overeat and I eat a lot. And it doesnt feel good. Food is delicious and is meant to be enjoyed but there is a thin line between enjoying food and having a balance and overeating/gluttony and having an "F*ck it" mentality, which is what I've been having lately on and off. 

Although there is nothing wrong with relaxing from time to time eating whatever we want and taking a break from working out; I do have to admit that I feel my BEST when I am in fact taking care of myself and my body. I am sure many can relate to the fact that making a conscious effort to eat wholesome super foods and making sure we get in a reasonable amount of cardio and/or strength training in to our weeks can make us feel amazing. Hence, although it isnt always easy to make the best decisions it is soooo worth it. Do you agree??
I usually get back on track by starting to plan my meals, adding workouts to my calendar, rekindling my relationship with my food journal (so therapeutic!) and simply deciding that I will do whats best for my body and myself. I dont do it for anyone else. I do it for ME!! To feel my personal best <3....There is something about making positive decisions in life (from food to exercise to relationships and everything in between) that contributes to making us feel like a million bucks.

I am not saying that life is automatically perfect when we eat well, exercise and loose those love handles. However, everything in life is a balance and I read somewhere one day that "if something makes you happy; dont question it, just do it" (as long as we arent hurting ourselves or anyone else!).

With that said, I have to admit that my BESTOWED box for this month came at a PERFECT time! I was ecstatic when I received the box with all the goodies and it was as if I "called" it with my mind. You know how they say that when you start thinking positive, positive things happen? I believe that is true. Receiving the box was the "materialization" of my positive mentality towards getting back to my healthy life. 

Check out all the GREAT stuff for November:

Hello, Gorgeous:

 Booklet with some information about all the goodies included + some recipes. It even has some "tips on eating and working out" in the back. (Loved this!):

All the AMAZING goodies:

What I love the most is that most of the items are things I haven't tried before. So, I am super excited to try some new stuff and see whether is something I'd like to keep adding to my diet, Here is a quick summary of the goods:

• Wild garden hummus dip 
• Crunchmaster Multi-seek crackers
• Eat Green Tea
• LifeIce
• Nektar Honey Crystals
• Perfect Fuel Chocolate
• QUEST Bar--chocolate peanut butter <--- pretty popular on instagram, cant wait to try!
• Salba Smart Chia Boost
• Skratch Labs Exercise hydration mix
• ZICO Chocolate  

The amazing peeps @ Bestowed are running an amazing deal---get the box for only $10 (instead of $19). This is  GREAT opportunity to indulge in some delicious goodies before November ends. The  code is HELLOTEN105 and can be used at checkout on their site by clicking here.



To enter the giveaway:

• Follow me on Blogger (click on the "join this site" icon on the right hand side of the screen)
• Follow me on twitter (@dolcemabelle)

Comment below when you do! Each action counts as one entry!! :)

**DISCOUNT CODE AND GIVEAWAY VALID UNTIL 11/30/2013 (SATURDAY)**

GOOD LUCK

***

*Bestowed gifted me a box for the month of November, and discount code. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. 

My First Workout Outfit Splurge

Hey everyone!

Happy Tuesday! Today was a running day for me yet my eyes were not really happy about opening up when my alarm went off at 6:00 am. I gave myself a “break” until around 6:15 at which time I decided it was time to pull off the covers and get ready to head out the door. Not sure how the time fast-forwarded to 6:40 am by the time I left my apartment so I had to keep the run somewhat short this morning:

Either way it felt amazing to get that run in before starting my day.

So if you work out consistently (or even sporadically) I believe we each have something that keeps us motivated to start/maintain a fit and active lifestyle. When I began this journey my main emphasis was on losing weight but I quickly switched that focus to eating clean (most of the time) and working out at least 5 times a week- a much better strategy! I am happy to say that this month has been fantastic when it comes to maintaining my fitness-motivational-momentum (yes I just made that up).

Well, this past weekend found myself at Old Navy. I have a store very close to my apartment but its been ages since I’ve been in there! Well, to my surprise they have a work-out section filled with very modern and cute pieces and lets just say I was in there for a while just browsing around.  I have to be honest in that I am not a big spender when it comes to workout clothes and I usually just grab race t-shirts or anything I may find on sale at Marshalls or TJ Max. The idea of spending hundreds of dollars on workout outfits is not my cup of tea. However I understand some people are really in to that and that’s totally cool.

I decided to try on a few shirts and pants and found a combo that I absolutely loved. Super comfortable mesh shirt and pants that fit very nicely. I also felt “good” in it and started looking forward to my next run where I’d get to wear my “new outfit”.

Photo below was taken this morning before my run (pardon any randomness in the background):

The top was $14.99 and the pants around $22. I have to be honest I cringed a little at the price tag on the pants but I figured that I am worth it and deserve a new workout outfit I felt good in. Besides, back in the day I’d spend more than that on fast food and junk food so I often try to put my “healthy” expenses in to perspective and an investment in my overall well-being.

As mentioned, I took the outfit out for its first run this morning. The shirt felt great and kept me comfortable, cool, and feeling good during the entire run.  In terms of the tights; although they fit well and felt great when I tried them on; I noticed that they began to slide off my waist during my run. Not because they were big (I got a medium and they fit reasonably fitted when I wasn’t running) I guess they just roll down? Although the tag said they were not supposed to. I then started to wonder if I got the right size but I think a small would be too tight. I occasionally had to pull up the elastic waist during my run as I could feel a slight muffin top trying to come out and play (and we all know that’s a no! no!  how uncomfortable that can feel).

Besides the above outfit they had other cute stuff and I would like to go back and try out some more stuff. I absolutely love the top and cant wait for it to go on sale so that I can get some more (I am on the watch!) or, if there is a generous old navy executive reading this maybe they’d send me some coupons? Ha! However, like I mentioned, as the frugal person I can sometimes be, I rather wait for a good sale so I can really splurge (the right way).

Share with me!-- Where do you get your working out gear? Are you a fan of spending a lot of money or do you go the frugal (or free) route?

*Old Navy did not compensate me in any way for this post. I bought the above outfit with my own money this past Saturday.

This week in Workouts and Still Meatless!

Good day everyone!

I somehow managed to wake up at the crack of dawn (6:15 am- ish in my world) and was able to push myself through another day of Jillian Michaels. Today I completed week 2, day 5 of the 30 day shred series (keeping in mind I am alternating between Jillian and running every other day). I am feeling good to be able to keep the routine going more than anything. Actually, lets say I am working on building a consistent morning workout routine and is going good.

On my running days I now have a "virtual running team". Remember it was initially just my friend and I? well my friend recruited about 5 of her friends and now its getting serious as we are waking each other up each morning with a "WAKE UP AND RUN" text. I've always been the type of person to work out by myself but I have to say I am truly amazed with the power of support. I'll continue to update you guys on how that's going as we continue. We just completed our second week!

This Week In Workouts:

Sunday: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred week 2 day 2, 5 flights of stairs
Monday: 3.06 Mile jog + cool-down
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred week 2 day 3
Wednesday: 3.17 Mile Jog + cool-down
Thursday: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred week 2 day 4, 10 flights of stairs
Friday: 2.36 Mile Jog, 10 flights of stairs + cool-down
Saturday: Jillian Michaels 30 day shred week 2 day 5, 10 flights of stairs

So, the meatless experiment is going well so far. Today is the beginning of day 5 and the only thing I would say has been a little challenging is getting creative with my foods since I no longer having the option to eat chicken or other kind of meats. On my mind, a meal (specially a dinner) wasn't really complete without some kind of meat and with the challenge I'm learning to "work around it". 

For the first few days my lunches consisted of tuna on whole wheat bread for lunch. Lets just say that by Friday I didn't want to see tuna. I contemplated buying lunch to make things a little easier instead of bringing it from home as I usually do. But 1. I am cheap frugal and 2. When lunch time runs around at work (around 1-ish) I am usually starving and with no desire of walking around Manhattan pushing my way through tourists on my search for food. Hence, long and behold I got creative with some avocado:

Yes ladies! I made myself an avocado sandwich on 2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread (it has flax too!). One thing I forgot to point out is that I am allowing cheese (at least for this first week of the challenge. I seriously don't know how long I can do it for). So, Ive been having ha slice of reduced fat Swiss here and there with my lunch.  So, I present to you this Swiss- Avocado sandwich which was REALLY good, by the way (cant go wrong w/ avocado, right?!). I also ate some organic 'Food Should Taste Good" chips:
(side note: these are SOO good. The sweet potato ones are amazing too.)

Plus a banana and an orange a little later (not pictured).

Dinner is when things got "REAL" 'cuz I really had no clue what to do with myself. I had a few things on hand: Mushrooms, colorful peppers, onions, garlic and one of my fave seafood:  Shrimp!  So, I got my creative juices flowing and made a stir fry with all the ingredients mentioned (I used coconut oil spray from trader joes to mix everything together on a pan and seasoned everything with curry powder, cumin + little bit of Dash Seasoning). I then mixed the stir-fry with 1/2 cup of brown rice. To "wrap it all up" I had some broccoli on the side:

Can I just say this was so good and so simple to make! Definitely hit the spot. I may be making this more often. And by the way, I just recently introduced mushrooms in to my life (bought my very first pack of mushrooms last weekend) and I don't know how I ever lived without them! So good!

So still going strong! Im going to go on the net and find some cool recipes. I am excited to see how long I can really keep this going. BUT! The week aint' over yet so staying focused.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday! See you soon.

With love,

Mabelle

Fun NYC events: Dominican Film Festival

Happy Thursday everyone! First I’d like to start w/ sharing that I was able to accomplish another morning jog today with my virtual running buddy. We are trying out this new “waking each other up” experiment. Today was the second day this week and so far so good (we are shooting for every other day). Here is why support can be so important sometimes:

I gave myself 30 minutes and then walked by to my apartment to get ready for work. I still cant believe my pace improvement and I am very happy about it. I did about 3 miles over all (the last mile or so was spent walking/cooling down so is not reflected on the Nike App results).

 

In other news; for those who may not know, I am originally from the Dominican Republic (right term is “Dominican” although ive had people asked me whether I am Dominican Republican—not the right term). One of my best friends invited me to the “Dominican Film Festival” opening night, which took place yesterday at the Columbia University Medical Center auditorium here in NYC. I happily agreed. The movies feature Dominican actors and often take place in the country itself. The stories are compelling/dramatic and look to portray a picture of the Dominican culture, people, stories and circumstances (whether positive or negative).  I love seeing “my people” in the big screen and I truly admire their craft and talent.  So anyways, I jumped at the chance to go with her a had a truly amazing time!

 

I was able to meet some of the actors up close and personal and since it was a “red carpet event” I got to see a few celebrities from the Hispanic/Dominican community in person which is always exciting. One of my favorite Actors, Manny Perez, was present at the event (he was the protagonist of the movie MY friend and I watched). Is he sexy or what:

 

I think I met my future husband.

 

I took the liberty to stalk him from a distance and snapped a few pictures:

 

 

And this is the movie I saw last night:

 

*Movie was amazing. If you want to read more about it click here. It is completely in Spanish and I don’t remember if they had subtitles but if you live in New York City, have an interest in foreign films and maybe know a little bit (or a lot) of Spanish I recommend you check it out! The Dominican Film Festival ends on June 30^th (sadly this weekend, so soon!) and they have a lot of interesting movies to choose from (only $10 bucks!) so definitely check out the site if you are interested.

And that is all folks! Have a great day. :)

Q: Do you like foreign films? Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic?