When I first created this blog, it was as a health and fitness blog. It was supposed to be a place where I write healthy recipes, recorded my workouts, and generally shared about living a healthy life. I started A Spoonful of TLC over 7 years ago and in that time, it has kind of moved away from its roots, which is natural, because I guess that I too have moved away from that. When I started this blog, I was working out 6 days a week (meaning I was going to the gym or doing active workouts, like running 6 days a week), while also studying a degree in nutrition. I was totally into the fitness and healthy eating world, and that was reflected here on my blog. But I also remember, during that time, that I felt so much pressure to workout, even when I didn’t necessarily want to. I think when you work out often, and then you drop below that rhythm, it’s easy to feel almost “out of control” because I always knew that working out would be a constant part of my day. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed my workouts and was sufficiently addicted to the high of completing a workout first thing in the morning, but there was also some anxiety that came with it if for whatever reason I didn’t have time to workout.
It was like that all the way through college, as well as during my year as a pre-medical post bacc student at Jefferson (do we remember when I considered being a doctor? And then an optometrist? Talk about things that feel like another life). After Jefferson, I moved to Madrid and I (GASP!) did not join a gym. Just by default, I stopped doing ‘hard’ workouts every day and went for a run 1-2 days a week because (ANOTHER GASP!) it was something I enjoyed doing. I could see a lot of the city in a short amount of time, work on my tan (#beforeIhadwrinkles) and also, I still did enjoy that endorphin high that only comes from a high heartrate workout. Besides those runs, I was walking a ton, over 15,000 steps per day, easily, and do you know what’s crazy? I felt physically better than I had in a long, long time. I suppose that means I also felt mentally better as well, because I didn’t have all of this self-imposed pressure to do a hard workout. I was eating healthier (and less… because no one was cooking for me and less workouts = less appetite). I lost a little weight, and lost a lot of my muscle mass, which I was fine with, but more than anything, I felt FREE from the need to go workout.
After the first year, I did join a gym, but I was able to keep my sanity and didn’t put pressure on myself. I really loved this gym because they had awesome classes, like Body Combat (I miss it!) and a legs and abs workout that I did on Saturday mornings with a friend. Besides that, I continued my daily walks, eating well, and stopped caring as much about those hard workouts. That was two years ago, which brings us to today.
WORKOUTS
So while I don’t actually talk much about working out here on the blog, I still do workout quite a bit, and I think I do pretty decent workouts. These days, at 27 years old and with flexible work, I do ‘intentional sweaty exercise’ 4 days a week and for the entire year, that has been Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The great thing about this schedule is that I actually look forward to these workouts because I am not overloading myself and, therefore, they don’t feel like a chore.
On Tuesday’s, I go to a full-body workout class that is a good mix of weights and cardio and always leaves me sore for days afterwards
On Thursday’s, I usually do my own thing. This means I either go for a run outside (under 40 minutes), or do sprints on the treadmill for about 20 minutes and then do abs and go to the sauna.
On Saturday’s, Luis and I workout together. We either go to a class at the gym, like spinning, or go running and then do NTC together (he hates it).
On Sunday’s, my workout is usually dialed down depending on Saturday night’s shenanigans. I usually run for about 30 minutes and call it a day.
Having a ‘schedule’ works for me because I view these workouts like appointments, which helps me avoid the ‘well today I’m so busy’ excuse. I just build them into my day and, of course, if I really am busy, I will move the workout to another day. I also like this schedule because I think 4 days a week of sweaty exercise is the perfect amount for me to ‘stay in shape’, i.e. build muscle tone, etc.
On the days I don’t do a workout, I go for a long walk and make my goal to hit 10,000 steps a day (every day!). In my planner (writing a post about this, btw), I have little boxes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday that say ‘walk’ because it is something I have to do, just like an important meeting. Health is wealth, people. Treat it that way.
But I still can’t touch my toes, so there is that.
FOOD
I would say that my eating patters haven’t changed much in the last few years, or since moving to Spain, but at the same time, they have also changed a lot.
These days, my diet is:
These days, my diet is:- Mostly vegetarian. I don’t buy any meat to eat at home, but will eat meat in restaurants or at people’s houses. I don’t dislike meat, but I find that I feel better and my stomach is happier on a plant-based diet. I order meat in restaurants because a) it usually sounds good to me and b) I feel like you get more bang for your buck than some salad I can make at home.
- I eat every 2 hours. For whatever reason (reason probably being that I don’t eat enough), I am hungry every 2 hours, like clockwork. It’s just that when I do eat a meal, I feel pretty full, but within 120 minutes, my stomach is grumbling. Within 3 hours, I usually feel pretty faint, so I plan accordingly and either eat before leaving the house, or I take a snack.
- I eat less overall. I think I used to eat very large portions before coming to Spain. Part of that was associated with the amount of exercise I did, part was having delicious food at home, and part was the ‘well if it’s healthy’ attitude. These days, I eat until I’m full and then I eat a bit more later. I’ve learned this from Luis, who is the only person who literally won’t take another bite when he is full. “Want to try this ooey gooey brownie?”….”buff, I’m so full”. Who says that?
- My eating doesn’t vary much, especially during the week. I get up at 7.30 or 8, but usually don’t eat breakfast until 9. In the first hour, I drink a lot of water. At 9, I have: a bowl of oatmeal or a couple slices of challah with cream cheese and jam, and coffee. At 11, I am usually starving, so I will have a bowl of cereal and milk with sliced banana. By 1, I have something small, like half a banana or a hard-boiled egg and crackers. Lunch is between 2.30 and 3. These days, I have been enjoying huge kale salads topped with dates, walnuts, cranberries, apple, goat cheese, roasted squash and carrots, and olive oil, with bread sticks on the side (but actually, I am eating lunch as I type this and I am eating a two egg omelette with goat cheese and a side of brown rice so…not always). Before I leave for class, I usually have a few crackers with PB or fruit. At school, we have a break between 6.30 and 7, and I always pack half a PB sandwich and a clementine. I get home around 9 pm, and that’s when I usually have a heavier meal, like rice with 2 fried eggs, vegetarian chili, salmon, etc. Then I drink tea and eat chocolate. If I stay up past 12, I usually have a snack which is 3 or 4 little cookie/crackers with pb and a glass of milk. That’s my day pretty much every day, and doesn’t deviate much on weekends, although we go out for brunch and dinner occassionally.
- No matter what, I try to eat a very vegetable-heavy meal once per day. I really think leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables are so important for health, so I make it a point to get a bunch in.
- I also like to enjoy myself, so I drink wine a few days a week, and eat more cheese than I care to admit. I also love tortilla española and croquetas, and like going to dive bars and eating, so… balance.
SELF-CARE
- I sit in the sauna 2 times a week for about 15 minutes at a time. I’m not exactly sure what this does, but I like it.
- I use all of these weird creams and acids on my face, and I’m pretty sure they make a difference. My favorite brand is The Ordinary.
- I get a manicure 1 time a month. It’s something I enjoy.
- Supplements: after doing some blood work, my doctor found that I was quite low in iron during the summer, so I have been taking an iron supplement every day and now it is back to normal!
- Sleep: I try to sleep 7-8 hours a night or else I am grumpy and sleepy the next day. I also have a slight addiction to the TV show Homeland, but I find it much harder to sleep after watching it.