Category: HealthyFit

Law School Eats: Calabacitas

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date January 21, 2018
1 Comment on Law School Eats: Calabacitas

I started the semester with a crazy-need to organize everything. My meals were out of whack, and you know how muchI prefer organization over chaos. That said, I decided to meal prep for an entire week! I thought it would be best to post a new “Law School Eats” series! Most of the meals cost around $3 per serving, make at least 4 servings, and they are so easy to prepare!

Need a 30-minute meal? This is a great go-to on a cold winter’s night.
Flavorful. Scrumptious. Just what you need if you’re missing some great home cooking.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, roughly pulled and chopped (grab one at your local deli!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 calabaza squash (zucchini works too!), cut into cubes (remove stem and end)
½ jalapeno, sliced (add more if you like the extra spice)
48 oz. of chicken broth
1 cup of water
1 can of Rotel (mild)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon knorr tomato bouillon, chicken-flavored
salt & pepper, to taste

[Prep your ingredients!]

Directions:

1. Use 1 large soup pot, add olive oil.
2. Add the Rotel, sauté for about 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken pieces and shreds to the pot, stir.
4. Chop the zucchini in bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pot.
5. Pour in the chicken stock.
6. If you prefer a bit more soup, add in the 1 cup of water.
7. Bring to a simmer.
8. Add in garlic powder, cumin, knorr, salt, pepper, and sliced jalapeno.
9. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until Calabaza is fork tender.
10. Serve yourself a bowl (or two) and enjoy!
11. You can store the calabaza dish for up to 1 week in the fridge, or three weeks in the freezer. This recipe makes for easy meal prep!

Bon Apetito!

Tags #LawSchoolEats, #MealPrep, calabacitas, calabaza con pollo, recipe

HealthyFit

On Sundays, We Meal Prep

Last month, the ABA sponsored a Mental Health Day.
At UNT Dallas College of Law, the faculty and staff made a HUGE effort to focus on the importance of total-body wellness; Camp Gladiator visited and signed us up for CAMP!

I was super honest up front and told the trainer that unless the Beau could come, there was just no way this derriere would find its way to an outdoor gym.

donut
Thinking the trainer would just give up and move on to the next law student dreaming of getting a work out in, she sucker punched me with –
“Oh, your sweetie can tag along. We’ll give him 4 free weeks of CAMP too!”

Well, damn.
Now there’s motivation to go. Because, it’s free. And…did I mention we’re going to a beach wedding in JUNE?! Yeah – my current shape is ROUND.
All I have are excuses: clerkship, internship, class, extra-curricular meetings, walking the dogs, feeding myself, remembering to shower…

There’s no set reason for not being in better shape except that I start and don’t ever finish. I get through a week of working out, feel completely sore and just overall pissed off about eating carrots instead of chips, and decide to give myself a break.

The boys don’t help, either; when I make a super healthy meal, this is pretty much their reaction:

diet

I basically have to trick them into thinking they are eating an unhealthy dish. That’s virtually impossible without adding butter or — you know — flavor! Which means I can put together a great meal, but then they’ll inevitably want fried flautas or chicken wings for dinner the following day. It’s a vicious cycle. A deliciously vicious cycle.

Now that I have an actual goal, and will be in wedding photos, I’ve got NO CHOICE but to work out. A big ol’ THANKS to CG for making my soreness a reality. I’m thanking you now, because I’m pretty sure I’ll be cursing your name tomorrow.

We’re signed up for a 5:30AM class. UGH!!?!?!
Which means I’m prepping our breakfast, lunch, and snacks for tomorrow because I’ve been promised by other CG campers that my arms will likely be limp noodles.

But hey – I’ll be able to see my abs again soon — that’ll be nice. 😛

anchorman-deep-burn-workout

Here’s to getting back to being fit!

Tags #CG, #LawSchoolFit, 1L, 1L Healthy, Camp Gladiator, Fitness Advice

HealthyFit Law School

Such a Pretty Fat: 1L Version

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date March 20, 2017
1 Comment on Such a Pretty Fat: 1L Version

mess

I’m channeling Jen Lancaster here. Because I’m such a fan…and I think she gets me.
Fo’ real.
Weighing in at 174ish and trying to be healthier is tough. The things I like to eat are actually pretty healthy, like broccoli and pasta and chicken…but then I add butter and make a white wine sauce and the entire meal is ~~delicious~~ now like 1000 calories per serving. Which, I’m told, is not entirely good for me either. Life can’t be perfect, right?

least-youre-committed-something

Well, what if getting into shape didn’t have to be so damn hard? Or, at least, could be fun?
As a law student, you should just assume I’m competitive. You’d sure as hell be right, too! So you can only imagine how giddy I got when my Aunt bet money that she could lose more weight than I could in the next month. Challenge. Accepted.

I decided to kick off Spring with a DIET BET! It’s a weight loss challenge where the winner gets some monies. Losers are hopefully not as fluffy as before.
This is going to be a ~~great~~ painful way to engage my muscles because, let me be clear, if studying made me ripped – I’d have rock hard abs by now. Alas, briefing cases only makes me smarter. Annnnd, since I haven’t gone to the gym more than 5 times this year, I’m basically a lumpy meat package.

lemon

My hope is that the $20,000+ pot (seriously, it’s a huge sum of money) will be part mine by the end of 28 days. I just have to lose 4% (or roughly 7 lbs) of my body weight in 28 days. Don’t you dare doubt me just yet. I can totally do this. It will be interesting to see how following an actual diet (consuming roughly 1300 calories per day), limiting my sugar and coffee intake, and working out will affect my performance in law school. This may be the ~~worst~~ funniest idea I have all year…

Tags #SuchAPrettyFat, 1L, 1L Advice, @altgeldshrugged, fitspiration, Hustle, LawSchool15, life, workout

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Marine Monday

…on Tuesday!

Ok – so I’m not nearly as regimented as my Marine brothers, but I sure as heck am trying!

This week, we’re working on those chicken wing arms! Some people call them bat wings, but I think that’s terribly offensive to those little fuzzballs. Besides, you and I can’t actually fly with these fatty appendages tied to us.

I stumbled across this workout on Pinterest. Check out my fitness board! Together, we can help bottle that sexy!

I love this! All you need is a balance ball (about $12 at Target), a set of free weights that challenge you but don’t break you (I like 3 lbs. for upwards of 20 reps) and a chair. You can work out in your cushy living room and watch a show! [I find, I can work out to pretty much any movie.]

I’ll take pictures today and be sure to monitor my shrinking chicken wings. Between climbing, this nifty workout and running – the flab pack will flee in no time!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags arm flab, bat wings, chicken wings, Marine Monday, pinterest, sexy, work it

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Marine Monday – Thunder Storms

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date May 13, 2014
No Comments on Marine Monday – Thunder Storms

There’s no running today. Nothing to do outside with the pupper and beau. None of that is happening today. We are under climatic attack in the metroplex. The rain has fallen since 4pm and the pavement looks glossy, slick, and dangerous. The lightning is beautifully terrifying. It’d be wonderful to go outside and run, clear my head, but – I prefer not being a lightning rod. Fried cerebellum? No thanks. I need mine to keep balance! [ba-dum-cha! Get it?]

Seriously. You peeps are crazy! Get inside & stay safe!

Instead, we’ll do some HIIT this week, with our climbing! After today’s almost-4-mile trek through The Perot museum with our students, the thought of another workout makes me want to cry. thankfully, this workout is short. Not merciful, but it gets the job done quicker. Note to you – HIIT is not recommended for everyone. If you need to take a break, DO IT. If you need to modify a move, do that too! Push the limits, but don’t break yourself!

This week, we are focusing on ABS! Yes, again. Why? Because you and I are doing tons of cardio, meaning we can keep working on slimming down our midsection. Woot!

I’ll be doing this circuit 4 times [maybe three, if I feel like I’m dying]. Be sure to bust out a Oorah!” [or a good grunt] now and then; feel strong and get those feels out!

Soon we'll have shhhexi abs! Rawr! — Soon we’ll have shhhexi abs! Rawr!

Have an awesome week!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags abs, lightning, Marine Monday, not running

HealthyFit

Marine Monday: Ab-Flab

Ab-flab, muffin-top, potato chip blanket, walking loufa – there’s plenty of ways to refer to the excess weight that many of us carry on our hips. Which reminds me – let me show you my fat picture.
Feast your eyes on this monstrous moment in my recent life, as in, 2 weeks ago [in really awful lighting, late at night, and I didn’t even bother fixing my hair because we had about 3 minutes notice before we jetted to the airport to pick up the bestie]:

Bestie - added for scale. Isn't she freakin' adorable? — Bestie – added for scale. Isn’t she freakin’ adorable?

This is a hideous picture. So thrilled to spend one layover’s worth of time together and I am so wonderfully blessed to have this chica in my life. She’s amazing, and you can read all about her adventures HERE! Laura was only here for a quick minute, but we lurved every second. [I also loved that she didn’t comment on my lack of diminishing-derriere.]

This picture speaks volumes! It also fuels my Marine Mondays, keeping up with the little brother who’s out being awesome at Marine Bootcamp! Oorah!

This week, it’s all about the cooch-pooch and gut-pack. They gotta go! I’m still working on squats, and doing the running! I’m a few miles, behind [thank you, finals week] – so I’ve got some sweat left to give to the world. I’m working on it though!

Attacking the flab with a squat and ab challenge for the next 30 days! Check it out:

High five for the gut-buster and butt-boosting combo! Much love for the gals and gents at Tribe Sports!

Make sure to jog each day before you do these [I’m shooting for a mile, minimum]. If you can only handle this 3 times a week, that’s perfectly fine. Take things at your own pace, but get that butt moving, baby!
Why not just do the abs workout? – It is imperative you do cardio before working on your abs. If you don’t, you will build up muscle underneath all those potato chip bags, pushing the flab out further and effectively making it more difficult to build up the sexy-toned look you’re going for. Don’t cover them up, rock the cardio and bust the ab-flab!

How are you kicking your own derriere? What’s your progress look like? Share your weight-loss love and send your progress pics! Keep being awesome and rocking your bod.

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Missing you bundles, Laurita. Come visit again, soon!

Tags Ab flab, bestie, fat photo, fitchick, Marine Monday, muffin-top, Oorah, visit

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Cupcake-Bashing

The past two months have been incredibly difficult. Graduate school, teaching high school, relationship issues, and not working out.
What? No wonder your life feels like it’s falling apart, girl!

So here I am, eating a cupcake – writing to you about fitness. Why?
Because every now and then, I need a damn cupcake. With a glass of wine. That’s just the honest truth.
It’s not an every day practice, though. I promise. I might want to drown my bad days in chocolate covered loveliness, but my hips get really pissed when I think about that for too long. I need to get fit, and as far as way from “obese” on the BMI scale. [Alright, BMI isn’t the best scientific method to gauge fitness, but 30% body fat is most definitely not a good thing.] Unfortunately, I can’t give up cupcakes. Thank the fitness gods that Jillian Michaels doesn’t live close enough to kick my ass and throw out every baking good in my pantry.

Since the beau fractured his foot while rock climbing, we hadn’t been doing much of anything active. My nose was stuck in grad school books and assignments; with no one to really push me – I fell out of the workout habit.

This week, I read the words in the picture above. Isn’t Frederique Murphy wonderful?
Why wait for tomorrow? Why wait on much, really? There are so few moments in life and not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Why waste a second doing something that isn’t good for you, making you unhappy, or barring you from being your best self?

These words rung so true to me, that I started the Marine Monday challenge, set up a mostly-clean (again, need cupcakes) eating menu for the next couple of weeks and started running. Frederique’s words have inspired a revitalized outlook on all aspects of my life. There’s no real reason, other than laziness, to explain why I decided to stop working out. But I am getting back into it, because diet fads and “quick-fit” schemes just don’t work for the long-haul.

This week, I’m working on finals and trying not to die [ok, I probably won’t die – but finals really do suck]. I’ve cooked half a week’s worth of meals, so the beau won’t starve and I will have no excuse to order in take-out [because I totally do this during finals week and should stop]. It can be unhealthy – especially when I order goodies from Thai Thai three times a week. Delicious, but not a great caloric choice.

This week will be the second in my Marine Fitness challenge. While the broski is away at bootcamp, I’m trying to get into rockin’ great shape. I’ve got 12 weeks to go. It’s going to be great! I’m adding this to my workout routine this week:

Let’s see if this really does “work like a charm.”

I’ll be sure to let you all know how well this Pinterest idea works. I’m sure the lactic acid build up will be a terrible idea during finals week, but I figure if my brain is suffering, then my muscles should join the pain movement too.
Stop by tomorrow for the Marine Monday challenge. It’s going rock those hips of yours!

Bust your butt and get moving!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags BMI, challenge, choices, fads, fit, frederique murphy, quotes, workout

HealthyFit

Marine Monday: Glutes!

Getting that derriere in gear is going to take some effort. This week, we are focusing on busting that butt flab and getting that base, blasted!

Monday: 25 squats
Tuesday: 35 squats
Wednesday: 45 squats
Thursday: 55 squats
Friday: 65 squats
Saturday: 50 squats + Run 1.5 Miles [walk/jog if you need to, but get going!]
Sunday: Run 3 miles.

Remember to keep track of your time. You’ll be running more every week and want to get down to a 7-8 minute mile, depending on your ability. This will be a 13 week process, so don’t get discouraged if you’re running a 15 minute mile now. Just get out there and blast that booty!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags Booty-buster, Derriere, Glutes, Marine Monday, Squats

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Oorah, Boys! – A Marine Sister’s Challenge

Post author By cerebellumchef
Post date April 28, 2014
No Comments on Oorah, Boys! – A Marine Sister’s Challenge

Two of my broskis have decided to dedicate themselves to the Armed Forces. One of them is already a Marine, while the other left for bootcamp today.
It’s surreal.

1978680_665500793513055_1725601671_n — [40 degrees seems to be decent napping weather]

When you’re younger, watching them fall through ceilings (family story that nearly ruined a Christmas due to contractor bills), break bones, flirt (and fail) with girls, or even learn to make Ramen and consider it “cooking” – all these moments make it impossible for me to believe my brothers are strong, capable beings.

I look at them and see dorky little boys, trying to chase my friends and ask them to get married. They are the boys who would sneak into the slumber party tent and listen in on secrets, the ones who tagged along on my first date and made me turn eight shades of red when explaining just how long it took me to get ready…they were terrible, but I love them.
And they love you. Everything about keeping us safe, fighting for our country and defending good people – they stand for all the right reasons. I’m incredibly proud to be their sister.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting any Marine Sisters, but I have met plenty of moms. Many of them, including my own, seem to be right there with their sons and daughters at bootcamp. They don’t eat sweets, exercise every day, pray every moment they can and their hearts ache. For a sister (or sibling), it’s a different feeling.

I don’t feel like I’m missing something when they are gone. When Patrick was away, I wrote to him often and usually poked fun at him, you know – sister things. Now that Dave is headed out, I feel like I should do the same for him. He’s always given me more headaches, so it makes sense to pull his leg more. But I do want to do one thing different. I want to challenge myself to be better, while he’s doing the same.

10246570_10152136953691715_6159033068327590705_n — Eevee & I have been couch potatoes lately – it’s time for change!

I’ve decided on a Marine Sister Challenge

I’m going to run 12 miles every week, for the next 13 weeks and will rock climb three times per week. I will post a weekly challenge, every Monday, and will spend my summer getting super fit. I’ve been lax lately, and really need to get back into the swing of things. Why not now?

10154961_10152154097586715_1046587651278849475_n — Seriously, I wish I could be this happy after a workout!

There’s no reason to be a heavy-body. We all need a little bit of a push every now and then. Here’s me, pushing you.

Let’s do this together. Tell me about your newest challenge, weight loss goal, or fit-foodie mission. Get out there and be better!

Much love,
CerebellumChef

Tags bootcamp, challenge, heartbreak ridge, Marine, Oorah, overcome, proud, sister

Daily Dose HealthyFit

Looking Good Nude

I always liked the phrase, “in the buff” but I’ve come to the realization that I rather prefer the beau “buff” instead of myself. I don’t see myself being a buff woman. I do, however, want to be a strong woman. I’ve got the strong mind, strong spirit down – but I really need to work on the strong abs and impressive biceps. [You know, if I ever need to knock someone the hell out.]

My main problem? I look like this when I see chocolate cake:

Imagine my surprise when these biceps decided not to morph into awesome chop blocks overnight. Who’d have thought?

Spring Break is next week and instead of having a beach body, I’m still working on reversing the winter couch potato. Seriously. I’ve gained 3 pounds since December and, quite frankly, I’m not upset about it. I could tell you it’s water weight, or muscle weight or some other stupid thing, but all it would be is just an excuse.

I’ve used Graduate School and teaching as a crutch to avoid the gym. [and asthma too, but that’s a real problem when Texas is experiencing freakish weather]