Quinoa Salad

I have already mentioned Quinoa before and given my simple Quinoa stir fry recipe and really I can't say enough about this stuff because it is so versatile, packed full of nutrition and so very yummy. I have had fun discovering new ways to eat this super food and so this week I am bringing you another Quinoa recipe, if you haven't tried this stuff what is stopping you, it is awesome!

Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 Bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
1/2 Bunch Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes seeded and finely chopped
3 green onions finely chopped

Mix together and add dressing

You can either do some lemon juice with olive oil and that is enough to let all  the flavors mix together and be simply delicious or you can always add a little of your own vinaigrette or Greek type dressing but remember, a little will go a long way! Enjoy, this also makes for great leftovers!

Weekly Workout # 14 - Tabata Style!

We are changing things up a little this week just to do something fun. This workout will be Tabata style. For those of you who do not know what Tabata is it is a style of workout developed in Japan by a man named Izumi Tabata. He was researching the effect of certain exercises when he discovered that short high intensity bursts of exercise followed by a very short rest and then repeated for 8 minutes or longer was a way to not only increase your endurance but turns your body into a super fat burning machine. Many athletes and especially Olympians do Tabata workout's in addition to their normal regimen because of it's ability to deliver serious results in minimum time.
So for this workout you will need a timer, I suggest using this one so you do not have to keep your eyes on the clock, it gives bells and buzzers to alert you when to begin and when to take your rest. We will be doing 5 different exercises for a total of 10 minutes. You will do one exercise for 50 seconds as hard and fast as you can and then you have a 10 second rest. You will repeat this pattern with each exercise which means you will do every exercise twice. After your 10 minute mark you will have 1 full minute to rest and then the mini set will follow our normal routine but make sure and have your weights!

Weekly Workout # 14

Main Set - Tabata Style

Do each exercise as fast as you can for 50 seconds with a ten second rest to follow

Complete each exercise twice through for a total of 10 minutes

Squat Jumps

Crab kick with rotating push up

1/2 Burpee with Side jump 

Donkey Kicks

Skate Hops

----1 Minute Rest ---

Mini Set

Complete as many sets as possible in 9 minutes 

All exercises are done with weights

20 Row with Tri extension

30 Plie Pulse

20 Hammer curls and press

20 swivel dips

Instruction Video:

Weekly Workout # 13

It amazes me how easy it is to get out of shape, and by out of shape I do not mean gaining weight I mean exercising wears me out quicker and my muscles are sore again like it is week 1. It has been a long long long 3 weeks for me. Not exercising has been very tough but during these three weeks it was very important to adhere to my doctors orders ( no matter how lame I thought they were). The good news is my results came back this Friday and the tumors on my uterus are benign and so ovarian cancer has been ruled out! The down side is that surgery still seems immanent because even though the masses the DRs found are not cancerous they are still causing pain and problems in my abdomen. BUT . . . I will make sure to get ahead on the videos so when it comes time to have surgery you can all keep pluggin' away and not get out of shape like me! Okay now with that out of the way I am excited to be getting back into full swing. I am now allowed to exercise at least until I have surgery so I am ready to hit this week at full speed because I have missed these crazy workouts! The reality of all this is, it is very easy to break the habit of exercising and super difficult to make the habit. So once you get started on these DON"T STOP!! If you do you will be kicking yourself for it later. Sometimes life gets busy or problems arise and taking a break is a necessity (such as I have been required to do these past 3 weeks) but if it is just an excuse get rid of it. "I don't have time" is not good enough . . ."I don't feel like it"  is not good enough. . . ."It's my birthday today" . . . not good enough!  Hey, the aging clock doesn't stop for you so why stop for it! So to any of my followers out there who are beginning to feel worn out or that their efforst have been "good enough" and are thinking of stopping, DON'T ! The beauty of these workouts is that they are fun, quick and easy to do and if you keep at them they will not only help you reach goals but MAINTAIN your goals so that you aren't back here in a year starting all over again.
So hit this workout hard and give it all you've got and get rid of your excuses because you are stronger than that!

Weekly Workout # 13

Main set

complete as many times as possible in 11 minutes

20 Slide Squats w/ kick

20 Mountain Push-ups

20 Switch Lunges

20 Plank Jacks w/ Side Knee crunch

 - - - 1 minute rest - - - 

Mini Set

complete as many times as possible in 8 minutes 

15 Full Body Sit ups

30 Butt Lifts (on wall)

15 Knee Tuck Crunches

30 High Knees (only count one knee)

Instruction and Modification Video:

Weekly Workout #12

It feels great to be back, even though I am still not at full throttle, doing the instruction video was great and it is amazing how long the last 2 weeks have felt. Not only because of all the waiting on tests and test results but not being able to execute my usual routine. Unfortunately I still do not have any final answers as the Doc's are trying their best to determine what my lumps are made of and if they are benign or not by trying to be minimally invasive. This approach takes time and patience but I truly appreciate them not just cutting me open and then asking questions later. I had an MRI done this past weekend as well as some extensive blood work and they feel these will be the last tests needed to put the puzzle together and get a clear picture of what these strange lumps are. I still feel very positive and hopeful that this will all turn out to be no big deal. With that said I am a "take the bull by the horns" sort of gal and waiting is not my specialty so I decided to take matters into my own hands and have done everything I know how to do to keep my body healthy and strong. I have been juicing like a crazy woman and feeding my body all those natural and yummy vitamins. I have been detoxifying my body as well (organic herbal enema's...... ummm akward.......oh I know it's a hard concept for some but it is an amazing tool  for detoxification, specifically your liver) and since I could not do my insane workouts I've been doing gentle rebounding exercises to help pump the toxins out of my lymph-nodes. This has been very beneficial and I almost feel like my old self and the pain and swelling in my abdomen and back is now very manageable. The body truly is an amazing thing and if you can detoxify yours and get all the crud out of it's way it will amaze you what it can heal itself of! Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, well wishes and prayers, I truly appreciate them.
 But enough about me, lets get to the good stuff and that is this weeks workout. There are some fun new moves this week as well as some good old reliable ones. Just make sure you push to your maximum so you get that sweat flowing and those muscles burning!

Weekly Workout #12

Main Set

Complete as many times as possible in 11 minutes

20 Duck-Under Squats w/ side leg lift

10 One Leg Burpees -right

15 reverse Piston Push ups

10 One Leg Burpees -left

---- 1 Minute rest ---

Mini Set

Complete as many times as possible in 8 minutes

20 Run Lunges

20 Figure 8 Leg extensions

20 Froggy Ups

Instruction and Modifications: 

Weekly Workout - What's going on ???

I have contemplated how much information I would share in this post or if I would even do this post but in the end I felt like me saying "I don't feel well" wouldn't be a sufficient excuse to not deliver a workout this week. When I started this program I had every intention of posting a workout every week because I would personally workout every week. Well even though my intentions were good I suppose when considering the calamities of life in general it is a bit unrealistic. With that said I am going to come clean about my "I'm not feeling 100%" claim that I made last week in WW# 11 because it is important to me  you all know why there will be no workout this week. For the past few months I have struggled with various pains and issues all related to being a female ( I'm sure you get what I am saying here). Without going through all my different aliments and to make a very long and drawn out story short, last week I went to the hospital to have fluid drained from my abdominal cavity because I had bloated up like I was 5 months pregnant (which I am not by the way). I also had severe pain in my lower abdomen and pelvis that had been there for quite a while but had escalated to the point where it was unbearable. After some testing at least 3 masses were discovered attached to the backside of my ovary and uterus and abdominal cavity. What these "masses" are has yet to be determined and I will be meeting with a general surgeon this Monday (tomorrow) for further enlightenment and hopefully to acquire and action plan. Though the news is somewhat alarming especially when words like ovarian cancer are being mentioned and are a very real option, I am hopeful and positive. I refuse to let fear guide my life and take control of my emotions. Nothing positive will ever come from giving into fear and doubt and right now I think being positive is the very best medicine for me. After having the fluid drained I have felt a considerable amount better and actually have been anxious to exercise but I have been given strict instructions to take it easy and not strain myself, especially my abdomen. This is a huge disappointment to me not only because my body seems to crave physical exercise but because I truly enjoy sharing this with all of you. I get excited about Fit At Home Mom and I feel a connection with all of you because of it. But I am going to be a good girl and follow doctors orders, at least until I meet with the surgeon tomorrow ;)

 So for those of you who are on week 12 and need a workout this week  my instructions are to go back and pick one of  your favorite workouts from the past 11 weeks and do it. Regardless of what happens tomorrow with the surgeon there will be a new workout video posted next Monday, either an instruction video by me or I will have a substitute fill in for me which is an idea I have been toying with anyway and I am anxious to try it out, but the workouts will still be designed by me even if I decide to use a substitute.

Thank you to everyone for your understanding in this situation, I am hoping this is just a small blip in the road and I can be back to exercising and helping all of you in your efforts in just a short little while. Though I was pretty much absent from the blog and Facebook this past week I will be once again posting recipes and other info on the blog and Facebook this coming week because the Dr did not say anything about straining my fingers so I can certainly type up a storm!  So go get after it this week, give it your all and do me a favor and add 5 bur-pees onto your workout for me since I will be unable to workout for myself.

 Believe you can do it and all things are possible! No go get your 20 minutes done... no excuses......unless of course you have abdominal tumors like me, then take it easy! (hahaha, sorry  I could not resist the irony in the slogan for me right now, it's just too funny !)

Weekly Workout #11

I hope everyone is feeling great this Monday morning and ready to go! Unfortunately I am a little under the weather right now and so we were unable to film me doing the Real Time workout for this week. However I was well enough to at least do the instruction and modification video I just cannot hit it as hard and as intense as I usually do for the Real Time workout. With all that said I will still be exercising this week and will be keeping it at a low level but for everyone else if you are feeling good then hit this hard and fast.

Weekly Workout #11 

Main Set - Complete as many rounds as possible in 11 minutes

10 Flat Belly Burpee's

20 Knee Crunch Jumping Jacks

10 Cross Crunch Push Ups

20 Sitting Wall March (only count one leg)

----- 1 Minute Rest -----

Mini Set

Complete as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes

You will need a set of hand weights for these exercises

20 Overhead Press with squat 

20 Squatting Preacher Curls

20 Sitting Ab twists

Instruction and Modification Video:

Ab Ad-on #2

This is an extra Ab workout to Ad-on to your schedule for anyone interested in  getting their tummy toned faster. It is simple and easy to fit in either at the end of your workout or any other time of the day!