How’s your February challenge going?! Have you been moving for 10 minutes a day? (Totally ok if some days are more than that!)
Don’t forget, there are three more parts to the challenge:
- Celebrate one NSV (non-scale victory, the building blocks of fitness success) – are you stronger? Do your clothes fit differently? Is it easier to grocery shop / cook / prep? Are the stairs not leaving you winded anymore? You choose what you’re proud of!
- do 3 nice things for yourself and
- while you’re at the studio, join me for the Cupid part of this challenge and get your heart strong with a bonus-length 12-round tabata
This week’s reminder at the studio is to check in on your macros. It’s easy to drift if you aren’t tracking somehow, so whether you take a photo, write it down, or use an app, give your nutrition a quick check-in and let me know if you need any help re-balancing things.
Our full-length online Zumba and Bootcamp video classes are so fun – I just added our Zumba Valentine Carnival Celebration, so get ready to sweat with us! I am so glad you’ve been enjoying them (get them right here if you haven’t yet).
Which one of our group classes will you join this week?
- Saturday 9am Bootcamp (meets in the studio parking lot – sign in online and bring your mat)
- Sunday 9am Zumba (free, meets at Levy Park – 3801 Eastside) (Thank you for your RECORD-SETTING attendance at this class AGAIN!!!)
- Monday 6:30pm Zumba (free, meets at Levy Park – 3801 Eastside) (And for setting an attendance record at THIS class! You guys are the best!)
- Wednesday 7pm Zumba at Jerabeck Athletic Center (class meets upstairs – enter via the main door and use the first staircase on your right)
Speaking of macros…
I know many of y’all are trying to add more plants to your plates! Here are some preps and swaps I like to make to make it *easy* to eat lots of fruits and veggies
- wash and chop as much of your produce as you can before it even makes it into the fridge! I start my week with green onions, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and mangos sliced/diced and ready in sealed containers, and I also wash as much of my other produce as I can, like berries, greens, and fresh herbs (trial and error here – washing it makes it go bad a bit faster, but if I know I have the produce washed and ready to go, I am much more likely to use it!)
- swap in veggie-based carbs. I switched my toast at breakfast for baked sweet potato (really easy to bake up a pan of sweet potatoes at the start of the week and have them ready in the fridge), and whenever I make rice I mix it at least 1:1 with vegetables (greens, edamame, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, peas…).
- If you switch from bread to a lettuce wrap, you may need to add in another carb to meet your body’s needs – consider a side of beans, roasted potatoes, green beans, squash (butternut zig zags anyone?!), or plantains
- add cooked greens to pretty much anything and everything. I keep frozen spinach on hand to add to eggs, smoothies, rice, or almost any time I’m cooking ground meat. I love to add sauteed chard into tacos, soups, pasta dishes, and even sandwiches.
- try blending up some veggie-based sauces. Avocado + cilantro + a splash of oil + salt to taste (and water or yogurt to thin as needed for your blender – or hide some silken tofu in here for bonus protein) can go in place of mayo or many salad dressings. The combo of roasted red peppers (from the jar is FINE) + water or yogurt to thin as needed + salt to taste turns into a delicious spread, sauce, or dressing that can be spiced up to match any meal.
Isn’t it nice to talk about something besides protein for a change! How will you get some more rainbows on your plate? Do you have a favorite plant swap that I missed?! Let me know <3 xoxo
