A Food Court or a Bar Method Class?

I hate pretzels...I hate the way they get stuck in my teeth and the salt is always so crunchy - not my favorite snack. But pretzel at the Bar Method, now that is something I want all the time! The perfect combination of salty, sweet, and a bit of sweat to make a girl shake on Monday morning!

Pretzel was my first seat work at my very first Bar Method class on April 3, 2011. My first thought, "wow, this is great, we get to sit on the floor." But after working my right leg first, I cringed when I heard Amy say "okay, and now let's work the left." Pretzel is no joke. You may be seated, but every muscle is being worked. By squeezing the working side of your seat, you are getting deeper into your glutes and by sucking in your abs while leaning to the side and keeping your floor arm parallel to your floor thigh, you are working your obliques (sounds like a giant pretzel made with your own body, I know!) Pretzel also has the best stretches to elongate your obliques and glutes. When I see the mats being put to the side of the room instead of in the center, I work a little harder in my thigh sets out of sheer excitement to do pretzel. I know most people will think I am crazy for loving pretzel so much but it got me in such a good mood on a cloudy and rainy Monday morning.

I have done 3 Bar Method classes in the New Year and all 3 classes have used the ball...the Bar Method ball of pain! My inner thighs are constantly burning now and I am squeezing them tight together just sitting at my desk! And after arabesque yesterday and pretzel today, my glutes won't stop shaking. But all of this feels good. When I am not sore, I know it's been too long since I have been to class.

Monday, January 6th, 6:30am w/Brynn S.
Warm-up and Arms
Thigh
Seat
Abs
Back Dancing
Final stretch

It was a great class and it got me energized and feeling good. I really miss the vacation and the time spent at home with Ryan doing absolutely nothing, but it is nice to be back to my set schedule and have my routine. It keeps me focused and grounded to know when to wake-up, when to work-out, when to work, etc. I just hope the classes this week don't use the ball! I don't think my thighs can take it anymore!

While I was at bar eating doing pretzel, Ryan was at home making breakfast. I am so proud and happy with what he made.

He made scrambled eggs and bacon on a gluten free english muffin and a fresh orange juice made with 2 oranges, 1 carrot, 1 apple, 1 beet and 1 apricot. It looked delicious and he said it was so yummy! He also said he didn't even need the english muffin!!!! He is providing healthy sugars and carbs in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and eating clean and is finding that he doesn't need the carbohydrates from bagels and breads like he used to. He didn't even have cereal! I am so shocked at the transformation and the changes he is making in his diet. I think even Haley wanted some fresh juice this morning!

When I decided to eliminate gluten from my diet in August in order to help with my overactive Thyroid, Ryan was not having any part of it. He only ate gluten free when we made dinner together. Otherwise, he was eating a bagel and cereal with breakfast (sometimes he also had a muffin), pizza or a sandwich for lunch and pasta with a roll for dinner. The amount of carbs and gluten is giving me a stomach ache just to think about it. It was hard for me to stay focused on my own health when my husband wasn't taking his seriously. It was more of a diet for me than a lifestyle change because the 'crap' was still in our house, tempting me every day! But this time around, after reading Grain Brain, Ryan is taking gluten-free and low(er)-carb seriously and staying determined and focused on this lifestyle change. We began a few weeks ago with replacement items - replacing pasta with GF pasta, replacing pizza with GF pizza, replacing cereal with GF cereal, cookies with GF cookies and bread with GF bread. But replacement items are not healthy, and some of the ingredients used to replace gluten is even unhealthier than the gluten itself. I told Ryan that for now, the replacement items are necessary in order for our bodies to eliminate gluten, which can take a long time. But I am already seeing changes in him from eating cleaner. He isn't craving the bread anymore, gluten free or not. His body is reacting to having whole foods every day and it is making positive changes in his mind and attitude. He even said he wants a juice with dinner tonight!

Going paleo and going gluten free is not a fad diet and it does not mean replace gluten products with gluten-free ones. Potato starch, tapioca rice, xantham gum - they should not be staples in our diet once you "go gluten free." Eliminating gluten should have a focus on eating cleaner and eating whole fruits, vegetables, lean meats and proteins. All of these fresh foods will fill you up and you will find that you don't need the starch and the carbs to keep you feel. If you listen to your body, you will know that the fiber and protein are doing its job and keeping you fuller longer. Your cravings will decrease because you are not experiencing a sugar rush from the carbs. You are keeping you blood sugar constant and your focus, ability and mental clarity will all remain stable as well. Gluten free does not mean that you can't eat the sandwiches or pizza at work functions, it means you choose not to because you know the harm it can do to your body. It bothers me when people say "oh you do that gluten free thing" or "you can't eat that" or they think I'm being difficult because I want to find gluten free menu options.

But we're not all perfect and if you want to indulge, go ahead because if you restrict yourself, you will want it even more. Just make sure it is something worth it. Rather than the yellow sheet cake at a birthday party, eat something homemade at a holiday dinner that you only can have once a year. Ask yourself what you will gain from eating it and if it is worth it. If it is, go ahead - don't hinder your progress by making yourself be afraid of food. See pleasure in food, enjoy the flavors and smells of food and make it a healthy part of your life!

Tonight I am planning on making a stuffed portobello mushroom pizza with peppers, onions, kale, diced tomatoes and veggie cheese. I don't think Ryan will enjoy this dish because he has never liked mushrooms but for dessert we are making almond milk, banana and apple nutribullet blasts. Stay tuned for recipes and photos!