Monthly Archives: November 2011

Nov 30 2011
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Fitness Plans, Motivation

Phase One: I Did It!

Woohoo! I’ve done it! I managed to not miss a workout in the first month of my training! I hope all of those pink X’s can provide some inspiration to you. I know they have me pumped for upcoming months! There were some days this past month that the last thing I wanted to do was run in the freezing cold, however knowing that you guys are following me really kept me on track (no pun intended). I will say however that some of my  ”rules” ended up being a little unrealistic (at least for me). For the most part I’ve behaved, drinking lots of water and all that, however I found that by consciously limiting my junk food consumption I actually probably ended up “cheating” more than ordinary, feeling that I had something to rebel against. This time I am going to be a little more laid back about that, perhaps setting a goal for two desserts a month (and making them really good ones)! The same goes for alcohol (maybe once a weekend at most). I am developing my phase two plan right now, but here are my updated rules for next month:

- come up with a better way to control diet without restricting things entirely (I find that when I’m not stressed I just naturally eat very well, so perhaps that’s the key)

- incorporate more “short runs” – each mile (regardless of pace) is roughly 100 calories burned, so work out even if you only have 15 minutes free

- put an extra emphasis on general health such as dental and skin care to further get into the mindset (I now carry a toothbrush and brush my teeth after every single meal – which is also useful for curbing junk food cravings!)

- vary strength training more often to beat boredom and keep muscles challenged

- drink two full cups of water each morning upon waking, do 20 push ups, and dance to music while getting ready

These are just what I scribbled in my agenda during my commute, and they are very much about what works for me specifically. Like I keep reiterating, you have to figure out what it is that works for you. Now, since I accomplished my main goals for the month (feeling stronger and dropping some pounds), I’m off to the mall to buy a bikini and some sunglasses!

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Nov 29 2011
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Muse of the Month

Muse of the Month: Amber Heard

I must admit that up until a couple of days ago I had the faintest idea of who Amber Heard was, or what she stood for. This all changed when I picked up the latest issue of Women’s Health (which was just amazing from cover to cover!) and realized that not only is she one of the biggest up-and-comers in Hollywood, but she also happens to be one hot tamale! Of course the latter is far more important to us fitness lovers here at Nikki Wears Nike. What I loved most about the interview with Amber is that unlike many Hollywood A-Listers who claim that they simply have “speedy metabolisms” she was very frank about the fact that she has to work extremely hard for every aspect of her famous body. How refreshing! I cannot tell you the amount of times I have typed in “Gwen Stefani Abs Workout” and read that “When Gwen has free time she does crunches and sit-ups”….maybe if “free time” is the equivalent of two gruelling hours a day at least! Also inspiring? Amber is extremely public about her beliefs and values, even if sometimes they cause a bit of controversy. I was so inspired that I hung her picture in my bathroom mirror so that every time I consider skipping my morning workout I think of strong, powerful women like her. Here’s to Amber Heard – muse of the month!

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Nov 24 2011
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Life LIst

Working on the Life List

As you may or may not remember, I posted a Life List a few weeks back, and have decided it is about time I started crossing some things off. One of the items on my list is to learn Polish (my native tongue – well…my parents’!) and at least one other language. I settled on Spanish for a few reasons: 1) It makes sense to me, 2) I like how it sounds, 3) One of my best friends is Spanish, 4) It is widely used, 5) I wouldn’t mind kicking it in Spain for a while! Recently at BMV (my favourite and most deadly used bookstore – aka. the best thing Toronto has to offer), I picked up a Spanish Dictionary. I have decided that while I don’t have enough time to fully dedicate myself to a language right now, I can start simple by learning one word each day (and writing it in my handy dandy little notebook)! Like I said, my close friend is also Spanish and offered to teach me some helpful phrases along the way. For those of you that are more dedicated to learning a language quickly, here are some useful resources:

- Tim Ferris’ blog post on learning any language in 3 months (I admire this guy so much)

- livemocha.com – a website that pairs you up with a person from the opposite speaking language so that you can actually teach each-other…cool!

Good luck! (Or should I say buena suerte!)

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Nov 17 2011
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Motivation

Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

Sometimes we all need a little reminder about how to live our lives to the fullest. Here the one and only Steve Jobs puts us on the right track. If you haven’t seen this yet it’s a must-watch!

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Nov 15 2011
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Uncategorized

Tips from a Friend

One of the great things about starting this blog is I’ve been getting lots of feedback from you readers. Recently I was delighted to hear that my friend Beverly (who I always looked up to in high school), had recently started her own fitness journey and had some wisdom to pass on. Some of it counters what I’m doing, but that’s the point: I really don’t know everything, I’m just trying to figure it all out as I go, much like you guys! Ultimately I think it comes down to finding what works for you. Here’s what she had to say:

- when doing cardio as opposed to strength training, you need to include pre & post workout meals. This means slow digesting carbs (i.e. whole grains) with a bit of protein, which will sustain you through your workout.

- it’s okay to eat something right before bed. The only rule to that though is it should be a snack high in protein. Your body is deprived of food through the 7-8 hours you are sleeping, so in order to keep it from going into starvation mode and storing fat, have a snack such as a cup of cottage cheese with a handful of walnuts, a cup of greek yogurt with a little bit of fruit, etc.

- fruits and veggies are good sources of carbs but don’t overdo it because fruits are still considered carbs and they are high in sugar. It’s all about portion control!

She also provided me with this guide to nutrition (below – you might have to click on the black bar to see it). Again, it’s all about figuring out what works best for you, but I found it to be pretty useful! Thanks Bev!

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Nov 12 2011
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playlists

November 2011 Pump Up Playlist

Sometimes we athletes need a little bit of extra motivation… especially when we’re literally running for hours! Thankfully we have mp3 players and some pretty awesome music to keep us going. Here is my pump-up playlist for November (and if these songs aren’t enough to keep you on your feet for just one more mile, simply refer to this picture of  my favourite soccer star, Hope Solo)!

XX – Basic Space – I love starting off a workout with this cool song that isn’t too fast-paced. If you haven’t checked out the XX thus far I highly recommend it!

Young the Giant – My Body – The lyrics: “My body tells me no, but I won’t quit cause I want more”…enough said!

Ellie Goulding – Lights – Ever since I heard this song in the Nike ad I cannot get enough of it.

Arkells – Oh! The Boss is Coming! – This song makes my playlist every single month. Not only does it help me to push my limits, but the Arkells are Canadian!

Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence – You’ve all heard this song before. I’m just reminding you how much it rocks.

Beenie Man – Drinking Rum and Redbull – I’m not too sure who “Beenie Man” is, however listening to this song always makes me think of my upcoming trip to Costa Rica…and the fact that I’ll virtually be wearing a bikini the entire time!

Phoenix – Run, Run, Run – It’s all in the title.

Soul Decision – Faded – My vice. This song is super old and super ’90s, but it just pumps me up like no other track. I love playing it in the middle of a workout when I’m experiencing a slump in motivation.

Kanye West – All of the Lights – How did I JUST discover this song? I love it! Great tempo for running, and I finally have something to substitute for my other workout favourite, “Stronger”.

Kings of Leon – Mi Amigo – The Kings of Leon are one of the best bands performing right now. This song makes me feel like I have a companion on my workouts!

POD – Youth of the Nation – One of the main songs from the “Blue Crush” soundtrack. I always feel like a cool surfer chick when I run to this.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero – It took me a long time to decide which “Yeah Yeah Yeahs” track to include here.

Muse – Time is Running Out – I love Muse. This song is a great end of workout song that gives you that final push!

And on that note…

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Nov 07 2011
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Fit Tips

Fit Tip #3

Fit Tip #3: Be thankful. When you are feeling down on yourself about your level of fitness, the way your life is going, etc. take some time to look around. There are always people who are worse off than you.

For example: I build leg muscle very easily. For a girl this is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I wish they could be a little more “supermodel”, and a little less “superhero”. When I find myself having these thoughts however, I take some time to be thankful for my strong, capable legs which help me do incredible things (like 15km runs!), because there are so many people out there who aren’t fortunate enough to have that. What are you thankful for?

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Nov 06 2011
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Food

Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan

Yes, that is indeed gluten-free “breaded” chicken! I will explain below…

I must say that when I was initially craving chicken parmesan I was thinking more along the lines of the classic breaded fare commonly served at places like East Side Marios. When I started searching for recipes however I came across this one which looked much more “gourmet” if you will, and simply had to be attempted. Naturally I had to modify it for a gluten-free diet, which basically meant that I didn’t use bread crumbs, and when battering it I dipped the chicken breasts in almond flour before the egg, rather than regular all-purpose flour. As you can see it worked out quite well, and it ended up tasting really good too! The only thing that I must mention is that it will probably take you longer than then estimated hour to make. It took me way longer anyway, however I am a little slow moving. Regardless, reserve this dish for a night when you have some free time (and maybe a bottle of red wine) on your hands!

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Nov 05 2011
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Clothing and Gear

Running in Cold Weather

Let me be the first to admit that when I woke up this morning and saw it was 0 degrees celsius outside I almost didn’t go for my run. I guess you could say I’m not an authentic Canadian in that I really don’t like the cold! However, the knowledge that I will soon be confined to the indoor track (thanks to piles of snow) gave me the extra boost I needed. Running in colder weather can actually be refreshing (and much less sticky!), as long as you have the right gear. Here are my essentials:

- A long sleeved “under armour style” thermal shirt. These are very handy, but can often be quite pricey. I like to scour Winners for tops like this at a much lower price point.

- Longer tights. These ones are from Lululemon and are awesome!

- A heavy-duty sports bra. This one really only applies to the ladies, but if you are running for long distances (or any distance really…) you need something hard core. If you try one on and are flat as a wall… you should probably buy it.

- Something for your head and your hands. I wear a head band so that I can still tie a high pony tail, but obviously a hat is even better for insulation. Also, I know our hands get sweaty but you need to protect your fingers with gloves!

- An mp3 player. Enough said.

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Nov 04 2011
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Food

Superfood: Greek Yogurt

I’m sure that if you are even mildly health-conscious, you have heard about the wide-ranging benefits of Greek yogurt. However I have personally never been able to enjoy it (unless cleverly disguised in a smoothie) because it is just so darn sour! Enter my new favourite product: President’s Choice Greek Yogurt with Honey. Here are some of the benefits:

- only 160 calories per 3/4 cup – Often for breakfast I’ll have this serving size with some cinnamon, walnuts, and a handful of berries. Bam! Done!

- contains 18g of protein per serving (making it an amazing choice for a pre or post workout snack)

- has 0g of fat, and only has three ingredients: skim milk, honey, and bacterial culture

Also…it actually tastes really good! So good in fact, that I sometimes have it for dessert. I’m not kidding. Now call it serendipity, but a friend of mine recently recommended that I start watching Amanda Russell’s fitness channel on youtube (which is pretty useful!) Here is a post that she did on Greek Yogurt:

Have any superfood suggestions? Let me know!

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