Pizza Party

It's a beautiful summer night. All of your friends want to go get pizza and wine.  You don't want to miss out on the wine or friends, but know that pizza really isn't something you want to partake in. What do you do? 

a. Eat a healthy meal before and just nibble on one piece of pizza.
b. Eat a healthy meal before and don't eat anything there. Knowing that your friends WILL make fun of you.
c. Suggest meeting at a friends house for pizza, salad and wine.

My recommendation: C.  I know this may be a stretch but it's definitely worth it.  If you suggest going to a friends house and you bring the salad or other healthy options, you get to control the destiny of what you eat.  All of the situations above are definitely options but C is the one that make me and my waistline feel the best.

If none of the situations above are an option you can always order TONS of veggies, light cheese and light sauce on half of the pizza and scrape them of as cheesy baked veggies!  Also, if the pizza shop has whole wheat dough, definitely order that.  Then you can have a veggie bake on whole wheat crust.  Don't go crazy on the crust though.  My favorite veggies to have on pizza are spinach, bell peppers, broccoli and avocado.

Also, here are some local pizza joints that offer whole wheat crust and some healthier pizza options:
- CPK
- Buckhead Pizza Company
- Uncle Maddios (Has whole wheat & gluten free) on N. Druid Hills
- Mo's Pizza on Briarcliff
- Mellow Mushroom doesn't have whole wheat but they have gluten free which is also awesome!

Choose your pizza wisely!



xo,
zo

Lake Weekend Snackin'

I love going to the lake. You get to spend time with your friends and you have no real agenda except for relaxing, drinking and napping and if it's nice out you catch a little vitamin D.  The only thing I don't love about going to the lake, is the amount of junk food that sometimes is brought that I can't help but to snack on.   Knowing that I wanted to look like a skinny peach in my bikini, I took a trip to Whole Foods before we left to pick up some healthy snacks for everyone.  And I think they were a hit! 

What I got:
- Pirates Booty (it's my fav and 30 calories, 5g of fat and 210mg of sodium less per serving then cheese puffs although I did have one or two of those whoopsie).
- gRAWnola Original - you've seen this one before
- Whole Foods brand Veggie Straws
- Roasted Unsalted Pistachios
- Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Cookies - I like the Cole's Cashew Chocolate Chip kind.  If you haven't tried these they are ridiculously good. And you don't feel guilty eating them.
- TONS of water.  Make sure to hydrate.  The sun and alcohol can leave you dehydrated and that's never good. 

xo,
zo

Skinny Peaches Half Marathon Training Guide

It's official, I've signed up for my first ever half marathon on October 2nd (13.1 Atlanta).  Why I thought it was ok to train smack dab in the middle of a brutal Atlanta summer beats me.  I ran 5 miles yesterday at 7:30PM and my clothes were so soaked you would have thought I ran in the rain (gross).

So since I am already a runner I figured that 8 weeks was enough time to train.  If you're not already a runner, I'd suggest a 10 or 12 week plan.

A BIG thanks to my friend Angie who's a seasoned marathon runner and helped me with this because I didn't want to pay $29.99 for a guide online. A few notes before you start:

1. Always do a longer run on the weekend.  You have more time to stretch, relax and recover.
2. It's good to run two days in a row for muscle memory.
3. You are going to miss a day or two of training.  Especially if you sometimes partake in enjoying alcoholic beverages.  Don't freak out that you missed a day.  Just keep going and don't let it bother you too much. 
4. If you can run 10 or 11 miles you most likely can push through to 13.1 but it ain't gonna be a walk in the park.

The Skinny Peaches Half Marathon Training Guide:

Week 1
Monday:  5 miles
Tuesday:  5  Miles
Wednesday:  Cross-Train
Thursday:  5  miles
Friday: Cross-Train
Saturday: 7 miles
Sunday: OFF

Week 2
Monday:  6 miles
Tuesday: 6 Miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday:  6 miles
Friday: Cross-Train
Saturday: 8 miles
Sunday: OFF

Week 3
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday: Cross-Train
Saturday: 9 miles


Week 4 (DOWNGRADE WEEK!!! Try and take some hot yoga classes to stretch your muscles. )
Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday: 6 miles
Friday: OFF - have a few beers :)
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: OFF

Week 5Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: Cross-Train
Saturday: 7 miles
Sunday: OFF

Week 6
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday: Cross-Train
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: OFF

Week 7
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: Cross-Train
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday:Cross-Train
Saturday: 11 miles

RACE WEEK
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 2 miles
Wednesday: Yoga
Thursday: 2 Miles
Friday: 1 Mile
Saturday: STRETCH YOUR BUTT OFF!
Sunday: RACE BIATCH!

xo,
zo

I Juiced and I Liked It

Well, kinda.  I think I ordered wrong.  But I figured since Nicole Richie and Gwyneth Paltrow are drinking these raw veggie drinks and the fact that I love raw veggies anyway, that I should at least give it a try.  So I went to the juice counter at Whole Foods and got my custom made juice.  Celery base with spinach, chard and pear.  It was actually pretty good.  The only thing I would change for next time is the celery.  It was a little overwhelming.  But that being said, it was gone by the time I got home and I only live about a half a mile from the store.

A few of the many health benefits of what I ordered...
The stuff in my juice concoction aids in digestion, prevents constipation (ewww), and has anti-cancer properties. There are a ton of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and zinc that combat osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Besides from the rockin' benefits above this drink also helps with vision, immunity and will give you healthier skin through vitamin K. Woah that's a lot of good stuff.

Best of all, it's much easier to drink 16oz of veggies vs. trying to eat them all. 

My suggestion - try it out!  It can't hurt.

xo,
zo

Workday Breakfast II

As "they" say, "breakfast is the most important meal" and I agree with "them."  If you skip breakfast because you think it will help you shed some lbs, you done made the wrong decision. 

By skipping breakfast you are more likely to over eat over the course of the day. Your body isn't sure when you will get your next meal so it stores more fat AND your metabolism doesn't get started until later and you really don't want that, trust me.

That's why eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is so important.  If you haven't heard of steel cut oats, you're welcome for the info. Steel cut oats are better than instant oats for two main reasons, they have more cholesterol lowering fiber and they take longer to digest so you stay full for longer.  Usually these oats take around 20-30 minutes to make which is pretty far fetched for a workday. But Trader Joe's makes it way easier by introducing already made, frozen steel cut oats. Pop 'em in the microwave and 4 minutes later you have an amazing breakfast. For even more healthy goodness add a pinch of cinnamon, a teaspoon of all natural peanut butter and blueberries!

I own too many coffee mugs.

Nutrition Facts: 150 cal, 2.5g fat, 7g sugar, 5g protein

xo,
zo

Movie Snacks

We all know that going to the movies can cost a pretty penny and that's just the ticket alone.  Add in popcorn and a huge fountain drink and you've already spent over 20 bucks. Not to mention the fact that on average, a large bag of popcorn has 1,100 calories, 60 grams of fat and 1,235 milligrams of sodium. Holy crap that is seriously not good for you.

So to shave off a few dollars and a hell of a lot of calories I've chosen an alternative snack, but you have to be a little rebellious and sneak in a few items (just bring in a big bag and you'll be fine).

Head on over to Trader Joe's and pick up a bag of Skinny Fries (110 calories, 2g fat, 320g sodium per serving) and a bottle of water.  This will only cost you $3.00.  So you've saved around $8 and 990 calories! Wahoo!

xo,
zo

Outdoor Workout

It's hot out. I realize that. But, if you are a morning person like me you get to take advantage of the early morning not-so-hot-as-hell weather.  I love going to the gym, but sometimes I just want to be outside.  So for everyone that feels the same, or just doesn't belong to a gym, here's a free workout you can do outside. All you need is a place to run, a bench and some stairs. Make sure to bring water and wear sunscreen.

Total Time: 1 Hour
Total Calories: I'm guessing around 400

Note: I'm not really sure why we both look so serious in all of these pictures. Don't forget to smile and breathe.

1- 10: Warm Up Run

10 - 20: Walking Lunges and Side Squats x 2 - For the lunges you should be taking about 20 steps. Same with the side squats but alternate sides.  First rep lead with left leg, second rep the right.

20 - 30: Run

30 - 40:  20 Bench Push ups & 20 Dips x 2. With the dips, make sure to keep your elbows close to your body.

Ben wanted to workout also!

40 - 50: Run

50 - 60: Stair Runs w/ Jump Squats.  Run up the stairs, at the top do 20 jump squats.  Complete this until time is up. 


YEAH Alex!

Congrats,You are done! Now make sure to stretch and hydrate.
Xo,
zo