Hiking Day

I am so grateful for my health and ability to go wander and explore.

The elevation is Casper Wyoming is over 5,000 feet which put the trail head at over 6,000, on a trail that climbed over 1200 feet! The little dog needed some carrying as we ascended, but all of us were able to carry on and see some amazing sights.

My advice for the day: do something every day that scares you.

The Sights From the Top is Always Worth the Climb

The power of a personal blender for nutritional shakes

Until recently, one of the things that kept me away from consistently having my nutrition shake was the amount of work it would take to blend it properly by hand! I tried multiple types of hand shakers, yet after several minutes of shaking my arm around like I was playing with maracas, there were always still clumps of powder, and let's be honest...those are awful.

The last rental we stayed in had a Magic Bullet---what a game changer!!! I could easily put in the powder with almond milk/ice, along with some fruit and greek yogurt, and quickly have a well blended and delicious shake. We didn't get to take the Magic Bullet with us to our new location, so we went to Big Lots and for $20 purchased a Bella Rocket Blender. I can't say its as amazing as the Magic Bullet, but it gets the job done and has containers which fit in my car's cup holders - more convenience = higher chance at long term success!

The switch from $20/tub 'powder' to Shakeology also attributed to my consistency. The taste improved and so did the nutritional benefits. It also was a key player in the 21 day fix Extreme challenge I took on, as ice cream and chocolate were officially out. Learning to make shakes that actually tasted like a treat has been worth the effort!

Today's shake was less fresh than I prefer, but we still haven't done a proper grocery shopping trip since our arrival. It was Tropical Strawberry Shakeology, almond milk, ice, canned pineapple and packaged peaches (yes, probably loaded with sugar, but if it's the worse thing I eat today, I'll be okay!). It felt like I should have been sitting under the shade in a hammock on a beach somewhere, I'll take my lil piece of paradise for the day :)

Health and Sanity When Traveling

The past two days we have traveled from Washington State to Wyoming for job relocation, and staying healthy on the road is definitely a challenge. Here are a few tips for staying healthy when traveling:

• Think ahead, then plan! This includes packing healthy snacks so you aren't tempted to buy junk food and also prevents you from getting too hungry, which usually leads to regretful binge eating. 
• Take time for fresh air and movement. Having dogs means we had to get out of the car every few hours and walk them, which allowed us to stretch our legs and increase the blood flow through our bodies. 
• At the airport, use the time between security and boarding to walk around the airport and do some stretches before sitting on the plane. My experience has been a few strange stares, and usually a few people that will then also perform some stretches! Lead by example :)
• Pack exercise equipment. Resistance bands are easy to pack and lightweight. I also use my Beachbody on Demand from my Ipad - usually Piyo or Insanity since they only require my body weight for equipment! Those workouts are my favorites for a reason! See the links below if you haven't checked them out yet.
• Stay connected! Sometimes this means checking in with friends for accountability, taking along a fitness magazine, downloading a health podcast, etc. But staying connected keeps your mind focused on your goals and keeps you from getting distracted, it doesn't take very long to break a habit!

Active Recovery was a bit more active than recovery today

We set off today in search of some water to swim in and some trails to wander on. We had our starting point picked out, but unfortunately the signs and lifeguards informed us that the dogs were neither allowed on their beach or in their water! 

So off we went hiking, and the scenary drew us in so we kept hiking. 10 and 1/2 miles later we completed some sort of a loop which included creeks, waterfalls, old boyscout cabins and curious animals. 

It was a tiring hike with quite a bit of elevation change, but the view from the top is always worth the climb (sadly, we didn't capture this view in a picture this time...) 

Shakeology recipe of the day

I didn't snap a picture of the ingredients today, but using the Tropical Strawberry Shakeology, I added half a banana, frozen berry medley (from Trader Joes), a scoop of greek yogurt, a scoop of all natural peanut butter and some almond milk. Another success!! 

Me and Brad are both pretty hooked on the daily smoothie. Next adventure will be adding more vegetables and keeping a taste that makes me feel like its dessert! 

Working out

Today was one of the many days Archer decided to join me on my workout. It was cardio extreme day and by the end I was spent, my lunge jumps more resembled drunken dance moves, but it always feels good to complete a good workout!