Scenes of Summer

After a pleasant mini break in Myrtle Beach, SC, it was time to head back to Baltimore and back to reality. 

This summer, reality means class for 5-6 hours a day + moving into an apartment + a part-time internship + trying to keep up with workouts in this crazy hot and humid Baltimore weather.... should be quite the challenge. 

So far here's what the past week of "summer" has looked like: 

Good-bye dinner with Joey (he's heading up to Maine for the summer) at Pratt Street Ale House. I ordered their pear salad that comes with grilled chicken, blue cheese, and dried cranberries. It was surprisingly delicious and just goes to show that you can get delicious healthy food at places that don't necessarily cater to the health conscious (aka-an ale house). 

I've been craving cold yogurt and berries in the morning. Lately it's been either Chobani or Siggi's with berries, flax, and low fat granola that I picked up from Fresh Market. 

Since I have class most of the day, I have to pack a lunch and eat it during my break. Lately it's been mixed greens with whatever I have left in the fridge + a side of fruit or more veggies (with hummus). I 

I also pack snacks with me for throughout the day munchies. Again with the Siggi's (can't get enough of these 100 calorie, protein packed yogurts), and I also usually have an apple with almond butter or a baggie of trail mix stowed away in my backpack. 

Dinner this week has been all over the place. I'm really trying to use up whatever I have left laying around before I move (tomorrow-yikes!). Yesterday it was quinoa+ broccoli with a side of apple, carrots +hummus, and there may have been some popcorn munching late that night. 

As far as workouts go, I haven't been able to spend as much time in the gym, so when I get there I like to make every second count. Hence, the sprint workouts I've been doing. 

Sprinting is an awesome way to really rev up your heart rate and get the sweat dripping right from the get go. I usually do a 5 minute warm up (6-6.5 pace). My sprint sets differ depending on the day. Sometimes I alternate between sprinting for 1 minute and slowing it down for two minutes. Some days  I base my sprints on distance and sprint 400 meters, then cool it down for the next 400 meters. It really just depends on the day and what my aim is. The less time I have to spend working out, the more apt I am to pick the 400 meter sprints. 

After sprint sets (which I have been trying to incorporate about every other day at the gym), I usually do a cool down on the stationary bike and lots of stretching. The first day after I did sprints (it had really been a while),  I was more sore than I have been in months. Moral of the story-don't skimp on the stretching like I did at first.

More happenings...

MOVING. It is the most stressful thing in the world. I can barely move around in my tiny dorm room right now. You should see me try and get ready in the mornings with about two feet of free space...it's quite comical. 

Other than that it's been all organic chemistry and iced dirty chais...I guess that's the story of the summer for now. 

Check back in a few days for a post about making the fluffiest of egg-whites--as requested by a very good friend :) 

XOXO

It's Summer Time! ☀

Blogging from home right now! Exams are over and summer has officially begun...oh wait...I'm going back to school in a week to start classes again. Yes, unfortunately I'm going to be at school this summer taking organic chemistry and the lab. Not too fun a plan for the summer, but I'm trying to stay positive about it. 

Anyway, enough about that. Plenty of updates to share with y'all so I'll get right to it! 

As always, lots of good food lately: 

Out to dinner with friends at Blue Agave-a fun mexican restaurant in Baltimore's Federal Hill. We had a gift card to use so we made a night out of it! 

My dinner was a salad with goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts, grilled shrimp, and prickly pear vinaigrette  I also had a cup of black bean soup and a few too many chips with guacamole. I always underestimate how good mexican food is. YUM now I want some. 

Perfect afternoon pick me up-Starbucks skim vanilla latté and a big red juicy apple. 

Friday was a gorgeous day in Baltimore so my friends and I decided to grab some lunch to go and walk up to the top of Federal Hill (overlooking the inner harbor) to eat--kind of a picnic if you will. My lunch was a chopped salad with cucumbers, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and chicken (yes, I'm eating grilled chicken again...for the time being at least). I also had a small side of the chickpea salad and it was SO good.

View from the top of Fed Hill!

The perfect day

Emma and Katharine-love these two crazy gals

Joey came along for the fresh air too 

Sushi dinner with Joey before the Orioles game Friday night. 

After a fun few days relaxing in Baltimore with no school to think about, it was time to head home and spend time with my family while I'm still on break. Needless to say, my meals have been excellent since getting back.

First night back, my mom made me grilled salmon, broccoli, and quinoa. So healthy and hearty!

Breakfast- Chobani (nonfat) blood orange greek yogurt with cut strawberries, raspberries, homemade granola, and chia seeds. I forgot how much I love my yogurt concoctions. 

Dinner last night was fresh (as in it was caught two days ago) talapia, asparagus, and quinoa! That talapia was some of the best fish I've ever had. 

Here's a quick workout to try. I did it today and it took about 50 minutes. It's a good way to mix cardio with strength training and although it's tough, it's definitely worth it. Bikini season has arrived so if that's not motivation enough, I don't know what is! 

This workout is called the "Jessica Simpson Daisy Duke Workout": 

Not sure how I feel about the name, but still give it a try!

10 minute treadmill warmup (walk or jog-whatever gets you sweating)

2x20 reps dumbbell rows in squat position

3x20 reps squats 

3x20 reps laying dumbbell tricep extensions

3x12 reps reverse lunges (per leg)

10 minute treadmill run 

3x18 reps bicep curls in lunge position (per leg)

3x18 reps lateral raise in lunge position (per leg)

100 crunches

3x18 reps knelling leg extensions (per leg)

100 crunches 

10 minute treadmill or elliptical cool down 

Let me know if you try it out! 

I'm off to the beach tomorrow for a couple of days of relaxing. More updates to come! 

XOXO

I'll leave you guys with this hilarious picture I found today of little me. I was such a d-i-v-a.

So many updates to share and so little time! I'll get right to it! 

Lately I've been doing a little more running, but also trying really hard to get in some good strength workouts. Cardio is great, but I know that all cardio all the time really isn't pushing my body in new ways.

Apparently I've been pretty content lately to run in the 4-5 mile range. 

Notice also that my kindle is in every one of these treadmill pics. I've read a lot of great books in the last few months that I want to share with you all since it's been a while since I've done one of my big book reviews. 

Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher from Starbucks! Really refreshing and has caffeine too for a little energy boost (70 calories in a grande, 100 cals in a venti). 

Seafood salad with goat cheese. SO delicious!

On the go breakfast from our little on campus market- Black Cherry Chobani greek yogurt and raspberries!

Brunch with my mama when her and my family came up to visit last weekend! 

My family came up to see my Sirens concert and the debut of Joey's musical (he and his roommate actually wrote a musical...SO good!). I also got to spend a lot of fun time with my older sister who is just under 7 weeks away from having a baby!! So glad I got to see her and spend some quality family time all together. <3 See you and baby on June 24th Melissa!! 

The end of the year is fast approaching and it's now finals time. I'll keep trying to do updates as much as possible so keep checking in! XOXO