Back To It

So I've really neglected this blog and of course I am disappointed. I don't know how to make myself blog on a more consistent basis...maybe set an alarm everyday as a reminder :)

Well with all this being said, I should say that I have been busy between work, studying for my NASM exam and also trying to enroll in classes (more on that later).

All in all, I've been happy and healthy. Once a week I attend a class called BUTI yoga. It's a mixture of dance, yoga and plyomentric moves. It's amazing and you feel electrified when the class ends. I attended class last night and the instructor has now added the use of silks to help stretch the body and aid in active/functional flexibility. I believe they offer it throughout the U.S. It is definitely worth checking out.

My boyfriend shared a great article with me: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/05/249072685/what-separates-a-healthy-and-unhealthy-diet-just-1-50-per-day?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

The SNAP program that they discuss is really such a brilliant concept. It would be such a shame if funding is cut for it. Educating people, especially families with children is a crucial step in building a healthier country for the present and future.

I'm just sitting on a train to San Diego at the moment and reading my Nutrition Action newsletter. Does anyone else get this? Always full of great information. 

Well all I can say is that I hope more than anything to work harder on this blog and give it more attention. Now to set that alarm ;)

This moment

I should start by saying that I really love the company I work for. It is the kind of place that cares about the employees and has a very tight knit, family vibe which is sort of rare since it is in the entertainment field and that tends to be more like "every man for itself". I also had gone through an extremely tough period of time where I was unemployed and could not find work. I was also struggling through heartbreak and that made it hard for me to focus on my passions and what I really wanted to pursue as far as a career because I was merely trying to survive.

With all this being said, I cannot help but feel so unfulfilled in my job. I think it is largely due to the fact that at this point in my life I imagined I would be somewhat further advanced in a career and definitely more passionate for my work. I know I am also influenced by societies standards and that also weighs on me. But regardless of what I should have done in the past or where my peers are in life, I have to release those hang ups and keep moving forward.

I've mentioned that I am studying for my personal training certification and by the end of the year I will have obtained the certification. From there, my friend Jen so gratuitously asked her trainer to let me shadow him while he trains clients. This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn while being in the field with a highly seasoned professional. 

Next year, I will look into more specific training certs: Prenatal, kids fitness and maybe Yoga.

It is really time to push forward, to take chances and build a career in which I am able to help others live a higher quality of life through fitness and proper nutrition.

Sorry for not much of an exciting post, just needed to vent. Hoping this weekend takes my mind off things. It's Halloween time, which I love! I am attending a costume party so pictures to come.

Xoxo Nicole

Shipwrecked San Diego

I spent an incredible weekend in San Diego. Manny was originally supposed to come to Los Angeles but there were a lot of factors against him coming here and it made more sense for him to stay home. He is now in crunch time with studying for his exam to become a licensed psychologist. And with that I just felt it was better for him to not worry about travel.

So I left for SD Friday night on Amtrak. I got in close to 11:00 pm so we stayed in and watched the movie The Switch on Netflix. It was a cute rom-com. 

On Saturday we both did a couple hours of studying and then decided to hit the gym. We both some circuit training. I focused on lower body and he did upper body.

We refueled with a protein shake:

In an appropriate Oktoberfest glass :)

Later that night we went to see Gravity! It was amazing. An incredibly beautiful movie.

On Sunday, we took it easy and started to watch the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black. We are about 5 episodes in. A really good show. I was supposed to catch the train back home on Sunday but I decided to stay an extra night and take a really early train Monday morning...I just never want to leave :(

So we then decided to see World's End at the Naval Base. Manny is in the Navy and the theaters on base show free movies that have already been released for a while. The movie had some pretty funny moments. Afterwards, we went to the private beach on base and we then came across a boat abandoned and was stuck near the shore.

Manny on the boat!

An amazing end to the weekend. 

I know I have been really behind with my blogging. I think I am still getting the hang of the whole thing.

This week I really need to focus on my studies and want to be able to share what I am learning with all of you.

Goals for the week :)

Xo Nicole

Weekend Wrap-up

The weekend was nice and the San Diego weather was just perfect. 

My friend Kierstin and I drive down to SD from LA and arrived around 10. We grabbed some food from this great vegetarian Mexican food place called Pokez. I got a veggie burrito in a whole wheat tortilla. Really good and they have an amazing cabbage salad they put on the side. 

We took it easy that night. My boyfriend, Manny was tired and Kierstin had a wedding to shoot the next day so we stayed in and watched "Now You See Me". 

Saturday morning Manny and his roommate/friend John made us breakfast:

Breakfast sammies. So good.

Kierstin left to shoot a wedding and the rest of us headed to Mission Beach to fly some kites.

Sunday we had an impromptu BBQ. We had veggie burgers, mahi mahi burgers, sausages, a veggie platter, chips and fresh pineapple. It was just perfect. 

After that Kierstin and I packed our things and hit the road back to LA. It's always really hard leaving Manny :(

When we got back into town we met up with our friend Nicole for some super delicious Indian food.

Vegetarian Thali. Incredible!

Another amazing weekend with some of my favorite people and also some excellent food.

I have so many important matters to take care of this week and it's already Tuesday...the week is moving quite swiftly.

I hope all of you are doing well. Until next time...

Xo Nicole

The day has arrived...

It's Friday!!! It has been quite the week so I am happy the weekend is here.

Just as an update, a couple nights ago I ran even further and it felt really good. Next week I will log my time and miles to keep as a record of my progress.

I've also decided I need to up the ante with my workouts. I have been doing a moderate interval training routine but I am working on creating a workout program that is more challenging as well as a nutrition plan to cut body fat. I will write a post about that when it's been created.

Some recent meals:

Overnight oats with blueberries and coconut milk

Tuna salad on an Ezekiel tortilla

This weekend I am traveling to San Diego to spend time with my boyfriend. Super excited to relax, maybe go to the beach and hopefully see Gravity (George Clooney 3-D) yay ;)

My weekend as well as the next two months will also be focused on this:

Yes, I am going to take the NASM certification exam. I am hoping that this blog will keep me motivated to study. I will also be sharing pertinent information I am learning as a way of reinforcing my knowledge. If any of you out there have taken this exam or have any advice I would love to hear it!

Enjoy the weekend everyone! I will be back with a San Diego weekend recap.

Xo Nicole

Pushing myself

So I truly love to exercise in many different forms but running for some reason has never been quite my thing. However, I really want to try and give it a shot considering my boyfriend likes to run and I would love to start joining him. I also have many friends that run marathons and I believe it would be a great accomplishment to someday participate in one.

So tonight I ran! Not a terribly long run by any means but I did it. I also decided to run outdoors and found that running outdoors versus on a treadmill is much more conducive for the ability to push myself. Maybe it's the fresh air, scenery, who knows but it works. So I am going to keep at it and hopefully build a greater endurance...maybe even learn to love it.

After my run I visited the gym and did some barbell squats and ab work. All in all a good workout and I topped it off with a smoothie. 

Pineapple, half a banana, spinach, whey powder and Greek yogurt. A winning combo :)

Now I am off to do some much needed cleaning and organization. 

Xo Nicole

Hello blog world!!! Join me on my new adventure

Hi!

I am really excited to be starting a blog and sharing my life with all of you. 

I have long been a "blog stalker" and I am hoping by doing that I have gained some knowledge of what makes a successful blog. However, I am sure I will be learning much more as I go along and I am looking forward to that. I welcome all forms of feedback :)

Some meals from my past weekend:

Vegan BLTA

Amazing Sushi from Sugarfish

My boyfriend's not so healthy breakfast sandwich :)

I found this amazing little trick on Pinterest:

If you take the bottom part of romaine lettuce and place it in a container with  water...new leaves will begin to sprout in a couple days! The one on the left is after a week and the one on the right is after 3 days. Pretty cool, right?