Calories and Cool Mail

Yesterday was good. The client I typically train at 5:45AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays is out of town for two weeks, which means this girl got to sleep in until 7:00AM. Hey, hey! I woke up anxious to try my first-ever pot of apple butter, and I must say, it was pretty delicious slapped on some toast with a few banana slices. And since I didn't have to be at the gym until 8:00AM, I was able to read a few pages of this month's Marie Claire (the only magazine that trumps Oxygen when I'm in the mood for a glossy). Usually I'm running out the door grabbing this, that and the other thing as I race against the timeclock—so it was nice to wake up to a casual, relaxing first hour. And the breakfast above, in case you were wondering, clocked in at about 150 calories. Which reminds me of an article I read in another one of my favorite magazines (yes, I'm addicted).

The September issue of SELF featured  20 ways to burn 200 calories. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm always open to suggestions in that department. Especially if those suggestions don't involve fitness equipment. Clearly I love working out, but it's nice to know that some really fun activities can produce good burn. My top three from the list:

3) Car wash, 60 minutes. (Why pay when you can do it yourself?)
2) Cartwheels and somersaults, 10 minutes + swinging, 21 minutes + tag, 5 minutes. (= another excuse
    to act like a kid again. And I'm always looking for those excuses.)
1) Dance like Beyonce, 29 minutes. (Specifically speaking, they say to perfect your "Single Ladies"
    moves. Single lady I am not, but that doesn't stop me from getting my groove on.)

Crazy antics aside (because we do still need to burn good calorie at the gym), you'll want to pay attention to things like speed and incline on the cardio equipment. Incorporate exercises that involve multiple muscle groups. Use supersets, and finally—watch how long you break in between things. It's always a good idea to keep that heart rate up, which promotes greater calorie burn in and of itself.

I must confess that I took yesterday off. Well, I did teach my Fit Over 50 class which probably counts for something. It was just one of those days where all I could think about was taking it easy. (Maybe it goes back to that sleeping in thing I did.) My body was just in relaxation mode, though it got a bit excited when the mail came.

Check it out—a package from SOYJOY!

I was tipped off to their giveaway by HungryGirl, so I signed up for a free bar figuring I'd just get a coupon in the mail. (Who doesn't love coupons?) Apparently SOYJOY revamped their products—and they actually sent me one in the envelope you see at right in an effort to prove it. How super deluxe and fun! Beats getting a bill. Or junk.

They sent the banana flavor, and we all know how I feel about bananas.
But I was, however, a bit skeptical.

I've eaten SOYJOY bars before and they've always felt a bit cardboardy to me. And sometimes soy foods give me a belly ache, which I didn't want to cause on such a good day. But, in the name of free things and guinea pigs, I gave it a whirl. You'll be happy to know that it tasted pleasant. The texture was still a bit cardboardy, though marked improvements in the moisture department were evident. And just in case you were wondering:

They surely did send me a coupon!

Question: Do you have a favorite way to burn 200 calories? What's the last great thing you got in the mail? Leave a comment for all to see!