Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sweaty Morning, Wonderful Night

Hiya folks. Thanks for all of the almond milk suggestions! I am going to use it in my coffee tomorrow am and am going to try to sneak it into Josh's oatmeal...shhhh don't tell.

WELL, this morning I went to hot yoga and I LOVED it. I got very nervous almost immediately after walking into the 105 degree room, as I saw a lot of the participants practicing very difficult positions before class had even started. However, the instructor was wonderful and did a great job guiding us through all of the motions. I sweated up a storm! I definitely suggest you bring 1 large towel and a hand towel if you are going to try this class. I felt strong and flexible at the end of class. I will definitely be returning.

After Yoga, I had to run to the gym for Body Step practice with the rest of the instructors. After a long morning of working out, I ran home to EAT, clean up the apartment, and watch the eagles game (booo to Arizona).

Tonight, we headed up towards the Myrtle Beach area because my parents moved from PA to SC today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The closest I have lived to my parents in the last 8 years was an 8 hour drive during college. Now they are 45 minutes away and I could not be more excited. We had dinner out but I didn't take any pictures! I promise a more pictured filled post tomorrow ;)

Quick Question: Does anyone use protein powder? I am looking for a lower calorie powder to use since I have decreased my meat intake. Let me know ;)

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is so great your parents live so close! My parents and in-laws both live about 10 minutes away :)

Anonymous said...

45 minutes? That is awesome! YAH!
And sorry, I don't drink PP.

Heather said...

so glad to hear that your family is so close to you now :) the hot yoga sounds really nice. i've done regular old yoga before, but never the hot stuff. have a happy monday :D

Anonymous said...

Hey! I'm late on this but I was going to say definitely try almond milk in oatmeal. I swear you won't notice! And if you start to like it, I've started eating it with cold cereal, too. The sweetness of the cereal makes the almond milk take on a whole new, yummy flavor!

I'm glad you enjoyed the yoga! And I have to say yay Cardinals just for my bro :o)

I love protein powder! The two I think taste best (in terms of whey powder) are Biochem Vanilla and Jay Robb. Biochem is cheaper!

ChickPea said...

Good for you for trying something new with the hot yoga--I've been meaning to try yoga, but I am a bit of a chicken!

As for low-calorie protein powders you might try rice protein by Nutribiotic...I have the chocolate flavor.

Esi said...

I have always wanted to try Bikram yoga because I think it is easier to move your body when it is warmed up. For now, I just stick to regular yoga :)

Anonymous said...

I love me some protein powder...all kinds from pea and hemp to whey.

have you tried soy powder?

Unknown said...

ooh, sounds like you got a great workout this am! i'm really intrigued about this yoga stuff :)

horray for having the rents close by!!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Hooray for hot yoga!!


I USE LIVING HARVEST HEMP PROTEIN POWDER!!! You know I use that - I make 3 protein shakes everyday :-)

Meghann said...

That's great about you parents! My parents only live about 45 minutes away and I love it. Its just far enough away where they can't bother you every minute, but close enough so that when you need them they are right there. :)

Anonymous said...

That's so nice your parents are close by! I don't use protein powder, sorry. I'm interested in it though. I'm curious to see what people suggest. Have a wonderful Monday!

B_Hlthy said...

I wish I could attend a hot yoga class! sounds awesome

protein powder:
I am not sure exactly what you mean by "low calorie" only because protein is 4 calories per gram.

So, if you get a protein powder that has 100 calories per scoop (common in protein powders)- you can get varities that have 20g protein ( which means it has 80 calories worth of protein, which means its nearly ALL protein). If you wanted less than 100 calories but only protein, it would be easy enough to do 25 cal (1/4 scoop) or 50 cal (1/2 scoop) etc.

There are lots of protein powders that are not pure protein, rather most contain little but some fat and some carbs such as 1 g fat ( 9 calories) and 1 g carbohydrate (4 calories).

I believe the hemp and soy varieties offer more of these other nutrients, and less "pure" protein- which often allows them to lower their calorie per serving because it's a mix of sources.

I personally really enjoy the whey protein, only because I have seen noticable results as far as LEAN muscle tone ( i hate saying mass) when consuming whey (not that others are not great as well).

Some research indicates soy to be just as effective as whey, although more research used to indicate whey was a more effective protein. The USDA/ ADA guidelines don't really suggest protein sources but ( in my opinion) it's only because they believe a minimal amount of protein in the diet is required as glucose is the brain's main fuel source.
I asked my nutrient metabolism professor last semester about why we aren't covering protein and only cover fat and carb metabolism- and how if whey protein is unnecessary for improving lean muscle, why are there tons of body builders out there that use it and have an insane lean muscle mass ? His answer was: he doesn't know.

Anyway, I buy whey protein - Pure Protein Brand and Designer Whey Brand because they are a little more easily available and "cheaper" and nearly all protein, 100 calories a scoop and 20 g protein..

I don't buy soy only because soy protein is available in SO many other cheaper , easier sources- Tofu, Edamame, the most common source of protein in "bars" are soy protein ( check the label for the protein type), and soy milk is easy. You can't really get whey protein in much else than a supplement. Although, soy has conflicting research that the isoflavones in it could increase risk of cancer, but also decrease risk of cancer- odd huh?

sorry for the lengthy comment- im passionate for protein

Em said...

thanks for the review and advise on the hot yoga. Im trying to find a place that has a class around here, because I have always wanted to try it.

That is so funny about sneaking the almond milk into his oatmeal...I bet he will never know!

ah myrtle beach, it is so much fun there! Is it still cold there too?

Hope you have a great monday! :)

Nicole said...

Have fun and have a safe trip!

Bridget said...

Yay for Hot Yoga!!! I'm so glad you loved it!! It really does feel so great :)

Aww thats so exciting about your parents!!

Anonymous said...

ah thats so nice that your parents are close now! i want to try hot yoga so bad!!! I am going to try to sneak it in sometime this week :)

K from ksgoodeats said...

Glad to hear hot yoga was great!

Myrtle Beach?! I'm jealous!! Let me know about the PP - I've heard Jay Robb is good.

Krista said...

I have been wanting to try hot yoga, but I'm nervous too!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

That's great about your parents! :)

HangryPants said...

So glad you liked the yoga!

lauren said...

that is great about your parents moving closer! and I do use whey protein powder in some smoothies...

Trying To Heal said...

ohhh...if you get some good protein powder suggestions would you mind posting them? I've been meaning to ask the same question on my blog but haven't gotten around to it!

HEAB said...

Erica, So excited you loved Hot Yoga. I am going to be so sad when my week long pass is up. I will definitely go occasionally, but I feel great after 5 straight days of Hot Yoga. I still have 3 sessions left. I seriously wish I could buy the unlimited package...someday maybe. :)

That is great that you are now closer to your parents. Both of mine live in Nashville, and I'm really going to miss being so close when we move to Colorado...IF we ever sell this house!

I love Jay Robb's whey protein powders. No artificial ingredients, and it's sweetened with Stevia. Also comes in egg white and soy proteins. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are all very good. I don't like the pina colada or tropical dreamsicle flavors. Blech.

Anonymous said...

I use the LTF protein powder. I want to try Hot yoga.

Chef Jeena said...

Wow I have never heard of hot yoga before, it sounds really interesting.

Beans are very high in protein and a great source of fibre. :-)

The Blonde Duck said...

I've never tried hot yoga, or yoga really. My SIL does it all the time and LOVES it!

Becca said...

Thats great your parents are so near!

I've wanted to try hot yoga for a while but nowhere near here does it...someday perhaps.

Anonymous said...

I love a good yoga workout.

My favorite protein powder is Elite by Dymatize nutrition. Calories are 117 but you get 24 grams of protein and all the flavors taste great even with just water. With milk they taste just like Nestle quick. Also, no added sucrose, fat, fillers, maltodextrin, or aspartame.

It's cheapest online, and i use SupplementPricing dot com to find the best deals.

Amira said...

wow awesome workout morning! You've got me even more excited bout hot yoga, is sooo wanna do it!
xo

Lori said...

So great that you liked hot yoga! I can't wait to try it again.

I'm so happy for you that your family is closer. You'll have so much fun making up for the years apart!

Balance, Joy and Delicias! said...

so jealous of you having your parents living so close to you! :D

I'd love to know about the protein powder too!

Fitnessista said...

boo arizona?!? you're dissing my state?? haha i don't really mind- i'm not a big sports fan :D
i use designer whey and i love it!
have a wonderful night!

Aggie said...

I wish I could find a hot yoga class to try near me...my Y offers power yoga. Glad you got such a great workout!

I love bbq chicken pizza...I just picked up some Amy's Chipotle BBQ sauce...have you tried that? I haven't yet...but maybe this is a good way to try.