Practice excellence

I wanted to start this day off with a quote for you all:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

Isn’t that cool?  Practice happy, be happy!  Keep working and become fit.

Got an early start to my workday today, as the weather is nice outside for today warmth wise and I wanted to take advantage of that. Let me tell you, my butt is sore from those walking lunges yesterday. (drop seating, anyone?) Definitely keeping those in rotation. Also my shoulder on top from the military presses. I cannot remember the last time my shoulders were sore.

Made up a yummer breakfast of banana oats topped with the new Naturally Nutty PB!

So good.  There are too many flavors they have that I want to try!  I need to be very careful to keep the spoon out of this jar 😳

Started work early while waiting for it to warm up some. I had a mid morning protein snack of strawberry protein powder and a tsp of nutbutter.

John asked me if I wanted to bike today – of course!! However, just in case it rains earlier than predicted, I went out for a quick 2-mile jog before lunch.  That was to ensure the rain stayed away.

Worked a little more, then lunch time! Something different today:

This was 2 oz of ground beef cooked with 3 egg whites and topped with some 50% reduced fat Cabot cheese (the only low fat brand I like) on top of a corn tortilla. And the requisite hot sauce! Brussels as my lunch veggie today. This was pretty filling, think it was the fat in the meat that did it (80% lean).

A note on the chin ups, because I have gotten some questions about them. There is a difference between chin ups and pull ups.  With chin ups you grasp the bar with your palms facing you. Pull ups use the overhand grip. Pull ups are much, much harder than chins. It took me months to build up strength to do these, and I started with negative chins, where you start with your chin over the bar (standing on a box or bench, obviously), then bend your legs so you are hanging and slowly lower yourself down. Rinse and repeat. I did those for a while before trying the real thing. Then I started with partially bent arms before going to a full hang.  Practice, practice, practice.  Strength building takes time.  It would be easier if I were lighter, too 😛

Pre ride snack of latte and some chocolate!

We then took the back path around.  We don’t take this one often because we usually have a destination to do, and this loops back behind where we normally go to.  It starts with a big downhill, and then it is up, up, up!  Here is a shot from the top of the hill:

Those mountains way off in the distance? That’s actually Vermont!  The Green Mountains, although they don’t look very green now.  We went out for a little more than 8 miles today.

Came back for some dinner.  I decided to have a different veggie for dinner:

(John even commented about the lack of broccoli). This is a baked crab cake (from frozen).

Done with work for the week. Yay!  :mrgreen:   I decided to hang out in the kitchen tonight and make up some protein cookies for a snack using oat bran and strawberry protein powder.

They came out pretty good.  I topped mine with a couple tsp of cream cheese, as they are pretty sweet.  I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

Produce challenge:

F: 1 banana, 1 kiwi, strawberries

V: brussel sprouts, carrots

Question: What is your most excellent habit that you practice?

20 thoughts on “Practice excellence”

  2. debby

    I love that quote. Gotta print it out somewhere. Maybe I’ll put it into a quilt. And that bike path–what a glorious ride. I visited Vermont a few years ago. It was really a wonderful trip.

    Interesting cookie experiment. Awaiting recipe!

  5. Marisa (Loser for Life)

    Oh my, I am dying over your crab cake!!! Counting down the days until my “vegetarian for Lent” is OVER!!!

    My excellent habit is exercise. I never was able to make it a habit in my life before. These past 2 years, I realize it is completely necessary. Plus, I like it now!
    .-= Marisa (Loser for Life)´s last blog ..Giving Up The Routine =-.

  6. Kim Zepp

    I didn’t realize chin ups and pulls ups were different. I look forward to going to the gym to see if I can do a chin up. If not, I’ll try your approach with the negative chins. Thanks for the step by step break down.

    I guess my good habit is exercise, too. Some days it’s hard to get started, but I always feel better after a run or bike ride.
    .-= Kim Zepp´s last blog ..7:48 =-.

  8. Leah

    Great quote! My one thing of excellence that I practice and seem to stick with well is morning devotions of bible reading and prayer with a cup of coffee. Healthwise, exercise is beginning to become just as regular now – at least 4 days a week.

    I need to practice more excellence in more areas and continue on with it in others.
    .-= Leah´s last blog ..It’s My Teacher! =-.

  9. Kimberley

    My most excellent habit is bringing my breakfast, lunch and two snacks to work. Without those I am bound to eat just about anything.

    Great workout and bike ride. You are just like the Energizer bunny!

    Today my fruit and veg were:

    F – banana, lime juice
    V – tomato juice, avocado (F or V???), dill pickle, cabbage vegetable soup with cabbage, zucchini, onions, tomatoes and celery, artichoke hearts and white asparagus
    .-= Kimberley´s last blog ..One Meal at a Time =-.

  12. Miz

    I love that quote and lately have only been focusing on the first piece.
    not in a negative way but in a kickmyselfintheass way.
    I know what I WANT TO BE
    I know how *I* see myself
    but is what I repeatedly do getting me there??? many days it is not.
    .-= Miz´s last blog ..MizFit’s Muscles in Minutes =-.

  13. Amy

    That quote reminds me of a passage in one of Marianne Williamson’s books where she talks about practicing being who we want to be. I remember her saying, if you want to be a more disciplined person, practice being more disciplined! So true.
    .-= Amy´s last blog ..A Bit of Spring =-.

  17. Jody - Fit at 52

    LOVE that quote & you may see it on my blog soon! 🙂

    Yes, those friggin chins! So hard! Pull-ups seem so elusive to me but I keep trying! 🙂

    Love that your booty & shoulder feel the workout! Love those lunges in all forms – or love the results! 🙂

    Got to check out that cookie recipe! You know me & protein cookie too.. YUM!!!!!!!!!
    .-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Low Carb Protein Bar; Low Cal Protein Brownie =-.

  18. Aimee

    I didn’t realize the difference between chin ups and pull ups, thank you! I’ll keep that in mind.

    The cookies look great, I just might have to try making them.

    As for my habit…getting to the gym at least 4 times a week and drinking lots of water.

    Have a nice weekend!

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