New WorkOut Gear

Working out has become a large staple in my life at the moment. At the very least, Mr. Grubbs and I make the short drive to our gym 3 times a week and sweat our buns off for around 2 hours. After a long day of chasing kids, cleaning up paint, glue & boogers, and having been told a million endless stories about the tooth fairy I look forward to slipping into my workout clothes and giving the weights a good beating. It always helps to also have something cute to wear. Because I am a cheapskate I love finding bargains on my gym clothes and right now my favorite threads to rock are from Old Navy. I picked up the following pieces to add to my growing collection of black pants and colored tanks:

{ Women's Mesh Inset Sports Bra, $15 }

{ Layering Tank, $8.50 }

{ Cropped Yoga Pants, $16.50 }

When buying workout clothes, ALWAYS make sure that the clothes fit well. You want to focus on your form not your wedgie. Also pay money for the important stuff, shoes & sports bras. These 2 things support important features that are miserable when they ache, so take care of them. Tanks on the other hand get stinky and sweaty so you don't want to spend tons of money of them because you are going to want to toss them in a few months anyway. When you are comfortable at the gym you are more likely to stay there and really work, but if you have an excuse to stop and leave you will too, so don't give in, and get some new duds!

© The Simple Wife

Easy Snaking

{ courtesy of sisterskinny.com }

Along with our new workout routine, Mr. Grubbs and I have a new diet too. We are eating 2 meals a day with a protein shake for dinner and lots of good snacks throughout the day. Many people we talk about this with think we are crazy for skipping a "dinner" but it really makes life easier. After the nay-sayers comment about the lack of a dinner they then ask what are shakes are made from. So here is a rough recipe for 2:

1. 4-5 scoops of low fat or fat free frozen yogurt
2. 2-3 cups of skim milk
3. 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder- whey protein is the basic and can be found in the health/diet section of the grocery store, or you can go for the really good stuff that you can find at GNC or store of the kind
4. Spoonful of Reduced Fat or Simply Jif Peanut Butter ( you can skip this and replace with low fat chocolate syrup for a more chocolately shake.
5. Mix until smooth

That's it. We usually drink these after about 1-1/2 hours at the gym. We work our tails off so then after all that sweating you really don't want to load up on a full meal so the shake does the trick.

One of the most important things to remember is that you have to snack. Most healthy diets recommend 5-6 small meals a day ( 200-300 calories ) so if you have good snacks on hand you will be less likely to reach for something not-so good for you. I love these:

• String or Stick Cheese
• Yogurt- Fiber One Strawberry is my favorite!
• Baked Pretzels
• Fiber One Bars in Oats and Chocolate (usually my breakfast with OJ )

Happy Snacking!

© The Simple Wife

Real Simple Workouts

Mr. Grubbs and I are kicking butt on our quest for a more healthy lifestyle. We are averaging 4 workouts days per week, with 2 days of strength training and 2 days of cycling + strength training. Our workouts last anywhere between 1 hr. - 1 1/2 hr. But I know that not everyone is as spoiled as us- living only 5 minutes from our gym, and having the extra time to get some sweating in, so Real Simple is here to help. They have a 5 minute workout routine that uses multi-tasking moves to get you going in 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Perfect for those who don't have a gym membership, or just can't peel themselves away from the day to go and sweat. They use minimal equipment that is easy to find. Try them out:

• 5 minute Workout: 

• 10 Minute Workout:

• 15 Minute Workout:

Even though we have a gym membership, we have also invested in some simple equipment to store at the house for the days we just can't to the gym:

Stability Ball:  Make sure that you get the right size for your body. They have a chart to help you. HINT: When you are seated on the ball, your legs should bend at a 90 degree angle.

{ $19.99 Target }

Resistance Tubes, or Bands: You can usually get these in sets, 1 low, 1 medium, and 1 high resistance so you can increase your resistance as you get stronger.

{ $15.39 Target }

{ $10.29 Target }

8-10 lbs. Dumbells: A good middle of the road weight for just about everyone.

{ $13.99 Target }

A Yoga Mat: I use mine just as a good surface to stand on with a little cushion so I'm not sliding on the hardwood floors.

{ $7.99 TJ Maxx }

I hope that this helps those of you who need an easy step to jump start your healthy life!