Don't you just love those days where things fall into place and turn out "just right"? I feel like Goldilocks lately with all the things that have happened "just right".

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All of this Goldilocks goodness started last night with dinner. Remember last week I made a veggie & chicken sausage pasta bake to bring to a friend? The version I made last week definitely had too few veggies. So I vowed to get enough to satisfy me in that pasta dish last night. After chopping the zucchini, squash, onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms I almost wondered if I had too many for the dish.

huge skillet filled with veggies

Nah! Just use an extra baking dish for the abundance of food that occurs when you mix it all together.

And then it turns out just right. And by just right, I mean so good we are having leftovers tonight. 😀 And still have enough to freeze for future easy meals.

Goldi continued to keep me company with my workout this morning. During Power class I upped the weight on a couple of things and it was just the right amount of challenge. Plus, my morning green monster gave me just the right amount of energy to tack on some cardio afterwards.

All Done @ 1.5% Incline

This was the definition of a "just right" cardio workout for me right now. Remember how I'm missing intervals and new ways to workout? This workout was something I haven't done in awhile so it felt new and exciting. And it was just enough of a challenge to where I felt accomplished but was able to keep things in check with my body's current needs.

Now what would the story of Goldilocks be without a taste test? I didn't have any porridge to taste since I already had my oats for breakfast (PS - chopped dates in oatmeal = so good), so I tried some cantaloupe instead.

I am very picky about my cantaloupe. It can't be too tart from not being ripe enough and it can't be too mushy from being overly ripe. It needs that perfect sweetness and firmness. You better believe this melon was just right. And even more right is pairing it with strawberries for a lovely side to lunch.

I also got a compliment I needed at just the right time. I had to go and get measured/sized for the bridesmaid dress I have to wear in my friend's September wedding. Something about the sizing of wedding & bridesmaid dresses is just mean...especially for someone who already is at times uncomfortable with being bigger than her typical self. And who wants to deal with a rude saleslady looking at me pitifully and providing condescending comments when I say I am trying to get pregnant so I will need to order larger? Yea...she went there!

I left the shop not in the highest of spirits and still had to stop for gas before getting caught in Atlanta traffic. What a fun way to top off my afternoon of pity, dealing with a non napping child, and paying almost $200 for one of the most hideous bridesmaid dresses out there. But as I was pumping my gas, a nice gentleman walking by turned to me and said "Hey, you need to smile. You are beautiful." It was just right. Not said in a creepy "I'm dirty and hitting on you kind of way". Not said in a "You look sad and you're even making me uncomfortable" kind of way either. In a genuine "You deserve to smile and feel good about yourself" way. At that moment I knew God was watching out for me. That He was speaking to me through this man. And it never surprises me that He always has a way of turning the world into the Goldilocks & The Three Bears story. Things will be just right. At just the right time.

• Have you had any "Goldilocks" moments recently? Has something small ever happened to you where you know it was meant just for you and just what you needed?
• On a lighter note, what is a food that you have to have just right to be able to enjoy it?

Recently, I have been feeling a little bit frustrated with workouts. That doesn't mean that I am not enjoying my current workout schedule by any means. I actually am loving it because I know it fits my goals right now. And, most days, I like not having to plan routines or find ways to make cardio more interesting. However, sometimes while reading other blogs that discuss their interval workouts, heavier lifting, group fitness training, Insanity workouts, or even sometimes the prevalence of running in blogworld, it leaves me longing for more.

Insanity

I miss these types of workouts. I miss feeling spent and like I totally killed a workout. I miss feeling like I have accomplished something or progressed in something fitness-wise. And I miss trying out new things. Well, thank goodness for yoga as something new to try in the "Do What You Don't" challenge. Well, just because I miss these types of workouts doesn't mean you have to. I definitely think they are beneficial to be added into your training. Let's learn a little more about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training today.

High Intensity Inteval Training - aka HIIT is a form of cardiovascular training where you alternate high intensity burst with recovery periods.

Sample Interval Training Chart

For true, HIIT, your working intervals are around 20-30 seconds where your heart rate gets to about 90% of your max, or a 9-10 on the RPE (Rate of Perceived Extension) scale. You should feel like you could not push a second more at then end of the high intensity part of the interval. It is then followed with an average of 40-90 seconds of active recovery to decrease your heart rate to about 70% of your maximum, or a 5-6 on the RPE scale, before you repeat the process. You will continue alternating between the two for a total of about 20-30 minutes. Be sure a proper warmup and cooldown are included. The benefits of HIIT are:

• Trains both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Think of it being able to help both sprinting and long distance runs.
• Increases your calorie burn both during and after your workout. On average you are working harder than a steady state session, even though the intense intervals are a shorter portion of the workout. Also, you will  have more post workout burn from your body taking longer to recover.
• Can help limit muscle loss because of the shorter duration and, in layman's terms, the high intensity relies on more muscle fibers firing to promote burning glucose and fat as fuel instead of lean mass.
• Easy to vary your workouts. You can do so many different ratios for your intervals to make it something new almost every workout. You can do 30 seconds work and 60 seconds rest. Or 30 of each. Or 1 min of each (although longer intervals won't be as intense as shorter ones). Or you can do a pyramid set up of 15 sec, then 20 seconds, then 30, then 45, then 60 of work and go back down.
• Makes your workout fun. These workouts are tough, but having to constantly switch up what you are doing makes them seem to FLY by. And who doesn't like that? 😉

For a lot of great HIIT workout ideas, check out Janetha's, Naomi's, and Lisa's blogs. They incorporate this type of training regularly and always have fun ideas. And I have been stockpiling their routines to save for the day I can run my tail off with some intervals. Until then, I will live vicariously through all of you and your inspiring workouts. No point in possibly hindering my goal thanks to my body being more sensitive than most.