Just as I haven’t always been a healthy eater, I haven’t always been a regular exerciser. Indeed, I didn’t start to participate in regular physical activity until about six years ago. One of the decisive factors in motivating me to continue came one Christmas morning when my sister Lea gave me a heart rate monitor (HRM). I was soon fascinated by the ability to regulate my exertion level throughout my workout. What can I say? When it comes to health and fitness, I’m totally a numbers girl.

Here’s the one that started it all:

 

Timex Ironman Road Trainer HRM

It worked well…for a while. Less than a year after I received the watch, it straight-up stopped working. I could have replaced the battery, but it would have cost more money and time than I was willing to spend. Next.

After a little blog research, I soon learned that Polar was the way to go when it comes to heart rate monitors.

Polar F4 HRM

I loved this watch. It had a convenient display (featuring heart rate, Calories, and/or time), was reliable, and well, it was a pretty “berry”color. No reason you can’t be stylish while you sweat, right? It lasted me several years, until this happened:

You-know-who decided to make a little snackski out of my HRM. (No, not Seth—although he does eat strange things sometimes).

Technically, that watch still works, I just can’t really wear it anymore. I needed a relatively inexpensive replacement, so these days I’ve been using the Polar FT4.

Someday, when I’m a celebrity cookbook author-dietitian, making lots of money, I’ll invest in a truly faboo heart rate monitor, but these days, I’ll stick to the less complicated models.

Have you ever used a heart rate monitor or a fitness tracking device? Do you think they’re useful or just another unnecessary gadget?

I’ve been “monitoring” my eats today too…check out the B-Hut daily menu.

So Seth and I have a new obsession. We discovered carrot juice on clearance at Kroger on Saturday and have been chugging it ever since. I made it into a smoothie with frozen banana and vegan protein this morning. Almost as good as a pumpkin protein shake. Almost.

For lunch, I packed an Ellie recipe, Chicory Salad with Walnuts & Parmesan.

My tweaks:

-I couldn’t find chicory, so I used arugula, as recommended by Ellie in the recipe.

-I didn’t have any sherry vinegar, so I used white wine vinegar instead.

-I added white beans for protein.

This recipe was pretty basic but still delicious. Plus, it led me to discover how fun it is to grate Parm with a vegetable peeler.

Once home from class and work, I was ready to eat anything. My go-to meal in situations such as these is scrambled tofu—it’s hearty, protein-packed, and well, just plain tasty.

Alright, I have some reading to do. Be back tomorrow!

Filed under: Meals