We are supposed to sleep about eight hours a night, give or take depending on the individual. When well rested, we tend to function at our best, physically and emotionally. In the physical sense, this means we function at our metabolic best, make better eating decisions, and have the energy to move around whether it’s for a run, the elliptical, housecleaning, or lifting kettlebells.
My friends, I wrote this on the plane to Florida, red eyed and running on one hour of sleep. I need to follow my own advice. But first let me explain myself.
My flight was scheduled to leave at 8:50 am from Milwaukee, which is about an hour and twenty minutes from my house. I am the kind of traveller that shows up two hours early for ANY flight, whether it’ from our podunk little airport in Madison, our dingier, more industrialized one in Milwaukee, or one of the two in Chicago. To arrive around 6:50 (or 7:00 since I like to live my life on the edge), I made plans to leave my house at 5:30.
I usually make an effort to get my seven to eight hours in every night. I’m a pretty light sleeper, and take melatonin religiously. My friends on the other hand, are complete night owls. So when we ended up not getting back to my car until 1:30 am, and tossed around the idea of watching a movie, I decided to pull an all nighter. Well almost, I catnapped for an hour between getting home to prep my apartment for my absence and leaving.
The results? Well let’s see…
In addition to being a traveler who shows up two hours prior to her flight every time, I always, always, always am selected for screening by TSA. I don’t know what it is about little blonde girls from Wisconsin, but I always get pulled aside for special screening. In case you start to feel too safe, I also always forget to take my mace key ring (Thanks Dad!) off my keys, and end up stuffing it into my carry on bag prior to going through the check out. So far, it’s made it EVERY TIME.
So I got pulled out for additional screening, and was too tired to care. They also searched one of my carry on bags, discovering the jar of oatmeal I was packing.
TSA Man: We need to confiscate this.
Me: But it’s my breakfast.
TSA Man: This constitutes a paste or gel and is not in an appropriately sized container.
Me: Really? It’s not because you want me to spend $10 on a coffee and granola bar?
TSA Man: You may go back on the other side of the check point and eat this if you like.
Me: Will I need to get checked again?
TSA Man: Yes, we will need to recheck anything.
Me: Fine, confiscate my breakfast. I’m sure it’s necessary.
I’m usually rule abiding, and fear the authority of TSA to detain, strip search, and generally be completely ridiculous but I wanted to tell him “Yeah, enjoy the oatmeal and I’ll enjoy my mace.” That’s why I hate commercial air travel. I’d rather DRIVE to Florida if my car was in the condition to do so. Getting snarky was something new and probably related to sleep deprivation. I really wanted oatmeal for breakfast, but settled for a Nugo bar instead. I discovered Nugo bars in college and they’re tasty, come in several yummy flavors, and are all sorts of natural and even vegan. Maybe if I’d been noshing on these during that ill-fated vegan phase of my life, I’d have been more lucid.
I got to take a nap this afternoon and go running on the beach, then spent the evening with my family and my sister/best friend. Despite my sarcasm and mild annoyance with the aspect of getting to Florida, I really enjoy the experience of being in Florida, so much that I’m considering moving down here for a bit after graduating from law school
Beach Work Out
Run 5 minutes
15 push ups
50 bicycles
20 alternating lunges
Repeat 6 times, brushing off sand as needed.
This is pretty simple, but I’m on vacation so I plan to exercise accordingly.
Here’s another meal that requires using your teeth.
Lindsay’s BBQ Pork or Chicken Salad (Serves 4)
Ingredients
Slaw Salad
2 bags shredded coleslaw mix (you could also do 1 bag green cabbage and 1 bag red)
1 cup shredded carrot
1 green onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup light mayo (depends on how wet you like your slaw, I’m a dryer slaw kind of gal)
2 tbsp apple cider vineager
2 tbsp yellow mustard
salt, pepper, garlic powder and celery seed to taste
2 packets Stevia in the Raw
In a large bowl, mix mayo, apple cider vineager, yellow mustard, stevia, and spices. Slowly add coleslaw mix, carrot, green onion, and green pepper and mix until well coated.
BBQ Pork/Chicken
I can’t really cook meat, but even I can use a crock pot. Place 1 pound lean pork tenderloin or 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with water. Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high until fully cooked. Using two forks, shred the pork/chicken and cover in BBQ sauce. I like Stubb’s because it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it.
Put 1/4 refrigerated coleslaw mix on plate and top with warm BBQ chicken or pork.
Total calories: 240-300
Why is it awesome? Aside from appeasing my southern roots, this is high in protein and packs some serious flavor. The slaw offers antioxidants, filling fiber, and a cool contrast to the spicy BBQ.
Lindsay
Fit is Always In 