*Please update your bookmarks to my new website: Happy Thursday! 
I loved hearing some of your book recommendations yesterday! I’m looking forward to checking them out over the weekend!
I was pretty exhausted this morning, after what seemed like a LOOONG day yesterday… I pretty much blame INSANITY for zapping all my energy! Yesterday’s workout was HARD! It was 40-minutes of intervals like I’ve never done before– tons of jumping squats, push-ups and full-body moves that left me gasping for air! There was a point where I thought my husband was going to come home and find me passed-out on the floor!
With a workout like Insanity, you really have to know your own fitness level– you need to take rest breaks when needed (even if they’re not resting on the DVD), to keep your heart rate in a safe range. The whole point of interval training is to push yourself, then allow yourself to RECOVER before pushing again! For many people, the 30-second recovery period on the DVD may not be enough time to let your heart rate recover before jumping into the next set! One thing I like to do is PAUSE the DVD when they do the 30-second break, then I pace my living room until my heart rate is recovered enough to move onto the next set, usually about 60 seconds. Then I’m good to go! Insanity makes you feel TOTALLY out of shape (I can run 13 miles, but I can barely do 40-minutes of this?!), but I LOVE that it’s so hard–> it gives me something to build up to! If I could do everything perfectly during the first week, that wouldn’t be much of a challenge, now would it?
I have noticed my appetite increasing since starting Insanity, too! I usually stick to 3-meals-a-day, but yesterday, I was quite the snack-er!
Green red juice.
My FAVORITE Goat’s Milk Yogurt –> and I’m happy to learn from Ashlei that Redwood Hills Farm is the first certified-humane goat dairy in the U.S! I love supporting their brand!
I also had a MONSTER green smoothie after my Insanity workout:
Blender full of spinach, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tsp. maca powder, 2 T. Sun Warrior protein, 1/2 tsp. Spirulina, juice of 1/2 lemon, and cinnamon. So good, and SO FILLING!
But somehow my appetite showed up again before dinner, so I snacked on half a bag of baby carrots:
Last night, we decided to go to the movies! We wanted to see the new movie, Knight & Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.
[source]
Since it was opening night, we weren’t sure how busy it was going to be, so we opted for the Arclight Cinema, where you reserve your seats ahead of time. It makes going to the movies stress-free, since you don’t have to worry about getting there early to find a good seat! When we got the theater, we were in for a treat:
There was a movie premiere going on at the theater entrance! Turns out it was for the movie “Love Ranch,” starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci. As you can see from the way the red carpet is set up, we ended up walking RIGHT BY all the celebrities on the red carpet– and were only feet away from Helen Mirren as she was posing for photos.
[source]
Doesn’t she look stunning?! Seeing her was definitely a fun way to start our night!
In the theater, I was STARVING again! Good thing I packed some snacks in my purse before I left!
A single-serving bag of raw almonds, which I munched on during the previews…
Followed by a Cherry Pie Larabar! (terribly shot in the dark movie theater…)
We really enjoyed the movie, but I’ve heard it’s not expected to do very well… bummer! I had a good time watching it though, so don’t let the bad reviews stop you from seeing it! It was fun and action-packed, which was everything I expected it to be!
After the movie, I was STILL kinda hungry… so I figured a serving of Banana Soft-Serve should do the trick! I even added a scoop of almond butter, which made it extra-rich and creamy!
Before:
After:
I’ve never met a variation of Banana Soft-Serve that I didn’t like. 
I’ve got a lunch date with my husband today, so I’ve got to get ready to go! Hope you’re all having a great day so far!!
Related posts:
That’s my favorite yogurt too
Yay!
I’d love to try the Insanity sometime!! Do you know how it compares to the P90X?
Bringing my own movie snacks is a must for me
Yes Insanity is tough, we are taking a break. I am glad to hear we are not the only ones struggling. Our appetite has gone way up since Insanity, I feel like I am always eating.
MMMMMMmmmm nanner soft serve!