FITNESS!
Just joshing, but I couldn’t resist the allure of alliteration…
Despite my love for food—actually, due to my love for food—my immersion into fitness occurred many light years ago. However, yesterday’s still unbeknownst-to-you foodie first does involve fitness. Since I know you’re such loyal readers who won’t scroll down to find out, I’ve decided to unveil my fitness first after sharing one of my all-time favorite lunches. A little suspense—especially the kind complemented by food photos—is good for the mind, right?
Yesterday’s lunch was one of my go-to meals during my college cafeteria days. Before you shun it in fear that all things college cause an automatic 15-pound weight gain, this sandwich is actually a healthier take on a popular deli fave: the egg salad sandwich.
For an eggaholic, I’ve always been sort of on-the-fence about egg salad. In theory, turning one of my favorite foods into a convenient sandwich stuffer seems foolproof. But most deli mixes host an ungodly amount of mayo—one ingredient I can only appreciate in the most modest doses. That said, when my college roommate introduced me to her version of an egg salad sandwich—sans egg yolk, light on the mayo and heavy on the deliciousness—I quickly developed an addiction.
D.I.Y. Egg Salad Sandwich
Ingredients:
-Whole wheat bread or sandwich thin, toasted
-1 tbsp. light mayo
-2 hardboiled eggs, yolks removed
-salt, pepper and paprika
For the easiest and most delicious egg salad remix you will develop an addiction to ever taste, smear the mayo lightly on each piece of bread. Pile up sliced egg whites on one half. Add your seasonings. Devour.
Disclaimer: You will not be able to eat standard egg salad after experiencing this egg-white extraordinaire.
Shortly after lunch, during a standard BBM-your-day-away session, I made evening plans with a friend to embark on a fitness first. What fitness activity involves the month of September?
You got it. Yoga! (If you didn’t know, September is National Yoga Awareness Month.) I’ve always written yoga off as something that simply wasn’t for me. I’m a really fast-paced person, and the idea of doing non-cardio exercise that requires mind relaxation—a concept pretty foreign to me—just seemed like a bad fit.
I’ve always viewed exercise through cardio-goggles—perpetually favoring fast-paced, efficient running or elliptical workouts over strength training, toning or balance exercises. However, after two stress fractures within the past year along with a current mysterious hip injury, I’ve been in an on-and-off fitness rut. Left unable to run and without a gym membership, I figured now may be the perfect time to embrace non-impact, non-cardio exercise.
And so, yesterday, I decided to stop all my yoga-shunning and give it a shot. My friend and I decided on an 8 p.m. 90-minute Bikram class—before which you aren’t supposed to eat for 3-4 hours. I got some pre-yoga snacking in around 5 because I knew I wouldn’t live to see a 10 p.m. dinner without a little fuel.
…which came in the form of PB of course. (Yea, I gave my teddy graham a PB George Washington wig. He liked it.)
Balanced out with some fruity fuel.
So how did I fare in this fitness first? I don’t know if it’s too soon to drop the L-bomb, but I’m going with it. I love yoga! I don’t know how I’d feel about the more meditation-oriented forms, but I really enjoyed Bikram. It was definitely a challenge, and I was, by no means, able to do all of the positions. But I felt so great during and after the class.
I bought a one-week unlimited introductory pass, and I’m challenging myself to go every day this week to really get a feel for this yoga thing! I don’t want to sing my yoga praises too loudly since I’ve only completed one class, but I’ll definitely keep you posted on my amateur ventures into Yogiland.
By the time I got home and showered, it was already 10:30 p.m. Yoga—perhaps it’s just the Bikram—left me less than hungry, but I wanted to throw together a quick dinner.
I settled on the always-unglamorous canned soup
along with leftover mashed butternut squash.
Five minutes on the stove and two minutes in the microwave… and voila! The least attractive but most efficient 10:30 p.m. dinner was served. 
I may or may not have hit up some ice cream straight out of the carton—for efficiency purposes of course…
I’m really excited to try yoga again today! This one’s for my Yogis: Any tips or advice for a newbie? Non-yogis: What’s held you back from trying yoga? Or if you’ve tried it and not gotten into it, what didn’t you like?
Namaste 
,
-Sarah
27 Comments
September 15, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I LOVE egg salad! I’ve never made my own successfully, but yours looks great! (Have you tried Zabar’s? So good!) I really want to try Bikram yoga- that’s the hot class, right? There are no classes within 500 miles of me (!) but might give it a go in NY
I usually like fast-paced exercise (breakdancing!) but that’s off the cards for now… Namaste 
September 15, 2009 at 3:02 pm
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http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_apItpJuM_OY/SqeYvh7y5JI/AAAAAAAACC0/Xzb1rBBf9vg/s1600-h/inspirational+award.png
September 15, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I can never make a good egg salad like the ones I buy ready made. Every time I try I either use too much mayo, or not enough or the egg isn’t right. I’ve given up trying
As any reader of my blog will know I love eggs too.
September 15, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I love yoga, but I often don’t go because it’s a. too expensive and b. the classes offered my gym just don’t fit into my schedule. When I was in college I had an amazing studio that I went to several times a week and I loved it. My arms were never more toned, and it was such a great form of stress relief. I miss it!
September 15, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Omgosh I want grapes now those suckers look so good!
September 15, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Thanks for the egg salad recipe!
I love yoga!! I’ve never done bikram before, but I’m pretty sure I’d love it too.
September 15, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Aww that Teddy Graham with the wig is so cute.. AND YUMMY mwahaha.
AWESOME! You go girl! Remember that yoga is YOUR practice and try to listen to your body and it’s not a competition
Yoga has helped me appreciate my body for what it can do – which I think a lot of folks lose sight of nowadays.
http://www.ohonemorething.wordpress.com
September 15, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I’m ahppy to hear you are trying yoga. I love it!
September 15, 2009 at 8:04 pm
strange you bring up egg salad…i think my mom’s downstairs making it right now! and I have recently tried yoga, and LOVED it..bikram yoga is pretty intense, congrats for trying it!
September 15, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Ok, so I totally have been wanting to bring egg salad to work, but I don’t want to be the girl who brings the smelly food. But I love it so much and haven’t had it in FOREVER! Way too long
http://www.foodieinthecity.wordpress.com
September 15, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I’ve been a registered yoga teacher since 2001. I fell into yoga b/c I wanted to get lean and strong. I fell in love with yoga b/c it did just that, but it also centers me in a way that nothing else can. I post daily to my blog with me in yoga poses every day, and I answer questions in my comments section if you have a specific question. Welcome to yoga my dear, you’re in for a lifetime of bliss
September 16, 2009 at 1:24 am
and as i’m reading this post i’m eating my annie’s bunnies (teddy grahams, annie’s bunnies…same diff!) with pb as well!
glad you fell in love with yoga!! i’ve gone to several classes over the course of my senior year of high school, and have done some yoga stretches on my own….haha, but i want to get more into it next summer or when i’m outta college!
September 16, 2009 at 6:49 am
Loving that eggy sammy! I am not a heavy mayo person (I am only enjoy VERY small amout of it, if any) so this looks perfect to me! I am very fast paced as well and love Bikram. Its really helped improve my runs too! Great bog
September 16, 2009 at 10:41 am
I was a cardio freak too, but at the beginning of the Summer break I decided to try yoga as I wanted to vary my workouts to limit the amount of stress I put on certain muscles and joints from repetitiveness…and I love it too now, I am a true convert! xxx
September 16, 2009 at 11:20 am
I love eggs. Your sandwich looks amazing. I shall try it soon!!
I used to do yoga but stopped for about a year. I have a disc issue in my back and my physical therapist advised me to stop doing yoga….too much bending in the back.
Enjoy it! Yoga is wonderful.
September 16, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Did you like it? I have only done yoga few times but I think it is something I should start incorporating into my fitness routine. I’ve never tried Bikram but it sounds interesting. Did it make you feel like you were going to pass out from all the heat?
natalie
September 16, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Natalie–I LOVED it. I definitely approached Bikram with caution (i.e. did everything they recommend) in terms of drinking water ALL day before class, making sure not to eat 3 hours before the class but also making sure to eat enough throughout the day to fuel me through 90 mins in a 105 degree room haha. During certain poses, I got a little nauseated but once I drank water, it quickly passed. I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing with it through my first week as a yogi
September 16, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Please do!!
September 16, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I am totally with you on the yoga thing. I just recently started getting into it – but before, I scoffed at people who considered yoga “working out” – I like the fast paced stuff too. But I find that my muscles are usually sore the next day – and like you, I feeeeel really good during and after. I am a convert.
September 16, 2009 at 1:53 pm
glad you enjoyed the yoga sesh.
i’m not a yoga convert – mainly because my concentration is shot. so i’d probs be no good at the relaxin’ ‘cuz i’d be thinking ‘ooh, whats for dindins tonight?’ or ‘what shall i wear tomorrow?’ (haha, i’m not completely superficial, honest.) i really want to try it though. mainly to prove myself wrong.
was it a beginner class? did they give a lot of direction or was it assumed that you knew what to do?
oh, i miss eggs dearly. cause that concoction looks delishio.
that teddy graham is lookin’ pretty bada$$ with that wig.
L. x
September 16, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hi Foodie,
I looooooove your blog. If you put broccoli on the barbecue with some spices, seasonings of your choice, perhaps soy sauce, etc. it will chang your life.
In regards to yoga . . . . Hmmmmmm well there are all kinds. Which have you been doing? I like all schools and don’t prefer one over another. There’s Bikram for the awesome sweat-hatha for breathifyer (sp), power yoga for strength and endurance. So much to choose from! Anyhow, I love yoga, because the more you practice, the more you understand the postures and how they feel differently in your body over time. It’s a never ending discovery. You can also try two yoga classes in a row. There’s no law.
Anyhow, in terms of snacking I work for this company http://www.healthymunchy.com
It’s freeze-dried fruit in snack packages, what could be better. I put it on yogurt, in cereal, and in icecream. It’s sweet and crunchy! Thanks!
September 16, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I also prefer fast paced cardio – but do recognize the benefits of yoga and need to it more often! I would really like to to it once a week but it’s more like once a month!
September 16, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Sarah! Where have you been? I love your blog! Thank you for visiting mine. I love egg whites, so your egg white sandwich is right up my alley. It looks divine! And, I’m so glad that you tried Bikram and love it. I have never tried Bikram but I practice hot/vinyasa yoga almost every day. It’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. My advice would be to drink tons of water. Hydration is so important. Also, remember that you are human. Be proud of what your body can do and not defeated by what it cannot.
Namasté,
Nicole
September 16, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I’ve got to try your Egg salad sandwich- looks yummy!
September 16, 2009 at 5:13 pm
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September 16, 2009 at 6:31 pm
holla for the yoga lovin’! all day erryday
okay.. maybe not all day.
namaste sweet one <3
September 17, 2009 at 5:33 pm
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