What were they thinking?

What were you thinking?  Did you get dressed in the dark today?  Have you ever found yourself asking these questions while at the gym? As someone who frequents the gym I ask myself the two questions above almost every time I am there.  Every time I answer either one of the two questions to myself I get a little surprised.  I am not normally one to say something about what a person is wearing because it is a sign of expression but at least be appropriately dressed when exercising.  Continue reading and you might be just as surprised as I am when I walk in the door.

• Button down shirt - The gym isn't the office.  Go out to the store and buy yourself a t-shirt for a couple of dollars.  Go to Target and get a package of plain white shirts.  I am a proud owner of a few of them so that I can wear them to the gym.  If they get worn out or dirty they can be thrown away without much monetary loss.  If you do not want the plain white go to Old Navy and get an inexpensive shirt in a different color.  Heck, if you like something a little more pricey go to Victoria's Secret or a department store for a top to wear to the gym.
• Jeans or flannel pants - Yes, I have seen this many times as well.  First off, jeans, really??  There is no way that a person can really move while wearing constricting bottoms.  Yes, you can take a nice walk in a pair of jeans but you can't run or get the full "workout" with them on.  The other bottom I see frequently is flannel pajama pants.  I do not care how old you are go to the store and buy a pair of leggings, yoga pants, sweat pants, shorts, anything else that is a comfortable bottom.  There are so many different stores you can go and buy bottoms in.  My favorite pair of exercise pants come from Victoria's Secret.
• Boat Shoes - This type of shoe is one that is on my list of a style I want.  I want a pair but I do not want to see them on your feet at the gym while you are running or walking on the treadmill.  You do not have to spend over $100 on the latest style of running sneaker or anywhere near that amount.  I only wear sneakers to the gym so for me to invest in a pair that cost over $100 I do not really see a point.  If you are an athlete or someone who wears them around go ahead and spend the money.  I tend to be one to purchase my sneakers at either DSW or Famous Footwear.  At either of these locations I can get the name brand shoe for much less than other stores.  There are so many different styles I do not see you having a problem finding something you like.
• Clothing that is too tight - Please, for the love of all things that are bright and cheerful get clothing that fits you!  Maybe someday you will be able to fit into that tight shirt or pair of pants but not today.  Going to the gym frequently will allow for you to wear it in the future.  You do not have to wear a shirt or pant that is extremely large but please wear something you are not hanging out of.  Stores listed above have a great selection of items to wear.
• Really short shorts - One item that is maybe okay to wear to the beach and certainly in the privacy of your own home but not at the gym.  I do not care to see your "bits and pieces" while I am walking in your direction or while you are in front of me on another cardio machine.  Is it that difficult to wear something that is, I don't know, larger than a pair of underwear?  Yeah, I did not think it would be that difficult.

There are a few other things that I notice every once in a while that has nothing to do with gym attire but I feel need addressing.

• Smoking - If you are going to smoke a cigarette before working out at least try to not smell of it.  I do not need to be 30 minutes into cardio when you hop on the machine next to me and now I have to breathe in the after effects of the cigarette.  Another thing on the topic of smoking is do you really need to light up as soon as you leave the gym?  Doesn't it defeat the purpose of trying to be healthy and spending at least the past hour exercising?
• Drinking coffee while exercising - Starbucks cup or a hot thermos do not belong in the cup holder of the bike, treadmill, elliptical, or in your hands while you are walking to the weights.  Water of its many varieties works best or even a Gatorade or sports drink.
• Smelling - If you come into the gym smelling bad while you exercise that smell is not going away. In fact, it will probably just get worse causing me and the other people around you to have to hold their breath in fear of passing out from the terrible B.O. you cloud yourself with that is if we do not pass out from holding our breath first.

What are some of your gym pet peeves?  When do you ask yourself the two questions I opened with?  Share some with me. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Over the past few months I have had to make significant changes to my diet.  Since November, I have cut out chocolate (with a few tastes since then), any thing mint flavored, and many things that contain sugar.  In simpler terms you could say I had to eliminate almost everything I have come to love over the past 26 years of my life.  If you know me well enough you know that I have the biggest sweet tooth and if you don't now you do.

Almost every time I travel to New York City I stop at one of places in Penn Station to get myself a black and white cookie for the ride home.  Sadly, I haven't had one in about 3 and a half months.  I love going to cupcake shops in New York City and anywhere I travel to.  My last trip to California, I believe I tried cupcakes from 3 different cupcake shops.  Aside from eating at one restaurant this was my only other request.  When I drove down to Virginia and Nashville this summer I got to visit 3 of the 4 places I wanted to try.  Not to mention, I also love to bake.  So as you can see, cutting out sweets was not an easy task.  Yes, I do miss some of the stuff but I have never felt better.  In the mean time, I have found several options that are not only delicious but they are good for you.  Some may not be perfect for you but they are the better option.

If you watch any television at all I am sure that you have seen the commercial for 'WhoNu?' cookies.  I just purchased this product for the first time this week.  It was a complete impulse buy because they were by the register.  Perfect product placement if you ask me.  Since I am supposed to lay off of the chocolate I skipped the chocolate sandwich and chocolate chip and opted for the vanilla sandwich cookies.  WhoNu? that a cookie that has as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal, as much Vitamin C as a cup of berries, as much Vitamin A as an 8 oz glass of tomato juice, along with many other nutritious benefits (information taken right from the box).  The cookie has the perfect amount of sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth.  The only thing I wish it had was a little more cream filling.  This product (in all the different varieties) is a great substitute for an Oreo or a Chips Ahoy cookie.  You should be able to find this product at almost any supermarket.

For more information on this delicious product you can go to their website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

This next product has quickly become a favorite of mine.  KindSnacks make an amazing product that is healthy, gluten free, and all natural.  Some have chocolate and some have yogurt on them.  There are so many different varieties of flavors including almond & coconut, cranberry almond, nut delight, fruit & nut delight, blueberry pecan, almond walnut & macadamia, almond cashew, apple cinnamon pecan, and almonds & apricot in yogurt to name a few.  You may see a higher fat content on the wrapper than you would hope for but nuts are considered a healthy fat.   At the current moment my favorite is the almond & coconut.  It is a mix of one of my favorite nuts (the almond) and the delicious coconut.  I have found this product in many stores including Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's, Fairway, Whole Foods and The Vitamin Shoppe.  Not every store has every flavor so you may have to do a little searching at different locations to satisfy your preference.  The bars range in price (in the stores) from about $1.50 to about $2.00.
For more information on this delicious product you can visit their website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

Before I had any eating troubles I would eat a grapefruit and some variety of a Special K protein bar for breakfast.   Not being able to eat a grapefruit any more was hard at first because I loved to eat them.  When given the recommendation to purchase GNU Bars I figured I would be more than willing to give it a try.  I will be the first to tell you that when you open the wrapper it does not look like the most appealing food but they are delicious.  I now eat 2 or 3 of these a week for breakfast with a bowl of fruit (usually blueberries, strawberries, or an apple).  I have only tried the peanut butter and cinnamon raisin flavor bars.  They also come in banana walnut (I don't like bananas), chocolate brownie (can't have chocolate), espresso chip (not a fan of something with one of the many varieties of coffee flavor), lemon ginger and orange cranberry (can't have citrus and not a fan of lemon or orange flavored products).  The two flavors I can have are however I thoroughly enjoy.  My only suggestion is to eat it slow and take small bites because it can be gone in .5 seconds if you take big bites.  I have only seen this product at Fairway and The Vitamin Shoppe but I am sure you can find them elsewhere.
For more information about this delicious product you can visit their website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

Being a huge fan of the sugar snap pea I knew I had to try this product.  Every weekend I go shopping at Trader Joe's and buy two bags of the fresh snap peas.  I have a nice stash of the crisps in the pantry because they don't go bad like the fresh ones do.  They are wonderfully crunchy and a little salty (even though I am not a salty food person I don't mind it).  I feel better about eating this than potato chips even though I rarely eat any type of potato chip.  The only place I have found this is at Trader Joe's.
For more information about this delicious and crunchy product you can go to their website.

At the bottom of the small rack in the back corner of the store I found this delicious secret.  Thank you Trader Joe's for making these Savory Thin Mini Edamame Crackers for me and the rest of your customers.  I am not sure if they are a new product or not but if they are their location in Trader Joe's by me is extremely poor.  I only found them because I was looking at some rice cakes on the top of this small rack.  I don't really taste edamame when I eat one but they are a nice snack to have every once in a while.  This product can obviously be found in Trader Joe's.

Yes, I do love edamame.  So much that when I saw the hummus I knew I had to try it out.  Being very picky when it comes to hummus I wasn't sure how it would taste.  In fact, I did not expect it to be very good.  Aside from making hummus on my own the only other good ones I have tried are at restaurant in New York City and one in California.  This does not include the hummus I had in Israel because that was by far some of the best.  I purchased my second container of this hummus just the other day.  I dip carrots, snap peas, snow peas, and even the above mentioned edamame crackers.  This wonderful product can be found in the refrigerator section in Trader Joe's within the vast variety of hummus that they have.

The best part of a muffin is the top, isn't it?  Eating these make me think of "The Muffin Tops" episode of Seinfeld.  'Top of the Muffin To You!'  The company that makes the VitaTops, Vitalicious, makes many other products including muffins, cakes, brownies, mixes, buns, and sandwiches.  When I first found out about this product I wasn't sure where in the supermarket I could find them.  Would you think of looking in the freezer section?  Yeah, me either.  Not only are they found in the freezer section but I found them located in the natural and organic freezer section.  Up until today I only had the Apple Crumb, and BlueBran.  After a couple of months eating them I decided to visit their website and see what other products and flavors existed.  Some of the other flavors include Fudgy Peanut Butter, Banana Choco Chip, Chocolate Mint, Deep Chocolate, Raisin Bran, Triple Chocolate Chunk, and Banana Nut.  Today I went to the supermarket looking for some organic cream cheese (to make something for the boys I take care of) and saw on the top shelf of the freezer case the Pumpkin Spice flavor I have been wanting to try.  I will try almost anything that comes in pumpkin flavor so I knew I had to buy this.  Because they are found in the freezer section you obviously keep them there at home.  When ready to eat you let it defrost for a little and then place it in the toaster.  Vitatops are sweet enough to fulfill my sweet tooth at night and they only have 100 calories per top.

For more information about this delicious topper you can visit their website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

Have you tried any of the product that I now love to eat?  What are your thoughts on them?  Do you have a desire to try any of them?  Share your thoughts in a delicious comment!