5:30 a.m. – alarm…get up, pack bag for morning activities, pack breakfast, get dressed
6 a.m. – teach hot yoga…hot, hot, hot practice!
7:15 a.m. – finish cleaning room and head up to shower and get ready to train clients
I packed chia pudding to eat while I’m getting ready. Lots of fun toppings! 🙂
8 a.m. – train first client at Metro. She’s in her mid-twenties and has Hashimoto’s Disease. I’ve been working with her for almost a year and love her so. She’s such a hard worker regardless of how good or bad she feels and such a positive person. If anyone has Hashimoto’s, I would appreciate hearing your experience with it.
9 a.m. – train second client at Metro. She’s a mom of two in her late thirties and a joy to be around and train. Things are finally starting to click with her in loving the strength work and believing the importance of clean diet to go along with. She’s so eager to learn and grow!
(Side note…I exclusively train women now. My time is limited and that’s what I enjoy more than anything…so that’s what I do!)
10 a.m. – I chat with co-workers, check in with email and social channels and pack up.
10:30 a.m. – stop by bank on way to another gym for my training session.
11 a.m. – arrive at gym and run a mile to warm up.
11:15-noon – session with my trainer. BEST DECISION EVER to get a trainer. I LOVE IT! She kicked my butt and we did tons of fun and new stuff.
12:15 p.m. – pick up menu print outs and fliers for Y2 and deliver to studio. Hang fliers around studio.
1 p.m. – arrive home for lunch.
Starving after training session so I snack on plantain chips from Trader Joe’s while I make lunch. Arugula, spinach, golden beets, pistachios, celery, pears, carrots, avocado and cucumbers. Dressed with lemon-infused olive oil and pear balsamic. Zoey snacks on carrots, celery, cucumbers and arugula. This crazy dog ate arugula. She loves veggies.
1:30 p.m. – make a cup of tea and hit the computer. Spend next 2.5 hours on responding to comments, replying to PBR emails and working on stuff for the studio.
4 p.m. – computer break to run to post office and take Zoey to field to throw the ball. She went CRAZY knowing where we were going and spent the whole car ride talking to me about it. Girl loves her ball. And running. Chat with my dad while we throw the ball.
4:30 p.m. – home and make snack of pear and almond butter while I plow through my inbox for the yoga studio and start working on our upcoming workshops calendar.
6 p.m. – I really should have kept working because I was in the groove but my fiance lost his grandfather today and I really wanted to be there to support him so I went to take his class. The bonus was that I got to practice next to one of my very best friends who I haven’t seen in weeks. It was a very hot, very intense practice but perfect.
7:30 p.m. – head home after showering at studio and prep dinner. We snack on plantain chips and guacamole while prepping dinner.
8:15 p.m. – dinner goes in oven. Sliced Trader Joe’s Chicken Italian Sausage (Whole30 friendly!), brussels sprouts, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips and rutabaga with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Baked at 400 for about 40 minutes. I covered it with foil for the first 30 minutes and then uncovered for last 10. While dinner is cooking I send out communication to our teachers about a bunch of updates and announcements and answer emails and FB messages.
9 p.m. – We eat! If you’ve never tried a one-pan roasted dinner, you need to ASAP! This was so simple but so amazing and we ate the entire pan (oops). Also, if you’ve never tried roasting parsnips, turnips and rutabagas. I highly recommend. Get creative with your veggies. It’s one of the best ways to avoid burnout.
9:30 p.m. – Cue Nurse Jackie while I start this post. First time I’ve blogged at night in a very long time and not a habit I want to get back into. 😉
10 p.m. – finish this post…goodnight to all and make this one-pan roasted veggie dinner!
xoxo,
Jen
Do you have any favorite one-pan dinners?
What do you do after dinner?
i have to do all my cooking for the week on Sunday nights (home too late during the week) and roast chicken and vegies in one pan is always a goodie for two meals.
I have Hashimotos – diagnosed about 3 years ago. My levels aren’t high enough yet to be on thyroid medication so have to keep doing six monthly testing. My mum had a total thyroidectomy so as this runs in the family my endocrinologist said I will likely have to be on medication at some stage in the future. Ask me any questions you want tho. 🙂
Thanks for sharing Donna. What workouts do you usually find work best for you?
And yes, that roast chicken and veggies dinner is wonderful.
Well, its taken a while to figure out what my happy place is as it is so easy to put on weight with Hashimotos. I currently do two weights session (one with PT and then one on my own), 3 rpm classes, 2 runs, and a stair sprint session. I also walk a heap (we have a VERY active 3-year old Alaskan Malamute) but i dont count this as exercise. My trainer has just also tweaked my diet too as i want to lean up a bit more. Still having between 1800-1900 cals per day but carbs are more focused later in the day or after training.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s this past June, at age 38, although I believe I have always had some semblance of it for the past 20 years. I avoid gluten and soy and have increased my cardio. Although I hate it, I am happy to have a diagnosis, as I know others who have undiagnosed immune diseases that still suffer.
I’m so sorry to hear that but good that you got a diagnosis. Thanks for sharing how you’ve dealt with it.
The busy day of a fit pro entrepreneur, eh??
That dinner looks amazing! Adding it to my “to try” queue XO
Haha, yes! Thank you!
I lovvvvvvve roasted veggies 🙂
ME TOO! we have them almost every night.
I live by one pan roasted dinners! One oven temp, one pan, one timer…life is beautiful. After dinner I usually watch TV and catch up with my family. Blogging usually makes an appearance, although I try to limit it at night too.
Yes! So easy and delicious. I used to blog all the time at night and always be on my laptop. Changing that has been so amazing!
I was diagnosed with both Hashimotos and Graves’ disease when I was 7 months post partum. I was actually hyperthyroid at the time and taking synthroid for previously diagnosed hypothyroidism so my symptoms were awful. I had constant mild vertigo (like being a n a boat ALL THE TIME) my legs were so weak and wobbly I couldn’t walk around the block. They first had to rule out MS and a brain tumor. It took about six monthsto find the right balance of meds with my endocrinologist which is probably most important to feeling better. In addition emphasizing sleep, healthy non inflammatory diet, and gentle exercise are key. Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease so you want to calm the autoimmune and inflammatory processes in the body. For diet going gluten and lactose free are super helpful for me and When I was at my sickest I did autoimmune paleo to help calm my baby y’s response. Super strict but helpful.
Hi Jenny –
Thank you for sharing this. It’s really helpful and I will pass it along to her. <3
Hope you’re feeling well.
I love a whole roasted chicken over carrots, onions, and potatoes! So easy and good 🙂
I don’t have Hashimoto’s, however, do take medication for a thyroid disorder. The medication really made a huge difference for me, however, I know that each thyroid disorder can be very different.
That is one of my favorites too! You can’t beat a good roast chicken. I’m happy to hear that the medication has helped you.
That pan looks yummy! I just picked up the spinach with feta sausage yesterday, I’ll do this tonight with broccoli and sweet potatoes.
That sounds like an awesome combo!
I typically really love your blog but I have to admit it has been triggering for me lately. You were extremely active yesterday and consumed VERY few calories. It cannot be healthy, no matter what way you look at it. Some brown rice or quinoa would have been a smart addition to lunch, as well as an extra snack or two thrown in there. It makes me sad to see you living like this.
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for reading and commenting. First, I am really sorry to hear that you have felt at all triggered by any part of my Whole30. Second, I actually consumed over 2,000 calories yesterday. The Whole30 encourages no calorie counting, weighing food, weighing yourself, etc but I did just total up everything I ate and it came in at…
Cals
2304
Fat
151 g
Cholesterol
83 mg
Sodium
1345 mg
Carbs
199 g
Fiber
61 g
Protein
80 g
You’ll see that I actually got plenty of carbs in from the foods that I ate, plenty of fat (via chia seeds, olive oil, nut butter, avocados, etc) and adequate calories. I would say that as a rule I am NEVER under 2,000 calories in a day. Usually more in the 2,500-3,000 range given my activity level. The only thing I would have added to this day was more protein at lunch but didn’t have any fish or chicken cooked on hand and didn’t want to eat salmon three times in a row.
I hope this helps you see that this style of eating is not as restrictive as it may seem. I eat as much as I want at meals (my fiance and I ate that entire pan of veggies and sausage) and also have snacks and I never feel hungry or deprived.
I just wanted to add one more thing. Please remember that my initial motivation for Whole30 was to try to find a solution to the condition with my eyes. And they have cleared up 100% on Whole30 with no medication for over a month now. Please do what you need to do to take care of you. If you need to take a blog break, please do. <3
Looks like a great day to me!
Love you only train women now– such an inspiration to figure out what makes you happy and just do that.
Sorry about your fiance’s death in the family. That is so hard.
There are not enough hours in the day or days in our lives to do things you don’t enjoy if you have the opportunity to do otherwise! 🙂
Last night’s one pot dinner – sauteed some onions in my favorite cast iron skillet, added thinly sliced potatoes, asparagus, and chicken thighs on top. Salt and pepper, of course. Put in oven at 400 until the chicken is done. My son made this last night (he’s 10) and it was delicious!
I am so glad you saw the importance of supporting your fiance; work will always be there, and supporting our loved ones is such an important part of a happy, healthy life.
I’d love to hear more about your transition to training only women. How did you do it? Was it a case where you just didn’t bring in more men as they dropped, or did you just let them go? Always a delicate balance, because those clients you let go may be your biggest cheerleaders! I’ve been considering a similar move and am just trying to think about the logistics of it!
Hi Lisa,
That dinner combo sounds incredible! I love chicken thighs and they’re so good cooked over the veggies like that. And bonus that your 10 year old loved it!
Over the last year or so my perspective has really shifted on family v. work. I couldn’t agree with you more.
Regarding the training…as I discovered that I preferred training women, I stopped accepting male clients and then the couple I had I let go of mainly for scheduling reasons (I let go of all but one of my 5:30 a.m. clients and then also took on two morning yoga classes that conflicted with training). They totally understood. Anytime I let go of a client (male or female) I always be sure to talk to them about my decision (and that it’s totally me, not them!) and also recommend other trainers. I talk to the trainers I recommend ahead of time to make sure they could fit them in their books.
It’s been so wonderful for me. I’ve found that my current sweet spot is women in their 30s and 40s and helping them love strength and increase their endurance. I really love working with pre and postnatal clients as well.
When I sit down for dinner, guilty, but I do saw at my desk with my laptop! But when it’s dinner time it’s my signal that the day is over and I can unwind then, so I finish up some (more) blog reading, social media, and loose ends 😛
Totally get that. I do it with breakfast and lunch most of the time!
Love day in the life posts!! I’ve been eating dinner close to nine during the week lately too due to one of my jobs. Love that chicken sausage from TJ’s!
We always eat so late! The chicken sausage is THE BEST! Perfectly spicy and so yummy!
Oh yum to that pan of roasted veggies and chicken sausage! I’ve noticed since I started the whole 30 I just want so many different types of veggies! I tried parsnips and loved them! Now I just need to get to trying different meats!
Me too! It’s a great excuse to get a little creative and cook things you normally wouldn’t.
After dinner I honestly just crash on the couch and try to do some last minute work if I am not too fried…Lately I have been so busy and pooped by the end of the day, that just end up watching really bad TV on Bravo! HAHA!
Haha! I know the feeling!
I have Hashimoto’s and type 1 diabetes (type 1 since age 3, Hashimoto’s since age 15, currently 30 years old). Having two autoimmune diseases makes everything about working out more difficult, but with planning and determination it’s doable. I used to solely run and completed six half marathons in my early-mid twenties but it was very difficult on both of my conditions and my TSH levels and blood sugars were all over the place and I basically felt exhausted 24/7. Your blog has been a big motivator for me to get into strength training, something I resisted for so long because I didn’t think it would burn as many calories as running. I started strength training a year ago and cut way back on running and I feel SO much better – my blood sugars are more consistent and my thyroid levels are easier to control also (obviously with medication still, but the running was really fatiguing my body and causing a lot of adrenal damage which obviously makes thyroid meds less effective). Six months ago I started Orangetheory and have fallen in love with the mix of strength and cardio and the trainers there have really pushed me to lift even heavier. I also love that the treadmill components of class are only 30 minutes (whereas I used to sometimes spend 2 hours a day running) and I am much faster than I used to be because I am stronger. Sorry for writing a novel here, but my point is, like anything else, moderation is key with autoimmune diseases. The amount I was running and doing cardio before was making everything worse and having cut way back and focusing primarily on strength has helped my blood sugars, my thyroid, my body, and most of all my happiness! Love your blog; thanks for continuing to spread the message that women should lift…don’t know if I ever would have started doing it without reading here.
The one pan dinners look awesome. We always have leftover veggies hanging around and need to start adding parsnips & turnips. Question…what are your favorite seasonings to sprinkle on roasted veggies? I typically stick with salt, pepper, olive oil, but can you recommend and others?
Hi, Jen! Do you use uncooked italian sausage for this recipe or pre-cooked? Thanks 🙂
pre-cooked but i’m sure that regular would work too because it cooks for so long!
Jen! Thank you for all that you do and share with the world <3
Question for you – I've been making roasted one pan veggies for years and have recently started adding sausage, thanks to you! My sausage always ends up crumbled in my pan as I can't "slice" it when it's thawed. What's your trick? Are you partially cooking it first to slice it? Are you slicing it frozen? Thanks in advance 🙂