Another good night of sleep. Maybe there is something to the 5HTP stuff, but more on that later…. At the gym a little early and had a great work out. After a warm up, I hit the weights:
- Chin ups: 2 sets of 3, 1 set of 2.
- Barbell deadlift/row combo: 3 sets of 10 at 55 pounds
- Incline dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 with 25# DBs
- Reverse lunge with dumbbell on shoulder: 3 sets of 10 with 20# DB
- Bent over cable row: 3 sets of 15 at 50#
- Reverse crunches: 3 sets of 15
Ah yes, chin ups much better doing first! While I am really slow at increasing the number, I have realized that I am actually performing them easier. My body swings much less, which means I am using more strength rather than momentum to hoist myself up. That’s a good thing!
Hopped on the treadmill and did a walk/run combo with 2 miles of running. Felt pretty good! I stayed on the treadmill for a little longer before heading out to bagels. With John sitting on the jury, he wasn’t able to join me, but my folks did! Yay for family time 
Do you ever have those times where you just feel overwhelmed with life stuff? Not all bad stuff, but just overwhelmed? I am having that right now. Seems like there is some intersecting of a lot of things all at once and I feel like I am juggling 20 balls in the air. Again, most of it is good, but it’s still stressful.
Lunch break was some pseudo-overnight oats. After I got back from the gym, I mixed some multigrain hot cereal with vanilla greek yogurt and let that sit in the fridge. Mixed in some pumpkin, cinnamon, and flax seed:
Pretty good. Very thick and chewy! This will be made in the summer, I think.
Anyway, regarding 5-HTP, here is a little more about it. 5-HTP is short for 5-hydroxy-tryptophan. Tryptophan is that amino acid that is supposed to help you release serotonin and get sleepy (turkey dinner, anyone??). 5-HTP is actually a precursor to serotonin and reportedly helps your body make more of it, which can allow for easier sleep. It is supposedly plant derived, but I can’t seem to find out exactly what without having to weed through a lot of the sales pitches on websites for this stuff. There is a lot of drivel out there (like with any supplement). Some clinical trials have shown benefit to 5-HTP, although not as much as some websites would have you believe. I have been taking this for the past several days (bought from Puritan’s Pride) 100 mg about 20-30 minutes before bedtime. I have found that I have slept through the night, or if I did wake up, I fell right back asleep (from what I remember anyway). I don’t know how much of this is due to the placebo effect or if it actually is doing something.
The added benefit to getting a good night’s sleep? Less snacky during the daytime! 🙂 Some people report side effects of nervousness or headaches with 5HTP – so please don’t take anything I say as medical advice!
Speaking of snack…. I had a raspberry Attune bar today with my latte.
Jeez I really like these. Good thing they are a little on the pricey side or I would eat a lot more of them. Wonder if I could get them to sponsor me? 🙂
We bought some frozen salmon filets that have a southwestern coating on them to try for dinner. I was pretty skeptical because most fish tastes… well, fishy to me. I know that sounds funny, but it’s true! Tuna tastes the most fishy, but I expect that from tuna.
I actually think I liked this! It didn’t taste fishy at all to me. This little filet is packed with 25 grams of protein, too. Woo Hoo! Roasted brussels and a pear to compliment. Had a lot of those superfoods today.
I actually have to do more work tonight. Vacation can’t come soon enough!
Question: What is your favorite fish?
I want to try one of those Attune bars. I need to find them!
My favorite fish is white perch. Very mild and reminds me of my childhood. My dad always caught so many of them. I also tried amberjack and ling recently. Very good. But I get weak over a good tuna steak.
I’ve never been able to do 1 chin up. I think I’ll add that to my goal list. 🙂 Any tips? Suggestions? Just do it?
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Ouch!!!! =-.
Practice negative chins first, where you start with yourself above the bar and just lower slowly. Keep doing that for a long time (many weeks), then try one regularly 😀 That’s it in a nutshell.
Salmon, tuna, tilapia, halibut, red snapper…did you say favourite? I love most of them.
.-= Kimberley´s last blog .. =-.
Fresh cod is nice and non-fishy. I think I like salmon best; when it’s super fresh, it doesn’t taste fishy at all. I also like the mild white fishes one can get in Hawaii, like mahi-mahi, and I think there was one called ono. (Obviously been too long since I’ve been there! 😉
Now I’m hungry!
.-= Pubsgal´s last blog ..Weekly Update, 1/27/10 =-.
Bet all the life stuff is overwhelming because of your upcoming VACATION! 🙂 Soon you won’t have to worry about anything…how nice!!!
I don’t do fish of any kind. My fish oil caplets are stretching it…even the “odorless” ones sometimes give me a fishy burp or two and I want to die, that’s how much I hate fish, lol!
Thanks for the running advice. I didn’t know that I shouldn’t do it two days in a row…no wonder it’s so hard the second day! It’s hard to get it in more than once a week what with my M/T/W workouts and then full work days Th/F. I suppose I could get up super early and go for a run, but seriously, we all know that ain’t happening!
As for my workouts, we do 30 minutes in the cardio room and 30 in the gym. Usually Brad has sets of 3 or 5 minutes, with a 1 minutes break between sets. For example today we did a set of 2, then 4, 6, 8, 10 – box push ups, box jumps and step ups holding 20 lb dumbbells. We tried to hit 10 – on a couple of them I did (only hit 8 on that one, but hit 10 on one involving a 26 lb. kettlebell and another one using arms/pulley weights). He keeps us moving so our heart rates are up. On the leg presses, I did the set of 100 in 6 minutes…and the set of 75 the next day in 5…can you tell my legs were tired? Anyway, hope this makes sense.
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Wednesday Workout Update – Dork Edition =-.
Man…those Attune bars DO look good….where on earth can I find those??
Fish wise is tough for me…I love mahi-mahi, but only when it’s fresh. Otherwise perch is decent. I like very white, very flaky, very NON-fishy-fish, if that makes sense. 🙂
.-= Destination:Athlete´s last blog ..you were all correct. =-.
Hi Lori, I get that overwhelmed feeling sometimes. That’s when I really try to learn–what can I eliminate, or what do I need to remember so that I don’t overload myself the next time–even when its all good stuff.
I like a lot of fish too. Filet of sole is probably my favorite. Have you tried a good tuna steak. Not fishy at all–actually tastes like a really good steak–like filet mignon. I swear.
Regarding the attune bars. I like them too. But not really for the probiotic affect. I think I eat enough yogurt for that. I just like that they taste like chocolate candy. And I was going to say that I thought they had the same calories, but I checked, and sure enough, the same amount (20 grams) of my favorite dark chocolate bar would be 120 calories compared to 80 calories for the attune. Hmmm. Wonder how they do that?
.-= debby´s last blog ..Recipes =-.
I love the attunes for the size and portion control (plus they are good). Like you, I don’t eat them for the probiotics.
Hands down my favorite fish is rainbow trout caught fresh and cooked over an open fire. But now I’m dreaming. 🙂 I also love smoked sardines in olive oil but only the Millionaires as they’re small. Tilapia, basa, salmon ….
My favorite seafood is shrimp.
I love fish!
.-= Fitcetera´s last blog .. =-.
I forgot pickled herring and herring in wine sauce and herring in tomato sauce. I grew up with this stuff as my parents are from Northern Germany on the Baltic Sea and mostly ate fish growing up themselves. Meat wasn’t a common thing in our house growing up. My dad loved smoked eel but I drew the line there. Not a fish, but I love smoked oysters too.
Perch, pickerel, smelts. 😀
and chocolate shaped fish would be good too. 😀
.-= Fitcetera´s last blog .. =-.
ooops … too much espresso … fish-shaped chocolate.
.-= Fitcetera´s last blog .. =-.
I am not a big fan of fish either and just made a tuna cake a couple of days ago that I really loved! I think my tastes are changing!
.-= 266´s last blog ..Thank You Note =-.
Wild Salmon.. especially Coho and Copper River.. I’m form the Pacific NW, so I’m a total seafood brat 🙂
.-= Alyson´s last blog ..Bmore Bound =-.
As you know from my blog i ALWAYS feel overwhelmed! LOL! I drool over your bagels all the time. If only i could get by with just eating one i wouldn’t have to ban them from my life. Maybe i need to give it another shot??……. I don’t think i’ve ever had an Attune bar…….may need to check that out too……Lets see what else……….fish……i’m not a big fish eater either. But i do like tuna, dolphin safe ofcourse…….. 🙂 talapia, a when we go deep sea fishing i look forward to the kingfish we always seem to catch. um…..my hubby caught a little bass one time on a camping trip and cooked it up in the left over bacon grease from the morning and i was skeptical but OMG it was to die for! I know i know EVERYTHING tastes good fried in bacon grease. LOL!
Go ahead and eat a bagel! You only need to get one out somewhere, that way they aren’t in the house tempting you 😀
I get overwhelmed with life stuff too… just silly things, like chores at home and responding to emails. I don’t leave myself time to relax.
I don’t eat fish, but my cat’s fave kind is salmon!
.-= kilax´s last blog ..Sorry, your limit is 150 =-.
I really need to start trying those overnight oats! I love salmon! 🙂
.-= Simply Life´s last blog ..French Onion Soup! =-.
I think everyone feels a little overwhelmed with life at times but especially before leaving for vacation.
I’m going to have to tell my mother to try the 5HTP. She has terrible insomnia and has tried almost everything out there.
Countdown to vacation time …. ENJOY!
Ugh, I hate salmon and any other fish that tastes “fishy.” But I love wild caught cod and I do enjoy ahi tuna on the grill. Halibut is wonderful but also very expensive but I’ll treat us occasionally. I cook it in a foil packet with onions, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced fennel, dill in a mustard vinaigrette. Then serve it with a salad of tomatoes, black olives, fennel and the fronds, dill, and a bit of feta cheese and the rest of the dressing. Completely delectable!
.-= Andra´s last blog ..Quick Update =-.
I’ll eat almost any fish except those bland white ones known as merluz and tilapia. Ick. Otherwise, I’m good on the fish — sign me up! I’m especially fond of scallops and shrimp. Lo-cal, high protein. Pre-vacation is always a stressful time, I think. The mind starts racing with things to do. Soon you’ll be snoozing away on a deck chair!
.-= Ishmael´s last blog .. =-.
I love all fish but I do eat tilapia everyday 🙂
.-= April´s last blog ..CHILLaxin’ =-.
Congrats on those chin ups! I am working them too & still working on the body weight wide grip pull-ups.
Very interesting on the 5 – HTP! I need to check that out since my sleep is not always great! THX!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..My Monday Weight Workout =-.
I like most fish. I really like scallops and crab legs. Not fish but seafood at least.
.-= Ang´s last blog ..Bacon cupcakes rock! =-.
I love salmon. I don’t like the fishy fish either. But Salmon is always delicious!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Weigh in Day =-.
I don’t like fish at all. I used to when I was a young teenager but I just changed I suppose. I too find that even good things in life can get a bit overwhelming. It’s hard sometimes to find a balance.
.-= Diane Fit to the Finish´s last blog ..I Was Judging UnFairly =-.
Haddock and cod are my absolute favorites because they’re not too strong. I’m not a fan of salmon because it is too fishy (I know exactly what you mean!).
.-= Ash @ Good Taste. Healthy Me´s last blog ..Amazing Lunch and Food Safety Issues =-.
Actually I don’t like fish that much. I don’t often eat it and when I do it’s always the “not so fishy” fish. I don’t eat salmon for example. But tuna and tilapia I do.
.-= Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Wednesday January 27th 2010 =-.
Salmon is my fave! Hands down. I love it slightly undercooked too. Actually, the salmon sushi pieces I had for my b-day were too die for. Oh! And smoked salmon. Love that too 😀
I can’t remember if I’ve commented on it yet – but I have noticed you’re getting better at those blasted chin ups. Way to go Lori!!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Survivor =-.
Thanks on the chin ups! I can’t do many, but I am getting better at them very slowly. I’m starting to notice it now. Gotta make the upper body strong to make my lower half look smaller LOL!