Current faves: Girlfriend, food, Lagree and weekly workouts

Hi, my friends! How are you? I hope you’ve had a great week. Ours was so-so. Although we don’t normally get sick, this past week saw another bug move through the Pitt household, unfortunately. But the good news is that this weekend is going to be pretty low-key, outside of a little event I’m going to tomorrow in Livermore Valley Wine Country. Now, as we do at the end of each week, let’s take a look at some of the things I’ve been loving lately. The faves are as follows …

Fun

Judy’s weekend visit

This time last week, we were just welcoming my girlfriend, Judy, into town from Orlando. She arrived on Friday afternoon and left on Monday morning, and we were go-go-go the entire time. Judy is the sweetest, and she is an awesome visitor, because she’s easygoing, down for anything and a whole lot of fun too, as well as a full-time working mom of two boys, who keeps it real. We went out to dinner in downtown Walnut Creek to Teleferic Barcelona on Friday with Dave. Then on Saturday, just Judy and I went to a SoulCycle class (it was her first time ever at the studio, and she was NOT a fan hehehe), then we had a delicious brunch at True Food Kitchen and did some shopping. That afternoon, we gathered up Dave and Brady and went back to downtown Walnut Creek for a fall festival, which was totally packed. Then, that evening, Judy and I went out to dinner to Lokanta. On Sunday, our little group (Brady too) went to Napa, hit up the Silver Oak winery, had an amazing lunch at the original Gott’s Roadside, then had a super fun evening at home. Oh, and Judy braided my hair each day too … she’s got skills.

Sunday night may have been my favorite night of the visit, because we went on a night-time walk to the grocery store and talked about the struggles and joys of motherhood, had some wine, put on this awesome charcoal face mask which felt sooo good, watched the finale of “World of Dance” and then had a huge home-made pizza dinner made by Dave, followed up by take-out cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. All of that combined with a lot of laughs. I LOVE Judy, and hanging out with her makes me so happy that we’ve been friends for so long (since high school)! Good friends are hard to find, so hold on to them tight!

Food

Seasonal Quest bars

I’m a sucker for a seasonal bar, especially when it’s high in protein and from Quest. The pumpkin pie and peppermint bark bars are … well … holidays in protein form, and I’m a big fan. Thanks to Quest for sending them to me. The Quest protein cookies aren’t super moist, but I actually really liked the seasonal flavors.

Lunching at Gott’s Roadside

You’ve heard me mention the Gott’s Roadside in Walnut Creek before, but this was my first time at the original Gott’s — in Napa. We had to wait in a very long line (as usual, but this time there were some creepers behind us trying to touch Brady), but this spread was WORTH it. Ahi tuna sandwich for Judy and Dave, and a falafel salad for me, then we shared the sweet potato fries and fried Brussel sprouts. So darn good! If you plan a visit to the Bay Area, you need to head to Gott’s, even if you have to wait in a line.

Brunching at True Food Kitchen

Although I like to think that True Food Kitchen is the best place ever, I’ve actually had two not-quite-as-good meals there lately, but I was happy to head back with Judy and enjoy this sunrise bowl as a winner. It’s got SO many of my favorite things in one bowl, like portobello, avocado, hemp seeds, sweet potato, grains, eggs and a super tasty sauce. Love it.

Fashion

Two outfits worth sharing 

This is a dress I just bought, and it’s on sale, super comfortable and can be dressed up or down. (Edited to add, dress is sold out in the green color, but available in another color here.)

This fun top is only a month old, and I’ve worn it five times. We all need a little animal print in our lives!

Like to Know it app

Speaking of fashion, I’m starting to share the details of my outfits on Instagram through the Like to Know it app here and there. It’s SO easy to use, basically you download the app, then you follow me on there, and you can see where I bought the things I’m wearing. Give it a try! It’s a great way to get some fashion inspo from a whole lot of well-dressed peeps.

Fitness

Megaformer workouts at CB Fit

I’m a bit delayed in sharing this favorite, but last month I had the pleasure of attending two classes at CB Fit, a local studio specializing in the Lagree Method of Megaformer Pilates. Have you heard of Megaformer Pilates? Basically, you do a class on a huge contraption, and it’s incredibly hard. The classes run about 45 minutes, and your whole body will be WORKED, without any impact or jumping. And you SWEAT … post-class red-faced photos below …

I had done a Lagree Method class in Chicago last year and another reformer Pilates machine class in the past, but I’m NOT a pro. There is a lot of lingo to learn and it takes a while to figure out how to get your body into the right positions on the machine, but lucky enough, I let the instructors at CB Fit know before each class that I wanted hands-on adjustments, so they obliged. Megaformer classes like this are very small, so you can expect some personal attention, which I like.

We spent the entire 45 minutes on the machine moving VERY slowly, which is what makes these workouts so hard — you can really feel them working and you can feel the right muscles activating too. You definitely work your core during every move as well. I was super sore after both short workouts. 

Truth be told, Megaformer workouts like these have been on my list as a “want” for FOREVER. The downfall is that the studios don’t offer childcare, and the individual classes are expensive, but I truly think this type of workout is SO body friendly and SO effective, that it’s worth the investment. Maybe I’ll get more into it one day and have the ability to go regularly? I hope so!

P.S. For my local friends, CB Fit has a studio in Walnut Creek and Danville, and they have a great rate for first-time students. Thanks to CB Fit for the complimentary classes for me to try.

Weekly workout recap

And here’s a look at my workouts from last week …

• Monday: 1-hour BODYPUMP class, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: 30-minute CXWORX class, 10 a.m.
• Wednesday: 20-minute solo full-body weights workout, 11 a.m.
• Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
• Friday: 30-minute GRIT Strength workout, 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday: 45-minute SoulCycle class, 10:45 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

This week of workouts was a pretty good one, with three sessions of full-body weights, some cardio, core and barre as well. I also took a full rest day too. My hardest workout of the week was doing the Les Mills GRIT Strength session on my own (although I was actually in the gym). I used Les Mills On Demand, which I’ll probably talk more about soon. It was so tough, and I definitely had to take some breaks because the moves were so intense. I have to admit, I strangely enjoyed it.

Suggested reading

Best links from around the web

• Exercise for your health. Did you see this article from earlier in the week about a study saying NOT exercising is worse for you than smoking? Get moving, people!
• Neck troubles. I had a sore neck for weeks a few months ago, which is finally gone, and it may have been caused by how I was sleeping, but I was in need of this article back then. Here are easy ways to relieve neck tension.
• Mental benefit of exercise. This article tells you which exercise activities are best for improving your mental health, and the top ones include group cycle classes, team-based sports and other aerobics. Love to hear that! 
• Organic food. I know it’s more expensive, but we are getting more and more reasons lately to try to choose organic whenever possible. Here’s another.
• Clean sneakers. I’ve always been a fan of machine washing my sneaks. How about you? Here are some other ways to get them sparkly clean. But remember, don’t let your sneakers get too over-worn and start developing feet and knee injuries because of it. I think 6 to 7 months is about the cut-off for sneakers you work out in regularly. 

Favorite A Lady Goes West archives

• Workouts. Do you know your “WHY” for working out? You should. Here’s mine … “What does your workout mean to you?“
• Prenatal fitness. Still want to hit up a class but not sure what to do? … “How to modify a BODYPUMP class when you’re pregnant.”

Hope you have an awesome weekend, my friends!

P.S. Congrats to Amy C. who won my copy of “Girl, Wash Your Face.” 🙂 More sneaky giveaways coming soon!

Questions of the day

What was the best part of your week?

Have you tried anything new fitness-wise lately?

What questions do you have about mom life? I’m working on a post for Monday all about it!