I'll Take That Genie Now, Thanks

This shit is hard.

Sgt. Ken is on vacation, so we are in the capable and cruel hands of Amber this week. I say capable because she is every bit as tough and demanding as Sgt. Ken; I say cruel because it's true.

I kid, of course. If I wanted an easy workout, I'd take a water aerobics class. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Of course, what kills me makes me dead, so there's a delicate balance thing going on here.

I was happy this morning to see some new recruits, but I was even happier to see many familiar faces returning after their two week trial. There's a real team dynamic shaping up in the class, and that's one of the things I really like about it. It's motivating in the morning to know that if I stay in bed instead of going to work out, I'll have people asking me next time where I was. That means I'll have to fess up and admit that I was lazy. I don't want to have to do that.

As for today's class, it was, as usual, balls-to-the-wall from start to finish. My brain plays cruel tricks on me during workouts like this morning. When the cardio starts to feel like I can't possibly do another second, and Amber instructs us to start something different, like push-ups, I'll think "Awesome, a cardio break will feel good!" Then once my triceps start peeling off the bone and my pectorals start to revolt, I think "Why on earth did I think this would be any better?" That thought pattern continues pretty much throughout the whole hour. I'm going to wind up in a padded room.

Now for a quick subject change; I'm getting this regular exercise thing under control, so now it's time to think about my nutrition. I don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. I know this; so I'm going to try to start working on it. I'm actually very knowledgeable about nutrition, I just don't put what I know into practice.

I'm going to try to start having a good salad for lunch most days. It will need to be filling, have plenty of veggies, include a protein of some sort, and most important, it's going to have to taste good. If it doesn't taste good, I won't eat it. Greens, chicken, and some kind of dressing isn't going to cut it for me for very long. So please give me your favorite salad combinations in the comments. I'll start off with a few that I like:

Spinach with grilled chicken, sliced strawberries, blue cheese crumbles, and dressing made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and greek seasoning.

Spring greens with grilled chicken, chopped apples, feta cheese crumbles, and dressing made with rice vinegar, canola oil, and a pinch of mild herb seasoning (Penzey's Fox Point is good)

Spinach with chopped boiled egg, one crumbled slice of bacon, and dressing made from yellow mustard, honey, and a small splash of olive oil.

You may see a pattern there; I like to use strong cheeses like blue and feta, because it takes only a very small amount to give a lot of flavor. Same with the bacon; it only takes a little to really give a lot of bacony goodness. I also am not a fan of store-bought dressings. I prefer to make my own; that way, I know what's in them. If you have a favorite ready-made dressing, though, feel free to share.

Thanks in advance for any ideas! I'm hoping to bring all you lurkers out of the woodwork. :)