This or That

Well, today is day 1 of working from home while my office is being renovated and so far, it’s kind of a downer.

Yes, it was nice to sleep in and avoid rush hour traffic and yes I’m pumped that I get to eat a freshly made lunch instead of re-heated leftovers out of Tupperware, but I’m craving human interaction. I miss being able to take little chat breaks throughout the day. Now, I find myself talking to my cat and even he is proving to be poor company (he’s currently asleep upstairs).

On the bright side, I just did a load of laundry. How often do I get to say that on a Tuesday afternoon?

So, since I’m craving small talk, I’ve decided to do this fitness survey that’s floating around the Interwebz. Feel free to share your answers to any of these This or That questions in the comments:

1.  Run/workout in the heat and humidity or freezing temps and snow?

This is tough because I am a total baby when it comes to extreme temperatures but if I had to choose, I’d go with heat and humidity over freezing temperatures. If I can get outside early in the morning, the heat doesn’t bother me that much, whereas freezing temperatures suck no matter what time of day it is.

2. Have washboard abs or flat abs?

Flat abs. Washboard abs require either monk-like discipline or genetic superiority, neither of which I possess. I’d rather have a flat but not necessarily toned stomach and be able to drink beer once in awhile than rock hard abs and a life full of boiled chicken and spinach six times a day.

3. Dr. Oz or The Doctors?

I thought Dr. Oz was one of The Doctors. Which just goes to show I’m unqualified to answer this question. All of these health care professionals with TV shows are pretty much interchangeable to me.

4. Cardio or strength

Strength all the way. I enjoy strength-based workouts a lot more and they do much better things for my body than cardio. These days, I only do cardio twice a week most weeks.

5. Cravings: Protein or carbs?

Let’s just put it this way – if I could get away with it, I would totally eat an 80% carb-based diet (and that extra 20% would be reserved for things to put on the bread like nut butter, cheese and hummus).

6. Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper?

Jillian, mostly because I want her body (not that Bob doesn’t have a great body, but I don’t necessarily aspire to it ). I also like her tough love approach.

7. Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream?

Can I cheat and pick gelato instead? I love me some gelato, especially in the summer.

8. To train: Upper body or Lower body?

These days, I love training my upper body, especially my chest and shoulders.

9. Protein powder or food with protein?

From a health perspective, I prefer to get protein from unprocessed sources but I really love the stuff you can make with protein powder (I’m obsessed with mixing it with Greek yogurt, berries and granola), plus it’s just such an easy way to get enough protein for the day.

10. Lunges or squats? 

Squats. Both are great exercises though.

11. Sweet or salty?

Sweet. I don’t have a hard time resisting chips or salty snacks, but put baked goods in front of me and all of my willpower goes out the window.

12. Workout attire: cute or comfy?

Both although I’d put comfort over cuteness any day. Like I’ll happily work out in one of Josh’s old T-shirts but you won’t see me wearing anything uncomfortable no matter how cute it is.

13. Body Pump or Heavy lifting?

If you’re a regular reader, you already know the answer to this. If you’re new, this would be a good time to let you know I’m completely obsessed with BodyPump. I’ve been doing it for over two years and it still challenges me and gives me great results, plus I still have fun in almost every class. I’ve dabbled in heavy lifting and it kind of bored me to tears. So, yeah, definitely Pump.

14. Yoga or Pilates?

Yoga. I love giving my body a nice stretch and I also find it really relaxing. I always leave yoga in a good mood. I haven’t done a lot of pilates but it doesn’t really seem like my cup of tea.

15. Nike or Adidas?

I don’t own a lot of either brand so I can’t really say.

16. Running on the treadmill or outdoors?

Outdoor, hands down. It’s so much more enjoyable with the fresh air and scenery. I will only do a treadmill run if I’m absolutely desperate to work out and there aren’t any other options (but in most cases, I would rather just skip the gym than get on a treadmill).

17. Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s?

We don’t have Trader Joe’s where I live so Whole Foods wins by default. I do like Whole Foods though.

18. Summer or Winter Olympics?

I’m not a big follower of the Olympics but I’m more likely to pay attention to them in winter. When the weather’s nice, I’d rather be outdoors than watching TV.

19. Exercises classes or Exercise videos?

I’m a group ex junkie so obviously I’m going to go with classes. I can see the appeal of workout DVDs though – it would be convenient to be able to workout whenever you want, without having to leave your house. Given that I now have the perfect area in my house to do at-home workouts, I plan to add workout DVDs into the mix one of these days…

20. Steamed veggies or roasted veggies?

Roasted tastes better, steamed is easier so it’s a tie. As long as they are cooked with some good sauce or seasoning, I’m happy.

Any of these you feel especially strongly about?