Hi Friends 🙂
I finally got to bed early last night (before 10pm!!!) – I thought I’d get a decent night’s sleep, but I really didn’t. I wonder if working out in the evening is hindering my sleep efforts? Perhaps I need to start getting up and exercising before work…if you are an early bird exerciser, what are your secrets?
I may have had a hard time sleeping due to the cardio workout I did last night: Tabata. I first heard of this workout on Oh Healthy Day a few weeks ago – Maria mentioned it and I wanted to look into it more. Then, later in the week I happened to see a post on Foods of April about Tabata, and finally I found this in an article in Women’s Health:
The article explains the Tabata method: 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, which are then repeated for a total number of 8 times. I haven’t looked into this method enough to know if these numbers are only recommended by Women’s Health – or anyone following the Tabata Method.
I followed the workout April had posted. Check it out! My heart rate was through the roof and the whole workout only lasted about 15 minutes!
Or maybe it was my delicious dinner that kept me up all night?
Easy Chicken & Black Bean Quesadillas
Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your fillings. I used shredded chicken, black beans, sliced green pepper, shredded soy cheese and the best salsa ever.
It was a gift and it is the best salsa I’ve ever had! It is hot but not burn-your-mouth-off hot.
Warm the beans, chicken and peppers in the microwave. Take out the tortillas and pile on the fillings. Fold over in half and place on a cookie sheet:
(uh, thats 2 for Jason and 1 for me!) Move the oven rack to the highest level and warm the quesadillas until the cheese is all melty. Cut in half and serve with mashed avocado:
Oh man this was good! And the tortilla got crispy so it held together nicely.
Whether it was the workout or the delicious dinner, I know I need to get more sleep. The goal is in bed before 9:30pm so I have time to wind down and get some restful sleep.
*When do you go to bed? Does it take you a while to fall asleep? Lately I have not been sleeping well at all. I have been waking up every couple of minutes and cannot stay asleep…until 6am rolls around and I need to get out of bed. Then suddenly I feel like I could sleep for days!
*Do you stand up for yourself? If someone insults you, whether they know it or not, do you tell them? Does your answer change if I am talking about a coworker or a family member? Lately I’ve been having an issue at work where I feel one of my coworkers is insulting me and bullying me in a very passive aggressive manner. I know I need to say something, but I struggle with finding the right words and the right time to talk to him. Other than that I don’t find many people insult me too often so I don’t have to deal with this.
*Have you heard of/tried Tabata? What did you think?
Enjoy your day! ~ Holly
The Couch Potato Athlete 
October 20, 2010 at 7:24 am
I am in bed at ten and up at five. Sometimes I can sneak in a nap, but rarely. I need nine hours a night to feel my best but it never happens. Good luck!
October 20, 2010 at 7:41 am
My bed time is usually 10 so I can be asleep by 10:30. It always feels so good to get closer to 8 hours.
I’ve never tried Tabata but its certainly something that I want to try after pregnancy. I first started hearing about it when trying to conceive so haven’t been able to incorporate it yet.
As for someone offending me, if its a one off thing I usually let it go. If its a continual occurence then I make sure to speak to the person, no matter who it is. Except maybe my dad because that’s just touchy and would likely make things worse.
October 20, 2010 at 7:44 am
i am in by 10 on most night and read for a bit. i usually roll out around 6:30ish on most mornings. i like this. i am old and i know it!
we had to take a bunch of conflict resolution trainings when i worked full time. i have no problem calling people on stuff i don’t enjoy. i just make sure i phrase correctly with lots of “i feel __________ when you _____ and i know this may not be your intent so lets problem solve together blah blah blah.” it is slightly annoying but accomplishes what you want it to most of the time.
October 20, 2010 at 7:46 am
I actually go to bed around 9pm every night. I wake up at 5:30 to swim most mornings. If I don’t get to bed-I can’t wake up.
Exercise has also been proven to keep you awake at night, if you work out later. I read a while back that is keeps your metabolism up for up to two hours after which keeps you tossing and turning. For me, if I exercise after about 4pm I can’t sleep well ha.
October 20, 2010 at 8:05 am
If I give a rip about the person and there is a tactful way to do it, I stand up for myself. I don’t think it’s a bad thing if someone thinks you are a “bitch” just because you are real with them. It’s a judgment call for me because I’ve had to learn to keep my dumb mouth shut in some situations. At work, that’s difficult… Because you have to see them every day. What is this person saying? I would just tell them next time they insult you, “You know, I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but when you say things like that it really hurts my feelings. Do you have a problem with me? Because I’d be happy to talk about it with you.” Easier said than done, because whenever I have to say those words it’s to a 7th-8th grader… But it might do the trick.
October 20, 2010 at 8:26 am
Oh what timing. I had 2 hours of sleep last night. Had alot to do with just thinking (too much!) and food (too much!). Feel like crap today – but oh well, shrug it off right? What’s the alternative? 😉
I have heard of Tabata…hmm – 4 minutes? Sounds GREAT to me!…except I’m tired just thinking about it 😉
October 20, 2010 at 8:44 am
Ok I’m not GREAT at getting up and working out in the morning, but I do think that working out in the morning or during lunch has helped me fall asleep at night. (I used to always work out at night and I usually had trouble sleeping afterwards…) This probably sounds ridiculous, but I have a timer on my light, and I sync it with my alarm clock, so when my alarm goes off, the light turns on. If I’m going to make the effort to get out of bed and turn it off, I can usually convince myself to just get up and stay up! Haha I know that sounds crazy, but it works for me!
October 20, 2010 at 9:13 am
I try to be good about going to bed early but it always ends up late way too fast. I always get at least 8 hours a night though!
October 20, 2010 at 9:16 am
The tabata method sounds great! I need to give that a shot 🙂
October 20, 2010 at 9:38 am
Thanks for the shoutout! From what I know, Tabata is always 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 rounds. I love it because you can do it anywhere (great for vacations), since most of the excercises are using your body weight. I love doing Tabata body weight squats!
Recently, I’ve been trying to go to bed early (10:00-10:30) and getting to work earlier so that my workouts are closer to 5:30 rather than 6:30 in the evenings. So far, it’s been working. Good luck with the sleeping! And hello – those quesadillas look amazing!
October 20, 2010 at 10:10 am
I havne’t tried Tabatas but I have heard they are brutal. My kind of workou t- short and hard.
October 20, 2010 at 10:36 am
those quesadillas look awesome and simple to make, which is the best part! thanks for the idea!
i aim to be in bed 10-10:30 so i can read a few minutes then i fall asleep. i know i’m ready when my eyes start shutting while i’m reading. i then sleep til 6 or so. i’ve tried going to bed earlier, and you know what? i slept worse! it’s so hit and miss with the sleep thing…so many factors like working out, what you ate, thoughts going through your head…good luck with finding what works for you!
i am such a confrontation avoider! so good luck with your situation…wait til you feel the “vibe” is right for a chat…and listen to your heart…then just take a deep breath and start the conversation!
have a great day!
October 20, 2010 at 11:08 am
I have been falling asleep at 930p…I think I’m narcoleptic..seriously
October 20, 2010 at 11:47 am
I have never heard of Tabata, but I’m going to look into it now… sounds fun!
I don’t want to jinx myself, but I generally don’t have a hard time falling asleep… I get up VERY early, so I’m off to bed by 10-11… if I’m not tired I’ll read a book for a few minutes – that’s all it takes 🙂
Doesn’t happen often, but if I hear something from someone I don’t have problems with, I make sure I’m not just taking it personally… if something is still bugging me after a couple days, I’ll say something – trying to remain as non-confrontational as possible.
October 20, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I have a horrible time trying to get to bed. I will go in by 12 but not fall asleep until 2 or 3 and then fight with the alarm clock in the morning for another hour or so. *sigh*
October 20, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I fall asleep and sleep like a rock 99% of the time. I’m super thankful for this.
No, I don’t stand up for myself or let people know when they’ve hurt my feelings. This needs to change, I know. But I’m not sure how to go about doing it. I feel really bad if people “don’t like me” so I don’t like to do anything that would upset them. It is all pretty lame, really. I’m working on it in therapy. Ha!
Never heard of Tabata – but I prefer medium intensity workouts for an extended period of time more than a burst of energy.
October 20, 2010 at 1:32 pm
sounds like a great workout! i’ve never heard of /tabata but it seems effective! Anything with intervals usually kicks butt!
October 20, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Intervals are the way to go!!!!
I go to bed WAYYYYYY to late….like after midnight, I blame my husband, hes an owl. However, since I have been preg, I have been falling asleep on the couch before 11. I just started a new client that is going to kill me, wanting to get me up at the crack of dawn so I MUST get to bed earlier from now on!
October 20, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I like the idea of Tabata becuase you can get a workout in during a short period of time… I’m curious if it really works.
October 20, 2010 at 2:45 pm
*When do you go to bed? Does it take you a while to fall asleep?
Usually, we go to bed at 10, but lately, it’s been 9. We just got our first puppy, and we’re crate training her, so we’re getting up once each in the night to let her out to pee. My hubby seems to find it easy to fall asleep as soon as he gets back to bed, but I really struggle 😦 Not too much longer and we’ll be able to do one shift each per night. Can’t wait!
*Do you stand up for yourself? If someone insults you, whether they know it or not, do you tell them? Does your answer change if I am talking about a coworker or a family member?
I generally do. I can be a little argumentative, but I don’t always manage to say what I mean, so it’s not always effective. I try, though.
*Have you heard of/tried Tabata? What did you think?
No, I haven’t but it sounds interesting! I definitely prefer the short and sharp or long and slow exercises – it’s the inbetween that I struggle with!
October 20, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I’ve never tried one!
Your pictures are great and your food looks so yummy : )
October 20, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I’ve been getting up really early like before 5 to exercise and take care of those things that need taking care of around the house. I also read Oxygen for morning inspiration. I don’t know why or how I started getting up early. I used to be a night owl but now that I have those early morning hours I absolutely love them. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the late nights. Try it a couple of times. Maybe you’ll love it too.
October 20, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I don’t stand up for myself like I should, but I am working on it. I also don’t get enough sleep. I try to be in bed around 10, but that never happens. Your posts always make me want to be a better person! The quesadillas look delicious!
October 20, 2010 at 4:25 pm
I love how I feel the whole day when I work out in the morning. Most times, I sleep in my workout clothes so it’s faster in the mornings, and then I feel like I have to follow through!
October 20, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Yum – those quesadillas look great. I can fall asleep pretty quickly if I’m tired. I used to go to sleep much earlier – 10:30 or so. Now, I’m up til midnight a lot of nights. I have a night owl husband and we have too much fun laughing and hanging out to go to sleep. 🙂
October 20, 2010 at 5:28 pm
your travel nightmare story..omg. omg. nothing like rain/water to forever ruin cars, possessions, etc…mold, filth, stinky…forever. ugh.
the passive/aggressive person…I would have a few mental comebacks lined up and the next time he says something, i would bust out of one of my pre-rehearsed mental comebacks that is both witty, but firm and powerful…to let him know you’re not a hardass but you’re not going to be a pushover. If the playful pushing-back doesnt do the trick and shut him up, i would say something if you think it wont make the rest of your job suck forever-more. Hard call unless one is really in the situation…
Tabata. I dont do technical Tabata but I do the hard all out/rest a bit mode..keeps the body guessing!
October 20, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I love Tabata training! I think it’s especially beneficial when doing explosive, plyometric moves like box jumps, jumping lunges, squat jumps. Usually I pick 4 upper body exercises alternated with 4 lower body exercises, followed by 2 core exercises, and one set of sprints. It’s a 45 min full-body workout that leaves every muscle completely fatigued!
October 21, 2010 at 6:30 am
Oh I have been doing Tabata for a long time and it is so effective. (Too bad you missed my little Gymboss giveaway a couple weeks ago 😦 it’s an interval timer that I use for Tabata sessions-great training tool!)
What I love about Tabata is you can do it with virtually any exercise!
Anyhow…we got to bed early here (8pm) but we are up before 4am most days-hubby travels a lot for work and I try to sneak in a workout before my little girl wakes up. I love being up early!!
October 21, 2010 at 6:47 am
[…] Blogroll ← Tabata & Quesadillas […]
October 21, 2010 at 8:48 am
Tabata made me excited. I tried something like it that I saw on a blog posting, but it was longer intervals–all out for 60 seconds and rest for 90. I think this is more doable! But I usually do something like that–start out slow on a low pace, then slow on a higher pace, then fast on high, then slow down … On the other question, I’m bad at standing up for myself. I used to be a human door mat. I try to be more assertive now, but in a nice way, of course. So many people are shocked when I speak up and say something that isn’t sunny and happy and nice. Hey, I’m human. Not a robot. I do not like confrontation so I’m not sure what you should do at work. I exploded once about something at work–a HUGE shock to everyone–and haven’t had any issues since, except I felt terrible about it. Explosions at work does not = me. And I go to bed way too late (this week we’ve been getting in after midnight–not cool–and I get up at 6:30 every weekday.) This MUST stop. I really want to be in bed by 10:30–11 at the latest, so I get at least 7+ hours of sleep. I guess I’m a closet night owl.
October 21, 2010 at 10:41 am
Tabata sounds like a HIIT workout. I haven’t done what I would call a Tabata workout but I do some HIIT workouts.
Also, I am an early morning exerciser. I get up around 5:30 and workout before work. It’s what works best for me because it gives me time in the evening to do other things like clean and craft.
October 21, 2010 at 4:06 pm
i’m not sure what to do either. my boss is very passive aggressive and negative to me. but he laughs it off like a joke, but i really think he’s seriously. he looked at me and said i’d become a bitter person. i took that as a character attack. because i am friends with him on facebook (he and i were friends befre he became my superior) he saw me become “in a relationship with JC” who also works at the same place i work. Boss goes “i saw your facebook status update…as if we didn’t know [someone spread rumors of us sexing it up in the closet when it was just one tiny kiss]”. i hated that he delved into my private life and told ME to be professional while he was still acting like a 16 year old laughing at my “problems”.
anyways, yeah. i understand. i guess the best thing i can do is hold out until i get to go away for school.
October 22, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I hate tabata (in a good way)… i am always sore afterwards but it is an amazing workout. try tabata squats… i promise you will not be able to want right the next day haha. In crossfit there is a workout called tabata this as simple as it seems its usually pull ups squats push ups and squats… the next day you are just completely wrecked. You should totally try it.
October 23, 2010 at 1:17 am
I have never heard of tabata, but will look into it for a new exercise. Your quesadillas look yummy and healthful. That is what I am trying to achieve, healthful lifestyle. Thanks for sharing your blog.