For December our workouts are just about getting to the gym. Not going to do anything fancy; it’s about ensuring our eating is not outdoing our calorie burn. The workout challenge is all about sustaining and making sure we can still do what we have been practicing throughout the year. All those workout challenges every month are coming back to get us this month. All the moves can be done whenever and wherever. The monthly workout is about getting to gym and getting strength training in. Building those muscles for maximum calorie burn. And the bites? Oh. Yum. Here is our December 2014 Monthly Workout and Challenge and Pumpkin Seed Bites.

For our December Workout it’s really just about having a plan to make sure we have the general idea of what to do each day. No changes throughout the month, it’s just about getting there and staying there. No real inspiration, just do it. Get it done. While home for Thanksgiving I didn’t do any cardio, and man it’s hard to get back on that treadmill, but I did do 30 minutes each morning of body-weight strength training. I had only 8 pound weights, but while doing tons of different types of squats and lunges that 8 pound break was nice. I did that strength training 5 out of the 7 days while home and I didn’t want to lose what I built up so I kept that inspiration but didn’t want to overdo it either cause my legs were so tired! So while there are only two days a week of strength training, I know myself and I know that I will add more strength training throughout the month.

For the December Monthly Challenge I wanted us to make sure that we can still sustain what we have built up. Meaning no building ourselves up to doing more moves. No, we are starting big and holding to it the whole month. 60 second planks right off the bat. 10, 10 second wall-sits for 100 seconds total each day. 30 push-ups to keep those shoulders burning. It doesn’t matter the order of how you do these moves, but do them. Make sure you didn’t lose the ability to hold that core in while doing forearm planks; make sure your legs still burn but can still hold you in that chair position; and make sure your arms and shoulders can still push your body up 30 times in a row without stopping. And I am really talking to myself here – because I doubt my strength abilities so this will make sure I don’t doubt it. Cause I can do it.

And now for the Pumpkin Bites. There is no real health benefit from them besides it is a nut based bite, I took inspiration from the holidays and it being December and it being a decidedly sugary month to make some little spicy dessert-bites to power through these workouts. Sometimes you need that little bit of sugar to inspire a better workout. I used SuperSeedz (review of nuts and company coming soon) to create these little bites. They are just some spicy seeds, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and raisins, heated in a pan then spread out on parchment and left alone until cooled then cut into bites. And just a note – DO NOT leave unattended. This burns quick – believe me I know this to be true, and yes my smoke detectors work fine.

Pumpkin Seed Bites,

1/2 C SuperSeedz Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 C Raisins
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
1 Tsp Cinnamon

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1. Dump everything in a small pan.
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is melted and slightly thickened – about five minutes total.
3. Spread over parchment paper, squishing together like granola bars.
4. Let sit until cool.
5. Cut into small pieces.