Yum

So apparently juggling life as a mom is crazy busy.  It's a crazy busy that I love though.  

Had time for a quick post.  Here's a little snack I've been loving lately.  I still love chips and it's hard to portion control them so I usually get the little kids size snack packs with Fritos, Sun Chips, etc.  I did however see this little treat the other day and it called my name.  It's my new favorite thing.  Perfect with some cottage cheese or by themselves if you just want a salty, crunchy something.   

Accountability

First I want to give a shout out to my viewers who left comments.  Thank you for the kind words and letting me know that my thoughts, tips, advice, research is being read.  I heart y'all!

Today's topic is accountability.  This is extremely important when it comes to changing one's behavior whatever it may be...fitness habits, mindset, weight, anger management, shopping addictions, etc.  If you have something you're trying to change you must enlist the help of others.  You are doing no favors by keeping your goal secret and trying to battle it on your own.

For my first marathon I told every single person I knew that I was going to run it.  It probably got kind of annoying.  Friends, co workers, clients, people at church, people I barely knew.  I talked about running and my training all the time.  I knew that the more people I told I wouldn't be able to just give up on the idea and not do it.  I knew from a behavior change class that I took in college that this was crucial to my success.  Well I can tell you it worked.  Especially since I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it the first time.  Now I'm addicted and want to run Boston one day.  3:40 PR here I come.

So my challenge to you in becoming an overall healthier person...whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, etc.  Set up some type of accountability system.  The bigger the better.  If you need to hire a personal trainer b/c you know that's the only way to get you to the gym.  Do it!  If you need to join Weight Watchers or start a food journal to eat better do it.  I'd take the journal another step.  Don't just say you'll write your food down.  Promise to have someone who's familiar with nutrition look at it every day and give you feedback.  If you need to save money literally cut up your credit cards and only spend cash.  My dad taught me this rule long ago.  Only pay for what you can afford and use cash.  Thanks Dad for saving me unwanted heartache with debt.

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas.  I'm doing it too.  Lose baby weight by September.  Run a marathon this summer. Blog at least once a week and hopefully more when possible.  What are your goals???  Here's an opportunity for some accountability.  Get it out there.  I promise it feels good!

Just Get There

Wow I feel like the biggest slacker ever. It's been over a year since I posted on here. What??? How is that possible? I don't think I have any viewers now. For those listening I have a valid reason for my absence. Got pregnant, moved three times in the past year, was put on bed rest for two and a half months, had a baby, husband deployed for three months, etc. Sorry friends.

Actually if I'm being honest I don't feel too bad about my absence b/c this past year has been crazy. I like to do this blog more for myself than anything though. It keeps me current in researching the science of fitness and talking about something I love. So I decided to throw up a post and I'm going to do my best to keep this thing going better than I have been.

My thought for today is about motivation. After having a baby I've been struggling a lot with getting back to my workouts. Mostly b/c I feel extremely out of shape. To go from marathon running shape, with abs, and a "dialed in to the calorie" diet to a post baby body that feels mushy to say the least has been rough on me. After complaining about it and not doing anything I finally decided to forget about all my prior accomplishments. I have to start somewhere. I had to set a goal and do you want to know what it is?

Just get there. Not run three miles a day or walk if we're being honest. Not lift weights four times a week and stretch for 15 minutes every day. Just make the effort to get there and if I do that I've succeeded.

Well I can say after a few weeks of doing this I'm feeling amazing. I can already feel and see a difference in how my body looks. Some days I pound out a workout kind of like my old self. I'm not quite as strong b/c I loss a lot of muscle tone, but I've been doing an hour of weights and cardio most days. Other days I'm freaking tired so I just do the bike for twenty or thirty minutes then go home. A few days the best I can do is stretch for fifteen minutes in my hubbies man cave and have some quiet time to myself, but the point is just getting there and making the effort is what's important.

Hope this can be of some help to people who might be suffering like I have been. Future posts will be more tips for moms to shape up post baby. I'm figuring this out as I go. I gained 65 pounds (maybe more...I stopped looking after that) and have lost 40. Have a good 20-25 to go and believe me when I get there it's going to feel amaze balls!!!
My hubby (I will call him AFBear-Air Force Bear from now on. That's his play station nickname) and I want to run a marathon in September so there will be plenty of posts about that. Nutrition and what works for me. I might throw some of my general workouts on here so you can get a taste of what I like to do and give you ideas. And whatever else tickles my fancy. Shoot me a comment if you have other ideas and I'll do something on it if I can.

Mantra for the day: Life is short make the best of it!

Diet Coke and my thoughts...

So I've been researching Diet Coke the last few weeks (p.s. I'm from the south. Some of you other folks like to call it Diet Soda/Pop.) I found a few interesting articles on the topic. If you're interested see below.

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

Article 4

My take home. I can see both sides of the story. Some say Diet Coke is fine. That there's not enough aspartame and caffeine to impact the body negatively. Others say that the fake sugars leave you craving more sweets which in turn leads to weight gain.

I like to take a moderate approach to health. If you have one diet drink a week I don't think it's that big of a deal. Are you having a diet drink every day or multiple times throughout the day? Or do you drink a diet soda alongside your whopper and large fries feeling like your saving some calories while binging on junk food? Trust me you're not saving that many calories and this is a bad way to be thinking when it comes to getting healthy.

In the end we really don't know the adverse problems that diet soda may or may not be causing long term. This just reminded me of a flight I had when the air stewardess heard me wrong and gave me a Dr. Pepper instead of Diet Dr. Pepper. When I corrected her and asked for diet she went on to tell me how bad diet is for me with all the sugars and I should have taken the full soda since it's better for me. Hmm? After my research I don't know if I'd say it's better for me, but this is my point exactly we just don't know. I do know that when I drink a diet soda I don't feel guilty and bad about it thinking I'm going to get cancer. I enjoy it and then for the most part stick to water.

So I guess my take home message is figure it out for yourself. If you're a diet addict cut back. Being addicted to diet or regular soda period isn't good for you so try and get control of it and drink more water. If you enjoy a diet drink here and there I don't think you need to feel guilty about it. At least as guilty as the media and nutritionists try to make us feel. I say tackle bigger fish to fry like getting more fiber, cutting back on fast food and junk food, and increasing your fruits and vegetables before you beat yourself up about soda.

Try these...

These little guys were on sale at the store the other day and they are so good. There's a little basket that steams the veggies so they don't get mushy and then the heat melts the sauce and cooks the noodles/pasta/rice at the bottom and then you mix it all together. This is a great idea for nights when you're tired and don't want to cook or they're an easy meal to bring to work for lunch. Calories are low, Sodium is pretty low, high in fiber and protein. I'm so glad I found these things!

Resolutions...

I have a few strong thoughts about resolutions. Especially in regards to fitness resolutions. When I worked in the gym I always hated January. People are ready to tackle their weight/fitness goals. The gym is super packed with people who just seem to be walking around acting like their doing something in their brand new white shoes. Everyone is strict on their diets passing on sweets, soda, and fast food. This soon wears off after a week...two...three weeks. Then soon the thought of, "Crap I'm doing bad so I'll just try again next week or on Monday." This cycle soon turns back into the "I've failed category b/c I can't stick with my resolution so why even bother trying?" Whey does society set themselves up for failure such as this I ask myself?

Here are a few resolutions (even just plain fitness goals) I hear all the time that I hate:

1. I'm cutting out sweets
2. I'm going to work out for an hour every day
3. I have to lose 20 pounds by such and such date
4. I need to lose weight so I can be skinny then more boys will ask me out

I could go on and on, but the reason why I hate these resolutions in particular is they are shallow and based on stupid expectations.

*1. No one can cut out sweets forever. This is impossible. You're setting yourself up for failure which in turn will lead you back to your mindset of "Whatever. I'll just eat what I want." I say allow yourself everything in moderation. It's amazing by allowing yourself treats, sweets, even sugar that you'll naturally stop craving it.
*2. Same goes for the second one. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. If you're going from not working out at all to working out everyday this is too much. Even if you're regularly working out maybe you won't always have time to get in an hour. I'd change this resolution to I'm going to be physically active in some way every day. Even if it ends up being a walk, doing push ups and sit ups during commercials, throwing in a quick workout video.
*3. While I like setting goals and working towards them I'm more for finding a healthy body weight to strive for and giving yourself a few pounds to work with. For example shoot for 150-155 pounds. Also get there in a healthy way. You can't lose 10 pounds in two weeks. Shoot for 1-2 pounds per week and if some weeks you don't drop weight you just keep working. By setting a specific goal and not reaching it by that date I've found most people more often then not just give up and then go back to their old habits.
*4. I really don't have to say much about why this is a bad goal. It's sad how often I've heard this from my female clients. If you're going to lose weight and get healthy do it for yourself not for guys. Any guy who only dates you b/c you're skinny isn't the guy you want to be with.

So there you have it a few of my thoughts. Have you set resolutions/goals like the one's I hate? If so sorry if I've offended you. These are just my thoughts and opinions based on what I've seen time and time again. Maybe reconsider how/why you're going about your resolutions and tweaking them just a bit. The real goal is making resolutions a lifestyle change and that's all I'm trying to convey. Try and honestly challenge your goal to see if it's lifestyle change worthy. If it's not figure out how to make it so it is.

Farting in the Gym Prank

I'm not usually into fart jokes, but this is hilarious. I don't know how the huge guy tricking everybody is keeping a straight face the whole time. Too funny!

Turkey and Bean Bowl of Goodness...

1 pound ground turkey
1-2 cans kidney beans
1-2 cans black beans
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 onion chopped
8-16 oz red enchilada sauce

Grill turkey and onions until turkey is brown and onions are caramelized. Then add beans, seasonings, and sauce. I like mine thicker so I add less sauce, but add more or less depending on your preference. Serve with whole wheat tortilla chips and a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese and it's a yummy quick meal full of protein and low in calories. Plus did I mention it takes less than 10 minutes to make. Now that's my kind of meal. Bon appetite!

Piano Keys Staircase

Making your routine fun is definitely the key to sticking with your workouts, but this video took this idea to the next level. I guess we have to make everything we do in life a game to stay active these days.

Weight Loss Olympics

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. I've been watching it for the last three years. It's amazing to see these people change their lives and transform over a period of just a few months.

I do notice a small problem with it though...I think people get jaded and think that they can lose 10 pounds in a week and if they're not losing at this rate then what's the point in trying? I like to compare the Biggest Loser to the Olympics for losing weight. What these people are doing is amazing, incredible, and impossible to do in the real world.

I heard this season a few of the contestants say that they're only eating 1200 calories and burning at least 6000 calories everyday (men have to burn 8000 calories.) This is incredible. An average person only burns 100-150 calories running a mile. Can you imagine how many miles you'd have to run to burn this amount? Now granted since they weigh more they are burning more calories than someone who only needs to lose 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 even 50 pounds.

Something else I don't like about the show is how they restrict the contestants diet so much. I think anyone can have a treat and enjoy it as long as it's in moderation. But I guess really what they're doing is breaking these people of their addictions. Anyone who is over 300 pounds has an addiction to food. I just hope that people watching don't think that for me to lose weight I can never have a piece of chocolate cake again for the rest of my life.

Take home message: Once again don't look for the quick fix. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. If you only have a few pounds to lose it will come off even slower. You might only lose a half a pound in a week, but the goal is to be consistent. You have to cut calories (think junk food, processed food, eating out), move more, and make lifestyle changes that you can stick with. If you notice during the biggest loser they give little trainer tips before the commercials. These are great things you can do. Incorporate these into your life and don't expect that the only way you can get to your goal weight is if you give up your job, family, and four months of your life so you can work out for 8-10 hours every day.

Exercise???

Anybody else read this article in Time Magazine?

Well I did and let me just tell you it made me pretty angry. If you took the time to read it and you're struggling with a weight problem you'll probably think, "Yeah this is exactly how I feel."

Do not buy this crap. These are just excuses and a perfect example of how one study gets blown up to show that not exercising is good for you. I wish they would have shown the studies of people who lose weight by diet alone vs. diet and exercise and how long they keep it off. Our society is just lazy and looking for an excuse to not have to exercise.

If you really want to know how I feel I'll tell you. Stop making excuses for yourself and why you're not healthy. It's not genetics, exercise, or your metabolism. We are trying to analyze this and make it extremely difficult. News flash it's not. Stop eating so much food and get moving. I do agree that when you work out it's easy to think that you deserve a treat and to blow the calories you burned, but this is not an excuse to stop working out.

Wanting to lose weight? It's not as hard as we make it out to be. Stop trying to make it such a huge battle. Exercise period. Every day preferably. Be more active in general. Stop sitting on the couch and at the office. Eat healthy. Write down what you're eating. Increase fruits, veggies, whole grains, and cut back processed junk food. Cut back your calories. Don't indulge on everything, but still allow for treats. Make it a lifestyle change. It's not a one time thing. It's a way of life.

And stop pointing the finger at everyone else except for yourself. If it took you ten years to gain the weight it's going to take some time to get rid of it. Be patient and work hard. There is no quick fix, but it is possible.

p.s. If you're asking yourself what does Kim know about losing weight? She's never had to struggle? Correction I have. Freshman year of college I packed on weight and at my heaviest I was 175. I'm now around 140-145 so that's 30 pounds. I've done it too!

Something to think about...

I think all girls and women should see this video. We can't all look the same and fit into the perfect mold that magazines, actresses, and advertisements lead us to believe. It's nice to see people like J-Lo and Beyonce who are beautiful and not stick thin, and I loved it when Kelly Clarkson let everyone know that Shape had retouched her magazine cover. (That's a whole other post b/c Shape should be promoting healthy body image NOT cropping and editing her bottom.) We need to stop chasing after an idealistic perfect body/image/look/appearance that not even models these days can uphold.

Baking Tips...

I love to bake. Sometimes more than others, but lately I've been on a baking kick and it has reminded me of a few of my favorite healthy tricks. When something calls for flour use half white/half whole wheat flour. I've experimented with this and using only wheat flour is too much wheatiness where as half the called for amount seems to be just enough to add a kick of fiber while not sabatoging the recipe and making it taste like cardboard.

Also another good tip is to exchange applesauce for butter. I've found this works best with breads, muffins, and cakey type things verses cookies. Although it works with cookies too you just have to add more flour because it causes them to be a little thin and flakey when they cook.

I also never use whole milk when they call for that. I always use skim or 1% and if you do use butter use smart balance and/or canola oil. Never shortening or margarine.

These are just a few of my tried and true tips that work for me everytime. I also would like to add I've tested these on my hubby and he doesn't notice how healthy they are either as long as I throw in a few chocolate chips as well. Moderation in all things right :)

Testimonial

I'm not even sure if anyone reads this anymore. It has been so long since I last posted something. I'm sorry. Mainly because life has just been really busy and I haven't had time. I had to share this. When I got this in my email I was crying it had me laughing so hard. I hope it makes you laugh. If it makes it any better...I did this same program with my husband this past week and I've been sore for days, but I did Days 2-5 as well. Hopefully my latest victim will be able to get past Day 1 also :)

Day 1

After scoring a 81.90 on my Air Force PFT exam, and stretching my waist size a solid 4 inches from the last time my measurement was taken a year ago, I thought it high time to get started on an exercise routine. My friend Mike was feeling the same lethargy, so his wife Kim, a personal trainer, set about to change us, one exercise at a time. Kim's workout plan was simple, eat less, drink more water, and exercise more.....or so I thought.

When I received Kim's exercise plan in my inbox, I was excited to see how exactly I would "melt the pounds away" (to paraphrase her expression). My last experience with a trainer ended in my incapacity to perform normal functions such as shaving, teeth brushing, and drying off after a shower. Kim assured me this would not be the case with her routine. Upon opening the attachment, I was instantly transported to a scene in National Treasure, where I, the plot's main character, would have to decipher from among the hieroglyphics, the main antagonists' (Kim) clues to my workout success. Kim didn't have the time to type it out, but rather hand-wrote it. So once the sleuthing was over with, I had a somewhat vague idea of what I needed to do on day one. Below is a rundown of those exercises:

Chest/Back/Triceps

Bench Press/Pushup to failure

I like that Kim included "Pushups to Failure" as the title of the exercise. I didn't actually know there was any other way to do pushups other than to be a failure. Pushups were invented by Chuck Norris as a means of pushing the earth away. Mere mortals such as me could never hope to do them any other way but the failure route. After a solid 12 reps of bench presses (yes, the bar counts) I got down on the ground in the pushup position. Starting in the up position, I gradually lowered myself in pure perfect posture only to find that there was nothing left to get me off the ground. Thankfully, there were three airman that could rescue me lest I have to roll around the floor in an epileptic convulsion as I could not use my arms or chest to get vertical. So much for the other two sets.

Backrow/Tricep Dip

Imagine being in the handicap stall at a public restroom. You are stuck on the toilet and need to get off, but because of earlier fatigue, your arms don't work. You are able to swing your arms from side to side until they catch on the top of the rail. You grab the power-squeeze handles on either side of the stall thinking they might help you get off the john, all to no avail. That motion pretty much describes the next series in Kim's Dynasty of Fun. I didn't even know where my triceps were, but one go at this exercise and they rang out like a Boston firehouse five alarm. The sirens rang out in my upper rear arms area hinting at the fact that I won't be able to grip a pencil for a least a week. The good news is that I don't have a car with a trunk. Grabbing the trunkgate to close it after somehow miraculously loading groceries might not be possible.

Chest Flys/Lat Pull Down

I have a pretty good idea of what it must have been like for the two knuckleheads accompanying Jesus on the way to Calgary. The motion of the fly press simulates a crucifixion....minus the nails. I was really good at resting my arms on the outward stretch, but my fun on the bench press merry-go-round made me look like I was was a walrus attempting to clap my flippers at the crowd that had gathered to watch me at this point. I don't know if it was the tortuous look of agony on my purple, swollen face that attracted them, or if it was the chamber echoing Lamaze-like noises I made as this exercise continued. I started to worry when the gym worker suddenly showed up with a defibraltor about two feet away. I decided the three reps was enough for me.

By the time I got to Kim's next 'conditioning exercise,' I figured by the title alone, I had better not attempt it. I couldn't find a machine with the words "Skull Crusher" but deduced that if something as benign as a chest fly induced cardiopulmunary arrest, Skull Crushing might just kill me.

While I will not let these exercises get the best of me, I have had to wait four days to restore normal usage of my hand's ability to grip the stick of an airplane. Monday is a new day and I fully plan to take advantage of it discovering just what skull crushing is all about.

One of my favorite websites...

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to be mindful of what you are eating on a daily basis. Particularly if you are trying to drop some weight it's that much more important to your success. I've seen a direct correlation in the clients I've trained in relation to keeping a food journal and getting results...those who kept a journal would get results and those that didn't sometimes would get results, but most of time they didn't. It is such a huge accountability factor that in my opinion can't be left out of a fitness program.

You have to find what works best for you. Some like a journal they carry everywhere with them, others might type it up on a word doc at their desk, or use a certain software on their phone. One of my favorite ways to track calories is through an amazing free website thedailyplate.com that a friend told me about a few months back. It's super quick and easy. My favorite part is you can customize it to your goals and enter your daily exercise as well.

So weather you're just a fitness junkie or trying to lose a few pounds before swim suit season I highly recommend this little gem to help you get to whatever your goal might be.

A very commonly asked question...

When is the best time to workout to burn the most calories?

Isn't it better to do cardio in the morning?

Don't be confused like the poor girl in the above picture. She just can't figure it out. She's like, "Should I go now, or will I burn more calories and lose more weight if I go later?"

This is a very common question and it has a simple answer...

There is no perfect time to exercise and burn a magical amount of extra calories.

When is the best time to workout?

WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO CONSISTENTLY DO IT!!!

I'll use myself as an example. I'm not a morning person. As much as I'd love to get up at 5 or 6 and workout everyday it just isn't going to happen. I've tried it and that warm bed just is more inviting. But get me to the gym around noon or my favorite is in the evening and I can work out for two hours easy. It just takes me a bit longer to get my blood flowing in the mornings so I've found it best to work out later in the day.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: work out at different times and see what works best for you. The biggest key is finding a time that you can stick with. I plan my workouts into the day as if it were an appointment or part of my work day so I just don't go home until I get it done. The second I get home and relax it's a lot harder to get back out and get to the gym.

There you have it! Now you have the magic answer...That there is no magic answer you just have to be CONSISTANT.

Quote of the Day...

"Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning."
Thomas Jefferson

I couldn't have said it better myself. Things sure have changed since he was in office. Our society has taken a totally different shift. Long gone are the days of working in the fields, riding horses, and manual labor. We now are a society of computers, cars, fast food, and convenience in everything we do. I will say education is still important in the world today maybe even more so. You can't even be competitive at getting a job without at least a college degree or higher.

Why is health more important than learning you might ask? Because without your health you won't be able to use all the knowledge you've worked so hard to gain. Now I know I might get some scholars that would like to argue with me on this one, but I could argue this until the cows come home. Without your health it's hard to do anything in this life. It's ultimately the most important thing because no amount of money can buy you a healthy body. You either have it or you don't. So we need to take care of it by getting active and using it.

Let's just use this reminder from our dear friend Mr. Jefferson and get outside and enjoy moving our bodies and recognize the gift that being healthy is. You have to move it or you'll lose it. Exercise is as vital to our health as water and air. Get it in everyday and make it part of your lifestyle.

Heaven in my mouth...

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I love ice cream and sweets. It's probably one of my biggest health weaknesses. I love working out and it's easy for me to eat healthy most of the time, but get a bowl of ice cream in front of me and I can eat the whole carton. What do I do to avoid this? I allow myself daily treats so that I don't feel deprived and binge. I've tried lots of "diet" things and most of the time they taste pretty disgusting, but let me share my latest secret with you. These little Smart Ones beauties. I also like the strawberry shortcake and double fudge, but this cookie dough sundae is my favorite. Only 170 calories and 3 grams of fat which is even better. Best thing is they do all the work for you...portion control and yumminess wrapped up into one cute little package. I hope you give them a try and love them as much as I do.

Changing bad habits...

I just started reading this book "Banish Bad Habits Forever" by Vera Peiffer and I love it. Mike always makes fun of me for getting random self help books like this, but I always figure you can learn something new about yourself and who doesn't have at least one bad habit I ask you? I'm also a firm believer in positive thinking and self hypnosis and this book talks more about that too so it's a great blend of Mind/Body/Health which I find fascinating.

I've only read about 30 pages and I highly recommend it, but I'd like to share with you one bit of advice that I've taken away from it so far. It gives a great recommendation when trying to change habits to set daily goals and an immediate reward system. Instead of planning for months at a time or weeks ahead just plan day to day what you have to do and then reward yourself daily instead of just when you hit your ultimate/long term goal.

I'd like to apply this to working out. Often it's easy to say, "I'll work out today," and then when we don't we say, "Well I'll do it everyday for the rest of the week to make up for not doing it today." Most often than not this doesn't happen either. Then we go on to tell ourselves, "Well I'll start up again next week and be perfect from then on." Does this sound familiar to anyone?

This book suggests if you want to make a goal to work out do it just for that day and then set a reward to either watch your favorite TV show, read a book, take a hot bath, etc. Then tomorrow do it again. Eventually you'll be able to set bigger goals, but to initially start a new habit or break a bad habit this is what Peiffer recommends. I really like this way of thinking and I'm going to apply it to a few things that I want to work on and I hope you will too.

Funny workout machine...

Are these girls for real??? This is totally crazy. Even better it's $650. I think I'll stick with the gym. Hope you enjoy the laugh though.