Fitting the workouts in!

No, I haven't fallen off the fast of the earth this week, I started a new job.  I absolutely love it, but it's been hard finding time to fit a workout it.  Believe or not, working at a health facility doesn't make it any easier to exercise.  Here's my little secret to staying fit, even when work and a commute take 11 hours out of my day: Every activity counts!  Just because I can't find an hour doesn't mean that I can't find 2 minutes throughout the day to get up an move.  Here are some of the things I do that help me stay fit even during busy times.

1.) Stretch at your desk once every 20 minutes: You don't even have to get up. Just push back your chair, sit up tall, reach your arms up towards the ceiling and take a deep breath. Stretch side to side, arch your back, and viola, you're done.  Now get back to work. Total time: 30 Seconds.

2.) Don't use that phone! Ok, actually you probably do need to answer your calls, but don't use your phone to speak to another coworker.  Get up and actually go to their desk. And don't dawdle, walk fast! Not only will you burn more calories but you will look like you have an important message and impress your boss!!  Total time: 1-2 minutes

3.) Walk the dog when you get home.  If you don't have a dog, walk your child. If you don't have a child grab your spouse and take a walk. If you don't have a spouse/significant other grab a friend or your ipod and use the walk to decompress and evaluate your day.  Your walk doesn't have to be long, you don't have to wear the latest workout gear, and you don't have walk for hours. Make a habit out of moving your body before you settle in for the night. Your brain and body will thank you. Total time 15-20 minutes.

4.)  Eat clean at work.  It takes 15 seconds to eat a cookie, and 20 minutes to burn it off.  Since I don't have an extra 20 minutes, it's easier to eat healthy.  I am so lucky to work in an office surrounded by fitness and medical professionals who take extremely good care of themselves.  A culture of health has been created; you won't find any bagels or muffins in the breakroom.  Who says you can't have this at your job?  Bring healthy, nutritious snacks in and introduce them to your colleagues.  Soon, everyone will be eating quinoa!  Total time saved: 20-60 minutes!

So there you go. My four steps to staying fit in under an hour a day.  Keep up the hard work but take care of your body!

Sometimes I fail at being all-natural

We have ants. We have had ants since we moved in. A quick google search informed me that borax mixed with sugar was a sure-fire way to defeat the bastards. 15 days later, the ants have MULTIPLIED, are everywhere, and show no sign of being affected by the borax.  Problem #2, the sugar and borax seemed to have MELTED and created a harsh, impenetrable crystal-type new chemical formation on all of my surfaces.

My attempt to be healthy and all natural has failed. I spent the day spraying spider killer chemical all over the house.  Whatever the heck is in this spray kills the ants immediately, but also leaves me coughing and gasping. But I'll be damned if I let these little buggers live one more day in my house.
I also spent the afternoon working my heiny off trying to scrape of the aforementioned crystal formation on my surfaces. At least I used baking soda and vinegar to get it off my surfaces!  However, it still took me about an hour of scrubbing, I mean intense, full body, all out effort scrubbing to get this crap of my window sills, counters, and floors.

Looking back, it would have been a lot easier and saved me a lot of time to spray the chemical crap to begin with. But, alas, I can never do anything the easy way. Here's the spray I used. I know it's for spiders but we didn't have any other bug killing chemicals in the house:

 

 Here's the borax I use for about 80 million other things, but apparently not for killing ants:

 And here's the baking soda I got at the dollar store for $0.50 that always cleans up my messes:

 

Mini-challenges and 6 pack abs

It can be hard to find motivation to workout when I don't have a specific competition or race to train for.  That's why every few months I create a new challenge for myself.There is a 5k in October I want to do, so beginning in September I will train for that. Then after the race I may take it easy for a while until I find my next challenge.   My favorite is the ab challenge: I work really hard for a few weeks to get ripped abs, then I slack off for a bit, then I do it again.  


These mini-challenges work for me. If I worked to maintain a certain level of fitness all the time, I'd get bored.  So mini-challenges every few months ensure that I'm always working toward something new and exciting. You don't have to be at your goal weight 100% of the time. You have to be close, though, you can't be gaining and losing 10 pounds every month! But try new things and see how your weight changes.  Sometimes I go through heavy weight lifting phases and try to put on weight. Sometimes my challenges (5k training) cause me to lose weight.  


Being fit should be fun.  Try new things, set new challenges, observe the changes, and develop a healthier relationship with your body.  


Here is the ab routine I'll be starting, pics will follow:

Abs

Complete following plank series without rest, then move on to other ab exercises.  Do 3 sets

Regular plank	Just a regular plank, make sure your lower abs are engaged. If you don’t feel it in your lower abs, tuck your hips under a little more.	20 seconds
Spiderman plank	In plank position (on your forearms), alternate brining one knee out to the side and up towards your armpit, so you look like spiderman climbing a wall	20 total, 10 ea leg
Twists	In plank position twist hips so that hip and side of that foot touches ground, pull back and go to other side	20 twists total, 10 ea side
Rocking planks	Rock back and forth on your toes, do not pull or push with your arms	20 rocks

Let's do it family!

Since we moved to Ca and don't have a studio to work out in we've had to be creative. Up till today our workouts consisted of running. But this morning Quaylan suggested we do something anaerobic. Anaerobic means without oxygen, and anaerobic workouts are tough, quick, and designed to get your muscles burning. It's great to include anaerobic workouts into your routine, for several reasons. 1) They are fun. How fast, how high, how intensely can you push yourself. 2) They are quick, and effective. 20-30 minutes is all you need. 3) They improve your VO2 max (fancy language for improve your body's efficiency at using Oxygen) so that you will perform better during your aerobic (your slow, longer workouts like running). The best part is that EVERYONE can participate. As Quaylan and I did our workout, Brooklyn joined in. And at the end of the workout, she insisted we do some sprints up and down the street, "We have to get our hearts and bones nice and strong, Mom," she said (I kid you not, these were her words). Try throwing this workout into your routine, maybe on the days you can't make it to the gym or simply need something new to try. Get the whole family involved, too. Warmup 30 seconds of each
Jumping Jacks 
Walk outs
Hip Stretch
Squats

 Then 15 of each of the following exercises. Rest one minute after doing the whole circuit, and then repeat for a total of 3 times.
 Jumping Jacks (yes, again)
 Push ups
 Burpees
 Squat Jumps 
 Leg raises

 VIDEOS Here are some videos showing how to do the stretches and parts of the workout. (here's a video showing how to modify a burpee to make it harder or easier) Have fun!

Running is not fun, so why am I doing it?

If you know me, I've at some point made it clear that I hate running. As mentioned before I ran track competitively for 13 years. But remember I also mentioned that I was a heptathlete and did sprinting, jumping, and throwing. There were no long, slow runs in my competition.  And thank goodness, because I hate long, slow running.

There is a common misconception that fit people are fit because they love running (or whatever exercise they do); therefore being in shape or healthy is easy.  This is absolutely not the case.  We run (or whatever) because there is something greater driving us, pushing us, motivating us to get out there and more.  Here are my top three reasons for running right now:


1. Running is just good for you.  I've known for a while I need to incorporate more running into my routines, and now that I live in sunny Southern Cali, I have no excuse not to do it.  Plus, we've been eating out a lot (healthy of course!) but I can't be gaining weight due to inactivity!


2.  My dog needs it.  My dog had ACL surgery 12 weeks ago, and literally has no muscle left in her leg. She needs the running to regain her strength, lose weight, and get healthy.

3.  I need some kind of mental release.  Since moving I haven't been working (hopefully I'll have a job soon!). But if I don't get out there and run I get REALLY cranky.

So what do you do when you need to run but don't like to run?  Well first of all, understand that even the fittest fitness professional does intervals. I run for a minute then walk for a minute. And guess what? I don't go out for 2 hour runs or 10 milers, I run anywhere from 20-30 minutes.  If you are training for a race of course you need to track your miles and time. But right now I want to keep running run and doing anything longer than 30 minutes wouldn't be fun for me right now.

You don't have to love running to do it. Keep it fun and get a dog :)

Source: luluaddict.blogspot.com via JDavis [Little Peter Pan] on Pinterest

I'm back! I'm alive! I ate well on a 1000 mile trip!

After several days on the road and several more without internet, I'm finally back!  I am sure you've been on the edge of your seat these last few days dying to know how our trip was. Well it was great. And I was able to eat well the whole trip, and saved room for a few treats.
First, the prep.  A failure to plan is a plan to fail and I made sure I planned the heck out of my food. Hunger stood no chance against me! I spent $67 at the grocery store and here is a pic of my spread the night before the trip:

I forgot to throw in the 2 packs of turkey bacon and a dozen hardboiled eggs. Here's the list of food:
Horizon milks for Brooklyn
Apples- Green and red for variety
Bananas
7 grain bread for Quaylan and Brooklyn
Yeast free/Gluten free/ Dairy free/ taste free :( bread for me
Peanut butter for Q and B
Almond butter for me
Quaker oats with almonds, walnuts, and fruit (and a whopping 9 grams of protein)
Water
Protein powder
Hardboiled eggs
Oven cooked turkey bacon
Granola bars

Whew! But with this spread we did not need to stop for breakfast or lunch.  Here's a picture of Brooklyn enjoying her breakfast our second day of travel:

 The kid loves eggs and it was a great way to start each morning.  Then, during our long driving spells I would simply grab the bag of turkey bacon and eat it like jerky. The salty crunchiness was a great pick me up if we started to get drowsy, and held us over till we could pull over for a bigger lunch or got to a hotel for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, here is a pic of my dinner from one of our nights. It was at a the Rock Slide Brewery in Grand Junction.  The first thing Q and I ordered were beers (I'm healthy, not crazy).  Here's my dinner:

Blackened chicken with no bun with a side of wild rice.  It wasn't the tastiest meal (I've never enjoyed food from a brewery, but after 7 hours of driving we were more interested in a good beer than good food!) but it filled me up.

After dinner at a yummy mexican restaurant on day 2, we splurged and found a coldstone.  I ordered the smallest size of something delicious and thoroughly enjoyed it! I refrained from all sweets as we drove and this was the only sweet reward I allowed myself. It was gooooood.

Our third day of driving lunch time coincided with the time we were driving through Las Vegas. Not exactly picnic friendly. So I broke down and found us a Jack in the Box. All three of us got the grilled chicken pita (Yep, even Brooklyn), ONE order of SMALL fries to share between the three of us (I actually only at 2 or 3), and three cups of WATER.  Are we the most boring fast food eaters or what??

So that's how you plan for healthy eating when going on a 5 state trip.  Eat turkey bacon and eggs 80% of the time and save room for beer and ice cream for the remaining 20%.  Life is good :)

Preparing food for a three day trip

As you have seen from my last few posts, I'm not a health food nazi...but I control what I can.  As we get ready for our 3 day trip to Orange, I am cooking, creating food lists, and looking up places to eat that serve healthy food options.  I went to 3 year olds birthday last night and since I'd gorged on pizza, beer, and cake the entire weekend before,  (and haven't worked out in 2 weeks), this is what my plate looked like:
Yep, that's a turkey patty with no bun or condiments with a TINY side of beans and watermelon.  And I shared with my little girl.  Now, I did share a cupcake with her, too.

Here's the thing (I know I've said it before but I will keep saying it!)  I eat like this most of the time so that when I do splurge I truly enjoy it, and it doesn't affect me.  So, getting back to the trip....

Today I have cooked in the oven 2 packages of turkey bacon. I am also going to boil at least  a dozen eggs. These will be my primary snacks during the drive.  Oh, and I can't forget almonds and almond butter.  I'm going high protein with good fats to keep me full and alert. My kiddo loves eggs, too so these are great snacks for everyone.  I'm also going to pack peanut butter sandwiches for her and my husband.  With a little planning we can eliminate most sources of temptation and avoid the drive thru altogether (probably not for potty breaks- and not for the kid, for me, I pee like a racehorse but I'll get to that story another day!)


Ok, I'm definitely using today's blog to avoid packing, but I must get back to it, and it's time for a little snack. Apple anyone?

Happily not Exercising

It's officially three days before the big move to the OC.  Now, there are some people out there who can handle these situations without missing a single workout. I am not one of those people.  In fact, during times of immense stress I do the opposite of what you might expect, I give myself permission not to workout, at all.

"Gasp!" you say!  "I thought we were supposed to workout during times of stress!"  Well, here is my reality. If I attempted to fit in a structured and planned workout, I would stress more. And then my workouts would be a source of discontent, not the feel good rush that I need.  I always tell my clients that life is never perfect for working out and eating right, that something will ALWAYS come up.  HOWEVER, this is what makes doing your workouts and eating right consistently so important during the times you can.

Very few things take me from my 3-4 times a week workout plan. But I know that moving is one of them.  Any other time, I tell myself to suck it up and get to work because you never know when something really big will take you from your workouts or throw a wrench in your diet.  I don't believe trips, family visits, and holidays are reasons to miss workouts. If you let these occurrences dictate when you workout, I guarantee you will fail. These situations are easily navigated around. Moving across three states, not so much.

I am not worried about missing 2 weeks of training. Because I know that for at least the last 24 weeks I have been right on course. 2 weeks will not undo 6 months of work.  I may lose a little muscle, gain a little fat, lose a bit of my endurance, but I'm ok with that.  And once the move is done, I will get right back on track.

Eating right is the same.  I control my diet, food does not control me. I've posted about food before (cookies, anyone?) and how I allow myself to splurge once in a while.  Since we are moving and have packed up most of our food and kitchen, we've been eating at friends' homes and out. I can't control not having food in my house, but I can control what we eat. I did have a HUGE slice of pizze at our going away party, and it was awesome. Again, I eat clean 80% of the time so I can splurge and enjoy life 20%! But after that party, you won't see us at McDonalds or any other fast food joint.   This is easy for us to do since we have made a conscious decision a long time ago to eat relatively healthy. I've heard many people reason that they just "had to eat fast food cause the kids were hungry and we had such a long drive/day/morning...whatever." Well challenge accepted. As we drive to California I will detail what we eat, what our toddler eats (she can't ask for french fries if she has only had McDonalds 2x in her life!) and how much it costs us. No excuses!

Competition

I had the privilege of being a competitive track and field athlete from the time I was twelve to 22. I competed in the Junior Olympics (where I had the worst meet of my life, but met my husband) and was ranked in the Pac-10 in college.  Unfortunately, by my last year of competition in college I was completely burnt out. I had been running and training non-stop for ten years and my body and brain couldn't take it anymore.
Even though I continued to work out and participate in a triathlon here and there, for the most part I simply did not compete in anything.  All I could remember was the fear and anxiety that accompanied each competition and I had no desire to return to that part of my life...and then came softball.
Our church decided to participate in a leisure city league, and I thought I would show up to play. Here is my recap of how it went:

Me, (before setting foot on the field), "Oh, this will be so fun!"
Me, (as soon as my foot hits the softball diamond), "KILL, KILL, KILL! GIVE ME THE BALL, HIT IT TO ME, LET ME MAKE THE PLAY, WE MUST DESTROY THE OTHER TEAM!"

I had no idea my competitive spirit would return, and so strongly!  In fact, my teammates have placed bets on when I will lose it and who I will get in a fight with first- the other team or the ump.  Even though I am psychotically competitive, I love it. I can't remember the last time I had such a high from some type of physical activity.  I have confidence and motivation now to compete in other things, volleyball, 5Ks, and whatever else may come my way.
I've also been motivated to adapt my training and workouts in order to improve my sport performance.  I encourage everyone to find something that works for them. What motivates me might not motivate you, but you HAVE to find a reason to be active. Even I get bored sometimes, and reigniting my competitive fire has unleashed in me a passion for sports I thought I lost 8 years ago.  GO ATLAS SHRUGGERS!

That was fun

The workout tonight was awesome. Since everyone was feeling tired I changed it to one that emphasized full body movements with moderate intensity. Plus, most everyone there had a spouse to work with so we partnered up with our spouses. Working out with your spouse is a great way to bond and develop a healthy lifestyle.  And, let's be honest, its fun to compete! Here's what we did:

Every exercise for 30sec with 30 sec rest. Repeat three times before moving to the next station. Do whole routine 2X.

5 Cone hops to 30 m sprint
10-20# trunk rotations in squat stance
Single arm TRX rows
Lunge throws
Figure 8's with 10# sandbag

Ug, time to workout

Believe it or not I don't live for exercise. So, here I am, 8 minutes before the high intensity class I teach is about to start, trying to convince myself to join in.  I have a great workout planned, and working out with others always pumps me up.  I'll keep you posted on how the workout goes and how I feel when I'm done. But right now, ug.

COOKIES!

Our softball team had a bye this week so we held a team bbq instead. And since I don't eat red meat/hot dogs/sausage I mostly snacked on pita bread and hummus. Then I saw them- the tray of cookies. I am truly a cookie freak. I love cookies, and have very little self control when I am around them. This is a picture of me double fisting it tonight; unfortunately, this was the second time tonight I ate two cookies at once.  But look how happy I am :)

I know that when it comes to certain foods (chocolate, cookies, ice cream) I have very little self control.  Left to my own, I'd easily be 300 pounds.  So I've had to find ways to make sure that this doesn't happen.


Step 1 was to acknowledge my weaknesses when it comes to food. I simply do not have the will power to ignore these foods, and trying to pretend I do will only lead to constant failure.


Step 2, hide the cereal! my husband, Quaylan, literally hides food-ok, its only one food, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Yes, he actually hides the box of cereal when he buys it.  I can't find it, I can't eat it.


Step 3 is very simple, I do not buy junk food and keep it in the house.  Actually, we rarely have food in the house at all, but I make a conscious effort to never buy junk just to have it around. If we REALLY want chocolate, we go out at buy some. This ensures that when I want something, I really want it and am not just eating it because it's there and I'm bored.


Step 4, buy the smallest size of the "bad" product.  We usually buy the small pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream even though it's not the cheapest. But, it's tasty, satisfying, and gone within two days.


Step 5, and finally, when I do eat something bad (like today's 4 cookies) I don't beat myself up over it.  I enjoyed those darn cookies, and have no desire to punish myself or worry about it anymore.  I never eat out of boredom or habit. Every bite I take, I enjoy, savor, and see it's purpose.

Tomorrow I will eat as planned, do my workout as planned, and be happy.  You don't have to be a perfect eater, but you do have to learn what tricks work for you so that you can afford little mistakes now and then.

Getting ready to move

As we get ready to move I realize how much our house really needs a deep, deep clean.  This used to mean I'd go to the store and stock up on 409, lysol, and bleach.  I have always HATED this for two reasons: I hate the smells and more importantly, hate spending money on cleaning supplies.  I noticed than several cleaning supplies touted the fact that they had vinegar in them to make them more powerful. Then, I noticed that vinegar was usually 1/4 the cost of the name brand cleaning supplies. Hm, I thought, maybe vinegar is useful for more than cooking. Lo and behold, I found out that vinegar is the perfect cleaner. With a little online searching I found out how to make most of the cleaning supplies I needed. Here are two links to the sites I found with some cleaning recipes. They work, are safe, and are cheap. Good luck!
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/clean-up-your-act-all-natural-homemade-cleaners/
and
http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/01/four-homemade-cleaners/