fitness log

Get it going!

2010-03-21T20:51:00.000+02:00

Start up your workout

I don’t know about you, but I’m very goal oriented when it comes to fitness. If I know I have a race in 3 months my workouts are strategically planned to work towards that goal. In fact, a few years ago I gave myself 6 months to train for my first triathlon and it changed my life! Before that, I was a bartender living a late-night unhealthy lifestyle. And now, my life today could NOT be any more different! (Except I still make a mean Mojito! )

So, if you’d like to set a goal for a run, here’s an option for a beginner run in San Francisco called the Presidio 10 in San Francisco on April 18th. Participants can run either a 10K or 10 mile. The course starts at Crissy Field and takes you across the Golden Gate bridge and back… should be beautiful!

http://www.presidio10.com/event/Presidio_10_Race.html

Anyone know of any other races happening they recommend?

Nutrition Tip

Unfortunately, when it come to getting rid of few pounds exercise alone won’t do it. Here’s just a few tips on what to avoid or reduce in your diet:

1. Most processed and packaged foods that have refined sugar and refined flour and even “processed whole wheat.”

Breads, bagels, etc. (white AND wheat)
cakes
cookies
donuts
pasta (even whole wheat – it’s still refined flour)
pastries
pretzels
most crackers
quick oats or packaged oatmeal
pies

2. Foods high in sugar:

BBQ Sauce
Candy
Cocktail Sauce
Condiments
Ice Cream
Jams & Jellies
Power bars and most energy bars

3. Beverages high in sugar

Colas & sodas
Fruit juices
Liqueurs
Sports drinks like gatorade, vitamin water
Overly sweetened coffee drinks – that means NO frappa-mocha-noncaf-halfcaf-accinos!

[Via http://upyourfit.wordpress.com]

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2010-03-21T08:17:00.000+02:00

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Why I Got StartedI began a diet for a bodybuilding competition because I was sick of being the big fat guy that was strong but never looked good.

That all changed when I promised myself that I would never look like that again. I went from big and fat to big and lean. This was also the first time I saw my abs.

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Why I Got Started

I began a diet for a bodybuilding competition because I was sick of being the big fat guy that was strong but never looked good.

That all changed when I promised myself that I would never look like that again. I went from big and fat to big and lean. This was also the first time I saw my abs.

How I Did It

With some help and motivation seven days a week from some friends in college, I trained three hours a day for fourteen weeks and completely transformed my eating habits and training style. Since loosing the weight I have learned what true hardcore training takes.

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[Via http://fitness100.wordpress.com]

What does it mean to have a Super Body, Super Brain? Video Coming from St Louis, Missouri

2010-03-20T20:29:00.000+02:00

Hi I am Shannon from St Louis, Missouri here with Fit Factor Fit Camps What I think it means to have a Super Body, Super Brain is to remember that health is not only physical but also very mental. So if you have a healthy brain to body connection there is no limits on what you can achieve, so that is why I think it means to have a Super Body, Super Brain

Are you in Missouri? Check out Shannon’s great classes http://www.fitfactor4.com What does it mean to you to have a Super Body, Super Brain? Send me your videos! You can win many prizes!

Release Date: December 2010

WEBSITE: BLOG: My LinkedIn FOLLOW ME @TWITTER JOIN MY FAN GROUP@FACEBOOK Email me@michaelgonzalezwallace@gmail.com

[Via http://superbodysuperbrainblog.wordpress.com]

Antioxidants are the new sexy!

2010-03-18T20:54:00.000+02:00

Juz check out this bottle…it speaks for itself!

Deliciously Sexy Antioxidant Supplement

Noni popped up on the seen (at least that I know of) only a few years ago, and although healthy, its potent taste makes it a little hard to swallow! Yuck!

Ardyss has changed all that with its flagship nutrition pruduct, Le’Vive. Le’Vive is a deliciously sexy antioxidant supplement offered by Ardyss. It is great for my fitness buffs (or wanna-bes) and my people looking for a great weight-loss aid.

Le’vive has a yummy mix of 5 (YES 5!) super fruits: pomegranate, goji, acai berry, noni, and mangosteen.

Not only is it tasty, but it’s highly beneficial! Le’vive helps with weight loss, strengthening the immune system, increasing energy, and controling blood sugar levels…it’s also been known to increase libido (for my lovers out there!)

There are MANY other benefits… but I don’t wanna bore you, when you can just check it out for yourself!

www.ardysslife.com/beautyhealthlife

[Via http://ardyssbeauty.wordpress.com]

Sprinting By The Charles

2010-03-16T20:53:00.000+02:00

Folks, I am out of breath and my legs are sore. Today I decided to head down to the Charles River Esplanade and do some sprints on the grass alongside the river. I found a long straight area of grass that wasn’t too crowded and set up shop. I drew a line in the dirt for my starting point, and took off, since I was already warm from the light jog to the river. I sprinted at maximum effort until I simply couldn’t keep the speed up anymore, stopped, and drew a line in the dirt. That would be my distance for today. Sprint, catch your breath, sprint, catch your breath….ten sprints later I was ready to fall over! Half way through I wanted to stop, but I had made a deal with myself to do ten sprints, and so I completed all of them and I’m glad I did. Best part of all…it didn’t take very long! And the scenery wasn’t bad either:

This is the stretch of grass I used to run. Beautiful!

Relaxing Up In A Tree After Finishing

[Via http://matthewkacergis.wordpress.com]

'to improve your memory, lend people money.' ~Anonymous

2010-03-16T08:52:00.000+02:00

My pay is all healed up so I’m getting back at it this week. I’m going to exist a week behind and continue at week 6. Here it is:

Resistance/Circuit Training

A1: Pushups (feet up~ the body ball)

A2: Explosive Jumps (lift your knees up)

A3: Decline back tumult with bands

A4: Stationary lunges with bands (45 sec/side)

A5: Dips

A6: Walking lunges with weights (you can use dumbbells, milk jugs, backpack, etc.)

A7: Tricep extensions (45 sec/faction. Keep to form, don’t move the elbow!)

A8: Toe distress

A9: Concentration curl with bands (45 sec/side)

Going to insert with the Intermediate level as I did in week 5. HIIT continues as per week 5. Mighty Grasshopper has again posted a video discipline for this weeks exercises. Srsly can’t wait to startle back tomorrow!

[Via http://digiinews.wordpress.com]

Day 55

2010-03-14T20:52:00.000+02:00

Yay! I had a great practice today. My strategy to move to a new location halfway through worked well. When I was juggling over the bed, I simply could not get 9 throws. When I moved to the middle of the room with a wall as my backdrop, I was able to start getting 9 throws after only a few tries. So strange how that works; maybe a rut is tied to a location. I guess that makes sense, as a new perspective, whether physical or mental, seems to always promote growth, creativity and better understanding. While juggling over the bed helps with efficiency of practice, it probably creates some sort of mental crutch. But you’d also think I’d be more likely to ‘go for it’ and try to get 9 throws with the bed under me – crazy!

So next practice I will move locations again, maybe even more than twice per session. Looking forward to more progress in the coming week!

[Via http://learningfive.wordpress.com]

The Blind Buzz on Accessibility up to letter M

2010-03-13T20:33:00.000+02:00

This entry promised to go on forever, such is the volume of stories coming in at the moment. That’s why I’ve divided this entry into two entries, the first going up to the initial letter M, the other covering N to Z.

100 Killer iTunes Feeds for Serious Science Geeks | Online Colleges

A Day Through the Eyes of a Blind Woman and how technology might help to get her through.

A Chat with ABC News on Assistive Gadgets – abledbody: news, insights and reviews on disability and assistive technology – includes the Intel Reader and some iPhone apps.

A quarter of Welsh polling stations ‘inaccessible’ – BBC News

Accessible Online Surveys (fully CLF 2 & 508 compliant) – OnlyASurvey.com

Accessible Text CAPTCHAs: 157,500,799 logic questions – a possible way around the difficulties of visual and audio CAPTCHAs.

Accessible UK Train Timetables

Accessible Web Video: JW Player Controls – OSU Web Accessibility Center – provides an accessible front end to Flash videos.

Accessibility for e-books means audio, too – Media dis&dat

Alabama creates fitness center for deaf, blind people – Media dis&dat

Am I Taking the Right Pill? – Donna Jodhan – how are you going to tell one kind of medication from another?

Apple Releases Safari 4.0.5 « AccessTech News – and it still doesn’t play nice under Windows.

Apple’s iPad Will Read Books Out Loud, Support Free E-Books | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Are touch screens accessible?

Astronomy HyperText Book – the University of Oregon provides a fairly accessible resource.

Australia struggles to provide better disability access for performing arts – Media dis&dat

Australia’s film and TV industry opening up to disabled performers – Media dis&dat

Becta collaboration: Sources of Specialist Equipment funding for IT in the home/other support

Best Free Portable Applications – techsupportalert.com

Book Port Plus – American Printing House for the Blind

Braille Labels from Auntie Arwen’s Spice Blends – Fred’s Head

Building on Patterns: Primary Braille Literacy Program First Grade Level – Fred’s Head from the American Printing House for the Blind.

Campaigners for blind criticise Cathedral Square fountains – Peterborough Today – lack of tactile markers makes life difficult for people with sensory disabilities.

Choice Magazine Listening – Fred’s Head from APH – free magazine audio for those with print disabilities.

Claro Software Download Site – Claro Software Range – Claro Read version 5.5 is just released. I’m a bit concerned that the e-mail alert from the company didn’t read properly in plain text (meaningless ‘click here’ links, which weren’t linked at all), and the forms on the site that are not fully accessible. Try the free trial anyway.

Clisk, the Command-Line Interface for Skype

Does HTML5 Really Beat Flash? The Surprising Results of New Tests

Effective Practices for Description of Science Content within Digital Talking Books / Introduction / NCAM – Experience + Learn / Educational Media. Also visit

TouchGraphics Video for an example of audio-tactile representation using the LiveScribe pen.

FCC Talks on Broadband for People with Disabilities – abledbody: news, insights and reviews on disability and assistive technology

Finding awesome stuff online with Google Reader Play – Official Google Blog – get your chosen topics played to you without sorting out all your own feeds. Videos and maximised images included.

First park designed for disabled people to open in Texas – Media dis&dat – Morgan’s Wonderland, near Austin, not only has wheelchair-accessible ride, but many sensory experiences as well.

Flash Satay: Embedding Flash While Supporting Standards – A List Apart

Freedom Scientific Reduces Price of Focus 40 Blue Braille Display by 38% to Support Drive for Braille Literacy – it’s a snip at $2,795.

Fully Accessible Talking Glucose Meter System – Fred’s Head – the Prodigy Voice claims to be the only device of its kind for diabetics.

Global Assistive Technology Encyclopedia – Global Assistive Technology Wiki

Guess This Gadget: Stereoscopic 3D Image Scanner | Blog | ZiggyTek – Real-View 3D have produced this consumer desktop viewer, based on medical equipment.

Guide Dog Training Survey – your chance to share experiences.

Handbook for Learning to Read Braille by Sight – Fred’s Head

Have I Ever Relied On my Vision When Completing any activities? « Youtube’s “Living Blind” Blog – seems like for some people vision can be more confusing than helpful.

How I Label Things – Donna Jodhan – using Braille labels and the Penfriend audio label maker.

IBM looks into easy cellphones: News24: SciTech: News – phones suitable for people with disabilities and elderly people.

If You Are Blind Or Have Low Vision – how we can help – electronic information from the U.S. Social Security system.

ILRC – San Francisco – the Independent Living Resource Center offers a number of services to enable disabled people to live independently.

In Canada, a group of disabled people complain about costly accessible transportation – Media dis&dat

Inaccessible Point of Sale Devices – Donna Jodhan

[Audio] KNFB Reader Seminar recording (nearly 3 hours

Little Things that Can Make a Big Difference – Fred’s Head from APH – as a blind person, you will still need to write things occasionally. Writing guides can be helpful.

McTwit Twitter client

McTwit Installer

Documentation – this is version 2.7

[Via http://nystagmite.wordpress.com]

5 Of The Best - Personal fitness tips

2010-03-13T08:52:00.000+02:00

Published in Matchbox magazine

Matchbox brings you a very special Five of the Best this month, courtesy of fitness guru Matt Roberts.

In the depths of the last recession, Matt Roberts moved to London with an idea: he’d identified a niche in the market for personalised training, where athletes or regular clients could get tailored help in reaching their fitness goals.

With no banks willing to lend, he had to put in some hard graft to raise the necessary funds. But raise them he did and in 1995 Roberts managed to set up his first one-to-one training centre within a former art gallery. Today he owns four plush personal training gyms across the capital with a client list that boasts the likes of John Galliano and Naomi Campbell. The following are Roberts’s top tips on keeping healthy in 2010.

Interview with Laura Holt.

1. Staying Motivated

Set a distinct goal and a date by which you want to achieve it. Be crystal clear and devise a reward for yourself for when you reach that target – and a forfeit if you fail to make it. Your goal could be that you want to get into a certain size dress for a special occasion, for example. So buy the dress in a smaller size that realistically matches your target. You’ll have an incentive for getting your weight down – or you’ll have wasted your money.

2. The Fun Factor

The best way to avoid monotony in your routine is to mix up the intensities – with things like interval training – and by varying the activities. Part of the reason why triathlon has become so popular is because advocates can vary training up by going for a run one day, then a bike ride or session in the pool the next. It’s important to allow yourself a mental and physical break. Make sure you have different patterns you follow. Sit down on a Sunday night and plan your activities for the week ahead to help stimulate your workout.

3. Eating Better

The average female consumes between 85-105 grams of fat each day, when it should be no more than 60 grams. With men, the ratio’s roughly the same: we’re consuming 80 per cent more fat than we should be. Where possible, remove saturated fats from your diet (commonly found in fried foods and dishes with rich creamy sauces and cheese). Stay away from ‘bad’ fats (many mass-produced biscuits and the like still contain unhealthy trans fats), and focus instead on the ‘good’ ones, in sources including fish, nuts and seeds.

4. Working Out

One of the most effective ways to work out is through interval training. At least twice a week, throw a hill session into your running or cycling routine or change your speed when swimming for a minute or two. Push yourself really hard, to the point where you couldn’t carry on any further, then recover for same time. Keep this up for 45-minutes and it will raise your metabolism phenomenally. Working out at a constant pace raises your metabolic rate for about 8 hours – with interval training, the afterburn effect lasts for up to 48 hours.

5. Warming Down

When you’ve finished an exercise session, you really need to stretch. Cool yourself down by bringing your heart rate down slowly. For example, if you’ve finished a run, spend five minutes gradually reducing your pace to a slow walk before finishing by stretching all muscles.

VIEW THE ORIGINAL PRINT VERSION

[Via http://lauraholtlondonfreelancejournalist.wordpress.com]

Rep Basics

2010-03-11T20:49:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I was feeling pretty pumped when I hit the gym for my back workout. I had good energy, had eaten well all day, and was psyched to try out my new workout gloves (Vain girls wear these in the weight room to avoid ugly callouses!) I had what I thought was a great workout. I did seated machine rows, seated low rows, T-bar rows, cable lat pulldowns, seated pullovers, back extensions, and some exhausting deadlifts! I came home and had a good protein and simple sugar shake (might have poured in a bit too much maple syrup, OOPS!) So how do I feel this morning??

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Sure, I might feel a bit sore tomorrow in delayed onset muscle soreness, but I know from experience that if I’m not feeling a little buzz on day 1, I didn’t get the training I needed. My feeling is that while I did a lot of work, I wasn’t using weights that were heavy enough to get the effect I wanted.

A few months ago, following a fitness hiatus, I trained with a trainer, who showed me the proper weight I should be using to exercise. Boy, was I surprised! Although I thought I had a good amount of training under my belt, it took another person to show me what “heavy” really means. Lifting heavy really is an exhausting struggle, and sometimes it’s hard to hit that point. As you increase your strength, it becomes even harder to challenge yourself to increase your weight since your last workout. What I mean is: If you’re using 25 pound plates on your barbell deadlifts, you’ll keep using those plates because you know they work. You must constantly re-evaluate your power in order to determine when to increase the weight. When you’re looking for a quick workout, it’s easier to slap on those 25’s than to challenge yourself, isn’t it?

So, last night’s workout taught me that I need to start increasing my weights if I want to see some results. If I had remained present in my workout last night, I might have caught on that I was doing 8 reps no problem, which indicates to me that I need to increase my weights. And this morning I would have felt that beautiful sore feeling of growing muscles!

When you’re just starting out, or picking up after a hiatus, or changing your goals, how to know how many reps and sets to perform, and at what weight? The general rules are:

Goal: Increase muscle strength

How to train: Low reps (1-7) are best for training for strength. In other words, you should choose a weight that is so heavy that on the seventh rep, you can no longer lift the weight and maintain proper form. Lifting such a heavy weight puts a large overload on your muscle fibers, and may train muscle nerves to fire in rapid synchronization.

Goal: Gain Muscle (growth)

How to Train: Perform a medium-range of reps (8 to 10) at such a weight that the 11th rep cannot be performed with good form. Lifting in this rep range creates enough stress on the muscle fibers and metabolic stress on muscle cells to kick start growth.

Goal: Endurance

How to Train: Perform a high-rep range of 13+ at a weight level that allows you to perform at high reps. (Think lower than in the above scenarios) This trains the muscle pathways to build endurance without providing enough overload to start growth or strength increases.

Notice a pattern, here? No matter your goal, make sure that you’re using enough weight so that you can barely eke out single new rep!! Remain present in your workouts and you can avoid wasting time in the wrong weight range.

[Via http://vainjane.wordpress.com]

A (jutting out) bone to pick (and I talk about boobs)

2010-03-11T08:40:00.000+02:00

I got my first glorious copy of the Bravissimo catalog this week, which looked extra glorious laying next to my usual Victoria’s Secret catalog.

Have you heard of Bravissimo? They have the best explanation for how bras should fit that I’ve EVER seen.

So here comes this glorious catalog, in which models are eating cookies and dancing and looking like hot teachers – as opposed to just hot supermodels. And, what was that definition of juxtaposition again?

Oh yeah, the VS cover.

Don’t get me wrong, Vicky. I love you. I love your mesh fabrics and your good-at-sizing sizers and your smug overpricedness. I’ve given you plenty of business.

Of course this chickypoo loves her body. She gets paid lots and lots of working-class salaries to love her body. I’d look good too if I got paid to jetset around and live off lettuce and cigarettes. VS models are an epitome of the modern concept of beauty.

But don’t throw this crap at me, like you’re trying to encourage me to love myself. I can do that without you.

I’d rather look at hot chickypoos with bodies that I could aspire to. (I could aspire to VS, but I’d have to grow at least 7 inches AND lose 20 pounds.)

The sad part is that Bravissimo is in Europe, so I’ll continue to buy VS on sale online. At least VS carries great bras in my size, which is more than a lot of you department stores can say.

[Via http://rikkiking.wordpress.com]

The day after the day after the long run

2010-03-09T20:52:00.000+02:00

I’d never really considered myself a runner until I got about four months into this challenge and I still find I have my doubts at times about whether I really am one.

Other people I know though have been running for years and, sometimes, you just have to bow to their superior knowledge. Point in case is Steve Swift, regular reader and commenter (is that a word?, Steve would know, he’s a proof reader). Steve has been running for some time and regularly offers me pieces of sage advice… go back two entries ago to see his comment on my 18.5mile run: ‘be careful on Tuesday’.

While yesterday I was a little stiff, today I was a lot stiff. I mean a real lot stiff, so much so that I could go no faster than 12 minutes a mile and I began to wonder where the line is drawn between a slow run and a quick walk.

As is often the case though, a sign comes up just when I’m feeling a bit glum about things. Just as I got back, the postman was arriving – unheard of for 7.55am in the morning and he was delivering my new 1095miles.com running shirts. I’ll model them in a pic on tomorrow’s entry!

Click here for a Google Map and full details of the day’s run

Miles today: 3

Target: 513

Miles to date: 663.1

Want to dedicate a run to someone or have one dedicated to you? Click here

[Via http://1095miles.com]

Turbulence coaching Kettlebell Revolution System For women

2010-03-09T08:42:00.000+02:00

Turbulence training Kettlebell Revolution System For girls

By kannan7.03.turbulence3

According to Chris Lopez, creator of the Turbulence coaching Kettlebell Revolution System, Kettlebells are superb for everyday folks who wants an effective workout.

But they are also excellent for ladies. Girls using Kettlebells would develop a sexy lean, look. turbulenct training. They might get a dancers body, versus a very muscly physique.

Chris Lopez says that Kettlebell training works a lot on the posterior chain, which embodies the hamstrings, glutes, lumbar region & abs. This is good for ladies, since girls tend to train their quads too much.

In women, the angle of the femur ( leg bone ) relative to their hips is more acute then men. This forces them to use their quads more in lower body movements.

Using KB Movements such as swings, high pulls, and snatches helps them train their frequently neglected glutes and hamstrings, allowing them to create balance and healthier knees.

Another vital benefit of Kettlebell coaching for women is they are very versatile and can be taken anywhere and everywhere. turbulence training review. You can get a great workout using just one Kettlebell. If you were to depend only on Dumbbells, then you’d need a complete set of dumbbells to get a useful workout. With Kettlebells, one weight level can last your for months.

There are 2 reasons why Kettlebells are better than Dumbbells : one ) the way in which the weight is distributed. Because all of the weight is in one, giant location, vs being even distributed as in a Dumbbell, all of the muscles in your body are called into action to manage the Kettlebell.

Chris Lopez endorses starting off with an 8kg weight for ladies. That is’s 17.6 lbs. Here’s a sample routine you can try today :

Complete the following circuit 3-5 times :

* Kettlebell ( Goblet ) Squat x10

* Kb Row x 12 per arm

* KB Goblet Lunges x10 per leg

* 1-Arm army Press x10 per arm

* 2-Arm KB Swings x20 per arm

* Rest 60-90 seconds and repeat

[Via http://turbulence4girls69.wordpress.com]

"Let yourself be great"

2010-03-07T20:55:00.000+02:00

Change.

It’s hard for anyone to accept change – in any shape or form.

Good or bad.

Change in relationship status.

Change in career.

Change in living arrangements.

Change in appearance.

Change in personality.

That last one is a tough one. It’s where I’m sitting currently and is something my husband woke me up to today on our run while I vented about Kick and the piece I’m still struggling with: letting go, stepping outside of “me” and embodying the Kick instructor that I’m meant to be, that I need to be in order to not only pass the looming BTS video assessment/certification but to be a full-fledged instructor at my gym.

A snippet from our convo during this afternoon’s run (which was amazing btw, a little over 5 miles in gorgeous quasi-spring new england temps):

Me: I don’t know how to let go.

Scott: Just stop thinking.

Me: I don’t know how to stop thinking, I can’t do it.

Scott: You need to let go, and letting go means not thinking.

Me: But how do I do that??

Scott: You have to change who you are, stop letting Type-A take over and just go.

Me: (insert frustrated grumbling here)

Scott: You always come to class prepared, you know the routine, you know the moves. You have that going for you. You need to push that aside, because you got it, stop thinking about it, and just motivate and have fun.

Me: It’s so easy for me to just revert to status quo, and for me, that means not stepping outside the “safe” box and being someone I’m afraid to be, because I don’t know how to be someone else. “Kimmie” said I don’t need to change who I am, just be a slightly enhanced version of myself. But how?

Scott: Right. That’s it. You have to be uncomfortable until you can embrace that change in who you are, it’s in there, just let it out. Let yourself be great.

Wow. This was EXACTLY what I needed to hear today. I was so frustrated after Kick practice today because I know that the one piece that will fail me is the cueing/motivating. I am struggling with it badly. But why? Why am I struggling to, of all things, motivate? THIS is why I took the leap with Kick – to motivate others to live a healthy, balanced, LIVELY life.

So, if I can keep that in mind, that I am fulfilling a dream, something not many people get the opportunity to do in life, then I should be the most enthusiastic, excited and awesome instructor there is, right?

In theory, yes. In reality, my former shy self is holding me back. It’s like this little mini-me on my shoulder whispering in my ear, “it’s ok, just get through it” versus the motivated and inspirational mini-me I NEED screaming in my ear “DO THIS, YELL, GET EXCITED!!”

I’ve got to squash that shy mini-me, it’s not who I am. I’m better than that. Much better, in fact. Until I can squash her for good, I’m going to have to do what Scott said, fake it, act, step outside of “me” until the new and improved “me” emerges for real and it no longer feels unnatural. I need to let myself be great. Has a nice ring to it, no?

The real test is looming – Thursday is the next class I’ll be teaching and I’ll be damned, shy-me better stay in bed that morning, or else!

[Via http://eatdrinkbreathesweat.wordpress.com]

DAY 41: I did my eyebrows and everything!

2010-03-07T08:23:00.000+02:00

O-Kaaaayy……this morning SUCKED. I’m Tired!

Because of Rich’s, I got to bed at 2a and woke up at 730a. That’s only 5.5 hrs… NOT enough.

My first appointment was at 9am, so I got to the office early today…and he was a NO SHOW! Can you believe that?

I did my eyebrows and everything!

However, I did not lose the lesson in the moment. Even though I was embarrassed in front of Jim (if you don’t know who Jim is, you’ve got some catching up to do), he asked me about my Cancellation Policy!

What cancellation policy? I don’t have one….until an hour later when my next client walked in and signed my newly written cancellation policy!

See Jayson? You’re learning!

My 2nd appointment was from Top of the Park, and he is a very nice guy. He seemed to LOVE his massage, and he’s coming back in 2 weeks….gotta keep my clients, gotta keep my clients, gotta keep my clients….

I had some clerical trouble with printing and processing his credit card and all, but I finally worked my way through it all.

I still have a workout coming up later in the day…my last workout of Level One. Mr. Trainer is going to “rock my world” with all new stuff on Monday! Ahh! I’m scared!

I look at the crazy things some of these guys do to themselves in the gym…rolling pushups on giant barbells…Serpentine pushup sequences….Scary stuff!

I think I said it in the last blog, but I am SO excited for Monday’s “Weigh In!” I know I started out the week a little rough by pouting over my small weight loss and overeating, but I’ve taken responsibility, corrected my mistake, and worked REALLY hard!

And I can feel my body changing really fast! Woo hoo! Dare I hope for a decent number this week?

As for the jog, I went over to Balboa Park and ran the new trail again! It was a very scenic hour of sweating, and just when I thought I saw all of trail #5, I discovered an entirely new branch that goes off into the distance…I’ll be exploring that this coming week, I’m sure!

My right knee though….not happy with me. Hmm…

I originally wrote in my notes today that I was going to take a nap…somehow that never ended up happening. =(

But I did get my grocery shopping done! Billy took me to Costco, and I have enough vegetables to feed a neighborhood for at least a month.

I can NOT believe how much fruit and veggies I eat in a week! Everyone was looking at my cart and what I was buying, and then looking back at me…it was weird today.

Without making eye contact, I saw people doing a lot of head nodding as they sized me up in Costco. They obviously thought “Oh, he seems in shape…yup, he’s buying broccoli.” LOL

After 40 minutes of chopping my veggies and storing stuff, I had to stop and go to the gym. I have more chopping to do tomorrow, but it’s enough for one day.

My groceries completely dominate the bulk of the fridge…Hubby is not happy about that, per se, but he’s being very nice about it…thank you Hubby!

I threw some cottage cheese and blueberries in a bowl and went to work out!

The Gym: Awesome! 44 minutes of pure Hell, but I had that fire in my pants again. As Hubby says, “Oh, you’re one of THOSE guys, huh?”

Yup, I’m one of “those guys.”

Today I couldn’t help it…I counted out loud, yelled, grunted, and otherwise was a loud, obnoxious, dramatic freak!

But I DID it!

I did a REALLY good workout, and that’s what counts! It’s not easy to do the workout at night…most of my energy is all ready gone, and I didn’t even start out with any energy today!

Oh, and the V crunches (double pikes) were burning and sore…but I NEVER reached my max out! During the final reps I just held that airborne position for maybe 30 seconds…while staring amazed at my own body, mouth agape!

I kept waiting to cramp up, to max out, to collapse back to the ground, but my abs weren’t having any of it! They were like, “Godamn it! Fine! You insist on doing this move, then HERE! DO IT THEN!” eheheh….it was AWESOME!

The rest of the night was nice and relaxing. Just had dinner with Hubby and then came home to blog. And here’s the cool thing: I had dinner at Red Lobster!

Hubby wanted to have dinner “someplace nice”…as he says when he’s feeling neglected. And I expressed concerns about only having 297 calories left to eat, as well as not being able to eat smart in restaurants…afterall, I haven’t BEEN to a restaurant in nearly 6 weeks!

While showering, I was planning on doing all this work online just so I could figure out what I was going to eat…and when I came out Hubby had all ready solved it.

There’s this .99 cent iPhone app with all the calories for over 70 restaurants! Wow! Hubby totally just jumped in and helped solve a problem without being asked! Yea!!! Way to go Hubby!

It wasn’t the smoothest dinner planning ever, but it all worked out. I have to remember this was my first time using this application, and I’ll get faster in the future.

And with advanced notice, I’ll be able to preplan meals out and actually eat with Hubby once in a while!

My Dinner:

A small green salad (with lemon sprayed on top as my dressing…thanks for the suggesion, Waitress person)
A double portion of broccoli with Lemon and Old Bay seasoning…(Jayson has a new “flavor of the month!”)
And the flakiest, hottest, most delightfully lightly grilled Salmon steak I’ve ever had! I nearly died.

Of course, eating out is also MUCH more expensive…$16 for 400 calories? That’s 4 cents a calorie! Wow!

If I phrase it like that to Hubby, I’m sure we’ll never eat at a restaurant again!

I did go over todays calorie goal by about 100 calories, but it’s coming out of tomorrow’s calorie budget.

Oh, and tomorrow is my first day at the Spa, where people pay WAY more than I charge, for a shorter amount of time with me….whatever. It’ll be good to have a guaranteed busy day once a week for the next 12 months!

And besides the massages, I don’t have anything else planned. It’s my day OFF from all fitness! (So I don’t need as many calories anyway)

Well, that’s it ya’ll. I love you and thank you profoundly for your support/half-hearted amusement, or any other attention you feel like throwing my direction.

I know I talk about a lot of random, personal, gay stuff….but that’s my life. And the ONLY way for me to not slide face first into a bathtub full of “Fudge Rounds” is to “talk out” everything!

I didn’t used to overeat because I was dum, I overate because I was lonely and felt that no one heard me.

I had no voice, and no hope that people would listen if I did speak…and I’ve finally outgrown that, and I’m growing up. =)

Thank you again. =)

Mwah!

Jayson!

[Via http://jaysonm.wordpress.com]

Free Slimming Tools

2010-03-06T20:21:00.000+02:00

FREE SLIMMING TOOLS

I thought I would share some free weight loss tools I’ve discovered -

BMI

If you want to know if your current weight is healthy or not, then the NHS in the UK provide a tool to work out your Body Mass Index (BMI).

The link is below:-

http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU NEED TO LOSE AND MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT

This NHS tool allows you to work out what calories your body needs based on your current weight, height, sex, age and level of activity. This helps you to calculate what your calorie intake should be while you are losing weight and understand what you need to continue to eat to prevent putting the weight back on.

The link is below:-

http://www.nhsdudley.nhs.uk/sites/Healthy-Living-Tackling-Obesity/index.asp?id=8550

CALORIES & FAT RECORD

Microsoft have kindly provided a excel template that can be used for logging daily Calories and fat intake.

This can be downloaded from the microsoft office online website by clicking on the link below:-

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010684541033.aspx?ofcresset=1&AxInstalled=1&c=0

I hope someone finds this helpful.

Paulina

[Via http://digiinews.wordpress.com]

10k challenge week 3

2010-03-06T08:40:00.000+02:00

This week has been a little disappointing because I’ve been struggling to get over a minor cold and I was so busy at work. I was going to try to push through to finish by Saturday which would be 20 days but I may have to go into next week now.

Having said that I’ve not done badly this week. I went into the gym on Monday intending to just do 500 as recovering from that cold but somehow continued to 1000.Tuesday I got onto the mats and noticed someone had left double 8kg and double 12kg. So I had some doubles fun- after some internal debate I decided that each double was just one swing as it was one hip movement. I finished with straightforward 16kg swings- added another 500.

I had to have a day off on Wednesday due to work pressure. However I ended up doing 10 press ups because children in the boxing class bet me I couldn’t-posh headteacher dress and everything.

On Thursday I completed 700 swings- mostly with the 16kg. Friday I went to see an amazing Cuban dance company so no time to workout. At the last count that made 8200. I’m going to try for finishing on Sunday…

[Via http://kettlebellqueen.wordpress.com]

Still Snowing - Today's Workouts

2010-03-04T20:35:00.000+02:00

I cannot believe it, it’s still snowing!! But that didn’t stop us going to the gym My workout this morning included:

Platform Calf Raises 3×20
Leg Extensions 10# 2×14
Leg Curls 20# 2×14
H.S. Calf Raises 10# 2×16

Then, I went to the morning yoga class! My yoga instructor threw in some pilate core routines and that really challenged me (in a good way). Meanwhile, my husband faithfully worked out for 90 minutes by himself as usual. We drove home together after we’re all done, had our breakfast, and off to work!

I had some break time in the early afternoon, so I decided to go back to the gym for cardio workouts:

30 minute intervals on elliptical
30 minute intervals on bike

My quads started feeling sore and I experienced a sharp pain in my left ankle while I was on the bike. After I lowered the intensity, I felt ok and I was able to finish the workout. I probably should go easy on my legs tomorrow.

[Via http://newyouresolution.wordpress.com]

The end of the road or the top of the hill?

2010-03-02T20:50:00.000+02:00

Some of you might know that I started this blog when I began a health and fitness program at my gym. At the beginning of it I complained about having to wake up at 5:30 a couple of days, having to work out 5 days a week and eating healthy foods. This is the last week of that program and I have to say it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Basically, all of the things that I spent time complaining about are the same things that make me feel great today! Last night I put on a pajama shirt that normally makes me look fat (ok, so it was a truthful shirt) and now it just hangs on me. I’ve done things I would not have done otherwise because of the program – today I actually ran a mile. Before the program if I were asked to take a walk outside I’d say – Really? where are we going exactly?.

So now that things have changed, now that I am a healthier slightly lighter person than when I began what do I do? The last weigh in for me is Thursday. There is no group accountability after that. The only one that will be with me when I “weigh in” is me and the scale. No prizes for being the biggest looser, no pats on the back, and now for a couple of weeks, I’ll be working out alone (well just not in a class). Will I let things slide? I really hope not … I can’t …. NO! I’ve come too far to just let things slide. Plus, I have some people who read this who really care. To let them down, my family, and me – that’s just to much to think of doing.

There are going to be some hard climbs coming up ahead soon. I’ll surely plateau which will totally suck. Loosing weight has been fairly easy so far so and that has made things fun. As soon as it gets hard I am really going to have to work on not giving up and just power through it.

After all the climbing, running, clawing my way through countless hours of working out, surviving sweaty, crave filled moments while driving by a starbucks, after dragging my sore body to bed only to wake up and do it all over again I’m not done. I haven’t finished the race. I’ve only reached the top of the first hill and this week I’m enjoying the view because next week I have to start up the mountain that’s ahead.

[Via http://curlyskinny.wordpress.com]

This Will Be The Best Price You Will Find. At This Price You Can Afford To Lose

2010-03-02T08:56:00.000+02:00

PR Log (Press Release) – Feb 27, 2010 – Weight loss and how to not only lose it, but how to keep it off. You’ll be proud of yourself after accomplishing what is so important to you and your health…Getting rid of all that extra weight. Would it be nice to look in the mirror and see yourself as a healthy appearing person, being able to smile, feeling fit and trim. Well that is exactly what this package will enable you to do. This has worked for hundreds of thousands around the world and you are soon to be one of them, that is ,if you get your copy. I used to go up and down in weight all the time because I never really knew how to properly diet. It wasn’t until I bought and read Elite Weight Loss that I was finally able toget to where I am now… not only is my body more trim … my energy levels are up, consistent and my self -esteem is higher than ever. So how much would you pay to feel SO GOOD ? Well, as I said. THIS IS THE BEST PRICE and THE BEST PRODUCT you will find on the internet today. How do I know ? I’ve seen them all and I thanked GOD for this one. So ? GET IT NOW

P.S Send me an e-mail so as I can send you a link.

[Via http://blogsoblog.wordpress.com]

Fail.

2010-02-27T20:38:00.000+02:00

I had big plans for a Hot Yoga class this morning. I went to bed relatively early and made myself get out of bed at 8:50am to get ready and drive to the studio. I looked out the window…surprise, surprise–there was snow on the ground. If you know me, you know that I am NOT going to drive in snow, especially since my townhouse is kind of at the top of a hill and I’m terrified of my car sliding around. I meant SUV…with 4-wheel drive. Ha ha yes I’m just afraid for no reason, I admit it. But anyways, I had to skip Hot Yoga…I was really looking forward to it after hitting the gym hard this week. I did Body Pump twice, lots of running, and lots of elliptical intervals throughout the week. So that was a little disappointing, but I might go tomorrow afternoon…its just such a good feeling after 90 minutes of sweating out toxins and getting some good stretching in. Does anyone else love Hot Yoga as much as I do?!

I had plans for today to be my “rest” day, only doing Hot Yoga, and then running 10 miles tomorrow. But since that clearly didn’t happen, I ran 5 miles on the treadmill today and tackled a few hills/intervals…I’m thinking of running another 5 tomorrow and then doing Hot Yoga in the afternoon. I know it isn’t going to be 10 miles all at once, but it still accomplishes the basic goal of running 10 miles this weekend + Hot Yoga. So I’ll go with it I guess I can’t wait until next week, when I get to go to my hometown gym (YMCA) alllll week! I miss the fab Spinning classes and the best Ab classes I’ve ever been to…and all of the instructors are awesome! Its the little things in life that make me happy I also will probably get in a 12 or 13 mile run while I’m home…just as prep for my Half on March 21st. I’ve maintained my endurance and have been running 10-12 mile runs regularly, so I’m not really building up. I have been working on more intervals/high intensity training and I think I’ll definitely run the Half in less time this year than I did last year. We shall see I guess

Well I’m going to relax & enjoy the rest of the day…I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

-xoxo

[Via http://britdanielle07.wordpress.com]

10k challenge-increasing the weight

2010-02-27T08:55:00.000+02:00

I’m back at work this week which means that workouts are harder to fit in. So fewer swings are in order as I have less time. I decided to go up a weight and so introduced the 16kg thinking that this would slow me down. However I still managed 500 and 700 swings per session. By Friday I was up to 5600 swings.

I was due to help supervise a school disco and had little time to workout but really wanted to finish that last 400. So I managed to get to the gym for a quick blast. At one time 400 swings would take an hour, I was finished easily within 30 mins including joit mobility and stretch! I even managed 100 swings with the 20kg (2H in sets of 20).

Whats more I went back to work refreshed and ready to take on 2 hours of school disco- much more daunting.

[Via http://kettlebellqueen.wordpress.com]

Run That By Me Again...

2010-02-25T20:31:00.000+02:00

By Harlan Guthrie

Where did all the fat go? That’s right, the Western world has become so obsessed with eating right, staying in shape and cleansing that this once pleasantly plump country has become that of gym memberships and biking shorts. Studies will tell you that this isn’t the case, that over 50% of the country is obese, but look around you, whether we are or we aren’t doesn’t mean were not trying to change. The numbers have scared us and now it’s hard to find a business man or woman who doesn’t wake up extra early just so they can hit the gym for an hour. Doughnuts are taking the hit on this one too, it used to be rare that any sweet treats would remain on the snack table during the morning break at work but now you’ll only have muffins to choose from. Too many people have had far too much time to think about what they want to look like when all they should be doing is worrying less about others opinions and more about having a meaningful and fulfilling life. So for all those runners out there, to all those gym fanatics that can’t shower before putting on a good sweat there is hope at the Radisson Hotel Toronto East, or newly designed fitness room is equipped with the latest gear from running machines to the dreaded stair master, so you can all sleep easy knowing you can eat dessert tonight.

And to everyone else out there like me, who takes life as it is and tries to be happy, we can always sue McDonalds.

[Via http://radissonhoteltorontoeast.wordpress.com]

Day 24: another breakthrough

2010-02-25T08:43:00.000+02:00

Thought of the day! Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners. (Jimmy Stewart)

Moving into “powerpoint heaven – or should it be called hell”, the 3 parts of text are beginning to make sense and revealing the black holes that need to unveiled. Actually not that many and it seems like a fun stuff to look for.

I did learn one more thing, namely that I need to kick start my brain (short walk, coffee break outside the house, etc.) and then focus follows.

Another breakthrough on the fitness front, running uphill for a few minutes during the workout! What a change and much more fun!

I was nice to help a newby in the Al-Anon group. Hopefully the person will continue after the first step.

[Via http://28days2reinvent.wordpress.com]

HYC Update - Catching Up

2010-02-23T20:31:00.000+02:00

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It’s only Tuesday, and I already feel like I’m behind. I guess that’s what happens when you go back to a really busy workweek after a week off. Yesterday flew by, and I had a lot going on, but today after work things should be a bit calmer, so I’m hoping to catch up on a few things so that I can feel more in balance.

One of the things that I’ve let slide since Saturday is working out. I was great about hitting the gym and exercising all week while I was off, but once the weekend hit, and I had a few social engagements, being active sort of slid off the radar. Then yesterday was just crazy, and here I am.

I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself lately about needing to lose weight. I look at other bloggers and see that they’ve lost 10, 15, or almost 20 pounds so far this year. Then I look at my own totals and see that my net weight change is a gain so far this year. And then I see photos of myself and am so unhappy with the image that I see. The main problem is that I get into a lazy mode so easily – I’ll workout well for a couple of days an then I just let it drop off. I need to break that bad habit, because although I can eat healthy and stick to my points allowance, I know my body well enough to know that I must exercise in order to lose weight.

So the main focus for today and the remainder of this week is to get at least 30 mintues of activity in, even if it’s just the Wii Fitplus. (Which actually gets my heart pumping pretty quickly, believe it or not. Especially the boxing).

I also don’t want to get into feeling so negatively about myself, because that isn’t productive. So I want to make an effort this week to treat myself well. I started by buying a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers at the grocery store when I went shopping for my weekly groceries.

I love gerbera daisies, and this bouquet is a beautiful reminder that spring is just around the corner. Everytime I look at it, it makes me smile.

A few other things I’m doing for myself to keep positive thoughts flowing this week:

reading your blogs
taking a luxurious bath
trying out new recipes- I’ve already made Scale Warfare’s frittata, and I’m planning on making two other WW recipes later in the week.

So that’s where things are with me right now. I haven’t been doing a great job of following through with everything, but I’m determined to keep my spirits up and make this work.

[Via http://bellaonthebeach.wordpress.com]

Do You Want To Live Forever?

2010-02-23T07:50:00.000+02:00

Channel 4 Documentary following the revolutionary life-extension and immortality ideas of this somewhat eccentric scientist, Dr. Aubrey de Grey. This show is all about the radical ideas of a Cambridge biomedical gerontologist called Aubrey de Grey who believes that, within the next 20-30 years, we could extend life indefinitely by addressing seven major factors in the aging process. He describes his work as Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS). EngEdu Related websites:

http://www.Mprize.org

http://www.ImmInst.org

http://www.sens.org

[Via http://lt08so.wordpress.com]

Sexy Nightclub Workout

2010-02-21T20:49:00.000+02:00

Mmmhmm, I did this

Don’t judge me but… my review of Dance a GoGo Sexy Nightclub Workout is up on DVD Talk now. It’s true that I get to pick what I review and, yes, I picked this 3 disk box set. But I’m the only fitness reviewer so I would’ve ended up with it eventually anyway.

I looked like a straight up fool trying to do these routines–Music Video, Latin and Nightclub–and I was on the dance team for five years. Lame. The instruction is non-existent so it’s kind of hard to follow along. You might as well be watching a skanky music video and flailing your body around in time with the techno beat.

The best (read: worst) part are the tips from choreographer Andrea Lin:

1. Dressing sexy can make you fit!

2. Sitty pretty with efforts!

3. Walk in heels with style!

Yep. Sitty pretty with efforts. QUOTE.

Check out the review and let me know if you want it. I’m certainly not keeping it.

[Via http://sweettater.wordpress.com]

KETTLE BELL TRAINING FOR MUSCLE AND CARDIO DEVELOPMENT

2010-02-21T08:53:00.000+02:00

Although there are benefits from repeatedly lifting heavy weights in the gym, it can eventually become tiresome. Sometimes a strength and conditioning program needs to be changed – if only to provide a temporary break from the ‘norm’.

Kettle bells offer a refreshing alternative (visit www.fitness-shop.com.au for their large range). Sure, they don’t develop pure strength, but they can provide improved conditioning, particularly as an aerobic workout can be incorporated into a kettle bell routine.

I developed my own program, which combined short sprints (20 m) with kettle bell exercises. These exercise could focus on specific muscle groups, e.g. hammer curl, tricep extension, etc., but could also include compound exercises (those that require the use of more than one muscle group (e.g. Turkish get Up, French walk, rolling squat, pullover and snatch, etc.). Even finding various ways of throwing the kettle bells keeps the routine interesting.

All of my routines are performed outside, which allows a more varied program. The confines of a gym, or your own garage, have their benefits, but can limit the exercises you can perform. And not only will you find your workouts interesting, so will people who happen to walk by!

Below are some examples that form part of my routine:

1) Sprint 20 m; turn back; 10 reps of a particular exercise (e.g. chest); rest 20 seconds;

Repeat for back, bicep, tricep, shoulder

2) Circuits: 5 – 7 exercises (predominantly compound); sets of 10 reps; 15 seconds between exercises

These workouts can really test (and improve) strength and endurance. It can provide many benefits for people who play sports, rather than lifting weights in the gym. Personally I continue to lift weights, and incorporate kettle bell training, in my program. This help to build strength and endurance, and reduce boredom.

The main issue to be aware of, I found, was the possibility of shoulder and wrist injuries. Providing you don’t use kettle bells that are too heavy, and you know how to correctly execute each exercise, you can limit the likelihood of injury. There are plenty of great web sites that give you ideas for exercises to use, and descriptions and videos to help you perform them.

One pair of kettle bells can be used by one person, or shared among several, in any one session. You don’t have to stand around while you wait for someone to finish using the kettle bells (as often occurs while waiting for equipment in the gym) – just go for some sprints, or perform other body weight resistance exercises while you wait!

[Via http://fitshop.wordpress.com]

6 Week Challenge!!!

2010-02-20T20:34:00.000+02:00

So I finally cracked and decided to start a blog. I don’t know who will be reading this, if anyone at all, but regardless I decided there are some things I wouldn’t mind sharing with the world. So i’ll pop my blogging cherry with a 6 WEEK CHALLENGE ALERT!!!

A couple of my friends and I will be heading to Vegas for spring break and as with every trip we plan, everyone has all of a sudden gotten the urge to start working out. So to make things interesting we decided to have a 6 week challenge because well thats how much time is left before we embark on our sin city road trip. For the sake of competition, and to keep myself in check, i will be putting two pics up of my starting point and then later down the short road to fitness. This is not a fitness blog so don’t be scared, and don’t roll your eyes just yet. Feel free to ridicule, laugh, help, or just simply read and enjoy.

Beginning of 6 WEEK CHALLENGE!!!

1st Week Front1st Week Back

1st Week Back

Let the 6 week challenge begin!

[Via http://fatboytlks.wordpress.com]

Outside Pandora's Box - Rock n' Roll Half Marathon

2010-02-20T08:41:00.000+02:00

I mentioned last week that I’ll be walking/running a half marathon in March. I’m all signed up and am excited and nervous about my first event of this sort. I’m just happy I’ll be doing it with a friend!

If you think you might have lost your mind too and would like to sign up you can do it here. If you decide to run/walk…let me know so Sara and I can look for you! Just in case you’re not in the Dallas area, these evenst are hosted all over the country! Go here to find a list of cities hosting the Rock n’ Roll half marathon this year!

[Via http://pandora1022.wordpress.com]

Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps

2010-02-18T20:26:00.000+02:00

Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps From EatingWell: June/July 2006

4 servings, 1 1/4 cups filling each Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup instant brown rice

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 large red bell pepper, finely diced

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Note)

1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Note)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives

1 large carrot, shredded

Preparation

1.Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

3.To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the filling (through Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Serve cold or reheat in the microwave.

Notes: Hoisin sauce is a spicy, sweet sauce made from soybeans, chiles, garlic and spices. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Nutrition

Per serving: 285 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 5 g fiber; 543 mg sodium; 390 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (140% dv), Iron (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat

[Via http://integrityhealth.wordpress.com]

DAY 24: Bring it on Daddy!

2010-02-18T08:09:00.000+02:00

1115p

Jillian #3…ahhh…how I missed you since yesterday. Well…not really. But knowing that Mr. Trainer’s workouts are coming up in just 7 days, I think I’ll appreciate how relatively easy Jillian was!

When I saw him yesterday, he told me that all of the workouts that he gave me were the beginners stuff. Oh! I can’t wait for the advanced stuff! When I met him, I thought he was a male Jessica Rabbit! All biceps and pecs, and no waist! If anyone knows how to whip me in shape, he’ll know how! Exciiitting! =)

Today, I went to Kinkos to make a couple gift certificates for my business. By the way, I hate the Fed ExKinkos new name..I think it’s going to be FedEx Office now…ick! Kinko’s was a HUGE name. Everybody knew it! Why change to a name that’s worse? At least FedEx Kinkos still had the Kinkos in it! But I digress..

The Gift Certificates are pretty. Although, I don’t think I’ll use more than one or two. I’m going to change to sending them out through email. I came up with a great numbering system, and I can just fill in the fields, and email it right over. No printing, no mailing, no envelopes…none of it. =) But it was still neat having the newly designed gift certificates in my hand.

If I ever DO want to continue mailing out gift certificates, I have a great design now! It was actually a design that the GLT magazine created from my logo to fit a different space.

Oh! Found the COOLEST song today! I discovered it on Season 8 of “Dancing with the Stars” that Shawn Johnson danced to for the finale free dance. It’s called “Move Your Thing” by Basement Jaxx. It’s now in all of my workout lists, and happy stuff!

If you read the lyrics to “Move Your Thing” it’s actually about sex..it’s quite obvious…but it’s the BOUNCIEST sex ever! Like, go have sex in a inflated jumping house, with all of the plastic balls when you play this song! So happy! =)

I spent a lot of time on the phone with my financial peeps who run all of the credit card processing from my business…and we went through the whole virtual terminal thing, and how to check batches, and how to approve things…basically just how to make sure the money ends up in my bank account as quick as possible. I’m still no computer program genius, but I think I understand the basics now!

I also talked to Jim about more advertising stuff to do at the office space….it doesn’t cost anything except money.

So, today is Ash Wednesday and Hubby came home early because he went to church and got the ashes smudged on his forehead. I came downstairs, and said “Heya!”, and then I cleaned up for him. I had meant to clean up all day, and I had said that I would…so it was only fair.

In any case, he was happy that I cleaned up, and I was very positive about him. At this point we still hadn’t solved anything about yesterday (if you missed it, it’s worth the read), but I was keeping a positive voice, because really, what’s the pont of being a bitch? Ya know?

So, long story short, apologies were had, quietly, and somewhat reservedly…but it is what it is. I apologized for eating his chicken, and he apologized for the abuse. But that’s not the end of it.

I don’t want to report every single little detail of my relationship on here (I lie), but I just want to say that tonight was a little bit challenging because Hubby is sad. He’s not sure about us, or about things working out. My main point was that anything is possible, and all it takes is deciding to see it through with a good attitude!

I don’t have a guarantee that we’re both up to it, or that I’m right. I don’t know what’s going to happen in a month, or six…but I know that there’s hope with a good attitude. Hubby has trouble with that. I hope he comes around. I really do. But I can understand the mood that’s in the air, and how easy it is to feel like the negative vibes are never going to end. A lot of people in relationships feel like that. =(

So, I made some points, tried to help him as best I could…he said that a few of the practical things I said helped…I’m glad. So, I’m going to leave the rest of it alone for now. It will either improve or it won’t. But in either case, magnifying the worst in one another won’t help anything. I’m committed to looking toward the positive in hopes that it will grow!

“Ready! Okay!” I went Joggin with Leo! Awesome! He was ready for it! He remembers the joggin…it’s been a couple of weeks I imagine, since our last venture out. Well, he was sprinting out in front of me the entire 30 minutes! It was like “Bring it on Daddy!” And I was very proud of him!

On the way up the massive hill that I live on top of, that’s the only place he faltered a bit…he was tired. But I started shouting more and more, “You can do it Leo! Come on! Push! Push! Push! Push! Left, Right! Left, Right! Let’s go Soldier! Come on BABY! YOU CAN MAKE IT! AAAHH!!!”

I had originally just been using quieter language…but I realized that since I was embarassed when someone overheard me talking to him, there was nowhere to go except through that stupid fear! So, I just let loose, and many people in their cars and such were pointing and laughing! Those of you familiar with this blog know that I’m not jogging correctly unless I’m being pointed at and laughed at! LOL

And my encouragement didn’t just help Leo! Nope! I got up that hill in record time! I was like “Let loose my inner Jillian Michaels!”, and it worked!

I found a new way of running, btw. I think I mentioned it on here before, but tonight was the first time I did it for the entire thirty minutes! I’m now running from my midsole, and I’m finding it much easier on my knees. I read about how most people do the whole “heel strike” thing, and how shoes are now designed for that…but that it’s amazingly hard on the body.

So, I’m committed to trying to run on my midsole, and to lessen the impact up and down my spine. Maybe I’ll even learn how to run without shoes at all. Many of the greatest marathon runners have done that, especially those from the African countries.

Funny story about that: This one famous African runner was endorsed by Nike or something…but he doesn’t wear shoes. So they just hung around his neck for the entire race! (He won too!) Ha!

I found that I was much lighter, bouncier, and had more energy in my joints somehow, because it was a smoother experience all around. I felt like that “Flashdance” chick, when she does those leg beats really fast in one spot. I actually did that move a lot. I didn’t have to run as fast, because my knees were coming up so high, and I was really working my cardio and burnin, like a smooth, frictionless love machine! (Oh shut up…I’m allowed some fantasies)

Speaking of being a love machine though….well, like I said I’m not going to tell every single detail of my marriage. I’m just going to allude to it, and pretend that I’m modest. Oh! Shocking!

But I will say this: Nobody is perfect. I think that people do the best that they can in every moment, and that the learning curve is littered with people who gave up on themselves. Well I’m not giving up on Hubby until he tells me to, and I’m not giving up on myself either. It’s HARD to change, and I can understand how challening and scary it can feel.

That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m going to stand for anymore bullshit abuse, and I haven’t….but a solid effort to move forward and save the good things in my marriage is worth the effort.

If my marriage can be saved I’ll be quite happy, because that will mean that the positive things will be at the forefront, and the positive things are magnified. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be sad, but also relieved I suppose. Because that will mean that the negative won out, and there wasn’t much of a choice except misery by staying.

And like I said…everyone is human. I hope that I improve in the ways Hubby needs me to, and I hope that he does the same for me.

So tonight (it’s almost midnight now) I’m feeling healthy, hydrated, alive and happy…you could almost say I’m glowing! Well, to coin a new expression that I used tonight “Happy is a choice.” And tonight I’ve chosen it.

Wish me luck, and I’ll write more tomorrow! “To infinity and beyond!” (Name it)

Did I mention how stoked I am about the triathalon? Me doing a triathalon? I LOVE seeing myself in that light! Capable….shocking!

Mwah!

Jayson!

PS. I’ve stolen the idea from that amazing show starring Glen Close, “Damages”, and I’m naming my daily blogs after a selected quote contained within it. =)

[Via http://jaysonm.wordpress.com]

Live Strong..Sedentary lifestyle..are you at risk?

2010-02-16T20:49:00.000+02:00

Physically active with a sedentary lifestyle: Are you at risk?

As most individuals recognize, physical inactivity has been shown to increase the number of deaths from all-causes, as well as from heart disease and cancer. But what about individuals who meet the physical activity recommendations but spend most of the day sitting? Does all that sitting have a negative impact on health?

A study performed by Dr. Katzmarzyk1 and his associates (2009) examined the effects of prolonged sitting on all-cause and cardiovascular death rates in individuals who exercised and those who did not. The researchers collected information about daily activities including time spent sitting in over 17,000 individuals. They followed the subjects for an average of 12 years measuring the number of deaths and the cause.

Not surprising, researchers reported the highest death rates in persons who spent most of the day sitting. However, all-cause and heart disease death rates were also higher in persons who spent more time sitting even if they met the recommended physical activity requirements. In fact, death rates were similar in exercisers and nonexercisers who spent most of their day sitting.

Researchers are studying the effects of excessive sitting on the body. Some of the negative effects include Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Scientists believe that an active lifestyle may provide different health benefits than occur with exercise alone, providing further protection against heart disease.

This research highlights the need to reduce sedentary behaviors by spending more time standing, walking, and climbing the stairs. Low intensity activities like cleaning, ironing, walking the dog and yard work are excellent ways to add activity to your day while completing chores on your ”to-do” list. For additional health benefits, focus on increasing lifestyle activities over and above structured moderate to vigorous intensity exercise bouts.

1. Katzmarzyk, P.T., Church, T.S., Craig, C.L., & Bouchard, C. (2009). Sitting time and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer. MSSE, 41(5),998-1005.

[Via http://dhageman.wordpress.com]

Flying in a new direction

2010-02-14T20:56:00.000+02:00

So after a weekend of research in to the type of career which will not involve me working all day every day in the same room and with no exercise, I narrowed my choices down to the police, or one of the armed forces. Upon further research of that, I narrowed it down to the police or the RAF. Both require a basic level of fitness to be accepted, though one is much higher than the other.

After much though, consideration, reading and quizzes available online I decided that I will work towards a career in the RAF. Not a fighting front line one, but a more sensible one where I will be managing people and resources. I’ll still have desk work, and I will still get out and about.

What does this mean for my fitness and weight loss plan? Quite simply that it needs a radical overhaul to meet the needs of the assessment. The basic requirements for what I want to be doing are:

As many 20m shuttle runs as possible, in time with an increasing timed beep
As many press-ups as possible in 60 seconds
As many sit-ups as possible in 60 seconds

Having spoken to someone today about a career in the RAF, they told me that the press-up minimum standard is around 15, and the sit-up minimum is around 20. Whilst this may not seem like much, I can’t do more than 2 press-ups at the moment, let alone go for a minute. As for the sit ups, they aren’t much better, thou I am half way there with 10. I can, however do 23 half press-ups in a minute, so I am going to work on those and build up from there.

The shuttle run beep test they said is around about the same level of fitness required to run a mile and a half in about 12 minutes. That seems fine as I can do a 5 minute 30 second mile. This means I should be able to get through a mile and a half in around 10 minutes. That is something I will test at the gym this week.

I’ll be at the gym tomorrow night after work, as usual, so I will see if I can get in for a program re-assessment to help me build my fitness quicker, build my muscle a little to do the weight bearing exercises, and also strengthen my core muscles to help support my growth and prevent injury. I’ll post my new plan on here when I get it.

I know these are some big changes for me, but there is no specific time frame for me to do these. I won’t formally start my application process until I can meet the minimum requirements, or get very close to them. That way I won’t have to be rejected and wait 3-6 months before I can try again. I’m hoping I can submit an application form in late May or early June, and take everything from there.

It isn’t going to be a quick transition.

[Via http://2010weightloss.wordpress.com]

Weight Log

2010-02-13T20:43:00.000+02:00

Current Weight: 218.2

Planned exercise: Weight lifting plus 40 minutes of walking

Exercise completed the day prior: 70 minutes of walking

Daily activity: I got to use my new bowling ball today. It was quite fun.

Notes: I watched The opening ceremony for the 2010 winter olympics. It was quite nice, but the death in the luge practice that day was tragic.

Meal for lunch: A healthy choice chicken Alfredo meal

Plan for tomorrow: Day of rest

[Via http://amistrata.wordpress.com]

Wrestling Workout Equipment

2010-02-13T08:51:00.000+02:00

If you are training for professional or amateur wrestling it is very important to have the right equipment that helps you to gain wrestling strength.

The following can be helpful for getting started:

Brief Workouts

The workouts should never exceed 35 minutes in duration, as If they do, you aren’t working hard enough to complete your workout. The ability to recuperate from the workouts, and therefore develop more strength, is increased when you complete your workout within the stipulated time. Long and strenuous workouts will eventually cut into your body’s ability to recuperate, and lead to over-training.

Using Machines and Free Weights

There is a common misconception amongst athletes and coaches that you must use free weights when strength training. Free weights are great! So are machines! Your muscles don’t know the difference. The intensity is the most important thing when trying to improve your strength for wrestling. The tool that you use to get there is not. I like certain exercises for certain muscles. It also depends on injuries that a wrestler might already have. You can work around and injury and still give the body a thorough strength workout. If you have access to Hammer Strength machines, I highly recommend that you include them in your wrestling strength workout.

Using thick bar

The thick bar is usually a hollow metal tube that you put free weights on the end of. A thick bar forces you to hold on tightly when performing exercises. It develops fantastic forearm and hand strength. It should be part of every serious strength-training program for wrestlers. You can do curls, reverse curls, rows, and presses with it.

The Trap Bar

The trap bar another piece of equipment that helps to gain wrestling strength. The trap bar is a hexagonally shaped bar that allows you to perform dead lifts with maximal stimulation of almost every muscle vital to improved wrestling performance. An exercise that will make your entire body stronger.

[Via http://workoutfitness.wordpress.com]

Introducing Brandon Krieger to my Team!

2010-02-11T20:30:00.000+02:00

“Michelle I have spoke to you over e-mail a few times and read your blog. I see how important it is for you to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle.

We are going to start from the beginning, I’m going to have you do a postural assessment, Lifestyle questionnaires, stress evaluation, nutrition questionnaires..etc. This way I know exactly where we are starting from. Then I’m going to coach/educate you about your unique lifestyle and develop a nutrition program, exercise program, that will work with your lifestyle to help you reach your goal(s). I develop each and every program specifically for the needs of the person I’m working with. I will be assessing you each and every session to make sure you are on track working towards your goals. I will be modifying your program as needed to make sure you stay on track. We will be developing specific measurable goal(s) for you and an action plan on how we’re going to accomplish them.”

That’s my action plan, I can’t wait to see you on Tuesday”

Adding Brandon to my mix will allow me to look at my unique health situation that does include life long allergies, high blood pressure and some depression. Then look at my sleep patterns , my hobbies, my stress levels in life and then customize things for me that will be truly suited to my life and needs. The approach will stay the same overall clearly I want to avoid processed foods and diet foods and junk food, its just fine tuning for me!! I will continue to use Usana products in my mix as I truly see that as a quality company in the supplement world and when you have a 5 star company on your side there is no reason to change!!

I will introduce my team to you all over the next week so you can get to know the wonderful people i am surrounded by and they may inspire you too!

This is Brandon’s page!

http://knssconsulting.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/put-my-system-to-the-test/

Hugs Michelle

[Via http://gethealthywithmichelle.wordpress.com]

New Figure Standout Makes Waves Along Florida Coast

2010-02-11T08:17:00.000+02:00

Baby Blue: Jennifer Blundell is destined to be a splashing success.

Another outstanding discovery out of the Northwest, Jennifer Blundell is a 31-year-old personal trainer and figure girl from Bellevue, Washington. The inspired mother of two launched her competitive career in 2008 at the Vancouver USA Natural Classic, taking first in her class. She’s also a University of Washington alum and a nutritional coach and product specialist.

Last fall, Jennifer celebrated her NPC Nationals debut but missed the cut in a crowded class-D that included over thirty of the best amateurs. Still, competing at perhaps the toughest national-level event of the season is a positive for any sophomore figure girl and given her highly impressive athletic track record, this striking 5-foot-5 brunette likely won’t be lost in the shuffle next time.

Splash Hit: The latest figure dream girl reacts to the crashing surf during her shoot.

Among her achievements in an extensive sports background covering the last fifteen-plus years, Jennifer was a high school soccer all-star and went on to coach camps for younger players, teaching the fundamentals of the game to kids 12-and-under. She has also been active in tennis, softball, golf and skiing.

But the area Jennifer has overwhelmingly excelled in has been track and field, where the gifted athlete was once a Junior Olympic state champion in the 100-yard dash and finished second in the 200-yard dash. Talk about an intense rivalry, Jennifer was so dominant in her days as a sprinter that it left some opponents exasperated — the most rankled of whom would actually try to incite fights with her away from the track!

Fortunately, the fight for Jennifer down in the Sunshine State last November was a polite one amongst photographers scrambling to get her knockout good looks, winning personality and contest-shape physique — highlighted by a mighty back, powerful shoulders and strikingly detailed vascularity — in front of the lens. Luckily, before she made a splash indoors on the national stage, Jennifer was out getting her feet wet posing on the beach, as you’ll see in this picturesque sample clip.

Seaside Muscle: Statuesque Jennifer gazes out over the Atlantic.

In terms of providing overwhelming visual delight, the sumptuous sights from Florida — towering seaside resorts, swaying palm trees, golden sandy beaches and breathtaking ocean vistas — make this one of the best shoots ever, with waves crashing against the curvy feminine muscle of beautiful Jennifer Blundell at the center of a magical tableau.

[Via http://krivstudiosblog.wordpress.com]

Better Food Choices

2010-02-09T20:52:00.000+02:00

I hate the term diet, as soon as I tell myself I’m going on a diet all I want to do is eat chocolate, crisps and sweets. So, no diets here. This doesn’t mean I don’t want to eat better because I do, it just means I’m not going to ban anything, or count calories, or only eat before 8pm, or any of those things. I’m not saying those things don’t work, they’re just not for me.

I want to eat more wholefoods, not just foods that tell me they’re wholegrain (like boxed breakfast cereals that are full of sugar and additives), but actual whole foods. Brown rice (which I already eat by the ton, I love the taste and it’s so much more filling than white), I also want to eat other grains (quinoa, barley, amaranth, millet, couscous, buckwheat, etc), I buy them stick them in a cupboard and never use them, I want to try using them. There’s a multitude of meals I can make using these wholesome foods, I just have to be bothered to do it.

I also want to increase my consumption of fruit and veg, it’s already well above the national average, and higher than the recommended 5-a-day, but I used to eat loads more than I do now, and I want to get back to doing that. When I ate more fruit and veg, I felt better, my skin was nicer and I found it easier to lose weight. In with this goal is to drink more water, or fresh fruit juice, and cut down on fizzy pop (soda) and dilute drinks that are full of rubbish.

I would like to cut down on my meat consumption. I used to be vegetarian (I was even vegan for 18 months) but somewhere along the line meat started to creep back in, I enjoy eating it at the time but it leaves me feeling sluggish, bloated and icky. I don’t plan to go back to being vegetarian because I don’t think it’s the right decision for me at this time, but I definitely need to cut back on the amount of meat I eat. I want to have a few meat-free days a week and try to have fish as opposed to meat on some of the other days.

Tying all these together is my next goal; I want to try a new recipe each week and I’d like these to be as simple and natural as possible, nothing overly complicated or fancy just good ingredients cooked simply.

Hope you enjoyed this post,

Thanks for reading,

Toni

[Via http://callingthequarters.wordpress.com]

I have dreams and aspirations just as we all have...

2010-02-07T20:22:00.000+02:00

Now that I’m working and have a bit more freedom, there are a few things I wanna do. Over the last few weeks, I’ve FINALLY got to the weight I wanted to get to (and now, I’m gonna have a battle staying there – dunno whether I’m gonna put more on or lose it again) and I’m gonna start following a plan because I need some muscle definition and I want to be more toned (I actually really wanna be like Jazz). Chris is my inspiration because he’s changing his life and I’m so looking forward to his work suits

I want to do:

Dance
Tae Bo
Ice skating
Running

As I don’t like lifts (an actual phobia), I use the stairs at work so that’ll help with my fitness too! If I can get up early enough, I can go jogging once around the park with Daniel before work and if not, I can go after with him – I think he’s looking forward to it! Hopefully as time goes on, I can run further. I just know that on the first time out, I’ll die before we get back to the top of the park! Charlie said he’ll do Tae Bo with me (I think he needs to get his aggression out too) and we’ll need space to do it because it’s a cross between boxing and taekwondo as well as being cardovascular aerobics which are hard but they work. Hardwork Maybe the pair of them can come ice skating with me too!

I’m gonna be so busy. Also I wanna do my Interior Design course too. Sigh.

I can’t wait

Tippy x

[Via http://tippystardust.wordpress.com]

Cycling

2010-02-07T08:54:00.000+02:00

Cardio workouts

the lowdown

Cycling isn’t only fun, it’s a tough workout that tones your legs, bum and abs. Just make sure you wear a helmet.

the workout

For those of us who don’t like exercising indoors, cycling is a great way to take in Mother Nature while working out. Riding with friends or family, running errands or just getting some fresh air can turn your much-dreaded exercise hour into a desired activity.

upside

Biking is one of the best fitness activities for families to enjoy together. It is also the one workout that allows you to cover some real distance. Most cities and parks have marked-off bike trails so you can ride without worrying about hitting a runner or rollerblader.

downside

More than most outdoor activities, bicycling is subject to the whims of the weather. High speeds and slick roads don’t mix well, so be extra careful if you’re riding in less-than-favourable conditions.

requirements

gear: a bike, padded shorts, helmet.

instruction/facilities: a well-marked bike path.

time: it takes time to get warmed up, so count on being bike-bound for at least half an hour.

the pros say

• If you’re going to stay on relatively smooth roads, get a road bike. Otherwise, for rougher roads including city streets, consider a ‘hybrid’ bike with slightly larger wheels.

• The right bike setup is crucial for comfort during long rides. On a road or hybrid bike, set the handlebars about an inch lower than the saddle. Unless you’re a racer, don’t set the handlebars any lower or you’ll put undue strain on your back. For mountain bikes, set the handlebars around two to four inches lower than the saddle, and make sure your seat is level.

• Buy your bike from a reputable bike shop, and make friends with your dealer. Repairs and upgrades are a lot easier when you have a buddy in the business.

[Via http://alatheea.wordpress.com]

Hotel Workout: Push Squats

2010-02-06T08:37:00.000+02:00

If you’re on the road like I’ve been this week, you likely haven’ t seen your gym in a while. With a fitness band that takes up minimal suitcase space, you can do a million exercises on the go. This one is one of my absolute favorites!

Muscles Worked: Legs, biceps, triceps

You will need: A fitness band

Time to complete: 3 minutes

1. Step on the band with feet 6″ apart

2. Lower into a narrow squat, and curl biceps forward (image 1)

3. Push through the heels and stand up, while contracting triceps into a kick back

4. Complete 20+ at a good pace

Video Version! http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGymCoachDotCom#p/a/u/0/pNAujq-4LRY

[Via http://thegymcoachblog.wordpress.com]

Staying Fit

2010-02-04T20:53:00.000+02:00

Runescape is just a game. In this post I will show you a simple way to get fit and stay fit while playing runescape.

When it comes to creating new ideas for working out many people are at a loss so they follow the same routine and either get too comfortable and hardly see any results or they become bored so they stop working out all together. Don’t let this happen to you. Here is a fun idea that will vary your workout and still give you great results: use a deck of face cards. It sounds crazy but it will really work to help you build strength and start losing some extra pounds.

The Exercises

There are three different exercises you’ll do in order to target three different areas on your body.

-pushups for chest

-squats for legs

-crunches for abdominal

All of these are going to be free standing so you won’t need anything more than some space, your cards, your body and the right attitude before you’ll start getting in shape.

The Cards

Take your deck of cards—jokers and all—and shuffle it. The reps you do for each exercise will depend on the number—or face card—shown on the card you flip over first. For face card values:

-Joker 15

-Ace 14

-King 13

-Queen 12

-Jack 11

There are many different ways you can do your exercises. My favorite way is easy to remember because you’ll have a set order of your exercises. For example, you’ll flip a card and do pushups then the next card will be squats and the third card will be crunches repeating that order. This offers a great variety because you’ll have different reps for each exercise each day.

[Via http://rsplayer.wordpress.com]

Fitness Is First Of All A Healthy Way Of Life

2010-02-04T08:44:00.000+02:00

Let’s not dissemble and at once define that employment by fitness at home, even at a regularity and diligence from your party cannot be compared with high-grade trainings in sports hall. However if to look at a problem so to say with another sight the fitness at home is better than an absolute indifference to the appearance.

In a life of each woman there are such situations when she cannot simply find for herself a pair of hours on a campaign in fitness club. The birth of the child and the first year of his life, his education or even removed works – these and other factors complicate a life that even do not think about time for fitness.

And after all you would not like to be beautiful tightened lady and later to turn in indistinct grandmother. And any man will never estimate that you have ceased to watch yourself not because of laziness but because you was occupied every minute by creation of a good life for him and his children.

Therefore, today we make not two dishes for a supper but only one and the liberated minutes we spend for yourselves favourite. Employment by house fitness can be spent using a minimum of make-shifts. Any even house training begin with warm-up and an extension. Recollect elementary grades at school and try to execute simple exercises. Ten inclinations in every which way, circular motions hands, as knee-bends and you are ready to sports feats.

Practically all young ladies have problems with a press. Therefore study a house press in the beginning of each employment by fitness. Twisting lying feet on a sofa. (Beds, a bench or all that you will find in house). You lay down on a floor, you put feet on a sofa of 80-90 degrees. Hands are crossed on a breast or behind a head. Also you start to do twisting forward so to develop practically half-and-half. In the opposite direction strongly do not deviate – the amplitude of movement should be very small. Three-four approaches to the full is «the gold standard» in this exercise.

Twisting lateral, lying on a floor. You keep within on a floor on shovels and to the priest together with feet you turn on 90 degrees. Top of your body lies on a back and everything that more low to a waist on one side. Of this position you do twisting strenuously trying to work as lateral muscles of an abdominal tension. Three-four approaches on each party till 15-20 repetitions in everyone will be more than enough.

It is possible to diversify house fitness especially widely it concerns exercises on a press if to get feetbal. By means of it house trainings will pass more intensively and cheerfully.

Obviously distance running can assist a lot with the general fitness and health of your body. So, if you are interested in the runners training guide or distance running information – please visit this site.

And never stop to gather more useful info. Right now we are living in the world where knowledge quickly enhances the quality of our life.

Due to this if you are properly armed with the knowledge in your topic you can be sure that you will always find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this web site on a regular basis or – best of all – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have a direct shortcut to the latest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to blogging to the maximum of its efforts.

[Via http://healthnetwork2.wordpress.com]

Sixty Pounds

2010-02-02T20:46:00.000+02:00

My long-term goal is to lose 60 pounds. And that sounds like a lot. How can I possibly manage 60 pounds?

And then I realized something. I am already managing 60 pounds. Each day, when I walk up the steps to the office, I am managing to carry an extra 60 pounds. When I mow the lawn, or walk the aisles of the grocery store, or stand in line at the theater, I am managing to carry an extra 60 pounds. Every moment of every day, every place I go and everything I do, I’m weighed down with this extra 60 pounds.

And what I am taking away from this newfound realization? If I can manage to carry 60 pounds for so many years, I can surely manage to carry it to the gym and on to the bike and for long walks and jogs and runs. I can carry it through my workouts until, pound by pound, it goes away.

60 pounds, indeed. Pfft.

[Via http://thatkindofguy.wordpress.com]

Home Exercise Workout Equipment

2010-02-02T08:55:00.000+02:00

Life is busy. Between jobs, housework, family, and errands, the days fly by. Add into that the task of spending time going to the gym, and it just doesn’t seem possible for a lot of us. Home exercise equipment and exercise videos are often a great alternative to spending time and money at a gym. If you are planning to start a home exercise routine, you may be wondering what type of exercise equipment you will need to get an effective workout. Often, you will find that you can get the best deals on home exercise equipment online.

First you will need to determine what is your current level of fitness and what goals you wish to accomplish. Your budget and the types of activities you enjoy are major factors as well. If you do not enjoy the exercises you are performing it is very easy to lose interest and quit. The safety of the exercise equipment and the amount of space you have in which to store and use the equipment is also a major concern.

Some of the different types of home exercise equipment are treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationery bicycles, cross-country ski machines, and free weights.

* Treadmills are very popular for use in the home. You can purchase a treadmill in any price range and with basic to advanced functions. You will need a treadmill with solid construction, smooth walking action, a wide belt, incline setting, and a safety cut-off. Make sure you understand the warranty and availability of replacements parts before making your purchase.

* An elliptical trainer gives you a comfortable, non-impact way to exercise and almost anyone can do it. You will be able to adjust the intensity and resistance to fit your current fitness level and change the settings as you progress in your exercise routine. Elliptical trainers vary in price and you should check out several models before making a purchase to make sure you find the best deal that you can possibly find on a well-constructed machine that carries an excellent warranty.

* Stationary bikes give you a no-impact, comfortable way to exercise and will take up very little space. Exercise bikes are great for those who have been leading a sedentary lifestyle and are just beginning an exercise program.

* You may also want to consider a step machine. Steppers give you a great cardio-vascular workout and will help strengthen your lower body muscles.

* Cross-country ski machines and rowing machines are a great way to exercise at home. You can get a full body workout in the comfort of your own home, but be sure to try these machines before you purchase. The workout you receive with a cross-country or rowing machine can be intense and may not be suited for beginners.

* Free-weights and other resistance equipment are great for toning muscles and improving strength and require very little space.

Before you make any purchases determine which kinds of equipment will be the best for you and what your particular goals are in starting a home workout routine. Compare prices, warranties, and consumer reviews for the exercise equipment you are considering purchasing to make sure it fits your needs, your budget, and is safe for you to use.

Most types of exercise equipment that you can use in your home will work great if you use it on a regular basis. Decide what your goals are and what your budget will allow before you begin shopping for new exercise equipment and purchase the types that you will find fun and challenging to use.

[Via http://workoutfitness.wordpress.com]

The little things that make you ^_^

2010-01-31T20:47:00.000+02:00

This morning I woke up early so that I could hike with my dad! Yay! Even though we didn’t go all the way we had good reasons…like it looked like it was going to rain (which it didn’t ). Fine, I confess…we were too lazy and tired to go all the way. It’s not our fault! The last part is really steep! But we promised ourselves that we’ll get better next time…

I’m planning to go to my friend’s house to do our lovely homework! Doing the homework is much more fun when you do it with friends…as long as we don’t get too distracted ! And if we don’t understand something, we don’t need to call each other and waste our minutes and texts !

Something made me really happy! My manager is so nice and sweet ^_^!!! Even though I don’t work there anymore, my manager called me just to remind me that the store was holding a party for all employees tonight, and wondering if I was planning to come. Unfortunately, I had to decline since I have school the next day, but I was so happy that she was considerate enough to call me! She’s my favorite manager!!! She’s going on maternity leave soon and I wish her the best of luck, health, and happiness!

I love the title of this blog. We need to appreciate the little things in life because it’s the little things that make up our lives. Without them, life wouldn’t be fun!

I hope everyone finds the little things that make them ^_^

lots of love!

ash<3

[Via http://0ash0.wordpress.com]

Buying an Elliptical Trainer Online – What You Need to Know!

2010-01-31T08:41:00.000+02:00

When I first started working in the fitness equipment industry the idea of customers buying online seemed absurd. But about 9 years ago the company I worked for built a web site and started advertising on Yahoo. Back then Google was still a concept, and pay per click advertising hadn’t been conceived. Surprisingly a few people here and there would make purchases, primarily for treadmills. All sales were conducted through the phone.

Gradually sales increased, so about 6 years ago I suggested we include a shopping cart on our site. The reaction was, “who would buy fitness equipment online without talking to someone first.” Well, how times have changed. When I left the company over 60% of our sales were through the cart. Our minimum price item was $1,000, with our premium products exceeding $3,000.

Purchasing fitness equipment online has become a major industry. There are several benefits from buying online:

There is no sales tax.

The item is delivered to your home.

The Internet is ideal for comparison shopping.

Nothing competes with the convenience of shopping from your home.

Not always, but in some instances you will save money. Elliptical Trainers Grow in Popularity

The fastest growing fitness equipment currently is elliptical trainers. They offer the benefit of providing a low-impact, upper and lower body workout. They have become particularly attractive to the aging baby boomers. And like treadmills, many people are purchasing them online. If you are considering buying an elliptical trainer online there are several considerations:

Buy a Quality Elliptical Trainer

Do not waste your money on a cheap machine, unless you plan to use it to hang clothes. How do you determine what qualifies as cheap and what merits quality? You need to do your due diligence. Check out third party reviews, customer testimonials (epinions.com is a good source), and compare features and specifications. At my site you will find an elliptical trainer buyer’s guide. It explains in detail the important features of an elliptical trainer.

Buy an Elliptical Trainer that has an Adequate Warranty

When you see an elliptical trainer with a 90 parts and labor warranty, you should be concerned about the durability of that machine. It doesn’t say much about the faith of the manufacturer in their products. When buying an elliptical trainer look for models that come with a one year labor warranty, and a 1-3 year parts coverage.

Buy an Elliptical Trainer from a Company with a Good Reputation

When you purchase an elliptical trainer you are not only buying the machine, but also the company that stands behind it. Although elliptical trainers require less service than a treadmill, you may still have maintenance issues and questions. You want to make sure you purchase from a company that is responsive to their customers. Once again customer reviews can be helpful. Whenever I want to get some insight into a company I will do a search on the company name and “complaints”. You could be surprised on the results. I was going to spend considerable money with a furniture store chain and when I did a search I was overwhelmed with the number of customer complaints. Guess what? They didn’t get my business.

There are a number of advantages to buying an elliptical trainer online, but as with any purchase let the buyer beware. Become an informed consumer and make a smart buy.

[Via http://workoutfitness.wordpress.com]

Concussions & ImPACT Test

2010-01-30T20:41:00.000+02:00

This is a feature story by ESPN Outside the Lines on the epidemic of concussions in teenage sports and the result of untreated concussions

In 2008, 5 high school football players died during games or practices from getting a concussion on top of a concussion – a condition know as Second Impact Syndrome. A recent study by nationwide children’s hospital in Ohio that found an alarming 41 percent of high school athletes with concussion returned to play too soon. And while football has by far the highest rate of concussions compared to any other sport: hockey, wrestling gymnastics, lacrosse, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, baseball, softball and soccer all have their fair share. Concussions happen when the brain is shaken inside the skull. And even though they’re common in sports many coaches and trainers still don’t know how to manage them. That’s partially because there is no one-size-fits-all guideline for what to do when a player gets one. Some athletes will heal in a couple days and some in a couple months. Researchers are just beginning to unlock the reasons why.

Watch it here

[Via http://brokenbrilliant.wordpress.com]

I've Graduated

2010-01-28T20:51:00.000+02:00

Well, it seems like it’s time.

Time to move on to the YMCA instead of just Snap Fitness Bay View. We’re going to try it out for a month, and then cancel SNAP if the Y works out. Why is this, you say? Don’t you LIVE in Bay View?

Yes, I do. But even with SNAP Fitness being right down the road from me (seriously, it’s ridiculously close) we still drive. Yes – we really do. Especially in this cold. It takes 15 minutes to walk there, 15 minutes to walk back. That’s 30 minutes that I could be working out. No, it’s not eco-friendly. No, it’s not neighborhood friendly. No, it’s not ideal. But it’s the truth.

And it’s time to face the facts.

Another fact is that the times I want to work out, SNAP is SO packed. In such a small space, that’s a big deal. Perhaps it’s just the aprés New Year crowd, but it detracts from our ability to do what we need to do for ourselves. There are only so many machines, and people are almost always on them. There’s very little space to do floor-based exercises (abs!) when NO one is there, so you can imagine what it’s like when it is busy. When we signed up, it didn’t smell like a gym. Now…it does, and it nearly makes me gag every time I get in there.

The last fact is, really, the classes. The classes are HUGE for me. In taking the Hip Hop class at Danceworks (which is packed to the point of turning people away), I’ve been reminded that I am motivated by teachers much more than I am motivated by myself. Honestly, the motivation to GO to the gym is a massive feat, so the motivation to push myself isn’t there. Not yet. Which is why classes can* be great.

SNAP has no classes. And while Bay View Fitness has classes, it doesn’t have all the other amenities that the YMCA DOES have. The YMCA is also only $4 more than our current membership. I was expecting a much higher number. And finally, because I’m a planner – the YMCA has lockers, towels, water (SNAP doesn’t even have a water fountain) and …wait for it…daycare. Because I would like to have kids someday and still work out.

That’s the level of commitment I’m looking to make – a lifetime relationship with the gym.

So tonight, we are graduating to the YMCA. I’ve proven that I can get to the gym regularly. Now to up the ante a bit.

* I add this note because it really depends on the teacher. Sometimes, I’m completely a competitive asshole, and decide that I don’t like a teacher’s attitude. This, of course, results in me deciding I would rather go it alone.

[Via http://folkfusionista.wordpress.com]

Murray inches closer to greatness.

2010-01-26T20:00:00.000+02:00

Andy Murray’s victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open not only earned him his third Grand Slam semi final, but it showed his main rivals that he is back, better than before.

The way he outplayed the Spaniard for much of the match was a joy to behold, and there can be no excuses of an injured Nadal, as the defending champion was never dominant in this sluggish affair.

Nadal’s injury problems are a blow to not only himself, but to the tennis world. He has the knees of a 40 year old and it is a reasonable assertion to make that he may never reach the giddy heights of 2008.

That, though, is for another day. Murray, on this evidence alone, looks a far more complete player and perhaps most importantly, fitter and stronger.

The Scot’s strengths have always been his movement around the court, the ability to mix up his game and he has arguably the greatest return of serve on the tour. Criticism has been labelled at his poor second serve and his lack of aggression on court. It is clear the amount of gym work during the off season has been intense as Murray looks far more destructive with the ball and he was able to match Nadal’s strength like he never has done before.

Murray was impressive against Nadal.

It was suggested to me by a friend during the match that Nadal looks around 10% less powerful than he used to. In reality, however, Murray appears to be 10% more commanding, and he has caught up with the giants of the game.

The second serve looks be a bit deeper and does not allow his opponent free swing at the ball. It will take time for it to finally be of what is required at this level, but it is making steady progress.

The most impressive aspect of Murray’s game in the quarter final match-up was to play the big points brilliantly. During key points, whether a break point down, or in the second set tie break, he was able to hammer down that ace or punch that forehand down the line. This is what he needs to keep up if he is to win his maiden slam this year.

Now, onto Cilic, and Murray has a fantastic opportunity to reach the final in Melbourne. The Croat has just faced three, five set matches in a row, including an epic win over Andy Roddick. Or a better statistic, Cilic has played 22 sets compared to Murray’s mere 14 and a bit. The fitness will surely be with Murray and Cilic could justifiably be fatigued.

Cilic also has the ability to go in spells where nothing is going to plan. His game is inconsistent, which explains his underachieving world ranking of number 14. He has though, the potential to be unstoppable, which Murray will be fully aware of after their clash in the U.S Open last year, where Cilic won in straight sets. Murray may have had a wrist injury, but, in truth, he was outplayed in every department, and if he is to emerge victorious, considerable improvement is required.

Murray is the favourite to do so and on his showing versus Nadal, he now looks like a Grand Slam champion. All that is missing is a trophy to accompany his new found game and belief.

[Via http://stewartprimrose.wordpress.com]

Tentang Olahraga

2010-01-26T08:39:00.000+02:00

Dari jaman SD dulu, saya paling gak suka pelajaran olahraga. Sampe SMP, dan sampe SMA juga. Orang-orang mah senang ya kalo pelajaran itu bisa keluar ruangan, main-main di lapangan. Ya kalo hal itu saya juga suka sih.. Lantas apa yang bikin gak suka? Nganu.. Saya paling gak jago olahraga. Kayanya nih badan gak ce-es banget sama keinginan gitu. Yang gampang capek lah, gak kuat lari, gak tangkas, dan gak-gak lainnya deh. Haduuuh..beneran deh..malu sebenernya, tapi ya gimana lagi.. kayanya emang gak bakat aja gitu.. *sob sob*. Thanks God, waktu kuliah gak ada itu yang namanya pelajaran olahraga. I don’t feel like anymore in hell *lebay*

But, gladly, I could survive from those bloody sport lesson. Satu hal yang membuat saya ‘akhirnya’ berolahraga dengan riang gembira yaitu waktu ikut ekskul silat jaman SMA dulu sampai dengan kuliah. Waktu itu saya tetep benci pelajaran olahraga kok! Tapi ndilalah waktu ikut silat itu, disuruh lari sampe gempor, push-up, sit-up, banyak-banyakan dalam 1 menit juga hayuk aja. Lompat sana lompat sini, guling sana guling sini, tendang sana tendang sini, udah biasa itu mah.

Memaaaang..kadang ngeluh juga kalo gerakannya susah, gak bisa, capek, de es be de es be.. Tapi rasanya laen aja gitu, merasa tertantang untuk bisa nyelesein semua. Padahal nih ya, tak kasih tau aja, daku juga ndak jagooo.. Kan udah dibilangin kalo emang ndak ada bakat Tapi yang namanya semangat mah cuek aja, yang penting gerak, yang ngerasa manfaatnya kita sendiri kok. Lagian kalo beladiri gitu, gerakannya pasti keren, macho aja gitu.. Dan eike demen yang macho-macho gitu *lho?*

Satu lagi, badan saya tuh stiff banget, alias kaku, alias gak luwes..huhuhuhu.. suka iri sama orang-orang yang jago nari atau nge-dance. Tapi apa daya, selain daku ini aslinya pemalu buat goyang-goyang kaya gitu *kecuali tari serimpi daku mau deh*, emang dasarnya gak bakat aja gituu…

Balik lagi ke masalah olahraga. Selepas kuliah, otomatis saya udah jarang banget latian silat, apalagi olahraga. Boro-boro. Kalo lagi pengen ya paling sepedaan, itu juga yaoloh..bisa diitung berapa kali dalam 3 bulan.. Udah kerja gitu, sulit banget waktunya buat latian. Dan daku memang memutuskan untuk vakum sementara bahkan mungkin selamanya.

Nah, akhir-akhir ini, saya baru ikutan fitness di salah satu klub terkemuka. Udah lama banget pengen ikut cuma belum ketemu tempat yang cocok. Berasa banget nih badan butuh olahraga. Selain kadar lemak yang menumpuk, otot juga kayanya gak terlatih banget. Paling otot kaki doang karena yaaa kemana-mana jalan, naek angkot, di pabrik, dsb. Tapi tetep kurang banget deh.

Selama beberapa kali latian, emang ketauan banget nih fisik udah ngedrop banget. Makanya musti sering-sering latian, biar badan juga bugar, stamina gak gampang ngedrop juga. And I just found a new interisting stuff! Di tempat fitnessnya juga ada kelas yang ada unsur martial artnya juga! waaaaa… daku bagaikan ayam lepas dari kandangnya berasa seneng banget! Udah lama gak latian kaya beginian. Memang sih arahnya kaya tinju-tinju gitu, cuma dikombinasi sama kaki juga. Yah lumayan lah melampiaskan hasrat yang terpendam selama ini

Kalo kamu, kapan terakhir olahraga?

*cari sandsack*

[Via http://ladybugfreak.wordpress.com]

Blood on the Sock

2010-01-24T20:52:00.000+02:00

On my first attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I blew out my quads. A runner will turn his hat around when his goal is lost.

Here I am. After an 18 mile run I am in bed with a cold pack on my heel and a corn bag on my left thigh. I am a mess and this is only the beginning of the training for the Boston Marathon, my last bastion of freedom.

So I started out this morning, already sore in the heel (now thinking that it is the return of an old injury – Plantar Fasciitis) and new soreness in the knees. At mile nine, a quick stretch on each leg calmed the knee soreness but from there a malaise of pain gradually took over my lower body until around mile 15, when it felt like my legs were on fire. After the run, while slowly unraveling running gear (it was very hard to bend over) I discovered blood on the top of my sock where a persistent hot spot has opened up despite Body Glide ®, and taping. Yes, I am in sad shape and it is only the beginning.

I remember the training for my very first marathon. My buddies and I were experiencing a whole world of hurt that season. I was popping ibuprofen like it was candy. During the carb-loading pre-race dinner the night before the race, I made the grand pronouncement of, “Hey, maybe because we trained so well, it won’t hurt so bad.” My buddies, having run a marathon before, just laughed and laughed at that statement. They laughed again when I discovered that I was wrong – very wrong. I couldn’t go up or down stairs for a week.

I don’t know what is up with my thought process. Yes, I have embraced change. Yes, I am working hard on making my life the life I want. However, I always think, “Oh this will be easy.” What the hell am I thinking? My run in Boston this coming April will be my 7th marathon. You would think I would remember how painful the training is. It doesn’t get any easier, and now that I am 50, I have the age thing working against me.

At one point in my life I loved being able to say, “I have succeeded in everything I have done.” It was a hollow statement. I never challenged myself. I never thought that maybe if I took control of my life, I could make a better life. I was in an unsupported career, working with people who were not collaborative or open to new ideas. I ignored a relationship that had become nothing but a conciliatory, domestic partnership. I had the body of a 75 year old, wearing out before its time, and I didn’t care. Of course I am going to be successful accepting mediocrity and compromise. Anyone would. Things have changed. I have given myself monumental challenges in a quest to become the true me with a life better suited for me. At one point I remember saying, “Changing careers will be a snap. Creating a relationship rich in intimacy, passion and commitment – no problem. Running marathons – bring it on.” Now it is mile 18 and I am feeling the pain.

Break it down into parts

Since the winter season dictates that I leave my bike on the rack, my cross training for this race is swimming. This will serve two purposes; Cross training for the marathon, and streamlining my stroke for a future triathlon this summer. My coach has us doing drills that break down the mechanics of swimming into individual elements. He has broken down the stroke to the point where I have totally forgotten how to swim as I tear apart and slowly rebuild a new, more “efficient forward propulsion,” as he describes it. Again, you guessed it, I found myself saying, “Oh! This will be easy.” Wrong! I have completely forgotten how to swim! Rebuilding something new after years of doing it wrong is not easy. Frustratingly, painfully, incredibly difficult to say the least. Damn right.

“Rebuilding something new after years of doing it wrong,” that is what I am doing. I have to remember that it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. Breaking each element down into its smallest parts is the best way to approach this. I am not ready for the end result yet. I still need to tear it down, correct the misconceptions, practice each part, rebuild from scratch. You can’t rush the end result if the end result is to be successful. Patience and persistence will get me across the finish line when the time is right. Toss the pain in there as a reminder that this is not easy, but it is going to be worth it – someday.

[Via http://jassnight.wordpress.com]

65.4kgs or 144 lb and 2.91 oz

2010-01-24T08:23:00.000+02:00

The scales weren’t kind to me this morning, but I can’t really blame them. I didn’t do Body Attack in the end – I forgot my shorts at home and didn’t have enough time before heading out to collect them from home and make it back to the gym. I then went out and drank a lot of white wine as well as eating an entire pizza. I’m actually surprised the damage wasn’t worse. I headed to the gym with a cracking headache, but at least I felt a bit better about the calorific damage I inflicted on by body from last night.

Anyway, spent the day on a boat and had a lovely time if not entirely comfortable in a bikini. I had a really interesting conversation with a couple of girls about how women refer to their gym attendance and exercise. Their general point was they find it really boring when women talk about what they’ve done in the gym or what they’ve eaten. I stayed very quiet. Very quiet indeed. It did make me think ‘Do I bore all my friends?’ Since doing this blog, I’ve definitely become better with using this as my main outlet for my ‘body obsession/neurosis’, but I know that previously I used to spend a lot of time talking about what I’ve eaten, what I’m going to do in the gym, what I did in the gym, what I was going to eat. I can see why it would be boring, but unfortunately it does take up a lot of my thinking.

The conversation did bring home that not every woman thinks about their body like I do about mine. I almost feel sorry for the amount of stick I give my body. Some women even like their body – imagine that! I really did think I was pretty normal in how I viewed my body and that most women shared similar insecurities about their bodies, but it seems that really isn’t the case.

Maybe what I should try to do it stop talking about it so much, but also stop thinking about it so much. Easier said than done, but definitely something worth attempting.

[Via http://bodyobsessed.wordpress.com]

Running may be a bad idea fro your fat spouse

2010-01-23T20:11:00.000+02:00

As a person who used to be an active and successful personal trainer, I’ll tell you that it’s a genuinely BAD idea for someone who is overweight to run or even jog.

I’m going to post some links as to why it’s a bad idea to run if you are overweight but for now let me explain the matter in an easy to deliver analogy.

A woman whose body is genetically programmed to carry 126-154 lbs on their frame at 5′8″ has ligaments, muscle tissue, connective fibers, etc all geared toward that genetic marker for weight.

If a woman weighed 126lbs when she was actively running 5 miles a day, then that is her baseline weight. Take the baseline weight from when she was active and then use todays weigh in weight.

Let’s for the sake of arguement say that this woman weighed in at 176lbs.

176lbs (current) – 126lbs (base) = 50lbs of weight.

To be more blunt, that means that she has a ratio 40% over her baseline weight.

Multiply that 40% by her current weight and you get the equivelent stress to her knees and ankles… which is approximately 70lbs.

That means if you want her to feel what it’s like on her body to run at this weight, then give her a backpack and drop two 35lb weights into the back of it and tell her to try jogging with it.

It will become very clear, very quickly it’s a super bad idea.

So the question is when should she begin running? Can she begin running?

The answer is yes, she can start. But she needs to develop a running strategy that starts from the base and moves up. She has to start with a walking regiment first, then move up to light running focusing on maximizing her glide and reducing her up and down motion (less jarring on the knees). Eventually she can move up to fartlek or H.I.I.T. training.

The thing about running is that it is only good for fat burning up to a point. Long distance runners don’t typically lose as much body fat as interval trainers, because our bodies are not naturally structured for endurance type athletics. Sure we can always train for a marathon, but our muscles work better for shorter sprint distances.

My professional recommendation is that she start off very slowly, and focus on form/technique, etc. It comes back quickly but it’s rough. She also shouldn’t increase her mileage by more than 10% a week.

Another thing you may want to get her is a stick of body glide. It is rubbed on the inside thigh and keeps chaffing away like magic. You can pick it up at any running store.

If you have the money, go to an equipment reseller or craigslist and buy a high quality eliptical trainer or simply get her a gym membership at the YMCA if she’ll go.

The eliptical trainer will give her a decent cardio workout with no jarring to the knees.

If she wants to know if she’s working hard enough, buy her a heart rate monitor watch with a chest band. It’ll tell her how hard she is actually working better than her own guess. And frankly it makes workouts more productive when you have some kind of tracking device as to where you are cardiovascularly.

Speed walking and hiking are great exercise as well. I’d also recommend if she is going to run to cross train and to stretch. If her body starts to hurt at all, switch gears and let herself heal. That doesn’t mean quit working out. It simply means do a non-impact version of exercise until any injury she sustains is gone.

As a former runner I am sure she knows that the warm up and cool down periods are critical to avoiding injury so I won’t go there.

She might also want to consider buying a shoe designed for her increased weight and foot type. Not all shoes are created equally and a good running shop may charge retail, but they are staffed with runners who aren’t highschool students that don’t have a clue about topics like strike, pronation, etc.

If I can find articles about this, I’ll send them your way. Hopefully you won’t need any to convince her to take it very slow.

Mapping out a work out plan and keeping track of goals is a great way to get things done. Try mapping out her distance and times and setting goals weekly.

Sprint training will help with the speed… she just needs to be super careful.

Good luck and I’ll dig for some articles (they are rare because so few obese people run).

Peace,

Crash

Brother Crash wrote posted this on the My Fat Spouse Forum

[Via http://myfatspouse.wordpress.com]

Dynaflex Powerballs

2010-01-23T08:22:00.000+02:00

In late December I purchased a Dynaflex blue neon powerball with starter from Amazon. Actually a total of 5 from Amazon since I also ordered some for my friends. When I fist started using the powerball it worked really well I thought. Then only a matter of about 2 weeks later it started making a horrible noise. I opened it up to see what was causing the noise and it appeared to me that the axle holes located on the support ring were enlarged. This could explain the noise so I emailed Dynaflex and told them what I thought was wrong. They said that they would send me a new ball for 20.95 inlcuding shipping. I told them I thought it had a lifetime guarantee and they said only on manufacture defects. Also they said that if the powerball is opened that voids the guarantee. I told them I had purchased 5 of their powerballs and this is the way they handle it. I sent an email back stating I would not be purchasing any more powerballs from them. Instead I would be purchasing powerballs from RPM Sports since RPM Sports powerballs have an unconditional liftetime guarantee. All they could say was sorry that their policy discouraged me. I DO NOT recommend Dynaflex Powerballs.

[Via http://chris12923.wordpress.com]

Pureed Perfection

2010-01-21T20:32:00.000+02:00

So over the past day my food processor and immersion blender have seen quite a bit of love. What can I say… I have a penchant for foods fit for a baby. Just look at that delicioso soup!

This was Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup from Gourmet magazine and I have to say it was pretty amazing… I only partially pureed this, leaving some nice chunks for texture. Here’s the recipe along with my modifications:

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 (main course) servings

Active Time: 25 min

Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 – 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a combo of hubbard squash, butternut squash and yams)

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I like it hot!)

2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup red lentils

2 quarts water

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then cook squash, yams, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Add lentils and water and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25 to 40 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Puree about half of the mixture with a hand blender or separately in a food processor.

This made a huuge pot of soup, which I will be storing in my freezer because I hate having the same thing too many days in a row… boring!! Next on the menu: Mashed Cauliflower!!!

I basically just used the recipe from CCV and it was lovely. Thanks girlie! It’s just boiled about 3 cups cauliflower (drained), a tsp of Better-Than-Bullion Organic Veggie Soup Base, 1 clove garlic (boiled along with the cauliflower), 1 tsp Dijon mustard and salt & pepper to taste. Throw everything in the food processor and voila! I added a touch of water to create a creamier texture, but it’s up to you how soupy you want things.

And now the Pièce de résistance… Pumpkin Pudding!!! I made this vegan-style with silken tofu in place of cream and it was ridiculously good! To be honest it was a touch sweeter than I hoped because I accidently bought pumpkin pie filling instead of plain canned pumpkin, but I opened it before realizing my mistake so I can’t just put it to waste…

It’s basically just a cup or so of soft, silken tofu and 1/3 cup of pumpkin purée. Since it was already spiced and sweetened I didn’t add anything, but in the future I’ll definitely be using plain pumpkin and my own spices and a touch of honey or agave nectar. Oh yeah, I also made this deliciousness… Vegan Sausage & Peppers!

I used a whole green bell pepper and one small red onion sliced into strips, minced 1 large clove of garlic and sautéed them for a bit. Then I added a few dashes of pizza seasoning, herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, a tablespoon of tomato paste and some water to create a sort of a sauce. I threw in some diced Seitan Sauasage a well as some kidney beans for some extra protein… delish!

Well I’m off to go for a run in my new Vibram FiveFingers. These get quite a bit of attention in Central Park, let me tell you… but more on that in a different post.

[Via http://stevianspice.wordpress.com]

P90X Day 3

2010-01-19T20:47:00.000+02:00

Hey everybody, Vanessa here.

So, day 3. I’m still sore from day 2 (Plyometrics). Every muscle in my legs is sore. I could feel them starting to lock up while I was still in the middle of the workout. It’s a killer, that’s for sure. Definitely one of those love/hate workouts. You’ll absolutely love the results, but absolutely hate the process. Maybe I can train my body to actually like the feeling of burning muscles? Haha…wishful thinking at it’s best. The best (?) part is that I know my body will be even more sore tomorrow. Thank you…Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Maybe I’ll get Danielle to write about that later…

Day 3 Shoulders and Arms/Ab RipperX

I love this workout. I always seem to be able to see the results in my shoulders rather quickly. It’s another repeat workout. It is 5 sequences (including a bonus round) of a shoulder, bicep, then tricep exercise. You do sequence 1, then repeat it before moving on to sequence 2. Again, we just did each sequence one time through (80% of the benefit comes in the first set anyway). Tony emphasizes to do 8 to 10 reps for size, and 12 to 15 reps for a lean look. So pick your weight according to your goals. Just make sure the LAST 3 REPS are difficult!!!

Ab ripper was pretty difficult again. I have been doing it strictly by memory for so long that my timing was very off. Tony and the gang go a lot slower in the video, which of course makes it a ton more difficult. So while I fully support doing P90X in the gym, (if that’s what turns ya on) I highly recommend working along with the video occassionally to keep yourself in check and honest.

My sore legs can’t wait for some YogaX!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Leave em!

Vanessa (Get.Be.Stay.FITness)

[Via http://gbsfitness.wordpress.com]

8 Week Fitness Makeover

2010-01-19T08:37:00.000+02:00

Achieve total Fitness in 2010!

Join Partners in Beauty expert and personal trainer Scott Elliott and embark on a fitness make-over challenge. This incredible package includes a body analysis, personal Training, fitness and nutrition program. And you are sure to accomplish your goals because you’ll win beauty prizes sponsored by Dr. Bucko and other Partners in Beauty experts! JUST DO IT!

Inquire for more details.

[Via http://drbucko.wordpress.com]

Running with Sheila

2010-01-17T20:16:00.000+02:00

Today is the first opportunity I’ve had to run outside with Sylvia the Garmin working properly! (Reading the user’s manual was really helpful, not shockingly.)

I’m doing a lot of shuffling this week because I’m traveling for work and I have Monday off work. So, everything’s going to be a little early. I’m planning on running Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, taking Wednesday and Thursday “off” while I’m traveling, and then doing my long run on Friday and some S&S Saturday. Today’s task? 3.5 miles.

I have to say–I’m proud of myself. I don’t think people say that enough. I maintained my perfect goal half marathon pace–9:55–while running on the treacherous hills in my neighborhood. And it was just kind of innate–I feel like I have muscle memories of that pace and it just is natural. I COULD have run a little faster on a flat treadmill, but I think keeping up this pace on hills is a good sign, since my half marathon course is flat. Go me!

Here’s the final stats:

Then I finally installed my Garmin software on my computer to use and played around with a bit. Here is the actual graphic proof that my neighborhood is hilly to the max:

You can see the six laps around my neighborhood!

I really like being able to see my stats–my only complaints about the Garmin are a) it takes a few minutes for the satellites to load in the beginning and b) the software is all wonky on my computer. I keep having to re-load it and it keeps telling me that I need to connect my Garmin since it’s the first time I’m using the software. Lame. But, all in all, it’s a good tool.

So, crossing another run off the ol’ training schedule. Now we’re watching Julie and Julia (despite my irrational dislike of Meryl Streep), and generally decompressing. I might go buy some prenatal vitamins this afternoon–my hairdresser yesterday recommended them for hair and nail growth and strength! I have a LOT of hair, but it’s very fine, and as it’s getting longer I want it to get stronger too, so hey, can’t hurt, right?

What are YOU proud of that you’ve done recently?

[Via http://thefitbride.wordpress.com]

Day 1

2010-01-16T20:38:00.000+02:00

Well, I figured I’d blog quickly before I jump in the shower about today. I did everything that I think I’m going to do today for it. I also figured I should clarify something about my weight. I weigh 156lbs and am 5′6. I’m of medium build. I’ve never been a tiny girl, but I’ve never be a fat girl. I’m just medium. And that’s what I’ve always been. I’m in my normal weight range and BMI for my height and weight. However, I want to improve and instead of being at the top end, I want to be at the bottom end for normal. I hope to be 131 (well anything in the 130s would make me happy) by March 24th, my 25th birthday. Well, here we go. I’ve gone jogging a few times in the past few weeks. And by few I mean I can count them on one hand. However, it has been really cold here. Now that’s its back up to the 70s, I may get to go out more!

I started out by spending 20ish minutes doing some Wii Fit.

Wii Fit - it works!

I’ve used Wii Fit off and on over the past 2ish years, and it has kept me at the same weight I am even through splurges of eating. I also lost about 5lbs using Wii Fit daily in the past regularly. I plan on swapping between this, EA Active for Wii, and possibly a new purchase to work-out. This is more for warm-ups and I always do ab-toning exercises on Wii Fit. EA Active I love using the resistance band. Maybe I will play with that later today, but so far I spent 20 minutes doing some yoga, strength training (jackknifes, push-ups, etc), some slight aerobics (step anyone?), and a few balance games (I love putting my Mii in a penguin!).

After my 20 minute warm-up, off I went! I went jogging. It was about 70 degrees out. There I went from my run/jog/walk pace. I run and jog until I push my heart rate. I normally spend about 80% of my time running/jogging and about 20% walking. I don’t walk slow anyway, I walk fast.

I also have to be careful because I have Asthma which is triggered by sports. Also I love to live dangerously and never carry my inhalor. I’ve also always been more of a sprinter than a long distance runner. Even though I keep signing up for 15ks or 13ks.

Thoughts: I did notice on this run that it’s getting easier for me to run a bit more for longer periods of time. I also see myself pushing myself harder. I am glad to see a tiny bit of improvement with minimal effort on my part. Just imagine if I can get into the habit of running more often how I can improve and how far I can go!

I went around the neighborhood for 20 minutes. Rain was threatening me so I didn’t stray too far from the house, but I stayed dry and I still got in a decent run.

The rest of the day I have chores to do so I will be active. Sheets to change, floors to mop, etc. And the more and more I think about EA Active I want to work out for a bit, so hopefully I can get in 20 or so minutes on EA Active. That would be an amazing first day. I understand that I don’t have this much time to do this every day. However, hopefully I can sneak something in every day with hardcore-ish work-outs 2-3 days a week!

Also making the husbands favorite dinner tonight: Chicken Parmesan. I will only have a piece and I am using low-fat cheese over it, so it won’t damage me too bad. I just want to keep eating the same way I do!

Anyone have any healthy snack ideas they want to share?

[Via http://twentyfiveby25.wordpress.com]

Um, my dear, that might NOT be a "shin splint"

2010-01-14T20:42:00.000+02:00

So, yesterday I tried to be “proactive” by going to a sports medicine doctor for some perceived “might be could be injuries.” I had mentioned that I was planning on going and had made an appointment. I was going to go to the 3B’s (Booth Bartolozzi and Balderston) but was referred across the street to Dr. Maenpaa, who trained under “the 3 B’s).

This guy is AWESOME! The office that I went to is at 829 Spruce St Ste 308 Philadelphia, PA, but he also has offices in Devon and near Rittenhouse in Philly as well. Ladies- he’s single and waaaay cuter in person Anyway, Dr. Maenpaa was awesome. He KNEW I was nervous by the fact that I could NOT shut my mouth (not really abnormal) and the look on my face…

It was SOOO cool. He had me walk up and down the hall several times and observed my gate, my posture, my feet, etc. Then he examined my shoulder. The dude had the NERVE to tell me I needed to work on my abs to help my posture, to which I scoffed and planked it up for him for a few minutes (he asked!)…

Anyway, he was simply saying that strengthening the abs is good for the lower back, where I have pain a lot (due to being TOP-heavy naturally, thank you, and my poor posture). OK, so here is the low-down on my two “pain places…”

1. Shoulder- turns out that I have a “larger wing on my left side” (where the pain is behind my shoulder blade). This means that if my right shoulder blade is, say, 3 inches to the right of my spine, my left is maybe 4 inches…does that make sense? So I am incredible imbalanced. This created much tension and resulting tendinopathy (can include both inflammation and microtears in the tendons, according to my favorite site webMD). I have to get it xrayed because he fears there might be calcium deposits in there that he might have to “needle out.” I did not even ASK what the heck that meant, because if it is what it sounds like it is, I don’t wanna know! For now, he is sending me to PT at a place around my house, where they will “work on it,” prescribed 800 mg. of ibuprofen, and after reviewing the x-rays he will tell me where to go from there.

2. My shin- left shin has been “bothering me” (aka feels like a shin splint that won’t go away and hurts when I walk run and rest…cute). He is concerned that it is a STRESS fracture! OY! Must get that x-rayed. BUT, I recently had a Dexa scan which would have picked something like that up and it was clear, so if anything is there it is miniscule!

Either way, when I got home, I jumped right on the treadmill (of course)…I will not “rest” until I am fully diagnosed..I know, stubborn. I told them though, ” I didn’t get here from resting and I am certainly not going to leave here resting.” I know, I must be a GREAT patient NOT!

So, after my run, I was sure to do some great stretching! I did some yoga moves as follows…

"Butterfly pose" or "Baddha Konasana" to stretch out the groin

Forward fold with treadmill aid… (for the hammies)

I also did standing forward folds like this:

The sanskrit word for forward fold is Uttanasana

Then, I did Janu Sirsasana on both sides…

(those pictures are from www.yogajournal.com love it!)

Finally, I banged out one of these babies

I had to ask Shiya what this pose was called- she is the best! By the way, it’s called Bharadvajasana and she kindly directed me to this

which is what it looks like when you bind in this posture Thanks, Shiya! Please check out Shanti Yoga Shala…offer is still standing to come practice with me there! Email me at jessdownes1@gmail.com anytime!

Anyway, definitely comment/drop me an email if you have had any experience with those injuries above…I need all the help I can get, and given the positive mental state running puts me in, I’m not resting

Toodles!

[Via http://upsanddownes.wordpress.com]

From the "what a great idea" file...

2010-01-14T07:57:00.000+02:00

So, exactly what is this?

Well it’s a circuit training facility that sits outside, smack dab in the middle of our neighbourhood park. The kids’ swings and jungle gym are still there too, but now the adults have some equipment to play on as well. Brilliant!

This particular setup has a stepper, a recumbent bike, a lat pull down, a chest press, a rower, a cross trainer and a few other machines. Yes, they’re a pretty basic design, but what a great concept our tax dollars going toward something innovative that also helps to address fitness concerns.

They seem to be popping up in a number of parks around Sydney. I guess the weather in Australia makes this a more viable option here than in other countries, but wouldn’t it be great if this was a trend we saw go global.

One thing’s for sure, it’s now a regular stop on our walks around the neighbourhood. And, in related news, I have cancelled my gym membership and am taking my workouts outside. Now, I just have to concentrate on working more of them into my schedule!

PS – on that note, it’s so cool that the nike running app is embedded in my iPhone so I can track all those walks/runs- those folks at Apple think of everything!

[Via http://lindajoh.wordpress.com]

Katherine & Kimberly Corp on Ella Speakes!

2010-01-12T20:46:00.000+02:00

Kimberly and Katherine Corp were guests on the Ella Speakes show on Monday, January 11, 2009. They spoke about Pilates on Fifth and what is was like to own a small business in 2009, complete with the challenges and opportunities for growth and change that 2009 did provide. You can find more information about her radio show, which is broadcast in the Oklahoma City area, at this link: http://radiotime.com/program/p_124073/Ella_Speakes.aspx .

Ella is one of the most gracious hosts we’ve worked with, and she generously informed her listeners of not only our studio, Pilates on Fifth, and our Pilates video podcast, but also our Ultimate Pilates Workouts website. We were able to speak in detail about everything our Pilates workouts site has to offer, and especially how to do Pilates correctly as well as Pilates for beginners. We highlighted Pilates exercise routines such as the Pilates Morning Low Back Care Workout, My First Pilates Workout for Pilates beginners, as well as the Pilates Pink Ribbon workout, for survivors of breast cancer. We stressed that the sort function on the site allows users to sort not only by duration, but also by LEVEL. If you’re doing Pilates at home, you can select the level that’s completely right for you!

Finally, we encouraged Ella’s listeners to utilize our podcasts so that they know if they’re doing an exercise correctly. From our podcasts page, look on the right side of the page for the list of exercises that have been covered. From there, just look for the name of the exercise that you’d like to review! It’s really that simple.

Ella was also kind enough to encourage her listeners to send in their testimonials, and even send us “before” pictures so that once you’ve embarked on your Pilates journey, you can follow it up with a fantabulous “after” picture with a story of your Pilates experience! Feel free to friend us on facebook or send us an email at info@ultimatepilatesworkouts.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Many, many thanks to Ella Speakes for having us on her fabulous show!

[Via http://pilatesonfifth.wordpress.com]

Day 58—Something's Fishy

2010-01-12T08:01:00.000+02:00

Fish oil fights inflammation, so relieves arthritis.

For many of us pre-seniors, joint pain and inflammation—aka arthritis—keeps us from exercising as much as we need or would like to. Regardless of where the pain resides—knees, hips, shoulders or wherever—it can drag us down and prevent us from keeping our health and fitness commitments.

It’s been known that fish oil contains an ingredient—DHA—that the body converts into Resolvin D2, which reduces inflammation. And, it seems, a little fish oil goes a long way.

Read the report at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/health_news_detail.asp?health_day=632450 . And stock up on that fish oil (Be sure to get the enteric coated variety, which keeps “fish oil breath” at bay).

[Via http://derice1022.wordpress.com]

How Many Push Ups Can You Do?

2010-01-10T20:38:00.000+02:00

I don't think I'm ready to do them in public, on a beach, just yet...

The kind of exercise I like to do has nothing whatsoever to do with weight or body size. For me, working out is about strength, tone, stress relief—just feeling amazing, you know? So when I found out through my friend Anna over at Full On Style about the 100 Push Ups program I was like, Bingo! One part of my body that’s always been weaker than the rest is my shoulders and arms. You’d think they were made of mushy noodles! And I’d love to feel stronger.

This program is like training for a race or something. Basically, you do the initial test to find out how many you can do right now (12 modified on my knees) and then do a personalized “plan” in which you do several sets of differing amounts of push ups three days a week for six weeks. Ten minutes a day, tops. Monday morning I’m supposed to do five sets of push ups (10, 12, 7, 7 and 9), and then, no doubt, collapse in a heap of ache and sweat.

Have any of you ever done something like this before? Want to do it with me?!

xo…Sunny

[photo]

[Via http://healthygirl.org]

Benefits of Boxing Training for Fitness

2010-01-10T08:21:00.000+02:00

You may improve your health and have a physically fit body by getting into boxing training fitness programs. This is the best way for you to have a stronger body and gain confidence. Boxing workouts can help you to be at your best fighting form as well.

Many people see positive results from boxing trainings. You may build stronger and more defined arms and legs. These programs and classes also help you to gain a sense of inner strength and emotional balance.

Boxing training classes got across to the mainstream of physical fitness training a few years back. They have seen the benefits on the cardiovascular and toning of the muscles by these boxing training workouts. Tae bo work out videos also popularized these boxing and kickboxing exercises.

Cardio boxing training classes and the innovative variations of the sparring jabs, power punches, defense, and fitness has all blends of aerobics exercises. You will learn the proper execution of the punch and kick combinations for a more intensive workout that can help you become stronger and more confident.

The combinations you perform on the blocks, jabs, and kicks are executed to an imagined opponent. You may see classes where participants throw punches and kicks on the air. You will also find training camps that have quality equipment such as punching bags and you may also have the option of getting a partner that has padded hands.

You may also enjoy more benefits aside from the physical aspects of boxing trainings. Cardio kick boxing workouts allow you to burn out 350 to 500 calories in just an hour. It also helps maintaining the heart rate at 75 percent to 85 percent regular beat. This has been proven to be good and is the recommended range if you are exercising or into training.

Moreover, these boxing training classes improve your speed, resistance, and strength. Flexibility and the reflexes of the muscles are also enhanced. Repetitive motion on arms by sparring and jogging while you punch helps your arms and legs gain strength and power.

These workouts also enable your joint movements to build very efficient fitness results.

These movements require you to develop balance and coordination that enables your body to be stable and maintain a good form.

These physical benefits you gain from boxing and kickboxing are just few of the many benefits that they can provide. You will be able to learn more about defense mechanism skills, which you may use in case of unwanted instances. You will also feel the satisfaction when you punch or kick. Relaxation and self-motivation is also developed.

You will feel a sigh of relief and feel that you are released from stressed. It also helps you to get rid of that anger that is inside of you. Once these things are releases, you may feel lightness into your body and peace of mind as well.

Many aerobic and fitness experts recommend boxing training lessons for beginners. It allows you to workout on your desired pace and body condition. Boxing classes let you to push yourself to the limit as long as you are safe and well conditioned.

Positive results await you with boxing training. You will enjoy a physically fit body and will keep you in better shape. You have the option working out and exercising at your preferred level and skill. Enjoy the fun of these boxing training programs.

[Via http://healthwelfare.wordpress.com]

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

2010-01-09T20:44:00.000+02:00

Elmer Fudd Chia Bust

Remember Chia Pets? You’d wet a terra-cotta form in the shape of Elmer Fudd, spread chia seeds on its surface and a few weeks later Elmer magically sprouted green hair. I always wanted one but my Mom never caved. My cousin Jimmy, on the other hand, had many Chia Pets. I remember the Elmer Fudd bust as well as a Sylvester/Tweety form. I think they had a dude in a sombrero in their vast Chia collection. Green I was, not with Chia hair but with envy.

Why am I going on about chia pets? Oh yeah, the chia seeds themselves are not only edible but highly nutritious. You might be laughing now but give me a second.

You might be asking yourself how and why I started ingesting the source of Elmer Fudd’s flowing locks. The answer, as unsexy as it is, revolves around omega fatty acids.

Let me give you a little background info. I don’t eat seafood, never have and probably never will. In my search for better skin and less brittle hair I purchased omegas in various forms including capsules, pills, oils and in every case became violently ill. I tried taking them with food, on an empty stomach, at night right before bed and the result was always the same. A pukfest that lasted several hours. I gave up and figured omega supplementation just wasn’t for me.

Fast forward a few years and I was at the Vitamin Shoppe purchasing some of my usual items and a jar of “Salba Seeds” (brand name) caught my attention. I picked it and read the label and was pretty impressed with what I read, particularly the “…gram for gram, Salba provides eight times more Omega 3s than salmon.” I purchased the seeds and haven’t looked back.

Chia seeds are being pushed hot and heavy by the nutrition industry, it has become one of the new “superfoods.” Truth is Chia seeds have been around forever. They are native to Mexico and were valued by the ancient Aztec people as both a food and a seed that could be used medicinally. I’m sure there is a Wikipedia page out there dedicated to the origins and historical uses of chia seeds. I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll let you google and research it on your own.

Personally, I don’t care what the Aztecs did or thought of chia seeds. I only care about what chia seeds can do for me. As I mentioned earlier the omega 3 content is 8X that in salmon, but the benefits don’t stop there. Salba brand chia seeds contain 25% more fiber than flax seeds, 30% more antioxidants than blueberries, 15x more magnesium than broccoli, 6X more calcium than milk, 3X more iron than spinach, and on and on and on. There really is no reason you shouldn’t be eating these tiny seeds.

Another great tid-bit about chia seeds are their ability to absorb 9 – 12X their weight in water. The benefit is they keep you feeling full longer.

I’ve noticed my elimination is improved when I consistently eat chia seeds. I usually put 1 TBSP in my cooked oatmeal and stir it in. It does not alter or change the taste of my food at all. I have gotten creative and sprinkled them on my salad as well as used them in chicken recipes. If you go on the Salba Seed website you’ll find many recipes. I plan to print a few out and try them over the next couple weeks.

There are many brands of chia seeds on the market. They are offered whole or ground. I have only had the Salba brand of whole seeds because once I start on and am happy with a product I am slow to change brands.

Sorry Elmer, no seeds for you! I’m keepin my chia and not sharing,

Anamaria Grabowski

© 2009 Anamaria Grabowski

[Via http://nascentfitness.wordpress.com]

This Twin Mom and the Health & Fitness 40 Day Challenge

2010-01-05T20:51:00.000+02:00

Can a twin mom compete in a Health & Fitness 40 Day Challenge?

I am so excited. I am one of 8 finalists competing to become one of 4 contestants in Spirit 105.3’s Health & Fitness 40 Day Challenge. Spirit is a local radio station here in the Seattle area. The 40 Day Challenge is meant to encourage Fitness, Nutrition and Spiritual Growth in the New Year. I entered because I am ready to start taking better care of myself. And, I need your vote to boost me into one of the four contestant positions. Please head over to their Spirit 105.3’s website, view my profile, and cast your vote for me! All votes for the contestant selection must be placed by Friday, January 8th, 2010. Thank you so much for your support!

After some fertility treatments and then 2 twin pregnancies — I had gained about 50 pounds that has stayed with me these past nine years of caring for my twins. Now that they are all in school full day, I am ready to make it a priority to get healthy again.

I hope you vote for me — but even if you don’t, I hope you visit back here often for updates during the 40 days. Even if I don’t “make it” into the contest, I plan to follow along and do my best. I’ll be posting about this 40 day journey regularly. Hope you can join me.

[Via http://twinparenthood.com]

Whew

2010-01-03T20:24:00.000+02:00

All done with this training cycle. Now for a bit of active recovery this coming week.

But first, I need to give credit where credit is due. I’m married to a true Goddess. The one who asks me what I want to do during my holiday break, to which I answer “sleep and run”, and she gives me that “Are you serious?” look, to which she already knows the answer.

So that’s what I did over the past two weeks, which was my last Base period before racing at the end of January.

All told, 110.97 miles of running in the past two weeks; 50.43 miles last week, 60.54 miles this week. Snow, rain, well below freezing, well above freezing. The whole stinkin’ gamut. And it was all good.

I did get a few commutes to/from work on the bike, but swapped one ride home for a run, which served two purposes. And instead of 35 minutes to get home, it took 1:20. So it really didn’t impact the home life too much.

And the runs were a mix of short hill runs, medium tempo runs and long steady runs. In other words, a normal training plan. But it wasn’t all normal.

- A 10-mile tempo+ run last Monday, which started out slow thanks to the 50 miles of the previous week. The first three miles were OK, but nothing to get excited about. Then the gears switched and I was rolling through the forest at a comfortable clip, finding my groove. The (+) portion of the tempo was when I decided to go visit an old friend, the pain cave, whose threshold I hadn’t crossed in quite a while. I didn’t want to get too deep in, but decided to head over, open the door, look around the make sure that the drapes hadn’t been stolen. Nothing was disturbed, but there was definitely a layer of dust from lack of use. I’ll have to get back there soon. So even after the slow opening miles, I finished the 10 miles just a few minutes off my 10-mile PR. But I did feel it the next day.

- The 20-miler on New Year’s Eve was a mixed bag of weather. It was a steady 45F, rapidly changing from sun to pouring rain and back again. Since the rain was going to be intermittent, I left the shell at home, which made for a few borderline hypothermic moments. Luckily it cleared out just before sunset, which let it cool down quickly into the upper 30’s(F). So soaking wet, cold. I couldn’t get into a warm shower fast enough. But that worked out well, since it was New Year’s Eve.

- New Year’s Eve detraining – lots of resveratrol was consumed, which my doc (“drink early, drink often”) swears is good for my heart. And let me tell you, the German’s know how to greet a new year. I swear every family up and down the street bought hundreds of euro of fireworks. It looked like a war zone out there. It did my teenaged-boy heart good. And though I was perfectly fine the next day, I just didn’t get out the door to run.

- Today’s 15-miler through the ice/snow was great, especially considering the amount of miles these legs have endured in the past 14 days. Although after a poor night of sleep, I wasn’t too motivated. Goddess got me through that (something about “get out now”). The legs were heavy and tired, but found their rhythm after a few miles. Then a nice negative split. Nothing too drastic, but considering the abuse that I’ve put myself through, I can’t be anything but pleased with that. It was a great way to close out the cycle.

So now it’s a recovery week, which will include some thigh-busting skiing in the Alps. And if that doesn’t teach the quads who’s boss, I don’t know what will.

=====================================

Year in Review – 2009

Lots of thoughts during these long runs about posting a year in review. Some discussion with other folks on their year’s in review. For me, the review is only meaningful to the one posting it, unless the numbers posted are compared to the year’s goals and/or previous year’s totals. Otherwise they’re just numbers.

So for those of you who want numbers, you won’t find them here (unless you read above). I look through my numbers fairly often in both Training Peaks and SportTracks. Matter of fact, I keep a rolling 10- and 28-day chart in my SportTracks to make sure I’m not doing anything too crazy. With the move to Germany this year, there wasn’t any sense in setting annual goals, since there were way too many variables. All of my short-term goals were early in the year (March’s LBL 60K and April’s Country Music Marathon) and were resounding successes, even if I didn’t meet certain time goals. I learned quite a bit, including how much I enjoy a good trail run.

But thanks to the commute to/from work, my bike mileage jumped considerably over last year, which had a six-month chunk taken out thanks to a deployment to Iraq. No cycling during that time.

And what will 2010 bring? Who knows. A 50K at the end of January, then I’ll start searching for something to do later in the year. The Antwerp 70.3 looks fun (I love that distance triathlon), but finding a swimming pool with good hours is a trick. The local pool is open 10am-10pm, but is too far from work for a lunchtime swim. After work I’m usually too knackered to do anything. Plus, that’s Goddess’ time. So unless I think I can pull off a 70.3 without any lap time…

So here’s to a great year for each and every one of you. If you’re one that makes resolutions, I hope that the resolve you currently have lasts through the year.

[Via http://billanders.wordpress.com]

Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly/ Divine/ Desire Mini Eau De Parfum Set Plus Perfume Atomizer and VS Angel Tote Bag - 5 Pcs SET

2010-01-03T08:50:00.000+02:00

Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly/ Divine/ Desire Mini Eau De Parfum Set Plus Perfume Atomizer and VS Angel Tote Bag – 5 Pcs SET Review

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Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly/ Divine/ Desire Mini Eau De Parfum Set plus VS Signature Perfume atomizer and hard-to-find VS Angel Tote Bag/ Travel Bag.Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly was voted America’s No 1 fragrance.

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[Via http://myperfumeatomizer.wordpress.com]

Stride Stretcher-Claims

2010-01-02T20:35:00.000+02:00

1. A stride and leg stretching system for enabling stretching of a user’s musculo-skeletal system generally at or below the user’s hips, said stride and leg stretching system comprising:a foot-engaging portion for securely engaging a foot, said foot-engaging portion having a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side, said foot-engaging portion being detachably attachable to a foot, said foot-engaging portion having a sole adapted to prevent a foot from bending while providing freedom of articulation for the ankle joint, said sole having a lower side for engaging the ground and an upper side for engaging a foot, said sole of resilient material sufficient to support a person’s weight and to provide pedal support for said person’s footsaid lower side of said sole having at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair exposed thereon, said sole adapted to provide easier adjustment for various size feet via said at least one side of a hook and loop fastener pair;said sole being approximately three-sixteenth inch thick, being approximately ten inches long, having a front width of approximately four and five-eighths inch, and having a rear heel insert area of approximately three inches;said sole having said left side and said right side raised approximately one inch in height tapering to approximately two inches in height at approximately said heel insert area;said foot-engaging portion further having a harness coupled to said sole and adapted to detachably engage a foot to hold said sole on said foot, said harness further having a rear ankle strap and a front securing strap with said rear ankle strap adapted to secure an ankle upon a heel portion of said sole and said front securing strap adapted to secure a front part of a foot upon a front of said sole;said rear ankle strap approximately two inches wide, approximately thirteen inches long and approximately three-eights inches thick and constructed of soft, pliable material;said front securing strap approximately two inches wide and approximately twelve inches in length;a manual-engagement strap for manual engagement by a person wearing said foot-engaging portion, said manual engagement strap attached on a first side to said left side of said foot-engaging portion and attached on a second side to said right side of said foot-engaging portion said manual-engagement strap including soft, pliable woven material,said manual engagement strap being approximately six feet in length, being approximately one and one-half inches in width, and being approximately one-sixteenth inch in thickness;said manual engagement strap defining a hand insert;said hand insert having a first opening approximately eighteen inches from a point of attachment of said manual engagement strap with said foot-engaging portion, said hand insert being approximately five inches long and having approximately four loops adapted for engagement by a hand, each of said loops separated by approximately two inches whereby a user may use a hand to articulate said manual engagement strap and said foot-engaging portion;a removable handle adapted for engaging an opening in said manual-engagement strap, said removable handle enabling better manual engagement of said manual-engagement strap and resulting flexible articulation of the person’s foot;said removable handle further having a hook portion for removably engaging said manual-engagement strap and a handle portion coupled to said hook portion, said handle portion adapted for manual engagement and controlling tension on said hook portion; whereby a person may attach said foot-engaging portion to his foot and subsequently stretch his stride and/or leg associated with his foot by manipulating and engaging said manual-engagement strap either manually or with said removable handle.

More to Follow.

The Road Now

[Via http://stridestretcher.wordpress.com]

New Year's Resolutions and Goals!

2009-12-31T20:47:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year to everyone! As we jump into 2010, we often set “New Year Resolutions” in January, with our goals usually falling into the following categories:

*Lose Weight

*Start Exercising

*Stop Smoking

*Continue with your formal Education

*Get a better paying job

*Spend more time with our families

If you find that your goals fall into any of the above categories, this blog can definitely help you to get and stay motivated!

In order to lose that 10,20, 50 or 100 pounds you have to first have a plan of action. Your plan of action (POA) can be written in the following format:

1. What is/are my goal(s)? If you don’t define what your goals are, how will you track your success? For example, if you goal is to lose “some” weight, some is anywhere between 1/8 of a pound and 1,000lbs. Know what you want and go for it!

2. Why is this a goal? This may seem like a silly question, but it’s very important. Are your goals yours, someone else, or what you perceive you should want?

3. Are my goal(s) realistic? If you goal is to lose 30lbs in 1 month, or to start exercising 6-7 days a week, when you’ve previously never exercised, you could be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Hiring a Certified Personal Trainer can help you get started or to get you back on track!

4. What am I willing to do to achieve my goals? Are you willing to change your dietary habits? Are you willing to write down your daily food intake? Are you willing to ask and or seek assistance?

5. What tools do I need to achieve my goals? Do I need a new pair of walking/running shoes? Do you have a workout buddy? A Personal Trainer? What exercises should I do? Sitting down to write what you need to achieve your goals will help you to get started.

6. Who is part of my support system? It’s important to surround yourself with positive people who will encourage you on to success.

7. How long will it take to achieve my goals? Start off making small changes that will make a big difference down the road. Remember, if weight loss/fat loss is a goal, you never want to lose more than 2 pounds a week. Any weight loss more than that will usually be water, and your precious lean muscle. Log on to www.MyTaylormadefitness.com or email me at tmfitnes@pacbell.net to get more information on our Personal Training and Nutrition Programs.

Take the time to look back on 2009 with fondness not anger and remember that everything happened for a reason. It’s what we choose to do with what happend that can make the biggest difference.

Have a healthy, happy, fit and wonderful new year. Email or call me for your 2010 fitness support!

Fitfully yours,

Lisa

Taylor Made Fitness

619.987.9691 cell/text

tmfitnes@pacbell.net

www.MyTayorMadeFitness.com

[Via http://obtrainerlisa.wordpress.com]

Resolution Time...

2009-12-31T07:55:00.000+02:00

So I’m keeping my resolution semi cliche’ this year. Going for 10-15 lbs to lose and being HEALTHIER overall (i.e. making healthier food choices etc).

2010 here I come…

So far, have the Cherry Blossom 10-miler on my list. What other athletic journey should I embark on… perhaps another marathon by the end of 2010? That’ll put me up to 3 marathons! Sounds like a good number to me…

I will consult with runwashington.com and come back with a more specific racing goal! Now as I write this, I’d like to challenge myself to running a faster 5k and 10k. I’m fully capable of getting myself in shape, perhaps I need a coach… hmmm……

In a few hours my dear gentleman friend and I are going snowboarding for 3 days in a row in the beautiful Seven Springs Resort in PA, about an hour SE of Pittsburgh. Hopefully I won’t come back too sore seeing that I worked out for 2 hours today after taking a 3-week hiatus. Another resolution – go to lifetime fitness gym more often!! I pay so much as it is… the gym is beautiful

Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you have a successful and joyful 2010 <3

[Via http://verysheri.wordpress.com]

who asked you?

2009-12-29T20:00:00.000+02:00

Unsolicited advice at the gym is just that…UNSOLICITED! I don’t need a fellow gym-goer telling me how to work out. That’s what a trainer’s for. I get it…you’re trying to be nice. But if I wanted your opinion, I’d ask. Only I didn’t ask! When I go to the gym, I want to be left in peace. It’s my alone time, when I like to relax, listen to music, and not think about anything or anyone. Unless my arms has fallen off and is lying next to my machine, do not approach me with your fitness “expertise.”

Thank you. That is all.

~neen

ps: Just for the record, I’m not some imbecile that doesn’t know how to use the machines properly. I’ve been working out for years and do, in fact, have a trainer whose advice I value.

[Via http://nycneen.wordpress.com]

Aerobic Exercise and Good Health.

2009-12-29T08:48:00.000+02:00

When Jane Fonda’s aerobic exercise cassettes hit the market 3 decades ago the whole world got to know about aerobics and how to lose weight fast. Least did we realize that aerobics is nothing but simple exercises that help the heart rate to hasten, helping in reduction of fat. Whether you take a stroll at the malls or walk on the beach or cycling to work. Aerobics helps one and all to lose weight and keep fit. Here are 4 exercises that’ll sure help you to lose weight fast.If you want to do an easy workout, then avoid these. These will have you panting for air… big time. Here’s how you do them. Just squat up and down as fast as possible. Two key things to remember… keep your back as straight as possible and touch or swipe your finger tips on the floor during each repetition. By touching your finger tips to the floor you know you aren’t cheating the movement and you’re going down all the way.

The more muscles that move during a workout, the higher the chances of expending more calories. Since aerobic exercises employ most large groups of muscles in the body, it is likely that you can create the suitable environment for losing more fats. Take low-paced jogging for example. Because virtually all lower body muscles and some upper body muscles are used through jogging, a person who does this workout can expend around 300 calories within 30 minutes. This number of calories slashes off significant amounts of fat in your body. Coupled with other exercises that are more demanding, you can actually use up more calories than you take in.

The key to an aerobics workout is to get your heart rate elevated at least 20 minutes, with warm-up and cool-down time of 5 minutes on either side of the workout. In order for the household activities to have aerobic value, then, they must keep your body in constant motion for 30 minutes. This requires some planning but there really are enough household duties to get the job done. In fact, if you develop the habit of doing these things aerobically you may actually gain extra time because of the much faster pace. Plan your aerobic exercises (chores) so you’re doing them for 30 minutes, 3-4 days per week. To make it more fun and easier to keep active you can play some upbeat music while you’re doing you’re housework aerobics.Aerobic exercises are the most common exercises that many people start when looking to lose weight, and there is a good reason why for this. Aerobic type of exercises can be very beneficial in helping you give your entire body a workout, and most importantly exercising your heart and lungs for better and improved health. Understanding the benefits of aerobic exercise will help you see why you should start doing aerobics if you are looking to improve your level of physical fitness or lose weight efficiently.

For exercise to be truly considered cardio, it should consist of steady-state activity which uses large muscle groups in a rhythmical manner and elevates your heart rate to somewhere between 60-90% of your maximum heart rate. Generally, activities such as jogging, running, power walking, cycling, swimming, group exercise classes, rowing, and using a skipping rope are the mainstay of aerobic activities but ultimately, any activity which significantly elevates the heart rate for an extended period of time can be considered aerobic training.To be honest, the modality used makes very little difference and you should choose the one you like most/dislike least!

Visit for more useful information on aerobic exercises and eye exercises also butt exercises .

[Via http://anneyshine.wordpress.com]

Lincolnwood Turkey Trot 5K - November 22, 2009

2009-12-27T20:50:00.000+02:00

Workout #44

Most turkey trots happen on Thanksgiving Day, but luckily there are a few that happen the weekend before so that all of us who might be bogged down in holiday plans are still able to share in the fun.

I love this time of year, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Anything remotely related to Thanksgiving is ok in my book, so today I participated in the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot 5 and 10K run. I chose the shorter distance because I am also in Half-Marathon Training with Chicago Endurance Sports, and one of our long runs was schedule for the day before this trot.

It was the perfect temperature outside for an event like this; the sun was shining, the breeze was light, the temperature was cool, but not frigid like last year, and there was no snow or moisture on the ground. The starting horn blew at exactly 8:45am, and I felt excited to get going. Each race like this always starts out the same way: I get no sleep the night before, I’m excited and smug in the beginning, saying things like “Oh, it’s only 3.1 miles, no biggie,” and then when the horn blows and the realization sinks in I spend the whole first mile cursing my existence and wondering why the heck I’m torturing myself like this. Sure, it’s “only” 3.1 miles, but I still have to run them.

By the time the second mile starts I find that I am in a comfortable groove and starting to relax, and that’s when I can look around and enjoy myself. Invariably there are always people along the side either cheering on runners they know, or cheering for people just because, or simply looking on with curiosity. All of these people are important to runners because we each have some sort of sense of certainty that any one of them would probably call 911 if we had a grabber right in front of them, and there’s comfort in that knowledge. Sometimes they bring snacks too, and that’s just as good. There is also that unique class of volunteer along the route that isn’t there to block traffic for you, or hand out water, or direct you around the correct corner, but one who simply came to yell encouragement to you even though there’s no possible way you could win this race, or any other for that matter. God bless those people for being them!

Without too much drama, I near the third mile and decide to sprint the last bit of distance into the finishing chute. My normal time for a 5K race is somewhere around 36 minutes (yes, I’m quite slow due to asthma), but today I was feeling especially light and cheerful, so my time is going to be close to three minutes faster than the regular pace. I did not win the race, but having a good run can be just as satisfying.

[Via http://heykb.wordpress.com]

A Very Foodie McBody Christmas

2009-12-26T20:41:00.000+02:00

I had a great Christmas. It was one of the nicest Christmases I can actually ever remember. Even though I was out shopping late Christmas Eve, something I swore I would not do, I was still in good spirits throughout.

Foodwise, I had a pretty decadent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I am certainly up a few pounds. But that’s really the end of it. (I am so relieved!) I don’t have any big plans for New Years’ Eve, and I don’t celebrate Boxing Day. I don’t even know what Boxing Day is. I guess I could look it up. Okay, so they say it’s a day of “cold buffet” (ie., leftovers?!) and parlour games. That just seems… um, obvious?

On Christmas Eve, we went to our neighbors’ house for their traditional jumbo breaded fried shrimp and cookie and champagne fest. Ah, it was so good. I had two champagne cocktails, about 4-5 giant shrimp and about five cookies. Which I can tell you is a fraction of what I ate last year, and previous years. I enjoyed every bite of those things, and I felt full but not painful when I left.

Yesterday we had ham, turkey, some incredibly decadent scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach. All of it (except the scalloped potatoes) we got from the Honeybaked Ham store. Now I know that HB ham is probably not the most nutritious thing on earth. I know it’s all injected with glucose and salt and chemicals and stuff. Do I care? Hmm. Last year and before, I’d say probably not. But for me, Christmas dinner has to be all about EASE. I can’t cope with shopping, cleaning, wrapping etc AND cooking some multi-day meal. Maybe if I lived near a bunch of relatives where everyone makes a dish. But it’s pretty much all on me so it has to be easy.

Our easy Christmas morning breakfast is traditionally those giant Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, yeah the Cinnabon kind. We wake up, make the giant rolls, then open presents. It’s that typical Christmas morning smell. It’s also.. yeah, easy. But I felt kinda sick after my roll yesterday and felt like, I wish I’d made a nice caramelized onion frittata or something else proteinish for breakfast. Again, no time. Next year I might consider tweaking this particular tradition. Or maybe not. Hey, it’s just ONE DAY. I don’t need to eat another Cinnabon for another year.

I got some fabulous presents this year. Some of the best ever. One was a BodyBugg, which I have been desiring ever since I started watching Biggest Loser. I am very excited about really knowing the calories I’m burning. I have not quite figured it all out yet. I was hoping to get it rolling this morning but I’m still having some technical difficulties. So I’m gonna have to wait until tech support is on hand, probably Monday.

I also received a panini press, which I have been wanting for eons. I am so excited about this. I love warm sandwiches. I love grilled cheese. The great thing about this is that it makes warm sandwiches without having butter all over the bread, which is a huge calorie saver. And I can also use the great thin low-point bread. So it’s all good! We had some leftover ham-and-cheese paninis just now and they were amazing. I’m excited that you can also grill meats (like chicken breasts!) and veggies (like eggplant!) on this machine. I am jazzed, baby.

Santa also brought our family an ice cream machine. I admit this is not exactly a WW endorsed product (HA) but I am feeling happy and confident. Just because we have an ice cream machine does not mean we are going to be eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But right now there is some homemade vanilla churning away and I am excited.

One of the gifts I gave myself yesterday is that I registered for the Kaiser Permanent Half Marathon in Golden Gate Park on February 7th. A friend of mine is having a Big Birthday that day and she asked for friends to join her in this event. What a great way to celebrate, right? I am not at all sure my ankle will be able to put up with much running but I’ve decided to racewalk most of it and jog a little if I can.

Last night we watched Julie and Julia on DVD. I love that movie so much. A feature film about a blogger! A food blogger! That alone made me so happy. As did all the food. And best of all the beautiful relationships between the women and their supportive husbands. It made me laugh and cry.

So it was a great Christmas, one of the best ever. It’s the day after, and I am not awash in regret and self-loathing. I’m quite happy. And now I’m going to the gym!! Hope you all had a great holiday. oxoxo

[Via http://foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.com]

top five tech gadgets for your outdoor exercises

2009-12-26T08:11:00.000+02:00

With the boxing day sales now on, it’s the perfect time to take your exercises to the next level with technology for your exercises outdoors, cycling, running, climbing or whatever else….

Advancements in technology and the development of much smaller electronics are allowing people to take a lot more processor power out on the road with them, I made a post about how technology is finding it’s way more and more into fitness, check it out here

1 – Portable MP3

This is of course a no brainer, we’ve had iPod’s or whatever MP3 devices for some time now, but if your out on the road exercising, and mp3 player is great for motivation and just relieving boredom because no matter where your exercising, the scenery can become pretty boring after a while. Also if exercising in an urban area it’s a great way to block out the noise of general traffic, go for high tempo songs such from 140bpm upwards. Generally house, dance and trance music are all up there in terms of tempo but there are many more genres with fast tempo songs, check out my post on the best music for exercising here

Recommendation:

iPod is what most people know as the MP3 player and for good reason, very reliable and decent sound quality, the nano would probably be the best choice for exercising due to it’s size and lack of a screen to break!

2 – GPS devices

This product is very important if you are exercising anywhere remote or somewhere new, it’s very easy to get lost, especially if out in the bush or country in hot countries where becoming lost can actually be deadly! GPS has been around for a while now but recently many devices have had GPS chips put in them to allow you to not only track current position but also calculate distance travelled, speed and many more. This makes it invaluable for distance events, the best thing about GPS is it’s actually free to send the signal up to the satellite so there are no subscription fee’s

Recommendation:

The Garmin Forerunner has a very sensitive GPS chip inside, speed and distance trackers, heart rate monitor and more – all inside a stylish sports watch….

3-Heart rate monitors

You can use your heart rate to keep a track of your intensity, to make sure you are in the fat burning zone and keeping towards your fitness goals, of course if you don’t want to shell out for one you can use the PRE method to keep track of how hard you are working but no where near as accurate as a good heart rate monitor. Try to avoid cheap ones as you’ll probably find a lot of variance in the reading of your HR. The best type of heart rate monitors are of course the chest mounted devices, however watches on the radial artery are nearly as good.

Recommendation:

The Garmin Forerunner as before has a heart rate monitor which is programmable as well as the plethora of other features

4 – Pedometer’s and Nike+ running shoes

Pedometer’s are great for calculating how many calories you have burned although this is a very rough estimation at best, the Nike+ shoes get their category – they are great, the trainers have a small chip inside which calculate distance, running cadence and more and they look great!User’s can post their distances, times and more automatically when plugging their shoes into the computer and have competition’s with thousands of people around the world, giving you more motivation to put your running shoes on! If you bought an iPod like the first recommendation, these shoes were designed specifically with them in mind, adjusting song tempo, etc. as you run, pretty clever!

Recommendation:

The Nike+ iPod kit starts as low as $29!

5 – Action camera’s

If your into extreme sports such as rock climbing, off road biking, water sports, etc. then you may at some point want to video your heroics, this previously has been impossible without the use of someone else to video you but with the processor chip getting smaller and smaller it’s allowed for the use of camera’s in more and more previously inaccessible places. There are many head mounted camera’s around and some are even waterproof, most are very shockproof and as such perfect for extreme sports.

Recommendation

LaunchHelmetCams.com are the leading suppliers of head mounted cameras in Australia.

[Via http://outofthegym.wordpress.com]

SAVE $3 - JB Berns' Deante Dance: 10 Core-Centric Moves $26.99

2009-12-24T20:18:00.000+02:00

SAVE $3 – JB Berns' Deante Dance: 10 Core-Centric Moves $26.99

Price: $29.99 Now: $26.99 You save: $3

Dance away the pounds and have fun with the JB Berns Deante Dance, a 2-DVD set that features five great workouts, a new and effective low impact workout that everyone can do on their own. In as little as 20 minutes a day, users can have fun while they trim their waistline and flatten their abs, sculpt their arms, shoulders, legs and derriere just by dancing the Deante way. This easy to follow dance fitness DVD provides a total body workout while using contemporary dance routines that will… More info »

Last updated: December 24, 2009, 10:45 am

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[Via http://dealnay.wordpress.com]

Nine Things You Should Know About Yoga for Children

2009-12-24T08:17:00.000+02:00

Nine Things You Should Know About Yoga for Children

Author: sean sandvik

Here are some guidelines and realistic expectations for parents, who are considering Yoga for their children. For your child, Yoga is much more than a kid’s fitness class. Just like adults — kids need time to learn to deal with life’s daily pressures, too.

Make sure your child starts with easy postures, and be patient with your child’s progress. Some beginner children can often be more flexible than advanced adult Yoga practitioners, but they don’t know their own limitations.

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Discover your child’s real passions. When your child wants to go to Yoga class, it is much better than what you want for your child. This is not to say that you should avoid guidance. However, it is not advisable to push a child into a Yoga class, if your child doesn’t enjoy it — no matter how popular Yoga may be. All children are different, and what is good for one of your children, may not agree with another.

Encourage your child to see the deeper benefits of Yoga: Learning to live within the moment, and appreciating the present situation, instead of focusing on desires, these are built-in mental assets of Yoga practice. Enhanced concentration skills are another benefit that will result in improved academic performance.

Look for a qualified Yoga instructor, who has experience in teaching children. Make sure the child’s Yoga instructor has adequate experience.

Watch your child practice, with his or her, Yoga teacher, and make sure you are comfortable with the environment, policies, and safety guidelines. Rules and discipline policies are usually in place so that each child can learn Yoga and get the most out of their experience.

For your child’s safety at home: Parents who are not familiar with Yoga, should not let their “beginner Yoga children” practice anything beyond beginner techniques, without a competent Yoga instructor’s approval. Once your child’s Yoga instructor gives approval of home practice, you are fine. This one safety factor should encourage parents to learn Yoga, practice with their children, and live a healthy life.

A smaller kids Yoga class is actually better than a larger one. This insures that your child’s Yoga instructor can pay close attention to each student during practice session.

Price should not be the top factor in choosing your child’s Yoga teacher.

Would you choose the cheapest dentist, clothes, or car? Very often, “you get what you pay for.”

About the Author:

And you thought Yoga Was Just Stretching.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Nine Things You Should Know About Yoga for Children

[Via http://seansandvik.wordpress.com]

Slacker

2009-12-22T20:24:00.000+02:00

I know, I’ve totally been slacking off on this thing. Blah. Right now I’m visiting family in TX and haven’t run since… I have no idea.

My last 5K was on 12/4. It was a night run and it was freaking COLD!!!! And dark. It was the 1st Annual Reindeer Run 5K and Winter Walk. By the time we started (10 min late) I couldn’t feel my toes. :) I did pretty durn good on this one… 107th overall, 25th in my age group. 5K in 33:04. Pace: 10:38/M. Totally happy with that. :) And the nifty, cool shirt I got glows in the dark!!! Whooooot!

So now I’m totally being a slacker and not taking advantage of being in south TX where the weather is absolutely lovely. Oh swells. I have very important people to visit. My sis-in-law leaves for a 15 mo deployment next month, so we have a lot of visiting to fit in. ;)

I hope everyone is enjoying a happy holiday season.

[Via http://tattoosleeves4everyone.wordpress.com]

Recovery...

2009-12-20T20:33:00.000+02:00

I ache ALL over. My legs hurt (especially thanks to those one-legged squats), my shoulders hurt (thanks to push presses), and my core huts thanks to pretty much every exercises I did yesterday. Oddly enough, otherwise I feel great. I have plenty of energy, my guts doesn’t quite feel as annoying (even though its only slightly less noticeable visually), and even when I wince with pain when I stand up or shift in my seat it is a good reminder of a workout that went better than expected.

I am not going to push myself too hard as I get back into the swing of things. For the next three weeks I will stick to about 3 days of heavy training per week with one day off between workouts (and one day day off period each week).

But today is anything but a “day off.” I almost titled this post something like “first day off,” but i deleted that title. I deleted it for a reason. There are no day offs in fitness. While I won’t be lifting any weights today (with the possible exception of tossing my daughter around) I am working very hard on my nutritional intake. Today’s meals include:

Breakfast: 12-hour Elite Protein Shake
Snack: Protein Bar with an Apple
Lunch: 2 slices of whole wheat toast with roast beef, turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, spicy mustard, and spinach.
Snack: walnuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, and dark chocolate.
Dinner: Function at church, so I have no clue what will be offered. This will be my first real challenge.
Before Bed: 12-hour elite protein shake with milled flax seed
***NOTE: Water is consumed in large quantities throughout the day with and between meals.

I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow’s meals. I bought a bunch of turkey drumsticks and I will be putting them in the rotisserie with some herbs and spices.

[Via http://totaltransformation.wordpress.com]

A little thing I like to call dedication

2009-12-20T08:07:00.000+02:00

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."

-Goethe

It’s a long quote, I know. But the lovely Erin posted it on her Spark Page recently and it has had me thinking. I bet if you take a minute to read through the whole thing you will take something away from it, too.

What did I get from Goethe’s quote? Change, of any kind, has to start with me. Whether that change is the daily choices I make to live a healthier life or if it’s spurring someone else on towards becoming a better version of themselves… it all starts with me. I can so quickly forget how powerful I am as a human being.

Breakfast

I had a wonderful bowl of oatmeal this morning. If it looks extra soupier than usual, it’s because I stirred in half a cup of milk once my oats finished cooking. Banana-blueberry oats are a winner in my book!

Lunch

I enjoyed an apple and some pb for a mid-morning snack and chowed down on this creation around 1 p.m.

A tuna sandwich (green onion, basil sauce, mustard, and a slice of cheddar cheese) with broccoli and parmesan cheese on the side. J swore the sandwich looked like what a baby does in it’s diaper. I can assure you it did not taste like that.

The basil sauce (basically it was just pesto) really was a great addition. I’m so glad I thought to add that in at the last second!

10K Training

We went grocery shopping EARLY this morning to leave me plenty of time for running this afternoon, when the temperature was set to reach a daily high of 47 degrees Fahrenheit. I sat around for way too long today thinking about how bad the cold was going to suck when it was time to run.

At one point I had even talked myself out of running today. Um, there were 7 long miles on the calendar. Pretty sure you aren’t supposed to skip long runs. But I was going to.

Until I realized that this was a “make it or break it” moment. The temperature is not going to start warming up until AFTER my 10K. If I start skipping runs now when it’s close to 50 degrees out, what am I going to do in February when it’s in the low 30’s? I sucked it up and got dressed to run after pondering that thought for a moment.

Check me out rockin’ the headband in the park bathroom.

Anyway. So, the point is I did it. I went out and I ran my 7 miles, for better and for worse. Yes it was cold. Yes that sucked. But what didn’t suck was the fact that I averaged 9:30 miles on a long run without trying. Speedwork has been paying off big time!

Basically, I’ve realized if I want to achieve my 10K goal of hitting top 100 women, I have to keep moving… even when it’s cold!

Snickity-Snack

Post-run I devoured two mikan and what was left of the grapes from last week’s grocery shopping. The grapes were starting to shrivel up and look pretty pitiful, but they still tasted yummy.

Weekend Recap

After waking up to earthquakes with an earache on Friday morning, it sure has been an interesting weekend. I think most of the aftershock is over, thankfully, and I’ve spent most of my weekend relaxing. Christmas shopping is complete, my long run for the week is complete, and I netted 12 hours of sleep on Friday night. What more could I ask for?

[Via http://chasingthenow.wordpress.com]

Back or Elbow Pain?

2009-12-19T20:18:00.000+02:00

I found this article by Chirs Vogt, a fitness professional that operates a golf conditioning program at The Sports Recreation Center, somewhere in the NorthWest I believe. I am constantly seeing these 3 issues in golfers that I work with. Check it out! As experts in the relationship betwen the body and the golf swing, we see what we refer to as THE BIG THREE swing flaws that lead to injuries in golfers. The Reverse Spine Angle, Chicken Winging, and Early Extension are the three most common swing flaws in average golfers, and there is a myriad of back and elbow issues which can accompany them. The biggest reason for these faults isn’t the fact that the golfer doesn’t know what to do (we all have a million thoughts in our heads during the swing, either from lessons or articles, most of them are actually right..), or because their clubs are old & inadequate (raise your hand if you buy the latest and greatest equipment EVERY year, but still hit it all over the course). The main reason for the flaws is much simpler than you think, it’s because the average golfers’ body can’t physically move the way it needs to move to swing the club correctly and hit the ball where they want it to go.

Reverse Spine Angle is # 1 injury inducing swing fault. It occurs when the body bends backwards and/or laterally to the left (right handed player) in the backswing. This swing fault makes it very difficult to start the downswing in the proper sequence, due to the lower body being placed in a position that limits its ability to initiate the downswing. If the lower body can’t start the downswing, then the upper body is forced to, creating swing path problems and limited power output. This swing fault puts excessive tension on the lower back due to the forced inhibition of the abs, causing BACK PAIN.

Chicken Winging is the # 2 injury inducing swing fault. It occurs when there is a loss of extension or breakdown of the lead elbow through the impact area. This swing fault makes it very dificult to develop speed or power and tends to put excessive force on the outside of the elbow joint. If you’re suffering from high, weak shots, or you tend to develop tennis elbow on your lead side, you probably have a chicken wing in your swing.

Early Extension is the #3 injury inducing swing fault. It occurs when the hips and pelvis move closer to the ball on the downswing. This causes the upper body to lift up in order to maintain balance. The lower body doesn’t easily rotate through impact, instead it pushes forward and the person stands up. Players complain of being stuck, or trapped with their arms on the downswing. This is due to the fact that their hips have moved into the place where their arms are supposed to go. The reslut is a block or a hook as the hands desperately try to deliver the clubhead to the ball (flip), and more BACK PAIN.

Here’s the odd thing. These three swing flaws have eerily similar body issues that cause them. The inability to seperate the lower and upper body movements, poor internal hip rotation (both legs), and poor core strength, flexibility, and coordination all work together to cause a swing with sequence, posture, and path issues. Improper sequence and posture cause the Reverse Spine Angle and Early Extension, both of which lead to path problems that cause Chicken Winging.

If you’re hearing yourself describe your game as “Consistently Inconsistent”, you feel like you should be “Hitting it farther”, or you’re playing in pain, buying a new driver that makes the ball turn one way or the other is NOT the answer. The answer to more consistency and distance is fixing the problem at it’s source. Invest a little time, energy, and your hard earned money into yourself, get screened to find your body problems, work with a Golf Fitness Expert to fix those issues, and you’ll play better, more consistent golf with less pain.

[Via http://justinbloxham.wordpress.com]

Tabata Total

2009-12-17T20:40:00.000+02:00

Tabata Timing- 20 Seconds ON(working) and 10 Seconds OFF(resting/setting up for next) of each exercise, for 2 to 4 rounds.

Exercises:

Box Jumps

Burpees

KettleBell Swings

Sandbag Squats

Crabwalks

Jump Rope

Sit Up

Go as fast as you can through all 20 seconds, keep the focus on what you are doing at present time, not what is to come.

Rest for one minute in between rounds.

POST COMMENTS!

Good luck!

[Via http://corefitnesssolution.wordpress.com]

Week 4, Day 2: In From the Cold

2009-12-17T08:51:00.000+02:00

The details: 20 min warmup, 45 min combined toning/aerobic intervals, cooldown. Total time: 65 mins.

Today was a day where my schedule completely threw up. I didn’t partition the right amount of time to focus on eating properly and working out prior to going to work, so alas. Postponed my workout till I got home.

And boy, I really didn’t wanna do it because I was freezing my ass off from commuting in 28-degree weather with a train re-route, adding an extra 30 mins of waiting time.

But, I did it.

Part of the reason why I did it was this blog; this project is, in part, a bet I’ve made with myself. Aside from writing about beauty, self-image, and wrong times where I get called chunky, this is a chronicle of my efforts to actually like exercise and do it. I would have felt like ass and a half had I not kept up my bargain. I took yesterday off due to feeling slightly ill; today was not that day to write off. Nor is tomorrow (or, as the time would have it, later today).

And, I’m sure that while I have a ginormous amount of fans on this blog (ha, because I am that awesome), I just don’t want anyone to tune in here and go, “No, she skipped a day.”

So, I whipped out the jump rope (which, I will admit- I was sore from it, and in a good way yesterday) and went at it while watching the “Top Chef” reunion show. I don’t think I can work out to the actual cooking competition, but I can exercise while watching a bunch of chefs talk about the house drama. Especially if they’re the Voltaggios.

If these two are ever in my orbit, they can shave me, wax me, and use me as a surfboard. Or make me peel potatoes for fun.

O-kay. Heavy cheffin’ fantasies aside, I let Bravo blare on the background while I kept to the workout. The advantage of now having done it for the last week or so is that I’m pretty familiar with the order of the exercises and didn’t really need to read the book. And, after having switched to the “active core workout” versus trying out the beginner version last week, I’ve found the right workout for me. I’m pretty achy afterwards and sore the next day, but not so overly sore so that I don’t want to do it again.

The most difficult part of this workout is doing the 100 jump rope reps; it’s a question of building up reps and lung capacity; so far, my best is 46 in a row. I’ve been told by my trainer friend Bryan that jumping rope is the best form of cardio for some quick results. Jump rope it is.

I’m kind of excited and scared to put myself to that test- what if my body’s the retarded one that wants to hold on to the fat longer? What if my fat cells resist, cling to one another, and refuse to fucking budge? Granted, my line of thinking probably sounds a little nuts (and so does exercising while watching a cooking competition recap). I’m just hoping my fat cells give in.

And a reminder: let’s see what happens by Valentine’s Day. That’s when I’ll have been exercising again for some 11 or 12 weeks.

Phew. Another day down.

[Via http://lexgetsphysical.wordpress.com]

Not-So-Jolly Holiday Halfathon

2009-12-15T20:33:00.000+02:00

Since Tiffany and I haven’t been training as much as we would like to be these days (with her new job and me feeling like a slug), we decided to “take it easy” at Sunday’s Holiday Halfathon and boy, was that ever an understatement!

After about two miles, I needed to walk. Seriously, it was that bad. Thankfully, Tiffany felt the same and my former running partner was now a running/walking partner. We joked about how at least we looked like serious runners with our cute little running skirts, sports bras and nifty Garmin gadgets.

The course stretched 13 miles north along Gulf Blvd from Madeira Beach to Indian shores. Then, it turned east for a few miles until we reached the Pinellas trail and ended at Taylor Park, which was a gorgeous finish line!

Despite the thick fog, we still really enjoyed the view and the relatively flat course. Occasionally, we conquered some Florida “hills” or steep bridges as the trail bridged over busy roads. A sign at the bottom of the steep ramp advised us to “proceed slowly” and we took its warning about the incline a little too literal.

Tiffany and I knew several runners in the race from the ‘hood and of course, several Striders were there. It felt obligated to show moral support to all our running friends rather than actually running.

Several police officers and deputies patrolled the intersections and directed the traffic around the race. One deputy even commented on how we were supposed to be running and Tiffany made me pose for a picture with him as punishment.

Around mile 10, a race official seemed to be tallying straggling athletes. I believe I heard him say there were a few behind us. “Well, at least we’re not last,” I giggled to Tiffany. “Maybe we should try running again?”

For the last few miles, we finally kept a good pace and finished just under 3 hours. Not our best performance at all, but at least we can only improve from here! LOL

Time 2:57:42

Ave Pace 13:34

Overall Place 824/882

Division 99/100

***Above picture borrowed from David Griner of the Striders. Tiffany took lots of pics. I will add them to this post as soon as she sends them to me.***

[Via http://deniseisrundmt.com]

Have you had your exercise today?

2009-12-13T20:27:00.000+02:00

I know it’s pretty much winter by now (at least, it will be officially in a week), and it’s probably cold and/or wet and/or dreary outside, but that’s no excuse. You need your exercise. Not just because your doctor said so. Not just because I said so. It’s because if there’s anything that can — and will — help you and your mood (especially on cold, dreary, wet days), it’s exercise.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, there are 7 main benefits of exercise:

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity You know exercise is good for you — but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than old-fashioned exercise.

The merits of regular physical activity — from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and better sleep — are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out seven specific ways exercise can improve your life.

1. Exercise improves your mood.

Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity might be the ticket.

Regular physical activity can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

And there’s more. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.

This one’s a no-brainer. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don’t even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but physical activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don’t throw in the towel. Regular physical activity can leave you breathing easier.

Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.

A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And you guessed it — physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. There’s a caveat, however. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may be too energized to fall asleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to exercise earlier in the day.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Physical activity to the rescue.

Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there’s more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise — especially as they get older.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!

Physical activity doesn’t have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you’re moving, it counts!

What’s more, it can help reduce inflammation and add structure to your life. Things really started to turn around for me, job-wise and life-wise, when I began a regular daily exercise routine. Not a weekly routine, where I did something for 30 minutes a day, but a daily routine that is a minimum of 30 minutes and often lasts up to an hour.

How do I make time for it, you ask? Good question. I balked at the idea of exercising for years (despite the fact that I was once an award-winning athlete). I thought I just didn’t have time for it. Then I realized that if I exercised at the same time I did things other that I did daily — mainly, planning my day and thinking through my schedule ahead of time — I could easily fit in a full workout every single day.

As with most things in my life, it’s not enough for me to do them occasionally, or even frequently with some breaks between. I have to commit to things totally and give them my all, or I — and others — get no benefit whatsoever.

If you haven’t had any exercise today, get up right now and do something. Walk up and down stairs a few times. Or better yet, walk outside. Or do some stretches and light calisthenics. Anything — within reason — is better than nothing. And if you’re like me, you cannot afford the luxury of that nothing.

So, get on with it. Now. Stop thinking about it, and just do it. You’ll thank yourself later that you did.

As for me, I’ve had my daily dose, and I’ve had a pretty full day, by now.

I’ve more than earned a nap, so off I go…

[Via http://brokenbrilliant.wordpress.com]

Tip #9 Exercise Lack of Inertia

2009-12-13T08:38:00.000+02:00

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.”

- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

Not once, not even to this day, have I ever felt like exercising before a session. This has been the biggest obstacle to fitness for me. If I have an appointment with a trainer, am keeping an appointment with myself to train or if I am at a fitness class, up until the workout starts and even five minutes in, my mind and body are saying, don’t do this. Quit, get out of here, you don’t feel up to this, you need to rest, etc. Seriously, I always feel terrible right before I workout.

I know physically I am up to the workout. I know in five minutes, I will feel great. Better than great. In about an hour I will feel awesome, better than awesome. Now I use this knowledge to help me get over this ‘lack of inertia’ that has always colored exercise for me. I know that fit people don’t feel this way. I have spoken to many of them, asked them detailed questions and this is just another distinct difference between us and them. Some days they feel this way. They can tell us about how much they hate to workout on a rainy day or a tired morning, but in general they don’t feel this way anything approaching ALL THE TIME like I do.

Get used to the fact that you will always feel this way and find ways to work around it. Here are some tips:

Put together a plan for your first event and keep it. See You Are Not A Fit Person for a detailed explanation of how to do this. It really is the first step in a new you and will make all of your future choices possible.
Early on in your training, pay for appointments with personal trainers. Ideally have an appointment once a week, report to your trainer your other workouts that week, and report back on how many you kept. Also, get advice and help in exploring other fitness options that you may enjoy (rock climbing, cross country skiing, hiking, swimming, etc).
If you can’t afford a personal trainer once a week, sign up for a boot camp, these things are awesome.
Pay attention to your feelings of lack of inertia before a workout and how you feel mid workout. Remember how you felt like you couldn’t workout before and how good you feel. This will allow you to minimize your pre-workout feelings of dread and replace them with mid and after workout feelings of accomplishment. You really need to hold onto those feelings of success to keep you working out.
Join fitness classes (masters swim class, rock climbing group, aerobics classes, etc). Meet the people there and get to know them. Some of them, depending on the group you are working out with are fit people. They will help keep you honest in working out. The more you get to know them the more likely you will be to keep working out there. Also, don’t try this until you are fit enough to be proud of your workout. Unless you have some confidence with your fitness you won’t be likely to make the right kind of friends at the session and you might not continue.
Sign up for a clinic. Clinics are great ways to learn about fitness and again, be forced to keep attending.

Seriously, think about how much easier it would be to workout if you didn’t have to fight that feeling when you thought about working out. Sorry to say that that day may never come for you, but you can make it much easier in future. Be prepared for the negative feelings that may come over you before a workout and until you have replaced these feelings with the feeling of the success you will feel after the workout, you can make sure that you have other factors to keep your appointment with fitness.

[Via http://youarenotafitperson.com]

Post Workout Shake

2009-12-12T19:58:00.000+02:00

8oz milk*

1 cup of uncooked instant oats 1/2 cup of unsalted almonds 1 cup of fruit** 1 teaspoon of locally grown honey 1 handful of ice 1-2 scoops of whey protein Ice crush and blend

I read conflicting reports on using protein as a supplement, but I like to use it, so I vary my intake. The amount I use depends on what type of workout I did. Cardio-intensive workouts will be followed by less protein and weight-intensive workouts are chased by the full two scoops– never more. My own experience is that I feel a significant improvement in muscle recovery times when I use protein powder in my mix. It may be psychological, but so much of exercise is, so I follow up accordingly.

Another way I use protein is adding 1 Tbslp to my water to carry during my workout. Again, maybe less during my 30 Minute Triathlons, and more when I plan to heave heavy weight. I refill my bottle when I only have 1/4 of fluid remaining, which slowly reduces the protein to water ratio. I honestly don’t know what sort of verifiable benefit this provides, but I have noticed less fatigue during and after the workout. I’ve read reports that protein during exercise helps spur fat loss, but I haven’t been at this method long enough to know if that is accurate for me.

There is a lot of information out there, and the main idea behind CraseFit is cataloging what works best for me, and having a record of what hasn’t worked. I’ll not say that anything I do will work for your body, but some of the filtered information is available on this site for your perusal, judgment and potential use.

*(whichever kind works best for you) **(this is approximate– I use blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, but a whole banana works great when they appear appetizing on the shelf)

~Lee

[Via http://crasefit.wordpress.com]

How Low Would You Go?

2009-12-12T08:45:00.000+02:00

It was two degrees yesterday when I left the house in the morning. Definitely a running-inside day. It used to be that when the temperature approached freezing, I moved my running inside. Then I gradually began to go by the daily-high forecast and run outside even if it was slightly below freezing. Still, there was a significant number of runners on the trail. I figured there must be a magic number, lower than 32, that people use as a guideline. I ran some experiments: I counted the number of people I saw running on cold days to determine the Chicago standard for rock-bottom temperatures for running outside. At first, I only counted each person once. That was hard. Then I loosened my standards and would count the same person twice if I saw them coming and going. I reasoned that their extra effort justified the double counting. If I saw ten people, that would be a sufficient count for logging that day’s temperature under ‘proper conditions to run outside’. My threshold is now around twenty degrees, like in the Chicago school system. If it is good enough for the kids to have outdoor recess, it’s good enough for me. Street runners are very friendly on cold days. We smile at each other, wave, nod. “Look,” we ponder, “another nutjob!” You don’t get this cozy feeling at the gym. At the gym, the only friendly people are the people who don’t come there to work out. My iPod is not my friend either when I’m at the gym. The vibrations in my ear buds clash with the vibrations in the furniture and it throws my brain out of whack. Instead, I let the communal gym music enhance my experience and pump me up. I upgraded my membership to have access to the latest HD TV’s and the best shower technology. Every year I pay more and more and use it less and less. My gym membership is my insurance policy. Sort of like Tiger Woods keeping a divorce lawyer on retainer. Plus, in my neighborhood, not having a gym membership is like not shaving your legs in the winter. So yesterday I shaved my legs and went to the gym and felt very normal.

“I was watching a spelling bee / On ESPN2 / And these kids were spelling words / That don’t come naturally to me or you / Like oligarchy, solipsism, bouillabaisse, epistemology, insouciant / Onomatopoeia, syllogism, perspicacious, hypothalamus… / Well, I bet they would get stumped / If they had to spell Channukkahh,” How Do You Spell Channukkahh?, The LeeVees

[Via http://runninglikeasquirrel.wordpress.com]

I TURNED 60 ON TUESDAY!

2009-12-10T20:01:00.000+02:00

Linda Pulping Coffee

Beginning at Christmas Time, 2007, I embarked upon an goal of attaining a fit, trim, healthier body. I was 58 and obese.

We are approaching Christmas of 2009, and I can say I have accomplished my goal

I have attained and maintained my goal weight for several months

I really did it….

Something unprecedented in my experience…

Something I had Dreamed about a very long time

Something I had utterly lost the belief I could do

It took other people telling me they knew I could do it.

I want to support your belief that it is possible for you to be healthy

To:

Feel Better
Have more Energy
Wear Cute clothes…
Participate!
FIT Places
Be included in more.
Have More Fun
Have Better Relationships
Feel Good About Yourself
Let it be fun…

Yesterday was my 60th birthday.

I walked my 2000 th mile for 2009.

I spent the day working on my friends’ farm. While we were having lunch, he said to me: “I want to recognize you and congratulate you for actually changing your body weight in the way that you have.”

“YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON I HAVE KNOWN WHO DID THAT”

I can not even describe what it was like to hear that.

I know there are so many people who want to do this..

I am an example of success for you…. YOU CAN do this.

I am the real deal.

I know many others who have had life-changing results.

We want you to succeed.

How good is that?

What a gift!

Introduce yourself and tell me what you are thinking…

Linda Carol Berry

BraveHeart Women Global Community founding member

Instrument of Change

I Really Did It

We Are What We Focus Upon

[Via http://ireallytdidit.wordpress.com]

Ergogenics: Part One

2009-12-08T20:50:00.000+02:00

When it comes to achieving success in sports or fitness, consistent, hard training is probably the most important element. Once you are confident that your training is dialed in, you want to do everything else you can to enhance, or improve your results. There are many ways by which sport or athletic performance may be improved. Collectively these are referred to as Ergogenic Aids.

For those folks familiar with the term Ergogenic aids, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the term is probably performance enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids. In fact, Ergogenic aids come in many forms and can have a positive influence on performance in a variety of ways including but not limited to the following.

Ergogenic Aids may:

• Directly influence the physiological capacity of a particular body system thereby improving performance

• Remove psychological constraints which could negatively impact performance

• Increase the speed of recovery from training and competition

Ergogenic Aids fall into the following categories:

• Mechanical Aids, – Heart Rate Monitors

• Pharmacological Aids, – Sports Supplements and other exogenous substances

• Physiological Aids, – Sports Massage, Ice baths, Thermal Regulation Devices (Avacore)

• Nutritional Aids, – Carbohydrate Loading, targeted pre & post training liquid meals

• Psychological Aids, – Hypnosis, Visualization

As you can see from the brief list I just mentioned. Ergogenic aids come in many forms. Some are relatively inexpensive and easy to get a hold of or implement, while others are expensive, esoteric and perhaps even illegal depending on what sport you are participating in.

PAU for NOW

TAKU

www.hybridfitness.tv

[Via http://hybridfitness.wordpress.com]

The better attitude I keep, the better my physical health. The better physical health I keep, the better my attitude.

2009-12-05T07:53:00.000+02:00

Today was postapocalyptic. Yesterday, I slammed into a giant iceberg and started drowning in the cold dark waters of my mind. Today, I felt emotionally and physically exhausted from such an intense struggle of survival. I am realizing more and more how the physical can affect the mind, and how the mind can affect the physical. I am ovulating, and I know this has something to do with my mood yesterday. I know I would have felt fear over losing a weeks worth of work last week, but I know my ovulating intensified the experience. Today, my psoas is acting up, and I am having hip pain into my leg, down to my knee and wrapped into my lower back. I am wondering if this is caused by either the ovulation, or maybe I internalized my mood yesterday. Ok. No maybe. I did internalize my fear yesterday, and perhaps this pain is its manifestation.

So the cycle would continue because the pain puts me in a pissy mood, except that I just did an hour of yoga and dosed up on Advil. You see, I am learning to take care of myself…and especially my body. If I hurt or am hungry or am tired, I don’t function well. My mind goes to its comfortable place of panic, fear and negativity. So, the more I can get a hold of my physical health, the better attitude I am able to keep. Of course, the better attitude I can keep, the better my physical health.

So, body health first. That means taking care of what I need to physically, which is eating healthy, exercising, doing my yoga, getting a mammogram and doctor’s checkup and if my new hormonal herbs don’t work, going to the doctor to try to alleviate the peri-menopause symptoms. Or maybe read Christiane Northrup again.

Think about it for your life. When my mom was here on vacation, I could see this pattern in her. When she was tired or hungry, she had a harder time staying positive. So, let me know. What do you think?

My Christmas tree! She’s about 3 1/2 feet tall! Isn’t she beautiful?!!

[Via http://triplegoddessexperiment.wordpress.com]

Latest Book Picks: Physical Activity, Exercise, Fitness

2009-12-03T20:48:00.000+02:00

Best books I’ve seen lately on physical activity, exercise, fitness. Add your suggestions (or opinions of these titles!) in the Comments section.

Breathwalk: Breathing Your Way to a Revitalized Body, Mind, and Spirit by Gurucharan Singh Khalsa & Yogi Bhajan

Definitely the most interesting of all the titles. A meditative way to walk for fitness by combining walking and breathing to aid in healing and restoring energy.

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer

Love this book! Innovative ways to achieve injury and pain-free running. Gave this to my husband a couple of years ago and he still swears by it.

Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100 by Roy M. Wallack & Bill Katovsky

Our trend report has identified cycling as a real sleeper hit in the cardio arena. It’s a “gateway drug” to fitness for lots of people turned off by traditional exercise ideas. So I love the connection here between cycling and a longer, healthier life. Plus they’ve got a cycling-specific yoga routine.

Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

An evergreen foundational title that’s always relevant for those in the mind-body sector. A comprehensive guide to yoga, including its principles, breathing, asanas, proper technique, and the muscles on which to focus for each asana, plus lists of poses to help progress your practice over an extended period.

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe

Second edition’s a major update of the original. Just a classic.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey

The connection between exercise and the physiological and biochemical function of the brain fascinates me. I think Ratey oversells the state of the research a bit – this is an emerging area and I’m not sure it quite rises to the level of a “new science” yet. But still fascinating and thought-provoking.

The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power, & Peak Performance by Daniel Lyon

100 self-guided Pilates moves for guys. Yeah, I know they’re really the same moves the girls do. But that’s not the point (hey, there’s a NROL for Women, right – and it’s the same moves the guys do!). But I do think the guy-only spin will encourage men to check Pilates out, and I’m all for inclusion and whatever works when it comes to healthy lifestyles.

Once a Runner: A Novel by John L. Parker

Once a Runner is exactly what it sounds like. Haven’t read it yet – comes highly recommended so I’m passing it along. Long story short, Quenton Cassidy, a collegiate runner suspended from his university and banned from competing, goes off into solitude until meeting a former Olympic gold medalist who helps him find a way to compete despite his situation. I’m told it’s the most inspiring fictional story out there for runners and athletes, so possibly a good choice for your kids if they’re competitive athletes.

Men’s Health Power Training: Build Bigger, Stronger Muscles with through Performance-Based Conditioning by Robert dos Remedios

I know, it says Men’s Health on the front. But Remedios is a top strength and conditioning coach and what’s interesting here is that he essentially argues that functional and movement training beats out bench presses (OK, perhaps a slight oversimplification).

Defying Gravity: How to Win at Weightlifting by Bill Starr

This book, written by competitive weightlifter Bill Starr, is a competitor’s guide to getting ready for the big event. Extremely thorough.

[Via http://wellnessbusiness.wordpress.com]

In Memory of Anna Benson

2009-12-03T08:28:00.000+02:00

I found out a couple of days ago that legendary FIRM founder Anna Benson passed away on November 23, 2009. You can read her obituary here. Anna was an inspiration to countless FIRM fans, myself included. I have to give the FIRM credit for helping me to shed over 50 pounds of excess body weight I had carried around with me for years, and for instilling in me a passion for fitness. In the months after I first discovered the FIRM workouts, I checked out from the library and/or purchased a number of the titles in the series. One of the old videos had a segment at the end called 20 Questions About Fitness, a short but very informative video which taught me a lot about the benefits of aerobic weight training. Soon after, I read Firm for Life, which Anna Benson co-authored with her sister and FIRM co-founder Cynthia Benson. I was struck by the Benson sisters’ talent, passion, and leadership.

I think Anna Benson had a very important influence. First, I think she set a very high standard of production on workout videos in terms of the music, sets, editing, and clarity of instruction. I think her influence has carried through in the subsequent work of many of the FIRM instructors. Her emphasis on weight training and “muscle confusion,” at least in the workout video market, was ahead of its time. I also think she was an inspirational figure and role model for professional women. Anna and her vision and talent will be sorely missed by many.

[Via http://fitbodyspot.wordpress.com]

2 Guilt Free Indulgences

2009-12-01T20:37:00.000+02:00

Today’s 10:00 snack was a pumpkin pie, well.. not really, a kashi pumpkin pie bar. Although it tasted amazing! This granola bar wins the award for “most tasty” in the 100cal range. They come in boxes and are totally worth trying! It contains 4g of dietary fiber and 20+g carbohydrates at only 3g fat. A great ratio for a small but tasty snack!

Kashi TLC Pumpkin Pie

On the other hand, my Annie’s Vegan Oatbar review has arrived, and was a sucess!

Annie's Vegan Oatbar

For double the calories this bar does the trick for pre exercising. Made with simple ingredients, oats, sunflower butter, sunflower seeds, etc. More calories also means more nutrients, double the protein and carbs. The taste was like honey oats with a hint of cinnamon. If you don’t know what that tastes like, it simply tastes good .

Awarded thickest energy bar by far! Annie’s bars aren’t common in many stores, but your best bet to finding one is a local health market. If you do find them, I totally recommend trying one! Especially since they are only $1.00.

Off to lifting, spinning, and yoga. Have a Happy December 1st!

[Via http://seanruns.com]

Improvement #1: Fitness & Diet

2009-11-29T20:06:00.000+02:00

I have had pretty low self-esteem for a while now, and I believe a lot of that has to do with the way I look. I can’t really remember the last time I felt really comfortable in my own skin. Going through grade school I played a lot of sports (even though I was never really an athlete) and I didn’t feel good about how I looked, and now that I’m no longer a part of any organised team or group to keep me active my fitness situation has only gotten worse. I get depressed when I look at myself, I get depressed when the clothes I wear don’t fit right and I get depressed when I realise how out of shape I am. I’m not dangerously obese, but this cycle of depression makes me feel like I am. Everything is a mess.

It’s time to put an end to that mentality. If I don’t like the way I look and feel, I guess I better change the way I look and feel. I’m going to start getting myself used to the idea of actually being in shape, and I’m going to do it through hard work and discipline. No drastic surgeries, no magic weight-loss pills or powders and definitely no infomercial brand ab-crunchers, ab-twisters, ab-burners, ab-destroyers, ab-attackers or ab-fuckers.

I’m going to be using a slight variation of Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” program taken from Sean10mm’s fitness blog. I have no idea if it will work, but it seems like it comes from a pretty credible source and should be a good starting point towards getting to where I want to be.

For the safety of any pregnant women reading this, I’ll refrain from posting a picture of myself today, but if somehow manage to get a body that I can at least not be embarrassed about, then I’ll post the before and after. I’ll be updating this occasionally to keep a record of how the fitness thing is going, so hopefully that will give me enough motivation to keep going. This is without a doubt the most important improvement on my long list, so if I fail this, I can’t consider any of my self-improvements a success (more will be added to this list soon).

If anybody has any tips or anything for a beginner gym rat, leave me a comment.

[Via http://pursuitofsomething.wordpress.com]

Yoga meditation

2009-11-29T07:52:00.000+02:00

In the world of fitness lifestyle, doing an exercise is not always enough becasue you also need to control your eating habit and also in some cases you need to control the way you breathe too. While appetite suppressants helps you control your eating habit, yoga meditation on the other hand can help you control your breathing and correct body posture.

Many are confused when they hear the term yoga meditation. They think of a yoga teacher or a monk instructing a group on how to meditate when they hear the term yoga meditation. This is however not the case. In this article we will look at what is yoga meditation and what are the benefits of incorporating this practice in your life. Now there are many different types of yoga meditation but they all lead to the same thing.

You may attend yoga meditation classes where you will be taught by a yoga teacher by doing some form of meditation. You will however develop a favorite method of yoga that you will enjoy. Now your favorite method will be something that will get you results. Yoga meditation cannot be forced, it will happen with some focus and with no effort. The main focus of meditation is being aware of your breathing.

Breathing exercises are taught to most of the beginner yoga and meditation students to get them to realize the benefits of meditation. To breath properly, you have to sit straight in order to align your spine. Your posture is very important in meditation. Yoga students will have to learn to sit straight on the floor without a chair back to lean on. Some cultures have no trouble sitting on the floor while others are use to sitting on chairs so it can be difficult for some students to get used to sitting straight without any back support. You don’t have to use the floor if you want to meditate, you can always use the chair for back support. If you are sitting on the floor and be uncomfortable you won’t be able to get anywhere with your meditation as you will be concentrating on the discomfort.

Some classes do allow chairs to be used as yoga meditation prop to help students get good back support and be comfortable so that they achieve meditative state. Another popular way of using the chair is by placing your lower legs on the chair while lying flat on the floor. You will have to lie down on your back and place your lower legs on the chair and make sure that it is parallel to the floor and your upper legs are perpendicular to the floor. These are just and introduction about yoga meditation and will be further discussed in future

[Via http://fitnesslifestlye.wordpress.com]