Day 5: Food/Fitness Log

Day 5: ( 14.2 oz veggies) Not super impressive, but I didn't have much of an appetite in the afternoon and evening and I wasn't feeling that committed, so....here it is. 


Breakfast:  (7.4 oz. veggies) 

A meal fit for a queen! 2 c coffee w/ organic half and half, coconut sugar, cinnamon, Egg scramble (1 whole, 1/2 c whites, unsweetened almond milk, spinach, kale, purple onion, jalapeno, tomato, red pepper), 1/2 an avocado, and a 1/4 of Tuscan cantaloupe (my fave!) 
Calories = 453




















Snack: left-over chicken salad (noshing from the fridge) 
Calories = 182 

Lunch: (1 oz veggies)
1 banana, 1 c kale , 1/2 c frozen, organic, blueberries, 1/2 T fresh ground almond butter, 1/2 T coconut oil, 1/2 T hemp seed, 1/2 T chia seed, 4 walnut halves,  1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 c unsweetened almond milk. 6-7 ice cubes. 

Dinner: (5.8 oz. veggies)
3 oz yellow eye rock fish and a salad w/ 2 c mixed greens, 1 c raw veggies, a large handful of mung bean sprouts (great for estrogen issues, btw) , blueberries, raspberries, and Tessemae's Balsamic. We also had green beans, but I didn't eat mine. Appetite was super low for me last night. No picture on this one, because we were on the phone with our son while eating dinner (way more fun than taking pictures of food ;) 
Calories = 365

Friday night drink: Fo-jito!! (mock mojito) Yes, still going strong on our 30 days w/o alcohol to reset my hormones. 
This was muddled lime and mint w/ filtered water and club soda. Refreshing and YUM! 

After dinner: I had a sweet-tooth, so we had a date cinnamon roll from Marlene's. I wish I would have taken a picture (I will next time) . They are made from dates, nuts, and LOTS of cinnamon (no added sugars, but oh, so sweet. OH GAWD, they are good! I get them from the dessert cooler at the Tacoma Marlene's, opposite the salad bar. I don't know how many calories are in these, so I guesstimated about 250 ish.


Fitness: 40 minute walk with Honey + 40 minute shoulder/triceps/core lift (my intent was to run with honey, but I'm still honoring my knee, and today my knee said, no. 
Calories burned: 292

This is a snippet of my shoulder/triceps/core workout. For my lift days right now, I'm doing 3 sets of 3 muscle groups. So I did this round above, 3 times. Then I do 2-3 more triplets grouped together for 3 rounds of different exercises for those same muscle groups (hope that makes sense).

So, that was day 5!
  
Calories consumed : 1833
Minus calories burned  - 292 
Total for the day : 1541

Day 4, Hit my Goal!! 2 Pounds of Veggies!!!

Day 4 : There it is!!!!   2 pounds, .4 ounces!!!!!! Woot Woot!!! Not obsessing over hitting the exact mark every day. I'm really happy with the amount I'm consuming each day. That said, it feels good to hit the mark on day 4. ;)~





Breakfast: (6 oz veggies)
2 coffee w/ organic half and half, coconut sugar, and cinnamon,  egg scramble (1 whole, 1/2 c whites, full of spinach, kale, and chopped veggies) , and 1/2 an avocado. 
 Calories: 418

Lunch  : ( 11.1 oz. veggies)
I was soooo not feeling a salad for lunch, and with it being my house cleaning day, I wanted something with a little less effort. So this is what I had,
1/2 c chicken salad, 1c mixed raw veggies w/ 1 T hummus, and a sweet potato (w/skin) with coconut oil and cinnamon. YUM!  
Calories : 530

 Snack (1.2 oz veggies) 
A quick smoothie before my class that consisted of 1 c kale, 2 T almond butter, 2 T cacao, 1 t honey, 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana, 1 T hemp seed, 1/2 c blueberries, and ice cubes. 
Calories: 378

 Dinner: (14.1 oz veggies) With a busy day for both of us, tonight was yummy left-overs. Bison meatloaf, stirfry summer veggies, and a large salad w/ Annie's Goddess dressing. 
Calories: 475 

Fitness for the day was my Shred class! It's always a treat to sweat along side our amazing community, and outside on a such a beautiful day to boot!! 
Calories burned =  -491

Total calories consumed = 1801
Minus today's fitness - 491
Equals a total of 1310
(this is lower than I like to be, but the heat mixed with cleaning day made it hard to eat more. Ideally I like my range in the 1600's (post workout), but it all evens out. Sometimes I'll be under, and it's a given that there are days I'm over.

Day 3: Epiphanies, Intentions, and the "Don't Give a Shit" Hormone

Day 3 = 1 pound and 8.3 ounces of veggies
Less than day 1 and 2, but if I would have done the egg scramble with all my veggies instead of a smoothie, I would have been at  2 pounds, 1.9 ounces..... is that right?! Ouch. Even though that stings a bit, the smoothy was all whole foods and really boosted my energy and gave me something different, so no regrets there. 

Today's epiphany felt like a win to me! I noticed that in the last 3 days my plate looks different. Instead of protein, veggie, and starch or carb (like garlic bread or rice), it is protein, veggie, veggie. That's not to say, I will never consume bread or grains, but I have found a goal with-in a goal. That is to have 2 servings of veggies on my plate most meals. 

I am having the nerdiest kind of fun with all of this. In such a short time, I'm learning a lot about myself, and where I want to be. It's not about dieting, losing weight, or becoming a title (like vegetarian, vegan, or Paleo) but rather getting back to a place of gratitude for everything my body allows me to do and honoring that by giving it what it needs to fuel a high quality life. Yes, I am totally geeking out and loving it!  

I do, above all else, believe in balance. I want to be sure anyone reading this understands this is not about setting a goal and half dying to achieve it. It's not about scarfing veggies before bed to make my two pound quota. As you can see, I haven't hit that mark yet, and still consider every day to be a huge win! This is about learning and refocusing my relationship with food, fitness, and myself.

 In keeping it real, I  somehow shifted to a very careless relationship with myself over the last year. Excess crap food, drinking, and loafing around has been my main existence, with bursts of "Oops! Better reel it in!" moments of 'being good'.  I think a lot of it has been changing hormones and that has made it harder to give a shit. I actually did a   "dont give a shit vlog" 
about 3 years ago (click on the "don't give a shit vlog" link above to view).... and this last year, my "don't give a shit" got the best of me.  I share this because I know many of you reading this may experience this and not know why. Hormones are definitely something to look at, but that's a different blog. 

Here is day three's food and fitness log: 

Breakfast : (2 oz. veggies) 
I know, far cry from yesterday, but I think variety is important. So this morning's smoothie, inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman really good! Here are all the nutrient goodies in today's smoothy, 
1/2 banana, 2 c kale , 1/2 c frozen, organic, blueberries, 1/2 T fresh ground almond butter, 1/2 T coconut oil, 1/2 T hemp seed, 1/2 T chia seed, 4 walnut halves,  1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 c unsweetened almond milk. 6-7 ice cubes. SO GOOD! Oh, must not for get, 2 c coffee with organic half and half and coconut sugar.
Calories: 471

Lunch: (9.5 oz veggies) - Must eat the left-overs before they spoil!
4 oz. wild salmon, 1 c fresh, sauteed green beans, 1 c brussels sprouts, diced sweet potatoes, and purple onion .
Calories: 392


 


Snack: (5.7 oz veggies) 
veggie plate with hummus 
Calories: 105 





Dinner: (7.1 oz veggies)


3 oz bison meatloaf, stir fry summer veggies (squash from Laura's garden *Yum! Thanks Laura!* purple carrots, orange peppers, white onion, jalapeno), and a salad (mixed greens, white onion, peppers, cucumber, cherry tomato, green onion, live sprouts, and blueberries) with Tessemae's balsamic.

Oh! And my fitness for today was 1 hour yoga in my studio and a couple of short walks with my dog. 

Total calories for today were 1523.  


 

A candid look at my Why - Hormones and Stuff

As a fitness professional, it's important  to note, I have not always been healthy. Far from it. I  am a product of the baby boomer's era. Born in the 70's, it was a time when women took more to the work force and helped with a second income. Food companies accommodated this trend with quick and easy meals that could be easily assembled after an 8 hour work day for the woman who wanted to have it all. Over the years, this became the most lucrative industry in our country.  Boxed macaroni and cheese, Spaghetti O's , hamburger helper.... 

 Our food pyramid taught us  that we should be eating mostly bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. Six-eleven servings to be exact. Commercials showed us that a healthy breakfast was a bowl of cereal, white toast with butter and fruit preserves, and a glass of fruit juice.

This is how I ate well into my late 30's. I know many baby boomers who still eat this way and believe that this is a healthy diet. Many people of this era (and myself until about 10 years ago) still believe that as long as they limit the obvious sugars (ie: cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, pastries,  puddings, and other dessert foods) they are limiting thier sugar and staying healthy and away from junk food. So, I enjoyed my Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (12g sugar) , toast w/ jam (13.5 g sugar) and a glass of orange juice (22g sugar). That's a whopping 47.5g of sugar to start my day. Snacks, lunches, and dinners weren't much better, plus I loved an occasional candy bar or ice cream treat! Who doesn't? 

With the above eating habits in my 30's, I felt like shit.  Tired, depressed, no energy or drive to do anything fun, I would get a bad headache and feel emotional and moody around 3 or 4:00  almost every afternoon. I looked older than I was. I was over weight. I grunted when I got up off the couch or rolled out of bed like an old lady expending all her energy on that small task. 





In my late 30's I began to educate myself and do better. By 40, I was in the best shape and felt AMAZING!!

I have maintained this status over the years and have been really proud of myself. This last year, my habits have changed. I went out to eat on an average of 3-5 times a week (Fri/Sat dinner, and maybe a Sunday breakfast or lunch), I increased my alcohol intake from social drinking to enjoying wine with dinner after a stressful day at work in addition to weekend social events. I haven't lifted consistently for over a year. I still consume lots of fruits and veggies and have maintained my healthy eating habits on my regular meals when I don't go out, but WOW!! THE DIFFERENCE I FEEL is scary and a path I don't want to return to. With my hormones out of wack this year, I am constantly fighting myself for energy and motivation to do what I know is right. 

I still "look" healthy today. I little cushion between my skin and muscles, but over-all, I'm still here in my healthy body. But what I feel lurking in my future if I don't take the reins now and make those healthy choices,  scares the shit out of me! My bloodline shows me where I can be in my older years with genetics and lifestyle if I don't choose wisely, continue to learn and give my body what it needs to be sustainably  healthy. That is one  reason you will never see me taking weight loss product (Advocare, Shakeology, magic wraps, pills, or potions) As I deal with hormonal imbalances and inflammation, I know exactly where I could be if I don't "choose" my path wisely now. Real, mostly unprocessed, whole foods (not meal replacements). Adequate water, sleep and exercise. Supplementation given from my holistic doctor that fits my personal needs (learned through blood tests), not one size fits all, fitness industry supplements you can buy from a health club or MLM distributor.  I am a huge advocate of researching and learning through books, podcasts, and long talks with my doctor. As a result I have a ton of knowledge which makes it extra hard to continue to feed myself excuses as to why I feel the way I do.

So, that is my why. My path may not be the path for you, but my hope to inspire you to find your path, learn, and grow. In doing this publicly and being honest and candid with you, this will hold me publicly accountable to myself as well .

This is me this year.  While I still have a good base line for a healthy lifestyle, I remember what it was like not knowing anything. It's NEVER too late to learn, feel better and improve our health and quality of life. Equally true, there is never a stopping point. To stop learning and growing, is to stop living. No matter the excuse, there is ALWAYS a choice..... until there isn't...

Real Talk.

The worst conversation you could possible loop me into, is the one where you tell me why you can't be healthy. 

"I can't afford a gym"
"I have no time to exercise"
"It costs too much to eat healthy"
"I don't like drinking  water"
"I have too much to do to get good sleep"
"My joints ache"
"I have ________, so I can't exercise."
"I don't like the taste of healthy food" 
"My family won't eat that." ..........

You can feed me, or yourself any line you want, but the truth is, You Choose. You Choose. You choose. Every day, you choose. 

Age will wear down your joints and body over time, but how you treat your body over all, through out your life, will greatly determine your later years. 

We all have challenges. We all have things in our lives that make it hard, really hard, to exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and all the other things that contribute to good health. We choose everyday, how healthy we want to be. Even amongst the aliments, illnesses, disease, aches and pains, hectic schedules, lack of money, and everything else that can possible get in our way,  we choose to work around it, triumph over it , or become victim of it. WE CHOOSE.

And if we understood that how we choose to live our lives will greatly affect how many  chronic illnesses we acquire, maybe then, we would choose differently, instead of believing that those are things we just randomly fall victim to. 

We choose. 

Just a Personal Vlog and where I Am Now vs. Where I Want to Be

Just a personal check in on where I am and what are my goals....

ShredFit Fitness Vlog: Does your perception interfere with your success?

TOUGH QUESTION: 
When you struggle with a goal, do you tell yourself it's because of the choices you are making, or are you struggling because other people or situations are making it too difficult? Are your perceptions standing in the way of your success?

ShredFit Fitness Vlog: Do You Plan Your Workouts?

Do you plan your workouts before you go to the gym? I totally do to avoid wasted time once I get there. Here is how I do it.

ShredFit Fitness Vlog: PMS - Do you ever just not give a shit??

Getting real! Most of the time I love being/getting/staying healthy!! But sometimes PMS makes me just not give a shit.... You?

Outdoor Bootcamp - Shred Fit class!-Tire Runs!!

CHEAP WORKOUT EQUIPMENT IDEA FOR BOOTCAMP OR BACK YARD!!
RESISTED TIRE SPRINTS!!!  
They slammed this!! Tire weights are 28lbs. , 38lbs, and 45lbs. I used an eye hook on the tire and hooked the rope to the tire with trigger hook!!  

Shred Fit Outdoor Bootcamp Heavy Bag and Water Games!

Here in the Pacific NW 85 degrees is HOT!! In this class we had sit up/water balloon toss and Sponge Leap Races to go w/ our heavy bag work!! SO FUN!!! And just in case they weren't getting wet enough, I had a super soaker to finish the job!!!

ShredFit Vlog: Are you getting heathy with a Partner?

Vlog: Q-How can I lose weight?? 7/3/13

I get this question a lot. If you find a fitness pro who has a short answer for this, walk away...they probably have something to sell you.... 



Great reference as well:
Elliot Hulse - Strength Camp vid: Why Junk Food Makes You Strong

Finding Your Own Way Among All The Controversy...

• High Fat vs. Low Carbs
• Cardio vs. Weights
• Vegetarian vs. Vegan                   
•  Yoga vs. Pilates 
•  Steady State Cardio vs. HIIT
• Low Weigh/High Reps vs. High Weigh Low Reps
• Zumba vs Boxing
• Supplements vs. Natural Foods

• Organic vs. Non-organic  

Let me just start by saying, politics and religion have nothing on diet and exercise. When we find what works for us, that becomes as sacred as our spiritual beliefs. Many Cross Fitters, Paleo dieters, bodybuilders, clean-eaters,yogis, and Zumba-Lights will fight to death to defend their craft and why you should do this instead of that.


Today, I was reminded of this as I realized I had once again climbed on my horse and ranted about the diet industry.  Now, I will never stop advocating against the diet industry.....My own journey lead me to my own truths that I will fight for,  but that did get me thinking....

Who am I (or anyone else) to tell you how to go about finding your path to a healthy life style? With so much conflicting science out there on the best way to workout, or the best way to eat, the best advice one can give is to learn, experiment, and learn more. What works for one, may not hold true for another. 

It is so important to remember to be a defensive learner.  Question what you read or hear. Experiment with what works for you.  Be pro-active in your own journey. Don't just blindly do what the "experts" say, or what worked for your friend.... Find what brings you the most health and success. 

And, give respect to what others have found to be their truth. .... Stepping off my own high horse...for now.
                            **grin**
 All that I can offer is what I have learned to be true for me. 



 

A Fitness Professional and a Sales Person Walk into a Health Club...

The other day,  as I walked out of my health club I saw an "It Works" wraps and supplements table stationed inside the front door....

Why do I get a surge of emotion and anger every time I see the diet industry superimpose themselves on the health industry?

Because they have some how been sold as one in the same!

But here is the difference...

The (true) health industry sells:
education
whole, fresh foods
local farmers
active life styles
clean eating
exercise
balance
yoga
organic
GMO awarness
farmers markets
food co-ops


The diet industry sells:
low fat
low calorie
low carb
light
fat free
zero calorie
fat burners
carb blockers
appetite suppressant
supplements (ofcourse to suppliment what we should be eating, but are not because after all, we're trying to lose weight!! Hello??)
cellulite creams
magic potions
wonder drugs
miracle  cures
shapers
slimmers
toners
calorie burners
detoxers
shakes
sprinkles
powders
patches
wraps................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
the list is endless!

Nature has provided us with all we need. We create more out of greed!

Greed.

That's what it is. We have given our personal greed power over helping people to be healthy. :(

We see it all the time, right? Celebrities and celeb  trainers putting their name on a diet pill box...Lest not forget Dr. Phil with his "apple shape" or  "pear shape" diet pills.... Can we just take a moment to step away from those trying to make/take money, and reach for some common sense?? .....

Move
Eat whole, good,  REAL foods
Sleep
Relax
Breath
Drink water






 

 

Merry Christmas Star center Members!

MERRY CHRISTMAS STAR PEEPS! Here is your Christmas Workout! I challenge you to choose 'at least' 2 days to this workout, write down your reps the 1st time you do this, then try to beat your score the 2nd time! **WATCH THE FIRST ROUND BEFORE YOU BEGIN!** This will familiarize yourself with the moves and different levels so you waste no time watching the different levels during the workout...MAXIMIZE your intensity by know your levels ahead of time!

10 exercises for 3 Rounds 5o sec. max effort, 10 sec. transition
1. 3 lateral leaps - 4 switch kicks
2. Right Single leg tap out-drop squat
3. High Knees
4. 2 knee Spiderman push-up
5. Burpee w/ 2 witch lunges
6. Left Single leg tap out- drop squat
7. 8 mnt. clmrs/8 low jacks
8. trench crawl + 4 pendulums
9. CRAZY APES!
10. Squat crescent


*Injury disclaimer:
Not all exercises are suitable for everyone and this or any other exercise program may result in injury, To reduce this risk of injury, please consult your doctor before beginning this, or any other, physical fitness program. Any user of this program assumes the full risk of injury resulting from performing the routines presented within this video.

Vlog #2 Balancing my workouts

My August Chalenge to you. Prioritize for health and happiness

"I want to be in shape, but I just don't have the time to workout." Eating healthy is too time consuming; who has time to cook?" "It's too expensive to have a gym membership." Fresh, whole foods cost too much. Plus, they go bad!"  I would love to eat healthy, but my family won't eat that kind of food."

I hear it all, and have said a few myself!

We set our lives up to be what they are. We make decisions every day that dictate our priorities and cause us to say these things when talking about our own health, happiness, and well being. 

We have made the decisions that having that nice car (payment) is more important than a gym membership, or buying those (cigarettes, beer, cookies, soda) is more important than using that money for whole foods, or over scheduling  little Billy with 4 different sports  in one season is more important than Mom's sanity and maybe a yoga class, or (in my case) taking on 5 classes a week in addition to my full time job, is more important than family time and time for myself. We all fall victim to our own choices and then hide behind them using excuses as our cover. 

But, how often do we step back and re-evaluate our priorities? 

How often do we lose our site of our priorities as we get sucked into the vortex of being too busy to remember what they were?  

Every so often, We need a mental day. A day to step back from our life and look at the big picture. Am I spending enough time with my family? Am I happy with where my health is? How is my stress level these days? What am I neglecting?  What can I give up or delegate to free up time or money for what is more important? 

My August challenge for you is to pick a day this month to take for yourself.   Use this day with no kids, no spouse, no work (you have the whole month to set this up, so plan for sitters, a day off from work, or what ever conflicts may come your way.) Take this day to re-evaluate your priorities. What do you want from life that you are not getting? What is standing in your way? What can you do without, get rid of, or delegate to free up the time or money needed for this?  

I do this on the regular! At least 2-3 times a year, I find I've lost sight of my priorities and I take a day to strategize. I usually find it's time to reduce my teaching schedule, or stop going out to dinner so many times in a week to free up money for a vacation with my hubbs, or spend less time on Facebook to free up more time to be in the kitchen prepping healthy foods. 

Sure! Giving up some responsibilities or making changes may disappoint others, but really? Is it all worth it if you're not healthy? If you're not happy? If you're not feeling fulfilled? What's the point? And honestly, the healthier and happier you are, the happier the people around you are. You know what they say... "If Mama ain't happy............."  

Make the time to get your life the way you want it to be. Life is too short to feel unhealthy, unhappy, or over stressed. Take the time to reconnect with what's really important to you.

WOD 5/4/12 ...with my newest addition to my gym (Battle Rope)

Couplet Style 

3 Rounds of  each couplet 

60 sec. max effort / 15 sec. Rest

Couplet #1

* Box Jumps (squat on top/squat on bottom)

* Kettlebell clean squat shoulder press ~R~

 

 <~~~~~ THIS PIC IS MISSING THE SWING AND THE SQUAT PORTION

Couplet #2

* Bench hop-overs

* Kettlebell clean squat shoulder press~L~ (see above)

Couplet #3

*Battle Rope Alt. waves

 *Incline Stacking /Staggered push-ups (works best with weight plates, but at home I'm using brick and cement slabs.... 4 brick stacks + 4 staggered push ups) 

** Get 3-5 weight plates all the same size, either 5 or 10 pounds. 
** Stack them up on the right side of the top of your mat.
** Plank on your mat
** with your left hand grab each plate one by on and stack it to you left
** Then do as many push-ups as you have plates ( I added a staggered push-up by putting 
your left hand on the stack of plates!!)
** repeat to the other side.

 Couplet #4

*Kettlebell burpee w/ vertical row

*Heavy bag hoist (35 lbs.) - alt. sides

LOVE MY NEW ROPE AS A GREAT ADDITION TO MY HOME GYM!!

Get Those Shoulders and Tris POPPIN'!

People ask me how I get my shoulders....Here is a sample of what I do on my shoulder/Triceps/Ab day!


Yesterday's WOD
Shoulders/Triceps/Abs
~~~~~Plus~~~~~~~~
Taught 1 hour Kickbox Class

3 Rounds of each Circuit!

(DISCLAIMER: Weights will vary by individual. Do not try my weights! Test your own. Your last 2-3 reps should be very difficult)


3 Rounds of each Circuit!


CIRCUIT # 1:


Shoulder Press Machine Weight/Reps = 50, 60, 60/10 ,10 ,9
Triceps Ext. Machine W/R = 50, 60, 60/12, 10, 8
Decline Abs R= 15, 15, 15

CIRCUIT # 2

{Superset #1}
Barbell Overhead Press W/R = 50, 50, 50 / 10, 10, 8
Barbell Upright Row W/R = 50, 50, 50 / 10, 8, 10
{superset #2}
Bench Triceps Dip (feet on ball/plate in lap) W/R = 35, 35 ,35 / 16,16,16
Full plank Triceps Push-up R= 6, 5, 5
Bench Abs w/ Plate W/R = 25, 25, 25 / 25, 25, 25

CIRCUIT #3

Dumbbell Single lateral Raise W/R = 15, 15, 15 / 12, 12, 12
Dumbbell Single Triceps Kickback W/R = 15 ,15, 15 / 12, 12, 12
Incline Ab Leg Raise to 6" R= 12, 12, 12