Make Me Strong Like Bull

So after signing up for my new online personal trainer yesterday, I got my full plan for April in my email box today. Let me say how happy I am with my plan!

In the initial questionnaire, I gave a lot of information about what I have done and my body type. Also she asked what I want to look like. I don't know what it's called...but I want to look like my body idol, Laila Ali:


That in my opinion, is a killer body. And that body requires some major work to achieve.

So when I looked at the program that was created for me, I was really happy to see that the stuff I like and the stuff she thinks will work for me are one in the same, woot! What is that you ask....lifting HEAVY weights. Sorry, but I can't do the bodypump situation...lifting 10 lbs 100 times. I like to lift 100 lbs 10 times. That makes me feel strong and I get muscle definition pretty fast that way. And since I would like to look like miss diva herself...well I need to lift heavy. And yes ladies, you can lift heavy. As long as you aren't on steroids, you will not end up looking like this:

Anyway, the mix of cardio and weights is fun and interesting and I'm really excited for workout #1, which will be tonight!

Moving On

So today, one day after ending my relationship with my trainer, I decided to get another one.

But I bet it's different than what you think!

I'm going to do on-line personal training. I have researched this a lot, even before signing on with the trainer at the gym, and I think it's the way to go for me. The reason I vetoed this before was that I wasn't in a gym groove. I was trying to get back into the gym and wasn't feeling it. So I knew the motivation of an in-person trainer would be better, even if the cost was high. Now that I'm back into the gym groove and feeling good, I know I can handle an on-line trainer.

I'm sure you're asking what an on-line trainer is, right? They basically create a personalized program for you to do. After checking in on a regular basis (frequency depends on the program, but ranges from every other week to every month) the program is modified to give you the best results. You have to be self motivated - because there is nobody going to the gym with you, nobody yelling/cheering for you, and nobody to make sure you are there. But it does give you a great program to follow once you motivate your own self to get to the gym. This is why I think it's good for me now - my mindset is ready for it.

The pros to me for online training are fantastic. It's way less expensive ($30-50 a MONTH vs. $45-60 an HOUR) and you still get a great workout plan. Each program I examined asked for a pretty detailed client profile (actually more detailed than anything I was asked at the gym for in-person training) and most ask for pictures/measurements as well (eek!). I love the cost - because at $30-50 a month, I can afford to do this for a long time. It won't be a huge financial burden at all (less than $2 a day). I've heard other pros from my research online, but I'm reserving my judgment on those until I actually start the program.

The cons, well I don't know all the cons yet. I know that the big one is that you are not training with them in person. Nobody to correct your form, nobody to push you to one last rep, nobody to help you get through the workout. You have to be motivated from within for every workout.

Another big pro for me was that I could really research the people I was thinking about hiring. There were reviews online on the trainer's website as well as non-affiliated other sites. This was awesome. Reading blogs about how a trainer helped someone made me very aware of their skills and programs. This is something that is unique to this online world we live in.

So that's the whole thing for me going forward. I'm going to give this a try and see how it goes. I just signed up for one month and I'm getting my client sheets done today and submitted. Here goes nothing!

The Last Training Session

So this Monday was my last personal training session with Trainer Amy. I did 20 sessions spread out from Jan 18 through March 29th. This was spread out so much due to travel (both of us) and snowpocalypse 2010. So what was the final verdict?

Meh.

I mean at first, I was really excited about the training. But over time, I became underwhelmed. She started throwing more cardio in - which isn't all bad I guess. BUT - when I pay per hr and I spend the first 10, 20 and at one session, 28 minutes doing cardio on machines while she is no where to be seen - well I feel like I'm wasting money. I can do cardio on my own for free...I don't want to waste 1/3 of my session doing just a regular workout on a machine. And she was doing something else. I knew she was having some stuff going on..but you shouldn't be talking to your boyfriend in the gym office while I'm doing cardio during the hour I pay you for. Sorry but you should be standing right next to me. To the last session, she didn't know how fast I walked on the treadmill...because she was rarely around. I think I would have seen much bigger gains if she stuck around, pushed me to a higher level when I needed it, and was better able to assess my abilities.

Some of the other issues - she talked about money too much. About needing more clients, needing to make more money, how upset she was when ppl didn't show up because she lost money, clients that didn't pay, ect. It made me feel weird and I didn't like it. Combined with how I felt I was getting played for my own dollars during the sessions - well it just seemed like a bad deal I was getting. I don't mind paying for a good product...but this one seemed a little like a raw deal over time.

There was a lot of good though - don't let me make it sound all bad. When she was attentive and around, I got my butt kicked GOOD. I sweated it out, burned it off, and felt the pain the next day. I definitely think she knows her stuff - but I think she gets way too distracted, which affects my outcomes.

In general - I'm glad I did it. The benefits were that I have lost body fat, slimmed down, gotten back into a gym routine, and am on my road back to being in shape. I think trainers are excellent for anyone who needs motivation and a regular schedule at the gym, especially beginners. They can help you figure out where to start. Even a 10 session package is awesome. I think I will train again, but probably with a different trainer. Unfortunately, you can't really try ppl out...some of the issues I had with my trainer would never come up in a trial session. But I think that next time, I will ask to speak to some of their clients or try to figure out when they train so I can watch them.

2 weeks + 2 states = 5 lbs

So after a week in TX for work, I went on vacation for 5 days to Boston.

I know, sounds like a bad recipe for weight loss. And it was for half the time.

Texas was a disaster. I didn't gain a lot of weight, maybe 2 or 3 lbs. But I didn't work out most of the time, ate way too much Mexican food, and slept horrible hours. I also had the breakfast buffet. Oops. I had good intentions...I brought protein powders and bars, exercise clothes, and gym shoes. But it just never happened.

Then the Sunday after I got back I met with Nutritionist Dustin. My body fat was good, but the scale wasn't looking too good. We talked about more travel strategies and I went on my way, ready for another trip the following week. I was disappointed that my progress has been so slow...but I know that me + travel has been a bad situation lately.

This time for Boston, I had a mission. I again packed my protein powder, bars, and exercise gear. This time, I had massive follow through. I packed my bag daily with snacks, tried to follow the food plan to a T, and exercised 3 of 5 days. On top of the exercise, I did major walking, as me and the man are all about public transportation for $$ saving and really experiencing the city. I was really proud of my work, but nervous that I didn't do it "right."

Well yesterday I got back from Boston and this morning I checked the scale - down 5 lbs! Now granted..this makes my total loss from the two weeks only about 2 lbs...but it def means I traveled "right" this time. I know I did the best I could and am really proud of myself. The biggest challenge will be to keep this going for a while. It's hard to maintain momentum..but it must be done!

ugh

I've been doing ok, but I haven't lost any weight. I had planned to do two a days (morning and evening) for the next 3 weeks, but got sick on day 2. Need to figure out a method to this madness.

think like a man...

so i read an article sometime last week online (if i find it, i'll post here) about how men lose weight differently from women (duh!) and what women can learn apply from men. i don't remember all the elements, but a few things stood out to me:

1. lifting weights actually boosts metabolism: the article recommended that instead of the low weight, lots of reps, to do more weight and less reps. i'm not suggesting that you become a bodybuilder by any means, but it seems worth a shot.

2. its ok to cheat: i think this speaks precisely to what my blog partner is referring to here. not to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon (or indulge in that delicious pizza - or in my case, girl scout cookies (damn samoas!)). the article said that men don't eliminate the good stuff from their diet, they simply eat less. i'm not sure if i agree that's what men do, but i think its a good approach. instead of saying no ice cream, know that you are going to eat ice cream, but make yourself half a cup instead of that giant bowl you usually make.

3. become a meat monster: the article didn't say it like this AT ALL, but i thought it was a clever phrase. the idea is that while women indulge on carbs (desserts, pizzas, cookies, etc.), men indulge on steak and manly meats. i am not sure i agree with this (i know at least 2 significant others that LOVE desserts), but i think this is a good idea. because proteins are more likely to fill you up and keep you satisfied, its better to have a second helping of chicken than more rice or potatoes. and you may eat enough to not want dessert at all.

i am, however, probably most surprised by the fact that the article said i could learn something from a man.

just kidding. maybe.

so i've been doing fantastic with my water and have been doing good with eating until (how do you make that suspenseful music sound in writing?) -- GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SEASON. i ate a little more than i should. and by a little, i mean 2 boxes in 2 days between me and my daughter (and she ate her fair share). but i'm going to put the 3rd box in the freezer, and am working out like hell and simply trying to offset with less carbs for the rest of the week, and more protein. beans, meats, and veggies are my friend.

also i've been working out and doing well! this weekend is my chance to push it and up to the next resistance level.

yay for progress! let's just hope i see SOMETHING on the scale this saturday.

My Cheating Ways

This weekend is where the inevitable wall hits. That place where eating right just seems stupid when there is delicious PIZZA to be had. See I don't know if ya'll know - I have a major issue when it comes to pizza. I love it. True story - I asked my fiance if we could have pizza delivered to the wedding reception . Or have caterers make a pizza buffet.

So you see - I'm a true fan of a delicious perfectly topped pizza.

And I totally gave in yesterday. Ugh. It's okay, as I'm allowed a cheat meal occasionally (and you don't get more cheat then Kim + PIZZA). But it's also hard because I'm the kind of person that usually takes a few days to get over a cheat meal. I'm trying to change that. And get back on the wagon ASAP. With my lunch I brought to work and my protein shakes and snacks. But it's hard, because having PIZZA reminds me of all the goodness I do *not* have in my very organic meals. Cooking with out all the processed sauces and salt (you don't realize how awesome salt is until you can't use it) is really bland. And having all that flavor is making me realize that because my lunch was just not hitting the spot today.

So I'm going to do some research - and treat myself to a food book on how to season food better. It's not easy seasoning food w/ no salt and marinade and I'm just getting bored - which is making that wall really hard to get over. I found a book called the Flavor Bible and I think I may have to snatch it up. If I'm going to eat clean for life - Ms. Dash isn't going to permanently cut the bill for my chicken and potato and rice flavoring. And definitely for fish - I'm about lemon peppered out.

Instead of beating myself up about my cheating ways, I'm going to instead learn from them. The fact of the matter is that I need to figure out how to add more flavor profiles to my food so I'm not so bored. And I need to kick some major behind at the gym. I'm on my own this week - my trainer is out of town. So she's sending me workouts via electrons so I can stay on track. My next scheduled workout is a DOOZY, but I'm excited to get it in. I actually think I *may* take tonight off though (I know, talk about talking out of both sides of my mouth) because I have my most awesome aunt in town from the D and this is really the only night I can meet up with her before she heads back home. And I have to go to pick up some crafty goodness from the other side of the county. She did say she was interested in working out though - so if she is still up for a butt kicking workout, I'll drag her with me. If not, then we'll just catch up as I haven't been home or seen her since AUGUST!!

The good, bad, and the ugly

Only two days in and I've already stopped writing in my food diary. What's worse, is today somebody brought a deep fryer to work and made fried chicken and fries for everyone (yes, i'm for real).

The good news is, I've been diligently sticking to my 2000mL of water per day. I've actually been doing more most days...

(gets back on the wagon)

If at first you don't succeed...

I apologize for my hiatus on here. It hasn't been intentional or due to the fact that I haven't lost any weight yet (more on that in a minute). I truly have been busy, and haven't gotten a chance to get on here...but part of this process is to make time for yourself and what is important, so I'm back and committed to staying back.

Now - back to my progress, or lack of progress would be more accurate. My plan was to eat right FIRST and then add the workouts. Unfortunately, I weighed myself my first day back at the gym and had not lost a single pound (well maybe one, but I attributed that to clothes weight variation and/or precision of the scale -- that's the engineer in me, sorry...). So as I sat for a minute within my frustration, I realized that it didn't mean it was the end, or that I couldn't do it. I am not a fat person by nature (nor am I a skinny person, for that matter), and that alone lets me know that I can lose this weight. I probably hadn't been eating as well as I should (there was a party in my tummy! - i have a 2 year old who loves Yo Gabba Gabba so don't judge me!)

So my new approach is as follows:

I have a large water bottle (32oz) that I am committing to drinking at least 2 - 3 full bottles a day. My premise is that you fill up on liquids, you don't eat as much food.

Removing all non-water beverages from my diet (with the exception of juice for breakfast on the weekends)

Substituting white rices, pastas, potatoes, for their "diverse" counterparts!

Eliminating red meat and increasing weekly fish intake

Weigh myself every week

Workout at least 3 times per week

Keep a food diary

While this list is not inclusive, it represents the CHANGES I am making.

I am a little jealous by my blog partner's weight loss, but also motivated and proud of her! You're the best!

Next week I'll check in with my progress on those things I've listed above.

Toodles!

Two Week Check In

Hola folks! I had my 2 week check in with the nutritionist this past Sunday. Drum roll please......I lost 8 lbs. Wow! I was super happy with that (obviously) and at the same time kind of sad b/c i know that won't continue forever. It'll just be a short term fast lost before I settle into the program more and start losing at a more normal/reasonable rate of .5-2 lbs/week. I still have hopes of losing at least 5 more lbs before I go to Boston - putting me at around 20 lbs lost in 2010.

I like the eating program, but obviously, I'm getting annoyed with some of the foods. Mainly the granola snack. I really don't like granola, LOL. Luckily after my 2 weeks, I get to play with the food plan a little. I'm going to keep it mainly the same, but I will start subbing out the granola with one of the cracker alternates. I heart crackers :)

It's been REALLY hard to stick with the diet though. I have to eat when I don't want to and I have to eat more/less than I want to when I do. Relinquishing my desires when it comes to food is really hard. But I guess the point is that I really don't know how to eat on my own, so I need to learn. So I'm learning. And I'll have to suck it up until I do. But yeah...I've definitely wanted pizza a few times over the last few weeks. I did talk to Dustin about travel and eating different stuff. He said cheat meals are occasionally okay, but not often. So I'm trying to figure out what that means for me. I know I'm going to Texas for work again in a few weeks and Boston at the end of the month. Both of those will probably have a cheat meal, simply b/c I'm traveling and you all know how life is at airports and on the road when you are not traveling by yourself (or having your own rental car in Texas!). It's hard for other people to understand what you are doing and why and since I won't have control over where I eat for every meal (in Texas company is bringing lunch in daily, don't have my own rental so kind of at the mercy of the woman who has the car), I'm very nervous about being able to stick to the program at all. I'm just going to play it by ear I guess, bring my protein powder, and try to maintain the status quo.

What say you - what are some ideas for when you don't have control over your diet to stick to the program and maintain the status quo?

Proccessing the Processed Food Industry

I've always known that healthy food and "healthy" food were two different things. I thought that there was the stuff that is natural and healthy because it came from the earth or from an animal. Then there is the stuff that is processed and "healthy", the low fat and low sugar stuff that helps you eat lower calories. In the past few weeks, my eyes have been opened to a new way of categorizing food - real food and engineered food. I'm not sure I like the revelation, ignorance has been bliss. But now that I know - I feel like I need to make some changes in my behavior.

This issue came to a head when I watched the movie Food Inc over the course of this week. The movie basically told you the story of industrial food and how the food industry has morphed and changed over the years. It's the kind of movie that makes you think a lot because it's about something we all have to have - food. I've also been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan on and off for a few weeks. And I have In Defense of Food on my shelf for my many trips next month to read. And let me tell you, these facts are changing my mind and making me very conscious about some of my decisions.

For starters, not all the facts in the movie or book were new to me. I knew before that meat packing and chicken farms were both kind of gross places. Yes, organic meats are more easily accessible than ever before, but they still aren't plentiful and not in everybody's neighborhood grocery store. I knew high fructose corn syrup wasn't that great for you, but I also knew it was everywhere.

The eye opening facts for me was when the full picture was presented to me about our food and food system. What I knew and what I learned together put together a powerful image of a system that is corrupted and doesn't really allow for consumer choice. The amount of corn products in our food is amazing. It's no wonder I don't like to eat actual corn - I'm eating more of it in my food than I ever knew! It's absolutely amazing when you start to really read about food and realize that you have no idea what the machine is behind the box on the grocery shelf or in that burger from Wendy's.

I've always known fast food was bad for you and so was processed food. But it's not until recently that I can even grasp how bad it is for you. And for our children. The more I read and learn about the chemicals and processes that go into making some of these foods, the more I just feel compelled to make it all at home using better healthier, fresher ingredients. We can do it, even us busy working women. It's worth it for ourselves and for our families. When you actually take the time to read what's in this stuff and learn about the engineering that is done to create food cheaper and faster, I promise you, it makes it very easy to start making better decisions. It's already affecting me and making it very hard for me to imagine going back to all my old food habits.

I'm not being crazy here, I know that avoiding processed and non-organic foods and meats is an impossible task. Anytime you eat outside the house, you don't know what you are eating. This means eating with friends, trips to restaurants, or when traveling. But what I am committing myself to is making smarter, more educated choices like:

I will start using sites like Local Harvest and Happy Cow to try to find better options for restaurants.

I will buy organic food.

I will keep food cooked in the house to minimize the "i-don't-have-anything-to-eat-so-let's-go-to-Wendy's" cravings.

I think those are a good way to start taking myself in a much better direction. I know it's not going to be perfect. Some places I travel (or have lived) are quasi obscure and I know there aren't going to be options for organic foods. I'm not being oblivious to the society I live in. But I can do the best I can when I can, which is the point. Most of us can't quit 100% - but we can do our best.

So what is one easy change you can make to eat better?

Planning for Challenges

So after a full work week on the nutrition plan - I'm pretty pleased with myself. I managed to stick to the plan pretty well and I think I'm starting to change my tastebuds a little. That's really good! Of course, the weekdays are the easiest times to eat right. I'm in a very controlled environment and and I have access to a fridge and microwave. In my office, the office treats are by the receptionist on the other side of the suite, where most days, I don't even see them. That helps. I've lost a few lbs, that REALLY helps.

Now comes the hard part - my first weekend on the plan. Weekends are hard because that's when the social events and odd schedule. The odd schedule is not so bad if I'm at home because the food is still there. But this weekend, I may be going on a mini road trip and I have a sorority meeting at a restaurant. Oh boy - I better think about this, yes?

As far as the mini road trip (if my car gets fixed, fingers crossed!), I'm going to pack my food in my big cooler and take it with me. I *think* I will only have to worry about 1 or 2 "real" food meal while I'm gone (it's a quick overnight) and the rest I can use my trusty protein powder. That should be the best way to do it. I'm going to a house, so there will be a microwave and all that good stuff and I know that using it won't be a big deal at all.

The restaurant meeting will be a little harder. For one, depending on what time I wake up and leave from my road drip destination back home, I have no clue where I'll be in the food plan timing. It'll be lunch time I'm sure, which *maybe* will be easy. The food I eat is really simple and I know at most places I should be able to order it or something similar to it. Or I can bring protein powder in the case I can't? Maybe that's a good plan.

For anyone else on a relatively strict nutrition plan, how do you manage the weekends or the social events in your calendar? I don't want to be weird around food, but I'm struggling with how to deal with ordering food when I can't control all the details like I do at home.

Nutrition Time - The Program

This weekend I finally got the nutrition program from Dustin, my new eating guru. I was kind of terrified in the waiting and the longer I waited, the more I was scared. Was I going to be eating a bunch of crap I hated? Like vegetables? Was it going to be something I could do realistically? Was I going to really just struggle to see how this would ever be good?

And of course, the answer is a mix of yes and no.

First - the science.

The plan combines the "4 food laws" into something that I think I can actually do. I mean I knew I wasn't going to be eating pizza and hamburgers, but it's very fair. The four laws are:

1. Eat every 3 hrs, hungry or not. The rationale for this is that eating every 3 hours keeps my blood sugar stable, defeating cravings and helping me to stay on an even keel all day. This means smaller meals since you eat often too.
2. Pro/Fat/Cho - Every time you eat a carb, make sure it's with a protein or fat. This is something I've heard many many times before, but struggle with. Carbs are just plain yummy by themselves :) But this links to keeping stable.
3. Make sure foods contain 100% whole wheat only, no unbleached white flour. This is another DUH rule.
4. When choosing carbs, avoid anything where sugar is greater than 20% of the total carbs. Again, this helps with blood sugar stability and cravings.

The other point of the program is that when you eat right - clean wholesome foods, you can eat more. If you want to hear more about this, pick up Master your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. She spends a lot of her book saying the same thing. To fuel yourself for exercise so you burn the right stuff off (fat) and build the right stuff up (muscle) you have to really eat a lot of cals. A lot more than you probably think you do anyway. And you can and still lose weight and lean out.

So if you get nothing else from this post - know this. Shop the outside of the store for clean wholesome foods. Your dinner shouldn't come from a box, a bar, or anything else where the label requires a degree to understand. Also follow the food rules. Those guide you to healthy choices and a healthy way of eating. There's more - he gave me a lot of printouts to read. If you want more in depth details for yourself, look at the JM book and also Michael Pollan. (All of which I am reading now and they all are fantastic resources!)

Okay so then part 2...how does this look in real life?

Well like I said...it's no picnic. It's simple stuff. I've done plans before where I made the meals. This time I gave up all control and said tell me what to eat. See, I get really flustered with putting together meals with a limited list. It's confusing. This program is the opposite which is actually easier and more freeing, if you can wrap your mind around my ADD brain's backwards thinking. I think because the nutritionist is a better fit for me in general, that helped. He listened to my fears, likes, dislikes, and habits, so the plan really is not too far from how I like to eat (when it's healthy and clean anyway).

I eat 6 times a day, 4 meals are food based and 2 are protein powder. I'm not the biggest fan of protein powder (it's a fake food, right?). But the fact of the matter is that I'm also not a fan of eating enough eggs, chicken, and fish to get the protein totals I need daily. So this makes me okay with that.

Also, I'm using a sports nutritionist (b/c really, if you are on an aggressive exercise program, it's just the way to go) so he's concerned about my pre/post workout fuel, not just cals in and out. This is very important for anyone really working out. When I have a hardcore day, I burn over 4000 calories. I can't just eat low calories and not pay attention to the macronutrients, because my body is working hard. I have noticed since picking things up, I have days where I am starving and days where I am not so hungry and they are directly linked to the exercise program. You have to fuel like an athlete when training (and burning calories like a machine) in order to get the right results. And you have to measure correctly what the changes are. When you measure the right stuff, you can see where your diet is wrong by looking at changes in weight/body fat. For example, a perfect plan will have you losing fat and gaining muscle. A poor plan, say one where you aren't eating enough protein, you will lose fat and muscle. All you will see on a scale is it dropping. What you won't know is that you are losing good AND bad stuff...not just the fat. It's really important to measure your changes right so you know how to adjust.

More science, oops :) But seriously - weight loss isn't complicated...but if you get into the science it sure makes it easier to figure out where to go.

Anyway, let's look at a sample meal for me for lunch/dinner:
Lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish) 4-7 oz depending on the meal
Vegetables 0.5 to 1 cup depending on the meal/preperation
Carb (rice or potatoes) 1 cup

Not too bad, right? I mean it's a pretty basic clean meal. I'll be following this plan as written every day for 2 weeks. Then I go back and have my weight/body fat taken. Based on the changes, my plan will be adjusted and I'll have a new plan created for me. This will be my life for the next 12 weeks. But the plan has worked well for some others, because it's personalized, and I'm looking forward to maybe posting some before/after pics in 3 months :)

Staying fit in the snow...(the with kids version!)

As my blog-partner has suggested in a slightly earlier blog, there are several ways to ensure that you are creatively staying active without getting to the gym. As a mom to a toddler, I have found a few more ways, and as such, here is how my husband and I try to keep ourselves together without getting cabin fever:

- Shovel snow --> my husband did this one, but there's no reason ladies cannot do it to, whether out of necessity or to simply get a really good cardio and weight lifting workout (especially with over 30 inches of snow!)

- Play outside --> my 2.5 year old, Brooklyn, LOVES playing in the snow, and somehow kids don't get cold, so that means we're out their playing for at least an hour. Rather than simply watching your kids, join in the fun! Have a snowball fight, help them build a snowman, make snow-angels, etc. Whatever you can do to keep yourself moving outside. Bonus? Your kids will have an amazing time playing with mom and/or dad.

- Play inside --> This is for you would-be couch potatoes. Don't spend the entire time watching movies and old tv shows you've been missing. It's easy enough to do that one day, but if you've been in the house 6 days straight as I have, you've got to get beyond that. I've followed my tot around and whatever she does, I do! I admit, she may be a bit spoiled after this, but I've had a ball and discovered that my daughter is really bright! From painting to dancing to reading books, not all of it is cardio-intensive, but it keeps me off the couch, and allows me to enjoy time that I usually only get on the weekends. We don't have a Nintendo Wii, but if I did (hint, hint, hubby if you're reading this), I'd be all over that baby too!

- Get some housework done --> Whether its that dirty carpet staring you in the face begging for a deep cleaning, or the simple chores that have to be maintained since you're spending more time at home, don't let the housework get overwhelming. Do things everyday; this allows you to definitely bend your back to get work done, which undoubtedly burns off calories, and you feel better knowing your house is clean!


There may be things that I haven't covered here, but the point is, you can be creative and still active during your day, even WITH kids! And if all else fails, wait for that inevitable nap, pop in a workout dvd, and get to sweating!

stay warm snowbunnies!

Nutrition Time - The Introduction

Today I met with my new nutrition guru. As part of my personal training package, I get a discount on nutrition counseling. Actually I get 4 weeks free, which is a discount on a 12 week package. Since I need all the help I can get - I figured I'd sign up for the whole 12 weeks and take advantage. I've been doing the diet to go - which is good. But I need to work on two things - eating properly for the amount of exercise I'm doing and eating cleaner.

So for our session we talked for about 20 min about my family history, food likes and food dislikes. A big part of the convo was discussing what my barriers were to healthy eating. I told him the truth - taste and travel. I get tired of bland ass healthy food sometimes. And when on the road I really struggle. Luckily, he actually travels a LOT for work - which is awesome. I have never had someone to talk to about nutrition that travels a lot. People that don't travel a lot have no clue how to eat healthy on the road. When you spend hours in airports, it's not as easy to find a healthy meal. Especially at some of the smaller airports (hello El Paso with your Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Carlos y Mikey's). But that will be a huge help.

After the discussion, he took my weight (which while high - considering I was fully dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt AND shoes - was def showing some improvement) and body fat. We will be doing this every 2 weeks for the 12 weeks of the planning. This info will be used to tweak the program to make it more effective. I really like the fact that my body readings will be used to make sure the program is reaching it's full potential.

The only downside to all this is the fact that I have to follow a strict written program. I have to call to make swaps. But I'm trying to frame it as a really hard core learning period. I will come out of this smart on making my own eating plan and hopefully quite a few lbs lighter :) I'll keep you updated on how this program is working for me!

And in other health/nutrition news - Trainer Amy is still kicking my rear end good!

Snow-tastic Exercise

Since I have about 22" of snow and my girl fitmomma has about 32" of snow - clearly we aren't going to be able to get to the gym today or maybe the next few days. The news is telling everyone to stay home and they gym is smartly staying closed. There are also tons of power outages in the area, so exercise has to take a new form, yes?

So here are some ideas of how to stay fit when you are under snowpocalypse type conditions.

1. Shoveling. This was my exercise yesterday. I spent somewhere in the 3 hr range..maybe more...digging out of my house and then digging my car out. Let me tell you - my shoulders, back, core, and legs (bend at the knees folks!) got a work out that was seriously intense. Now, you have to be careful and remember to take breaks! Shoveling is very hard work and very cardio intense...you need to take hydration and breaks just to stay safe and prevent overexertion. Especially today when the weather is below freezing.

2. Walk. Just like running on the beach, walking on snow gives you a good workout because the surface isn't stable. Get out of the house and enjoy this once in a lifetime record breaking snowfall. Just remember to be safe again, watch out for the icy patches and the cold temps. Be sure to bundle up tight. And make sure you bring a cell phone to call in case of an emergency.

3. Play. Remember being a kid when it snowed? Build a snowman, have a snowball fight with family, friends, and neighbors. Build a snow fortress. Whatever you have in your imagination...just get out there and do it. It's fun and you can get the family and kids involved. Plus with all the stress we have from work, school, and life in general...we really just could all take a break to revert to being 10 again, don't you think? This kind of cardio is really good for your heart.

Those are just some ideas for things you can do to get out of the house and burn some calories. Just be careful! Pay attention to your body for when you are too cold or not feeling well, bundle up, and take breaks. I spent about 3 hrs shoveling yesterday and I am feeling the burn everywhere in a good way.

Enjoy the Blizzard of 2010 if you are in the affected regions and if you are not...enjoy normal winter weather, lol.

January Wrap Up

So in the month of January:



I started with a trainer

I used diet-to-go for breakfast/lunch

I fell into a great workout routine



...and I lost 10 lbs!



It's been a lot of work, and I've sacrificed a lot of free time...but it's been worth it! I am starting to feel really good and really comfortable again. My weight gain from the last few semesters of school had started making me feel really uncomfortable weight wise. I'm happy to be working on it again.

I was *supposed* to go to meet the nutritionist to start my programming, but the blizzard of 2010 is probably going to prevent that from happening. But that's my new Feb goal :)

Back home!

I'm finally back home after my Texas adventure. I left Texas with about a half inch of snow and I wake up this morning to the same amount of snow on the ground in VA. I think something isn't fair about all that, LOL.

But onto things that ARE fair - I did my weigh in this morning, curious to see how I did while in the boarderlands...and I am down 1 lb from when I left on Tuesday morning. This is extremely awesome in my opinion, as eating on the road is hard...especially when lunch is being provided to you by the company and dinner is out every night. Here are some tips and ideas from my trip that I will make sure to incorporate in the future.

1. Exercise. This is the easiest thing to control and I made sure to prepare for nights in the gym. I worked out both nights of my stay in the hotel gym. I also brought two dvds - Turbo Jam and Yoga for Weight Loss - with me, so if the hotel gym was full I could still go do something. I also walked a lot for no good reason...took the stairs at the company, walked from concourse to concourse at the airport instead of taking a tram, ect.

2. Bring your own food. I packed two goodie bags as I mentioned earlier and they were invaluable. One was the breakfast bag, which I didn't really use since the hotel breakfast was essentially the same thing as what I brought - oatmeal packets. But the snack bag was always there in a pinch. I packed Z-Bars (lower calorie and better tasting Cliff bars designed for kids but perfect snack size for adults), dried fruit 100 cal packs, almond/walnut 100 cal packs, organic fruit leathers, and mints/gum. You can always steal fresh fruit from the hotel continental breakfast and be on your way, prepared to know exactly what you are snacking on. And since plane snacks historically suck...it'll keep you full when all they are offering are peanuts.

3. Eat the local cuisine. When you travel - don't go to Applebees or Chilli's...go to whatever the locals recommend. This is a smart idea because it usually means better LESS processed food. We went to a steak house that was fabulous - on a cattle ranch. The beef was fresh and amazing. The sides were all natural and delicious as well. The next night we went to a Mexican restaurant (hey what else do you do in the Boarderlands) and I got fajitas - the healthiest and most delicious part of a Mexican menu. They tasted amazing and yet I didn't spend a ton of calories. Go local when you travel and expand your taste buds without expanding your waistline.

4. Don't deprive yourself. This is a non travel tip as well = but you have to monitor your cravings and desires and give in occasionally = in moderation. Something else in my goodie bag I was saving to mention until now - a Toblerone. I brought my own chocolate - something I could eat in small little triangles and when I wanted something..instead of impulse buying...it was there and ready to go. If everyone is eating cookies...have a single cookie if you really want one. Just be mindful of what you are eating and where you are going to account for it in your calories in and calories out equation. But indulgences make a healthy diet livable and more importantly, sustainable.

Those are my travel tips and considering how many trips I think I will have this year...I'm sure I'll be able to refine and add to them over time. I think the most important thing I did on this trip was balance the eating by eating real food and exercising...instead of eating a lot of processed crap. Real food always trumps processed food...and you really can't go wrong if that's what you are eating, home or away.

eat like a [queen!]

I'm not sure if there are others out there like me, but the meal I always focus the most on is dinner. When I create my grocery list, its always centered around the dinners I'm going to prepare, with breakfast and lunch a la carte scattered in afterward.

Yet, I've heard that we should approach how we eat exactly the opposite. The saying is,

- Eat like a king (or in our case, queen) for breakfast
- Eat like a prince(ss) for lunch
- Eat like a pauper for dinner

This mentality makes sense, we spend most of the day active and burning calories, but only a few hours (if we're lucky) after dinner before bed.

Breakfast has always been quick and dirty for me (though I try to make sure I do eat something everyday).

Since I'm going grocery shopping on Saturday morning, I'll try to approach it differently:

Breakfast foods - turkey bacon and sausage; eggs; grits; couscous (my fave!); toast; fruit
Lunch foods - for me, this is usually dinner leftovers, and I think that will make sense with this new approach; fruits; fresh deli meat (no packaged cold cuts, too much extra sodium!)
Dinner foods - same things, but now I'll eat more of it for lunch and just a little for dinner!

I think this just means I'll be eating heartier breakfasts and more of my dinner for lunch. Seems doable.

Health on the Go

Morning! I'm about to head out to the airport, so I thought I'd do a quick post on my plan to stay healthy on the go.

Fitness - Brought exercise clothes, shoes, and 2 dvds (1 yoga, 1 cardio)
Food - Bringing two little snack packs. One has healthy snacks for the plane and during the days. The other has packets of oatmeal and dried fruit so I can have at least one controlled, healthy meal

Anyone else have great tips for how to stay on the program while on the road?

Say Maybe to the Dress

I am FEELING it!!! Seriously. After 2 dates with Trainer Amy and the Painhouse Gym - I am walking a little slower today. She whooped my tail good with an amazing leg workout yesterday. I am really glad I signed up for training - I know it is going to make a huge difference. I am going to train on Monday, but we also discussed the plan for while I'm on travel. It's pretty simple - do cardio, do it hard and do it often. So I'm packing a dvd or two, just in case the hotel gym sucks or is non-existant, along with my gym clothes. I also am going to make sure my iPod is loaded with goodies to keep me entertained while I burn.

So in pain and waddling around today, I did another painful thing - I spent all day today walking around trying on wedding dresses! The good is that I found a definite stand out dress, a dress I compared the other dresses I have tried on too. The bad is that it's literally on the top of my price range (it's $2 cheaper, lol). The worse is that I couldn't really try it on all the way because of the cut and the size being too small. The "worse" is the reason I haven't bought it yet. I have one more day of dress shopping with my mom tomorrow and then it's time to make some serious decisions. Do I go for the standout or the cost effective options? Do I buy a dress that I only was able to half try on but really loved? Argh!

Dress shopping is a total mindfreak. You walk in and they tell you - oh, our dresses are cut European style - you will need a size or two LARGER than your street size. Well, considering my street size is already high...that's a blow. Some dresses just didn't come in my size, end of discussion. And some dresses just weren't flattering on my shape (those are easier to deal with though...it's not your weight that means it's a no). Even on the styles I loved, I know that losing a few pounds will make them look even more stunning and flattering. If anything - it's telling me that I'm doing the right thing by trying hard right now to become a more fit woman - because I want to look graceful coming down the aisle - not like I'm stuffed into a too small or too ugly dress. And trust me - the "women's" sizes that do fit often are too ugly, LOL. I really was focusing on my honeymoon before - wanting to be able to wear a swimsuit on the beach and not feel like a misplaced whale. But now I'm really excited to tone up for the dress as well. I'm actually starting to get that vision thing going on, which is very exciting. I hope my bridesmaids are up for the theme I'm building in my head for their dresses around my favorite dress from today! I think they will be :)

celebrate the small victories...

I'm learning the importance of snacking on good things. I've been bringing extra fruit/veggies to work so that in between meals (or right after work for that long train ride home :) ) I won't succumb to the devil that is the office vending machine.


I see you lingering in the background, oh beloved pepsi machine. i am not tempted by you. (wooooo sahhhh)

My Torturer

Have you heard of this stepmill thing? No? Because I hadn't. Yeah, I heard of a stair climber, but this is a more evil torture device...I mean exercise machine. It's basically a never ending column of stairs that you climb, and keep climbing, otherwise you fall off the cliff. I know it sounds just like a stairclimber...but there is a difference, trust me!

Torture Device - Code Name "StepMill"

Anyway, my trainer, Trainer Amy, likes this thing...a lot. My cardio Rx includes 3 hot dates a week with the stepmill - and she likes to throw it in our sessions. Trainer Amy says that it burns 2-3 times the calories as the treadmill in half the time, and according to my bodybugg, she's right. Tonight was my second appointment with the equipment from hell and as did intervals between levels 1 and 2. Because that's how out of shape I am hard this machine is. And I was pouring sweat and hurting after just 20 minutes. So I guess that means it's working - which is what I pay her the big bucks for.

Tomorrow is my second appointment with Trainer Amy and I'm excited to see what pain she has in store for me. I'm going to be out of town every single day next week and in two different states - so I'm also going to ask her for a plan for while I'm gone.

Fit Momma is here!!

I've been delaying starting this blog because I'm not sure yet what my approach will be to getting healthier. I suppose that is not an excuse, and in fact can be good, because writing now encourages me to be more conscious about my reality and explore as I go what works and what does not.

I'm sad that I missed the Health Fair, but it sounds like Kimmi got some great motivation, and I am motivated by her motivation!

My approach (which I reserve the right to change) is to buy fresh food as much as possible and to cook during the week! That's key. I live in Maryland, work in Virginia, and don't get home until 7PM, and that's if I don't get to the gym.

Alright let me get it together...so far I've been doing well. I have to figure out how not to get hungry at work (I've heard nuts and such are good, I will try those).

OOh! Another thing, I'm considering a fresh/local produce delivery service. Here's the link for all you DC-area folks: http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com. I'll let you know how it is!

Decisions and Choices

This past weekend was the DC health and fitness expo. I went down to enjoy the festivities and see what I could learn. I could only go on Sunday, so I thought I missed some of the guests I was interested in. Wrong! Sunday afternoon I got to meet and talk to Shay from Season 8 of Biggest Loser. For those of you who don't follow the show, Shay started as the biggest female competitor, somewhere close to 500 lbs. She lost 100 lbs at the ranch and another 72 at home. She's currently been challenged by Subway to lose the rest of her weight and they will pay her $1000/lb. Talk about incentive, eh? (and if anyone would like to offer me a similar deal - I'm currently unsponsored, lol). Anyway, watching her on the show was very inspiringing and meeting her in person was incredible. She was amazingly nice and gave some great insight into life at the ranch and how she fits in exercise into her busy family life.



Out of the 10ish minute conversation we had, one of the tidbits of information that stuck out to me was her discussing decisions and choices. I asked her how she keeps herself off the processed food and bad decisions and in the gym (aside from the $1000/lb payout). That every decision we make comes down to a simple question - Is this taking me farther away from my goal or getting me closer? It sounds so simple, but for some reason, the way she said it really made me think how simple it is. So that's been my question about everything and so far so good.



Aside from the famous people inspiration, let me just say that Diet to Go is a-MAY-zing. It's making this rough transition to a healthier person much easier. After discussing the meal plans at the expo with some of the reps, I actually decided to change to the breakfast/dinner plan instead of the breakfast/lunch plan - although I'm still eating the meals for breakfast/lunch. I made the switch because the lunch meals are kind of repetative - sandwiches. Looking through the menu - the lunch meals just seemed like they would quickly bore me and were pretty carby (breads, crackers, ect.). The dinners have way more variety. Last week, the lunches I got were a turkey sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, garden salad, tuna meltovers (sandwich). The dinners I got today were chicken fajitas, meatloaf, stirfry. Much more exciting :) I also am switching to the 5 day a week plan, as dinners are more pricey and also because I need to learn how to eat better on my own. So I'll leave the weekends open, which is fine since I can cook on those days with little to no time constraints.

Enough from me for now. I had my first training appointment and I am exhausted! After a week of training I'll fill you in on how it goes and how I like it.

Hey Fit Momma - where are you??

A new beginning

So since we decided to start this blog, I spent this week trying to figure out my plan. I've been kind of going all over the place with diet and exercise for the last few months (years) and was kind of lost. My first decision was to sign up for Diet-to-Go. Diet-to-Go is a meal delivery service of a slightly different style. Instead of something like Nutrasystem that has prepackaged sodium laden processed meals that get mailed to your house monthly, it's a fresh food service. I have to pick up the food 2x a week, it's fresh and never frozen, and it actually needs to go in the refrigerator (real food!). I'm going to use their food for breakfast and lunch, because those are the two meals I tend to really have an issue with. This means I still need to count calories and add snacks and make sure dinner is the right calorie count, but I'll be tracking with my body bugg anyway, so it's not a big deal. Diet-to-Go has all their nutritional info posted online, so I can easily add it to the food log.

Tomorrow I am going to start eating the DTG food - I hope it's tasty! I will give a review after I try it out. I also am starting a renewed exercise effort tomorrow - I'd like to really make a dent in this weight before Feb. I'd like to have a cute valentine's day outfit :)

Kimmi

Introduction

Hi and welcome to our blog! This is the journey of two friends trying to slim down and shape up. We are using different methods and food plans and will have different struggles - but since we are a little far from each other, we thought this blog would be a great way to keep in touch and to motivate each other. So feel free to read and comment and help us on our way :)