How Long Should You Wait to Exercise after Eating?

from ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science:

"It is generally recommended that exercisers wait about three hours after eating a full meal to engage in a strenuous exercise program.  That is about how long it takes for a balanced meal including some carbohydrate, protein, and fat to move from the stomach into the small intestines, where nutrients are absorbed and energy becomes available.  Exercising before food has had time to empty from the stomach can cause cramps and abdominal discomfort.  But people respond differently and there is no set amount of time to wait.  If an individual exercises in the morning, a quick carbohydrate--dense snack might help to provide some energy during the workout without a lot of discomfort.  Generally, carbohydrates are digested in about an hour, while protein takes about two hours and fat about four hours.  But remember, most foods are a combination of the three types of macronutrients."

Basic Stretch Routine

Whether you have been participating in the current 21 Day Yoga Challenge or not....Or whether you have a regular Yoga practice or not.  Stretching in between workouts is an excellent way to protect your muscles and joints.  Here is a a basic stretch routine you can do as either a cool down post workout or in between workouts:

  

Reclined Leg Stretch Series each leg

   Upper leg extended toward ceiling, with back body on the ground for 6 breaths
   Upper leg extended toward ceiling with head & upper back curling up into a sit up for  3 breaths
   Upper leg out to the side with back body on the ground for 6 breaths
   Upper leg across body with back body on the ground for 3 breaths

Lower Body Thread the Needle each leg for 6 breaths

Happy Baby for 6 breaths     

Upper Body Thread the Needle each arm for 6 breaths

Downward Facing Dog for 12 breaths

Pigeon Pose each leg for 6 breaths

Revolved Side Angle for 3 breaths each side

Half Splits Twist (IT Band Stretch) for 3 breaths each side
   From a Low Lunge Position w/back leg down and front leg straight (in half splits) place
   same hand as back leg down on mat between legs (aside upper, inside straight shin) & twist
   over straight leg.

Frog Pose Variation for 3 breaths each leg

Downward Facing Dog for 12 breaths

Standing Forward Bend for 12 breaths

Standing Forward Bend for 12 breaths
   Forward Fold Center/Right/Left
   Twist Right/Left
   Switch which leg is in front of crossed legs
   Forward Fold Center/Right/Left
   Twist Right/Left

Simple Heros Pose with Eagle Arms 6 breaths each arm   
   Right Under Left Arm, Pull Elbows up and hands out
   Left Under Right Arm, Pull Elbows up and hands out

Childs Pose for 12 breaths


Unfamiliar with some of these stretches?  E-mail me (cagib1@charter.net) and I will send you a WORD doc containing pictures of the poses.

Don't Give Up

Self Respect

Week 3 Results

If you are participating in the Current Fitness Challenge then you need to weigh/measure tomorrow (or Saturday) morning.  Follow the guidelines as before on Measuring Results.  If you are officially participating, you will need to e-mail me those numbers by Sunday. 

Good results=GREAT!  Poor results=REFLECT on what was good about the past 3 weeks and what was not so good....Reset and Move Forward!  Need Help=I'm here...just let me know cagib1@charter.net

"Any change we make will only be temporary unless we make ourselves responsible for our own change."  ~Anthony Robbins

Bad Weather Run

If you don't have access to a treadmill for those bad weather run days but don't want to get off schedule.....Do an indoor interval run.  Put your pedometer on your shoe and do some warm up walking lunges and/or jump squats, turn on your tunes and get going.  If you have stairs, great you can use those.  If you don't have stairs no biggie cause this will kick your indoor run into high gear regardless.  Do 45 seconds to 60 seconds full out and then 15 seconds to 30 seconds active recovery...you can do this for 15-20 minutes.  Check your pedometer and see how far you were able to go.  Or, the other way you can do this is to go close to full out in your normal run time (e.g., if you typically run for 5+min before a slower jog/walk interval then do that same course for up to the entire duration of your normal runs).  Some ideas for the "work" move:  leaned back knee highs, tuck jumps, rock star jumps, stairs, running in place, box jumps, ski jumps.  Some ideas for the "active recovery" move:  butt kicks, toe taps, light run in place, march in place, jumping jacks, jump rope.  Have fun!

Sad but True

I feel bad for all the misinformation out there that is actually making folks lives more difficult and fat loss goals harder to impossible to achieve.  I ended up having to go to the doctor Saturday afternoon in Spring Hill and since that took so long and the kiddos were with me, we ended up eating out before coming back home.  While we were sitting in our booths talking about how good the kids were coloring inside of the lines of their activity books/menu.  I couldn't help but overhear the conversation in the booth next to ours.  It was a mother, two daughters (about 12/13 and 8/9), and a father.  The mother was turning down cheese for her daughters' order stating that she is trying to teach her daughters early what not to eat so they don't get overweight.  Okay, that's a good intention....the problem is the execution, example and the misinformation.  Good, we eat entirely too much processed cheeses and an overload of the wrong dairy....but on their table was an abundance of bread, overdressed salad, and creamy soups.  The mom was clearly "not" eating food in order to lose weight so what she instead ate was a salad draped in salad dressing (you might as well eat the battered, fried whatever as it's the same difference) and a cream based soup.  She would have been less calories and way more supportive to order some actual food (grilled protein and veggies).  Because she was clearly hungry...she gave into the bread by the end of the meal.  It's not her fault she is so misinformed regarding calorie restrictions and poor choices.  She's hungry and understandably so.  What's worse is her body and fat loss is suffering right along with her.  What's even worse than that is she's passing that poor body image and constant negative battle on to her two girls. 

Education on what to eat is a huge part of your fat loss battle....Knowing that it is better to feed yourself the right foods rather than starve your body is crucial.  Eating Supportively  &  Healthy & Yummy Recipes  Mindset and that inner dialogue we have with ourselves is vitally important not only to ourselves but our children.  Your Children Are Watching

Improve yourself and your circumstances by first educating yourself on the facts not the fads.  Beating yourself up is not helpful to you or your children so move forward on your journey in acceptance that you are where you are period and that you will arrive at where you are going by taking daily actions in each present moment...learning from each and making the next even better.

Bible Challenge

What can I say, I can't let January go without one final "challenge" ;-)  And this one may not seem fitness related however, I can without hesitation say it is my daily foundation and without it I would not have had the fitness success I have had.  Daily Bible Study might sound unrelated, but think about it this way....I start my days thinking about something outside of myself, outside of my problems and my little world.  It puts my entire day and existence in perspective and provides me with the Grace and Direction I need to not stray too far from my journey (which as you can probably discern is more than just fitness).  So, with that....the last but certainly not least Challenge I will offer you this first month of the new year is a Bible Challenge. 

I have done this particular "challenge" before and am looking forward to doing it again.  Today I started "The Bible in 90 Days" and thought it would be great to invite you to do so as well!!!  You don't even have to buy a special Bible to participate.  If you have the actual 90 day Bible, great, but if not, just Google a 90 day plan for the particular version that you have. 

If you are participating, I would love to hear from you....leave me a comment ;-)  God Bless!!!

Overwhelmed?

If you are breathing and responsible for anything other than showering, sleeping, and eating, you get overwhelmed.  Life is complicated and the more obstacles you have the more obstacles you encounter...can be a vicious cycle for sure.  Finding balance is key, but as I have said numerous times balance is fleeting and like happiness something you constantly have to appreciate while you have it and strive for when you don't.  Balance

Like superpowers, being overwhelmed should be used for good and not bad.  Don't let your anxiety and stress cause you to forfeit your goals by giving up on them.  Just because things seem impossible doesn't mean they are .... just means it's time to sit down and examine what is or isn't working and regroup.  My personal experience is that if I am overwhelmed, anxious, and feeling like I should just surrender it's likely because I have let my boundaries be violated either by me or others in my life.  The best thing at that point is for me to sit quietly by myself and honestly assess what my situation is and how to go about fixing it (not quitting it).  There are good reasons to jump ship on something, but make sure you are doing them for the right reasons and not because you are stressed and it's just easier to bail than reflect and move forward.  Two excellent books that have helped me tremendously are "Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend & "Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."  ~Marian Wright Edelman

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."  ~John Ruskin

Reminder Board

Reminders:

Hope to see you Saturday.....Free Monthly Workout

Next Friday the 27th (or Sat the 28th) is our next weigh/measure in....How has week 2 gone?  Current Fitness Challenge

Waiting for Comments on interest:  Clothes Swap  & 5k Saturdays

Some Inspirational Perspective

5k Saturdays?

Would anyone be interested in setting up a 5k run in the park?  If you are interested in a running community/club and would like to meet up and be active with some friends (new or old) at Maury Park each Saturday at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. each week (except for the third Saturday of every month of course ;-) Free Monthly Workouts), then leave a comment below.  If there are enough interested, we could have just such a little community gathering each week!  Don't worry, you wouldn't have to commit to every Saturday in perpetuity just when you can for more than not.  Hope to hear from you!!!

Tabatas

Below is an excerpt from Scott Colby's blog on Tabatas (link: theabsexpert.com/blog)

"2 excuses (among the many I've heard over the years) from people trying to get flat abs are boredom with their cardio workouts and not enough time to do the workouts. Well it's your lucky day because I've got the solution for you – 4 Minute Tabata Interval Workouts. Tabata Interval Training was named after Dr. Izumi Tabata – a Japanese researcher, and fortunately for you, doesn't involve any of the gizmos from late night infomercials, you don't need any expensive pieces of equipment or even any books.
How To Structure A Tabata Interval Workout
Tabata Intervals are a type of high intensity interval training, where you exercise at maximal effort for a short period of time followed by a period of recovery. Tabata interval training allows more fat to be burned in less time than regular steady state cardio training. In fact, a Tabata training session can produce similar cardio fitness results to a 45 minute steady state endurance training session.
The actual structure of a Tabata Interval Workout is as follows: high intensity training at maximal effort for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest immediately after. You repeat this for 7 more rounds for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes). It is important that during the 20 seconds of exercise, you work at maximal effort, or you won't get the desired fat burning results. Also, it is important to choose exercises that use your body's large fat burning muscles and are multi-joint exercises (so squat jumps instead of crunches). This will give you the best results.
The Afterburn Effect of Tabata Interval Workouts
Back to our friend, Dr. Izumi Tabata – after 6 weeks of testing people performing Tabata Intervals (4 minutes on an ergometer, 5 days a week), Dr. Tabata noted a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity along with a 14% increase in V02Max. These results were witnessed by physically fit athletes.
Tabata interval workouts are also effective for fat loss. Intense interval work will raise the body's metabolic rate long after the exercise session is completed. What this means is more calories burned and more fat loss for you!! Many recent studies have confirmed that the powerful "afterburn effect" of interval training is more effective (for fat loss) than low-intensity, steady-state cardio. In fact, some studies show that you will burn up to 9 times more fat doing interval training.
Tabata Interval Workouts
I like to use more than one exercise during a 4 minute Tabata Interval Workout. This allows you to keep the intensity high, which helps to avoid centralized muscle fatigue. It also allows us to work more muscles during a training session, which means faster fat loss.
Here is a sample workout using just bodyweight exercises, incorporating the Tabata Interval Structure:
20 seconds of Squat Thrusts with Push Ups
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Prisoner Squat Jumps
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Mountain Climbers
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Get Ups with Tuck Jumps
10 Seconds of Rest
Repeat this sequence one more time, for a total of 4 minutes.
Another Tabata Interval Workout using Kettlebells and Dumbbells could look like this:
20 seconds Kettlebell Swings
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Dumbbell Renegade Rows
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Dumbbell Squat Press
10 Seconds of Rest
20 Seconds of Kettlebell High Pull with Wide Squat
10 Seconds of Rest
Repeat this sequence one more time, for a total of 4 minutes.
Tabata Interval Workouts can be performed stand alone as your entire workout routine, mixed in with another workout of the day, or used as a Finisher at the end of your workout. Try these 2 Tabata Interval Workouts and let me know how they go!"

Aging Fruits & Veggies

A great way to not waste aging fruits and veggies that are not yet throw away material but are not visually as appealing as you would want them to be in order to eat them, is to throw them in a smoothie.  I definitely hate to waste food, but there are times when I don't want to munch down turning spinach either.  I have found that throwing expiring produce into the blender is an excellent way to consume them.  Saturday I had such a need and threw the remaining 3 cups of spinach into the blender with a large orange and cup of strawberries no one would have eaten otherwise.  It was delicious; didn't waste the food; provided me with the produce I was needing with my breakfast; and was a new flavor discovery for me for future smoothies.  Try it....you'll be surprised what combinations you end up doing again.  I have thrown carrots and tomatoes in with kale, apples, and blueberries before and was surprised at the taste...no not in a bad way ;-)  Know too that tossing in those wonderful herbs and spices you can't always get into your day, are also awesome added to smoothies! 

Need a Boost?

Do you need a boost?  Has your momentum dropped off a cliff somewhere?  Do you want a bit of a kick to your day?  Whatever the reason, if you want a butt kicking here you go:

Bonus Workout: Pyramid 50 (or Pyramid 100 depending on how much of a butt kicking you are looking for)

The strategy is simple.  Warm Up for 5 minutes with some Hip Circle Lunges, Windmills, and Caterpillars.  For the workout you are going to do this pyramid style as the name suggests which means you are going to do all the below moves in order for a number of reps and then continue on increasing the reps as listed.  If you are doing the Pyramid 50 you will just go up the pyramid and then you are done.  If you are totally insane, you can come down the pyramid (so just go in reverse on the number of reps each round) and then you will have the Pyramid 100.  If you have any questions on the moves, leave me a comment.

The Moves:
*Frog Squat Kicks (frog squat, up to kick right; frog squat, up to kick left=1 rep)
*Push Ups (nothing fancy here, can you believe it?)
*Dumbbell or Kettlebell Reverse Lunge Row to Raise (right side lunge to twist row (as if you are rowing a boat not an actual row...you can also just twist over bent leg here), back to standing raise overhead; repeat on left side=1 rep)
*Russian Twists (right side, left side=1 rep)
*Super Planks (you are going to count a full right/left up as one rep so up right hand, down, up left hand, down=1 rep)
*Belly Blasters (if you want to pause at the top before returning to forearm plank each move...go for it)

The Reps per Round:  

Pyramid 50
Round 1 = 4 reps of each move
Round 2 = 6 reps of each move
Round 3 = 8 reps of each move
Round 4 = 10 reps of each move
Round 5 = 10 reps of each move
Round 6 = 12 reps of each move

Pyramid 100
Round 1 = 4 reps of each move
Round 2 = 6 reps of each move
Round 3 = 8 reps of each move
Round 4 = 10 reps of each move
Round 5 = 10 reps of each move
Round 6 = 12 reps of each move
Round 7 = 12 reps of each move
Round 8 = 10 reps of each move
Round 9 = 10 reps of each move
Round 10 = 8 reps of each move
Round 11 = 6 reps of each move
Round 12 = 4 reps of each move

Be sure to cool down for at least 10 minutes following this.....or you will regret it later ;-)

Weekends

Don't let the weekends be your pitfall!!!! It is so easy sometimes to allow yourself to just "do whatever" on the weekends because you felt you did so well (or mostly well) during the week.  This is not a good practice because not only can you undo all your good from the week, but you can actually make matters worse than just that.  Try to stay focused on your goals, plan, motivation, and reasons for change by planning how you are going to handle the weekend before it arrives.  Whether you are having to plan around a birthday party or dinner party or family time make sure you make wise choices and are including such events in your planned PI's. 

Indulgences, whether they be planned or unplanned, are a part of life and should be enjoyable without being destructive.  The majority of your PI's (or UPI's) should not be a day-long event or weekend-long event or even a whole meal event.  Sure this will be the case on occasion, but for the majority of your indulgences, make them one item and the rest of your meal (day, weekend) supportive choices.  Try to also limit your physical indulgences on the weekends (a.k.a., couch time).  Sure you need to rest, but you don't need to be a slug.  Make time to be active with your family, friends, dogs, or just a date with yourself.....twister with the kids, fetch with the dogs, walk with your friends, whatever....you can be relaxed and have a good time and still get off the couch. 

If you have a major splurge dinner before you, try to get in some intervals (15 minutes, 10 minutes, or even 4 minutes (20 seconds of intense work and 10 seconds of active rest for 8 rounds) of intervals is better on the front end than nothing) beforehand to help balance out your metabolism as well as your insulin response.  A workout on a day you have a very indulgent PI on the agenda is also a great way to balance it out.  Know that it does not do you any good to starve all day long so you can gorge at dinner....this will actually be more detrimental to your metabolism as well as your choices come dinnertime.  Eat supportively throughout the day and make good choices around your indulgence at dinner. 

Remember that this is not a fad diet you are doing here.....it is your life and you need to try to make it a balanced one.  Will you be perfect every time with everything...no...but it's about making the best choices you can, and moving on from there and not beating yourself up for the bad ones.  We all have our days, but those bad moments or days should not define who we are, who we become, or what our next day will be like.  When you make a bad turn, just set your mind to make the next choice a good one....you'll get there....this is a journey not a sprint to a destination you never have to revisit. 

Week 1 of 12

For those of you who are officially participating in this 12 week Challenge, you have received e-mails from me on week 1.  Whether you are officially or unofficially tackling this Challenge, I hope your week was awesome and your Challenge is off to a great start!  If you are struggling, hang in there as it is the  efforts you make (even the little ones) that affect change so DO NOT GIVE UP!  Assess what is or isn't working and keep on going toward your goals!!!!  You can do this!

If you need some tips (workout or nutrition) or just some motivation.....Speak Up and leave a comment!  I would love to hear from you on how you are doing and if you have discovered something about yourself this last week you weren't expecting to know.  If you have specific questions about your fat loss or fitness journey that you would like answered, either leave a comment or send me an e-mail (cagib1@charter.net).

Have a Great and Healthy Weekend!!!

Quotes for the Day

"You can either make excuses or get results--you can't do both."  ~Holly Rigsby

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself.  It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone"  ~Orison Swett Marden

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."  ~Aristotle

Cothes Swap?

Clothes Swap....Yay or Nay???

It was mentioned to me last week that it might be a good idea to be able to pass down (in good condition) clothes as folks 'slim' out of the clothes they are wearing.  If you would like for me to start a "Clothes Swap" link where folks could post descriptions & sizes of clothes (slacks, shorts, shirts, workout clothes, etc.) that they have that no longer fit them, please leave a comment below.  If you have suggestions to build on this idea, please leave that comment as well.  If I get enough of a response on this, I will create the link.  ;-)

Happy Birthday or Real Age Day?

So today I turned 39, or did I?  Every birthday for the past few years, I take the Real Age Test on my birthday to see how old or young I am based on my habits, etc. (realage.com) This year is no different.  So, today my birth age is 39, but my "real age" is 30.  Not bad!!!  I have some things working against me, such as my deceased parents, etc., but with those being out of my control, I try to affect my health in every way I am able.  It is like a little birthday gift I give to myself each year by seeing how my efforts are paying off and very much worth it!  Give it a try and even if your real age isn't what you'd like it to be, retest when you hit your goals and then again on your birthday and see just how effective all of the positive changes, habits, and efforts truly are.

"Our fears don't stop death, they stop life."  ~Scott Colby

Start of 21 Day Yoga Challenge

Are you taking the 21 Day Yoga Journal Yoga Challenge that started today?  21 Day Yoga Challenge  If you are?  How has the first day gone?  If you are interested, but have not yet signed on to do it, there is still time.  If Yoga Journal does it like last year, you will be able to sign on to participate even days after the Challenge begins (you will just be a few days behind on your 21 day cycle).  Just go to yogajournal.com/21daychallenge to register. 

Keep in mind that each day you will receive an e-mail with that day's podcast practice, and that each day is a slightly different style of practice/yoga.  Have fun with it and explore the many possibilities! 

Case of the Mondays?

For those "Office Space" fans, my version of "Mondays" used to be slightly different.  As my perspective has changed, so too has my appreciation for this grossly underappreciated day of the week!

Instead of dreading Monday and another week full of "to-do's" and "have to's", use it rather as a fresh start to correct the missteps of the previous week.  This is not however to suggest you quit half through each week and just say to yourself that, "oh well I'll just 'start over' on Monday."  Set your intentions for the week ahead of you, and make a plan for how to accomplish them.  By intentions (like goals), I don't mean "intend to but don't" or "this is what I'd like to do but don't see how it will ever happen" ..... I mean, contemplate what needs to be done and what you would like to do and set your focus, your heart, and mind to doing it.  Your intentions are your direction.  Your plan is your road map on how to get there and accomplish your goals.  Our limits are ever moving as we evolve on our journey.  Let's set about moving some "limits" this week & change what Mondays represent!!!!

How did I start my Monday?  Dragging ;-) 4:30 a.m. came way to soon this morning and I really had to talk myself into getting up and getting going!  Once I got into my daily routine of morning snack (protein shake & apple) before my 5:40 a.m. workout with friends, I was no longer thinking about what I didn't want to do and was completely focused on what I was doing in the present moment.  That's another little tidbit to try and start doing if you are not already in the practice:  Once you have assessed what needs to be done for the day, week, month, what have you, and made a reasonable plan for going about accomplishing that lovely list....don't dwell on the whole list, just take each item as it comes and live in each present moment.  Once I started practicing that, whew....so much stressed removed from my shoulders!

How did your Monday start?  Whether it was a rough or smooth start, did you feed your body the breakfast it deserved?  If you are not already in the habit of eating a supportive breakfast (or even eating breakfast at all), this is a great time to throw that ball in the air and give it a try.  There are a lot of breakfast ideas on Healthy & Yummy Recipes but if you want one more.....Following my workout, I of course drank a recovery whey protein shake along with a serving of prunes.  My breakfast was about 40 minutes after that and I ate:

3 large eggs prepared in an iron skillet with a 1/2 TBL of extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 TBL of Cayenne Pepper (no need to add salt when you can add something healthier and more flavorful...I get plenty of sodium from other sources and recipes that need salt).  I did my quick fried scramble method and when the eggs where close to done, I added 2 cups of fresh spinach.  Put that on a plate with a 1/2 cup of warmed frozen shelled edamame.  I ate all of that alongside a cup of strawberries, a whole grapefruit (all natural...no need to sugar or artificially sweeten), slice of whole wheat toast (post workout was the prime time to get in this carb), and a cup of decaf green tea.  Was a very quick and easy breakfast to prepare on this jammed packed day of activities and was an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy oils, needed carbs, and fruits/veggies.  In this one meal, I ate 592 whole foods, unprocessed calories, 28g of mostly healthy fat, 59g of healthy carbs, 34g of protein, 430mg of sodium (see what I mean about the sodium....it adds up quickly and that was without adding any salt to anything), 13g of fiber  This all added up to 4 servings of fruit (I like to front load my fruit so I don't get so much sugar later in the day) and 2 servings of veggies (that's just for breakfast).  To prep it was less than 10 min.  To devour and clean up was maybe another 10 min if that.  A little less than 20 min, I had prepared, eaten, cleaned up after, and logged (yes, logged my food) a very supportive and metabolic boosting breakfast!!!

Share your Monday in a comment below.  Or, share one of your supportive meals (whether it be breakfast, a snack, lunch, or dinner).  The more we share, the more we support others on their journey!  Happy Monday ;-)

Warhawk Matt Scott in Nike 'No Excuses' Commercial

Challenge Deadline

Don't forget the Challenge Deadline tomorrow for "officially" registering for the 12 Week Challenge!!!   Current Fitness Challenge  Again, you can certainly unofficially participate you just won't be eligible for e-mail assistance and/or prizes.  Look forward to getting your e-mails tomorrow!  Reminder too that if you are officially participating, you will need to send me your goals/plan/weight/measurements no later than Saturday, January 7th. 

Remember this is not about making unrealistic goals, nor is it about beating yourself up for where you are or are not presently!  Make goals that make sense for where you are now.  They can be progressive goals for the entire Challenge and should reflect where you can get to in 12 weeks.  If you need help with this, first check out the section on sample goals Current Fitness Challenge and then if you still need some assistance, leave me a comment and/or send me an e-mail (cagib1@charter.net).

"Having the body you want starts with loving the body you have."  Mandy Ingber

Excuses

There are a lot of reasons why folks say they cannot eat well and/or workout, but aside from a legitimate illness or injury, these are really just excuses.

A lack of time is the most common excuse for not planning/preparing healthy meals and/or for not exercising.  If this is you, make an honest list of where your time goes.  Be sure to include your internet time, (Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, web surfing), phone time, long shower/bath time, television time, reading books/magazines time, etc.  Did you have any of these indulgent activities in abundance?  Be honest, 5 minutes here and there really add up.  If so, you have time to workout and eat well!!!

Ways to consolidate activities, can be clearing your DVR while you workout or stretch; turning your workouts into a fun activity with your kiddos.  My kids love to workout with me as well as do Yoga so this is not only fun time with them, but it is a teaching moment.  They learn first hand from example and experience that healthy choices are fun, doable, and a priority!  Your Children Are Watching & Why a Free Blog  Preparing a weeks worth of meals an hour each week is a practice I have done for years, and makes for a much easier week at dinner time.  Heck, I have even prepared dinner and done Burpees in the kitchen waiting for something to boil!  No time, no space, REALLY?

Expense is another common excuse.  If you are doing bodyweight workouts all you need is your body...Seriously!  Workout mats are as little as $8.  Prices of prepackaged processed foods are way more expensive than whole foods (fresh fruits/veggies and/or frozen).  Sure you can spend a lot if you choose to go organic/natural; which is great if you have the funds, but not necessary to get fit and healthy.  Eating healthy is actually cheaper than eating unhealthy...I've done the math!  I live on an extremely tight budget....especially now that my husband was downsized and currently unemployed.  If I can do this, you can do this!!!

Making yourself, your health a part of your priorities actually frees up time and energy for all the other tasks that you are currently using as excuses for not taking care of yourself.  No joke!  Walking, talking proof here!  You are worth the time!  You are worth a change; however small at the start!  Your family is worth having you around for years and years to come!  Get Inspired and Get Fit!!!!

"If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone...deal with it!"  Scott Colby

Why a Free Blog

You will get some sense of where my passion stems from My Fitness Story but that is only a fraction of the reason as there are many.  Back in 2009 when it was finally clicking how easy, accessible, and doable being healthy and fit actually was, I wanted to share the information and tools with as many people as cared to listen.  It frustrated me how many years I wasted in ignorance and I didn't want the same for anyone I could help to know better.  So getting fit and healthy for weight loss alone is certainly important, but I needed to get fit and healthy for more than just that. 

I lost both of my parents to poor health.  My father died very unexpectantly from heart disease when he was just 59 years old (I was 29 at the time) and my mother passed away after an 8 year battle with breast cancer when she had just turned 60 years old (I was pregnant with my first child at the age of 33).  Anyone who has lost one or both of their parents knows that there is no good time to lose them, but the younger you are, and especially now having two small children, the more difficult it can make it.  In losing them to poor health, I was awakened to just how truly fragile our bodies can be if we do not properly take care of them. 

I had taken my body for granted for years working more 12+ hour days than 8 hour days at a desk 5 to 6 days a week for almost 10 years.  I come from a long line of worriers and hard workers who put everything and everyone before themselves.  I totally get the mindset of not having time for yourself.  I totally understand the mentality of not putting yourself on the to-do list because it is selfish.  That was my mindset for so many years passed down to me from my parents from their parents, etc.  I didn't have any example of what it is and how important it is to take care of myself.  It is crucial for so many reasons, but the most blatant reason I can give you is so you do not leave your loved ones years and maybe decades before you should.  God is wonderful and gives us so many opportunities to take care of these amazing bodies he has provided for us, but it is up to us to actually do it!  Your Children are Watching!

Not having had the example to follow for good health, good fitness, or good habits.  Not having my parents around to watch their grandchildren grow up.  Not having my parents around to ask them questions about how to best raise my precious children on loan to me from God.  Not wanting to leave my children one second too soon.  All were very big wake up calls to get with the program!  Alas, not even all of the reasons as to why I am so very passionate about sharing all I know and doing all I can to help anyone I am able.

Another part of the equation is my autoimmune disease.  With all of the stress of what I have thus far shared with you on top of numerous other life experiences, which sufficed it to say I have walked many walks and in many shoes in my short life time, triggered an autoimmune response the year I was pregnant with my first child and lost my mother (2006).  I have vitiligo which seems like a superficial and inconvenient autoimmune to have.  It is, but it isn't just skin deep.  It like all autoimmune diseases opens me up to an array of lovely systemic responses if I do not take care of my health and keep myself in check.  There are numerous stories to share but this is not the space. 

So there you are, my journey started well before 2009 but with the knowledge I amassed up to and at that time was the pieces to the puzzle I had been trying to complete for years.  My journey took on a whole new meaning and with a whole new direction and drive.  For those that know me, know I am very driven by my very nature; but this was a whole new level of intensity even for me.  My passion and desire to help those around me has only grown with my ongoing education and knowledge, and I do not foresee that dwindling.  I shared with someone just yesterday that my two biggest passions (we will just remove my wonderfully supportive husband and two fabulous children from the running here) are God (always first on my list) and learning, practicing, and sharing fitness/good health strategies. 

I have spent the last few years educating myself on personal training, obtaining my American Council on Exercise personal training certification in 2011, exercise programming modalities, healthy and affordable nutrition for fat loss and weight management, and mind-body exercise modalities.  My desire is to be able to offer as much of what I have learned with as many people as possible.  This free blog is a big part of that offering.  I have created the Tabs (Pages) with information that I didn't want to get lost in Posts.  If you sign up to receive e-mails with updates, you will receive an e-mail with new Posts.  As I make significant changes to particular Pages, I will try to be sure and notate that in a daily Post so you can get the e-mail notification on that, but be sure and check in too on Pages periodically that you are particularly interested in to see if any changes have been made. 

My intention is to make this blog as informative as possible without being too text book or dry; however, I am fully aware some of the information is that way due to the nature of the data needing to be relayed.  If you get lost, let me know and I will try and help you through it (cagib1@charter.net).  As my husband jokingly pointed out to me, "no one wants to go to a fitness blog and do Algebra". ;-)

Know too that there is no judgment on my end for where anyone is or isn't.  As you have read in this Post alone, I have had many experiences in my life thus far and know but for the Grace and Mercy of God I could have gone down much different paths in life and am very appreciative and thankful for my blessings as well as my struggles.  As I have learned the hard way, it is the struggles in life that make us who we are and teach us what we need to know to be who we are meant to be!  My desire is always to help you better understand how to achieve a healthy, fit you!

Thank you for letting me share this with you!

Inspiration

Couldn't resist posting some pinterest.com pinboards:

Are you NEAT?

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise.  NEAT includes activities of daily living such as household chores and yard work, as well as, walking, playing actively with the kiddos, etc.  It has even been suggested that fidgeting, gesturing and laughing are NEAT.

It is recommended by many that you should get in 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly the equivalent of walking 5 miles.  You can buy and wear a pedometer for under $5 (or even download a tracking app to your smart phone) to get an idea of how active or sedentary you really are, which will capture all of your NEAT movement and answer the question of whether you are NEAT enough!

If the answer is that you are more sedentary than active in your daily routine, there are a lot of ways to get up and get moving throughout your day that you might not have considered such as marching in place while you are at the copier or cooking at the stove.  Join the Current Fitness Challenge and add being NEAT as one of your fitness goals!

January Workout

Change Your Life and Get Moving!

Be sure to visit the Free Monthly Workout tab for the date/time/location of the free January Workout as well as the workout we will be doing.  I will post each month's workout at the first of each month so be on the look at for it.  Save the date of each month's workout at Trinity!  See you there!!

Got Questions?

You are always free to leave comments to any Post.  If you have questions about Page/Tab content or Posts and would like to send me an e-mail, please feel free to do so at cagib1@charter.net