Clean Eating Meal *Sample*

Breakfast:  Oatmeal Pancake
AM Snack POST Workout:  Protein Shake and Bartlett Pear
Lunch:  Grilled Salmon Filet, brown rice, steamed veggies
PM Snack:  2 Hardboiled eggs, (throw out the yolk of one) 2 cups raw veggies
Dinner:  Grilled Chicken 1/2 sweet potato, 2 cups raw or steamed veggies
Late snack: 1/2 apple, natural peanut butter or a protein shake

Day #3 of the Challenge

I'm so proud of myself!  Yes, I'm going to toot my own horn.  I've been doing great!  I've been working out, eating clean and not feeling ANY cravings!  I have had a horrible headache, but I think that's a side effect to lack of caffeine and lack of sugar. 

Day #1, I roasted a chicken and had a delicious healthy meal!  I rested and just got myself mentally prepared.  I grocery shopped, meal planned and packed my food for the week.

Day #2, I got up at 4:30AM to workout, ate clean 100% of the day, even packed food to take with me while my daughter had dental work done; I wasn't tempted by the ice cream my husband brought home for my daughter, had 6 healthy and delicious meals and went to bed feeling satisfied and good!

Day #3, I'm down 2lbs!  I got up at 4:30AM to workout, ate clean 100% of the day, ordered a plain grilled salmon (no sauce) with brown rice and steamed veggies for lunch at our favorite little Thai place, and made sure to have healthy snacks on hand all day. 

I've been doing great at drinking about a gallon of water each day (that's normal for me though) and I really feel like I can do this!  I know the next couple days are going to be rough, and each day further into the challenge is going to become increasingly more difficult; but I've got to do this!  I'll be so proud of myself...one year ago, I walked across a stage in a bikini to show off a year's worth of hard work; I can handle two weeks!

Two Week Challenge

In an attempt to break a plateau and shed a few pounds before a wedding I'm attending in September, I'm going to be doing a 2 week Clean Eating challenge.  This is not for the weak at heart, feel free to join me if you think you can handle it. 

For the next two weeks, I will eat 6 small meals each day made up for complex carbs from fruits and vegetables paired with lean protein.  I will drink only water or herbal tea- no sweeteners and I will avoid dairy, juice, bread, salad dressings, spreads and high sodium foods.  I will not eat anything processed or refined and I will use only herbs and Mrs. Dash as seaonings. 

I eat pretty clean already, so this shouldn't be too different from what I normally eat, but it will require that I not allow myself daily indulgences. 

Today's shopping list:

Whole Grains:
Oats
Millet
Brown Rice

Produce:
Apples
Asparagus
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Kale
Lemons
Pears
Radishes
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Zucchini

Proteins:
eggs
Chicken
Salmon
Water-packed, canned tuna
turkey
protein powder

Misc.
Balsamic Vinegar
Herbal Tea

So there you have it.  I'll keep you posted.  If you're interested in joining me, just email me :)  Wish me luck!

Early Start...Early Finish

Well, there was bound to be some negative aspects about getting up so early in the morning.  This morning, I was awake at 3:45am...that really sucks.  I would have loved to have had 45 more minutes of sleep, but I knew that if I fell back asleep, there was no way I would want to get out of bed at my 4:30 alarm call.  (That's what happened yesterday; tragic for my Tuesday morning workout...I didn't make it in to the gym)

So here I am at 1pm and I can barely keep my head off my desk.  I'm t.i.r.e.d.  Got that?  That means really tired.  I've eaten well today, stayed on track, had my healthy breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and plan on having a sensible dinner.  I'll probably crawl into bed around 8pm, would love to make it to bed earlier, but alas...I do have children to tend to :)

My husband has been chuckling at me today, saying perhaps I should rethink the early morning routine.  I'm pulling for an in-office overstuffed couch.  Doesn't that sound lovely?  Ahhhh...sweet mid-day dreams.  What I would give for an afternoon nap right about now. 

I suppose my plans for getting up early, jump starting my metabolism and getting a head start to a busy day have been squashed.  I'm not getting any extra hours in the day; I barely have enough energy to get through the day to be honest.  Maybe my body will adjust in a week or so, otherwise, don't be surprised if you see me out shopping for comfy furniture.

A Special Breed

The desk person at the gym this morning says to me, "It takes a special breed to come in at this hour."  I smiled and said, "Yeah, its called a busy mom!"  LOL! 

I am really loving the early bird routine and I'm incredibly proud for prying myself out of bed this morning.  4:30AM is UGLY (repeat from other blog) but I know that the rewards will be well worth it!  I just feel great!  I've never felt this good in a routine.  I don't truly feel like I'm sacrificing anything to go work out at that hour, in fact, I just feel more motivated. 

I think 4:15AM is going to be a more realistic time for me to get up in the morning in the next couple weeks.  I am just having a hard enough time getting out the door and I know when the puppy, cold weather, etc is added to the mix, I'm really going to have a difficult time getting my act together and getting to the gym in time to have a full hour workout.  I can't compromise the time, getting an hour workout in that meets the intensity and allows for enough recovery time and cardio time is challenging, anything shorter than that and I'm afraid I wouldn't be doing enough. 

My goal this week is to get to the gym BY 5AM M-F.  Monday is down, so 4 more to go!  I got this!

Clean Cooking!

As I get back into the routine, I dedicated today to clean cooking and meal prep for the week.  The most important focus was having fast, high protein breakfasts for before my workout.  Today I made Protein Banana Pancakes and Protein Banana Muffins.  I did have to use WHITE FLOUR (UGH!) for my muffins this week, but next week I'll be sure and get the whole wheat flour.  I just didn't want to go into my week without something.  I should know better.  TISK TISK!

So my goal this week is to CLEAN out those pantries and get ready for some serious CLEAN cooking.  I'll be on the lookout for some new clean eating recipes...I guess its time to pull out the tried and true Tosca Reno cookbooks and get cracking on cleaning up my grocery list :)  If you have any great Clean Eating Recipes to share, please post!

HIIT 101

I've had several friends ask me to explain HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) over the last several months.  HIIT might sound hard, and it is a HARD workout...that doesn't mean it is hard to understand.

HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise.  Basically, its getting a hard workout in a short amount of time.  HIIT is usually about 20-30 minutes long (I do about 20 with a 5 minute cooldown)  You can do it without a machine by just walking/sprinting in a park, on a trail, on your street, around your block,etc...or you can do it on just about any cardio machine; treadmill, eliptical, precor, rowing machine, stair climber...you get the idea.

I start with a 2 minute warm up at a very low speed.
1 minute SPRINT or HIGHEST level I can handle (I don't mean just hard, I mean YOU CAN BARELY KEEP GOING)
2 minute at a moderate pace
1 minute SPRINT
2 minute moderate
1 minute SPRINT
2 minute moderate
1 minute SPRINT
2 minute moderate
1 minute SPRINT
2 minute moderate
1 minute SPRINT
2 minute moderate
COOLDOWN.

I guarantee that this will kick your butt to the extreme!  If you're not dripping in sweat 10 minutes in, you're not working hard enough.  Make those 1 minute intervals count!  Use the 2 minutes to recover, it doesn't matter if you completely STOP moving during the recovery, just get that heart rate back down and get ready to BLAST it up at the next interval.  HIIT was just about the best discovery ever!  I love that I get a fast and effective cardio workout in without spending an hour on the machine.  LOVE IT!

I challenge you to get 3 days of HIIT this week!  Let me know how you do!

One year ago today...

I was walking across stage wearing a teeny tiny bikini and showing the world (well at least the greater Washington DC area) that I had worked hard, reached my goals and felt better about myself and my body than I had ever felt in my entire life! 

I'm about 15lbs heavier than I was a year ago, and I'm "ok" with that.  I feel healthy and happy and I realize that participating in that competition was one of the greatest things I could have ever done for myself.  I have a true respect and understanding for myself and my body and I know that I can do ANYTHING when I put my mind to it and work hard!  I went through not only a major physical transformation, but also a mental and emotional change and I am so much better for it all!

Do I ever think I'll compete again?  Probably not.  It was something I had to do at that point in my life; I overcame personal obstacles and regained control of myself, but being a Figure Competitor is not a lifelong path for me although I'm happy that I did it ONCE, I don't ever see myself doing it again. 

A special thanks to my best friend and husband, Marty, for supporting me, pushing me and encouraging me to be my very best for ME!  To my dear friend and trainer, Blythe, for giving me the tools and training to reach my goals successfully!  To my best friends, Kelly, Michelle, Morgan and Megan for listening to cries, complaints and woes over my cravings for "junk food" and for coming out to cheer me on; you four were the best cheerleaders a girl could ask for!  And to my friends, blog followers and everyone that noticed the huge transformation, gave me compliments and support; thanks for all the encouragement and interest in my endeavors!

I'll post 1 year pics later...  THANKS EVERYONE!

Its Hurts So Good

Ahhhhh!  Sleep!  I got to "sleep in" this morning...I didn't roll out of bed until 7:15!!!  WAHOOO! 
Every muscle in my body is tender and I'm walking as if I've been beaten with a baseball bat, but man oh man do I feel great!  We all know that I can be somewhat sadistic when it comes to working out.  I judge how great my workouts are by how sore I am in the days following.  I can honestly say that it hurts to move, so that means I succeeded this week in kicking my own ass!  YAY!

I got up at 4:30am on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  I'm taking a rest today and then I'll do an hour of Zumba tomorrow morning at 10:30am.  My goal is to workout M-F next week and then rest Saturday and Sunday.  If I can keep that schedule up I'll be set! 

I can already see so many positive changes in the 2 weeks I've been back to working out hard.  I know that this is what I need and what I enjoy; its just a matter of staying consistent. 

Compound Exercises

This week I've started trying to incorporate more compound exercises into my weight lifting routine.  A compoud exercise is a multi-joint movement exercise that works SEVERAL muscle groups.  For example, today, while doing bicep curls, I did stationary lunges.  By the end of my reps in bicep curls not only were my arms fatiguing, but my quads, hamstrings, and calves were SCREAMING! 

Why use more muscle groups?

• means more calories burned during exercise.
• simulates real-world exercises and activities.
• allows you to get a full body workout faster. 
• improves coordination, reaction time and balance.
• improves joint stability and improves muscle balance across a joint.
• decreases the risk of injury during sports.
• keeps your heart rate up and provides cardiovascular benefits. 
• allows you to exercise longer with less muscle fatigue.
• allows you to lift heavier loads and build more strength

I've definitely felt the intensity this week and I'm super proud of myself for getting up in the wee hours of the morning and getting these workouts done and over with before my family begins their day.  I just feel more productive, more energized (which is funny since I'm getting LESS sleep) and really motivated to keep this up! 

Feeling Good!

This morning was the easiest morning yet. I was awake BEFORE my alarm clock went off and was able to get out the door in under 10 minutes. I had a fantastic workout, Lats, Back and Biceps, followed by a few ab exercises an finished with 20 minutes HIIT. I felt great!

My husband was a huge help this morning too, because when I got home the kids were already seated for breakfast! I'm really loving this routine and hoping that I can stick with it when the school year begins and the colder whether arrives. Its just nice to get on with my day without worrying about squeezing a workout in somewhere and missing out on something else!

Getting the hang of it!

I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 4:30am this morning. It was barely light outside as I gathered my gym gear and headed to the gym. I'll confess that yesterday I was unable to pry myself out of bed, but in my defense, it was Monday. Next week's goal is to tackle Monday head on and start the week off right!

This morning's workout felt great! I focused on Chest, Triceps, Shoulders and Abs, followed by 20 minutes of HIIT. I felt a little sick to my stomach around 17 minutes (the final interval) but I pushed through, was able to recover very quickly and left feeling exceptionally proud of myself and ready to start the day.

At 6:30am I was having a peaceful breakfast with my two children and glad that the workout was behind me and that I could go about my day without any guilt that I had missed yet another workout.

The woman at the counter said, "it takes a special breed to come in this early to workout." my answer to her..."yeah, it's called a busy mom."

So I'm getting the hang of the early morning routine and fully admit that I enjoy it, ONCE I get going. I need to have something that JOLTS me in the morning and makes me remember how good 6am feels after a workout.

This is still only week #2, how many days do they say it takes before it becomes a habit? :)

Peace and Quiet

I must admit that I am loving how quiet the gym is at 5am. There are a handful of people and I've seen them every day this week, so they are regulars that follow a consistent schedule. I've been one of very few females there that early, and the other ladies go straight to cardio, so I've got the lighter weights to myself. The guys stay pretty much out of my way, and I've really enjoyed the space to workout.

I haven't gotten into specific body groups yet this week; I've been focusing more on full body routines and targeting my core. I've been diligent in keeping form and strengthening my core muscles so I don't injure myself. It has been several weeks since I've been lifting heavy and hard and the last thing I want to do is get an injury right off to bat...really I'd prefer to NEVER get injured :)

I do about 40 minutes of lifting and then I head down to the cardio room. I've been happy to do about 20 minutes of HIIT on the Precor AMT. I love this machine! I increase resistance and lengthen my stride during the high intensity interval and then reduce resistance and simulate stair climbing during the lower intensity interval. I can definitely feel the burn in my glutes, hammies and calves as well as see and feel my heartrate shoot up and I know I'm really pushing the limits! I recover quickly; just in time for another high intensity interval! 20 minutes is all it takes and I'm totally dripping in sweat and feeling like I just finished a race!

My mood has already changed and I'm feeling productive and energized! YAY! I'm really glad I'm taking this time for me again!

Getting Organized

The 4:30am wake up hasn't been too bad. I'm finding that I don't really have too much trouble getting up, but I'm struggling with my time management in getting OUT the door.

It appears I have forgotten how to organize myself to get ready for the gym. Finding the right workout clothes (I have specific sports bras and pants that I wear for various exercises; each offer different support, comfort, convenience); preparing and eating a high protein breakfast that is fast and easy; having all my gear such as my heart rate monitor, iPod Shuffle, gloves, etc; and making my bottle of Xtend to take with me. This all sounds like they would be easy tasks, right? WRONG! Try getting all this together in the dark, while trying not to make a sound so that you don't wake the entire family! OYE VEY!

One issue I have is that I don't share a bathroom with my husband, so my bathroom is down two floors and I have to pass the kids' bedrooms. They are LIGHT sleepers so I'm creeping around in the dark and trying not to make any noise and disturb them. This morning, I realized that I left my heartrate monitor in their bathroom because I took it off last night to give my son a bath. DAMN! I went into super stealth mode to retrieve it...

Also, If I don't have my workout clothes out the night before, I have to turn on lights to find what I need and I'm shuffling all around and it takes much more time than I'd prefer, not to mention I get a grumpy husband that wants to know why I'm making such a ruckus!

For breakfast, I've been lucky this week that I've had roasted turkey in the fridge that I can grab and scarf down quickly. I get about 24 g of protein, very little fat and zero carbs right before my workout...SCORE! I know turkey doesn't sound delicious for 4:45 in the morning, but you do what you gotta do to get the right marcronutrients in before a workout :)

So here's my plan...

Night before, I need to:

1. Pack gym bag (shoes, HR monitor, iPod, headphones, gloves) This should be relatively easy since, all of it can go right back into gym bag after my workout.

2. Set out workout clothes (this fits in great that I've always got an exercise routine/plan mapped out and I know what clothes I need to wear for it)

3. Make Xtend bottle and put in fridge

4. Make breakfast that's fast and easy and can be eaten cold or on the go.

5. Have all necessary utensils for breakfast and protein shake out on counter ready to go! This way I'm not shuffling through drawers and cabinets and making too much noise.

6. GO TO BED EARLY! 9pm is perfect. I haven't felt sluggish or groggy. I know that once the weather gets colder, I'm going to have a hard time leaving my down comfortor, but right now, I'll just take comfort in the fact that I'm not having too hard of a time and hopefully I'll just get into a routine.

So week one is almost done. Let's pray that week #2 goes a little more smoothly.

Carving time out for me!

As the school year approaches and a couple changes/additions to our family, I'm finding it more difficult to find time for my daily workouts. To me, there is no such thing as "no time to workout". If working out is a priority, then you MAKE time for it. Its just that simple. It means you sacrifice something else. Maybe you sleep an hour less, go to bed a little later, skip your lunch hour to get a power hour class, whatever, you MAKE the time!

My time is going to be 4:30am. I'm going to get up before everyone else, get to the gym and get home just in time to get everyone started for their day. I think that this is the best option for me and my family's sanity.

This morning, I did a trial run to see how it would feel to get up that early. I know that one morning is going to feel a lot different than consistently getting up at 4:30am, but I've got to start somewhere and hopefully I'll get into the groove. I got to the gym a little after 5am, got a good solid workout (40 minutes lifting and 20 minutes HIIT) and was home just as my son was coming up the stairs from his bedroom. I had to wake my daughter up for breakfast and my husband was out the door at his preferred time for work. :) It all worked out! I was able to have breakfast with the kids, get ready for work and get them both dressed, lunches packed and out the door with no stress at all!

I'm going to work very hard to get into this routine. I NEED THIS! This is MY time and MY priority is to be healthy and in good shape! Here's hoping I can keep this up!

I'm still here...

I've been terrible at blogging this summer. With the kids home with me all summer and our traveling to the beach, Kansas (to visit my family) and not really having a "routine", I've gotten out of my routine of working out and blogging. I'm really looking forward to back to school and getting back into my routine of working out. I've put on a few lbs. this summer and I'm definitely missing my "ME" time.

The summer has been peaceful. I've been spending a lot of time with my kids, enjoying their quirky personalities, not rushing anywhere to do a million things and just taking it easy. I guess I can call it a "mental break". I haven't been diligent about working out or eating clean--not that I've been eating bad, but I've definitely relaxed a bit about staying fit. I'm at a very healthy weight and I think I still look pretty good. I've got good muscle definition and I'm by no means anywhere near where I was back in 2009. I'm not ripped nor am I a "skinny minny". I could shed a few lbs, for sure! I'm feeling really good after my break and I'm ready to get back to it! Sorry I've been on hiatus, but I'm back and I've got some big goals and great plans ahead!

Back to Barre

After my first experience with the Barre Method class, I was left feeling unfulfilled and as if I didn't get a good hard workout in. While talking to several friends about the class, I realized that perhaps I didn't do it right; they all suggested ways to tweak my body to get the movements just right and target the correct areas.

Yesterday, I gave Barre another chance. WHEW! What a workout! I thought my ass was going to burst into flames it burnt so much! Its the wee hours of the morning now and I can already feel the tenderness in my buttocks, legs, shoulders and abs. I think I really got a fabulous workout and I plan on attending at least once a week now in the future. I know that I should probably go twice a week before I expect to see any major results.

So, I gave it another try and I'm really glad I did!

Girls on the Run

Saturday's "Girls on the Run" 5K was amazing. It was truly inspirational!

If you're not familiar with GOTR, check out their website. www.girlsontherun.org

This is what their website says about their program:

"Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development."

I was honored to participate in their 5K. I ran along side a good friend of mine, Jami Young, (which by the way- I'm SUPER PROUD OF YOU, JAMI!) as it was her first 5K. She ran/walked it in 40 minutes and 50 seconds. That's not bad time at all for your first run.

Both her and I kept getting choked up as we saw these young girls run their race with their loved ones, coaches, friends and family either running alongside them or cheering from the road. What an awesome program!

Please check their website out and if you're local, Menchies in Annapolis is offering 10% of all sales for the next 10 days to GOTR. How cool (sorry, for the pun) is that!?!?!?!

Encouragement

Today I'm running/walking another 5K with a friend. It's her first 5K and she's really looking forward to it. I'm really proud of her. 3.2 miles is a big step for someone who's getting started. She's been working really hard to move towards a healthier lifestyle.

A couple weeks ago I met with her and we discussed food. I loaned her a book about clean eating and getting the right fuel at the right time. I think sometimes people just need to talk their goals out with someone; they need to hear some encouragement and they need to know that other people struggle too.

My friend has seen my transformation. She knows that I've struggled before, but she saw how my hard worked payed off and how much I now enjoy my healthy life and body. She knows it wasn't easy...but it was definitely worth it.

Something I've recently seen is that its really hard to lose weight in a group setting. For example, the girls at my work thought they would all get together and lose weight. The idea was that they would keep each other on track--well, that didn't go exactly as planned. Once one fell off the wagon, the others quickly followed. This was almost 16 weeks ago, imagine the weight they could have lost by now. Think about how much better and happier they would feel if they had stuck to it...

I think what they lacked was "encouragement". They needed someone there who was making changes and seeing results. They needed to be pushed and lead into a direction of health and fitness. Without the support and encouragement of others, you will most likely fail.

So think about the people in your life. Are you encouraging them to reach their goals? Are you supporting their efforts? Are you running the race along side them and letting them know you are there?

Also, are you thanking those that have been there for you? I know I wouldn't have reached the successes I have if I didn't have my strong support system and the love and encouragement that I receive from those who care about me.

Make it Count

The other morning while working out, a fellow gym goer says to me, "You're really pushing it this morning." I reply, "I'm here aren't I, shouldn't I make it count?"Too often I see people in the gym, sipping their coffee and working their jaw jibber-jabbering more than actually working their muscles and I wonder to myself, "what's the point?"

I'm not at the gym to waste my time, I can think of a million and three other things I could be doing at 6:30 am; sleeping for one! When I go to the gym, I'm there to push myself to the limits, break my goals, feel the burn and make the change. Not every single morning do I have the energy I would like to have, but every time I'm there, I do my best to make it count.

I try and challenge my body each day. Run harder, run faster, squat deeper, lift heavier. You get the idea...its all about MAKING CHANGE and exceeding the previous efforts. A friend told me you only grow when you push yourself, I don't think they were talking about working out, but really more just about life. Isn't it true though, for either? We grow when we step out of comfort levels, push ourselves harder and make each moment of our life (or workout) count!

What will you do tomorrow to make it count?

Health Tip of the Day:

At times, you will not feel like exercising. If you're just feeling a little tired or low on energy, go ahead and try to complete your routine. The workout will likely boost your energy level and your mood.

Picture says a thousand words..

And not the words I want to hear. While looking at pictures of today's race, I was honestly surprised to see some belly fat. We all know that's been a problem area for me since having kids, but I'm at 129 lbs., feeling pretty good in my clothes and noticing a lot of progress in my recent weight loss endeavors. After seeing this picture...I'm even more determined to do something about the belly fat. I was seriously disappointed to see this and felt a little embarrassed that I'm still struggling with this area! UGH! We all have that one body part that just gives us grief!



So look for some posts about ab workouts, belly fat blasting and tummy toning. This girl is on a mission!!!

The Race

Today's race was incredible. The trail was much harder than I had expected and I later learned that it was just cut two days ago. It was pretty "new" and there was a lot of ducking, dodging, jumping, slipping, etc. The race was a 5K with 9 obstacles, as stated in the previous post, but what the map and pictures don't show is that many of the hills are steep, there were trees down every where and the path was very very uneven. Not to mention that it rained ALL NIGHT last night and everything was covered in slippery mud!

I ran the race with a woman that brings her children to my preschool, Monica, and a friend of hers, Pamela. They are both training for the Annapolis 10K that I thought I might run in June. They are pretty good distance runners. I didn't have much trouble keeping up with them, in fact, I felt that they lead a steady pace that I was very comfortable running. I'm used to running a little faster, but lately I've been going for speed not distance so I appreciated that they could set the speed.

Of all nine obstacles, the one that I feared the most was the rock wall. I'll be honest and say that I'm not the most coordinated person and I'm also afraid of heights. The wall wasn't too high, but I was covered in mud, it was covered in mud, and it was also at the near end of the race so we were tiring out. I ended up going up and over without any trouble, but that last leg of the race I was feeling very worn out and eager to see the finish line.

The final leg of the race was almost pure mud. I slipped and slid may way around the last hundred yards and found it very difficult to keep my pace up. As we neared the crowd and the finish line, Monica and I were side by side; we hit it hard and finished strong. Our husbands and my children were waiting with high fives and smiles. Pamela was just a few yards ahead of us. She was a rockstar, all of us did great, but she was really able to keep up the pace the whole way through. I think Monica and I started off a little fast and tired more easily.

So here we are at the end of the race. Muddy, tired, happy and glad that the race and obstacles are over. I think we'll definitely do another one, maybe not soon for me, but I know that having a crowd together to do one will be fun! I'm not so intimidated anymore with the obstacles. :)

Terrapin and Hare 5K

Here we go! I've been invited to participate in the Terrapin Adventures "The Terrapin and the Hare 5K" race tomorrow. Since all my friends bailed on me for Warrior Dash, I'm going to go ahead and participate in this run with a woman I know through my preschool. She's one of the coolest ladies I know and I think it will be incredibly fun to do this with her. Check out the link below to see what we'll be up to! I'm sooooo nervous and incredibly excited. Wish me luck! Hopefully I have pictures tomorrow!


http://www.terrapinadventures.com/

The scale is moving.

Blythe's Facebook post is "Patience is a virtue". PERFECT TIMING! I've been pretty patient with the scale. My clothes have been fitting better, I felt tighter, but nothing was moving. Then BAM! This week, I lost 4lbs! I'm thrilled. I have about 4 more to go...we'll see how long it takes to get there!

Helping Others

One of my biggest joys with my new healthy lifestyle is helping others. I just started my 3rd "Biggest Losers Challenge" for a group of friends and I met with a girlfriend today to discuss her diet and exercise plan. I love that I can help inspire and motivate people and I also know how hard it is to make that life change.

The girlfriend I met with today doesn't have too far to go to reach her goal. 13 lbs total is all she is aiming for and we've got 12 weeks to do it. I know she can do it and I'm here to support her 100%. Nothing feels better than reaching goals, but helping others reach their goals comes pretty darn close!

Monday

I've never been so excited for Monday to arrive. After the weekend I've had, I cannot wait to hit (HIIT) the gym tomorrow! I've got to burn off all the crap I've eaten over the weekend. I can honestly say that my body is feeling the difference. Its almost like its screaming, "don't you dare put one more unhealthy thing in me!" LOL!

In all seriousness, I wasn't too terrible this weekend, but once you get used to a strict nutrition plan and clean eating, you can really feel the difference when you put sugary or processed food in your system. After weeks of not eating sugars, processed foods, refined wheat, and then binging with wedding cake (which seriously was probably one of the better ones I've tasted!) and then candy from my annual Mother's Day trip to Hershey Park, http://runningonaas.blogspot.com/, etc. I'm hurting today!

For tomorrow, I think I'll start with a full body jump start and then do about 20-25 mintues of HIIT. My legs are already twitching thinking about it. I just need to detox. I'm really looking forward to the Monday morning music and time to myself; that's what it truly is...my moving meditation. So, I'll pop my earbuds in, jam to some of my favorite tunes and push heavy weight tomorrow. Bring it.

Temptation

Holy smokes have I had some serious temptation in our home! The above candy buffet was my latest party creation. I had put this together for my niece's wedding and I've had it set up in my house for the last several weeks. Thank goodness the wedding was yesterday and I was finally able to rid my home of the sinful sweets!

Included in the buffet:

Gumballs
Reece's Pieces
Peanut Butter Cups
Swedish Fish
Lollipops
Candy Necklaces
Rock candy
Mike and Ikes
Chocolate Shells
Candy Buttons
Good and Plenties
Gummy Worms
Gummy Bears
Chocolate Basketballs
M&Ms
Skittles
Mints
Hot Tamales
Twizzlers
Hershey Kisses
and Miniature Candy Bars

Whew!!!! I've never been glad to have this out of my house! I'm actually pretty proud of myself; I'm not really a big candy person, but my husband is and I was tired of getting dirty looks (lovingly of course) for keeping this temptation in the home. Not to mention, my children each have an incredible sweet tooth.

So tomorrow is Monday and we're officially a candy free home. Thank goodness!

Tanning to Tone

Let's face it, everyone looks a little better with some color! My husband always jokes that I'm the whitest filipino he's ever known...there's some truth to it; I definitely got my father's genes when it came to skin tone.

I am NOT an advocate of fake baking or tanning beds. Save your skin, you only get one! I am however a big fan of spray tans. There is a great little tanning salon here in Annapolis that does a Mystic Tan for $25, it only last a week or so, but its great for a quick "pick me up" or if you're in a jam and need a tan; not to mention its safe for your skin.

I immediately look more muscular and tone with a tan. I've gone a couple times already this spring and I'm loving the look!

Take Notice

So my scale has barely moved, but that doesn't mean that there isn't loss! The scale is an easy way for me to measure myself. You stand on it and in 15 seconds it tells you lbs. body fat %, BMI, etc. Easy peasy! It hasn't budged in weight in weeks.

However, I'm definitely losing inches. My wedding rings swirl easily around my fingers, my pants slide up over my hips without hesitation and there's a little room at top too! I'll take it! I feel pretty good where I'm at, would love to be a few lbs lighter (vanity sake!) but I'm definitely taking notice to the changes that I see and feel!

HIIT IT

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) never lets me down!

I didn't feel like "running" a distance today, so I jumped on the treadmill for 20 minutes of HIIT. Two minutes walking, one minute sprint, rinse and repeat for the duration of the time. WOW! Sweat dripping, heart pounding; this workout is HARD. I missed it. I think I'll stick to HIIT every day this week and see if I get any results! I'd love to lean out a bit this week and I think its TOTALLY possible!

Never Let You Go Lyrics- Colbie Caillat

This song is on my running playlist. As I've said in previous posts, my biggest motivators are my husband and kids. When I hear this song, it reminds me just how much my husband has been so supportive and how he really is my very best friend. I always find myself pushing harder in my run and breaking limits. I know that's because I can feel the positive energy that I get from my love and family. That might sound corny, but its the God's honest truth!

100 Push-Ups Challenge

Today I'm going to try Jillian Michaels' 100 Push-Up Challenge

I'm going to do 10 push-ups every hour for 10 hours. Sounds pretty easy (but I'm not naive!) so we'll see how it goes. 6 AM, I'll do my first 10. I'll report back either tonight or tomorrow to let everyone know how it went!

Ready, Set, PUSH!

Lululemon Sales!

Thank goodness for sales...otherwise, I'd probably be up to my ears in debt. Well, maybe not, but I do love to shop!

I got
2 pair of cropped running pants
1 sports bra
1 jacket

for about $200. The pants alone usually run just under $100, so I got a deal!!! I'll post pictures soon.

Lead in my feet

I might as well be trying to run with my feet in concrete blocks. Lately, I have zero energy to run. I take that back, I have plenty of energy, but my body is saying, "not one more step!" LOL! Perhaps I'll hang my running shoes up like my friend, Ronnie. I need to take a break, find something new, and challenge myself in a different way. Right now, running just isn't cutting it.

I wonder what the change is though. I enjoy the time alone with my good friends Colbie Calliat, P!nk, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake...ok you get who's on my playlists! When I talked to Blythe, she said that I'm in carb depletion that I don't have the glycogen stored in my muscles and it makes my body burn down quickly. Is that a good thing for right now?

I guess its time to hit the drawing board and come up with a new plan...

Lessons in Running

After dinner this evening I decided that since it was such a gorgeous evening out that I would go for a walk/jog. My kids wanted to tag along and that was a great reminder that I wanted to promote healthy habits in our family. So the three of us geared up and headed out.

My kids sort of ran "around" me while I hiked up the road. The would run ahead, walk around, lag behind, etc. I found it quite humorous at their running style and form. Christian ran as if the wind was going to pick him up and carry him away and Marissa sort of trotted (someday she'll learn to put those daddy-long-legs to good use and I have no doubt she'll be fast!). They would say, "race you to the street sign" or "I'll beat you to that tree!" and off they would go, fist pumping, heads back little "toddler tushies" (can I even call them that anymore????) wiggling away.

The two of them only made it about 1/2 a mile before it was time for them to head back to the house. I watched them go down the street back to our driveway and when I knew they were safe with my husband, I finished my walk. I laughed as I thought about the kids. How I wish I could let go and be free of the heavy thoughts and burdens of the adult world. I would love to just laugh and say, "race you to that tree" and that be the extent of my challenges.

So why not change the attitude? Let all my challenges just be mere races to the next tree. Pump my fist, throw my head back, and trot my way to the finish line. I didn't get just some quality time with my kids tonight...I got a lesson in running and a lesson in life.

Sticking to the plan

I'm working hard on sticking to my plan. I run/lift at least 3-4 times a week and I'm really seeing some progress. My clothes are fitting better. Its a vanity thing. Last year, I got down to a size 0-2, but I bought mostly size 2's because I knew that I couldn't maintain "competition size". Well, the 2's were getting a little tight this year and I refuse to buy a bigger size...that's what got me into trouble years ago! I just kept buying BIGGER.

My nutrition plan has been harder this time around. Since I'm not really trying to lose weight, its harder to maintain and make good choices 80% of the time. I know myself though, its like a snowball...I eat a little cake here, some ice cream there, some chips with queso, add a little pizza, oooh a burger sounds good. Well, maybe not those exact foods, since I'm a foodie, but you get the idea. Currently I'm dreaming of sushi or a spicy crab and asparagus handroll! YUM!

Why do I put myself through the hard training and strict nutrition plans? Honestly, because I feel better about myself when I set goals and stick to them. It might be hard to believe, but I'm a little bit of a control freak and my diet and exercise programs are just about the only thing in life where I find control. Don't worry, no need to call for help, I'm not going to develop some sort of eating disorder and work myself out to a rail...but the exercise helps me feel better and the nutrition plan is really a way of life. I try not to see it as "punishment" but more as "my body deserves good/healthy food to make it my best"!

This past week, I hit it hard and I saw BIG results. My workouts were better, my clothes are a little loose, the scale is moving down (not that I'm obsessing LOL!) and my mood is better; thank you endorphins!

So, all those benefits help me stick to my plan just a little easier.

Silly Girl on Treadmill

I got up early this morning and got my game face on for this morning's workout. I dropped my daughter off at school, guzzled my Jack3d and hit the treadmill. I popped in my earbuds, turned it up LOUD and said, "screw the warm up" and bumped the speed up to a steady pace. As I topped off the second mile, sweat dripping, heart pounding, but not even THINKING about slowing down...I totally fist pumped in the air! I GOT THIS! EASY THREE!!!! I'm sure people thought I was nuts, and if they didn't catch the fist pump, no one could have missed the big ass smile (nearing laughter!) I had as I finished up my last 8 minutes.

Brick Wall...You will NOT defeat me!

Brick Wall

I've hit a brick wall. I have lost the intensity in my workouts and the discipline in my nutrition/diet plan. This weekend was emotionally difficult for me and I found myself in a full on "temper tantrum" with my trainer Blythe. I had a pity party and let me just say it was pretty pathetic. UGH!

I feel like I'm STARVING all the time and my workouts just lack UMMPH. Add that to the fact that I've GAINED 5lbs and now I'm just down right pissed off. I know that a big factor to consider is that I believe I'm going through a hormonal change. Blythe did warn me that women go through a big change around the time they turn 30 years old. I've seen my doctor and I did a full health/blood check to see what's going on with my hormones, thyroid, cholesterol and everything else one could think of. Hopefully, I'll get some answers to help get me out of this funk.

Tomorrow is Monday, and I'm going to do my best to just get my focus back and keep my attitude positive. I've got to come up with a plan! Stay tuned...

I love the Spring

but it doesn't love me. I've been doing a lot of running and of course, as the weather gets warmer, I'm running outside. Today, I feel like my head is going to explode. Also, I find that during long runs, my throat gets very congested and I get a horrible headache and runny nose. This has always been common for me while running, I've Googled the "why", and I get answers such as "bad posture" or "allergens" or "cold weather". No real concrete evidence to make me believe any of it. I've never been good at taking pills/medication. I don't like adding things to my body and system. However, I think I may need to talk to my doctor about this issue so I can enjoy my outdoor excursions. :)

Biggest Losers Finale!

Yesterday was the final day for the Biggest Losers Challenge that I organized. At the end of the competition, there were only 10 out of the original 20 members left in the running. The top losers lost 16%, 15% and then three people tied for 9% loss! I couldnt' believe that the top losers lost approximately 30lbs each! That is amazing! 30lbs in 12 weeks! That's commitment!

We are having a quick challenge (only 4 weeks long) for the month of April and then we'll start another 12 week challenge on May 2nd. Some didn't want to lose their momentum so that's why we're having the quick challenge. Its addicting when you start losing weight and feeling great, and why shouldn't it be!?!?! These people are making HUGE life changes and are taking control of their health and fitness. I could not be more proud of the group. Collectively, we lost almost 200lbs!

So I feel great that I was able to help others and I can see why my trainer Blythe loves her work. Nothing feels better than to see the people you love and care about achieve success!!! GO TEAM!

Raise the Barre

I think that is what I would have liked to have said in class today. Don't get me wrong, the workout was good, but I judge my workouts by the condition of my hair when I'm finished and let's just say my hair was damn near perfect (in fact someone asked me if I just had it done!) when I walked out of the exercise room. I barely broke a sweat.

There were a couple times when I started to cramp in my hamstring or buttocks, but overall, the workout was probably what I would considerate "medium" or even "light" intensity. I think that this will be a wonderful "filler" workout for me. I hope to do it about twice a week because it does give me an overall body workout that doesn't completely wipe me out for the rest of the day.

I loved the music, the instructor was lovely, the class size was perfect and I know that my flexibility will greatly improve; its just not as intense or hard as I thought it would be. I'm not saying that the instructor wasn't great. She new what she was doing and we had fun, but this was just not what I had anticipated after reading all the blogs and hype about Barre.

My husband asked if I thought the class challenged the other people in the room, and I think it did. I think with my background in heavy lifting, my sadistic love of squats and lunges, and because of the high intensity workouts I've become familiar with and have come to expect I was not prepared for a slower paced workout. This is actually a good thing though. Not every day can be a HARD day.

Like I said, this class is really going to help my flexibiliy, give me an overall body workout and elongate my muscles, specifically in my legs. I'm going to go for it again in a couple days. If anyone has any suggestions on how to challenge myself a little more in the class, I'm all ears!

Not What I Had in Mind...

I've lost 4lbs this week, but not exactly how I had planned. I'll take grueling workouts and a strict clean-eating diet ten times over rather than this nasty stomach bug that has hit our home like some atomic bomb! I literally have not been able to keep much food down since Friday. I'm starving yet terrified to put anything in my stomach. I'm feeling MUCH better today, but still apprehensive about getting too confident. I've managed to hold on to about 1/2 a cup of oatmeal for breakfast and then about 1/2 c. of chicken and rice for lunch. That's about all I'm willing to risk at this point. If all feels ok tomorrow morning, I'll ease back into my routine. I definitely don't want to miss Barre class tomorrow and I'm really hoping to get back into a steady running/lifting groove. I think I'll spend the rest of the day resting and sipping water, maybe some more gingerale too. Then tomorrow, this girl is SICK of being SICK. I'll will my way out of it :)

Barre Method

I'm trying a new workout/class this coming week. I'm so excited about it! Everyone is talking about The Barre Method Exercise classes. http://www.barmethod.com/bar-method-exercises.html I'm taking the class at a local studio that has a trained dancer/trainer leading the class. Only 12 are allowed in the class, so I'm really looking forward to the intimate training and guidance.

Let's face it, everyone (or at least those who are willing to admit it) LOVE dancers' legs! Who doesn't? Have you ever heard anyone say, "oh, her butt was too tight!" or "yeah, I was totally grossed out by her elongated muscular legs!" Yeah...probably not.

I'll be the first to admit that I have a booty. I like it though! I'm thankful for that badonkadonk! I think it adds character...errrr something like that :) If I don't keep it tone, it can really expand, so I'll do everything I can to keep this junk in the trunk!

I'll be sure and update how the class goes. If I really like it, I'll be joining the studio so I can get a better rate. Barre classes are NOT cheap, but if I see results, I won't hesitate to keep it going!

Commonality

It has become more and more clear to me just how much I love surrounding myself with people who have the same health and fitness goals as myself. I think like anything, you feel great when you can share a passion or find some commonality with your peers.

I find the many of my conversations revolve around fitness and health. Perhaps people feel comfortable enough around me to talk about it since they've seen my transformation, or maybe they look to me for advice, or maybe I'm just drawn to people who live that lifestyle. Something I've also learned about my friends who share this lifestlye, is that we also lean on each other in regards to insecurities, fears, hurdles, etc.

For example, my friend Pam, we've really pushed each other with swimming and lifting. She is an incredible swimmer, she's fast, strong, and just pierces through the water. Of course it is natural to feel awkward when I'm in the pool with her. I'm flapping wildly in the next lane, holding on to my kick board for dear life and hoping no one noticed how many stops I had to take just to catch my breath. LOL. Pam on the other hand, with lifting, asks questions, slows down, or takes the alternate form (girl push ups) on certain exercises.

We are out of our "individual element" but we know that about each other. We support each other and we know that everyone has to start somewhere. We're working towards the same goal...HEALTH.

I'm doing more and more with people that have this goal. I organized the Biggest Loser Challenge and we even have a facebook page! LOL! Each week we check in and we're just cheering each other on; I'm joining many of my girlfriends to do the Warrior Dash and then run a 10K this summer. My sister-in-law is now cleaning eating and we're talking almost daily about nutrition and meal prep and planning. Of course, then there is Blythe, my mentor, my role model and my trainer! God, how I've missed her! I love her energy, enthusiasm and ability to just kick my ass!

Don't get me wrong, I love all my friends. I'm not just friends with tight bodied health nuts :o)

I'm just saying, friendship is about finding what you have in common with someone and embracing that. Its about the value and comfort that you bring to each other. Your insecurities, self-doubt, stubborn ways...whatever. Its about the ability to be YOU and know that your friends accept you for whatever you are! When it comes to health and fitness goals, it feels good that I have friends that understand that "tick" in me. They know that its about ME and how I see myself. Nothing more, nothing less!

Blythe Bootcamp

I have to chuckle at myself and my post about how I was going to stop obsessing about my diet and exercise plans and just work on maintaining a healthy lifestyle...hello...this is Alice Anne we're talking about. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't obsessing over something!

So, back to Blythe Bootcamp it is! I called her on Monday and said "Give me a Plan!" so I'm back! I'm training for a 10k (exciting) and I also want to be strong enough to not embarrass myself through the Warrior Dash coming up this May. Blythe has me eating the right meals at the right times to maximize my workouts, burn fat and lean down. I'm very excited, although it actually seems HARDER this time around to clean up my diet! For example, yesterday without even thinking about it, I popped a bite-sized butterfinger candy in my mouth! 1/4 serving and a whole 45 freakin' calories! DAMN! Not too bad, I guess, but I can think of a million other things I would have rather had to give up 45 calories! In the grand scheme of things, no big deal, but anyone that knows me knows that when I set my mind to something I stick to it and I do it well!

For my training, I'm lifting two days a week doing full-body workouts and then I'm to run a 5k three days a week. This week, I hit it hard and my body is definitely feeling it (especially my ankles and hip flexors). Tomorrow I'm going to do some lifting and then I'm going to try and get some laps in at the pool. I like using the kickboard for my laps because that gives me a KILLER ab workout.

My goal date is May 7th to be at tip top shape. I'm in my niece's wedding, so I want to look awesome; the fact that I'm the oldest bridesmaid might have a little something to do with my increased vanity. The Warrior Dash is May 22nd and then the 10K is in June. I figure, I slim down, tone up and get in great shape this spring and then I'm all set in my poolside body for the summer ;) We'll see how it goes...

Pay Back

Today my swimming buddy, Pam, met me for a lesson on weight training. We had a blast! I joke that it was "pay back" but truly, I was thrilled that I had someone to work out with. I really pushed myself hard; I always work out harder when I have a partner. She was really a great sport and I could tell that she was nervous and uneasy about her abilities. We were careful and I was sure to start her with little to no weight. I don't know if my body is just reacting from all the new activity I've been doing, or if I'm really pushing myself harder than I have been in the past, but I'm really sore!

Today, we warmed up with lunges. Three sets of ten on each leg. I love that warm-up. It wakes up the whole body and gets your heart rate up. Then we did chest press and chest flies. We also did cardio intervals between sets. Pam was brave and even did squat jacks on a bench with me. Our goal was to do 25, she made it to 15, but that's great that she even tried!

We did a little work on biceps and triceps and then finished strong with abs. I am sore and I know that tomorrow and Friday will be exceptionally painful/stiff for me. Pam has already texted me telling me her ass hurts. Its the lunges...I tell you...they get you EVERY time!

I'm meeting her tomorrow for swimming again. Wish me luck; I may be so sore I drown!

Stepping Out (in heels) of Comfort Zones

Yesterday for a pre-bachelorette party workout, 10 lovely ladies (including my gorgeous niece who is the bride-to-be) survived an hour lesson on Exotic Dance. WOW. It was intense!

I won't post pictures of this post because...well, that's just raunchy. However, I will tell you that all of us are feeling the pain today! That could also be because after the hour class, we did spend the rest of the evening and into the wee hours of the morning on our feet in heels like we were preparing for the remake of "Flash Dance". What a great night!

But back to the exotic dancing class. We did some great dancing with chairs, learned some very difficult floor work and moved our bodies in ways I truly believed should only be seen in the bedroom! It was such a great kick off to the bachelorette party festivites; by the time the class was over, we all felt very comfortable with each other. Bachelorette parties can be nerve racking, especially when you don't all know each other but you're there to support the one person you all have in common...the bride.

My abs are killing me today; along with my inner thighs, buttocks and calves. I attribute all that to the difficult moves we learned in the class. My feet hurt too, but I blame that on the hours spent in 5 inch heels and the dance clubs. :)

Between the swimming and then exotic dancing, this week has been loaded with pushing myself to experience new and challenging workouts. I'm thrilled that I'm feeling it, but I'm looking forward to my traditional weights and HIIT tomorrow morning.

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Yes, that is the sound of me trying to walk. I am so incredibly sore today, but also EXCITED that I really pushed myself this week! Let's just pray I make it through my busy weekend without being in too much pain.

The good news is that the soreness is definitely paying off!!! I lost all the weight I gained while on vacation and then even a couple pounds more. Hard work is definitely worth it!

Sink or Swim

Today I had my first swim lesson. It wasn't really a lesson, per say, but my daughter's "BFF"s mom invited (actually challenged) me to join her at the gym to swim some laps. I've been toying with the idea of giving it a try. So I bit the bullet, and put on the swimsuit.

I'm not a good swimmer, not at all actually. I've never had formal swim lessons, and my mother couldn't swim so we never spent any time in a pool or around much water while I was growing up. Having kids of my own now and since we are always around water, I feel very strongly that my children learn how to swim. I also believe that we should practice what we preach and lead by example, so into the pool I go!

Mistake #1, not all swimsuits are created equal. I happened to run into said BFF's mother at SAMs club and when she invited me, I told her that I didn't really have a suit that would work for swimming laps. She pointed to the Speedos hanging in the clothing section...hmmph. Speedo is a good swimsuit right? Right! If you buy the RIGHT Speedo! I bought a nice purple one. In the size I normally wear in swimsuits. I get to the gym, put on the suit and BLAH, its TIGHT. This one was also low cut. Hello, cleavage! Just what I needed; it made an already uncomfortable situation...uncomfortable. Nevermind the fact that the life guard immediately commented on my hourglass shape and ta-tas. I thought if she stared any longer she'd have to buy me dinner! Well, I guess the good point to having the suit feel tight is that it will be a reminder that I cannot gain any weight ;)

Mistake #2, bring swim cap and goggles. Thankfully, my friend brought me extras, but it would have been great if I had come prepared. I felt bad borrowing, so I only used the goggles. My eyes were thankful; my hair suffered.

Mistake #3, rushing to catch breaths. I swallowed more pool water than I'd care to admit. Apparently, learning to breathe and swim is not as easy as one might think. My friend says that once I get this down, swimming will be much easier.

Mistake #4, working your legs the day prior to swimming. I was so sore! I'll know better next time.

Mistake #5, lifting weights AFTER swimming. I didn't realize how sore my shoulders would be. I probably could have skipped the weights afterwards.

So that's day one of swimming. I definitely plan to keep it up. I am so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I beleive that with months, years, decades of practice, I might actually be good at this. Here's hoping!

AHHHHH!

Ok, so I've got to stop obsessing! Since the competition, it has been really hard for me to keep up my motivation. I'm not sure what has changed. Perhaps I just got sucked back into life and all the bullshit excuses people make to over eat and not workout. Who knows. I had a major reality check this week though when my clothes were too tight and I was experiencing extremely low energy. I think my hormones are all out whack and I'm just not feeling like myself.

While on vacation, it was extremely hard to clean eat. I missed it terribly and today when I started my meal planning and cooking, I hit the ground RUNNING! I bought great veggies and meats, got out my favorite tried and true recipes and prepped for the weekend/week. I'm super excited about the meals and really looking forward to just diving back in. I will NOT struggle with my weight. Period. Now that I know how great I feel when I'm healthy and taking care of myself, I really really feel like shit when I let myself go. Its not a good feeling and I will NOT allow myself to go there.

Today, I had an AWESOME HIIT session while the kids rode bikes around me outside, I'm roasting a chicken and packing lots of snacks and healthy go to items for my busy weekend. I'm frustrated in myself for not keeping up with my health goals, but today is a new day and I'm not going to obsess.

No time for excuses, NOW is the time for results!

"Moving Meditation"

I put the title of this post in quotations because it was a statement that my first trainer, Kelly Gonzalez http://www.kellygonzalez.com used to explain what exercise was to her. I didn't quite understand her then, but since I've been working out alone it makes total sense to me and now, I can't imagine not having that time to myself. Now, I crave it. I devote that time to myself; to be alone in my thoughts, wrapped up in good music and the only thing that is in need of my attention is making decisions about how much weight and how many reps I can push myself to pick up and pump out.

My husband told me a couple months ago after he had missed several weeks of working out due to an injury, that what he really missed was his music. How funny! You can listen to music anytime, right? I think his point was that he missed turning the world off and just allowing himself to turn into his thoughts and the music while he worked his body and blew off steam from the day.

I get it! I find myself getting so pumped up as I turn into the parking garage of our gym. I thinking, "is today a rock day, or am I going for club mix...perhaps its going to be a eighties day ..." I pop my earbuds in and the world melts away. I'm no longer Alice Anne, mom, wife, boss, daughter, educator (pick a hat, any hat) I'm muscle, sweat, callused hands, heart pumping, skin burning, thoughts running "push hard, push harder, YOU CAN DO THIS!"

Thanks, Kelly, for explaining exercise in such a beautiful way! "Moving Meditation" I release myself of my thoughts, I concentrate on my body, my soul and my spirit. I find strength within and I push myself to break my own limits. No wonder I feel so much better when I exercise regularly!

Update on New Year's Resolutions

Since it is now February, I thought I would check in and update how things are going with my New Year's resolutions. If you read both my blogs, I apologize for any repeat information; I won't mention too much about my "general life" resolutions and try to stick to my "fitness" related goals.

#1 Creative Cooking

This is going very very well! I am clean eating about 85% of the time and I've done a lot of research (online, cookbooks, iPhone Apps) on new clean eating recipes. I've been very adventurous with vegetables, spices, seafood and I'm doing a lot more cooking that I've ever done before. I've always loved to cook, but cooking fresh whole foods is SO much different! I feel absolutely no guilt, I'm proud and happy when my family is eating because I know that good things are going in their bodies. I feel empowered; I don't worry about what I'm putting in our food, I don't think about hormones, perservatives, or additives. I just feel like I'm doing the absolute best thing for my family's health.

I bought a new multi-pot http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/individual-cookware/calphalon-contemporary-stainless-multipot-with-lid/s305980 ; I use it mostly for steaming various vegetables and seafood; it has made cooking so much easier! I've been loving my edamame, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, shrimp, mussels...oh the list goes on and on! I have no idea why it has taken me so long to make this purchase. I can't imagine cooking dinner without it now!

#2 Blog More

I feel like I'm keeping up with the blog. This is a much easier blog to work on. I feel like I could talk about health, food, and exercise all.day.long. I just love it so much and I'm learning every day and I cannot wait to get on here and share with everyone.

#3 Get My Kids Active

This is going pretty well. We've done indoor gyms, ice-skating, bowling, swimming and they have been playing more outside (despite all the snow). I think when the weather gets nicer we'll be able to really get moving outdoors! My daughter will continue with lacrosse this spring and I'm hoping my son can get involved in soccer soon. I think he doesn't quite make the age cutoff, but hopefully I can find a peewee level or beginners group.

I should probably do an update on my Biggest Losers Challenger that I've organized for about 20 people. Its going ok. We haven't had any real significant weight loss, most of us have stayed the same (why is it that I worked so diligently to lose 50lbs, but I can't lose this last 5?????) We're only in week #3, so I'm hoping we kick it up a knotch soon!

Overall, I think 2011 is right on track and I'm sticking to my goals. I'm completely happy with my lifestyle and I feel fan-freaking-tastic! February is going to be a month of hard workouts, more clean-eating and lots of prep for spring; its time to start planning all the awesome things we can do as soon as the weather cooperates :)

Warrior Dash

I must be going crazy, but at least I'll be in good company! Several of my friends and I have decided to participate in the Warrior Dash here in Maryland on May 22nd. I figure, if I can get up on stage in a flashy bikini and 5 inch heels, I can certainly crawl through mud and under barbed-wire without too much embarrassment; perhaps I'll be eating my words in a few months.

Climbing cargo nets, running through tires, jumping over fire and scaling walls are just a few of the ten obstacles we will have to conquer. I'm PUMPED! So the question is, who will be a warrior with me?!?!?!


http://warriordash.com/register2011_maryland.php

Lemon-garlic Shrimp

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables
(from www.eatingwell.com)

Here's a healthy twist on shrimp scampi. Leave out the butter and load the dish up with red or orange peppers, zuchinni, and asparagus for a refreshing spring meal. Serve with quinoa.

4 servings Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large red/orange bell peppers, diced
1 large zuchinni sliced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Preparation
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.


Nutrition Per serving:
227 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 174 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 514 mg sodium; 670 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (210% daily value), Vitamin A (80% dv), Folate (53% dv), Iron (25% dv).

Mindset

I was reading through my personal blog and came across this post from 2009, right before I really got serious about my weight loss goals. It really made me giggle. I was your typical yo-yo dieter, fad follower, and looking for a quick fix to get the body I wanted.

http://runningonaas.blogspot.com/2009/07/operation-detox.html

Now, a year and a half later, I'm really glad that I'm on the path that I am. I feel amazing. Sure, we'll always have those things about ourselves we wish we could magically fix (mine is the mum tum). I just view the whole process much differently. Its not about a quick fix...its about commitment, a lifestyle of healthy habits and pushing yourself to be your best!

Mums the Word

My parents are moving to Kansas...that's a whole other story in itself, but they have packed up their Maryland home as of last week. My father went ahead and drove the u-haul loaded with all their belongings while my mother is staying with us in our home until her job transfer at the end of March. Good times.

I love my mother, but I've never had a parent as a live-in. The occasional weekend here or there was always enough for me; not to mention that my children act like little war demons whenever a grandparent is present. We're on day number 4, and so far all is well. I don't dare say this aloud, but it has been really nice having her here this week. I've been making delicious healthy dinners (sushi, roasted chicken, an assortment of salads, a couple thai dishes) and I actually have an adult that will sit down and relish in the meal with me. God love my husband, but he's not exactly one with an adventurous palette.

One evening after the dinner was finished, the kitchen was cleaned and the children were fast asleep, I decided to ask my mom if she wanted to exercise. My mother is a tiny woman. She's all of 120lbs and a whopping 5 ft 1 inch tall. She is however not a healthy person. She is long time smoker, eats very poorly, and doesn't exercise at all. I chose to break her in with the tried and true Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Oh was this fun!

The JM Shred is only 20 minutes long. 3 circuits of 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute Ab work. Then it finishes with about 2 minutes of stretching. She really worked hard. Her form was "so so" but I was able to help guide her and I did the workout with her so she didn't feel so awkward. I showed her how to do the exercises, I cheered her on and I pushed her when she started to say, "THIS IS TOO HARD!". By the end, she was panting, sweating and laughing her head off! She was really happy she made it through!

Those 20 minutes will kick your butt! I had my mom start her first time without any hand weights. I'm glad I did because for the next two days she's been moaning and groaning about being sore. We'll hit it again today and I'll have her add 2lb weights in each hand.

I'm very proud of her for doing it. I figure, she's going to be staying with me for about 8 weeks...why not help her get on track with her diet and exercise. I want my mom to take care of herself and I'm hoping that this will make her feel good and get her on a path to a healthy lifestyle!

My Diet

I get a lot of requests to share my diet and meal plan with others. The first thing I say is that my nutritional goals are for ME and I don't suggest that anyone follow them exactly. You should always consult a physician or nutritionist before drastically changing your diet.

There are some suggestions I would be more than happy to share though and hopefully you can do your research and find what works best for you and your lifestyle. Exercise and nutrition has become a TOP priority for me so I make it work and I really spend a lot of time and energy with the planning, prep and execution.

1. Clean Eating; I eat foods that are not processed, do not contain white flour or sugars and do not have preservatives, additives or hormones. That doesn't necessarily mean organic, it just means "whole". I don't eat clean 100% but I would say about 80%90% of the time, if it comes in a bag or a box...its not for me. Clean eating is tricky when eating out, so I make sure and order sauces on the side or without the sauce entirely, fresh salads (oil and vinegar dressing only) and meats and fish that are grilled and only seasoned with salt and pepper.

2. I eat 6 times a day. Breakfast, post workout snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack. I NEVER skip breakfast. That's the kickstart to my day and it gets my metabolism running as soon as I get up! My meals aren't very big, but they give me enough to provide me with the energy and fuel that I need to get me through my day until my next meal. I do feel like I eat all day but doing this keeps me from over eating at my next meal. It really helps with portion control and also keeps my body on an efficient fuel burning schedule.

3. Macronutrients. Each meal consists of Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins. The ratio of those macronutrients depends on what I'm doing and when I'm doing it. I aim for about 75-125g of carbs a day, 150-200 g of protein, and 50 g of fat. That sounds like low carbs and high protein, but I'm someone that bloats easily from carbs and I don't naturally have a lot of muscle mass. My goals are to build muscle and keep a lean physique...so I UP the protein and lower the carbs. I do NOT ELIMINATE carbs; that's a big diet/health NO NO. I simply cycle them so that I burn them efficiently and give them to my body when I need them. On low activity days, my body requires fewer carbs, on highly active days I'll take all the carbs I can get! I don't usually eat starchy carbs (rice or sweet potatoes) after 5pm. Fats are important to help keep your metabolism moving. Not having enough fats in your diet will only destroy your efforts in losing weight, not to mention it will mess with your digestive system. That's no fun at all...

4. Water water water! I drink about 3-4 L of water each day. I add a BCAA called "XTend" to half of my water intake and that gives me essential vitamins that I need to maximize my workout results; it also helps with muscle recovery and digestive health. Many times, if you feel hungry, you're really thirsty. Stay hydrated. The benefits are endless. Stay away from sodas, juices and other high calorie drinks. Those are empty calories that really don't help your hydration. Stick to water :) I will admit that coffee is my weakness. I do have one cup of coffee every morning. Not the best thing...but hey, we all have that ONE thing, right?

Here is a sample menu for my day:

Breakfast:
16 oz coffee
half and half
2 splendas

Oatmeal pancake
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp strawberry perserves

Post workout snack:
High 5 protien shake

Lunch:
1 c jasmine rice or sweet potato
5 oz chicken or 5 oz fish
steamed veggies

Snack:
Greek Yogurt
Fruit
Nuts

Dinner:
Large salad oil and vinegar dressing
6 oz chicken or fish

Evening snack:
Almonds
or
Muscle Milk Light

I'll keep posting ideas. I know that sometimes the diet can get boring if you are running out of ideas. Tosca Reno's cookbooks help tremendously! Happy Eating!

Who needs a housekeeper?

Another one of my New Year's resolutions was to do more things myself rather than pay someone else to do it. The cleaning lady was one of the first things to be cut! This is helping me in more ways than one; not only am I saving money, but I'm also burning about 150 calories per hour spent cleaning (moderate intensity).

It takes me about 4-6 hours to clean my house from top to bottom. That's a lot of calories burned right there! Doing that once a week...it definitely adds up! I didn't realize the benefits of this resolution and I think I just may stick to it.

Here are some tips to keep you at moderate intensity and maximize your results during your housekeeping workout:

1. Listen to high energy music to keep you moving at a steady upbeat pace
2. Stand while folding the laundry and put it away immediately after folding it.
3. Wash your floors on your hands and knees.
4. Limit your breaks to 5 minutes or less (KEEP MOVING)
5. Stay hydrated (I carry a water bottle around with me and keep refilling it)
6. Stay on your meal plan; don't snack
7. Make multiple trips if you have to bring things up and down stairs; this will keep you from hurting yourself and it will force you to get a killer leg workout!
8. Don't take cleaning shortcuts, really put some elbow grease into your work. You'll work up a sweat while getting your house SPOTLESS!

Happy Cleaning!

Heart Rate Monitors

It is important to understand your body, measure your heart rate, and count actual calories burned during a workout to get the maximum results in whatever training plan you are working on.

I'm not a fanatic, but I do find my heart rate monitor to be very useful. I have the Women's Sportline Duo 1025 This is such a great, economical, heart rate monitor that can be used with our without the chest strap/belt. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a HR monitor right away. I wanted to be sure that I knew how to use one properly and also use it consistently before dropping some major cash on one. Maybe someday, I'll upgrade to a heavy duty HR monitor, but for right now, this is just the right product for me and my active lifestyle.

Another bonus to this specific HR Monitor is that it is still pretty feminine looking. I can also wear it all day long without feeling like I have a massive HR monitor stuck to my arm. Most HR monitors are large and bulky. I have no problem wearing this to work or with my every day clothing. I keep the chest strap in my gym bag just in case I want to track the entire workout. Most of the time though, I just wear the watch. It was worth the money, I'm able to maximize my workouts and set goals, and it fits my style (that's a big plus in my book!)

http://www.sportline.com/product.php?prod=73

Sunday Swim

We're packing up for swim lessons today. The kids will swim for about 45 minutes and I'm thrilled that I'm able to pick up a Sunday Workout Pass at the gym where they are taking lessons. FABULOUS! I think I'll get some HIIT in!

The kidlets have their flippers, goggles, new swimsuits and confidence boosted, so today should be a great day. I'll post pictures when we get back. I have a feeling this afternoon will be a quiet and relaxing one after they wear themselves out in the pool. I'm going to really love Sundays.

***Updated with Pictures!***

The kids had the BEST time at swim lessons and they cannot wait to go back next week. This is a huge relief for me because #1 I think it needs to be a priority that my children can swim well by this summer. #2 I didn't want them to be afraid of the water #3 I wasn't sure how confident Marissa would be and #4 I was afraid that Christian would be too brave around the water.

Christian is a natural water baby. He could not wait to get into the pool. He seemed more comfortable than most the other children in his class and I did get a little nervous at how enthusiastic he was to get into the water. The instructors kept a close eye on him and I was proud at how well he followed instructions. Here he is learning to tread water; the arm floaties and the flippers helped a lot! He seemed really comfortable and I was happy it was going so well!

Marissa did FANTASTIC. She was probably towards the "older" end of the group, but she may have just been much taller and not that much older. That's not uncommon for her to look much older than her peers. She has always been a little shy/timid when it comes to physical activity, and in previous swim lessons she would never even let go of the instructors. I was SHOCKED when she was swimming laps, pushing the boogie board and treading all on her own. She even swam under water and the instructor said that she was doing very very well! GO MARISSA! I feel super confident that the kids will be ready for the pool and boating this summer.

Here's Marissa:

I'm also learning that I need to have a real camera with me at all times. The iPhone just isn't cutting it when it comes to taking pictures of kids in motion!

Ice Skating Success!

Yesterday, my daughter and I braved ice skating with my sister-in-law, Jessica and her little sister (who is also a BFF of my daughter's), my good friend, Aubrey and a little girl she was babysitting (who is also a good friend of my daughter's!). It has been years since my last experience on the ice and it was her first time. Both of us were nervous about falling, getting hurt, or just looking silly.

We had a couple falls, some shrieks and a short break for hot cocoa, but an hour and half later, we found ourselves having a great time, minimal slips and sweating like crazy!

Here are some pictures from our outing. Again, taken with a phone, not the best quality, but you get the idea...

I should also mention, when I entered this in my fitness log, its says that I burned over 500 calories!!! I would say that some awesome quality time I spent having fun with my daughter while also getting in an incredible workout!

Jessica, Aubrey and I are now planning more excursions. Next time, perhaps we'll go bowling. Rock climbing, trapeze flying are in our near future as well!

Family Fitness

One of my New Year's resolutions was to get my kids out doing physical activities. This morning, we went on a playdate to a franchise gym geared specifically for children and my little ones were able to get MOVING! It was the perfect "30-degree-weather" kind of day for an indoor gym. I wish that the pictures weren't so blurry, but the best I could do was get quick snapshots with my iPhone. Alas, these pics will have to do.

Both of my kids had the best time. We brought my niece as well, she's only 1, but even she enjoyed running around, climbing, rolling and jumping. It was great to get the family out and about on this cold morning! I was so proud of my daughter, who isn't really into physical exertion, because she jumped right in! Of course my son, aka "Monkey Man", was hell on wheels and found the highest point in the gym so he could jump, swing and crash.

We are now home and all three children are conked out. I'm glad we were able to have fun and be active. Now, I think I'll enjoy some quiet time...

Stretching Sore Muscles

I find myself feeling pretty sore the day after and the second day after an intense workout. I do a lot of stretching! Stretching is an important part of your health; it protects you from getting injured while working out, it stregthens your muscles and gives you more flexibility and it releases tension throughout your body.

It is important to remember to stretch periodically throughout your workout. I never stretch cold muscles prior to a workout; I always do about 5-10 minutes of light cardio before stretching. During my strength training, I take 60 sec. pauses to stretch and loosen up the muscles that I'm working hard. It is essential to recognize any fatigue or excessive stress in a muscle so that you don't pull something or get injured.

I finish my workouts with 10 minutes of ab work and stretching. Between my ab sets, I do long periods of stretching of all my muscles. This gets my heart rate back down; its a nice cool down to a hard workout. Even after my ab exercises, I like to spend another 5 minutes just stretching. Remember, don't bounce during a stretch and hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds.

I continue to stretch throughout my day. Here are some examples of when a good time to stretch would be:

1. Take periodic breaks from your desk by getting up, doing a few stretches and grabbing a drink of water. (Don't worry, people aren't looking at you because they think you're weird, they are looking at you wondering what you do to get that hot body!)
2. Stretch while watching television.
3. Make a game of stretching with your kids.
4. Stretch with your husband/wife while winding down for the day. Talk about your day and catch up while relaxing your muscles! ;o)

Quickie Quiche Cups

My friend, Christina, shared this recipe with me. I made it today and I must say, "I'm in love." These are going to be a great alternative to my oatmeal pancakes for breakfast!

1 c Egg Whites
10 oz chopped spinach
1/4 c chopped red bell pepper
1/4 c chopped white onion
1/2 c low fat shredded cheese
Hot sauce (optional)

Mix all ingredients and divide to fill 12 muffin cups (I lined my muffin pan with baking papers) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until middle is done.

SUPER EASY!

Serving Size: 3 quiche cups
Calories- 178
Fat- 7 g
Carbs 8g
Protein 16g

Bouncing Back

Marty told me that when I went back to working out hard after my break, I would see results fast and he was right! Shhhh, don't tell him I said that... In all seriousness though, after my first week back to hardcore workouts I'm already feeling stronger and seeing the definition in my biceps, quads and abs.

I didn't work out much at all during the month of December. We traveled some, caught some winter colds, then of course the holidays. I definitely didn't push my workouts and the 10lbs added to my physique is the proof. My first week back in the gym, I was sore and weak as hell and my stamina was laughable. I pushed through the soreness, maintained my schedule and stuck to my nutrition plan to make sure that my body was properly fueled to get me through the workouts and help with my recovery. Going into the second week, I felt strong, healthier and like I never missed it. I love how quickly my body remembered the rush of working out and I am so thankful that I was able to bounce back into a groove.

While I am focusing on losing a little weight, I'm also continuing to push myself to grow and get more muscle definition. I know that if I just stick with it, I'm going to see some fantastic results!

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is a staple in our household. Its one of my husband's favorite meals and its the perfect compliment to a cold Maryland day. Last week, I decided to substitute Jasmine Long-Grain white rice for the traditional egg noodle. This gives the soup a better carbohydrate and makes the soup healthier and guilt free.

4 cups low sodium 100% natural chicken broth
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
fresh thyme
fresh sage
4 c water
1 c rice
black pepper to taste

Put chicken and broth in stock pot and boil until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken and add diced onion, celery, carrot and herbs to the broth; I also add my pepper. Simmer veggies while dicing chicken breasts, add the diced chicken back to stock pot and add water; bring to boil. Add rice and turn down to medium heat, cook until rice is tender. Do not overcook! Remove pot from heat (I suggest not leaving the soup in the pot, I usually transfer the soup into containers for lunches/dinner portions for the week)

1-12oz ladle serving is only 79 calories!