Cross Training

You may or may not know that when you exercise, it's important to cross train.  That's basically doing something different to improve your performance.  We are scheduled to cross train once a week.  Since I am training for a marathon, swimming is a great way to cross train.  Stop.  Hit the brakes.  There is only one problem.  I CAN'T SWIM!  Nope.  I grew up on a boat with a life jacket strapped to me for buoyancy.  Lucky for me I have friends with lots of credentials.  You know my running gal pal, Lori?  She's a swim instructor.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  I twisted her arm and told her that I wouldn't be her friend anymore if she didn't teach me to swim.  She was so nice and offered to teach me to swim.  Today was the first lesson!  We were meeting at 6 AM and I was up and ready.  Floatie and all!  I couldn't take a chance on sinking to the bottom!

You can imagine Lori's surprise when her student showed up at 6 AM with a floatie! 

Insert lots of good laughs here.  Jess was on the swim team growing up so she's an old pro too.  I am the lone duck.  They said lots of nice things to me like "You are doing great."  "You did a lot better than I thought you were going to do."  They were too nice to say "Gosh, you are terrible."  "Wow.  That was bad!"  Lori also said some things like "Straight legs.  Straight arms.  Big arm circles!  Side breath!"

We did lots and lots of swimming and I really think I really improved.  Jess taught me to breast stroke too.  Look at me learning two strokes in one day!!  I am a fast learner!  Let me tell you something about swimming though...it kicks your butt!!  I felt so out of shape.  I was huffin' and puffin' and trying to side breath and kick my legs and keep my arms going so my teacher wouldn't be mad at me.  Shew!  I was a mess!  It was all a great time though.  Oh, and guess what?  Since I was such a good girl, Lori let me jump into the water!!!!!  I wore my floatie though AND held my nose!

Seriously though.  Thanks Lori for your help!!  We are headed to a triathlon in August!!

We shall see.....

Marathon Training: Day 1

Ok, I am back for good now.  Jess, Lori, and I started training this morning for our first marathon coming up on April 27th.  I am going to document our training here.  We are going to do exactly what the training schedule says.  We've received lots of advice which includes to follow a schedule as closely as possible.  That means we will actually cut back on the number of days we are running.  Kind of sounds funny, huh?  We did 4 miles this morning.

I was sporting new running gear!!  My family knows what I love!

We are also signed up for a mini-marathon on February 10 as part of our training.  Well, Lori and Jess signed me up and gave it to me for Christmas.  I received this in the mail last week!  Love those two!

I am sure there will be bumps along this journey!  I am excited for this new venture!!  I'll keep ya' posted!!

Is anyone still reading??

Sorry.  It's been a while since I posted.  Fall is always such a busy time for us.  Since Halloween things have been much more relaxed.  It's been nice.  I am still running nearly every morning and teaching Jazzercise.  Halloween was hard because I wanted to eat way too much candy but I made it and now it's Thanksgiving and Christmas.  How are you doing?  It's never too late to start and you don't have to wait until the new year to make a change or refocus on an old goal.  I will be back sooner rather than later!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Do You Eat Real?

Take this quiz to find out.....

http://www.foodday.org/quiz

I scored a B.  How about you?

Thanks for sharing Lori!!

Lady Speed Stick Women's Half-Marathon in Nashville

This past weekend was my trip to Nashville to run the Lady Speed Stick Women's Half-Marathon.  We were up early and ready to run!  Here is my group...Jess, Me, Lori, Tammy, Lisa, and Paula.

We had shirts made....Women Hooked On Running.  Get it?  WHOR!  Hee hee!

I took some video while we were waiting for the race to start.  It seems like it takes forever to just get going!  

This was towards the beginning.

There were a few guys that ran.  They weren't eligible for any prizes though.  This guy was dressed up as a fairy.  He carried a wand and had a long blond wig!  Funny!

These are for you Jess!  She is an accountant.  She is all about figuring everything that has to do with numbers!

Mile 3....25:21

Mile 4.....

Mile 6.....50:29

 Mile 7.....

We were feeling great.  This was our fastest part of the race.  I took some Gu this time.  I've only tried it one other time and that was during a training run.  I don't think I ran faster because of it but I did feel it kick in after a couple of miles.  My legs didn't feel as tired.

Mile 10.  We were rollin' right along but it was hilly!

This was at  the end.  You can hear him say my name at the end of the video.  The finish line was kind of quiet.  Not like any of the others I've done.  It's neat to hear them say your name though.  I like when they put your name on your number.  People can cheer for you by name throughout the race!

At the finish.  Jess did an awesome, awesome job!!  It was her first race ever and she's already signed up for another mini and a FULL with me!!

 Here we are at the finish line...

 And our whole group.  LOVE these girls!!  Everyone did a FABULOUS job!!!!

Here are my stats:

I did PR which I am very happy about.  My previous best was 1:51 and some change.  That was a flat course though so I didn't know what to expect since I knew Nashville was hilly.  I came in at 1:50:01!  How annoying is that 1 second?!  So close to being under 1:50.  I will be there.  Trust me!

Overall, I placed 102 out of 2911 (This includes the guys.)

25 out of 469 in my age group  (Top 25!  Woot!  Woot!)

98 out of 2823 of all women (I am so happy to be in the top 100!)

November 3rd, here I come!!!  Running through Cherokee Park!  Yes please!

We'll be back in Nashville in April for the FULL Rock and Roll Marathon!  I can't wait!!

How are your goals coming along??  Get out there and get it going!  You can do anything you set your mind to do!!!  You know you can!!

Motivation

 Hi. My name is Tammy Nuxoll, and I am the final guest blogger in Alicia's motivation series. I am a 41 year old mother of a high school freshman and a seventh grader (man time flies). I have played sports all of my life and have always worked out for the sport I participated in at the time. When sports were over after college, I felt I deserved a "break." I quickly learned it is hard to come back after a "break" and I needed to make exercise a daily part of my life.

I wish I could say that I'm a work-out-aholic like Alicia (and some others that I run with:)) Their motivation and commitment to fitness is amazing. I, on the other hand, find myself really motivated at times, but there are also times when I hit a fitness slump and find myself not exercising or eating as well as I should. When my pants don't fit right or the scale reaches too far beyond where I want it to be I start back again and think, "Why do I let myself go back to bad habits. If I would just stick to it, I would feel so much better." When I lose focus on my health and fitness, I have found a few techniques to get me back on track:

1) Set Goals-I remember when my youngest child, Maddie, was about three years old. I had not lost any of my baby weight, and I was the heaviest I had been in my life. I decided it was time to do something, so I put on my XL t-shirt, doubled up on the sports bras and wore my husband's shorts. I was extremely winded as I ran/walked (mostly walked) one lap around my neighborhood. As a former college athlete, I was depressed about the shape I was in. Thankfully, I'm pretty competitive so I just started to set small goals for myself. I would try to walk less each time I ran and slowly I increased my distance. Once I started adding miles, I decided to set a bigger goal of running the Louisville Triple Crown which included a mini-marathon.Signing up for events is now a huge motivator for me. Once I have paid my entry fee, there is no turning back because I don't want to waste money, "die" or "look stupid" in the process of completing it. Setting fitness goals has allowed me to complete several mini-marathons, three marathons and two Warrior Dash runs. I am really proud when I set a fitness goal and accomplish it.

Setting goals not only helps me with my fitness goals, but also my eating habits. About the time I started running, I realized that I needed help making healthy food choices. I started attending Weight Watchers, and it really helped. The program helped me learn about making healthy choices and taught me how to set goals to lose weight. I will admit that I have had to return to Weight Watchers a few times to get me back on track when I hit those "unhealthy" slumps, but when I set goals for myself I quickly get back on track and feel much better about myself. You can do it too!! Set small goals at first and "Just Do It!"

2) Fitness Friends-I would not be able to meet my goals if I didn't have "like-minded" friends to keep me going. My running friends are amazing. We are all extremely busy people, who have "extra" jobs beyond our main work, and have kids that participate in after school activities. Last Spring, I was in one of my slumps. I wanted to exercise, but I was either too tired when I got home from work, got home after dark or had to have the kids at an event. Some of my running friends were meeting before work in the morning, but I didn't think I could meet that early, get the kids ready for school and arrive to work on time. When my friends found out I wanted to start running early, they started meeting at my house at 5:30 a.m. and we haven't looked back since. We met all summer and continue to meet two to three times a week for our early morning runs. I never thought I could get up that early and run, but now that I do I feel amazing. I am getting my exercise finished before work, and I do not have to worry about fitting it in and taking time away from my family. I feel like I am more productive at work and have a better outlook on life.

 I know it sounds like we are all just "happy runners," but it's not always that way. There are days when I do not want to wake up early, but I can't let my friends down by not meeting them. There are also mornings when one of us feels sluggish. If we were by ourselves, we would probably quit early, but there is always someone who pushes us to finish the run.

Try to find a fitness friend that will meet you at the gym for an exercise class, a run or a walk. Having a workout partner makes you more accountable.

Luckily, for me, I am in a "good" place right now in my fitness life. I just finished an 18 1/2 mile run this morning! I know that sounds crazy, and I don't normally run that far, but I have set a goal of running my fourth marathon in a few weeks. There is no way I could meet this goal without my friends training with me. 

You can do it too!!! Set a goal, find a friend or two, and get started today:)

Motivation

The story behind my motivation is pretty simple. It's my need for a little 'me time' in my world that is dedicated to my family and supporting my family. My name is Jess Lord. I have three boys - seven year old twins and my little one is four. I am an accountant and I work 40+ hours a week and insane hours during tax season.   I also teach Jazzercise.  My husband went back to school a few years ago to pursue a teaching degree and he is in his last year of school.  He also works so his school schedule consists of a lot of evening classes.  My boys are all involved in sports and we are at the ball fields 5 to 6 days a week.  Oh yes and how could I forget.... because I didn't feel like I had enough to do already I decided to join the PTO board this year and volunteer as room mom.  I've got to keep close tabs on all these boys - ha!  Can you tell I'm a busy body.

That was a lot of background but I just want you to understand where I'm coming from when I say that I need exercise to keep myself in check.  I cannot really ever remember a point in my life that I did not do some form of exercise, but my need for it has grown over the years.  I have been Jazzercising since I was in college and I have been teaching it for four years.  I absolutely love the Jazzersise program and the people in the program - everyone is like family.  Once upon a time I was a new mom with these two little boys that seemed to make me crazy some days.  Jazzercise was my escape.  It brought me back to reality from mommy land.  Even if it was just an hour a day - it was MY hour.  I took my love of Jazzercise up  a notch and I started teaching it.  Being up on that stage and in charge of motivating a room full of people really makes you step up your workout.  The harder I work out the better I feel - it's like a legal, good for you drug!!!

This spring I signed up for a mud run.  I had never been a big runner and I did not want to find out the day of the run if I was in shape enough.  Alicia invited me to join them for early their morning runs and that is how my addiction started.  I will admit getting up at 5:00am in the morning is not my idea of fun, especially on the weekends.  But once my feet hit the ground from that bed I am ready to go.  Plus I am back before my family is even out of bed in the mornings.  Alot of it was about creating new habits in my daily routine.  I have to give most of the credit to our running group though.  They are my true motivation.  I love our time together - the conversation is the best and even on three hour runs we never seem to run out of things to talk about.  I love that we all understand and value what exercise adds to our lives and we all have common goals.

My motivation is really just the need for the mental balance that exercise provides.  I have more on my plate now more than ever but I can honestly say I have never felt better.  I am a better mom - I have much more patients and I am teaching my kids healthy habits.  I am a better wife because I feel good about myself.  I preform better at work because I can keep my stress under control.  I am healthier because I have learned what my body needs to keep up with the workouts.  And I am happy because I know that each morning I get to put my shoes on and hit the road with good conversation and great friends and later on in the day I get to bust out some moves at Jazzercise.  Insert a little work, sports and volunteer time here.  I get to end each day with my family and a smile on my face... and that's what its all about! 

Nursing your sweet tooth.....

Check out this website about sugar.  Wow!  What a shocker!

http://www.onlinenursingprograms.com/nursing-your-sweet-tooth/

Thanks Lori!  :)

Coming up...

Help!  I want a running partner.  All my friends are lame.  How can I find one?

Today was an exciting day for me!

I ran 16 miles!!  That's the farthest these legs have ever taken me!  I've done several mini-marathons but never more than 13.1 miles.  I did it today.  It was definitely with the help of these people though.  Mark, Danielle, Jess, and Tammy.....

I wish the pictures were more clear.  We were just moving to dang fast!

Of course, I took some video for you!  Mark, Rhonda, and Danielle did the first 10.  Tammy, Jess, and I went 16.

Truckin' along!  We were almost done here!

15 miles in!  It felt sooo awesome!!!!!!!  I could have gone further!!  A full marathon is definitely in my future....near future!

true.....oh so true!!!!

Motivation...I have thought so much about this since Alicia asked me to post. I have exercised most of my adult life (when I was in school it was all about the sport) so I had to think about this because I thought exercise and health is just a habit for me now. I realized it's not! I choose and search for motivation all the time. I am so excited to share these with you!

First, my name is Lori Gavin and I am the elder of our running group. I usually pretend I am Alicia and Jess's age but truth is I am 12 years older. I have two girls, Lindsay and Madison. Lindsay is a junior at IU Bloominton and Maddie is a junior in high school. I work at instilling in them the improtance of exercise and healthy eating. I really believe teaching my kids how to be healthy is one of my jobs as a mother. My exercise is part of modeling for my kids but mostly it's for me. I love the way I feel relaxed and energized after working out. Through the years, I have walked, swam, and jazzercised for exercise. I started running about 4 or 5 years ago and totally fell in love with it.

What motivates me is the feeling of being healthy, fit, and happy! Exercise creates endorphins to stimulate the feeling of happiness. Who doesn't want that! Keeping motivated is the tougher part that everyone, including myself, has to work through. Here is how I handle it....GOALS, GOALS, and amending GOALS. When I really started thinking about motivation for myself it all went back to setting goals. I set them all the time and they are nothing fancy. Just something to keep me going. When I first started running my goal was to add mileage. Believe me it was hard because I was a new runner. Positive self talk was crucial to get to my goal. You may think this is silly, but in my head I would say, "C'mon Gavin you can do this!". Positive self talk can really help but you might not want to say it out loud. Ha!

Don't stop at one goal! After you accomplish one set a new one. After adding mileage my goal was to run a half marathon with my brother and sister-in-law who come in town every year to run the Derby mini. I was going to surprise them! The feeling of accoomplishment was so rewarding and I was off setting another goal.
Goals really work to help keep you motivated!

I have to mention that goals sometimes need to be amended. Life happens but that is not failure! Recently I have struggled with injuries. When this happens goals should not be dropped; just amended. Do I sometimes get down when this happens? YES! Just recently my goal was a half marathon with the girls in Nashville, I was so excited because it was my "return" from my previous hip injury. I fell one day (not while running) and now have a torn MCL and meniscus. Doctor said running is out! I was so disappointed I went straight to the store and bought my favorite treat animal crackers and cool whip. I ate the whole tub! Doc said I could swim and do the elliptical. I was not motivated to go through this again but...I went. I decided to take a picture of myself on the elliptical and send to my running buddies. It actually made me feel better, and so I set my amended goal. Don't be afraid to do silly, little things to motivate yourself. My new goal...during recovery hit the pool and elliptical so as not to lose too much of my fitness level. I really want to get back out there with my friends who motivate me as well and make exercise fun.


I wanted to include quotes from two people that inspire me, Chuck and Kathleen Schuler. They are all in when it comes to fitness, exercise and health. I asked them what motivates them...Katleen says, "I come from a family of obesity and don't want to live the life I see them live. Being healthy and fit is a lot more comfortable."  Chuck says, "Physical activity has always been part of my life and not doing it wouldn't be normal. I enjoy competition!"

Everyone has reasons and things that motivate them. Set your GOALS, use positive self talk, and find friends TO KEEP YOURSELF MOVING! You will enjoy your life of fitness!

Love, Lori

Interesting....

Thankfully, my kids don't even know most of these exist!

Boy, do I have a treat for you!

Motivation.  What motivates me?  I get that question all the time.  It's a hot topic.  Well, do I have a treat for you!  There are three gals that I love very much....Jess, Lori, and Tammy.  They provide me with a ton of motivation!!  They are each going to blog about motivation and what it means to them.

Lori will post this week.  She's recovering from a couple of injuries so her workouts right now are altered but she is still out there moving!  I can't wait for you to hear from her!  She's definitely a no excuses kind of gal!

Jess will post next week.  She's also a Jazzercise instructor with me.  She's in the "I have 3 young kids yet I still manage to find time to work out" club.  She's running the Nashville mini with me later this month.  It will be her first mini!!!  SOOO exciting!!

Tammy will blog after Jess.  She's training right now to run the Chicago Marathon in October.  This will be her 4th marathon, I believe....maybe 5!  She's also running the Nashville mini with me.  She's amazing.  She will get out there and push herself like no one I've ever seen!

I am so looking forward to what these gals have to say.  You guys are in for a treat!!  I can't wait!!  Stay tuned!!

It's not all cookies and ice cream!

Sometimes it's hard.  Sometimes you want to quit.  Sometimes you have no idea how you are going to go another mile.  Jess and I ran 12 miles this morning and there are 3 words I would use to describe those 12 miles.....HOT, HILLY, HARD!  Man, I wanted to quit!  At the 6 mile mark, we ran past my house.  OUCH!  That was a tough one!  

We did hill work today.  Jess tried to get a picture of this ginormous hill that we had to climb but the pic does it no justice!

Being FINISHED felt oh so good!

Jess took a short video.  It's not always easy but get out there anyway!!  IT'S WAY WORTH IT!!!

(Yes, I am aware that I am wearing the same workout outfit as last week!  ha!  I own drawers and shelves full of work out clothes.  Funny that I'm in the same thing!)

I am going to leave you with this article about rest.

http://www.jazzercise.com/articles/09_rest_recover_from_execise.html

Don't forget to rest too!  Jess sent me a text that said, "In the last 6 days we each taught 3 classes and ran 40+ miles that included hills and speed training.  That's hard core!  Rest day well-deserved tomorrow - ENJOY!"  YES!  I am looking forward to a REST day!!  :)

Have a great 3-day weekend!!

You guys are never far from my heart....

We had a 12 miles training run this morning and I decided to show you guys one of my favorite routes.  It was just 3 of us this morning.....me, Jess, and Tammy.  Some of our group ran yesterday but we were never short on some good laughs and great conversation!!!  Love these two gals!!  You get seriously close to someone when you log as many miles as we do together!!

 It just so happened that the Iron man was today so when we ran over the bridge we got to watch some of the swimmers!  Check them out over at the edge getting ready for their turn!

This is the best part though!  I videoed for you guys!  Your welcome!  Ha!  Just excuse my sweat and my heavy breathing!  Hee hee!!  We were over 11 miles in at this point.  We were almost finished. 

I LOVE going over the bridge with the sun coming up over the horizon!!  Breathtaking!!!

We were feeling great so we decided to go 13.1 this morning instead of 12!  Great, great decision!  I can't wait for our race coming up September 22 in Nashville!!

Do you feel like you eat the same thing over and over again?

I do!  I know what I like and I know what's healthy so that's what I eat.  I get tired of that sometimes though.  Check out this website....

http://skinnyms.com/

I love that it lists the nutritional information right there for you!  Awesome!

Let's have a chat...

School is back in session for me.  Things are busier again.  Sam is playing fall ball and flag football.  Jake is in preschool.  This means that on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have 3 drop-offs.  Practices are 2-3 nights a week.  Daniel is on the Athletic Commission at Sam's school and he coaches.  I am back to working part-time.  I still teach Jazzercise and I volunteer.  I could go on and on about being busy.  The truth is that we are all busy.  Don't let that be an excuse for you!  Build your workout into your schedule and stick with it!

I have changed the way I've been eating a little.  I've been eating more lean protein....chicken, greek yogurt, cheese, etc.  I still stay with-in my allotted calories for the day.  I can really tell that I am staying fuller longer which helps!  I am also really trying to make my biggest meal of the day lunch.  I feel so much better the next morning when I do this.  It's hard with a family because I cook for them every night but I am trying.

I am still training for the Nashville Women's Mini-Marathon on September 22.  Training is going really well.  I am running a lot and it feels great!  I am running 6 miles and doing Jazzercise Thursday, 6 miles Friday, the Rugged Maniac on Saturday, and we are doing 12 miles on Sunday.  I am looking forward to it all!

We have a group of people doing the Polar Bear Grand Prix.  This is a series of 3 short races (2 miles, 4 miles, and a 5K) that will keep you running through the winter months.  (December, January, and February)  Let me know if you would like to join us!  Here is the registration site.

http://www.active.com/running/louisville-ky/polar-bear-grand-prix--13-2012

The Triple Crown of Running on-line registration is open.  Early (and cheaper) registration is now until the end of the year.  Most likely, I will not do these.....just because I am cheap but they are a great series of races!

http://www.louisvilletriplecrown.com/index.html

You can also register for the Kentucky Derby Mini-marathon/Marathon.  Early (and cheaper) registration is now until October 31st.

http://derbyfestivalmarathon.com/

Sign up early to save some moo-lah!

It's not too late to register for the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon on November 3.  I am pretty sure I am going to go ahead and do this one.  I might as well, right?  I will be trained up and ready to roll after the September 22 mini.  The price goes up October 1st.

http://www.lscmarathon.com/

How are things going for you?  How are those hurdles treating you?  Don't be afraid to comment here.  I love your Facebook messages but other people can't read those.  We can help each other.  Don't be shy!  I have well over 2,000 hits on this site so I know you are out there!  Speak up!

I will leave you with these.  I just love them!  ha ha!  They are so me!

REMEMBER: "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got."

--  W. L. Bateman Ask yourself:  Are you happy with that?

I found a new page on Facebook!

I love my crock pot!!  Now try.......Skinny Slow Cooker!!

We see these things all the time......

.....but some are just soooo true!!!  

What a novel idea!

I have had 3! people come up to me this week and say something like...."I need to start exercising.  My (insert older family member here) has (insert ailment here) and I don't want to end up like them."  What a good idea!  Start now.  Start what you should have been doing all along.  Don't wait until you are old and can't move.  Don't wait until you are already on medicine.  It is NEVER too late.  Keep that body movin' and a groovin'!  Keep it STRONG!

Just remember if you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same results.  What is stopping you?  What are you waiting for?  It's time to make a change.  You can do it!!!!

Preferred Meats for the locals.

Does everyone know about Preferred Meats?  I am always surprised at how many people aren't familiar with it when I talk about it.  It's a fresh meat counter off of Interstate 65 at exit 7.  They sell a wide range of items.  Mostly meat but other things too.  Their prices are reasonable especially compared to Meijer and it's so much better for you.  I tried these chicken sausages tonight.  They are only 100 calories each.  They were so tasty!  I will definitely buy them again.

Restaurants

Eating out.  Oh it's so hard and such an easy options for busy people.  I am guilty when it comes to this.  Here are some pointers that I try to live by:

1. Try to plan ahead and be ready to cook at home.  If I don't have anything planned, I am likely to stop and grab something for dinner.  Not usually a healthy choice.  Do you use your crock pot?  Plan it and use it!  Dinner is ready or almost ready when you walk in the door.
2. I know. I know.  "But we have football/basketball/gymnastic/dance practice every night so I just go through the drive-thru."  Plan ahead and pack a dinner.  Don't think you have to cook.  Think outside the box.  What about a cold lunch packed in a cooler?  
3. When you do go out, plan ahead.  Most sites list the nutritional information for their food.  On some sites, like Qdoba, you can calculate the number of calories in their different entrees.
4. Ask your waiter/waitress how the food is prepared.  Sauces add lots of calories.  Ask for half the sauce.  I do that if I go to Olive Garden.  Watch creamy sauces.  High in calories and fat.
5. Lots of places have a "healthy/light/low fat" section.  Look for it or ask if there is a separate menu.
6. I've heard of people doing this (I've never done it though).....ask for a box as soon as you get your meal.  Then you can box up half of it so you won't eat it all at once.
7. Watch for too much cheese and meat on a salad.  
8. Have you ever dipped your fork in your dressing instead of pouring it all on at once?  Ask for your dressing on the side and dip your fork in it with each bite.  You will use much less.
9. Make sure to order plenty of vegetables.  Think about what your plate looks like.  It should be covered mostly with vegetables.
10. Grilled is always a good way to order your meat.

Any other tips or tricks out there that you use?

Answers...

I love these things....

Amber asks...Is this calories counter correct?  It seems high to me.

It seemed high to me too.  I did a little more research and I like this one better....

http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/caloriedeficitcalculator.php

Jessica asks...Should I take in more calories when I am burning more?

I think you have to think about your goal.  If your goal is to lose weight, then no.  You should lower your calorie intake.  If you want to maintain, then you can take in a higher amount of calories and maintain.  I am always thinking about losing BUT I would like to build more lean muscle so I've been thinking of how I should change my diet to do that.  Any ideas out there?

I am not sure about your dressing question.  I really don't have a feeling or thought one way or the other.  I looked it up and couldn't find much.  Anyone else have any thoughts?  Which would be a better option for dressing on a salad: oil/vinegar or a fat free/low fat dressing?

I loved reading about your hurdles whether it was in a comment, a Facebook message, or in an e-mail.  Remember everyone has struggles when it comes to this stuff.  Everyone gets off track at times!  Don't let yourself get too far off track.  Get back on before it spirals out of control!  Keep your eye on the goal.  Stay focused!  YOU CAN DO IT!

Food....

My breakfast looked particularly yummy one day this week so I snapped a pic for you guys!  Your welcome!  ha!  

egg beaters, turkey sausage, and fresh tomatoes

Notice that it's on a tiny plate and overflowing with food?  It's not really that much.  Diet trick!

I love granola but have you checked the label on that stuff?  So high in calories!  When you scan most of it on Fooducate, the 'grade' is not that great.  Meijer just started carrying this kind.  It only has 120 calories per serving.  It got a B+ on Fooducate.  It tastes great by itself or in yogurt.  It's on sale this week too!  SCORE!

I try to teach my kids to eat healthy.  I really do.  This is Jake.  Maybe you saw this on Facebook but I wanted to post the carrot up the nose on my Healthy Living Blog too!  LOL!

Have you started that food journal yet?

Yes or no?  If you aren't tracking your calorie intake, now is as good as a time as any to start!  You have to see what's going in!

First, calculate the number of calories you need per day....

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Second, write down every morsel you put in your mouth and calculate those calories.

Stick to it!!  Don't give up!  Let me know how you are doing!

There is a moral to this story....

Well, how was your eating this weekend?  Are you proud of yourself for sticking to it even though you wanted to stray?  Are you disappointed because you had that fruity drink or dessert that you should have skipped?  No matter where you stand...it's a new week!  It's time to celebrate your successes and/or get back on track.  For me, it's time to get back on track.  Yes, I stuck to my workouts.  (That's the easy part!) No, I didn't eat very well.  Even if you had too many Landshark Lagers this weekend, tomorrow is a new day.  Tomorrow will be better.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, one cheeseburger from White Castle has 170 calories.  GULP!

What are your hurdles?

Heather writes:


I am interested in other people's hurdles to achieving the goal and what they use for motivation to JUMP those hurdles! For example, here are mine:

1. I am/feel too fat to put on the workout clothes...they cling to my body...what if someone sees me and how terrible I look? 

Solution: Envision the "me" that awaits the end of training and all the hard work, not what is there now. Who cares if someone sees you and thinks, "look at that sweaty fatty run" because at the end of the day, my butt was NOT on the couch :) I actually had someone elude to that once when my husband and I did the half-marathon. My response? "Oh, did YOU just run > 13 miles? No. Okay then."

2. I am tired, exhausted in fact.

Solution: just put on my shoes and show up. If I can give it at least 10 minutes, I know it will start to feel good and I will be glad that I showed up. Remembering Alicia's posting: there are 1440 minutes in every day. I should be able to spare 30 for exercise. 

3. I love food. I love sweet food.

Solution: Don't buy the crap that I shouldn't be eating. Not so easy to eat if I don't have it accessible. And again, log the calories before eating and decide if it is worth it to ruin my great week of being under calories.

4. It will take forever to get where I want to be/it's never going to happen/it is too hard.

Solution: The end result will be so worth it. After 1 week of eating right and exercising, I know I will feel better even if I don't look better yet. I have to remind myself to take it slow. Follow the program (mine are Lose It and Couch to 5K) and not try to go farther, faster. No need to burn out! 

Anyhow, these are my obstacles. What are obstacles you guys have???








Personally, my biggest hurdle is TIME!  I have 3 kids and a husband.  I have to run a tight ship.  Everyone is involved in activities.  Daniel and I are involved at Sam's school so we have obligations with that.  I teach Jazzercise.  Sam and Jake both play sports.  Nora....well, she's gonna be in dance and gymastics soon enough!  :)  


I solve that by running 6 mornings a week at 5:30 or 5:45 am.  Most days, I am home and showered before my family is out of bed.  However, this does present another problem.  I have to make sure I go to bed at a reasonable time.  If I stay up too late too many nights in a row, it really catches up with me.  If you see pictures of my sleeping in the car, this is why!  ha!  :)  It's soo worth it though!

Coming up.....

RESTAURANTS!!!



Don't be shy!  Leave me a comment!  I can see that I am getting a lot of hits!  Tell me if there is something you want to discuss.  :)

Think about it....

Don't you just love those microwave meals?  They are so quick and easy!  I always think if it's too good to be true then it probably is!  Remember those things are processed and usually contain a ton of sodium.  I don't know about you but when I eat them (and I never do) they last me about 5 minutes before I am hungry again!  I need something with some substance!  The problem is if you add a yogurt and other things to the meal, your calories end up being higher.  Eating healthy takes some planning and thought.  I make my lunch the night before when I have time.  Sure, these meals are easy to just grab on the way out the door but with some planning, you can have a healthy, nutritious meal.

Let's talk about portion control.  This is really important to think about.  There can be too much of a good thing.  Take cereal for example, have you ever measured that stuff out?  They say that it's like 120 calories per serving but if you actually measure it out, a "normal" bowl for most people is way more than that.  My small amounts of meat (Hi, Gretchen) got lots of laughs.  BUT, when you really look at our portions, they are way out of control!  A serving of chicken is only 3 ounces which is about the size of a deck of cards.  That's less than a whole chicken breast.  Measure out your portions and count those calories.  It works!!!!

My Poor Kids!!!

Click here......

This is what my poor kids have to endure!! ha ha!

Please follow me if you haven't already.  Just enter your e-mail to the right.  There's been some confusion about how that works.  If you put in your e-mail address, you should receive an e-mail confirmation that you have to click to confirm.  If you aren't receiving updates, you haven't done that correctly.  Try it again.  It should work.  Thanks!  :)

Best Running Friends

We've talked a lot about finding people to work out with.  It makes it so much more fun!!  It's so much easier to stay motivated!!  Surround yourself with people that have the same goals.  (That really works for lots of different things but we won't go there.)  I just thought I would share a couple of things from my weekend.  I did my long run on Saturday with this group of people......Mark, Tammy, Danielle, and Jess.....

I heart these people a lot!!!  We've logged lots and lots of miles together!!!  What happens on the road stays on the road!  We miss our good running pal, Lori.  She's recovering from an injury.  Booo!!

I did the Color Run today.  It was a 5K 'race.'  While we ran, people threw paint at us.  We got a group together, had shirts made, and acted silly the whole time!  It was an absolute blast! 

Please let me know if you live in my area and want to join us in anything.  We have a mud run/obstacle course coming up in August.

IT'S THE WEEKEND!!!!

How are you doing??  Don't blow your diet this weekend and all the hard work you've already done!  Did you know it can take 3-5 days of very healthy eating to recover from an unhealthy weekend?  By then, it's the weekend again.  Is it really worth it?

I want to start running. Where do I begin?

Short Answer:  Have a goal.  Sign up for a 5K.

This will help you stay focused.  When I first started running, I ran races all the time.  Yes, it does get expensive but they are so fun and they keep you so motivated.  Watch Groupon and Living Social for discounts.  I don't do as many races now because I don't really need the motivation but it is still fun to have a goal.  We just started training for the Nashville Women's Half-Marathon in September.  Even though I've been running very consistently since my last mini, it feels so good to be training for something and have a goal.  (A GIRL'S TRIP TO BOOT!  I CAN'T WAIT!)

I know a lot of people that have had great success with that Couch to 5K program.  

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml


This is especially helpful if you are just starting out.  Start slow!  


I think it is so helpful to find a good running partner.  My run this morning was seriously hard.  I would have been toast without my group of gals!  We push each other to go farther and faster!  I know it's hard to find someone and then coordinate schedules but it really is so helpful when you need a little push.  Surround yourself with people that have the same goal in mind.  Push each other!


Here is another good website:

http://www.marathonrookie.com/

You can scroll down to find training for several different distances.

This brings me to my next thought.  If running isn't your thing, try a class.  Obviously, I love Jazzercise but find a class that works for you.  Classes are such an easy way to surround yourself with people that have similar goals.....being healthy and getting into shape.  I remember thinking when I first joined Jazzercise "Oh my goodness.  These people are annoyingly energetic and I want to be JUST LIKE THEM!"  hee hee!  

The bottom line is that it's not going to be easy.  It will be hard to breath.  You will feel like you are going to die.  Your side is going to hurt.  It's not a walk in park sipping a caramel latte.  Don't give up!!  If it was that easy, everyone would do it!  There are going to be days when you want to quit.  There are going to be set backs.  The thing is that you can't let those set backs get you down.  You can't let a minor little glitch ruin all the hard work you've already put into it.  Keep your eyes on your goal!!  It takes effort but it is worth it and YOU are worth it!!  Now go to Pacers and Racers, buy some new running shoes and get out there and pound some pavement!

I don't want to leave my kids......

I hear this excuse all the time.  I always laugh inside when I hear it too.  I know that the person saying it knows that I workout nearly everyday.  I don't take offense to it but I do laugh.  Are they saying I'm a bad mom?  Well, I definitely have my flaws as a parent but I don't think this is one of them!  I think that this is just an excuse to get out of doing something that is hard and takes perseverance.  

As parents, we all make a ton of sacrifices for our families.  If you really think about, it starts before conception!  Then, you (moms) are pregnant.  Wow, now there's a sacrifice!  Then you nurse the little boogers.  They literally suck the life out of you!  ha!  I could go on and on.  Taking the time to workout is something that you must take the time for!!!  There are countless benefits of exercise.  Turn on the TV.  People are talking about it all the time.  Besides the obvious, there are lots of benefits for your family....

1.  Sanity:  Yeah, I am pretty sure my family wants me to work out on most days.  I am a GROUCH when I don't do it.  I have less patience with them.  I am just not nice.

2.  You can keep up with your kids.  You can go do things without any kind of physical limitation.

3.  You are setting a good example for them.  With video games, computers, and TV, there is so much for kids to do that requires little to NO activity.  My kids will say, "Gosh Mom.  This is good exercise.  It's good for my body."  That is so important to teach them this in this world of unhealthy, obese people.

4.  You are more self-confident.  That itself makes you a better mom and wife. 

5.  As you get older, it's harder and harder to "start" something like this.  That doesn't mean anyone is too old but the earlier the better!  You have to keep that body moving and in working order for your kids and grand kids.

6.  Did I mention sanity?!?!

There really are countless benefits.  You just can't feel bad about it.  You don't feel bad to have a girl's night out (moms) or a golf outing (dads) without your kids so don't feel bad about this either!

Above all, you are worth it and you deserve it as a person and an individual!  

My POV

I feel like Bill Lamb.  Who watches the news?  Do you know what I'm talking about.  And THAT'S MY POINT OF VIEW!!  ha ha!!

Anyway, you guys have had lots of good questions and lots of good things to think about!

1.  Diet Drinks: to do or not to do?  I kind of feel the same way I do about all processed foods.  Not a good idea.  I know, I know.  But they are DIET!  Daniel and I have this conversation all the time.  They are still "processed" and they are still all that artificial sweetener stuff that can't be good!

2.  Cereal: I don't eat a lot of cereal.  I do feed it to my kids though.  I have them trained to check the back to see how much sugar is in it!  I've totally brainwashed them!  I will hear Sam tell Jake, "That has too much sugar.  Mom won't let us get it!"  ha!  If you have a smartphone, there is this great app called "Fooducate".  You can scan the barcode on any food and it will give that food a grade.  I just scanned my Grapenuts and they got an A-.  The only thing negative it said was "Look out!  Not 100% whole grain."  I scanned some Corn Flakes and it was a C+.  I was surprised by that.  It said controversial additive BHT present.  Be cautious when you buy cereal.  They try to make EVERYTHING sound healthy!

3.  Veggies:  How can you make them taste good?  I don't do anything to raw veggies.  Sometimes I add balsamic vinegar to my tomatoes.  Sometimes you just have to acquire a taste for stuff.  It's taken me 33 years to like tomatoes and now I LOVE them!!  (Don't laugh Mom!)  I use different seasonings and such to my streamed/grilled veggies.  The other night I used this greek seasoning on my squash.  I just cut up the squash, put it on a pan, sprinkled this stuff on top, and baked it.  It was soo good.  I ate the whole squash myself!  I didn't share with my family!  ha!  I've kinda burnt them out on squash this summer so I don't think they minded!

4.  Fruit vs. veggies?  You definitely need to eat both as part of a well-balanced diet.  I tend to eat more veggies because they are lower in calories than fruit.  I usually just eat a piece of fruit for snack and/or have some blueberries on my yogurt.  I eat a ton of veggies though.  You can eat tons of those and really fill up without a bazillion calories!

5.  Someone ask what small changes they could make:  I think everyone should start with small changes.  Don't change everything all at once.  You will set yourself up for failure.  Pick one thing to change and go from there.  I eat ice cream sometimes and that's ok.  Keep your goal in mind and don't give up...even when it's hard and you want to quit!!!

6.  Meat:  Meat is not bad.  Yes, it is higher in calories but you need to get protein from someplace.  When I eat a piece of chicken, I may only eat 1/4 or 1/2 of it.  I always look at my plate at mealtime.  It should be covered mostly with veggies.  Meat should only be a small portion.

7.  Eggs:  I usually scramble mine just because it's easy.  I usually have a kid hanging on me while I am doing it!  ;)

Keep the questions coming and the conversation going!  I love talking about this kind of stuff!

Coming up....

So those are the posts copied from my family blog.  They were a "Day in the Life" sort of thing.  Just thought that would be someplace to start.  Two things coming up are:

1.  How to start running

2.  Excuse:  I don't want to take time away from my family to exercise

Two hot topics that I've heard a lot of people talk about lately.

Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy!

Day 7

Since most of the other posts have been about food, let's talk about fitness today, shall we?  I obviously LOVE Jazzercise.  I think it's the best all-around fitness program out there.  I love that you get a total body workout in an hour.  You are guaranteed cardio, an upper body strength routine, a lower body strength routine, an ab routine, an optional routine (I usually do inside thighs) and stretching.  What else do you need especially if you are crunched for time?  I don't like classes where I feel like I have to go into the gym to "complete" my workout.  BUT I totally understand that it's not for everyone.  You may not have classes near you or the time might not work for you.  I picked up running after I started having kids because of the convenience.  Of course, now I love it and I am completely addicted!  I think the bottom line is that you have to find something that works for you.  The Jazzercise tagline is "When you love your workout, results come easy."  I think this is true for any exercise.  The thing is that you may not LOVE something right away.  Take running for example, it takes a while to build up stamina to love it.  A running partner/group really helps!  I would totally recommend finding a workout partner.  Someone for some accountability.  I ran 4 HOT, FAST miles this morning.  I was dying.  It was soo hot.  My running partner definitely helped me today!  We always laugh and say sometimes you are the pusher and sometimes you are the pushee.  I've been the pusher for the last few days.  Today I was definitely the pushee!

I was looking in the seasoning aisle when I ran across an old friend.  I've not had this stuff in forever.  My mom used to buy it all the time.  It's yummy!  I can't wait to use it again.  It has about half the sodium as regular salt and about the same amount as Crazy Jane.

 I am completely addicted to this stuff on tomatoes.  It has 10 calories per tablespoon.  I just cut up some tomatoes and add a little balsamic vinegar and EAT IT UP!

 I found this at the grocery this morning.  We don't usually eat potatoes but I thought I would try these sweet potatoes that you can just steam.  I will let you know if they are good.  They are 110 calories per potato.

 I've just assumed that you guys know to drink water, water, water.  I found this picture and it was a real eye opener!  Holy cow!  Thankfully, I've never liked soft drinks.  I drink water all the time.  Other than water, I like beer, fruity drinks, wine, coffee, and lattes....in no particular order!!  ;)  Bad, bad, bad.  I usually just stick to water.

Here is some food for thought....

Have you ever thought about what time of day you consume most of her calories?  I know for me it's usually for dinner with my family.  However, I try to make it during the day.  I feel soo much better the next morning/day when I have a heavier lunch and a lighter dinner.  It's hard because I make dinner for my family every night but it's a goal of mine each day!

One thing you could try is keep some sugar-free candy in your purse.  I like the cinnamon discs.  I pop those sometimes if I'm hungry but it's not quite meal/snack time yet.

Amber, I bought some egg substitutes this morning at the grocery.  I am going to see if my family can tell the difference.  We eat eggs a lot so I can't wait to try it on them!

I will leave you with a link to a fitness website that I keep up with.  I get some ideas for personal training here.  This chick, Lisa Marie, is AWESOME!  She is so motivating and her workouts are great!!  It's a workout program that you do completely at home.  Check it out!

http://www.bodyrock.tv/