Plateau

So I've hit a major plateau.  My progress has totally flatlined.  (Actually, it wasn't really on the move at all, now that I think about it.)  I've been drinking tons of water, eating a bunch of little meals throughout the day, not eating at night, cut waaaayyyyy back on the snacks and sweets, working out every day, and so on and so on and so on. SO WHAT THE FREAK IS THE PROBLEM?!?!?!?!

As I'm sure you can imagine, (and maybe you've even lived it), this is beyond friggin' frustrating.  And the way I see it, right now I have two choices.  I can either stop focusing on the end goal, or I can kick my fat booty in to high gear and get past this.  You see, for me, this journey is about more than losing a few pounds.  I mean, yes, of course I'd love to see a smaller number on the scale when I hop on 50 times each day every morning, but more than that, I'd REALLY LOVE to have my clothes fit the way they used to; to exude a higher level of confidence; to be overall happier with the skin I'm in. 

It'll happen.  Right?  It has to. (RIGHT??) Quitting is absolutely not an option.  It can't be.  So I'll drink MORE water, I'll track my calories CLOSER, I'll go to the gym MORE and hit it HARDER.  And I'll meet ya at the finish line. 

Have a healthy day,

J

Fusion Workouts

 

Remember how I told you I had to hit it hard last night at the gym?  Well, I did, and it actually felt really good!  I've mentioned "my class" in a few posts now, but haven't really explained it very well.  I teach a Fusion class, and it's AWESOME!  It's kind of a combination of pilates, low impact cardio, and yoga.  We do tons of strength building exercises, but mainly without weights. (Or if we do pick up weights, they're usually no heavier than 3 pounds).  It's amazing how powerful your own body can be when it's tested.  The concept of this class is totally fresh.  We get our heart-rates up, feel the burn, and leave class as sweaty messes who feel strong and ready to take on the world.

I totally have what I've self-diagnosed as Exercise ADD.  I get completely bored with doing the same workouts over and over. I'm pretty sure that's why I hate running so much. (Well, that, and I have built up such a mental block that I now feel like I'm gonna die the second I break in to a jog). But anyway, that's why I love Fusion workouts so much.  You can't ever get bored because it's always something different.  Like, in my class, we'll do some low impact, strength building cardio followed by some planks followed by some yoga stretching. Before we know it, 30 minutes has passed and it's time to get down on our mats for some traditional Pilates stuff.  It goes by so quickly!

I go to a great Step class sometimes too.  It's not a Fusion class, but it's a Circuit class. So, instead of a bunch of styles being all mashed together, we'll do step circuits followed by weight circuits. Cardio and weight-training together = maximum fat burning!!  Yes Please!! 

Mix it up, do it all, fuse it all together... just do something!

So last night it was some fusion for strength and flexibility and tonight it will be some heart pumping Zumba.  What will your workout look like today?  Whatever it is, I hope you get the most out of it that you possibly can! Like I always say to my class members: that hour of time at the gym is probably one of the only hours in the day that is just for YOU. So make the most of it! 

Have a healthy day,

J

Monday Movie Review

Hi!  I hope ya'll had a good weekend!  Mine was great, and made going back to work today just a little more tolerable.  (Man, a week off always goes by way too quickly!)

Friday night was date night (2 weeks in row!  Amazing!)  We went out with friends this time and had so much fun.  Dinner was at a trendy spot along the river.  I was the only one out of the four of us who had never been.  I split a coal fired pizza and calamari with my girlfriend, and the guys ate coal fired chicken wings and steaks.  ( I really need to start taking pictures of these things.) Everything was so good.  You can imagine how happy I was to walk in to the kitchen on Saturday morning to find my three- year- old in front of the refrigerator picking all of the good stuff off of my leftovers because "I want pizza, and I don't wike vegabulls".  Boo.  We worked off our meals with a couple competitive rounds of darts at a relaxed bar downtown.  We were winning both times until the very last second.  The very first thing out of Husband's mouth on Saturday morning (before even a "good morning"):
  "I hate losing".  Whatever...

If you're in the area, you should really check this place out!

Saturday and Sunday were completely lazy.  I took both days off from the gym, and watched movies.  I finally saw Bridesmaids.  Probably one of the, (if not THE funniest) movies I've ever seen.  I guess you probably have to be a girl who's either gotten married or had a friend get married to REALLY get it, but it was really friggin' hilarious.  Husband was out for a little bit with his sister, and I was literally sitting on my couch by myself, laughing out loud.  LOVED this movie.  (And I also love that Kristin Wiig wrote it, and she's from around here.  Yep, she went to high school in the District I work in now.)

 

The second movie I shamefully watched was Bad Teacher.  Ok, wow, Bad Teacher = Bad Movie. And I'm so sad about that, because I love both Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.  But this just wasn't that funny.  Like, at all.  The only real funny thing is that YES, teachers in real life are definitely as dorky as they were portrayed here.  It's so sad that as a profession, we just simply have zero cool factor.  (And everyone apparently knows it.)  I knew we were kinda geeky, but this movie totally solidified it for me.  Teachers are just straight nerds.  Sigh...

So that's about it on my end.  Since I took two days off in a row from the gym, I will be hitting it hard tonight with my members in my class.  I did rotating stations last week, and they seemed to like it, so we might do another round tonight.  (1 min at each station of either wall sits, push ups, or planks).  Good stuff!

Have a healthy day,

J

Label Reader (in the making)

On my quest to detoxify my home and body, I am becoming more and more aware of what I'm feeding my self and my kids.  And WOW, am I learning a ton.  (None of which I'm loving, by the way).  One ingredient that I'm becoming obsessed with is high fructose corn syrup.  It's everywhere! 

The little bit of research that I've done has taught me that this sweetner has the same effects on your body as sugar does.  I originally thought that it was made purely of chemicals, but I was wrong.  HFCS is actually made from real corn, but it goes through very extensive processing.  (And we all know that we are supposed to be staying away from processed foods).  Truthfully, though, sugar is also very highly processed, and that's almost as common and ingredient as HFCS.  So here we go... they're both bad!!!

I've always been very aware of the amount of sugar my kids consume (ok, I admit it, I'm borderline crazy here).  And I have always thought that I've been making good choices for them.  But just 2 weeks of label reading is opening my eyes to a whole new level of understanding.  And now I'm going even more crazy than ever.  What in this world is possibly good enough to feed those growing bodies?!?! 

The 100% whole wheat sandwich bread they've been eating since birth: HFCS! (What?!?)

The Rice Crispies cereal that only has 3 g of sugar per serving: HFCS!

The jelly that was being spread on said sandwich bread: HFCS!

So, ok, now I know.  Sugar intake is inevitable, but the amount they take in is completely in my control. I've got a lot of label reading in my future, and a lot more research to do.  But it's never too late to start. (Right?!?!)  And my kids' minds and bodies will thank me in the long run. 

Have a healthy day,

J

Not-Fun Workout

I just got home from the gym.  I'm doing pretty well this week- today was the fifth workout since Sunday.  I feel good about myself, but man, I'm really starting to feel sore!  No pain, no gain though, right?!

I've been in to Pilates for a while now- I even got certified to teach a mat class about 4 years ago. I taught through about 7 months of each pregnancy, until it was just way too uncomfortable to be on my back and heave the huge belly around any more.  And I swear it was the Pilates that got me in to my normal size 6 jeans just a couple of months after my first baby was born.  (And no, I am no longer in a size 6.  My second baby rocked my world in more ways than I can count- the now 3-year-old flab is just one of those ways).

So anyway, for the most part, I know what I'm doing in a mat class.  But I teach a different kind of class now, and don't get to Pilates as frequently as I should.  And I was most definitely reminded of that this morning.  O.M.G.

My legs are so tight from other stuff I've done this week, and my flexibility was ridiculous. I was sweating within the first 10 minutes.  I stopped because I was about to die to get water about 27 times. Wow, I've got some work to do. 

(Yes, there are days I can do this move.  Today was not one of those days). 



But I'm glad I went.  It was such a good reminder that no matter how long we've been doing something, there is always room for improvement.  That the moment we only do things that are easy, is the exact moment we will stop seeing results.  I'm definitely going again soon!

Do your workouts challenge you? 

Have a healthy day,

J

Sacrifice

Hi! How's your day going? How's your week going? I just got home from a really fun playdate with my kids. One of the boys was turning 5, so we were celebrating. I met his mom when I was interviewing babysitters before my oldest could even walk, (almost 5 years ago!) We used to talk about baby foods and potty training, and now we're talking about choosing the perfect kindergarten. It's so cliche, but so incredibly true: this really does go by so fast...

Anyway, today is a pretty big religious day for all of us Catholics.  I use that term totally loosely, by the way.  My Church is the most liberal "Catholic" church ever.  (Haha, told ya I love a good oxymoron!) So without getting all churchy on you, I'll just sum it up- there are officially 40 days until Easter.  So for the next 40 days, I will be sacrificing something.  And that something should be something meaningful.  Something that will be replaced with another, better alternative. 

I have chosen to give up meat. 

Yep, that's right, for the next 40 days, (maybe longer depending on how it goes), I will be a vegetarian. 
I'm hoping that this decision, along with this blog, will be exactly what my body needs.  That my health will be the reward.  You see, I'm carrying around too much weight.  I'm not totally FAT, but I definitely have extra meat on my bones.  And it's spilling over more than just the waistband on my jeans.  My extra weight is holding me back from being the totally happy person that my family deserves, and that I desire to be. 

So starting today, no meat.  Period.  I can totally do this. (I'm even looking forward to trying out some of those delicious looking recipes that are all over Pinterest.)

What are you giving up (for Lent or just because)? 

Have a healthy day,

J

Drink Up

How much water do you drink in any given day?  I for one, KNOW that I do not drink enough.  I rarely get in my recommended 6-8 glasses. And this is especially bad since I do some sort of exercise on most days.  I should definitely be drinking WAY more than I do. 

According to a health article I recently read on line, most people live in a state of dehydration and they don't even know it.  That's crazy! Did you know that if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated?  I also learned that the brain is made up of 90% water.  I never knew that!  A lot of times when people are feeling tired, have a headache, or are just a little foggy at work, they reach for pop or coffee. Yes, caffeine is a quick pick-me-up, but it's also the opposite of what you probably need.  Caffeine actually DEHYDRATES you.  So next time, chug some water instead!

 Do you ever get cramps at the gym?  Guess what?  You're probably dehydrated.  I say this to the people who come to my class all the time.  And it's really so true- if you have been working out for a while, and all of a sudden you get a cramp, you need to stop for a second, stretch, and drink some water.  This totally happened to me the other day right in the middle of a class I was taking.  I was drinking during the class, but hadn't had enough to drink throughout the day.  I got a major cramp in my side.  SO not fun!

Just in case those reasons aren't good enough for you, here are a few more reasons why you need to sip more of the clear stuff throughout the day.  Drinking water keeps your skin hydrated, therefore helping you to look younger.  It's a natural mood booster (and who doesn't to be in a good mood?!) AND.. last but certainly not least, drinking water helps speed up your metabolism.  So yes, it's true- you can actually lose weight by drinking more water!! 

I know, I know, you've heard all of this a million times before.  So why, then, are you not doing it?  It doesn't matter whether it comes out of a straw, a cute trendy water bottle, a fountain, or a plain old glass.  All that matters is that it happens.  I am making a commitment to start drinking more water, are you? 

Have a healthy day,

J

*the articles I used for this post:
 http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html;
 http://www.ehow.com/about_5052184_symptoms-not-drinking-enough-water.html

Happy Monday!

This was our drink of choice.. yikes.

How was your weekend?  Overall, mine was pretty good- a nice ease in to what is going to be a fantastic, work-free week!! Hooray for February Break!!

Friday night, I got to spend time with an old friend who I hadn't seen in a very long time.  She and I have definitely had our ups and downs, but I am so happy she is back in my life.  She is very smart, and we had a great conversation about our jobs.  She is also very honest with herself, and it's hard to come across people like that.  I admire that, especially since it's so hard for us to admit things to ourselves sometimes, isn't it?  So we spent time talking about our journeys, and the directions in which we want our lives to go.  Heavy stuff.  But it wasn't all heavy.  We laughed a lot, too.  (And drank a lot.  Sheesh...) She went home to sleep in peacefully, and I went to bed to be woken up approximately 7 minutes later by two rambunctious children. Naptime  that day was a glorious thing.


Saturday was a day off from the gym, and Saturday night was date night.  We went to a great restaurant that uses fresh, local foods.  I love that concept.  I tried to keep it relatively healthy- we shared sushi for an appetizer and I only ate half of my dinner.  Yet no matter what, I totally knew that this weekend was filled with indulgence, and that I'd have some serious work to do at the gym to make up for it.

So I tried to do just that, and when I got to the gym on Sunday morning, I was 2 minutes too late. Boo- I was shut out of the crazily crowded Pilates class that my abs were craving. I headed back to the car to retrieve my sneaks, only to realize that I had left them at home. Duh.  This was not going well. So I drove all the way home and seriously contemplated throwing in the towel, but I didn't.  I picked up my shoes and headed all the way back.  I made it just in time for Zumba.  I'm so glad I went!! 

Have you ever tried Zumba?  It's such a fun workout, and it totally kicks my booty.  It's especially helpful for someone like me who has total Exercise ADD.  I get so bored with my workouts that I ultimately end up getting lazy with them.  But that's totally not an option in Zumba!  Try it!!  I went again this morning.  I also have to teach my class tonight.  I can't remember the last time I did two full workouts in one day.  I'll let you know how I'm feeling tomorrow.  Wish me luck! 

Have a healthy day,

J

Wow! So gross!

As I was perusing the internet (while not working) this morning at work, I came across a disturbing yet enlightening article.  And then I realized that articles like these are EXACTLY why I'm suddenly feeling compelled to write this blog.  Because ignorance is truly NOT bliss.  Because our bodies recognize the garbage we are giving it, even if our brains don't.  Because once we find out the truth, we can take steps towards making better choices. 

So, I'm going to help you out.  (You're welcome.) :)

Are you guys familiar with "Eat This, Not That?" Well, if not, you should be.  I subscribe to the daily email they put out, and have become obsessed.  Anyway, the other day they distributed a list of "The 5 Grossest Foods You're Eating" (http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/5-grossest-foods-supermarket).  YOU MUST READ THIS!!!!  Go ahead... I'll give you a second...

Crazzzyyy, right?!?!?!  Here's the website if you want to check out more:
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home


Which fact grossed you out the most?  That there are probably remnants of human hair in your bread?  That your mushrooms might be shacking up with maggots?  Or that the same dye that is used in your paint is also being used in your salad dressing?!?!  Shocking, right? 

But now you know.  So now you can start doing something about it.  (You're welcome.) :)

Have a healthy day,

J

I LOVE THAT.

I ran up the stairs the other day as my son was calling that he needed me up there RIGHT NOWWWWW! Wanna know where I found him? In his closet, doing a headstand against the wall.  (And by the way, he was wearing nothing except socks. He's four. God I love that kid.) Once I told him that, wow, that's a really cool trick, he responded with, "thanks. Ok, you can leave my room.  I gotta put on shorts and lift heavy stuff now." His little brother chimed in with, "yeah, I gotta work on my musclessss", and flexed for me.  Yes, their new favorite game is "Gym". I love that.

Look at how cute these guys are. I mean, seriously.

They are constantly running, jumping, climbing, and being otherwise physical.  They know that we go to the gym to be healthy, that we take lots of walks so Mama can get exercise, that Dada lifts heavy weights to get big muscles. And now when I've taken a few days off, they'll even suggest, "Hey, are we going to the gym today?" I love that!

We got a new Laurie Berkner CD from the library the other day (BEST kids' artist EVER btw!), and at the end of the "Pretzel Song" she says, "oh well, I guess I'll go eat some chips".  Didn't my kids, on their own, yell out, "Hey, you don't need to be eating chips.  Pick an apple or a plum instead!"  You know where I'm going here...  I LOVE THAT!! 

This is the CD we've been listening to.  I highly recommend it.

Now... I'm not a health freak.  My children have consumed more than their fair share of chips.  All four of us have a major weakness for french fries, and who doesn't love them some cupcakes?!?  But it's all about moderation and building good habits. I LOVE that my kids (at 3 and 4 years old) understand that those things are treats.  That too many treats are unhealthy, and that exercise is a mandatory part of life.   

What kinds of habits are your kids building?  (I'm also feeling the guilt here, and must admit that amidst all of this great stuff, my kids are also in the habit of never eating vegetables, not picking up their toys, and only wearing socks when forced... Baby steps, right?!)

Have a healthy day!

J

Welcome!

I love a good oxymoron.  Baby grand, jumbo shrimp, large fries with a diet coke, healthy with a side of ranch.  It seems as though everywhere we look, we're making excuses.  Doing what's mostly right, and justifying the other part.  Right?  Isn't that how it goes?  I ate really well today, so I deserve this cookie for dessert.  I am so stressed out, so I deserve this ice cream.  Hey- I'm not knocking you.  In fact, I'm right there with ya.  And I'm declaring that today is the day it needs to stop.  For all of us.

I have become obsessed lately with fitness blogs.  And you know what I'm finding?  That they're all written by supercute, young girls who live supercool lives in big cities.  They all love running, and taking pictures of their expensive, organic breakfasts.  Well I'm here to tell you something.  I am neither supercute nor young.  I am a 32-year-old average mom of two gorgeous boys. (Check out my other blog- http://www.naptimeisthenewhappyhour.blogspot.com/).  I live in a pretty small city.  I eat breakfast on my way to work in the morning, and as much as I hate to admit this, I rarely eat as organically as I should. Oh yeah, and I hate running. 

Have you seen this? I think it was written for me:


So what business do I have writing a blog about health?  Well, I certainly don't know everything about anything, but I do know a little bit about a few things.  And what I know is that we aren't left with much if we don't have our health and wellness.  I'm looking forward to sharing some of my sweat, tears, joys and successes with you.  (And some tips along the way).  Thanks for stopping by.  I can't wait to hear from you, learn from you, and celebrate successes with you!


Have a healthy day,
J