Turkey Time

Well, folks - it's hard to believe it, but it's almost Turkey time.  I can't even believe summer is over yet, let alone knowing the winter holiday season is just around the corner. 

Man, the older I get, the faster time flies.  And I'm only in my 30's.  What will happen when I'm 60?!  Scary.

Anyway, with Thanksgiving on the brain, I know what many of you are likely thinking right now...

First of all, of course this:

Then, this:

Eventually leading to this:

And finally, the next day, this:

Good food.  Social gatherings.  Eating, eating and more eating.  It's the happiest time of the year, no?

Yes, and ... it's also one of the highest calorie times of the year.  Check this out:

Gah!  Can you believe the average Thanksgiving day of eating is equal to consuming 8.33 big macs?  So gross!!

OK, ok let's move on to the meat (turkey??) of the discussion: the challenge - how do you enjoy all that Thanksgiving has to offer without putting your hard work of staying fit to waste?  Or, in this case, to waist... har-dee-har-har.

It's really pretty easy if you spend a little time thinking before you eat.  In fact, with a few simple tricks, you can enjoy all the tastes of Thanksgiving without overdoing it. 

Here's how.

(1) Mindful choices
Yes, Turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes made with cream & butter, and pie and... well, EVERYTHING is just so delicious.  But, why not enjoy them along with some healthy food choices to help keep your overall intake down?  After all, if you're filling your stomach and your plate with some lower calorie choices, you're less likely to over indulge in the high calorie stuff. 

Here's a plating example from the ADA that doesn't have to apply just to diabetics... notice how much of the plate is covered by low calorie, high fiber vegetables:

(2) Portion control
Yep, I've already talked about portion control in the past, and you can read about that here.  But portion control becomes even more important on the days when you're really likely to overdo it with rich foods and desserts. 

Check out these interesting comparisons for serving size:

And here's the kicker when it comes to portion control... remember that 4500 calorie average above?  Well, with proper portions, and limiting your additional snacking and desserts, your caloric intake can be much more reasonable.  Look at this:

*Total of food shown is 715 calories, leaving room

for a modest serving of pie within the 1000 calorie mark.

(3) Keeping Active



Of course, after eating even a reasonable meal like the example above, there is going to be a little work to do.  So, time to pay penance. 

If you were smart, you may have ran a 5K/10K race the morning of Thanksgiving - if you did, congrats, because you already burned anywhere between 300-700 calories.  Good job!  With a reasonable plate of food like the above, I would say you're done.  Enjoy the holiday and camaraderie, and don't give yourself any grief about enjoying the day.

If you didn't run a Drumstick Dash or Turkey Trot, you should STILL enjoy the day.  And maybe the next day, make an effort to burn a few extra calories from the meal.  I know this example speaks to french fries versus a Thanksgiving meal, but I like the variety of activities it offers ... and maybe it will spark an idea in you:

And, I guess, that's about it!  Try to fill your plate with healthy options, practice portion control, and get in a good workout post-celebration.  If you can make those few easy adjustments to your holiday, being thankful will be a whole lot easier.  After all, I already know what I'm thankful for:

Giveaway #2 Winners!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my second ever giveaway!

 

As you already know, my sister's Etsy business BellasBoutiqueMN offers spandex headbands, which you had a chance to win if you "played by the rules" this past week. 

And now... drum roll... I'm about to announce two lucky winners, who can choose one headband in any of the following colors:

#1 disco ball
#2 peacock
#3 purple and black damask
#4 paisley
#5 peace sign
#6 pink red and orange stripes (with sheer gold insets)
#7 blue and white stripes
#8 burgundy and white stripes
#9 navy blue solid
#10 pink textured
#11 black solid


Look at all those fun options!  I prefer the disco ball, myself.



And now, the results!  The winners are:

     Amanda Melquist - for being the first subscriber via BlogSpot

     Emily Seto - for being the first subscriber via BlogLovin', sharing on Facebook,
            and being a very active participant on my blog!!


How to redeem your prize:  I'll simplify this part by saying just contact me on Facebook, and we'll work out the details.

And, as I said in my last post, please don't forget to support the little guys by purchasing handmade goods, ok?  Especially with the holiday season just around the corner... these handmade beauties make a great gift for a teacher, coworker or friend!

Thanks for "playing", and I'll post again later this week.  Until then, go get a good workout in!

Giveaway #2 - Last Call! Closes 11.22.13 MIDNIGHT!

You know what?

It's Friday, I'm tired, and I've got a big game to rest up for... my alma mater is playing their biggest nemesis this weekend!!

Yep, you guessed it.

I love Bucky!

Anyhow, I'm totally going to cop out on a blog post and just remind you that today's the last day to enter the headband giveaway.

So, check out how to enter here, and then swing by my sister's Etsy business, BellasBoutiqueMN to check out the headbands shown here. 

Winners will be randomly selected on 11/23/2013, and their names posted on my blog the following Monday.  (A post game buzz may or may not be involved in selection.)

See you Monday!

Haters Gonna Hate

In the last week or so, I've been feeling a little...

I am so over this negative media world, with people ranting about specific topics just to stir pots and get ratings/hits/attention. 

For example, the guy last week who wrote an editorial for the Wall Street Journal about how runners are full of themselves and only run for attention.  I'm not going to post his name or article title, because all that will do is give him what he wants - another website talking about him.

All I can say about him, or others is this:

So to all you haters - keep hating.

And to all you being hated - keep doing what you love.

After all, the point of this blog is to encourage people to do what keeps them healthy and happy.  That's why I post up things like the Anti-Resolution, why I tell you not to be to hard on yourself, and why I shared my weight loss story with you to begin with.

Turn your back on the haters and ignore them.  It's not worth it.

And look fabulous while you do it ... in a free headband!  (Like that transition??)  Don't forget about my giveaway this week, only a few more days before a winner is announced.

The 2014 Anti-Resoution Resolution

In my 80's night TBC class last week, I proposed an Anti-Resolution Resolution for 2014.

I'm sure you just went...

Yes.  WTF did you just read?  What do I mean by Anti-Resolution Resolution?

Well - every year, Halloween becomes the national jumping off point for the binge eating season we call the holidays.  And then, every year, people create new years resolutions to make up for the previous two months of excess (which, of course, usually fizzles out just a few weeks into 2014 and becomes an utter waste of resolution, anyway).

So, yes.  I'm not afraid to say it.  I hate the new year resolution.  100%.

Why?  Because of this:

When I decided to make a change in my life, I just did it.  I didn't wait for a new year resolution to do it. 

And neither should you.

Therefore, my challenge to you today is this: make your anti-resolution RIGHT NOW.  And start on it now, too. 

Your goal can be anything.  If you're messy or disorganized - work to clean it up!  If you're always tired - shoot for an earlier bedtime each night!  Feeling dry/dehydrated - then aim to drink more water! 

Honestly, anything you want to change about yourself ... just do it!  Pick one thing and take that first small step.  See if you can make that small step into a permanent life change. 

My point is... I want to see you start your positive change now - don't wait for a new year to resolve for better habits.

Besides - how amazing will it be come end of December, when everyone else is trying to name their resolutions, that you can say "well, I started mine in November and I'm pretty much set, so... good luck with yours"?  SO AMAZING?!  Ah, yeeeaaahhh!!

So - what is my anti-resolution?

Well, I'm aiming to build upper body and cardio strength for my TBC students.  Over the next six weeks, we will slowly build our endurance on three specific exercises - pushups, squat jumps, and burpees. 

Each week, we will do 4 or 5 sets of exercises in addition to our normal class format.  (IE 10 pushups, 20 seconds of squat jumps, 8 burpess, repeated through out class 4 times).  The final goal is to complete 100 pushups in one class ... and to make it happen before Christmas/New Years closes down my Tuesday night classes for 2013.

The schedule looks like this:

Week/Date			Pushups					Squat Jumps (secs)					Burpees
1	12-Nov		10	x4	=	40		20	x4	=	80		8	x4	=	32
2	19-Nov		12	x4	=	48		30	x4	=	120		10	x4	=	40
3	26-Nov		14	x4	=	56		40	x4	=	160		12	x4	=	48
4	3-Dec		16	x5	=	80		40	x5	=	200		12	x5	=	60
5	10-Dec		18	x5	=	90		50	x5	=	250		14	x5	=	70
6	17-Dec		20	x5	=	100		60	x5	=	300		16	x5	=	80

Welp, that's about it.

So - now that you know my goal ... tell me about yours!  Come on... there's lots of space below!  Go!



Oh!  One last thing before I go... don't forget about my giveaway this week.  This is your big chance you know! 



(And even though I didn't say it - feel free to join me in the challenge above and let me know how it's going for you.)

(Almost) 90th Post / Pre-Black Friday Giveaway! Closes 11.22.2013

Good lord!  I'm almost to my 90th post to this blog. 

First question - how did this happen?

Second question - why are you still here reading?  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are!  I guess that means I must be doing something right?!

Since I haven't done anything to celebrate lately, and I'm not in the mood for a night of binge drinking and crazy dancing, let's do another headband giveaway!

 

In conjunction with my sister's Etsy business, BellasBoutiqueMN, for the next week I am offering you a chance at winning a free prize!

What's the prize, you ask?

Well, only my favorite workout accessory in the world, of course!!  A super awesome wicking headband!

For those of you who don't remember my last giveaway, let's revisit the pictures of me, rockin' the bands...

Yes, it's true.  I really do wear these.  All.  The.  Time.



Here's the scoop:

Two lucky people will get to choose any color headband shown here.  Winners will be randomly selected on 11/23/2013, and their names posted on my blog the following Monday.  Yes, that's right.  In an effort to thwart all the mass retailers having Thanksgiving Day sales (thus pushing up Black Friday to be Bummer Thursday), I'm going to do something the Friday BEFORE Black Friday.  Take that, mass market merchants!  *sticks out tongue*



How to enter:

Option 1 - Share my blog post via my daily Facebook link.  You must share it from my original post, or I won't be able to see the "share".  You will be able to see that link ONLY if we are friends on Facebook, sorry.

Option 2 - Subscribe to my blog. Need help on this?  There's a subscribe link on the upper right column of my blog for easy access, or you can go to www.blogger.com/home to set up an account and add me manually from there.

Option 3 - Help me spread the news of my giveaway by linking to it on your personal blog/facebook/twitter/other site.  Just be sure you also link to your post in the notes below to earn this point.

If you do any or all above, you get a point for each activity.  Why not go for the gold and do all three?  Come on!


How to redeem your prize:

This is the most important part.  If your name is posted as a "winner" (I mean, yes, we're all winners at heart... but that doesn't guarantee you a prize), you must contact me ASAP with your shipping address and color choice.  I will then arrange the headbands deliver to you directly.  Winners must contact me by 11/29/2013 or prize will be forfeited.


And please don't forget to support the little guys by purchasing handmade goods, ok?  Especially with the holiday season just around the corner... I bet you've got a teacher, coworker or friend that would love a BellasBoutiqueMN headband as a gift!


 Well, that's it.  Good luck!

Totally Tubular TBC (80's Night)

EEEP!  I'm running a little late on my post today.  Sorry about that.

Maybe I'm just running slow because of my awesome night last night.  In case you didn't know, I taught my normal Tuesday group fitness class (Total Body Fitness, or TBC for short).

But, it wasn't exactly... normal...

Yes, I definitely spent lots of time getting ready for this class... and also, getting strange looks in the locker room.  In fact, I think I spent more time getting ready for this than I do on a usual day getting dressed.  I suppose it didn't help that I had to tell about 10 people that I was teaching an 80s themed class that night.

Also, I forgot how gross hairspray is and how much I had to cake it in my hair for my 80s/90s mall bangs.  Not to mention how gross polyester leggings and leg warmers are. 

I was practically swimming in a cloud of hairspray and sweat before class even started.  Long story short, I'm not sorry the 80s are over!

Aside from a wacky outfit, I was hoping this would be a fun class, and really wanted to include a bunch of 80's style workout moves... but after watching several workouts on Youtube, I realized most of it was either too low impact for my class format, or seemed way too outdated/dangerous to even include.  Instead, I followed a typical format with a few 80's-esque stretches and cardio moves at the beginning.

Below is the playlist I used and the class format I followed, if you're curious.  I have the Tempo Magic app, and used it to pitch all the songs up to about a 134/135BPM (aside from the last two songs on the list, which are obviously meant for cool down).

And yes, I know the songs aren't all EXACTLY from the 80's... but they're retro enough.  So there.

 

 

     Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

     When I Think of You - Janet Jackson

     Tainted Love - Soft Cell

     Cover Girl - New Kids on the Block

     We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

     Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

     Message in a Bottle - The Police

     Super Freak - Rick James

     Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

     The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

     Down Under - Men at Work

     Freedom - George Michael

     Get Off - Prince

     I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

     Love Shack - B 52's

     Jump On It - Sir Mix-a-Lot

     Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

     Faith - George Michael 

Warm-up:
(complete below in approximately 10 minutes, repeating each move as needed)

- Stand with legs in a wide stance, take a deep breath in while reaching up, then exhale while reaching down and gently squatting.  Repeat. 
- Squat, with legs wide, and stretch arms out into a T.  Slowly reach arms out to left and right, feeling the stretch in your torso/back. 
- Hold stretch on right, tipping down and touching hand to ankle.  Come back to center and repeat to left ankle.  Come back to center.
- Rest hands on thighs, lowering shoulder to alternate knee (right & left, coming center before switching sides) deepening the stretch across the back.  Repeat several times.
- Center up again, lifting chest and shoulders, then drop chest to center and slowly roll up to standing.
- March, step touch.  Slowly add shoulder roll to step touch.
- Continue to make shoulder rolls larger, finally extending arm all the way to the ceiling for a reach, then across body, and eventually "throwing down".
- Back to step touch, adding hamstring curls, switching to pulling knees up.
- Change to grapevine right and left.  After a few sets, add 2 jacks at the end of each grapevine.
- Switch to squats.  Hold the final squat and pulse, then switch to tapping the toes back in a lunge.  Add extended T/V arms when ready.
- Hold the final lunge on the right and drop hands down into runners lunge.  After a brief stretch, bring left leg back and complete a set of 8 pushups.  Come back up into runner's lunge on opposite side.
- After a brief stretch on left, raise chest back up, holding lunge.  Proceed into jumping lunges spaced at counts of 8, 4, 2, and then singles for an extended set.
- Switch back to basic squats, then low squats with alternating knee lifts, eventually standing straight up with a high knee lift.
- Finish the warm-up with a long set of jacks, jogging in place, butt kicks and jacks.


Strength & Cardio:
(complete below in approximately 30-40 minutes, rotating through as follows: "Challenge", Set 1, "Challenge", Set 2, Set 3, repeat.  Goal is to complete 4 "challenges", and sets 1-3 twice)

"Challenge" set - 10 pushups, 20 seconds squat jumps, 8 burpees.
Set 1 - basic squats with weights, curtsey squats with weights, cardio: climb the mtn and ski down.
Set 2 - traveling lunges with weights out and back (length of room), traveling lunges without weights but extending back leg into a gluteal lift upon standing, cardio: jumping lunges
Set 3 - weighted bicep curls, bent forward rows and flies, standing overhead triceps, traveling frog jumps with a pushup (length of room), cardio: tabatta sprint jumps 20/10 (x6).


Floor work & Cool Down:
 (complete below in approximately 10-20 minutes)

"7 band legs" - using a resistance band, place handle on right foot and assume a table top position.  Run band, on floor, up along the right outside edge of torso and under hands/chest.  The band should create a 7 shape on the floor.  Start by bringing your knee to chest, and then extending leg out straight (level with hips).  Eventually, raise toe up towards ceiling on the extension.  Switch to fire hydrant.  Repeat other side.

Abdominals - lay down on back and put resistance band handles on both feet.  Lift legs straight into air above hips.  Choke up on the band, which should be hanging loose by knees - hold with hands to create resistance.  Complete a set of pelvis lifts, then a set of alternating leg drops, and finally a set of v-ups while opening legs at a 45 degree angle (closing legs again when lowering chest).  Set resistance band aside and finish with a set of oblique plank drops.

Cool down - complete various stretches, full body, preferably done laying down or seated. 

 

My Nemeses

Today I'd like to give a shout out to all my racing nemeses!

I WILL beat you some day!

(Yes, yes - these are all examples of people who have cruised right past me in actual races.  Photos for representation only, to protect the so called "innocent".  Except for the dogs.)


#1 - old man who doesn't run so much as shuffle... yet still smokes right past me:

#2 - lady that is pushing a 50+ lb stroller and just looks oh so perky:

#3 - lady that is pushing a DOUBLE WIDE stroller and STILL looks perky:

#4 - that damn wiener:

#5 - guy with American flag (wouldn't have bothered me so much had it not been whapping me in the face on top of beating me to the finish):

#6 - kid who beats his mom to the finish, then runs backwards on course to find her and subsequently beats me to the finish again:

#7 - others, too numerous to mention...


*Sigh.*  Me thinks I might have a dash of competitive nature in my blood.

Product Review: MyFitnessPal App (iPhone/iPad)

In my weight loss journey, there are a few tools I've come to rely on to help me along the way.  And by tools, I don't just mean gym equipment.  (If you've read this blog at all, you know I'll always tell you working out alone won't give you the body you want.)

So - time for me to hit you over the head with truth. 

Yes, you have to consider what you're eating to be healthy, too.

Now don't get all uppity with me:

I don't care.  Being healthy is not just about working out.  Your body is a high tech machine, right?  As such, you have to put things in your body that keep it fully functioning.  Even if you're not "counting calories", you should be generally aware of how well you're keeping your machine running.

And that's why today, I'm going to talk about the iPhone/iPad app called "MyFitnessPal".  (It may be available for other devices, too, but I will just speak to how I use it, which is on Apple products).

Before I get too far, the app icon looks like this:

Aw, so cute, right? 

Ok, ok.  Back to business.

What is MyFitnessPal?  Simply put, it is a powerful tool that can be used to help anyone track their daily food intake and what it is doing for their body.  Overweight folks can use it for weight loss, active folks can use it as a tool to ensure they are consuming enough calories to fuel the workouts, and health conscious people can use it as a way to see what nutritional benefits they get out of their daily diet.  There's also an entire social network thing as well as other features too.

I personally downloaded the program a few years back to use it as a weight loss tool.  However, as I have grown, the program has become much more than that for me. This review will walk through that evolution.


The Beginning - Calorie Counting & Weight Loss

When I first downloaded this app, I looked to MyFitnessPal to help me track my daily caloric intake and lose weight.  I saw that I could put in my current weight and my goal weight, and it would help me establish a caloric base line to achieve that goal in a healthy manner over time.  (Note: you should always work with your doctor to ensure the diet you follow is correct for you.  Also, all images below are from Google, and not from my actual app.)

In the early stages, I would enter my weight each morning, enter the food I would eat at each meal, and then review each week how I was doing towards my weight loss goal.  It was pretty fun to watch the chart drop as I lost weight.

Not long after I started using the program, I learned that I could eat MORE if I worked out MORE.  Hmmm... novel concept, right?  I also figured out that the program was pretty accurate in determining how many calories I burned doing a workout based on my current weight.  So, I started plugging those in whenever I could.

And this pretty much summarizes my first year or so of use on the MyFitnessPal app.  I ate, I worked out, and I lost weight.  Eventually, I learned how to "eyeball" my food intake, and didn't really need to rely on the app to track my calories each day.  At that point, I started to use the app for an entirely different reason.


The Second Year - Eating What I Burn

After pretty much nailing healthy eating habits and portion sizes, entering my daily dietary intake became tedious.  I didn't do it every day anymore, since I didn't really need to.  HOWEVER, this was also when I started bike commuting on a regular basis, as well as training for my first half marathon.

Since my personal health had evolved, the way I used MyFitnessPal evolved as well.  I began to learn that riding my bike or running for 2-2.5 hours in a day made me REALLY hungry.  I wouldn't realize how hungry I was on the day of the activity, and would spend the entire next day being so hungry I wanted to gnaw my arm off for sustenance.

This is when MyFitnessPal became my tool to make sure I was eating enough in a day.  So, any day where I knew I did a lot of activity (and maybe not enough eating), I would plug in all the details and see where I landed.  Let's just say, I had lots of reasons to eat dessert on those days.

The Third Year and Beyond - Dining Out & General Nutrition

As the years go on with MyFitnessPal, I find I still use it for a few things on a regular basis.  On my more active days, I utilize the above features (IE tracking calories burned in a workout and ensuring I eat what I need to keep my body happy). 

But, I also use it for an entirely different reason now - it's become my tool to guide me in making nutritional food choices.

One of the best features of the program is the fact that there are TONS of foods in the library.  This becomes hugely helpful when eating out.  For example, sometimes I find an item on a menu at a restaurant that sounds good, only to look it up and find out it's like 5 billion calories and 100 grams of fat.  Or, sometimes I am surprised to find out that a menu item is extremely healthy, and I can also have an appetizer along with it. 

Another way I use it now is to spot check the quality of my diet.  The app has really cool summary charts and graphs that will show you how well you're doing towards eating all the vitamins you need, and where you get the bulk of your calories (carbs/fat/protein).  As I work towards transitioning to a plant based diet and continue to train heavily for running and strength, this tool ensures I am putting the right things into my body to keep it happy.

Fair warning here... the calories/fat/whatever aren't always 100% accurate and you may find some mistakes (especially in the dining out category).  However, if you treat the app as a guidance tool instead of the bible, you'll still have success in your dietary choices.


Your Q&A

I'm guessing by now, you're saying "sounds great, but how much does this cost"?  When I downloaded the app a few years back, it was free.  Hopefully when you decide to give it a try, it will still be free.  If not, it is definitely worth a few bucks.  Trust me on that one.

And at this point, I think I've covered the entire app... so floor's open.  If you have any other questions, ask away below.  I'll do my best to respond (although, not to tech support issues... that one is all up to the app designers).

Deep Thoughts While Running #4

This one is an oldie but a goodie that I posted on Facebook about 6 months ago, before I started this blog.  But, being at a costume themed race a few weeks back, I had a ... "fresh reminder" of the whole situation right in front of me that brought the old topic back to the surface.  And now that I think about it again, it's still pretty funny.

So, without any further adieu...

If you were out on a run, would you want a complete stranger to alert you

if you were having a wardrobe malfunction?
 

Here's what happened:

Out on my "usual" post work run (and by out, I mean running the 10 loop/mile "hamster wheel" track at my local gym), I noticed a young woman in front of me was having a small issue.  It seems her spandex running tights had one too many trips through the wash, and as a result had become quite sheer.

My immediate reaction was "Huh.  I wonder if that girl realizes that her running tights are see through in the butt.  I can totally see her black thong underneath."

It took me a few seconds to fully absorb the situation.  Once reality set in, I realized she was very likely quite clueless about what she was showing the world. 

And of course, I never would have expected her to be aware of it, because who looks at their back side in the mirror before going to work out?

Not sure what to do, I spent at least 1/3 of a mile running behind her wondering if I should inform her of her wardrobe malfunction.... and also reminiscing on the origination of the term wardrobe malfunction.  Seriously, what would we do today if it weren't for Janet and Justin at the super bowl that infamous year?

Honestly, what would I call this if we didn't have that term?

"Ah, excuse me miss, your seem to be having a wardrobe malfunction small issue."  Nope, doesn't really do the trick.

By this point, about one mile has been completed, and I'm starting to overthink what to say.  I mean, how does one approach a young lady and tell her that her thong is on display (inadvertently) for the world to see??

Before I can get too far into deciding what to tell the girl as I approach her, my mind starts to wander. I begin to wonder what would I say back to someone if they told me they could see my thong through my pants?

And then, I have another thought.  "Wait, wait, wait... we've been running this track for just over a mile now.  How can she do that in a thong?  I chafe when my t-shirt doesn't sit right on my collar bone, and it's not even wedged in anywhere.  She must have a crack of steel."

Yikes.

As I continue to contemplate the situation, I notice she is at the track with a male friend of sorts.  He is a faster runner than her, and simply says hello as he laps her every so often.  I also notice something peculiar about his situation... he is running in a pair of basketball shorts with a word written across his butt.

I thought that was a girl thing?  You know, like the whole Juicy track pant trend?

What is up with these two people, running the track together, having "butt issues"?

Are they PLANNING this together?!

Given this new discovery, I begin to wonder what the girl's response might be if I alert her to her sheer pants.  I mean, what if these two in cahoots together and TRYING to be weird?  I can just about imagine her saying...

And as I process that thought, my Nike+ chimes in and tells me my run is completed. 

I promptly exit the track and leave the two to finish their run.