• 02Jan

  I Am Healthy: Fat Percentages & Body Types

  Diet/Nutrition, Fitness Motivation, Health/Fitness 13 Comments

  I’m back, and because I haven’t blogged in a while you get a nice long post =) with lost of juicy fitness info.

  Body Fat Percentage
  A question on my last post about body fat% got me thinking, researching, and writing…

  “Hi! I’m back with a question… I’m reading all this stuff about body fat % and fat burn zones and such. I want to set a % goal but according to “the charts” I’m only 3% above the lowest recommended… I’m at 24 and it says women 20 – 40 should not drop below 21%. I just don’t understand I guess… I was thinking (before reading that stuff) that I would make my goal half, so 12%, but now I’m confused =)“-Stephenie

  I had never heard of 21%. I was always told 12%. I immediately did a search, and put a question out on twitter to see what I could find. It looks like either people disagree, or that the 21% is a “healthy body fat range” that doesn’t take into consideration activity level or amount of muscle mass (the first graph).

  Courtesy of Wikipedia Source: Thomas A. Owens

  

  Courtesy of my new fitness friend on twitter @benJamteal.
  

  

  I’m at 20% right now, only because I gained more muscle. So, my fat ratio(%) went down. If there are women out there who don’t have a lot of muscle mass and are just losing weight, and not gaining muscle it could be unhealthy to be below 21%.

  For example…
  Continue reading »

• 17Dec

  Nutritional Fitness: Spinach Omelet

  Diet/Nutrition 12 Comments

  I seem to be doing a quote of the day lately so why break the trend.

  “You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both.” – Tom Venuto

  Yesterday I started to feel the stress of procrastinating my Holliday shopping. Honestly…I crashed yesterday night. Hard. I ate a few of the treats I had made for the neighbors. Then I stopped and realized that I was stressed. Once I finally accepted that I was stressing out, I decide to stop. I did one thing that needed to be done to help relive stress. Then, put my feet up and relaxed for a while.

  We ended up watching Kung Fu Panda. There was actually an overwhelming moral to the story and great quotes. A lot of it had to do with believing in yourself and having an attitude of gratitude, and more specifically being grateful for “today.” The hubby almost died laughing when I asked him to pause it so I could jot one quote down for today.

  “There is a saying:
  Yesterday is history,
  Tomorrow is a mystery,
  But today is a gift.
  That’s why it is called the present.” – Kung Fu Panda

  Wow, pretty deep for DreamWorks animation =)  Yesterday is history.  Yes I crashed and binged.  That’s history.  Today is a gift, and i can make what i want of it.  Make the most of your day today =)
  
  5ive Fitness Focus Areas
  I’ve decided to write on one of the 5ive Fitness Focus Areas each day of the week. That way I can spend more time sharing about each specific area.

  Nutritional Fitness: Don’t skip a meal or skimp on the protein

  I finally got around to making a Spinach Omelet. My fresh spinach was getting a little soggy. So rather than tossing it I cooked it up.

  

  Spinach Omelet (more like Quiche)
  Diced tomatoes
  Chopped fresh spinach
  Garlic salt
  Eggs (4 egg whites, 1 whole egg)

  Toss in the tomatoes first and season with garlic. Then, toss in the spinach and spray with cooking spray to help it cook down. Once the spinach is cooked down, add the eggs and stir a little to mix. Cook until it’s done =)

  For more visual aid =)…I found a video at BetterBodiesByCarmel
  “5 servings of eggs” LOL! Pretty close to the truth for me. Egg whites are one of the cheapest ways to get more protein in the diet.

• 10Dec

  Bee Pollen Day

  Diet/Nutrition 6 Comments

  It’s hard to top yesterdays “Donut Panic” pict. I’m still laughing. How about “Bee Pollen Day.”

  

  Today I’m heading to the local health food store to buy some Bee Pollen. I have the worst allergies, and could use some added energy. I’ve heard many stories and benefits of bee pollen recently. Lately when I go with the flow things work out better. So, I’m going to give it a shot.

  Stephanie recently wrote a great post all about bee pollen. Inspired by Healthy Chick’s she started to take bee pollen and loves it.

  “I started taking Bee Pollen a few weeks ago and while I’m still under the recommended and allowed “dosage,” I have noticed a definite increase in my energy. I’m more focused… …I do not pass out after a hard evening workout.”

  Here are a bunch of links referring to bee pollen and it’s benefits…

  Continue reading »

• 09Dec

  Laughter is Healthy & Recipes

  Diet/Nutrition, Health/Fitness 13 Comments

  Here are some “Funny’s”

  

  MizFit always says “Don’t Panic.” Well, this is “Donut Panic!” and it cracks me up.

  This immediately put a grin on my face from ear to ear. Probably because I have a slightly morbid sense of humor. I’ll never eat a jelly doughnut again with out thinking of this t-shirt. Yes, this is a t-shirt. I should buy one and give it away on this blog or just wear it to help others smile.

  My hubby bought a “Say No to Scurvy”shirt from them a while back with a orange dressed as a pirate drinking an orange. LOL!  I also found “One Cheer For Broccoli”  This next shirt reminds me that…

  

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  Focusing on an attitude of gratitude, and possibly scheduling more time to socialize.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  The chicken salad (below) has become my favorite, and I’ll be having stir fry(also below) again tonight.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  Had a killer shoulder, bicep, and back workout last night.  As usual I did a 5 min warm up and a 20min cardio at the end.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  -make today’s post fun
  -dr. apt at 9:10
  -find imu. charts
  -relax @ lunch
  -map out site

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  Planning ahead for Christmas gifts so I don’t over spend.  I’m adding the “Donut Panic” shirt to my Christmas list.

  Healthy Easy Throw Together Recipes…

  Continue reading »

• 08Dec

  My Shortest Post Ever

  Diet/Nutrition, Fitness Motivation, Health/Fitness 3 Comments

  After having 22 people in a small 3rd floor apt/condo yesterday I’m ready to slow things down. This is my attempt to write my shortest post ever, but still cover my 5 main focus areas.

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  It’s not them it’s me. I need to work on an attitude of gratitude.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  As long as I have a salad a day the rest comes pretty easily.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  Recharged over the weekend and I’m ready to go.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  -keep post simple
  -play with kids
  -help others
  -spend 5 min doing something directly for hubby
  -spend 5 min doing something for self

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  Still staying within the Christmas budget and I chose to give some to charity.

• 04Dec

  Chocolate Does Not Solve My Problems

  Diet/Nutrition 2 Comments

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  Ok, I’m over the cell-phone-off stage, and it’s time to start just being myself. If I don’t want to do something it’s ok, and I accept that others will get upset. Some people crave drama and try to get it out of anyone they can. If I don’t feed their need to be right, or to argue, or manipulate, even their need to complain, then I’ll feel a lot better, and they may go somewhere else to get their drama =) Ahh, even just writing that I feel much better.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  I’m starting to realize that chocolate does not solve my problems (even though I always pop it in my mouth when things get rough). Today I actually saw myself getting stressed, and reached for the chocolate…then I realized I need to replace that habit with a healthy one, and made a 0 calorie cup of ginger twist tea. The smell is amazing and it totally helped me relax. Also, just sitting down to drink it made a difference.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  Meeting with the trainer last night I wasn’t sure if she was trying to injure me, bring out all my gym insecurities, or show me how out of shape I am. I jotted down all the new strange stability exercises, and abs-burn-out exercises she had me do. I’ll stick to the safer ones for now and mix the new ones in now and then when I’m ready.

  I woke up at 3:30 and couldn’t sleep. 4am I decided to go to the gym. It was the first 60min cardio I’ve done in the morning. It was good. I went home, ate breakfast, showered, and went back to bed until the boys woke up. I could get use to this.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  -be present with kids
  -go shopping
  -change meal plan to 1500 calories
  -wake up @ 8am (woke up at 4am)
  -go to bed @ 10pm

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego (done)
  Shopping for my sons b-day today and will keep it to things he needs. I’ll get him one fun thing, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. This is the kid that can play with a box for two hours, or play with kitchen tongs all day pretending to be a Dr. and listening to my heart.

  I’ve been thinking about cutting my Christmas budget and using the rest to buy gifts for a family in need. I know there are many out there in tighter situations then me, and It would be nice to help others.

• 03Dec

  Exercise Cravings

  Diet/Nutrition 3 Comments

  Another “Kid Funny”
  Yesterday I asked my almost 3 year old to give me his other hand “por favor” and he replied, “Yea, a long time.” After I stopped laughing, I realized he probably thought I said “forever“. That would be a long time =)

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  I really do struggle in this area. Any time I become too social I always end up wanting to lock my door, turn off my cell, and move away. I know that sounds horrible, I just can’t stand all the gossip, negative and drama.

  There are a few people who are always positive, uplifting, and share the same goals and perspectives as I do. I just need to make it a point to share more time with them, and focus on being more uplifting and positive myself.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  Eating more fruits to help boost my immune system. I had another delicious salad yesterday.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  I truly enjoyed my workout last night. I needed it more than anything. It’s becoming something I look forward to and something I crave. It’s a huge part of my sanity. Mornings are still getting there, 4am is just not logical when I’m up until midnight. So, I need to first work on getting to bed earlier.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  -lights out at 10:30
  -relax and enjoy the day
  -pay attention to my thoughts
  -be present (thanks to MizFit subliminal reminder)
  -5min blitz house

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  I bought photos yesterday and they cam out really bad. Next time I’ll take my photographers advice on where to have them developed.

  Smile…It’s Contagious, even if you’re the only one who catches it =)

• 02Dec

  Keepin’ it Simple

  Diet/Nutrition, Fitness Motivation, Health/Fitness 5 Comments

  Feeling a bit burnt out today, co I’m keepin’ it simple.

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  To much family in my family is a bad thing. I love my family, but they love drama, and I’m not getting on any drama roller coaster right now. I just flap my wings (a real good workout) and move on with my goals, and dreams.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  This one is easy if I make sure to have at least one salad a day. However I did have 3 pieces of pizza last night. I was too hungry at the wrong time with the wrong food. I need to make sure and go to family functions full of healthy food so I don’t over do it. Protein shakes tend to fill me up the best. I’ll plan better next time. At least it was gourmet pizza.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  Last night I worked my chest, and triceps. I’m feeling it today. After I did 30min on the treadmill. Tonight I’ll do my 60min cardio on an elliptical.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  -buy stuff for by’s b-day
  -go to bed at 10pm
  -5min blitz house
  -make 1 gift
  -relax-meditate, read, or nap for 15min

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  Updated finances yesterday, and were in good shape. Were thinking about taking any money that we have saved for future expenses, but don’t need for the next three months and putting it in a CD. Better interest and $15 is $15.

• 01Dec

  Weekend Update

  Diet/Nutrition, Fitness Motivation, Health/Fitness 2 Comments

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  This weekend I over socialized. I enjoyed seeing many distant family members. I was more present and aware then I usually am. The more aware I am, the easier this will be.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  I actually did pretty well on this one this weekend. I found that edamame smells after being left in the car, so next time I’ll throw in an ice pack.

  I truly enjoyed home made rolls and stuffing. Which surprisingly was Stove Top and very delicious. Not so surprising now that I’m eating more protein and less carbs.

  The only dishes I made were maple/basil/carrots, and instant pudding pie with whip cream folded into it. I keep it simple, and with running after two kids, it’s the only way I’ll make anything.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  I did workout 5 times last week. I was suppose to meet with the trainer on Wednesday night, but she called me from her in-laws and canceled. I was dressed and ready, so I did my 60min cardio that I was planning on doing Thursday morning, and just took Thursday completely off. Then on Friday I did my 5 min warm up, worked my shoulders, and biceps, and completely forgot my back. But, I did get a 30min cardio in after. I made sure to keep my heart rate around 145-160.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day
  I took this weekend off, but I miss having that feeling of accomplishment that I get from setting and completing goals.

  I also really love the way I feel on the day’s I wake up at 4:30 and get in a good workout, and perhaps take a nap with the kids if I need it. I have time to myself before the rest of my day begins. It’s a good way to set the, attitude, mood, energy, and motivation for the day.

  Today
  -gym @ 4:30/triceps,chest,abs,20-30cardio
  -decide what I’m making for B’s B-day
  -buy stuff for B’s B-day
  -make another present
  -5min Blitz house

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  I’m finding that some of my home-made gifts actually cost less, and the left over materials can be used for b-day presents as well. One, pair of earrings completed. I should just plan on making a pair a day.

  I’ll be updating finances today, being that this weekend I didn’t even touch a computer. Ahhhh. It was actually nice to have a break.

  Hope you all enjoyed your weekends!

• 26Nov

  I’m Grateful Kids Are Washable

  Diet/Nutrition, Fitness Motivation, Health/Fitness, Personal 2 Comments

  1. Social Fitness: 5 Connect with five people daily…baby steps
  Yesterday I met an old friend and his wife. She had almost the exact same day that I did. Kids flying all over the place and falling into toilets. We both wanted to pull our hair out by the end of the day. It was nice to find that another mom has similar days.

  Hers involved losing her kid at Target and later her son falling in the toilet. Mine involved a 10ft radius of soup in the kitchen (he was trying to hit his little brother), and another kid falling in the toilet. We were both very relived to have the hubby home, and both needed to get out of the house for a while…which is how we bumped into each other at Target.

  Irony is everywhere in my life lately. It’s not a coincidence, or even fate. It’s always been there, I just don’t always pay attention. Now that I notice it, I can be grateful.

  I’m also grateful that kids and kitchens are washable, and that an old friends wife was able to find her kid at Target.

  2. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  It gets expensive to eat 40% protein. The cheapest forms of protein we’ve found are eggs and protein shakes. Then with the occasional lentils, edamame, and quinoa we seem to get a little variety. Hopefully because we’re spending less on carbs that will help a little.

  Protein:Carb:Fat ratio: Goal 40:30:30 yesterday ended up being 38:32:30
  Daily Calories: 1663 finally more like what I should be eating. Felt just as full as the day before…in fact I didn’t even get around to eating my last two snacks until just before bed time.

  3. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  I had another great 4:30 work out. I remembered my 5min warm up and worked my lower body (quads, hams, hip abd, hip add, gluts, and calves). Then I did a 30min cardio while keeping my heart rate in the fat burning range (60-80% of my resting heart rate).

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day

  Today
  - GYM @ 4:30 done
  - read 5 min done
  - pack for day at Grandmas
  - enjoy pie day at Grandmas
  - meet with trainer tonight

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego
  I actually completed some Christmas shopping. Last year I had it all done before thanksgiving. This year I kept saying I was going to make my presents and kept procrastinating. Well I’ll still be making part of my presents. Earring for Mom’s, Grandma’s and Sisters. It will still cost the same but the gift will be more unique and meaningful.

  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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