(not my neighborhood)

Even when i forget my music i can almost hear my own theme music playing as I walk thru an almost “Stepford Wives” like neighborhood. Expensive but also why we just live on the edge of it in a condo. Exercising is what makes the difference. Even if i were in a farm town walking/jogging along the side of a dirt road i would still be in heaven. Simply because i’m doing it. I’m outside. I’m doing my own thing. Walking to the beat of my own drum (or MP3 player) and being the best version of myself. Anywho. It’s good.

So, i finally got my tire fixed on my stroller. Man did i ever put that off too long. I ended up taking it to a bike shop and they just fixed it for free. It was just one of those days. Glass overflowing and happy exercise vibe going. Why did i put this off for so long. I keep telling my self to remember these moments and use them to get off my butt more often.

Kravings:
Kravings come most of all around 4 and i did my best to fill up on healthy snacks today. Celery and PB, cucumbers, eggs with salsa, protein shakes, high fiber cereal, beef, broccoli, quinoa, and yogurt. It made the world of difference but it’s also that “half way thru the week of eating healthy” part where “i just need a little serotonin boost” feeling starts. I made up a bowl of oatmeal, and so far it’s hitting the spot.  Looking for an image i found a great article.

Conquer Your Cravings By Big Fat Truth & Change One

Other ideas of things that tend to help Kick the Kraving:
Hard candies (sugar free if you dare)
Yogurt
Chocolate
Tylenol
Water
Protein (Any source)
Grapes
Water
Tylenol

Most likely at 4 I’m dehydrated because i was outdoors more today and didn’t drink enough let alone extra water. So Tylenol and water are the best fix for me…and some chocolate to tide me over until the water kicks in.

Tomorrow I’m going to do a test and drink and eat the correct amounts of food throughout the day and see how 4 o’clock turns out.  After reading that article I’m going to write it down as well.  Why not.

What do you do to kick a craving. Do you just go Cold Turkey, or what arsenal do you have up your sleve?

I’m going to eat what ever i want whenever i want.  What?  The reason this will work is because i want to reach my goal more then anything, which directly reflects and what i “really” want to eat.  Like many of my favorite fitness bloggers have said, “It’s daily choices, and a decision to be healthy.”  I know enough about what’s in the food I’m eating to know if I’m getting a good balance of nutrition.  Knowledge, computers, and facts can only get me so far.  I have to trust my gut, and by gut i mean literally.

I’ve been to tiered to ever exercise.  I keep saying that I’d rather eat more and work out twice a day then cut back my calories.  Well, now it’s time for the tongue in my shoe to match the tongue in my mouth =)

Walk the walk, run the run, jump, kick, lift, stretch, and most importantly eat more.

2 days down.  Tomorrow and Sunday I’m going to shot for at least 1 workout each day, and Monday I’ll step it up to twice a day.  It will still be under an hour and a half a day, just making the most of even a 20 min workout makes the world of difference.  Either way I’m going to pay close attention to what my body needs and not over do it in exercise, or under do it in calories….But, you need a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.  I understand, but right now I’m not doing anything.  I’m going to rely on instinct.  I’m naturally healthy.  I’m honestly trying to hard, and my body, and brain is resiting.  Time to focus on being active, and keep it simple.

Needless to say i’m out of my slump.  I was incredibly low on sodium.  I cut out all processed, foods and stoped addeding salt to anything, and had no idea that i was actually too low in my daily sodium intakes.  It was making me constantly tired, and dizzy.  It could have also been my antibiotic.  All i know is today was a new day.  Every day is.  Today i chose to move forward =) and it feels great!

Yes, I have my ups and downs, especially when I’m losing weight. Having a calorie deficit is sure to change a few things. However I don’t share my downs because that doesn’t help me or you reach goals. But, we all have to deal with these emotions, and we are all responsible for our emotions, as well as our health.

Here are some helpful tips to help you steer clear of those weight loss blues, or pull yourself right back out of them.

Focus on your dream-
Whatever it may be, focus on the one thing that always motivates you. If it’s not cutting it any more, then it’s time to find something that will motivate you. Find it, define it, and set a goal. This will create immediate energy towards that goal.

Recommit-
It’s safe to say that often we get off track and deviate from our plans, goals, and even our dreams. Luckily there is no reason you can’t just jump back on the path and start jogging again =) (pun definitely intended)

Do something you never do-
Paint your toes, go swimming, rock climbing, deep clean the house, finish that project, clean out the fridge, read for fun, try a new recipe, or better yet try a new food. This will create a feeling of accomplished. Now every time you look at your toes, or open the fridge you can think…wow, look what i did. I rock!

Do something for some one else-
Write a thank you card, send flowers, make dinner, even just a friendly phone call. This will keep you from thinking about yourself so much, and encourage an attitude of gr gratitude.

Get out-
Walk to the store, go for a drive just to look around. I did this once in my old neighborhood, and was amazed that a few miles down the street was a ravine with nothing but fields of grain, and horses, and then it all opened up into this beautiful green valley. Considering at the time I lived next to a Highway just off an Inter State, this was a huge shock to me.

Count your blessings-
Ex…God, the hubby, the boys, home, car, running water, heat, a/c, clothes, hot showers, food, freedom, tax returns, green grass, blue sky’s, clouds, wind, rain, and even electricity. (Ours went out today and I forgot how much I use it. I was cooking eggs and toast and then…”Oh well, I guess we will have chicken for breakfast boys, and sandwiches instead of toast.”)

Eat something sweet and starchy-
Yes, you heard me.  Just make sure it is low in fat so you don’t totally sabotage your goals. The blues can easily be triggered by lack of serotonin. Women already have on average 50% less then men, but then you cut back you calories (especially the sweet and starchy ones that trigger the release of serotonin). Now serotonin needs foods such as turkey to be produced but to be released it needs to have just a sweet carb…preferably 3 hours after you last ate protein, and 1 hour before your next meal. This will also help curb your appetite a little. I use 1 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios, or some low-fat Gram Crackers.

Exercise-
The more you exercise the more you literally burn of these extra emotions. You can also eat more if you exercise more. I’ve decided I would rather exercises twice a day then cut 500-1000 calories out of my diet. When I exercise more I need to make sure and rest more as well.

Get plenty of sleep-
Any time I get off on my sleep patterns I immediately get messed up emotions. Make sleep a priority. It took me 4 days to undo 2 days of poor sleep choices. I’ll learn from my choices and be more responsible in the future.

Get some sun-
Yes, sun can cause cancer. I’m a redhead, and I’m very careful. I went tanning once with spf 50 on just to warm up…Even with the SPF 50 I got quite a bit of vitamin D and it felt great to warm my bones. Even just finding a window that the sun is shinning thru and sitting or laying in the sun will make a difference in your day.

Write a post like this one-
Being solution oriented will make a big difference. When i started writing this post i wasn’t sure how my day was going to turn out. Now, I’m going to take responsibility and take my own advice and make choices that will benefit my emotional health.

What are some ways you keep your self on the sunny side of life?

I’m learning more and more about my immune system and how it reacts to stress, sleep, diet, and especially exercise.  Something about exercise releasing free-radicals, and loading up on anti-oxidants any time i start a new routine, or increase my intensity…Ok, all the time.  Just more reasons to Eat More Veggies.

I figure, i’d rather get that taken care of now then in the middle of the month.  Doing my personal best to relax, stretch, drink plenty of fluids, and give this body a chance to get well before blasting it with intense cardio, or weight training.  I’ll be doing a very low intensity cardio tomorrow to slowly get back into the grove.  Focusing on the positive, which is amazing.

Seriously.  I’m listing the symptoms, and such, and the Dr said something on the lines of “Stinks to be you.”  I didn’t agree.  I’m quite happy to be me, even when I’m sick.  There is always something to learn from every experience.  I replied to him with something like “It helps to be optimistic.”  He was still a great Dr. just trying to be sympathetic.

Either way it’s just more motivation to eat healthy. I’d like to make a tost…

To Health and Anti-Oxidants.

Last Week:

I went on a 2 mile walk/jog twice
I biked 20 min
I did a 20min Turbo workout
I fell asleep in the sun twice
I drank a salad
I played with the boys at the park
I bought flax seed for the first time
I stretched outside
I ate 10x more veggies
I spent an evening with the family at my Moms

Tonight:

I’m hitting the gym because I want to do some weight training.

This weekend:

I’m leaving the boys with dad and visiting my best friend (more like sister). I can’t wait to have some good quality “me time”. Even the 4 hour drive by myself I’m looking forward to. I’ll definitely bring Missy Higgins, KT Tungstall ect…and some healthy on the go snacks Celery Sticks, Cucumber sticks, Peanuts, Dried Fruit, and plenty of water.

Happy Monday!

I played, lived, ate, and dreamed about soccer every day before the knee injury. I always thought I would get playing again, but never pursued it. Well, part of getting in shape was to get to a point where I got get in the game again. I was just starting to look around for a local team to join when I heard that a bunch of adults get together and play in the mornings at a local school =) Once again things just falling into place, and one more thing to be grateful for.

Right now it’s not going to happen because the hubby is already gone to work at 6am, but he graduates in a few months and then I can play…even if we move and I only get to play once it will be awesome. Now I’m even more motivated to get more coordinated , active, and work on my endurance, and ball skills.

Had a great workout on Friday night for biceps, shoulders, and back. Then ended with a 30min cardio. Starting to really see a difference in my muscle tone…or starting to see my muscles that were already there more. Just more motivation to eat healthy.

Hope you are all doing great!

In the end I’ve decided to have at least one day a week with no computer time. I may even up that to every other day to be more active and get more stuff done. It will help me be more productive on the days I’m on the computer, and more productive and focused on the days I’m not.

I even slowed down long enough to plan out the next 7 days. That will definitely help me stay focused.

Optimists
Honestly, with the whole family having the stomach flu these past few weeks, it’ been hard. I’m not going to get into those details because it wouldn’t do you or I any good.

I use to think that there were people who could lose weight without ever trying or having any problems. I’m starting to realize that they have the exact same problems, they just don’t focus on the problems, waist time complaining, or use problems as excuses. They chose to get results, see the good, and be grateful. They’re just more optimistic.

A lot of good has come from the past few weeks…
When the family is sick, me and the hubby have to work harder on our communication, and work thru problems. In the end our relationship is better for it. The boys need lots more love and attention, and I love giving it. It’s not every day I can have the 3 year old sit peacefully on my lap while I read and sing to him, or have the 11 month old fall asleep in my arms.

I’ve cut my self some major slack these past few weeks, and paid close attention to what my body needed. I jumped back into exercising to strong and will make sure to slowly increase the intensity this time. I’m back to eating normal, and didn’t realize how much I crave a good salad.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I love all of you. Thanks for your amazing support, via comments, and sharing your own journeys. It has been truly inspiring. Thank you!

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…

I currently weigh 151 and have 20% body fat…I still have 30 lbs of fat on my body, and 121 lbs of lean body mass.

If I weighed 120 and had 20% body fat. I would only have 96 lbs of body mass which would be a dangerous weight for my height, and would be very unhealthy.

So, it would be unhealthy to get that low…but more importantly it’s unhealthy to not have healthy muscle on the body.

Healthy Vs. Athlete
The difference in the answer is between “healthy” and “athlete”.  My goal is to obtain optimum fitness, which for me is “athlete” around 15%.

I’m an athlete by nature, or maybe by genetics. My dad was an All-State football player, and my mom took the silver in the Jr. Olympics. They both were Mesomorph body types, and so am I. However, that was only in their teens, and only in my teens. Now that I’m older my body chemistry has changed more into an Endomorph. So, instead of using my genetics as an excuse, I’m learning the facts, getting educated, and making the choices to get results.

Courtesy of bodybuilding.com

Body Types

I found This free Q&A to find out what body type you are, and how you should be exercising. Before doing the Q&A check out the history, and additional facts at the bottom of this page. My favorite is the “Conclusion.”

“When you know which type you are (or which mixture) and diet and exercise correctly for that type, you will make much better progress.

While some women may think that Kate Moss is the ideal, from a fitness view point she really isn’t. And many women who tend to be endomorphic will save themselves much suffering by not striving to change themselves into ectomorphs, it’s not going to happen. Conversely a true ectomorph who wishes to be a Sumo wrestler would also be in for a big disappointment. “-Paul Becker

I Am Healthy
This all made me realize that I am “healthy” as far as body fat % goes.  I sure feel healthier lately.  I think more clearly and positively, don’t get sick as easily, get better faster, have more energy, and my entire perspective on life is better.

I’ve lost over 40 lbs since I had my last kid, but it wasn’t until my fat percentage was in the “healthy” range that I really felt a difference.  Body fat percentage really does effect the chemistry of the body.

I’ll keep paying attention to my body.  When I feel that I’m at my body’s optimum fitness point, I’ll start focusing on maintaining.  Still never going below 12%.

Training
I put 90% of Christmas Gift Money towards debt, then put a little to things we needed, and had just enough to buy some more sessions with my trainer.

My next session is next Tuesday and I plan on asking her a bit on the subject of fat% and body types.  This will really help me get ready for surfing, and that is still very very exciting to me and more importantly, motivating!!!

What motivates you and keeps you motivated?

Yea!!! I just won a pair of jeans from WorkoutMommy. Thank you so much. I never win stuff. This is so cool.

She had a contest a while back and all I had to do was leave a comment , and share…

“…what your fitness goal is this holiday season and how you are going to make it happen.“

I just realized I never shared this with you guys. I know you all know what my ultimate goal is. However, because of WorkoutMommy I set a “Holiday Goal” just after Thanksgiving to help me stay on track.

Here was my comment….

“I squeezed into my old skinny jeans just before thanksgiving. Now their getting baggy, and I could really use a new skinny pair to squeeze into. My goal it to be at 15% body fat by May 20th which is a big goal considering I was 24% two weeks ago.

My holiday goal is to lose 10 lbs of fat and gain 5 lbs of muscle get to 20% body fat percentage.

To get there I’ll be working out 5+ times a week with cardio every day and 3 days including resistance training. I’ll be eating a 40:30:30 ratio (Protein:Carb:Fat) to make sure my body has the fuel it needs to build muscle. I plan on wearing tighter jeans to parties because I’m less likely to over eat, and I’ll eat a healthy filling meal before I go. If I decide to enjoy some delicious favorites I’ll also plan on enjoying an extra workout on Saturday. I’m already seeing results and I’m very motivated (and sore). It simply feels better when I take care of my body, and it’s always nice to fit into those skinny jeans.”

And…I WON!!!  I’m still on track with this goal and i’ll share how close on Monday with my 4 month before and after picts =)

On the way home from the Christmas part tonight, I was showing my hubby how baggy my jeans were getting. This is perfect timing. I’ll be taking pictures and showing off my new skinny jeans when I get them.  Similar to my tight is alright picts, but much better.

Thanks Workout Mommy!

Now I’ve got to step away and spend some time with the Hubby =)

Another Happy Friday to Everyone!

I can’t help myself. LOL! Too many years working in a corporate office…I guess.

You are stronger than you think.  Mentally and physically.  There isn’t anything that you can’t achieve.  Keep-It-Up, and don’t forget to laugh.

5ive Daily Fitness Focus Areas

1. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
Last night I did a lower body workout. I could feel it burn, and know I’ll feel it ache in a few days…gota make sure and get plenty of potassium, and water to prevent excessive muscle cramping.

2. Social Fitness: Connect with 5 people daily…baby steps
Attitude of Gratitude. I’m grateful for others who share their fitness knowledge, journey, and experiences on the web. I’m finally going to get around to highlighting my favorite blogs.

3. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
Tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, orange, banana (potassium), and spinach. Not bad, even 6 for the day. It’s getting easier every day.

4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day
I’m not following thru on these like I use too. Which probably means I’m not as focused as I use to be. I’m following thru today.

Today
-relax, and enjoy the day
-exercise - 60min cardio
-find something “formal” for work party
-make Christmas list
-make delicious oatmeal again (recipe and photo coming tomorrow)

5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
Ok, the holiday bonus will go toward gifts, and the money we had set aside for gifts will go towards debt. (It’s the same amount of money, but it just doesn’t seem fun to spend holiday bonus on debt…so i switched it around.) I have enough money to buy 5 training sessions. I think I’m just going to do it. Right now they’re having a special for $25/session. Sounds pretty good to me.