Happy Measurement Day!

Ok Everyone! Get out your tape measures and measure your mid section. Is it smaller? Don't answer that here. If it is - great job!!! If it's not - you'll have ample opportunity this month. We're going to do work out designed to get you beach body ready - that includes one pieces. The magazine says bikini ready, but seriously, with the stretch marks my daughter left me - no way! Only in Mexico where people don't know me!! Or Miami - same principle. I'll post the other workout for this month later. Today get some cardio in - at least 45 minutes. Make sure your heart rate is up to where it would be slightly difficult to carry on a conversation - you could still do it, but you'd prefer to listen instead you doing all the talking. Don't ever run with me - I totally make my running partner talk the whole time because she runs a lot faster than I and I can't talk. It's a good thing she's interesting and funny otherwise it would make for awfully boring runs. Hahaha! I just realize how boring the runs must be for HER because I hardly talk! Hahaha! Whoops - ok, new resolution to try to talk more during running. But that doesn't have to happen until the spring :)

This Week

Ok, so some changes this week:
MONDAY (sorry): Cardio Moderate for 6-7 songs, Total Body Strength for 4-5 songs
TUESDAY: Cardio High Intensity for 4-5 songs (I'll show you what I did below); Ab Circuit 2 sets
WEDNESDAY: Cardio Moderate 6-7 songs, Total Body Strength for 4-5 songs
THURSDAY: Cardio High Intensity for 4-5 songs; Ab Circuit 2 sets
FRIDAY: Cardio Moderate 6-7 songs, Total Body Strength for 4-5 songs
SATURDAY: Cardio Light 45 minutes Ab Circuit 2 sets
SUNDAY: off

Here's what I did this morning with no scheduled rest - yes, I had to rest because it was difficult, but I got right back in there and you can too:
20 Burpees
20 tuck jumps where you grab your knees
40 (so like 20 seconds or so) of running in place kicking your butt with your heels
20 star jumps (squat and essentially do a jumping jack in the sky and go back into the squat)
40 (20 seconds) of standing with a step or something a little elevated in between your feet an jumping side to side with your toes coming up to touch the thing between your feet lightly. Like in soccer where you would jump and tough the soccer ball quickly and lightly. Only first do it with something in between your feet. Then...
40 (20 seconds) of doing the soccer ball thing described above with it in front of you
20 straight legged squat thrusts. get into plank position, bring your feet into your body as close as you can while maintaining straight legs and use your abs to get your tailbone into the air.

Then I did the first ab circuit, then I repeated the above cardio thing and finished with the second set of ab work.

Yummy Sandwich

Ok, so here's what I'm having for lunch which will fill me up for a good 4 hours. I love this sandwich - especially if I can use the fresh herb salad, but that gives next to nothing nutritionally, so it's spinach leaves today:

Arnold Sandwich Thins are kind of key. For a bread LOVER - seriously, I used to jut sit and eat an entire 32 oz loaf of bread from Pagani's with the roasted garlic smeared over it like butter - awesome! Ok, so I can vouch for these sandwich thins, although I was super skeptical - seriously, where's all the bread. But they're only 100 calories. This whole sandwich is 401 calories. It will sustain you and fill you up - guaranteed.

So instead of butter (my personal favorite condiment) use 1/2 of an avocado and just spread it on both sides. spinach instead of boring lettuce, a Roma tomato and some kind of tasty cheese. I have onion dill right now. The last thing is shaved ham. Now, I am a BIG proponent of going to a butcher - it's just better tasting. But get shaved anything because you use less, but because it piles high, it seems like more so your eyes trick your stomach. two slices of ham sliced looks piddly compared to two slices shaved. Put together and there ya go - enjoy!!

If you're a BLT lover, substitute spinach for lettuce - extra fiber helps get rid of the buldge we're all working on this month. Also instead of mayo (I hate mayo anyway) use the super fruit: avocado. Also a thing to eat this month. Use the pre cooked bacon - thinner and you can get them super crispy in the microwave. Less grease and the calories are right there so you can see how many pieces you want to eat - and they don't smell up your house quite as much as regular - wonderfully tasting bacon. LOVE bacon!!

Break Day!

So you get to take a break today! How great is that? I have busy Thursdays so this is perfect for me. Next week, though, you won't get a break. Today, however, I'm going to do some yoga because it's relaxing and stretching out muscles I need stretched so as not to have them all bunched up if Tiece makes me run one of these days. Thankfully I enticed her with Thai food so she won't want to run yet :) Maybe she'll do Yoga with me :) I know she reads this, so we'll see. Anyway, enjoy your break and hop on the scale or take your measurements Sunday since you get another break there too. Gotta go do devotionals with the kiddos before school. A healthy recipe is below...since we're not working out today.

Don't forget yogurt, apples, avocado...etc. Great snacks these next 4 weeks when we're trying to shave an inch off our midsection.

Here's what we're having tonight:

Thai-flavoured sauce (yes, I'm also having Thai for lunch - get over it) by combining garlic, root ginger, de-seeded and chopped chillies, lime zest and juice, a handful of fresh coriander leaves and 1 tsp or so of sesame oil. Add salt and whiz in a food processor to a paste. Spread onto the salmon fillets and bake in a hot oven or place under the grill until the fish is done.

Since you already have ginger sitting around. Cook one of my sister's favorite things: heat a little olive oil or butter in a skillet and finely chop or slice ginger root. Then add green beans and cook until the green beans are crisp tender. It's awesome!

Date with Jillian

So I have a date with Jillian to Shred in 30 minutes. Can I do it with Lew in time out - can he stay there that long? Nah, just kidding. Although Audrey would pitch fits in time out - I remember saying to her, "Dude, you can come out when you calm down." She stayed there 45 minutes!! Lew's not a temper tantrum thrower, so he can basically walk in and walk right out. Except now he's crying to the point I'm afraid he'll puke and if he does, that won't bode well for either of us. He's in there because I had a protein bar and he wanted one so I "faked him out" and gave him a granola bar - seriously, which one is better?! He was pouty, so I sent him to time out, but had to scold him for getting out of time out. It was hilarious, he was so quiet but I knew he was there crouched down like he was sneaking around. I was on my bed and was just watching him and I think he peed his pants when he noticed me looking at him! It was hilarious, poor dude. "No, no, Lewie!" gets me hyperventilation. Poor dude. Oh well. Off to go hang with Lew and Jillian. I hope she's nice to him. :) ALSO in case you're all wondering about the weight loss ticker at the bottom of this blog, I got it from My Fitness Pal. That was my goal a year ago or so. I got down to within 3 lbs. of my goal and once October hit and I stopped working out, yeah, put it all back on. Which is why I've decided to just keep working out. It makes me happy (afterwards of course), so why not? Find some cardio - even if it's running up and down your stairs or shoveling which is what I did today. Yes, that counts on My Fitness Pal. Seriously, check it out!! Also listen to the radio broadcast from today's Focus on the Family - while you're working out - it's only 20 minutes!!


Just did it - burned approximately 200-300 calories depending on weight. Just do stair climbers and jumping jacks for 2 minutes (30 sec each), then do walking pushups (something I had to do for the Urbanathlon - they are AWESOME for whole body toning) and tricepts for 3 minutes alternating. Then do some ab work for 1 minute. Mix it up for three circuits and you have Jillian's shred. 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio (squat flies, mountain climbers, squat thrusts, jumping jacks, jumping rope - pretend, lunge jumps...etc) and then 1 minute of abs.

Forgot...

So...I forgot to do the ab workout until 15 minutes ago. I'm done. It only took 4 songs. One tip, for the first alphabet ball thing, use dumbbells to hang on to rather than simply being in push up position with your feet on the ball. I have funky wrists anyway, but they were in so much pain after the letter, "D" that I had to make a change. I will say it does make it a little easier because your upper body is more stabilized because of the weights, but you'll still feel it. Remember to keep your abs tight. Stand against a wall and flinch your muscles like someone punched you. Go ahead, punch yourself because you're going to anyway. That's what your abs should be like all the time. Don't suck in and don't push out because you'll never get rid of the pooch that way. Sucking in doesn't allow you to breathe and also doesn't allow for equal representation of your abs. You want to work out more of your abs so as not to have to do as many, so don't suck in. Also, not tightening and/or pushing your abs out will, for a lack of a better way of putting it, make them grow that way. Not saying I don't have a pooch - I still do and for my body, unless I'm doing interval training while running, I will always have a pooch. The only thing that gets rid of it for me is putting my body through agony by sprinting and then jogging, then sprinting then jogging, and so on until my running partner, Tiece, says to stop - the most glorious words ever, "And we're done."

Measurements...Do It, Do It.

Apparently I can only think on a Dodge Ball (at least I think that's where "do it, do it" comes from - maybe Zoolander...hmm) level this early in the morning, but take your measurements before you work out! Don't comment or post them here, they are for your own personal record keeping. If you post them, I'll assume you're completely full of yourself and want everyone to know how great you look. This is where My Fitness Pal comes in. No one else has to know. Buon Dia!!

Getting Started

Ok so this blog/info spot is for all of you who keep asking me how I stay fit. I don't really stay fit, I just work out very hard when I do work out so I can support my atrocious eating habits. However, I am determined to make my family healthier, and it is now my New Year's Resolution to work out in the winter. I normally keep it to the tamer months, starting in May and going until October, but metabolism being what it is at 30, I am forced to work out in the winter months. BUT the good thing is that I'll have ALL of you with me!!! My goal is to give you the workouts I will be doing for several weeks and then change them up. I also hope to have a healthy recipe posted for you every now and then. That's the goal. Reality will most likely look drastically different. If you want to really keep track of your weight, measurements and calories burned vs. intake, you need to sign up (for free) on myfitnesspal.com. That's a great site and has a lot of restaurant information as well. You can weigh in or take your measurements, however you like to calculate change whenever you want. Also, you can choose who views your information and how much you share. I think there's an app for an iPhone too if you're interested.

For now, though, we are starting this year off slowly and working primarily on the midsection which is typically our major issue this time of year. Make these as difficult as you'd like. Certainly don't go any easier than what I'm listing. You'll be officially lame. If you don't think you have time, just think about the number of songs you'd listen to until you're done. Like 20 minutes = 5 songs or so. I'll put it into number of songs too. As an aside, if you have a hard time fitting a daily dose of scripture into your lifestyle, this might help too - get some devotional podcasts or CD's.

This week:
MONDAY - Cardio (moderate, like jogging or swimming or an aerobics class or DVD or the Wii - I do kick boxing.) for 30 minutes (6-8 songs). Then do the Ab Circuit for 1 set (to be explained later).
TUESDAY - Cardio (moderate) for 20 minutes (5 songs). Then do 20 minutes (5 songs) of total body strength (I'll let you know what I decide to do probably after I do it that day).
WEDNESDAY-Cardio (high-intensity, like jumping rope, sprinting, hiking or running up and down your stairs) for 5 minutes (1-2 songs). Then do the Ab Circuit for 2 sets.
THURSDAY - OFF - look a break!! OR you can do some type of stretching like Yoga or something.
FRIDAY - Cardio (moderate) for 20 minutes (5 songs). Then do Total Body strength, yes, it will most likely be different from Tuesday because I get bored. Do that for 20 minutes (5 songs).
SATURDAY- Cardio (light, like walking or riding a stationary bike or an old Jane Fonda VHS) for 45 minutes. I'll probably either do 20 minutes of high intensity or 30 minutes of moderate intensity. Then do two sets of the Ab Circuit.
SUNDAY - OFF - enjoy the Lord's day and take a well needed break!

Ab Circuit 1 set:
1. Scrabble Ball - get into plank position on a balance ball with hands under shoulders and legs extended. Make sure your back is straight and your head is in line with your spine. With your feet on the ball, move the ball to spell out the letters of the alphabet.
2. Rock and Roll - Lie face up with legs together, toes pointed and arms extended overhead by ears, hands stacked (like you're about to dive into a pool). Engage abs and lift both legs and shoulders about 6 inches off ground, slowly rocking body back and forth. Do 10 reps.
3. Around the World - Lie back on top of a stability ball, butt slightly off edge of ball, feet hip-width apart on ground. Extend arms overhead in line with ears. Rotate upper body in a circular motion to the right, up, left and back. Do 10 full circles then switch sides and repeat (so do 20 full circles on each side).
4. Glute Bridge - Lie face up with arms by sides, knees bent and feet flat. Engage abs and glutes and SLOWLY press hips toward sky, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold for 3 counts; lower. Do 12 reps. For a challenge, do the bridge with one leg lifted.

Ab Circuit 2 Sets:
Perform all of the above in that order and then the following:
5. Horizontal Plank - Get into plank position. Holding a dumbbell in left hand, slowly lift left arm straight out to side at shoulder height, keeping hips and core still. Lower arm. Do 10 reps staying in plank. Switch arms and repeat.
6. Stand-Up - First squat holding a dumbbell vertically at your chest. Squat lower and as soon as your butt touches the ground bring your knees into your chest and roll onto shoulder blades. Then extend the dumbbell overhead. Place feet on the ground and roll back up to start. Do 8 reps.
7. Windshield Wipers - Lie face up with legs extended over hips, arms extend at shoulders, abs engaged. Keeping legs together, slowly lower legs to the left, as close t the ground as possible. Use core muscles to lift legs back to center, then lower to the right. Do -12 reps, alternating sides.
8. Ball Opposites - Lie face down on top of a stability ball with palms on the ground under shoulders, legs extended and toes on ground. Squeeze glutes to lift right leg straight up while extending left arm out in front, keeping abs tight, shoulders relaxed and head in line with spine. Hold for 1 count; lower Switch sides, repeat. Do 16 reps, alternating sides.

This work out regiment was taken from Fitness magazine. It claims, "trim an inch off your middle in just 4 weeks." Well, let's put it to the test. Everyone get out a measurement rope and measure your middle. In 4 weeks measure it again. I'll give you next week's plan as well as the all over toning in a little bit. I have to figure out what I want to do yet. I have until Tuesday afternoon :)

The food to concentrate on for the next four weeks: yogurt (Preferably Greek, but whatever), avocados, apples and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter a day or 1 tablespoon of olive oil a day if you're allergic. Eggs, chicken and fish are awesome because it takes more energy for your body to digest the protein. We just bought 1/2 a cow, so it's a red meat diet for us for a while, but hey, I'm low on iron anyway!

Doing Abs 3 times a week is a challenge for me because unless I'm involved with corporate ab work (like in a fitness class or something) I NEVER do them because they hurt and I don't like it. HOWEVER I'd rather do abs than run in the winter, so here I am. Who's with me??