No Excuses

No Excuses…

No Excuses… normally I would end that statement with an exclamation mark, but today I cannot. I cannot because I have a ton of excuses! My normal workout routine has been disrupted by my career. About 4 weeks ago my role at work required me to work more hours, which cut into my gym time. Before this I was able to get my work out in during my lunch hour. My evening are filled with dinner, homework, baths, and bedtime with a 3 years old… this eliminates my evening especially with a 45min drive home from work… pick up from daycare…. SEE EXCUSES! And this is only the surface.

When instructing my fitness classes during these 4 weeks I continued to push my students yet found it harder and harder to get my own work out in. My stress level increased and I started looking for sugar instead of my running shoes.

This week I am starting clean, letting go of the 4 weeks of stress and no time… this feeling of not having time to work out weighed heavy on my mind and just added to my stress. It’s Tuesday and I have successfully worked out twice. I am making a commitment to myself, even if I can only do 30min, I will get something in.

Here are all the ways I can get a workout in.

1.     Run for 30min when I get home from work

2.     Do pushups, jacks, squats while cooking dinner

3.     Take the kids to the park and chase them

4.     Wake up early before work and get something in

5.     During my breaks at work I can sneak into a conference room and do squats and pushups

6.     Play “Just Dance” for the wii with the kids

This is what I came up with just off the top of my head… Can you add to it?

Chocolate Please!

I <3 Sweets  

I looooooove …chocolate, pumpkin spice lattes, ICE CREAM, yummy cheese, “GOOD” bread. I do and I am not ashamed. For years I would try “being good” and “eating clean” and then beat myself up when I fell off the wagon and ate a pint of ice cream. This would then trigger a spiral effect…  I tried this over and over again and each time it was the same cycle.

AHA! 

In every other aspect in my life I am very strategic. When instructing a fitness class I walk the student through each muscle as it is firing through the exercises and focus on perfect form…. I have not always had great form, I had to start somewhere. To get to perfection you have to walk it through the stages. You cannot go from student to professor overnight, why do we expect to be perfect as soon as we start a “diet?!?!”

In order to create healthy habits we must make life style changes.  To do this we need to analyze our behavioral and eating habits. What I mean by that is think about the times you go for the food that is not so good for you. For instance, some days .. I mean most Days ..after leaving work I go straight to starbucks and order “Grande Mocha with Whip”, this is my stress relief drink. It is like my mini vacation on that 45min drive home. And I really need that mini vacation so that I can  come refreshed and ready for my family time free fromthe stressors from work. So instead of my “Grande Mocha with whip” I changed it to “Grande Skinny with sugar free vanilla Mocha”

The Difference…

Mocha w/Whipà Cal. 330; Fat 15g; Carb 44; Fiber 2; Protein 13

Skinny Mochaà Cal. 150; Fat 1.5; Carb 18; Fiber 4; Protein 14 

Information found here: http://www.starbucks.com/

Yea sure the artificial sweetener is probably not the best, and we should really try and eat clean, it is very good fuel for our body BUT if that is true then all improvements are of value. This is what I do, I analyze my intake (food) versus my burn.

 Many websites out there.. I use http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/

Track for a week and build on your improvements, start replacing your bad habits with better, before you know it you will be eating better and better.

until Next time :) Alicia

No EXCUSES

60 days into the 90 day challenge and I am very happy with the progress, just a little shocked I had so much to lose. As of this weeks check-in 20lbs lost, 5” inches on the hips (YIKES), 3” waist, thighs, calves and arms. In my first blog about the 90 day challenge it was focused on the fuel (food). Now that you know how to fuel your body how do you burn those calories you consume?

I am a full time mom, wife and have a full time job. I work out twice 4-5 times a week. I am actively involved with my children and have date night once week with my husband. My job Is very demanding as are the kids at times.. So no excuses!

My first workout is done during my lunch and the second is done after I put the kids to bed. During the day I either take spin, RIPPED or go for a run (rippedusa.com). During the evening I do crunches.. 200 of them J In one month I lost 3 inches by just adding the crunches at night to my normal routine.

The key is you have to find something you enjoy doing and switch it up. If you are not seeing results then you should look at what you are currently doing, when is the last time you switched it up? In this blog I am including a 20 minute at home workout that is simple and effective. But for those of you that have many excuses here is some idea on when to fit the workout in.

When I don’t have time…

1.   I have a weight at my desk.. during phone meetings I do various exercises (arms, squats)

2.   While cooking I will do push up off the counter, lunges

3.   When watching TV, … wait if you have time to watch TV you have time to dedicate to a workout

4.   While at the park with the kids I chase them, put them on your back run around

5.   While cleaning, I squat when picking things up

6.   Set the timer for 5 min while cooking.. do 1 min jacks, 1 min Squats, 1min push up off the counter, 1min triceps push ups and 1 min high knees..

There is always time to fit something in….

20min At home or gym workout

Section 1 (Biceps, shoulders and Legs)

Need: Weights

Tip: Good form and flexing your concentrated muscles

·      Bicep Curls  

·      Weighted squats

·      Bicep curls to the outside

·      Pleat squats

·      Overhead Shoulder press

Repeat… except when doing the squats second time around lift one heel off the ground for 6 reps and switch sides

Section 2 (Core, Chest)

Need: Ball and One weight

·      While sitting on the ball, sit ups using a weight. As you extend fully into the exercise raise the weight in the air

·      Left Oblique sit up, again as you extend fully into the exercise lift the weight.. repeat on Right side

·      Push-ups- In a plank position while balancing on the ball

·      Heel to the heaven – lay on your back, grip the ball between your feet. Keep back flat on the floor and lift the ball to the ceiling

Repeat

Section 3- (Backs, hams, gluts, shoulders and triceps)

Need: Ball

Bridge - Lay on your back, calves balancing on the ball, and lift your pelvic to the ceiling while contracting your gluts and core

Reverse Plank and Hamstrings – in a reverse plan while heels are balancing on the ball, pull the ball towards your gluts

Triceps pulse- hold the ball behind your back and keep hands should blade apart, pulse the ball towards the ceiling

Repeat

Stretch and rehydrate

 ENJOY!!

Fueling for Life

 

FOOD = FUEL

It’s been 7 weeks since a started a 90 day challenge to improve my health. Before I go any further let me explain a little bit about me… I am competitive, you know the kind of competitive where you want to be perfect in everything you do. Its really not a competition against anyone just myself. I am my biggest challenge. When I started this 90 day challenge I had a regular fitness routine and my body seemed to be accustom to it. My eating habits were ok but everything can be improved.

I asked my friend if she would do it with me, I knew if I had someone else competing I would push myself to be the best and reporting in with someone made me accountable for my actions. If she was seeing results my ass better be seeing results to… and they better be better or equal to what she was seeing.

It’s been 7 weeks and I have lost 18lbs and 2 inches all around, people are asking what did you? At first I took a step back and thought damn I was not fat… but then again I obviously had some extras I could afford to lose. So what did I do….

Let us first start with the food. I do not have the kind of time where I can be logging every damn calorie but I have a pretty good knowledge of what types of foods I need. The first thing people need to learn is that food is fuel. Let’s say you bought a brand new Mercedes, fully loaded, leather seats, sun roof, and a nice stereo system. This car is your dream car, when you walk out to your car and you see it just waiting for  you, you get all excited and say to your… “damn that is mine!” Its time to fill up that car, your car requires diesel but the other gas smells better, so you put the other gas in it. How will your car perform? Do you care? You just spent 50k on this car… now do you car?

Start thinking of your body like your dream car.. shit start thinking of your body like your dream body.. wait… Start TREATING your body like you dream body. Now that I have painted the picture for you spend the time to understand your fuel. You need carbs and you need fats.. its all about the type of carbs and fats you feed your body. Candy Bar = bad fat, avocado = good fat. White rice = bad carb, Oatmeal = good carb. I am not a nutritionist but there is plenty of sites that can tell you what you need.

After you understand the type of fuel you need, you also need to understand portion sizes. I eat every 2 hours during the day.. I don’t have the time or damn energy to be logging everything I eat.. but as a natural born analyst I log my food for one week to see where I need to improve. I like livestrong.com, but any app or site that shows you the total nutritional facts will do. You are looking to see what is your intake versus what you are burning. In the beginning you are building your discipline, the easiest way to stay away from temptation is to eliminate it.. I pack my meals every day.

This is my typical meal plan:

Wake up: WATER.. of course while I am waiting for the coffee to brew.

8am: Oatmeal w/ Splenda brown sugar

10am: Banana and yogurt

12pm: Grilled asparagus and turkey and cheese sandwich (mustard and spinach)

2pm: Strawberries

4:00pm Protein shake w/ shot of espresso

6:00pm Steamed Veggies (broccoli and cauliflower) with Salmon

8:00pm Protein shake

This is what works for me… maybe you don’t like asparagus, that’s ok. The point is to find good choices that you can fuel your body with. I highly recommend prepping for the week, have plenty of good choices on hand that you can grab.. OH… if you have anything in your reach that is not good fuel and you don’t think you are discipline to not eat it throw it out! Not worth it. Last and never least.. HYDRATE.. You need water!