Joyfully Fit

It's not rocket science...

2009-02-04T19:29:00.001-08:00

but it sure feels like it sometimes. Especially when you're standing at the fridge at 8:00 at night staring at leftover birthday cake.

You can arm yourself with all the things you're suppose to remind yourself, but when it comes down to standing there and deciding if you will eat the cake or not...let's just say it feels like rocket science.

It's like training for a race...it's mainly mental. We have to talk ourselves into getting out there and running, again. We have to talk ourselves into getting off our butts to go workout. We have to talk ourselves into NOT eating that leftover birthday cake. This exercise and healthy eating lifestyle is a mental thing most of the time.

I don't have the mental energy to talk myself out of eating that leftover birthday cake. Do you know what the answer is? Throw it away. Do you know what I did instead? I ate it!!!! Oh well, I'll work it off in the morning :)

The good news is that I find that my mental strength is increasing. Does that mean that I would temp myself with a Coke and chocolate...NO! But I do find that I want to eat healthier more often and I want to get out of bed at 4:45am to workout more often.

So hang in there...maybe the mental part gets easier. Workout hard!

The little things do add up

2009-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

My healthy eating habits started to diminish around Thanksgiving and where pretty much none existent by Christmas. So I decided to get back to those healthy eating habits. Not because I wanted to lose weight, but because I knew how much more enjoyable my life can be when I eat healthy.

At the beginning of the year I started over. I gave up Coca Cola...not Diet Coke...straight, fully loaded Coke. I was up to one can a day, more when I ate out, so this was a big deal for me to give up (check out my Admitting you have a problem post).

I also went back to eating lots of salads. For lunch I eat a huge salad and at dinner I have a salad followed by a smaller portion of the meal. Sometimes I just have a salad. I don't get bored because I keep different healthy dressing choices on hand. I also throw on different veggies, fish and nuts on top.

I also switched from my 10 oz glass of OJ every morning to a little bit of OJ before my morning class and an orange when I come home. Less calories in an orange and more fiber.

I drink a lot of water. I keep a 32 oz water bottle beside the fridge and I try very hard to make sure I drink two of them a day. I also drink 32 oz of water before, during and after my workout, which doesn't count toward my daily 64 oz of water. I am juicing vegetables again and drinking about 16 oz of carrot juice a day. All of that water keeps us hydrated and helps our body flush out the toxins.

All of these little things add up. Since implementing these changes I have so much energy and I don't crave sugar as much. I have also lost 5 pounds...this wasn't my goal, but a nice added benefit :) Most of all I like knowing that I'm eating good foods and being a good example for my children.

This will only hurt for a little while.

2009-01-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

This time of year many people are starting new exercise programs. For many of them, this will be the first time in a long time that they have pushed their bodies to places that their bodies haven't gone before. We have a new group of clients coming through our 10 week program. For them, this week promises to be full of pain.

They are going to hurt in places that they didn't even know that they had. They will feel muscle aches that will make them want to curl up with a hot pad and a bottle of Ibuprofen.

I remember when I did our 10 week program. It was a Monday in April and I crawled out of bed at 4:30 am to go to class. The instructor kicked my butt (thanks T). The pain didn't start till later that afternoon. Then Tuesday evening I went to class in so much pain that I could barely walk. Now, I'm not a cussing girl but that night when the instructor said we were going to do more squats...a bit of profanity came out of my mouth and I really didn't like that instructor at that moment (sorry D).

My point is that it will only hurt for a little while. It's called DOMS...Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. After a few days the pain will start to subside and you will feel stronger and better able to sustain yourself during exercise sessions.

We just have to work through the pain, unless it's a sudden pain then stop immediately. The pain will go away and you will feel much better for having worked hard. Don't let the pain keep you from working out. Do you know what helps the pain? Working out! The pain will go away during your next workout, especially with proper stretching out and warming up. Now, that doesn't mean that the pain won't start again later, but it will eventually go away. Just keep in mind what you are working for...a healthier and stronger you. It will all be worth in the end.

Hang in there and workout hard!

Admitting you have a problem....

2008-12-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Isn't that the first step in dealing with an addiction? My name is JoyfullyFit and I'm addicted to sugar. I would rather have a Coca Cola then water (plus I'm a water snob...a whole other blog) and I would rather start my day with sugar then something good for me.

This addiction has become all the more evident this week. Christmas is upon us and I love to bake, especially during the holidays. I went to a Christmas party the other night and made these AWESOME truffles...not at all healthy. I thought I could make them for the party and that way I could eat a couple and enjoy them, but they wouldn't be sitting in my fridge all week. That brings me to my second addiction...chocolate!!!! Those two addictions, on top of very little will power, made for a bad situation when I returned home from the party with a lot of leftover truffles.

It's a good thing I exercise a lot because I think I had a truffle for breakfast many days this week. All of this coupled with the fact that I really want to bake.

I may have found the solution!

I enjoy sharing with others...especially food (unless it's my food and it's my husband that wants me to share). So here is what I'm doing this year. I'm making my usually treats for friends and neighbors, but this year I'm only making enough to give away and for my family to get to "sample" each treat. That way I get to combined my two favorite things (baking and giving) and indulge my addictions...a little.

The Amazing Race

2008-11-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our 10K, but it was more then just a 10K road race. It was a 10K cross country race and it was a blast! Let me give you a little bit of information about this race...

It is the largest cross country race in the country.

It is also held in November in the Midwest. That means that is was in low 30's at the beginning of the race and by the end of the race it was even colder, windy and snowing.

We ran through corn fields, woods and through creeks...yes, through creeks. Thigh high water in the 30 degrees weather. Then you had to climb up the muddy embankment on the other side of the creek. It was AWESOME!!!!

This was the third time that I've run this race with my husband, but this time was a little different. This time we took a group of ten instructors and clients. None of them had ever done this race before and they did excellent! I am so proud of all of them. This was a hard race, but they all stuck with it and finished. I'll never forget this race...it was a blast.

This is my favorite race...and that's saying something because I don't like the cold. Why is this my favorite race? #1: I get to race with my husband and have a good time. #2: Where else can you see a grown man wearing only a loin cloth? Or people running in footie PJ's. Or grown men dressed in diapers and baby bonnets? Did I mention that people dress up for this race. #3: It's not really a competitive race. With 7500 runners, there are bond to be bottle necks...especially when crossing a creek. Because it's not competitive, it's more of a community run. You talk to the people around you and you help each other climb those muddy embankments.

This year was even better because of running with the other instructors and clients. I enjoyed watching their faces when they jumped into that first creek and I loved seeing their faces when they finished. Most of these people, including Hubby and I, didn't train very much (there was one client who trained and did great). Even though they didn't train, they came to classes and worked out hard. They were all different age groups and some have lost lots of weight in the past year. They've come a long way to be able to do this race. I ask one of my clients, as he was running into the finish shoot, "Did you think you could do this six months ago?". He responded, "I didn't even think I could do this three months ago". I said, "Look how far you've come. You've lost 50 pounds and your finishing your first cross country race". The look on his face was priceless...this is why I do what I do.

Thanks to all of you for running with me and making it a very memorable race. You guys rock and I can't wait to do it again next year. Workout hard!

I'm sore!!!

2008-11-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

I feel like I did when I first started working out. Every muscle from my waist to my knees is killing me!

Five out of six of us in my family had the stomach flu last week...I really dislike throw up. It wasn't that long, maybe 12 hours, but it really messes with you. I'm still trying to get my energy level back and my strength seems to be zapped pretty good. I am ready to be back to normal. I don't like walking around like an old lady and having to groan every time I get up from the floor or have to use the toilet.

There is some muscle soreness I like. I really like when my core is sore...I know, I'm sick. When my core is sore, it gives me more awareness of my posture and my body...how I'm carrying myself. I even like when my butt and hamstrings hurt a little, it makes me feel like I'm firming that backside.

This soreness, however, is ridiculous and I'm ready for it to go away. I always tell my clients to keep working through it, and that's what I'm doing. I feel fine while I'm exercising...it's the afterwards that really sucks!

How to get started

2008-11-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm all about finding something that works for you. If it doesn't work into your schedule, your family, your interests, then it usually won't work. This is especially true for working out, because when it comes to working out, we'll find any excuse we can to not do it.

The first thing you have to do is decide what works for your schedule and your family...when do you have time to workout? This doesn't mean, when do you "want" to work out...no, when do you have time. I only have time to work out at 5:45 in the morning. Did I "want" to work out at that time...no, but that was the only time that I had and worked best for my family. By the way, I'm now addicted to early morning exercising and don't like starting my day without it.

Next, find something to do that is fun and of interest to you. That means that you have to decide what you think is fun and something you will like. To do that, you have to go try some different forms of exercise. Do you like group fitness classes or working out on your own? Do you like working out on machines or having someone show you the moves? There are more questions that we can ask that will help you get started, but you get the point.

Answer these questions, without the excuses, and lets get started!!

Thanksgiving is coming!

2008-11-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we've been talking to our clients a lot about making healthy food choices. As my fellow instructor T says, "There will be lots more Thanksgivings to eat some of that "good" stuff". We don't want our clients to ruin everything they've worked so hard for.

I came across an article in the paper this weekend that says that the traditional plate at Thanksgiving, plus pumpkin pie for dessert, adds up to 1,211 calories -- and almost 52 grams of fat. It goes on to say, that with snacking and seconds, that total could be at least 3,000 calories!!!!!

So, let's say there is a 150 pound women. Her daily caloric need would be 1568 kcal per day. Here is the calculation: 150/2.2 = 68.18 kg (body weight) * 23 = 1568 kcal per day. If this women eats the typical 3,000 calories during Thanksgiving, that's almost double her daily caloric need! Do you know what happens to those extra calories we eat...FAT!!

Let's look at it another way...1 pound of body fat has 3,500 calories. That means that if this woman eats the typical 3,000 calories on Thanksgiving, then she could potentially gain about 1/2 a pound. That's only one meal! What about breakfast? What about if you are eating at two different locations...lunch and dinner? What about the beverages you consume that day?

When someone wants to lose weight, we tell them that they need to decrease their caloric intake and increase their energy expenditure, so that the total calorie reduction is around 500 calories a day. If you do this for 7 days, then you will lose 1 pound a week (3500 calories). This is a safe amount to lose.

Think of how much harder you just made it to lose weight, when you've just gained a 1/2 pound in one day!

Something to think about :)

The Great Carrot Battle of '08

2008-11-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Everyday at lunch I try to make sure that my 4 children eat a well rounded lunch. I usually try to include a protein, a carb, veggies and fruit. If that goes well, then they can have a piece of gum or candy after lunch.

For the veggie, I almost always serve raw baby carrots...they are easy and very good for them. All of my children, except my oldest, will eat the carrots without saying a word. My oldest, on the other hand, usually rolls his eyes and says something like, "not carrots". Then he proceeds to search through the bag for the two smallest baby carrots he can find.

The other day he was really having a hard time getting the carrots down. The other children had already eaten their lunches, had their pieces of candy and were off playing. I was standing there watching him try and choke down this carrot, all the while laughing on the inside. I was laughing because I was thinking, "kid, is it really that big of a deal to eat that measly little carrot". Then it dawned on me...how many times have I thrown a fit that I really didn't want to eat that healthy food, I'd rather have something "good". The only difference is I don't have someone standing over my shoulder making me eat the healthy stuff.

We have a motto in our house. We tell the children, "we don't live to eat, we eat to live". The difference between these two things is that in the first one, the food is controlling us and in the second, we control the food. I think we need to start reminding ourselves who is in control when it comes to eating. When we "live to eat", we don't end up living to well or too long.

I was sick this weekend

2008-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

I had the chills, aches, headache, stuffy/runny nose yuck this weekend. Through it all I still had to be a wife and mom, and I still had to teach fitness classes. I felt awful when I'd get to class, but by the end of the class the endorphins had kicked in and I felt great...for a few hours.

I decided that I better take it easy on Sunday, so I sent everyone off to church and I slept for 4 hours!!! It was awesome...I like NyQuil :) By Sunday night I was feeling great and I think that the fact that I am in the best physical shape I've ever been in has a lot to do with it. Would it have taken longer to get better if I wasn't physically active and healthy...I don't know. I do think that it helped to have somewhere to be that required that I be physically active. I knew I had to teach/exercise and so I took care of myself so that I could get back to work and feed my exercise addiction.

I do think it helped me feel better faster, but I don't know if it's because my physical body was better able to heal or if it was because I really wanted to get back to exercising.

The reason I do what I do

2008-11-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

There are lots of things that motivate us to do what we do. The reason that I enjoy teaching fitness classes and the reason that I am so passionate about exercise and my students is this...I enjoy the look on other people's faces when they reach their goals.

Those goals can be...lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, weight loss, smaller pants size, etc. Whatever the goal, I just love it when they get so excited and see that their hard work has paid off. I think I would probably teach for free (don't tell my boss), if I could just see those people's faces when they reach their goals.

In my short experience as an instructor and trainer, I've noticed something. The people who reach their goals are usually the people who have the most to lose...and I don't mean just weight. It could be that their blood pressure is through the roof, or their cholesterol is so high that they are a heart attack waiting to happen. Maybe it's that their weight has hindered their lifestyle so much that they can enjoy life anymore.

Why do we wait so long? Why do we wait until we have the most to lose? Do we have to be at that point before we'll do anything? I care about these people and it concerns me when I see more and more people waiting until a lifestyle change is their last resort.

I guess that along with rejoicing when people reach their goals, it also deeply upsets me when they don't.

Mommy, look at my new exercise!

2008-10-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

My kids are constantly making up new exercises. We'll be doing school or playing and all the sudden one of them will say, "Mommy, look at this new exercise". They'll even start telling me what muscles this new "exercise" is working.

I love it!! My kids are already little personal trainers and exercise enthusiasts!

One day I came down the stairs and found my oldest, then 6, "instructing" his two younger siblings on exercise...he was conducting his own fitness class. That's awesome!

I like that my kids are excited about exercising both their bodies and their brains. I like that my children are active children...we go outside and play, we run around the house and dance, we do exercise videos.

Does this have something to do with me...probably. I don't care who's fault it is...I just think it's great that they enjoy exercising. I love my kids and their creative exercises.

FYI...I'm writing a book of exercises my children have created. Just kidding :)

It's too cold!!!!

2008-10-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Fall has officially begun...and I don't like it. I am not a cold weather person, even though I've spent most of my life in the Midwest. I think I'm a southern girl at heart...I did live there for 3 years and loved it. I'm also a fair weather runner...60 degrees and above. Hubby's motto is 40 degrees and below. Another reason we can't run together...well, that and 4 kids :)

I would love to stay in bed on these cold mornings and cuddle up next to Hubby and sleep in...but I can't. If I didn't get up at 4:45 am and go to fitness classes, it would never get done. I'd keep telling myself that I'll do it later and then later, when the day is over, I would have done nothing. Do I like getting out of bed when it's dark and cold...no. Do I like not getting to sleep in, and by sleeping in I mean 7:00...no. Do I like having to find my way around in the dark so I don't wake anybody up and leaving the house while everyone else sleeps...no.

These really aren't the questions I need to be asking myself. The real questions I need to ask are...Do I like the way I feel after a workout...yes. Do I like that I have changed my body and look pretty good in my jeans...yes. Do I like that I am not depressed...yes. Do I like that my blood pressure is awesome and I have no health concerns...yes. Do I like the example I am setting for my children...yes. Do I like being in community with the other instructors and clients...yes. Do I like that I can go through the rest of my day knowing that I've already worked really hard...yes. Do I like that it's alright to occasionally eat that sweet treat...definitely yes.

The most painful part is the moment when the alarm goes off until I drag myself to the bathroom and brush my teeth and wash my face. If I can make it through those 30 feet, then the rest of my day/life is healthier. We can do this! We can make it to classes and we can get healthier. We just have to make it to the bathroom :)

2008-10-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

I finally did it!!!! I started a blog...something my husband, and best friend, have been trying to get me to do for a while.

This is going to be a place where I can talk about my favorite subjects...exercise and healthy eating habits (with the occasional rabbit trail :))

Stay tuned...I'm sure I'll have something brilliant to say.