I have always been an athlete. Throughout elementary school and high school I played a variety of team sports. I always took school very serious. I am decently intelligent, school came easy to me. I made sure I was rested and between needing food for brain fuel and needing food for sport fuel, I have always been a breakfast eater. Now, apparently this is uncommon. Huffington Post says that 10% of the American population does not eat breakfast. Its no wonder we have such an issue with overweight and obese people.
Breakfast is not only what jumpstarts your metabolism after a (hopefully) long and restful night, it also jump starts the brain. It is even more important that children are eating their breakfast! WebMD reports that children that skip breakfast are more often absent or late from school. Get those kids up and make sure they are eating. Some nice whole grain cereal with so low fat milk and orange juice is the perfect way to send your children off to school alert and ready to learn!
And adults, it is proven that skipping breakfast can cause weight gain and damper weightloss efforts. On the surface, it may appear that skipping a meal would mean less calories, (which it does) and in the end, would mean less weight gained or more weight lost (which it does not). You're body runs on fuel, it needs rest and then needs to be recharged. Even a busy mom has time, grab a breakfast shake or banana and low sugar granola bar. Skipping breakfast tends to lead people to bad snacks and endless grazing. You might save 300 calories at breakfast, but find your hand in the candy dish several times before lunch. It's simple really, if you want to maintain or lose weight, EAT BREAKFAST!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Fitness and a 'Healthy Glow'
I'm from Pennsylvania and I am about as pale as they come. I don't tan, I burn even wearing SPF 50. When my husband and I got married, I thought I would try to get a nice tan. I started going to the tanning bed and lying in there for about 5 minutes at a time. My husband asked me what I was doing. I told him I wanted to look nice for the wedding. He told me, he loved my pasty skin.... Now that is about as sweet as my dear hubby gets, but it was enough for me to stop, seemed like a waste of money and an even more waste of time. Well, that was about seven years ago, right around the time I first got certified as a personal trainer.
After we married, we were stationed in Warner Robins, GA and I was hired at a Gold's Gym. Not only did we both get free gym memberships, we received unlimited tanning. Now, as much as I didn't want to tan, my husband is Mexican and people just don't get much darker than he is already, so, needless to say, we never once tanned. But working at the desk, day in and day out, I would see the same people, workout then head to the tanning bed. A coworker of mine included.
She was so pretty, tiny little thing, very fit, with pretty brown hair. I was about 23 and she was about 34. However, she looked so much older, all the tanning had lead to premature aging on her face, it was sad to see. Another customer, who had been apparently tanning for years, was so dried out, her legs looked like leather. All I could think was, if that they were not worried about skin cancer, did they at least not see the way it was making them look?
I'm 30 years old with two kids. My 6 month old wakes up about 530 am each morning, I am often over tired. However, I still get many compliments that I do not look even 30 (not that 30 is old). I contribute my youthful face (and you should see my older sister) to exercise, lots of water, not smoking and most of all, wearing sunscreen! If how you look is not enough for you to reconsider baking yourself in the sun or a nice man made torture chamber, how about your health?
It baffles me that fitness and tanning seem to be interlinked. A vast majority of health clubs offer tanning, many time, unlimited, with no additional cost. Its seems utterly ludicrous. The idea of being healthy and then willingly upping your chances of skin cancer, makes me wonder, 'why bother?' Why go through the trouble of staying fit, just to risk cancer? With so many risks already inherently ingrained into our modern lifestyle, why would you add to it? I have two theories, 1) Ignorance, people just don't know about the risks and many believe indoor tanning is safer than sun bathing or 2) People just think it won't happen to them. I think #2 may be more likely, considering that the majority of people using tanning beds are women under 35; the young have been known to believe in certain youthful invincibility. WebMD states that 85% of wrinkles are caused from sun damage (or indoor tanning) Sun damage leads to a number of cancers including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and even cataracts. WedMD
Maybe we need to read up. Here are some facts about tanning :
Skincancer.org
Healthology
Just remember, that healthy glow now, will be a nice uneven skin tone, with red blotches and possible cancer in future.
According to aad.org
After we married, we were stationed in Warner Robins, GA and I was hired at a Gold's Gym. Not only did we both get free gym memberships, we received unlimited tanning. Now, as much as I didn't want to tan, my husband is Mexican and people just don't get much darker than he is already, so, needless to say, we never once tanned. But working at the desk, day in and day out, I would see the same people, workout then head to the tanning bed. A coworker of mine included.
She was so pretty, tiny little thing, very fit, with pretty brown hair. I was about 23 and she was about 34. However, she looked so much older, all the tanning had lead to premature aging on her face, it was sad to see. Another customer, who had been apparently tanning for years, was so dried out, her legs looked like leather. All I could think was, if that they were not worried about skin cancer, did they at least not see the way it was making them look?
I'm 30 years old with two kids. My 6 month old wakes up about 530 am each morning, I am often over tired. However, I still get many compliments that I do not look even 30 (not that 30 is old). I contribute my youthful face (and you should see my older sister) to exercise, lots of water, not smoking and most of all, wearing sunscreen! If how you look is not enough for you to reconsider baking yourself in the sun or a nice man made torture chamber, how about your health?
It baffles me that fitness and tanning seem to be interlinked. A vast majority of health clubs offer tanning, many time, unlimited, with no additional cost. Its seems utterly ludicrous. The idea of being healthy and then willingly upping your chances of skin cancer, makes me wonder, 'why bother?' Why go through the trouble of staying fit, just to risk cancer? With so many risks already inherently ingrained into our modern lifestyle, why would you add to it? I have two theories, 1) Ignorance, people just don't know about the risks and many believe indoor tanning is safer than sun bathing or 2) People just think it won't happen to them. I think #2 may be more likely, considering that the majority of people using tanning beds are women under 35; the young have been known to believe in certain youthful invincibility. WebMD states that 85% of wrinkles are caused from sun damage (or indoor tanning) Sun damage leads to a number of cancers including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and even cataracts. WedMD
Maybe we need to read up. Here are some facts about tanning :
Skincancer.org
Healthology
Just remember, that healthy glow now, will be a nice uneven skin tone, with red blotches and possible cancer in future.
According to aad.org
- By 2015, it is estimated that 1 in 50 Americans will develop melanoma in their lifetime
- About 75 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma
- In 2010, new research found that daily sunscreen use cut the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in half
- Exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of melanoma, especially in women aged 45 years or younger.15
- In females 15-29 years old, the torso/trunk is the most common location for developing melanoma, which may be due to high-risk tanning behaviors
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Live Outside your Comfort Zone
I have been living in Europe for most of my adult life. When I was 19 I joined the Air Force and lived in Italy for three years, then spent three years in GA and now four years in Germany. There is much to say about living in another country, but my focus is on the unknown.
As a military family, you are expected to move from place to place every few years. We all know this coming into it. However, moving overseas has its own unique set of issues. 1.) moving thousands of miles away from family. Whether your from the East coast, Southern Cali or Alaska, it doesn't much matter anymore, you are thousands of miles away from your family and that can be very hard, especially for the very young and those leaving home for the first time. 2.) The Language barrier. I took about 5 years of Spanish from high school to college, meaning that living in Italy was not too bad, however, the German language is a completely different cat and besides learning the basics, I know very little of the language; this can make living here difficult.
I see and hear of many individuals here that will not shop on the economy, will not go to restaurants that they don't know for certain speak English and for the most part relinquish themselves to a life of "base." They live on base, shop on base (the produce and meat are awful) and all activities are confined to base. What is most disheartening, is many of these people will often tout their hatred for living here and spend their entire tour waiting for it to end.
Why am I writing about this on a blog about fitness? There is more to a healthy, fit life than just exercising and fitting into your skinny jeans. Fitness builds confidence and not just the kind that lets you strap on that amazing new halter top, the kind that transfers into everyday life. The kind that allows you to say, well I am just going to try and see what happens. Whether it mean pointing to a German menu and hoping you don't end up with a plate of Schwein liver or ordering a meat at the deli counter and hoping its actually chicken, fitness will help you build the confidence you need to succeed in anything you try.
This does not just pertain to living overseas, its just the example that made my mind flow. Fitness will grant you the confidence to try for that raise, open that business, or go back to school. Fitness is about living a general healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. It's not about counting calories and exercising till you drop, its about feeling well....not good...but well. Overall wellness is the key to success and fitness is a great way to get the ball rolling :) Happy Sunday.
As a military family, you are expected to move from place to place every few years. We all know this coming into it. However, moving overseas has its own unique set of issues. 1.) moving thousands of miles away from family. Whether your from the East coast, Southern Cali or Alaska, it doesn't much matter anymore, you are thousands of miles away from your family and that can be very hard, especially for the very young and those leaving home for the first time. 2.) The Language barrier. I took about 5 years of Spanish from high school to college, meaning that living in Italy was not too bad, however, the German language is a completely different cat and besides learning the basics, I know very little of the language; this can make living here difficult.
I see and hear of many individuals here that will not shop on the economy, will not go to restaurants that they don't know for certain speak English and for the most part relinquish themselves to a life of "base." They live on base, shop on base (the produce and meat are awful) and all activities are confined to base. What is most disheartening, is many of these people will often tout their hatred for living here and spend their entire tour waiting for it to end.
Why am I writing about this on a blog about fitness? There is more to a healthy, fit life than just exercising and fitting into your skinny jeans. Fitness builds confidence and not just the kind that lets you strap on that amazing new halter top, the kind that transfers into everyday life. The kind that allows you to say, well I am just going to try and see what happens. Whether it mean pointing to a German menu and hoping you don't end up with a plate of Schwein liver or ordering a meat at the deli counter and hoping its actually chicken, fitness will help you build the confidence you need to succeed in anything you try.
This does not just pertain to living overseas, its just the example that made my mind flow. Fitness will grant you the confidence to try for that raise, open that business, or go back to school. Fitness is about living a general healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. It's not about counting calories and exercising till you drop, its about feeling well....not good...but well. Overall wellness is the key to success and fitness is a great way to get the ball rolling :) Happy Sunday.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Red Meat
Working out is not usually a problem for me. Not to say I am perfect, I have my times when I don't work out when I should and even go through slumps of several months. However, I am athlete by heart and am usually doing something even if its not strictly gym time. I love softball and I love racquetball. That being said, my weakness if food, like a good majority of the American population.
I all but gave up pasta, I only eat carbs before lunch, and then they are "good" carbs, but my downfall; Red meat.
That oh-so-delicious cheeseburger, infused with spiciness and loaded with cheese, lettuce and tomato; just the thought gets my mouth watering! I am not talking fast-food burgers, since they are not really beef, they don't really tempt me. So my new goal is to eradicate red meat in my diet. This is going to be tricky.
I realized all of this animal fat is leaking its way slowly into my diet. For lunch I had a whole wheat pita, with a scrambled egg and chorizo. Then burgers at dinner, even with lean meat, it placed me well over my goal for fat for the day. I don't eat it everyday, but sometimes it is so easy to whip up lunch and dinner with ground beef. My 5 year old likes meat, but is very choosy. There is also a lack of really good meat here. The German groceries have great butchers, but I am reluctant, because I can't always tell what type of meat I am buying and there are no nutrition labels.
On that note, anyone have any really good burger alternatives? I made one recipe from chick peas and it was so bland, plus chick peas, though loaded with great nutrients, are high in carbs, so if I eat them at night, it interrupts my delicate sleep cycle. I am open to suggestions.
What is your one ultimate weakness? How do you try to work with it?
I all but gave up pasta, I only eat carbs before lunch, and then they are "good" carbs, but my downfall; Red meat.
That oh-so-delicious cheeseburger, infused with spiciness and loaded with cheese, lettuce and tomato; just the thought gets my mouth watering! I am not talking fast-food burgers, since they are not really beef, they don't really tempt me. So my new goal is to eradicate red meat in my diet. This is going to be tricky.
I realized all of this animal fat is leaking its way slowly into my diet. For lunch I had a whole wheat pita, with a scrambled egg and chorizo. Then burgers at dinner, even with lean meat, it placed me well over my goal for fat for the day. I don't eat it everyday, but sometimes it is so easy to whip up lunch and dinner with ground beef. My 5 year old likes meat, but is very choosy. There is also a lack of really good meat here. The German groceries have great butchers, but I am reluctant, because I can't always tell what type of meat I am buying and there are no nutrition labels.
On that note, anyone have any really good burger alternatives? I made one recipe from chick peas and it was so bland, plus chick peas, though loaded with great nutrients, are high in carbs, so if I eat them at night, it interrupts my delicate sleep cycle. I am open to suggestions.
What is your one ultimate weakness? How do you try to work with it?
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
What's Your Excuse?
I'm a trainer, I have been since 2005, I am also a mother of two. The number one thing that blocks people from accomplishing their goals is excuses! "I have kids." 'I don't have time" "I have to cook dinner" "The dishes need done." The first step to this is to admit you're making excuses. Stop looking for reasons to not work out or not eat healthy, and just do it! Schedule it in, I workout at home when my infant naps. What time is that?? Only she knows, be flexible and persistent! You have to think of exercise like an appointment, a fixed entity that cannot be missed.
On that same level, one missed workout or one "bad" meal will not kill you or your efforts, so don't give up! Just because you ate a donut on the run for breakfast one morning, does not mean you should give up for the day and eat whatever you want.
I have a slight annoyance with mom's always using their children as an excuse. Take them with you, incorporate them into the activity, wait till Dad is home or the kids are in bed. Think of it this way, will you be more miserable when you're overweight, slow, and sluggish or when your laundry sits for one more extra day??? Stop make excuses! Your beautiful children should be the motivation to your healthy lifestyle, not the obstacle to achieving it!
On that same level, one missed workout or one "bad" meal will not kill you or your efforts, so don't give up! Just because you ate a donut on the run for breakfast one morning, does not mean you should give up for the day and eat whatever you want.
I have a slight annoyance with mom's always using their children as an excuse. Take them with you, incorporate them into the activity, wait till Dad is home or the kids are in bed. Think of it this way, will you be more miserable when you're overweight, slow, and sluggish or when your laundry sits for one more extra day??? Stop make excuses! Your beautiful children should be the motivation to your healthy lifestyle, not the obstacle to achieving it!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
It's Sunday! I have to say I am happy my husband is headed back to work tomorrow. We have been around each other for nearly three weeks straight now and we are beginning to get on each others nerves. He is turning 33 this Tuesday and for some reason, it always seems to bother him that he is getting older. The main reason having him hard is tough, is that it changes up the routines for everyone. Myself, the kids and him.
If there is a #1 of things that will sabotage a weightloss program, its unsupportive family. My husband is always supportive however, he will like to eat out and order pizza and though he certainly does not make me eat it, I can't help myself. I know I have limited self control and what I have found works best for me is staying away from temptation.
When I visit my mother back home, she is a saboteur. She once berated me because I didn't have donuts in the house, almost to the point of saying it was neglectful to my husband...seriously? I told her, we don't keep junk food in the house, that way if we want something, like donuts or ice cream, then we have to go get it, 9 out of 10 times, that a good deterrent. And that if my husband wants a donut, he can go get one.
When a person makes a commitment to healthy eating, or any diet that is outside what people think is normal, ie. vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, sugar free, etc. there will always be those that do not understand and those that might not intentionally try to steer you from your path, but inadvertently by saying things, "one won't hurt" or "its a special occasion" when its really just Tuesday. I try and be polite and just tell them flat out, thank you, but I will pass. I think when you order a salad and your friend orders a cheeseburger, it unintentionally makes them feel guilty or unhealthy. But, in the end, your choices are yours, and their choices are theirs. There is nothing wrong with having a cookie or eating a piece of cake on the rare occasion, I just personally found that I was constantly saying it was "rare" when it was obviously more habitual.
For now, I am trying to get my food intake under control. For many years I have been avoiding the temptations, now I am lying them out there and if I can't say no, then the outcome is not the one I want and I only have myself to blame. I am trying to teach myself self discipline and self control, not hiding from birthday parties and chicken wings on football Sundays. Planning is key for me, what is your weakness and how do you handle it? Have you faltered in lifestyle changes because of unsupportive family?
If there is a #1 of things that will sabotage a weightloss program, its unsupportive family. My husband is always supportive however, he will like to eat out and order pizza and though he certainly does not make me eat it, I can't help myself. I know I have limited self control and what I have found works best for me is staying away from temptation.
When I visit my mother back home, she is a saboteur. She once berated me because I didn't have donuts in the house, almost to the point of saying it was neglectful to my husband...seriously? I told her, we don't keep junk food in the house, that way if we want something, like donuts or ice cream, then we have to go get it, 9 out of 10 times, that a good deterrent. And that if my husband wants a donut, he can go get one.
When a person makes a commitment to healthy eating, or any diet that is outside what people think is normal, ie. vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, sugar free, etc. there will always be those that do not understand and those that might not intentionally try to steer you from your path, but inadvertently by saying things, "one won't hurt" or "its a special occasion" when its really just Tuesday. I try and be polite and just tell them flat out, thank you, but I will pass. I think when you order a salad and your friend orders a cheeseburger, it unintentionally makes them feel guilty or unhealthy. But, in the end, your choices are yours, and their choices are theirs. There is nothing wrong with having a cookie or eating a piece of cake on the rare occasion, I just personally found that I was constantly saying it was "rare" when it was obviously more habitual.
For now, I am trying to get my food intake under control. For many years I have been avoiding the temptations, now I am lying them out there and if I can't say no, then the outcome is not the one I want and I only have myself to blame. I am trying to teach myself self discipline and self control, not hiding from birthday parties and chicken wings on football Sundays. Planning is key for me, what is your weakness and how do you handle it? Have you faltered in lifestyle changes because of unsupportive family?
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Rough day
We went and saw The Hobbit last night, we were home by 10, but for some reason I couldn't sleep. Then the baby woke up at 630 and my first though was, "I think I will cancel Spin today," Its tempting, but I went anyway! Granted I was a bit out of it, trying to overcompensate with caffeine. But overall it was ok. I went home, ate lunched and napped and here I am again with that 3rd day exhaustion. When I am doing the workouts I feel good, but now I am so tired I just want to sleep. I really hope the participants still had a good workout, even though I was scatterbrained today!
On another note, I met a really nice woman today named Sarah. She reminded me that so many good people come from different walks of life and reminded me how much I like meeting new people. It saddens me that I spent the last year secluding myself, which was, to be honest, due to some reactions from some "so-called" friends to less than perfect circumstances. Jen and Sarah have both reminded me that there are people out there who are still kind, unselfish, and fun to talk to!
Now, I am going to try and make some meatballs and spaghetti for dinner! And then I think its bed time :)
On another note, I met a really nice woman today named Sarah. She reminded me that so many good people come from different walks of life and reminded me how much I like meeting new people. It saddens me that I spent the last year secluding myself, which was, to be honest, due to some reactions from some "so-called" friends to less than perfect circumstances. Jen and Sarah have both reminded me that there are people out there who are still kind, unselfish, and fun to talk to!
Now, I am going to try and make some meatballs and spaghetti for dinner! And then I think its bed time :)
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
It Begins...
It's 2013! We made it passed the end of the world. Now its time to make life happen and make myself happy. I have two beautiful little girls and a wonderful, hard working husband and this year we start a new journey. We have been living in Germany for the past four years and are soon to be headed back to the U.S. We are all very excited. We love Europe and certainly feel privileged to have been able to live here, however, we are ready to move on.
I have been certified as a personal trainer since 2005, but have only seriously worked in the field for short increments at a time. I did some training in GA at Gold's Gym, but I was the Officer Manager mainly. Then upon arriving in Germany, I did training at the base gym, but then was hired to administer PT tests for Airman; mostly paperwork again. I finished school in 2010 wit a BA in History, only to really now have to think about what I am actually going to do with that. I still love fitness!
Since my youngest was born in July, I have been working out and watching what I eat, only to see no change to the numbers on the scale. It's highly frustrating and I know it takes time, but you are reminded on every media source, on a daily basis, that somehow, you do stand up to impossible standards.
I'm not perfect. I'm not ripped (think Jillian, my idol), would I like to be? Hell ya? Will I ever? Maybe one day, but I know why I am not. My fitness journey has been slow, very slow, but productive. I don't crash diet and I don't take pills. I know hard work and dedication is what makes a hard body. I think the first step to weightloss is getting over denial. I have heard people say they like being fat, they hate working out, they don't eat that much. It's all denial. Nobody likes being overweight, they don't hate working out, they hate how out of shape they are, and most of all, you are obviously eating more than you think.
Food tracking is the #1 way to see some reduction in weight and body fat. I do it, I have been (off & on) for years. I know what I eat and I know why I still hold on to a few extra pounds. I am 5'4 and currently 180 lbs. though I think most say I don't look it. Before my last pregnancy I was at 160 and it was great to me. I am also very muscular, I have large arms, a wide back, thick legs and wide calves (and the added poundage of large breasts). I will never be a size 2, I was never meant to be and I am okay with that. My goal is to be at 150 at the end of this year. My weight concentrates from belly button to upper thighs. I want this gone!
I began working out 2 weeks postpartum, slowly. I did some walking and light weights, and increased gradually. At about 2 months postpartum, I picked up two Indoor Cycling classes week and took to kettlebell training. I am seeing the changes, just not on the scale. I am stronger, couldn't do a tuck and sprawl in my first kickboxing workout, but know I can! I am feeling better and more confident and have more energy. I am shifting my focus from the number on the scale, to how I feel about myself. I want to be healthy for my family, for my children, but most of all for me.
I have been certified as a personal trainer since 2005, but have only seriously worked in the field for short increments at a time. I did some training in GA at Gold's Gym, but I was the Officer Manager mainly. Then upon arriving in Germany, I did training at the base gym, but then was hired to administer PT tests for Airman; mostly paperwork again. I finished school in 2010 wit a BA in History, only to really now have to think about what I am actually going to do with that. I still love fitness!
Since my youngest was born in July, I have been working out and watching what I eat, only to see no change to the numbers on the scale. It's highly frustrating and I know it takes time, but you are reminded on every media source, on a daily basis, that somehow, you do stand up to impossible standards.
I'm not perfect. I'm not ripped (think Jillian, my idol), would I like to be? Hell ya? Will I ever? Maybe one day, but I know why I am not. My fitness journey has been slow, very slow, but productive. I don't crash diet and I don't take pills. I know hard work and dedication is what makes a hard body. I think the first step to weightloss is getting over denial. I have heard people say they like being fat, they hate working out, they don't eat that much. It's all denial. Nobody likes being overweight, they don't hate working out, they hate how out of shape they are, and most of all, you are obviously eating more than you think.
Food tracking is the #1 way to see some reduction in weight and body fat. I do it, I have been (off & on) for years. I know what I eat and I know why I still hold on to a few extra pounds. I am 5'4 and currently 180 lbs. though I think most say I don't look it. Before my last pregnancy I was at 160 and it was great to me. I am also very muscular, I have large arms, a wide back, thick legs and wide calves (and the added poundage of large breasts). I will never be a size 2, I was never meant to be and I am okay with that. My goal is to be at 150 at the end of this year. My weight concentrates from belly button to upper thighs. I want this gone!
I began working out 2 weeks postpartum, slowly. I did some walking and light weights, and increased gradually. At about 2 months postpartum, I picked up two Indoor Cycling classes week and took to kettlebell training. I am seeing the changes, just not on the scale. I am stronger, couldn't do a tuck and sprawl in my first kickboxing workout, but know I can! I am feeling better and more confident and have more energy. I am shifting my focus from the number on the scale, to how I feel about myself. I want to be healthy for my family, for my children, but most of all for me.
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