Enjoyable. That would be my word choice to describe my day.

Which is surprising because I started my second job today, along with taking on teaching another class for the first job.

Stressful. That’s the word I expected to be using to sum up my day. Glad I didn’t have to choose that word.

Rested. I woke up before my alarm this morning. Despite going to bed later than I should have, apparently my body was ready for the day.

Toasty and easy. I made breakfast last night (hello, breakfast cookie… one of the best inventions ever) and just had to get my coffee going to round out the meal.

I also discovered that a bite of breakfast cookie (made with chocolate protein powder)+hot coffee=mouth love. The cold cookie and hot coffee melt together to create an awesome flavor.

Productive. My biggest worries with taking on another class and another job has been “How will I get everything done" and “Will I still have time for me?” Today proved I can work both jobs, do the necessaries around the apartment (cleaning, laundry, you know… the usual), workout, and still have some time for myself. But those are only possible if I practice good time management skills.

Must work on that.

I had a bowl of raisin bran with cow’s milk as a morning snack. I was really wanting yogurt, but when I pulled it out of the refrigerator I discovered it was frozen solid. Total disappointment there.

We can’t figure out our Japanese refrigerator. We turned it onto the “winter” setting and all the liquids froze. We turned down the temperature and everything is still frozen. I’m thinking maybe it’s just too cold downstairs?

Tough! I only ran 2 miles this morning, but the last half a mile really required me to reach deep and give it my all. I felt a bit ridiculous. I mean, is this the same girl who set an 8 mile personal distance record only a month and a half ago?

The endurance I had built up has definitely crumbled while I’ve taken time off for my foot to heal. But it was worth it. I’m happy to report the foot is continuing to feel good. The only thing that has changed is the insole of my shoes, so I have to assume it was a problem with my shoe.

Fun. My husband has the day off work, so we sat down and had lunch together—a rarity. It was nice to goof off and make our sandwiches together. We always have such a good time.

I created a toasted ham sandwich with tomato, green peppers, onion and mustard. A small banana, half an apple, and a mikan were tossed together on the side as a fruit salad.

I also did a little pre-Christmas shopping for myself today. I love shopping for myself. Our parents decided to give us cash this year, rather than attempt the shopping and then having to ship it, too—which is pricey. Forever21 and EyesLipsFace will be showing up on my credit card soon!

Blah, blah, blah. A good portion of the afternoon went to train riding and second-job training. I’ll get back to you on my feelings about this other job when I make a decision. Unfortunately it’s going to cut down on my husband time by quite a bit.

Surprise! The husband, my wonderful husband, had supper ready when I got home. Which was good since I was hangry. He baked some Italian dressing-marinated chicken and made mashed potatoes, too. I added some corn and a piece of cornbread to make a full meal.

J went above and beyond the dinner cooking, though, and had candles lit and our Christmas tree plugged in when I got home. What a great guy, right?

A-okay. That’s how I feel about my first day of getting back to eating and living more health-consciously. Three meals. Two snacks. A run. And brushing my teeth after dinner equals success if you ask me.

You'd LIKE being fit like this . Fitness makes American Governors!

Health:

• the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.

• soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment..

Fitness:

• The ability of a body to meet the demands of a physical task.

As you see, two very different things. Interconnected and interdependent, yes, but still different.

So what should one target?

In health there can be two sorts of variables. One sort is out of your physical realm of control (e.g. Genetic disorders, cancers, and other such ailments), while the other is mostly under control (e.g. Obesity, diabetes, some heart ailments).

Fitness regimens combined with good diet habits help you keep the latter in major control.

Like a battle and a war (fitness and health respectively :I)

So lets go ahead and try to figure the Fitness bit.

Since, this article is targeted at people starting out on their journey to a healthier lifestyle I will keep to the basics.

Fitness has four components:

• Strength
• Speed
• Stamina
• Flexibility

Further explained:

Strength (men): Can you still help your cute neighbor move in with her boxes full of M&Bs?

Strength (women): Can your punch leave a juicy bruise if you catch him doing the above?

Speed (men): You think your girlfriend saw you ‘helping out’. Can you dart out of view quickly enough?

Speed (woman): Just how long do you think it will take you to sprint down the stairs and intervene?

Stamina (men): How many boxes boy? (U/A rating for this blog please!)

Stamina (women): Can pack all your clothes in one go?

Flexibility (men): Ashtray comes flying from balcony window. DUCK! Can you?

Flexibility (women): Heard of a Split-kick? Recommended.

Hence, as described above, fitness comes in handy and is tested in common everyday situations. Also, there is no YES or NO answer to the question “are you fit?”

There are only levels in fitness and while you could be ‘fit’ in one situation, another might make you feel like Shrek in a coordinated swimming class.

The only way to go is keep increasing your levels of fitness by mixing and matching your exercise schedule to achieve a balance in the four components above. That done, keep raising the bar there-on.

Increased fitness levels > Better functioning of physical systems > A healthier you.

Q.E.D

Please feel free to mail queries at aaditya@fitfunda.com

Cheers!

As a brief introduction to myself and my situation, I have to mention that I am an unemployed 28-year-old male living with his parents.  Not in his “mother’s basement”, haters, but in a very moderately-sized room with a door and carpeting and a walk-in closet.  This room houses most of my earthly possessions which consist primarily of digital versatile discs and paperbacks.  As a jobless cine-audio- literophile (“nerd” in layperson’s terms), I spend most of my time devouring my way through a vast and endless buffet of movies, books and albums.  I’d be remiss if I failed to mention my burgeoning video game habit.  The sum of all those wretched parts is that my once Pantragruelian physique is now something much more Gargantuan, much to my dismay. 

Having said that, things are not so dire.  Not yet, at any rate.  I’ve spent an increasing number of my free hours attending to more active pursuits and, due to a nasty case of gall stones, I have cast nearly all fatty food completely asunder.  Gone are the days of eating whatever or whenever one wants.  Doctor Atkins would shudder in his grave if he knew with how much rancor I now direct toward meat, both white and red.  If not for some of the more healthy poultry that I enjoy, I would have become a full-blown pescetarian.  All of this frightening change to stave off the exponentially more frightening inevitable for, hopefully, decades to come. 

I’m learning to embrace the change.  All in all, it feels nice to exercise and eat more for sustenance than for pleasure.  Sometimes I even browse the interwebs for places in which I am encouraged to be more active. 

I was doing exactly that when I stumbled upon an exercise program for children in my general vicinity.  I couldn’t help feeling envious of the children who take advantage of such a great program.  Before I continue, let me reiterate much I believe that these opportunities are exemplary and genius.  How different would my life be if my childhood had been more centered on fitness.  Sure, I played rec soccer and baseball from first grade to middle school, but I can’t claim to have been much of an athlete.  An adequate role player, for sure, but I wasn’t much for running, an attribute that lingers on to this day.  Luckily, on and off for the past 3 years, I have felt the various benefits of personal training.  I applaud the people who promote healthfulness in our society. 

It’s just…couldn’t they come up with a better name than Fitness for Health? 

I don’t mean to demean the nobility of their mission or sully their collective reputation, but come on…Fitness for Health?  What does that even mean?  I don’t think it’s my inner sloth rearing his ugly head when I point out that, in most circles, fitness is synonymous with health.  Even if the two words are slightly differing in meaning, they are two twigs on the very same branch.  Furthermore, why else would someone want to be fit?  Every benefit, whether becoming more acceptably attractive to the mainstream or just being able to move with more fluidity and ease, falls into that general “health” category: so much so that one would be completely well within their faculties to say that fitness is health and vice versa. 

Fitness for Health.  Pssh.  Why not Fitness for Cake?  Or Fitness for Yellow?  Perhaps the underlying lesson of this unfortunately-named fitness company is that my time reading books was time well spent. 

Signing off from the dark of the matinée.

Take one a day and you will KNOXX out all your opponents!

Females know that there are COUNTLESS magazines targeted towards the self conscious, the woman needing constant affirmation of her looks, and the girl who’ll eat like Posh do ANYTHING to get thin and get thin quick .

Gather up that sh*t and throw it in the TRASH because Twilight’s Ashley Greene has been hiding the BEST trick of them all.

Listen up and listen good.

When asked about her slim New Moon physique she simply stated,

“It was really easy. We were working 12 hours a day, so it didn’t leave too much time to eat.”

You heard it here first. Don’t lemme catch you eating a salad and complaing that you’re FAT bi*ches.

Kung ang ambisyon ay ethernal kabataan, perfect beauty, matibay na kalusugan o pang habang-buhay, maaari namin ng estado na gamot, pag-opera at cures, sa iba’t-ibang paraan at sa iba’t ibang prayoridad, mayroon palaging central, tulad ng disiplina at bilang kakayahan, sa mga alalahanin ng bawat kabihasnan. Ang mga sinaunang kultura ay may nakukuha sa amin ng isang napakalawak pamana ng mga tradisyunal na kaalaman tungkol sa herbs, massages, ointments at iba pang mga likas na remedyong (ilan sa mga na panatilihin ang mga potensyal na kahanga-hanga). Ang mga remedyong ay patahimikin popular, mahalaga, inilalapat at admired sa pamamagitan ng mga malalaking grupo ng mga tao sa maraming bansa, kasama ang mga resulta na kung minsan ay lilitaw very positive kahit na sa pamamagitan ng modernong pang-agham pamantayan. Of course, ang mga kapanahon scientifical pagharap sa mga problema ng pangangalaga sa kalusugan at Kaayusan ay dramatically binuo at napakalaki pinahusay na kapangyarihan ang mga, ang impluwensiya, ang kahusayan at ang prestihiyo ng medics at doktor ng tao sa lipunan, salamat sa kanilang kakayahan upang habaan habang-buhay, upang alisin ang mga salot , sa mga pagkatalo na sakit at upang gamutin ang impeksyon, pumipigil sa sakit at recovering lakas.

References: plaster, pharmaceutical, myweight, addiction, dentalplan, tanningbed, madness, insane, nurse, antibiotics, lotions, hairloss, patient, drugrehab, diabetes, prevention, protection, sight, pharmaceutical, medicalinsurance, nursing, healthcareplan, healthplan,

Ang edad ng antibiotic, ang sakit-killers, Laser surgery, genetiko pananaliksik at chemiotherapy ipinapangako ng kababalaghan para sa pagpapabuti ng ang karaniwang tao ang kalidad ng buhay: kung gayon, malinaw naman, napakalaking capitals at dakilang resources ay invested taon-taon na nalalaman sa pamamagitan ng pamahalaan at ng malalaking multinationals sa patlang ng ng pananaliksik at pag-unlad para sa mga bakuna, therapies at pharmacons. Kahit na ang mga impormasyon ng mga aspeto ng gamot at pangangalaga sa kalusugan ay, sa kanilang sarili, isang malaki at mabigat sa merkado, na kung saan ang mga tao na pagnanais na malaman kung saan ay ang pinakamahusay na kasanayan sa pakiramdam at kung saan ang mga solusyon ng tulong upang mabuhay na, ang mga sumusunod pinakabagong Discoveries pinakabago at solusyon. Dahil sa kaugnayan ng paksa, kami summarized ng isang mayaman na grupo ng mga websites na iniharap sa pamamagitan ng http://www.thenew.com at http://www.euroserve.cn (na may http://www.esw3.eu serbisyo ng DNS ); ang kanilang layunin ay, siyempre, ang pagtatanghal ng mahalagang materyal tungkol sa plastic surgery, hormonal therapies, pharmaceutical reseta at mga medikal na tulong.

References: dentalinsurance, analcancer, bladder, blood, breastcancer, breastimplants, calculus, cardiac, cervicalcancer, cervix, cystectomy, davincicystectomy, denture, endoscopy, erectiledysfunction, fracture, genitals, genitalwarts, heartattack

Kas soov on ethernal noored, täiuslik ilu, tugev tervis ja pikk eluiga, võib öelda, et meditsiini-, kirurgia-ja ravib, erinevates vormides ja erinevate prioriteetidega, on alati olnud oluline, sest distsipliin ja oskus, mis puudutab iga tsivilisatsiooni. Muistsed kultuurid on edastanud meile tohutu pärandi traditsiooniliste teadmiste maitsetaimi, massaaže, salvid ja muud füüsilised abinõud (millest osa jääb muljetavaldav potentsiaal). Need vahendid on endiselt populaarne, oluline kohaldada ja imetlevad suured inimrühmad on paljudes riikides, tulemused, et mõnikord tundub väga positiivne isegi tänapäevaste teaduslike standarditega. Muidugi, tänapäeva scientifical lähenemine probleemidele tervishoiu ja heaolu on märgatavalt arenenud ja tohutult suurem võim, mõju, tõhusust ja prestiiži meditsiinitöötajate ja arstide inimühiskonna tänu nende võimele pikendab eluiga, eemaldada laastab , et võidelda haiguste ja ravi infektsioonide piirata valu ja tagasi vigor.

References: plaster, pharmaceutical, myweight, addiction, dentalplan, tanningbed, madness, insane, nurse, antibiotics, lotions, hairloss, patient, drugrehab, diabetes, prevention, protection, sight, pharmaceutical, medicalinsurance, nursing, healthcareplan, healthplan,

Vanus antibiootikumid, valuvaigistid, laser-kirurgia, geeniuuringute ja chemiotherapy tõotab imet parandamise keskmine inimeste elukvaliteet: seega ilmselt suuri pealinnades suured vahendid on investeeritud igal aastal teadlik valitsuste ja suurte rahvusvaheliste ettevõtete valdkonnas teadus-ja arendustegevust vaktsiinide, teraapiaid ja pharmacons. Isegi informatsiooniline aspekte meditsiin ja tervishoid on iseenesest tohutu turg, kus inimesed soovivad teada, millised on head tavad ennast paremini tundma ja mis lahendused aitavad elada kauem, pärast viimaseid avastusi ning kaasaegseid lahendusi. Kuna tekst on teema, oleme kokku rikaste grupi veebilehed esitatud http://www.thenew.com ja http://www.euroserve.cn (koos http://www.esw3.eu DNS teenuseid ); nende eesmärk on, muidugi, esitades väärtuslikke materjale plastiline kirurgia, hormoonraviga, ravimite väljakirjutamise ja arstiabile.

References: dentalinsurance, analcancer, bladder, blood, breastcancer, breastimplants, calculus, cardiac, cervicalcancer, cervix, cystectomy, davincicystectomy, denture, endoscopy, erectiledysfunction, fracture, genitals, genitalwarts, heartattack

Ladies! Gentlemen! Cats! Suit jackets! Are you as tired as I am of the same old ‘Eye of the Tiger’ nonsense every time you hop on a treadmill? Could you brain the next person who offers you Pink as a soundtrack to your punch-bagging, sweat-spraying, obstacle-beating workout montage? WELL! Line up my Alternative Workout Playlist, and all your woes’ll be through!

- Rockit by Herbie Hancock

- Two Doors Down by Mystery Jets

- The Sailor In Love With the Sea by The 6ths

- Trains to Brazil by Guillemots

- Turn Tail by The Young Knives

- Goodnight and Go by Imogen Heap

- Iggy by Acoustic Ladyland

- Jungle Drum by Emiliana Torrini

- Save it For Later by The (English) Beat

This is a somewhat edited version of the playlist I listen to while working out. And when I say “edited”, I mean I took out all the Adam Ant. Looking back, I might’ve left on “Place in the Country”, but I think I judged correctly when I removed “Whip In My Valise”.

ETA: For the cooldown, try Your Hand in Mine by Explosions In The Sky.

Unfortunately, not all at once.

I believe the excruciating pain I am feeling is called “delayed onset muscle soreness” or “why are curbs so high?”.   See, I am suffering from reaching total muscle failure on Sunday when I did far too many squats with far too much weight.  I am paying.  A lot.

I love lifting weights, yet need to learn my limits.   I know the best way to get results is to pile on the load, but this is too much.   Sensible limits, Dear, sensible limits.

On the upside, the GoWear Fit device is working and I am dropping body fat at a nice steady pace.  The key is awareness and  instant data on what is happening with my body when I eat right and move more.  Numbers don’t lie and seeing the numbers instantly is the motivation I need to stop the afternoon gorge of the mini Snickers bars that little my cube farm.

Awareness is the link in the chain I so sorely (pun intended) needed.

Must go.  An Epsom salt soak is calling me.

This weekend we hosted the “With A Star On Top” gymnastics invitational. We thought it would be a small meet but it turned into a meet of over 350 gymnasts with almost 1000 spectators. Big.

Our team parents group was amazing. This meet was organized and operated by parents and it went off without a hitch. Meet planning started in July for this event and we had parents doing everything from selling advertising to baking brownies. Visiting teams paid us many compliments.  One coach told me, “We’ll come to your meet every year because you guys do it right.”

I cannot complement our parents enough for all the work they did. And I cannot thank them adequately in proportion to the amount of work they did and the result it created. Gymfinity has a reputation as running a great meet and this year was no exception.  My field generals Amy Z and Jen F kept the meet running smooth. I had nothing to do because they did it all and they did it well. They worked from before the meet started to well after it was over. They were first in and last to leave. My gratitude goes out to them and to all the parents that worked so hard. 

The parents who served as committee chairs ran the awards, the program, the decorations, the publicity and the hospitality to a high standard and worked diligently to  make sure the meet was flawless. I am happy and sad to say that the only minor glitches that happened (no calling out raffle winners, forgetting Level 3 trophies) were all my mistakes.  The parents rocked.

Our teams did exceptionally well. We had great competition at all levels from gyms around the state and our girls had to work to get their accolades. And the accolades came. The level 4 team took 3rd and the level 5’s won first place as a team. individuals did an amazing job too:

Level 3: This level is not separated by age and rankings are not done, however scores were excellent and we are really proud of our Level 3 team: Kim K, Vanessa W, Ellie J, Navy B, Ashley H, Sitori T, Ellie S, Hollie B, Shaylee S, Sophie H, Lauren E, Julia H, and Samantha R.

Level 4:

7 years old: Hadley C – 12th Uneven Bars

8 years old: Maddie S. – 1st Vault, 4th Beam, 4th All Around

        Jamie F. – 17th Floor

       Bryana W. – 12th Vault

       Annie M. – 8th Vault

9 years old: Hannah B. – 2nd Beam, 4th Floor, 5th All Around

       Grace H. – 4th Beam, 5th Floor

       Krista T. – 10th Beam

      Jamie R.  – 9th Bars

      Emma R. – 5th Beam

       Makayla A. – 4th Vault

       Anna T. – 15th Vault

       Sophie L. – 27th Vault

10 Years old: Tenley S. – 4th Beam, 4th Floor, 5th All Around

      Heidi D. – 15th Beam

11 Years old: Hadley C. – 5th Vault, 1st Beam, 1st Floor, 2nd All Around

Level 5:

9 years old: Rylie G. – 7th Floor, 7th All Around

       Sophie A.  – 4th Bars

       Sidney A. – 9th Bars

10 Years old: Stella F. – 5th Vault, 2nd Floor, 2nd All Around

       Angeline F. – 1st Bars, 5th Floor, 2nd All Around

       Miriam M. – 3 Bars, 1st Beam, 5th All Around

11 years old: Mandy M. – 5th Vault, 1st Bars, 1st Beam, 3rd Floor, 1st All Around

       Lily Z. – 1st Vault, 3rd Bars, 3rd All Around

       Lindsey C. – 5th Vault, 4th Bars, 5th Beam, 5th All Around

       Lauren M. – 5th Bars

       Elizabeth T. – 12th Beam

12 and up: Mikayla R.E. – 1st Bars, 3rd Beam, 1st Floor, 1st All Around

       Catherine S. – 2nd Vault, 2nd Bars, 3rd Floor, 3rd All Around

       Julia D. – 1st Beam

       Shannon K. – 6th Bars

       Lucy P. – 9th Beam

On a recent Wednesday, I picked my kids up from school.  I met my daughter as she walked out of her classroom with a sucker in her mouth. Fairly normal for most kids, I know.  In my house we do not eat sugar, it is not considered a food.  I was a bit disappointed to find her eating candy. We walked to the car and I kindly asked her to put it away for another time. She asked me when she could finish it.

“Well,” I replied,  “today we have Tae Kwondo (the instructor does not allow sugar, and discourages the kids from eating it at all) and tomorrow is another school day, when do you think would be a good time?”

She thought about my answer for a moment, and replied  “maybe I should just throw it away?”

She then went quiet for a bit and we continued the drive home. Then she said, “Mom, I do not understand, why would my gym teacher give me something that wasn’t good for me?”

I was not sure what to say.  I could not come up with an answer and just said, “I don’t know.”

With the rates of childhood obesity at an all time high, why are teachers giving SUGAR to our children?  Did you know that children who are addicted to sugar have a higher risk of being addicted to drugs and alcohol as adults?  That is a disturbing thought.  The FDA listed sugar as an addictive drug over 30 years ago. In my eyes, it is not any different than drugs and alcohol. The brain does not discern sugar from hard drugs like meth or cocaine; they all create the same addictive patterns in the brain. Given that 1 in 3 American children now has allergies, ADHD, autism or asthma and according to a study in 2008 from the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 Fourth graders is expected to be insulin dependent by the time they reach adulthood.

Sugar is everywhere and hidden in many processed foods you would not expect, like salad dressing and potato chips. Children often begin their days with sugar cereals, followed by “healthy” granola bars, “fruit” snacks that have no actual fruit in them, and worse than that sports drinks and soda. Kids become sugar addicts before they even get to middle school.  Parents often opt for the school lunches due to convenience, however, under the USDA’s current budget for the National School Lunch Program of approximately $8.5 billion (in comparison the Pentagon’s 2009 budget $600 billion), less than a dollar is available per meal for the purchase of healthy food. Most of the food in our school lunches comes out of a can or package, with no fresh raw fruits and veggies available.

Let’s get back to my daughters question: “Why would my teacher give me something that was not good for me?”

It is time for us as parents and mentors to become more educated and become better advocates for the children in our lives.  We need to educate ourselves so that we can better educate and prepare our children for life.  They look up to us; whether we are moms, dads, grandparents, or most importantly teachers. It is our job to be sure we are living as an example and feeding them foods that will make them stronger and healthier, not adult addicts.

We do not need to bribe our children with sugar or to reward them for a job well done.  Children get excited when we get excited. A great reward is more time with our children; a special day out or an extra story at night that is even more special than a sugar treat. If we make a big deal out of it, they will understand the message.  When we give them sugar, we are setting up a reward system that ultimately will never serve them. Children want to feel good and have energy, when we feed them sugar, that all goes out the window.  Have you watched a child eat a piece of candy?  What happens within 15-30 minutes after consuming that candy?  One of two things usually, they crash and go to sleep or they are out of control.

I have been lucky enough to volunteer in my son’s classroom and educate his fellow first graders on healthy snacks.  The first week I went into the classroom, only 8 of the 22 children brought what I would call a healthy afternoon snack; a whole fruit or vegetable.  Today was week three of my healthy snack lesson, and we had 18 of the 22 children with a healthy snack, in just three weeks. My lesson is at 2pm in the afternoon, often a time when children crash just as we do. My son’s teacher shared with me yesterday that now that the children are eating healthy snacks, the energy of the classroom has changed, they are still able to focus and follow directions in the afternoon.  These children are asking for healthy snacks at home and taking the recipes with them to share with their families. Today we made banana blueberry smoothies – they loved them and had fun making them!

It is my goal as a parent to lead by example, and educate my children about how to make healthy choices in all aspects of their lives.  Give it a try, make a commitment to yourself and your family to eliminate all refined sugar.  The changes resulting from this small decision will astound you.A

Training with more metrics can be a god send and dagger in the heart at the same time.  There is a phrase that goes something like, “all things in moderation.”  It applies to your training metrics as well.

Max heart rate, average heart rate, distance, time, pace, speed, drill counts, elevation, power, and cadence are all wonderful to know and really make you feel like a numbers geek.  The point of this post is not to list the metrics, but to ask the question if it is possible to have one number to rate all athletes?

Whether you are a swimmer, a runner, a bungee jumper, or a skier, can we rate each type of athlete on a scale based on their fitness ability?  Maybe, maybe not as fitness ability is a subjective thing.  Endurance athletes would get their asses kicked by basketball players in a sprint competition.  On the other hand, the basketball players would run out of energy half way through a marathon and get their asses kicked by the endurance runners.

So, what constitutes fitness.  Maybe it is someone that excels the best at all sports.  A triathlete perhaps that can handle three different sports in, not only endurance, but speed as well.

VO2 max doesn’t really help us much.  It is really the body’s ability to perform within a certain range… so a variable of max or average heart rate multiplied by distance.  Sounds too simple and it probably is.

The assumptions will have to be made.  There are people like Joe Friel that is really great with training and calculating index figures.   Perhaps his calculations are too complex. heck the last time I tried to calculate my TSS (training stress score), I got so frustrated that it almost drove me insane.

The answer must be in the middle.  I hereby announce my quest to help the fitness industry find the ideal training metric that every athlete and human can be compared against.

Stay tuned…

Come honor your body with movement and self expression that will lead you to the fit body you desire.

This six week program is designed to make working out something you look forward to and can get excited about.

Free Class Jan. 5th 2010 Draper Utah
Register at this link
http://honoryourbody.eventbrite.com/

For program detail http://silverimageconsulting.wordpress.com/fitness

Posted by Buellboy

Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware, President Barack Obama, Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu with Washington, D.C.-area children at the White House. Brees said it was the only time he had thrown a pass to someone wearing a Chicago Bears jacket.

Times-Picayune—In support of his United We Serve initiative, President Barack Obama and NFL stars Drew Brees, DeMarcus Ware and Troy Polamalu team up to highlight the importance of fitness for America’s children.

Obama joins Saints quarterback Brees, Steelers safety Polamalu and Cowboys linebacker Ware in a special public service announcement debuting during each of the three NFL games played on Thanksgiving.

The 90-second PSA is a joint effort of the NFL’s PLAY 60 campaign, a league-wide effort to fight childhood obesity by getting kids active for 60 minutes a day, and United We Serve, the president’s initiative encouraging all Americans to participate in community service.

The spot will continue airing throughout the rest of the season in a shorter format.

“Through United We Serve, I have challenged all Americans to roll up their sleeves and engage in sustained service to strengthen our communities,” the president said. “For some of us that means volunteering at a soup kitchen or cleaning up a local park. For others, it means taking time to build a playground or volunteering your time to improve the life of a child.“

Quarterback Drew Brees

“No matter how we serve, we find common purpose when we dedicate ourselves to helping others. This holiday season, I am asking all Americans to find their own way to give back to their communities.”

The Saints’ Brees, who has been a national spokesman for the PLAY 60 campaign for the past two years, said, “We had about 25 minutes and did three different takes. I threw him a couple of passes. He was wearing his Chicago Bears jacket, so there was some ribbing about that.“

“Thanksgiving is a time when families come together, and it is also a perfect time to focus on the importance of keeping kids healthy and active,” Brees said. “I was honored to spend time with the president on an issue that is clearly important to him. I was also impressed by his wide receiver skills.”

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Knockers. Boobies. Hooters. Fun Bags. No matter which way you look at them, boobs are boobs. As my dad used to say, “You’ve seen one, You’ve seen ‘em both.” And they both need to be protected while working out.

Not to be crass or offensive here, but mine are of the larger variety (more grapefruit than tangerine). I’ve always had them and I probably always will. Even at my fittest and thinnest, I’ve never been less than a C-cup since puberty set in somewhere around the age of 12, so I’ve had more than my share of experience in the lingerie section of the local department stores; However, it wasn’t until tonight that I realized I’ve been wearing the wrong bras.  

TMI you may say. I say nay. All women have breasts and need to know how to properly restrain them in the correct bra especially during high impact exercise (like my marathon training). The subject matter is long overdue for discussion and is a source of constant confusion and discomfort for myself and my girlfriends.  So if you are interested in lifting the girls up and keeping them in place during exercise (which has all sorts of positive effects on us), read on my dears…

Tonight I went to a “sports bra clinic” at Austin’s beloved Betty Sport, which helped to unravel the mystery of the sports bra. How many of you have ever worn a bra: where the straps constantly fall down? where it rides up in the back? where your boobs still bounce like they’re on a trampoline even when wearing a “sports bra”?

Ladies, we are truly wearing the wrong bras. The wrong sizes. The wrong materials. Did you know that, sadly, the majority of women (90%) wear the wrong size bra?!– all the time. Typically women believe that they are fatter and flatter than they really are. I am no different. Tonight I went in a 40 D and came out two inches slimmer and a full cup size bigger than previously thought. Hallelujah! Insta-skinny.

The correct bra can make you look 5-10lbs slimmer and will work with you, not against you! It will protect the breast tissue and keep your girls up high instead of sagging down to your knees, or causing black eyes when you run. Don’t be a victim of the bad bra pandemic. Save your girls now with these tips:

1. Just like in a regular bra, if your sports bra is riding up in the back, it is too big. The majority of the support your breasts receive will be  from the band. It should be snug and fit in a straight line around the body… no peaks and valleys in the band!

2. If the cups bag or wrinkle, try going down a cup size. If your breasts are pushing out from your bra, try going up a cup size. Note: sports bras differ from regular bras’ cups, in that all breast tissue should be completely covered. Unfortunately, those hot lacy little demi cups don’t work well with exercise. Full coverage is key!

3. If you are in need of a sports bra for high impact cardio activity, like my recent training has entailed, make sure to buy a “high impact” sports bra that is made from a microfiber, moisture wicking material. This is a must. Anyone who has ever experienced chaffing would agree wholeheartedly (a blog for a different time). There are also medium impact bras for sports like cycling and low impact bras for activities like yoga and pilates.

4. When trying on your new sports bra, make sure to jump around, bend, stretch, run in place… if your bra is the right one, the twins (and your bra) will mind their manners and stay in place!

5.If you are shorter from shoulder to chest, like me, and your straps tend to fall, look for sports bras with adjustable straps.

6. Treat your sports bra as an investment in yourself. It won’t be as cheap as the $10 cotton Target brand bra you clean the house in, but it will save you from having granny boobs at too young an age. Mine cost $44 dollars, is called the “Fiona” bra and is by Moving Comfort.

Okay, so we’ve successfully saved the boobies from impending doom with a properly fitted sports bra… now we need to master saving the bra itself. Do so by following these rules for bra care:

1. Remember that a sports bra will last through about 75 wash cycles in cold water or about 6 months. Thats it! No more. The elastic will start to wear out after this period of time. 

2. Always line dry your bras or the elastic will break down even faster with the heat from the dryer.

3. And never use fabric softener with microfiber materials. Your Snuggle softener may feel cozy but will actually clog the moisture wicking material and cause more sweat to stay between yourself and your workout clothing which can cause chaffing (again, a blog for another time)–not a good thing!

I hope these tips help you as much as they will help me.  A big thanks to Betty Sport for such an eye-opening clinic with the TNT ladies!

My dear reader, I have passed not one but TWO milestones this weekend!

Number One: I finally hit 20lbs!! I’ve been doing the happy dance all day J

Number Two: I got hit on at a bar. It was by an uber creepy guy, but hey, maybe when I lose another twenty, I’ll get hit on by somebody who doesn’t ask inappropriate questions to a woman he just met. No joke, this guy asked me how old I was, about my last relationship, whether I was looking for a new relationship, made several sexual innuendos, then asked me to go to Ihop.

Creepy Guy: Are you hungry? Come to Ihop.

Me: No, I don’t eat late at night.

CG: Come on, just order something small.

Me: No, thank you.

CG: Well, come order coffee.

Me: No, thank you. I don’t drink caffeine this late.

CG: Come order decaf.

Me: No. I don’t drink decaf because its decaffeinated with dry cleaning chemicals.

CG: Come just sit with us.

Me: No. I don’t want to.

CG: WHY?!

Me: Because I said so. I have an hour drive home and I prefer not to be out super late tonight. I’m meeting a friend at 8 to go running.

CG: You need to come. We are not creepy guys here!

(Note: I beg to differ).

Me: No.

CG: [turns to my friend I was with] Do YOU want to go to Ihop?

At this point, my friend got the deer in the headlights look. He pushed a little farther, and she agreed to go. I said we’d have to walk back, get my car, then I’d drive to her Ihop. Walking home, we agreed that would be a Bad Idea.

This guy wouldn’t take no for an answer. Huge warning flags waving there. Plus, non-creepy guys do not have to tell women they’re not creepy.

What’s more, this guy had full sleeve tattoos that flowed into what I think was a full chest ink. I love tats (have a couple myself), but damn, that’s commitment. That’s not my problem though.

Me: Oh wow. Nice tattoos—all Japanese! What do they mean?

CG: Nothing.

Me: Nothing? Really?
CG: Yeah, I just saw them and thought they looked bad ass.

Sorry, dude. Even if you weren’t creepy and inappropriate, you still wouldn’t have gotten my number. You lost all street cred with that one.

On another note: I’m getting an iPhone on Friday. My blog will soon be new and improved with photos!!

Live healthy, everyone!

I’m so predictable. It’s almost 11 pm and just when I should be readying myself for sleep my mind turns to, you guessed it, food. And just when I start to accept the fact that there’s not much in the kitchen, my mind lasers in on the whole pecan pie sitting in our fridge. Compliments of my husband yesterday. As much as I would absolutely love to dive in, of course, I cannot. What would you think? Convincing myself now that the pineapple sitting next to the pie will help me like myself that much more when I awake in the morning. Will she avoid the pecan pie seduction? Will she make the kind of decision she can talk about during the light of day? Stay tuned.

I’m so predictable. It’s almost 11 pm and just when I should be readying myself for sleep my mind turns to , you guessed it, food. And just when I start to accept the fact that there’s not much in the kitchen, my mind lasers in in the whole pecan pie sitting in our fridge. Compliments of my husband yesterday. As much as I would absolutely love to dive in, of course, I cannot. What would you think? Convincing myself now that the pineapple sitting next to the pie will help me like myself that much more when I wake up in the morning. Will she avoid the pecan pie seduction? Will I make the kind of decision I can talk about during the light of day? Stay tuned.

Here is a quick breakdown of what my half marathon weekend looked like

Best signs:

1. “Philadelphia marathon- Long and hard…Do it Fast. ‘That’s what she said.”
2. Your feet hurt from kicking so much ass
3. Tim, Run faster. The beer is at the finish line

 Best T-shirts (expo shirts):

1. This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago
2. I run like a girl

 Best homemade t-shirts

1. Back of the shirt read- “You rock don’t stop” (I ran behind this guy for 6 or 7 miles- I did not stop)
2. Two friends shirts- Phirst Marathon (shirt one)  Philly Phever (shirt two)
3. Back of shirt “Do you Fit In?”

 Best running location:

1. Mile 6-6.55 on Chestnut Street – loaded with fans cheering for anyone and everyone. Thank you Chestnut Street fans!
2. Mile 7.25 -7.5 on 34^th Street- I ran past Mario the Dragon and also my uncle Doug. Thanks for being there Doug!

 Best Fans:

1. The end of Mile 11, the free high five group dressed in red.
2. All the cute little kids giving high fives
3. My Uncle Doug!

 Worst Part:

1. Mile 11-12, it felt like it was 2.5 miles long
2. Mile 11-13, most painful 2 mile run ever.

 Biggest surprises:

1. The steep hill at mile 9
2. The running gloves in the expo bag

 Funniest parts:

1. Erik put his marathon shirt on backwards at least twice
2. I put my marathon shirt on backwards once (no one told me) and it was to pose for a photo
3. I saw a man running with his marathon shirt on backwards

 Other noteworthy events:

Eating spaghetti pie made by my good friends Robyn and Drew, seeing their new house, and getting to know their 70lb lap dog Pandora. Seeing the new buildings of Drexel. Ordering Spaghetti and meatballs with a side of mashed potatoes at Buca Di Beppo. Realizing that the race was tomorrow. Starting the race with Erik. Getting a start count down from troops across seas. Running the whole race non-stop (first time). Crossing the finish line. Eating Cheesesteaks. Showing my little brothers my medal. Going to bed at 6:30 p.m.

Most people think that you need to hit the gym for hours at a time and sweat your head off doing some form of “cardio” to burn calories. Although you will burn some calories this way it’s not actually as much as you think. In fact you may actually burn the same amount of calories eating a large meal as you do performing an hour of cardio.

Every time you eat you need to consume, digest and process this food. This requires energy in the form of calories (there is no other type). The caloric expenditure associated with food digestion and utilization is known as the Thermic Effect of Food. TEF can account for up to 10% of your daily caloric expenditure – yes that’s right 10%. So if you expend 2,500 calories in a day, 250 of those calories are burned just from eating food. For a 120lbs person this is equivalent to about 3o minutes of high intensity cross-training or 60 minutes of moderate cardiovascular training.

Different types of food require different amounts of energy to breakdown. Protein can be hard to process and therefore has a larger thermic effect. Fat is not as hard to breakdown and has a low thermic effect. Certain foods can even be said to have a ‘negative calories balance” since the amount of energy it requires to break them down is greater than the amount of calories they provide – celery is an example. It is also thought that one’s TEF can be increased with exercise, albeit minimally.

So the next time you look at your plate, you don’t just have to think about how many calories you are eating. Now you can also think of how many calories you are burning.

Today’s Weight: 176lbs

Today I hit the gym to work my arms.  I started on the elliptical machine and ran a mile to get my blood pumping, then stretched for a few minutes, and then I made my rounds and hit practically every arm machine in the place.

I did 2 sets of 12 for almost everything, and if the first set seemed easy, I increased the weight for the second rep.

At times, I checked my form in the mirror and noticed that my body already looks different than it did a month ago.  Is it perfect?  No.  Do I have more work to do?  Yes.  But does it feel good to see that I’m already getting some results, however small those results are?  You bet!

As Thanksgiving weekend hovers on the horizon, I’m a little nervous about how I’m going to keep up my routine.  It seems the only solution to not taking a week up is pretty simple: don’t take the week off.  It’s not like my parents life in the middle of nowhere.  There’s an LA Fitness nearby that I can go to, so there’s no reason why I can’t hit the gym even if I’m out of town for Thanksgiving.  I’m also determined that I will NOT be asking for 2nds at Thanksgiving dinner.  One serving is plenty.

Do any of you struggle to keep things going during the Holidays, and if so, what’s worked for you?  Leave a comment!

Till next time,

Jeff