I'm just doin' it

With the holiday's creeping on [in more ways than one], I am finding new ways to mix my fitness routine to fight off the extra calories at the numerous holiday parties, luncheons and office treats. Anyone in my boat?

Well, I have a group of "gym friends" that have been dogging me for months now about doing a half marathon with them in March. As you know, I like to consider myself a motivational person as I find myself trying to motivate others all of you but, it's hard to find it for myself too!

Today, I think I have found the courage and that "feeling" of "I got this" that I needed. You know that feeling? When your just not sure you can do it and then you just stop thinking terrible thoughts and say "I'm just doin' it?" Well, that was my EXACT thought this afternoon...

I got on the treadmill and without even allowing myself to think of a distance to run, a time to stop (when I hadn't even started yet) or that I was going to not be able to do even 2 miles...I started running. and running. and running. I don't know what came over me...

it may have been the new shoes...

or the company of one of my favorite gym rats alongside of me...
possibly the two episodes of my favorite show, Friends, on TV...

and even a break in my everyday workout helped too :) But I ran, and not only did it feel great but I ran a personal best record in distance-- 5 miles!

Whatever it was, I know it stemmed from my I'm just doin' it attitude!
Don't forget to set new goals, find ways to motivate yourself and most importantly, stick with the fight and keep a positive attitude! If I can do it, anyone can!

Free Fitness

Hey guys! So as promised...but a little late (better than never), I must share my State Park adventures. It was an eventful trip I had, over the 4th of July weekend. I ventured out to the park stretching out into the chesapeake bay with one thing in mind...time to explore! I am all a new adventure, especially one that may incorporate some exercise. In all of my excitement, I failed to plan!

I set out to the state park in flip flops, no bug spray, snacks or H2O. Big mistake but seeing views like this made up for it...

I even made the two mile hike to the lighthouse...

We heard there was a beach on the otherside so we took the challenge.
After walking a combined total of 5 miles we found it...

Needless to say, I was exhausted, famished and my ankles hurt by the time we made it back to the car.

Noteworthy: Although I was anything but prepared for my 5 mile hike it was a great way to get in some unexpected physical activity, connect with nature and the best part, enjoy some Free Fitness.

I am not going to lie, I have always been a gym rat! I am totally guilty...but I tell you what! I felt just as good if not better leaving that park with 5 miles behind me as oppose to walking out of a gym. I may not have been sweating as much as I would in my usual spin class, but it was a change in routine and fun Free Fitness. On your next vacation scope out the local parks and walking trails, and get out there! Just be sure to plan!

What's your favorite way to stay in shape on vacation?

Fight Your Battle with Weight Loss

If you don't remember anything about weight loss or find all the tips out there overwhelming, I want you to remember my "4 F's for weight loss." Their kinda like my "go to" weight loss tips when you need and want to know the basic foundation to your weight loss journey. This foundation of "F's" make the stepping stones to a successful journey.

Formulate your plan...figure out what your ultimate goal is and why? Planning also means for your meals

Freshen up your meals...with the exception of your favorite all natural bars (like my favorite Larabars) try and eat whole, FRESH foods. More fruits and veggies, less prepackaged, processed junkola

Fit...get fit that is! Make sure your getting some sort of physical activity in everyday; from taking the stairs to partaking in a vigorous sweat session in the gym. With physical activity and eating right...lbs should start melting off your body!

Find time for yourself. Time is always an issue and whether it's time for yourself at the gym or just to relax and read a book, "you time" is important and helps with your successes [in weight loss]. This will help you de-stress and fight stress hormones like cortisol which may induce hunger cues. It has been proven in research that weight loss may be inhibited by stress.

It was an Upset

The challenge turned out good but started terribly for me! I went to take my butternut squash out of the container and it was GROWING MOLD! Can you believe it? It's not like I had it sitting for a while, I just bought it Tuesday night!
I was SO looking forward to this meal! 


So, I had to find something to take it's place...
thank goodness for my polenta----->




So here's what I came up with...
Same ingredients sans butternut squash!

Not too shabby, right?

We've got parmesan polenta, pan seared turkey burger and sauteed spinach with sun-dried tomato and onion.
Parmesan Polenta:
Bring water to boil, add polenta, stir vigorously (it's pretty much a workout in it's self!) and add in Parmesan once cooked.
Sauteed Spinach:

Splash pan with a little canola oil (not much because the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil too), brown onion, add sun-dried tomato and let them soak a bit. Add spinach and let it ride from there!

Turkey Burg:

My burger was frozen so I took it straight from freezer to pan. Cooked it for about 20 minutes total, flipping it every so often. I added some Worcestershire sauce for extra bang! 


This meal is coming in under 500 calories (approximately, from my good judgment and according to portions and product nutrition fact labels)




Let's Talk Tips!

Lately, I have been struggling with the clock. I am a big stickler when it comes to people saying they have "No time!" I hate that excuse and sadly, I have found myself thinking it lately. Everyone has time; we all have the same amount of hours in the day it's just called time management.
It's a huge part of success when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle! Finding time for yourself; to plan your meals or get to the gym, de-stress or enjoy a hobby.
Some tips for finding that time [especially for physical activity]...

- Break it up! If you have 10 minutes in the morning you can walk around the block, do a short exercise video or hop on your exercise machine, do it! 10 minutes is better than nothing!

- Add it up! 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, 10 minutes at night...and you've already done 30 minutes of physical activity for the day.

- Beat the clock! Go in the AM before work/school. This will guarantee a workout! So much happens during the day that something may come up (or you may decide to hit happy hour with some work buddies) and you can't make it that evening. If that means you may have to forgo your favorite prime time show because you need to get to bed earlier, then make it happen. Hello! That's why we have DVR these days :)

-Find time! Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away in the parking lot, you get the point ;)

No matter when it is and how much it is...it just matters that it gets done!

A little bit can go a long way.

Motivation…where are you?

Last night I could have really used a gym buddy! I was just unmotivated and thinking about anything else I could do besides be at the gym.

More often than not, I am thinking about other people and how I can help them stay motivated and meet weight loss goals…well, that is my profession and passion, of course, but sometimes even I need a little motivation!

Getting back on track: Today I am going to start back to keeping a couple of food logs a week and logging my workouts. This way I have something to track and hold myself accountable for. The work out logs will serve as reminders of gym dates and goals (remember the goal strategies I had mentioned before) I have met to keep me on track throughout the week!

I am a firm believer that writing weekly goals and keeping food logs will lead to attaining weight loss/ maintenance goals. Let’s start writing….

If you fail to plan, then plan to fail!

What happens when you get home from work and there is "nothing" in the house to eat? Well, if you are like me it's off to a restaurant to satisfy the hunger! My guess is that most of us have done this at least once in the past 2 weeks. Well, planning ahead may help both your wallet and your waist line.
The most important thing to lose or maintain a healthy weight is to plan! Planning both meals for the week and times to exercise will help you to stay committed! One of the best ways to plan meals for the week is to sit down with your family once a week (usually Saturday or Sunday works best) and write down a few meals you would like to have the next week. If a particular food that you believe to be is unhealthy like pizza or burgers then look up lower fat alternatives (thin crust veggie pizza or hamburgers made with extra lean beef and low fat cheese). From the menu ideas make your grocery list...then it's off to the store! Most of your food should be fresh (fresh veggies, fruits, and meats). The canned and frozen alternatives do not offer our body as many vitamins and are usually loaded with salt and preservatives.
By planning ahead this will allow you to know exactly what to cook when you get home. Cooking your own food also allows you to know exactly what is in it whereas restaurants add a lot of fat and salt for flavor! An added bonus: much money can be saved by cooking food yourself instead of going out to eat.
Planning exercise times at the beginning of the week can also be beneficial. This will help you plan other activities around your exercise time. This allows you to prioritize exercise, instead of trying to sneak it in at inconvenient times which is a more difficult task!
Hopefully planning ahead will help keep you on track with your wellness goal. Keep up the good work!