Crystal Light Pure Fitness Review / wellness wednesday

A few weeks back I was asked to try a new low calorie, naturally sweetened powder that you add to water that makes a low calorie beverage. Per serving, each beverage is 15 calories. I received grape, lemon lime and kiwi strawberry-kiwi packets.

These new products have no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors and no preservatives. The strawberry-kiwi is tart to me but my 5 and 7 year old girls LOVE it! They said it taste like lemondae. The products contain some other ingredients that are a little too "chemical" for me, rebiana, potassium citrate, magnesium oxide, sodium citrate....hmm , these dont' sound so natural to me. It does taste great doesn't have any of the artificial items that they stated..however there are alot of "chemicals" that I tend to steer away from.

Try it and tell us what you think...

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(I was sent 3 sample packets of Crystal Light Pure Fitness by Vocalpoint and asked to give my honest opinion.)

Where in the World is Sam's Mom?

Things have been incredibly busy over here.  I've missed blogging and missed all of your supportive comments.  I've missed seeing Zenful Mommy as regularly as I would have liked.  (WAY TO GO! on the 5k!!)

What's kept me away from all of you?

** working on my marriage: communication is really good and we've taken some "date time" for ourselves recently

** working on my parenting skills: giving Sam more boundaries, working on language, working on not hitting!

** working on ME!  physically & emotionally

** AWBC training.  Up to 15 miles on the weekend

** Bilateral knee cortisone injections (today!) which should help me with AWBC and general health through easier exercise

** working on WORK.  So busy, but aiming for good time management skills

** fitting in more family time ... really getting the most out of each hour of the day

** home improvement projects: we're doing the kitchen, basement & backyard.  80% of the work we're doing ourselves

WHEW!  That's a lot.  I do have details and will be sharing those soon, hopefully.  Obviously to get the above in, I'm cutting back on blogging (and reading the blogs of you lovely ladies...sorry.)

I'm hoping to get in some training walks with Zenful Mommy before Walk Weekend.  It's so exciting to be walking with such dear friends as Zenful Mommy, her DH and SIL.  I cannot wait!

What "self improvement" projects have you been working on lately?

The View

This week on the VIEW

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies).

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera.


“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Talk Therapy

Boy oh Boy am I tardy on postings.  Needless to say, we've been pretty busy over here at Casa De Sam.  And that's part of the reason for this particular posting.

I KNEW parenting would be tough...tougher than anyone ever warned or cautioned us.  Most likely the toughest thing we'll ever do.

But I didn't know, and wasn't prepared for the toll on marriage.  

I'm sure some fly through this "new parent" thing without incident.  Not us.  Things have been pretty rough since we came home with Sam in July.  Now, there are several legit reasons for that, such as the fact that it wasn't G's decision to be a SAH: it just didn't make sense for the attorney to stay home and the chef to keep working, financially speaking.  His new role is hard on his ego and frankly, immasculating.  Because of the demands of work, G now does the cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it, all in edition to caring for and nurturing our son.

It wasn't my decision to be a working mom.  I feel a tremendous amount of pressure being the sole income: am I bringing in new clients and billing enough at work?  Am I putting in enough "face time" ... how are the partners viewing me as a new working mom?  But most of all, is 2-3 hours a day enough time with my son?  

Because of the stress of our new roles, and frankly, the fact that we are older and SO VERY set in our ways, we bicker a lot.  I will admit, I usually start it: I pick on G for some little thing, and then the it brews into a fight.  We make up, we always do...but the stress and strain remains in the background.

This weekend everything came to a head.  We had a HUGE fight and then spent 5-6 hours talking.  I mean REALLY talking.  Baring hearts and souls and crying.  Expressing frustrations, hopes, dreams, feelings of failure.  We laid it all on the table.  And you know what?  It was fantastic.  G and I are stronger than ever because we came back to the foundations of our relationship: friendship, communication, understanding and love.  I think over the past 7 months we have forgotten about the communication factor.  Well, I know we have.  But no longer.  Now communication is our No. 1 objective, our biggest goal.

As tough as the past few months have been on our marriage I wouldn't change a thing.  Sam is the best thing that's ever happened to us, and we are navigating this "new parent" thing to the best of our abilities.  So long as we keep this weekend in mind and keep the lines of communication open and strong, we'll be terrific parents and partners.

How is your communication with your spouse?  Any room for improvement?

You were right

Gawd I hate admitting that. But you said (a collective you) that exercise would give me more energy and help me sleep more deeply at night. I fought you. I bitched about it. I made excuses. And then I did it.

And I must say, you were right. 

I've been getting about 150 minutes/week in via walking and such.  Nothing hard-core.  But today I did 40 mins on the elliptical at the gym (thank you LaGrange YMCA for adding 4 extra machines this summer!), a feat never before attempted because after 15 minutes my thighs were burning and quivering (and not in a good way, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.) But today I felt GREAT, and actually had energy to spare afterwards, which would have translated into time on the weight machines if not for the YMCA babysitting ending at 12 noon (it's a work-at-home day in between a ton of suburban meetings.)

Oh, and I'm sleeping deeper than I have in...well...forever. Now, part of that is the fact that Sam is sleeping, in his own bed, ALL NIGHT LONG. This has been going on for almost 2 weeks now and it is delicious. He does wake at 5:30-6 but he'll go back to sleep for another hour in our bed, which I'll do for the extra sleep. But the hours between 11p-6a are pure and utter bliss. Okay, so Sam may be waking up, but G and I don't know about it because we are sleeping so well. I think we would hear him...

The moral of this story? 2 points for you 0 for me. Maybe I'll be right about something else fitness related in the near future.

Small Steps to a Better Me

I don’t know about you, but I’m quite inspired by Zenful Mommy’s progress in the past few weeks.  I’m making my own small changes, and having some small success.  I wanted to share some of these things – maybe they’ll work for you.

1.     I resisted pastry/bagel day at work (every Tuesday) by bringing a Kashi GoLean bar to work.  It was super-filling with loads of healthy carbs, fiber & protein.  With coffee, the bar, and a bottle of La Croix, I was too full to even look at the pastry/bagel table in the kitchen. 

2.    I’ve been packing my lunch EVERY DAY.  This has really helped my temptation for fatty lunch foods, as I would feel guilty if I didn't eat what I packed and/or to spent extra money.  The lunches I’ve been taking are planned the night before and are usually left-overs from dinner.


3.     Oh right!, I’ve been planning and making healthy dinners: a grain (Thai red rice, quinoa or brown rice) several sautéed veggies (loving dark leafy greens and cabbage lately), and protein (tofu or egg.)  The grains and veggies are really filling.  On the occasional times I have pasta with my guys, I half a ½ portion and supplement with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or red pepper strips.


4.     I’ve been packing snacks for work: portioned out dried fruit and nuts.

5.     I’ve been chewing gum.  This really helps in the afternoon when I’m craving an UN-healthy snack.  Its sweet and keeps my jaw moving, which gives me the sensation of eating.

6.     I’m back at the gym.  WOW that feels good to say!

7.     I’m tracking all my progress with a food/calorie diary and exercise diary.  This really helps accountability-wise.

I hope to soon be seeing Zenful Mommy sized results!





What little secrets/tips do you have to stay “on target” with your healthy-living goals?

Feel your boobies!

As you know by now Zenful Mommy & me are walker/participants in this years Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  We are walking on June 5-6 in Chicago.  It's 26 miles the first day and 13 miles the second day and we are already training and fundraising.  (and might I say, already looking and feeling better!) 

The AWBC is about awareness, it's about hope, it's about funding mammograms and research and A CURE.  It's about survivors and fighters.  It's walked in memory and honor of the women we love and the women we have lost.

But it's also about US.  The young women who don't have cancer now, and are too young for annual mammograms.  It's about SELF-EXAMINATION.  It's about FEELING YOUR BOOBIES. 

This is so important ladies and something each and everyone of us should be doing every single month.  Religiously.

If you don't know how, go here.  There are also several videos on YouTube.

If you do know how and aren't doing it DO IT NOW.  Seriously, stop reading this post and go get in the shower and raise your left arm and feel your boob with your right hand.  NOW.

Why you ask?  Because cancer in younger women is on the rise.  Because younger women tend NOT to complete monthly self-examinations and we don't catch it quick enough.  And because, I love each and everyone of you too much to see that happen.  Hence this PSA. 

Oh, and I'm going to be posting this every single month until the Walk.  So next time, I want to see comments that you are ALL doing it.

Julie and Julia

I've settled in with and movie and a glass of wine. I don't think I've done this in over 2 years. I can't tell you which is better, the complete silence in my home, or the delicious bottle of wine that I picked up in anticipation of the kids going to grandmas. My choices tonight are Julie and Julia and a glass of New Age white wine from Argentina(which is yummy by the way).

If you don't know anything about the movie, you can get some info here. Basically Julie, started a BLOG about cooking all of the recipes from Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days. This is a true story and the blog became immensely popular, thus the movie.

In the beginning of the movie when Julie started blogging, her mother asked her why? Why add another thing to your plate of working long hours, being a wife? Her response.... to have a regimen, to be accountable to something on a daily basis and to set small daily goals.

What am I getting from the movie (still watching it)? Commitment and Inspiration. The commitment to keep blogging and the inspiration to try new things and not let anything get in my way.

I don't make New Year's resolutions but I must say that 2010 will be a year of Happiness, Good Health, Peace and Joy.....more time spent with friends and family, more time doing the things that I enjoy, more time taking care of myself inside and out.....(say it and CLAIM it!)

Tonight I am taking some time for myself.....and enjoying it.

What inspires you?

What happened?

Why is it that when we "vow" to work out and eat healthy, it all fails?

I have eaten VERY badly since Halloween and my body is feeling it! I have felt exhausted, and nothing quite settles right in my stomach, probably because I have been eating highly processed, greasy, salty, sugary, yummy tasting but bad for your body stuff. I have literally been having a stomach ache or heartburn or some other tummy ailment since I started eating all of this crap. I am not sure what happened nor why but I had been eating delicious meals and snacks, that were also good for my body for ages, just occasionally having little tidbits of processed stuff .. then something switched in my brain....I craved everything sugary, salty and BAD for me, and I feel it. I over DID it! For over a month I haven't felt right physically, been tired and grouchy and I have to get back to my old self....so Here I GO!! Wish me luck!

Are there foods that you eat that don't settle well with your body? How do you stay away from them?

Food diary, week 2

Not to worry; I don't plan on using my journey on Calorie King as permanent filler for Wellness Wednesday, but I do want to talk about a few more aspects of the program. 

Food diaries. 
Now, you could do this on your own, or in any other program.  My mom used to do this for a weight loss group she was in, back in the 80s.  I have found the food diary the hardest and most useful part of this program.  Writing down every single thing that passes your lips in quite powerful.  It makes you accountable, and if you're like me its a real shock to see what you consume in a 24 hour period.  The calories and nutrients are calculated by the program, so you just have to log the food and drink.  I was amazed by the calories in a simple sandwich, salad or soup out at a restaurant: SERIOUS hidden calories!  By being accountable for my calorie intake, I'm getting educated and am making educated choices on the foods I eat and beverages I drink.  Even after just 2 weeks, I'm looking into getting the most fiber, the healthiest carbs and fat, the "right" protein. 
Being conscious of what's going into my body is also making me conscious of what's going into my son's body.  In the end, this journey to health and fitness will not only benefit me, and set an example for my son, but it will also MAKE me feed him the most wholesome food possible.  And that's a pretty terrific thing, if you ask me.

How conscious are you of the foods you eat and feed your children?

Guest blogger: House Call Fitness

From our friend Abby at House Call Fitness (where the personal trainer comes to YOU at YOUR house.  How cool is that??  Please check out this great woman's owned business if you live in the Chicago area!)

You say you don't have time to exercise? I beg to differ. Read on for simple strategies on how you can get your 30 minutes per day.
30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week (think 5) is the minimum amount of exercise needed to achieve cardiovascular and health-related benefits. (Remember: more is needed if weight loss is the goal) The good news for people who are time crunched is that you can accumulate this 30 minutes throughout your day. You can break it up in to three manageable 10 minute periods.
Ideas for increasing your daily activity:
WALK ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK
PARK IN THE FARTHEST SPOT FROM THE STORE ENTRANCE
TAKE A WALK AFTER DINNER
WALK OR BIKE TO WORK
CLIMB THE STAIRS TO YOUR OFFICE INSTEAD OF TAKING THE ELEVATOR
ON YOUR 15 MINUTE BREAK, CLIMB THOSE STAIRS AGAIN


Here are a few random facts on stair climbing that I gathered from a recent article in the Intelligencer.
67% RISE IN STAIR USE AT A 10-STORY MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING COMPLEX IN THE BRONX AFTER THE CITY STARTED POSTING "BURN CALORIES, NOT ELECTRICITY" SIGNS
33% DIFFERENCE, IN A HARVARD STUDY, IN MORTALITY RATES BETWEEN MEN WHO CLIMBED MORE THAN 55 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS A WEEK AND THOSE WHO DIDN'T
STAIR-CLIMBING IS A MORE EFFICIENT FORM OF EXERCISE THAN WALKING: TWO ADDITIONAL MINUTES OF STAIR-CLIMBING PER DAY (APPROXIMATELY 3 FLOORS) CAN BURN MORE THAN ENOUGH CALORIES TO ELIMINATE THE AVERAGE ADULT'S ANNUAL WEIGHT GAIN


WORKOUT WITH A BUDDY, TAKE TURNS MAKING UP NEW EXERCISES
EXPERIMENT WITH A NEW CLASS
PICK UP A FITNESS MAGAZINE AND TRY SOME NEW EXERCISES
PURCHASE A NEW WORKOUT VIDEO SUCH AS TAW KWON DO OR HIP HOP
TRY A BOOTCAMP STYLE WORKOUT
GO ON A WALK/RUN WITH A FRIEND
RUN AROUND AND PLAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN IN THE YARD


Take a look at this video clip and see the measures that some folks in Sweden went to in order to encourage people to take the stairs.

People are discouraged by boredom and encouraged by novelty. What can you do to make exercise more appealing to you? How about making it more fun?


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Since Zenfull Mommy and I are both doing the 2010 AWBC, we will be doing some long training walks together. YEAH! I'm also getting a friend at work to join our AWBC team: she lives just 2 miles from my house so we're going to start working out together as well. This will get ME motivated, as I cannot let these two amazing ladies down.

AWBC 2010: In it to END It

In 2010, once again, we are participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  If you don't know about this amazing 2 day journey, please check it out here.  We each have been touched by this disease personally, with friends and family members courageously fighting, and winning.  These loved ones are beautiful, strong, and feisty women with children and husbands and careers.  They fight for themselves and those around them.  They garner strength from other survivors, and we are humbled and awed by the grace and courage they have shown to us over the years. 

Although we cannot take away the physical pain or emotional hardships this disease causes, we CAN WALK.  And we can raise money to fund mammograms for underinsured women, and research for a cure.
If you'd like to donate to our team, BREAST INTENTIONS, drop us an email and we'll tell you how.  But this isn't about US, so donate to other walkers/teams, or become a walker yourself, form your own team, be a volunteer to pass out water, do whatever you can.  Because together, WE CAN FUND A CURE!

Yoga Chiropractics

Stretching is part of any well-balanced fitness program.  It helps prevent injury.  We know that.  But did you know that stretching is, in and of itself, exercise.  Serious, calorie-burning exercise?  Well it is. It's call YOGA.  In it's truest, most basic form, yoga is a tradition of physical and mental discipline.  Yoga is a calming of the mind through meditation + stretching positions called poses.  Its learning to breath, and moving your body with those breaths.  Believe it or not, there are loads of different ways to breath and each one benefits the body in different ways.  Similarly, each yoga pose benefits the different muscle groups in different ways.  Oh and balance...did I mention the balance?  For an extremely clumsy person like me, yoga is a god-send of balance perfection.  I swear I don't fall down as much as I used to, because I've learned my center of gravity and how to properly hold my posture.

But even if you don't want to meditate or do "hot yoga" at your gym with a bunch of sweaty bodies, you can do yoga.  It sounds intimidating at first, but it isn't.  Like anything else, it takes practice.  You likely already know some yoga poses and don't even know they are poses at all.  This site has a good run-down of basic poses along with pictures.  This blog has daily poses and breathing techniques ... like you are doing a group practice without the group.   

Back to the title of this post: yoga chiropractics.  Sam is quite a toll on my body, especially my back.  I didn't go from a 6 lb baby to a 20 lb baby gradually as birth moms do.  Nope.  I started w/ a 15 pounder.  That was TOUGH.  And it still is, as Sammy likes to be carried, a lot.  I have found some basic yoga stretches completely decompress my spine after a long day with Sammy.  I cannot begin to imagine the chiropractor bills I've saved just by learning and DOING a few simple yoga poses.
Now, I'm green, don't get me wrong.  I need to do yoga more consistently, and I need to branch out on my poses.  I used to do yoga practice at the gym once a week, religiously; but if you read this blog regularly, you'll know I'm afraid to go back to the gym and lose precious time w/ Sammy.  So I do it at home.  And that's OKAY.
The best thing about yoga is that it doesn't require equipment or anything special.  You can do it at home in comfy clothing, or at the office in your desk chair.  Its accessable and attainable.  And you feel the benefits immediately.

Have you ever done yoga or taken a class/bought a video?  Are you interested?  How has yoga helped you?

Sweet Sweet Slumber

To be healthy, both mentally and physically, we need sleep.  Okay, we ALL know that.  But how many of us moms (both new and seasoned) actually GET enough sleep each night?  I'd place a safe wager it's far too few.
Experts differ on the precise number of hours we need each night, from 6-8.  The bottom line is, we need 6+ hours of solid sleep in order to function at our best.  All of us ensure our children get enough sleep, right?  We fret over naps and early bed times and sleeping late enough in the morning.  We worry about our little ones being overly tired, and our school-aged kids staying awake in class.  But why don't we do the same for ourselves?  I think this is yet another area in our lives where we don't practice what we preach.  Like eating and exercise, we make sure our kids are healthy but put OUR health second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th...)
I know I've felt like a walking zombie since we brought Sam home.  It's been the single toughest part of learning the ropes as a new mom. 
For now, my sleep is directly related to Sam's: if HE isn't sleeping at 2 am, then I'm not.  If HE gets up in the night then I do.  But at the same time, I haven't been taking advantage of his early (7:30-8pm) bedtime.  This week I've been trying to go to bed earlier, to take advantage of that time. 
I do want my evenings to be "G" time, but its not quality time if I'm falling asleep on the couch at 8:30, now is it?  So for the next month, I'm going to go to bed early.  Whether I'm tired or not.  If I'm not tired I'll read in bed until I fall asleep.  But I'll give my body the rest it needs.  After Sammy gets in a more solid sleep pattern, we should both be more alert during the evenings, and THEN we can worry about more "alone" time at night.

Are you getting the sleep your body deserves?  If yes: how do you ensure that?  If no: what steps can you take to increase the amount of quality sleep you get?

Wellness Wednesday: Exercise your mind

It's just as important to exercise our minds as it is to exercise our bodies.  I think we often overlook this.  I know when I was at home w/ Sammy, as much as I loved our 24/7 time together, I felt like my brain was turning to mush-mush.  I've heard it called "Mommy brain" and other names.  You start to lose short-term memory and it's hard to have "adult" conversations.  At least, this is what happened to me.
When I returned to work, I felt I was reclaiming my brain again.  Don't get me wrong, being a SAH is likely the most challenging job on the planet, and you use your brain constantly, but in a different capacity.  Let's face it, Jack's Big Music Show and the Backyardigans no matter how entertaining, aren't as intellectually stimulating as NOVA.  So what's a mom to do?
READ.
I don't care what.  Redbook to Twilight to a newspaper to a textbook on physics.  Anything but a children's book.  I read on my train commute and it's not only good intellectual time, but great ME time as well.  I personally trade off every-other between an intellectually stimulating book and a good "no-brainer" work of fictions.  (I'm currently re-reading the Twilight series for the 5th time.)  It clears my head from my day at the office, and its a great transition to my time at home w/ DH and Sam.
My husband is a SAH, and tries his best to read during 1 of Sam's naps.  Even if Sam is just down for 30 minutes, that's 30 minutes DH has to himself and 30 minutes of reading.  Sometimes it's a car magazine, sometimes a novel, sometimes news on the web.
I think it's so important that we continue to USE our brains and gain new information (and entertainment.)  It helps balance our lives in so many ways.

What are you doing to exercise your brain today?

Wellness Wednesday: be a Mover & a Shaker!

Getting and staying in shape with kids is a struggle.  It reminds me of when grandparents tell the "when I was your age I walked to school 4 miles, barefoot, uphill both ways, and still had energy to help with chores when I came home in the afternoon!"  story.  We try to eat right, but convenience usually gets in the way.  We try to exercise but time usually gets in the way.  We have every intention of being good to our bodies but there always seems to be a stumbling block in our path.
Last week I started TRYING to get healthy again: I started walking, with my son.  Sam is almost 14 months old and is still a good stroller napper so I figure I should take this chance while I have it.  I go home at night, change, and take Sam out for 4-6 miles while Dad has some "ME" time of his own.  I get time with Sam...it's a win-win for everyone.  I logged 22 miles, by walking a couple miles for five of the seven days last week.  I was shocked!  Who knew an hour here and an hour there could equal 22 miles???
On rainy days (which we have in abundance this time of year in Chicago!) we have family dance party!  This is when we put on music or one of Sam's music kids shows and we ALL dance.  We dance fast, we dance slow.  But we really, really move.  Sam can shake it with the best of them, so we repeat his moves or show him a new one and he tries it out.  It's always loads of fun, and great together time.  It may only last 15-20 minutes, or may go on for 45, depending upon everyone's energy level.  We started it to get Sam tired for bed...but it usually just exhausts US.

I'm learning that I MUST take time for fitness.  Pressed for time?  No problem: you don't need a gym to be healthy.  Get up and dance with your kids.  Or walk with your kids.  Or walk with your kids in the stroller.  Or play soccer in the back yard.  Or ANYTHING.  Just get up and MOVE!

What are you doing/can you do to add more fitness into your days?

Wellness Wednesday Guest Blogger: The Exercise Game

Today's Wellness post is from Guest Blogger Marathon Mama. I met Marathon Mama in Ethiopia this summer.  Her dedication to herself and her family really impressed me.  She has, over the years FOUND that balance between her family and herself.  She is a HOTmama for herself, and her family. 
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Yes, You Do Have Time to Exercise!
Some of us love to exercise, some of us hate it, and some of us are just happy to get it done because we're supposed to. All of us are busy moms who are going to have to sacrifice/juggle/struggle to find time to take care of ourselves. I'm not going to spout statistics, but I think we all know (deep down, even if we don't want to admit it) that exercising will keep us alive and energetic longer than not exercising, and there are people counting on our energy for the long haul. Day to day, feeling stronger, more alert, and more energetic can only help.
My personal routine is a little crazy. I've been an avid distance runner for about 7 years. No, I'm not good--I just love doing it. My favorite races are road marathons, but I've also done some trail running and some shorter races. While I'm running, I meditate, decompress ,and problem-solve. It's become a very necessary part of my life... Which is why I wake up at 4 AM EVERY MORNING. Yes, even on the weekends. On 3 days during the week, I have a little breakfast, warm up, run for an hour, come home, get ready for work, spend some time with my men, and I'm at work by 7:30 so I can get my (13-month-old) son from school before 4. (My husband and I shift our work schedules to keep M in school less than 8 hours a day.) The 2 days I don't run during the week, I'll do calisthenics or cross-training during that early-morning hour. On the weekends, my husband and I alternate our long run days. On his long run day, I spend an hour doing strength work before waking M and spending quality time with him that includes an hour run in the jogging stroller. On my long run day, I leave right around when M wakes up, and the men have bonding time until I get home a few hours later. Sometimes my work requires me to work crazy hours, and then we have to juggle, but for the most part, this is how we do it.
Yes, I'm blessed with a supportive spouse. Yes, I'm probably harming my health somewhat by only sleeping 5-6 hours a night. And yes, I've been an athlete my whole life (gymnast for 20 years). So, for those of us who are just beginning a program, who really can't leave their children with someone else for any period of time, or who just aren't crazy about exercise, I offer...
The Exercise Game
Think of it like a drinking game. Every time you finish changing a diaper, drop and do 20 push-ups. You can start out with "little boy" push-ups with your knees down, but try to build up to the "womanly" version with flat back and head forward. Every time you feed a kid, do 25 sit-ups. Get the older kids to hold your feet (and/or sit on your chest to make it harder--hee hee). Every time you get a kid dressed, do 25 squats or 10 lunges on each side. You get the idea. Make up your own rules, mix it up, and have fun with it. If you're worried about bulking up, trust me: you won't. Most women do not do enough strength training because they are concerned about this. You will only firm up doing body-weight-type exercises. (Bulk only comes with lifting massive amounts of weight and/or taking extra testosterone.) For cardio, get the family out for a 30-45 minute walk 4-5 times a week. Walk to help digest your dinner or to go to a park for some fun. If you work, and you have a lunch hour, consider an extra walk then. To make sure you are exerting enough effort, keep in mind that you should just barely be able to carry on a conversation while walking.
Make sure you're stretching and drinking plenty of fluids. And, as always, be sure to consult a physician before beginning a new exercise program. If anyone tries this, keep me posted on your progress, and let me know how you change things up--I'm always looking for new ideas... Happy moving!
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I'm very inspired by Marathon Mama, and I'm going to try to get up at 5 am, 3 times a week to walk outside for 1 hour before work.
Has Marathon Mama inspired you?  Are you going to commit to taking time for exercise?  How?

Why isn't this working?

So on October 1st I decided to make it my JANUARY 1st...you know, the day when everyone starts their new workout program, eats healthy for a few weeks and make many resolutions that they don't keep. My idea was to start on October 1st and my goal was simple, a healthier lifestyle.

My 1st week went quite well. Six workouts with my Power 90 video tapes, the Fat Burning series. It was definitely no joke and I was sore! I also made healthy food choices for the week fruits, veggies, Veggie Burgers etc..and ate 5 small meals a day. I found that I was VERY full and didn't need to snack and didn't crave junk food which is MAJOR for me as I usually consume chocolate and potato chips daily, its that sweet and salty combo that gets me. So at the one week mark , I weighed myself to see what my progress was and much to my surprise, I weighed exactly the same. I thought to myself WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING!!!(ok, those weren't the exact words but you get the point) I went back to my handy dandy book and realized that I should measure myself and compare my measurements instead of the wieght and much to my suprise I had lost 2 inches in my waist and an inch off of each thigh..YIPPEE and GO ME!!! I so freakin' excited that I couldve' done a back flip. My goal live a healthier lifestyle and oh yeah...fit into a bikini for our summer trip. So many people have told me that you'll always have a litttle "pooch" after having kids and probably won't ever wear a bikini after 3 kids...well I am here to proove you wrong .

What is your goal when in comes to overall health? How do you fit in workouts?

P.S. I did take a before picture of myself which I will post once I reach my goal...its pretty eye opening to take a picture of yourself in shorts and a sports bra when you are out of shape...

Scared straight

I just heard a story on NPR that scared the crap out of me.  Well, actually, it scared the Diet Coke out of me.  I have a habit.  And it's not healthy (okay, if you read this blog you know that I have more than one non-healthy habit, but let's stick to Diet Coke for now.)  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Diet Coke.  I drink A LOT of it.  I've always told myself that since it's DIET, then it's not bad for me.  But, let's face it, it has additives and fake stuff and ZERO nutritional value.  It's also dehydrating, so in reality I should be drinking 24 oz water for every 12 oz soda I consume.

The tough facts from the story: Dr. Harold Goldstein, a physician and executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy compiled research drawing on interviews with more than 40,000 Californians about their soda-drinking habits. "This study that we did with UCLA showed that regardless of income or ethnicity, adults who drink one or more soda a day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight or obese," Goldstein says. On average, Goldstein says, Americans drink 50 gallons of soda a year. He says it should be taxed so the beverage industry pays its fair share for the obesity epidemic.


I'm already obese, so I really need no more incentive to finally give up the lovely bubbly.  I'll figure out a way.  We have La Crox in our office, which is literally carbonated water and lemon.  No sugar, no fake stuff.  I think that will have to be my crutch.  And the headaches?  Well I'm NOT going to increase my coffee intake (just 1 cup/day), so I'll have to suffer for about 1 week and then should be over the worst.  In Ethiopia I had no soda for a month and was fine. 
 
Is there something in your diet/lifestyle that you KNOW is not healthy but continue to consume/do?  Do you have plans to change that?

A commitment to MYSELF

Continuing on the road to ditch Ms. Frumpy-Dumpy, I need to make decisions that are HEALTHY and make a commitment to myself to stick to those decision.  I don't want to make lifestyle changes for any reason other than to become more healthy and set good examples for my son.
So, I promise myself:
1.  To take Sam for an evening walk, after work, at least 3x a week.  This will get us out of the house, and get a little extra exercise for me.  It will also allow G about 45 mins-1 hour of alone time those nights, which he despiritely needs & deserves.  Also, take time for longer walks at least once on the weekends.  When it gets too chilly....find an inside track (I hate treadmills.)
2.  To do some stretching/yoga everyday.
3.  To eat healthier. Veggies EVERYDAY.  Less caffeine.  Fast food no more than 3x month.
4.  To NOT weigh myself.  Judge progress on how I feel and the fit of my clothing alone.
5.  To not berate myself if I fail on the above, but instead to try harder the next day/week.

What commitments are you ready to make to yourself to get/stay healthy?