One of my college friends sent me a Facebook message asking me to do a post on staying fit when you are super busy (like working 14+ hours of the day busy). So, Keri, this post is for you!
As a grad student with two part-time jobs (one is a graduate assistantship and the other is a for-credit internship) I am very busy. Some days I literally get up as 6:00, workout and shower, head to work, and then don't get home until 10 when I promptly fall face first into my bed. Days when I'm actually home at a reasonable hour, I have to read for class, write papers, cook dinner, and attempt to keep the apartment at least semi-clean. With all that, where's the time to stay fit and healthy?!
It really comes down to one thing: preparation.
First, let's look at the workout part of the equation. It is very important to not only schedule ahead of time what workouts you are going to do, but when you're going to do them. Because I'm doing Beachbody workouts, they come with a 60-day or 90-day schedule pre-set for you, so the "what workout to do each day" piece is already taken care of. If you're doing your own set of workouts, maybe going to the gym to use the treadmill or weights, then you'll need to come up with your own calendar of workouts. This may seem like more work up front, but it will save you time in the end.
Now, as far as when you will workout, this depends on your schedule but it is universally important to schedule them into your day. If you try to "find time" you're unlikely to workout. You have to carve out that time in advance to really commit to working out consistently. For me, I find it easiest to workout first thing in the morning. That way, nothing else gets in the way. For other people, they find it easiest to workout when they get home. You need to decide what works best for you, and then put it in your calendar like anything else that needs to get done.
One of the reasons I love Beachbody workouts so much is that I can save time by working out in my living room, rather than needing to drive to the gym. I don't have time to waste 20-40 minutes round trip heading to the gym to workout. And why would I want to when I can get just as good of a workout (or better) in my living room? Plus, I have complete privacy so I don't have to worry about looking ridiculous while I workout (and I'm sure I do. Look ridiculous that is).
If you're someone with only about 10 minutes a day to workout, there are a couple options for you, too. One, you could get a program like Beachbody's 10-minute trainer, which has well rounded workouts that take literally 10 minutes to complete. Or, if you find you do a lot of walking during the day (city folk, I'm talking to you!) use those 10 minutes to focus on weight training. You can do six days a week, 10 minutes at a time, and strengthen your whole body by doing one or two muscle groups each day.
Now, the other part of the equation is nutrition, and preparation is a huge help here, too. Every Sunday I create a meal plan for the entire week, including all six meals for each day. A lot of it is repetitive (I eat the same breakfast and snacks each day) but it makes packing food for the day super easy. The night before, I gather all the meals I will need for the next day and put them in a pile in my fridge (or on the counter if it doesn't need to be cold). In my meal plan, I star the meals I will need to take with me based on how many hours I will be out of the house. Some days I bring five meals with me, most days it's only three. This may sound like it takes a lot of time but it really saves you time and your health. This way you don't have to run to a take-out place to get food and it's way cheaper, too.
In addition to planning your meals in advance, having a super quick and healthy breakfast is very important. My time in the mornings is very limited, so I like to blend up a high quality protein shake after my workout. Shakeology is a great option for breakfast, although I prefer to have it for dessert every night instead. By drinking Shakeology, you get maximum nutrition in the shortest time possible. My morning protein shake is fast and convenient, with very little clean up, so it allows me to get out the door quickly. Another time saving tip that I have yet to try (although I do intend to test it out this Tuesday) is using a crock pot or slow cooker. You can throw all your ingredients in the pot in the morning and by the time you get home dinner is ready. You could also throw everything in a plastic bag (or a number of bags if you plan to do a few different meals that week) on Sunday and then just dump it into the crock pot and turn it on. How much easier can it get? I'll be sure to give an update on how well that works after I try it out this week.
And that's about it. Once you decide that your health and fitness is worth the extra effort to do a little planning, these day-to-day tips make staying on track easy.
Stay healthy!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Giving Up is NOT the Answer
I use the website myfitnesspal to track my exercise and participate in a community of people who are all working to get fit, whether that means losing weight, gaining muscle, or some combination thereof. It's a great website and I highly recommend it to help you stay on track (you can also track calories really easily if that's something you want to do). Feel free to friend me if you want to join the site.
The website includes a number of different message boards where people can post questions about anything. Whether they're looking for meal ideas, want answers to why they're not losing weight, searching for buddies to keep them motivated, etc., there's a message board for every topic. I've noticed over the past few weeks, that at least once a day someone posts a message about wanting to "quit" or "give up" on their fitness or healthy eating plan, often after only a week or two on the plan.
Since it's such a common concern on the message boards, I'm guessing some of you reading might feel the same way. Perhaps you changed your eating habits and lost weight the first week but the second week you didn't lose anything. Maybe you "only" lost a pound this week and feel like throwing in the towel. If that's you, or you want to give up for another reason, I have a message for you:
Giving up is not the answer!!!
I know this journey can be slow and arduous. I know that it can be incredibly frustrating and I know it isn't fair that some of us have to try harder than others to lose weight. I get it; I really do. I've been overweight my entire life with the exception of about one year in high school. But what good is giving up? I gave up for a couple months last semester and gained 25 pounds! How is that helpful?!
You did not get where you are today overnight. It probably took months or years to get where you are now. How can you expect to get to your goals in a week or even a month? I've been working hard for over two months and I'm still in the obese category, I haven't gone down a pant size (though I think I'm getting close), and I certainly don't have a six pack. I'm still a very long way from my ultimate goals, but that's ok! My heart and lungs are healthier from all the cardio. My muscles are stronger, which makes daily movement easier. I've lost 15 pounds of unnecessary body fat which makes my joints happier, and my insides thank me for the highly improved nutrition I've been eating. It doesn't matter what the scale says: what I'm doing is making me a healthier person.
And what do you get if you give up? You're way of life isn't going to just remain the same. You'll probably gain more weight, incur more weight related health issues, and your quality of life will likely deteriorate. Maybe not today, but a year or two down the road it will. Don't let one bad meal, a disappointing weigh-in, or one missed workout cause you to throw in the towel. You are worth every effort you make to get healthier. Let me repeat that: you are worth the effort!
I'm not saying you have to stick with a workout program that you don't enjoy or an eating style that isn't working for you. What I am saying is that you should never give up on trying to get healthier. By all means change the type of workout program you're doing, but don't give up on working out. Feel free to try a different way of healthy eating, but don't go back to eating junk. No program is right for everyone, but doing something is always better than giving up.
If you feel like giving up, send me a message, friend me on Facebook, join my fitness support group, reach out to someone and get back on track. You can do it. It may not be as fast as you'd like, but you will get there, and I will be here to help you. All you have to do is ask.
Stay healthy! (Because giving up is not the answer.)
The website includes a number of different message boards where people can post questions about anything. Whether they're looking for meal ideas, want answers to why they're not losing weight, searching for buddies to keep them motivated, etc., there's a message board for every topic. I've noticed over the past few weeks, that at least once a day someone posts a message about wanting to "quit" or "give up" on their fitness or healthy eating plan, often after only a week or two on the plan.
Since it's such a common concern on the message boards, I'm guessing some of you reading might feel the same way. Perhaps you changed your eating habits and lost weight the first week but the second week you didn't lose anything. Maybe you "only" lost a pound this week and feel like throwing in the towel. If that's you, or you want to give up for another reason, I have a message for you:
Giving up is not the answer!!!
I know this journey can be slow and arduous. I know that it can be incredibly frustrating and I know it isn't fair that some of us have to try harder than others to lose weight. I get it; I really do. I've been overweight my entire life with the exception of about one year in high school. But what good is giving up? I gave up for a couple months last semester and gained 25 pounds! How is that helpful?!
You did not get where you are today overnight. It probably took months or years to get where you are now. How can you expect to get to your goals in a week or even a month? I've been working hard for over two months and I'm still in the obese category, I haven't gone down a pant size (though I think I'm getting close), and I certainly don't have a six pack. I'm still a very long way from my ultimate goals, but that's ok! My heart and lungs are healthier from all the cardio. My muscles are stronger, which makes daily movement easier. I've lost 15 pounds of unnecessary body fat which makes my joints happier, and my insides thank me for the highly improved nutrition I've been eating. It doesn't matter what the scale says: what I'm doing is making me a healthier person.
And what do you get if you give up? You're way of life isn't going to just remain the same. You'll probably gain more weight, incur more weight related health issues, and your quality of life will likely deteriorate. Maybe not today, but a year or two down the road it will. Don't let one bad meal, a disappointing weigh-in, or one missed workout cause you to throw in the towel. You are worth every effort you make to get healthier. Let me repeat that: you are worth the effort!
I'm not saying you have to stick with a workout program that you don't enjoy or an eating style that isn't working for you. What I am saying is that you should never give up on trying to get healthier. By all means change the type of workout program you're doing, but don't give up on working out. Feel free to try a different way of healthy eating, but don't go back to eating junk. No program is right for everyone, but doing something is always better than giving up.
If you feel like giving up, send me a message, friend me on Facebook, join my fitness support group, reach out to someone and get back on track. You can do it. It may not be as fast as you'd like, but you will get there, and I will be here to help you. All you have to do is ask.
Stay healthy! (Because giving up is not the answer.)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
"Oh, hey, I know you."
Today starts the 10th week of my new lifestyle. I'm down 15.4 pounds and feeling good. I've also reached a milestone that speaks to the title of this entire blog. I'm starting to recognize myself in the mirror. My face is less puffy and finally looks more like me! Being able to recognize myself in a mirror is worth so much more than any number on the scale. It's very exciting. Add that to the fact that I'm in the last week or two of my Invisalign treatment (not counting retainers of course), and I really like what I see in the mirror. Additionally, I am very proud of myself for making significant change to my eating habits. This new lifestyle is not some yo-yo diet where I'm going up and down every couple of weeks. I've lost weight consistently over the past nine weeks and I know my body thanks me for that.
My cardio workouts have been really great the last week or so and push ups are starting to get much easier, too. My knees are feeling better so I can do more high impact options in my cardio, and I've been able to increase my weights on lunges. I'm loving the longer Pump workouts this month because I get plenty of focused arm work which is shaping them up nicely. This gal is on her way to some serious guns! Love it!
My next workout program, after I finish Pump, will be ChaLean Extreme (CE) with Turbo Fire for cardio. Since the CE workouts are much shorter than the full hour Pump workouts, I've been thinking about adding some additional targeted training after the CE workouts. Once a week I'll add some additional booty work (from Brazil Butt Lift) and once or twice a week I'll add core work. Each Pump workout includes a core track but CE doesn't have a targeted core section built into the workout. I still have four weeks before I move on to the new program, so I may change my mind by then, but for now that sounds like a good idea to me.
In January I was planning to do Insanity, but I may push that back a couple months to do the new (doesn't come out til December) Les Mills Combat 60-day program. From what I can tell so far, it's similar in intensity to Insanity, maybe slightly less, but is a mixed martial arts program rather than sports specific. Since I love Turbo Fire, which combines kickboxing with dance, I thought I'd like Combat more than Insanity. Plus, Combat has the same trainers from Pump, who I think are great. I still want to do Insanity, and Asylum, but I think I'll push those back and do them when I'm closer to my goal.
Here's a quick trailer for Combat. It looks SO MUCH FUN!
Stay healthy!
My cardio workouts have been really great the last week or so and push ups are starting to get much easier, too. My knees are feeling better so I can do more high impact options in my cardio, and I've been able to increase my weights on lunges. I'm loving the longer Pump workouts this month because I get plenty of focused arm work which is shaping them up nicely. This gal is on her way to some serious guns! Love it!
My next workout program, after I finish Pump, will be ChaLean Extreme (CE) with Turbo Fire for cardio. Since the CE workouts are much shorter than the full hour Pump workouts, I've been thinking about adding some additional targeted training after the CE workouts. Once a week I'll add some additional booty work (from Brazil Butt Lift) and once or twice a week I'll add core work. Each Pump workout includes a core track but CE doesn't have a targeted core section built into the workout. I still have four weeks before I move on to the new program, so I may change my mind by then, but for now that sounds like a good idea to me.
In January I was planning to do Insanity, but I may push that back a couple months to do the new (doesn't come out til December) Les Mills Combat 60-day program. From what I can tell so far, it's similar in intensity to Insanity, maybe slightly less, but is a mixed martial arts program rather than sports specific. Since I love Turbo Fire, which combines kickboxing with dance, I thought I'd like Combat more than Insanity. Plus, Combat has the same trainers from Pump, who I think are great. I still want to do Insanity, and Asylum, but I think I'll push those back and do them when I'm closer to my goal.
Here's a quick trailer for Combat. It looks SO MUCH FUN!
Stay healthy!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
60-Day Progress
Today is the first day of the final month of my Pump/Turbo Fire hybrid, which means it was weigh-in and picture day. Drumroll please!............................
In 60 days I have lost:
14 pounds
4.5 inches from my waist
2.5 inches from my hips
Woohoo!!
The past four weeks alone I lost 6.6 pounds and 1.5 inches from both my waist and hips. While I know the weight loss could have been a bit better if I hadn't eaten out those few times, I'm not going to dwell on that. I'm very happy that I've been consistent enough to lose weight eight weeks in a row, something I haven't been able to do in years.
Here are the 60-day progress pics. I don't think these pictures necessarily show the extent of the changes, but I'm super happy with the progress. I think I was leaning back a bit in the side shots which made my tummy stick out more than normal. Either way, I can definitely see changes (especially in my face) and I'm looking forward to day 90!
In 60 days I have lost:
14 pounds
4.5 inches from my waist
2.5 inches from my hips
Woohoo!!
The past four weeks alone I lost 6.6 pounds and 1.5 inches from both my waist and hips. While I know the weight loss could have been a bit better if I hadn't eaten out those few times, I'm not going to dwell on that. I'm very happy that I've been consistent enough to lose weight eight weeks in a row, something I haven't been able to do in years.
Here are the 60-day progress pics. I don't think these pictures necessarily show the extent of the changes, but I'm super happy with the progress. I think I was leaning back a bit in the side shots which made my tummy stick out more than normal. Either way, I can definitely see changes (especially in my face) and I'm looking forward to day 90!
The changes may be slow, but I remind myself that I took the past five or six years to get to my heaviest, it won't magically fall off in a few months. That said, 14 pounds in two months is really still in the higher range of a healthy rate of weight loss so I'm very happy. Furthermore, the healthy lifestyle I've created for myself makes it feel easy. I just follow my daily routine and the fat melts off. That's important because once I reach my goal weight/size/fitness level, I can continue all those healthy habits and avoid gaining back the weight. What I'm doing now isn't a "quick fix," it's the beginning of a life long fitness journey!
Coming up in Month 3
I'm heading into the final month of the Pump/Turbo Fire hybrid, which also brings along some changes in fitness routine. The Pump workouts have left the 30-45 minute range behind and now each workout I do this month is 55-60 minutes long. The Turbo Fire side of the equation includes more HIIT workouts and longer 45-60 minutes workouts. This final month is also five weeks long instead of four so my goal is to lose another 5-10 pounds (although I'm hoping for closer to that 10 range). Nutritionally, I'm keeping things clean with just one or two planned unclean treats (such as a trip to a HS friend's restaurant for lunch).
Stay tuned for more updates! I'll try to blog more than just during the weekend if I can. If you do want daily updates, you can join my private Facebook group by sending me a message and letting me know you want to be in the group. You can also join the group if you want help getting on track with your own health and fitness.
Stay healthy!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Finding Balance
Grad school is back in full-swing and, while certainly no where near as bad as last year, the stress has returned. That being said, I am very happy to report that I have kept up with all my workouts! I've done a good job making myself go to bed at 10 each night and getting up early to get my cardio or weights done before work/class. I feel confident that I will be able to complete my Pump/TF hybrid without missing a single workout (only five weeks left!) and then move into my next 90 day program. And it feels good to start my day on a healthy note. I don't drink coffee so it wakes me up.
While workouts have been going well, my nutrition has slipped just a bit. Most of my meals have been spot on and clean, but a few have been not so great. In the past two weeks, I made an unplanned trip to Friendly's (which ended up in a really unhealthy meal), I ate way too much macaroni salad visiting family, and this Thursday the lentil dish I attempted turned out pretty gross, which led to me ordering pizza (I got a sub from the pizza shop which was less unhealthy than the calzone I wanted but still wasn't clean). I've also noticed myself craving junk a bit more than I had been. Part of me wonders if the cravings are because of the few instances of junk giving me a "taste" for it again. Regardless, I think it's time to review my food choices and make sure I'm really nourishing my body properly. Furthermore, most of the times I ate unhealthy foods were times I was unprepared or a meal I cooked didn't come out well. That just reinforces the importance of planning ahead and having back-up food available when I accidentally make something gross for dinner.
I think my life is just slightly out of balance right now, which is contributing to some of the cravings. I used to be a big "stress eater," especially when doing homework or writing papers, and I think that is part of what was going on last night. My computer was acting up, which made me super stressed, and when I stress out, I get this weird knotty/empty feeling in my stomach. When that happened, I immediately craved junk. Luckily, I texted my mom and she reminded me to just stay focused and remember my goals. I just had my normal nightly Shakeology and avoided everything else. I really need a better way to deal with stress. Next time I think I'm going to crank some tunes and see if that helps. And remember to breathe! I've noticed that when I'm stressed (and when I drive, strangely enough) I hold my breath or breathe really shallowly. Deep breaths, Sam, deep breaths!
I also feel like I'm letting school work take priority over family, which is not the balance I want. Family, including spending time with my boyfriend, is my number one priority and I need to remember that. I went to my brother's soccer game on Wednesday (he plays Division III college soccer), but I stressed like crazy making the decision to go because I was worried about missing an entire night of school work (to get to his game was a little over an hour drive). I'm glad I went (even though the coach never put him in) but I shouldn't have felt so stressed about it, knowing that making time for my family is my top priority. Same thing happened the other night when my boyfriend wanted to hang out but I decided to focus on my homework instead. And there was really no reason for that since it's now only Saturday afternoon and all my work is done. I could have easily spent an hour just hanging out and still gotten all my work done in plenty of time for class.
I need to remember that my priorities (in order) are as follows:
- Family
- Health
- School
School should not be trumping the other two! I take my education very seriously, but it should not compromise my health or my relationships with my family members. This is especially true when I have plenty of time to get my work done but I stress out about not getting it done "as fast" as I had planned to. That's just silly and causes unnecessary stress. I think putting the proper amount of emphasis on each of my priorities will bring my life into better balance and my stress will decrease.
So, with that in mind, I'm off to spend quality time with my guy and have a healthy, stress-free day! Stay tuned tomorrow for my 60 day weigh-in and progress report, complete with photos!
Stay healthy!
Friday, September 7, 2012
You Can Always Get Better
I've been eating clean for seven weeks now and so far it's going great! Next week I'll be doing my 60-day check-in (weight, pictures, measurements, etc.) and I'm confident it will show good progress. *As a reminder, after the first 30 days I had lost about 7 pounds*
Now that eating healthy has become a habit, I'm looking for ways to fine tune my daily meals to make them even more nutritious. I've been reading a book about vegan nutrition, Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis (recommended to me by a friend who's a long-time vegan) and it's very interesting. I'm only up to chapter three (grad school readings have taken precedent) but so far I'm intrigued. According to what I've read so far, plant nutrition is just as good, or better, than meat-based diets. I'm certainly not ready to jump into a vegan lifestyle, I think there are some basic changes I can make to move toward a healthier diet.
On the subject of meat, I decided this past Sunday to eliminate red meat and highly processed meats from my diet. The amount of energy that goes into raising cattle and then the amount of waste they produce is rather gross, and there have been plenty of studies that show the dangers of eating too much red meat. So, no more for me! I will continue to eat chicken and lean turkey for now (I also eat pork occasionally but I'm not really a big fan).
As far as dairy is concerned, I already don't drink milk and almost never eat cereal, so I will continue to keep milk out of my diet. I rarely eat cheese so I will continue to limit my cheese consumption until it's gone, too. The only dairy I'm currently eating daily is Greek yogurt. Taste-wise I'd be happy to give it up, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with. I have yogurt and grapenuts everyday for breakfast (usually at work) so I'll need to find a suitable alternative that is super easy to pack and eat at work before I drop that as well. If you have any ideas, leave me a comment!
Finally, I will be trying out some vegan recipes once or twice a week. As it is, I only really eat meat in two of my daily meals, so it should be too bad to swap one out occasionally. I'm looking forward to trying my friend's chili recipe and I'm contemplating swapping meat for beans in tacos!
Stay healthy!
Now that eating healthy has become a habit, I'm looking for ways to fine tune my daily meals to make them even more nutritious. I've been reading a book about vegan nutrition, Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis (recommended to me by a friend who's a long-time vegan) and it's very interesting. I'm only up to chapter three (grad school readings have taken precedent) but so far I'm intrigued. According to what I've read so far, plant nutrition is just as good, or better, than meat-based diets. I'm certainly not ready to jump into a vegan lifestyle, I think there are some basic changes I can make to move toward a healthier diet.
On the subject of meat, I decided this past Sunday to eliminate red meat and highly processed meats from my diet. The amount of energy that goes into raising cattle and then the amount of waste they produce is rather gross, and there have been plenty of studies that show the dangers of eating too much red meat. So, no more for me! I will continue to eat chicken and lean turkey for now (I also eat pork occasionally but I'm not really a big fan).
As far as dairy is concerned, I already don't drink milk and almost never eat cereal, so I will continue to keep milk out of my diet. I rarely eat cheese so I will continue to limit my cheese consumption until it's gone, too. The only dairy I'm currently eating daily is Greek yogurt. Taste-wise I'd be happy to give it up, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with. I have yogurt and grapenuts everyday for breakfast (usually at work) so I'll need to find a suitable alternative that is super easy to pack and eat at work before I drop that as well. If you have any ideas, leave me a comment!
Finally, I will be trying out some vegan recipes once or twice a week. As it is, I only really eat meat in two of my daily meals, so it should be too bad to swap one out occasionally. I'm looking forward to trying my friend's chili recipe and I'm contemplating swapping meat for beans in tacos!
Stay healthy!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Why You Need a Fitness Partner
I had a really hard time getting up this morning. So hard, in fact, that I got up 80 minutes later than my first alarm. Yikes! That meant no AM workout for me.
By the time I got home, made dinner, and bought groceries, I was tired and not at all interested in working out. I'm fairly sure my boyfriend was highly annoyed by all my whining about not wanting to workout. (Sorry, hun!) This exact scenario is why I workout in the morning 95% of the time. I just know that after a day of work and school that I have zero motivation to workout. Plus, a morning workout replaces the need for a morning pick-me-up. And since I don't drink coffee, it's a great way to wake up before I head to work.
So, there I was, moments away from deciding to skip my workout, when I decided to text my fitness friend (aka workout buddy, accountability partner, etc.) to see what she thought about me skipping my workout and moving it to my next rest day instead. Normally, that would be fine, but since I already missed Monday because of my trip, deep down I knew I should workout. Her advice was to replace my scheduled workout (Fire 45) with a shorter, more intense workout. A HIIT workout (high intensity interval training). As soon as she said that I thought: "Duh! Of course! That'll be perfect!" I completed Low HIIT 20 with some extra stretching for my legs, because oh my was that intense on the quads! Ouch! Her advice and support has helped me many times in the past, whether it pushed me to workout or helped me pick healthier options at a restaurant.
I am so glad I worked out tonight instead of skipping it. Sometimes it's hard to remember how good it feels at the end of a workout, how proud you feel when you give your fitness priority. That's when it's great to have someone there to push you forward when you need it. You can push them when they are craving junk food and they can push you when you're motivation is low. So, whether you are just starting your fitness journey or are already super fit, I highly recommend you find a fitness buddy to keep you on track. They don't need to be someone who lives near you. My fitness partner and I met through Facebook through our mutual love of all things Turbo (Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick, and Turbo Fire). We are part of a TurboFire fitness group on Facebook and we text occasionally when we need additional support. My only suggestion for you when choosing your partner, is that it needs to be someone who will help you stay committed to your goals. If you have a friend that you tend to eat unhealthy with or that you go drinking with, they probably won't be your best bet for a fitness buddy. Choose wisely and you will be rewarded by those extra workouts you do because he or she pushed you to get it done!
Stay healthy!
By the time I got home, made dinner, and bought groceries, I was tired and not at all interested in working out. I'm fairly sure my boyfriend was highly annoyed by all my whining about not wanting to workout. (Sorry, hun!) This exact scenario is why I workout in the morning 95% of the time. I just know that after a day of work and school that I have zero motivation to workout. Plus, a morning workout replaces the need for a morning pick-me-up. And since I don't drink coffee, it's a great way to wake up before I head to work.
So, there I was, moments away from deciding to skip my workout, when I decided to text my fitness friend (aka workout buddy, accountability partner, etc.) to see what she thought about me skipping my workout and moving it to my next rest day instead. Normally, that would be fine, but since I already missed Monday because of my trip, deep down I knew I should workout. Her advice was to replace my scheduled workout (Fire 45) with a shorter, more intense workout. A HIIT workout (high intensity interval training). As soon as she said that I thought: "Duh! Of course! That'll be perfect!" I completed Low HIIT 20 with some extra stretching for my legs, because oh my was that intense on the quads! Ouch! Her advice and support has helped me many times in the past, whether it pushed me to workout or helped me pick healthier options at a restaurant.
I am so glad I worked out tonight instead of skipping it. Sometimes it's hard to remember how good it feels at the end of a workout, how proud you feel when you give your fitness priority. That's when it's great to have someone there to push you forward when you need it. You can push them when they are craving junk food and they can push you when you're motivation is low. So, whether you are just starting your fitness journey or are already super fit, I highly recommend you find a fitness buddy to keep you on track. They don't need to be someone who lives near you. My fitness partner and I met through Facebook through our mutual love of all things Turbo (Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick, and Turbo Fire). We are part of a TurboFire fitness group on Facebook and we text occasionally when we need additional support. My only suggestion for you when choosing your partner, is that it needs to be someone who will help you stay committed to your goals. If you have a friend that you tend to eat unhealthy with or that you go drinking with, they probably won't be your best bet for a fitness buddy. Choose wisely and you will be rewarded by those extra workouts you do because he or she pushed you to get it done!
Stay healthy!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Getting Back on Track
This weekend I made an unexpected trip to Albany to visit my bff (Sunday-Monday). Typically, when the two of us get together, it is a junk food fest. This time however, we really did pretty well. Overall, however, the weekend wasn't as "clean" as I would have liked.
Sunday was actually pretty good. I was able to workout before I left (Pump & Burn) and ate well all day with the exception of about 2 servings of Doritos. I skipped the ice cream, cup cakes, s'mores, and all the other chips/popcorn that were there (she was hosting a movie night so there were lots of snacks). The big bummer of the day nutritionally was that I missed my Shakeology.
Monday I missed my workout (Fire 60) but that's a super easy fix since I can just count Monday as a rest day and do that workout on Saturday. I also missed Shakeology again which was a bummer. The rest of the day was pretty good. We attempted to make Indian food. It tasted good but didn't taste very Indian, so we ordered actual Indian food for dinner but I watched my portions and I have leftovers for lunch today (which is good since I didn't get to cook this weekend so don't have any leftovers of anything else). The worst part of yesterday from a nutritional standpoint was the stop over at Friendly's on the way home. My bf and his friends were meeting there anyway and since I had to drive by that exit on my way home, I decided to stop in and hang out (otherwise I would have gotten home to an empty apartment anyway).
Now, if I had just ordered the chicken noodle soup, it would have been a fine trip. Unfortunately, I didn't think to do that and instead order the buffalo chicken wrap (swapping fries for applesauce). For those that don't know, that wrap is about as unhealthy as you can get at that restaurant. Yuck. I only ate half but I still felt pretty gross last night and this morning. Note to self: next time I end up at a place like that unexpected...get some chicken noodle soup!
Overall, it was a super fun trip and I'm really glad I went. I am happy to be back to my normal eating schedule though. I got right back on track this morning with Pump Revolution (which was completely insane and super hard but I loved it) and had my Isalean Pro with greens as my post-workout meal, as usual. I'm looking forward to a great week of clean eating and awesome workouts!
Stay healthy!
Sunday was actually pretty good. I was able to workout before I left (Pump & Burn) and ate well all day with the exception of about 2 servings of Doritos. I skipped the ice cream, cup cakes, s'mores, and all the other chips/popcorn that were there (she was hosting a movie night so there were lots of snacks). The big bummer of the day nutritionally was that I missed my Shakeology.
Monday I missed my workout (Fire 60) but that's a super easy fix since I can just count Monday as a rest day and do that workout on Saturday. I also missed Shakeology again which was a bummer. The rest of the day was pretty good. We attempted to make Indian food. It tasted good but didn't taste very Indian, so we ordered actual Indian food for dinner but I watched my portions and I have leftovers for lunch today (which is good since I didn't get to cook this weekend so don't have any leftovers of anything else). The worst part of yesterday from a nutritional standpoint was the stop over at Friendly's on the way home. My bf and his friends were meeting there anyway and since I had to drive by that exit on my way home, I decided to stop in and hang out (otherwise I would have gotten home to an empty apartment anyway).
Now, if I had just ordered the chicken noodle soup, it would have been a fine trip. Unfortunately, I didn't think to do that and instead order the buffalo chicken wrap (swapping fries for applesauce). For those that don't know, that wrap is about as unhealthy as you can get at that restaurant. Yuck. I only ate half but I still felt pretty gross last night and this morning. Note to self: next time I end up at a place like that unexpected...get some chicken noodle soup!
Overall, it was a super fun trip and I'm really glad I went. I am happy to be back to my normal eating schedule though. I got right back on track this morning with Pump Revolution (which was completely insane and super hard but I loved it) and had my Isalean Pro with greens as my post-workout meal, as usual. I'm looking forward to a great week of clean eating and awesome workouts!
Stay healthy!
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