Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Wednesday Wonderful

Wednesday-Wonderfulz-final-2-300x300

Ok, I'm joining a blog link-up with Lynda from fitnessmomwinecountry and How My World Runs this week.  We are sharing some of our favorites of all things.  I've never done a link-up like this before so this is something new for me.

Here goes:

Right now, and always, I'm loving Yogi hot tea.  I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine/coffee intake so the tea is a great replacement for now.  I love Yogi because it comes with so many different flavor for specific needs.  Here are all the ones I have now....someone may have a problem...

tea

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp has turned my life around.  She has taught me how to love and live life fully right where I am.  Not looking for the next thing or a change to make me happy, but seeing the good in every situation.  I know what you're thinking, and, yes, there is good in every situation.  I was a bitter Betty before reading this book and now I try to see the Light and shine it where ever I go.  Of course, I still struggle with bitterness, jealously, and disappointment, like we all do, but I'd like to think I'm getting over it more quickly now that I am letting gratitude run my life.  I have counted and named almost 100 gifts.  I will make it to 1000!

1000gifts

So, I think that's all I'll share for this week.  I'll be sure and have some more "wonderfulz" #yeswithaz stored up for the next link up in 2 weeks!  Be sure to check out all of these awesome blogs!

What's your favorite this week?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

why I quit the gym

For a little time last year, I was a member of a gym.  I joined for the pool.  I was training for a marathon and had gotten injured.  I needed a pool to continue my endurance training.


Did a pool keep me at my current fitness level? No.  Did a building full of equipment keep me at peak fitness?  No.  Did I enjoy my time at the gym?  Again.  No.


why i quit


So, let's go through the reasons why working out at home is the bomb.

1.  Money - The gym was costing me too much money. I was paying $50 a month and not getting anything for it.  Yeah, I had access to all these machines and weights but I didn't know how to use them.  I didn't have a plan.  I wasn't motivated.  There was no end in sight.

-With my home workouts, I have a plan.  I know what workout to do and when.  I have personal access to some of the nation's top trainers.  Why on earth would I hire a trainer here?

2.  Time - The gym is 20 minutes away from home and not on my way home from work. That's 40 minutes of my day wasted.  In the words of Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for dat!"  Oh, and to top it off, the gym closed at 5pm on the weekends.  What tha??  I mean, I don't know about y'all but sometimes I need to go later in the day.

- I can workout at home, anytime I want, and save 40 minutes a day!  That adds up when you work a full-time job, a part-time job, and are trying to start your own business.

3. Support - I was intimidated to use the machines and free weights. All of the cardio machines faced the weight area. I was always so paranoid that everyone behind me was criticizing my form while I was lifting or on the machines.

-Well, in my own home, no one can see what the heck I'm doing.  I can dance around when my favorite song comes on and no one would know.  Plus, I have all my online friends to encourage me.

balogo

So, in short, I am very, very happy I quit the gym.  Not only am I in better shape, but I am happier and have more money.  :)  And that's always a good thing.

What about you?  Are you a gym-goer?

What do you like about it?  What don't you like?

 

4.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

gettin' fixed

So much has happened since I last wrote, I'm not sure I will be able to fit it all in one blog.  Here goes with thing numero uno: I started the 21 Day Fix.

I will admit it has been hard, downright difficult at times, but definitely doable with a little planning and restraint/willpower.  Let me start over by telling you exactly what it is I'm doing.

The Fix is a 21 day program. (Duh!)  Each day there is a different workout to do, but that's not all there is with this thing.  It also keeps up with nutrition...uhh, what?!  That is my downfall every time I try to get really fit.  I'm not too proud to admit it.  Even though I would like to think I have it all under control sometimes, I don't.

I love working out!  It's a passion of mine.  Okay, maybe that's taking it a bit far, but I do enjoy it (usually).  As most of you know I've run and trained for half and marathons.  Those take a lot of discipline to do all the workouts, but never once did I restrict what I was eating while training for those.

Now that I am a coach, I've decided I need to take my eating habits more seriously and in consideration, especially when I'm trying to help others eat more healthily.  I talked about this on my Lifestyle Accountability podcast. (Which will be featured this Saturday, April 12th.  Eek!)

So I started this new plan where I eat so many of each type of food a day.  It comes with these handy-dandy little containers, colored for a certain food group.  Here's the breakdown -> Purple - fruits, Green - veggies, Red - protein, Yellow - carbs, Blue - fats/cheese, Orange - oils/dressings.  Of course, they get smaller and you are allowed different amounts of each one depending on your caloric goal.  I am in the 1200-1499 calorie range for now.  I will probably up that when I go back to P90X3 and Combat workouts and running.

containers


I spent my Sunday evening cooking and prepping.  I baked chicken with Mrs. Dash and "fried" lean ground turkey on the stove top with taco-like spices.  I made about a 1.5 lbs of chicken and 1.25 lbs of turkey.  Keep in mind that I am only cooking for myself.  I also proportioned out some salads for lunch with spinach and cherry tomatoes.  That way I had ready-made meals and didn't resort to the drive-thru, as is my fall back. Here is what a typical day looked like for me.  I am a creature of habit so I stuck with the same meals quite a bit.

lunch


Breakfast:  Vanilla Shakeology, Almond Milk, PB2

AM Snack: Almonds, Jicama

Lunch: Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken, and Blueberries

PM Snack: Pear

Dinner: Turkey Tacos with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

Yep, I am Plain Jane, but, it works for me!  I got in all my nutrients and I felt great, even after my workouts.  I can't wait see my final results at the end of the 21 days.  Only 14 more to go!

P.S. If you would like to know more about this plan, leave your email below or go to the contact me page.  I'll get back to you asap! :)