No, Im not pregnant (& other embarrassing tales).

Monday was great.  Rejuvenating.

Hanging out with The Tornado/her friends and just *laughing* with moms I didn’t know well before yesterday.

For this misfit who can work too much & verge on being a hermit it was a *very* welcome weekday change.

Ill spare you the majority of the conversation details (oooh forshadowing! hints of post to come!), but as often happens when women gather our conversation turned fitness and weight-loss.

Fitness, weight-loss, and awkward life moments  (to differentiate from negative self-talk, fat talk and other sorts of conversations this blogger works to avoid and/or turn to the positive).

And, as often happens with people who arent aware Ive not always been fit & healthy, one woman looked over at me and joked:

Can you even relate to any of our stories? I bet you cant, can you?

“Oh Sister,” I longed to say yet knew I didnt know her well enough for said sister reference. “I can relate.  Ive been there, experienced that, and yes he thought I was pregnant.”

It would make for a better story, perhaps, to say Id entirely forgotten about these interactions until yesterday’s conversation, but I’d be lying.

I may have moved past—but I definitely remember.

The first was so predictably awkward & verging on trite it still feels as though it belongs more in a trashy TV sit com than in a real occurrence.

I was car shopping.  I owned a large dog.  I was aware I probably didnt want to own an almost-minivan sized car, but thought I’d wander around the *entire* lot before committing to a test drive.

(do you know where Im going with this?)

The salesman followed close behind making a valiant effort to spark & keep a conversation flowing.

(Im sure you can guess now?)

I approached the ‘too big for my needs but would rock with a dog’ vehicle.  I opened the trunk, peered inside & tried to imagine my canine leaping into the back.

(now you know, yes?)

“Oh!! I see! Youre expecting!! How exciting!!”  the salesman said as he scampered to my side.

I wasnt.  And of course being who *I* was, I grew embarrassed for HIM.

The next interaction was far more humorous even in the moment, but also transpired in front of someone (someone I eventually married) I wanted to impress.

Ouch.

Three of us were hanging out and the conversation eventually turned to tattoos (shocking, I realize).

My then-boyfriend Ren Man said to his friend:

You should see the tattoo around her navel! Show him your Star of David!

Before I could we were distracted by something and it was only later I remembered I was going to show Ren Man’s (very fit) friend my navel art.

I got his attention, lifted my shirt slightly (just enough so he could see the ink) and waited to see what he thought.

Without missing a beat he glanced at my belly and said (loudly):

That’s not so bad. You can probably lose that pretty quickly.

Ouch.

Whats my point with all this?

In a small way it is a reminder never to judge a book by its cover a person by how s/he currently looks.

In a bigger way yesterday was a reminder for me of the positive-power of being able to laugh at situations & ourselves and how contagious laughter can be.

I didnt laugh back then.  I only mildly chuckled a year or so later.

Yesterday, as we normalized each other’s experiences & laid witness to how far we’d each come (emotionally and physically), all of us were able to find at least some small humor in the awkward life experiences we shared.

Do you find yourself over-sharing these days or am I the only one whos apparently lost her filter?

Do you ever spy a fitleanbuff woman & assume she’s always looked that way?

Anyone wanna join me in calling a good, hearty belly laugh her exercise for the day?

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April’s Fitness Theme: 30 Days of Body Transforming Change

Me on the left: The day I decided I wanted real change.

Me on the right: The results of that decision. I made change happen.

If you don’t like your situation, then stop festering in it. Half-assed-ness will not get you there. When it comes to your fitness (and anything else in life, really), the road to change must be traveled daily.

Will you start with these next 30 days?

Hoping, talking about it, and even planning is not enough. You’ve gotta get down in the trenches and do the actual work to make change happen. Consistently and diligently.

There’s no doubt you’ll deal with discouragement at some points in this process — you’re only human, after all. Those feelings are bound to happen, so just accept it as part of the journey and work through it.

You are NOT weak, but your thirst for change has got to be greater than any negative feelings and thoughts that threaten your progress.

Don’t let the reality of your situation paralyze you into not taking action. And keep in mind that this change you’re in pursuit of may first require you to change your mindset, your attitude and your perspective.

This is a call to action for 30 days of body transforming change. Where will you be 30 days from now? Will you make a personal commitment? Real change starts NOW, so don’t get left behind. 

There are a few good roads to get these next 30 days done, so do what works for you. A handful of you have reached out to ask me for guidance in your own journey. If you also need a little help and want to grab some tips from the healthy lifestyle road that I personally travel, then click here for a snapshot of my own fitness and weight loss plan. It’ll give you details of what I do and how I do it. I’m extremely results oriented. I find what works. I do it consistently. And I get results. Won’t you do the same?

xoxo,

Josie

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Before You Binge Printable

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

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Skechers Go Walk Slip Ons (like a fluffy cloud on your feet)

These aren’t your momma’s slip-on shoes. Okay? I recently fled to JC Penny in a hopeless attempt to escape my rabid children for a little while. That’s when I spotted Skechers Go Walk Slip-Ons.

They’re pretty darn new, but already getting top notch ratings. And rightly so!

Go Walks are a lightweight, breathable, canvas-ish shoe with a bendy-flexible rubber sole, deep traction on the bottom and sufficiently foot-protective. Dear gawd, they’re so cushy — like pillows of heaven massaging your feet with an un-used roll of crumbled up Charmin. I don’t get how Skechers got them so lightweight and soft inside, but I bought a pair for keeps.

There are lots of cool colors like purple, pink, blue, turquoise, green and black. I snagged the gray ones and went down a half-size because they seem to run slightly big.

Go Walks are comfortable and fashionable for shopping, heading to the gym, running errands, traveling, weekend casual outfits anywhere, kicking stupid people in the ass, blah blah blah. Even people with corns on their pinky toes should feel comforted in a pair. Also available for the men-folk in your life.

If you’re not in shoe-shopping mode right now, at the very minimum at least go try on a pair so as to not miss out on experiencing the exhilarating sensation of cloud-feet.

Skechers Go Walk Slip On reviews on Amazon.

Yet there’s one downside. Go Walks are so feather-light, that when I threw one at the snoring husband to make him shut the hell up, he did not wake up, nor stop snoring upon shoe-to-head impact. Not effective at all.

This man is disturbing my peace. Must find something heavier to throw. Suggestions?

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Tough Mudder Training Week 7

Trucking a along! I’ve updated my training chart.

I love that every Saturday is completely different than the week before. Here’s what we did this past week…

~1/3 mile runCarry a picnic table (there were 2 of us – each with a side) from one end of the parking lot to the other with 60 extra pounds on top. Then carry it back minus the weight. wow that was HARD. ~1/3 mile runPicnic table carry again this time no extra weight on the way out but with the extra 60lbs on the way back. ~1/3 mile runThis…

then this

Repeat 3 times.

~1/3 mile runthis…

Then a boxing sequence of punches, knees, kicking and driving with trainer.
Repeat 3 times.

~1/3 mile run

Tonight I ran 8 miles on the trails with a friend and tomorrow morning is BodyPump. I’m seriously in training mode now and I’m loving it. Strong doesn’t begin to describe how I feel physically. It’s more of an overall sense of FIT. I just feel fit, in shape and balanced.

In other news…

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Living in One of Ohio’s UNHEALTHIEST Counties

The local news turns to Rebecca Regnier’s Full Plate to help after Lucas County rates 72 out of 88 of Ohio’s Healthiest Counties! What can you do right now to effect your health.

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Tough Mudder Training Week 6

I’m calling this week the Karate Kid workout. Derrick, my trainer friend, was all smitten with himself when I got there and asked what I needed to set up. He said, "Nothing." When I asked him what we were going to be doing he said, "You’ll see" smirked, and sent me on my run.

I knew I was in trouble.

Bear with me the drills are harder to explain this week.

~1/3 mile runStack the 5lb hand weights on top of one another then do 5 pushups and 5 crunches. Repeat with each hand weight up to 75lbs until the gym looked like this…

and this..

Then put everything back. Of course!

~1/3 mile runMove approximately 12 plates (45lbs each) (+some 25s and 10s–Honestly, I can’t remember) from the wrack to the machines and back. Then do 5 sets of 5 pushups and 5 crunches each. ~1/3 mile runBear crawl up the hill, run backwards up the hill, then bear crawl backwards up the hill (half way was all I can make it) – Repeat 3 times. ~1/3 mile runThe Wheel! AKA this…

You probably can’t hear in the video but he wanted me to pull the sand bag back with me kind of like last week but I just could not do it. It was too heavy. Going up and back was workout enough!

~1/3 mile run

That was it! sounds shorter then the other workouts but the drills were much longer. He said he wanted us to be prepared in case some of the obstacles were more time consuming.

I love these style workouts. So much more fun then just going to the gym and using a few machines in my opinion.

I’ve updated my training table. The event feels right around the corner. Time is just flying by.

In other news…

Heading to bed. Tomorrow is an early workout day!

Click here to see all my Tough Mudder Training Posts.

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24-Hour Workout Will Melt Your Fat Slabs Faster

24 hours. Yesss. But it’s not like you might think.

Now consider this….

Your workout isn’t over after that last drop of sweat hits the floor. Your workout is comprised of EVERYTHING you do within a 24-hour period. It’s in the foods you shove into your mouth. It’s how long you sit on your ass. It’s in how much sleep you get. It’s in your motivation to keep your life organized so the time you reserve for sweaty fitness isn’t compromised.

Everything you do within a 24 hour period contributes to making your fatty parts melt — NOT just your actual workout with cardio and weights. I know you know this, but are you LIVING this? Are you making the rest of your day count as much as you would the time you spend on a treadmill or doing workout DVDs? It all counts towards your goals. All 24-hours of it.

24-HOUR PHILOSOPHY: THE EXPERIMENT

I took this philosophy and infused it into my brain stem over a period of several days for experimental testing. I rolled with it and convinced myself of the notion that “I’m working out all day”, not just those 30 minutes of burpees and speed rope.

And the results?

The all-day workout mode led to better eating decisions, especially on the weekend, and even at restaurants. I felt more empowered to say “no” to unhealthy crap throughout the day. Why? Because I was in the middle of a workout, of course. No way I was gonna eat chocolate pudding cake or bacon strips during a workout. Who does that?

I was also motivated to move more all day long without bitching about it. I had a better attitude about pulling weeds and other laborious activities when I really wanted to be watching the taped shows on my DVR. Overall I avoided much more greedy/lazy activities that could have bamboozled my 24 hour day.

It worked for me and it can for you, too. The 24 hour workout philosophy first takes place in the mind and translates into actions that lead to more effective, faster fitness progress.

Don’t I sound all scientific ‘n stuff? Am I getting too deep for ya? Don’t be scared of my knowledge, yo.

If your fatty parts seem to be clinging to you like super glue dipped in blast-resistant cement, try a 24 hour workout.

[photo credit]

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Goal Setting Is Not Enough. You Need Ass Movers, Too.

As your brain cells have probably concocted through visual observation, my ass was struggling to get up that pole. The pic is from the pathetic pole climbing blog post where I boldly proclaimed…

“I double-dare myself to get to the top of that dang pole. It may take a month. It may takes six months. It better not take a year.”

Over two years later, and I still haven’t made it up that damn pole. I barely even tried.

It was a goal, but I didn’t have a plan of attack. This so-called goal was really nothing more than a stank brain fart of an idea. And it went stagnant inside my cranium, collecting rotten maggot residue and other offensive non-actions.

BUT WHY?

Because I never put expectations on myself, nor did I hold myself accountable to achieve it. There’s obviously is a difference between a real goal and a stank brain fart. Obviously.

But what sets the two apart?

Expectations and Accountability.  These are the two powerhouses that MUST be in the mix. I call them “ass movers”, because they get your ass moving closer to your goals. Expectations get you taking action, because anything less would be unacceptable, and Accountability obligates you to follow through ‘lest you have to face up to explaining why you didn’t.

Yet I dare to say most of us place higher expectations on other people than we do on ourselves. If other people (spouse, kids, co-worker, friend, etc) don’t meet our expectations, we have a bitch fit, complain to others about it, hold them accountable for it and demand they get their shit together and not fluck up again. Tell me I’m wrong. No?

But on ourselves? Do you demand you get your shit together right then and there? Or it is a more lackadaisical approach where you get around to doing better. Eventually.

When you fluck up, treat yourself as you would someone else you have expectations of. Don’t whine and get wussy and curl into a ball of supposed failure. Get pissed about it. Even get a little mad. Call it “contained fury”, if you will. Then translate that fury into ass-moving actions.

Pole climbing is no longer a goal of mine, but the goals I do have are infested with expectations and accountability. So now it’s your turn. Put on a pair of ass movers and git to it!

Ps. Don’t just read this post and then go off somewhere to pick up your nostrils or braid your armpit hairs. You need to seriously be thinking of what Expectations and Accountability mean in the grand plan of your goals.

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Cool New Kitchen Gadgets

Kitchen gadget expert and guru of gorgeous things, Paula Brown, stopped by to show me the latest in kitchen gadgets. I LOVE the Lilypad – you will too!

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Weekend Quote: Confidence and Awesomeness

The other day I received an email from a reader who recently completed her first half marathon.

Let’s think about that for a minute…

Her first HALF Marathon!

That’s just over 13 miles.

THIRTEEN MILES!

When was the last time you ran 13 miles? (No comments form those uber athletes that may be reading. I’m talk to those of us who are newer to the world of fitness.)

Instead of being proud of her amazing accomplishment she focused on all the things she could have done better.

ohh that perfection gene is a killer, isn’t it?

Listen guys, it’s taken me a long time to get to where I am (funny enough to say as I’m typing this at 6:30 AM before heading out for my Saturday Tough Mudder Training) and I STILL battle this mindset a little. Let me stress A LITTLE because it does start to fade the more goals you set and achieve.

The voice goes from a scream to a whisper when you start to accomplish things despite of it telling you, you aren’t good enough, fast enough, skinny enough, worthy enough.

It does.

I promise.

You have to just. keep. moving. forward.

Part of my response to this email was…

Keep doing what you’re doing. Set goals and reach them.. your confidence will catch up to your awesomeness. I promise. :) 

Although, it had more typos in it because my brain works faster than my fingers most of the time. When I read emails like this I respond from my heart, it’s a visceral reaction because I know it’s what I need to hear myself. These insecure feelings I have held me back for so long and I’m shocked they are so common. There are so many of us whose body image and weight issues stem from a lack of confidence and sense of worth.

I will continue to ignore my inner voice and move forward.

I will continue to set goals and reach them.

And I hope you will too.

Now.. off to training! I’m gonna be late!

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Do you sneak food?

there's squash in here ya'll!

This post has been languishing in drafts for a while.

It’s something I think about pretty much daily—yet I wasnt sure it was completely post-worthy until a Twitter chat last week.

The chat focused on healthy living & children (starting NOW please to feel free to substitute spouse/partner/friend for the words CHILD or KID). 

One of the questions asked for our best tips on sneaking healthy food into our kids’ meals.

And, as per this languishing-in-drafts post, I thought:

Im completely, entirely, wholly & utterly anti-sneaking.

And, as per my lack of filter these days, I tweeted precisely that. 

Out of all the chat attendees only one other woman agreed with my perspective.

Allow me to back up a moment.

Remember when Jessica Seinfeld came out with her Deceptively Delicious cookbook and prattled on & on about how she’d created a way to sneak veggies into her kids’ (& Jerry’s) meals?

I rolled my misfit eyes.  Hard.

This concept is nothing new (which she eventually acknowledged).

My own mother–back in the 70s–experimented with black bean brownies.

I remember because she laughed to me about how we werent supposed to be able to taste the beans and invited me to help her concoct them (you cant taste the beans. the brownies rocked).

Ive chosen to parent in this same way.

I love the notion of slipping veggies into unexpected places and all the better if in said places you cant taste them at all tell they’re there!  (ala our fave Shrek Shakes).

Where the other twitterchat attendees and I parted ways was in the sneaking.

Id be lying if I didnt say it can be a struggle to maintain the Tornado’s healthy eating habits (thanks Kinder!), yet I firmly believe if I “sneak” veggies she’s not creating a lifestyle she’ll maintain.

We make a game of sneaking on ourselves.

We slip in things we both dont really like arent tremendous fans of & see if we’ve created a way in which we’ll eat them!

We make a game of sneaking on ourselves.

We use our imaginations in the kitchen to find a tastier vehicle for our veggie consumption.

We make a game of sneaking on ourselves—but she’s always aware the healthy, good-for-you stuffs are in there.

I agree with the men & women who asserted pureeing/sneaking is an easy, painless method for getting our kids (spouse/partner/friends) to eat more veggies.

I just question, still, if it’s a method which will be a disservice to them in the long run?

And you?

have you successfully sneaked veggies into a loved one’s food & feel firmly it’s the way to go?are you a fan, as I am, of the open-sneak and believe we can teach healthy eating that way?do you wish this post had remained in drafts where it mightcould really have belonged?

Please to hit us up in the comments below.

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Wednesday Weigh In: Darn Easter Candy

When chocolate consumption increases the scale number increases. It’s kind of how this whole weight thing works, huh?

In all seriousness, I totally expected a gain. Easter weekend was a calorie fest. No guilt. No regrets. Moving on.

Lots of things to share tonight…

I posted a new Snacktastic Toddler Food Find…

As you can see, he’s double fisting these things. Click here to check them out. Great snack choice!

I also posted a new quick lunch idea inspired by Little Bean. He’s oozing into all my work lately. :)

Click here for the Spicy Chopped Kidney Bean Salad recipe.

Finally, I’m scheduling a chat on Thursday to answer questions about FitBloggin and Ignite Fitness….

If you are a blogger or thinking about becoming a blogger stop by (on twitter) and say hi. I visited the FitBloggin site today and I’m getting REAL excited.

In 5 short months (OMG, it’s sneaking up on me!) I will be here…

Handing out name badges.

wow.

What did I get myself into.. again!

:) Ok, bed time! I’m running late tonight.

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Workout While You Clean

This week on Rebecca Regnier’s Full Plate we learn how to use our spring cleaning to get a good workout!

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Google Goggles aka Project Glass

Dear Google, skip the glasses and give me the long thick wavy hair. Love, me.

Did you hear about Project Glass?
This is an idea for a new product by Google. Project Glass proposes that you wear eyeglasses that are connected to Google. There’s a video online that demonstrates what that would be like and how you’d use these Google Goggles. And Google — you’re going to need to pay me 500 million dollars for that name. You can afford it.
Go to You Tube and search “Project Glass” to watch the video. Essentially the Google Goggles flash informational messages in your peripheral vision and also you can talk to your friends through them.
Google Goggles would be able to talk to you, get you directions to stuff, let you communicate to your friends and from the video I saw teach you how to play the ukulele while you walk around a hip urban environment. The video is supposedly…continue reading.

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Cows dont shoot (guest post)

On March 13th Time Healthland tweeted “The deadly dangers of eating red meat” which linked to their blog post “Eating Red, Processed Meat Raises Your Risk of Early Death.” A paper in Wyoming ran “Red Meat Kills.” Questionable science aside, these are, in my opinion, irresponsible headlines. Sending people running from a hamburger as if a cow is going to jump up off the plate and shoot you in the head is not going to improve anyone’s health. Really, folks.

By the next day my email boxed was full with concerns from panicked patients who I had put on a high protein diet based on their own individual risk profiles and health conditions. People were frightened, and for good reason. Death is a scary prospect for most, and when we are told what we are eating is going to kill us, we panic. The truth is that there are far worse things than a bit of grass fed red meat in our diets. But that’s another post.

This kind of dramatic reporting isn’t a rare occurrence. Just off the top of my head I can think of several examples of studies throwing us the final word on what is and isn’t healthy:

The only thing everyone can really agree on is that experts never agree on anything. And truthfully, most statisticians will tell you that results of studies are often massaged to get the answer that the researcher is looking for. Not to mention that studies may never be released if what was set out to be proven, isn’t.

That leaves the average person with the media (including social media) blasting sensationalist headlines often handing us yet another reason to beat ourselves up. What we thought was healthy, isn’t. What we thought was the right thing is the wrong thing. The two most common outcomes of this sensationalism are jumping on bandwagons or throwing our hands up in the air and saying “forget it, it’s impossible to make the right choice.” Extremes. And we all know that extremes are never a good answer.

So what is there to do?

When you’re on twitter or facebook and see the headlines that put you in a panic about your health or your life, stop, take a deep breath, and take whatever it is with an initial grain of salt.Wait a few days to see how the medical community responds to the information. If you’re more holistically oriented, see how the alternative medical community responds to it. If you’re oriented toward Western medicine, watch sites like WebMD.Have a health practitioner who you trust who can talk to you about the actual numbers in the study and how they apply to you, personally. A health practitioner who can work with you not only to treat your medical problems, but prevent problems from occurring in the future. Understand fundamentally that the specifics of what you need are specific to you.Put your logic on. Association is not causation. In other words, just because two things happen together (eating red meat and slightly decreased life span) doesn’t mean one caused the other. If several times in a row your mother calls when you’re in the bathroom, it doesn’t mean that going to the bathroom makes your mother call. Or that your mother calling makes you go to the bathroom.Put the information in context. If there were one diet that worked to keep everyone healthy, trust me, we’d know about it.Remember, most importantly, that we don’t know more than we do know. There’s a universe out there of information we don’t yet know how to gather. The be all and end all today may not be the be all and end all tomorrow.

Dr. Samantha is a licensed naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, health educator, writer, cook and owner of Evergreen Natural Health Center in Portland, OR. These days when she’s not seeing patients she’s either playing with the fam or hanging out on her blog, twitter, facebook or pinterest. She’d love to see you there!

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Wednesday Weigh In: Eat Smart/Snack Less

Down 2.2 lbs from last week. All I kept telling myself since last weigh in was…

Eat Smart/Snack Less

For some silly reason it helped.

Cheesy, I know.

I’m a mantra kind of person.

In other news it’s mid-week of Spring Break. I’ve been home with both boys having a blast, getting work done and in a weird way, relaxing.

Monday we went to a fun tire park

and I made dinner in the crock pot.

Click here to check out the recipe.

Yesterday Little Bean had a front row seats to a soccer game that Little Guy won. As you can see…

I also made a fun new wrap…

I hope to get post it on GreenLiteBites tomorrow. SO GOOD!

Today I took both boys to the gym while I went to yoga. We grilled for dinner. I ran sprints with a friend. Besides a few conference calls, that was about it. See… fun, productive, yet at the same time, relaxing.

I think I’m just in a good state of mind. :)

Time for bed. I have an early morning workout tomorrow!

OH! and I posted the funniest video of Little Bean–I can’t watch it without laughing–and today I shared a wordless Wednesday photos of him walking.

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Join me in exercising *less*?

I'm coming for you!

I know.

In this day & age when everyone  is admonishing us to Up!The!Exercise! I’m here & waiving the “sometimes less (time) is indeed more (results)” flag loud & proud. 

(A flag which is, alas, not quite as fun as my freak flag. Youll have that.)

I’m frequently challenge by people when it comes to my workout routine (or, more aptly put, my lackthereof).

They question my brevity (My workouts are short but intense).

They struggle with the idea I squeeze in fitness where I can, when I can & completely non-traditionally (Im not competing! This approach works just fine).

They can’t seem to accept if they aren’t where they *want* to be right now that perhaps doing less but more consistently could be the answer (Ive been there & overtrained that. I can entirely relate).

And, while I like to hope you’d immediately hop my brevity-bandwagon & merely take my misfit word for it—-I know many of you are hardcore folk.

From this soft of core woman I give you my 4 reasons why I firmly believe less.is.more.

1.        High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise.  Intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes with rest periods in between sets. Interval training can double endurance, improve oxygen use/strength by more than 10 percent, & speed by 5 percent. Studies in the elderly and in heart patients found better oxygen use and fitness after doing interval training.  Interval training also makes for shorter workouts.

2.     You’ll never over-train.  When I was a personal trainer many of my clients would see results & start exercising more in order to see more results.  Initially this plan would work. After a few weeks, however, the results would drop-off dramatically due to over-training.  Consider this fact: not giving your body the rest it needs is almost akin to not working out at all.  Exercise.  Move daily.  Consistently over time.   Unless you are training for competition there’s no need for marathon-length workouts.

3.       It’s the fits & starts that kill us.  Sure I’m being hyperbolic, but let’s talk self-esteem.  Remember the last time you started a workout program? How you planned out 60+ minutes of exercise six days a week?  How fantastic you felt about yourself….until life derailed you & you fell off the workout wagon?  This time plan an amount of exercise you can fit into your life today and forever.  Less exercise time plus ZERO fits & starts  = happier and healthier you.  For me that’s 30 minutes a day.  Every day.  No “starting Monday I will…” ever.  I’m healthier and I feel better about myself through setting realistic goals and achieving them.

4.      Exercise should fit into your life…your life shouldn’t have to be fashioned around your fitness routine.  It’s recommended that adults get 150 minutes of exercise per week.  For those of us working out for overall fitness and not competition, this number is a reasonable and healthy goal.  Try breaking these 150 minutes down into short ten minute bursts!  Take a ten minute power-walk, three times a day, five days a week.  Jump rope or hula hoop for ten minutes at a time, three times a day, five days a week.  You get the idea.  Less time at the gym exercising traditionally does not have to mean a less-fit you.

And you?

Have you had an experience where you ratcheted back the workouts and discovered, to your delight, you both gained (muscle strength energy) and lost (bodyfat)?

Do you remain in firm disagreement with my stance and remain strong in your belief to gain and lose we need the long workouts?

Please to hit us all up in the comments below.

Im off to workout, but, uh,  Ill see you back here in ten minutes or so…

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Enough with the Infographics!

WHAT is with all the infographic peddling anymore? I don’t really care that you made one and I have no desire to display it on my blog.

Maybe, just MAYBE, I’ll share it on twitter or Facebook if it is actually interesting with useful information and an understandable design. However, if you are mass pitching it to bloggers, I hate to tell you, it probably isn’t interesting or useful or nicely designed.

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Exercise is not my passion.

Ill admit to loving me some OFFICE'ercising.

Exercise isn’t my passion.

This fact will come as no surprise to most of you.

I workout.  Consistently.  I have for close to two decades.  I have no plans to stop.

That said, when we (the royal) meet up at blogger conferences or other social media events I’m always the first to announce EXERCISE IS NOT MY PASSION.

For me the word passion is indicative of something you’d choose to do all day every day if you could.

For me the word passion is something which lights a fire inside you, sparks you to growth, & satiates a need or desire.

For me the word passion is something you long to talk about, read about, & engulf yourself in 24.7.

Exercise is not my passion.

I was reminded of this when I read a recent post by Kate .

(if you do not read her–you must. shes insightful, brutally honest & has a gift with words.  so much so I grow excited when I see a comment left here by her as I know, whether it’s what I want to hear or NOT,  there will be wisdom/loving honesty contained within).

The post in its entirety is here, but it was the two sentences below which prompted today’s blog:

Life is more than our bodies. We need strong, healthy bodies to live our life to the fullest, but when our bodies become our whole lives, we miss out on the things we wanted those bodies for in the first place.

I completely agree with Kate’s words.

Exercise & leading a healthy life is the backdrop to my daily existence.

At 42.5 I need a strong, healthy body in order to live my life the way I define as “full.”

I need energy (so I workout). 

I need strength and functional fitness (so I workout). 

I wish my back didnt hurt want a strong core & lower back (so I workout). 

I want to lead a long and vibrant next 42.5 years (so I workout). 

I want to be able to do, live and be my passion *without* bodily limitations (so I workout).

Exercise is neither my life nor my passion. 

It is, in a way which works for me, a mere (consistent!) snippet of my day which allows me to pursue my passion with limitless strength & boundless energy.

My passion (please to see definition above) is helping people & promoting healthy living.

Spreading the word about exercise is one way my passion manifests itself.

And you?

Will you take a moment & share with me what makes you come to life?

Will you take moment & share with me what you could do all.day.long. & be happier than the proverbial high-protein clam?

Will you share with me YOUR passion?

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The VitaCake Date Mate Contest: Win a 24 Pack for You and 3 Friends!

A few months ago Little Guy and I had a blast reviewing the new Vitalicious VitaCakes. Check us out…

As you can see, my favorite VitaCake pairing is Hot Cocoa. I love, love, LOVE a frozen VitaCake dipped in a hot cup of chocolate.

This gave me an idea. What if I hosted a VitaCake Date Mate contest where you share your favorite or most creative way to eat a VitaCake.

Never had a VitaCake? No fear! You just need to leave an idea to enter. How fun and creative can you get with a 50 calorie piece of chocolate cake? Maybe a little frozen yogurt on the side for an a la mode? What about cut in slices and made into a parfait with berries and whip cream? The possibilities are endless!

We are looking for the most creative idea while still being in the lighter/healthier realm. No smothering the VitaCake in butter and topping with decadent ganache. Think fruit, yogurts, granola, nuts, etc.

The most creative idea (as judged by Vitalicious) will be featured on the Vitalicious Facebook page and the winner will receive a 24 pack of VitaCakes and 3 additional packs for 3 of their friends. This contest is all about sharing the love. Share your VitaCake ideas and then share your prize with your friends! It’s a win-win-win-win-win!

For inspiration click here to see the VitaRecipes on vitalicious.com. There is a fun list there using all sorts of Vitalicious products.

We will accept entries until Monday April 23 and I will announce the winner on tuesday the 24th.

Sorry winners can only have prizes shipped to the U.S. Product must be frozen on arrival.

If you’d like to order a case make sure to use the code RonisWeigh for 10% off! Click to check out their other products.

Full Disclosure: Vitalicious is a paying sponsor of Roni’s Weigh. However, all opinion expressed in this video and all my reviews are my own.

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You Bettah Show Up, Put In Work, or Go The Hells Back Home and Eat a Doughnut

These dudes are da bomb. They show up and put in work.

Well, yip-dee-do and congratulations. You showed up for your workout. Now remember why you even came in the first place.

Remember the abs you want. The legs you want. The body transformation you desire. Then give it 110%. It’s all yours if you want it.

It doesn’t matter how many pounds you have to drop, how many gremlin-babies you pushed out that made you pudgy, or how many people give you the side eye because they don’t think you can do it.

You can have the body you want.

Quit before the workout’s done? Start out the week strong then fizzle out by the weekend? Go at it for weeks and then totally drop the ball? Stay in beast mode for months and then revert back to your old ways?

Dear gawd. Then don’t even bother.

If you’re not gonna finish and take full possession of what you came, then go home right now and eat a damn doughnut or something. The only rewards that half-assers get are sub-par results and a body that’s maybe-kinda okay. Maybe.

But YOU? You’re not a half-asser. You keeps it real, baby. And you’re gonna get exactly what you came for. Because you show up and put in work.

((wink))

photo credit

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It felt like coming home.

As bloggers, heck as *PEOPLE*, we talk constantly about the need to get out of our comfort zones.

We write the top four reasons why exiting the zone of comfy is crucial.

We listen to podcasts about how and why we should abandon what we’re used to and try!new!things!

We tweet & we Facebook about how today is the day! Im totally leaving my rut & trying something new!! and hope for encouraging words in response.

It was in that vein I submitted an audition essay to Listen To Your Mother show.

It had been eons since I’d written anything non-healthy living related and NEVER since I’d written anything essay-length or like.

I opened up a word doc, I sat for a moment, I collected my thoughts and fifteen minutes later I was finished.

I didn’t rush.

I wasn’t in “this is so awkward & uncomfortable I just want to get it done!” mode (Ive been there and hurried that).

What I wanted to say & the story I longed to tell flowed out of me.

It was as though Id carried it in my heart for so long all I needed to do was put finger to keyboard and it materialized.

And the experience of leaving my writing comfort zone? It felt surprisingly like coming home.

I was called in to audition for the Austin show‘s organizers and I rocked it.

I share this fact not pridefully rather as a reminder to myself (and I hope to you) how sometimes, when we take a deep breath and plunge ourselves into an experience which is new & scary, the results can surprise us.

It can feel like coming home.

Instead of feeling awkward & frightening it can feel like precisely where you were meant to be and exactly what you were meant to be doing.

It can feel like coming home.

Austin’s Listen To Your Mother show takes place at the end of April.

Similar shows are happening across the United States this month (cities are listed on their home page), too.

I encourage you to see if your city is hosting a Listen To Your Mother event.

I know how excited & honored I am by the opportunity to share my story.

I can only imagine all the other women feel the same.

I wonder, if to them as well, leaving the zone of comfort felt shockingly like returning home.

View the original article here

Schitzo Food Thoughts Inside My Brain At 10:36 PM

(Me. At 10:36 PM…)

I’m hungry. I should eat.

Nah, I’m not really hungry, but I should eat anyway.

I wanna eat because I’m bored. Tasty snacks will cure my boredom.

Froot Loops. Pasta salad. Or popcorn. Either or.

I’m seriously not even hungry.

I should just drink some water and go to bed.

…right after I eat some popcorn.

OMG! Chocolate cake is seriously out of the question right now. I think??

Ummm, I’m just a little bits hungry.  

(Me. At 10:46 PM…)

It took me 10 minutes to think it through and talk myself out of chocolate cake, sugary Froot Loops and carb-infested pasta salad. Whew! I ended the night with a handful of popcorn and a glass of water. Not bad. Not bad at all. Especially since I really wanted that chocolate cake.

If you crave unauthorized, greedy last night snacks, keep your booty planted on the couch/bed/floor and think it through before you take action towards the kitchen. It just might save you a few hundred calories.

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Old hands.

Anyone else recall the (late 70's) commercial where two women compare the tops of their hands & the chronologically OLDER is proud to possess “younger looking hands” all thanks to XYZ product?

Was it Palmolive?!

Anyway…

I somehow internalized way.back.then. my age would always be revealed by the state of my ‘hand skin.

I also somehow internalized (I was a misfit way back then) this was an interesting thing & not a ‘bad’ thing.

Rather than fret about wrinkles or whatever age-spots (another 70s term) might be coming my way I looked forward to possessing these as a sign of having lived.

I still do.

My rapidly wrinkling hands make me smile.

Not only am I thankful to still be here no matter the state o’the hands—my calloused, rough hands are emblematic of all Ive done & the fact Ive LIVED & not let life pass me by

Last week I surprised The Tornado at school for lunch & snapped a picture of our hands.

As my smartphone camera froze & clicked I was was shocked how old the hands in the frame appeared.

Her hands.

These have seemingly vanished overnight.

The chubby, dependent pair has been replaced by hands which, to my biased mama-eyes, look stronger, sturdier and far more capable.

Hands which look able to give as well as receive.

Im off to spend the day with those hands (& the child attached to them).

Im taking advantage of Easter Monday off from school and making her weave those newly sturdy fingers in mine.

Whether you have the gift of Easter Monday or not—I encourage you to take a moment today to take note of the myriad strong, loving, capable, having-lived hands around you.

And, if youre feeling ballsy like some closeness make their fingers intertwine with yours, too.

comments are closed.
go grab you some hands.

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Cake Pillow

Cake Pillow Slumber

You can haz your cake and sleep on it, too. Whoever told you different is dead ass wrong.

Cake Pillow offers the sweetest sleep you’ll ever have. It’s really soft and cushy, too. You can pick up Cake Pillow for less than the cost of a Starbucks Lotta Latte Mucho Grande thingy.

And the morning after? The Cake Pillow residues double as emollient facial cream, which helps to melt away nuisance woman-whiskers of the chin. That’s one helluva pillow, ya’ll.

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Anti-Aging Fitness Facial Docu-drama (Hold Onto Your Granny Pannies!)

Wait. How the hell did I get so old? Oh, that’s right. It’s year 2043. You’re still reading this blog? Shouldn’t you be flossing your dentures and eating jello through a straw?

…rewinds back to 2012…

So now that the Aging Booth has used their crackhead crystal ball to forecast what I’m supposed to look like in 31 years, how can I prove these bastards wrong? I’m 39 years old now, and something’s been going on with my face for, hmmm, a little over a year now.

In addition to the spontaneous woman-whiskers that show up on my chin (I keep emergency tweezers in my pocket for that), I’ve also been noticing fine lines around my eyes, random dark spots (age spots?), a bit of darkness and dryness under my eyeballs, and other imperfections that I terribly disapprove of.

I chatted with a fancy makeup specialist in an effort to purchase expensive magical makeup to cause my face to appear anti-mature. What she explained to me during my consultation was a serious wake up call:

“Those spots on your face are sun damage,” she says.

“Wait. Black people can get sun damage?” I said.

“Yeah bitch, so stop being a dumbass and protect your face from the freaking sun,” she says to me.

…at least that’s how I heard it.

Turns out I’m supposed to be using an SPF product on my face. And I do. I have! But not faithfully. And now my sporadic face care has finally caught up to me. I freaked out real good that day and bought an SPF 50, and a bunch of make up that’s still sitting in the closet. Was that overkill?

Since then I’ve been through a lot of face care products that suck, either because I didn’t like them on my face and/or they were too dang expensive. So I’m shopping at Target one day when this Boots rep starts talking to me about my face. Now allow me to keep this docu-drama short (I know, I know, you want the longest version available), and I’ll just tell you that I finally found my anti-aging face care match.

It’s gentle, effective, therapeutic, invigorating, makin’ my face clear & bright, affordable… AND! I feel so pampered. That’s what Boots does for me.

Boots No7 Lifting & Firming Eye Cream:

Ahhh. This eye cream is luscious and emollient and feels so good around my eyes. It’s smooth and hydrating, not oily. I was never sold on the idea of anti-aging creams in the past, but I’ve seriously noticed that the area around my eyes is much brighter with a rejuvenated, perky appearance. SCORE!

Boots No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator:

After reading an awesome micro-dermabrasion overview, I knew this treat could be really good for me. And it has been! Prior to micro-dermabrasion my face looked tired and splotchy. I also had old scarring from zits that I picked at a long time ago. But after only a few treatments with micro-dermabrasion, I can see the evenness returning to my skin and much brighter appearance. That matted, gray-ish, tired look in my face is outta here, baby! ** follow micro-derm instructions very carefully.

Now I know what you’re thinking. I don’t need this stuff. I don’t look my age. There’s no doubt that a clean diet, lots of water, not wearing 35 layers of makeup everyday and NOT smoking has helped my face stay fresh. But the older I get, I cannot deny the aging I see creeping up. That’s where my Boots stash does me good.

The lesson here? If you’re in your 20's, use a good SPF daily. If you’re in your 30's and beyond, care for your face well with the right products so it can love you back. If you can’t find Boots products at Target, or you’re just too lazy to go there, then follow this link to shop Boots anti-aging while sitting on your ass.

View the original article here

Weight-loss is simple.

Or so I used to say until my husband set me straight.

Today is a post sponsored by Attune Foods.

I am an Attune Foods brand ambassador.

I adore their products (Ive been a fan since the 90's) yet almost more than that I adore the opportunity to chat over there about topics I dont address here.

Gluten-free living.

Weight-loss.

Healthy eating.

Mindful snacking.

And, today, the fact I used to say weight-loss was simple.

It is—just not in the fashion people assumed I meant.

Join me over there to chat?

Pin It

Tags: Attune Foods, weight-loss is simple

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Healthy Smoothie Recipe

My apologies to Claudia Roscoe. She made a TASTY smoothie that looked not so tasty. Click on title to see cooking segmet and recipe.

It Tastes Like a Cookie Protein Shake (Click link for more great ideas from Claudia)
Protein shakes are easy to make. Once you get going, it’s fun to explore new recipes and ideas.

In a blender:
1 scoop Lifetime Vanilla plant protein
2 TBLS. Thai Coconut milk
2 teas. Barlean’s Pina Colada Fish oil
8 oz. Purified water

Any protein powder can be used, just visit your local health food store to get a quality one. Lifetime plant protein is delicious, has a creamy texture and is soy, dairy, egg and gluten free, for those of you that may be sensitive to those foods. It is vegan as well.
Other milk alternatives you might try are almond milk or hemp milk. Add in some fresh or frozen berries (organic of course!) and you can even put a little almond butter, walnut butter or sunflower butter for added creaminess and good taste! Remember your good oils; there are many to choose from…hemp, flax, coconut, safflower, and sesame are just a few to mention. Just make sure they are nature-made and not man-made. Have a little flax, chia or hemp as well? Throw it in there for some wonderful food fiber

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The Top 10 Workout Songs For April

Ahh another post from Chris that makes me feel OLD!

This month in the gym, radio hits ruled. Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Madonna all released singles destined for workout playlist glory. But, it’s not just pop divas who prevailed. Carrie Underwood’s latest retains a few country touches. Skrillex and Sirah cranked out a boisterous dubstep anthem. And, although most hip-hop is too slow to make the cut, J. Cole’s aptly-titled “Work Out” proved to be an exception.

Here’s the full list, according to votes placed at 

Run Hundred–the web’s most popular workout music site.

To find more workout songs–and hear next month’s contenders—folks can check out the free database at RunHundred.com. Visitors can browse the song selections there by genre, tempo, and era—to find the music that best fits with their particular workout routine.

What’s on your iPod this month?

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Oh, Shizz. I Can’t Workout Today! (Home Workout #5)

You know how it is. You overslept. Or the kids are sick and clingy. Or you have to work late. Or a deadline to meet. Are you feeling unmotivated and sluggish? I hate when this stuff happens.

But alas! I command you to no longer suffer from non-workout symptoms due to chronic interference as mentioned above. Unless it’s a rest day or some major emergency, please flush that ‘I can’t workout today’ reasoning down the toilet.

Fit In These 5 Quick Exercises Throughout Your Day

1) 25 squats after you claw the morning crust out your eyes.

2) 30 second plank (2 rounds) before you get in the shower.

3) 30 alternating front kicks (keep those abs tight!) while your dinner is cooking.

4) 25 crunches + 25 reverse crunches after you put on your couch-assing clothes for the evening.

5) 10 push-ups (2 rounds) before bed.

Now there’s a full body workout, baby! Tell me you can’t fit this in throughout your day.

Get creative. Find a way. Make a way. And get it done.

BOOM!

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Wordless Wednesday: before and after?

Pose idea all hers.

Pose forced upon me.

Yes there’s a story.

There’s always a story…

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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