Feel Good Friday

Good morning, babes!
Thanks for all your great commenting this week.
Wanted to share something I've been musing on lately & hear if you've had any experience with it. 

Like with anything, if we can clear away the noise and the static, we can have a clearer reception to the message.  Think about radio communications, TVs, our daily stress, anything chaotic, etc.  But what if we could do the same thing with our bodies?  I just think our bodies are designed so amazingly, so intricately, and so sophisticatedly that we can't even comprehend its awesomeness.  I think our bodies are the best guide for each of us, because our bodies are unique.  If you're thirsty or craving something salty, maybe it's your body saying you're dehyrated.  If you're craving pasta or bread, maybe it's your body saying it doesn't have enough fuel-source to run off of.  If you're fatigued, maybe it's your body saying you're pushing too hard or you're not getting the amount of sleep it needs.  These are the signals and messages I'm talking about.  But we ourselves put static and noise between us and these messages.  When we toss addictive substances in our body, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, highly processed junkfoods, things that make us bloated, things that make our digestion not process optimally, things that maybe we're mildly allergic to and don't know it, things that stuff us beyond comfort, etc.  all these things are static and noise that mess up our ability to be in tune with our bodies and to hear/understand our body's messages.  If we can eat as high-octane-fuel-like as possible (like Erianne's post last week), won't that make our bodies act as optimally as possible and won't we be able to pick up on our body's subtle messages & cravings and respond in a healthy way?  Now, you know I'm not preaching, b/c I love me some 7-11 nachos piled high with extra jalapenos and a big side of diet Mountain Dew, BUT, it's the concept, it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately and encouraging me to make SLIGHTLY healthier decisions :)  Which is what this blog is all about- that slowly, gradually, bit by bit, we're becoming healthier people, more like what we know we have the potential to become, revealing the true, confident selves inside each of us.  So, those are the ramblings in my mind today.

Do you have anything to add or share?  Has there been anything health-related on your minds lately?  Do you have anything fun and active going on this weekend?

Feel the Burn Thursday

Helloooooo, ladies :)
Hope you're all making it a great day!
I had a very involved anatomy & physiology lecture last night for my yoga teacher training class, and then I have a cadaver lab for it this Saturday, and so I've got muscles on my mind!  You all probably know this, but I liked it:

• Stretching muscles is actually a misnomer.  Your muscles don't ever become longer.  Through stretching and movement, you're showing your muscles their full, normal range of motion with the purpose of them memorizing that full motion and becoming more fully utilized to their full potential.  Kind of a fun way of looking at it.
• Cartiledge doesn't have any blood cells in it like muscles do, so for it to "heal" when damaged, it has to pull its nutrients and healing materials from the bones it's connected to.  Hence it takes a LONG time for cartiledge injuries to heal.  Muscles have blood cells in them and the healing blood courses through them, so muscles heal pretty quickly.  Hang in there, Meghan!
• Ligaments (connect bone to bone, like ankles), once stretched out can't ever be stretched back.  So if you've rolled your foot (this is for you, Mini Me!) once, you're very likely to keep rolling it over and over again your whole life.  Same w/ sprains.  So be gentle on your ligaments and be careful to not over-extend joints when stretching, standing, doing yoga, sports, etc.  Always avoid "locking" your knees, but put a small "microbend' in it so that it's solid, straight, strong, but non-damaging and gentle.
• All workouts and physical activity should cause you to "feel the burn & strength" in the "belly" of the muscle, never the ends of the muscle where they connect to other things.  So when in a lunge for instance, you should never feel the burn in the leg muscles close to the knee or close to the hip.  You should be properly aligned so that you feel the burn in the belly of the thigh muscle, the center of the thigh, it's meatiest part.  If you do feel it towards the ends/connective areas of the muscles, you're going too far for it to be beneficial for you and you're likely to do damage and cause undue stress/tension.
• An issue somewhere in your body could very likely be caused elsewhere.  For instance, last fall when I was running crazy mileage, I'd get sore hips when I hit about 15 miles.  My running shoe sales guy (an ironman) told me that it most likely was due to tight hamstrings pulling down on my hips.  Extra stretching & yoga cured the dull hip pain like a charm.  And then we talked about just this last night in yoga.  If someone has sore knees, it COULD be because they're quads, hamstrings, etc. are really really tight and are tugging funny on the knee ligaments/tendons.  If someone has a lot of tension in their low back, it could be b/c tight legs are tugging on the hips which are tugging on the low back or just tight hips tugging on the low back.  Everything's so interconnected- it's crazy!  Just another fun way to think of things.

So what great workouts have you been up to this week????  Anybody do anything fun & active over the long holiday weekend?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Hey, beautiful ladies!  I hope you're doing great.  I'm sure some of you are still traveling back from summer vacation over the holiday weekend.  Whenever you're back, check in to say hey to everybody!  The cheering each other on is one of the things that makes this group work for everyone. 

A couple things: First of all, there shouldn't be anything scary about a reduced caloric intake....unless you're not eating what you're burning.   If you're at too much of a caloric deficit, then you'll experience scary things like weakness or lightheadedness, not to mention you won't be losing weight to keep it off, AND your body will enter "starvation mode" and your metabolism will hit the floor in an effort to keep you alive and your organs pumping.  Here's an example of how the "calorie counting" thing should be going:

• Enter in your age/gender/current weight/goal weight/activity level, etc. to My Fitness Pal (or other sites you prefer, like Daily Burn, etc.)
• It will then spit out that you should aim for (for example only) 1300 calories a day NET. 
• Then you start keeping track of what you eat.  So if I eat 300 calories for breakfast, 100 calorie late morning snack, 500 calories for lunch, 200 calories for afternoon snack, 300 calories for dinner, and 200 calories for an evening snack, then that totals 1600 caloiries consumed for the day. 
• But you're also tracking what workouts you do.  So if I went for a jog for 3 miles and burned 300 calories, that's subtracted from my total calories consumed for the day of 1600, so then my NET calories consumed is 1300, which is right on target. 
• So if I don't have time to get in a workout that day, then I'm going to be extra careful w/ my food intake and stay at 1300 calories consumed. 
• On the other hand, if it's a Saturday and I go on a 4 hour bike ride and burn 1000 calories, I'd better be consuming 2300 calories that day total (1000 calories above my net goal b/c I'm burning 1000 calories), b/c if not, my body is going to be burning muscle for energy instead of the fat & food I want it to burn, I'd feel weak, drained, exhausted, & have a really crappy workout.
• I can't emphasize enough how VERY VERY important it is that you're "eating what you burn" for workouts. 
• After you've got that figured out, then you can work on improving the quality of your diet, being sure that what you're consuming is the highest quality, highest-octane fuel possible.  Try to hit your protein intake goal, your fiber intake, etc.  Try to stay under your sodium limit.  Try to get in enough water.  Try to limit sodas, etc.  Your My Fitness Pal food diary will  tell you the protein amount you should be aiming for based on your current weight, gender, activity level, etc.  But if you're doing really hard strength training or race training, you should be aiming for way more protein, as close to your body weight as possible.  So if you weigh 160 lbs, you should be aiming for 160 grams of protein.  I know that seems like a TON, but just get in as much as you can up to that amount.  Most everything I've heard on the subject goes off this basic guideline.  And if you're not that active, don't worry about that much protein.  Just if you're really pushing it and really building muscle.  And eating every few hours is going to keep your metabolism roaring for you all day long- I like the mini meal method.  Keeps you feeling fuller longer, too.

There is lots and lots of medical advice out there for this being the healthiest way to lose weight.  Yes, it's really gradual weight loss, a pound here & there, but it's the best way to lose if you want to keep it off.  Ask any dietician for advise specific to your body and your circumstances- be sure to consult a physician for a good way to modify your diet if you have health concerns like hypo/hyper-thyroidism, hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc.  This is the principle behind Weight Watchers, too---you gain extra points by working out.

Ok, then SECOND of all, it's our day to swap recipe and snack ideas!  Please help; I'm in desperate need of fresh new ideas.  This past weekend I made a favorite, Summer Salsa.  Which I've posted before on here, but YUM YUM YUM!

Summer Salsa

• 1 can corn, drained
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 can blackeyed peas, drained
• 3 avocados, diced
• 1 package of dry italian dressing mix (prepared as directed on package, so w/ the oil & vinegar & water)
• Mix it all together
• Enjoy w/ whole wheat pita chips, blue corn chips, etc.

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!  I like this message about stick-to-it-ness:   http://www.nashvillecyclist.com/coaching/coaching-articles/164-rewards-of-stick-to-it-ness

"Ultimately our success is more greatly impacted by our response to failure.  How you get up off the mat, dust yourself off and get back into the ring says more about you than any other successful strength you possess.  Take the knowledge learned from your disappointments and avoid repeating the same mistakes.  Failures help us to determine strategies that do not work in order to learn successful ones that do.  Nobody can argue with truthful outcomes can they?  Despite setbacks, disappointment and failures those athletes who repeatedly get off the mat, get back in the batter's box and pin on a race bib number possess a character trait I like to call "stick-to-it-ness." 

Some athletes are born with stick-to-it-ness while others must learn it the hard way.  If stick-to-it-ness is never learned then I'll show you someone who either complains a lot or wrongly believes life should come easier to them without hard work.  Sure, they may be there to compete and give you the impression they've got a high level of stick-to-it-ness, but their lack of commitment when you aren't watching is the determining factor in their compounding failures.  Another impacting attitude on one's stick-to-it-ness is unjustified expectations in relationship to where their ability is in the moment.  Rewards do come at a personal cost.  If you aren't willing to invest the patience and hard work to achieve rewards then you should not expect to achieve your full potential.  

What got you here won't get you there.  I challenge you to challenge yourself to aim higher, put yourself into difficult situations, get slightly in over your head, and find out what you're truly made of – not just as a bicyclist but more importantly as a person.  It does not matter if you're 20 or 60 years old because we are forever evolving as people.  Bicycle racing is the perfect opportunity to learn about yourself while simultaneously stretching your boundaries of personal growth.  I attempt to do this in nearly everything I do and strongly believe I am a better man because of it."

I like that. Really perfect for me right now. What got me here won't get me there. 

What do you all think?

Monday Morning Check-In

Hey, girls!
It's our half way point in this challenge-the end of 3 weeks! Check
in here and let us all know how you're doing!!!
What's your game plan for this week???

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!
Amy C, here's the link the the blog Mini Me was talking about: http://tohelptheone.blogspot.com
. It's by a woman who has lost over 100 lbs and is still working
towards her goal. It's the sister of a girl Mini Me & I both knew in
college. I sadly haven't had the chance to check out the blog yet, but
I will soon, & I know Mini Me looooves it, so check it out!

Great job on the healthy eating & workouts. Good luck in your race
this weekend, Kim! Amy C, you inspire me to do more! Keep on the
active wonderwoman train, girl!!!

I have been experiencing a had time this past week adjusting to a new
schedule having my hubby out here finally, and him inadvertently
throwing a wrench in my awesome groove I had going on with the healthy
eating & workouts, but I think I'm getting it back. I'm working out
late evenings instead of late afternoons now, and just trying my best
to keep the daytime eating the same so that the evening chaos isn't as
disrupting to my daily caloric intake. Things are going well again,
though! Got in a short little bike ride last night, then a long walk.
Foot still isn't allowing me to run, but biking and walking are going
great. I am excited for an active weeked ahead of me! Woohoo!

If you have any tips for keeping workout schedules fluid instead of
rigid, let me know ;) it's such a mental game psyching myself up!

Have a great weekend, ladies!

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, workout wonderwomen!

Here's an article from Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes' blog on Runner's World Magazine's website that Mini Me shared- pretty sweet- thanks! 

http://dean.runnersworld.com/2010/06/small-wonder.html?cm_mmc=RSS-_-rwrsshome-_-NA-_-NA

It is about an 8 year old girl completing an extremely difficult race and winning!

Her mom says " I had told her that with hard work, determination, focus and a belief in herself that anything was possible. Now she can truly internalize that fact and draw upon it in the future."

"Seeing her bobbing little pigtails in the lead in the final stretch brought tears to my eyes. She had done it. She had believed in herself–she had believed that winning was a possibility–and she, and she alone, had made it happen."

It's a really cool story about an incredible and determined little girl. I just put my favorite two excerpts up above.  When we have a success, whatever it might be, we add it like fuel to our emotional and motivational gas tanks. The more you recognize and celebrate every little success in your life, the more confidence and strength you'll have to draw on in the future when perhaps you might really need it. And I of course like the childish audacity of If you want something awesome to happen in your life, then go out & do it!!

Thanks, Mini Me! 

What workouts have you guys been doing lately? What activities do you have planned to get your sweat on this holiday weekend?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Hey, hey, beautiful, babes!
Thanks for all your great comments and contributions. That's what I
love so much about this great group of girls. It really uplifts &
motivates!

What yummies have you been eating lately? Any new recipes to share?

I recently tried Maranatha Dark Chocolate Almond Butter (can get at
SuperWalMart) and YUM! Good new taste on top of my Thomas 100 calorie
English muffins as I jet out the door in the morning. Also, I brought
with me today to work the snack of 3/4 cup
Bush's Seasoned Black Beans w/ half an avocado stirred in. Energy
powerhouse! Would also be yummy in a whole wheat tortilla w some
shredded lettuce, but I like it w a spoon :)

Any great grilling ideas or side dish or appetizer ideas as we are
rolling into an awesome holiday weekend??? I've got to plan some BBQ
fare, so help me out with some ideas! I'm going to do the California
Turkey burgers again (recipe on www.fitnessmagazine.com).

Make it an awesome day! Think nothing's impossible & you might be
surprised how many of our barriers are mental and self-created!!!!

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!
Books, movies, poetry, quotes, etc can all uplift us and inspire us to
be our best selves.
What is your favorite book or movie that has inspired you to shoot for
your goals? Or at least provided comic relief along the journey to a
healthy lifestyle. Please share!

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, girls! How did week 2 end for you? What's your game plan
for this week? Do you feel like you can push hard this week, being
dilligent & steady, to reach your goal's halfway point? You all are
such an inspiration. Keep up the positive encouragement of one another!

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, lovely ladies!

Check out this article:

Best Benefit of Exercise? Happiness

"Two primary chemicals involved in making exercise feel good are cortisol and endorphins.

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the body under stress, such as anger, anxiety or fear, and it ultimately inflames and damages our organs. Exercise burns cortisol, and thereby makes us healthier and happier, Mandel says.

Endorphins are morphine-like hormone molecules that enter the brain's neurons and park on receptors that normally send pain-signaling molecules back to other parts of the brain. Some say endorphins are even more powerful and yield a more euphoric feeling than opiate drugs such as morphine and opium, which park on the same receptors when introduced to the body.

Exercise stimulates the brain's pituitary gland to release endorphins, an abbreviation for endogenous (meaning "produced within") morphine, in the bloodstream."

"Mostly, you get a consistent high from a workout to music and a workout that you enjoy," she says. "It is important to realize that routine deadens the heart, and you have to change up your exercise regimen. The body always adapts and you need to challenge it. So, vary the intensity, cross train, take dance classes, try a new sport, use a personal trainer for a few sessions, etc. Keep it fresh, and you will get that high!"

Make it a happy weekend, ladies! :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, fit beauties!

Have you ever felt like you've hit a performance plateau?  Check out this article about reaching a point in your training (whatever sport it might be in) where gains don't come so easily, and learn how to still improve.  http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/get-your-plateau
"Plateaus happen when your body has done as much as it can with what you've given it,"

"You're given a certain set of tools at birth, DNA-encoded...As you begin to train, you have three to four years when your improvement curve is really dramatic. Then you hit your talent limit. You've fulfilled the easy part of your career—the part when gains come easy."

"The closer you get to some inherent genetic maximum ability, the more and more work it takes to make smaller and smaller increments of improvement."

Here's how to get off your own personal plateau.

First, Rest

Second, Build a Base

Tap Your Potential

Push the Pace

Work Over Your Workout

Let the Busting Begin

Ok, so now apply those lessons out to other areas of your life.  Even if you're not doing running races or cycling races or trying to perform at your absolute hardest and most efficient level, there are still other areas of our lives where plateaus hit us.  I'm thinking about hitting a plateau in weight loss.  Have you ever just stalled out w/ your weight loss (assuming you're not already in your goal range, that is)?  Follow the same formula as above!  First, rest.  Get off your plateau first by making sure you're getting as much sleep as your body and your family circumstances will allow- 6-8 hours for the average adult at least, and 8-10 hours if you're high-activity.  Second, build a base.  Do your basic calorie counting and food journaling.  Be gentle on yourself.  Just be dedicated, slowly trucking away.  Then begin to add in new-to-you workouts that invigorate and challenge your body.  Before you know it, Funktown could be in your rearview mirror.

Have any of you hit a plateau before, whether it's been in physical sports or in your weight loss journey?  Care to share?  What got you off the plateau? 

Just keep on trucking, ladies!!!  You've done the hardest part, and that's to start the journey!  You're all here on the blog, you're trying, you're learning, you've got the desire, and it doesn't matter where you are on your path- the important thing is that you're ON your path.  Go, you!  :)

Make it a great day, ladies!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning girls!  With so many of you training soo soo hard and really pushing yourselves, challenging excuses, Amy C. had posed the question this week about nutrition for high-activity athletes.  I turned to my awesome sister-in-law Erianne for this, & here's what she said:

I'm an outsider to the group, but Sarah asked me to comment on nutrition for high-activity athletes trying to lose weight. I was a heptathlete for the University of Utah, and after having an anorexic roommate, I felt a constant need to eat less and less, which led me to hit a wall during practice. After passing out during practice twice in one week while running, my coach pulled me aside and told me that he saw the words all-American written on my forehead, but every time I skipped a meal or skimped on nutrition one of the letters would fall off. This visual was really powerful to me. I was asked to see a nutritionist, and through her and studying on my own, I learned a lot about nutrition related to a high-activity lifestyle. When you're burning thousands of calories, you won't last long if you don't refuel...and you can refuel on cheap gas that will get you through the activities you do, or you can choose the high-octane stuff that will get you in peak performance and help your body function the best it can as well.

So, my advice is to eat lots of really good food. Primarily what I mean is #1 complex carbohydrates, and #2 low-fat protein...duh, I know...but there is a method, and it is a mindset. For sprints and all anaerobic exercise, you are burning the energy that is stored in your muscles. After a workout, your energy stores are depleted, and there is a ~20 minute window where your body will take the food you put in and deposit it directly in your muscles to replenish your stores. If you wait longer than that, your recovery will be longer, and your food might get stored elsewhere. So, in terms of quantity, your body will tell you what you need. I personally think you should eat if you're hungry, and eat often (5 snacks a day to keep your metabolism up)...but what is THE MOST important thing is that you cut out ALL of the crap - no high fat proteins, no simple carbs. This is what will kill you in a diet/exercise regimen. Everything you touch to put in your mouth needs to be toward the goal of the high-octaine kind of food. Whole grains, brown rice, oats, quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, fruits, etc are great post work-out refuelers. Lean meat - chicken, turkey, ground turkey, fish, albacore tuna, mozzarela cheese, cottage cheese, vegetables, and lean red meat are also good.

After a while, the junk that used to seem so good actually seems gross! It tastes gross, and you get a visual of it clogging your arteries and pores and inhibiting your performance...this is what got me through the mental battle of food, weight, and exercise. I ended up becoming the athlete I dreamed of becoming, and I learned a lot along the way...so that's all I have - good luck, ladies! Kick some bootie :)

Thanks, Er!  So I hope that helps.  It made me also think about that article I posted on here a few months ago that compared fast food to partially-digested food.  Ick!  Whatever mental image you need to use, make it work for you.  I do have a good recipe for Quinoa from a friend of mine- I'll have to look it up at home later and then post it on here as a comment.  It's yummy, w/ vegetable broth, garlic, onion, etc. 

So keep in mind it's not just low calorie.  It's about high-octane fuel to give your body the energy it needs. 

That in mind, what have you ladies been eating? Any new recipes? 

Lately I've been enjoying:

• Egg sandwich (2 fried eggs on 2 pieces of multi-grain bread w/ 1 T of fat free mayo)
• Egg scramble (6 egg whites w/ 1/4 cup Athenos Tomato Basil Feta w/ 1 cup spinach)
• Chicken strawberry salad (2 baked Tyson chicken strips over 2 cups baby rommaine w/ 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries & 1 T low fat sweet vidalia onion bottled dressing)
• Thomas whole wheat english muffin w/ 1 T Maranatha organic almond butter spread on top
• 2 Kelloggs Eggo Nutri-grain low-fat whole wheat waffles
• Fresh red grapes
• Tuna bagel (1 can solid white albacore tuna drained, mixed w/ 1 T yellow mustard, on toasted sliced whole wheat bagel)
• Whole bag of Archer Farms steam-in-the-bag asparagus w/ 4 T grated parmesean cheese
• Clif Builder's Bars, peanut butter flavor
• Gala apple sliced w/ 1 T of natural PB (can't wait til Honeycrisp or Pacific Rose get back in season!)

I am excited b/c I just found a berry farm here in Colorado (sadly VERY VERY few & far between compared to midwest!) that I'm going to try to go to this weekend to pick some fresh berries!  Go to http://www.pickyourown.org/ to search for a pick your own berry farm near you.

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!  Great to hear from you all yesterday! I love it!
You're all so mentally tough- but in case you have times when you're NOT feeling mentally tough, here are some tips from Team Motivationalist, Jon Gordon:

20 WAYS TO GET MENTALLY TOUGH

Excerpt from Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else
1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.
3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.
4. When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.
5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded.
9. When you head into battle, visualize success.
10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.
11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.
13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.
14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible.
15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.
16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do.
18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
20. When you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment.

So did you like any particular one of those tips?  Did any one of them "speak to you?"  Share!  If you have your own tips, too, please grace us with your knowledge :)

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, girls!
I hope you have a great day today.
Please share with us all how much you're up or down & also what your
gameplan is for this week!

Feel Good Friday

Hi, beautiful ladies!  I'm so glad you're in my life :) 
This weekend, snag a girl friend and plan a fun workout.  I dunno, maybe run a half marathon together?  Haha! 

Here are some awesome articles & ideas for friend workouts: http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Workout-With-a-Friend.htm
But seriously, there are some MAJOR motivation benefits to biking with a friend, running with a friend, doing a fun adventure with a friend.  Not only will you be more likely to GET to your workout, you'll get in some great belly laughs and perform harder than you would on your own. 
I asked a girlfriend here that I had met during my sprint tri to do a 50 mile bike ride with me in the foothills on Saturday morning, but she's out of town for the weekend :(  But next time!  I'm undeterred.  I'll do the great ride.  And I'll keep meeting more and more new girlfriends :) 
On Wednesday night, I met a girl in my yoga teacher training class who has completed FOUR ironman competitions! WOW!!!!!  I was in such awe.  Of course we talked about it for an hour!  And I'm so pumped up! Someday, ladies, someday :)  She's going to share her books, training routes, & training schedules with me.  She was such a positive, smiley, outgoing, fit, and motivating person---pumping me up with "you can do it" vibes. 
I've done boxing classes where I met a girl who's become a friend and we've met up for several boxing classes together, done some yoga classes, etc.
So I've got friends on my mind.  Get out and try new adventures!  Make new friends!  Reach out of your comfortzone and find some FIT and POSITIVE girlfriends to do workouts with!!!!!!!!!  (& subsequently you'll spend less time with the negative nancies who drag you down)
Surround yourself with positive people and you'll feel your life detoxify. 

Share your experience with surrounding yourself with positive, active girlfriends who support your goals!!!!

Feel the Burn Thursdays

Good morning, girls! First of all, good luck to Mini Me, Meghan, & Marianne who are running their half marathon this weekend! Go, girls, go!  I'm so excited for you! Looks like it's going to be gorgeous weather for it, too.

So Thursdays is the day that we share what workouts we've been up to.  So, ladies, how have you been sweating?!?

If we just cut calories alone, we'll lose weight.  But if we cut calories AND workout, not only will we accelerate our weight loss, but we'll also build and maintain more muscle, making it mostly fat in the weight that we lose.  Not working out during the process means that a good portion of the weight you're losing is muscle-weight :(  And we need our strength! 

Something else I've been thinking of personally is being sure to get in enough water!  Not drinking enough water will cause you to feel tired, sluggish, fatigued, irregular (mm hmmm), and to have headaches.  So drink up plenty of the good stuff, girls :)  I've posted this before, but here's a link to a calculator for how much YOU should be drinking each day.  And, if you're drinking gallons and gallons a day, that could be a red flag for a health condition, so see your doctor on that, too.  Should just be a normal, healthy amount of water intake :) 

BTW- Thanks for the vitamin reminder, Nicki!  I hope you're all taking vitamins!  Doesn't have to be the expensive GNC, etc. kind.  Just the plain old over the counter multivitamin kind at Wal-mart do the trick!   I'm a personal fan of the Target store brand multivitamin w/ an extra Calcium pill & an extra Vitamin D pill (so 3 total vitamins a day) based on that being exactly what my physician recommended due to my own personal deficiencies.  Next annual physical you have, get a FULL blood screening (not just the bare minimum) to show ALL your vitamins & minerals.  Then go off your physician's recommendations for what you should be taking & how much.  Being deficient in nutrients and vitamins can make you feel sluggish for sure!  This article reviews multivitamins and indicates that the store brand vitamins (like Target-brand or Wal-mart-brand) are among the highest in quality!

"more than 90 percent of women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s don't meet their vitamin and mineral requirements through diet alone -- and you need that multi even more if you exercise. "Vigorous workouts raise your body's vitamin and mineral requirements, so it's practically guaranteed that you won't get enough nutrients from food....""

So share what workouts you've been doing, ladies!!!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, girls! I hope you're off to a great start! (and if you're not, today's the day to begin fresh!)

On Wednesdays we share recipes, snack ideas, etc.  Whatcha been eatin'???

I'd love to hear about your substitutions today. 

Hankering for pizza?  What's your healthy subsitute- half an english muffin w/ a spoonful of marinara sauce & a pinch of fat-free cheese, toasted a few mins under the broiler until hot & bubbly?

Hankering for ten pounds of pasta?  What's your healthy substitute- a small portion of pasta with loads of veggies tossed in it (primavera) so it gives you the illusion of a huge plate of pasta and fills you up, but is much healthier and lower calorie?

Hankering for ice cream?  What's your healthy subsitute- pureed frozen berries or melon w/ a packet of Truvia or Splenda sprinkled on it & some lime juice (extremely low calorie sorbet look-a-like), or a Skinny Cow or Weight Watchers ice cream treat?

Hankering for chocolate?  What's your healthy subsitute- cup of fresh berries drizzled with a tablespoon of melted dark chocolate chips?

Hankering for potato chips?  What's your healthy substitute- homemade sweet potato fries- sliced raw sweet potato drizzled w/ olive oil, laid out on cookie sheet, sprinkled w/ cinnamon & Truvia/Splenda, and baked at 400 for about 20 mins until cooked through?

Check out this Oprah article for healthy subsitute ideas- some of them are no-brainers, but the swapping powdered milk out for 1/4 of the sugar in recipes was a cool idea I'd never heard before!

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!

At the beginning of each yoga class, the instructor will typically relax the room with a soothing voice, some words of inspiration, and then ask each yogi to dedicate that particular practice to something that she's grateful for, or to the reason she walked through the studio door that day, etc.  And to let the rest of the world melt away.  It's just you and your purpose.
So as we're starting day two here of this six week challenge to become fit, develop healthy habits, and shed excess lbs, focus on your purpose for starting this challenge.  Some of you shared that purpose with us yesterday.  If you didn't, just figure out your purpose now, why you are doing this, and focus on it this challenge.  The majority of you are doing this challenge to become a better you, to become healthier, sexier, more confident, happier, more emotionally stable, proud of your accomplishments, to be a living example of healthy living in your families, etc.  See if you can let some other things not stress you out so much.  Everyone's situation is unique, but see if this focus experiment can help.
If yoga's not your cup of tea, here's an article about athletes learning mental focus while they're in a competion to help them reduce distractions (many of which we cause ourselves), anxiety over adequacy or performance, stress, or fear. 
I'm very excited for this challenge to get underway.  I love hearing about all of your successes and feeding off your positive energy.  It uplifts me, inspires me, and helps me to become motivated to make smart and healthy decisions.
Share with us some little tip about staying focused on your health & fitness.  How have you or do you let unimportant things fall by the wayside?

Day One- Check-In

Good morning, girls! First day in the six week challenge!  Welcome to Lisa, who's new this session :) And of course welcome back to all the returning challengers. 

This morning, find time to weigh in and take starting measurements.  Record this info in your My Fitness Pal profile online.  Then start tracking your calories burned and your calories consumed.  Let me know if you have any questions on figuring that all out.  Also, if you haven't yet set your reward for hitting your goal (whatever that goal might be), please let me know so we can put it in your sidebar bio.

For the first post of the challenge, I love to hear the reasons why you all are attempting THIS particular six week challenge.  What is your motivation?

Sometimes mapping out your week in a little schedule with meals, snacks, & workouts helps- it makes a world of difference for me, personally.  What's your game plan for this week? 

Make it a great day!