Kim Kardashian Works Out

Not only does working out help your muscles stay strong, but it raises endorphins that help you feel good about yourself, it strengthens your bones, it relieves stress and many other AMAZING things.  Our bodies are made to move, so get going and move yours!

Work It.

Work For It!

Strength Workout

What's Working?

 First, I try and start my day with Shakeology.  Not because I always want to, but because it's what I have time for.  I've been using it for over 4 months and I haven't stopped yet.  It's good stuff with a good purpose.  It's quick and easy to throw in the blender or a shaker cup with some milk or coffee, add a little PB2 if I have time.  It starts my day off right, gives me energy, makes me feel full, curbs cravings and if I start my day off right, I tend to follow through better.  Why ruin lunch if I already have done good half the day?!

GOALS
I have them and I like having them.  If you don't have goals, what do you have to work towards?  What's going to make you the best you that you can be?  I have goals and I find it helps me to do things when I otherwise might not.  They keep me on track to having a better future.  They keep me working on me and focusing on what I want.  Every decision I make focuses on what do I want and how does this play into the big picture.

I make grocery lists and don't shop when I'm hungry.  Somehow I manage and my kids want things like apples.  I'd like to think I have something to do with that, but my kids make healthier food choices than I ever have.  They live for peanut butter on chocolate rice cakes topped with bananas.  Their snacks are things like apples and fruit snacks.  And, they have Halloween candy from last year!  We keep good food in the house and I always cut up veggies when I bring them home.  It makes healthy options convenient and an easier option than making cookies or brownies.

I also try and eat at home.  It's easier to make good food choices at home.  Eating out throws me off track every time, but I'm getting better at ordering a salad or something grilled, getting a half order and getting the veggies instead of fries or at least a baked potato.

WATER.  I drink it.  You should too.  Not tea, not soda, not juice, not beer, not wine, just plain, clear, healthy, clean WATER.

EXERCISE- It makes it happen.  It gets endorphins flowing and makes me feel good every time I do it!  Not only that, it helps burn fat, gain muscle and get rid of that handful of M&Ms I couldn't help but grab from the cabinet.

 Plank.  It works everything, everywhere, all at the same time.  It works the core, it works the legs, it works the arms and all those muscles you didn't really know you have.  Start planking.  I did.


Staying active.  It's not hard with a 18 month old, a 3 year old and a puppy.  But, I have my lazy days.  I just have to pull myself out of the chair I'm snuggling my kiddos in and get on my feet.  Once in motion, it's so much easier.  An added Turbo Fire workout here and there helps too.  And, I've been swimming laps and doing water aerobics while the local swimming pool is open.

Choices.

We all have that day when we wake up and decide we need to make a change for the better.  It's after that moment, that realization, that you can either make that change temporary or permanent.  Permanent change takes dedication, commitment, time, energy, effort, devotion.  You have to make the choice each and every time you have a decision to make.  There's two choices, one for the old and one for the new.  You just have to decide what you want more.  It takes 21 days to make or break a habit.  So, start making great habits every day and they'll stick for a lifetime.  The choices that are hard, get easier and the choices that are easy become habit.  I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying that if it's something you desire to have in your life, or not have in your life, you can make the changes required to make it happen.  Change your activity level, change your nutrition, change your body.  So, keep going, keep working, keep trying to be the you that you yearn to be.

Back To Basics

 80% of weight loss is attributed to proper nutrition.  What is proper nutrition?  Part of it is made up of what you eat, the other part is how much.  What should I eat?  Well, humans were originally hunters and gatherers.  So, think about the diet our ancestors would have had.  No processed foods.  Stick to the outside isles of your supermarket, hit up the farmer's market and you'll be doing better already.  Then, skip the frozen stuff!   Portion size is the second piece to the puzzle.  Watch how much you eat at a time and eat snacks.  Take in the majority of your calories by lunch and take it easy on caloric intake at supper, eat light at night and not before bed!  Keep a food diary and be honest with yourself is my best in put on the subject!  The rest will fall in line if you use these easy steps.

Then, get moving.  Pick things up, move things around and don't stop and rest for too long.  Make sure you burn those calories you take in, then burn a few more.  Find an activity you love that keeps you active.  I like swimming and gardening, they're things that can keep me active for years to come!  I never get tired of going for a lunchtime swim to help me clear my head and I never get tired of seeing my garden grow year after year after the snow melts and colors start appearing.  I have a lot of other healthy activities that help too when I have the time; hunting, fishing, skiing, rock climbing.  You don't have to take on the world to stay active though.  You just have to find something you enjoy that requires movement and plenty of it!

You got it!  Drink that water. You're body is made up of mostly water, so fuel it with more!  Keep the nutrients there and the water to follow.  About a gallon a day is great, so drink, drink and drink!  Bottoms UP!

My Apologies

I admit it, I've been slacking on blogging~!  Not intentionally, life just happens sometimes and leave little time for the extras. 

I've been on my soapbox about goals so much lately that I forgot about what my own were.  I got busy losing my own focus.  This week was a new benchmark full of swimming and being generally active.  It's too easy to sit at a computer blogging about what you should be doing instead of actually doing it yourself.  So, I re-evaluated some things this week!  And, what I got was a lot of things done, a lot of laps swam, happy kids and a happy husband.  It's amazing how little changes can effect one's life so greatly.  So, when you think about the big changes you want to make in you, think about the little things you can do to help get there.

For starters, I made time for swimming laps during lunch.  My husband has time to watch the kids, he's home during lunch every day.  Why wasn't I in the pool?  Beats me!  I am now, except yesterday because I was so sunburned I could hardly move!  Lifetime Tip #1: Never Forget Your Sunscreen

There's an awesome group of ladies that join at the local pool Tuesday and Thursday evenings for water aerobics class.  Talk about an amazing way to workout.  Thirty minutes into it and I still didn't feel like it was a workout because it was relaxing and fun being in the water when it was hot out.  Being active doesn't have to be a drag.

What do you like to do?  What relaxes you?  How do you deal with daily stressors?  These are all opportunities to pick an activity that helps you meet your fitness goals.

Where do I start?

It can be overwhelming to think you're doing well with weight loss only to gain weight.  Been there.  Two things can get you started.  You have to be realistic with yourself.  Start a food and exercise diary and you need to track two things accurately to start:

Forgetting about the bag of M&Ms or the 5 handfuls of chips you had mid-afternoon because you were starving is not getting you anywhere.  Write down EVERYTHING you eat and what time.. Measure it too!  You could not be realizing what you're eating or you could be WAY overdoing portion sizes.  Be realistic.  Is that dessert really 1 portion or are you fudging and adding some to satisfy your craving?  Are you eating small meals and snacks throughout the day?  Are you under eating and starving yourself and killing your metabolism?  You need to know what you're eating, how much and when to truly decide if you're eating right.

Second is your activity level.  Do you really know how active you are?  Do you workout?  Is your job a desk job?  You have to be realistic about your activities.  The easiest way to determine.  Get a pedometer (step counter) and wear it every day for a week.  Add all days together and divide by the days.  It'll give you a clear picture of how active you are.  See How Active Are You? and see some Pedometer ideas and what I use along with some my friends use.  There are a wide variety of Pedometers out there these days that track everything from calories burned to sleep time to heart rate and ones with built in radios.  There's one for everyone.

Activity Levels for steps per day
Sedentary < 5000 Steps
Low Active 5000 - 7499 Steps
Somewhat Active 7500 - 9999 Steps
Active 10,000 - 12499 Steps
Highly Active > 12500 Steps


There are tons of ways to increase you steps per day to get you on the right track to lose weight by increasing your activity level per day. 

Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend

Walk the dog

Use the stairs instead of the elevator

Park farther from the store

Better yet, walk to the store

Get up to change the channel

Window shop

Plan a walking meeting

Walk over to visit a neighbor

Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding

Steps Per 15 Minutes of Exercise
Walking 3 mph - 1500
Walking slow - under 2 mph - 909
Walking slow - 2 mph - 1136
Walking 3.5 miles per hour - 1727
Walking 4 miles per hour - 2273
Walking 5 miles per hour - 3636
Racewalking - 2955
Aerobic dance - 2955
Backpacking - 3182
Badminton - 2045
Ballroom dancing - fast - 2500
Ballroom dancing - slow - 1364
Basketball - shooting baskets - 2045
Basketball game - 3636
Bicycling - 3636
Bicycling fast - 5455
Bicycling under 10 mph - 1818
Billiards/pool - 1136
Bowling - 1364
Calistentics - vigorous - 3636
Calisthenics - light to moderate - 1591
Canoeing - 1591
Children's playground games - 2045
Circuit training - 3636
Climbing - rock or mountain - 4091
Cooking - 909
Croquet - 1136
Fencing - 2727
Fishing - 1364
Football - 3636
Frisbee - 1364
Gardening - 1818
Golf - 2045
Gymnastics - 1818
Handball - 5455
Health club exercise, general - 2500
Hiking - 2727
Hiking - orienteering - 4091
Hockey - field and ice - 3636
Home/auto repair and shop tasks - 1364
Horseback riding - 1818
House cleaning - 1364
Hunting - 2273
Ice Skating - 3182
Inline skating - 5455
Jazzercise - 2727
Jogging - 3182
Jogging on mini-trampoline - 2045
Jump rope - 4545
Kayaking - 2273
Kickball - 3182
Lacrosse - 3636
Lawn bowling, shuffleboard - 1364
Lawn mowing -power mower - 2273
Martial arts - 4545
Minature golf - 1364
Punching bag - 2727
Raking lawn and leaves - 1818
Raquetball - 3182
Roller skating - 3182
Rowing machine - 3182
Rowing machine, vigorous - 3864
Rugby - 4545
Running - 5 mph - 12 minute miles - 3636
Running - 6 mph - 10 minute miles - 4545
Running - 7 mph - 8.5 minute miles - 5227
Running - 8 mph - 7.5 minute miles - 6136
Sailing, boat and board, windsurfing - 1364
Scuba diving - 3182
Shopping - 1045
Sitting - 455
Skateboarding - 2273
Ski machine - 3182
Skiing - cross country - 3636
Skiing - downhill - 2727
Skimobiling - 3182
Sledding - 3182
Snorkeling - 2273
Snowmobiling - 1591
Soccer - 3182
Softball - 2273
Square dancing - 2045
Squash - 5455
StairMaster - 4091
Stationary bicycling (moderate effort) - 3182
Stationary bicycling (vigorous effort) - 4773
Step aerobics - 4091
Stretching, yoga - 1136
Surfing - 1364
Swimming laps - moderate - 3182
Swimming laps - vigorous - 4545
Swimming leisurely - 2727
Table tennis - 1818
Tai chi - 1818
Tennis - 3182
Volleyball - 1818
Water aerobics - 1818
Water aerobics - 1818
Water jogging - 3636
Water polo - 4545
Waterskiing - 2727
Weight lifting, moderate effort - 1818
Weight lifting, vigorous effort - 2727
Wrestling - 2727
Yoga - 1136

Fit In A Workout At Your Desk  is great for people with desk jobs to INCREASE your activity levels.  Burn 100 Calories NOW is a quick workout that burns 100 calories fast!
And, poke through old blog posts, there are great workouts scattered throughout!

Once you know your activity levels and what you're eating, it's easier to figure your caloric intake to get on an appropriate nutrition plan.

Don't forget to re-figure you're activity levels and nutritional needs every 30 days as you begin workouts and make changes to your nutrition. See How Much Should I Be Eating? for help figuring a calorie target.

For tips on healthy eating see Nutrition, The Key That Unlocks Healthy, Smoothies & Shakes for healthy snack and meal replacement options,

These things are the habits you'll learn that will stick with you to lose weight AND keep it off!

Supplements: The Top 10

• Multivitamins
• Meal Replacements
• Sports Nutrition Supplements
• Calcium
• B Vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Glucosamine & Chondroiton
• Homeopathic Medicines
• Vitamin D
• Weight Loss Pills

With all the supplements out there, these rank among the top 10.  I can honestly say I've taken most of them at one time or another in my life. It's important to remember that dietary supplements are designed to supplement your diet, not to replace nutritious foods.  My rule of thumb is to thoroughly research a supplement before I take it.

What do I take?  Well, here's my daily cocktail....
Spironolactone, an androgen blocker prescribed to me by my OB/GYN.
Norethindrone, another one prescribed to me by my OB/GYN for endometriosis.
Glucosamine Chondroiton, for knee pain .  I take it sporadically when I feel I need to and when I'm doing workouts or activities that are hard on my knees.  I used to take it daily when Royce and I lived in Colorado and we snow skied A LOT!
Multivitamin, Women's One A Day.
Acid Reducer for heart burn as needed.
Raspberry Ketone for fat loss.
Shakeology as a meal replacement and overall nutritional supplement.
Whey Protein to enhance results and recovery of muscles after strenuous workouts.

I meet 5 of the top 10 plus my daily other drugs.  Do they work?  Mostly from what I can tell.  Raspberry Ketone alone or Shakeology alone aren't miracles for weight loss.  Paired and combined with a nice exercise program and good nutrition they are wonderful and I see great results.  6 weeks in, I have less cravings, increased weight loss, AMAZING fat loss and I can't pinpoint one factor or another.  It's a daily cocktail of drugs, exercise and nutrition that's leading to success.  I've tried one without the others with little results.  But, combined I can't believe how effortless it seems.

I got some Raspberry Ketones before I started Shakeology and my BeachBody workouts.  They didn't do much.  However, my recent study of Shakeology with Raspberry Ketones along with 3-4 workouts a week was more effective than any one or combination of 2 out of 3 together.  Combined, it's a trifecta of fat blasting!

Nutrition, The Key That Unlocks Healthy

 We all know good nutrition is key to keeping our bodies healthy.  Getting healthy has great formula consisting of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness.  Now, that doesn't mean focus on food and forget your workouts or vice versa.  Yes, if weight loss is your focus, you can lose weight by focusing on nutrition.  But just eating right isn't going to get you healthy and keep you there.  It's not going to help you live a longer, more quality life in the end.

Try and focus on eating something of every color each day.  It's hard!  I find it easy to get in my greens, oranges and reds.  I have a hard time with some of the others at different times.  Asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots and bananas are staples in our diets.  We have fresh strawberries from our strawberry patch in the summer.  I stock up on ripe mango in the summer, cut it up and freeze it.  And Schwan's has a nice selection of frozen veggies when the delivery man stops by.  The peas, asparagus and sweet potato chunks I love.  And the Golden Fruit Blend is awesome for shakes and smoothies.  Schwan's fruits and veggies are hefty bags and good quality.  I can't complain.  And, the cheese and herb biscuits rival those of Red Lobster!  The delivery guy brings it to my house and I don't have to drive to get it.

We raise cattle, so our beef supply is amazing!  We also just started raising chickens, so we should have a steady supply of chicken and eggs soon, too.  We LOVE salmon and eat a lot of it when I can get it at a good price.  Other seafood we eat when I can get it on sale.

Lets face it, it can be expensive to feed a family the healthy way.  It's easy to feed them crap cheaply; macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, pizza, balogna, hot dogs....not that it's all bad.  Everything in moderation is ok.  You have to moderate the processed foods and focus on eating fresh.  So, how do you do it and not have it cut drastically into your pocket book?

For starters, you can garden a lot of things in containers that can save you BIG $$$ during the growing season.  Lettuce, out of season, it gets cashy for no more than it is.  I try and keep lettuce in a container in a south facing window sill.  It doesn't keep us overflowing in lettuce, but it sure does stretch our purchases.  I also cut dandilion greens in the yard to mix in.  I put carrots in a pot near a window.  And, I buy buy buy all summer for things I don't grow and preserve.  Canning, freezing, they're old traditions that work!  Canning takes time though.  I have a large deep freeze, so I have plenty of space once we grill a few steaks in early summer.  So, you have to weigh your options.  The USDA has a great food preservation guide.  On the left there's how to freeze, can, pickle, cure, smoke, ferment, dry and make into jellies and jams!  USDA also has Healthy Eating on A Budget.  Check it out, they have great tips!

Some of these are the choices I make that allow me to stay at home with my kids.  If I worked, paid daycare for two kids and drive to work every day, there wouldn't be much of my paycheck left anyway.  So, I try and save where I can.  Local farmer's markets are great and I try to make it to at least one a week and I haggle for a good price if the produce isn't amazing.  Buy bulk, it'll get you a better price too.  Tomatoes, I'll buy a dozen, so I'll often ask for a deal since I'm not just buying one or two.  I get great produce in season and I don't spend hours and hours planting, weeding and harvesting.  I still get it at a good price from local growers and can preserve it myself, usually without tedious hours of work too!

What's It All About?

Being fit isn't about being skinny or looking good.  It's not about meeting expectations or fitting an image.  It is about loving yourself and being healthy.  Work on finding new ways to love yourself every day.  And, find new ways to be healthy every day. 

Being healthy is a 2-part system formed from fitness and nutrition.  If you have one part and the other sucks, you'll just end up falling short on your overall fitness goals.  So, if you're in a rut or hit your plateau, take a look at both independently and you'll more likely find a solution to your problem.  If you don't, have someone else take a look.  Keep a fitness and nutrition journal with everything you eat (even the ding dong) and everything you do (even yard work).  It'll paint a better picture of the person you are and you're overall health and being.

Fitness friends can be key to keeping motivated.  Meeting new people is always fun, so branch out!  Let people know you're into being fit and you have goals and good nutrition is important to you.  Things will fall into place and it's always fun to have someone new to work out with, even if it's taking a long evening walk.  You wouldn't hesitate to make a date for a few drinks, would you?  Why not a couple of miles instead?  You'll save empty calories and spend a few extra!  And, you can pass fitness tips back and forth while you do. 

Day 2 P90X: Hurts So Good

P90X: Plyometrics
The exercises are grouped into rounds, and each round gets repeated once. The breakdown is as follows:

1) Jump squat, run stance squat, airborne heisman (lateral leaping), swing kick
2) Squat reach jump, run stance squat with direction switch, double airborne heisman, circle run
3) Jump knee tuck. jumping lunge, leapfrog squat, twist combo
4) Rock star hop, gap jump, squat jack, military march
5) Run squat with 180 jump, lateral leapfrog, monster truck tire, hot foot
6) Bonus round: pitch & catch, jump shot, football move (60 seconds each)

Plyometrics is also known as jump training.  This technique emerged in Eastern Europe in the early 1970′s and was coined by American track coach Fred Wilt. The term “plyometrics” came from the latin plyo+metrics or “measurable increases”.  Plyometric training as awesome for any activity that requires strength and speed as this technique will improve your ability to run faster, jump higher and maneuver better in multidirectional sports.  No matter what sport you play or what your goals are P90X plyometrics can help.

Now, for the reality.  Saying my muscles hurt is an understatement.  Yesterday I felt great, late afternoon I started feeling soreness in my arms while grouting some tile.  It got worse.  I drank 12 16 ounce glasses of water yesterday and my muscles were cramping last night.  I suffered through plyometrics this morning.  I had to stop mid workout and stretch for a bit.  It made it hard to get up and finish, but I managed to do it.  I feel great for doing it, but my legs are BURNING.  I'm currently on my 5th glass of water and downing my shakeology and coffee.

My good buddy Jasmine checks in with me to see how it's going.  "I've never pushed myself so hard.....mainly because I've never been so out of shape before."  That's the truth.  I want my body back in shape so I can do the things I love again, so I can keep up with my kids and have the kind of energy I used to.  Shakeology is definately giving me the energy.  Staying hydrated is a challenge; I just don't like water that much.

I won't give up, I spent the money, I've vowed to dedicate 12 weeks to P90X and my fitness.  Then when the pool opens this summer, I can bust out my laps in no time and feel great in the new swimming suit I'm going to have to buy!  And, I'm going to have to go shopping, something I haven't looked forward to in more than 5 years.








BRING ON THE BURN! It hurts so good. I will cringe and keep going. I will eat more protein, drink more water and focus on nutrition. What did I actually eat yesterday? This gets bad...I cut out a snack! Morning went well. LOTS of water. Shakeology Pistachios String Cheese HUGE salad with sunflower nuts, tomatoes, carrots, chicken and Western Dressing (my fav, not the best choice) Lots more water Aurillios Pizza. Not one piece, not two, but 4. And a piece of dessert pizza. And a soda. Today's plan: Eat more often. Eat more protein. Eat more, I'm STARVING today. Water, water and More water. Avoid pizza at all costs. Carry snacks with me. Peanuts are better than pizza, even salted. A gluten-free oatmeal cookie is better than a cupcake. It's that simple and it's all about planning and choices. So, meals are planned, snacks are planned, water glass is to remain full at all times. Breakfast: Shakeology Snack: String Cheese Lunch: Salmon, asparagus and sweet potatoes on the grill Snack: I will be at baby shower, fingers crossed there is veggies, but am taking some Pistachios with me just in case! Dinner: Steak, lots of steak, salad and green veggies WATER, WATER, WATER