Love Yourself

With valentines just around the corner I thought is would be fun to have the next on our 12 weeks of wellness be a start to a 14 day challenge of improving our self image and learning to love ourselves a little more.  I know I for one could use some help here.  I have really high expectations of myself, much higher than I have of anyone around me, and I am very hard on myself when I don't meet that.

In the current standard of watching everyone's highlight reel on facebook, instagram, pintrest etc. it is really hard to find that moment of hey I am me and I am awesome.  When was the last time you really felt like you were happy with who you were in every aspect of life. (weight, mom skills, wife skills, running time, housekeeping skills, etc).  Honestly I am not sure I have ever been there.  I live in the moment ahead always looking toward the next goal and in doing that I know I miss the moments that I am in.  I miss seeing how awesome I am right now.  How often have you said if only I had realized how awesome my body was in high school, or in my 20's?  Or how often have you looked at your friend, sister, mother, brother and said wow look how incredible they are at _______ (you fill in the blank), and I can't even do _______....
 Appreciate who YOU are right now,  realize how amazing and awesome YOU are right now! Join me for the next 14 days of improved self image.  There will be a daily challenge each day starting Feb. 1  I will post on FB and on here.  I hope you will join me and love you just a bit more for 14 days and start a spark towards a healthier self image.

Eat Your Veggies: Spinach

Here is another of my favorite veggies.  Spinach!  It is a super veggie, swap it out for iceberg everywhere you can.  I put it on my sandwiches, in my smoothies, in my eggs, and sometimes I can sneak it into other recipes. 

Why Spinach?  Well is a renowned muscle builder!  (we want muscles, they burn more calories and are sooo pretty)There is a hormone in spinach that increases protein synthesis by 20%.  This hormone allows muscle tissue to repair itself faster according to reasearch.  Spinach is high in vitamin K (one cup of spinach has more than your daily requirement of this vitamin), manganese, magnesium, calcium, folate, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium.  This combination of vitamins and minerals can help to protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.  

Spinach is also a beauty power food.  It is rich in beta-carotene, and this converts to a powerful anti-aging Vitamin A. This promotes proper moisture retention in the skin, helping to prevent wrinkles, and removing dead skin from your body.  Spinach also contains lipoic acid, this helps vitamins C and E regenerate(both of these are a must for youthful skin).  It is rich in amino acids and has twice the fiber of most greens, this will keep you full and help you curb cravings.

 So here is the link to my green smoothie where I use my spinach most often.   One of my favorite little books of food info is Beauty Detox Foods  There are tons of great veggie recipes in this book.  She eats much more strictly than I prefer to eat, but there are amazing recipes and a ton of information on different foods and why to eat them.

Here is a recipe I just love!!!  It is a Spinach strawberry salad and it is sooo yummy, I could eat it for many meals.

I found this one on this site, but I have made it many different ways but I really thought this one sounded good.

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/avocado-strawberry-spinach-salad-with-poppyseed-dressing/

(she has a lot of great recipes, go check out her site)

She even has the dressing recipe, which I love because then I know exactly what I am eating!!!

Eat your Veggies: Avocado (I know it's a fruit)

Ok this week has by far been my hardest, I have had more mistakes than I would like to admit, but I am learning, and it is getting easier.  A few suggestions I had from comments on facebook, were to get a steamer so of course I got on Amazon and got one ordered right away.  I have had one before so I know this will help, steamed veggies are great!  I ended up buying the rice cooker with steamer because my hubby loves rice so 2 for one :)

One thing I have noticed is that it is easier for me to eat veggies when they taste good... That is my biggest problem I have a love for yummy food, and somehow veggies and yummy have never gone together for me.   But I am going to fix that problem.  Another thing that I really enjoy is knowing what different foods do to help my body (maybe it's just me but I think it is fascinating)  So here are a few of my favorite veggies and what they do for us when we eat them.

Avocado (technically a fruit, but we prepare them and eat them more like a veggie so they are staying in my veggie category)  They are full of one of the world's most healthy fats, monounsaturates.  These fats, according to several studies, improve your cholesterol, and decrease the amount of triglycerides in your blood.  They have 10 grams of fiber in one cup so they are great at helping curb cravings!  Avocados are great for your skin, if you eat them often you will notice your skin will become more supple and soft and youthful.  They have been noted among cultures such as the Maya Indians, for being powerful anti-aging foods.  They are great for skin and joints.   The oil in avocados is similar to our skin's own natural oil so its a great oil for skin rejuvenation.  Avocados are full of vitamins A, C, E and K, and contain minerals , potassium, copper, and iron.  Avocados also have one of the highest amino acid contents of all fruits, this helps you to build lean muscle.

How do you prepare your avocados?  Here are a few things I like to do.
Guacamole to add to anything (sandwiches, eggs, wraps, fajitas, chicken)
2 avocado
1 tomato
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 bunch cilantro (or more)
3-6 green onions
1 jalapeno (seeded if you don't want as much of a kick)
cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Cut your avocados in half pull out the pit, scoop out of the skin and mash with a fork.  Chop tomato, cilantro, onion and jalapeno. Mix all ingredients together and use.  Avocados will brown quickly so I usually only make a small batch at a time.


I also enjoy slicing them and just adding them in a wrap or fajita.  I have added them to my green smoothies for an extra creamy consistency.  I would love to hear how you prepare or use avocados, leave me a comment!

DIY Laundry Detergent

Anyone ever attempt making their own laundry soap?  I have, and I went through a few recipes to find one that I like.  The best part is it is cheaper than regular laundry soap and I can add in oils to scent it however I would like.  I have been using this recipe since the first of December and I haven't put much of a dent in using it up!!  That makes me sooo incredibly happy!

Here is the recipe  I got it from http://www.couponcloset.net/homemade-laundry-detergent/ (it's a great site, go show some love and check it out)
20 mule team borax 4lbs 12 oz, 
3 bars Fels-Naptha, 
oxi-clean versatile stain remover 3lb.
purex crystals, 28oz or 36.2oz Gain Fireworks 
Arm & Hammer pure baking soda 4lb, 
Arm & hammer super washing soda 55 oz. 
Shred your soap, I used my ninja to chop mine very finely.  Then mix everything together. I used a huge bucket to mix it in and then put it in a pretty container.  I got my glass container at wal-mart, but I found some on amazon too.  I also had to store some in quart mason jars.

I add oils to each batch of laundry so that my oils don't evaporate and loose their yummy smell.  I really like using Lavender and orange on my bedding.  I use the DoTERRA blend Purify on my towels.  And whatever scent I am enjoying in the moment on my other clothing.  I usually just ad 3-5 drops of oil per batch of laundry, and I add it to my detergent so the oils are not going directly on my clothes.  Click here to order DoTERRA Oils

To use the soap, just use 1/8 cup of soap per load of laundry.  I am so happy with it and I love how my clothes smell.

What in the world is foot zone therapy?

About 7 years ago I trained and certified as a foot zone therapist.  Believing in alternative therapy as I do I entered my training without ever having been zoned. After my first class I had received my first zone and it was great!  I knew I was on the right path.  I have very much enjoyed my journey of learning and healing and helping other heal.    Foot zone therapy is similar to reflexology but much more in depth.

I found this image online as my scanner isn't working to upload the one I have created.  This one is very close to the one I have.  I found it at www.thaiwaysmagazine.com 

As with most alternative healing; foot zone therapy looks at the body as a whole, and not just the specific symptom or body part.  A zone session is applied to the feet through rubbing and applying pressure in a specific pattern and method to help the body heal itself.  It is continually gaining popularity in the field of alternative health as it is a non invasive way to help the body to heal itself without dramatic side effects.  The map of the human body lays out in the feet the same way that it does on the body.  If it is on the right side of your body it is on the right foot, and if it is on the left side of your body it is on your left foot.  If it is in the center or found on both sides of the body you will find it on both feet.  

Through a zone session your feet will be rubbed and had pressure applied to points throughout the entire foot  and therefore helping the entire body to heal.  Our body is fully connected with an intricate pattern of "subtle energies" such as meridians, chakras and also nerve endings that are sensitive to pressure and energetic movement.  We need to remember that our bodies are fully connected so we should treat it that way and help the body as a whole and not just one specific symptom.  Often you will find that a certain symptom has a much deeper underlying problem somewhere else within the body.  You will find in the feet, ways to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  It allows for renewed energy and healing of the body.  I really felt the renewed energy with my first zone, it was almost like a high and it was incredible!  Using electromagnetic trigger points within the specific areas of the feet, your body can be healed.  Each point creates a corresponding change in the area represented on the foot by stimulating that specific trigger point.  Every single cell in the body is triggered during a foot zone session.

If you are close by me (I live in UT)  I would love to schedule you for a foot zone session.  Sessions take 45 min to an hour and they are wonderful, sometimes slightly painful, but always a great way to increase your energy, sleep better, and to help your body heal.  I recommend getting a zone on a regular basis, ideally anywhere from every couple days to every 4-8 weeks depending on your current health status.  Please comment with your e-mail address below and I will be in touch to schedule a session with you.

12 Weeks to Wellness: Week 3

This week I am going to add in some nutrition/diet guidelines for myself (and you if your joining me)  I started with my two easiest things to change and now I think I am ready to add in some nutrition. I do best when I focus on what I can have rather than what I cannot have so this week I will add a veggie to every meal and/or snack. The idea is that veggies are sooo low in calories and so high in nutrition, so I will be giving my body the fuel it needs and consuming less calories until I am full.

When I told my husband what I was doing, he was like what veggie are you going to have with breakfast... Well Green smoothies are great for adding in veggies, spinach and carrots are a few of my favorites.  I can also add onions, leafy greens, peppers, and many other veggies to an omlete or egg muffin.

Snacks I am gearing up Saturday and I will get a bunch of  easy to snack on veggies, carrots, cucumbers, celery etc.  I will cut them up and put them in baggies in the fridge so they are easy to snack on.

Lunches and dinners are easy, I will add a side salad (minimal dressing), or a side of veggies, or even better I will make dinners where I can hide the veggies in them and we will all be eating a bit more veggies.  I will post a few of my recipes through the week, and I hope you will comment with a few of your ideas.  My nutrition is where I really struggle and I will take all the help, support and suggestions I can get.

I know for some this may seem sooo slow, but I am down 4lbs in 2 weeks, I have more energy, my skin is looking better than it has in a while, and I feel good, in just the small changes I have made so far.  I am looking to make a lifestyle change, not just a quick diet.  I want to always incorporate more veggies into my diet, I want to always exercise daily (even if it is just a walk),  I want to always have more veggies in my diet.  So for me this works to do it one thing at a time.  It feels much less overwhelming and I feel successful in what I am doing because it really isn't too tough to change a little at a time but at the end of 12 weeks I will have changed a lot.  Right now I am going to do everything each day, of course there might be a day or two where I mess up on something, but I am hoping to stick to everything everyday for the full 12 weeks.  After that I will for sure have a free day probably once a week, and I will enjoy my vacations, or celebrate with my kids on their birthdays etc.  But I want my everyday to be a healthy one!

What type are you?  Are you an all or nothing type where you have to make drastic changes? or are you a baby steps type person?  I know we are all different, and I would love to know what works for you.  There is no right way to do, and everyone has to do what works best for them.

Let's Workout!

I think that changing up your workout is important.  I have a few things I prefer to do, but I find that if that is all I do I don't make as much progress as I do when I change things up.  I really love strength training, it is by far my favorite, and then I love to dance, and I never thought I would say it but I enjoy running.  What are your favorite workouts?

To keep things changed up I like to get in at least a couple of cardio days, at least a couple of strength days and a couple of yoga/pilates type days (this is my least favorite, but I still enjoy it).  It is amazing to me how much work it is to stretch, how can something that seems so easy be so much work.  I find that so much in my running and strength training improves when I am doing yoga regularly.  When I have a weird pain that comes up usually incorporating more yoga helps me out a lot.  

Sometimes I combine things, like I will do a short run and some strength training, or a short run and some yoga.  HIIT workouts are great and they are such a great and efficient workout, combining strength and cardio.  I like change in my routine, if that makes any sense...  I am in the routine of exercising every morning, but I enjoy changing things and adding new challenges.

I think Sunday is of course a day of rest, so if I take a day off it is usually Sunday but during the 12 weeks I am really going to make an effort to exercise every day.  I do think that our bodies need rest from different things though so you don't over do it with one specific type of workout.  I really feel like a nice walk enjoying nature is a great sunday exercise, but since it is freezing outside (at least where I am at)  I really enjoy doing something soothing and calm like Yoga or pilates. Thanks to Kasey and her awesome comment about this great site, here is one to try today.  You can do just one or both, they are both fairly easy (I didn't even break a sweat doing both) but they felt great.

http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/fluid-yoga-stretches-for-flexibility-and-strength  This is a yoga one, it's only 15 min so you could do a little something extra.  Or combine the it with this next one.

 http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/quick-and-easy-pilates-toning-and-flexibility-workout  This workout is only 17 minutes so if you don't combine it with the previous one, maybe add in a little warm up run or something to get to your full 20 minutes.   Or do a few dance videos first.  Whatever you enjoy.

I hope this week of exercise has started your habit so it is easier to continue.  As with each habit we start we will be continuing to exercise at least 20 minutes each day through the full 12 weeks, and I will sporadically post some workouts for you to try out, but I hope I gave you enough tools to get a few workouts in without a gym if you need.

Just a review we are now
*drinking half our body weight in ounces of water each day
*exercising at least 20 minutes each day

*check back tomorrow to find out what else we are adding for week 3!!!

As always I would love to hear how you liked the workout!?  Tell me what types of workouts you enjoy most?  Did you check out the site aside from the workout?  Isn't it awesome!

It's the Weekend Let's Workout

If you are like me, I have to workout in the morning or it doesn't happen.  I get up and get the kiddos out the door to school and me and my youngest kiddo head down to the basement to get our sweat on.  He last about 15 minutes and then has found a cool toy or is trying to grab my leg and give me extra weight or climbing on my back, it definitely keeps things interesting.  I should probably get up before the kids go to school and get it done, but right now this is working for me and even with the cute distraction I still get a great workout.  But I do schedule the post for early for those of you who have to get your workout in before work or just enjoy the early morning hours.

Today after an awesome comment yesterday we are going to do a HIIT workout from a new site called fitnessblender.com!  This site is awesome, tons of workouts and they are free!!! Thanks Kasey for letting me know!!! I love comments especially ones like this where I find a new wonderful treasure!  I will definitely be doing some of these workouts.  The site is great you can put in how much time you have and it will find you a workout, or search what type of workout you are looking for.

http://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/hiit-cardio-sweatfest-butt-and-thigh-workout  This is the one I chose, and it was awesome!!! Hurts sooo good!  Be ready to sweat and feel the burn.

I love HIIT workouts!  Mostly because I can do them from home, I don't have to have fancy equipment, just me n my body.  Of course there are equipment you can add in to your HIIT workouts such as jump ropes, rowing machines etc.  But you don't have to have them.

You burn more fat during a HIIT workout than a steady paced run.  In fact studies show that you will continue to burn more calories than other exercises for up to 24 hours after that workout is over.  And not only that but you don't burn muscle (we want muscles because they help us to burn more calories, and they look so much nicer than cellulite).  Steady state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss while strength training and HIIT do not.

They are efficient!  Research shows that doing a HIIT workout 3 days per week for only 15 minutes will get you better results than an hour on the treadmill!  Just 2 weeks of HIIT improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6-8 weeks of endurance training!!! Yup sign me up!  We are all busy so if you can get a more efficient workout done in less time why not!!!

They help you in other areas such as running, biking etc.  When I was doing crossfit several days a week (which a lot of the workouts are HIIT style) I found that I shed 1 minute of my running pace up to a 5k (I don't know if it shed more than that because that was as far as I was running at the time)

HIIT workouts encourage production of HGH (human growth hormone) this is the hormone responsible for caloric burn.  So you stimulate more HGH production during HIIT thus increasing your metabolism and as an added bonus, HGH also slows the aging process.  Fountain of youth right here!!!

HIIT is wonderful because it is short and sweet and to the point.  You wont' be chatting it up while you do this but since you won't be working near as long, that won't matter.

I hope you enjoy this one, HIIT workouts are some of my favorites!!!  Let me know how you did, or what you thought!!

Rise and Shine! Time To Work it!

I hope you all had fun dancing yesterday!! I love to dance, it makes me feel young and free and sweaty.  lol.  Here is your workout for today!  Let's run.  If you can, go run outside!  If you are like me and have a treadmill at home and don't want to brave the cold then lets do a fun treadmill workout.  Here is what I do to keep the TM a bit more interesting.  I crank my music to something great, my current favorites are anything Pitbull, All about that base, Uptown Funk, and Shake it off, or get a good movie/show on netflix and tune in.  Intervals help me keep it interesting too.  Sometimes I follow a set schedule and sometimes I go with how I feel.  As always warm up first, and stretch after!  Let me know how you do.  If you run outside, try just doing intervals for certain distances, for example I am going to sprint to the next light post, and then slow to my normal pace, then sprint and then slow, then sprint and then walk...  I do this with most of my runs to keep things interesting.  Can't wait to hear how your run goes.

Just Average...

I want to share my story.  I have seen so many blogs where you see the inspirational before and after photos where someone looses 100lbs and it is amazing and I always cry and feel for them as they find themselves and find how to love themselves.  I don't have that story, I probably never will, and I am am okay with that.  I do however want to motivate and inspire people in a similar way.  I want someone to read my story and think wow, I want to be healthier.  I want to motivate and inspire others and I hope I can do that.

I have as some would put it been blessed with good genes (thanks Mom and Dad).  Yes for the most part I have, both of my parents are very trim and healthy, above average in my opinion in their physique...  I have inherited some of that, but I also was raised watching both of my parents exercise, Dad often lifted weights and worked out in our home with what he had to work with, a bench, some free weights and a pull up bar.  Mom was always doing something, exercise videos, aerobics classes etc. and so I too have inherited that example as how things should be.  They both ate very healthy, nothing too extreme, and us kids still had normal foods, mac n cheese, pizza, cereal etc.  I am very grateful for the example given to me not only as a child but they both still continue to strive for health by exercise and healthy eating, they both inspire me.

Growing up I was always small, I also played soccer, did dancing, gymnastics, karate, and a few other things here and there.  Of course I spent my fair share of hours in front of a television or video game, but for the most part I was active and busy.    I was lucky and I had never had to pay attention to what I was eating EVER!  Then I started college, I was no longer dancing, playing soccer, doing gymnastics... I was sitting in class, eating out a ton, working, staying up late and partying.  And I paid for those mistakes.  I gained the freshman 15 easily and then some.  I lost a bit before my wedding, but not a ton.  I did loose a bit more of it when I started following weight watchers and exercising again just after I got married.  Now let me say that during all of this I was still within a healthy weight range for my height, but there were moments during this that I was uncomfortable in my own skin because it was not my normal.  I would get comments from others saying "where do you have weight to loose" and "you look great", and "I wish I was your size"  whether that was their way of being nice or they sincerely meant those things it mattered little to me.  I wasn't happy with me, I didn't love me.  With diet and exercise I finally got to a nice comfortable  average weight and size and stayed there for 10 years (aside from the 3 kids I had during that time)  I maintained fairly easily as long as I was exercising.  But I felt very average.

Then I started crossfit, I did a paleo challenge and I lost a ton of weight (well for me it felt like a ton, in reality it was only 10lbs, but those 10lbs changed me).  I was back to my high school weight and it felt great, it felt great because I felt sexy again.  It felt great because I did it eating healthy and exercising.  It felt great because for the first time in a long time I felt above average, I felt like I was succeeding in this.  I did great at maintaining this until the stress set in.  My husband got a new job out of town and he began a 2 hour commute to and from work every day while I got our house ready to sell and maintained the inside and out (we lived on 1/2 acre with a push mower).  If you have kids you will understand how hard this is.  When this happened I had a 1 1/2 yr old, a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old all boys and very active and messy.  But thankfully I had a lot of help close by and I utilized it.  The lbs started coming on as I had less and less time to watch what I was eating and fewer workouts.  Then the stress really piled on, we had had the house for sale for 5 months with no offers, my husband was out of town on a fishing trip when my 4 yr old fell out of our 2nd story window...  After a trip to the local hospital and an ambulance ride to a children's hospital and 24 hours of close watching he was fine but was to be walking only for 3 months.  I still have a hard time thinking about the week that he fell, I handled it all on my own without my husband and was very grateful for my parents being close by to watch my other two.  I still blame myself for his fall, in my rational brain I know I cannot be everywhere at once and I cannot watch my kids all the time, but I should have checked on them one more time.  I should have locked the window.  I should have done something, but.... I didn't and he fell.  During those 3 months of walking only for my very active 4 yr old, my workouts stopped, my 6 yr old broke his arm, and we had found a renters for our home,  we found and moved to a rental home 2 1/2 hours away from everything we had ever known, and somehow my husband was still working late hours.  The lbs piled on with the combination of lack of diet and exercise, and stress and depression.  Every time I felt stressed out or anxious I ate.  We lived in that house that we rented for only a year but it felt much longer.  I didn't love that house, I was depressed, lonely and felt a bit lost without my friends and family.  During this time I trained for and ran my marathon, this was the best thing I could have done, I honestly think it is what saved me and helped me to snap out of it.  We then moved again, and now that the dust has settled and I am feeling less lost and I finally have a moment to think about me again I am at the heaviest I have ever been and it is frustrating.  I started the year 30lbs heavier than where I was just 2 years ago, but I am still very average, I am not obese or even considered overweight for my height but again I am not comfortable in my own skin.  I have however learned that there are other things that I value in myself and those things I am doing well with.  I am learning that my body and my appearance will never be what it once was, that life has a way of changing us.  My outward appearance will continue to change but I want to feel good.  I am finding less value in the number on the scale and more value in feeling good.  I am finding less value in my pant size and more value in the person I am becoming.

After getting to the best shape I have been in  in over a decade and then going to the worst I have been in my entire life I have that thirst to be back to my best!  I am ready to put in the work and time to make me better.  I am 2 weeks into my challenge to wellness, I am currently getting at least half my body weight in ounces of water each day, and now am exercising at least 20 minutes everyday.  I will add one thing each week until I get to 12 weeks and by then I am hoping some of this will be just part of my daily routine.  I am hoping that at the end of 12 weeks I will have learned more about myself and how to love me more.  I am hoping that at the end of that some of you will be inspired to join me in my journey to health and wellness!  I am hoping at the end of 12 weeks I don't feel average anymore, I am hoping I feel above average.  And I hope you feel that way too.

Let's Workout!

Who's feeling the burn from the last couple days workout!! I am!!!  I have a love hate relationship with this feeling.  It makes me know I am changing things, and that feels good!  But man I am noticing muscles in all the things I do.

Here is a few workouts that I love... go check these out and let me know how you like them!

This girl is awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28E0Fj7kiP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFkJMxVI3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRonksZ2RUc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3opIDrBhCR0

These are a few of my favorites!  But feel free to scroll through and try a few others, just be sure to get in 20 minutes or more!  Here are her workout videos if you don't want to have to wait for the youtube ads and go from one video to the next etc.  Only $8.99 isn't bad for a great workout video from home!  I love the combination of dance and strength!  Can't wait to see how you like these!  Let me know which one you liked the best.

Toothpaste DIY

I love the idea of all things home made, but in reality sometimes it is soo easy to just run to the store and purchase whatever it is you need.  I also love knowing how to make it just in case I can't run to the store.  I am really excited about this one though.  It is a simple toothpaste recipe.  You can eliminate the sweetener if you would like (I don't mind eliminating it). and then I use my peppermint essential oil (I add a drop or two at a time until it has the right intensity for me), or you can use the extract.  If you try this one out let me know.  Coconut oil is known for so many great things, but one of those is helping to kill the bad germs, also I have read it is great for helping to whiten teeth.  I can't wait to hear what your experience is on this.If you need peppermint essential oil check out my doTERRA shop

I love this coconut oil too.

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

I love coconut oil for so many things!!! Food, health, beauty and so many ways to use it.  If you google it I would dare bet you could come up with at least 40+ unique ways to use coconut oil.  But for today let's test it out on our hair.  I can't wait to hear back from you how this works!!!  This is one of the coconut oils I have tried and liked.
 

I dare you to give this a try and then come back and leave me a comment and let me know if you liked it or not?  I loved it.

Lunges:

Lunges are a great way to boost your booty!  I love the way this lays everything out and helps to keep you in proper form!  How many can you do with out stopping?  I dare you to go give it a go and come post in the comments.

Pre-Run Fuel Favorite: Protein Oats

Why are steel cut oats so good for you?
Oats are a high nutrient plant food that has a ton of nutrition, Vit E, B, and minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium copper, zinc, iron and manganese.  Oats are also great because they don't spike your blood sugar the way refined carbohydrates do.

According to the book Beauty Detox Foods by Kimberly Snyder "In a study at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, it was determined that consumption of whole grains can contribute to favorable metabolic alterations that may reduce long-term weight gain.  This along with fat reduction, will help reduce cellulite."

Oats are beneficial to heart health, and can help prevent diabetes due to the slow uptake of glucose.

Here is my recipe for what I call Protein Oats:
I absolutely love this breakfast and it is really and easy way for me to add in a bit more protein to my diet without consuming one more boiled egg, or piece of chicken. I love steel cut oats they are my favorite and obviously healthy for you from the information I found about them.  I usually make a big batch to last me the week because really who has time to make a 30+ minute breakfast every morning!  Not this Mom.  So I make a bunch then when I go to reheat some I add in 1-2 egg whites stir them in and reheat it cooking the egg white.  I then put on my topping of choice lately it has been peanut butter with a tiny bit of honey or some dark chocolate chips.  But I have been known to put berries or  just honey, a banana, really your options are endless here.  I have been eating this on mornings before I go run, I need to eat just a little earlier so my body can digest it before I start my run, but it has proven to be a great form of fuel.  It is filling, and one serving with 2 egg whites and 1/4 cup dry oats and 1 tbsp peanut butter has 10.6 grams fat (don't let this scare you it is good fat), 4 g fiber 15.7g protein and 290 calories.  UNDER 300 Calories for a very filling very healthy breakfast!

1/2 cup cooked oats
1-2 egg whites
mixed and heated until egg is cooked
add desired topping and enjoy!

Marathon Training: Just an update on how I am doing here

This post prego mama runs!!!

As you know I went a bit crazy in January and decided that I wanted  needed to sign up for my first marathon.  I have been training and researching like crazy.   I have been running for fun for the last 5 years, and in the beginning I never thought I would call myself a runner.  If you know both Kiesha and I, you know that Kiesha has had a life long passion for running and she is great at it!!! (I might be super jealous of her skills here).  But I will forever love Kiesha for many reasons, but one of those is because she introduced me and pushed and helped me learn to love to run.

Our van pre run!  It was raining so hard at the finish we have no pictures.

My first race was 2 months post baby, running a relay, as I pumped in between runs and thought I was going to die, I swore I would never subject myself to such craziness and pain ever again!  Well we got to the finish line, soaking wet, muscles so sore I could barley stand, and we were exhausted, but the adrenaline and feelings of accomplishment for doing something so awesome took over in my brain and I was ready to sign up for the same craziness next year (minus milking myself in the van as we went, I will never do that again, nursing and relays don't go together).  I loved the team aspect, the support, but mostly knowing that I did something hard and I survived!  After that I still said I hated to run, but really I loved it, I just didn't know it yet.  I didn't do any other races until ragnar the next year, and then after that I started signing up for other races a few 5k's a 5 miler, and then Kiesha roped me into a half!!

Me and Kiesha Post run at the Mantua Dam Run 2012

Our Epic team 2012 (I think?)

2010 Ragnar Pre-race! 

Yep this is Sione from Biggest loose season ? 5 I think... He was at the starting line!!!

Before our half!!! Kiesha had some serious bling on!

My half was interesting, I felt great for most of the race, I wasn't going in with any expectation of finishing time other than I didn't want to be last.  I kept a pretty decent pace for myself through most of the race, I got lost in the beauty that was around me (we were in Park City, UT in the Fall), in my music and just pushing myself forward.  I got to mile 8 and had a problem however, I needed to poop! (I cannot believe I am sharing this with you all but if your a runner you understand, and if your human you poop too so hopefully you understand too).  There wasn't a porta potty in sight so I started walking.  I walked and walked and pretty soon I noticed the urge had left and I was good to run again... so I started up...  Well I was running the wrong direction...  I am not sure where or how I got lost, but I did.  OOPS!  So I turned around and started running with the crowd... thankfully I had the same mileage at the finish, but it kinda messed me up.  So my finishing time was not awesome, but it makes it easy to beat next time right.

Ash and I on the bus up to the start!

We finished (she finished long before me) but we finished in the rain!

Our last year has been a bit rough, my 4 year old fell out of our second story house and although he sustained no critical injuries (thankfully), he still had to be walking only for several months, and watched very closely (so this became my full time job)  everything went to the way side  I stopped running, I stopped crossfitting, everything was about keeping him down and safe.  My husband was working at a new job and had been commuting 2 hours each way while we were trying to sell our home and this happened during all of that.  A month later my 6yr old broke his arm (by this point we were on a first name basis with the ER doctors) so when Kiesha approached me and said hey lets get a few of us together and run the Ogden Marathon as a relay I said ok, but give me the easy leg I have too much on my plate right now.  Well fast forward a few months and we had moved, my kids were not requiring the same amount of attention and I was ready to start training again (in fact I needed to start doing something).  I was talking to my friend on the phone and she says to me, "we should run a marathon this spring"  I told her she was nuts and no way.  She was persistent though and we went back and forth talking about doing one in the fall etc.  Finally we decided on doing one in the spring so I called Kiesha and asked if she could fill my spot on the relay because I was running the whole thing.  Kiesha of course thought I was crazy (because maybe I was a bit), but she said she could fill my spot and gave me a ton of information on training and where to start.

Me and Alisha 16 miles!!!

Me and Kiesha 15 miles!!!

After I signed up I was excited and had some serious adrenaline going for a day or so.... then the reality of what I had done set in and I may have been a bit scared, but still excited to check this off my bucket list.  So I looked up a few training plans and finally decided to follow one from www.halhigdon.com  It seemed reasonable for me and felt like something I could do in the 17 weeks I had available to me.  I then started asking everyone I know about running, in addition to reading every article I could find on online, and every book I could get my hands on.  The one I have loved the very most is called IronFit: Strength Training and Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Don Fink and Melanie Fink.  This book was a gold mine of information on sooo many things that I needed help with.  I have been following my training plan (well mostly, I may have missed a few short runs here and there), learning to fuel my body for what works best for my body not only during my runs but before and after and during the week.  I am working on my hydration plans too.  The strength training routines they have outlined in the book are so wonderful and helping a ton.  I have ran up to 16 miles which is 3 miles further (well 2.90) than I have ever ran in my life.  Each week is my longest run I have ever done.  Each week I feel like a total rockstar when I am finished, it is exhilarating!  I really enjoy crossing off each run of my training plan.  I just hit my 200 mile mark for the year yesterday which is awesome for me.  I usually run 300-400 miles in an entire year! I have 6 weeks left before race day and I am excited and nervous, but I am hoping all my research and hard work will pay off and I can finish in my goal time of 5 hours or less, and be able to enjoy it.  I have very much enjoyed my training up to this point and hope that joy continues.  It has been so fun and I have even found a few new running buddies down here to run with!

I am currently running 4 days a week, strength training 2-3 days a week, and trying to fuel my body for what is to come.  I eat 5 small meals a day trying to keep it as clean as possible.  I have cut most of my sugar, soda etc.  I am drinking 3 liters of water per day, and trying to figure out how to hydrate during my runs.  Pre run I try to eat some steel cut oats and egg whites or and apple with peanut butter.  During my runs over 8 miles I fuel with gu every 4 miles (I have thought of trying for something more natural but right now the gu works for me and so I am sticking with it)  I need to work on hydrating during my long runs, I hate carrying my water so dropping water seems to be my best option so far. Post run I grab a chocolate milk ASAP and then I have found I want warm food, like a pulled pork sandwich or breakfast burrito, and I need to eat quickly or I start to feel really icky.  What does your training look like?  What have you done that has worked well for you (I would love to know)?

Me, Scot and Kylee 12 miles in a down pour!!

What is the farthest you have ever ran? Or the hardest run or hardest workout you have ever done?  I know some of you are runners and some of you may not be (deep in my heart I am a crossfitter too I have just had to put that on hold for a moment but I will be back.) but regardless of what you do be it lift, bike, swim, run... I want to hear what is the hardest workout you have done or your biggest fitness accomplishment!?

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

We recently moved away from everything I have ever known.  My family, my husbands family, all my friends and basically went out of my comfort zone.  I left my house that I loved, my crossfit gym and family that I had gone to and loved, and I was so worried about my kids adjusting and all the logistics of moving I forgot to think or prepare myself for the fact that I might struggle, and that this might be hard for me.  Well about a month in it started to set in... My kids and husband were adjusting well and all was great except me.  I had found a really negative attitude and felt so lost, for the first time ever I really felt lost.

Photo from cloudwolfwarrior.deviantart.com 

Never in my life have I fallen into a spiral like I was in.  Depression was beginning to set in and I felt alone and somehow worthless.  I found myself comparing my everything to someone who was better than me... better mom's (they are all over pinterest and even facebook), those who were thinner, or more beautiful or smarter or better wives... everywhere I looked everyone was better.  Negativity had taken over my brain, I am grateful people still wanted to be around me, I was possibly a bit toxic with negative comments.  I had worked on trying my go to things, exercise, eating better, taking a Vit D supplement, taking a B complex supplement, using my uplifting essential oils, and even using St. Johns Wart.  I was in a funk...  I was crying a lot, I was not myself, and I felt very trapped.  I am not sure if anyone can relate to what I was experiencing, but I am sure some of you have.  I was starting to disconnect from my family, from those that love me and that I loved.  This feeling  was not completely foreign to me I have battled postpartum depression with all 3 of my babies and I knew that I was headed in a bad direction and that I may need to go get medical attention if things continued to get worse.  I had thoughts of leaving, leaving everything.  Those thoughts didn't last too long because after I had spent a few weeks relaxing on a beach or poolside somewhere...then what, my stuff wasn't going to go away.   I had a moment driving down the hill from our new home thinking if I just drove right into the lake I could just be done (my sane brain was thinking what the heck... snap out of it) but I was in a funk... The other thing that was really messing with my head is that I couldn't understand my struggle... Seriously I have friends who have lost babies, parents, friends spouses, or watched a love one suffer through cancer, I have a friend who lost her arm to cancer, and here I was having a hard time with moving... what!  I am still floored at the way that this got to me, but it did.  A good friend said to me "Your hardest thing is your hardest thing, and it isn't the same as anyone else's hard thing, but that doesn't make it any less real or hard for you." It made sense to me and I went with it.  I am certain this is not the last thing I will have to endure that is hard for me, nor will it be my hardest thing forever, but it's preparing me for those things to come.  The good news is I didn't act on any of those crazy thoughts that were plaguing me, I decided I had to face this head on and deal with it like the woman I had once been (I wasn't sure where she had gone but I was going to find her)  and I am finally back to normal (well as normal as I ever was).

So here is what I did that has helped:

• I recognized there was a problem and as hard as it was I had to ask for help.  I told my husband what it was I needed and what I was feeling and that I needed him. (this was hard, I hate admitting I need help, but sometimes I do) And after several conversations he reacted... it took me telling him several times because he didn't get how bad things had gotten, and he was unsure how to react to any of it.

• I continued on with my go to things I listed above.  EXERCISE is the most under utilized method to help depression.  In a study I read about they talked about how exercise was so important in correcting the imbalances that create depression, its more effective than medication alone.  In fact the study they ran had 3 groups those treated with medication alone, those treated with exercise alone and those treated with both.  The group treated with medication alone had a high rate of re-lapse once off the medication while the other two groups did not. (I wish I remember where I read about this so I could quote the actual statistics, but the idea stuck with me that exercise was sooo important!)

• I signed up for a Marathon (this gave me something to work towards that was just about me, and as I have continued following my training it gave me moments to be proud of myself for accomplishing something that was hard)

• I have made contact with people

• I limited my time online (facebook, pinterest and other sites can really pull you down at times)

• I got out of my house

• Daily affirmations and positive attitude are a must

• I forced myself to get up and get ready (even if I wasn't going anywhere)

• I got normal sleep (there were a few nights I lay awake and finally took some melatonin)

• I made sure I was eating good (or at least better)

• I joined a gym and go to classes there

• I made sure I was hydrating myself

• I tried to recognize when I was hungry vs when I was board and tried to create new habits such as taking the kids for a walk.

• I made a date with someone at least once a week so I got out of my house just me.

• I also tried to do things for other people, this helped me forget about my self for a minute.

• I prayed (if your not religious use mediation instead of prayer or take a moment to list the things your grateful for in your day)

I know that some of you might be suffering from depression that is full blown, please get help, in addition to doing the things that will help you beyond medication or therapy.

Spa Treatment with Avocados

Nourish and Moisturize
This can be used on your face or your hair.

What you will need:
1/4 ripe small avocado
buttermilk
30 min to yourself
Hot water and wash rag

Begin by securing your hair out of the way (unless your using it on your hair).  Mash up the avocado with enough buttermilk to form a nice paste.  Using your fingers apply using upward motions to the face and neck.  If you have a moment in the sunshine with this mask it is divine to allow everything to be nice and warm (If not you can place a nice hot towel over your face too).  If you have dry chapped hands and want a real treat leave it on your hands as well.  Leave on for 20-30 minutes. Remove with warm damp cloth.  If you are using it on your hair, apply to the hair, and cover your head with a shower cap and leave for 30 minutes. Then rinse.  This is a great mask for normal to dry skin, or dry damaged or fizzy hair.  Great for any type of environmentally damaged skin.

Fat Chance

As I have mentioned I am a bit of a book worm.  I just finished the most fantastic book about the obesity pandemic that is a problem not only in our nation but world wide.  The book is Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease By Robert H. Lustig, M.D.  He is a pediatrician on a mission to help combat the obesity pandemic that is plaguing our world.

As a population we are increasingly getting larger.  He addresses many of the reasons why this is happening, there is so much information in this book that answered so many of my personal questions.  But here are a few main things that he talks about and how you can help yourself to be healthier and by being healthier the weight will take care of itself.  He talks about how a calorie is not a calorie, so the whole theory of calories in vs. calories out does not apply.  This made sense to me as I have struggled to loose weight when just monitoring my calorie intake and adding in exercise.  Your body processes different foods differently and therefore, has a different reaction.  Your body likes real food!  It does not like things from a package.

First off eat your fruits and veggies, don't juice them, but eat them so you get the fiber.  He talks a lot about fiber and how important it is in our diet.  It is my new mission to get more fiber, as this is something I rarely pay much attention to.

Eliminate or at least limit your sugar intake.  Sugar is toxic and addictive.  He talks about how the chemical reaction that takes place in our brain when we eat sugar is similar to that of consuming alcohol.  He talks about how fruit has sugar in it but with the combination of fiber our bodies understand how to process it, but when you eliminate the fiber our body doesn't like it near as well and the consequence of this is we slowly put on the weight.  He also talks about how fruit juice has more sugar in a serving than a can of soda!! YIKES!!!

His recommendations if you must eat something out of a package it needs to:

• Don't consume your calories through liquid form unless it is in milk he says that our bodies process the sugar in milk (lactose) differently than other sugars.
• have no fewer than 3g fiber (my trip to the grocery store was very interesting I couldn't find a bread that had 3g of fiber per serving in it).  
• Sugar no matter what form its listed in (there are about 40 different names for sugar, but dextrose, fructose, glucose, sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup are a few) should  not be in the first 3-5 ingredients.
• No hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (this is code for trans fat)
• Skip the fast food
• If you must go out, order something green, skip the frappuccinos and smoothies, make sure you get some form of lean protein.

He talks in his book about all the different diets from Vegan to Paleolithic diets and many in between and the reason that most people have success with these types of diets is because they are eliminating sugar... that is one component all the diets have in common.  He also talks about hormonal imbalances in our bodies and how to adjust to help yourself.  

He talks about exercise and how when most people begin exercising it is with weight loss in mind, and are sometimes defeated when the number on the scale doesn't budge too much.  Studies show that exercise alone will account for only 2-3lb weight loss, it is your diet that changes the number on the scale.  Exercise is a great way to improve your health and build muscle, but not a great component for weight loss.  Here is the book from Amazon, and I highly recommend it!  There is more information in the book than I can share with you in one little blog post but I felt like I hit some of the most important parts in the book.

Physical book Kindle Book The cookbook that is supposed to be amazing!! I just ordered it myself!

Diet Game with Friends, What could be better?

Physical book Kindle Book

This book is a go to for me when I need to start into eating better or loose a few lbs.  We have done several contests before using this method and I have loved it  loved my results every. Single. time.  even though during the game I may not have been quite that enthusiastic.  It is really a tough thing to loose weight and change your eating habits to healthier ones, plus if your not already doing a few of the other things it makes the adjustment extra hard.

Here is the basics:
5 small meals per day (carb the size of your fist, protein the size of your palm, and healthy fat the size of your thumb and at least two meals must include 2 fist fulls of veggies)  You are never really hungry if you take advantage of the free veggies at each meal and your eating so often as well.  Meals must be eaten every 2-4 hours and the first within 1 hour of waking.
3 liters water
7+ hours of sleep
20 min of exercise
2 healthy habits one your giving up and one your adding in one
Communicate with at least 1 team mate and 1 opponent.

I think this covers the basics.  The food is a little more in depth, no sugar, no soda, no alcohol, nothing fried, carbs are fruits and whole grains, protein is a lean source of protein such as chicken, fish, cottage cheese or other low fat cheeses, and fats are the monounsaturated fats such as avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil.  You get 1 cheat day (don't over do it or you'll regret it) this is a day off from everything
.  You get 1 cheat meal, and 100 free calories per day to use toward anything except soda or alcohol.

Really this is not too bad, but the fact that you are on a team and you don't want to let them down is a huge part of keeping this going.  We usually put $10-20 per person in the pot and winning team takes all.  I have had people loose anywhere from 5-20lbs in a 4 week period.  All of the things that you are doing here are key to success.  The meals are obviously necessary for weight loss and it is really nice not to have to count calories.  The water, sleep and exercise are also critical to helping you become a healthier and hopefully lighter version of yourself.  The point of the game is health, with weight loss an added benefit.  This is probably what I am headed towards as I am training for my marathon in the next few months it will be necessary for me to fuel properly for my body to function properly.  In addition to making sure I am hydrated.

What is your go-to for diets when you are looking to shed a few lbs?