How am I the StressLess FatLoss person??

StressLess EXPERT....

Are you a friend or family member? Do you know me well? Have you simply MET me? Then you may either be thinking one of two things:

1) that I'm the wrong person to create a program about stressing less

or

2) I'm the PERFECT person to create a program focused on Stressing Less and balancing your life.

I'm going to go with 1, for obvious reasons, but I'll let you know why it's 2.  

I was BORN to stress. I was a month early when I was born, just because, no other complications leading to it...I simply NEEDED to come early because I was worried I might miss something (at least that's my personal theory). And so it continued...  I always worried about things. Being late, being the first asleep at parties (so I was always the last), worried about what my sister was doing, worried about what was for dinner at breakfast, worried about fire escape routes while falling asleep, worried I'd miss something important, making things important that weren't!  The list goes on...

I even got made fun of in college by a roommate/god friend (so it was lovingly yet he made a point) for putting on my schedule "brush teeth at 7:35am" "brush hair at 8:02am"  "walk out door at 8:16am"....

I feel this quality helped me thrive in my corporate career. I was always on time, aka early, I sent in projects on time, I finished work early, I expected the same from people I worked with and I got things DONE. I excelled and got promoted on track as I had planned.

Then I became a MOM....and that "great quality" that I thrived on started to not work so well. Stressing about baby falling...but falling ON something, splitting her head, breaking a bone from a tiny tumble, envisioning her choking on an entire chicken bone (um, not a dog, and I don't even eat chicken on a bone!), all very irrational. Naptime had to be done at the EXACT minute, on the minute. Bedtime had to be perfect, the same routine every time, at the right time.  Needless to say, I stressed about everything.   

Add myself into the equation, my routine, my workout, my nutrition and health, my work, my clients...and it was/is a disaster. Stress rules me.

Therapy (and my husband, who is the epitome of relaxed and "stressless") taught me that I need to control it or it controls me.

Born from my own life came the StressLess FatLoss program...using it helped me not worry about food or fitness during times of heightened-stress or during really busy and fun-filled times in life. It helped me drop some stress related fat gain without over-stressing my body and BALANCING my hormones to do so.  It also helps me maintain my health and fitness during those busy times that would make it too stressful for me to fit in my hour-long, but needed, lifting workouts.

Did you know that the much desired, long workouts can actually be counterproductive for hormone balancing and stress also? So taking a step back, letting go (Let it go...let it go...  #girlmom) is necessary, though hard, for your health (and fat loss!).

Join me in getting happier and healthier while LEARNING to balance yourself, your nutrition and your fitness...whatever that means to YOU., in YOUR life.  

End of the first week of 2013...*workout, snack

Did you set a resolution this year? It's that time of year again, the time when we renew our goals to ourselves, to our lives and to our family. The first week of the new year is ending and I want to make sure we all are able stay on track for the year.  Those that forget by the next Friday that their New Year resolution was to "give up sugar" may need to reevaluate their goals. Seriously, no sugar.  Ever. For a whole year. Seriously? Did you make it a week? Try again.
       Well, I have to admit, I didn't really set a lot of resolutions, no list this year....but it was intentional. I always preach that it is important to set realistic goals, and resolutions are included in that too. I always do a self-check about May and October to see if I've hit my goals or kept with my resolution I made the previous January. In 2012 it was pretty close! (hey, no one is perfect). So this year I set two goals, one that focuses on myself and one that focuses on my family.
    #1... live as healthy as possible but don't live with regrets either. This means if I want a burrito, I eat one (well, if I can find a gluten free one *sad face*) or if I want anything to splurge on, do it but don't think about it days later. Eat it, enjoy it, and live the next 6 days happy and healthy.
     #2... be happy in life, with life and with my family. We are here together and we need to be grateful for what we have, who we have and live our best life..all of the time, not just when we remember. Sometimes life gets in the way of life. I'm going to make sure that I (and in turn, my family) appreciate everything and I don't sweat the small stuff. It's a cliche but it's true, don't sweat the small stuff!

So here's a great snack that I've been eating a ton of, it's simple and fast:
Hummus and sweet peppers!
Any flavor hummus will do, Sabra is my favorite brand because it is GF and I like the spicy because it stops you from eating a ton since your mouth is on fire.

Those little bell pepper like peppers in a bag you see in the grocery store are the ones I'm talking about.
       Dip and crunch. It's a perfect snack when you need to crunch something like a potato chip or crunchy candy.Try it

At-home workout for the week:
10 Donkey jumps with a chair on each side
10 push-ups
20 high knees
10 v-ups
10 jump-squats
***repeat 3 times or more, no less!  And time yourself, do it every day for a faster time- descriptions below

Donkey jumps with a chair- stand facing a chair, the part you sit on is facing you. Bend over and put one hand on either side of the seat, so you're leaning on it. (You'll be facing down with your butt sticking out basically) Then you'll jump with both feet together from side to side lifting from your hips. Keep grabbing the seat, don't let go, but jump right and left 10 times on each side.
Push-ups-  I hope you know what a push up is.... Keep your butt down, body in line and look about a foot in front of you on the floor.
High knees- Stand up and you will run in place bringing your knees as high as possible, slow down a bit so you can get your knees even higher, 20 on each side!!
 v-ups Lay on your back stretched out with arms over head and legs out straight. You will bring your finger tips to your toes, they'll meet above you so your body makes a V. Fingers to toes, then lower legs and arms back down, wash. rinse and repeat. :)
Jump-squats stand up, lower yourself into a squat and jump with your arms reaching high, land in a squat position (this is important! it will protect your knees from damage). Squat down, jump up high and do it all over again.

Locals: take a look at m 10-day Fit program, save your spot now it'll start soon :)

Happy, healthy week :)

Happy and Healthy :)..Workout included

Alright, well it has been too long...but I can say I've not gotten off track. Gia, as you know, had surgery on her kidney and she is doing great, totally recovered and running around. The only sign is the large scar on her side but that will go away in time. We'll go back in a week for the post-op and then one more time going under to get the stent out in a few more weeks. Thanks all for the calls and stuff, it made it go by faster.  But now it's hot and we are back to normal loving the heat and playing in the water every day!

On a "my thing, my time, non-mommy" topic...We, my friend and I, are about 12 weeks out from our Fitness Competition and it's SO on.... cleaner eating, more focused workouts and walking in 5 inch heels daily! I'll get some before pics up soon, I will have to have a shot of some adult beverage or some other inhibition inhibiting substance first but I'll post it in the next week or so. :)  If anyone is curious and wants to get on a schedule here's my workout plan (and plans change sometimes...)

                 Monday- cardio, either swim or bike (one hour max), lifting back and biceps and an at home HIIT workout in the evening (see below workout).

                 Tuesday- slight cardio (only because I teach my cycle/sculpt class) and lifting legs       
                 Wednesday- Lift chest and triceps (maybe back), cardio swim
                  Thursday- same as Tuesday

                  Friday- cardio, bike or swim...or both! and abs

                  Saturday- BodyPump

                  Sunday off or family hike or swim

You can join in and make it a group thing...I'd love to know people are doing it too.

 So anyways, while in the hospital Gia was pretty much knocked out so I was able to get in a workout while there....here's your Mommy's-at-home-workout- Sippy Cups and Water Bottles:

20 plie squats (legs out wide with toes pointing to out)

20 front knee raises each leg (raise knee to opposite elbow, twisting your torso)

20 tuck jumps (put your hands waist high, palms down. Jump from standing position but jump/tuck your knees up high enough hitting them on your hands)...these were interesting to do in the hospital!

20 chair dips for triceps (sit on a chair, place hands beside your hips with fingers facing the front of chair. Scoot butt off the chair holding yourself up with hands and dip up and down.)

10 push ups with hands on the chair for easy or floor for harder- push yourself- make it harder!

20 jump lunges (get into a lunge, hold one second then jump up and switch your legs, do this 20 times!)

Repeat this workout as many times as you can...after the dishes but before the kiddos wake up from naptime! ;)

And for our newest clean, gluten-free meal favorite...
Salmon with lemon zest and juice (or if you're lazy just lemon juice, ask me how I know that.) and garlic

Black beans from the crockpot seasoned with salt, pepper and chili powder

Broccoli and green bean veggie mix (um, totally from the frozen department, much easier)
Tomato Basil polenta baked! yummmmy

Secret desert: I cup of plain Greek yogurt with a cup of frozen berries on top (no sugar added fruit).

Stop the DIETING maddness

I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day and I hope you are still being celebrated and are still pampering yourself even though it's all over :) I heard something said this weekend that irks me and I had to put it out there to make sure everyone hears this. Someone said this weekend "well, THIS is a bad day for my diet! Guess I'll diet again on Monday..."  That is so frustrating to me, I with the word 'diet' would just disappear. Or at least only be used when talking about someones dietary intake...as in "their diet consists of...", not A Diet.  When someone is on A Diet it gives them a something to fail at, or take time off of (and usually not go back to!). But when we lead a Healthy Lifestyle, those random days where you eat something 'bad' is just a fun day, not a day where you think "I failed, I ate wrong or I will have to start over." Does that make sense? Diets fail. But healthy lifestyles are there forever, it's your lifestyle, how you live every day and there's no way around it. Those little dietary indiscretions aren't going to hurt as bad or be as detrimental when you feel good about yourself every other day of the week.

It's like talking to a child and telling them they can't do something, what do they do? They want to do it more. What do teen girls do when you say they can't date that bad-boy? She wants to date him more. What happens when you tell yourself you can't have that cookie? you can't stop thinking about cookies until  you go to the store and get a box! So give yourself that cookie. Then have a salad for dinner :) If you tell yourself you're "on a diet" then it's something that you will really not want to do. But if you decide to live a healthy life and just be healthy because you need to then it won't be so tempting to be "bad". This is your one live, live it, love it and be healthy. the Golden Rule of life: Treat your body like you want to be treated, with respect.

I challenge every one of you to STOP DIETING! Free yourself from that ball and chain and just live healthy, you will be happier. Food is fuel for your body, it helps you get though the day. And that bowl of fettuccini alfredo will not be your 'last one you can ever have' so don't eat a heaping amount like it's your last meal. Have a small portion, savor it, add some veggies and be OK with your choices. Make healthy choices for life.

Ok, talking with a friend today about protein and how it is important to weight loss.... so here's a protein packed snack:

Protein Packed Peanut Butter balls-

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (natural- try a Mennonite store here in MO, it's way cheaper for fresh PB)

1/2 cup Agave nectar (organic. Agave has a lower glycemic index so it won't give as much of a "sugar rush" as honey...or sub honey)

1 cup oats (quick or regular)

3/4 cup brown rice flour (it's gluten free. but you can use any flour)

1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (or just 1 cup of flour if you don't have protein powder)

*optional: craisins or raisins to tase...about 1/4 cup

Combine flour and protein. Mix peanut butter and Agave nectar. Mix remaining ingredients together then add it all together in to a large bowl and evenly combine. Roll into little balls, about 1". Place them on a wax paper covered cookie tray and put in the freezer for 30 mins. Eat, enjoy!

Have a Happy, Healthy day! If you have questions about a workout or gluten free eating please leave it in the comments...

Fitness competitor, what?! Plus workout

A lot of us are goal oriented people, we need something to shoot for or to accomplish. I am that way. I always need something to go for or look forward to; a vacation, a visit from a friend, an event, a lunch date, breakfast, lunch or dinner... How ever big or small, I am always looking forward to something. So, half marathon- check. Now I need something else on my docket.

I am so much of a goals person and so much dislike running that as I was plotting my next task and coming up empty I actually considered, wait for it...fitness competitions. After about 48 hours of seriously considering it and researching it to the end of the Internet- I haven't actually counted it out yet :-/

Ummm, that's right, you read that right. My half marathon goal was directly tied to my being a mom and wanting to complete my first one within a year of having a baby. (I would have it done 4 months earlier but I broke my foot so I was a month late, whatev, I did it). This "new goal" if I choose to accept it would be an accomplishment for me personally because my post baby body is so different prom my pre-baby body, like most moms- unless you're Heidi Klum or Giselle. So you might want to stay tuned because along with mom and family oriented FitTips I might be posting about that journey... Or another one if I find a better goal. We'll see.

On that note, I've seen the need to bump up or at least just vary my training so I added some different things. I have always been into HIIT training (high intensity interval training- the latest "fad") since I'm a spinner for the last 10 years. But I added sculpting moves to it.
Here's yesterday's killer:
2 mins on a spin bike or jump rope
Push ups -max reps
Walking lunges -30( 15 each leg)
Squat jumps- 12-15
Lateral raise- 10-12 directly to
Overhead press-10-12
Mountain climbers- 20 secs
* rest 15 secs in between moves and 1-2 mins between repeats. Repeat 2-5 times*

Happy HIITing