A Food Dilemma: Poison or Pleasure?

I've been struggling lately.  I feel like a lot of people have.  I can feel it in the air.  I don't know if it the changing of the seasons or the start of school, but it seems like everyone around me is fighting their own personal battles.

I would've never been able to resist at Hogwarts

Mine, is food.

Last year, I got a real handle on my eating.  I wasn't heavy by any means, but I lost a good amount of fat that I was carrying around my middle and in my thighs.  I was eating more, eating cleaner, and lifting heavy.  I was drinking very little alcohol because I was exhausted every night from renovating my new home.  I felt strong both mentally and physically.

This year is proving to be a different story.  I have started training for my first marathon, a HUGE bucket list item that I never thought would be possible after my knee surgery.  And I know that one of the main struggles for runners can be eating TOO much... especially too much carbs.

So, I've been watching what I eat... at least, I think I have.  And I've been working out, hard, every day.  And yet, the pounds, and the fat, have been creeping back.

This makes me angry and frustrated!  Meanwhile, my good friend Bethany over at Living Between Labels is struggling with her own autoimmune issues.  She has been forced to cut out MAJOR foods, like tomatoes and wheat, because they cause her body to, essentially, attack itself.  The two of us, along with many of our other friends in the health and fitness world, talk daily about what we should be eating, what we shouldn't be eating, how much to eat, when to eat it.  And then we have to help our challengers navigate these same questions and struggles.  And that just goes for people with no food allergies or health issues!

It's exhausting.  And the struggle to constantly make the right choices is real for a lot of people.  My friend and coach Kristin can't eat gluten or dairy, and for her, she says it's simple:  these foods are poison.  If you think about it like you're eating poison, it's very easy to say no.

But then, food is an addiction for many.  Just like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine are all poisons, people still put them in their bodies every day.  And while many people die from them, many don't.

Food gives me joy.  Pizza and chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and grapes and cheese and wine.  I feel good when I drink my Shakeology and eat my salad for lunch and my lightly sweetened greek yogurt and my cauliflower and my turkey meatballs for dinner.  But those are not what I want.  But even when I do eat those consistently, sometimes it's not enough.  I want a treat.  Those are healthy in moderation.  But what is moderation?  One small portion a day?  One large portion a week?  You only live once, you know... what's wrong with having a glass of wine at dinner.

So here I sit, fighting with myself and my desires.  Do I want wine or do I want rock hard abs?  Do I want the guilt of eating a piece of chocolate or the agony of turning it down?  What is REALLY going to make me happy?  Food or 5% body fat?

You know what?  I'm not sure yet.  Whenever I think I know, I change my mind.

I want to live a long, happy, healthy life.  What's the recipe for that?

Vacation Plan-- How to workout and eat right even while you're on vacation!

As a teacher, vacation has somewhat of a different meaning to me.  It's true that I don't have to go to work for a solid three months out of the year, but for me, having an entire day to my self means I'm cleaning the house, running errands, getting caught up on business stuff, and the list goes on.  If you really want to talk vacation with me, it means I'm not in my own house and most likely, also have a wonky internet connection.  Those two things for me = vacation.  Those two things also mean it's going to be hard for me to a) stick to my meal plan and b) workout.

But for me, I LOVE eating well because it makes me feel good and healthy.  I LOVE working out because it energizes me and gives me an outlet for my stress.  And so for me, when I take a vacation, a real vacation, I don't actually want to stop doing those two things!  But none the less, as I said before, taking a vacation does make those things difficult.  So, I wanted to talk about my tips and tricks to eating, working out and work your business even while you're on vacation!

Food is Fuel.

Everybody's vacations look different.  Some people are with their families and young kids, some are with friends, some are laying by the beach and pool all day napping and reading, some are walking around theme parks (me!), some are on amazing adventures like hiking and biking and rock climbing!  Whatever the case is, vacations almost always involve... RESTAURANTS.  People love not having to cook for themselves.  Seriously, if I didn't have to cook for the rest of my life, I would be a happy woman.  It's not that I don't like the actual cooking per say, but everything that goes along with it:  the meal planning, the shopping, the prep, the clean up.  Check please!

So what are some DOs and DON'Ts of restaurant dining if you're trying to stay on track?

DO eat all the fruits and veggies that come with your meal.  All of them.
DON'T eat the bread that comes before the meal!  Even though it is delicious.
DO save half of your meal as leftovers.  Restaurants almost always give inappropriate serving sizes.
DON'T order alcohol (or, order only one, and NOT the super sugary ones with the umbrellas in them!)
DO drink as much water as you can!
DON'T order meat and bread heavy options at every meal if you are eating out for multiple meals of the day.
DO skip dessert.

Everyone deserves a treat.  It will not be a treat if you are away for 10 days and eat whatever you want.  Trust me.  #allthepoop


Some other helpful tips for eating right while on vacation:

• Keep some easy to keep and carry fruits and veggies in your hotel room/vacation space.  You can easily pack a banana, apple, or some baby carrots to munch on while your on the boat or taking a break from Space Mountain (woohoo!)
• Don't go out for breakfast.  Instead, buy a box of cereal and eat it in your hotel room!  You can even keep little cartons of milk in the hotel fridge!
• Remember that most places will sell you bottled water, but they will fill up a cup of water for free.  If you're not nervous about where the water is coming from, take advantage of that!
• Did you know that with just 8 oz of water, you can shake up a serving of Shakeology and know that you are getting almost all of your necessarily vitamins and minerals for the day?  And covering a snack or meal?  And doing it for less than $4.66 a serving.  That's less than a water bottle at most vacation spots!

Wake Up and Work Out.

Getting motivated to workout during vacation is hard.  I get it!  The allure of sleeping in and cuddling with your significant other/kids/pillow is strong when it is a rarity on days when you have to go to work.  But instead of thinking of exercise as something that cuts in to or takes away from your vacation, think of it as something that adds to and enhances your vacation!



Take advantage of where you are and turn your surroundings into exercise.  Do yoga on the beach or take a bike ride on the boardwalk.  Do laps in the bay.  Jog through the woods or even through the city!   If it's a rainy day, grab a partner and head to the hotel gym or pool.  Vacations should also be about spending time with people that you... love to spend time with!  Imagine that!  So spend some time working up a good sweat and talking about what you're going to do that day or even how much fun you had the night before!

Regardless, just get up and move around.  If you spend all day walking around an amusement park, don't feel guilty about counting that as your exercise for the day.  But, if you're going to nap and drink mojitos all day long, a sunrise, exploratory jog might be just the ticket!


Are you looking for some accountability during your upcoming August vacation?  Or are you just looking for the motivation to get up and get moving?  What about daily posts and reminders to make good food choices?  How about the advantage of having ONE totally and completely healthy and guilt-free delicious meal that you can make at home or take on the go?

My Operation Vacation Challenge Group is starting on August 16, just three days before I leave on my own vacation to Disney World... and I would LOVE to have you join me (in the group... although if you want to come to Disney World with me, let's do it!)!   Just fill out the form below to apply!

Fill out my online form.

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3 Day Refresh Planning and Prep!

I'm taking the plunge.  It took me about 7 months, but I finally feel brave enough to attempt the 3 Day Refresh.  (What is the 3 Day Refresh?  Scroll down and I'll tell you!)

On my journey to this decision, I passed through all five stages of grief:

Denial-- I don't need to do some crazy cleanse!  I'm thin!  I don't eat crap!

Anger-- Why do I hate veggies?!  If I didn't hate veggies, maybe I would try it.  Stupid veggies.

Bargaining--  I promise I'll only eat one more brownie.  One more brownie can't hurt.

Depression--  I'm so bloated and I ate so much boo hoo me.

Acceptance--  OK I'LL DO IT!

So here we are.  Rachel (obviously) graciously volunteered to "do it" with me.  She completed the 3DR once before in the fall and lost a few pounds.  I have no idea what to expect in terms of weight/inch loss.  What I am most excited about is feeling and LOOKING less bloated.  After the holidays, and the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day, I'm ready for a little restart.

Rachel and I started off our President's Day with a little trip to Whole Foods.  Rachel has very high standards for her fruit and veggies.  I like cheap.  In case you didn't realize this, Whole Foods is not cheap.  But like they say, "You are what you eat, so don't be fast and cheap," heh heh.

Here's Rachel's beautiful meal prep:

And mine!  All done!

I'm also ready to be totally transparent about this little journey.  Here are my pictures and weight from this morning, my first morning.  I'll be back on Friday morning with updates on my pictures and weight (hopefully) loss.

Just so everyone knows, the 3 Day Refresh is a three day cleanse filled with fruits, veggies and healthy fats, along with protein and fiber shakes.  It is low caloric, but you still eat five times a day, with plenty of tea and water in between.  It's a great way to recover after a particular gluttonous weekend, prepare for an upcoming event or vacation, break through a plateau, or just jumpstart a new healthy lifestyle.

I was doing pretty well with my health and nutrition  through the holidays, and then for some reason, it caught up with me in January.  By that point, I knew I was going to be doing the refresh after Valentine's Day, so I really let myself go these last few weeks.  I am excited to get back on track and ready for a few spring runs I have planned and looking great for the summer!

Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

I tried so many new recipes this week!  Thankfully, none of them were failures, but I'm not quite ready to share them with the world!

Sooo I decided instead to share my favorite snack in the whole wide world, aside from Oreos, Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins.  It sounds like an exaggeration, but it's true.  These muffins are densely packed with all things whole grain, with a touch of sweetness and warm cinnamon.  I originally found the recipe at Chew Out Loud, but I wasn't 100% pleased with it.  The biggest issue was I found that the blueberries got a little rank in the muffins if I didn't eat them fast enough.  I tried to freeze them, but the blueberries didn't thaw real well.

And then I remembered the most perfect combination in all the land:  Oatmeal and Raisin.

Add to that my desire to "clean up" the recipe a little bit and WA-LAH (sp?)!  A star was born.

Of course, I headed over to Rachel's to teach her about my magic little muffins.

Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Total time:  35 minutes
Yield:  12-15 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 TB dry flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pure maple syrup
1 TB vanilla
1 cup leftover, cooked steel cut oatmeal (I cook a big batch and keep it in my fridge for when I need it!)
1 cup raisins


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a muffin tin with coconut oil spray.  If you're feeling extra culinary (and you don't forget like I always do), try soaking your raisins in the vanilla for about 15 minutes before adding them to the recipe.  It really plumps up the raisins in the muffins and make them extra flavorful!

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and honey until well incorporated.  Add the buttermilk, olive oil and maple syrup and whisk again until well combined.  Next add the leftover cooked steel cut oatmeal.  I find that it's usually pretty clumpy and gets stuck in my whisk.  I'm not afraid to dig my hands in their and break up the clumps.  Although, it's not a bad thing to take a bite of a muffin and get a clump of oatmeal :)  Next add your raisin and vanilla mixture.  Finally, combine the wet and dry ingredients together in one bowl.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  I fold slowly from the bottom up until I don't see any flour.

Spoon batter into the muffin tin.  I like to make the batter just even with the top of the muffin tin.  Play it by ear depending on how many muffins you want.

I freeze these bad boys to ensure long-lasting freshness.  It's so easy to just pop one out in the morning and either heat it up in the microwave for a few second, or throw it in my lunchbox, where it defrosts naturally and is ready by the afternoon.  

I totally see myself trying to turn this into some kind of pumpkin miracle, come next fall!

PiYo Review

I love running.  I love weightlifting.  And last July, I learned that I really loved PiYo.  If you have ever talked to me about working out, you've probably heard me call PiYo my "soul workout".  PiYo saved my life and my body.  Last June when I had knee surgery, I was at the end of my rope.  I hadn't run for five months... or really done any kind of strenuous exercise.  My husband wasn't working and I was stressed and depressed.  My cousin-in-law had been gently baiting me with both the anticipation of PiYo's release and the possibility of coaching for months.  Even still, when I signed up to be a coach with PiYo on the day it was released, one day after my knee surgery, I not only felt like I was jumping the gun, I was not super hopeful that it would do anything major for me.  Best case scenario, it would be exercise that I could easily and safely do while I was rehabbing my knee.

Not to sound pompous, but I am hardly ever wrong... and I was very wrong about this.

Here is my review of PiYo including answers to the most frequently asked questions, along with explanations of each of the workouts.  If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments or send me an email or private message!

What is PiYo?
PiYo is a low-impact, high-intensity workout that combines the flexibility and power of yoga with the  core-focused strength-building of Pilates.  However, I tend to think this definition does not do it justice, and in fact, can be misleading.  For cardio and strength-training junkies like me, they hear the word "yoga" and go running for the hills.  "Yoga is boring" is what I often hear from them (and frankly, from myself).  For yogis and people who find their meditation and peace from practicing yoga, they go into PiYo expecting the same.  The thing I think I want to stress the most about PiYo is that PiYo is HIGH-INTENSITY.  You will move.  You will sweat.  Your muscles will scream.  It is not boring and it is not meditative.  It is for people with an open mind for an unexpected way to exercise and transform their bodies.

Why is PiYo effective?
Every movement in PiYo engages the core muscles.  A weak and inflexible core minimizes your ability to properly and effectively use the rest of your body during the workouts and in your everyday life.  Every movement in PiYo also engages multiple muscle groups at the same time while in constant motion.  This not only mimics the functional movements of the real world, but keeps your heart rate up to ensure that you are burning calories the whole time!

We've all heard of the benefits of stretching.  The dynamic stretching in PiYo is effective in many of the same ways as static stretching.  Stretching and flexibility can improve the range of motion of your joints, allowing your muscles to work most effectively.  Because stretching lengthens your muscles and supplies blood flow, it increases your ability to build muscle and recover from muscle fatigue.

Who is PiYo for?
This is actually great because unlike many Beachbody programs, PiYo is literally for everyone!

• For men and women who want to lose weight-- The high-intensity moves that require the use of multiple muscle groups at one time keep your heart-rate at the optimal level for calorie burning!
• For people who want to build lean muscle-- PiYo uses your own body weight as the primary source of resistance... no weights required!
• For fitness beginners-- There is no complicated choreography to learn.  There is a modifier in every workout for every move.  Chalene is VERY vocal when it comes to explaining all the movements and when they happen.  Even in moves where you are not looking at the TV, you understand what she is asking you to do and how to do it.
• Extreme fitness enthusiasts-- PiYo is constant, often athletic movements that require muscle endurance, flexibility and core strength that even the most fit men and women may lack.
• People who want the results of an extreme program, without jumping, weights, or straining their joints--  PiYo has no jumping and no weightlifting.  Even two weeks after my surgery, I was able to complete the program following the modifier.  After four weeks of PiYo (six weeks post surgery), I saw NOTICEABLE changes in my body, despite modifying.
• People who don't have a lot of room and don't want a workout that requires a lot of equipment-- All that is recommended for PiYo is a yoga mat!

What do I get with PiYo?
Your PiYo program will come with a Quick Start Guide that will explain how to maximize your results, two 60-day PiYo workout calendars for either PiYo or PiYo Strength (PiYo Strength DVDs sold separately), the Get Lean Eating Plan with clean eating meal suggestions specifically tailored to the PiYo program, and a tape measure to take your body measurements in order to track your progress and get your free t-shirt upon completion of the program!  And of course, your program also comes with the following workouts:

Align:
Get the basics on the moves you will see in all the workouts.  Chalene will explain the movements and positions to you, show you the proper form, and give you the opportunity to become comfortable with everything in a relaxed setting.

Define Upper Body (20 min):
This basic workout includes all the moves that you will see throughout the program that really focus on your arms, upper back and core.

Define Lower Body (20 min):
This basic workout is another stepping stone to the more challenging workouts in the program.  It includes all the moves that you will see throughout the program that really focus on your glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Sweat (38 min):
This is a transitional PiYo workout that takes you through moves that work every part of your body.

Buns (28 min):
This workout really targets your glutes and hamstrings to tighten and strengthen the lower part of your body.  It's leg day!

Core (30 min):
Core incorporates both standing and floor moves that target your lower, middle and upper abs AND obliques with very little actual crunches!

Strength Intervals (22 min):
This workout is non-stop for the entire 22 minutes.  It alternates between intense body weight resistance moves and heart-rate elevating athletic cardio to give you a well-rounded workout!

Sculpt (27 min):
Sculpt is all about muscle endurance.  It uses body weight moves you've seen before, but constantly varies the tempo to challenge your strength and your balance.

Drench (47 min):
By far the most comprehensive and challenging PiYo workout in the program.  Drench consists of two parts.  The first part is the body weight, high-intensity moves featured throughout most of the workouts.  Flow, the second section, focuses on stretching and balance.

BONUS Hard Core on the Floor (30 min):
If and only if you order through your coach (me), you'll receive this amazing core workout that--you guessed it-- includes only floor work.  However, say goodbye to boring crunches, because you won't see any of those here!

Don't even get me started on the PiYo Strength DVDs!  Those are for another, shorter blog post day!  If you want to get hyped up about PiYo, you can watch the PiYo Launch Promo!

Now that you know absolutely everything there is to know about my favorite program PiYo, what are you waiting for?  I have Challenge Groups starting the first Monday of every month and along with Shakeology and a diet of clean eating, I can guarentee success!

Why am I not losing weight? Don't blame the fat fairy.

I want to take a moment to be real with you, and also encourage you (it is Motivational Monday, after all)

The other coaches on my team and I often talk about how to encourage our Challengers and people in general who feel discouraged during the first few weeks of their programs. When the numbers on the scale don't drop rapidly, they figure their new healthy lifestyles weren't working. We're all so busy, so if something is not working, why make the time for it?

There are a few things I want you to consider if you feel like this is you. 

1.  First and foremost, think about this: it probably took a while, maybe even years, for you to get to this point, the point where you feel like you need to lose a few pounds. This happened because life happened. This is normal! However, the exercise and nutrition changes you started making a few weeks ago need to become lifestyle changes. I promise it’s not going to take the same amount of time to lose the weight as it did to gain the weight, but to do it in a healthy, permanent way, it’s going to take some time.

2.  Second, you are putting your body through a new rigorous routine and believe it or not, there's going to be some swelling and water retention until your body regulates.  Why does this happen?  When your body starts a brand new exercise program, you use your muscles in new ways.  Microscopic tears in your muscles during these exercises cause the muscle soreness you experience.  In order to "protect and defect" your body from future muscle tears (essentially making your muscles stronger so you can continue to improve with that exercise), your muscles become swollen and inflamed and therefore retain water.  Once your muscles and your body become used to your new exercise routine, the muscle inflammation will decrease and so will your weight.

3.  Another big difference especially for those who have never worked out like this before OR were not eating what they should have (let’s face it, in college I might have been 10 pounds lighter but I was eating a soft pretzel and chocolate pudding every day for lunch), your body didn’t have the muscle that you are currently building. So when we are focused on the number on the scale, we might not realize that there is actually less flab around our bodies to pinch. THIS is the goal!

This is your EXTRA CHALLENGE for this week: no matter what program you are doing or what week you are on, if you are feeling discouraged, take your measurements and your pictures again, but do not get on the scale. Finally, take a good, hard look at what you are eating. Are you eating things you shouldn’t? Calorie counting is a great idea, but it’s not going to work if those calories include Cheetos and Gatorade and bagels. It was a tough slap in the face for me too, but the results have been undeniable.