Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Archive for December, 2009
Didn’t get exactly what you wanted?
02 years ago
by Stephy
in Fashion/Shopping
Or do you want to go ahead and treat yourself, or spend that cash you received as a gift? I found these on etsy and received mine in the mail Xmas eve and I love them – neck warmers!! They are so adorable and practical at the same time. I recently went to the Plumbline Potluck and we did a Russian Gift exchange – where everyone takes a number and you can steal gifts. A neckwarmer so similar to these was one of the gifts that got stolen the max number of times – which was just before I was able to make my selection. The culprit knows who she is. Anyways, everyone loved it and the gift bearer got it at Lou Lou’s in Leesburg. I figured looking on etsy was worth a shot and sure enough – I found this site and the quality is great.
Thank you for visiting my shop by bitsyblossoms on Etsy.
If you have not checked out Etsy before – make sure you do. According to Wikipedia: Etsy is a website which provides small business entrepreneurs with a way to buy and sell handmade items, including art, photography, clothing …
The Etsy community spans the globe with buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries. Etsy sellers number in the hundreds of thousands. If you are looking for a unique gift, you will be able to find it with out a doubt at Etsy.
News to Note
02 years ago
Grandma’s Gifts Need Extra Reindeer – NYTimes.com.
While I personally don’t experience this, I have so many friends that do. I think in some ways its great – that grandparents want to spoil their kids out of love – but a donation on their behalf or a contribution to a 529 plan seems such a better way to go.
Make sure to track Santa’s journey tonite on his way to everyone’s houses. Hope you aren’t on the naughty list if you don’t want to be.
How to save a relationship from holiday hell – CNN.com.
Holidays are stressful aren’t they?? Sometimes its spending too much money, or different religions or spending time with one another’s families. Whatever the case may be here are some tips to try not to get too wrapped up in it all.
Weight Loss Tips : Diet Strategies : Shape.com: Diet, Fitness, Recipes, Healthy Eating Expertise.
Not much here to read but some good tips. Do not restrict all the holiday indulgence. It’s’ part of what makes the holidays the holidays – just do it in moderation and be present in the experience. I find that if i just mindlessly fill my plate, which means filling my mouth – I eat so much more than I need to. So that’s my tip: be present in the moment of indulgence, you are less likely to over-indulge!
2009: The Year in Pictures – The New York Times.
I love year end recaps. You find yourself going “oh that was this year, it seemed so long ago”. It is always to reflect at year end so you can make the changes you need to and/or acknowledge the mis steps and take new steps to change!
Looking back, looking ahead
02 years ago
Today it was cold…like sub 20 degrees cold. I got up at my usual 5a, got my stuff together, got all bundled up and headed to Gold’s Gym. I miss my Plumbline training and the 545a ladies but it is a nice change of pace from heavy lifting and pushing my muscles to the max. Although I have to tell you – for doing my own training this week, I am sore. My arms are killing me and I did a bunch of squats yesterday, so my thighs hurt as well. So I know I have pushed some this week albeit not as much as boot camp.
I got on the treadmill and did 5k although I have to admit, I was slower than usual. I did try to focus on doing intervals the last mile or so to see how my body responds.
Then I headed into the weight room:
25lb lunges
arnold press 25lb
back squats 65lbs
bench jumps 50
bench steps 25
OH squats 40lbs
General stretching
Core:
BOSU Push-ups 30
My body is tired so I am happy that Friday is my rest day and its Xmas!
Merry Christmas Everyone! Since we are a mixed religion family, we will be opening presents on Xmas and then will do a Jewish Xmas Dinner – Chinese food at a local restaurant. It’s one of those family traditions that my entire family looks forward too every year. My mom is headed down from NJ for the weekend and we are all excited to see her.
I am so thankful that this year we can celebrate with everyone in the Hoaglund House back in the game. I try very hard not to dwell on our experience the past year, but I took a look back at our blog from December 2008 – what a difference a year makes. Scotty had chemo Xmas Eve last year and was so out of commission. We are so blessed to be able to live the life we do and it’s so important to take a moment and reflect and realize how far we have come!
I love this quote which I will share with you for today:
Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to make sure you get it! – Hector Crawford
What about you? How are you staying active today to help combat all the holiday eating?
News to Note
02 years ago
Pick A Routine And Stick With It | Fitness Health Zone.com.
Picking the right exercise type for you is of vital importance. And you should not worry if you are not very good at it at first. It is a routine, be patient and give it some time. Everything can be learned. This is all common sense advice but I know so many people take the new year as a time to renew their commitments so its worth reading and taking in what helps you. I do think finding the right exercise for you is so important. If you don’t like running, but yet force yourself to run – it’s not going to last. Find something you love to do – and couch surfing doesn’t count people!
Try holiday foods with a nutritional punch – CNN.com.
If you are going to partake in some holiday cheer, here is some advice on what foods have nutritional value. I personally love sweet potatoes and cranberries. I put cranberries in my oats in the morning. Love it!
Crossfit Women: Sanity in 3 minutes.
Sometimes we forget to just relax during this season of jolliness. Release your tension and you will feel better even for just a few moments during the day. Try it and let me know if it works for you.
On Web, Workshops to Create One-of-a-Kind Gifts – NYTimes.com.
…helping people quickly create one-of-a-kind products like clothing, books and jewelry. In some cases, making a custom gift can be as easy as uploading a photo or clicking a mouse. I think it depends what it is, but getting a personalized gift can be such a nice change of pace and it’s reminds of gifts that people used to give. How cool that its so easy to do?
A great start to my day…
02 years ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
I had a great workout this morning. I woke up at 5a as usual, drank a glass of water, and headed out to Gold’s Gym.
I started with a 5k run on the treadmill with the first 2mi done at a 6.5 and then did intervals between 6.5 and 7.5 for the last mile or so.
Then I headed into the weight room and did2 sets AMRepsAP:
65lb OH back squats
45lb hang clean squats
65lb back squats
25lb push presses
25lb lunges (back and forth the length of the room)
50 bench jumps
Then I did core work:
30 push-ups
15 bottom up push-ups
15 BOSU push-ups
placement sit-ups with 14lb medicine ball
General Stretching
Finished with 5 mins on the stairmill which would have been 10 but I was just plain tired, so I decided to throw in the towel for the day.
Some random guy came up to me to ask me about my OH back squats. For a lot of people, flexibility in that area is limited. MT had said that he has issues with that as well and to take a broomstick or dowel and practice rolling it front and back as much as you can. I tend to have flexibility in that area so I think that gives me an advantage. He said he was impressed and how do I do it? I told him that I lock my arms out. I am sure it didn’t help him much but that’s all the help I could offer. Any of you out there have issues with flexibility in that area?
So, what fitness activity did you today?
Exercise Pitfalls – Dr. Weil
02 years ago
by Stephy
in Health/Nutrition
Exercise Pitfalls
I must point out a few pitfalls of exercise that are seldom discussed, especially in our fitness-obsessed age. Exercise is not the sole determinant of health any more than diet is. Some people who exercise vigorously drop dead of heart attacks. Others are unable to rest and relax. Aggressive, competitive people tend to approach exercise as they approach their work and life in general; they may have good-looking bodies, but they are sadly undeveloped emotionally and spiritually.
Many people who run or work out in gyms and spas become too dependent on exercise for their sense of well-being. An important aspect of real health is the awareness that you can feel complete and whole without any external aids, including an aerobics class or a dumbbell. When calamities befall exercise-dependent persons, they frequently respond by exercising even more (unless the calamity is a physical injury, in which case they are really in a pickle). I want you to get into the habit of exercising your body sensibly and moderately. I do not want the habit to become a compulsion. Exercise dependence and exercise abuse are not uncommon. They do not contribute to health and wellness.
via Exercise Pitfalls – Dr. Weil
I am going to keep this in mind. I can see myself in some of these words and you may be saying that that’s what it is for me – a compulsion that my well-being is tied too. I think it’s a part of my overall well-being as well as being with supportive, wonderful people, a healthy interest in learning new things, connections, and a host of other things including giving back.
News to Note
02 years ago
by Stephy
in News to Note
Interval Training – That’s Fit.
You can perform intervals on pretty much any piece of cardio equipment, but I recommend any one of the following: An indoor cycle, Concept 2 rowing machine, Versa-Climber or treadmill, although I prefer outdoor running over indoor running whenever possible.
I try to do interval training on the treadmill when I am at the gym or outside. I find that it helps to do them when I feel like I have to stop, so I speed up as fast as I can for as long as I can, then slow it down to recover.
Fitness – Taking a Bite Out of Sports Stress – NYTimes.com.
…growing number of athletes wearing what manufacturers like to call “performance mouthpieces” while cycling, running or weight training. One of the newest tools in a performance-enhancement arsenal, these mouthpieces are light, flexible pieces of molded plastic that fit over the teeth — and are only vaguely reminiscent of that retainer from junior high school or the bulky mouth guards worn by football players.
Dentists say these high-end mouth guards can open up the airways, prevent teeth-clenching and align the jaw. Being able to take in more air while exercising has obvious benefits — more oxygen for working muscles — while a relaxed jaw can decrease stress and help an athlete’s body function more efficiently.
My bootcamp partners know I have asthma and use an inhaler. I find that chewing gum helps regulate my breathing when I workout. I wonder if this is something that could offer help as well.
Seafood Today: Principal New studies reveal oily fish helps fight skin cancer.
New studies from the National Cancer Institute, England’s University of Manchester and Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine reveal that a diet high in omega-3 oils – the kind that come from oily fish and fish oil supplements – can help prevent skin cancer by boosting the immune system enough to fight off the damaging effects of overexposure to the sun.
I wish I were a fish eater. I supplement Omega-3 but I am sure its not the same as eating the real stuff.
NYC – New York in Last Place in Happiness Rating – NYTimes.com.
One was a survey of 1.3 million Americans done over four years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which asked people about their health and how satisfied they were with their lives. Those self-assessments were stacked against “objective indicators” borrowed from researchers at U.C.L.A. They included state-by-state variances on quality-of-life gauges like climate, taxes, cost of living, commuting times, crime rates and schools.
How interesting. I love NYC. I love to visit there and always said that if I had a lot of money, I would live there for a spell. Sounds like maybe that’s not a great idea. Nj didn’t rank that well either, and I grew up there. Hmmm….
Brain Power – Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them – Series – NYTimes.com
But recent research has turned that assumption on its head — that, and a host of other conventional wisdom about geometry, reading, language and self-control in class. The findings, mostly from a branch of research called cognitive neuroscience, are helping to clarify when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental concepts.
I work for an educational company that believes in teaching children the way they learn based on cognitive science. So this study is very interesting to me. This is something my company already knew and we have been teaching that way for a long time.
Me:1 vs Sleep Monster:0
12 years ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
When people ask me how I manage to get up so consistently, I always explain it in the followin way:
I get all my workout stuff ready the night before including all my workout clothes and stuff I am bringing. That means even my water bottle is pre-filled next to my keys and anything else I need to bring. The less effort you have to exert in the morning pre-workout the easier it is to get out of the house.
You know that little voice that “speaks” to you when your alarm goes off and you don’t want to get up? You are so warm and toasty and comfy. Getting up just seems like its couldn’t be the right thing to do. I call this the “sleep monster”. So the trick is to not let the sleep monster talk to you in the morning. If I find it starting to talk to me – I refuse to let it continue.
However, there are days when it does start to talk to me – like this morning. The alarm went off at 5a and the sleep monster started talking: boot camp is off, no one will call me out if I don’t workout, it’s only one day. I hit snooze but you know what? The workout voice said get up, there are no excuses, you will feel awake and better if you go. So I got up, got ready and headed to Gold’s Gym.
Sometimes even I don’t want to go and workout and would rather sleep. But i am committed to leading a fit life so there are no excuses.
Today’s workout:
Treadmill 2.0mi
Back squats 60lbs
pushpress 25lbs
bench jumps 30x
iso lat pulls 40lbs
woodchops 15lbs
BOSU straddle jumps
Push-ups 30
OH triceps 25lb
back sit-ups
indoor rowing machine 12 mins level 5-8
It wasn’t my best workout. My endurance seems to be lacking the past few days, but I kept with it and am happy its done. I decided instead of the stairmill to do the indoor rowing machine. Holy Cow is that a workout. I did it for 12 mins since I figured I hadn’t done rowing in years. I had to stop every few mins to catch my breath but it was a nice change of pace.
What activity did you do today?
News to Note
02 years ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
Six Mistakes That Make Fitness Fail | Fitness Health Zone.com.
Some good tips to be found for helping keep you on the straight and narrow.
Are You Kidding Me? Size 4 Model Considered “Fat” – That’s Fit.
Once again this is talked about like it’s news. This has been this way forever. It’s crazy and any rational person knows that a size 4 is teeny tiny.
Even a Little Exercise Fights Obesity.
While frequent exercise is known to fight obesity and improve mental health, as little as 30 minutes of physical activity one or two days a week can have benefits, according to the 2009 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Oklahoma Couple Wants To “Return” Adopted Son – Parents return adopted child – Jezebel.
What a sad and interesting story. What to do really? What is the right answer? Reading this article, sounds like someone that handled the adoption didn’t tell the truth. This kid didn’t all of sudden turn violent when he got to his new home – he had problems way before that it sounds. In my opinion – these should be handled on a case by case basis – no sweeping laws to address it in a one size fits all. This clearly sounds like this case was not handled properly. I feel for the parents – they were trying to do a good thing…
