Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Archive for August, 2010
Fall Fashion – What Do Young Fashionistas Want?
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fashion/Shopping
Fall Fashion – What Do Young Fashionistas Want? – NYTimes.com.
I love reading about fashion trends. Here’s an interesting article in the NYT about Millennials and their take on fashion this fall….what are your thoughts?
There is plenty of research about the so-called Millennials — people ages 18 to 29 — to suggest you can’t lump them all together. Not only is this group likely to become the most educated generation in American history, according to a Pew Research Center survey this year, it is also the most racially and ethnically diverse. At the same time, this generation’s 37 percent unemployment rate is certain to affect taste. It may explain an underlying conservatism in fall fashion — penny loafers, camel coats, longer hemlines — that goes beyond “Mad Men” hype.
Weekend Fun for Families
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Parenting/Family
Looking for some fun ideas in the Northern VA area this weekend? Here are some — AOL has a great employee parent’s group and they send out this weekly newsletter full of information and ideas and events. Here’s a few events I noticed this upcoming weekend:
SAT 8/28 Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show features almost 500 tables of train dealers, presentations, and a variety of operating model railroad and toy layouts – including trains kids can operate and trains they can ride. http://www.greenbergshows.com
SAT 8/28 Family Fest Inova Loudoun Hospital sponsors the annual event, featuring interactive activities and entertainment focusing on family health and safety, nutrition, education, community awareness, and family fun. http://www.familyfestva.com/activities.html
SAT 8/28 Lucketts Fair Lucketts Fair features handmade crafts and historic demonstrations. Bluegrass bands play in an outdoor gazebo. Two other stages offer live entertainment. Children’s entertainment includes music, shows, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and hands-on farm and nature exhibits. And don’t miss the hand-churned ice cream… http://www.theluckettsfair.com
Stick with it — there is no way you will regret it.
01 year ago
I have a friend at bootcamp who seems to get down on herself too much — I saw her slowing down today and I said ‘Come on, you can do it — if I can, you can’. She said no way — and it got me thinking, does she really think that I have something she doesn’t have? Well maybe I do- maybe it’s a stronger commitment or desire to do it, but physically I don’t. It really is a mental thing — how bad do you want it? How much is it worth to you?
I look at pictures of myself today and I look so different than the Stephy of 2 years ago. Different in a great way. I look happier, less bloated. My face was so puffy years ago and the truth is – I FEEL Happier, Better physically and mentally. I am a completely different person who surrounds myself with healthier people. And with all of the changes in me — my family has changed. My kids are aware and conscience of living a healthier lifestyle. They love that their Mom has muscles. Hannah says — Mom show me your after muscles — (when I flex). And Nate loves to ask me to show his friends and teachers my muscles.
Here’s a pic of me September 2009 – I love the Picasa photo program because it has a people id feature. I can view all the photos of me that are in the directory and I can see the the changes. Who is that person to the left? That was one full year into my bootcamp — so I was well on my way –but look at the difference in my face now.
Why I am talking about this? Because it reaffirms that continually recommitting to my goals for a healthy and fit life works. 1 year I saw changes, 2nd year – I see even more defined improvements — and we all know that exercise has long term benefits that extend beyond the things you can see. Don’t give up because if you stick with it — there is no way you will regret it.
A Welcome Workout
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
I feel fall in the air and what a difference it makes in my workout. For one, I can breathe — the heat and humidity wreak havoc with my asthma so this cooler air is a welcome break. Also, I have more energy to do the workouts with the cooler weather. Win no matter how you look at it!
I am so sore — those squats I did yesterday are really making the back of my legs know who’s boss. Also my shoulders are very tight and when I turn my head to the left..let’s just say that I don’t enjoy turning my head to the left right now.
It was a good workout and my spirit and motivation seem at an all time high!
Warmup x2
high knees
heel to butt
forward lunges
sprints
Core Work x2
6in flutters
ROBS
back extensions
general stretching
50 push-ups
Workout
15,12,9,6,3
65lb hang snatch
heavy jump ropes x4
box jumps x2
suicides
25lb kettle bell swings x2
Photographs can be Hazardous to your Mental Health
01 year ago
I read this blog post by Roni called Sometimes It’s Just a Bad Picture — and it really could not have come at a better time. July and August I did races and with those races were race photographers who put the photos in a gallery for you to view and if you want, buy. Well seeing myself in the Crossfit Rare race in July almost did me in. It was seriously a super horrible sight to me — the thoughts through my head were – How can I be that large? Look how horrible I look? How come everyone else in the pics look good, don’t I work out just as hard? I have put in the time and commitment – how come it’s not working??? Will I ever not have those love handles??!! AHHHHHHH!
You get the idea — sabotaging thoughts, poisonous thoughts that just cut deep. How come I can’t focus on the amazing things –like I did that incredibly hard race and didn’t come in last? or the 2 year ago Stephanie, would not have even been able to even show up to an event like that? Or — just Wow.
What is it about the way I am wired that I zero in on the negative visual aspect of it all — I know i am not alone either — Is it really true that I don’t see the same thing that everyone else does when they look at me? Seeing that image really got me down — but then I read this blog entry about how sometimes it really is just a bad picture, from a bad angle — you acknowledge it and move on — What great advice, although it’s not so easy to just rewire yourself. It takes time, and constant monitoring of how you talk to yourself and what you say — I am going to start changing my internal voice when it comes to this sort of stuff starting today.
So — here’s to moving on!
Group Training Wednesday
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
Warmup
2min of jump rope
Core x2
general stretching
rocky tiers
V-ups on the BOSU
6inches with BOSU on your legs (this one is hard!)
30 push-ups (tennis ball placed on the floor and each time your chest needs to touch the ball)
Workout x2
OH Squats 75lb
Roman Deadlifts 145lbs
Toe to Bar
powerclean split 25lb db
row to curl 55lbs
shoulder press 70bs
PT Station
15,12,9
Handstand push-ups
OH Squat 65lbs
Farmers Run 35lb db
Coffee Addiction: How to Naturally Kick the Habit
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Health/Nutrition
I am not one to say cut out all caffeine. I believe moderation is the key to anything — so if you enjoy the one cup a day — I personally do not think that’s an issue but then again I am not a doctor. Some people say you have to cut it out completely — that it has a ton of health implications and most of them not good – so why bother. Well if you do find yourself being one of those that goes a bit overboard with coffee — and are looking for some suggestions on how to kick the habit — here’s some advice for you.
Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.: Coffee Addiction: How to Naturally Kick the Habit.
How do you know you’re addicted?
Simple, when you try to stop, you get a pounding headache — that can’t be healthy.
The only way out is to cut it out! The good news is that you don’t have to go cold turkey. Here’s my prescription. Start by taking magnesium supplements. You’ve been losing magnesium for as long as you’ve been drinking coffee, so it’s time for payback. Magnesium citrate powder is a good form to begin with. You can also find magnesium glycinate and magnesium dimalate pills in health food stores or online. Unless you are extremely constipated, stay away from magnesium oxide because it’s only 4 percent absorbed so the other 96 percent can act like a strong laxative.
Adding a new level of Fun to Boot Camp!
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
Yesterday morning I was running so late and rushing around to get out of the house to get to work but as I walked out to my car, I saw this big beautiful butterfly and had to stop to appreciate it. It had bright blue outline on the inside and orange on the outside and it stopped on my dirty Run Amuck sneaker. It wasn’t scared and i reached out to touch it lightly. Sometimes in the middle of rush — you need to stop, relax and breathe. And moments like that are made to remind you of that!
Mikey is trying something new and switching up the workouts for the month – choosing a different workout on a different day to mix us all up. So today we were challenged with the Friday bootcamp workout. I don’t go to Friday bootcamp so it was new to me — I like the element of surprise. It adds a different level of fun to the routine!
I am feeling great this morning too. My foot hurts but not nearly as bad as it did yesterday morning and this workout was made for me. Lots of upper body strength and I am all about the upper body workouts!! It was breezy too! Couldn’t ask for a better workout morning weather wise….
warmup:
side shuffles
pushups
checkpoints
jump skips
core x2
Partner dynamax ball 16lb ball twists
Side toss
25 high five push-ups to partner on each side (alternating)
workout
15,12,9,6,3
65lb back squats
power clean press 25lb db
lunge squats x3
ring push ups x2
200m,100m, 200m, 100m, 200m
Make sure you do something active today – If you are looking to just get started try this out: go for 10 min walk, do 10 pushups, do 10 sit ups, and finish with 10 jumping jacks directly afterwards. Do it 2x and try to finish as fast as you can — You don’t need fancy equipment — good old fashion calisthenics will do just fine!
No More Gym? Don’t Worry, Your Muscles Remember
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
The study challenges the idea that muscles go back to their starting condition when you stop strength training.
“Our findings suggest that there are permanent structural changes in the muscle,” says Gundersen. “We don’t know if they’re really permanent, but they’re very long-lasting in animals, at least.”
The researchers put mice through strength training on their hind legs. Building muscle generates new muscle nuclei, which Gundersen calls the “small factories that will produce new muscle.” Then the researchers took the mice off their training regimen.
Exercise with an injured foot
11 year ago
Mikey switched it up today and had us do Tuesday’s workout on a Monday. Imagine the horror!! He said he was trying to shake our bodies up –but between us, I think he forgot what day it was and set up for the Tuesday workout. We will never know!
The pic to the left is my foot after a cooking mishap yesterday. I was busying talking, turned to resume something at my kitchen counter and some kitchen shears stabbed me in the foot. Yeah it hurt but as I was jumping up and down saying Ow Ow Ow, I failed to notice the blood spurting around. The shears punctured my foot and although once we applied pressure to the foot, it did stop bleeding but it hurts and it’s all bruised. I must have hit a vein that was close to the skin. One of the great things about boot camp though is we have women from all careers and sure enough we have a nurse — Jen P looked at it and said make sure I have an up to date Tetnus, use neosporin and watch it for infection.
Here’s a pic of Jen P — 
She looks like a model doesn’t she!? She’s one of the many amazing ladies I get to hang with every morning — you should see her workout – Strong and fast! Inspiring ———— It’s always fun to see the ladies outside of working out too. All gussied up and dressed instead of dressed to workout.
Anyways — The puncture wound did indeed affect my workout and halfway thru the first 800 m run my foot began to throb and hurt so I stopped after the 400 round and went thru the rest of the workout with some modifications so I didn’t have to flex my foot. It’s always something. Just when my body wasn’t hurting and I was re-ignited with working out, something happens. It’s life and I will deal like I always do. It wouldn’t be Stephanie without some sort of physical mishap.
Warmup:
Rockette Kicks
Forward Lunge
Bounding
Backpeddle
Corex2
pilate half-pikes
crunches
bicycle up and downs
25 bottom up push-ups
general stretching
workout — modified for my foot today
400,200,200,100m run (for me it was a hobble, power walk session)
15,12,9,6,3
SDHP 65lb
25lb db split jerks (each side) I did just shoulder presses
woodchucks (20)
Sandbag dead lifts (45lb) x2
