Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Fitness/Exercise
Ahh, Weekends
01 year ago
I don’t think I have mentioned this before — I am running a small 5k race in River Creek with some of the Plumbline Ladies. The race benefits Capital Hospice — as I have mentioned — races are a good way to give back and get exercise. There is no better combo than that! You help others and help yourself at the same time! So, because of that — I decided to move my rest day to today in preparation for the run tomorrow. And I am sore from the new session yesterday, mostly in my arms, shoulders oh who am I kidding — all over!
I love the weekends — I get to sleep in a bit. Today, I actually slept in until 945a if you can believe it. I haven’t done that in a very long time! I also usually get a great breakfast made for me by my wonderful hubby. Today it was scrambled eggs with all natural sausage and veggies. It was so good and for lunch I made a big ass salad with orange pepper, pan grilled chicken, avocado, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, lemon juice, splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. So good.
Hope you are all out there enjoying a wonderful fall day….
A healthy gut is the hidden key to weight loss | The Healthy Skeptic.
We’ve only recently begun to understand the extent of the gut flora’s role in human health and disease. Among other things, the gut flora promotes normal gastrointestinal function, provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism and comprises more than 75% of our immune system. Dysregulated gut flora has been linked to diseases ranging from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes.
Recent research has shown that the gut flora, and the health of the gut in general, also play a significant role in both obesity and diabetes. I’ve seen this anecdotally in my practice as well. Nearly every patient I treat with a blood sugar issue also has a leaky gut, a gut infection, or some other chronic inflammatory gut condition.
Paleo Update Day 16
31 year ago
Last night was tough for me — I craved something sweet. What I wanted was ice cream — what I had was an Apple Pie Larabar and some cashews. Not quite the same but I figured my body was trying to tell me about something it needed and might as well choose something healthy.
In my head – I have this feeling that I am eating too much lately. It’s all good, healthy, clean food and from what I am reading — its more about the approach to eating than limiting what you are eating, at least while you are getting used to it.
As someone who does not own a scale, nor the desire to own one — I have to wait and see on Monday – thats the day that Mikey, my trainer requires us all to get on the scale. I don’t agree with that approach but it’s part of his program so I oblige. Should be interesting to see how this 3rd week of Paleo affects the scale — if it does. I am not going to lie and say I don’t want to lose more weight — but if I don’t, I do feel so much better overall. So if nothing else — I know I have the power to make changes that improve my quality of life! We all know numbers on the scale are just that numbers –they are not who we are —
Friday Group Training Workout
01 year ago
Chilly mornings make it tough to get up but one good thing about it being a habit — you don’t even let that deter you. It goes back to that sleep monster voice — I am getting really good at muting it. Its like the exercise I do each morning — you get better the more you do it!
warmup
2m jump rope
corex2
1m rounds
hip missions
planks with a 10lb plate on your back & lifting alternate arms/legs
general stretching
40 push-ups
workoutx2
single arm raises 30lb dbs
back squats 135lb
hyper hamstring curls
power clean snatch 45lb
TBUs 25lb kettlebell
200m run
PT Station
20,15,10
35lb KB one arm swings
100m run
assisted rope climb (Mikey gives you a leg up)
My pulled muscle is still bothering me somewhat. It’s def better though. I had a rough time doing the TGU’s during the part where you have to lean on your left side while pushing yourself up to a sitting position. The weight of my body stresses it and I tend to buckle. Other movements don’t bother it as much — like a single arm press on my back. It’s definitely moving in a certain way where I can feel it — I have no idea what a reasonable amount of time is for healing — but when I get injured in some way, it sure seems like it takes a while for me to recover. I am sure everyone is thinking — heck, it’s because you continually work out – how can your body heal? Who knows –
Working and Day 15 Paleo Update
21 year ago
The downpour rain meant we were inside for today’s workout. Today marks Day 15 of Paleo eating and I am still raring to go. I haven’t felt deprived or hungry — that’s because I am eating a lot of food – its just a complete switch in the kinds of foods I am eating. Most of the food I was eating was CARBs and while I am still eating carbs its not from wheat based products. I am eating carbs from natural source — fruits etc. I feel great, am sleeping better, and overall I am in a better mood. I am sticking with it for a while.
I had lunch with my pal Cheryl who inspired me to give Paleo a try and she has managed to work it in her busy active life and still enjoys the occasional non paleo treat. So it’s not a ‘death sentence’ as some people see changing their eating approach — its a new approach to eating — healthy food. It doesn’t take complicated math or deprivation. And although I am only 2 weeks into it – I have read and seen for myself the change in people that adapt a paleo approach to eating.
warmup
60sec jump rope
60sec checkpoints
warmupx2
rocking tiers
leg raises
half pikes
general stretching
50 push-ups
workout
3 rounds 1min stations
double burpees (2 push ups)
20lb db lunges
handstand push ups (modified for box)
jump ropes
snatch squats
For Some in New York Marathon, Barefoot Is Way to Go
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
For Some in New York Marathon, Barefoot Is Way to Go – NYTimes.com.
If running 26.2 miles in a couple of hours seems daunting, imagine doing it barefoot.
Barefoot runners are still a tiny number of the more than 43,000 expected to race in the New York City Marathon on Sunday, but organizers say they have seen an increase in runners who are interested in the trend.
“I feel like I get asked at least weekly, if not more,” said Mary Wittenberg, chief executive of the New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon and other races throughout the year.
Barefoot runners are not new to marathon courses — Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia won the marathon in bare feet at the 1960 Rome Olympics — but their ranks have grown in recent years, prompted in part by a bestselling book that promotes the practice and the arrival on the market of several lightweight, thin-soled shoes designed to mimic the feel of running barefoot. The Barefoot Runners Society, a national club for unshod runners, claims 1,345 members, nearly double the 680 members it had in November 2009, when it was founded.
11 biggest health cop-outs that hold you back
11 year ago
11 biggest health cop-outs that hold you back –
As busy people know, coming up with good-for-you goals, such as snacking on more veggies or carving out enough “me time,” isn’t the issue. It’s making them stick. But, thankfully, there is plenty of good science on how to make your health or fitness goals last for the long haul.
How? Successful changers seek out or stumble onto the right strategies. Weight loss, for instance, is challenging, but researchers have learned that regular weigh-ins increase the chances of success by more than 80%. And when you’re trying to get yourself up off the couch, having a plan B (like using an exercise DVD when rain dampens your enthusiasm for a power walk) makes you 20% more likely to become a habitual exerciser.
Prevention turned to the top researchers in psychology, weight loss, diet, exercise, and more to identify the most common excuses to healthier living and the roadblocks that most often get in the way. Then we gave our experts a challenge: How can you jump over, sneak under, or crash right through the barriers?
Tiny steps can be just as valuable as a giant leap
11 year ago
The list below of Paleo encouraged and discouraged foods was found here – Please read it and follow it with a grain of salt. It really depends on who you read and how they interpret Paleo eating on whether to get rid of ALL of the foods listed on the discouraged list. I am certainly modifying it a bit overall with the goal that any food I do eat is natural, whole unprocessed — I am not eating crap food. I am having my pre-workout 8oz glass of milk with protein powder, and cream and sweetener in my coffee. Modify to see what works for you — Try it solidly for 2 weeks to 30 days minimum to see how your body responds. Can’t just right into it? Try eliminating one element — drink too much soda? Try cutting it out for 2 – 4 weeks. Or try cutting out wheat/gluten for 2-4 weeks. Tiny steps can be just as valuable as a giant leap.
Below is a list of foods that are encouraged or discouraged in the Paleo diet. This list was obtained from the book Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain (Wiley and Sons, New York 2002 pages 104-112).
| Encouraged Foods
Lean Meats
Lean poultry (white meat, skin removed)
Eggs (limit to six a week)
Other meats
Organ meats
Game meat
Fish
Shellfish
Fruit
Vegetables
|
Encouraged Foods
Nuts and Seeds
Foods To Be Eaten In Moderation Oils
Beverages
Paleo Sweets
Foods You Should Avoid Dairy Foods
Cereal Grains
Cereal Grainlike Seeds
Legumes
Starchy Vegetables
Salt-Containing Foods
Fatty Meats
Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices
Sweets
|
Yeah – A Cold Morning Workout
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Fitness/Exercise
A really chilly morning with temps in the low 30s — brrrrr! I went to camp fully expecting the entire thing to be inside but was pleasantly surprised to find out only the warm-up and one station was! Yippee!
warmup
shuffles
push-ups
checkpoints
jump skips
corex2
feet hooked with partner
crunches
side to side hands on shoulders
platinum situps
general stretching
25 side pushups(high 5 the person next to you alternating side)
workout
3 rounds 60 secs – with rest active stations
assisted pullups
power clean squat press 65lbs
single leg lifts 20lb db
woodchucks/dynamax burpees
200m run/pushups
These running time workouts are not my favorite. I prefer the finish as fast as you can ones that we do outside but space inside Plumbline is limited so all winter we will be doing these — it makes the winter workouts drag on and on and on — Today, I had my friend Kim as my partner which posed some interesting challenges. Kim is bigger than me. Her foot length is the size of my entire calf and she can just about lift my weight over head during group trainings on Friday. So it was tough to do crunches trying to hook onto her leg with my feet and try doing a platinum situp when you are suppposed to lean on the other for support — there were a few times she just about knocked me over. It’s funny to even visualize but if you were there this AM — you didn’t have to visualize it, it was in real time!
Paleo Taco Salad
11 year ago
Tried a Paleo taco salad today from a xfit site I found online.
I thought it was pretty tasty once I added some salt and pepper – the kids weren’t so thrilled with it but they don’t like tacos in general.
Taco Seasoning for Ground Meats:
1 TBSP Chilli Powder
1 TBSP Cumin
1 TBSP Onion Powder
2 tsp Oregano
Salt
Pepper
A pinch of red pepper flakes
diced onion
diced red and yellow peppers
sliced green onions
Organic Salsa (Muir)
Combine the seasoning mix with 1 cup of water mix well and set aside. In a frying pan brown the ground turkey meat and drain. Next, add the seasoning mix and various cut up veggies. (If it tastes too spicy for you, add some extra water.) Agitate the meat and water mixture continuously while maintaining a medium heat. When the water is evaporated and the meat still looks moist your taco meat is done add the salsa and wait until its all warmed up.
Taco Salad
In a large bowl combine the following items to your personal preference. Mix well, top with fresh squeezed lime juice and enjoy!
Taco Meat (Ground Turkey)
Shredded Lettuce
Nitrate-Free Bacon
Chopped Scallions
Guacamole or Avocado
Post Halloween Workout
01 year ago
No lying — boot camp is not as fun when its friggin freezing outside. I find that I have to remind myself that once I get going — I will be feeling the heat and the cold won’t bother me. It’s just the time between that that’s rough. Also the cold generally means less people at the Monday camp. The combo of the dark, cold and Monday = small boot camp crowd!
Not bragging but this Halloween I ate ZERO candy. I committed to at least 2 weeks of Paleo and I am not going to screw it up and I had no desire to eat any. Is there something wrong with me???
Today marks day 12 of Paleo and I am down 5lbs overall. I am happy and all but I was hoping for a larger number. Does that make me greedy? It could be bc of some of my own modifications too, like drinking the 8oz milk with my protein power in the early AM and my cream and sweetener in my coffee. I want to lose 5-7 more lbs total — so I have my eye on the prize that’s for sure. I am feeling great – more energy, mentally alert, less fatigue and haven’t felt hungry or deprived at all. That’s my kind of eating. I think one of the things I am always leery of any eating program is that I will be starving the entire time. In truth – I really don’t eat that much to begin with so I have really thought for a long time that it was WHAT i was eating, not how much. So that has been the most frustrating part of my entire fitness/health journey. Doing the right things and still not really reaching the goal that I set.
My neighbor has been on a paleo like eating program for his ulcerative colitis for over a year now, and it has all but gotten rid of his issues — it really is just a common sense approach to eating if you stop and think about it. Pre-historic man did not have agriculture to cultivate the wheat and corn — but they did cut open a wild boar, gather nuts and berries, pick fruit and harvest veggies. No measuring, no figuring out %s –Can anyone tell me whether 5lbs is a good result for 12 days on Paleo?
On to the workout for today:
Warmup
Rockette kicks
walking lunges
bounding
back pedal
corex2
ROBs
bicycles (up and down w your torso)
back extensions
25 bottom up push-ups
general stretching
workout
15,12,9,6,3
hang clean squats 65lbs
weighted jump ropes x5
lunge jumps 15lb db
run
(600,450,200,100m)
snatch 20lb kb
