Comfy clothes and SYTYCD!

Well, I got stuck at work late and was too exhausted once I was home to even think about the gym. Instead, it was time well spent on the couch with the hubby and the DVR'd results show of "So You Think You Can Dance." Thank goodness my favorites, Lauren and Kent, were safe! Their contemporary dance was just beautiful... and they would make such a cute couple!! :)

Anyhow, today was day 2 of "Making the Cut". Believe me, I'm still sore from day 1... stairs are now a form of torture. I am soooo glad tomorrow is an off day. Though, I feel bad for skipping yesterday and may choose to go ahead with the workouts. We'll see. No crazy changes yet, just that I'm paying more attention to how much protein I'm consuming. I need to make sure that my body is getting at least a gram for every pound that I weigh. Good thing I like shakes!

Also, I wanted to give a shout to Lululemon. They make clothes to keep you comfortable. I started buying their products when I was attending Bikram Yoga classes. Bikram Yoga is a series of standing and floor poses that are performed in a room heated to 95-100º. The heat and humidity allow your body to sweat and rid itself of toxins, but more importantly, increase flexibility. The gear from Lululemon have great stretch properties, but I love them for their sweat wicking ability. No matter how hot, sweaty, drippy, gross I get these pants keep me cool and dry. I own a few pairs, and may start to invest in some tops. The boob/back/stomach/armpit sweat spots on my t-shirts aren't so attractive. They have some great colors... I have my eye on this one! It even has a spot for my iPod. I refuse to work out without some kind of music to keep me moving.

What kind of music do you listen to during your workouts?

Not a a morning person... yet!

So I tried to get out of bed at 5:00 this morning to get my workout in before heading off to work. That didn't happen. I hit the snooze one too many times and before I knew it, I had to start getting ready. However, I am out early enough that I plan to get my circuits in when I get home. This way my muscles will have a little longer to rest as well!

Just to keep you entertained with some pics, heres a shot of what I ate yesterday. I had a delicious salad with cucumbers, peppers, celery, carrots, black olives, and goat cheese. I drizzled a little balsamic and olive oil over the top... so yummy!

Later in the day I had my snack, 1 scoop of whey protein and a squeezie pack of maple almond butter, which is a great source of essential fatty acids. Other sources of EFAs include: olives, avocados, salmon, tuna, flax seed, and most other nuts and seeds. The reason these are so essential is because the body needs them, but cannot make them on it's own. So, make sure you have some "good fats" in your diet!

What is one way you can add an EFA source into the meals you're already eating?

Pool Party!!

Wouldn't that be nice?! The pool looked soooo refreshing on my walk back from the gym. (And how beautiful are those hydrangeas?!) Boy was I a sweaty mess! However, I have successfully completed day 1 of "Making the Cut"!!! (Yesterday, I took a little too much time updating my blog and didn't have time... so I took Mischa and Bruno each rollerblading instead. It was already a scorching 85º at 8 o'clock in the morning! Needless to say, Bruno didn't make it so far. He was ready to walk after about 2 minutes.)

Anyhow, back to today. I feel much better after this start and am looking forward to tomorrow. Well, not so much the actual workout, but for the results when I have completed the 30 days! There are some moves in these circuits that really hit the target. The burpee definitely kicked my butt, literally. Here is an example circuit:

1. Bench dips (perform 20 reps)
2. Rope tricep press (perform to failure)
3. Sumo squats (perform 50, fast)
4. Mountain climbers (perform for 1 minute)
5. V-sit (hold pose for 30 seconds)
6. Jump rope (1 minute)

Then I get to rest for 30 seconds and start another one!! Yay!! I also added a quick 15 minutes of cardio onto the end of the workout. It was more of a cool down as I only walked on a 10% incline at 3.5 mph. It was enough to keep my heart pumping and ease my muscles.

Now off to enjoy my protein shake! Why a protein shake after a workout? Well, during my workout I pushed my muscles to their limit (literally their breaking point), causing some of the muscle fibers to tear. In order for my body to repair those tears, I must give it the proper materials for rebuilding. Think of it this way: You are an architect and have the blueprints for the most beautiful house, down to the last detail. You even have the most effective and well designed tools to build this house with. Well, you're really not going to get very far without wood and nails and the proper materials. You're body is the same way, you can design the most perfect physique and have best gym equipment or workout regime BUT you won't allow your body to build any muscle unless you're providing it with the essential materials it needs. Make sense? Also, the scary part is that if you don't provide it with protein... your body will steal it from other muscles! Ahhh!

Ready to make the cut?

I'm on my way to the gym to start Jillian Michaels' "Making the Cut" (again)... I gave it a try a few weeks ago and was so sore (the good kind) the following day that I was unable to continue on the plan. This regimen is not designed for someone just starting out. It is best geared towards someone who is in shape, has been working out regularly and is looking to step it up. It made me admit that I really needed to work on my cardiovascular stamina, as this program combines resistance training with bursts of heart-pumping cardio! Also, now that I know what I'm in for, I think I will be working at closer to 90% effort than 110%! :)

What you eat before a workout is very important, many people focus too much on their post-workout meal, which is also very important but let's not lose sight of beforehand. Think about it: Would you set out on a lengthy road trip without first stopping at the gas station? Same holds true for your body... don't workout on an empty stomach! However, you don't want to eat too close to your workout either. When you begin your workout you don't want to draw blood away from your digesting stomach, that's what causes cramps . No fun! 1-2 hours before your work out is ideal.

What to eat?

Keep in mind what you want you are trying to provide your body during a workout: sustainable energy. The best source of this fuel is a slow digesting source of carbohydrates. Look for something high in fiber, I prefer a multi-grain english muffin (other sources include oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, even whole wheat pasta. Just pay attention to portion sizes.) Next you will need a fruit, I have chosen raspberries, but oranges and apples work well too. This will serve as a fast, yet nutritious, digesting carb to kick-start your workout. Finally, no meal is complete without protein. As the building block of new muscle, it is essential that you provide your body with this material so that it may synthesize new muscle growth. Great sources of a complete protein are egg whites, chicken, turkey, or as I have chosen, a greek yogurt with 16 grams of protein! I threw a little granola in there for crunch. As you can see, this is quite a large meal and I would suggest something like this to be consumed two hours before a workout.

What is your favorite pre-workout meal?

Getting started

There is so much information I want to share right away, but I don't want to overwhelm you in the first post! I will try to take things slow and mention a few things that I believe are very important basics. Many people want to lose weight, they try to do so by starting a diet. Well, I will tell you that you should focus more on becoming healthy and starting a lifestyle. When you start a lifestyle that means you are committing to living this way the rest of your life. When you diet you are only committing to a period of time that you will eat well (or not so well) and you will lose weight, but when you come off the diet you gain the weight back. With a healthy lifestyle, you can find a way to eat everyday that works for you... and become a healthier person.

Where to start?

Start by going through your pantry and fridge and read the ingredients list. How many of those items have ingredients that you can't pronounce? Why would you want to put something into your body that isn't real food? Those chemicals were created to keep you, the consumer, coming back for more. Those chemicals make the food tasty, cheap, and worst of all they don't fill you up... so you eat more, so you buy more. Food lobbyists have a very very heavy influence on the government, they ensure that the government does nothing to impede their clients from selling more of it's products. (More on this topic later!)

The closer a food is to it's original form, the better it is for you. Ideally you should be eating only whole foods. After a week or so, your body will crave fresh, whole foods... Not the chemically enhanced byproducts of science and greed you see advertised. The next time you go to the grocery store, see how much of your time is spent in the aisles. The foods there will be more processed and are more likely to contain ingredients that your body doesn't need... though marketing has told you you'll like. I personally try to avoid any products containing the following:

• 
  
• High fructose corn syrup
• Lard shortening (any kind)
• Oil (any kind)
• Sugar
• Artificial ingredients (coloring, flavoring, etc.)
• Sodium
• Preservatives
• Anything partially hydrogenated
• Anything high fat or high sugar

Stick to the perimeter of the store and you won't even have to read labels!

So, what would you like to learn? What information is important to you?