We are taking a trip!

In about a month we are going to be going on a road trip up to Chicago. I am so excited! Growing up we used to drive to all our vacation destinations. Airplanes were just something we didn't do, I'm sure because of the price. But a road trip is so much fun...

I remember bringing my Gameboy, and if my brother was coming, that just meant more games for me! Books, lots of books, and anything to color or puzzle books. We would stop at the gas stations, which were more like truck stops, and be amazed at the different things we would find from state souvenirs to full on showers in the bathrooms.

Oh...and there was the snack food.

The Slim Jims. The Twinkies. The bags of potato chips. The bottles of soda. It all seemed ok because we were doing something different. Every trip we would always make it a point to stop at a Cracker Barrel along the way.

Gone are the days. Brayden's memory of this road trip will be carrots, bananas, and a variety of other colors. See, just because we are in a different environment for 26 hours, that does not give us the right to abuse our bodies. It is, in fact, the time we should be taking most care of them, seeing how we are not able to get any movement to exercise our muscles. Whenever it is time to fill up the gas tank, doing some small yoga stretches will help to prevent too much body abuse.

Take these small travel tips and BON VOYAGE!

I promise I'm eating right!!!!

So, this has not been such a great week for me. Ironically enough I have been eating right and well. My desire for sweets has actually been less then normal, and I've been enjoying plenty of colors.

Unfortunately, I have developed a small tummy stickin' out this week. Bob thinks it's because I couldn't resist the temptation of the biscuit... I don't think I can remember what they taste like anymore... So, Why? Why I ask? I have been eating well...

Oh. Yeah. The other part of that... Exercise... :(

That has been missing from my week. I'll be honest. On my days off I didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch. I've been dragging myself to work. I've just wanted to veg... So I have come to the conclusion that I have thought for about 6 months: I must exercise.

We all need to exercise. To be mobile and to be active is just apart of what makes up our being. But I am talking about a different level: a compelling must that without it I will become 300lbs eating endless shrimp for 3 hours... YUCK!

When I exercise regularly my body stays in shape, my energy is higher, and my moods are balanced. While I think Bob likes to push my buttons sometimes, (that's part of the fun of being married, right?) when I don't exercise, it is definitely easier for those buttons to pop off! So, tomorrow is a new day! I will find even 10 minutes to lift up my pink kettlebell, and by the end of the week, I'll be back up to my blue one... I'll keep you posted!

Bupkis!

So I have been trying to think of something inspiring to write in my blog for about a week. What did I come up with? Bupkis!

Life has many inspiring and defining moments for us. When you meet your first love, you are inspired to love freely and walk on air. When you have your first child you feel like you can take on the world to protect them from harsh reality. When you have your first bad medical report, you are inspired to a way of health and fitness. The reality is that while these, and many other, inspiring moments are wonderful, they fade. We cannot live a life completely full of inspiring moments, otherwise they would no longer be inspiring, would they?

So I suppose my inspiring thought for today is to live life consistently when you are not inspired. Sometimes you will not have a new recipe to try, so you will need to make something that you have already had hundreds of times before. Sometimes your workout will seem kind of boring, but you know you need to push through it. And I am sure that we have all had days when we certainly did not feel inspired to go to work, but we do it anyway because of our obligation.

I'm not into the business of lying to you all. I have a difficult time with consistency. One day, I'm detailing cleaning the house, the next I have dishes piled up in the sink. Sometimes I feel I could snatch the 16kg kettlebell, and sometimes I feel like the 4kg would be much better. Pushing through to what I know I can do, rather then what I feel I can do, is the key to living through our uninspired moments. Then the inspiring moments will come, and you will love them more when they do!

The Infamous Plateau

It happens to the best of us. We start to workout. Hit up the treadmill. Pump some iron. Throw around some kettlebells. We cut our calorie intake. We cut out the drive-thrus. Add some lemon to the gallons of water we drink. And it happens... WE LOSE WEIGHT!!! WOOHOO! We shed amazing pounds of fat, tone up, and have a ton more energy. We keep going at it, thinking we will maintain our newfound health and, dare I say it, continue to tone up. The goal in your mind is to become the model on the fitness magazines that line up by the treadmill section of your local gym.

CRASH! You didn't see that coming, did you? All of a sudden you don't feel as energized. The fat is not shedding as quickly. Your 2 tickets to the gun show are no better then your muscles when you were 4 years old. This is when some people think "I've been working so hard. What's going on?" And sometimes, yes it does happen, they give up. As sad as that sounds.

I hit one of these plateaus. I was using the 8kg kettlebell for awhile. I teetered on moving up in weight, but really wanted to make sure my form was good, and I could last, and blah blah blah... They were all excuses. Lies I was telling myself to make myself feel better. Last week, Bob told me that I should start only using the 12kg. He has recently has moved from a 20kg to the 24kg. He makes himself only use the 24kg because he knows he needs to push himself if he ever wants to get stronger. And now he was encouraging me to do the same.

So, this week, it's been me and the 12kg. And I feel like I'm off my plateau. Now...PLEASE understand that sometimes one may hit a plateau because of overtraining. This does not mean you should not be active everyday, but what it does mean is that you should take your days of "rest" and still be active. Go swim, play a game of catch, go for a light jog or a brisk walk... do something. And on your workout days, go hard!

Don't let the lies win! Keep trying to beat yourself, and you will be surprised with what you can accomplish!

Cravings

Some say that cravings are struggles that one needs to "get" through to become stronger. Some say that cravings are our body's way of telling us we need to eat that or else! Some simply don't pay attention to what their bodies are telling them and they just eat whatever they feel like. That is probably the majority of people in existence.

I am of the thought that our bodies do tell us what we should be eating, but not necessarily in specific food form. About once a month (yes we can say it... a little before that time of the month) I get a strong craving. No it is NOT chocolate! Ha! It's for beef! I want some steak. Beef is higher in iron. My body is already naturally low in iron, so when it's time, my body is gearing up and wanting more iron. So, what I do is try to eat some other iron rich foods, like spinach, so I can build that up. Occasionally I'll do the beef as long as it is organic and grass fed...you are what you eat, but you are what you eat eats too!

So, next time that your body is telling you to eat something that you feel you need to resist (like chocolate or ice cream) maybe find a way to indulge in the actual thing you need, like a big glass of full fat raw milk and a 80%+ chocolate bar. This will satisfy your craving and give your body what it is telling you it needs!

WOD

Today I had a good workout, but I am recognizing my need to push myself to the next level.

Tabata sprints (I started at 4.0mph and sprinted at 8.0mph)

Then I did 3 rounds of the following at 40/20 intervals... no rest between rounds

Supine rows
Right leg lunges
Left leg lunges
Box jumps
Abs (I varied this one up each round, just to keep it interesting)

Then my cool down :)

For my recovery shake, this was actually very yummy...

3 1-inch chunks of pineapple
1/4 mandarin orange
1/5 grapefruit
1 large strawberry
1/2 C water
2 raw eggs

Blend and enjoy!

Internet speed

Bob and I were talking this week about books. He hates to read books. He likes to sit in front of the laptop with 10 pages open and going back and forth between different ideas and blogs and people. It keeps his interest up. I am not at the hating to read stage anymore, although I used to be. I'm at the stage where I can read a book, comprehend it, and enjoy it. It just takes me a long time. Our conversation led me to some other thoughts about our discipline level.

We live in a society where the murder gets solved in 60 minutes or less, one joke that wasn't funny ruins the show, and we critique commercials as if they were up for an Emmy. The world wide web is available at our fingertips. Even our children need to be "entertained" at church and school just to keep up with the other competition out there.

Ok Lisa, what does this have to do with living a "healthy lifestyle"? My point here is the incredible lack of discipline that we have in our society, and the biggest (literally) clue to this is the scary obesity increase in our world. People claim that they do not have time, they are too busy, they don't know where to start when it comes to improving their health. Little magic diet pills fly off the shelves and they cannot book gastric bypass surgeries fast enough.

Do I suggest that we eliminate all speedy tracks from our lives? Not at all, but I do suggest that it may be time to evaluate who you are and where your priorities lie. It will be hard at first. I would be lying to you if I said otherwise. Just stay strong and do not give up.

I'll just have a water for lunch

Although we hear about some of the "crazy" stuff people do in the gym, like the recent Biggest Loser Helen and her tire flips (which Bob has had clients doing for 2 years and a former gym he worked for didn't want him to do this on their property), it is all good for the sake of health and fitness. When people give me the crazy stares is when they see what culminations of food that I put on my plate. This is simply "extreme" for them.

Yesterday I was around a group of people that I have never met before getting a certification I needed for school. Whenever I know I will be in a setting with lunch I always prepare myself for the conversations that will ensue. The following is usually the dialogue:

"What are you eating?" (Notice the natural assumption that I will be eating.)

"Nothing. Just some water."

"Are you sure? You can share with me." (This is a genuine offer. Sometimes they may think I don't have money or I don't want a lot to eat.)

"No I'm good. Thanks."

"What? Is it a diet or something?" (At this point their voice usually snubs up and they are getting ready to preach to me about how unhealthy it is to starve myself. The more out of shape that they are usually the more they are ready to snub me.)

"Yes. I water fast during the day. I don't really like the word diet. I would never go back to anything else."

At this point, the conversation will usually vary. Sometimes they will ask more detail, or I may just go into it depending on how they are approaching the situation. The detail I give is usually related to the science behind the two nervous systems. I also add in that my husband is a personal trainer, and he and many clients have seen results with this, including increased energy. They may try to continue to preach to me or that it's great for me but wouldn't work for others. That's fine. I usually let it go at that point. I have planted a thought in their head and that's all that matters to me.

It's unfortunate that we allow the food industries to dictate how, when, and what we eat, and anything else is wrong. Just another bulk of lies that we choose to believe, and one less option at making ourselves better.

...but your husband's a trainer...

When Bob and I fell in love almost 6 years ago, I did not fully understand what it meant when I heard that he was a trainer. I thought "Cool! We can workout together and he'll really help me out." Keep in mind that around that time I was around 150 lbs or so. (Now to some of you that may be a goal weight and that's fine, but on my very small bone frame, this was simply extra baggage I was carrying around.)

So he introduced me to real workouts in the gym, tabata sprints, correct form for all exercises, and the world of supplements. I'll be perfectly honest... I hated most of it. I just couldn't get it. I tend to be an undisciplined person when it comes to preventative maintenance, such as working out and taking my supplements. It was a struggle for me and it seemed that Bob just could not understand why. He came to a place of wanting to give up on me, because I had given up on myself. I cannot say I blamed him.

For awhile (about 1 1/2 years) we worked together at the same gym. This was very beneficial for me, because I could ask him what he thought I should do for a workout, and finding the time was simple. I learned to become a lot more comfortable around the gym equipment, and during this time is when I lost 30 pounds in about 3 months. It was like living in a dream... but I would soon wake up.

About a year and a half ago, Bob started looking into kettlebells. I thought that it was just going to be another thing that I would have to keep up with at first. Then he went to seminars on the almighty kb. Then he started to get certified to teach the kettlebell. Interesting enough, I started to inquire about it, and it seemed interesting to me. About a year after I quit working at the gym and focused on my career at Red Lobster (yes, the cheesy biscuits still haunt me), I had gained about 15 lbs back. What I loved about the kb is that it was a tool that, if I learned it right, I could do this exercise at home and never pay for a gym membership again. Hmmm...

Well as of a few weeks ago I'm proud to say that I am now IKFF certified, and I feel that I am mastering the kettlebell. There are some other things that I like to do for exercising, and all those things I can do in the comfort of my own home (like push ups, mountain climbers, we even have a pull up bar). So anyone who says they can't afford to be healthy... that's just another one of those lies that we choose to tell ourselves...

13 lbs in 6 weeks

I feel wonderful! I feel so refreshed and like I am functioning in the body that I was always supposed to. I was told the lies too... "You just have a slower metabolism" "It's ok to treat yourself every once in awhile" "It's because of how your parents are"...

There is some truth that can be found in those statements I suppose, however in America we have decided to use these and so many other statements as a crutch to support our increasing obesity rate. It's so much easier, isn't it, to blame the food companies, the farmers, the high prices at the grocery stores, the social events? I'll admit, when I was at school, and I first discovered Super Wal-mart it was like walking into a celestial experience (with the angel choir singing in the background). The bang for my buck was amazing, and so I piled up my cart with every boxed, canned, and frozen item you could think of (except of course the fruits and veggies). I was in awe by "low-fat" "healthy" "omega 3" blah blah blah...

As time went on, and I had the great honor of marrying Bob, we took on the nutrition battle together. He introduced me to jugs of protein bigger then my head and multivitamins bigger then my thumb. We thought (between eating pizza every week and protein plus pasta) that this was the best way to health and nutrition. But as time went on, and our lives led us to Arizona, we discovered so many ideas, people, and places that have helped to mold us into the whole food eaters that we are today.

I will be posting some blog posts to come that more reflect off the last two years and our transition from your typical grocery store to growing some of my own organic produce right here on my little apartment balcony. Take what you want... I would like to tell you that "it worked for me but everyone is different"... but that would just be another one of those lies that we are told and tell ourselves to make us feel better. I feel that getting back to the basics and understanding how they play into our body is an amazing step. Once you take that step you'll never want to go back...

Aromas

Do you smell that smell that is hanging in the air? There is a crisp fresh scent that brings back floods of memories, and hopes of memories. Do I consider myself to be a sentimental person... Not in the least. Only hopeful in that my future could be as good as my past memories. Walking through an open field on a bright summer's day, playing like children, giggling like girls. I take your hand and pull you to the nostalgic jungle gym. We make our way through the bars, inside, where we pretend it's our hideout, and no one can see us through the open holes. The sun is setting on us now and we lay among the wood chips up at the peeking moon. We are laughing at the sites we have seen throughout the day and we are creating new inside jokes by the minute. It is such a simple time and the cares of the world seem to be non-existent. It's amazing how a smell can make you want to walk away from the complicated into a more simple life.

Friday...

I've done a couple of bootcamps this week. Today I warmed up with 30 lunges, and 2 min swings with the 12kg kb. For my work out I did 10 minute push press set. 8kg and 12rpm. Then I did a 4 min push press set. 12kg and 12rpm. Then I did a cool down with 1 min slingshots, and some stretching. Tomorrow I think I'm gonna throw in some cardio.

Technologically blocked...

Yesterday I did a quick 2 minute warm up with the 16kg bell doing some swings. Then for my workout I did a 6 minute oalc push press with the 12kg bell. I followed it up with some light stretching. Unfortunately all this technology stuff has been occupying my time. So tomorrow will be bootcamp, and the next day too. woohoo!

superbowl sunday

While everyone else is stuffing their face, i decided to throw around the kettlebell. warm up: 2 min 12kg swings workout: 4min 12kg 8rpm oalc push press 4min 12kg 9rpm oalc push press 2min 12kg 20rpm cleans cool down: stretching

kb

The last 2 days i went to Bob's bootcamp. I totally got my butt kicked. Today was kettlebell day. warmup: 1 min around the world 1 min slingshot 30 lunges workout: 20 min 8 kg oalc jerk (well... i tried to do jerks, but i think most of them ended up being push presses). i stuck with about 10 rpm 4 min 12kg cleans 8-10 rpm 3 rounds of 1 min 12 kg push presses. I just did as many as i could and focused on form. cool down: 1 min plank 15 minutes of yoga stretching and my new favorite: the floating tea cup :p

yoga

just fineshed a forty minute yoga session. the ares of focus were balance, twists, and stretching. i love doing yoga when i can, because i seem to always have muscles that are tight that i need to squeeze the tension out of.

bootcamp

yesterday i did one of Bob's bootcamps. it is kinda fun suffering with other people. i have also bee doing a 3 day cleanse. i am finishing up my 3rd day today, but my sinuses and body do feel much clearer. now it's just a matter of keeping it up. i am now working at a new restaurant and anytime there is a major change like that i always find it easier to make other changes in my life. i think today i will be doing some yoga. get my aura in order. :)

kb day

warmup 50 squats these felt much better today. my knee wasn't really bothering me workout 8kg 10min oalc jerks 10rep/min 12kg 6 min cleans 8rep/min 8kg 4 min bottom up cleans cooldown 50 situps 10 minutes light streching yoga

cardio only

no kbs today... i have a couple small callouses on my left hand, so i wanted to give those a day to recover. warmup 20 pushups workout ran 2 miles cool down 20 minutes of yoga type stretching. included a twist and balance poses

at the gym

warm up 50 squats workout 1 mile on the treadmill 10 min oalc 10 min cleans cool down light stretching

today's workout...

warm up: 25 squats 1 minute plank 10 pushups workout: 10 minute set oalc 2 rounds of - 2 minute bottoms up cleans cool down: 50 lunges 1 minute plank wrapped it up with 15 minutes yoga, focusing on similar areas from yesterday...

my workout today

i warmed up with 25 squats, 10 pushups, and 25 situps. then i jogged on the treadmill for a lttle under 30 minutes. i did 2 miles. with my broken toe, i didn't want to be to hard on it. yoga sounded good to me so i took about 20 minutes and did some various yoga stretches. i focused primarily on my stretching and balance. i picked up the kettlebell and did a 6 minute clean set. then i did a 4 minute oalc jerk set.