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What we’re eating

27 May

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Grilled chicken and veggies

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Marinate chicken in olive oil, fresh oregano, zest of 2 lemons, 4 crushed garlic cloves, crushed red pepper, salt and fresh ground black pepper

Marinate the broccoli in olive oil with a little salt and pepper (Trader Joe’s Everyday seasoning is good, too)

Marinate grape tomatoes in balsamic dressing and skewer

Grill chicken, broccoli and tomatoes

Pasta with roasted Brussels sprouts

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Roast Brussels sprouts, cook fusilli, sautée garlic in olive oil with fresh basil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. I added a little white wine, but you can use chicken stock or water. Add the pasta to garlic and toss. Top with roasted Brussels sprouts and a little Parmesan cheese.

Leftovers

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I cooked peas that I already had in the house, but you can add any veggie and tossed them with the pasta and cut up chicken. I ate mine cold and husband warmed his up. It was great both ways :)

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Our food adventure….

26 May

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We haven’t always eaten healthy food. Truthfully, we still enjoy food that isn’t super healthy; but we eat healthy most of the time.

When we were first together, we lived in the city and ate out often. Then we had kids and we had to start cooking. All we knew how to cook was unhealthy dinners.

Our boys are 20 months apart, so I was pregnant or nursing for almost three years. During this time I ate the same potions as my husband (he’s almost a foot taller) and didn’t worry about what was on my plate.

As I was beginning to gain weight and show what the extra portions were doing to my waistline, my husband tested for high cholesterol. The doctor gave him a few months to get it under control or go on medication.

We decided to change our diet, but how? I began watching Ellie Krieger on the Food Network and her food always looked amazing. After printing many of her recipes from the Internet, I got one of her cook books. It was a game changer for us.

Her book showed me how to make delicious food with fresh ingredients. Then she put out another book and I was in heaven. We don’t rely on her books now, but they taught me how to approach cooking. I have a better idea of what tastes good together and what’s healthy.

There are many healthy cook books available, but I have to say – we really enjoyed Ellie’s approach. Two of our favorites are her crab cakes and garlic basil shrimp.

Trying to find some healthy options? Check out Ellie’s recipes and learn how to make some amazing meals :)

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Uncomfortable in our own skin

22 May

That person gave me a “look” for what I have in my grocery cart.  She thinks I am fat (or too skinny).  He is looking at what I ordered.  We all feel judged on a regular basis, but is it always true?

When I’m in line at the grocery store, I never know where to look.  You can’t stare at the person in front of you, if you look at the food on the belt you could be perceived as judging.  Frankly, I just want to buy my food.  I don’t care what you do or don’t have in your cart.  Sometimes I think the person near me is judging my purchases.  They are probably caught in that same awkward moment I am.

That general feeling that people are judging your body size – probably isn’t happening either.  When was the last time you walked around anywhere judging the size of everyone you see?  Why do we assume everyone is judging us?  Is it because a few people have done it and we know it CAN happen?  Most likely, it’s because we are uncomfortable in our own skin.

Often, we assume that everyone is looking at us the same way we look at ourselves.  We think everyone notices that imperfection we see in the mirror.  Perhaps, if we stop judging ourselves we won’t feel that constant judgment out in public.  The more comfortable we are in our own skin, the more comfortable we will be in public.

Here is a great reminder from Dove that we are often our harshest critics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

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Find yourself, be yourself, embrace yourself!

20 May

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On Thursday, I was lucky enough to spend the day in New York City (one of my favorite places) with fitness bloggers for Fitness Magazine’s Meet and Tweet (#FitBlogNYC). What a lucky lady!

The day was filled with meeting amazing people, both speakers and fellow bloggers. As everything has been settling in my brain, I realized while each speaker spoke about different aspects of health, the consistent theme was to embrace yourself and your journey. It was discussed through beauty tips from Sarah Lucero, health tips from Dr Jennifer Ashton, the amazing panel for My Blog is My Business (Deb Perelman, Dana Weiss, Jill Hanner and Erin Whitehead), extreme fitness with Brett Hoebel and cooking with Rocco DiSpirito.

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Sarah Lucero, Executive Director of Global Artistry at Stila Cosmetics and make-up artist for celebrities, gave lots of great advice and courageously shared her battle with stage 3 breast cancer. While she gave make-up tips that included matching your cheek and lip color, importance of good mascara and matching the weight of your make-up to the weight of your clothes, Sarah also spoke about the importance of caring for yourself. She emphasized “fixing the problem” by getting enough sleep and eating healthy for helping diminish dark circles under your eyes and clearer skin. The idea is to take care of yourself and let make-up highlight, not hide, your face.

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Dr. Ashton, ABC News senior Medical Contributor, ob-gym, triathlete, and author of the book Your Body Beautiful: Clockstopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong and Sexy in your 30s, 40s and Beyond, began her talk about Angelina Jolie. She explained that not only is Angelina a hero, but all women facing cancer and potentially facing cancer are heroes. Dr Ashton, went on to talk about the importance of having a great relationship with your doctor, and taking care of your whole body. She recommended the 5/2 diet, where you eat healthy and clean for 5 days and enjoy what you want on the weekends. The theory is that over time your body will adjust to the healthier foods and crave less of the junk foods. In addition to eating well, Dr. Ashton talked about the need to move and incorporate physical activity in your daily routine. Finally, a quote that has stuck with me “Life is an Olympic event, you have to train everyday!”

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My Blog is My Business was an amazing panel that included Dana Weiss (Possessionista), Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen), Jill Hanner (Ford Fiesta agent) and Erin Whitehead (Fit Bottomed Girls). These women are excellent role models for all bloggers. Again the theme was being yourself and not letting others bring you down. Some key points were to blog for you, be unique, and don’t obsess over numbers. Another general point was to know your vision and your value. This can be applied to advertising, book deals and any sponsor-ships  The more you are yourself, the more successful you will be!

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Brett Hoebel, founder of Hoebel Fitness, featured trainer on The Biggest Loser season 11 and creator of RevAbs, talked about extreme fitness trends. Having taken his class in the past, I can tell you – he kicks your a** in 20 minutes without a lot of gimmicks. His point is always to maximize your time and give your all. As he talked about new trends, he pointed out the social aspect of fitness. There is an element of bragging about extreme races and workouts that leads to peer pressure and people who are not prepared are getting hurt. The key is to be yourself, work hard and as Brett says, “get breathless”.

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Rocco DiSpirito, author of Now Eat This! Italian and star of Now Eat This! Italy web series on AOL, talked about the importance of cooking at home. Rocco was clear that eating healthy is not more expensive than eating unhealthy; your friends should support you in ordering low-calorie options at restaurants; cooking at home is a step in the right direction and try to be social when eating. Again, it comes back to doing what’s best for you and making healthy decisions.

Life is a journey, finding yourself and your goals can be difficult; but embracing your uniqueness, training for your own Olympic event and getting breathless will help you on your way!

Thank you to everyone at Fitness Magazine! Betty Wong, Mary Christ Anderson, Christie Griffin, Lisa Haney, Heather Muir, and Pam O’Brien, you were all amazing bringing insight and inspiration to all of us in attendance!

I will be writing about our amazing yoga class with Tara Stiles and all of the new friends I made in later posts :)

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Commit

3 May

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This week has been busy with extra classes and chaperoning field trips. We are lucky enough to live on Cape Cod and enjoy field trips to the beach. However, this is New England and spring is a moving target. We swing from winter to summer for months and then summer arrives.

On Tuesday, I accompanied my son’s kindergarten class to a coastal nature sanctuary. It was beautiful and warm. Today (Friday), I went with my older son’s class to the same sanctuary to go exploring on the tidal flats. The weather, decided to go back to winter. It was cold, windy and just yucky as we trekked through the water onto the flats.

Sadly, the weather doesn’t care what our plans are for field trips or workouts. There are many days when getting to the gym or class just seems yucky. Just like the kids persevered and looked for critters – it’s time to get that workout in. The conditions are rarely perfect.

They say there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing. The next time the weather isn’t cooperating or you’re just not feeling it – tie those sneakers and get out there. You’ll feel great when you are done!

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Getting through that UGH feeling

15 Apr

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I find the first 6-15 minutes of a tough workout to be the hardest. When I’m taking a class that’s out of my comfort zone, I have to keep going. The treadmill is entirely different. I often cop out and tell myself, “15 minutes is better than 0 minutes”. This is true, but it won’t help me reach the next step.

Having signed up for a charity run and telling everyone that I’m doing it, I can’t give up after 15 minutes. Not jogging and getting off the treadmill isn’t going to get me to my goal. Luckily, my ego steps in and reminds me that I have to keep going.

When I’m in a hard class, I feel better after I get through those first 15 minutes. Turns out, I feel better jogging after the first 15 minutes. The discipline is harder on the treadmill but worth it! I always feel a greater sense of accomplishment when I stick with it and reach new goals.

Let your ego step in and push you through the hard part. You will be excited as you pass each personal best! Keep going!!

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My thoughts on Jillian Michaels’ “Slim for Life”

8 Apr

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In a world where people are eliminating entire food groups or living on juice and lemon water for a quick fix; it’s refreshing to find solid, maintainable and frankly, common sense advice. Jillian Michaels lays everything out, utilizing her no-nonsense approach with options and lots of information.

She begins with the basics of eating and moving then takes you through simple solutions for being on the go, social and simply busy. Each chapter has a variety of tips and each tip is allotted points. Jillian writes ” the tips I’ve given a 3 rating (the power tips) are all top priority”, the 1s and 2s are meant to be easier lifestyle changes that you can make quickly. This allows you to make decisions that fit in your lifestyle and eliminates a one size fits all approach.

The book is filled with great information. Personally, I enjoy the reason behind my decisions. If you are looking for someone to tell you what do and aren’t worried about the reason – skip over the big words and focus on her overall message. It’s worth it!

One of my favorite aspects is throughout the book, Jillian gives you boxes on the side with “slim myths”. As a fitness instructor, I hear them all the time and it’s great to see them acknowledged and answered. Be sure to read each one, even if you think you know the reason, there is great, new information.

My husband and I are maintaining our weight and found lots of great information that applies to us. I originally bought this book thinking I would share it with family and friends (which I will) but I am happy to have it as a resource. This is a book that I will go back to and use regularly. Regardless of where you are in your health journey, this book has something for you!

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Get in your head!

4 Apr

Get in your head...

We often think about exercise being a good time to get out of our heads. Exercise can help us organize our thoughts and it can help us find our inner champion.

We might be walking or running, trying a new pose in yoga or lifting weights. Wherever we are, it takes mental strength to go further. As I approach the last minute on the treadmill and I’m ready to quit; I start cheering myself on. The music and external factors aren’t going to take me to the finish. I have to push myself.

My inner dialogue is definitely yelling that I can do this, I have it. I even use my name in my head. Everyone approaches the final push with different motivation. Take the time to discover what is your trigger – what internal motivation takes you to the next step.

Go after it!

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Following my own advice

25 Mar

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I often encourage my students to step outside of their comfort zones and try something new. Recently, I decided to take my own advice. I have always been fit, but running scares me. I committed to facing this fear. No one likes doing something they aren’t good at in the beginning.

The first day on the treadmill went better than I anticipated. Mind you, I’m maxing out at a jog. Because it is easy for me to back off or get bored; I decided to set a goal and work for it.

My husband has been running for years and we decided to sign-up for a local charity run. The distance will be easy for my husband but a serious challenge for me. I picked a course that is relatively flat and pretty. We all like to find success and it seems unreasonable to pick a hilly course for my first choice.

If I’m going to finish, I need to work at it each week. This is not a time to procrastinate. It’s also a time to set an obtainable goal. My hope is to jog the entire course without stopping. Maybe, I’ll be lucky enough to pick up the pace.

I have begun with intervals. They aren’t crazy and helps keep me interested. By keeping track of the minutes, I’m not bored. I also find that I can dig in for the last minute or 30 seconds before walking. My hope is to increase my jog time by 1 minute each week. If I stay on track, I will accomplish my goal.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Join me and try something that intimidates you! Share your goals and progress in comments or on Facebook

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What about me?!?!

18 Mar

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Each week I fill my house with healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner options for my husband and our boys. By the time I’m done rationing the fruit and preparing meals – I’ve missed my own food. As a result, I often skip breakfast and indulge in a large, unhealthy lunch.

Why is the health of my family more important than mine? It’s not! All of our health is important. The better I fuel my body, the better I can be for myself and my family.

For the last two weeks, I’ve been making myself an equal participant in the healthy planning. I include myself in the fruit rationing and meal preparation. My energy has increased, and my workouts have been more effective.

Do you put others ahead of your own health? Look at your own meals and decide if you would feed them to the rest of your family. Remember to take care of yourself – you are worth it!!

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