My Trainer Jill | Exercise Video

My fridge is all stocked and ready for a busy week. Boiled eggs, chicken, cottage cheese, kale and beef stir fry, individual containers of veggies and hummus, almonds, celery ready for the peanut butter, yogurt for my home made Protein Pudding,  Chocolate Nut Protein Bars, Protein Pancakes, fruit…. the list goes on! This is a HUGE “area of opportunity” for so many people I talk to who want a better physique. One hour a week can make the rest of your week soooo much easier.

Is your fridge helping your nutritional goals?

People who come to my classes often ask me “How do you do it?” “How do you have so much energy all the time?” Some people just have that endless amount of energy. All the time. Naturally. I’m not one of them.

I cheat. I admit it.

In college I was afraid to eat a poppyseed muffin because I was drug tested so much for the NCAA’s supposed “random” drug testing. (Didn’t feel so random when it was always me who got chosen. LOL!) I never even took a multi-vitamin! Of course, I also justified my entire order of breadsticks the night before each meet as “carbo loading”. This is funny mind you because my events (I was a thrower) lasted all of about 6 seconds/throw. Not exactly endurance.

I wish I’d known then about Spark and Muscle Fuel and many of the other AdvoCare products. Just the other day I was SO, NOT in the mood to workout, and I took a Muscle Fuel as I often do, and I was once again WOW’d at the workout I got. The energy just shows up about 15 minutes after I drink this stuff! Every time. I love it!

I was telling my class about that experience the other day and moments later my husband came home from his workout. He announced in amazement, “Muscle Fuel is ridiculous! I just had the BEST workout!” It was pretty funny timing.

I would just be a bad friend if I did not at least share with you my favorite things. Here is a clip below about a study they did on it a while back.

And now you know my “secret”.

I LOVE “old people”. They’ve been there done that. They have wisdom, satisfaction, peace and strength about them. I love hearing their stories. I love helping them improve physically because it can improve their quality of life so much! It’s very rewarding work. My thesis was on older adults and I’ve always just gravitated toward people much older than me. Most of my one-on-one clients are over 65 years old.

So as you know I’ve been playing tennis lately. My husband is thrilled about this because he’s played for years and it’s something we can do together as a family when Izak is old enough to play. So I’m playing on a ladder this summer. I have yet to win a single match.

I was warned by more than one of the girls about “Carolyn”. People are willing to talk once they’ve kicked your butt and more than one girl offered me the advise of not under-estimating this opponent. “Don’t let her saunter fool you! She’s good!”

Sure enough. Carolyn kicked my fanny. Handily. But she was so fun to play I’ve played her two more times since then. And she’s kicked my butt every single time. One match at Wash Park these men were gathered around watching whispering to me through the fence, “She’s fit!” She’s amazing.

I always confess my losses to my husband (who’s likely pretty disappointed in my progression) and I’d admitted that Carolyn was much older. She hasn’t offered her age, and I refuse to ask. But I will tell you, I’m beyond impressed. I have been caught more than once on my heels thinking “there’s no way that will come back” and sure enough! She gets to it! “Don’t rest on your laurels!” she’ll scold. And I giggle at the truth of the lesson. She cheers me on when I do something good. She’s teaching me how to keep score. She’s wonderful! I’m having so much fun playing her I haven’t been making my way through the ladder as I’m supposed to.

I asked her when we played yesterday if I could take her picture and put it on my blog. Of course, she doesn’t even know what a blog is, but she was happy to oblige. By the way, she attributes her fitness to years of running, and eating “lots of vegetables”!

My new friend and inspiration, Carolyn.

My husband laughed out loud when I told him I’d purchased 8 Zumba classes on a LivingSocial deal recently. And as I fluttered and sputtered my way through the first class I giggled too. I have no rhythm. I know this. But the idea of DANCING for an hour, as opposed to “working out” intrigued me. I have seen one of the fittest people I know come out of teaching a Zumba class looking like she just stepped out of the shower. Soaked. I’ve seen her teach a lot of classes and I’d never seen her WET from sweat. Until she taught Zumba that is.

So I showed up at a 9:30 am weekday class at this all-Zumba studio. Twelve or so more mature women, all of varying ethnicities, shapes and sizes, were very welcoming to the big blond jock looking amazon woman who stuck out like a sore thumb. They asked the obvious question and followed it up with, “OH, you’re going to LOVE it! It’s so much fun!”

Mmm hmm.

The music started and I was instantly hoping the sound would drown me out. The mirror in front of me was so short I couldn’t see my head. The instructor stood on a podium in front of us and she sweetly encouraged me with her eyes. I could not understand a word she said. Partly because the music volume far-exceeded hers but also because her English wasn’t very good. This woman was born to dance. Latin. Her hips did things I didn’t know were possible! And fast!

It really didn’t matter though that I couldn’t hear or understand her. There was no amount of coaching that would have allowed me to “get it” and at a pace that would keep everyone’s heart rates up. So, there I stood, still, staring at the instructor one moment, then flailing around like a fish out of water the next, all the while wishing I’d brought a friend to video this because I’m pretty certain it would have been enjoyable to watch! I loved the music. I loved that all these women, many with less rhythm than I, all had smiles on their faces! One woman in the front apparently comes morning and night. I must admit, my heart rate never went above 120. I don’t think I ever even broke a sweat. But that’s not Zumba’s fault. I have 8 classes to get this down. I’m sure it’s like tennis or kickboxing. You have to get good before you can really get a good workout from it. So next time I’ll be smart enough to not count on this as my workout and I’ll be able to just relax and learn. It would be like my bonus movement for that day. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, get on out there and try something new!

It’s my fault my mornings are a mad dash from the time my feet hit the floor. I could get up earlier. Or I could choose to make something more simple and quick for breakfast. Truth is, I enjoy the routine. We’ve got it down. I doubt there are many people out there so crazy as I am to nearly empty the fridge every morning and cover the counters with all these veggies, eggs, oatmeal for Izak, etc. I chop broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, spinach and peppers. I mix chia seeds in one bowl with some eggs for me, oatmeal in another bowl for Izak, and Ali, well, he’s picky too. It’s silly really. Combine this with all the other chaos of the morning and it’s no wonder I’m usually shoveling this concoction down my throat in the car, on my way to work.

Breakfast would probably be more fun if we weren't in such a rush.

In fact, I was gobbling up this goodness at a stop light the other morning when a car turned passed me. I saw as it approached that the window was open slightly and I looked carefully to judge this driver who was obviously smoking. As quickly as the judgmental thought entered my mind about this young man, I caught myself wondering if he was happier than me. I don’t remember him looking necessarily giddy, but for some reason, I wondered about his morning routine. His day to day life. I wondered if he felt fulfilled and excited about where he was headed in life.

I am blessed beyond belief with all that I have. I love my life. And I am happy. But it was such a little slap in the face reminder that all these little decisions I make, a million a day, effect my happiness. It is up to me. I have been feeling really good about the shift in my household to organic, grass-fed, free-range, etc. lately. And actually, I really haven’t been as stressed in these past few months either. I’m learning to say no. I’ve slowed down enough to enjoy my son and husband more AND to do some fun stuff just for me! That’s why it was so odd that this thought entered my mind. It was just such a good reminder that I instantly felt compelled to share it with you.

If the difficulty of fitting in a workout 6 times a week is causing you more stress than the workout would eliminate, perhaps you need to reassess that goal. How about 4!? We talk all the time in my world about planning ahead with meals. Chopping, cooking extra for leftovers, etc. Maybe I need to just go ahead and get rid of my chopping obsession and do it all in advance. I could even put the right amount of each in separate baggies or whatever. How SIMPLE would THAT be!? Hmmmm. I might be on to something here!

Each decision you make effects your health and happiness.

Point is, take a look at your health routine and see what you could change, cut, improve or get rid of. If you always wish you had better balance, but don’t have time to work on it, start brushing your teeth while standing on one leg, with one eye closed, while brushing with your non dominant hand. If you can’t seem to find the time to shop for groceries as often as having fresh veggies requires, sign up for Mile High Organics (my fave) or another delivery service to make your life easier. If you have a nanny, ask her to do some of the cooking for you. Whatever! Just take a good honest look and see if you have areas of improvement that would simplify life and help you reach these health goals at the same time.

I challenge you to make a list. What causes you stress? What would make life easier? What’s preventing you from reaching this or that health goal? What could be done differently in your day to day routine that would enhance your day?

Is it “safe” to cross the street? Nothing is safe.  No one is ever “safe”.

Our kids can barely walk and we’re tossing them balls and giving them rackets and hoping they’ll be the next Michael Jordan. Many of the same run, sprint, cut, jump, throw skills are used to play soccer, basketball, football, baseball, hockey…. and yet, we never think to teach them how to squat properly. How to sprint with good form. How to use their core to throw a ball. In weight lifting, we learn the mechanics of movement. We learn the proper form of a squat (used in every rebound and in every jump). It teaches body awareness. Am I suggesting we load up a bar and see how much a 7 year old can back squat? No. But teaching kids how to do a push up with good form can only help their athleticism. As I’ve mentioned before, Izak (he’s 2 and a half) is in gymnastics for this reason. He’s TWO and a HALF! He barely has the attention span to walk on the balance beam holding my hand! But I see him learning movement. Balance. Coordination. In sports, they’re learning how to play that game. The rules. Where to stand. When to run. In the weight room they’re learning how to move their bodies. Regardless of any specific sport rules. This is critical in my opinion.

Strength training in youth is safer than most sports! AND, a complete strength program has been shown to increase motor unit recruitment and synchronization (coordination), decrease injury potential, increase muscle strength and endurance, improve body composition and increase bone density and bone mass! Why WOULDN’T you not only allow kids to lift weights, but encourage it!?

No, I do not think they should be loading their spines will all kinds of ridiculous weight. But Izak will lift weights as soon as he’s mature enough to follow directions and instruction. He already does some in following mommy around with her clients. (So cute to watch him mimic our activities!) I believe this will only help his future sport endeavors.

I outgrew gymnastics by junior high (I was bigger than my poor coach who was trying to spot me). And I kept growing. The bigger I got, the slower I got. Pretty soon I was too slow to be a sprinter anymore, so they gave me a heavy ball and said, “throw this”. I threw the shot put in high school using a technique called a glide. I wasn’t very good. But my coach convinced the college coaches that I would be once they moved me to the spin (a totally different technique) and promised I’d be good at the javelin (though I’d never even touched one). So in my first three years of college, I went from a best shot put throw of 36′ 10″ (I told you I wasn’t very good) to over 50′. And in the javelin, I ended up qualifying for the Olympic Trials in 1996 with a throw of 174″ something. (10″? I don’t remember.) My sprinter friends on the track team would train their butts off every week and all year long and were ecstatic if they saw a .01 second improvement from week to week. A minuscule improvement to them was huge! In contrast, I had the luxury of having 3 foot PRs (personal records) on more than one occasion. I was relatively new to this so I got to see huge improvements and it was fun!

Decide what you want and go for it!

The same thing happens in many areas of life including fitness and weight loss. If you ever watch the Biggest Loser you see 10+ pound weight loss in a week in the beginning and as their bodies get more and more fit and trim, the losses are not so huge. This can be frustrating to those who just want to lose that “last 10 pounds”. I don’t know the actual statistic, but I would guess it’s a large percentage of people who would love to just lose 10 pounds. If you’re already pretty fit and healthy, that 10 pounds could be the BIGGEST accomplishment! It requires so much effort!

When I was in San Diego last year for the ACE fitness conference there was a session promising to answer this dilemma. “Why are those last 10 pounds so difficult to lose?” You want to know what his answer was?

1. Change up their cardio/resistance training.

2. Fine tune their diet.

3. Help them gain proper perspective.

It was #3 that stunned me. He basically suggested it was our job as fitness professionals to lower your standards. This goes against my thinking of course! I recently posted a super blog by Kate who has changed her lifestyle to lose 120 pounds or so and now, even though she has no visible 6-pack, she is happy with her body and herself. WHAT A GREAT THING! I wish that for EVERYONE! I beg of you to not tie your self-worth to the number on the scale when you stand on it, or the size of jeans you wear. But if your goal is the 6 pack, and that’s realistic (not for most!) do what you need to do to go get it! It might take more work. It might be difficult to do. But if it’s really what you want, and it’s REASONABLE, make the changes needed to make it happen.

So two things.

1. Decide if you REALLY WANT to lose the last 10 pounds. Decide if it is reasonable. Decide if you are mistakenly thinking that all of life’s problems will be solved if you just lost these last 10 pounds. Decide if you’re using these extra 10 pounds as a reason to love yourself a little less. Decide if you’re allowing these last 10 pounds to consume you and why! Decide if you’re willing to change what needs to be changed to lose the weight! Or to accept it! Either way, make a decision so you can be done with it once and for all and get on with enjoying life!

2. Once the decision is made, either way, accept it. Own it. CONQUER! Live it 100%! How FUN would it be to either a.) be rid of it! or b.) not worry about it any more! Imagine the freedom.

**I tried to find a picture of me from my throwing days and couldn’t. But I found this OLD article that cracked me up!

Here is the 10 minute summary of how to set a goal and achieve it. Kind of a big deal. The calendar is KEY! Don’t be the typical – If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. I challenge you to state it out loud and proud for all to see and know.

Below are links to the written version of this “lesson”.

Set a SMART goal.

Determine SMART steps to achieve main goal.

Track your progress in a visible way.

Reward yourself!

What it looks like.

When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.  ~Seneca

Keep your eye on the goal. You'll get there someday.

I remember once when I was young going for a hike with my dad, sisters and mom. I charged ahead with my dad wanting to prove to him that the money they were spending on my gymnastics lessons were paying off. I wanted to impress him, of course. He is a physical specimen and has never set foot in a gym as far as I know. His “gym” is his ranch. He showed mercy a couple times and stopped for me to catch my breath (though he was kind enough to not tell me the stops were for my sake). He caught me looking back at how far we’d come. I wanted to see the progress we’d made and I wanted to know how far ahead we were of the girls. He told me, in some pretty stern manner, that you “don’t look back. Always look ahead at what you have left to do.”

I think of this “lesson” often. It can be gratifying at times to relish all the reasons to pat yourself on the back and I encourage this often in my coaching. But don’t forget to look ahead at what still needs to get done and GET IT DONE!

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you?”  ~William A. Ward

Facebook is filled with positive quotes all day long. We’re constantly inundated with positivity and self-improvement messages. Almost every one of them resinate with some degree of truth but sometimes, one will grab you by the gut and yank some emotion out of you that you didn’t know was even there. Some messages slap you in the face so hard it brings tears to your eyes!  I for one, am a sucker for these inspirational posts.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Sometimes, it takes less of a trigger. Today, while reaching into my refrigerator for mustard of all things, I became suddenly overwhelmed with how BLESSED I am! I just stared at all the food in there and said “thank you”! I closed the door and admired how pretty that big, stainless steel box is. I stood there recognizing how lucky I am to be able to just reach for food when I want it. Cold food! How blessed I am that I am home on a Monday afternoon at 3:30, instead of at some office job I hate. I pranced over to the sink and thanked God out loud for my health and ability to move freely. Who knew mustard would trigger such a wave of gratitude but it was so uplifting I just wanted to cry! I felt so rich!

Yes, I’m an admittedly hormonal woman, but I would wish this random volatility on everyone if it brought this kind of appreciation. I remember Oprah suggesting years ago (I’m sure many have suggested this) to keep a gratitude journal. I started one a few times, but prefer my Funny Journal (where I write funny things that have happened for whenever I need to read something uplifting. It is filled with stories from my husband, nieces and nephews mostly. I’m sure Izak will start making more of a debut now that he’s talking so much.) One can only keep so many journals! But if you’re one who’s prone to “the glass if half empty” kind of thinking, I strongly encourage you to start a list (or journal) of all that you have to be thankful for.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.  ~Epictetus