She is realistic...

I am so excited about this guest post! Say hello to Emily, again.  I asked Emily to do a post about food.  Yes, food...not the lack of food about how to eat and enjoy food.  A couple of years ago when Emily got me into the best shape I have ever been in, I was eating nonstop.  She taught me how to really enjoy food without stressing about every calorie.  We ate everything and anything but all in moderation.  I loved that I didn't feel like I should beat myself up after eating a cookie or that I could enjoy some french fries here and there.  Read what she has to say and you will also have a new outlook on food.  I love everything Emily has to say and for goodness sakes...if eating anything I want means I'll look like Emily then bring on the food!

Check out her blog HERE!

 Proof that she eats! (Isn't she such a cutie?)

And still looks like this...

"Just Say No.........To Diets!"

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be able to post about this topic because I am extremely passionate about it. I do not, nor have I ever in my life believed in diets. I have always believed that moderation is the key to eating. This rule is so easy to apply to your daily routine because your body needs to eat!! When you starve yourself of a certain food, let alone calories, you will eventually binge on it later.....so how about this: just cut back. How to do this? Start slow. For instance, if everyday you have to have two sodas, or two vanilla lattes, try just having half today. Then in replacement, try some green tea, or a low-sugar drink.....and don't knock it until you try it! Then everyday, try to limit that particular must have to a healthy portion. Notice how I didn't say take it out! It's all about the quantity. How about that 3:00 snack time? Are you stuck on always having that bag of chips when you pick your kids up from school? This time, put together a healthy trail mix! The kids will enjoy too!Another important aspect to moderation is portion. Portion size is so important when eating a balanced meal/snack. There are a ton of resources for you to use to check the ideal amount of fruit, veggies, carbs, fat, protein, etc., so just as an example, if I'm having pasta tonight, I dish out the size of my fist as my portion. Then I try to fill up on fruit, a salad, and a piece of bread. (Yes, I eat bread or rolls, but only 1) Then of course, I always have dessert....but only if it's a home-baked goodie. How can you beat yourself up when you have a fresh, delicioius, home-baked goodie? Not me. Just don't eat the whole pan! Maybe you had a bagel as part of your breakfast, so then at dinner, don't eat any rolls/bread, just add in some extra veggies, or fruit!So let me break this down for you. To me, a diet is where you cut out a certain type of food group, such as carbohydrates, or when you cut back on too many calories, or simply put, you don't eat! In my opinion dieting only gives you a weight loss for a certain amount of time.....moderation is a lifetime diet! Lastly, how much activity to you get throughout the day? Are you fueling your body as much as you should....are you drinking enough water? In general, I believe people don't drink enough water. Not a fan of it? There are small packets at grocery stores to add in a little flavor to your bottled water. Your body can only go so far without any fuel in it, so take care of it and give it some delicious food!My top ten tips for healthy moderation!
1. Eat breakfast people: Most important meal of the day and it gets your metabolism rolling 2. Go ahead and snack: but keep them between 150-250 calories. (This will keep you from chowing down too much later)
3. Make your plate colorful: add in green food (spinach/salad), orange food (carrot/oranges), brown food (brown rice/whole wheat pasta) and yes, white food (homemade biscuit with a teaspoon of honey)!
4. Water, water, water: regardless if you have to have some soda, or juice with dinner or lunch, always pour a glass of water with it too.
5. Don't beat yourself up: Ok, you had two cupcakes after lunch today....big whoop! Who cares? Do you do it everyday? Then don't worry about. If you're still so upset, then do an extra 15 mins today of your workout.
6. Keep it active: can't make it to the gym today but have to run a million errands? Park the car farther away today....so that way you have to walk a bit more. Nice out? Go for a walk after dinner. At the airport? Take the stairs instead of the escalator to catch your next flight.
7. Plan ahead: before heading to the store for groceries for the week, write out what you plan to cook/prepare for the week. When we write it down, we're more likely to follow through. Plus, you won't feel tempted to swing through the drive through tonight because you already have something ready to go!
8. Eat people: eat when you're hungry, and drink something when you're thirsty....stop obssessing about it and enjoy food! You're tummy isn't growling for nothing 
9. Eat out: yep, I said it...enjoy that new Italian restaraunt down the street. Order a salad with your meal so you're more likely not to eat the entire plate. Or, pack up half of it before it's served. 
10. I just ate: it's 8 p.m. and you're feeling hungry because you had dinner at 5 p.m......ok, so eat! Nobody said you couldn't have a cup of popped popcorn or some frozen grapes....there is no rule where you can't eat after dinner. Silly.Enjoy  xoxo

Thanks Em!! 

Weekend fun + Monday

Ryan had two games this week which means a lot of headphone wearing for Asher. We love going to games and seeing Ryan play.  He has been playing great and had 16 then 21 points this week. 

 Asher loves his Turkish friends.  This girl (Ahsen) loves Asher and makes sure to come find him after every single game.  Her dance studio performs at a bunch of games and her Aunt works for the team.  She is so adorable!

 Asher tried feeding himself spaghetti for the first time. It was hilarious to watch him and I think more noodles ended up in his lap instead of his mouth.

 That chunk of tomato sat on his chest the entire time he ate. I think he was trying to save it for later.

 Asher could tell Ryan didn't want him to get him dirty and he kept swatting at him trying to get spaghetti on him.  Check out those noodles stuck to his chubby legs.

 Two NATO families came to the game this past weekend. We love when friends come! Asher loves all of the kids and I want to adopt Abby because she takes care of Asher and I don't have to do a thing. He is mesmerized by her.  The only problem is that Asher almost weighs as much as her...

 Asher showing off in daddy's shades.

 Ryan finally had a day off and so we did as much as possible! We went to McDonald's in the morning for breakfast, got our teeth cleaned (American dentist! woop woop), ate Subway for lunch, went on a walk, went to the park, did bubbles and ate steak stir fry for dinner.  It was a fantastic day off!  Asher was perfect the entire day and loved when we did bubbles and went to the park.  He finally fits in the swings here! Kind of. He didn't look at me one time when he was in the swing.  He liked watching two girls play volleyball.

 Asher now gets the concept of popping bubbles and loved having Ryan run him around to poke them.

 He would get so excited every time they came close to a bubble and he would kick his legs incredibly fast.  He kicked so fast and hard that he got both a shoe and a sock off of his feet.

 Such a cutie.  Love his blue eyes!

He doesn't ever like to sit with his legs straight in the stroller.  One has to always be dangling off the side or hanging up over the bar.  Silly baby.

It was a great weekend + Monday! Did I mention that it was 65 degrees on Sunday and Today it is 70 degrees? Fabulous!

Gorgeous Tori!

(photo by: Alpha Athletic Imaging)

I am so excited about this guest post! Meet Tori.  She is one of my great friends from High School.  She is hilarious, fun to be around and is so sweet. I just love her.  Tori got involved in competitive fitness competitions.  Her body was absolutely incredible before (my dream body) but she has taken it to the next level.  I'm so excited about her advice!

I am so excited that Jess has chosen me to be a spotlight on her blog! I will say that I am not a mother but I have been through times in my life where I have been so busy that it was easy to make excuses not to go to the gym or live a healthy lifestyle. I am here to hopefully give you, at whatever stage you are at in your life, a little motivation to keep pushing to reach your personal goals of leading a healthier fit lifestyle and ultimately being happy in your lives!

Now for an introduction. I cheered with Jess through high school and afterwards cheered for weber state university. I met my husband while attending school and he showed me the road to developing the physic that I have always wanted. I always knew the basics about how to keep looking"skinny" when I was cheering but I didn't realize how unhealthy I really was on the inside. That's one thing people need to know, even though you are skinny or think you look good on the outside doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy, you can still be depriving your body on the inside.
Once I started lifting weights I saw a major change in my physic. I noticed I didn't have to do as much cardio because building lean muscle mass helps to constantly be burning calories throughout the day. I became so in love with this new lifestyle that I hired a trainer and nutritionist to help me compete in "figure" competitions. My trainer showed me the ropes, I learned an extraordinary amount of useful information. I, along with many women out there, was at first nervous to start lifting weights for the fear of becoming "bulky" or looking "manly". But women do not produce enough testosterone to look manly, so don't be afraid!
I soon became so busy that I no longer had the amount of time needed to spend in the gym to compete. I was enrolled in 22 credit hours, working full time, had cheer practice 12 hours a week a long side of events and fundraising, was preparing for my first national level figure show and to top it all of was trying to plan my wedding!
I have learned through all of this that it's all about moderation and what you can handle with whatever you are going through at the time. And whatever you do to your body... You can, with time and patience, undo it. For example when I first started competing I wanted to put on an extreme amount of muscle, so much that I put on 17 pounds of muscle! Serious. Now that I am not competing, this is not the ideal look that I want, so I have started to lift and workout in a manner to eliminate some of my muscle while still having a proportionate amount of muscle on my frame. I have learned so much from the people in the bodybuilding and fitness industry that I have literally learned how to sculpt my body to the way I would like it to be.

 Before pictures (amazing)

After pictures (incredible) 

I hope that in reading this it gives you hope! That when you might blame your body shape on genetics or the body frame you were given you know you can build muscle to give yourself and others the illusion that you want. For example I am very square and my shoulders made me look like I had no waste. By building my shoulders I was able to give myself the "tapered" look. The illusion that I have a smaller waist.
Whatever your goal is. Surround yourself with people in your life that support you! And remember its all about how you feel on the inside!

Here is a sample meal plan that i am following right now ( you most certainly can substitute) and a workout that you can do without excuses! I have done it in my hotel room while traveling, in my own home when I am short on time or at the gym you can add weights for a even stronger burn!

6:00 am Meal 1: 1/2 cup quinoa cooked and put in 1/2 cup almond milk with a handful of blueberries in it as well!
9:00 am Meal 2: 1 medium apple with 1 teaspoon all natural peanut butter
12:00 noon Meal 3: 1 whole wheat tortilla with albacore tuna mixed in low fat cottage cheese and topped with saracha  sauce with a side of etamame
3:00 pm Meal 4: 1 plain rice cake with 1 teaspoon honey
6:00 pm Meal 5: 1whole egg and 3 egg whites made into an omelet with spinach, mushrooms and chicken

Tip: when trying to lose inches eat smaller portions but still eat 5 to 6 meals throughout the day

Workout:
2 sets of 15 jump squats
2 sets of 15 jumping jacks
2 sets of 15 alternating jump lunges
2 sets of 15 high knees
2 sets of 15 mountain climbers
2 sets of 15 running butt kicks
2 sets of 15 wide push ups
2 sets of 15 jumping jacks
2 sets of 15 bicycle crunches

when performing this you want to complete each thing (15 times) and on to the next without stopping. At the end rest 1-2 minutes and start over. Repeat twice and you're done!

Lifting Tip: if trying to build muscle with weights keep repetitions between 8-10. Meaning you cannot get one more after 10. If trying to tone and lean out keep repetitions between 12-15. Remember it should still be hard enough where you cannot get one more after 15. For legs if I am trying to lean out I will do 15-20 repetitions and sometimes even switch it up to 30!

Cardio: when doing cardio try intervals. Right now my favorite is on the treadmill. Set at level 9 or 9.5 and do 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. This will help to burn off that lasting fat! Remember to always switch it up, it should never be easy!

Cardio Tip: doing things on an incline will help to keep your buns high and tight! Try walking on a high incline or doing the stair stepper!

Thanks Tor! Getting my booty to the gym!

Update/Treadmill Workout

First off, let's begin with some cute pictures of our little buddy. 

 He always sits in the most random positions that make my knees hurt just looking at him.

 Love his belly

And the cutest bum I've ever seen. He pulls every single thing off of the ledge of the shower one at a time and drops them into the tub.

Now, the not so cute pictures. Please excuse the lighting of the pictures. We still have no clue how to use our camera...

Asher wanted in on the fun. He cracks me up. See the wonderful mess he makes in the kitchen? Love it.

Measurements for the beginning of week 3 March 16th.

Butt: 38 (down a half inch)

Waist: 33 (down an inch)

Biceps: 11.5

Thighs: 22.5

Weight: I have to be honest. I didn't weigh myself yet this week! I'll do that today at the gym. 

As for my measurements I have shrunk down a little bit! This could be Ryan pulling the measuring tape a little tighter this week but I do have to say that my butt has been sore every single day for the last two weeks so something better be changing!!

Treadmill Workout

I made this up yesterday at the gym and today my legs are so sore it hurts to sit on the toilet (TMI?) so give this a try!

0-10 minutes working up to a quick pace/comfortable jog. Should be jogging by minute 5

10-15 minutes Incline walking. DO NOT hold on to the treadmill. Once a minute passes take the incline down 1% example: 

10-11 minutes -10.0 incline brisk walk 

11-12 minutes -9.0 incline brisk walk

12-13 minutes -8.0 incline brisk walk

13-14 minutes -7.0 incline brisk walk

14-15 minutes -drop back down to 0.0 incline and walk. At 14:45 take treadmill up to a sprinting pace and step off to the side

15-20 minutes 45 second sprints with 15 second jump off and rest.

15:00-15:45 SPRINT

15:45-16:00 jump off and rest.  Don't lower the speed. Just step off and rest.

16:00-16:45 SPRINT

16:45-17:00 rest

17:00-17:45 SPRINT

17:45-18:00 rest

18:00-18:45 SPRINT

18:45- 19:00 rest

19:00-19:45 SPRINT

19:45-20:00 rest, change to walking speed and take the inline back up to 10.0

Repeat minutes 10-20 one more time. Incline walks and then sprints.  This will complete a 30 minute treadmill workout! Be sure to cool down after!

Enjoy!

Food Journal

I have been getting back in to classes at the gym. I have been going to spinning twice a week and tonight I even taught a hip hop class at the gym. Oh, how I miss teaching!! Kayla (previous guest post) was right about the atmosphere of a class. I love when people are surrounding me and are ready to sweat and get fit! Also, I love working out with a friend. It changes the entire workout. Especially a friend that pushes you to do more or helps you to get out and exercise! Don't have a friend you can work out with? Make a friend! The friend that I work out with a couple times a week is someone I actually met at the gym our first year in Turkey! Do you go to the gym at the same time every day and notice there is the same person there also? Talk to them (not to sound creepy!) You may be surprised that you have a lot of things in common and were both looking for a gym friend.

Now, the point of my post.  Have you ever kept a food journal? The first time I ever kept a food journal was when I had a personal trainer my Senior year of High School.  I was supposed to write down the time, portion size and what I ate.  I kept a little notebook in my purse and would pull it out after the meal.  Hard? Not at all. Since then I have kept a food journal a few different times. I never should stop, but I do.  Let me explain something.  There are two different ways to look at a food journal.  First, I'm not going to eat anything because I don't want to write it down or second, I am going to keep a food journal so that I can see what I should be eating that I'm not AND be mindful of what I'm eating.  The second is the right way to do a food journal. I love to look at my list before I go to bed. Did you go too long in between meals? Did you eat any fruit or veggies?  It is great to be more aware of what you are putting into your body and when.  Do I often times have to write about a cookie at 9? You bet ya! Do I worry about it? Nope.  My friend Emily will be doing a great post explaining how we should not diet. She will touch more on the "cookie at 9" subject.  Here is an example of my food journal today...

8:30am 2 scrambled eggs w/ 1 slice whole wheat bread

12:00pm leftover chili and an apple

3:00pm piece of toast with Peanut Butter and 1/2 banana

7:30pm Baked spaghetti using whole wheat noodles and a green smoothie- 1 banana, 2 kiwi, orange juice, 2 big handfuls spinach, orange juice, natural yogurt and 1 mango

9:00pm frozen banana treat!  I always have a little sweet tooth at night. This is amazing.  Tonight I added 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. 

Another thing that is good to write down (but I forget all the time) is how many glasses of water you drank throughout the day!

Looking at today I realized the only veggies I had was the spinach in my green smoothie.  Tomorrow I will remember to eat more vegetables through out my day.  It's hard when Ryan hates vegetables.  Trust me, I know I don't have the most perfect diet.  I eat a lot of carbs.  See the point though?! It's great! 

You should consider keeping a food journal to make sure you're fueling your body enough through out the day and feeding it with good, healthy food! 

Good luck!
Are you doing the hundredpushups challenge? ( I hear crickets chirping...anyone? anyone?) Well, it's not too late! Today I did 60 pushups as my max and I really am loving this program! Hop on board!

Now, the incredible Kayla!

I am so excited to have Kayla writing a guest post on my blog! I have known Kayla for years and years. She is such an amazing person. Kind, beautiful, outgoing, so fun and she is in amazing shape.  She is the perfect guest for my blog because she is a mother of two but still manages to get her workouts in and understands using time wisely.  Enjoy!

(umm, wow!)

Thank  you Jess for inviting me to guest post on your blog!  Just a brief introduction on me, I am Kayla Rawle.  I am AFFA and ACE certified, and have been teaching aerobics and other gym classes for a little over 3 years now. 

After getting married young and having a baby shortly after, my diet and exercise took the back burner to a very busy schedule and life. Because I was a dancer and a cheerleader in high school, fitness was something that came naturally for me rather than something I had to think about.  However, with my new life and without those activities to participate in, I had to actually make an effort to workout for the first time. 

I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy and had an extremely difficult time losing the baby weight.  In addition to the exercise, I had to learn how to eat right for the first time as well.  No more eating my mom’s cooking at home, now my nutritional decisions were my own. 

Now fast-forward 8 years.  I have dipped my toes into many exercise routines and nutritional plans.  I know that there are hundreds of diet plans that have worked for many, however I am just going to share the combination of diet and workout plans that have worked for me and given me great results. 

I believe that for a mom, our workout time has to be intense and fun.  We do not typically have 4 hours a day to spend at the gym.  The workout needs to be worth your time and be a good alternative to getting out of bed in the morning or spending time with our kids and family at night.  So for this reason, my hands down favorite way to exercise is going to gym classes.  The group setting really pumps me up, gives me something to work towards and can be tailored so that the workout can fit your own current fitness level. 

I currently teach classes at Golds Gym.  From Zumba to Spin (cycle) classes they are all in my opinion, a very fun and effective way to exercise, but I also feel that weight lifting is a very important addition to any workout regimen.   For this reason, I add about 30 minutes of weight lifting (3 sets of 8-12 repetitions) prior to my cardio workouts.  If you don’t have the time to stay at the gym to lift and attend a class, buying free weights (8-15 pounds) you can perform some really efficient workouts in the comfort of your own living room.  Along these lines, if you find that the gym altogether is not in your budget nor in your interest, you are still in luck!  Running outdoors or investing in some at home workout DVD’S can also really help you obtain better fitness and levels.

Just so you can get a real idea of what I my workout schedule is like I have written it up for you. 

Monday: Step Class

Weight Lifting: Exercises for arms &back including:  biceps curls, triceps dips &back rows.

Tuesday: Spin Class

Weight Lifting Exercises: EGS: lunges w/ light weights & basic squats

Wednesday:  Day off ( try to get a 30 min walk or an active game with kids to get heart rate up like tag ,Frisbee ect)

Thursday: Spin Class

Weight Lifting: Chest & shoulder: pushups & Shoulder press

Friday: Boot camp Class (Sports Conditioning)

Weight Lifitng: legs: falf raises & sumo squats

Saturday: Zumba Class (Latin dance) no lifting

In addition to all the exercise, I need to touch on dieting because it such an important part of your personal fitness goals as well.  I have tried a few different diets such as Weight Watchers, Paleo, Atkins, and calorie counting, but what has proven to be the best method for me is Intuitive Eating.  It was recommended to me by a friend, and has made my life so much easier.  After all the dieting, I finally hit my goal weight, but the difficulty for me was in maintaining my weight.  So after reading this book I learned to eat how my children do!  When I am hungry I eat and when I feel satisfied (not overly full) I stop.  Sounds simple, but it can be difficult to figure out when to stop. 

            I hope that there has been something in this post that will spark you to make a positive change, or help add to your already great fitness routine.  Thanks for reading!  Good luck to you, I hope you can find what works for you! 

-Kayla Rawle

www.kaylasclasses.blogspot.com

Thanks Kayla!! You are so awesome and I love knowing what things have worked for you. You inspire me!! xoxo

Fit it in...

This weekend was a true test. Real life vs. exercise.

Asher got sick (yet again), Ryan was out of town and the weather was a bit dreary.  When Asher is sick I don't want to take him to daycare at the gym and when Ryan is out of town there is no one to leave him with. Friday was warm enough to take Asher out on a little walk/jog along the water. It wasn't anything intense but sometimes I think an enjoyable stroll is just as beneficial because it does something warm and fuzzy to my insides. That sounds cheesy. Please say you know what I'm talking about? It just feels good to get out, enjoy the fresh air and still get in some exercise. Saturday was another story. Asher was running a fever and throwing up which means...no workout. (dun dun dunnnnn....) BUT I didn't beat myself up about not getting in a workout because sometimes it just isn't possible.  This is the whole point of this challenge. I'm doing this in my real life.  Still being a full-time mommy and wife while trying to fit in a realistic exercise schedule. 

Today is the beginning of a new week. Ryan is home but Asher is still a little bit sick and I still don't feel comfortable taking him to daycare.  Ryan has a very interesting schedule. Most days I barely see him because of two practices and the time it takes him to commute.  Usually I like to go to the gym during his first practice and then be home to spend time together before he heads out for a second practice.  He is usually home for about two hours.  If it weren't for Ryan giving me a little nudge I wouldn't have gotten out the door today.  We did a quick hand off of Asher the second he walked in the door and I did a timed workout. Ryan even said "Ready, set, go!" (He knows I get clingy to him and I need a little help to leave.)  I wanted to make it fast but worthwhile. I wanted to get back asap so that I could enjoy at least an hour with Ryan.  I set my watch for 30 minutes. I walked three minutes and then ran as far and fast as I could for 14 minutes.  When my watch hit 17 minutes I turned around and sprinted home.  It equaled out to be a 30 minute run and I ran 3.25 miles.  Timing myself was fun and it made it a fun challenge to see how far I could run in a short amount of time. Once I got back to my apartment building instead of taking the elevator I took the stairs. I live on the 16th floor.  My buns were burning!! I was home in a total of 37 minutes.  I still had time to hang out with Ryan and we did our hundredpushups challenge! My max today was 50 pushups!! I am so happy with that number! My point of this whole post is two things...

A: Sometimes you just can't get a workout in because real life gets in the way so don't beat yourself up. Just pick it up RIGHT when you get the chance. Don't ruin the good thing you had going.  Just because you missed a day it doesn't mean you have to miss two weeks.

B: When you can get a workout in whether it be 3 hours or 37 minutes a workout is a workout!  I felt great, my day has been great and I really enjoyed my workout! It's all about just fitting it in and making it work whatever your schedule or time allotment may be.

Today is Day 1 of Week 2 on the hundredpushups challenge. It isn't too late to start! My mom is doing this and she is in her 50's folks.  GET ON IT! 

A post without pictures is pretty boring and so here are two pictures of my little buddy on our walk this weekend.  Luckily, this was before the snotty nose and fever began. Yes, he is waving...I love him.

Happy Monday!