Well, that run kind of sucked a lot...

Yesterday, I received this email from Daily Mile:

Wow. Thanks for that, Daily Mile.

So, I had planned to go out and run today anyway, but after this, I was even more determined. I imagined all my friends logging into Daily Mile saying, "Did Sarah run yet?" and then after scrolling through the entries, hanging their heads in despair.

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I went out and set my Nike + for 2.1 miles. 

I hated every second.

This was me:

I made it 1.67 miles. A crippling side stitch and *very* heavy legs convinced me to just walk the rest of the way.

While I was tempted to get depressed, maybe even cry a little, I caught myself. I stopped. I got real. 

You're welcome

The reality is that I've been focused on other things. I'm not a failure. I'm just not someone who has run much lately. If I did it more often than every 9 days, I'd get better. So that's what I'm going to do. I have control. I have the power.

So there.

And here's this.

(And now at least my friends at Daily Mile won't be so sad...)

January Goals in Review: How Did I Do?

At the end of 2011, I set some goals. I also came up with a plan for January, since I think it's more effective to set monthly goals rather than annual goals (or at least to break down the annual goals into smaller pieces).

So, how did I do?

Things I said I'd do this year:

1. Nutrition.

January has been *okay*. I have been about 80% on track with my nutrition plan from Amy. I know to get the hard core results, I need to be 100%. I'm going to aim to improve that in February.

2. Fitness.

I set a goal at the beginning of January that I would work up to running 4 miles again. I didn't really do that. I only ran 12 miles in January. I decided about mid-month to run 2 times a week, and run 2-3 miles each time. But then I got sick, and didn't quite do that...

3. Beachbody.

I set some pretty lofty goals for 2012 with my Beachbody business, but I broke them down into monthly goals. I'm happy to say I've done *really* well. For example, my income goal in January was $800, and I made $722. Close, and I'll take it.

4. Get certified to- and actually- teach group exercise again.

I'll be certifying again in Turbokick and Piyo next weekend! And I'm about 90% sure I'll be going to APEX in February to do my AFAA Group Exercise Primary. So, I'm REALLY REALLY close, and I can't wait!

5. Pay cash for a car.

Of the things on this list, this has seen the smallest amount of progress. However, some of my other goals will be helpful in reaching this goal, so I'm not worried. I feel like as the other goals are met, this one will come together.

As for February, I'm hitting the ground running. But I'm adding another goal (you may be able to help): I want my Facebook page, Sarah Fitness, to reach 1000 fans by my birthday, February 27. Can you help?

How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? Are you reviewing them monthly (or planning to)?

Have a great week and finish out January STRONG!

The Plan

Another week, another plan. I love planning. Have you noticed?

Here's what's up this week:

Sunday: Hip Hop Hustle practice, abs (probably Pump Core. Haven't done that workout yet).

Monday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Chest and Back

Tuesday:
AM: Hip Hop Hustle Practice
PM: Run 2 miles

Wednesday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Legs


Thursday:
AM: HHH Practice
PM: Shoulders and Arms

Friday:
AM: Yoga
PM: Run 2 miles

Saturday:
Turbokick training (all day)

Sunday:
Piyo training (all day)

Once again, to save this post from mind-numbing boredom, here are some pictures to entertain you. Today's pictures involve cute kitties...

 

Seriously. Ridiculous cuteness right here. (Source)

 

 

Kitteh cares about your diet..

 

 

 

Once upon a Turbo..

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, I was a group exercise instructor. It was a dream of mine. I invited friends over to my house to practice teaching them step classes. I was determined. I worked at it, and became a pretty good instructor.

I certified to teach Turbokick back on Round 15. (Those of you who take or teach Turbokick will know how long ago that was... ahem, Round 47...) This was back when you could call the company and Chalene Johnson's husband would answer the phone. Back when the Rounds came on VHS. (I remember how exciting when Round 16 came out on DVD. After I bought the Elite 11 on VHS).

The day after the Turbokick training, I attended "Piyo" training, which, at the time, was a 3-4 hour workshop. I think they were on Piyo lesson 3 or 4.

Anyway, I taught for a while. I became a Registered Yoga Teacher (200 hour), got my AFAA Primary Group Exercise certification, took Senior Fitness training, went to Dallas Mania, got certified in a bunch of 24 Hour Fitness formats... I achieved my dream. I even worked as a group exercsie coordinator for a while. My classes were popular, and I was having lots of fun. I was in graduate school during this time, and had the freedom to teach 8-10 classes a week. I loved it.

I lost interest, however, when I was pregnant with my son. Despite the training I had in prenatal fitness, I was convinced that doing anything might be dangerous and I didn't want to risk it. (I also watched Discovery Health all the time, and knew every possible thing that could go wrong. I was pretty paranoid that entire time). I taught a few classes pregnant, but mainly just let my certifications lapse and quit.

Then I became a librarian and a mom and had a whole new life. I have missed it since.

When I was pregnant with my daughter in Summer 2010, I made it a goal that one day I would teach again. I knew it would be a while, but I committed to making it happen.

Here I am 2 weeks before my daughter was born. With my BFF Carl Daikeler.

So now, I am really close. And I'm so so excited.

Saturday, I'll be attending all day Turbokick training. Sunday is Piyo training. I'll be doing both.
I've already been looking into places I can teach.

I can't wait.

I feel like I'm finally back. My passion is fitness, and Beachbody has made it possible for me to find it again....

High Five Blog Hopping Friday (of awesomeness)!

High Five!

Don't forget to join us for the Weekend Warrior Blog Hop!

So. This week.

I had a plan. It didn't go exactly as I had hoped it would. But that's okay.

I spent most of the week dealing with The Sickness. Sniffles that turned into a full on "What is all this stuff in my head and chest?" I even took a complete day off on Tuesday and rested. The rest of the week, I didn't do much cardio. I had wanted to spend the mornings doing Turbo and Hustle, but cardio just wasn't much fun. I didn't even run. At all.

But I *did* do my strength workouts. Chest and back on Monday. Shoulders on Wednesday. Legs on Thursday. Friday will be biceps and triceps. Then on Saturday, I hope to run. Possibly.

Today marks exactly one month until my 38th birthday. I get a little weird around birthday time. Like, "How on earth has it been 20 years since I turned 18?" I mean, I didn't *feel* like we were living in the dark ages... but we didn't even have internet, cell phones (well, the only people with cell phones were the kids on "90210"), DVR (I used to record all my soaps for the week on a VHS with a timer, and watch them on the weekends. Dark ages).

Wow. Now I feel even older.

Seriously, though, I do remind myself around this time that, overall, I'm happier, healthier, and in better shape than I was at 18 (except I had fewer forehead wrinkles then...)

Who has fun plans for the weekend? We're once again planning our crazy, wild, Friday night with a Redbox movie night. I know, we're crazy....

Have a great weekend!

It's Ok Thursday... my first time...

I recently discovered "It's Ok Thursdays" and, oh my goodness, what a great idea!

I think all of us... especially moms, who deal with all that Mommy guilt all the time... need to be reassured that "It's ok".




It's ok.....

... to have 4 cups of coffee before 9 am.
... to lock yourself in the bathroom when the kids are just too much.
... to sub "chocolate chips" for "fruit" in your oatmeal, as long as the calories match up.
... to paint your nails on the toilet (when locked in the bathroom as mentioned). Just be ready to wait for them to dry.
... to create Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" pics way too much, because Picnik is closing and you're freaking out.

... to take a personal day and send the kids to daycare, just so you can lay in bed and catch up on the DVR.
... to cry to an Adele song in the car, even when you really have nothing to be sad about.
... to drink another cup of coffee even though you had 4 before 9 am.

Thanks for this AWESOME thing, ladies. I am looking forward to many more "It's ok Thursdays".

Sarah

(P.S. Come by Sarah Fitness and click "like". Be one of the cool kids).

Lesson Learned: There is no such thing as a perfect week

So, I planned out my week of workouts, and then had to take Tuesday off completely. I was sick. I fought it as much as I could, but I finally just accepted it on Tuesday.

This got me thinking, while I will *always* stress the importance of planning (that will never change), sometimes we have to accept that there is no such thing as a perfect week.

Success comes from making good choices repeatedly. Daily. Sometimes hourly (because you know you can blow a day's worth of good eating in 30 minutes or less.) Missing one day of workouts, in the big picture, is not that big a deal.

So, now I have a couple of things to tell you about. First, if you haven't visited Awesomeday, do so today! Awesomeday is the one day of the week where every status update we post on Facebook has to be a "thing that is awesome". This makes you count your blessings and ignore the things that aren't. Anyway, there's a contest today, so head on over and check it out.

Also, I'm joining a Blog Hop today, so if you're new, I hope you'll comment below! I love friends :-)



Happy Wednesday Awesomeday!

Take Action

Source

"Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action." ~Walter Anderson

Do you sit around and worry about stuff?

 How's that working for you?

Source

Honestly, sometimes you do feel paralyzed. Something needs to happen. You need to take that next step, but you're not sure what to do. You're scared. Maybe you're afraid of failure. And that's normal. We are all a little afraid. But nothing happens... if nothing happens.

So, my assignment for you today is this:
Think of something in your life that you want to change.
Take one step towards changing that today.

It's easy to talk all day about the great things you will do, and that's important, too. We want to have the vision in our mind all the time. But there comes a time when the talk has to stop and the action needs to happen.

So, go do it. And get closer to that goal.

"Action is the antidote to despair." ~Joan Baez

When life happens...

Source

Have you recently committed to a new goal? Maybe it's a weight loss goal. Maybe it's training a physical accomplishment, like an endurance race. I want to let you know something now.

You will be challenged.
Life will happen.

Don't worry, though. These challenges give you a chance to decide: Are you interested, or are you COMMITTED?

"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~ Ken Blanchard


Let's face it- bad days are going to happen. I'm not being a pessimist, it's just true. But they don't have to derail you. They don't have to define you.

What you need to do is plan. What will you do in the event that something happens? Will you give in to temptation because you had a bad day? Or will you remember your commitment?

Plan in advance by setting clear goals, and be ready. Keep these thoughts in mind:

1. Define your "why": What was the reason you started this? Did you see a "fat" picture of yourself, draw a line in the sand, and say, "enough!"? Did you get winded climbing a flight of stairs? Did you get a wake-up call from the doctor? Keep that feeling fresh in your mind for the times when you just don't feel like working out, or you feel a binge coming on. If your "why" is clear, you'll be able to hold onto it easier when temptation strikes.

2. Avoid "I deserve it." This is so dangerous. I want you to think about exactly what you deserve. After a long day, I know I find myself thinking, "I deserve that piece of pie." But, you know, what do you *really* deserve? Try replacing that thought with "I deserve to be proud of the way I look in my bikini. I deserve to feel great. I deserve to succeed."

3. Get a support group. Find at least one other person who shares your goal. Either online, or a friend you see every day. But you need a place to go for support, and it helps if there are folks with the same goals. (Shameless plug: You can find lots of fitness minded folks at Sarah Fitness :-))

So, be prepared for challenges by being committed. It's a daily choice!

The plan next week, and the week in review...

Building on last week's workouts. I pretty much did what I had planned. But, this week, I wanted to add some Hip Hop Hustle practice (another format I'm going to start teaching soon, along with Turbo). I also decided I only want to run 2 times this week. The focus will be on heavy lifting, 5 days a week, and I have those laid out below.

And there's a little pic at the bottom.

Monday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Back

Tuesday:
AM: Hip Hop Hustle
PM: Lower- Heavy quads

Wednesday:
AM: Hustle
PM: Shoulders/Run

Thursday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Hamstrings, glutes

Friday:
AM: Hip Hop Hustle
PM: Chest, bi, tri

Saturday: Run 2 (or maybe 3 if I'm feeling crazy).

Also, this....

High Five Blog Hopping Friday!

High Five, It's Friday!!

Doing some blog hopping today:

I'm SOOOO glad it's Friday. So so glad. I love Friday. Have I mentioned I'm really happy it's Friday?

When people ask me what "plans" I have for the weekend, I realize what I tell them may be a bit disappointing.... but it's exactly what I want to be doing:

- Cleaning and organizing around the house

- Reading a new book I just got

- Having movie night with my husband (the closest thing to a date night we get these days)

- Working out

- Doing my meal prep for next week

- Taking one, maybe two, naps

- Probably doing some parenting in there as well. 

What are you up to this weekend? Hope it's something fun. Yes, naps are considered fun in my opinion!

Oh, and any ideas for movie night? We'll be Redboxing it.. but I don't even know what's out right now.

Happy Friday!

Practicing what I preach...

Yesterday, I decided the theme of the day over at Sarah Fitness was "No Excuses!" Every quote I posted had to do with not having excuses. I wrote a blog post about it.

However, the universe decided to test me on my commitment to the "No Excuses!" plan.

First, the job got demanding!

(Yes, that's a 2 liter bottle of Publix sparkly water.)

When I finally got the time to go change for the gym, I opened my gym bag, and the clothes were wet:

Well, rather than make an excuse, I put on a wet sports bra, the shirt I was wearing at work, and pants that (luckily) weren't too wet.

(And then I took my picture in the bathroom)

I ran for 5 minutes, then worked the heck out of my shoulders (I switched dates, I think it was supposed to be chest but I was in a shoulder mood).

Just want to show that, if you're committed to something, there is NOTHING that can stop you!

Now, go have a successful day!

Excuses!

Is there something you don't like about your life right now? It could be your weight, your house, your job, your financial situation... whatever it is, I have great new. Are you ready?

"I'm ready!"

You can change it!

Wow. Did you hear that? Let me say it again:

You can change it!

It just takes a series of choices, one after another.

 

Today I want you to make a list. I want you to list 5 things that you want to be different in your life.

 

Then, I want you to list possible solutions. Be careful (and aware) of any excuses that pop into your brain:

"That's too expensive."

"I'm too old."

"I don't have enough time."

 

Those "excuses"? Don't write them down. Focus on SOLUTIONS. Yes, you may in a situation where you can't change things right now. Your job, your financial situation, and other things may take time to change. But they *can* change?

And you can take steps toward change today. They can be small, but a step of any size is still a step, and it will get you closer to your goal.

If you'd like to share your list below, you can. Or you can keep it to yourself. But do me (and yourself) a favor, and make that list. Make a difference in your life, and take those steps TODAY!

(Source)

Thoughts on "The Biggest Loser"

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I have a lot of conflicting thoughts on the TV show, "The Biggest Loser." I didn't even watch the last two seasons, mainly because my TV time is limited, and it wasn't a priority. But, there have been 2 episodes so far of this new season (Season 5000, I think... At least it seems like that ) and I'm having all kinds of thoughts I want to share.

I should add that I very rarely watch it live. I just can't stand to watch all the challenges, so I fast forward through them most of the time. 

As I watched the first workout session of this season, I got angrier and angrier. They went on and on about how hard this workout was. Contestants were passing out, throwing up, and the trainers are saying things like "This is what it takes to be healthy."
It really worries me that people who are overweight look at this and think, "Well, if that's what it takes to be healthy, I don't think I want to try it." And then, they don't.

What I want people to know is that you don't have to throw up to start a workout program and be healthy. The two basic components of weight loss are "Eat less, move more".



Now, I'm all for hardcore workouts. I love them. But for someone who is just starting out, I think it's really important to start slow. You risk injury if you don't, plus if you hate something.. you tend  to not want to do it.

Another issue I have with this show is that it creates unrealistic expectations for weight loss. At the weigh-ins, contestants are pulling 8 -10 pounds in a week, and if they lose less than 5 pounds, they're disappointed.

I saw a Facebook friend complain this week that she *only* lost 2.6 pounds. In the real world, that is an impressive amount, and just what you should aim for. Lasting, safe weight loss happens at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week. So, rather than being proud of her accomplishment, this girl was beating herself up.

I realize that there has to be a certain amount of drama for a TV show to retain interest. No one is going to tune into a show to watch people lose 1-2 pounds a week, and walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes, 3 times a week. But I just want to make sure that anyone out there who needs to start a fitness or weight loss program knows that this show is *not* real life.

So, keep watching the Biggest Loser. I will stay involved this season (even if I do fast forward through a lot of it). I do enjoy seeing people get smaller each week. And, if this show inspires someone to get fit at all, even with unrealistic expectations, I guess it's doing some good. But, please, watch it with these things in mind. Be happy with steady, consistent weight loss, and enjoy exercise. It's about being healthy, after all.

Planning my week...

I always find that planning is the key to success. I may have even said this before.

I wanted to get my workout week on paper (or, more accurately, on Blogger). I'm basing it on the following goals:
1. I want to lift 6 days this week, working legs twice.
2. I want to run 3 times this week (we broke up temporarily.)
3. I want to get a chance to practice Turbo.

So here you go:

Monday:
AM: Pump, Back
PM: Run 2 miles

Tuesday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Legs

Wednesday:
AM: Pump, Chest
PM: Run 2 miles

Thursday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Legs

Friday:
AM: Pump, Shoulders
PM: Run 2 miles

Saturday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Biceps/Triceps

This post is mainly for my own use, but just in case it's too dull for you, here's a picture:

Getting back on track after a slip...

So, I had a dietary slip last night.

(Source)

 

 

I had a rough day, and I cheated on my diet. There were several factors involved, but the fact is I choose to eat some things that weren't on my plan.

We've all been there. I wanted to write about it because, it's the 14th of January, we're 2 weeks into the new year, and maybe some folks who set their resolutions 2 weeks ago have also slipped.

I came up with some tips to help if you feel yourself slip-sliding down that road...

1. Plan
One of the issues I had last night was that I didn't have my dinner prepped. I was tired after work, and my husband was having pizza, so when it came time to eat, it was easier to just eat the pizza. One piece wouldn't have been too bad. Two might not have been that bad. I had three. Then I kept going with some chocolate chips. And a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich.

Source

2.  Get out of the situation

There are times when a cheat has the potential to become a complete, all-out binge. You eat one thing. Then you start thinking, "What can I eat next". Before you know it, you've binged on a bunch of stuff you may not even remember.

I could have kept eating after the Skinny Cow. I was in the mood to do it, and stuffing my face was making me feel better (even though it was temporary). But I caught myself, and I just left the kitchen. I brushed my teeth. It took a lot of strength of will, but I did it. And once I was away from the situation for a moment, I remembered my goals. So you do whatever you have to do remove yourself and break the spell. You can prevent an even more extreme slip.

3. Take responsibility- without beating yourself up.

There is a fine line here. It does absolutely no good to beat yourself up for the slip. However, justifying it doesn't help you either. "It's not my fault. I was stressed out." The fact is that eating something you shouldn't doesn't change your worth as a person. It just takes you farther away from your goals. So, as long as you eat what you shouldn't, you won't reach your goals. If you can step away impartially, you can see that, and hopefully make better choices next time.

I hope these tips help you. But I really want to hear if you have any. What do you do to get back on track?

Les Mills Pump: How I'm Making it Work for Me

I posted last week that I started Les Mills Pump. I really like it, but I wanted to find a way to work it into the other things I wanted to be doing.

I want to continue working my legs heavy. I feel like I get the best results doing that. I also really want to keep working on pullups.

Also, I want to to Turbo- either Turbokick, Turbofire or Turbojam, since I'll be recertifying to teach Turbokick at the beginning of next month. (Oh, did I mention this? YAY!)


So, here's what I'm doing:

I aim for 4 lifting workouts each week: 2 upper and 2 lower.

For the lower body workouts, I do heavy legs at the gym.
For the upper body workouts, I do Pump.

Let me explain:

Each Pump workout divides the body parts into songs, or "tracks". For example: A squat track, a biceps track, a shoulder track.

There are two tracks in each Pump workout that focus entirely on lower body: The squat track, and the lunge track. During those tracks, I do pullups. I don't just constantly do them the whole time (good grief, that would be challenging).

But I do 5 pullups (assisted... for now), then walk around for about 60 seconds, and do another set.

There is one track that has back work and deadlifts. I go ahead and do that track, because I don't think it will hurt to do some light deadlifts.

So far, this is working great for me. I still have time to do Turbo and run, and I'm getting the lifting done that I want to do right now.

It just takes a little planning and flexibility (I think I have a theme going on here)...

Loving the Monday!

Okay, that may be a little bit of an exaggeration.

More like this:

Either way, Monday has its benefits:

- Fresh start of a new week!
- A chance to get organized.
- A chance to get back into the routine, if you had a crazy weekend...

So, I'm starting off the week successfully. Here are the things I did to increase my chances that things will go as planned (remember, planning + flexibility...)

1. Prepared my meals for Monday through Friday. Every meal. (I'll do a post on that later, with some tips. Seriously- it's the best thing I do. Besides parent effectively, of course).
2. Planned my workouts.
3. Made my to-do list

Now, I realize (AGAIN) that even the best planned week can change....

How are you making sure your week starts off right?

Blog Hopping..

It's been a while since I blog hopped. I thought it would be a fun Friday thing.

If you're new here, WELCOME! I love you! New people ROCK!

If you're not new, I love you! People who have been here a while ALSO rock!









Comment below and let me know if you're a new follower! And HAPPY FRIDAY!

All it takes is a little planning... and flexibility..

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My deep thought for you today: There are two keys to success. 1. Planning. 2. Flexibility to adapt when the plan doesn't work out.

I'm flexible, but not *this* flexible. (Source)

I am a planner. I get really nervous if I don't have a plan.  I plan my workouts. I put them in my calendar. If someone asks me to meet with them during that time, I tell them I'm not available. It's true: I'm not.

Source

I plan my meals in advance. I prepare them as many days in advance as I can. This way, I'm never looking around, wondering what to eat next. I still struggle. I still get tempted, and I have to make the choice one day, one hour (sometimes one minute) at a time. But having the food prepared and ready makes it about 90% easier to stay on track.

I plan my workouts too. I need to have a certain amount of running, a certain amount of lifting, and hopefully some gentle yoga or stretching on a rest day. But things happen. Some days, I oversleep (like I did Wednesday) and miss a planned workout. Or, I'm more sore than I thought I would be, and I no it would probably hurt more than help for me to do a certain workout.

The point is, I'm flexible. I aim to get the workouts I'm supposed to get in during the week. But if I need to rearrange and modify, I'll do it.

Right now, I'm running a Beachbody Challenge Group. There are five members who work out daily, drink Shakeology, and check in at least once a day in our Facebook group. These folks are doing great and are all really committed to seeing some progress! (I can't wait to share their results with you).

Anyway, one of the members posted yesterday that his legs hurt, and he was scheduled to do a leg intensive workout, so he changed his planned workout. He worked some upper body and abs and swam- all still a great workout. He was flexible enough to know that the plan could be changed. He still got a great workout. He'll still see results.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is this:
1. Plan
2. Be flexible

Oh, and come on over to Sarah Fitness. The contest is STILL going on- when we get to 700 fans, I'll do a random drawing and give away a copy of Shaun T.'s "Rockin' Body"...

Have you ever had this day?

Looks a little like me after the trip. (source)

Today is my first day back at work after almost 2 weeks off. Well, "off" as in "traveling, parenting, visiting". I feel a little tired still. In fact...

I had the highest of hopes for this morning. I had done pretty much everything I could do last night: cooked my food for the next few days, gave the kids a bath, fought with children who wanted to put things in the toilet, fished half of a door-childproofing-thing out of the toilet.... so I just set my alarm a little early so I could workout AND get my meals together for the day. 4:15 am.

This morning at 6:45 my husband woke me from a deep sleep: "Don't you need to get up?"

This was me (source)

I kind of wandered around the kitchen for a minute, in a panic, wondering what to do first. Eventually I got it together and got my meals prepped (including breakfast. It was going to have to go with me). I showered and got ready, and managed to leave the house about 10 minutes before I was supposed to be at work.

Just as I was leaving, my son decided to throw a huge, jumping up and down, screaming, spitting tantrum. So that made leaving a little more fun (although I did feel a bit bad for my husband, who would be staying there all day).

Here's my point: My meals are prepped and I'm eating right, so missing the morning workout is not as tragic as it could have been. I'm not counting on it to "burn calories". So, it's no big deal. Later, I'll go to the gym for my heavy workout, as planned.

I'm also planning on consuming more coffee. Yes, even though I'm rested, I still need it.

Hope you have a peaceful, centered day, with few tantrums (although, if you're going to throw one, make it a good one).