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Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge

Note added 10/19: I originally said this challenge would be Nov. 8 - Dec. 28, but the 8th is a Thursday. We'll start Monday, Nov. 12! Be there!

It's that time of year -- you know, that time when holidays collide. Halloween candy and Christmas cookies sit side by side on the store shelves. Man, I love this time of year. And I hate it.

Every year I say the same thing -- I'm going to be really disciplined about what I eat this year. But let's face it, that's no fun! Last year was miserable in terms of fitness. I had surgery on Dec. 9 and was banned from working out until after the New Year. So I sort of gave up. I ate gluten, dairy, sugar -- OK, I really ate EVERYTHING -- and I felt so bad by the time the last Christmas cookie was gone that I swore I'd never do it again.

This year will be different. For reals! Because I know, madness! Why are we doing a challenge that encompasses the holidays? No, we're not going on some crackpot starvation diet over the holidays. The point here is to set some personal goals and keep ourselves somewhat on track. Frankly, I am so, so relieved that I'll be able to exercise this year. But through our online Facebook support group and our Beachbody programs -- yes, you know I sell them and that I love them! -- we can perhaps keep ourselves from straying too far from our norm and then feeling like we wished we'd asked Santa to bring us liposuction instead of a new sweater.

This challenge is just like the one a group of us just finsihed this fall. So if you already know the drill, you can stop reading now. If you need the scoop, here it is:

Healthy for the Holidays Fitness Challenge
This challenge will be run via Facebook. I'll set up a private Facebook group for all paticipants so we can communicate without the world seeing what we're saying. Some of the fall challenge people are staying on so we've got a good group!

This challenge will also be Beachbody program specific. Why am I making you buy something to take part? In short, because their programs work when you follow them. And they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. So I guarantee that if you follow them, you will see results, but if you're not happy, Beachbody will give you your money back. This is a win-win situation. Yes, I sell their products. Yes, I use their products. I think they are that good. And trust me, I have tried so many different fitness/weightloss products, I am a walking infomercial.

But, the point is, we're going to work together, and you are going to see the results you want. Period.

What you need to do:
1. Confirm to me that you're in so I can add you to the Facebook group.

2. Go to my Beachbody website and choose a Challenge Pack, which bundles the fitness program of your choice and a 30-day supply of their protein shake together at a discount. I can help you if you want advice on what program to choose (you'll recognize some of them, like P90X). I own and have done many of them. (I know some of you who have done these challenges before also already have a Beachbody program on hand to use. In that case, just get yourself on Shakeology, the protein shake. I explained about Shakeology HERE.)

3. We'll start Thursday, Nov. 8. Every single Beachbody program comes with a schedule and an eating plan. I can help you determine how many calories you should be eating if you need help with that.

4. Post at least once a day in our Facebook group for accountability. Post how your workouts are going, how your eating is going, any questions, etc. The support from the group is huge part of our success. It will keep you motivated and accountable.

5. Follow the program of your choice and drink Shakeology, the protein shake, once a day for the duration of the challenge(Important Note: Shakeology isn't a "diet" shake designed like Slim Fast. This is a full on nutrient-rich shake to boost your nutrition, not starve you to death.).

I will be taking part in the challenge right along with you. I'm planning a combination of workouts for the challenge. The Beachbody program I'm currently following is ChaLEAN Extreme (to me, it's like P90X for women). I'm also training for a triathlon, so I'm doing some running and swimming, too.

We'll officially run the challenge Nov. 12 - Dec. 28, but I'll leave the Facebook group open for as long as the group would like it to be open. That way, if you're doing one of the longer programs, you'll have support the whole way through!

Let me know if you have any questions. And if you’re weirded out about the whole thing, no big deal. I just want everyone to reach their goals, and this is what works for me.

I say this every time we do a challenge: This isn't a short-term fix -- it's a lifestyle change. I am a big, big believer in Beachbody and their products. I would never sell you guys crap. It works. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, you'll get your money back. Period.

And an important note: We're not going to starve ourselves over the holidays. Will we eat Christmas cookies? If we want to! Will we drink egg nog? I hope so! My personal goal is to enjoy in moderation, do some kick ass workouts (which is what keeps me sane), and not wake up on January 1, 2013, unable to button my pants!

Who's with me?!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year! Challenge Starting Jan. 3!

OK, I'm trapped in Colorado Springs at a hockey tournament and without an Internet connection (I finally came to the hotel business center) which means I haven't set up a Facebook page for the challenge like I planned. I'll get everything set up on Monday, Jan. 3, and post all of the official rules, but we all need to hit the ground running on Monday morning, Jan. 3.

So, get your rear out of bed, get your workout in, plan on eating well, and I'll have the final details up on Monday.

Until then, use the following as your guideline (repeated from an earlier post):

-This first challenge will be four weeks long
-To be eligible, you will post in the comments section here or on the Facebook page I intend to set up, probably at the very last minute, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate
-You will follow some sort of plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening!
-There will be prizes!
-We're on the honor system. I won't be watching you from secret cameras planted at your house. Or maybe I will...

So, just something to think about. More details to come. Let me know if you have questions.

"See" you on Monday. I will be up bright and early doing Day 1, Week 1 of TurboFire so be there!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Few Moments to Myself

This will be brief, trust me (the few moments to myself, I mean, not the post. When was I ever brief?). I wrote on my other blog about how we are having a historically un-white Christmas and it has been raining cats and dogs for days. Hence, my children are going stir crazy. When you live in an area where is hardly ever rains and you can nearly always send your children outside to run off some energy, these days of confinement begin wearing thin very quickly.

Plus, the rain gives me a headache which makes me guess that I am lacking patience.

Anyway, this past week has ultimately become a total rest week. Too many late nights of staying up and trying to order customized calendars before the sale ends because someone (me) procrastinated in uploading photos this year have left me zapped of energy. I also suspect the fact that I've been eating cookie dough and other gluten products is a contributing factor. Next year, I'm going to have to take the plunge and look into making gluten free cookies, I think, even when I swore I wouldn't do it.

Anyway, many of the lengthy BeachBody programs such as P90X or Insanity have a rest week incorporated into them where you do lighter exercise. And then they recommend taking a week off in between ending one program and starting another. Counting back, I never really did that after P90X, so this will be my rest time before starting TurboFire on Jan. 3. I think I mentioned that my sister has already started it and she says it's really challenging. My friend and fellow BeachBody coach, AnLee, has recently started Insanity, and Anne just started P90X, so I feel like I'll be in good company as I get back in the swing of things.

Besides, my children have been camping in the basement in my workout space, so that's cramping my workout style just a bit.

I'm feeling a little sad that I obviously can't partake in the Christmas cookies like in years past. The whole intolerance to certain foods does make me wonder about a lot of things. Like I think it's interesting that I notice this so much more this year. Is it because I have mostly removed gluten from my diet and when I add it back in, my body goes haywire? Why is that? The body is a curious thing.

As you ponder whether or not you want to do the post-holiday challenge with me (I'll put a few details below so you can decide if it's for you or not), consider what you might eliminate. I think that you'll be surprised, too, in just six weeks time, if you eliminate certain "toxic" foods, how your body will not like it if you try to add them back in. What would you eliminate? Soda? Diet soda? Refined sugars? Artificial sweetners? Is that even how you spell sweetners? Or is it sweeteners?

Anyway, here's a brief summary of what the challenge will entail.

-This first challenge will be four weeks long
-To be eligible, you will post in the comments section here or on the Facebook page I intend to set up, probably at the very last minute, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate
-You will follow some sort of plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening!
-There will be prizes!
-We're on the honor system. I won't be watching you from secret cameras planted at your house. Or maybe I will...

So, just something to think about. More details to come. Let me know if you have questions.

And now, back to my gluten detox...

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Ah, the Holidays!

Confessions:

-I haven't worked out since Tuesday
-Today I ate cookie dough
-I will likely eat cookie dough again tomorrow

I've made an interesting discovery these past few days. I finished my work on Tuesday, so I haven't been sitting and working. But even though I haven't exercised, I also haven't been sitting on my rear all day. The result is that I've actually hit my BodyBugg goals without working out. Nice.

It won't last forever, I realize. Eventually, I'll have to sit back down and type all day, but until then, I'm digging this.

Actually, I plan to workout tomorrow, lest I get a little too lazy. Because let's face it, if you take too long off from working out, getting back into a routine is hell.

Plus, Turbo Fire arrived last week and Santa will give it to me a week from today. Thank you, Santa!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Smashburger Hangover

I swear, I'm still here. Just a lot of work and holiday stuff going on.

Last Friday was my cheat day. On Fridays I also weigh in. Before I cheat, of course.

Anyway, I was up two pounds from before Thanksgiving.

Angst.

Apparently it didn't affect my psyche too much though because I had to take my kids to a natural allergist in another town where there just happens to be a Smashburger.

I have decided that Smashburger is my current favorite way to cheat. I swear, I was practically wallowing in that burger. And the haystack onion rings. I'm nearly weeping thinking about it.

And then that night, I ate popcorn.

The next morning, I would testify in court that I was hungover.

Let that be a lesson to me. Or maybe an explanation instead, because it's not like I'm swearing off either Smashburger or popcorn. Heaven forbid.

So as we move on through the holiday season, the good news is that I've been sticking to my morning workouts. Today I skiied and worked out and burned a killer amount of calories, which is important if I keep hitting Smashburger.

I haven't been logging my food though. I haven't taken the time, and I'm OK with it. I know it's temporary. And I am having some sort of holiday treat each day. Yesterday I ate ice cream. Today I ate some toffee. But what is different from in years past, I won't eat myself into oblivion.

I'll definitely have work to do after New Year's. Just not as much as before, hopefully.

Between Christmas and New Year's I'll post more details about the challenge. I hope you'll take part because it's so much more fun to do stuff like this with other people.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

I Love Cookie Dough

I've finally figured out a way to keep from eating cookie dough: Gluten free.

Yes, gluten free cookie dough is nasty. Nasty, I tell you. Make some gluten free cookies and you won't be grazing on the dough, I promise you.

No one in the house has Celiac, that I'm aware of, but I do find my own digestive system works better when I reduce how much gluten I'm eating. Hence, my experimentation with gluten free cookies. When they're cooked, there is a slightly different texture to the cookie, but the boys and my husband eat them all the same. And I don't eat the dough during the baking process. It's a win-win.

However, I do not plan to make gluten free Christmas cookies. That's sacred, baby. And today the boys and I made some reindeer head cookies that were delish and yes, I did eat dough.

And I liked it.

Surprisingly, even with cookies and hot chocolate this afternoon, I still came in under calories.

I hope this is a sign of things to come this holiday season because I don't see me staying out of the dough.

Today's information
Workout: Jillians Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. Burpees. Ugh.

Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: Amy's palak paneer entree
Snack: I'm taking a hit for 3 cookies in terms of the dough and one cookie and a few random M&Ms which were used to decorate the reindeer heads. I also drank hot chocolate.
Dinner: homemade bean and cheese burrito in whole wheat tortilla w/2 tbls. cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream; apple

Total calories: 1451

BodyBugg Stats as of 10pm MST
Calories burned: 2270
Steps: 9596
Activity: 1 hour, 34 minutes

I was at the ski school all day yesterday. I did sit down in good faith and attempt to log my food last night, but I couldn't remember what I ate. I know it wasn't horrible, but I couldn't remember what I ate for lunch. Still don't. How can that be?

I'm weighing in tomorrow. I can only imagine...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

I Went. I Ate. I'm Back.

We went to visit my sister in Utah for Thanksgiving. I didn't write that before I left because I'm never sure if that's safe or not. My husband was here, but what if someone tried to break into the house and steal our 20 year old TV or something? That would be terrible. How would I workout?

Anyway, I had somewhat of a plan in place for Thanksgiving and I'll follow it again for Christmas because it seems to serve me pretty well. I didn't put any restrictions on myself for food. These are the holidays and for me, part of the holidays is enjoying the food without guilt. My sister and I did exercise each day and my calorie burn totals were good the whole time we were away.

I was reminded that I do need to continue to avoid gluten, where possible. The stuffing and leftover turkey sandwiches did cause me some, um, gastrointestinal distress. I know, I'm sorry, but it's the truth. And no, I don't have scientific evidence that it was the gluten, but if I think as to what was different while I was gone, gluten is a big, glaring difference. I don't eat much of it on a daily basis.

I wonder if I could make gluten free stuffing? I'll have to experiment at Christmas and report back. Remind me. Because I'm forgetful that way.

So I'll be continuing through the whole holiday season on this general trend--workouts every day, enjoying treats in moderation.

I will say that even though I enjoyed things in moderation, my system is a little out of whack just from eating heavier foods. My older son is having similar system issues. Low on the fruits and veggies and higher on the stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy will do that to a body apparently.

Completely changing subjects here, my friend, Marci, said she was looking for me on BeachBody and couldn't find me. I can't remember if I said this before, but BeachBody has an online workout site that you can use for free. They assign you a free coach (you can choose me :) ), but the nifty thing is that you can workout at the same time as someone else and see their picture online and what workout they're doing.

For example, my sister who lives in Utah and I "meet" online between 5:30 and 6:00am MST each day. I log in and it shows me who of my "buddies" is online and working out. It's pretty cool and I enjoy knowing that she's suffering at about the same time I am.

I like to suffer in good company.

Like I said, it's all free. If you want to do it and workout online at the same time we are (or not workout at the same time if you're in a different time zone!), do this:

1. Go to www.wowy.com
2. It will offer you a free coach. Click on "Get Your Free Coach Now." It will randomly assign you someone or you can choose me: CoachNatalie. That's my BeachBody screen name. I know--how creative. If you put in my coach name, something will pop up to give you the option that "Yes, I want Natalie Rooney to be my coach" and you can say yes because I am a Sooper Genius and you love me.
3. Then you'll have a BeachBody account and can log into all of their online tools. They do have a paid membership option for something like $14.95 per quarter and that gives you access to menu plans and stuff, but none of that is required. For me it's all about having that accountability and my sister saying, "Why weren't you online this morning????" And I can make up some excuse like the cat chewed through the computer cables or something. (We don't have a cat, but she seems to keep accepting this excuse)

If you do sign up under my name, the system will send me a note and I think I can then send you a workout invitation. Or you can send me one once you're signed up. And we can be workout buddies. It will be swell.

I like it when things are swell.

So how was your Thanksgiving?