I Will Survive....

You knew it was coming. It’s almost Thanksgiving and either:
a) you still haven’t started your fitness and eating program and you’re afraid the holiday eating is going to completely destroy any chance of fitting into your dress for New Years Eve (or jeans or suit or Speedo…), or
b) you’ve been working really hard at the gym and sticking to a smart eating plan and you know the “saboteurs” are lurking everywhere to try and undo all of your efforts!
Well, you’re PROBABLY right. Getting together with family and friends, especially those we haven’t seen for a while, can wreak havoc with our motivation, self esteem, and will power. Couple that with a holiday devoted to eating and it would seem that you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Well-meaning gyms, magazines, newspapers and TV stations offer ways to “Pre-burn the 5000 calories you’ll consume during Thanksgiving dinner” or “Recipes that eliminate carbs, fats and calories (but let’s be honest; what’s eliminated is “taste”) from Thanksgiving dishes”. While these are well-intentioned ideas, they aren’t realistic for most people. You’ll either feel that you deserve to eat the full 5000 calories you pre-burned, or eat the faux Thanksgiving meal and go home so starved that later and you’ll eat two full bags of potato chips and a gallon of ice cream before you go to bed!
So, what to do? First of all, approach it as you would any other meal, but realize that there will be a bigger variety of foods to choose from and many of the foods will have been prepared with more than high calorie ingredients; there’s also an added cup of guilt included.
"But I made it because I know it's your favorite",
"Just a little bit won't hurt" And so on.
OK… make them happy, but do it on your terms. Fill one plate with tastes of the dishes you love and take your time savoring each one. Wait about an hour and then SHARE a serving of dessert. Gorging yourself is NOT really satisfying in the long run. You’re uncomfortable (no one should have to unzip their pant or loosen a belt after a meal) and you’ve consumed so much food, that you really can’t even differentiate between the flavors.
Then, while everyone snoozes on the couch in a tryptophan coma watching football on TV, get out for a walk, take your cousins bowling, or run the bleachers or steps of a nearby school or building. You’ll be back before the game’s over and you’ll still be able to button your pants.
No matter where you spend your holiday, moderation and balance are the key!!!

Jump On It....

In my last posting, I suggested we all quit procrastinating and change things up. An easy change is the addition of a jump rope to your routine:
Back in the day; many, many, many years ago, I could happily hop my way through recess, jumping and twirling with the best of them. The pressures of elementary school were quickly forgotten during the 20 minute break. Jumping rope seemed effortless and fun back then but as I get older, I see that it isn’t kid stuff anymore. Jumping rope is an incredible cardiovascular conditioning tool that can burn fat, tone muscles, and even improve athletic performance.
Because your heart rate elevates rapidly, even just a few minutes of jumping can take your breath away. It’s different from a treadmill or bike because the act of jumping recruits muscle fibers from your entire body. Instead of simulating an activity on a machine, it orchestrates endurance and coordination in a real activity, using your own body weight to train.
Jumping also works your entire body, utilizing the large leg muscles (glutes, quads, hamstrings, & calves) and torso on both the “takeoff’ and “landing” phases. Along with these muscles, you train your upper body (back, shoulders, biceps, & triceps) by the constant movement as you turn the rope. You also use your lower back and abdominals to stabilize your movement, and jumping can help improve your timing, dexterity, and balance. If your not convinced yet, consider the following:
It’s inexpensive. Most ropes cost less than $10, while higher-quality ropes are around $20-$25. Even on Craigslist, you’d have trouble finding a treadmill at that price.
You can do it practically anywhere. A jumping surface like hardwood, rubberized flooring, or very thin carpet is preferred, but any hard surface works fine. Outside, inside, at the gym, your hotel room; they all work well.
It burns tons of calories in a short time. About 10 minutes of jumping rope (at 120 turns per minute) has the same benefit as jogging for 30 minutes. Those are great numbers when you’re pressed for time.
It’s compact. You can take it with you to the gym, pack it in your suitcase and store it in a drawer.
You’ll see improvements. Jumping rope helps build agility, speed, balance, and coordination, while improving your overall fitness level. The significant number of calories burned quickly contributes to a noticeable loss of body fat.
It improves your mental focus. Instead of mindlessly walking on the treadmill, you have to create an intense focus and not miss a beat while jumping. It forces you to really concentrate on your rhythm and types of movement.
Start by making sure your rope is the right length. When you stand at the center, the handles should reach to your armpits. Then, warm up for at least 5 minutes before jumping. (light jogging, walking).
Hold the rope handles with a firm grip, with elbows close to your sides.
Make small circles with your wrists while turning the rope.
Keep your shoulders and torso relaxed, head lifted, and gaze ahead for balance.
At the most, jump only high enough to clear the rope, with light ankle-knee motion, and always land softly on the balls of your feet.
Never sacrifice good jumping form for speed.
Make sure you stretch after jumping, especially your calves.
From a beginner’s basic bounce, you can add different types of footwork to your jumping. Start with about 5 minutes of jumping intervals and work your way up to longer periods of continuous jumps.
At this point, I’m lucky if I can get through the initial 5 minutes (this doesn’t include the time I spend tripping over the rope and hitting myself in the face with the handles), but I see the additional calorie burn on my heart rate monitor and I can feel my glutes and calves working. I don’t think I’m quite ready for the Boxer’s Shuffle, Side Straddles or Side to Side Skier’s jumps, but I’m getting close to matching my former playground conditioning

A Change is Gonna Come...

Some of us are born procrastinators. I realize this every time I see a load of laundry still sitting in the basket, a pile of receipts to enter in my checkbook and half-written articles that I’ll “get to” tomorrow. It’s November 4th and my last post was written on September 30th. Have I been really busy? Well, kind of. But too busy to sit down for an hour and post an entry? I don’t think so! We procrastinators tell lies to ourselves like, "I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow." We avoid failure or even success by simply NOT doing something. We procrastinators would rather have others think we lack effort than ability. It sounds less malignant.

I can see how my procrastination is affecting all areas of my life, even (Omigod, say it isn’t so!), my workouts! So I’m starting to see what’s behind the excuses people make to dodge working out. Talking about exercising, but not making a decision to actually do it absolves the procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events. Exercise takes commitment and procrastinators actively look for distractions, particularly ones that don't take a lot of dedication on their part.
Sometimes, we need to just get ourselves motivated enough to simply start working out. Sometimes we need to shake up a complacent attitude toward our current workouts.
Whatever the case, there are a few things you can do to set in motion what you’ve been avoiding:
Change The Environment- If you normally work out at home, join a gym (or vice versa). If you’ve been logging miles on cardio machines, get outside and burn some calories in a different way. Take a fitness class or classes that you’ve never tried before (I normally love a fast pace, but ended up loving a Pilates class I took on a whim). If you always walk the same sidewalk route in your neighborhood, walk a different way or drive to a park and hike the trails for new terrain and view.

Change The Routine- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “There is always a new exercise to try!” It may be a variation of something you’ve done before, but it can challenge your muscles in a unique way. Only doing cardio can burn some calories, but adding weight training shapes your body and works you in different ways. If you’ve done the same bicep and tricep routine religiously for the past 12 months, changing the angle of a curl or using dumbbells or cables instead of a Nautilus machine can produce dramatic results. Plus, it gets you motivated to work at something new and interesting. If you don’t have a notebook full of exercises, consult a trainer or flip through some fitness magazines for a new routine. (I recommend Oxygen, Muscle and Fitness, Muscle and Fitness for Women, Fitness Rx and Men’s Health/Women’s Health for monthly ideas.

Change Your Look- Some people wear the same oversized t-shirt and shorts (leggings, sweat pants, you fill in the blank) day after day to work out, and keep their workout shoes until there’s no tread left on the bottom. They rationalize their attire by saying “I don’t care how I look; I’m just here to sweat” which is fine, but it gets boring. A new workout shirt that actually fits can help you see what you need to work on, and best of all, your progress!!! The new materials used in workout clothes keep the sweat away from your body so you’re not alternately sweating and freezing in the gym. Adding some new workout gloves, an armband for your IPOD, or even better socks can make even the toughest workouts a little more effortless.

Whatever you decide, just get out there and do it. If your plan is working for you, keep at it. If not, quit procrastinating and make some changes. Whether it’s big bucks for personal training or $5.99 for a fitness magazine, don’t wait!