Sunday, January 2, 2011

FitarellaTV & The Pulse

Tomorrow is shaping up to be an exciting day in more ways than one :)

I'm super excited that Ms. Jacqueline Carla, AKA Fitarella has invited me to come by FitarellaTV tomorrow around 1pm. We're going to talk stuff. Stuff like weight loss, getting fit, powerlifting, and what's to come (hmm just what IS to come?!), and I have to say I am pretty psyched about the whole thing :) Check it out if you can!

What's FitarellaTV?

FitarellaTV is a fun, interactive women’s health show on The Pulse Network, broadcast live online every Monday, 1pm EST (streaming live to iPad & iPhone as well). If you miss a show, no worries, each episode is available on demand on Fitarella.TV and The Pulse Network after the live show. On FTV, no topic is off limits! From nutrition to sex, I cover it all! And YOU can join the conversation during the live show by calling in, tweeting or skyping.

To connect with the show:
calling - 877-pulse-411
twitter- @thepulse (#thepulse)
skype- thepulsenetwork (all one word)

Check it out if you can! Fun!

Friday, December 31, 2010

A New Day Rising

I heard a song on New Years Eve where part of the lyrics got me thinking about New Years, resolutions, new beginnings...the song was by the Foo Fighters and the song was "Times Like These" and the lyrics go:

I am a new day rising
I'm a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight

New Years Eve is almost always considered the new day rising, a time when the "reset" button gets pushed - and that is a beautiful thing. But the thing that's even better, and the thing that often gets overlooked is that EVERY day is the new day rising, and EVERY tomorrow is the brand new sky. That means endless chances to change, to get back up and try again, to push on, endless chances to live and laugh and love, again.

This year, resolve to keep on resolving. Look forward, get back up one more time, ask for help if you need it, forgive yourself, empower yourself! Every day. No matter what.

Make this your year of new days, make every day your brand new sky and leave the past where it belongs because you never know what that brand new sky will bring you when you do.

Cheers to this new year of new days ahead!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Small Steps, Big Results

A lot of folks set out with sincere and profound determination to lose weight, get in shape, change their eating/sleeping/workout habits, stop smoking, and ultimately change the whole world - all at once!  So today I decide to go from an overweight, non-exercising, smoking, drive-thru bandit-ing, sleepless soul to "healthy" tomorrow.  Maybe I get online, I research some healthier eating plans, I join a gym (and plan to get there 6 days the next week), I go to bed early and set my alarm for 2 hours earlier in the morning, I donate to my favorite charity and I pack my lunches for the next week!  YES - I'm armed, I'm ready! I can DO this!

Three days later I find myself hitting the snooze button, sneaking through the drive-thru, falling asleep at my desk, wishing I had an extra $50 in my pocket and feeling like a big giant failure.  But I *want* this?  Why do I suck so bad?!

Well the answer is - I don't suck. And neither do you.

We've all got the best of intentions and each time we endeavor down a path like this, we really mean it.  "THIS time is going to be different, I'm going to stick with it, I'm going to get it done!"  Sound familiar?  But this is simply too much, too soon.  We don't operate like that.  Not only are we creatures of habit (whichtake a lot to break and replace with new ones), but our bodies also need to time to adjust..to warm-up to what "change" means to it, to build and adapt to the new stressors and demands we're placing on it.

Think about how you learned to do simple division.  Most likely first you learned to add, then you learned to subtract.  After that, you learned to multiply.  It's only after mastering all of those skills were you ready and able to learn to divide.  Each of those skills builds upon the other and without one, you would not be able to perform division.

"Change" can be thought of as a learning process as well - there are stages we each go through when adopting a new behavior or adapting to a new environment, and with each stage we learn a new skill that will help take us to the next level.

So often we think we should just be able to flip a switch and "just do it," skip straight ahead to division, so to speak.  Yet no one would expect a child to learn to divide before learning addition, subtraction and multiplication - why in the world do we expect ourselves to "just do it" after years of learned behaviors without going through the process to learn the new ones?

This is why we find ourselves in this repetitive pattern of starting strong, faltering, and then thinking that we're simply not strong enough, that we're just failures.  Imagine if you were told that as a child when you got a division problem wrong.  Or, at the risk of sounding cliche (I can't help myself really ;), each time you fell off your bike.  This is no different.

Start small, learn one new skill - take on one new change at a time.  Get good and comfy with it, then add a new one.  One small step at a time gives you and your body a chance to learn, adapt, and grow.  One small step at a time will yield big results because it will afford you the opportunity to stick with it - it sets you up for success.

What's one small change you can make today? 
Need help?  Contact me and we'll get started.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Start!

No really. Forget about "all the other times," forget about the holidays are coming up, forget about your busy schedule - forget it! Make the decision for you, your health, your family, and your life.

Give yourself this gift.

None of "the other times" matter, THIS time is different because you are making a conscious choice for the right reasons. YOU want to feel amazing, you want to not hurt anymore, you want to not run out of breath carrying groceries or playing with your kids, you want to be strong, you want to glow, you want to be confident!

I can't tell you it will always be easy, but I can tell you that it's 100% worth it, whatever time it takes to get there will be paid back ten fold in health and vitality.

Start with something small, start with asking for help - but start something today and right now. Time will pass regardless - use it to start something amazing today.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  - Maria Robinson

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Oatmeal Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

I love pumpkin! I make these using vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein (UMP) by Beverly International. I've tried these with other casein based proteins and none have worked - experiment at your own risk!

1 scoop Vanilla UMP
1/2 cup (dry) whole rolled oats
2 egg whites
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie spice (to taste)
Dash vanilla
.25oz chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients, add a little water if necessary to get desired pancake batter consistency.
Spray skillet/griddle with Pam
Cook "pancakes" until slight bubbles appear on surface, then flip

Makes 4 medium (about 3" diameter) pancakes

Nutrition (1 serving)

400 cals:  38.5g protein, 38.5g carbs (7g fiber), 10.5g fat

You can omit the pumpkin if you're not a fan, basic recipe remains the same.
You can try variations adding blueberries or bananas, too.

Fall Harvest Treat

I made this up today and it was delicious, so I thought I'd share! It gave me that comfy, warm, spicy feeling of fall - even in the midst of the heat of South Florida!

1 container (6oz) Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
1/2 medium sized Honeycrisp Apple  (diced)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Sprinkle of splenda
.25oz Walnuts (chopped, optional)
Drizzle of Walden Farms Caramel Syrup

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients but syrup.
Drizzle top with Caramel Syrup.

Enjoy! Yum :)

Nutrition (1 serving)
180 cals: 18g protein, 17g carb (2g fiber), 4.5g fat

If you omit the walnuts, you can try this recipe with the 2% Greek Yogurt for approximately the same nutritional values.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Traveling & Fitness

I recently spent a week on the road and found myself very far from my normal workout routine.  When I first started into the world of health and fitness, this was a loop hole for me, a way for me to get out of it because I couldn't do what I "normally" do, or workout how I wanted to. But the one big pitfall of this practice was that I always found it difficult to get going again once I returned home.

The truth is that there are lots of ways to incorporate fitness into travel - whether you're traveling for business or for pleasure, keeping moving is totally possible.  Here are some options:

During my stay this past week in the Hilton Garden Inn, I found they offered "Stay Fit Kits" (free!) for in-room use.  They could be used on their own or in conjunction with the Pay-Per-View exercise programs offered on TV.  They include a mat, a yoga strap & bricks, light dumbbells, a medicine ball, and fitness bands, along with instructions for use (if you chose not to use with a PPV program).  Inquire with your hotel to see if there are any comparable kits available.

Almost all hotels or resorts offer a fitness room.  Granted they are usually far from ideal, but you can pretty consistently count on at least one treadmill and an elliptical or stationary bike.  Some will have a small array of dumbbells and a bench available, or some sort of universal cable unit. You can always get some cardio in if only to keep consistent with your routine.

DVDs...most of us travel with a laptop and most will play an exercise DVD.  Bring your favorite short workout and make some space on your room floor.

Pack fitness bands in your luggage.  You can get a full body strength workout with bands, or even with bodyweight exercises right in your room.  Need some help coming up with a plan?  You know who to contact!

Travel days themselves can be difficult when we have planes to catch and we're on the go at the crack of dawn.  Use long delays or layovers to get your cardio in.  I often find myself stuck in Atlanta.  Terminal A to Terminal E is one mile.  A brisk walk down and back (no cheating and using the moving walkways) lugging  your carry on is an excellent way to both pass the time and get a nice cardio workout done.  Stick a pair of sneakers in your carry on to save your feet :)

If you're on vacation - you have all these options and more!  Get out and explore! Go hiking, rent bikes, play tennis, go snorkeling, go outlet shopping (and walk!)...just keep moving!

There are always options.  Don't use this as an excuse to stop moving and risk dropping the habit you worked hard to get into.  Staying consistent, even if it's not ideal, makes getting back to your routine easier when you return from your trip.  The change of pace will also do your body good!

Do you have ideas on how to stay fit while on the road? Share them here!