“I never regret it when I do it, but I always regret it when I don’t.”
— Devin McDonald Vinson, 37, Portland, OR (Women’s Health Magazine)

I felt this today. I am 4 months away from the greatest fitness challenge of my life. Today was the day I started to train.  I needed to sit and develop a plan for myself to get into the shape of my life.

I’ll admit it I wasn’t looking forward to my workout, but it felt amazing!! Can’t wait to hit it again tomorrow.

Tell me how you feel about your workouts.

The controversial icon turns 50!!! Is she still a controversy or have kids of today moved away from her because she’s not compatible with the Wii or PlayStation. As a young kid who didn’t play with Barbies, my sister and I whole closet devoted to the random assortment of Barbie clothes including the corvette, the townhouse and the RV.  I can’t tell you how many variations of Barbie had — scuba barbie, skipper, pj, and course it Ken and his variations. I even I had a Ken doll that you changed his beard, gotta love the 70s.

As an adult I started to hear rumbling of people saying that Barbie gives young girls a warped sense of self.  Really, I don’t remember thinking I was going to have bullet boobs or a size 2 waist.  I just enjoyed all the little adventures that my sister and I as well as all of our friends would come up with for our Barbies.  It was healthy imaginative play. What are your thoughts on Barbie’

Raise your hands if had to grocery shop. It’s okay do, but I have gotten it down to science and can get in out of the store in 30 minutes. Yep, 30 minutes. I can go faster at a Stop and Shop that has the self scanner, wear I scan and pack my groceries while I shop only stopping at the checkout to pay. HOLLA, that is the best invention for me.

So here is how I get in and out of the store with ease.

1. Shop the perimeter — I know you’ve heard this time time and time again, but its true the freshest foods and non-processed foods are placed on the perimeter of the store
2. Make list — I keep my list on the fridge, I put down items we run out of as well as items that we are running low on, plus there always staples that I keep stocked in my fridge, before I leave for the store I run thought the staple list and highlight the items that I need.
3. Go a full stomach — another one you’ve heard, but trust me, when you shop hungry. You fall pray to the tastings that they have the store, the candy aisle looks amazing, as well as the strategically placed sale junk items
4. Buy whole grains— Whole grains keep you satisfied longer.  Now don’t be fooled it manufacturers have started to put this information on the front of the box. It’s not the front of the box the really count, you MUST look at the ingredients on the back to truly understand what’s inside.
5. It’s okay to eat frozen food — in fact when you can’t get fresh veggies or fish, frozen makes a great alternative.
6. Add some color — mix up your produce choice by adding all colors of the rainbow, this will ensure that you are getting all your nutrients.
7. Save money by buying fresh vegetables in season — when possible shop a farmer’s markets and buy local when possible
8. Packaged prepared foods are okay, but again make sure you look at the ingredients, if you need a chemistry degree to understand what’s in it put it back on the shelf.
9. Choose real foods over processed foods, again check the back of the label you want to read the back of the label does it contain more than 5 ingredients and can you pronounce the ingredients.
10. Use coupons wisely, when you need to purchase 3 of something to save a few cents, ask yourself do you really need 3 or are you sucked into deal mode.

Hip lifts with 2 variations.

1. Old school Jane Fonda, feet flat hip width apart where you are lifting, squeezing at the top and lowering down. Repeat 10 times.
2. Hip Lifts with Stability Ball, place feet on the stability and lift and lower your just as described in the previous exercise. By introducing the stability ball, you are engaging your core and getting a more effective workout.

images courtesty of: http://www.activefitnessworld.com and fitnessmagazine.com

After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot. — Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie, Sex and The City)
I live in the Northeast and we just another dumping of snow and I got to tell you its been a long hard snowy winter and I am ready for relief.  It’s time for me to reboot.
Spring is just weeks away and I need to focus and get my head into the game here are 5 things that I am doing to reboot.

1. To relax — I am listening to FUN non-work related audiobooks, and as someone who takes public transportation it makes it so much more fun. Right now I am listening to the Shopaholic Series and boy is it entertaining.
2. New workout music — I just download a ton of new music to keep me moving during my workouts. Oh yeah, I hit the 1000 song mark on my nano!  Seriously, when I bought the thing I was like 1000 songs, that SO many song, I’ll never fill it. Oh well.  Never say never as my Mother says.
3. Food log — when I am training I track everything I eat. Now that I don’t have a show tracking my food has gone by the way side.  I will start to track my food.  The online food diary is fitday.  It tracks, your macro-nutrients, calories and exercise
4. Put it in your calendar.  I am putting all my workout in my calendar so that I will keep on track and not say that I will do it later.
5. Get organized — I am a clutter bug and I am making strides to de-clutter my home.

Here’s a bonus, I have 12 months to complete my well coaches certification and I am going to not take the full 12 months, I will take the written test in 6 months, and complete the second and third step with 3 months.
image source: http://www.bytemark.co.uk/media_file/image/40/base/reboot-type.png’1206018409

March is National Frozen Food Month, yes its true.  I not sure if you use frozen vegetables as much as I do, but its my main source of vegetables. Primarily because I really like fresh, fresh food and I can’t guarantee that I will use fresh vegetables before they before a science experiment in my fridge. Does that sound like you’

Well in 1924 Clarence Birdseye invented the concept of frozen food, but it didn’t take off it was marketed to the masses, after World War 2 when the country was into convenience and those god awful TV dinners.

My favorite is frozen berries, I love berries and eat them every day. I put them in my oatmeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, I also enjoy them in a great post workout shake.  Here’s the recipe now hear me out, the ingredients may look a little strange but it tastes amazing.

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 c berries
• 1/4 c Gatorade
• 1 scoop whey protein (vanilla, strawberry or plain)
• 1/2 c ice

Blend — sorry werid, but tastes AMAZING.  Thanks Clarence for giving me frozen berries year round!

Yes, it’s an actual holiday and dates back hundreds of years.  Those crazy Europeans.  In Ireland they use to have pancake races where women would race flipping pancakes.  Back then it was called Shrove Tuesday.

OK let’s get down to what it really means PANCAKES!!! Who doesn’t love pancakes! You can go to IHOP (7am-10am) and get free pancakes with a suggested donation of any size to Children’s Miracle Network. So head on down to IHOP for some pancakes and to donate to a good cause.

Can’t make it to IHOP and want to make it your own. Try Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (4-ounces) ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
Grated peel of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Butter for the griddle

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients with a fork until blended, do not overmix.
2. Heat griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly grease griddle with butter. As soon as the butter is melted, pour pancake batter onto griddle. Cook until batter begins to bubble or pancakes are golden. Flip and finish the other side. Serve pancakes warm with pure maple syrup

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes.
Recipe by Gail Greco
Recipe provided courtesy of the American Dairy Association.

Fat Tuesday is the celebration that occurs 40 days before Easter.  During this time Christians give up something they enjoy until Easter.  So on Fat Tuesday they indulgence or over indulgence on things they

enjoys before they give them up for lent.  So before you panic and think this  this this blog is religious.  There are 2 things I celebrate at this time of year.

1. I look at this as a 2nd new year’s now’s the time that we can reflect our new year’s resolutions, and I ask myself, how are you doing against them.
2. Then I ask myself if you have to give up something you enjoyed for 40 days what would it be’ Would it be your afternoon Rice Krispy treat, or trip to Starbucks’ Or would there be something that I can add’

If you hadn’t started on your resolution what can you start now’

Okay maybe you aren’t up for an Oscar or maybe you may never be, but we all have our events that we need to be Oscar ready for.  When I’m getting ready for a fitness show I rely heavily on itrain to give me the extra boost and motivation and I need to get them through a workout. My favorite one is itread #13 — sprinting is awesome and a bootie kicker.

I hear this a lot from my clients as well as experience it myself.  I get up 5 days a week at 5:30am, if someone would have told me that I would do this 5 years ago, I would have told them they were on drugs.  Now in 2009 this is my life.  So that I am able to get up and not be a walking zombie. I have a bedtime, yes a bedtime! I know you haven’t had one since you were like 10.  So every night I got to bed at 9pm and lights out at 10pm.

Are you a walking zombie, are you constantly exhausted’ Did you know that skimping on sleep is not healthy.  Too many sleepless nights can lead to both mental and physical exhaustion. When you don’t get enough sleep you:

• have slower reactions which could lead to accidents,
• be irritable
• not be able to perform your work tasks with the same speed and clarity

Here are some tips to help you get the rest you need and deserve.

1. Keep a regular sleep cycle — wake and go to bed at the same time, including weekends.
2. Create a good environment — Temperature, Light, Sleeping Surface, and Other Factors
3. Exercise — helps you manage your stress
4. Decrease your caffeine intake — determine what time you need to cut it out so that you can sleep
5. Keep the bedroom for sleep and sex — Move the electronics out of the bedroom, this will help you tune out the world and get your much needed sleep
6. Unplug — when you come home declare it a cell phone free zone and turn it off!!
7. Stop smoking and reduce your alcohol intake — alcohol make sleepy but its not a good night sleep and nicotine in cigarettes may act as a stimulate
8. Clear your mind — I know easier said then done, so I recommend you put a pen and paper next to your bed, so that if you are unable to turn off your mind, you can write it done and think about it in the morning.
9. Avoid eating before bed — not it’s not about your waistline. Eating before bed may leave you feeling uncomfortable, spicy food may give your heartburn and drinking too much liquid prior to bed may cause you to make a few trips to the bathroom.
10. Avoid naps — I know naps feel good, but they disrupt your nighttime sleeping pattern.

“A woman too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his/her tools.” – A Spanish Proverb

I hear it all the time from my client S.  Every workout she has some new health issue, when I ask her what is she doing about it she says I’m too busy.  Seriously, you are too busy to take care of your own health. If you don’t have your health you have nothing. To help her bring this to her attention, I mention that if she had a headache, she would take an aspirin and if she had a stuffy nose she would take a decongestant.  Now. Why when you have elevated blood pressure and your doctor tells you are at an increased risk for heart disease, why wouldn’t do whatever you go could to decrease your blood pressure and increase the longevity of your life not only for yourself, but your family. Honestly, if you don’t care of yourself how are you going to take care of others.

Now ask yourself, what things are you currently doing that you could find 1 hour to devote to your health and fitness’  Could you get up 1 hour earlier, sneak out of the office at lunch, maybe givewatching Lost or 24 and take that time to workout’

Talk to me give me some of your suggestions.

I’ve had the same valentine for 15 years and when I am asked what we are doing for valentine’s day, I say I don’t believe in it.  Now don’t paint me as the Valentine’s Grinch, but I don’t think Hallmark or anyone else should dictate when you tell someone you love them an appreciate them.

I flash back repeatedly to when my husband, who doesn’t believe in nicknames called me sweetheart! OMG, did I feel like I’m on cloud 9! Did I need a diamond encrusted heart from Kay Jeweler’s to feel that he truly cared about me! No, and when I do look back I still feel bubbly and trust me bubbly is not something I feel.

So ladies, don’t get hung up on valentine’s day.  It’s more important for them to show you signs of love thorough out the year.

Talk me, am I being the anti-romantic’