The end of the week is in sight!  Yippee!  The weekend is around the corner and I am finally rid of school for all three boys for a few weeks.  It is also the eve of a long Holiday weekend, so that even more reason to be happy.  I will be basking in the hot Florida sun for a few days at a baseball tournament with one son, but hope you all find some shade, lots of free time and maybe some cool water for a dip.

I've been loving a few things lately and thought I'd share.  The first is my Fitbit.  I posted about this recently and have loved wearing this little device.  It tracks your steps, stairs, miles and calories.  If  you like, you can log in  your meals or food and it will keep you apprised of your calorie count.  It is a great little tool to motivate you to get off your rump!  Mine went MIA for a few days so I was thrilled to have it reappear and back on my hip!  The shot above gives you a snapshot of part of my day today.  I think it looks okay, especially for a day when I really wasn't exercising.   

Here are some of my favorites right now:
1.  Juice Plus Vanilla Protein Powder.  Have I mentioned this before?  How it really tastes like vanilla and doesn't taste chalky?  Well, it does.  It makes a great smoothie!

2.  Tervis Tumbler.  This flowered cup is an everyday, attached to me, always in the car, ballfield, tennis court, desk, bedside fabulous insulated cup.  It keeps drinks cold, even in our heat AND can even keep my coffee warm in the mornings!  Love this cup!  

3.  Blender Bottle.  This is a new find and I'm so happy with it!  I drink out of it (when my Tervis is elsewhere) and blend smoothies in it when not using ice and a blender.  It comes with a little wire ball that works like a whisk in the bottle when shaken.  It has a great lid also, which makes it great for the car.

4.  Rodan and Fields Mineral Powder SPF 20.  This is a great product!!  It is a loose mineral powder that comes in shades to match your skin and contains SPF 20.  I am not one to wear a lot of make-up so this is perfect.  It brushes on lightly and gives a little cover.  This, coupled with my moisturizer that has 30 SPF, give me a total of 50 SPF on my face!  Pretty cool I think!  

Have a GREAT FRIDAY!

What are your new favs?  Do you have a "must have with you all the time item" like my Tumbler?  And then you misplace it?  

*as usual, none of these folks have paid me for my mentions or opinions (although I'm happy to accept if offered!)

In case you read my recent post about my stinky workout clothes and how I just can't get the smell out, even if fresh from the laundry, and you were worrying about me as you put on your perpetually fresh gear, just know we can all sleep better tonight.  I've found two products that have brought a sweet smell to all those around me!

I feel as if I've been away from this computer for days, simply because the past couple have been so jam packed.  My weekend consisted of seven, yes that is the number 7, baseball games, a four hour trip to the doctor and ER with one son and squeezing in a 16th birthday for another, followed by a Monday of another 3 hour follow up doctor visit and a "real" birthday celebration, so no time to post here!  But, enough of me and on to what's on my mind for today:  BALANCE.  This time I'm not talking about the kind of fit it all in, finding balance in health, wellness, life and family.  (I needed that this weekend, and about each day, but we'll leave that for another day)  I'm actually talking about the simple, plain, physical balance we all need, AND, sad to say, begin loosing as we gather new birthdays.

Here is an example, a few years ago we got tickets to take my parents to see one of their favorite musicians, Neil Diamond.  It was fabulous!  We had front floor seats and no one can take away the memory of seeing my parents standing, smiling, singing "Sweet Caroline".  It was such a great evening!  When the concert was over and it was time to leave, the difficulty began.  My father had lost so much of his balance that it was a huge endeavor for him to make it up the aisles, even assisted, to get to the exits.  My sweet husband found a crew member who was able to assist us to a back elevator and help us out.  It was a slow, nervous journey.

Balance, sometimes called proprioception, is communication between your mind and your muscles that allows the body to remain stable.  Proprioception is your own sense of where your body is in space.  “The term proprioception refers to  a sense of joint position,” writes Anne Quinn in a helpful article about balance training.  “It is the basic skill needed in practically every sport. From soccer to tennis to rock climbing, changing your center of gravity to match your moves is the key to efficiency in sport.”  Professional dancers and athletes have highly refined proprioceptive abilities simply because their bodies are required to respond to constantly changing forces, surfaces and elements.  But balance is an important skill for everyone, especially as we age.  Injuries from falls and accidents are a significant risk for older adults.  Maintaining stability throughout the course of our everyday activities is a key factor in maintaining health and wellness.
(www.getyourrearingearblog.com/exercise/the-importance-of-balance-training-for-exercisers-of-all-ages/)

Balance is like everything else, you don't use it you lose it.  That is why there is so much more emphasis on it in the fitness world these days.  I often have my classes do dumbell curls on one foot and switch to the other or do other moves one legged, use a bosu ball, which gives an unstable surface forcing your body to keep balance.  I always tell clients to practice balance moves at home.  Some good, easy things to do are:

Stand on one leg while blow drying  your hair, talking on the phone, ironing, folding laundry or waiting in a check out line.  

Reach over to pick up something from the ground on one leg.

Roll up a towel, stand on it with one leg and switch.

Sit in a chair and get up using only one leg.  

Time yourself on one leg and see how long you can stand without toppling over.  Repeat on the other leg.

Try any of these exercised with your eyes closed - just have something to hold on to if you begin to wobble!

(On all of these exercised make sure you switch your legs so you are not lopsided!)

If  you practice these you will see your balance and strength improve - and you won't even break a sweat!  How easy is that!
Here are some great tools to use when practicing balance work.  You'll see them at the gym, or in stores or online:

You will also thank me when  you are eighty, step off a curb and stay upright - without breaking a hip!

Are you more "balanced" on one side versus the other?
When was the last time you "ate it" because of being balance challenged?
  

What's on tap for your Saturday or your weekend?  Are you getting a workout in?  Challenging yourself one day?  Trying something new?  
Whatever it is I know and you know it will be worth it!  Go ahead and go for it.
I say this because it's all hard work.  I have always believed there is no such thing as luck = it's all about hard work!
I've done a lot this week, really pushed myself and I'm really sore.  I'm hoping you find a way to push yourself, too.  Getting out of your comfort zone is how we grow - and that's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual!  Just know it WILL be worth it!

Have fun this weekend!

And, by the way, my oldest son turns 16 tomorrow.  How did that happen?  I might get a little sad thinking about it. . .   

What challenges you?  What's out there you want to try? 

As school begins to wind down so does our normal routine.  I have had a couple of people ask me for workouts they can do at home.  So, eager to please I've come up with a short and sweet interval workout.  All you need is a set of dumbells, some energy and good  music.  Hey, I've even provided that!  Here is a new, fun playlist I'm cranking at class now.
So, whether you workout in your livingroom or backyard, I've got you covered!  

(As always, check with your physician before starting a new exercise plan.  I'm not a doctor, just a regular ol' fitness instructor, so please listen to your medical profession!)

Does your exercise routine change with the summer?  Do you workout more or less?

There is something out there so outrageous and over the top that I can't even believe I feel compelled to write about it!  Since it was featured in a New York Times article last week, the K-E Diet (short for Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition) has been a source of talk, controversy and curiosity. Do people, and brides, actually do this?  And to lose weight? And not because they are sick and actually NEED a feeding tube?

This so called "Wedding Diet" is the latest example of how common sense is absolutely thrown out the window in the pursuit of quick weight loss.  This is what happens to these desperate Brides-to-bo.  A plastic or rubber tube is inserted through the nose and through the esophagus and into the stomach.  This is common for folks who are sick and are not able to eat.  "The K-E diet, by contrast, is its first known weight loss application in the United States."

While this process has been described as "unique”,  I can only think of words like gross, ridiculous, disturbing and sad. 
How about dangerous, futile and unhealthy?

"So far, the diet is offered exclusively at a Florida clinic run by Dr. Oliver R. Di Pietro, its creator and an internal medicine specialist. A brochure promises that, over 10 days, the diet can lead to about 20 pounds of weight loss -- or about 10 percent of a patient’s total weight."  

"A patient is intubated with the feeding device and given a 10-day supply of a powdered food supplement (to be mixed with water), made entirely of protein and fat and amounting to 800 calories per day. Patients may drink water, unsweetened tea and black coffee during their treatment, but nothing else can pass their lips. They carry the solution in a tote bag at all times, where it provides a steady 24-hour drip of nutritional supplementation."AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS IS JUST INSANE AND IRRESPONSIBLE FOR A DOCTOR TO PRESCRIBE SUCH A METHOD?
  
What about side effects?  These sound like just the things a bride-to-be would like to be experiencing as she gets ready for her big day:  bad breath and constipation, kidney problems,  headaches, weakness, dehydration and fatigue.What about walking around for 10 days looking like this?

I'm not sure about you, but I had a few parties before  my wedding.  These gals put this thing up their nose 10 days before their wedding.  Do you really want to have this thing stuck up your nose while you go to your lunches, showers, brunches all dressed up in that cute outfit you spent weeks shopping for?  This is what you want to look like in your wedding party photos?  That poor fiance'.  I'm thinking he didn't bargain for this!

On the health side, this scheme, like any quick weight loss scheme -- whether via tube, straw or fork -- is a short-term solution. It will result in dropped pounds, but those come from lost water and muscle mass, rather than fat. The trouble with weight loss of this type is that it returns as soon as the diet ends -- and, it is more likely to return as fat, rather than muscle.  Furthermore, it does not fix or even address the factors leading to the weight gain or weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.  Those issues and habits will still be around after the wedding dress comes off. 


Feel free to tell me I'm wrong on this . . .
Are there any diets out there crazier than this one?  Do you think I'm being too hard?  Did you crash diet before your wedding?
Did you think that time before getting married was the best or worst time?  I loved it . . .  
credits:
/www.odditycentral.com/news/nose-drip-feeding-becomes-trendy-lose-weight-fast-wedding-diet.html; www.abc15.com/dpp/news/now/K-E-Diet-Brides-to-be-losing-weight-using-feeding-tubes; www.wjla.com/articles/2012/04/k-e-diet-has-brides-shedding-pounds-and-not-eating-for-days-74980.html

So, don't forget your mother (or Mama as I say), grandmother, person like your mother, especially your childrens' mother, or whoever is like their mother . . .
You'll be sorry if you do. Just saying. . . 

It's also a great time to think about some of the good things you learned from  your good ol' Mom.  Even if  you didn't have the best relationship there are usually a thing or two you learned.  

I learned a few things myself and realize I am still learning from my mother.  Here are a few:

The saying, "But for the grace of God there go I".

How to fold fitted sheets

How to keep a drawer organized

How to "work a room" and learn peoples' names

How you get more with honey than with vinegar

How you should always have lipstick on when you go to town, even if you don't have a stitch of make-up on

How to clean silver

How to have,  serve, preserve and put up fresh vegetables

How to be ladylike, even when you don't feel like it

How to hug

How to nurse a sick child, bring down a fever, fix a skinned knee

How to be really strong when things get really bad

How to always smile

How to pick your battles.  (you know, some just aren't worth it)
 
How to have good manners

How to re-pot a plant

That babies don't come with instruction books tattooed on their bottoms.  They are all different!

The importance of hard work

How to be really good at helping with school projects, Halloween costumes, pageant routines,  dress up days, presentations, craft projects 

How important it is to just listen sometimes

How it doesn't matter if your dress is homemade or inexpensive or not "in".  What matters is IN the dress

Now that I am also a mother I have learned that my mother truly loves me more than anything in the world.  I have also learned that being a mother is a constant learning process.  Every day brings a new delight, joy, crisis, heartache, angst, frustration, sweat, joke and belly laugh. 

It truly is the best job out there!  The hardest job and the most rewarding!

What great things have  you learned from your mother?

Happy Mother's Day!

I had the perfect Friday night.  Sitting on my porch with my feet propped up catching up on  my reading.  These were my most recent magazines needing some attention.  Yes, I know I am a nerd but I actually felt a little spoiled.  While enjoying a quiet Friday night I was also able to get a little motivation, learn a few tips and find a few tidbits to share.  I used to say that having Health magazines lying around were great reminders and motivation to make good choices and lay off the potato chips.  However, these days I'm not so sure you need to have some of these magazine covers on your coffee table if you have little girls or teenage boys hanging around.  Some are just a wee bit scanty I'm thinking  . . . 

In keeping with my attempt to eat cleaner and better and not spend the day snacking here and there I did pretty well this week.  Maybe you'll see something you'll like to try . . .

Happy Saturday!  I think I'm headed back to my porch while  my house is still quiet.

Are you a grazer or do you prepare, sit down and eat a "good" lunch daily?  What are your favorites?  Do you enjoy "nerd" nights, too?  

What I am about to divulge to you might be just a little too much information for  your tastes, so if you don't want to hear TMI from me, just scroll on down for a delightful treat.  Otherwise, I am in need of some advice here.  Yesterday, I decided to try out a new workout.  It is one of the new boutique gyms that are so popular now.  This one is a 45 spinning class that is like a spinning class on steroids.  While it was a great, heart pumping, fun, get your heart rate up workout, I'm not writing to review it.  That  might come later.  I have a new dilemma that became quite apparent after only 10 minutes of the class . . . 
My workout clothes stink.  And I mean that honestly.  I put on a fresh workout top right before leaving for the class. In fact, it was so fresh, it hadn't even made it into the drawer in my closet.  It came straight out of the laundry room.  It smelled really nice when I put it on.  I think it smelled like the Gain detergent I had used.   

Fast forward to class.  I am sitting on a bike in a dark room listening to loud, get pumped up music, spinning my legs on my bike as hard as I could.  I had just started to work up a sweat when I caught a whiff.  Whew!  I looked around.  No one was on the bikes near me, thank goodness for them because I realized the odor was my workout top.  It had this awful stale odor!  How could that be?  It was clean!  But it really smelled awful.  So, I guess the Gain isn't effective for me.  Do I have a new odor now?  Am I getting so old that  my B.O. has changed?  I'm completely self conscience now and will be looking over  my shoulder from now on each time I break a sweat if I can't get to the bottom of this.  What's going on? I'm used to foul smelling boys' football clothes, baseball clothes, underwear, socks, you name it.  However, I'm not used to worrying about my own clothes having an odor!  Shouldn't I be the sweet smelling princess of the house?  Hmmm, there goes that fantasy.  I've tried Tide, Gain, Arm and Hammer, Win, Febreeze and I can't seem to get this odor out of my clothes.  Yuck!  I don't put my clothes in the dryer so I can't put one of those dryer sheets in so what's a girl to do?  Little help here  please. . . 

On a lighter note, have you seen the fresh strawberries available now?  The are humongous and delicious!  I was so hungry yesterday afternoon and wanted something good.  I whipped up a little strawberry smoothie.  Quite Delightful!  Try one!

Have a great afternoon!  Hope you try something new this week!

Do you have stinky clothes?  What do you do for smelly clothes?  What's your favorite strawberry treat?  

Do you know how much BAD health and fitness advice is out there?  I read something the other day and polled my class on it this morning.  I had read something saying that in order to lose weight, a person should or could eat cookies in the morning.  It seemed to be saying that you would have longer to burn off the calories and you would have your cookies for the day.  I guess it was assuming you were eventually going to eat the cookies at some point in the day, maybe?  This would absolutely NOT work for me.  It would set me up for wanting sweets ALL day long.  My body would take that bit of sugar and set off a craving that would have my head spinning.  One of the members of the class said that it would work for her as she would know she had something sweet and wouldn't eat more throughout the day. I can see how that makes sense.
I would imagine that this type of advice would send some nutritionists, doctors or dieticians to the moon as going against sound nutritional advice on what constitutes a healthy breakfast and what we should be eating in the mornings after spending hours fasting.
This made me think of all the different dos and don'ts floating out there in books, magazines, talk shows, magazines, books and cyberspace.  There are so many conflicting studies, reports and advice that it is no wonder folks have no idea what to do or not do.  It is no wonder our nation is three times more obese than it was 50 years ago.   In turn, it's also no wonder the diet industry is a billion dollar business!  There is so much bad advice out there that folks follow we all wind up like a little hamster on his wheel, trying to work so hard and getting no where fast and, eventually, just giving up.
  
What are some of the worst, or craziest health/fitness advice you have been given?

* Remember when we were told to always stretch before we exercised?  Well, that's bad advice now.  We are told to warm up our bodies with a similar type activity as our workout and to wait until the end of the workout to stretch.  Actually, the studies really can't prove that stretching actually keeps you from getting injured or helps relieve soreness from a good workout.  
I, personally, am a big believer in stretching following exercise, regardless of what the latest research states.  I like it because it makes me feel good after a workout.  I don't like my muscles to feel stiff and contracted.  I like being flexible.  It also makes it a lot easier to pick up stinky socks off the floor at my house. 

* Lots of women do not lift weights.  Someone once said that they would get bulky by lifting weights.  They don't know what they are missing!  We do not have enough testosterone to get all bulky.  While I do have a lot of testosterone in my house, I, personally, do not have enough in my body to make  me look like a guy. I really like weight work.  It works for me, so I'll stick to it.  If you've listened to someone telling  you that you are going to get big and bulky you should chunk that advice and pick up some dumbells!  See how they actually work on your body.

* How about those claims that if you do a certain workout you can get a bum like J Lo? Or legs like Cameron Diaz? Or abs like Halle Barry?  All I can say is don't get sucked in!  Sure, you can exercise and work hard and diet, but your bum is your bum.  It might get smaller and tighter, but it's still  your DNA.  It won't be J Lo's bum!  While I'd love to have Cameron Diaz's legs, I would have to get them stretched a couple of feet to even begin!  As far as abs like Halle Barry, I'm still dreaming.  Just kidding!  I know its a lot to do with diet, some exercise and even more good genes.  So, those infomercials that promise flat abs from wearing some belt around your waist during the day, that sound too good to be true, ARE too good to be true.  Don't get sucked in!

*I've heard some folks say that at the gym, with the leg machines, there is no longer any need to use free weights.  Don't believe this!  Free weights activate more muscles so give you more bang for your buck.  Your body is one, giant interconnected muscle.  The more muscles you use with each exercise the stronger you will get.  When you try to isolate certain muscles by using machines you are cheating your tons of assistance  muscles out of work. Try sticking to free weights and see if you notice the difference. 

* The worst are diets that tell you to eliminate carbs, fats, watermelon or any food from your diet OR diets that tell you to ONLY eat grapefruit, cabbage or cookies or some other particular food.  Your body works on fuel, so we have to fuel our bodies with the right things to have energy, build muscles, have brain function and get through a busy day.  Eat lots of different things, but not too many of one thing!  Any diet advice that would tell you to forego a natural food in favor of some pre-fab protein bar or packaged anything can't be sound.  Use your common sense on that one!  Stay away from crazy, quick weight loss promises!

*Somewhere I read that in order to lose weight we should run for about an hour a day, then do 30 minutes of cardio.  The pounds would just melt off.  HA!  Please don't be fooled into this one either!  Slow cardio is ineffecient!!  20 minutes of interval training is more effective for weight loss than 40 minutes of slow cardio.  The best way to lose fat is to use the right diet combined with interval training.  
Who has time for 90 minutes of slow cardio a day anyway?  

* The ever elusive six pack promises!  All you need to get a six pack is lots of crunches everday.  Absolutely not!  Crunches are the most ineffective way to train your mid section for that sought after six pack!  Don't get sucked in!  First of all, we all know it's 90 percent diet!  After that, we need total body workouts to lose weight and tone and then exercises that work the entire core.  That means front, side and back!  Planks, medicine ball russian twists, side planks, bridge poses, mountain climbers are just a few of the great ways to train your abs for strength and support.  No ab roller!  No magic belts! 

A lot of finding what works for you is trial and error.  Our bodies are all wonderfully different.  We all have our own individual strengths and weaknesses.  Find a sane way to get or stay fit!  Follow a natural eating plan!  Don't get sucked into crazy promises . . . please!  If  you hear someone giving health advice and it sounds a little wacky, chances are it is!

What's the worst advice you have been given?  I know there are some doosies out there!   

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.