Saturday, February 28, 2009

Dove Evolution

I'm sure you've all seen this Dove Commercial. But I can't help but watch it over and over. So I thought I'd end EDAW with something more to think about!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

The last week of February is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. I asked my sister-in-law, Jen, to write up a little blurb for me to post on the subject (she has her degree in psychology and worked at an eating disorder clinic for a couple years). There's a lot of great information and some fantastic tips! THANKS JEN!!!

This week is National Eating Disorders Week. There are many people in this world that have no clue that an eating disorder is the number one mental disorder with the highest mortality rate. While there are many who may be ignorant to the fact that eating disorders are a real disorder and not just a preoccupation with weight, there are many contributing factors that can assist in unhealthy eating habits and unhealthy body image.

Body image is how you see yourself in the mirror or picture yourself in your mind. We've all heard it many times... You are your own worst critic. There are many body image "suppose toos" out there in the media right now. Consider sitting down to the television and paying attention to how many emaciated models have been computer enhanced, ads that include large people who are seen negatively, ads that glamorize diets, or people relying of food to cope with stress, frustration, or loneliness. The answer is simple... it's not real and it's all a ploy to get you to buy a product. Even worse, it displays an unhealthy lifestyle with impossible expectations of what you "should" look like. Consider the following:

* Research reveals that 40-60% of girls in high school perceive themselves to be overweight and are actively trying to lose weight.
* Approximately 10-15% of these girls can be considered "chronic dieters", two-thirds of who are not overweight.
*Ninety percent of eating disorder sufferers are female.
*Girls are particularly vulnerable to the development of body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting behaviors and eating disorders.
* And estimated 10 million American women and girls have active, destructive eating disorders - including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
~NEDA website

A Solution?

I along with many other women grew up in a house where body image was huge. Every diet in the book was tried; not by me but by other women in my family. I recollect an experience where my mother told me my outfit would be much cuter on me if I was 20 pounds leaner. I was given "the look" when I ate seconds at dinner, or had a bowl of ice cream before bed, or even chose a muffin over toast. I got smart and, more importantly, got real. I was lucky; I got to work with therapists and eating disorder patients every day for two years. I quickly learned of my own unhealthy lifestyle and found the solution that works for me. I can't even tell you how good it feels to be relieved from the pressures of needing to be thin. What an empowering feeling to have!

There are many ways to not get caught up in the negative pressures from the media. Personally, I have found it's easier for me to listen to my body. I eat what I want when I am hungry. I don't diet and I don't restrict. Research has proven that by doing this, you are very unlikely to ever have a weight problem or an eating disorder. It's very basic: eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. I'll go ahead and put in a plug for a favorite book that goes through all the steps of intuitiveness - "Intuitive Eating". Read it. It will change your entire perspective on food and weight, in a healthy way.

Also, I have seen many women with poor body image put together lists. Listing positive things about your body can help you have a more positive outlook on it. It most likely won't automatically change all your negative thoughts, but it will surely help! The more that you do it, the more likely you will feel good about who you truly are and care about the body you naturally have. Along those lines, think of your body as your personal vehicle that gets you place to place. Honor it! Respect it! Fuel it!

I also find it empowering for people to know their limits. And example... I don't own a scale. I am the kind of person that cannot have a healthy relationship with one. I get depressed and down on myself when I look at how much I weigh and how far away it is from "what it should be". So I got rid of the darn thing. I will never have one in my house. A simple way to stay ahead of the game. Know your limits. If it makes you feel bad or wrong, stay away from it.

While I am nowhere near an expert on eating disorders, I have had many experiences with the debilitating effects of them. I have witnessed lives that have been taken, and seen women deny their true beauty inside. Eating disorders are crippling. It is a vicious cycle that gets worse without the use of continuous effort and most often professional help.

Thanks Again Jen!!! I'll have to have you write up more on intuitive eating and our perspective of beauty!!

What to Eat While Training

I had a request. Yea, my first request!! My friend Nellie asks, "Do you have any tips on what to eat while training?"

Earlier I posted some AWESOME eating habits and tips so check those out HERE. I also went on a search and this is what I found. Go HERE & HERE for the full monty:

*TRAINING. It's SUPER IMPORTANT to give your body the fuel it needs. {Not doing so can slow your metabolism} so be sure to eat lots of fruit & nuts {great snacks} and also lean meats, granola, and veggies.

*PRE-RACE. The night before make sure to have a CARB LOADED dinner! I loved the idea of a PASTA PARTY. Drink LOTS of water {can that be stressed enough?} Have something light the morning of your race, something with peanut butter maybe. Second site suggests 200-400 calories 2-3 hours before the race. NEVER experiment with a food or drink on race day!

*DURING RACE. Stay HYDRATED!! For those longer runs you may need to experiment beforehand with some power bars or gels. They even suggest practicing drinking & eating during weekly runs.

*POST-RACE. Sometimes bananas or pretzels are offered {apparently}, GOOD IDEA! Make sure to have a carb & protein rich meal after you've cooled down. It's CRITICAL for recovery!

HYDRATION is SO IMPORTANT!!! Probably deserves a post in of itself!!

Hope this helps Nellie & thanks for the request!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Turbo Jam

I did it. I got up at 5:45 and went to this workout group. WOAH!! Now that I've been home for almost an hour, showered and feel more like a woman than a sweat drenched monkey I can say that I really enjoyed it! It was a great workout, HARD but GREAT! I got a neighbor to go with me so we're going to rotate driving T/Th; that way we can keep each other going! I would be STUPID to pass this up!

This woman is TOO cute. She is petite, in perfect shape, ENERGETIC, fun and motivating. I have to admit that I felt awkward and big BUT I did just have baby #4 just 5 months ago. So I am not going to entertain that kind of thinking. AND the more I go & learn the routines I won't be so awkward NOR as big!! And THAT, my friends, is something to be EXCITED about!

Some workout tips that she gave us are:

*SHOES. Always wear good workout shoes when exercising. NEVER wear outside {which means I have to have a SEPARATE pair of shoes for running!}.

*ATTIRE. Wear layers. You want to keep your body warm before you stat, then remove according as workout progresses.

*FOOD. Eat AT LEAST 20 minutes before your workout. Preferably something with protein and carbs for long lasting energy. Eat right after your workout - protein- as your body needs it to repair itself.

*H2O. ALWAYS drink water before, during and after your workout.

*CALORIC INTAKE. If you want to LOSE weight, make sure to eat less calories than you burn. NEVER justify eating more just because you worked out! If you want to MAINTAIN your weight, eat about the same amount of calories as you burn. If you want to GAIN weight, still workout but just eat more HEALTHY calories.

*EXERCISE. No matter what you're doing, make sure you change it up as often as possible. It will help prevent the PLATEAU. Workout the same time everyday, you're more likely to stick with it. Make it FUN! Get a buddy to workout with you. Workout at least 6 days a week for a MINIMUM of 30 minutes for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!!

*SLEEP. Make sure to get adequate sleep every night!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Early Mornings?!

I am NOT a morning person. I much prefer to stay up late, usually reading a good book. Well I may just have to be an early bird, two days a week anyway!! There is a friend of mine who is starting to do a morning exercise group {from 6:00-7:00} in her basement studio! A few things are really appealing... it's something new and would breakup my other workout days. I would have other people to help motivate me. And... it's FREE! You CAN'T beat FREE!! So this Tuesday I think I'll drag my sorry behind out of bed and go try it out!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Ab/Core Workout videos

Here are a couple videos to show you some of the ab workouts I do. First we have the plank. It was actually kinda hard to find a good video of the plank. I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with this exercise. I LOVE it because it really works those muscles but I HATE it; well not really, it's just REALLY HARD!!


Then there is the jackknife; which was even harder to find a good video of! But this at least shows you what it is. I really have to remind myself to breathe during this one. That and be careful to use my abs and not my back!

Don't forget to FOCUS on the muscle group you want to work!!!

I also do torso twists. I couldn't find the ones that I do with the wii fit but I did find some that I think will be better! I don't have a medicine ball but it would really make this exercise more productive. Finally a GOOD video for the day!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Stressed?

This week has been a super stressful one for me. Sunday was my breaking point. I got thinking yesterday about the effects stress has on us, mentally and PHYSICALLY. Cause let me tell you, I was feelin those effects!! So I looked online and this is what I've found.

* Stress is the physical expression of our "Fight or Flight" survival instincts. Which is a GOOD thing! Stress can help us perform at higher levels BUT it can also cause a plethora of health issues.

* Acute stress is short term {lasting a few minutes or even a few weeks}. Some of the responses are: blood sugar levels rise, additional red blood cells are released {to help carry more oxygen troughout the body}, pulse quickens, blood pressure rises, digestion stops {that one surprised me but made sense}.

* Chronic stress is when the acute stress responses are continuous, keeping your body on "alert", which affects our health negatively.

* Some of the health issues that have been tied back to stress are: migraines, hypertension, sleep deprivation, chronic fatigue, depression, irritable bowl syndrome, acid reflux, acne, hives, eating disorders, asthma, PMS, chronic unexplained pain, heartburn, diabetes, obesity, infertility, cancer... and the list goes on and on!!!

* A few ways to combat stress are: follow a healthy diet, get regular exercise, uninterrupted relaxation, keep a journal, keep a good sense of humor, learn to say NO {don't take on more than you can handle}, live for today {let yesterday go and don't worry about tomorrow}.

I also thought about how I react to stress. It's different depending on what has me stressed out. But generally I crave junk food and soda. We typically don't have this stuff in our house {it costs too much money and because I EAT IT!!} Well this week we had a lot of it {darn Valentine's Day} so guess what; I ate A LOT of it! I also didn't workout like I should have; I think I am more apt to be lazy in general.

So now that I've taken note of how I react to stress and I'm more consientious and I hope I will be able to deal with it better. Until then I'm going to at least remember how important it is to my HEALTH that I eat right and exercise!!! Even more benefits to making better choices!!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Slimming Soup

Today the kids and I put on our slimming soups {swimming suits to my 3 year old} and we headed to the pool!!! My oldest is turning 7 on Friday {I can't believe it}! So we met my family for a little PARTY!! My brother & his wife live in a condo that has a club house with a pool so we can go swimming for FREE!! Perfect for a family party but also a great way to sneak in a little workout!

Swimming is a FANTASTIC workout!! Before the rest of the family arrived I swam a few laps; oh that felt GOOD!!! Of course the kids wanted a SHARK RIDE {as if the laps themselves aren't tiring enough}! So I swam a few laps with each kid on my back. Oh man! That was a workout!! I wish I could have swam MORE but baby needed me. I'm going to have to make it a point to go swimming more often. More importantly though I'll have to make sure that I have my husband with me so we can swap being in charge of the kids and working out.

I'm definately no Michael Phelps {my 5 year old's favorite athlete} but I LOVE swimming. It's actually been a REALLY long time since I've been but I was reminded today what a great time it is. I'm DEFINATELY going to do more of this!!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

My Pyramid

I LOVE LOVE this website! My Pyramid. I was able to go on there and: I listed that I am a Mom who is breastfeeding who is also looking to lose a little weight. It took my age, height and weight, how much I'm breastfeeding, and my daily physical activity and made a pyramid JUST FOR ME!! And I can get a pyramid for each member of my family! Plus there is a menu planner to help ensure your meals are made up of the food groups needed. Plus there's loads of general HEALTH information. And that's what I'm all about: BEING HEALTHY!!!

Shoveling Snow

We have AWESOME winters here; with plenty of the white stuff!! And we LOVE the white stuff! And since we're close to the mountains we really get to take advantage of the PLAY that snow provides: snowboarding, sledding, snowmachining... as well as playing in it in general!

But there's also WORK that comes with snow. SHOVELING! I LOVE to shovel snow. It's a big job to keep the driveway clear but I love every minute of it. Today I counted my shoveling as my workout; and believe me, it's a good workout! I calculated that I probably burned close to 400 calories! {You can click HERE to calculate how many calories you've burned doing various activities.}

Another reason I LOVE to shovel snow is that it's something I do to clear my head. So it's DUALLY-AWESOME!! Needless to say I get pretty giddy when it's snowing outside!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Forward & Reverse Lunges

Since it's leg day I thought I'd post a couple more leg workouts. I think I like this Kyle guy! Make sure that your knees don't go past your toes {something I need to remember}. First we have the FORWARD LUNGE:

And then we have the REVERSE LUNGE:

Motivation

It's the beginning of a new week. Last week wasn't one of my better weeks; no real reason why either. So I went to bed last night determined to make this week a productive one! Well it's now 10:41 and I am lacking the motivation to run. I want to do my leg routine but I typically do that AFTER my cardio. Today is supposed to be a big running day too! My problem is this: running on the treadmill can be BORING!! So I like to watch the tube to keep me occupied {we watch very limited tv in our house so it actually works really well to watch while I run}. Well our DVD player is busted and there's NOTHING good on tv! So I thought if I wrote a bit that I could build that motivation up again, regardless of what is on the tube! {Or at least something good may come on}!

So last week was full of superbowl goodies, valentine's candies {this week will be too}, lots of snacking, not a lot of running/cross training. There was no snow to shovel. It was just kind of a crappy workout week. The changes in my weight/BMI showed too! Granted it didn't go up A LOT and it typically came back down fairly easily, it's still frustrating. Hence my determination to make THIS week a GOOD WEEK!

So. I'm going to go downstairs and I am GOING TO RUN! I'm going to do it regardless of what is on tv. Heck, maybe I'll try to read while I run; a lot of people do that right?! And I LOVE to read, so maybe this will solve that there's-nothin-good-on-tv issue!!!

This week I'm also going to eat EVEN MORE VEGGIES & FRUITS!! It's grocery shopping day so I'm definately going to stock up on apples, bananas, yogurt, maybe some grapes, avacados, asparagus {if it isn't too outrageously priced}... Good things to snack on rather than Amish Friendship Bread, Valentines candy & pie {yes pie, I got my hubby TWO pies as part of his 14 days of valentines, they're NOT HELPING}! And I'm going to throw a salad together with every meal; I LOVE a good salad!!!

Alright! Let's get to it!!!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Steam Engine

I'll have to give these ones a try.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Junk Food

So yesterday was the "Big Game". You should know up front that I am NOT a sports fanatic. Not entirely true; I LOVE sports and have been known to have a competative streak {runs in my genes}. The sports I enjoy watching though are on a more "local" level; where I actually know &/or am related to the players. And I do not KNOW nor am I RELATED to any pro athletes. But that is beside the point!

We had our {what has become} anual Superbowl party with my in-laws. We had SO MUCH food!!! Dad-in-law made ribs & bbq chicken. We made fresh egg rolls & wontons. Plus all the chips and dip, cookies and other goodies!!! We even had stuff to make KILLER nachos but it was just MORE than we could handle!!

Considering all that I COULD HAVE over indulged in, I think I did pretty good. I had a couple egg rolls, a couple wontons and a chicken leg. What I'm more worried about is the potato chips, soda, gummy bears and cookies! {Sigh} All things in moderation!!

I am yet to do my workout for the day. I have to admit that I'm nervous to do my body test!! I am definately going to have to do a big workout day. I'm quite looking forward to it actually. After taking a day off I'm ready to go again!!!

Nike Trainer

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