Whole 30- Week 3

We're now into the last part of our third week on the program! I can honestly say that it has been MUCH easier to follow the past 2 weeks. Week one was a bit torturous. Feeling the effects of ridding your system of sugar, dairy, and wheat feels very hard before you start to feel the benefits.

A simple chart that helps you understand what the "rules" are:

Week one I had cravings, like I just wanted to get a candy bar or ice cream. I never eat candy bars really, so that was kind of strange. Looking back, I think my body was just craving the artificial sweetness that sugar (artificial and added refined sugars) adds to food. I really encourage anyone aiming to try this program to read up on it first, but the fact is this: food additives and sugars (both fake and "real" added sugars) trick your body into craving tastes that do NOT exist naturally in nature. Once you detox yourself from those tastes by cutting them out, you can really appreciate how food actually tastes. I swear, apples taste sweeter to me now.

Week two I felt like I was really into the groove. I wasn't feeling as hungry as I did in week one. I figured out how to cook enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. Breakfasts have been either hard boiled eggs or a banana with almond butter or almond milk (some people disagree with almond milk on The Whole 30, but I'm using an unsweetened one). I've had a bunch of really great dinners that have been filling and flavorful. Spices are your friend here, and if you under season, things will be bland.

Snacks are either an apple, a few nuts (almonds or cashews), or a lara bar. Tonight we're doing breakfast for dinner with poached eggs, bacon (nitrate and sugar free from Trader Joe's), and sweet potato home fries with peppers and onions. Sliced avocado on the side. That's a perfect example of a meal that will NOT leave you hungry! Tomorrow night I'm making Barbacoa Beef from Paleomg. Her blog is one of my favorite resources, and her recipes have been hits with us.

Matt is feeling really good as well, and has officially hit the 30 pound weight loss mark! His weight loss started back in October, so it's been slow and steady. I think he should be most proud of getting through the holidays without gaining anything back, even it things stalled slightly then.

So, are we going to turn the Whole 30 into an ongoing food regimen? No. Because that would mean cutting out alcohol (not gonna happen!), never enjoying deserts, and not being able to enjoy some favorite foods that aren't necessarily that healthy (pizza). We're going to stick to a mainly Paleo diet, and allow splurges now and then. I'm not going to say we'll have one "cheat" day, or meal, or any real count of when to splurge, rather we will try to do our best with diet and indulge when we feel it's worth it.

I will say that the biggest effect I feel physically is having no bloating. My stomach has been completely flat since we've started, and I'm sure cutting dairy is the reason. I've seen a lot more muscle definition as well. I didn't take any pictures before, but I might post an after to show it off!

I've officially filled my last notebook with workouts- I always write out my class design and workout for that day. Yesterday, I picked this one up:

 

 

 

Maybe a little cheesy, but the cover says "Live Your Dreams, Discover Your Purpose". I really feel that teaching fitness enables me to do just that. Every single person that stays after class to tell me that my class is the best they've ever taken, or that they love how each class is a totally different workout, really inspires me to keep working at being the best instructor I can be. Helping people achieve their weight loss, fitness goals, and lifestyle changes is such a wonderful motivator to continue living my own healthy lifestyle.

 

This weekend we'll be having some fun with built in babysitters, I mean grandparents, visiting. Connor can't wait to show off how big of a boy he is. New words are keys, and "cheesus" (you don't want to know the translation there). Let's just say Matt and I now know we have to watch our mouths. Shit just got real.

 

 

 

Meals lately/ How to maximize the results in your workout

We are now into week 2 of the whole 30. Only (well, that's an understatement) 3 weeks to go! I've been reading a lot of other people's experiences on the program, and I relate to a lot of what they're reporting. Basically, I've read that many people say the first week is tough, and you start to feel a little discouraged by how restrictive the program is. I felt that way 100%. I also was dealing with feeling a constant sense of hunger in the evenings. I'd have a snack of an apple and almond butter most nights, but then worry that I was taking in too many calories. I'm not trying to lose weight, but I'm not trying to gain weight by any means. Matt has also been frustrated because he gained a pound in our first week (despite feeling like he's hungry)! He's going to stick with it and weigh in again next week. I know the program suggests to not weigh in, but that doesn't really work for Matt (who has been doing so well with his weight loss) and it also goes against how I maintain my weight.

This program can be tough if you're not a big meat eater, which I am not. I eat meat (not much red meat), but it's not something I crave, and I don't have large portions of it. That can make it hard to get full, especially at dinner. I've been eating sweet potatoes with a lot of our dinners to help get full.

I loved our dinner last night. We had fajita style chicken, peppers, and onions. Instead of cooking it in a grill pan like I usually do, I baked it in the oven. It was easy clean up, so I think I'll stick with this method.

I sliced up boneless/skinless chicken into strips, and sliced one (very) large onion and 3 bell peppers. Then I added cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt on top (just estimated amounts). I squeezed the juice of half a lime on top before baking at 400 for about 40 minutes.

Keeping it easy, I cubed avocado in the shell, juiced the other half of a lime on top, and added chopped cilantro. It was a VERY easy version of guacamole. We each had half of the avocado with our dinner. This was nice and filling!

 

On to a little workout stuff. One method I use in my classes to really get the most effective results is to pulse or hold a movement at the most challenging part.

 

For example, instead of doing a regular squat, try squatting low, pulsing up halfway up, bring it back down, and then come all the way up. You really get double the muscle work done in that one squat. Try that method with other simple exercises to get the idea down, and then you can move onto more complicated moves.

 

I always love to work total body instead of just one body part, so combine a lunge and curl with the pulse. Start low in the lunge, come up halfway with your legs (they will be working the entire time) as you do a bicep curl halfway. Pulse it back down as you lower your arms, and then come all the way up with legs extended straight and arms curled up. It's a great way to mix things up!

Day 3: Whole 30 and a Recipe

We have officially completed 3 days on the Whole 30! Only....27 more to go, ha!

When I first read about what the plan consisted of, it looked like more of a list of what you couldn't have vs. what you could eat. I'm sure that is pretty intimidating to most people (including myself), but it honestly hasn't been that challenging.

What I've learned in the past few days about how to succeed on this plan: you need to meal plan in a new way. When I typically meal plan, it's for 4 dinners. Sometimes we have leftovers that are taken for lunch, other times Matt picks something up and I'll have a few different snack type things for lunch. Many of those items include granola bars, peanut butter and an apple, a yogurt, cheese stick, etc. ALL items that are banned on the Whole 30. Meal plans need to include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we can't just plan on eating out Friday and Saturday nights. I'm cooking a crockpot meal tomorrow that will be dinner for Thursday and Saturday nights. We're having Whole 30 friendly pulled pork. Of course, the difference with this recipe is that there is no sugar (which is always one of the first ingredients with any bottled or prepared sauce). This recipe uses pineapple to sweeten it. I'll serve it with roasted broccoli and carrots.

Matt and I are both feeling really good. We haven't been having any crazy cravings (thankfully), but Matt has had a few headaches. From what I've read, this seems pretty typical. I think it's probably a mixture of sugar withdrawal and caffeine withdrawal. We have both only been having one small cup of coffee each morning because unsweetened black coffee basically sucks.

So far this week we've had Chili:

 

Salads with veggies, grilled chicken, and roasted veggies on the side.

 

 

And, Curry Chicken with peppers, sweet potatoes, and onions.

 

 

Now, the picture of the Chicken Curry really doesn't do it justice (forgot to take a picture until I had packed up the leftovers in tupperware). This recipe is SO GOOD. And I'm completely patting myself on the back, because it's something I pretty much winged without a recipe. I love the Trader Joe's Thai red curry sauce, but one of the first ingredients is sugar. I looked at the other main ingredients in the recipe, and made this version. Try it!

 

 

1-1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1 can light coconut milk

4 red/orange bell peppers

1 large white or yellow onion

2 sweet potatoes cut into medium chunks

1 T cumin

1.5 T curry (more if you like it spicer, less if not)

2 t garlic powder

1 t powdered (more of fresh if you have it) ginger

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro on top (as much as you like)

1 lime wedge per serving to squeeze on top

Olive oil to saute

 

Pre-heat oven to 410. Throw the chopped sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until fork tender, I do about 15 minutes, flip, and another 15 minutes.

 

In a small sauce pan, combine coconut milk and all spices and heat over medium  low heat. Whisk it together as it heats. I let it simmer while the chicken and peppers cooked, it will continue to cook in the larger pot with the chicken and veggies.

 

In a large pot, brown the chicken pieces on medium high heat in olive oil (or coconut oil), set aside. Add a small amount of oil back into the pan, and throw in the veggies. Sautee until browned, about 8 minutes. Add chicken back in. Pour the coconut milk/spice mixture over the chicken and peppers. Let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

 

I served this with the sweet potatoes on the bottom of a bowl with the chicken curry mixture on top. Yum!

The Whole 30

I can't stop reading about or hearing from people who have done The Whole 30 program, and my curiosity recently made me start to read more about it. Trying to sum up the Whole 30 isn't easy, so I'll give you some basic info straight from the source.

What is the Whole30®?

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?

Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health. The most important reason to keep reading?

This will change your life.

We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact—the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion. (Need convincing? Just read some of our stunning testimonials.) The Whole 30

I first thought it was a "diet" intending to cause weight loss, but that really isn't the main point. People do lose weight on the program often, but not always. Even though I try to maintain a healthy diet, I've been feeling like too much sugar and dairy have been creeping in (I have a minor Reece's addiction). I'm hoping that by being pretty strict and cutting sugar and dairy out completely, I'll be less likely to reach for them. I gave up dairy for about two months when Connor was a newborn because I thought he might have a dairy intolerance. While I don't think he really did, what I noticed was how much better I felt off dairy. I didn't feel bloated, and my skin was completely clear.

Cutting out legumes isn't something I've ever done, or wanted to do. I'm going to get rid of them during the Whole 30 and then re-evaluate when I incorporate them back in. I like the idea of starting from a "clean slate" in terms of diet so you can really see what works for you, and even more importantly, what doesn't work for you.

Matt has agreed to sticking to the plan for the 30 days, and I'm trying to make it easier for him by preparing our dinners and helping him decide what to eat or bring for lunches.

This week I'm making a new chili recipe from a paleo blog that I found, Chocolate Chili. The blog is called The Clothes Make the Girl, and the author writes a lot of tasty looking recipes. I'm also going to make a chicken curry with peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes, which is a recipe I made up and already make on a regular basis. I'm making big batches of everything so that we can either have leftovers for lunches or other dinners. For breakfast I'm going to either do hard boiled eggs and a piece of fruit or an egg scramble with veggies. Lunches will either be leftovers from the previous night's dinner or a veggie packed salad with grilled chicken on top.

I'll report back with my take on the Whole 30 periodically, and while I'm not in it to lose weight, I'll certainly update you with my results! Hopefully he won't kill me for writing this, but Matt is down 22 (or 23?) pounds and looking amazing! He's really been so on point with food, and it very motivated to give the next 30 days a shot.

How To: Design Your Own Workout

If you feel intimidated walking into the free weight section of the gym, you're not alone. When I talk to friends and people that come to my classes, a lot of them tell me they will only ever come to a class or do cardio machines, because they feel like they just don't know what to do with the weights to maximize their time. It IS hard to put together a good strength workout if you haven't done it before.

Follow my "formula", and you'll see how easy it really can be. This "formula" is how I design most of my classes, and it's a great way to vary the moves in the workout. If you come to my classes, you know that I never repeat the same exact workout twice, because it's boring! Swapping circuits, mixing and matching, and taking favorites from different workouts is a great way to switch things up.

People always ask what I think the best type of workout is; yoga, weights, running, cardio machines, etc. Hands down, if I have only 30 minutes to do something and I want to get the most "bang for my buck" it's going to be a strength based circuit workout. What does that mean? Strength based circuit training uses free weights (but some of these workouts won't), short but intense cardio bursts, and body weight exercises.

For the workout design, think 4 movements per circuit. I like to start each circuit with a cardio burst. Think of moves that get your heart racing very fast, and also incorporate a strength movement, like a squat jump. After that, pick 2 total body exercises, and then add on something that engages the abs at the end.

For example:

Perform each exercise for 1 min, repeats circuit 2-3 times

1. Cardio- squat jumps
2. Total body- reverse lunges with a front arm raise using dumbbells
3. Total body- squat/press (squat down and press arms up at the top of the squat with dumbbells)
4. Abs- plank with shoulder taps

You can pick any moves you'd like, but once you've designed a workout, it will start to seem easy!

Below is a page from my book that I bring to each class. I switched up this class by doing the same circuit 3 times, the first was for 1 minute, second was for 45 seconds, and third was for 30 seconds. It helped to make it feel a little easier, since the hard time was going to be the most challenging.

 

Write out your workout, bring it with you, and feel confident in the weights section of your gym. You know what to do!

 

It's official, I'm SO done with this heat. Despite how disgusting it's been out, and the fact that I'd rather stay in air conditioning all day, I would literally lose my mind if we stayed in the house all day. Connor and I usually go out in between his naps. Errands, grocery store, play dates, etc.

On Wednesday we had our weekly music class, held at nest in Center City. It was our second class and SO much fun. Before we started, I wasn't sure if Connor would really be interested for an entire hour, but he certainly is! The second the instructor started strumming her guitar, all of the babies zoned in. I love it!

We all had our babies in our laps, but once the song started, Connor crawled right up for a front row seat. He's looking at his Aunt Beth and Ray in the shot below.

The babies are given all sorts of toys/instruments like tambourines and maracas. All of the babies take instruments and immediately turn them into teething toys, of course. 

My friend Angela that I train came with her son Desmond. Angela started training with me THREE WEEKS after having Des. THREE WEEKS! That is dedication, seriously. Her arms are looking pretty buff, too :)

Another girlfriend, Trish, came with her almost 5 month old, Brady. Connor and Ray are clearly interested in him! It's awesome to have all of the boys together. 

After music class, Beth and I took the boys to grab a quick lunch and frozen yogurt. By the time we got back to the parking lot and got our cars, Connor was sweating (and so was I). Usually, I'll pre start the car with the air conditioning blasting to cool things off. The parking attendant had my keys, so I couldn't do that. I felt really badly buckling Connor in, because the car was just SO hot. Right when I got the car started, I got the AC going, and rolled down his window until the air cooled down. After a block, he fell right asleep. Awesome. I had to stop for gas quickly. I peeked back at Connor while the gas was pumping, and realized his whole face was beaded with sweat. I called his name but he was still asleep. I freaked out and thought he possibly had heat exhaustion or something horrible, so I went into the back seat, started yelling his name, and jostled him until he woke up. He looked at me like, "what the hell, mom?!" and started crying. After a minute I realized he was JUST FINE and that maybe I'd been a little paranoid. Me? Paranoid? Nonsense!

I'm still on a running strike due to the heat, so I did a quick workout inside today while Connor watched from his exersaucer. He seriously gets a kick out of watching me work out, I love it. 

Tabata (4 min total- 20 sec work, 10 sec rest) 

First tabata I did jump squats, second was high knees, third was alternating jump squats and mountain climbers

1 min bicycle crunches

1 min leg lower (flat on back, low back stays pressing into the mat)

12 slow lower pushups- count down from 4 as you lower down from plank, hover about the ground for a second, lower all the way to the mat, push up to knees, and back to start at high plank

10 lunge/hammer curl/shoulder press per side. Step back into a lunge position, lower down into lunge, hammer curl as you rise up, press arms up into a shoulder press. Stay on one leg for 10 reps and then switch. 

I did 3 rounds for my workout. 

Let's all pray for cooler weather ASAP!

Muggy Monday

The weather is insufferable lately. Ungodly humid and HOT. Today's high was 95. The rest of the week is only supposed to get hotter! Ugh. Not only does the weather put a cramp in our plans because it's just such an effort to get going, but it hinders my workouts because I have to stay inside. I can be tough, but running in the 90's just isn't going to happen.

Once I got Connor down for his morning nap, I started a workout so it was out of the way. I repeated this circuit 3 times- each round took me about 15 minutes. 

20 squat jumps

10 pushups 

20 squat jumps

10 pushups

1 min high plank

30 sec side plank R

30 sec side plank L

30 sec high plank

30 sec low plank

1.5 min skull crushers on mat (laying down/legs in tabletop- tricep extension)

1.5 min bicycle crunches

10 reps butt lifts/bridge position
10 reps lowering butt halfway down
10 reps bridge up on your toes (engages the calves)
10 reps bridge toes point up/heels press into mat

3 min- alternate bicep curl, front arm raise, side arm raise 

10 squat/hold down in squat for 10 sec/10 half squat- repeat 3 times

Try this! I did 3 rounds, but you could do one or two and still get a workout in. 

For dinner, I made bruschetta chicken and roasted broccoli. It was healthy and very easy! Recipe to come soon- it's super easy and uses premade bruschetta from Trader Joes, one of my favorite spots. 

Quick Rainy Day Workout

Here's something quick to do that is nice and hard! It will get your blood pumping, and have you breathing hard in no time. Take it at your own pace, and modify as needed. 

Start with 

20 squat jumps

15 pushups

repeat that twice

Move on to this AB CIRCUIT- keep your belly button pulled back the WHOLE TIME

30 sec high plank

30 sec shoulder taps- keep hips level to the ground

30 sec high plank

30 sec low plank on forearms

30 sec leg lifts from low plank

30 sec high plank

20 burpees

20 squat/press

repeat twice

AB CIRCUIT again!

By the end of this, you should have done 40 squat jumps, 30 pushups, 6 minutes total planks, 40 burpees, and 40 squat/presses.

Whew! Now, that workout is a lot on its own, but if you really want to push it, don't stop at 1 round. Repeat the entire circuit and see how many you can do. 

Happy Friday, and kick it off with a good workout. That way, you don't feel guilty about any drinks that may be consumed in the next few days :)

Making a Change

The most intimidating part of weight loss or maintenance is getting started, and once you have gotten to your ideal weight, maintaining it. Most people get caught in the same traps which end up sabotaging their goals. 

I have a few tips that I've used to both drop weight, and keep it off. They're simple- certainly nothing earth shattering, but they work. 

Be consistent. Consistency is important in all aspects of healthy living- especially with food and exercise.  I typically eat the same few things for breakfast. I know they are: healthy, easy to prepare, tasty, and fill me up. Lunch tends to be somewhat repetitive as well, and dinners switch up often. If you find something that fits your needs for breakfast, who cares if you eat the same thing almost every day?

Plan ahead. Meal planning is a very important and useful way to ensure you stay on track with your food. Unhealthy lunch and dinner choices usually happen when you have nothing planned and grab something quick out. If you're new to healthy cooking, find a few recipes (try some of mine!) and put them into the rotation. Once you have healthy cooking methods, you can adapt your favorite recipes to be healthier. Check out my healthy recipes for some ideas. 

Workout planning is JUST as important as meal planning. Pick a day (I like Sunday for this) and look at your calendar. Maybe there are 2 days that will be impossible to work out based on your work and social schedules. Make those your rest days. Once you know which days you're working out,  think about the kind of workout you're going to do. Maybe it's a class at the gym, a run, or a circuit workout at home. Whenever I see people wandering around the gym floor aimlessly, I'd bet they had nothing planned, and as a result, are getting a workout that isn't as effective as they'd like. 

Weigh in. Everyone has their own opinion of how often you should weigh yourself- if at all. I think it is important to check in regularly. Maybe that's once a week, maybe twice (I usually weigh myself twice per week). The number on the scale certainly doesn't define you, but if you don't weigh in you're more likely to eventually step on the scale and realize you've gained ten pounds. That won't happen in one week, but if you see a 2 pound gain, maybe you'll step back with dessert for a bit. Weighing in is especially helpful if you gain weight evenly on your body (I do). In that case, it really can be hard to tell when you've gained. There have been times I swore I shrunk my pants in the wash....yeah, no. That's when I needed to check myself and remember to weigh in!

Food Journal. This is a tool that I find especially helpful during the weight loss process, and depending on your preferences, even during maintenance. I think people really underestimate the calories they take it. Often, you think you're eating something healthy- because it's marketed that way- but it's way too calorie dense. Olive oil is a perfect example of something that everyone thinks of as "healthy" because it contains low saturated fat. There are still 120 calories per tablespoon, and if you measure it out you're probably using a lot more than one tablespoon! Those calories add up, and can quickly turn a simple veggie side dish into a calorie bomb. 

Think about these tips and how they might help YOUR weight loss and healthy living. Pick a workout and get it done!

Core Strong

During my Thursday class called "Final Cut", a few women started talking about their frustrations with abs, or really how to get them. I'd like to share with you my perspective on how to really build core strength, and how to work the core with every single move you do.

First of all, I'm constantly repeating a few phrases when I teach. They are:

Belly button to spine

Core strong

Fire up your core

Suck the belly button back

Now. There is a reason I keep repeating those particular phrases, and no, I'm not just trying to be annoying. And I hope that's not the effect!

With every single movement you do, you can engage your core, which will work the muscles- and as a result will tone them.

Take something simple like a bicep curl. You are working, duh, the bicep. BUT- if you take a second before you start curling and pull the belly button in, and fire up the core, you're now working your abs as well.

Why focus on working single muscle groups? It will take a LOT longer to get a total body workout in if you do. By engaging the abs while doing a bicep curl, you're now getting arms AND core in. Take it up another notch by adding a squat as you curl. Now you're working TOTAL BODY!

How do you "fire up the core"?

While you're pulling your belly button back to your spine, engage the abs like someone is going to punch you in the gut and you're going to block it. Make sure as you do that you aren't hunching over from your shoulders (a common mistake).

With every movement you do, you are training your body. Most people push the belly OUT when they're doing something hard. WRONG. If you keep pushing the belly out, guess where it's going to want to stay?

Yeah, no one wants to look like the body builders with ripped muscles and (although hard looking) guts that stick out.

Try the spiderman pushup- one of my favorites. It is HARD, but you can take it slowly. Maybe you can only do one at first. Do one with perfect form, it will pay off a lot more than 5 with bad form.

Build up to 10 reps, repeating 3 times.

No time for a workout? Bust out 10 in the morning, 10 after lunch, and 10 before bed. Easy.

Work it!

And remember- fire up that core ;)

You Better Work, Mama- Workshop!

Readers- I'm so excited to share this workshop with you. Please email or comment with any questions. Challenge yourself to make time for YOU. This workshop takes place in Philadelphia- if you're in the area, maybe it's for you!

For Moms ONLY! (6 week “You better WORK, Mama” Workshop)

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Pete Mattis

Attention Ladies-

Are you pregnant and want to stay in shape? Are you a mom and want to get your body back?

You better WORK, Mama!

Train with Liz, a new mom and trainer who applied her methods during and after pregnancy- and got her body back, quickly.

Workshop Details
-April 30- June 6 (six weeks) Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 am- 12 pm
-$195 for all 12 sessions or $20 drop in rate
-Total body workout using weights, body weight, and cardio intervals
-Special access to workouts to do at home
-Nutritional information
-Strategies to fit in your workouts
-Fitness philosophies- balancing fitness and motherhood

CLICK HERE to REGISTER

No babysitter? Bring the baby! Being a mom means multitasking, and your fitness is no exception. There are ALWAYS reasons not to work out: no time, no babysitter, etc. You simply have to make the time, no excuses!

CLICK HERE to meet Liz and baby Conner

Questions? Contact Pete at ZAKTi- petemattis@zaktionline.com

www.youbetterworkmama.blogspot.com

Fear

What holds you back from accomplishing your goals, or even attempting them? We can always blame schedules, time conflicts, too busy, too tired, but it almost always boils down to fear. Fear of failure. We've all failed at accomplishing a goal at some point. Whether it was getting down to a certain clothing size, running a faster mile, being able to run a mile, or starting to eat healthier. Don't let past failures make you feel defeated.



The best way to make a change to be a better YOU is to commit 100% and then be able to see the results- no matter how slowly they might seem. Changes take time!


















Consistency is key in making a change. If you're tackling healthy eating, think long term. No one is perfect, and of course there will be less than healthy moments. Remember- one bad meal isn't going to make you fat, just like one good meal isn't going to make you healthy.  



One big fear of mine during pregnancy was never being able to bounce back. I was convinced at around 8-9 months that my body would NEVER look the same. I may have complained to my husband about this- while eating ice cream on the couch! The truth is, things will change, but it doesn't have to be permanent. Getting your body back after pregnancy is hard, and will take time. But- it can be done.

Do NOT let fear foil your fitness goals!

Tabata Tuesday

 ...posted on a Wednesday ;)

Last night's class was based on 3 circuits that we repeated 2-3 times. Each circuit started with a Tabata. I dictated the 2 exercises we did for the first Tabata, and then took requests for the second and third. I thought it was fun, and it was interesting to hear people's preferences and what they did NOT want to do. Right off the bat I heard "squat jumps!" and "NO squats!" Ha.

Remember, a Tabata is 4 minutes total; 20 seconds work, 10 seconds break. I love using this format because it is a quick time frame, but ends up really kicking your butt if you pick the right moves. When making your own Tabatas, focus on total body moves, not something simple like a  bicep curl.

Tabata 1- Alternate each exercise during the 20 second work portion.
Pushups
High plank

Tabata 2-
Squat jumps
Tricep dips with a wide squat

Tabata 3-
Plie jumps (start in a wide squat, jump up and point toes)
Alternating side plank

After the first Tabata we did a circuit focusing on upper body, after the second we focused on lower body, and after the third we focused on the core.

Here are a few picks of us during the ABS class. I love teaching on Tuesdays, there's always a great group of people that show up, and the guys have even started to come! Usually they just look at what we're doing and seem a little intimidated ;)

Email me if you have any questions about the workout, or would like to try one of my classes. I'd love to hear from you.

One little mommy update, and it's big...C slept through 12 hours straight last night. 7-7. First time ever! No crying, fussing, nada! I'm so happy I'm nearly giddy. 

                                       

Friday Workout

Kick off the weekend right! Get in a quick workout, especially if you know you'll be indulging in some cocktails this weekend.

Upper body: you should work until complete fatigue, so if it's hard by the end, good!

10 pushups
15 lateral raises (do not raise arms past shoulder height)
15 bicep curls into shoulder presses (keep neck long)
10 pushups

Lower body

20 squat jumps (keep chest raised)
10 lunges (stay on one side, then 10 on the opposite)- front, side, rear
20 squats/calf raise
10 jumping lunges (right/left= 1)

How many rounds can you do???

Quick Circuit

I can't take credit for this one, it's from Pintrest! Try it out and let me know what you think, I was BURNING!

Losing It

One of the biggest topics around pregnancy and new motherhood is also a dreaded subject: losing the baby weight. Some of the women that take my classes also knew me before I had the baby, and ask how I lost it. I'll do my best to take you through my pregnancy journey/body transformation with a few pictures. Sorry for the quality- they're pictures of pictures.

This is me when I was about 5 weeks- or about a week after I found out I was pregnant. I love that I thought I was bloated here! (Left pic)

Here I am at 20 weeks, halfway through the pregnancy, the day we found out we were having a boy. I'm wearing a gap body maternity shirt which was one of my favorites until it was too warm for long sleeves.  (right pic)

The left below pic is me at around 27 weeks. My stomach was really popped by this point, and I was getting comments from strangers often. The right pic is my belly as a shelf, which became a convenient use!

This is where things really started to change....not in the best way. I became very uncomfortable at around 34 weeks, and the swelling was unreal. Up until that point, I really loved being pregnant, loved feeling him kick, roll, even the elbow jabs felt cool. After the swelling got bad though, I just didn't feel like myself AT ALL. Everything on me was swollen, but at the time I just thought it was my feet, face, and hands. I assumed the rest of me just got fat! One of the best feelings after I gave birth was no longer feeling like a balloon.  The left pic below is me at 37 weeks, so about a week before I gave birth, and the right pic is me about to leave for the hospital to have him! Yes, I was that excited that I needed to get one last belly pic in. 

At the end, you literally could press your finger into my foot/ankle and leave a deep mark. Unfortunately something people don't tell you is that the swelling only gets worse after delivery! I FINALLY started to go back to normal and could see my ankles again about a week and a half after I had him. 

The weight really did fall off quickly in the beginning. In total, I gained 37 or 38 pounds (I can't remember which). I gained pretty steadily, and somewhat slowly until the end. At 20 weeks I was up 10 lbs. The last trimester is when I really packed it on, and now I realize it was mostly water weight. Within a few weeks of delivering I was only up about 10 lbs from my starting weight which made me really happy. By about 8-10 weeks I had maybe 5 lbs to lose. Within a few weeks of that, I was back to my starting weight.  The pic below shows where I am now- I don't take belly pics anymore, it was an outfit shot I was sending to a friend for her opinion!

So, how did I do it? I honestly think it has less to do with what I did after pregnancy, and more to do with what I did prior to/during the pregnancy. Before getting pregnant, I worked out 5-6 days a week. Some days I was teaching fitness classes, others were a mix of running, gym classes I attended, yoga, and strength training. During my pregnancy I kept it up, and credit working out while pregnant for getting my shape back quickly. There were a lot of modifications that I had to do- especially with ab work and yoga. I did a lot of planks while pregnant to keep my core strong; it really helps the ab muscles to 'snap' back into shape, and works the muscle memory. I also exclusively breastfeed, which I think has helped me lose weight. That's tricky though, and can work both ways. Physically, you burn calories when you breastfeed. BUT- you also get hungry like a linebacker that hasn't eaten in days. Some women also hold fat in order for their milk supply to stay up, and then lose weight when they wean. That's why I really don't agree that breastfeeding is a sure way to lose weight. I actually started the pregnancy a few lbs higher than I normally am, and while the pregnancy weight went away, I'm not seeing the number dip any lower. I'm ok with that for now, especially if it means not cutting calories to keep my milk supply good. 

I started with just walking around my neighborhood with the stroller, or I wore him. At about 4 weeks I started to turn that into a walk/run. That's also when I headed back to the gym to work out. I definitely modified, lower weights, and very few abs except planks. 

My shape is a little different. My hips are a little wider, and although I can see some ab muscles, they are softer than they were before. I think it's really important for women to be easy on themselves after having a baby. There is simply so much going on both physically and emotionally, and taking care of yourself often comes last. Don't beat yourself up if you've had a baby, and the weight isn't going anywhere yet. Everyone is different, and hormones are no joke! But- I think it's undeniable that working out before and during pregnancy is the number one way to get back in shape. It's unrealistic to think that if you didn't work out before, your body will bounce back quickly. 

Everyone has their own pregnancy experience, good, bad, and (at least at the end for me) sometimes ugly! The real reward comes after, when you get that baby in your arms!