Phit-N-Phat...Making Fitness and Weightloss a Lifestyle

Mammy Update: Down 68lbs!

2009-11-13T10:11:54-08:00

Mammy has been working very hard and still going strong. At this point she is making healthy choices and inserting a meal once a week or every other week that is controlled, but has a few things in it she enjoys. That's the way we've worked; not focusing on dieting but focusing on building a lifestyle she can lead.

Everyone can make BETTER choices. Everyone can avoid FAST FOOD restaurants. Everyone can WALK. Really people...that is all my mom has done and she's lost 68lbs. We have not done fancy pants stuff, worked out like demons, or bought tons of expensive equipment. No pills, no shakes, no pre-packaged meals. Just better choices.

She eats things she likes five to six times a day. They may not all be PERFECT macros, counted calories, and plugged into spreadsheets but she's losing weight better than people I see focused on these tactics versus what they are really doing. The difference is my mom doesn't have BAD days. She has consecutive good days; not by the book perfection. Nobody survives long term that way.

She is still eating her waffles and peanut butter with milk each morning. Most days she has walnuts, a Kashi Bar, fruits all she wants, soups for veggies, etc. Again, she likes soup so she makes VEGETABLE soup to eat with her dinners. She loves fruit so she eats as much as she wants. Waffles and peanut butter is like a cookie to her so she has that for breakfast.

Walking has just about been the only form of exercise. Now, I've been on her butt about this part. Starting Monday she's going to the big girl gym and starting a PNP strength program. No special programs for her. She's going to get one of our programs and do it at the gym. I'm going with her to make sure she does it and to hopefully video it for all of you to watch. We're still working on the Mammy program to have on the site so I hope the video will be a good way to show inspiration.

Here's an update from her and a current picture of the two of us at Moms and Muffins at Logan's school. NEITHER of us had the muffins but we did enjoy the morning. Those muffins LOOKED good but this picture looks BETTER! I also put her first 5K picture for comparison. She had lost some weight by the 5k.

My total weight loss is 68 pounds and 63 inches. My weight loss has really slowed down so I need to get busy with the strength training.
I'm feeling better than ever. In fact, I think the reason I have fallen a couple of times is because I am so much more "lively" than before that I'm not watching where I'm going like I used to. In the past I moved so slowly and so little there wasn't much chance of a fall. Now it seems that I'm constantly doing something. I just don't sit around watching TV like I used to.
It's been awful hobbling around on a cane since I twisted my ankle. I can't believe this was my life a year and half ago. I have realized with this fall that I NEVER want to be limited to a cane or canes ever again.
That's it for this month. The inches just keep coming off. I bought a pair of jeans to wear to my reunion in October and they are already too loose. I went and bought a smaller size last weekend. Woot!

Are You Smarter Than Your Kid?

2009-11-11T12:48:21-08:00

I received a blog today that was so great for discussing the idea of treats versus snacks with your kids. If you have a chance, take time to read it!

The author defines a snack as...

Healthy snacks are a good part of a healthy, balanced diet and include whole fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, low fat cheese, low fat yogurt, nuts and many other delicious, real foods in reasonable portions that are good for us. Healthy snacks don’t fill us up, but satisfy us enough to make it to the next meal. Portions are small and controlled.

Then the author defines a treat as...

Treats on the other hand are usually high-sugar, high-fat, processed and/or fried foods that should be eaten very sparingly. Treats are often served for dessert after lunch or dinner, but also come in the form of muffins (aka CAKE!), sugary breakfasts, donuts and soft drinks. Treats should be eaten no more then once a day- and preferably much less!

After reading this I thought about all the people that apply to PNP and their applications. I ask them for a sample of their REAL diet...what are you eating routinely that brought you to me AND give the HONEST truth about your weekends.

I am not picking on one person because anyone who needs to lose weight has done this (raising hand WILDLY here), but our life is a big-ass treat! We toss in some healthy stuff and think we should lose weight instantly. Notice I said SOME healthy stuff and not a rare treat.

That's the problem today. We forget in this country just how much of life is made up of treats. We have been conditioned that life is a system of constant reward. We watch whatever we want on TV, surf the net, and have privileges others don't, You want to know why other countries are thinner? They don't have access to as much crap, TV, computers, games, and cars as we do.

People, the things you aren't willing to give up to lose weight aren't owed to you; you have forgotten something as simple as the difference between a snack and a treat. Or, walking versus exercise??? We got legs to move our bodies. Walking isn't exercise...it's what you are SUPPOSED to do or you lose your life.

I'm not saying tomorrow you go whole hog black and white thinking. What I am saying is that each time you look at a cookie think about everything and anything else you are eating that day. Is your cookie really a treat or is it the treat for that one meal?

It still comes down to this: you don't have to count calories, wear a heart rate monitor, or have elaborate equipment. You make sure what you put in your mouth is healthy, move your legs daily, and you are winning the battle.

Holiday Lifestyle: Quick Grocery Tips for the Family Dinner

2009-11-10T11:16:15-08:00

We are all so busy in the holiday season! Running around, shopping, dropping off gifts, visiting family all can lead you to hitting the drive-thrus, having one too many chocolate Santas, and forgetting just where the gym is located. Well, ladies, let me teach you how to have a hectic holiday season and still wear your pre-holiday pants by New Years.

The next few weeks I will feature some holiday blogs and my PNP clients from the forums are helping me by giving you the gift of their best tips. I also invite you to spread the cheer by commenting on your own ideas and questions. Let's make this a season of celebrating and love, not calories and chub.

Drive Thru or Grocery Store
Many people will opt to run by a drive-thru and get food versus running into the grocery store to pick up a pre-cooked dinner. It might take a few extra minutes (maybe not with some drive-thru lines) but you get so much more healthier food than for CHEAP!

A client of mine just recently did this. She was soooo tempted to stop and pick up a bunch of burgers for her family. She's tired and had a long day. Knowing that this would be the easiest thing to do she decided it wouldn't be the thing in two hours she would feel good about. We all know how it goes; what's easy is often the same thing you will re-hash in disgust for the next twelve hours.

Now THAT is some wasted time.

So, she ran into the grocery store. If it was you going into the store, what would you grab that you can put on the table in less than ten minutes? I would grab:

a rotisserie chicken fully cooked and ready to go
a bag of mixed lettuces for a salad and some baby carrots bagged to put on top
a can of veggies (Logan loves green beans, black beans, and corn so one of those)
a bag of frozen brown rice
lowfat vanilla yogurt and fresh berry or frozen berries

When I get home I would:

Throw the brown rice in the microwave.
Put the canned veggie on stove on medium with a touch of EVOO for a healthy fat.
Pull off the skin of the chicken and toss and then make a bowl of the meat quickly stripped off the bone.
Throw the lettuce in bowls and top with carrots and dressing.
Pull out the rice, mix in 1 tbsp of Smart Beat Butter, a touch of salt, put on plate and top with chicken.
Put veggie on side.
Call everyone to eat and while they make their way to the table mix the berries into the yogurt and sit out for dessert. (If the berries are frozen I would nuke for a couple of minutes then mix with yogurt.)

Ummm...this meal is about $15 for everything. You probably have leftovers for your lunch tomorrow. A nice big chicken salad with some black beans or corn would be great!

I can have all of that done in less than 10 minutes and feel good about what I am eating, what my family eats, and know my body will appreciate the effort. :)

So, do you have ideas for drive-thru alternatives OR HEALTHY things to ORDER in the drive-thru? Remember, a lot of items can be made healthy with some creativity.

The BEST No Equipment Exercise Programs

2009-11-09T11:21:15-08:00

Very often women approach me concerned they can't lose weight or get in shape because they don't have a gym membership and they don't have enough equipment at home.

Really? You really think you can't lose fat unless you buy tons of expensive things? I like to call that an EXCUSE!

Let me layout a program anyone can do for four weeks and lose four to eight pounds without anything more than a small space, a day of rest, and a gallon of water a day.

M - W - F Routine - Warm up with five minutes of walking outside or walking up and down a flight of stairs.
20 x Jumping Jacks or 8 Lunge-Lunge Pop Squats for Advanced girls

15 x Squats or 15 Squats with arms in overhead Y shape above head for Adv

15 x Alternating Lunges or 8 Jump Lunges

15 x Step Ups (low level for beginners and raise it up for adv girls)

Just set a timer and do all four exercises back-to-back, rest for 1-2 min. and repeat until you can't go anymore or your run out of time to exercise.

T - Th Routine - Warm up with five minutes of same as above.
10 x Push Ups (knees or toes)

5 x Burpees

10 x Slow Chair Dips (feet out and crossed over for advanced, feet under knees for beginners)

5 x Pike Walks (add a push up to the end for advanced girls)

10 x Renegade Rows (5-10lb DB's)

Set a timer and go again like you did the day before.

On Saturday you rest completely. You can take a walk or you can do your housework but you won't exercise.

On Sunday the most important workout is to be done. Get in your car and go buy the following:

Chicken Breasts
Salmon
Ground Turkey Breast
Eggs
Almonds
Old Fashioned Oats
Any fruit you like
Frozen Veggies or Fresh (any vegetables will work)
A few can of beans of choice
Brown Rice
Reusable Plastic "Gladware"

Now, get back in the car and go home. Prep the following:

B - 1/2 cup of dry oats, 1 packet of splenda, and put into plastic baggie. Cook at work in a coffee cup. Cover with water and cook for 3 min. on high. Have two hard boiled eggs with it. I cook 42 eggs on Sunday, peel them all, and dump the yolks of 30 of them. I personally eat 5 egg whites and 2 whole eggs with my oats every day.

10am - eat a piece of fruit with 12 almonds

L - have some chicken, beans and veggies you bought. I take the square Gladware and put about 1/3 of it with chicken, 1/3 of it with beans, and 1/3 of it with any veggies I like. It's portion controlled for you if you don't like to measure.

3pm - eat a piece of fruit with 12 almonds

D - have salmon or ground turkey breast with brown rice and veggies you bought. Same as above.

9pm - eat a piece of fruit

You can use all the spices you want. Get CRAZY!

Trust me, you do this and you will lose weight, tame your cravings, and cleanse your palate. It's not low in calories nor high. It's just basic, healthful, easy planning eating and anyone can do it.

Now, if you want something more creative and spelled out without fancy equipment, you can also order a more custom program from me here. Muscled Up Cardio doesn't require much more than your effort, a step bench, and some dumbbells.

Cardio Treat...No Tricks

2009-11-04T09:51:50-08:00

I'm finally over my cold ENOUGH to start working out again. Woohoo! Today was my new strength routine for my 2010 competition training. I also kicked the day off with some fasted cardio. I love getting the day started with cardio. Just clears the mind and the sinuses.

Before I share the routine, I want to say if you can workout in the morning you should. Your body will function better through the day, you are likely to eat better, and you get it out of the way. On the PNP site we have a whole team of girls called AM Exercisers and they have loads of good tips for making it out of bed and to the gym or living room.

In the end, though, the key is to get moving whenever that may be. You can also use my Treadmill Bootcamp for motivation or our famous Work Your Butt Off Book that has tons of cardio routines and bootcamp workouts.

Morning Wake Up Call
Warm up holding 5lb DB's in hand walking at 3.5 MPH on 3% incline for three minutes.

Put down DB's.

Run 2 min. at 5MPH and walk at 3.5MPH on 3%.

Alternate until 20 min. mark.

Run 7 - 7.5MPH for 1 min. and walk 2 min. at 3%. until minute five.

Grab DBs and walk at 3.5MPH pumping arms until time is up.

***You can tailor this to your fitness level by just increasing or decreasing your speeds.

Don't Give the Gift of Fat: What to do with unwanted candy and goodies

2009-11-03T05:49:25-08:00

Oh my. It's that time of year again. EVERYONE is unloading all that candy they don't want in THEIR HOUSE into the offices. Maybe your kids are fighting, demanding too much of it, or you can't control yourself; whatever the case, you want the candy out.

And, let's not forget, this is the time of year everyone thinks baking for the office is such a "sweet gesture." PUHLEASE SISTA! Don't kid yourself. Most women think this...

"Ooooohhh...something smells good. I'm getting some of that." That's at noon.

"Ohhhhh...I shouldn't have ate the fresh cookies in the kitchen. I've blown it." That's at 4:00 p.m.

"Grrrr...that B!tch who brought in all those goodies. She got me off my diet! Now I'm going to have a gain so I might as well eat XYZ tonight." That's at 5:30 p.m.

"Sob, sob, sob (this is tears). Honey, that woman brought all that stuff in today and I just know there will be leftovers tomorrow. I am going to have to be strong AND I'm not going by her desk either. No telling what she's got over there." That's 10 p.m. and BTW...the hubby doesn't care for your gift of fat either!

Stop the madness! You want to do something for the office? How about organizing a charity walk, a toy drive, or collecting the leftover candy for an overseas military charity? TRUST ME...people would be better off and more impressed with than the endless bunch of junk you are carting into the office.

So, let me help you out.

Operation Gratitude - Ship by Dec. 5 to Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard, 17330 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406. Attn: Charlie Othold.
Homeless Shelters are always in need of food. If you want to bake brownies, cookies, etc., ask people in your office to have a day everyone brings in holiday cooking and you take to a women's shelter or homeless shelter.
Senior homes need company and treats, too. Rather than bringing donuts to the office, take them to the senior home and visit in the common room 30 min. before work.
Tell your kids the candy fairy will visit them and give them 10 cents for every piece of candy they leave in their basket. Then ship off that candy to the troops!

The point I am making is that holidays have somehow become food-days. I'm not saying eat carrots and chicken. I am saying it TWO DAYS. Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy those days. The rest of the days let's remember those who will not have family, friends, and loved ones to celebrate.

Competing Again in 2010: Make Your Plans NOW!

2009-11-02T12:50:55-08:00

I met with the competition coach and now have my marching orders for the next four weeks. I'm really excited and READY to be better than ever for 2010.

It's as if I have decided to give myself a gift. This next year I want it to be about balance in all the things I enjoy most in this world:

My Family
My Fitness
My Business

Those are my priorities as I look forward to 2010. I have made sure to include all of them in my plans. If you want to be happy in life YOU have to make sure it happens. The only way to do it is to ensure what makes you happy is always the first thing you plan. The rest will get done...it always does.

Family
Chris and I are already planning when we will take our trips to Vegas together. We also have a list of trips Logan wants to do this year. The beach and Washington D.C. are on his list. Maybe even New York! We are also planning day trips and things we can do just the three of us to help him see more of the "cultural" side of Nashville.

My mom and I are going to Phoenix to do a half marathon in January! That will be a fun girls weekend with the PNP crew.

Fitness
I am laying out the competitions I want to do and making sure that I knock them out so I have plenty of time for those Vegas trips and such. Competing and walking half marathons keeps me fit and having fun. They are the two things exercise related I enjoy MOST so they get put into the plan.

Business
I've got plenty of ideas for next year including new products! We'll have good events and good times in our usual PNP way.

Now is the time for all of us to look forward. Don't wait until the week before New Year's Eve to put yourself first. Between now and the end of the year it just gets busier and busier. Before you know it, you'll be hating the holidays, wanting it to all be over, etc. and that is no way to live.

Take some time NOW before it's too busy to think about what you want out of the new year. What can you do starting this week to set yourself up for the best year of your life?

It could be...

having a plan to maintain your weight.
healthful options at your family functions (find those recipes now).
scheduling some fun exercise events for the next two months so you have a reason to be moving.
finding Christmas gifts for yourself that involve fitness and health (I ALWAYS send out a list of what to get me so I don't get useless junk or food).
starting one of my programs to use for the next eight weeks to be READY for the new year's party!

By having things to focus on that have YOU at the top of the priority list you might find the big end of year push to be better than every before!

Waiting for the Perfect Day to Start My Diet

2009-10-29T04:32:19-07:00

Are you a new mom? Is the weight not falling off like all your friends promised it would? Maybe you feel bad because it has been months since the baby was born and you still can't get into your old habits.

Or, are you the kind of person who has a CHAOTIC life? Do you sit around thinking I'll get serious about losing weight when things settle down. The same advice goes for you so read on!

Another fabulous post from one of my clients came through our message boards last night. She has a six month old and life has changed DRAMATICALLY to say the least. In her writing she made a comment to her family who wants to change their lifestyle.

I was just talking to my brother about my mom. We were discussing how she and my stepfather are thinking they'll get healthy after they get through their move, but their life is always hectic. I told my brother that they have to learn to work with the lifestyle they have instead of waiting for it to change again.
Since having the baby (she was 6 months last week!) I am having to make changes and adjust to what life is like now. I'm not going to lie...it has been tough going back to work full time along with all the new things I have to do as a mom. I wasn't so hardcore about keeping the habits I had before, so now I'm having to re-create good habits. It's coming together and this "new normal" is feeling better for me each day.

New Moms! This is why you need to give yourself plenty of time to work off baby weight. MOST people are not going to get a good bit off the first six months. You run ragged. Little to no sleep, all your pre-baby duties stay with you along with doubling your household load, rarely time to eat so you store fat like a crazy person, AND some of you go back to work. Going back to work can give you a little break. BUT it also steals time away from the "duties" of cleaning bottles, etc., so when you get home you feel GUILTY if you workout and eat a clean meal.

Staying home would seem easier BUT you are ON for the baby ALL THE TIME. No adult conversations, no shopping because it's a hassle, and you never realize how much a kid cries until you are with it all the time. LOL. You don't go to the gym because those people look too crazy to keep your child and when you finally get some help at night, you want a minute of peace; not the Firm Girls staring at you.

Don't feel guilty for adjusting to life first. You need to and the day will come, in about six months, when you get a better routine. Until then, make good choices and go for walks when you can. When and if the energy picks up, you add in your strength.

It would be easy for me to say jump back in with both feet but you need the NEW lifestyle. It's like the old...you make better choices everyday. It might mean running your stairs five times every couple of hours at home for a leg workout. Subway to replace the pizza your husband picks up on the way home. Good and better choices are EVERYWHERE so look for them. Don't feel guilty for not being the workout Diva you were as a single girl. :)

As my client put it; you can't wait for things to change and be perfect. YOU have to adjust to your lifestyle. Some people lead a naturally chaotic lifestyle "thinking" one day it will magically settle down so they can focus on themselves. That day never comes and they wake up 15 years later wondering why they haven't lost the baby weight.

Recognizing Your Successes in Weightloss

2009-10-27T11:05:13-07:00

Recently I had a client journal her thoughts about an evening she had. In her mind it wasn't a success. Here's the discussion and you tell me if you agree with my assessment. I hope you learn about some of the changes you can make that can add up quickly. She's lost five pounds her first month with just dropping a few old habits.

Today is day 21 for me. Last night was not good. I just wanted to eat but I ate my planned meal. I was not physically hungry and just wanted that full feeling. I did not have any of my old unhealthy snacks in the house like cake, frozen pizza or pizza rolls. I know I cannot just have a serving of those so I've stopped buying them.
I resisted the feeling at first. It wasn't a craving because it was not for anything in particular. I just wanted to feel full knowing I was satisfied with my planned dinner. I ate a bowl of cheerios with fiber one and crasins and that didn't do it. Later I ate the skinless chicken thighs that I had pre-cooked for my dinner on Friday.
Afterwards I felt full, physically and emotionally I felt like crap. I let myself down by giving in when I knew I was not really hungry. Hopefully, by writing this I'll remember for next time.
On the positive I did write it in my journal and calculate it. I was 715 over my calories for the day. I'd have been fine if I'd stuck to my plan.
Today is another chance. Good thing I don't have to lose it all overnight.

From Me!

You know, you have a lot to be proud of here. Let me spell it out for you. :)

1. You stopped buying the high calorie, empty nutrition junk! That means you avoided double the calories I'm sure you would've consumed. Good for you!

2. You thought about what you were doing. This means you are breaking an old habit of just eating to feel full even when you don't care if you do. Another huge step. It was probably a nightly habit to do it and now you notice when you are falling into an old habit.

3. You journaled and admitted it. AMEN! Now you will remember it. If you don't get the loss you want this week you will know why. I can promise you in a week from now you will only remember all the RIGHT things you did and not little things that might slow you down. EXCELLENT GIRL! I wish everyone would do this.

4. You ate good stuff for you. You got in protein, a fruit, some fiber, etc. Maybe you did eat more calories and only wanted a feeling but you AT LEAST put in something other than empty sugar carbs.

5. I am going to bet your body is looking to lose some weight. VERY OFTEN when you feel this way suddenly one night it's because your body is looking to burn off some fat. Especially when you have more to lose your body will start kicking up the metabolism. Be aware of it and just feed it a little more food on those days. Keep it healthy and you will be fine.

Last, I'm a full kind of gal myself. I like volume and I enjoy the feeling of full. It's not a good thing to want to just feel like busting out the seams when you eat, but every now and then it's OK to satisfy the full feeling if you are willing to do it with healthy food.

What I do is slow my eating down (I'm a woofer), drink a lot of water with my meal, and try to remember each meal that I don't need to feel bloated to be satisfied. Most of the time it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But what does happen is that I cut a lot of calories by sometimes be strong enough to stop.

Good work girl.

It's the WEEKend Again...Have You...

2009-10-23T05:18:22-07:00

Made a plan yet? What are you waiting for? Oh I know...if you haven't decided how to successfully handle the weekend after 100's of WEAKends then you are waiting for LIFE to happen TO you rather than you LIVING YOUR LIFE.

Come on people! You know most of what you are doing this weekend short of TRUE emergencies. A party isn't an emergency. Sleeping late isn't cause for a day of bingeing. Girlfriends taking you out suddenly isn't reason to consume 1500 calorie or more.

Don't you get tired of getting up on Monday morning blaming the scale, blaming emergencies, and blaming your metabolism when you KNOW it has more to do with fixing things that are broke?

All of us who have more WEAKends than WEEKends make the same mistakes over and over again. That means you don't plan for chaos and you probably don't think your goals are worth a little bit of preparation or sacrifice.

Here's my tips for the weekend and PNP girls you can go to this thread to discuss your own trigger and solution with moderator help. Heck yes, this blog is tough love but as tired as you are of having WEAKends I am tired of seeing you not break your old habits. That's not the lifestyle I want for you!

Step One: What is different on the weekend from your week?
By identifying what is different you might find out why you have a tough time.

Maybe you don't carry a cooler on the weekend but you should. Fill it with nuts, fruits, protein bars, premade shakes, cheese sticks, pretzels, etc. Never get caught without food to eat or you will overeat blaming it on "an emergency". You and your mom shopping for an extra three hours isn't an emergency that leads to cheeseburger paradise. I always have stuff I can eat with me even if I'm not PLANNING to be away from home that long.

Step Two: Where are you going?
Most of us are going out to eat on the weekend more than we do during the week. Great! Look up menus ahead of time, tell your friends what you WANT to have and what isn't important. DO NOT START WITH I AM ON A DIET!

Good Lord! You start panicking and telling everyone I'm on a diet so I CAN'T have this or that and I swear your friends will push food on you. Not because they are mean but because they don't want to watch your face and hear you b!tch through their meal. They are there to have a good time and your choices aren't their choices. That's fine. You need to make your lifestyle invisible to others by simply stating something like...

"Hey, I really want to have a delicious grilled chicken made by somebody else. I can't wait! The only thing is that the bread makes my stomach feel yucky. Help me to not eat bread so I can enjoy the evening without running to the bathroom."

I promise that works better than...

"I started a diet and I don't want to blow it so I can't have bread and have to eat grilled chicken."

Now that sounds like a good time. Why don't you stay home if you can't enjoy the evening with us?

It's all about phrasing.

Step Three: Eat Breakfast!
So many of you sleep in and then don't eat breakfast. I don't care how late you sleep eat some kind of meal between 200-400 calories when you get up. Start the day like any other and that is with getting the metabolism in gear. If you don't, I promise you will get crazy later in the day.

Step Four: Fruits and Veggies please!
Carry some around with you but get them in. It really helps you stay in the lifestyle and get those vital nutrients.

Step Five: Move!
I rarely schedule two off days for the weekend. My weekend is better when I move. I also don't lose my HABIT of exercising. Doesn't have to be fancy...just schedule to move and I promise if you do it FIRST THING in the morning it won't get pushed off.

The last thing I want to leave you with is don't plan on being perfect. Weekends are meant to be relaxing. Make a great plan, have a few back-ups, and remember the GOLDEN RULE:

Make a BETTER CHOICE before you throw in the towel and make a POOR CHOICE.

We can ALL find opportunities all around us to make better choices.