The family that works out together...

Laughs really hard. 

5 weeks ago, my mom approached me with a goal - to feel confident in a swimsuit in time for a January cruise to the Bahamas.  The objective was to lose around 20 pounds in 2 months (which happen to cross Halloween, Thanksgiving, AND Christmas).  Misson: ACCEPTED. 

We discussed her physical goals and the reasons behind them.  The routine of coming home and parking it on the couch for several hours and then going to bed everyday was becoming excessively boring.  As a big time commuter with upwards of 15 hours/week of travel, how can she boost her energy with the winter coming on?

Where to begin?  Meal makeovers.  3 main (350-450 Calories) meals, 2 small (100-200 Calories) snacks.  Always remember, you simply cannot out-train poor eating.  As a general rule of thumb, I eat as much whole and unprocessed food as possible.  I'm not about to bake a loaf of bread myself, so I look for healthy versions in store (Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Flourless is my preferred).  I also try to keep snacks to fruits/veggies and portion controlled nuts.

I strongly reject the idea of a "diet".  Restricting or denying yourself any particular food group is just setting yourself up to fail.  Your body needs all the food groups in moderation, you hear me low carbers?!  The only exception to this rule is a diet preference such as vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan.  However, those who are on a specialized diet are presumably educated on how to properly compensate for the food groups they are eliminating.  The big issue we needed to conquer was Mom's tendency to eat like a bird.  She doesn't prioritize food in her day, so she eats out of necessity and chooses foods based on convenience.  The easiest change we made was emphasizing the need for a vegetable at each meal instead of a starch.  We've always been a very meat and potatoes family, but double starches at a meal is a sin!  If you've got a burger on a bun, you best be passing on the fries if you plan to eat that bun!  You get the point.  The other factor was the emphasis on lean proteins at every meal, especially breakfast.  Now, Sunday nights are when she cooks up a big batch of scrambled egg whites with spinach and crumbled turkey sausage that she can reheat with a slice of toast each morning instead of grabbing a bowl of sugar laden cereal because it's fast. 

Next up: Training!!  This is the fun part.  We started slow with simple body weight exercises like squats and lunges.  We work together Monday - Thursday, leaving Friday for her to complete some form of activity of her choice (usually biking) and Saturday for a good hour on the treadmill.  Sunday is for recovery.  Within three weeks, Mom had progressed from never having done a real pushup (not on the knees) in her life to doing 10 and by now, 12!!  She also made small life changes like taking the stairs to her office everyday and going for a walk at lunch.  We've moved up to more difficult weighted exercises and suspension training on the TRX, which can occasionally produce hilarious coordination related issues.  She has also proven incredibly strong willed, going from huffing through a 16 minute mile to being ready to complete her first Turkey Trot 5K (sub-45 is the goal) this Thursday!  

So here's the re-cap.  Mom wants to get in shape.  We fix diet.  We work out. We get results.  I say "we" because support is just as crucial as the actual work.  We eat the same dinners and we work out together.  We text each other when we've made good decisions in a restaurant.  Support breeds success.  Success sparks interest in those around you.  Now Dad is on board!!

And about those results?  As of week 4, 12 pounds and 6 inches lost.  Week 5 weigh-in is tomorrow!  I'll be sure to update with our 5K run times.

Happy Thanksgiving!!  

Here's a Real Shocker.

So, let's think back to a time long ago when I mentioned I had some news to share.  I'll start at the beginning.

I left my job at NYU back in July and have been doing a lot of soul searching and actual researching trying to decide which direction my next step should fall in.  I am not ready for graduate school just yet for a number of reasons.  We can strike that plan.  Getting hired in a major recession within an HOUR radius of your home?  Damn near impossible.  So now what?  I am lucky enough to have parents that are incredibly supportive of my return home and are allowing me time to sort myself out. 

I think it's pretty apparent where this is headed.  What things in my life do I have a true passion for?  What is it that I'm willing to read about all day, perform at any time, and teach every day?  Oh yea, and write about in a blog...

FITNESS!

To be more specific, I've actually begun the incredibly intense process of studying for my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam.  If you're unfamiliar with what that means, crack open any magazine with an article that is written by or references a trainer.  Odds are, they're certified with a CSCS.  The difference between the CSCS and a CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) is the level of understanding required, and therefore the athletic level of clients they tend to work with.  I'm required to know muscle anatomy, neuro/cardio/skeletal structure and function, biochemistry (college wasn't worthless!), nutrition, program development and more.  This isn't your run of the mill "do bicep curls till it hurts" kind of stuff.

Now it's nose to the grindstone for me for the next few weeks.  With any luck I'll be finished by January (studying 5-6 hours a day) and ready to rock.  If you're interested in being a guinea pig for me to practice my program design skills (I'm talking to you, Miss Barca), send me an e-mail!  :)

E-mail Me:  fitcookiemonster@gmail.com

The Globe Trotting Winds Down

It's been a few months, so it's more than time for a new post!  It's been so long, so this is sure to be a doozy.

Since my last post, I completed a 100 mile bike ride (and signed up for next year! Visit BikeMS City to Shore to join).  The training was just as much mental as physical.  It took every last shred of determination I had to convince myself that it's possible to complete 100 miles, especially after all of the mishaps our training has delivered.

What was intended to be our first 20 mile ride was reduced to about 12 miles after an unfortunate wildlife related incident.  Our second ride was brought to an abrupt halt about 2 miles from home when my handlebars separated from my bike.  This resulted in a trip to the bike shop, where I learned that my brakes were permanently in contact with the wheel - no wonder I was struggling so much!  New bike acquired.  We didn't hit a solid stride until we started biking the Great Swamp - 24 miles of gargantuan hills.  Luckily, both Leor and I rode like champions (thanks to all those pre-ride pancakes) and celebrated with sandwiches.  Training = eats!  Race day alone burned almost 5000 calories :) Overall, one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had and am more than looking forward to next year. 

WEEEEEEE!!! We're finished!

Rookie Century Finishers - Team Amandas

After that, both Leor and I turned 25.  This obviously means it was time to celebrate - a LOT.  All over America.  We spent a week in Orlando visiting family, Mickey, and of course, Hogwarts.  Let me tell you, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the best thing to hit Universal since GUTS.  And thank goodness we are in good shape because we hustled through those parks like Olympic speed walkers.

YAY! I'm going to Hogwarts!!  If only NJ Transit was so fun...

Then the celebration moved to the Poconos for a weekend in the woods with some great friends.  An accidental 7 mile hike ensued in less than stellar weather, but we scored the chance to feed a giraffe.  Fair trade?  I say yes.

Giraffe time.

Finally, the quarter century celebrations are wrapping up with...drum roll, please...skydiving!!  So far, Mother Nature has been very much against this venture.  Every time we schedule, the weather jumps ship and we get October snow or 40mph gusts of wind.  Here's hoping we get to jump before 2012 :) At least we had a great time in Atlantic City at the Chelsea!

Stay tuned for some major news dropping this week!  I'm back for good this time :)