LOCK IT UP: My (belated) Honeymoon to Jamaica

Here is another installment from Madeline in a series called Lock It Up.  I am  answering questions she posed about how to shred those last few pounds.  Here are links to her other posts! 

LOCK IT UP: A Question Is Posed

LOCK IT UP: WEEK 1

LOCK IT UP: WEEK 2

LOCK IT UP: THE LAST TWO WEEKS

This is a good example of how I work with clients, using question and answer to find out what works for them! Madeline enjoyed her vacation and got in a couple runs.  Perfect! Read on to here how she made it happen while on her honeymoon!

What's up party people?!

Okay, so don't be mad at me, but I'm going to post some gorgeous Jamaica pics on here, and you are not allowed to hate me. I just wanted you to see!

FIRST: I am SUPER pumped about Beth's December contest! I am a regular food/diet/exercise tracker - I love that it keeps me accountable. Here's what mine looks like (workout on left, food on right):

This is also a super segue into my JAMAICA trip! First of all, Jamaica is a seriously amazing country. The people are SO kind and I loved everyone I met at our resort (Sandals Negril). We went to an all-inclusive resort, which means all food and drinks (including alcohol) is included.

Holy cow. Welcome to a serious life challenge. There were mimosas at breakfast, rum punch at lunch, and people wandering up and down the beach while you were relaxing offering a multitude of cocktails.

The food was INCREDIBLE and they accommodated my gluten-free diet very well.

My goal was to exercise at least three times, but I only managed twice (I went to the gym and ran using my Running for Weight Loss app). Here's my proof - this was on Monday of our trip:

Annnd this was on Wednesday:

Not too shabby considering this is what I woke up to every day:

Honestly, I'm just proud of the fact that I exercised while on vacation. That is a SUPER tough thing to do, and I did it.

I tried my absolute best to manage my food choices. I usually ate an omelet in the morning loaded with veggies with fresh fruit on the side, and for lunch I would make myself a salad from the main buffet. I DEFINITELY went off track several times, but I did my best.

In regard to the drinks: I NEVER let myself have a drink in the morning - not the best way to start the day. I also mentally managed my drinks. If I had a rum punch at lunch, that was 1-2 less drinks I got to have at dinner. It's all about the balance!

Did I likely gain some pounds? Maybe. But I didn't go overboard AND got a couple workouts in, so that's a huge win. I made Justin take a picture of me post-workout when I got back to the room on Wednesday:

Believe me, I was a sweaty mess.

SO - now I'm back on track! When we got home last night totally exhausted, all I wanted was a spinach salad with chicken. And that's what I ate! I'm convinced you can coerce your body into craving goods things like spinach. I eat a spinach salad almost every day, but didn't get to for an entire week, so my body wanted some freaking spinach!

Today, I did my MOST DIFFICULT workout that I own - Chris Freytag's 40 minute lower body workout (from the 10 pound slim down extreme program). This workout always makes me feel like I'm (1) kicking my own butt and (2) getting back on track.

Here's my quick summary: you should NEVER beat yourself up for falling off the path during a vacation. What is vacay for?! RELAXING - so do it! Pat yourself on the back for the things you do achieve on vacation and then just jump back on track when you get home. I think this same sentiment can be applied to the holiday season!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! I hope you all have a wonderful, fantastic, and safe holiday! I will be here…missing the warmth of Jamaica. OH, and this guy:

This is Percy (we named him), the resort's patrol peacock. He was SO friendly and so cool - he walked all over the property patrolling. Coolest peacock I've ever met.

December contest!

December contest tracking sheets!  December is either about just getting out there for new exercisers 3 times a week, even ten minutes count, and staying consistent for those already working it.  Let me know if you are in, today is the official start date, sorry posting late in the day.

And a bit of more about my story and how GO Training got started for inspiration!

December Tracking Sheet

Also, read this if you need some guidance on getting started!  In this post is Cathy's Month One walking plan and also there is as self screening tool and other advice to make sure you start strong!

In 2010, my husband and I moved to North Carolina, and my goal was to immediately launch GO Training!  I was in great shape and excited about all the possibilities of a new place.

What really happened!? I gained a bunch of weight and got super out of shape.  My body was the biggest it has ever been.  The weight represented a lot of poor habits.

Why did that happen? Moving was more of a challenge then I realized and I didn't cope so good.  I was in kinda a dark place.  My husband's job was stressful, I didn't love my job in North Carolina, and was so out of the fitness groove.

In 2011, my dear friend, Angie, verbally shook my shoulders one day (in a gentle way!) while I was lamenting about not wanting to start a family unit I was a healthy weight.  She said something along the lines of "Get on it! No better time than the present!".

So I did!

I jumped back into exercise, and tracked and planned my workouts and diet.  In July of 2012, weighed in 146 pounds and launched GO Training with 10-20 pounds left to lose!  Awesome.

Then we found out Mike got a job in Portland, one of the most enthusiastic running communities in the United States.  I was excited to move and also a little weary of the transition…

I knew from prior experience that I would need to be super proactive about my move.  I planned a big race here in North Carolina in April, we moved in May, and in June I did an Olympic Triathlon.  I immediately joined a gym and yoga studio.  I generally proud of how I handled the move.  But it wasn't perfect.

Some things did not go as planned!  I got out of the habit of weekly planning for meals and workouts in the general transition of life. Our moving truck didn't come for ten days until after we moved, we had guests in house almost once a month from May to November (I loved all my guests but I get distracted super easily!), my husband's job was super intense and I didn't have much help unpacking, a car accident in September, an illness in October,  and that brings the time frame to right now.  None of these things on it's own is such a big deal, but all together they are!

So, in turn, I had a weight gain! Not planning workouts and tracking diet was disrupted a lot by the variables mentioned above. 

Learning points and brain storm: 

• Sunday planning sessions are non-negotiable regardless of what is going on or who is in town
• Encourage guests to visit Portland and enjoy yet city with them but maybe not have guests stay in my home in 2014
• Recruit or hire help next time I move
• Seek out help next time I am off line in anyway (sick, injured) from buddies to make a plan to stay on track

Here is my story in pictures!

In the black sports bra, I am 183 pounds, unfit, and not feeling so strong!   In the yellow hat, I took these last week!  I am 163 pounds, and getting stronger post accident.  My goal weight is 130-135 pounds. I had a tough time getting these pics just right!

Am I bummed about my gain? Yes. 

Am I disappointed that instead of losing another 20, I got 30 pounds to lose? Yes.

But I also am determined, have a deep and diverse support system, and I have a record of success. Shame and negative self talk are not gonna fuel that fire.  I know I can do it, and invite you to join my reboot.  Fitness is my life's work and passion!

Maybe your goal is not weight loss, maybe it is to improve you fitness so you can chase your kids around, maybe you want to relieve your back pain, maybe you want to reduce your risk of disease because it runs in your family. Whatever fans the flame of your motivation, write it down.  

And begin to plan with me!

Contest starts today!

LOCK IT UP: The Last Two Weeks

Let me tell you something about Madeline.  She gathers info and applies it.  Then, she makes it her own!  I have seen her tweak recipes to get the best possible result.  And I feel like this is how she approached her fitness and diet to change things up this last month.

She took my advice of adding in strength and literally ran with it.  Strength training is such a powerful fitness tool. Way to go, Madeline!  Also, bravo on diet modification and using exercise to cope with the added stress of finals.

I want to piggyback on the advice offered by Madeline below in regards to Thanksgiving (or any party!) and the leftover food aftermath. One strategy is to ask people to bring their own tupperware for a left-over haul away.  You can also pick up a few extra to go containers before your party, and let folks put together their own carry out treat. 

Here are the posts prefacing this one to give you more background is so desired!

1. Madeline's asks for advice on how to Lock It Up
2. Lock It Up: Week One
3. Lock It Up: Week Two

From Madeline:

How is it December 12th already?!

I apologize for my lack of posting. As soon as classes end for the semester and through exams, I completely shut down. Exams are officially OVER, and I will be en route to Jamaica SO SOON!

BONUS: I'm back to my pre-summer weight! Perhaps even a little less. Staying on track with my eating and exercise has been the ticket. One of the good things about exams (there are very few) is that I work out like a MANIAC. Sitting around all day studying makes me crave exercise, so I've been working out almost 7 days per week.

But first, let's talk about Thanksgiving for a minute. I slid off track for a couple days due to Thanksgiving, but I learned from my mistakes. For the last 3 years, I have made Thanksgiving dinner for myself, my husband, and whoever else ends up showing up. This is something I LOVE to do, but I always end up with a ton of leftovers. I hate wasting food, so of course, we eat it. A benefit of going to someone else's house is that you usually eat the Thanksgiving food once…and then you go home.

Things I will do differently next year if I make Thanksgiving dinner:

1. Make individual desserts. I made a GF pumpkin pie and GF apple crisp this year, and it was TOO MUCH. We had leftover dessert for almost 1 week after, and for a girl who doesn't eat dessert very often..this was a problem. Individual desserts will be more time consuming, but there won't be any leftovers! An idea: these mini apple pie cakes.

2. Make smaller portions! Smaller portions = less leftovers. I'm going to try and tailor my serving size to the number of people attending Thanksgiving dinner.

Okay! Back to regularly schedule programming.

My exercise routine has been SUPER varied over the last 2 weeks, and I think my body is really responding to that. I'm averaging 3 cardio per week and 2-3 weight lifting things per week. I've done different dvds, different types of running programs…all sorts of things. I've been revisiting some of my favorite Jillian Michaels Body Revolution dvds (Level 10 = I can't feel my butt the day after) - it's been fun to come up with something different.

Overall, I'm feeling great. The next few weeks will be a HUGE challenge for me. We are traveling more than we are home, so eating well and exercising will be a struggle. Here are my goals:

While in Jamaica, try to work out at least 3 times. Our resort has a gym, fitness classes…and there's a freaking gorgeous beach to run/walk on. NO EXCUSES! Also…be careful of what I eat and drink. Don't overindulge - not worth it!

While in Florida, watch what I eat. Try to work out with my brother a few times (he's in ROTC, and I'm pretty sure he could and would kick my butt).

Wish me luck! I'll touch base soon. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday!!!

Getting Back To It!

I am on the upswing after an interesting fall season.  I wanted to share some insights from my minor car accident and gnarly-virus-having adventure with a triple purpose.

I want to:

1.  Share my thoughts on medical attention after car accidents!

2.  Reach out to those who are injured!

3.  Revel in my progress! (Totally a selfish one!)

On September 11th of this year, I got rear ended by a guy in a Dodge Durango who didn't see my brakes.  He didn't even hit me that hard.

And I thought, in those few shocky moments post-accident, that this would be relatively a small bump in my life.  I figured a couple days of icing and a little gentle neck range of motion and I'd be back to normal, especially with my insider info as a physical therapist, and trainer.

This video looks to me like a chiropractic student made film.  There are many videos on you tube that illustrate what happens to the neck and back during an auto injury.  Use this video as a starting point, and explore! It is a great information source for how getting hit from behind is kinda a big deal. Being hit at a very low speed of 5 miles an hour wreaks quite a bit of havoc on the spine. Whiplash = no joke.

 NOTE! I am in no way promoting chiropractic care , as there are associated risks too. You are always in control of what you chose to use as tools to address your issues.  And  like everything in life, there are amazing bakeries, not so great bakeries, and that is true with health care.  Whatever line of healing one pursues, you need to be your advocate, say "no" to treatments you are not ready for, and communicate with your care givers.  My chiropractor never adjusted me without us discussing it first, and never manipulated my neck until a few weeks after the accident.  This holds true for acupuncture, Rolfing, massage, AND physical therapy!

Little did I know, it would be two months before I could run again!  I iced and took it easy that day.  The next day, I expected it to be a little more intense.  It was, and all that week too! My neck muscles were fuzzy, thick and my neck was pretty immobile.  It didn't hurt super bad, but it was hard to turn my head any direction, and it was achy.  And it was tough to think.  And even light lifting made it worse.

I went to my doctor, just to update her on what was going on and declined any X-ray due to the fact that I had no severe pain or radiating pain or numbness into my hands.  She, as a western medicine doc did not have a lot to offer me (I declined pain meds, and muscle relaxants), but she did give me a physical therapy prescription in case I felt I couldn't address my own needs.

I filed a personal injury claim (Thanks for being awesome Oregon!)  and pursued help of all kinds!  I had chiropractic care, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, and applied my physical therapy knowledge.  All this wonderful care got me better relatively fast, I was 75% better in two weeks, but also not challenging my body as I normally would.  After a few weeks, I dropped the massage and pursued Rolfing.

During those first 6-8 weeks, I had to minimize lifting even laundry baskets because the muscles would go back to spasm town if overly stressed.  I let the house and yard go wild.  And  I focused on walking every day, recumbent biking at the gym, and gentle core exercise during this time period.  If it made my neck or back mad, I just didn't do it.  Walking always helped.

I also watched muscle waste away on my body, and knew my cardiovascular fitness would take a hit.  I knew it just had to be that way.

Just as I got to a point of starting to reintroduce running and more intense exercise, I got the massive bug that hit many people in late October.  And that party lasted three weeks!

Now, I was feeling super frustrated in early November, because now my respiratory system, my immune system, and my musculoskeletal system were all officially worn down or hypertrophied.  My muscle mass had visibly decreased, I gained a few pounds, and in general, did not feel so invincible!  So to my buddies in recovery, getting back to into your sport or fitness routine post-illness or injury…will require patience.  For me, even with my training and insight, I knew it would take a while, but that did not diminish the frustration when it was my turn to be the one injured!  So pace yourself, and respect that your body wants to get better, wants to build, it just will need time.  It's almost 3 months later and I am on the upswing, but I am far from pre accident levels of fit.  For all the deep and superficial structures to heal and repair, it will take 6 months to a year.  Yep, even for a relatively "minor" accident.

One strategy I employed for harnessing motivation was "buddying up".  I reached out to friends and excepted every offer to workout or go to the gym.  I needed my circle of fitness friends to carry me.  I also would have to back off, and reign myself back from doing things others could.

I am not done with post-accident tune ups but I am back to lifting weights (lighter for now!), running, swimming, and biking.  My neck gets tight and ropey if I do too much, too fast. I am grateful for my ongoing care.  And I remember to balance pushing myself with listening to my body.

And now for my revel!

I had signed up for the Thanksgiving 5 K right after my accident.  I figured I could walk it, or walk-run it, but hopefully, if possible RUN IT!

This was the medal! Super solid, high qual!

It was my first full 3.1 miles post-accident, I had really been struggling with a new issue of exercise induced bronchial shut down (like exercise induced asthma) after the 3 week virus.  I got an inhaler to use for a few weeks. The doc tells me I am just still healing up on the insides.  Even with my new puff puff helper, running was really challenging.  I was walk-running and sucking air.  And I hadn't really run 3 miles continuously since September.

So in regards to this 5K and respecting my spot on the recovery continuum, I had to just take a moment before this 5 K to keep everything in perspective.  One one hand, I blossom amongst competition, and on the other, I also can get swept up in the excitement and overreach.  So I set a few goals...

1. To finish
2. To run as much as I could
3. To walk if I felt neck or back pain

It was a cold day, and I suited up in my turkey outfit.  SO EXCITING! I was lucky I had my husband's family in for Thanksgiving!  That means Cathy, my sister in law and author of a good year, and my Mike, my favorite husband and great support in all things, were there as well.

Me, Mike, and Cathy

I finished. I finished healthy.  I ran it all , and ran 9:39 minute miles!  Just about 30 minutes on the dot for 3.1 miles! My 5K PR is 25.37, an 8:15 mile.  I got time to get back there.  After a multi month hiatus, an accident, and an illness, I will take it!  I am so proud of that race, as it was a marker of my progress.

A side note, I pushed a bit at the end of the race and felt a bit of a hurl coming on after crossing the finish line, and seriously held it back knowing that a puking turkey would be you tube gold. Especially if I kinda waggled my arms and "bawked" out the vomit.  Crisis averted! Whew!

LOCK IT UP: Week 2

I love this report from Madeline! I am late posting this guy as this is her note from LAST WEEK.  Note that the biggest change we brought into her workout week was her weight lifting. Adding weights to her routine is key to build that body changing muscle mass!  I recommended limiting the morning snack and rounding out breakfast. Here is Madeline's feedback on that.  

A diet cheat is totally an "okay" move! And having enjoyed Emma Keys hot grill goods, it was a good choice, trust me.  

Quelling an urge is a good idea, especially if it seems to be a strong one.  One especially smart move, Madeline treated herself out of the house.  Bringing home a treat like a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, or a bag of chips can set one up for a prolonged indulgence.  Enjoy a mini-cupcake, a scoop of ice cream, or burger and enjoy it sans guilt.

Last note on urges, check in if it seems to keep coming up.  Are you super stressed?  Are you seeking pleasure, comfort, or something deeper?  This is when looking for something to maybe treat yourself to, a quiet 30 minutes with a book, a hang out with your buddies, or something that will fill you up, versus filling that feeling with food.

I'm already seeing progress and I'm LOVING IT!

This week, my "mini goal" was snacks. Snacks are my downfall, which I think I share with a lot of people. You think, "I'm just having a few pretzels," but those few pretzels add up.

My snacks this week have consisted of baby carrots, celery, and an apple. I've also been keeping deli meat around, and if I'm really starving, I'll have a few pieces of chicken. One of my favorite snack is a handful of almonds (no more than 20). Almonds give me a little boost of energy - I love them.

I also wanted to talk about cheating on your diet. I don't know if this is nutritionally proper, but when I'm DYING to eat something, I let myself. If I want a "cheat"meal, I do it. Life is short - if you want a hamburger, eat one. Just don't go overboard.

On Friday, I really wanted to go out to lunch, so Justin (my husband) and I went to Emma Keys, which is this awesome burger place. I ate a greasy, delicious burger…and didn't regret it for a second. I highly doubt that one burger this week derailed me, and it was super satisfying.

Here are what my workouts looked like this week:

Saturday (Nov. 16): 20 minute upper body + 10 minute "bonus buns"
Sunday: Rest
Monday: 3.6 mile run/sprint/walk (Running for Weight loss app - Week 5 Day 1)
Tuesday: 20 minute power yoga + 20 minute core
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 3.75 mile run/sprint/walk (Running for Weight loss app Week 5 Day 1)
Friday: Rest - delicious burger day
Saturday: 40 minute total body w/weights
Sunday: 3.4 mile run/sprint/walk (RFWL Week 4 Day 1)

I had a weird week and let myself take it easy. I had an allergic reaction to a vaccination this week (ever heard of a 27 year old who needed a chicken pox shot? Now you do), so I let myself rest when I needed it.

Motivational comment of the week: one of my law school friends, who I often keep a shared food/workout journal with, commented this week that I was looking good! Best part: I hadn't showered and was wearing workout clothes. WIN.

Have a fabulous week! And check out my blog for an AMAZING (and really healthy) winter recipe I made this week: http://thelawsofthekitchen.blogspot.com