The Spartacus Workout

     I tried an awesome workout this morning and I have to say, I'm already sore! (I love being sore though, do you?) Remember this book? I was flipping through it last night looking for some inspiration now that I'm cleared to get my postpartum body back into some real shape and I came across The Spartacus Workout. One of the things I loved about it was that it required minimal equipment and mostly body weight. And you can make it 10 minutes or 30 minutes depending on how much time you have (and my time is very limited with a 7-week-old and a 2-year-old running around).

     The Spartacus Workout is a circuit, you need to treat it as such or else you miss out on the benefits of the workout. Circuits are awesome because they get your heart rate up and you work your muscles well so really, you're killing 2 birds with one stone (which I very much like). You get your cardio, and you get your toning.

     There are 10 stations you rotate through, you spend 60 seconds at each station and allow yourself 15 seconds to move from station to station. Perform the exercise at your station for as many reps as you can within than 60 second period. If you can't make it to 60 seconds, it's okay to take a break but then pick back up where you left off. If you need to take that break, pause only for a few seconds. You don't want your heart rate to drop too much. Repeat the circuit for a total of 3 times (if you can haha) leaving a 2 minute break in between circuits. Ready for the circuit?

Station 1

Goblet squat

Station 2

Mountain climber

Station 3

Single-arm dumbbell swing

Station 4

T-push up

Station 5

Split jump

Station 6

Dumbbell row

Station 7

Dumbbell side lunge and touch

Station 8

Push up position row

Station 9

Dumbbell lunge and rotation

Station 10

Dumbbell push press

I'm Back!

     I'm ready to get Turbo Fit going again (not gonna lie, this blog is an excellent motivator for me!) but I don't always have time to sit down and write a post and come up with workouts. If any of you are blog writers you know, blogging can take a lot of time! So, to keep giving you all something new (and to help myself get back into the swing of things) I'll be posting links to some awesome workouts I find. This way, you don't have to go looking for them, and I can keep posting regularly in less time. Sound good? I thought so. ;)

     Here's a 15 minute equipment-free cardio workout from FITNESS Magazine! Perfect, right? If you have invested in equipment that's awesome, however most people don't invest in their own equipment so it's awesome to find some cardio workouts that also help tone you up with nothing but your body weight and gravity. Enjoy and let me know how you did!

Swim Suit Ready Series: The Back Workout

     Yahoo! The last workout is here! After this I'll post a weekly schedule for you to follow so you get a total body workout throughout the week!
     The first exercise is the dumbbell row. You'll need a set of 5-8 lb. weights for this. Stand with feet about hip width or so apart (the distance isn't too important, as long as you're comfortable). Lean forward, keeping your back straight so that your upper body is close to paralell with the floor. (You may bend your knees and you don't have to be all the way paralell, just close to it.) Let your arms hang down and then draw the weights up towards your chest, bending your elbows as you go. Squeeze your shoulder plades. You'll do this for 12 reps and then follow it with 10 pulses. You'll stay in this position for the next exercise. Perform a rear lateral raise by letting your arms hang down again for the start and then lifting them outward so that you open up your chest to the floor, palms toward the ground, and arms straight. You'll feel this more on the sides of your back than at your shoulder blades. Do this for 12 reps and then follow it with 10 pulses. Stand up to relieve the stress on your lower back, and then head back down for another set of dumbbell rows and rear lateral raises. You'll do both for a total of 3 sets.
     This next set of exercises are going to involve a little more cardio but hey, cardio during a strength workout is a good thing. ;) First, take an exercise band and tie a knot in the middle of the band. Throw the knot over a door and close the door so you have the two ends hanging down. Pull on it with caution at first to make sure it's secure. Next, get down on the floor and set up for push ups. Why push ups? Because it's not just for your chest! Push ups are an awesome core exercise and they do a lot to strengthen your back. Do 12 push ups (on your knees, or toes, it doesn't matter) and then stand back up and hold onto the ends of your exercise band. Stand so that you've got some tension on the band and hold your arms out straight. Keeping your arms straight, pull the band down and touch your fists to the tops of your thighs. This is a lat pulldown. You'll do 12 reps. Alternate the push ups and the lat pulldowns for a total of 3 sets on each exercise.
     The last 2 exercises are performed on the floor. You'll need to lay all the way down on your stomach, arms stretched out above your head. You'll be doing a Floor Y Raise and a Floor I Raise. For the Floor Y Raise, move your arms out so that your arms and body are in the shape of a "y", thumbs pointed up toward the ceiling. Raise and lower your arms for 15 reps, keeping your head down. Bring your arms all the way back up over your head for the I Raise. Raise and lower your arms for 15 reps, keeping your head down. Continue to alternate the Floor Y and Floor I Raises for a total of 3 sets of each exercise.

The Back Workout:
Dumbbell Row - 12 reps followed by 10 pusles
Rear Lateral Raise - 12 reps followed by 10 pulses
Stand for a small break
Repeat Dumbbell Row and Rear Lateral Raise for a total of 3 sets each
Push Ups - 12 reps
Lat Pulldowns - 12 reps
Repeat Push Ups and Lat Pulldowns for a total of 3 sets each
Floor Y Raise - 15 reps
Floor I Raise - 15 reps
Repeat Y and I Raises for a total of 3 sets each
Stretch!

Swim Suit Ready Series: The Thigh Workout

     We're almost there! This is the 4th of 5 workouts and I pormise the last one will be up today! I'm gonna skip all the talking and get straight to The Thigh Workout! You'll need a set of weights and a step stool or aerobic step for this workout.
     I hate lunges as much as the next person but the work so there's really no way around it. Our first exercise is a lunge/squat combo. Starting on your right leg, you'll lunge forward, come back to center, then squat out towards the right, and come back to center. This is one rep. Remember to push through your heels on the squat and don't let your knee go past your toes on the lunge. Proper form will help you get the most benefit from the exercise as well as prevent injuries. You'll do 12 lunge/squat combos on the right and then 12 on the left. You may take a small stretching break and then go for it again. 12 on the right, 12 on the left.
     The next exercise is the deadlift. I love deadlifts because they strengthen the hamstrings (which can be hard to get at) and because they also stretch the hamstrings at the same time and a lot of us frequently forget to stretch our hamstrings. Also, a lot of knee problems cam be solved by making sure your hamstrings and your quadriceps are equally strengthened. A lot of people forget to strengthen both muscle groups and the result is knee pain. So, don't skip this one! To perform a straight-leg deadlift you'll stand with your feet about hip width apart. You'll need to be holding some type of weight, whether it's dumbbells, a barbell, or homemade weights, to make this exercise challenging. Standing tall, begin to bend forward, keeping your back flat and your legs straight. Let the weights hang down, don't force your arms to stay at your sides. Bend down as far as you can (you'll feel a nice stretch in your hamstrings and you should be able to go down a little further as your muscles warm up) and then raise your upper body back into an upright position, making sure you feel your hamstrings and your rear lifting you back up. This will strengthen your lower back as well, but you should be focusing on using your hamstrings and glutes to bring you back up into an upright position. You'll do this for 15 reps.
     Set your weights down and center yourself in front of your step stool (or aerobic step). Step up on just your right foot (let your left foot hang off the side of the step) and then step all the way back down. Do 15 on the right, and 15 on the left. Alternate this exercise with the deadlift for a total of 3 sets of each exercise.
     Remember the hip raises from this post? Well, we're bringing it back! This variation is actually not on the list from that post but it's a really simple variation. You're basically going to do a normal hip raise as described in this post, only you'll raise one leg off the floor so that you're doing a single-leg hip raise. After 12 resp on your right leg, do 12 on your left. Without lowering your hips, bring both feet back to the floor and maintain the raise while squeezing your glutes for 30 seconds. Lower back down and take a very short rest. Repeat for a total of 3 sets.

And the condensed version!
The Thigh Workout:
Lunge/Squat Combo - 12 reps on each leg
small stretching break
Repeat Lung/Squat Combo and small stretching break
Straight-Leg Deadlift - 15 reps
Step Ups - 15 reps per side
Repeat Straight-Leg Deadlift and Step Ups for a total of 3 sets each
Single-Leg Hip Raise - 12 reps on each side with a 30 second squeeze at the end
Repeat Single-Leg Hip Raise with squeeze for a total of 3 sets

Swim Suit Ready Series: The Ab Workout

     Happy day after the 4th of July everyone! I sincerely hope you all were able to celebrate heartily and enjoy some awesome fireworks! I had an all-American BBQ dinner topped off with some Apple Pie, lit some sparklers with my family and watched the Capitol 4th celebration on TV (we watched some awesome fireworks provided by the town my parents live in on Sunday so that all the visitors could see the show instead of missing it on the actual 4th while driving home). It was awesome and I truely feel blessed to live in this great country. Even with all it's problems, it's still a great country and I LOVE the patriotism displayed on the 4th!
     I've had some time on my hands today and I finished up the last 3 workouts for the Swim Suit Ready Series and I'm so excited to share them all with you! After these next 3 posts you'll be ready to start the Swim Suit Ready Workout Routine (I've put together a weekly schedule to follow, feel free to modify yours as you see fit) and I've got a new challenge for you as well! More on those later. For now, we're going to focus on the ab workout! Now, before we get into that I feel I should remind you all that the strongest abs in the world will not show through the layers of fat that we tend to store so be sure to eat healthy to promote weight loss and to cut down on bloating, and keep up with your cardio routines to blast that fat away and make sure your beautiful abs show through! On to the workout!
     You're going to start off in the plank position, up on your hands and toes, and you're going to start with mountain climbers. You'll pull your right knee in towards your chest and then extend your leg back into plank position. Repeat on the left side. Do this for a total of 10 reps (5 on each side) and then hold plank position for 10 seconds. You'll do 3 sets with little to no rest in between (don't rest on your knees unless you can't go on without a rest).
     The next exercise is called a Russian Twist. Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat, and arms extended out in front of you, palms pressed together. Lean back slightly so that your abs are engaged. Maintain a straight back. Twist your upper body so that your extended arms will point all the way to your right. Come back to center and then twist to the left, and then to center. This is one rep. You'll do 10 reps. After the Russian Twist you'll lie straight down on your back to do leg drops. Start with both feet extended straight up into the air and slowly let your legs lower straight to the floor. Go down as far as you can while keeping your lower back pressed to the floor and then raise them back up. You'll do 10 leg drops. Your goal should be to be able to go lower as time goes on and your abs strengthen. Alternate doing a set of Russian Twists and the Leg Drops until you've done 3 sets of each. Do these 2 exercises with littler to no rest in between.
     These last exercises have been around for a long time and as much as you may not like them, they still work and you'll have to suck it up and cranck out a few crunches to reall finish things off. ;) You'll start off with normal crunches. You'll do 8 slow crunches (2 counts up, 2 counts down), 8 fast crunches (1 count up, 1 count down), 8 more slow, and 8 pulses. After the crunches you'll do a reverse crunch. Lay back on the floor as if you're going to do more crunches. Instead of lifting your upper body, you're going to draw your knees toward your chest (but not all the way into your chest) and then lift your lower body off the floor (basically you tuck your pelvis so that your lower back comes off the floor slightly, you'll feel the burn in your very lower abs). You'll do 8 slow (2 counts up, 2 counts down), 8 fast (1 count up, 1 count down), 8 slow, and 8 pulses. Alternate between the crunch and the reverse crunch for a total of 3 sets. You should be taking little to no rest in between these 2 exercises.
     And there it is! If you notice, there are 3 sets of 2 different exercises you're alternating between. You may take rest or even stretch for a minute between those sets but I will encourage you to try not to take any rest at all between the 2 exercises within that set. With these 6 exercises you're working all parts of your abs so it's very important that you don't skip a particular exercise becuase you don't like it. For well-toned abs you need to strengthen all parts of your abs. Well-toned abs will also decrease any lower back pain you may be having so if the thought of a six pack isn't enough, think of your pain-free lower back to motivate you to finish the workout and do it regularly!

As always, the condensed version:
The Ab Workout:
Mountain Climbers - 10 reps
Plank - 10 seconds
 - repeat for a total of 3 sets -
Russian Twist - 10 reps (right, center, left, center is 1 rep)
Leg Drops - 10 reps
 - repeat for a total of 3 sets -
Crunches - 8 slow, 8 fast, 8 slow, 8 pulse
Reverse Crunches - 8 slow, 8 fast, 8 slow, 8 pulse
 - repeat for a total of 3 sets -
Stretch!

Swim Suit Ready Series: The Arm Workout

     I hope you all enjoyed The Butt Workout as much as I did. My rear is sore but tight and that, my friends, is worth all the burn! ;) I've decided I'm a pretty big fan of timed workouts like The Butt Workout. Sometimes when I'm working out on my own I'll throw a workout together with several exercises with multiple sets but I get to the last few sets and I just don't want to do them and quitting is SO easy - no one is there to make me do it! I've written The Arm Workout similarly in that there aren't really sets and reps (in the traditional sense) but it all flows together and can be done with very little rest in between making your workout more effective and will take less time to complete. So, that being said, throw on some fast paced music and use the music to help you keep the pace for this arm workout to make you feel more like you're in a group fitness toning class and less like you're on your own and ready to give up! ;)
     Grab a pair of 5-8 lb. dumbbells (or any of your improvised home weights) for this workout and crank up that music (fast paced with a strong, easy to follow beat - I promise music will help you keep pace and will make this workout fly by)!
     Begin by standing tall, arms at your sides. Following the beat of the music, begin doing arm curls. Count out 8 curls, followed by 12 half arm curls (starting from a 90 degree angle and going up toward your shoulders), immediately go back into 8 full arm curls. At the end of 8 arm curls, pause at 90 degrees and pulse for 10 beats. At last, do 8 more full arm curls.
     Hands back down at your sides, do 12 lateral raises (you may keep your elbows slightly bent to take some pressure off the elbow joint) not going above shoulder height (you don't need to go any higher). After 12 lateral raises, bend forward slightly, keeping your back straight and tall, and do 12 tricep kickbacks. After the 12 kickbacks, pulse for 10 beats at the height of your last kickback. Go back to 12 lateral raises, followed by 12 tricep kickbacks and 10 pulses.
     Set up to do a shoulder press, but instead of just a shoulder press we'll do a combination of two exercises. You'll do a full shoulder press, come back to starting position, and then push your hands outward as if bracing yourself in a doorway (a wide doorway where you can extend your arms fully). You'll do this combo for 12 reps. After 12 reps you'll come back down to do arm curls again, but this time you'll set your arms at a wide angle (elbows stay tucked at your sides). Do a set of 12 wide arm curls. Follow that with 12 more shoulder press combos and then 12 more wide arm curls.
     The last exercise is tricky and you do not need weights for this move. You'll actually need to get down into push up position only angle your position so that your rear is up in the air and your body is in an upside down "v" position. (You can search "inverted shoulder press" for more clarification on this move.) Bend your arms to lower your head toward the floor and then press back up. You'll do this for 8 reps and then straighten your body out to hold a normal push up or plank position and hold steady for 30 seconds (or as long as you are able). Get back into your upside down "v" position for 8 more inverted should presses and then hold plank again for another 30 seconds.
     Whew! Are you tired? You should be! With this workout you've worked several different angles of your biceps and triceps, multiple angles of your deltoids (shoulders), your trapezoid, your lats, your forearms, and your core. Along with those major muscles you've worked a miriad of smaller muscles in between to help give you a toned, defined look worthy of swim suit season and tank tops all summer long.
     Just to recap (as I did with The Butt Workout) here's a condensed version without all the explinations that you can keep right in front of you as you work out so you don't have to stop and chekc your computer screen every 30 seconds. ;)

The Arm Workout:
8 arm curls
12 half arm curls (from 90 degrees and up)
8 arm curls
10 pulses at 90 degrees
8 arm curls
12 lateral raises
12 tricep kickbacks followed by 10 pulses
12 lateral raises
12 tricep kickbacks followed by 10 pulses
12 shoulder press combos
12 wide arm curls
12 shoulder press combos
12 wide arm curls
8 inverted shoulder presses
30 second plank
8 inverted shoulder presses
30 second plank

Don't forget to stretch! :)

Swim Suit Ready Series

     So I've got some good news and some bad news. I'll start with the good news because the bad news isn't super bad and I'm excited about the good news. ;) The good new is, I've been brainstorming like crazy and decided to come up with a Swim Suit Ready Series! It's summer time and everyone is breaking out those swim suits and starting to get rid of the pasty white skin of winter in exchange for nice tans and I'm sure everyone wants a nice body to go along with that. :) I'll have about four or five posts on the Series, each workout focusing on a different muscle group, and then I'll post a workout schedule for each of the different workouts. I'm sure somewhere in there I'll throw in some ideas for tasty summer treats you can go crazy with!
     Now for the bad news. I'm pretty darn tied up with some home things at the moment and I can't guarantee when these posts will come out. I will tell you this, however. I'm very excited about this and I will try my hardest to squeeze this in at night after my toddler goes to bed and I can't make too much noise (this forces me to have to sit down and take care of some quiet things, like blogging). I'm hoping the first one will come out tonight - but don't quote me on that! In the mean time, I'd like your input on areas of your body that you are most concerned about and I'll incorporate tips on helping you with your problem areas. Get commenting and look out for the Swim Suit Ready Series! :D

More Weight Loss and Nutrition Helps

Little Helps for Those of Us with No Self Control

Ways to Make Weight Loss Easier

            I know I’ve already posted an article very similar to this but I had to write it all out again for a friend and figured I may as well post it again because I honestly and truly believe that these ideas will help you in your weight loss goals. Repetition will help you to remember and hopefully it will help inspire you to make small lifestyle changes to keep you healthy and to help you to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

- Switch to low fat/fat free versions of anything you can:

            - fat free milk, sour cream, and cheese (fat free cheese tastes fine but it doesn’t melt well so if you’re using it on something that requires it to be melted – like pizza – go for the reduced fat version)

- Substitute the butter on your toast, potatoes, whatever you like to butter, for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray. You can’t really tell the difference and it’s got barely any calories and fat at all.

- Eat frozen yogurt instead of full fat ice cream.

- Search for recipies that allow you to substitute applesauce for oil in baking (lots of breads and cakes can be adapted to use applesauce instead of oil).

- Low fat/fat free yogurt and cream cheese (cream cheese isn’t that great fat free but you can’t really taste too much of a difference with low fat versions).

- Fat free, sugar free pudding is awesome! I love it as a snack and when made with skim milk, it’s still fat free and tastes so good.

- Switch to whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals to help you feel full quicker and longer.

- Buy snacks already portioned out or portion them out as soon as you get home from the grocery store into individual serving sizes so you don’t over eat your favorite snacks. This also allows you to eat some of your favorite foods but in a more sensible way.

- Clean and prepare (chop, peel, shred, whatever you do) your produce as soon as you get home from the grocery store and  store it in the fridge in such a way that it’s easy for you to grab and eat when you’ve got the munchies. Fruits and veggies have few calories so it’s better to munch on an apple or carrots than potato chips.

- DRINK LOTS OF WATER! Drink water before every meal, drink water when you start to feel hungry (in case you’re body is confusing thirst with hunger which happens quite frequently), and sip water throughout the day. Find yourself a nice, 32oz. water bottle and shoot for 2-3 of these a day.

- Don’t store food on your table or counter tops (unless it’s fruit or veggies) and keep snacks where you can’t see them. This cuts down on cravings, grazing, and impulse eating.

- Eat breakfast: 1 cup of cereal and ½ cup of skim milk should be enough and if it isn’t, drink more water and add a piece of fruit, not more cereal.

- Plan lunch and dinner menus (this saves you money at the grocery store too!) and plan to have salads or vegetables with ever meal. Try to have more poultry than beef on your menu (though meatless nights are good too – your body doesn’t need as much meat as we tend to think it does).

- Have a list of approved snacks hanging on your fridge or pantry with snacks that you’ve okayed yourself to eat. Include next to the name of the snack the correct portion size to be eaten and how many calories and fat grams are in that particular snack. This can help you keep track of calories consumed on snacking (hint: it should not be a lot…).

- Don’t eat your kid’s leftovers. Save it for later or toss it (and don’t feel bad).

- Try to eat the least processed versions of fruits and vegetables. Lots of processed versions have added sugar or are fried.

- Keep a food journal.

- Check nutrition labels at the grocery store. Some brands have less fat and calories than another brand of the same food. Case in point: I looked at nutrition labels on my daughter’s fruit snacks because I snack on them too and I found that the ones we were eating had more fat and calories than another particular brand that had about 30 less calories and no fat.

Why Exercise Alone is Not Enough

     The inspiration from this post comes from the incredible number of times in the past month or so that I've heard people say "All I want to do is exercise and then eat whatever I want." Well, to all those of you who have ever said this (I include my past self in this category) this one is for you! (To those of you who think I may have heard this from you in the last month or so, thanks for inspiring the post and I hope you enjoy this. :))

     The unfortunate truth is that as we age so does our metabolism and sometimes our metabolism does not age well. Those of us who have had children are quickly finding that out and it is a rude awakening. And so unfair. :) In high school and maybe even in college we could eat whatever we wanted, exercise a little, and stay nice and trim. Not so much anymore, am I right? I found this out the hard way (the very hard way) after a high school athletic career and a college major that allowed me to play sports most, if not all days of the week for several hours at a time. I could eat whatever I wanted and it made no difference! I loved it! And then I had a miracle come into my life weighing in at a mere 7lbs 4oz. I, on the other hand, was weighing in at well over 200lbs (prior to my pregnancy I was about 158). No big deal, I though. I'm still in school which means sports every day, this will come off in no time. A year and a half later I weighed 215lbs and I was miserable. I'd never been so overweight in my life and I could not handle it. I was so depressed. I was convinced that it had nothing to do with my diet because this is the way I always ate and I never was fat before! I didn't eat unhealthy foods, I just ate a lot of food.

     I tried everything. I kicked my exercise routine into high gear, doing intense cardio workouts for about an hour every morning while my daughter was still asleep. Nothing. I threw in a weight training routine. Nothing. I switched to fat free or reduced fat foods (while still eating the same amount). Nothing. What in the world was I suppose to do? Well, I opted for a complete lifestyle change and and tried *gasp* portion control. Yes. I finally came to see that it was my diet. And you know what, eating less caused me to drop over 30lbs in about four months. Most weeks I lost about 2lbs a week, some weeks were 5 o 6 lbs. Honestly it felt like instant weight loss. I ate the same things I'd always eaten (remember, I didn't eat tons of junk food, just a lot of food in general) but I reduced the amount of food I ate and viola! Say goodbye to 30lbs!

     It took me a year and a half to recognize that my workouts were not enough by themselves. Did I stay strong? Yes. Was I in great shape despite my extra fat? Yes. Could I leap tall buildings in a single bound? I sure felt like it. But nothing I was doing was enough to get rid of that extra fat my body had stored until I changed what I was putting into my body.

     That being said, you can refer to all of my previous posts on nutrition and weight loss to help you figure out how to do this. As I mentioned above, I had to make the decision to make a lifestyle change. Diets don't work and the reason they don't work is because you treat it like a temporary fix to help you lose a few pounds and then you go right back into your old habits. You have to make a lifestyle change. If you're not ready to make that change now, maybe 20lbs from now you'll believe me and you'll be ready.

     Dieting usually involves depriving yourself of foods you like (because let's face it, most of our favorite foods are high fat and high calorie) and forcing you to eat foods you don't like (brussel sprouts for dinner? Yuck!). When you make a lifestyle change your finding the right balance of foods to eat that help you stay healthy and help you lose or maintain your weight. Do I still have ice cream? Sure do, but not always and I measure it out now. Do I make cookies still? You bet, but I portion them out. I still enjoy my favorite foods and I even have pizza for dinner a few times a month but I always, always use portion control and I cut out fat wherever possible. It's a lot easier than you think once you get the hang of it. It's become such second nature to me that I don't even think about what I'm going to eat or how I can squeeze in more fruits and veggies because it's just what I do. It's a part of my routine and it's easy now.

     My inbox is always open to you, so email me at sarabsorensen@gmail.com if you have questions about how to fit in healthier foods to your routine and help you make the lifestyle change that you need to get yourself into a healthy weight zone, stay there, and be happy about the way you eat.

Packing Healthy Lunches

     I think a lot of us have fallen out of the habit of packing lunches when we spend the day away from home and opt for vending machine lunches, fast food, or packing our bag with processed foods that don't really make up an actual lunch and leave you hungry in a few short hours. Especially while trying to lose weight, this can ruin all our hard work! We exercise, we try to have a healthy breakfast, we cut back at the dinner table, but all is lost if we're consuming fatty foods and extra calories at lunchtime. Here are some ideas to help you pack better lunches for yourself and for your kids as they head off to school.

     It doesn't do you any good to learn how to pack a healthy lunch if you're not going to actually do it. The morning of is not the time to be packing a lunch. If we leave it until the morning, we won't do it. We're too busy getting ready for the day or getting multiple children ready for the day and lunches take a back seat. The first thing you have to do is commit and make the habit to make lunches at night. Even children are fully capable of helping to make their lunches the night before and you can make it a little activity you all do together before going to bed. If you've got a nighttime routine, add it in!

     Keeping your lunches cool until lunchtime has always been a challenge. Sending kids off to school with a lunch containing an ice pack is not always a great idea because if your children are anything like I was, that ice pack will get lost or thrown away (whether because I didn't want to carry it around all through my lunch recess or because I forgot to take it out of the sack before throwing it away). Fortunately there are ways to get around having to pack an ice pack. One thing I especially love to do is pack frozen fruit (usually strawberries) that help me keep the rest of my lunch cool but will also thaw out enough to eat by lunchtime. Another great option for edible ice packs are Gogurts. If you've got yogurt eating kids, stick some Gogurt in the freezer the night before and toss it in their lunch in the morning. Again, it will keep lunches cool and they have a nice, creamy yogurt slush for a treat. By keeping lunches cool you have a whole new variety of foods your kids (or you) can take for lunch besides PBJs (though there's nothing wrong with a good ole PBJ now and then).

     If you prefer the ice pack way for yourself there are some great containers out there to help you in your quest to pack a healthy lunch. I own several of these containers and can attest to their greatness! Fit N Fresh has a huge variety of products to help you keep your lunch cool (and some to keep them hot!) and they even have a kids line of products. Be sure to click on the Fit N Fresh link to see what's available. A lot of their products are available for retail at stores like Target and Walmart. I even saw a few lunch containers at Big Lots and various grocery stores. These containers are awesome and come with special ice packs that snap into the lid of the container and can be removed to re-freeze when you're done. The have special salad containers that hold your salad in the main compartment and then a little space in the lid for your salad dressing which you can dispense onto your salad and shake to coat your salad before eating. No joke, these lunch containers are wonderful!

     Now that we've worked out how to keep lunches cool, let's pack them with all kinds of yummy healthy foods! I've got a list of my favorite lunch foods here and keep in mind that while some of these foods do contain fats, they contain healthy fats that your body needs to function properly. Fats found in peanut butter for example are mostly unsaturated (though some are saturated) and you've got a green light to eat it!

ham and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread and loaded with lettuce and tomato
peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread
tuna fish sandwich prepared with light or fat free mayo on whole grain bread
whole grain pasta salad with light dressing
green salad loaded with veggies (and maybe even chicken) with light dressing
chicken wrap on whole grain tortilla
frozen berries
celery and peanut butter
apple slices
carrots and light ranch dressing
low fat yogurt
frozen (or thawed) grapes
make your own veggie tray with baby carrots, raw broccoli, grape tomatoes, celery, and snap peas
make your own fruit tray with your favorite fruits washed, chopped, and ready to eat
reduced fat string cheese

     The possibilities for a healthy lunch are endless! Take your favorite healthy foods, plan ahead, make your lunch the night before, and enjoy a lunch packed with the nutrients you need to have a healthy and energy filled day. Be sure to leave a comment with your favorite healthy snacks to pack on the go and help others with your great ideas!

The HCG Diet

          I’ve wanted to post an article on the HCG diet for some time now but felt I should do a little research first. I have very strong feelings about this diet and wanted some hard facts before I started spewing out what I thought. This post is going to be a little different from those I’ve written previously but I think this is very much worth your time in reading.

HCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin and is a hormone produced during pregnancy. To make a long story short it aids in the growth of the embryo and placenta. This same HCG hormone is what is used in the HCG diet (obviously, since it bears the name of the hormone it uses). Most HCG diets require a daily injection of HCG (now you can buy drops that you put under your tongue 3 to 6 times per day depending on which company you buy from) and you are placed on a VLCD which is short for Very Low Calorie Diet. This VLCD consists of a mere 500 calories per day and severely limits the variety of foods you are allowed to eat. This diet is sustained for 40 days or until you reach about 30 pounds at which time they will stop your HCG diet for a certain amount of time before letting you go another round. Many doctors will suggest this diet to patients looking to lose large amounts of weight and weight loss clinics will offer this diet to anyone looking for fast results. The claim is that you can lose 1-2 pounds of fat per day without being hungry or irritable.

My goodness that sounds amazing doesn’t it? But let’s stop and think about what we’ve learned. Let’s start with the VLCD. In January’s focus topic we covered nutrition. Food is essential. Yes, it can lead us to gain weight if we eat the wrong things, but the fact remains that we need food to sustain life. Our body has what’s called a basic metabolic rate. Your BMR is the amount of energy (measured in calories) that your body needs to sustain life in a state of rest. This number is different from person to person but we all have it and if we fail to reach that level, we fail to function. When I say fail to function I don’t mean we have a bad day and try again tomorrow. I mean that basic bodily functions begin to shut down to preserve energy. This means even your brain activity takes a hit.

Our bodies need to have enough energy for our BMR plus some. We don’t all just sit on the couch all day and never move. Even the laziest person has to walk to the kitchen for a snack, or walk to the bathroom, or get out of bed just to make it to the couch. All of this takes energy. Using more energy means needing more calories. The majority of us lead fairly active lives. Mothers are constantly chasing kids around the house/park/store/wherever. Most people have jobs that require them to move around, even if it’s just a little bit. Even thinking burns calories. Again, we use more energy than just what our BMR requires so we have to consume more than our BMR worth of calories to function normally. Eating only 500 calories per day is so dangerous. I cannot impress upon you the seriousness of that. I have no words to describe how dangerous a 500 calorie per day diet can be. Most likely, 500 calories is lower than your BMR which means your body is starting to metabolize muscle along with some fat (causing the muscles in your body to atrophy) because it needs the extra energy and less important bodily functions (but important nonetheless) stop working to preserve energy. Things like digestion, supplying blood which brings heat (a form of energy) to your extremities, and some brain activities are shutting down because your body does not have enough energy to keep them working.

Along with your VLCD that the HCG diet plans, you have your daily injection (or your drops) of human chorionic gonadotropin. Most of us have hormonal imbalances already because our diets are so filled with processed foods and preservatives and most of us haven’t been able to tell that our hormones are out of whack; some, on the other hand, struggle with various issues due to hormonal imbalances. Having a daily injection of yet another hormone that does not belong in your body in those quantities is asking for more hormonal imbalances. People often joke about “hormonally challenged” women PMS, and other things however hormonal imbalances don’t just bring on mood swings. It can cause unexplained weight gain, high blood pressure, inability to lose weight, infertility, and a host of other nasty things that we really don’t want to deal with. Human chorionic gonadotropin does exist naturally in our bodies at a very, very small level. Pregnancy brings on some very high HCG levels and a lot of women are left with serious hormonal imbalances after a pregnancy. Putting hormones into your body that do not belong there (or have not been prescribed to you for medical reasons) is just not a good idea.

Almost everyone who uses this diet sees results. There’s no denying that. People have lost upwards of 60 pounds using a few rounds of the HCG diet. I did not write this article to try to make you believe that the diet does not work. I wrote this to warn you of the serious dangers of this diet. As I’ve said before, I have some very strong feelings towards the HCG diet and those who suggest this method of weight loss. It’s just not safe. The risks involved are not worth it. If you want to lose weight and stay healthy then you need to eat right and exercise. There is no way around it. Sure you can lose 60 pounds on the HCG diet but being left with hormonal imbalances and traumatizing your body is so not worth it. Chances are you’ll be forking out another $700 to go another round of HCG because you didn’t keep it off. I know that the companies report 70% of people have found it easy to keep the weight off but don’t buy it. In order to have permanent weight loss you need to make lifestyle changes. You need to heat healthier (and 500 calories per day is NOT healthy no matter what anyone says) and you need to exercise. Do not fall for the HCG diet or any other diet pill. Hard work pays and hard work will give you the results you want and let you keep the results, and eating healthier and exercising is free.

If you’re having trouble losing weight and you’ve considered the HCG diet or other magical weight loss pills please contact me first and let me help you. Do not endanger your life to lose some pounds.

Focus Topic: Calories...

            Okay everyone, we’ve gone over fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a previous article on good fats vs. bad fats. You’ve got the nutritional basics down. Now let’s talk calories. This is a really complicated subject simply because caloric intake is different for everyone. People assume that 2,000 calories is the magic number that we should shoot for when in reality, some people require less and others require more. For example, an obese individual looking to lose weight should never drop from 4,000+ calories per day to 1,500. While it is true that if you want to lose some weight you need to eat fewer calories, you need to make this a gradual change. If you’re use to a 4,000 calorie diet (you might seem shocked at this crazy high number but you’d be surprised how quickly calories can add up) move down to 3,800 for a few weeks. Once your body is use to that, take it down another 2-300 calories. You can’t shock your body with major calorie changes.

            Everywhere you look people are going to tell you something different but my personal opinion is that no one, under any circumstances, should drop below 1,500 calories per day, even if it’s for a short period of time. (This is one reason why the HCG diet is so bad for you. I’ll be having a post on that one later for sure.) Your body requires a certain amount of energy per day just to survive. If you’re not giving your body the energy it needs in the form of calories, basic bodily functions begin to shut down because there’s not enough energy to do everything that needs to be done. Simple things like digestion are not happening because it’s more important for your body to supply energy to your heart and lungs rather than spending it on digestion.  Everyone’s basic metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories simply by living) is different which is why you won’t find an exact number. However it is safe to say that no one should ever go below 1,500.

            Besides the fact that it’s dangerous to deny your body the calories it needs to function at its lowest level, weight loss needs to happen slowly. I know that sounds crazy and that some of you wish you could drop 20 pounds this week but it’s just not safe. A safe amount of weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week (I realize the contestants on The Biggest Loser can sometimes lose up to 10 pounds in a week but please do not use this as an example of a good, normal practice). Slower weight loss means a slower drop in blood pressure. If you are losing too much weight too quickly you risk having your blood pressure drop drastically landing you right in the hospital or even in your very own comfy casket. I’m sure you’ve all heard horror stories about severely obese people having some sort of weight loss surgery and dying several weeks later. Part of that is because of what sudden weight loss does to your blood pressure. I know there are those of us out there who want to lose a lot of weight and that’s okay. Just please, please do it slowly.

            Another reason we want a slow weight loss is because weight loss and weight maintenance require lifestyle changes. It doesn’t do you any good to diet your way to the weight you want to be and then go right back to your old habits. That weight will be back on before you know it. Instead of “dieting” make the choice to change your lifestyle to a healthier one. “Dieting” is a temporary change to induce temporary weight loss. A lifestyle change helps us lose the weight and keep it off.

Tips and Tricks to Cutting Fat and Calories Out of Your Diet without Starving

            Turbo Fit has been in a sad state of neglect and I apologize! It’s time to rectify that with tips and tricks to cutting out fat and calories without starving yourself! I’m constantly looking for ways to cut back but still allow myself to fill up. It seems near impossible to do at times but I promise it isn’t that bad and as long as you can make healthy eating habits you’ll be cutting back all the time and you won’t even know it.

1. Buy snack foods that come individually packaged. No extra money to buy prepackaged food? No problem! As soon as you get home, divvy out the goods into plastic bags you can grab so you only eat one serving at a time. I’m a sucker for chips. And munchies in general. If I get the whole bag out I’m a goner. One serving turns into two… two turns into three… and before you know if I’m so upset at myself for having less self control I lose ALL of my self control and eat until the bag is nearly gone! If I’ve already divvied out the bag into one serving bags, I ensure that I eat only one serving and find I’m satisfied enough to not go back and get a second bag.

2. Add fruits and veggies to every meal. A lot of people say that you shouldn’t eat too much fruit because there’s lots of sugar in it. Well, newsflash, fruits have a natural sugar in them which is SO much different than the processed stuff we add to our foods and is not bad for us! Eat all the fruit you want! (Just remember a lot of fruits do have a lot of fiber so if you’re not use to eating a lot of fiber you may be spending a lot of time in the bathroom.) Fruits and veggies are very low in calories and have no fat. The perfect snack! I like to eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day to curb my hunger and I like to add them to my meals so I don’t eat too much of my higher fat, higher calorie main dish. Not only does eating more fruits and vegetables help you eat less other fatty, high calorie foods, you’re also getting some very important nutrients your body needs to keep you strong and healthy.

3. Don’t skip breakfast! There’s a reason they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For our purposes we’re going to apply this to ourselves nutritionally. Studies have shown that those who skip breakfast (even if you’re skipping it to lose weight) end up eating more calories later in the day than those who eat breakfast and therefore gain more weight. I know it sounds backwards, but if you don’t eat breakfast your body demands more in the later hours of your day and causes you to overeat and you end up eating more calories than you would have if you’d just eaten breakfast in the morning.

4. Cut out coffee! Besides having strange chemicals, coffee tends to be very high calorie with all of the things you add to it. I’m not a coffee drinker myself and I know those of you who are think I’m totally crazy for suggesting such a thing, but I promise you that cutting out coffee cuts out a lot of calories that you are taking in on a daily basis and getting rid of those chemicals is going to make you feel a lot better. You may have to fight off some withdrawal issues but in the long run it’s going to make you healthier, feel better, and lose more weight.

5. Don’t be afraid of low-fat or fat-free versions of your favorite foods. I once made a cheesecake with fat free sour cream and 1/3 less fat cream cheese and it was delicious! It may have been better with full fat ingredients but with my fat-free and low-fat options my cheesecake still turned out amazing and I didn’t indulge in extra fat and calories. I always drink fat free milk too. If you’re a big milk drinker and just can’t stand to drink anything less than 1 or 2%, use fat free in your cooking, baking, and on your cereal. Mixed with other things you’ll never know its fat free. Another favorite of mine is reduced fat cheese. I’ve used fat free cheese before and it’s good but it doesn’t melt very well because there’s no fat in it. I still use fat free cheese as long as I don’t need it melted. But for my cooking I love the reduced fat cheese because it melts well and it’s got so much less fat and calories. There are low-fat and fat free options all around you. Don’t be afraid to try them! I’ve been amazed at the calories and fat I can cut without sacrificing flavor.

6. Stop the mindless eating! I like to graze throughout the day and that is NOT a good thing. If it’s out and I’m passing it while doing my housework, I eat it. When I bake cookies and I leave them out on the cooling rack rather than using my cookie jar, I snag one every chance I get. If I put them away I’m much less likely to overeat. Don’t leave your food out where you can mindlessly graze on it. If you want to leave out fruit and veggies to graze on, go for it! Anything else should be kept out of sight to prevent grazing.

7. Tempted to have seconds at the dinner table? Dish up your meal and then put the food away! By dishing up a normal portion size and then putting the food away you avoid the temptation to dish up more food that is sitting right in front of you. If it’s already put away it’s much easier to resist the temptation to have seconds. Most of us are too lazy to dig it back out of the fridge and reheat one more spoonful of mashed potatoes.

            I hope you’ve found this to be helpful in your journey to be healthier and happier. It takes time to build habits out of these tips so don’t give up! If you have a few bad days, put it behind you and focus on the now. It gets easier, I promise. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks!

What's Your Motivation?

     I think one of the biggest reasons we never follow through on our aerobic fitness routine is lack of motivation. We've all been there at one time or another. Over the last year I've been battling this lack of motivation and I don't need to tell you it's hard to get out of because you already know it! 

     18 months ago when I had my daughter I was so excited to get back into shape. I was still in good shape right before I had her (well, good shape for a pregnant woman) because I had been exercising before my pregnancy and was able to do so all during pregnancy. And when I say I was exercising I mean I was really exercising. Weight training, basketball, running, swimming with the team I coached during their practices up until the day I went into labor, volleyball, everything you could possibly think of, I did. As a PE major we were required to participate in all of these things for 2-4 hours a day and I loved it! However, I still managed to gain 52 pounds over my 9 month pregnancy.

    After my baby girl was born I felt great! Being in shape made labor, deliver, and recovery easier on me than I'm sure it would have had I not been in so great of shape, and everyone kept telling me that because of my exercise during pregnancy my body was going "bounce right back." About a week and a half after my natural childbirth I was ready to start running (my mom was there and she said no...always the voice of reason). By the time I hit my 6 week checkup my doctor said I could do whatever I wanted, though he didn't know I'd already had. :) School started up again 3 months later and I was back into 2-4 hour per day workouts. By January I'd started student teaching at a high school teaching aerobics classes 6 hours a day and training for a half marathon in the afternoons. By May 1st, nearly a year after my daughter was born, I ran my first half marathon.

     Now why did I tell you all of this? Because you may be surprised to know that all of my hard work yielded nothing. I lost zero weight. I even gained some weight (and I promise you it was not muscle, I do know the difference and I would have been happy to gain back some muscle mass). This took a serious hit to my motivation. After working so hard I had nothing to show for it. I went from a pre-pregnancy size 8-10 depending on the style all the way to a size 16. If I'd been sitting on my butt the whole time I'd say I deserved it. But after all of that hard work and no results I was ready to quit. And I did quit for a while.

     7 weeks ago I started doing Turbo Jam and I joined Weight Watchers. In that 7 weeks I've lost 21 pounds. I've still got 30 to go, but I love that things are finally working out for me again. The start of weight loss gave me back the motivation I needed to keep going. I've kept up my cardio routine and I exercise 5-6 days a week now because I want to. I love seeing results, I'm so happy with the way things are going, and I want to keep doing it. My motivation is back!
     I realize that was a long story, but I feel you needed the background story and realize just how devastated I was before things picked up again. So, what motivates you? Seeing the weight loss, feeling strong and healthy? Looking better in a swimsuit? Fitting into your wedding dress? Six-pack abs? Find what motivates you and use it to your advantage. Make a list of short term goals for yourself. My short term goals look something like this:

- Lose 5% of my body weight

- Lose another 5% for a total of 10% of my body weight

- Lost 5 more % for a total of 15% of my body weight 

- Have another baby

     Yup, I said it. I want to have another baby. I don't want to keep getting bigger and bigger every time I have a baby so I want to get that weight down before I get pregnant. My short term goals are to lose only 5% of my body weight each time. I've blown away my first two goals and I'm working on my third. Accomplishing one short term goal gave me motivation to accomplish another. Eventually, I'll accomplish my ultimate goal and have another baby (hopefully with less than 52 ponds to go along with it).

     So short, simple, and to the point, my motivation to keep up my cardio routine is that I like losing weight and I want to have another baby.
     Here's the plan, I want you to set at least 3 (feel free to do more) short term, easily accomplished goals for yourself. Even if goal number 1 is to walk for 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week. Next, share those goals with as many people as you feel comfortable with. The more people that know about these goals, the more you feel obligated to do them. They might check up on you, or you might want to report to them to keep yourself in check. Lastly, get to it! Start hammering away on that list right away! Keep your list in a place where you can see it and be sure to reward yourself along the way. My reward for weight-loss is a shopping trip to buy smaller clothes.
     All that being said, leave a comment telling us how you stay motivated and what you do when motivation is lacking. Tell us your story. Feel free to post your short term goals as well!