Farewell, Blogger

Hi everyone,

I've decided to shake things up and host my website and blog in the same space with WordPress.

Anything I've previously posted has been scooped up and brought over to WordPress. It'll stay here as well, but who wants to read the same posts over and over again?

Follow me to SeeMeFit.com for more health, wellness and fitness blogs.

What Motivates You?

Wow, I’m full of open-ended questions this month! My thoughts tend to come and go in clusters; hence the focus on running a few weeks ago and the current focus on WHY we do what we do (or why we don’t do things).

So, how are you motivated? If you were to make a list of goals, one goal might be to lose weight. Why do you want to lose weight?

Common answers:

• To be a healthy parent / set a good example
• To live longer
• To win big in the office weight-loss pool
• To become healthier and no longer need diabetes/blood pressure/etc. medicines
• To lose more weight than my friend

Which of these apply to you, and do you notice a theme?

Are You Ready To Change?

A seemingly dramatic, yet telling question: Are you ready to change? Most people will say yes. They're absolutely ready to change and they're willing to give 110%. They want to lose weight and lose it right now and they've got a gym membership, brand new sneakers, they just went grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables and by golly, this time it's for real!

Fast forward 4 weeks and what has changed? Well, the client is more frustrated. That gung-ho attitude they had last month has given way to excuse-itis. They did all of those things but honestly, nothing changed.

Gym membership? It was used 3 times that first week, then relegated to the bottom of the gym bag (which is floating around in the back of their trunk).

This bag is ready to go places

New sneakers? "Well they're in my car so I can go to the gym right after work" says the client. A perfectly reasonable answer, as many of us probably keep out gym gear in the same spot.

Fresh fruits and vegetables? "I did good the first week, but then I didn't have time to go grocery shopping".  Sirens are sounding in my head, because I know this story and I know where it's going: downhill, and fast.

"Then I had to finish a big project at work and had to eat lunch at my desk. I didn't have any food at home so I went to McDonalds". I know where this is going already....

"Then I got home and I was so tired I didn't work out. I didn't have any food to make so I ate ice cream. It's my go-to when I'm stressed".

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this story re-told with various excuses, foods, and seemingly logical variations. Or delusions, if you can see through the facade of excuse-itis. After hearing this story more than 2 weeks in a row I often tell clients this...


you simply aren't ready to change.

Sample Workout: Running & weight training

I can't believe it's almost October! My favorite month is days away and I'm already in the mood for pumpkin. Instead of hitting the sugar-bomb Pumpkin Lattes I add a tbsp of pumpkin pie puree to my oats in the morning (along with a pinch of cinnamon) and it hits the spot. Let's not forget Halloween, the spooky rides at Disneyland, Oktoberfest, the changing of the leaves, and the option to wear scarves and close-toed shoes in Southern California :-).

I WISH I carved these guys.

Source

I've noticed that my website SeeMeFit has been getting a lot of hits (thank you!) but not too many buyers. I think that might be due to the lack of flashy testimonials (which I couldn't legally bring with me from my last employer) and possibly due to the lack of sample workouts. You'd like to know what you're getting if you're spending your hard earned money on a service, right?

Running 101

It was a few weeks ago that I christened myself a “jogger, but not a runner”. Fast forward 5-6 weeks and I’ve run enough miles (74.5 since the Urban Dare post) and read the blogs of enough running coaches that I think I’ve got the basics down. This is a far cry from a year or two ago when I’d decide to go running once in a blue moon, covering far too many miles on my non-runner legs, and hobble back home with an injury.

A little background: I haven’t always been athletically inclined, although I did play field hockey in high school for a semester. My jock phase abruptly ended in 2001 when I was in a car accident that forced me onto crutches for about 2 months and into physical therapy for 6 additional months. I regained full range of motion but lost a significant amount of muscle, mobility, and strength as well as suffering nerve damage. On paper I was doing fine (I didn’t require any more physical therapy aside from a cortisone shot to the knee every 6 months or so), but I felt lethargic and much weaker than before.

RDI’s, RDA’s and UL’s (oh my!): Guide to Vitamins and Minerals

Ah, a new week. Another chance to learn, reflect, and gasp “oh my goodness I can’t believe it’s already September!” To be fair, it’s been the 9^th month for 13 days thus far, but sometimes it takes a while to sink in.

You know how to read the label AND the box of food, what your plate should look like, so what about vitamins, minerals and all the other fortified goodies?  The healthy things lurking inside the food you eat unbeknownst (or known) to you. I’ve complied a guide to vitamins, minerals, signs of deficiency and over consumption, and good sources of each.

Shopping for Fitness: A Guide to Heart Rate Monitors

Last month I covered the basics of training within heart rate zones, detailing which zones are good for which aerobic/anaerobic adaptations. I also discussed the various formulas for calculating your heart rate zone, the age-based formula and the Karvonen formula. Luckily for us there’s a much easier way to figure out which zone you’re in, while you’re exercising (no need to stop and do the math). 

The heart rate monitor, my absolute favorite piece of fitness equipment. Nothing has motivated me to work harder, work smarter, and work longer than my heart rate monitor (henceforth referred to as HRM). 

Reading the Nutrition Label: Part Two

Welcome back! This is a continuation of last week’s blog where I took a closer look at reading the standard nutrition label, beyond calories and %DV’s (percent daily values).

If you missed part one, click here. I examined

• What it means when a food contains the word “imitation” (hint: it’s got less of the good stuff)
• Why “juice” will never be as simple as it sounds (read the ingredients!)
• The sad truth is that we’ll never know what’s in special sauce unless someone decides to bottle and sell their special sauce.

First up to bat: Nutritional Content Claims

Reading the Nutrition Label: Part One

Today's topic is the allmighty nutrition label. I’m sure we’re all familiar with picking up a box or bag of something and reading the food label. It's a snapshot of what to expect inside: serving size, calories, fat calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, all based on an "average" 2000 calorie per day diet. Typically we’ll look at everything that’s highlighted on the image below, right?

Focus Your Efforts with Heart Rate Zone Training

Perhaps this post could be called an ode to the heart rate monitor, my favorite training tool. It gives instant feedback and lets me know how hard I'm truly training, based on my cardiac output. If you're a gym-goer you've probably jumped on a cardio machine and seen this familiar sticker or one of its familiar variations. Why so complicated, cardiovascular machines? I'll explain why one (heart rate) zone doesn't fit all because we all have different training goals.

Fitness Can Be Fun: Urban Dare Pacific Beach 2011

Honestly, I’m not a runner. I can run, I do run, but I’ve never considered myself to be a runner. Why? Growing up around runners has put them on a pedestal of low body fat, expensive shoes, and clocking miles at a 2-for-1 pace versus mine. It’s mostly the latter that distinguishes me from them; they’re fast and I’m slow. I’ll call myself a jogger…but not yet a runner.

Rules of Reading: Know the Source & Get the Full Story

Sifting through health-related studies can be a daunting task, especially when those studies get condensed into bite-sized paragraphs or scare-inducing headlines. For example, the New England Journal of Medicine recently released a twelve-page study titled Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. The study followed 120,000 healthy individuals in health related professions for 20 years, checking in every 4 years to weigh them and assess their lifestyle habits.

Portions Versus Servings and WHY the Difference is Crucial

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live – Socrates

Thousands of years before the obesity epidemic, Socrates offers advice about food, drink and it’s purpose. We realize we need food and water to survive in the most basic of ways, but how much is needed? Specifically, what constitutes a portion of food or drink versus a serving? I’m not talking about caloric needs, macronutrient ratios, or basal metabolic rates (though those are all worthy of individual topics). What makes a portion of food? Can you look at a plate and know you’re eating 2 servings of protein? The short answer is yes, with some practice. 

Southwest Tour 2011

I'm back from vacation! It's a bit of a challenge to step away from my routine, especially when that routine involves eating and exercising (and tracking such things to ensure progress), but I managed to do it AND enjoy myself AND not worry about it!

Short story: I flew to Denver July 1st (buckle your seat belts, Denver has dreadful turbulence) and drove back home on the 17th. We mountain biked, hiked, camped, stayed with family, stayed at a B&B and sadly did not get to go river rafting. The river was raging and I was told I would not be a happy camper if I were submerged and getting pummeled with icy, class 4 rapids. Read on for the long story…

School's Out for Summer

So, today's the big day before the big day. I'm cleaning, packing, and getting ready for a fantastic Summer Adventure. I can't be the only one that cleans the house spotless before they go on vacation...it's so nice to come home to a clean home, right?

I'll be gone for a couple weeks, rafting, hiking, biking, and driving my way through the Southwestern United States. Oh yes, lots and lots of driving: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California.

The good: Everything is nice and spaced out so we won't be rushing to get from point to point. It's sure to be exciting, gorgeous and a great way to see parts of the country.

The bad: I surely won't have internet access, probably won't have regular cell service. So I won't be posting to the blog, checking phone messages, or checking my e-mail while I'm gone.

Road trips are tricky, but I'm employing some healthy tools to ensure I stay on the right track:

Eustress, Distress, We All Feel Some Sort of Stress

Tension is who you think you should be; Relaxation is who you are.- Chinese Proverb

Ah, stress. Or perhaps that should read UGH, STRESS! We're just going about our day trying to live our lives and it attacks. Stress is a multi-headed Hydra, bearing its' teeth as you get stuck in a traffic jam on your way to work....rush to the grocery store to find they're sold out of the one ingredient you need...not being able to sleep and angrily staring at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock, counting down the minutes of sleep you're missing out on...oh, I could go on but we all know what stress is and that it decides to show up at the worst possible moments. Or does it? There are multiple types of stress, both good and bad, or too much versus too little. 

Staying Positive Does a Body Good

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it - Lou Holtz

The Glass is Half Full

Positive Psychology is "the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive" according to Dr. Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania. Positive psychology is much more than just thinking happy thoughts, it's about aligning positive emotions with individual traits and institutions to create a fulfilled, thriving you. I'm particularly interested in how the power of positivity correlates to health and goal setting, as it directly impacts my clients and their success.

Cardio: Keeping Humans in Shape Since the Dawn of Mankind

No, this won't be a post about evolution and how we're anthropomorphically built to run/walk/jog long/medium/short distances over long/short periods of time while wearing shoes/no shoes. OK, one line dedicated to evolution: people believe all of the above.  For now, the basics! It's a challenge to stick to the bare bones issues because topics like cardiovascular exercise lead to heart rate zones which leads to intensity levels which leads to fat storage burns versus glycogen storage calorie burns...and to that I say, one thing at a time! Exercise doesn't need to be so complicated.

Jenny's June Workout

I like to change my workouts monthly, if not weekly, depending on my most pressing goals. I strongly advise for everyone that exercises to go to the gym with a plan. I like to ask myself the following (rhetorically, of course):
Why am I here?
What are my goals?
What am I doing here to help me reach my goals?

Common Strength Training Myths

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it - Plato

After last week's strength training blog I realized I'd covered a lot of information but there was still so much more to talk about. Specifically, I wanted to cover some common myths that keep popping up. Without further ado, here are some straightforward answers to common misconceptions, backed by science.

Strength Training Basics

A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up - Florence Griffith Joyner

Strength training is one of my favorite forms of exercise so I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to discuss it a bit. It seems most exercise enthusiasts are divided into two camps: they love weight training and the challenges and opportunities it presents, or they despise it and treat it as a nuisance at best and an option at worst.