I want you. Yes you!

I'm back from the land of grad school finals.  Ah, it feels so good.  I do have a 6-week clinical ahead of me, but that seems easy compared to 'school'.  I get to come home and actually BE home with my kids.  A glorious next four months this will be.  Two more years and I'll be Dr. Lara Chase! 

I want to give a shout out to SO many people I'm so very proud of.  I have friends near and far who have embarked upon the Jamie Eason 12-week LiveFit trainer.  I have friends who are going to give a whirl this summer.  I have friends who have recently just started.  I have friends who are well into a couple of phases.  I have friends who did it over a year ago.  What I anticipate happening is YOU all will have friends who will do it too, and so on and so forth.  And yes, now I want YOU, yes you, to do it too!  What are you waiting for?

The summer is upon us.  Maybe you are off school for the summer.  Maybe your work slows down a bit in the summer.  Maybe you have a summer vacation you want to get in shape for.  Well try this trainer.  I've written a post a while ago on why I like this trainer so much.  I'll sum it up again:

1.  It's free
2.  It's dumby proof
3.  It's free
4.  It's dumby proof
5.  It's free
6.  It's dumby proof
7.  It's free
8.  It's dumby proof
9.  It's free
10.It's dumby proof

Catch what I'm throwing down?  This training program can be for ANYONE.  And that anyone is you too.  Do you run and not seem to get anywhere you want to be going in terms of your body?  Do you want to lose weight?  Do you want to tone?  Do you want to feel stronger?  Have you always wanted to lift weights but don't know what to do in the weight room?  I could go on.  Truth is if you want to lose weight, stop doing a gazillion hours of cardio!!!!!!!  Trust me.  It's not going to get you anywhere.  If you love running and that's your outlet, then YES keep running.  But I'd also recommend lifting weights.  This program spells out EVERY single day for you.  It has nice photos with exercise descriptions and if you still don't get it, click on the video link.  Walk into the weight room and own it.  Don't worry about what anyone else is thinking.  They don't care what you are doing.  And if they do then they aren't working out hard enough.  Not to mention for the most part, every day is different and the way you are lifting changes after 4 weeks.  You can't get bored with this program. 

What happens after the 3 months have passed and you finish the trainer?  Well you keep going.  You have the tools to do whatever you want.  Re-do the program.  Hang out in Phase 2.  Do a little of this kind of workout and some other kind of workout.  Recommend the program to a friend b/c you love it so much and do the program again with your friend. 

I'll reiterate, this program is for anyone.  My mom (62 years old) has been through it once.  There are countless facebook support pages specifically for this program and ladies [and men] post progress stories all the time.  Small, big, wide, purple, blue...everyone can do this.  It will be life changing.  That is if you also EAT healthy.  80% of your results are what you eat and 20% the exercise.  I'm convinced.  And if you aren't doing either of those, well then you are just plain screwed and you need to start something now.  Don't know where to start?  Grab a friend, a husband, a boyfriend, a whatever, and start here!!!! 

My before and after photos are posted below.  This is from a year ago from start to finish.  I followed the meal plan for this program 90% and allowed one cheat meal per week.  I still follow the meal plan but am not as strict.  I've maintained my physical results +/-.  I go back to the workouts in this program frequently and I dabble in some Crossfit when I'm able to workout in a group setting. 

Before November 2011 vs after April 2012

A Guest Post: Cancer and Wellness

Well it's been a good hot minute since I last posted.  A quick update and then a GUEST blog post!  I'm half way through my 3rd semester of Physical Therapy school.  I'm gearing up for my first clinical rotation at the end of April...scary and exciting.  I'm running a half marathon right before finals week in mid-April.  I have added some distance running, but not a whole lot.  I'm sticking to my weightlifting, Crossfit, HIIT, and getting about 2 runs per week with one of those being long(er) distance.  As one of Matt's good friends said last year after the North Face Bear Mountain 1/2 marathon, that distance can be treated like a no-notice deployment.  For fun, we are 'competing' in the Crossfit Games open.  They announce a weekly WOD and you post your score online after you complete it.  My scores aren't anything to call home about, but it's still fun.  Considering I work out a couple of times per week given my crazy school and life schedule and have only Crossfitted since October/November 2012, I'd say I'm doing pretty well. 

This guest blog post is from Melanie Brown.  We 'met' through virtual blog world and she contacted me about writing a guest post.  The topic is cancer and the importance of staying healthy.  Hopefully this information can be useful to some of you and/or your loved ones.

Cancer Diagnosis: The Necessity of Fitness

The diagnosis of cancer may be the most distressing event ever experienced in a
person’s life. The fear of a future with an unknown outcome may bring on the most
devastating emotions of anxiety, depression and loss of appetite. However, the
person who has been diagnosed can do much in preparation for the life-saving
medical interventions that may ensue. Keeping or pursuing a strong body with good
nutrition, a healthy weight and regular exercise can help those with cancer to
alleviate depression, stave off anxiety, reduce fatigue and safely continue the
process of treatment.

Cancer Treatment and Nutrition

Medical interventions, such as chemotherapies and radiations, can weaken the
muscles and challenge the immune system of the body. A diet in lean high-quality
proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits may help to repair the tissues that are affected
by these therapies. Include plenty of fresh water and juices that may help the body
flush out toxins from noxious chemicals and maintain the healing properties of
hydration. The loss of appetite can cause weight loss that may interfere with the
continuation of cancer treatment therapies. For people who receive radiation
therapies, such as those affected with mesothelioma, protein shakes mixed with fruit
may help to maintain a healthy weight and assure the completion of the course of
treatment.

The Need for Endurance and Fitness

The maintenance of a healthy weight also includes a proportionate amount of
muscle mass. Strength training with even light weights can be beneficial in building
and maintaining muscle mass during treatment. Aerobic exercise can improve
circulation and provide more oxygen to the cells of the body. Walking or jogging can
assist in weight loss for lean and strong muscles. Exercise also boosts the mood by
stimulating brain chemicals that fight off depression, reverse fatigue and decrease
anxiety. Working out as tolerated may also improve or maintain self-confidence and
increase a positive attitude towards life.

Exercise is an Integral Part of Recovery

To prepare for cancer intervention, experts agree that exercise, proper nutrition and
a positive attitude are imperative to prepare and maintain the body. In times of
fatigue and appetite loss, people can be creative and use high-quality supplements
to retain a healthy body weight and the proper balance of protein and nutrients.
According to researchers, cancer patients who exercised on a regular basis
experienced less fatigue and a significant decrease in nausea. Patients also retained
more lean tissue, a higher level of endurance, a more restful sleep and reported a
better overall feeling of wellness.

The apple never falls too far from the tree

I'm going to make a pretty big generalization here.  And it's not all entirely true 100% of the time, but generally I see some trends.  I feel like the apple never falls too far from the tree.  My parents (both of them) have always been active with exercise.  Going to the gym has always been a part of their normal lives.  I don't remember a long period of time ever when either of my parents weren't working out.  Interest in exercise for myself and my brother started at a young age with sports and staying fit in the off seasons. 

So fast forward to adulthood now for me.  Being fit, getting more fit (b/c we all can always be more fit), and hopefully helping others be fit is my life and will play some sort of role in my career.  My brother is still active himself and enjoys running, biking, hiking, and participating in triathlons.  Our parents are 62 years old and they still exercise.  I'm not talking your leisure stroll to the mailbox exercise or even a walk around the block.  I'm talking going to the gym, lifting up and putting down appropriate weights for their strength, using the cardio equipment, going on bike rides, etc. 

My mom recently has been experiencing some discomfort in her knee.  She really enjoys sprints on the treadmill (a HIIT workout), but this bothers her knee.  So after about a year of annoyance, the discomfort got bad enough to warrant a trip to see her friendly PT.  Leading up to her appointment and as her pain worsened she would back off from activities at the gym and even took a few more rest days than normal.  However, she couldn't just quit going to the gym.  Matter of fact I think her exact words were "I just can't NOT go to the gym."  Now I know where I get it from... :)

So she will do the prescribed exercises the PT gives her and refrain from those that bother her and she will heal. 

My dad had double hip replacement a couple months ago.  He was discharged early from PT b/c he was so compliant and so in shape prior to his surgery that the PT just couldn't do more for him.  He was that ready to ease back in to his normal gym routine.  Such a proud daughter!!!

I plan to be the same example for my kids. 

What kind of tree are/were your parents?  What kind of tree are you or do you plan to be?  What kind of apples do you plan to have? 

Time to get back on track

Well, I thought I was going to blog more while on Christmas break from school.  We traveled to the mountains of NC for the week of Christmas and we did not have internet connectivity.  It was actually amazing.  We would like to live in the mountains some day.  Not necessarily in NC b/c it doesn't snow enough, but somewhere in the mountains.  Anyway, so this post is a 'get back on track' post.  For you, me, and everyone. 

I ate a lot A LOT of Christmas cookies.  We ate tons of unauthorized, sugary, non-clean foods.  That is okay.  It was all so good.  I worked out 3 times while in NC and no lifting (sad face).  I had (and still have) a lot of work to do, but I'm getting back on track. 

I don't really set New Year resolutions.  Rather I would like to just better myself from my month long slip up of with minimal physical activity and bad eating starting before finals and lasting through Christmas.  So we are back to clean eating and now that I'm home I'm able to work out.  I'm still off of school so I'm able to work out as freely as I please and even get in a couple two a days.

About a year ago, I declared myself a non-runner.  I have been, what I consider, a runner since high school.  I opted for the change to weights b/c I was never able to achieve the physique I wanted with running.  All of our goals our different.  I've really enjoyed this change.  For 2013, I don't intend to become a runner again, but I do want to have some goals.  Like I want to run a half marathon.  I haven't ran more than 10 miles since probably 2008.  I'd not only like to run a half marathon but run every mile in sub-8's.  That's my goal.  I would like you to set goals too.  Maybe it's to run a 5K (the entire way through, doesn't matter how slow or fast).  Maybe it's simply to join a gym and get started with any form of physical activity.  But please PLEASE do something. 

If you don't know where to start, ask me.  Or start here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html.  This is the program I used when I changed from being a runner to lifting weights.  I like this program b/c 1) anyone can do it 2) it's dumby proof...it has every day spelled out for you.  Lifting weights helps you burn fat like nobodies' business.  So if you are in a rut with cardio cardio cardio and not getting the results you want, try this.  :)  It will not disappoint. 

I love leg day.

Yes it's supposed to hurt. (tank: Firedaughter Clothing on etsy; bra: BodyRock Sport)

Super Christmas gifts I'm so excited about.  Smartwool...best socks ever.  Clarisonic Mia-not fitness related, but I love it and can't wait for clearer skin! Garmin running watch (as if the Chase family didn't have enough of these, we have 5!)

Time to get fit!

Do you set goals?  I don't necessarily want to call them fitness goals, but yes that's what I'm talking about.

I wish I lived near all of my loved ones and friends so I could encourage errr MAKE them be fit.  I tried the encouraging thing a lot time ago.

Maybe you don't know what to do?  Do you need ideas?  I want to challenge YOU to hit the sidewalks, trails, treadmills, whatever.  It's time to get fit.  I also want you to push yourself.  You need to elevate your heart rate, get on a good sweat, and yes potentially even feel sore the next day.  We like soreness.  It shows you are working hard.  I not only want you do to this, I want you do to this FOREVER.  It's not an only do it every now and then kind of thing.  Health should be your life because you only have one life to live.  Preserve you youth.  I promise you as you age, you will age more gracefully if you remain physically fit.  Your heart will work better, your muscles will work better, your lungs will work better, you will be able to move easier.  Things may even hurt less.  Your entire body will work better, imagine that.

You know who you are.  I'm going to give you some treadmill options below.  Start there.  I also want to encourage you to start lifting weights.  If you don't know what to do, send me a message and I'll point you in the right direction.  Most of all, OWN THIS!  Do not be afraid of the gym.  No one else in there cares what you are doing.

Option 1:  walk for 30 minutes, moderate pace.  Oh that's too boring...go to option 2.

Option 2: Treadmill
walk 3% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 5.0mph for 5 mins
walk 5% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 5.5mph for 5 mins
walk 7% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.0mph for 5 mins
walk 0% incline @ 3.5 mph

That's too easy? Go to option 3

Option 3:  Treadmill
walk 5% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 5.5mph for 5 mins
walk 7% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.0mph for 5 mins
walk 9% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.5 mph for 5 mins
walk 0% incline @ 3.5 mph

STILL too easy?  Go to option 4

Option 4:  Treadmill
walk 7% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.0 for 5 mins
walk 9% incline @ 3.5mph for 5mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.5mph for 5 mins
walk 11% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 7.0mph for 5 mins
walk 0% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins

Daddy of all options, the one I do.  You can do it too!  Work up to it.

Option 5:  Treadmill
walk 9% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 6.5mph for 5 mins
walk 12% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
jog 0% incline @ 7.5mph for 5 mins
walk 15% incline @ 3.5mph for 5 mins
RUN 0% incline 1-mile as fast as you can.  I try to keep my speed around 9.0mph
walk 0% incline @ 3.5mph for five mins

Once you feel like your are getting stronger cardiovascular wise, try doing sprints on the treadmill.  I'm not saying do these all the time.  I also want you to do steady state low intensity cardio workouts, but you need to change it up every now and then too.  Sprinting will help you get faster and stronger.

Option 6: Treadmill (another option just to change it up)
30 minute treadmill sprints
30 seconds on followed by 30 seconds off.  Repetitively over and over until 30 minutes is reached.  Pick a speed that is hard for you.  This is different for everyone.  If you can't do 30 minutes, do 20 minutes.  The way I do these, is I sprint for 30 seconds and then straddle the treadmill belt by standing on the sides for 30 seconds.  And then I hop back on.  I use the hand rails for all my transfers.

Do anything, something.  I just want you to want to get fit.

By the way, my 62 year old mother works out 4-5 days per week.  She follows a similar lifting program to me and does cardio.  She has even done the treadmill sprint workouts when her knee is feeling okay. So really, you don't have any excuses.

Tough love.  :)

If you think I'm talking to you, then I probably am.  I expect a report back on progress....
               

Livefit Trainer common questions on eating

Thank you Sandy...I worked out 5 times this past week.  It was heavenly. I haven't done that since before school started this summer.

On a separate note, I'm going to write this blog to answer some common questions that I get.  If you already know about clean eating, what to buy, where to find it, etc, then this post isn't for you.  Everyone else:

If you follow the same workout program I did/do the Jamie Eason 12-week Livefit trainer (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html) then you will see there is a menu link on the page as well as recipes.  I love the recipes.  Some of them are staples in my kitchen.  I highly recommend the 3-bean turkey chili, the Monster Meatloaf, and all of the homemade protein bars.  I'm currently loving the pumpkin protein bars.  The program gives you suggestions for sample meals to eat for all 6 (yes I said 6 meals) for the day.  In the beginning, a lot of people tell me they don't feel hungry enough to each that many times per day.  Yes yes, I felt that way too.  Your metabolism isn't used to it. I recommend eating ALL 6 meals every day, even in the first few weeks when you don't feel hungry.  You will find in a couple of weeks your metabolism will have caught up and you will be hungry and ready for your next meal before the time arrives.  If you have problems remembering to eat every 3 hours b/c you are busy, set alarm reminders on your phone.  Where there is will, there is a way.  No excuses.

Next, whey protein.  I use all natural (sweetened with Stevia NOT sucralose-the stuff Splenda is made from) whey protein.  I have a post-workout protein shake within 30 minutes of working out (cardio or lifting).  I also have a protein shake before bed.  The program calls for egg whites before bed, but I don't eat eggs.  I sometimes make protein whey pudding or ice cream, but lately it has just been a shake before bed.  It gives my muscles nutrients to feed off of and recover for those 8 (hopefully) hours of sleep.  Also, if I don't consume some sort of protein before bed I wake up in the middle of the night famished.  I mix my protein shakes with almond milk.  Almond milk has considerably less sugar than regular milk, yes even skim milk.  I no longer drink regular milk for this reason.  It's all about limiting sugars.  I order my whey protein from www.bodybuilding.com b/c they ship crazy fast and usually you get a free gift.  Win win!

I use this protein for my protein bars and my before bed shake.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/natwhey.html

Matt only likes chocolate and is fond of this brand.  I like chocolate for my post-workout shakes.  I also put a banana, ground flax seed, and raw spinach leaves in my post-workout shakes.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mrm/100-percent-all-natural-whey.html

Almond Milk

As stated above, I ALWAYS have homemade protein bars made each week.  Usually I eat 4 bars with a bag of raw veggies for meal 2.  The protein bars call for oat flour.  I buy the really big thing of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (plain oatmeal) and grind it up in the blender.  Oat flour!!!!  You can buy it already ground up but 1) I have never found it and 2) this is pretty inexpensive.

I use Stevia to sweeten my coffee and it is called for in most of the protein bar recipes.  I buy the little packs and they are found in the same isle where sugar and Splenda are.  So why not Splenda, it's cheaper??  Splenda is artificially made.  Naturally found products are going to be easier for your system to digest.  Plus, no one knows if artificially made products have carcinogens, cause cancer, etc.  A lot of people say Splenda causes extra bloat in your belly and here we are trying to slim our bellies down.  On occasion if I end up somewhere (say out to eat or a coffee shop) and most don't have Stevia, I will have Splenda.  Although I do try to keep a few packs in my purse for this exact reason.  I also have a big bag of Stevia in my pantry all the time for cooking.  It is substituted equally for sugar.

Stevia I use in my coffee

Stevia I use for cooking.  For some reason the commissary doesn't carry this size bag.  I find them at Target.

I didn't mention this above, but instead of Stevia I like to use Truvia in my yogurt, Chobani plain.  I add this and fresh berries.  Don't buy the already mixed kinds...the sugar is too high.  

Flax seed can be found in the 'organic' section of the commissary or grocery stores.  I buy the whole seeds and grind my myself.  I find they stay fresher longer this way.  I keep them in a ziplock baggy in the frig and use as needed.  I put ground flax seed in my post-workout protein shakes.

I hope this helps.  Last but very not least, if you need a workout program to follow and don't know what to do I recommend the one associated with this website.  It is dumby proof.  On day 1, you will do push ups.  If you can't do them yet, try them on your knees and work up.  Don't get defeated.  Everything is scaled down if you need it to be.  Challenge yourself.

I love pushups.  You can take the girl out of the Army, but can't take the Army out of the girl!  

It's been a while...

Oh boy, I have been absent from blogging in what seems like forever.  October was/is the month of midterms in school and they smacked me in the face.  Everything got put on the back burner for these tests, to include fitness and eating.  I was lucky if I got in one workout a week and some weeks I didn't get any in.  It should seem simple, get up early to work out, right?  Or go later?  Not exactly with a two hour commute [one way] to school and two precious babies that I would choose ANY day over anything.  So in order to preserve limited time with them the gym time had to go.

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, this week I'll actually be able to work out consistently for 5 days!  Ahhh, it feels so good.

I'm only human so during midterms I ate like flat out crap.  Meal 1, M2, M3, M4 and M6 were usually still consistent with what I eat every day, however I indulged almost every day at dinner.  Especially when I would stay late at school and not have a dinner plan in place.  Add on top of that the amount of candy and cookies we ate while we were studying.  But according to our Histology professors this summer, it's okay b/c your brain uses up the glucose with intense studying.  So I'll just keep telling myself that it didn't go to my belly.

Really though, excess sugar in the diet goes straight to your belly.  So if you want to slim your stomach down abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym.  I would recommend hitting the gym too though in addition.

Luckily though I didn't fall completely off the deep end.  When I first changed my fitness focus almost a year ago from distance running to resistance training and high intensity interval training, I went hard for 12 weeks with minimal slip ups.  I find now that when I do slip up, I'm able to not entirely lose everything I worked so hard for.  The best advice I can give is to tell you to NOT keep falling off the deep end.  Don't dwell on what you did before today, and now it's time to get back in the game.

I'm sorry this post doesn't have any delicious meal ideas or fitness photos.  Take this as your motivation to start eating right and find some sort of physical fitness to take part in.  Oh and this post is to let you all know I'm definitely human.