Not Dead....must be stronger!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Y-FbeCX14  I love this Kelly Clarkson song and put it on my running playlist.  I sang it out loud in my mind LOL while I was running on the treadmill tonight.

It was followed by what has become my mantra for this month http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOJpIwF47Y  I love the song Fighter by Christina Aguilera.  It actually makes me think of my trainer and then I laugh.  I sang this one to myself while I was on the stairmaster.

..and then finally finishing on the bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZICTaUmU0  Blackout by Breathe Carolina.  My current crazy cardio day from my trainer is 20 minutes each on three different pieces of equipment.

I working on focusing on the best I can be and not planning my life around what others think I should be.  Today I know I can run 1.5 miles, do 35 flights of stairs on the stair master, and bike 8 miles and enjoy myself.  Three years ago I couldn't walk up three flights of stairs after a fire drill.  Is my body perfect?  No!  But the progress is significant and I like that - I'm not dead, I'm a fighter!

I needed a pair of ear plugs last night!  The snacks called my name and boy did I listen.  Today I've been faithful to eat within my calorie range, log my food, and be honest about the fact that I didn't do that yesterday.  I am not perfect and I do not expect to be.  The thing that has changed for me these last three years is one day of random weird eating doesn't freak me out.  I get up the next morning and decide....

Where is my future going to lead me today?  I get to choose each day and yesterday didn't have any impact on my ability to make healthy choices today.

So are you a fighter?  Will you look at your day tomorrow and make some good choices for your future?

Weekend Food Tests and Motivation

Over the weekend I spent some time trying a couple of new recipes and I wanted to review those.

 First up a recipe from Eating Well Magazine - couscous paella soup.  I think it turned out to be roughly $3.25 per person.  After reading about the challenge on Slow Food USA to come up with healthy recipes that are less than what you'd spend on a fast food meal, I've been paying more attention to that.  If you look up this recipe, we used turkey pepperoni instead of the chorizo.  I think going forward I would substitute shrimp.  I grew up making paella and we always had seafood in it.  My family didn't like the couscous and asked me to make it with whole wheat noodles next time.  Here's what the finished product looked like:

 My daughter and I found this plaque while we were out shopping.  I loved the thought behind it.

 Our random new treat that we tried:  Newman's Own peppermint cups.  We liked them and one is 60 calories.  3 come in the package. 

I also made a beef stir fry that also came out around $3.25.  Not pictured is the brown rice that I made.  I marinated the meat in 1 T organic tamarind sauce and freshly grated ginger.  Loved the ginger flavor in the dish.  I sauteed in a spritz of sesame oil:  1 cup chopped celery, 1/2 fresh chopped onion, 2 cups chopped mushrooms, 2 cups chopped baby bok choy with the beef.   The package had .9 lbs in it and I was cooking for 4.  Once the meat was cooked through, I added the rice and cashews and about 1 T soy sauce.

So more evidence for the fact that you can eat interesting and healthy food for less than a happy meal costs.

I find that I never regret a workout, but only regret not being able to talk myself into going to the gym sometimes.  Today was a struggle for me.  I was tired and could think of little to get me out from under the covers - I did haul myself over to the gym and get in leg weights and my 30 minutes of biking cardio afterwards.  Of course I was thrilled that I went after it was all over.

I also had the opportunity to sit down with a friend today and review her eating and workout logs for the month.  I like putting my experience and my training into use to help someone else reach their goals.  I now have a new Greek Yogurt fan!  It's not hard when you see the yogurt you were eating has 6 grams of protein and the same portion of Greek Yogurt has 23.  She was brave enough to just let me open her fridge and pantry and teach her how to use the fooducate app to score stuff she was buying at the grocery store.  I wish her all the best as she takes a leap and makes some changes for February.

So another day in the #healthylife books - food logged, water drank, workout done, and I feel happy about all of that.

What's Inspiring me today....

I found this poster on http://t.co/dyrQt6A7  A facebook page for someone who says always love yourself.  She had a number of posters that I save to use myself later as a source of inspiration.

Really who defines impossible - usually we define what is or is not possible in our own life by what happens in our own brain.  Today I chose to see possibilities where previously I saw obstacles.

I'm trying new ways to get calcium into my diet and I fund a recipe for a Ricotta mixture that was being used on crepes.  I've modified it and made a couple of breakfasts with it now.  Lowfat Ricotta with truvia, and vanilla.  here it (1 T each muffin slice) is on a whole wheat muffin topped with sugar free apricot jam warmed with a small amount of water so it's spreadable and then topped with almonds.  The whole thing was toasted under the broiler.  I think I would replace the truvia/vanilla with a small amount of maple syrup going forward.

The next day I used it as a topping for lowfat whole wheat waffles.  I warmed up 1/2 frozen blueberries with 1 T water in the microwave, add truvia.  Put the blueberries on top and and a small amount of chopped walnuts. 

Breakfast this morning - 1/2 c fat free greek yogurt, apple pie spice, truvia.  Topped with fresh blackberries, chopped walnuts and one low fat whole wheat waffle cut up with the pizza cutter. 

I started my day with a free lower body pilates video on SparkPeople.com.  I think it was about 10 minutes. 

I've been adding songs to my workout playlist.  One new song for me is What Doesn't Kill You by Kelly Clarkson.   This song inspires me to remember that how I respond to difficult things in life is my choice.  I can let them defeat me or pull up and grown stronger and walk through it.

Later today I'll be trying a new recipe that I found in the Eating Well Magazine called Couscous Paella Soup.  If that turns out to be a keeper, I'll post about it.  My plans also include a trip to the gym to do leg weights.  Like the poster says about you get what you work for.  I'm working for health, optimism, and strength today.

If you're doing something inspiring, tweet me @michelenecleary and share your #healthylife with me.

Review: Coach Nicole's 28 Day Bootcamp DVD

For anyone who reads my review of Coach Nicole's DVD, I'd like to disclose up front that I received this DVD for free from SparkPeople, and did not receive any form of payment for my review.  In addition, I am a regular blogger for The Daily Spark (http://www.dailyspark.com/blogs_author_view_all.asp?author=5800485), and have articles published every Thursday.  I also co-lead the Jumpstart January Challenge, and the Spring into Shape Challenge on SparkPeople, both of which use Coach Nicole's videos as a basis for the challenge.  I also serve as a Community Leader answering questions on the Panic Message Board.   All that being said, I feel completely free to give both pros and cons and discuss my honest opinion regarding this 28 Day Boot Camp DVD.

I've always found Nicole encouraging and motivational.  I've blogged about the fact that she inspired me early on to start running again after a 20 year break, and through that has helped me become the healthier person I am now after over 2 years on SparkPeople.  She's her normal upbeat self on this DVD.

So here are my pros and cons after reviewing and completing the DVD myself:

Pros:

*  I like the fact that the two people working out with her look like normal people I'd see at the gym.  I tend to dislike DVD's that look like they are shot with fitness models.
*  I like the room they are working out in and find the environment - the thought of working out there and then having water and sitting on the couch to talk about health with friends- appealing.
*  I liked some of the balance challenges and the fact that some of the exercises were new to me.  After three years of hitting the gym, doing all kinds of DVD's, Wii games, and reading 6 health/fitness/diet related magazines a month, sometimes I feel like I've seen most everything.  She surprised me with a few new things and that was nice.
*  I trust her - I asked her once via twitter or sparkmail (I can't remember) when she was going to post a kettlebell workout video?  She responded by saying not until she was certified to teach it.  Since then I have had a high level of faith that she has thoroughly researched and/or trained in something before she releases it to the public. 
* Overall I think by following the program, you get a good full body workout.
*  Having the option to follow the calendar provided on the DVD is helpful to people who are new to working out, or just unfamiliar with how to plan a month long whole body routine.
*  I liked the bonus features that were available on the DVD - specifically the one labels "From Exhale: Thighs & Glutes" and the "Seated Abs"  You can both of these with only a chair.  You can find a longer option of seated ab exercises on Sparkpeople.com on the Healthy Lifestyles tab under videos.
*  I liked the fact that all you needed to do the DVD was a mat and a pair of dumbbells.  That makes it easy for someone who is new to fitness and may not have fitness equipment at home.
*  I liked the fact that many of the exercises were single leg options.  I tend to think that this helps build your body equally and doesn't allow the strong leg to do all the work.

Cons:

* I wasn't that crazy about the music that was used - but that is a personal preference and doesn't impact my ability to do the workout.
* I wish there was a little bit more emphasis on beginner options, or instruction to do them with no weights at all.  I know quite a few people come to SparkPeople without a lot of fitness background, so this is why I wish there was a little more emphasis for that population.  There is an exerciser doing lower impact options, but that didn't seem clear to me in every segment.
* I played the DVD straight through and wished that each segment showed the title as it moved into it.  I had to go back to the menu to see which segment I was viewing.  Again that doesn't impact the workout.
*  My personal preference is to do aerobics or weights and not feel like I'm doing a combo of both.  There were a couple of exercises that caused me to pause and make sure I was doing them correctly because it was a complicated combo - for example - the skull crusher (weight exercise) combined with an advanced bridge combo.  This doesn't mean it isn't a good exercise, but I think it's a complicated one and should be progressed to in stages to prevent injury.  
*  Unless I missed it, there isn't a reference to the fact that eating healthy has to be a part of the program.  None of us can outwork a bad diet.  That doesn't necessarily have to be mentioned in any workout DVD, but in my opinion it should be. 

Overall, I'm very glad that I have this as part of my workout arsenal.  It gives me a good workout option for days I don't want to go to the gym.  I would recommend getting it, but I would advise anyone to do the entire workout once or twice without weights so that you learn the moves and thus reduce any potential risk for injury. 

I routinely use Coach Nicole's free videos on SparkPeople and would encourage anyone who can't afford to purchase the DVD to try those out.  You can get a $3 off Target coupon at www.sparkpeople.com/28daybootcamp.  If you do purchase it at Target, you will get a code for 250 Spark Points as well.

I appreciate the continued effort that SparkPeople makes to provide workouts that are creative, challenging, and  combined with support from teams and normal people just trying to live healthy, can truly make an impact in anyone's life.  Being involved in two challenge teams has given me the unique opportunity to see it work for people on a regular basis.  I have no doubt that combined with healthy eating, this DVD used in the bootcamp format would improve someone's physical fitness and health.  In the end though, no DVD is magic and you do have to do your part.  I tried rubbing it on my thighs but it apparently had no magic and they didn't immediately shrink! 

Keep on working out!

Michelene

Don't give up - You can do it

Well today was about a ten on the stress meter for me.  Several years ago that would mean a trip to a fast food joint for something unhealthy, and then by the time I got home I would be too tired to workout.  I'd like to think those days are totally behind me, but I realize they aren't.  What I have learned is that I have coping skills and tools available to help through the hard times.

Here are two that I used today: 

I'm photo blogging my meals for a couple of days to make sure I stay on track...

 Egg beaters with spinach, mushroom, scallion, ham, laughing cow cheese, whole wheat toast plain, blueberries topped with plain greek yogurt mixed with honey and cinnamon.

Mid= morning was my favorite chocolate, mocha, banana, protein shake.

 Lunch - tuna, dill relish, celery scallion on whole wheat with lowfat pepper jack cheese.  Strawberries.

 Afternoon - whole wheat mini bagel - almond butter - dark chocolate chips.  Nectarine with apple pie spice.

Throughout the day I've logged my food on my SparkPeople nutrition tracker.  I've had the following fruits and veggies: spinach, mushroom, scallion, blueberries, banana, celery, strawberries, nectarine, lettuce, baby kale, sunflower sprouts. 

My salad at dinner had goat cheese, pistachios, and dried sour cherries on it and that combo tasted awesome to me.

So I'm in my calorie range, and I have had plenty of water.  That makes me feel better.

I reached out to four close friends via text and call when I needed support.  I also participated with my teams on Spark.  I ended the day doing part of Coach Nicole's 28 Day Bootcamp DVD.  I'll be writing a review of that within the next two days.

The other thing that gave me a boost today - I found this from someone I follow on Twitter:

http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/be-happier.html

A list of 50 Ways to be Happier.  I'm definitely saving this one! 

My last big feat of the day - I took just about everything out of my office, dusted, mopped, rearranged, power trashed, and moved back in.  If it didn't help me work, study, or exercise - it isn't in here anymore.  I feel decluttered, peaceful, and I made a great space to workout in where I can see my computer.  Thumbs up for being able to go on YogaJournal.com or SparkPeople and access some free workout videos that I like.

This is the motivational poster I found today through another link.  I love twitter for giving me access for free to fitness bloggers, and companies promoting health around the world.  Motivation at the tips of my fingers whenever I need it.

So if I can make it through stress day and come out intact on the other side, so can you.  Who can you turn to if your today or tomorrow doesn't go as planned?  Have you tried photo blogging your food?  Do you use the nutrition tracker?  What tips do you have for me?

Hang in there and keep on pressing towards your goals,

Michelene

Photo Food blogging

I find that when I need a little more accountability with eating right tat there are two things that can keep me on track.  One is logging everything I eat on the Nutrition Tracker in SparkPeople, and the other is blogging about what I'm doing.  So here's how my day went:

I got in my upper body weights this morning before church.  I've stayed on track with my meals and snacks today.  I didn't photograph everything I ate, but here is some of it:

I had a few of last night's shrimp with my salad and grilled fresh sweet corn for lunch.  I'm continuing to enjoy the baby kale and sunflower sprouts that I bought at Whole Foods.  I'd say those are a keeper. 

I keep chocolate in my life - this is one of my favorite snacks for that.  Whole Wheat mini-bagel toasted and topped with 1 T almond butter, and 1 T Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips.  I had a blood orange with that.

For dinner we had grilled chicken and tried the purple potatoes that I bought.  I tossed those in olive oil with sliced onions, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.  I think the texture is creamier than white potatoes.  An interesting fact that I didn't know was that these potatoes have 85% of your daily requirement for Calcium.  I also learned today that onions have quercetin (found in apple peels).  It's also found in green tea - and I did try my green tea powder in my protein shake this morning.  Several lab studies have found tat quercetin may have anti-inflammatory properties.

My song of the day for working out:  The Definition of Me by Mandisa.  You can find it on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhx1XfAj3AQ  It's definitely a song that can get me moving.

So in the end it was a good day as far as my healthy journey is concerned.  I like that I have tried new veggies, new recipes, worked out and got in all my water for the day. 

Now off to enjoy some football.  How did you do on your journey today?

Foodie Reviews

I made a trip to my favorite grocery store - Whole Foods - this week.  I don't got there often and when I do I roam around for an hour at least.  So here are the new things I'm trying:

Tonight this is on my sauteed shrimp with olive oil, garlic powder and black pepper.

This is the stir fry veggies that went with dinner tonight - one yellow bell pepper, 1/2 an onion, 2 baby bok choy, mushrooms, and one red pepper.  The pepper was minced and everything else was chopped in large chunks.  I sauteed in olive oil, soy sauce and some black pepper.   The red pepper was hotter than I expected but still good:

Trying purple potatoes tomorrow.  I've read about them and have seen a Clean Eating recipe but haven't tried them to date.

Kale - supposed to be one of the awesome powerhouses of your diet - I don't know how to cook it and don't want to deal with that.  I found that eating it in salad was one way that was easy to incorporate it.  I added this baby kale and

I added these to Mixed greens, pistachios, feta and dressing for a salad with Clean Eating spicy meatloaf today for lunch,  The meat loaf recipe was a keeper.

I finally found green tea powder.  It turns out they have it behind the counter where they sell tea and you have to ask for it.  I've read a lot about this and want to try cooking with it. 

Whole Foods posted an article today about trying to make sure you used up all your produce and didn't throw things out.  If I remember correctly there was a study that showed the average cost of wasted, thrown out food per year by a family cost about $600 not to mention the environmental impact of shipping it to the store and disposing of it after you throw it out.  That contributed to my veggie stir fry tonight because I went through the fridge after reading that to see what I needed to cook.

Okay five hours of heavy cleaning, furniture moving, etc - I'm off for a relaxing hot bath and some reading.

What healthy new foods are you trying?  Any new recipes you want to share?

Call my name and save me...

I was motivated to write today by the words in a song on my workout playlist.  You can find the words here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aezAhZhv7v0 

The song is called Bring me to life by Evanescence.  It's a little more rock than I usually listen to, but this one always hits me in the core.  Here are the words to a few lines:

Wake me up inside, call my name and save me from the dark....save me from the nothing I've become.

I related to that when I first started my weight loss journey.  I needed help to wake me up from the nothing that I felt like I had become.  Since I post this on FB, Twitter, and SparkPeople, there may be someone who stumbles across this who isn't on a weight loss journey.  My question is are you wondering if there is something more in some other area of your life? 

"I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside".  Something about this song shouted to me to wake up and live the life I wanted.  Even if all the odds were stacked against me, and no one around supported the changes, I wanted to be woken up and live - in this instance healthy and free to move.

Do you need a light to pull you out of your darkness?  Consider this your wake up call...one lone blogger calling out your name saying wake up! 

One other song I like is by a guy named Matthew West and it's called The Motions.  Here are a few lines from that one:

"Cause just ok is not enough.. help me fight through the nothingness of this life...I don't wanna go thru the motions - I don't wanna spend my whole life asking what if I had given everything - instead of  through the motions?"

I wish I understood what the light in the darkness was that spoke to me and kept me going for the last three years.  I'd give it away constantly to others.  I'm thinking in particular of one friend tonight, who asks for help and yet still talks from both sides of the mouth.  One side says help me I want this and the other finds excuses not to do the right thing to reach for health.  Staring down is a future of illness and potentially regret. I wish I knew how to call out that name in the darkness tonight and inspire the growth that I see the potential for.

Don't get me wrong - I have made a bazillion fabulous excuses in my life and some during the last three years - heck even today I'm sure.  The thing that keeps me going is that the excuses to not workout and not eat right are fewer and far between.  Having lost all this weight, I feel the gift of health and enjoy it everyday.  That is not a gift I'm willing to give up for another day of being obese and unhealthy.

I liked the candle in the hands picture because the shape looks like a heart to me.  Love and light - showing the way in the darkness. 

So today - whenever you read this - get out the colors and create a new future for yourself.  Dream big and make a plan, because the only one holding you back is you.

Which way will you go?  Will you stay in the rut that your life has become?  Will you seek out a new direction and chase your dreams?

Is there a better time than now to stop making excuses and to make plans?  Is there a better time to take action?  Is there a better time to stop living the lie?

If anyone had a right to make an excuse it would be this woman in the picture...but guess what?  She's a world famous triathlete who competed in the Ironman in Hawaii - one of the most difficult races on earth.  So really...what is your obstacle that you can't find a way to overcome? 

WAKE UP!

Wishing you the best life there is for you to live,

Michelene

Just speaking the truth and saying goodbye...

I 

I'm tired and I almost didn't blog today, but I came across a statistic on Twitter than just struck a chord with me.  There is someone who posts under the name of Psych_of_Eating and they posted:  96-98% of all weight lost on ANY diet is gained back within 1-2 years. Other 2%? “Life change”. 

I chose the poster of inspiration today because the image reminds me of what it's like on my journey to maintain my weight loss.  It's been a year since I said goodbye to 90+ lbs and it's still a constant effort to maintain course.  You can't go back to the ways you had before.  It HAS to...HAS to be a lifestyle change.  You have to want being healthy more than you want fast food.  You have to crave exercise more than the bag of candy.  Each and every day you have to get up and exhibit sheer determination to fight back against the media, the large processed food corporations, and the temptations of our society.  You have to develop strength to stay the course no matter what the current.  Some days it can be peaceful waters, and seem so easy.  Other days it can seem like the image above - turbulent, chaotic, and can take every ounce of energy you've got just to get through.

The other inspirational thought that has me humming today is a song by an artist that I stumbled across on ITunes.  I was buying new songs for my running playlist and found Mandisa and her album titled "What if we were real".  The song I liked is called Say Goodbye and you can find it on youtube here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG6Aa3DIg9Q  I put this on my weight lifting playlist.  "when the hand tries to pull to you back - you don't have to go back".  For those of you who practice a different faith system than I do, there is one word in there that speaks to my faith and I don't mean to push it off on anyone else.  I think this song can be put into the context of our weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey very easily.

In the end I added 15 songs to my three playlists - one for running, one for working out, and one just for fun to listen to when I'm not working out!  Here are a few others that inspired me:

Christina Aguilera - Fighter
The Script - The End Where I Begin - I liked this title - the end of the unhealthy life and the beginning of a new life.  I thought this would be a good cool down/stretching song.
Cheyenne Kimball - Hanging On - good for long runs
Kate Voegele - It's Only Life - "don't run away, don't lose your faith",  I also got her song "Lift Me Up" and Only Fooling Myself --- check out the lyrics for Lift Me Up (somewhere everybody starts there)
Jessie J - Domino - one for my running playlist
Mandisa - Stronger and The Definition of Me - both for my running playlist - great music and words
Francesca Battistelli - It's Your Life - running
Josh Wilson - I Refuse - running

Today was my day off for recovery and happened to coincide with my monthly 90 minute deep tissue massage - love it when that happens!  Personally I think that this massage helps me recover and is a critical part to my long term plan to take care of this one body that I have.  I always tell my massage therapist that she gives me the best 90 minutes of my month!

So in the end I'm just speaking the truth about the fact that maintenance is work.  You don't just hit easy street when you reach your goal weight.  Don't make your journey about a number on the scale.  Make it about choosing day in and day out to do the things necessary to be healthy.  I'm also Saying Goodbye to old bad habits, and embracing my future. 

What are you listening to for motivation or energy for your next workout?  What keeps you determined each day?

Hang in there...you can do this!  I say this for you and for me.  I plan to stay in that 2% and bring some others along with me.

Michelene

More Secrets to Success & a magazine review

I liked this poster I found on someone's facebook page the other day and saved it as a reminder that we are only 2 weeks into what can be a great year for you and for me.  Every day we have the option to make it a healthier, happier day by our thoughts, goals and actions.  What are you doing with your day?

This is the magazine that I went through today for some inspiration and information for my healthy lifestyle journey.  I pulled out a few recipes and an exercise to try.  This caused me to ponder my ever growing pile of pages that I pull out of magazines - why not use some of my business skills?  I scanned the pages and started a file on my PC that has recipes, DIY spa treatments, and exercises.  Now I can easily find what I'm looking for and can ditch all of  the paper in the recycling bin.

A couple of recipes that I'll try and review in another blog: Carrot Cream Cheese Oatmeal (supposedly like carrot cake), Key Lime Protein Sqares, and Chocolate Flank Steak with Strawberry Salsa).  I sense a desert type theme going here!

So combine that (scanning to a folder) with one of my other tried and true secrets to my success and I think I've got a winning combo that works for me.  The other secret - I use an excel spreadsheet to track my grocery list and recipes.  I've found that this works better for me than scribbling things on a list.  I have columns for the locations in the store (dairy, frozen, fruit, meat, etc), item name, recipe it belongs too, recipe source (i.e. cookbook or magazine), and page number.  As I'm working through some recipes that we want for the week, I post it on my spreadsheet.  When I'm ready to go to the store, I sort it by location.  That way all dairy are listed together, all fruit etc.  When I get home and I'm ready to cook, I sort it by recipe and that way I can pull out everything I need to make the recipe and because I listed the source I know which cookbook or magazine to go to.  Once we try recipes, if we decide it's a keeper, I move the name, source, and page number to another tab that I call Recipe Archive.  That way it's not lost to my lack of memory.

This is so much faster when I'm in the store because I know exactly what I need to get and where.  It cuts down on my tendency to impulse shop, and I know when I get it all in the fridge I've got meals that I can prepare.  It also keeps me from spending time trying to find that one recipe I liked.

Asthma suffers - a note for you - I read in Eating Well Magazine that fruit can lower your risk of asthma.  Researchers found that people who ate more fruit had lower rates of asthma.  Specifically - apples, bananas, and vitamin-C rich fruits, such as citrus.  Another good reason to eat your fruit!

After you create your own spreadsheet, buy your groceries and cook that healthy meal - be sure and track it on SparkPeople.  Tracking my food is one of the single biggest secrets to my success over the last two years.

Okay this one might sound weird - it did to me at first.  A few months ago I read a DIY tip for softening the skin on your face and making you look younger.  I thought, why not?  I'll give it a try.  Last week I was on the bike at the gym when one of my friends that I haven't seen in months walks up to say hello.  She stared at me, smiled and asked if I had something done to my face - like plastic surgery type thing or botox.  I said no I haven't.  She said no really you can tell me.  What did you do because you look great.  That was the first time I fessed up to anyone what I had been trying - olive oil.  Seriously.  I have a little container of olive oil on my bathroom counter and I rub it on my face and neck every night and now that it's winter, sometimes in the morning after a hot shower.  It's made my skin softer, and to me at least, made it look healthier.  I've had several people tell me I look younger.  So I have officially ditched the very expensive creams that I had previously purchased and my $10 bottle of olive oil will probably last me all year!  I think it was probably a Whole Living magazine tip but I don't remember for sure.

Today's workout was upperbody weights and some yoga.  I'm tracking my food, staying in my calorie range, drinking all my water, and enjoying a nice Sunday.

So what are some secrets of success that you can share?

Make it a healthy today so you can have a better tomorrow!

Michelene

All in a day's run...

Base Camp Notes 1.14.12

 I ran the Hotcake Hustle 5k this morning with my best friend, Susie (on the right) and my daughter Rachael.  It was our first race of the year.  Last year I did 13 including a mudrun and a half marathon.  I'm not sure what our goal is for this year yet.

Here is my daughter and Aunt Susie.  I love the fact that Rachael and I can share these events and have fun while exercising.

If you're in the Dallas area, this race is in Addison.  Last year they had the Hot Chocolate Run and this year the Hotcake Hustle - both years #fail because they did not have enough mugs for the runners.  So more than half of us walked away without one.  Also #fail in that their information prior to the race was not up to par with some others I've seen.  #score in that they had a fabulous announcer who was full of energy and keep the crowd going by reading off names of runners who were coming to the finish line and cheered them on.  #score for the guys who stand out there in the cold and make pancakes for 2,500 people each year!  #score inside warm bathrooms so you don't have to freeze your butt off in the port-o-potty.  #score in that it's not massively huge like some of the races we run in Dallas - big enough crowd for fun but not so large that it's just hard to run.  #score that the course is easy and the bridge running is nice.

Our next race is in February when we will be doing a different Hot Chocolate Run at Fair Park with a chocolate expo afterwards - #doublescore - chocolate and exercise!

Kudos to my daughter today because she was out till midnight last night with the premier of the play her theater group is doing and post play pancakes at IHOP.  She was up to run this morning, with a little nap in the car on the way...

Kudos to my BFF for continuing to run with me at these events.  If I didn't have a buddy to meet or to go with, I would have a harder time waking myself up and getting out from under the warm covers in the dark to go run.  Having exercise buddies is a critical part to my long term success in the weight maintenance strategy.

What made me laugh today?  Susie didn't know it but my playlist wouldn't play today (I failed to charge my phone last night - fail on me!) so I was running with my earphones in but not hearing anything.  She is doing the Michael Jackson thing throughout the race moving her arms and hands, sometimes singing a little, and halfway through the race she shouts at me "I had a 5 hour energy drink this morning and I feel great".  Little did she know that everyone within a 30 yard radius now knew she had a 5 hour energy drink.  I don't think she realized how loud she was talking.  I just gave her the thumbs up and tried not to laugh.

Besides my mudrun, this is the only race I've run without a playlist.  I had ample time to listen to those around me, focus on my breathing, and think about more things during the race.  Next time first on my list is charging my phone, but I did learn somethings about my running today just by listening.  I didn't realize so many people ran without music and talked all the way through the run.

It's also the first run where I had no idea of my pace, or my time.  Since my phone wasn't charged, I couldn't use my RunKeeper Pro app that I always have on during a race.  So today was about enjoyment, exercise in the early morning sun, being with friends, enjoy the race atmosphere, the pancakes, and learning.

Love this poster that I got from someone's website.  www.fitfabcities.com is on the bottom of the image.  It's really true - working out not only does your body good, but it's good for your mind and your mood.

Hold on while I take this very important call...

I loved my new red shirt I got at Luke's Locker last night.  I could spend some serious bucks in that store on a regular basis...

So what's your workout today?

PS...if you haven't read my latest article published on The Daily Spark, you can find it here:

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=improvement_begins_with_i

Base Camp Notes 1.12.12 - Notes for the masses

Base Camp Notes 1.12.12 - Here are the things I'm learning today and want to share with others:

On Thursdays each week you can find my latest published article on The Daily Spark.  Today the title was Improvement begins with I, and focuses on creating your masterpiece of art that is your life.  I hope you'll stop by and read it and give me a comment.

 I got this idea from Tosca Reno in one of the Clean Eating magazines I've read.  I got tired of buying the canned cooking spray, and always wondering what was in it besides oil and where can I recycle this thing.  For about $15 at Costco, I bought these.  The silver one I filled with olive oil, and the read one with sesame oil.  You pump the can to get it to spray and refill as necessary.  I've been really pleased with them.

I saw somewhere today that Whole Living had a shake app that you could get for your Iphone.  I was intrigued and went to check it out.  In the end I didn't spend the 99 cents for the app after reading some of the review.  I have access to plenty of free shake recipes through SparkPeople, Oxygen, and Clean Eating.  I didn't think it was worth it to take up space on my phone for something I could already get for free. 

I have also attached the link to the Jumpstart January Bootcamp video challenge for today - 12 minute ab routine that you can do from your chair.  All the SparkPeople videos are free on youtube, so I think this is a great one to bookmark and maybe do at lunch in your office a couple of times a week.

If you are in the Dallas area, check out a restaurant called Greenz.  I've included a link to a short video that the owner did on the news recently showcasing a "salad in a jar" idea.  I loved it and never really thought about stacking things in the jar with the dressing on the bottom.  Nice way to keep it off the greens that are on the top, and then you can shake it when you are ready.  I'll be copying that idea sometime in my lunchbox future.  I like to meet my BFF for lunch there and get their 400 calorie salad, soup and fruit combo for a healthier option than most restaurants around:

A fellow sparker pointed out the link for Daily Feats - a free place where you can track accomplishments throughout the day and then earn rewards.  Although I don't want to use one more website, I thought it would be a good tool for anyone who has small children.  They can earn colorful stickers for eating healthy, doing chores, and lots of other things.  She has used it and won gift cards to places that she likes.  Check it out and see if it's something you like.


I'm keeping in mind the Slow Food USA challenge to cook healthy meals for under $5 per person that my family will eat.  Today I accomplished that at lunch with the following ingredients:
Beef Short Ribs with no bones $6.39 for 3 servings
Brown Rice, broccoli, onion, baby bok choy, soy sauce, celery, red bell pepper - all costing only cents per serving.  The most expensive one on that list was the baby bok choy that was less than $2. 

I made a nice stir fry for my son and myself and it cost around $3 per person.  I spritzed the pan with sesame oil if you want to add another penny.  :0)  My son ate his whole portion and told me he liked it which is significant for the huge guy - he's over 6'7" and loves junk food.  He came back later and asked me to make him something else with that rice.

On my goal list to accomplish before Sunday is a review of the new Spark Coach Nicole 28 Day Bootcamp DVD that I received in the mail.  So far I've only read through the booklet that was in the packaging and watched the intro.  I like so far that I know there are beginner, intermediate, and advanced options.

I added two new songs to my running playlist:  Blackout by Breathe Carolina, and What Doesn't Kill You by Kelly Clarkson.  Just for my fun playlist I added Lullaby by Nickelback. 

Those are the notes for anyone visiting my bootcamp4health.  Hope you made it a healthy and happy day!

Base Camp Notes 1.11.12 - monumental

What a day - crazy schedule, lots of driving, appointments, and a surprise in the mailbox.  My daughter got her acceptance letter for college today.  It's an exciting time and a weird time all rolled into one.  She will probably be moving out in September!  Where did the time go?

We took her and her boyfriend out to dinner at Chili's.  Not easy to find something healthy at that restaurant.  I did choose the grilled salmon with broccoli and rice with no butter.  Water/lemons.  That is a drastic difference from the types of food I used to eat there.

So not much reading or studying today due to the appointments.  I did get inspired and write two of my blogs for The Daily Spark that will be submitted for March.  Tomorrow is my day of the week to have my article posted.  You can find it at www.dailyspark.com.  

Hope to catch up on some working out tomorrow since we deviated from plan tonight.  This evening it was all about celebrating Christy!

Base Camp Notes 1.10.12 Myth Debunking & Research

Here's what I've been learning today:

I'm reading today in the IDEA Fitness Journal January 2012 issue.  This is a publication put out for ACE Certified Personal Trainers.  The article that has my attention today is called:

The Fast Food Fallacy by Sandy Todd Webster.  It is reviewing an organization called Slow Food USA which you can find on the web by that name.   You can find their meal for $5 challenge thread here:

https://secure3.convio.net/sfusa/site/SPageServer?pagename=5Challenge_Home


This organization did a challenge for people to submit healthy recipes to share that cost less than $5 a person to make and received over 30,000 contributions.  I have searched around a little on their site, and found a shares farm in a town not far from where I live.  I've been emailing back and forth with the farmer, and for $150 a quarter, I can pick up fresh produce every two weeks during the harvest time.  I spend more than that on produce in the store.


There are a couple of benefits to this thought for me:  1.  I like fresh from the farm produce and 2.  it's on the way to the University that I believe my daughter will be going to next year.  It would be good motivation for me to drop by and say hi every 2 weeks, since it's her current plan to go there one year and then transfer to a bigger university hours from here.  3.  I like the idea of supporting a local farmer.  


Keep in mind that if you research this option, if the crops fail you don't get a refund.  This gentleman also has some chickens, so fresh eggs are a possibility if I want to pay a little extra for those than I do at the store.  


This article battled the general misconception that unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food.  It promoted the idea of teaching clients how to cook more for themselves, pursue cooking clubs where you can share the work/benefit of home made food, and then purchasing at local farmers markets/farms.  That was what gave me the idea to email the farmer that I've been chatting with today.


I've also been researching the following organizations:


1.  www.girlsontherun.org - If you're already a runner you can help raise funds for this company that helps young girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles.  That is called their SoulMates program I believe.  I found a card promoting them at my local running store and want to find out more about it.


2.  www.runrat.com - My daughter did the HellRun this year and loved it.  She wants something more interesting than the general 5k from time to time.  This event is something I want to learn a little more about and it's hosted in Oct 2012.  It's an "Urban Adventure" race event that has running, biking, kayaking, repelling, etc.  I've never done repelling and the thought of it frightens me since I have a very intense fear of heights.  I want to know what they are repelling and how high off the ground it is.  The rest of it sounds fun to me - 2-3 man teams and you get the race course 30 minutes before the start and have to follow clues around town.


3.  www.playtri.com - I intend for this to be the year that I try a sprint triathlon.  Now that my shoulder surgery is behind me and I'm on the road to recovery I want to aim for a race in September.  I think that should give me plenty of time to strengthen and train for it.


On the menu tonight:  From the winter issue from Oxygen magazine - Fatloss the Complete Guide for women pg 49 - We are trying Ground Turkey and Pasta Primavera

For one serving:
1tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz ground turkey
1 Roma Tomato
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 oz baby spinach
ground pepper 
2 Tbsp light Italian Seasoning
1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta


1.  heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey, mushrooms and tomatoes and cook until turkey is brown - about 8 minutes.


2.  Add spinach and cook for another minute or so.


3.  In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients and toss gently to mix.


Cal 489, fats 14g, Sat fat 2g, Cholesterol 55mg, Sodium 550 mg, carbs 56 g, dietary fiber 11 g, sugars 3 g, Protein 38 g and iron 5 mg.


This would definitely fall into the cheaper than a happy meal recipe group and way better for you.

My workout today is going to be legs over at the gym.  The latest news on working out is that my oldest daughter asked me yesterday to renew her gym membership.  Could it be that my healthy lifestyle has finally influenced her (she doesn't need to lose weight), no not at all.  Her boyfriends mom asked her to go to the beach with them this summer.  Oh well, whatever it takes to get her to lift some weights and run!


What have you been learning today?  Are you making progress in your healthy lifestyle?  Have you ever visited a farmers market or belonged to a farm co-op?


Let's work on keeping it healthy!


Michelene

Blogspot - Day One

Well here I am on blogspot.   Bear with me while I try figure out how to use it.  I find myself posting in too many places, so I'm trying to consolidate and share in one place that many people can find.

So why BaseCamp4Health?  I study everyday without fail - something to do with trying to improve my health.  To me the idea of a base camp is where the headquarters are.  You go out on trips, missions, expeditions, but you know you can always come back to base camp to stock up on supplies and meet up with other members of the team.  I wanted one place where I could store up on links, articles, support, ideas, and sharing that comes from the general fit blogger community.  That is why the name came to me.


For my first post, I should say if you're interested in more of the history of my journey, you can read all about it on SparkPeople.  I've used that website for over two years and Chris Downey is my hero!  That is the best FREE website to track all your food, fitness, and the daily in's and out's of your journey.  I wouldn't be where I am today without it.  I am now a routine blogger for their sister site called The Daily Spark and you can find all of my published blogs here:  http://www.dailyspark.com/blogs_author_view_all.asp?author=5800485

So what did I learn today that I want to keep track of:


1.  I'm loving the February Issue of Eating Well Magazine.  Today I tried their Chiles Rellenos with Chicken recipe but tweaked it to make it my own.  My husband and I gave my version two thumbs up.

 I'm all about Mexican Food and finding a healthy alternative to the fat laden Chile Relleno favorite is a score in my book!  


2.  I was reading the latest issue of Fitness Rx and when I came across the title Potato Chips and French Fries may be dangerous for your health, I thought doh!  Did someone actually pay for that research?  But in the article was interesting information:  "These foods contain dangerous levels of acrylamide, which is harmful to the nervous system, interferes with the reproductive system, and promotes cancer."  I may never eat another potato chip or fry again.


3.  My dog is in the doghouse....she brought me one of my new Zumba sticks that I got for Christmas and I felt like that song from Sesame Street was playing...one of these things is not like the other...

So much for that piece of workout equipment!


4.  There is so much good information in the Winter 2012 Fatloss The Complete Guide for Women from Oxygen magazine publications that I think whatever you are doing, you should stop and go buy this issue.


I intend to try their recipe for Ground Turkey and Pasta Primavera soon so I'll give you a review when I do.  


I used the recipe on page 95 as a base for my Chile Rellenos tonight.  A marinade for chicken breasts:  Combine 1/2 cup OJ (we used fresh squeezed), 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, and one sliced fresh jalapeno pepper to make a spicy marinade.  Add 2 chicken breasts and let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.  I grilled those and have used them for a couple of recipes now.  I'm sure you could vary up the pepper type and amount to accommodate your taste for heat.


5. While we're talking recipes, I should go back to the Eating Well and say also on page 54 - we tried the Firehouse Frito Pie recipe yesterday and that's a keeper for us as well.


6. I've spent two years now learning about Clean Eating and using their magazine and cookbooks as a basis for how I eat.  I went from 20 years of yo-yo dieting to maintaining with this lifestyle and I'll never change.  If you haven't tried it, buy one of their magazines.  It will be one of the best investments you can make if you're trying to get healthy.  If you prefer info online, check them out at www.cleaneatingmag.com.  

7.  Something new that I just found that I'd also recommend you try is LOVE CRUNCH.  It's made by Nature's Path Organic and their Dark Chocolate and berries granola is delish:

My fitness note for today:  I'm on my scheduled weekly day off so I'm only doing some light stretching and a little yoga.  I swam for the first time in over 7 months yesterday.  I had shoulder surgery and for the first time could actually get my arm all the way around in the freestyle stroke without major pain.  Today my back is reminding me that although I workout all the time, there are apparently muscles in there that only get a workout from swimming.  I'm sore!



So those are my notes for today.  If someone manages to find this post, share with me what you learned today.  Let's get healthy together!