Uuugghh!

Okay, so I can't stand to look at that picture every time I pull up my blog so I am adding this post in hopes of pushing the last post down out of site unless I scroll down.

You don't have to gain weight over the holiday's!

Okay, so this picture is a little far fetched. Especially for my fellow bloggers. But this is why we workout and watch what we eat, right?

Of course the holiday's are filled with sugar-laden, fat-filled, carbo-loaded, yummy treats but that doesn't mean you have to gain weight this year. For any of you that really know me you know that I don't gain weight during the holiday's. I actually lose weight. I figure I could make a million bucks if I were to write a book and tell my secrets, but unfortunately I don't have any secrets. Good bye $100,000,000.00. What I do have are some fairly common sense habits that help me to lose a couple pounds between Halloween and New Years.

1. Exercise--Yep, just good 'ol exercise that you do every other day during the year. The difference is that even though I am super busy I DO NOT skip my workouts. They are really the only thing that keep me sane and grounded during this sometimes chaotic season. Six days a week you will see me doing any one of these workouts: circuit, weight training, running, walking, sledding, Tae Bo, boot camp, shoveling the driveway, and/or spinning.

2. Eat what I want--I know this sounds counterproductive but hear me out. I love everything about this season. Especially the food. What I love about it is that there is a party or get together every three days. So, I can eat a little bit of what I want and then stop because I know that in a couple days there will be another yummy treat for me to try. On the day's that I don't have a special occasion planned I can eat really well (usually because I am stuffed from the party the night before). I eat the same thing day after day:

-Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal and coffee for breakfast

-Skippy Natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly on whole wheat and soy milk for lunch

-Fiber One bar or Kashi cereal and a piece of fruit for a snack

-lean meat (chicken, turkey, or fish), a vegetable (about half the plate full), and either brown rice, whole wheat roll, or wheat pasta for dinner.

I don't deprive myself this time of year and because I am treating myself I am more likely to eat for pleasure and not boredom, anger, or stress.

3. Stay busy--I am the sole food and present shopper, present wrapper, house cleaner, cook, and activity planner (for the kids). This keeps me pretty busy every day through the holiday's so there is not much time to sit around and get lazy. There is also not a lot of time to eat so it's easier to stick to the 'diet plan'. If I find a moment to myself I like to sit by the Christmas Tree and soak in the holiday spirit. I also like to do stuff with the kids...playing in the snow, playing games, going ice skating or sledding, and such. These are fun things (except the cleaning) which makes me happy, which makes me emotionally satisfied. Not to mention all the extra calories burned on top of the rest.

So as you can see there is no secret. Just a mind set that I WILL not gain weight this time of year and an awareness that I am in control of me. I can sit around and eat everything in site and skip workouts, or I can turn this time of year into an opportunity to to be at peace with my body.

Have a HEALTHY Happy Holiday this year. May all your activities be heart pumping and your food choices decadent. And forget about the typical New Year resolution...you won't need it!

The Amazing 2 Hour Winter Workout

Okay, here is how it goes. First spend 30 minutes warming up (finding and putting on all winter gear). Second, head outside in fresh snow with children in tow. Third, spend up to 30 minutes on muscle work (packing, rolling, stacking, lifting and shaping snow). Fourth, decorate with rocks, sticks, scarf, hat, and carrot then take picture. And last but not least take another 30 minutes on cardio (throw snowballs, roll in the snow, jump over the snowman, dodge snowballs, save daughter from flying snow, run away from your son that makes the flying snow, and make snow angels. Then 30 minute cool down (remove all snow gear, hang it up to dry, and change into warm clothes) and crash on the living room floor.

Calories burned: 45,631*

*based on a mother's perception

A new tradition in the making

New Tradition Recipe

Ingredients:
2 small, cute children
1 sugar-starved husband on a diet
1 can Stephen's Hot Chocolate
4 candy canes
1 can fat-free Reddi Whip
1 bottle chocolate sprinkles
1/2 bag Hershey's Hot Cocoa Kisses
4 handfuls mini marshmallows
unlimited possibilities

Take small children and husband and let them loose with heated cocoa and rest of ingredients. Watch them spoon, stir, spray, sprinkle, stir, spill, sip, scarf, smile then repeat.

Mix together for 1 hour. Take away the sugar. Send kids to rooms for acting too crazy.

************

Equals 1 new Christmas tradition for the family.

Serves: 4

Quad Burner

Okay, here is a quick post to tell you about a great leg exercise. Do this: Grab an 8 pound dumbbell or a pretty large book (think Harry Potter). Put it on the floor horizontal to you and stand with just your heels on the ends of the dumbbell. So, you should be standing on your toes with your heels on the sides of the dumbbell. Now squat all the way down so your chest is on your thighs and glutes close to the floor. Without taking your chest off your thighs straighten and bend your knees. Hands can be on the floor in front of you if you are flexible enough or they can rest just above your knees. You want to straighten and bend several times until you feel the "burn". Just when it really starts to hurt hold a halfway position for 10 seconds then resume the straighten and bend. Do you get it? Just try it and then leave me a comment to let me know how you felt. Thanks!

The Whole (damn) Family!

Family pictures is such a wonderful time of year. You get to wrestle your kids in the bath ("but I took one last week!"), comb hair, put in piggy tails, find clothes that don't have holes, dirt, or marker on them, primp yourself, convince your husband to show up and maybe smile, and then try to get everyone to stand together and say "cheese" to the photographer. Who is an extended family member herself so she knew what she was getting into. Then you need to keep the kids clean, yell at them when they don't, and bribe them with toys if they will just stay still and smile a couple times. Belle is getting a My Little Pony and Tre is getting a Hot Wheels car.

But it isn't all stressful! Once they are done you now have a memory ingrained in your head and some in frames around your house too. Now when I talk about my 'crazy' family I can show them a picture too. Family is so important and so is preserving the memories. So here are a couple pics of that day. Nana must be so proud. I am sorry I didn't get all of you. My memory card was full and some didn't turn out. Oh, and overlook the friendly hand gestures! This is how the Smith boys say "I love you, now get out of my face with that camera". You just have to love them.

Peppermint Anyone?

Some of you know that one of my favorite websites is HungryGirl.com. Here is a little tidbit straight from the newsletter that I thought some of you may want to know:

"Wanna curb your hunger? Sniff, suck and chew PEPPERMINT! Recent studies have found that people who inhale or consume peppermint take in far fewer calories than people who have no contact with the stuff. SOOOO INTERESTING. And yet another reason to brush your teeth right after dinner."

So...maybe we should keep a bowl of those peppermint starlight candies or candy canes at our desks, kitchen counters, or cars and burn peppermint candles especially during this holiday season! But remember this is only for those who intake too many calories...unlike the those I told to "eat to lose"! Okay, that's all I got!

You Gotta EAT to Lose

Yep, you read right. You've got to eat to lose weight. I know...it goes against all reason and common sense but it's true. If your body thinks it is starving it will do all it can to hold the fat you already have hostage. It's not going to let go of it's only energy source if you continually under feed yourself. This is under 1300 calories for the average woman. 1500 if you are a little taller, bigger, or exercise a lot. About 1600-1800 is under eating for the average man, dependant on size. Now this is not gospel and you can take it for what it is worth, but I have a story for you:

My sister-in-law, Heather, had been working so hard to lose the weight gained by a number of things; kids, holidays, medications, stress, etc. She came to me this past summer frustrated that even though she worked out an hour a day with either cardio or weights and had cut her calories way down she couldn't get over the plateau that she was on. I asked her how many calories she was eating and she told me 1200! Keep in mind that she is about 5'7 and exercises regularly. The first thing I told her was to eat. Of course that doesn't make any sense but she trusted me (thanks Heath!). She started out adding 100 calories each week until she had reached about 1700-1800 calories. Feeling energetic for the first time in a while she started shedding the last couple pounds she wanted to lose. Now she looks great in her new smaller body. She still exercises daily and watches what she eats but now she can have what ever she wants in small portions. Heather has also told me that now that her stomach has shrunk, she gets fuller faster making it easier to stick to a healthy food plan.

Just goes to show that you gotta EAT to lose. It doesn't mean you can down a pint of Ben and Jerry's or finish off a whole package of Oreos. Add healthy fruits and veggies, "good" fats and whole grains, and extra protein and calcium rich foods. Don't forget to feed the fire (your body) and it will keep burning for you. Trust me, will ya?

DISCO FEVER!

Aahh...Halloween, you gotta love it. I look around me and I see a flying dragon (Belle), a zombie (Tre), and a crazy woman with big fluffy white-blond hair and an orange face. You know fake tanners came out in the seventies (i.e. orange face). We love Halloween at our house. What's not to love? Free candy, chocolate candy, free candy, chewy candy, free candy, sugary candy, and you get to dress up like anyone/thing that you want! Did I mention the candy?

This one is for you Kara! Thanks for being wild and crazy and funny. Get your groove on!

Yum, pumpkin guts! This is about all Tre did as far as pumpkin carving went.

"What the heck?" says boring, non dressed up Jeff

My pumpkin's in the Pumpkin Patch

"I love this!" Belle's favorite part is getting all the guts out. She is such a tomboy.

Yummy eyeballs! Kara made these treats for dessert and they were SO good. Like little balls of peanutbutter goodness with just a hint of bloody veins.

The finished product. The cute kitty cat was Belle's idea and the scary monster face was Tre's. Jer LOVED carving it out too! Yeah, right.

I've Been HAD!

Surprising! The shark pictures below are NOT real. They are real pictures but just not what they seem. The first picture is actually two separate pictures cropped together, and the second is a dolphin...not a shark. Still, they are really cool pictures.

Amazing(ly huge, scary, mean) Sharks

Can you believe these creatures? Not only would I wet myself, I would probably faint if I saw this while in the ocean. I love the ocean, and all that lives in it....except for these two creatures. Wow is all I can say because the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. If anything can convince you that being landlocked in Utah it's this!

The Purple Soccer Balls

Me and my friend Paige

Anabelle played outdoor soccer this year and LOVED it! Her team color is her favorite color and her coach was just ditsy enough to name the team...The Purple Soccer Balls. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all she did for the team. She organized practices and treats, dealt with uncooperative 4 year olds, and coached and reffed even though she clearly had no soccer training. But she did this all with a smile.

The first game of the season Belle made 3 goals!! And 2 of them were for her OWN team. Not bad. Then as the season progressed Belle had a harder and harder time at the games. She would get so frustrated that they wouldn't just let her have the ball that she didn't even want to play. The only thing she really cared about was the treat at the end. The only thing I cared about was watching and laughing at the kids and that she was getting exercise.

Will we do it next year? You bet ya....Even if she doesn't want to!!

This is one of my more happy times

Me and my Grandma

Working On Your Weak Area's

You know what they are...the parts on your body that just have the hardest time firming up or slimming down. Mine, for example, are my legs and booty (sorry, glutes). Sure they are strong but they also hold the most fat deposits on my body. One way to help this is a very advanced program that involves doing one set twice a day until fatigue for that particular body part.

Here's how it works. Say a man (or woman) wants to beef up his chest/shoulder area. What ever he does he just cannot build the type of muscle that he is looking for. So every morning he gets up, drops to the floor, and does push ups until he can't do anymore with good form. Then every night he brushes his teeth, puts on pajamas, and drops to the floor again for another set of push ups until failure. He does this everyday, 7 days a week for a month. What does it do? It forces the muscles to work again and again without much rest in between. This results in muscle strength/gain.

Same goes for women trying to slim down a certain body part. If it's your lower body, lunge jumps are great for this. Starting in a split stance (one foot in front of the other) bend knees with back knee close to the floor. Then jump up and switch your lead foot mid-air. Without stopping repeat left right left right until fatigue (when you no longer can do the exercise with proper form). Click here for an example of a correct Lunge Jump http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLTDUFjbXA . Doing this every morning and every evening for one month.

The trick is to pick an exercise that requires no equipment so you can do it anywhere. That does mean no excuses either. You also do your set even if you are sore, tired or sick. Remember, it is just one set then you're done until later that night.

If anyone wants to try it, let me know. I can help you pick an exercise for the body part you want to work. By the way, this probably doesn't work for the brain....sorry!

Tough Girl Training

Well, it just wouldn't be right if I didn't try to sell myself on my own blog. I am a personal trainer with an in-home studio. I am now accepting clients who want to jump start their fitness regime, get fit, fall off a plateau, and/or become lean and strong. I am located in the Traverse Mountain area and specialize getting tough. It's affordable, convenient, and fun. I promise that you'll sweat and love it! Email me today to set up your free consultation.

toughgirltraining@hotmail.com

Fall Vacation to Moab

We recently took our kids to Moab for the first time. Little did we know that they would love Arches National Park as much as we do. Trust me, Belle loved it even though it doesn't look like it above.

Tre practically dragged me down the mountain on the Delicate Arch trail. He decided it was much more fun (and faster) to run back to the car. I wouldn't let him do it on his own so we held hands and booked it, dodging others as we went.

Belle also liked hiking. She is coined herself "spider girl" because of how she can climb rock faces, small crevices and arches. People were truly amazed when they watched her scale large boulders. Jeremy only had a heart attack 30 or 40 times....per day.

We also found out that 4-wheeling is great, but just not in our Mazda. As we were bumping along a 14 mile trail, we bottomed out. We rolled on and heard a strange thump, thump, thump. Thinking we had at least one flat tire we pulled over to check. Good news! No flat tires. But...the sound was still there. After crawling under the car in the red dirt we found the problem. I don't know much about cars but something was bent and Jeremy had to straighten it out with a crow bar. Fun times, huh?!

Everything else went as planned and we had a great trip!

National Park visitor center

"Hang Loose!"

Looking at Delicate Arch

"Can you see the lizard?"

Right behind us is a HUGE cliff!

This is the view we sacraficed our car for

Making sand angels