Burn the Fat Challenge Day 72 – Motivation

Photo taken from http://www.facebook.com/CrossFitGames

I don’t know about you, but this girl’s body makes me want to put down the -figurative- cookie I’m eating and get into the gym. WOW.I think I’m going to make little post-cards and paste her in my car, on my bathroom mirror and on my fridge for those times when I want to stop through the drive-thru or have that late-night snack when I know I don’t need it.

What is it that motivates you? Does your physical fitness depend on an event like a wedding or class reunion? Do you achieve your goals for those events and then fall back into a sedentary lifestyle after it’s over, only to gain back the fat you lost?

I believe that fitness success is dependent on an attitude and lifestyle change. While it’s great (and necessary) to use goal-setting to motivate you, it can’t be the only thing driving you forward to achieve and then maintain your fitness gains. There won’t always be that Hawaii trip or class reunion in your near future, and then your motivation dries up.

I have a few things I use to motivate me on a day-to-day basis-when it’s boring and there’s not immediate reward (kind of like how doing the right thing in every area is ALWAYS hard). I’d love to hear from you about the tools you use to force yourself into the gym or how you deny yourself those extra calories.

Here are mine:

1. I want to make good choices for the body I’ve been given.

• As a Bible-believing Christian, I believe that my body is temple. It is a place where God resides and I want to make sure what I’m putting in it-whether it’s food, music, media, etc-is pleasing to Him. That means doing my best-NOT being perfect-to make good choices regarding natural food, trying not to abuse substances such as caffeine, trans-fats, etc. It’s not about vanity, but about being a good steward of what I’ve been given. All of my actions, including my fitness goals, are all for the ultimate result of giving glory to God.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20

2. I want to look good for my husband.

• It is such a temptation to just “throw in the towel” on everything relating to keeping ourselves fit and healthy when we get married. We get comfortable in our new life with our significant other and we end up eating out more or just eating more in general (especially when you’re married to a 225 lb 6′ 4″ lb muscle-bound weight lifter who eats 6 times a day like I am!).  When Tim and I first got married, I started eating when he ate and how much he ate. I had late night snacks when he had late night snacks. I had ice cream when he had ice cream. So I was shocked when I jumped on the scale and all of the sudden there was an extra 15 lbs that hadn’t been there before! I call it the “First-Year of Marriage Fifteen.” The bottom line is that men are attracted to the physical. It’s not fair but it’s true. Will he love you if you’re overweight? Of course! Will he still think you’re the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen? He’d better! But at the end of the day, wouldn’t it show your spouse how much you love him if you start caring about the things you put in your mouth and taking care of your body? To me, this is a key motivator and what keeps me going to the gym day after day, month after month, year after year. It helps that Tim is just as committed to keeping his body in shape for me as I am to keeping mine in shape for him. Though I’m not exactly where I want to be physically, he can see the effort I put in and I hope it blesses him.

3. I want to feel good.

• This is a simple one but it’s just as important as the others. If I want to please God, please my husband, etc. then I have to be in a good state physically to do so. Not just in how I look, but how I feel. If I put trash and chemicals in my body, then the output is trash. I become lethargic, tired and unmotivated to take care of anything, especially myself. If I do my best to put clean, natural food into my body, then the output is energy. I am ready for the day and can accomplish all of my responsibilities AND the things I want to do. My grandmother is a perfect example of this. I think of her frequently when I think about aging. It’s a cop-out to become a couch potato and eat crap just because you’re getting older. My grandmother will be 81 this January and she plays tennis a few times a week, rides her bike, hikes in the mountains of Colorado, and jump ropes in her kitchen every night. Talk about an inspiration! Her diet consists of pure, whole food and has for a long time. Along with being physically active, she has lived a full, energized life and I want to be exactly like her.

These are just a few of the things that I think of when I need to dig deep for that push to go to the gym after a long day of work or to say “no” to that doughnut or piece of cake calling my name. I encourage you all to think about the things that motivate you so that you can get to where you want to be in life, not only in physical fitness.

Be your best,

Shanna

Tuscan Bean Salad – Source: TeamBeachbody.com

Recipe: Tuscan Bean Salad

Looking for something healthy to take to a summer potluck or BBQ that’s not going to bum everyone out? Check out this delicious, nutritious bean salad that’s rich in fiber and low in fat—and looks as good as it tastes.

Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Salad:

• 2-1/4 cups raw green beans, chopped
• 2 cups cannellini beans, home-cooked or canned, drained
• 2 cups red beans, home-cooked or canned, drained
• 1 cup new potatoes, boiled until tender and chopped
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, julienned
• 1/2 cup roasted yellow bell peppers, julienned
• 1/4 cup red Bermuda onions, sliced, quartered, and separated into segments
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

To make vinaigrette, combine water and cornstarch in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss all salad ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add dressing, toss to coat vegetables, and chill. Makes 8 servings.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes (plus 80 minutes of cooling/chilling time)

Burn the Fat Challenge Day 88- Confessions of a self saboteur

So….it’s day 88 of my Summer Fat Burning Challenege and it’s confession time. This journey is more about being real and getting to the root cause of those few extra pounds rather than “faking” it until I make it.

Here it goes. Total honesty. Ready for it?

I haven’t accomplished one of the weekly goals I set for myself. In fact, I went in the opposite direction. I didn’t count my calories. I didn’t plan my meals. I ate at Red Robin. I had sugar. By the time this week is done I will have worked out 5 of the 7 days but that’s as close as I got to my written goals. As a result, the scale showed a +1 this morning. I know I’m not alone when I say that it’s the hardest thing to actually follow through with fitness goals. But why is that? Why is it that it takes something drastic like serious disease or a horrible picture to be motivated to change? Most of us never get to that “rock bottom” point where we are forced to change. So we drift around, somewhat dis-satisfied with a figure carrying a few extra pounds but not feeling the overwhelming urge to change it. Frankly, I’m tired of living in this limbo of indecision. My desire is to change my life and my body, but my will has entirely different plans. I know the saying is cliche, but I am the only thing getting in my own way to a better body, healthier lifestyle, more energy, etc. In other words, I am a self-saboteur of the highest order.

The psychology of self-sabotage is quite interesting. As with everything in life (not just weight loss), our underlying emotional state or subconscious, is programmed to react in a certain way regardless of our conscious desires. If we don’t dig deep to investigate and figure out what’s motivating us to make the decisions we make, the results we want will always remain just slightly out of reach. Knowledge only goes so far and then action has to take over. Self-sabotage is not just about fear of failing, it can also be the fear of success. If you lean towards perfectionism, setting goals can lead to exposure of flaws. Certain attitudes such as all talk and no action, procrastination, negative self-talk all provide an escape out of having to live up to expectations of success (whether they are self-induced or not). Some people are afraid that they won’t be able to sustain their success once they achieve it, so they give up before they even try.

I’ve been thinking about how to get to the root of the issue in my own life. Why do I make the food choices I do? What do I believe about myself? What are the lies I’m believing that come into my mind disguised as truth? How do I uproot those negative thoughts and behaviors?

I decided to do a little test of my own (pulling from Tom Venuto’s book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and from other various sources I’ve read) and list the things that come to mind when I sit down and consider my fitness, food and exercise. I’m going to share a few that I came up with and challenge all of you reading this to do the same. Until we challenge those deep rooted beliefs, and replace them with truth, we won’t see the physical results.

*I deserve a treat

*I don’t have time to cook or prepare food

*I’m too tired to measure my food or care what I put in my mouth

*I’m bored

*I’m not worth it

*I’m not good enough

*I don’t believe I’m going to get the results I want even if I put in the effort, so why bother?
It looks I tend to lean towards the fear of success. It’s been like this ever since I can remember. I convince myself that something isn’t going to happen (even though I have all the tools necessary to achieve it) and give up before I even give it 100% effort.

Let’s take those lies and replace them with truth. It’s going to take a conscious “changing of the tapes” in my mind to get rid of some of these ingrained attitudes. The mind is a vacuum, so what you take out you must replace with something else.

*I deserve a treat

TRUTH: Hmmm. This attitude gives justification for putting things in my body that aren’t good for it (calorie-wise or any other way). I should be asking myself-can I afford this treat? Do I have enough calories left in my “budget” to eat this? Usually the answer will be No.

*I don’t have time to cook or prepare food

TRUTH: I have time to spend a couple of hours in front of the TV, so I do have time. I have the right food items stocked and eating healthy is probably the single most important thing I can do for myself on my way to my fitness goals.

*I’m too tired to measure my food or care what I put in my mouth

TRUTH: If I create a habit in my life now of measuring my food and being conscious of what I’m eating, then it will become second nature. I should care what I put in my mouth because food is fuel, not recreation.

*I’m bored

TRUTH: When I’m bored or lonely, I will purpose to meet a friend for coffee, go to the gym, talk on the phone and not reach for food as an automatic, mindless response.

*I’m not worth it

TRUTH: What does God say about this? Just one of the many is in Psalm 139:13-18 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.”

I am worth it in God’s sight. I am a child of God, saved by grace and not through my own works. I can rest in Him for all things.

*I’m not good enough

TRUTH: Again, I have to refer to the Bible as that’s where real truth comes from. I Timothy 1:15-16 says ” Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” So the truth is I’m not good enough on my own. But I stand justified and forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When I don’t accept my own worth in Him, I am diminishing His work on the cross in my life. While the subject at hand is fitness, the more important theme is overall health-spiritual health being number one.

*I don’t believe I’m going to get the results I want even if I put in the effort, so why bother?

TRUTH: There are some things in life that are proven scientific facts. Just because I don’t believe that reducing my calories to produce a deficit every day and that exercise will burn the fat away, does not mean it’s not true. There is plenty of evidence to support it. Life is not always about “feeling” a change, but trusting in the knowledge that if effort is given, results will be produced.

So, week 3 here I come! I am going to do my best and forget the rest.

Be your best,

2011 Summer Burn the Fat Challenge

Here is a picture of one of my fitness hero’s:

Tom Venuto is one of the leading fitness experts out there right now. He’s an accomplished natural (meaning steroid free) body builder and is the author of the blog/e-book “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.” Everything he says about food, exercise and mental training makes perfect, logical sense to me. There are no quick fixes. There are no shortcuts. There is only hard work, consistency and determination resulting in success. He is not a big fan of supplements either, which I appreciate. It’s just good old fashioned eating right and exercising, calories in-calories out.For more info on Tom, click here: http://www.fitren.com/about_tom_venuto.shtml.

I just recently bought and downloaded his e-book “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” and it is chalk full of helpful information (and quite a bit of science if you want to “geek out” and learn all there is to know about proteins, carbs, calories, etc) to help people reach their fitness goals. You can find it here at http://www.burnthefat.com/.

Each year, Tom and his team create fat-burning contests-one in the summer and one in winter. The grand prize of this summer’s 98 day fat-burning challenge is a 7 day stay in Maui at the Four Seasons. Not too shabby! Apparently there are 4,500 people who entered the contest so my chances of winning are very slim, but this is more about achieving a fitness goal and changing my body than it is about winning a grand prize.

To create a little more accountability (and to help those of you who read this blog) I would like to track my journey every few days with posts dealing with exercise routines, food intake, recipes, challenges and my personal goal to overcome the mental roadblocks that always try to get in the way when we try to achieve something great. Tom recommends to use a “count-down” method to program the sub-conscious to make the changes necessary to achieve whatever goals you have. When you know how many days you have left and you see them ticking away, you are more likely to be more motivated to make the food and exercise choices count each day. Today is actually my day 92 (I started on 5/25) so I’ll start out by sharing my goals:

Start Date: 5/25/11

End Date: 8/30/11

Body Fat Goal: 18% (approx 12 lbs of fat and 7% body fat to shed)

Daily/Weekly Goals:

*3 days a week of 60 mins of moderate cardio (20 minutes in the middle of intense cardio-hills, speed, etc)

*3 days a week of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) on weight days

*4 days a week of hypertrophy weight lifting

*1600 daily calorie intake (adjust as necessary)

*Cut out all refined sugars, carbs

*Limit dairy and caffeine (my own personal goal-caffeine doesn’t hinder or help weight loss)

*Weekly weigh-ins on a body fat scale to track body fat % lost

If anyone would like to join me on their own personal journey to be more fit and fab, feel free to comment on my posts!

Happy training!

Shanna

Chicken Walnut Fuji Salad-Whole Food Recipe Day 27

I know there are lots of versions of this out there, but I was feeling creative and used what I had on hand to create this meal. Normally I don’t like fruit mixed with mayo but this was delicious! It has all the components of a perfectly balanced meal: protein (chicken), fat (walnuts), carbs/veggies/fruit (apples, celery and spinach). At only 250 calories, it’s also guilt-free!

4oz diced chicken breast
3-4 pcs crumbled walnuts
1/2 apple
1 celery stalk
1 tbsp lite mayo
1 cup spinach

Enjoy!

Shanna

2011 Race Calendar, CrossFit and Paleo

First of all, I’m sorry for not posting in so long! To say life has been busy is an understatement and to be totally honest, I took a little bit of a break after last year’s triathlon. Probably too much of a break since for awhile there I had completely lost the motivation to start any kind of training program.
So here’s a couple of things that have happened since I last posted:

1) I joined CrossFit Excellence for a 6 week jump start into my training schedule for 2011. For those of you who don’t know who or what CrossFit is, their website http://crossfitexcellence.com/ describes the kind of training as follows:  “As a method of training, CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program. It is widely used in Military, Special Forces and First Responder organizations as a means of providing GPP or a state of readiness for the unknown demands that these people face. It is also becoming widely used in general populations as it can be scaled to any need for the “average person”, but can produce a level of fitness that is anything but average!”

I’m two weeks into the program and it isn’t anything like I’ve ever experienced in all my years of being a gym rat. It’s challenging, muscle stretching (I’m always sore the next day no matter what I do!) and kind of fun. They also offer boxing…I just have to say that you know you’ve had a good workout when you can barely lift your arms at the end of a class.

2) Today also marks the first day of eating “Paleo”-another thing the CrossFit endorses. The Paleo diet is getting back to the way our ancestors ate in a time of hunting/gathering. All lean meats, seafood, fruits, veggies and nuts/seeds are allowed but nothing else (no grains, beans, potatoes, refined sugars, refined flours, bread, dairy, etc). I’m not only purposing to eat this way for 30 days, but am taking part in a food/body measurement challenge through CrossFit where I photograph everything I eat, take my measurements/body fat weight each week to mark my progress. I’ll keep this website updated with the results!

3) I’ve decided to put down some race goals for 2011, just to have something to work towards. The mind is a very powerful thing as I’ve been learning through some studying of my fitness mentors, and my next couple of posts are going to cover the psychological/mental battles we all face when trying to improve our health and achieve the kinds of bodies we’ve always dreamed of. I’ve already learned a ton about my limiting beliefs, my negative identity beliefs and am on my way to destroying every negative thing that’s going to get in my way of getting to the weight and shape I want.

Anyway-here are my race/event goals for 2011; if anyone wants to join me in training or at the races themselves, let me know!:

*March 13th-15K Shamrock Run

*June 11th-Helvetia 1/2 Marathon

*Sept 4th-Stumptown Triathlon

*Sept 10th-Warrior Dash

*Oct 9th-Portland Marathon

Happy Training everyone!

Shanna

Whole Foods Coupons

Hello all!

Just got this site from a friend and thought I would share! Now you can print coupons for Whole Foods online-sweet!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons/

Be your best,

Shanna

To God be the Glory-Life in Balance

I was driving into work today praying to the Lord to keep me distracted from the annoyance of slow drivers (that sounded bad…my first motivation is to have some time alone with God. The second benefit is that concentrating on the conversation I’m having frees me up from fighting traffic), I asked Him to give me balance.

As I’ve spoken about in previous posts, I have a tendency to get very focused on whatever particular goal is in front of me at the time. For the recent triathlon I participated in, that is what I ate, drank and slept the entire week before. My husband felt ignored and de-prioritized.

Most of the time, having a such an intense focus to achieve my goals is a positive thing, but this morning I took a step back to re-evaluate my priorities. Where is God? Is he number 1? Are any of my dreams and goals-athletic or otherwise- pushing him out of first place in my life? Am I glorifying myself in my pursuits or are they glorifying Him? My prayer was that he would be with me in all those pursuits, that my body would glorify Him not my body be glorified, that on my runs and gym time or whatever I’m doing that doesn’t use a whole lot of brain power, that we could spend time together. I think that’s a good start. The other thing is my drive to be perfect…in body, in work, in exercise…and it leaves me discontent and not happy with who or what I am. So I asked the Lord to help me there too.  I am a child of God who has been set free not only from sin and death, but all the other enslaving chains that try to drape themselves on me from day to day. I am not subject to a life of slavery but freedom in Christ. And no amount of bodily perfection or achievements on earth are going to matter in eternity, even though I believe having and achieving goals is an integral part of the human experience.

In summary, my lesson from the Lord today was to “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added.” While I am free to enjoy whatever pursuits I want, He remains first in my focus.

Thought I would share…

Have a wonderful day!

Shanna

Triatholon Training Tip # 1-The Dreaded Swim

I have been training for about 4 weeks for my first triathlon…granted it’s only a Sprint distance (500 meter swim, 11 mile bike and 5K run) otherwise that would be nowhere near enough time to get in race shape. Thankfully, I incorporate running into my workouts at least 3 times a week and biking 1 time a week so I had a pretty good cardio base. This Saturday August 14th is race day so we’ll see if I did enough!

My swimming training, on the other hand, was another story. Although I’m one swimming course away from my lifeguard certification, that was about 15 years ago! I haven’t stepped foot into a pool for lap swimming in goodness knows how long. So, needless to say I was a little intimidated before I started training for the swimming leg of the competition.

A friend of mine gave me his book that he used when he was a beginner triathlete (since then he has participated in Iron Man, etc so he is beyond the kiddie stuff at this point) called Triathlon 101 by John Mora. http://www.amazon.com/Triathlon-101-John-M-Mora/dp/0880118113. The synopsis of the book is to “take the guesswork out of training and racing. Triathlon 101 is an essential text for every athlete who’s serious about succeeding in multi sport events.” Not only does it cover swimming in depth (especially crucial for beginner swimmers) but has training plans, running tips, biking tips and diet suggestions which we’ll get to in later posts.

I jumped all over the swimming section of the book and learned the following key tips:

One thing the author says is that you should look at the swim as a warm up to the rest of the race. It only makes up less than ¼ of the actual race and you will need your energy for the bike and run legs. That made me feel a little better…he also said that technique is everything. If you’re swimming wrong, you’re going to exhaust yourself. So, here it goes:

• Count your strokes: how many strokes does it take for you to get from one end of the pool to the other
• Practice stroke elimination: Make efficiency, not yardage or speed your objective. Set a stroke count target of 10% lower than your norm. For example, if you usually take 22 strokes per length on endurance swims or repeats, set a new limit for yourself of just 20. See how far into a swim or set you can hold that count instead of how fast you can finish.
• Streamline yourself with skills:

• Get that head down. If more than a sliver of the back of your head shows above the surface as you swim, you’re holding your head too high.

• Swim downhill. Shift your weight forward until you feel as if you’re leaning on your chest. This shift keeps your body more horizontal, more “slippery”, making your hips and legs feel lighter. That reduces the need to kick and tire out your leg muscles.

• Swim taller. Say to yourself each stroke “ The most important thing I do with my hand is lengthen my body. Reach, reach, reach! Don’t pull, pull, pull.” That gives you a longer stroke and a longer, sleeker “vessel” that will slice far more easily through the water. Slice your hand close to your head, instead of reaching over the water.

• Swim less, drill more. Try to reduce your stroke count and if you can’t, do more drills. 25% of swim training should be drills anyway.

• Pressing the buoy: This drill teaches you how to find the right head position and amount of buoy pressure to balance your body. Start with your head in the anatomical position (the position that you normally hold it in when you’re not in the water). Push off with your head in the water looking down. Kick with a small gentle flutter, arms lightly hugging your sides. Press your buoy (chest area) gently into the water until your buttocks barely break the surface of the water. You should feel as though the water is supporting more of your body weight, which will likely help you to relax. Lift your head and breathe when you have to, but try and re-establish balance quickly.

• Side balancing: This drill introduces the most critical position for balance. Kick on one side of your body with your lower shoulder touching your chin. Lean on your lower shoulder as you look at the pool bottom. This may be difficult to do, so start out with short distances to master balance in this position. Repeat with opposite side. When you feel you’ve mastered this, try kicking on your side the length of the pool, swiveling your head upward when you need to breathe. Swim back on your opposite side.

• Balance on your back: This exercise lays the groundwork for further drills that help you to achieve balance in every phase of your stroke. Kick easily on your back, hands at sides, shoulders slightly rounded, and chin slightly tucked. Press your buoy (which, when you’re on your back, is the back of your head and upper spine) to keep your hips up. Feel your hips and thighs move closer to the surface as you press. Knees and toes should be just under the surface, but should not break through. Practice short distances until your balance feels natural and easy.

Excerpt from Triathlon 101 by John Mora

Once I “took the plunge” into the pool for the first time and implemented these techniques, I breathed a huge sigh of relief (literally). I found that I could swim “relaxed” for about 30 minutes straight without stopping to rest in between. My last logged practice time for 500 meters (20 laps) non-stop was 11 minutes so I’m feeling pretty good about the race now. Thankfully, the swim leg for this particular tri I’m doing is in a pool so I don’t have to worry about scary open water…flailing legs and arms will still be a problem, though!

In swimming, it’s all about technique- slow and steady strokes and breathing. What helped me feel like I was going to survive and not drown in the middle of the pool was to get into a rhythm with my strokes. It’s almost like that “zone” you enter when you’re running-you’re working hard but your stride/cadence and breathing are all in sync so you’re not exhausted by the time you’re done. It’s that feeling that you could run for another 5 miles if you needed to. Try to get to that point and remember, RELAXING is the most important tip I got from this book.

Stay tuned for Training Tip # 2-The Faster Run…

Be your best and train hard!

Shanna

Whole Food Dinners Day 26-Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll

Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Smoked-Salmon-Sushi-Roll/Detail.aspx