July Goals!

Where did the 1st half of the year go?

Alright June is done! Time to evaluate progress on those goals. How did you do?

June Goals:

Exercise Libraray:

I filmed 5 videos on June 30th! Technically, goal completed :-) Working on editing those now and aiming to have them posted by end if the week! Don't expect a Jilian Michaels production here, but we have to start somewhere.

Fitness Facility Check In:

I have started working at a new Facility. Amor Fitness and Nutrition! It turns out my bodybuilding coach Adele is expanding her business and was looking for additional instructors. I am having a blast teaching and getting to know my fellow Team Amor competitors! We even have plans to bring New classes to the schedule... Ooooohm (hint hint)

New class at CRC:

Still working on this one my original pitch was accepted, but everything won't be in place in time for this semester. But, I am hoping to have BIG news on another opportunity I was offered by the end if this week! Looking for final approval.

Bi-weekly Blog Post:

Okay, I did fall short on this one, but I did post more frequently than usual. I think that's a step in the right direction we'll keep working on this one.

Now for the grand reveal of this months goals! Drum roll please. I do an awful drum roll, I'll imagine yours is fantastic !

Uploads: Yes you can be on the lookout for more videos from me! People are always asking about the moves I list or what my classes are like, and I want you to know, sooo more videos!

Vacation!: Me and the husband are taking a much needed vacation next week, but I don't want you to miss out on your daily fit geekiness ;-)

Conference: Mania is coming! It's a fitness conference I have been going to the past few years. I server on the volunteer staff for a huge discount, CEUs, and a chance to meet some of the top instructors in the industry. I want to share that experience with you this year, yup you're coming to mania with me!

So those are my goals for the month! Along with continuing last months goals. 

What are your goals for the month? Did you meet last months goals?

Good luck goal getters! You got this!

Health and Happiness,

L

Cardio Confession

Ummmm... 16 days until the Peachtree! 

Cardio Confession,

I have not run since Memorial Day Weekend.

We completed 2 miles during "Murph" on Memorial Day.

Prior to that we spent "military weekend" in Jacksonville, Fl . 

We completed a little over 3 miles.

I need to do some serious cardio over the next few weeks or the Peachtree will be brutal!

I guess nothing will be worse than the 1st yr I ran it. No training, never more than 6 miles. I was a giant ball if knots at the end.

Hopefully my strength will get me through the run. 

I usually adhere to a strict training regimen, but this season I have been focused on lifting and Crossfit. I looked up and it was nearly race day! 

So your turn. Tell me:

What is the shortest amount of time you've prepped for a race? 

I think I see some cardio in my future today after work! 

Health and Happiness

- L 

Summer Days in the A

I had a busy and productive Saturday:  Team WOD, Food for Fuel Discussion, Yoga, and Virginia Highlands Fest!

These days the only Crossfit I can squeeze in is on the weekends.  Which is great it means I get to participate in our Team WOD! This week Ladies Vs. Gents, Tara and Larissa v. Keith and Jay.

Cleans - Yaaay, Burpees - Yaaay, Kettlebell Swings - Yaaay, Double Unders - Dang it!

Double Unders are my weakness. Oddly enough my form gets better as I get fatigued (I am not fatigued yet in this photo :-p).

The ladies are victorious! A final Team WOD win for Tara.

Refueled, then Tara and I got together to share some nutrition tips and guidelines. It was great to be able to team up with a registered dietician. I know the standard guidelines and I have attend multiple sports nutrition workshops, but nutrition can be very complex. It was great to be able to share notes with someone who can clarify those complex concepts.

We also swapped some snacks. Tara brought Paleo Protein bars and I brought my Cashew Chews!

Then I was off to teach Vinyasa Flow at Yoga Around the Corner. 

From there I grabbed some grub at Whole Foods, I love their Chicken Fried Tofu! 

Then I met up with my girlfriend Erin for the Virginia Highlands Fest. 

There were lots of art and food vendors. We explored some of the boutiques after getting in all the summer walking we could stand.  I did make one purchase while I was there .

Mmmmm this soap is so fragrant!

I have to stay busy, even on the weekends. So mission accomplished ;-)

I love summer in Atlanta, all the different neighborhoods are hosting festivals! You can find one pretty much every weekend. 

What is your favorite summer festival to attend?

Health and Happiness

L

GaTech President's Walk

This was my 1st official event as co-health ambassador for my office...and we won for most participants in the small office category!

We invited the whole office to participate in a 1,2,or 3.14 mile walk with the Institutes president. 

We even got team T-shirts!

I chose the 1mike walk. It wasn't about me getting a workout it was about promoting corporate wellness ;-) 

Who was leading my group, one of my athletes Officer Gutierrez! He was a member of a 12 wk fitness group I trained. Still keeping up his walks and runs.

It was great to share my passion for fitness with my co workers. It's always nice to take a break from negotiations and budgets and get some fresh air in the lungs and blood pumping to the muscles.

Go team Research Administration!

Health and Happiness 

L

Year 30 ... Bring It!

It was a fantastic birthday week!

The weekend before my birthday we took a trip to Chateau Elan in Brasleton, GA.  The largest winery in Georgia. My husband booked us the "Winemaker Wannabe" package.

First we toured the winery. MMMmmm it smelled so sweet in the processing area.  Then we sampled the Chateau's Vigonier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and their sweet Muscadine Wine Duncan Creek.  Mmmm the Duncan Creek was my favorite, I love a sweet white wine.

After lots of sampling we got to try our hand at mixing. Anthony prefers a dry red, I enjoy a sweet white, so we blended the 2. It actually cam out very tasty! Good job hubs, putting that techie ingenuity to good use ;-)

Great weekend!

Then came my actual birthday :-)
Mom wins for 1st mssg of the day!
And dad  followed with a super sweet morning message.

Then I got to share my birthday with my clients. My buddy clients and my group class were able to experience the 13 minute birthday workout on the KB, they all loved the 30 burpees or jumping jacks.  Then my dad whipped up his own version of my birthday workout, Crossfit style, and everyone appreciated that!

My lil Sis Alicia, Me, and Husband Anthony killed that birthday workout! I had to wear my Flag nor Fail "I kill because I want cake" . Then we treated ourselves to some yummy treats at Whole Foods ponce.I had to get my favorite chicken fried tofu and OMG the strawberry cupcake was soooo tasty.

By the end of the week I acquired quite the birthday loot.

When I am ready to take on Paleo again I'll be ready thanks to the new books from mom and sis. Then my mom put the icing on the fitgeek cake and got me the TPTherapy total body package with learning guide and video!

It was a great birthday week! I had so much fun. Thank you everyone for all the birthday love, and playing along with the intense workouts. I see big things on the horizon for this year!


Health and Happiness

L

My Break up with Paleo

It's not you Paleo, it's me...

So I started to feel the Paleo crash coming last Saturday. But, I thought I would hold out for one more week and get in 3 whole weeks...I made it to the 22nd. A sign that Paleo was too strict for me at this point in my training. You shouldn't be counting down the days on a meal plan when it is the right plan for you and your goals.

My Paleo experiment ended with a yummy burrito bowl from Chipotle with brown rice and I had tummygasms and feelings of elation that do not make sense to most people.

Then I ate a box of Dr. Lucys gluten free cookies, very tasty! But all that sugar was too much for me, Had a 24hr stomach ache.

5 Things I loved about Paleo:

1. simplicity, think fresh think hearty
2. variety, I started following different Paleo blogs, twitter, and Instagram accounts, people get really creative it's not just salads and slabs of meat
3. recipes, learning to cook with coconut flour and think about carbs differently

    4.   fruit, all the fruit I want, and finding fun ways to incorporate fruit into my meals

     5.   result, my goal was not weightloss but I did drop about 3 lbs in the first week and my tummy was as flat as it gets during lean out

5 Things that made me question our relationship

- I love oatmeal and brown rice and I can't have that on Paleo

- I love oatmeal and brown rice and I can't have that on Paleo

- I love oatmeal and brown rice and I can't have that on Paleo

- I love oatmeal and brown rice and I can't have that on Paleo

- I love oatmeal and brown rice and I can't have that on Paleo

My favorite moments with Paleo:

Finally learning to cook quinoa (not stirct paleo)

Post workout fruit salads and coconut water

Meeting my nutrient goals while on Paleo

I will look back fondly on the days we spent together. I don't think I was ready for an exclusive relationship with Paleo, but I'd love to hangout with it occasionally.

Have you had success with Paleo? Do you have a Paleo recipe or blog you'd like to share? Comment below.

Health and Happiness

L

Paleoooooo...Kinda

So my sis and I have decided to go Paleo for the month of March.

Why Paleo for the month of March? Why in honor of the Crossfit Games of course! The open kicks off March 6th, and I am participating. Whoohooo! I figure if I am going to lift like a crossfitter I would try eating like one too ;-) Plus there have been a handful of clients ask me about eating Paleo, so it gives me a chance to do a little hands on research.

What is Paleo?
My interpretation, a return to more natural eating. If you could plant it, hunt it, harvest it, and eat with little to no processing you can eat it on this meal plan.

Robb Wolf , paleo nutrition expert, breaks it down to avoiding: dairy, grains, processed food & sugars, legumes, starches and alcohol and enjoying: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts & seeds, and healthy fats.

Everyday Paleo, lists items to include in your pantry and fridge to support your Paleo eating and she refers to Robb Wolf's info as well.

Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa?
Ummm yeah. This is where the debate heats up ;-) . Sweet poatoes seem to get the okay in moderation. Quinoa makes some lists but not all (seed with the characteristics of a carb).

For me, I am okay with sweet potatoes and quinoa. I am still in my muscle building phase so I need carbs. The fruit and veggies are a good source, but not enough to meet my current needs.

So, for the month of March I am a Paleo Moderate ;-)
It has been about a week and it is not so different from my bodybuilding diet, except that I get sooo much fruit, and oatmeal and brown rice have disappeared.  I am using MyFitnessPal to track my nutrition.  I am hitting all of my building season goals accept Calcium, so I will be supplementing that.

If you're also an athlete you may need to bend the Pale rules too. Here you can find some tips on Paleo for Athletes: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/nutrition/quick-guide-the-paleo-diet-for-athletes.aspx

Remember to speak with your doctor before beginning any new nutrition or exercise programming. Not every plan is right for every person.

Have you gone Paleo? What do you think about it? Got any tips or resources for a newbie?

Health and Happiness

L