Fit Fancy and Free: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION SEVEN

Goal Check Up + Be Active EVERY DAY

Six Fabulous weeks have gone by Ladies! Congratulations to you on working so hard! The great part about working together on our ultimate mission to a life of health and fitness, is sharing our success, struggles, tips and insights along the way.

As we start fresh on another 6 weeks – Take a minute to reassess where you are today. Look at your goal sheet from Week One. Have you made it to your short-term goal? Are you working toward it and others? Maybe you haven’t printed one or written anything down yet… Don’t worry, just start now! I sent you the Goal Sheet PDF in your morning email. As you work toward your goals, you will notice that things change: the goals themselves may evolve into something a little different, new obstacles may pop up, your ideas about staying on track may need to be edited…

1) Mental or Written Goal Assessment: Take a few minutes to honestly assess where you are, and where you would like to be. You may be on track, in that case give yourself some praise and share it with us all! When you find yourself successful ~ shout it out to the world! Don’t be shy, share your accomplishments. Feel free to post on Blogger or our Facebook Page each time you find yourself achieving your goals! The more you do – the more you will inspire others!

If you find that you need to change, set new or start setting goals ~ create a new goal sheet and hang it where you view it every day. This will inspire you to stick to your journey.

Healthy Americans are encouraged to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5-7 days per week (as per the Surgeon General). This seems simple enough, but does it really happen every week?? Many people would think yes, but in reality it does take effort, planning and encouragement. This week (and every for that matter) be sure you do this!

2) 30 Minutes A Day: EVERY DAY this week, your mission is to get in 30+ Minutes of (sustained, moderate) activity. This does not have to just happen on the treadmill, although your regularly scheduled workouts will count toward this goal. It can happen on the playground with your kids, raking leaves, walking to work, etc, etc. Print off your 30 Minutes a Day Check List (sent via email PDF). Use it this week for the mission, and then print more for future weeks. Visual reminders are very powerful!

***Comment here that you received this Mission. THEN Comment back here once Complete!

Participation Points start FRESH this week!!! The more you comment, the more Participation Points you earn + the more you help and inspire yourself and others. Reminder: 1 PP for Comments, 5 for Mission Complete, 5 for Enlisting someone to The Hot Mommas! Every 6 weeks, we tally the results for a Fitness Award J

Not Yet a Member of The Hot Mommas Fit and Fabulous Online Fitness Group? Join TODAY! Email hotmommasfitandfab@gmail.com with your name and email address to join the fun & receive all of the downloads, info, etc!

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION SIX

It is Week Six for the Hot Mommas!

We are off to an Amazing start! With over 100 members (via Facebook, Blogger and Email) – the word is being spread about our love and support for each other and healthy living.

This week’s mission is about taking a snap shot of our daily habits. It comes in two parts.

1) Food& Activity Log: This week I challenge us all to take a realistic assessment of our dietary and exercise habits. For a minimum of three days in a row, journal EVERYTHING you eat / drink, and all of your activity. Food/Activity Journaling can be a real eye opener. It is a great way for us to be aware of our true eating habits. It is also a highly motivational tool to make good choices. If we are asked to write something down, we may think twice before consuming it, skipping a workout, etc. It is only for our benefit to be honest in journaling and to use this as personal accountability to our food and exercise habits. You may use the PDF link below or record your Log in a notebook of your choice. If you currently journal your food/activity – continue and this should be an easy mission! Once this week is over, I will then ask us to assess our own journals and determine where we may be lacking or need improvement. We will use this as a discussion topic next week to encourage eachother, offer advice and find solutions.

Food Log Link: http://www.vertex42.com/Files/printable-food-log.pdf

If you need to obtain a calorie count for specific foods you can utilize the following site (huge database of calorie counts for over 45,000 items): http://calorielab.com/index.html

2) Meet This Hot Momma: Send an email to hotmommasfitandfab@gmail.com with a photo of yourself (preferably being active) and any or all of the following: Your Bio, Your accomplishments in the past 6 weeks, Your Fitness Struggles, Your Future Health Goals, Motivational Tips for Others, etc etc. I will post a Blog next week with that will include our group in all of our glory! It will be fun to officially meet each other face to face and see the success we are creating in one another. If you would rather not send a photo for privacy reasons, that is completely understandable. The post will be viewed through Blogger, sent to our group and on our Facebook Fan Page.

***Comment here that you received this Mission. THEN Comment back here once Complete! The more you comment, the more Participation Points you earn + the more you help and inspire yourself and others! REMINDER: This is the final week to earn Participation Points for our first Tally! The person with the most points will be announced at the end of Week Six!

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Healthy and Fit Breakfast Cereal Recipe

Start the day with an Energy Packed, Nutritious, Power Breakfast!

Looking for a way to start the day full of energy? Need fiber, protein, calcium and potassium in your diet? Try this Healty and Fit Breakfast Cereal Recipe strategically developed by Registered Nurse, Jodi Loeffen.

This recipe is great for all of us working to keep our metabolism pumping strong all day, striving for healthy weight loss & working to improve dietary habits! It is low on calories (served as a meal), high in protein, fiber and calcium. It is simple and tastes great!

Healthy and Fit Breakfast Cereal

Ingredients:

14.1 oz Box Kashi Go Lean Cereal

5 Cups Cheerios

5 Cups Wheat Chex

Box of All Bran (to add in ¼ cup servings daily)

Fat Free Milk (to add 1 cup daily)

Fruit of your choice

Instructions:

Combine Kashi, Cheerios and Chex. Store mixture in air-tight container for freshness. For breakfast serve up 1 ½ Cup of the mix. Then on top add ¼ cup scoop of All Bran Cereal. Follow with 1 Cup of non-fat milk. Add fruit for extra fiber, nutrients and flavor. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Kashi/Cherios/Chex Mix

Calories: 180

Protein: 11 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

Carbs: 37 grams

Calcium: 111 mg

Cholesterol: ZERO

Sodium: 225 mg

All Bran Add On (1/4 cup)

Calories: 40

Protein: 2 grams

Fiber: 5 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

Sodium: 40 grams

Potassium: 175 mg

Fat-Free Milk Add On (1 Cup)

Calories: 80

Protein: 8 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

Calcium: 30% of daily value

Sodium: 125 mg

Potassium: 200 mg

GRAND TOTAL NUTRITION TAKE-AWAY….

** 300 calories (Great calorie count, especially for a meal that includes so much protein and nutrition!)

**21 grams of Protein (46% of your daily recommended amount ~ 46 grams per day for women 19-70yr)

**13 grams of Fiber (65% of your daily recommended amount~20 grams per day for women)

** 4 servings of Carbs (36-66% of your daily recommended amount~ 6-11 servings per day)

Bonus Breakfast Cereal Tip from Amy Bogart, RD: “The Rule of Five” ~ Always choose cereals that have NO more than 5 grams of sugar and AT LEAST 5 grams of fiber per serving!

This recipe was developed by Jodi Loeffen (Registered Nurse), approved by Amy Bogart (Registered Dietitian) & ed/published with permission by Jennifer Jens for Fit Fancy and Free. NOTE: If you choose to share this recipe, please give proper credit.

Check out The Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous Online Fitness Support Group on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Hot-MommasFit-and-Fabulous-Online-Fitness-Group/238815626157614

Friday, September 16, 2011

Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION FIVE

What does Healthy Mean for YOU?

To be healthy is a very broad suggestion… There are many components to our real and perceived health; and they each vary greatly from person to person. One may think being healthy is strictly a physical thing. For others it encompasses everything from emotional stability to Triglyceride levels. There are many ways to look at our overall health and there are even more ways that we can make gradual improvements daily to increase our physical, mental, social, sexual health and wellbeing. Just eating right and exercising is not enough, we must learn to look at our whole picture and recognize exactly where we can improve. Even the so called “healthy” person has areas for improvement. Why not make the best life for our bodies, minds and spirits?

1) This week’s Mission is about looking at a picture of our total health. Use the link below to determine your “Real Age”. I know it sounds a bit silly, but this test is very in-depth, uses scientifically tested questions and has been approved by medical professionals. The test combines many questions from many categories, including: physical health and medical history, social health, mental health, exercise habits, nutrition, etc. The “score” that you receive at the end, is a Real Age (as opposed to your calendar age). This is the age your body should be based upon how you answered the questions. I took this test 7 years ago and scored better today than I did at that time of my life . There are subtle things you can do on a daily basis to improve your “score” and work on your path to a Healthier Lifestyle.

http://www.realage.com/landing/entry4?cbr=GGLE10037X

In order to take this test, you will have to create an account (if you have not used this site previously). Once you issue your email and create a password, you can select “NO” to be removed from their email list (if you don’t want to receive anything additional in your inbox). If you do want to get info from them, it is all free and they will allow you to select categories of interest. NOTE: This test will take about 20-30 min to complete. It will stay on your browser screen if you need to step away.

2) The Second Part of this mission is to a write down an area for improvement. Then you need to challenge yourself to begin to making changes in your daily life that will improve your healthy living “score”. Print out the PDF attached to your Mission 5 email. Write down your Real Age “Score” and then also write your selected area(s) for improvement. Keep it visible so that you will remind yourself to stay on course.

Have a great week! Keep Active and Healthy!

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***Comment here that you received this Mission. THEN Comment back here once you have taken your Real Age Test & Started on your Healthy Living Improvement. The more you comment, the more Participation Points you earn + the more you help and inspire yourself and others!

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Monday, September 12, 2011

Take A Chair Challenge

Here is a great way to be active while you are normally sitting still. Are you a technology addict, habitual Facebooker, internet browser, TV watcher??

My challenge to us all ~ TAKE A “CHAIR” while we work, browse, etc.

HOW IT WORKS:

Pick the ONE technology option (or more if you like) that is most common for you throughout the day(TV, Facebook, Email Check, etc) . If you are unlikely to use any of these options regularly, complete the challenge while you brush your teeth. This will be your Chair Challenge Cue. Then when you find yourself checking status updates, texting, watching a commercial etc. - perform Chair Pose or Wall sit for one minute. If one minute is challenging at first, work up to it in shorter intervals (example: do four 15 second Chair Sits). NOTE: If you do not have doctor’s approval to exercise or perform such tasks due to any restrictions, please do not take on this challenge until your body is ready. This will allow you to get some extra leg work in each time you find yourself sitting still!

To perform a Chair Pose: First warm up your legs by walking around, jogging in place or doing gentle repetitive squats (for at least a min). Then start with your feet hip width apart, and flat on the floor. Slowly lower your body into a sitting position while keeping your knees in line with ankles (never allow knees to press over toes – can be damaging for the joint). Your back should remain straight and may slightly angle forward (up to a 45 deg angle). The goal is to work to sit lower and lower into your chair (up to a 90 deg angle of your knees). You will feel a lot of energy pumping through your legs while you do this exercise. Your hands can be held up with arms straight alongside ears (as seen in pic) or out at sides for balance or holding your phone, iPad, etc J. Keep your abdominals held strong while you do this exercise to avoid back strain.

Chair pose or Utkata, meaning Powerful or Fierce, is a fabulous yoga pose. It strengthens our thighs, calves, spinal muscles, ankles, etc. It also helps to improve balance and posture with continued practice. I love this pose because it is simple to perform (anywhere) and is very effective at energy producing and muscle toning.

Beginners: Only sit low enough to feel the energy start to build up in your legs. Also work up to a minute hold (as mentioned earlier).

Pros: If one minute is not challenging to you – add a bit of a boost to this pose. Try performing it while doing a heel raise (lifting on to your toes). Or work toward standing on one foot only at a time.

Pro Option: Chair Pose on Toes ~ Balanced Chair

If you would rather perform a wall sit instead – that is another great option for this challenge! You can do the same exercise with your back against a wall for support. You will just have to position yourself with in reach of your computer or tech device J.

Wall Sit Option

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This is just another great reminder that we can find fitness options in every part of our daily life. Good luck with your Take A Chair Challenge! Stand up and grab a seat ! J

Need a Reminder?? The Hot Mommas Fit & Fabulous Online Group was emailed a PDF File to tape to the computer, phone, TV, etc. IF you did not receive this email – send a request to hotmommasfitandfab@gmail.com. You can also follow (and join) our group on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hot-MommasFit-and-Fabulous-Online-Fitness-Group/238815626157614

Friday, September 9, 2011

Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION FOUR

Mix it Up this Week ~ Challenge Yourself to a New Workout!

Our bodies are amazing machines, adapting quickly to regular stresses. In order to continue seeing results from all of our hard work, it is crucial that we challenge ourselves in new ways! Workouts can be challenged though any one or more of their components. Intensity and duration can be adjusted, and of course, the type of exercise can be changed itself.

If you find yourself getting bored, burned out, losing motivation – the thing to do is spice up your routine.

This week I challenge you to try something NEW!

This doesn’t necessarily have to be something you have never done, just at least something that you haven’t done in a very long time.

There are so many cardio, strength training, flexibility, functional fitness options out there – all you need to do is find a new way to stay active this week. To officially complete this mission, all you need to do is one activity –but who knows, you may find yourself adding it into your schedule on a regular basis! Speaking of that – have you been planning out your workouts every week?? Just as a reminder to keep that up, I have attached the workout schedule from week one to your email. Be sure to keep that up weekly – this will keep you on track.

What will you choose?? Here are a few ideas:

· Try a different/new workout class at your gym – TIP: Introduce yourself to the instructor at the start of class. This will allow him/her to help you with set up and this way he/she will know to give good instructions during class. Be sure to tell him/her about any health concerns/injuries.

· Go for a hike, bike ride, swim, power walk in nature

· Work out with an active friend/spouse – learn something from his/her routine

· Play a sport with your kids

· Add some intensity to your cardio or strength routine. TIP: Try doing cardio intervals (short bursts of cardio – 30sec-1min) between sets of strength training. Excellent calorie burner!

Comment some of your ideas on this Blog Post!

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***Comment here that you received this Mission. THEN Comment back here once you have done something NEW – tell us what it is! The more you comment, the more Participation Points you earn + the more you help and inspire yourself and others!

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Bomber Jacket

Over four years ago my husband told me he was ready to take on a new adventure and follow his lifelong dreams to the sky. Not really understanding exactly what this would entail – I agreed to jump on board with this adventure. We were newlyweds, freshly reunited from a deployment to Iraq, settled in our first purchased home, and expecting a baby girl. I was loving life – had a fabulous career as the Fitness Coordinator at a prestigious health club, worked as a researcher/writer at Gonzaga University and worked to produce and appear in healthy living films with a media company… Life was quite lovely. But as any military wife knows, the time always comes where you must pack up your entire life and move on along your journey. Our time had definitely come to make a change. My husband had been stationed in WA state for nearly seven years.

After being enlisted for over eight years in the Air Force, having 2 careers (Combat Control – ie Special Ops & Air Traffic Control), it was time to earn some golden bars. My husband commissioned to be a flying officer. He headed off to Alabama for twelve long weeks of Officer Training School. I realized my life was about to change dramatically as I (for the first time) officially took on the role of military wife. I rented our house, quit working, scheduled the movers, packed up our possessions and my little girl and set on the road to a new life. We met up with my husband (newly pinned Lieutenant Jens) in the Deep South and following graduation made our way to Texas.

While living in San Antonio, we made some lifelong friends. I learned a very important lesson there. When you are far from your real family, your Air Force family steps up and fills in the gaps. The connections you make are amazing and instant. Everyone is in the same situation and everyone just works together though all of the good and all of the bad. While in San Antonio, my husband earned his Navigator Wings and became a full-fledged Fly Boy! Oh yes, we also had a baby boy to complete our family of four while we lived in the Lone Star State. We now have a Californian, a Montanan, a Washingtonian and a little Texan!

Last fall, the movers came once again. We drove our little family (with the help of my amazing mother) to the bayou. Louisiana became our new home. We lived on an Air Force base for the first time. Here we have the most amazing community of old and new friends, all living together, letting our children run free in the soft green grass of our connected backyards. While we have been stationed here, my husband has flown and worked to earn his spot in the USAF as a rated Navigator – the real deal – the bombardier on the B-52.

Tomorrow afternoon his journey to the sky will be officially complete – he will earn the coveted leather Bomber Jacket. His graduation will be a wonderful moment for our family, friends, and all those pilots, navigators, EWOs that have been with us along the way. I have never been so proud of any man. It has been a challenging, stressful, tearful, amazing and wonderful journey. I can’t wait to take off on our next adventure.

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Hot Mommas~Fit and Fabulous MISSION THREE

Hydrate and Stretch those
Energized Bodies!

This week’s mission is all about getting the most out of our workouts and healthy living choices. We can hit it hard at the gym, eat right and be strive to be super woman throughout the day… But if we forget to drink enough water and stretch our newly toned muscles… we will find ourselves sore, stiff and stressed. The 2 simple parts of this week’s mission will take us less than 15 each day and will make everything we are doing much more enjoyable, productive and beneficial.

Hydrate that Body

60% of the Human Body is made up of water. It allows all of our bodily systems to function. As we become physically active our body changes and molds improving its structure. Water being the base of all cells in the body has to be present for the positive changes to occur (ie for our muscle to become lean and toned). It is truly the key ingredient to life.

Weight loss is dramatically influenced by water consumption in a variety of ways. For one, if we are consuming water instead of high calorie (sugary) drinks, we will be cutting your intake significantly. Water can help us to find satiety throughout the day. If you find that you are hungry, and it is not a meal or regular healthy snack time, try a glass of water. Often the brain gets a signal confused as hunger, when actually a bit of hydration is all you really need. Also, as weight loss and aging occurs – skin may feel and appear a bit loose. Staying hydrated actually fills up our tissue on the cellular level, evening out skin tone.

A very common question is “How much water should I drink per day?” There is no exact answer… the recommendations vary due many factors. The general consensus and most basic answer (summed up by the Institute of Medicine & The Mayo Clinic) is that we should be drinking enough water to not feel thirsty and to be urinating regularly (colorless, odorless urine). The amount of water that a person needs per day varies from person to person and from day to day. Many factors influence the body’s need for water; including: physical activity, the weather, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, pregnancy, breastfeeding, body mass, altitude, illness, age, etc.

To assess the amount that your body will need on average for your particular situation click on this link The Water Calculator. The answer will be given in liters (and if you can’t remember the conversion of liters to ounces from science class it is found here (I can never remember off the top of my head :/): http://www.calcul.com/measurement )

THE WATER CALULATOR:

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

1) Hydration: This week calculate your hydration needs and strive to consume that many ounces of water per day (or more). I recommend using a reusable water bottle and stick a piece of paper with the number of times it needs to be filled per day to the side. Remember – you NEVER should try to consume the entire day’s amount (just to catch up) in one setting – this is actually damaging to your kidneys. Just work to get it in throughout the day.

Find your Flexibility

The Human Body has roughly 800 muscles. If we can’t move them, they don’t do us much good. Flexibility is very important in all stages of a lifetime. Everyone can work on some form of flexibility no matter what their activity level, age, health status, etc (under doctor approval of course). As with any physical activity, it is essential that you have doctor’s approval to perform stretches on your various muscle groups. The benefits of flexibility are vast, including: agility, range of motion, mobility with age, joint health, athletic performance, etc. Did you know that research has proven the benefits that you achieve through strength training (strength and tone) will actually last longer, if you maintain your flexibility??

How do I become flexible? It is achieved on any level through stretching your muscles in a variety of ways. There are 3 main types (static, PNF, ballistic). It is the recommendation for the general public (novice-expert level training) according to the American College of Sports Med, to use static stretching (ideally) every day of the week. A static stretch is a slow, sustained stretch that does not induce pain. If you feel increasing discomfort, you have pushed too far, back off a bit. You should feel the energy in the muscle you are stretching, but no pressure on the joint involved. A static stretching is done on a “warm” muscle – one that has been active for a minimum of 5 minutes. A stretch should be performed for all of the main muscle groups (especially the ones you are working out that day). It should be held for 15-20 seconds, without bouncing the muscle. Repeat 2-4 times per muscle group. Ideally, you would warm up, stretch, workout, cool down and stretch. If it is not a workout day for you – warm up your muscles with at least 5 minutes of cardio movement and then stretch to enhance your energy level, mobility and mood for the day!

A basic stretching program (published by ACSM) is as follows Again, I remind you that you should only perform these stretches after you have doctor’s approval for this type of physical activity:

http://www.myexerciseplan.com/assessment/stretch.pdf

2) Flexibilty: Stretch EVERY DAY THIS WEEK J. Find time daily to work in 10 minutes of stretching all parts of your body. If you don’t have a routine that you use already, feel free to use the link above to get you started (please keep in mind this link is designed for a healthy average adult).

Okay Hot Mommas! What are you waiting for?? Go fill up your water bottle, hit the gym, the pavement, the stairs and find time to stretch today as well!!!

Don’t forget to comment here (or on FB Blog Link) that you received this mission – AND then again next Friday when you have it COMPLETE J. Have a great weekend!

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