Hot Fun Fitness

June 10, 2010

I have an idea.  I post a blog for myself on staying motivated to update my blog as regularly as I intended to in the beginning!  Haha!  My last post about making time?  I need a healthy dose of “practice what you preach.”  I’ve been making time for working out, I’ve been working on eating better (mainly the “avoiding processed foods” part), and I’ve certainly made time for new ventures like becoming a magician’s assistant!  Yet I can’t seem to make time to clear my mind, calm down, and focus on writing.  I could read to calm down but I can barely even do that because I get distracted by my thoughts and excitement about magic.  Now where’s that dose?  I’m going to use it now.

STEP 3: Find a buddy!

It’s true; people who meet up with a friend or two or have someone to report to are more successful at reaching their goals, fitness or otherwise.  It’s ridiculously easy to talk yourself out of changing into your workout clothes when you get home from work and popping in the DVD or driving to the gym, or the reverse, actually getting out of bed when the alarm goes off and getting your workout done.  Way too frickin’ easy.

But when someone’s counting on you?  If your buddy will be waiting for you at the gym?  If your buddy has shown up on your doorstep?  Or adjusted his or her schedule to allow for you to come over and squeeze in a workout together?

You know *damn* well you’re not going to miss that appointment cuz someone’s going to be mad at you.  Your buddy is counting on you, and vice versa.

And what do you do if your buddy has the same “let’s-skip-it-today” attitude?  I hate to break it to you, but ya need a new buddy, pal.  Simple as that.  You’re going to have to break up.  “It’s not me, it’s you.”  =)

And what if you really really truthfully don’t have a live person who is available and willing to be your buddy?  It is possible to find a buddy via another route.  It may or may not be more difficult for you if it’s not face-to-face, but it can be extremely worthwhile: get a buddy online.

Team Beachbody is great for this, and have I mentioned it’s free??  There is a premium membership available for $2.99/week where you get 10% off all purchases, access to meal plans and guides, trainer tips, etc.  But you get access to WOWY (Work Out With You), the online gym, with both memberships.  You find buddies, you can join groups, and you log in together and can send real-time motivational comments and know that in some form, you’re working out “with” someone. 

Sometimes that’s all it takes—the simple act of knowing you’re not alone, knowing there’s someone else that knows who you are and what you’re doing and how hard it is, that they’re pushing through it too at the exact same time, even on the other side of the country.  And they’re going to push all the way through, so you certainly can’t slack off!

You know what else can work?  Social media!  You know you’re on your Facebook or Twitter account all freakin’ day.  Find a friend or five and post or message in real time about your workouts!

Or use your webcam as live proof between friends that you really are working out at that moment and you’re pushing it, not logged into WOWY and actually sitting in front of Dr. Phil eating a bowl of ice cream.  (Or sitting in front of a Tae Bo video eating ice cream like, um, I did a couple times…years ago.  Seriously—years and years ago.  You all know I’m a Turbo junkie now!)

That’s all I got for now, peeps.  Make your workout a non-negotiable part of your routine.  Like Chalene says, you make sure you brush your teeth everyday, so why on earth wouldn’t you make sure you work out and take care of your body everyday?  WHY?  =)

It gets easier.  I speak from personal experience—just read some of my earlier posts.  It takes time.  Even if you feel like you’re correctly applying all of these principles to stay motivated and reach your goals, it’s not all going to click perfectly right away.  It might take a week to become effective, it might take a couple months!  It depends on your life, your situation, your CURRENT level of motivation, and how bad you truly want it.

And you can tell yourself you DO want it that badly, but you know when you’re not being 100% honest about that.  If you’re not willing to do every last little thing that it takes, the road will be long and it will be frustrating.  Even if you’re 99% honest.  You need all 100%.  This is kind of a weird way to put it, but it’s like alcoholics and drug addicts.  Until they’re 100% or MORE honest about wanting to make a change and get better and reach THEIR goals of being sober, they won’t be successful.  They might be successful for a little while, but until they want it badly enough and they want it for themselves, they’re always in danger of retreating to old, comfortable habits.  And the retreat can be worse than the beginning even was.

The same goes for working out regularly and eating well.  No one is perfect, and you shouldn’t expect yourself to be.  (And I admit it, I’m a perfectionist.  This is a work in progress for me, too!)  Allow yourself to make mistakes but DON’T ever beat yourself up about them and then give up.  When I finally started to see success with flattening my tummy, I had started by making a pact with myself.  I would not allow myself to give up at any point, and I would not even glance at my tummy for a looooooong time in the mirror.  That’s because I knew myself and my past attempts—even if I was feeling good and feeling successful, if I happened to see that not much had happened to my tummy yet, I’d tell myself how gross I looked and search for mistakes I had made that caused me not to see results, and I’d ultimately give up.  “It’s not working anyway…I’m going to MickeyD’s.”

But when I made that pact with myself and I wanted it badly enough to stick to it, I started to see the results I’d always wished for.  You can do it, too, especially if I could!  You just need to be honest with yourself, know your downfalls, and learn how to speak to yourself in a POSITIVE voice—no matter what!!

I’ll end with a paraphrase of a quote I heard from Dr. Oz.  When you’re using a GPS and you miss a turn, it doesn’t call you an idiot and berate you.  It kindly tells you to make a U-turn at the next available opportunity, or it finds you a new route to the same end goal.  Chew on that…

(And I know this is all the same advice you may have heard before, but sometimes you just need to hear it again, or hear it in a different way, or hear it from the right mouth for it to finally click.  I hope this has been that right moment for you.  If not, I encourage you to keep reading and searching until you find a way that resonates with you!  I, of course, recommend my idol and unofficial mentor, Chalene Johnson’s blog and YouTube videos…)

May 6, 2010

And now for step 2…drumroll, please…

MAKE TIME!!

Another common obstacle to reaching your fitness goals (and really, any goals) is that we claim to be too busy.  Well, guess what?  We’re all busy.  The most successful people in all areas of life are the busy ones.  I’ve read the same thing multiple time and I know it’s true from experience—it’s easier for busy people to add things to their plate and actually get them done.  Sounds contradictory, right?  It’s not.  When you’re truly busy, you HAVE to learn how to prioritize and make the best use of your time.  No precious second can be wasted or you risk not accomplishing anything at all.  And “now” is usually the best time to get things done so you can rest “later.”

Before I became as involved in fitness as I am now, I know that when I did work out, I was more consistent when my life was busiest.  Not counting now, the last time I can honestly say my life was busy was when I was in college.  I had classes, homework, my part-time job, dance classes and performances, I was station manager of the radio station, secretary of the Genesian Players, and always involved somehow with the theatre and plays year-round.  Add incidentals to that, and you’ve got one girl who was basically home just to sleep, and there was barely time for that.  And yet I still got 5-6 days of workouts in, up to 2 hours at the gym each day!  Cardio and abs, baby, cardio and abs.  And weights.

When I was done with college, I suddenly had a lot of free time…and I got lax on my workout schedule the moment I hit a road bump.  After analyzing what the hell happened—how exactly did I suddenly not have time to work out?—I realized why I had always been able to fit in my workouts.  I PLANNED my days out, every hour, every moment, down to which class’s homework I would be working on and how long I expected it to take me.  In fact, I planned my entire week, really.  I knew ahead of time which days HAD to be my workout OFF days due to scheduling, so I knew I couldn’t skip any of the ones I had scheduled in or I’d end up missing too many.  And I was always in “go-go-go” mode.  If I was going to get everything done and not miss anything important, I really had no choice but to follow my schedule to the letter!

Sound crazy?  It’s not.  I do the same thing now, even before I was an instructor with classes that I have no excuse not to be at!  Read Chalene Johnson’s blog, tweets, Facebook posts…read ANYBODY’s motivational advice, and they’ll tell you that in order to accomplish ANY goals, you need to plan your days.

How?  Here’s step 2a: Make a TO-DO list!!  And stick with it.  Put it somewhere that you’ll be forced to see it.  Some people put it on their phone.  Makes sense—your phone is always with you!  I personally do have my phone with me, but I don’t look at it often enough in the day for that to work for me.  I tried putting my to-do list in my phone (some have a to-do list feature, mine had a “tasks” feature), and while it was fun seeing the little lines crossing off my completed tasks, I ended up missing or forgetting something because I wasn’t disciplined enough to check it as often as I should have.  So I have to go with the old-fashioned paper version.  This way, I can have it in plain view at all times, just staring me down, and I can see everything I need to do at once.  And it’s so fun to scratch off what I’ve completed.

Make your list and put “work out” on there, high up on the list.  Set a time that you’re going to get your workout in, whatever it is, and plan for how long it will take you.  Plan for the time it takes to get the tv ready and change into your clothes, or for the time it takes to drive to and from the gym.  Don’t let anything shake you away from it, either.  Not your friends, not your family, not YOURSELF.  Getting up and getting going is one of the hardest parts, and only you are responsible for that part.  No one else can do it for you, and you have to just teach yourself to do it!  Once you’ve pushed play or you’ve arrived at the gym, you’re set!  As for friends and family, unless there is a true emergency and someone is injured or being held hostage or something, chances are it can wait until you’re done with your workout.  This is your life, too.  You cannot afford to put yourself last.  It’s not noble—you’re just hurting yourself in the end.  If you don’t put yourself first, when exactly WILL you get to yourself?  Your time is just as valuable as anyone else’s, and if you prioritize and make your list, you’ll manage to FIND the time to get done what you want to get done.  Busy people really do have the most time.  The key is to stay focused on what you’re doing at the moment and not fret or think too much about other things on your list until you get there.

For a great blog on putting yourself first, please visit my friend Joy’s blog: http://inspirefitnessbootcamps.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/putting-your-own-oxygen-mask-on-first-ladies/

Next up, step 3!!

April 29, 2010

Wow.  How did I let so much time go without a blog?  Busy, busy… =)

Anyhoo, we all know what the biggest personal obstacle to getting fit and healthy is: staying motivated!  No matter how strong your resolve is when you begin, it’s too easy to stray, fall into old habits, and just plain give up.  We either get bored or we slip up in some way and decide that’s it, we’ve failed and we might as well quit because we obviously can’t do it.

—That is a TERRIBLE and HORRIBLE way to think, by the way.  An absolute horribigosity.  You heard what I said.

So how do we resolve this problem and put a tight cap on it once and for all?  How is it that everybody else seems able to lose weight/tone up/get fit/eat healthy/reach their goals in life and in fitness…and not you?  What’s the magic that keeps the successful ones motivated?  And what exactly is the deal with those damn bubbly instructors who have way too much energy and actually SMILE and MAKE NOISE during the WHOLE WORKOUT and ask the same of you? =)  heehee

I have to admit: there IS a magic formula, but you have to figure out x and y and z and b and q and whatever else is in it for yourself because this formula is PERSONAL.  What works for me may or may not work for you but it may work for your friend, and what works for you may not work for your sister.  But I will give you every bit of the formula that I am aware of.  You fill in the blanks.  And hold tight—this might get long!

I believe step one is finding your soulmate workout.  When you find it, things just seem to click, just like finding your personal soulmate!  You’ll actually look forward to working out because you know it’s fun.  If you have fun and it doesn’t always feel like work, you’re more likely to stick with it.  And when you stick with it, you get the results you’re after, which REALLY makes you want to keep going!

And then you start feeling good about yourself.  If you’ve made a conscious effort to change your eating habits, your soulmate workout will unintentionally make you want to stick to eating healthy.  Not only will you be feeling better and have more energy from eating clean and working out, but you won’t want to ruin it!  It will soon become second nature to eat right—I’m proof.  If you’ve read previous blogs, you know how for years I refused to alter my diet for a long enough period of time, if even at all, and the time I finally did and stuck with it was the time I finally started to see the results I was after.  So just do it.  It’s hard, but you’ll get over it!  Trust me!  (And you don’t have to completely deprive yourself right away, or ever—have a piece of birthday cake, just don’t overdo it.  When you’re eating healthy on the regular, you’ll notice gut rot feels even worse—and that’s good, cuz it’ll keep you away from eating badly on the regular!)

You know by now that my soulmate workout is Turbo.  Turbo Jam videos, Turbo Kick classes, anything Turbo!  So I absolutely cannot wait for Turbo Fire to come out this summer!  It’s Chalene, of course, same energy, great music, and it looks even more intense and fun!  (By the way, if you’re interested, you’ll be able to purchase it from me on my site, www.turbokerri.com, TWO WEEKS before it’s available on Beachbody’s own website.)  Her workouts are the ones I love the most and the ones I live for.  But you might totally prefer Tony Horton’s style in P90X or the 10-Minute Trainer, or Debbie Siebers style in Slim in 6, or maybe you like a mind-body style like Teigh and Gillian in Yoga Booty Ballet, or maybe you want your BOOTY kicked with Shaun T in Insanity…there’s sooooooooo many available!  You might know right off the bat what style you like, or you may have to investigate and/or try out a few before you find what clicks.

Maybe you’re not a work-out-at-home kinda person and you love to go running or hiking or swimming or only to group exercise classes (ahem, like mine!).  Whatever it is that you like, whatever makes you SMILE (at least inside at minimum!) when you’re working out…THAT’s what you need to figure out.  You’ll know when you find your soulmate workout.  (If you’re convinced you don’t have one and will never find one, well first, I don’t believe you—keep looking.  But if you really don’t, find the next best thing and stick to it!)

Ready for step 2?  Go to the next blog!

March 30, 2010

Growing up, I was never a coffee drinker.  I did enjoy mochas and caramel macchiatos and frappuccinos and the like, but even those I didn’t drink very often.  Eventually I grew to sort of like coffee with cream and sugar.  And one mug of coffee meant 4 pre-packaged creamers and 1 or 2 sugar packets.

Then just over 3 years ago, I started the full-time job I have now, which requires me to be AT WORK at 7am.  7am!!  At the time, my drive to work was about a half hour, not too bad, nothing worse than my drive when I was in college (my current workplace happens to be in the same area).  But then factor in a move at least 2 years ago that lengthened my drive to a good hour both ways, through the Marquette Interchange and stupid rush-hour traffic (if I ever find the slow car responsible for starting rush hour every day…)  Now add in the fact that I refuse to go to bed earlier than 11pm (used to be midnight!) unless I am absolutely dog tired.  I will nap if I can, but usually that doesn’t happen.

What does that equal?  A tired, butt-draggin’ girl who doesn’t feel like doing anything but vegging in front of the tv after FINALLY getting home from work and a frustrating, exhaustingly long drive.  (I noticed that even if I’m tired, a short drive won’t affect me, but a long drive will eventually make me sleepy—not fun.)  I’ll make dinner, I’ll stop and go grocery shopping if I have to, and I’ll likely get my workout in, but when you’re not getting enough sleep in the first place, that burst of energy you get from working out only lasts so long…right up until I sit down in front of the tv again—my danger zone.

And I have many more things that I’d like to do with my time and my life, like work on music and singing, grow my Beachbody business, spend time with my boyfriend and my family and my friends more often, etc.  Being so tired was not helping my cause, no matter how motivated I felt inside.  My physical body had (and sometimes still has) other ideas.

So, long story long, I started drinking coffee every single morning shortly after starting my job.  I bought from Caribou and eventually wised up and started brewing at home—$6/month vs. $2 and change every Monday through Friday…yeah, I think that would save some money.  The fact that they recognized me and started my order before I was even all the way through the door told me I was spending too much money there!  Anyway, I even got to the point of tolerating black coffee—only 5 calories and a better boost to your metabolism rather than weighing it down with added cream, sugar, calories, and other unnecessary and unhealthy additives.

It helped.  But soon it stopped working—I was most likely crashing by afternoon and hitting a MAJOR energy slump.  And soon I was buying another cup on the way home or brewing another pot when I got home or making tea or anything that would have caffeine!  I really didn’t like that I was doing that.  So I quit—completely.  And here’s how bad my memory can be sometimes—I wanna say it was August 2009 that I quit, but I can’t be totally sure.

I do know that I was EXTREMELY tired for about the first three days, and then I was fine.  I felt like it helped to break myself of the caffeine habit/possible addiction!  No crash in the afternoon, and that was the biggest change.

Within the last month or so, I started letting coffee back into my life here and there.  I was noticeably perkier in the mornings that I did drink it—other people noticed, which I think says something!  And as of this weekend, I officially declared that I was returning to my morning coffee habit.  I’ve also had coffee after getting home if my boyfriend happens to have already brewed a pot.  Otherwise I might have some black or green tea.

Here’s the issue: I read conflicting views on coffee.  Dr. Oz (You: On a Diet) and people on Facebook and across the web say that drinking caffeinated coffee and tea is fine, even good for your metabolism and your body.  Of course, don’t overdo it, don’t drink caffeine after 3pm, etc. (I obviously drink it after 3pm anyway…)  And I also see articles and posts about other people benefitting from quitting drinking coffee and how it’s really not the best option for energy, etc.

I like having a faster metabolism because I like to eat.  I know that eating right and drinking enough water (I think I do well with that one) and working out and LIFTING WEIGHTS to increase muscle are the natural, and therefore best, methods for increasing energy.  I don’t like the crash in the afternoon from coffee and I want to avoid reaching that point again—but I also don’t like being tired in the morning and I still will not go to bed any earlier.  You can’t make me!

So…what’s your opinion on the subject?  What do YOU do for an energy boost?  Do you drink coffee or tea or, God forbid, soda (I admit I cave once every blue moon)?  Red Bull?  5-Hour energy?  That’s one thing I won’t do—energy drinks or energy shots.  It’s just my personal opinion, and probably hypocritical as a “reborn” coffee-drinker, but I’m not a fan of the energy drinks.  Too much extra stuff, and even if it’s manufactured not to have calories or sugar, the fact still remains that it’s “manufactured,” it’s chemical, it’s not real, and it’s not good for your body.

This will lead me to my next post (and once I figure out the video editing, I PROMISE I will post the vlog I recorded last week!)—Shakeology.  I tried it, I loved it, and then I had to stop.  I am wanting to return to it, though, knowing how good it is: it tastes amazing (seriously!) and it can do amazing things for your body, such as increasing energy and boosting your immune system and helping you lose anything from the last stubborn 5 pounds to your ultimate weight goal.  I’ll tell you my true story in the next post.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc.  Are you for or against?