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August's Great Fitness Experiment: The Experiment I Said I'd Never Do.
I said I'd never do it. (Of course, I also said I wasn't blogging anymore and apparently that means a one-month hiatus to my chatty self. I'm baaack. I don't know how frequently but I have to have somewhere to post the pictures you KNOW I'm going to take during my CIRCUS AERIAL CLASS next Tuesday!!) "It's too cold," I said. "It's too naked," I said. "I don't want to do an Experiment that requires aggressive bikini-line maintenance," I said. And before your mind goes to poles and lucite heels, I also said, "I hate breathing in that layer of wet chlorinated air and having to do my hair and having my skin dry out and..." I whine a lot.
For August's Great Fitness Experiment, the Gym Buddies and I are - oh yes - swimming. I would like to say this was not my idea. Gym Buddy Allison signed up to do her first Triathlon and in the spirit of helping her train, we are all going to be swimming with her. (Heaven knows I've made her do enough ridiculous Experiments that I owe her one.) Seeing as girlfriend already has quads that could snap a thighmaster - with Suzanne Sommers attached - she's ready for the bike and the run. The swim though?
None of the Gym Buddies, including myself, have swum a single lap in, oh, about 10 years. At first I had visions of 8th grade P.E. and veering wildly out of my lane until I collided with Jack-who-always-smelled-like-poo-even-in-the-water who then told me that I had "hit his special button" causing me to jump screaming out of the water before I could find out what his "special button" did. But then someone told me that in a Tri, you don't have to freestyle. (Why is it called Freestyle, when it is actually a very prescribed stroke? There is nothing free about it. Dog paddling - now that's "free style".) Apparently you can do whatever the heck it takes to get you out to the buoys and back without drowning or entangling yourself in all that nasty gunk that grows in the lakes here ("Crystal" Lake my heinie.)
Thanks to my parents who insisted that learning how to swim was a life skill, I know how to not drown. Between my still-adequate breast stroke and back stroke I know I can make it to one end and back again. Also, I hear they've invented these things called goggles that will help me not veer wildly across any lanes.
Plus: You get to pee in the lake. It's practically race-sanctioned behavior. If you don't do it, the fish will be disappointed. Now, Allison has not asked me to help her train for this particular part of her race but I want her to know that I am willing any time to go pee in the lake with her. Yes, we are that tight. Not to mention my kids will all want in on the action. (Which is a step up from the time my son peed on a PLASTIC tree in the middle of a packed amusement park because he didn't want to lose his place in line. Me? I pretended I didn't know him and strolled innocently in the other direction while grossed-out onlookers gasped "Where is his mother?!?!" In my defense, he'd already dropped trou and started peeing by the time I noticed his shenanigans so what was I to do? Cut him off midstream? Yeah, ok, that's not really a good defense.) Don't worry, I will not pee in the pool. I promise.
I've done a great job of convincing you that you want to do this one with us, haven't I? For those of you who want to play along at home, we will be doing this Fitness magazine aerobic/toning workout in the, ahem, leisure pool (doesn't that just scream pee??) at our Y every Monday. Wednesdays we will be swimming laps. To add a level of hilarity to our workout, the powers that be have decreed that only 1 lane is open for lap swimming every day. So all of us Gym Buddies will be sharing a lane (along with whatever regular we are horning in on). I see faces getting kicked. Lastly, we are going to go to a "Deep Water Power X" aerobic class that the girl at the front desk assured me is a real killer.
Who's in with me this month? Any of you done a tri? Any advice for all of us newbie swimmers? Any advice for Allison?
PS> Thanks to all of you who helped me decide what to wear for my big cover photo shoot! I ended up doing three different outfits - the pink jacket (with a white tank under & unzipped partially) combo, the blue v-neck tee and a green t-shirt that I bought that day in a fit of panic. The proofs all turned out WONDERFUL and I'll be posting some, along with more deets about the shoot shortly. I love you guys!!
I train to be better!
Most training programs play it on the safe side, assuming that people will only push themselves so hard for so long. Well here at ABFITT, my motto, our motto is a simple one. Live fit, be fit! What that means is nothing worth having comes easy. A fit, strong, lean, muscular, fat free body comes with a price. How much in sweat and time are you willing to pay?
Introducing H.I.A/A.G.T.....high intensity anaerobic/aerobic group training, the little brother with an attitude to H.I.G.T!
This training routine is on opposite days of weight training days.
Group one
3 min skip rope
25 close grip push-ups
10 dumbbell squat-presses (challenging weight)
15 dumbbell squat-presses (half of previous weight)
30 second rest
Group two
1 1/2 min skip rope
25 wide grip push-ups
10 dumbbell squat-presses (challenging weight)
15 dumbbell squat-presses (half of previous weight)
1 1/2 min skip rope
30 second rest
Group 3
1 min skip rope
25 close grip push up
1 min skip rope
10 dumbbell squat-presses (challenging weight)
1 min skip rope
15 dumbbell squat-presses (half of previous weight)
30 second rest
Repeat all three groups. For a total of six sets.....
David Rich: Get Six-Pack Abs
Video 1: Leg criss cross
Video 2: Toe touch crunch
Video 3: Crunch twist
David Rich's fitness site: www.davidrichfitness.com
David Rich's nutrition site: www.davidrichnutrition.com
Protein At Every Meal
I eat protein at every meal—including whey protein, if possible, or BCAAs. Most personal trainers will encourage clients to maintain a positive nitrogen balance via protein intake every two to three hours to enable muscle growth and disable lean-tissue catabolism. What most clients don’t know, however, is that solid food can take many hours to digest, which leaks protein into the bloodstream much too slowly.
Studies show that with many foods you assimilate only four to seven grams of protein per hour. That’s a recipe for crippled nitrogen balance, which leads to slower recovery and growth.
For a faster anabolic response, it’s best to have a small whey protein shake or at least some branched-chain amino acid capsules along with most of your solid-food meals. Those fast protein sources flood your bloodstream and start rebuilding muscle immediately.
How about between solid-food meals?
We recommend a whey-egg-and-casein blend so you get the benefit of all protein fractions and a fast-and-slow muscle-feeding effect. And don’t forget fast carbs and fast protein immediately after you train to jump-start anabolic recovery.
Go Organic to GROW!
I've heard it a million times over- "I can't buy organic, it's too expensive." While it's true, organic IS more pricey then traditional groceries, I can tell you, as the product of an organic household, that eating organic does WONDERS for your body- and in turn for your physique.
My father, Jeff Moyer (who is the man driving the tractor in the photo) works for an organic research farming company called Rodale Institute (http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/) . Rodale is a non-profit organization that has been pioneering the organic industry since 1947. My father is the Director of Farm Operations there, and he also chairs the National Organics Standard Board which assists the USDA Secretary of Agriculture for developing organic standards. SO needless to say, much of what I ate in my youth was in fact organic, and I was educated, at a young age about not only the importance of the types of food we eat, but how our food is grown, handled, packaged, and processed as well.
Buying organic products may seem small- but ultimately its one of the best things you can do not only for yourself, but for the environment as well! The following are 10 major reasons I feel it's important to GO ORGANIC!
1. Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies
Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals. Our bodies are the environment so supporting organic agriculture doesn’t just benefit your family, it helps all families live less toxically.
2. Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution
Industrial agriculture doesn’t singularly pollute farmland and farm workers; it also wreaks havoc on the environment downstream. Pesticide drift affects non-farm communities with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey, according to Science magazine, August, 2002.
3. Protect Future Generations
Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children’s. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility.
4. Build Healthy Soil
Mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil estimated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, “Elevating Antioxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing,” Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05)
5. Taste Better and Truer Flavor
Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food often tastes better! It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judged as sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food. Let the organic feasting begin!
6. Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes
According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 certified organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in 1994. Measured against the two million farms estimated in the U.S. today, organic is still tiny. Family farms that are certified organic farms have a double economic benefit: they are profitable and they farm in harmony with their surrounding environment.
7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food
Cloned food. GMOs and rBGH. Oh my! Interesting how swiftly these food technologies were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to become federal law. Eleven years ago, genetically modified food was not part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland is planted in GMOs. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspections and federal regulatory teeth.
8. Eating with a Sense of Place
Whether it is local fruit, imported coffee or artisan cheese, organic can demonstrate a reverence for the land and its people. No matter the zip code, organic has proven to use less energy (on average, about 30 percent less), is beneficial to soil, water and local habitat, and is safer for the people who harvest our food. Eat more seasonably by supporting your local farmers market while also supporting a global organic economy year round. It will make your taste buds happy.
9. Promote Biodiversity
Visit an organic farm and you’ll notice something: a buzz of animal, bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return usually after the first season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. As best said by Aldo Leopold, “A good farm must be one where the native flora and fauna have lost acreage without losing their existence.” An organic farm is the equivalent of reforestation. Industrial farms are the equivalent of clear cutting of native habitat with a focus on high farm yields.
10. Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture
Food is a ‘language’ spoken in every culture. Making this language organic allows for an important cultural revolution whereby diversity and biodiversity are embraced and chemical toxins and environmental harm are radically reduced, if not eliminated. The simple act of saving one heirloom seed from extinction, for example, is an act of biological and cultural conservation. Organic is not necessarily the most efficient farming system in the short run. It is slower, harder, more complex and more labor-intensive. But for the sake of culture everywhere, from permaculture to human culture, organic should be celebrated at every table.
Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals. Our bodies are the environment so supporting organic agriculture doesn’t just benefit your family, it helps all families live less toxically.
2. Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution
Industrial agriculture doesn’t singularly pollute farmland and farm workers; it also wreaks havoc on the environment downstream. Pesticide drift affects non-farm communities with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey, according to Science magazine, August, 2002.
3. Protect Future Generations
Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children’s. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility.
4. Build Healthy Soil
Mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil estimated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, “Elevating Antioxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing,” Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05)
5. Taste Better and Truer Flavor
Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food often tastes better! It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judged as sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food. Let the organic feasting begin!
6. Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes
According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 certified organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in 1994. Measured against the two million farms estimated in the U.S. today, organic is still tiny. Family farms that are certified organic farms have a double economic benefit: they are profitable and they farm in harmony with their surrounding environment.
7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food
Cloned food. GMOs and rBGH. Oh my! Interesting how swiftly these food technologies were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to become federal law. Eleven years ago, genetically modified food was not part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland is planted in GMOs. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspections and federal regulatory teeth.
8. Eating with a Sense of Place
Whether it is local fruit, imported coffee or artisan cheese, organic can demonstrate a reverence for the land and its people. No matter the zip code, organic has proven to use less energy (on average, about 30 percent less), is beneficial to soil, water and local habitat, and is safer for the people who harvest our food. Eat more seasonably by supporting your local farmers market while also supporting a global organic economy year round. It will make your taste buds happy.
9. Promote Biodiversity
Visit an organic farm and you’ll notice something: a buzz of animal, bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return usually after the first season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. As best said by Aldo Leopold, “A good farm must be one where the native flora and fauna have lost acreage without losing their existence.” An organic farm is the equivalent of reforestation. Industrial farms are the equivalent of clear cutting of native habitat with a focus on high farm yields.
10. Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture
Food is a ‘language’ spoken in every culture. Making this language organic allows for an important cultural revolution whereby diversity and biodiversity are embraced and chemical toxins and environmental harm are radically reduced, if not eliminated. The simple act of saving one heirloom seed from extinction, for example, is an act of biological and cultural conservation. Organic is not necessarily the most efficient farming system in the short run. It is slower, harder, more complex and more labor-intensive. But for the sake of culture everywhere, from permaculture to human culture, organic should be celebrated at every table.
The following is Rodale Institutes "The Organic Solution". For more information on organics or on Rodale Research Institute please visit; (http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/)
Do you track YOUR progress?
Time and time again we've heard it- the power of writing it down. Writing things down helps us remember, helps us clear our heads, helps us focus. We write down our goals to re-enforce how strongly we want to achieve them. We write down grocery lists so we remember our items in the busy isles of the store. We write down feelings and thoughts for clarity and to express. So why, when it comes to our workouts and our daily nutrition- we fall short?
It's been proven- people who write down what they eat and drink have greater success losing weight then those who don't. Those who track their workouts have greater success in tweaking and changing their program, as well as being able to look back and reflect on their progress, growth, and their journey.
You will gain an immediate consciousness of your eating habits.Through journaling, you will keep track of how many meals you eat everyday, the size of your meals and when each meal is consumed. Are you a late night eater? How about a afternoon binge eater? Your diet journal will provide a wealth of information to learn from, and to grown from.
Along with recording of all the foods you eat, your journal should also contain your feelings, thoughts and reactions with each meal. Were you actually hungry when you ate or just bored? Did you eat because you were happy, sad or frustrated? Did you feel anxious or rushed during a meal? Also, make sure to record how you felt after you ate your meal. Did you feel tired and lethargic? These are extremely important points to document when keeping your diet journal. It's amazing how much you will learn by recording these dietary events in your journal and this is one of the keys to permanent weight loss!
I HIGHLY recommend the "DIETMINDER" journal and the "FITNESSMINDER" journal which can be found here: CLICK
OR if you're not as much of "writing things down" person but still want to monitor your progress I recommend "FITDAY" which is an online nutritional journaling center where you can log your daily intake FOR FREE! CLICK HERE TO VISIT FITDAY!
HAPPY JOURNALING!!!!!
12 Week Fitness Program Review
Interview With Fitness Guru Charles Prosper Creator of The 12-Week Fit Fast System
P.B. Can you give us some background about yourself?
C.P. Basically, I am your everyday guy, well-educated, working man, who at age 57 discovered something. I wasn't the guy that I was physically only 10 years ago. At 5'9' tall, I was weighing about 195 lbs. That's about 35 lbs. over my ideal weight. When I walked, my thighs were so chubby that they actually rubbed together. I was sometimes afraid to run too fast less I might cause a friction fire between my pants legs.
P.B. What got you started in fitness?
C.P. What got me started into fitness is what I like to call the "day of the van". This is what happened. My daughter, Luzemily who was about 7 years old at the time, said to me. "Daddy, I'll race you to the van." Optimistically, I said, okay, but not knowing that my mind and my body had too different agendas. She said, "Go!" And we took out racing to the parked van only about 20 feet in front of us. Before I got half way, I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, totally out of breath. I said to myself, "Oh, no. Something's wrong with this picture. There is no way that I will let myself deteriorate for the sake of my daughter. For her, I must take care of myself to be around for her as long as possible and as healthy as possible. Thus, I immersed myself in a project to learn the best of anything and everything to do with health, physical fitness and longevity. I came across a book by famed bodybuilder Lee Labrada, "The Lean Body Promise" which totally opened my eyes and changed my life.
Read the rest at Interview with Fitness Guru Charles Prosper
Supplemental know how for a lean muscular body.
In addition to using whey protein, casein protein, soy protein and waxy maize starch, there are certain specialty supplements you need to take to ensure that you gain the mass you wish during the winter bulking times.
Branched-chain amino acids:
The BCAAs comprise the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which happen to be the three most important amino acids for repairing and building of muscle tissue. Leucine is the most critical of the three, as research shows that this amino acid can turn on muscle protein synthesis by itself. It’s still best to take all three together though, as they work in synergy to provide a multitude of benefits that include muscle growth, increased energy during workouts, blunting of cortisol (a catabolic hormone that inhibits testosterone and increases muscle breakdown), and decreased delayed onset muscle soreness. Take 5-10 g of BCAAs with your first breakfast (protein shake), your preworkout and your postworkout shakes and dinner.
Creatine:
Research confirms that one of the most effective supplements you can use is creatine. Plain and simple, taking creatine can help you gain upward of 10 pounds of lean muscle and boost your strength in the gym by at least 10%. Go with 3-5 g of creatine with your pre-and postwork out shakes.
Beta-alanine:
In the body, the amino acid beta-alanine is combined with the amino acid histidine to form carnosine. Research confirms that when muscles have higher levels of carnosine, they have more strength and endurance, and that athletes taking beta-alanine increase muscle strength significantly, allowing for heavier lifting and, thus, more muscle growth.
New research indicates that when trained subjects take beta-alanine in addition to creatine, they gain more muscle (and simultaneously lose some bodyfat, as well) as compared to those taking just creatine alone. Take 1-2 g of beta-alanine or carnosine with your pre-and postworkout shakes.
NO boosters:
Nitric oxide is a molecule that has the ability to dilate (widen) blood vessels, which allows more blood flow to muscles along with more oxygen, more nutrients and more anabolic hormones. This means greater energy during workouts, with an enhanced muscle pump, not to mention better muscle recovery and growth afterward. NO boosters do not actually contain NO, but mainly the amino acid arginine, which is readily converted to NO in the body. Research has found that subjects given arginine increased muscle strength and muscle growth, as well as decreased bodyfat. Look for an NO booster that provides 3-5 g of arginine and consider NO boosters that provide other ingredients that enhance arginine’s ability to increase NO (such as citruline, Pycnogenol and American ginseng). Take one dose in the morning before breakfast, one dose about 30-60 minutes before workouts and one dose 30-60 minutes before bed.
Carnitine:
Once considered just a fat-loss supplement, carnitine is now known as an anabolic supplement, as well. That’s because it helps to enhance muscle growth through a number of mechanisms. For one, carnitine increases testosterone levels after workouts, as well as the number of testosterone receptors inside muscle cells, which allows more testosterone to stimulate more muscle growth. In addition, carnitine supplements have been found to increase the ability of insulinlike growth factor-I to stimulate muscle growth. If that’s not enough, it can also increase blood flow, which means it provides similar benefits to NO boosters. Take 1-3 g of carnitine with your first breakfast (protein shake), preworkout shake, postworkout shake and dinner.
Live Fit, Be Fit.....
The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back. The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds. – Henry Rollins.
Overcome doubt with desire!!!
"Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so."~Marcia Wieder
Scott Herman: Chest Muscle Gain
What to Wear on a Book Cover? [Heeeellllpppp Meeeeee!!!!]
Good news! I have a pub date for my book. The Great Fitness Experiment (tree-killer edition) will be on shelves Dec. 1st! Just in time to buy a copy for everyone on your Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Christmaskuh list.
Scary news! They want me on the cover. I voted for Giselle but apparently she's out of our budget. Le sigh. I just found out yesterday that my photo shoot is tomorrow. Pro: No time for any crazy crash dieting. Con: WHAT DO I WEAR??? I can't even dress my preschooler in matching clothes much less make myself look good.
Please help me out! Here are some possible options with a handy dandy poll at the bottom to vote for your fave.
Keep this in mind:
- Ignore the hair. Yes I lopped 10 inches off but it is naturally curly and will be curly for the shoot tomorrow.
- Ignore my inability to focus the camera.
- Ignore all the white spots all over me - they're from my dirty bathroom mirror.
- My bathroom has a skylight, hence all the weird lighting.
- I'm going for realllly basic. I don't want to wear any of my kooky clothes (99% of my wardrobe, honestly) because I'm afraid I'll look back at this in 10 years and have a Jane Fonda-Leotard moment of horror.
- If you don't like any of the options, feel free to give me suggestions in the comments!! (Although anything with the phrase "just a sports bra" will be laughed off the page.)
Pink Lululemon Jacket (a baby gift from Reader VAMomof2! I love you!!) & Black Running Tights (note Jelly Bean acting as stylist as prop drooler):
Grayish Purple (with shiny blue logo you can't see because I can't figure out how to hold a camera) tee with long black pants:
Blue v-neck cap sleeve tee with long black pants:
Hot pink Nike tee (yes, this is the one from the 20/20 show) with black wide-leg Nike capris:
Robin's egg blue Oiselle tee (with bird logo) and black capris:
Maroon Nike tee with gray Shabby Apple mid-calf leggings:
Scary news! They want me on the cover. I voted for Giselle but apparently she's out of our budget. Le sigh. I just found out yesterday that my photo shoot is tomorrow. Pro: No time for any crazy crash dieting. Con: WHAT DO I WEAR??? I can't even dress my preschooler in matching clothes much less make myself look good.
Please help me out! Here are some possible options with a handy dandy poll at the bottom to vote for your fave.
Keep this in mind:
- Ignore the hair. Yes I lopped 10 inches off but it is naturally curly and will be curly for the shoot tomorrow.
- Ignore my inability to focus the camera.
- Ignore all the white spots all over me - they're from my dirty bathroom mirror.
- My bathroom has a skylight, hence all the weird lighting.
- I'm going for realllly basic. I don't want to wear any of my kooky clothes (99% of my wardrobe, honestly) because I'm afraid I'll look back at this in 10 years and have a Jane Fonda-Leotard moment of horror.
- If you don't like any of the options, feel free to give me suggestions in the comments!! (Although anything with the phrase "just a sports bra" will be laughed off the page.)
Pink Lululemon Jacket (a baby gift from Reader VAMomof2! I love you!!) & Black Running Tights (note Jelly Bean acting as stylist as prop drooler):
Grayish Purple (with shiny blue logo you can't see because I can't figure out how to hold a camera) tee with long black pants:
Blue v-neck cap sleeve tee with long black pants:
Hot pink Nike tee (yes, this is the one from the 20/20 show) with black wide-leg Nike capris:
Robin's egg blue Oiselle tee (with bird logo) and black capris:
Maroon Nike tee with gray Shabby Apple mid-calf leggings:
Motus USA Features:
M-Racing Indoor Cycling Bikes!
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♦ ACCUJUST8™ RESISTANCE ADJUSTMENT
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♦ SMARTADJUST™ SEAT & HANDLEBAR KNOBS
♦ ON-BOARD COMPUTER & HEART RATE MONITOR
♦ WATER BOTTLE HOLDER & SPORT BOTTLE
♦ PLUSH COMFORT FOREARM RESTS
♦ DUAL SIDED PEDALS w/ TOE CLIP & CAGE
MOTUS USA offers the hottest new ride in the genres of group cycling.
Sweet Potato Pancake Recipe!
1/2 cup egg whites
2 ounces sweet potato
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 ounces sweet potato
1/4 cup rolled oats
Cinnamon to taste
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 TBSP water
2 packets Stevia
2 packets Stevia
1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. If batter is too thick slowly add small amounts of water until the batter thins out
2. Pour batter into pan over medium heat.
3. Cook until brown on one side. Flip, cook evenly on the second side
4. Enjoy with 2 TBSP honey!
Zac Compton: Big Biceps
In this posing video Zac Compton is showing off his size:
Oprah Stole My Moment: Intuitive Eating Works For Both of Us
This pretty much sums up my life - except the boogers are generally from someone else's nose.Oprah beat me to it. As if it isn't bad enough that the woman rules all media outlets, now she has stolen my own epiphany right out from under me! It was my very own "A-Ha" moment! Oh wait... that is hers too. Crap. This whole time I've been thinking that I discovered Geneen Roth all on my own (read: a zillion e-mails from you guys recommending her finally sunk in) when lo and behold the Queen of Everything not only already read and loves Geneen but Oprah also started her own Experiment based on the books.
According to June's issue of O magazine (which I'm just getting around to reading because I'm way too cheap to subscribe to it and I found an old copy at the gym), Oprah has given up dieting and is working on eating intuitively. Just like me! Thankfully it is going swimmingly for the both of us. Hence, I will share my epiphany with Oprah. I'm big like that.
The Truth: I feel like I've been let out of jail.
Rereading my farewell post from a month ago, I'm struck now how depressing it was. I didn't see it at the time because it was just the place that I was in. I'd come to a crossroads: either I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to willpower myself through every new diet/exercise regime that comes along and then crying in my closet when I inevitably failed or I could just... give it up. Just eat and be happy.
It shouldn't be that simple but it is.
I'm delirious with relief and happiness and, honestly, a little nervous that this euphoria won't last. This past month has been so freeing. I worked hard (and it is hard work, at least at first) to stay focused while I ate and to pay attention to what my body was telling me and it works. I'm not broken after all! And if I'm not then I can say with confidence that you are not either.
Here's the proof: two solid months of eating following Geneen's food "guidelines" and my weight (yes, I'm still weighing myself - baby steps, people!) has remained within 1/2 pound the entire time. For a girl that is used to going up and down 3 or more pounds in a single week, this is huge for me. I ate peanut butter cookies for dinner (the recipe: 1 egg, 1 c peanut butter, 1 c sugar. Bake at 350 for 8 min. Do it. You will thank me.) and my weight stayed the same! I had salmon on salad with dressing and didn't resent it for not being the peanut butter cookies and my weight stayed the same! I ate beef ribs. White bread. Homemade strawberry ice cream. And my weight stayed the same. What this all means is that my body does in fact know how to run itself.
While I do still wish that the weight I have stabilized at is about 7 pounds lighter, I have finally come to accept that what I need to work on fixing is not my weight but my head. I can't say that everything is all fixed in my brain - decades of dieting programming will take time to unlearn - but for the first time in a really long time I am hopeful that this will not be the thing that defines me.
The result of all this has been a remarkable freeing of my soul. All the energy, both mental and physical, that I've been devoting to remembering food plans, research, calories and so forth I've been able to devote to other pursuits. I just finished reading 21 books in 21 days and not a single one was a diet book! I play the piano for an hour a day! I meditate, pray, do yoga and snuggle the Jelly Bean on a much more frequent basis! (Did you know Jelly Bean gets pit sweat? She does and it even stinks! I don't know why that cracks me up but I adore that about her. She's already so like her mama!) I finally signed up to take that aerial dancing/circus class I've been dreaming about for so long! And a power yoga class in a real yoga studio! And a dinner cruise with my hot husband!
I had to share this with you guys because you have been so integral in my progress. You have no idea how much each of your comments/blog posts/e-mails/texts/FB messages/tweets and so forth have meant to me. You all have had me in tears (beautiful, happy, cleansing tears) and then in hysterical laughter so many times, just when I needed it. I am so blessed. And so very grateful! I love you!!
So now that I've exceeded my monthly quotient for inappropriate exclamation marks, I will leave you with this:
Get your underage teen bikini pics, hot off the presses!! Seriously, I blogged about the Kendall Jenner (of Kardashian notoriety) scandal for HuffPo - check out how I work Lindsay Lohan into it! (You cannot write a pop culture article these days without referencing Lindsay Lohan. It's like in the rule book and everything.)
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Bikini Results and Photos
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Bikini
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July 23-24, 2010
Hartford, Connecticut
1. Dianna Dahlgren *
2. Jessica Jessie *
3. Diana Fields *
4. Jelena Abbou
5. Kat Holmes
6. Tabitha Leandri
7. Jessica Lawrence
8. Kelly Gonzalez
9. Natalie Waples
10. Janet Harding
11. Juliette Primak
* Qualifies for the 2010 IFBB Ms. Bikini Olympia
For Contest Photos Go Here:
Bodybuilding.com - Information. Motivation. Supplementation.
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Figure Results and Photos
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Figure
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July 23-24, 2010
Hartford, Connecticut
1. Candice Keene *
2. Terri Turner *
3. Gina Trochino *
4. Marcy Porter
5. Hazal Nelson
6. Monica Mark-Escalante
7. Tivisay Briceno
8. Jennifer Hernandez
9. Julie Kulla
10. LaVonda Ezell
11. Caroline Hernandez
12. Jennifer DeJoya
13. Aleisha Hart
14. Jennifer Migliacci
15. Melody Clere
16. Petra Mertl
Mia Finnegan
Rachel Cammon
Laura Sutter
Kristin Nunn
Vicki Nixon
Ginette Delhaes
Michelle Mayberry
Mikaila Soto
* Qualifies for the 2010 IFBB Ms. Figure Olympia
For Contest Photos Go Here:
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2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Women's Bodybuilding Results and Photos
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Women's Bodybuilding
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July 23-24, 2010
Hartford, Connecticut
1. Brigita Brezovac *
2. Helen Bouchard *
3. Cathy LeFrancois *
4. Nicole Ball
5. Debbie Bramwell
6. Skadi Frei-Seifert
7. Lisette Acevedo
8. Tazzie Columb
9. Wendy Mccready
10. Cassandra Floyd
11. Beverly DiRenzo
12. Rita Rae
13. Tammy Patnode
14. Maria Calo
15. Daniela Sell
15. Aurelia Grozajova
Mary Jerumbo
Irene Andersen
Elizabeth Gomez
Sarah Bridges
* Qualifies for the 2010 IFBB Ms. Olympia
For Contest Photos Go Here:
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2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Men's 202 Bodybuilding Results and Photos
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Men's 202 Bodybuilding
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July 23-24, 2010
Hartford, Connecticut
1. Jose Raymond
2. David Henry
3. Luc Molines
4. Tim Martin
5. Wendell Floyd
6. Gaetano Cisternino
7. Frederic Sauvage
8. Jeff BoxLong
9. Abiu Feliz
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11. Emro Karaduzovic
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2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Men's Bodybuilding Results and Photos
2010 IFBB Europa Battle of Champions Men's Bodybuilding
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July 23-24, 2010
Hartford, Connecticut
1. Edward Nunn *
2. Troy Alves *
3. Ben White *
4. Michael Kefalianos
5. Leo Ingram
6. Johnnie Jackson
7. George Farah
8. Michael Liberatore
9. Darrem Charles
10. Costantinos Demetriou
11. Jeff Long
12. Gregory Ulysse
13. Erik Fankhouser
14. Alexandre Nataf
15. Oscar Dexter
Oleg Emelyanov
Damaso Chacon
Serdar Aktolga
* Qualifies for the 2010 IFBB Mr. Olympia
For Contest Photos go Here:
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Female Bodybuilder Tina Chandler is a Very Muscular Cop
Female Bodybuilder Tina Chandler isn't a real cop, but if she was, how would you feel about getting pulled over?
Female Bodybuilders in the Movies
Ever tried to find a list of Female Bodybuilders in the movies? A huge thanks to unrealmuscle.com for posting this very comprehensive list...
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A Low Down Dirty Shame (Pillow--real name Therese Bell)
Aces: Iron Eagles III (Rachel McLish)
Alienator (Teagan Clive)
American Angels (Mimi Lesseos)
Armed and Dangerous (Teagan Clive / Tina Plackinger)
Avenging Quartet (Michiko Nishiwaki)
Beautiful (Spice Williams)
Beyond Fear (Mimi Lesseos)
Blacktop (Vicky Pratt)
Bookwars (Strong Woman)
Cell, The (Kim Chizevski)
Cherokee Kid, The (Spice Williams)
CIA II: Codename- Alexia (Lori Fetrick)
City of Women (Bodybuilder)
Cyber Bandits (Kiana Tom)
Dangerous Affection (Spice Williams)
Das Superweib aka: The Superwife (Fitness)
Day of the Warrrior (Raye Hollitt)
Delta Pi (Pillow as Fang)
Dimensional Warrior Spielban (Michiko Nishiwaki)
Dirty Pair 4: Revenge of the Muscle Lady (Bodybuilder)
Double Deception (Erika Andersch)
Double Impact (Cory Everson)
Edge of Hell aka: Rock and Roll Nightmare (Teresa Simpson)
Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend (Bodybuilder)
Felony (Cory Everson)
Final Approach (Cameo Knuer)
Final Impact (Mimi Lesseos)
Fist of Justice (Cory Everson)
Getting Physical (Rachel McLish, Lisa Lyons)
Gladiator Cop (Astrid Falconi)
The Guyver (Spice Williams)
Hardbodies (Bodybuilder)
Hard Drive (Spice Williams)
Hard Ticket To Hawaii (Lory Green)
Hitler Tapes, The (Bodybuilder)
Hollywood Hot Tubs 2: Educating Crystal (Spice Williams)
Hustler of Muscle Beach, The (Lisa Lyons)
Interzone (Teagan Clive)
Iron Virgin Jun (Bodybuilder)
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (Gladys Portugues)
Jumping Jack Flash (Teagan Clive)
Knights (Kathy Long)
The Last Hour (Raye Hollitt)
The Last Riders (Mimi Lesseos)
Le Sphinx (Bodybuilder)
Legacy (Vicky Pratt)
Lethal Ladies: Day of the Warrior (Raye Hollitt)
Letters From a Killer (Raye Hollitt)
Low Blow (unknown)
Magic Cop (Michiko Nishiwaki)
Man on the Moon (Michiko Nishiwaki)
Maximum Surge (Spice Williams)
Miracle, The (Bodybuilder)
Mob Boss (Teagan Clive)
Mod f*** Explosion (Weightlifter)
Morning After, The (Gladys Portugues / Cory Everson)
Ms Loo: Lady of the Dragon (Bodybuilder)
My Lucky Stars (Michiko Nishiwaki)
Naked Truth, The (Spice Williams)
Nemesis 2,3,4 (Sue Price, Sharon Bruneau, Debbi Muggli)
Number One With a Bullet (Spice Williams)
Obsession: A Taste for Fear aka: Pathos (Teagan Clive)
Once a Thief: Family Business (Vicky Pratt)
Quiet Fire (Laura Vukov / Dorothy Herndon)
Penitentiary III (Raye Hollitt)
Personal Vendetta (Mimi Lesseos)
Pool Days (Bodybuilder)
Pumping Iron II (several)
Pushed to the Limit (Mimi Lesseos)
Pushing Tin (actress as a fitness competitor)
Rage and Honor (Kathy Long, Cynthia Rothrock)
Raven Hawk (Rachel McLish)
Restraining Order (Spice Williams)
Ring of Fire 2 (Leilani Dalumpines)
Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (Kathy Long)
Scary Movie (Jan Trcka aka Cassie Kav.)
Sexbomb (Spice Williams)
Sinbad and the Seven Seas (Teagan Clive)
Skin Deep (Raye Hollitt)
Smooth Operator (Bodybuilder)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Spice Williams)
Stranded (Spice Williams)
The Stranger (Kathy Long)
Streets of Rage (Mimi Lesseos)
Superfights (Bodybuilder)
T-Force (Spice Williams)
Tornado Run (Sharon Bruneau)
Toxic Avenger 2,3, The (Bodybuilder)
Triple Impact (Bridgett Riley)
Under the Gun (Kathy Long)
Universal Soldier II: The Return (Kiana Tom)
Vamp (Lisa Lyons)
Vice Academy 2 (Teagan Clive as BimboCop)
Wild Thing (Sandra Blackie)
Wizards of the Demon Storm (Tina Plackinger)
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