Crunch it Up! - Weekly Workout!

Ahhh, it's good to be back! Hopefully all of you have kept at things while I've been away and if you haven't then commit again today starting with this workout. We've only got 3 months until swimsuit season so all of you hoping to rock it this summer need to get serious and workout 6 days a week. This is a total body workout but with an emphasis on the core. The one leg squats with leg abduction will shape those obliques as well as your glute. The crab crunches, banana crunches and burpees will help tighten and strengthen those transverse abs all while engaging your entire body, what more could we ask for! So get after it and make this workout fit your schedule, if you only have 10 minutes than do it for 10 minutes  or if you've got 30 then make it happen. A reminder that these workouts are what you make them, that is the beauty of them. If you do this at turtle pace then don't expect to sweat, you need to push your body to it's max and you will be sweating up a storm, burning calories and toning muscle so make it a good one this week!

**We will work on posting instruction photos in the next few days, 

we're a bit slow getting back to this! Thanks for your patience! **

Revisiting Some Important Articles

As we gear up to get going again here at FAHM I want to point out some articles I believe are worth a read to any of you who have missed them or it's been awhile since you've read them and you need a reminder. So below is what I wasn't to share with you this beautiful Friday. Have a wonderful weekend! We will see you back here Monday with a new workout!

A Perfect Body - The Facts about the Fiction

Workouts will Resume

Fresh workouts will resume posting March 11th. Until then here is a list of over 20 archived workouts to choose from. Thanks for your patience while I recover, I look forward to March!

Slim and Trim Workout

We are implementing some changes to the program this week and I am excited! If you've been with us from day one then you know we have done 2 Tabata style workouts (interval time stuff). After reviewing some things we came to the determination that this would be the most effective way for everyone to work at their own personal pace while still keeping things to 20 minutes or less. And if someone wants to do a longer workout they simply add another set (5 minutes). I think this will help all our followers get the most out of their workouts. Because of this new format the Real Time video is also put together a little differently and the beauty of it is, if you just play the real time it becomes your timer regardless if you can keep pace with me or not. It's worth a try and we would love to hear what all of you think about the new format.

With all that said, like always if you are only going to workout for 15 minutes then you must push to your maximum if you want results! You should be out of breath and dripping sweat at the end of these, if not, then you didn't push hard enough. That is what is so great about these workouts, they can be tailored to fit everyone's needs and skill levels so there are no excuses!

So let's get it done, here is your weekly workout!

Instruction and Modification Video:

Real Time Video:

posting 1/13/13

Basic yet Effective

We've been having some issues with the videos posting correctly , but we should be back to our usual this weekend until then do a previous workout found here or give this basic one a go, whatever you choose give it your best!

3 Tips for Successful Goal Setting

Whatever you have committed yourself to this year or are thinking of committing yourself to let me give you 3 tips to setting and achieving your fitness (or other) goals this year.

#1. Be specific! Being vague in your goals only leaves room for excuses and justification when it comes time to assess progress. How can success be measured when there are no specific markers by which to measure them against?

For example your goal for 2013  : Get in Shape and lose weight

Well that is great you want to get in shape and lose weight but be specific, what does "in shape" mean to you ??? How much weight do you need to lose? Instead of saying get in shape define what that means, say "I want to be able to exercise for 30 minutes without a break, or I want to be able to RUN 6 miles or do 200 squats or fit into a size 8." 

Maybe your goal is " Eat healthy"

Same thing, what does eat healthy mean to you. Instead try saying "I am going to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day and set a carb and fat limit on my diet." like "I will not exceed x grams of fat in my daily diet." Or I will not consume refined sugars more than once a week. You know what your body needs and what it responds to, so you determine what is a good idea but BE SPECIFIC! 

While on this subject I  want to say I am not a fan of setting weight loss goals like  "I want to lose 10 pounds". Why? Well if you've read my previous article Foe or Friend, When to Ignore the Sclae, I talk about the fact that when we exercise and specifically doing activity like the workouts here at FAHM we are building muscle. Often what happens, especially at first when someone who is doing muscle building exercises, is fat is converted to muscle. Contrary to popular belief muscle does not weight more than fat!  5 pounds of muscle weighs the same as 5 pounds of fat! However 5 pounds of muscle will take up far less space than 5 pounds of fat, that is why I like to measure "weight loss" not by the numbers on the scale but rather by inches or how my clothes fit. Because lets be real here, strong firm curves not only look better but are better for your health than what I like to call "skinny flabby". Skinny flabby is what happens when you just diet and maybe run here and there but the weight comes off by just losing fat. What you are left with is less fat, which don't get me wrong is a good thing, but you still have fat and if you have not built muscle then keeping the pounds off can become difficult. How many of you out there have yo-yo'ed around with your weight? Most of us do to an extent but I will tell you the more muscle you have the less you will see your weight yo-yo because muscle is in charge of your metabolism and if you've got a lot then your metabolism can handle the occasional ice cream sundae fest, or cookie attack or full out week of binge eating (not that I recommend any of that but lets face it, it happens sometimes) You will see that the more muscle you have the less time your body needs to recover after a vacation from healthy eating.

#2. Be reasonable when setting goals and keep them simple.  The entire point of a goal is to achieve something new or desirable, which often means it is difficult or takes a good amount of effort, so it doesn't make much sense to set a goal that can easily be obtained and the other end of the spectrum can be counter productive as well. If you are currently over weight by 50 lbs and can't jog for more than 30 seconds than setting a goal to run a marathon and look like a rock star in 6 months is probably a bit steep and will often lead to disappointment which usually leads to complete abandonment of that goal. Can you lose 50 lbs and train to run a marathon in 6 months, sure it can be done but how realistic or reasonable is that in real life. Most of us have jobs and other obligations and we can not dedicate every hour to exercise and training. So when setting your goals make sure it is something that works with the limitations of your lifestyle. Most resolutions are abandoned and forgotten by March. Why? Because people hit a few speed bumps along the way or have not made enough progress to see results and they then loose their drive to achieve. No one likes feeling like a failure but the only time in life you will be a failure is when you GIVE UP so DO NOT GIVE UP!!!! 

#3. Make you goal fun or exciting in some way. A goal like getting every room in my house organized doesn't sound like much fun and even though everything doesn't have to be fun it sure helps get things accomplished. For those of you who have kids you will notice that putting some music on while doing chores or reinventing the dreaded chore of picking up the room into some sort of game typically brings better results or at least fewer complaints from your children. And aren't we all still kids at heart, don't we like to find the fun in things still? So if I am going to organize every room in my house maybe to make it fun I will say I am going to find a new and inventive way to accomplish that for each room via Pinterest! Cause we all know Pinterest has plenty of handy dandy niffty ideas and if your the crafty type being inventive with your organization makes it fun instead of mundane. So find out what equals fun or excitement in your life and try and find a way to implement that into how you accomplish your goals. You will not only find you actually achieve those New Year resolutions but you had a great time doing it and it was less difficult than you thought.

Now here is your bonus tip. I'm sure everyone has heard this one but it is worth repeating because it is crucial to being successful with your goals, ready...... WRITE THEM DOWN. Yes that's correct, write your goals down and put them somewhere you will see them often. It also helps to write them down where others can see it as well so you are accountable to someone other than yourself.

So keeping to these above guidelines I will give an example and share one of my fitness goals for 2013. It is specific, simple, reasonable and I personally think it is fun to try and challenge my body to do things it doesn't naturally do.
By the 1st day of Summer 2013 I want to be able to accomplish 10 rapid fire one leg Pistol Squats. Don't know what those are? They look like this and they are insane.

  

A rapid fire Pistol Squat is when you lower yourself in this position all the way to the ground and then without touching the ground switch hop to the other foot and then come up in this same position on the opposite leg.  Talk about quad and glute strength as well as balance, this little move delivers! I want to do 10 of these and right now I can't do one, I am close but just don't have quite enough strength but I think it's fun to try and throughout the year I will be posting videos of my progression with this simple goal. In fact I will post my "starting point" video later tomorrow so you can all get a good laugh because laughter is good for our health. 

So now that you have the 3 golden tips to setting goals and ACHIEVING them, what are your goals?

New Year New You Workout

 Ah yes it's that time again, time to make some resolutions and commitments  I have always looked forward to New Years because it brings with it a sense of renewal and change and there have been years that is exactly what I need. Unfortunately many ( if not most) New Years resolutions are done away with and forgotten by March. Why is this? Is it because the newness of it wears off and no longer holds a thrill for us? Or is it just plain life that gets in the way and we tell ourselves our efforts were good enough while it lasted but we just don't have the time, or the money, or the will power or it's just not that important. The excuses can be endless. But what it comes down to is how bad do you really want it? And by it I mean whatever you have set your mind to, it doesn't even have to be fitness related. I love this picture below with the quote 

We can achieve whatever we set our minds to doing, the hard part is realizing that it is our will which makes it happen (or not). We have a rule in our family that you don't say "I can't" because that is a lie. You can do anything, but will you is the more important question to ponder.

So will you stick with us here at Fit at Home Mom and commit now to being fit in 2013? To working towards a healthier lifestyle and body?

If so than below is a workout for you, if your still unsure than below is a workout for you! (see there is just no escaping it!)

Welcome to any of our new followers joining us this New Year of 2013, and to all you who have stuck with me since June of 2012, keep rockin' it and don't give up,  2013 WILL bring a New You because you can do and you will do it!

Instruction Video:

  Real Time Video:

Posting soon

Weekly Workout - Holiday Shred

Alright, alright, I am back after an unexpected hiatus and gearing up for not only the Holiday season but for the big "get fit" season coming up in less than a month (you know a.k.a New Years) Lots of people make excuses during the holidays and say they will start with the New Year and while I agree that New Years is a great time to set goals, think about how far ahead you can be if you just start now! So instead of packing on the pounds during the holidays do something that will keep you energized, feeling good and helps keep those extra pounds off! The answer is doing the Holiday Shred!!!

* A side note to my faithful followers, I will be having surgery in early 2013 to remove the masses in my abdomen , but I will not leave you hanging as my recovery could be almost 10 weeks! With that said I am formulating and filming workouts now for my long leave of abscence. If you have any suggestions or things you would like to see during this time now is a great time to let me know! Also I am looking for someone who would like to take over posting recipes while I am recovering so email me! Thanks - briannamerrill@hotmail.com

Instruction and Modification Video:

Real Time Workout:

Feel like a 10- Workout 21

I hope you are ready for a super fun, quick, yet effective workout that is going to leave you feeling like a 10! I truly enjoyed this one and it has become my go-to workout when I feel like I just don't have time to fit one in. So grab a pair of hand weights and a chair and get ready to give yourself a full body workout in under 15 minutes! Make sure you are pushing to your max so you get results!

Feel Like a 10 - Workout 21

Take 1 minute to warm up

30 seconds of jumping jacks 

30 seconds of high knees

Instruction Video:

Real Time Video:

Evaluation Workout - Back to Basics

We are once again doing things a little different this week. I find that it is important to take a step back and assess your progress every so often, and not just in physical fitness but in all areas of life. When we take a moment to look at where we're at in terms of goals and expectations it helps us move forward and continue to push for the desires of our hearts. So this week I want you to first evaluate where you are at by doing some basic exercises, record these somewhere and then in a few weeks we will do them again and you will be able to see your progress and then figure out if you are on track to meet your goals or if you need to make adjustments. It will also help you see that even when your bodies physical transformation which is manifested on the outside may be going slower than you'd like, the inner physical transformation such as, your cardiovascular system as well as your muscle strength and endurance are improving at a quick pace. Healthy bodies start from the inside and work their way out! So with that said today (MONDAY) I want you to complete the following workout. All the moves are basic but that is to make it easier to measure in terms of improvement  Tomorrow a normal video- workout 21-  will post and we will move forward from there.  Push yourself to the max with this and give it your all!

Evaluation Workout

Get a timer or have a clock nearby

You have 40 seconds to complete each of these exercises with a 20 second rest in between each exercise.

 It is important to stick to the time to make the results effective.

Complete as many reps as you can of the following 

exercises within 40 seconds

Squat Jumps

20 sec rest

Push ups

20 sec rest

High Knees (count one knee)

20 sec rest

Sit ups or Crunches

20 sec rest

Low Jacks (jumping jacks in a slightly squatted position)

20 sec rest

Burpee

20 sec rest

Switch Lunges (alternating legs)

20 sec rest

To turn this into a full workout go through these 7 exercises again. Make sure to record your results so you can compare them in a few weeks and see where you have improved!!!

Workout #20

Aaaahhhh it's here, that week where we as Americans let our entire world revolve around food, we plan it, we cook it and then we eat it and we eat lot's of it. This week more than ever you need to committ to working out everyday! Don't fall behind during the Holidays, instead work hard and while everyone else is putting on the pounds you will be taking them off!
This workout is like workout #19. We will be doing 5 exercises 3 times through. 4 out of 5 of the exercises are combination moves so we can really capitalize on our 20 minutes or less. These combo moves make sure we are engaging as many muscles as possible. So here it is your "I'm thankful for exercise" workout!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Workout # 20

Complete this set 3 times through - My first time was 17:50

10 Slide squat w/ jack squat combo

10 V-Jumps w/ push up

20 Weighted Froggy squats w/ overhead press

20 French Press w/ knee crunch

20 Leg extension and lift

Instruction and Modification Video:

Real Time Workout:

Weekly Workout #19

Wow talk about a crazy past 3 weeks. I have had computer crashes, vacations that leave me stranded,  a hurricane with it's aftermath and house guests, I can't believe I survived! But in reality that is life and as we approach the busy holiday season we are all going to have plenty of excuses not to exercise but I challenge you to not give in. Find the time, even if it means you can only do 10 minutes, 10 minutes is better than nothing! With that said this weeks work out is one where you complete a set amount as fast as you can so for those of you feeling the time crunch instead of doing this set 3 times like instructed cut it down to 2 or even 1. You can break it up and do one set in the morning and one in the evening. Whatever it takes to keep your body moving and on track with your goals. This one was a challenge for me as I was not exercising like I should have while I was on vacation and so this kicked my tail but it was awesome!

Weekly Workout # 19

Repeat this set 3 times through as fast as you can

5 Burpee Combo moves (*new)

20 kicking Run Lunges

30 Side kicks with knee crunch (15 on each leg)

10 Reverse Push-ups

20 One Leg Ab Crunch with weight (*new)

Instruction and Modification Video:

Real Time Workout:

Weekly Workout 18

I'm back and badder than ever with the real time workouts and when I say" badder" I don't mean awesome. I mean I am out of shape and the workout totally kicked my tail. But it feels good to know I am done with my treatments until December and I officially have no excuses. I will be able to do every workout 5 days a week and I'm excited to be 100% again. This workout it pretty simple but it will leave you sweating and sore if you don't stretch. This workout will be a little shorter than the others I did it in 17 minutes. There will also be an ab ad on posting Tuesday or Wednesday and it is a killer move. Hit it hard this week and do your best!

Weekly Workout # 18

Main Set

Complete as many sets as possible in 10 Minutes

*15 Flat Belly Burpees

*20 Kicking kneelers (weighted)

w/ 10 military presses & 10 hammer curls

*Wall sit w/ 20 Bicep curls

1 minute rest 

Mini Set

complete twice through

15 One Arm Push-ups

Side Plank w/ 10 cross-unders

20 Scissors kicks

15 One Arm Push-ups

Side Plank w/ 10 cross-unders

Instruction & Modification:

Real Time:

Recipe - Veggie Burgers

A couple weeks ago my sister emailed me with this recipe and also called me saying I had to try these veggie burgers because they were awesome. I had previously failed big time on some veggie burgers (they tasted like cardboard and fell apart on the grill) and I had pretty much given up the idea of a protein packed healthy veggie burger. Well my sister came to my rescue and this recipe is absolutely delicious and packed full of good nutrition. For those of you out there who aren't veggie burger fans you owe it to yourself to at least try this because this might be the burger that changes your taste buds! And of course a key ingredient in these is quinoa, no surprise there, ENJOY!

Southwest Veggie Mini Burgers:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained (or whatever beans you like and are used to)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt (I didn't use quite this much)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the saucepan and spread out onto a baking sheet. Cool completely.
• Puree half the can of black beans in the bowl of a food processor. Add  the puree to 1/4 cup of the cooked quinoa, the remaining whole beans, corn, panko, cilantro, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic, pepper and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix until the mixture comes together. Form 8 small patties, about 2-ounces each. Refrigerate the patties for 15 minutes to firm up.
  Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes per side.
  
  
  For a special dressing or spread to go on your burger mix 1 pkg of chipotle ranch with greek yogurt. OR I used my homemade salsa found here, that I always have on hand and mixed it with greek yogurt and it melted in my mouth!
  
  
  These were so yummy I can't wait to have another!

Weekly Workout 17

We are getting close to 20 weeks, wow! And I may be biased, but I think it has been a fun 17 weeks with something different every week. Last week I had one of my treatments done to shrink the tumors in my lower ab and it has me feeling a little sick and my gut was still a little tender and swollen from it so I was only able to do the instruction video. But with a weekend of rest I am feeling ready to tackle this workout head on, I hope you feel the same! Work hard, watch what you eat, have FUN and results will come!

Weekly Workout #17

 Main Set 

Complete as many rounds as possible in 11 minutes

20 Squat Jacks

10 Press up with knee crunch

20 Skate hop with burpee out

20 Ab wheels

---1 Minute Rest ---

Mini Set

complete as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes

20 Plea with donkey kick

10 Curl and Press combo

20 Twisting Ab with leg extension 

Instruction Video:

Recipe - Breaded Cauliflower

Most people have never heard of this dish but I grew up eating breaded cauliflower and loving it. It is a comfort food for me and my mother made this often and got the recipe from her aunt who always made it when they were over to visit. In the days before the internet, this beloved dish was hardly known, in fact my family was the only one I knew (and still do) that makes it.  When I married my husband he was a meat and potatoes kind of guy and considered potatoes his veggie (wrong on so many levels) so when I introduced this dish (the first among many veggie dishes to come) he was very skeptical and reluctant, he just wasn't a veggie lover. Then he took a bite and this dish has been at the top of his request list for dinner items for the past 10 years, yeah it's that good. I make it a point to prepare this when I have guests and I always get inquisitive looks but everyone walks away satisfied and addicted. With that said the way my mother always made it and how I made it, until recently, was far from low calorie because you basically where frying the breaded cauliflower in butter (yes delicious butter, it makes me giddy just thinking about it). But recently I came up with a lower calorie way of recreating this childhood, okay and adulthood, favorite of mine. This dish is not only easy but it is filling and there have been times when this is the main part of my meal, and my husband and kids fill their plates pretty high as well. So even if this sounds odd to you, or you have never been a cauliflower fan (like my husband) it is a must try. 

What you will need

One head of Cauliflower, Italian Bread crumbs OR croutons crushed into crumbs (I do the croutons because I can get a huge bag of organic croutons from Costco), butter, garlic salt and other spices you may like.  *If you want to add a few calories and a little more taste then you will also want Parmesan cheese and a cooking spray oil ( I use grapeseed oil)

Breaded Cauliflower Instructions

*Cut cauliflower into medium sized florets

*Steam until tender but do not over cook!

*Place cauliflower in a Ziploc bag or large bowl. 

*Add 1 to 2 tlbs of butter and melt onto hot cauliflower.

* Once the butter is melted and has coated the cauliflower add Italian bread crumbs or your crumbs of crushed croutons. I use about 1 cup but it depends on how big your head of cauliflower was.

* Add garlic salt (or other spices you like) to taste.

* Gently stir or shake your cauliflower until it is lightly coated. You can also add some Parmesan cheese, when I do add it I use the freshly grated kind but crumble it up into smaller pieces. 

*Once the cauliflower is coated with the spices or extras you like, place it in a single layer on a large foiled baking sheet. Set your oven to broil. If you have a cooking spray you can lightly coat the cauliflower and this will give it more crisp as if it were fried.

*Place the pan on a lower rack in your oven and watch carefully as you broil it, it does not take very long, we are just browning and crisping it, not cooking it. When the cauliflower is browned it is ready!

This makes great leftovers especially if you have a toaster oven. I just place some straight from the fridge into my toaster oven and broil it again until it is warmed up and crispy again. Enjoy this one, I know I do!

Weekly Workout # 16

Wow, if you have stuck it out and are here at week 16 ready for more then give yourself a pat on the back. The actual act of exercising is typically not difficult and even when it is you still feel awesome afterwards, the hard part is sticking with it and not giving up or giving in. If you have fallen off the wagon these past 16 weeks, it doesn't matter, what matters is that you get back on and keep moving forward. I really enjoyed this workout, I would say this is my first full week of hitting it at my maximum and it feels GREAT! My treatment for the lumps in my abdomen seem to be doing well other then causing me to retain some serious amounts of water, eeehhh! But I am going to try and up my water to 100 ounces a day and see if that doesn't help flush my system. How is your water intake going? Remember it is absolutely essential when trying to lose weight or just be healthy, so don't forget to be a camel and drink up!

Weekly Workout # 16

Main Set 

You will need a weight for both sets

Complete as many times as possible in 11 minutes

50 Butt Kickers

40 Kettle Bell Swings

30 Two Step Jacks

20 Squat and switch w/ press

10 3 Point V jumps w/ push up

----- 1 minute rest -----

Mini Set

complete as many times as possible in 8 minutes

30 Wood Cutters  15left 15 right

20 Triceps Press w/ weight

Ab Plank -  20 sec left side 20 sec, middle, 20 sec right side

Instruction Video

Real Time Workout

The Path to a Healthy Lifestyle

This morning I had some time to collect my thoughts, do some studying and some good old fashion mediation and contemplation. It was only 25 minutes but when I am able to do this it really sets the right tone for my day. When I have time like this to truly reflect on issues bigger than ones such as, what's for dinner, what child has what practice, how many laundry loads need done, what color to paint my son's room and how to better organize my work load I find I have a greater balance in my day. Though thoughts like these are often essential because they are apart of everyday life, sometimes we get so caught up in them. The trivial things typically take front and center stage just because they are urgent or immediate. Something I have learned is that urgent does not always mean important yet we tend to organize our lives starting with the issues which are urgent. A healthy lifestyle to me does not just carry a physical definition. Health to me means balance in all things and in all areas. We talk about a healthy body, healthy mindset, healthy attitude and healthy relationships. Yes health is more than just getting fit or losing weight. I have found that the times in my life when I am most productive and feel amazing are when I have a sense of balance in my life. That balance often comes because I am focusing on important things not necessarily all the urgent things. So what is important to you? It's a good question to ask. If your not sure try this, imagine you've just been diagnosed  with a fatal disease and have 1 year to live. What are your first thoughts about how and/or with whom you want to spend that last year with? Those things you treasure most will float to the front of your mind. What comes to the front of our mind might surprise us sometimes, or even possibly shame us, but keep in mind that you control what is important in your life and what you give priority to, so if you don't like what is taking center stage in your life, change it!

Something which is important to me is my physical health, I have always wanted to make sure I can run and play with my kids, go for long walks or hikes in nature, enjoy recreational events with my family and live as long and disease free as I possibly can. But something else which is also extremely important to me is my Family, they are my everything. It took me a very long time to figure out how to balance these important issues, keeping my physical health in check while not missing out on time with my family. For a very long time the pendulum would swing one way and I would feel selfish for taking so much time for myself and then it would swing the other and I would find that my body and emotions would suffer for my lack of attention and dedication, often times resulting in me not being the best person I could be for my children and husband. I am someone (like a lot of people) who reacts to a lack of physical exercise by falling into bouts of depression or anxiety, so when I ignored physical exercise it affected my family life. I didn't like this imbalance in my life, I felt like Jekyll and Hyde, and still do some days ;)  but I knew there was an answer so I searched, contemplated, prayed and found a solution. The answers to our issues are out there, we just have to want to find them and then be willing to commit to them when we do. Everyone's balance point will be different but you will know when you find yours.Once you find that balance does it mean it will permanently stay in check? I wish! Rather it takes daily or sometimes hourly efforts to keep happily centered but, it can be done, and if you've done it once you've already blazed the trail and therefore all you need to do is follow the path back to find it.
We will have days where no matter our best efforts to stay balanced the end result feels much like chaos. On days like that just remember to tell yourself "tomorrow is a new day full of new opportunities to do better" it is never a failure until you give up. And a failure is never a waste because you can always learn from it.
So find your balance, start small with one area and then when you have mastered it, move on to the next area. It doesn't mean you won't have to retrace steps but I guarantee you will find greater health along your way.

Weekly Workout #15 - 400 Rep Chair Challenge

Every 5 weeks or so I like to bring you a change of pace and do a rep challenge. These not only break things up a bit but this helps keep your metabolism up instead of plateauing. There is a huge benefit to doing different exercises every week, this challenges you muscles so you will not experience muscle memory where your body says "yeah we know how to do this, no big deal". We don't want that and this is why we change up our workout every week. But every 5 weeks it is good to really rev up you reps to make sure we are keeping our bodies guessing. This challenge is unique because we will be using a chair. And I will warn you now, your legs and butt will be screaming for you to stop, but don't! You see results when you exhaust your muscles and then push a little further or harder, that is how you get change.
On a personal note I have not been pushing myself these past 5 weeks due to my medical issues and it is really starting to show. My muscle definition is lacking and I have noticed a slight increase in my weight. I was warned that the treatment I am currently undergoing to shrink the masses in my abdomen could cause water retention, possible weight gain and some other issues and with a surgery most likely in my future in a few months, now more than ever I need to step up my workout regimen and get my body in the best shape it can be so I don't suffer from the time off I am anticipating in the future. To accomplish this I will also begin cutting my calories down to 1200. When I am at a comfortable weight I do not count calories instead I just continue to eat healthy and exercise, but do to my lack of exercise and now that I am battling other forces, I will kick it back into gear with calorie counting. So for those of you out there who are doing these workouts but are not seeing the results you want, look at what you are eating. Count your calories and keep them in a low range (do not go below 1200 especially when working out the way we do) and fill your body with lots of vegetables, lean meats, fruits and whole grains. Limit your sugar to natural sugars found in fruit and things such as that and you will see results. I am going to put my money where my mouth is and follow my own advice exactly this week and in the weeks to come. When I started these videos I was basically where I wanted to be with my body and fitness level so I did not need to be as strict with food but now with a bump being thrown into my road I need to adjust. It is all about adjusting to make things work for you and your goals so don't be afraid to change things up every once in awhile and you will be amazed how your body responds!
And with that I will give you the breakdown for this workout. Remember to stick to it and don't give up. Because this workout is very strenuous make sure to stretch and if you need to only do it Monday, Wednesday and Friday it will still benefit your body. But make sure on Tuesday and Thursday you do something like go for a 20 minute run or walk to keep your body loose and burning calories! Good luck this week!

Weekly Workout # 15  - 400 Chair Rep Challenge

You will need a sturdy chair

100 Step ups - 50 left,  50 right

50 tricep dips

100 kick overs - 50 left, 50 right

25 elevated reptile crunches

50 High Knees (count one knee)

25 elevated reptile crunches

50 One leg sit stands - 25 left, 25 right

Looking at your body with a Different Perspective

I am not one for email forwards or posting random pics of people I don't know on Facebook , but when the above picture caught my eye I knew it was perfect for a post I have been wanting to do. The caption in the photo really says it all but I want to elaborate on this because it is not about having a baby or not, it is about viewing your body with a different perspective. This is a fitness blog (if you haven't caught on to that I am not sure how you've missed it) and though our focus is being healthy and strong this tends to go hand in hand with body image. I have done a post and have had a guest post discuss this subject and now I want to address it from another angle because improper body image is a plague in this modern world particularly affecting women of every age, size and color. And since this blog's target audience is mother's I am going to stick with the above example, not to alienate any of my followers who have not had children or are men but because pregnancy is something I am familiar with and can easily use as an example.

For those of us who have had babies looking into the mirror postpartum can be depressing and sometimes frightening. Many of us see nothing but flaws, we get so obsessed with getting back to pre-pregnancy weight or better, we become like horses with blinders on and won't cut ourselves some slack until the desired goal weight is reached. I was like this after all of my children, and then when I would finally fit back into those jeans, I found I was still unhappy with my body because of the deep canyon like stretch marks and saggy skin. It wasn't until a few years ago that my perspective changed. My sister was pregnant and whether it was good fortune,  great genes (which I obviously missed out on) or her unwavering commitment to a coco buttered belly she did not receive one stretch mark, not a one! Her belly was gorgeous and I was envious! One day while speaking to her and again reiterating how lucky she was not to have any stretch marks she brought up an interesting comment made to her regarding her lack of marks. When my sister revealed to some extended family members she didn't have stretch marks her sister-in-law exclaimed "how on earth do you validate that baby is yours, you have no battle wounds to prove it!" Her sister-in-law was being humorous but, when my sister told me this story something in me instantly changed. I thought, she's right! Stretch marks are like battle wounds, I am a warrior and the best kind of warrior. I earned every stripe, canyon, and flap from doing something so amazing and magnificent; creating, carrying and giving birth to a human being. There are few greater causes for allowing such damage to happen to your body than providing a healthy and safe environment for a growing baby. All the aches and pains, all the vomiting, the sleeplessness, the discomfort and the stress of carrying a baby was worth it, each and every time. And instead of viewing the after math  left behind as collateral damage, I now view it  differently. Those stretch marks and areas of my body which just refuse to bounce back serve as sweet reminders of those special times in my life where I was selfless, where someone else always came first, when I was doing something great and when I was experiencing  a bond which runs deeper than human comprehension and I was a part of an absolute miracle! I still have those tender moments of triumph today in other forms and I am in no way implying that having a baby is the only way for women to do something wonderful, great or selfless, this is not the case. What I am saying is I began to see things with a different perspective and when I did I became proud of my body, battle wounds and all.

 My husband took this picture before I gave birth to our last child, our sweet little Ruby. At the time when he said "show your belly" I did it reluctantly and then commented on how awful I looked and that no one was to EVER see this picture. Now I am posting the picture for the world to see because I am proud I carried my sweet little girl for nine long and painful months (my c-section scar had reached it's absolute max with being stretched out 4 times and it was a daily source of discomfort) talk about a battle.

I used to look at this picture and see the stretch marks and the chubby cheeks and the list could go on, now I see beauty, a unique beauty of a mother who is expecting. I do not post this picture to say "look how radiant I am", if you think that you are missing the point. I am showing the growth and change that comes from gaining a healthy sense of perspective. I went from being ashamed of this picture to realizing that there is nothing gross or repulsive about it, in fact it is quite the opposite.

Fast forward to last year. Though I learned my lesson about my tummy I still had a lot of things to learn about being comfortable in my own skin. I was complaining to my mother about my breasts, or lack their of, and how I would just like them to be back to how they were before I had kids. I mean come on, was that really too much to ask? While looking through some family photo's we came across a picture of my aunt in a bathing suit at age 50+. I remarked at how awesome her boobs looked and how amazed I was she was able to have such great assets when she was almost 30 years my senior! I will never forget what my mother said next. "Brianna you have been blessed to bear and nurse 5 healthy babies, your aunt was never able to. Sure her breasts look great but I know she would have traded that for the opportunity to have a child." My mother's words stopped me in my tracks and I again received a much needed moment of enlightenment as well as a dose of humility. Too many times we as women look longingly at others and their bodies and think "if only" and fail to keep the right perspective. We all have our trials, struggles and losses and comparison is never equal nor even logical when you consider how unique each of us are in our own beautiful ways.

As I said in the beginning, this post it is not about those of us who have had a baby and those who have not, I am merely using this scenario as an example that perspective not only is important to have but, it can change the way you view your body. Being satisfied with your body does not mean everything is perfect, it means you've decide to look beyond it's imperfections and maintain a healthy perspective. So next time you find yourself comparing your assets to another, whether it be physical or even temporal, remind yourself that we are all unique individuals for a purpose and therefore we have unique experiences and that is part of the beauty of life! 

And to all you ladies out their with the postpartum stretch marks my advice to you is to just rock'em. Own it, love it and be proud of them. You are a warrior and those marks have meaning that go further than skin deep!