Ghosts of Fitness Past

I'll admit, I'm a sucker for advertising.  I really ought to set parental controls for infomercials and start wearing those horse blinders through department stores.  Of course, I am forever grateful to the late-night ordering that led me to Beachbody, but there were many pitfalls and stops along the way.  Not all of them were unworthy, but none kept my interest piqued for quite so long.  Let's take a gander at my ghosts of fitness past, shall we?

My earliest workout memory involves shiny spandex and high ponytails and muscles of steel.  Before I stood before my mirror to tease my bangs, scrunch my permed hair, or tuck-and-roll my stonewashed jeans, I crunched and squeezed with Tamilee Webb.  I longed to have her flat little tummy and tight little tush.  Alas, our mornings together, though beginning with much gusto, became infrequent and eventually nonexistent.  We never had an official breakup; there was simply a time when I no longer loaded that VHS tape nor packed it for my move to college.

The same was true for my thighmaster (yes, I had one).  I saw that commercial and thought, "How easy! I can watch TV and let my eyes glaze over while I create the perfect thighs!"  Damn you, Chrissy Snow, for creating such high hopes.  I cannot imagine how many squeezes one must do each day to attain those slender thighs, but I do know it was far more than I ever did.  Another advertising dream dashed, I stuffed the thighmaster under my daybed with my cassette tapes, never to be used again.

Things improved slightly in college.  I gained a fitness buddy and we developed a slight obsession with Kathy Ireland and everything she hawked in KMart.  (Did I mention that said university was located in rural PA and KMart was the closest approximation to a mall in our vicinity?)  We hopped through grapevines, pulsed through leg raises, and reached through stretches.  Kathy travelled with me to my first post-college home, but when I discovered gym life and a DVD player, she no longer made the cut.  Although, now that she is selling furniture, I find myself wanting once again to buy from her.  I suppose those fond memories of awkward toe taps and low-budget filming will always leave me with a soft spot for her.

Around this time I also developed a keen interest in tae bo and Billy Blanks.  This is where I began to actually work out - that is, when I stopped doing low-key and every-now-and-then workouts and started putting in actual effort and regularity.  And, coincidentally, began seeing actual results from my dedication.  I barely made it through my first tae bo session; within months, I was teaching classes at my local gym and pushing people to work harder.  So, thank you, Mr. Blanks.  To this day, I still enjoy the occasional sweat with you.

More recently, I (along with the rest of America) became aware of Jillian Michaels.  I found her so compelling that I purchased her DVD's, her book, and a treadmill with her voice.  Through following the regimen in Making The Cut, both Hubby and I found relatively quick results.  Alas, the time spent on food prep and travelling to the gym cut too severely into our time with the kids and each other.  We looked fabulous.  But we were ex-haust-ed. 

So what to do?  P90X!  And then Chalene!  And then Shaun T!  Bliss!  Sweet, sweet torture.  We are home; we can get results with an hour or less a day; we can do it whenever suits us.  No class schedule or childcare required.  No sharing space, no other people's sweat, no waiting for class to start.  We press play and we're on our way.  This...this is my key to working out.  Yes, it's popular.  Yes, I found it through an infomercial.  However...this is no fad.  These are actual exercises that work.  Plus, they're FUN.  We are happy campers here at the M&M Estate.

So, once again, I advise you to figure out YOUR soulmate workout.  Do classes motivate you?  Do you like the face time with a live instructor?  Do you need to squeeze your workouts into an already crazy schedule?  Do you wanna dance/lift/kick/punch/stretch?  Ask yourself - what is the most fun I've ever had doing a physical activity (hey! perverts!)?  THAT is your soulmate workout.  Still unsure?  Contact me.  I'll tell you what to do.  Because I enjoy being bossy like that.

queenie3431@hotmail.com
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Turn The Page

Hello.  My name is Jen and I am addicted to fitness magazines.  Specifically, women's fitness magazines.  Shape, Fitness, Women's Health, Runner's World (I know, guys can read this one too, but at my house, it's pretty much my very own porn), Self, Oxygen...I love the newness of the workouts, the athletic models with smiling faces (as opposed to those morose and angry models I find languishing about in my fashion mags), and the fresh recipes to be tried.  It's glossy motivation delivered right to my mailbox.  But magazines aren't the only reading materials that get my legs twitchin' and my feet jumpin'.  I love books, too! 

That's right - books.  On those much-needed rest days, I like to curl up with a new novel, but I also like to snack on lifestyle books.  Not diet books (anything that pronounces I won't need to exercise is automatically banished from my bedside table, as is any title that guarantees FLAT ABS FAST!).  I like to dive into the beefed up versions of my magazines, chapters filled with menu plans and intense workouts.  Here's a list of my favorites...

1.  Push by Chalene Johnson...A 30-day plan to get your butt in gear on every level, it also offers fitness direction and Chalene's "throw-and-go meals" for those of us too busy (or too disinclined) to spend much time in the kitchen.  She's just as motivational on paper as she is on DVD.  I actually found it difficult to limit myself to one chapter each day because I was so pumped to set and accomplish goals.  There's a good reason she made it the NY Times Bestseller list.  Seriously...make it your next goal to get this book.

2.  Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels...Another 30-day plan to get your posterior goin', but this one soley focused on the physical side of doing so.  Hubby and I started our combined fitness journey with this book back before I found myself in a delicate state (read: ballooning into a blubbering ball of hormones that ransacked not only the kitchen but the kids' party bags in search of KitKats).  The one caveat: you need a gym, either fully stocked with equipment at home or fully stocked with lines for equipment in public.  I still refer to this book on a pretty regular basis because the recipes are insanely delicious.  Even the older beasts enjoy them.

3.  Body Confidence by Mark MacDonald...Here we find a lifelong plan of eating and exercising according to your individual metabolic type.  I, like many women my age, have a slight obsession with Chelsea Handler, and this book was recommended on her show because she has used MacDonald as her very own nutritionist.  Basically, you learn how to load your plate no matter where you are, be it your humble abode or your local watering hole.  Also, he too offers recipes!  I love recipe sections despite hating to cook.  I figure as long as I have directions, I can accomplish what I need to accomplish.  And it's true...most of the time...

4.  Marathon: You Can Do It! by Jeff Galloway...He is the omnipotent power runners turn to in times of doubt.  Galloway offers easy-to-follow advice on distance running, avoiding/treating injuries, and (of course!) nutrition leading up to and following the Big Race Day.  I am currently reading this book, but it is the second training plan I've used from the Great Galloway (as he shall henceforth be known within the confines of this blog) and I gotta say, I really dig the guy's style.  Straightforward and so simple even a Queen could do it.  If you are contemplating adding some serious mileage, get this book FIRST and then register for a race based upon the program.  My only regret is that I didn't find this book five months ago.  (My only regret concerning this book...There are a few fashion choices made in the late 90's I'm not so proud of.)

So the next time it's raining and you want to slow it down and enjoy a nice little cuppa green tea, might I suggest flexing your brain muscles with one of the founts of knowledge listed above?  More information makes you a stronger athlete.  (Hey, if you're training for anything, consider yourself an athlete.)  Those PSA's from my youth were spot on: Knowledge is power.  It is also the key to your fitness success.  I have learned from experience that jumping too far without checking the ground below only leads to a face in the dirt (or, more literally, intense soreness and near-injury that can risk all of that hard work not meaning anything).  So, see?  Jocks and nerds really can get along!

Economics, Fitness, and Healthy Diets: Why Can't We All Just Get Along???

I honestly enjoy the shopping part of grocery shopping.  I adore Wegmans with my whole healthy heart.  The gorgeous produce, the seemingly endless supply of organic and tastey options, the calm shoppers (there are certain superstores I am frightened to venture into).  I get excited to choose healthy meals and snacks for my family...and I cringe every time I come face to face with our total bill.  I've gotta admit, sometimes the produce does not look so gorgeous when I see its price tag.

But - I am also aware that eating this way will curb other costs.  We are happier when we eat well; we feel better when we eat well.  Less doctor's visits, less OTC medications, less restaurant tabs (and that is a biggie for a family of six).  I nearly choked when I first saw the price of Shakeology.  Then I realized, that's a meal a day for 30 days.  Four bucks a day.  Cut out Starbucks, cut out snacks filled with preservatives and unpronouncable ingredients...there's your four bucks.  Now, add in the value of increased energy, improved bodily function, and controlled cravings...I don't feel sticker shock now.  I feel like I made a wise and healthful choice for my body.  (And tastey!!! Refer to my earlier post...)

So, once my spending is vindicated, I need menus! I need recipes! I need children to eat what I make! The first two are easy...

I consider myself a hunter and gatherer of recipes, pulling from Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels, magazines (Fitness, Shape, and Runner's World are great resources), Push by Chalene Johnson, and Thin Kitchen Beachbody.  Sometimes, I'll just take an entire week's menu straight from a diet plan; sometimes I mix and match.  Starting tomorrow, I am following Shaun T's six-day slimdown in order to get myself geared up for his class next Saturday.  I will modify meals somewhat for the rest of the family...but they're still getting mostly organic and fully fit meals, whether they like it or not.

Which brings me to my third "need."  Kids learn from us, whether we like it or not.  The choices we provide them now are the habits they'll use later.  So while they would love for me to shove platefuls of processed chicken parts in front of them every night, they are also learning to get excited about fish, fresh veggies, and seasonal fruits.  Everyone must try at least one bite of everything, every meal, every day.  I was surprised to find that even our finickiest eater can appreciate most of what we serve.

And for those in-between times, we keep a "snack basket" as a go-to in the kitchen.  As soon as I get home from shopping, I separate all snacks into single-serving bags.  The same goes for anything I make (I actually MAKE STUFF now! In an oven and everything! Who knew?!) When they require a little nosh, they can grab whatever they like from the basket, and I know they're getting something nourishing for their little bodies.  I've also started (finally!) keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen table.  Right where we can see it.  And guess what? No more rotten fruit in drawers in the fridge.  It all gets eaten.


What are your sneaky tricks? SHARE! And if you've found a great farmer's market or cheaper brand that tastes just like a brand name, SHARE! Our M&M Clan has come a long way in the food department, but I like knowing that things are just getting started...