Who Needs a Door, Anyway?

Are you prepared for a little honesty?  Because I am about to drop a BOMB on you folks.

I am human.  I know, right? Pick your jaw up off that floor though and listen. Because here comes another bomb: I eat junk food, too.

There, it's out, I said it! I'm gonna be totally straight with you.  Those Hershey bars I bought so we could make s'mores?  Gone.  Every.  Last.  One.  Did we make s'mores?  No.  Which means between now and replenishing the supply, I must once again gain control over Midnight Miller, Raider of the Freezer and Pillager of the Snack Basket.  I have no true excuse.  Yes, my appetite is in overdrive with Insanity, but we have plenty of healthy options in the house.  Matter of fact, pretty much every other option in the house is healthy.  I just chose to zero in on the ONE thing I should not be chowing down on. 

Now, a friend recently asked me to blog about what I eat and where my recipes come from.  So there's my admission of chocolate above (damn you, Milton Hershey!).  But a typical day would look more like this:

Breakfast: Shakeology (today was Tropical Strawberry, almond milk, frozen blackberries and frozen mango) and black coffee.  (I really did attempt to leave coffee behind and replace it solely with green tea. I've accepted that I am just not gonna do that long term.)

Snack: Clif/Luna/P90X bars...My current favorites are Clif Peanut Butter Crunch and Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick and Coconut Something-or-other.  They are easy, they pack a protein punch, and they taste good.  That's my kinda food, right there.  Also, I usually add in a piece of fruit for extra sweetness.

Lunch: leftovers or a hodgepodge salad comprised of various leftovers.  Typically, Hubby will grill all chicken and steak at the beginning of the week so that during the week, we have only to dump it onto a plate or into a salad and presto! Meals take five minutes to make.  That's my kinda cookin', right there.  My goal is to include as many colors as I can with the veggies on hand, plus eggs, meat, or feta for some protein.  Dressing is typically a balsamic vinaigrette or a classic italian.  We have done away with the "light" or "lowfat" dressings because they're just silly and full of stuff we don't want.

Snack: fresh fruits and either nuts, cottage cheese, or yogurt.  This is likely to change in the near future, as is much of the diet listed above.  For various reasons that I'll lay out in another blog, I am heading the vegetarian route and will go back to much less dairy (my body just felt better when I wasn't sucking down milk, yogurt, and cheese at every meal).  But the fruits will stay!  

Dinner: white meat (chicken, fish, or pork) most days; steak once a week or less.  Nearly always with fresh or frozen veggies and a bowl of fruit on the table to pick from. 

What do I drink besides Shakeology and coffee?  Water.  The occasional soda when we're out to eat, although this is less and less common.  We don't keep soda or sugary drinks in the fridge, and I'm not much of a beer drinker, though Hubby keeps that stocked for his own sanity.  In the past, I was a huge milk drinker, but I gradually lessened my intake and, as previously mentioned, feel better for it. 

As for my recipes, I get them everywhere.  Jillian Michaels' Making The Cut has incredible meals all laid out, every one of them tasty.  I am a Pinterest addict and an avid collector of any and all women's fitness magazines.  I pick and choose, but will every now and then follow a specific meal plan, as I just did for Insanity.  Turns out, I am sick of meat, and that plan calls for quite a bit of it.  So this Friday, my first errand is mapped out to Barnes&Noble to pick up a copy of The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook by Tosca Reno.  I see this as the next step in my fitness and food journey.  Stay posted to see how I do with this one...

Coincidentally, our refrigerator door FELL OFF this morning.  So we will be chowing down on all things fresh today.  It's rigged to hang in there, but we don't know for how long.  I joked on Facebook that we may as well remove the shelving and dive in face first...after my workout, I just may do that.  Insanity makes Mama one hungry bear.

If you really want to see what I eat and how I work out every single day, my profile on myfitnesspal.com is totally public.  Find me and friend me (Miller343).  Having more eyes gives me more motivation to practice what I yell, scream, and preach. 

For now, though, I must go.  It is time for pinning and coffee.

Legend...Hold the Dairy...

I talk a LOT about the exercise side of fitness.  It's my love, my passion, my addiction.  And yes, it gets me results.  It makes me stronger, faster, leaner...more irresistible.  Plus, it's fun.  I get to kick, punch, run, dance...and I typically only have to do so for one to two hours a day.  Which, I feel, is pretty easy.  The nutrition side of fitness...that side which glowers upon regular chocolate cake consumption and does not condone a daily intake of Funyuns...that is not so fun.  And, until recently, it was not even remotely easy for me.  Good thing I like challenges and being told it can't be done.

I was never what anyone would label "a healthy eater."  I was more likely to fall under the category of "eternal grazer" or "garbage disposal."  I ate massive amounts of food in single sittings with constant snacking energizing me between meals.  And I ate things like Weis dessert bowls (frequently enough that my coworkers began calling them "Jen Bowls"); king size Snickers bars; 20-piece McNuggets with three different sauces so my delicate pallette would not get bored.  We frequented the diner down the street so often that we had our own booth and the waitresses knew our "usuals." 

Then I started TurboFire and started dropping pounds and inches.  I was, to put it mildly, quite pleased.  I continued to drop when I picked up running, and I started gaining muscle when I began using ChaLEAN Extreme.  But that mid-section still looked suspiciously poochy, as though it might be carrying something.  And it was.  It was carrying Big Macs, taco pizza, everything fries, and too many desserts to name (but all containing chocolate).  I took a moment to be frustrated, to feel depressed, to pout and whine and stomp my feet regarding the unfairness of it all.  Then I turned to my favorite place for change: Beachbody. 

I wanted more results and I wanted them faster.  I ordered HipHop Abs, E&E Formula, and my first round of Shakeology.  I signed up for my personalized meal plan and started using myfitnesspal again.  I returned to Body Confidence by Mark McDonald. Things began happening. 

First, I fell in lust with Shaun T and in love with E&E.  Then I made a lifelong commitment to Shakeology, which led to a lifelong commitment to (mostly) clean eating.  Because here's the thing: I have that shake in the morning, and I find it ridiculously easy to maintain healthy eating for the remainder of the day.  My body gets what it needs, so minimal (if any) cravings follow.  For a girl that used to hide candy bars in the freezer so my kids wouldn't get them, who used to stock an entire file drawer at my desk with snacks ranging from funsize chocolate bars to entire boxes of cereal...that's kind of a big deal. 

Now here came the most kickass part of all the kickass-edness (yes, it's a word!): I had ab muscles under that pooch! And a waistline!  For the first time since junior high, I saw flat abs in my future.  I don't even have to flex.  They just pop out.  It's like every day, I'm more awesome.  It's hard to believe, right?  How does one so awesome continually find more room for awesome?  Barney Stinson ain't got nothin' on this girl.  Legend...

Speaking of dairy...Yeah.  I don't do that anymore, either.  At least, the occasions are few and far between.  I originally cut it out as part of the Body Confidence jump start plan, but found that not only did I not miss it, I felt better overall.  And after being dairy free for a few weeks, when I had a small glass of milk...Let's just say, things weren't the same between me and the white stuff anymore.  Which just makes decisions that much easier still.  Again with the awesome.

And again, my point behind all this rambling is THIS: if I, the bacon-loving, chocolate-cake-shoveling, fried-cheese-inhaling garbage disposal and former champion of all encased meats, can not only change my diet and garner control over my eating but am actually SATISFIED with my current intake...then so can you.  I don't wanna hear crap about healthy foods being too expensive.  I don't wanna hear "but my kids won't eat that."  I especially don't wanna hear "but that's too difficult."  I will slap that french fry right outta your mouth. 

Fact: eating right will extend your life.  It will extend your children's lives.  Less sickness equals less prescriptions and less trips to the doctor.  Fact: your kids will eat what you provide.  You're the parent and you make the rules.  When my children complain, I make them this deal: get a job, do the shopping, prepare the meals.  Then we can have cheeseburgers and potato chips every night.  Guess what?  We're still eating organic veggies and grilled fish or chicken.  Fact: the more you do it, the easier it gets.  The only difficult part is the first two or three weeks.  Once those devil toxins are cast from your body, you will crave things like cantaloupe and mixed greens and water.  And then I won't have to keep slapping you.  Which is nice for both of us.

And now that I have finished my Dwight Shrute-like diatribe, I'm going to go sip my green tea, read a little Mama Llama with the babe before he naps...and then I'm gonna rip into HIIT 15 and some ab work.  Because Shakeology gave me the energy to do so.

Feel Your Boobies (Or Her Boobies)

We all love a good rack, don’t we?  Whether you’re the owner or the purveyor, the beauty of the breast is quite apparent.  We love the girls, the twins, the ta-tas, the melons.  That is why each year on Mother’s Day, as a family, we don our pink and move our feet to show our love for the breasts.  It has become a family tradition to pack our bags and head to Philadelphia for the Susan G. Komen Mother’s Day 5k and celebrate the beauty and the health of the boobies. 

It's all about the love!

So, yes.  I do love fitness for fitness' sake.  But I love incorporating it into family activities and teachable moments for the smaller folk in our Clan, too. Quite literally, from dawn till dusk, we are moving as a unit that day and even the boys sport some pink.  In the past, the littler legs have demanded a "walking race," but this year, they have stated it's time to run!  It warms their mama's fitness-lovin' heart to hear those sweet words, but my expectations for actual running time are realistic.  As in, I am sure there will be excitement for the first three minutes followed by many more minutes of walking and perhaps asking to be carried (and that's just Hubby).

Checking in

Hotel Pool Magic!

But still!  It's a truly great family time every year.  We head into Philly the night before the race to check in and wander about, have a relaxing dinner, and enjoy the hotel pool.  (Side note: always book a hotel with a pool.  It is the most fun we have everywhere we go, though the reason still eludes me.  And thank you to my big sister for making me aware of the magic of the hotel pool.)  Race day begins early, with much rubbing of the eyes and asking why it is still dark outside (the sun is lazy!).  But by the time we hit the streets with our bib numbers and our pink, it's all about the fun!

The Race for the Cure

Music, free (healthy!) food and water, chances to shop pre-race, balloons...It's a smorgasboard of activity and smiling faces.  The walk itself is a lesson in gratitude as survivors walk or run alongside us.  And the bonding for us as a family is tremendous.  We have our tradition, our commitment to a Fit Life, our belief in the cause.  It all works.  And the day is good.

Best way to spend Mom's Day

Fight Like A Girl!

We are Team M&M.  We will run.  We will walk.  We will laugh.  We will wear our pink proudly and with honor.  And you?  You can join us!  Sign up with our team and run or walk with our crazy family!  If you can't make the race, donate and make our fundraising a success!  I've written about the strength of women before; the women we're walking for are some of the strongest women in the world.  This disease does not discriminate; we could be walking for your mother, your sister, your wife...or you.  Every dollar makes a difference.  Which is why I am choosing to donate 10% of all Beachbody sales between now and Mother's Day to our team fundraiser.  You want to get fit (otherwise you wouldn't be reading).  Here's your chance to get off your keister and be a good Samaritan at the same time. 

Mother's Day 2011

Look to your right...See all those links over there?  They take you right to my site.  There's also a new link to our fundraising page.  If you've ever found inspiration here, if you've ever found motivation here...throw a couple bucks into the pot.  And then feel your boobies.  Or your wife's or girlfriend's boobies.  Or tell a lovely lady that you've just made a donation and ask if you can feel her boobies.  See?  Giving is a wonderful thing.  Give freely so you can feel freely.

Get Into The Groove

I finally got my sixteen miles in this weekend.  To be more precise, 16.48.  I ran a new route through the National Park portion of the Delaware Water Gap and fell in love while listening to Sheryl Crow sing "Run, Baby, Run."  It was the moment of my run.  Every run or workout has the moment that keeps me coming back.  Some even have a series of them, and this run was one of those.  But this moment was the moment of the moments for this one.  I even did a little Leo and Kate on Titanic moment to soak it in.  My joints felt great, my muscles felt strong, my lungs felt full.  It was a good day to be alive and running.  And the song just made it more.

Any workout can be a better workout with the right playlist.  I favor anthemic feminist songs (and I'm not ashamed to include Fighter by Christina and  Stronger by Britney in that mix), but just about anything can get my heart pumping the way I need it to.  My only prerequisite for adding a tune to my list is that when I hear it, I immediately want to sing and sing LOUDLY.  I have everything from Neil Diamond to Indigo Girls to NWA blasting in my ears when I run.  Although I am always scouting new additions, these are a few of my all-time favorites to make my little feet move faster and farther.

Eminem, Lose Yourself.  Great beat.  Fantastic lyrics.  In-your-mother-f&#*in'-face attitude.  YES, please and THANK YOU.  No matter how beat I may feel before this comes on, I am always at the top of my game during and for miles after I hear "You only get one shot..."  And I swear, my ipod saves this for that exact moment I start to fade or pause to think about throwing in the towel, because every single run, this song gets me back on track. 

Ozzy, Crazy Train.  Love the song, sure.  But I love what it brings to mind even more.  My little werewolf listened to this song to get pumped up for his wrestling matches, and there were so many moments he could have given up (and gotten lots of non-embarasssing hugs and kisses from his mommy) but didn't.  I just picture him and that scary look of determination and know that I simply cannot fail.  Even if he is at home waiting with lots of completely wanted hugs and kisses for his mommy.

Zac Brown Band, Toes.  Simply because it takes me away from burning lungs and the twinges in my knees and/or shins and plants my tired fanny right where I want it, in warm sand under a blue and sunny sky (and preferably next to a very tan cabana boy holding a Skinny Girl margarita).  This song takes me out of my current location to a much more desirable one, if only for a few minutes and is closely followed by Where The Boat Leaves From on my favorites list.

Anything by the Beastie Boys.  Do I really need to expand on this?  Or can we all just agree that the three boys from Brooklyn, quite simply, rock?  (Strangely, I have the same to say about Prince and No Doubt.  It's just good music, people.)

Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run.  It's a tad obvious, but it works.  The raw emotion, the sweeping chorus.  Plus, I am running so close to New Jersey that I feel obligated to throw in some of the Boss and a smattering (or a hefty helping) of Bon Jovi. 

Joan Jett, Bad Reputation.  Because really, I don't give a damn about my bad reputation.  I've got more important things to worry about than others' fascination with my life (though, of course, it is completely understandable, seeing as how I'm AWESOME).  I'm runnin' over here, people!  I don't give a damn about anything other than my breathing and my pace.

These are just a few.  Name another great tune and I'm likely to say emphatically, "I LOVE that one! That's my favorite!"  In this way, I am much like the young werewolf, as his favorite song is whichever great song happens to be playing at the moment.  This month, most often, that is Eastbound and Down by Jerry Reed (and yes, I just confirmed with him that I had the correct artist name).  And guess what?  That's a pretty good running song for me, too.  I've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there...I'm gonna do what they said can't be done...

Maybe I ought to get a bandit mask to wear with my tiara...

The Rest Of It

      

Yes, it's true.  I very much enjoy kicking ass on a daily basis, sometimes powering through two or more workouts in a single day.  I am very awesome that way, but there are times when my body is not.  On those days, I suck it up and rest my weary muscles.

Resting does not mean I am curled in bed with a box from Chocolate Lab, watching Fashion Police and The Daily Show...necessarily.  There are days like that, too, but I feel I earn them because I spend so many of my days kicking ass.  In general, resting means I don't do a formal workout.  I (yawn) scour the house; I (yay!) strap the babe into a stroller and stroll; I (even better!) wander the mall and salivate over fashions I can't afford.  I'm still moving, just not at quite so an accelrated rate.  Sometimes (not as often as I should), I stretch or do calming yoga, which makes my brain happy, because it can then shut up about not working out.  Because, folks, let's face it: no matter how often or how hard I exercise, I always have a some whiney little guilt in the deep dark areas of my Type A brain when I take a full rest day.  I've learned to accept it and bitch slap it every now and then when it gets too loud, but it never completely leaves.  Like me, it's not a quitter.

I do enjoy soaking up a little extra reading time on rest days.  And yes, catching up on the DVR list.  And this summer, there will be hours spent lounging poolside...if the babe agrees to nap at any point...BUT...one day is enough for me.  I need to sweat.  I need to kick and punch and lift.  I need to get back to kicking ass.

Holy Shakeology, Batman!

Oh, the deliciousness! I honestly did not have high expectations for the taste of yet another protein drink mix...but it was like drinking cake batter! And beyond the taste - I have stayed full and craving-free for an entire day! How crazy is that? Me, Queen of Noshing! Needless to say, I am SO hooked on Shakeology now!
And the protein bars! Yum! I tried the chocolate fudge today and had to remind myself not to feel guilty.  It tastes like a candy bar.  No lie! Had I known it was this tastey, I would have started with these products when I first started using the fitness programs. 
AND - today was also my first day using the E&E Formula, with the same results! As a runner,  I often use Gu to rev my energy, but gag at the consistency.  E&E was tastey and easy to drink, and I felt increased energy all day long.  Not sure if it was E&E or Shakeology, but I believe I will keep using both. 
Now, to spread the word...
And figure out how NOT to sound like an infomercial...;p