I Work Out

My fitness goals, as you know, include increased strength, increased cardio capability, and all the healthful byproducts of that.  They also include...*clearingmythroat*...lookin' good.

They work ooouuuttt.

Yes.  I, too, am shallow.  I want to look in that mirror and think, "Day-um! She fiiiiiiiinnnnne!"  And there are certainly days when that happens.  More and more often, in fact.  There are those days, yes, when I'm bloated and exhausted and just a mass of MomBlob...but they are fewer and farther between.  Most days, I hear LMFAO blaring in my brain when I'm slipping into my size 6 jeans (they're getting a tad big, you know) or slithering into one of my FOUR bikinis.  It runs through my head as I navigate my cart through the grocery aisles and around the racks at Target.

She be workin' on her fitness.

"When I push my cart through Wegmans, this is what I see...
Everyone stops and is starin' at me.
I got muscles on my arms and I ain't afraid to show it...
I'm sexy and I know it..."

That's right.  And that's just one song.  "Fergilicious" is another that gets its fair share of play time.  Because I be workin' on my fitness, and Jackson - he's my witness.  Don't even try to tell me you're not doing this too.  I see other women who strut and wonder what song it is they've got spinning in their heads.  (I also see the nonstrutting women glaring at those of us who do strut...I gather they're listening to Gilbert Godfried narrate How To Be Unhappy And Jealous Instead Of Doing Something About Your Life...or something like that.) 

Here are the requirements for my tune wedgies:

It must be superficial and shallow, namely about lookin' fine and blowin' minds.

It must have a beat I can wigglewigglewiggle to...yeah yeah.

It must have a catchy refrain that reminds me of my superior rear/abs/delts status.

Check our her guns.

Sometimes, if I catch the eye of jealous MomBlob (and they all immediately take on the appearance of Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia), the song will make an immediate switch to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" while I smile politely yet knowingly.  I can almost hear Gilbert cackling in her head. 

So my gift to you today, dear Readers, is a little "I Got Fitness and I Know It" playlist.  Here's my personal soundtrack as I strut through my day, be it at Wegmans, Target, the public pool, or simply doin' diaper duty here at the M&M Estate.  Feel free to add your own personal "baby got BACK" tunes in the comments section.  I'm always lookin' for more ways to celebrate my outstandingness and music ranks high on that list.

The Queen's "I Got Fitness and I Know It" Playlist:
I'm Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Fergilicious - Fergie
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
Rumour Has It - Adele
Hanky Panky - Joan Jett
Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas
You Could Be Mine - Guns N' Roses
Does Your Mother Know - ABBA
She's Crafty - Beastie Boys
Boys - Britney Spears
Lay Your Hands On Me - Bon Jovi
Dirty - Christina Aquilera
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce

Loading My Plate

This is what's on my plate (almost literally) for the weekend:

Insanity workouts.
Vegetarian shopping (with added chicken and fish for Hubby and the babe).
Closet organization (which has little to do with my FitLife, but is quite high on my priority list right now).
Date with the Werewolf (at the very top of the list).

So, yes...some of these are obvious pieces to my FitLife journey, others maybe not so obvious.  I'm guessing I don't need to explain Insanity whatsoever.  But I'm also guessing a few of you may be curious as to how exactly that is going.  Um...AWESOME.  (In my head, I hear an old cheer we used to use: "A-W-E! S-O-M-E! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome, are WE!" Good.  Now you hear it too.)  I didn't take an extra break until I hit minute 34, and it was because my shoulders gave out, not my lungs.  Upper body has always been my toughest area to tackle, but I'm soldiering right through.  Next week, the goal is 35 minutes.  It WILL happen.

And I promised I would explain further my wading in the vegetarian pool.  I've been wrestling with it on an emotional level for quite some time, but what finally tipped the scales was a picture that caught my eye on Pinterest.  It caught my eye because it was a photo of my favorite, dreamiest Beatle, Sir Paul.  And the quote got me.  So, enough with the meat.  I have gone this route before, but fell off the meatless wagon.  Something tells me this time, it'll stick.  I'd bet my boots the support this time around will be a thousandfold of what existed before.  So thanks in advance to my meatless pals. 

Closet organization really does fit in, I swear!  My mind is clearer when my spaces are uncluttered.  The closet is the first in a long line of "re-do's" around the M&M Estate.  Partially because I simply am done with the every-morning frustration of sorting through clothing to find something that fits (this time, because it's all gotten too big! Woot!).  Partially because I tend to do my workouts earlier in the day when I don my sports bras and shorts first thing, which in turn leads to a generally more productive day.  See?  Told you there was logic and connection.  You really ought to believe me when I say stuff.

The date with the Werewolf? you ask.  Where does that fit?  It's good for Mama's mental health, for one.  There is no one else on the planet that can make me laugh like that boy can, nor is there an easier-goin' creature in this household.  He is an easy person to be around, and I have come to appreciate easy people.  And for two, he's shopping with me to gather those vegetarian foodstuffs.  I always view grocery trips with kiddos as lessons in nutrition and money.  So we'll have some good convo on both topics and he will (I hope) come away with a greater understanding of our shifting diet and how to best budget our cash flow at Wegmans.

That's what's on my plate today.  What are you filling yours with?

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...