YIKES!

Has it really been over a month since I last posted?!  Over the last month my exercise has slacked and my eating has not been as tight as I like. YIKES! Why does the cold weather make me bake and eat all those yummy and sugary foods? Luckily my weight has stayed about the same all month regardless of the food issue :)  But my goal is to lose 10 pounds by my birthday at the end of March. 

I have noticed that when I skip exercise, it is much easier to eat unhealthy!  Over the last month my Zumba classes were canceled for a week because of ice issues.  Yes, I could have put in a workout DVD or jumped on the treadmill.  But instead I thought about how much I missed Zumba classes and made some cupcakes!  Thankfully, Zumba classes are back on and I am there 3 to 4 days a week, shaking my booty!  I have also added a new workout DVD, Jillian Michael's Shred it with Weights.  It is a kettle bell workout.  If you have never used kettle bells before, let me tell you, you will feel muscles you never knew existed! Kettle bells are awesome at fat burning and muscle sculpting.  For the workout you can use a 5-10 pound kettle bell (Target and Walmart sell them) or a dumb bell.  I use a 20 pound kettle bell, because that is all I have. I do the workout 2 to 3 times a week.  The nice thing about kettle bell workouts is that you can get an amazing workout in 20 or 30 minutes.  On a nice day I love to take the kettle bell outside and do my workout on the sidewalk in the fresh air! 

Now off to the grocery store to buy some healthy, clean foods, so I can get home and do my kettle bell workout before heading out to Zumba class! 

You are in Charge

When you work out are you putting your EVERYTHING into it?  Last night at Zumba my instructor said, "You are in charge of your workout!"  She is so correct.  As she moved around the class dancing along side us I realized I needed to push it harder and shake it more! Seeing how hard she was working made me want to do better.  No matter what the exercise is we are not fully benefiting unless we are putting our all into it.  Whether you are walking on the treadmill, running outside, lifting weights, or doing an exercise DVD think about what you are doing.  Ask yourself, "Could I push myself more?"  Maybe increase the incline for 30 seconds every 2 minutes on the treadmill or do 3 extra reps of that weight.  What ever the exercise is give it your all and you will see results!   

Clean eats

Did you know that 80% of what your body looks and feels like is because of the foods you eat?  So, in order to get my best body ever I have chosen to eat CLEAN.  Clean eating is eating foods that are in their natural states.  That means if it comes in a plastic wrapper it is probably not clean!  Clean eating isn't a diet that you follow for a few months while you lose weight.  Clean eating is a life time plan for choosing to be healthy.  When you eat clean it is important to keep your metabolism going by eating several SMALL meals each day.  You should eat ever 2-3 hours.  That means you will eat 5 or 6 SMALL meals each day.  In order to always have clean foods with me I pack a cooler of the foods I will eat throughout the day while at work and running the kids to their activities. 

I have had two people this week ask me about what foods I eat so here is what I eat yesterday. 

7:00 AM  4 egg whites, with 1 yolk scrambled with salsa on top
                1 homemade apple flaxseed muffin *YUMMY*
                 coffee with skim milk

10:30 AM Protein shake with strawberries

1:00 PM    half of a chicken breast chopped up with salsa and placed in a whole wheat wrap
                  1 orange

4:00 PM    yogurt with 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries stired in

7:00 PM    Chicken breast, raw carrots dipped in mustard and 1 apple flaxseed muffin

If you are still hungry eat a snack before bed of a yogurt or hard boiled egg whites.
***It is also important to drink LOTS of water throughout the day. ***

I try to keep my go to foods on hand, ready to go.  For example, on the weekend I will cook several chicken breast to have hand in the fridge.  I also make 1 or 2 dozen muffins to have in the freezer.  I keep them in a Ziploc bag and just pull on out each morning and microwave for 30 seconds.  Each morning I can quickly grab the foods I need for the day and I am out the door (After I get the four kids out the door :)

Goals

Each year I set goals for myself to work on throughout the year.  Last year my goals were to become debt free and read at least one book each month.  Well, I met my goals last year so this year it is time to set bigger goals.  I felt that if I state my goal for all to see that will hold me more accountable.  So here they are for 2011:

• Read one nonfiction book each month
• Have 6 months of expenses saved
• Get my BEST body ever (this is what I will focus this blog on)

To get my BEST body ever I plan to lose 20 pounds by following Tosca Reno's Clean Eating Diet http://eatcleandiet.com and exercising.  I hope to update you each week on my successes and challenges as I get in the best shape of my life. 

I would love to hear your goals for 2011!