Training Wheels?

Well, round two of 6FIT has come to an end and it was another great run. I lost another pound and another couple of inches, but most importantly, I feel great!

First and foremost, I need to give a shout out to my cheering section.

I really have the most amazing husband. This man is behind me every step of the way, even when it means I'm squeezing exercise classes into our already insane schedule or getting the whole family up for an early morning walk on the weekends (extra points for exercising with "friends" on the weekends!). Every single day he asks what he can do to support me. How can he help me meet my goal? How can "we" get more points today? What's that other woman doing out in California and how can we smoke her this week? (Hi Kim!)

And my munchkins, William and Julia have been a total riot, living the 6FIT life right along with me. Telling the world about "hunt, gather, grow" week. Riding their bikes to the library instead of taking the car so Mom can jog along. "What's our food of the week, Mom?" "How many points do we get if we go for a walk?" "Do you get extra points if I sit on you while you do yoga?" "Are we beating that lady yet?"  Clearly the competitive spirit is present in our house.

As a former "loner" who has always wanted to do things on my own, this has been a very eye-opening experience. I know how to eat well. I know how to exercise. Why is this so darn difficult to do on my own?
The answer is, I still don't know. However, I'm a firm believer in doing what works, and being part of a supportive and health-minded community is definitely working.

After my first round of 6FIT, I was really on-track for about two weeks, and then I just started floundering around. I felt like I had lost all of my structure; no charts to fill in, no points to tally, no challenges to meet, etc.
This time around, I'm all over it! I've got my "app" to track my food and exercise (and connect with friends who are doing the same thing), I'm staying in touch with many other 6FITters and I'm scheduling exercise in advance for each week so I know I'll be taken care of even in the busiest of times. And let's face it-when is it NOT the busiest of times?
I'm considering this my "training wheels." Like when you first learn to ride a two-wheeler but you have to focus all of your energy on not falling off, you hardly notice the world around you. If you put the training wheels back on, you can enjoy the ride and still keep moving forward. That's me-moving forward!

I've also joined the virtual world and I'm hooked. I take real-time classes right in my living room via Skype after the kids go to bed or before they get up or sometimes they even join me. I can't believe I waited so long to try this out. 

People keep asking me what my favorite exercise class is and every time I think I have an answer, I try another class and can't make up my mind again.
Here's my rundown:

• For Cardio I love Zumba. Who wouldn't? You keep moving, have fun and "Shake it" when Maeve yells "Shake it!" I dance like crazy and, as long as I avoid the mirrors, I feel like I could be on MTV. Oops-really dating myself there, aren't I? Does MTV still exist?
• I'm also a big fan on Dinna's CardioKickFIT class. I love kickboxing and holy cow does Dinna make a girl work. Lots of intervals, lots of sets, big smiles and an all-around challenging class that wipes me out every time. I wish this was on the schedule more-it's in a tough time slot but totally worth it!
• I haven't tried BalletFIT Cardio yet but it looks like another fun and challenging class. I'm working up to this one.

And then there are the toning classes:

• Pilates with Resistance Tubing was my first favorite. Thank you Gina! I'm finally beginning to understand that you can stretch and be gentle on your body while also getting a great all-over toning workout. Who knew? It's the kind of class that flies by, leaves you relaxed and feeling settled in your body and, the next day, has your muscles reminding you that they did some serious work. 
• Then I tried BalletFIT and really enjoyed that one too. Barre work, center work, core work, hand weights, some cardio, stretching-this class has everything. Reminds me of my childhood dreams of tutus and toe shoes-embracing my inner-ballerina here!
• Then one morning I tried an early morning Mat Pilates class with Ali because I just couldn't fit anything else in that day. I haven't missed this class since. Talk about greeting the day. 45 minutes of all-over good feelings and more sweat than one would think in a class with no cardio.
• And not to leave out the west coast motivation-Kristin's Long and Lean class was my first experience with yoga. All these years I wondered how anyone could consider yoga a workout. My kids go through the poses in their sleep. I take it all back and apologize to all of you yogis and yoginis. Yoga is tough and I am a convert. I absolutely love this class! And I'm not as coordinated as I thought-enough said.
• And then Miss Lauren introduced me to BalletFIT Tone and Stretch one Saturday morning and it's now a regular part of my week. David and I have made this a weekly date and it's just the perfect way to start a weekend.  The studio is so beautiful and quiet in the morning and Lauren leads the class through some stretching, some basic barre work and lots of core and toning work. It's a slow paced class that's gentle on the body and always leaves me standing up a bit straighter and taller.
• And then there are Arms and Abs, and Legs Bums & Tums: These are a little harder to fit into my schedule but I squeeze them in whenever I can. Sometimes a break from cardio and a real focus on specific "problem areas" (I hate that phrase!) just feels so good. Small weights and lots of reps are starting to make a difference for me. I'm starting to see long lean muscles popping up everywhere. What a difference from the muscles I developed at the gym! I'm pretty sure those one-pound Pilates balls are programmed to get progressively heavier as the workout goes on...

What am I missing? Music Video Dance is still intimidating me but maybe I'll get over it. Alyssa is such a great teacher and they all look like they're having a total party. There are still a few other classes left for me to try and I think a new class was just added to the schedule.

What do all of you do to keep your health a top priority? How do you fit in regular exercise without letting other things fall off your plate?

Enjoy this gorgeous weather and keep moving!
~Mari-Chris

Live Like a Caveperson?

Okay, be honest. who's feeling a little intimidated by next week's "Hunt, Gather, Grow" challenge? If you're not "in the know," we 6FITters are going to be going back to our roots next week. If we can't hunt, gather or grow it, we can't eat it. We get one immunity item for the week so it's not like we have to give up our morning coffee or anything. Now before you get all worried, think about this challenge a little. I'll bet if you made two lists, the list of things you CAN eat would be far longer than the list of things you CAN'T eat.

What's out?

(Does this really look appetizing to you?)

• cheese, yogurt, ice cream
• bread, crackers, tortillas, etc.
• refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
• alcohol
• anything refined or processed
• most breakfast cereals
• coffee

What's in?

(How gorgeous is this?)

• Any type of fruit or vegetable you can imagine (this is a HUGE category!)
• Rice (preferably brown), quinoa and any other grain you can gather (another HUGE category)
• Pure maple syrup, honey, raw sugar and other natural, unprocessed sweeteners
• Water (LOTS of water!), 100% fruit or vegetable juices, tea
• Milk is allowed
• Olive oil, coconut oil and even butter
• Spices
• Natural peanut butter
• Oatmeal (not the instant kind, silly)
• Eggs
• Beef, chicken, pork, fish, shellfish (not breaded or fried)
• Nuts
• Beans
• Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc)
• Natural salad dressings

~and those are just the things that come to mind immediately.

So now that you've calmed down a bit, what are you going to eat? You are not doomed to a week of salad, though that wouldn't be entirely awful in my opinion. It's only a week after all-just seven days out of your whole lifetime. Our ancestors lived like this every single day. Don't try to tell me that your great, great, great grandparents were more creative than you are. You can do this! By the end of the week, you may even find you like it. Your body certainly will.

Let's start with breakfast. You can't have toast or most cereals so you have to think out of the box here. I'm going with coffee as my immunity item but if you're a tea drinker, you're already ahead of the game. Swap the sugar for some honey or maple syrup and you're good to go. 

Now how about making a big batch of oatmeal at the beginning of the week. Each day you just toss in some goodies (fruit-sweetened cranberries, banana slices, raisins, berries, diced apples, nuts, seeds) and you're good to go. 

Or how about a couple of eggs. Scrambled, hard-boiled, omelette-style with lots of veggies?

And don't forget that you're not restricted to what most people consider breakfast foods. I've found that starting my day with a bowl of chopped veggies, olive oil and a little salt (I usually add a chopped string cheese but this week I'll probably go with sunflower seeds) gives me a nice steady flow of energy until lunchtime. Or leftover dinner is my second favorite. Soup or sauteed vegetables over rice or quinoa? It might take a few days to break the carb-craving morning habit. I still crave something bread-like with my morning coffee once in a while but for the most part, it's a fleeting feeling.

Lunch can be even easier. The obvious option is salad with all-natural dressing. You might want to add some grilled chicken or fish or some nuts or seeds to boost the protein and keep you satisfied through the afternoon. Or what about an apple or banana with natural peanut butter. Or sauteed veggies over a whole grain? You're getting the idea now, right.

So now it's dinner time and you're really freaking out? Still? Grilled, roasted or baked veggies, baked potato, brown rice, grilled or baked meat or fish, homemade soup, salad, homemade quiches or frittatas? There are so many "clean-eating" options out there. If you need ideas, there are some great blogs, pinterest sites and recipe sites out there.

Check out Engine2Diet or The Gracious Pantry. Also, WholeFoods is running a 28day "health starts here" challenge (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/28daychallenge.php) where you can find tons of recipes and some great suggestions for making it happen when you're crunched for time. (Like "batch cooking day so you have ready-made meal parts that you can throw together in different combinations all week) Those are just a few that come to mind.

Look at your team's chart for the week. See what other people are eating and you'll not only get ideas but also support and motivation.

Make sure you ask for help if you're feeling stuck. Sometimes it's hard to see beyond what you're used to. By the end of the week, I'll bet you find one or two things you don't want to live without and many more that you had no problem giving up. And you'll definitely see changes in your energy level and mental clarity.

Most importantly, don't forget that you have the option of eating "forbidden" foods if you're willing to lose a few points. Even just knowing that you have that option is sometimes enough to get you through a rough patch. You're not trapped or deprived, so don't let yourself feel restricted. You might find that you care more about your point-count than your desire for an ice cream sundae. Oh wait, that's me =)

So, now that you have a place to start, who has some other ideas for embracing our inner cave-people? 

Have a great week!

~M-C