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

And Away We Go!

Happy Tuesday! Although our early spring weather is on temporary hiatus here in Boston, I still feel energized by the sun, the blossoming trees, the birdsong and the prospect of warm days just around the corner. I can't wait to pack away the winter things and head outside. I've started preparing the garden plot that will soon be filled with beautiful vegetable seedlings and the kids are so excited about growing food! Even our bunny has more spring in his step this week-maybe someone told him about the vegetable garden?

Last night we kicked off the spring session of 6FIT at DanceFIT Studio and it's going to be an amazing 6 weeks. The energy in the studio felt so positive I couldn't help but to smile and I felt like all of my negative energy was sweating right out of me. Once again I've got a very motivated team. Our lives are all very different but I'm really looking forward to seeing how this healthy lifestyle fits in to so many different scenarios and hearing how different people make it work.

This first week is the "Water Cleanse" challenge. Don't worry! This is not a week with no food! 6FIT is about learning to live in a more healthy way and starving your body for a week would definitely not qualify. What we eat is up to us. We are allowed one small cup of coffee before noon each day but, other than that, we can only drink plain water.
I think (correct me if I'm wrong, Gina and Maeve) the purpose of this challenge is first, to make sure we are all well-hydrated and second, to wake our bodies up to the changes to come in the next 6 weeks. We always hear some version of the "drink 8 glasses of water a day" rule but I personally have always been terrible about drinking water. It's not that I used to drink soda or juice instead. I just never seemed to drink much of anything.
For those of you that always drink lots of water, this week might not be a big change for you. For everyone else, you are going to be amazed at how different you feel at the end of the week. If you feel sluggish or have a bit of a nagging headache, you are not alone. For many of us, that one cup of coffee in each morning represents a fraction of the caffeine we are used to consuming and we'll have a bit of withdrawal to deal with. Also, flooding your body with lots of water is a great way to flush toxins from your system but in the process there will be lots of toxins floating around on their way out. Rest assured you will feel much better in a couple of days and please don't give up. The best thing to do is be kind to yourself,  drink even more water and keep your body moving. You'll get over the hump and feel much better by the time we head into week 2.

Foods of the week this week are swiss chard and bananas. Who has a great recipe to share? I usually just saute chard in olive oil and eat it over brown rice or quinoa with a bit of salt but I'm sure there are much more interesting ways to eat it. As for bananas, aside from being great just as they are, if you slice them and let them cook in with your morning oatmeal they add a nice texture and enough sweetness that you might not need to add anything else.

Wow-that was a long post considering I had no idea what I was going to write about today. Stay tuned for some different posts in the days to come. Eating well on a budget maybe? Or great books to check out if you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle? Suggestions welcome!

And did I mention, I like who I'm becoming!

Here's to 6FIT =)
~Mari-Chris

Life's Like a Jumprope

Truer words may never have been spoken.

Here's how my week has gone:

Monday: Really great day! Got on the scale this morning and I'm down 2 POUNDS since last Monday! And my jeans are loose-SCORE! I guess my body just needed some time to catch up with all of the work I've been doing. I ended my day with a DanceFIT double-header and then dinner at the Melting Pot with my Stephanie and her friend Kristin from school. Laughed until I cried, felt like a twenty-year-old, didn't over-eat, didn't have a glass of wine: I feel totally in control!

Tuesday: Another great day. Still riding the high of yesterday's scale victory. I've been doing a lot of thinking and here's what I've come up with. For 6 weeks I really pushed myself. The last week of 6FIT I worked out twice a day and ate so well I can hardly believe it. Last week I kind of fell off the wagon and floundered with no chart or daily challenges. I wasn't awful, just not as good as I was during 6FIT. Then this weekend I went away for a little girl-time with Miss Julia and my friend Lisa. I was basically a sloth all weekend. All I wanted to do was read and knit, so that's mostly what I did. And you know what? I think that's exactly what I needed. I'm finding that taking care of myself is more complicated than I thought. Well, maybe not more complicated, but definitely more "nuanced" shall we say. So sometimes I really need to push myself and sometimes I need to just relax and allow the peace and quiet to set in. I know there's a balance there, I just need to find it.

Wednesday: Okay, the sh*t is hitting the fan. Help! Our brand new bunny is really sick. Our dryer just broke and I have 3 loads of wet laundry hanging all over my house. My kids are INSANE!!!!! Thank goodness for Zumba tonight. No pressure, Maeve, but you're in charge of killing my funk!
Yeah!!! Guess who won the plank contest tonight? I think I was almost at 4 minutes when the last person dropped. WAHOO! Quite an accomplishment since I couldn't even stay up for 30 seconds 2 months ago!!

Thursday: I've been possessed by the devil! Well, not me exactly, but my kids certainly have. This ranks up there with my worst days ever. I stayed up way too late watching a movie last night-it had to be returned to the library, okay? And I ate a very large cheese omelet and a whole bag of microwave popcorn while I was watching it. Definitely didn't meet the no-eating-after-8PM goal. Even finding a new bathing suit that I actually could stand to look at myself in didn't save the day. I just made an entire pan of caramel blond brownies and I can't even wait for it to finish cooking, so the kids and I are eating it right out of the pan with spoons and washing it down with lots of milk. Dinner is served. Did I mention I'm up for the mother-of-the-year award? At least it's skim milk =/

Friday: Oh, there was a full moon last night. That explains so much. And I just looked at the calendar and noticed where I am in my cycle. Huh. Raw veggies for breakfast was all I could stomach after last night's little "indiscretion." After I posted about my dinner last night, my 6FIT friends stepped right up to the plate. What would I do without you guys? Danielle reminded me of the 80/20 rule. I've definitely been eating well and exercising more than 80% of the time, so I'll call yesterday my 20% day. Elena reminded me that I haven't reached a new low. I just had a temporary deviation. And Miss Leta, you are right on. So glad today is a new day! And so very VERY grateful to my 6FIT peeps and DanceFIT studio for keeping the lows short-lived and the highs higher than ever!

Up downUp downUp downUp down yeahCause it will get hardRemember life's like a jump rope
Thank you Blue October. It is indeed. 
17 days until the next session. But who's counting? 
Okay, I am.
Peace,M-C 
PS The bunny just had an ear infection and some trauma from the craziness of this household. He's doing much better, just in case you were wondering. =)
PPS You know that balance I was talking about on Tuesday? Well, somewhere around halfway through Pilates class it magically finds me. If you haven't tried it, you should. And if you haven't found that balance, you haven't had a class with Gina Fay yet!

The Results Are In!

The good new is I did manage to lose 1.8 pounds. But the GREAT news is that I lost a total of 8 inches over the last 6 weeks! 
Holy cow that's a lot!


More than the inches and pounds, though, I feel like I've taken the next step toward a truly healthy self and it feels great!


So, I've got three and a half weeks until round two of 6FIT and I've already found it a bit difficult to function without the scaffolding in place. How sad that no one cares what I eat or how much water I drink or how much exercise I've gotten everyday. On Monday I felt like a lost soul without my weekly chart and my daily or weekly challenges to lean on.Funny that the things that I found tough to stick to during the challenge are the very things I'm missing now.


Perhaps the most personally fulfilling and exciting thing I've gotten from the last 6 weeks is direction. I finally feel that overwhelming pull toward something meaningful to do with my life. This girl is finally going back to school in the fall. What a nice birthday present that will be! 
I'm researching programs focusing on nutrition and exercise science, leaning toward holistic and food-based approaches to wellness, rather than the traditional western medicine approach. 
I've always been interested in this, but I've read so much lately and I just can't get enough. Also, there's so much conflicting information out there and I'd like to help people wade through it all without being overwhelmed and giving up. 
So I guess I finally know what I want to be when I grow up. =)


I hope you'll stay with me on this journey-blogging and doing other things that make me think about food/exercise/etc. really keep my health and my family's health at the front of my mind. My whole family benefits when I take those few minutes to re-center myself and I hope I can help keep you on track too.


What I'd really love is some company in the next 6FIT cycle!


 It doesn't matter where you live or what your goals are. 
Virtual classes or in the studio, you definitely won't regret it. 


Wouldn't it be nice to start off your summer feeling strong, healthy and proud of yourself? 


The next cycle starts March 26th. 


Can you take 6 weeks to focus on yourself, learn about nutrition and exercise, be supported in making positive choices and balancing self-discipline with fun and enjoying life to its fullest? I'm not talking about deprivation here. That never works for me. If I feel deprived, it's all over. I'm talking about being on a diverse team of great people all working together to help you achieve your own personal best.


Perhaps the better question is, can you afford not to?


Until next time,
M-C

Long Time, No Blog!

So I've been neglecting my spokesperson blogging duties this week, but I have a good excuse. The kids are on vacation and I committed to having an active, educational, and most of all, FUN week with them. Those of you who know my children have some idea what a tall order this is since there are two of them and only one of me; keeping them separated was not an option.
The other challenge in this was maintaining my commitment to the 6FIT program. I had to figure out how to eat well and get in my own exercise with the kids around, not to mention put in enough hours at the office to keep the business running smoothly.

Recipe for failure, right?

Not this week!

On Monday the kids and I hiked and scrambled all over the Blue Hills.

Then Daddy took over and I got some ME time at a DanceFIT double-header.

Tuesday I joined a friend for an early morning run at Jamaica Pond and then had another full day planned. We visited to the BU Language and Child Cognition Labs so the kids could participate in some of their studies. Then we headed off to the JFK Library for a terrific Presidents' Day program.

There were crafts and stories, lots to learn and yes, the make-your-own-sunday bar was a big hit. We had parked our car at the Boston Common and, on the way back, we made a spontaneous stop at the Frog Pond for a few hours of ice skating and a visit to the playground.

Wednesday we all got up early and went for a sunrise hike in the Blue Hills. We explored a new trail, ate breakfast at the summit, and the kids taught us the Sun Salutation to welcome the sunrise. (Have I mentioned that they do yoga at their awesome school? Way to go Children's Cooperative Montessori School!)

In the evening, I got to feed my Zumba habit with the fabulous Miss Maeve while Daddy took the kids to Pajama Story Time at the Putterham Library.

Thursday we went back to BU for some more studies (the kids LOVE that place) and then headed to Jamaica Pond for some exercise. My Julia ran a whole loop (1.4miles) without stopping (William crashed after a mile-not bad!) and then Mommy pushed both the cherubs in the stroller for another round. Yup-115 pounds of entertainment on wheels. They serenaded me with a very loud rendition of songs from Annie Get Your Gun. It wasn't a fast run but we had so much fun-especially when it started pouring and then hailing before we could get back to the car. We were soaked, but smiling.
In the afternoon, Grandma and Grandad came and took the kids to another great program at the Puterham Library. They skated inside on paper plates and threw cotttonball "snowballs" while I did some laundry and showered. How lucky are we to live in a city with so many great FREE things to do with the kiddos?
We finished up the day with dance class for my little ballerina and a much-needed Pilates class for a very tired Mommy.

Can I just say that I don't usually attempt all of these things with the kids when I'm flying solo but I just have so much more energy and patience these days. Eating well, exercising and making myself a priority are really paying off for the whole family. I'm not going to pretend that it's all been smooth sailing. My kids are still "only children" at heart after all, but taking care of myself really makes a difference in my ability to roll with the punches. This is the first time I've ever felt so positive and energized at the end of a school vacation week. I'm not sure what better endorsement there is for this program.

So here it is Friday afternoon heading into the final weekend if 6FIT. I really wish it weren't ending and I'll definitely be signing up for the next round at the end of March. This week has really taken me to a new level, squeezing in exercise all over the place and managing to eat well even on the go. Though I haven't had time for cooking healthy family meals this week, I've had all of the daily food challenges to keep me from reaching for junk. I'm really going to miss this structure and all of the team support. Just knowing that my whole team is reading my food and activity journal has kept me mostly on the straight and narrow and is a huge motivator.

Tonight we're off to see the Wizard of Oz at Wheelock Family Theatre and tomorrow is our day at the dance studio with the added bonus of a special "Couples Workout" in the afternoon. I can't remember the last time David and I have had the pleasure of exercising together without the kids climbing all over us. On-site babysitting is a perk we never take for granted. There might be spots still open if you're looking to reconnect with your significant other!

And Sunday my oldest daughter, Stephanie, comes home from college for spring break.

 I seriously miss that girl! She's my oasis of calm in this crazy household.

So who's got a great weekend lined up? How are you going to eat well and keep moving? You can even join the virtual workout world and never leave home. Take a class or even take a walk. Your TV won't miss you and your body will thank you!

Here's to a strong 6FIT finish!
~Mari-Chris

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”

Thank you, Henry Ford, for providing my motivation last week.

I think there's a germ-sharing program happening behind the scenes at 6FIT these days. Last week I took my turn with a tough cold that settled in my chest. Even playing with the kids brought on the coughing and wheezing, so cardio was definitely off the table for me. I knew I had to take care of myself, but I did not want to lose the great momentum I've built up over the last 4 weeks, nor did I want to give up all of those exercise points.
Enter pilates!
I took Gina's Pilates with resistance tubing class on Thursday night, just as the cold was coming on, and I can't even tell you what a difference it made. Although my chest hurt and my sinuses were full the next morning, the rest of me felt really good. I'm not sure how to explain it except to say that I had a nasty cold but I felt relaxed and calm about it. Also, I realized that I could exercise even though I was sick. And then Henry Ford's words popped into my head and they have become my mantra. The mind is a powerful thing!
I pulled out some old core-focused, pilates style dvd's that have been gathering dust since I got them and I made sure to do at least 30 minutes a day until my lungs felt better. Now I'm hooked and my body is craving the gentle stretches and slower pace that pilates leans toward. Hooray for discovering a new exercise to love! And hooray for learning that a change in mindset can really make a huge difference.
I'm happy to say that I'm feeling much better and looking forward to returning to Zumba class tonight. I was having serious withdrawal!

And how did we celebrate Valentine's Day?

In 6FIT-style of course! A little vegetable love is always welcome and a healthy version of Strawberry Shortcake for dessert =)
My children made me the cutest cards (I love 5-yr-old spelling!) and my husband hung beautiful notecards (all famous paintings of redheads) all over the house to lead me to my gift from him. This girl is definitely spoiled!

And to top it all off, we had a very unexpected addition to our family. Meet Coco, who needed an immediate new home because the new baby in his former home couldn't breathe with him around. He needed a new family or he was on his way to Angell Animal Hospital, so he's our new Valentine Bunny!

Finally an kindred spirit. We had a lovely spinach salad together for lunch today-I think he likes 6FIT too!

So Coco and I are off to share a kiwi before the kids get home. Here's to a week of positive thoughts!
~M-C

Too much of a good thing is...

...still too much!

I was so excited when I finished laying out our SuperBowl spread yesterday. Veggies & white bean hummus, blue corn chips and homemade guacamole, apple slices and a few fancy-schmancy cheeses, homemade chicken fingers that William breaded himself, homemade baked fries and a truly delectable strawberry/cashew/cocoa gallete that Julia helped me make. It was gorgeous!
The thing is, by then end of that very stressful game, I had eaten too much. Not a guilt-inducing food coma or anything, it was just the first time since I started 6FIT that I went overboard. I guess having only healthy foods around doesn't eliminate the need to really pay attention when I eat. Too much of a good thing...

The same goes for exercise. I finished up cardio week without missing a day. I took my mandatory day off to do pilates instead so I got in 7 great workouts last week. Mostly I feel great about this, but my knees are really complaining now. I refuse to chalk it up to an aging body but I do need to pay more attention to the kinds of exercise I'm getting and make sure I support my knees better when I'm jumping around a lot. Again, too much of a good thing...

So on to Vegetarian Week and Attack Your Abs!

Some musings and thoughts for the week ahead:

On beets (1 of our foods of the week):

• If you haven't had fresh beets, you haven't really had beets. The canned ones just don't compare.
• Don't throw away the greens! The are delicious chopped and sauteed in a little olive oil.
• My favorite way to cook them is cubed and baked with a bit of olive oil, but sometimes I boil them. 
• Leftovers are great cold. Just toss them on your salad.
• We will probably all have red hands by the end of the week unless we wear gloves when we prepare them.
• BEET JUICE STAINS!!! EVERYTHING!!
• Beets are really good for your digestive system but beware, they often act as a mild laxative. 
• I repeat, beet juice stains everything, including your insides, so don't by surprised (panicked?) by unusual coloring as they make their way out of your system. Enough said.

On squash (Superfood #2 this week):

• Just try them all-you can't lose!
• You can eat spaghetti squash just like spaghetti. Cut it in half the long way, scoop out the seeds and bake it, cut side down in about 1/4 inch of water until it's soft, then scrape a fork down the insides and it will come out looking like spaghetti. 
• Don't toss the seeds. Roast them with a little salt or some tamari for a great salty snack. You can also roast them with brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweeter treat.
• Squash and apples are great complimentary flavors so try cooking them together.
• Pumpkin Bread! Skip the canned stuff and roast your own, then just mash it up and it's ready to go. You can use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil and it's a fairly healthy indulgence. I roast all of our uncarved pumpkins after halloween and freeze them in small batches for baking the rest of the year.

On attacking my abs:

• Let me find them and I'll get back to you.

On 6FIT:

We just passed the half-way mark and it's time to ramp up and find all of that great energy, motivation and commitment we were loving three weeks ago! Don't slump in solitude. Let your team members know what's going on so they can help get you back on track. My fellow 6Fitters were great last week when I needed a boost and I'm so grateful. And I love that the competition is heating up. Posting the standings as we headed into the weekend was a huge motivator! 

Thank you all so much for being with me for both the highs AND the lows.

Here's to everything in moderation--I'm feeling great and looking forward to another challenging week!

Who's with me?

~Mari-Chris