Some big changes for The Fit Life, LLC

Some big changes are being unveiled at The Fit Life, LLC this week!

First, is a new website. I no longer have the website that looks like it was put together in the early 90's by someone who has had one web design class (ummm...like I have...back in the early 90s). It's simple, but clean. And I believe all the information you need is there. The payment page is still in progress, but will be up-to-date very soon. I may continue to expand on it, but for now, it covers what I need. Please, check it out. (Let me know if you see any spelling or grammatical boo boos. I've been staring at it for too long). 

If you've ever wondered why I do what I do...what got me there, read the "About" page.

Some other changes...

Dog Fit!

You'll notice that Dog Fit! is no longer on my site. While I do still have a handful of doggy clients, I will no longer be promoting Dog Fit! as part of my business. I love my little canine clients, but between the hours I'm putting in at the Rec. Center, my personal training clients, and a host of other things (cost of gas), I just can't take on anymore canine clients at this time. 

And to be quite honest, with this career, my entire day is physical. By Friday, I'm simply physically exhausted. And since my hobbies are also very physical, it's starting to lead to injuries. So I need to watch how much more physical stuff I take on (for awhile, I was putting in about 8 miles a day of running/walking with canine clients. It was just too much). 

DoTerra Essential Oils

As a fitness professional, I have been approached by pretty much every supplement company out there to sell supplements: Advocare, Body by Vi, Beachbody, Amway, etc. And I have held strong to my conviction that I do not want to sell supplements. I just think if you want a nutritious shake, you should throw some organic fruits and vegetables in the blender...maybe a pure hemp protein without additives. If it has ingredients I don't recognize, I don't want it in my body. Plus, many contain sucralose (Splenda) which makes me violently ill. I just don't trust it. Others contain dairy--which I try to keep to a minimum in my life. Otherwise, talk to your doctor/nutritionist/hormone specialist about what you might need. 

Essential oils, on the other hand, are something I use on a daily basis to live a more natural life--free from harmful chemicals. I use them in making beauty products, cleaning products, for health and wellness. So I believe being a DoTerra rep. is a good fit for me. 

You will see, if you go to my DoTerra page, they do sell some supplements/vitamins/etc. And while you are certainly more than welcome to purchase them from my site, I won't be specializing in those things. I will focus my education on the oils (and that's what I will most likely have samples of if you wish to try them). 

What I Will and Won't Do as a DoTerra Rep

I will openly admit, I'm not a good salesperson. I hate high pressure sales tactics being used on me. They cause me to walk away and never come back. And I'll admit, when a friends post are constantly about selling products, programs, etc., I tend to hide them. So here's what you can expect from me with the essential oils.

I will not:

• Have parties where I ask you to come over and check out my products (and then you feel obligated to buy them).
• Constantly post stuff on The Fit Life, LLC page about buying my products
• Try to talk you into selling oils

I will:

• Continue to post recipes and wellness tips using essential oils (I do this already)
• Provide you with a sample of something (if I have it on hand) if you are interested in trying it.
• Let you know if there is a sale or something (but just through one short post). 
• Be happy to research oils if there's something you want to know about one of them. 
• Make time to meet with you if you would like to discuss or try something.

There's a lot to learn with the oils (even a certification course if I decide to take it), so I may have to do some research before answering your questions.

Of course, I hope this brings in a little extra income (who doesn't want extra income?), but the income is not worth becoming an obnoxious salesperson. 

So that's it for now. Please check out the new site. Let me know what you think of it!

Kicking It Up a Notch: The Timed Mile

Weight: 125.8 (eek...but not surprising because I ate restaurant food all weekend. I thought I made really smart choices. It just goes to show it's hard to control your food intake when you don't make the food yourself)
Body fat: Still waiting on those darn calipers to arrive
Goal: One mile run in less than 8 minutes. 5 full, unassisted pull-ups, 2 sets monkey bars
Breakfast and Lunch: A green smoothie (kale, cucumber, pear, apple, avocado, water). Doing a bit of detox from the restaurant-filled weekend.

Part of me was excited about tonight's workout challenge (I needed to prove I could do a mile at my 5k goal pace). But I was also feeling a bit like a Negative Nelly. ("It's hot...my weight is up...evenings are not my high energy time...I'm not going to be able to do this....then I'll be down on myself..."). Why do we beat ourselves up like this??

The run went well despite the fact that my friend, Tracy, and I were second-guessing ourselves right up to the start. As I entered the third lap, I new I had it. Here's the proof. I did a 7:28 minute mile! I'm very happy with this. It gives me new hope that I can meet my New Year's Resolution (sub 8-minute mile 5k).

Pull-ups and monkey bars: Check! I did five full, unassisted pull-ups (one up from my last try) and went through the monkey bar sets twice. (I was going for a third time, but had to stop):

Note to self: get some gloves for the Iron Warrior and monkey bar training sessions!


So, despite the little weight gain--good training day!

Well..I'm a Pescavegalactotarian...

It seems like more and more often, I have conversations that go something like this:

Them: So, you're a vegetarian?
Me: Well no...mostly. We eat fish.
Them: But you and your husband don't eat dairy?
Me: That's correct. Well, I just gave up cheese. I decided I could have a little dairy on special occasions.
Them: So, you are not vegan...why don't you drink milk?
Me: Well no, we eat fish and eggs. But we drink almond milk, and I use coconut milk in my coffee. I just think dairy is really bad for us. Milk is good for baby calves--not humans--especially since we can't purchase raw milk here.
Them: Why don't you eat wheat? Do you have Celiac disease?
Me: I don't, but I think I'm wheat sensitive. I just feel--and look---better when I don't eat wheat. And even though I'm very active, carbs seem to cause weight gain. Of course, now and then--on special occasions I falter. I had cake and ice cream on my birthday.
Them: So what are you then?
Me: I don't know....human?

I wholeheartedly believe in healthy, clean eating. I do my best to eat the healthiest foods I can. But I sometimes I stress myself over labels. Am I a bad person or a bad role model because I can't commit to being a full-fledged vegan? Of course, some vegans I know have terrible diets--ingesting all the processed fake meats and pre-prepared vegan entrees. If I were going to go vegan all the way, it would have to be straight fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

And then there are those who believe (and I'm related to many of them) that a vegan diet can't possibly be healthy. "You need meat for protein!" "Milk! It does the body good!"

 Do I have to have a dietary label? Is it really necessary? Must I be vegetarian? Vegan? Paleo?

I try to eat healthy, whole (unprocessed) foods 98% of the time. But I'm not perfect. And I get cravings--and sometimes I eat things I regret afterward. Sometimes when I falter, it's worth feeling cruddy for a few hours.

At the grocery, we shop the perimeters and buy organic whenever possible. I haven't eaten beef in years. And I've never been a fan of pork (and I really don't think we should eat pigs. They are far too intelligent), but a few times (usually after a few drinks--also not healthy) I've snarfed down a piece of pepperoni pizza (whoops).  Did I feel bad? Yes. I felt incredibly guilty. Was it delicious? Yes. Was it worth it? I don't know.

In a way, I understand the label. If you are vegan, you are making a statement--you believe it is morally wrong to eat any animal product. You have a passion for animals. And I get that. In fact, I'm often jealous of it. I believe that someday, I will probably be a full-fledged vegan. But I'm just not there yet. The eggs I eat are from a small, local farm--where the chickens live a pretty nice life.   And fish...I just don't feel as much guilt or compassion for fish. Maybe I should. Who's to say their life is less valuable than a pig or cow's? We do stick to wild caught fish because they are better for you--and they are not farmed strictly for human consumption.

I have a friend who eats low-fat, raw vegan. And she passionately follows this diet. I am often in awe of her passion for it--and I start to think, "Why can't I be like that?" But you know what? I do pretty well. And I enjoy a warm meal. So I don't think that lifestyle is for me. But it does encourage me to add more raw fruits and vegetables to my diet.

Picking and choosing what foods we want to nourish our bodies with is a continuously evolving process. A process that is complicated by all the contradictory information we receive (i.e. eggs are good for you...eggs are bad for you).

Mark and I have settled into a pretty pure way of eating, that we feel nourishes our bodies and prepares us for the activities we enjoy (running, biking, hiking, adventure races, etc.). But we do not happen to fall within any of the dietary labels (as far as I know). We pick and choose what makes us feel good about our bodies and minds.

What do you think?

Kicking It Into Gear: Day One

If you follow my Fit Life facebook page, you know that yesterday (my birthday) I made some declarations. I have a tough adventure race coming up (The Iron Warrior). And I have a New Year's Resolution I haven't accomplished yet (a sub 8-minute mile 5k). So I decided as I enter this new year of life, I need to kick it into gear a little harder,reduce the body fat to the "athlete" range, and refine my diet a little more (cut the dairy and wheat, cut back on the coffee and wine). And since I've been such a bad blogger, I thought I'd blog about it (not daily, but periodically)

It's not so much a matter of being intimidated by the Iron Warrior. We've already done the Tough Mudder, Spartan, Mud Ninja and numerous other obstacle races. It's more that I want to do really well. I'd like to place in my age group. So I need to be able to keep a decent run pace, and have excellent upper body strength. And as for my running pace goal, I think it comes down to losing some more body fat. I think I'm as fast as I can be at this weight.


Day One
Weight: 124.2
Body Fat: I don't know. I will have to order or borrow some Calipurs
Goal: 10 miles, 50 push-ups (stopping every mile of my run and doing 5 push-ups)

Breakfast: Smoothie (made in my new Vitamix!!!) with mango, banana, chia seeds, flax seeds,t hemp protein and some unsweetened almond milk.
Snack: When we came home from our run we put some frozen mango and a little unsweetened almond milk in the Vitamix for mango ice cream. It was delicious. We've decided this will be our "ice cream" from now on.









Today reminded me of why I quit doing distance on pavement. I hate it. It's boring, and it makes my body hurt. (It doesn't help that 10 miles was a huge jump in mileage for me). I like to run trails. They occupy my mind and are easier on my body. Other than a 5k race on the pavement, I run pretty much exclusively on trails or doing sprint workouts on a track. So the pavement for 10 miles was painful. The only reason I chose to do pavement was because I have a half marathon next weekend on the pavement. (And the only reason I signed up for that was to force myself to build distance before the Iron Warrior with is 15+ miles). So I need to get myself through some long runs.

I purposely made myself run at a very slow pace (4 -5 minutes slower than my 5k pace), because I haven't been doing distance. But the slow run (along with my boredom) brought on a lot of negative thought while I was running. I had to keep pushing it out of my head.

It has also been a week of indulgences--far too much sugar, wheat, dairy and alcohol. And I feel that when I run. It makes my body feel slow and tired. So I'm hoping by the simple fact that I'll run next week's half after a week of very clean eating it will go far more smoothly. Another bonus to a toxic run like this, is that it makes me look forward to changing my diet/life around a bit. My body craves something better.

The five push-ups every mile were a breeze. I probably should have pushed that up to 8 or 10. I actually looked forward to the push-ups so I could quit running for a few seconds. 

So goal accomplished, but it was not pretty. But the first day of a new practice is always a little tough.

Recipe post: Couscous with Garbanzo Beans

I have another recipe post for you. This was a quick, tasty, healthy dish. I post it mainly because it is so quick and easy. And I love a quick and easy healthy recipe! This is another recipe from my Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals: Meatless Meals Everyone Will Love book:

1 box couscous with toasted pine nuts (now normally I don't promote cooking out of boxes, but that's part of what makes this dish so easy. I used Near East couscous with toasted pine nuts. You could easily substitute some whole grain couscous and pine nuts)
1/3 cup dark seedless raisins
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press (I used two. I love garlic)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used a teaspoon--we like things spicy!)
2 cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drain (the organic ones have less sodium)
1/2 cup salad olives, drained, or chipped pimiento-stuffed olives (I don't like olives, so I left these out)
1/4 cup of water

1. Prepare couscous as label directs, except add raisins to cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and red pepper and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add beans, olives, and water and cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add cooked couscous to bean mixture and toss gently. Spoon into serving bowl.

Each serving: About 555 calories, 20 grams protein, 101g carbs, 10g total fat (1g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 1,110 mg sodium (leaving out the olives will cut both sodium and fat)

Recipe Post: Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Medley

It's been awhile since I did a recipe post. I guess I haven't had a new recipe worthy of posting lately. But this one definitely is! It was delicious (and nutritious)! This is from Good Housekeeping's Vegetarian Meals: Meatless Recipes Everyone will Love, except I left out the salt and added up'd the red pepper by a 1/4 teaspoon.

Moroccan-Spiced Sweet-Potato Medley

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4 in pieces.
1 can stewed tomatoes (salt-free)
1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
2 1/4 cups water
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dark seedless raisins
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I probably put a little more than that in there. I love cilantro)!
Plain, low-fat yogurt (optional)

1. In a nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and ground red pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bulgur, and water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in beans, raisins, and cilantro; heat through. Serve with yogurt if you like.



Each serving: about 525 calories, 16 grams of protein, 109g carbs, 5g total fat (1 saturateed), 0 mg cholesterol.

Recipes (a contest of sorts)

I love healthy recipes--especially ones that use a lot of fresh spices (and are easy to prepare). As you know, I've been posting some of my favorite ones as I try them out. Now I want to offer that opportunity to Fit Life fans. In the end, I hope to offer a healthy, online cookbook on the Fit Life, LLC website that categorizes the recipes into "heart healthy," "cholesterol-friendly," "anti-inflammatory," etc.

To start, I just need to start collecting recipes. That's where you come in! I challenge you to send me your favorite healthy recipe to be included in the Fit Life, LLC cookbook. Please include your name, city and state so you can be credited for your recipe. I will leave your actual recipe untouched; however, I may suggest healthy substitutions under your recipes if I know of any (or suggestions to lower salt, cholesterol, processed foods, etc.). If you took your recipe directly from a cookbook, please credit that cookbook when sending your recipe.

I will send either a Fit Life t-shirt or jump rope to the first 15 people who send me healthy recipes (so please be sure to email me your t-shirt size or height if you prefer a jump rope, along with your mailing address).

Recipes can be sent to: jj@thefitlife.us or you can post it as a comment to this blog. As I get more recipes I will start developing an electronic cookbook off my website.

So bring on the recipes! I can't wait to see them!

Over the River and through the Woods, to Calorie Town we go

We are now officially in the holiday season. You've made it through step one--Halloween. Good job! Hopefully, you kept your chocolate eating to a minimum and got plenty of exercise. If there's any Halloween candy left, for goodness sakes, throw it away! Next up--Thanksgiving! And once you get through Thanksgiving, the holiday cookies start making their appearance!

How can you make it through the next two months without putting on holiday weight?

First, I think it's important to have realistic goals. I wouldn't choose this time of year to try to lose weight. Instead, I would go with the maintain don't gain philosophy. So go ahead and weigh in. See where you are right now and then resolve to maintain that weight through the first of the year. It will keep you honest and motivated.

Here are some other tips for keeping off the holiday pounds:

Train for a January or February event. Depending on your activity level, this could be a 5k, a half marathon, or an indoor triathlon. I know it's cold out there, but by signing up for an event, you're committed to training for it--and that means consistent exercise.

Sign up for a local Turkey Trot. Many communities have them Thanksgiving morning. They are usually five miles long and you can either run or walk them. You'll be around 500 calories down before you eat that first bite of Thanksgiving dinner. Try not to get into the mindset that you can eat an extra slice of pie because you burnt the extra calories calories! If your community doesn't have an organized Turkey Trot, do your own. Get the family out for a morning walk around the neighborhood.

Don't deny yourself those meals you only eat around the holidays. Try everything you want--just don't try a lot of it! Have small servings of stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes, but load your plate up with salad greens (easy on the dressing), vegetables and white meat turkey. Allow yourself a small sliver of pie so you don't feel denied. Sometimes when we deny ourselves the food we really want, we end up over-indulging in it.

If you're preparing the Thanksgiving feast, look for low-fat versions of your favorite recipes. Make your stuffing from whole grain bread and cut some of the butter out of the recipe (or use healthier versions of butter like those made from yogurt or try using ghee). Use skim milk instead of whole milk. Cut out some of the sugar in your recipes. Sweet potatoes are healthy (and deliciously sweet) BEFORE adding loads of brown sugar, marshmallows and butter.

Don't do your Christmas shopping online. I know it's convenient and you don't have to deal with the crowds, but you can burn a lot of calories hauling your shopping bags around the mall.

Buy friends and family healthy gifts for the holidays (eehhmm...perhaps a personal training gift certificate), exercise videos, certificates to aerobics classes, fitness equipment, etc. And stuff stockings with fruits, jump ropes, resistance bands and healthy snacks.

Alcohol can be a killer during the holidays. Egg nog is loaded with calories. Again, don't completely deny yourself. It's okay to sip on a glass of egg nog, but do just that...sip it. And have a full glass of water between each drink. You'll feel fuller and drink less. I have actually made a wine deal with myself: 1 glass of wine = 1 mile of running. No wine for me if I haven't run it off earlier in the day (note: if I do a five mile run, that doesn't mean I'm drinking five glasses of wine that night)!

And finally, when all else fails (and it won't if you're careful) set goals for the new year. Goals can be set any time of the year, but there's something about a brand new year that inspires. But be sure to keep your goals realistic so you don't set yourself up for failure. Rather than resolving to lose 50 lbs, resolve to increase the number of days you exercise each week. If you currently work out twice a week, try for four times a week. If you've never run before, resolve to start running and conquer a 5k or 10K. Work up to the marathon. If you want to be a faster runner, resolve to beat your best race time, not to win the race.

The same goes for nutrition. Resolving to eat better is great, but how about making the goal more specific. If you're not a big veggie eater, resolve to eat two fresh vegetables a day. Maybe you could cut your red meat intake down to once a week and resolve to eat more farm fresh chicken and wild caught fish. Maybe you can even resolve to eat vegetarian one dinner a week.

With just a little diligence, you can enjoy your holiday season without the health risks of weight gain. So indulge yourself--but just a little. And enjoy your time with family and friends.