Thursday, December 29, 2016

Please Don't Join A Gym, Overhaul Your Diet, Quit Smoking And Drinking

I know you have your New Year's Resolution List ready to kick 2017's butt!, But wait... take a look at what I wrote over at our CrossFit Murray blog. 


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

I Am Accepting Applications!


Hey Y'all!

I'm currently accepting applications for the following position:

Gym Caddy

Responsibilities include:

Loading/unloading my barbell during weightlifting work- If I expend energy loading and unloading my barbell, that's less energy I have for my workout. The ideal candidate will be fluent in both metric and U.S. customary units.

Setting up equipment- The time before a workout needs to be spent mentally preparing for the task at hand and emptying the bladder. My gym caddy will allow me to do such things by setting up all needed equipment prior to my workout. This could include boxes, jump ropes, abmats, kettlebells, barbells, etc. 

Knowing my abilities- My gym caddy must know all my maxes, my preferences for rig stations, barbells and boxes, and my capabilities for any given workout. This ties into the duties listed above as the ideal candidate knows precisely what I need for any wod and he/she will generally not need to question me as to which weight and/or size equipment I need. 


Ensuring I have chalk at all times- The gym caddy will be held responsible for ensuring that I am never more than 3 feet from a solid piece of chalk. Minimum dimension on said piece of chalk is 1x2x3. 

Mixing/presenting pre workout drink- Pre workout hydration and supplementation is incredibly important and my gym caddy will ensure that I am ready for the day’s work. Caddy will be expected to know whether the day’s work requires stimulant-type pre workout, supplement-type pre workout or a mixture of both.

Preparing/presenting post workout nutrition- Gym caddy will have the post workout nutrition ready for consumption within 15 minutes of workout completion. The meal or drink will already be planned/packaged by me, caddy may need to assemble and/or heat.

Counting repetitions- Gym caddy will be responsible for ensuring an accurate rep count of all movements. Whether it’s 5 reps or 50, he/she must ensure I do not lose count.

Other duties as dictated. Could include cheering and motivating, mopping up blood/sweat/urine,  playing the role of a child in CF kids classes,  fetching towels, turning on fans, turning off fans, etc.

This position is open immediately. Hours vary based on time of year and my mood. Salary is non-existent however; I write excellent letters of recommendation and will gladly lobby for MSU credit hours for the right candidate. Please send resumes to gymcaddy@crossfitmurray.com

**Please note: this is a joke**


**Unless you like to work for free**


Stay Strong Y'all!

RANDOM: Do you Skimm? Check it out to be smart.

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

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Friday, November 18, 2016

Working At Home: Distractions, Focus and Getting Stuff Done

Working at home is so amazing! Sitting in your jammies, busting out work while sipping coffee and eating bon bons. Stopping to take a mid morning nap and do a little yoga. Fixing a lovely lunch and then powering through a To-Do list that would make Santa jealous.

Yeah right.

Working at home looks more like this.

Fire up laptop. Open needed documents. Work five minutes. Computer decides to update.  Restart computer. Open needed documents. Work three minutes. Remember you need to wash gym towels. Go start a load. Computer goes to sleep. Open needed documents. Computer battery low. Find charger. Work ten minutes. Spouse comes in and needs help with a project outside. Need food. Open needed documents. Husband leaves TV on. Get sucked into Netflix. Open needed documents. Work 7 minutes. Realize you need to brush teeth. Open needed documents. Wait, you have to pee! Work 5 minutes. Remember to move towels to dryer. Open needed documents. Start signing song that's playing on Pandora. Need calculator. Find calculator. Work 5 minutes. Phone goes off. Solve life crisis for somebody. Open needed documents. Remember you need to make a Facebook post about Paleo Challenge. Open needed documents. Realize it's time to get ready to go to your afternoon work.

Yep, that's typically how it goes for me if I don't really structure and discipline myself. 5 hours of "work" time results in only about 30 minutes of actual work. This is how I get things done now.


Step 1: Decide how long to work and what I'm working on.

I'm usually good for a thirty minute stretch and then my brain needs a break so that's what I usually shoot for. I decide exactly what I want to work on and what I want to accomplish in this work period.

Step 2: Gather everything

Do a brief run through in your head of what you will need to get this task done. Paper, pen, calculator, water, charger, documents open on your computer, files, receipts, reference books...whatever you need, gather it now.

Step 3: Turn off all distractions

For me, this means the TV has to be off. I cannot work if I am even remotely interested in what's on at the moment. Somewhere in my brain is always listening to what is being said and that keeps me from being as productive as possible. I do like to have music on, but it cannot have lyrics and it cannot be instrumental versions of songs with lyrics. This means that 'Classical Focus" on Pandora is great, because it has no words, but it has a soothing rhythm. And while I love the "Pop Goes Classical" channel, my brain will be signing, "Para...Para...Paradise...." from Coldplay even though it's all violins and cellos.

Turning off all distractions also means that nothing can be open on my computer except the files & tabs I need to accomplish the project. If I am working on registration forms and score cards for an event we are hosting, then no internet tabs, no temptations! If I am working on a nutrition plan for a client, I will have My Fitness Pal open, but that's it! No email, no Facebook...

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and then turn it upside down. Nothing will probably happen in thirty minutes that can't wait.

Step 4: Pee

Your bladder has an innate timer set to go off exactly two minutes after you sit down to work. And it is really hard to work and focus for a full thirty minutes when your bladder is doing everything in it's power to get your attention. Prevent this by going before you start. Even if you don't think you need to go, as my Grandmother said, try!

Step 5: Set a timer and work

Now you are ready to go hard! Make sure your computer is awake and all files are ready. Grab that phone one last time and set a timer and turn your phone back over. Work hard and no peaking at the timer! Inevitably, during your work time you will think of 90 million things that are really important that you need to do RIGHT NOW that have nothing to do with the project you are working on. Have a notepad beside you and jot down those random thoughts when they pop into your head and keep working. When it goes off, proceed to Step 6! Or, if you find yourself in the Zone and working like the Little Engine That Could, then keep going!


Step 6: Play!
Yay you! You earned a little break! Grab a snack. Jump on the Book of Faces. Look at that postie note with all the things you need to and do those that are truly important.

Step 7: Repeat
To have a truly productive day, repeat this cycle.

I think that you'll find you can get more done in 3-4 mini hyper focused work session each day than if you just spend 5 hours of your day "working".



Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

Follow me on Facebook at Angie McCord, Fitness, Nutrition and Life Improvement.


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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

This Is Why We Have A Health Crisis In America! (Well, One Reason)

 No.

NO!

Noooooo!

No.

This is not a breakfast sandwich!

It's a cookie.

A cookie.

I know you, dear reader, can see that this is a sneaky, smarmy marketing trick and realize this is not a breakfast sandwich. But how many people in this country are being tricked by the words and labels used on this box?

"4 hours of NUTRITIOUS steady energy"

"15 g whole grain"

First off, let's look at that ingredient list. The  number one ingredient is whole grain wheat flour. That's not a terrible thing in and of itself, but many people have gluten and wheat sensitivities. My beef with this first ingredient is if the basis of your breakfast is FLOUR, your not getting the most out of your breakfast!

Second ingredient: SUGAR! (hint, there's your energy)

Third ingredient: Enriched flour. Life lesson, it's called enriched flour because they strip all the good stuff out of it in processing and have to put stuff back in. I liken it to them dumping some multi-vitamins into the flour drum. See all those things in parenthesis? That's the vitamins they are adding back in! Here's a thought. Why two flours?? Why not just use the better one for all the baking??? OR maybe we should eat things that have Niacin (a Vitamin B), iron (found in meats and beans), Mononitrate and riboflavin (more Bs) naturally?

Fourth ingredient: Whole grain blend. If it's the fourth ingredient, there can't be that much. And now we are up to 3 flours. So basically, flour, flour, sugar, flour.

Fifth ingredient: Palm oil. Ah ha! There it is ! The refined carb, processed food trifecta. Flour, sugar, oil.

You can make basically anything with those three ingredients. And those ingredients have basically zero health benefits. Seriously, pick up any prepackaged food in a box and look. It is probably 90% those three things, right?

I read somewhere that if the name of an object has the word "luxury" in it's title, it's really not luxury at all and is just trying really hard to be fancy. Same goes for "classy". People and places that are truly classy would never use that word to describe themselves.

I feel the same way about foods. If the package has to scream at you that it's healthy, it's most likely not.

While I'm on a soapbox, here's a few other things that aren't breakfast foods.

Chocolate breakfast muffins.

Pop-Tarts

Granola Bars

Most cereals

Aim for a breakfast that has complex carbs, proteins and fats to truly keep you full and give you energy.


Now, you may be asking yourself, "If it's so terrible, why does she have it?" Good questions guys! Every Friday Kroger has a Friday Freebie that you can load to your Kroger card. I ALWAYS get the Friday Freebie because I like free stuff. And even if the offering is junk, there is a place for junk in any healthy diet within reason.

This is mainly refined carbs so I might eat it pre or post workout to bump up my carbs a bit. Or if I have some carbs left over at the end of the day I might eat it as a dessert treat. It will definitely NOT replace my morning meal which really does give me 4 hours of nutritious steady energy.

**Disclaimer- this post was written and set to publish prior to me being in a Paleo Challenge. Lol, this is DEFINITELY a no go for me right now.**

Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

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Monday, October 31, 2016

November Has Me Like...

Remember the title of this blog is "Doodleturtle's Random Thoughts" and this is one of those random posts!  I've just got so many things running through my head I have to get them out!

First, I've been quite negligent in posting about our hobo life since...... we are no longer hobos!! About three months ago we purchased some land and we moved our motorhome from the campground to our land! Let me tell you, this place is beautiful, but it was a dump. TWO single wide trailers (circa 1976 and 1965) were on the property and the people who lived here before us did not believe in trash pick up. The options they saw were 1) burn it, 2) throw it in the woods or 3) build a storage building to put it in. 

No joke. 

So we've spent the last 3 months hauling off trash and trailers and tearing down buildings. There is still a ton of work to do, but it's much, much better! We have a great old barn we've fixed up and many spots that would be perfect for our future house.

And speaking of house, we've decided sadly that Betsy just won't do through the winter for us to live in. She's a great motorhome and we are sad to see her go, but she's just too small. And since she's built more for warmer climates, we just don't think she'd be able to handle a cold winter. It's crazy that we've lived in her since March! 7 months! I don't think I ever posted pictures, so here you go. These are from the day we purchased it.


This is our kitchen, the hallway/bathroom and a view into the bedroom.


The view from the bathroom looking at the kitchen and living room.



Our dainty little bathroom



Our bedroom


Tiny right? Yep, that's been our tiny house for the last 7 months!


In her place, we are getting a new camper! Fingers crossed our new-to-us "home" will be delivered Friday! It's a fifth-wheel and has SOOO much more room than we have right now. I'm so stinking excited to actually have a living room and an OVEN! Yep, we've not had an oven in months.



It's not new at all, but it's new to us and fits perfectly in our budget and will help us get to our financial goals quickly. Score one for the month of November!


The kitchen and hallway.


Our bedroom..with a king size bed!

Also starting November 1 our box is hosting an "Earn Your Turkey Dinner" Paleo Challenge. It's been a loooong time since I was straight Paleo, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's 23 days leading up to Turkey Day of lean meats, veggies, nuts, seeds and fruits. No dairy, grains, legumes, artificial sweeteners or alcohol. 

Y'all, I've eaten oatmeal for breakfast for probably the last two years. Aaaargh..... And I've eaten Taco Bell 4 times a week for the last year.....Chicken Power Bowl, look it up, yum!!! 

There are definitely some changes in my diet I will making, but I'm looking forward to cleaning it all up and sharing the progress with you guys. 

One kink I haven't decided on with the Paleo Challenge is what to do on my trip...Yep! Another exciting thing about November is that we are going on a trip! I'm not giving away details yet, but the countdown is on and I'm stoked. 

So there are 3 big things I'm looking forward to in November! Wait, make that 4! 

J and I will be celebrating 22 years of marriage in November! What?!?! Crazy right?

Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

Follow me on Facebook at Angie McCord, Fitness, Nutrition and Life Improvement.

Follow me out on Instagram, I'm doodleturtle. I'm even more random fun over at IG!



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Thoughts On Fitness

Thoughts on fitness. Growing up, I was not an athletic kid. I have vision problems so anything involving a ball is not my jam. I tried to play baseball (ha!) one season, but that was a tragedy. I also played one game of church league volleyball and hit some poor guy in the back of his head when it was my turn to serve. Flag football turned out to be something I enjoyed, but I could only play defense. My  primary job was to run like hell at the offensive line and try to freak them out (and not get called offsides).

I took dance lessons from the time I was 4 until I got married and I loved it, but I was never going to be a prima ballerina. Have you seen me? Long, lean and graceful don’t exactly describe my limbs. Flexibility didn’t allow me to be very bendy either so I was more of a ploppy, ploddy ballerina. God bless Mrs. Linda for her patience.

In middle school I found cheerleading, but I was too heavy to be flier. I’m scared of heights so that didn’t help either. I was too weak to be a base so that left me with one job.  I made an excellent sign holder! And on special occasions, I got to hold a megaphone! I tried out for the high school squad but they required everyone to have a back handspring (see flexibility issue above).

 As an adult, I tried to be a runner, but then again, have you seen my body? Runner’s high is something mythical that I never experienced. Unless it was that moment that I was hyper-ventilating at the end of a 5k because I tried to sprint across the finish line and was seeing stars and the world was spinning. Hmmm…

Enter CrossFit.

I was about 30 when I went to my first CrossFit class and discovered that it was something I could do and I enjoyed it! My body puts on muscle easily, so that’s an obvious plus in CF. My levers aren’t bad for the lifts and weirdly, the gymnastics movements came pretty naturally.  We do run in CF and that still sucks, but I can tell I’m getting better all the time. CrossFit was/is the thing that finally made fitness fun for me.

Another thing CrossFit brought out in me was a highly competitive side I didn’t really know I had. I’d never been good enough at anything to stand a snowballs chance at winning a competition. I won’t say I hate to lose, because it doesn’t really bother me to lose to a better opponent. I just don’t want to let someone down that is watching me and taking cues from me. Goal setting has always been important to me. If I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it or go down trying.
CrossFit rewards hard work.

For me, CrossFit is my fitness. For you, it might be running. It might be yoga. It might be tennis. Whatever is it, YAY YOU!

If you don’t have a fitness regime that is fun and enjoyable, find something! Your body is a gift and if you aren’t exercising, you aren’t honoring that gift.


I’d love for you to try CrossFit with us at CrossFit Murray. You might find you love the challenge and the great community of people and that you look forward to working out each day. If you decide it’s not for you, I understand. Lol, I have lots of friends that run and I think they are crazy! J

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Fiber, The Other 'F' Word

When you are tracking macros it is not enough to just, 'hit your numbers.' Yes, you can meet your carb goal with rice, pop-tarts, low-fat ice cream and green beans, but are you getting your fiber in that way? You have to pay attention to the fiber number as well! I tell my clients to prioritize fiber first, then add in fun foods like pop-tarts and ice cream. This ensures that the system runs smoothly and that you are getting a variety of micronutrients and phytochemicals that are only found in vegetables and fruits.

Jason struggled a bit with hitting his fiber goal, but once he added in some fresh veggies, raspberries, chia seeds, oats, etc. he excitedly sent me this screen shot! Nailed it!


Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

Follow me on Facebook at Angie McCord, Fitness, Nutrition and Life Improvement.

Follow me out on Instagram, I'm doodleturtle. I'm even more random fun over at IG!


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Life

Scene: Angie and Jeremy are closing up the box after Sat morning class. They are mildly irritated at one another. One young man is still there trying to regain his faculties after a particularly challenging workout.
Jeremy: I got the Progenex to take home since somebody can't seem to remember to grab it.
Angie: Oh, yeah, it's all my fault.
Jeremy: You drink it too!
Angie: I will kill you in your sleep.
Young man: Well, when I get married I know who to come to for marriage advice.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Will Protein Make Me Fat?

So this week I was asked if whey protein will make women fat...



What??? Most women don't consume nearly enough protein in the first place so I'm not even sure how to start answering this one without ranting, but here goes...

Women that workout or are seeking to lose fat need somewhere between .75 to 1.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. Do a dietary check on most women and they are NOWHERE near that.

Multiple studies have shown that a diet higher in protein actually increases fat loss due to the higher thermogenic effect it has. Secondly, studies have proven that from a muscle building/rebuilding point of view, the human body doesn't differentiate between protein acquired from animal/actual food source that you chew and protein acquired from a shake.

Now, if your whey protein is of questionable quality, it might make you bloat, but that's not weight gain and can be avoided by choosing a top quality protein. If your chosen protein has creatine, again, you might retain water, but that's not weight gain.

Anything will make you fat if you eat too much, but blanketly saying whey protein will make women fat?? Uh, no. Tag a sister that needs to protein up.

Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

Follow me on Facebook at Angie McCord, Fitness, Nutrition and Life Improvement.


Follow me out on Instagram, I'm doodleturtle. I'm even more random fun over at IG!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Hobo Life Week 12

Thoughts on hobo life.



Almost 3 months ago we closed on the sale of our house and became what we affectionately call ourselves, hobos. We gave away 60% of our stuff and put the other 40% in storage and moved into our motorhome. Our goal is to live simply and pay off debt and “reboot” our lives as we both approach the 40 year-old milestone. We see so many people living paycheck to paycheck without any choices in their lives because they have to work to pay the bills and they are suffocating under all the stuff they have. And even though they have all this fun stuff, they can’t enjoy it because they are stretched so financially thin.

We don’t want to be those people. We want to truly own what we have, not be renting it from the bank. We don’t want to live in anxiety over money and things. We are saying no to a lot of things now so that we can say yes later.

What’s the Dave Ramsey saying? Live like no one else today so that you can live like no one else tomorrow?

 It’s been fun, but it’s also been challenging. Here’s a little update on the highs and lows of being a hobo.

Ticks- Have you ever heard of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?  I had, but didn’t think it was anything anyone really got anymore. You know, like Polio or the measles. Turns out that when you move to a camper and live in campgrounds you are way more likley to encounter ticks. And those said ticks are very likely to bite you and make you sick. 20 days of antibiotics later the spots, fever and headaches are gone.


Paying Off Debts- Think about how much you spend on your house each month. Mortgage/rent, insurance, electricity, gas, water, trash pickup, pest control, telephone, internet, cable, etc. Add it all up and then realize how much you could pay toward debt or put away each month with these costs reduced or gone entirely! Yes, it stinks sometimes not having space to spread out in the floor, but when I get to pay off a doctor bill or an old credit card bill, it makes up for it!

Mowing/Maintenance/Landscaping- Jeremy is totally loving not having to mow!

No TV- Well, that’s not true. We have a tv and thanks to a high tech antennae booster, we get ONE CRAPPY CHANNEL! I’m sorry if you work at Channel 24, but your channel is terrible. First, it’s a hybrid of the CW and MeTV. Neither of which are known for stellar programming, but it seems to be the lowlights of both are what we get. If you get up at 6:00 AM you can watch the Brady Bunch, which I’m totally down with, but then you get a dose of some self-important guy at 6:30 proclaiming himself to be “your favorite apostle”. Um, no. At 7 you get the news. I’m considering applying for a job there because, me with zero television experience, could read the news way better than any of their anchors. After that it’s a couple of hours of Matlock and Diagnosis Murder, followed by all the westerns ever made. I’ll spare you the details of the entire line up, but I’ve successfully resisted the urge to buy a microwave roaster, a multi-saw (FILLS ALL YOUR DIY NEEDS!) a year’s supply of Omega XL (NOT A FISH OIL!) and a 7 piece essential kit of IT Cosmetics. #winning


Reading- Since I’m not watching a lot of television, I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and lately I’ve been really indulging. Since we are trying to not spend and not accumulate stuff, I’ve found two great ways to get my reading fix. First, the humble library. You know that place we all use to go before amazon.com? And did you know that most libraries have eBooks now so that you don’t even have to physically go to the library? I just open up my iPad, go to the library’s website and download books for free! The convenience is a total win. The drawback is that eBooks are really popular and sometimes the wait for a book is glacial. Take the new Steven King book for instance. I just put myself on the hold list for it and I’m number 36 in line. Since you can keep the books up to two weeks, it will definitely be no longer than a year and a half before I get it. WOOOO!
               
 The other way I’ve been sourcing reading material is the local thrift shop. Magazines are 10¢ each and books are 50¢-$1. I buy a pile for a couple bucks, read them and then donate them right back.


Kayaking- Since we stare at the lake every day, we’ve been thinking about getting kayaks. We’ve hummed and hawed over sit in or sit on for quite awhile and overall were just afraid to go for it. What if we purchased them, used them once and then hated them? After searching around at prices and styles, we found some that we thought we would like and that we thought we could get our money back out of if we hated them. We looked at our budget, dug out some old gift cards, sold a few items from our storage building (more on that below) and headed to hell-mart to make the purchase. Completely worth it!


Storage- The 40% of our stuff that we kept is in a storage building and it is a huge storage building. It’s full of things that I didn’t think I could live without or part with. Kitchen utensils, fancy dresses, side tables, papers from college, four wheeler parts, toys from when we were young, toys from when we weren’t young. That big storage building comes with a price tag and now every time I go there I look around and wish it were all gone. Of course there are some sentimental items that I don’t want to part with like baby books and wedding pictures. But for most of it, I’m just done with it. When we do wind up in our next place, I simply cannot imagine bringing all that stuff into it.

I realize that not everyone can just chuck it all and go hobo like we did. We are lucky that we have a really supportive child who doesn’t mind that we are “homeless” and she has her own apartment. Even if you can’t go at full steam, maybe you can be inspired to do something to free up your space and finances.

Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


And if you are hip on the social media, 

Follow me on Facebook at Angie McCord, Fitness, Nutrition and Life Improvement.
Follow me out on Instagram, I'm doodleturtle. I'm even more random fun over at IG!



Saturday, May 28, 2016

No Food (Or Drink!) Is Off Limits!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Guys! 



Just wanted to jump in here and remind you that NO FOOD OR DRINK IS OFF LIMITS with flexible dieting! 

They are your macros, spend them how you like! 

 I'm choosing to use a few of my carbs today for a tasty beer!

Obviously, some foods are healthier than others and you don't want to live on a diet of beef jerky, cupcakes and beer. (Or maybe you do, lol). 

With flexible dieting you can still have fun and enjoy your life!

PS, I am loving this Honey Apple! And thankfully, they list the carbs! 

Stay Strong Y'all! 

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Got 10 Minutes? Get Stuff Done!

Mondays are crazy busy days because I coach mornings and afternoons, I usually have a few private training appointments, I coach CF Kids, my personal training is usually long on Mondays and all of my nutrition coaching clients check-ins come in on Sunday night for review on Monday. I love my job and all that I get to do, but Mondays are a wee bit stressful!
Today is Tuesday, so it’s an “easy” day work wise. 

By design, Tuesday is the reward for Monday. There’s little I “have to” do. It’s really easy to be a bum. But I’m not a very good bum. If you have time, shouldn’t you be doing something productive? Today’s weird though in that I’m having trouble getting going….

 I feel like I need to write a blog post today, but I can’t decide what to write about.

 I feel like I should be working on a few projects of mine, but I’m not inspired.

I really need to spend some time stretching, but it’s raining and I only have room to stretch outside (hobolife problems).

The bathroom needs cleaning, but darn, I’m out of cleaning wipes. (Excellent excuse, right?)

Do you ever feel that way? That there is stuff that needs to be done, but you just can’t get going?

Hey, there's nothing wrong with a good lazy day! However, I can’t really say that it’s ok to do nothing today because I spent all day Sunday reading a good book and laying in my snazzy pvc lawn chair (see my IG for my ridiculously happy recent purchase). 

So here’s the deal I’m making with myself. I will commit 10 minutes to each of the things I need to do. Just 10. I’ll set the timer on my phone and turn on a good podcast and work for ten minutes on each task. If that’s all I do, then at least I did something.

If the juices get flowing, then I can come back and work some more after I finish the other items.

That’s the deal I’m making with myself. Just 10 minutes, right? That’s no big deal!

I’ve had a lot of success with this method and have used it to get many goals accomplished and projects finished. Try it the next time you are struggling to get going on a project, housework or even exercise and let me know how it goes.

Stay Strong Y'all!

Hey, I know you may not know me that well, but can I ask you to do something for me? Do me a favor and subscribe to my email list. Not only will you be able to keep up with all my random thoughts, I'll send you my weekly planner printable!


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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

A Healthy, Affordable Lunch!

So many of us try to eat healthy, but get frustrated when our wallets fight back against the high cost of healthy food. It is truly ridiculous that you can buy a 99-cent breaded chicken sandwich at a fast food chain that is basically complete junk, but a (slightly) healthier salad will cost you over $6. And I say slightly because those fast food salads are loaded with hidden fats and sugars. Fried onions? Toast? Creamy ranch? Honey pecans? You get the idea.

I usually pack my lunch so that I don’t have to pay $$$ for a healthy option when my tummy starts growling at me. The lunch I’m sharing with you today came almost completely from Aldi’s. I’ve only recently become an Aldi’s convert because it is 45 minutes away and I always assumed they were cheap and low quality. But, WOW! Was I wrong!

Aldi’s is inexpensive, but they are putting a huge effort into being health conscious and affordable. They carry many organic brands and just recently removed all trans fats, synthetic colors and msg from their brands. We especially love their 95-cent steamable frozen vegetables!

We went on Sunday and stocked up on veggies (both frozen and fresh), dried fruits, baby foods, cheese sticks and lots of other yummy foods. On Monday, I used many of these purchases to make a simple, healthy lunch that cost less than $2.25. Take a look and see if you can get some inspiration!

Monday's colorful lunch


<All prices below are approximations based on my memory because, unfortunately, I lost my receipt. Duh!><UPDATE! Found the receipt! J had it in his wallet! All prices have been updated!>

Chicken breasts- We purchased a frozen package of 4 pounds of chicken breasts for $5.49. We grilled them up and then I froze them into 3 oz portions. This little 2 oz chunk was leftover so into my lunch it went! Approx. cost- 18 cents.

Egg- This did not come from Aldi's. I purchased these from a local farmer at $2.50/12. At Aldi's, the eggs are generally 99 cents per dozen, so that would be waaaay cheaper, but I really enjoy the farm fresh ones. Approx. cost- 21 cents.

Cheesy veggies- These are the Aldi's brand of California blend with cheese. Generally we don’t do the cheese version, but we purchased a few bags for a change up. Each bag was $1.29 and the variety without cheese is only 95 cents. This is a half a bag. Approx. cost- 65 cents.

Grape tomatoes- I LOVE GRAPE AND CHERRY TOMATOES! These came in a pint container and I believe they were $1.49. I’ve had to restrain myself to not eat the whole container! Approx. cost- 28 cents.

Sweet peppers- These came in a good sized bag for $1.79 (again, I can’t remember exactly). Approx. cost- 32 cents.

Hummus- LOVE LOVE LOVE Hummus! The Aldi’s brand is $1.99 and I’ve trade a few flavors. Warning: The “Significantly Spicy” flavor doesn’t lie. Approx. cost- 24 cents.

All total, this lunch is approximately $1.93. Of course, your caloric needs may vary and you may need a lot more protein or more carbs which would affect your cost. However, no matter the amount you need to eat, this lunch will be very reasonable on price and will taste delicious! All the lovely colors provide many micronutrients and it has just enough fat to keep your coat shiny, lol!

No more excuses on eating healthy being too expensive. It can totally be done!



Stay Strong Y'all!

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Sunday, April 17, 2016

What Is In My Shopping Cart, You Ask?

Many people ask me what do I eat and I explain that I don’t cook and I eat the same foods over and over. I thought it would be neat to share with you all what was in my grocery cart this week so that maybe you would get some new ideas to try.
Before I start however, you will see some “good” food and some “bad” food in my cart. Get over it! There is no such thing as good food or bad food! Are some things healthier? Yes! But do some foods invoke joy at their deliciousness? Yes! A healthy diet involves a variety of foods and no food should be off limits. As long as the majority of your diet is lean meats, plants, fruits, nuts and seeds and you are getting plenty of fiber, enjoy yourself occasionally!

Steak- I’m not a big red meat eater, this is Jeremy’s. We grill out one night a week typically and he always fixes himself a steak. We rarely go out to eat, so this is his little treat.


Generic Honey Smacks Cereal- NOMNOM! I do have a sweet tooth and try to keep it under control, and having something fun to eat after I workout is very motivating! Junky carbs are best consumed post workout because they hit your system fast and promote quicker glycogen stores recovery. The last month or so I’ve been enjoying Peeps after my workouts. YUMMY! I was ready to do something different, so cereal it is! And if I’m feeling really crazy, I might use my protein powder to make “milk” for my cereal.


Pears- We sliced these up and grilled them with cinnamon and then put them over…..



Blue Bell Individual Ice Creams- Perfect little portion control fun! You can enjoy anything in moderation as long as the majority of your diet is full of healthy micronutrients, phytonutrients and all those wonderful little vitamins and minerals.


Watermelon- Honestly, how can you pass up a cute little watermelon? But keep reading about how I feel about fruit.


Chuck 85/15- I know I said above I don’t really eat a lot of red meat, but yesterday I decided I was in the mood for a burger. We pattied this package up into varying sizes (4 oz for me, 8 oz for J, and then one weirdo that was 3 oz). We grilled them last night and will eat on them the next few days.


Dt. Mt. Dew- Our collective vice. I realized this past week I was way too addicted to them and white Monsters, so I have actually been off the Monster and Dew train 5 days now. I’m not saying I’ll never drink them again, rather it’s a hiatus.


Salmon- This was a, “Hey, that looks good for supper!” purchase. It came already seasoned and on a cedar plank for grilling and was DELICIOUS! It was only $14.99 as well and we had leftovers. I sliced some up to eat with my omelet this morning.


My omelet with grilled veggies and salmon. I used my TupperWare Breakfast Maker to make the omelet in the microwave in three minutes! And it's currently on sale for only $15.


Water- I drink at least a gallon a day and refill my jug each morning. However, after 3-4 days of using the same jug I do wonder about bacteria and gross stuff so I’ll get a new one.



Tuna Pouches- I have found that the Kroger brand ranch tuna packet is actually a lot better than the Starkist variety. It “ranchier” and creamier. The macros are pretty close so it’s not a big deal to switch brands. J also got a couple of packages of a jalepeno tuna, so we will see how that plays out.


Tostitos Dip-etizers- Every Friday Kroger has a Friday Freebie download that allows you to get a product completely free. This past Friday it was a package of Tostitos Dip-etizers. I’m not sure there is anything healthy in this at all, lol, but I might find it tasty at some point. Of course, if I eat the whole thing, I’ll be consuming 54 grams of fat, but that leaves me with 20-ish the rest of the day, right?



Tum-E Yummies- This is one of those products that actually pisses me off. It’s sugar water that manufactures sell to parents for kids to consume thinking it’s healthy. Not. The only reason I have it is because it was also a Friday Freebie. Because it has 13 carbs (all from sugar) it will be an acceptable pre- or post-workout source of carbs. I will probably combine 2 ounces of this with water and my pre workout bcaa’s and creatine just to mix it up a bit. It will give my muscles a nice little carb boost before I workout.  I DO NOT advocate getting all your carbs from junk and I really don’t think you should drink your carbs if you can help it. I’m only doing this because it was free, and I hate to let something free go to waste!


Coconut oil- We love coconut oil at our house. Jeremy uses it for his breakfast cooking and I often add it to my protein powder, peanut butter “ice cream” to give it a really smooth texture.


Bread – I don’t eat a lot of bread because I prefer to get the majority of my carbs from veggies. Two slices of bread or a whole bag of veggies? To me, that’s a no brainer. The bread has basically no nutrients so I feel they are empty calories. And if I’m going to eat empty calories, I would rather have candy!


J's breakfast of egg, bacon and cheese on bread with a piece of his steak grilled last night.

Oats- We eat oatmeal every day. We have accidently ran out a couple of times and I can tell you that quinoa nor grits are an acceptable substitute in my world. In a perfect world we would use the steel cut foo-foo oats, but the old-fashioned 5 minute oats are the best I can handle.


Bananas- I divide fruit into two categories: lazy fruit and working fruit. Bananas are the pinnacle of lazy fruit. Peel and eat. Watermelons are working fruit. You have to rinse the rind, then you have to cut it into slices. It’s a lot of trouble. More examples: Grapes, lazy fruit. Yes, you have wash them, but it’s not that bad. Oranges, working fruit. The peeling process can be excruciating.



Cliff Bars- Very high carbs, but very tasty! I like to keep a few on hand in case I realize mid-day that I somehow have not had enough carbs. Let me clarify though, they are not a best choice and they are basically candy bars masquerading as health food. To be blunt, they are junk bars. Don’t build your carb intake around them. See them as accents to healthy meal plan or the Plan B of flexible dieting.


Simple Truth Energy Bars- See above. These are J’s btw.


Bacon- I really see no point in explaining this.


Stir Fry Veggies- We love to get these when they are marked down and grill them! Just make an aluminum foil pouch for them, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add some chopped garlic. Yummy!

So there is this week's haul. There are some things not in this that I eat all the time, like chicken and frozen veggies. I tend to stock up on those when I purchase them so that I don't have to get them all the time.

Let me know what your go-to foods are! What was the last new food you tried?

Stay Strong Y'all!

Fitful Focus
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