Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate!

I took some time out to enjoy the holidays with my family and with Sean. I also had the distinct pleasure of losing my job on December 23 (sense the sarcasm?). My former employer certainly had a sense of humor when it came to handing out pink slips.

But the good news is that I always come up swinging. I have been working on a huge project and it's finally a done deal! I am going to be working with a big name company, their marketing reps, and a big city marathon. As soon as I have permission to share all the details I promise I will!

I also scheduled my ACSM Certified Personal Training exam for the end of January. Thanks to this I may have a job at my gym. They hope to be hiring a new trainer in February so the timing may just work out perfectly!

Last but not least, I have applied to be an adjunct instructor at a career school. I'm awaiting a review of my qualifications and transcripts but hopefully I will also be teaching classes such as Kinesiology and Anatomy & Physiology in February!

 Post-Christmas lunch cuddles

I've still stuck to my plan through all of this. I started week 8 today and Sean has been going with me every day for the most part. It's been hard being surrounded by treats and junk food. I can't say I haven't fallen off the nutrition wagon a few times but I'm still doing the best I can. I have 4 weeks to make the best of my lean out phase after this week and I intend to kill it.

Christmas Selfies at the gym

On a final, and much funnier, note I saw the weirdest and coolest thing ever while at the gym yesterday. I was on the treadmill doing my long run and I glanced up out the window to see a man with a leash in his hand. Attached to the other end was a large, brown animal. I assumed it was a dog at first but then I realized it definitely wasn't!

I thought maybe my pre-workout was the problem or maybe I was hallucinating. And then the man on the elliptical behind me exclaimed, "That man is walking a deer!" I let out a sigh of relief and then tried to get Sean's attention so he could come see. I didn't succeed so I did the next best thing and grabbed my phone!

Merry Christmas! Here is a pic of a man walking a deer! 

Being the Odd (Wo)Man Out

I had a not-so-fun medical experience today. After the last one, I really wasn't thrilled to be headed into a hospital again. This time it was for a biopsy and everyone reassured me that it would be quick and easy. I'm pretty sure that's what I was told in October too!

But what really got to me is that the radiology tech, the nurse, and the doctor who were doing my procedure were all blown away by me. Well, not me per se but my physiology. I'm not overweight, my heart rate, blood pressure, and O2 saturation were all better than good. As I laid on the table and listened to them I realized that medical professionals NEVER see healthy, fit people. It's a rarity, a special treat. And they don't know how to handle it.

The nurse had to turn the alarms off on my monitor because my heart rate of 48 beats per minute was setting them off. My blood pressure of 96/68 was giving some periodic beeps as well. When the doctor pulled out a 5" needle my heart rate shot up... all the way to 60. The doctor double checked with the ultrasound tech that she was well away from my ribs because "she's so thin". The doctor didn't know how to approach a patient without inches and inches of extra padding!

I learned that the county where I had my procedure is one of the top ones in Pennsylvania for obesity. Over 50% of the population is obese, not just overweight, according to the hospital staff. I was told horror stories of patients who couldn't fit on regular beds, the needle wasn't long enough, or had bleeding issues because of all the medications they have to take on a daily basis for all their obesity-related illnesses.

Is this really the world we want to live in? To leave to our children? When will we put down the video games and pizzas and look outside our own front doors? I left the hospital feeling saddened. Not for myself but for all the people who don't know the joy of sprinting up a flight of stairs without getting winded. They don't know what it's like to ride a bike around a lake or hike through the woods. They can't go out dancing or even walk through a museum without having to sit down.

I want to help everyone even though I know I can't save them all. Today's experience just helped me recommit to the WHY behind why I am taking my personal training exam and becoming a coach. I'm going to let the tender spot just under my ribs be a reminder on why I need to study hard over the next few weeks. I've got lives to change and kids to save and souls to nurture. And I can't wait to get started!

The Anti-Gift List

As a blogger, a mother, a girlfriend, and member of the good old USA I tend to get smothered with (and sucked into) gift buying just like everyone else. I look at a pile of presents and wonder if it's 'enough'. I take on even more overtime to buy 'stuff' for the people I love. And then the holidays come and go and all that's left is a pile of wrapping paper. So instead of writing another 'what to buy the (runner, man, child) in your life' post I am writing the antithesis!

1.) Decorate your home/tree/yard together!

Go as big or little as you want. Put up inflatable Santas or wire and light reindeer. Make your own Charlie Brown tree. Bake salt dough ornaments. Or go all out Clark Griswold style!

2. Bake something!

You can make cookies or a cake. Make it as healthy (or not!) as you want. Get flour all over, feed eachother cookie dough, and laugh at the ridiculous cookie cutters Great Aunt Nancy gave you.

(Photo Credit: Tumblr)

3.) Get outside or workout

Throw snowballs, build a snowman, take a walk, head to the gym, or even shovel some white stuff together! 

(Photo Credit: PopSugar)

4.) Break out the home movies!

What else makes you feel closer to your loved ones than laughing at their bad perm or braces?

(Photo Credit: The Ellen Show)

5.) Make breakfast in bed

Because why not?!

(This is actually a tee shirt!)

6.) Write a letter

Yes, with a pen and a piece of paper. Grab and envelope and a stamp and send someone far away (or near!) an old fashioned note.

7.) Build a blanket and pillow fort

Because you can!

That's it! Get on with it! Go make some memories and save yourself the headaches of fighting crowds, tracking shipments, and losing the scissors or the tape while wrapping!

A Small Reveal

I alluded to a complete change of lifestyle in my last post. It drew a lot of interest and some questions so I contemplated doing a 'halfway' reveal. That would be next weekend but I still am not sure I'm ready to open myself up for input, criticism, or commentary from the general public yet. Sean and a couple of my closest friends have seen and supported me through the last 5 weeks. It's not always easy to be patient and trust the process. I want instant results just like everybody else. So instead of completely unveiling my new plan and body I thought I'd share the overview and a sneak peek instead.

The easiest way to explain what I've been doing is to say it's a balance between exercise, nutrition, and supplements. I'm hitting the gym 11 times per week. I run 5 days per week and lift 6 days. I combine easy runs and speed work and I hit every body part with weights at least once per week. I eat 'clean' 98% of the time. That's no joke! I eat 6 times per day, 7 days a week. One of those meals on Sunday gets to be a 'cheat' meal where I go out to eat with friends or family and splurge on a burger or a milkshake. And every day I follow a routine of supporting my nutrition and workouts with a careful selection of supplements.

Today's cheat meal at Rockhoppers

(Split with my mom!)

The results of this complete change have been astounding. I'm still waiting on an appointment to get my body fat percentage checked so I don't know where I started or where I am now (yet). But I have seen huge changes and my clothes fit differently than ever before.  My performances are improving on both runs and weights. And my energy is through the roof.

And here's the proof:

Completed 5k on the treadmill, the day after leg day and after going out dancing last night, in 24 minutes. My previous best was 24:27 and that was back in 2012. After only 5 weeks I have already met one of my 2015 goals (set a new 5k PR!).

AND

I'm stronger and happier with my body than ever before. Every week I go heavier, go harder, find another way to tweak my nutrition. And while I can't wait to share the full transformation with everyone, right now I am enjoying the journey and focusing on learning and growing on my own. 

Are you ready for 2015? Have you set your goals and outlined the steps to reach them yet?

How To Get Fit

I haven't posted in awhile. And, yes, it's partially due to my work schedule being crazy again. But it's mostly because I've been keeping a secret. I decided to completely overhaul my workouts, nutrition, and lifestyle to get into the best possible shape. Normally I would have posted progress pictures, weight and measurement updates, and generally over-informed the world. This time, however, I wanted to trust myself and trust the process. Put my own knowledge to use and follow through without input or criticism from outsiders. I'm still not ready to share my transformation but I do want to share what I'm learning.

In the last several weeks I've talked to quite a few women who are upset that they aren't losing weight. They are 'dieting' and exercising and counting every bite they put in their mouth but the scale isn't budging. They're hungry, cranky, and exhausted. And they all have one thing in common. They aren't eating enough!

Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to exist every day. Your brain, your heart, breathing, swallowing, and just being alive all take energy. This amount is otherwise known as your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) and calculating this is the basis for changing your eating. I like to use a simple online calculator like the one at My Fitness Pal.

This number forms the basis for your nutrition. Then you need to eat enough to support walking, working, and exercising. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). A calculator like the one at IIFYM can calculate out your TDEE and it also takes it one step further by suggesting your calorie intake depending on your goals. A little below TDEE for weight loss, a little above for gaining muscle. Then you can even break it down further into macronutrient ratios but I'll save that for another post.

For now, just take a look at your calorie intake and adjust it to meet your actual needs! You'll look better, feel better, and see results faster!