29 Again....In Intervals

Today is my birthday, and I'm taking time to tell you about how great it is to be 29 again. Er, um, well maybe not technically. But I feel 29 again as I'm back down to my pre-pregnancy weight and headed towards my pre-wedding weight. While some may experience gloom about being one year closer to whatever their dreaded "number" may be, I'm not ashamed to say next year is the big "4-0" for me. No offense to anyone over 40, but that's a big number!!! I remember how depressed I was when I hit 30, and I'm determined to have a more positive outlook as I head into the next decade of my life. So, it's not just about the weight-loss, but about feeling good all the way around.

How is it I feel as energetic (and probably more so) as I did at 29? I'm taking care of myself. It's that simple. I think we get so busy and bogged down with everyday life that the thought of attending to our own needs in order to stay in tip-top shape seems like too much work to pile on top of all the work, schedules, stuff that we're already maintaining. Well, here's great news: It doesn't take much work at all.

I've learned the following in the past month as I've pursued a healthy lifestyle in spite of not having the time:
1. Eating healthy doesn't take up extra time, and it can save you money. First, you have to figure out what "healthy eating" is for you. For me, it meant cutting out caffeine, sugar and flour. I immediately stopped going to Starbucks as part of my daily routine. You can imagine the $$ saved from breaking that one habit.
2. You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight. I loaded up on fruits and veggies for snacks instead of eating my 2 year olds carb-loaded snacks (i.e. crackers, pretzels, etc.). All the fiber keeps me feeling nice and full for a longer period; and even though I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies, I'm eating less calories. On average, I'm ingesting 1200-1400 calories per day.
3. Making time for exercise is easier than you think. Once I made up my mind to make it part of my daily routine, it became an essential part of the day. To make exercise fit into my schedule, I have to take my son with me to the gym before I drop him off at school. That  means we make a mad dash in the morning to get us both ready and out the door by 8 AM. I work out for approximately 25-30 minutes while my son plays at the kid's club in the gym, and I have him at school by 9 AM.
4. You don't have to work out for 3 hours a day to achieve your weightloss goals. I only work out an average of 30 minutes per day. Sometimes, I only exercise for 20 minutes; and sometimes, I may go a little longer for 40 minutes. Even when I only get to do 20 minutes, I feel like I've had a great workout. How is this possible? Because I'm being extremely efficient with interval workouts, and I'll explain these in more detail next.

The Beauty of Interval Training:

For years, athletes have used interval training as a way to condition their bodies for their sport. This type of training helps to build both speed and endurance by combining short exercise phases at high intensity with slower, recovery phases. The athletes alternate between these 2 phases during a single workout.

Interval training utilizes both our aerobic and anaerobic systems. For those of you who need a brush up from middle school science class, our bodies use up oxygen during aerobic exercise in order to break down glucose and create energy. In anaerobic exercise, our bodies create energy without the use of oxygen because the demand for energy is greater. Because of this demand for energy in anaerobic exercise, our bodies find natural body chemicals to create the energy. In other words, anaerobic exercise burns 100% fat.

Examples of aerobic exercise are running/jogging, stairmaster, treadmill, aerobics class, biking, etc. Anaerobic exercise includes weight lifting and resistance machines.

Can you see how important anaerobic exercise is for achieving optimum health in addition to aerobic exercise? I've often wondered why I see the same women running for miles on the treadmill day after day,  yet their bodies don't show any change or improvement. I've never understood why they don't all look like they're in superb condition. Now, I get it. They aren't being efficient with the hours they spend in the gym.

Here's what my workouts consist of in a week's period:  5-6 days of cardio and 3-4 days of weights.

I alternate the cardio between the following:

• Treadmill - warm-up at 3.5 mph, then alternate between 3.8-4.0 mph and 5.8-6.0 mph for interval workout
• Stairmaster - warm-up at level 4, then alternate between levels 6 and 12 for interval workout
• Alternate between walking and running on the river trail near my home
• Aerobics video that incorporates interval training by combining aerobics and weight training in the same workout

The days that I do weight training, I do less cardio. I use both weight machines and free weights. I alternate between the cardio and weight training. So, I may do a few repetitions on a couple of machines, then hit the treadmill for 8 minutes. This way, I'm alternating between the aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

I challenge anyone who is unhappy with their exercise results to give interval training a try. You could be feeling like you're 29 again, too!

Back in the Saddle Again

Exactly one year ago from tomorrow, March 8th, David and I took on the challenge of the 21-day cleanse. Many experts say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I successfully completed the 21 days of no meat, dairy, sugar, caffeine and gluten; and for several weeks after the cleanse, I thought twice before sticking something in my mouth. However, I hate to admit, I became a slacker as the year progressed. As my schedule got busier and more stressful, I allowed myself to make food choices based on convenience and found little time to exercise.
I didn't feel guilt over my "bad" choices. In fact, most of America would think I was still eating healthy compared to most. Even though I could tell a difference in the way I felt, I still looked healthy to others (especially people who didn't know me prior to being pregnant). I have been busy and happy and enjoying life. At the same time, I became a little careless with taking care of myself which I know can create bigger issues further down the road.
At the same time that I was back sliding, my youngest sister, Sarah Ellen, became motivated to change her lifestyle. At 23, she got herself in gear with eating right and lots of exercise. She cut calories and spent as much as 90 minutes per day at the gym. In a matter of months, the results of her dietary changes and exercise made her the poster child of before and after pictures. She gave me permission to share her pictures so that you can see for yourselves.

Amazing, right?! My baby sister has been the inspiration for all her immediate female family members to "get with the program." After last seeing my sister in February, I told my husband that I was ready to get back on track with a healthier diet and more effective exercise. David asked, "Are you worried that Sarah is your size or smaller?" I replied with,"No, but I can at least stay caught up with her!"  (I was always considered the "skinny" sister.)
The next day, I cut out all sugar, most caffeine, and most flour. I've been some type of vegetarian since 1990, so I already don't have meat in my diet. I also began interval training on the treadmill. I'll talk about the interval training in a future post, because it's been terrific. I'm into my second week and have already lost 5 pounds. I also have more energy and just feel good in and out.
I want to thank my baby sister for setting the example and for sticking with it. You look beautiful!
Love, Your Big Sis (and not the only "skinny" one anymore!)