no wonder we’re all fat! April 9, 2012

I had an epiphany in the shower a few weeks ago, and I’m just now getting around to writing about it.

In March, my husband and I went to the Big Island of Hawaii and stayed at the Hilton Resort in Waikaloa. This place had multiple restaurants, attractive guys serving you drinks every time you turned around, and lots of places to relax. We certainly did our fair share of eating and drinking… everyone needs a vacation. I won’t pretend like I didn’t gorge myself all day and night. But now I will get to the point… one night at dinner I was perusing the menu and came across the kids menu. I never really pay attention to it because it’s the same anywhere you go… hotdogs, cheeseburgers, french fries, and mac and cheese. Days later I was in the shower and it hit me… THAT’S IT!!! The kid’s menu is always the same! Always the same fried/grilled/cheese-smothered options. Why? Who decided that kids can only eat that junk at restaurants? It has become such a part of our culture that we don’t even notice anymore. And it teaches kids from a young age that that type of food is what they are expected to eat!

Now, I don’t have kids, but can they really only eat hotdogs, cheeseburgers, french fries and mac and cheese? Why do we teach our children that “their food” that they are expected to eat is all fried and junky? We don’t just expect them to eat that food… it’s the only option we give them at most restaurants. Why do we teach them that a dinner out means eating like crap? It just doesn’t make any sense!!

Now, I’m not saying that we should expect our 2 year old to eat a grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables. But whats wrong with some whole wheat pasta and marinara? What about some rice and vegetables and chicken? Why do we teach them that it has to be fried to taste good?

I am a firm believer that your taste for food is shaped by what you regularly eat. I grew up in a house where a burger was ground beef shaped into a patty, where vegetables were steamed or boiled and put on your plate as-is. Butter and salt didn’t really exist in my house growing up. And, in college, I lived with a girl who grew up on a farm where she literally scraped the cream off of the milk that just came out of her cow before she drank it. Where a buger included not only beef, but eggs, bread crumbs and all sorts of things. And green beans were cooked “fat back” style with bacon, grease, and God knows what else. And the way we grew up shaped how we cooked and ate in college.

I think that eating healthy comes more easily for me than for someone who grew up in a house like my roommate did. I don’t mind bland tasting food because that is what I am used to. I can eat grilled chicken, plain green beans and brown rice for dinner because, for me, that was a normal meal growing up.

So, why can’t we do the same for our kids? Why can’t we change the thinking from a kid’s menu being full of fried food to instead some better options that still taste good and don’t set them up for a future of heart disease?

As Oprah says, “When you know better, you do better.”

View from the Hilton... and I probably have a mai tai in one hand while taking this picture with the other.

 

One of the pools at the hotel. Life is hard...

obstacles make everything more fun March 27, 2012

This past weekend I participated in the Warrior Dash in Waialua, HI. It was a 3 mile obstacle course that takes place in different cities across the country. This was the first time it came to Hawaii, and I’m sure they will be back. It involved climbing up one side of a wooden structure and down the other, crawling under barbed wire, swimming, jumping over fire (legitimate fire, too) and crawling through the mud to the finish line. It was a ton of fun, and it got alot of people up and running that probably wouldn’t have on any other Saturday.

 

There has been a spike of these kinds of races in the past year. From mud runs, to the Tough Mudder (an intense 12 mile run with nature obstacles) and even urban obstacle races that take place in big cities and include things like jumping over taxi cabs. These types of races are alot more fun that just your typical 5K or 10K, and in my opinion lend themselves to people that don’t normally consider themselves runners. At each obstacle you get a short rest while waiting for your turn, and if you do it team style you get to wait on the other side while the rest of your team finishes. These events also typically have sort of “hard core fun” feel that gets you excited and have slogans like “The craziest frickin’ day of your life.”

At the Warrior Dash, each participant got a viking helmet and beer and turkey legs at the end. We all felt like warriors that day, and the best part was that most people forget they even ran 3 miles.

 

For more information on the Warrior Dash running series, check out www.warriordash.com

 

 

Here is part of the group post Dash. Kelly and I forgot we were supposed to be doing our best warrior face.

 

Why are you making it harder? February 22, 2012

I often hear “I’m trying to get back into working out” and the first question I always think of is “why did you stop in the first place?” I know things happen in life and we get busy, but I’ve never understood why people work hard, lose weight, change their life, and then go right back to where they were. Maybe its my obsessive personality, but if you have a good thing going… why would you stop it? Getting in shape is really hard in the first place, so why would you want to let yourself go and start the whole process all over again? Its like continuously running up the incline side of the hill and never allowing yourself to go down the decline side. Always hard work… never coasting.

People get in shape for a special occasion or for a new year resolution… but once you get to where you want to be, why go backwards? As Oprah says, ‘when you know better, you do better.’

So… you know what it takes to get in shape, you know how hard it is and how much time it takes…. so do better and keep it up. Don’t let yourself go when you know how good it can be on the other side.

All the way up, all the way down. February 7, 2012

All the way up, all the way down. I feel like I repeat this phrase a million times when I’m working. What I’m referring to is range of motion for an exercise. You have to do the full range of motion for the exercise to be beneficial.

It really boils down to being aware of your body and how to perform an exercise. I see people in my classes do squats by keeping their legs straight and bending over at their waist. They look at me with surprise when I tell them “you have to bend your knees to do a squat.” Mirrors are in gyms and group exercise rooms to watch your form… not to make sure you look fabulous.  You have to be aware of the movement your body is doing and take ownership of your workout.  If the exercise you’re doing looks weird, chances are you aren’t doing it right. Ask someone, research it, or use the cheat diagrams on machines that show you what your body should look like while doing the exercise.

This post is inspired by a girl I see frequently at the gym who does about 35% range of motion on every exercise… and it drives me crazy. But I’ll give her this… atleast she consistently does 35% every time.

Best running song… ever February 6, 2012

Don’t judge me, but after years of research and testing, this is the best running song ever. YOU try not being motivated when this is pumping through your headphones. Go ahead… you can dance.

believe it or not… I have opinions. February 5, 2012

So I was at the gym yesterday (on the treadmill of course) and I realized that, through my judgements of other people, sometimes I think of things that could actually help people lead a healthy lifestyle. While I am not an expert, I do know a little about fitness and nutrition so I decided to start a blog to document my more helpful thoughts… and probably some of my judgemental ones, too. Who knows… maybe one day I can be the fitness expert on Good Morning America!