5 ways to make drinking water a habit

"I'm thirrsssttttyy!!"

Ever heard that at your house?  Or, found 6 cups sitting on the counter....from one child?!

Feeling like I had something smart to share with my eight year old son, I told him it was great he was drinking water because the human brain is 75% water.  He looked at me and said, "no mom, it's actually 78% water."

Kiddos are onto something when they are reaching for those cups to fill with water.  They are the best at understanding natural hunger/thirst cues.

I think many of us have read and know the whys for drinking more water.  But how do we realistically make it happen when it is so easy to simply forget?

Below are 5 ways that have helped me make water part of my routine.  Because the more we can make it a habit, the less we have to try to remember!

1.  Drink a glass of water as soon as you WAKE UP.

2.  Drink a glass of water with EVERY snack/meal.  If you're following after clean eating, that would mean 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day.

3.  Take water WITH YOU in the car.  I can't tell you how many times I've sat at a stop light thirsty.  "If only I had water..." my mind shouts.

4.  Figure out HOW you like to drink it.  Super cold with ice?  Room temperature?  From a glass?  Out of a water bottle?  From a straw?  From the hose outside (okay, that might be a little much)?  Flavored with some fruit or a cucumber?  Funny to think about, right?  I mean, water doesn't taste like anything.  But finding your HOW will actually help you to drink MORE OF IT!

5.  Keep it close.  At work?  Have it on your desk.  At home?  I like mine on the kitchen counter since it's where I spend a lot of time, and where I'm walking by a lot.

GOAL:  Aim to drink half your body weight in water.  Your body (and mind!) will thank you!  

5 Fitness Tips when Breastfeeding

Each time I've entered back into the fitness world post-baby, I've received all kinds of "advice" for post-baby exercise.  Here are a few favorites: 

"Stop exercising! Your milk is going to taste sour!" 

"Don't exercise!  Instead, let your body rest and heal."  

"All you should do is rest and let your body heal."

"Eat as many calories as you want, and don't exercise! You're feeding for two!"

I could go on, but I won't.  And I won't go into detail as to why those are all myths.  You know how to operate google.  Instead, I'll share 5 things I've found helpful after the doctor has given the "all clear" to exercise.

5 Fitness Tips when Breastfeeding

1.  Listen to your body.  Those first few weeks my body is HANGRY. Like I could eat the whole kitchen.  But, as my milk balances out (around 6 weeks) so should my nutrition.  I've had the best success by eating 5-6 meals per day.  Adding in LEAN PROTEINS and veggies to those meals.  And by being a bit more mindful (and slowing down a bit!).  While I don't count calories, the general recommendation is an increase of 500 when breastfeeding.

2.  Hydrate.  With WATER.  Aim to drink half your body weight.  Breast milk is a fluid - and to make it, your body needs water.  Lots of water.

3.  Begin at the beginning and then build.  That means your present body - not the one that you lived in a year or ten years ago.  The best exercise, no matter your fitness level, is one that makes you feel stronger, more confident and better overall.  Sharp pinches, pressures or pain?  That's your body telling you to back off.  Low impact might just feel better.    And that's okay.  No matter what strength your body had previously, the current core muscles (encompassing both the abdominals and the back) have been stretched and strained.  Allow them to work back into proper form.  Then build from there.

4.  Support.  A good sports bra is important.  The girls are heavier - give them support they need.

5.  Breastfeed (or pump) before exercising.  I've found workouts (whether low or high impact) to be much more comfortable when the girls aren't filled to the brim.

Why exercise?

With each new baby, I've felt fatigue like nothing else.  Can't even put it into decent words.  But for me, it comes down to Newton:

"An object at rest will stay at rest.  An object in motion will stay in motion."

Sit, and you'll want to sit more.  Move and you'll want to move more.  Will a mom still be tired?  You betcha.  But those babies don't stay small forever.  Your body (and mind) will thank you.  Keep at it.  

  

Tilapia Fish Taco

Feeding tilapia to my kids creates a bit of a mixed result.  My oldest (who eats about anything) has no problem downing a fillet, but the younger ones will poke and prod to no end.

Unless it's in a taco.

Below is my favorite fish taco recipe.  We seem to always use the grill for this one, and although it's winter, it feels warm enough to roll that grill out.

My favorite (and the easiest) way to make this is with this:

BUT, I actually haven't seen it the past few trips to Costco.  I have no doubt it will return (fingers crossed)!

A marinade I've used that we all like is below (and I have no idea where I pulled it from originally!):

1 T dried parsley
1 T dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
dash red pepper flakes (to taste)

Marinate for about 30 minutes, then grill about 3-5 minutes on each side.

BEST PART is the SAUCE!

Sauce:
1/4 c plain greek yogurt
1 T lime juice
handful chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp. cumin
1 T water
Blend together.

Great on corn tortillas, with avocado, fresh salsa and some green cabbage!

When feeding this to the kids (depending on which kid!), I'll even add a few black beans (or a thin layer of refried beans) onto the tortilla with the shredded tilapia.  They love the combo!

PiYo Recap

What did PiYo feel like for me?  What were the 60 days like?  Here's my recap!  

BEFORE PiYo:

I was 10 weeks postpartum with my fourth baby.

I was NOT consistent with any type of exercise.  Although I kept telling myself that unpacking boxes and being a mom was enough (we had recently moved).

I was really, really TIRED.  Not the "let's kick the soccer ball around mom" but the "I'll sit here and watch you" mom.

I DIDN'T fit any clothes I used to wear.

I felt SLUGGISH.

My joints HURT.

My back ACHED.  

No time.  No time.  NO time.

WHAT IS PiYo?  Think functional flexibility + low impact high intensity exercise + strength building using your own body weight.  60 day program.  8 different workouts.  Only equipment needed is a mat!

WEEK ONE:

I was surprised that I could feel as much intensity as I did in a short amount of time.  

The movement felt continuous.  

First day I did the SWEAT workout - I fell all over the place!  Wow!  Kinda felt frustrated because I really couldn't balance, but finished the workout anyway.

Wrists are sore!

WEEK TWO:

I like repeating some of the workouts.  Getting more familiar with the movements.

Hips are actually less sore during the day (first time in AGES!).

Getting muscle soreness - in a good way!

Wrists are still sore, but I am going to take Chalene's advice and keep going.  I believe in wrist flexibility, but I am just not there yet.  I am going to take breaks when I need them, and then get back into the workout.

My back does not ache as much as it did before doing this.

WEEK THREE:

Familiar enough with the workouts that I feel more confident in my movement.

Hey!  I can balance a little better!

My buns are sore!

Able to push myself harder now that I am feeling more confident.

Seriously surprised (still) that I'm getting so sweaty and not doing high impact!

WEEK FOUR:

What?!  This just got tougher!  DRENCH is named that for a reason!  

So glad I am following the progression of the program.  Had I jumped ahead, I would have missed out on building that base!

Back to falling a bit, but now I know I am going to get better.

Wrist soreness?  WHAT wrist soreness?  Bring on the pushups!

I think I convinced hubby to do PiYo too!

WEEK FIVE:

Woot! Woot!  I LOVE THESE WORKOUTS.

I look forward to them every single day.

I feel so good. 

I feel stronger and happier.  Noticing some muscle tone in the arms, legs and core that wasn't there before!

LOVE the low-impact, high-intensity of the workouts!

BEST NEWS:  Hubby started PiYo!  He is beginning on day 1!

WEEK SIX:

I am hooked.

Familiar with the flow and it is fun to MOVE.

I love being done in 30 minutes!

I can notice the difference in how my clothes feel.

Hubby is in week two and has sore wrists.  I'm happy to announce that will pass with consistency.

WEEK SEVEN:

Strong!

I don't need to convince myself to push play because I know I am going to love the way I feel!

I LOVE THE PUSH UPS!

I love the mix of workouts.  More confident?  Um, yes!

WEEK EIGHT:

What?! Where has the time gone?

Excited to push my hardest in the workouts.

Excited to finish what I started.

AFTER PiYo:

This was a game changer.  Seriously happily surprised at the results from about :30 minutes a day and focusing on good nutrition!  Back pain is completely gone.   Not only do I feel my core muscles again, but they feel strong!  The achy joints I had before PiYo is completely gone.  I can feel definition in my arms, shoulders, back, core and legs.  Feel so motivated to continue exercising!  I feel myself standing taller throughout my entire day.  I am so much happier, aware of my emotions, and stronger overall!

RESULTS:

I did the 60 day program 100%!

I ate real, whole foods (and yes, I had cheat meals).

I drank Shakeology every day as a dense dose of nutrition.

I lost 5 lbs. and 8" off my body.

The results on the INSIDE are probably the BIGGEST difference - and those aren't shown in a photo.  STRONGER, more CONFIDENT, HAPPIER, and much more ENERGIZED to play WITH my kids, not just be around my kids!

Want to know if PiYo is a fit for you? This is a GREAT option for someone looking to A) Build a SOLID Foundation AND B) Someone who is physically fit, maybe does a lot of high impact (HELLO RUNNERS!) but needs something to BALANCE them out - muscle lengthening and doesn't have a lot of time for it.  CONTACT ME and we'll chat! ORDER through me and you'll get one extra PiYo workout.  I'd love to be your coach (virtually!).  YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!

Tabata

I started Tabata workouts about three years ago.  My first exposure was actually through a Tabata instructor certification when I was seven months pregnant with my third baby.  I didn't know what to expect, but once I went through the first workout, I LOVED IT!

Tabata is a form of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  The name is from the guy who invented it - Dr. Izumi Tabata - a Japanese physician and researcher.  He and his colleagues wanted to develop a way to increase athletes performance in a short amount of time.  At some point, the rest of us figured out that it was a pretty dang good method.

Below are a few reasons why I love Tabata:

1.  Time.  Or, the fact that it doesn't require much.  One round of Tabata is 4 minutes long.  It is broken down to :20 seconds of your very best effort, followed by :10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times.  Typically there is about a one minute break before beginning the next round.  A typical Tabata workout for me is 4 rounds.  A warm up, workout and recovery can be finished in less than a half hour.

2.  Training effectiveness.  Check out this link for details on the original test groups.  Whether you are training for an endurance event, or looking to get a lot done in a little amount of time, you'll see improvements from Tabata.

3.  Variety in movements.  I love how custom Tabata can be.  Want more cardio?  Want more strength?  Want to use equipment?  No equipment?  Need to modify?  Go for it.  I did Tabata throughout the latter portion of my 3rd pregnancy, and through my entire 4th pregnancy.  Did it prepare my body for child birth?  You betcha.  But that's a whole other topic.

4.  Location.  Workout at the gym?  You can do Tabata.  At home?  Yep.  On vacation?  Been there.  At the park?  Done that.  With kids?  Yep.

Here's a great one that can be done anywhere.  It is a mix of strength and cardio.  Dumbells are the only equipment needed.

Warm up:  walk, jog in place.

1.  Squat to Calf Raise with Bicep Curl:  Feet shoulder distance apart, dumbells to sides of body.  Lower into a squat.  Raise from squat and lift dumbells to bicep curl as legs continue onto balls of feet in a calf raise.  Lower dumbbells to sides of body and return back to squat.  Repeat.

2.  Scissor Lunges:  Begin in lunge position with right foot back.  Lower into lunge.  As you lift, quickly move the right foot forward and left foot back to lunge position with the left leg back.  This can be done in a lower impact stepping motion, or a higher impact jumping motion.

3.  Tricep Push-up to One-arm Back Row:  Begin in plank position, hands directly under shoulders and grasping dumbells.  Lower to a tricep push-up.  Lift back into plank and raise one dumbbell in row position, keeping elbow close to body, and squeezing core to maintain alignment.  Lower dumbbell back to plank position and repeat, beginning with tricep push-up.  Alternate row from one side to the other.

4.  Burpee with Jumping Jack Feet:  From a standing position crouch down until both hands and feet are on floor.  Press weight into hands as you extend (or hop) feet back into plank position.  Keeping hands under the shoulders, hop feet out into wide v position, and then hop feet back to plank position.  Repeat out/in with feet.  Hop feet toward hands and stand.  Repeat entire movement.  Hopping can be replaced with stepping feet in and out, and alternating feet from one side to the other.

From time to time, I'll post more of my favorite Tabata workouts on my Facebook page.  Enjoy!

Sit Strong

The image on the left is me in my "mindless posture."  Or, my we-are-lucky-we-made-it-out-the-door-and-are-getting-there-on-time posture.  Or, my be-quiet-I-am-trying-to-drive-do-you-know-being-that-loud-could-make-me-get-in-a-car-accident posture.  It just depends on the day.

My son actually snapped that photo of me as we were driving home from school.  And I took a good look at it.

"Are you kidding me?!"  I said to myself.  Here I am, an educator of posture, and I look like that driving my kids around?  Yikes!

But, it's the truth.  Unless I'm thinking about good posture (insert moment where I straighten up on my chair to continue typing), it doesn't happen for me naturally.  Some people have that natural posture.  It's beautiful.  I love it.  But, my body waaaants to curve.  

The photo on the right is my "mindful posture."  I'm actually engaging my abs and trying to stack my shoulders over my hips, my head over my shoulders.  It's not perfect, but it's definitely better than the prior.  I feel so much stronger when I sit like this.  I can feel myself breathing better.

Looking at the two images made me stop for a moment and think.  How do I want my kids to see me?  Sure, I might have good posture when I'm working out, but what about the rest of the time?  And if I feel stronger in the picture on the right, imagine what that body language communicates to my kids?  And how do I want my spine to look as I continue to age?

Change happens one day at a time.  I don't think that overnight I am going to roll out of bed and have perfect posture all the time because I wrote about it.  But, just for today, I am going to make a little note to be more mindful about my posture.  And it's going to start each time I am in the car.  

Today, when I drive, I'm going to pull my belly into my spine, and squeeze those abs.  And maybe smile a bit at those other crazy drivers out there.

Join me?

Find the time to exercise

You'd think with over 8 years of group fitness teaching experience (that is a lot of classes over the years!), and countless continuing education courses and trainings, that I would write up, plan and execute all of my workouts perfectly, right?  Wrong.  I was struggling to "find the time."   

Since I was post-baby and we had just moved into a new home, I was T.I.R.E.D.  Low on energy, wanting to use any down time to sleep (or unpack), and scrambling from one thing to the next.  I often relate the life with a newborn like one really loooong day that continues for a few months.  Throw in all the other changes we had going on and I was downright exhausted.

I figured since I was so tired, the only time I could fit in a workout would be mid-morning, after I took my son to school, and before I had to take my daughter to kindergarten.  There wasn't a gym available where I could take the new baby (she had to be older), so my previous routine of "take them to the gym" wasn't an option.  That, and the window of time wasn't quite big enough to manage a gym class, lunch and any kind of kid time.  Not to mention leaving time for unpacking.  So I figured winging it solo would be the way to go.  I'd have to juggle the three girls, but since I was only looking for 20-30 minutes, it seemed totally manageable.

The first workout went like this:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wiz through morning routine and take son to school.  Zip home and feed baby.  Rock baby to sleep.  Look outside.  Weather is nice.  Girls should enjoy sunshine.  Mental decision to take workout outside.  Grab a bag of playdoh.  Get girls on bikes, baby in stroller (crossing fingers she will stay asleep).  Walk to workout location.  It's next to a picnic table, and fairly secluded (construction workers won't see me exercising, and I'm not right in front of a house).  Didn't take time to plan a workout, but pull out an old favorite.  Tabata.  Need a timer.  Dig out phone from stroller.  Pull out playdoh for girls to use at table.  Check on baby (still sleeping!).  Start first 4 minute interval (there were 4 total).  With breaks entire workout was 20 minutes.  Girls happily played.  Success!

Simple enough right?  It was so successful, two days later, I actually thought this could be my new "normal."  

Here's how the second workout went:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wrangle through morning routine.  5 year old cries because she can't decide what to wear.  Literally drag 2 year old into car so son can get to school on time.  Son is mad at mom and fears he might be late (hmmm, wonder where he gets "I need to be on time" from?).  Make mental note to teach son about "external factors" after school.  Hurry back home to feed baby.  Baby spits up all over workout clothes.  They stink.  Hurry and change workout clothes.  Baby is wide awake (what?!  she's been asleep at this time EVERY morning for the past 4 mornings - that's like an eternity in baby life!).  Still committed.  Get shoes on girls.  Two year old won't wear socks.  Or sandals.  Throw shoes in stroller and buckle 2 year old.  5 year old pinches herself getting on bike helmet.  Cries.  Again.  2 year old cries.  Again.  Baby cries (how do they pick up the sympathy cry so quickly?!).  I'm burning with frustration inside, but am committed.  Walk to same secluded spot only to find it is not secluded today.  Construction workers taking an unexpected break on the same picnic table (for the love?!  how many picnic tables are there around here, and they chose the same one?!  They must have known.).  Keep walking and find another picnic table and spot to exercise.  Baby is screaming (clearly the fresh air didn't calm her down).  Pull out playdoh for girls.  Girls are excited to use it again.  Look for phone to use timer for same workout as last time.  Only to remember it was left in garage.  While trying to calm down 5 year old (or was it the 2 year old?!).  Who needs a timer anyway.  Ready to work.  Baby has calmed down, but is wide awake.  Begin workout.  Stop workout.  5 year old is crying.  Again.  Turns out playdoh lid wasn't put on all the way on and her favorite color is now dry.  And crumbling everywhere (Good thing we are outside).  Convince her another color is just as wonderful.  Begin workout.  Again.  Stop workout.  Now 5 year old is crying.  Again.  2 year old is pulling hair of 5 year old like a handrail with one hand as she is placing playdoh on top of her head and shouting "Crown!  Queen Elsa's crown!"  Help girls redirect love for Frozen movie.  Take a breath.  Begin workout.  No more than 2 minutes in (at least I'm guessing since I forgot my phone), and baby is crying.  2 year old poking baby since she was falling asleep.  And with that, I wrapped it up.  Irritated beyond belief.  Ball of frustration in my stomach (this worked so well last time!), coupled with sweat dripping off of me (for the wrong reasons!).  

Walking home, I kept trying to put the blame on my kiddos (if she would have done this...then I could have finished what I wanted to do), or on the playdoh (why don't they have better lids) or on the movie (who needed another princess movie anyway?).  I was a grouchy mamma.  

In reality, I was trying to conduct a symphony with the wrong sheet music.  

Now, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't workout with your kids."  Because I actually believe the exact opposite.  I think they learn so much from example, and often times they will join in with me.  I have had A LOT of successful workouts at the playground while they are having a blast too (something I'll write about later).

And, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't exercise at the gym."  Because I believe the opposite.  I think it's a great place to feel part of something and get into an awesome routine.

But, I'm sharing this because sometimes we have to reevaluate.  Things come into our life that change what worked in the past, and it's our job to discover what will work in the present.  

The phrase "finding the time" is a bit ironic.  As if we are going to magically uncover more time from under a rug to make a change.  We all know that won't happen.  We will never "find the time."  Instead, something has to be eliminated from somewhere.

I knew I needed exercise.  But with all of the change surrounding me, I was having a tough time figuring out where to plug it in.  I studied my day - how it was blocked out, and where I had a natural "chunk" of time for myself.  I looked at what I could eliminate (that made sense with other goals I had in our family life).  And guess what?  The only time open was to set the alarm clock earlier.

What?!?  Lose the little sleep I was getting and trade it for exercise?!  Even with my knowledge of the benefits of fitness, I was doubtful it would actually help my fatigue.  But, I put the plan in action for a one week trial.

I set up three things to make it happen:
1.  I found an exercise program that I could do from home (in my basement).  It was done for me and I didn't have to "write my own."
2.  I only had to commit 30 minutes of my time.
3.  I held myself accountable (more on that later).

What happened?  

It has become my new normal.  Wake up time is 45 minutes earlier.  I would rate my overall energy as "significantly higher."  I have become stronger.  I have built more patience into my day because I'm eating cleaner and exercising regularly.  And, I get to play with my girls in the morning instead of bounce from one place to the next, or try to juggle too many things in a short amount of time.  Time with those munchkins that I will cherish.

There are so many options out there.  Find what works for you.  Commit yourself to a trial run.  Your body (and mind) will thank you.