FitFeat

Archive for category Keeping Fit

Painting Stairs = Leg Workout

May 2

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Hi friends!

I am crawling out from under the paint mess to say hello!  Back in March, I posted that we were starting a new home improvement project on our stairs.  At this point it has kind of taken over all of our free time!  Each of the last 6 weekends has included work on this project, plus free weekday evenings when time allows.

We’re slowly getting there.  Here’s a photo journey so far:









We have a split staircase – you can go upstairs from the front of the house or from the kitchen area on the back of the house.   The stairway is something that we really loved about this house when we bought it.  But over the years as we’ve remodeled most of the rooms, changed cabinetry to dark wood and refinished the floors to natural, the honey oak finish on the stairs began to look out of place.  We really wanted to have the railings and spindles replaced with new stained wood, wrought iron and treadcaps.  But the cost was absolutely insane.  So this is our budget-friendly Plan B.  Of course once we got into it, we found the condition of the stairs to be pretty bad once the carpet was removed, so it’s turned out to be a lot more prep work than we planned on.

Today I’m starting on the treads.  The vertical facings are finally done (painted white) but now the horizontal pieces will all be painted the espresso color.  This part will be slow-go.  Lots of taping off and tedious detail work.

To tie it in to the theme of FitFeat, I’m getting a LOT of extra BW squats, step-ups and shoulder raises in, that’s for sure!  ;)

Sunday I needed to get away from paint fumes for a bit and it was such a beautiful day, so Cory and I went for a little trail run.  It was the first outdoor run I think I’ve had so far in 2012.  Running just has NOT appealed to me lately, but I have to admit that I did enjoy the trail run – I really enjoy the hills and scenery as opposed to just a usual run on a flat jogging path.  So maybe I’ll pick up more runs here and there along some of the backcountry trails.

Here’s a little guy that crossed the trail in front of us so we had to stop and snap a pic – he’s well camouflaged so you have to look for him!


Thanks a ton for putting up with my sporadic posting schedule right now while this home project takes up all of my spare time.  Starting next month we have a small string of special houseguests coming for visits, so we have to keep at it to get it done and give the paint on the treads the 4 weeks to cure that it requires.

I know a few of my friends/family that read FitFeat are DIY’ers.  Any projects you’ve undertaken that turned out to be a lot more work/time than anticipated?

– Shari B. =)

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Stop the ‘Grass is Greener’ Mindset

Apr 9

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit, What Real Women Look Like | 5 Comments

I am a big fan of Seth Godin’s teachings.  A friend of mine introduced me to him years ago and while a lot of his messages are focused on marketing, they can be interpreted for other areas of life. One of his recent blog posts discussed happiness – kind of a “grass is always greener” mindset that “if only I could achieve xyz, I’d be happier” and how people on both sides of the proverbial fence generally think the people on the other side have it better so they keep striving to get to that other side.

Making a change to this mindset is very much in line with how I’ve adjusted the content of my coaching program.  No matter WHERE you are starting in your weight management and fitness journey, if you are unhappy with something about yourself in some way at the beginning, there are strong chances you’ll still be unhappy after you reach your goal.  I’ve worked with enough clients over the past decade to know that when one reaches a goal, there is short-lived excitement and elation about the achievement of the goal, but the unhappy little gremlins can creep back up and the same issue(s) will start again.  This is the problem with the mindset of “when I lose that last 10 pounds, I’ll feel so much better / be so much happier, etc.”.   Trust me when I tell you that is rarely the case.

Change your mindset first and your chances of lasting success will be much stronger.  Train yourself to be content with where you are right now, not to mention WHO you are right now instead of constantly feeling like you are trying to chase something that you currently are not, and I bet you’ll find the journey to be much more enjoyable.  You’ll also appreciate the destination that much more.

– Shari B. =)

***

Shari Becht is a Certified Natural Chef, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and healthy lifestyle coach.  She is extremely passionate about teaching people how they can take steps to fit healthy habits into their busy lives. 

If you or someone you know could use some help learning how to eat more healthfully, banish negative body image and incorporate more “FIT” into their lives, please feel free to email her at shari [at] fitfeat  [dot] com.  For more information, click here.

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Kudos to the Casting Director of “The Hunger Games” for Fit & Realistic Female

Apr 2

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit, What Real Women Look Like | 5 Comments

I wanted to wait until all the frenzy around “The Hunger Games” had died down before going to see the movie.  But then I just kept hearing how good it was couldn’t resist any longer and saw it this weekend.  I won’t give anything away or give my review of the movie itself but the one thing that definitely stood out to me was that the actress they cast in the lead (Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence) was what I like to see in the female up-and-comers of Hollywood.  She was fit in a way that looked attainable, reasonable and healthy.  And I thought she looked fabulous.

She had curve to her hips!  She didn’t have pin-thin arms!  I loved seeing that!  I hope that a lot of young girls who see the movie will take notice and know that her healthy body type is much more realistic than plenty of the other overly ‘skinny’ celebrities in movies, on TV and in the magazines.

Credit: Collider/Lionsgate

Image source

I watched an interview at FitSugar with her conditioning coach and appreciated what he had to say about her nutrition:

“Some of her diet information was a little misinformed and she’d been on the high protein diets in the past and didn’t feel very well. So she had a little bit more reasonable program, a little bit more carbohydrate, and then portion control. It was evidence based sound nutrition.

Sound nutrition.  Not a crash diet to get her ultra-lean in just a few short weeks.

I hope that this healthier body image trend is one that continues!

– Shari B. =)

Swooshmarked!

Mar 22

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 4 Comments

I found this on my leg after today’s hot yoga session (I wore my running capris):

I guess I really am a Nike girl!  They’ve branded me!

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Revisiting Rhabdo

Feb 21

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 5 Comments

Good morning FitFeat friends!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday weekend, if you had Monday off for Presidents’ Day.  My weekend flew by in a blink!  (Don’t all weekends, though?)  What I REALLY wish would fly by in a blink is WINTER! Because this solar-powered lady is really ready for a little warmth from the sun.  I have a little heater than I sometimes move from room to room with me so that I can pretend it’s really a 90 degree day outside.


This morning after I wrapped up personal training appointments, I decided to do some Iron Yoga and let me tell you – it felt GREAT.  When I get away from practicing yoga for awhile, it’s easy to forget how relaxed and centered I feel afterward.  Since I have a really packed list of work ahead of me today and could tell my mind was already feeling scattered and jittery, I knew that yoga would be the answer.  After a quick 35 minutes, I had squiggly legs and a much quieter mind.   Perfect! I recently bought a Groupon for a month of unlimited yoga at a local studio, so I’m very much looking forward to getting that started in March.

Walking and hiking outdoors are two other exercises that really help me feel more at peace in my mind. We are supposed to have a warm 60 degree day tomorrow (although very WINDY) so I will have to pencil in some time before the sun goes down to try to get outside and soak some of it in.

What exercises make you feel most at ease when you are finished?

***

On a completely opposite note of relaxing exercise… Last June when I had to check into the hospital for rhabdo, I was nervous to write about it on the blog because as a fitness professional, I felt a little embarrassed.  However, that post has become one that I am so glad to have written.  At the time, I made the decision to write about it publicly because if it helped just ONE person get to the doctor a little faster than I did or even prevent it in the first place, then it would be a good thing to share.  Well, a number of people have reached out to me since then, some privately via email and others via the comment section, to share their own experience with rhabdo.  Some of the private emails brought tears to my eyes, especially when people say that the post helped them know what tests to ask the doctor for or that they got tested sooner rather than later after reading here.

The post continues to remain active in the comments area – I wanted to bring it back up today so that the regular readers of FitFeat could revisit it.  And if you are new here, it’s a good thing to be aware of if you exercise.  And I also mention the post today because it’d be great if you would like to wish RALPH a speedy recovery in the comments section of the original post.  Ralph commented there last week with his experience and as of today, he is now on his 6th day in the hospital recovering from rhabdo – his CPK levels were more than 5 times higher than mine.  It’s a really scary thing to end up spending a week in the hospital when you were trying to do the right thing for your body by exercising and living a fit lifestyle.  So if you have friends who exercise and strength train PLEASE let them know about rhabdomyolysis and maybe even send them the link.  Especially if that friend is interested is CrossFit or bootcamps – because if you read through the experiences mentioned, all but one so far specifically mention CrossFit.

Here is the link to the original post:  Rhadbomyolysis:  If You Exercise, Read This.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their experience here on the blog and also to those who have contacted me privately.  I really feel for each of you and I hope that you ALL are able to recover quickly and completely.

– Shari B.

 

 

 

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The Power of My Tracker

Feb 9

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 5 Comments

My “no slacker tracker” is calling me out.  “Slacker, slacker!!”

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That calendar is looking very sparse after such a great job in January!  The power of my tracker is real because I feel bad that it’s so bare!  I better hop to it!

:)

– Shari B.

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Keeping the Treadmill Interesting

Jan 23

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Good morning blog buds!

I posted this to the FitFeat FB page this morning but the mobile app thinks I was posting as a fan of the page and not as the admin, so it won’t hit your news feeds. Hopefully the WordPress mobile app I’m trying now for the first time works a little better!

I came across this article for treadmill workouts and the tips were almost identical to how I keep myself from getting bored when I have to do indoor cardio, so I thought I’d share it. Another trick I utilize is when I am watching recorded TV programs on the treadmill, I’ll walk on a high incline during the show to keep my heart rate high but then kick it up to running or sprint intervals during the commercial breaks.

Treadmill workouts

Have a great Monday & a FIT week!

– Shari B. =)

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Review: OrangeTheory Fitness

Jan 4

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit, Product Review | 2 Comments

Hi blog buds!

How is 2012 starting off for you?  I still can’t believe it’s January already. It feels like it was just yesterday that Cory and I were at the Haunted Forest for Halloween!

On the workout front, the year is off to a great start and my “no slacker tracker” is all filled in so far!  I’ve kicked up the intensity for the start of this year as I need to build back some of my missing fitness.  I let some of it get away last year (in both strength and cardiovascular endurance ability) so I’m currently splitting out the body parts in a more traditional bodybuilding fashion, rather than a full body Tabata workout as I’d done a lot of last year.  I plan to continue this for the first quarter and assess my progress.  It looks like this for now:

  • Chest/Shoulders/Biceps
  • Cardio (some intervals, some steady state)
  • Legs
  • Back/Triceps/Core
  • Cardio Legs (hi rep routine w/ lots of lunges, squats and light plyometrics)

I’ll fill in the other days with yoga/hiking/walking/social-cizing, whatever feels fun in the moment.

And maybe some more classes like this:  last week, I had the fun opportunity to workout at a new OrangeTheory Fitness location that will be opening for business next week.   I was invited to attend one of their free mock classes prior to their Grand Opening and I was excited to do something different (and truth be told, have someone tell ME what exercises to do for a change).  It’s a group fitness session that incorporates cardio intervals and circuit training.

It was a really fun workout and the hour flew by.  They provide you with a heart rate monitor and your heart rate is posted on big screen monitors, along with all of your fellow exercisers’ heart rates.  We started out on cardio equipment to warm-up:  half on rowers, half on treadmills.  Then the rowing group moved to the gym where were did giant sets of exercises.  For example, 10 reps each of weighted squats, then dumbbell rows, then chest presses, then lunges, then back extensions and repeat a few times.  We went through three different giant sets along those lines, and it gets your heart pumping.  Next thing you know, 30 minutes has flown by and it’s time to trade with the peeps on the treadmill.  The instructor then led us through a running interval session (or power walking at an incline if you prefer) for the remainder of the class.  Then we cooled down and did a quick round of stretches.  The energy was great and the staff was really friendly and supportive. They also had a lot of fun fitness toys, like BOSU balls and TRX suspension trainers.

If you have one in your area and you are looking to switch things up, give it a try!  I haven’t found any info yet on what the cost is for membership or whether they offer drop-ins.  I’ll update this post when I get that info.

Have you been to an OrangeTheory class?  Or do you have one nearby but haven’t yet tried it?

Have a GREAT day friends!

– Shari B. =)

»crosslinked«

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Bringing Back the No Slacker Tracker

Dec 31

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 5 Comments

Happy New Year’s Eve friends!

I just finished an AWESOME lower body workout and am sipping on a green post-workout smoothie.  We attempted a hike this morning so we got really bundled up and strapped on our Yak Trax. We knew it was windy when we drove to the trailhead, but we literally got out of the car, took three steps, looked at each other and said, “Indoor workout instead??”  Holy hurricane winds, Batman!  You could hardly stand up straight.  So we came home, took the dogs out for Riley’s vet-ordered mini-walk (which really looks more like a drunken sailor wobble for Riley) while we were still bundled up tight and then I did 50 minutes of walking lunges, squats, wall squats, deadlifts, wide/straight leg deadlifts, calf raises, step ups, pulsing lunges, etc.  You get the idea.  I will be feeling it tomorrow!

No sense waiting until tomorrow to work on those 2012 intentions!  I feel a productive day coming on!

I have printed out my January No Slacker Tracker – if you are new to FitFeat, here is a post I wrote on it before.  And here is a link to a free January 2012 printable for you if you want your own.

This will give me a quick visual of when I’m moving my bod (I’ll mark that with one color and plan to also use another color to mark the days I feel I’m being nutritionally supportive of it as well).  All these little head colds are definitely my body’s way of telling me I haven’t been feeding it properly lately.

Really minimizing sugars (outside of fruit) will be on my list.  Good thing these arrived for Christmas ;) and have already been gobbled up:

Huge thanks to my super friend Allison of The Sunday Flog for sending these delicious (and GORGEOUS) cookies.  What a fun treat!  Cory knows that when something is going to arrive in the mail from her, it’ll be delightful so he made trip after trip to the mailbox in anticipation.  (Last year her caramels were amazing and so were the FitFeat cookies!).   My photos don’t do her cookies justice, so go check out her post where she shows all the hard work and love that went into making these.  Allison, we devoured them that night and saved a couple to have with our coffee the next morning – thank you so much for the wonderful gift!

On that note friends, have an amazing celebration to ring in 2012 tonight!  I’m gonna go hit the list of things to get done and then I need to get ready to head out for our evening!

See you *next year*!  :D

– Shari B. =)

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Winter Wonderland… and then some

Dec 22

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Hi friends!

Hope you are having a terrific Thursday so far!  Mine has been really productive.  Which is pretty impressive considering that I haven’t even left the house (I did shower and do my hair though – BONUS!). I got up and did a killer Chest/Shoulders/Biceps workout for an hour (thank you Cathe Friedrich!), then went outside to run the snowblower and shovel (another hour), tested a couple of recipes for future client cookdates, and sold a piece of furniture that I listed almost a month ago on Craigslist.  The buyer even drove all the way down from north of Denver to get it.  And in this nasty weather:

Brave soul, that one – he didn’t even have 4WD.  Just a little Toyota.  He did get stuck on our street, so a neighbor, Cory and I pushed and pushed and got him unstuck.  He’s giving this item as a gift so I hope the recipient appreciates the lengths to which he went to get it!  I sent him with a muffin to snack on on the way home and asked if he needed the ‘facilities’ since he’d been on the road so long.  I am sure he thought I was either CRAZY or just abnormally nice (I’d say a little bit of both).  Hey, if you buy something from me on Craigslist, show up on time and don’t haggle, I’ll practically invite you for dinner.  :)

If you look at the photo above, you can somewhat see how that snow is higher than my knees.  The news channels say we got about 10″ in our end of town.  Cory’s been on snow duty all year so far – I figured he should have a break today since I didn’t have to work (thanks for taking some action shots, C!).  I definitely got some cardio going on this – I was a sweaty beast when I was all done with our driveway, the sidewalk on our corner, our steps up to the front, our porch and my neighbor’s sidewalk.  I am so thankful for snowblowers!  Now if only it was self-propelled – THAT would be awesome!

I had to lean into it to get it going through all that snow!

Totally playin’ in the snow!

Because we knew the storm was headed our way, we moved up our “light viewing drive” to last night – normally we do it on Christmas Eve.  We had no idea if we’d end up with a blizzard and be housebound for a few days, so we figured we better get out while we still could.  I made a batch of vegan cranberry ‘sour cream’ muffins (adapted from Gena’s version) along with some ginger spice cookies to pack in the car.  We hit up the Starbucks drive-through (soy steamer for me, white hot cocoa for him), cranked the Christmas music on the radio, and the viewing party began.

Here are a couple of the good ones (taken with my iPhone because I couldn’t find my camera on the way out the door):

The snow had just started to fall shortly before we took off and as the evening went on, it was getting pretty slick.  We saw one car completely miss his turn and slam right into the curb on the OPPOSITE side of the street than he was aiming – at that point we figured we best get ourselves home lest WE become the landing pad instead of the curbs.

It was such a festive night – it’s one of my favorites of our little traditions as a couple.  Add to that waking up to all this snow today and I am REALLY in the holiday spirit.  I love it!

Are you getting a lot of snow this season where you are?  How’s your holiday weather looking?  Do you drive around and look at all the decorated houses?

– Shari B. =)

PS:  Thanks for all the great feedback on Keri’s guest post!  I even got some emails about it in addition to the posted comments.  Maybe I convince her to do that for us more often.  ;)   If you missed it, go check it out!

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