FitFeat

where daily feats & eats can be adventures in themselves

Posts Tagged Hiking

One Way to Trick Yourself into Exercising

Jun 22

Posted by Shari B. in Hiking | 7 Comments

Hi friends!

If you’re a reader from the early days, you may remember that hiking is probably my all-time favorite type of exercise.  You get a heart-pounding cardio workout (especially if you run the downhills), you get strength work on your legs and core, and the muscles that stabilize your lower body joints get a lot of attention (especially the ankle joint) from the uneven terrain.  Best of all, it doesn’t feel like exercise when you have gorgeous scenery to admire.  So if you feel like you haven’t been as motivated lately to get out and move the ol’ bod, just plan a couple of hilly hikes and you’ll be able to “trick yourself” into exercising!  :)

We tried out a new hiking trail, this time in the foothills outside of Boulder.  And during the hike, it became apparent how the town of Boulder got its name…

The uphill portion of the hike (90 minutes) had my heart rate in the upper 170s most of the time with plenty of high step-up movements on to big rocks along the way.  Coming down (60 minutes) it was around 115.  Total change in elevation was about 2,400′.

Before 8:00 AM the trailhead parking lot was already full:

Gentlemen, start your engines… err… GPS watches!

An old lodge tucked in the trees along the way:

So much is green this time of year!

The upper portion of the trail got really steep – check out the trees as a vertical reference point:

Steep enough that we were doing a 29 minute mile pace!!  S-l-o-w

But slow going allows for great viewing!

At the “summit” of this hike (approx 8,159′):

On the top of the stack of rocks is a plaque that shows you which mountain peaks you can see from this amazing vantage point.

Unfortunately about 6 minutes before we hit the top, the clouds rolled in and this was our view from the plaque:

And of course the sun came out again on the way down!

That just gives us a reason to go back again soon though, which is OK by me!

So while the hike itself only ended up totalling 4.75 miles, the calorie expenditure was much higher (somewhere around 720 for me) from the uphill portion alone.  On the way down our legs started to get wobbly and we were making sloppy steps, so it was time to sit and share a Larabar.

And a touristy photo op.  :D

Are you convinced yet?  Hiking is a FABULOUS workout. If you live anywhere near some hills, I encourage you to get out this coming weekend.  Just promise you’ll share the pictures with us!

Random tip for GARMIN FORERUNNER users: if you find that your Garmin is charged but won’t power on, press and hold the MODE and RESET buttons simultaneously and then try the power button (while holding the other two still).  Release all three and it should come on just fine.  It took me two tries to get it going again and let me tell you, my heart sank when it wouldn’t power on at first.  I’d be lost without my Forerunner (quite possibly LITERALLY lost too!)  ;)

Make it a GREAT and FIT day friends!

– Shari B. =)

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Cooking Out, FitFeat Style

Jun 1

Posted by Shari B. in Cooking | 14 Comments

Good morning blog buds!  I hope that you all had an amazing holiday weekend!

Ours was absolutely gorgeous.  We had PERFECT weather all weekend long.

Saturday morning we got in an hour of Bob’s yoga, followed by a good long dog walk.  Sunday I went on a wonderful hike in the foothills with my good friend Keri of Om of the Rockies.  Monday was another dog walking session in the morning with a long strolling hike in the evening.  We got a ton done around the house and yard and STILL had time to relax.  Every weekend should be a three day weekend, don’t you agree?  I feel refreshed today and ready to take on the new month.

Wahoo it’s finally JUNE!  Love the summer months like you can’t even imagine.

Speaking of June:  in this month’s issue of Women’s Health magazine, they had an article on ‘bikini-friendly burgers’.

I thought the vegetarian Lentil-Quinoa Burger with Sauteed Mushrooms sounded interesting and would be perfect for some outdoor grilling, so I gave it a shot.

Plus the picture was drool-worthy:

So I followed the instructions and busted out six patties:

(it’s not cooking unless you drip stuff on the recipe, right?)

And here is my final product, bunless of course, because I’m already getting plenty of grain/carbs in the burger, so no need to add on a big huge bun.  Just a side of baked kale and a sprinkle of raw goat cheese.

My thoughts on the recipe as it was written:

1.) there was no way that these patties were going to survive the grate of our BBQ grill as they didn’t hold together that well when they were first pressed.  Refrigerating the raw patties helped somewhat but I still ended up ‘grilling’ them on my George Foreman.

2.) there wasn’t a lot of “oomph” to the flavor, even with the cumin and the fresh cilantro.  Add some of your favorite spices if you try this recipe to give it a little pizazz.  I think the burger recipe is a great canvas to play with the flavors – add some Old Bay and dried sea veggies to give it a crab cake feel or some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for some Tex-Mex heat.   I topped my leftovers with spicy hummus and avocado and it was delicious that way too.

3.) the texture reminded me of the Sunshine burgers, if you are a fan of them (I am!) and they reheated nicely without becoming little hockey pucks.

Definitely give these patties a try – just add your own flair to make them your own!

And no “cookout” is complete without a cocktail, right?  How refreshing does this look:

Guess what it was?

Gingerade KOMBUCHA TEA – that’s all!!  Mmmm so good!  And tastes even better when you drink it out of a wine glass!

Did you try any new recipes or healthy foods over the holiday weekend? Drop me a comment!

***

June is a great month to lay off the heavier foods and cleanse the body!  If you feel the need to do some ‘spring cleaning’ of your temple, you could sign up to take Brendan Brazier’s Thrive in 30 Challenge. I’ve done this in the past and really enjoyed watching the video lessons that arrived in my mailbox.

If the idea of a challenge sends you running for the hills, how about making it simple:  get in a green smoothie (blended salad) at least a few times a week as well as a LARGE salad for lunch or dinner.  Up it to doing these two things every day and you’ll be well on your way to a ‘cleaner’, lighter body!

Have a GREAT day friends!

– Shari B.

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Welcome to My Chapel

Apr 5

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Good morning blog buds and happy Monday!  I can’t believe my extra-long holiday weekend is over already!  Wow, did that ever fly by!

I hope that you had a beautiful weekend.  It was a gorgeous day in Colorado for our Easter Sunday.  So MSP and I figured it would be a perfect morning to get in our first hike of the season.

Welcome to my chapel:

I always seem to be doing something outdoors with friends or MSP on Sundays.  I don’t belong to a particular religious denomination, so I always like to say that my outdoor jaunts are my “churchtime”.  :)

We had a great hike.  We’d initially intended to wear our VFF barefoot shoes – but it was a good thing we brought our trail runners along too because we ran into a lot of this:

Saw some neat things:

And posed for some pics :

We were out for a little over two hours and had a blast.  I’m so excited that hiking season is here again!  Maybe one of these years I’ll invest in some snowshoes so that hiking season can last all year long.

Did you do anything fun and fitness related over the holiday weekend?

***

The Spring Slimdown continues to creep along with the lowest weigh-in so far at a loss of 1.8 lbs over 13 days.  Getting there slowly and could make it faster if I was willing to be a bit more obsessive.  But right now, I’m not!

Make a great day!

– Shari B. =)



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The 10 Commandments of FitFeat

Mar 4

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Hi Fit Peeps!  It’s Friday-EVE!

The sun is shining and supposedly it’s going to hit 60 degrees today.  I can’t even describe how happy that makes me!  Spring is just around the corner! You all know I run on solar power, right?  ;)

I took the day off from working out yesterday.  I want to get past this mini-bug as quickly as possible, so I’m saving my body’s energy for immunity rather than for recovering from exercise.  I’ll have to take a trip to Whole Foods today and pick up some Kombucha tea and maybe some of the other cool supplement ideas you all suggested for me this week!  (Thank you for all the great ideas!)

As I mentioned in the last post, since I started training for the marathon a little over 6 weeks ago, my appetite has been a bear and I’ve also allowed more sugary items to creep back in.  Part of that is thanks to the season of Cadbury Caramel Cream Eggs which I love, love, love!  Part of it is the increased expenditure of energy from the long runs, yes, but not nearly as much as you may think.  (The rest of my week has LESS exercise in it than it used to because I spend a day or two ‘recovering’ from the long runs and then minimize leg work as I gear up for the next run.)  So my weekly calorie expenditure isn’t that much more than it was when I wasn’t training for this event.

I’ve been working at such a high heart rate in every run that I’ve been burning mostly sugar as fuel and not much fat.  This leads to a cycle of craving carbs, burning carbs, craving carbs, etc.   When our bodies feel wiped, we crave foods that will give us instant bursts of energy.  And unless you are planning to be running sprints in the next couple of hours, you know right where that sugar’s gonna go:  to your trouble spots!

I eat for weight maintenance.  Over the course of a lot of trials and many errors, I found what works best for me to feel healthy and satisfied, with the added bonus of fitting into my skinny jeans! :)   Enter an endurance sport, and my ‘natural rhythm’ gets thrown a bit off balance.

From a speed perspective I have a target weight in mind that I would like to race at on May 16.  For every 5% of weight you lose, you gain about 5% in speed.  If I want to increase my speed by 30 seconds per mile, I’ll need to get a bit lower than what my ‘summer maintenance weight’ is.

Here’s what I’m NOT going to do:  be obsessive or restrictive about it.  If I make it, great.  If not, I’ll just be 14 minutes slower over the 26 miles.

Here’s what I AM going to do:  get back to the basics of what I know works for me, both from a nutrition standpoint and an exercise standpoint.

With that said I thought I’d share the basics I follow (and coach my clients on) for losing (or maintaining weight) and healthy living in general:

10 Commandments of FitFeat

1.) Eat when hungry, stop when full. Never walk away from a meal feeling stuffed.

2.) Eat a green smoothie every day.

3.) If hungry between meals, choose natural (and preferrably raw) snacks.

4.) Eat a HUGE salad every day, chock full of veggies and fun things like dulse, nutritional yeast and healthy fats.

5.) Chew every bite until it’s practically liquefied – good digestion starts in the mouth!

6.) Eliminate (or greatly reduce) foods that cause nutritional stress (primarily refined flours, refined sugars, trans-fatty acids, artificial chemical additives).

7.) Plan, plan and plan some more.  If you don’t have the right foods within your reach, it’s much to easy to grab the WRONG ones.

8.) Save and Savor: SAVE the once-in-a-blue-moon foods for special occasions (like birthday cake and wedding cake) and when you do treat yourself to these indulgences, SAVOR it. And maybe have some fun with it.  ;)   For the not-so-special occasions where you need a treat, pick those that have some nutritional value like red wine and dairy-free dark chocolate.

9.) Choose exercise that energizes you and that you enjoy doing.  Let each workout leave you wanting to come back again the next time.

10.) Love yourself and your body.  Appreciate what it does for you and treat it with respect.  When you put that thought first, the choices you make will come naturally.

***

Today’s discussion:  how many of these 10 commandments do you already ‘obey’?  If there are some you don’t, which will you implement first?

– Shari B. =)

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Sunshine + Saturday = One Happy Shari

Dec 12

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit, Product Review | 3 Comments

Hello and happy Saturday!  I’ve another busy day on tap to get the remainder of my Christmas shopping done.  Getting there, but very slowly.  I really can’t believe that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!

Friday’s weight training workout was good!  I did 40 minutes of the Cathe Friedrich “Legs and Glutes” DVD which is always a killer workout.  Once my legs felt like jello sufficiently worked, I switched off the DVD and spent the final 20 minutes working my back muscles with some lat pulldowns, one-arm DB rows and angled high-pulls.  I made the mistake of putting on that great Lady GaGa station again and almost got caught up in some cardio boogie-ing… but was able to restrain myself lest be late for work!

What I did NOT do yesterday was take pics of my food! (say what???)  I was rushing around and completely spaced!  But I know what I had so here’s the list for those of you who like to see my crazy eats:

  • Post Workout / Breakfast:  a green smoothie with added rice protein and an acai frozen pack, plus turnip greens, spinach, cucumber, sprouts and a clementine
  • Mid-Morning Snack: ginger snap Larabar (thank you to my new boss who picked up some Larabars for me to snack on at the office – that was super cool!)
  • Lunch:  had brought soup but was busy so instead had two sliced of toasted Ezekial bread with raw almond butter alongside a cup of green tea
  • Afternoon Snack:  few slices of raw goat cheddar with 2 thick wheat crackers
  • Dinner with our wonderful friends Brett & Allison:  Allison made a FANTASTIC spinach salad with avocado, red pepper and pine nuts.  I had two helpings of that tasty salad alongside a slice & a half of thin crust “deLITE” Herbed Mediterranean pizza (minus the chicken).  It was a wonderful time chatting and catching up, and delicious meal.  Thanks so much for having us over!
  • Bedtime Snack:  When we got home, it was late and we were “snacky” so MSP and I each had two of our leftover ginger cookies that I’d made on Sunday. I certainly don’t like to make it a habit to have high carbs or sweets right before bed.  But sometimes you just have to do what feels fun!

This morning we went out for a 4.75 mile snowy hike.  I was bundled up with hat, scarf, mittens, down jacket.  But my beloved SUN was shining and I HAD to get out there.  It was truly gorgeous.  The clouds have moved on and the sky was so clear that it made for spectacular mountain views.

When we returned our tummies were growling somethin’ fierce so we make breakfast sandwiches.  Mine used a flourless sprouted grain Ezekial muffin, with one egg, a slice of tomato, and a bit of raw goat cheddar.  It was warm and perfect after being outside. 

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But I still felt that I needed some greens to go with breakfast so I also had this stack of baby spinach on the side with some Annie’s Goddess dressing.

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I think this may be the first time ever I’ve had a SALAD for breakfast!  Unless you count green smoothies or the “innerds” of a veggie omelet!  ;)

Today’s question has to do with winter sports:  we’ve discussed in past posts what our favorite winter activities are.  Since the entire nation (with the exception of lucky Florida) seems to have been in a deep freeze lately, have any of you gotten in any winter sports yet, like skiing, snow shoeing, snow hiking, etc?  Today would probably be the closest thing to my first “winter activity” (unless you count snow blowing and shoveling!!)  I do wish that I had put my Yak Trax on my shoes though because I had NO traction on my hiking shoes in the hard packed snow trail.  I bought them a long time ago for a snowy 8 mile trail race and they were an awesome purchase, worth their weight in gold I think!  (For any of you that are outdoor runners or hikers in snow pack, these can slip right over your running shoes, in the same way you add snow chains to your tires.)

Well friends, I’m off to battle the crowds of crazed shoppers!  Enjoy your weekend!  Go get your FIT on!  :)

– Shari B. =)

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Gotta Getta Garmin

Nov 9

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature | 6 Comments

Hello blog buds!

Where did the weekend go?  It FLEW by!  I hope yours was wonderful!  I took Sunday off from blogging and enjoy some time with MSP and the pups. 

Exercise highlights from the weekend: 

  • 4 mile hike session with MSP on Saturday. It was a blue sky morning and absolutely gorgeous.  The mountains always look so amazing in the morning light.  Later in the day a haze will often build up and obscure them somewhat.  Seeing them first thing in the morning never gets old to me.  It was a great hike.  We had a fun time chatting about anything and everything.
  • 5k run with MSP on Sunday morning.  It was a chilly and breezy.  We followed the same route that will be used for uur town’s Turkey Day 5K, which has 360 feet of ascent over the first half and then descends that same amount over the second half.  We ran our legs off and still were only able to keep a 9 min mile pace.  It felt like we were working so much harder than that.  I did see sub-7:00 briefly on a downhill portion, so that was exciting.  :)
  • As a follow up to last Friday’s very brief Tabata leg training session, let me just say:  Oh. My. Aching. Legs.   My legs were SO sore still yesterday!  Normally cardio will bring some extra blood flow to sore muscles so they can heal and feel better.  After yesterday’s run and stretching, I was even MORE sore.  YOWZA.  That Tabata training can be ouchie.  MSP did that leg workout this morning while I did upper, so I’ll be interested to see if he’ll be limping around tomorrow like I was this weekend. 

Some food highlights for the weekend:

First I have to tell you about an idea I had for changing up my baked kale over the weekend.  I used Annie’s organic Goddess Dressing (well the generic brand anyway) to coat the kale pieces this time in lieu of olive oil, and it made for another tasty treat.  It gave the kale chips a little extra zip.  I was able to control myself this time and eat it in TWO sittings instead of one.  This is one sitting:

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I’m still using up some of my pumpkin puree, so my weekend oatmeal was looking a little orange.  On top is a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut and some raisins.

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I reached for the cinnamon plus spice bottle to sprinkle on my oatmeal and ended up with the cajun herb bottle.  Thank goodness I took a look before I sprinkled, or I would have been in for a shock to the tastebuds with my first bite!  Cajun oats anyone??  (I suppose it COULD be interesting…)

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I purchased carob powder Friday to make the chocomole recipe, and it has a recipe on the back for a hot carob drink.  It sounded good yesterday when I was feeling chilly post-run so I gave it a try.

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And of course I made substitutions to it:

  • 1 cup unsweetened organic soy milk (and now I have officially finished that jug of soy – they restocked the almond milk at the store, yay!!)
  • 1 tbsp carob powder
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I even made it on the stovetop, since it said to be sure not to boil.

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It wasn’t bad.  I’d say it’s a nice replacement for a packaged hot cocoa mix. 

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(Sundays during football season require the obligatory Broncos mugs…!)

The weekend often calls for a visit to MSP’s favorite place:  Chipotle.  I ordered the veggie bowl with no rice.  So it came with fajita veggies, black beans, corn salsa, pico de gallo and guac.  I added some baked Tostito scoops at home. 

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Late Sunday afternoon meant ‘treat time’ and I was in the mood for a savory treat rather than something sweet.  I ran down to Vitamin Cottage for my favorite raw, unpasteurized version of goat cheddar (that’s the one that doesn’t seem to cause me any digestive trouble) and some almond Nut-Thins.  MSP ran in the other direction to the liquor store to pick up my favorite organic wine, “Our Daily Red”.   Ahh, my elegant afternoon wine and cheese plate!

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It was a wonderful weekend (as they should be, which is why I’m in love with Saturdays!!) 

***

Today’s FitFeature and discussion topic is about fitness gadgets.

I am a gadget gal.  (I somewhat blame MSP for this, because he is a gadget guy and it’s rubbed off onto me.)  :)  Often, I am loaded up with gadgets when I head out for runs.  My hydration pack, my GPS, my iPod, my whistle, pepper spray, etc.  (Safety first, people!!)  If you passed me on the running path, you’d probably think I was all loaded up for a marathon run.  Nope, more likely around 4 miles.  Just like to have my gear!

My favorite fitness gadget by far has to be my Garmin Forerunner GPS 305, which I received for Christmas last year from MSP (he’s such a great gift-giver!)  He got me the newer model to replace my original Garmin 201.  My old one was getting really slow at catching a satellite signal, didn’t offer an option for heart rate and the readings started to become inconsistent. 

I fully credit the Garmin with keeping me interested in running.  I LOVE that I can look down at it and see what pace I’m doing at all times.   I love that it comes with a “virtual trainer” so you can set a specific pace and a little guy on the screen will tell you to run faster if you are getting behind.  I love that it has a “breadcrumb trail” feature to keep you from getting lost.  I love that the newer model has a heart-rate monitor option. 

Above all, I love that I can plug it into my PC, download each run and look at all the stats.  I like to compare pacing from previous runs on the same routes, or see how my heart rate compares on different routes.  There is something about being able to look at these that propels me to want to go out again, and then agai, and again another time.

garmin

I also love that there are so many features left for me to discover.  One of these days I’ll actually look at the manual and see what other cool things it does! 

Do you have a favorite gadget that helps keep you motivated in some way?  Please drop a comment and let us know!  Gift-giving time is coming up and maybe you will inspire a great gift idea!

Have a MARVELOUS MONDAY! 

– Shari B. =)

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Turning the Tables on Naysayers

Nov 2

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, Keeping Fit | 8 Comments

Good morning FitFeat friends!

I hope that you had a wonderful post-Halloween recovery day.  Alison from Mama’s Weeds blogged about “recalibrating” – I think a few of us were definitely in that mode!  I know I was (and am today as well).  I’m feeling ready to hit the reset button and get back to my regular routine.  Between hosting houseguests and then getting snowed in, I feel like it’s been 2 weeks since I’ve had a routine day.  Vacation is over.  Back to reality!  :)

MSP and I did get out yesterday for a great 5 mile interval session.  Intervals of any sort are my favorite, which is why I love to hike.  Hiking to me is bascially one big interval session.  Higher intensity on the uphill portion, recovery on the downhill.  We did something similar on our run yesterday, as where we live is pretty hilly.  We speedwalked the uphills and raced on the downhills.  It was so fun and the miles flew by in a hurry. 

The sun was shining  and the sky was clear blue.  A big thanks to our Recreation Association for taking a snowplow to the trail system, because they were in great shape despite all the snow that fell.

I fueled up about an hour prior to the run with a Larabar Coconut Cream Pie.

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And a post-run green smoothie (that I almost forgot to photograph, so it’s almost gone).

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During the Broncos game, which did in fact turn out to be the snoozefest I figured it would be (Ravens ended the Broncos undefeated streak with no trouble at all), I was craving pizza.  As you know I adore pizza and could probably eat it every day ;)   so I made a super-healthy veggie-topped pita pizza.

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It was filling and DEE-LISH!

Mid-afternoon I had a handful of Newman’s Ginger-O’s and a glass of soymilk (the store was OUT of almond milk this time so I am stuck with soy this week.)

Dinner was a beautiful veggie salad dressed with hemp oil and balsamic vinegar.  On the side I had a Sunshine Falafel patty.  Mmmm. 

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It felt great to get plenty of veggies in my day again.

***

On to a new FitFeature topic that I’ve been wanting to cover for some time:  using naysayers to propel you to success.

Through the years, I have tried many different nutrition plans and fitness routines as I enjoy experimenting to determine what works best for me. 

When you are eating healthy and exercising, chances are you are going to bump into people who want to rain on your parade.  I could do a whole series on the reasons WHY and HOW people will do this to you, but for today I’d like to focus on YOU turning naysaying into motivation.

Many years back, before I became a personal trainer and while I was still new in my fitness journey I was working as a consultant and had been assigned to a project with a fairly large company.  Over time, people got used to the fact that I packed my own food and ate healthy most of the time.   

I had a 3-ring binder in which I kept my food and exercise logs.  On the cover of the binder was an “Avia” fitness ad I’d torn out of a magazine as motivation.

One of the women that worked in the department I’d been assigned to saw my motivation photo and actually told me that I could “never look like that”. 

Now I am sure she didn’t mean it maliciously.  I like to think she was implying that she figured only a select genetically gifted few looked that way and that I’d only be wasting my time or setting myself up for failure. 

Ten years later, I STILL remember that comment. And boy did I prove her wrong.  Not that she knows it – my contract there ended and I moved on to the next consulting gig and then ultimately became a full-time personal trainer.  But just knowing that I reached my goal and THEN SOME, gives me satisfaction that she could not diminish my excitement or drive with her negativity. 

In fact she PROPELLED me further. 

I am one who responds when you tell me I can’t do something.  I must have a little rebellious side because if you tell me I HAVE to do something, I immediately do NOT want to do it.  And when you tell me I CAN’T do something, I will move mountains to show you I just how well I CAN. 

When I first embarked on my journey to better fitness I looked like this (150 lbs, 5’4″) – geez I look unhappy don’t I?

Before

After a couple of rounds of “Body for Life” I’d improved to this (this is where I was when I was working the consulting job) – cheesy pose due to entering the BFL contest :)

before mid

This is the ad I’d referred to for motivation:

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And then at my first NPC figure competition:

BW fit show

Now I won’t kid you – getting ready for figure competitions was no easy feat.  I worked my tail off and I endured ridiculously strict diets for each one.  But it was something that I chose to experience.  I’d moved on from my AVIA model and soon her pic was replaced with that of NPC and IFBB figure competitors.

What I want you to take away from this is:

Never let naysayers talk you down from your goals.  Use it as fuel for your motivational fire.  You CAN accomplish what you want when you put your mind to it and really dial-in  your focus.  

Don’t let it hurt when people say you can’t do something, or shouldn’t do something.  And when it comes from people close to you, I know it can sting even more.  Often times, people just don’t quite grasp what you are aiming for and that’s OK.  Let it get under your skin to ENCOURAGE you, rather than allowing it to cause doubt.

Here is the body “I live in daily” now, eating foods I ENJOY and doing exercise that I look forward to (and obviously in dire need of a tan, but hey it’s November!) 

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So today I would like to say thank you to all the naysayers out there who help propel THE REST OF US to kick a$$, take names and show ‘em how we roll.

***

Today’s discussion:  Have you experienced people attempting to rain on your parade or make you feel that you can’t achieve a certain goal?  Get picked on for eating healthy?  (That’s a big one for me.)  Please drop a comment and share your experiences with us. 

Make it a great Monday friends, and a great week as well! 

See you next time!

– Shari B. =)

 

If you know someone embarking on their own fitness journey (or could use some help battling the naysayers!) please feel free to send them my way. I offer fitness consulting by phone nationwide and in-person in the South Denver area.

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The Great Debate: Pre-Workout Fuel

Oct 16

Posted by Shari B. FitFeat in Keeping Fit | 10 Comments

TGIF! TGIF!

Good morning FitFeat friends!  Are you so excited that the weekend is upon us once more?  I am ESPECIALLY excited because this weekend they are forecasting some 70+ degree weather and sunshine!  More chances for me to get some Vitamin D action!  ;)

What a week it has been.  Have you noticed what’s been missing this week?  WOGGING!  My poor dogs.  They haven’t been out on a walk since Monday evening.  I’m a bad puppy-mommy this week!  I’ve had daily “social-cizing” plans and the rest of the time I’ve been glued to my PC in preparation for the upcoming blog move. 

Maybe yet today I’ll be able to get them out.   

Check out my new breakfast creation:

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Now I know what you’re thinking:  “OMG what IS that?  It looks disgusting!”  But let me tell you this was one delicious little pre-workout fuel!  It is toasted Ezekial smeared with coconut oil (in lieu of vegan butter) and then smeared again with a MEDJOOL DATE!  Mmmm coconutty-datey sweetness!  Brendan Brazier (professional Ironman triathlete) says that coconut oil and dates are great exercise fuel:  the coconut oil has MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) that are more easily converted to energy by the body, not to mention easily-digested simple carbs in the form of the date. 

I often will eat half of a Coconut Cream Pie Larabar for pre-running fuel thanks to Brendan’s info.  That particular Larabar contains dates, coconut and coconut oil. 

I met up with my friend (and fellow personal trainer) at The Bluffs yesterday morning for a hilly run.  Wendy is a serious running pro, let me tell you.  She’s a multi-time marathoner (including the BOSTON which one must qualify to enter).  The only reason I’m able to run with her currently is because she is nursing a foot injury.  Notice I’m not saying “keep up with her currently” — because she still could have TOTALLY left me in the dust yesterday, I know it.  :)  

We got in 3.62 miles of hills and dales.  It was a BEAUTY of a morning!  And I felt fantastic afterward.  Wendy, thanks for a great time – I’m looking forward to going again soon!

After that I hit up Starbucks to catch up with another friend and her adorable son, where I had a grande SOY STEAMER.  (Essentially that means I have Starbucks heat me up a nice cup of soy milk, with no coffee or flavoring, and then pay them probably 3 times what a whole container of soy milk would cost!)  Ahhh gotta love th SBUX.  (Thank you Magen for treating — that was very sweet of you!)

Riley never gets any photo love since Rascal is the ham of the family, so I had to get her in the shot.  See what she’s saying with her eyes?  It’s “why haven’t you walked me today, ya big jerk!”  :)

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Lunchtime meant it was time for me to get my major veggie fix.  I still don’t think photos do this salad bowl justice.  It is HUGE.  I measured yesterday and it is 11″ in diameter.  :)   This one was chock full of spinach, heirloom tomatoes, yellow pepper, dulse, avocado, zucchini ribbons, kalamata olives, nutritional yeast, and pepper.  Dressed with extra virgin olive oil.  I ate every last bite and had a few baked potato chips on the side. 

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A little Pecan Pie snack in the afternoon: 

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And leftover “Lazy Girl Dinner“ from the other night whenI had Amy’s Organic Southwestern Vegetable soup.  I had it in a mug with a  little raw goat cheddar and Mary’s Gone Crackers on the side.  Right back to the PC I went…  MSP had his last softball game of the season, so I was right back to the PC to get some more blog work done.

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I did need an evening snack since my soup didn’t keep me full very long, so I made a bag of homemade microwave popcorn (1/4 cup of plain popcorn kernels in a brown lunch bag, fold up the top, microwave for up to two-and-a-half minutes or until the popping sounds are far apart).  No fake butter flavor, no crazy chemicals, no fumes that allegedly cause lung cancer.  Sprinkle with some sea salt and/or nutritional yeast, and munch away!  

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I fell asleep while watching “The Office”.  Lame.  All the social activity of the day combined with a whole lot of sitting at the computer made Shari very sleepy…

***

So for today’s discussion, I’d love to hear how you fuel your workouts. 
Are you an “empty stomach exerciser” or a “fully fueled exerciser“? 

I definitely vary, depending on the situation.  For running, ideally I get it done first thing in the morning after just a cup of coffee (and maybe a bite or two of Larabar at the most).  I feel lighter on my feet and don’t experience ‘side stitches’ when I don’t have food in the system. 

But sometimes when I meet up with running buddies, it’s usually a little later in the day and I don’t like to go that long without food.  So I’ll try to eat something about 90 minutes prior to the outing (usually anything sooner and I get severe side cramps during the run).  Yesterday’s toast with the coconut oil and date worked perfectly.  I had some simple carbs, some complex carbs and the coconut oil.  The date gave me some quick energy and the sprouted grain toast gave me some sustained energy.  It was plenty for my run and held me over for about 3 hours until it was time for SBUX. 

Other forms of exercise (like my weight training and hiking) don’t cause me to have to overthink the food situation as much.  Weight training is usually first thing on an empty stomach.  For hiking I eat about 90 minutes for hitting the trail, then bring a Larabar in case I need it on the trail.

There are a lot of schools of thought as to whether you should work out on an empty stomach vs. being ‘properly’ fueled.  Some say that if you exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, you’ll burn more fat (still burning the same number of calories, but because your glycogen stores will be lower first thing in the a.m. you potentially dig into fat stores sooner.)  On the other hand, there are those that say if you exercise without properly fueling for it, you will be causing a bit of catabolism of the precious muscle tissue we all work so hard to keep.

My opinion is this is highly individualized from one person to the next.   Feeling crampy or nauseous during a workout from a belly full of food isn’t something that will keep you coming back for more.  But feeling lightheaded or dizzy from not eating enough and hence lacking energy isn’t good either.   Base it off of how long or how intense the workout will be.  Common sense applies here.  Listen to your body and take note of how you feel so that next time you can make the right ‘tweaks’ to feel FANTASTIC during your workouts. 

Isn’t that really what it’s all about anyway?  :)   I’d rather feel great during my workouts (which means I’ll be more inclined to do it again tomorrow, and the day after that, etc.) than be too focused on what percentage of the calories burned are from fat.  (Been there, done that…!)   Overall if you are moving your body regularly and eating nutritious foods, you’ll get where you want to go.

Let us know which side of the fence you’re on — drop a comment!

Alrighty friends, I’ve got a LOT on the plate today so I’m gonna get cracking!  Have a FAB FRIDAY! 

If all goes as planned today I may be back later on with the last notice before the blog moves.  If not, you’ll know I hit an speed bump… ;)   

See ya next time! 

– Shari B. =)

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Save Our Soles!

Oct 13

Posted by Shari B. FitFeat in Product Review | 4 Comments

Holy moly FitFeat Friends… there was an explosion of activity on the blog yesterday!  Wow!  A record number of hits to the FitFeat site.  Whatever you guys are doing to spread the word, THANK YOU!  And please keep it up – you’re AWESOME!

So I thought I’d take some time today to talk about another one of my favorite “tools” - but this one is not related to the kitchen.  It’s for our feet. 

Back when I was running half-marathons more often and putting a lot of miles on my feet, I was getting blisters left and right. 

Two friends / running buddies each recommended that I try a particular brand of sock called the Wrightsock Coolmesh.   What’s special about these socks is that they are made of two thin layers.  Instead of your sock and foot rubbing together, the two layers of material rub together and the friction stays within the layers as opposed to on your skin.  

I wasn't kidding when I said I have SMALL FEET...!

I wasn't kidding when I said I have SMALL FEET...!

These socks were lifesavers (well, OK that might be an overstatment :) at the very least they were sole-savers!)  They are a small investment early on, but worth every penny.  I now own about 8 pair and I wear them every day:  running, hiking, walking.  Anytime my sneakers go on, so do these socks.

If you’re a runner, walker, hiker or just someone who is prone to blistered feet, you should look into trying out these socks.

I am grateful to have learned about these socks at a time when I really needed them (thanks Scott!  thanks Lori!) and wanted to pay it forward, so to speak.

In light of the recent FTC ruling about product reviews and blogs, I thought I’d make a note for the record that all of the products I have reviewed and/or recommended to date on this blog are offered up solely because I use and like the products, not because I am being paid to do so or offered any sort of kickback.

On to Monday’s eats:

After the nice Back/Trap workout I detailed in yesterday’s post, I wanted a quick influx of carbs.  So I opted for a bowl of mango-licious.  This one should have been given over to the green smoothie gods though, because it wasn’t as ripe as it should have been.  That’s what I get for being impatient and dying to eat my yummy mango taunting me from the fruit basket on my counter!
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Shortly thereafter it was time for my real breakfast so I had a bowl of OATSMILE:

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Lunch was yet another leftover serving of Veggie Enchilasagna with a side of spanish rice.  There’s one more sliver of this still in the fridge, but I’m pretty sure at this point that I’ve had my FILL of this particular food for awhile.

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I also had a side salad with lunch (spinach, tomato, dulse,  pepitas, hemp oil, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast):

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Followed by a little dessert!  Endangered Species brand 72% dark chocolate… mmmm chocolate!

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Afternoon snack time came up FAST!  I was busy on blog hosting study… I decided to forego the standard Larabar for some hummus, Wasa, raw goat cheddar and baby carrots.  Tasty and fiber-rich!

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When MSP got home, we still had some daylight and it wasn’t completely freezing outside, so we decided to take the dogs out for their wog:  a quick 2-miler to work up a little appetite before dinner: another set of leftovers that I tried to make into something different.  I had some of Friday night’s “Warm Asian Thai-Fry” left, so I warmed it up, then wrapped it into red chard leaves.  The ‘dipping sauce’ is just a generic version of Annie’s “Gingerly Vinaigrette” from a bottle. 

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It wasn’t bad at all for a meal that only took about 90 seconds to build!  But I was still a little hungry after so I had a few Mary’s Gone Crackers with some slivers of the raw goat cheddar. 

OK, friends, I’m off to get Tuesday started!  Have a fantastic Tuesday!  If you’re located in the Colorado are, KEEP WARM!  If you’re located someplace outside of Colorado that is warm, please send some heat our direction!

For today’s discussion, do you have any tips/tricks/tools that have helped any of your outdoor activities, in the way that the Wrightsocks have helped with my blisters?  You FitFeat readers are very FIT-SAVVY, and have lots of great info to share!  Thanks for doing so and keep it coming!  We are ALL learning and benefiting from each other!

See you tomorrow!

– Shari B. =)

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The Case of the Rogue Kombucha?

Oct 12

Posted by Shari B. FitFeat in Hiking, Keeping Fit | 9 Comments

Good Monday morning to you!

Hope you had a very nice weekend!  Mine was very relaxing due to the chilly weather … there was a lot of indoor lounging going on in my house Saturday and Sunday!  We did get out quite a bit too, but it was so nice each time to come home, get our “comfies” on and relax by the fire with some football on TV.

The 2.7 mile “social-cizing” session yesterday with my good friend Jen was great!  It was definitely cold out, but I bundled up in my down jacket, mittens, earband and new trail runners.  It was like hiking on little pillows.  Perfect!

Sunday eats were rather random, as they often are.  Mainly because we aren’t on any kind of regular schedule and we are usually running errands or out and about.

MSP made me a wonderful breakfast of cage-free eggs with Ezekial toast (and Earth Balance vegan ‘butter’).

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On the side was a small glass of my BUBBLY but for some reason this one wasn’t!  (bubbly that is)  Which freaked me out a little… kombucha tea is made of live cultures.  If it’s not fizzy, does that mean the seal was broken?  Does that mean bad bacteria gets in with the good bacteria? Or do the good live bacteria go all rogue in there and end up bad for you?  AAAAACCCKKK!  So I had a few sips then just had to dump the rest because I was scared!  Additionally, I don’t think Mystic Mango is a flavor I’ll have again.  Odd, I know – seeing how I’m the MANGO-HOLIC.  I’ll stick with my go-tos:  Gingerberry and Divine Grape

During errands out I had a Lemon Larabar.  And a goodie from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (a dark chocolate dipped Oreo).  MSP had a milk chocolate dipped s’more.    Love our Sunday treats!

After the chilly chat session with Jen I came home to watch the remainder of the Broncos game with this plate of goodies:  kale chips, a big plop of hummus, baby carrots and baked pita chips.  Then I went back for seconds on the kale chips and have used up the whole batch I made Saturday.  I’ll have to make some more today!

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When dinnertime rolled around I felt I was really lacking in greens for the day, so I made a supersized green smoothie.  This one had cucumber, kale, green leaf lettuce, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, celery, pepitas, half a banana and half a pear.  Plus about a tablespoon of hemp oil.

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It made two huge glasses … and I couldn’t finish it all!  I got about halfway through the second glass and cried uncle.

I was apparently quite tired because I was out like a light at 8:30.  Which meant I woke up rested and ready for this morning’s workout:

Weight Training (Back/Traps):

  • TM Warmup 5 minutes, followed by arm circles
  • DB Rows 4 working sets of 12, 12, 12, 11 reps
  • Upright Rows 4 working sets of 15, 11, 11, 11 reps
  • DB Shrugs 3 working sets of 16, 15, 15 reps
  • Lower Trap Pulls 3 working sets of 20, 15, 15 reps
  • Rear Delt Flyes 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Tricep Dips 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Ball Crunches 3 sets of 20 reps

***

I have another crazy-long list of Monday To-Dos as usual, one of which may be to get started on my “sprouting experiment“.  I bought some cheesecloth yesterday and I have one glass jar set aside and want to try to sprout something.  I happen to have some millet on-hand and have heard that can be sprouted, so that might be my first try.

Do you do any of your own sprouting?  Have you had success?  Any tips you’d like to share with the FitFeat readers? Please drop a comment in the comments section!  We’d love to hear from you!

Also just another quick reminder that FitFeat will soon be going self-hosted, so the web address may change a bit.  I hope to ‘flip the switch’ this coming weekend but will plan to put out a post just prior to the move so you’ll know where to find me!

Thanks again for reading and commenting!  Have a great day and I’ll see ya tomorrow!

– Shari B. =)

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