Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Are You Fooling Yourself?

Last night I took a little walk down memory lane and found some old pictures of my first son's birth on the computer. He looked so precious and little and lovable but me...that's a whole other story. Holy Moly! What a reality trip. First...let me preface this by saying that I am in no way suggesting that pregnant people should not gain the 25-35 pounds recommended by OB/GYNs. They should but I think I took it to a whole other level :-) At the time I was completely fooling myself. I thought I'd gained a few pounds, as all pregnant women should, but I really thought I had kept my pregnancy weight under control and felt pretty smug about it. Not so much. I wasn't quite as cute as I thought I was. Yikes! I hardly recognized myself and I most definitely overindulged throughout my pregnancy cuz those post-pregnancy pictures were not pretty. I hardly recognized myself. Hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?
My point is this...I didn't want to see the truth that was staring back at me in the mirror. It was much easier to convince myself that nothing had changed and of course I could eat M&Ms and ice cream every day and get away with it. I couldn't. It wasn't just my pregnancy though. I have fluctuated throughout the course of my life. Fat, skinny, chubby, just right, starvation, binging, purging, overeating you name it and I've been it and tried it. Until I found consistent exercise and took a reality check. I'd convinced myself a thousand times that the reason my skinny jeans were too tight is because I had just taken them out of the dryer or that my shirt was too tight because I had on a Miracle bra. Most of you can relate.
Diet and exercise have been my saving grace. Each day I try to make good healthy choices. I don't always succeed but I do my best.
Are you fooling yourself?

Friday, July 10, 2009

STAX in the News!

David Smith story about his 400+ lb weight loss following the STAX Nutrition program is being featured Sunday night (7/12) at 8:00PM in the TLC Documentary 'The 650lb. Virgin'. In addition to that, his inspiring story was featured this morning on the TODAY show and he will be appearing TONIGHT with Chris Powell on Inside Edition!

STAX System: www.cavecreekbootcamp.com
I highly recommend this inexpensive plan. Please visit my website to order or visit the following website to hear more information on the STAX program in Chris Powell's own words: http://thefitnessandnutritionstore.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=34



Jodi Norton
CCABC Fitness Director
#1 Outdoor Fitness Boot Camp in Arizona
Largest Boot Camp Program in the World!
(T) 602-326-5670
(F) 623-266-1548
www.CaveCreekBootCamp.com

IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, WHERE ELSE WILL YOU LIVE??

Friday, June 5, 2009

The Best Running Club Ever!

RC3 (Running Chicks of Cave Creek) is THE best group of women ever! This running group is made up of strong, enthustiastic motivating women and being a part of it can change your life. Regardless of your size, age, ability level or experience you will find nothing but welcoming smiles among the group. Everyone is there to do their personal best and inspire one another. There is no competition, judgement or attitudes. These women are truly excited to see a new face because many of them have already transformed themselves into lifelong runners and exercisers and they know what a tremendous difference this has had in their lives. So if you are just starting out or are an experienced runner please feel free to join us. Check out the blog at:
http://runningchicksofcavecreek.blogspot.com/

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Running

OK...I was talking to my sister-in-law last night and contemplating my first FULL marathon. I have plently of halves under my belt but I have never been brave enough to venture the thought of a full. I am currently eyeballing the Tucson marathon in December. Yeah for me if I pull it off! Anyways...we got to talking about how you go about classifying yourself as a "runner". My thoughts are if you run and enjoy running then you are a runner, right? Do you have to run so far, so fast, so much to classify yourself as a "runner"? I think not.
I have been running the Cave Creek boot camp for about three years now and we now have a fantastic running group on our hands. It all started with a very inspirational camper who said, "I am going to run a marathon!" The bug caught on and we now have a group of 10 or so who get together 3 or 4 times a week to run. It does not matter how fast, slow or far you run. This is simply a great group of ladies who think they can and they do! Everyone is welcome and you will more than likely find a partner who may become your next best friend.
My point is this...you never know what you are capable of until you try. I know it is a cliche but so true. If you asked any of these ladies a year ago whether or not they planned to run the PF Chang's Half Marathon in 2009 they would have thought you ISANE!!!! But they were there and they all finished. I am so proud:-) Cuz it ain't easy!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Out with the old and in with the new

A boot camper shared this with me and I thought it was worthy of sharing with you. We all have bad habits we would like to change, right? Instead of trying to "break" that habit try replacing it with a better one. Makes sense to me...read on:

DRIVING OUT BAD NAILS
A teacher who was lecturing on habits told his class, "Anything yourepeat twenty times is yours forever." From the back of the classroomcame a whispered voice, "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…." Of course, what the teacher was trying to say is that any behavior, often repeated, becomes habit.
The Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus once said, "A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit." And if I understand him right, he suggests that saying no to a bad habit is not enough. Instead, we should try to replace it with a good one. Repeat the new behavior twenty times … and it is yours. If any behavior, good or bad, is often repeated, it becomes stronger and more powerful.
"Since habits become power, make them work for you and not against you," said E. Stanley Jones. In other words, drive out the undesirable nail, the behavior you'd like to change, with a better one.
One woman did just that after lamenting to her friend, "I hate being late. It has been a problem for me all of my life."
"Do you really want to change that habit?" her friend asked.
The woman said that she did and her friend responded, "All right. Every time you're late for work or anywhere else, then give me $25."
"I'd go broke!" she said. "But I'll do $10."
"It's got to hurt," said the friend.
"Believe me, that will hurt," the woman replied.
They agreed that the
money should be deposited in a jar and used for charity. In the first week, the habitually tardy woman made a concerted effort to plan ahead and she only paid $10 to her friend. The next week, $20.The third week, none at all. By week five, she had built a strong habit of leaving early, and her new behavior replaced the old pattern of tardiness that had hindered her for so long. She drove out one nail with another one. And she found freedom. If you're like me, there is a bad nail you want to remove.
Today is agood day to pick up a better nail and start using it.-- Steve Goodier

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Empty calories...think before you drink!

As much as it saddens me to say it (as I too like to indulge in a cocktail or two) they are wasted calories and if you are trying to lose weight consuming alcohol is downright silly. As it turns out, ounce for ounce, beer turns out to have the fewest calories (13 for regular, 9 for light), followed by wine (25) and liquor (64 to 82). But when you consider how much you're typically served of each, you may be better off ordering a cocktail. That's because a drink containing a jigger of alcohol, mixed with water, seltzer or diet soda, will have no more than 124 calories—roughly 25 calories less than a 6-ounce glass of wine or a 12-ounce bottle of beer. (Light beer, with only 103 calories per bottle, is also a good choice.) If you like your drinks mixed with regular soda or juice, however, beware: You could slurp down 300 or more calories. Yikes! I have also read that a margarita can have upwards of 700 calories. Happy Cinco da Mayo:-)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tips for a Better Workout

Aside from keeping your body fueled with healthy calories, there are a few other things you can do to make your workouts better.
Stay Hydrated.
The ACSM recommends that you drink around 16 or so oz of water 2 hours before your workout for optimum performance and then sip water throughout your exercise program (and after!). Water should be your first choice for fluid replacement unless you’re working out for longer than an hour, at which point you can switch to a sports drink.
Avoid exercising on an empty stomach.
Eating before exercise means you’ll have far greater stamina and endurance when you run on fuel, not fumes.
Figure out what works for you.
Every person has a different digestive system and different needs when it comes to nutrition and exercise. Experimant until you find the right balance of eating and exercise. Some people can get up and exercise without eating while others need a full breakfast to keep going. There’s no right way to do it.
Get plenty of rest.
That means sleeping for at least 8 hours a night as well as giving yourself recovery days during the week. Working out too much can cause fatigue and possibly, overtraining symptoms.
Keep things interesting.
Changing your workouts regularly will not only keep you from getting bored, it will also help you avoid weight loss plateaus.
Be comfortable.
Wear workout clothes that help regulate your body temperature so you don’t get too hot or too cold. The most important tip for having a great workout is to do what you enjoy!