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?

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??

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/

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!

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

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:-)

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!

Do You Drink Enough Water?

We live in Arizona so most of us are already aware of the importance of staying hydrated. Dehydration not only hampers performance but also slows down your metabolism. Some obvious signs that you are not drinking enough are: thirst and dark urine. If you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated. Drink up! You’ve probably also heard that if your urine is dark, you’re not drinking enough water which is true especially when it occurs first thing in the morning. But another urine indicator is volume: how much. Lots of sweat could mean less urine is produced, even when you’re drinking enough. This makes your first urination of the day the telltale sign – low volume and dark color could mean you are dehydrated. So how much water should you be drinking? Experts suggest to shoot for at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. That’s 70 ounces for a 140-pound woman. Water is going to be your best choice for a refreshing beverage but if water is not your favorite there are other healthy alternatives. Crystal light now offers individual bottles for only 5 calories. You could also opt for a flavored water bottle but read the labels on those. They can be tricky. Bottom line - Don’t forget the water bottles campers!

Yes I Can!!!! It's all about the 'tude.

Achieve weight-loss success, one positive thought at a time.
So you're wondering, what is the right attitude and how can it help you lose weight? Having the right attitude is so important because thought is behavior your mind is your strongest tool, and the way you think of yourself manifests as your reality. We all know how easily negative thoughts about ourselves can lead to poor self-image, lack of confidence, hopelessness, and depression. You've heard about self-fulfilling prophecy, right? Well, if you tell yourself that you'll always be fat or that you'll never find happiness, chances are you will always be fat and you won't ever be happy. But imagine what could be possible if you harnessed your mental power with positive thoughts.
A key element of changing your attitude is changing your self-talk your internal monologue, the chattering conversation you have with yourself constantly all day long, whether you are aware of it or not. It's the voice in your head that says, "I can't exercise because I'm fat and lazy" or, "I'm worthless because I have no self-control and will always be this way." It's this kind of useless negativity that is holding you back, keeping you from being the best you that you can be. Now is the time to turn it around once and for all.
Imagine what would happen if you changed the dialogue so that it sounded more like this: "I can lose weight and be healthy" or "I am going to eat well today, and I will feel good about myself as a result." Your self-talk can make the difference between self-assurance and self-doubt, happiness and despair, success and failure. If you start making your self-talk more positive and affirming, and less defeatist and self-deprecating, your whole life will change for the better.
NOW...you can wake up tomorrow morning pat yourself on the back, tell yourself that you CAN make real life changes and start with one simple yet incredibly important step. EAT BREAKFAST! When you wake up, whether you're hungry or not, and even if you are suffering from eater's remorse from the night before, have breakfast. Research shows that people who eat breakfast are up to half as likely to be obese or have heart disease as those who don't. A study in the journal Lancet tracked 2,900 men and women, ages 18 to 30, for a decade, and found that breakfast eaters wind up consuming fewer calories overall and less saturated fat and cholesterol throughout the day than breakfast skippers. "Breakfast helps regulate blood sugar and insulin—which reduces the likelihood of overeating," says study coauthor Linda Van Horn, Ph.D. Strategy for success For maximum energy, shoot for a high-fiber, calcium-rich meal of protein, fruit and whole grains. "Oatmeal with skim milk and berries hits high marks on the nutrient front, without adding saturated fat, cholesterol or salt," Van Horn says. Or try a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-grain bread with skim milk, or scrambled egg whites on whole-grain toast with an orange.