Juiced Up

To the one person that reads my blog- I'm sorry I've been away.

I have had many fleeting thoughts of topics but let's be honest; It's summer and I've been at the pool.

I want to share updates on things I'm doing & what's new so here goes;

I started juicing.

Not steroids.

Veggies!

Since everything I decide to do has to be all or nothing I jumped right in. My first juice was carrots, zucchini (i can never spell that!), cucumber, spinach, & broccoli(another weird spelling- I always wanna put 2 l's). Of course, I have no clue what you are supposed to pair together but whatever.

I chugged it. 
It tasted like dirt.
Not bad.

I mean, it made me feel so hard core. But also knowing all those vitamins and antioxidants were flowing through me was awesome. (I can actually see some of you role your eyes).

But seriously, there is a cool feeling knowing you are making your cells & immune system happy! :)

Now I know, you guys are like..."why don't you just EAT your veggies!"

I agree.
It's still important to eat your veggies for the fiber and they fill you up!

But I'll give you some reasons why I juice & other reasons that are good.

My reasons:
1. I can't literally stuff enough veggies into my diet & get adequate protein & carbs. I get too full. So chug some & you are good!

2. Energy! I have fatigue. I'm hoping that getting the nutrients straight to the blood stream will give me some energy. The jury is still out since I've only juiced 2x but it's worth a try!

3. I don't wanna eat beets. There are veggies I just don't wanna choke down. So.....juice them & chug it down & vwala! they are down the hatch! I found myself buying veggies that I wouldn't normally buy so I could just juice them & get it over with.

Other reasons that are kinda cool; juicing helps your absorb all the nutrients (almost like someone pre-digested it for you....weird but kinda cool), boosts your immune system, removes toxins, aides in digestion(helps your gut).

I've never been into this kinda stuff. I like eating my food. I like it a lot actually.
BUT it's nice to supplement with some veggie juice especially when you can't fit in your veggies for the day.

Tonight I'm making banana, strawberry, walnut protein pancakes for dinner (drool). BUT before we eat we are gonna have a nice tall glass of veggie juice so we can get our veggies in for the evening!

Now, most people have said that if you add an apple or pineapple it tastes a lot better. But I've decided that I wanna be hard core. If I just get used to it, I won't need any silly apple to help me drink it.
If you can take a shot of jack daniels....you can chug this. Trust me.

Here's my adorable husband trying his first veggie juice.

About 5 minutes BEFORE this picture he was saying how he wanted ice cream, & I was saying that all I wanted to eat was cookies for dinner (thankfully we don't keep any of that in the house so we could resist).

Instead we made cucumber, carrot, beet, & zucchini juice.
2 minutes later we had forgotton about our sweet cravings.
We ate our dinner (venison sausages, asparagus, & snow peas) & went to bed without dessert.
AMAZE-BALLS! Didn't even want the junk anymore!

I'm all about yummy food. I LOVE eating. Just tryin to find more ways to get my veggies in because I know they are important.

Never thought I'd be an advocate for "juicing".......

Bar or Scale?

Today I actually had a spotter at the gym(the hubs).
It is always nice to have a spotter especially on chest day. You can try weight that you normally wouldn't and not fear a broken sternum or squished esophagus.

Well, the hubs has been saying for a while that he thinks I can put up a plate on bench. (For you non-gym goers, he thinks I can bench press 135 lbs).
I am not one to find my max reps on really anything because I feel like I can guesstimate what it would be, but I have to say I was curious.

All that coming home & blabbing about my workout to the hubs was coming back to bite me in the butt.

He was gonna make me try. Now. In front of multiple other people.

Welp. I had to pee first (don't wanna pee your pants from all the pressure).
Then with shaky hands I gave it a try.

I did it. It felt cool.

Of course then I couldn't stop there, & I really wanted to see if I could do my own body weight so we added 10 lbs (those of you adding up to find my weight, it's around 145-150 lbs depending on the day.)

Welp. Failed.
Mostly cuz I was all jacked up from the previous lift & kinda lost my form, but I gave it a try.

And I will try again very soon. Oh yes, I will.

The point is; I'm cool.
Ha!
No, actually a lot of girls can lift double what I can do. But that's not the point.

There will always be stronger, better, and faster people than me. But I don't care about them. (I mean, I care that they are ok and everything). But I don't want to compare myself.

I want to take on myself.

I've been thinking a lot about performance in the gym lately.

I'm totally over trying to achieve the "womanly" physique or chasing that dream of being the "thin" or
dare I say it, skinny woman.

To me that is almost a dirty word. 

You have probably seen the newest saying all over the internet "Strong is the new Skinny."
And I have to say, I really like it. A lot.

My focus has shifted from wanting to look a certain way or see a certain number to what I can actually DO in the gym.

That I can be strong and push myself to the limits to see what I can achieve. Not for any praise from someone(even though the hubs will have to hear about it) or so I can post on facebook that I did it. But just to see the hard work pay off. To think you can't do something. Work hard. And then achieve it. 

Gyms are filled with people doing the latest "get skinny" workouts or "get 6 pack abs in 3 seconds per day". Not only is all of that crap, but it's got our focus on the total wrong things.

I say, loose the mirrors in the gyms. Throw away all the ellipticals (we will leave that for another post but lemme just say, steady state cardio- blah!). Get rid of all inner & outer thigh machines(please!). And let's get down to business.

Let's just see what we can achieve.
Not how hot we can look and if you can see our abs yet. (yes, I'm guilty of wanting that at times but that can't drive my workouts).

Saw this question on a Crossfit fitness blog & it kinda got me going.

What matters more to you; the number on the scale or the number of pounds on the bar? 

Next time you walk into the gym focus on the number of pounds on the bar instead of the number on the scale.
You might feel a little bit of freedom & start having some fun.

Like Salt in the Wound

No pain. No gain.

I kinda hate that saying. I feel like it scares the bejesus outta people.

I don't know if you willingly put yourself through physical PAIN, but I know it's not on the top of my list. (says the girl who goes to Crossfit "for fun").

But seriously, I see that as work. I'm working towards a healthy body that can achieve my goals (and lets face it, sometimes just beat the guys at stuff).

When I think of pain I think of physical pain like a broken leg, torn ACL, and in my case this week- blisters (& a bruised collar bone, which I'll have to save for another blog).

See, I actually love exercise in a sick twisted way. I love pushing my body to do things that my mind says "are you serious?" and then actually achieving it. Such a sense of accomplishment.
So, when the workout includes 14 rounds of 5 pull ups.....of course I'm gonna try to do the pull ups (or in most of the rounds, kip-ups) without any assistance. I'm gonna do what the "boys" are doing. (excluding one of the guys in my class that used a band....sorry bro).

Well, walking away from that workout I felt awesome. I actually beat the 19 year old guy in the class that always is done & has time to shower before the rest of us even finish. (if he could learn to jump a rope he woulda beatin me.....all brawn & no brains).

Anyway, back to my original thought; as soon as I jumped down from the pull up bar I felt awesome. Until 2 seconds later when I realized I had ripped off the skin from my palm & thumb.
But hey, I did gymnastics as a child....I know what a ripped blister feels like.....it really hurts!!

So, whatever. A few pieces of skin was worth beating that guy.

Fast forward to the very next day. I go into Crossfit thinking "surely, we won't be doing anything where we have to grip since we did all that yesterday!"

And surprise! Today we have "Toes to Bar" in the workout. (You hang from the bar and bring your toes to the bar.....clever name, I know.) I kinda whined for a second & even say the same guy that I had beaten (are you getting how much I'm basking in the ONE time I will ever beat him?) & showed him my hands. His were fine. They were rough & callused....used to the abuse.


Welp, I'm already here & I've been planning to workout all day so suck it up sista.

By the end of the workout, I was hanging on literally by my finger tips.
I could barely steer the car home. My hands hurt. Duh! What did I think was going to happen?

Sensing a good blog topic coming on, I snapped a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. 

I searched the internet for some sort of quick remedy to fix these tears cuz I not only enjoy working out, BUT I train people all day which means showing them how to do things. I need to be able to grip.

Alas, no quick fixes. Instead, I had to soak my hands in a bowl of salt water for 10 minutes. Yep. That's all I need to say about that.

I woke up in the morning & my hands were pretty tender, but much better than right afterwards.

Today, I can already take a shower without wincing & even do the dishes (which I must add that having blisters all over your hands is a great way to get out of cleaning & cooking....sorry Trav).

I'm not telling you this because I survived some devastating accident or this pain was so significant that I needed to share it. Yea, right.

As I soaked my hands in that frickin salt, I just thought about you guys. My clients. Possibly future clients. Anyone on this crazy fitness journey.


When you start out it's painful & raw. You doubt that you can even hang on. When that first workout is over, it hurts (especially if you're training with me). You would much rather get a "quick fix" than dunk your hands in the bucket of salt & get back on the bar. (so many metaphors, are you still following me?)
But each time you pick yourself up & go back to the gym, you get stronger.
Those calluses build up.
Your grip is tighter & you don't let go as easily. 

Hail Queen Susan

Hear Ye Hear Ye!
All Hail the Queen of the Vegetables.....Susan!

I must say, the Vegtabowl contest was quite fun. Getting texts every day of delicious veggies & seeing the healthy foods that everyone was eating made me smile! 

But enough about me! Let's all meet Queen of the Vegetabowls!

Susan is an absolute treat to be around. Her & her husband, Don, light up a room when they walk in with how much they love each other & everyone around them! 

I started training Susan almost a year ago & she is very hard working. 
This woman does NOT give up! 
Ask her to balance on one foot while doing any of her lifts & she will hop around on one leg across the gym before she gives up & puts her other foot down! 
And her favorite piece of equipment? TRX! 
Did I mention she just turned 60, & she swings around on that thing like a gymnast!?

I interviewed Susan about her vegetabowls & nutrition in general. I have to share some of her thoughts because if you're not inspired by her story then you are as lifeless as a lampshade. 

Why is eating healthy important to you?

     Eating healthy is important to me because I want to live a long time – I am very happily married and I have two sons both of whom are married with children – making me a grandmother of SEVEN!  I want to see my grandchildren grow up and get married.

     I have several health-related challenges.  I have diabetes, heart disease, have had four mini-strokes, and recently diagnosed with celiac disease and have other food allergies.  Eating gluten–free and allergy-free has been a welcome challenge because I feel better.

When did you become health conscious?

     My interest in food, health, and nutrition increased over the years.  I come from a family heritage where heart disease and strokes are prevalent.  I have been eating healthy since I was a child.  When my father had his first heart attack at the age of 43, I realized that I couldn’t do anything about the genes I was born with but I could do something about what I ate.  I became even more interested in nutrition when I got married and was faced with meal preparation.  I did a lot of reading.  Then, I became pregnant with my first son and I became even more interested in nutrition.  By the time my second son was born, I had a good base of knowledge.  Unfortunately, even though I ate well and took care of myself, I developed some health challenges.  So, eating healthy is a priority for me and my husband.  

What is some advice you would give someone struggling to eat healthier or eating more veggies?

     I guess my advice would be to do some soul-searching to determine from where the motivation is coming.  If your motivation is coming from within, you will be much more likely to achieve your goal.  It takes about three weeks to change a habit so take one day at a time and start by adding a veggie you like.  Then, I would challenge you to go to a grocery store, look at the beautiful produce, pick something that appeals to you, read about it, and try it.  Variety and creativity help to keep your meals exciting.  Enjoy the bounty of veggies and remember you eat with your eyes so make it pretty!

Convinced yet? 
This woman is a rock star. 
Her first present to me was a spaghetti squash! 


She challenges me all the time to try new things, & I hope you are up for the challenge, too!

One thing I loved about seeing her veggies was that although they are not extensive recipes that take hours to make, she always makes them look delicious & fun! Take a look;

If you already can't handle how cute she is then this will really push you over the edge; she would make shapes out of the veggies & have me guess where it was hidden on the plate. 
It was like where's waldo for sweet potatoes! 

Susan is an inspiration to all of us. Eating healthy is probably the hardest thing for most people to change. But once you give in, stop the excuses, focus on the right reasons, it can become a fun adventure of foods that you never had before & you can FEEL good, too! 

Thank Susan for your encouragement & keep the veggies coming!

Vegeta-Bowl A Day Contest

In an effort to eat MORE veggies I put together a little contest for you all.

Are you ready for this?

Every day starting March 13th until April 13th you must eat a bowl full of veggies....and LIKE it!

Email(trainersiebert@gmail.com) or text me the picture of your vegeta-bowl with a small description of what is in it every day of the contest. If you don't have the technology to send me a picture then first, get with the times & then just send me the description of your vegeta-bowl.
*Please note that laughing is also very healthy for you so humorous pictures go a long way :)

Out of ALL of the people who submit their pictures, whoever submits the MOST vegeta-bowls through the contest WINS a blog post highlighting them with details of how they stay healthy!
(If in the event there is a tie then the winner will be chosen by an extensive process of which I will not belabor you with all the details yet.)

I know you are worried about the whole EVERY day thing. I can already hear the excuses.

Wanna know what I think? (If you don't....too bad cuz you're reading my blog so you are going to hear it!)

You SHOULD be eating veggies every day anyway! They have more health benefits than I could possibly list PLUS (for those of you that care), they SLIM you down!

Here are some examples of vegeta-bowls you can send me. Don't get caught up in the "bowl" thing. Just use that as a gauge for how big the serving should be.

Here's an example of a lunch vegeta-bowl (I guess it's a vegeta-plate....)

Brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, and avocado (I never said that I was creative!)

If you are like one of my friends and want to drink your veggies, go for it!

Honestly, I don't know all that is in this but I'm sure she will participate in the contest & you will be able to see all of her crazy creations!


Ok.....got it?
Contest starts tomorrow!
And if you're one of those that don't like competitions then just think of it as team effort to come up with creative ways to eat veggies. (I AM rolling my eyes if you can't tell.)


Ready, set, CREATE!

Catwoman

Some people just make it look so easy.

I tell them what to do for nutrition, we start working out, and BAM!
The inches/pounds just start falling off.

I'll pause for some of you to give a big eye roll.

We are all so different and so many things can affect our results; sleep, stress, thyroid(can I get an Amen!), food intolerance, yo-yo dieting.....the list goes on.

BUT for some people it's a no-brainer.

Stop eating crap. Start eating REAL food. Start Moving.

Something that can be so complicated is actually pretty simple. Sometimes I forget that.....

I noticed this with a client of mine. For the sake of privacy we'll call her, Catwoman.
(If you knew her then you would know why that's her pseudonym and not because she works out in a black leather onesie. And yes, I had to google "pseudonym" to make sure I spelled it correctly AND it means what I think it means.)

Anyway, back to Catwoman...

Catwoman has dieted on and off for many years. She actually knew what was healthy to eat but needed some guidance and mostly accountability.
We talked for about an hour about nutrition, most of which she already knew.
She started her food journal and started working out.
BAM.

It's been 2 months since we started and she has lost 29 lbs (haven't seen her yet this week so we are probably at 30 by now!)

I asked her the other day how she did this over night change, and she pretty much said she "just did it". (Sorry Nike, but you're not the only one that can use that saying)

This woman who has bad arthritis, hasn't worked out in years, and works a full time job (complete with secretaries that bring in treats & catered lunches) is just getting it done.
 She has plenty of excuses she could use, but I've never heard one.

No fluff. No excuses. No complaining.

Catwoman,
this post is mostly for you.

You are inspiring people everyday with your story.
Continue to use your powers for good not evil.

To the batcave!




"You either think you can or you think you can't. Either way you're right." -Henry Ford




 

Definition

The definition of definition according to dictionary.com is;

the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined: His biceps have great muscle definition.

 

(Make sure you notice the italicized sentence after the definition. It has nothing to do with my point but I just thought it was funny. Also, why wouldn't they put "Her".....why does it always have to be Him if it's about having muscles? Ugh!)

 

And back to the subject......

 

I want to zero in on "clearly outlined, distinct" and talk about ourselves a little bit.

 

What defines us.

Of course you start to rack your brain for all the things that make You into You; golf, water skiing, family, traveling, or your rock collection(never understood that one.....what do you DO with rocks?)

 

I'm not really saying that those things DO or DON'T define us but what if we couldn't do those things anymore? 

You injure your back so you can't swing your golf club.

Your boat hits a glacier and sinks.

You contract a strange allergy to stewardesses (stewardi?)so you can't fly.

You decide to not be a nerd and not collect rocks anymore. 

(this sounds really gloomy but hang in there!)

 

But seriously, all that stripped away. What defines you?

 

I think about this often when it comes to exercise. 

 

What if you couldn't exercise anymore? Would you still be YOU? 

 

And even more importantly.....would you still feel good about yourself and who you are?

 

This may seem weird that someone who is a Personal Trainer would say these things.

 I know, it is weird. 

 

But there is a line that sometimes gets crossed. 

Many of us have been there. 

 

We feel "fat" if we didn't go to the gym. 

We feel lazy because we took a day off to rest. 

We stepped on the scale a few extra times today just to "check". 

We skip lunch because we are going out to eat tonight and don't want to take in too many calories.

Now some of you are thinking......what the what??!?!?! Who would do those things?

But I know there are some of you out there wondering if I'm talking about YOU. 

I have been there. It's a hard and scary place to be. 

 

Maybe you are flirting with the line. 

 

Step back. Ask yourself. Be honest. Make a change (that's the hard part)

 

If this is you, tell someone. Have someone come over and take your scale away. Start writing down your meals and share it with a friend so they can check on you. Take days off from the gym. 

All this is to say that nothing in this world can define you. You were wonderfully and beautifully made and we all have so many things to offer this world. Our talents go beyond how good our butt looks in jeans (even though it's NICE to have that, too!) 

That will fade.

 

Exercise, eat healthy, water ski, collect rocks(but why would you want to?) BUT remember all these things can be wonderful blessings of this life but you can't take it with you. 

ENJOY your exercise. Challenge yourself. Try new things. Hire me as your Personal trainer. :)

But if the only thing someone remembers about you is "His biceps had great muscle definition." then step back, re-balance, and make a change.