To The Smelly Girl at The Gym

Women tend to be self-conscious about the way they look, but what about the way they smell? In the morning I typically spritz a little light perfume on my wrists, or if I’m having a stressful day I’ll use my Young Living Peace & Calming essential oil to sniff throughout the day when I  feel stressed out. When it comes to gym time, I make sure to refresh my deodorant, but that’s it…until yesterday.

It was my main cardio day, which consisted of 40 minutes between the treadmill, elliptical, and stair climber. I was exhausted after, but felt fabulous. I grabbed a yoga mat to sit and stretch for a few minutes, and that’s when I  noticed it: I stank.

It was like this strong, salty odor that made me take a double-sniff. I thought “maybe it’s just someone near me, there’s no way I could smell that gross”…but no one was near by. Being the anxious person I am, I cut my stretch sesh short and rushed home to do a little research on WebMD. Luckily, based on what I smelled, it was typical. Sweat tends to release toxins from the skin, and combined with average B.O., it’s the likely culprit.

Now, depending on the smell of your sweat, it may be something that needs to get checked out so if you’re having the same issue, do a little research.

This got me thinking: how many other women worry about how they smell at the gym? Since I follow an average hygiene routine (daily showers, scrub between my toes, brush twice a day, deodorant, etc.) I figured I needn’t worry about it.So of course I got all paranoid, wondering if people thought I was the smelly person in the office but were never nice enough to tell me.

But you know what? You’re revving up that heart rate. You’re burning those calories and kicking ass at it, so don’t worry so much about it. Take a shower either at the gym (if you’re comfortable with that) or as soon as you get home, but never feel ashamed for working your ass off (literally).

Women’s magazines and beauty blogs tell us we need to be on fleek constantly, which I think is total crap. Embrace the sweat-drenched hair and the salty armpits! As Beyonce would say, a little sweat ain’t never hurt nobody.

-C

 

Finding the Motivation: A Guide to Staying on Track

If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried (and possibly failed) at getting on, and staying on, a routine. After 2, 4, 10, weeks the air has been let out of the tires. The excitement has faded. The pounds aren’t coming …

New Year, New Me! And Other Cliches

Hi again, and happy New Year!

With the new year comes resolutions of weight loss, money management, travel, gratitude, and all those other cliche topics. More power to the people that pledge to lose those pounds, save those pennies, go to Italy and appreciate their messy husbands!

Like most others, I’ve pledged (again) to lose the weight. A little more (a lotta more) has been put on since last year, which really sucks. I went from having an outdoor, on-my-feet, manual labor job to…completely sedentary. Desk job, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week!

But this time, I have a partner in crime to judge me if I eat the bad stuff. You know, the Swiss Rolls dipped in coffee gelato with some chocolate mousse on top? Yeah, he puts me in my place. We’ve started a daily workout routine together (yikes!) which is still a work in progress. We joined Planet Fitness last year but didn’t really start going on the regular until recently. Luckily they have a wide array of machines, free weights, and space.

A healthy weight for my body type is around 155-160, so I’ve got a little (a lotta) ways to go. So I’m looking to you, fabulous internet people, to help me survive this pain in the ass challenge. In return, I’ll give you all of my tips & tricks on food, workouts, and motivation. Sound good? Great!

To start off, I’ll share with you our joint workout routine. Disclaimer: it’s still in the beginning phases, so I’ll keep you updated on how it goes, and if my boyfriend survives it. As always, consult your doctor before you do any strenuous exercise, and do so at your own risk.

Cari & Casey’s Couples Workout

This is a 12-week program to get us started, so I’ll try to condense it a bit so this looks more like a blog post and less like a dissertation.

All of these workouts consist of 2 “warm up” sets of 8-10 reps, and 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Day 1: Legs

Leg Press

Hamstring Curl

Leg Lift

Calf Press (or calf raises)

Cardio* (30 minutes)

*Make sure to switch up your cardio on a regular basis so you don’t get bored. We like the elliptical, the ARC trainer, and biking.

Day 2: Chest/Triceps

Cardio: 30 minutes

Flat Dumbbell Press – lying flat on your back, use 2 dumbbells in your hands with your arms out at 90 degrees.

Triceps Push Down (machine or free weights)

Straight Arm Pullover – Hold one dumbbell with both hands over your head. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head, reaching to your shoulder blades.

Cardio: 15 minutes

Day 3: Rest Up

Day 4: Abdominals

Leg lifts – lying flat on your back, tuck your hands under your butt and straighten out your legs. Lift your legs 8-10 inches off of the ground, and lower. Rinse, lather, and repeat.

Russian Twists (medicine ball or free weight)- Sitting with your feet slightly off of the ground, hold the weight with both hands and twist back and forth. Make sure to keep your balance on your tailbone; that gives your core an extra challenge.

Teacups (free weight) –  Holding the free weight in your right hand, stand with your feet hips-width apart. Lower your arm down past your knee, and come back up. Make sure to switch sides. This exercise will work your love handles.

Cardio: 15 minutes

Day 5: Cardio

Spend this time doing any kind of cardio you like: elliptical, treadmill, ARC trainer, Zumba class, or if the weather is decent, go for a long walk. 45 minutes-1 hour.

Day 6: Arms

Bicep Curls (free weights, I’ve started out with 15 lbs.)

Triceps Push Down (machine or free weights)

Rowing Machine

Chest flies (lighter weight, higher reps if you’re looking to tone up)

Straight arm pullover

Cardio: 30 minutes

Day 7: Rest up

So! That’s our 12-week routine. I’m sure it’ll need to be tweaked and modified, so I’ll keep this updated to gauge what works & what doesn’t work. I’ll create another post or two on my diet as well.

Enjoy!

-C

Memorial Day Munchies: Healthified!

We’re back in action, folks!

Just in time for Memorial Day, I’ve found some tasty (yet skinny!) holiday picnic foods that won’t bust your diet!

 

1. Barbequed Pulled Chicken

A healthy alternative to pulled pork, you’ll still get that nice smokey flavor without the added fat.

• 1 8-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/2 red sweet pepper
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.
2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.
3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.

Approximate nutritional value:

Per serving: 342 calories,11g fat, 93mg cholesterol 32g carbohydrates, 4g added sugars, 30g protein, 4g fiber, 477 mg sodium, 547 mg potassium.

 

2. Garden Pasta Salad

This cold salad includes some non-traditional veggies and flavors for some added nutrients.

• 2 cups whole-wheat rotini, (6 ounces)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper, (1 small)
• 1 cup grated carrots, (2-4 carrots)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, (4 scallions)
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives (optional)
• 1/3 cup slivered fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well. Refrigerate up to 1 day.

Per serving (about 1 cup): 205 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 291 mg sodium; 269 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (97% dv), Vitamin A (70% dv), Fiber (17% dv).

 

3. Skinny Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Omagod, yum!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1 lb rhubarb stalks (about 5 or 6) cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup honey

For the Topping:

• 1 cup Quaker quick oats
• 1/2 cup 100% white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries and rhubarb in an oven safe dish
• Add honey.
• Then add orange juice and orange zest; sprinkle with cornstarch and toss until fruit is well coated.
• Mix remaining ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl then spread over fruit.
• Bake until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 40 minutes.
• Serve with a scoop of fat free frozen yogurt or a dallop of whipped cream and enjoy!

Serving Size: 1/2 cup. Calories: 220, fat 3g, protein 3g, carb 38.4g, fiber 3.8g, sugar 23.9g, sodium 2.8g

 

Enjoy!

-C

Eat This, Not That: The Guide to Picking and Choosing

I’ve always had a problem of figuring out what foods are better for you than others. Take for example, Toll House crackers. You’d think that the “low fat” ones are better for you, right? While the crackers may be low in fat, they add sugar to it to compensate for taking out the fat. So really, one is no better than  the other.

This series of books titled Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko, focuses on the content of a specific food, compared to a similar food and picks the best choice between them. There are many different books. The one I have is titled Supermarket Survival Guide. I’ve also seen Easy and Awesome 350-calorie meals and The Restaurant Survival Guide. For those of you with little ones at home, he also wrote a book specifically for kids and families! These food swaps can really help you avoid foods that may seem healthy, and maintain a healthy weight. There’s no dieting with this; it’s purely trading this for that!

The book is separated into categories such as “The Choice is Yours”, which goes in-depth to explain why we are the way we are when it comes to food. Portion distortion, more calories in traditional dishes, the role that preservatives play, calorie-packed drinks, and the like.

Here’s some examples of food comparisons:

Krispy Kreme Donut:

• 1 donut
• 190 calories
• 11 grams of fat (4.5 saturated)
• 10 grams of sugar

Krispy Kreme has gotten a whole lot of flack for their products. What! An 800-calorie donut?! Although some of these accusations may be a bit skewed, Zinczenko recommends this as an occasional treat, not a daily breakfast staple.

Oddly enough, let’s compare this to Entenmann’s Frosted Devil’s Food Donuts:

• 310 calories
• serving size 1 donut
• 18 grams of fat (12 grams of saturated fat)
• 24 grams of sugar
• 2 grams of fiber

While these have a touch of fiber to them, the amount of sugar, fat and calories in these heathens totally cancels out any healthy substances. Krispy Kreme wins!

This book has a lot of surprising comparisons. Let’s head to the cereal department. For those of you with little ones, they always ask for cereals like Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, or Cookie Crisp. I’m sure you’re thinking, “well yeah, and they’re terrible for them!” Well, let’s test that out, compared to other kid-approved cereals.

Froot Loops:

• Serving size: 1 cup
• 110 calories
• 1 gram of fat (.5 grams saturated)
• 12 grams of sugar
• < 1 gram of fiber

Out of the sugary cereals, Zinczenko describes this one as “the surprisingly sober pick”. Now, let’s compare Froot Loops to Cap’n Crunch.

• Serving size: 1 cup
• 147 calories
• 2 grams of fat (1.5 saturated)
• 16 grams of sugar
• 1.5 grams of fiber

Overall, this cereal has twice the fat (including saturated), 37 more calories, and 4 more grams of sugar. Although it contains a touch of fiber, there’s one big problem here: Cap’n Crunch contains a large amount of yellow #5 (a food coloring), which has been linked to hyperactivity and ADHD. Ehh, no bueno!

There are TONS of comparisons that have sparked my interest in this book, but this would be a really long post if I included all of them. If you’re interested in finding more food swap ideas, I highly recommend picking one of these up; they’re on Amazon.com, starting at five dollars…what’s the excuse not to?

Prime choice for food alternatives!

So again, there’s no dieting in this place. I don’t believe in diets. This is merely making good choices, swapping this for that.

-C