10/7: Fitness and Meals for the Week
My brain definitely appreciates the new fitness knowledge after this weekend at Fit Fest. It was like, “what?! You’re learning something besides fluffy girl novels and baby stuff? Let me just soak this up…”
To be honest, after Friday’s sessions, I was a little discouraged. I learned a few new things during the day, but was most excited about the metabolism lecture. It ended up being a total flop. It was basically a speech on why carbs are the devil and that we should only eat a minimal amount of carbs each day. She also said we shouldn’t eat an entire apple (!) and that onions and tomatoes are “too starchy.” She didn’t provide any research-based info, just personal experience, and the thing that made me the most upset was the fact that the women in the room were totally eating it up (pun?). Some of the legendary moments: “You should eat egg yolks because they have lecithin.” Edited to say: eggs are good for you, but she didn’t go over any of benefits, just said “they have lecithin.” And “You know, muscle weighs a lot more than fat.”
Needless to say, I was hoping Saturday’s lectures would be better and they rocked.my.world. I’m so excited to talk about a few topics this week, but in the meantime, here are some of the golden nuggets I took away from the weekend:
-The emphasis on a sedentary culture. So many people drive to work, sit at their desk, eat sitting down, drive back home, and sit on the couch and watch TV- so much sitting. It’s important to remind clients of little ways to stay active, even when their job and commute requires so much sitting. One of the best ways to encourage movement? Wear a pedometer. Just the act of wearing one will keep you more aware of activity levels and those who wear pedometers, on average, walk a mile more each day.
(A puppy who gives you lovey eyes until you walk her seems to work well, too)
-For difficulties with exercises requiring dorsiflexion (such as squats, lunges, etc), and the participant has a tough time going down without their knees hurting, try foam rolling their calves. That will help break down some of the fascia and increase the flexibility of the ankles.
-If you set your music to 128 bpm, one 32-count set is 15 seconds. This is AWESOME to know for Tabata classes because when the next phrase starts, you go again.
-HIIT really is the cardio KING. I’ll be doing a post on this, plus the best research-based interval training methods.
-I’m very fortunate to work where I do. A few of my colleagues were there with me, and it made me realize that every day I go in to teach, I’m at my own little version of a fitness workshop. Since we have assistants for each class, I get to assist and watch my friends teach all the time, and learn something new in each class.
After I got home last night, we went out with some friends to dinner at Eclectic.
They were decked out in their Florida gear, we were all Arizona-ed out:
Baby Wildcat <3
This week’s fitness and meal tentative plan:
-Sunday: OFF
-Monday: Runday
-Tuesday: CrossFit (I keep putting that in the schedule and still haven’t made it back a second time!)
-Wednesday: Teach Zumba
-Thursday: OFF
-Friday: Weights and HIIT
-Saturday: Teach Zumba
Meal ideas:
-Pumpkin Amazeballs
-Whatever the farmer’s market has that looks good 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful day- see ya later <3
xo
Gina
What’s on the fitness plan this week? Any new recipes on the menu? For some ideas, check out the October Calendar <3
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Those carb “tips” belong in the trash! I agree with you- that’s not wisdom or realistic to me
The dorsiflexion suggestions are perfect– I know a lot of people who need help here–um, I’m including myself first! 🙂
I love that a lecture covered our sedentary culture. I used to workout in the mornings and then sit the rest of the day, until I read something that made me consider how completely unnatural that was for my body (uhh we’re built to move, not sit on our butts for hours). Now, I usually strength train before work and keep cardio to a minimum, then go for a 20-30 minute walk as my “lunch” break, as well as try to move around the office as much as possible. Spreading out my activity actually makes me more alert at my desk in the afternoon (before, I’d swear my forehead would be hitting the keyboard at any minute), and keeps me from thinking I need a snack when I’m actually just tired/frustrated with a task.
That first lecture must have been frustrating! I hate the whole idea of drastically reducing carbs. I’m hoping to become an RD, so many of my classes are focused on nutrition. Newsflash people: If you reduce your carb intake too drastically, your body will start turning to protein for its glucose instead (gluconeogenisis). Kind of counterintuitive! One thing she was right about–eggs do contain tons of lecithin, which is awesome for the body. It’s a type of phospholipid and a great emulsifier (hence why eggs work so well in baking recipes!). Lecithin is something that every body cell needs (aids memory and concentration, important organs, etc).
Sorry to geek out on you. It’s just all super interesting to me! Love reading your blog. Keep it up!
i knew lecithin was an emulsifier (since i add it to almond milk) but it was just so weird because she didn’t say why it was important at all!
thank you 🙂
Oyeeee that metabolism lecture would have given me a headache.. CARBS ARE NOT EVIL PEOPLE!! I’d like to meet whoever started that myth and give them a piece of my mind and maybe a swift kick in the butt.
i wanted to throw things.
Ha. You should have.
It sounds like for the most part you had Fit Fest was awesome! Well, with the exception of that one lecture.
This weeks eats include noodleless chicken noodle soup (the recipe sounded more like a stew but it ended up being noddleless soup), beef and broccoli, hard cook egg white “rolls” (just the egg rolled up in a slice of cheese) and a salad beast or two :).
Fitness is a little wacky this week since I will be traveling Fri/Sat. So Monday and Wednesday short runs, Tuesday and Thursday weights. Friday and saturday off and long run on Sunday. My half marathon is in four weeks and I want to finish training strong so I can mentally run a strong race.
Love your blog and thanks for the inspiration.
Gina, you are one fit mama!!!! Love the whole fam sporting AZ gear. I totally can’t wait to get matching family outfits when my baby comes! Also, really need to invest in a foam roller. I still don’t have one and think I’ve waited a few years too many to splurge on that…the time is now!
Hi Gina – just wanted to let you know that I took my first bootcamp group fitness class yesterday and it was AWESOME! I feel like I never would have pushed myself out of my “running only” comfort zone had I not started following your blog. AND, I’m sore today but it feels amazing. I also totally loved the mix of strength and HIIT stations at bootcamp. It kinda felt like grade school PE class (mountain climbers anyone?), but I’m already signed up for the morning class next Saturday. Here’s hoping this helps my running and maybe will jump start a little fat burning action. haha 🙂 Happy Sunday!
Pumpkin amazeballs sound amazing! I can’t wait to hear how they turn out! I love working in the fitness industry too! There is always something new to learn which I love! Have a fabulous Sunday!
Hi Gina!
I’m a Phoenician reader spending the weekend in Bisbee & Tucson. Any must-have dinner recommendations in Tucson? Thank you!!
Lectures like that are just….frustrating to have to sit through! Well, at least it’s over and you’re looking fabulous in your workout pic and with you and the family 🙂
I’ve eaten two apples already today. I’m doomed, clearly. 🙂
Sad to hear so many people were into that lecture; glad you called it out!
LOL. That would be totally me. When I see the eat 1/2 apple day (or whatever the latest bad fruit is, I totally laugh).
I know those lovey eyes too well. I come home after being at school and working at 3 and I get those eyes. As exhausetd as I am I can’t resist the cute face of my lab/ beagal, Lexi! Why do they learn to train their owners so well!
I have strength training and HIIT sessions planned plus my first Zumba class totally inspired by you! Meals include egg/veggie scrambles, salad beasts, zucchini chicken fritters, and banana oatmeal muffins. Looking forward to learning more about your Fit Fest info in the coming week. I have a foam roller but never roll my calves – sounds like I sure need to!
That’s disappointing about the metabolism lecture. I always get so frustrated when I see people fascinated by garbage (ie: my moher-in-law – she falls into diet traps all the time. She has done the cabbage soup diet more times than I can remember and right now she’s convinced that green coffee extract pill that Dr. Oz recommends is the solution to her weight loss issues. She also thinks carbs are the worst possible food choice. I try to explain to her to choose right proper carbs but no luck. Its too bad people keep pumping out all of this awful advice.
I have to say- I love HIIT. Yesterday I took your suggestion to do moderate pace during the verse of a song, then as fast as I can during the chorus, did it for 30 minutes and it kicked my butt harder than my usual workout of double that time at a steady rate. Also, the way I feel about carbs is that they provide energy and should not be discounted!
Ugh they’re still teaching that “carbs are the devil” garbage? I can’t believe that after all this time, and all of the contradictory evidence out there, people still believe in that nonsense. Carbs are fabulous! And if we’re not supposed to eat a whole apple, then I don’t even want to know what that extra large banana I just enjoyed is going to do to me… I might just drop over dead 😉 Really looking forward to your post on HIIT, and hope you’re enjoying a beautiful Sunday with your family!
You must try this recipe – when I made it I thought of you.
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-enchiladas-2/
My changes:
Added a can of black beans to the mixture inside the enchilada.
Substituted TJ’s creamy goat cheese for cream cheese.
TO DIE FOR….I PROMISE!
Gina- I’m thinking about (GULP) getting into running. But I have hated until now because my knees hurt every time. Couldnt I just spin and get similar results or is running truly superior?
Trying to really drop weight and I know running has helped so many people!
Maybe I could grow to love it? Any posts from the past that you have done on how to get started running and not fail?
Gracias amiga amada!
I know several people who had the same problem with their knees when they ran. They started icing them after their runs and they all said it made a world of difference. Could be worth a try. Good luck in your journey 🙂
Aww, thanks Kristen! 🙂 Very kind of you to share.
hey girl!
my best advice would be to start off slowly and also be sure to train your quads and hamstrings (strength training!). usually when the leg muscles aren’t enough to support the knee while running it can make it hurt.
hope this helps a little bit!
So glad your lessons picked up! It does sound like you work at an awesome place. I’d love to visit a wellness retreat center sometime.
sounds like you’ve got a great week ahead! yay!
So I roasted a pumpkin yesterday and made all of your deliciousness – the hummus —> AMAZING. I was going to use the extra puree for smoothies since its a little early for baby food, but pumpkin amazeballs sound way better.
My ‘new recipe’ for the week that I’m throwing into the mix is a spinach, mushroom, shallot & goat cheese crustless quiche. Nom nom.
I am Registered Dietitian and get really annoyed at people who claim to be experts giving bad advice as was the case in your metabolism seminar. It’s too bad they didn’t hire a qualified professional for that piece because people who don’t know any better are going to believe what they heard was truth.
oooooo pumpkin amazeballs!? Yes, please! I’m going through my pumpkin everything phase right now 🙂
That lecture sounds like the nutrition class I took in college! We were using a text book that was at least 5 years old and the professor drove me nuts! She too misunderstood carbs and would say things like “all carbs are the same once you eat them so it doesn’t matter what kind you eat.” And things like fruit is just sugar so it’s not really good for you. I wanted to cry. A lot of the statements she made could be true but needed to be put into context! Sure fruit is “sugar” but also fiber and all kinds of vitamins and antioxidants. Drove. Me. Crazy.
I love how she said muscle weighs more than fat, just like a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of feathers! Haha.
I love that you don’t think carbs are the devil because unfortunately many people do!! I can’t imagine a life with no brown rice or fruit!
I’ve been in a serious recipe slump lately, meals at least. All I want to do is bake pumpkin treats! 🙂
Today starts my second to last week of training for a half marathon so my weekly schedule is all made out for me! 3 running days, 3 yoga sessions, 2-3 strength training sessions, and a dance class for something fun!
I had the same idea of trying to make pumpkin amazeballs this weekend! I didn’t end up making them since I still have amazeballs from last week to finish up. Can you post your recipe?
I love your blog! Bella is ADORABLE. What type of pup is she exactly, a miniature poodle? Where did you get her from?? I actually have a Shiba Inu and she is trouble! 🙂 Have a great day and thanks for being so great at what you do!
Pumpkin amazeballs?!? Sounds great! Recipe coming I hope!!
I”m so sorry the metabolism lecture wasn’t all that you hoped it would be. I have totally had that happen to me before where you are all jazzed about a session at a fitness conference and then it doesn’t live up to expectations! So sad! The tip about foam roalling calves is so good to know. Thanks for sharing.
Some eats for me this week include:
Fiesta Lime Quinoa Salad
Pumpkin Protein Bites
Pumpkin Coconut Flour Cookies
Pumpkin Crepes
I’m pretty pumpkin obsessed at the moment! 🙂
OOOOOoooooo, good job I was not there. I’m so bad for asking ‘do you have a reference for that?’. People just spouting ‘someone said that…’ really annoys me.
I have the dorsiflexion issues. Yoga has helped quite a bit, but maybe I need to foam roll (ouchy!).
Hey Gina,
I read your meals & plans and was curious about your certain choices such as gluten free, dairy -free diet.
Are these choices due to some allergies or are they part of eating right? Would love to know more. And if there is already a post somewhere explaining this, it would great if you could put the link in the comment.
Thanks. 🙂
hey girl!
here’s my post about gluten: http://fitnessista.com/2011/06/readers-request-gluten-freedom/
dairy: http://fitnessista.com/2011/08/why-i-go-with-goat/
xoxo
If carbs are wrong, I don’t want to be right!! 😉 I’m also looking forward to your HIIT post. Quick question: I was scanning a book at Barnes and Noble (I think Practical Paleo) and it mentioned that for someone with stress related issues (IBS,etc) that doing HIIT is interpretted by the body as stress which can aggrevate their symptoms. I’ve struggled with stress-related body freak outs (rashes, ibs-like symptoms, eye twitching, stomach pain) and was just curious if you have ever heard of this connection.
Anyways….I planned my fitness/eats for the week too! http://katemovingforward.blogspot.com/2012/10/livefit-week-1-and-unprocessed-meal-plan.html
that’s interesting, i haven’t heard of that. the lecture i just attended on hiit emphasized that hiit is beneficial for cells and the heart, so i can’t see a way that it would be seen as stressful.
Hmm. Yeah, I wasn’t sure either; and I don’t know if there was any research to back it up that I remember. I’ll not stress about it. 😉
You have THE BEST LEGS!!!
That is all.
Pumpkin amazeballs!!??! GET OUT OF TOWN. Genius.
I couldn’t agree more with the comment on sedentary culture. I am a Kinesiology major at LSU and many of my classes have to do with diet, health, and exercise. One thing I have learned from these classes is that it is very important to do little things each day to increase your exercise such as parking in the back of the parking lot at the grocery store instead of finding the closest spot, or simply being on your feet and doing things around the house. I can’t wait to hear about some of the other things you learned!
Damn I was hoping the nutritional chat would bring us something good- oh well atleast you know your stuff enough to not be sucked in. I can’t wait to hear more about HIIT. Oh and I’m definitely going to try out the foam rolling of the calves! Thanks 🙂
I’m sorry your Friday sessions didn’t work out! I would love to hear more about what you thought of the metabolism lecture, even if it wasn’t too well thought out. You should do another post with more detail about the other lectures you attended! It was great to read about the sessions and your ways to relax and de-stress. Thanks for your great blog!
there’s going to be a thorough post about hiit training tomorrow 🙂
i’m not going to write more about the metabolism lecture because i don’t want it to seem like i’m bashing the presenter, but the presentation was awful