The Stages of BodyRock
Hey guys! Happy Monday 🙂 Hope your day is going well.
Catching up on the blog world:
THE PILOT CAME HOME! (<— Video post)
We spent the weekend sunning and enjoying each other’s company at One Ocean
Fun guest posts (Hopefully you found some fun new reads to add to your Google reader)
So, we’ve been having a lovely time in Valdizzy before we leave tomorrow.
Since I slept through yoga yesterday, I decided to get in a BodyRock workout (Set Fire) at the hotel.
The stages of BodyRock:
Ignorant smile (because I don’t know of the pain to come)
The warm-up:
Scraping the “popcorn” off the 70s style hotel ceilings with the jump rope:
(oops)
Working my booty off:
16 minutes has NEVER been this schweaty before:
Pain and profanities:
“Nice work, babe”:
Recovery:
Insane. It always blows my mind that these workouts can make me sweat like a MONKEY- sometimes more than I do after teaching for an hour.
Afterwards, I went to the hotel gym with the Pilot to shake my legs out on the elliptical:
and gawk at his hawtness as he ran on the treadmill in lululemon 😉
I can’t believe he’s really back here <3
Recent eats:
So while the Pilot and I were at the gym, in between yelling at the basketball game on TV and dancing around –Arizona ROCKED it last night!- I listened to a Jillian Michael’s podcast on the iPhone.
It was my first time listening to her podcast, even though it’s one of the #1s. As you guys know, I’m not a Jillian fan at all –yes, she has done some amazing things, but she also sold out majorly by pimping out phony diet pills and “supplements”- but the podcast was pretty interesting. She discussed veganism and the fact that you can’t become vegan overnight, which I totally agree with. It takes a lot of research and planning, and I also agree that you should stay as far away from faux meats as possible (processed soy is not a friend). She also said that she stopped eating meat from land animals –only consumes fish, eggs, and organic yogurt- after watching the movie Earthlings, which I haven’t seen.
The podcast got me thinking about what was the initial change and shift in my eating habits. I really think the most significant thing to shape how I eat today was reading the South Beach Diet in college. Before I read that book, I had no idea what a healthy fat or smart carb was, or how to balance macronutrients in my diet. Through time, I’ve bid adieu to a lot of the food-like-substances that SB advocates with a shift towards more whole foods, but I think that it totally changed my eating style for the better.
Another book that had a huge impact on my eating style was Skinny Bitch. SB and I kind of have a weird relationship- I adore the book and loathe it at the same time. I don’t think it’s necessary to use fear tactics or be demeaning towards other women, but at the same time, the style in which it’s written totally works. It’s a brand thing with the tough love and foul language, which has made it successful. I also don’t like the fact that it guilt-trips nonvegans and encourages a ton of VERY unhealthy foods just because they don’t use animal products. Anyway, reading SB gave me a GIANT wake-up call to evaluate where exactly my food was coming from. SB was a kick in the face to buy organic and determine where exactly my food dollar is going. Of course, I’m not a vegan by any means, but I ate vegan-ish for a very long time until semi-recently, when I decided that I wanted to include chicken in my diet again. I enjoy chicken maybe once a week (if that) and it’s working for me right now.
So I’m wondering, what shaped or changed your current eating habits? Was it a book or movie, or have you eaten this way for your entire life?
Of course, we’re all different and I’m a firm believer that as far as eats go, different strokes for different folks. We all have unique activity levels and needs. What works beautifully for one person could be totally wrong for someone else. Please play nice in the comments and remember to be respectful to other peeps.
I’m off to lunch with a very good friend 🙂
See ya later today!
xoxo
Gina
Today’s tip: Add more BOOTY to your squat! 😀
Next time you add squats into your workout rotation, add a balance ball or medicine ball in between your knees, like so:
Perform the squat per usual (minus the iPhone, heh heh) and notice how this little variation targets your inner thighs (from having to hold the balance ball in place) and directs the focus to your glutes:
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Oh man, a lot of things shaped my eating habits. I started to eat “healthier” about 5 years ago – “healthier” meaning low calories, sugar free crap that wasn’t really healthy. Then after I started to read food blogs about 3 years ago, I shaped it up and focused on whole real foods. Then last year I read Eating Animals and cut out all meat. Not to mention a discovery in my gluten intolerance tha tpopped up in there at some point as well!!!
The biggest change in my eating habits was reading healthy living blogs actually. They all talked about these wonderful foods, many of them vegetarian and vegan and I had to see what it was all about.
Lately though things like Food Inc and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan have got me thinking.
I’m a vegetarian but I will have meat on occasion, most often family gatherings because I don’t want to make them make something completely different for me.
I was raised eating a pretty healthy diet for the most part with lots of fresh fruit and vegs, but one that was also heavily dependent on carbs(pasta/rice/potatoes). It was only after my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that my family took at closer look at what we put in our bodies. Mostly in the areas of chemicals and sugars, but in general portion size and nutrients as well. Coming off of being a high school athlete, I needed to relearn nutrition beyond carb-loading for the race and understanding I don’t need(or really want) 3 helpings of heavy food.
Other than that, I just focus on trying to fill up with fruits, veggies and good sources of protein and listen to my body.
I have been dyinggg to try BodyRock! I have been skeptical, but if it gets the Fitnessista shweating, then it must be good. Thanks girl!:)
I love your blog! I’m glad that I found it! I’ve been wanting to try bodyrock too. Thanks for your inspiration and all of the other inspiring comments.
I was inspired to start a whole foods diet after reading ‘The China Study’ by T. Colin Campbell, which is a compilation of research, and studies and stats on nutrition-some of them mind-blowing that I’d never heard of! I was completely amazed and learned so much about how our bodies work, what exactly happens with diseases like cancer and auto-immune disease, and how our diet really does affect our quality of life.
You absolutely nailed my thoughts on Skinny Bitch…even when I didn’t know much about veganism at the time, I remember thinking that a lot of the stuff they were advocating was SERIOUSLY processed and junky! But I guess you have to win people over somehow. Hungry Girl is very similar too (although they are not vegan, just low-cal) – and are always promoting low calorie, but not *healthy.*
The book that had the biggest impact on how i eat today is “Fit for Life” by Marilyn Diamond. I read it back in 1999, and it has stuck with me.
This was the first i read about how we digest our food and food combining. From that point on i began eating whole foods and quit the ‘fake’ stuff.
It was a blessing, and to this day that book has stuck with me. I do not follow it religiously, but it has definitley shaped my ‘eating style’ without a doubt.
Great question Gina, and very interesting to read everyone’s responses.
So happy the Pilot is back home!!!!!
Well after getting to an all time high of 300lbs, I was disgusted and HAD to do something! A friend of mine lost 60lbs @ a local diet clinic and I was encouraged to follow. I will admit I had taken the appetite suppressants for the 1st 2 weeks to help me stop craving the ffatty foods I loved. But I’m not a big medicine taker!! So I lost 10 lbs the 1st 2weeks and decided to get a trainer. She helped me by telling me about the Eat Clean Diet. Now 80lbs lighter today I enjoy reading Oxygen and all of Tosco Reno’s books along with fitness blogs! Love this new lifestyle!! Thanks so much for all the great motivation!
I have a love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels. While I think some of her DVD’s are great and she does some amazing things, I hate the supplements & cleanses. I listened to most of her podcasts last year and they’re interesting because they were done before she started with the supplements, and the life coaching books.
“Food Matters” and “In Defense of Food” have had big impacts on my eating. But the biggest tipping point for me is living with a chronic condition (RA) that may or may not be linked to eating bad food and inactivity. I figure that my body is having enough issues, let’s eat healthy and excercise to help it out any way I can.
Hi there! I’m delurking to respond to your post. 😉 When I was in college I had one eye opening conversation that changed the way I viewed food. I became a vegetarian and soon after, a vegan. Through the years I alternated between vegetarianism and veganism. Ultimately, I always knew that consuming any animal products wasn’t the right decision for me. I watched Earthlings and that was it for me…instantly vegan for life! My initial motivation (and continued commmitment) to eat this type of diet was my desire to align my beliefs about animals rights with my food/clothing/product choices and decisions as much as possible. The more time has gone by, the more I enjoy my diet because it is wonderful to have a diet that is based around healthy grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies. I love feeling like I am putting nourishing foods into my body and because I am vegan, I am rarely tempted with other less healthy options (I loved cheese more than any other food. People always say that they could “never give it up” and I truly understand that thought. That said, if I can do it I have no doubt that anyone could!). When I do crave something, I often make it from scratch and it ends up being a healthier version than anything I would have picked up at a store or restaurant. 🙂
I keep hearing crazy things about the bodyrock workouts…it’s a little intimidating!
I cant even pinpoint one thing that changed my eating. Its just one big combo of a million things.
Looks like you got a great workout in!
I bet it seems so weird to have the pilot by your side every day again. 🙂
I have all the JM podcasts through from 2006 to the new ones she is releasing now through ITUNES. They have educated me and completely changed the way I look at food and nutrition as well as exercise. I have switched to whole organic foods and even switched out my toxic cosmetics for paraben free alternatives.
I think even if you dont agree with parts of the JM “brand” the woman has a LOT of greatm, healthy information to offer and really does have a sensible well rounded approach to health and wellness these days (the tone of the pod casts changes as she has gotten older).
Love seeing you and the pilot happy togethr again 🙂
I credit my eating changes (for the better) to the movie Food Inc, Michael Pollan’s books, and Skinny Bitch. Since then I’ve read The Kind Diet and The China Study which have further helped!
I would have to say that all the changes in my nutrition have come directly from my battle with breast cancer. I always ate semi-healthy, but I definitely had too many processed foods and junk in my diet. After I completed treatment, I felt like my body was “clean” from cancer, and I was determined to keep my body as clean as possible by only putting whole and healthy foods in my mouth. Things like unhealthy fats, processed foods, meat (except the occasional fish), and soy took on a whole new meaning for me. I am a MUCH healthier person and a faster marathoner because of all the changes I made. And it wasn’t hard for me because I have the best motivation ever…I have a lot of life left to live and I want to be here for my kids.
I started reading Crazy Sexy Cancer after I was diagnosed, and when Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Diet came out a few months ago I couldn’t wait to buy it. While I’m not quite as hardcore as she is, I follow most of the principles in her book.
I’m so happy that your Pilot is home! Y’all start making up for lost time;-) xoxo
So, I’m more of a lurker than a commenter, but I thought I’d venture out with a workout question. I’ve been perusing the BodyRock videos and tried a few… I want to try more, but I don’t have a dip station! How did you modify to do the Reverse Push-Up and Knee Tuck and how can I modify their workouts without the dip set-up?
Thanks for your constant inspiration!
For along time by diet was but preventing cancer. I am now trying make it be preventative but also focus on how what I consume makes me feel.
Great squat tip. Will be much better than doing leg lifts on my back as I am always worried that the ball will fall on my face and smash it.
you did the set fire workout which called for a reverse push up using the dip station, what do you do to modify the changes if you don’t have that station?
My diet is still evolving. I am trying hard to get healthy but with all the info out there it can be a little overwhelming/confusing. There are 3 things that have changed my eating habits significantly. The movie Earthlings. Hands down changed my diet the most. And the other 2 was Jillian Michaels book and Kris Carrs book Crazy Sexy Diet. I feel I’ve learned a ton of info from these gals!
Great post!
Over the past year and half I’ve changed my eating habits and gotten off the couch!! Being a super busy grad student created bad eating habits for me and dealing with some difficult times recently in my life also added to bad eating. I ate tons of carbs and did little exercise, using my busy schedule as an excuse.
After gaining about 10-15 lbs. and having to go up sizes in clothes and just not feeling good about myself, I finally decided to make a change last year. I signed up with a trainer for a while, learned about weight lifting (more than a 5 lb. DB, haha), and started educating myself on a healthy way of eating.
Since then, I’ve lost those 10-15 lbs. and have adopted a more healthy way of eating. I cut out frozen meals and bought a food scale to learn about portion control. I used to eat like 3 serving sizes of pasta before! Recently b/c of your blog, I bought CSD and read it in like 3 days. I’m considering being vegan or almost vegan now. I was vegetarian for the past 1.5 years, and on and off throughout my life. Reading about the meat industry and just effects of animal products on our health, and just my growing love for my dogs has caused me to re-think the way I eat even more. I’m reading “Eating Animals” now which is interesting, and downloaded “The China Study” on kindle for more info.
I’m not a JM fan either, but she’s right, these changes can’t happen overnight, and sometimes it’s hard, but I keep trying to improve in living a healthy lifestyle (even changed the name of my blog recently to be about health, haha). Some days I don’t feel like going to the gym but when I do, it feels SO GOOD!
Sorry for the super long post…I just wanted to share my journey and let you know you inspire me daily and have motivated me to live healthier! Thanks Gina!
I ate healthier my second year of college when I was running races & teaching fitness classes. I read fitness magazines and learned from others at the gym. That’s been years ago during the leg warmer days. Now I am inspired by you and your blog. I also read health books: crazy sexy diet and Travis storks new book. I tend to eat better when having a regular exercise program. You’ve been a great influence!
I don’t like labels: vegan, vegeterian, blagh blagh blagh. I just eat as healthily as possible and I don’t like to pretend that there is one “right” diet everyone should have. I think awareness is key. Know what you are putting into you, and you’ll be set
The book that totally changed my eating and thoughts on health all together was The Kind Diet. I have since become a vegan and it’s the best decision I have ever made for my health! Alicia Silverstone does such a good job of explaining things in a serious but not pushy way. O and I love the squat trick! I will have to try that one!
First book I ever read about nutrition/exercise was The Butt Book by Tosca Reno. I followed the meal plan & exercise to a T and saw amazing results (I’m talking total obliteration of any cellulite on my body) but it wasn’t sustainable for me to do all the meal prep work, lugging around baggies of pre-cooked chicken breasts, etc. as a college student so I started reading her Eat Clean Diet series for a more balanced approach and use a lot of those recipes. Skinny Bitch was a big influence too, and pushed me over the vegetarian edge for sure! All-time favorite healthy cookbook is Healthy In A Hurry!
I have recently changed my eating habits after watching the movie Food, Inc. The information was both shocking and disturbing. I couldn’t get the images of the diseased, crammed chickens out of my head. I have stopped eating chicken altogether, and eat less meat in general. I don’t like labels, but they do have a word for people like me: flexitarian. I don’t have any strict rules – I just do what I can to eat healthy and do what I can for the earth and animals.
I read the book The End of Overeating and it was SO eye opening for me. I’ve got a long way to go to really get my eating in line, but this was a good start.
Off topic here…I just had my first taste of Indian food today for lunch. It was a big step for this meat and potatoes Rocky Mountain girl, but quite tasty!
I started eating chicken this year (after years of not!) too. I really only eat it once a week even now and still gravitate toward veggie or fish protein. But, I do think upping my protein has been really good for me and I feel better 🙂
For the most part I’d say that wanting to be healthy is what made me eat the way I do. Since then, reading blogs, seeing Food Inc, and reading some of Michael Pollan’s books have also had an influence.
I have been in the past, vegan, vegge or pescatarian and all for various reasons. I’ve found that I am happiest when I don’t fixate on what I am and just eat what makes sense in terms of what I desire, what I need, and what is the best thing I can choose at that moment. I like meat, and I like fish and sometimes I want a big Elaine Salad. I know that there are good meats that have been treated better than others, and I know that I am a VERY small footprint in the world based on my income and consumption. I try not to worry so much anymore.
My eating style has been evolving for most of my life. I was raised on a very processed diet at my dads house, and on a standard American diet at my mom’s. When I was 11 I wanted to become vegetarian. My love of animals made me realize I was not comfortable eating them, and after living near farms and seeing the housing conditions I told my parents how I felt. My mom swore that it was unhealthy and she wasn’t going to let it happen. Two years later I convinced her it was okay. I was eating mostly meat substitutes and processed food. When I gained about 30 lbs I worked to lose the weight and developed an eating disorder. I dropped the animal products ate healthy portions of whole food, and now I’m at my happy weight. I’m about 99% vegan if I had to stick a label on it. I still enjoy the occasional Krispy Kreme doughnut.
What my family once thought was a phase has become a lifestyle and I couldn’t be happier. 🙂
I ended up changing my diet (for the better) after being diagnosed with an inner ear disease that caused me to have vertigo. The remedy was to seriously lower my daily sodium intake. After learning how to read labels at the store for this, I found out that most “convenient” foods have a ton of sodium in them, so therefore, I couldn’t buy them anymore. I started cooking everything fresh because you can control what goes into those dishes(good thing I already enjoyed cooking!). It then progressed into looking at labels further, consuming less sugar and eating as many natural foods as possible. Your blog amongst others has really inspired me to find new ways to incorporate natural foods into my diet, so thank you! And also… thanks for amazeballz. They are just that! 🙂
Do monkeys even sweat?
My eating habits were most incluenced by The Food Revolution and by Eat To Live. I didn’t really like the Skinny Bitch book…despite finding the topic interesting, the writing style was just too over-the-top for me. I know that it WORKED, but I got a little bit tired of how hard the authors were trying to be tough and…well…bitchy. It just seemed too contrived.
Lurker here…..
Like you, South Beach is what changed my eating/life – about 3 years ago. I was pretty successful with it (lost 80 pounds), but I hit a point where I wasn’t losing although I maintained the loss for about a year and half, but gained some (about 15) since this fall.
Between healthy living blogs and other readings, I’ve basically left SB behind. I do still loosely follow some of the concepts (whole grains, real food, lots of veggies, etc.), but I have found things that I just don’t agree with. Can’t have dates (Larabars), but can have fake sugars is one that bugs me.
I’ve been vegan since the second week of February, but before that had worked down from eating meat (except red meat – that’s been gone for years), to eating just sea food, to being a vegan…somehow I skipped being a ‘regular’ vegetarian.
I was just telling my co-workers the other day that I don’t see staying a complete vegan for the rest of my life…but when it’s all said and done, I’ll probably be about 98% vegan.
I had no idea Jillian Michaels was a vegan!
I turned to vegetarianism when I owned my first apartment (and realized I had no idea how to cook meat) and started being more environmentally and ‘bodily’ aware. Best decision I’ve ever made!
Thanks for introducing me to bodyrock! I just look as Zuzana and I am motivated to work hard!
ugh i’m totally with you on skinny bitch. i love the message but hate the way it is articulated. i also hate the use of “skinny” instead of “healthy”. i understand they’re trying to make money and the best way to do that is by being provocative but i just find it kind of lame they went that route, considering how many women (and men!) struggle with body image and body acceptance.
as for the books/movies that changed my eating habits…skinny bitch, thrive, food inc, and healthy living blogs!
definitely should rename the book to “healthy” bitch! haha!
I’m glad you also die from the bodyrock workouts and you are much fitter than I am. I’m just glad they exist…I figure the pain now will be worth the awesome toned muscles I see later!
My eating habits have changed quite a bit since I’ve been reading wonderful blogs like yours. I’m no longer afraid to eat REAL foods and have cut out a lot of processed junk. I still eat meat, but I am interested in learning more about where it comes from, how the animals were treated, etc. I also eat *salad beasts* more often! 🙂
Our eating habits changed a lot over the years. Actually started when we were young because our two older sisters got into bodybuilding so from a young age we started eating egg whites, lots of veggies, gave up soda, fast food, etc. Then high school came and we still kept a clean diet, but was way more open to new things (drinks, shhh). Then college came and we tried to eat clean, but always wanted to have fun and “fit in”! Also, we worked in a health food/supplement store, so exposed to many things like diet pills, bars, protein powders, which at the time we thought that is what we have to eat. But then as our bodies started telling us otherwise, we did research. And the book that changed our minds was the blood type diet book. And then from there lead to many other great books and eventually we started to really change our diets. And still changing it up, because our bodies our always changing 🙂
Love that you had a personal photographer for your workout. Oh and the video the other day made me cry, so happy for you two 🙂
Great idea with the squat. I’m gonna try it out this week.
Going on Weight Watchers before I got married really taught me about portion control and to eat more fruits and veggies. From there I began learning what healthy foods really were. 🙂
I’ve never heard of BodyRock before! Is it free? I need to find a way to fit in my workout now with my busy schedule. I know it’s just an excuse but SERIOUSLY, I feel like I literally have no time!!
Yes totally free and the workouts are short!
I’ve always been conscious about health, fitness and nutrition. To the point of majoring in that area during college. But about 2 years ago, I watched Oprah interview Michael Pollan. And that led me to watch Food Inc. I took some baby steps, but nothing drastic. Then I read JM’s book Master Your Metabolism and it was an eye-opener. It’s been a culmination of things along the way. But your blog has been an inspiration and has provided great ideas and education for me. So thanks!
Haha I love your stages of BodyRock! I tried it for the first time last week after hearing you rave about it, and your pictures are dead-on. Those workouts are no joke! I could only handle half of the reps my first time 😉
Oddly enough, it was my boyfriend who shaped my current eating habits! He lost over 100 lbs following “The zone” eating plan and I started eating the same way. I eat a TON of fruit and veggies, but I also enjoy a wide variety of proteins (I’m still a meat-eater 😉 ) and lots of healthy fats. The biggest change for me was cutting most grain-type carbs out of my diet. I’m still not perfect at that part, but I’ve gone from eating pastas, breads and other heavy carbs for every meal to eating them once or twice a week. I’m convinced that it’s made all the difference in my weight loss thus far!
PS. Still so happy Pilot is back! You two are so adorable and in love! 🙂
I almost feel bad leaving such a long comment because you already have so many and you have better things to do (namely the pilot, hehe), but I haven’t been reading blogs so much lately, did a major catch-up today, and feel so compelled. First, I want to say that I did a little happy dance when I saw that the Pilot is home safe and sound. Then, per ush, I found it moderately creepy that I could feel such genuine relief and joy toward people I have never meet, but whatever. Many eating habits have been influenced by tons of sources. I’m a sucker for scientific research (peer reviewed, legit research), so I really like the nutrition articles from the likes of bodyrecomposition.com et al, but even the better quality research I take with many grains of salt/flakes of nooch. One study doesn’t mean jack. Who knows what procedural flaws there were, etc, etc. Basically, I’m a skeptic who doesn’t buy anything wholesale. That said, I certainly do consider the opinions/practices of others and implement them to the extent that I find them appropriate for my personal lifestyle. For a concrete example, as far as bloggers go, I greatly respect your eating style and eat much of the same, save for I eat more animal protein and I eat cow’s milk dairy. My favorite recipe blog is maria’s nutritional counseling, and a peek at her stuff would probably be the most revealing of the sort of thing I go in for. To recap, I love you, I love the Pilot, I love you and the Pilot.
…still waiting for your brilliant brain to concoct a raw knock off of those delicious super terribly artifical pure protein bars…..just sayin’
Reading this book changed the way I view food: http://www.eatinganimals.com/
I think Ashley from the ‘Edible Perspective’ reviewed it on her site. You may want to check it out.
I’m a vegetarian but eat mainly a vegan diet.
I agree with Jillian Michaels that for most people it is not possible to transition to veganism overnight. Also, people beliefs change over time. Diversity keeps the world interesting.
Glad to see the pilot is home safe and sound 🙂
Skinny Bitch had a big impact on my eating habit. I dove into veganizm for about 6 months. The book did scare! I have rationalized some foods back into my diet and now eat vegetarian. But I will never be able to look at meat the same way again!
Skinny Bitch had a big impact on my eating habit. I dove into veganizm for about 6 months. The book did scare me! I have rationalized some foods back into my diet and now eat vegetarian. But I will never be able to look at meat the same way again!