Fit, Healthy, Happy

“I’m too tired”
“I’m too busy” / “I have no time”
“I don’t like going to the gym”

I could go on for hours with the excuses that I hear from people about not living active lives. These are just a few of the main ones that I hear. Every time I hear this, I cringe. Let me provide some examples.

1. I’m too tired.

Yes, that might be true. You might feel exhausted, and working out (and exerting energy) may seem like the last thing you want to (or could possible even manage to) do. Did you consider that this may be because you do not live an active lifestyle? The first thing people notice when they start to workout is that the have a ton more energy. It seems counterproductive – working out = more energy? How is that possible? Trust me. Commit for 30 days and you will notice a huge difference.

2. I’m too busy OR I have no time.

I have heard this time and time again. In fact, I have used this excuse (to myself) to get out of working out. This is (generally speaking) crap. I’m sorry, but there is always time to invest in a smarter, healthier lifestyle. I teach 4+ courses a term, have a toddler at home, am completing coursework and my PhD dissertation, do research, have a fairly active social life, spend the majority of weekends away from home, and yet I still find the time to workout – to lift, to run, to bike. Time to invest in myself. It is much easier to take this “time” to watch TV or have a nap etc. but I find that if I work out I feel so much better about my day and about myself. You will never ever regret a workout, but you will regret not making time for it, for YOU. I have a son who I love with all my heart and the greatest thing I can do for him is to take care of myself – my health – so that I can watch him grow for decades to come.

3. I don’t like going to the gym.

Honestly, there are times that there is nothing I want to do LESS than go to the gym. Once you get settled into the routine, and you start to meet and surpass goals, and find your niche, you will become adapted to the gym and will, at the very least, not much going. I had a conversation with a peer of mine, and it was the most infuriating thing in the world. Essentially, he was arguing that from an economic perspective, he benefit he derived NOW from eating junk and not workout out was greater than the benefit he would derive in the future for having done it. Is this not the most f#$%ed up logic you have ever heard? He was dead serious. He was having this conversation with me, and 2 other girls who run and workout, and one of the older women replied with “I am so glad that you are not my son”. Why am I telling you this sad sad tale? Because there are so many people ou there that think like this. They would rather do something fun that they enjoy (watching tv, eating crap, playing videogames – for this particular young man) than trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. He is overweight and says that when he is in his 40’s or 50’s, he will probably start to take better care of his health because he might benefit from it more at that point. I do not think that people recognize the consequences of their actions until it is too late. Moral of the story: Take care of yourself. You have one life and you want to life it to its fullest. When you look back on your life you aren’t going to think that your accomplishments were “watching tv” or “beating X game” or “napping more hours than anyone ever before” etc. they will be things associated with career, family, and yourself. The longer you live, the more of these you will have. There is nothing my husband and I want more than to grow old together (very old!), in good health, and be able to enjoy the company of our kids and our grandkids, and great grandkids. Perhaps others don’t think this far down the line, but I do. I want to be around, in good health. So as much as it might not be as enjoyable to eat food that is good for you instead of junk that will clog up your system, and as much as you (and I!) would rather lounge and watch movies or tv all day, get out there and do something active! Sign up for a team, a fitness class, join the gym, get a workout buddy, whatever it takes. Find something that inspires you, motivates you, and makes you want to get healthy, and I can guarantee that your gym hatred (once you start seeing extreme results!) will vanish.

I know that in the fitblr community I am preaching to the converted, but felt the need to create this post. I am not perfect, I have rest days, I skip workouts because I am too tired (rarely), there are days I do not want to go to the gym whatsoever, but I hang in there and feel great for taking care of myself – body and mind.

I realized yesterday once we arrived home that I had forgotten my running shoes in Ottawa. Oops! That meant that, because I’d thrown out my old yucky ones, I had ZERO pairs of runnings shoes, which meant going to the gym might be difficult. I scoured the house and ended up finding some indoor soccer shoes, which I realized MIGHT be okay for lifting, and maybe for biking (at least for one day), but they would definitely not suffice for running.

I had two options:

1. Wear said indoor soccer shoes.
2. Go out and treat myself to new runners (in my defence, I have not bought myself new runners for over a year and a half, and the one’s that I bought were not great for running long distances because they were heavy).

Can you guess what option I ended up choosing?

I have had my eye on a couple pairs of running shoes for a while now, and when I got to the store saw that these beauties were half off! Yay! I have wanted to add a pair of Nike’s to my collection since I started running, and these are so light and comfortable (and they’re pretty!). Perfection. Happy girl right here. 

I was feeling very under the weather on Sunday, so I did not eat all that much. I just could not stomach anything - I felt nauseous and lightheaded and my whole body was aching. I did not track my intake on MFP so do not have macros or totals for the day, but here goes anyway:

Sunday:

B: Greek yogurt with strawberries and blueberries, tea
L: Sandwich (whole wheat bread, salami, ham, turkey)
S: Pita and hummus
D: Tilapia in an almond flour crust (yum!), rice, greek salad
S: Vanilla ice cream with berries, tea

All in all not too bad - considering my queasy I felt. I lounged the majority of the day, and had a good 2 hour nap with Liam, and by the end of the day felt (almost) 100%. 
(*Note: 2 rest days in a row! Ack!)

Monday: 

B: Pancakes, berries
S: Mini cinnamon bun shared with Liam
L: Sushi with Adam and my brother-in-law
D: Fajita (tortilla, beans, lettuce, chicken, salad, hot sauce)

We spent a good deal of Monday out and about - playing outside, driving into the city for lunch - and spent the evening with the in-laws watching We Bought a Zoo (such a good movie!) and then the Bachelorette (guilty pleasure, I admit).

By the end of the weekend I was itching to get into the gym. Leg day, here I come! 

Who: ME!!! And my hubs

What: Warrior Dash(!!!)
Where: Barrie, Ontario
When: July 22^nd @ 10:30am
Why: The Warrior Dash is something that I have always wanted to do (by always I mean for about a year or two now) and when I saw that it was coming in July, I thought hey, why not? I was able to convince my husband that it was an awesome idea so we will be doing it together. We have never competed (participated) in anything together so this should be great (even though he’ll kick my butt – he’s a stellar (understatement) athlete).
How: Honestly, I am unsure of how it is going to go. The course is a little over 5k and I honestly have not been running much this year. This is something I will vamp up next week. I’ve been doing a lot of cardio but have had some joint pain so have wanted to go easy on my legs. I will be working up to being able to comfortably run 10k or so, to hopefully offset the rest of the random things I have to go (crawling through mud under barbed wire, climbing up rope, jumping through fire, etc.). All the strength training should pay off with that part. I’m pumped for it, that’s for sure.

Have any of you participated in the WD? I would love to hear about your experience(s) and would appreciate any advice you can give! 

Monday’s are LEG DAY for me and living in Canada, and it being Victoria Day, my gym is CLOSED. This saddens me greatly. Even though I am out of town, there is a branch of the gym I go to about 15-20 minutes away, but it is closed for the day. I guess leg day will be postponed until tomorrow. Perhaps today I will go for a run and do some ab exercises since I’ve taken the last couple of days off (Saturday due to a legit REST day that I had scheduled in, and yesterday due to being sick and yucky feeling as heck).

I’m feeling good today, and the sun is shining, so it’s a perfect day to get outside and do something fun and active.

To my Canadian followers - Happy Victoria Day/ long weekend! <3

Why are the posts in my queue not uploading? Sad.

Since having begun to lift heavier weights and, more particularly, since having started [really] focusing on free weights and the barbell, I have noticed several things:

1. There are ZERO females to compete with in that section of the gym. This corner of my gym is inhabited solely by males.

2. The males, not recognizing having a female join them, cannot help but stare (here, I find a lot of awkward eye contact whereby I smile politely and they look away or pretend to be lifting something clearly heavier than I am).

3. People are very inconsiderate and DO NOT put their weights back. Here I am referring not to the dumb bells (which are usually placed back where they belong), but to the wise guys who think that leaving a bar at the squat rack with 180lbs loaded on it is good gym etiquette. Note to these people: I do not enjoy pulling your 45lb weights off the barbell, one at a time, struggling to put them back on their rack (20 feet away), just so that I can start my warm-up. No one cares that you can squat over 200lbs – especially since you’re a nutjob who thinks people enjoy putting your weights away.

4. People waste a whole lot of time here. I have honestly, no exaggeration, spent 75 minutes in the weight room and have seen groups of 2-3 guys do maybe one or two exercises. Perhaps it is just me, but get in, get your workout done, and move on with your day (yes, I understand that for some this is a “social” activity but when you have to wait for (literally) 45 minutes for one of the bench press racks because there are groups of people standing around for huge chunks of time admiring themselves instead of doing their exercises, it can be slightly (hugely) infuriating).

5. It is helpful to have someone spot you when doing bench press so you do not drop the weight on your chest.

6. People half-ass their workouts. If you are not getting in a full range of motion, take some of the weight off, and practice proper form instead of trying to look tough.

7. I love lifting heavy things. The time goes by very quickly and I notice that if I do not throw in a couple supersets, I could spent a long time just lifting. I have tried to limit my lifting sessions to 60-70 minutes maximum. I’m dead tired by then anyway.

8. DOMS like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Just last week there were 2 solid days where I could not walk up stairs. This past week after my chest, shoulders and triceps workout, it was very difficult shampooing my hair (and lifting a toothbrush).

There are a number of other things that I am sure that I am forgetting, but this sums a lot of it up.

Moral of the story: Minus the inconsiderate individuals who go to (live at) the gym, lifting heavy is something I am already in love with. A huge thank you goes out to Marta for helping me to see the light. (If, for some insane reason, you are not following her, you need to do so now. Trust me, you wont be sorry).

Yesterday was spent with friends and family celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday. There was a big surprise birthday/BBQ party for her at my brother and sister-in-law’s place, and it was a wonderful day.

I took yesterday as a rest day and just hung out, playing with the kiddies, and enjoyed the company of my friends and family. In fact, I did not track any of my intake yesterday, but it looked something like this:

B: Pancakes with chocolate chips (YUM!)
L:: Protein bar, celery
S: Some chips and dip,
L: Beef burger with cheese (no bun), potato salad
S: birthday cake

CHEAT DAY! All in all it actually was not so bad, considering all of the yummy food that was around all day. Plus, chasing around after 2 toddlers is a workout in and of itself.

*Edit: I felt sick all night (and threw up several times over night). Hopefully it was not from something I ate. My son was sick a few days ago, so I am thinking perhaps I just caught that?

I hope you’re all having a spectacular weekend!

Food:
B: Protein bar, coffee
S: Boiled egg, cheese, crackers
L: 6 inch Subway oven roasted chicken breast sub (on 12 grain with white cheddar, veggies, tiny bit light mayo, hot sauce)
D: All-you-can-eat-sushi (i.e. salmon sushi, spicy salmon roll, teriyaki salmon, teriyaki steak, salmon rose, salmon sashimi, white tuna sashimi)
Macro’s: Fat 62g, Carbs 122g, Protein 148g [1865 calories]

Workout: [Back and Biceps]
Warm-up (5 minutes on stationary bike)
Dumb bell curls (5x5) @ 12.5lb, 15lb
Back extension (5x5) @ 100lb, 110lb, 120lb
Squats (5x5) @ 45lb, 85lb, 95lb
Seated row (5x8) @ 20lb, 30lb
Wide grip pull down (5x10) @ 20lb, 27.5lb
Deadlifts (5x5) @ 45lb, 70lb
Bent over row (5x5) @ 45lb, 65lb
Hammer curl (5x8) @ 20lb, 30lb
Cycling (30 minutes 6.7 miles HIIT)

Friday night we drove to Ottawa (about a 6.5-7 hour drive from our house). We made a pitstop in Kitchener and went on a sushi date while the little guy hung out with Nanny and Papa. We ended up arriving in Ottawa at 3am [technically Saturday morning]. Talk about an exhausting day/night!

I feel like absolute poop today. Last night I was sick all night and I’ve felt so sluggish all day. You know that feeling after waking up from being under an anesthetic? Yes, that disgusting sluggish cannot-do-anything-but-lay-down-and-sleep feeling. I am really hoping that I start feeling better soon - at least by tomorrow. We are visiting family in Ottawa so not feeling well is really dragging me down. 

Send healthy vibes my way, pretty please? 

I’m behind! Oops!

Wednesday

Food:
B: Oatmeal with cinnamon, peanut butter, protein powder
S: Apple, Cheese string
L: Omelette (1 whole egg, ½ cup egg whites) with spinach, cheese, chicken, bbq sauce, hot sauce
S: Protein shake
D: Grilled tilapia (2 fillets) with spinach & mixed greens salad
Macro’s: Fat 31g, Carbs 84g, Protein 144g [1336 calories]

Workout: [Chest, Shoulders and Triceps]
Warm-up (5 minutes on stationary bike)
Squats (5x5] @ 45, 75, 85lbs
Over head press [5x5] @ 30lb, 35lbDips [5x5] assisted @ 60, 50lb
Bench press [5x5] @ 35, 45lb
Tricep pull down [5x5] @ 20, 30lb
Dumb bell flies [5x10] @ 10lb
Cycling (2.5 miles, 10 minutes HIIT)

Thursday

Food:
B: Protein shake
S: Strawberries, Greek yogurt with honey
L: Protein box from Starbucks
S: Celery with hummus
D: Huge spinach salad with tuna (1 can), 2 boiled eggs (chopped), crushed red peppers, ranch dressing, hot sauce
Macro’s: Fat 43g, Carbs 111, Protein 108g [1467 calories]

Workout:
Warm-up (10 minutes treadmill – walking on incline}
Ab circuit (3 sets of: plank (75 seconds), side plank (60 seconds x both sides), oblique crunches (30), Russian twists (60 with 10lb medicine ball), leg raises (10), bicycle crunches (40), reverse crunch (30), (hanging) knee raises (15))
Cycling (14 miles, 60 minutes HIIT)

Yesterday Liam and I spent about 3 hours outside, enjoying the sunshine. I have always been a huge soccer lover (being born in Ireland will have that affect on you!) and love the idea of my son being as in love with the sport as I am. Have to start them off early, yes? 

I cannot wait until he is old enough to enrol him (still a couple years away, sadly!). He has become acquainted with fields, nets, and soccer balls, and has a number of full body soccer suits/outfits, so he is well on his way! (Even if he would rather be picking up flowers and blowing bubbles instead of kicking a ball). 

I’ve been so busy and have been a little lax on keeping up to date with my accountability posts. So here it is, for the past couple of days:

MONDAY

Food:
B: Whole egg + 1/2 cup egg whites + spinach + cheese + turkey bacon omelette
S: Coffee + protein bar
L: 2 bbq chicken snack wrap’s (Tim Horton’s)
S: Green tea + greek yogurt with blueberries, cinnamon
D: Turkey + bean chilli (homemade) 
Totals: 32g fat, 140g carbs, 102g protein, 1238 cal’s

Workout: Stationary  bike, legs, gluteus
Warm-up 10 minutes on the stationary bike 
Squats (5x5) 75lb
Deadlifts (5x5) 60lb
Barbell hip thrusts (100 reps) 45lbs
Adductors (5x10 dropsets) 60lb
Abductors (5x10 dropsets) 50lb
Calf raise (5x5) 95lb
Leg press (5x5) 100lb
Laying leg curls (5x5) 50lb
Cardio: 25 minutes on stationary bike (HIIT)
*For the workout, I did a few supersets since I had limited time in the gym. I’m also excited about moving up with weights on my Squats + Deadlifts (I have to remember that lifting is a marathon, not a race, and not to get caught up in stacking weights on the bar! Stronglifts, hurry on up, would ya?).*

TUESDAY

Food
B: Oatmeal with milk, protein powder (vanilla!), peanut butter + Coffee
S: Protein shake with frozen fruit (5 fruit blend) + protein powder + milk + yogurt (drank half after AM workout)
L: Omelette with tuna and spinach
S: Chicken + caesar salad (small, home made)
D: Lean sirloin beef burger + salad
S: Protein shake (other 1/2)
Totals: 31g fat, 112g carbs, 158g protein, 1415 cals 

Workout: Abs + Run
AM: Random Ab Circuit x 3 (1 min plank, 1 min side plank (both sides), 30 russian twists (10lb), 30 seconds of mountain climbers, 50 bicycle crunches, 30 reverse crunches, 25 v-ups, 30 seconds of burpees, 30 leg raises (2 legged), long lever crunches (30 each side) REST for 1 minute)
*You should try this, it definitely got my heart pumping!*
[Liam and I also went on a 1.5 hour walk]
PM: 4k run + 1 hour walk with Liam and the hubs (including a visit to the park!)

Overall - the week is off to a great start. On the agenda for today = Chest, Triceps, Shoulders (it’s going to be an intense one!). 

Oh, and hiiiiiiiii to my new followers! 

My weekend was wonderful, and was spent with the two loves of my life - my hubs and son.

Saturday:
- Gym in the AM (squats, deadlifts, OHP) as well as some accessory work for back and shoulders + stationary bike (25 minutes, HIIT)
- Spent the afternoon lounging and snuggling (my two boys pictured below):

- Food was great! (Macros: Carbs 126g, Fat 21g, Protein 116g)

Sunday:
- Woke up to bacon, eggs, fruit, yogurt, etc. for Mother’s Day breaky. Delish.
- Received the cutest gifts in the world including: homemade card, candle holder, bookmark made by Liam, and a coffee mug with Liam’s adorable face plastered all over it, Starbucks gift certificate, and a weekend away to shop USA border side.
- Met up with my mama, dad and brother for Mother’s Day dinner (and ate a delish 11oz steak). Me, my mom, and Liam (3 generations) after dinner:

- REST day, and food was great (Macros: Carbs 94g, Fat 28g, Protein 146g).

That’s a quick recap to my weekend - I hope all you lovelies enjoyed yours as well! <3