My husband's in the army, I have to be fit too! ee

OK, so here is my health and wellness blog:


My husband does PT almost every morning, and sometimes in the afternoons too. He is pretty fit and can run (I envy this, as I am still a running novice). So I decided that being a stereotype (the fat wife of a soldier) was overrated and it was time to take care of myself. Hey, don't get mad at me for saying what everyone else thinks about army wives. There is a stereotype and the only way to fix it is to fight it :)  


So I started with Zumba (so much fun) and started eating better, not the best, but better. I was counting calories and using the MyFitnessPal app for iPhone (which I still use). I also threw in some extra cardio with the elliptical trainer. I started shedding pounds. Then, I decided to get a personal trainer. She is currently kicking my butt with killer moves and teaching me a good way to eat. I have semi successfully cut out processed foods (like special K bars and such), added about 50 extra grams of protein per day, and have cut out wheat and most other grain carbs. I still eat rice on occasion and corn meal made things (sorry, but corn chips are great), but for the most part, if the carbs don't come from veggies and fruit, I don't eat much of it. 


This way of eating works. My proof is because I took a break from eating this way and felt horrible and had little to no energy or motivation and even got down right depressed. So, grain carbs are mostly bad and you can never ever get me to say otherwise again. WHEAT IS HORRIBLE!


Sample die for one day:


Breakfast at 8:30am- 1 large egg and two or three egg whites, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 sliced kiwi


Snack 1 at 11:30am- chobani (Greek) strawberry yogurt cup, 1 piece of fruit


Lunch at 1:30pm- 6 COOKED oz (8 oz uncooked) boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 cup rice, and a serving of salsa


Snack 2 at 4:00pm- 2 kiwi or 1 small banana, 1 oz of 2% cheese


Dinner at 6:30pm- 4-6 oz lean protein (6 oz if lean like fish or turkey breast, 4 oz if lean beef, like filet Mignon), greater than 1 cup (I eat two cups) of steamed veggies or salad veggies. 


Done right, this works out to about 1365 calories a day. I try to do this no matter what I burn. Sometimes I do a protein shake in place of a snack or breakfast, although people who consume eggs for breakfast tend to eat less calories throughout the day, according to some research I heard somewhere. I believe it though. But for dinner you could do 4 oz of protein and a bowl of homemade veggie soup. Also, Trainer Bob from the biggest loser tweeted that there should be NO CARBS after LUNCH. I take this to mean grains since the carb count in most fruits and veggies are nominal. 


OK, so here is the next portion of my blog: exercise. The dreaded exercise. Let me tell y'all something: I have more energy now then when I wasn't exercising. Yes, part of it is the 25 lbs gone, but my husband told me, "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." Yes, it takes a while to get into it, but once you do, you will be glad you did! So, I started off with a bang: Zumba and/or Hip Hop Hustle 3 to 5 times a week, elliptical 3 times a week, P90X when I could. Now, I am trying to do cardio everyday, whether long or short, with one easy day, and strength/circuit training 3 to five times a week. I have been running and can proudly say that I can now run a mile without stopping. It still sucks, but I can do it. My husband wants me to do a tough mudder with him this fall, and I need to endurance training that the circuit work gives. If you want a good circuit training workout go to www.toughmudder.com and click on training. Don't worry about taking the quiz, just click on go to training. It is in PDF form and it will kick your butt if you do it right. Start out with two circuits and build up to five. It is designed to get your body into shape for a tough mudder, which is approximately 12 miles and 25 obstacles long, and you have to sign a death waiver. Talk about brutal. Looks fun though. 


The best thing I can tell you is to start walking or running or taking a class that gets you moving your own body weight. A stationary bike or elliptical won't do that, and moving your body weight gets your respiratory system working a lot harder than the others. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Why? It is easier to workout when you can haul your own weight. I am sure there are more important reasons that I am overlooking, like better lung capacity and your body using oxygen more efficiently. But I don't know the whole physiological story behind it. Also, if you start out moving your own body weight it gives you a great advantage. I almost got discouraged when I started running because it was so difficult. Heck, it still is, but it gets easier every time. 


OK, so I am not gonna touch on herbs and supplements today, but watch for that one. ONE THING: Don't use stimulants except caffeine and only in small amounts. Don't be stupid. There have been some recent deaths in the military due to products like Jack3d and OxyElite Pro. So be wary of products claiming to get you ripped, jacked, and MAKE you lose weight and burn fat. There is no safe magic pill or beverage. BE SMART and DON'T FALL for gimmicks. 


And that's really all for the day. Have fun and go get your sweat on!