fit mom – Runs With Hips

Permission to be Paleo’ish

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 runswithhips

Hello, Hip Huggers!

This is Day 2 of me tracking my calories and I feel like I am finally in a mind frame of peace. I admittedly have
gotten very relaxed with food portions and fat intake since transitioning from a Paleo to LCHF way of eating.

Now that I am revisiting daily low intensity fat burning cardio, I need to reduce my fat consumption by a bit.
In that, I’ve decided to cut back drastically on the cheese, and dairy. When I initially began
eating Paleo, I was at my most fit! I didn’t indulge in those to groups above and alongside a bit more
cardio, I was very positive about my weight and my physique.

I would like to reduce my overall body fat percentage and lose about 10 lbs. over the next couple of months.
So, I have recalibrated my workouts 15 minutes of full body circuits and 30 minutes of low intensity, fat burning cardio daily. I know the true change comes in dietary changes, so I am back to eating Paleo~~ish.~~

So after a happy Paleo breakfast of kale, mushroom, and eggs along side some ~~burnt~~ bacon and black coffee, I was ready to get my sweat on for the day. We did a leg circuit as follows:

***4 Rounds with 5# weights***
15 Curtsy to Squats
15 Squat Pulses
15 Lateral Lunges (each side)
15 Lateral Walks (each way)

After that burn, we went on a 3 mile stroll around the park. Me getting a good post workout stretch…

Me getting in a gratuitous ~~yoga pose~~ stretch…

Once we got back to the crib, my neighbor friend showed me a cool little set of intervals that boosted my heart rate thru the roof! We used the sloped curb and did these drills about 2 minutes. I’ll record it next time and share it with you all!

78 Minute workout. 630 Calories burned. ~~Poor lighting~~.

***

Home and looking for food. I desperately need to buy groceries, because eating wraps everyday is a wrap getting kinda boring.

So, I chopped up some peppers and boiled potatoes, threw in sausage and cracked an egg.

Nothing fancy, but Paleo approved!
***
Stretching and off to the library to find a good ~~yoga~~ Paleo living book!
Catch you later!

Question: Are you Paleo? LCHF? Low GI? Let me know!

Fitness, Lifting, Running

Saturday Snags

January 24, 2015January 25, 2015 runswithhips

Happy Saturday, Hip Huggers,

I picked up my kiddos from their friend’s sleepover early
so I could get a workout in on this fabulous Saturday afternoon.
But, I couldn’t leave without snagging some leftover pre-workout…

Homemade Frozen inspired strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
They were divine! Is there a better pre ~~motivation to~~ workout than this?
***
Speaking of motivation, I’m glad I didn’t let yesterdays run dissuade me today.
Still a little stunned by my digression, I felt like I couldn’t even deal with pace today.
Like, we’ve seriously broken up until I get some ~~answers~~ speed under my feet.
My only tangible goal today was to run 3 easy miles, nonstop.
No pace, no mileage just a full out run is all my poor little discouraged heart desired.
So, we ready? ~~Cupcake~~ Food in Belly? Check. Running gear? Check. Gratuitous Selfie?

Check… out those muddy dog paws on my floor.
Let me get outta here before someone ~~slips~~ asks me to clean it!
***
Such a beautiful day, so I figured I’d be spontaneous and snagged a new route,
secretly hoping it would be a flatter route and boost my running ego a bit.
By the time I got home, 40 minutes had passed and it felt like about 3 miles.
I’m glad I didn’t have my Garmin because I didn’t want to even know that pace… boo.
But, I have to keep in mind I have built muscle and I’m carrying around a lot more
girl than I was last summer when I was running 100+ mile months. So, to share some
encouraging advice I received yesterday: one must be okay with slow winter running!

Especially with still waters and blue skies like this!
Thank you Boring Broad Runs for your words!
***
Got home and the hubby and my teenager were working out in the garage,
so I grabbed my weights did about 10 minutes of arms and squats along with them.

After an hour of working out, I was pleased with today’s effort.
Always awesome when you get a good sweat in on a Saturday, folks.
Afterwards, I stretched, showered, and recovered ~~Naked~~.

I am not a huge fan of calorie laden drinks, no matter how fruity.
But these 32 oz. bottles are regular price $4 and I snagged them for $1 each!
Something tasty to sip on with some ~~vodka~~ eggs in the a.m. after yoga…

I’ll pass on the ~~yoga~~ vodka. This time.
Sleep Tight, Hip Huggers!

Question: What’s the last fabulous deal you got?

Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Running

Friday Food Fight

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers and Happy Friday!

Started my day sipping some coffee scrolling thru Facebook looking
for a laugh and was dinged today’s Timehop from 3 years ago..

A lot of food?! Hahahaha!! I’m fighting back tears!
Y’all I had this eating thing down to a science!
Seems a bit high maintenance now but eating
healthy and really managing my portions, was a
recipe for weight loss success.
***
Speaking of unsuccess, I saw a peek of the sun so I got up for a 2 mile run.
I am glad there is no such thing as a bad run because this one
would have qualified for sure. I had to fight for and thru this run!
Wet and muddy everywhere, my jacket felt itchy, my new gloves were hard
to get used to, and my foot arches ached after just a quarter mile into my run.

But it was too pretty of a sky to let my body talk me
~~into~~ out of 2 miles. I have needed this mental run for some
days now and I was gonna knock it out!

TKO! 3 Mile Run, slow but steady.

***
Home and I need to lift something! I pulled out my
favorite arm blast and did my ~~best~~ sets.

Here’s the Arm Work; 3 Sets of 10:
**Used with 8 lb. weights**
10 Curl to Press
10 Side to Lateral Raise
10 Row to Fly
10 Single Tricep Extensions

Followed up that routine with
shoulder burnouts. Burnouts are
pretty much another routine performed
after the primary workout to work muscles
to full exhaustion, so use a super light weight!

**Used with 3 lb. weights**
All one Set:
25 Side Lateral Raises
25 Front Raises
25 Shoulder Presses
25 Arm Circles
***
After that ~~tapout~~ burnout, I needed to recharge.
I also needed a carb, to refuel these glycogen stores.
I grabbed a lavash, cooked up a couple pieces of bacon
and egg w/ cheese, and used leftover pico de gallo, salsa, and
ranch from my birthday meal and voila… food at last!

Now, I need to grab a few things from Aldi before my kiddos
get out of school and we’re all in here fighting for food.

Enjoy your weekend, Hipsters!

Question: Do you care about pace when running?

Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Running

Fog, Food, and Free Weights

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 runswithhips

Hey Hey, Hip Huggers!

This morning, I had planned for a run.. but the fog was ridiculous!

(source)

So, while I waited for the sun to come and do it’s thing,
I cooked up this complete breakfast and grabbed a book to
keep me busy. Just until the fog let up a bit.

2 hours, a LOT of fog still lingered… and no sun.
Visibility had to be 10 yards or so. Just too dangerous
to run, even at the speed I planned on sloshing about at.
So finally, I opted for a quick lifting sesh instead.

For the first time in quite awhile,
I concentrated on just one muscle group
and keeping my heart rate between
70 – 80% by still having an active rest in between.
My workout consisted of:

Shoulders:
15 Dumbbell Presses
15 (ea.) Single Shoulder Presses
15 Pulse to Full Presses
***

Between each of these sets, I performed 15 squats
to keep my heart rate up and immediately jumped right
back into the shoulder work with little recovery.

3 sets of all that and I was toast.

I felt very alive after that burn, so
still wanted some cardio… any cardio!
Luckily, my neighbor text and asked if I wanted to stroll, yo.

***
Showered, stretched, and satisfied.
Now I’m home snacking on a banana
with a few ~~handfuls~~ nuts and berries.

***
I’m currently updating my blog page… hyper complicated.
So be patient if ‘ish looks weird on here. I’m a novice.

Wish me luck, I need a fresh outlook for the New Year!

Question: What is your favorite social media site?

Eating, Fitness, Lifting

Strep in the Name of Love

January 15, 2015January 15, 2015 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers!
Yesterday morning, I had a lovely appointment at my doctor’s office.
My throat had been feeling mighty sore and I wanted to rule out ~~death~~ strep….

Not 2 ~~Legit 2 Quit~~ lucky. Boo.

Good news, I just barely have it and felt better after just 2 doses yesterday.
Perfect, because I’d planned a workout with my neighbor this morning.
It has seriously been almost 2 months since we had a good, tough, workout together.
So, Pamela had to push past the pale prognosis for her pal.
For ~~friendship~~ fitness sakes.

Workout: Full Body Circuit with Weights

We absolutely slayed our poor, unassuming arms.
I put together an 8# weight circuit of lateral raises, combo curls, combo presses, and
dumbbell rows. Just enough to reacquaint ourselves with the arm muscles, and get a burn.
But, I love working full body so I had to add in some squats and lunges.

I had an unexpected errand earlier, so I hadn’t eaten anything pre workout. ~~Novice~~.
So post workout, I was sure to get my 2 legit groups in; greens and proteins. Love.

Now I’m sitting here baking spaghetti squash and contemplating the next quarter of my life!
Getting more and more excited about getting out of my own ~~ass~~ head and
finally pursuing my dream of becoming a legit certified personal trainer.
The true corner stone for a fitness based career, no matter how big or small (no pun intended).
Sharing fitness is something that I truly love and I feel its my call of duty to the world, before I expire.

Fitness and Family, 2 Legit Loves!
See you after tomorrow’s workout, Hip Huggers!

Question: How often do you do Full Body workouts?

Eating, Fitness, Running

Rooting for the Red Team

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 runswithhips

This song Aloe Blacc has been in my brain since the holidays.

This song reminds me of ~~Robin Thicke~~ my Root Chakra.
Why you ask? Because ~~I’m a weirdo.~~
I carry my stress worry in my hips/lower back.
So, anytime I hear the word red as of late,
I’m subtly reminded to tend to that chakra.
Chakras are influenced by, of many things, color,
and the Root chakra likes red. So this year,
I am making a conscious effort to eat more red foods,
paint my toes red, drink ~~way more~~ red wine, and wear more red.

Absolutely.
***
Proof of my happy breakfast: I scrambled up some eggs with white cheddar,
and danced some turkey pastrami and crunchy red peppers.

I couldn’t sit for too long and daydream.
The kiddos go back to school Monday, and I had lots to do.

I got busy and washed & combed my girlies hair.
Folded clothes. Watered dying plants. Cleaned bathrooms.
~~Took a siesta~~. Just tried to get my ~~mind~~ house right.

Since I hadn’t lifted a ~~finger~~ weight since early December,
I opted for a quick session to get my muscles warmed up
and reminded this is how we do…

But I was feeling myself and just couldn’t stop running.

8 mile tempo run and arm workout for the win~~ter~~!
Kept it under 11 minute miles and felt ~~red~~ great!

***
For recovery, I made a quick salad.
Romaine hearts, cherubs, feta and lots o’ leftover chicken
with my ranch and black ~~gold, Texas~~ tea so I wouldn’t
crash and burn after that long run!

Took a nice Epsom salt bubble bath
for these hard working muscles.
And now finishing up blogging about my day
with you awesome people.

Powering down, Hip Huggers!

Question: What’s your favorite color?

Running, Yoga

Catching Up and Coming Clean

September 3, 2014 runswithhips

Hello and Happy Wednesday Hip Huggers!

I had planned on getting up early and running after dropping off the kiddos,

but I saw a huge Dalmatian that stared at me like a bouncer, and I didn’t have a VIP pass…

So, I opted for yoga first.

I just HAD to get back on the ~~wrecking~~ ball today. In a major way.

So, in addition to my regular home practice, I had planned on participating in a four asana

challenges this month…but then, after much thought, decided not to.

In August, I only participated in one month-long challenge, #AumSweetAum hosted by YogabyJo

along with another awesome yogi. There was something so peaceful and fun about that

challenge that I honestly, only wanted to participate in their September challenge, #TulaYogi.

But, I really want to work on yoga sequencing aka yoga flow, so I’m doing #back2bayZITs as well.

That’s not to say I won’t dabble every now and then with some of the other poses from those

other challenges, but as far as commitments go, those are the only 2 my heart was in.

So, morning yoga flow + posted 6 asanas to catch up to Day 3 of both challenges…

Anantasana Variation, Side Reclining Leg Lift w/ Half Lotus

In hindsight, I really could have sharpened up this asana, but no, That’s the beauty of yoga..

it’s your own practice! Some days my body gives 100 %… others, it’s just barely on the mat.

Take it however it comes… because all is coming!

***

Now to running…

I decided I was going to walk or run 30 minutes a day no matter what for the month of September.

Just a little challenge for myself now that the weather is calming down and being outdoors

doesn’t feel like 91~~000~~ degrees. But, I skipped yesterday so now I am in the negative and needed a 4.5 mile run…

~~Just~~ 3 miles done!

Too HOT! Needless to say, I’ll be catching up on a later date 🙂

***

In other non fitness news, I had an amazing conversation with my best friend yesterday.

We both shared in our struggle to stop settling for less in life. We are conquerors and it

can be easy to get discouraged and put major plans for your life on hold until said courage

is at full tank. I think more for me, I realized that is just no longer and acceptable excuse

to not achieve what I want for my life! I want to work in fitness and on a major scale.

I want to teach yoga, fitness, and have a walking club for geriatric, pregnant, and disabled human beings

of the world. My empathetic heart wants to help those that NEED help and can’t do it alone.

So, I just wanted to put that out there for you Hip Huggers. I’ve shared in a dream of mine.

Now, it’s time to make it come true!

Thanks for letting me come clean today!

Question: Speaking of dreams, I started taking 5 HTP and have nightmares!

Anyone else experience that side effect of taking this natural precursor? Let me know!

Running, Yoga

Labor Day Recline

September 1, 2014September 1, 2014 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers! Happy Labor Day and the Unofficial End of Summer!

My ~~labor~~ workout this morning consisted of an old faithful 5k run and stretch.

Supta Virasana, or Reclined Hero Pose.

This asana is considered an intense stretch. I recline back from hero very sloooooow.

There are 3 reasons why I think this pose is ideal post run is:

First, it stretches my abs, quads, and hip flexors… all which are really tight after a hard run.

Also, reclined hero pose is a great stretch for the ankles, knees, and arches of the feet, if done gently and not forced.

Lastly, after all the work of our good ol’ spines holding us upright for that tough run,

this pose allows for lengthening of the vertebrae which get a compressed sometimes from poor form.

Just lying in this a minute or 2 helps me tremendously! I am careful to breath and let my body relax in it.

But, if you become uncomfortable at anytime or this stretch is a bit too intense,

I’d suggest maybe using bolsters, blankets, or pillows underneath your head, shoulders and/or your knees for relief.

***

Disclaimer: Though I am a yoga enthusiast, I am not a yoga teacher.
Please exercise caution when attempting any yoga pose, and always honor your body.
The views on this blog are mine alone, based on my own practice.
Please consult a certified yoga teacher for deeper guidance and help with any yoga practice you begin.

***

~~Eat BBQ,~~ Run Happy, Lift Heavy, Stretch Daily, Hip Huggers!!

Question: How long do you stretch after a workout?

Eating, Fitness, Lifting, Uncategorized, Yoga

Gettin’ In the Check In…

August 29, 2014August 29, 2014 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers!! Just checking on in wit ya…

You’re here now. That’s all that matters.

If you check in with me on Instagram, that little ticker right down there in the right hand corner, you’re up to date on my yoga challenges.
So, I’ll talk a smidge about other things that have been progressing over the last couple of weeks.
Since my last post, I have been doing a lot of reeling in on realizations about my fitness, you know, staying on my toes…

First, I had a short tenure again with MyFitnessPal.
After a few days of fitting all my macros, I came to the conclusion that I don’t really need a food tracker any longer.
Aligning with my fitness goals, I just need to continue eating whole, real healthy foods as I have been.
Being certainly mindful of my protein intake, keeping a close watch on fats, and gettin’ in my fiber goals daily.
With delicious real meals such as this one from last night…

Next, BodyBeast has been pretty much everything I have expected.
Not for the weak-minded I must say, because you will certainly be humbled when you are lifting drop, super, and giant sets!
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I had to break out my 5 lb. weights…yes. However, It lives up to the name.
I am seeing gains again. Check out this PUMP!!

I DID have to take a week off though, and that totally had me in the dumps.
I overextended my quad in yoga during a Vinyasa flow.
To be precise, too many lunge variations to quick in the sequence kinda irritated my upper left quad.
In short, a lot of fast flowing lunges that ended like this…

I was afraid I had pulled a tendon at first, that’s how bad it hurt.
But after icing and resting a few days, the pain has completely subsided.
Thank GOD! Lesson learned: Slow down to keep up!
Being sidelined from everything because of one thing is not a good look…
And trust me, I’ve worn it. Never. Again.

So, I had to scale back and return to less intense yoga and workouts.
Running was out of the question, so I picked a few 10 minute full body workouts to do daily,
After that pump, I trek over to the ‘Incredimill’ for a quick 30 minutes of walking intervals with hills,
or get it some step aerobics to get that heart rate up as well as that fitness…
For a fat burn that looks like this…

Sometimes less is more. The name of the game in forever fitness, Hip Huggers

Check It!!

Question: What is your favorite form of Cardio?

Uncategorized

Beasty Bling and Berry Smoothies

August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 runswithhips

Hello, and Hello!!

I was feeling kinda sketchy about having an entire post that talks nothing about
August runs ~~with Hips~~ , but I haven’t blogged in a week and I didn’t want you to
forget about ~~waking~~ me.

Parshva Parvatasana (Side Mountain Pose)
… in Savasanahhhhhhh. Heaven.

After ~~much ado about nothing~~ reaching a
pretty cool milestone of 100+ miles for the month of July,
I guess my brain and my legs just kind of need a break.
This was by far my most ran month since I started putting
one foot in front of the other in the name of health.

Despite the Bling, I have revisited some fitness goals.
My husband and I both have really been missing the weight lifting scene.
We are trying some new, unconventional means this time…

Are you ready to Beast?
I am really, REALLY committed to this.
Crazy thing is I shared that same sentiment with my husband, and he agreed.
He says, I am different this time around. Something deep down in me really is.
I can feel it in my ~~cheese pizza lined~~ gut.

I guess I should clean up my eating a little bit too.
I’ve had more sugar than I care to admit to as of late.
Partly, due to summertime eating and an array of snacks around
for this seasonal time of year when kids are home and always ~~bored~~ hungry.
But these smoothies I started having daily, are here to stay!!

Berry Smoothie:

1 cup Hemp Milk
1 frozen banana (peel THEN freeze)
1 handful strawberries
1 handful blueberries (they’re the Star!)
Drizzle of honey (if ya got a sweet tooth)
Slurp!!!
***
Cleaner eating starts today. Body Beast starts tomorrow!
Excite to get started on this stuff here! But first, let me take a selfie…

I’ve filled you in. Now its time to refill my cup, Hip Huggers!

Question: Have you revisited some Fitness Goals lately?