The Land of 10,000

steps. 

Have you heard of the research that says we should all aim to take 10,000 steps a day?

In the 60s, a Japanese researcher was trying to come up with a way to improve the health and fitness of people in Japan.  He figured the average person took 3,500 to 5,000 steps per day. He reasoned that if they took 10,000 steps a day they would be healthier, thinner, happier and all that jazz. So pretty soon everyone in Japan was wearing pedometers and taking the stairs. Turns out he was right. The more steps people took, the more active they were and ultimately healthier (duh). Too bad it took the good ol' US of A a few more decades to catch on. But better late than never, right?

So what does that have to do with me? 

Last week I bought myself a fitbit. 

 (source)

A nifty little fitness gadget that I had been eyeing up for a few months. It's a pedometer and fitness tracker that you wear every day. It counts steps, computes distance, estimated calorie burn and overall activity level. You then sync the fitbit to your computer and it uploads your data to the fitbit website. The website is pretty neat in and of itself. You can enter foods eaten, input additional activities or exercises, journal and more. There is an online community as well. 

You can also wear your fitbit while sleeping to track how well you sleep at night. Which is kind of a moot point for me at this point since Penny still wakes occasionally during the night to nurse. 

And my husband hogs the covers. 

And sometimes the dog goes ballistic at 2 am when a party bus unloads a few houses down and two guys start yelling at each other in the middle of the road as their friends egg them on while turning their music up even louder. 

(Wow. When did I turn into a crabby old woman who gets pissed at the shenanigans of the after bar crowd? Oh yeah, when I stopped being part of the after bar crowd. Kids will do that to you. And driving a mini van.)

Back to the fitbit. 

So the goal is to log 10,000 steps a day. Which kind of seems like a lot. Ok, it is a lot. Approximately 5 miles worth of steps. But I figured my step count had to be up there considering I have a child who never stops moving* and another child who can't quite move on her own. So between chasing and carting, I move around a lot.

Or so I thought. Turns out I take around 5,000 steps per day. Which is still not bad, but a long way from 10,000. Now I will say, the four days I have been wearing it have been pretty cruddy out so we've been in the house for the most part. I am sure once we are back to playing outside and our daily dog walks that number will be much higher.

But I would still like to increase my step count to get closer to 10,000 every day. Not because I think it's some sort of magical number but because the higher my step count, the more active I am (again, duh.). And coming out of this very cold, long winter I can use all of the activity I can get! I have gotten into the bad habit of plopping down on the couch and opening my computer anytime I walked by it. Not good for anyone involved. Not to mention my couch, the poor thing has a permanent Lindsay sized butt imprint on it. 

So with that, I am going to close the computer, get off my butt and do a few laps around the house cleaning up as I go. Not only has this little gadget motivated me to move, but my house will probably be cleaner. I said probably. Don't hold me to it. 

If you're interested in getting yourself a fitbit, you can order directly through the fitbit website or from Amazon or REI. (I got mine at REI using my member rebate, 20% off coupon and a store credit. Final price? Free. Score.) Word on the street, er, the interwebs, is that it's better to order from Amazon or REI. Quicker shipping and better return policy.  

How many steps do you think you take in a day? 

*I would love to strap a pedometer on Olive and see how many steps she takes in a day. Pretty sure she takes 10,000 steps before lunch.

I was in no way, shape or form compensated to write this review. The fitbit people have no idea who I am. The words are my own. Just like the butt imprint on my couch.

I registered for a half marathon!!

And got denied. 

*sigh*

*heavier, longer, louder SIGH*

*and once again...you get the idea*

Well that stinks. I worked up the courage to register for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and didn't get in. I know, it's nothing personal, just luck of the draw, but still. Talk about a let down. I didn't even know if I really wanted to run it until I found out I couldn't.  Boo, hiss and all that jazz. 

But I have decided I am going to train for it anyway. I honestly don't know if I can physically do it (bad knees, running affects my milk supply, yada yada) but I am going to give it a whirl. And if I find out halfway through training that it's just not going to happen, at least I won't be out the $75 registration fee. Silver lining? Sure. 

So, with that, I am formally announcing that I am training for a half marathon. 

Any suggestions on a training plan? I am going to look at Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway and Garry Bjorklund's plans.

Wish me luck! 

(I wrote this on Tuesday and just realized today that it didn't post. I am having internet connectivity issues on my laptop. It's been a reoccurring problem since I got it in 2007. I think I got a bad Apple. boo.)  

Here is the problem I have with working out...

I am constantly STARVING!!

I am blessed with a fast metabolism as it is and when I work out/run, it kicks into over drive. And I am breastfeeding, so that doesn't help matters.

Today I have eaten:

Green smoothie (an orange, banana, 2c frozen fruit, 3c. baby spinach)
Oatmeal with raisins, almonds, honey and hemp hearts
Peanut butter toast
almonds, dried fruit
an apple
baby carrots and broccoli with hummus
turkey sandwhich with lettuce, avocado, tomatoes on whole grain bread

grapes
small bowl (1/2c) black beans
handful of chips (I know)
another piece of peanut butter toast
protein shake
2 poached eggs with toast

another apple

2 spoonfuls of peanut butter
bowl of lucky charms (again, I know)
two slices of turkey
approx 80 oz of water
a cup of decaf coffee
a cup of tea

And I am still hungry! And this is just from doing 20 minutes of exercise (30 Day Shred. Don't knock it until you try it).

And since I am avoiding dairy, my go to protein snacks of cottage cheese, yogurt, string cheese etc are a no go.

Anyone else have this problem? What else can I eat?!

I am going to bed before I gnaw my arm off....hopefully I don't dream about an all you can eat Chinese buffet like I did last night.

SSOF: Weekly Check-In

Sadly, not a whole lot to report.

Still doing daily stretching, ab work and push-ups, but that's about it. But I have to say, I am proud of myself for at least doing something! And the number on the scale hasn't gone up at all so that's always a good thing.

I've decided I need a personal trainer. A kick ass personal trainer. That makes house calls. And will say things like "Get off your butt you lazy bum! Drop and give me 20!" or whatever it is kick ass personal trainers say.

But until I win the lottery that's not going happen. I need to be my own kick ass personal trainer.  So, "Get off your butt you lazy bum! Drop and give me 3!"

Actually that's a good idea, ass kicking. Great way to warm up those leg muscles.

And speaking of warming up, my cookies are done. :) 

Until next week, keep on keeping on.

SSOF: Weekly Check-In

So this week was not quite as successful as last week. But i am trying not to be too hard on myself and just accept it and move on.

I haven't done a Bootcamp video since Saturday, but I have been doing daily stretching, sit up and push ups.Well, I've attempted to do push ups. I can do about 5 "girl" push ups before my arms turn into wet noodles. But considering I'm holding or carrying around a 13 pound infant most of the day, I figure my arms are getting a fairly good workout. Not to mention lugging her around in her carseat, iy ya. I should be able to lift cars with one hand pretty soon. (I'm talking Smart cars, not Escalades.) Just call me Hulk. 

I am quite excited to tell you, dear readers,  that sometime in the near future I will be reviewing an ab workout/fitness program that guarantees results. I can't wait to try it out!

 And on a very unrelated note, did you know that Oreo's are dairy free? Which is kind of gross if you really think about it, but awesome for those of us who are avoiding dairy! 

Mmmm, oreos. Now if only Oreo Blizzards were dairy free....hey, a girl can dream can't she?!

Help! I've fallen

off the wagon and I want to get back on! 

This cold has seriously knocked me on my butt. I need to pick myself up and get back to it. Now, who is going to come over here and make me do it? 

Bring cookies!

SSOF: Weekly Check-In

Week two of this little experiment I am conducting. And I am happy to report I am still on the wagon!

I am keeping up with the Busy Mom's Bootcamp, doing (at least) one video a day. I've also added in this Pilates Ab Workout. The videos are great because they are short enough that I can do one or two while the girls are napping. But they are still a great workout!  I know it will take a while to see results, but I am definitely feeling "the burn". 

I haven't been doing much cardio this week, but don't worry I have a good excuse. No really, I do. Two actually.

1) I have a horrendous cold that has settled nicely in my chest. And throat. And nose. And ears. And head. I am a hot mess. Literally.
2) The weather has been as horrendous as my cold. Between the 50 mph winds, pounding rain (and SNOW) and temps in the 30s, we haven't left the house much this week!

I am hoping I can get over this cold sooner rather than later and get my cardio on. Olive is big into running laps around our kitchen, living room and dining room, so there is always that option.
 
So long story short, week two was a success (in my mind). On to week three!

SSOF: Weekly Check-In

(Some Sort of Fitness)

I am proud to say that I got a workout in today. Albeit a short, 10 minute workout, but a workout is a workout. 

I stumbled across the Busy Mom's Bootcamp over at Babyfit (by Sparkpeople!). It is a workout program that consists of doing one 10 minute (or less) workout video per day and five 30 minute cardio sessions per week. Throw in some healthy eating and voila! I am back on the wagon! Ok, not yet. But the intent is there...

I started with Day 1: 10 Minute Cardio Kickboxing.While it was not the hardest workout I have ever done, it did get my heart rate up and yes, I broke a sweat. I also pushed Olive in the cart at Target while carrying Penny in the Ergo, so I am counting that as additional cardio. Baby steps people, baby steps. 

The idea is to follow the workout for four weeks and you will see results in all major muscle groups. And considering the workout videos are only 10 minutes long or less, I really have no excuse for not doing them. Unless I am too tired. Or hungry. Or it's too sunny out. I kid. 

Kind of. We'll see.

Once upon a time,

long, long ago, I had abs. Granted, they were no 6 pack, but I had pretty nice definition. A combination of running, yoga and ab work left me with a strong core that didn't look too shabby in a swimsuit. 

Then I got pregnant. And my stomach swelled with the miracle of life. I gave up a nice hard stomach for a big round stomach that elbowed me when I was trying to sleep. It was beautiful. 

After Olive was born I told myself I would get back to the gym/pavement/yoga mat. Yeah, that never happened. I would get in a groove and hit the gym 3 times a week or do a workout DVD at home a few days a week and feel great. But then life would get in the way like it always does and I would fall off the proverbial wagon. And since I was never really all the way into the wagon anyway, it was never a hard fall. More of a soft bounce and I would quickly forget I was ever on the wagon. So my core stayed a bit on the soft side with a bit of it's former definition. And I was ok with that. Kind of. Sort of. Well, to be honest, I was lazy and just didn't care.

And then I got pregnant again. And once again my stomach swelled with the miracle of life. And I gave up my soft, once hard stomach for a big round stomach that knocked me on my butt for 20 weeks with horrendous "morning" sickness. And again, it was beautiful. Albeit, pukey.

And when Penelope was born, I told myself I would get back to the gym/pavement/yoga mat. But this time I am serious. Stop laughing. 

No really, stop it. 

I want a strong core and back that supports my body and doesn't ache all the time. I want to get rid of my jelly belly*. I want to be active and move my body instead of making excuses or say "meh, there's always tomorrow".  I want to get rid of the arm flab that is starting to develop. I want to get rid of (or at least lessen) a bit of the pregnancy jiggle that seems to stick around. I want to have better eating habits. I want to feel strong and confident.

Why am I telling you this? Well besides the fact that I like to listen to myself talk (you know what I mean), I am doing it to hold myself accountable. If I put it out there on the internet that I am serious about getting back into shape, there is no going back. Because let's be honest, once something is on the internet, there is no taking it back (which is why I am so glad I wasn't on Facebook when I was in college...).  

So, my dear readers, I am asking for your help. I am going to write about my health/fitness/exercise accomplishments each week. A bit of a check in, if you will. If I start slacking, make sure you get on here and give me heck for it. And if you want to join me, feel free to comment with your own fitness accomplishments. 

There. It's out there. On the interwebz. No going back now! 

Now, off to the gym! 

Ok, not really. But I do have two sleeping babes, so I am going to do something active. I wonder if folding laundry counts as aerobic exercise....

*Yes, I realize I just had a baby 9 weeks ago. I am not expecting miracles here folks. Slow and steady wins the race. And a pair of Spanx never hurts.