My Mini Blogging Hiatus ...

I'm not really sure where to start with this one .. maybe I've lost my ability to chat .. but i doubt it! 

I haven't been around my little blog ( and social media ) world this last week and a bit as I've been crazy busy at home.  I know that just about everyone is busy and they still find time to hang out here, but I just couldn't seem to get my head here with everything else that was in it!


Last week it was Mr Fit Mum's 40th birthday and there was the party on Saturday night to plan and prepare for.  Of course I couldn't help it and had to do it all ( well, most of it ... ) myself.  And to top it off, there was the school fete to bake for!  In a moment of guilt I put my hand up and offered to make fudge and cupcakes ... they were good though even if I do say so!

On Thursday, there was the emergency trip to the physio because I couldn't lift my right arm up.  It even ached to hold the steering wheel while driving which is not a good sign. 
Physio determined that I have some rotator cuff ( the muscles around my shoulder ) dramas and I may have had a minor tear in a muscle here.  The muscles have tightened up restricting movement which is starting to tighten up other muscles in my shoulders and neck.  This has definitely slowed down my movement over the last few days!  A few more trips to the physio are in my future ... along with lots of stretching and some seriously unexciting strengthening and stabilising exercises!

This week is going to be a bit of a catch up week as Mr Fit Mum is off on another work trip.  If you can seriously consider Port Douglas in North Queensland a "work trip" ...

Plus, I doing a bit of a mini detox.  Must clean up the diet after far too much celebratory food and drink!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and active! 







Monday Motivation ....

Set yourself up for success ...


Seems simple doesn't it? 
 
Do you keep good food in the fridge?  Is it your first choice when you are hungry?

Have a great week everyone! 

Vicki x


Get yourself out the door .. 20 ideas to motivate yourself to move!

How are you motivation levels this week?  Are you totally pumped or are you feeling a little "meh" about getting moving?

I shared with you what keeps me motivated to eat well and keep up my training routine.  Now I know that everybody is different and as such what works for one may not necessarily work for another, so here's some super fabulous ideas that will help when you are stuck for a bit of motivation! I know you've probably heard some before but it's a good reminder and maybe it's time to put some into practice!

Don't think about it .. just get out and do it.  I have to do this sometimes when I'm really not in the mood!

Set your clothes out the night before. If you need to get up in the morning do everything you can to get out the door as fast as you can so you don't know what you're doing!

Find yourself a training partner. This one is great for that "guilty feeling" of letting someone else down.

Remind yourself how good it feels. You know you feel great afterwards.  It might be hard to start and hurt during .. but that feeling of satisfaction can't be beaten!

Make a commitment to yourself.  Do you really want to let yourself down?

Miss a workout risk the guilty feeling. When you blow off a workout just because you can't be bothered think about how guilty you will feel for letting yourself down!

Stick post it notes around to remind you. A constant reminder of why you are eating well and exercising.  You know you want this!

Laminate a business card reminder. Some of my clients love the idea of a laminated "business card" in their handbag, purse, bathroom mirror as a reminder of what their goal is and why they started out.

Quotes. There are thousands of quotes out there .. find one that resonates with you and stick with this.  I have heaps on here on my Motivation Mondays!

Pictures / visuals. A picture of yourself on the fridge! Or a picture of your "goal" body or "goal" dress.

Blogs. Find yourself some blogs to follow ( obviously this one too! ).  I love reading about what other people are doing to motivate themselves and their workouts.  This helps me get a move on sometimes too!

Find yourself a PT / gym membership.  If you are going to do this you MUST use it .. I will not advocate paying for a gym membership or paying for a trainer if you are not going to use it.  You will find that they are worth the money if you take advantage of the knowledge that you get there!

Goal. Find one.  Long term / short term just find something to work towards.  Mini goals can work a treat eg .. exercise for 30 minutes every second day or 15 minutes everyday. 

New clothes A goal after my own heart!  Work towards that new set of gym clothes but you actually have to WORK towards them first.  Lose 5 kg and get a new set of workout gear .. or commit to training 4 days per week for a whole month .. you get the idea.

New playlist on your iPod. I love getting out and listening to some new music especially if it is going to get me moving and take my mind off what I'm doing.

Alone time.  OK, so you're a mum ( even if you're not ) and you need some serious alone time.  You know, where there is no one yelling at you that they want / need something.  I'm afraid sometimes the locking the toilet door just does not cut it .. get out of the house!

Burn some calories.  OK so who doesn't want to do this?

What you look like.   I'm getting really obvious here ...

Set an example.  For your kids, your family etc .. walk the walk people!

Health.  This really should be the number one shouldn't it ...

So there you have it ... 20 reasons to get you moving.  Go on, you have no excuses now!

I know that there are dozens more ways that we all get ourselves motivated.  I would love to hear them ( as I may use them myself! ) so please share either comment here or on my facebook page .. you know the one ...

Please also, don't forget to sign up to have FitMum delivered to your inbox whenever I post here .. Just pop your email in the box up the top!

 
Vicki x









What I'm eating Wednesday ...

Just a quickie today as I'm supposed to be doing other stuff .. like houseworky type things that I keep procrastinating over ..

I have had a few requests to put up the recipe I use for a quick snack of protein balls.  I will confess that I found this recipe on Ironmum Karla's blog here and it is such a HUGE hit in this house that it is on a regular cycle .. at least fortnightly!

Ironmum Karla's Yummy Bliss Balls 

What you need ....

250gm dates
1/2 cup water
2 scoops Body for Women protein powder ( I used chocolate flavour)
100gm of LSA mix (linseed, sunflower and almonds)
2 tbs cacao powder
2 tbs chia seeds
100gm shredded coconut
sesame seeds to coat


What you do ...
Bring the dates to boil with the water until mushy and water is absorbed
Once cooled, add the rest of the dry ingredients to the dates and combine
Using hands roll into small balls and then once they are all done, roll in the sesame seeds
place in an airtight container and store in the freezer (they won't actually freeze)
These balls are full of antioxidants (chia seeds), omega-3 (LSA mix), gluten free and high in protein.

When I make them it all depends on what is in the cupboard but I generally have all the ingredients.  I don't always have any LSA so I have also used half ground almonds and half crunched up almonds .. so it you like them crunchy there's your option.  I don't always coat them .. there's no way my kids would eat the sesame seeds so they are out!  But I've used coconut .. I tell myself I'm eating chocolate truffles but they're kinda good for me!

Give them a go .. they are great to put in as a treat for the kids lunches or if you need an on the go snack.  I have them as my sweet dessert treat at night!

Thanks Ironmum Karla!!


Vicki x


 




Training Tuesday .. What motivates me?



Let's talk motivation ...
 
What gets you out the door to the gym, for a run or to get your chosen training session done? Or consistently eat a healthy, balanced diet? 

Motivation is different to commitment .. commitment is what gets you to stick to your chosen training session until you reach your goal.

Everyone is motivated by different things and a lot of people are motivated by the same things.  Today I am sharing with you some of the things that motivate me .. 

The number on the scales .. OK I'm human!  I like to make sure that number doesn't get too high, but it's probably not my number one motivation.
 
Setting goals .. this is probably closest to the top.  I like to have something to work toward.  When I don't I tend to get a little off track and fiddle and fluff around with training.  Don't get me wrong, this can be a good thing too, just to take a break and live life!

My health .. This is my number one motivation at the moment.  Maybe I've had the "OMG I'm 40 now!" moment but looking after myself ( and of course the family! ) is priority at the moment.  Yep, it's all about me!  I would like to do everything I can to make certain that I'm healthy and able to move as I get older.

My clothes .. I am as much into shopping as the next fashionista ( Mr FitMum may disagree and argue that I'm a shopaholic so don't ask him ) but I don't particularly want to go and spend a fortune on new clothes because I have outgrown my current ones!  


What I look like .. I told you I was human!  I want to look the best that I can and I know that I look that way when I follow a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly.  And here I will admit to being strict with both training and eating if I'm planning to eat ( or drink ) a few extras!  I don't punish myself but I'm just a bit more careful! 

How I feel .. this one follows closely on from what I look like.  I feel fitter, stronger and less jiggly and blah when I eat well and exercise.

As a role model .. I strongly believe that I should practice what I preach!  Not only for my family but as a Personal Trainer I want to be a role model for my clients.  My motto is that I won't get my clients to do anything in training that I haven't done myself .. let me just add that it gives me a HUGE amount of scope here!

There you have it .. what gets me through my training when motivation is lacking!

Please share with me either in the comments here or on Facebook what gets you moving .. later on in the week I'm going to do up a post and share some ways to help get you motivated, so if you have something that works a treat for you let me know!


Vicki x
     




Monday Motivation .. What motivates you to move?


Now this is clearly not a picture of me when I get out of bed in the morning because I can assure you that I do not bounce out like this unless of course I'm going for a run .. well no, even that doesn't happen!  Apparently some people do ... clearly they are on drugs ... or not getting up early enough to feel the horror of waking up so early. 

OK, so now I'm waffling on ...

This week I thought I would talk about exercise, diet and motivation and the rocky relationship that these have.

What motivates you to stick to your training program?
What keeps you going every day eating healthy, balanced foods?

I will talk about what motivates me ... I will give some tips on how to motivate yourself.

And I would love it if you could let me know what motivates you and I can share it here.  That is of course, if you want to share!

Now, off you go, put your thinking caps on and let me know what gets you bouncing out of bed in the morning!

Vicki x









What I ate Wednesday ...

The pictorial version of what I ate today ...
 
I am mostly a creature of habit so breakfast is pretty much the same everyday.
 

 


I finished up with work early-ish today and wanted to get a quick run in.  A snack before my run ... I found the macadamia stash in my bag and they looked like they wanted me to eat them too!

By the time I ran a few errands and got home I was looking for more food ... something quick ... left over chicken tenders and a little bit of risoni into salad!




Afternoon snack time ...



Mr Fit Mum is away at the moment so dinners are a little lazy.  The kids don't call for too much fancy stuff really.  Cheating rather a lot tonight .. chicken kebabs and sweet potato chips.  Happy kids .. happy mummy ..


I may have indulged in some treats ... I may be partial to white chocolate raspberry bullets.  I may also have had some with my afternoon snack.  Oh, and I really needed to test ( again ) the fudge that I made the other day.  That's it though .. honestly! 



What did you eat today? 
 
Vicki x


Training Tuesday ... Spot Reduction

Who wants to get rid of their muffin top?  What about trimming down those thighs?



Me! I do!  I'm the first to admit that I would like to make some "adjustments" to some of my "trouble spots".  Who doesn't?!  Well, admittedly there are some bodies out there that look mighty fine .. but we're not talking about those right!!

When my clients come to me and tell me that they would like lose their muffin top or get a nice butt, I would love to be able to tell them exactly what exercise to do to achieve this.  If I knew of a single exercise or trick that would work for me, I would definitely pass it on! 

It's usually called spot reduction ... in most workouts this consists of 100 crunches a day to get a flat tummy or a 6 pack.  Or tricep dips and bicep curls to get nice arms.  The idea behind it is that if you focus on a certain area of the body with isolation exercises you will reduce the amount of fat here and be able to see the muscles.  Yes, bicep curls will give you big guns but what is the point if you still have them insulated by a layer of fat?

This is what I tell my clients .. beware though, you may not like it ... 

You can not focus your attention on a particular part of your body, do copious amounts of exercises for it and magically the fat will remove itself from here only.  I haven't yet found any evidence that you can "request" your body to rid itself of fat from a particular area.  My understanding is that fat is usually lost proportionately over your entire body as you lose weight.  It doesn't seem like it to me sometimes as I have always tended to lose weight in my boobs chest area first.  It really is an individual thing, so genetics will play a part.

You can not designate where the fat goes to on your body.  I have made various requests that it go to my boobs chest area.  These requests have gone ignored.  Again, genetics will play a part in determining where it goes.  And yes, men and women differ here .. it may not be fair but deal with it.

If you want to see your muscles minimise the insulation.  Yes that means, lose body fat and you will see the muscles that you do actually have.  We have all heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen.  Well, it's not only abs, losing excess body fat is all about what you eat.  Well, about 80% anyway.  You want to shape your body and see the muscles .. combine a healthy, nutritious balanced diet with weight training and you are on you way to seeing those muscles.

Do weight training and burn more calories.  Big moves like squats, lunges, push ups etc and no girly weights, they have to be a bit heavy!  There is nothing more empowering than knowing that you can crank out some heavy weights!  Have a look at this post for an at home workout that gets you sweaty.

Add some cardio .. it keeps you fit, healthy, burns calories and gives you energy! 

And lastly, be consistent!  Those people with the bodies that you admire, they have literally worked their butts off! 

It's hard work, but someone's got to do it!  Make sure it's you!


Vicki x




 

Monday Motivation ...

This week if you find yourself thinking a negative thought ...  "I can't" or "It's too hard" ... I would like you to change that negative thought around to a positive thought ...


Let's work on changing our thinking!  It's all about what you tell yourself!


Vicki x

Women in Sport ... Meet Debbie

This gorgeous lady is one of the people who most inspire me and motivate me.  And it just so happens that she is one of my good friends!!


Who is Debbie?
43 years old!!! I am a wife ( 19 years married! ), mum to 2 great kids(10 and 12, so that’s busy!), I work 25hrs week in an office role, I am a fitness instructor ( 20years ) taking anything from 10 to 15 training sessions a week!!( and love it sooo much! ) …. Yes, my weeks are just crazy, but its all good!!
How did you start out becoming a fitness instructor?
I was not a very active person in my early 20’s, I was way too busy having fun with my friends! I started getting stomach aches and was diagnosed with a minor medical condition ( nothing serious ), but Dr asked me how much exercise I did. He said it would be a good idea to start some form of exercising for many reasons. So I joined my local gym and started doing classes ... loved it so much, it was like dancing with the lights on, loud music, funky music and lots of others who were doing it too ( safety in numbers! ). I just fell in love with the feeling it gave me. I got to know everyone at the gym, including the instructors, they mentioned the fitness course and the rest is history! I have never looked back since. It has been a great job hours are very flexible and non stop fun.  I trained through both pregnancies and being fit and strong made my recoveries speedy. I love the feeling of helping people and I feel this is such a positive way to contribute to peoples lives and their health!

How do you find a balance between family, work, training etc?
Finding a good balance for everything in life is different for everyone but I do have a theory, if I am fit and healthy I will have more to give my family, more energy to maintain a high level pace being busy and learning to get the family involved in your life.  It's not my house … it's our house so we all clean it, we all help with washing, we all help with cooking.  It is tough.  I am not saying its easy, but we all work together and there’s lots of good family time as well! We love camping and find this is a great escape for all of us, great family time together, so we schedule trips regularly. And I keep smiling, that helps. I know that I am not superwoman and something has to wait, don’t be too hard on yourself and it will work out!!

Are there times when you just don't feel like teaching a class? How do you overcome this .. do you have a special "mantra"?
Sometimes I do have moments when the thought of training does not excite me totally, but I always know that I feel amazing afterwards, and it being my job does help. I love helping people achieve things they never thought they could, pushing themselves like they cant do on their own!  But I admit I do have a personal trainer too and he pushes me to limits I did not know I had!  I think it's important to have someone, other than yourself, to answer to and push you, that’s healthy!

Being an instructor along with your other everyday job, family etc you must work up a pretty big appetite. How do you make sure you are eating the right foods to keep your energy up every day?
As mentioned I am very busy and have some crazy busy days.  First class is at 5.45am then work 8am to 5pm then another 5.45pm class.  Then home to get dinner for the family etc ... yes very busy!  I always make sure I am 100% organised with meals. I cook up meals for my lunches twice a week and every morning I pack my esky for the whole days food.  I  eat 5 - 6 meals a day so it’s a big esky!!! I never leave doubt in my mind to what I am having for lunch or snacks etc, you cant make bad choices or go wrong then! I am doing a lot of training so I do need lots of food, but it also needs to be good nutritious food otherwise I just can’t keep up to my schedule. I am just as organised at home with family meals, I plan this each Sunday for the week for the same reason!

What are your weaknesses when it comes to food?
I do love caramel mud cake and have trouble saying no!! But lucky for me its not available everywhere so I keep it under control.
Do you allow yourself treat / cheat days?
I am the same as everyone, I love lunches and dinners out with friends, dessert etc, but I choose my treats wisely!! If I am going out for lunch with friends or dinner with my family, what ever the occasion, I do allow myself freedom to have foods I would not usually have. I don’t believe in cheat days, just cheat meals, a whole day off track can mess with your head and your body too much. But hey, enjoy a great meal with dessert and some wine, no problem at all!! Just make sure you jump back on track next meal.

What is your current training looking like?
I train 6 days a week, cross training including weights, but I try to always have Sunday off.
Are you training for anything in particular?
I am in training for a healthy wonderful life. I set myself 3 month goals all the time! I am 43 years old and love being fit and healthy but….I always know that I can be fitter, I can be stronger. I am doing a 12 week challenge with the gym I work at right now, and that has allowed me to refocus on my food and diet, and to commit to more weight training, loving every minute of it!

What advice do you have for other women for starting out and staying motivated and committed to their exercise / healthy eating program?
Slow and steady wins every time, commitment is your key to success. Don’t let people around you deter you from what you want to do, surround yourself with people that can help you, support you and make you feel good!!! Find a trainer who you trust and who you feel good with and comfortable around. And never say never!!
Phew!  Deb is a whirlwind and sometimes I just don't know how she keeps up with everything!  One thing Deb mentioned that is super important, is that being organised and planning your meals and snacks is one of the most crucial things to do to stay on track!  So, off you go, plan your meals and snacks for the next week .. no excuses to stray!! 
Vicki x

 
 


What I ate Wednesday .. Sugar Free September wrap up

I can't believe that it's October!  Not just because Sugar Free September seemed to go so quickly ... but there's only 12 weeks until Christmas!!  I know, I give you permission to start panicking now .. it's entirely possible that I will start not long after you!

I'm not going to mention that any more as I have more important issues to talk about .. like the wrap up of this year's Sugar Free September. 

I was really happy with my efforts again this September.  It possibly seemed a little easier, already knowing what I could and could not have from last year.  I just stuck with foods that had as little processing as possible and I tried out a few recipes for some treats to snack on or for dessert on the weekends.

I will that I did miss a few of my usual snacks that have a small amount of sugar added but are still not considered "bad" compared with many other processed foods. 

Again, it was hard to find a sugar free recipe for biscuits or muffins that didn't have some kind of artificial sugar or loads of honey that the kids would actually eat!  I did find one that wasn't too bad but it did have chocolate chips added .. and I lost the website!  I will need to go searching for that one!

The verdict this year ... there really is just so much extra sugar or artificial sweeteners added to food that it is hard to find anything that doesn't have something extra added. 

Personally, I'm still OK with adding some sugar to my home baking.  I will always try to find an alternative to adding heaps of sugar ( and butter ) ... but sometimes a treat really isn't so bad!  And I much prefer home baked goodies to some of the ones that you buy in the stores! 

In my opinion it is more a matter of being mindful of what choice you are making when it comes to your food. Is there an alternative that will be more nutritious and healthful?

I probably won't give up sugar all together but I most definitely believe that everyone should cut down on the amount of foods that are eaten with added sugar.  Enjoying a small amount in moderation is fine .. as long as by moderation you don't mean every meal or even every day!

Oh and I forgot to mention that I did miss my glass of champagne and Baileys!  I will certainly be savouring that this weekend! 

Cheers!!


How did you go with your efforts during Sugar Free September?  What did you learn?  What will you do differently from now on?


Vicki x

PS ... No I'm not doing Choc-tober, Oc-Sober, Drop-tober !!!  I'm going to allow myself a little freedom in my diet .. without going crazy of course!

 

Tuesday Training ... What Apps do you use?

Training Apps ... whilst they don't actually DO the training for you, some of them can come in pretty handy as training tools to help you get the best from your training.

I use some .. not religiously, some more than others, you get the idea. 

Here are the ones that I use ...

My Fitness Pal  

What is it?  My Fitness Pal is food and exercise journal where you can record what you eat and your training.  Super handy because you can record on your iPhone, iPad or online.  You can see exactly ( well, if you're honest! ) how many calories you are taking in and how many calories you are using for exercise. 
I love that you can scan the barcode on most foods and it is automatically recorded ( sometimes confronting too! ).  There is also the ability to create "meals" that you eat regularly along with "recipes" so you know the calorie count in each serve.

Why?  A great tool to learn the amount of calories in each food or serving of food.  Keeps you honest ( if you record honestly! ) and can show you where you are going wrong!  Remember weight loss is 80% what you put in your mouth!


RunKeeper

What is it?  RunKeeper is an app that you can use to record your activities.  I use it for running because it is linked up with the GPS, which means I know how far I have run, what times I did and what my pace was like.  I have mine set so that it lets me know each kilometre how far I have run and what pace I'm running at ( sometimes stressful if I've slowed down! ).
It will save each activity for you to view later either on your phone or online if you "send" it to RunKeeper.  The app also includes training plans that you can follow.

Why?  It's motivating and encouraging to see your distances increase and your times decrease!  And when you tally up how far you have run / walked over the course of say a month it's a great feeling of achievement.

Nike Training Centre

What is it?  Nike Training Centre app has a selection of workouts that you can do with little to no equipment.  Great for when you are travelling away from home.  The workouts are broken down into beginner, intermediate and advance.  You can also choose from "focus" workouts such as abs, arms etc.  I have used these when I'm on holidays as you can choose a quick workout that is a bit different and besides I don't have to think!

Why?  Great for a change of pace!  A good option for a mini workout when travelling.

Yoga App for Runners

What is it?  Just what it says, a yoga app for runners.  It includes some pre and post run stretches and poses.  There are also a couple of basic sequences such as Sun Salutations.  Again, I have used then when I've been travelling, usually after a run so that I get a decent stretch out.  Again, for me .. no thinking!

Why?  A handy guide with pics of stretches and postures for a quick yoga workout when there is no class or DVD handy.

Well, that's it!  These are the apps I use as part of my regular training program.

Do you have any that you could add to the list?  I'm always looking for something different to try!








Menu Planning Monday ...


It's a public holiday here in Brisbane and let me just mention that it has not been the type of day you would like to get out and celebrate the extra day off .. unless you were a duck .. or a polar bear ...

I've decided that it will be the perfect time for me to sit and plan some yummy meals for the week. And seeing as it is school holidays I don't have to think about the easy to prep options.

Here's what we are having this week ...


While I'm in the kitchen, let me share with you what else I got up to while the weather was dodgy outside ...




I made strawberry jam .. the strawbs looked so good yesterday when I went to pick up some fresh fruit and veg that I had a sudden urge to make jam! No it's not in keeping with sugar free September, but it's not September any more! Oooops, lots of sugar! But super yum and I can't wait to mix some with my yoghurt for a snack this week.  I also whipped up a batch of pikelets to have with the jam .. but they didn't last long enough and I had forgotten to take a pic!












I also picked up a fresh coconut. We wanted to try the milk and I wanted to dry some fresh coconut. Verdict on the milk .. not so flash. The fresh coconut, not too bad.





Tonight's dinner, in keeping with World Vegetarian Day of course, is Teresa Cutter's Spinach & Ricotta tart. Check it out, it looks yum! Can't wait to taste it!




What's on your menu plan this week? Something quick and easy for school holidays or are you going gourmet?


Vicki x