Here goes nothing

This post isn't about being Fit (or eating), but I figured I'd write it anyway (and on a Sunday).

Yesterday I did something exciting....drum roll....I signed up for an online dating site.  A paid site.  I'm not going to say which one because that's not important.  But it is official, I'm on the hunt. Ha ha.

I've dilly dallied with the free sites and have been less than impressed so I figured it might be time to try something new.

My parents actually bought me the membership (don't laugh too hard).  Apparently they'd really like me to meet someone.  Which I think is quite sweet.

So in honor of my (semi) full disclosure, I figured that if any dates should come out of this I might do a little write up on here afterwards.  I'm thinking it might be fun and mindless stuff to read.  Agree?

I've been a big proponent of online dating since I was in college, which was way before the whole movement took off.  I know quite a few people who have married people they've met online so I know it's possible. 

So once again, here goes nothing.  :)

Hump Day

Happy Wednesday!  After a quick trip down to FL, I'm back at home.  Wow, it's hot down there.  Somehow the same temperature down there and up here can feel so different.

Hope you all had nice weekends and a good start to your week.

Stuff here is ok.  There's been some drama but I'm trying to move forward from it.  Plus I just found out that a job I've been interviewing for for a while isn't going to pan out.  So while that sucks, the hiring manager actually called me to explain, and that impressed me.  So I'm just sticking to my "stay positive" mantra and hoping that one day things start following suit.

I need to come up with a healthy dessert for a dinner tomorrow.  I'm thinking something that involves fruit, so I've got to put the thinking cap on and try to come up with something.  Any suggestions?

On the Fit side...

Fitness machine I need to work back in to my routine:

The assisted chin up/dip machine
This used to be part of my repertoir.  Why that changed, I'm not really sure.  But last Friday after teaching the 6a class I was looking to do something different, so I decided to give it a go.  My goal is to one day be able to do a pull up, so this is a good start.
Wow was I sore.  Honestly, I think I was sore until yesterday and I used the machine on Friday.  Love it!
Looking forward to using it again and gradually watching the weight get smaller and smaller.
If you don't already, give it a try.  But if you're unfamiliar with it, ask a trainer for a quick demo.

Ready, Set.....SPIN!

Good morning!  Happy FRIDAY!

I'm all confused about what day it is since I was away the past few days, which made today feel like a Monday.  Plus I was covering the 6a spin, which is normal for a Monday, not for a Friday.

But it's Friday, wooohoooo!

So today I thought I'd explain about getting my first spin class.  Whenever anyone asks me about one of my proudest accomplishments (usually in a job interview), this is what I tell them.

I went for my certification on August 1st.  So that part was done.  I had spoken with someone at the gym prior to my class so I knew I'd be able to get on to the sub list.  So I went in and had to do a little audition in order to officially be added to the sub list (and payroll).  Done.

I was so excited to be on the list and to start getting emails for subs.  I was on the NY and CT lists.  I'd get lots of emails but none of them were for CT, which was so frustrating.  Here I was, chomping at the bit, and NO ONE in CT seemed to need a sub.  Finally a desperate last minute plea came out for a class in White Plains, NY.  I emailed the woman and said that I could do it, but did tell her that it would be my first time teaching.  But she took a chance on me.  That gave me the courage that I needed to actively try to get my own class.

I learned that a Saturday 10a class was available at my home club, so I called the manager and told her I'd like to be considered.  She said she wasn't sure she wanted someone new, so she'd get back to me.  What she meant by that was that she'd call everyone possible to see if any of them wanted the class.  Apparently no one did, so she called me back to say the class was mine.  I could tell she wasn't thrilled, but I used this as ammo to fuel my fire.

Some background:  There's a 9a and a 10a on Saturday.  It used to be that the same guy taught both, and he ran straight from 9a until 10:45a, with no break.  The gym didn't like this because people felt weird walking in at 10a since he didn't break.  So they decided to put a new instructor in that second time slot.

My first class was interesting.  The guy before me shot daggers with his eyes.  He instantly hated me because I had taken his class away from him.  Similarly, his class felt loyal to him and didn't want to take my class.  I think my first few classes had maybe 3-4 people.  When I hit 8 people it was significant.

Teaching to an empty class sucks, but I knew I was good so I persevered.  And slowly those numbers started coming up.  I'd sub for the Sunday teachers and plug my Saturday class.  They'd enjoy me as a sub, so they'd come over to my class on Saturdays.  Slowly it started improving.

It's been tough, but it's been SO worth it.  I've even had a few people who have stopped taking his 9a and now take my 10a instead.  I have a loyal following and my class is usually pretty close to full.  It's truly invigorating to me to think about how things started and where they are now. 

It makes me proud and confident and reminds me that doing something you love really does show through.  You need to be passionate and when you are, your enthusiasm shines through, and that's what people want.

So there's my feel good story for a Friday.  Go enjoy your weekend!!

Happy Friday! (and a spin ride)

HAPPY FRIDAY!  So glad the weekend is almost here.  I have two friends coming in to town tomorrow for a little pool party.  Should be great!

On the To Do list for today...
Clean!
Supermarket (maybe)
Gym

The emphasis is on the cleaning.  I am pretty much the farthest thing from Mr. Clean that you'll ever meet.  An ex of mine said that the cleaning gene is something you either have or you don't...let's just say I DON'T.  When this same ex moved in to his own place (ages ago) he asked me what kind of vacuum he should get and I told him I didn't understand why he even needed a vacuum.  Oops!  Just so you know, I do now own a vacuum and have for years.

Any tricks for making cleaning more bearable?  I'm thinking music and maybe open windows (although it's probably hot as hell here).

As promised, here's a better late than never Spin ride that I was rocking last week.  It has some more recent music so I'm not sure how it will age, but we'll see.

Ride Like the Wind - Remix - 4:00 (not sure of artist)
Warm up

Dynamite - Taio Cruz - 3:23
Seated climb, starting out moderate, let's get the party started.  Add resistance every minute or so.

Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran - 3:26
Let's take that same hill out of the saddle and get it heavy.

Na de Na - Angel y Kriz - 3:22
Back to the saddle, back off half of the resistance, settling somewhere moderate and get ready for jumps.  6 counts and then 4 counts for the last minute.

If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson - 3:40
Flat road, recover and then do sprints on the chorus.

Nothing on You - B.O.B. - 3:41
Seated climb, going back up.

Holiday - Green Day - 3:53
Standing climb, getting heavy.  Picking up the pace on the chorus.

Beds Are Burning - Novaspace - 3:23
Nice fast remix.  Once again, back the resistance down to moderate and jump. 

Love Sex Magic - Justin Timberlake and Cierra - 3:42
Flat road, recover.  If/when riders are ready, they can pick up their pace.  As the song nears the end, let's start to add resistance a little at a time to prepare for our next hill.

Runaway - Bon Jovi - 3:53
Run/climb combo.  Start out in a run (standing 2), transition between there and standing 3.  Adding resistance after the completion of a set.

Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna - 3:33
Sprints!  On the chorus, there are 3 of them, each about 30 seconds.
First sprint is on the same hill we just came off of, second sprint at half resistance, third is on the flat.  So each time those legs are able to move faster.

Ready Steady Go - Paul Oakenfeld (I think) - 4:15
This is my KILLER song.  Take it out to a climb in 3, starting moderate.  Every time they say "ready steady go" I instruct the class to pick up their pace (as close to a sprint as possible) and do a 10 second breakaway.  I count and tell them when to slow down.  There are a couple of natural breaks in the song during which I prompt the class to add resistance.  By the end of this song we are spent and out of breath but feeling great!

Cool down!! (not sure of my music)

Please do me a favor and have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!  Thanks :)

Bodies...

Hello again!

I just wanted to post about how every person's body is different; shape, size, density, composition.

Where did this come from you ask.  SHAPE magazine.

Like many health/fitness magazines, SHAPE tracks people in their weight loss/exercise journeys.  SHAPE was tracking one particular woman, who's recent stats I found intriguing.

These people share their weight, height, age, body fat percentage, and VO2 max.

The most recent woman's stats are as follows:
Height: 5'7
Weight: 134
Body Fat: 25.5%

The reason why this caught my attention is because I'm SHORTER than her and considerably HEAVIER than her, yet my body fat is lower.  Does this make any sense?

The reason it does make sense is because we are all different and no two bodies are exactly alike.  This example explains why healthy/fitness professionals are starting to shy away from the Body Mass Index (BMI) method of determining a healthy weight.

Embrace your body and the fact that there are plenty of people out there who want to embrace it too!  :)

Maintenance

Maintenance is a very important word in the eating well/exercising world, and while it always means the same thing, it can be used in various contexts, which brings me to todays post.


I can't remember if I read it in a magazine or on another blog, but there was talk about how you need to choose a workout/healthy eating regime that you will be able to maintain for the long run.


For example, if you choose to limit your calories to 1200/day, the moment you increase your calories (or stop maintaining), you may gain weight.


Similarly, if you do a ton of working out, the moment you dial it back, you're going to lose some results.


So when planning a routine/lifestyle, you should think about it for the long run, not the short run.  You want to make changes that you can keep up with, even when life gets in the way.


I have someone I know who is in amazing shape.  She's lost a bunch of weight, significantly revamped her eating habits, and works out numerous times in one day.  She looks amazing and seems to be very happy.  Personally, I think it's a bit much and can't help but wonder how long she'll be able to maintain such an extreme routine.  What happens when life/work gets in the way and she needs to cut it down to one workout a day?  My guess is that she'll experience changes she isn't going to like.


Which brings me back to MAINTENANCE.  Make sure that what you're doing is something you can sustain.  Have realistic goals and commit for the long run.


Thoughts?

How do you deal with injuries?

You know the story, you're eating well and exercising, you have a great routine going and then bam! you get injured.  There's no nice way to say it, it sucks!

Athletes are notorious for wanting to get back to working out before they're ready to.  But it really is important to take the necessary recuperation time before going back to working out your injured body part.

That said, I injured my wrist when I was in Costa Rica.  I think it either happened during white water rafting or ziplining, or maybe it occured during one but was exacerbated by the other.  Who knows.  It wasn't anything horrible so I hoped it would heal on it's own.

I've been back from CR for about a month now and unfortunately it's still bothering me.  It's gotten a bit worse in the past couple of days but hopefully that's just from overuse.  Regardless, I bit the bullet and booked an orthopaedic appointment for Thursday.  Thursday can't come soon enough as I'd really like to know what is wrong and what I can do to fix it.  Ugh.

I'll keep you posted!

Multitasking

Right now I'm "working" (or rather, trying really hard not to work while having my boss think I'm working), cleaning, drinking coffee, paying bills, and of course playing on the internet (and blogging).

This is kind of embarassing to admit, but there was an article in Women's Health (the one with Jillian Michaels on the cover) about multitasking and how it's good to really focus on one thing at a time, well, as I was reading the article I was talking to my mom on the phone.  Ooops!  Should probably try to re-read the article and take some tips from them.

It's supposed to be a cooker here today and it's amazing to me that even from inside, I'm suffering the symptoms that come with intense heat (irritability, lethargy, lack of motivation).  I'd love to venture out, but quite honestly, don't want to deal with the heat.

Thursday night is boot camp so I might have to fuel myself with some green tea later today.  We'll see how that goes.

As I tell my classes when it's hot...."Stay cool and stay hydrated."  No mid-day runs.  I actually saw a trainer post something on FB about her midday run on a hot day, not smart!

Happy Weekend!!

I don't usually post on weekends but I'm up on the earlier side and have a little extra time before I head off to teach.  Happy Saturday!

I'm so glad the weekend is here!

Had a nice Friday, worked in the AM, late lunch with a friend, some errands, a little pool time, and then a run. It was such a gorgeous day and I was so happy to take advantage of it.  Was supposed to meet up with a friend to go out, but when it was after 10p and he was still on his way home from the city, I bailed.  He gave me such a hard time, but to me, 11p is a bit late to just be going out, especially knowing I teach on Saturday morning and like to be at my best.

Am I the only one who tends to want a lazy/early night on Fridays?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! (This is the first father's day since my grandfather passed away in May, so I'm sure it will be a mix of emotions.  Whether your father is alive or not, use this day to cherish the memories that you have and be greatful for all he did.  Memories are an amazing thing.)

                                           
I'm going to add in to my posts some info on music.  There are certain songs that just really motivate me, so when something is in heavy rotation I'll share it with you.  Please let me know if there are any must-have songs for you too, I love getting new music (and I know my classes appreciate it too).

Tunes: World Hold On - Bob Sinclair  (this song TOTALLY pumps me up to push push push)

Fruit and Funk

Double F's on this gorgeous Monday.  The weekend was double H's (hot and humid) but the humidity broke and this morning there was even a slight chill to the air, it was magnificent.  If I had any motivation it would have been a great morning for a run.  Taught this AM and am hoping that energy magically materializes and I can do the run thing tonight.  Fingers crossed.

So FRUIT.

I'm so happy it's (almost) summer because that means that fruits and veggies are on the up and up.  Quick stop at the supermarket this AM and bought pineapple, blueberries and peaches.  Woo hoo!  The pineapple is from Costa Rica and since I had the most amazing pineapple ever when I was down there, I just had to buy it here and see how it compares.  Fingers crossed. 

Last week I bought strawberries, blueberries and watermelon.  Gosh, I love this!

Veggies are on the agenda so I can get some delish stir frys going.  My old route home from work took me past a bunch of farms and I miss being able to stop on the way home for veggies.  Oh well, onward and upward!

So FUNK.

Not in a good music sort of way, just funk, as in "i'm in a funk".  We all have our ups and downs, so it's normal and I'm ok with that.  Given the fact that I've been more or less unemployed or underemployed for over a year now, it's surprising i'm not in a funk more.  Regardless, when one hits, it's hard to bounce back.  So right now i'm in funk-ville.  Ugh.

I've stayed really positive and am welcoming and wanting change in my life, it's just not coming yet, and honestly, i'm a bit impatient.  It gets hard to see EVERYONE moving forward with their lives, and here I am, stagnant. Yuck.

I don't want to dwell on this since it's not positive but since it's on my mind I did want to mention it.

I always have the following goals which allow me to take the emphasis off the bad and put it on the good.
- Do things that I love (which is hard sometimes because it really means carving out time for me)
- Try to make my workouts my own again, teaching makes that hard
- Have as much fun on weekends as possible

But frequently these are easier said than done.  Oh well, it will happen and I am going to stay positive and (hopefully) leave this funk in the dust.

So.  Happy monday to all, hope you are funk-free and fruit-ful.  xoxo

Guess who's back!

Of course it's me.  Who else would be writing on this blog?

It's true, i'm back from vacation.  I got back on Friday late afternoon.  My flight was a bit delayed as they had us in a holding pattern because only one runway is open at JFK.  I was so anxious to just land!  So back to NY, dinner with the fam, then off to CT.

Saturday morning taught my 10am class, which I had really missed.  It was full, which was a great welcome back class.  Saturday afternoon went to see Bon Jovi at the new Meadowlands.  Amazing and SO FUN!

Sunday, first day of rest in about a month.  Pool time and resting.

Monday, taught a 60 minute class in the AM, then off to a BBQ.  I was in bed by 8:45 and completely spent!

I'm refreshed and feeling good (aside from a bit tired).  Ready to take on the world and make some positive changes!

I'll do a more detailed Costa Rica post at another time, but here are some of the fun activities I did: bike riding, hiking, white water rafting, horseback riding, zip lining, and more hiking.  Love that stuff!

Hope you all had good and safe holiday weekends.  Happy summer!  Cheers to the summer of fun! (that's what my friends and I are calling it)

So long....farewell....

Well, it's just about that time.  I leave for vaca tomorrow.  Can't believe it's here.  Given all the things still remaining on my "to-do" list, i'll be stressed right until the last minute.


But as I mentioned previously, this trip is coming at the perfect time.  I've been extremely frazzled with my personal life, family life, and work life, so i'm fried!  I hope to get away, clear my mind, relax, and maybe find my zen.  Ha!


But really, I hope to come back refreshed and ready to take on the world.


No email or phone for the next 9 days, so i'll catch ya on the flip side and will definitely have photos to share.


xoxo

Sugar does not do a body good!

Good morning!  Happy Monday!  Yeah, I know, kind of an oxymoron.  But fake it. :)

I've been MIA for a while, but with reason.  Unfortunately my grandfather passed away last Wednesday.  Since then it's been an organized chaos of the funeral, family time (we're Jewish so we have "shiva"), and lots of back and forth from CT.  But anyway...

It's been a long time since my family has hosted a shiva.  Basically it is an open house for all your friends/family to come visit.  It's a very nice practice but there is one problem.  Everyone brings food!  Everyone.  And most people tend to bring baked goods.  Holy cow!

We know I love a good baked good, but at this point they've pretty much become toxic to my system.  The first night it was novel, the second night was still somewhat interesting, but by yesterday, when people walked in carrying food I wanted to tell them to take it somewhere else.

I've sampled just about every sweet that people brought in and last night felt pretty sick to my stomach.

Remember on the Cosby show when Vanessa drinks too much and gets very sick, then Bill has them all play the same drinking game but with iced tea (which vanessa thinks is alcohol)?  Well, it's kind of like I hit rock bottom and honestly think now might be a good time to FINALLY give up on the sugar. 

So aside from that, I'm off to Costa Rica in two days.  I'm looking forward to it, but I'm honestly not excited.  I will be, just not yet.  I have a bunch of things to do and there's still all the family stuff going on.  I think once I sit down on the plane I will sigh the loudest sigh ever, and then i'll be excited.

Hope you all have a nice Monday! xoxo

Operation Milk - FAILED

So I failed my milk challenge.  What was that you ask?  My goal of completing the entire half gallon of skim milk that I purchased at the end of April.  Failed.  But, I came close!  And were it not for an unexpected trip to FL for four days (family emergency), I probably would have succeeded.  Oh well. 

Overall it was a positive experience and I learned that while I'd never drink milk, there are plenty of ways to make it more interesting.  I also learned that my protein powder tastes AMAZING when it's made with milk as opposed to water.

Next up, I really want to try almond milk.  Any experiences with that one?

Busy (but good) weekend!

TGIF!  I'm so glad it's Friday!!!  Happy almost weekend!

Started this morning off with my 6:30am class.  That class always seems like a good idea until the alarm goes off at 5:15 and I'm all comfy cozy in my bed and don't want to get out, but I do.  As the instructor I can't exactly decide not to show up.  Or rather, I can, but would lose my job. :)

I'm dragging a bit now, but have a busy weekend ahead of me.

After my 10am class tomorrow i'm off to Boston to visit with some of my best friends from college.  We've been really lucky in that everyone seemed to get married at good intervals, which kept us seeing each other somewhat regularly over the past couple of years.  That is, except for me.  No marriage here.  But so this is the first get together where everyone is together, since usually one of them was off doing bride things.  It should be great!  Can't wait to just catch up and laugh.  Good times on tap.

What stinks is that I have to be back in town for a 4pm meeting on Sunday.  Ugh.  Then I have dinner plans at 6.  I'm looking forward to the dinner plans just not the fact that I have to rush out of Boston to make it to a meeting that is going to last less than an hour.  This is when my excellent work ethic and morals leave me conflicted.  I'd love to blow off the meeting but I know it's just not right.  Oh well.

I'm rambling.  So yeah, busy and fun weekend.  Now just need to make it through today.

TGIF and have a FABULOUS weekend!!

I'm going on vacation!

No, not yet, but in a little over a month I'm going on a much needed vacation.  I can't wait!

After being laid off last year, I toyed with the idea of taking a nice vacation.  I wanted to take advantage of the free time I had and go away for two weeks or so.  However I'm a very rational-thinking person, so that side of my brain won out and I took the responsible road and stayed put, applying for jobs non-stop.

A year later my situation isn't all that different than where I was at this time last year.  I had a full time job, it wasn't a good fit, and now it's my part time job (one of a few).  So while $ isn't really on my side, flexibility still is.

So after going back and forth for a year, I've decided to just go for it.  I booked my trip at the end of last week, so it's a done deal.  I'm headed to Costa Rica mid-May for 9 days.  I wanted to go somewhere farther but airfare is astronomical so I quickly bumped up against my self-imposed budget.  Costa Rica seems to be a great option for someone like me.  First, I'm able to travel solo, thanks to an adventure tour group that I signed on with.  Second, I'm able to have a nice mix of active and relaxing time.  I can't wait to go kayaking, white water rafting, horseback riding, etc..

Of course I'll give a full review when I return, but since this is exciting to me, I just wanted to share it with you.

So much for the sugar plan

Isn't it interesting how we manage to forget things conveniently.

I'm pretty sure that I did a post a while back about how I was planning to cut out sugar again.  Seeing as I haven't done that, it's funny to me that I can't really recall whether or not I did a post.

So after a few weeks of eating anything (and everything) i'm back on track with at least being more conscientious of what is going in my mouth.  I'm realizing again that banning any one food just doesn't make sense.  Like most people, tell me I can't have something and that's of course all I want.

So right now I'm trying to keep a food journal, just to get an idea of what I'm eating as well as try to be accountable for it.

I had a friend do a body fat percentage measurement for me last week, so now I have a number (which I'm not sharing right now) and am going to try to get it down.  My current number is totally acceptable but I'd like to strive to make it better.  I like things that are quantifiable so I'm hoping this will be good motivation.

I'm really excited about the fresh produce season that is just right around the corner.  Can't wait to do up the fresh fruit and veggies!

Ode to the Gym

I felt like it was time to say thank you to the gym.

Over the years, you have helped get me through some tough times.  Whether it was extreme job dissatisfaction, fights with friends/family, breakups, sadness or just a rough day, you were always there.  Your door was always open and even if I walked in feeling like crap, I always walked out feeling better.

You are my drug of choice, there is no mood booster like you.  It is truly amazing how you are always able to improve my mood.

When I moved to a new state, you kept me busy and prevented me from feeling like a loner.  You gave me a purpose and eventually led me to meet some wonderful people who are now my friends and a vital part of my life.  You made me feel like I had a home, even in a new area.

Without you, things would be very different.  So for you, my gym membership, I am grateful and appreciative.

Amen!  :)

Obsessed with Exercise?

I just read a great article in Fitness magazine.  It was about, as you may have guessed, people who are obsessed with exercise, specifically cardio.

I will admit, I've referred to myself as obsessed with the gym, but the comment was really made in jest as I don't see the gym or working out getting in the way of my life.

The article talked about people who get addicted to the endorphins as well as the results.  It said how frequently these people were athletes when they were younger and were always pushed to do more/go faster/last longer.  However this isn't always the case.

This made me think of the Biggest Loser.  I feel like past contestants on this show fall in to one of two categories:  those who are now "obsessed" with exercise and those who completely fell off the wagon.  Maybe that's a bit black and white but for this post it makes a point.  Once you start working out and seeing the (amazing) results, how could you not want to continue this.  Ok, as I'm writing I'm realizing that perhaps this isn't necessarily true, but you get the idea.

The article asked a few key questions in order to determine if YOU are obsessed.

1. Do you feel a constant obligation to work out?
2. Do you feel guilty when you can't exercise?
3. Compromise your safety to work out (for example running along at night because "you have to")?
4. Exercise even when you're sick or fatigued?
5. Do you find yourself constantly nursing an injury?
6. Experience irregular or absent periods?
7. Need more exercise to get the same benefits as before?
8. Put exercise before family, friends or work?
9. Hear family and friends expressing concerns about your exercising habits?

So how do you stack up?  Me?  I think I'm probably a YES to questions 1 and 2, but that's pretty much where it ends.  I will admit that in the past I have sacrificed elements of my social life to work out, but I'm working on managing that balance.

I think that as the list goes on, the questions get a bit more serious and are more indicative of a possible problem.  Do you agree?

Oh yeah, one crazy story from the article....a woman ran a marathon distance (26.2miles) then went and took a kickboxing class.  (CRAZY!)  She actually fainted after class, and experienced a heart arrhythmia.  Scary stuff!

T - 6 Days Until 6 Hours of Spinning

I've spoken before about Spin Odyssey, a spin-a-thon to benefit breast cancer research, that I will be participating in.

Well now it's hard for me to believe that it's less than one week away!

I figured I'd plug it one last time and see if any of my readers were feeling generous.  I know times are tight but if you can spare $1, $5 or really anything, here's the link to my donation page.

http://www.active.com/donate/SO2010/Bondell

I'm really excited to be involved in such an inspiring event.  The training ride I participated in on Valentine's day was inspiring with only about 30 people, so I can't wait to feel the energy at the actual event.  I definitely plan on bringing my camera and I'll share pictures ASAP.

Let's find a cure!