Check out the new blog and website

This is my new business in Boulder, CO.

www.PeainthePodFitness.com

www.PeainthePodFitness.com/blog

HCF - under new leadership

House Call Fitness and myself are pleased to announce that as of April 1st, 2010, Lynsay Ryan, is taking the helm. Lynsay Ryan has been employed with House Call Fitness, Inc. for the last 7 months. In that time she has established an outstanding rapport with the current client base and has brought in some of her own clientele.

This announcement comes as a result of my relocation to Boulder, Colorado. My husband and I have been talking for years about making the move but with me owning and operating House Call Fitness in Chicago I just couldn't see a way to make it work. Well, about 4 months ago things started to fall into place when Andrew's job OK'd him to work remotely. At that point, I began to seriously consider if I could leave the business behind that I had put so much of my heart and soul into for the last 4 years. With a lot of thought and prayer I came to the conclusion that this was the right choice for both myself and Andrew. Lynsay and I began talks about a business transfer and things really took off from that point. Everything has fallen into place and I feel very confident that Lynsay will be able to take care of my "baby"and bring House Call Fitness up to the next level.

I am even more excited to announce that I will be starting a new in-home personal training business in Boulder. This time around I am focusing solely on my passion for prenatal and postpartum fitness. I plan to continue blogging too. So, please check out and follow my new blog with Pea in the Pod Fitness. I hope to see you on my new blog.

The new site and blog:

www.PeainthePodFitness.com

www.peainthepodfitness.com/blog

Cheers to new entrepreneurial endeavors!

Lack of Sleep Leads to Fat Gain

I wanted to share this research article with you. I have found, from my own experience with clients, that adequate sleep is crucial to weight loss. There have been many times when the client seems to be doing everything right but the weight isn't coming off. This is when we begin to probe deeper. Often times I uncover that the client is sleep deprived. Read on.

The effects of sleep deprivation are slowly gaining attention amongst fitness and wellness professionals. Getting adequate sleep quantity and quality is not only essential to optimizing mental and physical recuperation, it may be essential to preventing obesity.

In a recent study published in the journal Sleep, researchers from Wake Forest University reported that getting less than 5 hours of sleep or more than 8 hours leads to increased intra-abdominal fat when compared to those who sleep for 6 or 7 hours.

More than 1,000 African- and Hispanic-Americans were interviewed to obtain information on sleep habits, nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle. They also participated in a CT scan, which was used to assess both visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat. Baseline measurements were then compared to a re-assessment at 5 years.

Participants who slept less than 5 hours a night experienced a 32% increase in deep abdominal fat over 5 years, while those with averaged more than 8 hours of sleep increased by 22%. Subcutaneous abdominal fat increased similarly.

After factoring in lifestyle factors such as total calorie intake, education levels, physical activity and smoking, sleep duration persisted as an independent risk factor for increased abdominal adiposity, especially in participants under 40.

Researchers offer broad speculation to explain the cause and effect relationship of sleep to fat gain. The primary explanations involved increased daytime fatigue, which limits energy to participate in physical activity. In addition, some believe in the potential for sleep deprivation to inhibit appetite-suppressing hormones, thus leading to overeating.

Although this study replicates previous finding on sleep and abdominal fat, it is the first to assess this factor in minority populations.

Hairston, K.G., et al (2010) Sleep Duration and Five-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study. Sleep. 33(03): 289-295.
Amy Norton. (2010) Sleep habits linked to fat gain in younger adults. Reuters Health. March 1^st.

Portion Control Made Easy

We are a super-size nation. We super-size everything. If we can get it in large why not get it in extra, extra large? We like things in excess, including our food portions. Our idea of what a portion actually consists of has gotten completely skewed. It's gotten to the point that if we eat in a resturant that actually serves CORRECT portion sizes we feel like we have somehow been cheated.

If you are someone who really wants to reach their health and fitness goals then you must get a real grasp on what constitutes a serving. Just to give you an idea, your meat servings should not take up your entire plate. No, in fact, they should only be the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. Here is a list of servings sizes and some common items that correlate to give you a visualization.

SERVING SIZES:

FATS, OILS, SWEETS:

1/2 cup ice cream/pudding = a tennis ball

2 Tablespoons butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise, peanut butter = a ping pong ball

1 teaspoon fat = 1 large die (from a pair of dice)

1 ounce (oz.) snack food like nuts, hard candy = LEVEL (small) handful

1 ounce (oz.) snack food like chips, pretzels = HEAPING (or large) handful

DAIRY:

1 ounce (oz.) cheese = 3 black dominos

MEAT:

3 oz. = deck of cards

1 oz. = a matchbox

VEGETABLES:

1 cup lettuce = 4 leaves

1 cup chopped vegetables = a fist

FRUIT:

1 "medium" fruit = a tennis ball

1 cup fruit =a baseball

1/2 cup chopped fruit = 15 marbles

1/4 cup raisins = 1 large egg

GRAINS (Cereal, Bread, Rice, Pasta):

a "medium" potato = a computer mouse

1/2 cup = a hockey puck

1 cup dried cereal = HEAPING (or large) handful

1 serving bread = 1 slice the size of an old school cassette tape

If comparing your serving to a baseball leaves something to be desired there are always portion pals. Portion pals are these really cool portion control tools that you place your food on top of to gauge your serving size. They are washable and even better, they are cute. Here is a link to the site. http://www.portionpal.com

When in doubt, always split your meal with the person you are dining with or get a to-go box when the food comes. Put half the food in the box and seal the lid. Out of sight, out of mind. Now you have a second meal for later in the week.

How do you control your portions? Go ahead and share your thoughts and ideas. I'm all ears.

KIVA -You CAN be a Part of Change

I recently read another bloggers site about a cutting-edge approach to lending money, one person at a time, in order to allow under-priveledged peoples the opportunity to make their entrepreneurial dreams come to life. These are people who would be very unlikely to get a regular bank loan. Kiva affords them the opportunity to take their drive to succeed and turn it into a reality with the money that they would need to get their business off the ground.

As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it can be to get a business off the ground and yet I realize that I am in a much more privileged position than the groups on the Kiva website. I have a soft spot in my heart for those who have the drive to succeed but are missing the resources. I'm proud to be a minor part of allowing these dreams to take flight.

Please don't just take my word for it. This is a legitimate process and I encourage you to give it a look.

Here are a few facts about Kiva:

What is Kiva?

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

Pendo Luisi, 27 years old, borrowed $175 to open a cafe in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kiva was born of the following beliefs:

• People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.


• The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.


• By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

Kiva promotes:

• Dignity: Kiva encourages partnership relationships as opposed to benefactor relationships. Partnership relationships are characterized by mutual dignity and respect.


• Accountability: Loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.


• Transparency: The Kiva website is an open platform where communication can flow freely around the world.

As of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans.

You can also visit the website at:

www.kiva.org

Health: It's more than #'s on a scale

tobj-0106, originally uploaded by befiitter.

The scale is a liar.

You've probably been using it for years to gauge a variety of things from your health to your self-image. While the scale may be a good way to keep yourself in check from time to time and monitor when you need to cut back it really doesn't give the complete picture of health. In fact, many people who would register as being in an acceptable weight range for their size may in fact be "skinny-fat". Skinny-Fat is a term that I use to describe people who are naturally trim without even trying. They are the ones who eat cheeseburgers at every meal, never exercise, and yet never seem to gain an ounce of weight. So, although they may be thin they are anything but healthy. It is quite possible to be very thin but have a very high percentage of body fat. It is also possible to be classified as overweight on the BMI scale but have a very low percentage of body fat.

Now I'm not suggesting that you throw out your scale but I am suggesting that you gauge your progress in other ways. Are you able to walk for longer periods of time without getting breathless? Are your jeans fitting more loosely? Do you find that you can carry your children around with ease? Are you lifting heavier weights today than you were 12-weeks ago? Are you exercising for at least 30 minutes 5 times or more per week? Are your eating habits improving? Are you sleeping 8 hours each night? These are all pieces of a healthy lifestyle.

Alright so maybe your numbers on your scale could stand to be a little lower, but just for today, instead of obsessing about numbers and getting down on yourself, go ahead and congratulate yourself for the others ways that you have made healthy progress. Health it's so much more than numbers on a scale.

Saying Goodbye to My 20s

This is it. I'm embarking on the last week of my 20s. My 30th birthday is saturday so I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the last decade, who I was, who I am, and a few things I might have learned along the way.

You know, it's a funny thing, getting older. Yes I realize that I'm not OLD, per say but I am getting OLDER and this does funny things to you. For instance, when I was 20 I remember thinking about what it would be like to be 30 someday. At that time it seemed so far off in the future as to be incomprehensible. I've never been one to have a set planned future so I'm definitely not facing 30 feeling like a failure or as if I haven't accomplished what I thought I would accomplish. I do however remember thinking that by 30 I would have everything all figured out. Boy was I wrong! Life can really throw you some curve balls in that area.

This past year has been HARD. This is not an overstatement. The things that I've gone through are very personal so I won't share them in detail. I've learned a lot about myself and about my relationships. I use to have a ton of friends or acquaintances, now I'm happy to have a couple very close friends. Andrew and I finally have a mature relationship and a very deep love and respect for one another. He is my rock and the highlight of my day. Relationships grow up and mature as you grow up and mature. That has been a very nice side effect of growing older.

I've also come to a place of acceptance in my life. Acceptance has taken shape in a lot of places. I used to be very hard on myself and on my body. I was very judgmental of my body if it wasn't exactly the perfect size or the perfect shape. I was constantly disappointed with myself if I didn't run my set race time. I continually felt like a failure. Now, I've learned to accept myself. I can push myself hard when I run or workout but I can also do it simply for the shear enjoyment of it. I'm OK if there is a little bit of jiggle around my waist. My boobs will never be big and that's OK too. I'm learning to let go of perfection in favor of balance. If I want to have a brownie sundae and a glass of wine than damnit I'm going to enjoy it, guilt free.

I've also come to realize that sometimes people don't like me and that's OK. My profession, personal training, is well, very PERSONAL. There have been times in the past in which I didn't have a good fit with a client and for one reason or another they decided to let me go as their trainer. Initially I took this to heart as a personal assault on who I was. Today, I chalk it up to the fact that some personalities just don't jive. It's not a direct reflection of me as a person nor is it a direct reflection of my skill as a personal trainer.

Another word that comes to mind is appreciation. I appreciate things much more than I did when I was in my early 20s. I use to take my family and friends for granted. Now I realize how important they are. I really appreciate simple moments; a walk to the coffee shop with my husband on a crisp saturday morning, a trip to the local bakery with my father, lounging on the couch with my mom, taking a walk on the bike path with my in-laws,a night out with girlfriends. I greatly appreciate my husband who has been my constant cheerleader and support as I forged my way as a small business owner over the last 5 years. My business would have failed many times without him.

The great thing about turning 30 is that I know life is still so full of possibilities. I feel like i'm standing on the cusp of self-realization. I'm looking out on the life that is before me. I can't wait to see what twists and turns it holds. I can't wait to walk it with my husband by my side. I'm not afraid of growing older. In fact, I look forward to it. I would never take back my twenties, fun as they were. I can honestly say that I can't wait for my 40th birthday and what I'll write on that day.

Here's to the life events that have shaped me into who I am. Here's to the friends and family who have brought me through the pain and the laughter. Here's to turning 30 and not looking back!

Got the winter blues? 5 ways to increase exercise adherence

Have you ever noticed that all you feel like doing this time of year is eating carbohydrates and laying around the house? Sometimes just getting to the gym feels like it takes all the energy I can muster. I'm pretty sure I suffer from something called S.A.D. Anyone who lives in Chicago knows what that acronym means. Basically it's depression brought on by lack of sunlight. Last year at this time I remember hearing someone on the radio say that we had experienced only 2 hours of sunlight in the last 30 days. Wow, gee thanks, as if I didn't feel bad enough already, now they had to go and rub it in! But seriously, with the waning levels of energy that lack of sunlight bring about it can be very hard to motivate oneself to workout. Here are a couple of tips for boosting your motivation level and getting back on track.

1. Treat yourself to a new, bright, and colorful workout outfit

2. Buy a new workout DVD that requires you to do something you've never tried before. Look at it this way, you can put down that cupcake, roll of the couch and start working out.

3. Find a workout buddy and hit a new class at the local gym

4. Get out of your cooking rut and try a new healthy recipe. Lots of websites offer healthier versions of your favorite winter comfort foods.

5. Purchase an inexpensive piece of new workout equipment. A brightly colored new band or ball that comes with a workout DVD can be a great motivation. You won't have to leave your living room to use it.

Don't forget that exercise actually increases energy and improves mood.

Do you need to breathe new life in to your fitness program? Have you been doing the same exercises since the Kennedy administration?

You should never do the exact same fitness routine for more than 3-4 weeks at a time. If you do, your body will plateau and you will cease to see any more gains. It's time to mix things up and challenge your body once again! Visit the ACE website and check out their exercise library. Exercises are complete with descriptions, pictures, and demos. They are categorized both by muscle group and level of difficulty.

This program isn't personalized or geared to your specific goals and it can't replace the results you would see with a personal trainer but it can get you out of your fitness rut and re-ignite your interest in exercise again

http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/default.aspx

Rock climbing - a new fitness challenge

I have started a new fitness endeavor and I want to tell you about it. It seems that my level of enjoyment with physical activity runs in cycles. Sometimes I can go for months on end lifting weights and striding on the eliptical. Then there are the months when the mere thought of the gym makes me cringe. I can't stand the idea of being what feels like a rat in a cage. You know what I mean, rats will run for minutes on end on those funny wheel things. That's exactly how I feel when I'm staring at the same spot on the wall with my legs repeatedly spinning round and round. So, right now I'm in the "rat in a cage" phase and knew that I needed a new activity to spike my motivation.

I chose rock climbing. My gym offers rock climbing and I took a large class last winter to help beat the winter blues. I really enjoyed it and realized that I had a knack for it. So, this time around I signed Andrew and I up for a private lesson. It's just the two of us and an instructor. This has given me just the challenge that I need. Rock climbing is just as much intellectual as it is physical. It's kind of like a puzzle that you have to solve to get to the top. If you don't use the right technique and you try to use brute strength to pull you up you'll find out very quickly that you won't last very long. Andrew and I have come to the conclusion that if we could meld our bodies into one rock climbing body we would have the perfect combination. He with the brute strength and I with the flexibility would make one hell of a climber.

Rock climbing has made me sore in places i've never been sore before. Talk about a challenge for your grip strength. After an aggressive class I have a hard time holding up my water glass without using two hands. It's also challenging my competitive self and allowing me to bond with my husband at the same time. If you've never tried rock climbing I highly suggest that you give it a shot. Who knows you might love it!

How about you? What do you do to beat the gym doldrums or the Chicago winter blues?

I wanna be that lady in the pic at the top. She's bada#$!

Chicken Marrakesh - Easy, Healthy, AND Delicious!

Well, I'm trying to get back in to the blog swing of things. I was dragged away by the holidays and until today have had a hard time coming up with anything "worthwhile" to put down. I made an amazing dish the other day and thought it was definitely worth sharing. It comes to you from the February issue of Oxygen magazine. It was really easy to make. There was minimal prep time and it's a crock pot recipe so you can throw the ingredients in there and come back to a perfectly cooked meal several hours later. Plus, it makes your house smell fantastic while it's cooking.

CHICKEN MARRAKESH

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lrg. carrots, diced

2 lrg. sweet potatoes, diced

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, chopped into 2-3 inch pieces

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pepper to taste

sea salt to taste

14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a crock pot.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the spices. Sprinkle over the food in the crock pot. Add the chopped tomatoes.

3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours

(I have a slower cooker that seems to run hot, I cooked mine on low for 3.5 hours and that was plenty. Then, I set it to warm until we were ready to eat it.)

*Makes 6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING:

CAL: 421, FAT: 15g, SAT. FAT: 3g, CHOLESTEROL: 123mg, CARB: 36g, FIBER: 8g, PRO:37g,