Mom Works It Out by Angela Gillis

Yes, I can hear you. My body is speaking to me.

UntitledI don’t think I’ve been taking care of my body lately, but it all stops today. Maybe I’ve been doing too much, but I really don’t think that is the case.  I do a lot all the time and I don’t see why it would come up and get me like this.  But I’ve suffered a hamstring something.  It’s not really keeping me down, it’s just bugging the heck of out me.  I know what it happened; I didn’t stretch very well.  I was keeping to a very strict stretching and foam rolling routine, but I got off of it for about a week and some change and this is what happens.  I’m icing and elevating. Je ne suis pas bon!  (I’ve been watching the Tour de France and brushing up on all 9 years of French I took in middle school – college.) Also, I haven’t been refueling my body right.

I’m in the very early stages of training for my marathon.  I picked the most basic and longest plan out there because it is super important to me that I arrive in Memphis feeling no pain in December.  You know the only thing that sucks about having this plan?  It started smack dab in the middle of summer in southeast Texas. Can we say holy humidity when we’re not saying hotter than Hades? The back end of 2013 is filled with lots of important events for me and I want to arrive at all of those events in tip top shape and the healthiest version of myself.

Why am I talking about this stuff?  Because I’ve successful maintained my weight for a year now.  Well I took it upon myself to gain some weight because I really didn’t like the way I looked at 132 lbs and I think your body has a natural way of balancing you out, if you take care of your body. But I stay within my healthy weight range and keep my BMI in check. That’s the important thing. But folks, it’s not easy getting out of weight loss mode and into maintain mode.  I’m super conscious about everything I put in my mouth.  I’m probably too conscious about it, especially with the amount of exercise I do.

There are times I just really have to step back and say I became overweight because I was not active and made bad food choices.  I have traveled many roads and crossed many mountains to get to where I am now.  I promise that I DON”T make bad food choices and I am very active.  It’s all a mind game I tell you.  That’s why sometimes it’s just hard and not fun.  But I am the person I am now because I wanted to become a healthier version of myself and I know I have truly succeeded because nine times out of 10 my heart is always choosing the healthier option.

Once again I feel like I’ve gone off topic. I talk about this because sometimes I don’t refuel my body the right way after working out in fear of busting my calories.  That is definitely the WRONG thing to do folks!  Refueling your body properly helps your body heal and become stronger for your next workout.  If I don’t take care of my body, my body won’t take care of me and I will be super wicked angry if I’m sidelined by an injury.  I’ve been saying it for the past two weeks, but I must train HARD and train SMART!

I’ve decided now I’m going to eat a little more and really focus on fueling and refueling my body for my workouts.  I post this stuff on the site not just for you guys, but as a reminder for myself.  If I can help just one person along the way not make a mistake I did, then it’s all worth it. Today I’m going to sit down with a big ole glass of chocolate milk believe me and I’m going to enjoy it.

How conscious are you of the food that you eat?  Do you keep a food journal? Do you ever think it gets in the way of life?

Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

This time last year I was side lined with an injury. I didn’t know much about anything and I was going on a hope and a prayer. I am taking the time to really educate myself and learn from my mistakes. People often say they aren’t hungry or don’t eat before workouts, but there are reasons that you should. I have really stepped up my research on this because I’m about to begin training for my first marathon. Plus, I just want to stay healthy and injury free in life anyway. I already told you that I’m insane when it…

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FAQ: My workout routine

FAQ: My workout routine

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mail and messages about my food and my workout routine. This morning I thought I would talk about my workout routine and how it’s changed from the beginning our journey to now. I want to first note I am not a doctor or expert on the subject and if you are planning on taking up a exercise routine or diet you should consult a physician first. The first day we went to the gym, I hopped on the treadmill for thirty minutes and no incline. I just walked at a pace that was good…

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The one about lacking the motivation

The one about lacking the motivation

This past weekend was doozie for me.  I didn’t really want to talk to anyone, do anything, or even concentrate on television.  I completely lacked the motivation to move.  All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and maybe watch some television, but that was a BIG maybe. I don’t know what put me in this horrible mood, but it happened.  Last Friday I decided I needed a work out break because my workouts that week sounded like I was ordering hamburgers from Wendy’s:  triple (M), double (Tu), triple (W) and double (Th).  When Saturday morning came around…

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Don’t be afraid of strength training

Don’t be afraid of strength training

When I first started exercising I avoided strength training and just concentrated on cardio. I stayed away from strength training, like many others, because I thought strength training would make me bigger. Also, I shied away from it because I didn’t know where to begin and feared I would my hurt myself if I added it into my routine. For the first 13 months of my weight loss journey, I avoided weight training until I started researching what I needed for well-rounded workouts. I hired a trainer for a once a week session for four weeks and learned a lot…

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Why wait? Start your new routine today.

Why wait? Start your new routine today.

“I’m going to start my new diet and workout routine on Monday.” This is a statement that many people including myself have uttered at one time or another. Sometime during the week before, we make a conscious effort to get our plan in place. We write out what we’re going to do and what we can and can’t eat. We’re excited and are so ready for that upcoming Monday. My question to you is: Why wait until Monday? There’s six other days of the week. Any day is the “perfect” day to make a plan of action. Start today if…

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Back To The Basics: So you want to …

Back To The Basics: So you want to lose the weight. Now what?

Losing a significant amount of weight is a huge task so if you’re deciding to take on the battle, congrats to you. We woke up one day and just decided to lose the weight, but I don’t think we were very smart about the process. This is your chance to learn from our mistakes. You know the commercials always say “consult with a doctor before engaging in any physical activity or diet plan?” You should definitely do that because we did NOT and it opened up a huge can of worms for us. It took a lot for me to…

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Choosing your workout time

Choosing your workout time

Motivation is a huge part of working out! A couple of weeks ago, I found myself being motivated to change my workout. To be honest, I was mostly motivated due to having to teach 5am classes two days in a row which meant I wouldn’t be at the gym so much later in the evening. I always tell my 5amers they are the troopers and the hard core fitness people because it takes a lot to wake up so early in the morning and do a serious workout. I’ve spent some time talking to the early rises and the evening…

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Finding balance

Finding balance

Losing weight is and changing our lifestyle was the easiest and hardest thing we’ve ever done. I know you’ve heard that plenty of times here already, and you’ll probably hear it again many times. But those words are the truth and something everyone needs to know! The first thing people always say to me when talking about losing weight is they don’t have enough time to go to the gym or cook the food, but is that really true? There was definitely some self-evaluation that went on when we started our journey. I spent a lot of time doing things…

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