Just Do Something

When I think about fitting in my cardio for the day I feel overwhelmed.  Simply because there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do.  A good cardio workout for me has always been 1 hour of my time.  But does it have to be?

First, if my trainer Claire is reading this...she is shaking her head telling me that I should know better.  She has always told me to "just do something" no matter how much time I have.  10 minutes here and 10 minutes there.  Just do what you can.  I believe her but I have such a hard time making myself workout out for 10 minutes.  It just doesn't seem like enough.  So what do I do?  I end up not doing any cardio for the day.

A few things I've observed this week might help me change my mentality on this one!  First, at one of my workouts I did a fitness test.  After push-ups, squats, situps, burpees, etc., etc., there was a 2 mile run.  We only had time for a 1 mile run.  (which was good because I don't know if I could have ran much more since my cardio has been slacking lately)  That afternoon I started thinking how great I felt after that run.  I had to push myself (actually my trainer Claire had to push me-mentally not physically...ha ha-You are such a great cheerleader, Claire!).  My body had to work-Even though it was only 1 mile and only 10 minutes I was doing something to better myself and my heart. 

Something else that opened my eyes this week is the "calories burned" results on my heart rate monitor.  Check this out.  Claire prepared a 24 minute high intensity workout for me.  It was circuits of 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest.  When I finished this workout my heart rate monitor showed I burned 400 calories.  Later that day I went for a 3.8 mile walk with the girls from the office.  We were gone 55 minutes and I burned 450 calories. 

24 minutes high intensity = 400 calories burned (16.7 calories per minute)
55 minutes low intensity = 450 calories burned  (8.2 calories per minute)

So a 24 minute workout burned twice as many calories per minute than a 55 minute workout.  If I push myself and work hard any small amount of time will be good for me.  If I only have a 10 minute window to squeeze some exercise in I just need to make the most of it.  I could jump rope, run, do push-ups or burpees.  Just Do Something. 

Let's Go!  Everyone join me.....Get up and JUST DO SOMETHING!!!

  

This Week's Menu

I haven't had much time to grocery shop or plan meals lately.  It's so easy to make bad food choices when I don't have fresh food at home.  I'm excited to have time to cook this weekend.  Here's what I have planned.

Chili - I'm going to make a big pot of crock pot chili.  At work this week there was a chili cook-off and I missed it because it was during my workout!!  The smells of chili in the office makes me crave chili.  The chili will be my lunch next week.  I plan to eat it with avocado, jalapenos and onions.  I'll probably take a break from chili one day and pick up a grilled chicken salad from a restaurant.   

I usually buy groceries on Friday so I'll start with Friday dinner.  I'm just outlining our dinners below.  We usually make enough for leftovers so we will eat those for lunch on the weekends.  As for lunch during the week Tyler & Olivia eat at school and Dad eats lunch out. 

Dinner:
Friday - Hamburgers.  Bunless for Olivia and me-Grilled patty served on lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes & cheese.  Dad & Tyler will probably eat the bun. 

Saturday - Grilled Sirloin Steak & Squash pan fried in olive oil & Green Beans

Sunday - Grilled Fish & Broccoli (The kids and Dad will have oven baked fries too.)

Monday - Taco Salads

Tuesday - Chicken Fajita meat cooked in my NuWave Oven, Salad & another vegetable

Wednesday - Dinner at Grandparents

Thursday - Hot Dogs (Bunless for Olivia & me)


Breakfast: During the work week I cook scrambled eggs & breakfast sausage.  On weekends I will fry the eggs, make bacon and sometimes paleo pancakes.  This weekend I will make either a Paleo Breakfast Casserole or Mexican Omelet-both are new recipes I found online. 

Fruit - Each afternoon when I pick up the kids we have another 20 minute commute until we are home.  They are always hungry.  I have bought some little containers.  I will cut up fresh fruit for them to eat each day on the way home.  One day they'll have apples & grapes, then maybe a banana the next day and then finally strawberries.  Then we'll repeat.  I'm going to try to get Tyler involved in the process each night of preparing the fruit for the next day.  Wish me Luck!

I'm excited about this week's menu!!