TABATA Workout

Yesterday, I had the honor of joining the Fit Mom Diet team on the FOX 10 News Morning Show to help demonstrate a TABATA style workout. TABATA is fun and you can do it in less than 5 minutes at home with or without equipment! 

Here is a blog post written by Fit Mom Diet and posted on their page, check it out! They even posted a workout to get you going! 

Fit Mom TABATA Workout

Tabata is a popular workout phenomenon right now.  It is high intensity exercises for 4 minutes at a time, 20 seconds intense work, followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.  Studies show that tabata style workouts have been linked to increased fat loss and improved endurance. It gives you both aerobic and anaerobic benefits, just like you would get from a both cardio and strength workouts.

These time saving tabata sessions work your entire body in less than 40 minutes. For those who have more limited time to workout, consider breaking the tabata workout up by doing rounds one through four.

Tabata workouts can be incorporated into your routine easily as there is no equipment necessary to perform them.

Below is a tabata style workout you can do in the comfort of your own home. Make sure you warm up properly before you begin.  Marching or jogging in place is an easy way to warm-up Pre-workout. Finally, after you’re done do a cool down and stretch.  Because this style workout exhausts your muscles depletes your energy, its important to fuel your body with proper nutrition post workout. Within thirty minutes of working out make sure you eat a snack comprised on protein and complex carbohydrates. Examples include a high quality protein shake such as Isagenix IsaLean, Greek yogurt with a banana, or tuna on Ezekiel bread. Remember to also drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

Any exercise can be incorporated into the Tabata training. However the basic outline of the Tabata training method are as follows:

•     4 minutes long (whole Tabata Session)

•     20 seconds of intense training

•     10 seconds of rest

•     Total of 8 sessions or rounds

Check out the Fit Mom Diet Team on Fox 10 Arizona Morning show demonstrating a TABATA style workout: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9445809

I had so much fun with the Fit Mom girls and have loved surrounding myself with like-minded women. It really is good for the soul!

Stay Healthy,
Rene

Excerpt taken from an article on FitMomDiet.com, you can read the full article here.

Change.

Workouts just weren't working out (haha) for me anymore. Either I wasn't able to take my dear little one to the gym daycare because he had picked up another cold from, they gym daycare, or I had too many things going on during the day and just couldn't get myself there regularly. 

Change was necessary. 

I used to go to bootcamp from 5am-6am and friends thought I was crazy. But really it's not that crazy at all. Since my workouts weren't happening as much as I liked I figured instead of complaining about it, or making excuses, I'd set my alarm for 4:35am and get to the gym at 5. 

Today was two days in a row and I feel amazing. I took control, made a change and am already noticing a difference in my mood just from having that hour of "me" time before the rest of the family starts their day. It's nice because, I get home at the time I would normally wake up, groggily, and make my dear husband and my older son's lunches for the day. Not my teenager just gives me a crazy look when I come bouncing in the house at 6am as he's just rolling out of bed. 

I am happy with this change and happy I am dedicating myself to health and working on being a happier person. Make a change, it seems hard, but if you don't try, you'll never know what good it could bring... 

And just for fun... since I'm on a "cleanse" day (which I'll explain more about later) I did a little easier workout today. Lighter weights, enough to spark my muscles but not enough to make myself too fatigued. Here's what my workout consisted of: 

Wide Grip Bench Press with Barbell 

Push-Ups

Cable Cross Over

Planks on a stability Ball 

Side to Side Push-ups

Incline Bench Press with Barbell 

Toe Touch/ Crunch Combo 

STRETCHING! 

Make it a great day!!! And check out today's Deal of the Day from Tinyprints! It's about that time to start ordering Holiday cards!! 

{Wordless Wednesday}

Ok... so this post may not be so {Wordless Wednesday} after all... 

For the past two years I've been trying to get my body back. When I was pregnant I gained 72 pounds. Yes, I just said that out loud, 72 pounds. I don't think I ever told anyone just how much I had gained... I guess I carried and hid it well to the outside eye. 

On my journey of finding myself over the past couple of years, I've also been on a journey to fall in love with my body. Friends who are close to me know that I am overly critical of myself and a little bit too hard on myself at times. Ok, pretty much all of the time. For me, it isn't about the size I wear, or how much I weigh {I don't weigh myself unless I have to} it's about what I see when I look in the mirror, how I feel and being comfortable in the clothes that are in my closet. 

I am proud to say that I do love my body. Yes, I complain to myself or my husband about my stomach, or my booty but in life there is always room for improvement. Just because I still want to work on certain areas doesn't mean I can't love my body. Even when I had gained 72 pounds carrying my second son, I still loved my body. {pictured}

Where-ever you are in your life, you must love yourself first. You must wake up with a positive outlook and know that you are the best possible version of yourself that you can be. Knowing this, deep inside will open up doors and potential that you didn't know existed. So try it, make sure you always, always, always Love Your Body first and just see what happens. You will be amazed. 

Stay Healthy,

Rene

Teething, What Works for You?

My youngest son is 28 months old, yes I had to count that on my fingers because normally I just say "two". 

Exactly two years ago he and I traveled home to see my family in Northern California and his stubborn little self decided it was time to cut his first teeth at just 4 months old. While I was excited that he was "cutting his first tooth" it also made for a very stressful, un-fun trip. Ever since then, we've been teething. Drooling, meltdowns, mood-swings, cranky pants, you name it. I feel like his perfect little teeth are taking forever to come in but I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just this morning I spotted his first of four two-year molars through the gums. Finally! He's been saying his teeth hurt and has had swollen gums for months! It has been a long two years, but I've come to realize and accept that this is part of life and EVERY ONE goes through it {some kiddos and parents just handle it a little better}.

My son hasn't been the easiest teether at all. Aside from what works for us and soothing our cranky baby, I have also learned a lot about myself and patience along the way. It's helped me understand that life is about growth, constantly. I've also learned what works and what doesn't in our house as far as teething goes so I thought I'd share in case you too are in need of something to soothe that poor baby's gums!

What hasn't worked... 

Tylenol, Ibuprofen, frozen bananas or any other cold fruit or ice in a mesh feeder, and distraction. When his teeth are bothering him there is NO distracting him...

What HAS worked...

• Frozen washcloth to chew on always helped, especially when he was a baby. I'd get half of it wet, throw it in the freezer for at least thirty minutes and give it to him to gnaw away! He loved it and it always seemed to calm him down a bit.
• Chilled teething toys were, and still are, a huge hit. Even now, he will ask for his little Sophie teething ring from the freezer and when she's thawed out, he'll ask for a different one.
• A spoon. Yes, I said a spoon! When he was younger, I would plop him in his high chair and give him his little metal baby spoon that has the soft tip and he would chew on that for a good while. He still loves to chew on a spoon now!
• Baby Orajel Naturals on occasion. We mostly only used this at night when he was screaming in horrible pain, I think when he was getting those painful canine teeth. After I'd rub a little on his gums he'd always calm down, so I knew it was working. I used this one because I felt safe since it is free of benzocaine, alcohol, and dyes.
• Staying calm and realizing that this is all part of growth and there isn't anything I or my husband can do about it. Staying positive and patient while he screams in pain is beneficial for us and for him.

What are some things that you have used to help soothe your teething baby or toddler? What worked and what didn't? I'm still looking for suggestions on how to get through these last molars that are taking their sweet time to come in!

***Originally posted on East Valley Moms Blog as a contributor post***

Giving a Gold Star

Yes, I will admit, I am one of those.

I didn't really realize until reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin that I am a person who is achievement based. I know that I have a very strong type-A personality and I know that I am a perfectionist but I didn't know that on top of that I needed to have a pat on the back for work well done.

After a lot of the self reflection I have been doing lately, I decided to start GIVING gold stars instead of  wanting them. I have found that when I am always wanting them I feel empty and discouraged. Just giving gold stars, or even compliments to complete strangers has filled my cup and helped me release that feeling of needing them myself. It has taken my focus off of waiting for them and replaced it with a new focus of helping others get their gold stars.

You never know what someone else may be feeling, what they are thinking and you can't ever judge a book by it's cover. Giving someone a compliment or even just saying "hello" to a stranger could really be the highlight of their day and be that gold star they might be waiting for.

Do it. Make a change and give a gold star. You never know... giving one or two may actually be just what your day needed too.

Stay Healthy,
Rene