StickK to it

Here’s an interesting concept:

Set a goal.

Choose the stakes (i.e. what you’re willing to lose if you don’t reach your goal).

Commit to it on-line.

Get a referee (a friend or family member) who knows your goal and will help monitor it.

Choose a support group.

Meet the goal.

Do all that here at StickK.com.

I just set up a profile to commit to paying off my student loans. My user name is AmyF if you’d like to stalk me…er…support me.

Caramel Apple Revamp

My friend brought this dish to a potluck recently and I absolutely loved it. Besides tasting yummy it’s super easy and healthy. And who can argue with that?

Here it is in all it’s uncomplicated glory:

Cut up 2-3 apples of your choice. Mix with a 6oz. container of Stony Field Farm Caramel Underground yogurt. Eat.

Voila! A perfect fall snack. Mmmm…

Breaking Silly World Records

Check it! My friend Larry wrote a book!

Getting Into Guinness

I’ve read some of his short stories about breaking Guinness records and they are hilariously entertaining.

He’s even got a book signing and Q&A: Sunday, September 21, 1:00pm, Borders in West Lebanon

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes I think my hobbies aren’t the many projects I work on (in case you weren’t aware, I generally have upwards of 8-10 “projects” going on at the same time – writing, crafting, organizing, what have you) but instead, my hobby is simply my need to keep trying new things. This need is how I ended up becoming a personal trainer in the first place. When I first started going to the gym I wasn’t comfortable – mentally or physically. It took me months to try my first class and even longer to venture into the weight area. Was I terrified when I finally got around to doing it? Yup. Do I still get terrified? Yup, (I sometimes get stage fright right before BodyPump class. I’m even more nervous about Body Jam.) but each time I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone, in large or small ways, it has been super rewarding and led to bigger and better things – or at least new and different experiences.

It’s hard to tell someone to “Just do it!” and have them thoroughly embrace the idea. As inspiration, for whatever you are trying to accomplish or would like to try, I want to share a quote I found in Isabel Allende’s The Sum of Our Days. It’s her latest memoir (I wholeheartedly suggest reading her other memoir, Paula, as well). Ms. Allende writes about her Uncle Ramon and a piece of advice he gave her when she was a teenager that she has never forgotten:

“Everyone else is more afraid than you are.”

If you can remember that, the rest is easy. Just do it.

Addendum to last post re: High Intensity Interval Training

I did the intervals on the bike this morning with a client. I kicked my own butt. And my client’s.

I don’t like his trainer very much. ; )

Just say no to…

…steady state cardio.

What do I mean? Steady state cardio is what pretty much everyone does when they get on a piece of cardio equipment. (You know who you are.) You stay on the elliptical for 20 – 30 minutes at one speed and get off when you reach the number of calories you feel you need to burn to feel good about that McDonald’s trip you made over the weekend. (I know who I am.)

What you should be doing instead, and I challenge you to try this week, is 20 minutes of interval training. You can still stay on the elliptical or whatever piece of equipment you like but instead of staying at the same speed do 30 seconds as hard as you can and recover at a lower level for 90 seconds. Repeat that over and over again for the 20 minutes.  Not only does it burn more calories while you’re on the equipment but it keeps you burning calories after you get off (This is known in the fitness biz as EPOC – Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) Steady state cardio does not have the same effect. If that doesn’t convince you, or you’re not trying to lose weight, this type of training will also increase your cardiovascular fitness as your heart and lungs get used to working harder and recovering.

So, go out there, grab a piece of equipment (or your sneakers and head outside) and get your heart rate up. And down. And up… (But don’t forget to do some weight training as well!)