March Message from the Mama

I love spring! The vibrant colors, promise of new life, change and the option for growth….oops…did I just say “option”?? A lot of people started the year with the promise of losing weight, starting a running program, or cleaning up their diet. Maybe they were going to stop eating fast food, get up and run before work, or join the newest “biggest loser” contest at work. Maybe they actually did, but for whatever reason, did not reach their goal or what I like to say “find their mojo.” It could have been that “it’s too hard to get up that early” or “my job is too stressful to make changes now” or “my hubby, boss, friends, sisters, etc. sabotage my efforts.” Lots of excuses…oops, there I go again, LOL! I mean “reasons”. 

Here is what I LOVE to remind my Mamas: at ANY point and time you can change your mind. I recently had a conversation with a Mama after she had lost over 40 pounds and I asked her, what after all these years, changed for you? And she said, “I decided to honor my word and myself.” It's that simple. She changed her mind and started to honor herself.

When you change your mind you start making small, simple changes: walking at lunch, drinking 40 ounces of water by noon, eating broccoli with dinner, cutting out soda or fast food, etc. Did I ever say this was easy? No there will be challenges along the way, but I think it is much harder to keep sitting on the coach, letting life pass you by. Please read the following and look at ALL the benefits to changing your mind. 

WARNING!! Living a fit and healthy lifestyle could result in the following side effects: a feeling of euphoria, peace of mind, over abundance of confidence, sense of purpose, long and active life, increased libido, positive outlook on life and looking and feeling great!

Happy Spring from me and all of my Mama Team!
Lorri Ann

Weekly Challenge #10: Try a new grain (or two)

Eating healthy, fiber-rich grains is a great way to improve your diet. Not only are they delicious and good for you, but whole grains also make you feel more satisfied and stick with you a lot longer. Because they are more filling, you usually eat less than you would a white, or refined, grain so you end up consuming fewer calories.

Your challenge this week: Try a new grain.

Here's a simple recipe from Coach Marilyn to help you get started:

1/2 cup quinoa (cook it like you would rice), 1/4 cup each avocado and tomato, 1/8 cup of black olives, and 2 TB of Gerards Greek Feta Dressing. Delicious, filling, and only 195 calories! BIG bang for your nutritional buck!

Have a great week!
Post a comment here to let us know which grain you tried, how you cooked it, and how you liked it!

Have a GREAT week!

2012 Weekly Challenge: But I've Got a Blister

This week is all about excuses.

We all have them. The voices in our head that come up with amazing reasons not to work out, that push us to order dessert or eat just one more handful of chips. These voices are the excuses we give ourselves when we don't do what we know we should or what we promised ourselves or others we'd do. This week we're not just talking about excuses for being a couple minutes late to work or not getting all the laundry done...we're talking about excuses that affect our health, fitness, and overall MOJO.

If you are having a hard time getting motivated, or staying motivated, take a look at why. What are YOUR excuses and why are you sabotaging yourself?

Your challenge this week: Listen to the voices that make up your excuses and hear what they are saying. Then take some time to come up with phrases, mantras, or reasons for your goal of lifelong fitness. Use what you have learned to develop a louder, stronger voice that will overshadow your excuses and put you on the path to finding your MOJO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA

The Right Gear Makes All the Difference

Wearing the right sports bra is just as important as wearing the right running shoes. Finding the right style and fit helps you feel comfortable and stay motivated.

Did you know that 8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong sized bra? This also means you might be wearing the wrong sized sports bra. The very first sports bra was literally two jock straps sewn together. Thirty-some years later, technology has come a long way. Scientists have figured out (finally!) that a sports bra needs to do more than stop up and down movement, it needs to take care of side to side movement as well. Most bras stop only up and down movement, which could be part of the reason more than half of women suffer breast pain during exercise. The right bra, however, can eliminate this pain for about 80 percent of women.

How many sports bras have you bought over the years that get used once, maybe twice, only to get lost in the back of the drawer? It's time to get serious about choosing the right bra. Most sports bras simply compress the breasts - not very comfortable and, in my opinion, still embarrassing to wear in public. A good and supportive bra encapsulates each breast into its own cup (and of course, the cups have to be the right size).

This week's challenge, gear yourself up for success from the skin out. Get yourself fitted for a new sports bra and feel the difference!
Can't get to a fitting? Here's some great information on how to measure yourself:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1290

Something else to think about: According to the experts at Fleet Feet, a sports bra should be worn regularly for only about 6 months before it is replaced, and never put in the dryer.

Go shopping for a new sports bra - your body and your workout will love you for it.

Ashley's Story: Chain, Chain, Chains

Tri Training started a few weeks ago and I'm so glad to have the goal of a triathlon to motivate me. For those of you who are training, I thought you'd find it interesting (and maybe a little bit scary) that there are only 107 days until the June 2nd tri!

While I'm excited and motivated by the tri, I have a tendency to always think it's so far away. I put it in the back of my mind and just do my normal thing. I know I'm training, but I'm not really focused on it in a way that will make my race better. So, I came up with a gimmick for myself - a Tri Chain.

Do you remember those little paper chains you made in kindergarten? Maybe you used them to decorate your classroom or bedroom. Maybe you used them to countdown to a special occasion. Well, I decided to make one for the June 2nd tri. When it was all done, I hung it up in my closet (some place I have to go everyday to get clothes so I couldn't ignore it). Everyday, I take one link in the chain off.

Two things happen when I do that. One, I get the visual of getting closer to the tri and closer to my goal. Number two, I carry that link with me the rest of the day as a reminder of the goal I'm working towards. Not only do I use it as a reminder, but I also write down my goal for the day...what is the one thing I'm going to do today to make my race better?

For example, this morning was hectic at our house. I didn't have a lunch packed and ran out of the house without making one. For me, that would normally mean a drive thru lunch. Something greasy, fattening, and really unhealthy. Today, it's my goal to make sure that doesn't happen.

I'm really loving this method right now. It's breaking down a big, sometimes overwhelming goal into really small, doable parts that are easy to focus on. And if you're wondering what the bigger goal is, it's to be under 200 lbs when I race in June.

Inspirational Mama - Julie Henderson

I somewhat accidentally discovered Mama Bootcamp. It was one of those
things that were just meant to be. I had been running at McKinley Park for
several months and had noticed a group of women working with Lorri Ann.
Finally curiosity got the best of me and I decided to stop and see what all
the fuss was about! Lorri Ann was inspiring from the first time I met her.
I watched the group interaction and realized I wanted to be a part of this
incredible experience.

I decided to join Mama Bootcamp in August. My first Bootcamp was
unforgettable. I realized very quickly that this would be a wonderful
experience. Women I had never met encouraged me to succeed. In addition to
the physical activity I soon learned what "finding your mojo" meant. My own
health and well being became of utmost importance.

The better I started to feel the more my life transformed into something
even more beautiful. In addition I was rewarded with results that I was
unable to achieve on my own. I honestly don't recall ever feeling better!

Life is pretty wonderful...especially when you've found your mojo!

Julie

Julie Before

Julie After

The First Step

As you gear up to take that first leap into a lifetime of fitness, the first step is always the most daunting. By setting goals for yourself you create a lifeline that keeps you walking straight on your journey. However, the best goals are those that are S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. You can read more about SMART goals by visiting: www.topachievement.com/smart.html

Many times, our final goal is so far down the twisting road ahead, we lose sight of it. The best way to stay motivated is to break your path down into smaller trails, where a beginning and end is in sight. A great way to do this is to work backwards; start by writing your end goal down on a piece of paper. Then figure out what previous step you took to get there. Continue to do this until you get to the starting point where you are today. Looking at your list you should have a path of obtainable, smaller goals. Now you can leap from one to the next, as you move towards your finish line.

Staying motivated means setting SMART (decide if you are going to use SMART or S.M.A.R.T. and keep it consistent through the whole piece) goals- your challenge for the week is to sit down and map your trail of goals to your finish line. Remember, a journey starts with a single step.