Introducing Your New Fitness Friend: MyFitnessPal

Do you know what starts on March 1?  National Nutrition Month®!  This is an annual event sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  The goal of this campaign is to make us more aware of the importance of knowing what we eat, making informed food choices and developing lifelong nutrition and physical activity habits that will support our efforts to be fit for life.

So, let me ask you a question.  How aware are you of what you eat every day?  Do you know how many calories per day you eat?  How many grams of protein, fat, carbohydrate or sodium?  Ok, many of you don't give a hoot about the numbers.  Bottom line is do you have a healthy nutrition plan? If not, why not?

In my opinion, you can't make meaningful assessments without the right tools. Over the years I have tried as many Fitness and Nutrition apps (Windows based and iOS) as time and money would allow, hoping to find that one app that would transform my ability to track my own health and one that my clients can use.  I found this in MyFitnessPal.

Many of you may already be familiar with MyFitnessPal.  It is a free app that runs on Window, iOS and Android platforms. It is highly mobile and incredibly user friendly.  No, I'm not sponsored by MyFitnessPal :-)  I just recognize the value of a good tool and want to encourage you to learn more about your own fitness and nutrition by using the tracking tool in MFP.  The other wonderful feature about MyFitnessPal is that once you have created your profile you can invite friends to follow you or submit requests to "friend" other MyFitnessPal users.  This will allow you to use this platform to leave encouraging messages for those you friend or to follow their diary (or have them follow yours).  You may soon feel that you have a crowd of virtual cheerleaders helping keep you motivated to get fit, eat well and develop habits that you will sustain for the long term.  MFP also integrates with a variety of activity tracking devices, has an integrated bar code scanning tool that smartphone users can leverage and lots of other "perks"!  It's 100% mobile so there is no excuse not to maintain your log, even when you're on the road.  I've created a 20 slide presentation on MFP Basics that I'm happy to share if you send me your email address.   

What's my ask with this post?  If you have never kept a nutrition and fitness journal find a new fitness friend and give MyFitnessPal a try. If you're already using MyFitnessPal or another app, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.  

References
MyFitnessPal: www.myfitnesspal.com
Reviews of Popular Nutrition Apps: http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467041#.US6_ejCcfTQ
National Nutrition Month: http://www.eatright.org/NNM/#

Friday Fit Club

Those of you who are KC Based Cerner associates may know that I've been hosting a Friday Fit Club when I'm in KC.  It started as primarily an ITWorks initiative and we've grown to include other associates who might be interested in having fun and getting fit!   

There were a few who joined mid stream last year and were a little shocked at the intensity of the workouts (sorry, DR!!).  Based on the great feedback I received in 2012, I have modified the class.  The class is now geared to a variety of fitness levels to meet the needs of those who are just starting to those who engage in some form of fitness on a regular basis.  My goal is to offer a warm-up, workout and cool down in a 45 minute time frame.  Many of the workouts can be done at home or on the road.  And for fun, you can stick around at the end of class for our pull-up challenge.

If you're interested in joining, feel free to email me so that I can add you to the distribution list.  We meet at IC or at WHQ depending on the week.  Unfortunately, at this time, the Friday Fit Club is only open to Cerner Associates and their families.  If you might be interested in participating in a Fit Club give me a shout out below.  Who knows, you might someday soon find a Fit Club in a community center near you!!!


Image Credit: https://plus.google.com/photos/100799898421376182993/albums/5825992562335970625/5845552056036099698

March Challenge Prep: Kettlebell Swing

Yes, it's that time of the month.  Time to prep for the next challenge.
I don't want to spoil the fun, but I can share this.   The March 2013 Buff 'n' Tuff challenge will involve kettlebells.  I don't want to assume that everyone knows what this is, so will level-set up front.

The kettlebell is a cast-iron weight (this is the traditional kettlebell, today you find many variations) used to perform ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training.  Kettlebell exercises work multiple muscle groups at the same time.  Kettlebell exercises can be used for a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) type workout.  The combination of higher reps and the resistance of the kettlebell make for an challenging workout.

Now for the words of caution:  Please, please review the videos below.  If you have back or shoulder problems or a very weak core you might want to skip this challenge.  If you are not comfortable performing the movements, you might be better off skipping this challenge.  The kettlebell exercises can help improve your mobility, range of motion and strength, but you must perform the exercises correctly.  As with any change in your fitness or nutrition regimen, please inform your primary care practitioner. 

One of the exercises in the March challenge will be the kettlebell swing.  Now, I don't expect everyone to run out and purchase kettlebells.  You will find instructional videos that demonstrate the movements using a kettlebell, dumbbell and medicine ball.  You can even substitute a weight plate.  Again, the key to this challenge will be NOT to use too much weight and to maintain good form.  I've been using a 10 pound kettlebell as I worked through the details of the challenge.  Check your ego at the door and participate safely.  Remember, being Fit for Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Take a look at the videos below.  I am sure there are many, many out there and if you have a favorite, please feel free to share in the comments below.  We'll be kicking off the challenge on Sunday March 10.  I'll be posting videos for two more exercises this week and will then put it all together the first week of March.  

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?  Feel free to share in the comments boxes below this post


Kettlebell Swing Pre-Challenge Instructional Videos

• KB Swing exercise guide:  
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/one-arm-kettlebell-swings
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJqPgV681Hg
• KB Swing using a dumbbell exercise guide:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZX2GUniVSA
• KB Swing using a medicine ball exercise guide:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRxUuGKpReA

References
Image Reference: http://www.jointventurespt.com/_blog/Joint_Ventures'_Blog/post/Kettlebell_Swings_Do's_Don'ts/

Push-Ups Plus Challenge: The Final "Push"

Can you believe that February is almost over?  Well, so is the Push-Up Plus Challenge!!  Three days of Challenge exercises to go.  I've included a summary so that you can get a sense of how many reps of each exercise you have accomplished over the past month.  The last few days are tough, but hang in there, you've done great work this month.

I hope that you have enjoyed this Challenge and obtained some physical and mental benefits from your hard work.  I'd appreciate any feedback in the comments below.

Push-Ups: How much weight are you moving?

So, there is a little bit of the "geek" in me that has begun to wonder just how much weight I actually move doing push-ups?  Does it really matter?  No.  Push-ups have become one of my go-to exercises, as evidenced by our January and February Challenges.  Nonetheless, let's take a look at this, just for kicks.

Believe it or not, there have been studies designed to evaluate how much weight men and women are "moving" while doing push-ups.  A summary of some of this work, from some of the articles in the references below, indicates that:

• When performing traditional push-ups you lift the equivalent of 55 - 71% of your body weight (numbers vary based on the reference)
• When performing modified push-ups (performed on the knees) you are lifting between 50 - 56% of your body weight (again, the numbers are variable depending on the reference)
• The total weight supported will vary between traditional push-ups and other variants (incline, decline and modified) and there will be slight differences between the up and the down positions.

This leads into another question that I have been asked quite a bit lately.   Are push-ups better than doing the bench press?  In my opinion, there is no correct answer to this question.  Which exercise is "best" depends on the goals you have set for your fitness and training.  Understand that there are differences in how the two work the muscles of your upper body.  In addition, given the discussion above, unless you are using a weight vest or doing push-ups with a partner who can add weight to your back (45# plate) there is an upper limit to how much you will be able to lift in a given movement.  No matter what your goal may be, variation in your fitness routine will always help you stay motivated and can positively contribute to achieving your goals.


References
1.  http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Push-ups--How-Much-Weight-Are-You-Lifting-/486282#.URY_3Ic83TQ
2.  http://cwanamaker.hubpages.com/hub/How-Much-Weight-Do-You-Actually-Push-Up-During-a-3.  Pushup (this is a great mathematical discussion that evaluates regular push-ups and incline push-ups)
3.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juGXvXylV1U (a great dynamic video demonstrating form and the muscles involved in the push-up)
4.  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/push-ups-vs-bench-press.html
5.  https://youtrainfitness.com/how-much-weight-do-you-lift-in-a-push-up/

Push-Up Plus Challenge Week 2

Friday is a rest day.
Week 2 exercises will start on Saturday.
Oh, the mountain climbers.  50 was tough....by this time next week we will be up to 100!
Are you up to the challenge?  
See you in the gym!

Week 2: Feb 15 – Feb 21

•Friday 2/15: Rest

•Saturday 2/16: 15 push-ups, 15 knee to elbow planks, 75 mountain climbers

•Sunday 2/17: 15 push-ups, 15 knee to elbow planks, 75 mountain climbers

•Monday 2/18: 15 push-ups, 15 knee to elbow planks, 75 mountain climbers

•Tuesday 2/19: Rest

•Wednesday 2/20: 20 push-ups, 20 knee to elbow planks, 100 mountain climbers

•Thursday 2/21: 20 push-ups, 20 knee to elbow planks, 100 mountain climbers

Push-Ups Plus Challenge: Week 1 Update

Happy Valentine's Day, Challengers!

We're at the end of week 1.  Over the course of this week you have completed 45 push-ups, 45 knee to elbow planks and 225 mountain climbers.  Give yourself a pat on the back if you have kept up (or exceeded) the pace of the program.

Just a couple of tips to share before we head into week 2:
1.  Make sure your push-ups are two counts down and two counts up.  Yes, this is harder but that's the point.  We reduced the volume from last month in order to accommodate the 2 count tempo.  
2.  When doing the knee to elbow planks, spread your feet to about shoulder width.  This will provide you with a more stable base on which to rotate your knee in toward your elbow.
3.  The mountain climbers should be energetic.  I don't want to see you sissyfying this move (and yes, I can see those of you who aren't giving it your all).  Move those legs, feel the burn.  

Week two will be a little more challenging.  If you need to go to your knees to finish the push-ups, please do so, but try to complete the total number of reps for each exercise.

If you have tips to share with the other challengers or just want to cheer people on, feel free to comment below or on our Facebook Challenge Page.

Flourless Chocolate Shakeology Cake

First disclaimer.  I am not a cook.  I like to take recipes and find ways to make them healthier.  Oh, and another disclaimer, I am not a photographer.  This cake looks much nicer than my photo depicts.  I had asked my challenge team for some suggestions re: what they were going to cook their honey on Valentine's Day.  I wanted to offer this up to the team as an option that should fit into their healthy lifestyle.  

Ingredients

½ cup pureed sweet potato                
3 eggs, beaten

2 packets chocolate Shakeology
1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Prepare Sweet Potatoes the same day or several days prior

Cook sweet potatoes in oven until soft

Puree entire potato in blender until smooth (this is why I love my Vitamix)

Portion into small containers and freeze unless you will be using to cook/eat same day

 Cooking time and prep time depends on size and number of sweet potatoes.  Use standard cooking instructions.

Cake Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease an 8" round pan and dust with cocoa powder.

Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Add the vanilla and continue beating

Stir in 2 packets of chocolate Shakeology.  Mix well.

Add sweet potato puree and mix until all ingredients thoroughly moistened and no lumps.

Pour into prepared pan.

 Cook for 30 min, remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Remove from pan onto serving plate and let cool completely.

You can serve this warm or cold.  Top with fresh fruit.  You can also whip some cream and add a packet of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology and drizzle over the top for a creamy and fruity flavor.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutritional Information (MyFitnessPal): 

Ingredients	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Fiber	Sodium
Shakeology Chocolate Vegan Meal Replacement Packet - Meal Replacement Shake, 2 packet	340	32	44	6	10	430
Eggland's Best - Extra Large Eggs, 3 egg	240	21	0	14	0	225
Generic - Sweet Potato Puree, 1/2 cup	130	3	30	0	0	0
Kirkland Signature - Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp (5ml)	6	0	0	0	0	0
Spices - Cinnamon, ground, 1 tsp	6	0	2	0	1	1

	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Fiber	Sodium
Total:	722	56	76	20	11	656
Per Serving:	90	7	10	3	1	82

Challenge Preview: March 2013

I just wanted to give everyone a sneak peek at the March Challenge so you have time to plan.  My goal is to sponsor challenges that allow you to use equipment you have readily available at home and/or just your body weight.  Simple, inexpensive, and no excuses!

Next month I am planning on a kettlebell challenge.  Why kettlebells?  More to come in another post.  We will focus on upper and lower body exercises.  With this in mind, I'm sure that many of you don't have kettlebells at home, that's ok, we'll discuss alternatives.  But if you might be interested in purchasing one I wanted to get this on your radar to allow you to fit it into your budget for February.

Below are some references that review different kettlebells.  I don't want to recommend any specific brand.  I do think that you get more bang for your buck in terms of flexibility and space saving with an adjustable kettlebell.  This is coming from someone who lives in an apartment and keeps her training equipment in the trunk of her car, so space-saving is high on my list of requirements.  

What are some good alternatives?  Dumbbells, medicine balls, weighted milk jugs....  there are lots of options and I'd enjoy hearing what some of you have tried in place of kettlebells (which can be a little pricey).  


References
http://www.allouteffort.com/2012/06/best-adjustable-kettlebell.html
http://www.bestcovery.com/best-kettlebell

Push-Up Plus Challenge Feb 8 - Feb 28

Are you ready to rock the February Challenge?  It's time for Push-Ups Plus!

Beginning on Friday, 2/8 this challenge will be 20 days of increasing reps of a tri-set that includes: 

• Push-ups (two counts down, two counts up)
• Knee to Elbow Plank
• Mountain Climbers

You can do the push-ups on your toes or knees, but try to complete all the reps each day.  The knee to elbow plank exercises will work your upper body and your core muscles.  The tri-set will end with a cardio burst of mountain climbers.  

Every 3 days you will get a "Rest" day where you can continue to perform your normal fitness regimen but there will not be any challenge exercises.  Don't forget to document your progress over the course of all these challenges and share your challenges and successes either in the comments section below or on the Challenge page on Facebook.  

Videos of Challenge Exercises

• A: Push-Up (Standard): http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/pushups
• B: Knee to Elbow Plank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcUxN_ETQVU
• C: Mountain Climbers: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/mountain-climbers

HEALTH REMINDER: If you have any new or old injuries or any medical conditions for which you receive ongoing care or take medications, be certain to obtain clearance from your healthcare professional before beginning this challenge or any new exercise or nutrition program. This tri-set is going to work your entire body and will get your heart rate up. Try to push yourself but be mindful and listen to your body.  

Fiber Challenge

Do you know how much fiber you eat a day?  Do you know the daily recommended fiber intake for your age and gender?  I was a little shocked to see that I was not meeting my daily target on a consistent basis.  So, I decided to incorporate eating more fiber into one of the Wellness Challenges I am sponsoring in February.

Fiber is present in plant foods and legumes.  There are two types of fiber:  soluble fiber partially dissolves in water and insoluble fiber does not. 

Insoluble fiber is what my grandma used to call roughage.  I think of my salads and greens.  Other foods include cucumber, green beans and nuts.  You can find lists of foods and their fiber sources in some of the references below. 

Fiber is known to have many positive health benefits which include (but not limited to): 

• Lowering the levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol)
• Helping to regulate blood sugar
• Lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Decreasing the risk of type II diabetes

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that adults consume approximately 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed per day.  Using one of many online calculators, you can calculate your recommended fiber intake using formulas that adjust for your age, gender, activity level and estimated caloric requirement.

Foods higher in fiber tend to make you feel full.  Adding fiber to your snack(s) can help your weight management efforts.  Another benefit of dietary fiber is that it is associated with lowering the risk of some cancers, including colorectal cancer and possibly other gastrointestinal cancers. 

On average the recommendation is that women should consume 25 grams of fiber a day and men 38 grams per day.  So why does the average American adult only eat 15 grams of dietary fiber daily?  I don’t have the answer to that.  Even looking at my own diary in MyFitnessPal (www.myfitnesspal.com) there are days when I do not meet the 25 gram threshold.  Hence, the step/fiber challenge. 

If you read this post and decide to try to increase your fiber, do so slowly.  Consuming too much too fast may cause you discomfort (gas, bloating) and some of the effects might not be socially acceptable.  Try to eat foods higher in fiber at each meal and increase your intake about 5 grams per day until you meet your target. 

I'd be interested in hearing from you, especially if you have great tips on how to boost your daily fiber intake using whole foods.

References
Image Reference: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/fiber-facts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber

http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/index.shtml

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fiber-meter

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/fiber-how-much-do-you-need

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber-table/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/high-fiber-foods_n_1543165.html#slide=1019360

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/cholesterol/foods-that-lower-cholesterol2.htm

February Buff 'n' Tuff Challenge: Push-ups Plus!

Are you ready for the next challenge?  If so, read on!  Feel free to bring along friends and family.  The group is already on Facebook and the conversations have begun.  Just friend me and request and add or ask someone who is already in the challenge to add you to the page. 

Those of you who participated in the January challenge I know were able to appreciate substantial improvements over the course of the month.  Thank you for all your feedback.

This month I am going to challenge you with a superset that will work many of the major muscle groups.  The superset will include:

• Push-ups
• Knee to Elbow Plank
• Mountain Climbers

You might think this looks simple, and for some of you it may be.  For many of us, this will be a challenge.  Similar to January I will start low, go slow and increase the number of reps in a 3 on: 1 off cycle.  On Tuesday I will post a calendar with the specific number of reps for each exercise in the superset.  You can print this and use it to track your progress. 

Since many of you are now push-up pros, I will make the push-up exercise a little more challenging.  The push-ups will be alternating regular and tempo push-ups. So, if the target number for the day is 5 push-ups, you would performs them this way:

1. Regular push-up, Normal tempo
2. Regular push-up, 2 counts down (one thousand one, one thousand two) and 2 counts up
3. Normal tempo
4. 2 count tempo
5. Normal tempo

You can do these on your toes, on your knees, incline or decline. My advice is to attempt this on the flat first, please.

WELLNESS REMINDER: If you have any new or old injuries or any medical conditions for which you receive ongoing care or take medications, be certain to obtain clearance from your healthcare professional before beginning this challenge or any new exercise or nutrition program. This superset is going to work your entire body and will get your heart rate up. Try to push yourself but be mindful and listen to your body.Need a refresher on how to perform each of these exercises?  I have provided links to some very short videos below.  Good form is key to getting maximal benefit and avoiding injury.

• A: Push-Up (Standard): http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/pushups
• B: Knee to Elbow Plank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcUxN_ETQVU
• C: Mountain Climbers: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/mountain-climbers

Moving In the Direction of Your Focus

As I mentioned in an earlier post I have been taking part in Chalene Johnson's "30 Day Challenge to Master Organization and Achieve Your Goals I know some of you may poo-poo these types of personal development programs, but if you want to engage in one that is simply down the earth, easy to apply and makes sense, I would encourage you to take Chalene's Challenge.  

Day #27 focused on Destination Fixation.  The analogy Chalene used was great.  When you're riding a bicycle or driving a car and you turn your head to look at something, what happens?  The vehicle moves in the direction of your focus.  The point being that we have to look past the challenges and obstacles in our immediate view and focus on the larger goal towards which we are moving.  You can't be distracted by the sticks, the potholes, the bunny running across the street.  Odds are you will wipe out or crash and not get to your final destination.  The same is true with the larger goals you are trying to achieve.  Whether it is losing 50 pounds or trying to compete in a road race or fitness competition, you have to continue to move in the direction that takes you towards your goal.

Focus.


References
Chalene Johnson 30 Day Challenge: http://www.chalenejohnson.com/30daychallenge/members/Find-Your-Push-Goal.html
Image Credit: http://www.empowernetwork.com/workwellwithmel/blog/2013-30-day-push-challenge-day-26-and-27-destination-fixation/