Sitting...in the stands

I often lament over the things on my to-do list that just never get done.

I admit, I have a hard time staying focused in 10-minute spurts.  I need to know I've got an hour or more to accomplish a task...or I just may put it off.

A diaper change here, a snack there, an appointment next, and suddenly my virtual list is set aside for tomorrow, but tomorrow will look just like today.

What's a gal to do?

I changed my perspective and my strategy!

Some things can wait, and some just can't.

With an adult son getting married this summer, another graduating high school and a daughter who plays sports year round *and a whole krew to follow*, I realize that time doesn't stand still while I get my ducks in a row!

Either I can trudge through my measly to-do list, or I can embrace this busy season.

All I have to do is:

a) plan ahead

b) start early

c) let go of the things that don't really matter

It used to scare the dickens out of me to load up all the littles and attend an event when Daddy couldn't join us.  Okay, it still does a little.  But it hit me how quickly time flies, little ones grow up, and I've missed out on so much!

I have truly enjoyed this year, whether straggling in the gate in single file without Daddy, or being whisked inside with him!

Last night was a special "Pink Out" game in honor of cancer research, survivors and those who have lost their battle to the dreaded disease.

Most of these girls play together year round, and it's amazing watching them as a team, especially when it's for a great cause!

The pink fan club.

April and some of the kids.

Whether we are ONE or ALL, we'll be sitting at the court or the field.  

Because some things can't wait!

Ask the Trainer!

As a follow-up to my recent fitness post, I thought I'd give you an opportunity to ask Kuyler your fitness questions.

Maybe you've recently hit the trail...

...or started isometric stretching...

...or strength training...

...maybe you don't know where to start or you'd like to turn it up a notch!

 Did you know that with springtime coming, many retailers are offering discounts on indoor fitness gear?

There's no time like the present to get off the couch and get moving!

So let's open up this forum.  If there are too many questions, I'll break it up into several posts.

To answer your first question:  Yes, he's taken; the wedding date is already set :)

So, let's ask the trainer...

Reaching Your Goals ~ A *Fitness* Guest Post!!!

In my journey to better health, I've discovered one thing:  I know nothing!

In fact, much of what I think I know is myth.

So I asked KJ1 (that translates to my oldest kid) to enlighten me by writing a post.  I told him who his audience would be ~ YOU!

I've learned a ton just by reading this, and I hope you will too.

As you read this, you'll note he totally gets his humor from his MOM!

Greetings, 

My name is Kuyler, and I LOVE studying and practicing the principles of two life-changing fields: personal training and strength and conditioning. 
I’m a personal trainer and fitness coach, and one of my favorite things to do is help ordinary people like me reach their fitness goals and discover new energy and confidence that an unhealthy lifestyle can restrict. 

If you’ll take the time to read this entire essay, I know you’ll gain some useful information and encouragement regarding your personal health and fitness goals. Some of it may seem outrageous, and you might even shake your head a bit, but I’ll do my best to present the truth and hopefully even make you laugh a bit (read the glossary). I’ll include a small glossary of terms at the end in case I lose you at “glycolytic”. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! So, here we go…

First off, let me just say that there are VERY FEW reasons why anyone would be prohibited from improving their overall health. Don’t make excuses for yourself, because YOU are responsible for your own health. 

If you are in the following categories, you may have serious issues improving your overall health: 
1. If you are deceased. You can’t take your body with you. 
2. If you are not human. Not sure what to tell you in that case. 
3. If you refuse to try. 
4. If you just don’t care about your health. 

If you’re not in any of the above categories, keep reading, and I guarantee that you’ll get some useful information and even some motivation.

 Next, let’s cut to the chase with some TRUE or FALSE. 

1. You can get fit by taking a pill or simply cutting back on food. FALSE. 
a. There’s one basic thing to remember about maintaining or improving your health: The two aspects of personal health are nutrition AND exercise/activity. No supplement or diet ALONE is going to make you fit. 
b. Most pills that are advertised to help you “get ripped” or “burn fat” don’t work and can be dangerous to your health. I’ve never found a study that proved any of these types of pills to be safely affective. 
c. Many of these supplements, especially ones provided by small companies, may contain manipulative or even illegal substances. Most large companies that have a high reputation and the attention of supplement certification companies (USP, NSF, GMP, NPA) are GUARANTEED to provide better products for your nutritional health. Some companies desperate for results may include large quantities of powerful chemicals, such as Epinephrine, Caffeine, Tryptophan, and Ephedra. Some companies will even include small doses of illegal substances, such as HEROIN. The amount is small enough that it won’t show up in a urine or blood test, but it’s enough to affect your body. The FDA doesn’t certify most supplements for weight loss, so the producers can include almost any combination of ingredients that they see fit to get the “results” they advertise. 
   i. Your body can handle small amounts of these chemicals, but PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S IN YOUR SUPPLEMENTS. 
   ii. Losing weight naturally over a long period of time is much better than risking your safety by taking a rapid weight loss supplement. 

2. Lots of cardio will melt away the fat or at least balance out what you eat. FALSE. 
a. The order of importance goes something like this: 
   i. A healthy, balanced diet is most important. Without a balanced diet and the right amount of calories (Kcals), your body will struggle to perform properly. 
   ii. Strength training is next. It’s a fact that muscle uses fat as energy. The more muscle you have, the more fat will be utilized as an energy source, and the only way to building muscle is to strength train. This might sound scary, but it can be as easy as squatting in your living room for 15 minutes or doing pushups when you get out of bed. It can also be as advanced as weight lifting at the gym or even explosive power lifting exercises. 
   iii. Cardio comes in 3rd place. Yes, cardio is important for keeping your heart and lungs healthy, but cardio exercise should be practiced responsibly along with a healthy diet and strength training. Using cardio exercise as an excuse to eat what you want and avoid activity any other time is unhealthy and just plain silly! Remember to take care of your joints and muscles by warming up before you run, swim, bike, etc. Don’t be afraid to push yourself a little, but start slow and become familiar with your limits so you know when you NEED to stop, not just when you WANT to stop.
 b. Cardio does not equal running! Running is a great cardio exercise, but don’t forget to use your imagination. Here are a few examples of joint-friendly cardiovascular exercises: 
   i. Riding a bike 
   ii. Swimming 
   iii. Barefoot walking/running (You have to run on the balls of your feet, because that’s how they’re designed to work. Start slow with this one.) 
   iv. Yoga or other endurance exercises 
   v. Use your imagination and create fun activities that will get your heart rate up. 
   vi. If any of these seem boring, find ways to involve your kids! 

3. Strength training is only for men and will make you big and bulky. DOUBLE FALSE!!! 
a. Remember what I said before? Muscle eats fat for breakfast. As you gain muscle, you will lose fat. I’m so tired of hearing women tell me that they don’t want to be big and bulky like a body builder. Trust me; it takes at least 8 hours a day for years to get big and bulky like that. You’d have to quit your job, ignore your kids, forget about getting any lovin’ from your other, and basically live at the gym to look big and bulky. Building muscle isn’t easy, and getting bulky is REALLY HARD, so relax, beautiful woman. Strength training can be fun and will only make you feel stronger and more attractive if you just go for it. 
b. Men and women are built differently and we have different chemistry, but most women are already much stronger than they think they are. As always, you should start slow with any new exercise routine, but I’ve trained women who weighed 140 lbs and could bench press 105 lbs and squat 135 lbs. I even trained a couple 2 years ago who were both over 65, and the woman could leg press 245 lbs while remaining slender and pretty darn attractive for a 65-year-old with a bunch of grandkids to spoil. I was so excited about their enthusiasm and willingness to push each other to be stronger and healthier! 
c. Remember, how you train is up to YOU. Get recommendations and ideas from trainers and others who have had results, but decide your own path. You are unique, different from everyone else on earth. What works for someone else might not work for you. Get out there and find something that you like to do and that helps you reach your unique goals. 
d. Set realistic goals. If you have never done any strength training, your goals probably shouldn’t be to do 100 pushups in a day or squat 300 lbs by next month. This will take time. That’s actually one of the best parts about setting healthy goals. You get to spend the journey being amazed at every little improvement, and YOU WILL LOVE IT! Even if you have to spend 4 weeks doing the same 5 things, that first time you do an extra repetition or increase the resistance, it’ll be worth it just to know that you worked hard to get there and you got stronger or lost a few pounds. It’s the little things that will keep you going. 
e. Strength is sexy. I think I can speak for almost all men on this one. A woman who can carry 4 kids at once, chase you through the house without getting winded, squat the end of the couch so that kids can get their lost toys, or load all of your luggage into the 12 passenger van BY HERSELF for the vacation she so badly needs, is SO ATTRACTIVE!!! 

4. Setting and accomplishing smart fitness goals is much easier with a partner. TRUE TRUE TRUE!!! 
a. Why do most people pay so much for a personal trainer? They just want a workout partner who knows what they’re doing. A personal trainer is just a normal person who has studied and practiced how to successfully get stronger, faster, bigger, smaller, etc. They don’t have special powers to make you fit, as the Lord knows we all wish was possible. My goal as a trainer is always to provide a friendly helper and some strong encouragement to whoever I’m training. A lot of people actually prefer that I exercise WITH them so that we’re in the same boat. If you’re blessed with financial abundance, find an awesome personal trainer whose goal is to motivate and educate you. That’s what they’re for. 
b. Use your fitness goals as an opportunity to build relationships with those you care about. Invite your best friend over or go to the gym together. Work out with your spouse. It might be a little awkward at first, but use that as an opportunity to build trust and fall in love with each other even more as you work together toward a common goal. Imagine the power of a little encouragement from your soul mate. What a reward! Then, return the favor, because judgment and embarrassment go out the door when you’re both sweating and struggling together. 
c. If you can’t find a buddy, find something that motivates you. I listen to dubstep music when I work out. It’s fast and gets me pumped up. Some people like to exercise in a specific location, such as a park, their favorite gym, or even the back porch. Find what gets you pumped up and get started! 

5. Educating yourself is the most important thing you can do for your personal health. TRUE AGAIN!!! 
a. Ask lots of questions. As a personal trainer with lots of knowledge to share, I LOVE it when people ask tons of questions. 
Here are some good ones I’ve received: 
   i. How is squatting good for me? 
   ii. Why do I need to take a 30-60 second break between sets when I’m lifting weights? 
   iii. How many times per week should I exercise? 
   iv. Am I doing this right? 
    v. Why is it better to start with exercises that involve more than one joint? 
   vi. Can I add more weight? 
   vii. Why do my muscles hurt the most on the second day after exercising them? 
   viii. What is glycolytic exercise? 
b. Buy a copy of Essentials of Personal Training or Essentials of Strength and Conditioning and READ IT! Those are two books that helped me understand how the body works and how to maximize your training results. 
c. Take a class and PAY ATTENTION! Personal training and strength and conditioning classes are EXTREMELY helpful if you do your homework and take advantage of the instructor’s wealth of knowledge. 
d. Do you know a personal trainer? Slip him/her a twenty and conduct an interview. Ask as many questions as possible, and make ‘em good ones. 

Congratulations! You made it to the end! 

That’s all I have room to include for now, but there is SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN. Feel free to contact me or my awesome mom for even more information and motivation. Now get out there and DO STUFF! 
Kuyler Johnson: kuylerj@gmail.com 
Glossary 
1. Strength training: Exercising with the goal of increasing one’s strength, usually with the use of weights, machines, or other forms of resistance. 
2. Cardio exercise: Exercise that puts stress on your cardiovascular system (your heart and lungs). These exercises are usually endurance based and have low levels of physical strain. See Oxidative Exercise below. 
3. Personal training: Assisting ordinary individuals in reaching fitness goals, usually limited to gaining better overall health and fitness. Some personal training can be done in small groups, as it is only focused on general health and fitness. 
4. Strength and conditioning: Assisting athletes or trained individuals reach goals to improve sports or other specific goals. This is usually done in a private environment with a very strict diet and exercise program specific to only one person. 
5. Squatting: The act of lifting weight while standing upright with the majority of the movement taking place below the waste. Look up Back Squat or Front Squat for more information. 
6. Dubstep: Electronic music, usually possessing a very aggressive beat, a dark minor chord progression, and a heavy bass layer. The “sawtooth” effect is most commonly used as the main melodic instrument sound. 
7. Vacation: This is myth. If you read this blog, you probably don’t have time for one of these. Some would define this as a journey which requires one to angrily travel hundreds of miles only to discover that you forgot to pack your swimming trunks. 
8. Glycolytic exercise: Exercise that combines the oxidative and phosphagen systems for energy. This is often a combination of high energy exercise for intermediate periods of time, such as hard swimming for 2 minutes, doing 50 box jumps, or running up and down bleachers with a short break between laps. This type of exercise will cause lactic acid to build up in your muscles, causing a burning sensation. 
9. Oxidative exercise: Exercise which requires the respiratory system to act as the main fuel delivery system. This usually involves endurance activities, such as running, long distance biking, swimming laps, or triathlons. This exercise is not intense enough to allow lactic acid to build up and is primarily beneficial to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This type of exercise will not result in muscle growth, but will utilize stored fat cells as an energy source. 
10. Phosphagenic exercise: Explosive exercise which quickly utilizes Phosphate stores within the muscle cells being utilized to provide a short, powerful movement. This type of exercise will result in quick fatigue due to the rapid use of the Phosphate energy stored in the cells. Creatine Phosphate is a powerful energy source and can serve as an effective supplement for this type of exercise. Olympic lifting, power lifting, and other forms of short, explosive exercise are considered phosphagenic. 
11. Lactic Acid: A toxic fluid that builds up in muscles during Glycolytic exercise as a result of glucose and ATP being converted over time. This will cause a burning sensation during exercise. The onset of lactic acid can be delayed by regular resistance training. To rid the muscles of lactic acid, continue to use the “burning” muscles lightly for about 30-60 seconds after an exercise or longer depending on the intensity. This will keep blood flow through those muscles high enough to carry the lactic acid away from the muscles and cease the burning sensation. Immediately stopping a glycolytic exercise without ridding the muscles or lactic acid can be unhealthy for the muscle cells and can hinder your training improvement.

But I don't have time for...

What are all the things you don't have time for?

Exercise?  Good food choices?

Oh.my.word, me either!

But, I certainly don't have time for ~

Please don't hear me say that exercise and good eating habits will eliminate the possibility of ill health.  Not.saying.that.  Also, don't think I sit around worrying about whether I might wake up tomorrow with some mysterious illness.  Nope.  Don't have time for that.

Here's what I DO have time for regarding my health:

* Meal planning

* Reasonable exercise

* Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

* Grabbing fresh fruit v. unwrapping the goody-goodness called oatmeal creme pie

* Setting an example for my children

Let me break it down.

*Meal planning ~

This takes about an hour or two each week when I use my family's favorite recipes.  It takes a bit longer when I'm in a rut and hop on one of my favorite websites with free menus like Make Dinners Easy and search for new ideas.  I choose a main dish, then add the sides.  I don't assign meals to a certain day of the week because we roll spontaneous flexible.  I make a list of 10 to 12 meals, including sides, special meals or snacks needed for the week's events, and then prepare my shopping list.

*Reasonable exercise

Now this is a doozy.  I.am.tired.  I have a billion reasons why I don't have time for this, including ten of the most adorable peeps still in the nest.  BUT the truth is, I don't have time NOT to exercise!  In this life God has given me one body.  I had no idea He would give us the invitation to s.t.a.r.t adding to our family through adoption when we were well.into.our.forties.  This body is tired.  But I praise God every day that I CAN get out of bed and move.  I am also reminded that this body is a temple.  I am so far from perfect, but I really do want to treat my body as the temple it is.

I have to make a choice every.single.day to get my rear out of bed and do this.  A while back, around 4:30 a.m.-ish, as we were starting Insanity, hubby said, "We're old.  Shouldn't we be doing something different...like walking?" Whateva!  Truth is, hubby and I have to do a lot of things intentionally these days.  For instance, many weeks our Treasures have several doctor's appointments, and we are both self-employed, so what might be 'ideal' for one family is not possible for ours.  Occasionally we both get to attend the visits, but most often, only one of us takes the 'patient' and the 'tag-alongs' while the other works.  No paid vacation, medical leave or mileage reimbursement here :)  We just do what we need to do.

And that really got me to thinking.  What would either of us do without the other?  Don't-even-wanna-think-it!  But seriously, what if one of us became ill?  I never lose sight of the fact that God knows the number of our days.  He is the One who led us down an amazing and unexpected path, slightly out of the norm, and He is in control.  I don't worry about what tomorrow will bring.  I do want to steward what He has given me.  

So, what do we do?  Hubby and I work out together.  We cut ourselves some slack when we just don't get it done!  We encourage each other.  We laugh at each other.  We push each other.  Right now we are fighting our way through Insanity.  Let me tell you, Shaun T is kicking our tail!  This is an extreme workout and is not for beginners, so it's not for everyone.  The average workout is 35-42 minutes, *and add a few for passing out - just.kidding!!!!*  Out of 24 hours.  That includes warm-up, stretching and cool down!  

Insanity's not for you?  Think of how far you could walk in 42 minutes.  Even if you didn't go anywhere, on the treadmill.  And we get to do this at home - bonus!  Also, we get to do it while the kids are sleeping...because they have been our harshest critics:  Ya' know, our shoes aren't right, we aren't doing the same thing as the video, our shorts are baggy, yadayadayada.  But for a couple of 'old folks' we are having fun.

Here's another thing:

*Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

Although ours are more this size: :)

As our family grew, I started packing snacks for sports events because we couldn't afford to buy them.  Then I started packing meals.  Two reasons:  costs less, and I get to choose what we eat.  The hardest part of this is taking the time to plan.  But it is so doable.  I pack meals for our doctor's appointments as well, especially the ones that are hours away.  Many of y'all are so much more creative than I am, so you could make this like a treat.  I am still working on that.

*Grabbing fresh fruit v. other goodies

Okay, I like a creme pie as much as the next guy, but I want to make sure there are always healthy options in the house.  Although I do keep some empty calorie foods around for occasional quick kids' snacks, I also have easy-to-eat nutritious foods available such as chunked cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, bananas, apples, applesauce, cheese sticks, almonds and yogurt.

*Setting an example for my children

This is so important to me.  Our children can only eat what we provide.  They can only learn from what we do.  I'm not talking about pressuring my kids to be 'skinny minnies' or constantly acting like the food police.  They are smart enough to see what is important to us.  It's up to us to set the tone.

I have 11 children who will one day be husbands, wives, and parents to my grandchildren.  My priorities today will influence their choices today and in the future.

I would like to encourage you as well!  A baby step forward is a step in the right direction.   

A hero to me is the person who gets off the couch and takes the first step!!!

How can I encourage YOU?

How can I pray for YOU?

Leave a comment or email me!

To HIM be glory!

Last Call for the 30-Day Challenge!

Okay, y'all, I can't believe the response!  

I'm just as excited as you are about getting started tomorrow, Monday, May 13!

Let's redefine Mondays :)

How many days do we wish we would do something differently or think about changing our habits?  Finally one day we stop thinking and wishing... and we actually do it!

This is that day.

If you've asked me to add you to the private Facebook group and I haven't done so, it's because I can't find you on FB.  I don't want to leave anyone out, so please message me on FB or leave a comment here with your email or FB name.
https://www.facebook.com/connie.darnelljohnson

Let's do this!!!

Are You Ready For a Challenge?

 Y'all, whether we like it or not, swimsuit season is right around the corner!
Maybe this doesn't scare you as much as it does me, but I have a whole bunch of little people who love the pool.

You've seen the pictures~
This is what I think I want to look like in a swimsuit...

This is what I actually look like!

Nice, huh?!? 

I'm thinking in the next 30 days I could move at least closer to the first picture. 

Here's where the challenge comes in.

As a Beachbody coach, I'm offering to coach anyone who wants to join me over the next 30 days, in anticipation of swimsuit season!

I believe we can do this together!

We will develop a community of encouragement and accountability, all striving to improve our overall health together!

There will be some requirements in order for us to measure progress and get good results ~

*You must commit for 30 days.

*You must be on Facebook.  This is so we can form a private group to build relationships, encourage one another and stay accountable.

*You must commit to a workout plan.  *I can help with this if you'd like*

*I would recommend that you commit to reporting in daily on the Facebook group.

*There's no time like the present, so let's kick off Monday, May 13th! 

If you're interested in starting an exciting journey of achieving good health, leave a comment on this post.  Also, send me a friend request on Facebook and let me know you want to take The Challenge.  *you can find my Facebook badge in the sidebar*

Let's do this together!

It's not magic.

It requires change.

It requires discipline.

The results will be amazing!

What I'm Learning ~ Fitness Talk

What good are mistakes if we can't learn from them, right?
I should be really wise based on the mistakes I make :)  I've made several in my fitness routine that I thought I'd share with you.

Several weeks into P90X I'm figuring out some stuff.  I do the warm-ups and cool-downs for each session, but today is the first time I've done the entire X-Stretch session.  Our bodies need time to recuperate, and X-Stretch is a fantastic way to take care of them.  Why it took me so long to figure this out, I don't know.

Another issue is a sluggish feeling that I couldn't shake after working out so hard.  I'm talking dragging-my-tail tired.  I assumed I knew the answer, but turns out I didn't have a clue.  I talked to my awesome coach about it, and she suggested more protein the night before since I work out super early in the morning.  I also talked to my oldest kiddo, Mr. Personal Trainer, and he told me I need to rebuild muscular cell structure following explosive workouts, and the answer to that is simple carbs.  So eating an apple or other fruit immediately after workouts has made all the difference!

I've suffered from low back pain for years, and I could use it as an excuse not to work out, but instead I'm working around the injury.  I'm really careful with my back, and I discovered today that stretching is a great way to take care of it.

I also have a bum shoulder.  No idea what happened to it, but it's bothered me for almost a year.  I was concerned I might really injure it when I started working out, but I paid close attention to it, and now I'm getting more range of motion, and it's getting better every week!

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all :)

I'm really excited to have the 10-Minute Trainer too for those days when the schedule doesn't allow a regular workout!  I'll let ya' know how that goes.



God has given me one body; it's my responsibility to take care of it.