Smart Cardio for Weight Loss

There is no feeling quite like crossing a finish line. This year I've crossed three and each time received an emotional and motivational paycheck to keep traveling this journey towards great health.

There is also no feeling quite like maintaining your weight for 5 weeks despite running 3 miles a day and keeping nutrition in check. This happened to me from around the beginning of April to the middle of May. It also happened to coincide with the same time frame of my three races or in other words during the time I was running my guts out.

I was not then and am not now striving to be healthy for a number on the scale. When you have an unhealthy weight and amount of fat for your body, however, it is frustrating to be doing "everything right" and not see any body fat make its exit.

Dreadmill running - UGH!

So what's the deal? I always thought cardio exercise was the key to weight loss. It also seemed logical to me that the more of it I did the greater the results I would see.

Rather than give up I went to the place of answers: our public library. I checked out 3 books about running and one book that simply looked interesting to me called The Abs Diet.

As I read through the running books one thing stuck out to me. Each book had a chapter about weight loss and it was the shortest chapter in the book. The gist of what I read was that running is a great way to get into shape and consistency is the key. If your goal however is simply weight loss rather than training your body to run a bajillion miles then you're better off with Interval Training rather than Endurance Running(aka long distance training).

HUH!?!? What happened to the slow and steady concept? So I did some more research and found the same thing over and over again. Exercise performed at a steady pace for a long period of time is LESS effective for fat burning than exercise performed implementing periods of high intensity with periods of rest. Here is one example from SELF fitness magazine:

"Women who spent 20 minutes mixing sprints with jogging lost three times the fat off their legs and butt in 15 weeks as those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes, a study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney finds. Intervals may also spark fat-metabolizing hormones."

So I gave up the endurance running all together(though I plan to return to it once I've leaned up my belly). I exchanged my 45 minute runs for 20 minutes of interval sprints. I didn't follow any exact formula but just mixed up a combination of jogging, running, and sprinting for one mile. Then a combination of walking, jogging, running, and sprinting for a mile. And if I had time I'd do another mile of mixing it up.

The first time I tried this I liked it...a lot. It made it fun! I felt a little like a for real athlete(so what if my sprint is another man's jog). I was getting my heart rate up, recovering, heart rate up, recovering, etc. This made for an awesome workout that made me feel alive! Much better than the trudge through mud feeling of plugging through 3 miles at a constant rate of speed.

Oh and it worked. It helped me crash through that plateau I'd been sitting at for 5 weeks. It WILL work for you too and the concept of interval training can be applied to ANY type of workout. Let me share from The Abs Diet:

I know I can run my hardest for 30 - 60 seconds
when I know I'll be getting immediate rest
and recovery

"They say that slow and steady wins the race. But the cardiovascular key to fat burning is using interval workouts -- workouts that alternate high-intensity levels with lower-intensity effort...that formula keeps your body burning calories long after you've stopped working out...You can use interval workouts any way you want -- running, cycling, swimming, on elliptical trainers, even walking if you alternate a speed walk and slow walk. You can also vary the intensity levels in different combinations...You'll derive benefits in as little as a 20-minute interval workout. As you build up endurance and strength, you can add time to your workout."

Still not sure how to implement this into your workout?? Here's a basic example you could follow to get started:

     3-5 minutes of warmup (low intensity gradually increasing)

     1 minute of moderate or high intensity activity followed by 1 minute of low intensity repeated at least 6 or more times

     3-5 minutes cooldown (low intensity gradually decreasing)

I know many of you make exercise a priority in your life. If you're already putting the time in and have some unhealthy body fat that won't budge I challenge you to give this a go. I call this SMART CARDIO! And you can put in less time with greater results. I know you won't be disappointed!!

I'd love to hear from you all! What are some creative ways you work intervals into your cardio exercise???

Battle of the KILLER fat!!

All body fat is not created equal.

Got a little extra padding on your bottom? Couple dimples on your thighs? Gloriously flabby arms? Me too. Sure I've seen some improvement in those areas since making healthier choices but I still have a decent measure of each.

I've learned not to be too worried about it because like I said, all body fat is NOT created equal. A measure of fat in these areas are part of being a normal, and even healthy woman. (Sorry for any men reading. I'm not sure about manly/healthy fat pockets though I know there is a healthy level for men too).

So what's with my battle cry against killer fat? Well aside from fat in those places, I've got more than a healthy dose of the most dangerous fat on the human body and I pack it mostly like a jello mold on my gut. That's right, I'm talking about belly fat.

Let me share a quote with you from a book I just finished and let me forewarn you, it haunts me in the night.

"Belly fat--the fat that pushes your waist out--is the most dangerous fat on your body. And it's one of the reasons why the Abs Diet(name of the book) emphasizes losing belly fat--because doing so means you'll live longer.

"Belly fat is classified as visceral fat; that means it is located behind your abdominal wall and surrounds your internal organs. Because it carries an express-lane pass to your heart and other important organs, visceral fat is the fat that can kill you...the amount of visceral fat the subjects carried(in a study being sited) was the single best predictor of heart disease risk."

*From the Abs Diet by David Zinczenko - and he doesn't use the word diet like the four letter word it has been made out to be. He uses it to refer to how to eat for the rest of your life.

Why does that haunt me? Because it didn't take long for me to gain weight in 2010. Junk, sweets, and fried fast food were a common part of my diet in those days and it didn't take long before I was busting out of my pants. I wasn't really overeating either or even eating more calories in a day than I should(most the time). It was the types of food that I was eating that resulted in my hard earned belly fat.

Here is the scary part: not only is belly fat dangerous to my other organs and health but it has been KILLER to shed. Last I weighed myself a few weeks ago I had lost over 20 pounds since January 1st. I feel great about that but guess what...hardly any of that came off my belly.

In fact, it took 3 months for me to notice any difference at all in my gut. Sure I had lost weight on my arms, thighs, and boobs but I learned that as fast as I can put on belly fat, it is the hardest to send packing!! No wonder many people become frustrated when trying to lose weight.

We don't get to choose how our body will lose fat and with the risk that belly fat poses to my longterm health I am declaring, "THIS IS WAR!"

This war that I am engaging in is with the fiercest of enemies; JELLO BELLY!

Countless studies show the same thing: people with the largest waist sizes have the most risk of developing life-threatening diseases. So this isn't about looking good in a bikini. I've never wore one and never plan to no matter how much my body changes. This is about standing up for my health and declaring that while my belly fat may have won a few battles, it will not win the war.

Still not sure it's worth it to battle the belly fat?? Keep reading.

A fat cell that has grown and is about to divide.

"The average American has about 30 billion fat cells; each of them is filled with greasy substances called lipids. When you pump doughnuts, corn chips, and fried Snickers bars into your system, those fat cells can expand -- up to 1,000 times their original size. But a fat cell can get only so big, once it reaches its physical limits...it creates spin-offs, leaving you with 2 or more fat cells for the price of one...Once you have a fat cell, you're stuck with it. So as you grow fatter and double the number of fat cells in your body, you also double the difficulty you'll have losing the lipids inside them.

"...Abdominal fat doesn't just sit there and do nothing; it's active. It functions like a separate organ, releasing substances that can be harmful to your body. For instance, it releases free fatty acids that impair your ability to break down the hormone insulin(leading to diabetes). Fat also secretes substances that increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as the stress hormone cortisol...[It] bears the blame for many health problems because it resides within striking distance of your heart, liver, and other organs--pressing on them, feeding them poisens, and messing with their daily function."

I hope anyone reading this does not have the struggle with belly fat that I do; but if you do, I understand your battle. You can decide it is time to put in the work and send those fat cells packing by making healthy choices every day.

Sure you will look better but I say it is worth it just FOR THE HEALTH OF IT!


PS- What healthy habits have you guys found that battle belly fat???

The Trade In Myth

Take a minute to think of a Honda Accord. You've seen them on the road for the last 20 to 35 years and in a variety of conditions.

We had a Honda Accord for a few years that was the 89' model I believe. It had over 200,000 miles on it and rusted paint in a few spots but that little baby still ran. These cars are known to be of the old reliable stock and ours certainly was.

What would happen if one day I decided that reliable little car was a worthless piece of junk. So what if it was the best value for my budget and loyal to the end? No, its years of service and memories meant NOTHING to me and I was ready to trash that piecer!

What I really wanted was for my Honda Accord to become a Lamborghini Gallardo. If I worked hard enough and did all the right things for the right amount of time then one day I would walk out my backdoor and see that all my hard work had paid off. Where my humble Honda Accord had been parked would now sit a flashy new Lamborghini Gallardo!

Do you get where I am going with this? It's ridiculous to think there is any way or reason for my 89' Honda Accord to become something brand new and that it is not. Yet, we(especially women) have this exact expectation for our bodies!!!

No amount of sit ups will give me Jessica Biel's swimsuit abs.
No amount of squats will give me Angelina Jolie's legs.
No amount of miles run will give me Jennifer Anistan's cheeks and jawline.
No amount of starvation will grant me a Hollywood upgrade from this body God gave me!

As ridiculous as it is to think my car could become something it wasn't, it is miles beyond ridiculous for women or men to look in a mirror and hope one day it will be anyone but their own face looking back. Beyond it being unhealthy there is a more important point:


Honda Accord had a baby this day.
No biggie.

The Honda Accord is its own MASTERPIECE!
The Honda Accord is comfortable and relatable. It's the car young families go on their first vacation in. It's the car for a first kiss. It's the car whose bumper is dented from "that one time"; a memory that makes the whole family laugh to tears. The Honda Accord is reliable and real, just like you.

Do you think this shiny
sports car could handle
a pregnancy?

Take a minute to consider and begin to believe that you DO NOT want to be the Lamborghini Gallardo in the first place!! I mean not only does it have no room for family and friends but it's just a little TOO shiny and orange. The more you think about it, you can't get the image of a clown car out of your head! And that's what you want to give up old reliable for??

No. You and your stretch marks and wrinkles are too perfect to be in the same category as the clown car. Your signs of life and aging are your battle wounds to be worn with pride. They are what make you alive and real to the children you love and friends you laugh with.

It's time to forget the trade in myth and focus on simply appreciating the masterpiece that is the Honda Accord.

Remember it's all worth it just FOR THE HEALTH OF IT.



*Please feel free to share this post with your friends you think would enjoy it. I just noticed the buttons next to the comment link where you can share it on facebook, twitter, etc. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts or critique. Thanks!

Fake It Till You Make It

What I once called rabbit food
I now call breakfast

My husband hates the saying "fake it till you make it" but when describing my journey to better health I did some major faking it(going through the motions of being healthy) before I made it to being enthusiastic about my own health. Unsure what I mean?

January 1st I HATED exercise. Today I pumped out 30 minutes of free weights and 30 minutes of running that included sprints AND enjoyed myself.

January 1st I felt sick drinking more than 2 glasses of water. Today I've nearly tapped off my gallon for the day(Gallon Challenge baby!).

January 1st I averaged 1 serving of veggies(if that) and at most 2 of fruit a day. Today I've had 2 full servings of spinach(that's practically a whole bag by the way), raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 a banana and carrots. And it felt natural, like any other day.

Why do I share this?? Because the contrast didn't happen overnight and I was "Faking It" for months and months. I was making healthy choices but my heart wasn't really in it; like my commitment was rather fake, probably not going to last.

To start out I had to do things for the fit challenge that felt unnatural and ANNOYING! I knew I needed to but I didn't like it anymore than before I started. But I was a part of a team so I just did it. In other words I faked it. About month 3 I found the basics to feel more natural BUT it took until month 6(now) to say this way of life is finally feeling normal, natural, the way it was meant to be all along; like I can happily live like this for the rest of my life.

I'm not saying I've "Made It" but I can say I'm not "Faking It" anymore and there is one key factor that I credit with the progress I've made... support. Or more appropriately:

SUPPORT!! SUPPORT!! SUPPORT!!

I for one love a crowd of friends. If you know you need to make some changes in your health the most important suggestion I could make is to recruit a network of support. In my case I signed up for the fit challenge I mentioned with my best friends. Somehow knowing they were in it with me helped me step into the scary world of taking health by the horns.

I swear it was 3 weeks before my motivation for exercising, getting my 5 fruits/veggies in, drinking my water, etc. had ANYTHING to do with me. I had signed up because I knew I needed a kick in the pants but I spent at least the first 3 weeks doing those things because I didn't want to disappoint my friends or fail my team. Sure that is sad and pathetic but that's where I was at. Making healthy choices for myself wasn't good enough at the time.

That has gradually changed and I feel MUCH differently now. My point is it doesn't matter at first WHY you are doing the right thing. I believe anyone who is consistent with making healthy choices(even if begrudgingly at first like me),will find their emotional health and motivation improves as their physical health improves. Keep in mind I'm not talking about 1 week or 1 month. For me it took many months of consistency to truly transform my attitude and commitment to feel fully committed to living a new way for the rest of my life.

You don't have to take my word on this. Give it a try for yourself and the best place to start is forming your very own support network. I for one would love to be on yours!! Please leave me a comment if you want.

If you want to know more about the fit challenges I've been involved in and how they work, let me know. I'd happily put together a group to do another one or you could just duplicate it for yourself. :)

Let's live healthier FOR THE HEALTH OF IT!

After a life of indifference, I finally CARE!



The bald guy with the gut....that's the 2010 Kristin

Last year I was feeling physically subpar and emotionally crummy pretty much all the time when it came to the topic of my body.

I knew exercise would give me more energy. I knew that eating more natural foods and having discipline with my sweets and junk intake would help me feel better and help me fit into my clothes. I knew that the campaigning about women accepting and loving their bodies didn't equate to eating pans of brownies and saying it's okay because I love myself. I knew enough about health and nutrition to know that I was headed down the wrong road, a road that was setting an unacceptable example for my kids.

Then WHY did it feel like I was facing an impossible mountain to make some changes? Why did I feel like I was setting myself up for failure and disappointment? Why did I feel so scared to just take an honest look at how my habits(big and small) were affecting my overall and longterm health?

The answer is obviously complicated but if you can relate to any of those feelings let me be the first to say I UNDERSTAND!!! The answer as I see it, though complicated, in its own way is also pretty simple. A big part of it has to do with accountability.

It is easier to say I'm okay with a few extra pounds than to admit that it's more than just 2 or 3 but closer to 30+. It's easier to say that "those" people at the gym are just ego obsessed maniacs who don't have any other meaning in their pathetic lives. It's easier to say I don't have the time, money, energy(insert word here) to exercise and eat healthy. I've got more of these up my sleeve because they are all things that I have thought or said.

Sometime not too long ago I told my friend Sha that(and I quote)  "I'm more comfortable with some extra chub on me" and I continued by explaining how when I am thinner I actually feel less comfortable in my own skin. Of course that and all of this is nonsense. Every single one of my excuses (and possibly any that you have come up with for yourself) come from a place of insecurity. Like a little demon inside that whispers, screams, sooths, lies, taunts, justifies, criticizes, excuses and continually leaves us feeling like we aren't good enough so why try.....

I'll tell you why! Because you are amazing and deserve to feel confident, capable, strong, and in control of your choices and life!! God gave you that body as a gift. Treat it right and it will be the vessel God intended for you to fulfill your mission in this life.

I know what you're saying. CHEESE FEST 2011. I know, I know.  I've heard things like that all my life and I never really thought I wasn't living up to it. I mean I didn't really consider my lack of focus on my immediate physical health as affecting my confidence, capabilities, or life's direction. But I now know it's all connected.

When I say my brain is rewired I don't mean I now spend my day thinking about my body as a gift from God and how amazing I am and how I deserve to feel, etc. I do try to remind myself of that when I'm feeling frustrated but what I mean by my brain being rewired is just that where I used to tell myself I didn't care, I now very firmly CARE.

I care that the more sedatary I am the more muscle I lose. I care that salty and sweet processed food reak havok on my insides. I care that my belly fat is literally working everyday to poisen my liver, heart, and countless other vital organs. Basically I finally CARE about my body and though I didn't realize it, my previous habits and actions were the opposite of caring; something more like hacking days off my life and livelihood. Yeah, I'm sounding pretty intense here but I honestly never knew just how bad all those "bad" foods and habits were until I took the time to really become educated.

So call me scared straight but I have to tell you I'm so grateful I started to care before I was over 200 pounds and in my 30's; two numbers I was(weight) and am(age) quickly approaching. I try to think about my daily choices as whether or not I am honoring the body I was given by God. It's a bit lofty but also helps my head stay in the right place when I feel like storming the town for cake, any and all. Golly, I do love cake BUT I've put it in the only healthy place it can be in my life, as the occasional once a week at the most treat(not the daily norm it used to be). That's how I am striving to honor my body.

I honor my body by fueling it with nutrient dense power foods.
I honor my body by challenging and strengthening my muscles.
I honor my body by pushing it; blood pumping, heart strengthening.
I honor my body by giving it recovery and rest.
I honor my body by striving to do these things every day.
And then my body honors me with energy, agility, peace, (etc); an amazing vessel to truly live in.

I don't feel like that every minute of the day but I still know that it is a true principle to live by and I find myself aligned with this focus more and more with time. It amazes me to express these feelings because my old feelings of frumpy dumpiness are still so fresh and the change has been so gradual I'm only starting to see it blossom after 5 months of consistency and hard work.

I know it's cliche but no cliche has ever been so true: If I can do it, SO CAN YOU! I never expected to CARE like I now CARE. This blog is all about continuing my journey and inviting others to CARE with me.