Your workout your way

How are you doing on your training program?  Are you sticking to your calendar??!
Hope so.

Ready for a new workout video?  Do you want this one to have a little more, well... shall we say "you" in it?  This workout video will be comprised of exercises that you pick.

That's right you get input on this one.  All you have to do is pin the exercise move Here.  To be allowed access to the board all I need is your Pintrest name or e-mail. (I do honor privacy on e-mail) You can leave your info in the comments or e-mail me. jamie@efficientbody.com

You can pin as many moves as you want.  This is my valentine to you.  Your workout, your way.  So get pinning:)

I'm in the kitchen today making healthy calzones, and other fun stuff.  I'll share my creations with you oh so soon.

p.s.  I've got videos back up on the routine gallery for your convenience.

Recipe for Life

My husband and I had a discussion this morning about religion and people's views on it.  He is worried about some friends who stopped coming to church and wanted some thoughts on what to do.

My advice?  The Recipe for Life.

I as I do with most things I related them to fitness and health.  But the theory is universally applicable to anything.

I told him of the struggle it is to get out of bed on a cold tired morning with a giant To-Do list and to say "First I must exercise."  It's tough but I do it.  Why?  Because I don't want the other result.  I don't want to be weighed down with excess fat and not have energy to play with my kids(been there) or go hiking.  I don't want any extra (I already have some) health problems complicating life and keeping me on pills, in bed, or the hospital.(seen it) I want a good quality of life more than I want quantity.

Because I don't want any of that I have to act now and every day to make sure that my actions coincidence with the result I want.  It's by looking to the future that we can better judge the present. 

He's remarks were funny yet empowering.  He said "No one wakes up in the morning and says: 'I want to be fat'.  People just don't think like that."

They don't? Maybe we should. It changes everything.

Take Ebenezer Scrooge or the modern version, the film "13 going on 30."  Only through seeing where their present course of life would take them were they able to readjust and commit to change.  They didn't want to be that future person so they lived the present differently.

If we wake up and say who we are and what we want to be, we instantly have a source of power.  Motivation.  A reason for doing what we want to do.  Which then gives us more momentum to recommit to our decision.

That in essence is the Recipe for Life.

If you know how to commit to something, making it a daily or at least regular practice then you can be successful in anything.  Religion, marriage, health, careers.  Because the commitment, diligence, and handwork are all transferable.  Will we be perfect?-No.  But we can get close.  Especially if we plan properly.

That is why if you can live a healthy life you can succeed across the board.  Because you know how to commit and push past the burn.  Nothing worth achieving is easy.  It's not.  But it's just that, worth it.

So the next time you wake up remind yourself who you want to be and take action immediately.  Then just as Ebenezer and Jenna did, keep that goal, that ideal in your heart all day and every day.

Time Management 101

Lately I've had lots of friends and bloggers all talking and wondering the same thing:  How to do it all, how to have fun, how to feel a sense of accomplishment.

It all boils down to one thing: Time Management.  While I'm not perfect, and have fallen into traps that have slothfully wasted many days, I do know how to get things done.

I am embarking on a big project that will more extensively answer some of these questions, hopefully in a fun manner.  But until that project is done here, is a tip to get you started.

Schedule.  Scheduled everything!!!  Naps, free time, story time, chores time, work time.  The whole enchilada.  What ever your day looks like get it written down. That way every reasonable thing has a time and a place and can get done. 

Here is what one of my schedules look like:

This is one of four different schedules I have for every week.  I have my training days scheduled, non-training days, meeting days, and weekend.  Reason: Each of those days differs greatly, and I  need to be productive and accomplish very different tasks each of those days.

The things that are consistent are: family meals, exercise, play with kids, and spiritual study.   These things are the important ones that will happen daily.  They may happen at slightly different times or in different lengths of time but they  happen none the less.  These things that I can't/shouldn't live with out.  Those get scheduled first and the rest of the blanks get filled in.

Also the season changes our schedule too.  In the warm spring and summer we get up an hour earlier. 

It may feel silly.  But this is really an effective tool to see 1. how you spend your time 2. how to use your time 3. find balance.  So I challenge you to  be cheesy and map your day out and see how you do and the difference it provides in your life.

p.s. It's helpful to wear a watch too.

Goals:  Guys, I was terrible on my goals.  Really terrible!  It was because my heart wasn't in it.  I wrote down to not eat chocolate hoping it would change me.  But I didn't commit to it.  So word to the wise commit first.  Don't do something you should do  unless you've got your heart in it too.  Both of my goals I will be re-doing.  This time for real!

Health-No chocolate (until Monday when new goals are made;)

Personal- Get the darn page scrapbooked.

How to get out of bed

It's cold, and dark.  You are snuggled warm under layers of blankets, you should get up and start your day but you just don't want to...  The snooze button has gone off and your still there struggling with yourself.  You need to get up but can't.

What to do?

No one can blame you getting up can be hard sometimes especially after all the holidays are over and those last few months of cold winter is still here to endure.  Here are 5 things you can do to help you get out of bed and maintain a healthy and happy outlook on life.

1. What do I want to do today?  This is what you should ask yourself. What do you want? Scrapbook? Bake? Pinterest? Exercise?  Pick something fun something you want and put it on your TO-Do list.
2. What do I need to do today?  In answering this question keep the list short.  But do make it a need.  I need to go to work. I need to go grocery shopping. I need to clean the bathroom.
3. I will... Make a commitment to do something that will make your a better person, something to help you accomplish your goals. Such as exercise, play with the kids, work on a project ect.
4. Have a day off. If your schedule allows choose a day that you actually can stay under the covers.  My husband and I take turns on the weekend. I would sleep in on Saturday and he'd get the kids ready in the morning and then I would let him sleep in on Sundays.
5. Go to bed on time. Adults need bedtimes too.  If your up late watching the game, computer or T.V., anything it's gonna be hard to get up at a decent hour.  The old saying is still true: Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. Or as a Professor of my always said "Get up before the sun so you can get things done."

Compile your To-Do list from each of these steps and you will have both strong purpose for getting up as well as motivation. And you can always count down to your snuggle day;)

This is something I use all the time from January to the end of February to get me through those

frigid indoor months.

Goals:

Personal- scrapbook one page

Health and Fitness- Don't eat any chocolate

Train With Me (free) for Two Months- Part II

The moment you've all been waiting for!  Your second video, "The 30 Second Circuit," as a part of your two month train with me program.

As usual repeat this 3x through for a complete kick your butt, get your sweat on workout.

Also don't forget to plan your goals for the week!
Last time I missed my "call a friend" goal.  I did call a friend, but not the one I intended too.
So I'm re-doing that one.  But my fitness goal is a Check!  I did add 15 minutes on to my routine that day.

Make your own or use mine.

Goals:

Personal- Call a friend

Health- Dink more than I eat (and no we're not talking actually "drinking."  This is a health blog, nice try though.  We're talking water;)

Train with me for 2 months

Guys, I'm so rude!
Here you come to visit me all the time on my blog (what a good friend) and I don't even give you a Christmas present.  What a Jerk.

So let me make it up to you.

Here is your copy to print, pin, or a really good idea is to set it as your backdrop on your computer so you'll see it all the time and be reminded of your goals and to do your workout.

I want you to pick a time every day that you can spend to exercising. Also note on the calendar that there is "you time " on the days were there is no routine scheduled, option A: is to do your own workout if you are advanced or really ambitious.  Option B: do something for you i.e read a book, craft, shop whatever.  But do all these at the same time. So if you work out at 1:00 then on "you time"  Read your book at 1:00.  Get it?  This is important to creating a habit.  Which is what we want.  Your exercise is to be scheduled and regular.

The name above the "work out with me" icon is the name of the video.  Can be found on this blog and on YouTube.  (the second video will be posted on Monday-sorry.  So you'll have to sub in the New Year's Countdown for today if you've not worked out already)

Take on this challenge to follow your calendar.  It's gradual, so don't freak out.  You can do this.
Remember: If it's important you'll find a way.  If it's not, you'll find an excuse.

My goals this week I did accomplish!  My bread tasted great, almost too great. (I eat it all the time)  And My hubby laughs when I rush to the door to be the first one to him.
How did you do?

New ones:
Personal: Call a friend
Health: workout 15 extra minutes

A New You- 5 Steps to Success

The most common New Year's resolution is to loose weight.  Close behind that is to be more organized, and also to live a more balanced life.

Data presented by the University of Scraton states that only 45% of Americans make resolutions.  Of those 45% only 64% continue past the first month.  By 6 months out it drops to 46% and then only 12% actually reach their goals.

Does this sound familiar? These are sad numbers! No wonder people think Americans are so slothful and don't amount to much.  I think this reflects two things.  One, because we're not working hard any more.  We've lost the value of sweat and physical labor, the prerequisite to the American dream.  So often we except it to happen and blame others when it doesn't.  I hope you do not fall into this category.  The other, we don't know the way.  Unsure of how to get where we want to be.  How to endure the long road to success.  Where is happiness and how to get it.

My Friend let's be the 12% and hopefully it will become 25% as we lead other to achieve as well. Let's do this together.
To make this year a success answer the following:

1.What do you want?

Label your goal here.  And be specific! Loose weight is not specific.  Lose 20lbs is.

2. Why?

Give your purpose here. Don't be superficial, get deep why do you want what you want. An example: I want to lose weight so I can have more energy to be with my kids and play with them. I want to be a good example of health and self-esteem.  Through fitness I can be more loving and patient.  I don't want my kids to grow up without having good memories of family time.  I want to have a relationship with them now so when they are teens we can communicate better and they know I'm always here for them.

3. Baby Steps

Here I want you to give at least 5 steps of how you will accomplish your goal.  List as many as you can but at least 4.
Example: Exercise 3x a week, Cut out fried foods, get to bed early, start eating whole grains, cut drinks.

4. Action

For every step you need a plan of action.  How are you going to fulfill that?  Example: I will exercise 3x a week at 7:00am by doing home workout videos.
See how it's every specific on what, how, when?  That's what we need.

5. Emergency Plan

List what you are going to do when you don't want to do a step, or forget to?  Such as what will you do when you go on vacation or are sick and miss exercising?  What about when you really really want those onion rings?  What ya gonna do?
Example: I can have one cheat a month.  Only one. When I go on vacation I will bring my resistance bands or do laps in a hotel pool.
The point is to make sure you have all the situations planned out.  The good the bad and the ugly.


*Also very very helpful is to enlist some help.  Get your friend, sister neighbor on board with you. someone who will encourage you when you need it.  I'm also available.  Need help or advice? Leave me a comment, e-mail, or tweet me (@efficentbejamie)

Goals are so so important  if we are to achieve anything it is through goals and acting on them.  So print the above picture out, and fill it out.  And lets be successful together.  I'm going to start sharing my goals with you.  One personal and one health related.  You can join in on mine or choose your own.  But please make them.

Health: Make bread with freshly milled flour (it's so healthy!)

Personal: Be the first to greet my husband when he walks in the door.

 p.s. Pin it to share with your friends.

Nutrimill

So I decided on the Nutrimill, because I'd take bulky over something that I could easily damage.  I'm not a very delicate person.  Quite clumsy in all aspects.  This one seemed more durable and me-proof.
Another reason I chose it is because it produces a finer flour that the Wonder Mill and that is very important in making a good all-purpose flour.
I'll test it out when it comes and let you know how it rides.

 And here is your workout I promised.  It's a New Year's theme.  We do 10 different exercises back to back in a countdown fashion.  Repeat this 3 times through.  This is the first routine that will be part of your 2 month plan.  More details to come.  For now gives this a go. Be fit, and have fun!

 

p.s.  To make things easier for you Pin the top picture to your health and fitness board so you can quickly find this routine whenever you want to do it.