H.I.I.T. It!

It's been a bit. So I have a new workout partner!! Chris has decided to join me during my workouts periodically at the gym and it has been super motivational. Working out with my best buddy is fantastic and I have been training him since he joined! The other good thing is I get to spend time with him. Sometimes after a long day at work, 90 minutes at the gym seems exhausting and I don't like missing out on Chris and Summer time. Viola! I get the best of both! Chris joins me during some of my cardio workouts as well, but I usually do 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week. This is a little much for someone just beginning, so on the days that he joins I have been showing him H.I.I.T or High Intesity Interval Training. HIIT is done for about 30 to 35 minutes and you are doing HIGH resistance, we're talking sweating bullets, to maximize fat burn in a short amount of time. I rotate the machines that I practice this on. On some machines, I have burned as much as 450-500 calories in 35 minutes! The key is finding your comfort zone and then challenging that. When doing HIIT on your highest intensity, you should not be able to carry on a conversation. If you were to take a resistance on a machine and then transfer that to a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most difficult), your goal in HIIT is to maintain from a 6 to a 10 on intervals throughout the workout. I usually begin the first 2 minutes at a 5 on my scale of intesity. It then looks something like this:

Minutes          Intensity
0-2                 5
2-3                 6
3-4                 7
4-5                 8
5-6                 9
6-7                 7
7-8                 8
8-9                 9
9-11               10
11-12             6
12-13             7
13-14             8
14-16             9
16-17             7
17-18             8
18-19             9
19-21             10
21-22             6
22-23             7
23-24             8
24-25             9
25-26             10
26-28             12 (This is when it takes everything you have to keep going!)
28-30             5

Time for a little rest and relaxation....

So far, the new year is going quite well. I've lost 5lbs in fat and still at it! Today I am taking a 'cheat' day. Relaxing and kicking back. I had sushi with some girl friends. YUM! I have found that if I don't allow myself to cheat or be imperfect every once in a while, I am doomed. I've cut out most sugars, except the raw sugar I drink in my coffee. Although, since I've cut out sugars I don't crave much sugar anymore. Here has been a typical diet for me:

6 AM Breakfast: Plain oatmeal (hold the salt) with one scoop of protein, a tsp of flaxseed, 1/4 cup of raisins, 1 banana sliced and 1 tbsp of stevia sweetner. 10 oz water (this oatmeal fills an entire bowl to the brim!)
7 AM: Coffee (yes, I do love my coffee), fat free/sugar free creamer, 1 tbsp raw sugar
12 PM: 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (flavored with cajun Mrs Dash), 1 medium sized boiled potato, 1 cup of grean beans 10 oz water
3 PM: protein bar 10 oz water
7 PM: protein shake (recipe below) *if I'm still hungry then I usually have a piece of toast with all natural PB

So far, so good. I wanted to include a recipe today. I LOVE protein shakes! The shakes they make at the gym are awesome, but I think I have control issues and I have a hard time eating things when I don't KNOW everything that is in it. I've started making some of my own shakes and they are oh so yummy. Here is a recipe for one of the shakes I like to make after a workout:

Berry Shake
10 oz of water
1 whole scoop of vanilla Pure Whey Protein
1 cup of frozen fruits (you can buy these in a bag at ANY store)
1 packet of sugar free crystal light (ANY flavor rocks! I use pomegranite, white grape and fruit punch.)

Put all of the stuff above in a blender. Blend! No ice needed, because the fruit is frozen. Enjoy!

Here are some rules of thumb that I use when picking a protein powder. You're body can not digest more than about 25 grams of protein in one go, so picking one that has 31 grams is silly. It's best to take in protein in 25 grams or less throughout the day to get what you need. Also, a lot of protein supplements taste awesome, but are full of sugar and carbs! EEK! So, I look for powders that are high in protein and low in sugars and carbs. I really like Pure Protein, but there are a ton at GNC, Lifetime Fitness, Gold's Gym etc. Make sure you read the labels!

Get Shredded!

With the new year here, I have 3 and 1/2 months to reach my get ripped goal. I'd like to look at this as not a resolution, but a decision. Like most woman, I have spent most of my life being mean to my body. I have spent countless hours critiquing every last ounce of skin. Wondering why I have such short legs, I mean I'm just asking for maybe one or two more inches? Why isn't my hair thicker? Why can't my fat be spread evenly on my body, instead of settling on my belly, hips and ass? My decision for this year is to love every last inch of my 5'2.5" body. In order to get shredded I need to listen to my body, love it and give it what it needs. Here are my, not resolutions, but decisions for 2011:
     1. Get shredded!
     2. Love every little imperfection as one more thing that makes me beautiful.
     3. Give my body the good, yummy, foods it will need to be the best that it can.
I need to change the way that I look at these things. Those freckles are rare, unique and make me stand out. Why would I want long legs, when I have these strong ones that have helped me run for miles on end? My hair may not be thick, but I have lots of it and it dries faster that anyone I know. That fat spreads to those places because I am latin and curves make a woman look like one. I need to love them. What are your decisions for 2011?