24 Day Challenge Results!

I wrapped up my 24 Day Challenge about a week ago. As mentioned in my post about the challenge, this is not a juice-fast, shake-only, starvation cleanse. Think of it as a reset. In the first 10 days you complete the Cleanse–during which you eat whole, clean foods (only avoiding fried foods, sugar, refined carbs, and dairy). You follow the Cleanse with the Max Phase which continues with whole foods, and you can cheese again :), in addition to the awesome supplements you take. 

Clean Eating at it’s finest! Tilapia, broccoli, and big ole salad!

Disclaimer: during the Max Phase you take the MNS Supplements (Metabolic Nutrition System). These supplements do contain a thermogenic that is intended to help with body composition. 

My RESULTS!

Pounds lost: 4

Okay, that is not a life-changing number. And though I was secretly hoping to lose 10 pounds, I can live with 4. Why? Well I am a girl and girls’ lives are rough for a few days every month, bloating included. I also ran a half-marathon in the process of the challenge and allowed myself more carbs than necessary on three occasions and I know that if I would have been more strict I probably would have had better results.

Note: when I say carbs I mean beer. 

But my Before/After pictures do show that I saw some progress! And I feel good. My energy is good, the probiotic does its job, and I do feel like my waist is smaller. I did not take before/after measurements because I couldn’t find my measuring tape.

I plan to continue on the MNS products along with other Advo products. Here are the ones I will continue/start to take:

• MNS E  and Catalyst (for body composition)
• Spark (only when I need it…I still love coffee)
• Mass Impact (this is a great pre-workout for HIIT and Strength workouts)
• Arginine Extreme (pre-workout for Cardio. I used this while training for the half and I tell you, it helps! I know because I am a tester so I tried running with and without it and the days I didn’t take it I wanted to pull out my eyeballs)
• O2 Gold (for cardio. Life changer. You can run, and run, and run and your legs feel strong to the finish. It helps get oxygen to your muscles and keep your lungs feeling fresh)
• Night Time Recovery (horse pills that make you not sore! I took these the night after the half and I was not sore the next day!)

Now, supplements are not for everyone and I get that. I am not recommending you take any, but if you are curious these are the ones I take. If you would like more info on these Advo products you can visit my Advocare site here. I like Advocare products because they are supported by the Sci-Med board of real doctors who have real jobs aside from endorsing Advocare. And Rich Froning (along with other Elite Athletes like Drew Brees, Jason Whitten, and Trevor Bayne) uses it. He is my favorite endorser to look at :).

Peace Out,

E

Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running…yep you read that right!

Post by Emily

I came across this article today on Yahoo.com; I was curious–anything with a title like “10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running” grabs my attention! I thought I would share it because there has to be people out there, who like me, like to workout but don’t always ever want to run. I will let you read the article to get it’s full effect but some numbers fascinated me. Take a peek below!

Kettlebell Swings- In a study by the University of Wisconsin, participants burned 20.2 calories a minute and their average heart was 93 percent of its max for the course of a 20-minute workout. That is amazing!

Tabatas- For four minutes you complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest
“This four-minute miracle drill burns major calories both during a workout and after. In an Auburn University at Montgomery study, participants who did eight rounds of all-out jump squats—20 seconds of hard work, separated by 10 seconds of rest—burned 13.4 calories per minute and doubled their post-exercise metabolic rate for at least 30 minutes.”  That is 107.2 Calories in 8 minutes people

Burpees-“A 180-pound person burns about 1.43 calories per burpee, says exercise scientist and Spartan Coach Jeff Godin. So if you can hammer out at least seven a minute you’re in the double digits. But you should shoot to average at least 10 every 60 seconds, or a rate of 14.3 calories per minute. Why? Performing just 10 reps at a fast pace can rev your metabolism as much as a 30-second, all-out bike sprint, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting.” (source: yahoo.com)

So how does all of this compare to running? Well it is assumed that for most people, running at a 10-minute per mile pace you will burn approximately 10 calories per minute. If you are running faster, you will have a higher burn rate.

So to burn 300 calories I would need to do one of the following:

• Run for 30 minutes at a 10 minute mile pace (6 mph on a treadmill)
• Complete 14 minutes of kettlebell swings. This seems like a lot too!
• Complete 3 rounds of tabata jump squats (12 minutes working out)
• Do 20 minutes of burpees (10 burpees per minute)–probably not 🙂

Doing these might seem like a lot, so I created this Tabata workout for you!

• Tabata #1: Jump Squats & Pushups
  • Alternate each work interval with Jump Squats and Pushups; it will look like this (20 seconds jump squats, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds pushups, 10 seconds rest, repeat these two intervals 6 times). Rest 1-2 minutes before going on to Tabata #2.
• Tabata #2: Burpees & Walking Lunges (add a bicep curl to these if you are feeling frisky). Rest 1-2 minutes before completing Tabata #3
• Tabata #3: Kettlebell Swings & Mountain Climbers (from a plank position)

Complete this workout for an awesome 12-minute workout that will leave you burning calories all day long!

**Note, I am not a personal trainer and by doing this workout you are doing it at your own risk. It is always necessary to consult your physician before beginning a new exercise routine. Don’t sue me, you won’t win.

With Love,

Emily

Things I Don’t Understand About Running…

Post By Emily

So we are four weeks out from our half marathon in OKC. Where has the time gone? As my runs get longer I am finding there are many things I do not understand about running and the affects it has on the body. So here is my Top 5–enjoy!

1. Long runs tend to be easier than weekly runs.

I know it sounds strange, but my long runs on Sunday are usually more enjoyable than my regular weekly runs. I think my mind is very different for long runs–I am mentally prepared for them to royally suck, while my regular weekly runs I am thinking along the lines of “Easy three and then I am done.”

2. Running 6 miles does not mean you can eat 6 times the amount of food to recover 🙂

Okay, maybe not six times–but running longer distances (for me anyway) has not been a shortcut to turning into those super-skinny runners we see on TV. Proper nutrition and portion sizes still remains important in the overall scheme of health and wellness. Bummer.

3. People in small towns find runners to be the best form of evening entertainment.

Seriously. People drive by me up to five times on my runs. Which means they are bored, nosy, stalkers, or all of the above. So people, I will only waive once. End of discussion.

4. My GPS watch and phone are never the same when tracking distance.

I have been using the RunKeeper app (it will do timed intervals for FREE!) and my Soleus GPS watch and they are never the same. No matter where I run. I don’t understand. But I stick to my phone as far as accuracy and my watch for intervals–if I am going to run different paces for certain distances.

**Side note–If you are running any form of timed intervals, find an app or watch that will alert you when to change paces so you don’t have to constantly check the time. It makes the runs go so much faster.

5. I keep signing up for races

Whit and I are running a 10K this Saturday to use it as a prep race for the half. I am going to use it to practice my race strategy for the big day. But we also have decided on another race this summer–and I have been looking into races in the fall. I guess it is my addiction to finishing things–and race t-shirts. But I still do not like to run. I know….there is something wrong with me.

Why core and strength matter for running

Post by Whitney

Running injuries are unfortunately fairly common for runners from beginners all the way to seasoned pros. The monotonous motion using the same muscles over and over can lead to issues. That is part of why I chose to make the investment in a running coach last year while training for my first full marathon. I am a naturally inflexible human….. like there are rocks with more range of motion than I have. I knew that combined with past injuries from my high school glory days and that one time I tried to beat the softball to third base (I was safe), my intense training could lead to problems. I needed the expertise of a coach to help me train holistically.

How did it go? I didn’t suffer one single injury! How you ask? Core and strength. Hands down. I have always been active and have even lifted weights quite a bit, but having a naturally flat stomach lead me to neglect core workouts. I have read much literature about how important a strong core is. What the heck does core mean, though?! I pretty much knew abs were good but that was it. Core basically includes all the muscles in the core part of your body (duh). They are what provide stability and take a lot of pressure off your legs as you cover many miles. It’s not just your abs either. It’s your sides (obliques), back, hips, and glutes, too.

The red areas are what comprise your core muscles.

Having a history of hamstring injuries, I truly believe that focusing on building core strength and even greater leg and upper body strength through weight lifting, kept me from injury. I did have a tiny twinge of a tendon issue in August from slipping on gravel, but that was a freak incident, not from overuse.

A strong core may allow you to learn weird, useless tricks.

So, how do you add core and strength to your training? I enjoy random videos, pinterest ideas and body weight moves. Think crunches, planks, light dumbbell weight moves like bicep curls and shoulder press, superman back extensions, lunges, squats, calf raises galore.

Core can be a game, too! Challenge friends to hold death moves like “6 inches” where you hold your feet up as long as possible.

If you want more specific ideas, look for my next few posts where I will suggest work outs to try!

Until next time, Whitney

Dominican Adventure!

Hey Guys! It has been a few weeks now, but in January, my family and I traveled for a relaxing week in the Dominican Republic. We went to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Resort.

It was incredible!! Beautiful weather and an incredible beach lead to a fun week.

Since it was a Hard Rock, there was memorabilia and fun rock items all around the resort. Including Madonna’s outrageous limo in the lobby. We were told to “turn left at Madonna’s limo” when we got there and I was rather confused until seeing this bad boy.

Three of my sisters, their husbands, my parents, and Luke went along!

We ate entirely too much, which is actually a requirement of an all inclusive in case you didn’t know. When you’ve already paid for it, you might as well consume it!

Aren’t we cute? Spending an uninterrupted week  with the husband wasn’t too shabby either. All in all, it was a fantastic week and I came home rested with a sweet tan. Can’t complain about that!

Until next time, Whitney

Oklahoma CityHalf Marathon…. Here we come!

It is done. I have signed up for my 5th half marathon! Though I hope to go for a new PR and run it without walking, I’m just excited to be a part of it. I have heard nothing but greatness about the meaning involved in this race. I can’t wait to take part and to support it! Emily is running it too (her first!!!) as well as several others we know. We will be keeping you updated on how our training is going, what we are doing to prepare, and how you can train for one too! So, stay tuned! T-minus 84 days to race day!
Until next time, Whitney

Why you should workout when you don’t feel like it…

Post by Whitney 🙂 Now, I’m the first one to admit that there are times when you should seriously take a break. If you have been sick, are recovering from an injury or something similar, by all means sit on the couch. If you’re just feeling super lazy like I was earlier? Get your butt up and do something. My workout for today was 45 minutes of cross training per request of my running coach. I knew I wanted to do an arms workout I got by email from Livestrong that would take 30 min. http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/dashboard/workouts/ How did I trick myself into doing it? I turned on the video. Really. That’s enough to get me curious and off my seat. So, I’m standing there in my work clothes warming up my arms and thought “maybe I should put on a tank” so I did that. Then, the workout picked up and I had to do some push-ups which don’t work well in jeans when you do sissy push ups on your knees. Next thing I know I only have 10 minutes left and I’m in full workout gear.

Did it hurt? Yes. Did I die? It was questionable for a moment, but no. Once the 30 min were up, my arms were shaking but I had 15 min of training left, so back to the email I went. Home workouts caught my eye and one was for a 15 minute leg workout found here. Seeing that I’d need some kicks, I threw on my closest pair and went to work. My friend Melanie can attest to the fact that my post workout texts were not precisely encouraging, but I was done! A bonus? I needed breaks between leg reps so now my kitchen is clean and my floor is vacuumed too. It doesn’t always work out this well, but you never know until you try!

Until next time, Whitney

Easy Clean Eating Weekly Meal Plan

Nutrition is a huge part of health and fitness. Ever heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen?” Well without a plan for how your week is going to go, and what you are going to eat you will likely run into the frequent roadblocks that many dieters and healthy eaters alike face–oh, I don’t know what to make for dinner so I will just order a pizza. Now, I myself have done this (I love a good slice of pizza!) so I am sharing with you an easy to follow meal plan that I use often.

***Now, I am not a registered dietician and these are simply serving suggestions and may or may not meet your caloric or macronutrient needs. If you want super scientific, this is not the blog for you.

You will notice that I eat the same meal multiple times a week for breakfast, lunch, and my snack. This makes prep easier (less work), grocery shopping easier (same list every week), and it is easier on the wallet (fewer ingredients to purchase)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Best Breakfast Sandwich 2 slices Whole Wheat Toast, 1 egg, Spinach	Protein Pancake 1 scoop Protein 3 egg whites ½ banana 1 tsp. almond milk Cinnamon if you want!	½ c. Old Fashioned Oats made with water or milk, 1 banana, 1 t. Peanut Butter	Best Breakfast Sandwich 2 slices Whole Wheat Toast, 1 egg, Spinach	Protein Pancake 1 scoop Protein 3 egg whites ½ banana 1 tsp. almond milk Cinnamon if you want!	½ c. Old Fashioned Oats made with water or milk, 1 banana, 1 t. Peanut Butter
Tuna Patties ½ sweet potato 1 c steamed broccoli	Tuna Patties ½ sweet potato 1 c steamed broccoli	Tex Mex Bowls Chopped Veggies with Dip	Tex Mex Bowls Chopped Veggies with Dip	Tuna Patties ½ c brown rice 1 c steamed broccoli	Tex Mex Bowls Chopped Veggies with Dip
Salsa Chicken w/ black beans and brown rice Green Beans	Chili with venison	Lemon PepperTilapia, brocolli, brown rice	Tacos Ground Beef, Lettuce, Tortilla, Tomoatoes, Black Beans	Crunchy Chicken, Brocolli, roasted potatoes	Roasted Chicken, Green Beans, Potato bake (Pinterest Recipe)
am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter	am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter	am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter	am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter	am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter	am Yogurt w/ blueberries and granola pm rice cake w/ Peanut Butter

My recipes are often super simple and easy to put together. Supper can be a challenge because my husband likes to eat carbs and cheese and always have dessert, but marriage is about compromise—so we only eat dessert once a week.

Best Breakfast Sandwich– crack one egg in a skillet that you have sprayed with nonstick spray (I use Canola). Cook on medium heat- you can scramble or leave it whole. Toast two slices of Whole Wheat toast (I like the Sarah Lee 45 cal kind). Put cooked egg on toast, top egg with ½ c raw spinach, cover. Enjoy!

Protein Pancake– combine all ingredients. Cook. You can also make them into waffles and make them ahead. Tons of recipes out there–check out Tone It Up, I use their recipe!

Tuna Patties- Combine 3 cans of chunk tuna in water, 1 egg, 1-2 tbsp of bread crumbs or almond flour, 1 scallion chopped, and 1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning. Heat large skillet and spray with non stick spray. Form patties and cook until done.

Tex Mex Bowls- 4 oz cooked ground turkey/beef, ¼ black beans (canned), ½ c brown rice, 1 tsp cheddar cheese. Put into tupperware containers. Top with salsa and shredded lettuce and avocado if you have it. I LOVE THESE for taking my lunch to school!

Salsa Chicken-In crockpot dump 1 Jar Herdez Salsa (green, red, whatever you want), fill jar half full with water, 1 lb frozen chicken breasts, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp, cayenne. Cook on LOW for 7ish hours.

Lemon Pepper Tilapia– thaw Tilapia (or any other white fish–I buy whatever is on sale) if it is frozen, drizzle lightly in olive oil. Cover with desired amount of Lemon Pepper, Bake @375 for 10 minutes.

Crunchy Chicken– Combine ½ c. bread crumbs, ¼ c. parmesean cheese, 1 tbsp of Ranch seasoning in ziploc bag. Add thawed chicken cutlets to bag and shake until they are covered. Sear cutlets in olive oil in a heated skillet, 1-2 minutes each side. Place cutlets into a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes (maybe longer depending on the thickness of your chicken).

I will make the tuna patties and tex mex bowls on Sunday. I will also make my Yogurt Parfaits and chop any veggies I will use throughout the week. I don’t mind cooking in the evening so I usually just make sure my meat is thawed out.

Litehouse Opa Greek Yogurt Dip in Feta Dill is sooooo good with broccoli and mini peppers 🙂

What do you like to eat? If you have any simple staples you would like to share, we would love to hear from you!!

Oyster….. The Netflix of books

Post by Whitney 🙂
Some people feel bad keeping personal Christmas gift lists, or don’t make suggestions. I on the other hand feel that it is entirely appropriate to make shopping easier on my loved ones by telling them exactly what I want. I have four sisters and ten nieces and nephews. My mother appreciates that I email her links and descriptions for what I want on my birthday and Christmas, way ahead of time.
Now that you know my life story, let’s get to the point. Other than some (super cute) leggings, a vest, and a dress, I asked for a year subscription to Oyster for Christmas.

I first learned about Oyster through the Hungry Runner Girl blog. She explains every detail about it (since it was a sponsored post….. someday…) but it is legit. Basically for $9.95 a month you can read any book from over 500,000 in their library!

Here’s a snapshot of my reading list. Oyster also makes it convenient to search any genre for specific books.

I have a lot of running books, fantasy books, and a few biographies I want to read. Currently, I’m reading American Sniper. It’s super convenient because you can read on your iPad, iPhone, or most smart phones! Well worth the monthly fee in my opinion since a book from a store costs more than $10 and you will probably only read it once. Download is nearly instantaneous, too! Basically, what the heck are you waiting for. Sign up. Tell them I sent you. Actually I don’t think you can, but if so, do. I’m off to read before bed. Enjoy!
Until next time, Whitney.

Running and Resolutions

Post by Whitney 🙂
Since we haven’t written in soooo long, we have a bit to catch up on. Like how I had the most amazing few running months of my life this summer and fall. In June I decided to take on the full marathon. I’m not sure what it was, but I just KNEW I was ready. I had been working with a running coach for a couple months and finally decided I’d take the plunge. Amazingly, I stayed healthy the entire training through October 12th! My times and strength kept improving, so I also decided to shoot for a new half marathon PR as part of a long run.

Somehow, in the middle of September, we had perfect conditions. My running buddy Austin sacrificed his manhood essentially and ran a women’s half marathon with me. He was called a lady that day more than I thought possible… I originally went for a PR, shooting for 2:09, but as I mentioned earlier, the conditions were perfect. Halfway we realized I was on pace to hit my actual half goal, getting under 2 hours! We kicked it into gear running at about an 8:15 pace which would have been unheard of for me just a few months prior. We crossed the line at 1:57 and I was pretty much in shock. P.S. The See Jane Run half is where it’s at. You get chocolate and champagne at the finish line. Boom. Also, I got third place in my age group! Very exciting day!

A short time later, the Prairie Fire full marathon came along. I had only completed an 18 mile run prior to the race because of a thunder storm whilst attempting the 21 miler, so I was a bit nervous. ( nervous face)

Once again though, Kansas shocked me with decent weather. Also, my awesome parents woke up at 4 am to drive to the race and cheer me on. With thousands of humans at the race line, I somehow managed to literally run into my father. Austin ran this race to, though he originally planned to stay with me for half then run his pace (aka muuuuch faster than mine) for the rest. I accidentally prayed that I wouldn’t have to run by myself for the second half, and got my wish. One of the biggest race day rules is to never try something new. Well, he didn’t listen and managed to eat AND drink new stuff before the race. By mile 4, he was hurting bad enough that he had to stop running. I didn’t see him again until mile 13. He had not only stopped for over 20 minutes to use the bathroom, he had stopped at a random guys house because he wasn’t going to make it to a port-a-pot. Please find this as hilarious as I do. In total, he stopped for 35 minutes to fix his bowel issues. But here’s the kicker, he beast moded it and still caught up to me! This man is also shooting for a Boston Qualifier in April and he is gonna destroy it! So, I got my wish and had a companion for the final 12 miles. My parent pit crew got me Motrin and a quick back rub at mile 18. My time goal was sub 4:30 and we passed the 4:30 pacer around 19 miles. I didn’t really hit a wall until mile 24, but man it was rough. You get to a point where even walking hurts so you might as well keep running. 4:26 was my official time and we crossed full marathon off the ol’ bucket list! All in all the training wasn’t as bad as I expected and I’d like to do more in the future!

Enough about the running. Here are my 2015 resolutions!
1. Use less plastic, especially plastic bags.
2. Make photo albums including one from our wedding. I take the internet and digital photos for granted. I would like hard copies.
3. Learn to play guitar proficiently! I have started several times, but this is the year!

Fitness wise I really just want to run throughout the year, and have the OKC half marathon in April to look forward to.

What are your resolutions? Share them in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.
Until next time, Whitney.

P.S. Here is my hot husband and I in our annual Christmas pic.