Whitney Carlson

RUN + YOGA challenge [Day 12] XT or REST

Today is a CROSS TRAIN or REST day.

Took a break around here today and rightfully so. We’ve all been working hard! And we have another group run in the AM, so that should suit us just fine.

Hope you found some peace today, whether you worked out or not.

Just joining us? Below are some links to get you started…

The synergy of running and yoga

RUN + YOGA Living Fit [Columbus] Challenge – Day One

Screen Shot 2014-09-01 at 2.55.10 PM

The challenge is below, both a picture and pdf version.

YOGA + RUN challenge [PDF version]

Disclaimer: We are NOT PROFESSIONAL runners or yogis, so make sure you check with your doctor and/or exercise professional for tips, advice, etc. We are just a group of fitness junkies who love a good challenge now and then 🙂

Cross Training photo credit to www.cycling360media.com

RUN + YOGA challenge [Day 5] XT or REST

Today is a CROSS TRAIN or REST day.

We have updated our challenge to include TWO potential REST days. We want you to feel accomplished, but not overworked!

If you choose to cross train, it can include any type of movement. Hiking, biking, walking, lifting/weights, kettlebells, kickboxing, P90x… the list goes on! The idea is to get in at least 30 minutes of movement and work various parts of your body and muscles that you don’t necessarily work doing yoga and/or running.

You can find a lot of great workouts on Pinterest, YouTube and other fitness enthusiasts websites/blogs. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Just get outside! Hike, bike, walk, just MOVE!
Our favorite fitness blogs – several have workout ideas
Jillian Michael’s Banish Fat Boost Metabolism
If doing the She Sweats 12 week run builder via Whitney Carlson, focus on that

Many of our runners do their long run on Saturdays [some doing 18 miles tomorrow!], so don’t do anything too strenuous or new on a Friday. Your body will thank you for it!

Just joining us? Below are some links to get you started…

The synergy of running and yoga

RUN + YOGA Living Fit [Columbus] Challenge – Day One

Screen Shot 2014-09-01 at 2.55.10 PM

The challenge is below, both a picture and pdf version.

YOGA + RUN challenge [PDF version]

Cross Training photo credit to www.cycling360media.com

Fitness Challenge – 12 week run builder

[t gellenbeck]

I am a business teacher and the school year is upon us once again. This means more time spent in my classroom and a little less time typically for blogging, photography, exercising, and other things I enjoy. So we are participating in a new fitness challenge to keep motivated and stay on track ~ can’t let the idea of less leisure time impact our fitness level!

We [Teresa, Peggy & even Joey] will be participating in Whitney Carlson’s 12 week run builder program. In order to train for the Buckeye Classic 10K on Nov 2, we will start the program this week. You must also finish by Nov 5 if you are entering her contest, so all the more reason to start this week with us!

For only $30, you get a myriad of benefits including a [49 page!] training manual which includes workout plans designed for the runner looking to build muscle and increase speed and stamina.

To sign up visit Whitney’s page @ http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2014/08/time-is-running-out-to-enter-our-newest-challenge.html – HURRY, you must enter by WEDNESDAY to be eligible for her prize package, valued at $200!

I found Whitney while searching online for clean recipes after the first of the year. Her recipe site, HeandSheEatClean.com has amazing dishes that taste good and help you obtain the clean eating lifestyle so many of us [attempt to] follow. Her and her husband both embraced a new way of FIT life and their transformation is amazing! Check them out below…

I participated in Whitney’s 21 day Jump Start challenge this past winter and witnessed AMAZING results, as well as a rekindled spark for fitness. I am looking forward to this challenge to help me re-focus on strength training and hopefully see an improvement in my running as well.

If you decide to join, make sure you post on our Facebook page or email us @ LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com to let us know, so we can help keep each other motivated. We also have a LivingFit Columbus prize package available for the winner if we get at least FIVE people to join!

Hope to see you on the running trail for this 12 week run builder challenge!

Five reasons you need a fitness challenge

Stuck in a fitness or health rut? Why not participate in a FITNESS CHALLENGE? Five reasons to consider starting one…

Get yourself motivated – set new goals and CRUSH them!
See quick results – many challenges will help you see FAST positive changes if you do them properly. [Just make sure you choose a healthy one… living on cabbage soup for a week is not healthy!]
Break up the monotony of a regimented fitness routine. Sometimes we just need a change or some extra inspiration!
Squeeze in some social time. Although you can certainly conduct a challenge on your own, there is strength in numbers! Enlist a buddy or find a group to complete the challenge with.
Why not?

Here are some ideas to get you started…

Check out a new fitness place around Columbus. Cheat on your favorite yoga studio and try someplace different. Take a break from your weekly running path and go test out a new one. Our running group aims to try a new fitness routine or location at least once per month. Lately we have checked out Thank Yoga and hosted running field trips at the Scioto Mile and Antrim Park. Explore your city!

Group run @ Bicentennial Park & Scioto Mile

Find an online or social media challenge. Simply searching for ‘Fitness challenges’ on Google or Pinterest will bring you lots of new ideas. One I found online was through Whitney Carlson ~ a personal trainer and wellness coach that works with tons of other [famous] fitness professionals and offers a variety of online fitness challenges [with prizes!]. I grabbed a friend, tried her 21 day Jump Start challenge and we both had amazing results! You can find anything online, from 30 day yoga challenges [check out OURS] to plank challenges to eat clean challenges. There is even a site called Fitness Challenge. If you love photos and hashtags, Instagram has lots of fitness challenges for the runner, yogi or health nut inside of you.

Try a running program. Not a runner? Try a couch-to-5K program. Like running, but only short distances? Why not train for your first 10K or half marathon? Setting new running goals will keep you motivated and focused. We are soon going to start a 12 week run builder program created by HeAndSheEatClean.com in partnership with MomsRunThisTown.com ~ looking forward to incorporating more strength training into our running routine! Moms Run This Town has a mom’s running group that meets in Dublin for group runs – find them on FaceBook for details.

Do something simple that gets you MOVING. I am currently doing a SEVEN PARKS IN SEVEN DAYS challenge with my family. This is free, easy and gets us out the door to explore a new place each day! Seven-ten days is also a good amount of time to get you motivated, but not burned out. Start simple, then increase your challenge once you have succeeded! Some achievable short-term ideas…
- Do 15 minutes of _____________ [walking, running, yoga, etc] each day from Sunday to Saturday.
- Set the timer for 10-15 minutes and just MOVE [dance, play, clean, etc] around your house each day when you get home from work ~ before you sit down on the couch ~ for one work week.
- Add vegetables to each meal for a week.
- Take the stairs at work at least once per day for two full work weeks.
- Visit a new ________________ [park, running path, hiking trail, etc] every other day for at least ten days.

A fitness challenge may be just what you need to stay focused or get yourself back on the health train. Feel free to send your ideas or seek support at LivingFitColumbus@gmail.com ~ Good luck!

Water, water, water!

Summer = heat = DRINK YOUR WATER!

The traditional advice was to “Drink your 8 glasses a day!” ~ a glass being 8 oz, so 64 oz a day. This doesn’t seem like enough compared to more recent research, as other experts follow their own rules…

Whitney Carlson, fitness trainer, health & wellness coach & blogger [author of HeandSheEatClean.com] tells her followers to drink a gallon per day.

Heidi Powell, famous fitness guru & wife of Chris Powell from Extreme Makeover Weightloss Edition states, “Drink water! Aim for half your body weight in ounces per day (150 lbs = 75 ounces). Not only is drinking water super healthy and extremely low-cost, but it also helps you feel fuller longer.”

This ClassPass blog post claims 2/3 of your body weight! (150 lbs = 100 ounces)

Whatever rule you choose to follow, make sure you add in more if you are sweating it up outside, doing some HOT yoga or indulging in dehydrating beverages like coffee [or yikes – alcohol!].

TIPS for getting in your daily dose…

buy a large water container and fill it, then make yourself finish it before bedtime. The pink one is from Amazon (Bluewave water bottles) and the blue one is from good ‘ol Walmart (Arrow – made in the USA!) Make sure they are BPA free.
use a cute water bottle or glass – you’ll be more willing to carry these around and drink from them all day (and you may get an occasional compliment… ‘cute cup!’)
Set a timer and drink a glass every hour or two… sip, chug, whatever your style! Check out Lori Crock’s article… Are you a chugger or a sipper?

Add berries, lemon, cucumber or a splash of cranberry juice if you need a little flavor. Research shows that lemon water has many added benefits…

Some great lululemon manifesto quotes include water…

Drink fresh water and as much water as you can. Fresh water flushes toxins from the body and keeps your brain sharp.

Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.

So drink up! Really, we mean it… go drink a glass NOW! 🙂

What water rules do you follow? How do you get your ‘eight a day?’ Let us know!!!

TEN DAY “CLEAN EATS!” CHALLENGE

After such success with Whitney Carlson’s 21 Day Jump Start Fitness Challenge, we are implementing one of our own… TEN DAYS of clean eating, hydrating and exercising! Whitney has her own version of a TwoWeekNoCheat challenge, but we don’t have two weeks…

Our Living Fit running group will be running the Cap City Half Marathon so this ten day challenge will end just in time to get some healthy carbs in the night before the race and then celebrate @ the 13.1 mile block party after the race.

Some goals for our TEN DAY challenge

Drink lots of water. LOTS. Half your body weight in ounces, then add extra for your intense workouts!
Eat lots of veggies. LOTS. Until you think you can’t eat one more veggie.
Eat 2 (or no more than 3) servings of fruit per day.
Eat lean protein; healthy meats, tofu, beans protein shakes (use a clean supplement, Almond Milk or PB2].
Eat (no more than) 2 servings of low GI starches (oats, squash & sweet potatoes).
Eliminate added sugars, processed foods & ‘unhealthy’ fat.
Limit high GI carbs, gluten & healthy fats (advocado, egg yolk, nut butter, healthy oils).
Work out 8 (or more) of the 10 days, including both cardio and strength training.

Wanna join us?

WE START TOMORROW! Make your grocery list and get to the store tonight!

Post your progress, comments, questions and motivational quotes on our FaceBook page and/or on Instagram @ #livingfitcolumbus & #tendayscleaneats

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please contact Whitney @ WhitneyCarlson.com or Heandsheeatclean.com if you’re interested in pursuing a fitness challenge with her that includes TLS supplements. Your results will AMAZE you!

I am strong. I am happy. I hope you find your happy too. 😉 ~ Whitney Carlson, Fitness Model & Coach

“My body, like my life, is a work in progress!” ~ Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers spokes-momma

21/21 ~ COMPLETED 21 day Jump Start Challenge!

I’m a little behind in posting… my 21st day of the challenge was actually Sunday, but it has been a BUSY week! It is the week before Spring Break so lots of ‘cramming’ going on at school and we are trying to prepare for our family vacation next week. Fun, fun!!!

If you’re just tuning in, here are some links to the first two phases;

Click HERE to see DAY ONE and my Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss Journey.

Click HERE to see phase two.

21 Day Challenge – overall results & personal thoughts —>

Successes! Reasons maybe YOU should try a fitness jump start…

You will lose weight. I lost 5.5 pounds total during the 21 day challenge. After 14 months, I AM FINALLY DOWN TO MY PRE-PREGNANCY WEIGHT! That in and of itself is enough to justify the time, money and sacrifices I made!
You will lose inches. Mine ~ Chest = 2.5 inches, Hips = 1 inch, Waist = 1 inch.
You will learn to eat cleaner. I now try to grab more veggies, fruit and protein when I’m feeling the need to snack (previously I used to grab anything carb or crunch related!) “Go-to snacks” included carrots, hardboiled eggs, bite of peanut butter. Learned to eat protein at each meal. Learned I can order a one-pump Starbucks (instead of the FOUR they put in a grande!) latte. I don’t like the ‘skinny’ artificially flavored one, I like the real deal, so one pump saves a lot of sugar!
You will become more focused on your FITness goals. Having the support of others in the group, knowing you paid money, tracking your diet & exercise… these reasons all help to motivate you to eat healthy, exercise, drink lots of water, get more sleep and DE-STRESS!

Challenges: Things to be aware of…

You may get headaches (in the beginning). This was common among several group members, your body is essentially going through withdrawal from sugar & caffeine!
You may be a bit tired (and if you’re like me, cranky!) during the detox. This is lessened if you can get a good night’s sleep, at least 7-8 hours.
You may feel weak during long cardio workouts. I found it difficult to not eat carbs during half marathon training and I think some of my runs suffered. Up your (low GI) carbs, especially in the AM, if you are training for a distance race. These include veggies, especially squash, and sweet potatoes. I even added in some oats or Ezekial bread before my long Saturday runs.
For me personally, working full time and having a 14 month old has its challenges when trying to find mommy/workout time! The pic below was taken while trying to capture my ‘AFTER’ photos… you can see for yourself!

During the ‘after’ photo shoot – happy, but clingy!

I’m not really into putting selfies of myself in a sports tank all over the internet. No judgements to people who can/do, I just choose not to because #1, I work with high school students and #2, I’m not quite where I want to be! I hope to take a family photo on vaca this week and post to my ‘weight loss journey‘, since I’m finally down to my pre-preggo weight. Overall I am extremely happy with the results and I am excited that I met my goal.

If you are debating signing up for your own ‘Kick Start’ challenge of any sort (Whitney’s, Advocare, etc) and want to see my results, email me and I’d be happy to share!

Rewards:

My promise to myself after meeting my goal was to buy one cute/work outfit and one running outfit.

Reward outfit #1 [for work]

Dress, Old Navy & Scarf, Francesca’s… only $25 total!

My running outfit will be a lululemon splurge.

Speaking of which, more exciting news on lulu coming soon! Stay tuned!

I may have splurged on a chocolate dessert… who can resist Cadbury mini eggs? Everything in moderation 🙂

Have you done a fitness jump start? What was the outcome?

Find your BEST YOU ~ start TODAY!!!

Photo credit (of scale) to; espressoandcream.com

16/21 ~ Day SIXTEEN of JUMP START Challenge

Whitney Carlson’s 21 Day Jump Start Fitness Challenge

DAY SIXTEEN…

We are in phase TWO of the fitness challenge… only a few more days!

Click here to see phase one.

Phase two consists of…

eating lots of veggies ~ I’m talking LOTS, more than I’ve ever eaten within a 16 day period in my entire life
eating (no more than) 3 servings of fruit
eating lean protein; healthy meats, beans and TLS shakes
eating (no more than) 2 servings of low GI starches which can include squash & sweet potatoes
No carbs/gluten
VERY limited fats which can include ONE SERVING of advocado, egg yolk or healthy oils (olive, coconut)
a customized FAT-BURNING workout routine. Whitney has us exercising six days per week, five of which include strength training and three+ cardio days.

DAY SIXTEEN, my personal thoughts…

Pros:

Down about 5 pounds! Lost 6 during the detox phase, but gained one back last week after adding back in protein and starches. I put the scale away this week so I wouldn’t be tempted. It is supposed to be more about INCHES and less about POUNDS.
Learning to eat cleaner, don’t have (as many) sugar cravings. Haven’t had any chocolate in sixteen days, which is an accomplishment in and of itself for me.
Like the camaraderie (we have a FaceBook group) and being in touch with like-minded fitness folks with similar goals.
Been a lot more focused on my FITness goals during this process. Great to have this JUMP START!

Cons:

Headaches for first 4 days of detox, off and on
Tired and cranky during detox (mostly the whole 7 days, according to my students :))
Now that we can have protein, I definitely have more energy. However, after almost passing out last week during a run (low blood sugar maybe?) I did ‘cheat’ and have half of a whole grain english muffin with some peanut butter before our 8 mile run this past Saturday. I decided my body needed the glucose! And I’m pretty sure I burned it off 🙂
Went to a wedding Saturday and fell off the wagon a bit. Luckily I had run 8 miles and walked 1 mile that AM, so hoping the 900+ calorie burn compensated for some of the wedding cheats. Why is it so hard to be healthy when you’re out being social? Glad I put that scale away!

Be sure to check in early next week when we reveal our total inches/weight loss amounts and MAYBE some before/after photos! We don’t want to scare you away though…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please contact Whitney if you’re interested in pursuing a fitness challenge of your own!

Click HERE to see DAY ONE and Teresa’s Weight Loss Journey.

“My body, like my life, is a work in progress!” ~ Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers spokes-momma

Here’s to LOSING weight while GAINING confidence and an even happier, healthier, FIT life!

Cheers!

Photo credit to; espressoandcream.com

8/21 ~ Day EIGHT of JUMP START Challenge

Whitney Carlson’s 21 Day Jump Start Fitness Challenge

DAY EIGHT… spring_detox-2

The DETOX phase is complete! Woohoo!

The next phase consists of being able to add a healthy, lean protein back into each meal. Still no carbs/gluten and VERY limited fats. Also consists of a customized FAT-BURNING workout routine.

DAY EIGHT, my personal thoughts…

Pros of DETOX phase:

fruits-veggies-month

cleansing body of impurities
ate more vegetables in seven days than I think I have in last seven weeks
lost 6 pounds!

Cons of DETOX phase:

Headaches for first 4 days, off and on
Tired and cranky (mostly the whole 7 days, according to my students :))

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please contact Whitney if you’re interested in pursuing a fitness challenge of your own!

Click HERE to see DAY ONE and Teresa’s Weight Loss Journey.

“My body, like my life, is a work in progress!” ~ Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers spokes-momma

Here’s to LOSING weight while GAINING confidence and an even happier, healthier, FIT life!

Cheers!

Photo credits to; www.lytnyc.com & http://farmfreshdirect.net

3/21 ~ Day THREE of JUMP START Challenge

Whitney Carlson’s 21 Day Jump Start Fitness Challenge

DAY THREE…

More of the same! Still just fruits (3), veggies (unlimited) and the TLS supplements.

You start each morning with a glass of warm water and the juice from half a lemon. The TLS info describes how it helps your gull bladder and aids in fat-burning. The photo on the right —–> from The Farmacy states other benefits, including this article from The Chalkboard. So drink up!

DAY THREE, my personal thoughts…

Yesterday I learned that too much lemon water = heartburn. I got all excited about its health benefits and the sweet taste, but I think I had one glass too many! So I’ll likely limit it to just the morning detox one and maybe one other throughout the day.

My headache had subsided upon wakening this AM, but it was back in full force by 9AM. I plan to drink more water today (although I’ve already been drinking a lot!) and I’m hoping since its day 3, this will soon dissipate. From researching and talking to others that started a day before me, the first 2-3 days are the hardest.

9PM ~ had a cup of coffee around 7PM (half decaf and a little soy milk). I am not perfect! I can’t seem to kick the headaches, so I’ve been allowing myself VERY. SMALL. CHEATS. ~ only the ones allowed, smiggins of protein and coffee. Hoping that if/when the headaches subside, I will be able to have a couple of CHEAT FREE days before this 7 day detox is over!

Off to bed. Day 3 in the books.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Follow along as we [me, my husband and mom, 2 other LIVING FIT members] document our 21 day journey. Please contact Whitney if you’re interested in pursuing a fitness challenge of your own ~ she will have another one starting April 2014.

Click HERE to see DAY ONE and Teresa’s Weight Loss Journey.

“My body, like my life, is a work in progress!” ~ Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers spokes-momma

Here’s to LOSING weight while GAINING confidence and an even happier, healthier, FIT life!

Cheers!

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