Check It Out!

Can you exercise and loose weight without spending any money on gadgets, equipment, and supplements...YEP! Is it more fun to have some of those things...YEP!

So here are a few of my favorite gadgets for tracking exercise and personal stats.

Microsoft Band- I wanted something to help track calories burned, running stats, biking stats, and heart rate. There are a lot of options out there and it can be overwhelming. I've had a fitbit before, and folks if you are fitbit freaks, please don't hate me, but they are HUGELY inaccurate. There is actually an open lawsuit right now, because of their inflated step tracking and other inaccurate tracking. I also didn't want something that required a separate heart monitor to be worn in order to track heart rate. So that leaves you a few options and of those the best, in my opinion, is the Microsoft Band. It's capabilities are really amazing. It has all the functions of a smart watch (think Apple Watches) text messaging, phone call, weather, facebook, clocks, calendars ect. In addition, it has amazing exercise tracking capabilities. It has a heart rate monitor built in, pedometer, UV sensor, GPS, sleep tracking that enters sleep mode automatically. It has lots of sport tracking, running, biking, golfing, and a workout routine that you can select a program and the watch will alert you through different sets of exercises. (ie sets of jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups ect.) It has a weight loss tile that tracks BMI and displays rate of loss or gain in a very helpful manner. I could really go on and on about the Microsoft Band. I've had it now for almost 3 months and love it! It ranges between $200-$250 and has a battery life (depending on usage) of about 36 hours.

Biking- If you are doing a lot of miles or getting ready to do a race there are a couple things I would recommend getting for your bike. I really felt intimidated by the clip in pedals and the cleat shoes. My husband has had some pretty bad wrecks when he was first getting used to them and my biking skills are already pretty lacking. So I had some reservations, but finally got talked into getting some. The shoes are pretty comfortable and actually clipping in is just a matter of pressure and sliding your foot into the peddle. The hard part is stopping. You have to remember to clip out, by flicking your heel away from the bike and lifting up. It takes a little practice to get it down. You will see an immediate change in your pace and stamina after using clip in pedals. It uses more muscle groups which helps not fatigue your legs as quickly. You are also apply power on the up stroke instead of just on the down stroke. This really makes a difference in triathlon training. Conserving as much energy on the bike so that you can get through the run is vital and the clip in pedals really help with that.
The other thing that I feel really helps you improve your time and cadence on the bike is a pedal tracker. If you are only riding outside you can get away with a GPS tracker like on the Microsoft Band. However, living in Utah only gives me a few months of outside riding and the rest of the time I'm on a stationary. So I really wanted something that would track my mileage. The tracker is magnetic and just clips to the pedal and the bike fork. Every time the pedal passes by it triggers it and does lots of math really quick to give you stats of mileage, cadence, and speed. Really helpful when you are focusing on training for a race and they can range anywhere from $30 for a basic version to hundreds of dollars for very fancy ones. I have a $30 my husband has an expensive one. I'd say you are fine to go cheap on this. Below on the red bike is my husband's fancy tracker and on the right are my clip in shoes (not a very good pic sorry).

Running- You may be asking yourself how many gadgets could be involved with running. Well, I have a few must haves when it comes to running. When I was training for my half marathon I was running about 25 miles a week. You figure out all the dos and don'ts when you are running that much. Number one on my list isn't a huge surprise... SHOES! Seriously, don't mess around with the shoes. If you didn't spend at least $65 on the shoes they are going to wear out and cause you feet and shin problems. I'm not super brand loyal, although my favorite are Nike, but I have tried to go cheap and always regretted it. I started the $65 rule years ago and haven't ever had a bad pair of shoes since. My Nike's usually last me around 1000+ miles. After that you start to loose support, the side walls start to get thin, and you may even begin to feel pain in your feet or shins after long runs. I don't throw the shoes away, I just don't use them for running anymore. I've had 2 pairs in the last 4 years and I'm getting new ones for my birthday in a couple weeks. Aside from the shoes I recommend a GPS tracker like the Microsoft Band. Most treadmills are calibrated inaccurately and if you are on gym equipment you are going to get really inconsistent stats. When I got my Microsoft Band and started to compare it to my treadmill's stats I was shocked at the differences. The treadmill's distance tracker is really slow and the calorie burn is way too high. I wasn't running a lot further than I thought I was and burning less calories than I thought I was. So don't trust the treadmill stats. Lastly I always run in a tight clothing, tank top, really great sports bra, and high ankle socks. Most of the clothing is preference thing, but I will say buy some running specific socks. You'll be glad you did!

Exercise with Kids

Where are my other Mommas at?!

Life with kids can be a juggling act, no secret there. Sometimes they are my favorite excuse for not getting my butt into gear and exercising. My 18 month old still doesn't sleep all night, and recently has decided his preferred time to start the day is 5 in the morning. My daughter is a threenager and frequently thinks she should rule the world.
I've tried a gym membership with daycare and about 15 minutes in I hear my name over the loud speaker. My kids just love me and can't stand it when we are apart. I can't blame them, that gym day care isn't the greatest.
Luckily, in my basement I have my bike on a stationary stand and I picked up a treadmill on a yard sale site for $100 (3 years and still going strong). So lesson one, no excuses if you want it you'll make it happen. Lesson two, don't pay full price for anything. Besides that I usually do an aerobic exercise from fitnessblender.com they have awesome workouts with a huge variety. Check out their YouTube channel.

Below is a sampling of my exercise life at home with kiddos.

Stationary Bike with Kids: Bike days usually go something like this:

"Derek, get away from the tire."
"Mom, Derek is upstairs on the table eating a candle."
"Mom, why are you going so fast."
"Mom, can you slow down you are too loud."
"Emily, stop asking me questions when my heart rate is 160."

Running on Treadmill with Kids:

"Derek, get away from the treadmill."
"Mom, you have 3 hours left."
"Mom, are you done yet?"
"Mom, Derek is in the office on the computer desk."
"Oh my gosh, Mom, Derek broke the computer."
"Mom, I'm hungry."
"Mom, Derek is poopy."
"Mom, when will change Derek?'

Aerobic Video with Kids:

"Emily, I'm sorry I kicked you I didn't mean to."
"Derek, get out from under me I can't hold this plank much longer."
"Please, don't jump on my stomach when I'm doing sit-ups."
"Mom, when are you having a shower? You stink."
"Derek, don't pull your sisters hair."
"Derek, don't pull my hair."

The Reward of Exercise with Kids:
"Mom, are you going to exercise today?"
"I love working out with you."
"I am going to be healthy like you."
"When I am grown up, will you share your work out clothes with me?"
"You are almost done, good job!"
"I love you Mom."

They aren't an excuse, they are part of why you are doing this!

A Day of Food & Exercise

Goals are only accomplished by daily choices. So what are they?

Here is an average weekday for me this past month (regarding food and exercise).

Exercise - sometime between 8:30am-9:30am for about 30 minutes burn at least 300 calories.

Breakfast- Between 200-300 Calories

Lunch- Between 300-500 calories

Dinner- Between 500-800 Calories


I have my daily goal for total calories set at 1410 (I use My Fitness Pay, more on that later). I eat back my exercise, which puts me between 1500-1700 calories consumed each day. I have been paying attention to my macros this time. I try to get close to 40% Carbs, 30% fat, 30% Protein.

Here is my condensed philosophy about food consumption. Eliminating a type of food is setting yourself up for failure. There is no way you will never eat sugar again. It is unrealistic to never eat something containing saturated fat again. You'll drive yourself mad trying to only eat organic non-processed food. So stop it! That is dieting, and that will leave you feeling depressed and unsuccessful. Instead, learn how to portion control, learn how to balance your food choices, and learn how to have the lifestyle you want and be healthy. I've done both ways and I've seen lasting success with only one of them.

The other reality is that only focusing on food, or conversely exercise, is only half of the equation. My first weight loss journey I felt so out of control with food that I focused the first 3 months only on food control. I lost 30 lbs and then stopped. I knew I was going to have to start fitting in exercise if I wanted to see more success. Take it at your own pace, but at some point in the journey focus on both food and exercise.

2016 Goals

Who doesn't make goals in January?

Well, before you completely dismiss my genuine goal setting let me say that I don't take goals lightly. I don't set goals I can't achieve. That said I've set the bar high this year. It seems like, in my adult life, I set a goal that seems right next to impossible, what would that be, highly unlikely? Anyway, I set it and think how in the world will I ever do that? Then, somehow I push myself, change, sacrifice, and BOOM! I've done it! Which is great, go me! But then next goal setting round is even more intense. That means I'm doing it right, I think?

So here they are:

• Loose 60lbs. 
• Be Happy.
• Read the LDS Standard Works (contact for details.)
• Finish a Sprint Triathlon with a competitive time in my age group.
• Complete at minimum 44 mile bike ride w/ my husband.
• (If I haven't died yet) Compete and finish an Olympic Length Triathlon.
• More time spent individually with each child.
• More husband/wife time.

Not too scary. I got this, right?