Fitness programs, workouts and so much more to help you keep active, motivated and on track.
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Join me in my first ever podcast! In this episode you’ll be able to listen to me talking you through a 10-minute interval workout. This first workout is designed for the days you just can’t fit anything else in! You can do this workout at the gym, outside or at home. Whatever works best for YOU! So, grab your earbuds, crank your own tunes and let’s get sweaty! 10 minutes! That’s all it takes!
Off you go!
Every year I plan a weekend away for our Hot Mamas in Tofino, BC. It’s our annual Yoga/Surf Retreat and 2016 was our 4th time out. We seem to do a better and better job of planning the retreat with every year and this year I came away from the event with no question as to whether the Mamas had a good time or not. Their smiles, sighs, grunts and energy spoke volumes all weekend.
Getting to the weekend, however, was no small feat. It seemed that with every step I took, something was trying to pull me away from actually being able to go. The weekend had been planned for months, but the week before an event is…well…just a bit hectic. Checking, double-checking, triple-checking hotels, activities, workouts, travel, gifts, etc…it’s a lot. On top of that, my husband had surgery a week before we left. And, not a small surgery, a pretty major one. Recovery didn’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped and he spent 5 extra days in the hospital. My house was hit by a demon flu that took us all down (except my daughter who apparently has iron guts). But no matter…I forged ahead. I will overcome. Then our fish died. I’m not kidding…really universe? REALLY?
Oh…and the Friday we were to leave was a Pro-D day! What the heck?! Kids at home, too?! With a husband just out of the hospital?! GAH! Okay…quick mad scramble to get the kids taken care of so my husband (who got home from the hospital the night before) could rest for the day (thank you to my amazing neighborhood friends!) and playdates organized as much as possible for the weekend so he can rest. Phew. Okay. I’m gonna make it!
When you organize an event, the night before you leave is always ridiculous. Little things pop up and apparently if you’re me, you decide it would be a really nice extra treat to make 4 batches of homemade Larabars to add to the gift bags because…well…a personal touch goes a long way. And, I needed to make them super peanut buttery and chocolatey because one of the Mamas coming can’t have peanut butter at home because of allergies and she LOVES peanut butter. So…that’ll be a super nice treat!
Midnight before the event and I’m madly organizing gift bags and wine because there should always be gifts upon arrival to a weekend away for Mamas who never take time for themselves! I had #hotmamastrong hand-stamped silver bracelets, Hot Mama tanks, pink and black gloves, the damn homemade Larabars, peanut butter cups (obviously) and of course, a bottle of wine. YAY!
The morning of departure: all organized and ready to go! Phew! We were Tofino-bound. In a torrential downpour. But…we made it. And when we got to Tofino, the skies cleared, the air warmed and it was a gorgeous afternoon.
25 Hot Mamas began their weekend with a workout on the beach. The sun was shining, the Mamas were swearing and my heart was filling. You see…I love teaching. It is what I’m meant to do in this world. When I teach, my soul sings. During that first workout, I found me again. There is just something about women, sand, burpees and sweat that fills me up. The energy these women brought to their weekend away was incredible. Everyone was ready to let go of everything at home and just experience the weekend. And what a gift to give yourself!
After that first workout was free time, dinner and then our first of three yoga classes. Our yoga instructor, Andrea Ting-Letts, is magic. There is no other word for her. The light around her, the energy she gives out, the positivity she radiates…you can’t do anything but embrace and love her and her yoga practice. It was delicious. All three classes were delicious. First class was an hour long guided stretch…with wine. Yes, we all brought wine to class. Second class was scheduled for after surfing and was an “Assisted Nap” and was possibly the most luxurious hour of the weekend. Our final yoga class was (early) Sunday morning and energized us for the rest of our day. See? Andrea is magic.
Alright…back to the play by play. On Saturday we started our day with a workout…because what better way to start a day?! And then it was breakfast (read bacon) and then surf time!
I loooooove surfing. Now, I’m not great at it, but if you were to ask me what my favorite moments are during this weekend I will always, ALWAYS say it is looking around at all the women surfing and seeing nothing but smiles. Seriously. Big, huge, white, amazing, brilliant, beautiful smiles. Everyone. Every. Single. Person. Now that energy? That’s amazing. We have lessons with Surf Sisters, an amazing company in Tofino that I would highly recommend for your surf lessons. And, although it was a little chilly (read really friggin’ cold) while we got the lesson, once we hit the water it was nothin’ but laughter, smiles, effort and joy.
Small shout-out to one of our Mamas who is quite fearful of the water…and ROCKED her surfing. Putting yourself outside your comfort zone and kicking fear in the face? Well…that deserves a massive amount of pride…I hope you cover yourself in that pride for months to come.
There’s also something so therapeutic about the ocean. I’m not sure whether it’s the waves and it’s power literally kicking the s**t out of you for hours on end, or if it’s the physical effort involved, but when you finish surfing, you seem to feel “cleansed”. All the troubles, all the worries, all the angst gets washed away. It’s so awesome.
The rest of the weekend is a blur of wine, walks on the beach, lazy hours staring at the ocean, silly conversations with incredible friends, yoga practice, delicious dinner (minus the jello dessert…what the f**k was that?!), sparklers, hotel room shenanigans (not the dirty kind…jeez!), dancing (for some) and a lot of laughter and love (for all). Le sigh. Perfection.
We finished our weekend away Paddleboarding with Pacific Surf Company. The lesson they provided was great and got us out and on our boards quickly. Now, it was a little “swelly” out there and some of our Mamas just weren’t feeling it. I’ll recommend that you try paddleboarding on a lake in the future because there really is something exquisite about being on the board. The rest of us, well…we got out there and paddled around on the big ocean blue. Rainbows came out to play, the sun beamed down on us and the magic of the ocean was once again brought to us. Thank you, universe. Mad respect.
And then…it was over. Just like that, the weekend was over and it was time to get back to reality. My hope is that all of the Hot Mamas who joined us for our weekend away in Tofino had a magical time. I hope that you have memories that you will laugh about for years to come. I hope that you took the time you deserve to sink into yourself and honor all you do and all you are. I hope that you slept. I hope that you got to rest. I hope you laughed and loved and cheered and honored one another.
Most of all, I hope this weekend was a reset for you. I hope that you feel rested and energized and ready to conquer anything and everything you want to conquer. Thank you. To all of you who were a part of this past weekend, thank you. Your energy, love and humor have brought me back to me and I am so grateful. I hope to see you next year…because oh yeah…you bet your sweet buns there will be a next year! Bigger and better than ever before!
See you there?!
Your body is meant to feel good. You know that, right? You are supposed to get up in the morning with energy and make it through the day with energy to spare when you put your head on your pillow at night. There shouldn’t be dips and valleys in energy throughout the day. Your energy should be a constant flow through you, not high and lows. Our bodies are meant to take us through this life feeling good, strong, healthy.
Now granted, there are trying times in Motherhood. There are sleepless nights, teething babies, tantrummy toddlers, children learning boundaries and teens with attitude. Whatever stage of Motherhood you’re at, there are trying times. Absolutely. But wouldn’t it make the most sense to give your body a fighting chance at feeling as good as possible in spite of all the outside demands in your life?
Oh yes! Yes, it does!
Ask yourself these five questions to see if there might be ways for you to “tweak” your energy and help you feel better, with more energy…all day.
Okay, this one even makes me laugh. I’m chronic 4-5 hours of sleep per night gal, but the goal is for us to shoot for at least 8 hours. Can you imagine? I just…I can’t even wrap my head around this one. But, some day…some day I’ll get there.
I digress. Sleep. It’s mega important. While you’re sleeping your body and brain are doing a lot to repair the damage you did during the day and get you ready to rock your day when you wake. Your brain is busy forming new pathways so you remember things. A lot of the so-called “Mommy brain” has to do with sleep deficiency. There’s no way you can fire on all cylinders when you don’t get sleep. The brain just hasn’t had time to restore itself and form informational pathways. Poor big brain.
AND, know what else? Sleep helps you feel less hungry. What the what?! Yup. While you’re catching your zzz’s, your body is working hard to ensure the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) and full (leptin) are balanced. Little to no sleep? Ghrelin increases and leptin decreases so you feel more hungry. What happens when you feel hungry? You eat, goober. YOU EAT…when you don’t need to.
So, for the love of your grocery budget…get some sleep!
Let’s talk breakfast first, shall we? It’s been said over and over and over that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There’s a reason and it’s because:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
I hate to be blunt about it, but…no wait…no I don’t. Eat your damn breakfast, people! I’ll even one-up it: eat your damn breakfast within two hours of waking up, people! In both Hot Mama’s 12-week nutrition education program, Body Smarts and our at-home IGNITE program we this as one of our #1 “Rules”. Why? Because it breaks the overnight fasting (unless you sleep eat), helps replenish your supply of glucose and, if you eat a healthy breakfast (Fruitloops not included) it provides energy and nutrients you’ll need to keep energy high throughout your day.
Speaking of throughout your day: eat meals and stop grazing.
I want you to shoot for eating your meals and snacks every 2-4 hours with a break of at least 2 hours without putting food into your mouth. This helps keep your body in a relatively stable zone when it comes to energy available for you to use. You’ll have a lot fewer sugar swings and dips and valleys of energy if you are able to maintain this schedule. Give it a whirl if you don’t do this yet and let me know how awesome (or not…in that case, we’ll need to talk) you feel.
I recommend that you drink between 2-3L of water per day. If you’re finding that you’re constantly hungry, I encourage you to drink more water. Many time hunger is actually a desperate plea for water. What kind of water? It doesn’t matter! Cold, hot, fizzy, flat, sweetened with fruit, with a lemon, with a straw, from a bottle, from a mug…I sound like a Dr. Suess book. Just drink the water!
Fill up a 2L bottle with water and make sure it’s gone by the end of the day. Your body is made of 75% water. Your blood? 90%. Yeah, it’s kinda super uber important. Water is important for weight maintenance (or weight loss should you so desire), heart health, brain health and it’s a major factor in energy. If you’re dehydrated you’re going to battle fatigue. So, help yourself out. If you’re feeling sluggish and tired, try drinking some water.
FYI…coffee is not water. No. Bad. Drink water. It’s the clear stuff, comes from a tap. Drink it.
C’mon, you had to know this one was coming. Exercise can help give you energy. Hormones, metabolism, endorphins, strength, cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance…oh my! Exercise and physical activity can help you in so many ways (I could write a book!), but let’s just talk about a very basic concept: the fitter you are, the easier your days are going to be.
When you’re stronger, the loads you need to carry throughout the day aren’t as difficult. When you have a better cardiovascular fitness, the demands placed on, or your feelings of perceived exertion throughout they day, will feel like less. You’ll be able to carry, haul, drag, twist, turn, dance and play for longer periods of time without fatiguing and taking a break.
Don’t even get me started on how GOOD you can feel after a workout. Endorphins, hormones, self-confidence, pride. Fitness and exercise benefit you in so many ways. So go on, go be active.
Why 60 minutes per day? That’s the recommended guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology…for both adults and children. That doesn’t mean your sweating and heaving and huffing and puffing that entire time. That means you have a 10-minute dance party with your kids, you go for a 20-minute walk, you take the stairs, you start including walking meetings. Whatever it takes…60 minutes. Every day. For the rest of your life. YAY!
Listen, I know you’re busy. I know it doesn’t seem like you can fit it in on top of everything else. I know that some of you will think taking an hour out of your day just for you is selfish. Let me be the probably 100th person to tell you: it’s not selfish, it’s critical. You need time for you. You need to time to rest, relax and breathe. You’re important. Your energy is important. I bet you’re the glue that keeps your family together…but if you dry up and get crusty you’re no good to anyone. Nice visual, oui?
Take the time, Mamas. Grab a tea and your favorite book. Book a pedicure. Go for a hike on your own. Go for a coffee with a good friend and laugh until your sides hurt. Plan that girls night out you so desperately need. Go on…go laugh and have fun. Be you. Embrace you. Enjoy you. Reflect on the positive things you’re doing in your life and focus on the good. They’re there. I know it.
It’s time to take time for self-care so that you can have the energy that your family and friends need and want from you. You’re important. Treat yourself that way.
So Mamas…how’d you do? How are your energy levels? Are there things that you can change today that can help you battle fatigue and a lack of energy. Choose one thing to focus on today. What’s it going to be?
Our bodies are meant to feel great. We’re meant to have energy all day, every day. So, make some small changes and let’s see how very good you can feel.
Me? I’ve decided to take time for self-care. I’m going to book myself a pedicure. How about you? What are you going to do today for your energy? I’d love to hear about it…comment below and let me help keep you accountable!
Good luck! You got this!
I get blamed for a lot of things in this world. And, I mean a lot. Being an entrepreneur and the Founder of a company, you get used to it. Or, at least I like to tell myself I do. I get blamed for systems not working, promotions that didn’t work, low class attendance, hard days, long days, not-enough-hours-in-the-day days. I’m often blamed if people don’t achieve their fitness goals. I’m blamed when people feel inadequate. I’ve been accused of not fulfilling promises, not supporting enough, not doing enough, not being enough. And some day, some days, Mamas…it just wears you down.
I wake most morning at 430am so I can squeeze in everything that needs to get done. Honestly, if I wake later than that I know that I won’t get everything done and I start my day feeling behind. So, on days when I hear that I’m not doing enough, I seriously question how much more I can give. I’m just not sure how I could fit more in or how I could reorganize my day.
Yesterday was one of those days. I woke at 430 and wrote an article, which needed editing and pictures and blah dee blah blah. I then did a workout, got my kids to school, worked on an SEO course to help drive traffic to our Hot Mama sites. I worked on a few surprises for our franchise owners (shhh), then I shifted to a podcast course I’m taking (yup, I’ll be podcasting soon). Then I wrote an outline for my book. I answered franchise owners questions. I answered questions from our Hot Mamas. And on it goes. That’s the life of an entrepreneur.
I love it all, I truly do. But how can I fit more in? [Read more…] about Growing & Learning from Blame
I drink a lot of coffee. And, I mean a lot. I love it. I’m sure I’m addicted to it but I certainly have no plans on changing my coffee intake. I simply love the act of drinking coffee. I love waking up at 4:30am (yes, that’s actually the time I wake up), pouring myself a hot cup of coffee and working my morning away while sipping that dark, steamy, delicious nectar. I love it.
Can coffee get better? I thought no. But, I was wrong. Enter Bulletproof coffee. I was asked to try Bulletproof coffee along with their MCT oil (they call it Brain Octane…Kaaaaa-POW!) and write about it. I thought, sure, I like coffee and how much can coffee change my day really? Coffee is coffee and I have awesome energy and am super focused, but I’ll give it a try. I like trying new stuff but I honestly doubt I’ll feel any different.
*Eats her words*.
I’m a researcher at heart, so I like experiments. I like conducting my own research. This is my personal experience with this product, but I figure I should share how my one-week experiment with Bulletproof coffee went because it was pretty interesting (fellow nerds unite!) .
Here’s what I did. I mixed one cup of my own coffee with Bulletproof Instamix (grass-fed butter package) along with 1-2 tsp of Bulletproof’s Brain Octane (MCT oil, I will explain that in a bit) for four days. During those four days, I had an abundance of energy and outlined four new projects for my company, Hot Mama Health & Fitness. On day five I thought, “I wonder if I’m just having a good week? Certainly, it’s not just the coffee”. I had energy to spare, I was more focused. But no, coffee can’t do that. Psh.
So, on Day 5 and Day 6 I drank my usual coffee, no Instamix, no Brain Octane. And…I was sluggish and unfocused. I think I stared at my computer screen for an hour before I wrote a single word. Maybe my thyroid is off again? Maybe I didn’t eat properly? It certainly cannot be my coffee.
Day 7 I added the Instamix and MCT oil back into my coffee…and BAM! I was back, baby. Energy, focus, mental clarity.
*Nom, nom, nom. These words are delicious*.
Well…NOW I needed to find out WHY. Why was this coffee affecting me so much? So, I started researching MCT oil and the effects it has on the body.
*Nerd Alert!!*
MCT Oil: medium-chain triglyceride (it’s a “good” saturated fat), named that for the length of their carbon chain. MCTs range between 6-12. For reference long-chain triglycerides range from 13-21. MCTs are easier for your body to break down because they have fewer carbon bonds to munch through. They’re also small enough they can move into cell membranes and they don’t require special enzymes to help break them down in order for our body to use them for energy.
Bulletproof’s Brain Octane is a purified form of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, in fact, it’s pure C-8 MCT, meaning it has 8 carbon bonds and has 18 times the C-8 of coconut oil! The interesting part, at least for me, is that it takes only three steps to convert Brain October to ATP (that’s the fuel your body and brain use!) compared to sugar, which takes 25 steps! What the what?!
Okaaaay…so what does that mean? Our brain is largely made up of fatty acids, so that means you need a rather steady supply from your diet to help you focus and stay on task. MCTs? Well, they’re thought to be one of the most easily digested fatty acids. When you readily available, easily digestible fatty acids readily available, perhaps they are more easily used for brain function. Now, I’m not certain about this, but that’s what I’m reading as I do my research and that’s certainly what I felt!
More and more research is coming out claiming that MCTs help with the following: increased metabolism, better mental focus/clarity, more efficient use of fat for energy, better digestion and it can help balance hormones and improve your mood. It’s magic! If you’d like to read more information, click HERE and go nerd out with me!
Now, I could write an entire article about MCT oils and why good saturated fats are important in your diet. I could write another full article on why concentrated amounts of MCT oils like you find in the Brain Octane I was putting in my coffee are better than say, coconut oil (which is still super good and yes, you should continue to use it), but this article is just about my own personal experience with these ingredients.
And for me, one cup of Bulletproof coffee changed my day. I often find it hard to write sentences like that because I’m a skeptic. But, when coffee can make you feel that good? I had better share the information.
So…my results?
Taste: Okay, I admit that I did have to get used to the taste. It is different. I put the Instamix and the Brain Octane (MCT oil) in my blender and blended up my coffee for about 30 seconds. I added cinnamon on day 3 and that made it yummier. It’s not awful in any way, shape or form, but it is different and you’ll need to get used to it.
Energy: Loads. The first day I drank Bulletproof coffee I drank it first thing in the morning. Now, I’m a morning worker-outer, and it did affect my workout negatively. This would be because energy was put to fat digestion at the time I needed the focus to be on my muscles. Lesson learned. From then on I drank my Bulletproof coffee around 10am, after my workout. My energy was high all day and I felt awesome.
Mental focus: I don’t think you realize how unfocused you are until you have days where you’re actually very focused. This was a big eye-opener for me on days 5 and 6 when I didn’t drink Bulletproof. I hadn’t realized how focused I could actually be. It was an incredibly interesting result for me.
Summary? I like it! I’m swallowing my skepticism on this one and I noticed big changes in myself during the week I tried Bulletproof coffee. Will I continue after my one-week experiment?
You bet your sweet buns I will. I have the world I need to dominate and I’ll take any and all help I can get! I’m used to the taste now and I find that on the days I don’t drink it, I miss it.
One cup a day, that’s all I need! #BulletproofCoffee
The great news? Squeee…even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you can use MCT oils and Bulletproof products in tea or hot chocolate! AND…and, and, and they also have amazing Starter Kits you can check out! YAY! I love me a good starter kit!