New attitude

I have been so blessed to be in a bible study for the last 6 months or so, studying a Beth Moore study "A woman's heart, God's dwelling place." And may I be so bold as to say that it was life-changing? That Beth Moore, she is so blessed and gifted with sharing God's Word. Oh how I am just so thankful for her!

So at the end of our study on Tuesday, 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 was a culminating verse and point that stood out to me like never before. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." It doesn't say "Try your best to honor God with your body" the Bible says HONOR GOD with your body.

I realized that his body of mine really is just on loan. The passage tells us that we 'are not our own. We were bought at a price,' so my thoughts of being able to do whatever I want and eat whatever (either good or bad) I choose are really false thoughts, because this body I have is just on loan to me from God. He fully expects me to take care of it and to honor Him with it at all times. What a privilege! I am so thankful he trusts me so much to care for something that HE, the God of the Universe has made.

So now, more than ever, I am committed to taking care of this body, this outer shell that He has loaned to me. And when I say 'take care of it' I don't mean get it to look the way the world thinks it should look, I mean nurturing it, giving it the food, water and REST it deserves and showering it with love as God would do. It is His anyways, the least I can do is care for it like He would. That's what borrowing means right?, taking care of something that isn't yours and giving it back to the rightful owner in its original shape. Not borrowing something then giving it back all broken and bruised, what kind of respect does that show?

I am thankful for the reminder that this shell of mine is valued and was painstakingly created just for me, as yours was for you. Psalm 139:13 tells us "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

I have seen over the last 6 months of this Beth Moore study how beautiful each of us really are and that God wants nothing more than for us to appreciate the body He has loaned to us. Let us respond by nurturing our bodies, not wishing they were different. We are in fact, wonderfully and fearfully made!

Your choice

Oh my, has it been a long time since I posted to my blog- sorry for the delay. My life has changed significantly in the last 4 months, with the biggest change coming from my left ankle that is now in a pretty pink cast. I found out in September that I have a stress fracture in my talus bone along with 2 cysts. (Look for another post on this later!) So, three casts later, I am still on crutches and waiting for my next CT scan on December 1. So needless to say, I haven't been training much because I am not supposed to be putting any weight on my foot at all, to allow it to rest. This is week #10 on crutches and week #8 in a cast.

So I MISS MY CLIENTS! I miss taking people through workouts that show them they are strong and tough inside. I miss catching up on my client's daily life and being apart of their journey. I miss pushing them to their limits just to see them succeed and begin to believe in themselves a little more. I miss being a personal trainer.

But I am just that, a personal trainer. Through this time off, that thought has become even more apparent to me, that I am only a piece of the equation. I can't do the hard work behind the scenes of getting someone healthier. I am just a coach who equips people with the tools to succeed, it is ultimately up to them to change their life. So although at times I try to take over and WILL a better life for my clients, I know that it is ultimately not my choice, it is theirs. So even though I am not in a position to physically coach them to a healthier life right now, they can still make the choice to live healthy and energetically without me, because it is their choice, not mine.

So may I encourage you today to live a life that is full, healthy and filled with good choices all day long. Be blessed in this day, be blessed.

WORLD Conference

I am off to IDEA WORLD Conference for five days! Lots if new choreography, exciting business possibilities, and new torture... I mean training ideas! Be back in a week... California here I come!

Variety

Variety spices up your diet, your workouts, and your life... it is KEY to staying motivated and interested in your pursuits of a healthy body and mind. Here are a few ways to spice up your diet and your workouts...

DIET:
** Eat breakfast foods for dinner and dinner foods for breakfast. Who says you can't have eggs and toast at dinner and a chicken wrap for breakfast? It will help change the way your body processes carbs and proteins and rev up that metabolism!

** Buy one new fruit and one new vegetable at the grocery store (or farmer's market) and find a new recipe to use it in. Websites like www.allrecipes.com and www.recipezaar.com are wonderful resources. Maybe try a papaya, star fruit, or ugli fruit today. Or perhaps kohlrabi, radishes, or swiss chard for dinner tonight?

** Challenge yourself to use only what's in your refrigerator and pantry to create new flavors and foods. Include a new flavor or two from that rarely used spice rack to spice it up!

WORKOUT:

** Try a new machine at the gym like the rowing machines or the Versa-climber. Using new muscles will expose your body to new planes of movement and burn more calories because it always works harder at a new exercise.

** Try a 10-10-10 workout... 10 minutes on the treadmill (with a 2% incline walking or running), 10 minutes on the bike (increase resistance to at least 4) and 10 minutes on the stair stepper or Elliptical (using your core strength to hold you up... no leaning on the railings!!)

** Add in a jump rope to your strength workout to kick up the intensity! 100 jumps between sets will increase cardiovascular endurance and a get a good sweat on!

Stay on track and keep spicing it up...

Playground workout

Have you ever been at a park with your kids and wanted to make the most of your time outside? Why not work out while they play?

Depending on the play structure, there are LOTS of exercises you can incorporate into your routine. Plan on breaking it into 10 minute sections and try to repeat 3-4 times. Pick any of the exercises listed in both the cardio and strength sections and mix and match as you please (10 minutes combines both strength and cardio exercises).

Cardio: Run around the play structure alternating jogging and sprinting
Invite your kids to play tag and run as much as possible
Quick taps on a step/ tire/ slide
Run up and down the stairs (or run up the steps and slide down :)
Squat down low and jump up

Strength: Cross the monkey bars as many times as you can (it's harder than I remember!)
Using the end of a slide, do as many tricep dips until fatigue
Using the end of the slide still, do as many push-ups until fatigue
Using the end of the monkey bars, turn your palms towards your body and 'pull-up'
Using two parallel bars, hold yourself up and draw the knees in using the abs
Lunge around the perimeter of the play structure/ park
Using the end of the slide, place one foot on the slide, the other on the ground and
quickly squat down three times then jump and switch sides

Enjoy playing like a kid... it's a great workout and a lot of fun!

Hiatus

It's been a while since i last posted, sorry for the break. It's been busy yes, but it's been my lack of discipline to sit down and write a post that caused that lapse in posts. I promise to do better and to be more disciplined.

For my re-entry into the blog world, enjoy this new workout!

Repeat the whole sequence 3 times: (You'll need 5 or 8lb. weights and a chair)
15 push-ups (on toes)
20 jumping jacks
15 tricep dips on edge of bench/ chair
20 jump squats
15 bicep curls
20 skis
15 rear fly
20 lateral jumps
20 lateral raises
50 jump rope jumps

Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy and keep working hard!

Did you know?

We all know that fast food options are less than nutritious, but did you know that McDonald's hamburgers have 62 ingredients!? A recent report on Yahoo released the top 10 ingredients in Fast Food, which included citric acid, monosodium glutamate, caramel color and monoglycerides. Hmmm... not very appealing! So next time you need to grab a bite at McDonald's opt for the grilled chicken snack wrap (without cheese) and a fruit and yogurt parfait instead of a burger and fries. It will taste better and save you about 275 calories! Make good choices today!

To all the Moms...

Happy Mother's Day! May you be inspired as you inspire others to live a healthy and full life. Wishing you lots of sweet memories to cherish for years to come!

New Bootcamp workout

This is a new creation... enjoy!!

1 minute of each, repeat three times per set

Set 1:
Fast feet (AKA football run)
Push-ups (on knees or toes)

Set 2:
Side shuffle to the right and left
Squat and abduct one leg ('abduct' means to lift to the side)

Set 3:
Jump rope
Shoulder press with free weights

Set 4:
Squat thrust (squat down, place hands on floor, jump back to plank position, jump in and repeat)
Upper back row with free weights

Set 5:
Jump lunges
Bicep curl then tricep kickback with free weights

Set 6:
Crunches with feet flat on floor
Side plank (resting on one elbow, top arm in air)

Stretch!

Check out my second blog!

It's no secret that I love to run and am super proud of our running group, so I thought why not create a blog all about running? I will post updates and memos to the running group as well as tips, tricks, and suggestions about everything running. Check it out and look for new posts on both blogs!

This blog will still be focused on everything fitness and will include more healthy recipes, workouts and personal reflections.

Thanks for reading my blog and I look forward to sharing with you on both sites!

One choice at a time

Have you ever decided "Today is the day I will begin a healthy life and lose the weight that has been holding me back?" Have you ever said those words? Almost every American at some point in their life has decided to lose weight, if only it were that easy. If only it was a mere decision that that you had to announce out loud to make it happen. Sadly it's not that easy.

Losing weight (regardless of the number) is a constant choice. It is an every day decision to live for something bigger than a temptation. It is the decision that a healthy life filled with energy and joy is more important than that bag of chips in the cupboard. Losing weight is the sum of the choices and decisions you make each and every day. It isn't 'all or nothing', it is a minute by minute choice to live the fullest life available. So the next time you hear a candy bar calling your name, ask yourself "Is choosing to eat that candy bar leading me to a fuller and healthier life? Is that candy bar more important than my well-being?" The answer is NO.

Make good choices today and don't worry about the end result. Losing weight is merely the end product of good daily decisions. You have the power to control those decisions!

Yummy hummus!

I have been talking to several clients about the importance of getting enough protein in their day and have found myself promoting hummus. It is a Meditteranean bean dip made from chick peas and olive oil. Traditional hummus has quite a bit of Olive Oil (although a healthy oil, still contains lots of calories and fat) so I found a lower-fat version that looks wonderful and simple to make. It pairs well with all sorts of fresh veggies or whole grain pita chips.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup water or bean liquid
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• pita bread or raw vegetables

Directions

1. Drain black beans and garbanzo beans and reserve liquid.

2. Rinse beans and allow to drain.

3. Place black beans, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, oils, cumin and garlic in a blender.

4. Cover and pulse-blend until finely chopped.

5. Add water or the reserved bean liquid a little at a time and continue blending until smooth.

6. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

7. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

8. Serve with pita bread wedges or raw vegetables for dipping.

We made it through 13.1!

Success... we made it through our Nashville half-marathon. Let me tell you this, it was NOT easy. I have learned through this race that not every race is easy, nor should it be. The challenging races make the less challenging races more enjoyable!

The weather was beautifully warm (85 degrees at 9:30 am) and perfectly sunny. We had such a nice trip and I will post more about the lessons I learned... there were lots!

State of mind

What do you think about yourself? Do you think you are strong, healthy, fit, fast? Research shows that if you think you are fit, you will treat yourself as such. If you think you are a fast runner, you will become faster and approach your training runs as such. Self-confidence in any arena of your life comes from believing that you are (fill in the blank... strong, beautiful, healthy, fit, etc.) and acting upon your thoughts.

I was sharing with a client the other day why I love training for races. When I treat myself like an athlete, one who can run long distances, my whole mind set changes. My food choices change from whatever is convenient to foods that will fuel my workouts. My approach to training changes from "I have to" to "I get to challenge myself today." My thoughts wander from "I don't have time to take care of myself" to "I must treat my body as a quality machine" which encourages me to take better care of my body through stretching, rehydrating, and relaxing. When I view myself as an athlete, I treat myself as such. When I treat myself as an athlete, I perform better and can dream bigger dreams. It may sound cliche, but dreams really CAN come true. You must simply believe that you can do something great and treat yourself as someone who can achieve big dreams.

Sunday training run

Runners: Just a reminder that we will meet at 5:00 pm (changed from 4:00 pm) on Sunday at Hager Park. If you are coming from 196, the easiest way is to take exit 62 (32nd Ave) and head toward the Car dealership. Take 32nd over Chicago Drive, past Port Sheldon (it turns into 28th street at this point... not THE 28th street, Hudsonville's version!), past Rosewood, past Baldwin. You will start to see the park on the right hand side. 32nd/ 28th street ends at Bauer road, if you get to Bauer you've gone too far. Turn into the first entrance off of 28th street and take that around until you see the huge wooden play structure. We will meet right there at 5:00. If we run well, maybe we can play on the play structure afterwards! :)

Have a great couple of days and try to get out in this beautiful weather a few times! Soak it all in!

Someday soon maybe we'll get a nice, sunny day to run... until then, lace up your shoes and bring your ponchos! See you at 7pm, runners!

See you soon!

5K training group... just a friendly reminder that we will meet at the park right by John Ball Park Zoo (between the zoo and the Coke bottling plant) at 4:00 today, yes even if it is sprinkling/ raining. Wear layers! See you in a little while!

1st session... success!

Our training group met on Tuesday night, despite the cold and rain! They were troopers and I never even heard one complaint... good job guys and girls! It was great to get things started and we are looking forward to our first 'long run' together on Sunday. If you haven't signed up yet and would still like too, just email me at erin.bremer@yahoo.com and join us tomorrow night at 4:00 at John Ball Park Zoo. We will meet at the park between the zoo and the Coke bottling plant. Wear layers, we might get wet! :) Have a sunny Saturday!

5K Training Program

Our first training day is slowly approaching and I am getting more and more excited! Here are the details:

Tuesday nights will be our 'mid-week' run which will last between 30 minutes and 1 hour. We'll work on base fitness and slowly add in more challenges through speed work, hills, and a combination of the two (don't worry... the key is SLOWLY ADD IN). We will meet at my house and use my neighborhood and surrounding areas, we have a few great hills around here! We will meet at 7:00 and go no longer than 8:00 beginning this Tuesday, April 14. (Tuesdays are not mandatory but strongly encouraged).

Sunday evenings will be our 'long run day' in which the focus will solely be to add endurance and distance. We will be increasing the length of our workouts each week and will start with 45 minutes and work up to an hour and a half. Keep in mind that training is progressive; your body is a very efficient machine that will learn and adapt, learn and adapt, so on and so on. We will meet Sunday evenings at 4:00 at either John Ball Park Zoo (Grand Rapids) or Hager Park (Hudsonville) beginning this Sunday April 19.

In the event of rain or poor weather, please check your email and the blog for changes or cancellations. It is not too late to sign up, if you are still interested, simply email me: erin.bremer@yahoo.com. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Success!

Well I did it, I made a... a dairy-free, gluten-free and low-fat Easter bunny cake! And best of all... it tasted great! It was so much fun to make and super easy! I got the idea from a recipe I saw in a magazine, then modified it to work for our family. I shared it with my neighbors at our Easter Egg hunt/ Barbecue and I got great feedback! I used Pamela's White Cake Mix and Pamela's White frosting mix (both are dairy, gluten, and wheat free) and really like how they turned out. I used jelly beans for the eyes and the nose and licorice (the only gluten containing component) for the whiskers and ears. I used colored marshmallows for the insides of the ears and the bow-tie.

To lower the fat content, I used 1/4 cup applesauce instead of the oil and 3 egg whites with 1 whole egg, instead of the 3 whole eggs that it called for. So, by my calculations, each (Erin-ified) 2x2 square of cake contained 225 calories and 2 grams of fat versus 395 calories and 18 grams of fat (when prepared by the direction). Not bad for an Easter treat! Enjoy!

A healthy Easter cake!

Wish me luck! I am going to take the traditional 'Bunny Cake' recipe and revamp it to make it healthier as well as dairy and gluten-free. Here's hoping! I will keep you updated on how it goes and I will try to post pictures too! I hope mine looks as cute as the one above! :)

Terrific Tunes

Readers, I need your help! I want to put a 'rockin' playlist together and I need your suggestions. What songs really keep you going in your workouts? What are 'must- have's' on your iPod? I appreciate any and all ideas and I'll post my playlist once I put it all together!

5K Info!

I have received some really good feedback from those of you who are ready to tackle a new fitness challenge in running a 5K! I am excited to start training run this new journey with all of you! Here's a brief overview of the 5K training program:

The program will include:

· 2 weekly training runs (Tentatively Wednesday evenings (optional but recommended) and
a weekend run (day to be determined)
· An 8-week training program to complete outside of our runs together (based on your
current fitness, past experiences, etc)
· Registration for the Brian Diemer 5K (June 13, 2009)
· Weekly emails and blog posts to encourage and motivate you
· A nutrition guide to keep you fueled appropriately throughout the weeks
· The program will start the week of April 13 and go through race day (June 13, 2009)
· Cost: $50 for current clients or $60 for non-clients (Includes race day registration fee)
** Sign up with a friend or spouse and receive $10 off!
· Minimum 6 participants, maximum 20 participants

My goal is to get you physically and mentally prepared to complete a 5K. I will provide the tools you will need, and all you need to do is provide the commitment and dedication. Since we are all coming from different backgrounds, have varying levels of experience and current fitness, please email me the following information:

1. Your name and email address
2. A description of your current workouts including activities, number of times per week, and length of each workout (if any)
3. A description of any experience training and or running road races (When, how far, which race(s)
4. Is there anyone else who might be interested in running with us?

I am extremely excited to start training together! See you soon!

Are you up for a challenge?

So I have an idea... I am thinking about starting a training group for a local 5K (Specific race yet to be determined). Have you always thought about running a 5k or 10k but never thought it was possible? Well think again! If you are interested, I will put together a training program that you will do throughout the week (probably 2-3 workouts), then the training group will do our 'long runs' together on the weekend. Depending on where members are coming from, we'll find a central location from which to start.

Training as a group will give you a chance to meet others who are hopeful of completing their first race, as well as providing accountability and encouragement. If you are interested, email me or respond via 'comments.' One last comment, training can look however it needs to for the group. Our longs runs can be straight running or a combination of running and walking depending on our fitness needs. My goal is to get you across the finish line feeling proud of your accomplishment, regardless of the time. We're not out to set any world records here, we are out to challenge ourselves and have fun along the way!

This invitation is open to everyone!

Tennis ball massage!

I was playing with my 2 year old son today and got a new idea! We were rolling the tennis ball back and forth and bouncing it off the walls (did I mention he is 2? :), when I accidentally sat on it! Although uncomfortable, I realized that the tennis ball would provide good tension and resistance to rub out sore muscles. So try this...

Lying face up on the floor, take a clean tennis ball under your lower back and gently roll back and forth. You'll probably find little knots in your back that make you flinch. When you find those areas, do your best to relax, take a deep breath and press further into the ball. Another idea for sore feet is to take one bare foot on the ball and gently shift your weight into the tennis ball. Roll from heel to toe and from side to side to release tense muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

It's extremely important to take good care of those muscles, and what's easier than a run of the mill tennis ball to help you out!?

Need your feedback

Sorry for being MIA recently, I promise to pick up on the posts! Life has been a bit busy but I am thankful for all of its happenings. Between training, Dr.'s appointments (mine and Grady's), teaching Group Ex, and trying to get Grady healthy, time has just slipped by!

I am interested to know though, what you are most interested in reading about? Diet/ Nutrition, New exercises/ workouts, my thoughts/ reactions/ life, upcoming local events (if so, what kind?), etc. I would appreciate any and all comments (it reminds me that people actually read my blog :). Thanks in advance for your input, look for more posts soon!

My new favorite snack!

I can't take all the credit for this tasty treat, as I got the idea from a co-worker a few years ago. It's super easy but so delicious!

FROZEN GRAPES.

Yup, that's it! But they are so sweet and wonderful! Just take a ziploc bag full of clean grapes (my favorites are the purple ones, but green works too), freeze them for a few hours then enjoy! Healthy and delectable!

A new workout to try

I just created a new workout set that I LOVE. Aim for 3 sets of both cardio and strength and take 30 seconds to 1 minute rest between strength and cardio. Equipment you'll need: Medium and heavy weights and a treadmill (5-10lbs.)

Warm-up: Walk at 3.5 for 2 minutes, run at easy pace for 1 minute, run at medium pace for 1 minute, walk at 3.5 for 1 minute. Stretch legs and upper body.

Strength Workout: Aim for 1 minute per exercise then switch immediately to the next...
* Forward lunge with bicep curls (8-10 lb. weights)
* Rear lunge with military press (press weights overhead)
* Rear upper back fly (squeeze shoulder blades together as you lift arms out to the sides)
* Push-ups (either on knees or toes)
* Skull crushers (lying on back, lift arms straight up over chest, then bend only at the elbow, lower the weights to either sides of your head and push back up. Try not to let the shoulders or arms move, just bend at the elbows).

Cardio workout: On the treadmill start at a medium pace (between 5.5 and 6.5), then increase speed .1 every 30 seconds for 5 minutes total. On an exertion scale of 1-10, (1 being extremely easy, 10 being extremely challenging), you should be between a 7-9. If you were less then 7, increase your starting speed next time around.

Repeat both strength and cardio segments 2 more times!

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Keep plugging along!

How are those resolutions going thus far? Are you sticking with your goals for this year? Let me know via 'comments' or email what successes you are having! It is always inspiring to hear from those who are plugging right along! Take some time to brag a little bit... what have you learned about yourself, what steps have you taken towards a healthier life? We don't give ourselves enough credit for the daily choices we make, so take some time to share what you've learned! We all need an 'atta girl!'

Beating the winter blues

Days like today (those with an average of 15 degrees) make us yearn for sunshine and warm weather. Although summer days are still months away, here are a few suggestions to bring a little sunshine and warmth indoors!

1. Make a summer dinner complete with turkey burgers, low-fat coleslaw, fresh fruit salad, and corn on the cob. Top it off with a cold juice spritzer (mix 1/4 cup juice and zero calorie flavored water) and Jell-o jigglers (a true sign of summer!).

2. Browse through your summer clothes you stashed away months ago and try a few on! Dream about how great it will feel to wear shorts and sandals and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

3. Clean out a drawer or closet... it's amazing what a little 'spring' cleaning will do for the soul!

4. Check out a few of the sunless tanners at your local store to bring a little sunshine to your skin.

5. Spread out a blanket on the floor for you and your loved ones then grab a few crossword puzzles, a few magazines, a bottle of water, and some favorite tunes. Relax and enjoy!

Happy dreaming about sunshine and warmth...

We're home!

Our vacation was just wonderful and we are thankful to be back into our routine again. Although it is MUCH colder then we had hoped it would be!! :)

It was wonderful to 're-charge' and get geared up for a new year, one full of adventures and surprises I am sure! It always energizes me to think of what new things lie ahead. Life brings challenges (some welcomed and some not so welcomed) which help reveal our inner character. It is our decision how we respond and act. So I encourage today to check your reactions to challenges and adversity to see what it reveals about you. Step up to the plate, embrace the change and discover your inner strength.

Florida pictures!

(First picture:) Geoff and I in front of the huge Christmas tree in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort (you can't see the tree but it's there!)
(Second picture:) Grady's first meeting of Mickey and Minnie... he was a BIG fan!

More pictures to come from our cruise (we leave in a few hours!!). Check back in a few days!

Happy New Year!

I hope 2009 has brought you good fortune thus far! Do you set New Year's resolutions? Do you have any goals for the new year? Especially in January, I find myself inundated with emails that promise to give me the "body I want!", but they leave me asking... will they give me the LIFE I want?

Our society focuses on the outward appearance... the size of your jeans, the flatness of your stomach, the tone of your arms, but we seldom talk about really living a full life. A life filled with self-appreciation and service to others. Although I consider health and wellness paramount in living a full life, it's not the only component. It's only one piece to the 3-part puzzle. So as you reflect on 2008 and dream for 2009, let me encourage to set one goal for your body, one for your mind, and one for your soul. The three pieces together make up the whole picture of a full life.