Most athletes want to be lean regardless of the sport in which they participate. In fact, most of us, whether we are super athletic or weekend warriors, want lean muscle mass. So what is the most effective way to become leaner? The secret is nutrition. In other words, it’s what we eat…not what we do. I have written many times about the Rule of 70. I believe weight loss/weight maintenance is 30% what we do (exercise), and 70% what we eat. I think Alan Tyson would agree as he recently wrote about what we can do to create lean bodies with less training, and why it is a good thing. The following are the foods Tyson recommends for creating and maintaining lean muscle mass while also maintaining fitness. By eating a combination of the following foods, not only will you likely see increased muscle mass and a leaner body, your workouts will take on a whole new level. [Read more…]
If You Want Lean Muscle Mass, It’s More About What you Eat and Less About What You Do
My 300th blog post: Thank you Today’s Charlotte Woman!
Thank you to Dawn Liles and the editors at Today’s Charlotte Woman for profiling 9 Kid Fitness last month in their wonderful Charlotte-based magazine. I’m honored! I also wrote my 300th blog post last month. And #301 and #302… When I started 9 Kid Fitness, I never imagined how much writing I would do (I’m happy to be putting my undergraduate degree in Journalism and English to use)! Thanks everyone for supporting me and joining in on the conversation about fitness, family, and life!
Seven Foods You and Your Family Should Be Eating
Alan Tyson, physical therapist and owner of Architech Sports, recently wrote about the best foods for our bellies. There are seven. I was surprised by the last one! Add these to your shopping list and try to include them in daily meals.
1. High-Fiber and Antioxidant-Rich Vegetables
All veggies are good for you. They are high in vitamins, phytonutrients, antioxidants,
and fiber and are generally low in calories and low in fat. But certain varieties do contain “FODMAPs”, [Read more…]
To Your New Year’s Resolutions…I Say, “Go For It”!
To those who say they don’t “do resolutions”, I have to ask, why not? What is not to like about a resolution? I always welcome a chance to start again. That is the very definition of hope! It’s like saying I’m not going to celebrate my birthday because it’s just gonna come around again next year.
Isn’t that the beauty of it? Yes, it comes around every January. And no, I can’t remember my resolutions from last year (actually, the unfortunate consequence of blogging is that my resolutions from 2014 are there for me and anyone else to see- yikes). But it doesn’t really matter. A resolution is a very here-and-now thing. It’s present day. It’s knowing yesterday is gone. Today is a new day. And it’s a new year! [Read more…]
Exercise Should Relieve Stress, Not Create It
I was talking to a friend the other day. He had read one of my blog posts and was asking if I was training for a triathalon. This launched us into a discussion about biking. I explained why I don’t like it. It takes a lot of time. The equipment is expensive. After two crashes, it scares me. “Basically,” I said, “I want my workouts to relieve stress…not create it.”
That short conversation got me thinking. What does exercise do for me? It’s a whole lot more than physical. Yes, it keeps me fit, but after all my years of pounding the pavement, cranking out pushups, or tweeking my perfect strength routine, I have come to believe that the most substantial benefit of fitness is what it does for my peace of mind. [Read more…]
You Might Be Surprised What 200 Calories Looks Like!
That’s a whole lot of celery!
In today’s online world, images are everything. The images in this article, “What 200 Calories Looks Like” (Fast Company) tell a whole lot! There are many ways to eat 200 calories. You get a whole lot more when you pick the healthy stuff.
For me, this photo slideshow is an excellent reminder. I consider myself a fairly healthy eater. Yet when I see the comparison of food in the 200 calorie range, I realize just how poor my choices really are. It is a matter of being smart. When I find time, cutting up veggies such as celery and carrots and putting them in the fridge for quick access. Boiling water and throwing in eggs to hard boil. Using ketchup sparingly! Here is the link…what do you think?
Nine Goals for the New Year
I am goal oriented. I love new beginnings and the chance to start again. I like to write goals down. Not that I ever go back and look at what I wrote, but the process seems official in some way. Here are my nine goals for 2014 …. not all are resolutions because some of them I already do… I want to keep doing them. What are your goals?
1. Get rid of junk. That goes for the kind in my bedroom closet and the kind in the kitchen pantry. We have too much stuff. I want to go through every closet and gather all clothes, shoes, etc. that I don’t need, that my children don’t need, and that our house doesn’t need…and give it away (or throw it away in the case of stained, icky, ancient) [Read more…]
Pear Spice Oatmeal…A Fall Favorite!
Here is wonderful recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Recipes Remembered....
Oatmeal is a year round breakfast for me, but I especially love it on the cooler days of fall and winter…a perfect comfort food!
Happy Fall, friends. It’s time for spice, for apples & pears, crisp mornings, boots & comfy sweaters, marathons and so many other lovely – and delicious – things. This oatmeal is one of the delicious things. It’s a base of fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves – topped with deliciously sweet pears, pecans for crunch and a little drizzle of milk. I’m a little sad to see summer go but if I can look forward to breakfasts like this one then I think I’ll be ok. [Read more…]
Ruminating About Long Car Rides and Family Vacations….It’s All Good!
Today is the day we start our 18 hour car trip to Maine via a stop to pick up #3 in Annapolis, Maryland. Today is that day and it started with a bunch of last minute errands. The bank, the post office, the pharmacy. So I left #4 (Peter) mowing the yard, # 5 and #6 (Annie and Grace) with cleaning tasks. I returned a few hours later to what looked to me like a house that was only slightly cleaner than what I had left. “Grace!!!!” I unloaded. No matter how calm I try to stay when we are getting ready to leave, I inevitably lose it at some point. “Why can’t you kids do a small task while I’m gone?” ” Why does it always end up being me who has to get us ready and the house cleaned?”…”wa wa wa wa”…… While I’m yelling I am thinking that a better mom would keep her cool. [Read more…]
A Family Run…Priceless!
#5, #8, and #9 after our run at the trail. My husband, #4 and #6 had already headed to Starbucks for post-run treat.
I was supposed to run early last Sunday. Although I have developed a policy of not running on most Sundays, we had decided to go to a late Mass and it was a gorgeous morning. The alarm woke me up, but I was too tired from a recent trip to Italy to actually get out of the bed. I lamely texted my running friend and told her I was a no-show. I kept on sleeping. When I finally did awake, I noticed #8 (C.C.) and #9 (Sam) in the bed with us. I heard a few of the older ones already downstairs making breakfast. It’s always hard for me to head out on a morning run when everyone is home. Typically, I sneak out early before everyone is up.
Sunday, however, it was too late to sneak out. I was just about to hop on my Lifecycle when my husband announced he was going for a run and asked if I wanted to join him. #4 (Peter) was going and so was #5 (Annie). It was tempting…I could leave the younger three with their sister #6 (Grace). Before I could respond, the kids who had invaded my bed started to yell that they wanted to come too. So much for a nice, long, leisurely run. Oh well. [Read more…]
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