If only I could create a Venn diagram...

... I'd diagram myself, hopelessly stuck at the intersection of hormones and Girl Scout Cookies!

Like a ninja

Shhhhh. Don't tell, ok? But I'm a mom ninja. Honest. What makes me a mom ninja? I've found the perfect way to keep tabs on my kids without them knowing. How, you ask? By bringing them and their friends food!

For example, today both kids were at a park with their different groups of friends. And I just want to make sure all is well, you know? So I texted both of them and asked how many friends they were with. 10 minutes later I showed up with Taco Bell for everyone. It cost me $10. But I created goodwill with their friends, and I get to keep tabs on my precious boys without them feeling checked up on.

The other day it was Hostess Cupcakes. (Yeah, the vegan stuff doesn't go over good at all, sadly.) Next week it will be something else indulgent and oh so appreciated.

Why didn't I think of this?!?!

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Updates

In answer to several questions, NO I didn't jump at Kipu Falls. :( Two years ago, I did, but because I couldn't get myself to jump OUT very far, I touched rocks at the bottom when I went in. So this time with the degree of leg shaking that was going on, I was afraid that I would not be able to muster up the "mind over matter" required to jump far enough to be safe. We're heading back next summer, and my plan is to do the rope swing. I'm bummed that I didn't jump, but I think it was the right decision.

I started the 100 Push Up Challenge today. I'm doing the 3rd column, so today I did 5 sets like this: 10, 10, 8, 6, and 13. While I rested, I did assisted pullups (using my 2-1/2" giant rubber band) totaling 1/2 of the previous set. When combined with this morning's 9 mile run, this feels like a great overall workout, and I am ready for some holiday indulgences tonight!

Life's been moving VERY fast, so tomorrow night's activity kind of sneaked up on me, but guess who's going to be seeing Stevie Wonder at Shoreline Ampitheater tomorrow night???? I can't WAIT!!!

Finally, we're on day 6 of Tim's birthday gift, and both of us are having a great time! ;)

Happy 4th, friends!

Random Tuesday thoughts

• I've been wanting to do Bikram yoga for a while, but can't seem to find a class that works for me. Well, Yoga Downloads may save me, as doing yoga outside these days in 90+ heat? I think that qualifies as hot yoga!!!
• Remember Barbies that had hair that you could yank to make long, then yank again to make short. I wish there was a way to make that work with boobs. Wouldn't sport boobs and play boobs be a great thing, where you could choose the appropriate size for the occasion? You wouldn't yank on them to make them change (yikes!). Any inventors out there ready to help us sports-minded girls?
• I'm in the process of going through my closet and getting rid of everything I don't like or wear. So I'm getting rid of a lot of stuff. Did anyone see the movie "The Fly" with Jeff Goldblum? In it, he had 7 suits that were all the same, and those were his clothes for the week. I remember seeing that and thinking "I want a uniform!!!" I do tend to wear the same shapes over and over, but I'm good with that.
• A while back, a client and I came up with a list of the 7 Dwarves of PMS, when she came and was feeling out of sorts. We chose Crampy, Grumpy, Blimpy, Cranky, Whiney, Bitchy, and Tired. Whaddaya think?
• Finally, I'm trying a new brain game site. I am highly committed to keeping my brain sharp as time goes on, and I think Lumosity.com can and will help me. I'm in my 14 day free trial period, and I'm really having fun with it. (Katie, I think you especially would like it!)
  

Just do it!

Nope, not the Nike slogan here -- my new book "Just Do It -- How One Couple Turned off the TV and Turned on their Sex Lives for 101 Days (no excuses!)" Today is Tim's birthday. He's 44. And, feeling inspired by my wonderful new book, his present is 44 days of ... well, 44 days of feeling very very loved! :) Happy birthday, baby!

Meeting George!

I pulled Tucker out of school and we headed to U Food to meet George Foreman. We only got a moment with him (there were tons of people there, of course), but I'm told by the owners of the restaurant that he is one of the nicest and most down to earth people you'll ever meet.

When we met, I told him I've been boxing since January and have a tremendous amount of respect for what he's done. He said, "You're boxing? Make a fist!" That's why the picture looks like this:

Here's Tucker with Mr. Foreman:

And here's Tucker with a tricked out SCHOOL BUS that was in the parking lot:

And as if meeting Mr. Foreman wasn't exciting enough, the owner of U Food asked if I could be interviewed for a U Food commercial! Don't know if what I said will make it onto the screen, but the process was exciting, to be sure!

Happy Mother's Day!

Real craziness

This is Austin coming down from a flag hold. Yes, he can hold his body horizontally out to the side, which seems to defy all laws of gravity. Picture was taken outside of Big Spoon Yogurt over the weekend with a phone camera, hence the bad quality and the late capture of the action. But honestly, am I crazy or is my kid crazy??? I vote for the kid!

Recent workouts

Thursday: boxing camp (am), run 11 miles (pm)
Friday: boxing camp (am)
Saturday: run 10 miles (am)
Sunday: P90X chest/shoulders/triceps (am), Art of Strength Providence (pm)
Monday: boxing camp (am), swings with client (pm), Providence (pm)

At dinner I was saying that I'd done boxing camp and a kettlebell workout today, and Austin said I was crazy. That's a normal comment from a 14-year-old, but I was thinking about it last night, and decided to talk to him about it.

Me: I have a response to your comment about me being crazy because of my workouts.
Austin: Wow -- it only took you 2 hours to come up with a response?! (he's sarcastic like that, and it was said with a smile, so it was ok)
Me: You skated (skateboards) yesterday for 5 hours with your friends, and that was play. Well, the workouts are my play. Only it's tough to find friends to play with, which is why I do boxing camp, or DVDs. But if you think of it like that, it won't seem so crazy.
Austin: You're right.

Honestly, I see the physical stuff I do as playtime, pure and simple. Sometimes it's tough play, but it's still play. This morning I ran 7 miles with a girlfriend. We both started the run tired and it felt like the wind was in our faces no matter which way we ran. So it wasn't an easy run. But guess what? It's done. And we had a great time doing it, even when we were coming up Backside (for those who are local and know of this hill -- it's a killer!) and talking about how hard it was -- yeah, it was hard, but WE DID IT! And that feels fantastic!

My first interview!!!

I can't believe it -- I was contacted by a local radio station to do a Q&A interview on fitness. They taped my segment yesterday and I think it went really well. Here's a transcript of their questions and my answers. Let me know if you happen to hear the broadcast!

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, which means they take the water out of the fruit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening....Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO -- Cocoa BEANS! Another vegetable. It's the best feel-good food around!!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! !

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

Happy early April Fool's Day!