I am one week into the 5 week Program that Dara Torres speaks of in “Gold Medal Fitness”.  I have received so  many well wishes and offered so much support that I am truly blessed that I surround myself with such amazing people. I know that with your help I will reach my goals. To recap, my goals are: lose weight, feel better and put myself back on the priority list.

I have been on course for the most part. The part I a struggle the most with is cardio.  I’ve been getting in my strength training, Ki-Hara and I have began practicing Vinyasa yoga flow again. I’m happy to report that  I am already feeling better.  The Ki-Hara and Yoga are giving me the most benefit in terms of stress relief and pain management. I am enjoying it so much that I would rather do those activities more than anything else. That being said, I know that If I want to stay on track, getting that cardio in is the only way that is going to happen.

This week I want to cover Chapter 2 “Your Inner Athlete.”

I think that we are all athletes at different levels. For me personally  I’m no “elite” athlete but I do like to challenge myself and participate in community based events like 5K’s, cycling events and figure competitions. I am nowhere near the level of fitness of Dara Torres is but I’m working on it! 

This portion of the book was a short little pep talk about finding that “spark” you had as a kid and I could not agree more. You have to be excited about what activity you choose to do so that you can keep motivated. It may be best to take the playground approach and incorporate some friends or family to come along with you because as Dara mentions you’ve got to “Create Your Winning Team”.

She gives SOLID advice on goal setting and provides you with general questions that will gear you in the right direction. Her guidance on tapping into your confidence and mental strength really encouraged me to be proactive and put myself on top of that “to-do” list again. When I got to this part of the book I got a journal and I started by answering the questions and putting my plan into motion.

If you don’t have Dara’s book (although I HIGHLY recommend it) here is an easy way to set up a goal:

Think SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timed) 

Specific

Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.

• WHAT are you going to do? Gain energy? Lose 5 or 10 lbs, compete in a marathon?

Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose inches off your waistline or to walk a 5k.

Measurable

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific! “My clothes are fitting loser”, “I can run for 30 minutes without rest now”, “I can now do 3 sets of this exercise vs. two”…..

Attainable

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitude, abilities and skills to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that isn’t achievable. But setting a goal to lose 1lb and when you’ve achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb, will keep it achievable for you.

Realistic

This is not a synonym for “easy.” Realistic, in this case, means “do-able.” It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the organization.

The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods. Simply narrow it down by simply stating “I will avoid high fructose corn syrup” . It may also be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item.

Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren’t very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Timely

Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by years end. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.  Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Here are my goals for this week, with cardio being the highest priority:

• Cardio 3X week- Cycling and Elliptical
• Strength 3X week- TRX, Kettlebell
• Ki-Hara 3X week
• Power Yoga 1X week
• Pilates 1Xweek
• 2 days of rest or recreation with my family.

I feel confident with this week’s goal and that they are in line with what I am trying to accomplish. If you have your SMART plan ready and you’d like to share, I’d love to hear about it.

In health,

Khrys

“Manns Rainbow Salad, is loaded carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli and it is utterly delicious. A serving size is 3oz and with that you get 90% of your daily vitamin C needs and only 25 calories! Seriously I can tell you that not only is the 3oz enough to satisfy you but you can DOUBLE your servings and I am OK with that. EAT UP. This is a guilt free, feel good filler.

You can saute it with a little EVOO, steam it or eat it right out of the bag. Below is a picture of my lunch today. I used 6oz of the Rainbow Salad, 1 cup of organic pasta sauce and 6oz of organic chicken thigh. I estimate the calories to be around 350 with the most calories coming from the chicken and EVOO. The veggies provide me with carbohydrates to fuel me through my workout-without me feeling like a slug.

Bon Appetit!

Spaghetti Fake Out

For the most part I explain that I eat an array of fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains and I leave it at that expecting that most people will understand. But all to often I hear that these same people still don’t know what to eat so I am going to post a few pics along the way in hopes that visual association will aid you in eating cleaner and that it keeps me on track as well.

I do allow myself ONE cheat MEAL a week~ that’s it. Desert is a rarity but on occasion I do enjoy frozen yogurt. If I do opt for desert then I keep dinner clean.

On my plate below is: organic spinach, red onions, black beans, avocado, tomato, balsamic dressing (organic) and organic chicken sausage.
It’s easy, lite, refreshing and comes in around 350 calories. GUILT FREE.

Dara does provide daily meal plans in her book “Gold Medal Fitness”, which I think are easy and straightforward with no recipes needed. I agree with her 4 meals a day as means of getting proper nutrition and daily caloric needs in.

GlamFit stands for “Giving Ladies Affirmation & Motivation through Fitness”, simply put I want to motivate and inspire other women to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. There is NOTHING indulgent or selfish about caring for yourself. I actually think that it is quite the opposite. I think that women who put everything else first are doing a huge disservice to themselves. If you don’t take care of yourself physically (which translates to mentally), who is going to take care of you? The chores? The pile of bills waiting to be paid? Your children? Your husband? Umm the answer would be a strong NO. Only you can take care of you.  

Do you want to know how I know this? Because 6 years ago I put myself on the top of the priority list and I soared! I took control of every aspect of my life- my health, my career and I dedicated myself to losing 97 pounds! Upon reaching that goal I competed in my first fitness competitions, I modeled and I did things I never thought possible. It was an experience and a time in my life that I will cherish forever because it taught me so much.  

Today I work with other women, teaching them how to take care of themselves through diet and exercise and it is a passion that runs deep through my veins. I utilize my own personal experience combined with my education and I provide them with the building blocks necessary to rebuild their health. To me, there is nothing more rewarding when you witness someone take control of their lives and make the changes that are necessary to live and not just exist.  

As much as I embrace health and fitness and I apply it to my everyday life, the inevitable has happened. I put myself back on the “to do later” list. Wait a minute….I’m a personal trainer- how on earth does that happen? For some reason, I thought that by putting everyone else first that ultimately it would make me happier, my life easier and justify my busy life but it didn’t.  

Today, I am miserable! I am in pain physically, suffering from the pain mentally and going nowhere fast. So who can I turn to? Who is going to pick me up and put the pieces back together? No one but myself. So, starting today I am back on the top of my “To Do Now” list.  

I recently received a copy of “Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program” written by Dara Torres, (with Bill Fitzpatrick) and I was asked to blog about content from the “Cardio: Why you’ve got to move” chapter.  

I took the book with me while on a recent vacation and I got to work. Much to my surprise, one chapter in I realized that I could use this as means to get myself back on track. Although I am a trainer and I have been on my journey for as long as I can remember and I am suppose to be this pillar of strength, even I can use a dose of motivation and a breathe of fresh air.  

As the days went on and my interest sparked, I made notes chapter by chapter and I found a lot of sound, practical and scientific advice. Today I am ready to put into practice what Dara is teaching and talk about my experience beyond the “Cardio: Why you’ve got to move” chapter.  

Chapter 1, Lessons 1-3: Knowing when to back off, Becoming Strong & Smart and Get Flexible.  

Three very important lessons that any typical gym-goer and elite athletes should adhere to: Your body is a machine and requires balance and that balance is only achieved by listening to it. I train with people everyday teaching them about facial chains, the body’s response to cumulative injuries and being functionally aware about their bodies. I love that Dara has introduced Ki-Hara. For me, I am intrigued and fascinated by this because even through my Yoga Practice and teachings I have never heard of this.  

My goal with this chapter is to integrate “Chapter 5, Stretching the Ki-Hara Way” into my training today. I’ve already established my goals (laid out in chapter 2) so I’m ready with my plan.  

Khrys’s Plan: Week 1  

• Cardio 3X week
• Strength 3x week
• Ki-Hara 3x week
• Recovery 2X week
• Recreational Activity 2x Week

Thank you for taking this journey with me and if you would like to participate along with me I highly encourage you to do so. You can pick up your copy of “Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program” written by Dara Torres, at a bookstore near you or you can simply follow my routine. I will be posting photo’s throughout as well as updating the blog once a week.  

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