Badass Fitness

Friday Confessional: Mom made me do it!

It's all Mom's fault. I was having a pretty innocent, clean-eating, post-vacation week when the little car  package came in the mail. From Mom to me, her eldest.

This is what moms and grandmas do, right? They love us with food. But here I was trying to detox after a vacation in London that was heavy on fish and chips, scones, beer. The box came Wednesday, halfway through what was to be a virtuous week.

I took half to the office to share with my co-workers. The rest stayed on my kitchen counter, wrapped in foil. Tempting. Taunting. Whispering "Try me. I am tasty!" I managed to ignore the talking Friendship Bread for, oh, half a day.

I gave in Wednesday night after what turned out to be a totally crappy day. One of those "Eff You All!" days. The cake currender came AFTER soothing my bad mood with frozen yogurt and not-so-healthy toppings for "dinner."

Well, ya know what? It. Was. Awesome. Besides, cinnamon is great for keeping blood sugar levels even, right? And I was just replenishing any sugar I had sweated out teaching Spinning, right?! (Oh, the way we can justify these things...)

So there you have it: Forgive me, Badasses, for I enjoyed the company of an Amish Friend(ship Bread) and soothed my wounded mood with frozen yogurt and Oreos topping. But it was all Mom's fault, and I love her for it! 

I wasn't the only one who ate sweets and reveled in it. Cathleen got surprised by co-workers with a cake to celebrate her promotion.

The cake was awesome and since it was mine,what was left came home with me. I gave quite a bit of it away to others but..... so I guess I need to confess the Friday cake fest. However, truth is I'm not feeling so bad...it was a celebration for me and you know what? I deserve it and I am touched that I have co-workers who would do that for me and want to share in my happiness. Besides, I have been logging some really good runs at the gym this week so....sinner maybe, but I'm over it and moving on.

That's Badass, Cathleen! Why? Because it is more than OK to celebrate life with cake -- just not everyday! And keep up those runs -- your Badass will be tighter than the sheets on an Army recruit's bed in no time!

Speaking of cake, Stacey in Tallahassee got all creative with the Mister and topped hers with organic yogurt and strawberries. As she put it: The yogurt might be organic and strawberries fresh from FL but the cake -- well, let's just say it ain't light by any stretch of the imagination ;)

Those Girl Scout cookies didn't trip up as many of you as I had expected (or maybe you're just holding back on me....) But Jennifer in Atlanta ended up buying two boxes and eating "a whole row of Samoas" on Thursday afternoon. That was after "cookies after school every day this week... but then I ran 4 miles to make up for it each day... but I am having such a sweet tooth lately! ugh!"

Well, even the toughest of Badasses gets a sweet craving and gives in now and then. But we pick ourselves up and move on. Cuz' we're Badass and that's how we do.

The weekend is here, I've got a Boot Camp to teach, and I hope all of you will get out there and move those Badasses into gear! Get on a bike. Go for a run. Chill out with yoga. Try cooking something new. Show the world what this Badass thing is all about!

Coming up next week: I'll give you a great 5K and 10K training program, a map for navigating airport and travel eating, and reason #189 for exercising: It makes you smarter. Literally.

About those Girl Scout Cookies...Badass or bad for your ass?

So, how many boxes have you Badasses gone through so far? One? Five? All in one sitting or spread out over the past week or so?

You know what I'm talking about: Girl Scout Cookies!  

Yes, it's that time of year again when sweet little girls set up shop outside grocery stores and Wal-Marts and Targets and plead with us to buy just one box.

They mean well, right? But those Girl Scouts are threatening to really mess up our 2010 resolutions for clean eating and fewer sweets.

So what's a Badass to do? We could abstain altogether, but what would 2010 be without a few Thin Mints plucked from the freezer (This Badass Fitness CEO believes the Thin Mints are best served 'frozen')? So once again, surviving Girl Scout Cookie season is all about making the better choices, and making them in moderation.

Some cookies are less disastrous to your calorie counts than others, and consider it a character-builder to control how many you eat. C'mon, Badasses! Two cookies a day, not 10.

To help you navigate the many choices offered by those sweet little Girl Scouts, I've studied the nutrition labels to scout out the varieties' pros and cons. Some are not so bad for your Badasses, when you eat the recommended serving size or half of it.

This isn't a fruit salad by any stretch, but read on because you might be surprised at how the cookies stack up:

Best Bet for Your Badass: Do-Si-Dos, aka Peanut Butter Creams (label at left)

You figured anything with peanut butter must be the worst, right? Wrong! The peanut butter sandwich cookies are just 50 calories each, meaning you can have two and not break the calorie bank. These are a better choice when you crave peanut butter than the Tagalongs, which have 70 calories per cookie and almost 5 grams of fat each (half of that saturated). Heck, have a Do-Si-Do with a short glass of skim milk or a skinny latte and call it afternoon tea, American-style! You're still under 200 calories.

Even better, these cookies have only 2.5 grams of fat each, and less than 10 percent of that is saturated fat. Many of the other Girl Scout cookies are 18 to 30 percent saturated fat. They're also fairly low in sugar: just 16 carbs and 7 grams of sugar for two cookies.

Best Chocolate Fix: Thin Mints beat Samoas (Thin Mints label at right)

Thin Mints are probably one of the most popular varieties, so if they're your favorite, take heart: These are just 40 calories each, and each cookie is richly packed with that awesome combo of chocolate and mint.

The Samoas, with their coconut and chocolate drizzle, have 75 calories each. So you can eat four Thin Mints for about the same calories as a two-cookie serving of Samoas.

Nutritionally, the Thin Mints are also slightly superior, with less sugar and saturated fat than the Samoas (8 grams of fat, 5 saturated, and 10 grams of sugar, for 4 Thin Mints compared to 8 grams of fat, 6 saturated, and 11 grams of sugar, for 2 Samoas).

Plus, Thin Mints freeze better!

Just Plain Badass: Trefoils, aka Shortbreads

The recipe for a shortbread cookie is simple: Flour, butter, sugar. Not exactly fruit and skim milk, but the simplicity of the Plain Jane cookie also ends up making it a better option when you have a craving for something slightly sweet and buttery.

The Girl Scouts Trefoils are 160 calories for 5 cookies. Five! That's like permission for a shortbread cookie splurge! And for those five cookies, you get just 8 grams of fat, including 2.5 grams saturated, and 7 grams of sugar. Not bad compared to some of the other varieties. That's less calories, fat and sugar than a lot of the "healthy" granola bars out there. So have a Badass British high tea one afternoon with a cup of Earl Gray, a few Trefoils and a friend.

Honorable Mention Newcomer: Thank U Berry Munch (label at left)

This is the new cookie for 2010, and I was intrigued so I ordered a box (along with Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos, I confess).

The box brags about these cookies being made with "real cranberries," but don't go thinking you can count this as one of your daily 5 fruits and veggies, OK?

That said, these weigh in at a decent 120 calories for two cookies, and only 5 grams of fat and 7 grams of sugar. They don't taste as good as Thin Mints or Peanut Butter Cremes in my humble opinion, but I did like the combination of tart cranberries with a sprinkle of white chocolate chips in each cookie.

So there you have it: The unofficial, not really scientific Badass Fitness breakdown of the 2010 Girl Scout Cookies. Next time you go to the grocery store and find yourself face-to-face with the little girls asking you to buy a box, shop accordingly!

And when you reach for a third or fourth cookie, remember: Spring is right around the corner, and that means swimsuit/beach season is here before we can say 'Do-Si-Do!' The suggested serving size is worth heeding!

Coming tomorrow: Speaking of cookies, the Friday Confessional! Now we'll find out how many Thin Mints the Badass Army consumed!

Badass Foodie: You say blech to veggies? Rethink your cooking!

If You Don’t Like Vegetables, You’re Probably Cooking Them Wrong!

That’s quite a statement, I know. That’s like saying that if you don’t enjoy  MTV’s Jersey Shore you aren’t intelligent enough to grasp its deep poeticism. But I’m prepared to back this one up. If you don’t LOVE eating vegetables as a daily part of your Badass journey, then you may have never had them
prepared the right way!

We all know we should eat our vegetables. And if your produce aisle were a high school algebra class, broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and spinach would be the brainiacs at the front who have every answer and ask the teacher for extra homework. Think of them as the Michael Phelps of Foliage, the Lance Armstrong of leafy greens.

Their resume:

• Excellent sources of vital nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and Vitamins A, B6, C and K
• Rich in beta-carotene and lutein, nutrients which drastically improve your overall skin, hair and eye health
• Clinically proven to boost your immune system and prevent sickness
• Full of powerful phytonutrients which cleanse and detoxify your internal
• organs and energizing your entire body
• Extremely low in calories and rich in insoluble and soluble fiber.

Their high volume makes them perfect for anyone trying to lose weight -- they simply take up more room in your stomach. Even better: Recent studies have shown that increased consumption of
cruciferous vegetables reduces your risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate, colon and other cancers.

So not only will more leafy green vegetables make you healthier, leaner, prettier and more Badass -- they may actually keep you alive longer.

So, why aren’t you eating more of them?

If you’re like most of us working towards that Badass body, you’ve probably been trying to incorporate those green, crunchy vegetables into your diet –  a side of steamed broccoli here, a limp “garden salad  - hold the cheese” there. You’ve probably suffered through your fair share of soggy green beans, wilted spinach salads and pungent broccoli sprouts.

If we aren’t drowning these veggies in fattening sauces, salad dressings or cheeses, we're mutilating them by microwaving, freezing and processing them beyond the boundaries of good taste! No wonder many of us don't like our daily servings.

So what’s a busy Badass to do? I’d like to teach you a simple, easy, delicious method of veggie preparation so that you can actually enjoy the process of nourishing your body. We have to enjoy our healthy choices or we won’t commit to them for life.

The secret to tasty veggies comes down to one simple rule — a rule that will change the way you view broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage forever:  “Everything Tastes Better at 425 Degrees.”

Trust me. Once you taste vegetables the way they were meant to be eaten -- gently roasted to a delicious golden, caramelized brown --  you will be a veggie convert. The technique is simple, requiring just your vegetable, a dash of healthy oil, the seasoning of your choice, and a well-heated oven.

Here we go...

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

• The high temperature is the key principle of the roasting method. Any lower than that and your humble veggie won’t achieve that browned, caramelized exterior that makes roasting so magnificent. Remember - like the grill marks on a steak, brown food equals good food!

Step 2: Prepare your vegetable.

• For today’s purposes, I’m going to use broccoli, because its plentiful, budget-friendly and is absolutely one of my favorite foods.
• Trim vegetable into bite size pieces and place into a shallow roasting pan.
• Here’s the important thing: DO NOT ROAST WET VEGETABLES. Seriously. It must be completely dry before roasting, as any remaining moisture on the vegetable will cause your food to steam instead of roasting.
• You absolutely can (and should) wash your vegetables if they haven’t been prewashed, but dry them completely before roasting. If you don’t have time to air dry your veggies, a salad spinner works great.

Step 3: Lubricate with a heart-healthy oil.

• You need to eat fat to burn fat, and the small amount of oil completely transforms the dish and brings out the true flavor of your vegetable. Food is not the enemy, and neither is that amazing bottle of olive oil! This is good fat, good calories.
• For one head of broccoli, I find I only need about 1 tsp of oil. Today I used garlic-scented grapeseed oil, as its high heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and has a very high smokepoint and subtle flavor.
• Olive Oil, Walnut oil and canola oil are also great choices.

Step 4: Season your vegetable(s)

• Never, ever, ever forget salt and pepper!
• Start by just using salt and pepper to TRULY taste vegetables the way nature intended, then
• experiment as you become more comfortable with roasting.
• For my broccoli today, I used my favorite simple seasoning combo: 1 tsp flaky sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 clove minced garlic
• Once you discover the benefits of roasting vegetables, you will realize that the sky’s the limit. Flavorings such as citrus zest, cayenne pepper, freshly ground ginger, capers, chopped nuts, dried fruits and fresh herbs are all great options.

Step 5: Roast!

• Pop that dish in the oven and walk away. Your roasting time will vary, but could take anywhere from 15 – 25 minutes. This isn’t an exact science, so check back periodically and toss the vegetables around the dish a few times to ensure even browning.
• Optional: For today’s broccoli, I added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 ounce of shredded parmesan cheese about 2 minutes before removing the plate from the oven. Don’t do it until your broccoli is completely roasted and golden brown – otherwise you’ll end up with lemon steam and burned cheese!
• This is my absolute favorite flavor combination – the crunch of the roasted vegetable, the crispy brown edges, the acidity of the lemon zest and the slightly melted cheese – perfect!

Today we concentrated on the superstar leafy greens, but this method works for just about every vegetable –- beets, cabbage, onions, fennel, carrots, squash and more! We’ll explore more of the produce aisle – and your roasting pan – in later Badass Foodie posts.

Until then, tell me what’s your favorite vegetable roasting combination? Do you have a preferred flavoring, spice or roasting method? If you’re already a pro at roasting, tell me how YOU enjoy your vegetables below!

Coming tomorrow: About those Girl Scout cookies -- Badass or just bad for your ass?

Saddle up to this Badass Cycling routine, torch calories!

The treadmill routines I've posted continue to be popular, but recently a Badass Fitness reader asked for a cycling version. Whether you've got a bike inside your home gym or love the bike at your local gym, this indoor routine is one I've done more than a few times with my Spinning classes over recent months.

It is challenging, but know yourself and start where you can then work up to your max. Cycling, indoors or out, is a great calorie torcher. And because indoor Spinning uses lots of tension and speed drills, it is one of the most efficient calorie burners for the time spent. It also will tone your legs and Badasses like few other cardio workouts. So get to it! (Note: This is to be used with an indoor Spinning or upright bike, not the recumbent bike.)

The music mix below goes with the routine. So 'song 1' is song 1 on the mix. But you don't have to use these exact songs, just find ones that have a similar beat pace and also are of roughly the same length of time.

Badass Spinning Challenge

1. Warmup at light tension and a fast steady pace, in the saddle.
2. Continue warmup, but add a little tension and if you've cycled before, come in and out of a standing run.
3. Sprint intervals: Add slightly more tension, about a quarter turn on the bike's tension wheel. Find a pace that is 60 percent of your max speed. That's your base. Every 30 seconds, sprint for 15 seconds at 80 to 90 percent of your max. Back off to your base pace for 30 seconds, then sprint again for 15. Do this for the whole song.
4. Sprints with tension, seated. Add a turn on the wheel. You should be at about 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 for tension, a medium hill, with the same base pace as the previous song. On the chorus when the music speeds up, add one turn or half-turn and pick up your speed. Hold it until the chorus ends, then return to base pace.
5. Steady stair-step climb. From the tension and pace of the previous song, add half a turn and try to keep the same pace or just slightly slower. Every minute, add a quarter turn while trying to maintain the pace. We're really climbing now!
6. Climb to the top! Take one turn off the tension wheel and flush the legs out a bit for 30 seconds. At 30 seconds, add a quarter turn and come into position 3 climb position (hands at the end of the handlebars, butt over the middle to back of the saddle, shoulders dropped toward handlebars). Climb here out of the saddle for 30 seconds, then add a quarter turn and drop to the saddle. Climb here for 30 seconds, then come back into position 3. Add a quarter turn and repeat the cycle for the duration of the song.
7. Flat road! Take most of the tension off and enjoy the fast pace of a flat road, seated.
8. Seated sprints with tension. Find medium tension and a pace that is 60 percent of your max. That's your base. On the chorus, add a half turn and sprint in the saddle. After the chorus, take the half turn off and go back to base pace. Repeat pattern throughout song.
9. Seated climb, seated and standing. Add a turn and climb one minute in the saddle. Add a half turn and climb the next minute in position 3. Sit, add a half turn and climb another minute. Add a full turn and climb in position 3 to the end of the song.
10. Seated fast with light to moderate tension. Lighten the tension to slightly more than a flat road. Flush your legs out and race to the finish line! This is an endurance test. Try to hold a steady pace for the first 3 minutes, then back off into a cool down pace.
11. Finish cool down! Take all the tension off now and keep the legs going at an easy pace. Take deep breaths in and out, getting control of your heart rate.
12. Stretch!

Badass Spinning Challenge Mix

1. ABC, Jackson 5, 2:58
2. Into the Hollywood Groove, Madonna, 3:44
3. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree (Remixed), TK, 4:57
4. Your Movement, The Shackeltons, 4:12
5. Use Somebody, Kings of Leon, 3:51
6. The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson, 4:57
7. If I Were a Boy (Lost Daze remix), Beyonce, 5:08
8. Vertigo, U2, 3:15
9. Could You Be Loved, Bob Marley, 3:57
10. Ecstasy, Rusted Root, 5:02
11. 1,2,3,4, Plain White Ts, 3:18

Coming tomorrow: The Badass Foodie delivers the best way to eat your daily veggies!

Monday Mailbag: Badasses oogle oatmeal; others need a boost!

Ugh, Monday? It's hard enough to get back into the office after a regular weekend, but after a weekend that followed a week in London? Boo hoo!

Ok, Ok, I know. Badasses don't whine. So let me just toughen up here and get back in the saddle -- at work for my day job and in the Spinning bike and gym for my fitness job(s). I actually missed teaching my Spin classes, as much as I loved exploring London. And I missed all of you Badasses! But many of you kept in touch via comments on daily Badass Fitness posts or with e-mails asking about my Badass Boot Camps or just with general fitness questions.

I heard from Amanda in Central Florida, with an e-mail that really got to me with one simple line: "Help me not to fail this year." She read the blog story about Badass Jenn Bertsch's successful weight loss, and she is determined to find her own success but is frustrated at the cost of gyms and trainers. She also wishes she had friends with similar fitness goals:

"I am like Jennifer. My weight is 179 and I told myself this is all about me this year, so I joined a boot camp this January and February and lost 4 inches in the waist and so far 6 lbs, but this can get expensive.  I enjoy being around people for support and making sure that I am doing the exercises correctly.  Also, saw your boot camp photos and excercises that you can do, which I will use. I have a treadmill, recumbent  stationary bike, Bowflex, and hand weights of 5 & 8 lbs, with a high school not far from me. None of my friends are into fitness, little support, and not having someone with you while doing your workout is
difficult for me because I like the interaction. I do not want to fail, but need some guidance. My question is do you really need to join a gym or a boot camp to get really a great body?  Help me not to fail this year.  All suggestions are welcome."

Wow. "Help me not to fail this year." I replied right away to Amanda, telling her that she can absolutely do her own boot camp and her own workouts, hopefully using this blog as a guide and daily inspiration. This Badass Army is about working toward our individual goals, but also about helping each other on the Badass Journey. Amanda is already on her way, having lost 6 pounds and having found the inner mojo to say to herself "this is all about me this year." But she's right - it is not easy to do that on a limited income, or without a buddy right there to meet her every day to work out. So I am asking all of you to reply in the comments below with props and encouragement and advice for Amanda. Let's be her Badass buddies from afar, pushing her toward her success. I know she will get there, and then I hope I can officially introduce her to you all with her before-and-after "Real Badass" story here on Badass Fitness. Keep at it, Amanda! We're cheering you on!

I also heard from Jesse in Asheville, N.C.  He wrote in a belated Confessional after having resisted the call these past few weeks. He was happy he did. Check it out:

Hi Shannon,
I've been following your badass fitness blog for a few months now ... When you first made the confessional call I disregarded it, thinking that I have plenty of self control, am in decent shape, am within 5lbs of my ideal weight and a motivated person in general. This week I signed up for a free account with DailyBurn.com and set up my goal of losing those 5lbs of fat before heading into spring and a handful of races. Suddenly having a documented goal out there changed things. I became immediately emotionally attached to the outcome of achieving that goal but found it hard to make choices that would ultimately lead to its completion.

Case in point... We have 40 employees at my company and celebrate each and every birthday with some type of cake, ice cream or confection. On Tuesday, there was a chocolate cupcake birthday and I am a sucker for anything with icing on top. I went in with a light heart and a plan to sing happy birthday and leave sans the cupcake. 15 minutes later I am sitting at my desk licking the last crumbs and icing off my fingers. I wasn’t worried about the calories as much because I had my real ass kicker track workout scheduled for that evening and tried to convince myself that it was not big deal and I didn’t care but I just felt sooo guilty for having caved on my plan to not eat birthday goodies this week.

To make matters worse, the cupcakes survived the initial battery and found their way into the kitchen where I found them two days later while heading to fill up my water bottle. So, this was my confession. I ate two (bigass) chocolate cupcakes this week and enjoyed every bite except for the last when guilt began to set in.

It’s amazing how much better I feel having gotten that off my chest. Time to let it go get busy with my goal!

 

That's right, Jesse, fess it up and move on! We've ALL been in that office cake/cupcake situation, and probably 8 times outta 10 we give in and dig in. And like you, We think, ugh, I did not need to eat that! But you're still a Badass, and those cupcakes aren't going to destroy your path toward getting leaner and meaner in time for spring races. So keep at it!

There was much love for Badass Foodie's post about the glories of oatmeal and awesome ways to add flavor and nutrition to a hot creamy bowl. Badass Fitness reader Jennifer sent me this recipe for overnight oats using a slow cooker -- one more reason why the slow cooker might just be the best kitchen gadget ever invented!

http://www.food52.com/recipes/3062_overnight_steelcut_oats_with_almond_butter_honey

A few thoughts on this recipe: I would boost it with a tablespoon each of cinnamon and ground flax seed added when you put the ingredients into the slow cooker, and serve it with berries or sliced bananas on top. This is a delicious, easy way to get yourself started on these chilly mornings. And I'm gonna go ahead and guess this recipe is Badass Foodie approved!

OK, now get out there and have a great week, Badasses! I've got lots of good stuff planned, including: A killer indoor cycling routine with music, dissecting those Girl Scout Cookies, and another awesome delivery from the Badass Foodie! 

Friday Confessional, London edition: Pints and chips!

I sinned, and I sinned again. The next day, I kept at it. The best part: This Badass Fitness CEO enjoyed every minute!
I was on vacation in London, bloody hell, and I was reveling in the gluttony!

Being a Badass is about health and fitness, but it's also about enjoying life. Moderation is the rule of thumb for everyday eating, but on a vacation abroad? Pffft! Pour me another pint, mate!

So I'm going to use this week's Friday Confessional to lay out all my London indulgences. Maybe mine will make yours seem like a week of carrots and hummus by comparison. Maybe you had an "off week," too, and it will remind you that you're not alone.

Above all, I hope it drives away any notion that we must always be perfect on the road to Badass. We do not have to stick at all times to egg whites, grilled chicken and oatmeal. That's just existing. It's not living.

We are real people. We have social events, mood swings, and wicked cravings. We are allowed to treat ourselves and sometimes let the cravings have their moment. (There's me, below right, providing cover to this sculpture of "Victorian Athlete," 50 A.D., housed in the British Museum.)

Which I did this week, in full force. See for yourselves:

Forgive me, Badass Blokes, for I have eaten and imbibed a bloody lot! Every day was more calories than usual, and far less exercise beyond the walking about the city. I ate buttered toast and eggs for breakfast most mornings from Sunday through Wednesday, which would prove to be the cleanest and healthiest meal each day. Then: deliciously downhill!

For lunch one day after seeing the Tower of London I ate a big burger and "chips," fries doused with vinegar and salt. Then chocolates and shortbread cookies in the afternoon, and a big Thai meal for dinner (in my defense, there was a papaya salad as part of the meal). And chocolate and cookies again after.

The previous day? Well, I was in the Harrod's "food hall," a Harry Potter-esque dining hall where you can buy everything from cupcakes,  gourmet truffles and gelato to pizza, falafels, sushi, cheeses, and huge sandwiches filled with all sorts of Confessional-worthy ingredients.

I did not stop at the moist banana cream cupcake from Lulu's. Nope. I just moved onto a few chocolates and then a cup of gelato during our hours in the luxury megastore. That was AFTER the lunch of a meat kafta and lamb from the Lebanese counter. I did at least get a blood orange salad with manchego cheese - my daily fruit??? Sorta??? Ok, not really.

Dinner that night was Indian, one of the best little holes in the wall I've ever found in the U.S. or abroad. I fully engaged the taste buds and stomach here -- lots of naan bread with raita sauce, and papadom with chutney and this other spicy eggplant spread.

Then I cleaned my plate, a chicken tikka-like dish that came on a sizzling plate with onions and peppers and tomatoes -- and a whole lotta cooking fat/oil. It was so so good. Dessert? Hard cider at a nearby pub. Roll me back to the hotel, please!

Sooooo do I regret any of this? NOT. AT. ALL. It was a great time, and why go to London and eat like a frugal spinster!? Boooriing. 

Speaking of, I did at least go to one Spin class in London (just to say I've done Spinning in London!) and walked everywhere. Fave destinations: The Tower of London (top picture) and St. Paul's Cathedral (at left) where I walked up nearly 600 stairs to the top and back down. Amazing view of the city! And yes, all those Spinning classes and stadium workouts helped!

Now I;m back, and vacation and play time is over. Like all of you Badasses, I know how to get back on the right eating track even after veering so far off.

I'll start this morning with a protein fruit smoothie made with almond milk.  And yes, there will be many salads and lean fish and poultry meals this coming week. Oh well! The gluttony of London is worth a few days of eating strictly green and clean.

Remember the formula, Badasses: Moderation and balance. Clean eating most of the time "balanced" with the indulgences that give us great memories and put smiles on our tastebuds.

Now, I know you all think you've escaped the Friday Confessional. Not so fast. I still want to know yours. I was simply away from my computer until last night, so there wasn't time for me to beg you Badasses for your confessionals earlier in the week.

Don't leave me hanging and feeling like a total solo glutton! Write your confessions, thoughts, and comments in the comment section below. Or e-mail me at shancola@aol.com and I'll include it in the Monday Mailbag.

Tell me about this week's eating and exercise, tell me about your best past vacation "sin." Beignets in New Orleans? Biscuits and gravy in Savannah? Six pints a night in Ireland?

Coming next week: A Badass indoor cycling routine, with one of my class mixes; how exercise grows your brain; a 10k training regimen; and another treat from the Badass Foodie!

Badass Foodie's Ode to Oatmeal

Badasses who are successful in their weight loss and maintenance strategies often have a few “favorite” healthy foods that they eat every day, or nearly every day. These are the foods they depend on as part of their healthy lifestyle: A favorite cereal for breakfast, a delicious chicken recipe, a protein bar or a special post-workout snack.

Me? I’m addicted to my oatmeal. Seriously, sign me up for a 12-step program, put me in a documentary with black and white montages or book me on Dr. Phil. (“Today on Dr. Phil – Oatmeal Addicts and the People Who Love Them!”)

It's versatile, adaptable, portable and extremely nutritious. It’s a comforting breakfast routine that fills me up and gets my day started right. (Badass Confession: When I travel for business and have no idea what the breakfast options will include, I pack sandwich bags with raw oats, high fiber cereal, Splenda and cinnamon already mixed together. Add hot water, stir, and serve!)

Oatmeal is one of the earth’s original super foods. Oats are a natural whole grain -- low in calories, high in fiber and proven to help prevent heart disease and high cholesterol. They are rich in magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamine, and pantothenic acid. Oats contain phytonutrients such as polyphenols, phytoestrogens, lignins and vitamin E. 

But enough of the science geek talk. The best part is, oatmeal can help you discover your best Badass body. Woot Woot!

Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats digest slowly, so they have little impact on your blood sugar.  Many breakfast foods such as cereals, high-sugar yogurts, pastries or dairy products spike your blood sugar and leave you hungry just a few hours later, but a full serving of oatmeal can keep you full until lunchtime. AND oats are natural, so you aren’t eating any of that hard-to-pronounce fake food – blech! 

All varieties of oats are healthy (even those little instant packets, though I recommend the lower sugar varieties) but old fashioned rolled oats are the least processed and the easiest to adapt.

All right, so, let’s say you are a Badass veteran and all this loving on oatmeal really isn’t really anything new to you.  Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you KNOW oatmeal is good for you… but… eh, you think it’s kind of bland and gruel-like, or you hate it because your great Aunt Cecilia who smelled like cats used to make you eat it every Tuesday. That's cool.

But if you have only tried it once or twice, give it another shot. You might be surprised! For all you oatmeal newbies and for the veterans, here are my Badass Foodie suggestions for making your daily bowl totally Badass:

It’s All About the Mixers!

Step 1 : Start with your basic formula
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup water or nonfat milk (milk adds a creamy texture and a few grams of protein, but also adds about 45 calories  - decide what’s best for you!)

Combine in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 – 5 minutes. OR, if you are feeling particularly domestic, combine in a medium saucepan and simmer on medium heat.

Step 2: As it’s cooking, add your self-styled goodies

• Very Berry Oats:  Add blueberries, raspberries or blackberries (frozen will work just fine) and sweetener to taste – mix to combine. This adds amazing nutritional value, as berries contain tons of antioxidants, which help you look younger, and they also have proven anti-inflammatory properties.
• Fluffy Banana Oats: Try “whipping” some thinly sliced bananas into your oats while they are cooking or still warm. Slice a half of a banana extremely thin, then whisk the oats to emulsify and break up the bananas, which will suspend the oats in a lighter texture. This works best with milk, and may sound crazy, but give it a try – it’s all about the speed at which you “whip” the bananas into the oats.
• Nuts and Nut Butter: I love adding peanut butter, almond butter or chopped pecans to oatmeal. Even a teaspoon of almond butter adds great flavor AND a good dose of healthy unsaturated fats.
• Pumpkin Pie Oats: (This Badass Foodie’s personal favorite!) I love using canned pumpkin in my oats and in other cooking. It’s truly amazing stuff, with only 40 calories in a ½ cup serving, which is filling and has the amazing nutritional benefits of the potassium, Vitamin A and fiber.  I add ½ cup of pumpkin, 2 packets of low calorie sweetener (I use Stevia, but some prefer Splenda) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg. YUM! It’s warm, filling, comforting and really tasty.
• Other Cereals or Granolas: I often add All-Bran or another healthy cereal to my pumpkin or banana oats, as I like the “crunch” of the cereals with the creaminess of the oatmeal.
• Chocolate: We all know that dark chocolate is good for us (in moderation, of course) so why not add it to your breakfast for a bit of variety?  Raw, natural cacao powder is available in many health food stores, but you can always use Hershey’s baking cocoa as well. (Just be sure to add some sweetener!) Add cocoa to the oat mixture or top with semi-sweet dark chocolate bits. Throw a teaspoon of nut butter in there and you’ve got delicious peanut butter cup oats!
  
• The other possibilities are endless: Dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots and raisins; fresh fruit such as peaches or apples; dried coconut; a scoop of protein powder; cinnamon; even cottage cheese. 
   

STEP 3: Sweeten and add Toppers to taste (optional)

• Sweeteners:I like to add 1 to 1 ½ packets of an all-natural sweetener to my daily pumpkin oats, but do what works best for you. I do recommend some amount of sweetener, as oats themselves can be rather bland, and many of the add-ins, such as pumpkin or peanut butter, can be bitter. Some options: Honey, Stevia, Agave Nectar, Molasses, or Splenda.
• Toppers: Just for fun!  Top your oats with berries, nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, granola, extra cinnamon or nutmeg, or cookie/muffin crumbs.

The other great thing about oats: They are everywhere, even when you travel! Imagine my delight when, during a freezing day in downtown D.C. last week, I discovered a corner café that sold oatmeal and let you add the toppings! (Starbucks now has a similar option, a much better choice than their sugary pastries or pound cake.) I topped mine (pictured at left) with lots of cinnamon, granola, a little brown sugar, chocolate chips and chopped walnuts! That was admittedly a bit of a calorie splurge. But did I mention it was 17 degrees and snowing?!

Is my love for oatmeal a borderline addiction? Is it a sickness? Perhaps.  But sometimes enjoying your healthy, Badass lifestyle is all about changing your perspective –- and spicing up your oatmeal recipe!

Bust out your own Badass Boot Camp!

The first Badass Fitness Boot Camp was awesome, but I know some of you who don't live in the a Tallahassee area were bummed that you couldn't join your fellow Badass Army troops.

Well, this Badass CEO is not going to just leave you hangin' like that! I want you to have fun working out, and I want you to be constantly challenged. That's how you get stronger and more Badass. Just ask the group that came out to Doak Campbell! They rocked.

And you all rock, no matter where you live. So I've adapted the boot camp routine, to be used at any high school or college stadium where there are lots of steep bleachers and steps.

Badass Boot Camp

Warm up: Run 2 to 4 laps around the perimeter of the stadium/field/track.

1st set

• 3 full sets of stadiums (one set is up to the top and back down): make your way from the bottom to the top quickly, and coming down do side squats. Lead with the left leg first, and then halfway down switch to lead with the right leg.

 
 

• Triceps dips, 25
• Pushups, 25
• Tricep pushups, 25
• 30 seconds of high knees
• 30 seconds of jumping jacks
• 30 seconds of high knees

 

 

2nd set

• 3 more sets of stadiums, same as before
• 25 squats
• 25 step-up, using a stadium bench as your bench
• One-legged squats, 25 each leg
• 30 seconds high knees
• 30 seconds jumping jacks
• 30 seconds high knees
• One more set of stadiums

   

Abs

1. Regular crunches, 25

2. Seated pull-ins, 25 (Butt on a step or bench, feet together and knees slightly bent, extend legs out and pull them back in. Extend back out, back in, repeat)

3. 90-degree crunches, 25 (Lift feet up and set legs at a 90-degree angle. Crunch up)

4. 90-degree crunches, right leg extended, 25 (From the 90-degree position, extend right leg out and hold it there. Now crunch.)

5. 90-degree crunches, left leg extended, 25 (Same thing, but with the left leg)

6. Regular crunches, 25

7. Stretch!!!

Hoo-ah! You did it! You have earned your dog tags, Badasses. And I can't wait for the next Badass Fitness Boot Camp at Doak. Mark your calendars: Saturday, Feb. 20, 11 am at Doak. E-mail me at shancola@aol.com if you have any questions.

Coming tomorrow: Badass Foodie's Ode to Oatmeal...If you think you don't like it, think again!

A Badass Home Gym: 5 Must-Haves

I am a gym rat, through and through. I spend a couple of hours there every day, and if I had all the time in the world I would probably spend even more. But not everyone likes being there amid the 25-pound plates and heavy metal lunge machines. Some go anyway, but they have that look on their face like they're about to get five cavities filled. Others would not get within a mile of a gym even if you paid them, they consider it such misery.

Well guess what, gym avoiders? You still need to get your sweat on -- and it's going to take more than just long outdoor runs or cycles to make you stronger and more toned from head to toe. The solution: make your home your own personal gym.

Some of the best workout routines are the ones in which your own body weight plays a starring role. Couple that with inexpensive "equipment" like dumbbells and bands, the right workout DVDs and a healthy dose of self-motivation, and you can really work that Badass! Include cardio bursts, and see even better results.

Badass Home Gym Basics

1. 5, 8, and 10-pound dumbbells: If I could only take one piece of equipment onto my desert island, a set of dumbbells might just be my choice. They don't take up much room, they don't cost much, but their versatility is unrivaled. You can work your biceps with hammer curls and concentration curls. You can do triceps presses and triceps kickbacks. You can grip two at once and do deep squats, plie squats, dead lifts, and walking lunges. Work your shoulders with shoulder side raises, shoulder presses and forward raises. The list goes on and on.

2. Resist-a-ball: Who says bouncy balls are just for kids? The big firm ball is great for ab work (crunches, pikes) but can also be used for more challenging pushups and hamstring curls. Couple it with dumbbells to work your arms and core at the same time, because doing shoulder raises or presses while sitting on the ball requires that you work your abs to balance yourself.

3. Pull-up bar: Some of those workout "wonders" advertised on TV are pure bunk. But the pull-up bar that you hook into any door jam at home is the real deal. Do traditional wide-grip pullups, close grip pullups, and work those abs with hanging leg raises. Do pull-ups everyday, and watch how much stronger your back, arms and shoulders get. In no time you'll be banging out 30 to 40 unassisted pullups like Rocky!

4. Resistance bands or tubes: The little resistance tubes look so harmless, like giant rubber bands. But if you've ever done a workout with these, you know they can make your muscles scream for mercy. And that's a good thing!

Wrap one of the bands around your ankles and step sideways 20 times in each direction, keeping your feet shoulder width apart, and see how that feels! Lay on your back, wrap a band around your ankles, raise your legs up at a 90-degree angle and pulse your legs apart. Holy outer thighs! The longer resistance bands, with handles, are awesome for triceps pulls, bicep curls, and seated rows to sculpt your back.

5. Step bench with risers: I love the step. Your Badass will, too. It's easily stored in a closet, and it can be used for upper and lower body and cardio work. Do box jumps on it (see below). Do decline pushups (feet on the bench, arms on the floor), triceps dips, triceps pushups, lunges, squats, side leg lifts. Heck, buy a great step DVD and have your own little step class right in the comfort of your living room.

OK, so I have officially taken away five excuses for not exercising. Now what are you waiting for? Pop in a great workout DVD, or better yet print out some of the suggested workouts from right here on Badass Fitness, and get your sweat on!

Coming tomorrow: Your own Badass Boot Camp, adapted from the field... at Doak Campbell.

What a Badass first day in London!

Whew! This Badass only has four full days in London, so I packed a lot in today -- just ask my feet!

Inside the British Museum I saw 5,000-year-old mummies, ancient sculptures and a Greek temple. AT the British Library I saw the Magna Carta, faded handwritten notes from Jane Austen, and even lyrics  scratched by the Beatles on the back of old paper. In a word: Badass! And tomorrow? Harrod's and the Tower of London by day, and the musical Wicked at night.

I started off this morning with a Spinning class, if only to say that I've been Spinning in London. The class did not disappoint. And I must say, hills and sprints led by a cute guy with a British accent is a lovely way to start a Cheeri-o day!

But as we trekked around this city, block to block and between Underground (subway) stations, I kept thinking, Thank goodness I'm fit. Because my time is precious here, and I frankly don't want to be resting my feet when I could be seeing amazing things. I had to sprint through Dallas airport to make my London connector thanks to a delay from Tallahassee, and as I reached the gate right before they stopped boarding, I thought, Well this is where those stadiums and Spinning classes pay off!

So as you try to muster up motivation to work out, remember the practical benefits: It will make you stronger and better able to enjoy life. Not just to exist through life, but to really truly LIVE IT. From one end of the globe to another.

Oh, and a big benefit of a day spent walking and exploring is this: Fish and chips, with a big pint of hard cider, sans any calories guilt. Bloody right!

Ok, Badasses, enjoy the rest of your week, and stay tuned to the blog. There's a whole lotta good stuff I planned for you before I left the U.S.

Now excuse me while I go find a pub....