Tuesday, January 26, 2021

When the Winds Chased Us Up to the Lanikai Pillboxes

Fridays are our day for active recovery - low impact activities. We love to take the SUP boards out. We paddle and float, paddle and float. It's relaxing, but also great movement for the day.

Lately, the winter weather in Hawaii has been making it difficult to get out on the boards. We have had wind advisories and high surf advisories a lot more than last year. So, it wasn't super surprising when we loaded up our boards last Friday only to discover the water was way too choppy.

Instead of paddling out to the Mokuluas, we did a quick change of clothes and went for a hike up to the Lanikai Pillboxes.


The first time we did this hike was right after moving to Oahu in May of 2019. It's right in our neighborhood, so we pledged to do it ALL THE TIME. That hasn't happened.

But thanks to the windy day, we got back up to enjoy the views of the Mokes from above. 


This hike is short and sweet...or maybe quick and dirty is a better description. From car door to the top and back down is only 1.40 miles over an elevation gain of 418 feet.

Most of the hike is a gradual (less than) moderate climb, but there are some portions (like the beginning) that are leg burners and get your heart pumping. The best part of the big climbs are the views you get while you're taking a break to catch your breath.



We passed the first pillbox and made our way to the second one at the top. Once there, we found a spot to sit, enjoy the view and the blueberry protein bars we brought with us to break our fast! I love them, but I think they taste even better with that view.



So the day the winds chased us up to the Lanikai Pillboxes turned out to be an awesome back-up plan for paddle boarding.



When has your plans fallen through only to end up leading to something even better?





Wednesday, January 20, 2021

15 Minutes of Fire and Breaking in New Shoes

Tuesday's workout was 15 minutes of FIRE!!

Haha, not kidding. I should have known that Head Trainer Le was going to bring the fire to her Kettlebell workout. She always does. This workout had every single muscle shaking and completely dead in 15 minutes.

There were three pods
Each pod had 2 sets
Set 1 was 3 minutes of EMOM
Set 2 was 2 minutes of endurance

Here are some screen shots of some of the moves. To see videos of my workouts, you can follow my IG stories.


OMGOSH! Those were the longest 3 minutes and 2 minutes!!


It was the toughest FASTer Way workout for me so far in 2021 and I love it!

I love being part of a program that continues to challenge me. As I told my VIP clients this week, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. I might not have finished all the reps each time, but I know that in this program I will continue to get stronger and grow. I’m proud of that!

The weather was so much better (if you missed it, Monday I wore pants), so I was able to get in a walk for my LISS. Best part, I broke in my new shoes! I know they are running shoes and I don't run anymore, but after walking over 15 miles last week, I need shoes with cushion. This is my first pair of Brooks and I figure run happy, walk happy. Same, same.


I only had time to walk to the Lanikai Monument and back before getting home to eat and get cleaned up for client calls. The monument turn around used to be my long walk. I love going down the hill to the lava rock to look for honu (turtles) and enjoy the view. No honu today, but the view was spectacular.



Do wear different shoes for your workouts (HIIT, strength) from your running/walking?




Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Cold Enough for Pants + Low Carb Eats

Yesterday was our first low carb day of the week. Sometimes I like low carb days, sometimes I don't. I think I was feeling a little cranky about all things yesterday because it was cold and rainy in Hawaii. Full disclosure it was about 70 degrees most of the day. Cold enough for me to wear pants -> I wear shorts 99.9999% of the time for my workouts.

Our workout for the day was HIIT with giant sets. We did three giant sets and completed each one twice. Each giant set had 4 moves with 10 reps each. It was a typical high intensity workout. The first move is kind of easy and fools you into thinking the workout won't be that bad, but then the intensity sneaks up on you! This might sound crazy, but it's the ones on the ground that get me every time - in & outs, man makers, mountain climbers on steroids. I was happy when it was finished!



Since it was too rainy to go for a walk, I did 20 minutes of LISS (low intensity steady state cardio) on my spin bike as my cool down.

Then it was time to break my fast. In the FASTer Way lifestyle we practice intermittent fasting. I fast 16 hours a day and eat for 8 hours. Most of the time I break my fast around 11AM and close my eating window by 7PM. Yesterday, I made egg wraps using low carb (but not gluten free) wraps. These wraps are stuffed with eggs, ham, chicken sausage, spinach and avocado. They were soooo good!

For lunch I made a chocolate blueberry protein shake. It's a recipe from the FASTer Way meal guide and currently on repeat.

Before lunch, I used our indoor grill to prep a few chicken breasts for dinner and probably today since I'm on my own ---> mrC had another overnight trip. 

My afternoon snack: strawberries. Low carb day doesn't mean no carb. We subtract fiber from our carb total. So the more fiber you have, the more carbs you can have.

For dinner I heated up some green beans and mashed cauliflower to go with the chicken breast I grilled earlier. Protein and veggies is the basic combo for low carb meals. And simple.

I spent the rest of my day checking in on my clients and hanging out in my winter wear. It was kind of nice wearing pants all day because it doesn't happen often...or ever here.


What's the weather like where you live?

Do you eat low carb at all?





Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Quarantine and Food

One thing I will remember about 2020 is that for the first time in my life, I had to quarantine. Whether you have to do it as part of a community order, travel or because you are sick, most of us will experience the Big Q (as one of my client's calls it) at least once.

I recently returned home to Hawaii after attending my stepdaughter's wedding and had to quarantine for 10 days (because as a resident, I chose not to get a test) -> which is a lot better than the 14 days I did in August or the 21 days my friends are doing in Hong Kong!! No matter how long it is, it's a disruption to our normal routine.


Sticking with healthy habits during quarantine might be the LAST thing you want to do if you're angry about the situation, but it can also be a great time to FOCUS on those habits. Here are a few tips for how to stay on track during your Big Q:

1. Stick to your normal eating schedule - this is going to keep you satiated and prevent binge eating.

2. Stock up on healthy foods - Here is a list of foods that are helpful if you are confined to a hotel for your quarantine:

Canned tuna/salmon

Nuts

Protein powder (my favorite is Nuzest)

Lean protein jerky

Deli meat and leafy greens

Canned beans

Fruit

Instant rice/quinoa

Cold pressed juices

Rice cakes/crispbread

3. Plan delivery for your main meals if you can't cook for yourself 

4. Stay hydrated - drink at least half your body weight in ounces, but aim for more if you are also exercising during your quarantine.

5. Exercise - get in some form of movement every day. Do a daily workout, get up and walk around every hour to get as many steps as you can, stretch, do some yoga.

The important thing to remember is that even if YOU are in quarantine, your health is NOT in quarantine. You can stick to healthy eating and exercise. It might not be as fun or as easy, but you can do it!


Tell me: have you had to quarantine? How did it go?




Thursday, January 7, 2021

Macronutrients Matter

A lot of people want to lose weight and think that the answer lies in cutting calories. If it were only that easy!

Counting calories has been the go-to for years and years when it comes to weight loss. The calories in, calories out method has been preached by personal trainers in gyms, weight loss programs and doctors.

The calories in and calories out method works…for a little while. But when you hit a plateau, the only option is to cut more calories. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound fun at all.

When people cut calories, they forget one very important thing: macronutrients matter. It is important to fuel your body properly with the right amount of the right foods -> macronutrients.

Protein is key to changing your body composition. Protein helps build lean, calorie-burning muscle which helps to burn more fat and aids your body in replacing worn out cells and muscle repair. 

Carbs are the primary fuel source for our organs and muscles. Complex carbs are incredibly important to fueling your workouts, increasing energy levels, and triggering the release of insulin. Consuming carbs at the right time will teach your body to reach into your fat stores for energy during and after a workout. 

Fat is a crucial part of our diet, and under-eating daily fat grams can have negative effects on the body. Including healthy fats in your diet can support your metabolism, immunity, hormone production, and improve body composition.

In the FASTer Way program, we count our macros, not our calories. When you focus on eating the right amount of the right foods, your body becomes a fat burner, has energy and can build muscle.

You can learn more about the FASTer Way here.






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