Anna's Bananas on WORKING OUT

Ah the blessed workout routine. I could really talk all day long about all the different ways and techniques I have when it comes to working out, but we don't have all day here so I will try to make it to the point and more general. Again I want to stress that I'm not a workout or fitness guru, I'm just a wife and a mom that likes to work out, and did so to get rid of the baby fat. So if you are a mommy and are looking for some easy tips and info, keep reading.

 Remember that working your body out and getting in shape isn't about being vain. The lord calls us to be excellent. This is about you being healthy and happy, and the best possible you while you are here on earth. Being healthy and fit is a good witness, it's a way of loving the Lord by taking care of the body He gave you, loving your spouse, and loving your children.  

First I want to talk a little about running and working out. My fitness routine changed gradually as I made more and more progress. In the very beginning I tried to run and work out everyday. That didn't always happen because of my daughter or husband's schedule, but I made a good effort to.  Best case scenario was work out and run 5 days a week, just in the beginning. When I first was able to start (after the six week waiting period after the birth of my daughter) I wanted to "jump start" my metabolism. Now I run and work out three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I try to schedule an hour and a half to run and work out. My running, depending how far I run that day, takes anywhere between 40 to 60 minutes. Then the rest is working out. If you have a selected day to just work out, you still need to run, you have to get that heart rate up before you start doing anything else, ok? So run at least 1 mile before you get on the floor.
I think it's really important for us gals to get to the gym, or work out at home. Running, zumba, yoga (don't get me started on yoga), swimming, whatever you do; all that stuff is great, however, in my humble opinion, nothing beats sweating it out with an old fashioned kick your butt workout.

Speaking of your butt... work out the largest muscles you have. Your butt, back and thighs, calves, hamstrings/legs. Your goal in losing the baby weight is to burn as much fat and calories as you can in a day/week. You want to get the most amount of bang for your buck, buck kicking workout that is ;) Working out your big muscles with a mix of free weight cardio and using machines if you can, will get you more calorie burning time long after you have ended your workout. Yes, in case you didn't know, you burn calories all day long, and the harder you work out during your workout, the more you will burn throughout the day. If you are like me, your thighs and butt are nice and... how should we say? thick, heh, and your heart has to pump harder when you are working them out, therefor you burn more calories. Why am I repeating myself? Because I know what you are thinking! Yes you! I know what that little snotty voice is saying in that beautiful head of yours; its saying "blah blah Anna Banana, squats, lunges, I've heard it all before!." Well, the reason you have heard it all before on those workout videos you bought that are collecting dust, or from a friend, or from a magazine in the check out line, is because it's TRUE! Squats and lunges have so many benefits, and will kick start your metabolism, I promise! There is just one little problem isn't there? They are hard, and they take a lot of energy, and it burns! They are totally worth the burn, believe me!

Well again, if you are like me, sometimes it helps to know "how it works." I like to know the process of things sometimes, i.e. the reason for the burn/pain. That way, while I'm burning I can reassure myself it's working and worth it. And I do, and it is, and now I LOVE the burn!
First lets pay some homage to the rear! Your butt is made up of three muscles that all form that lovely lady lump in the back. You have the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. We are all pretty familiar with the maximus, that's the biggest of the three and it kind of covers the other two. But don't go ignoring the other two, they contribute their fair share to the roundness, tightness and poky-outyness.

So why am I showing you this lovely picture above? Because I want you to see that just doing one kind of movement, isn't gonna get you the butt you want. You want to exercise ALL of the butt, and all of the thigh, and all of the hamstring, and all of the calf. Why? Because it will burn more calories and get you a pretty booty faster!  Pretty booty! Exercises that focus on your behind, hamstring, lower back and thighs are going to help reduce the cottage cheese situation. I'm pretty sure you and your husband or partner want your buns WITHOUT the jelly.
Try to pick exercises that will work out all of your rear. Use free weights (again it burns more calories that way), machines, and switch it up from day to day, don't do the same three exercises everyday. Granted, if you are going from not working out at all, and all you know is three different moves, then go on wich ya bad self! But after a while you will need to make an effort to learn more moves.
So where oh where do you find new moves? There is this thing called the internet, don't ask me how it works, but you are actually using it right now! google and youtube are great for finding new exercises. Fitness mags, fitness shows, classes, oh and, me, read my blog, call me up, come over, and I will learn ya some sweet moves girl!

So remember the burn? Real quick I just want to give you an explanation so you know why I love and crave that sensation like a fat kid loves cake. Well I love cake too, but, you know, that's the fat kid inside of me that you can't see anymore because I love the burn too. So the burn is lactic acid being released in your muscles, now I wont go into great detail here, but what you need to know is that lactic acid is good, that burning means that your muscles are working, being broken down so they can be built back up hard and firm, and best of all.. drum roll please, the burn really truly means that your body is burning carbs, calories and. FAT! So the burn is good, make it burn as much and as long as you can. When your booty is on fire after 50 squats, just remind your self that this is maybe 5 minutes of pain for the amazing butt you will gain. Yes, did you really think I could write about working out without throwing in "no pain no gain"? Come on!
Ok so I think we should get to a quick (as you can see I use the term "quick" loosely) tip list.

Anna's Banana Tips for Working Out:

1) Work out through out the day. Wait what? Didn't I just blab on about getting in the gym and using free weights and machines? Yes, yes I did. But also, try to work-in a work-out through-out the day. Here are some ideas:

• Place dumbbell weights in common walk through or high traffic area of your home. For me it's the counter in our kitchen. Mine are bright pink and are pretty hard to miss. When I'm boiling eggs, or waiting for something in the microwave, or my daughter is smearing banana all over her high-chair trey, I grab those weights and I do some squats, work out my shoulders or biceps, or maybe some weird combo of the two. I might only be able to get in 20 reps, but I do that a handful or more times a day. And it pays off. 
• This is going to sound a little obsessive compulsive to some of you, but hey, whatever; do squats, plies or releves while blow drying your hair.
• You have probably heard this before too, but here it is again because it's true. When you go to the store, don't worry about getting the best spot, park far enough to make you work a little on your way in and out. Use the stairs at work, or wherever the day brings you. 
• Moms, PLEASE play with your kids! Playing with them is bonding time for you and them, and burning cal time for you and your booty.
• This one my brother Joel thought was funny, but he ended up doing it. Squeeze your butt muscles while driving... (I'm giving you a pause here so you can laugh at me). Yes, squeeze your butt muscles right now if you are sitting while reading this, squeeze hard, as hard as you CAN! Hold it for five counts, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and release, 2,3,4 now squeeze again for five counts... you get the idea. If you keep doing that for the rest of the time it takes you to read this post, I assure you, you will feel a burn. Bizarre? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely!        

I have many other ideas on that, I will put them in future posts. 

2) Use free weights and machines.

3) If you aren't sweating, you aren't doing anything worth doing. Get sweaty!

4) Go for reps, not so much sets or heavy weights. I could write a whole post about why and what I mean by this, and maybe I will in the future. Butt (wink wink, nudge nudge), here is the short hand (again short hand is a relative term here): If you are reading this you are probably a woman, either that or a soft pudgy man. Women want: long lean muscles, to burn fat, and are NOT trying to look like Arnold Swarchenegger (before the moob fiasco). Also, if you are just getting back into working out, or getting into it for the first time ever, you have no idea what your limit is, or how many sets are enough, and you definitely don't want to injure yourself. With the weights, go small, for now. With the reps, go high high high, do as many as you can till it burns so much you feel like your butt, arms, back, thighs or whatever are going to fall off. With the sets, just start out with at least two, and then build them up over time. Let me give you an example:  Lets say you are doing squats while holding two 5 pound weights, one in each hand. Do as many as you can, nice and slow, strong and with good form. Lets say you do 25 squats, good job! Now do that at least one more time before your work out is over. Next week do it three times each time you work out, and the week after do it four times and so on. After about a month add more weight. This approach will give you long lean muscles and it burns more calories.

5) Squats squats squats and more squats, and lunges WITH free weights.


6) Alternate muscles. So do those 25 squats with the free weights, and then work out your back, and then work out your hamstrings, and then go back to the squats.

Well I think that's all I'm gonna leak for now. My next entry will be about food and what to eat to lose! mmm! Bye for now!

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/workouts/burn-more-calories

http://fitnessblackbook.com/interval-training/how-interval-training-works-lactic-acid-oxygen-debt-and-recovery/

Anna's Banana's on RUNNING

IF YOU WANT TO SPARE YOURSELF THE RISK OF BEING BORED, JUST READ THE PINK INK ;)

I haven't run a marathon yet, and I'm not an expert on running by any means, this is just information I have gathered from my own research study and personal experience. This is just the story of how one mommy used running as one of the ways to get rid of the belly.
Honestly I get asked a lot now, the same kind of question; "how did you lose the baby weight?", "running is how you lost the weight? All you did was run?", or the one I that bothers me a little "you didn't gain much weight when you were pregnant, did ya?" The reason this bothers me is because I DID gain a lot of weight! I'm not proud of the nasty weight I gained, however, I am proud and thankful for the hard work that paid off in losing the nasty weight, ya feel me? Now I LOVE the comments like "you look great", "you don't even look like you have had a kid," keep those acome'n, I will take those all day long sister! Running isn't all I did, I dieted, I worked out, I prayed, and I ran.

So RUNNING? I love running, I love it so much, it's part of my life routine. And I hope it will be till I can't walk anymore, till I die or till Jesus comes back. Running for me is a huge release, it is my ME time, it allows me to dump out all the random thoughts in my head, so that the Lord's Spirit has a fresh canvas to work with for the day. There are scientific explanations why running and all other forms of exercise make you feel good and can become a habit or almost addicting. Endorphins (I'm sure you have heard about these guys in your brain) are produced when you run/exercise. "Endorphins are the brain’s naturally occurring opiates and are related to decreased pain perception and an increased sense of well-being." - http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/qt/Runners-High.htm. Oh yeah! "Runner's High" is a real thing, and it's awesome. I am an endorphin fan, a fan of endorphins fo sho!

So now that I got you all pumped about running, how did I start running, and how should you start running if you are interested? Well I have to be honest, I didn't always like running. From the time I was a young girl I was a ballet dancer, I danced for a good 13 years. I also did gymnastics, a little soccer and a little volley ball. Running, just running, seemed really boring to me most of my life. And it was hard, took a lot of stamina. I have ADD, so just doing one motion for an hour, when I could dance, kick a ball or do a backhand spring, seemed really lame in my younger years. As I got older around 17 I started to really enjoy working out at the gym. I saw the gym at the community college I went to as an adult playground/jungle gym. I wanted to learn how to use every machine that I could, and master it. Ok, I'm getting off track here... How did I get started running on the reg?

The first 15k I did before I had my daughter (before I got fat)

I have to give my husband credit here, because now that I think about it, he is the one that really inspired me at first. Him and his dad did a 15k the first year of our marriage, I didn't do it, there for (the competitiveness flared) I decided the next year I would do the same run. So I did, with a friend of mine Lydia, from back in the day who ran track in high school. I did horrible, it took me like two and a half hours to finish! I was unknowingly pregnant at the time, but still, that's a really slow pace! Shortly after that 15k, I found out I was pregnant, and soon I wasn't doing any physical activity that I didn't absolutely have to do. I went to work, came home, ate lots of food and went to sleep. Anyone who has been pregnant knows what I'm talking about, you are just super tired ALL the TIME! So I got fat.

This is a good picture, you can't see the true size of my belly because I'm really sucking it in, and I'm doing my classic lean to the side and poke my hip out move to make me look longer.

Then after I had my beautiful daughter, I realized how fat I was and was determined to lose the weight. My best friend Candace and I were hanging out at the beginning of 2011, just a few months after I had delivered my baby girl, and she expressed to me that she wanted to tone up and get a booty. She asked me for advice on the booty deal because she admired mine, my pre-baby booty, NOT the post baby booty. I did have a lot of knowledge about working out and how to gain muscle weight just from personal experience, so we agreed to become workout/running partners. Having a running partner is key to your success in becoming a runner and losing weight. I will talk more about this later. Candace and her dad had wanted to do that same 15k I had done the year before, and it was about two months away. So that became our goal. Having a goal, and event to work towards is also vital in becoming a successful runner and loser of fat.

Candace, her dad Arty, and me at our very first 5k!

We ended up changing our goal to just doing the 5k because that's where we were at, we were just beginners, and again I was pretty heavy for my frame. I needed to lose 50lbs to get to pre-baby weight. You might be looking at these pics and thinking "fifty pounds? She is exaggerating." But I'm telling you the truth! I was 168lbs after I had my daughter, my pre-pregnancy weight was 120lbs. I carry my weight in my butt and thighs, God bless my mom. My thighs are the only place I have stretch marks. We had to be realistic and flexible about our goal, so we put our hearts, minds and bodies on finishing the 5k the best we could. You have to be realistic about your goals, otherwise you will get discouraged. I will talk more about this in a future post as well. So we did it, we did the 5k, we finished well, and there was the beginning of my soon to become addiction and love of running! Hallelujah!

Since then I have finished eight runs. Most of them 5ks, one 8k, one 10k, and two 15ks. I now run three times a week and run at least four miles each time. I average 15miles a week. And I can honestly say that three miles now feels like one mile did a year ago.  I'm not trying to brag here, I just want you ladies out there that are reading this to know it's possible! You can become a runner!

Most recent run, that same old 15k, but this time I did it in 1 hour and 37 min! Praise the Lord!

This is me a month ago, 55lbs smaller than I was when I first started running. (More about my weight loss process in future posts)

Here are some steps/rules to running: (keep in mind, these rules should be used when using running as a way to lose weight, this isn't for Olympic champion runners obviously)
First remember to devote everything you do to the Lord, pray for wisdom, strength, energy and stamina. Pray that He will help you to have the ability to meet your goals, and give Him the glory when He answers your prayer. He is the one that gave you those legs, He is the one that gave you your lungs and heart, and He is the one that will allow you to become a dedicated runner and loser of fat!  "do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31b

1) Have a partner if you can.

2) Have (realistic) a goal

3) Run 3 to 5 times a week

4) Start small to get small. What I mean by this is, if you just had a baby you aren't going to be able to move like your old high school skinny self. Your legs are heavier, you have more fluid (gross) in your body (especially if you are breastfeeding). When you get on that treadmill the first time, don't be discouraged about the fact that you feel winded after five minutes of running. It takes time to get a good consistent pace.
5) Thank God for friends and interval training! Candace, my beloved running partner, had informed me that interval training is the best way to lose weight and build your endurance as a runner (per her dad). She told me it's what Jennifer Aniston did, so with that I was sold. Run in intervals when you first start out. Run 5 minutes then walk for two, run again for 5 min and then walk for two. You can pick the length and pace of your intervals, just keep your heart rate above rest for an hour total. Try to extend the time of running and shorten the time of walking every week, or even day by day if you can. Eventually you will be able to run a full hour without walking. Interval training burns a lot of calories because your heart has to work hard to "pump it up" when you go from quick walking to running. After a while you will find that you genuinely don't want to slow down to walk because it's going to take more work to get back up to your running pace, so you are actually more inclined to keep running.
6) Stretch a little before and a lot after. I think most people already know this.
7) Learn to control your breathing.  This is so important, I maybe should have listed it as number one. Learning how to control your breathing while running can change your outlook on running completely. I was taught how to control my breathing when I was a kid, either in dance or gymnastics, so I don't remember who taught me but I am so glad they did. I taught my friend Candace how to control her breathing and it helped her a lot! When you start your warm up walk, try to breath in through your nose and see how many steps you take while you are inhaling. Then, slowly exhale through your mouth or nose, and try to get it all out in the same amount of counts/steps that you inhaled it. When you run do the same thing. A light jog for me is a four step breather, so it goes like this: I'm inhaling for four steps and I count along in my head to the steps (1,2,3,4) and then I exhale for four steps again (1,2,3,4). Soon, after a little practice, this controlled breathing will become second hand to you. I still count sometimes, but it's more to keep my rhythm and pace. I don't always use numbers "1,2,3,4" either, I say things in my head to the pace of my feat like, "five, more, min, utes" or "five, more, mi, les" or "you, can, do, this." This may sound crazy to you.... yeah.  
8) Remember it's 10% physical and 90% mental!  I told this to Candace one day when we first started working out together and it was a hit with her. It's really true though, you can do it, don't listen to your whiny body. And if you have had a baby (vaginally) you know you can get through loads of pain and still survive, so just assign your mind to be master over your body. Your body will obey.
9) Eat after you run. So I might get some flack for this, but again keep in mind I'm talking to people that want to lose fat-weight. I'm going to go over all my diet and nutrition stuff in a future post, but for now hear me out. If you are trying to lose fat, run in the morning before you have breakfast. This is just in the first month or two of your weight loss journey. Later you wont want to do that because you can lose muscle mass too, but right now we are focusing on the large parts of fat that are surrounding the hot sexy muscles underneath. Your body uses the same amount of fat when you work out no matter what. You can't tell your body to burn fat only on your hips, or only on your thighs, or only on your belly. But I believe you can encourage your body to burn the fat that's in it's savings account if you hold off on making a deposit till after the run. This approach is a little controversial, but it's what I did and it worked. Some people find it hard to get moving in the morning without food, if your one of those people... ehhh, I don't know what to tell you. I can tell you that working out gives me more energy than sitting at the table or on the couch drinking coffee and eating cereal.
10) Get some runn'n shoes girl fran! Here is a good excuse to go shoe shopping. If you plan on taking running and losing weight seriously you need to get your self some good running shoes. They don't have to be super expensive, or the newest model. Just get a good brand at a discounted price at a place like DSW. I like Nike, but get what feels good and supportive and light to you.

So there you have Anna's Bananas on running. My next post will be about working out for fat loss, and the one after that will be all about what to eat. I hope whoever reads this will benefit from it, even if it's just by getting a giggle out of reading parts of it.

Subjects that interest me
Jesus
Heaven and Hell
Aliens
Diet and Exercise - love reading fitness and nutrition mags and blogs
Love
Personality and Psychology

Here are some books that I am either reading or just finished recently:
Finished and liked
1 Crazy Love by Francis Chan
2 Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
3 Making Money from Home: How to Run a Successful Home-Based Business by Donna Partow
4 The Truth Twisters by Harold J. Berry
5 Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson
6 the First Five Years of Marriage - Focus on the Family

Currently Juggle Reading (you know what juggle reading is don't you?)
1 One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
2 Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (Puffin Classics) translated by Naomi Lewis
3 Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger
4 A History of US Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim
5 A History of US Liberty for All? by Joy Hakim
6 America's Providential History by Mark A Beliles & Stephen K. McDowell
7 The Myth of Separation by David Barton
8 Love Dare by Kendrick 

One's ima Get To 
1 Wild at Heart by John Eldredge (yes the one for guys)
2 Soul Cravings by McManus
3 The Ministry of Motherhood by Clarkson 

Hello there, hello to the other human that is reading my words this very moment. Some people that know me might think it's odd that I haven't started a blog before. They may find it odd because most people that know me, know I like to talk. My filter, the poor one I have, doesn't always get used; however the Lord is working on that in me. In the past I have been tempted to start a blog. The reason I equate that urge with temptation, is because I think in the past it was when I wanted to get on my soap box. I never wanted to start one because I didn't want people to think I am conceited or prideful, (which I am very much conceited and full of self pride, we all are) like I have this whole life thing figured out, and anyone who has the blessing of getting to read my words will be better off... Also, I am competitive, and a little perfectionist when it comes to some things, so I really don't want what I write to be public unless I approve it as being awesome.
But here is the deal: I have come to the realization that what God the Father has done, through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, in my life, and in my family's life, is too big, too amazing, too miraculous to keep to myself. There is a whole world of communication via facebook, blogs etc... why not take advantage?

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. - 1 Timothy 1:15-17

I try to pray everyday for opportunities to tell other people about all the great things Christ has done in my life, and He is faithful, as always, to answer my prayers. I feel that this blog is just another opportunity to connect and share with others. If it's the Lord's will, people will read it and it will be a light somehow, if it's not, then I won't continue; but I'm gonna give it a shot. Even if only one person is encouraged or inspired to seek the true Love of Jesus Christ, than I think it's totally worth it.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Here are a few warnings: I am notorious for run-on sentences, being random, and having bad grammar and spelling in general. So I just wanted to get that disclaimer out there before I begin this word journey.
What to expect: Just plain old thoughts and testimonials about my life as a servant of Jesus Christ, a wife and a mom.

Over all, I just want to connect with other people, share the story that has been graciously given to me, and have fun!