I haven't been shy about my love for reality TV or my interest in all things celebrity gossip; truth be told, I find it relaxing to end a 14-16 hour day with such an activity (say E! News or the latest Us Weekly) that requires little brain or muscle power. I'm none the wiser or fitter because of it, but it's a vice for me and a non-caloric one at that!:)

With the recent celebrity baby and pregnancy trend, my interest in prenatal and postpartum fitness has been reignited. Not being a mother myself, I have to live and learn vicariously through others. My friend (and Haute Physique devoutee) Sarah K. graciously accepted my invite to guest-blog and give real insight to what's required to keep her mama-to-be body in fighting shape. Week after week she puts the rest of us to shame as she hangs right in there (and often leads the pack) at our grueling Wednesday workouts. Here's what she has to say about staying fit while preparing for mommyhood (with a few Haute Physique plugs thrown in)!


An expanding waistline, bulging leg veins, and acne prone skin don't necessarily provide visions of health. Couple those physical changes with frequent food binges and an exhaustion that limits activity to sluggishly lifting the remote to change the channel and you're probably thinking, "Who is this slob that's guest blogging for a fitness audience?". Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, and Brooke Burke I am not. I am merely a 29 year old Grand Forksian trying to juggle a fit pregnancy with a busy career, a new home, a husband who's a handful in his own right, and all the emotions and physical changes that come along with preparing for a baby.

Let's go back to 2009. I was blessed to meet and develop what I hope to be a lifelong friendship with Amy of Haute Physique. Much like a first date with your "crush", Amy and I met and immediately hit it off. We have so many people and interests in common that I often wonder why I didn't meet her sooner. (An earlier "courtship" could have saved me a few bills from the therapist!) Within a year, she got me hooked on clean eating and on board to train for my first fitness competition. The girl is relentlessly inspiring! I was gung-ho and was immediately noticing changes to my physique, which is so addicting and empowering! Unfortunately and fortunately all at the same time, my plans were interrupted by God's. About two months into the training, my dear husband and I found out we were expecting! Something told me that entering my first fitness competition at three months preggo wouldn't do much for my self-esteem or interest in pursuing the lifestyle in the future. Can you imagine me prancing around in a bedazzled, barely there bikini and stripper heels with my 12 week old son protruding from my mid-section? Another great visual for you.

Despite my competition plans being derailed, I was determined to stay on track with my new clean lifestyle assuming that if I did, losing the baby weight would be much easier. So, for the first 3 weeks (weeks 4-7 of my pregnancy), I diligently packed my cooler and enjoyed the likes of ezekial bread, Fage, egg whites, chicken breasts and green beans up the wazzoo. By week 8 of my pregnancy, I had had enough. The emotions, exhaustion, nausea, and overwhelming fears that come along with babies (financial stresses, hormonal changes, lifestyle changes...EVERYTHING), got the best of me and I sustained on crackers, chips and candy for the next 3 weeks. Part of me felt entitled because I was pregnant and if you can't indulge then, when can you? But, a good part of me felt really guilty. I'm glad for that because it got me back on track. Albeit a modified track.

I'm far from perfect and have still retired the cooler for a while but I am back on a reasonable track for me. I try and make 50% of my meals "clean" meals each day. I also try and do physical activity every day. Whether that is a 10 minute walk, a bike ride, or a grueling session with the Haute Physique girls at the park, I try and get out there and it makes me feel good even though I am fully aware that I look like a freak doing monkey jumps and crab walks. Another tactic I've used is setting a daily goal for myself. These goals help me make conscious choices rather than, as Gisele so annoyingly proclaims most pregnant women do, treat my body like a "human garbage disposal". (To be totally transparent, one of my daily goals has been to NOT eat an entire pint of ice cream in one day. Lofty ambitions, huh? But, hey, for this ice creamaholic and preggo, it can be hard and it was a goal nonetheless. And, I went to bed feeling pretty proud of myself for accomplishing it.)

My moral of the story is that all we can do is do our best. Without a personal chef, nanny, masseuse, therapist, monthly vacations, personal trainers on-call, and endless money, we can only do our best. As I reach my 32nd week of this pregnancy, I get more and more excited to meet my son and the immense responsibility of being a role model becomes more and more apparent. I hope that I can teach him, through example, how to be healthy and balanced. That, combined with the support of Haute Physique's fearless leader, the new friendships I'm making through the group, and my extreme vanity, will serve as motivation to dust off the cooler and get back to packing my six meals a day and give Gisele, Heidi, and Brooke a run for their money. (Well, maybe I won't be walking in the Victoria Secret fashion show three weeks post partum but I am going to give my fitness goals a good college try despite the gnawing fear that it will be a difficult task.)

We'd love to hear how you kicked butt in the gym during the nine months your babies were kickin' you in the bellies! Another testament that motherhood is the toughest job there is!

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Ladies, Pack Your Coolers!

We're off to the lakes! It's sweet summertime in the upper Midwest. Our precious lake season includes something like 13 or so weekends between the time school gets out in the spring and resumes in the fall. Most of us have every weekend planned out before we even see the first sign of summer--and almost all include traveling to the lakes (and if not, staying home for a wedding). We have to get it all in before the snow flies and we're hunkered down for the long winter.

Whether you're pitching a tent at the local KOA or headed to the Hamptons with Jill & the Countess (shameless Housewives plug #1), these weekends can be filled with lots of calorie-buring activities, such as biking, water-skiing, kayaking, etc. They can also be overloaded with calorie-laden BBQs,desserts, and cocktails. A lake weekend can quickly add a couple of unwanted pounds and if you multiply that by 13 weekends, your bikini abs might be sporting their winter layer before we've even hit fall! So, what's a girl (or guy) to do?

Packing food for the lakes is all about convenience for me. We don't have electricity or running water at our place, so everything I bring is either pre-cooked or can be easily grilled. Here's a look at what goes in my cooler (I pack a big one just for myself!):

Chicken breasts
Pre-pattied lean hamburgers
Pourable egg whites
Tuna packets
Spinach
Green Beans
Apples
Grapefruit
Ezekial Bread
Rice cakes
Raw almonds (seperated out into single servings in plastic baggies)
Flax seed oil (I love Barlean's)
Splenda
Honey Mustard
Ketchup
Gallon jugs of water


You can see I almost need a U-haul just to bring my food, but my family is so used to it by now, they simply roll their eyes and keep their comments to themselves. Afterall, they're fighting a losing battle with this one (my sweet husband just texted me to say he's going to buy a 3rd cooler for the weekend!). I refuse to let summer fun mean that I lose sight of my overall goals for healthy living. There's no reason I can't have both! That said, holidays are the time for celebration and relaxation, so don't go driving your family & friends crazy with obsessing about every little nibble. Indulge a bit and make the healthiest choices when possible. Be prepared, but allow yourself to enjoy the occasion--everything in moderation! It's a great time to try one of those not-so-healthy "heatlhy" recipes that you may have been scoping out.........like say, a Skinny Girl Margarita (shameless Housewives plug #2--thanks, Bethenny!).

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What Do You Give Up To Stay in Shape?

If you're that girl who has it all---then basically you're lying (lol). Okay, okay, maybe there's a hint of jealousy there, but seriously, staying fit is just one more thing to throw into the mix of the constant struggle for balance in life. To quote the omnipotent Oprah (love her!), "you can have it all, just not all at the same time." So really, what does this mean for leading a fit lifestyle? How do you juggle that ball with all of the others? The answer: prioritize.

We've all either heard or said "I don't have time to workout"---okay,um, who does? Well, maybe some of our favorite Real Houswives who have live-in nannies, cleaning service, and their own personal "Big Poppa", but the rest of us, we make time to exercise. For me, this means putting it on my schedule and choosing to hit the gym over choosing to do something else--in other words, I make it my priority. See where I'm going with this?

It's definitely a give and take. So what takes the back burner you're asking? My dirty secret is the sacrifice of a clean house. Most days, it looks like it was hit by a tornado. I hardly ever entertain because it takes me a week to get our place in good enough shape to let anyone in the entryway! But, these are luxuries I can live without. If I have to make a choice about which to keep clean, it's my arteries over my closet!

I wanna know--what do you sacrifice to keep health and fitness a priority? Have you found a perfect balance, and if you have, by all means give that cleaning lady my number!

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Finding Fitness in Unusual Places

I was stuck on the treadmill for years. Literally. I thought the only way to lift my booty and lean out my legs was to power walk on high incline for 45-60 minutes. Can you see the hamster on the wheel in yoga pants and an iPod? I did this same cardio day in and day out for years, convinced it was the only answer to my "problem areas." It did not matter that I wasn't seeing the results I was looking for, you could always find me there during my gym time, trudging up the only hill in this town--the makeshift one I created in the cardio room!

Since training with Cathy Savage fitness, I've had to let go of the control and embrace a different style--muscle confusion. This is based on the principle that muscles respond to regular change in the mode, frequency, intensity, and time of exercise. Let me tell you it rarely includes a treadmill, but it works! This new way of training, combined with less time to spend in the gym as I get older and busier has led me to search for fitness in places I thought I'd never find it!

For example, last weekend I put a yoga mat out on the dock at the lake and did sun salutations and stretching while my husband fished. The next morning, I ran sprints on the nearby bike trail (no cardio machines necessary). Next lake weekend, I plan to take my functional training to the monkey bars for some eccentric pull-ups; and tonight, I'm about to put a Skinceuticals facial mud mask on and park myself in front of Khloe & Kourtney Take Miami re-runs while practicing the splits.

I'm living proof that a slave to the treadmill found fitness freedom (and results) in the most unliklely places. So ladies, next workout, step away from the cardio machine and get in touch with your creative side--you might just discover it's where your results have been hiding.

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Wow! It's been forever since I've posted anything! Admittedly, I've taken on a lot in the past couple of months and am still trying to figure out how to balance it all. I checked a major point off of my "bucket list" by competing in a national show last week at Fitness Universe in Miami. I had made it a goal to get on their stage before I turned 30 and I made it with still 14 months to go until that big birthday!:) I placed 16th out of 30 or so competitors. While the placing doesn't sound overly-impressive, my competition sure was and I was happy to feel like I held my own next to some of the most beautiful and fit women in the world. I've also learned after years of doing this (seven shows under my belt) that placing is very subjective and you cannot guage your progress or self-worth on the number you receive. I only go in with the intention of beating myself and improving my physique and strength every time I step on stage!

So, what's next? If you know me, my motto is always "on to the next thing"......I can't help it, my mind is always going......and the next thing is competing in fitness!!! I am so excited that it keeps me awake at night thinking about it. The great thing about this sport is that the journey is the exciting part and the part I'm in love with......picking out the glittery suits, accessorizing like crazy, strutting around in the heels, and of course, KILLING it in the gym! Stepping on stage is just an excuse to get to do all of those fun things! Added to my "to do" list for next year's show prep as a fitness competitor now includes: picking out music to be mixed, learning a routine, getting the strength moves perfected, finding a fabulous costumes, and conquering the splits! Holy smokes, I LOVE IT ALL!

I've found that as I get older and more comfortable in my own skin that working out just to look good becomes less and less important. What I've loved seeing instead is an increase in my strength, symmetry, flexibility and most importantly, self confidence. I feel that working toward my fitness goal is just the tweak I need to stay motivated and focused on improving. Plus, with all of that training, the tight body will come naturally!

I will do my best to keep you posted on my journey. No doubt, I have my work cut out for me, but another thing I've gained through this sport is that I'm so much less afraid to fail. When I started out, I wouldn't even admit to anyone that I was competing or training for fear that they'd find out how terribly I did at my show. People's reaction was quite the opposite---very few people cared how I placed, they were just totally impressed that I'd ever be that dedicated to something, much less get on stage in a bikini and heels! By announcing my goals and aspirations, it holds me accountable to seeing them through. So, you've heard it here: I WILL be a fitness competitor one day soon!:)

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Spice of Life

Anyone who eats clean can identify with the misery of choking down plain chicken breasts day in and day out. These were staples in my diet when I first was "re-learning" how to eat. I ate everything plain--not just chicken, but fish, hamburger, tuna--you name it! And all I can say is BOR-ING!

That kind of boredom with nutrition is a sure bet for failure. Thankfully, I since realized there was no need for me to eat so blandly! I think I even teared up when I found out that seasonings could (and should) be part of my daily regime! Oh, I can't even tell you how much more exciting life has become since adding a little spice!

Now, I'm not just talking salt and pepper (although those will do if you enjoy them). You need not be a gourmet chef--Lord knows I wasn't given creativity or skill in the kitchen. That's why I love seasonings and spices--they're SO easy!

My all-time favorite is Toasted Sesame Ginger Seasoning by Victoria Taylor's Seasonings. I was introduced to this by a friend who is an awesome cook and she shared this wonderful gift with me (the actual recipe she used was right on the back of the Toasted Sesame Ginger bottle)! What's even better is that our local TJ Maxx carries Victoria Taylor's Seasonings (and you know I'm makin' a stop at TJ Maxx almost as often as I'm at the grocery store anyway). If you don't have Victoria Taylor in your area, you can find her masterpieces at www.vgourmet.com, which is also chock-full of great recipe ideas!

So go on folks and add a little spice to your life (drama-free, I might add)! Tell us what your favorite spices are and how you use them!

Chocoholics Anonymous

Hey All~
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, is all this chocolate making you crazy?! I recently read a blog post by a fellow Savage Sister (Lindsay, www.designerwife.com) who referred to herself as a "recovering chocoholic"---I can identify! Although, I'm not sure I'm yet "recovering"...maybe still in the denial stage. You see, I'm not the kind of person who waits for a holiday to indulge in goodies. I need to have me a little taste every single day! So, you can't imagine my excitement when I found a kind of chocolate that is actually good for you and that doesn't derail me on my journey to being the most fit I can be!

I can hardly hold myself back from raving about the benefits (and the taste) of dark chocolate. It's made from cocoa beans and is less processed than milk or white chocolate. It's full of antioxidants that have numerous health benefits, which include: lower blood pressure, enhanced mood, and antiaging effects (just to name a few!). It also contains less sugar than milk chocolate or white chocolate, so it won't mess with your blood sugar and cause more cravings later in the day (you know that viscious cycle that occurs when you allow yourself one little baby Snickers bar.......that turns into eating the whole bag?).

When choosing dark chocolate, aim for 70% or more cocao (the darker the better), which is less processed. If you're a daily indulger, like myself, try to find organic versions (good for the environment, grown without chemicals which can leave residue on the cocoa beans, and more likely to have gone through the fair trade process). Like any of life's pleasures, even dark chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation because it does contribute to your daily caloric intake (not fair, I know). At first bite, you might not find that your mouth does the same happy-dance that it does with milk chocolate; dark chocolate is an acquired taste, much like fine wine--or black coffee for your fitness fanatics:) Trust me, the flavor will grow on you and you will come to love it maybe even more than it's milky counterpart!

Despite my new affair with the darker version, I continue to be an equal-opportunity-chocolate-lover. I cannot, have not, and will not ever give up milk chocolate entirely (plus, for those of you who know me, I must support the sugar industry because my dad,brother, and uncle are sugarbeet farmers---and I love sugar!:). That said, I save my luxurious milk chocolate experiences for special occasions--and I can't think of one more perfect than February 14th! Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope you find yourselves enjoying a few morsels of dark chocolate!