August 28th...Go ahead, eat the whole cake!

This picture above, says it all for me right now!  Last night I actually got in my car and went to buy chocolate...that's how bad I wanted it!  I bought the good stuff and inhaled it!  My point is, once a month when Mother Nature, takes over my body, I'm going to give into her and enjoy the cravings.  Maybe I have these cravings because my body is trying to tell me something...like slow down, enjoy life and eat a piece of FREAK'N chocolate already!  Having our indulgences I think is a good thing.  I'm not saying, eat the whole cherry pie, but ya go ahead, have a piece.  One piece is not going to make you gain weight.  In fact, if we were to indulge a little more often, that might keep the crazy cravings at bay.  For myself, if I get to strict with my diet, I eventually fall off the deep end and that's when I eat a whole pie, yes I can!  Well it's the long weekend, and yes, go enjoy yourself, and not feel guilty about it!  September is here and it's back to the grind, so enjoy your family and friends, eat chocolate and have a nap!

August 15...TOP 5 Do's and Don'ts of exercise!

I love doing the "top 5 or top 10" lists because it's a quick and efficient way to deliver information, that you'll actually read.  So let's get to it!  Here are your Top 5 Do's and Don'ts of exercise...

#1/ Don't do isolation exercises...see above, just standing there and moving only one body part at a time, yup burning lots of calories here...NOT!

Do multi-joint exercises like squats w. your bicep curl.  The more muscles you involve in a movement, the more calories you'll burn and the stronger you'll get.

#2/ Don't use machines...Wow, doesn't that look like fun...NOT!  Machines alter the way YOUR body naturally moves and restricts YOUR range of motion.

Do use free weights or other equipment that allows for YOUR full ROM.  Or just use your own body weight.  Choose an exercise such as push ups or Burpees and challenge yourself with reps and speed, instead of weights.

#3/ Don't do long hours of cardio...how boring!  When I use to work at a gym, I'd love seeing people on bikes or treadmills reading a book, Freak'n Awesome!  If you can read while your working out, YOUR NOT WORKING OUT!

Do shorter intervals of cardio.  Try 2 mins.steady state, then 30sec. running up a hill, or hill run 1 min. then fast for 30 sec.  AT ALL POSSIBLE TIMES try to  do your cardio outside.  The natural environment around you, can be your playground, plus the bonus of fresh air. 

 #4/ Don't do "only" crunches or sit ups and expect a six pack, it an't gonna happen no matter how many times you ask me!  You can rock out crunches til the cow's come home but if you have a layer of fat over those abs, you'll never see them.

Do...eat better, clean up your diet, I mean REALLY clean it up and get the interval training going.  Combine work outs with sort blasts of intensity, 10mins.to 20mins. all out effort, a couple of times a week.  This will burn mega calories, increase your endurance and if you use free weights, you'll have the after burn effect of muscles continuing to burn calories, long after your done your work out.

#5/ Don't do the same work out over and over.  I know we are a creature of habit and like to stay with what we are "comfortable" with.  The problem here is that your body "accommodates" very quickly, meaning that, what was hard 2 weeks ago, is quickly getting easy.  Therefore your body doesn't have to work as hard which equal less energy use...less calories burned...less results! 

Do mix up your work out everyday!  The more you keep your body guessing about what to do next, the harder it has to work.  Make a list of all your favorite activities, and do a different one each day.  Remember to include rest days, 3 days on, 1 day off...depending on your fitness level.  Rest days are necessary so that your body can recover and rebuild...so that you can do it all over AGAIN!

August 14th...put some "power" into your pancakes!

OK, 2 days until I leave for the West Coast Trail!  Getting really excited to be able to unplug for a week, away from life's daily kaos and a break from work.  Don't get me wrong I love you all, but I need to go recharge my batteries.  Of course I will be taking my handy dandy note pad and pen, cause...lets face it, my brain does not have an "off" switch!  So, just in case I get inspired and come up with an awesome work out, I want to be able to write it down.  Have to say feeling a little nausea about being away from Chase for 8 days, kinda breaks my heart to be gone for that long and not see him...that being said he is driving me nuts at this moment!
I love my Power Protein Pancakes, there is are 100 different takes on this recipe and I have posted them way back.  Why I love these, because they are  a super food in my books.  Super low in calories, Super high in nutrients and a Super energy food that fills you up!  Here's what you'll need...

6 egg whites, beaten until fluffy
1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese
1 scoop Whey Isolate protein powder (I use chocolate!)
1/2 cup raw Steel Cut Oats
1/4 cup wheat germ (already added in my Oats, so is the flax seed)
1/4 cup flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon

 Place all your ingredients in a food processor, EXCEPT YOUR EGG WHITES!...

 ...blend mixture, no more than 1 minute, you don't want it too fine...

 ...whisk egg whites til light and fluffy...

 ...add mixture to the whites, fold into the mix slowly, don't beat the crap out of it...

 ...once you have a consistent mixture, use your 1/4 cup and pour into frying pan, lightly sprayed with Pam...

 ...keep temperature at level 6, otherwise the pancakes will burn on the outside and be soggy in the middle.  Once the top starts to bubble, flip them over, only 2-3 mins. per side...

...out of that recipe I get 8 pancakes...Why are these super...38 calories each, and 3.5g of Protein each!  So double the batch, put the extras in a Zip Lock bag into the freezer and when your low on energy, or need a pre/post work out snack, pull one out, place it in the toaster and add a little dab of Almond Butter or fresh fruit, enjoy!  Remember to subscribe to Mel's Daily Dose, so you don't miss out!

August 13th...Sweet Tooth!

OK, in my quest to conquer my sweet tooth, which I know is "almost" impossible, I give you my Greek Yogurt Bites!  Not sure if it's the heat or just plain old summertime, but my sugar cravings are brutal!  Yes, I know all the tricks of the trade to try to decrease them, but my will power is pretty much non existent right now.  Do you think it's OK to let your sweet tooth get the better of you every once in awhile, if so, for how long?  This weekend when I was brain dead and my body exhausted, I was watching Dr. Oz, gotta love him...anyhow he had a similar take on this treat, here's mine...

 All you need is 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment/wax paper, 3/4 cup or less Greek yogurt, 5 strawberries(or your fav. fruit) 1 small baggie.

 ...puree berries, with hand mixer...or mush with fork...

 ...put berries and yogurt in baggie, zip it shut and mix together...

 ...then cut a small corner off the bag, note to self, do not pick up bad from the corner with the hole in it, very very messy!

 ...squeeze out "Loonie" size doll-ups of mixture on to sheet, move fast otherwise yogurt and berries starts to melt and separate...

 ...I got 2 full sheets of these yummy treats, place in freezer for about an hour or so, then place in container or baggie and keep in freezer for your late night cravings!

There is less than 3 calories in each...depends how big you make them...3/4 cup of Greek yogurt = 120 cal / over 80 pieces = 1.5 calories...include 5 strawberries, still under 3 calories!  Love to here your tasty combinations!
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August 7th...How important is changing up your work out?

Changing up your workout is essential!  It keeps bordom at bay, it keeps you from hitting a platue and will make you a better "all around" athlete.  So let's go over the first one, bordom.  We all get board of the same old work out routine at some point.  I know when it's time to change things up, because I become uninspired and don't look forward to my training.  Yes, I actually love working out.  Some days I have to drag my butt down to the gym, but 90% of the time, I'm fired up, and good to go!  Usually every 4-6 weeks you need to change your routine so you don't hit a plateau.  When this happens, your body has accomidated or "gotten use to" the exercises.  Therefore it doesn't need to work as hard, which in turn your gains in strength slow down.  It's kinda like learning to ride a bike.  At first it's really challenging, falling off, getting back on, alot of work.  But after awhile you get the hang of it and then suddenly you can do it with out even thinking!  That's the point where your body has hit a plateau.  So, step outside your comfort zone and try something totally new, for a week.  You might just surprise yourself!

How to become a well rounded athlete...do all the things your bad at!  Work on your weaknesses and not your strengths.  Yesterday, I decided to do a speed and agilty workout...got my ass kicked, haven't been that tired, like that in awhile.  So, very quickly I realized that I haven't put enough effort into that kind of training lately. That night at Boot Camp, I announced that we are going to have speed, agility and balance training for a week each month in our CrossFit classes.  In my opinion, you can't just have tunnel vision and focus solely on one type of routine or style of training.  Mixing up as many exercise options as possible, keeps your body strong and your less likely to get injured because your a more "rounded"athlete...meaning your strengths and weakness  have become more balanced.  So take on something new, challenge yourself knowing your going to get your butt kicked and have some fun!

 I decided to do a "field trip" for last night's Boot Camp class...we ran some stairs...several times, did a mini workout in between and finished...

...with a jump in the lake, life is good! 

Aug 3rd...Almond butter joy!

OK, I know we tend to eat the same old thing, day after day...I do, and after while it gets really boring.  So I need to get creative and mix things up a bit, otherwise I will start "cruising the cupboards" for peanut butter and chocolate chips!  Oh I know you do too!..So one of my favorite "go to" snacks is Almond butter and apple slices.  1 tbsp Almond butter 100cal. and 1 apple, 95 calories.  There are so many things to love about Almond butter.  Not only is it sweet and delicious, it is also high in nutritional value.  Here are some great reasons why, it's so good for you...
#1 Good for the Heart. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which are the type of fats that reduce levels of cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart ailments. 
#2 Helps to control Blood Sugar. It can help to control, levels of blood sugar in your body by reducing the sudden increase in blood sugar and insulin which usually happens after you eat a carbohydrate-packed meal.  
#3 Help with weight control. There is a common misconception about nuts and weight gain.  Even though almonds are high in calories, they are high in protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fats. So portion control is key.  Try to stick with the 10 raw almond rule or 1 tbsp of Almond Butter with your favorite snack.



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Aug 1st...Mel's Mudder Madness race!

It's done! Mel's Mudder Madness, was awesome!  What is it...once a month in my gym I create a really, tough Boot Camp type workout.  The last Monday of each month is known as WOD (work out of the day) Monday...or hell day as some call it.  It's a big workout, usually takes almost the whole hour.  We work on specific exercises leading up to it, like the One Arm Snatch and ManMakers and then, I surprise them with the rest.  I just finished the Tough Mudder Whistler...

...and was still pumped from it...so of course last minute, and I mean last minute, Sunday, and the WOD is on Monday morning, I came up with the idea.  Tough Mudder meets Mel's Boot Camp.

I combined the obstacles from TM with some of the cross-training exercises we do, and BAM...Mel's Mudder Madness.  This was alot of work!  I had to bribe my son with a McDonalds Happy Meal, put him in the cart at Home Depot, then race around the store collecting pieces for the course.  The guy helping me was super helpful, I know he thought I was nuts, but my enthusiasm won him over!  I put together what I could before the neighbors complained of noise, and then up at 6am and out the door again.  Mommy's little helper!

I burst open my bedroom door in my usual fashion, woke my husband up after 5 hours of sleep(love you honey)to pound in the wooden steaks in for the course.  He opened the front door, and said, "what happen to our front yard?"...I said, "it's Mel's Mudder Madness, isn't it awesome honey!"

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