Gardening: Where my tomatoes at? I see them in the grocery stores and at roadside stands. I have had only 7 cherry tomatoes from my garden. 🙁 I have lots of green ones, a ton of basil and a vat of balsamic vinegar on stand-by. I hope they get to ripening soon!
Exercise Challenge: I said last week I would share my thoughts about July’s Exercise Challenge. I appreciated the guideline of exercising every day. That was huge. During the last week, I really got my act together on the nutrition side of things (re-focused on veggies, adequate protein, no alcohol) and the combination was very energizing. Overall, I felt like there were days I ended up checking the “20 minute” box when I could have done a better workout on one day and taken a day of rest after. I had a friend tell me he works out every day anyway. That works for him. The ultimate goal is to create lifestyle habits you can sustain over a lifetime. I felt like I was doing 7 “meh” sessions each week. The sustainable part for me is the variety and community around it. I need to incorporate actives I love, try new things, and make sure to attend classes. It is important that we “move” every day, but that is not substitute for sweating either.
Stretching: During the Exercise Challenge I did find myself stretching more often. I’m not getting any younger people and stretching can not be ignored! I have set a goal of stretching just two minutes before bed each night. Two minutes probably isn’t long enough, but it is long enough to trick my brain. Last month, I learned that getting started is my #1 hurdle. Tricking my brain into one stretching exercise almost always leads to more. And if I stop after two minutes one night, its better to have done those 2 minutes than to have skipped it altogether. Setting the pattern for a good habit happens in small chunks. As my Father-in-Law often says, “Life hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch.”
The Olympics: One of my husband & my’s long-term, sustainable marriage habits is to not have a TV in the bedroom. When we used to have a little 13″ TV around the house, we would set it up with a big antenna in our bedroom only during the Olympics. Thankfully, we now have a DVR so we can watch the telecast in our living room during more reasonable hours. But the excitement remains and I love all the events and stories. My kids are swimmers, so watching the swimming events has already been so fun. Check out the USA Swim Team’s carpool karaoke video HERE.
Back-to-School Promotion: As you are purchasing pencils, lined notebooks, planners and backpacks, you might be thinking about how to fill those shiny new lunch boxes, too. Bring in Coach Amy for a Back-to-School Nutrition Re-boot. Like my Pantry Makeovers, I include the kids in a 20-30 min game on Traffic Light Eating. Then I spend time with you, helping you with ideas to pack nutritious lunches, overcome picky-eater hurdles, and identify staples for after-school snacks and healthy dinners when time is tight. My typical Pantry Makeovers are 1.5 hours for $100. The Back-to-School Promotion is a 1.5 hour session in your home or at the grocery store of your choice for only $79. This promotion will run from August 8th-19th, so contact me today to book your Nutrition Reset with or without your kids! Contact me using the tab at the top of the page.
Make it a great week, everyone!
-Amy