Today I Tried Something New 12:09 AM

This summer has definitely been adventures. I have met new people in LA, tried new things I have always wanted to do (hiking! UCB!), and now I've made a lifestyle choice.

I have hired a personal trainer. I had my first appointment today and boy was it tough. My trainer bases most of her workouts in boot camp style training. I have always been afraid of bootcamps because they seem uncompromising. And they are!

But I'm glad I went this route. At one point I know I got a little short with her because she was super chatty. I love it byt when I'm doing lunges for a minute per leg...I get a little snippy. Especially if it's my left leg. Sorry!

Overall, I feel better than ever. I had a good time and I came out feeling like I had a great workout and a calendar for the next week. It looks like:

Monday: Rest + Stretch, watch Another Earth!

Tuesday: 30-40 Minutes of Cardio, Burn 400-500 calories

Wednesday: Pushups/Situps + Softball Game

Thursday: Training

Friday: 30 Minutes of Incline Walking, Core 7 minutes

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Strength Training

Sounds fun no? I'll let you know how it goes.

Bringgg! 5am Wake Up Call 12:55 PM

Bring Bring! That is my alarm this morning telling me to get up at 5am and get my butt out of bed. Out the door and having a near encounter with a homeless man in my carport, I drove to the gym.

No one was there! Me and the front desk person for the first 30 minutes. More people arrived around 6 but I loved being in a near empty gym. No lines for equipment and plenty of space for my new work out.

I did 20 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate pace before jumping into circuits. I had to re order it a bit for convenience sake but basically it was

Circuit 1 (15 reps of each, complete 2 times)

Bicep Curls with 8 lbs hand weights
Lunges with 8 lbs hand weights
Squats with Shoulder Press with 8 lbs handweights

Kettlebell Swings with a 15 lbs bell
Front Raise with Body Bar (9 lbs)
Upright Row with Body Bar (15 lbs)

Cardio
5 minutes on the StairMaster

Circuit 2 (15 reps, 2 sets)
Resistance band walks (shuffling side to side with resistance band around ankles)
Pectoral Flys (5 lbs weights, hold bridge on stability ball)
Chest Press (5 lbs weights, hold bridge on stability ball)
Tricep Overhead Press (5 lbs weights)

Planks (two times for 45 seconds)
Crunches
Bicycles
Leg Raises
Single Leg Stretch

Stretching.

The END!

The hardest part of this workout was definitely the triceps. I have to really focus maintain good form and not let my shoulders do the work. I also didn't get to do the resistance band walks because I couldn't find it! Put equipment back where it belongs people.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. I am reevaluating my finances this week etc.

The (post-grad) Fifteen: Staying Healthy and Fit in Your New Life 10:35 AM

You think after you pass the freshman 15 that you're transitional weight gains are over. Whoever planted that idea in my head was a liar. If anything, staying healthy gets even harder after college.

Sure, the all-you-can-eat dining halls have vanished. But so has the three hour gap between Econ 101 and Writing the Essay that you used to hit the elliptical. Finding time to go to the gym when you're working full-time can be difficult for a recent graduate. Since most of us are not early risers, we're stuck at the gym waiting in lines for treadmills. It's such a miserable experience, we just stop going.

On top of that, the rush to and from includes a stop for an Egg McMuffin and a Big Mac. Then your clothes don't fit right because you've gained wait, which makes you stress out because you can't afford a whole new wardrobe and you just want to crawl into a whole somewhere.

STOP!

Take a deep breath. No use giving yourself an ulcer.

Let's discuss a few ways to keep the extra pounds off while you adjust to a new lifestyle:

1) Make It Social. As I said in my earlier post about Fitting in Fitness sometimes the best things to make things priority is to make it fun. This rule not only applies to fitness but also healthy eating. I have been motivated to eat healthier because my friends and I get to together and make dinner for each other. Is it always amazingly healthy? No but I'm sure the homemade casserole is better for me than a trip to the county fair. For the Record, I'm breaking this rule this weekend.

2) Crack the Books and learn something new. Whether you are learning how to cook vegetarian or how to do yoga. Sometimes the most invigorating experience is succeeding at something you have always been afraid of. For example, I've always been terrified of using an oven or running a 5k ( I wish I was a good runner but I'm not). I'm running a 5k for charity this fall (with friends of course! Rule #1).

3) The Price is Right. Don't let the financial labels associated with healthy scare you. We can't all afford a membership to Sports Club LA but that doesn't make you a lesser person. It's funny because I have a friend who was talking about joining a gym and he refused to join a YMCA because they had a "stigma."

I love that I joined a YMCA. The people are friendly and low-key and the Healthy Lifestyles director is always looking to improve the facilities and classes for members. Additionally, I'm not shelling out every month, being pressured to find a personal trainer or locked into a contract.

You also don't have to shop exclusively at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. There are Farmer's Markets and many chain supermarkets now have special sections for Gluten Free, Vegetarian or Kosher eating. Plus, the supermarkets have buyer rewards programs. Overall it's just about finding the price point that works for your budget. If that answer is zero, find a hike instead of joining a gym. Use meet-up.com to find a running club. Healthy living should be for everyone not just those who can afford super trainers.

How about you readers? How do yourself thin but your wallet fat?

Fitting It In: Finding Time For Fitness in the real world 3:07 PM

Most college students have a pretty easy schedule. You go to class, you eat, you hang out and most go to the gym. It's open at all hours of the night and you can pop in whenever you want.

But things change in the real world and fitting in fitness, is really hard. Generally speaking you have to either get up really early or go after work. Both can be difficult, especially the latter because if you get stuck in the office, you might not make it to the gym in time.

These are also both peak gym times so your cardio room is probably hot and crowded--another deterrent.

What does an empty pocket grad do?

Here are my three simple tips:

1. Pack it up. In addition to packing my lunch every evening, I also pack my gym bag. That way when I'm in a rush to get out the door because I've hit the snooze button to many times, it's still a grab and go. I drop my bag in the trunk and on the way home, I stop in to break a sweat.
2. Make it Social. Personally, I like to work out alone without people talking to me. But making it social is a great motivator. Join a sports league. Take a class. Just remember what you are there for.
3. Fit It In. Are you an assistant who's stuck at your desk until 11pm each night? You're packing on the pounds lunching with friends during your HR enforced lunch break? If you follow #1 and #2, this step should be easy. Exercise during your lunch break. Hit the company gym. Don't want to sweat it up too much? Take a nice walk with a work buddy a few times a week and it will get you some sun and keep away the flab.

Going out for MY 45 minute lunch walk around the golf course.