52 Healthy Habits: Eat More Protein

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 healthy habits when each week I work to establish a new healthy habit, because healthy habits are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle.

You don't have to overhaul your whole life at once. Choose one small change and take the time to establish a new habit, building one small step at a time. Even if you already live a healthy lifestyle, there is always room for improvement and to take it to the next level. No matter where you are in your healthy living journey, establishing healthy habits can snowball into massive results. 

I saw this painted in the floor at the Rock 'n' Roll marathon health & fitness expo in Dallas on Saturday and I thought it summed up my healthy lifestyle philosophy perfectly.

(p.s. I am a rock 'n' blogger for the rock 'n' roll marathon races, so if you want to run a half or full marathon in 2017, you can use discount code RNB15 to save $15 off most of the races in the series.)

Last week I confessed that even though I am a personal trainer and huge proponent of strength training for runners, I have let my own strength training slide a bit. I have an injured shoulder and I am limited in what I am able to do. Instead of focusing on what I can't do, I decided to focus on what I can do (take my own advice, right?). I committed to just 15 minutes of strength training a day to get back on the wagon. Obviously, this will be largely lower body and core based as I can't put any pressure on my shoulder. 

I am happy to report that I did it three days last week, which is a great start! Sometimes we want to go from 0-6 days but it is not always realistic. I am happy with my start and I have plenty of room to grow and build on the three days from last week. This week I'll shoot for 4. 

EAT MORE PROTEIN

I may have mentioned that I am studying sports and exercise nutrition with Precision Nutrition. I have been studying hard and you can expect a lot more nutrition-based content coming in the future, plus nutrition coaching services coming soon.

My habit goal for next week is to increase my protein intake. I wasn't tracking my intake and when I started to track in My Fitness Pal I realized that my protein intake was lower than I thought. I generally eat a healthy diet and I assumed that since I eat a protein-centric meal at every meal (eggs, chicken, fish, etc.) that I was getting enough. But what is enough? Why do I need protein? What types of proteins should I be consuming? How much is too much? Let's dive in. 

WHY PROTEIN?

Protein or amino acids are the building blocks of our body. We use protein to break down and build up muscle and structure. Protein intake helps us preserve our lean muscle as we lose weight. (Remember our focus should always be on losing fat, not losing weight.) Protein helps us feel full longer and it has a higher thermodynamic effect, which means it take more energy for our bodies to process protein. We actually burn more calories just processing protein than we do processing carbohydrates or fats. 

HOW MUCH PROTEIN?

The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends is 0.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (or .8 per kg) for the average sedentary person. But we're not sedentary (or average!), right? For athletes (yes, you are an athlete if you run or workout) protein requirements go up.

There are recommendations that are higher, but there is an upper limit of protein that our liver and kidneys can handle. If you are training hard or frequently increasing protein intake higher than these recommendations is probably safe for most healthy people, but consuming protein amounts double the recommendation on a regular basis is unnecessary (no added benefit) and possibly unsafe. As always, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian regarding any health concerns or when experimenting with a new diet or going outside general recommendations. 

WHAT TYPES OF PROTEIN?

OK, you know as an active person you need more protein than the average bear, but what foods are best? It is always ideal when making any nutritional choices to choose diverse, whole, less-processed foods. For protein this includes foods like lean meats including beef and pork, poultry like chicken and turkey, fish and seafood, dairy like cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt, beans and tofu. 

SUPPLEMENTS

Once you get most of your protein from whole food sources, you may find you need to supplement protein in order to meet your daily requirements. I always suggest whole foods first, then supplement to fill in the gaps as it fits into your lifestyle. No time for breakfast? Then a morning shake with fruit, spinach and protein powder can be a great way to get in your nutrition as your run out the door. I use whey protein powders to supplement, but a vegetarian eater may prefer a plant-based protein like pea or hemp. Make the best choice possible for your own lifestyle and preferences.

ACTION PLAN

What's the plan? I always enter the foods I am going to eat for the day in the morning before I eat anything. Why? For one, it helps me plan ahead. What's that saying about failing to plan is planning to fail? Yeah, that one. In order to enter in my food for the day, I need to have a pretty good idea of what I am going to eat. I always end up editing as the day goes along, but it gives me an idea where I stand and if I need to make any adjustments to my day. You don't want to be looking at My Fitness Pal at 8PM and realizing you didn't get your protein for the day. (Actually, it's not the end of the world, you can just try again tomorrow.)

My protein intake plan looks a little like this (left out the non-protein items in my day, this is not everything I plan to eat):

Breakfast: 3 eggs

Snack: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese

Lunch: Grilled chicken

Afternoon snack: 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt mixed with a spoonful of chocolate protein powder

Dinner: Fish or Turkey

A word of warning on tracking if you're anything like me. I tend to have an all-or-nothing personality and I work really hard on balance. It's something I have to be aware of or else I can easily slip out of a healthy-balanced mindset. I track for a week or so to get an idea of where I stand, but I am careful not to let tracking take over my thoughts or actions. It's a good idea to see where you stand, it's a terrible idea to get obsessed with every morsel that goes into your mouth. Some people have no trouble with tracking, others can take it too far if they are not careful. Remember that our ultimate goal is a healthy life which includes a healthy body and mind. 

You can track by using an app like My Fitness Pal or you can just increase, if needed, by including more protein in your diet. It not so much about hitting the exact number of grams but finding the correct amount of protein to optimize your body. It just might take experimenting to find it. 

Let me know how it goes!

Playing catch up? Follow along with the 52 Healthy Habits series:

52 HEALTHY HABITS SERIES

week 1: Early to Rise
week 2: Track calories
week 3: Macro cycling
week 4: Morning pages (journaling)
week 5: Stop the scrolling (reading instead of social media)
week 6: Be a good student (take time for learning) 
week 7: Strength Training 15 minutes per day   

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5 WAYS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR WORKOUT

Just like the dust on your wooden blinds* or the stale bread in back of your fridge, sometimes you need to pick up, dust off and maybe even purge your workouts. If you've been doing the same workouts all winter (or not working out much at all) it may be time to spring clean your workout to get a fresh start for Spring. 

*Any resemblance to real life regarding dust on blinds is purely coincidental and may not reflect actual blinds in my house. hah.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link in the post and make a purchase, I make a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the running (pun intended) of this blog. 

5 WAYS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR WORKOUT

CHANGE IT UP

Just like you might change out your bed sheets or curtains for a spring variety, now is the perfect time to make changes to your exercise routine. Doing the same things over and over again can stall progress and even could cause repetitive or overuse injuries. Use the new season as an excuse to try some new things. If you're a runner, try a Barre class. If you lift weights, you might benefit from the mobility of Yoga. Find something that interests you and compliments your current exercise routine. Sprinkle in some workouts to move your body in new ways and keep things interesting. 

PROGRESS FORWARD

Spring is a great time to upgrade our workouts. Our body adapts to the stresses that we place upon it. This means if you have been doing the same workout all winter long, your body has probably has gotten very efficient at it. It sounds like a good thing, to be efficient, but your body is not working as hard as it once was so you may not be burning as many calories or getting stronger like you once were with the same workout. While I won't recommend jumping from one exercise program to another every month, because consistency is key, it is always a good idea to keep progressing forward.

How do you progress? You can increase time, intensity or load. Which means you could add an extra day, do more reps, increase the difficulty of the exercise (single leg exercises instead of two legs), increase the weight, increase the time working out overall or decrease the rest time between sets or intervals. The idea is to challenge yourself in a new way so that you keep moving forward in your journey. Need help with this? I'd love to help. 

PURGE 

When you spring clean you may go through your drawers, book shelves and closets to purge the things that are taking up space and no longer serving you. Review your progress from your winter. routine. How did it go? Are you better than you were at the start of the winter? Or just chugging along? Are you getting closer to your goals? Are you tracking progress? Examine what is working for you and what is not working. If you are running and keep getting injured, it may be time to scale back the miles and add in some strength or cross training. If you feel tired all the time, you may need to increase your rest days or sleep habits. If you haven't been consistent enough, then it may be time to review your daily habits. Spring is a great time to toss away the things that aren't working for you and start fresh. 

GET SOME FRESH AIR

Open those windows of opportunity and let in the fresh air. If you've been trapped on a treadmill or in the gym all winter, then spring offers the perfect perfect chance for a change of scenery. Take advantage of the mild weather to get outdoors to get some fresh air. Whether it's a jog in the park, on the trails or an outdoor bootcamp, getting outdoors can breathe some fresh air into your workouts. Give my park bench workout a try.

FRESHEN UP 

You may buy new curtains for spring, but I will buy some fun new workout clothes! Nothing says spring cleaning like tossing some of that old workout gear that has lost its luster and freshen up with new patterns and colors. Here are some fun spring colors and funky patterns to add some pizazz to your workout gear. 

Let's go! Let's take advantage of a fresh new season to get moving towards our goals. 

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GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF PARK WITH THIS PARK BENCH WORKOUT

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday! Spring is in the air and it's a great time to get outdoors, get some fresh air and get in a workout. You don't need a stuffy gym membership to get in shape, all you need is your own bodyweight and a park bench for this challenging full body workout! Get your butt out of park with this park bench workout.

Are you a runner? This is a fantastic strength workout to do on the trails. Go through the circuit once every mile for 3 miles or add a quick running component of 1/4 mile run between circuits. 

I recruited my trusty blog photographer (aka hubs) and my favorite four-legged running partner (aka Ollie) to find a park bench in Fort Worth to do my workout. 

Welcome to Fort Worth!

PARK BENCH WORKOUT

This is a circuit-style workout. Do 12 reps of each exercise, move through the circuit with little or no rest between exercises. Once you complete the 6 exercises, rest for one minute and repeat 2 more times. Always warm up before beginning an intense exercise session. 

Park Bench Workout - save to your favorite Pinterest board

STEP UP (EACH LEG)

Stand facing the bench. Starting with your right leg step up on the bench pressing your weight into your heel. Lift your left leg off the ground and drive your knee up towards your chest. Step your left leg back to the ground, followed by your right leg. Repeat on other leg. Do 12 reps on each leg. 

INCLINE PUSH UP

Start in a straight arm high plank position with your hands on the bench. Keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your toes, do not allow your hips to raise in the air or sag down. While engaging your core muscles, bend your elbows to lower your chest to the bench. 

If this is too challenging, try it by starting on the back of the bench.

TRICEP DIP

Position your hands shoulder width apart behind you on the bench. Slide your butt off the front of the bench with your legs extended out in front of you. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the ground until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle while keeping your back close to the bench. From the low position, straighten your elbows to return to the starting position. Keep your shoulders down as you lower and raise your body. If this is too challenging you can bend your legs to modify the exercise.

SQUAT JUMP

I also call this one "hot bench." Starting with your feet hip width apart push your hips back and lower your body until your butt hits the bench. As soon as you touch the bench jump up as if the bench was hot. Land in a soft position with your knees slightly bent and repeat 12 times. This will get your heart rate up!

"hot bench"

Jump

LATERAL STEP 

We runners need to make sure we are building strength in all planes of motion. When we run, we just move forward, so building strength laterally improves our hip stability and helps reduce the chance of injury. 

Stand sideways to the bench. Starting with your right leg and take a wide step up on the bench, ensuring there will be enough room on the bench for both feet. Driving your right heel into the bench lift your left leg off the ground and onto the bench. Step back down one leg at a time. Repeat 12 times and face the other direction to lead with the left leg for 12 more reps. 

Ollie photo bomb.

SPLIT LEG LUNGE

Single leg exercises are important for runners. When we run, we essentially are balancing on one leg at time repeatedly over the miles. Building unilateral (single side) strength helps our running strength and performance.

Start by facing away from the bench. Prop your right leg up on the bench behind you. Position your body so that when your left leg lowers into a lunge position that your knee is over your ankle and your left thigh is parallel to the ground. Perform 12 reps and repeat on opposite leg. 

If you want to add an additional cardio component to your workout, add a quarter mile (or 2.5 minute) run in between circuits, Ollie loves to run!

Things started to get silly. 

Go find a park bench and give this workout a try! 

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52 Healthy Habits Week 7: Strength Training 15 Minutes a Day

Welcome to the latest edition of 52 Healthy habits. Each week I work to conquer a new healthy habit. A healthy lifestyle is all about sustainable habits, so I look for ways that I can make small improvements in my life so I can continue to progress forward. 

I try to adopt new healthy habits but I am not always perfect or successful. I know I will fall down some weeks and then get back up. This series gives me some accountability to try new things and then report back with how it went. What new healthy habits are you trying to conquer? 

We are on week 7 and I have already had some successes and failures. I am working on getting up early, reading instead of social media, journaling, macro cycling and studying for my nutrition certification. All are going well with varying levels of success and commitment. 

I was struggling since November to get back on track with studying for my Precision Nutrition certification and last week I found an online accountability buddy. We talked on the phone and I made the commitment to get through two more chapters in the text and made arrangements for a follow up chat this week.

I did so well that I am mad at myself for waiting so long to get going again. I spent an hour or two every night and flew through the material at a faster rate than expected. The accountability buddy got me going, but honestly, I don't even feel like I need one anymore. I just needed the kick in the butt to get started. Now that I am on a roll, I am good.

It always to harder to start something than to keep going. It's so much easier once the momentum gets rolling. Keep this in mind with whatever you are want to start. Don't wait, just start. It gets easier as you go.

 

WEEK 7: STRENGTH TRAINING 15 MINUTES A DAY

Confession time: You might be surprised if I tell you that I haven't worked out much in 2017. My husband and I walk once or twice a day and I always get 10k steps a day, but as far as traditional workouts go? Zip. Nada.

Yes. Me. The Personal Trainer. Even trainers can fall off the wagon. We're human. It's life. I blinked and it's mid March. 

I have a reason (aka excuse). I hurt my shoulder last year and my doctor told me not to lift weights and take it easy with the running (because the swinging arm motion can irritate my injured shoulder). I am a big fan of listening to my body and especially, my doctor, but there is no reason why I can't do bodyweight leg exercises, core exercises and most mobility work. No reason except it wasn't my usual routine and I was frustrated with my shoulder situation. Instead of doing what I could do, I did much less than usual. I've done occasional workouts, but haven't been consistent at all. I was focusing on just moving, now it's time to bring the strength component back. (I am also starting to see a physical therapist for my shoulder.)

I am committing to at least 15 minutes a day of some type of strength training workout on top of my daily walks and steps. At least 15 minutes. Just like my studying, once I get on the roll again with my 15 minutes a day, it will snowball into longer, more consistent workouts. I need to baby my shoulder, but I see a lot of leg and core work in my future. 

You don't have to jump into one hour workouts six days a week. Start small. Establish a habit. Build slowly. It only takes a small time commitment to get started. 

What are your goals for the upcoming week? Won't you join me in adopting a new healthy habit? 

52 Healthy Habits Series

week 1: Early to Rise
week 2: Track calories
week 3: Macro cycling
week 4: Morning pages (journaling)
week 5: Stop the scrolling (reading instead of social media)
week 6: Be a good student (take time for learning)

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Why It's OK to Hate Exercise and What's Not OK.

I love to workout. Truly. Running is my sanctuary, my meditation and my alone time. Weightlifting and even bodyweight exercises make me feel strong and confident. Exercise can feel hard and sometimes it sucks, but I love it for exactly what it is. It pushes me outside my comfort zone, it forces me to grow, it builds mental and physical strength and makes me a better person. 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in the post and make a purchase I make a small commission on the sale with no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich from this, it just helps with the costs associated with running (pun intended) of this blog.

I wasn't always this way. When I was 15 I worked at Dairy Queen. It was an awesome job for teenage-me because I could eat all the ice cream I wanted back when my metabolism could handle eating all the ice cream I wanted. The owner of the Dairy Queen is a family friend and my friend on Facebook. A couple years ago when I was taking my RRCA run coaching certification course, she commented:

"I'm getting tired just reading about how much you run. I still can't believe this is the same Lea who worried she would break a sweat cleaning the Blizzard machine."

Yeah, sometimes I can't believe it either. I hated exercise. In my defense though, cleaning the Blizzard machine sucked. I never worked out back in those days or in the decade and a half that followed. My parents made me play softball and it was my own personal hell. I played tennis in high school and while I was never mistaken for being athletic, I excelled at playing singles. What can I say? Solo sports are my jam. (I don't know why I'm using slang from the 90s.)

I didn't figure out that I loved running (and other exercise) at least until my 30s. I think they call that AORS 'Adult Onset Running Syndrome.' Hah. I never liked exercise, so when people tell me, the trainer and running coach, that they hate to exercise, trust me when I say that I understand. I get it. I was right there too. 

I could waste my breath trying to convince non-exercisers that exercising is amazing. I can try to convert the non-believers, but nothing I say will change their minds until they experience that breakthrough for themselves. I can't tell people how to feel and what to enjoy. I can make suggestions and offer new experiences to try. I can (and do) encourage people to get out of their comfort zones and try new things. How do you know you if you love or hate something until you've tried it for awhile?

I am here to tell you that it is totally OK to hate exercise. Really. Traditional exercise is not for everyone. I do want everyone to see it my way, that exercise is the secret to happiness, but we are all different, with different lifestyles and perspectives. 

You know what is not OK? A sedentary lifestyle. You don't have to adopt a traditional exercise routine, you just need to start to move your body to get your heart rate up in a way that fits into your lifestyle.

To be fair, exercise is a broad term. If you think exercise means lifting weights in the gym or running a marathon and neither of those things appeal to you, then you might tell yourself you hate exercise. You're allowed to hate exercise but you still must move your body. Maybe you like dancing, or Zumba, or bike riding, or rock climbing, or walking, or hiking, or swimming, or pogo sticks, or trampolines. It's about opening up your mind to new ways to move. Some people play sports (I hate team sports and that's OK too.)

I wear a Fitbit (if you want to add me as a friend, find my email address here). I work to get 10K steps a day every day that I am physically able (most days unless I am sick or hurt). When I hurt my shoulder and the doctor told me to back off from running and lifting weights to allow my shoulder to heal (wahh) my exercise routine took a big hit, but I never stopped moving. I easily maintained my weight without traditional exercise by paying extra attention to my nutrition and taking daily walks. That's it.

I challenge you to change the way you frame exercise in your mind. Instead of "I hate exercise" think about about seeking out a new way to move your body that you love or at least can tolerate. 

Most people won't stick to something they hate for long enough time to make a health impact. Move your body. Love your body. Find that connection and just move. 

Define exercise in a way that appeals to you and you will never hate exercise again.

It's OK to hate exercise, it's not OK to not move.

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