Thanksgiving is an inside job

Love this email I got today from Mama Gena about Thanksgiving.


Darlings,

What has the power to send a woman straight to bed with the covers pulled over her head for an entire week faster than the H1N1 virus?

Thanksgiving.

Not the ACTUAL Thanksgiving, but the Thanksgiving we are "supposed" to have. You know the one. . . the perfect family gathered 'round the perfectly set table, pumpkin pie aroma wafting through the air, children dressed in velvet playing nicely and sharing, handsome husband carving the turkey, grandpapa drinking brandy by the fire, while grandmamma and the aunties load the serving platters with all the trimmings. . .

WHAT?
That's not what you're doing?
Guess what?
No one is.
And the danger of this holiday season is that each of us have the potential to forget to celebrate what we HAVE and get stuck in the dark, destructive twirl of what we think we should be doing for the holidays, rather than being grateful for what we actually have- RIGHT NOW- and celebrating the light each of is in this world.

Is the scenario I described above enough to send you to bed with a box of Kleenex and a cold compress? Does it make you want to dive under the covers and emerge once this all passes?
Are you just gonna let it wipe you out and take you down?
Or will you rise up and fight back by having the most beautiful, blessed, outrageously thankful Thanksgiving of your life?

C'mon. Let me paint you a picture of what's going on for ME this Thanksgiving. My daughter is going out of town with her dad. My family is spread out all over the place and not getting together. A new guy I met and invited for dinner just canceled on me. And all my friends already have plans. Yep. Doesn't exactly look like the scene above, now does it?
Soooo, I could either join you in bed with the Kleenex- or triumph and choose to share this little light of mine bigger and brighter than it has ever shone before.

Because the truth is, no matter what I choose to do on Thanksgiving Day, I have got a lot to be grateful for. . .
I mean, c'mon- I just got back from Miami, with over 300 Sister Goddesses, celebrating every drop of what it means to be a woman. AND I had the incredible privilege of having my mama attend this World Wide event with me. This summer, after working non-stop for the last twelve years, I took time off to be with my daughter and work on my 4th book in beach paradise! I have an incredible team that I have the privilege of working with every day. My daughter is having a great school year in school. I am dating! (Not easy for a single mother/business owner!) AND I look and feel better than I have ever felt in my life. Not to mention, I get to live my dreams of leading the Pleasure Revolution every single day.

So, my plans for this Thanksgiving?
I have created a delicious day of thanks in honor of all I have been given. I'll be attending a Thanksgiving breakfast with some friends, and then I will be serving others dinner at a soup kitchen. And I've decided to take my alone time and spend it exploring parts of the city I have not had the opportunity to discover yet.

You see, it's not where we are going, or what we are doing, or who we are with that determines the way we experience this day.

Thanksgiving is an inside job.

You, me, any of us can decide to fall to our knees in gratitude for the gifts we have and shine our radiance on the world in any way we choose. We just have to remember- it's a choice.

So, now it's about you. I want to hear your Thanksgiving brags.
You can reply directly back to this email. I want to hear about your courage, your outrageousness, your hot, throbbing creativity as you design a day of days, filled with your magnificent, unique sacred light.

I am grateful to each of you for your part in the Pleasure Revolution. With you by my side, we will take this holiday season higher than it's ever gone before!

Happy Thanksgiving my darlings!
With so much love and pleasure,
Mama Gena

Bonjour November

It will truly be a month with a french accent, as I'll be leaving for Montreal in a few days and working like mad. Nearly 800 attendees at a convention. I am SO bringing my yoga mat and running shoes.

October ended in a flurry. I was so happy to attend Judith Lasater's yoga workshop "Moving from the Organs" and learn how healthy I'm getting from the inside-out!

Halloween was great fun with M as Baby Shrek. Went to visit my old neighbors, which always leaves me a bit lonely for that cul-de-sac of families.

Sunday was a gorgeous fall day and we had pizza outside at Pizza 51 to celebrate my stepson's 18th birthday.

Thank you October, for a month where I worked really hard. Adn for the milestones and celebrations.

I am still sad about the deaths of Kelly M and Ann W, 44 and 45 years old. For that I am glad to see October go.

November's shorter days are a mixed blessing. Like most of you, I love seeing the sun early and don't care so much for the darkness as I leave the office.

Here's hoping NAPCRG has an amazing meeting and November feels productive and like a month well spent.

and baby (shrek) makes 3

October 31st was Halloween. A happy, fun halloween.
It was also the 2-year anniversary of seeing that PLUS sign on a pregnancy test.
It was 5:15 am just before my fave 5:30 yoga class. Talk about pulling your brain together -- I had to really focus to teach that day!

That Halloween Mr Right and I dressed up as Shrek and Princess Fiona. This year we added a baby shrek.

Judith Lasater quoted Eleanor Rosevelt at workshop yesterday:
No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.

Can't hear that one often enough.

But Judith added: Fill in the blank, change "inferior" to any word you want. Hmmmm.

my favorites

All the young bloggers -- and the blogging community makes me feel very old -- are doing lists of their favorite things.

There's no such thing as too old to have favorite things. :)

My current favorites:

Sweaty runs followed by a long shower

Sunday mornings with no schedule, just snuggling with baby girl and Mr Right

Hot baths

Yoga

Vanilla cupcakes from Cupcake ala Mode or Babycakes (no others, not worth the calories)

Fantasy travel planning

Fantasy interior design (no budgets in my fantasies)

recorded episodes of Divine Design

anything in New York

shopping

books, books, books

shopping for books

style and home magazines

my Kindle

Bukeka Shoals singing at church

pasta my husband makes

long walks

Anthropologie, Z Gallerie, Prydes, Nordstrom, "With a French Accent"

brunch (or anything) at Blue Stem

Christopher Elbow chocolates

beautiful hand writing

notecards and stationary

my iPod

my iPod shuffle

mocha, tea or anything warm in a mug on a chilly day

stories of inspirational entrepreuners

the beach

the city

completing a project that I created

taking photos

writing letters (or long personal emails)

strategic thinking, esp to boost business or participation

Is my list too long? I'm certainly not done. Has to be getting boring though.

My very favorite of all my favorite things:
when baby girl plants her slobbery, open mouth on my face and exclaims "mmmmm-uh!"

Professional crushes

For a long time, I had a professional crush on Mireille Guilano. CEO of Veuve Clicquot -- is there a better job? Then to be an author. Too good.

Then I went through a phase watching Dara Torres - pure fitness envy.

Then Anna Wintour (how could you not with all the "September Issue" hype?)

Then Keith Johnson and Glen Senk -- but I was more envious of their style and homes. Ok, maybe more envious of their professional life.

Now I've come full circle and am envious of Mireille again. I downloaded her new book to my kindle last night. I read her "business manifesto" on her website today. "Bad hair is a branding catastrohpe for women." Sounds so shallow, but so darn true!

new book - Merci beaucoup Mireille!

I can't wait to get this book! I just ordered it on Amazon.

You can read the first chapter here.

MAYA ANGELOU'S' BEST POEM EVER

MAYA ANGELOU'S' BEST POEM EVER

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to.....
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a youth she's content to leave behind.....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .......
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without ruining the friendship....

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year....

from Angela: I'm not sure that a man shouldn't do the same. But I suppose most of them already know they should.
"A youth she's content to leave behind." Hmmmmmm. Gotta work on that. And the juicy past too.

interesting thoughts on "success"

you must watch this

http://www.oprah.com/media/20090924-tows-stephanie-struggle-crash

The pumpkin scones at Starbucks are going to kill me. :)
I'm sure they have 500 calories. Good thing a sweaty step class is planned for tonight.

fabulous fall weekend

A haul of yummy veggies from the Brookside farmer's market made for a delicious saturday dinner.
Then a jog with M in the new Bob stroller early Sunday morning.

bye bye breast pump

I'm putting my beloved Medela breastpump on eBay this weekend. For some insane reason, it's hard to part with.
I spent HOURS attached to this thing. Without it, I would have never been able to feed my baby girl "mama's milk" for eleven months.
I faithfully hauled it to the office everyday. To many cities during business travel and to many road trips (thank you car ac adapter). Without it's help, I may have never smuggled frozen bags of milk through customs, or begged -- sometimes in tears -- hotel staff for freezer space.
Since Mirabella is enjoying chicken, edamame and all kinds of veggies (mushrooms are her favorite - really), it's time to part with the pump.
Somebody will get a good deal (I do find some solace in the fact that someone else won't have to give up $300 for one!)

love the fall, love my latte

I REALLY wish I was doing something like this today. Coffee, book, nowhere to be (no deadlines!).
I did indulge in a lunchtime latte. HOW did I actually go a whole year with no caffeine????

Hurray for Phat!

SNL star is "Phat" not fat!

Loving my girl -- on the beach

The difference in life with kids and life without kids...weekends are more exhausting than the week!
I have always thought more women should NOT have kids. And I still do. It's interesting that we (as a society) take the decision not to have kids more seriously than the decision to have kids. It's backwards. The job is too important.

I remain an advocate of more women choosing not to have children.

I loved my life without a baby.

But I have to say, I am over-the-moon in love with my baby girl.

I loved this tee shirt from Banana Republic enough that I bought two -- purple and red.

Banana Republic has the cutest clothes, but they certainly don't cater to buxom women. Skinny girls will get the best fit.

Got to spend time with Aunt Sharon, while in Southern Cal. She is so smart and amazing. A very Phit, ultra-cool chick.

75 degrees - love, love, love it!

I NEVER EVER thought I'd say this, but it's so good to be back in Kansas City, the weather is beautiful!
What?
Yes, 75 degrees.
After six days of sweating in Southern California, it feels good to be in Kansas City.
Did someone move the map around and not tell me??

Girl Effect

Love this.
Still.

http://www.girleffect.org/#/video/

More birthdays

The American Cancer Society's healthier cake contest...read about the winning Red Velvet Cake that cuts back on sugar and oil has roasted red beets, dried cherries and whole wheat flour..

my favorite trips ever

No real vacation this summer. Or last.
Or most years.
I can't complain though, just have to remember these fabulous trips. South Africa. Paris. Rome. Alaska.

Fried Oreos?

Fried Oreos?

thanks to Rockstar Diaries for photo

new iPod shuffle!

Bought the new TINY iPod shuffle at lunch today. Can't wait to go for a run/walk after work in this beautiful weather!

Testing post from my new blackberry

personal branding

Today I went to a luncheon put on by the KC chapter of the American Marketing Association. Danny O'Neill of The Roasterie was the speaker.
His talk on branding was pretty good.
What I kept thinking about was how HE had a strong personal brand.
I'm so envious of folks who are so focused this way.
Danny is passionate and knowledgeable about coffee. He's also in love with Kansas City, his family, his company, all that makes a strong personal brand. Has a strong presence. And no, it doesn't hurt that he's really handsome too.
Another example of personal branding - Manon. She's a colleague I saw at this same lunch today that I haven't seen in quite awhile. She's really sharp and so sweet. Always extra polite and so, so nice. Manon is the living brand of dependable and sweet.
A personal brand for Angela?
Geez.
Marketing consultant. Non-profit executive. Yoga teacher. Business owner. Now a Mom.
Who the heck is this woman?
I read this book back in 2002 when it was new hoping to master this personal branding thing. Since then I've just discovered even more hobbies, books and people that interest me.
I suppose if you believe "variety is the spice of life" then I am a well-seasoned woman. :)
And at some point I'll discover or create a brand that folks can understand.

hilarious "mom" photo

This photo made me laugh out loud.
Maybe it's because I'm a new mom who is so serious and emotional about EVERYTHING regarding my baby. But I think it's also just flat out clever.
The New York Times recently featured these two Brooklyn sisters. Hollister, one of the sisters, has an interesting blog. Porter -- sister #2 -- is apparently trying out for a walk-on role on Mad Men. She took this fabulous photo of herself as an apathetic 60s (50s?) mom. I don't know these girls, but what creative souls they must be. I'm not sure if voting has ended, but if you want to, you can do so for Porter via the link on her sis's blog.

dear santa in august

Dear Santa.
I've been good and I want a pink Bob jogging stroller.
Angela

Last night Mr Right and I took baby M for a walk in our garage sale jogging stroller. Last summer he paid $60 for it which seemed like a lot at a sale. Now that I've been shopping for a new one, seems like we got a bargain.
I'm in love with this pink Bob one.
Since I know we are using the slightly bumpy used one, I'm saving to splurge on a new one. Got get that cardio in and I can't afford one more minute away from baby.

my next bathroom

Isn't this darling?
Supposedly the set for "the L Word" on Showtime. Being non-tv person, I have no idea what that is. I think it might be the Flashdance girl's show(?).
Anyway, I love this gorgeous bathroom. Thanks to blogger at design wonderland for sharing.

Am I too old for Anthropologie?

I love the clothes in Anthrolopie's catalog, website and store. There are only 25 year olds in their photos (and mostly in their stores).
Should a 40+ mom wear this skirt to work?

how to get rid of the mean reds

I could get rid of everything that causes the mean reds.

I could get rid of my job, (sometimes) my husband, (sometimes) many family members, maybe even "cycles" and stressful days.

Not too realistic.
I guess I'll keep thinking.

And keep searching for a used jogging stroller.

the mean reds

Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" said "the mean reds are horrible." The mean reds make the blues look like happiness.

I've always counted on an extreme cardio session to chase away the blues and even the mean reds. What's a woman to do when caring for a one-year old?
I guess I need a better jogging stroller. Will start saving for that.

love the new boyfriend jeans

Have you tried on a pair of boyfriend jeans?
I'm curious if they fit "curvy" girls like me...

tea

At a Board meeting downtown and really cold in the room. Happy that I resisted the urge to go to lobby starbucks and get a latte or mocha. Had some "Paris" tea instead.
Do you ever get the feeling some teas are in fancy packages but are just plain tea?

yummy whole wheat pizza dough

We made the most delicious pizza from the whole wheat dough you can buy at Great Harvest Bakery. Got it at 83rd & Mission. SO good!

Not easy to find healthy, inexpensive stuff this yummy in Kansas City (perhaps that's why we are always on those "fattest cities" lists?)

Yummy casserole I made this weekend. My mom grew a bunch of fresh basil and it was so good in this dish. I used goat cheese and not ricotta since we minimize dairy at our house. The brown rice & parmesan combo makes a reallly nice crunchy topping that I plan to use it on other recipes too.

almond butter

An almost nutritionally-perfect snack is almond butter on rice cakes. Low calorie, good fats and decent protein.
I bought some natural almond butter and it isn't bad. The oils separate, like natural peanut butter, and you have to work a bit more to spread it out, but it tastes pretty good.
I've got the almond butter in the office fridge and the rice cakes in my drawer, so I'm hoping I can use them for afternoon snacks and prevent that end of day hunger.

Want you back...

MWSU dorm circa 1984 -- I could do a mean moonwalk.

Is there anybody out there who ever owned pompons and did NOT do a routine to Smooth Criminal (with a fedora, I bet) or Thriller (yep, white gloves).

RIP Farrah

I had a white cobra mustang like Charlie's Angel. Cancer sucks.

pizza at North

Have you been to the restaurant North at 119th and Roe?
Excellent mushroom and arugula pizza. Truffle olive oil makes a wonderful woodsy flavor.
The crust is super thin so there can't be many carbs, and there's no cheese.
Yeah for healthy pizza option!

I never touch politics, but this got me.

Washington Times: "Extramarital affairs, gambling, alcohol abuse, prostitution and sexual pursuit of minors have taken a toll on the GOP."

"...taken a toll?"
Oh My.

blogs I'm into now

I am really loving these talented blog writers:
www.joannagoddard.blogspot.com
http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/
http://decor8blog.com/
These women, of all ages, post wonderful photos, catalog pretty things and write wonderful little stories.

yeah for protein

Since I am no longer breastfeeding I can put dairy back in my diet. More and more though I'm reading dairy is not a good idea.
I was excited to get to drink an Isopure -- a protein drink in a bottle that's like a punch or kool-aid, not a shake. It's from whey protein, which is derived from cow's milk.
I was full all afternoon. Amazing how protein will quiet down your appetite and stabilize your blood sugar.
Going to make this a habit for a few days until I get my appetite under control!
Angela

Rose Brooks

I have been sick to my stomach all day.
I got a fundraising letter from the Rose Brooks Center. Apparently the economic situation has increased domestic violence significantly. Easy to imagine that. But the Rose Brooks Center is in a wait list situation.

I can't imagine a woman with a child who finally summons the courage to leave an abusive situation and then finds the shelter -- her last resort -- has a waiting list.

I wrote a check and put it in my desk to mail at the end of the week when I have money to cover it.
Having a new baby makes me feel vulnerable. Having enjoyed immense independence for my entire adult life, I can't imagine being in a situation where I had no options. A home life so bad I had to evaluate leaving. Sleeping in your car, staying with a friend, getting by until you can change things -- not options when you have a baby to care for.
I NEVER solicit and rarely do fund raising, but if you can help, please consider sending a donation to Rose Brooks Center, PO BOx 320599, Kansas City MO 64132-0599.
Angela

hormones and hunger

It's been ten days since I stopped, completely stopped, breastfeeding.
In the first week I gained ten pounds.

Every expecting mother is excited to learn that breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day.
No one tells you that you will be absolutely ravenous.
And then, when you stop breastfeeding, you have to re-train your appetite.

It didn't help that a weird neck/back injury kept me from working out for nearly two weeks.

But three days after the 10 pound gain (I nearly fainted on the scale) I have lost six pounds.

Whew. Work ahead.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day.

Did you see this article that thinner is better to curb global warming?

Regardless of how you feel about global warming, here's one more reason to eat well -- it's better for our planet. (Like we didn't have enough reasons already.)

On the consulting front, Excel Wellness celebrated their first year in business. I wrote her business plan and am tres excited to see her doing so well.

And I've known these girls for years, but recently developed a new program for them: Physical Transformation Retreats. You can learn how to get in Shape magazine cover-shape at one of their weekend retreats. If interested, tell them Angela sent you and you can attend the entire weekend for $299 (regular $499).
Create a healthy Earth Day
Angela

fit mind inspiration

Stumbled on a couple of cool sources of inspiration this week:
Jill Bolte Taylor speaking at the TED conference. You have to listen to this 20-minute presentation of this Harvard brain scientist re-telling the story of her stroke -- it is simply phenomenal.
I signed up for this online creativity circle; could use a boost since baby and demanding job have sucked up a great deal (all) of my time in the past few months. Time to re-focus on what makes me. I love this quote from Tim Ferriss: your job description is not your self-description.
Excited to go to New York in May. Attending the Yoga Journal Conference, though only one day of it, is at the top of my list while in the big apple. Also hope to do this anti-gravity yoga class which looks fascinating.
Creative not-exactly-Phit things I just have to share:
Delightful decals for decorating on Etsy: I am putting the cherry blossom branch in my office at home and "hanging" the chandelier over my desk at my "day" job office.
Another nifty find on Etsy: these darling ceramic buttons.
You can now follow me on Twitter or join me on Facebook. Hope to see you in cyberspace.
Angela

cupcakes (again)

Had an excellent nutrition week and then yesterday Mr Right wanted to spend his William Sonoma gift card and we found ourselves on the plaza. Too close to Cupcake A La Mode. Chocolate cherry cheesecake. Unbelievably tasty and worth the approx 600 calories. Glad I tore up the treadmill yesterday morning.
We picked up some whole wheat pizza dough and made the best spinach and mushroom pizza for dinner. Going to have to eat light for several days to make up for that cupcake.
Have lamb shanks simmering in the slow cooker and they smell divine. Can't wait to feast on them before our Academy Awards party (a very private party this year, baby girl is teething).
Have been doing micro-sessions of strength training very well -- happy with my consistency. Cardio is still good too. Now I just need to make it to a yoga class.

cupcakes and cardio

Well the cold seems to be over. Yesterday I felt almost completely better. Baby M didn't sleep at all so I didn't get out of bed Saturday and do the planned cardio. Today however, I fought the urge to sleep another hour and got myself over to Lifetime. The first 20 minutes felt boring and long. I stopped and did a couple machines for a change. Went back to the treadmill, changed my playlist and got busy with some intervals. It worked really well:
5 minutes walking at 4.5mph
1 minute running at 5.5 mph
1 minute jogging at 5.2 mph
then repeat, for 45 minutes.
Got good and sweaty and wow did the shower feel good.

So cardio is back on track.

Now the indulgence of the weekend...
on Thursday a vendor brought in cupcakes from a new bakery on the plaza: Cupcake A LaMode. Yum. They are definitely treadmill worthy. So good that Mr. Right and I went back down Saturday and indulged in cupcakes instead of a Valentine's Dinner out. Cupcake A La Mode has what they call a cupcake sandwich: two cupcake tops with buttercream frosting in between them. Wow.
The good thing is that they are so sweet you vow to eat good for the rest of the weekend.
Angela
Angela Broderick

good decisions and delightful surprise

I'm still baffled at how two hours can simply disappear when you have a baby. I was up at 5:30. Mirabella might be catching my cold. I so hope not, esp since I am feeling better.
Had a good breakfast of steel cut oats and scrambled egg whites along with a soy, decaf mocha. Thank goodness Mr Right is a wonderful cook and put this together while I pumped milk for M.
Even with a 5:30 wake-up, barely made it to the office by 8:00. Only about ten minutes of exercise: 30 push-ups and lots of stretching. Feels good. Will have to get my strength exercises tonight. Cold is lightening up so I'm hoping to resume cardio tomorrow. Had to get a sub for my step class last night.
I arrived at the office to find delightful surprises! A glass vase of red tulips on the table. And potted tulips on the window ledge -- the most beautiful shade of magenta.
Mr Right is not only a wonderful cook, he is exceptionally thoughtful and generous.
Next to the vase of tulips on the table was a gift wrapped in a very pretty white and damask paper with a bright red ribbon. Inside was an eco-jot journal of recycled paper. Been wanting a journal (another one!) to document M's "first's." Since she crawled last night it's time to start writing about important dates -- like watching her crawl across the bathroom floor instead of sitting and watching me brush my teeth as she has for several months. Just yesterday she couldn't hold her own head up.
Life moves so fast!

"baby" workouts

Thanks to inspiration from Annette Lang, I've decided to try posting my workouts and nutrition challenges here as my "journal."
The new baby, new house and incredibly demanding job are taking quite a bit out of me. I've done well getting cardio in -- I go to Lifetime on the weekends and run on the treadmill (love the shock-absorbing decks on those treadmills -- my knees really love them), and when the weather cooperates I walk outside. But strength training has slipped away. For 20 years I've taught classes where I automatically did more strength training than I needed. My weight fell to pre-pregnancy weight before Mirabella was three months old. But I've a living case study in body composition -- muscle tissue atrophied while I healed from the c-section. The new lifestyle hasn't done much to build muscle.
So this morning Mirabella was up about 5:45. I should have been up before her but she woke up three times last night. Highly unusual as she's a steady sleeper (like Mom!). So after I got her up I put her in the playpen while I pumped milk for her. Then we went into my office where I keep my dumbbell set and we put U2 on the iPod. I put Mirabella in the jumper and started my weights. She has recently learned to patty-cake. At the end of each set, I put the weights down and she clapped for me. What wonderful motivation!
Her attention span doesn't allow for more than about 15 minutes in the jumper. But something is better than nothing, and here's what I got done:
Biceps:
10 reps w/ 18lbs
10 w/ 18lbs
9 w/ 18lbs
10 w/15lbs
Tricep kickbacks:
10 w/ 12 lbs
10 w/ 12lbs
8 w/ 12 lbs
Then did a series of low back stretches and my "hip opener" series that I used to LOVE to do in Sunday morning yoga. Did bridge for 60 seconds, three times. Then some more stretching.
Would have loved to do more, but M was tired of the jumper, and I needed to get in the shower or be late for work.
To improve: I skipped breakfast, got to do that tomorrow. Mr. Right made me a mocha (soy, decaf, almost nothing since baby can't have dairy or caffeine) but I should have had my usual oatmeal and I'd like to add in egg whites.
Rushed mornings are a part of almost everyone's lives these days. I recommend a baby clapping for you and a little Bono on the iPod -- does wonders!
Create a healthy day~
Angela

fitting in cardio or not) while resting

Woke up with a scratchy throat and a huge fear of having to deal with the fatigue and fever of being sick in this upcoming busy week. So I took the morning off from the cardio I had planned and slept a bit longer. Spent the day using the neti pot and taking Zicam.
I was so committed to getting 60 minutes of cardio on every Sat and Sun. Since it's 11 pm and I still feel a scratchy throat, I'm very glad I rested.
Nutrition wise today was ok. I blew it with Mr Right's giant homemade chocolate chip cookie. But meals were good: breakfast of fresh spinach and poached eggs, lunch of shrimp and leftover pasta and dinner of soup. Soup was take out lobster something from Bonefish Grill -- yummy but probably too much fat.

Yesterday was a good day too. I took Mirabella out in the stroller for over an hour, then lifted weights and enjoyed her giggles as I counted reps out loud. Laid her on the floor while I did some yoga stretches.
Tomorrow starts another week. Let's hope the cold stays away so I can get on track with the cardio!
Angela

cool blog

I have been to dozens (over 50 I bet) of fitness conventions. And one of my favorite presenters has always been Annette Lang. And I found this new blog of hers: sixbyfifty

She wants a six pack by her 50th birthday. She's actually blogging her workouts and what she eats. Very honest and brave, and very inspirational.

breastfeeding battles

I'm at a business meeting in Charleston. My fourth overnight trip as a Mom and my fourth episode of begging a hotel to store pumped breast milk in a freezer. I have to admit,these folks have been more helpful than others. But it is getting old.
My flight went thru Atlanta and I noticed the large, glassed room that was full of people smoking.
If airports can provide a lounge for people to smoke, hotels can provide freezer storage for breastmilk so working moms can attend meetings.
Period.

Merry Christmas!
Baby girl is still fighting a cold, so my sleep was on and off last night -- funny how little that matters when the next day has unlimited napping!
Mr Right made a yummy, healthy scramble with shrimp for breakfast, which I followed with an iced sugar cookie.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas~
For the past five years I've done all my shopping online, but the new baby (who's had a bad cold) has me in a new routine -- it's actually not routine at all -- running around doing last minute errands on Christmas Eve.
It's really not too bad, the weather and crowds could be so much worse. Went to Dean & Deluca and got some yummy treats for me and Mr Right to have at our Christmas tomorrow. Tonight it's off to the in-laws. I'm sure they'll have plenty of presents to spoil Mirabella (if you can spoil a six-month old).
Before January 1, I'm going to make a plan to get more workouts and yoga back into my life. The new job is a year old now, we have been in our new house almost seven months, and baby is nearly six months. All those changes in 2008 have me craving some routine. Nothing routine about this holiday season, but I hope to re-establish an exercise routine soon.
The tuesday night step class is going great. I didn't realize how much I missed teaching choreographed cardio. Always leave Lifetime Fitness really sweaty. And it's such a terrific stress release. Now I have to get yoga back in my life. Many good classes to choose from (it'll be awhile before I can commit to teaching again), but I can't seem to get to them. Maybe I need to create a 20 minute home practice that I can do each morning.
This past weekend I put Mirabella on the floor and did a series of downward dog, plank, cobra and she laughed like crazy. It was the sweetest thing. Maybe the mommy & me yoga classes are on to something...

Closing up my computer and getting back into holiday merriment. Have a wonderful one!
Angela

RIP girlfriend

I've been struggling to deal with the grief many are feeling at the loss of Lauren Chapin.
Read the story in the Star here.
She was a beautiful, talented, amazing woman.
Lauren was one of my first yoga students in Liberty(along with Laura, Lorraine, Trish, Deb). She was so helpful and so supportive. She was an original Phit Chick. I remember asking if "chick" might be offensive to anyone and she rolled her eyes. :)
I got to work with her on a series she wrote for the Star on healthfully indulging. It was great fun to go to the restaurants and figure out how to rein in calories so we could share dessert. :)
I just exchanged emails with her a couple weeks ago; she was asking when I'd be coming to Liberty to do that yoga class.
Thank you Lauren, for your smiles, wit and inspiration. It lives on in me and in many others, I'm sure.

health check up time

I've always said people pay more attention to the fuel they put in their car than the fuel they put in their body. I read a similar analogy today...

"The irony is that most women take better care of their cars than their body, and that is in large part because an annual inspection is required to continue driving your car," says Donnica Moore, MD, a women's health expert based in Far Hills, N.J.

I'm WAY overdue for a mammogram (pregnancy came when I was already overdue), so this quote made me feel a bit guilty today. Guilt isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if it moves us to take action.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the perfect time to check your calendar and make an appointment.

More thoughts and tips for taking care of yourself:

Read these five lifesaving tests you may need.
An annual check up with your ob/gyn or family doc.
Subscribe to magazines and get books that encourage healthy habits. Manage the mental inputs.
Get moving. Regular aerobic exercise is good for your mind, not just your body.
Pay attention to nutrition.
It's been a wonderful week. I taught a step class at Lifetime Fitness, the first time I've done step in six years (since my first fall in Liberty in 2002). It was really fun. Like riding a bike; you can't forget. Fortunately Lifetime has two group exercise studios with suspended wood floors that my knees benefit from!

Mr Right built our first fire this week. It was absolutely yummy.

Enjoy the fall this weekend: take a walk in a pumpkin patch, soak in a scented bath, do something positive for yourself!

The yoga events from last weekend have been rescheduled (read below). Thank you for the well-wishes; baby Mirabella is doing much better!
Create a healthy weekend,
Angela
http://www.angelabroderick.com/

39 weeks

I haven't been a good pen pal lately; extremely busy job, moving, and pregnancy are quite a full hand I've been dealt.
Closure can be tough for me, especially when it involves saying good-bye. Though I'm now in Leawood instead of Liberty, I plan to get back to teaching yoga up north after Labor Day. Still, many of my classes and programs had to change or end, and thank goodness for the many life changes -- I was too busy to be sad for long.

Moving into a new space is cleansing in a way -- you're forced to clean deep, get rid of "stuff." And it's so fun to personalize a new space; make it yours.
Phit chick Kelly did an awesome job painting the nursery for me -- the chick can not only run forever, she is quite the decorative painter.

At 39 weeks, my belly is huge and two hours of good sleep is a gift. Patience.

Something I'm really happy about: my doctor says I am a "picture of health." For a first baby at 43 years old, she is amazed and says I'm having a model pregnancy - healthy blood pressure, reasonable weight gain, active and (mostly) feeling good.

I was doing yoga and the elliptical at eight months, and I'd like to tell you I did the whole way through, but for the past month an occassional swim is all I've done. There's no doubt that 20 years of consistent exercise before getting pregnant has paid off. It's made it possible for me to relax a bit in this tired stage (though working eight hours and unpacking isn't all relaxing!) I feel very blessed to have such a healthy body.

Keep that in mind when life distracts you from your fitness routine -- the real benefits are ones you can't see.

Someday you may take an executive-level job, move to a new community, have a baby at an advanced maternal age (or, heaven help you, all three at once). A low blood pressure and established relaxation techniques will bring you tranquility through it all!
Create a healthy day,
Angela

crazy busy

Long work days, classes and pregnancy-required rest has kept me away awhile, but I have some good stuff to share!

I saw a book "Crazy Busy" when bookstore browsing and checked out the author's website. I really like this list of "10 Principles to Managing Modern Life."

Had a conversation with some Eq gals last week about abs and was asked the BEST abdominal exercise. There are several of course, but one is the dead bug yoga pose with arm & leg extensions. Take a peak at it on this handout and give it a try.

I've managed to keep up with exercise during pregnancy, even though it is quite a bit different. I have substitute taught water aerobics at Lifetime Fitness in south Overland Park, and done Prenatal Yoga at one of my favorite studios Darling Yoga. My walk/jog sessions are definately walks, and I've had to learn to be ok with three times a week instead of four or five, but all in all, I'm a healthy "older" mom!
I'll be finishing the session of early morning Equilibrium and Sat yoga (Yep, I can still do down-dog, no twists though). Then there'll be a brief break. I'm already counting down the weeks until I can get back to my regular yoga classes!
Create a happy, healthy weekend,
Angela
P.S. I'm STILL updating our website, but www.PhitChicks.com will be available again soon!
http://www.angelabroderick.com/

fatigue busters (Jan 31 newsletter)

Hi there [member_name_first]~

Recently returned from a six-day business trip, with meetings in Florida and Oregon. The pinnacle of my fatigue came on a six hour flight from Atlanta to Portland (wouldn't have been so bad had I not started that very day with a 7am breakfast on the east coast and ended with an 8 -9pm meeting on the WEST coast -- geez).
I've always considered myself a hard worker, but at 17 weeks pregnant, those 16 hour work days and long flights were almost too much. And yes, I practice what I preach with water, rest, vitamins and good nutrition. Some weeks just require every tool in your Phit tool box. My fatigue busters:
1) Legs up the wall pose. This yoga pose is so easy to do in a hotel room; you can lay on the floor or the bed. Here's a photo on Yoga Journal; but I don't use a bolster, just lay flat on the floor. The trick is to sit really close to the wall so you can kind of "swing" your legs up. You get a nice hamstring and low back stretch, but best of all your feet, ankles and legs get the benefit of reverse gravity on circulation. Those main arteries that pump blood up your leg all day long get a break, and your entire circulation system benefits. I used to do this when I worked trade shows in my 20's and my feet would HURT at the end of the day. Didn't find out until much later that it was a hugely beneficial yoga pose.
2) Walking. Surprise, surprise! But a couple of mornings my meetings started at 7:30am and the silly fitness center didn't open until 6:00am. Even though I only got a whopping 22 minutes on the treadmill; I felt so much better. And I LOVE how the most routine shower feels like a spa treatment when preceeded by a bit of cardio.
3) Music. If you don't believe in the mind-body connection, play your favorite song next time you are tackling a task you dread. And what a way to make time fly. What did we do before iPods? (Actually I remember packing several CDs with me, seems so bulky now!)
Here's a few of my Phit Favorite Tunes:
Need to rev up -- as in that "first mile" on the treadmill: 60's sing-alongs like The Foundations, or (embarrassing as it is, these always make me smile) The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" or "Come on Get Happy." Sounds ridiculous, but in my days of teaching Spinning three times a week, I saw more than one 50-something executive male start pedalling faster when I played the multi-colored bus music! If you want something a little more current (like a half a decade more current) try the Cardio Dance Mix on iTunes. It always makes me hit the speed "up" arrow! Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas work well too.
Need to relax: Can't beat the early Enya, and I love the compilations on "Pure Moods" CDs. And Deva Premal is the ultimate for that totally vegging out (napping, meditating, warm bath soaking). When I play her at the end of yoga, I can literally see people sink into their mats.
Need to feel like "I can do this": Madonna, Aretha, and best of all: Tina Turner!
I'd love to expand this list, especially the exercise tunes, so email me here and tell me what gets you going. I confessed to the Partridge Family for crying out loud, so give me your real favorites. I'll share a list next week.
On the flight home I listed to an audio book on leadership and gained some amazing insight into taking control (and responsibility for) my schedule, my day, my health, my career, my goals. Found an interesting parallel perspective on the web too: comes down to being a player and not a victim. Here's my notes (rough, from the airplane):
Personal responsibility stems from being a player rather than a victim. For example, a victim responds to:
1. what happened to you?
2. who wronged you?
3. how did they hurt you?
4. what should they do to make it right?
5. what are the consequences to you if they don't change?
a player responds to:
1. what challenge did you face?
2. how did you choose to respond?
3. what are the consequences of your actions?
4. could you have done something more productive?
5. what can you learn?
Huge possibility for application here: my day, my health, my finances. The reoccuring question: am I going to exercise? Is it my co-workers or my job's "fault" that I can't? Is it REALLY another person's fault?

I also loved this quote shared by Emerson: what you do speaks so loud, I can't hear what you say.

Under the "coming soon" category: Phit Chick Kim Sickels has been teaching classes at Slim & Tone on North Oak which closed recently, and she will be starting a new class on Wed evenings at Pinnacle Physical Therapy. Email her at knrsicls@aol.com or call 816-589-6489.
Create a happy, healthy week,
Angela
P.S. I'm in the midst of updating our website; www.PhitChicks.com will be available again soon!
http://www.angelabroderick.com/

Amazing October

What an amazing October. A wonderful month personally for me, and you Phit Chicks just keep amazing me more everyday. If November lives up to half this, I'm not sure I can stand to finish the year.

Hints to make November wonderful:
1) Stock up on those fall veggies: acorn squash, sweet potatoes (SOOOO much better for you than white!), parsnips and peppers. Make some soups or stews or snuggly meals and freeze a few servings for busy evenings.

2) Get out in the air and get moving! Nothing energizes your day like a brisk walk in the fall.

3) Carve out some personal time. Do it now - grab your calendar and schedule that 30 minutes of reading, napping or playing this weekend.

Reminder to Cardio Dance & Yoga Basics students: we have a make up class this Saturday at community center. See you then.
Create a healthy day~
Angela
Angela Broderick, MA
www.AngelaBroderick.com
www.phitchicks.blogspot.com

Photos above:
Mr Right and I enjoyed the fabulous Vancouver at an annual conference for the North American Primary Care Research Group. My new "day job" is being Executive Director of this association of amazing minds. The red trees were beautiful in Vancouver.

Super-woman Phit Chick Kelly Stripling finished a 50K race (That would be 31 miles. Yep, you read that right.) last weekend "for fun." You continue to inspire us Kelly!
More Phabulous Phit Chicks did the 5k Race of the KC Marathon. From left to right: Tara Menzies, Mary Johnson, Mandy Froehlich, Sharon Muir. Good job girls. Extra kudos to Mary, who finished 8th in her age division! Mandy is on a roll and has everybody running; contact info@PhitChicks.com to get the next race dates.

Once wasn't enough for Phit Chick Denise Riley, who completed the Nike Women's 1/2 marathon last year, and had to return to San Fran this year and complete the whole darn 26.2 miles. Way to go Denise!

Sushi with girlfriends. From left: Kathy B, a trainer at Lifetime Fitness; me; Julia, school nurse at Pembroke Hill; and Ironwoman Jene. Seriously, Jene checked off a five-year goal this month by competing in the IronMan Triathlon in Hawaii. She's done a number of ironman distance triathlons, but you have to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman. She got in, she went, she finished, she is remarkable! Crazy, amazing woman! A corporate CFO, single mom-of-three who finds 20 hours a week to train. Way to go Jene!

What a week.
Last week was a whirlwind at a conference in San Antonio. Got home Friday afternoon and Mr. Right picked me up at the airport. Friday evening included an amazing dinner at Blue Stem followed by a 50th birthday party for a dear friend at a home (practically a museum) near the Nelson Atkins Museum. Saturday was a hilly trek thru Briarcliff followed by snacks at Green Acres Market, rushing off to teach Cardio Dance & Yoga Basics. Then a fast shower and quick trip around I-435 to a meeting where a new trainer I've been consulting for is opening a fitness studio in a few weeks. Whew. After Sunday yoga and brunch with Mr Right I slept for two hours. Still need (and love) eight hours of sleep!

San Antonio

Well, end of another LONG day at a conference..began with early breakfast with a sponsor, many sessions and speakers and ended with a focus group on Rural Health Information Technology.
Have to get to the gym even with my workout fatigue...been two days with no exercise and I feel lousy. Very tired now, heck it's only an hour from my usual bedtime. But I will drag myself there. I will, I will, I will. No margaritas, no mexican food, treadmill.
I do know I'll feel better afterwards. And I must confess, having my network of Phit chicks keeps me honest; one must practice what one preaches!
Have a good evening, and don't forget your "happy-ness" exercise!
angela

happy-ness

Hope you're planning to come this Saturday when the walking club will meet at Green Acres Market in Briarcliff. You MUST attend -- loads of fun plus a free t-shirt just for showing up! RSVP here, the first 20 Phit Chicks to rsvp (and yes, you must actually show up and walk) we will send you a t-shirt!
And by the way, this new email info@Phitchicks.com is working now -- send your questions, comments and thoughts to this address. In case of storms or lightening, always check www.PhitChicks.com before you leave; it will be updated by 6:15am.
Are you familiar with the 80/20 rule? Well, this book I've been reading has an entire chapter on it. I'm finding it to be so accurate. 80% of your stress probably comes from 20% of your life/issues. And 80% of your happiness certainly comes from 20% of your activities. What are those activities? What do you do that makes you happy? Spend time with friends? Spend time alone? Walk? Move? Listen to music? Going to a class, planting flowers, taking a trip, long baths?
You know where this is going....I bet coming to walking club or exercise class gets you several things on that "makes me happy" list. Put a few more on that list and increase your happy-ness!
Come Saturday to walk. Meet one new Phit chick. Call a current friend you haven't had time to converse with lately, offer to pick her up and bring her.
Here's your challenge: Do one thing every day this weekend -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- that increases your happy-ness.
Remember that Phit Chick Trainer Mandy (who by the way, is looking PHABULOUS in her post-baby body!) has her Equilibrium gals psyched up to do some races this fall. Details are at the bottom of this email.
Create a healthy, happy weekend [member_name_first]~
Angela
http://www.angelabroderick.com/
http://www.phitchicks.com/
http://www.phitchicks.blogspot.com/

GET OUT AND RUN FOR A CAUSE!!!
October 20-Waddel and Reed KC Marathon, Kansas City 5K , $25 if you sign up before October 6th. To register click on: http://www.waddellandreedkcmarathon.org/register/
November 18th- Jingle Bells Run/Walk for Arthritis, Zona Rosa ($25 registration)
To join Mandy's team click here and sign up: https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=232457&team=2639480

the in's and out's of sucking it in :)

I mentioned that have been reading Tim Ferriss's "Four Hour Work Week" and last week, I mentioned NOT managing your time.

This week, I enjoyed the rest of the book and his encouragement to free up time to do what you love. Stuff you love, stuff you want to do. Ever thought of doing a race? Phit Chick Trainer Mandy has her Equilibrium gals psyched up to do some races this fall. She was kind enough to share the details -- note them at the bottom.
Mark your calendar now for Saturday Oct 6th when the walking club will meet at Green Acres Market in Briarcliff. You MUST attend -- loads of fun plus a free t-shirt just for showing up! RSVP here, the first 20 Phit Chicks to rsvp (and yes, you must actually show up and walk) get a t-shirt!
I've started a new session of Yoga Basics, and the students are grappling with the "engaging the abs" and the "breathing." Pilates and yoga teach different breathing, but there's so much to learn before you get to the point of discussing the differences. With Pilates, there's an emphasis on a forced exhalation to draw in the transverse muscles, thereby allowing all abdominal muscles a deeper contraction.
Just remember, do NOT "suck it in" and hold your breath. Try very hard to practice (always, right now even!) to pull your lower abdominal muscles in, just wake them up.
If you've been in my classes you've heard a million times to "zip up your jeans." And that's what you're after, not buttoning a tight skirt, and consequently "sucking it in" but zipping up the lowest abdominal muscles.
And it's similar but different for cardio. If you enjoy indoor cycling (I certainly love it!), this article explains more about diagphramatic breathing in spinnning class.

yoga and Christianity

I got an email from my sweetheart cousin Beth in DC. She asked me about an article recently in Christianity Today about yoga. She said she didn't remember me doing the "OM" in my classes.

It made me want to point out one more time that Christians can (and should) do yoga.
Beth is right, I don't do the "OM" -- not because I think it's honoring another "spirit" or any of that, but because it makes people uncomfortable, which is NOT the point. Besides I can't sing. :)
To be honest the OM is pretty misunderstood. The idea behind it is that the vibrations of the vocal cords warm the body internally and set the mind's focus on the breath (sort of like singing forces you to pay attention to your breath). People can bring whatever spiritual component they want to it but the truth is, that's what it's really about. Nothing to fear.
I have really studied all the spiritual sides of yoga, and they really do not conflict with Christianity. I've decided it's like saying the pledge of allegiance with your hand on your heart -- it's not worshiping a graven image --- it's a completely separate thing. You can be a patriotic American and also a Christian. Same thing: you can be a Christian and practice any aspect of yoga. To be honest, and don't quote me on this because it will be misunderstood, the yoga sutras are completely parrallel with the teachings of Christ -- all about loving and doing good. They don't involve worship of any kind.
I always tell people that going to yoga is like going to a movie -- it might be a romantic comedy, it might be a Disney show, or it might be a "Die Hard" experience. :) Truly, I've been to rejuventating lay-on-your-back and breathe the whole hour classes and to others that were complete sweat fests. And I've been to classes where the teacher really got into the meditation and chakras and others where they didn't. Current exercise science research is showing that the "chakras" are actually points in the body that correspond to "intersections" of nerves in the central nervous system and to glands that produce hormones. So there's a complete physical reason; no magic for crying out loud. This is very cool to me, as it shows that those people in India thousands of years ago were on to something (how the heck did they know? there were no physiologists, I really think God gave it to them). It also shows (I think) that the body has many gifts to recieve from yoga. And of course I believe yoga is a gift from God, and all the benefits of yoga are a gift from God.
The other controversy you'll see is based in a fear of India -- many people in India are Hindu, and so there is an association of yoga with Hindu. To further confuse the issue, there ARE types of yoga that do have roots in Hinduism, but not all. Yoga is global; all kinds do it.
Create a healthy, happy weekend
Angela

lose yourself

I was walking and listening to Eminem sing...."lose yourself, the music, the moment, you own it, you better never let it go" and thinking about how GOOD it feels to sweat to great tunes.
Also been seeing this trainer, Tracy Anderson in the media everywhere -- W, Bazaar, every magazine in the airport. She's apparently risen to fame with her workout program that includes Pilates exercises and dance-based aerobics. I got suckered in and ordered the DVD. It's not bad. The music is great. Though I prefer www.ulianeArney.com for dance fitness videos. Apparently, though the Gwenneth Paltrow's and Madonna's of the world have been at this Tracy's studio and she's quite the buzz in LA.
Well, it's not quite LA, but in the fall you can take "Cardio Dance" on Saturday mornings at the community center and get in a groovin' music-sweat calorie-burn. Easy to follow too. My promise: only three moves per song.
If you can use a little extra cardio in the fall, come to walking club at 7, then stay for Cardio Dance at 8:15. You'll be sportin' a tiny waist for Halloween :)
The walking club and ALL the fall classes start after Labor Day; get yourself signed up.
Hope it's on your calendar by now... Green Acres is bringing in Lorna Vanderhaeghe for a seminar on Tuesday night, September 11th, "The Hormone Triangle: Adrenals, Liver & Thyroid." Click here to download the flyer.
Green Acres has generously agreed to be a sponsor for our fall walking club; be sure and thank them when you're in there.
Create a healthy, happy Labor Day weekend.
In fitness & in health,
Angela

the good, the bread, the ugly

Ok, about this summer shed program.
I had some good experiences with it personally. And a couple embarrassing ones.

About a month ago I flew to DC to meet with my boss (I've decided that a boss 1,000 miles away is a real boost to career success -- but that's another discussion). I taught the 5:45am Wed yoga class, flew thru the bathroom and traded my yoga top for a t-shirt and put on a jacket. Mr Right was waiting to whisk me to the airport to catch a 7:50 flight. Got on the plane armed with my travel necessities: a banana, an energy bar, a book and my iPod. Easy flight. Landed, did the airport thing with the luggage and cab and went right to my DC office. My boss was waiting, then immediately after him my colleagues. Back to back meetings until 6pm. Now I'd like to tell you I snuck away for healthy snacks, and I can tell you I got my water in. But by 6:30 I was absolutely ravenous. A workout, a flight and a 12-hour workday on a couple hundred calories. Sounds like the ultimate get-skinny plan, doesn't it?
I wish.
I walked over to King Street and decided Greek food sounded good. Sat down and ordered a lemon-garlic Chicken dish, light on the sauce, with steamed vegetables. Life is good.
Except the waiter came around the corner with a basket of bread. Not a problem for me, I don't even like bread. But then he showed me this little flask full of dark green olive oil with little swishes of pureed parsley and garlic. He put it in a saucer and tells me I have to try it. It smells divine.
The bread had the "I look whole grain but I'm probably starchy-white flour with food coloring thrown in" appearance. One piece I decide. Well, my hunger turned into a freakin' monster. Does that ever happen to you after the first bite? I know I'm hungry, but my taste buds are suddenly the Angela-pilot instead of my brain.
That garlicky-parsley oil was amazing. I had three pieces of that bread. Yes, there were only three pieces in the basket. And when my yummy chicken and veggies arrived I couldn't eat 1/4 of it.
Darn waiter. He had me at the parsley-garlic scent.
Lessons? You already know, don't you?
Eat, for crying out loud. Don't wait until the end of the day to wait the appetite monster. And plan for your whole day. Planning for a flight is automatic for me; I have snacks in my bag before I've packed my suitcase. But I didn't think past noon. When I got off that plane I didn't think to go eat because I wasn't going to have time to breathe the rest of the day.
And tell the waiter "NO BREAD!" when he/she takes your order. Heck, tell them the minute you sit down.
Last week I mentioned that Green Acres is bringing in Lorna Vanderhaeghe for a seminar on Tuesday night, September 11th. A timely and important women's health topic: "The Hormone Triangle: Adrenals, Liver & Thyroid." Click here to download the flyer; it's also on www.PhitChicks.com (see "Resources).
Plan your meals and have a healthy week
In fitness & in health,
Angela
http://www.angelabroderick.com/
http://www.phitchicks.com/
www.phitchicks.blogspot.com

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act

Hi there [member_name_first]~
I sooooooooooo love the Windy City! Just returned from four wonderful days in Chicago. Enjoyed learning sessions at a conference, plenty of walking, shopping and a COOl breeze off the lake.
Important stuff this week!
I met with Shannon at Green Acres last week -- a very sweet gal with a cool business. (You HAVE to go there. The yummy smelling soy candles and organic soaps are reason enough.) Anyway, Green Acres is bringing in Lorna Vanderhaeghe for a seminar on Tuesday night, September 11th. A timely and important women's health topic: "The Hormone Triangle: Adrenals, Liver & Thyroid." The flyer is on our website (see "Resources), but put this on your calendar now.
Here are three fun ways to stay cool in this KC heat:
1) freeze juice in ice cube trays and drop them in Diet Sprite for a delish punch-like drink
2) finish your shower with a cool blast of water. Come on - they do it at spas and charge a fortune.
3) dress in light clothes, keep your hair off your neck and face, and forget the make up -- then it's easy to wipe your face with a cool wet cloth any time of day.
A wedding photographer told me one time that when brides are about to overheat, they rub ice on the inside of their wrists, where the blood runs close to the surface of the skin. I swear it works.
Thanks for your interest in our Phit & Phabulous classes that start this fall. Including the flyer again if you missed it. A note of clarification: there's a new "Yoga Basics" class on Saturdays at the community center and also a "Yoga 101" workshop. The workshop is a chance to listen, watch and then try the basic poses and sequences -- please forward to any friends who want to try yoga and haven't quite signed up yet.
Last week I shared info on a bill about payment for post-masectomy care. I decided signing a petition is great, but I think we should make some phones ring. (Besides I found out the petition listed the bill numbers from the first time the bill was introduced, not the bill numbers of 2007.) So call your congressional representatives and tell them you expect them to support Bill # HR119 & S 459. If you live in Liberty your representative is Sam Graves and the local office number is 792-3976. In Missouri, our senators are Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill, their DC office numbers are:
Bond: 202-224-5721
McCaskill 202-224-6154
So make a phone call, stay cool and fit in your exercise.
In fitness & in health,
Angela
http://www.angelabroderick.com/
http://www.phitchicks.com/

"Mama Wants Her Abs Back" & Kudos to Laura S.

"Mama Wants Her Abs Back: Post-natal Core Conditioning" is a new class this fall. Will be offered at the community center; meets twice on Mondays, 6:45 - 7:45pm, Sept 17 & 24th. The community center now offers online registration: www.ci.liberty.mo.us/LPR
Kudos to Phit Chick trainer Laura Sorens -- knew she was a super stud soccer coach, but learned she was also a "Teacher of the Year" (the Liberty School District's newsletter I got last week had her picture in it). Way to go Laura! Take this super woman's Equilibrium class Tues & Thurs evenings and soak up some of her energy!

fall Phit & Phabulous classes

Hi there
A political note today...there's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where sometimes women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached. Personally, I don't see the *&^+#* question here.
Sign the petition by clicking here if you feel it's something you support. Thanks from the trainer and friend of dozens of survivors!
Excited to share all of our Phit & Phabulous classes that start this fall. Download the flyer here. Early morning yoga will now be at Elite Dance Center, there's an additional Sunday class and a new "Yoga Basics" workshop. Mandy's evening Equilibrium and all EQ2 classes will now be held at Pinnacle Physical Therapy on Kansas Street. Read more in the flyer.
In addition, we'll be offering the following Equilibrium classes at the community center:
1) Tues & Thurs 5:15pm with Laura code: 8232.302
2) Wed 5:30pm & Sat 10:45am code: 8232.305
3) Wed & Fri 5:35 am code: 8232.303 team taught with Angela and a new trainer (you're gonna love her!)
And I'm SOOOOO excited about Kid's Cardio Dance, which will be back this fall on Saturdays at 10am. Get your child off their seat and on their feet -- sign them up. Register for these classes online if you like -- the link is to the right.
Remember, there are 24 hours in each day, take one for you!
In fitness & in health,
Angela
http://www.angelabroderick.com/
http://www.phitchicks.com/

My stepsons playing yogi at La Jolla beach...

Stability Ball, Dance & Aqua

Hi Phit Chicks. I'm taking a much needed afternoon break, sitting near the balcony and occasionally gazing at the sailboats in the harbor and the amazing blue sky and water. I swear it's always room temperature in this city. Absolutely beautiful.
The day started with me observing (OBSERVING, not taking class -- have six more hours of this, too old and too smart to over do it) a dance class called Body Jam. Then to the opening ceremonies of the convention. Heard an amazing keynote speech on the Wellness Revolution. The speaker, now in his mid-50's (looking mid-30s) gave us mind-provoking info. He also told a cute story: He lives in Utah and joined a buddy's mountain biking group. He had to have his wife take him 2/3 of the way up the ride, then he did the final third with the group. He was 45, and his buddy was 65. He said to his friend,"HOW do you do this? I am 45 and I can only do the last third."
His 65-year old friend replied, "Don't worry about it, I couldn't do the whole thing either when I was 45." :)
Better with each day that goes by.
After the keynote I went to a stability ball workshop and learned a few more abdominal exercises that my Sunday yoga class is going to LOVE! Can't wait to share.
And then I went to the highly energetic exhibit hall to try out some new equipment and check out the new music. Then off to another session, this time a dance-based cardio. I came back to the room a few minutes early to enjoy the balcony and fresh air, and am hoping to get re-energized before the party tonight. There is a water aerobics class going on outside and I can hear the instructor so I feel like I'm still in workshop mode. Been a long 12 hours. Whew. I'll find the energy though. Nothing gives me new life like learning.

Hip Hips

With apologies to Cosmopolitan and like magazines, here's a quiz to determine your "hip-ness"...
1. What's your favorite yoga pose to release the hips? Pigeon? Dancer's pose? (If you don't have one, skip to #6.)
2. Do you sit in a chair more than two hours a day?
3. Do you sleep on your side?
4. Do regularly you run, walk or do step aerobics?
5. Do you want to prevent future low back pain?
6. If you answered "yes" to any of the above then sign up immediately for "Hip Hips" a workshop coming August 4th. Email me to reserve your spot -- enrollment is limited to assure personal attention.

A reminder ..."Get out of BED (Blame, Excuses, Denial)" was referenced in the eNewsletter a couple weeks ago. Have you been saying:
"I am so happy & grateful that I live the life of a thin, fit person"
Not to late to start. Never too late to start (thank goodness).
Cool Things Going On:
"Hip Hips," a workshop on yoga poses, adjustments, stretches as well as traditional exercises for our all-too-tight and too-weak hips (typical in America). Yoga experience is NOT a pre-requisite. Saturday, August 4th, 8:30 - 11:30 am. $29 if you pre-pay by July 20th. I can email you a paypal invoice OR you can mail a check to the address below.
Our " Phit Chicks Summer Shed" program is off and running. If you'd like to take off 4, 6 or 8 pounds by Labor Day, you can still get started. Go to www.PhitChicks.com , click on Resources and print out the "Summer Shed '07."
A new class at a new place: Tues 5:30pm Pilates-Yoga class at Pinnacle. Download the flyer here.
Want to feel like a million bucks on Labor Day? Try our August session of evening Equilibrium with Mandy. Will meet on Mon & Thurs at 5:30pm, Aug 6th - 27th. Seven sessions, $95, no membership or guest fees. Email me for more info.
In fitness and in health,
Angela
http://www.phitchicks.com/

Hello from San Diego!
Yesterday was a full day of a yoga pre-conference program. Heard from Lorna Francis, PhD, about the connection of the mind and body, and how instructors inadvertently teach clients to control their mind by teaching control of the body. We've heard that exercise is more efficient with the mind engaged, but Dr Francis theory is that by "exercising" control of the body (i.e. where your arm is placed, where your body is in space) you learn to better control your mind. Interesting. Then a wonderful session, "Yoga with Intention" with Lauren Eirk. Liked her so much I stayed for the next one she taught, "Progressions in Yoga," -- always been a big deal to me -- studios so often have no intermediary steps. The teacher shows a pose, then you are supposed to do it, or not. The fitness teacher in me always has been big into teaching progression. Ms Eirk shared some fabulous ideas and thoughts that I am anxious to implement. Then Lawrence Biscontini did a very imaginative mind-body circuit, using foam rollers, gliding discs and combined yoga, tai chi, Pilates and Feldenkrais. What a day!

Happy Fourth of July

Start your day with positive inputs; how's this for a getting-started success story...

Angela,
I am doing great on the summer shed program. I lost 3 pounds this week! Woo-hoo! I’ve never seen results that fast! And, I have so much more energy. I had no idea how the “white stuff” was effecting me. Thanks!
Rachel

Have you started your Summer Shed program? You can still download it on the website -- http://www.phitchicks.com/ and click on "Resources."

THIS TUESDAY, July 3rd, I will have my usual Tuesday 5:40am yoga class at the Liberty Community Center -- and this week it's community yoga, meaning all are welcome. That's right, F. R. E. E. yoga on Tuesday -- get yourself supple and centered for the Fourth.
Remember no Equilibrium classes this week due to July 4th holiday and so many folks out of town. Including me, as I'm taking off to a major fitness convention in San Diego. The program is very interesting, as it's usually an indicator of national exercise trends...and this year it's almost all Pilates (mat and equipment based) and yoga. Still lots of cardio, but almost no step classes. Loads of spinning, triathlon training, running & walking programs and dance-based classes. (If you like "Dancing with the Stars" ask me about my Cardio Dance class starting this fall.) My agenda at this conference includes a half-day session on MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques) which should be very useful as it seems everybody has aches & pains these days, as well as workshops like "Yoga with Intention," "An In-Depth Look at the Knee Joint," and "'80's Dance Groove." The last of these will probably have me laughing so hard I can't even break a sweat to Duran Duran or whatever that playlist has in store for us.
I am very excited about this convention, and will be peridically posting updates on the Phit Chicks blog, so if you're curious about a deeper level of learning or just want a dose of "confessions of a fitness instructor," check out www.PhitChicks.blogspot.com. Hope to cyber-connect with you there.
Have a happy Fourth of July; celebrate to the fullest with a swim, a parade, some watermelon or sparklers.
Create a healthy day~
Angela
http://www.phitchicks.com/
http://www.angelabroderick.com/

my curtsy lunge

I just read this article in Forbes online about David Kirsch and his "reverse crossover lunge" -- and screamed (to myself) "that's my curtsy lunge!" I have a love-hate relationship with celebrity trainers; they are so inspiring and yet I feel like the are cheating.
Cheating because they steal my moves? Of course not. A good idea is a good idea, and the "great minds" cliche applies here.
David Kirsch wrote a decent book, The Ultimate New York Diet, but is best known for getting Heidi Klum in runway shape just weeks (like three months) after giving birth. Ok, I'll be fair, kudos to David. His diet book and his exercises are based on solid fitness principles.
But... before you go trying to Google & hire this $400-per-hour guy, take a good look at Heidi Klum. And her 30 inch torso. As my Mr. Right says, "How can you screw that body up?"
Seriously, I think as long as you didn't sit there and feed her donuts for an hour, you're a shoe-in success. Being Heidi Klum's personal trainer is about the best gig around.
On a less serious (more serious?) note, a couple brief yoga thoughts...
At the end of meditation sessions in a good yoga class, you'll hear some inspirational, warm fuzzy messages. Recently I took a very good class and the instructor offered empowerment to "let go of what is no longer serving you." Wow. Think about that one. It actually encouraged me to move my EQ2 group to a different location (read on).
I took a training class yesterday from Paula Tortolano and didn't know I could get so excited about Trikonasana (triangle pose). Can't wait to show you all I learned. Going back tomorrow to learn more on backbends.
Cool Things Going On:
New sessions of "Equilibrium: Balanced Fitness for Women" start this week at the community center. More times, including a 9:00am for you teachers who want to go to school feeling super fit in the fall.
You long-time Eq clients need a boost. The energy was beginning to lull in our last few classes (yes, you worked hard, but you're falling into a "routine") and I am going to "kick it up a notch" as Emeril would say. Email me for details (times, locations, etc).
Create a healthy day,
Angela