My Favorite Health & Fitness Podcasts

If you have been forced fortunate enough to talk to me about health and or fitness, you have probably heard me say things like "podcast" or "blog". Sometimes when I say these things, people look at me like I'm speaking French.

I thought I would share some of my favorite podcasts. I listen to podcasts while in the car or while working out. Listening to a podcast allows my mind to focus on something other than the pain that I'm in while running 6 miles or doing speed work.

Most of these podcasts can be found on iTunes or on the Stitcher on the go app which you can download on to your ipod/ipad/iphone. With iTunes, you do have to download the podcast and then sync to your phone which is why I really like Stitcher. There is no downloading. You can open the Stitcher app on your electronic device, create a "station", save the podcast as a Favorite to the station, and then listen on the go. No downloading involved. Occasionally, I do have problems with listening on Stitcher because I am in an area where my phone service provider is not all that strong, but overall I really love the app.

So, what do I listen to? In my Health & Nutrition Station, I have the following fitness podcasts:

1. >Jillian Michaels Podcast: #1 on my list because if you've talked to me about health & fitness you've heard me say, "Jillian Michaels is a fitness god and she says...."
2. Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy: Dr. Adam Shafron (aka Dr. Fitness) and Lee Kantor (the Fat Guy) make healthy living fun for everyone. The podcast is a educational, but incredibly funny. If you see me burst into laughter while out running, you now know that I am listening to this podcast.
3. Another Mother Radio: A professional podcast put out each week by two running moms, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell. This podcast offers training insights and gets real about managing a family while running.
4. Endurance Planet and Endurance Hour podcast: Two different podcasts which are geared more toward the endurance athletes. Endurance Planet explores triathlons as well as ultra-running. The Endurance Hour podcast focuses on triathlons including Ironman, UTI and Rev3. 
5. Ben Greenfield Fitness: Ben Greenfield coaches and trains individuals for weight loss as well as sports performance. Ben is also involved in the Rock Star Academy and Get Fit Guy podcsts. He's a regular contributor to Endurance Planet as well. Ben uses holistic methods to enable his clients to reach their optimal performance. 
6. Garden Variety Triathlon podcast: A podcast for triathletes powered by plants. Now I'm not a vegan; however, I still like hearing about his training and his nutrition. 
7. Half Size Me: This is a podcast I just found this morning. So I can't give a recommendation on  the podcast as a whole (yet!); however, I LOVED the podcast I listened to today. The host, Heather, who has lost 170 pounds, interviewed Roni, a healthy living blogger who has also lost over 100 pounds. Heather & Roni discussed how so many of us have mommy guilt when taking time out for ourselves to exercise. I've had MANY discussions with friends about this, but it is so nice to here this pair back up everything that I've been saying for years.

Need some nutrition advice? I listen to:

1. Cooking with the Moms: Two Registered Dietitians, Liz and Janice, share their recipe makeovers and tips for picky eaters. 
2. The Nutrition Diva's Quick and Dirty Tips: Monica Reinagel offers up some quick and simple tips to upgrade your eating habits. 

Listening to podcasts, and reading blogs, keeps me motivated and focused on my health and fitness goals.

What do you do to keep motivated on a daily basis? 

Back in the U.S. of A.

The last week was rough...tough...unbearable. I spent a week living a very primal life in the wilds of Mexico.

The beautiful infinity pool leading right into the ocean

OK, so maybe the life at Dreams Riviera Maya Resort & Spa wasn't so wild. Unless you count the dinner after my nephew's wedding.

Our waiter at Portofino brought the entire table shots. So we had to drink them!

But most importantly, a week's vacation gives you perspective especially as you get to the end of your trip and realize you have to go home. The end of a vacation makes you think about home and what is waiting for you. I left my husband and two oldest daughters at home for various reasons. Only Princess went with me on this trip. Being in paradise is very difficult without your life partner and I'm not just talking about guilt regarding leaving him behind. The location was beautiful and romantic, but tough to enjoy with your youngest daughter.

The end of a vacation makes you think about how you spend your time 24/7. Are you following your passion? Are you doing what you love?

My answer was not 100% yes. So let the soul searching begin. What do I want to be when I grow up? How do I want to spend my time on this earth? What the heck is my passion?

As I was relaxing on my flight home, I put my ipod on shuffle and start reading a book on my Nook. Suddenly, in the mix of my songs, here comes the voice of my personal hero, Jillian Michaels, reading from her book, "Unlimited".

Is that a God sign? I'm thinking so. So look for some deep introspective over the next few days as I search to find the thing that will make me excited - ok, maybe just look forward to - returning home from vacation.

Get a Grip on Insulin's Ups and Downs

Get a Grip on Insulin's Ups and Downs

Stop the FAT talk!

How many of us have been in this situation? We sit around with our friends and make fun of our bodies in order to hide the way we really feel about the gift that God has given us. It's time to stop the fat talk. It's time to recognize that we need to lift ourselves up instead of knocking ourselves down. Let's stop comparing ourselves to one another, or worse comparing ourselves to the models and actresses we see on TV and in movies and really be thankful that we are healthy and happy and living our life to the fullest NOW, in this moment. Not when we lose the weight. Not when we get rid of our belly fat. NOW.

You are beautiful. Don't be afraid to admit it!

Why did I eat that?

Timing is everything and thankfully, God & Jillian put an email in my inbox on Wednesday. Wednesday, my most crazy day of the week. Remember my crazy schedule? I had to wear several hats that day…bookkeeper, coach, recreation coordinator and fitness gal!

When I got home from work on Wednesday, I had this insane craving for something sweet. I tried to ignore it. I tried to push it away from my mind. I tried to eat something other than a sweet to satisfy it, but nothing worked. Finally, I caved and ate two homemade caramels. Ahhh, relief.

BUT…that got me thinking. Why did I have this craving today of all days? Jillian had the answer for me. I read Jillian’s article on the hormone leptin with great interest. Now would I say Wednesday was a stressful day for me? NO. But I was rushing from one job to the next back to back to back with no time to mentally shift gears. Plus, I didn’t get my workout completed in the morning. Instead, I had to wait to work out and ran 4 miles on the treadmill at 8 p.m. instead of 8 a.m.

All this got me thinking about how my Wednesdays are going to work for the next few months. I don’t want Wednesdays to become my mid-week splurge day because I have problems with social eating on the weekends already. Now I’m convinced that I need to change my schedule to allow a little light exercise on Wednesday mornings even if it’s not my full workout to help me get into my healthy mindset.