Life Lessons

Well, if 2020 taught us anything it taught me how to slow down and how to appreciate the little things in life. I used to think that multi-tasking was the very best use of my time and that I could get “so much more” done if I could master this skill. Well, I was wrong! Multi-tasking is just a way of doing things that makes you do a half-hearted job at many things rather than a good/great job at one thing!

Why do we think the busier we are the more important we are? Who ever put this idea in our heads?

I have really learned to appreciate life and learned that “multi-tasking” is NOT more efficient and not always the solution to today’s busy lives. Multi-tasking just means you are putting in a “partial” effort to more than one thing. We need to STOP thinking that this is better! I was like everyone else and thought that while I talked on the phone to my mom I should be cleaning the bathroom, walking the dog, making dinner, or doing SOMETHING else! But do you know what? I only ever gave her “partial” attention and she deserves my full attention. Same thing with multi-tasking chores and jobs; everything is only “partially” done!

What I am trying to wrap my head around is just why everyone is so busy all the time! I live a fantastic life and don’t feel like I am missing out on anything, yet I don’t feel overwhelmed in any way and have plenty of down-time. Am I just different? Is this a choice I have made? Am I lazy?

It seems as though we think we are viewed as “Lazy” if we are not always running around doing 20,000 things, for 20,000 people!

Taking time to yourself and SLOWING DOWN is something we, as a society, need to embrace. Honestly, the lockdown and isolation of 2020 taught me that I need to take care of myself. I am that important! If I want to be a better human being/mom/wife/daughter/friend/employee than I NEED to take care of myself.

What does this mean you might ask?? It means prioritizing what makes me feel good, what I enjoy doing, what will make me feel fulfilled, and what I need to be happy. If we put ourselves first, we become better at being there for everyone else!

When my children were very young I realized that I needed exercise in order to feel complete, and to maintain my mental health. So, I carved out time in my day to do this.

There is this completely INSANE belief that to exercise you need to A) have at least an hour, B) join a gym, and/or C) own exercise equipment. This is 100% not true. There are a ton of workout videos on Youtube, (and a ton here on my blog!!) that are short, efficient, and totally worth your time. HIIT (High intensity interval training) is an intense 10-15 min workout that gets your heart pumping and gets you sweating and that’s all you need to do!

So please, tell me who doesn’t have 10 minutes to give yourself????? I GUARANTEE you spend quadruple this time scrolling through your social media feeds! Take the time right now to schedule in 15 min on 4 days this week where you do a Pilates, Yoga, HIIT, Booty Band, or Weights workout! Seriously………schedule it in right now! If we write things down we are more likely to commit to doing it.

To sum up, 2020 taught me to SLOW down, do one thing at a time, and that I am important! I have had a lot of time to think about life, contemplate my purpose, really realize who my friends are, realize how important connecting to people is and how to be the best wife/mom/friend/daughter/human being I can possibly be. You know what??? It is taking the time to appreciate each and every thing I do, and appreciating each and every conversation I have with someone I care about.

What do you think?

Are you willing to slow down?

I will never forget this year for so many reasons, but I also would never take away the lessons I’ve learned and am grateful for those every single day.

Your Simply Susan advice of the day💛🙃🥰

IF….. and WHEN…

IF (Intermittent Fasting) has been life changing for me and here is where I tell you some of those details!

First of all, I have never really struggled with my weight until a few years ago when aging hormones took over and I started filling out a bit. Now I’m not very big, so to others this was maybe not noticeable, but my clothes were tight and I just wasn’t feeling as good with my body. So, I wanted to lose a bit of weight; only 10-15 lbs total.

Now, I don’t believe in dieting or cutting out foods if you love them UNLESS you are allergic to them or they simply don’t agree with your body. So, that being said, I was not interested in dieting to lose weight!

Secondly for those of you who know me, you know that I am kind of an exercise fanatic. So, that being said not exercising was not the problem, and more exercise was not going to solve the problem.

I am, as you all know, a big advocate of keeping fit and healthy, but I have also learned that exercise (especially if you already do a lot of it) is not the most efficient way to lose weight! Doing cardio is absolutely fantastic for your body, for your heart, for your mental health and for your spirit, but for me I could not exercise more than I already do. People think that running etc burns SO MANY calories, that they can eat whatever they want as long as they exercise ( I was one of these people who believed this!) but this is NOT the case as exercise actually doesn’t burn as many calories as people believe it does.

I have heard over the years the whole “Calories in/Calories out” rule and that if you want to lose weight burn more than you take in. I have also learned this is not the case as not all calories are created equally! If you believe this, then that means you believe that 100 calories of cotton candy will be the same for your body as 100 calories of broccoli🤣. Now common sense tells us that this is obviously not the case! Our bodies use and store food in different ways and what we put into our bodies is key. How our hormones react to foods is a big factor here!

You cannot out-exercise a bad diet! If you eat the recommended 1200-2000 calories a day but eat processed junk, you are going to put on weight and damage your body in many ways, and most of these you may not visually see but will definitely feel.

So, what did I do since I wasn’t going to exercise more, and I already eat a very healthy diet? (following the 80/20 rule 80% good 20% not so good…..more on this later) I changed WHEN I eat the food I want to eat!

Did this simple change work?????? 100% YES!!!!!!!

That is all for today💛Stay tuned to this blog as my journey continues.

More details next time!!!!
Your Suzy Sunshine tip of the day!!! ☀️🌼🥰

WHEN …..and IF…..

• 

Welcome back and thank you for taking the time to follow me on my IF journey.

When I first began back in January 2020, I just started by skipping breakfast. At first this was weird as I had been eating breakfast my whole life and really enjoyed eating it! It is……”the most important meal of the day” isn’t it????? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! This was an ad campaign bought to you by one of the biggest cereal companies out there! Yes, that’s true, look it up!!!!

What you also need to know is that eating constantly is just not good for your body. If you’re doing it because your stomach is growling, or you think you’re hungry but you just ate 2 hours ago then you’re not eating the right foods.

Did you know that your body has a satiety (feeling full) hormone that will tell you when you are full? Well we do, and it’s called Leptin!! I have learned that processed foods, fast foods, and frozen prepared meals are mainly filled with “junk” and therefore do not give your body the “full” signal!? Our bodies require nutrients and real, whole foods provide these and therefore when we have had enough we actually feel full!

• 

Have you ever noticed that when you eat a fast food meal you feel temporarily full, but then are hungry again 1-2 hours later? Ever wonder why? No nutrients! Your body is saying “wait, there was nothing real in that food so give me something else!”

This sadly is one of the causes of the very sad obesity epidemic that is so unfortunately taking over! More than 50%of the population is struggling with obesity and it’s become a worldwide epidemic that is sadly becoming one of the leading causes of preventable death now; more deadly that our recent epidemic not Covid-19!

The problem is, so many people just don’t know how to get themselves out of this “rut” !

Everyone is more busy than ever these days, it seems, so sadly, this leads to us eating on the go. What does this lead us to? Fast food, easy meals, snacks etc.

So, how can we change this?

Planning for one! If you know when you are gojng to eat you can pack whole food meals.

My second tip is to try an “eating window” aka Intermittent Fasting. Start by just skipping breakfast…..even just delaying breakfast. Fasting is one of those things that is hard to wrap your head around! Everyone thinks “there is absolutely NO WAY I could skip meal” You’d be surprised!

Your fast start time is when you finish eating the night before until your first meal of the day. So if you finish eating at 7pm and eat breakfast at 9 am you did a 14 hour fast! Start there!

Before you eat breakfast you can indulge in all the black coffee, black tea, water, sparkling (unflavoured) beverages you like, and these also will help you to extend your fast and help you to feel full. Once you decide to “open your window” try eating a “whole” food; meaning nuts, avocado, berries, a banana; anything that is raw or unprocessed, and has as few ingredients as possible.

Intermittent Fasting is the absolute BEST thing I’ve ever done for my body and my mind! The mental clarity and the focus is so much better when your brain isn’t always focused on your body constantly digesting!

I’m going to leave it at that for now. Try a 14 hour fast today! It may be tough on your first day but it will get easier! Trust me on this! Trust the IF process! It’s totally worth it in the end!

Life changing! I’m not kidding!☀️😊

I like my big butt and I cannot lie!

So, a funny thing happened to me by accident over the past few months….I developed some pretty strong butt and leg muscles, and yes, a bigger butt!  Now, I didn’t go into this with the goal of getting a bigger, stronger butt, but that is the result and I have to admit I like it!

So, anyone out there interested in how to make that flat butt round? Anyone interested in how to make those skinny, shapeless legs firm, toned, and shapely???

Well, if you answered “yes” to the above questions please read on and watch the video clips so you can!!

The first thing I did was to mix my regular stuff up for 3 days of the week.  I run 4 times a week and while this keeps me strong and toned, it doesn’t build new muscles, and your body plateaus when you do the same thing all the time.

How did I mix things up you ask??

I now do 3 cross-training days instead of 2 and only 1 of those is spent on my stationary exercise equipment (Stationary bike, and elliptical).  The other 2 are spent doing high intensity cross training.

On one day I do what I refer to as my “Ladder Workout“.  Here I do a series of 15 or 10 down ladders of various exercises.  For those of you who don’t know what a ladder workout is, it is where you work your way down the ladder doing 10, then 9, then 8, then 7 on down to 1 of 1 exercise.  So, I do a 10 down ladder of “Burpees”  first with maybe 30 sec to a minute between sets. (By the end I have done 55 burpees)

Following this I do a 10-down push-up ladder with the same 30 sec to 1 min break in between sets.  In the break I actually do back exercises where I squeeze my shoulder blades together for 3 sec (10 reps) to work my upper back muscles. (Helps improve posture)

The next ladder I do I call “Fartees“!! Sorry for the somewhat offensive title, but these are basically reverse burpees, so I like to call them Fartees!  I’ll attach a video here as this is hard to explain.  These ones burn your butt and legs and I think have had a lot to do with my stronger, bigger butt!

The next thing I do is some arm exercises with my bands to rest up a bit from the “Fartees” as those are quite exhausting!  I do 2 sets of each exercise:  12-15 bicep curls then 12-15 triceps extensions.

The last ladder I do is a 15 down “Jump-Squat” ladder.  I personally LOVE doing jump squats as they are tiring and make my legs burn and feel SO strong!  I take a 20-45 sec rest between sets and work my way down the ladder to 1!

Then, the last thing I do is hop on my stationary bike for 10 minutes to do a quick interval session, then I’m done!

That’s the workout I do 1 day every week and it is tiring and oh-so-worth it!

My 3rd cross-training work out I do at a local place that has 2 stair cases, and 2 hills leading up to a large grassy area.  I run over (about 1.3km) then immediately run up 1 set of stairs then walk to cool down (30 sec) then run down and back up another hill, then walk (30 sec) then run down a hill, then straight up another hill then walk and repeat.  I do this for 6 sets total.

Next I go to the big grassy area in the middle and do 10 sets where I split between 3 jump squats, then, run backwards to the middle then forwards to the next spot where I do 3 squat-thrusts, then backwards to the middle, then forwards to the next spot for 3 jump squats. Repeat this until you have done 10 even sets (5 of each).

This is a “Squat thrust“:

Lastly I go back to the set of stairs and do 3 intervals with one set of straight up double steps in between each.  This set of stairs has a platform every 6 stairs so on each platform I do “something”.  This varies but the things I like to do are:  3 push-ups or 5 squat jumps, 3 squat thrusts, large stair climbs (3 on each leg), or 3 lunges on each leg.  What I do is I pick one of these and do that on each level (5 levels).  Then I run/walk back down, do a straight up double stair set then down and choose another interval from above.  And then repeat this until I have done 6 sets total.

There you have it!  So, as it turns out, all those jump squats, large stair climbs, squat thrusts, burpees, and fartees create a strong butt!

If anyone is local and ever interested in joining me, message me and we can set something up!

So, there you have it, your Simply Susan fitness tip of the day!

 

Look good, work hard, feel great!

“I look jacked!!!”😃😄At least that’s what my husband said to me when he got home from the gym the other day.

Now he was only half kidding, but what he was referring to was that he saw himself in the mirror in the changeroom after his workout and thought to himself “I look jacked!”.

Now truth is, he probably didn’t look much different after his workout than he did an hour earlier before his workout, but I think this is important to share because he felt good. Just working out made him feel better about himself, and that’s my message.

Whether it’s a walk through the neighbourhood, a training run for a 5 km race, a zumba class, or a Crossfit WOD, it’s amazing how a little activity or exercise can make you feel better about yourself!

So get out there, and get active, you’ll better doing it.

Your Simply Susan Quick Tip of the day!😆

 

 

Rut’s wrong with me?! 😣

This summer was a tough one for me as I found myself in that dreaded “runners rut“.  It was a tough one I’ll tell ya!

I was having such a hard time with my runs, and, the problem was I wasn’t doing anything different!  I was running the same amount and the same pace as always, but man was I struggling!  It was so frustrating to me as not only was I exhausted after a short run, but my body was aching and I was feeling old!  NOooooooooo!  I had not only plateaued in my running, I had started to regress! This really took a toll on me, so I really needed to figure out what to do and how to get back on track as it was really starting to get me down.

Now, who knows maybe it was the heat of the summer and the fact that most days it was over 25 degrees Celcius when I went out.  Maybe it was the thick, humid air?  Who knows! Whatever it was I needed to take control and get back on track.

So, I analyzed my runs and decided to come up with a plan.  What did I do you ask??? I decided to make a few temporary changes and hoped these would make the difference I needed.

Firstly, I cut back on the number of runs I was doing for a few weeks.  Secondly, I decided I needed to not care at all about my pace and run a comfortable, slow speed.  I also made sure that when I started out I started SLOWLY rather than my normal faster pace.  I had to really focus on being slow and making sure that I was comfortable.  The other thing I did was to change my routes a little and do shorter, flatter routes that wouldn’t challenge or tire me as much on those hot, humid summer days. The last change I made was to  cross-train on those in-between days (see my other blogs about great cross-training ideas!!).  Cross-training, as you all should know by now, is so very important to any exercise program you are doing.

The verdict????? After 2 weeks of doing this I feel I AM BACK!!!  I did what I needed to do and I was able to beat the rut I was in and have had 2 1/2 solid weeks (so far) of good running!

What did I learn from this?  I learned that anyone can go through a rut no matter what sport you are in; running,dance, soccer, cycling, even going to the gym!  We all seem to get to a point where we are not progressing in our workouts, or worse yet, we feel as though we can’t keep up to even our regular work-outs!  It’s so frustrating and discourages the best of us!

I hope that what you have learned from this post is that if you are going through that dreaded rut, just take a moment, figure out what steps you can do to taper back for a period of time, and CROSS TRAIN!!!   This will help to not only regenerate you, but help you get back that “runners high” or whatever phrase it is your activity of choice uses!!

There you go, your Simply Susan motivational tip of the day! 😆

Keep happy and keep active!  You’ll be glad you did!

 

All Decked out!

As you know, I love my running, but I also spend quite a bit of cross training as I truly believe that will make you better at any sport you do, and adds variety to your weekly exercise.  There are so many cross training options, but since I love the outdoors, one of my favourites is to do a workout on my backyard deck.

A fantastic workout outside, for 3 out of 4 seasons here in Canada, is skipping.

Skipping is far more difficult than you think and it takes a while to get your rhythm.  It looks so easy, but trust me, it is very tiring!  It will get your heart rate up fast!

The plan here  is to break it up into a 20 minute workout, by mixing in some weights. Trust me,  just skipping will be hard!

First, start skipping and keep it up for 1 minute straight.   You will likely trip, so just restart regularly.   What I like to do is to keep count and start on one leg for, say 30 counts, then do the same on the other leg.

Once you have completed your 1 min., take a 30 sec. break.

Next, pick up your bands or weights and do 15 bicep curls on each arm.  The advantage to using bands is that you have resistance the entire way up and down so you are working your muscles the whole time.

Skip again for 1 minute. Rest for 30 seconds.

Grab your band/weights and work your triceps.  Step on the band and extend it behind your head. Pull up so your arm is straight, and close to your head. If you’re using a weight hold it above head, arm straight, and bend  arm down (reverse of band).  Do 15 on each arm.

Skip again for 1 minute.  Rest for 30 seconds.

Superman. Lie face down extending arms and legs. Lift both arms and legs up holding neck level. Hold for 30 seconds. Then rotate, holding right arm and  left leg up for 3 counts, then repeat with left arm and right leg. Do these for 1 minute.

Repeat all 1 time!

You are done! Fun eh? 😆🍁  Now this is just one idea.  There are countless options you could do on your own deck!  Be creative and try one today.  If you need any more suggestions just comment below and I`ll help you out!

Your Simply Susan exercise motivation tip for the day!😆

Weight what?!?!😃

I have collected a number of pieces of exercise equipment over the years.  I  rotate them to keep my workouts interesting.  It is also important to rotate through different exercises so your body doesn’t plateau.

I own 2 pieces of large cardio equipment that I use on my cross-training days.  These have served me very well over the years and are both good pieces.  I don’t use them all the time, but they are always there so I can use them in a pinch on those days I can’t get outside where I really love to exercise.

• I own a few pairs of dumbbell weights.  I use these for both upper and lower body exercises.

I have a 10 pound medicine ball, and a 15 pound kettle bell  that you can do many different exercises with.  There are so many different exercise to do with these, and they are great way to mix weight training up!

Another good, inexpensive item to buy is a skipping rope.  You can get a good, intense cardio workout with a skipping rope and a hard surface to skip on.  Put on your favourite show, or music and start skipping.  It’s quite tiring, so do intervals and pick up those weights or do some push-ups.

A good investment is to buy some exercise bands for stretching and strength training.  They are excellent because they work all your muscles by both the pulling up and the letting down.

Lastly, there are tons of things you can use a large exercise ball for:  Ab crunches, back extensions, use it to do your weights and work your core as well.

That is what I own, and I value each piece.  I vary my workouts and am always learning new exercises to use these pieces for.  There are so many great websites and blogs out there for new great ideas.

Go out today and pick up a few things!

You’ll be glad you did!

Your Simply Susan tip of the day! 🙂

 

 

Natural Love🍁🍃🍁🌳❤

Have I ever told any of you just how much I love trail running?  To be out there with nature is one of my favourite things in the world to do.  I am also so fortunate to be blessed to live in a country where we get 4 different seasons and the incredible beauty that comes along with this!

Getting out there in the spring and watching the snow melt, and the trees budding their fresh leaves.  Seeing the trilliums bloom and bring the forest floor to life makes me smile.  Feeling the warm wind and the sun on your face.  Spring runs are gorgeous and invigorating.

Then there is summer, oh the warm and hot summer days on the trail.  The trail looks stunningly beautiful with all the different greens of the deciduous and coniferous trees, and all the various bushes and ground cover!  Beautiful!  You are forced to take more breaks, which is fine, because the heat can exhaust you!  Luckily the trails are in the forest, so you are likely to be cooler here in the shade  than doing a road run.

Then we have the beauty of the fall.  Sometimes the scenery is so breath-taking that I find myself making lots of picture-taking stops! Fine with me!  Life is too short to not stop and admire the beauty in nature!   In the fall, it is the time of year when the trees are all changing into their fall colours, and if you are blessed to live in an environment where this happens every year you are very fortunate!    I just love the smell of the fallen leaves and the much-awaited cooler air. Fall runs are spectacular!

Then we have winter trail runs.  These are actually my most favourite which many people feel is very strange!!  I love getting all bundled up in layers and getting out there on a cold winter’s day.  The leafless trees allow you to see the beautiful rolling hills covered in snow.  The challenging trail takes you up and down those hills and you get warm with all that extra effort of running through snow and ice. I love the challenge!

I truly love my trail runs and even more-so because it is something I am blessed to be able to do with my loving husband!

Have I sparked interest in any of you to give trail running a try?
I sure hope so!

Your Simply Susan fitness inspiration  of the day!😆

15 minutes…

Are you worth 15 minutes?  Yes, you are!  So, why not spend that time doing something to make you feel physically better?  Why not fit in a quick, intense, 15 minute workout that will not only leaving you feeling alive, but energized and happy!

Let’s get this crazy idea out of your heads that to become healthy and fit means that you need to spend hours every week at the gym!  It absolutely doesn’t.  It makes me sad to hear people tell me that they just don’t have time to exercise; I hear this a lot!  Here’s the thing, exercise does take effort and you do actually have to put aside a bit of time on your own.  But, do you know what?  It is worth making this change and making it a habit.  We are ALL busy!  We all have 15 things going on at once!  It’s become normal to multitask and feel like you don’t have time to do anything for yourself.  I made a decision years ago that in order to be the person I want to be, I need to take care of my body inside and out.  I made a point to schedule in exercise every day and I am a better person, inside and out because of it!

So, you ask, what can I possibly do in 15 minutes that is worthwhile?  Tons of things; the list is endless actually!  In 15 minutes you could do an at-home skipping/upper body weight lifting sessions.  Or, 15 minutes of alternating between slow, low squats and lunges, and arm exercises.  Or 15 minutes of yoga stretches.  How about 15 minutes on a bike, stationary or road bike?  How about a 15 minute power walk outside.

Do you see what I mean about the list being endless?  I just spontaneously thought of 5 exercises without even really putting real time or thought into it.  I have so many more ideas too.  Just comment to me if you are interested in more ideas and I’m always happy to share.

Very importantly though, you need to want to make this change for the good of yourself.

Make a plan to start tomorrow and actually do it!  All you need are 15 minutes!  Let’s do this!

Your Simply Susan fitness tip of the day! 🙂