YOOGAIA

As a Buzzador-tester, I got to try out Yoogaia. If you haven't heard it before, Yoogaia is a website where you can do live and recorded yoga inspired classes. It's global so sometimes your teacher is in Hong Kong or London or Helsinki. The instructors are for the most part really good and you can also leave your feedback after the class.

I have quite enjoyed this type of "group" class and there is a good variety of classes such as yoga for kids, chakra meditation, stretching etc. If you want to give it a go, you can try the site for 7 days for free. The best part is no card details is needed so you are not scammed into a membership you might not want.

All in all, I really recommend Yoogaia. Give it a try and see how you like it.

HALF MARATHON MADNESS

Yes, I have been absent. Been taking my mommyhood way too comfortably maybe. Or been haunted by injury more like it. But now it's time. To run a half marathon. Why not. People look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'm running the upcoming half marathon. And maybe I am. I am in no shape or form ready to embark on a 21 km journey. Running. But hey, once again, why not. I'll never know if I don't try. What doesn't challenge you won't change you. Bring it on so.

CELEBRITY MOMMIES

Needless to say I am dying to get back into my pre-pregnancy body. But with having my very difficult and immobilised pregnancy and then some post-pregnancy challenges, my fitness return is not what I hoped for. Also, my knowledge of post-pregnancy fitness and diet isn't extensive which makes it harder to adapt to my lifestyle. I admit I've become a little bit lazy as well. Not in what I do with my time but more with what I put in my mouth. The time I used to spend on myself either working out or cooking is now the time I spend with my little one. I just need to find a balance and plan my time better at the same time as I'm prepared for the interruptions. 

I started looking to other mommies for inspiration, those who gained some weight during pregnancy and then have lost it, and I found some nice pics on my random google search.

FITNESS DOESN'T COME FOR FREE

Yup, as expected, I am sooo sore today! Self inflicted of course but still. It didn't stop me from walking and clocking over 11 km in total today. Will I be even more sore tomorrow? Probably. 

Who said fitness and a healthy body comes for free?!! :))

RETURN OF THE MAMMOTH

Yep, return of the Mammoth... At least that's what it feels like right now. It's gone 6 months since I delivered my son into this world and it was a tough start. Before then I had a really tough pregnancy where I was taken to the hospital in week 15 for a few days and forbidden any kind of training. Around week 20 I could barely walk because heavy contractions set in. At some point during my pregnancy I was completely bed-ridden. All in prevention of my baby being delivered too early. He still came too early but he held off until week 34 which made a huge difference. Needless to say my body has taken a beating the last year. I went from teaching 6 fitness classes a week at the gym and running with the dog in the mornings to... NOTHING! I am so weak and my muscles are non-existing it feels like. I used to be so strong and didn't believe anything was impossible. But now, I'm having to eat my own harsh words of reality. Being a first time mom there's a lot of things happening in my body. Because I'm still breastfeeding, the hormones are still surging through my body in order to provide adequate food for my little boy. The hormones are also keeping my bones soft and it took a good while before I could even walk fast again. Everything is improving slowly, day by day, but me being used to manipulate my body to what I want and demand, it's a harsh reality to face that I am no longer in command of my own body. 

And so my story begins of finding my way back to my fitness body...

This morning, it hit me that mini J came to this world 6 moths ago and I'm still not back in shape. I teach 2 classes at the gym at the moment, BodyPump and IndoorWalking, and I love it. But it's a pain to look myself in the mirror and not recognising who I have become. It's a lot softer and squishier Jax, both physically and mentally. And I miss the fresh-looking, bouncing of energy woman I once was. So I've had it! Although I'm exhausted from not being able to sleep through the night as the little mister wants to nurse about 3-5 times per night, and that's only between midnight to about 8 o'clock, I have decided to start working out at home to my favourite trainer, Jillian Michaels. And today was Day 1 of her Body Revolution program. I was already sore from my BodyPump class last night but now I'm even more sore. What's good is that the workouts are short. Only about 30 minutes, which is great for a mother like myself who is trying to squeeze in too much during the days at home with the baby. It felt so good after the workout and I really liked it. It wasn't too bouncy or jumpy which suits me good as I'm still a bit fragile when it comes to plyometric moves. I love working out in the mornings and hopefully this will be the start and come back of a great habit.

In the afternoon I took the dog and the baby in the pram for a long walk and ended up clocking 6,7 km. Yup, my legs are sore now. Haha! I'll see how sore I am tomorrow and if I'll be able to do workout 2 or not. I need to plan the workouts a bit since I have my own gym classes to be fit for as well. 

All in all, a good first day of my own Body Revolution. :)

DR. BRONNER'S MILD LAUNDRY DETERGENT MIX

Here's the recipe to the mildest and cheapest laundry detergent you can possibly have in your cupboard. Especially good for people with allergies or for your children's clothes.

• 1 dl Dr. Bronner's Unscented Pure Castile Soap (easily ordered through FeelUnique.com)
• 1 dl baking soda
• 1/3 dl salt
• 2 dl water

Mix the baking soda and salt in warm water until disolved, add the pure castile soap. Use the mix as regular detergent in your wash.

HOMEMADE ECO MUESLI

For all of you who know me, you know I'm quite ECO-conscience. And one thing I have been looking for is eco muesli. Not one out there has tickled my taste buds, so what better way to get exactly what you want? Make your own of course! :)

Here's my own muesli from this morning with loads of goodness for me and the baby growing strong within. And it's 100% organic. Both the baby and the muesli. Haha!

Yummm!!!

VISION OUT OF SYNC

06:30 and I've been awake for long over an hour now. Having trouble sleeping lately. One week of my sick leave has passed and I'm starting to understand why the doctor felt so adament in making sure I rest. I have been in more pain than usual and with the little miracle baby growing, it's putting some serious pressure on everything, including my myomas (muscle knots). It's really uncomfortable and painful to say the least. My early contractions aren't making it easier to cope either. All this pain is making me feel nauseas as well. But the part of me that has a hard time connecting with everything that's going on is... my brain. I have been so frustrated that my body decided to, in my mind, give up. I had a rosy vision of me keeping my morning running regime, instructing my classes at the gym, be active, glowing, vibrant, being in sync with the life growing within me. Wrong!!! Don't misunderstand me now, I feel blessed to be pregnant with a life growing inside of me, with or without all the complications, but the reality is just not matching up to the vision I had. Here I am, already been admitted to the hospital having problems with large myomas that may later down the line complicate the actual birth of the baby. I also have severe pelvic girdle pains to the point where I can barely walk, or have to stop completely until it subsides. And to top it all off, I've got heavy, painful early contractions that puts me at risk of delivering too early and the baby at risk for health complications if that happens. Yes, according to the doctor, this is serious shit, and I get it, the severity of it all, I really do, but still... it's not matching up to my vision... And I don't understand why... What happened?

Next step is acceptance rather than frustration. Not quite there yet though.

PREGNANCY AMBIVALENCE

So this thing with pregnancy memory loss, most of us know about. But pregnancy ambivalence. Come on! I started cooking dinner and was aiming for quinoa with fish and veg. It changed during the course though and I made veg stir-fry. However, that didn't quite suit my taste buds either so I fried some turkey burgers. Nope. I didnt' want that either. So what did I end up with in the end? Spinach, cottage cheese, tuna and quinoa mixed with cucumber, tomato, red onion and avocado oil. Yup! What to do with the veg stir-fry, turkey burgers, fish and rest of the quinoa? Let's just say the dog is the best fed organic pooch in the neighbourhood. 😉

ALMOND MILK PART 2

Finished making my almond milk today. After letting the whole almonds sit in the water overnight, I blended them up real good together wih the existing water. Have seen other recipes where they change the water and blend it in fresh water instead, but I didn't bother as I feel it's a pity to waste precious water with almond goodness extracted into it.

After blending the almonds and the water for several minutes, I separated the almond pulp and the milk that was created from the blending through a cheese cloth attached onto a pan. See pic below. It look a bit of time to wait for it to drip through, but it was worth it. I finally extracted 600 ml of milk and used the leftover pulp to sit in a new batch of water to see if I can extract even more almond milk out of it.

The coffee today with my own homemade almond milk tasted looovely! I must say, it actually tasted nicer than the one bought in the store. Big success!  :)

DETOX AND LIVEFIT TRAINER

Since Big J moved in with me and I'm no longer the only human living in the flat anymore, I must say I have been struggling. Before, I could mind my own business, eat whatever I wanted however boring it could be, train whenever, sleep whenever, do whatever whenever. But as soon as another person lives with you that you actually care for, it becomes harder. And as a woman, I think we automatically feel this calling of taking care of our man, which shifts the focus from ourselves instead of trying to find a balance.

So, I have gone through a period of 5 months where I have strayed from my usual diet and training regime and finally I've had enough. Don't get me wrong, I've had a good time, I'm not gonna lie, but when the jeans are getting too tight that's when I have to set my foot down. Honestly, I am dead scared of going down the dangerous path of obesity again, which I know won't happen again, but the fear is there, in the back of my head.

Like so many other people after New Years, I am jumping on the detox bandwagon for 30 days. Unfortunately, I have been sick with fever and a throat infection, but I am back to writing my food journal and restricting calories as well as carbs. It's good to be back on track!

Next step is to chose a training program. I thought I might just go back to my old one I did with upper and lower body split supersets, together with my classes I instruct at the gym, but I had such good results last year doing the first 5 weeks of Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer that I'm gonna go back and finish it. This time, I will start in week 5 phase 2 and go from there.

But for now, lots of tea with lemon and honey. Gaaah!

 

ALMOND MILK RECIPE PART 1

Now that almond milk has finally become a little bit more popular, it's nice to see it popping up on the supermarket shelves. However, thesupermarkets have forgotten one important thing: to buy the non-sweetened almond milk.

Read somewhere it's supposed to be quite easy to make your own almond milk, so this time I'm going to try to make my own instead of buying. It will reduce the cost by more than half. Yay!

Step 1:
Steep 2 dl organic almonds in 10 dl of water a minimum of 5 hrs, preferrably much longer for a sweeter taste, which is what I'm going to do. I'm actually leaving it overnight. Add a tiny bit of organic vanilla powder in the water for a vanilla tasting almond milk. And let it all sit...

To be continued...

EXERCISE: GOOD FOR BODY, GOOD FOR MIND

"It may come as a surprise to you that I don't love to exercise. Sometimes I actually hate it. But I do it anyway, because the rewards far outweigh whatever discomfort I feel during a workout. Regular exercise leads to better health, more energy, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, and a longer life. But it isn't just the physical benefits of exercise that push me — it's what it does for my mental health.

The mental-health benefits start right after you exercise. Have you ever noticed how good you feel when you complete a workout? That you feel relaxed, or even euphoric? That mood lift, often called "runner's high," comes courtesy of natural morphine-like chemicals called endorphins. Exercise floods the brain with endorphins, which help to relieve pain, enhance your mood, and relieve stress.

But the feel-good effects don't stop after the endorphin rush subsides. Over time, exercise provides a major boost to your confidence. As you start working out and getting stronger, your sense of strength in other aspects of your life will naturally flourish as well. To put it another way, if you can survive my workouts, you can do anything — and when you feel that sense of empowerment, nothing will be able to stand between you and the life you want to live." - Jillian Michaels

RAW FOOD BALLS RECIPE

Raw food balls recipe
Remember, I don't really measure when cooking or baking so I suggest you use your own judgement and taste buds to get these the way you like them. Use a food processor and add:
Almond flour (optional)
Coconut oil
Raisins, sultanas, figs and/or dadles
Nuts (whichever you prefer)
Seeds (sesame, pumpkin)
Spirulina and/or wheatgrass powder
Water or any other liquid you prefer
Mix all the ingredients well and taste the batch. Make them into little balls and roll them in coconut flakes or cocoa powder mixed with stevia. Store in the fridge. Yummm! Enjoy!

RAW FOOD SEED CRISPBREAD

Crispbread or crackers, whatever you want to call them. Whatever the name, it is the best recipe you'll ever try. You won't know how the heck you've lived without it until now!!!

Here's my recipe (all ingredients are organic and GMO-free):

• 1 dl flaxseeds


• 1½ dl sesame seeds


• ½ dl pumpkin seeds


• ½ dl sunflower seeds


• 1-2 tsp vegetable broth (I use Renée Voltaire)


• ca 2½ dl water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for an hour or three, depending on your time. Put the oven on 50¤ Celsius and put the rack at the lowest level. Put a baking sheet into a semi-deep pan, just to stop the mixture dripping outside the pan. Pour the wet mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it/flatten it evenly with a spoon, all over the baking sheet. Put the pan into the oven on the lowest rack and let it cook for 3-4 hours on the same low heat. Perfect time to clean the house, do laundry or other "fun" things around the hous. Once done (when it's no longer wet underneath) let it cool for a bit before you try it. It's soooo yummy!

I like to eat my crispbread, or crackers, with almond butter. Or with a slice of cheese when it's straight from the oven. Or why not with some cottage cheese and avokado. There are no limits! Bon apetit.

The wet mixture before the flaxseeds develop the gel around them.

The mixture spread out evely on the baking sheet before going into the oven.

Freshly out of the oven. Mmmm!

SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS

You can't achieve success if you're not moving toward something. Think about your ultimate long-term goal, and then break it down into less overwhelming mini-goals. Then find some incentives to help you stay the course. What kinds of goals am I talking about? The ambitious and attainable ones.

First: Think long and hard about what you want. Make sure your goals are actually things you want to achieve, not what society dictates or what your family or friends want for you. Ultimately your life is yours and you must live it for yourself. I know you might be thinking that's selfish, but so what? Sometimes being a little selfish is a good thing, especially if it enables you to take care of yourself.

Second: Remember, goals are not inflexible roadblocks meant to make you feel badly about yourself. If you don't accomplish a goal exactly on schedule, so what? You can't predict what life is going to throw your way — but you CAN choose the way you react to situations that come up. That is where your power lies. If you fall off the wagon, just get back on — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Third: We all have to be realistic when we set our goals. I'm 5 feet 2 inches, and I have a stocky build. I am never going to be a petite little waif, no matter how hard I work. I also want to make a difference in the world, but something tells me I probably don't stand a good chance of running for president. Instead, I set goals that are realistic and productive. I am 5 feet 2 and stocky, but I am going to be the most fit 5-feet-2 muscle chick I can. I might not be president, but I can teach people how to be healthier and happier through fitness.

Make sense? The bottom line is that goals provide direction. They help bring a focus to our lives so that we can live our dreams — no matter how big or how small they may be.

Taken from EverydayHealth.

BREAKFAST GLORY

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day they say. And I say HECK YEAH! I love my breakfast. It really does set you up for the day. Not only physically but psychologically as well. If you have a healthy brekkie your mind will want to keep on the same healthy track you started the day off on.
Make sure to include all the macronutrients in your first meal of the day. Carbs from veg, protein from lean sources, and fats from healthy oils. Take a look at my brekkie (pic above) this morning. This plate of egg/eggwhite omelet pan fried in rapeseed oil, cottage cheese, mixed leave sallad and tomatoes, it will set me up for hours by firing up my metabolism with a steady blood sugar level, vitamins, minerals and is low in calorie. (Pref. organice produce.)
It doesn't have to be boring or bland. Find what tingles your taste buds and fits your morning schedule, but remember to always eat breakfast. Try my smoothie recipe if you're tight for time.
Now have a fantastic day and live life to its fullest! :))

KILLING THE FAT MAN

The reason why you haven't seen any updates here these last few days like I promised, is because I went and got hurt before I even started. Putting my coat on. DOH! How frickin bad is that. POW! and something felt like it snapped in my back and I pulled a muscle so bad I had to go to the doctor to make sure my shoulder blade was still there. I mean, I couldn't even scratch my head when I had an itch. Yeah, so that's what I've been up to. Nursing my injury back to help.

Just watched a couple of episodes of "Killing The Fat Man" with Gary Roberts and his journey through Crossfit. Loving those videos! He's so frank, honest, and just funny! Check out episode 8 and you'll understand what I'm talking about. But watching them made my itch to workout even worse. But I got strict orders of a week's rest. ARGH! It's getting better though, which is a good sign. Maybe this will teach me some patience. hahaha! NOT!

Off to bed now so I can get up and go for a long walk tomorrow morning instead. Nite y'all!

BELIEF IN MY OWN 12-WEEK PROGRAM

It's Sunday and I am mentally and physically back from a wonderful 2-week holiday. I've been traveling around Ireland with Mr J. where we saw the sights, ate the food and drank the drinks. Enjoying every minute of it! And unfortunately I have some extra pounds to prove it...

Being back is a mixture of feelings but it's mostly great. I'm so eager to get back to a normal training and eating schedule - although doing my morning workout by the gorgeous mountains in Co. Kerry, Ireland won't beat it! Have been looking into which 12-week training program I am going to embark on next and it hit me - why don't I do my own. I don't think by any means I am better or have more capacity than some of the fantastic trainers out there, but none of the programs out there fit my life schedule seamlessly or the goals I have, so I thought I might as well pick the stuff from the different trainers I like and make my own. My own way. Just the way I like it. :)

I'll try to post my program here on the blog as I go along and share it on my Facebook page Jumping Jax Fitness so head over there too and like my page so you can get the updates in your FB timeline.

Off to the drawing board I go to work on my own 12-week program. Big task I'm setting myself but hopefully I can do it. Self-belief to be tested!!!

PROGRESS MOTIVATION

I've been doing really well lately with my workouts and diet and I can finally see some results. Although I do have cravings, I am pretty adament not to cave in to them. Have you noticed the only difference between crave and cave is the R. ;)

One thing I have changed in my eating though is the amount of fats I eat. I have upped it almost 100% and I can notice a big difference. Not only in my energy level but also on the way my weight is dropping. I've also upped my calories from around 1200 to about 15-1600. Protein level is still high but my carb count (and I eat A LOT of veggies) is around 30-35 gr per day. I train at least once a day and on my rest days (Friday and Sunday) I only take walks with the dog. So far I have dropped 3,3 kg in 2,5 weeks. Granted the first week it was mostly water weight, but damn it feels good anyway. The pounds have snuck their way in there again and I got comfortable with eating a little bit here and a little bit there. Nope. Not anymore! And no, it's not EASY to get up at 5:15 in the morning to go for a run and then do some strength workouts at home, all before going to work. And no it's not easy to say NO to those yummy afternoon snacks my colleagues or boss gets for all of us to munch on. And no it's not easy weighing and calculating EVERYTHING that passes my lips. But yes, I'm loving the reward. And the photo I've posted with this blog entry is now attached to my fridge because it keeps me focused. A healthy life is what I want. A fitter body is what i want. Sometimes it's a challenge, but if it wouldn't be, then it wouldn't change me. When you pray for strength, you get tested in order to show you've got the strength. Nothing comes for free. You've got to work for it. And the reward is so much sweeter in the end!