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Fitness programs, workouts and so much more to help you keep active, motivated and on track.

So You Want a Metabolic Workout? Try this HIIT Workout Today!

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So, you want a metabolic workout do ya?! A little HIIT (high-intensity interval training)?! Well, well, well I am more than happy to oblige!

There’s nothing better than a really good sweat sesh at the gym or with your favorite group exercise biz (Hot Mama Health & Fitness is a personal fav, lol.). This is particularly true when you’re searching for a great metabolic workout, or HIIT workout, which is the current fitness buzz word. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

BUT, sometimes schedules don’t work out and you’ll need to get your sweat on at home. With all the information and workouts on YouTube to follow, how do you know which one to choose?

Let me help. This one. Do this one. Do this metabolic workout. Do this HIIT workout!

This Strength & Cardio Switch workout will not only help you with some strength training, but it’ll also jack up your heart rate (if you push yourself) and you’ll get a great metabolic workout. Hello, calorie burn.

Here’s how it goes:

Complete 20 reps of the first “Strength” exercise listed.
Then, complete 45 seconds of the first cardio exercise listed.
Back to the second strength exercise – 20 reps
Switch back to the next cardio exercise – 45 secs
Repeat twice! Yup…TWICE! 

The key to this workout is that during the 45 seconds of cardio, I want you working hard. I’m talking juuuuuust below your maximum effort. High intensity. Yes? Do you have that in you? Oh YES, YOU DO! I know you do.

So go. Mentally prepare to kick your own butt. Fill up your water bottle, get yourself dressed, give yourself a little pep-talk and focus on you and what you’re about to do for your body, mind and soul.

Now…get to work! DO IT! OFF YOU GO!

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ps…I super love you…let me now how the workout goes in the comments section below!! Um, did I mention I love you?!

There’s No Sleep Before Your Dreams Come True

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Today…a dream comes true for my Mom, my little gal and me! A little background is required, I believe:

For those of you that know me, or are just getting to know me you most likely know the following:

  • I like to workout.
  • I founded a super, amazing, ridiculously awesome company called Hot Mama Health & Fitness (honk! honk!)
  • I work tirelessly to (hopefully) motivate and inspire families to move their bodies…together.
  • My entire world revolves around my two kids and my husband.
  • I like wine and peanut butter cups (together or not, it doesn’t matter).
  • My first memories are of going to aerobics classes and watching my Mama teach.

But what you may not know is that I am one of Dolly Parton’s biggest fans. And today, TODAY,my Mama, my daughter and I get to go see her in Vancouver. Holy s**t! WAHOOOO! I’m freakin’ out over here.

My entire childhood revolves around aerobics music (bonjour Olivia Newton-John, Let’s Get Physical) and Dolly Parton. They are the soundtrack to my life and only one of them still gets played almost daily. I’ll let you guess which one, I’ll give you a hint: no leotard required.

I remember blasting “Jolene” in the car with my Mom as we drove to ringette practices (my American readers have no idea what this is, do you?!). I remember watching “Dolly” on t.v. (the BEST show to EVER HAVE BEEN ON TV!).  And, this one makes me laugh: I remember watching “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” over and over and over (as a mother now, I question my Mom on this one…Mom, seriously…you let me watch a movie about prostitutes?!). HA!

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dolly4And, I will never ever forget Dolly ending her show by sitting on a stool singing “I Will Always Love You”. I KNEW she was singing just to me. I KNEW IT.

I have Dolly in my blood. I got it from my Mom and I have certainly passed it down to my 6-year old daughter whose favorites songs are “9 to 5” (because is there a better song?!) and “Two Doors Down”. When I ask “what music shall we listen to today” it’s always a resounding “DOLLY PARTNER”. Oh yeah, she’s called her Dolly Partner since she could speak and now she’s 6 and I just don’t have the heart to correct her. She’s gonna be so mad at me when she does figure it out. :p

We honestly do all things Dolly. Music, movies, even reading. My kids were a part of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is a program Dolly created to help the imagination of children run wild through books. Each of my kiddos received a book in the mail every month until they were five and they were the most exciting days for my kiddos. Who doesn’t love getting mail?! And a book?! YES PLEASE…honestly, Ms. Parton…best program ever. Thank you.

I digress…back to my excitement for today! My Mom and I decided a few years ago that we had to make a trip to see Dolly soon. 3 generations at Dolly? Yes, please! So, when she announced her Canadian tour I received a text from my Mom…I could almost see her squealing and jumping up and down like a 13-year old girl as she sent it. I got online and looked at tickets. Vancouver! She’s coming to Vancouver! I got the tickets for all of us and I cried and cried and cried with joy!

My husband came home as I was buying the tickets and he’s a music guy, so he understood what this meant. This is a lifelong dream come true. I know that sounds so silly, but Dolly really is the soundtrack to my life and she is absolutely the soundtrack to my little gal’s life. I sing “Love is Like a Butterfly” to her almost every night and it’s the one song I can sing that will calm her down. It’s the best.

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Anywho…back to the excitement. The three of us are going ALL OUT! We have ROW 2 tickets, we’re going VIP (thanks, Mom!!!) and get to go backstage to see Dolly’s costumes and do a museum tour…DID I MENTION ROW 2?! I’ll be close enough to motorboat…wait…no….inappropriate.

So, I didn’t sleep last night. I was too amped and excited. It’s not every day that you get to go see a woman who has influenced your musical life so much. If there’s a moment in my day where I’m feeling blue, Dolly pulls me out. It’s the oddest thing. I look up to her as a business woman and I could listen to her music all day, every day. My husband has a massive record collection and he always always finds new Dolly albums for me (it’s love, true love).

So Dolly…the girls are coming for you. My daughter has her sparkly dress and cowgirl boots picked out, my Mom has made her sparkly “3 Generations Loving Dolly” sign for my daughter to wave around and me…I’ll be the woman bawling her eyes out in row 2. Don’t worry…I’ll get it together. I am beyond excited and cannot wait to experience tonight with my Mom and my daughter. Even cooler? My grade 6 teacher is also coming with us! Talk about being surrounded by people who’ve influenced you!

I didn’t sleep last night. How could I? This is a dream come true and I am going to enjoy every single moment of it with my Mom and my daughter by my side!

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Thanks, Dolly…for all you do and for being who you are. See you soon!

HOLY S**T! See you soon!!!!!!!

 

 

The Selfish Acts of Giving and Gratitude

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I like to think that I’m a giver. I give and give and give and I try to not take and take and take. But, I’m a selfish giver. I give to get something for myself. And, the more I give and get for myself, the more gratitude towards others I feel. However, I believe we all give to get, it’s just human nature.

We recently hosted a contest at Hot Mama where we gave away some pretty skookum prizes. The goal was to encourage Mamas to remain active over the summer and if they did, they’d win a great prize! Today we announced the winners and it unraveled this overwhelming desire for me to give and to inspire others to give. It’s the best feeling in the world to surprise someone with a gift. The gratitude is palpable. The energy is amazing.

That’s why I give. I LOVE surprising someone with a gift. I love to see their face light up, tears fill their eyes and I love to feel their gratitude as I’m enveloped in a hug. It’s the best. I’m an energy gal and your energy affects me like nothing else. The energy I feel when I give? It fills me with warmth and pure joy. I give and I give and I give because I need that energy in my life. It soothes my soul. I work tirelessly for Hot Mama and Lindsay Gee and I love it. But oh…the energy from giving that I receive? It’s beyond what words can explain.

I’ve read a lot of business books and a lot of gratitude books and there’s some science behind the act of giving. The hormones that are released, the more you give the more you get and blah, blah, blah…but I like to think of it in the most simple of terms: Do good for others and that good will bounce back to you. Energy out = energy in. I firmly believe that if you’re kind and generous to those around you, if you exude gratitude and positivity…it’ll come right back to you.

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I see it over and over in our Hot Mama community. These incredible Mamas give to one another through ways I’m sure they don’t even realize. It’s the smiles, the high fives, the laughter and the sharing of tears. For every person you light up, you’re giving a piece of yourself. I get to do that every day…and that’s amazing.

What I don’t get to do every day is give a prize or a gift you can use or touch. Today I got to do that. And I am buzzing. It was time for me to be selfish and let the feeling of giving run through my body. I’m a gooey puddle of joy today and it’s because I gave something away to deserving people and I know they’ll use it. I (and our beautiful, strong and amazing Hot Mama franchise owners) gave away something that matters to someone. And that…oh baby. That’s an awesome feeling.

If you’re feeling crummy today, I encourage you to go be selfish. Go give of yourself. It doesn’t have to be an expensive give…it may even just be your time and some positive energy…but you’re going to change someone’s day today. Of this I am certain. Be a positive light to someone who needs it today and let their energy flow into your body. Give of yourself and be selfish. Take the energy and swim in it all day.

Go on…give selfishly. I approve.

Postpartum Depression – Why You Should Have Your Thyroid Checked

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When I was six months postpartum with my first child I was depressed, at least I thought I was. I didn’t know what postpartum depression was. In fact, it wasn’t really discussed at all 8 years ago. The “Baby Blues” were casually mentioned…you know that hormonal day of crying most of us go through a few days after babe is born? That was discussed, but postpartum depression? No, never.

I’m so happy to see that’s changing. Slowly. But, it’s changing.

But, the Baby Blues confused me because I was told I would experience it days after my little man was born. And I did, I absolutely did. But, at 6-months postpartum? Why was I suffering so far after birth? All I knew was that I was tired, sad, losing my hair and gaining weight. I got into watching “Intervention” and I was certain my 6-month old baby boy was going to end up on the streets as an addict. I’d already failed as a mother in my eyes and I was completely overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising an addict. Hey, no one ever said postpartum depression makes sense.

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I went to my doctor and had a good chat. She decided she should run blood tests and she referred me to a postpartum counsellor. I went and saw the counsellor and although I felt a little better after talking, I was still incredibly fatigued, lethargic and emotional. That’s when I got the call to get back to my doctor as soon as possible.

My TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) was at 52. Normal range for this hormone is 0.4 – 4mIU/L. Soooooo…my thyroid (the gland responsible for metabolism) had shut down and I was diagnosed as severely hypothyroid.

Hello, weight gain! Hi there, fatigue! Well hey there, emotions!

What does being hypothyroid mean? With my high TSH levels, for me, it meant that my thyroid was not functioning, not even in the smallest way. For some reason during my pregnancy, my thyroid was attacked by my own body. You’re a real jerk, body. Some days you’re a real jerk.

For me, knowing that the way I was feeling was a medical condition was a relief. Synthroid is now my best friend and I will be on it for the rest of my life. Apparently, and this was only diagnosed after my first pregnancy, we discovered I have Hashimoto’s Disease. This is an autoimmune disease where your body attacks the thyroid.

What’s the point of this post? It’s to let all you postpartum Mamas know that if you’re feeling sad, blue, fatigued, etc., if you’re gaining weight, the first step you need to take is to get to your doctor for bloodwork to check your thyroid. And hey…also get that referral for counselling because Motherhood is HARD and it’s always a good idea to have someone to talk to.

The crazy part? This is an issue that 7% of women have. Now, I realize 7% doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s 1 out of every 14 women who suffer from this. It’s called postpartum thyroiditis. It even has a cool name. 1 out of every 14 of your Mama friends is going to suffer from this and have no idea. Until now. Go us!

Signs & Symptoms of Postpartum Hypothyroiditis:

  1. Fatigue
  2. Depression
  3. Weight gain
  4. Feeling cold
  5. Dry skin
  6. Hair loss (ugh)

Hypothyroidism Risk Factors:

  1. Family history of autoimmune disease
  2. Type 1 diabetes
  3. Radiation treatment
  4. Past thyroid surgery
  5. Presence of thyroid antibodies (often caused by Hashimoto’s disease…that’s what I have)
  6. Goiter
  7. Current treatment for an already non-functioning thyroid

The best part (lol, as if there’s the best part!) about postpartum thyroiditis is that most Mamas get through it within their first postpartum year. It usually corrects itself within those first 12 months. UNLESS you have an underlying disease like Hashimoto’s. Then, Mama, it’s me and you swallowing Synthroid for the rest of our lives. It’s a cheap medication, so don’t let it stress you out.

Listen up! If you’re feeling at all blue, at all sad…it’s time to reach out. Get your thyroid checked. If that comes back normal, great! There are a lot of other postpartum support groups you can join. You’ll be okay as long as you reach out and ask for some help. Motherhood is hard. Reaching out for help isn’t a weakness, it’s strength, Mama. It takes a village.

Also, because I’m a fitness gal, I truly believe in the power of exercise to help combat postpartum depression, well any depression really is ridiculously strong. There have been numerous studies about weight training and the positive effects it has on helping Mamas get through postpartum depression. I tell ya, postpartum fitness programs are the bomb.

This issue is incredibly near and dear to my heart and I want to help as much as possible. We started a Postpartum Initiative at Hot Mama that allows women between 8-16 weeks postpartum to come and participate at class for FREE for 4 weeks. No hook. No gimmick. We just want to see you get out of your house, meet like-minded women and get the support you need. Oh…and also participate in safe and effective postpartum fitness classes!

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All of this to say: if you’re feeling blue…go talk to your doctor. He or she should send you for bloodwork to check your thyroid and you should ask for a referral to talk with someone. Trust me…the talking part is critical.

Breathe, Mama. You got this. Also…get your thyroid check…stat!

 

Healthy Fudge Recipe to Help Curb Your Sweet Tooth

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Oh yeah…I said it. Today I present to you my healthy fudge recipe that will help curb the sweetest of sweet teeth. Trust me…it takes one to know one.

Can I get a woop, woop! Now, let me be quite clear about why I mean when I say “healthy”. It’s not like you’re about to eat a bag of carrots with hummus or an apple with natural peanut butter. No, I’m not a wizard. But, this is a fudge you can make that has no artificial sweeteners and no added sugar (other than what’s in the dried fruit). It’s also made with coconut oil, so you’re getting some “good fats” added to your diet, as well. So YAY…win!

HOWEVER…portion control is essential. And by portion I’m talking about a 2″ x 2″ block of this stuff PER DAY, so be wise when you eat it. Slow down. Enjoy it. Mmmmmmmm.

Okay, now that I’ve laid the groundwork for you…THIS FUDGE IS AMAZING.

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When I am on programs that limit sugar intake such as IGNITE or Hot Mama’s Body Smarts program, my sweet tooth goes INSANE. I’m a peanut butter cup fiend, so when my sugar is limited, I get a little cranky. My husband knows I’m about to get serious when he sees my healthy fudge recipe come out! He often backs away slowly away and leaves me alone for 4 or 5 days.

Sugar. It’s a real problem for me. So, I make this fudge recipe. The small block of fudge I get to savour is enough to tide me over so I don’t attack the Costco-sized back of Chipits (those are the devil) I hid in the back of my baking cupboard.

Alright…ready for the magic? Of course you are!

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Healthy Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

12 dates, softened
1 ripened banana
1 tsp vanilla (or mint extract!)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup cocoa powder

Instructions:

Soften dates by putting them in a bowl, covering them with water, then microwave them for about 1 minutes.
Throw the softened dates and ripened banana in a food processor.
On the stovetop melt the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.
Whisk in cocoa powder.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the food processor.
Mix until smooth.
Add any nuts or dried fruit you like.
Place the fudge in the fridge or freezer to cool.
Enjoy (that’s the best part!)

I highly recommend you cut your fudge up into proper portions and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. This fudge cannot be left on the counter because 1) you’ll eat it all and 2) it will melt.

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NOMNOMNOM!!!!