Keep it Clean: Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Tennis Shoes

I wanted to buy these A-mazing new Shox from Lady Foot Locker. I went to the store, tried them on, admired my foot in them, smiled, got all flush from the excitement of buying a new pair...and then that little pesky conscious kicked in. "Ummm...don't you already have four pairs of perfectly good shoes? Aren't you trying to save money? Don't you think that Baby E could use toys, clothes and food?" Damn you conscious.

So...there I was with perfectly fine shoes and home and these lovely, white, silver and magenta Shox in hand...credit card burning a hole in my purse. And alas, I told the salesgirl "no" and with head hung low I crept out of the store.

So what does a girl do when she is in a shoe-depression? Well, she makes her current shoes look as good as possible. I washed my kicks and now they look as good as new. You know that shoes get nasty - stinky from all the sweating, dirty from regular wear and just overall icky. Take a look at yours right now. If when you bought them, they were white and now they are tan, brown, black, gray or some other dingy color of the rainbow. WASH 'EM! Here's a pic of mine pre-wash. Ewww.



Now before you get all washing machine crazy, there is a process required to wash them without ruining the structure and support. Here is what I did...

Step 1: Separate
Remove shoelaces and inner sole support (if it is removable). Some shoe insoles are sewn in, in which case you should not remove. Duh.


Step 2: Machine Wash
Take the shoe (sans insole and laces) and dump into the washing machine. Wash on hot with a full cup of liquid laundry detergent. The water won't get hot enough to melt the rubber, don't worry. If your machine has "heavy soil" setting, use that.


Step 3: Soak
Fill your bathroom (or kitchen) sink with hot water. Dump a full cup of laundry detergent into the sink. Soak the shoe insole and laces in the water for 30-60 minutes.


Step 4: Scrub
After soaking laces and insoles, scrub a little with your hands to remove any excess dirt or odor. Then rinse with clean water.

Step 5: Dry
After the washing machine cycle is complete, set shoes, laces and insoles on a clean towel to air dry. Do not put in the dryer. The dryer will make the laces get tangled and could melt/damage the rubber on the shoes and insoles. Then once dry, lace 'em up and get moving!

Burn out, Ear Aches & Anniversaries

Have you missed me? It’s been like two weeks since I’ve blogged. My mother-in-law casually mentioned that she hadn’t seen a post in a while…Ad man asked me if I was still doing the “bare naked” blog (he clearly never reads)…and well my conscious has been nagging me a little each day…

So, why the delay? I would love to say that it is because I’m working on my book, or because I’ve been researching some particularly juicy posts or taking some awesome fitness certifications. Alas, none of that is true.

To be quite frank…I’m…burned…out. There, I’ve said it. Ahhh, the first step is to admit your problem.

Ok, so I’m not burned out with the blog. I love writing about my passions in health and fitness, but I’m a little worn out with the gym. I’ve been working out six days a week (usually twice per day) for months now. I’ve got aches and pains, bruises, dry skin from so many daily showers, spent hundreds of dollars on Powerade Zero, blemishes from sweating so much and way too much laundry from all the workout clothes. Sadly, the past few weeks the gym has become a place I dread going. So, how could I in good faith get on the blog and say “yay, yay, working out rocks, woo-hoo!”? My momma taught me right, “if you ain’t got nothin’ good to say, just don’t say anything at all.”

Thus my silence.

But after sitting in a doc in the box waiting room for two hours yesterday to get into see a doctor about the fact that I’ve been dizzy for a few weeks, I had an epiphany. Perhaps it was boredom. Perhaps I was dehydrated. Perhaps it was just time to face my demons. I realized I need to get my head screwed on straight. I love fitness. I love the gym. I love gym people (even the crazy guys that grunt and pound their chest when they lift a lot of weight). I need to get my fitness back on.

Wow, ok, so back up to the dizziness. So, I get dizzy a lot, especially when I workout. Which has contributed to my reluctance to go teach. I haven’t taken any time from the gym, but boy do I wish that I could just sleep in on those mornings I teach at 5:45 or just relax on the weekend and NOT teach three classes in a row (all cardio, mind you). Hopefully my classes haven’t noticed my burn out.

So turns out I have two ear infections, with fluid in one ear making me off-balance and dizzy. They also ordered a bunch of blood work (to be on the sage side) to see if I am anemic, have sodium issues, to check my thyroid, etc, etc. Oh and they are going to test to see if I’m preggo again. Wouldn’t that just be interesting?

The doctor asked me how often I work out and if perhaps I “over-train.” I smiled and said I workout “quite a bit.” How much is quite a bit? “Well six days a week for 2+ hours…” She paused, put her hands on her hips and said “I should tell you to cut back, but something tells me you wouldn’t dream of that.” I flashed another innocent smile and shook my head.

I was so worried that she was going to tell me that I HAD to cut back. And when she didn’t, it was like I could hear angels singing. And that’s when I remembered how much I love the gym.

Let me stand upon my soap box “naked” for all the world to see as I profess my love and devotion once again to fitness. I am back. I am rejuvenated. My classes better watch out.

Burn out is so common in many facets of our lives – work, relationships, hobbies and definitely the gym. Here are some things that I’ve done and am doing to beat this burn out:

1. Mix it up: It is rare that I take someone else’s class. I teach 10-12 of my own, so when do I have time to take other classes or to do just one more workout in my week? Well, variety is the spice of life and it is so motivating to try something new. So I am going to take a few classes from other rock star instructors.

And you, my naked stretchers, can try something new like a pole dancing class, for example. I teach at Choice Training in Lewisville and they are one of the premiere studios for pole fitness. OMG ya’ll. Incredible! It builds your self-image, self-confidence and is a major strength workout. And you might be able to use what you learn in other “extra-curricular activities” if you know what I mean…

If classes aren’t your thing, you can buy a new workout DVD (I am kinda in love with Brazil Butt Lift, I know you all have hear me talk about it…) Or sign up for a charity 5K, join a cycle or running group. Buy a jogging stroller…take more walks.

Whatever you normally do for exercise, mix it up!

2.Buy yourself something new: Do you really need a reason to shop? So, in all my gloomy, “poor-me-I-gotta-go-to-the-gym-again” misery I totally missed my fit-iversary! On April 1, I have officially been helping people get fit for three years! So, clearly I need to buy myself something to celebrate. I think I need a new pair of Zumba pants, or more shox – or both. Anyway, buying some new workout gear will help you get excited about hitting the gym again, if anything to show it off. If you look good, you feel good.

3. Take it easy: I think we dread the gym sometimes because it will be “hard.” We’re tired or hungry, whatever. Well, what if you told yourself, “I’m just going to do a light workout today.” I’ve done this, and you know what? I end up working harder! Maybe it’s all those clever little endorphins or maybe I’m just competitive and can’t let that super cute and fit girl show me up. Either way, I trick myself into the gym and it ends up working to my advantage. It’s a little way to manipulate yourself. Heck, you’ve been manipulating your man for years…Ad man if you are reading this, I never manipulate you. Ever. [Insert big shiny smile here].

4. Take a day off or even a week: Sometimes we really can overdo it. I read in Self magazine that if it takes you longer to recover from your workouts than two days, then you have overdone it. This means that if you are HIGHLY sore, meaning you cannot sit down or get our of a chair without groaning for more than two days, or you are so tired that you cannot get out of bed or you are too tired to Google (or read Stretch Naked), then you’ve gone too far! There are some exceptions, however. Any new workout may take you longer than that to recover.

Also, I am a full believer in a wild workout one day a week (hello Saturday kbox and Zumba), but you should follow that with a day of rest (light or no workout).

I am friends with a personal trainer that highly recommends taking a week off every 6 months or so. You need a vacation from work, right? Well, sometimes you need a little vacay from sweating. You will return rejuvenated and that first workout will be oh-so-good.

5. Suck it up, get your head screwed on straight: 99.9% of burnout is mental! Sometimes you just have to power through the crankiness and frustration to get back to your happy place. Which is what I did. And here I am…back – well, with a new outfit and a prescription for nasal spray to clear the fluid in my ears. But back, nonetheless.

Now lace up the shoes, grab a Powerade Zero and hit it!

Oh and it really is my fit-iversary this month, so I would appreciate presents. Cash works, too.

Light Delight

I am so full. Full of a delicious dinner and the most amazing light dessert I have ever had. In fact it might be the best dessert that I've had period.

So I'll start from the beginning. I had lunch with a fitness friend of mine, Jolie, on Friday afternoon. We chatted about exercise, nutrition, Beachbody, recipes, babies, hair, eyelashes...you know all the normal girl stuff. So let me back up and describe my friend. She is a fellow Group Fitness instructor and so fabulous. She's super tall, gorgeous, blonde and so sweet. And very humble about all the aforementioned descriptors. Anyway, she knows a lot about nutrition and like me is always on the hunt for low-cal and fabulous. Well she shared a recipe with me and I of course noted it in the very important place in my mind where critical details reside, like Ad man's pants size, Baby E's birth stats, family birthdays and of course dessert ideas. You know important stuff.

I figured I'd get around to trying it at some point.

But tonight, Ad man set out to make a delicious dinner and I figured there's no time like the present to try a new "goo" as Ad man and I refer to delicious treats. So he grilled some pork tenderloin, mixed up some mashed potatoes and assembled a fresh salad. I busily made two versions of this dessert. See Ad man is not a fan of low-fat, so I made a light version for me and a full fat, full of calories, full'o'sin version for him.

In my quest to convince Ad man that low-fat can still be good, I decided to do a blind taste test. I put both versions (which looked about the same) in two stemless wine glasses and handed Ad man a spoon. He scooped, tasted and was in heaven. It was delicious. In fact both were equally delicious. He said he couldn't tell which one was which. I asked which tasted better and he indicated that version "A" was best. However, he like the thicker consistency of "B."

Well...A was the light version and B was the version with all of the fat! Ha! Take that Ad man. You like something light. Score: Strech Naked 1. Ad man 0.

So anyway. Light can be a delight...

Oh, you want the recipe, do you? Well here you go. Watch out, it is so rich that you will feel a strange sense of guilt. You will seriously have to remind yourself that it is LIGHT!

Jolie's Mock Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 tub fat-free whipped topping (like Cool Whip), softened
1 8-oz container of fat-free cream cheese at room temperature
Graham cracker crumbs
Fruit or flavoring as desired

Directions
Dump all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixture until smooth. Layer mixture with graham cracker crumbs in a parfait cup. And be prepared to taste the most decadent treat you've had in a while.

It is delicious without fruit or flavoring, but if you would like to kick it up a notch you can add lime juice and lime zest for a Key-Lime version. Or serve with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries. You can even mix those right in. Add a capful of vanilla, almond or coconut extract for more variety.

Please let me know what you think when you try it!

Thanks Jolie!

Calorie Count: 250 calories per serving (serving is 3/4 cup of mixture. I didn't account for any toppings you may add.

Note on sugar: There is quite a bit of sugar in the sweetened condensed milk, so don't think you can eat this every night of the week. It should still be used as a "treat." I'm speaking to myself. Meghan. Don't make this every night!

Tracking those Calories - Best Heart Rate Monitors

I often get asked how many calories we burn in my classes. I wish the answer was “fifty billion and in fact please go home and have three pieces of cake while you are at. You earned it!”

Unfortunately, the answer is complicated because it varies from person to person. I can give ranges, but everyone’s calorie burning is based on their individual heart rate, current weight and amount of muscle. So, while theoretically you could burn 1,000 calories in my one-hour kickboxing class, most people probably don’t. Ok, so how do you really know how many calories you’re burning? Track it!

You should invest in a good heart rate monitor. There are some awesome ones out there that you can customize to your body and workouts. They range in price from about $25-$400 and can be a cute little accessory for your workout attire. I know I’m so girly, sometimes.

Interesting note on calories: Most people underestimate the number of calories they eat each day by 40% and overestimate the number of calories they burned by 40%. So, when you hit a plateau or rut and “just can’t lose weight.” It might be because you aren’t totally tracking it correctly. The only way to know for sure is to accurately record the calories you consume and measure the calories you burn. After all, weight loss is a simple principle of calories in vs. calories out.

Here are some that I’ve found and I’ll tell you the one that I’m itching to get!

The bodybugg® – $249
The bodybugg is a high-end monitor that monitors calorie burn with over 90% accuracy. That’s an assurance I like. The process used to determine calorie-burn is based on motion, steps taken (pedometer), galvanic skin response (when you sweat, your skin becomes electrically conductive. This measurement can help determine how active you are), skin temperature and heat flux (when you move, muscles produce heat; this device measures the heat that’s flowing from your body).



Wow. That’s a lot of measurements!

All of this data is managed through a web-based program that is free for 6 months and $10 per month after that. After you upload data from the bodybugg armband to your computer, you can use the web-based application to see how many calories you’ve burned throughout the day or during specific activities. The bodybugg system will actually calculate your calorie burn per minute.

After you enter the foods you eat, you’ll be able to see how you’re doing towards your goals. You set your own goals and time frames. The software is completely flexible to your needs.

If you want to know how many calories you've burned, or how many steps you have taken without plugging into a computer, the Digital Display will provide real-time results. The Digital Display device is sold separately, but there are often specials to get this free.

Ummm…love it! I SO want one of these. If you love me and want to buy me a present, look no further than the bugg!

While it’s on the more expensive end of monitors, it has a lot of incredible bells and whistles. Did I mention that you can get cute, blinged out straps to hold it in place on your arm? Yep. Bling. I’m sold.




24hourfitness.com
Bonus! Discount code to save $15: Enter all lower case: bbgcj24

Omron Heart Rate Monitor, HR-100C – $35
If you are looking for something basic and inexpensive that monitors your heart rate, this is the one for you. “The Omron HR-100C has been a fan favorite for years, mainly because owners say it is reliable and inexpensive,” according to consumer reports. While it doesn’t track calorie burn, it does cover the … basics, including tracking heart rate with a high/low alarm.



The Omron heart-rate monitor also performs well in independent testing, but it scores slightly lower than the Timex Personal Trainer. Overall, most users are happy with this heart-rate monitor, saying it is easy to set up, comfortable and relatively durable

For me, I need a few more features. I wanna know how many calories I burn! But, if you want to keep your heart rate at a consistent rate or a target zone, this is all you need.

amazon.com

Timex T5G941 – $40
According to consumer reports “The Timex Personal Trainer T5G971 lacks some of the bells and whistles found on expensive monitors, but reviewers say it's a reliable heart-rate monitor for the price. The Personal Trainer tracks heart rate and calories … burned; it also includes an Indiglo backlight and clock. Even though it's a basic heart-rate monitor, the Timex Personal Trainer is the best performer in a recent independent test. Testing indicates that the watch is accurate and easy to use, and owners say it picks up data quickly from the included chest strap. Owners also like the user-replaceable battery and large display.”



It’s still affordable and measures calorie burn. Hooray!

target.com


Polar F6 – $105
If you're looking for something in between, the Polar F6 has some added features without a huge price tag. Consumer Reports says “this model serves a happy medium between inexpensive heart-rate monitors and the pricey versions for serious athletes. The Polar F6 tracks heart rate and time, and it utilizes Polar's OwnZone to create a personalized training zone for your workout based on your heart rate during a short warm-up. The chest strap uses a coded transmission so you won't get interference from other monitors or exercisers in the area, and you can upload your workout data to the Polar website. The Polar F6 gets good reviews from more than 240 owners on Amazon.com, with most owners saying it's incredibly easy to use and a good value.”

It comes in a couple cute colors, too.



overstock.com

Polar FT60 – $215 (roughly)
Here’s a doozy of a monitor. It does just about everything but do your workout for you. Consumer reports says “It's probably overkill for most exercisers, but the Polar FT60 does much more than simply track heart rate – reviewers say it's a virtual personal trainer that provides personalized information you can apply to your … workouts. The fitness program included with the FT60 creates target heart-rate zones based on your current fitness level, and it tells you when you are training too hard or too easy. Reviewers say the Polar FT60 is difficult to set up initially, but the various training features and reliable monitoring make it a good buy. Users also say it is easy to review your workout data. Unlike most Polar heart-rate monitors, the FT60 has a user-replaceable battery. However, while many other Polar monitors include a way to upload your workout data to a computer, you'll have to buy an optional FlowLink device (*Est. $55) to get that functionality with the Polar FT60.”

Lots of cool features, but unless you are willing to spend the time tracking and using the different settings might be a little much.



amazon.com

Garmin Forerunner 305 – $150.99
My sister, the runner loves this monitor. She goes for long jogs and has been known to get lost! Not any more, she uses this incredible monitor to find her way through her easy 10-mile jogs! Ugh, 10 miles! She is a fit chicky, for sure!

Here are the details from the Garmin site: “Forerunner 305 sports a unique design that wraps the GPS antenna around part of the wrist for a better view of the sky, and its high sensitivity GPS receiver provides improved tracking under trees and near tall buildings. Forerunner 305 also sports a robust ANT+™ wireless heart rate monitor with softer, more comfortable chest strap and superior battery life. It eliminates cross-talk with other devices to reliably measure and send heart rate data, and it helps you train in your optimal heart rate zone.

Forerunner 305's courses feature lets you compete against previous workouts: you can compare your pace and heart rate to your past performance over the same run. You can also use Forerunner 305 to train for your next duathlon or triathlon with multi-sport workouts, a feature that lets you seamlessly transition between sports without resetting the unit, so you can use it for running, biking and more.
Train indoors and still track your distance, pace and calories burned with the optional Foot Pod accessory. This wireless sensor attaches to your running shoe and transmits distance and pace data to your Forerunner 305 so you can still use it when GPS reception is unavailable.

As an added benefit, you can plan, analyze and store data from your workouts through our online community, Garmin Connect™, or our free Garmin Training Center® software. Conveniently upload your data to Garmin Connect for an in-depth analysis of your workouts; online mapping and route sharing that will take your training to the next level. With Garmin Training Center® software, you can analyze data with interactive graphs that chart your pace, time, distance and heart rate. Overlay your run on a map so you can pinpoint specific areas and see how elevation and other factors affect your performance.”

Whew!



amazon.com

Nike Triax C5 Heart Rate Monitor Watch – $89
I kind of tend to love anything Nike! I actually have this watch and am looking to upgrade. It has served me well this far, though.

You can time your workouts with varying interval timer and alarm options. It is also water resistant for those swimmers out there. According to Christine Fennessy, fitness writer, “Solid-feeling and cool-looking, the Triax nicely handles basic monitor functions, such as target heart-rate and out-of-zone alarms. It features an easy-to-read angled face and a durable, scratchproof construction. The large stopwatch numerals are cool, too. The C5 does lack a calorie counter, and the heart-rate numbers seem small when used in tandem with the stopwatch.

Oh and the Triax Mia is very cute. Comes in pink!



Niketown.com


Well there are some options for you. Bottom line, I believe the best heart rate monitors are those that record calorie burn. That is the critical number to log each day to achieve your fitness goals.

But what about looks? Which is the cutest? You know that’s an important factor in choosing a monitor. If I was choosing based on the best-looking device sans accessories, I like the Nike Triax Mia or the Polar F6. The bodybugg wins hands down when you factor in the blingy straps. Love it, love it, love it!

To check out the bling: http://www.blingmythang.com/Showcase.php

Now, off with you, go stretch naked and count those calories – both eaten and burned!

Thank you to my friend Katherine who suggested this topic.

A moment on the lips...

"A moment on the lips...an eternity on the hips!" A friend of mine posted this on Facebook in reference to eating Easter candy yesterday. Ironically I read it as I was finishing my second reese's peanut butter cup egg. This made me take pause, of course, but I figured it's just one day, right?

Well, I just ate another egg. I didn't need it, did I? No. No. No. I did the math and I have to workout for 30+ minutes to cancel out the three eggs that I consumed in the past two days.

Did it really taste that good? No.

Did I feel better after I ate it? No. Worse? Yes.

Not that I want to throw around a lot of cliches, but "nothing tastes as good as skinny and fit feels." I encourage you to repeat one of these little sayings this week. Each time that temptation strikes, stop and think. Tell yourself that no food is worth the sacrifice to your health.

Not to say that occasional indulgence isn't ok. It is. But it should be the exception, not the rule.

Not to be wasteful, but I just threw the last peanut butter egg in the trash along with the cadbury cream egg. I could donate it, but I figure I should donate nutritious food to the needy, not the garbage.

That is all. Now I am going to drink two full glasses of water to do something good for my body.

Stretching on...

Hide the Easter candy, will ya?

Cadbury eggs...peeps...jelly beans...peanut butter cups...cupcakes...ugh! Will the parade of candy leave me alone?

Have you found a line-up of delicious confections staring at you this morning? I made up Baby E's Easter basket and thought "of course I need candy!" What basket is complete without candy? Hmmm...Baby E is 7 months old. He cannot eat, nor should he eat candy. But I felt myself obligated to stock his Easter Bunny loot with candy. Big diet fail for me. I am a proponent of moderate indulgence, but I just set myself up to fail by buying all this junk that I would inevitably eat.

I have to admit though that the candy-makers are trying to get America more healthy. I was surprised at the amount of sugar-free candies that I found this year. They even had sugar-free peeps! I did not buy them, of course, but they were there for the taking. I wonder how much of the better for you candy was left-over. I bet it's REALLY cheap tomorrow.

Well, here is what I should have made for an Easter treat, but was lured into a sugary frenzy:

Baby E's Easter Cupcakes - Soda Pop Style

Ingredients
Box of low-fat or reduced sugar white cake mix
1 cup of diet sprite or diet 7up
1 tub of fat-free cool whip
1 box of sugar-free vanilla pudding

Directions
Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Stir soda into cake mix. You might need to add a touch more soda. Cake batter should be completely moistened. Fill muffin cups with cake batter. Bake as indicated on the box. Might need to add a little extra time. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool.

To make frosting, stir half a box of sugar-free jello into cool whip. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Eat. Enjoy! You can top with some sugar-free candies for decoration.


Now when I hit the gym this week, come see me. I won't be hard to find. I'll be the one sweating out sugar. I bet I smell and look like a peep!

Happy Easter!

No Refrigerator = No Junk

So, I'm visiting my in-laws in Oklahoma for a week and they are making me work...on my vacation. Here I thought I was coming up here to sunbathe, relax, play with Baby Elvis and visit. And I unpacked like eight boxes today. What?

Ok, no I really came to Oklahoma to help my in-laws unpack and get moved into their gorgeous new house. In between feeding the baby, playing, changing a ton of diapers and trying to lull Baby E to sleep I did manage to help a little. You see my in-laws bought this beautiful house not far from their old one with a pool, swing set for Baby E and a breathtaking creek view. We headed up here to help them get all settled and finish packing up the old house.

Not a glam vacay, but nice to see family and the new house.

So, we've all dealt with the business of moving at some point in our lives - there are lots of little things to get taken care of like getting the TV, internet and phone hooked up. You sit around waiting for someone to show up in the convenient time frame of 8-5pm and then watch as they fiddle around and end up making a mess or screwing something else up.

Our big hassle today was the fridge. Apparently the fridge died. It cannot keep anything cool. So, we didn't go and get groceries and just picked up food yesterday for dinner. Well, today we waited ALL day for the refrigerator repairman. Meaning we still had no food and picked up all three meals. Guess what? The repair guy never showed. And didn't call. Just like a man...

Anyway, I have to say, I really didn't mind having no food in the house. Not having groceries and random food sitting around meant that I didn't mindlessly eat any junky snacks. I ate three conservative meals and wasn't tempted by the emergency Skinny cow ice cream sandwiches that sit in my freezer at home. And, p.s. I always seem to find a reason to eat the emergency treats...even though it's not an emergency. What constitutes a dessert emergency? Well, you know when you are having one.

My key take-a-way is that I shouldn't stock my pantry with snacks other than fresh fruit and veggies. No need for excessive, processed snack food. I guess I always thought that I had to have snacks. But you know what? I don't. I was fine today. I had half a wheat bagel for breakfast, soup and salad for lunch and veggie pizza for dinner. Oh and a handful of grapes that Ad man's grandparents brought over. So I guess I did have a little snack.

Morale of the story? Don't go grocery shopping...I mean don't have a refrigerator...Wait, I really mean go grocery shopping, but don't overstock on junk. Buy the ingredients to prepare healthful meals and snack on fresh/raw foods (nuts, fruit, vegetables). I really think you'll find yourself feeling good and "surviving" without excessive amounts of food at your disposal.

Don't tell my mother-in-law, but I kinda hope the fridge guy doesn't show tomorrow either...