Sensible Fitness

at 2:05 PM

I made some chilli a few days ago and gave some to a friend. She emailed me back and was so sweet and complimentary and said ' how can a lean healthy mom be such a good cook?'-- I will try to answer this question and similar ones through out this blog. You see, the answer to this question is not simple but the idea of being lean and being able to eat (yes I said eat!!) chilli is more complex than just exercise, and calories. It involves the interplay of hormones, genes, what else you eat other than chilli among other things. I have found what works for me and I will attempt to find what would possibly work for you. But before we go any further... let's talk about that chilli. Here is the recipe; for the sake of time I usually use canned beans:

1 lb ground turkey breast

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can chilli beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

Sautee the meat with a couple of table spoons of olive oil, 1 packet of chilli seasoning (I usually use McCormick), and the can of tomatoes until brown. To this mixture I typically add a couple of table spoons of plain yogurt (non of that stuff with added sugar).

add the beans and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, and that's it!!



Now let's switch gears a little and talk about what I did at the gym this morning. I think of my gym workouts (cardio and weight lifting) as luxury and therapy all wrapped into this wonderful package... I was on the elliptical for about 48 minutes at a relatively high resistance and high incline. Then I finished off my cardio with 25 min on the stationary bike. Weight lifting involved lots of one-legged squats with 'active rests'. During the active rests I did 3 chest exercises including flyes, chest press and pushups. I usually go for 30-40 pushups at a time to get a really good burn. My workout also included shoulder presses and front deltoid raises. I concluded my workout with a few minutes of crunches.



The last thing I want to talk about today is why I workout. Everyone has a different reason. You must find your own. My main reason is yes I love looking lean (leaner than before I had my two beautiful kids). I am vain and I won't deny it! The other reason is that I want to stay healthy and vigorous when my kids are adults and I want to spend time with my grandchildren. The third reason is that I absolutely love all the endorphins in my body after my workouts. I have finished 15 marathons, more than 20 halfs and other races of various distances and so my body has gotten accustomed to these endorphins that make me incredibly happy! If I don't workout I simply don't feel good.