Fitness taken back to the basics

I have a confession to make.  I am a nerd.  I like to read..... a lot.  I don't have TV and while I love movies, I couldn't tell you the last time I actually sat down and watched one.  So while I was on one of my reading jags, I read the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferrisse.  The book started out very smarmy and Tony Robbinish, but I read it in about 4 days and got very excited about my business future.  In between the Tony Robbinish not is impossible mantras and the bragging of his accomplishments, Tim does give some solid advice and an amazing amount of resources.  He also challenges our paradigms about working harder.  His idea is to work smarter, not harder. He figures if we cut out all the unnecessary meetings, people, tasks, and emails out of our schedule, we can actually get our jobs done in less time.  He follows up his ideas with concrete actions.  While much of his advice won't be for some, making small changes to the way we approach the tasks most of us have could make a big difference.
Being the nerd I am, I of course researched reviews of this book to see what others had to say and if I was just getting excited because I got sucked into the rhetoric.  Most of the reviews were along the same lines of my sentiments about the book.  I also found that Tim had written another book called the Four Hour Body.  This is the book that really got me thinking.  Four hours a week?  Then I broke it down.  That is a little more than 30 minutes a day.  That could be very possible provided we use our 30 minutes wisely and eat properly. I began thinking in my head, if I were to teach a class in 30 minutes (I am a fitness instructor in my spare time) how would I set the class up so that it were the most effective.  I am only talking about the time needed to make changes in your body if you are eating right, not working out more if you need to burn more calories to offset eating. (which I need to do often.  I will not lie) Using only 40 minutes a day for six days a week to equal 4 hours a week, I believe it is possible to make changes in your body and stay fit.
Here is the kicker.  Tim's book is actually talking about 4 hours a month and has some crazy diet advice that every professional nutritionist is shaking their head at.  Tim may know about business, but his fitness notions are out of his expertise.  They may work for him, but they are not healthy.  Just because you look good, does not mean that it is all good.  Be that as it may, it is about shifting our paradigms about how we use our time and being effective. And I am going to test it out for you.
I have decided that this year is about going back to the basics.......in everything....in skin care, in health, in nutrition, in fitness, in managing my business, and in managing my life.  Each month will be a new challenge.  This month is my fitness challenge.  I am going to test the back to the basics body in four hours a week.

Here is my game plan.

Cardio on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Strength/interval training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Rest on Sunday

In nutrition, small changes can be huge.  I like to use the word nutrition rather than diet.  We are not on a diet.  We are trying to give our body the nutrients it needs while at the same time, enjoying our food and reaching our weights goals.  Since I already don't eat very much processed food, and eat pretty healthy, I am cutting back on what are my weaknesses.  Sugar and eating out.  I am cutting out most sugar, except in my morning coffee because that would be crazy! I am not saying that I won't have a treat, but a cookie a day is not a treat.  It is a habit.  I will allow myself to eat out once a week.  Most likely at the taco truck!  It is easier on the pocket book and the waist.

I am all about efficiency.  I do not want to work harder than I need to.  I like to have time to play with my family and friends.  So this month is my fitness challenge.  Do you want to join me.?  Next, I will post my workout details with a video.  You can see that I struggle too.  And it is okay.

Your task this week is to formulate a workout schedule.  Just figure out the schedule. And figure out what two small, and specific changes that you could make to your nutrition.  Let me know what they are!

Recipe of the week.
Mommy's yummy Pot Roast

pot roast, whatever size
a can of cream of mushroom soup, condensed, preferably organic (no preservatives and bad stuff)
a packet of onion dip mix (it will be hard to find a natural one, but PCC or Wholefoods should have something.  You just need some onion flavor)
Put all 3 in a slow cooker without water and cook until meat is tender.

I make a big thing of rice (gotta have leftovers!)  When the pot roast is done, I serve about 4 oz of it over a cup of rice and a big hand full of spinach.  I might dice up some tomatoes too.  Yummy.

Don't forget to sip your water all through the day! If you are a spinner and want some fun T-shirts to work out in check out my T-shirt shop.  It is silly, I know, but I had to make them or I would have burst! http://www.cafepress.com/blackettbodybasics