4.

day 4 of my 30 day challenge.


I mixed things up today with a rock climbing excursion at Rockcreation with Rebekah and Madi- part of my Lululemon crew.


Things tend to get absurd, inappropriate, and ridiculous within a matter of minutes for this team. Not surprising. 


After scaling the wall about 6 times doing different courses, my arms were thoroughly burning and my legs shaking. I completely forgot how intense a climbing workout is...It felt great to be using different parts of my body and to sweat in a completely rare form for me.


With that said, I feel like I am definitely getting stronger since starting my nutrition program two weeks ago. My body is seeming to respond in a more efficient way to physical exertion and my recovery period post workout is getting shorter. Also, the added energy fueling me throughout the day is a big plus as it is more consistent and seems to have reached an equilibrium.


Simply stated, I feel up for doing more and better while doing it. Not bad.

how did you sweat today!?

and....day 3 is done.

Day 3 culminated with some unexpected steamy yoga at Maha Yoga in Brentwood. 


Loved my first class there. 1.5 hours. Great way to end the day.


Felt completely appropriate to still be sandy and salty on my mat. 

3.

Day 3 of my 30 day challenge.


Rolling out of bed was hard today! Good thing I had a pal from work waiting for me at beach bootcamp - otherwise I may have snoozed my alarm approximately 25 times this morning.... daily occurrence. seriously.


(and hopefully- soon- a thing of the past)


The energy starts flowing every time I hit the sand. My mood gets better, I have a big smile on my face, and combining beach time, friend time, and workout all into one is pretty sweet.


With over 400 people on the sand today- It got a little bit crazy. Just imagine an army of people playing dodgeball against one another. People yelling, sprinting, jumping, ducking, and balls literally whizzing by your head. I had no problem lurking in the back and watching the chaos unwind around me today. Good time to chat and make friends in "jail" right?!

After dodgeball, things get serious. 


We run a few lifeguard towers and begin stations. It's a constant battle to keep up the energy at each specific workout, maintain your heart rate, and get through the motions as many times as possible. 


Today included squats, bear crawling through the sand under tied ropes (my favorite- as I collapse about a dozen times), sprints, rockclimbers, and burpees...just to name a few.

Getting a workout like this in before the city starts buzzing and coming to life is amazing. It's therapeutic. Like I've said before, definitely HOOKED.

2.

Day 2 of my 30 day sweat challenge.


My sweat got me from point A to point B today. Began the morning with riding my bike to the store.

With an hour left before my shift began, I did one of my favorite runs. Ran the dirt along the brentwood golf course. It was about 80 degrees outside, the pavement was warm, and my freckles along my shoulders and cheeks soaked in the sunshine. 

Ended the workout with some crunches, planks, and squats. 

After collapsing on the grass and getting as much sun as possible, I ran back to the store. GOOD THING coming to work sweaty is a norm.......and wearing yoga pants 24/7. 


How did you sweat today!?

Your Turn.

As a part of my 30 day challenge...I've decided to extend the invite out to all of you!


Here's the lowdown. 


Join me on my 30 day mission to get physically active while trying to find new ways to sweat each and every day. 


For every post I put up each day explaining what I'm doing, feel free to comment and put up your own. Explain what you did that day and add a photo. 


Here's the juicy part: Whoever joins me for each and every day by adding a fun caption of what they were up to, how they sweat, and uploads a photo for ALL 30 days- will be in the running for a fun little gift in the mail from me :)


I started yesterday.... It's your turn...start TODAY!!


Let's make this a lifestyle change..not a month long habit.

30. (day 1)

The last few days- wrapped up in a nutshell.


I've felt good. My days have been filled with lots of energy, activity, and exercise. I've been more motivated to get a workout in every single day. My body has been responding to the physical exertion exceptionally well. I also want to get the miles, time on the stairs, and classes under my belt to "test" out my nutrition plan even further...seeing how I respond post recovery  and how my body is slowly changing in certain areas.


I feel strong.


With that said, I want to test myself even further.


Starting today- I will begin a 30 day challenge. I've seen multiple people do these before- from my coworkers at Lululemon, to fitness instructors, to the "ambassadors" whose pictures hang on our store walls.


All in all, its a period of time where you become your own accountability partner. You choose to exercise every single day, to follow through, to integrate a time of the day that involves getting your heart rate up, and to commit to inventing new ways of sweating.


I am so much happier when I've built up a sweat, thrown on my running shoes, gotten my cheeks flushed, and have my sun streaked freckles reforming on my face. It literally makes everything better in that bubble of time. My life, relationships, internal optimism, and overall wellbeing improve.


So, here's to incorporating that high into my life every single day. 


Please hold me accountable. 
Get me out sweating with you. 
Invite me to a class. 
Kick me in the butt when I'm deciding to skip the trek around the Brentwood golf course. 
Join me.  :)


DAY ONE

Long run on the treadmill with Matt by my side on the bike. 
Went 6.7 miles with some hill work, sprints, and distance in between. 
Was done by 11am with a post run lunch at my favorite sushi spot. 
(matt, of course, stole my post recovery shake..!!)

Week 1

Let's get to the nitty gritty. 


I have my first week numbers. Not big changes by any means, but something to note and be proud of.


While I will not be doing this every week- I'll give my body more time to go through this process- I couldn't help checking my progression after the first 7 days!!


Here is what I began with:


Weight: 145
BMI: 20
Pounds of lean muscle: 112


Here is where I am now:


Weight: 143.8
BMI: 19.7
Pounds of lean muscle: 110
Metabolic Age: 12


These changes are minimal, but they are something I am proud of.
While it confused me that my pounds of lean muscle went down minimally, I realize that my body will fluctuate throughout this process as other things change and myriad numbers move up and down. 
Having the metabolism of a 12 year old is pretty crazy!! 


Here's to my next two weeks- I want to see that BMI go down, my weight remain the same, and the pounds of lean muscle go up.

Sand On My Nose, Work Out is Done, It's Only 8:30am.

Little victory of the morning.


I woke up at 6:30am. Didn't need to. Don't work until 4pm. And I love sleeping. 


My motivation? 


Joining my friend Rebekah at another round of Active Nutrition beach bootcamp at 7:30am. There was less face planting for me this morning, but the same energy, positivity, and burning sensation throughout my entire body that keeps me itching for more.


After about 7 stations of running, sprints, abdominal exercises, and bear crawling through the sand, I was feeling GOOD. I felt wide awake, focused, and balanced.


I think I'm hooked on this -being at the beach before the rest of the world rises- thing.

Come on...Just a Little Goldfish....

I've been getting a lot of questions recently about my nutrition and how I have been eating this week. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am obsessed with food- a GIANT foodie- and I can only laugh at the concerned looks I've gotten from a few people. Me - cutting out food? Guys... I'm the one awkwardly asking the waiter for about... 6 baskets of bread before the food arrives. You know you've all seen me do it. My purse is filled with snacks. Come on.


Let me break down a day of eating. And, as my health mentor recommends, let's begin with yesterday. It's fresh in my mind, I can't take any of it back, and the "oh, I only did that today" comments are easy to target. 


Breakfast

Breakfast is extremely important. It has actually been an adjustment to get food in my system within 30 minutes of waking up. I never realized how long I actually waited until I fed my body that had been fasting throughout the night... An hour? Two? Not good.


Now, I try and eat as soon as I rise- Here is exactly what i do:


1. Make my herbalife formula 1 "healthy meal" shake (filling and hearty)
2. Eat a banana
3. Cup of green tea
4. multivitamin




Lean Protein Snack

Two to three hours later, I eat next. I always try to stay within that window throughout the day. I eat a small snack that mainly consists of lean protein. I love the Fage greek yogurt. Mixing the almonds into it tasted wonderful. 




Lunch

Again, two to three hours later, I eat lunch. I branched out today. I had lean peppered turkey breast slices with some avocado and pan grilled brusselsprouts bought from the local farmers market. 


And.. because I'm being completely honest... :)

(don't worry- not cutting out my favorite snack. just eating them more in moderation)


Lean Protein Snack

Time for shake #2 (again, two to three hours later). This is the same Formula 1 "Healthy Meal." Again, very hearty and filling. I love that I can keep this with me on the floor at work. 


Dinner

Dinner, again, is two to three hours later.


Dinner has stayed completely the same. I have not changed a thing. Ideally, dinner should consist of 1/3 lean protein (ex: turkey, fish) and 2/3 complex carbohydrates (ex: veggies, brown rice). I am probably not hitting that exactly but am coming close. The shakes will help balance the amounts out throughout the day.




So, at the end of the day, I am still eating a normal lunch and dinner. The only thing that has changed drastically is my breakfast. Before i was eating lots of toast, cream cheese, and eggs. Now, I am eating something I can bring to work with me, has the perfect amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and is just as filling and hearty. I honestly feel better for the change.


Not intimidating. Not a cleanse. Not a diet. 


I am staying at an equilibrium instead of simply cutting out food and becoming deficient like most diets would have someone do. My body is maintaining a steady balance and constantly fueling itself throughout the day. No periods of hunger, no fluctuating blood sugar levels, and less cravings of things I always snacked on before. 


My body feels more focused, more stable, and more energetic. Again, small celebration....!

Beach Bootcamp-300 Deep

Sunday.


I think I collapsed face first into the sand at the Santa Monica beach about 5 times yesterday because my arms and legs gave out. 


And you know what? I LOVED it. 


And you know what also? I'm not in as good of shape as I thought. This, I keep telling myself, is actually a good thing. I see my room to grow, get stronger, and work those hidden little areas that keep burning every single time I move today.


I arrived on the Santa Monica beach at 8:30am. It's funny how the beach is only 3 miles from where I live and literally offers an entire new arena of sights, sounds, smells, and obstacles for working out. As the 300 bootcamp participants trickled in along with the thick morning fog, I realized, "Why haven't I taken advantage of this before?" 


The beach bootcamp hosted by Active Nutrition started off with a bang. After almost getting hit in the face about 27 times in the biggest game of dodgeball I have ever seen in my life, we began running in the sand. I could only laugh at myself when I barely made it around two towers and back while my calves and legs shook from the new terrain. I definitely began the morning with the notion that- of all things we are going to do today- i've got running in the BAG. 


WHOOPS.


An hour and a half later, I was sweaty, sandy, and happy. It was only 10 in the morning-when I usually would be rolling out of bed on a sunday- and I felt like I had already accomplished a big feat. 


In a nutshell, the morning was amazing. Free workout. Lots of enthusiasm. 300 people. Continuous smiles and high fives. And about 70 other people, like me, face planting in the sand. Pretty ridiculously fun.

Come watch me face plant next week on the sand. Who's in?! 

The 800 calorie spin

I am feeling GOOD. My body is soaking this all in like a weed.


With that said, I am SORE.


This week, I've felt a different push within my body while exercising. 


The energy is bursting at the seams. I'm not tired. I'm motivated in a different way. My desire to see results has me going longer and harder. With that said, my body is definitely adjusting to this different enthusiasm. 


The differences so far.. 


Monday: after a crack of dawn meeting at the store, I uncharacteristically decided to bike to the Santa Monica stairs. By the way, biking to work in the first place is one tiny achievement and alteration. Once at the stairs, I climbed my way up and down 10 times. With my legs thoroughly feeling like jelly, I biked my way home. 


Tuesday: Took lucas, my pup, on a long hike at Will Rogers state park. I attribute this outing to my increased energy and the addition of green tea to my diet. I usually would settle for less of an excursion in the middle of the day before heading to work. 


Wednesday: my favorite activity.. spin class with my friend maddie. I usually get distracted during class, feeling my energy fluctuating like a roller coaster ride, and am watching the clock. Class was like a laser beam for me. I pushed so much harder than usual, burned a huge amount of calories, and left motivated.


Thursday: I lead the local Lululemon Run Club. While the fact that having over 10 members thrilled me and amped up my energy, I was able to incorporate an intense, interactive, and enjoyable speed workout along the edge of the Brentwood golf course. Everyone left sweaty, sore, and happy.


So, yes, I am SORE. And yes, I am a little tired today. 


But, all in all, this week has been a huge success. Each day has allowed me to move my activities up a notch- and for that, I celebrate. 

Saturday

Saturday. 

I woke up feeling good. 

My body feels like it can bounce off the walls around me. 

I am thoroughly enjoying this newfound pulse of energy that has been pushing itself through my body this past week. It never seems to falter. It keeps my brain buzzing and my mind focused until the moment I'm lying in bed ready to sleep.

What's crazy, for those of you who know me well, is that I have NOT been to Peet's ONCE this week. No coffee since last sunday. And the sad thing? I don't even miss it. I'm still going to incorporate it into my week because Peet's and all those that work there are my little mecca in Brentwood... but I'm definitely going to cut back. I just don't need it anymore. The power of tea has definitely shown itself to me... or, as my health coach likes to call it, "a run in a bottle."

Today was also exciting because I finally got to attend the biggest health and wellness training of the week at Active Nutrition. I walked in, let my guard down, turned my brain into sponge mode, and tried to soak in everything possible. It is so gratifying and helpful for me to continue meeting people in the flesh- to see the transformed people in front of me, to ask them how they began, and to tell that little nagging voice in the back of the head that the results are legitimate and real.

Everyone is so welcoming, positive, upbeat, unique, and from all walks of life. Encouragement, motivation, and dreaming big are not hard to come by here.

room packed at training today

Being in this environment is good for me. When I feel out of place, I adjust and break the ice with someone new. I am wrapping my mind around concepts, ideas, and tools that I've never needed to use before. If, at the end of the day, I am only able to help myself, become the athlete i want to be, and develop personally, I would be content. 

But, unfortunately, it won't be as easy as that. I've decided that my goals are much bigger. 

let's get my stats.

To realistically track my progress, here are my starting numbers...


Height: 5'10"
Weight: 145 
Body Mass Index (BMI): 20
Pounds of lean muscle: 112


I definitely want to hone in on one specific point- I am not doing this program to lose weight. When I think of this as a giant success in my mind, I visualize feeling incredibly strong and athletic, having the ultimate runners body, speeding through more half marathons, not being wiped out after a race or workout, and gaining more lean muscle. 


While many programs do offer weight loss, weight gain, maintenance- others, like mine, do cater more towards leaning, toning, and strength training.


While I haven't seen radical physical changes yet, some exciting smaller alterations have happened. Life in the past few months has made me realize that any step in the right direction, any positive modification, any baby step towards a goal deserves attention and recognition. It deserves the time to be internally celebrated. 


So, here is what I choose to celebrate so far. 


1. ENERGY: since drinking my green tea every morning and mid afternoon, my energy levels have honestly, seriously spiked up. The effects have been almost immediate for me. It's almost like a long, steady, focused burn throughout the day with my energy levels. 
For the first time in a while, I'm not spiking up and down with my blood sugar levels and getting shaky and lightheaded from not having enough to eat or the sufficient amount of nutrients in my body at a certain time. This was usually a daily occurrence. 


2. SKIN: the two vitamins I am taking assist with nutrient absorption and the proper elimination of water from fatty tissues that can lead to cellulite and the accumulation of fluids. 
From 5 days on the vitamins, my body and my skin have this elastic, tight feeling that usually only occurs post a difficult, extensive workout. Everything feels taught and intact.


Before and after pictures are promised. I will post them exactly one month prior to my start date!


Through any of this- if you have feedback, questions, want to learn more... send me a message. Part of this adventure is sharing this with all of you- and beginning others on a health transformation!
Elane.Roepke@Gmail.com

The First Five Days

Now, the chronicling begins. 

My "Healthy Meal" shakes

I am committing myself to eating within the first 30 minutes of waking up. 

Breakfast is crucial and it kickstarts my metabolism. 

What do I do first? 

I wake up around 9am each day and immediately begin making my breakfast. I use the two canisters shown in the picture above. I am using two scoops of a "healthy meal" mix and two scoops of a "protein drink mix." Add to blender.

Ice

Next step... take a small handful of ice and and a equal amount of water (about 8 fluid ounces).  Add to blender and blend until creamy!

Everything blended together

What has been great- is taking all of this with me on the go. 

finished!

Next step: Drinking green tea! I am so sad to say this...but i am definitely cutting back slightly on my Peet's addiction. boo... But, on a positive note, the tea is full of natural antioxidants, boosts my energy, and burns 80 calories per cup...

Tea

I am also taking two multivitamins. Both help with natural release of water within the body and the absorption of the nutrients I am consuming.

Plan in a nutshell: shakes 2x/day, tea 3x/day, multivitamins 2x/day, eating 4 other lean, protein filled meals throughout the day


That's it! It takes a little getting used to, but hasn't been difficult. 

What's the logic behind all of this?!

Day one

My big Herbalife box shows up at my doorstep. 

What am i getting myself into!? 

Again, pushing that little voice away, I choose to focus on the positive. I am so excited to have a new project. Something i wake up to. Something I think about while going to sleep. Something that makes me want to work out solely for the purpose of testing out a post recovery product- JUST to see what happens.   Something to get excited about.

Good change is going to make you nervous, going to make you uncomfortable, going to take you out of your comfort zone. Now is my time to try. 

Now- what exactly am I doing and why am I choosing to do this?!

I am on a specific plan designed for for me. My nutrition- while fair to begin with- is being completely revamped, altered, and drastically improved. This is what my plan is constructed to do:

1. allow me to reach 100% of my RDA (recommended daily allowance). This includes all of the vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and herbs that the human body is ideally intended to consume per day. Most men and women do not even get close to achieving this... as most people would need to cook up a storm, eat about 3,000 calories per day, and strictly keep track of their diet to get close. A little too complicated for me.

2. hit my target protein amount. As a tall girl- at 5'10"- I need to eat a lot of protein. I was not even coming CLOSE to hitting this amount before. Now, i'll be shooting for about 150 grams of protein per day.

3. Staying under my resting metabolic rate. I am burning about 1,400 calories per day just being by awake and moving around. I have figured out a way to stay below that, still get everything I need, not compromise the amount of food I am physically eating, and never allowing myself to go hungry throughout the day. This part- i LOVE.

Doing these 3 things will allow me to gain more lean muscle mass and drop my body fat percentage. Hopefully, this will allow to me run faster, have more energy, and see some fun and exciting definition in my body. NOT BAD!

What truly makes me comfortable about all of this is the fact that I am not eating less or cutting out the solid, real, tangible foods I normally eat. I am eating the same amount (as I am a HUGE foodie)- just being a little more conscientious about what I am choosing to consume. I am solely adding in a different element to my day. I am not drinking protein shakes or cleansers- I am eating a healthy, perfect, well balanced meal that has been condensed. It's as if I took a chicken breast, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and brown rice- blended it into a cup- and took it with me on the go. It's 2,500 calories of what I need per day, shaved down to 200, and blended up nicely into a cup. 

the stairs

I have met some of the most interesting people at the Santa Monica stairs. 

Seriously. 

I've had the most captivating and unexpected conversations with people I've literally just met as we climb up and down our loop. There is something therapeutic about blazing through those wooden steps and being within eyesight of the beach...seems to be a good space for these encounters to happen.

So- as always- I find myself in a random moment that implants this little nugget in my brain and eventually swings me on a different route. 

The day I met my current health and wellness mentor was funny- we literally bumped into one another as I made my way over to the steps. Something felt familiar and we were both-ridiculously-dressed in the exact same Lulu outfit. Typical. Conversation started, she mentioned health and wellness, I mentioned my public health degree, phone numbers were exchanged, and she went on her way. That was it. Literally lasted two minutes.

I definitely did not think anything of this at first. I stored away the phone number and kind of kept the little nugget in the back of my head. What she did for a living sounded amazing- but, instead of immediately jumping in, I let it all sit.

After 3 months of letting it sit, constantly wondering about the opportunity, trying to figure out what the heck it was that she did exactly, and thinking that I could be missing out on something radically different and fun- I sent her a text.

Happy I finally listened to the nagging voice in the back of my head. 

Turns out that my mentor works at a place called Active Nutrition in LA. She completely turns people's lives upside down, transforming their physical appearance, nutrition, mental well being, and general health. The company is paired with Herbalife.

While i went to open houses at the center, met the transformed people- from older adults, ex- professional athletes, and kids my age- and asked a million questions- my natural skepticism still got in my way. Anything other than traditional hard work, exercise, and "eating right" seemed the only way to go for me. 

So, here is my leap of faith. Amazing things are going on at this place- things that just don't seem possible. But if I met everyone in the flesh, heard their stories, and was able to get a grasp on the tangible things- then why not believe in the process? What do i have to lose?

Stepping outside of the box means that I'm going to be open to the process, revamp my nutrition, try everything I can, pick as many brains as possible, and see if my body is receptive. I would definitely regret not trying. You can't hope for change or improvement if you don't go for something new. 

Excited to see where this takes me. 

stepping out of the box

The act of starting a blog sums up my post college life into a neat, little nutshell...

I am simply doing things I never pictured myself doing. The past 9 months have brought me the unexpected, the random, and some of the best. The two jobs that I have had post graduation have literally allowed me to cross paths with some of the best people i have ever met....while the day to day role I am fulfilling within a company is the polar opposite of where I pictured myself while in school.

All of this has made me realize that I can sit and plan as much as I want, trying to structure and control the time ahead of me, but everything seems to happen on a random course that has a mind of its own. Events, encounters, and short conversations (that end up being extremely fateful) seem to fall into my lap- or breeze by me at the Santa Monica stairs- at the oddest of times...and immediately direct me on a completely different course than I was on before. 

As someone who likes structure, this has definitely been an interesting ride...  

So, right on time- right on course- here is random event #25 that has happened post college. This one definitely deserves the time, photos, descriptions, and humor of a space like this. The experience is so new for me and exciting- that I've decided to step out of the box even further...do something I never pictured myself doing...and track my progress step by step with anyone interested.

here goes...!