Chicago Day 2 – Healthy Living Summit Part2

My last post left off right before the lunch break of the Healthy Living Summit, so that's where I'll pick up. Lunch was sponsored by Arnold and Oroweat, and the spread was incredible. I started with a bed of leafy greens with cucumbers and added 2 other cold salads: chickpeas with veggies & and vinaigrette and cumin spiced quinoa with edamame and mandarin oranges. I made a simple cheese sandwich and filled the rest of my plate with some grilled zucchini, broccolini, and olives. I grabbed a pickle spear but didn't end up eating it, which is very unlike me.

There were tons of desserts to choose from, but I was able to narrow it down to one - a lemon bar! I haven't had one of these in a long time. It tasted good.

After lunch, we headed to the third presentation. I chose "You Can Have It All: Time-management and organization for your healthy lifestyle," which was put on by Kath, Morgan, and Sarah. These women were great! It was so motivating to see how much they are able to accomplish by prioritizing and planning.

My favorite take-away from this session by far was a simple exercise they walked us through:

• First, make a list of your priorities. This can be your family, your job, eating well, exercising, downtime, etc. Whatever is important to you. Subsequently, put non-negotiables (ex: sleep) in a second list.
• Rank your list from highest priorities to lowest.
• Now, choosing one item from your list at a time, think about why it is important to you.
• Next, think about what behaviors you need to change or what you need to do in order to fulfill your priority. Make a list of actions you can complete to reach your goal.
• Thirdly, put your actions on your calendar. Think about how long each will take and choose a reasonable time for completion.
• And finally, do it! Stick to your schedule, checking things off your list as you go. Occasionally, reevaluate your priorities and perform this exercise again.

I was actually surprised about what came out of this. My highest priorities were no shock, but I didn't realize how much having a nice, comfy home is important to me. I want my house to feel like a retreat, not a chore. And I want to be able host dinner parties and invite my friends over. The fact that my home isn't the way I want it right now is bothering more than I realized! But now that I know that, I can take steps to get it where I want it.

The last slot on my 'choose your own' agenda went to "The Five Ws of Strength Training" with Chandra. Chandra is an NASM certified personal trainer, and her enthusiasm for strength training is infectious! This is just what I needed, because I have a hard time squeezing anything besides running into my exercise schedule. She told us that she hears that all the time from marathoners....and it's such a shame because we can benefit from it so much.

My favorite take-aways from this session were:

• A basic rule for how often to strength train is: 2 days per week, on non-consecutive days. Do 8-10 different exercises, hitting all of the major muscle groups. Do 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps. Choose moderate weight, so the last rep of each set feels hard.
• There are 3 types of workouts that she recommended:

1. super sets = 2-3 exercises using same muscles or different, back to back, rest, repeat
2. circuit = 8-10 exercises that cover all muscle groups, back to back, rest, repeat
3. split = different muscle groups on different days

• She also suggested working your largest muscle groups first (legs) and then work your way to your smallest, ending with abs. Your abs will be working the entire time to stabilize you, so you don't want to exhaust them in the beginning.
• Although this sounds obvious is retrospective, I found it refreshing that she told us to practice. Everyone starts somewhere, and you can't expect to be perfect from the beginning. If you have questions about form, ask a trainer or look up videos online. Then practice the moves in front of a mirror and it will begin to feel natural.

After that session, there was a snack break...yep, more food! This break was sponsored by Athenos, so there was lots of hummus, veggies, and feta to be enjoyed.

My plate included 2 watermelon, feta, & basil skewers (yum!), celery with hummus, and a cucumber cup filled with curried hummus (so cute, but a little impractical to eat.) I grabbed 2 tortilla chips with taco dip, but once I got back to the table I realized they had chicken in them, so those went uneaten. Oh, and a cough drop that I didn't realize made it into the picture.

The closing session was back in the big group and was called Stop Staring Over Your Shoulder: How to Avoid the Self-Comparison Trap. Gena and Caitlin led a discussion about how to stop measuring yourself against others. They touched on topics such as body image, unrealistic ideals, and the pressures we bear, both from external and internal sources. The highlight of the presentation was an honest and touching story that Katie shared about her journey to finding happiness with herself and how she used the blogging community for support. It was a wonderful way to wrap up  a great day!

Well, that's it for the official Summit events on Saturday...but that's not where the fun ended! I still have a crazy yoga class, an incredible Mexican dinner, a lakeside group run, and a recipe contest to recap. Not to mention my last day of exploring Chicago on foot! It is currently late Sunday night, which means that all of this happened more than a week ago. I have GOT to get faster at writing posts...I can't keep up with my life!