Jan242014

Air New Zealand Review

Wonderful, as far as I’m concerned. There are several factors to this. In my adult life, I’ve used Air New Zealand twice to New Zealand, and both times it has been fantastic. 12-hour flights aren’t easy, but Air New Zealand definitely makes it easier. I’m surprised at the fortitude and endurance the flight attendants have for the whole entirety of the flight. Let’s go over the reasons why Air New Zealand rocks.

View from inside the airplane just getting into New Zealand

1. 75 movie choices. Yes, seventy-five. Usually you have to pay for even one movie, but here you get 75! They range from Despicable Me 2 to Whale Rider to 2 Guns. My goal is to usually watch one or two movies before attempting a sleep and then finishing with one when I wake up. Chris unfortunately watches like four our five and doesn’t get sleep. Go team.

2. Meals of decent to good quality. I know this doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment, but it is! Usually airplane food is blargh! But Air New Zealand does it well. I never had a stomach ache and everything tasted good, especially breakfast! Oh and both are free.

3. An epic safety video. I mean epic. It was completely Lord of the Rings/Hobbit-ed out! Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits galore! Even Peter Jackson made an appearance! It was such a good surprise. We were laughing the whole time. One of the few times I actually pay attention to airplane safety features. Last time I rode Air New Zealand it was Richard Simmons, which was of course hilarious.

4. No baggage fees. Yep. I couldn’t believe this one either. We did have to pay them going from America, but not back! It was so nice! Especially refreshing after Frontier now charges for carry-on items! Can you say rip-off!

5. Wonderful attendants. How would you feel serving a bunch of annoying Americans for 12 hours stuck in a small space high up in the sky? I would definitely not be cheery and helpful as all the Kiwi attendants were. They show that they care about the service you’re getting and want to help you best they can. Like the Kiwi people, they are friendly, laid back, and good-humored.

6. Wellington Airport. I know this doesn’t necessarily count, but still. Check out the post. It’s awesome.

7. Free New Zealand wine. I can’t tell you how upset I was when I realized the wine was free and I didn’t take it! I couldn’t help but laugh when they were carrying the leftover bottles in the morning, saying “Wine, anyone?” Plus, New Zealand wine is among the best I’ve had. Before I didn’t like white wine, now I do! Yeah if this isn’t a perk of an airline, I don’t know what is.

Those are just a few reasons why Air New Zealand knocks it out of the park. And yet another reason to visit New Zealand. If you’re going to fly to New Zealand, choose your Kiwi airline and you won’t regret it. It’s the best way to spend those 12 hours locked in an aircraft. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Jan232014

And Don’t Forget Your Morning Walk!

From when I started college and probably before then, my mum has woken up bright and early (before the sun in the winter) and goes for between a 2-4 mile walk. She will put her “winter woolies” on (because it’s 50 degrees and that’s cold for Los Angeles folk!) and sneak out of the house just as dawn arrives. She will walk down to the beach and then along the path (an absolutely beautiful walk). She rarely misses her walk, even on the weekend. And boy is she a walker. Even for me, it’s hard to keep up! I don’t know how those legs move so fast. Must be her Kiwi blood. My dad will also go for his walks and bike rides in the morning, knowing that it’s an excellent start to the day.

My mum with my aunt’s new puppy!

My brother and dad

What I’m getting at is that they taught me a great lesson which I am just starting to follow. And I think New Zealand was also a positive influence on this as well because much of my family will do walking for their primary exercise. Since I’ve gotten back from New Zealand to good old Boulder, Colorado, I have tried to walk more. Now I usually did before, I would walk to the grocery and to the gym. However, now I am really trying to get at least 15 minutes logged in the morning. Sometimes I don’t make it out of bed in time (I blame cuddles with cats and Chris), but when I do, I’m thankful for that quiet time and brisk exercise to wake up my body. I enjoy it more than running (I am not a morning runner–I wish I was but let’s face it) and it really wakes me up more than a splash of cold water in my face. It makes you feel good and is an excellent form of exercise for all levels. I find a good tool is to lay out my shoes and warm clothes so I have no excuse.

Lurve my new shoes, which doesn’t hurt the process 😛

I challenge you just to try morning walks for at least 15 minutes. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier. I dare you! You feel so great, energized, and refreshed for the day! You also know that you started the day right with exercise. So if you don’t get to a workout for the rest of the day, at least you had your morning walk. I wouldn’t lie about this–I’m becoming a huge proponent. You also catch killer views and get to experience a more quiet city (or wherever you live)–it’s quite serene and peaceful. So some time this week, just try for that morning walk. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Take your morning walk to stay hungry and fit!

The beginning of my walk this morning…moon over the mountain

Which turned into this delightful sunrise

AND SPECTACULAR SUNSET

Morning walks makes me feel like this to face the day!

*Question of the Day: Do you take morning walks?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria is so hard to photograph because she is so dark!

Jan222014

The Coolest Airport in the Southern Hemisphere

Wellington, New Zealand, of course! No really, it is absolutely awesome. And that’s mostly because of Weta Workshop (which you will see in a later post), which created most of the props, weaponry and armor, and lots of the digital effects in Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the Hobbit and more. They are truly amazing. More on them later. Tolkien fans will love this airport. I think the shock factor is a big part of this airport’s coolness. You just don’t expect what you’re going to walk into. And my family did a great job not saying anything (shocker there).

So when you get past checking and get into the terminal, you are first blasted with three huge eagles with Gandalf atop one of them hanging from the ceiling. I was totally amazed. I mean these are huge props, huge. We estimate 20 feet in each direction. Yeah it was literally awesome. Side note: recent earthquake in New Zealand (as in 2 nights ago) actually knocked one of the giant eagles to the ground! Nobody was hurt but…woah.

And then you walk by more shops and restaurants, and then…boom. Gollum comes reaching in from the ceiling. And I don’t mean Andy Serkis-sized Gollum. I mean freaking huge–42-feet kind of huge! It’s Gollum’s head and arms reaching in for a fish, with bubbles about too! It’s really hard to describe how amazing it is. You have to see it in person to really feel the impact. Especially for Tolkien fans.

HE’S GONNA EAT ME

The rest of the airport is definitely unique too. All the shops are Kiwi-focused from Haka shirts to Kiwi poo to Merino wool everywhere! If you leave your shopping to the last minute, this is a perfect spot for you! Food options are also excellent, better than the average as far as airports go. Keep an eye out for awesome statues like dwarves and sheep. In addition, as far as security goes, it’s a breeze. Don’t even have to take your shoes off! Take that, America! Just kidding…kind of. Anyhow, if you’re looking for yet another reason to head to New Zealand, do not miss out on the Wellington Airport.

One of a few there…

baaa

Question of the Day: What is your favorite airport?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria kneading…always

Jan212014

Work with Us!

Happy Tuesday (at least in Colorado)! We just wanted to send out a short post letting you know that we have (finally) put up our official “Work with Us” page. You can find it by clicking here. We wanted to write up an official page to make it easier for others to work with us and find us in order to establish opportunities and so forth. You will find our contact information and various options of what we are open to (anything from food to fitness to travel to nerdy stuff!). And besides…who wouldn’t want to work with us?!? (See below picture…yikes)

We also updated our “Contact Us” page where you can find every which way to contact or follow us be it instagram to email to YouTube. Click here to see that page. We would love to hear from you in whatever you have to say! We are all ears! So please stop by those pages and give it a looksie.

As per our workouts this week thus far, we have stayed pretty true! I did legs and went for my run and Chris was able to get his back workout in. Trying to keep up the good work! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What did you workout Monday?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Cuties cuddling

Jan202014

#Workout Plan for the Week

Chris and I decided to do a different-styled post that may recur every week. Instead of informative posts, we decided to create a post outlining our workout plan for the week. This is for a few reasons: one, because it will keep us on track and give us less excuse to skip and two, hopefully it will encourage and motivate readers! I used to plan workouts for myself and a few of my friends throughout college. I would write it up every Sunday and email it out–and we definitely got them done and loved it. I encourage you to write one for yourself! Now this is very flexible and could change based on how sore muscles are.

Hungry

Monday: Back 2 – 60 minutes, focusing on mid-back size and lower back strength, HEAVY caloric intake
Tuesday: Legs 2 – 75 minutes, focusing on strength in hips, glutes, and hamstrings, 400 yard easy swim, Heavy caloric intake
Wednesday: Arms 2 – 65 minutes, focusing on hypertrophy in the brachialis, strengthening wrists and forearms, working relative strength through weighted dips and chin-ups, 400 yard easy swim, moderate caloric intake
Thursday: Shoulders 2 – 70 minutes, focusing on strength in traps and size in front delts, 400 yard easy swim, moderate caloric intake
Friday: Core 1 – 60 minutes, focusing on flexibility in core region, strengthening lower abdominals, and planks, full court basketball for “cardio,” moderately high caloric intake
Saturday: Chest 3 – 60 minutes, focusing on hypertrophy in the upper through lower inner chest, strength with dumbbells on the incline, frisbee golf, high caloric intake
Sunday: Back 3 – 60 minutes, focusing mainly on rack pulls and deadlifts for strength, ping pong, high caloric intake

Fit

Looking small…>.>

Monday: Run (2 miles) + Legs
Tuesday: Run (2 miles) + Arms and Shoulders
Wednesday: Swim + Core and Back
Thursday: Total-body Circuit Training + optional Elliptical
Friday: Run + Yoga (OR REST)
Saturday: Swim + Chest (and frisbee golf!)
Sunday: Elliptical + Legs (and ping pong!)

So that’s the plan, and I truly emphasize plan. It most likely will not all fall into that exact order at all depending on soreness, tiredness, and time. I’m looking forward to planning ahead and seeing how this week takes us. Time to shred up 2014! Create a workout plan to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What is your workout plan for the week? Anything from lifting to walking to dancing!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah drunk with sleepiness

Jan182014

Choosing the Right Program and Coach (Beginner Level)

Here are some notes to take into consideration before the troubleshooting:

IMPORTANT: To make matters simple, coach refers to the instructor or person that is training you. Facility can mean a gym, pool, yoga studio, field, forest or any place a coach may use to perform your program. Program refers to the exercises and workouts that you are performing, whether they consistently change or have very little differentiation.

Not all facilities, programs and coaches are created equal. It is a coach’s responsibility to tell you this. One way you can tell if a coach has YOUR health and wellness in mind is if they are honest about this piece of information. I am NOT a good businessman but I help people reach their goals because I care. It is impossible to know if your future coach will do the same but there are some signs that will help you decide whether you trust them or not and it is that…

No facility, program or coach is the gold standard. By that I mean, there is not one perfect way of reaching your goals because everyone is different. If a coach makes any mention that they, their facility or their program is the best choice for every single person, that is a red flag. I have worked with a wide array of triathletes and the first fact that I state to those interested in working with me is… “I will NOT instruct you on your bike and run. I will, however, tell you some amazing coaches to help you with those aspects. I will help with your race strategy and your swimming.” If a coach says something along those lines, it is a good sign. Honesty is obviously very important and every facility, program and coach requires…

Specialization! This is what makes a good coach… a great coach. Every new personal trainer, inexperienced CrossFit coach, yoga instructing apprentice, etc, etc is going to be taught the basic tools of their trade. Depending on their own experience and how they are officially educated or certified, there will be some degree of differentiation. You can research your coach, on Google, and find out more about their history in the industry and it will help you decide if they are a good candidate to work with you. However, the internet only has so much information so please don’t rule out candidates solely because their online information is out of date or inaccurate. Getting back on track, as a coach continues to learn through methods including seminars, continuing education units and trial/error (hopefully… not so much that last one) they will start to develop a focus. It is similar to choosing a major in college, or something along those lines. That focus is usually a specialized part of their trade that they are very interested in or at which they are very skilled. A good coach will advertise their specialization because it was sets us apart from our competition in the industry. It also usually means that you will attract clients that are interested in your specialization, and since you love your focus, it means doing more of what you love! It’s a win-win situation, as long as…

The client has chosen the correct facility, program and coach. Now we are coming full circle on our little journey. This is the important part… we can call it the end of the road. After taking all of the previously stated and more into consideration you want to end up in the right place for you! And this is where you make important decisions. I will not tell someone why they should workout. I don’t think it’s right. That is up to their family, friends, doctors, and most importantly… themselves! If some underweight and underdeveloped feeling beginner wants to join a CrossFit box because he has a huge crush on one of the girls that works out there… GO FOR IT!

Picture from www.carrotsncake.com, who is a CrossFit enthusiast

Just proceed anywhere with caution! Take pricing into consideration. Think about why you want to start exercising. Create some basic goals and ask around to get an idea about local facilities, programs and coaches will help you meet those goals safely, effectively and in a fun way! If you want, EMAIL ME at hungryandfit@gmail.com and I will point you in the right direction! But if you just want a general idea let me provide some information to get you started.

There are SO MANY facilities and coaches out there so I can’t help much in this department without your location and budget. There are however YMCAs, 24 Hour Fitnesses, and playgrounds all over the country. There are also hundreds of mostly free online coaches (YouTube and Instagram) so you can always find some advice and means of exercising for little to no cost. (Feeding yourself the proper macronutrients and micronutrients is a different story that I will not touch on here.) Still… proceed with caution, again, with some of those coaches. There is nothing stopping them from providing false information about their credentials, so you have been warned. (There are some good ones!) However, going back to the troubleshooting guide, I want to present a small array of programs for you to consider. They are either popular, I approve of them, or both. Here is what some of you might have skipped straight to in order to avoid my “notes.”

Workout in Taupo, New Zealand

(I hope pilates instructors, etc, are not offended because their program is not listed. This is a VERY short and basic guide, and once again, it is subjectively objective!)

Personal Training – You can find personal trainers in almost any gym or fitness facility. The YMCA, 24 Hour Fitness, Gold’s Gym, L.A. Fitness, local one of a kind gyms, local one of a kind businesses. Last time I checked there were over 240,000 CERTIFIED personal trainers. The vast majority of them will cost you about $40 an hour, especially at the big name locations. Not all of them will be good but they SHOULD be one of the best candidates to point you in the right direction because their education and certification process SHOULD have included fundamentals that are seen in most programs and relate to nutrition, exercise science, anatomy, physiology, evaluations, first aid and cpr and more.

Good CPTs can be accessible, affordable, and effective for ALL individuals interested. Discover their specialty and see if it matches your goals. A great CPT can train almost any demographic that simply “wants to get in shape.” This might be the ideal path for a beginner, depending on anything that might them considered a special population. Special populations generally include individuals that may have special physical or mental needs. Most CPT educators will cover special populations, which should be somewhat comforting. Please remember to always check with your doctor before starting a program. If your coach has any doubt of your ability to perform, they SHOULD recommend or even require that you get clearance from a doctor first. But back on track, personal training can be amazing way for the lost souls of fitness to learn the fundamentals that carry over into every other field and eventually use this as a stepping stone to move towards a more specific goal. That goal could very well keep you working with a personal trainer or move you towards one of the following options.

CrossFit– Oh, my best friend CrossFit (Inside joke). CF was officially founded by Greg Glassman in 2000 and it has grown into a HUGE community in the fitness industry. Within in a year there will probably be 10,000 affiliated gyms throughout the world. CF utilizes exercises that have existed for far longer than the official entity has but it also has made tons of innovations. Where CF succeeds the most, in my opinion, is its, well… crossing over of different fitness programs. This is reflected in the annual Reebok CF Games, which are televised nationally. You will see athletes run, jump, push, pull, swim, lift, etc.

The general dose of CF is to join a box (their word for facility) and perform the WOD, or the workout of the day. It is very structured and easy to perform on a daily basis, but is not necessarily repetitive depending on your coaches. The growing community is in my opinion the most supportive in the fitness industry. If you want to make friends, join a box. If you want to develop a “nice and natural” physique and get “in good, great or awesome condition,” join a box. Just remember, that YOU are responsible for your own health and wellness. Listen to your coach because they should know best, and if what they say sounds stupid, don’t just do it. Feel comfortable doing it. CF is VERY challenging, includes complex Olympic lifts, advanced equipment, and timed workouts. You need to understand what that all means before you try to race to the end of a five round circuit involving all of the above. I, personally, would not recommend this for true beginners, but some facilities and coaches are exceptions to that statement. However, for those with some experience in fitness and for those that are good listeners, doing one WOD with the support of your box and community can be a VERY efficient way of achieving a better physique and having fun unless you are interested in optimal hypertrophic growth and…

Bodybuilding – So you want to look like Arnold, Dorian, Ronnie, Flex, Jay, Phil, Kai etc. You don’t want to be able to put on your own shirt or fit through a doorway. You want your veins popping out of our bulging muscles and you want to walk up on stage with a fake tan, in a g-string, and hit that back double biceps with cameras going off making tons of flashes. I AM ALL FOR IT. Bodybuilding is, in my opinion, the optimal means to hypertrophy, or gaining muscle mass. But don’t just start lifting weights with no idea of why you are doing it. Here are some tips. Join a cheap gym with good equipment. You could win the Mr. Olympia and pay 24.99 a month to go to your local 24 Hour Fitness, or at least I think you can. The man makes the body, not the gym. (But working out in The Mecca everyday would be a real motivating factor.)

Research the different ways to perform a rep. You are looking for hypertrophy. I believe slow reps, especially negatives are essential… but I am not a bodybuilder or BB coach, so what do I know! Find a good online coach. I recommend Marc Lobliner and Team Hollywood Militia, if you can afford it. If you can’t afford, save up money, because if you’re going to be a bodybuilder, you better do it right. Don’t follow some cookie-cutter program that is free or cheap, because it was not made for you. It didn’t take your height, injuries, body composition, current physique, etc into consideration. Also, NEVER starve yourself… it is not worth the risks. Christian Bale can starve himself for a movie because he gets paid $20 million. If you want a trophy made of plastic, go for it, but don’t risk “damaging your metabolism” or anything along those lines. Also look into Layne Norton and Jim Stoppani’s work. They are WELL-educated, passionate as anything and I agree with A LOT of their material. (I don’t know if Jim does the same level of coaching the Marc does. And for the record, I have nothing to gain from mentioning or recommending anyone. I worked out with and talked with Marc once, he swears a lot which I am cool with, but he will never see this, so don’t think I get something out of it. Remember, I am doing this for YOU ALL. FREE OF CHARGE!). Well, that was longer than expected so we will make this short with…

Powerlifting/Strongman– Please, no one be offended. I know these are different. Powerlifting is essentially performing bench press, deadlifts and squats. You do it in a weight class, and you can do it raw (no fancy braces or shirts) or equipped with some items including belts to help you. You try to get a max weight of each and at an elite level, you have monster numbers for all three. Everyone has their best lift here. In the Olympics, you get three attempts at each. I don’t know much more except that to train for powerlifting you perform reps for strength and well… power. Do not think your bodybuilding reps will carry over, a bodybuilding bench press and a powerlifting bench press are VERY different.

Strongman, I believe is the origin of powerlifting. If you watch the MET-RX World’s Strongest Man Competition you will get a very good idea. These men and women are massively powerful and have surprisingly good agility, speed, quickness, endurance, etc. These are ELITE athletes and their bodies reflect their ability to lift, throw, and carry massive objects. They deadlift cars, squat monster truck tires, carry buckets of stones in circles, pull trucks and more. I believe this sport has a very high risk of injury so proceed with caution. (Powerlifting isn’t the safest either, IMO, but Strongman is a whole different story.) If you are getting into strongman, don’t assume you will have this ripped physique. Their fat protects their body from injury and provides a padding for the three hundred pound rocks they hold against their chest and stomach.

Yoga – Do not be macho about this. Yoga is not easy. If you asked any of the above, with no previous Yoga experience, to take an advanced class, 99% of the time they would not do well at all. It requires flexibility, focus, relative strength, and so much more. I sincerely recommend Yoga as a supplement to all athletes. It helped me a lot in the past. It comes in all forms, from beginner to advanced. 100% approved by me.

Endurance Sports/Triathlon – Now I am getting lazy, obviously, but I did say this wouldn’t be the best guide ever. Maybe one day in the future. Endurance sports take a certain crazy individual that can tolerate repetition. You NEED to get in a groove to run 26 miles, bike 112 miles, and swim 2.5 miles. (26.2 and 2.4 so no one goes crazy on me) That is the extreme distance obviously, there are far shorter races and some people don’t even want to race. They enjoy training and staying in shape. Most endurance athletes are light and lean. Remember to watch your body fat, don’t let it drop too low and be careful! Cycling on a highway is dangerous. Cycling on a highway, listening to music is more dangerous. And when you creep into a lane for cars because you want to ride next to your partner and talk, that’s just a risk not worth taking. Aim to compete in Kona World Championships because Karlyn Pipes told me it is beautiful there.

Aquatics/Swimming– Obviously, I am very biased here. Teaching people how to swim is my specialty. It is challenging because you can’t just breathe whenever you want. In scuba, you can if your equipment works well. In aqua-aerobics, aqua zumba, deep water running, etc you can but here is the major benefit of aquatics. Little to NO impact. Save your knees, save your ankles, save your hips and get in a nice warm pool. You can get in the water when you’re 6 months old, pregnant, physically disabled (if supervised), elderly, etc. It can forge strong athletes with attractive bodies or help an elderly person exercise for a long time. Ask me about any specific aquatic questions.

“Sports”– In my opinion, if an athlete is equally skilled at everything I listed, they will usually choose sports as the most enjoyable means of exercise. By sports, I am referring to tennis, basketball, soccer, football, lacrosse, hockey, water polo, rugby, volleyball, baseball, etc. You get the point, track and field etc. that whole family that can be recreational or highly competitive. These sports are fun because of the nature of the competition, the social aspect and the unique features that make them all different from one another. Sports can and should, usually, be combined with other training methods to produce the best results, essentially, winning. Many football players lift weights to increase size and strength. Sports are a great way of creating a very natural body.

On a personal note, I have a much larger and stronger lower body, compared to my upper. That is a result of the massive amounts of basketball, soccer, tennis, and similar sports I played growing up. That just happens and it makes you unique. Sports can be expensive, depending on the sport. Ultimate frisbee is not expensive but can burn some serious calories and get your heart rate very high. Golf will however provide nearly the exact opposite. Give every sport a try and either play them all or choose your favorite. Join a league and practice in order to not only stay in a great active state of being but also have fun!

And I will stop here with a final note. I don’t discriminate, much, in fitness. If a program gets people off the couch and into a facility, with or without a coach, and helps them better their health and wellness, and puts them in a good mood, I can’t complain much. I didn’t mention home workouts such as Insanity or P90X because they are what they are and I won’t stop anyone from doing them. Just remember, when you are alone, the risk of serious injury or doing an exercise incorrectly increases a lot. I also obviously have “something” against cookie-cutter programs BUT with that being said, these home workouts HAVE made more people workout and for that I am thankful. I didn’t mention martial arts, which I normally would have, because I would have too much to say about. Just know that I fully support martial arts as a means of achieving many health and fitness related goals. Also, please don’t judge someone because their method is different than yours. Respect bar athletes and calisthenics (see my post about Barstarzz for more info), respect cheerleaders (I say it’s a sport and they are athletes), and appreciate what good people are trying to do and make the general fitness community as supportive as the CF community. With that being said, please follow this link (this came out of nowhere, I feel like I should do this) and help him recover. You might think the $140,000 raised so far will cover the cost, but he doesn’t have insurance, and trust me… it will not even come close. Recognize, respect, and support one another.

H&F

If you read that whole post, wow. It was almost 3000 words. You are my new favorite people. Stay hungry and fit 😉

Question of the Day: What is your workout/exercise type of choice?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah giving kisses

Jan162014

Burgerfuel vs Burger Wisconsin (Kiwi Series)

No contest. Burgerfuel wins. In all honesty, I never got to have a Burger Wisconsin burger but they should not open at 5:00 p.m. at so many locations (they didn’t open until late!). Burgerfuel served me the largest item on their secret menu at 9:00 a.m. That won my heart. With that being said, I will say nothing more about Burger Wisconsin, to be fair. (Editor’s Note: after we left New Zealand, my brother was able to get Burger Wisconsin as it finally opened, and he said it was pretty tasty. Looking forward to trying it next time around)

The first Burgerfuel burger I had was in Taupo, New Zealand. It is a chain based out of NZ that has locations in Australia, Iran, UAE, Dubai, and Sudan. (I could be totally wrong about the last three… I think two are correct.) So was the second, no more than 14 hours later. That was the impression it made on me. And these are not inexpensive burgers… they cost a ton. And I still went back.

Part of the huge family at Lake Taupo, New Zealand

First course, The Bastard. This is the largest item on their public menu. Off their website, it contains, “1/3 pound 100% pure NZ grass fed beef, melted cheddar, bacon, beetroot, juicy mango, avocado, salad, relish and fresh natural BF aioli.” It cost about $13. I didn’t get fries or a drink but someone else in our group did. Their spud fries and kumara fries were both delicious. It is supposedly 1200 calories and went down easy. The meat was cooked well and the condiments made it one of the MOST DELICIOUS BURGERS I HAVE EVER HAD. The beetroot, mango and avocado were fresh and top-notch pieces. The trademark aioli and relish caused salivation.

The Bastard

Second course, The Ultimate Greedy Bastard. Add a second 1/3 pound patty, a piece of their chicken, and an egg. There might have been one more item. This one is not on the menu, it is above The Greedy Bastard on the secret menu revealed by an employee after I complained The Bastard was too small. It was about $24 and was so good for a breakfast sandwich. I had a hard time finishing the last tenth of it. I have no ideas how many calories or grams of protein/carbs/fats it had. The employees had awesome customer service skills. The facility was clean and had an inviting but cool vibe.

EPIC! Ultimate Greedy Bastard

Trying to get my mouth around it (Aunt Raewyn in the background)

Finally, Burgerfuel invented the DOOFER. A picture is below but it is essentially a burger holder so you don’t make a mess! What an amazing idea, plus they are made of 100% recycled material. Everyone else who got a chicken sandwich and fries enjoyed their meal. I would have liked the opportunity to sample more of their menu but so far I am very impressed.

So if you are in any of the countries listed above try to stop by a Burgerfuel and let me know what you think of it! Five Guys, Smashburger, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and even In-n-Out doesn’t compare.(Alana will kill me for that last one!) This is just based off the quality of a single sandwich at each, not the meal as a whole. In-n-Out wins in that category. More New Zealand/Kiwi posts coming up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

P.S. – Burger Wisconsin, if you want to compete, open earlier! Burgers should be available for lunch, says I!

If you want to see more of our New Zealand pictures, follow us on instagram! @nanatiger and @hungryandfit!

Question of the Day: Where is your favorite burger, whether its made of beef, chicken, tofu, or any vegan option!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah literally fell asleep between my feet last night in about 5 seconds

Jan142014

What I Learned from New Zealand

Sadly, we are back from our 2-week trip to New Zealand. This is my fourth time there (my mum is from there and her huge family), and Chris’ first time. Every time I think about how we aren’t there anymore, I feel like I’m going to cry…and I don’t really cry. There are going to be loads of posts about New Zealand coming up, about food, fitness, guides to cities and so forth. Lots of good stuff. I wanted to keep this returning post to the point. Here are a few things I learned on this trip to New Zealand:

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. The people of New Zealand (the Kiwis) are incredibly down-to-earth. They don’t take themselves too seriously, for the most part, and are there simply to live and do what makes them happy. I think loads of people in the States and elsewhere could take a page from their book in this lesson.

my aunt Raewyn and uncle Michael at Huka Falls (they’re twins believe it or not)

2. Family first. I already knew this one, but this trip hit it home once again. My mum is one of eight siblings which means I have a huge family over there. As I visit more and more as I am an adult, my relationships and bonds with them grow deeper. Chris, my brother and his girlfriend, and I toured the South Island together for the first time and it was wonderful. But sometimes I found myself wishing that we were back at Nana’s, sitting around, roaring with laughter. I miss them so much now. Seeing them once every few years is just not enough!

From left to right, top to bottom: Aunt Raewyn and I, Kai and Sophie, Aunt Carolyn and I

3. Live simple. This goes for many people of New Zealand, not all, but many. They may own huge pieces of land, but a lot of it is just that–land. The beauty of New Zealand speaks for itself and you would be a fool to miss it. It was always my end goal to end up in New Zealand (as I am a citizen there), but I find myself wanting to move there sooner and sooner to live that kind of life! I remember this place on Akaroa (beautiful spot on the South Island) of this fish stand on the wharf where the guy would go out fishing (click site here), bring in the catch of the day several times of the day, and either sell the fish raw or cook some fish and chips up. That life sounds awesome to me.

Off the wharf in Akaroa

4. Don’t be afraid to spend money. This one is tough because we obviously aren’t all made of money. This certainly goes for Chris and I. We spent quite a bit of money down there and wanted to do even more! If you want to do something that you know you’ll regret later if you don’t, just cough it up and do it. You can always work more when you get home (as we are doing now).

Food is expensive there!

5. Don’t judge others and just let go. So that side of the family…when everyone gets together we are incredibly loud and almost always make a scene wherever we go because of how ridiculous everyone is. That being said, we got looks from people everywhere we went! But not angry looks, more of amusement. Just realizing that should make people second-guess judging people just because they are a little loud and…different.

Chris found a big stick…

Just because I don’t have the entirety of my mum’s thousands of pictures yet, I have to show you a daily thing between my family (this is last trip in 2011)

A constant reaction from me and imagine that multiplied by about 10

6.Just sit down and look outside. This is huge!! If you don’t sit down and look outside in New Zealand, I have to call you an idiot. But this goes for wherever you are. Find beauty in everything. Find a moment just to sit down outside, look at the sky, mountains, plains, whatever you have. I did this lots of times by myself and with company to just enjoy mother nature.

Just before a sunset at Lake Taupo, North Island

7. There’s always a reason to smile. Even if someone is going through a rough patch in my family, they always find a way to smile or laugh. And I mean always. Whether it’s through pranks, family love, or just having a conversation, you will never ever ever see a lack of smiles on my kiwi family’s faces. And I honestly believe that it’s good for you. People don’t laugh as much here!

Us on the ferry to the South Island

8. Do what makes you happy. This connects with a few other points. There are so many ways that we complicate life nowadays and strive for things that we think can somehow create happiness. Or sometimes happiness isn’t the goal anymore. That makes me crazy! I need to bring it to my own life as well. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, don’t make an excuse to go do something that will bring joy to you. That real happiness that is deep within. Get it!

Picking cherries with Sophie for instance…

9. Fresh fish is the only way to go. I didn’t have to worry about whether fish was farmed or not to the places we went to eat at, it was all caught that day pretty much with a few exceptions! I can’t even describe how good the fish is there. Probably the best fish and chips I had was some that my Aunt Pam and Uncle/Godfather John cooked. Absolutely amazing. Don’t know how much fish and chips I ate there. Go fresh or go home.

Drooling constantly.

10. Switch off. I didn’t use my phone much over there (except for pictures) because I hadn’t unlocked it so I would get a billion roaming and international charges. On the South Island, there was rarely any internet. For Americans, it’s sadly tough to go without these things. But I found it to be liberating and really nice for most of the time. Sure we all swarmed the internet when we got it, but otherwise we forgot about it. We just drove through the windy hills, steep cliffs, and by the ocean and just looked out and enjoyed each other. I am personally going to try to avoid being on my phone all the time, and just enjoy what’s around me.

Not even accurate description of our sleep last night…brutal, jet-lag made us not fall asleep for a while!

I can’t wait to get all the other pictures from mum, Chris, Sophie, and so forth. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little sample of pictures and what I learned while I was there. I could go on and on, but it’s time for me to go to bed. To all my family reading this, I miss you!! Can’t wait to head on back to my future home. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Although I am super bummed not to be in NZ anymore, there are two cats that make it a little better

Jan092014

Keeping Fit While on a Hectic Schedule

This is a guest post from The Park Club. Follow The Park Club on Twitter for more health and fitness updates.

In today’s world, where everything is in fast pace and everybody is in a hurry, keeping fit becomes a challenge. But not to worry, as long as you are aware of it, many things can be done to address the challenge.

Eating the Right Food

Taking breakfast in the morning sustains the day’s activities. Without it, you can get agitated easily even with petty things in the work place. The meal need not be too heavy or you will feel sleepy. A balance plate with cereals, meat or fish, eggs, dairy, and fruits or juices should be enough.

At lunch time, a couple of sandwiches will do. Anyway, they are already complete with vegetables and cheese in them. But for rice eaters, a complete meal is still good like a cup of soup to start the meal, a main course, a salad maybe, and a dessert, of course the rice too.

Dinner can be a lot heavier depending on the days of the week; weekdays may only have shorter time for evening meals than weekends. Dinners can be for soup, appetizers, a main course or two, desserts, and probably coffee or tea to end the meal.

You should also be conscious of meal intervals; taking heavy meals within 3 to 4 hours and light snacks in 2 hours in between. Of course, there are times you will miss these, but that’s okay. It’s normal.

Wow, but with a hectic schedule how could that be possible? It’s easy. Start by planning ahead of time. With proper attitude and constant regularization of the habit, everything is possible.

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep becomes rare when you are in a hectic schedule. Seven to eight hours of sleep is good for adults. Sleeping has been part of us since the time we were born, yet this could be a problem to many if they are too busy. Too many worries can delay sleeping. Stresses at work are brought home until the time of sleep. Try as much as possible to unload the stresses and worries before going to sleep. You can do it by talking to someone, writing it down in a journal, or praying it to the Lord.

You must find time to sleep. Just as you are running to meet deadlines, equally important is getting enough sleep to last a lifetime.

Doing Appropriate Exercises

Exercising relieves stress and aids in enhancing sleep. After work you can walk, swim, or workout. Choose the kind of workout that suits you taking into consideration the health assessment of yourself and after having seen your doctor so he can advise on the type of exercise you will take.

Look at kids; they are very active during the day and sleep well through the night. Why is that? It’s because they are already tired. People can easily get stressed out nowadays because their works deal mostly with mental exercise rather that physical. Exercising therefore removes the stress by providing tiredness after the activity, enough to make us fall asleep. When we wake up the next day; surely it will be a brand new day.

Jan012014

Fit’s 2014 Goals

Kia Ora from Auckland, New Zealand. As we are desperately trying to stay up past 8pm in our sleep-deprived, jet-lagged state, I decided to post my goals for the upcoming year as they’ve been milling in my mind. We’ll see how long it goes…

1. Be less insensitive. I’ve gotten a few requests for this, especially those I am close with. I need to slow down and understand others’ feelings more and accept them. Always put yourself in their shoes.

2. Stay clean. Eating, that is. For me, I really have the exercising down. I love to do it. I love to get strong and feel that power. It makes me happy. But I also love to eat–which is fine! But it needs to be moderated. I want to stay true with my clean eating with the exception of a few meals to splurge on. I know my body loves it.

3. Don’t try to change others. This is a big one. I’ve wrestled with it for a while, going back and forth on it. I think it’s really important to not try to change others. Sure, you can have your influences, but don’t try to draw a picture that they just don’t fit into. You got to accept them and take them as they are. Make peace with it and you will be happier.

My lovely mum

4. Write more. I know I blog often, but I mean more than the blog. Just practicing the skill and having fun with it. It just takes a little bit every day.

5. Push harder. There’s always one more rep or just a few more minutes. I can always push harder. Sometimes I see exercise as a chore (well, depending on my mood and energy level), but I want to see it more as my hobby as I often do and plug in more and more hours into it. There’s always more you can do!

6. Patience. Patience patience patience. Isn’t this something we all struggle with? I sure do. With everything. Especially with a new puppy coming soon into the family, I’m gonna need patience all the time. Meditation will be a big part of this, taking big breaths, and putting everything into perspective. It always helps.

7. Meditate more. This is the key! I find that when I meditate regularly, things come into more clarity. I feel better, lighter, and more at peace. This will help me with all my goals, and I need to actually understand and adhere to this. All it takes is 2-3 minutes a day. Not that much when you think about it.

I’ll stop with seven, since that’s my favorite number. I think that’s a fair amount of goals to chase after, and having this post will allow me to look back on it whenever I need motivation. I will also pin it up next to my desk so I can see it every day. Never give up, never surrender! Write out your goals to stay hungry and fit!