When it comes to exercise options, aerobics have been around since the beginning of the exercise craze. Many of us can remember our mothers sweating it out to an aerobics tape in our living rooms as children. What is the appeal of this type of exercise, and will it help you to reach your health goals, or are there potential dangers associated with aerobics?
In order to understand the benefits and risks of this form of exercise, you must first learn what aerobics are. Aerobics refer to any form of exercise that works to get your heart rate up for an extended period of time through the use of large muscle groups at a steady pace. This also causes an increase in breathing, increasing the amount of oxygen flowing through your body. Typically, your target heart rate for an aerobic exercise routine will be between 100 and 175 beats per minute, depending on your age and fitness level.
Aerobics carry many benefits. People who are regularly involved in aerobic exercise routines have a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, and a myriad of other dangerous health conditions. Besides lowering these risks, aerobics also strengthen your heart, which is itself a muscle. This means the heart more efficiently pumps blood through your body, helping you feel strong and energized.
When you do aerobics you breath hard. This helps improve the efficiency of your respiratory system. Also, you burn tremendous amounts of calories when using an aerobics routine, so this helps you decrease your overall body fat. If you maintain a regular routine of aerobic exercise, you will be able to stay more active as you get older.
So what about risks associated with aerobic exercise? The risks of aerobics vary depending on the type of diet program you are doing. Some people will experience joint pain or injury if they are involved in a high impact routine. However, a simple brisk walk can be aerobic exercise if you keep your heart rate high enough, so this does not have to be a risk. Individuals with existing heart conditions can put themselves at risk of heart trouble if they raise their heart rates too high, so they should talk to their doctors about an acceptable heart rate during exercise. Otherwise, there are few risks associated with this form of exercise, so talk to your doctor and get started today. You should aim for 30 minutes of aerobics at least three times a week to help you achieve better health.
I’ve blogged before in various capacities and on various sites, but I’ve never had my very own actual blog, so here I am.
First of all: why I’m here. I want to blog about getting, and staying, in shape and being healthy. I want to talk about my wedding, which I think is going to be pretty neat. That’s about it for now.
A little bit about me: I’m in my mid-twenties and live in the Midwest. In May of 2007 I met, and started dating, my fiance, T. I was so madly in love I stopped working out and ate out far more than was advisable. I gained about 30 pounds, putting my already overweight frame at an even 200 pounds on June 6, 2008. Shocked, I immediately started losing weight by simply cutting calories and working out (mostly cardio exercise, like running).
By December 2008, I was down to 150 pounds. Since I’m 5′6″, it looked pretty good on me. However, I wanted to get stronger and more in shape, so I began lifting weights. I bought the book “The New Rules of Lifting for Women” and did the program religiously from December to May 2009, when I graduated from law school and moved to a totally new state with my fiance. (I was almost finished, but didn’t quite get there.) While weightlifting, I added about 5 pounds of pure muscle and was 155 pounds, lean and mean, and really happy with my body.
From May 2009 to now, I’ve been dealing with living in a new, unfamiliar town with no friends, studying for the bar exam, and unemployment. Oh, and planning a wedding. All the stress made me put on about 7 pounds (and not good muscle ones)! I took about 4 weeks off the gym at the end of July/beginning of August to study for the bar, take the bar, and go on a vacation. I’m about 162ish pounds right now, and my jeans are a little snug for my liking.
Now I’m back in the gym, and determined to get in the best shape of my life thus far for my wedding day. I’m not quite sure how I’ll do it, but I will. (I suspect the solution will involve a healthy combination of cardio I enjoy, heavy weightlifting, and eating lots of healthy food.)
For the record, I don’t believe in low-calorie diets. I eat 1800 calories a day, minimum, and much more if I’m working out hard. My philosophy is that my body is a machine, and it needs good fuel to run well. I’m not perfect–I usually eat at least one really indulgent meal a week. I try to avoid high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, but I’m not going to panic over a little white pasta now and then. I work out hard and I’m not afraid of gigantic barbells and the weight room.
Wedding-wise, we’re planning a 200 person wedding in the Chicago area in May of next spring. We’re going for a very spring-y feel, with our main color scheme being pinks, aqua blue, and champagne gold. I’ll have several posts getting you up to speed on everything we’ve planned so far!
I’ll hopefully have a good mix of wedding-related and fitness-related posts, with a little bit of random stuff here and there. I don’t plan to post pictures of my food every single day, because I eat the same breakfast pretty much every day and will often eat the same lunch several days in a row, too. But if there’s anything worthwhile, I’ll let you know!
I believe I’m starting to understand how students gain the “Freshman 15″. At first I was confused. After all, our dining hall is only open for two meals a day and only for 1 1/2 for each meal. Half the time we [my roommates and I] skip meals simply because we didn’t make to the hall before it closed. Add the skipping meals to the exercise of walking everyday and if anything we should be losing weight, not gaining it… but well… that’s not so much true.
Missing a meal at the dining hall I’ve found equals snacking in the dorm room or eating out at a fast food restaurant. Both alternatives generally exceed the amount of calories otherwise eaten by probably at least 200 calories. Even more if two meals are missed–which happens pretty often. But meals eaten in the dining hall aren’t exactly calorie-light either. At least the college is getting progressive now by posting the calories and serving sizes for the food offered. Now it just needs to get a little more progressive by offering foods that aren’t on average 350 calories per serving (and that’s just ONE side dish). The only way to leave serving line without half a day’s worth of calories is to basically leave the plate with more white space than not. Hardly an appetizing meal.
There really isn’t a negative to walking, however as the season shifts and winter approaches the amount of walking will decrease while the amount of bus riding will significantly increase.
Thus, if it’s easy to gain the Freshman 15 and hard to avoid the Freshman 15… losing 15 pounds à la the Freshman -15 [?] will be extremely difficult. But I am determined. By October 2nd (4 weeks, 5 days) I want to be 15 pounds lighter. To tackle this I will…
– Drink LOTS of water and avoid soda
– Eat at LEAST 4 meals a day and not skip meals
– AVOID mindless snacking
– Exercise (walking to class doesn’t count) at least 3 days a week
I used to procrastinate on almost everything, but especially on tackling my weight problem. I used these lines several times over the years…
I’ll start tomorrow.
I’ll get started on Monday.
Just wait until the new year.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you have used a couple of those yourself.
It took me a while, but I finally realized that in order to lose 50 pounds (or 75, or 100), I had to lose 1 pound first. If I didn’t lose the first one, I couldn’t lose the second one.
Losing 1 pounds is a whole lot less intimidating that 100. It’s a goal that almost everyone could achieve. And when the goal seems achievable, getting started is easier.
So when do you start?
18th Century British writer Mary Wollstonecraft gives us clear guidance…
The beginning is always today.
Start today. Start now. Go for a walk. Eat healthier starting with your very next meal. Set a goal of losing 1 pound. When you hit that one, set a goal of losing another pound.
Step by step, pound by pound, the weight will come off. But you have to get started.
My butt, legs and shoulders hurt. Yes, even individuals like I, who have been working out my entire life is gets sore. Why is that? Because of a change in a workout routine, program, speed, the number of sets or repetitions. But in my case, it was again Volleyball.
And this is the question that comes up many times from clients who are sore after workouts: Should I train a sore muscle?
I am sure you have heard before that you should rest till your muscle soreness depleted. But is that so? Or can you, should you workout the following day when you are experience soreness?
Many studies have confirmed that you should be doing exactly that: Workout again the following day after you experience soreness.
Why? Soreness is a build up of lactic acid in your muscle. You have two options: either don’t workout till your body breaks down the acid or workout the following day to open the muscle channels again to transport the lactic acid out of the muscles.
The fist one is not the recommended approach if your goal objective is building a leaner, more toned body to look better naked … and in clothes.
The second option is one that I highly recommend and is proven scientifically. When you experience soreness, workout again, but not with the same repetitions and weight. Rather, choose a different workout. For example, if you did strength training with high repetitions and lighter weight, your next workout should focus on fewer repetitions and higher weight. Or you could choose to do a movement conditioning program.
In conclusion, even if your metabolic recovery has not occurred, you can train again as it doesn’t impair your recovery process. For detailed information on these studies, look for:
Chen, TC and S.S. Hsieh. The effects of a seven-day repeated eccentric training on recovery from muscle damage. Med. Sci. Sports Exrc. 31(5 Supp) pp. S71, 1999.
Nosaka K and M Newton. Repeated eccentric exercise bouts do not exacerbate muscle damage and repair. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 Feb;16(1):117-22.
I will teach you strategies such as those mentioned above—and more–in the upcoming www.easyandsimpleweightloss.com program.
I am exited to open up the doors September 7th 2009.
Every day our lives are full of demands on our time. We juggle a wide array tasks. Our jobs, families, social lives, and routine activities of every day life all draw time from our day.
Over the past three decades the speed of life has also increased as technology advances have allowed us to receive and send information faster than ever before. Priorities and time management are essential for keeping everything straight.
Before you know it your forty years old, and 20 or 30 pounds over the weight you graduated from high school. What happened?
The Center for Disease Control now estimates that 61% of U.S. adults are now overweight or obese. The rate of obesity in the U.S. has nearly tripled in past three decades, and the increased rate in diabetes has doubled in the past twenty years. The rate of obesity in children 12 -19 years old has tripled since 1976.
This is the healthcare crisis!!
Nutrition and Exercise is the key. Simple changes can make a huge difference!
Blog back me back if you are interested in learning more.
Well I reached the 180s! My goal was 189lbs, but I am .5 shy of that….oh well. I am still pretty happy about the loss, because I have still been recovering from surgery. I’m not really exercising and I haven’t been eating great, just okay.
Today Kim and I are going to Atlantic City. I better enjoy it, because sometime next week is when I start working out again, and eating much better. I hope the weather is nice this weekend, but it doesn’t look like it. Maybe we will just hang in the hotel a little more
Some key ideas that I have seen in a number of books on health, weight loss and nutrition:
(1) Eat calorie sparse foods but nutrient dense foods. When you eat a chocolate bar or even a nutrition bar, they have calories concentrated in “small packages.” You can eat this quite fast and still feel hungry and you have eaten lost of calories. Compare this with eating a salad with lots of vegetables. To get the same amount of calories, you would need to eat a lot more salad . The salad has lots of nutrients, but is calorie sparse. And the size of the salad will fill up your stomach and make you feel full. Additionally, it takes longer to eat the salad than a candy bar, so this also gives you body the chance to register the “I have eaten and I feel full” signal. See for example, Eat To Live by J Fuhrman.
(2) Eat slowly and more mindfully (pay attention/savor the foods) Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Susan Albers
(3) Exercise
(4) Practice relaxation (see wellness resources on www.GlennIsHere.com or www.GlennIsGreen.com)
meditation, guided imagery, Tai Chi, Yoga, Qigong, Breathing Exercises, etc.
(5) Decrease consumption of animal products. Eat more plant foods. Look at books, such as Eat To Live, The China Study, Healthy at 100, etc.
(6) Don’t overeat. See for example, The Life-Transforming Diet By David J. Zulberg
Smaller dishes= smaller portions= better for you.
(7) Don’t buy the junk food that you binge on and can’t stop eating. I use this one.
See Also: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by W. Willett. and see www.DrWeil.com for lots of information on healthy eating and the anti inflammatory foor pyramid.
M. Beck: The Beck Diet Solution.
Hope this information is useful to you.
-Glenn
Note: I am not a health professional. This information is for educational purpose only. It is not a substitute for professional guidance (medical, etc.) Please consult your health professional before making any changes.
Okay, I must admit that for the last 4 days I’ve wanted to eat everything in sight that wasn’t nailed down. That’s not exactly true, I don’t overeat a ton, but I do frequently make point-unfriendly food choices and this week I’ve just wanted to eat things that were not point appropriate. I’m so glad I’m taking the weekends off. Today, was no exception and unfortunately I gave in and had a double McDonald’s experience – which didn’t help my plan or my mood in general; ah the fleeting joys of eating crap cuisine. Tomorrow morning I weigh in and I will know my starting point for losing 101 pounds, plus I’m going to have the hubby take the official “before photos” – urgh, not looking forward to that. So many parts of my body look like ham hocks that you’ll want to throw me in a pot and make some split pea soup…but I digress.
So today, even though I ate all take-out food/fast-food I stuck with it all day. I’m proud of me because I wanted to go off so bad. I don’t exactly know why? Perhaps it’s so much structure that I want to buck it at times. I dunno, I have 361 days to figure it out. On the health side, I called the physician and they still haven’t received any of the results from the stress test so I’m still waiting…patience is not one of my virtues either. Basically I want to know so that I can get my act together with exercising. Oh well, tick tock.
Even with some of my problems today I stuck with it and managed to come out a winner in the end. Plus, I even put my Project Runway on hold to finish Lesson 4 of my German on Rosetta Stone. I’m proud of myself how much I’ve remembered, however it is getting harder. I need to keep it up and keep going – I do think I’m driving Jim crazy naming all the things in the room that I know the German word for.
Now, to watch my Project Runway…
Oh, and I put out a call to my friends on Facebook to see if anyone is courageous enough to eat my first culinary adventure in Rick Bayless’ Mexico…I’ll let you know who takes the bait (going to make it on Sunday). In the meantime, here’s what I ate today:
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Morning
2 cup(s) water
0
2 item(s) Breakfast Breakfast Burrito
14.5
Subtotal
14.5
Midday
1 serving(s) Musselman’s Healthy Picks Raspberry Acai
1
10 piece(s) Chicken McNuggets, Large
12
24 fl oz Diet Coke
0
Subtotal
13
Evening
1 serving(s) Subway Club Salad
2
1 serving(s) Subway 2 Half Cirlces of Provolone
1
2 serving(s) Subway Olive Oil Topping
2.5
Subtotal
5.5
Anytime
3 cup(s) water
0
20 item(s) Baked Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips
3
Subtotal
3
Food POINTS values total used
36
Food POINTS values remaining
0
Activity
No entries for activity.
Activity POINTS values earned
0
Check off these important items daily:
Liquids
Milk & Milk Products
Fruit & Vegetables
Multivitamin/Mineral
Healthy Oil
Activity
Lean Protein
Whole Grains
Now tomorrow is weigh in day. Always good to know where I’m starting out! Write again on the morrow.
A goal without a reason is like a car without an engine. Writing down goals is never enough to accomplish them. Just look at all of the New Year’s resolutions set across the world every year. Usually, they’re the same ones that weren’t accomplished the year before. Most people get pretty excited about listing their resolutions. So why is it that they stop trying to accomplish them in less than two weeks? Most workout programs focus only on the goals – lose 20 pounds. They leave out “why” they need to lose the weight and people soon fall off track.
A goal can easily be abandoned if strong reasons for its achievement are not attached to them. Let’s look at one of those resolutions: getting in shape. The sale of gym memberships, workout gear, and fitness books explodes during the weeks before and after New Year’s. Many businesses benefit from all of your New Year’s resolutions. When will you? The strength of your reason determines the level of your success. When people attempt to accomplish goals without reasons that motivate them, they lose focus. Without reasons, your goals will fade away more and more each day. After awhile, it can be difficult to even identify them. Strong reasons will keep your goals crystal clear.
Whenever you attempt to accomplish something great, you’ll probably notice that fate has a unique way of putting obstacles in your path. Every time I have set goals, I have encountered a challenge in my life; sometimes, multiple challenges. When tough times come, and they will, you have to have strong reasons to weather the storm. Gina and I found that merely having a goal was never enough to get us through the challenging times. It was always the reasons behind our goals that provided us with the strength to overcome our obstacles.
Transferring your dreams onto paper is like transplanting a tree. If all you do is just move the tree, but you leave the roots behind, the tree won’t last long. Neither will your goals without their reasons! There are thousands of books about setting and accomplishing goals. But, very few that actually discuss the power of focusing on your “reasons” for achieving your goals. Why you are doing something is always more important than what you are doing. If you don’t have strong reasons, your goals are nothing more than words on a page.
So you want to Lose 10 pounds quickly. You can if you stick with a good guide and know the secrets to losing 10 pounds.
Read on for three secrets for losing weight fast
First, stay focused and working towards your goal.
Persist! Do you know that many people give up right before they experience a real break thru with weight loss?
Do you quit mowing the lawn after 10 minutes? Neither should you quit your diet guide after just a few days.
Second, Pick a good 10 pound weight loss plan.
It would be nice if you could just pop a diet pill and feel the 10 pounds vanish from your body. It does not have to be overly painful, but you will need to adjust what you eat and get on a great diet. Of all the diets to choose from, you want one that works. Click the link below to find some.
Some diet wills allow you to lose 10 pounds in just two weeks! Make sure you find a good one that works.
Third, increase your metabolism.
To drop 10 pounds quickly you will want to increase how fast your body burns calories. You must up your metabolism rate. This is not hard, just move around/exercise more.
Every day get out and move around for 22 + minutes.
=> Fast walking
=> Jogging
=> Push ups
=> Biking, etc
You can drop up to a pound a week with 25 minutes of good vigorous exercise.
Yes, exercise is important if you want to lose 10 pounds quickly. keep using these ideas and your weight should drop Lose 10 Pounds Quickly Lose 10 Pounds Quickly
Losing 10 pounds quickly is not hard. Yes, it takes some effort but you can lose 10 pounds quickly.
You are going to definetly want remember three tips for weight loss
First, stay focused and working towards your goal.
Don’t get discouraged and throw it the towel. Keep your eyes on your goal of losing 10 pounds and don’t quit. Do you know that many people give up right before they experience a real break thru with weight loss?
Do you quit mowing the lawn after 10 minutes? Neither should you quit your diet roadmap after just a few days.
Second, Choose a good/diet to help you drop the 10 pounds.
It would be nice if you could just pop a diet pill and feel the 10 pounds vanish from your body. A good diet will help the fat be blowtorched off you body and to be able to reduce a couple clothes sizes. There are some easy to follow diets. Check out the link below for some good recommendations.
Make sure you find a descent diet that works. Some will help you reduce 10 pounds in 14 days.
Third, exercise to burn more calories and lose weight.
To lose 10 pounds quickly you will want to increase how fast your body burns calories. You must up your metabolism rate. This is not hard, just move around/exercise more.
Every day get out and move around for 2 + minutes.
=> Fast walking
=> Jogging
=> Push ups
=> Biking, etc
Sending 22 minutes of exercise a morning can help you lose a pound of fat a week. This only applies if you don’t increase your calories intake.
I know its not real sexy, but exercise will hep you lose weight and lose it fast. Lose 10 Pounds Quickly Lose 10 Pounds Quickly
It has been a crazy summer and I apologize for my absence from the blog, but fall reinvigorates us all! I am back with more client questions, videos and more info than ever before!
One question I got consistently throughout the summer months was about snacking! Ohh, the drama! I get many clients asking what to do when their cravings get away from them and they find themselves vegging out on the couch with a huge bag of chips. Worry not dear Body Templars, I have simple, easy and will-power free solutions for your snacking problems!
What to eat? This is usually number one in the snacking inquiries. What is a good snack, how much should I be eating and what should I avoid?
1. A good snack has a little bit of protein, a small amount of carbohydrates and little sugar, especially refined white sugar. Some of my personal favs are
Apples and cheese ( or peanut butter)
Whole grain crackers and cheese ( cranberry cheese is the best!)
Whole grain toast with peanut butter ( add some hemp seeds for an extra boost)
A real smoothie ( only fruit, juice and yogurt or milk, no added sugars)
Sliced fruit of any description ( this is a great time to eat seasonally, so check out the farmer’s market or fruit market near you for delicious, fresh fruit)
Veggies & Dip
Half a sandwich or wrap
Peanut butter & banana ( no bread required, just spread a little peanut butter on the banana before each bite, no garbage to throw out either!)
2. How much should I eat? A snack is called a snack for a reason! This is not an excuse to take in a full meals’ worth of calories. Television ads would have you believe that 100 calories is the most you would want in a snack, but I say it depends on what is in those 100 calories. If you are eating a snack sized amount of Oreos, then yes, 100 calories should be your max, but if you are eating fruit or veggies as the bulk of the snack, you shouldn’t feel limited by the 100 calorie ideal. I like to use a small plate ( ie dessert plate) or Tupperware container to figure out my portions.
Choosing a smaller plate or container will make it appear that your snack is larger than it is, which will keep you from second guessing your portions and eating twice as much as you need. I generally say, if you can’t eat it all in under 10 minutes without having chipmunk cheeks, then you’ve got too much in front of you.
You can also use the ‘palm’ method. Look at your hand face up, the palm of your hand shouldn’t be smaller than the super hero ingredient in your snack ( ie the banana in bananas and peanut butter) and you should have no more than 3 fingers worth of the side kick to your snack ( ie the peanut butter in the same scenario). Your hand varies from mine, just like stomach size does, so use your own hand to measure if that is your choice.
3. What should you avoid? I’ve touched on this already, trying to avoid refined sugars as well as white flour are a great start. You also want to avoid eating anything that has no energy besides sugar, as it will give you that late afternoon crash when the glucose runs out, that’s why a little protein and a few carbs can go a long way.
I also like to avoid heavy things, like red meats as they take awhile to digest and can effect your appetite for dinner ( I know, I sound like your mother, warning you not to ruin your appetite). This may sound good initially, as in, if you eat a larger snack and aren’t hungry for dinner, you’ll intake fewer calories over all. However, this strategy always ends up backfiring because if you don’t eat enough at dinner you often end up snacking again after dinner before bed. For the majority of people, eating right before bed is the worst possible time to eat as your body is inactive at the time of digestion so no extra calories are burned and the food is converted to fat. Not everyone is the same, but across the board, I think we can all agree it is healthier to eat a proper meal, that is well balanced at dinner time rather than eating a little bit of a well balanced meal at dinner and snacking later on whatever is available.
The final question I get frequently is about cravings and how to avoid the mindless or convenience snacking. Many people get hungry around mid-afternoon, we already know that, so let’s use that to our advantage!
In the morning when you are making your breakfast, plan your afternoon snack, do any labour required for preparation and put the finished snack into a bowl or Tupperware container to await your cravings. If you go to work, take the snack with you, and if you work from home, keep the snack at the front of the fridge until you get hungry. By planning ahead, you have taken away the most common excuse for eating unhealthy snacks which is the old ‘But, I don’t have time…’ line.
If the snack is ready and waiting for you, you won’t be as tempted to just grab something from the store, vending machine or bag of chips that need no preparation and no time commitment. Don’t give yourself the option of taking the easy way out and before you know it, you’ll be craving that afternoon peanut butter pick-me-up and sailing right by the vending machine without a thought!
The most important thing to remember is to set yourself up for success! No one else will do it for you, there is no magic apple slicing fairy waiting in your cupboard for your orders. Take charge of something simple like your snacks and before you know it you’ll be managing everything else with equal ease!
Please, send me your favorite afternoon snack and I’ll try them out, take pictures and post more great snack options in a future blog!
Current Level of Muffin Top in my Size 10 Jeans: Soon, when I do my piece on Muffin Tops…you will see.
I’m just going to throw this out there; Diet Ginger Ale? It isn’t fecking Ginger Ale.
It’s swill! Nauseating miscreant wannabe version of true flavor. I deny you dietary sodas! Well, normally I deny all soda, but I fear today, the presence of a Ginger Ale called to me and the longing in my heart won over my knowledge that the only satisfaction it would bring me was a good, body shaking belch, which I never have anymore since I gave up soda.
I had that. Twice so far. Yet, I have a third of the can left and I am pretty sure my intoxication with the beverage is well and gone.
Back to water we go.
It’s like those diet foods they market in the freezer section. They all claim to have only so many this or only so many that, but it turns out, to compensate for a complete absence of actual food or flavor, they douse it in Salt (sodium). I’d rather make an order of my homemade Turkey Taco Bake and gorge myself on that for a few days. Or even better, Ham and Orzo Salad! Hell yeah.
Wait, you don’t know these recipes. You’re losing out.
That shall be rememdied. I will make them both by week’s end and post them (with alluring culinary photography) and you may bask in ym culinary gifts with me! (And household will be chuffed. Who doesn’t like good food in the fridge when you’re hungry? I mean, really.)
I’ve tried three flavors and they are all good enough to eat without even mixing.
That, my friends, is amazing.
I used to be a muscle milk guy buy never again.
23 grams of protein, zero carbs, zero fat, zero sugar? Seriously? Sign me up for life.
If you are looking to lose weight, build muscle or you are just looking for some extra protein because you eat like trash then I highly recommend trying this stuff out.
Caribbean Cooler is my favorite. Apple ecstasy tastes like air heads and chocolate truffle makes me jizz in my pants.
Hey. Welcome to GamerGroom, a place I hope to share my life with as many random strangers as I can for the next 669 days.
This space will chronical my life as a 21 year old rising senior in college, an out of shape gaming fanatic, to a 23 year old graduate with (hopefully) a job, and a beautiful bride.
I welcome your comments, questions, or just your company on this journey, so stay tuned as this is going to be one hell of a ride.
There is a special bond between two females who share interest and enjoy each others company on a regular…but have you considered how the company you keep…you BFF might very well be having a big influence on your waist size. Eating is a very social activity and research has shown that women tend to eat more when they are in the company of their female counterparts. Women tend to met one another at places like the food court or at the all you can eat establishments…most having a variety of choices many stacked with calories.
So is there a way to help one another gain back the control so that you can continue to make healthier choices…yes…there are several strategies that you can use to help one another out. First..try to steer away from food courts and all you can eat establishments. My girlfriend and I order from the appetizer menu. We each will order one appetizer entree and then share with one another…we still get variety…and really limit the amount of food we will eat. If we find that the appetizer menu does not grab our taste delight, we will get two side orders (black beans and a vegetable medley) throw in an extra side of steamed shrimp and split among each other.. Sorry to say we also let them keep the basket of hot rolls. Alcohol has been replaced with water…that alone cuts anywhere between 200 to 500 calories per drink. As a rule, people who drink alcohol tend to stay longer at the table, consuming more food, thus adding on the calories. Dessert…if the restaurant does not offer a healthy version of “dessert”…BEWARE…reason being one of the well known restaurants average dessert packs 850 calories alone…so if you are not there to just have dessert that you are splitting…you need to discourage one another from indulging.
So with effort you can still enjoy the dining company of you BFF and watch each others waste line. Let me hear if you have any strategies to help shave the calories when you go out to eat with your girlfriends.
My Pearls of Health
Working 2gether 4 change 2 live a healthier lifestyle.
Today is Monday 8/24/09 the ninth day of my 365 adventure “weight loss with God.” Thinking of such a big task I have in front of me, I feel frail, and discouraged. I feel so little and my goal so out of reach. I feel lonely and sometimes in the middle of my thoughts I feel impotent. How can I ever reach this promised land? How can I ever defeat my enemies and take possession of was promised to me? My healthy body is my promised land, and each pound I need to lose is an enemy I need to defeat. Looking at what needs to be conquered with my human eyes makes me afraid and lost. Did Joshua felt the same way? Did he feel the task trusted to him could not be completed? I believe so because in the Bible we can find God talking to Joshua saying, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 3:10).
I cannot compare myself to Joshua yet at the same time he was as human and fragile as I am. The close walk with God, the complete trust in God, the absolute assurance God would provide the strength for him to keep going, gave Joshua the necessary tools to take hold of his fears and guide the Israelites to get into the land promised by God.
Jesus, I know it will be a long journey. I know from time to time I will get afraid and discouraged. Be with me and remind me in those days that You are with me wherever I go.
This morning’s weigh-in result: 156.0 lb, down 2.4 lb from last week.
Yay! So glad to see that my week of increased exercise and weighing food choices paid off. Although I know that a healthy lifestyle isn’t necessarily best represented by numbers on a scale, it’s nice to see those numbers go down! Woo hoo! I was nervous about this weigh-in. It even affected my sleep last night. I know, not good! Hopefully I’ll become more relaxed as time goes on.
For those of you who want a quick overview of my progress, I’ve added a widget on the right (instead of having to go back to previous posts). Still trying to figure out that gravatar thing though. I am hoping to add some additional facts, perhaps my latest BMI, maybe more. Stay tuned for more info.
Very interesting post to come tomorrow on body image! I am excited about this one!
The salad bar, available everywhere from work cafeterias to family restaurants, can round out a meal with a wholesome side dish, or be a meal all by itself. What could be more healthy and nutritious for those trying to lose belly fat? Those vegetables and fruits can be loaded with a variety of nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and fiber.
However, the salad bar can also be filled with dangerous landmines, ready to blow your calorie intake to smithereens! In fact, if you’re not careful, you can innocently fill that salad plate with items that add up to over 1,000 calories—more than a burger and fries or a steak and potato dinner!
Take the safe path and apply these strategies to avoid salad bar traps:
* Use a smaller plate; limit the number of trips you make.
* Start with the nutrient-rich dark green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, romaine, and endive.
* Fill up your plate with vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli and tomatoes.
* Power on the protein with legumes, beans, lean meat, turkey, and crabmeat.
* Take only a small taste of the high-fat food items such as pasta salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, and coleslaw.
* Go easy on extras like croutons, chowmein noodles, crackers, nuts, seeds, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheeses.
* Dress your salad for success with 2 tablespoons of a low-calorie or light salad dressing, OR only 1 tablespoon of regular salad dressing. For a new taste twist try a splash of flavored vinegar.
* If the salad bar contains soups, go for a broth-based version over a cream-style selection.
* Allow only a small taste of the whipped topping-jello-fruit combinations.
* For dessert, return to the salad bar for a small plate of fruit topped with a little yogurt or cottage cheese.
The weight loss front has been slow going at best. I haven’t gained anything. I’m losing a bit of weight-about 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Not drastic. But considering my exercise is erratic, it could be worse. We are still adjusting our food habits-cutting out bad stuff and increasing good stuff. I think having the fresh veggies from the garden have really helped in that department.
In an effort to step up my game, I purchased a detox product to help flush out my system. I didn’t want to go on a full on hardcore colon cleansing regimen since Amy and Ernie had a bit of a hard time with the one they chose. Plus my bowels are always in an uproar so I never know what I’m going to get.
Green Envy Daily Detox Liquid
Costco had Green Envy Daily Detox on sale this month and it’s a one month supply. It’s different because it’s juice instead of pills. You basically do a shot a day (2 shots for the first week) and it’s supposed to clean you and get rid of all the bad stuff. I’m hear to tell you that this shit tastes nasty! Seriously, I think going and pulling a bunch of grass from the yard and munching on that would taste better.
Yuck. But I’ve been taking it. It hasn’t made any radical changes in my bowels but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. The first couple of days after I started taking it were torture. I felt nauseous all the time and man did I sweat! After getting a bit worried, I did do some checking and apparently that’s normal. I had a bit more energy too so that could have contributed to the sweating.
One thing I didn’t like was the way it affected my mood. Granted, we’re going through a rough spot and I’ve felt a ‘bad time’ coming up on me. But those first few days! I was an angry bitch! Apparently this is normal too. I can imagine that if this stuff is really cleaning out all the toxins, it’s wreaking havoc on my body. Which results in evilness.
It’s a bit better now that I’m about 5 days into it. I’m still feeling a bit mental but I think that is stemming from other things. I’m a bit more thirsty than normal so I’m chugging water but that is recommended anyway with any detox program.
We’ll see in the next month or so if it helped out a bit. I am trying to stick to better food choices and behaviors. Drinking grass every day has definitely changed my taste buds a bit. I’m glad this only goes for a month.
I have often wondered where people who lose a LOT of weight get their motivation for to keep on going..
Although currently I feel very motivated it takes a lot of daily effort to achieve this. The internet is a wonderful way to stay motivated and I spend an hour every evening like an obsessed crazy woman, stalking weight loss success stories, especially ones with before and after photos, to keep my mind focussed and determined.
Visualization is also a great way to place yourself into the future….I find this really helpful. I think of the things I will be able to do again that I cannot do now like hike, swim, jog, ride a horse & CROSS MY LEGS! And then there are the shallow things like wearing my hair back and having more choice to wear clothes that reflect my personality.
Finally I believe that in turn, these improvements will make me even happier. Shiny, happy smiling people also have more chance of a snog. I’d quite like one of those….
Current Level of Muffin Top in my Size 10 Jeans: There may be reason to celebrate soon.
Then again, perhaps not that soon, but soon either way. I can honestly say I have misbehaved myself to the point of obnoxious today. I ate mall food, mall cookies, then proceeded to blow $30 on a steals worth of Lindt Limited Edition Chocolates (for the freezer…and my face) and then ate at least seven of them over the course of the day.
They are delectable.
Still, as a result I am posting this and then hitting the serious weight training before bed. Turn some of the sugar into jet fuel before it turns me lethargic.
So, since I don’t have my good eating behavior to talk about today, I will instead showcase my good behavior (well, sort of) in the clothing department.
A LESSON IN SIZE (clothing size, that is)
Wear the right one.
Here is my reasonably flat ass in a size 14.
What ass? Where exactly is your ass, Caitlin? Oh, I assure you, it is hiding in there somewhere.
Lesson to learn here: Sure, big and comfy is very comfortable and having to wear a belt to keep your pants from falling down is all well and good, in theory, but when a member of the opposite sex couldn’t find your butt with a shovel and a metal detector if he wanted to ogle it, we have a problem. Clothes are supposed to accentuate and compliment your figure, whatever its shape or size.
Rounding down can be worse.
My seemingly bubble butt now squeezed into a size 10.
Lesson to learn: A size too small displays you in a way you…well…I don’t want to be seen. That relatively flat ass I referred to (thank you for my genetic inheritance, Dad) has suddenly become Bubble Butt; soothslayer of all evil. Instead of swimming in a sea of denim we now find ourselves with every nook and cranny of our bum on display for the world. It is far from a better option than wearing the aforementioned clown pants, so let’s find the solution to this saggy/bubble problem.
Here, we find, my ‘perfect’ butt in a perfect size 12.
Lesson: Wear your size. Take the time and a good friend to go find out what that is. That good friend needs to be unafraid to tell you what you’re putting across to the world; MC Hammer or Link Sausage. The pants I am wearing in this picture are, in all honesty, size 11 and from the juniors section. Took ages to find the right cut of pant/jean for my unique ass shape. (Had the same epic adventure trying to find the right undies…hipsters if you were wondering.) It is worth shopping at a Levi’s shop or a department store with good jean selection to find the right cut so you can work that ass to the best of its ability.
Or…you could just wear clown pants. You’re choice.
Do you start your day off with all of the protein, fruits, vegetables, B-vitamins (for energy!), and ionic minerals that your body needs – all in one convenient drink?
I used to eat cereal or a bagel or some other high-carb/low-protein kind of food, or eggs and bacon – much higher on the protein but also high on the fat! Often after eating this kind of food for breakfast I felt both unsatisfied and had stomach discomfort – sometimes I wished I hadn’t ate at all!
That all changed when I discovered Isagenix and realized that if I mixed the IsaLean Shake (protein), the Cleanse for Life (minerals), the Ionix Supreme (vitamins and rare plant extracts), the IsaFruits (FRUIT!), and the Isagenix Greens (veggies! how often do you eat vegetables for breakfast?) all together in one mega-healthy shake I’d be on to something. Well, I was right. It’s the best breakfast I’ve ever had – it tastes great, it’s fast, I can drink it in the car if I want and I drink it almost every day (vacations are sometimes an execption but even then I regret it and wish I had just had the shake!).
Not only does it make me feel good (my stomach – and my belt – thank me) … it helps me start my day in just about the healthiest way possible. Recently I went to a health seminar (NOT Isagenix related) and there was a medical doctor talking about good nutrition. Their #1 suggestion – drink a protein shake every morning! AND if you aren’t getting enough fruits and vegetables (and who is??) – take a fruit suppliment and a vegetable suppliment. I just nodded and knew that she was 100% right. Whether you want to diet to lose weight, you’re an athlete who wants to build lean muscle mass and be healthy, want to start your day off with some mental clarity instead of in a post-breakfast FOG, or WHATEVER you want to do you should be starting your day off with something as healthy as this.
To mis-quote a credit card commercial – what’s in your breakfast?
Here’s EXACTLY what’s in mine – impressive huh?
Isagenix IsaLean Shakes Ingredients
Antioxidant and B-Vitamin Rich!
Isagenix Cleanse for Life - Because You Should Cleanse Daily!
IsaFruits Fruit Suppliment - Because Fruit is Good For You & Yummy!
Isagenix Greens Vegetable Suppliment - Your Mom Will Be So Proud When You Tell Her You Ate Your Vegetables - For Breakfast!
Still “on the wagon” food wise, but I haven’t worked out since my last post, due to what ended up being a nasty stomach bug that wouldn’t go away. I haven’t lost any more weight, but I haven’t gained any back, so yay! Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be getting back on board with the exercise…so far I’ve gone 24 hours without nausea, so the bug seems to be gone.
On the upside, I did get to completely and totally indulge my Big Brother addiction during my hours and hours in bed:) Love that Jeff!
As a fitness trainer, I always get asked “What is the best exercise for…” you can fill in the blank. One of the most common areas many women are concerned with is the lower body, specifically the butt and thighs. There are many exercises that will build the muscle in this area and I am going to share one of my favorite lower body exercise and some variations of it here. It’s called the Bulgarian Split Squat.
You can change the thunder thighs into wonder thighs but before we get into this, one thing I definitely don’t want to do is contribute to the belief of individual body part training and spot reduction on certain areas of the body. I am a keen believer in total body training, meaning that we train the upper body, lower body, and core during every single workout. Training single body parts was born from the bodybuilder method which is not optimal for fat burning. By training the whole body at once we maximally stimulate lean muscle gain and metabolism and promote total body fat burning in order to effectively eliminate the body fat that is hiding those areas that people are having trouble seeing. You know the stubborn fat areas that prevent a good body from becoming a great body.
And as we have discussed, a diet high in lean protein, fiber, and green veggies and low in unnatural fats and refined sugars and starches is of course a pre-requisite if you want to see your muscles pop in a good way. It is also important to know that you lose fat in a genetically predetermined way. You can do all the crunches you want but without total body training, proper eating habits, and time and consistency to get to those stubborn fat areas you will never get rid of your gut, jiggly arms, or the junk in the trunk.
Back to one of my favorite exercises… the world’s greatest lower body exercise. My favorite leg exercises are any sort of lunge variation because I prefer single leg exercise in lieu of their double leg counterparts for a lot of reasons. For people with back issues, single leg exercises allow them to safely perform lower body exercises without putting their lower lumbar spine in jeopardy. Furthermore, I feel there’s often such a strength and/or flexibility imbalance between one leg and the other for most people that it’s critical to address one leg at a time to really shore up the weak links from the start.
My favorite lunge variation is called the Bulgarian Split Squat or the rear foot elevated lunge. So basically we’re going to elevate the back foot on a chair, bench, box, or any other sturdy foot support, usually about 12-18 inches high. You’ll put your front leg well in front of you in order to make sure that your front knee and ankle are lined up. In general, I tell people to exaggerate how far you put your front leg forward so that the front knee is almost slightly behind the ankle as this really helps reduce sheer force on the knees. Initiate the exercise by loading the front heel and dropping your hips as low as you can in a pain-free range of motion while staying really tall up top with a proud chest and shoulders down and back. Finish the rep by explosively driving through your front heel to return to the top of the movement. You can start with body weight only in search of front thigh parallel to the floor or lower depth and then progress by adding speed of movement or by adding dumbbells. You can even incorporate some very cool combination movements with this lower body exercise like adding a curl to press at the top of the movement or even by raising dumbbells overhead to really challenge your core and single-leg balance and stability.
See the video below for a complete demo of all of the different variations of the rear-foot elevated lunge:
I have yet to find an exercise that hits the legs as hard as this exercise does. In particular, it really helps strengthen your vastus medialis muscle, which is that inner quad muscle that looks like a teardrop, that’s heavily responsible for tracking your patella and keeping your knee caps in line. So if you have a history of overtraining or patella-femoral issues this exercise is phenomenal for keeping your knees as bulletproof as possible.
Also, what’s great about it too is that it provides a very good stretch for the hip flexor of your back leg, an area that is often very tight, especially for many of us that spend a lot of time sitting in a car or at a desk. Any exercise that allows you to simultaneously stretch and strengthen your body is a real keeper. Don’t waste another moment with the useless adductor machine (a.k.a. the sex machine) and get off your butt and really work it with the world’s best lower body exercise today!
Today is day one of the 30 day Paleo/Primal Blueprint eating challenge. I am applying the knowledge from both programs and meshing them together as they pretty much have the same potential idea. Eat clean and eat what our ancestors ate! I am very excited and think I am able to do it. I am excited to see what health changes I do make (if any), if I have weight loss, and if my body composition needs changes. This hit home because I have allergies to milk products and I truly think my body acts adversely to grain products. SO what not a better way to rid my body of this and create a clean slate. Hopefully my cravings subside (and I can bust through them with will power!) Like the blog said – Beating cancer is hard, eating healthfully is not hard. I can do it and very pumped of the changes I hope to see in the next 30 days. Lets hopefully see if I can bypass the cravings and peer pressure and see if my hubby can get on board = as his negative eating habits usually come to bite me in the ass.
Today is so far so good. But looking at the calorie consumption for brekkie I followed a sample breakfast from MDA but due to the nasty nature of the grapes in our fridge I opted for what was the only fruit left – banana which is high on the carb side, however I only ate 1/2 of it. I am trying to keep my carb intake for the day between 50-100 and trying to follow (somewhat) the zone for distribution values which is 40% carb (to be strictly from fruit/veg), 30% protein, 30% fat. I CAN DO THIS! IT’S NOT LIKE A TIMBIT WILL FLY INTO MY MOUTH – IT’S A CHOICE and I can do it. Now, I am cutting out all dairy and grains for 30 days – I haven’t done so with coffee yet with a touch of cream just to get me through the first week or 2 then I plan to remove coffee from my diet. As cutting grains and diary is kinda a big thing. Then once I am ‘clean’ for 30 days I will slowly intermittently introduce those foods and see my body for reactions – if they are negative reactions I know either to stay away or suffer the consequences if I do choose to eat it!
I obsess daily about my weight, my body, and it’s horrible! I don’t want my children to grow up with this negative feeling. I want them to learn healthy eating, what it looks like. I want them to be active, and enjoy it. My body can do great things, it made 2 wonderful little beings but I still have such a horrible time appreciating it. I always would say I just got the ‘bad genes’ but reading about Paleo and Primal Blueprint it says that, that is not true! Just what I am putting into my body is causing these negative side effects. It hit home, and seemed to make sense. I have still yet to get the book for Paleo (needs to be ordered), and Primal Blueprint is on it’s way. So I am starting just using knowledge I acquired off the internet and a little help from fitday.com.
Weighing myself on the scale is such a horrible thing and I am obsessed with it. But I am a numbers girl and hope to see numbers budge on the scale. I was researching that specific thing when I was researching this diet the last two days. So I will provide my readers, if I have any these numbers. For future people who may be interested in how and if this works.
I figure dive in, no need to do it gradually! So I plan on weighing myself for the next 30 days and will post at least weekly results that *hopefully* decrease as the weeks progress. Measuring myself is hard but I plan on having hubby help tonight.
For activity – I think I’ll go for a nice walk around the ring road.
I CAN DO THIS!
Start weight 173.2!
AHHH!!! Let’s see if I can finally get healthy and the body I have been craving my entire life!
Some helpful websites/blogs I am using to help me along:
Marks Daily Apple
Good Harvest Market (for the Paleo list of allowed foods)
Byers Gets Diesel (she came up with the 30 day challenge)
The Paleo Diet (Google it)
PICTURE OF ME NOW! So unhappy with my body image right now. Although I have lost ~40lbs on Jenny Craig and I do give kudos to myself for that. But lets get better and happier!! I CAN DO IT! Primal work!
i was a bit surprised by the numbers, and i’m certainly not complaining. i made it over the border, and i’m down to lower points again. now i get 31 daily points.
we went shopping today. got some really good snacks (whipped fat free yogurt, 1 point veggie burgers, 2 point fudge bars) and some fair trade lemon-ginger tea.
those fudge bars really got me off track. XD
what i ate today: oatmeal – 6 points gatorade – 3 points soda – 0.5 points fudge bar – 2 points pork and tomatillo stew – 8 points fudge bar – 2 points yogurt – 2 points tuscan chicken – 12 points fudge bar – 2 points total points – 37.5 weekly points left – 24.5
Well today I did it. I quit making excuses and got my exercise in. 30 minutes of riding the stationary recumbent bike. I had a Nordic Track and so I completed aerobic level 3. Plus I did the first part of the Biggest Loser Bootcamp workout on Comcast On Demand. I love that On Demand exercise TV because you can vary your workout without spending anything. The other thing I sometimes do is check out workout dvds from my local library. Mine lets me take them out for 3 weeks because workout vids are kept with the educational vids.
I did okay eating. I am an emotional eater and today I was sad. I overate on a few things and while they were healthy…overeating is overeating. No matter what it might be.
If you read my blog on The Deadly Diabetic Diablo burger (http://thediabeticdish.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/the-tale-of-the-deadly-diabetic-diablo-burger/), you know my feelings on The Travel Channel’s program MAN V. FOOD. I find it to be some twisted form of tortuous punishment for a type II diabetic. This evening I found the show’s host eating mass quantities of a food I CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT and that I can still eat as often as I want to (guilt free!) – sushi, specifically spicy tuna rolls.
A little background: Nine years ago I was living near the gulf coast in a city that had no shortage of seafood or sushi restaurants. I was dating Mr. Man and he was playing a pretty good game of hard to get….. only allowing one date a week and these usually took place on Sunday nights. These “date nights” quickly took on a very predictable routine. Mr. Man would come over for dinner and a movie. He would begin these evenings begging me to go eat sushi with him. Seafood has been my favorite food for as long as I can remember…… but, I must empahsize – I only ate my seafood cooked and had never even entertained the alternative.
It took about 3 months of begging to wear me down. Well, if I am completely honest, it may have been 3 months of his playing hard to get had made me a level of desperate that I never knew existed. Either way, I caved and found myself sitting at a local sushi bar. Mr. Man was exceptionally kind in the items he chose to order, even though he started the evening tricking me into eating a bit of wasabi (japanese horseradish). There was a tiger eye roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese and jalapeno), a spicy tuna roll with avocado, and an eel/avocado roll; you could also call this the Sushi Beginners Menu. I LOVED every bite and a sushi addict was born!! *I am pretty sure this is when he decided to quit playing hard to get! ; )
Although sushi can pack a punch to your pocketbook, it does not add to your waistline or backside. When I decided I was tired of being fat (my story:http://thediabeticdish.wordpress.com/who-is-the-dishing-diabetic/), sushi became a staple in my journey to lose 93 lbs. Most sushi items are low points on the Weight Watchers plan, low fat, high protein and DELICIOUS. I have not found any scientific evidence to support my next claim, but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it….. sushi just flat makes me happy. My assumption is it either sets off chemical reactions that release endorphines, contains “happy” vitamins and minerals OR the fact that I can eat A LOT of it without guilt results in the emotional experience that accompanies my trips to the sushi bar…… I don’t really care how it happens, it just does.
As most of you reading this can relate, my diagnosis of type II diabetes was like a machete to the list of my favorite foods. That list was sliced and diced to a point where very few foods remained that were diabetic friendly. One food that shined like a beacon on that list….. SUSHI! Rice? Doesn’t sushi have rice, you ask? Nope! Your don’t need no stinkin’ rice to enjoy sushi!! Allelujah!! Sushi restaurants are bottomless treasure chests of delectible food choices and the beauty is that you can taylor your choices to fit your needs.
How is this possible? 1st of all, you can ask to have your favorite rolls wrapped in cucumber. A spicy tuna roll with avocado wrapped in cucumber is pure bliss and my blood sugar loves it, too! Or, try asking for a bowl of seaweed salad, avocado and your favorite fish in it (mine is salmon, tuna and yellow tail). Oh, and have them put a little spicy sauce in it! Also, look for thin-sliced peppered tuna on the appetizer menu; the thin sliced yellow tail is wonderful, too! Both are fabulous with spicy ponzu sauce. I also eat pieces of salmon, smoked salmon, tuna, super white tuna, sea bass, flounder, and yellow tail sashimi style…. meaning no rice. I will tell you though, I did not graduate to the sashimi until I had worked my way through Beginner’s sushi (rolls) and intermediate sushi (the seaweed salad). Sushi is like wine…. you acquire the taste for it and that tast just grows and grows and GROWS! I now enjoy it all and so does my weight loss plan AND my diabetes management plan! ** I do not eat sushi items that include “tempura” ingredients as that means “fried”**
If you have tried sushi and know it is not for you, I understand. However, if you are like I was 9 long years ago and claim you do not like it (but you have never tried it), I urge you, RUN, don’t walk to a sushi bar close to you. Take a sushi eater with you and do not hesitate to ask your sushi companion (or your server) any question you have. Sushi addicts LOVE to help bring another sushi addict into their sushi loving world! You blood glucose will thank you, your waistband will thank you, your heart/cholesterol will thank you….. and your, pocketbook…. well, it is a small price to pay to be happy, healthy and a skinny minny!!
What are your favorite sushi items? If you go and try it for the 1st time, please let me know what you think!
Took a day off. It is a long day some times with work, the kids, and then the website, but definitely well worth the time spent. Have tomorrow off, Pats preseason game, yahoo! I know in the beginning, I was going to do a Julie and Julia format, but ……I started to think you would all get bored. Setting up the site was not all that exciting. It did take a lot of work, and do overs. I know it is still not perfect,but will continue tweeking it. Anyone who wants some help, business wise, or other, please contact me through the site. Thanks for reading…….I think we will end this blog soon, and just make a new blog all about the site, Called For your life 09, that is just a thought for now…..stay tuned.
i’ve once again resolved to post my daily point consumption. i do a lot better when i do. i’ve enlisted the help of my boyfriend this time, asking him to remind me. so hopefully that will keep me more consistent. and i’ll have to publicly admit when i don’t stick to my diet plan. XD
i forgot to weigh in today so i’ll do that in the morning.
what i ate today: raman noodle soup mixed with leftover chicken noodle soup: 10 points country fried beef steak tv dinner: 9 2 slices homemade bread with margarine: 3 points 1 fat free yogurt – 2 points 1 ear of corn – 1 point beef stroganoff – 11 points total points: 36 (4 over daily) weekly points left: 31
That’s right, we’re kicking off a massive “Make-Over Party!” We’re kicking off a Brand NEW 24 Day Challenge! It all starts with getting participants signed up this weekend. Then, all of us together, will spend 24 days reshaping, remolding, cleaning, toning, and getting our bodies healthy! We’re going to have a special incentive for the individual that has the most weight loss! We’re going to have a special incentive for the couple that has the largest combine weight loss! And, together lets see as a group how many total lbs. we can shed in 24 days!!! Email me for more details now and watch for an announcement coming in the next 24 hours with specific details on how you can get signed up and be ready for Day 1. Change your life and lets change together!
“The proof of desire is pursuit. Lets pursue better health together!”
make sure and visit-TheChampionsLockerRoom.com and TheChampionsStore.com
Today is Monday 08/18/09 the third day of my 365 adventure “weight loss with God.”
I believe if we would start asking people in this country what is the greatest gift of living here we could summarize it in one word….FREEDOM. Freedom to express myself and my ideas without being persecuted. So many died in the past to guarantee our freedom today but what does freedom really mean? To some freedom is “the power to determine action without restraint.” To others freedom is “the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination. ” And to others freedom is “personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.” After all these definitions I start asking to myself, “Am I really free?” If I am using my personal liberty to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit, and to harm my health am I truly free? I then realize that there is no real freedom without God as the center of ones will and desires. Jesus paid the utmost price, he died on a cross for me and for you so we could experience the real freedom. He died on the cross so I could scream loudly I AM FREE and I am no longer in bondage of sin. I have been living a life of self-satisfaction, “expressing” and enjoying myself with food, exhibiting laziness, and lacking any accountability. I have denied God to be the owner and guide of my life because I thought to be free is to make my own decisions. If I have to “deny my self and give my all to God” then the meaning of freedom would be lost, when in reality “losing” myself to God is the beginning of true freedom. To deny myself is to live a healthier, more fulfilling life; to deny God is to live in slavery to my enemy, the one that is always waiting to destroy as well as to deceive those who have taken their eyes from the cross and have placed their desires in this world. Can light and darkness live in communion? If there is darkness we won’t find light and where there is light the darkness disappears.
My conclusion is, if I want to achieve victory when the battles come and if I want to experience true freedom in my life and in my journey of weight loss, I have to give all I am and have to God. The Bible says, “A kingdom at war with itself will collapse. A home divided against itself is doomed.” (Mark 3:24,25).
Today was my weigh in day at weight watchers. I like the leader on Tuesdays. Today, I didn’t stay for the meeting. I had way too many things to do. Usually I stay for meetings.
The stats:
age: 29
Height: 5′3″
weight when I started this blog : 161.6 pounds
Current weight: 159.4 pounds total loss this week 2.2 pounds Yay!
When the children of overweight parents are also overweight, people often talk about a genetic factor–it’s inevitable that the kids are heavy, because it runs in their family. But is it nature, or nurture?
Several times in the past when I was at a town or hotel pool, I noticed a stark difference in the habits of the kids who were fit and those who were heavy. While the lean kids were swimming, the heavier kids were walking back from the ice cream truck with huge cones of soft serve. I once even saw a couple of overweight sisters eating licorice and candy bars while in the water–candy handed to them from the edge of the pool by their overweight mother.
If parents are overweight, they tend to pass down their eating habits to their children. This may take the form of portions that are too large at mealtime, or mid-day ice cream cones several times a week, or fast food for dinner on a regular basis, or soda and juice drinks consumed several times a day. More often than not, when you observe the eating habits of overweight children, it’s not a mystery why they’re overweight. They’re simply taking in too many calories.
In order for children to attain a healthy weight, they–and their parents–must create healthy habits, for the whole family. Here are some very basic tips on doing this, courtesy of Dr. Andrew Weil.
I have a secret dream to become a stand-up comedian. Wouldn’t that be fun? I think my life has some total ridiculousness that needs to be known. My mom makes me tell stories at family get-togethers to spare everyone from that awkward “haven’t-seen-you-in-a-year-my-how-you’ve-grown” talk that drones on for hours before the appetizers come out and everyone stuffs their face to avoid speaking. I think I could do it. I like feeding off of other people’s energy. I was voted class clown in high school and I’m like thisclose to putting that on my newly updated résumé, which looks super awesome by the by.
I’m gonna have some spare time next semester. I’m taking 15 credits which is a light load compared to my past few semesters and I get to graduate in December after four grueling years. I want to know when I do that I can do something after. So I figure if I don’t do comedy I can do some yoga. After lifting and running and ab workouts today at the gym I realized I’m getting some fierce flexibility. Yoga would be hard and I’d feel like I’m about ten years late on its trendiness, but that’s okay becuase I just want to do something to feel involved. I don’t know what it is lately but feeling involved sounds pretty darn good to me.
Since becoming a vegetarian I have learned that I do not crave pasta. Sadly, it is all I have in my pantry because I refuse to grocery shop till I run out of food. I think it’s the cheapskate in me. So here I am, loading up on carbs and missing out on iron and protein. I wonder why I have such intense energy for my workouts but get headaches…duhhh. Note to self – spend all remaning money after paying bills on green veggies! Yum yum, that’s what I’ve been craving. Green pepperssssss, farmers market this weekend looks like a must.
I’m a chocoholic…always have been, and as far as I know, always will be. In fact, I don’t really like most non-chocolate desserts (which can be fabulous for losing weight because if it doesn’t have chocolate, I can easily say no). But, it’s been quite a challenge trying to figure out how chocolate fits into my new healthy lifestyle. I could never give it up, but I know that I was eating it too much in the past. Most days, it is pretty easy for me to say no. Usually, I get a craving for chocolate after dinner and sometimes after lunch. Most of the time, I can just tell myself I’m not having any and distract myself in order to wait the craving out. About once a week, I have a chocolatey treat, usually ice cream, that I don’t feel that guilty about because I rarely treat myself to chocolate any other time. But Saturday, I got an intense chocolate craving that has yet to go away. On Sunday, I decided to have another sweet treat – a raspberry lemonade Italian ice from Rita’s, but it just wasn’t the same. Delicious? Yes. Chocolate? No. This has got me thinking about how I go about things. I’ve often wondered if my method is the best fit for me. I’ve considered trying an experiment. During the experiment, I would buy a bag of dark chocolate (swoon…my favorite) Hershey’s kisses to keep in my room. Every day, or every few days, I’d let myself have 1-3 kisses, just enough to satisfy my cravings. I would hope this would keep my sweet tooth satisfied and would prevent me from practically foaming at the mouth when I see someone drinking a chocolate malt (this totally happened while I was at work today). But, maybe I should just keep being strong, in hopes that whenever I do treat myself to chocolate, it will taste amazing. I’m just not sure.
I lost the gain with an additional .2 – this is really good considering the week I’ve had. I didn’t complete any of the goals I set out for myself, that’s not very suprisng – I never complete things I write down. Seriously, if I write down things that I need to complete it’s basically garenteed that it wont get done. I continue to write lists because if I don’t it makes me anxious. I don’t want to get into all this list making nonsense here - I just wont continue making weekly goals. I know what I need to do to lose weight, and if I take it one day at a time I’ll be fine. No goals, no lists (well almost), no fuss, just weight loss.
Here we are, another Sunday night! Did this weekend go by way too fast for anyone else? I was so busy between getting ready for camping, working out, and spending the night at my friend’s house to avoid the fantasy-football craziness (I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one whose boyfriend/hubby is into that stuff hard-core).
Tonight, I spent some time planning my meals and snacks for next week’s camping trip. I’m not sure I’ll stick to it 100%, but the more prepared I can be, the less likely I’ll find myself in a situation where I can’t follow my diet plan. After my first weigh-in went so well, I’m really committed to keeping it up as much as I can.
This morning, I had a lovely Sunday breakfast that was bootcamp-diet approved. Today, we were supposed to have 2 whole-grain waffles with sugar-free syrup, 4 slices of turkey bacon, and a banana. I didn’t have any waffles and I refuse to buy yucky fake syrup, so here’s what I came up with:
Two slices of sprouted-barley bread (<3 Trader Joes!)
Half a banana (I ate the first half before my run this morning)
3 slices turkey bacon (it’s SO not real bacon, but I like it anyway)
I think this breakfast shows that even if you’re watching your calories or trying to lose weight, you can still enjoy satisfying, tasty meals! I cooked the French toast in Pam and topped it with one “fake food” I just can’t give up: butter spray. I know it’s terrible, but I love it so.
Did you catch that I RAN this morning? On my “day off” from bootcamp? Yessir! I didn’t sleep well last night (my friend’s kitty thought it’d be fun to walk all over me all night long) but I put my workout clothes on first thing and just went. I took Nina with me to get her exercise and she usually really slows me down. Today I was very happy with my 3 miles in 34 minutes with the dog, little sleep, and not having run for 2 weeks. Maybe I will rock that 10k after all…it’s not until early November so I have time, but I need to start hitting the pavement again.
I have two days of work, and three bootcamps and then it’s time for vacation! I’m excited to spend 6 days away from my desk, to spend some quality time with my sweetie, to see the Grand Canyon, to see our friend who lives in Arizona, and I’m even looking forward to taking on the challenge of keeping up with my program while very much outside my routine.
In the morning, you may find that you are playing a continual game of “catch up.” You’re rushing to the shower, rushing through traffic, rushing to work. You may feel as if you don’t have time for breakfast, let alone a nutritious breakfast. You may find that you’re just not hungry at that time of day, or you believe that you need to lose weight, so you skip breakfast altogether. What you may not realize is that, by eliminating breakfast from your morning routine, you’re jeopardizing your health—and your waistline.
There are a number of good reasons to eat breakfast, particularly if you are a dieter. To begin with, the very act of eating breakfast can speed up your metabolism, which is critical to weight loss. Think about it. You may eat dinner around 6 p.m. If you wait until lunch to eat again, as many as 18 hours might have passed. Breakfast is therefore critical to your overall health and well-being.
Another problem with skipping breakfast is that it tends to make you overeat at lunch. Studies have shown that the vast majority of successful dieters do eat breakfast. This may seem counter-intuitive, the idea that you must eat food in order to lose weight. But the research shows clearly that that in fact is the case. Breakfast can also aid your concentration. A number of studies demonstrate that breakfast improves one’s focus, helping him or her at work or at school.
The type of breakfast you eat depends upon the diet you are pursuing. You might choose a high fiber meal, such as cereal, or a high protein meal, such as scrambled eggs and ham. Your breakfast should contain plenty of vitamins and minerals to help your body remain healthy throughout the day.
Another interesting aspect about breakfast is that it is a proven mood elevator. This is quite important, since it is critical to remain positive when trying to lose weight. Anything that you can do to lift your spirits—provided that it does not cause you to pack on the pounds—should be considered beneficial. Also, breakfast sets the pattern for the day. If you make healthy decisions at breakfast, you’re more likely to make the right decisions regarding the other meals of the day.
One thing you should avoid at breakfast is eating something high in sugar, such as a sugary breakfast cereal. While such a meal can lift your energy level temporarily, after a few hours, your energy level will drop again. While it is always better to eat something than nothing, you should be careful in the food choices you make at breakfast.
Breakfast can enhance the efficiency of the body, making it easier for you to burn fat. This is true for both young and old, so make sure your children eat breakfast as well. A smoothly-running body is a healthy body and one that is more likely to become lean over time.
At first glance, there appears to be no downside to eating breakfast. However, it is important to issue a cautionary note. Some people use breakfast as an opportunity to binge. They figure that they can eat breakfast and then skip the rest of their meals. However, this is not a healthy approach. In order to work effectively, your body needs to eat regular meals. Some diets call for three meals a day; others rely on five or six smaller meals eaten more frequently. In any event, while breakfast may be your most important meal of the day it should not be your only meal of the day.
Eating breakfast is a habit. However, if you haven’t eaten breakfast in a while, it may be a difficult habit to get into. The key to starting a healthy habit is persistence. Try to eat something every morning, even if it’s only a little something. Make sure that you have time to actually sit at the table and eat, rather than trying to eat breakfast on the run. Scheduling time for breakfast means that you have made it a priority in your life. If you follow this formula, you should be in a better position to lose weight over the long term.
I met Maya Garcia from the Ice Chamber in Ventspils at the Atlants cup. She struck me as a very fun and friendly woman, and we shared many good laughs. Actually, her mum was there as well, and I can see where she got her sense of humour and lust for life from!
Anyway, Maya won her weight division (under 58kg) and overall placement in the kettlebell snatch event. All that after so much hesitation, and far from optimal training for the competition. Hell, she was even worried that the bells were different from the ones she’s used to!
No excuses, get out there! And see what happened? She did great that day.
Well, when I got home I decided to check her out a bit more. And I realized I had seen a video of her that had (and still does!) left an impression on me, a video that shows what determination and self discipline can do.
Back to the title of this post…Getting back your fit body
If you were ever in doubt of what smart training can do for your body, you can read her story and watch Maya bust her butt for an amazing physical transformation, shortly after she gave birth!
http://www.icechamber.com/postpartummaya.html
No fitness gimmicks, just hard work with basic tools. Full body exercises, challenging functional training and attitude!
I can de-clutter the house – go through the drawers and the closets, getting rid of all the “stuff” I have that clutters up my house and my mind. I can make things clean and clutter free. A bit daunting at the moment, but with some concentrated effort, I can do it.
But how do I de-clutter my soul? Get rid of all the crap that I’ve been dragging around my entire life that I can’t seem to let go of? The stuff I have no idea HOW to let go of?
Do I really need to carry around the hurt from being made fun of while I was growing up for being fat? Does it serve any purpose for me now? How do I put it in a box and set it out for the trash? Same thing with every man or boy who has broken my heart. Or every time I felt like my parents didn’t love me or were disappointed in me because I’m fat. How do I get rid of that?
How do I tell my Binge Eating good bye and walk away from it as I’ve walked away from people who brought bad things into my life? How do I stop myself from running to food for comfort when I’m sad or stressed, or for something to do when I’m bored, or for the myriad of other things I use food for?
It feels like this is something I HAVE to figure out how to do in order to lose the weight. Most days it feels like I’m just killing time until my time is up… Like a bad day at work…
I tell myself I am starting a diet and I pick a date and then I do a detrimental thing, I fall into what I call “The gluttonous trap”. This is where I eat everything I want to eat or think I will miss eating as soon as I start the said diet.
This time I have a plan. I have enrolled my child into preschool and I am GOING, yes going finally, to the gym after I drop her off. This should make my sweet husband jubilant at the fact my $40 a month for the gym will actually go to cleaning up some sweat I will leave behind on some machine instead of paying for the possibility of leaving it. *giggle*
Also I am going to enroll back into weight watchers. I have done it before, but I was not ready all those years ago. Having had back surgery at 33 and raising a 3 year old and running a house will make you rethink your priorities a bit.
Anyway back to “The gluttonous trap”, so I am starting on Monday and have fallen into the trap. No wait let me rephrase this, I have fallen and been sucked into a vat of super glue. LOL. So I have eaten it all the last few days. I have never met a fat gram I did not love..and now I have become heavier than just a week ago. Just in time to offer them to the Weight Watcher crew.
This blog will be many things. Sometime about being a mom, sometimes about being a wife, and sometimes about being me, but definitly at times about finding that thin girl that lives inside. (I ate her awhile ago, she’s been dying to get back out) so thanks for reading and I hope you laugh with me, cringe with me, but most of all root for me, a mom going through life one step at a time.
All right already folks. I am sure you have all been anxiously awaiting the results. Once again I am delayed in getting this up for many reasons, but the reason I will admit and own up to is I got to GR and forgot.
The results are in and we DO have a Biggest Loser of the week. Ladies and Gentleman….give it up for Teresa with a big ole 1.01% lost.
Several of you lost this week. One or 2 gained and there were a few not reporting in.
I am about to give a pep talk that is really aimed at myself guys. You all just get to hear it anyway and perhaps benefit.
Do not give up.
Do not quit.
You have come too far to let whatever it is that is causing you to YIELD, to turn in to a full on STOP or PARK.
You are not finished yet.
You will likely never be FINISHED on this journey, even after you reach your goal weight. There will always be something to work on.
This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change. This is forever, so of course it is hard.
It doesn’t matter if you gained or stayed the same this week. If you live until you are 80 you have 2496 weeks left. One is not the end of the world. And if you have been having a rough month you still have 576 months left to be better. (numbers based on my age of 32-should tweak it to 33 though since I am only 32 for another few weeks–but you get the idea)
All this to say…pony up! Man up! Put your big girl pants on…and Move your A@! out of the kitchen and onto the streets or track or somewhere…just move…
Congrats Teresa! Having read your blog you are the epitomy of not giving up and getting up again and again and again…love that about you girl! Oh and she wants to do triathlons too! Who doesn’t love a girl who wants to do THAT!
I stumbled upon this great post regarding the importance of a positive self image and came to a stunning realization. While many people struggle with a negative self image by seeing themselves as heavier or smaller than they really are, I seem to have the reverse issue. When I look in the mirror I see myself as thinner than I actually am. I’m not saying I look in the mirror and see myself as ripped or anything like that. I just look at myself and think “yeah I’m a big guy, but I could be a lot bigger”. It sounds crazy, but I just saw some pictures of myself on Facebook and thought to myself “Wow, do I really look like that? Am I really that big?” There’s a disconnect between the person I see in the mirror and the person I see in the pictures.
I realize that it’s entirely possible that I am in denial of how big I am, but I find it hard to believe that I can delude myself every day. I find it more plausible to think that I have too positive a self image and it is actually a detriment. I tend to think that the pictures give me a more accurate/objective view of myself than when I look in the mirror.
Thinking on this also gave me insight into one reason why I have trouble sticking to workouts/eating plans/etc. I generally do well for a week or two, see good results, and then slip up and say “it’s okay, I’ve had good results and I’ll get right back on it tomorrow.” The next thing I know, tomorrow is next month and I’m right back where I started. That’s not to say that I don’t fall into the other common excuses for not changing my lifestyle (”I’m too busy”, “I’ll start next Monday to start myself off on a fresh week”, etc.), but it sheds some light on a deeper cause for those rationalizations and excuses.
Now that I’ve had this realization, I’m going to keep it in mind and remind myself that what I see in the mirror isn’t necessarily the truth. Maybe I’ll have to take pictures along with my weekly weigh-ins. Has anyone else ever heard of or experienced this? If so, what helped you get past it?
It all started the other day at the local MOMS group (MOMS = Moms Offering Moms Support). The group is fantastic; activities are planned with and without the children to give moms face time with another adult, especially valuable during the summer when the kids are usually home all day. It can be as simple as the playplace at McDonald’s, but in the short time I’ve been a member we’ve had a private audience with the animals at the pet store, gone for shaved ice, walked the mall and ridden the carousel, gone tumbling and to the waterpark. But I digress.
This past Monday the activity was to go behind the scenes at Baskin Robbins. The kids got to practice decorating with frosting, see how waffle cones are made, and of course, sample the ice cream. You may recall that I’m on a diet, or more aptly, under the thumb of a weight-loss regime. So as I sat there and watched the kids and moms slurp down their cones, I was thinking one thing: how many calories will it cost me if I lick my fingers?
Many times I’ve caught myself about to put a stray cracker in my mouth or finish off that discarded grilled cheese. I mean, you can’t change the way you eat if you are not first aware of the way you eat. Bad choices? Yes. Ice cream runs? Sure. Leftover patrol? Most definitely. So the longer I stick to this comparatively strict regimen, the more I notice: food is everywhere.
Well duh. Of course food is everywhere, being required to live and all. But it’s as if we worship food, it’s so prevalent and prominent. And not healthy food. I have never seen a commercial about low-to-no carbs that’s made my mouth water, or at all. But I will forever associate Tito Nieves’ “I Like It Like That” with a Whopper, and I can recite the entire “Big Mac, Filet O’ Fish” jingle and sing the Coke song. And not only can you not turn on the TV or open a magazine without hearing about food, I’m hard pressed to think of more than a couple social or leisure activities that don’t involve food. One is swimming; you don’t often see people eat in a pool. The other is sex; where on earth would you put your sandwich? But we eat when we drive, when we watch TV, when we see a show, when we shop, when we work, when we’re at the computer. If you’ve been on a cruise then you know: it’s practically an ode to stuffing oneself. People have to eat. But rarely do we *just* eat. Rarely do we give it the attention it deserves. It’s become something we do while doing something else, and not paying attention lets all kind of unhealthy things slip past. Or conversely, eating is something we do to enhance something else. What’s a movie with no popcorn and the enormous soda? In a way it’s like quitting smoking; something’s missing. It’s like that first cup of coffee sans that first cigarette.
I think this preoccupation with what I can’t eat is taking some of the shine off losing weight. It’s like swimming in Willy Wonka’s chocolate river but having to keep my mouth clamped shut. I am having a hard time fathoming that, in two weeks, I’ve lost over 10% of what I want to lose. It’s an adjustment, doing these things without snacks at hand. It seems like everyone but me can just eat whatever while staying fit and trim. I know that’s not true; they can’t, and they don’t. Perhaps they have the off switch that I lack. For me this will be all or nothing, or mostly nothing, except on rare occasions. It’s true: the properties of junk food (fat, salt, sugar and other carbs like white flour) get your brain hooked on how you feel when you’ve eaten them. Imagine the punch a french fry or a donut packs! When I get to my goal weight I’m hoping that the way I feel, and the way I feel about the way I look, will make this all seem like a small price to pay.
