How much exercise do you need?

So, I got this article in my email and found it interesting. I myself usually go for 35-45 minutes of cardio per trip to the gym. I try to go to the gym everyday, but in practice I usually end up going 4-5 times a week. With eating a balanced diet, I have found that the weight has been coming off slowly. This article says that may not be enough. I just may have to up my cardio and see what results that I get. Give it a read.

How Much Exercise do you Really need to Lose Weight?

Breakfast

9 High-Energy Ways to Start the Day

So, I was emailed this article and it got me to thinking how much my eating has changed. I remember a time when I didn't eat breakfast. In fact after not eating breakfast for years, it took me a long time to break that habit. I used to feel sick if I ate breakfast. I thought I would share how I managed to get back into eating first thing in the morning. I usually eat with in 45 minutes of waking up.

I started off with having a protein shake made with milk. Sometimes it was before I had my morning coffee and sometimes after. I found that the liquid didn't give me the sick feeling. I did this for a few months. It was a great way to get my metabolism going. I then added a piece of toast with my protein shake.  I made small changes slowly over time. I am now up to eating breakfast and don't have the protein shake anymore. I actually feel sick if I don't eat breakfast. I won't get into what I usually have for breakfast again, because that information is already in an early post on here.

So, my advice, if you aren't eating breakfast, start out slow and change gradually. Stay positive and preserve, you can do it!!

Water Enhancers

It has been a while since I talked about water enhancers. Mio was basically one of the first on the market from what I saw in my local grocery stores but it is no longer alone on the shelf. Everyone seems to be hopping on the wagon. Mio, Crystal Light, Nestle, Nesfruta, Powerade, Dasani, and even Kool-Aide. I am also seeing store brands here in Canada like Superstore's President's Choice getting into the market. There are so many choices out there, and you are going to want to watch out for what they are sweetened with. I try to avoid the ones with aspartame in it. I don't even drink plain water anymore. I was never really a fan of plain water, so I was very happy when Mio hit the shelves here. For me, if I have to drink 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water a day I want it to taste good.  I have a 32 ounce water bottle and I drink at least 2 of those a day, but most days I drink 3. So, if you are like me and don't like the plain water, then check out some of the many water enhancers that are available and find the ones that you like. It sure makes drinking the water much easier. The ones that I have seen, have no calories, no sugar, and no fat. Win-win I say!

Just came across this article, and thought it was worth sharing. Check it out....


What 200 Calories looks like

Measurements

So, I got measured again on Saturday and I have lost another 4 1/2 inches in total in a week. I was quite happy with this. It is nice to know that my hard work is paying off. I have updated the measurements page for anyone that wants to see my progress.

Updated Measurements Page

The measurements page has been updated for anyone who wants to check out my progress. It is nice to see the proof of my hard work.

Heart Rate Monitors

So, I don't think that I have mentioned heart rate monitors. I did some research on finding one that was accurate, and was looking to get one, but a co-worker of mine upgraded his and gave me his old one. He wasn't able to get it to work so he bought a new one. After trying it out, I told him that I didn't think that he had the chest strap tight enough. I use it regularly and it is a great investment. It is much more accurate than just going by the machines in the gym. From the research that both my co-worker and I have done, Polar is a pretty good name. For anyone that is serious about weight loss, this is a great tool. If you are looking to get one, then I would just check that it does all what you want it to. For example, I wanted one that would tell me how many calories that I burned and I found that not all of them do that. You can get some pretty good deals online for heart-rate monitors, or you can check out your local stores.

Boot Camp workout

Ok, so as I have mentioned before I signed up for a boot camp class that goes every Saturday. I am really enjoying the class, but it got me thinking of those of you that can't afford boot camp fitness classes or a gym membership. I stumbled across this website and I thought it was worth posting here. Check it out.

http://www.boot-camp-fitness-guide.com/boot-camp-workout.html

July 2

So, I got measured on Saturday. I will see about posting the measurements this weekend. I have also changed up my cardio routine a bit. I was doing the same thing every time I went in, and I have realized that it would be better to mix it up a bit. I do the elliptical, the treadmill and the new machine I previously mentioned the Octane Fitness Lateral X. I feel a difference from the constant change up of not doing the same thing all the time. My advice is to mix up whatever you are doing in your cardio plan. I am hoping that it will stop me from plateauing, but time will tell. I also weighed in on Saturday and I lost another 2.1 pounds. WOOHOO!!

I also noticed that there are little things that you can do to improve your health and fitness goals. Me, I cut the junk food (candy & chocolate) out of my diet. I am a junk-food-oholic and for me I can't just have one piece and walk away. I will end up eating all of it, usually in one sitting. So, for me abstinence is the only way. I have been off of this since March 27, 2014 and I have found that it gets easier as time goes on. I went through 3 weeks of rough withdrawals from this type of food and sugar and I really don't want to experience that again. This is part of my motivation. I have also started taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. I work on the 4th floor so, I walk up and down those at least twice a day. Once up and once down. Of course we also have our reception on the 2nd floor, so of course if I need to go down there and take the stairs again. You would be surprised how much of a difference small changes like this make.

Good Luck, and remember to never give up.

Caving into food cravings

So, got this video on caving into cravings. Definitely worth the minute to watch.


http://www.sharecare.com/video/diet-and-fitness/eat-healthier-today/should-you-cave-in-to-food-cravings?eid=1010713469&memberid=31546050&_sid=dcf3bf6b-acf9-4add-a769-40d6d0f7ad86&#cmpid=sceml00

New Phone App

There are lots of applications for Apple & Android phones alike. I personally use the My Fitness Pal application to track my calories consumed, and to log my physical activity. It is free, and the program even reads bar codes from the foods you are consuming and uses your phone's camera. I recently got a Samsung Galaxy S4 and I immediately downloaded the My Fitness Pal application. I have recently discovered that my phone came with a fitness app from Samsung. I entered my current weight, height, my goal weight and how much weight I wanted to loose and it told me how many calories I should eat, burn, and how many steps I should take per day. Now the calories portion I don't really use because the my fitness pal application is better, but I used it to track my steps. All I had to do was turn it on and make sure I carried my phone with me and it automatically started counting. It was very cool. If you have a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone, you may want to check this out.

OMG SO SORE

Wow, I am so sore today. I knew I would be of course, but it is worse that I originally thought.  Going to try and go to the gym today and do my cardio workout. Wish me luck!

Caffeine and weightloss

Ok, so I found an interesting article about caffeine and I have included the link for it below. Basically if you already drink regular coffee you don't necessarily have to give it up, but you don't want to go over board. The one thing that the article doesn't discuss is the extra calories we get when we add cream and sugar to it before we drink it. If you are someone who drinks coffee all day long, and use cream and sugar in every cup, that is a lot of empty calories. Not to mention that the article mentions that caffeine can cause you to crave carbs, which is not good when you are trying to shed the pounds. Check out the article and read for yourselves and you can decide if you need to change your diet or keep it the same.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-truth-about-caffeine.htm



So, I went to my fitness class today and we worked both the upper and lower body. I can already feel that I am going to be so sore tomorrow. Why does getting in shape have to be so hard and at times, painful?

TGIF!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

So, I had a craving for a bag of Cheezies and instead of caving in I went to a friend and co-worker and talk to her about it instead. I then had an apple. Not nearly as tasty as the Cheezies would have been, but much healthier. My point in this story is that a good support system can mean the difference between success and failure. Having someone that you can call on when you are feeling a moment of weakness to talk you off the ledge so to speak, is a great idea. I haven't gone to the gym for the last few days because I was just exhausted. It was all I could do to stay awake long enough to drive home at the end of the day. It was brutal. I have my fitness class with my former trainer tomorrow, so wish me luck because I am going to need it. My abs didn't start to feel better until Wednesday after she worked them on Saturday. Well, keep trying and we will get there. I am challenging you to find someone you can go to, be it a friend, co-worker, or family member that you can call or go to if you are feeling that moment of weakness for foods that aren't good for you.

Tomorrow we will talk about caffeine.

Another great way to make drinking your 8 glasses of water easier.

The Future of Cardio is the LateralX Elliptical Machine by Octane Fitness

So, the gym I go to got a couple of these machines and I tried it out. I have to say that I did technically burn more calories and fat. I have a heart rate monitor that I use regularly. With my elliptical workout I burn 267 calories and 45% fat and with the Lateral X I burned 272 calories and 50% fat. So for me, the numbers are a huge difference. What will bring me back to this machine is the fact that I could really feel the workout in my inner and outer thighs and my waist. The areas most women are the most unhappy with. I will try to use this regularly and see if I notice any extra toning in those areas and get back to you. Was a good workout that is for sure.

Treats for Summer

I made it to the gym to day for my cardio and burned 325 calories. Not bad for 35 minutes plus a 5 minute cool down. Hopefully that will counter the muffin I had at work this morning, and the half of a doughnut I had at lunch time. Damn co-worker bringing in Tim Horton's muffins, doughnuts, and coffee. With the amount of bad "stuff" that is usually around my office, it is a miracle that I have managed to loose weight and keep it off.

So, Spark People had this article up called 10 Freezer Treats for under 100 calories. With summer coming I thought it would be good to post this here.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1900

Sorry, I must have forgot to add the link.

Workout Recovery Article

Here is a great article on recovery after a workout. Certainly worth a read. I wish I had seen this last week when I could barely walk for 3 days. LOL.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=2001

June 1/14

So, I survived another group fitness class put on by my former personal trainer. I went to my first class last week on the 24th and seriously..........I could barely walk for 3 DAYS! It was rough. Went again yesterday and I am a bit sore today but nothing like I was after last week. Why does getting fit have to be so painful sometimes? Oh well. I am still loosing weight and I am still off the junk food, so over all I am pretty happy with my progress. I have changed up my eating plan a bit and it seems to be working for me. Here is what I do. Maybe it can help someone else.

6:30am breakfast: large flake oatmeal with granulated splenda and skim milk
9:30-10am snack: usually a piece of fruit. (banana, orange, apple)
12:30-1pm Lunch: This varies, but usually includes a piece of fruit, and a tossed salad with skinless, boneless chicken breast, green peppers, red peppers, celery, & cucumber.
3:00 snack: usually a protein bar. Currently I am eating: Slimdown Energy Bars by Jamieson. I like the Peanut Butter Crisp ones. They only have 150 calories, 4.5g fat (2.5g saturated) , 15 carbs, 15g protein.
5:30ish: Dinner. Again this varies, but I fill half of my plate up with veggies.

Good Luck and never give up. You can do it!

Article: Lose Stomach Fat Fast without dieting....

Wow, some interesting results in this article. I highly recommend reading this.

http://www.sharecare.com/health/weight-loss/article/lose-stomach-fat-fast-without-dieting?eid=1010701827&memberid=31546050&_sid=dcf3bf6b-acf9-4add-a769-40d6d0f7ad86&#cmpid=sceml00

Spark People is a great site and has a lot of useful information. Check out the following link about why we eat when we aren't hungry. 

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1660

I'm BACK!!

So, I realize that it has been quite some time since my last post, but my life has been a bit crazy. I was diagnosed with a depression problem and put on medication, and I am feeling much better. So, while I was going through all of this, I unfortunately gained some of the weight that I fought so hard to loose. I am back on track and back to hitting the gym regularly and have made some changes to my diet. I have cut out junk food, like candy, chips and chocolate bars. It is amazing how much of a difference that makes. I have been off of that stuff since March 27 and have already lost 10 pounds.

So, I have been talking about finding ways to get fit in your home if you can't afford to go to the gym, and I found this article on Spark People that I thought was worth the read. You don't need to be a member to read it and I have included the link below.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=493

Some of you may have noticed that other companies have gotten into the flavored water market that Mio started. Well, I have to say that there are some very tasty choices out there that don't have sugar or aspartame from what I can see. So, don't be afraid to check them out.