I want to get in shape.
I don't want to be a super model, I don't want to be "skinny", I simply want to be the best "me" I can be.
That said, I'm having trouble getting there.
That's why I'm here. I started this blog, because I've found that by learning about how to be healthy and sharing with others what I learn, I can more easily do it myself...I've fallen off the wagon however. I haven't researched, posted, eaten healthy, or exercized on a regular basis, in months! I'm not ok with this!
I beg of you to help me, PLEASE!?! I need encouragement! I need companionship, competition, motivation and inspiration. So, what can you do for me?
Follow me. Be my accountability partner, so to speak. I'm going to post everyday (Probably more like every other) about how I'm doing. Good, bad or otherwise. I'm going to post my starting measurements and maybe even a "before" picture. *cringe* Then, together, we'll track the progress. I want your tips, thoughts, critiques, and criticism. (The truth can hurt yes, but please don't be mean however.) Give me new ideas for recipes, workouts, inspiring websites, etc. I'll share how I'm doing that day, and step by step I WILL get there!
I'd love it if you would join me too! Anyone who is in the same boat and wants to post your progress, I'd love to follow you in return!
So who's in?
A healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be a death sentence for all things delicious. Enjoy food, but learn to make healthier choices. Stay fit, but don't spend your life in a gym. In the end we will all kick the bucket but there's no reason we can't be fit AND well fed on the way!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
"God's Prescription For Your Health"
Here's the scoop; a group of like minded friends and I have decided to start a new program. It's called The Daniel Plan. It is a weight loss/get healthy plan through Saddleback church. They call it "God's Prescription For Your Health", and it sounds intriguing. The general idea behind the plan is 1 Corinthians 10:31; "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God".
It's not just supposed to be about dieting or exercise, it's "a lifestyle based on the biblical story of Daniel, who forsook the
king's rich food in order to honor God's best for him and his friends."
We are about to start a weekly study on the Daniel Plan and try to each become healthier. If you would like to join PLEASE do! If you're local (Southern CA), feel free to contact me and I'll let you know where and when we meet. If not, I will be posting each weeks agenda, videos, scripture, etc. Everything we discuss will be posted here!
So please feel free to take a look at the website and get more information. Also be sure to fill out your "Health Profile" so you know where you're starting out. After all, "You can't really know where you're going, until you know where you're coming from". That's from the movie Hitch, but it's still true here.
Check it out
http://www.danielplan.com/getstarted/
We are about to start a weekly study on the Daniel Plan and try to each become healthier. If you would like to join PLEASE do! If you're local (Southern CA), feel free to contact me and I'll let you know where and when we meet. If not, I will be posting each weeks agenda, videos, scripture, etc. Everything we discuss will be posted here!
So please feel free to take a look at the website and get more information. Also be sure to fill out your "Health Profile" so you know where you're starting out. After all, "You can't really know where you're going, until you know where you're coming from". That's from the movie Hitch, but it's still true here.
Check it out
http://www.danielplan.com/getstarted/
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Why we women need to lift weights
So have a listen and if you have any questions feel free to ask away.
5 Reasons Women should Lift Weights:
1. Increases your metabolism
2. Increases your lean muscle mass
3. Increases strength and flexibility
4. Decreases your risk for heart disease
5. Decreases your risk of Osteoporosis
Oh, and seriously ladies, DO NOT worry about getting bulky. Those body builder women you see have to take injections and all kinds of special treatments, foods, and drugs to get bulky like a man. Our bodies ARE NOT built the same. (We don't have the testosterone) So do your weight training!!!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Are you ready for swim suit season?
Who out there is ready to be in a swimming suit strutting their stuff this summer?
I know I am excited to do so, but I'm still working on that six pack!
I found this workout today and I wanted to pass it on to y'all (Don't judge me because I just wrote y'all. Seriously of all the weird contractions out there this one makes sense: You+All=Y'all).
Anyway, this workout actually mentions something else I wanted to tell you about...
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-bikini-body?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-womenshealth-_-content-fitness-_-bikinibodyworkout
BMR, Basal Metabolic Rate. The BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories while you are doing nothing. Remember in one of my last posts how I mentioned that you could burn calories while you sleep? It's true, and here's how. In order to stay alive your body has to work, right? Lungs breathing, heart pumping, brain working, blood flowing, etc. Well, your body burns calories just to do those things. While it isn't a huge amount of calories, you are still burning calories simply by being alive.
Obviously, you need to eat to survive as well. So the goal, in order to lose weight (or maintain, if you're lucky enough to already be at your desired weight) is to burn more calories than you consume and not to consume too many more calories than you need to simply survive.
So how do we figure out these numbers? You can do the calculations yourself (see equation at the bottom of this post), or you can go to this handy calculator I found. Just enter your info and voila, you have your BMR:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
OK, to help you out a little let me illustrate how this equation looks for me...
My BMR is 1500. That means if I sat in this chair all day and did nothing, I would still burn 1500 calories.
Now the average person needs to create a deficit between 500-1000 calories a day to lose weight. So I eat between 1250 and 1400 calories any given day (Usually you could pick a number 1250 OR 1400 or somewhere in between, but I am doing the "Zig Zag" method. Check back later for my explanation on that. It can help you get over a plateau). Then I work out 3 or 4 times a week to burn off the rest of the calories to create my deficit.
Looks like this:
1500 BMR
- 1250 Calories consumed daily
_______
250 Deficit
+ 500 Calories burned during workout (Average)
_______
750 Deficit
It's important to keep your deficit between 500-1000 calories (It depends on your activity levels, size, etc). If you drop your calories too low, not only are you not going to have the energy to keep moving, but your body could go into starvation mode, i.e., your body panics thinking you're starving and stores everything you eat as fat in order to survive (Also where the "Zig Zag" method comes in handy. Stay tuned for more info).
"So where does this burning more calories while you sleep thing come in", you ask? It's simple. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Say there are two people, both weighing 160 lbs. One of those people is 160 lbs of solid muscle. The other is a normal ratio of muscle to fat. The one that is 160 lbs. of muscle is going to burn more even just sitting around than the other 160 lb. person. Like the workout (see link above) says, you could continue to burn a higher number of calories even 24 hours after a workout just by having more muscle!
So how do you burn more while you sleep? Burn more calories than you take in daily to create a deficit, and lose more fat and gain more muscle!!!
Look for upcoming articles on building muscle, and ladies, don't be afraid to build muscle too!
Deficit in the economy = Bad! Deficit in your calories = Good! Get to it!
English BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
 |
| She's certainly struttin' it! |
I found this workout today and I wanted to pass it on to y'all (Don't judge me because I just wrote y'all. Seriously of all the weird contractions out there this one makes sense: You+All=Y'all).
Anyway, this workout actually mentions something else I wanted to tell you about...
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-bikini-body?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-womenshealth-_-content-fitness-_-bikinibodyworkout
BMR, Basal Metabolic Rate. The BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories while you are doing nothing. Remember in one of my last posts how I mentioned that you could burn calories while you sleep? It's true, and here's how. In order to stay alive your body has to work, right? Lungs breathing, heart pumping, brain working, blood flowing, etc. Well, your body burns calories just to do those things. While it isn't a huge amount of calories, you are still burning calories simply by being alive.
Obviously, you need to eat to survive as well. So the goal, in order to lose weight (or maintain, if you're lucky enough to already be at your desired weight) is to burn more calories than you consume and not to consume too many more calories than you need to simply survive.
So how do we figure out these numbers? You can do the calculations yourself (see equation at the bottom of this post), or you can go to this handy calculator I found. Just enter your info and voila, you have your BMR:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
OK, to help you out a little let me illustrate how this equation looks for me...
My BMR is 1500. That means if I sat in this chair all day and did nothing, I would still burn 1500 calories.
Now the average person needs to create a deficit between 500-1000 calories a day to lose weight. So I eat between 1250 and 1400 calories any given day (Usually you could pick a number 1250 OR 1400 or somewhere in between, but I am doing the "Zig Zag" method. Check back later for my explanation on that. It can help you get over a plateau). Then I work out 3 or 4 times a week to burn off the rest of the calories to create my deficit.
Looks like this:
1500 BMR
- 1250 Calories consumed daily
_______
250 Deficit
+ 500 Calories burned during workout (Average)
_______
750 Deficit
It's important to keep your deficit between 500-1000 calories (It depends on your activity levels, size, etc). If you drop your calories too low, not only are you not going to have the energy to keep moving, but your body could go into starvation mode, i.e., your body panics thinking you're starving and stores everything you eat as fat in order to survive (Also where the "Zig Zag" method comes in handy. Stay tuned for more info).
"So where does this burning more calories while you sleep thing come in", you ask? It's simple. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Say there are two people, both weighing 160 lbs. One of those people is 160 lbs of solid muscle. The other is a normal ratio of muscle to fat. The one that is 160 lbs. of muscle is going to burn more even just sitting around than the other 160 lb. person. Like the workout (see link above) says, you could continue to burn a higher number of calories even 24 hours after a workout just by having more muscle!
So how do you burn more while you sleep? Burn more calories than you take in daily to create a deficit, and lose more fat and gain more muscle!!!
Look for upcoming articles on building muscle, and ladies, don't be afraid to build muscle too!
Deficit in the economy = Bad! Deficit in your calories = Good! Get to it!
English BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Run, run run, as fast as you can...
Hey guys and gals,
I want to talk about getting your butt off the couch and running!
Actually, first I have to tell you a short story...
Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was convinced she couldn't run. In high school, she hated gym classes because of it. She wouldn't try out for sports because of it. "I'm just not built for it", she would say. "and I'll never be able to do it". The End.
WRONG! That is not the end! Until very recently, that was me. I was convinced that there was just something about me that meant I would never be able to run. Not even one mile. I could do anything else in the gym but that. A lot of that negativity came from the images around me and how they made me feel. I was too worried about people judging me and I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin that I let it control my life. Some of the problem even came from my own family (unintentionally of course). My dad and brother are great runners. It's easy for them. Me=Jealous! My mom on the other hand, whom I take after in many ways, including physique, cannot run, or is convinced she cannot. She and I had that in common.
But that girl is gone! I was determine to run. So a few months ago I started researching how, and I began training. My first goal, was to be able to run a mile without stopping. Guess what? I can now run two miles without stopping! It's a work in progress of course, and I'm working my way up to a 5k, but I finally know that I can do it. I'm beyond ecstatic about it and I want to share what I learned with everyone. I was that kid, that carried it into adulthood, and wouldn't join in activities. I wanted to hide myself from the world. Not anymore! I want to give hope to anyone out there who feels like I did. (Mom) YOU CAN DO IT! It just takes some time, some practice, a few tips and some gumption.
So here's what I leaned...Follow the links for the info that has really been helping me.
http://www.superskinnyme.com/how_to_run.html
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
http://www.mapmyrun.com/
Also check out the videos on my video page.
So who wants to join me? I need me some team mates, and I WANT YOU!
I want check in's and updates on how you're doing, and I'll give you mine. I want to ultimately meet for a 5k!
Who's in?!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Keep calm and carry on...counting.
Hi all! Welcome to my blog and to my first post!
I wanted to tell you about one of my favorite apps on the market right now. It's called My Fitness Pal. You can get it on your smartphones and your computer!
It is my favorite way to keep track of my daily calories and exercise. "Why should I track my calories" you ask? Well the great thing about calorie counting with My Fitness Pal in particular is that you can not only track calories but nutrients, exercise, water, and weight. It's completely customizable to your person. There are "Guided" goal settings or "Custom" settings. You choose how many lbs. per week you want to lose, and voila!
The above is a screen capture of what my profile looks like. (FYI, that is not my starting info, but where I am currently. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Or check out my weight loss ticker below. You can get one from My Fitness Pall too!)
I recommend going with the "Guided" set-up unless you have done the proper research and know how many calories you should be getting on a daily basis. Below is the "Customizable" settings.
If you do chose to "Customize" your goal settings be sure you do NOT drop too low and consume too few calories or you could go into starvation mode. I'll go more into detail on this at a later date, but the general idea is if your body feels you are starving it will slow your metabolism in order to preserve itself. You will not burn, but store fat! (Kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?) Bottom line you need to eat to keep your metabolism humming.
Make sure you visit the "Tools" section and take advantage of the great calculators My Fitness Pal offers. The BMI (Body Mass Index) is a great one to use. It takes your age, height, and sex into account and gives you an idea of what your optimal weight range is.
Keep in mind this is only based on those few factors and cannot account for build and personal preference. For example, my BMI says I could drop to 133, (I'm 5' 7") but I have hips Marilyn Monroe would envy and and I LOVE my curves...as does my husband ;P so I won't be dropping quite that low.
I could go on and on but it's about time for bed here so I'll cut it short. (Proper rest is very important too.) Check back for my info on the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). It's some very interesting stuff...YOU CAN BURN FAT WHILE YOU SLEEP!!! No kidding!
Oh, and be sure to friend me on My Fitness Pal and get your friends on there too! (laceye_g)
FACT: You can lose 20% more when you recruit friends!
I wanted to tell you about one of my favorite apps on the market right now. It's called My Fitness Pal. You can get it on your smartphones and your computer!
It is my favorite way to keep track of my daily calories and exercise. "Why should I track my calories" you ask? Well the great thing about calorie counting with My Fitness Pal in particular is that you can not only track calories but nutrients, exercise, water, and weight. It's completely customizable to your person. There are "Guided" goal settings or "Custom" settings. You choose how many lbs. per week you want to lose, and voila!
The above is a screen capture of what my profile looks like. (FYI, that is not my starting info, but where I am currently. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Or check out my weight loss ticker below. You can get one from My Fitness Pall too!)
I recommend going with the "Guided" set-up unless you have done the proper research and know how many calories you should be getting on a daily basis. Below is the "Customizable" settings.
If you do chose to "Customize" your goal settings be sure you do NOT drop too low and consume too few calories or you could go into starvation mode. I'll go more into detail on this at a later date, but the general idea is if your body feels you are starving it will slow your metabolism in order to preserve itself. You will not burn, but store fat! (Kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?) Bottom line you need to eat to keep your metabolism humming.
Make sure you visit the "Tools" section and take advantage of the great calculators My Fitness Pal offers. The BMI (Body Mass Index) is a great one to use. It takes your age, height, and sex into account and gives you an idea of what your optimal weight range is.
Keep in mind this is only based on those few factors and cannot account for build and personal preference. For example, my BMI says I could drop to 133, (I'm 5' 7") but I have hips Marilyn Monroe would envy and and I LOVE my curves...as does my husband ;P so I won't be dropping quite that low.
I could go on and on but it's about time for bed here so I'll cut it short. (Proper rest is very important too.) Check back for my info on the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). It's some very interesting stuff...YOU CAN BURN FAT WHILE YOU SLEEP!!! No kidding!
Oh, and be sure to friend me on My Fitness Pal and get your friends on there too! (laceye_g)
FACT: You can lose 20% more when you recruit friends!
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