24 hours

There are 24 hrs in a day and during that time many of us have work, families, school, and just normal day-to-day activities that fill up our schedule.  Fitting in an hour of exercise a day is ideal and very great, but what are we doing the other 23 hrs?  I saw this post on facebook and thought I'd elaborate.  Execising is great but if everything is not aligned the results will probably be minimual.  So ponder on this:

Motivation

I have lost about 23lbs so far and I'm feeling great.  However, the last couple of weeks I felt myself starting to get bored and plateau.  So I had to refocus, re motivate, and get back on track.  This can be hard on a long journey such as the one I'm on.  Not only is the journey about losing weight, but also about losing fat, getting stronger, and transforming my entire body.  I suppose it's normal to get tired.  What I did to get back on track is refocus.  I had to just stop and ask myself what are your goals and what is it that you're trying to accomplish?  Once I did that I was able to remember why I'm on this journey, which is to lose weight, get healthy, stay healthy, and continue to improve my physical fitness everyday.  If you feel yourself falling off, don't beat yourself up, just refocus, re motivate, and get back on track!

Hard?

So today I want to talk about what is considered a "hard" workout.  I think there are some programs that are just plain hard even for the most fit person.  But what I think is hard is anything that gets your heart rate up and challenges your body.  I like turbo fire because it is intense but I don't feel like I want to die during the workout.  I feel good and I actually smile during the workout.  This workout is also good because it gets my heart rate up and no matter how many times I do a specific workout with Turbo Fire it is designed where I can always push myself to the next level within that exercise. 

One of my good friends came to workout with me one day during Turbo Fire and she mentioned that it had too much coordination things.  I can definitely agree with this because the very first Turbo Fire workout I did I couldn't keep up and frankly I didn't know what was going on, nor could I get the steps down.  And if you know me, you know I have no coordination skills whatsoever.  This brings me to my next point consistency is key with any type of workout.  I kept pushing play with Turbo Fire and now I understand the coordination for this workout and I'm also able to keep up a little better.  I still get off some days but that's okay but as long as I keep moving I'm burning tons of calories and tapping into the fat burn of the cardio workout.

April ends 4 months of consistent work outs and eating well and I'm down 20lbs.  I didn't understand when people would say just stick with it but I do now.  CONSISTENCY is key.  So whatever your goals are whether it be a goal weight, a certain size in jeans, or just to fit into old clothes, just remember if you just keep doing it you will see results.  My favorite thing to say now is "I may not look like a supermodel, but I sure do feel like one"  Feel free to comment!

Supemodel Status

Greetings Everyone.  I haven't posted in awhile so I thought I'd give you all an update.  First I have to post this pic of my sister and her friend after working out.  I think this pic is so hilarious b/c it's exactly how I look after a workout A HOT MESS! lol that probably means I'm doing something right, after all you all know the quote "IF YOU STILL LOOK PRETTY AFTERWARD, YOU DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT!" That is for sure one of my favorite quotes, so here's the pic:

As of last week I'm down 15lbs and feeling great.  I have to say that I still have a long way to go but I'm feeling great.  I just stop and look in the mirror randomly and although there is still much improvement to be made I'm so proud of myself.  I've also come to the conclusion that exercising really improves self esteem and self confidence.  I don't have low self esteem by any means, but I do notice that I really feel like a supermodel.  I just fee great and this is the best thing because I'm truly happy that exercising has become apart of a permanent lifestyle change for me.

I've been slowly getting better and better with my nutrition choices as well.  Some days are better than others but all in all I'm doing really good.  I have this really cool app on my android called FOODUCATE.  It's been really helpful on me making food selections, because remember this is about more than weight loss, its about getting and staying healthy as well.  The app is really cool.  You just scan the bar code of a food item and it will give it a letter grade (A-F) and explain why or why it is not healthy.  It also lists alternatives so that you can make a better choice.  I'm still working out 6 days a week.  There was a week where I worked out 5 days but those 5 days were really tough workouts so I was okay with having two days off. 

Well, that's it for now feel free to comment!

Fit

I've talked a lot about nutrition and weight loss, but this year my goal has changed.  I don't usually make resolutions, but for 2012 my goal is to be in the best shape possible.  I have really been enjoying working out these past 7 weeks.  I think it's because my motivation is different then it has been in the past. My motivation came from wanting to get back to an old weight or to fit in clothes that I grew out of, but now I just want to be in good shape.  I want to be fit.  Everyday that I work out whatever exercise it is, I enjoy challenging myself, taking my workout to the next level, and pushing myself harder and harder each time.  One thing I've learned is no matter how fit a person is they can always push to the next level.  So that is what my exercises are now, just pushing and pushing.  The bare minimum no longer works for me.  There is not one person or one thing that is motivating me to do this.  It's all for me.  I want to go through this journey for myself.  And that's how it has to be to last.  Losing weight to fit into a dress or an old pairs of jeans will only last for a short time and I've experienced that.  But me being on this constant journey keeps me motivated to never stop even if I do get into that dress or those old jeans. 

I love this photo with the message because it describes what I'm currently experiencing.  I've decided that working out, losing weight, and wearing smaller clothes is all really irrelevant.  My life is better with exercise and no matter what's happening with work, family, or friends, this is an ecsape.  And a good one!  Happy Friday Everyone!!

Confidence

Another thing I've noticed is for awhile I let myself gain weight because I rested on the fact that I'm tall.  I'm 5'8" and I've never been a wide person so when I gain weight it just kind of stretches out all over, and it's really noticeable in the mid section.  Well, I decided I'm not going to use being tall as a crutch to be okay with being overweight.  Even though I may look okay, it's still not healthy and I am more determined than every to just be in a healthy weight range for the longevity of my health.

Since I never gave you guys a then and now here it is:

ABS!

The one thing I want more than anything in life is to have ABS! Well, visible abs that is.  I always tell my sister that one day I will have abs like hers.  I used to think that crunches and sit-ups would give me that, but recently some new discoveries have proved me wrong.  While sit-ups and crunches do build muscle if you only do those type of ab exercises it will just build muscle over fat, NO GOOD.  What I find has helped me on my journey is doing exercises that blast fat AND build muscle.  A lot of the workouts that I do with Turbo Fire help with this as well as doing several core exercises.  ABS are all about a strong core and one day I will have my sister's ABS.

February

The first thing I want to talk about is the month of February's progress.  I've lost about 2lbs this month, but I have started developing some muscle from the Turbo Fire Sculpting and Toning classes.  At first I was a little afraid because I wasn't seeing much of a change on the scale, but then I remembered, muscle burns fat, muscle burns fat fast, and gaining muscle burns more calories during cardio workouts.  I also have not measured again, but I'm going to stick to only doing that about every 30 days or so.  In general though I'm feeling very good, and some days I don't want to workout, but so far I've been averaging 4-6 days a week.

The next thing is I've been learning to cook.  I don't ever usually cook, but now I see the importance of cooking your own food.  I'm able to decide on the healthiest ingredients and also can monitor how I prepare the food.  I'm really enjoying it and it keeps the guessing out of how much calories and fat I'm eating when dining out.  So say hello to a chef in training LOL!

Say no to Dieting!

So I forgot to give you all my results from this Tuesdays weigh in.  I lost .6lb which brings me to a grand total of 8lbs in 7 wks which averages to a little over 1lb a week.  I'm very happy with these results because this time around I'm taking my time and really focusing on making small changes daily that will result in better life long habits.  I feel better, I have more energy, and I feel good about myself.

Now lets talk about diets.  Diets don't work.  So just stay NO to dieting and YES to a lifestyle change.  Different things and habits work differently for everyone.  So you don't have to follow someone else's pattern just try some things out and see what works best for you, your body, and your schedule.

Weigh In Tuesday

Today is my weekly weigh in and I am down another 1lb.  Now, on to the important stuff.  I'm finding that some days I do not have enough energy to really do my workouts, so this week I'm going to add more calories to my daily intake and add more veggies.

Journal

One thing that has helped me tremendously is writing down everything I eat.  My friend Amesha first introduced me to My Fitness Pal and I've been using it every since.  I noticed that when I eat bad things I don't write it down because I don't want to see the damage I've done.  So it really keeps me on track looking at what I've allowed to enter my body for the day.

The Scale...

I have learned that the scale should be used as a mere guide.  I can weigh myself 3 times in a day and my weight will have ranged between 2-6lbs so I thought I give you all a little "scale" humor.

Excuses

This week I missed the whole week of Turbo Fire workouts.  I did however make it to the gym for some early morning cardio.  I really had no reason not to do the workouts, I just didn't.  So I've decided that part of changing my lifestyle means holding myself accountable and making fitness just as important as breathing. LOL.  I did also forget to tell you all that I lost another .5lbs which brings me to 205 and some change.  My first goal is just to break 200lbs and we'll see what happens after that.  I did lose a few inches around my waist as well so that a really good plus.  So remember, makes your workouts just as important as anything else in your life and hold yourself accountable when the workouts don't happen.

Processed Food

One thing I have a problem with is processed food.  It's fast, easy, and convenient.  However, it is not good for the body at all.  Heres why:  a doctor leaves this actual food on in her office so that people can see how bad processed food is.  It is very hard for the body to break down: ex, this food has been out since 2010 and has not even changed form.  Imagine the body trying to process and break down these foods on a daily basis.

Luckily for me I also enjoy fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  When I go to the grocery store I basically only shop on the outer aisles and that's everything I need for a balanced diet, fuel, and energy to complete my workouts.

Muscle Confusion

In the last year I have changed the way I exercise.  In my old days I would do 30 mins on the treadmill and another 30 mins on the elliptical trainer.  While this is great to build your cardio endurance and lose inches, it is a very slow workout that doesn't really get the metabolism or heart rate high.

With Turbo Fire the workout included everything you need to lose weight, gain strength, tone, build lean muscle, keep your heart rate up, and every exercise you do works multiple muscles.  Muscle confusion is the best way to get your body in the shape it needs to be in so my workouts for the next couple of months will consist of Turbo Fire 6 days a week, and 3-4 days of 20-30 mins of running.  I get everything I need for a great workout and I don't need the gym.  In fact I'm burning twice as many calories doing these workouts as I did doing and hour of long boring cardio.  In fact I'm convinced HIIT workouts are the most effective workouts for the body.  I will continue to do these types of exercises so stay tuned to see my progress.

Rewards

In the past I have often "rewarded" myself for doing "good" with food.  I have decided rewarding yourself with food is a very BAD idea.  Why? Because it really defeats the purpose of changing my lifestyle.  This journey is about more than weight loss, its about completely changing my lifestyle and getting rid of bad habits I picked up over the last 3 years.  It all started at the point when I graduated college, I was so excited to enter the working world, only to realize the economy was awful and NOBODY and I mean NOBODY was hiring.  I had no job and fell into what some may call a mini depression.  Then, I finally got a job at Dillards, but my schedule was crazy and I just had to eat on the go all the time resulting in eating anything fried and fatty.

My point is changing my lifestyle will only work if I don't think of food as a reward.  One of my friends suggested that I schedule a time where I can have not so good things.  For instance, if I know on Friday nights I'm going to be out with friends, then I can just designate Friday nights to splurge a little.  I really love this concept and I will definitely try to incorporate this into my lifestyle change.

The Workout

Obviously working out is a major part in weight loss.  One thing I have struggled with is boredom.  Sometimes I go to the gym and just walk out.  Why? Because its soooo boring, not to mention in my little hometown I get stuck with look at the same annoying faces lol (no offense)  So I decided maybe I'll try a home workout. 

The first home work out I tried is Insanity.  I will say that Insanity is without a doubt the best full body workout I've ever experienced.  However after about 3 weeks of the program I no longer had the desire to complete it.  It is extremely intense (which don't get me wrong intensity is good!) and not very fun.  It is also difficult to have time for Insanity because you have to dedicated 45-60mins a day 6 days a week and with a full time job, and school, that's very difficult.  There is a light though....

I was introduced to  Turbo Fire by my good friend Ashley.  She spoke so highly that I just assumed she was over exaggerating.  But let me tell you, this is the GREATEST home workout for women.  It is so fun! I actually look forward to doing the workouts every day and the best part is the music.  The song choices are so good that I find myself yelling the words to the song while out of breath and dripping sweat.  Another great thing about Turbo Fire is the time commitment is different everyday.  It also includes days that are just 15 mins, and those darn 15 min Fire drills will have you dripping buckets of sweat.  I just cannot speak more highly of this workout and frankly I think I'm in love with Chalean.  She is so fun, cute, and truly motivates you during the entire workout.

One of my friends was at the gym yesterday and when I saw her with a little sweat, I decided I will start following the class schedule on Turbo Fire much better. I've had this workout and have only been doing it here and there, but I will definitely start following the schedule.

First Month

This month on Jan. 2nd I weighed in at 211.6 lbs, Jan 23rd weigh in is 206.4.  While I am happy about losing 5lbs in about 3 weeks, I am not getting overly excited because usually I can lose 10lbs very easily, get satisfied, and gain it all back within a couple of months.  I won't be hard on myself, but I won't get overly excited until I break the cycle.

One of the main issues I'm struggling with on my weight loss journey is food.  I live at home with my parents and two of my sisters.  While I love them all very dearly, they are not the healthiest people.  There's constantly junk food such as chips, ice cream, and pizza.  It is very hard to resist these things.  I do think I have a small amount of self control, but there's only so much self control can do.  My solution to this problem would simply be don't have those tempting foods in your home, but since my home is not mine alone, I'm constantly thinking of new things to help with moderation and self control.

My Journey

Hi Everyone.  I'm on a journey of a healthier lifestyle which includes, eating better, exercising more, losing weight, and remaining happy with myself no matter what the scale says!