So, is there really such a thing as a ceiling when it comes to losing weight? You’ve lost weight up to a point and now you are just sitting there on the same two digits and soon it will be a month or even two, still the same two digits.
That is how I feel!!! Like I have reached the ceiling and I just can’t get past it.
I am doing this Project My Body with lots of rules set out for myself. And my first rule is simply this – no matter what – I WILL NOT STARVE MYSELF! It is important to me, if not more so important to me that I am healthy firstly. To be healthy you have to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. I refuse to do anything that will push me past this point.
So what do I do???
The answer to that is another question, what have I been doing???
I have religiously been following a 80% raw food consumption 5 days a week. On weekend I eat anything I feel like in moderation, whether it is raw or cooked. In general it is healthy food anyways, but just no necessary raw.
I have however been slacking with my exercise. In fact I can actually report that I have stopped exercising all together. My job has been consuming my life, trying to get on top of things and working long hours and long meetings…. Very looooonnnggg meetings.
It is also winter now, the sun comes up late, the sun also sets very early, this rules out the daily walks my husband and I usually take, because it’s dark and cold. He will still gym, but I am just to tired at that stage.
And so, through questioning ourselves, we will realise that we put a lot of effort in, but not as much effort as this project deserves.
With a small pat on the back I must however say that I am amazed at how much more energy I have since I have been eating more raw foods. Less stomach cramps (IBS), less bloatedness! I no longer need to live on supplements to support my busy schedule, I manage on healthy energy rich foods. And I have lost a bit of weight. And every morning or the evening before I carefully pick the fruit and veg that I plan on having for the day, wash them with care, chop a bit where it’s needed. Pack it all ready to go into the lunch box for the day. It takes a bit of preparation and planning which is extra time out of the day, but it is so worth-it!
I can at least say that I weigh about 3 kg’s less then what I was weighing 3 months before I got married almost two years ago. So in 5 – 6 months I have reversed 2 years worth of bad eating habits! Not too shabby.
So, if that is possible, then surely it is also possible for me to change my lifestyle a little more and to include exercise amidst it all.
I am working on formulating a plan to get some exercise into my daily routine. And perhaps therein lies the key – routine! Ones the your routine gets into shambles due to demands made on you, all order flies out the window. And it’s kind of difficult to focus if there is no order! Routine is so important, especially when you’re working towards a serious goal in your life. Discipline, routine, hard work is what is needed.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Good foods that are bad for weight loss...
You can run on the treadmill until the soles of your sneakers are flat, but that's not going to help much if you're still snacking on drinks and fast-food (yes, even the salads). Get smart about your diet by eliminating these foods from your regular rotation and saving them only for special occassions. You might be surprised: After a while, you won't even miss 'em!
Juices and Fruit Punches
You probably drink several servings at a time without realizing it (25 calories here and there add up). Buy 100 percent fruit juice and drink a serving of only three-quarters to one cup. Or mix even less juice with seltzer for a fun fizz. Better yet, go for the whole fruit: An eight-ounce glass of OJ has 120 calories, while one whole orange has only 60 to 70 calories, plus fiber.
Energy Drinks
They're packed with more sugar and calories than juice, and there are usually at least three servings in a bottle (we bet you treat one bottle as one serving -- wrong!). If you need a pick-me-up, have a glass of plain cold water. Sometimes you feel slow because you're dehydrated.
Fancy Flavored Coffees
Whole milk and added flavorings turn a benign coffee into a decadent indulgence. Cut the fat from your coffees by ordering the smallest serving with skim milk; skip the flavored sugary syrups. Instead, sprinkle some cocoa, vanilla, or cinnamon powder on the frothy milk. It's cute and much better for you.
Soda -- Even Diet Drinks
The jury is still out on whether or not diet soda may actually cause you to eat more calories or if people simply use it as an excuse to indulge in other foods. Either way, there's no nutritional value to any soda, and regular soft drinks are how many people get their extra calories. Instead, go with unsweetened iced tea with a squeeze of lemon, 100 percent fruit juice or vegetable juice (just 1 cup = 2 fruit servings for the day), or plain water.
Fast-food Sandwiches
That made-to-order sub you get each Saturday is probably prepared on a six-inch hero -- all that bread is about four servings (you only need about 7 to 10 servings of bread each day; having four at lunch will likely cause you to go over 10 by the end of the day). Skip the chips and cookie or get a smaller sandwich on whole-wheat bread. Leave off the cheese and choose leaner deli meats like roast turkey and roast beef instead of tuna or chicken salad. Load on the veggies and avoid mayo and honey mustard (which is often made with mayo).
Fast-food Salads
They're healthy in theory, right? But when your greens are topped with crispy chicken, cheese, bacon bits, croutons, and dressing, you're looking at 30 grams of fat and 500 calories. That's more than a regular-size hamburger, a garden salad with vinaigrette, and low-fat milk! Stick with the grilled chicken but leave off the bacon, use half the cheese, and pour on only half of the dressing packet.
Juices and Fruit Punches
You probably drink several servings at a time without realizing it (25 calories here and there add up). Buy 100 percent fruit juice and drink a serving of only three-quarters to one cup. Or mix even less juice with seltzer for a fun fizz. Better yet, go for the whole fruit: An eight-ounce glass of OJ has 120 calories, while one whole orange has only 60 to 70 calories, plus fiber.
Energy Drinks
They're packed with more sugar and calories than juice, and there are usually at least three servings in a bottle (we bet you treat one bottle as one serving -- wrong!). If you need a pick-me-up, have a glass of plain cold water. Sometimes you feel slow because you're dehydrated.
Fancy Flavored Coffees
Whole milk and added flavorings turn a benign coffee into a decadent indulgence. Cut the fat from your coffees by ordering the smallest serving with skim milk; skip the flavored sugary syrups. Instead, sprinkle some cocoa, vanilla, or cinnamon powder on the frothy milk. It's cute and much better for you.
Soda -- Even Diet Drinks
The jury is still out on whether or not diet soda may actually cause you to eat more calories or if people simply use it as an excuse to indulge in other foods. Either way, there's no nutritional value to any soda, and regular soft drinks are how many people get their extra calories. Instead, go with unsweetened iced tea with a squeeze of lemon, 100 percent fruit juice or vegetable juice (just 1 cup = 2 fruit servings for the day), or plain water.
Fast-food Sandwiches
That made-to-order sub you get each Saturday is probably prepared on a six-inch hero -- all that bread is about four servings (you only need about 7 to 10 servings of bread each day; having four at lunch will likely cause you to go over 10 by the end of the day). Skip the chips and cookie or get a smaller sandwich on whole-wheat bread. Leave off the cheese and choose leaner deli meats like roast turkey and roast beef instead of tuna or chicken salad. Load on the veggies and avoid mayo and honey mustard (which is often made with mayo).
Fast-food Salads
They're healthy in theory, right? But when your greens are topped with crispy chicken, cheese, bacon bits, croutons, and dressing, you're looking at 30 grams of fat and 500 calories. That's more than a regular-size hamburger, a garden salad with vinaigrette, and low-fat milk! Stick with the grilled chicken but leave off the bacon, use half the cheese, and pour on only half of the dressing packet.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
SICK, SICK, SICK, SICK…. UUUGHHH
I have been soooooo sick this past week. It feels to me like I have really just been sick this year!!!! I remember extreme highs and then lows when it comes to my immune system. Times when I felt so fit, so strong and then times like this last week when my body is just so weak. I hope and pray that a balance will come to me. A happy medium of strong immunity and vitality, fitness and health!
Some good news: I am finally past 68 and one teeny tiny step down to 67.4 kg!!!!
It truly feels like a victory after sitting at 68.whatever .whatever .whatever for the last 4 weeks.
I’m hoping to resume exercising this week. Maybe just 30 minutes yoga every second day – have to start somewhere. I am still on anti-biotics for the next 5 days after a nasty bacterial infection. So, will have to see how it goes. Anti-biotics in general really makes me feel even more sick.
I just know that if I can get into an exercise routine again and build my fitness up again that I will definitely be able to go into my second stretch of quest for health, fitness and weight loss that will hopefully come with it.
Again, just to reiterate, I am not on a diet and won’t be going on one. I don’t believe that starving the body is the right option. But instead I believe that eating healthy sustainable foods loaded with protein and essential vitamins and minerals along with the right amount of exercise is really the solution to weigh problems. Always ask yourself, how did I get here in the first place. Reflect back on your past and see and feel how you got to where you are emotionally and physically. Once you understand this, you can focus on the road ahead and be strong, because you know exactly what it is that you need to fix. Whether they are serious emotional behaviours causing you to overeat or simply bad habits that you’ve been too lazy to address. Face it head on, because your true strength in the road ahead lies therein!
Some good news: I am finally past 68 and one teeny tiny step down to 67.4 kg!!!!
It truly feels like a victory after sitting at 68.whatever .whatever .whatever for the last 4 weeks.
I’m hoping to resume exercising this week. Maybe just 30 minutes yoga every second day – have to start somewhere. I am still on anti-biotics for the next 5 days after a nasty bacterial infection. So, will have to see how it goes. Anti-biotics in general really makes me feel even more sick.
I just know that if I can get into an exercise routine again and build my fitness up again that I will definitely be able to go into my second stretch of quest for health, fitness and weight loss that will hopefully come with it.
Again, just to reiterate, I am not on a diet and won’t be going on one. I don’t believe that starving the body is the right option. But instead I believe that eating healthy sustainable foods loaded with protein and essential vitamins and minerals along with the right amount of exercise is really the solution to weigh problems. Always ask yourself, how did I get here in the first place. Reflect back on your past and see and feel how you got to where you are emotionally and physically. Once you understand this, you can focus on the road ahead and be strong, because you know exactly what it is that you need to fix. Whether they are serious emotional behaviours causing you to overeat or simply bad habits that you’ve been too lazy to address. Face it head on, because your true strength in the road ahead lies therein!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
KEEPING WEIGHT LOSS RESOLUTIONS
It was weigh-in time this morning. Weigh-in is important as it gives you an indication of the bigger picture, where you’ve been where you are and where you’re going!
I must be honest though, for the past month I have been sitting at 68 kg!
This concerns me and there is obviously a part of me that feels like I’m failing and that I’m just never going to get there. I think it’s a normal thing to feel a little bit like that. Then there’s the realist part of me which is saying that I have just not exercised enough, with work commitments, social functions and balancing life in general, I have honestly not been exercising as much as I did when I started out on this quest.
I’m realising that I need to up my game back to what it was, I must find a way to make more time so that I have time to exercise every day. I am still very committed to my Yoga classes, but that is just 30 minutes and 30 minutes + - 3 times a day is just not enough for someone that needs to lose a bit of weight, if I was just maintaining my weight, it seems I could get by on that, but I have officially another 9kg to go!!!!
So, I’ve had a look to see what the world out there says about how to keep weight loss resolutions. I know where I am failing on my part, but maybe I’m missing something:
Each New Year's day thousands of people make weight loss resolutions. This is amongst the top resolutions made each new year and 2011 has been no different. The New Year's Eve parties are over, the holiday shopping and eating are done and you've decided it's time to shed a few kilo’s and created a resolution.
The first week you were right on track, eating healthy foods, drinking your water and you even dusted off the treadmill. The second week went well also but you skipped a day of exercising - no big deal. The third week you were starting to grab a potato chip or maybe you were craving some french fries or chocolate. Now your into the fourth week and you are losing all motivation, have forgotten about your resolution or you just don't think you are losing weight fast enough.
If this sounds familiar, don't panic. This is a common phenomenon that happens to many people. But just because this happens to many people, don't give up hope on your weight loss resolution. Tips from to experts to keep you on track and help you reach your goal to lose weight.
Tip 1: Break your bigger weight loss goal into smaller goals. This way you can see progress as you go and keep your motivation to reaching your resolution. These goals can be in terms of losing pounds or inches, dress sizes or even habits changed.
Tip 2: Write it down and post it anywhere and everywhere. Perhaps when you made your New Year's resolution you wrote them down. Nows the time to write it down again in big bold letters that you will see each day. Repetition is the key to helping keep your resolve going. Read these notes each and every day to remind yourself of your resolution to lose weight
Tip 3: Reward yourself along the way. Remember you don’t have to reach your weight loss goals overnight. So as you lose a few pounds or inches, or even if you had a successful week eating healthy and exercising, give yourself a pat on the back and buy something new. STAY AWAY from rewarding yourself with food. You don’t want to get in the habit of treating yourself with the wrong foods as this may lead to unwanted pounds or slowing down your goal.
Tip 4: Track how you are doing. In addition to re-writing your weight loss goal, tracking your progress is another way to stay constantly reminded of your resolution. So grab a pen and paper and track your progress weekly. Your tracking tool doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but if you want something more electronic, use this weight loss tracking chart.
Tip 5: Try again and again and again. Like the old saying goes, if at first you don't succeed......try again! Don't beat yourself up if you stopped your diet or exercise routine. Just make a new resolution and start again. January 1st is not the only day to make goals and resolution. So if it's May and you want to get back on track, start over again - make your resolution - and start losing weight.
Tip 6: Don't let guilt get in the way. If you are starting to have major cravings or you slipped and ate something you shouldn't have, don't let your guilt stop you from reaching your resolution. Just chalk it up to a bad day and get right back on track
REMEMBER you are making a lifestyle change and experts say that it takes about 21 days for a new change to become a habit and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your healthy eating and exercising are now becoming a habit. Keep it up and in a short time it will be part of your lifestyle and personality.
I must be honest though, for the past month I have been sitting at 68 kg!
This concerns me and there is obviously a part of me that feels like I’m failing and that I’m just never going to get there. I think it’s a normal thing to feel a little bit like that. Then there’s the realist part of me which is saying that I have just not exercised enough, with work commitments, social functions and balancing life in general, I have honestly not been exercising as much as I did when I started out on this quest.
I’m realising that I need to up my game back to what it was, I must find a way to make more time so that I have time to exercise every day. I am still very committed to my Yoga classes, but that is just 30 minutes and 30 minutes + - 3 times a day is just not enough for someone that needs to lose a bit of weight, if I was just maintaining my weight, it seems I could get by on that, but I have officially another 9kg to go!!!!
So, I’ve had a look to see what the world out there says about how to keep weight loss resolutions. I know where I am failing on my part, but maybe I’m missing something:
Each New Year's day thousands of people make weight loss resolutions. This is amongst the top resolutions made each new year and 2011 has been no different. The New Year's Eve parties are over, the holiday shopping and eating are done and you've decided it's time to shed a few kilo’s and created a resolution.
The first week you were right on track, eating healthy foods, drinking your water and you even dusted off the treadmill. The second week went well also but you skipped a day of exercising - no big deal. The third week you were starting to grab a potato chip or maybe you were craving some french fries or chocolate. Now your into the fourth week and you are losing all motivation, have forgotten about your resolution or you just don't think you are losing weight fast enough.
If this sounds familiar, don't panic. This is a common phenomenon that happens to many people. But just because this happens to many people, don't give up hope on your weight loss resolution. Tips from to experts to keep you on track and help you reach your goal to lose weight.
Tip 1: Break your bigger weight loss goal into smaller goals. This way you can see progress as you go and keep your motivation to reaching your resolution. These goals can be in terms of losing pounds or inches, dress sizes or even habits changed.
Tip 2: Write it down and post it anywhere and everywhere. Perhaps when you made your New Year's resolution you wrote them down. Nows the time to write it down again in big bold letters that you will see each day. Repetition is the key to helping keep your resolve going. Read these notes each and every day to remind yourself of your resolution to lose weight
Tip 3: Reward yourself along the way. Remember you don’t have to reach your weight loss goals overnight. So as you lose a few pounds or inches, or even if you had a successful week eating healthy and exercising, give yourself a pat on the back and buy something new. STAY AWAY from rewarding yourself with food. You don’t want to get in the habit of treating yourself with the wrong foods as this may lead to unwanted pounds or slowing down your goal.
Tip 4: Track how you are doing. In addition to re-writing your weight loss goal, tracking your progress is another way to stay constantly reminded of your resolution. So grab a pen and paper and track your progress weekly. Your tracking tool doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but if you want something more electronic, use this weight loss tracking chart.
Tip 5: Try again and again and again. Like the old saying goes, if at first you don't succeed......try again! Don't beat yourself up if you stopped your diet or exercise routine. Just make a new resolution and start again. January 1st is not the only day to make goals and resolution. So if it's May and you want to get back on track, start over again - make your resolution - and start losing weight.
Tip 6: Don't let guilt get in the way. If you are starting to have major cravings or you slipped and ate something you shouldn't have, don't let your guilt stop you from reaching your resolution. Just chalk it up to a bad day and get right back on track
REMEMBER you are making a lifestyle change and experts say that it takes about 21 days for a new change to become a habit and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your healthy eating and exercising are now becoming a habit. Keep it up and in a short time it will be part of your lifestyle and personality.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
WEIGH-IN RECORDS
Sometimes life happens and everything is just so hectic.
One thing to remember is to not let yourself go! To not stop focussing on eating healthy and exercising moderately when possible inbetween.
So I just haven't had time to post, but have been doing all the right stuff inbetween work and social life. So just for my own records I'm posting my Weigh-in chart.
I was a bit disappointed last week when I didn't lose more than .2 kg! Shocker for me and then this week as well, I lost but not that much! After pondering over this some what I realised that it is such a good thing after all. I am still losing, I am not exercising as much as I should, so I can’t expect miracles and I won’t be having any stretch marks, how awesome is that.
One thing to remember is to not let yourself go! To not stop focussing on eating healthy and exercising moderately when possible inbetween.
So I just haven't had time to post, but have been doing all the right stuff inbetween work and social life. So just for my own records I'm posting my Weigh-in chart.
I was a bit disappointed last week when I didn't lose more than .2 kg! Shocker for me and then this week as well, I lost but not that much! After pondering over this some what I realised that it is such a good thing after all. I am still losing, I am not exercising as much as I should, so I can’t expect miracles and I won’t be having any stretch marks, how awesome is that.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
EXERCISE!!!! AND The 10 Biggest Fitness MISTAKES
I have spoken to so many people about weight loss, but not just weight loss, also fitness and health along with weighing what you should. And mostly it came down to EXERCISE!!!! It is such in important part of the process. Don't be fooled by the advert that tells you you don't have to exercise at all, just drink this little pil or these drops! It has been proven that a good and varied exercise routine and healthy lifestyle (eating, sleeping, relationships and work) are the two main characters in this movie of getting into shape!
So here are some thoughts on the 10 BIGGEST FITNESS MISTAKES that can actually make you FAT!
Mistake #1: You don’t work out because you’re afraid it will make you super-hungry -- and eat more.
Actually, the opposite is true. Exercise has actually been shown to act as an appetite suppressant. Translation: Regular trips to the gym can actually help you stick to your diet. Yes, seriously intense sweat sessions (think: marathon training) can increase your appetite, but that's because your body is burning an enormous amount of calories and needs lots of nutrients to recover. But few of us train that hard on a regular basis. So if you're hungry all the time, don't blame the gym -- blame your diet. See, your body kinda has a mind of its own, and if you're not feeding it all the nutrients it needs, it will just crave more food (and often bad food) until it gets them. Maybe it's rebelling -- who knows? -- but the point is, as long as you're eating nutritious foods (and you're not using a trip to the gym as an excuse for a junk-food fest), you won't negate your hard work, even if you eat a bit more.
Mistake #2: You make a point to exercise first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, to burn more calories.
Research has actually shown that training later in the day can help you burn more calories than working out earlier in the day, since your muscle strength and body temperature peak in the afternoon, meaning you can work out harder with less effort. Plus, you've eaten more, so you typically have more energy. But it's really an individual preference: Just like in college when you might have studied during the day while your roommate went the all-nighter route, some people are morning exercisers and some feel more motivated at night. The key is consistency, so you'll get the best results by choosing whatever time of day you can stick to. If you do go the before-work route, just make sure you have a little something to eat (like a piece of fruit) 30 minutes before your workout. Like a car, your body needs fuel to run efficiently, so when you exercise on an empty stomach, you can't train as hard (or burn as many calories).
Mistake #3: You’re a crunching queen -- hey, it’s the way to get rock-hard abs.
Crunches alone will not give you a flat stomach. The fact is, if you want a killer core, you need to train all the abdominal muscles -- the rectus abdominus (muscles typically associated with a six-pack), the transverse (muscle that wraps around your stomach, acting much like a girdle to shrink your waist) and the obliques (muscles that run along the sides of your tummy and help with twisting motions) -- along with your lower back. These muscles all work together to provide stability and strength. A good way to hit them all is through functional movements like lifting, throwing, etc. But wait! There’s a part two to all of this: Building ab muscles isn't going to do you any good come bathing-suit season if they're hidden under a layer of fat. No matter how many sit-ups you do, without regular bouts of cardio (at least 20 minutes, four to five days a week) and a healthy diet, you're never going to sport a six-pack.
Mistake #4: You spend two-hours-plus at the gym to max out your workout.
It's not about how long you spend working out; it's about how hard you work out. So you have permission to spend less time at the gym. The catch is, you have to kill it while you're there. You can easily burn the same amount of calories in half the time by increasing the intensity of your workouts: An hour of zombie-style training is less productive than 20 minutes of high-intensity, focused exercise. Bonus: By working out at a higher intensity, you'll continue to burn more calories for hours afterward.
Mistake #5: You have your routine down.
Unfortunately, what works, works only for a short period. Just like your mind has to work extra hard to learn something new, your body kicks into overdrive when you start a new exercise program it's not familiar with. If you do the same routine for too long, your body will adapt -- and soon what used to "work" no longer will (at least not as well). The key to seeing results is to constantly challenge your body and practice variety in your workouts so you don't plateau. Typically a routine "works" for up to two weeks before it needs to be tweaked. So change it up -- the tweaks don't have to be big. For example, change a barbell squat to a dumbbell squat, or swap dumbbells for kettlebells or sandbags. Or instead of your standard 30 minutes on the elliptical, do the elliptical in reverse for 10 minutes, then hop on the rowing machine for 10 minutes and finish with 10 minutes on the treadmill. Then reverse the order in your next workout.
Mistake #6: You stay fit by working out 30 minutes a day, three times a week.
There is a big difference between being active and being fit. The above guidelines are the bare minimum for keeping you active, which means you're basically just avoiding some of the negative effects (read: too much junk in the trunk) of a sedentary lifestyle. Being fit, on the other hand (and losing weight, or just maintaining it), takes more work. That means at least four to five sweat sessions a week of hard work.
Mistake #7: You stick to cardio and avoid weights so you don’t bulk up.
Sure, lifting weights can bulk you up (the Arnold didn’t get those biceps at Zumba class), but only if you specifically train to add mass. If you train to tone, you’ll tone. You have total control over the effect weight lifting will have on your body. And guess what? The size of the weight has little to do with muscle mass. The size of your muscles is determined by three main factors: Genetics (were you born with the structure for large musculature?), gender (men have a greater potential to put on size) and type of training (it’s not the size of the weight but how you lift it). In general, if you use light weights (three to eight pounds depending on your strength level) and do more reps (like two sets of 12-15 reps), you’ll get sleek, lean muscle. Up the weights, slow it down and maximize the squeeze to bulk up.
Mistake #8: You don’t feel any payoff unless your body hurts.
Some discomfort or soreness at the beginning stages of a workout routine is normal, since your muscles are adjusting to the new activities. It means you're challenging your body, which, in turn, means results. But chronic soreness doesn't mean you're getting an awesome workout every day. It means your body's not recovering -- which is bad since you get stronger and develop muscle while your body recovers (not while you're beating it to a pulp for the umpteenth day in a row). Safety alert: Make sure you're not confusing muscle soreness with joint pain. Joint pain may mean you did some damage -- see your doctor.
Mistake #9: You climb off the treadmill when it says you’ve reached your calorie goal.
Hate to break it to you, but the calorie calculation displayed on most of those machines isn't accurate. Many pieces of equipment are built to show you what you want to see. And the assumptions needed to validate the machine's calculations (read: You’re as jacked as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and are putting your full weight on the machine) are seldom met. So use the counters as a light reference, but know that those numbers are anything but reliable. Instead, do your own calculations. If your thing is, say, running a 12-minute mile for 20 minutes, use a calorie -counting tool like this one from LiveStrong.com to find out how many calories per hour a person of your age and weight burns doing exactly that, and divide by three. (Then compare it with what the treadmill says you burned -- and you'll see how inaccurate it really is!)
Mistake #10: You’re envious of celebs, who apparently all won the genetic lottery and don’t have to push it as hard as you do.
According to our experts, who have worked with quite a few celebrities, most celebs work hard (just like you do) for their bodies (albeit, most of them under the guidance of a trainer, a nutritionist and a personal chef). So stop cursing their DNA and start making exercise and nutrition priorities in your life. Of course, what makes it a little easier for celebrities is the fact that looking good is basically their job -- and a paycheck is major motivation not to slack off. Whereas your livelihood depends more on sometimes skipping the gym to make an early meeting, prep for a presentation or network at a happy hour. But you can do it!
Resource: THE NEST
You can do it!!!! And if you feel like you can't and you need advice, mail me, I can put you into contact with some awesome fitness freaks who will gladly work out a stunning exercise routine that you can enjoy!
So here are some thoughts on the 10 BIGGEST FITNESS MISTAKES that can actually make you FAT!
Mistake #1: You don’t work out because you’re afraid it will make you super-hungry -- and eat more.
Actually, the opposite is true. Exercise has actually been shown to act as an appetite suppressant. Translation: Regular trips to the gym can actually help you stick to your diet. Yes, seriously intense sweat sessions (think: marathon training) can increase your appetite, but that's because your body is burning an enormous amount of calories and needs lots of nutrients to recover. But few of us train that hard on a regular basis. So if you're hungry all the time, don't blame the gym -- blame your diet. See, your body kinda has a mind of its own, and if you're not feeding it all the nutrients it needs, it will just crave more food (and often bad food) until it gets them. Maybe it's rebelling -- who knows? -- but the point is, as long as you're eating nutritious foods (and you're not using a trip to the gym as an excuse for a junk-food fest), you won't negate your hard work, even if you eat a bit more.
Mistake #2: You make a point to exercise first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, to burn more calories.
Research has actually shown that training later in the day can help you burn more calories than working out earlier in the day, since your muscle strength and body temperature peak in the afternoon, meaning you can work out harder with less effort. Plus, you've eaten more, so you typically have more energy. But it's really an individual preference: Just like in college when you might have studied during the day while your roommate went the all-nighter route, some people are morning exercisers and some feel more motivated at night. The key is consistency, so you'll get the best results by choosing whatever time of day you can stick to. If you do go the before-work route, just make sure you have a little something to eat (like a piece of fruit) 30 minutes before your workout. Like a car, your body needs fuel to run efficiently, so when you exercise on an empty stomach, you can't train as hard (or burn as many calories).
Mistake #3: You’re a crunching queen -- hey, it’s the way to get rock-hard abs.
Crunches alone will not give you a flat stomach. The fact is, if you want a killer core, you need to train all the abdominal muscles -- the rectus abdominus (muscles typically associated with a six-pack), the transverse (muscle that wraps around your stomach, acting much like a girdle to shrink your waist) and the obliques (muscles that run along the sides of your tummy and help with twisting motions) -- along with your lower back. These muscles all work together to provide stability and strength. A good way to hit them all is through functional movements like lifting, throwing, etc. But wait! There’s a part two to all of this: Building ab muscles isn't going to do you any good come bathing-suit season if they're hidden under a layer of fat. No matter how many sit-ups you do, without regular bouts of cardio (at least 20 minutes, four to five days a week) and a healthy diet, you're never going to sport a six-pack.
Mistake #4: You spend two-hours-plus at the gym to max out your workout.
It's not about how long you spend working out; it's about how hard you work out. So you have permission to spend less time at the gym. The catch is, you have to kill it while you're there. You can easily burn the same amount of calories in half the time by increasing the intensity of your workouts: An hour of zombie-style training is less productive than 20 minutes of high-intensity, focused exercise. Bonus: By working out at a higher intensity, you'll continue to burn more calories for hours afterward.
Mistake #5: You have your routine down.
Unfortunately, what works, works only for a short period. Just like your mind has to work extra hard to learn something new, your body kicks into overdrive when you start a new exercise program it's not familiar with. If you do the same routine for too long, your body will adapt -- and soon what used to "work" no longer will (at least not as well). The key to seeing results is to constantly challenge your body and practice variety in your workouts so you don't plateau. Typically a routine "works" for up to two weeks before it needs to be tweaked. So change it up -- the tweaks don't have to be big. For example, change a barbell squat to a dumbbell squat, or swap dumbbells for kettlebells or sandbags. Or instead of your standard 30 minutes on the elliptical, do the elliptical in reverse for 10 minutes, then hop on the rowing machine for 10 minutes and finish with 10 minutes on the treadmill. Then reverse the order in your next workout.
Mistake #6: You stay fit by working out 30 minutes a day, three times a week.
There is a big difference between being active and being fit. The above guidelines are the bare minimum for keeping you active, which means you're basically just avoiding some of the negative effects (read: too much junk in the trunk) of a sedentary lifestyle. Being fit, on the other hand (and losing weight, or just maintaining it), takes more work. That means at least four to five sweat sessions a week of hard work.
Mistake #7: You stick to cardio and avoid weights so you don’t bulk up.
Sure, lifting weights can bulk you up (the Arnold didn’t get those biceps at Zumba class), but only if you specifically train to add mass. If you train to tone, you’ll tone. You have total control over the effect weight lifting will have on your body. And guess what? The size of the weight has little to do with muscle mass. The size of your muscles is determined by three main factors: Genetics (were you born with the structure for large musculature?), gender (men have a greater potential to put on size) and type of training (it’s not the size of the weight but how you lift it). In general, if you use light weights (three to eight pounds depending on your strength level) and do more reps (like two sets of 12-15 reps), you’ll get sleek, lean muscle. Up the weights, slow it down and maximize the squeeze to bulk up.
Mistake #8: You don’t feel any payoff unless your body hurts.
Some discomfort or soreness at the beginning stages of a workout routine is normal, since your muscles are adjusting to the new activities. It means you're challenging your body, which, in turn, means results. But chronic soreness doesn't mean you're getting an awesome workout every day. It means your body's not recovering -- which is bad since you get stronger and develop muscle while your body recovers (not while you're beating it to a pulp for the umpteenth day in a row). Safety alert: Make sure you're not confusing muscle soreness with joint pain. Joint pain may mean you did some damage -- see your doctor.
Mistake #9: You climb off the treadmill when it says you’ve reached your calorie goal.
Hate to break it to you, but the calorie calculation displayed on most of those machines isn't accurate. Many pieces of equipment are built to show you what you want to see. And the assumptions needed to validate the machine's calculations (read: You’re as jacked as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and are putting your full weight on the machine) are seldom met. So use the counters as a light reference, but know that those numbers are anything but reliable. Instead, do your own calculations. If your thing is, say, running a 12-minute mile for 20 minutes, use a calorie -counting tool like this one from LiveStrong.com to find out how many calories per hour a person of your age and weight burns doing exactly that, and divide by three. (Then compare it with what the treadmill says you burned -- and you'll see how inaccurate it really is!)
Mistake #10: You’re envious of celebs, who apparently all won the genetic lottery and don’t have to push it as hard as you do.
According to our experts, who have worked with quite a few celebrities, most celebs work hard (just like you do) for their bodies (albeit, most of them under the guidance of a trainer, a nutritionist and a personal chef). So stop cursing their DNA and start making exercise and nutrition priorities in your life. Of course, what makes it a little easier for celebrities is the fact that looking good is basically their job -- and a paycheck is major motivation not to slack off. Whereas your livelihood depends more on sometimes skipping the gym to make an early meeting, prep for a presentation or network at a happy hour. But you can do it!
Resource: THE NEST
You can do it!!!! And if you feel like you can't and you need advice, mail me, I can put you into contact with some awesome fitness freaks who will gladly work out a stunning exercise routine that you can enjoy!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
WHAT TO DO WHEN … HITS YOU?
Do you feel that there is always that something that get’s in your way. Like the insurance advert for MiWay: “It just jumped in front of me!”. With your weight and your general fitness and health, do you feel that there’s always that something that just “jumps in front of you”, something that stops you in your tracks and that derail you completely off the very good track you were on. You felt so positive about things and then suddenly there’s that dip.
I felt like that when I just got into my exercise routine and on time is the menstrual cycle. The things we should be grateful for as it indicates everything is in check. But it has been a set back for me everytime in the past. As if my menstruation = The physical fitness reset button. And back to square one I am!!! So I decided this year, this is one of my biggest challenges, to dismantle my reset button and to find a way to continue with my physical fitness plan despite pain, discomfort, etc. I think my mind was so set on getting past this that the first cycle was a piece of cake, there were 2 days that I couldn’t exercise, but what is 2 days out of a week, that is still 5 days of exercise for that week, gentle breathing, stretching and toning through yoga exercises. Cycle was over and I was completely back into the swing of things the whole week last week.
In the early morning hours of Friday (this past Friday) morning I woke up with an intense pain.
I knew this pain, I have had it before – it is definitely a urinary track infection. I was also hot and feverish, so I decide to get out of bed and to just go and lie down in the lounge or somewhere cooler than in the bed. The pain was so immense I started to groan! After a while I realised praying that I will fall asleep is not working, maybe I should take some panado, just so that I can sleep till morning to get some meds.
I took two panado’s – stayed on the coach till they started working – which took a good 30 minutes. And back to bed I went. The next morning it was panado’s again, a shower and off to the chemist. I decided to go the natural route, because the only treatment for a bladder or urinary trackt infection is anti-biotics and I was not about to go that route at this stage of my journey. I got some citric-soda which has Cranberry extract in it. So it treats symptoms, but the cranberry treats the infection and aids the body with the healing. I also got a homeopathic drop which is specifically for bladder irritations and infections as well as a homeopathic anti-inflammatory (yeah, maybe went a bit overboard). I started dosing straight away!!!!
How many more set backs am I going to have to face, next it will probably be a cold or worse the flue.
I also got some cranberry and other berry juices as this helps a lot. I started drinking a cold pressed berry juice, which has a pear base, straight away. BIG MISTAKE! Not even 30 minutes to an hour later I started having diarrhoea. Oh dear, just when I thought it couldn’t get worst!!!! I was on and off the loo the entire afternoon. Luckily I decided to keep on drinking lots of water in-between to stay hydrated. By the afternoon my hubby picked up some carcoal tablets for me and that helped a lot to sort out my stomach, though I had gas the whole weekend, sometimes quite painful. The normal cranberry juice I could still drink, thank goodness.
So this past weekend has really not been a lot of fun, I was quite sick still Saturday. Sunday I was better and yesterday I was just about back to my old self again.
Yesterday afternoon we managed to take a 45 minute walk after work.
Today it was 30 minutes advanced yoga and it felt great!!!
Although, at some point I really didn’t see where I was going to find the energy to continue my exercise programme I did.
One of the things that pulled me through was my weigh-in on Sunday morning. I was so excited to be + - 1kg down!!!! It lifted my spirits and inspired me to just keep on going, no matter what. To harness the POWER OF FOCUS. And to just keep on focussing on what I need to do just for today to get through it all, one thing at a time!
We all go through it! We all have those things that just “jump in front of us” and we feel like we’re not in control, like we can’t just swirf out and swirf back onto our original path, but perhaps we can, if we can just get our emotions and our mind to focus on the goal and to take into consideration the bigger picture.
Looking forward to hopefully AM yoga tomorrow morning! If not, we will turn it into PM yoga! But Yoga it will be.
‘A mind once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.’
What is it that usually leaves get's in your way of doing what you would like to?
I felt like that when I just got into my exercise routine and on time is the menstrual cycle. The things we should be grateful for as it indicates everything is in check. But it has been a set back for me everytime in the past. As if my menstruation = The physical fitness reset button. And back to square one I am!!! So I decided this year, this is one of my biggest challenges, to dismantle my reset button and to find a way to continue with my physical fitness plan despite pain, discomfort, etc. I think my mind was so set on getting past this that the first cycle was a piece of cake, there were 2 days that I couldn’t exercise, but what is 2 days out of a week, that is still 5 days of exercise for that week, gentle breathing, stretching and toning through yoga exercises. Cycle was over and I was completely back into the swing of things the whole week last week.
In the early morning hours of Friday (this past Friday) morning I woke up with an intense pain.
I knew this pain, I have had it before – it is definitely a urinary track infection. I was also hot and feverish, so I decide to get out of bed and to just go and lie down in the lounge or somewhere cooler than in the bed. The pain was so immense I started to groan! After a while I realised praying that I will fall asleep is not working, maybe I should take some panado, just so that I can sleep till morning to get some meds.
I took two panado’s – stayed on the coach till they started working – which took a good 30 minutes. And back to bed I went. The next morning it was panado’s again, a shower and off to the chemist. I decided to go the natural route, because the only treatment for a bladder or urinary trackt infection is anti-biotics and I was not about to go that route at this stage of my journey. I got some citric-soda which has Cranberry extract in it. So it treats symptoms, but the cranberry treats the infection and aids the body with the healing. I also got a homeopathic drop which is specifically for bladder irritations and infections as well as a homeopathic anti-inflammatory (yeah, maybe went a bit overboard). I started dosing straight away!!!!
How many more set backs am I going to have to face, next it will probably be a cold or worse the flue.
I also got some cranberry and other berry juices as this helps a lot. I started drinking a cold pressed berry juice, which has a pear base, straight away. BIG MISTAKE! Not even 30 minutes to an hour later I started having diarrhoea. Oh dear, just when I thought it couldn’t get worst!!!! I was on and off the loo the entire afternoon. Luckily I decided to keep on drinking lots of water in-between to stay hydrated. By the afternoon my hubby picked up some carcoal tablets for me and that helped a lot to sort out my stomach, though I had gas the whole weekend, sometimes quite painful. The normal cranberry juice I could still drink, thank goodness.
So this past weekend has really not been a lot of fun, I was quite sick still Saturday. Sunday I was better and yesterday I was just about back to my old self again.
Yesterday afternoon we managed to take a 45 minute walk after work.
Today it was 30 minutes advanced yoga and it felt great!!!
Although, at some point I really didn’t see where I was going to find the energy to continue my exercise programme I did.
One of the things that pulled me through was my weigh-in on Sunday morning. I was so excited to be + - 1kg down!!!! It lifted my spirits and inspired me to just keep on going, no matter what. To harness the POWER OF FOCUS. And to just keep on focussing on what I need to do just for today to get through it all, one thing at a time!
We all go through it! We all have those things that just “jump in front of us” and we feel like we’re not in control, like we can’t just swirf out and swirf back onto our original path, but perhaps we can, if we can just get our emotions and our mind to focus on the goal and to take into consideration the bigger picture.
Looking forward to hopefully AM yoga tomorrow morning! If not, we will turn it into PM yoga! But Yoga it will be.
‘A mind once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.’
What is it that usually leaves get's in your way of doing what you would like to?
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