Motivation Monday

Weigh in today and you are finished!  How do you feel about your success on the challenge?

I lost less than I wanted but was
yo-yo with my eating habits and workouts.

Although the challenge is over I am going to continue eating smart and exercising regularly.

Please comment with:
1) Your overall weight loss
2) One idea that you will take with you from the challenge.

Best wishes to you all!  Thank you so much for joining us in the challenge.

Fitness Friday

Today we celebrated Boomer's 7th birthday with a surprise party. I stayed up too late, (several nights) skipped breakfast and ended up sampling the cupcakes and frosting. It seems like every birthday party is filled with sugar, which is part of what makes a birthday party so fun.  However, I was thinking today about how I could have done better.
1) Eat a good breakfast
2) Serve more healthy treats including fruits,(fruit skewers) veggies and air popped popcorn.
3) Serve water instead of sugary drinks.
4) Grab a 1/8 of a teaspoon for sampling things like cake or frosting.
5)Put candy in the gift bags but not out in the open...(otherwise I will be eating it too.)
6) Skip the pinata..I love pinatas but more candy means more chances for me to snack while filling it.

Here were some other good ideas for filling treat bags from eatright.org


1)94% fat-free microwave popcorn bags
2)Single serving bags of corn nuts
3)Sugar-free gum
4)Fruit cups in their own juice or unsweetened applesauce
5)Tangerines
6)Single serving boxes of lightly sweetened whole-grain cereal
7)100% fruit leathers

Additionally, you can put non-edible things like books etc.

We were successful with 50% of those things... We'll try harder on the next birthday!  What are your favorite healthy birthday treats.

Motivation Monday-- Final Week

Hello Ladies! This is our last week of 10inSix. Let's finish up strong!

May I introduce you to Icebreaker clothing.
Icebreaker is washable, wearable merino wool.  Many of my workout clothes trap odor. Icebreaker doesn't! It absolutely doesn't smell when sweaty.  I've had friends tell me that they wore it for weeks before washing it. (Great for the days when there is no clean laundry.)Icebreaker is a little spendy but comparable to other brands like Lulu Lemon or Lucy. They have everything from bras and undies to jackets and dresses.

You can find them online or at the Woodburn outlet stores.

What are your favorite workout brands?


P.S.  I stumbled upon a fun website Ellie a few weeks ago that will send you high end workout clothes (a top and a bottom) monthly for 49.95.  I love this idea-- a personal shopper for workout clothes.  I'll have to join this right after I start my subscription to Stichfix and get my personal hair stylist and makeup artist.

Fitness Friday-- Angie

photo via 

What did you do for Fitness Friday? Jon and I did a cross-fit workout called "Angie".
100 Push ups
100 Sit ups
100 Squats
100 Pull ups
Do it for time.  It can take you 15 minutes if you are amazing or an hour if you take a lot of breaks. Doesn't matter, Just keep going until you finish.

 It's a little late tonight but there's lots of time to try Angie tomorrow!  Hope you had a great Friday.  ( Click the photo link for other good cross-fit workouts)

Whatcha eating Wednesday?

Your turn! What did you eat today?  What is your favorite healthy food as of late?  I saw something good on Pinterest tonight from He and she eat clean that you might like.  So simple too!
Ingredients:

1 large banana

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Slice banana into 1/4-1/2" slices

2. Combine honey & cinnamon into small bowl (if necessary, heat honey in microwave until it is liquid enough to spread over bananas)

2. Spray pan using an olive oil mister

3. Once pan is warm, add banana slices

4. Cook on one side until browned (1-1 1/2 minutes) then flip over & cook (1-1 1/2 minutes)

5. Add honey & cinnamon mixture over banana slices

6. Flip bananas back over one more time for a few seconds & then serve.  Makes 2 servings.

Macros (per serving):

Calories: 95

Protein: 1 g

Carbs: 22 g

Fat: 0 g

Sugar: 14 g

Motivation Monday- Music

Hello 10insix gals.  Did you remember to weigh in today?

When you exercise do you "have" to have music to work out to or do you prefer to be alone with your thoughts?
Here's some reasons from the diet Channel for listening to tunes while exercising. (copied word for word)

1.   Listening to music promotes dissociation

When totally absorbed in music, your focus changes from what your body is experiencing to the external sounds you’re hearing. This situation leads you into a state in which you ignore negative feelings of fatigue and focus on the pleasurable feelings you get from following the rhythm of the music.

2.   Music acts as a performance aid

Whether you need to step things up or cool down, music can help you achieve both. Energizing, fast music can inject you with vigor. Slow, mellow music can lead to a state of deep relaxation. Depending on your goals and what you need most, you can use music to achieve it.

3.   The rhythm of the music can enhance your movement flow

If you select the ideal tempo of music for the exercises you’re doing, you can actually heighten the flow of your exercises. When strength training, chose songs with a BPM (beats per minute) of about 120 to keep your speed on track. When running, chose a higher BPM to match your cadence and keep a comfortable pace. When you’re in sync with the music, exercise seems smoother and more motivating.

4.   Choice of music is important for increasing muscle strength

If your goal is improving strength, don’t listen to relaxing music while pumping iron. Studies suggest that you’ll have bigger strength gains if you exercise in a silent atmosphere than if you exercise while listening to softer tunes. In fact, slow music can actually decrease muscular ability.

5.   Listening to music you like helps with motivation

This goes right to the core of every workout—motivation. If you hear music you like, you’re more likely to return and do it again. Listening to songs that you enjoy increases exercise adherence, thus leading to fitness gains over time.

What is your favorite music to work out to?
Here's a fun list of 30 songs from lifehack:

30. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
29. Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
28. Jump by Van Halen
27 It's My Life by Bon Jovi
26 International Love by Pitbull feat
25 When the Going Gets Tough by Billy Ocean
24 We will Rock You by Queen
23 Firework by Katy Perry
22 Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
21 I Believe I can Fly by R Kelly
20 Good Life by One Republic
19 Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
18 Thunderstruck by AC/DC
17 Enter Sandman by Metallica
16 Bang a Drum by Bon Jovi
15 Get up Stand up by Bob Marley
14 Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder
13 We are the Champions by Queen
12 I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
11 Iron Man by Black Sabbath
10 Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
09 Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Sound Track) by Bill Conti
08 Proud by Heather Small
07 Where the Streets Have No Name by U2
06 Never Surrender by Corey Hart
05 Beautiful Life by Ace of Base
04 I Feel Good by James Brown
03 Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
02 Lose Yourself  by eminem
01 It's a Beautiful Day by U2

Want more?  Here's a Pinterest board all about workout music. Have fun!

PS (If you go to the lifehack link above you can watch the videos for the 30 workout songs)

Fitness Friday-- Weight weight--dont' tell me!

I get it...finding time to exercise can be nearly impossible some days.  Encouraging you to get to the gym and lift weights sound entirely insane.  It feels that way to me most days too.  I'm standing there lifting my 12 pound weight and He-man next to me is doing the same exercsise with a 100 pound dumbell.

Here's a few reasons to lift weights:

1. Muscle is a powerhouse.  Muscle uses a lot of calories.  The more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you will be burning.
2. Strong muscles are a necessity for everyday activities.  The stronger your muscles are the less you risk getting injured from scrubbing the floor or bending over to pick up a child.
3. You will look amazing.  Don't worry that you are going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. There are four things you need to look like Arnold: A) 4 hours a day to lift B) Heavy Heavy weights C) Genetic predisposition for huge muscles D) STEROIDS.  I'm guessing you probably are missing at least three of those items so there shouldn't be any concerns about getting "huge".

Here's how to get started:
1) You don't need a gym.  If you are intimidated by the hulks at the gym or you don't have a membership, you can buy some dumbbells or fill up some milk jugs with sand. Most gyms have a women's only area.  The only problem with these areas is that they don't always have mirrors.  Although it seems entirely narcissistic to watch yourself lifting weights, it is good practice to see your form when lifting so that you do not get hurt.

2)Pick a body part or group of muscles you want to work.  For example, you could do something like:

• Monday: Legs and glutes
• Wednesday: Back and Shoulders
• Friday: Arms and abs  or Here

or you could work the whole body everyday. See Here

3) Lift weights three times a week. You can do it daily if you want but it's not necessary.

4) Find a good program to follow.  In the beginning, it's nice to use programs for ideas.  Once you are more experienced you can make up your own.  Use the links above or try Laura Bailey, Felicia Romero or Linsay Miller's programs.  There are many others to choose from if you put "weight lifting" in your search engine.

5) If free weights (the ones that don't have cables) intimidate you, try using the cable weight systems.  You can simply move from station to station and try them all out.

6) Keep track of how much weight you are using and try to add a little more each week.

7) Have fun! Put on your head phones and listen to your favorite music or bring a friend along.  I'd love to meet you at the gym.  We could wear socks like these!

Whatcha eating Wednesday--Quinoa.

Have you tried Quinoa (pronounced "keenwa")  my friends?  I was introduced to this "grain" years ago but only recently have we really become friends.  I also just learned that Quinoa is not even really a grain but a relative to green leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. Although this "pseudocereal" is definitely not part of the Paleo diet, it's OK on the Eat Clean diet.  It is high in protien, compared to other grains, and is a great substitute for those on a gluten free diet.

Quinoa is eaten much like rice.  You can use it in savory as well as sweet dishes. I love to eat it in place of oatmeal in the morning.  I add a little almond breeze, some almonds and top it off with unsweetend apple sauce or a few raisins.  Sometimes, I'll even throw in a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of nutmeg.  Generally, I cook a few cups of it at a time as a quick snack whenever I am hungry.  Make sure to wash your Quinoa well prior to cooking.  It has a bitter taste from naturally occuring saponins which aren't good to be eating anyway.  (I've learned by experience that it tastes so much better when well rinsed.)
There are some great recipes on the web (here, here, and desserts here) .  I can't get my family to eat quinoa yet (inless I sneak it into the meal) so right now I get to enjoy the whole pot by myself.  If you want to try it out, come on over.. I have plenty to share.

Motivation Monday

Three weeks down!  Were halfway done!  Did you weigh in this morning?  How do you feel about your results so far?  I know I could do better. I have been loosing two pounds and then gaining it back. So, I've decided it's time to get a little more serious about eating clean.  No more sneaking my husband's desserts off his plate, no more eating the crusts of the kids bread. We have less than a month left.  I know I can eat sugar free for three weeks. Any body want to pinkie swear to do it with me?  On the last post, I shared some sugar free treats to help with our enormous sweet tooth (teeth).  Keep going. Tweek what you need to. We can do anything for 3 weeks.!! Finish strong.
"Trust the process.  Eat clean, trust yourself, make good choices, be patient with yourself and work hard".  If you follow the program you will have success.  And for those who have lost 5 lbs or more...keep up what you're doing.  You are right on target.  Wishing you an amazing week.

Fitness Friday-Runtastic

Fitness Friday

I am not a very tech savvy girl but I do enjoy using a few apps to improve my workout. Introducing one of my favorites: Runtasic
If you are running or walking,  Runtastic is a great way to track your mileage. The Basic account is free or, if you want some extra perks, you can sign up for Pro or Gold.  There are other distance trackers out there that are similar but I like runtastic because it  links up with myfitnesspal and enters my workout so I don't have to.

They are having a sale right now if you want to go gold....or go regular for free!

Whatcha eating Wednesday--Paleo and healthy alternatives to sugar

Happy Hump day.  Sorry I'm getting this post out late but, here it is.You've probably heard about the Paleo or Caveman diet. It is basically high meat, no sugar, no grains and lots of fruits and veggies. (That's how I understood it anyway.)  I first learned about this diet 5 years ago when my personal trainer recommended I read the book "The paleo diet".  Back then it was mostly a fad with personal trainers and crossfitters. Recently, I walked into the cookbook section of Costco and this is what I saw:

Paleo for the masses!  I have lost weight by following the Paleo diet, as well as the Eat Clean diet.  They are very similar but the Eat clean diet allows some grains (as long as they are the right kinds of grains).  I prefer Eating clean over Paleo because I feel hungry if I don't eat a little quinoa everyday.  However, when searching for clean recipes, I love searching the paleo websites.  Here are some of my favorite:

Elena's Pantry

Paleomg

Nom Nom Paleo

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind: (Mostly I like the name) Lots of fun non-sugar dessert options...not recommended during 10insix but it's fun to try out some of these crazy recipes.

Which begs the question, "What are you doing to survive a sweet tooth?"

Here's some healthy alternatives to sugar:

1. Almond/peanut butter with apple slices
2. A small handful of nuts with some dried fruit (raisins, apricots, dates etc)
3. Grapes (try them frozen)  eat with some protein (nuts are my favorite)

4. Banana dipped in almond butter (if you have a strong blender you can freeze a banana and blend it to make "ice cream" or cut it into small slices before freezing and let it melt in your mouth!)

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Hope your day was great! 

Motivation Monday-- Diet Dilemmas part 2

How was your week?  Did you struggle with anything?
Today I'll be finishing up our Diet Dilemmas:

Dealing with stress
Eating healthy on the go.
Making time to exercise (finding the motivation to exercise)



Dealing with stress
Pamela Peeke MD author of the book The Hunger Fix realized that stress is unavoidable so she started meditating to cope better."Every morning I sit for 20 minutes, close my eyes, check in with myself, and transend to a peaceful place."  Make sure to take time for yourself. Even if it's only ten minutes a day, find something you love to do.  For me, I've found that exercise is my meditation time.  Not only do I get me time but a fantastic endorphin rush that puts me in a better mood the rest of the day! 

Eating healthy on the go. 

Fun fact: Bob looks better with his shirt off

Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser travels a lot and doesn't like many of the choices at the airport. He avoids eating unhealthy airport food by planning ahead. "If you opened up my backpack, you'd find portable, healthy foods like unsalted cashews, low-sodium deli meat slices, cheese sticks, and beef jerky.  On the off-chance that I don't have my own food, I search out an apple, banana, fruit cup, or a simple turkey and Swiss sandwich and eat it without the bread." These options are great for running errands as well.  Nuts and fruit work well for me.  I will grab a Lara bar in a pinch.  If you like protein drinks, put the powder in a shaker cup and keep it in your car/bag.  When you get hungry, just add water and you have a "meal".  

Making time to exercise (finding the motivation to exercise)

Gardening is a great way to burn calories

I've found that if  I exercise first thing in the morning I'm more likely to get it done. I've also noticed that the people who exercise in the moring are the most fit.  By the end of the day, I'm usually too tired to exercise. Sitting on the couch watching TV with my man sounds a lot more desirable than going outside in the dark or driving over to the gym.  Early morning exercise doesn't work for everyone. Kathy Kaehler trainer to Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts says "Exercise doesn't have to happen only on a treadmill.  So if I can't get to the gym, I make sure that my day includes some sort of physical activity--like gardening, rearranging furniture, bringing in the groceries.  All that activity can add up to burn between 250 and 400 calories." ( I love that she throws rearranging furniture in there.  Husband asks "what did you do today." You respond  "Not much dear, I just brought all the upstairs furniture downstairs...we'll be sleeping in the family room tonight.")  Her point is not to move your furniture but find creative ways to burn calories.  Park your car far away, walk to the park and play at the playground with your kids (instead of just watching them), take the stairs, do a mini workout during the commercial breaks while watching TV.  And that interval training we talked about can also make a workout feel a little more interesting.  

As always remember to weigh in and please answer the poll. Keep up the great work ladies! You're doing Fantastic!

Fitness Friday-- Walking, My secret weapon

As you probably know, I was part of a 10 in six program last spring.  I had been eating better and exercising a ton but not really seeing results until I did two things. First, I got really serious about eating clean and second, I started power walking every evening.
     Generally, if you want to lose weight I wouldn't recommend walking.  Walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes is only going to burn around 80 calories.  That's  a handful of nuts..or a couple apples in burned calories. Speeding up to a 4.0 mph pace (15 minute miles) will burn about 185 calories in a half hour or around 370 calories an hour.  Now we're starting to get somewhere!  The ultimate goal is to walk at least an hour.
     Experts recommend starting at a slower pace and walking for 30 minutes five times a week.  As you become more fit, you can add some speed walking intervals and eventually work up to 5 days a week of one hour.
     Go outside if you can.  Researchers in a 2010 study by the Journal Environmental Science & Technology found that walking or exercising outside for just five minutes a day boosts mood and self-esteem.
     As I mentioned in Monday's post,  I love to sit on the couch with the Mr. and watch T.V. (Really, I just like to spend time with him and since he is watching T.V that's our together time.) The bad part is that I also like to eat carbs in the evening...couch potato eating carbs does not bode well for the diet.  So most evenings, sometimes alone, usually with my man, we pause the show we are watching and go walk circles outside our house for an hour. We get some good couple time and burn about 350 calories. Although that isn't much, when we combine eating healthier and additional morning exercises..that equals about one pound more of weight loss per week.
     Let's try adding some walking to our routine and see if that will boost the weight loss.  Happy Walking Friends! Have a fanastic Friday!

What'ya eating (drinking) Wednesday?

Marking a water bottle can help you drink more!

We have all heard that we should be drinking more water but it's tough for me.  Sometimes I literally feel like I am drowning as I'm trying to guzzle down my water.  Here's some encouragement from Giam life that may motivate us to drink more water.                                            "Step 1: Drink before you eat

Because water is an appetite suppressant, drinking it before meals can make you feel fuller and therefore reduce your food intake. Health resource website WebMD states that drinking water before meals results in an average reduction in intake of 75 calories per meal. Drinking water before just one meal per day would cause you to ingest 27,000 fewer calories per year. Do the math: You'd lose about eight pounds per year just from drinking water! Now imagine if you drank it before each meal.

Step 2: Replace calorie-filled drinks with water

Ditch the sodas and juice and replace them with water to help you lose weight. If you think water tastes boring, add a slice of lemon. A glass of water with lemon is a recipe for successful weight loss because the pectin in lemons helps reduce food cravings. Think water doesn’t really help weight loss? Give up those sugary drinks for just a few weeks and see the difference." (I also like to add a drop of lemon oil )

Step 3: Drink it ice cold

According to the editorial staff at WebMD, drinking ice cold water helps boost your metabolism because your body has to work harder to warm the water up, therefore burning more calories and helping you to lose weight. Plus, ice cold water is just so much more refreshing than water that’s room temperature.

Step 4: Hit the gym

Because drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and keeps your joints lubricated, you can work out longer and harder. Just another way keeping hydrated with water helps you lose weight.

Step 5: Make sure you get enough

If you really want the water you drink to help you lose weight, you should follow the “8x8” rule recommended by most nutritionists: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day for weight loss and to maintain an ideal weight. You might need to drink more water if you exercise a lot or sweat heavily, or less water if you drink other beverages like herbal tea (make sure they are decaffeinated).

Trent Nessler, PT, DPT, MPT, managing director of Baptist Sports Medicine in Nashville, says the amount of water you need depends on your size, weight and activity level. He adds that you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.

How do you know if you’re getting enough water? A general rule is to check the toilet after you’ve gone to the bathroom. You’ll know you’re well hydrated if your urine is clear or very light yellow in color. The darker your urine, the more water you need to drink, especially if weight loss is your goal."

I wanted to focus a little more on step two.  Recently, I watched a video called  "Sugar-the bitter truth".  It's a long technical video by Dr Robert Lustig who works as an pediatric endocrinologist with a focus on childhood obesity.  Here's the four steps that they do with every child who comes into the obesity clinic that we could apply to our own weight loss journey:

As you can see from the picture, the first thing they do is get rid of any sugared liquids.  (This includes juices and sport's drinks) Dr Lustig asks, "My question to you is, why do you need sweet drinks at all? What's wrong with water? The human race had no sweet drinks until 1915, when Coca-Cola went national. Until then, we had water and milk, and we did just fine, thank you. Juice was invented in the 1950s. We didn't have obesity in the first half of the 20th century. But we have seen both soft drinks and juice sales rise astronomically, at the same time the obesity epidemic started to build....Water has everything you need, and nothing you don't. And it's cheap."

Are you thirsty? Let's go drink some water.

Motivation Monday! Diet Dilemmas--Part 1

How was your first week? One week down..Just five to go!  Remember to weigh in today.  Then go to myfitnesspal.com and click the check in tab.  You will see a little box to enter your new weight in.  If you didn't lose anything...stay strong and think about last week.  Are there any changes you can make this week for better results? (The Weekend always throws me off my diet a bit so if you are in the same boat and need to weigh in on Tuesdays, that's ok too!)

There are several things that can sabotage our weight loss goals. I struggle with late night snacking and a crazy sweet tooth.

Here are a few of the challenges that can derail your diet plans:

Portion Control
An Insatiable Sweet Tooth
Nighttime Snacking:
Snacking while working:
Indulging too much when eating out.
Dealing with stress
Eating healthy on the go.
Making time to exercise (finding the motivation to exercise)

Do you struggle with any of these?  Here's some help from Better homes and Gardens September issue:

Portion Control:  Measuring and tracking  your food helps you know how much you are eating. When I first started using Myfitnesspal I was surprised how many calories I was eating.  It's not always necessary to count calories but doing it for a month gives you a good idea of how your doing.  Ellie Krieger host of the food Networks Healthy Appetite uses this rule. "Every day when I finish eating lunch, I always feel like I could eat another plateful.  So I tell myself that if I'm still hungry in 15 minutes, I can eat more."  Only put one serving on your plate at dinner time and don't tempt yourself to seconds by keeping the food in front of you.  The same goes for snacks and treats.  Measure out one serving and put the rest away. (locked in a safe if necessary)

An Insatiable Sweet Tooth:  This is a big one for me and others including Harley Pasternak a personal trainer for stars like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Megan Fox and Katy Perry. "I want to eat chocolate chip cookies every single day.  But I don't buy a box and keep them at home.  Instead, when I'm craving one really badly, I make it a special event.  I go out and find the best, most decadent incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookie to eat.  It ends up being so satisfying that the craving doesn't hit again for a few days."  The moral: Keep your craving foods out of the house. Another way to help with the sweet tooth is to avoid eating a diet that is too low in fat. Studies have shown that the lower your diet it is in fat, the more carbohydrates you will crave. Opt for natural fats like avocados, nuts, olive and coconut oils used sparingly throughout the day.

Nighttime Snacking:  Unfortunately, I struggle with this one too.  Joy Bauer Nutrition and Health expert for NBC's today bemoans "late night noshing" as her Achilles' heel "One scoop of frozen yogurt or a chocolate chip cookie can easily turn into four or five.  So knowing my tendency....I plan out a post-dinner snack that has no more than 200 calories like light popcorn, 1/2 dark chocolate bar, a handful of nuts, or a frozen fruit pop.'  For a list of  ideas try Googling clean eating snacks.  One page I like is here

Snacking while working/distracted eating:  I don't work and many of you probably don't either but I can have a problem with distracted eating.  David Kirsh a personal trainer who has worked with stars like Anne Hathaway and Heidi Klum often feels the need to eat while working on his computer.  He calls this "mindless nibbling which can spiral out of control.  To keep myself aware oh how much I'm eating, my go-to snack is pistachios.  I get them still in their shells because the process of shelling them slows me down and stops me from just shoveling the nuts into my mouth.  Also seeing the growing pile of shells is a good visual reminder of how much I've eaten."  Many of the clean eating options above take a while to eat...dipping apples in almond butter or veggies in hummus can slow you down a bit.

Indulging too much when eating out:  The rosemary bread and warmed butter, the sparkling lemonade, the decadent chocolate dessert.  I didn't mean to eat it all but it was calling out my name and was ohhh so good!  Daphne Oz Host of ABC's The Chew (and daughter of the famous Dr. Oz)  has a few tips for eating out. "To avoid overeating during the entire meal, I share as many things as possible and am a big believer in leftovers." She also eats a pear or apple before her meal so she's not famished and is likely to eat less.  Better homes and Gardens writer Alice Oglethorpe recommends "If you are a party of two, order a few separate appetizers and share instead of each ordering a separate entree...Also only eat the bread if the restaurant is known for it."  summed up...skip the bread and share the meal. 

This is getting a little long so I'll sign off.  Stay tuned for diet dilemmas-- part 2.

It's fitness Friday! 

Whether you are new to exercise or have been doing it for years, interval training is a great addition to your workout routine. Interval training is one of the most effective ways to boost metaboism, rev up fat burning, and improve your overall fitness level.  Interval training does this by alternating bewteen high-intensity and lower intensity pace.

Via

 If you are less fit you might alternate between leisurley walking mixed with periods of quick walking.  A brisk walker might add bursts of jogging into walks. If you are already running, you would add regular sprinting or faster paced running into your workout.  Don't like to run or walk?  Some of my favorite workouts include very short bursts of running or no running at all.  Situps, pushups, pullups, weights, squats, and biking can all be part of a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.

Here are some of the benefits of Interval training by the Mayo Clinic Staff :

• You'll burn more calories. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you'll burn — even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time.
• You'll improve your aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you'll be able to exercise longer or with more intensity. Imagine finishing your 60-minute walk in 45 minutes — or the additional calories you'll burn by keeping up the pace for the full 60 minutes.
• You'll keep boredom at bay. Turning up your intensity in short intervals can add variety to your exercise routine.
• You don't need special equipment. You can simply modify your current routine."

     Some of  my favorite workouts are done by choosing three exercises and doing them every minute on the minute.  For example:  10 pushups, 10 situps, 15 squats every minute.  Sounds easy right?  But after 30 minutes you will have done 300 pushups, 300 situps and 450 squats.  If you are new to these exercises, you will be feeling them the next day.  I also like to do sets.  Choose 3-4 exercises (I like 10pullups, 20situps, 10pushups 20squats) and repeat 5,7,or 10 times depending on fitness level and duration of exercise.

Here are some other workouts I have enjoyed :

I Just started doing this one. For added cardio I like to run a lap between sets.

Just did this one for the first time on Wednesday.  I'm still feeling it:

This next one is intense and takes 45-60 min.  If you are new to exerise I recommend starting at 66 and working down:

Sorry this next  one didn't copy well.  You can see it online @ vingle.com

Haven't tried this one next but it looks good.

This one also is on my list to try out:

Another great place to get ideas for workouts is google or pinterest and search HIIT (interval training) or treadmill.  Remember to start easy and stop if any exercise is causing you pain (not sore muscles. :) 

What are your favorite workouts right now?

Whatcha eating Wednesday-- Clean eating 101.

   

 Eating is something we do everyday. Assuming you eat three meals a day, you will eat 1095 meals a year. Eating is the best way to change our bodies. 
     We have the choice at every meal/snack to change our body for the good or bad.  With all the quick, delicious, and often unheatlhy convienence foods it can be hard to make the right choices.

     For the next 6 weeks (and beyond hopefully) we will be eating clean.

Here are the key points to eating clean:

1) Eat foods that come from nature and minimally processed.  Lean meats, fruits,veggies, healthy fats (nuts, avocados).

2) Eat 5-6 meals per day.  This keeps your blood-sugar levels stable and keeps you from giving into food craings caused by hunger. 

3) Eat breakfast within 30-60 minutes of waking.  Then, eat every 3 hours. (If needed, Write mealtimes on your fridge to help you remember.)

4) Eat your last meal  3 hours before bedtime.

5)Calorie counting isn't as important and portion sizes. 

Produce (2 cupped hands), starchy carbs (1 cupped hand) protein (palm of hand) fats (1 TBSP oil/nut butter about 12 nuts)
"Calorie counting is not really a part of Eating Clean. I never count calories. We now realize that different foods react in different ways in our body.  Whereas we may lose weight on 2000 calories per day of Clean food we may gain weight on 1600 calories per day of junk. Many, many people have messed up their metabolisms by worrying too much about calories and not enough about just getting good nutrition regularly throughout the day." --Tosca Reno

6) Limited Grains are allowed  but only whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oats (Think slow to cook--nothing instant here.) Yams are also substitued as a grain.

7) Sugar is discouraged. (You can do it!)

8. Eat a combination of lean protein (lean meats, egg whites, fish, nuts) and complex carbohydrates (fruit, veggies, grains) at every meal.

9)  Drink at least half your weight in water ounces (2-3 liters) daily.

10) Stash healthy foods in your purse or a cooler so you won't give in to unhealthy cravings when you are starving.

Eating is going to be the most crucial part of the 10 in six plan.  If you want to lose ten pounds you will need to follow this plan.  It worked for me and I know it can work for you! If you fall off the plan for one meal...don't give up.  Ignore that meal and move on to the next.

You can find fantastic meal ideas at www.bodybuilding.com

My favorites are by  Ashley Horner *, Jaime Eason* (scroll down towards the bottom for food), Ashley Conrad*. (scroll down here too--although she has good information if you want to read).

(*These ladies also have great exercise programs. There are other great ones at the pick your physique  page.  I like this page because you can search by body type, height, and see a variety of different programs.  Again you'll need to scroll down for the ladies programs...although the men's programs look great too).

What are you eating today? Which one of the clean eating "rules" are the toughest for you? Did you have a chance to check out any of the diets above?  Which one did you like the best?   I'd love to hear your comments:)  

Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or licensed to give advice.  Most of my information about clean eating came from the fantastic book by Reno Tosca "The Eat Clean Diet -Stripped "

Welcome to the 10 in six challenge!

Hello Friends! 

I can't wait to start this Ten in Six Challenge! It's so exciting to have such a great group of people joining us. Even more amazing is that we are joined together working towards a common goal!

via

As we start this challenge, I want to remind you that you don't have to be perfect.  Do the best you can.  If you don't exercise or have a bad day nutrition wise, start fresh again with the next meal (or the next day if necessary).  Don't give up!  There will be days when the "chocolate stash in the cupboard gets the best of us". One poor choice does not make or break you. Continue on!  Start fresh...You are building a healthier body one choice at a time.

Lastly,  I wanted to remind you to remember to weigh in with your weight on myfitnesspal.

Here's what to expect the next six weeks:

Motivation Monday--weigh in day and misc topics

What you eating Wednesday-- Nutrition/ recipes

FitnessFriday-- Exercise Plans 

Can't wait to start!

Michelle
10insix.blogspot.com

I encourage you to watch this fantastic video with pro body builder Jaimie Eason.  It's well worth the15 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDpOtYRxG28

Recap: