Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Still here!
I would like to point out that I am still here, with plenty of blogs to come. I've been trying to be on the computer less these past two weeks while I attend a class that will hopefully end in a job as a personal trainer at our local Gold's Gym. Today's the last day so keep those fingers crossed for me and be ready for my return to the blogging world starting next week!!!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A note on self-esteem
Recently I read two articles that I felt the need to discuss in here. Both are from Glamour magazine.
The first one was released recently. It was an experiment Glamour magazine did where they asked women to judge strangers based solely on their weight. The women were quick to label overweight subjects as 'lazy' 'slow' and 'sloppy' and they were more likely to call a skinnier woman 'bitchy' 'mean' or 'controlling'. While the fact that we have to judge each other so harshly is terrible, what I got from this study is more of a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' lesson. No matter what you do, or who you are, people are going to make hasty judgments. If you are out killing yourself everyday to fit a certain ideal, or so people will 'like' you, you'll quickly learn that you will always find someone who has negative thoughts and feelings towards you. If you are trying to lose weight you need to do it for you, you have to learn to love yourself and not be mean towards yourself before you can expect others to be kind to you as well. You should never, ever try and lose weight for someone else. It needs to be for you and you only. This survey is proof of why. People are mean either way, if you lose weight to impress others chances are high you will fail because it is impossible to please anyone but yourself!
 |
| Is this really what we think when we look at each other? |
The second article is something I am very, very guilty of doing. According to Glamour the average woman has 11 negative thoughts about their own bodies daily. Not many people would allow someone to follow them around during the day and say things like 'you're a fat, ugly cow.', 'you're a worthless pig' and all those other tid bits that will pop up in our minds, so why do we allow ourselves to do it? The answer is, of course, that we grow up learning that it's not okay to be comfortable in your own skin. From the time we are young we are learning of all the things/people we should be. What we should look like. How we should think about ourselves. Think about it, even as a child how many female friends (or even male friends) did you ever hear say 'Ya know what? I love myself and everything about my body."? I can honestly say I've never heard anyone say that. In fact I remember playing a game in jr. high where you tell each other what you don't like about each other and specific body parts. I'm pretty certain that at least some of my issues with my butt and thighs came from this game. There was no saying 'you look pretty the way you are' because that is unheard of. No one likes themselves, right?
 |
| Don't let yourself be consumed by negative thoughts |
Fortunately for us, change starts with a single person. I really don't have many body qualms anymore. I've lost a ton of weight and I KNOW I look good now and I'm tired of feeling like I have to find something wrong with myself. Starting today I am pledging that whenever anyone starts talking about what's 'wrong' with their bodies I will stand up and say "you know what? I LOVE my body. And you should too." No more of these hateful thoughts! And for further change I am pledging to not be judgmental. It's something I have been better about recently anyway but starting now I'm not going to judge people on their weight. If we all stop judging each other so harshly maybe we can stop striving for some perfect, ideal body shape and weight and aim for something much more achievable; our individual health.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Birthday Binge
My daughter turned 4 yesterday. The excitement she had over the whole day was so contagious it was hard to not get caught up in the little things. Like food.
On a day-to-day basis I try to avoid feeding my children certain things. They don't get many sweets or anything that has little to no nutritional value. Juice, soda and candy are rarely, if ever, available to them. I also know from experience that totally restricting foods just leads to an unhealthy relationship with them later on in life. Birthdays are special days and being so I allowed a lot of special foods yesterday.
Peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes, pepperoni pizza, cake, cookies and milk shakes were all foods that made their ways into our house yesterday. And me being me, I had to sample everything. By the time I curled up in bed last night I thought for sure I was going to explode little pieces of junky, empty calories everywhere.
After a year or so of making sure I eat at least 3-5 servings of veggies and 2-3 servings of fruit a day along with lean proteins and whole, gluten free grains, without missing a day of at least balancing the good with the bad I spent yesterday eating nothing but 'bad' foods. And I enjoyed every second of it.
Today, with the junk food hangover leaving me sluggish and a little ill, I have wrote out my meals and snacks for the day and made sure that I am including all of the fresh fruits and veggies I picked up at the store this weekend.
There was once a time I wouldn't easily bounce back from a binge like this. Not so long ago I would've spent days, sometimes even weeks, wallowing in negativity, eating junk food, thinking it didn't matter because I had already blown it. But I have come to realize some things since starting this journey.
While you shouldn't have a cheat day every week, allowing yourself to eat 'forbidden' foods every once in awhile. If you live your life always deny yourself of a slice of cake at birthday parties, or not allowing yourself to indulge in at least one holiday meal you're only setting yourself up for guilty feelings and more bingeing. Beyond that if you restrict food or list it as 'bad', especially if the bad food is a favorite of yours, it will just make it more enticing. However, if you don't put foods into good or bad categories and instead moderation (one small slice of cake at the baby shower in instead of eating half of it on your own) sticking with healthy eating will seem easier. It's all about finding balance.
Though remember, not everyone is the same. There is no one size fits all that works for everyone. But it's just about guaranteed that if you beat yourself up for every slip up you eat successfully eating healthily will be more difficult than if you just acknowledge the mistake an move on.
 |
| Kailey blowing out candles on her strawberry shortcakes |
Peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes, pepperoni pizza, cake, cookies and milk shakes were all foods that made their ways into our house yesterday. And me being me, I had to sample everything. By the time I curled up in bed last night I thought for sure I was going to explode little pieces of junky, empty calories everywhere.
 |
| It may look and taste like heaven but this baby will wreak havoc on your diet if you let it! |
Today, with the junk food hangover leaving me sluggish and a little ill, I have wrote out my meals and snacks for the day and made sure that I am including all of the fresh fruits and veggies I picked up at the store this weekend.
 |
| My usual lunch, a big spinach salad with lots of goodies!! |
There was once a time I wouldn't easily bounce back from a binge like this. Not so long ago I would've spent days, sometimes even weeks, wallowing in negativity, eating junk food, thinking it didn't matter because I had already blown it. But I have come to realize some things since starting this journey.
While you shouldn't have a cheat day every week, allowing yourself to eat 'forbidden' foods every once in awhile. If you live your life always deny yourself of a slice of cake at birthday parties, or not allowing yourself to indulge in at least one holiday meal you're only setting yourself up for guilty feelings and more bingeing. Beyond that if you restrict food or list it as 'bad', especially if the bad food is a favorite of yours, it will just make it more enticing. However, if you don't put foods into good or bad categories and instead moderation (one small slice of cake at the baby shower in instead of eating half of it on your own) sticking with healthy eating will seem easier. It's all about finding balance.
Though remember, not everyone is the same. There is no one size fits all that works for everyone. But it's just about guaranteed that if you beat yourself up for every slip up you eat successfully eating healthily will be more difficult than if you just acknowledge the mistake an move on.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Rest Days
Today I want to talk about something I struggle with, rest days.
Rest days, recovery days, lazy days no matter what you call them are important for improving fitness and performance and yet many people over look them and continue performing hard, intense exercise day after day without allowing the body to recuperate in between. I am one of those people.
When my rest days come around more often than not, I talk myself into working out anyway. I try my best to only target areas only once a week but I'm finding out that mixing strength training and Insanity means I need to rest more than I would like. This week I've been forced to sit out one day already thanks to sore muscles and it's looking like today will be another rest day as well. The guilt of not working out is almost unbearable. Overcoming that guilt is one of the most difficult things I am learning to overcome. So I'm writing this post today, not just to inform others of the need to take a break but also to remind myself of why it is so important.
Recovery is important for two major reasons. The first, it gives your body time to adapt to the stress of a new routine which helps you avoid muscle fatigue and pain. Second, it gives your body a chance to repair the tissues that are torn when you work the muscles and gives your body time to replenish the energy stores that are depleted during exercise. If you're not allowing your body to recover between workouts your muscles will never grow and the physique you are working so hard to achieve wont ever come to fruition. In terms of muscle size, this is more important for body builders however it's still especially important to give the muscles time to repair, weather you're working for size and definition or just general weight loss.
As with everything in the fitness and health world there is no 'one size fits all' approach to rest days. The number of rest days will depend on what your goals are and how intense you are training. The general rule of thumb is give each muscle group a week of rest between targeted workouts. For example, while I do the cardio intense Insanity 6 days a week, I have been focusing on strength training 3 times a week with one day set aside for each 'section': upper body, lower body and abs. This way I'm getting the muscle building benefits of strength training while still getting my 'fix' of Insanity.
A good way to practice rest days is to do light to moderate cardio on the days you aren't actively strength training an area. That way you are still burning calories and keeping up with your program while allowing the muscles to recover. Playing sports with your kids or taking your best furry friend for a walk also count as great rest day 'workouts'. Also, be sure to schedule in a day to focus only on stretching. You can achieve this by having a yoga day or performing a workout such as StretchX from the P90X program.
Rest days, recovery days, lazy days no matter what you call them are important for improving fitness and performance and yet many people over look them and continue performing hard, intense exercise day after day without allowing the body to recuperate in between. I am one of those people.
When my rest days come around more often than not, I talk myself into working out anyway. I try my best to only target areas only once a week but I'm finding out that mixing strength training and Insanity means I need to rest more than I would like. This week I've been forced to sit out one day already thanks to sore muscles and it's looking like today will be another rest day as well. The guilt of not working out is almost unbearable. Overcoming that guilt is one of the most difficult things I am learning to overcome. So I'm writing this post today, not just to inform others of the need to take a break but also to remind myself of why it is so important.
Recovery is important for two major reasons. The first, it gives your body time to adapt to the stress of a new routine which helps you avoid muscle fatigue and pain. Second, it gives your body a chance to repair the tissues that are torn when you work the muscles and gives your body time to replenish the energy stores that are depleted during exercise. If you're not allowing your body to recover between workouts your muscles will never grow and the physique you are working so hard to achieve wont ever come to fruition. In terms of muscle size, this is more important for body builders however it's still especially important to give the muscles time to repair, weather you're working for size and definition or just general weight loss.
Believe it or not, rest is required to get results like this!
As with everything in the fitness and health world there is no 'one size fits all' approach to rest days. The number of rest days will depend on what your goals are and how intense you are training. The general rule of thumb is give each muscle group a week of rest between targeted workouts. For example, while I do the cardio intense Insanity 6 days a week, I have been focusing on strength training 3 times a week with one day set aside for each 'section': upper body, lower body and abs. This way I'm getting the muscle building benefits of strength training while still getting my 'fix' of Insanity.
A good way to practice rest days is to do light to moderate cardio on the days you aren't actively strength training an area. That way you are still burning calories and keeping up with your program while allowing the muscles to recover. Playing sports with your kids or taking your best furry friend for a walk also count as great rest day 'workouts'. Also, be sure to schedule in a day to focus only on stretching. You can achieve this by having a yoga day or performing a workout such as StretchX from the P90X program.
Yoga is another great R&R activity.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Healthy Tech
If there's one thing I waste time doing, it's playing online or with my iPhone. Fortunately for me I spend most of my internet time reading and researching fitness and nutrition gadgets. I would like to spend a minute and share a few of my favorite websites and apps here.
1. Calorie Count
This one counts as both an app and a website since I use both frequently. The idea is simple, you log your food, beverages, weight and activities daily. Recently they've updated and added in Calorie Camp which is a neat feature. You have goals you try to met daily and achievements you work towards. For each goal you meet and achievement you obtain you get points which you can use towards coupons and discounts at different websites for healthy snacks and fitness gear. Beyond the basic calorie/fitness tracking you also get a daily analysis so you can easily see what nutrients you need more of (I struggle with iron and potassium) and what nutrients you need less of (I tend to toe the line with sodium everyday). Plus you get to participate in an amazing community of like-minded, encouraging people all working towards similar goals. Best of all, it's completely free. It's the most all encompassing program I've found yet for that price!
http://caloriecount.about.com
2. My plate
1. Calorie Count
This one counts as both an app and a website since I use both frequently. The idea is simple, you log your food, beverages, weight and activities daily. Recently they've updated and added in Calorie Camp which is a neat feature. You have goals you try to met daily and achievements you work towards. For each goal you meet and achievement you obtain you get points which you can use towards coupons and discounts at different websites for healthy snacks and fitness gear. Beyond the basic calorie/fitness tracking you also get a daily analysis so you can easily see what nutrients you need more of (I struggle with iron and potassium) and what nutrients you need less of (I tend to toe the line with sodium everyday). Plus you get to participate in an amazing community of like-minded, encouraging people all working towards similar goals. Best of all, it's completely free. It's the most all encompassing program I've found yet for that price!
http://caloriecount.about.com
2. My plate
I haven't used this website as much as I should. In studying to become a personal trainer this has popped up again and again in my materials, and for good reason. This portioned out dinner plate is what the government has replaced the food pyramid with. It's simplified and easy to understand while showing you what you should be eating with each meal. It's also very kid friendly!
The website itself is pretty neat. You can go to the super tracker and set up a profile to get an accurate daily calorie allotment as well as a pretty easy to use food tracker. You can set up to 5 goals to try and reach and this tool shows you how much of what are you eating. I do think it needs some work, mainly needs to have more foods added in but from my limited experience with it I'd say it's definitely worth checking out if for nothing more than the nutrition and health advice found throughout the website. It's another freebie since it's government run.
3. The Eatery
If you're like most people you really don't want to spend your days obsessing over every calorie and morsel that goes into your body. Unfortunately you've heard over and over again that the best way to lose weight is to watch what you eat, to track your food intake and make sure it's balanced with your energy output. That's where this app comes in play. You snap a quick picture of each meal with your iPhone's camera, enter a few bits of information like how much you ate (anywhere from 'like one grain of rice' to 'The human stomach can hold 2-3 liters of food...') and then you post it. Your meals get rated by other users from 1%-100% healthy and you get to rate other people's meals as well. I have really enjoyed playing with the app, it puts an interesting spin on watching what you eat. It's also free.
4. Fitocracy
This app is a fun way to track your fitness, especially if you are a video game nerd like me. This little gem has everything a good, addictive video game should have, except it's all done IRL (that's in real life for all the non-nerds out there) and encourages you to be active. You have quests like 'Someone's chasing me!' which requires you to run a mile in under 10 minutes, or 'When I dip, you dip, we dip' which asks you to do 100 dips of any kind in your daily workout. Then you have your achievements like 'beast mode bench' which asks you to bench press at least 1.1x your body weight. And of course you get experience for each activity you log and you start leveling up in an attempt to make it onto the leaderboards. There's also a great community in the form of groups you can join. Again, it's free. Unless you want the ultimate nerd-goal, which is the ability to achieve titles. In which case you have to become a Hero and that will cost you $4.99/month or $44.99/year.
It's also worth noting that this program can also be used through their website, so if you don't have a smart phone you can still take part in the fun.
5. Zombies, Run!
I will admit, I haven't used this one yet. But I think it deserves an honorable mention on here because the idea is so amazing that I can't pass it up. I plan on buying this one soon. Very, very soon. It's a running app, but unlike conventional running apps this one takes you through a zombie infested world in which you are a runner and must leave your safe base to collect things like batteries, medicine and ammo which you do by simply going for a run. You have to decide who the items go to, what buildings need to be fortified and all the fun stuff that you would see in your basic zombie video games. It sounds like it would be so much fun to play, I haven't been this excited over an app purchase in a very long time. I will update as soon as I test it out! In the meantime you can go read all about it for yourself.
For now it's an Apple only app but the website says it is coming to Android sometime this spring.$7.99.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)