Sunday, August 12, 2012

Backyard kick boxing

So, here it is. Me in my backyard kickboxing with the dragonflies. It's not perfection, but it's a start. I've even taught/co-taught kickboxing sessions at the Universal Martial Arts of the Florida Keys dojo. I'll be there doing my thing most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And in a couple of weeks I'll start doing Saturday morning sessions. So, take a look. Tell me what you think. I can't wait to read your comments.


Bike Riding- Easy on the feet.

I have flat feet, so running can be painful (good running shoes help some). Therefore, I don't take to the pavement often. So, yesterday I did an 8 mile bike ride instead. It took in alost an hour. I wasn't riding my absolute hardest (I wanted to make sure there was something left in the tank to get back). I was a nice ride. I rode from mile marker 101 to mile marker 105 and back. I'd like to do it at least once a week. My new school is about 9 miles away. I could bike there on a good day. I said I was going to try it before school. Guess that means this week. I'll actually be doing preplanning. During that time, it work out well because it's during an adjustment period. I'll shoot for Wednesday. (Humpin' on Hump Day) Let's see how it goes.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Thoughts... Partners and Money

So I've been trying to figure out what will help motivate me. It's funny too because as I'm checking my email I see and invite from my sister saying... "Get in shape with me on MyFitnessPal." Coincidence? I think not. One of the number one weight loss tips is to do it with a partner. Find some one to be accountable to. Want to make it more interesting? Wager. There are websites that let you "gamble" with your weight. I can't recommend any of the sites, because I've never tried them. Still, I know they exsist. I've even been tossing about the idea of letting you guys in on the action. See, I was thinking, I could ensure 6 days a week of working out by putting my money where my running shoes are. You see, I could say, the first person to text me at 8pm and ask if I've worked out could win $5... but only if I haven't worked out. I'd have to be completely honest... and we'd have to have some guidelines as to what a real workout is... cause I count swimming, canoeing, and leisure bike riding (among other things). But, it's not set in stone. So, if you like the sound of it, send me a comment. I need all the motivation I can get.

Weight... 180.6

August 7, 2012- 180.6 lbs

I could make excuses (Trust me, I've got alot), but instead I'm owning that number. That's it...

Me, Kickboxing, and Dragonflies.


Okay guys... don't be too critical. This is me in my first attempt at teaching kickboxing. Trust me, I know I have some improvements to make. But it took alot for me just to put it on video and let you guys see me sweat, bobble, and push. I promise it will get better.



Update: Youtube removed my video because it was too long. :(  But... don't you worry your pretty little head. I'm going to go out there today and brave the elements (AGAIN) just to bring you a little more footage. So, stay tuned.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Go Green or Go Home

Okay, so diet wise... today was a 4 on a scale of one to 10. I had and egg and cheese biscuit for breakfast. I had plain vanilla soft serve ice cream to recover from Xavier receiving 6 shots to get ready for PreK. I had one slice of veggie pizza with a large arugala salad for lunch. I had and apple and trail mix for a snack. Then for dinner I had Sweet Thai Chilli Wings. Plus I enjoyed Diet Coke and Rum at Happy Hour with co-workers. Sooo... That's that.

But what I can be excited about it my ride to work. Yesterday and today I rode my bike to work. 1 1/2 miles there and 1 1/2 miles back. 3 miles in all. No gas, more exercise, and time to think. It feels good to bike to work. It's good for me and good for the environment. My new job is much farther down the road (about 9 miles). I hope to bike ride there at least a couple of times this year. I'll get in one practice day this summer (2 weeks left). I'll let you know how that goes.

Monday, July 30, 2012

July 30, 2012- 178.6 lbs
So, I'm back on the scale and taking pictures... BABY STEPS... people. The plan is to post a picture a week. Monday's sound good for you? They work for me at the moment. So... Let's keep it going. At least until school starts back. Then we'll see what happens. :)

Keeping it Down on Vacation...

So, I just got back from Georgia and let me tell you... I had a wonderful time. It was filled with good friends, good food, more friends, and more food. It seemed like everytime I'd talk to someone about catching up it ended up being over lunch or dinner. In the end I had to start saying... I'll just come to your house and see you, neither my pocket or my waistline could afford it. But amazingly enough... I made it through the 6 day adventure and managed have lost weight at the end of it all. I believe that's a first. Here's what I did:

  1. Order Vegetarian: At Cheddar's I ordered the veggie plate. It comes with a salad and 4 sides. I chose a house salad with light dressing, broccoli and cheese casserole, steamed broccoli, sweet carrots, and red beans and rice (it had a little sausage in it... not completely veggie). Bonus: Veggie is usually less expensive.
  2. Crowd it Out: With each meal I tried to ensure that I had at least 2 cups of vegetables. At Hibachi I got started with mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, and asparagus from the buffet. Then at the Hibachi Grill I got a little rice, tons more vegetables, and a little shrimp. The veggies fill you up with less calories. There's nothing worse than going to a buffet and leaving unsatisfied.
  3. Have a Little of What you Want: When I'm eating with others and they are enjoying high calorie, yet absolutely irresistible food... I don't resist. I have 1 or 2 small pieces... just to get the taste of it... and let it go. That way, I don't feel like I missed anything. I've had it... even if it was only a little. I did with with the nachos at Nacho Mama's.
  4. Don't Drink your Calories (Unless it's Worth it): I used to order a regular soda with every meal... and then I took every advantage of the free refills. That's until I did the math... 120 calories per drink (and that's a small 1) with at least 1 refill... That's 240 calories or a crispy creme donut. I mean, really, which would you rather have. So usually I just drink water, like I did at Mi Rancho's (it's free for crying out loud and the best thing for you). But if I'm not in the mood for water, I have an unsweetened tea or diet coke. **When are drink calories worth it... when it's found in a margarita. :)
  5. WORKOUT! Yeah, that's no surprise and I'm not fitness fanatic. I'd fallin' off the fitness wagon, but I took advantage of this vacation to jump back on. The first morning I took advantage of the hotel "fitness room" with 4 machines... only the treadmill working properly. The next day I did my own set of circuits in the fitness room. It only required a chair and the floor. The last full day I did shadow boxing in my hotel room.
I'm certain this list is not all inclusive, but it's a start. If you have more pointers for a healthier vacation. Please post them in a comment. I'd love to hear them.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Motivation

Have any of you guys seen Jordin Sparks on the cover of Shape magazine. Wow! She looks amazing. I'm like... Hey! I can do that. The whole article talks about how she came to the realization that at her young age she should be much healthier. She started out just working on her diet by watching her portion size, choosing healthier food options, and eating at the right times of day. Next she started on her exercise options. She started small, but once she saw results she cranked it up a few notches. I recommend you check it out.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Night Rider

So I went bike riding tonight with the hubby. 3 miles south and 3 miles back. He kept wondering if I'd make it. "He don't know me ver-we well, do he?"

Oh, yeah, I got a really awesome bike. Actually we got his and her Schwinns. We absolutely love them. We fitted them with solar power lights so we can ride them at night with no worries.

Our plan is to ride them to John Pennekamp State Park to go kayaking on my birthday. :) I can't wait!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Numbers Game

I'm learning so much these days about how numbers relate to weightloss. The number of calories eaten subtract the number of calories burned equal pounds gained or lost. BMI calculated by weight, body measurements, and height. Percentage of Water contained in the body shows more or less body fat content. Pants size. Waist size. So many numbers... Which one really matters?

Well, I'm learning that waist size is becoming my BFF. "Why?" you might ask. My answer is simple... Sometimes the numbers on the scale don't shift, but when my pants are looser on me, I know I'm doing something right. When my pants are a little snug, I know I need to change something. Now, notice I didn't select pants size as my ruler. That's because depending on where I go, I can wear anywhere from a size 10 to a size 16. Your waist size is your waist size generally, especially if the same person is measuring you each time. Even still, without a measuring tape you can notice changes in the size of your waist by how your favorite pants fit.

All of the other numbers are great for getting an idea of where you are and where you'd like to be. But for a daily reminder, go to the closest and put on some clothes. You'll feel your way to victory.

Technical Difficulties

My post last night only partially posted. It think it's caused I sent it from my uneducated phone. Anyway... I edited it... just take another look at it.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

37 Days In

Hello, blogger family! I've been gone a while, I know, but it has not been idol time. I have been doing this workout and eating program called the "Supreme 90 Day System." I got it from CVS for $19.99 (it's sort of a knock off of P90X) and it was worth every penny. Right after the holidays I'd gotten up to around 196 lbs. And I just couldn't see myself being over 200 lbs again (Oh, Hell No!). So, I put my money where my mouth is and bought (get this list) a hula hoop, shake weight, the supreme system, some UFC gloves and a ton of healthy foods. Granted , the system and the healthy foods are the most used (for the past 37 days). And now I'm back at 179 lbs... Yeppie. And my sister has an awesome scale that shows weight, bmi, and percentage of water in your body. My BMI went down (good thing) and my water percentage went up (also a good thing). I'm loving the compliments I'm getting and it motivates me to do more and eat right. Lately I've been pulling double duty when possible, working out in the morning and again in the evening. One workout is usually some type of class either zumba, training to instruct kickboxing at the Universal Martial Arts Dojang, or boot camp in the park with my nephew. Anyway, stay tuned for pictures and video... Oh, thanks Nicole for asking if I still post and letting me know that you are watching. It was the little boost I needed to get back on the blogging wagon.
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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Back at it AGAIN!!!

Okay... So I know you are probably thinking... wow! She's at it again. It has been such an up and down year for me. But I'm back at it AGAIN. Trust me, I know we all go through it. The ups and the downs. The failures and the triumphs. But what I realize is that, it's okay. This journey is not one where you simple reach the end and continue living happily after that. No... the journey is not over until it's over. And just like a real journey, you are destined to meet road blocks, pot holes, wrong turns, right turns, scenic spots, and hopefully meet alot of  wonderful people along the way. So, It's the new year. I time for resolutions... and I'm resolved to get back on the road to success. Fueled by confidence, love, and hope...

I Love These Tips

The tips below  come from the website http://boldweightloss.com/

Healthy Weight Loss Tips


On paper, losing weight looks easy: move more, eat less and then you lose weight, right? Yet, losing weight isn’t easy – we all know that.



I created this site to cut through the fluff that pervades the diet industry and supply you with powerful weight loss tips and effective weight loss methods that you can use to start losing weight right now. By applying these weight loss tips and the information found throughout this site, you can significantly speed up your dieting efforts and realize the healthy weight loss you have been striving towards.



There are 4 primary facets of focus when it comes to losing weight successfully and maintaining it for the long term:



- A Good Weight Loss Diet Plan



- A Sensible Regimen of Weight Loss Exercises



- Learning How to Build Muscle to Increase Your Metabolism



- Adapting a Healthy Lifestyle to Boost Compliance



All of these facets of weight loss contribute to the overriding principal behind effective, healthy weight loss: the numbers game.





Weight Loss Tips – The Numbers Game



While technically not a weight loss tip, the sooner you truly believe that weight loss is a number’s game and nothing more or less, the sooner you will have long-term success in your weight loss. If you want to lose weight it really just boils down to the amount of calories you are eating versus the amount of calories you are burning. Hormones or genetics can only lower or increase the amount of calories you burn: if you don’t eat for a month you will lose weight – there is no way around that (not that I am suggesting starving).



As a result, all of your weight loss efforts need to be focused around taking personal responsibility to create a caloric deficit. That is where our weight loss tips come in!





Weight Loss Tips – Diet Plans



There are dozens of weight loss diet plans available, and many of them are effective. As long as they are able to create a caloric deficit in some way, they will burn fat. If you are unable to create a caloric deficit through your diet, long-term weight loss is not likely to be maintained. Here are some good weight loss tips when it comes to your diet:



1. The most important thing about any diet plan is to keep your caloric intake below the amount of calories you burn.



2. Some advanced diet plans may call cycling between periods of being at a caloric deficit and surplus. Whiel these can be effective, they are best suited for those who only need to lose a small amount of weight.



3. There are 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories in a gram of protein, and 9 calories in a gram of fat.



4. Your body will spend nearly a full calorie digesting a gram of protein, whereas digesting a gram of fat burns almost no energy. As a result, eating 100 calories of protein will provide a similar amount of energy to eating 75 calories worth of fat.



5. There are dozens of factors which go into making one feel hungry or full. One of the strongest factors that determines hunger is nutritional status. Eating junk food does little to satiate hunger unless consumed in large quantities; eating a diet rich in real foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat – not bread or things out of a box) tend to be more satiating (satiation is the quelling of hunger) on a calorie-to-calorie basis.



6. Levels of the hormone leptin can have a strong impact on appetite. Low levels of leptin increase appetite. Leptin decreases when we diet, causing us to want to eat. Leptin levels, like most hormones, rise and fall on a fairly slow basis. Setting aside 1 meal per week to eat some extra calories can spike leptin levels for nearly a full week and help you feel full all week long. This is the same phenomenon that suppresses appetite on days following overeating (think about how you feel the day after Thanksgiving).



7. Contrary to popular belief, diet soda does not make you fat and can be a great way to silence cravings for sweets. All of the studies which suggest that people who are overweight tend to drink more diet soda have simply stumbled upon the fact that places that serve diet sodas (restaurants and fast food joints) tend to also have high-calorie foods.



You can get your own diet plan and discover how to pick out the right diet plan for your goals, current body type, and exercise levels in our section on Weight Loss Diet Plans.





Weight Loss Exercises



In order to lose weight, you have to do exercise, right? Well, not necessarily. Here are some great weight loss tips for incorporating exercise in your weight loss plan.



8. In order to lose weight, you do not have to exercise. Exercise helps you burn more calories. If you are eating less than you are burning, you can still lose weight without exercising.



9. In regards to tip #8, I would not consider it ideal to lose weight without exercising. Exercising will certainly increase the speed of your weight loss.



10. Any sort of exercise that burns calories will help you burn fat. This could be as simple as going for a 15 minute walk every day at lunch. This might add up to an extra pound of weight loss a month for very little extra effort.



11. If you hate working out, try to find an activity that you do like. You can burn fat and lose weight just as easily through a game of tennis or a walk in the evening as you can on the treadmill.



12. Exercise, particularly weight training, also helps preserve muscle mass. When you are in a caloric deficit, sometimes your body will digest muscle tissue in addition to fat in order to fuel its daily needs. This is not only unhealthy but can also slow down weight loss. Muscle tissue is highly metabolic and burns a lot of calories (even without exercising), so preserving it helps ensure long-term weight loss.



You can learn more about what exercises to perform for weight loss in our section on Exercise for Weight Loss. Which brings us to the next section..





Healthy Weight Loss Tips – Building Muscle



While you might not think building muscle (or at least maintaining it) has much to do with dieting, the truth is that they are inseparable. Here are some healthy weight loss tips when considering building muscle and weight training while trying to lose weight:



13. Muscle is the body’s furnace. A pound of lean body mass burns approximately 10-15 calories (depending on individual factors) a day simply existing. Your body has to spend a lot of calories just to maintain muscle mass. If you have 10 more pounds of muscle mass than a friend but are otherwise the same and follow the exact same diet and exercise plan, the person with the extra muscle mass will lose approximately an extra pound a month of body fat (or can eat an extra 100 calories a day without gaining weight).



14. Since muscle mass burns so many calories just sitting around, men are able to eat much, much more than women and still lose weight. It never ceases to amaze me a petite woman complains that her 6’4″ 220-pound significant other can eat twice as much as she can without gaining weight. Of course – with that much extra muscle mass, a lot of extra calories are burnt just maintaining it.



15. Most experts recommend putting eating no less than 1,200 calories a day in order to get all of your essential nutrients. Because of this, women actually need to exercise more than men in order to lose weight effectively, particularly those who weigh under 200 pounds. It is very difficult for women to lose weight quickly without getting in a lot of exercise.



16. Weight training helps preserve muscle mass which might be otherwise lost when dieting. Given how important muscle mass is to burning calories, weight training is very important to incorporate into any weight loss plan.



17. Extended periods of intense cardiovascular exercise performed in a caloric deficit is absolutely devastating to muscle tissue. When you are deep into a diet, I recommend long, low-intensity cardio (such as walking on an incline) with weight training as a preferred exercise choice when compared to running or more traditional exercise.



You can get more tips and even your own workout plan in our section on How to Build Muscle.





Weight Loss Tips – Getting Healthy



While getting healthy is not necessary to lose weight, it is necessary to maintain that weight loss for the long term. When we are not healthy and are not eating right, we do not feel well. Our energy levels are low, we feel moody and irritable, and depleted. Fatigue makes cowards of us all, and when we feel like this we tend to overeat and eat things that we would be better off avoiding. Here are some weight loss tips that go hand-in-hand with living a healthy lifestyle.



18. Go to bed! Most people overeat late at night when they are exhausted and their willpower fades. No one is overweight because they overeat at breakfast. It has little to do with the time of the day but rather the fact that when we are alert and awake in the morning it is very easy to have the willpower to resist putting a serious dent in a half-gallon of ice cream.



19. Drink plenty of water. This not only helps with appetite but helps reduce fatigue. Even better, drinking plenty of water reduces bloating and helps keep your weight steady, which in turn keeps you in a good state of mind.



20. Consume 25g of fiber daily. Use a supplement if you have to. This not only helps keep you satiated but prevents constipation (common when dieting) and helps keep you healthy as well!



There are 4 primary aspects of living a healthy lifestyle, but are you following them? Discover what they are and how to improve them in our section on Healthy Lifestyle.



Healthy Weight Loss Tips – Effective Weight Loss Methods

By applying these 20 healthy weight loss tips, you now have an effective weight loss methodology at your fingertips that you can use to start burning up plenty of calories, sticking to your diet plan, and achieving long-term success on your diet plan. This page is a work in progress, so be sure to check back evenly as it (and the site) gets expanded!