Getting the train on the tracks

Ok, so I know I have been MIA for quite some time. The truth is, I have really let my weight and my health go to the wayside. I seem to have stopped caring for a while. While I continued working out almost everyday, I did not continue to watch what I ate. And while I have not gained any weight over the last 2 months, I have not lost any either. So, I know where the problem lies. It lies within my own inability to turn down snack food. When it comes to actually eating a meal, I do pretty good. When it comes to "snack time" I would rather chose candy or chips or cookies or something equally as evil. So I have determined that while no one is perfect, I am a work in progress, I just need to work a little harder. I have told my main "eating buddy" that all of our excursions have to end. Or at least we have to go somewhere where not everything on the menu is deepfried or sugar coated. I do have a tendency to eat more when I am in a social setting. I just need to remember the tricks I tought myself when I first started loosing weight. First, I completely quit drinking cokes. It seems like that is a nasty habit that keeps creeping back up into my life. Second, I would put my fork down and count to ten after every bite. This works because it takes at least 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full. Just think how many calories you can scarf down in 20 mins!! Third, I always substituted the french fries for a baked potato. The rest is just all common sense. If it is fried or smothered in anything it is definately a "no". And pay attention to your portion sizes. So, here I go again! Just an old train, trying to straighten myself up on the tracks. Wish me luck!

Snack Time

One of my favorite snacks is popcorn. Many of us eat it, ut we either eat too much of it or not enough. While popcorn can be very good for you, we need to remember about our portion control. A study in a diabetic journal found that people who snack on this crunchy treat get in twice as many whole grains each day as non popcorn munchers. We know that whole grains are good for us. In fact we need only 3 serivings a day to cut down on the risk of heart disease. However, most Americans don't even get one serving in. But there is good news! Every 6 cup 100 calorie bag of popcorn delivers 2 servings of those much needed whole grains. Just be careful and read the lables. Reach for brands that have less than 2 grams of sat fat and 400 milligrams of sodium. One easy way to control this is to air pop your own popcorn. This is my favorite method. I just put 3 tablespoons of popcorn kernels in my popper with just a touch of margarine and pop away. Soon I have a healthy snack with not a lot of calories. Just don't add all that oil on top of it and no sodas!! Drink water, or if you must have some flavor, a Crystal Light or the equivalent will do the trick. Enjoy!!!!

Playing Switch-Up

Last wek I focused my workouts on Debbie Sievers's Slim in 6. I was all gung ho and excited to being back with her. She really is killer. But this week (so far at least) I am doing The Firm. This is not a Beach Body product. It's something that I had before I discovered BB. But they are really great workouts. Those girls really make you work up a sweat. I have enough workouts that I think I could do a workout everyday for 2 months and never do the same thing twice. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have been a wishy-washy "dieter" for about 6 years and have bought everything I have seen and not stuck with anything until the last 4 months. But I want to say that I don't think it is bad that I have so many workouts. I will never never get bored again. And now that I am really committed to myself I know I will get use out of all of them. I like to say I have workout ADD, which is to say that I tend to get bored with doing the same thing day after day. And there is nothing wrong with that. I think it is perfectly normal. So I have all these workouts available for my use anytime I want to use them. I have absolutely no excuse for not staying on track and interested. Never again! I would like to say that I am done buying workout programs, but I know I would be lying to you. I think it might just be a thing with me kinda like purses and shoes. So anyway, I know that this has been a bit of a ramble, but I wrote all of this to say that if you are bored with your current workout. Even if you have reached a plateau, switch up your routine. I know that all those DVD's can get expensive, but just buy 1 or 2 at a time. Walmart usually has a decent selection of workouts. I also like to look at Sports Authority or Dicks Sporting Goods, places like that. You can find great workouts to add in to your usual routine and keep things interesting. Keep working out, whatever it is that you do to get moving, just move. The results will come!

Why do I Need Protein?

I used to think that protein was just for men. They want to bulk up and be buff. Well, I was all wrong. I have learned many things over the years and one of them is that we all need protein as a healthy part of our diets. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use it to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. It is an important building block of bone, muscle, skin, blood and cartilige.

Protein, like fat and carbohydrates, is a "Macronutrient". Which simply means that our bodies need a lot of it. But unlike fat and carbs, our body does not store protein. It must be consumed everyday in your meals and snacks. But many of the foods we eat on a regular basis have protein. You don't have to sit around and eat chicken and steak all day. Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, green leafy veggies, broccoli, beans, peas, whole grains, nuts. The list can go on and on.

This is not to say however, that you should stick with a high protein diet. That really is not all that good for you. You need to find a way to get a balance out of your diet. You need fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and the vitamins and minerals found in veggies. So, while we as workout enthusiasts like to think that we need all the protein we can shove in our bodies, it's not necessarily true. Just be sure to get a little protein with every meal along with your carbs and veggies. Your muscles will get built. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither will your body be. Be patient, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get plenty of water, and plenty of sleep and your body will give you the results that you are looking for.

Get Your Crunch On!!

Hey today as I was doing my Slim In 6 Burn it Up ab routine I was reminded of the fact that I have not always done my crunches correctly and had I not fixed in time I could have caused injury to my neck. So I want to take a minute to help you make sure you've got your form down and are crunching correctly. Not only does it reduce your risk of injury, but it also allows you to get the full benefit of every crunch.

When your lying on the floor getting ready for those dreaded crunches, put your fingertips on the sides of your head right behin your ears. This is just for support of your head. Your brain weighs about 3 lbs not to mention all the fluid around it. So it tends to make that noggin heavy. As you crunch up concentrate fully on using your ab muscles. (Those are the ones in your belly area.) To do that, you want to make sure you have room between your chin and your chest for a tennis ball or your fist turned sideways. You want to really relax your head and neck. If you feel any strain at all in your neck then you are not doing it quite right. This takes a little practice. If you are trying to keep up with a video don't worry about pace until you get your form just right. Remember quality over quantity. Just keep making sure that you relax that neck and let your abs do all of the work. Pretty soon you'll have the six pack you always dreamed of. And I'm not talking about the kind with a plastic ring around the top.

Get Laughing!!

Who knew laughing could be good for more than your soul? It's an all around good for you fun time. It has been found in university studies that a good belly laugh reduces stress. Even jsut imagining a paositive experience brings us hope and even reduces the level of the stress hormones cortisol and epineprine. And we have heard over and over that those cause unwanted belly fat. It also triggers the release of other hormones that optimize the immune system which can ward off unwanted illnesses.

Laughter is good for your...

Social Life: It instantly connects you to other people.

Relationship: Couples who laugh together have a more blissful union.

Health: One dose of nature's medicine reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and boosts your immune system.

Body: A hearty chuckle gives you a mini ab workout and burns calories.

Career: Laughing with your coworkers boosts creativity and problem solving skills.

So now that we know some more good things about laughter, rent a funny movie, enjoy a good tickle time with your lovee, or whatever you can think of to help you to enjoy a good hearty belly laugh. Just remember it's OK to get the giggles. It's actually good for you! So laugh it up!

All information found in Sept. 2008 issue of Shape Magazine.

Reduce your risk of Heart Attack

We all know there can be several contributing factors that lend themselves to heart disease, like genetics, biology, and family history. But did you know there are a few things you can do to help keep your ticker healthy? Here's what you can do.

1. Quit Smoking!!!
If you are a smoker here are some stats that you may not know. Female smokers, even the ones that only smoke on occasion increase their risk of heart attack by 124%!!! That's HUGE!! Male smokers increase their risk of heart attack by 43%!! While not quite as significant, that is still a major leap. The difference between the 2 however, may be due to an interaction between a woman's hormones and the smoke.

2. Prevent Diabetes
According to a recent study: "uncontrolled blood sugar is toxic to blood vessels, impairing their structure and function."

3. Lose Belly Fat
A waistline of more than 35 inches need to be trimmed down. Abdominal obesity is linked to hypertension, insulin resistance and an increased risk for contracting heart disease.

4. Exercise!!
Aerobic activity reduces your risk for diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression. Not to mention your risk of having to buy bigger jeans!!

5. Take "the Pill" wisely
If you are a woman tell your lady-doctor about and family history of stroke, heart attack, heart disease or blood clots before filling that RX, since the pill may increase your risk. Some BC pills can also affect your cholesterol, so be sure to have that checked as well. Finally, if you are on the pill to help with polycystic ovarian syndrome, have your lipid and blood levels tested. PCOS also puts you at increased risk for heart disease.

All information found in Fitness Magazine. Sept. 2008 issue.

Getting Energized

Do you ever just have "one of those days"? You know, the kind where you just don't know where you're going to find the energy to breathe, much less workout? Well, I am having one of those days. I am feeling so lazy and all I want to do is lay on the couch and watch TV. But I know that is going to do me no good. I've been planning my workout all day long. First it was for 11:00, then 12:00, then 1:00 and so on. I just keep pushing it back, till now it is almost 4:oo and I still haven't done didly squat. But I also just remembered how great I have been feeling everyday after I get done with my workout. That feeling of tremendous energy and sense of accomplishment. So I have decided as soon as I get done writing this, I am putting on my favorite tennies and my best sports bra and pushing play. And of all things, I'm going to do Turbo Jam Fat Blaster!!! It has 4 turbos in it!!! But I love it. It's relatively short, 30 mins or so, but it is so packed with calorie burning turbos that also rev up your energy level and wind up giving you that feeling of pride that you actually got something done even when you just didn't want to. So next time you're feeling like you just don't want to, remember how good you always feel when you get done with that workout. Remember how good it feels to have that sweat dripping down your back and off the tips of your hair. Remember (or imagine if you're not there yet) how good it feels to slip into your favorite jeans and they are getting loose. Remember your commitment to your health and go push play, or go run, or go walk, or go to the gym, or whatever it is you do to get your heart rate up and get those calories burned. Just do what you gotta do and your body will thank you for it. Well, here I go. I'm going to do Fat Blaster and AbJam. Maybe I'll see you in WOWY. Have a great workout today!

Getting Your Squats Right

Hey everybody! Today I was doing Turbo Jam 3T which is a great workout for strength training. And when we got to the first set of squats I was reminded that a lot of people have trouble knowing if they are doing them with the right form. Chalene says, look down and see if you can see your toes. If you can't you're doing it wrong. But what if you still have knee pain even when you can see your toes? I have come across that issue myself. But while doing a Firm video a while back, the leader fo the workout said that to make sure you are putting all the weight back into your hips (which is what you're supposed to do) lift your toes in your shoes. If you can't lift your toes then you are leaning too far forward. I find that everysingle time I do squats now I lift my toes jsut to make sure I'm getting it right. Hey I don't want to do all those squats for nothing. So when you are doing your squats, lift your toes in your shoes and you will know that you are doing your squats right. It helps everytime! Have fun squatting!!

Starting up

Hi! My name is Sarah. I have recently become a coach through Beach Body and I am very excited to have the opportunity to help others become more fit and healthier all while I am working on my own personal fitness. I started with Beach Body a little over a year ago using Hip Hop Abs. I was so excited to start it and I did pretty good for about 2 weeks. Then I quit. So about 8 months ago I ordered the Turbo Jam workouts. And again I was so excited to get started and start losing weight. But again, I quit after about 2 weeks. I just didn't have any real drive or motivation. I would tell myself all the right reasons why I needed to be working out and eating more healthily. I just couldn't motivate myself. I knew that being overweight led to diabetes, heart disease, breast and other cancers, and countless other health issues. All of which run in my family, I just didn't seem to care. Finally, one day I realized it was hard to breathe just getting dressed and I knew I din't want that for my life. I have a husband to think about and hopefully one day children and I want to be healthy and strong for them. I started using Turbo Jam about 4 months ago and I never quit. I switch up form time to time between different workouts. I sometimes do Hip Hop Abs, or Yoga Booty Ballet, or Slim in 6. I love to mix up my workouts to give myself something different to do as I tend to get a little bored doing the same over and over. Well, I am pleased to say that I am now down 20 lbs and am still going at it. I still have a long way to go, but I'm part of the way there and I feel so strong and so much healthier already. I can't wait to see what the next few months hold for me.