Try to be good this weekend and check-in is on Monday morning, along with the first one-week side challenge starting up :) Maybe a little reminder of why we're doing what we're doing will help us all have a tremendously successful weekend full of long sweat sessions and fresh wholesome foods :) Your motivation and enthusiasm has contagiously bouyed me up. Thank you all for participating in the first week of the challenge. Your beautiful bodies thank you, too!
Why do you want to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks?
For me, I want to lose weight to feel sexier and more confident. Yes, you can argue that's a state of mind, just a decision that you make, but for me, when I look great I feel great, and when I feel great, I feel confident, and when I feel confident, I feel sexy & powerful & like nothing in the world can stop me ;) I might be addicted to the "high" of losing a pound. But I think that's a pretty sweet "high" to have! Another lesser side reason for me to lose weight is to become the healthiest vessel possible for a future baby (sometime in the next few years). I want unhealhty habits kicked to the curb long before that time happens and I want to be physically fit.
8/20/09
Feel the Burn Thursday!
You ladies are all so awesome :) I was being a negative nancy this morning with how sore my whole body is, but then after reading Sarah F's post on how we're all kicking trash and taking names together in our workouts, I'm so pumped up! Thank you! Which brings me to the topic of working out...
Have you ever heard of interval training, a.k.a. circuit training? It can be applied to any kind of workout you do, whether is running, biking, cario machines, strength training circuits, etc. The basic idea is to mix in low-intensity, med-intensity, and high-intensity in whatever you're doing. We blast more calorie when we mix up the speeds and intensities than if we just keep the same steady pace. Our muscles can get comfortable at a particular pace, and so keeping them constantly alert, working, and pushing new paces and intensities will burn more calories. Here are some ideas to mix it up a bit for you on a treadmill (Kristin's preference), elliptical (Michele & Meghan like ellipticals), bike (Lindsay & Nicole's fav), outdoor running (Sarah, Jamie, & Valerie's preference), or pool (Laura's MO):
Interval Basic Workouts from Men's Health(*my favorite of the links)
4 Cardio Interval Workouts from Fitness
Cardio Options & Strength Training Options with Intervals
Treadmill Option with Changing Inclines
Keep in mind that an interval workout is going to be more intense than a steady workout, so you probably won't go as long. One site I saw actually suggested just doing interval workouts once per week and your regular workouts the rest of the time. To keep it simple, try doing one of the pre-programmed interval workouts on your cardio machine. When running outside, I'm going to try mixing it up sometimes with peppering in 1 minute sprints in my usual runs. Try an interval workout this week!
Have any of you tried interval training before? Any recommendations, suggestions, tips? What have you done the last 4 days for workouts & what do you have planned for today's?
Have you ever heard of interval training, a.k.a. circuit training? It can be applied to any kind of workout you do, whether is running, biking, cario machines, strength training circuits, etc. The basic idea is to mix in low-intensity, med-intensity, and high-intensity in whatever you're doing. We blast more calorie when we mix up the speeds and intensities than if we just keep the same steady pace. Our muscles can get comfortable at a particular pace, and so keeping them constantly alert, working, and pushing new paces and intensities will burn more calories. Here are some ideas to mix it up a bit for you on a treadmill (Kristin's preference), elliptical (Michele & Meghan like ellipticals), bike (Lindsay & Nicole's fav), outdoor running (Sarah, Jamie, & Valerie's preference), or pool (Laura's MO):
Interval Basic Workouts from Men's Health(*my favorite of the links)
4 Cardio Interval Workouts from Fitness
Cardio Options & Strength Training Options with Intervals
Treadmill Option with Changing Inclines
Keep in mind that an interval workout is going to be more intense than a steady workout, so you probably won't go as long. One site I saw actually suggested just doing interval workouts once per week and your regular workouts the rest of the time. To keep it simple, try doing one of the pre-programmed interval workouts on your cardio machine. When running outside, I'm going to try mixing it up sometimes with peppering in 1 minute sprints in my usual runs. Try an interval workout this week!
Have any of you tried interval training before? Any recommendations, suggestions, tips? What have you done the last 4 days for workouts & what do you have planned for today's?
8/19/09
Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday
What healthy things have you all been eating this week? What meals do you have planned for the rest of the week? I enjoy browsing healthy recipes online, like from Cooking Light magazine and the My Fitness Pal recipe forum. Share a good recipe with us!
2 nights ago I made Summer Salsa, a favorite recipe of ours from my sister-in-law Erianne. It's a chunky and hearty vegetable dip with an Italian flavor that is delicious with pita chips. Even when not watching what we're eating, this is one of my husband's favorite foods.
Summer Salsa:
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 avocados, diced
-2 cans chick peas or garbanzo beans, drained
-1 can black-eyed peas, drained
-2 dry packets of Italian dressing seasonings
-oil, vinegar, & water as directed for just one of the packets
Combine the dressing packets with the oil, vinegar, and water. Mix in with the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl. Makes about 8 cups. Keep refridgerated. Flavor best when allowed to marinade overnight in fridge for flavors to mix. Stir before serving.
2 nights ago I made Summer Salsa, a favorite recipe of ours from my sister-in-law Erianne. It's a chunky and hearty vegetable dip with an Italian flavor that is delicious with pita chips. Even when not watching what we're eating, this is one of my husband's favorite foods.
Summer Salsa:
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 avocados, diced
-2 cans chick peas or garbanzo beans, drained
-1 can black-eyed peas, drained
-2 dry packets of Italian dressing seasonings
-oil, vinegar, & water as directed for just one of the packets
Combine the dressing packets with the oil, vinegar, and water. Mix in with the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl. Makes about 8 cups. Keep refridgerated. Flavor best when allowed to marinade overnight in fridge for flavors to mix. Stir before serving.
8/18/09
Tuesday's Motivation
We all know we should be drinking at least 8 8 ounce glasses of water a day, but that's a challenge sometimes! Here's some motivation to do so :)
Rev Your Metabolism
Drinking diet sodas may stimulate appetite
Keep headaches and fatigue at bay
Boost energy and ease joint pain
So the question I'd like to pose is this: How do you get your 8 glasses of water a day? Do you have tips, tricks, strategies?
8/16/09
First Monday Morning Check-In
Good morning, beautiful ladies! Today is the first check-in! Check out this link
How to Accurately Weigh and Measure Yourself
and record your weight and any other measurements you want to in your My Fitness Pal profile by clicking on "My Home" then "Check-in." You may watch your waistline shrink but not see much budge on the scale, which is why it's great to do lots of other measurements, too.
Over the next six weeks, try using the food diary and workout log via My Fitness Pal to gauge how many calories you're consuming vs. how many calories you're burning. It can also help you see if you're consuming the recommended amount of proteins, carbs, etc. that your body needs to be efficient. You can customize the daily summary page to show other categories that are otherwise only viewable from the "View Full Report" screen. For instance, I like to see my sodium and fiber intake on the front food screen, so I've put them there. To customize your view, under the "food" tab, click on "settings." Here you can also change the number of meals and the meal names. If you follow the mini meal method, you might want to add in a late morning snack, an afternoon snack, and a late night snack. Maybe after a month or so you won't need the diary because you will have a pretty good internal monitor of when you reach your recommended calorie allotment, but I still think it's a great idea starting out to give the diary a whirl.
For the workout log, enter in all your workouts under the "Exercise" tab and under the "Cardiovascular" section. Enter in weight lifting as "Strength Training" and enter in pushups/situps as "Calisthenics" so that you can get the calories burned to show up accurately in your daily food summary. Any calories you burn you eat! "You have earned XX calories from exercise today." Which brings me to the educational/motivational piece for today...sorry, most days won't be a novel like this...
Why Exercise Won\'t Make You Thin
Read this article and post a comment response on this blog posting about something you thought was interesting in it, or what your take-away was. Also, commit to the group to try to bring positive energy to this Ten in Six Challenge and to work hard on BOTH your food intake and your calorie burn.
I am so excited that the challenge is starting and even more excited for all the awesome ladies who accepted the challenge and are taking the reins in their lives for positive change! I love it! Share ideas, answer questions, offer tips, pass along words of encouragement, share your successes, and chat it up with one another! You can do it! Challenge Your Excuses!
How to Accurately Weigh and Measure Yourself
and record your weight and any other measurements you want to in your My Fitness Pal profile by clicking on "My Home" then "Check-in." You may watch your waistline shrink but not see much budge on the scale, which is why it's great to do lots of other measurements, too.
Over the next six weeks, try using the food diary and workout log via My Fitness Pal to gauge how many calories you're consuming vs. how many calories you're burning. It can also help you see if you're consuming the recommended amount of proteins, carbs, etc. that your body needs to be efficient. You can customize the daily summary page to show other categories that are otherwise only viewable from the "View Full Report" screen. For instance, I like to see my sodium and fiber intake on the front food screen, so I've put them there. To customize your view, under the "food" tab, click on "settings." Here you can also change the number of meals and the meal names. If you follow the mini meal method, you might want to add in a late morning snack, an afternoon snack, and a late night snack. Maybe after a month or so you won't need the diary because you will have a pretty good internal monitor of when you reach your recommended calorie allotment, but I still think it's a great idea starting out to give the diary a whirl.
For the workout log, enter in all your workouts under the "Exercise" tab and under the "Cardiovascular" section. Enter in weight lifting as "Strength Training" and enter in pushups/situps as "Calisthenics" so that you can get the calories burned to show up accurately in your daily food summary. Any calories you burn you eat! "You have earned XX calories from exercise today." Which brings me to the educational/motivational piece for today...sorry, most days won't be a novel like this...
Why Exercise Won\'t Make You Thin
Read this article and post a comment response on this blog posting about something you thought was interesting in it, or what your take-away was. Also, commit to the group to try to bring positive energy to this Ten in Six Challenge and to work hard on BOTH your food intake and your calorie burn.
I am so excited that the challenge is starting and even more excited for all the awesome ladies who accepted the challenge and are taking the reins in their lives for positive change! I love it! Share ideas, answer questions, offer tips, pass along words of encouragement, share your successes, and chat it up with one another! You can do it! Challenge Your Excuses!
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