Plodding along

Are you stuck in a rut?  Either you haven't started to workout and want to, or you've been doing the same thing for years and years and years.  I see folks at the gym all the time who have been doing the same thing for as long as I've seen them and they look exactly the same.  That's fine if you are wanting to just waste time, but why bother?  If you aren't getting into shape then you need to switch it up.  If you aren't moving, then you need to start. 


One of my very first recommendations for anyone wanting to work out is to get some great looking and comfortable new duds.  You need something that you will feel comfortable in, both how you feel and look.  If you feel comfortable and not self conscious then you're on the right track.  The more comfortable you get with being in the gym or moving and getting into shape may have you looking for something a litter cuter down the road.  

Perhaps it is that I am a result driven person but I could not keep going to the gym; doing the same thing day in and day out with no results.   The folks I see at the gym are doing the identical movements I saw them doing years ago and they don't look any fitter than before.   Variety is the spice of life; but taking that first step may be needed first.  If you are just thinking about it; stop thinking and do.  Take that leap of faith and move.  

If you have been doing the same thing for years and years without seeing any results, stop!  Think about doing something else.  Perhaps lifting weights, doing yoga, stability ball or walking.  Whatever you've been doing hasn't worked.  Maybe it's because it's really just repetitive easy movements that barely work any muscles.  Or you've been doing it for so long that your body could do it in sleep mode.  You need a change, you need a kick in the ass.  

Taking that first step can be scary; so make it a small step, one that you can manage.  If you step too big too soon, it may lead to frustration which can lead to halting all together.  That my friend is not the goal.  

This much I know is true.  The more you move, the more you can move and the easier it is to move.  If you just sit there doing nothing; then you will atrophy.  Your joints will suffer from lack of muscle, tendon and ligament protection and you will become weak and unsteady.  

Along with my lifting I have added yoga and the stability ball. I also walk a lot and I have seen a big change since I started focusing on walking further and further with added jogging.  I am working very hard on my core and balance which is great for anyone and everyone to start doing.  

Take that first step today.  

Freeze your fat away? Really??????

As I was heading home from the park today, I heard an advertisement on the radio for freezing your fat away.  The woman on the radio was boasting about how she'd had two treatments already.  "Bikini season is right around the corner" she added.  Okay, so the big push is on right?  Simply freeze your fat away!!!! I sat and thought about all the miracle things that are out there to get rid of fat quick and realized that it all has nothing to do with changing how we eat or move.  So if you freeze it off, I guess it can come back?  Google time.  

This is the first and last article I read on the subject.  At least it explains what it is all about.  I don't care to read anymore.  

Daily Mail - on Cool Sculpting

The issue with these type of "quick fix" methods of getting rid of fat is that none address the problem.  That is, how the fat got there and remained there for so long.  

We (humans) are always looking for the next big thing.  That big secret that will rid us of the fat we don't want and get us in shape.  Well, the reality is this; the best way to do it is the hard way.  Work!!  Eat nutritionally dense foods and move.  IT MUST become a way of life; worked into our lives for it to remain.  

Every so often I have a moment of dismay, when I realize that I have to work out forever.  But that changes when I think about how lucky I am to be able to work out.  I can look however I want to; you can look however you want to.  It is completely up to us and how dedicated we are to get there.  I do not believe in the magic pill, drink, diet or workout.  It is all hard work and freezing your fat off sounds stupid to me. 

Moving through life

My daughter Nicole doing situps, being timed by my son Brad. 

Moving is such an important part of life.  The more you move the more you can move.  I know people who have a difficult time getting up out of a chair or walking down the driveway.  Their problem stems from lack of movement.  "Use it or lose it" could not be more true.  When you don't move, as in exercising type movement your muscles atrophy.  When you offer no challenge to your muscles, no job to do on a regular basis they go on vacation.  But you can get them back from their vacation; it will just take work and dedication. 

I like to do a wide variety of exercises.  Of course weights is my favorite but my stability comes a very close second.  There are so many strength exercises that you can do with a stability ball.  I am really starting to love yoga and I do love my daily walks with Elsa, which now include jogging.  I'm not a huge lover of jogging for several reasons but the biggest reason is the impact.  Everything in moderation, so for me a little jogging goes a long way as I prefer to do my distance by power walking. 

Moving is the most essential part of keeping the ability of moving intact.  How many people have aches and pains and sit on the side lines; only to worsen their ability to move?  Too many.  We need to move, we need to exercise and keep our muscles, tendons and joints fluid.  When we move, we ask our body to oblige; if our body has nothing to use to move then it makes it very difficult.  The more you move, the move you can move. 

I am debating movement today.  Will I head to the gym or grab my yoga mat and stability ball?  Not sure yet but I do know that I will be getting ready to exercise.  Putting on my workout clothes is the first step in getting some movement in.  Even if I'm not in the mood, I will throw on my workout gear and then I am in the mood. 

Now get up out of that bed, off the couch and MOVE. 

Diet

This salad was sooooo good.  Let me see if I can remember what's in it.  Arugula, baby kale, dried cherries (no sugar or additives, hard to find), broccoli slaw, avocado with salsa, organic quinoa, feta cheese and carrot.  I eat this at least once a day.  

You are working out.  You have taken the first step to getting fit and healthy.  Now, what about diet?  I use the term as the true definition, not the one that means losing weight.  Diet is simply the food that you eat.  There are many different types of diets from very good, very bad, weight loss, weight gain etc. etc.  But the term diet on its own does not mean to eat less calories or lose weight.  

So what is your diet like?  Are you expecting to lose weight by working out and still eating an unhealthy diet?  If so, you are going to become frustrated.  If you would like to lose weight you need to eat right.  I pretty much follow the primal food diet.  I try to stick with it for the most part; only indulging when I feel the need.  

Mark's Daily Apple Primal Diet  

I do not eat bread or anything else that is made from wheat flour.  That is unless I am indulging for something like fresh homemade bread.  You will not find bread in my house.  I do not eat sugar.  I eat a ton of vegetables, little meat and fish.  I eat fruit, seeds, nuts and healthy fats.  I do eat cheese but have reduced the amount by a lot.  I love cheese, it is one of my weaknesses.  But you can eat cheese, just not the whole block and expect to drop weight. 

Having done so much research on food and diet; I can no longer eat garbage and be okay with it.  If I indulge it is typically a healthy indulge.  Maybe too many sweet potato chips or fries, wine or extra bit of cheese.  No processed crap, you know, all that stuff in the regular grocery stores.  I walk down the isles on my way to purchase meat for my dogs and imagine all the preservatives and chemicals in the food that is brightly packaged to grab your attention.  

If I need to snack I grab an apple and some nuts.  The better you eat the less you have to eat, it's pretty cool.  A very small amount of great food can keep you going for a very long time.  But less food is not what it is all about.  Good food, quality over quantity.  I probably eat a giant salad every single day.  I LOVE arugula and it is the main ingredient in all salads for me. That and tons of other veggies.  I might throw turkey on top or feta.  Tons of nutrients to fuel the body.

Next time you pull up to a taco, sub or sandwich place at one of the undesirable fast food chains, think.  Is there anything in the food you are about to eat that your body can use as fuel?  If not, then why eat useless calories?  If it is a necessary indulgence then okay, but don't expect to eat crap on a regular basis and feel good.  

Got ball?

I didn't realize until well into my workout that I was very matchy.  :)

Stability balls that is.  :)  I got one and I LOVE IT!!!!  I had it out on the deck yesterday during my early morning yoga session.  I got my stability ball last week at TJMaxx because I wanted to add it into my workouts.  I knew I'd like it but I did not think that I'd like it as much as I do.  

The ball came with a small sheet of stretches, basics and strength moves, which I have done.  But I moved on far passed the beginner sheet.  Basically I'm thinking up anything that requires balance and strength.  It has amazed me that this 12.00 ball can do as much as it does.  This week in the evening as I was watching television, I hate a great butt workout.  Lying on my back I put my feet on the ball with my legs bent and did butt raises.  Holding it for as long as I could with each rep that I did.  Wow. 

This morning when I got out of bed, my calves hurt.  I thought about which exercise would have done this.  Hmmmm, get calf workout as well as core.  It was much warmer this morning so I moved my mat and ball out to the shady part in yard.  While I talked to my sister on the phone I worked my core, multi-tasking at it's finest.  The whole balancing thing alone is such a great workout.  The closer you keep your feet together, the harder it is to stay balanced.  

I got ball and I LOVE IT.    

Yoga and tranquility

Sometimes you need a little tranquility in your life.  Plus doing a few yoga moves can get you warmed up and ready to stretch.  NEVER stretch cold.  

Tranquility:  quality or state of being tranquil; calmness; peacefulness; quiet;serenity.

I remember waaaayyyy back when in school, we were taught to stretch before doing anything athletic.  Even now I see people walk into the gym and throw their leg up on a bar and stretch. I cringe thinking that their hamstring might just snap being that it is cold.  DON'T STRETCH WHEN YOUR BODY IS COLD.  The best time to stretch is after a workout.  So doing some core or yoga moves before hand is optimal.  Save the stretching for later in your workout.  

It is amazing what a good workout you can get without any weights at all, but you do have to push yourself.  If it feels too easy, then it probably is.  Getting into the above position is easy, staying there for a while is tough.  

Here I was doing the inch worm push up.  From this position I walked down with my hands into a push up and back up again.  If you can't do it with your legs straight then bend them until you achieve more flexibility.  

Balance, strength and stretch in one.  

Switch it up, yoga, cross fit, weight lifting, power walking/jogging.  Move.

I'm back in the zone

Yep, why not have fun dressing for the gym?

I've had a little break from the gym but was back at it this morning.  Several life things were thrown my way at the same time so I needed a break.  This morning I was determined to get back at it so I donned my coolest pants that my daughter gave me from Reebok and pulled on my red workout shoes.  Yes they are loud and crazy but they feel amazing and make me smile.  :)  

I decided to take it easy.  It had been almost a week since my last upper body workout so I did a few key exercises and skipped some others because of an arm injury I was recovering from.  Triceps are probably the biggest thing that needs attention on most woman so they got done.  I got up on the assisted pull up machine and did some great tricep dips.  I have to say that it is one of my favorite exercises and does far more than just triceps.  

Then on the same machine I did just a few sets of about 12 pull ups.  I have found that these two exercises; pull ups and tricep dips work out the entire upper body.  You can set the weight to really help you out or lower it so that it is more difficult.  It is probably my favorite go to right now.  

I worked on my chest doing cable presses and dumbell presses on the bench.  Laying down flat on the bench with my feet up on the end I took 2 - 20 lb dumbells and held them directly over my head.  Lowering them slowly to just how far you could if you were laying the floor doing it.  If you go past parallel to the bench you risk hyper extending and damaging tendons.  

Then sitting on the bench I moved onto shoulders.  With the same 20lb dumbells I did shoulder press.  Make sure that your back is not arched by tucking in your butt; you lift the weights from shoulder level, straight up and back down again.  Very slow with precise form.  

Of course if you are just getting into lifting a 5 or 10lb dumbell will be more than enough until you can or even want to move up in weight.  

Summer sleeveless dress and tank top season is just around the corner.  These few exercises can let you feel comfortable in a no sleeve shirt.