WEEK TWO

Congratulate yourself for all your week one efforts!! (I had some victories and some defeats).  Keep in mind our goal is healthy habits and forming habits can take time.  Stay with it!  You are on the path to a healthy you.

Week two continue with your diet/exercise journal.

Reminder:

Healthy eating = breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner (consistent fuel throughout the day).
1200-1500 calories for women = Three 300-400 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks.
1500-1800 calories for men =Three 400-500 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks.

Week two exercise:

You are now moving 37 minutes a day and you have added seven pushups and sit-ups to your routine. This week continue to add one minute of movement each day and one sit-up and pushup a day.  If the sit-ups and pushups get to be too much just break them up into sets (example 50 sit-ups can be broken down into two sets of twenty five). 

New exercise for week two:

This week we are adding a work out video to our routine.  I personally have several dusty old ones laying around (I think one has never even been opened). 

So dig out that old work out video, borrow one from the library, rent one from the video store, check out your favorite trainer on Netflix or purchase one that looks fun.
Don’t worry about completing it (if some exercises are too hard just do what you can).  You will improve each attempt you make.  Stay moving and have fun!!

Have a happy healthy day!!

Celebration

We all celebrate from time to time.  For me the key is to not overdo to the point that I “feel” defeated. 

  
Have a bite or two of some for your favorites. Try to move a bit more than usual before you eat (for example take an extra walk before the party).  If I move before I eat I reinforce my commitment to healthy habits and I may actually eat less.   If I wait to move until after I eat I usually don’t do it. 

Make a plan before the celebration try to stick to your plan.  If your not  successful just get right back to your healthy habits the next day.  No guilt!!!  Just get up and GO again…

Have a happy healthy day

The Journal

It took me several weeks of doing the warm up to realize that the food journal is crucial for success.  If you are struggling to keep your journal stay with it, as you start to develop your healthy habits it will be easier.  You will begin to know the calories of your favorite healthy foods you will start to see patterns of eating that you need to work on.  Remember to write food, calories, exercise and time plus any observations about you have about YOU! 

Sample:

Food:                                   Calories:        Time:    Exercise:                              

Breakfast: loaded oatmeal                     270                   9:00           

                                                                                  10:00         walk/30 min.
Snack:

Lunch: tuna salad, mini bagel                 320                  1:00

Snack: wheat thins                                130                  3:00

Dinner: chicken, rice mixed vegetable      400                 6:00         

popcorn                                                110                  7:30                      Calorie Total : 1230

oops I forgot my morning snack tomorrow I'll apple it.  I want to eat breakfast earlier and drink more water too.  I am proud of myself for getting my walk in and not over snacking at night I rule!

The more you "just do it" the more your journal will become a healthy habit for you.

Remember to celebrate your efforts Just keep striving and you’ll get there.

Have a happy healthy day

WALKING

Walking has the lowest dropout rate of all exercises, states the American Heart Association and is their recommended method of getting exercise. The only cost to get involved is a good pair of walking shoes. Walking is convenient and can be done in any environment. Many malls open their doors early for mall walkers.  Walk stairs instead of taking the elevator, park farther away from the door to walk further. Get off the bus a stop early, forcing you to walk further. Walk your dog more often.

Walking 5 days of the week is a natural way to clear plaque from arteries. According to the American Council for Fitness, 3-4 hours of moderately brisk exercise weekly. You could clear plaque from your arteries and reduce your total cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent by following your regime consistently for 12-16 weeks.
 
Note: A moderately brisk level is the point when you are breaking a sweat.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/way_5379171_natural-ways-clear-plaque-arteries.html#ixzz2aGlmSDzB

 
Remember to celebrate every effort you make. 
Keep striving and you’ll get there. 

Have a happy Healthy Day

 

The starting line

Today is the day, SO… ready get set BANG!!!   Let’s go…

Starting the journey:

In addition to your diet /exercise journal, for the course of these nine weeks I encourage you to try what Julia Cameron/author of The Artist Way calls “the morning pages” (Three pages of longhand; writing just whatever pops into your head, a stream of conscientiousness).  Okay, I confess I never actually do three pages, I just write three small scrapes of paper. Some chose to write for X number of minutes.  In other words, do whatever you like.  

Week one exercise:

Begin with thirty minutes of daily walking. If thirty minutes is too much, start where you’re comfortable.  If walking is not possible than biking or swimming or kayaking…etc… Any form of movement is great.

Also do as many sit-ups (or crunches) and push-ups as you can (preferably first thing in the morning).  Every day add one minute to the walking and one push up and sit up/crunch. At the end of the week you will be moving 7 more minutes and doing 7 more push-ups and sit-ups than when you started. 

GO YOU!!!

Week one diet:

YOU are responsible for the design of your diet, because in order to be successful YOU need to develop a personal style that works for YOU. Here are a few tips.

 1.  Vegetables and fruits are your best friends (try to eat 5 servings a day).

 2.  Don’t ever skip Breakfast (people who eat a healthy breakfast tend to be thinner than those who skip breakfast).  It’s all about having consistent fuel through the day.

3.  Develop some healthy eating habits/rituals.  For example: My healthy breakfast habit is fruit and yogurt or oatmeal and apples and I usually have a large salad for lunch.  For me, Dinner and snacks are my downfall.   I will be working toward the healthy habit/rituals for my dinner and snacks.

Reminder:

Healthy eating = breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner (consistent fuel throughout the day).

1200-1500 calories for women = Three 300-400 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks.

1500-1800 calories for men =Three 400-500 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks.

Remember to journal what you eat and when you eat + your exercise each day.

If you would like a more structured approach to your diet, there are a multitude of diet plans to choose from.  Just remember our focus is creating healthy lifelong habits not quick weight losses that are difficult to maintain.  However, if you want to follow a diet “plan” here's a few we recommend:

The 4321 pyramid (the biggest loser diet) four servings of fruits and vegetables, three protein, two carbohydrates, and one treat 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/393578-how-do-the-biggest-losers-lose-weight-so-fast/

Weight Watches is also a healthy choice http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx

And, I recommend trying my fitness pal http://www.myfitnesspal.com

Remember to stay focused on developing your personal healthy eating habits.  Make sure you’re eating all the food groups and maintain your Journal.

Have a Happy Healthy Day!!!

Let’s get ready to rumble

Get ready to begin the journey towards a stronger healthier you.

What you need:

When beginning any diet/exercise plan it is best to have a physical and discuss with your physician any health issues or physical limitations you may have. 

To begin all you need is a pair of good shoes and journal. 

The diet exercise journal:

1. Log all food eaten and count the calories. 

2. Log the times you eat.

3. Log your exercise (minutes, intensity, how you felt…etc..)

The journal will bring an awareness of your personal eating and exercise style. 

Example: 

• I forget to eat breakfast.  
• If I don't workout in the morning I probably won't do it...   

The Breakdown

The nine week plan is divided into three, three week segments.

1. The warm up (three weeks of gradual exercise build up)

2. The spa (three weeks of intense exercise)

3. The cool down (three weeks of developing the habit of maintaining)

Diet:

I tend to eat what I “feel” like as opposed to what is healthy fuel for my body.  I enjoy food and love a variety of tastes.  So going on some rabbit like diet of lettuce leaves and carrots has ultimately ended in me gaining back any weigh I might have lost.

In order to succeed, I need to maintain some flexibility. While working to developing the “habit” of eating to fuel my body.

Healthy eating = breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner (consistent fuel throughout the day).

• 1200-1500 calories for women = Three 300-400 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks.
• 1500-1800 calories for men =Three 400-500 calorie meals and two 100-150 calorie snacks

It's time for YOU!

Are YOU exhausted from the continual battle of the bulge?  Have YOU lost weight only to gain it all back?

Have YOU looked into going to a fitness spa but are either unwilling or unable to spend the $$$.

Do YOU sit on the couch and watch the biggest loser or extreme weight loss thinking I wish I could…

YOU are who we're looking for!!!

Join us for a nine week experiment creating our own              Personal Health and Fitness Spa.