That is the Question!

To Class or not to class!

Can you get as good of a workout at home as you can at a class?

Well, I think everyone is different. I personally need a class. If I workout at home I have the temptation not to work as hard. My muscles start to burn and I quit, but when I'm at class I keep going. I know there has been times when I thought, "I can't do anymore!" (especially hydrants with weights) But I knew I had four more to que and I kept going. So for me I would say I need a class. I would workout at home if I had too, but I prefer a class.

Now I have a friend who can workout at home or in a class and get the same intensity. She is one highly motivated lady and she looks great. So for someone like her, it would be, whatever fits in to their schedule.

Classes can be fun or they can be boring. I think that is up to the instructor. She or he needs to interject humor at times. It helps us to forget the pain. My ladies threaten me when they are really in pain and I love it cause everyone gets a good laugh.

Since I teach a class, I guess I might be partial to attending a group fitness class. I personally think you can get a better workout at a class than at home and here are a few reasons:

You Have A Motivator ... the instructor will keep you going even if you want to quit

Camaraderie With Others ... chances for building friendships

Variety Of Experiences ... more challenging exercises with new ideas

More Room ... not confined to a small livingroom

Continuous 60 Minute Intensity ... no interruptions, no kids, no phones, no doorbells, no food temptations, no computer, ... I could go on & on & on

Get Out Of The House ... you get out, sometimes just getting out of the house can give a sense of well-being

Seems To Go Quick ... when you are with a group, the time seems to go quicker and just is more enjoyable to be with people

Fellowship ... in the class I teach we pray and share encouraging stories

There are eight good reasons to attend a class ...

Ok if I must, I can think of a few to exercise at home ...

Convenience ... sometimes we can't get to a class or it just doesn't fit our schedule

Privacy ... we just aren't ready to venture out to a class full of women who have been exercising for years together

Do What You Prefer ... You pick the tape or the music

That's It ... I can't think of anymore reasons to exercise at home

Clearly (according to this blog) the best place to exercise in a group setting. At least there is more drama there and you might get a laugh or two!

God's Leading

It is a great day!

I have been considering ending my evening classes. The numbers have been dwindling. Most classes I have about two ladies. Now I am a full believer that numbers do not matter but I'm not so sure that the facilities in which I teach believe that. Last night I was praying on the way to my class that the Lord would confirm to me of what I should do. I truly thought that maybe it was time to teach only mornings. I made the decision that if no one attended this particular evening and then the rest of the week (which was a true possibility) I would, beginning in November, only teach five mornings a week. Well, at 6:02pm the room was set up for class and I waited alone. A feeling of relief came over me since I knew that God was in complete control. I walked over to open the doors to allow some air in so I could work on new routines, and much to my unbelief six ladies were walking towards the building. Now what is the possibility that all ladies would be late. I don't know! But what I do know I'm continuing my evening classes until God changes my mind.

What does this have to do with weight loss?

I guess it could be a nice story of how great and personal our God is!

And it is...

But more important is ...

He cares about every little aspect of our lives. He cares about you and the daily struggles that you go through.

With weight, exercise, body image ... the list goes on forever.

God is a personal God and wants to be your God. He wants you to know who much He loves you. That's right He loves you just the way you are.

Thank Him right now for being there with you at any time and caring about the smallest things in your life.

John 3:16

Who sang that song anyway?

Feelings .... Feelings... nothing more than feelings. That old song brings back so many memories. It was one of my favorite songs in junior high. I think because I needed to hear the truth in the lyrics of the song. Because most of the time that is all they are ... just feelings.

I am so tired and I have just worked out. I feel so fat! Now my mind knows that I am not fat but I feel fat. Why do we women feel fat all the time. Ok some days I feel good. I wish I could feel good everyday. I wish I never felt fat. Fortuntely I did not eat chips tonight. That would make me feel guilty.

Sometimes we have to tell ourselves that our feelings are false. Feelings can cause us to do things that we really don't want to do. When I feel fat I tend to eat more than I need.

Feelings ...

Feelings cause us to think things about other people. If someone is having a bad day and maybe they don't look us the right way we might feel like, "wow that person must be mad at me." Really no one is mad, it is just they are having a bad day.

Feelings can fool us. Fool us into believing that certain people don't like us or fool us to think that we can eat anything we want. Sometimes feelings tell us that we shouldn't eat and then we don't eat only to starve and then over-eat later.

You know I try to do everything I can to be healthy and look good as I age. Talking myself out of bad feelings is a chore but it is so needed. We need to talk to ourselves and think on good things. I try to remember the good things I do for myself. Like eating healthy, exercising and getting enough rest.

In Philippians, Paul exhorts us to think about good things. Check this out!

"Finally, friends, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Push those bad feelings away. They are only there because we have invited them to stay awhile.

They are just feelings...

A Good Workout

I have mentioned a good workout in previous posts. So what is a "good" workout? I can't say a good workout is one that you sweat like crazy because I know many who workout hard but don't sweat much.

Now I believe that sweating is important. It is the way our bodies cool down. Kinda like a built in "air conditioning." I did some researching on why people do not sweat and found there are several reasons:

• Neurologic disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Skin diseases that block sweat glands
• Congenital disorders including as ectodermal dysplasia
• Some drugs
• Trauma to sweat glands
• Burns
• Dehydration

As I looked at these different reasons, the one that most intrigued me was the last one, dehydration. I believe that most of us never drink enough water. Most of us are running on near empty. Now I know that some don't think that to be true, after all snops.com has an article on how we really don't need 8-10 glasses a day. I weigh 150 and my doctor said I need to drink at least half my body weight in ounces of water a day. That would make about 75 ounces so that equals a little more than 9 glasses a day. Pretty close to the rule of 8-10 glasses a day.

The purpose of normal sweating is to help the body maintain its fluid balance. Fluid intake is provided by the liquids we drink and from the food we eat.
Sweating helps the body to get rid of a variety of waste products and minerals--the most noticeable being salt.

Humm … I think I got a little carried away with the art of sweating!

Back to a good workout. There are many ways that you can get a good workout, it all depends on what you what kind of workout you want. I go to a Pilates class and the instructor is great. I leave there feeling taller, like I know that my muscles have been stretched and challenged. I sweat some but not much. So I believe that a good workout is measured by how you feel when you leave not always how wet you are from sweat. You should feel like you have used your muscles, refreshed and not wore out.

One more thing to get a good workout. Pay attention to your body while you are working out. Don’t daydream or talk continuously to a friend in class. It is important that you concentrate on what muscles you are using. Most workouts can be good ones when you remember that the effort you put into it will pay off in feeling healthier.

Bed Is Better Than A Workout?? REALLY!

This past Saturday I didn’t feel like exercising. I didn’t want to go to class. It was foggy and raining outside. Bed looked and felt like a much better choice. I knew that really I did not have a choice. I had to get up, get dressed in spandex and drive off to class. Now I know that the main reason I had to go to class was that it wasn’t happening unless I was present but there were other reasons to move me in the direction of exercise class.

Friends! Friends are good reason to go to class. If you are not part of a regular class you may not have that motivation and so that is a good reason to check out a class.

Clear Thinking! After a good workout your head is clear and you feel de-stressed.

Adrenalin Rush! After you get past those first 10 minutes exercise becomes self-motivating. Your adrenalin begins to flow and you say to yourself, “I feel better.”

Less Guilt! You have just worked out so you feel good about yourself and you know that you have kept to the disciplines of living healthier.

So if you feeling like … I really don’t want to workout today, make a list of the benefits you will experience if you workout and the benefits (if any) if you stay at home.

One more thing ... Check out the links I have added to my sidebar ... to the left of the page!

Go Steelers

I know it has been almost a whole month since I have written and I have only one excuse. It is that it is football season. I love football! I love my Stillers! (Steelers to those who have never been to the western Pennsylvania area) I started out the season this year on the first Thursday night watching the game after my class eating! Yes eating. Not good. Well, I felt good after the game because we pulled out a win but I didn’t feel good about all the chips and salsa I had eaten. The win over-rode my over eating feelings and the next game on a Monday night we lost. Terribly I might add. I had also eaten the same amount of chips and salsa. I felt terrible! I was depressed since we had lost, Ben had played bad and I had overeaten. Ok so I learned my lesson. No more eating during games. Last week I didn’t eat and we still lost. But at least I just yelled at the TV and stomped out after the fumbles and interceptions. Probably burned extra calories. So just because it is football season I still need to live up to my disciplines and continue working at my healthy diet. Watching TV can be a passive activity if you let it be but it can be active if you really get into what you are watching. Remember eating during your favorite show isn’t going to make it a active activity. But if it isn’t a sporting event you are watching then you can make any show active by sitting on a stability ball and crunching. In fact just sitting on the ball will give you some extra core work.

Loving the body God gave you.

First let me say I'm not giving anyone a pass here just to do what you want and eat whatever because ... that is the body you were given at birth.

We are all born with a body that will grow up to be different in bone structure, shape and muscular frames. Some of us can work hard eating right and exercising several times a week while still finding it hard to look like we do anything healthy.

So what do we do? How do we live with the body we inherited from our moms and dads? And love it?

The first thing I do is to do the best I can do to stay healthy with eating right and exercise. The next thing is to realize that aging is a process that we all experience. I accept where I am while taking care of my skin. I stay out of the sun as much as possible and I use lots of wrinkle cream for my face and body cream for the rest of me. Then I go to the Word of God. When I read verses in Psalm 139 I know that the Father made me carefully and wonderfully. I am made this way for a purpose ... His purpose. Right there in that Psalm are enough reasons to learn to love my body. I have found that if I can see myself the way the Lord does then I will find it easier to love myself inside and out. The Lord cares more about what my inside than the outside because my soul is the eternal part. But I still think that the outside is important because my appearance is the world's first impression of a believer in Christ and I want to be a good witness for Him.

So do what you can to take care of what God has given you cause you only have one body. Then work on the inside by loving God and those around you. Serve those who need your help and even those whom you don’t think need your help or deserve it. Believe it or not if you serve others lovingly you will find that you like, maybe even love yourself a whole lot more.

Syndromes for everything?

I can’t believe what I am reading …

Nighttime Eating Syndrome? This might be a new eating disorder that you have if you do most of your eating at night. Or you might wake up in the middle of the night hungry.

Let’s face it most of us eat at night. Only a few very disciplined people do not sit in front of the TV with a bag of chips. I do know a few and yes they do not have a weight issue but they eat 3 meals plus snacks a day.

I eat at night. I even wake up at night and eat. Last night I was up at 3am starved. I ate a banana, drank some water and went back to bed and fell fast asleep.

In college I wanted to lose weight so I ate my last meal at 3:00 in the afternoon. That worked great until I started swimming at night. I would swim fifty laps of the pool in the evening and study before going to bed. I would wake up starved. So starved that I began eating more junk in my room. I still lost weight but I wanted to eat healthier. I realized that I needed something before going to sleep. So I had a cup hot chocolate and a piece of fruit. It worked. I began sleeping like a baby. I went back to eating dinner at a normal time and I still lost weight. I know I was in college so losing weight was easier, but there is a principle in all this.

It is called having a calorie deficit. I was burning more than I was taking in, no matter when I was eating. Some of us have other deficits … in our check books; we spend more money then we are taking in. So we have to borrow from some other money source to pay the bills.

Light bulb!



Losing weight is the same. Food is our energy source. If we take in more then we burn, we store it as fat for another day. And I might add it is harder to use that stored energy. Kinda like when you were a kid and you asked mom to hold on to your money. She didn’t want to give it to you to spend on worthless stuff, so she regulated your spending. Your body holds onto fat tightly. Especially the older you get. (I think it says you will need this when you are really old, so you can’t use it!)

So the key to all this is eat less then you burn. If you are going to eat more because of a special occasion then add extra cardio to your workout schedule. If you aren’t exercising you won’t lose weight unless you cut back on what you are eating daily. Sure you need food for energy just to survive. But the more active you are the more energy you need. Everyone is different in the amount of calories our bodies need because our activity levels.

If you are going to eat at night first of all make it healthy, like fruit or veggies. Or find a good protein bar. Yogurt with ground flax seed is a great choice. It fills you up, has calcium, tastes great, aids in digestion and the flax seed is great for you heart. If you find eating healthy something that you must ease into, try chips and salsa. I know it can be hard to stop eating at night but the best thing to do is after having a snack is to drink a big glass of water then wait 15 minutes. This trick usually helps to curb the hunger panges.

Here are some things to remember as you strive to achieve more disciplined eating habits.

* Never skip breakfast. Even a light breakfast of a protein bar and fruit will help you not overeat at night.

* Have an afternoon snack that includes carbohydrate and protein. Something like a handful of almonds with raisins or a slice of cheese and some pretzels will provide staying power.

AND FINALLY:

* If you must have an after-dinner snack, keep it to 200 calories or less. Choose something with lots of fiber like an apple with the skin, so that you will feel full and eat less.

Just Keep Moving

"Defeat should never be a source of discouragement but rather a fresh stimulus." Robert South

Discouragement is a funny thing … funny? There is nothing funny about it!

Discouragement can make us crawl back in to bed and give up the ship. We all experience it whether we are princesses or moms. Discouragement can’t be avoided. But what to do about it? Now that is the question for someone who knows the answer. I not sure I do. So why am I writing this … I’m not sure why, but I am.

Lets see how I do!

This topic has been on my mind for awhile. I think because I see discouragement in my line of work all the time. Everyone wants to see results right away. Or they are consistent for weeks and their body doesn’t change much, worse yet they gain weight because now they have added muscle. I know what that feels like I’ve been there. This is one of the main causes of discouragement and it is frustration.

The cure? Focus on the positive and find out where we have made progress.

We can’t see the inside of our body and major improvements have already been made the first day one starts an exercise program.

One of my ladies has high blood pressure and she saw immediate results in the numbers coming down during the first week of consistent exercise. Another one of my ladies wrote me a note to tell me that she has had more energy since she had been exercising. And still another one told me that she could tackle a Pilates class since she had been exercising for years with me.
These are stories that belong to people like you and me that didn’t let discouragement run their life. They didn’t crawl back into bed and give up the ship. They became the captain of their lives and “Just kept moving.”

That is my motto …"Just keep moving" ... as long as you are moving you are doing something good for your body. Don’t let the monster of discouragement force you to hide under the covers, behind the TV or in front of the computer. Remember it is the inside that counts because that keeps us alive. So exercise for the improvements on the inside and learn to love the outside.

Hummm … loving the outside of our bodies! A topic for another day!

Exercise Myths

If You Eat Healthy and Exercise Consistently, You Will Never Gain Weight

This is not true! I can tell you from personal experience that age does something to your body’s metabolism. Other changes in your body can cause weight gain too. I have hypothyroidism. This is a condition that causes me to have weight gain, fatigue, constantly feeling cold, plus many other symptoms. It took five years for me to convince my family doctor that I couldn’t lose weight. His standard answer to me was always, “You are getting older and so your metabolism is slowing down.”
I didn’t just accept his standard answer. I found a doctor who would listen to me and investigate other possibilities to why I was gaining weight and the many other symptoms that plagued me at the time. One thing though, I still had to change my eating and exercise regime. I could not eat popcorn with gobs of butter every night. I also added more cardio. So even though I have an age related condition that medication can help I still find that age is my worst enemy. If you fighting the battle of time you need to be willing to make lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments. The fact is, your metabolism slows down as you age. As a result, you often have to either eat less or exercise more to avoid gaining weight.

The biggest change in your metabolism usually occurs around the age of 40. So always keep your food and exercise plan flexible. Chart any other symptoms you might have. Some doctors love an informed patient while others find it threating. I have found that I know my body better because of all the research I have done and it helps to have a doctor who is willing to listen to my thoughts. One thing to remember if you are exercising and gaining weight you might find that you are not eating enough of the right stuff. You muscles cannot work efficiently without the proper energy. A balanced diet is one of the most important tools of any physically active person.

SNACK TIME

If you were given a choice of which food you would eat to improve your mood? An apple or some chocolate?

Most of us would immediately say, “Chocolate!”
BUT … (there’s always that big but, which we are trying to avoid.)

but ...

You should only choose chocolate if you really enjoy it. The guilt of the fat-and-calorie content after you have licked your fingers of the last bite negates the mood boost that chocolate provides. For full benefits only eat chocolate that has at least 70 percent cocoa. It's high in cholesterol-fighting antioxidants, and the flavor is so intense that a little goes a long way. It's also rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that enhance health by the relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow. Cocoa also has been found to fight the bad cholesterol, LDL, that causes plaque to build up and clog your arteries.

So when you need that chocolate fix...

Remember: the darker the better for cardiovascular health. Dark has a cocoa content of 70 percent or higher. I personally like Green & Black’s Organic chocolate bars. The best place I have found to purchase these is Target!

Have A Dog then Have A Walk?

Pets do wonderful things for you! Dogs get you out and maybe even walking. A dog is a great fitness partner since they will never say no to a walk. It is said that walking is the best form of exercise. I don't walk my dog everyday because she is older but I do take her out and throw ball. It is great to have a companion and pets can be a friend when no one else is around.
Loneliness can lead to overeating and having animals can take away those feelings of loneliness. Owning pets lowers blood pressure and those who own pets live longer than those who don't. I think I will always own a pet. Right now we have one cat and one dog. Some day we add to family but until then we will love our animals are just as they are family.

Six Pounds Is Not Enough?

How much should I lift? That is a question that is asked by new students that attend my class. I usually don't go over 6 pounds. Wow that is all you lift! Yes,in a body shaping class, we don't rest in between sets.

Lifting too much weight can injure muscles and create incorrect alignment of the spine. Another thing is when students lift weights that are too heavy for them they use momentum to carry them throughout the exercise.

Weight overload is a problem but not enough weight is also an issue. You must challenge the muscles so that they tear and then rebuild. That is the process that makes them stronger.

A good clue to know if you weight load is too light is to see if you find that you can get through your reps faster than ever before, or do your muscles become tired. If they don't or you find that you are racing through your reps then you might want to increase the load.

I am constantly changing my weight load from six to five to four and even sometimes three pounds. My muscles become confused and so that eliminates muscle memory. I can keep my load low and avoid injury but still challenge my body to work hard.

These Lazy Days of Summer???

I have never known the lazy days of summer! That is what vacaiton is for!

Busy summers have always been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It seems that as soon as I get a break I have something else to do. How can I keep up the pace without being stressed-out? That is where eating right and getting enough rest becomes important.

Eight hours of sleep at night is what most of us need to make it through our long days. If you have trouble sleeping at night try reading before going to bed. Mysteries and horror stories are not the most relaxing. Reading a devotional or the Bible can be great way to unwind.

Eating healthy is such a chore today as we are always going, going, going. Taking healthy snacks like protein bars, fruit or cut up vegetables in a small cooler will aid in taking the edge off and lessen the temptation to stop at fast food joints. Also it is good to eat protein in the first hour after waking up to rev the body’s metabolism.

STICK TO IT!

Summer is here officially with the opening of the pool. The weather has cooperated for the most part. I'm sure you have read a lot about getting your workout in different ways since you can spend more time outdoors. And it is true that you can play ball with the kids or do some gardening but nothing works the body the most like a good exercise class. When you are out playing with the kids or mowing the grass you might stop to talk to a neighbor or help your child with his or her pitching style while in class there is nothing that might cause a slow down in activity. Class has the benefit of constant motion. Most exercise classes are at least an hour so you can count on keeping you heart rate up above resting for a longer period of time. Try and stay as close as you can to your regular exercise regime. Enjoy playing with the kids as great family time or think of yard work as an extra bit of exercise.

Throw It Away!

Do you know how many extra calories you put in your mouth every day? If you are a parent who is home with little children you might put more then you think into your body. Think about this … When your kids leave the table do you eat what is left over on their plates?

Hummmm …

I had this friend who would eat her kids leftovers. Parts of sandwiches, bites of cookies, piecrust, … the list goes on and on. What ever was left on her children’s plates she just couldn’t throw it away. “There are children starving! How can I throw this away.”

Now I was brought up with the idea that you must clean you plate or what ever you put on your plate you better eat it. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Don’t worry about cleaning your plate or your kids’ plates. Scrape those plates and feed your disposal. Teach yourself and your kids to stop eating when they are full. Use section plates or smaller ones to keep portions at a limit. We shouldn’t make it a practice of wasting food but throwing away what is left on the plate is better than putting it on your waist.

Don't forget after the meal isn't the only time we are tempted to put more calories in our mouths. Too much tasting the stew to see if is just right adds an extra helping before you even sit down to eat with the family.

Drinking Water?

I just read some interesting information about water. My mother used to always tell me that I should drink eight glasses a day and I’ve heard that you should drink half your weight in ounces in water everyday. (example: if you weigh 100 pounds then you should drink 50 ounces of water) I try and drink a lot of water. In the summer months it is easy but I really have to think about in the colder months.

Anyway, back to the interesting information.

Most of the world knows that water helps your kidneys work but did you know drinking water also forces fat to be used as fuel, making it one of the main keys to success in weightloss. And, without adequate water, kidneys are unable to function properly, shifting the liver into overdrive. Since the liver cannot properly metabolize stored fat as energy, the result for the body is more stored fat. Which I think my cousin, Ninook, would only want way up in the northern regions of Canada. So drink your water for the day and turn that stored fat into fuel!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

Well, it has been a few weeks since I have written. This is a very busy time in my life. I keep thinking that life should be slowing down but I am finding that life is just speeding up. When I am running from activity to activity I throw my great eating habits out the window. I live on protein bars and yogurt. Now those are not bad choices but the problem is that is all I eat. There are five food groups and to eat from only two everyday for a week or so is not healthy. My body needs more than a chocolate pecan pie protein bars and plain yogurt. Fruit would be nice and maybe some rice with vegetables. I know some might not eat meat and that is ok for you as long as you are getting protein from other sources, but I need fish or chicken once in a while. So what to do when I am so busy I think I can’t stop and eat. Change my thinking … that’s right I have to make the time to eat and not only make the time to eat but sit down and eat slowly.

Victory

It is bedtime. The holiday is just about over. I made it. I didn't eat the entire chocolate fountain. I had only eight strawberries and two marshmallows with chocolate. We all had a great time at the big buffet of chocolate. I think my second son ate only chocolate but he can afford to, being almost 17, he burns more calories sleeping then I do exercising. I have never had that advantage. Even in high school I worried about weight, now being in my forties I think once in awhile that I like my body enough not to worry about what I weigh. I am glad I am conscience about health and I will always be so I can live long for my family.

Easter Sunday Morning

It is Easter Sunday morning and with the sun shining in my kitchen window the day holds an anticipation. Eating! Today is the annual day of the big buffet of chocolate! (In fact I first thought the movie, "Chocolat" was about Easter) I count today as a free day and I will eat everything and I will plan not to overeat. But I will see if my willpower will be the victor. I must admit that chocolate is my biggest temptation. I now can say chocolate is good for me since it contains so many antioxidants. Hey, I wonder, does the Easter bunny work for the FDA the rest of the year?

Enjoy today and eat everything in moderation. Tonight when you lie in bed think about how you feel especially if you overeat. Remember that feeling... Maybe the memory will help you not to be tempted to overeat the next time.

One more thing ... Jesus (the real reason for the day) died for you on Friday and rose today as the victor over sin, death and hell. You can too be the victor by placing your trust in him.

Holiday Time

Life is a funny thing. We do things that we want don't want to do even though we don't want to do them. Does that make sense? Here let me give you an example. I think healthy living is important but I don't always live healthy. I eat junk food and ice cream. I can only be so disciplined. The hardest time is Holiday time. It takes me away from my normal eating habits. I go to family parties and I find so much food. Why? Because we never think we will have enough food and so we make more then we need. How does someone who wants to live healthy but falls to temptation live disciplined? You take everyday one day at a time, one party at a time or one holiday at a time. I start each day new and try to forget about the past but not enough that I might do it again. One thing I have decided to do this Easter is to only have one plate of food. I will be careful not to overload it and will allow myself a small desert. On Easter Sunday when we go to the buffet I will load up on salad, with a lite dressing. I believe that planning this before hand may help me not to overeat. But I guess we will see ... cause I have never made these plans before. I'll let you know if planning for healthy eating works!

Acting Lesson

Have you ever said, "I'm throwing in the towel." Have you ever just sat on the couch and watch fitness tv? When I get up I would just rather sit and surf the net or read a good book. I don't want to go and exercise, especially if it is raining. Since I'm the instructor I can't stay home. So exercise becomes a priority. It is my work. You would never think of missing a day of work or skipping one of your kids special programs at school. That is the way you should look at exercise. Look at your daily workout as a job or a special appointment that you can't miss. We have a dentist that charges us for the appointment if we miss the appointment. Well, we missed once and never again. Change you thinking about working out and make it a priority. Now here is where the drama comes in; there is a technique in acting called, "the magic if." You ask yourself the question, "What if I were in those circumstances?" So now ask yourself this question; "What if I was the instructor?" OR "What if my instructor charged me if I didn't show up?" Now pretend that it is true. Guess what you are acting!

Staying in Limits

Life is a funny thing. You know as the Fitness Drama Queen I feel I should be disciplined in all areas of my life but I'm not. I went to the grocery tonight to have a prescription filled and they said that it would take 30 minutes. I thought I could walk around and look at all the food I can't eat or shouldn't but that would only make me want to eat it. So I will go to the department store in the strip mall and see if they have any bargains ... I won't buy anything just look. $47.94 later I picked up my prescription. I can always return it but then that wouldn't be as fun.
Sometimes you just need to let go but stay within limits ... I saw five others things I could have bought ... I stayed in my limits although I don't think my husband will think so when the bill comes in. Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Heating up your Metabolism

Metabolism is defined as the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated; WOW what a mouth full! In other words it is your energy level and they way you burn stored fat.

Changing your diet for life is one of the things you need to do heat up the metabolism. Try for a week to eliminate all sugars, including high fructose corn syrup. Also hydrogenated fats, junk food, alcohol and caffeine should be taken out of your diet for a week. Now you won't feel great at first; headaches and irritability will become part of your life till your body no longer depends on these false energy givers. Be patient! And ask your family to do the same. I don't recommend that husband and wife do this the same week.
Replace them by drinking green tea, more water (half your body weight in ounces) and eating plain yogurt. Load up on fruits, vegetables and lean meats like fish and chicken. Try ground flaxseed in your yogurt. Try rice pasta instead of the regular Semolina. If you do this for a full 7 days then by day 8 you will begin to feel higher level of energy. If you choose you can begin to add some of those bad things back into your diet. Don't do it all in one day unless you want to feel terrible the next day. It takes a full 30 days to completely detoxify. Then think moderation when you ingest caffeine and alcohol.

Soaked

Wow! What a workout! Cardio today and lots of sweating. Now you need lots of water. Class this morning was a cardio class and we never stopped moving. By the end of class I was dripping wet. Worked on some imagery this morning, I wanted the ladies to run the race (even it was for only 4 counts of 8) to the finish line. Cardio is so important cause it will burn the fat all over the body during the whole work out.

Tips and Helpful Hints to the Drama of Weight Loss

Tips and Helpful Hints to the Drama of Weight Loss

What a great day to be alive. Snow in April! A usual occurrence in the Burgh. People don't know how to eat. It seems that everyone thinks if I eat breakfast then I will be hungry all day! Not true. When you eat breakfast you start you motor going and so you burn more calories. When you don't eat breakfast your body shuts down and thinks ..."I must conserve energy" (Actually that is why you don't feel hungry) This habit of not eating breakfast leads to weight gain because your metabolism slows. The best thing to eat for breakfast is protein. It is the food of muscles.

Tales of the Drama Queen

Yes I'm a drama queen ... and I love exercise! Why? Cause I love to sweat and I love how I feel after I exercise. I don't feel great during exercise but I know it is only a small part of my day. So get out and walk ... you don't always need the closest parking place at the mall or the grocery, even if it is raining. You are not a witch so you won't melt and that little extra walking will be a start to get you moving.