I've taken some time off from my blog. Sorry 'bout that folks. Been distracted lately. Speaking of which, it's interesting to note how we distract ourselves when we exercise.
Some people listen to music. Others who workout at home or the gym watch TV or movies.
I think those are awesome ideas... except for me, most of the time, those aren't good enough to make me feel the intensity of the workout less and not feel bored. So what did I decided to do?
Well, it happened by accident. I was trying to get one of my workouts done on my cheap, little elliptical when someone called. I ended up chatting over 20 minutes, and before I knew it, my workout was over!
Now, I've mentioned this to a few people and they said, "How can you talk on the phone and exercise?" Well, for one, I wouldn't be able to do this on a treadmill, but with my elliptical I can. Secondly, while it's true that I can't talk as easily because of my workout, that just makes me a better listener on the phone. Doesn't matter if I'm talking or listening, there's something about being in a conversation that distracts the mind... and for me that's enough to get me through my painfully boring workouts.
So, if you happen to receive a call from me in the morning hours, it may just be that I'm exercising too. *smile*
Current weight: 168
Total pound lost: 12
Weeks exercising: 8 (2 months)
Current Measurements:
Bust: 40 1/2
Ribs: 36
Waist:39
Hips: 41
Thighs: 42
Total inches lost: 7.5" YAY!!!
The places where I lost the most inches: bust and thighs
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's All about Motivation
I've been pondering motivation lately. Here's what I came up with...
Would you eat a handful of worms? What if someone would give you, say, twenty dollars? Would you do it? Maybe not? What if they offered you one million dollars? Ok, a lot of us might do it, but there are still some who wouldn't. What if by doing this, it would save your child's life? Would you do it then? Probably without hesitation.
With the right incentive we could do almost anything, truly. I'm a firm believer of that.
So, what would motivate you to exercise? A trip to Europe? Having another baby? Someone taking you out to lunch every week? A shopping spree?
You get the point... what would be the right incentive to make you WANT to exercise every day? (It's different for everybody.)
I asked myself this and decided that I REALLY wanted a nice treadmill. For that, I would be willing to workout six days a week. So I talked to my hubby about my idea and he thought that it was a good idea.
So if I exercise every day, except for Sundays and vacations, until my birthday, I'll get a treadmill. I'm committed because I really, really want a treadmill.
And guess what? I've been exercising every day for 2 months now. I have 4 1/2 more months to go, but it's worth it to me. It took me awhile to get back into the groove of exercising every day, but now that I am, I can't imagine not exercising six days a week. I feel good about myself. You will too. If you're not exercising regularly, will you find something that would motivate you enough to do it?
Cheers,
Elena
P.S. Thanks for the feedback, Hannah. It motivates me to keep writing blog entries. Good luck with your running and DON'T GIVE UP!!!
Would you eat a handful of worms? What if someone would give you, say, twenty dollars? Would you do it? Maybe not? What if they offered you one million dollars? Ok, a lot of us might do it, but there are still some who wouldn't. What if by doing this, it would save your child's life? Would you do it then? Probably without hesitation.
With the right incentive we could do almost anything, truly. I'm a firm believer of that.
So, what would motivate you to exercise? A trip to Europe? Having another baby? Someone taking you out to lunch every week? A shopping spree?
You get the point... what would be the right incentive to make you WANT to exercise every day? (It's different for everybody.)
I asked myself this and decided that I REALLY wanted a nice treadmill. For that, I would be willing to workout six days a week. So I talked to my hubby about my idea and he thought that it was a good idea.
So if I exercise every day, except for Sundays and vacations, until my birthday, I'll get a treadmill. I'm committed because I really, really want a treadmill.
And guess what? I've been exercising every day for 2 months now. I have 4 1/2 more months to go, but it's worth it to me. It took me awhile to get back into the groove of exercising every day, but now that I am, I can't imagine not exercising six days a week. I feel good about myself. You will too. If you're not exercising regularly, will you find something that would motivate you enough to do it?
Cheers,
Elena
P.S. Thanks for the feedback, Hannah. It motivates me to keep writing blog entries. Good luck with your running and DON'T GIVE UP!!!
"Just Do It... Every Damn Day!"
I recently went on vacation recently to San Diego. While we were there, we went to Sea World and several people had Nike shirts that read, "Just do it...every damn day!" I have to quite agree to what the shirt said. That's what it's all about when it comes to weight loss...
We need to exercise EVERY day. (Ok, I take one day off a week to rest, but you know what I mean.) We should eat right EVERY day. Yes, accidents (slip-ups) happen, but don't give up and keep going... every single day!
Cheers,
Elena
Current weight: 174
Current methods: Elliptical 20 minutes every day (except Sundays and vacations), trying not to eat after 8pm, and trying to cut sugar more and more out of my diet while adding lean proteins and more fruits & veggies
We need to exercise EVERY day. (Ok, I take one day off a week to rest, but you know what I mean.) We should eat right EVERY day. Yes, accidents (slip-ups) happen, but don't give up and keep going... every single day!
Cheers,
Elena
Current weight: 174
Current methods: Elliptical 20 minutes every day (except Sundays and vacations), trying not to eat after 8pm, and trying to cut sugar more and more out of my diet while adding lean proteins and more fruits & veggies
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I Can't Eat Alfalfa Sprouts!
I was reading a friend's blog--she's a personal trainer--and she was giving her weekly menu. On there it had alfalfa sprouts...and I thought to myself, I just can't do this. There's got to be another way to lose weight besides eating grass. Soooo, this is what I came up with...
Below are some suggestions of things to try to implement in your life. And it has to be a lifestyle change because diets don't work as far as I've observed. Just try doing ONE of these and little by little the weight will come off. Implement more of them and more dramatic results. I'm going to be doing these as well. Good luck!
Cheers,
Elena
1. Water, water, water. Drink water before eating. Often times when we think we're hungry, we're really thirsty. (Tip: Sometimes I add those flavor packets, about 20 calories each, and they make drinking water very yummy. I get my "sugar fill" without the guilt.)
2. Don't drink soda... not even the "diet" stuff. It's not only unhealthy, but some studies have shown that it makes you crave eating more. (See #1.)
3. Eliminate chips, especially potato chips. Think of all the grease they're cooked in. Now imagine that grease and fat on your thighs and tummy. Eww! Mentally talk yourself out of liking them. Tell yourself how gross they are and use the greasy fat imagery. (I did this and now I can't eat chips anymore. They seem so digusting.)
4. Don't eat fast food. Most fast food is LOADED with calories. Sure you can order the healthy stuff, but do we really have the self-control to do that? And yes, I know it's quick and convenient, but try avoid it as much as possible.
5. Lose the sweets. This one is hard for me, but getting rid of sugar (for the most part) will seriously slim a person down. All the candy, cookies, cakes, brownies, ice cream etc. just keep adding the pounds.
6. Eliminate dairy products. Ok, if you do this one completely, you'll have to add calcium supplements. Things like cheese, ice cream, milk (yes, even in cereal), etc. doesn't help us to lose weight. When I was in S.Korea teaching English, I hardly ever ate dairy products. (Koreans have different foods.) And ya know what, I couldn't keep my pants on...because I kept losing so much weight!
7. Add more veggies to meals. This can be an easier one. Raw veggies are hard to get used to, especially at first, so... add non-caloric or low-caloric flavorings like spices, lemon/lime juice, BBQ sauce, mustard, salsa, etc. Asians are especially known for yummy, savory veggies. Try looking up Asian veggies (Thai, Korean, Japanese, etc.) for some ideas.
8. Don't eat after 8:00pm. Ok the REAL rule is eat for 12 hours, then take a break for 12 hours. For example, if you start eating at 8:00am, finish eating at 8:00pm. I just recently started doing this, and the pounds are coming off...yay!
9. Exercise. You know I couldn't forget this one. Yah, sometimes it's a drag, but think of how good you'll look in your skinny jeans. And if exercising gets boring, as it often does, here are a few tips: exercise with a friend, use Wii Fit, buy an exercise video (or even cheaper, borrow from the library)... there are some really fun dance ones out there too (hip-hop, belly-dancing, Dancing with the Stars, etc,).
GOOD LUCK! And I'd love to hear your suggestions for this list.
Below are some suggestions of things to try to implement in your life. And it has to be a lifestyle change because diets don't work as far as I've observed. Just try doing ONE of these and little by little the weight will come off. Implement more of them and more dramatic results. I'm going to be doing these as well. Good luck!
Cheers,
Elena
1. Water, water, water. Drink water before eating. Often times when we think we're hungry, we're really thirsty. (Tip: Sometimes I add those flavor packets, about 20 calories each, and they make drinking water very yummy. I get my "sugar fill" without the guilt.)
2. Don't drink soda... not even the "diet" stuff. It's not only unhealthy, but some studies have shown that it makes you crave eating more. (See #1.)
3. Eliminate chips, especially potato chips. Think of all the grease they're cooked in. Now imagine that grease and fat on your thighs and tummy. Eww! Mentally talk yourself out of liking them. Tell yourself how gross they are and use the greasy fat imagery. (I did this and now I can't eat chips anymore. They seem so digusting.)
4. Don't eat fast food. Most fast food is LOADED with calories. Sure you can order the healthy stuff, but do we really have the self-control to do that? And yes, I know it's quick and convenient, but try avoid it as much as possible.
5. Lose the sweets. This one is hard for me, but getting rid of sugar (for the most part) will seriously slim a person down. All the candy, cookies, cakes, brownies, ice cream etc. just keep adding the pounds.
6. Eliminate dairy products. Ok, if you do this one completely, you'll have to add calcium supplements. Things like cheese, ice cream, milk (yes, even in cereal), etc. doesn't help us to lose weight. When I was in S.Korea teaching English, I hardly ever ate dairy products. (Koreans have different foods.) And ya know what, I couldn't keep my pants on...because I kept losing so much weight!
7. Add more veggies to meals. This can be an easier one. Raw veggies are hard to get used to, especially at first, so... add non-caloric or low-caloric flavorings like spices, lemon/lime juice, BBQ sauce, mustard, salsa, etc. Asians are especially known for yummy, savory veggies. Try looking up Asian veggies (Thai, Korean, Japanese, etc.) for some ideas.
8. Don't eat after 8:00pm. Ok the REAL rule is eat for 12 hours, then take a break for 12 hours. For example, if you start eating at 8:00am, finish eating at 8:00pm. I just recently started doing this, and the pounds are coming off...yay!
9. Exercise. You know I couldn't forget this one. Yah, sometimes it's a drag, but think of how good you'll look in your skinny jeans. And if exercising gets boring, as it often does, here are a few tips: exercise with a friend, use Wii Fit, buy an exercise video (or even cheaper, borrow from the library)... there are some really fun dance ones out there too (hip-hop, belly-dancing, Dancing with the Stars, etc,).
GOOD LUCK! And I'd love to hear your suggestions for this list.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Erika's Thoughts...
Below is Erika's Log. Here are here stats, goals and thoughts... (Thanks, Erika! Make sure you keep checking in with us.)
Current weight: 138
Goal weight: 120
Measurments: bust 36
waist 32
hips 36
thighs 22
BACK side 37
What I'm doing? I'm working out, doing body sculpting and pilates at the gym and on Saturdays I'm running, training for a 10 mile race. I'm doing this with a friend. We're actually training for a marathon that's in Nov. But between now and then, we're signing up for races. 10 miler, 1/2 marathon, 6 mile and then the marathon.
I can't diet. I absolutely cannot diet. However here's my tip. Run. Jog if you have bad knees. Do a jog/walk thing if you have to. And if you need motivation, sign up for races. And what's worked for me, since I hate doing anything cardio in a gym: do the body sculpting and pilates classes. They'll strengthen your muscles and if ANYTHING ELSE give you a boost of confidence to go forward with the weight loss.
It's easier for me to forgo the chocolate when I just came home from doing a pilates class. I can't diet, but if I FEEL in shape or better about myself, it's different. Like telling a loser boyfriend to get a life cuz I'm suddenly too good for him.
Current weight: 138
Goal weight: 120
Measurments: bust 36
waist 32
hips 36
thighs 22
BACK side 37
What I'm doing? I'm working out, doing body sculpting and pilates at the gym and on Saturdays I'm running, training for a 10 mile race. I'm doing this with a friend. We're actually training for a marathon that's in Nov. But between now and then, we're signing up for races. 10 miler, 1/2 marathon, 6 mile and then the marathon.
I can't diet. I absolutely cannot diet. However here's my tip. Run. Jog if you have bad knees. Do a jog/walk thing if you have to. And if you need motivation, sign up for races. And what's worked for me, since I hate doing anything cardio in a gym: do the body sculpting and pilates classes. They'll strengthen your muscles and if ANYTHING ELSE give you a boost of confidence to go forward with the weight loss.
It's easier for me to forgo the chocolate when I just came home from doing a pilates class. I can't diet, but if I FEEL in shape or better about myself, it's different. Like telling a loser boyfriend to get a life cuz I'm suddenly too good for him.
I Generally Avoid Temptation... Unless I Can't Resist It!
Confession: The other night my little girl started eating a candy bar, a German chocolate to more specific. Well... she didn't want to finish it... so I did. Ugh! It tasted soooo good! But didn't help my efforts any.
But the point of my blog today is this... DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
Yes, I had a weak moment, but that didn't mean I had to end trying to lose weight. I had a roommate who was trying to lose weight. She'd go to the gym and try to eat well but for months she hardly lost a pound. However, she never stopped trying. I ended up moving away, and many months later, went back and saw her again, and you know what? She had lost a considerable amount of weight. ...She just never gave up. In fact, almost everyone I know that just kept consistantly exercising and trying to eat right, eventually lost weight. It may have taken them 6 months or 2 years, but they all succeeded. So whenever there are set backs, let's keep going!
Cheers,
Elena
Current weight: 174 (dropped 6 pounds since I started this blog this month...YAY!)
Workout: Housecleaning (no joke!)
Tip o' the day: Instead of sauces, creams, gravies and such to add flavor to food, try lemon or lime juice, salsa or mustard. Each of these is low in calories and adds a nice flavor to food.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Good Tips
Here's today's log, from rc3w's commentary...very good advice!
Cheers,
Elena
Current weight: 177 lbs. (lost a pound again...YAY!)
Work-out: Dancing with the Stars Video
Measurements...
BUST: 43
RIBS: 36
WAIST: 40
HIPS: 42
THIGHS: 45
"Here are some other tips:
1. Consider going to a NUTRITIONIST or DIETICIAN to really learn how your body works as far as processing foods. There may be something you are taking in that is keeping the pounds on...something you would think is healthy for you when really it's not!....such as #2....
2. Cut out COW Dairy: Although loaded with calcium, COW dairy is loaded with proteins that are NOT easily digestible in the human body. Do a search online and look into the benefits of excludiing COW dairy from your diet....try alternatives like GOAT dairy, soy or Rice products. Supplement if you need to to get daily requirements for calcium and folic acid.
3. Keep track of what you eat and drink for one day and you will see just what and how much you are taking in! Seeing it in front of you on a daily basis will help you make better food/drink choices.
4. Exercise!...just do it!! force yourself!!!
5. Snacks...try nuts and dried fruit to satisfy munchies. It's lots of fiber and nuts are a great source of protein!
6. Lastly, if you feel like late night munchies, go up to your bedroom to read a book or catchup on emails, or whatever! Just get away from the kitchen and the TV. OR...if you want to watch TV, do it while walking on the treadmill, using an exercise ball or lifting weights. If you are doing something "busy" with your hands, you can't be putting food in your mouth!!! :)"
Cheers,
Elena
Current weight: 177 lbs. (lost a pound again...YAY!)
Work-out: Dancing with the Stars Video
Measurements...
BUST: 43
RIBS: 36
WAIST: 40
HIPS: 42
THIGHS: 45
"Here are some other tips:
1. Consider going to a NUTRITIONIST or DIETICIAN to really learn how your body works as far as processing foods. There may be something you are taking in that is keeping the pounds on...something you would think is healthy for you when really it's not!....such as #2....
2. Cut out COW Dairy: Although loaded with calcium, COW dairy is loaded with proteins that are NOT easily digestible in the human body. Do a search online and look into the benefits of excludiing COW dairy from your diet....try alternatives like GOAT dairy, soy or Rice products. Supplement if you need to to get daily requirements for calcium and folic acid.
3. Keep track of what you eat and drink for one day and you will see just what and how much you are taking in! Seeing it in front of you on a daily basis will help you make better food/drink choices.
4. Exercise!...just do it!! force yourself!!!
5. Snacks...try nuts and dried fruit to satisfy munchies. It's lots of fiber and nuts are a great source of protein!
6. Lastly, if you feel like late night munchies, go up to your bedroom to read a book or catchup on emails, or whatever! Just get away from the kitchen and the TV. OR...if you want to watch TV, do it while walking on the treadmill, using an exercise ball or lifting weights. If you are doing something "busy" with your hands, you can't be putting food in your mouth!!! :)"
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