Still Here

I've just been a lot side tracked. This week is Spring Break so everything is all wacky. I have been in the back yard making it all pretty to enjoy for myself plus for DH retirement party which is in July sometime.

The MIL is still being on her best behavior which really makes for an amazing day ... week ... year. I'm so shocked that she's still being so nice to me & I believe we're working on week # 3. She hasn't started up any rumors, she hasn't "forgotten" to take her meds which makes her crazy, she hasn't "lost" something & blamed someone for taking it ... it's just been really nice. I haven't had adult conversation throughout the days in so long I almost don't know how to react.

My weight is staying the same which I can't complain about. I only exercised 1 time last week & so far ... besides yard work yesterday & today I haven't exercised. My food hasn't been to crazy. I did have pizza on Saturday & a few cookies & milk a lot of the days but other then that ... I'm doing well with my portions. I do need to start getting all my water in though. The one thing I have never had a problem with I now can't seem to get my daily amount in. I don't know what that's all about.

I started taking a weigh loss pill. I don't know w hy I thought it would work but I figured I've tried everything else I should go for this one to. It's called Lipozene It's suppose to curb your need for food, melt belly fat ... all of which I must say works. I've had a couple people tell me it's because it's filled with fiber (the ingredients doesn't have that in it). I could care less if it's full of fiber ...w hatever is in that little blue pill is keeping me from raiding the fridge at night & I also no longer feel the need for snacks in between meals. I'm still taking my regular fiber pills that the dietician suggested. The only thing I can tell taking those is I have more BM's then I do if I forget to take them.

Oh ... do you love giving gift baskets but you think their to pricey to buy & it's aggrivating to buy the stuff & make it yourself? Well have I got the perfect way to help you out. My long time friend has taken her talent of gift giving & made it into a business. I say it's about damn time. She's such a talented woman & she makes these beautiful gifts for all of us for nothing. Anyway ... check her out. I promise you her baskets are filled with so much love you'll be able to feel it the moment you touch it. You also won't have to worry about paying an arm & leg for anything cause she is a lot cheaper than any store bought item. Want her web site? Click StacyLynnZ Gifts & Gift Baskets

Another Fitness Myth Debunked

Another Fitness Myth Debunked

Somewhere along your journey to fitness, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you'll hear a lot of advice about exercise--not all of which is true.

Fitness Myth:
You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas.

Fitness Truth:
This concept is called "spot training" and unfortunately, it doesn't burn fat. When you lose weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body predetermines which fat stores it will use. For example, doing sit-ups will strengthen you abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. Similarly, an activity like running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.

Exercise Extra
You need to burn off 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. Aim for 3-4 days of cardio per week, and watch the fat melt away!

VIDEO: Lower Body Stretching Routine

VIDEO: Lower Body Stretching Routine Stretch Your Legs While Standing Up -- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness InstructorFor more information about this video, please scroll down to read the text below the video player.


 
About This Video
This video will help you stretch your lower body without any equipment. Coach Nicole will take you through one short set of 6 different stretches that target your thighs (quads, hamstrings, inner thighs) and calves. You can perform these stretches when standing up—just make sure your muscles are warmed up first!

• Length: 4 minutes
• Equipment: None
• Type of Workout: Flexibility (stretching)
• Muscles Worked: Lower body (quads, hamstrings, calves, inner thighs)
• Fitness Level: Beginning to advanced; since this routine takes place in a standing position, it may also be suitable for individuals with limited mobility.
• Impact: None
• Safety Precautions: Perform this routine only after your muscles are warm, such as after your warm up or after your workout. Always stretch through your own range of motion, never to the point of pain. Avoid bouncing.
  

Viewing Tips

• You can pause or rewind the video at any time if you need a break or need to watch for closer instructions. We suggest watching the video one time through before attempting the routine.
• While this workout will take you through just one set of each stretch, you can replay the video one or two more times if you wish.
  
• This video does not include music, but you can play a stereo or CD in the background as you workout. Just make sure you can still hear the instructions.
• To play the video, simply click on the Play button (bottom left corner) to start. Below the video screen, you'll find buttons for Pause, Stop, and volume control.

Help Teens Stay Slim

Help Teens Stay Slim

Experts have long suspected that the empty calories from sugary drinks like soda are playing a key role in the growing childhood obesity epidemic. So what can a parent do to fight back? Try stocking the fridge with low-calorie drink options instead, say researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston.

In a study, they found that simply replacing high-calorie drinks like soda and sugary fruit-flavored drinks with low-calorie options like diet soda, low-cal lemonade, iced tea, and water led to an 82 percent reduction in the amount of sugar teens consumed. Plus, the more overweight teens who participated in the study dropped an average of half a pound a week simply by switching to low-cal beverages! Talk about effortless weight loss!

Next time you head for the market, bring your teens along and have them help choose which low-calorie drinks they'd like to try. Experts say involving your kids, and making healthier foods their choice, is key to making this easy change stick.

I know I'm an adult as all of my readers are but we really do need to take care of our childrens health as well. For so long I made for sure they got in their veggies but honestly ... that's about as far as I got with them. I didn't make them drink water ... I didn't monitor their soda ... snacks .... or even exercise. My punishment is I now have a son with weight problems. We are getting on the straight and narrow together though. I let both kids pick out their 100 calorie pack any other snack they have to read the nutrition lable to see what 1 serving is. It's working ... their eating less .... drinking more water (with flavoring but I'm ok with that) ... and they have been doing walk videos with me on days where they don't get a lot of outdoor play.

As for my diet ... I'm not doing to bad on the food part of things but for some reason I'm having a rough time fitting in a long span of cardio time. MIL is still living with us & it looks like she is here for the long haul. Thankfully everything is going wonderful. I'm hoping for a good weigh in tomorrow since my food has been in check. It might not be much but as long as it isn't a gain I'll be happy.

Exercising on an Empty stomach

Question: I heard that when you exercise on an empty stomach (such as first thing in the morning) you'll burn more fat. Is this true?

Expert Answer:
In the morning, your body has gone 8+ hours since eating or drinking anything. Your blood sugar levels are lower at this point, and your body doesn't have adequate fuel to workout optimally. Usually, experts recommend eating something--even if it's just a small snack--within 2 hours before working out. When your body doesn't have proper fuel in it, many problems can result, the lesser being that your workout performance suffers, and the greater being something like passing out during exercise.

However, every body is different. Some people can workout on an empty stomach with no problems, while others would end up very sick and feel the negative effects of it. When I workout in the morning, I always eat (and drink) something first thing after I wake up. Usually by the time I start my workout it doesn't hurt my stomach to exercise with a bit of food on it.

Also, I think there might have been a bit of confusion here about metabolic rates in the morning. Eating breakfast in the morning has a positive effect on your metabolism, but exercising on an empty stomach does not. Some people say that it will burn fat stores, but overall, the number of calories your burn during a workout (regardless of where they come from) is much more important. Plus, fat burns in the carbohydrate flame. This means that exercising without eating (such as after "fasting" during sleep) your body does not burn fat efficiently, or sometimes at all.

VIDEO: 12-Minute Pilates Abs Workout

VIDEO: 12-Minute Pilates Abs Workout Mat Exercises to Whittle Your Middle -- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness InstructorFor more information about this video, please scroll down to read the text below the video player.



Take this video with you! Click here for a printable version of Coach Nicole's Pilates Abs Workout!
 
About This Workout
This workout will help you strengthen (and stretch) your abdominals, obliques and lower back—without any equipment. Coach Nicole will take you through one short set of 11 Pilates exercises (plus stretches) for a complete core challenge. If you're new to Pilates, we recommend that you watch our short Intro to Pilates video first.

• Length: 12 minutes
• Equipment: Body weight, mat (optional, for cushioning)
• Type of Workout: Strength training (toning) & flexibility
• Muscles Worked: Core (abs, obliques, lower back)
• Fitness Level: Beginning to advanced; since this workout has few transitions, it may also be suitable for individuals with limited mobility.
• Impact: Low-impact
• Safety Precautions: A mat will help cushion your body while lying on the floor. Shoes are optional during this Pilates workout. Always work at your own pace and level, using modifications whenever necessary.
  
• Tracking Your Workout: If you'd like to add this video to the Strength Training section of your Fitness Tracker, you can add it as a "user-entered" exercise. Simply list the video name as the name of your new exercise, and click to "add" it to your tracker.
• Extra Tip: Only complete as many exercises as you can using good form, taking a break as needed. As you progress, try to finish the entire video.
  

Viewing Tips

• You can pause or rewind the video at any time ifyou need a break or need to watch for closer instructions. We suggest watching the video one time through before attempting the workout.
• While this workout will take you through just one set (4-10 repetitions) of each exercise, they all focus on the same muscle groups. Doing multiple sets of this video is not necessary, especially since Pilates exercises are not designed to work muscles to complete fatigue. 
  
• This video does not include music, but you can play a stereo or CD in the background as you workout. Just make sure you can still hear the instructions.
• To play the video, simply click on the Play button (bottom left corner) to start. Below the video screen, you'll find buttons for Pause, Stop, and volume control.

Pilates Video