More Sleep Pleaseee!

Good morning, and welcome to another week. Lately i find myself getting less than adequate sleep, it's not that i can't sleep, it's more of me not making sleep a priority. As much as i would like to think that this issue is isolated, statistics in the U.S shows that this problem is very wide spread. Lack of sleep affects countless areas in our lives/bodies, however because this blog is out fitness lets discuss how lack of sleep affects our weight loss (for those of us trying to lose weight).

It is quite obvious to us that if we have had little sleep during the night the chances of us wanting to workout the is almost nonresistant. To add to that researchers has found that a lack of sleep diminishes our bodies ability to burn off calories, and also is one of the leading reasons for our metabolism slowing down. Lack of sleep has also been linked to the hormones that helps control our appetite, it creates an unbalance effect resulting in an increase in appetite, therefore we tend to eat more.


Challenge of the week/Contest

This week we are going to challenge ourselves by getting 8 hours of sleep each night, in addition to that we are going to make a log of our sleep schedule (wake time, nap, bedtime) and everything we eat for the week.

Contest Rules

A detailed copy of your daily log needs to be email to greenheat2003@yahoo.com (find it below), indicate what you ate and the time, also the quantity. Please format in a way that will be easy to read. Each log should have the participants name and the date submitting.


Prize!!

The winner will be announce the following week. That individual will receive a Cando Pedal Exerciser 

This is a great piece of equipment for both lower and upper body, and is ideal for working out while watching tv.

Try Something New!!!

Healthy Thursday all. Do you find that you are much more motivated to workout if you are surrounded by other people also working out? alot of people find that kind of environment very motivating , and it's quite understandable. One of the best things about working out with others apposed to working out by your self is that it's structured and focused, i personally can attest to that. I primarily workout at home by myself, and before now i would jump from one exercise to the other without doing a full set, i was working out yes, but for what i wanted from my workout that kind of behavior was not working. Now i am much better, i focus on a specific part of my anatomy and i work that part out for 30 full minutes (always 10-30 mins of cardio before i begin).

Tell me what's working for you in terms of exercise, are you trying something new? Do you workout by yourself or at a gym? I want to know, so share. Stay healthy.

What Are You Eating?

You did a great workout, now it's time for breakfast!!!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we hear that everyday, but what's the point in eating breakfast if you are going to fill your body with unhealthy grub.

After a good workout we need to boost our energy level, eating a healthy breakfast can do just that.
Since we are challenging ourselves to workout first thing in the morning this week, there's a high likelihood that we are going to feel extremely hungry after. Before you reach for that French toast, stop! think about what you're doing. At this point we need to break the fast and re-energize our body and mind, doing that takes a great breakfast, something filled with protein, fruits, veggies etc.

Here are a few options

-Eggs with your favorite veggies
-Oatmeal with fresh fruits and a pinch of cinnamon
-fruit smoothie with nonfat yogurt
-whole grain cereal with fresh fruit

Don't be afraid to mix it up, try new things, just remember to keep it healthy. Share some of your breakfast ideas, and stay healthy.

Making Time to Workout...

This morning I find myself up at 6am, it's Sunday (for Pete's sake). Anyways, I decided why not workout, after all, I stretch every morning, I might as well workout if my body is prep for it.

I realize the reason most people give for not working out is that they don't have the time. We have to make time friends, especially for those of us who aren't that motivated physically. On that note here's our challenge for this week, in addition to everything else that we've been doing.

CHALLENGE

We are going to conduct 1 hour of exercise at the beginning of the day. If you need to go to bed earlier to accommodate for that hour you will have to exercise do so, we have to make the time. An added benefited to start your day off with some physical activity is that it boosts your energy through out the day, so why not.

Stay healthy, check in to let us know how the challenge is going. Have a healthy day.

Exhausted!!!!

Yes, I am completely exhausted and I am debating whether or not to workout today. Is it a good idea to continue with your exercise routine when you are exhausted.

I say yes to exercise, not so much the setting in which you normally would do it. If you go to the gym every day but today you are feeling really tired you can probable skip the gym. However, getting in some kind of exercise is important, as exercise can help boost your energy. Maybe taking a 30 mins walk, dancing to some high tempo music, or if you have kids, playing some kind of sports with them.

Today I'll be dancing of this exhaustion, and later some good old soccer with my son. What's your workout plan for today? (I should say a cup of coffee will be a plus for me today)

Have a healthy day, and exercise!!!!

Don't Starve Yourself!!!!!

Good morning,
We have gone pass the middle of the week, I am hoping to hear of progress by those of us taking the challenge. Share with us what you are experiencing, good or bad, you maybe able to help someone who's experiencing the same thing, or get help by the advise of someone.

I wanted to address this issue that was brought to my attention a few days ago, hunger. Because we are cutting our meals in half (hopefully everyone is doing that by now) some people are complaining that they feel as if they are starving their body.

The idea is to eat less of your main meal and snack on healthy snacks in between. If you are feeling hungry 2 hours after you had your lunch, by all means grab an apple, a handful of nuts etc. By doing that you are cutting down on your caloric intake and boosting your metabolism at the same time. Please don't forgot to continue drinking water, it is needed by our bodies and can also act as an appetite suppressant.

Ok guys, let's say afloat of this issue, and if you are having difficulties staying motivated share that with us, we will help in whatever way we can. Stay healthy and keep trucking.

Could Sugar Be Subotaging Your Weight Loss?

Good morning all, it's a beautiful day today, i am hoping each one of us enjoy the day with some physical activity, there's no need for a gym on such a day, get out and enjoy the sun (don't forget SPF).

Some of us may think the question posed above does not apply to us, because maybe we do not eat much sweet foods. However, this discussion apply to every single one of us, when i talk about sugar i am not speaking of candy, cakes and ice cream, which is obviously loaded with sugar, i am speaking of the less obvious items, like canned vegetables, milk, cheese etc. Almost every thing we eat these days contain sugar, it is wise to beware of these items and their sugar contents.

There are two types of sugars, Intrinsic Sugars which is mostly natural and can be found in fruits and vegetables, and then we have Extrinsic Sugars which comes in a less natural form, these sugars are added to foods to preserve the life of the product, and can be found in almost all packaged and canned foods to include milk, and all dairy products.

The issue with sugar is that in our society we consume way to much, our bodies metabolises these sugars and store them in fat cells for later use as energy, however because we consume so much suguar on a daily basis these stored fat cells never get used, therefore our bodies keep adding and we eventually are faced with unwanted weight gain.

Now, i don't really have to tell you what you need to do, i think it's quite obvious by now. Sugar is sweet, yes i know, but is it really worth it, think about it. Pay attention to the grams of sugar when buying packaged foods, especially items that are marked as health foods. Stay on top of what you eat, eat natural sugars (fruits and veggie).
Stay healthy, and don't forget to share your experiences with us.

3LBS This Week!!!

Good morning, it's a new week, and like last week we are going to get three more pounds off. If you didn't lose anything last week just be honest with yourself , what could you have done differently? Most times our weight loss directly results from the choices we make on a daily basis's, not working out (enough), not eating right etc.

Please read last weeks challenge to get the tips that i posted, stay healthy and look forward to additional tips throughout the week.

Please check out our recipe page to see the challenge for our diet this week!!!!

Counting Calories

Hello again, I received a request from someone to continue with this weeks challenge next week, I want to know what others think about that.

Today I hope that everyone has had the pleasure of noticing some kind of progress as a result of their hard work. If you have followed a strict regimen of exercise and diet and have yet to see any positive results it maybe that your expectations are unrealistic. Remember it is better to go about losing weight at a slow pace, that way your body can adapt to the changes. On the other hand, if you have tried your hardest and still haven't notice the weight dropping off, then maybe you need to go about it a little differently.

So lets talk about counting calories, you may have heard about it, and thought to yourself that the notion seems daunting, well it may be so, but it's one of the best ways to be able to accurately calculate the amount of calories you are consuming. It is important to have an idea of your daily caloric consumption, that way you are aware of what you need to burn of through your exercise.

Before you can start counting calories you first need to figure out  your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). What is your BMR? well think about it this way, throughout the day each of us burn a certain amount of calories without even doing a single thing, your BMR is specific to you and is calculated based on your gender, height, weight, and age, it basically is the amount of calories your body burns if you were to sit all day and never do a thing.You can find a BMR calculator online so look it up.

Now that you have found your BMR you need to calculate the amount of calories you burn during your workout, most machines give you a good idea, but if you are not using a machine try any where from 30 mins- 1hr of cardio which will burn of 200-500 calories (try researching that also). The goal is to burn of your BMR each day. Ok, so now that you have that down, you can start counting your calories, measure your food, read thes lables of canned and packaged items, a food scale would also be a good investment.

Why stretch before and after a workout?

Firstly, I have to say great job to those of you who are making the extra effort to participate in the weekly challenges.

 Now to the business of stretching, currently I am seeking physical therapy for really tight shoulder and neck muscles. I was notorious for skipping stretching my body before and after I exercise, although I knew it was important to do so I just couldn't be bothered. needless to say I ended up with muscles so tense that I was experiencing daily headaches, elevated shoulders and constant pressure in the mentioned areas. Now i am on the road to recovery, and i am now the biggest advocate for stretching.

 Stretching before a workout warms up our muscles in preparation for the torture that would be inflicted upon them, it also activates the release of a lubricant found in the cartilage between our joints, that lubricant helps our muscles to move smoothly, and protects our bones from scraping against each, for example the joint bones in our knees. The biggest benefit of stretching is the flexibility it enables our body to maintain, being flexible is very important as it reduces our chances of injury juring physical activities. At the end of a workout our muscles are very tight slow cool down stretches releases that tightness helping our muscles to be less sore later on.

To be honest, I now stretch both in the morning after waking up and before I go to bed at night, and of course if I workout i will stretch before and after the session. It's my belief that because we mostly sleep in a few positions at night our bodies can become really tense in the AM, and at night most of us sit and watch tv before bed which can cause some stiffness, stretching out the kinks we may have developed while sitting is beneficial to our flexibility. Being flexible is important to me, I love to workout, therefore I am face with the possibility of getting injured daily.

I am going to post some basic stretches that can be done daily on the exercise page, so make show to click on the link and view it. Have a healthy day, and maintain your flexibility.

Why is maintaining a good body weight important

I was sitting in the doctors office waiting to be seen, I noticed that the maximum weight for my height was 140lbs. At the time I was 140lbs so I started asking the doctor questions, because I was worried about issues that could arise if I added more weight to my body. I was told that adding additional weight to my frame could lead to a host of issues that could potentially shorten my life span.

 The question is why is it important to maintain a health weight? Their are a number of illnesses associated with carrying around extra weight, for example

 1. Diabetes
 2. Heart disease
 3. Sleep Apnea
 4. High cholesterol levels
 5. Certain types of cancers
 6. Osteoarthritis
 7. Stroke

Other less serious effects are the emotional toll that it takes on an individual, such things as low self esteem, depression, and other emotional effects. Lossing weight is no easy task, if someone told you it was easy for them be skeptical, it is not worth it going about it in an unhealthy way, as it would be very hard to keep the weight of.
When attempting to lose weight the first step is to make the decision, you have to want to lose weight. The next step is to look at your life style and pick out the habits that you know for a fact is sabotaging your quest to lose weight and lead a healthy life, and start eliminating them, and replacing them with habits that will facilitate your weight loss.

 Here's our challenge for this week, we are going to lose 3lbs this week. Continue with your water intake(if you are new look back at previous challenges), continue cutting you meals in half, and finally we are going to do 45 minutes of exercise 4 days in this week (anyone needing help with an exercise plan contact me).

Leave comments and give daily feedback, please remember this is a forum of support, so check in daily. Let's get healthy together.

Hi everyone, because today is Easter Sunday we will skip today and begin our new challenge tomorrow. have a great day and stay healthy.

Last day of our metabolism challenge

Final day of our challenge, as I have mentioned before I expect for each of us to continue on with the changes we made, I really want to know what people experience, how was the whole process for you? Have you noticed any weightloss? As we move to another challenge I want to emphasize the importance of leaving feed back, we are lending support through our mistakes or success, so please comment. I hope everyone have a great weekend, and stay healthy.

How are you doing

It's late evening for me and I am about to ride the elliptical for 30 minutes. I just wanted to stop by and make my presents felt, as tomorrow is the final day of our challenge, of course we have to continue individually if we want to get the benefits of the change. Ok, let me know how you're doing, it's so easy to lose focus, just stay positive and accountable. See you tomorrow.

Fighting the Plateau!

Good Thursday morning, today is the fifth day of our challenge and I want to hear about the changes that people are experiencing (if any). Posting the positives or negatives helps others who maybe having the same results as you, we are building a support community here so I need feedback.

 This morning I want to bring light to an issue that plague individuals who have had success losing weight at the beginning of a program, and suddenly finds themselves having difficulty losing anything as they continue on, it's as if you have hit a wall. This is something that happens to everyone, so what's the culprit behind this issue? well ladies and gents it's your metabolism, yes, the idea is that when a person starts working out and dieting especially if you are overweight, your metabolism is working at such a high rate that a cut in calories whether through exercise or dieting will result in weight loss, however, as time goes on our bodies does not need as much calories to sustain, if we continue eating the same quantity and using the same exercise routines as before our bodies will fail to yield result or we may even notice the weight returning.

Our challenge for this week can help us combat this issue in addition to exercise, I feel as though in our little forum here the importance of exercise is down played. I am here to tell you that you will not be able to maintain your weight without equal parts of diet and exercise, I will go so far as to say that exercise is paramount to losing and maintaining weight, we know by now that muscles burns more calories than fat, how do we obtain muscles? strength training, those of you who's skeptical do your research, because strength training plays a huge role not only in weight loss but also in strengthening our bones (women) as we get older.

Well, go ahead and tell me what you think about what you've just read, don't be afraid to refute or agree with anything, this is an awareness and learning environment, so share people. Have a healthy day everyone.

Continuing with our challenge

Good morning all, we are off ot a very good start this week, let's keep up the effort and continue with the challenge. Post your meals daily and help inspire others with your comment. Stay healthy.

Boosting our metabolism!!!!

Welcome to our second week, the focus is on our metabolism. Having a high metabolism plays a vital role in weightloss as well as maintaining weight, as it helps burn fat at a  faster rate. Our metabolic rate can be affect by a host of factors, for example our age, as we get older our muscle mass decreases as a result our metabolism is believed to decrease 5% each decade after 40. It is also believed that we can inherit our metabolic rate.

So how do we raise our metabolic rate? The most talked about way is to eat small meals frequently throughout the day. Snacking on healthy foods between small main meals are advised. Participating in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day is also a good way to boost your metabolism. Another option is drinking ice cold water, this works because or bodies burn calories while warming us to normal body temperature. Weight training is also a good way to boost our metabolic rate, and that's because  muscle burns way more calories than fat. Any beverage with caffeine such as coffee and tea also works well as metabolic boosters, consuming caffeine boosts our energy level, therefore we are able to workout for longer periods. Adding spices to our foods also help in crease our metabolic rate, so adding a little cinnamon in your waffles, pancakes, oatmeal etc. will give you that advantage.

Our challenge for this week is to raise our metabolic rate.

  Firstly, we are going to eat half of what we would normally eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then we will add a healthy snack between each meal (for instance if i would have a small omelet and some fruit for breakfast 2-3 hours later i would have a cup of yogurt, 2-3 hours later lunch and so forth).

The other half of our challenge is to continue drinking the required amount of water for you body weight(your weight divided by 2 in ounces), this time though lets drink the water cold.

 Please be advise that exercise should be done in addition to our challenges, so head over to our exercise page and click on the links for exercise. Have a healthy day everyone.