I was 15 years old when I started "working out." In the gym of my uncles doctor's office I would spend hours and hours on end, sometimes into the late hours of the night, on the stair climber, health rider (are these even still around) or on the stationary bike. For my 16
th birthday I asked my parents for an "
exerslide" (are THESE still around?) and for Christmas that same year I asked for an ab-crunch-infomercial thingy. I don't even remember what it was called but it looked like a weapon of mass destruction. I also got a thigh master that same year, it was a banner Christmas for me! Don't get the wrong impression- this was ALL MY IDEA! My parents were not the type of people to buy me something THEY thought I needed. I wanted every "get thin fast" craze item on the market from the time I was a teen! I STILL get sucked into the late night infomercial and find myself reaching for the phone! But I refrain (it's been 5 years since I was suckered into buying... & since you asked- it was "SLIM IN 6!") because weight loss & maintenance ALL boils down to 3 "easy" things... (and I say "easy" because after 15 years it's finally comes natural for me!)
DIET: I start with diet because ultimately I think it's the MOST important ingredient (pun intended) to a recipe of weight loss/maintenance success. And when I say "diet" I don't mean: "Eat Cabbage soup for 7 days and lose 10 lbs!"diet (yes, shut up- I've done the cabbage soup diet) I mean "diet" by definition as: food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health. Everything little thing that goes in your mouth. Whether it's fruits & veggies or caramel malts with extra whipped cream- this is your "diet"... You don't go "on or off" a diet- you change your diet. You IMPROVE (hopefully) your diet and you MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DIET! I love food and I have a personal goal to see just how much food I can eat in a day and STILL stay within my calorie allotment. And I'm not going to lie, I'm good!!! I know which veggies have the least amount of calories- which fruits are higher in calories & sugars and which foods I have to avoid all together. I try and make it through the day staying under 1500 calories but OVER 100+ grams of protein and under 100
carbs. That's a lot of math- but it gets easier and easier as you go... I am also really big into
supplementing.
Supplementing by definition means: something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole. Everyone should be
supplementing. We can all benefit by filling in the gaps.
2
nd- (and my most favorite) WEIGHT TRAINING: And when I say weight training I don't' mean doing bicep curls once a week with 3 lb weights! I mean serious, train like a man, leg pressing 200+ lbs, face turning purple WEIGHT TRAINING!
Ok, so I don't really train like a man, but I can hold my own in a weight room! God blessed me with a strong body (I'm by no means claiming perfection here) but if there is one thing I will say it's that I am strong. I am much stronger when it comes to say shoulder presses than I am when it comes to cross country running or sprinting. Chicks of the world- I say to you "Don't be afraid of the weight rooms!"..... Do me one favor- next time you're at the gym, take a
goooooood look around and tell me one thing: Where do you find all the people with the HOT BODIES???... In the weight room! And what type of people do you see cycling along at a snails pace? The chubby butts who think "slow & steady wins the race!" Now, that's not to say that
cardio isn't important (see
cardio rave below) I'm just saying it may not be as important as people are claiming! You gotta PUMP IT, GIRL!
But with that said, it's time to give
CARDIO it's props! So when *I* say
cardio I mean getting your heart rate up! And this is where I give you MY
cardio advice: Do something (anything) that you LOVE that gets your heart rate UP and
KEEPs it up for an extended period of time. If you HATE ridding a stationary bike in a dark smelly gym then by all means- DON'T DO THAT! If instead, you enjoy an afternoon of tennis with a girlfriend even though you BOTH SUCK? Then PLAY TENNIS, KEEP MOVING and LAUGH YOUR A$$ OFF!!! If you are less than coordinated and were born with 2 left feet, then don't buy a "25 Step Class Punch Card"- Rather, Strap your 2 year old on your back and go for a hike! (trust me- that will be a great
cardio workout!) Do what you LOVE and you'll LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING! I always say "The best kind of exercise is unintentional!" I'm going to give you a perfect example. Yesterday I was in the toy room with the girls- I was laying on the bed and we started throwing the balls around- we then started throwing them up at the window seal and got "2 points" if they stayed up there. We did this for well over an hour! (yes, we are easily
amused!) And this morning I woke up with sore abs! It took me like 10 minuets to even figure out why they were sore but it was from that silly game with my daughter! Accidental exercise ROCKS! ; )
So there you have it- my 3 ingredients for success! No, I'm not a Hollywood star trainer or a certified dietitian. I'm just a mom with some kids, a job, a needy husband, a dog that doesn't get enough attention (note to self: take the dog for a walk) and someone who's attends the school of hard knocks Diet & Exercise program!
You guys- I have for months and months wanted to get a body bugg! But I just can't help but wonder how effective/accurate they are! And I'm also pretty sure that as soon as I DO buy one they will come out with a new & improved version- that's the way my life goes! (hello- iphone!)
1) Wild Salmon- A great source of Omega 3 to keep your heart happy!
A few years ago my personal trainer gave me this recipe. I have tweaked it a bit & enjoyed it many many times through out the years! Here it is!
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