Five Easy Toning Exercises you can Do Anywhere

Exercise is an important part of our lives. Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.

Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising. The problem is where and when to get the job done. With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.

Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time. At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet extremely effective exercises.


1. The Bridge Butt Lift – Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks. Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

2. Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

3. Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.

4. Push-ups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a push-up on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.


5. Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.

These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time. The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative. Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage.

*Images from google images.

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Just Dance (and Spin), but Mostly Just Dance

“Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.” -Dave Barry

This week the few moments I have away from the house, the kids, reality has been when I go workout. Because of this, it has been more enjoyable to me this week.

Wednesday was my rest day. Thursday I started right back up by running 3 ½ miles at the track and then going to Zumba. Zumba was so much fun I almost couldn’t believe I was “working out”. To me there is nothing more fun than dancing! I love dancing and wish there were more occasions or parties where people dance. 

“Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals.” ~Charles Baudelaire

Zumba is a Latin hip hop style dancing that is incredibly fun. I wrote an article about it on the Deluxe Edition of The Homemaking Cottage. Girls, every woman should try Zumba! It is wild, thrilling and hot; that also describes how you feel when you are finished! Meeeooow!

“Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health - it rusts your spirit and your hips.”
-Adabella Radici

One thing I’ll do differently next time I go to the Zumba class is run AFTERWARD, not before. Lifting my arms wasn’t so pleasant from that sweat inducing run.

Friday was my second daughter’s 12th birthday so I had to squeeze a short workout in between shopping and her birthday party. I went to a spin class. It should not have been labeled “Spin Class”. It should have been labeled “Boot Camp on a Spin Bike”.



I’ve had this teacher before and I know she’s hard-core. I like that about her. If I’m going to work out I want to burn every last calorie I can in that time-frame. No piddling around for me. She asked us if we wanted 4 minute jumps, 7 minutes jumps, or 14 minute jumps. We asked for it. We asked for the 14 minute jumps. I don’t think I’ve ever worked or hurt so hard on a bike before. I had sweat dripping from all over my body, including my eyes and chest. One third of the class had muscle failure and dropped out several times. I was burning, but I felt good that I finished without stopping. We worked it hard until the last two minutes of the hour long class. It was so fun to see everyone so motivated to work hard!

At the end of class she announced our most likely calorie count and then reminded us of the days she teaches. Then she said that the advanced class is on Tuesday! This wasn’t advanced? WOW. Today I’m sore from that spin class and I haven’t been this sore in my upper body from spin before. Pain is gain!


Play some Zumba Dance Music:

Thursday and Friday's Stats:

Ran: Miles-3.5 Calories-432 Minutes-50
Zumba: Calories-500 Minutes-60

Total:

Miles: 3.5
Calories:932
Minutes: 110

Friday:

Spin Class: Miles-22 Calories-700 Minutes-60

Total for both days:

Miles-25.50
Calories- 1632
Minutes-170

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The Power of Antioxidants for Staying Young

Everyone wants to grow old gracefully. Some go under the knife to get that youthful look while others opt for a more natural way to maintain that healthful glow. The way to make peace with age can be found in the types of foods that we eat and the miracle ingredient they contain.

This hidden “miracle” is called antioxidants. They have graced the pages of magazines, medical journals and every product from hand cream to supplement pills. But what are antioxidants and what can they do to keep you looking your best?

Antioxidants are substances that fight the aging process that goes on in your body. They are not produced by the body so to get the benefit of these power-packed substances you must ingest them. A variety of foods contain antioxidants.

Let’s go back to the beginning. The body continually replenishes its cells. Through a process called cellular metabolism, the body produces energy, more cells and repairs any damage. One by-product of cellular metabolism is unstable molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that damage your body. They are unstable because they are missing an electron. To get another one and become stable, free radicals will steal electrons from cells. That theft damages the cells in a variety of ways.

The results are visible and invisible changes to our bodies. The development of diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis and neurological deficiencies may begin to affect you as you age. Also, thinner skin wrinkles and brittle bones are a problem. Free radicals enter our body from outside sources as well: cigarette smoke, radiation and the sun’s UV rays. The more free radicals we encounter, the greater the damage that can be done.

Antioxidants have been shown to be of great help in the free radical problem. Antioxidant substances combine with free radicals and neutralize them. Once they are neutralized, they can no longer do any damage. Scientists don’t have any idea of a recommended daily dose of antioxidants to correct free radical damage and the diseases that come with age, but they do know that eating foods rich in antioxidants makes a huge difference in how we live.

Where do you find antioxidants? They are all around us. Look no further than your >local farmer’s market or produce aisle in the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables contain the principle sources of antioxidants.

Examples of antioxidants include:
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin A
* Vitamin E
* Lutein
* Lycopene
* Beta-carotene

Certain minerals like zinc and selenium also function in the body. They are not antioxidants but they boost the immune system to fight against free radical damage.

Antioxidants are also found in nuts, legumes, cold water fish, seafood and red meat. So, eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables and the foods just named will increase the amount of antioxidants in your system and help reduce the incidence of disease. Eating fruits and vegetables in their natural form instead of juices brings the benefit of other nutrients found in the foods. Juices also contain a lot of sugar that is not needed by your body.

Food does more than stave off hunger. Natural substances found there can cause us to live longer and stay free of disease as we age.

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How to Overcome Emotional Eating

Eating is a part of life. Your body gets its nutrients from food. Sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight. One issue with food is emotional eating.

The problem of emotional eating may end with the scale but it begins in the mind. Stress takes its toll on your life. When your defenses are compromised your health takes a hit and so do your emotions.

Everyone has good days and bad days. How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play. You look for comfort for your hurts. People who turn to food for comfort find a coping mechanism that won’t judge them, hurt them or tell them “no.” To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise. So, after you eat, you feel better.

Emotional eaters use food to relieve stress. They hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.

But, how do you know you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You will gain weight if you eat too much. In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:

* Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
* Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
* Are you dealing with a problem but haven’t found a solution?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions could mean that you are an emotional eater. You eat but you are not necessarily hungry at the time. The foods that you choose are what we term “comfort foods”:

* High fat foods like French fries, fried foods
* High carb foods like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes
* Sugary foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake

There is help for emotional eaters. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem. You’ll experience feelings of helplessness and guilt. The guilt is over potentially ruining your health and the helplessness lies in the fact that you don’t see a way out.

Secondly, seek counseling. There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need. Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions.

A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support. Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion. You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.

Thirdly, your family can learn your triggers for stress and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits. They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you. Proper diet and exercise increases immunity, blood flow and positive thinking. Yoga enhances the mind/body connection so you don’t eat when you aren’t hungry.

Finding new ways to solve your problems and deal with stress will push food out of the equation. You’ll feel good about finding solutions which will replace the dependence on food.

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Trying a New Gym

Tonight's workout was at a new gym with my friend. She took me to the gym where she has her membership. She warned me and warned me it was kind of a geriatric gym. Well, she was right! Funny to say she even said tonight the gym had more young people than usual.

We got upstairs to the spin classroom and there was an elderly couple riding the spin bikes and that was it. No teacher. I picked the bike in the center when the older gentleman kept telling me that #9 (right next to him) was the bike for me. Okay? So, I said the one I was at was fine, but he insisted and showed me how bike #9 was the "newer" (still old) model. I gave in and he threw the handle bar back at the bike in the middle satisfied that he won. He helped me set up my seat and tighten the handle bar. It was so sweet in a creepy sort of way.

The teacher walked in right after that and strange to say it was the same teacher we had the night before at a completely different gym for step and spin! Confession: she is hard to get used to. She did great at the step class and is motivating and fun. I've taken two of her step classes. I've also taken two of her spin classes (other than tonight) and she is picky about form and harps, harps, harps all throughout class: "spaghetti arms, don't point those toes, no hunching." It is so distracting and negative that last class I was getting angry from her negativity. She seemed to forget that it is OUR ride! I almost jumped off the bike, but then, I just let it go. She wasn't going to force me (if indeed I was the one making the mistakes) to change what I was doing. I tried to listen to her the best I can, if that's not good enough- OH WELL! She is also chronically late for teaching as she has a job that is far away. So, when I say the one that's late, you know who I am speaking of. {smile}

I'm still trying to give her a chance. So, today she seemed more relaxed. She only harped a few times. Oh, only two more people showed up with a total of 7 + the teacher. Her class was noticeably less intense with only one set of "jumps". I could tell she did it on purpose after seeing the people who frequent this gym. Her music today was pretty good- total 80's flashback! I did enjoy the Michael Jackson and Prince songs she chose.

My friend's gym does have a LOT of elderly folks. She showed me an entire rehab area. It's a hospital gym, so I can understand that. It didn't give me the "motivated to sculpt and change my body" feel it was more of a "this is for your health whether your 80 or whatever feel". NOT saying that that is bad! I'm saying that it isn't for me. There's a difference. {smile} I do love their class variety and some of their cardio equipment. For now, I think I'll stick with all the free gyms we get on post and keep hunting around to the other ones. It was fun being there with my friend and her husband.

After spin we did chest: bench pressing and some machine weights like the fly. Following lots of chest work we did legs. I've been working out hard this week since last week I felt that I didn't do much at all. I'm already noticing a huge difference in my leg muscle. Oh yeah!


Today's Stats:

Spin Class: Miles-15 Calories-500 Minutes-45
Weights: Calories-195 Minutes-60

Totals:

Miles-15
Calories- 695
Minutes- 105

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7 Knee Repeaters {Step Class}

"A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can't." Jack Dempsey

"7 Knee Repeaters" Don't mind my little outburst there. That phrase keeps popping in my head after the step aerobics class this evening. This is my third advanced step class and let me just describe my legs during this one hour in three words:

burning, screaming, numb.

That means it's working! I feel like my legs started where they were when I first started running. For the first couple of months this is what they felt like. I spent more time walking than running, but I refused to give up. Now I can run as much as 4 1/2 miles.

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. " ~ Confucius

My goal for every new class is to give it 10 tries before I decide if I hate it or not. Step and Kick boxing are both painful and don't have my vote yet. HOWEVER, I kind of felt the same about running and now I enjoy it and choose to do it for- fun! These new classes are using new muscles that aren't used to being worked, so I also know I'll see progress in body re-shaping. {grin}

I read something in my email this morning, I think it was either Denise Austin or Jillian Michaels that talked about how motivating it is to go to an exercise class. Everyone in there is sweating and going through pain just like you. It makes you feel like you're not alone. There is such truth to that!

After step this evening, we also went to spin class, followed by forty minutes of weight lifting. We worked on shoulders and back. Now to ice the legs so I can walk tomorrow. {smile}

Stats:

Step Aerobics: Calories-630 Minutes-60 (included 10 minutes of abs)
Spin Class: Miles-20 Calories-600 Minutes-60
Weight lifting: Calories-227 Minutes-40

Total:

Miles-20
Calories-1457
Minutes-160

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Saturday's "Rest" Day

To keep things moving, I ran two miles today on my rest day. I should have rehydrated better yesterday because my muscles were cramping up today. Off to drink water and keep the kids out of trouble...

Miles: 2
Calories: 200

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Diet Change & Weight Loss for a Mom Turned Athlete

I have mentioned the scale plateau several times throughout the past several months. I was quite frustrated. After much research and now being mentored by a heavy weight lifter and her husband who is a Special Forces trainer for the guys who do the big, heavy workouts (like 12 mile ruck marches + heavy lifting +cross-fit training) I have learned exactly WHY I was plateau-ing.

Things I was doing wrong:

1. I am a serious athlete, I need to realize it and care for my body as a serious athlete does. That is what I transformed my body into during the past year- the body of an athlete. I have gone beyond the average woman working out and am seriously training my body for longer amounts of time and building muscle. Part of the reason I am writing this in my blog post is to help my mind get more in-touch with that label. After going from being weak and exhausted for ten plus years to working hard enough to turn my body into a serious athlete in a year really needs a mindset change and ownership of that label.

2. I had not been fueling my body properly for what I do and therefore my body was in starvation mode. I was still in the "eat low calories" mode when I simply cannot do that anymore if I want to keep up with the exercise I do. This would explain the headaches, feeling terrible at times, and having down days so "down" that I did not function well. I was eating no more than 1400 calories a day and burning 1000-1200 of that easily at a workout. It seems like a simple mathematical equation- less calories, burn more and I should be losing pounds galore. Not true. The problem lies in the fact that I was building muscle and not feeding the muscles I was building. Also, my metabolic rate went up with all that exercise and I need to keep it going by feeding it the proper foods.

3. Eating too little protein. Huge problem here. I was going about this blindly. Everything in life is a learning process. I knew to eat protein, but I didn't know how much to consume. I wasn’t even eating a fraction of what I should have been, because, well, I wasn’t eating enough food to begin with.

After learning that this was the situation I was in, I was curious as to what makes a serious athlete? "Athletes don’t simply exercise – they train. Do you think more about how fast you can go how much you can lift, or how long you can endure, than you do about how many calories you’re burning?" (Answer thanks to Brass Ring Fitness)

Things I’ve been changing this past week have already made the biggest difference. I cannot stress enough how much better I feel eating this high amount of protein. I wished I knew about this earlier. I'm now consuming between 100-120 grams a day. My fitness mentor suggests eating as much protein as you want to weigh.

According to two medical calculators I should be consuming 1900-2000 calories a day just to LOSE one to two pounds a week. It’s interesting to note that I have a hard time eating that much food, especially when I’ve been eating so much protein which fills me up. I barely have room in my stomach for “cravings”. Actually, I don’t have cravings right now; I’m too full. {smile}

My mentor reminded me that I may gain up to five more pounds at first now that I’ve started seriously lifting weights, but I’ll still lose the inches. In that case, I decided to lay off the scale stalking and pull out the tape measure more. Stronger and faster is my new goal and I’m releasing the scale woes. I’m so close to my ultimate goal anyway, I know it will come. Excellent health is the ultimate blessing and I’m thankful that I’ve gotten to this point.

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Body Building Mama: Friday's Stats

The great objection to women exercising—namely, the fear of becoming muscular—is quite without foundation. It cannot be too often repeated that woman is not simply a weaker man: she is physically an entirely different being … In women the muscles simply become firm, close-knit, and well-rounded, and show under the layer of fatty tissue intervening between muscle and skin only in soft, hardly discernible masses, just sufficiently to give a delicate moulding to the form.

Eugen Sandow, Sydney Mail, October 22, 1902.

{Insert drum roll...}

I have been lifting weights on the machines for months, but today I moved over into the "grown up girl" side of the gym to play with the hard core body builders. Today was the first day I did free weights! I was so excited to see how much stronger I was than I thought. My fitness mentor knew exactly what to work and form, etc. It was plain and simply- FUN!

Many women have this false notion that lifting weights, especially heavy weights will bulk them up and make them big. We do not have enough testosterone in our bodies to do that.

Weight lifting can be as important to your overall health as aerobic exercise -- and it’s not just for men. Lifting weights can help women build a toned, sculpted, feminine body, and build stronger bones. Plus it can boost your metabolism, making you not only look great but feel great, too. (Weight lifting for Women)

If you still aren't convinced that heavy lifting is for women, please read 7 Myths of Women's Weight Training and Female Bodybuilding

In addition to weights, we took a spin class. Afterward, I talked to the instructor. I'm considering teaching spin!

Today's Stats:

Spin Class: Miles-15 Calories-500 Minutes-45 (We were late)
Weight Lifting: Calories-389 Minutes-60

Totals:

Miles-15
Calories-889
Minutes-105



Today, I tried a new healthy treat. It was Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Parfait, the white chocolate raspberry. Delish! It was the best 210 calories yet with live and active yogurt cultures. :) Try it, you'll love it!

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25 Favorite Workout Tunes

“Positive experiences and mindsets yielded positive feelings and a subsequent desire to repeat the behaviour. Therefore, it is important that participation in exercise sessions is a positive experience for individuals.” (Godin, 1994). For most of us, that means bringing music into the mix! For more on this, see Music and Running: The Science Behind it.

One thing I’ve noticed when I run is that I need music that will start fast and stay fast. I don’t like music that is slower or starts slow. It messes up my running tempo and wrecks my concentration.

Music that I enjoy in the car or cleaning the house is rarely the kind I like to work out to. The mood I’m in sometimes dictates what helps me move faster. Some days when I want to let out stress, I like the angry music. On days I just need an uplifting playlist I have fast music that is just fun.

There have been many songs I thought I would like to run or workout to until I’m listening to them and I realize they don’t motivate me. Try to avoid music that is depressing or that mention topics that bring you down. It really does affect your performance. Working out should be uplifting leaving you feeling great mentally and physically!

The following playlist will include a mix of what I like. Take a listen to them on iTunes and see if they will work for you:

1. Krazy by Pitbull

2. So What by Pink

3. Paralyzer by Finger Eleven

4. Right Round by Flo Rida

5. Fire Burning by Sean Kingston

6. I Know you Want me by Pitbull

7. Beverly Hills by Weezer

8. Jump Around by House of Pain

9. Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback

10. Found Out About You by Gin Blossoms

11. Poker Face by Lady GaGa

12. You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi

13. Funhouse by Pink

14. Rumors by Lindsay Lohan

15. Follow You Home by Nickelback

16. Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi

17. Just Dance by Lady GaGa

18. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige

19. Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson

20. Hit ‘em Up Style (oops) by Blu Cantrell

21. Serious by Gwen Stefani

22. Gives You Hell by All America Rejects (This one starts out slow, but as long as it’s not in the middle of running up an intense hill I like it)

23. My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson

24. Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield

25. Second Chance by Shinedown (Another slow starting song, great for a cool down. It picks up some keeping your energy going at the end of the run while you slow down.)

This list is one and a half hours of music that is great to work out or run to. It helps to keep a variety of music or various playlists depending on what exercise you are doing. When looking for new songs to add to my ipod I found that by googling specific class playlists such as “Spinning class” playlists or step aerobics playlists there are better lists for fast music. In addition, going to these classes gives me new music to add too. Ask the instructor afterward for the names of the songs you like.

As a last tip: don’t forget to listen to some favorite motivational songs before your workout to get you ready!

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Shiloah Baker is a thirty something mom of seven, married to the man she's madly in love with. Exercise is her vice. She runs a homemaking business online (The Homemaking Cottage http://www.homemaking-cottage.com) and homeschools. In her spare time she sews, crafts, writes, blogs, and reads. See more weight loss tips at her blog Hot Mamas: Losing Weight and Feeling Great http://www.hotmamasweightloss.com

You may reprint this article as long as the byline stays in place.

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Another Reason to Love iPods for Working Out

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Workouts so Far This Week

Tuesday I ran in the morning and then that night I went to classes at the gym.

Run: 3 miles burned 350 (46 minutes with a five minute break chatting with friends at the community center)
Step Aerobics: burned 450 (40 minutes)
Spin Class: burned 450 (45 minutes) Miles: 15

Miles: 20
Calories: 1250
Minutes: 131


Yesterday, I went to kick boxing at night, followed by yoga. I never did any of these classes before. It was an interesting experience. I liked the kick boxing, but I will like it better when I can get the arm movements down.

Kick boxing: Calories-600 Minutes-60
Yoga: Calories-162 Minutes-60

Total:
Calories-762
Minutes-120

I came home pretty sore, but am doing fine today. I learned a trick from my chiropractor to ice each time I workout and I won't be so sore the next day. He was so right!

Totals for both days

Miles- 20
Calories- 2012
Minutes- 251

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10 Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise and Lose Weight

This month I am coming up on the anniversary of my one year transformation. After giving birth to seven children and a thousand excuses for being overweight, I lost almost fifty pounds and went from a size 18/20 to a size eight. I’m not done yet, but I’ve kept going and stayed motivated. I am often asked for my secrets to keeping myself motivated.

The first thing to any weight loss program is to completely and totally commit 100%. You have to be willing to do what it takes, otherwise your journey not last and your goals will not happen.

Here are my suggestions for staying motivated:

1) Take an honest look at your body in a mirror. What do you want to change that you can change by losing weight? Take a notebook and write it down. That’s the first thing I did when I started my journey. I used to have terrible rashes and skin problems. When I tried to scratch the itchy skin on my stomach, it wouldn’t hold still. It made me so frustrated that I decided right then and there that was it; I had it with being overweight and miserable. I knew I could change it. I knew I could get rid of the fat, and I knew I could get well. That morning I got up and worked out and haven’t stopped.

2) Get rid of ALL negativity. Do not ever use words like “I can’t”, “I’m tired”, “It hurts.” Your body is obedient to your words. You will quit. You will defeat yourself with your words.

The book "Feelings Buried Alive Never Die" by Karol Truman explains how much of the time we don't actually get rid of negative emotions, mostly because we don't know how, and we just stuff them inside while trying to forget about them. They don't just leave; the negative feelings stay inside our bodies on a cellular level and wreck havoc. Negative emotions that we experience can cause weight, health and even financial problems. (Ever heard of shopping therapy?). Karol teaches you HOW to get rid of these negative emotions and get rid of the emotions that cause the health and weight problems.

Excess weight is usually the symptom of buried negative feelings including, but not limited to:

• Using food as a substitute for affection
• Inability to admit to self or others what you desire
• Inability to express true feelings
• Seeking love
• Protecting the body
• Trying to fulfill the self
• Stuffed feelings
• Feelings of insecurity

(From the book "Feelings Buried Alive Never Die" by Karol Truman)

3) Get rid of the guilt for spending time away from: (you name it) the job, the kids, the husband, and the “should be doings”. A wise friend pointed out to me that you will always take those two hours away even if you are at home, it’s only natural. If you need it, you will take it. You’ll get lost in a book, talk on the phone, play on the computer, watch a movie but you won’t feel guilty. The difference in taking this time away at the gym is you are getting healthy and have complete time away to zone out without interruptions at home. Once the guilt is gone, you can leave your house and be excited about what you are going to do!

4) Know there will be pain and it will be tough sometimes, but remember how great you will look if you keep going! Pain means the muscles are being used. Pain means you will see results. Of course, there is bad pain too, but I’m talking about the pain that makes most people quit. Everyone gets it when they start new things or push themselves a little harder. The best part of pushing past this point is that when you’ve built the muscles you need you’ll get to the point where you think you’re going to feel pain, but you realize you don’t feel pain, you just feel good! Really good! Energized good! A Physicians Assistant that I know once said, "Running is cocaine for the soul". I am in complete agreement! Oh, and don’t forget to ice after working out. It will help you heal faster and feel less pain.

5) Change it up...don't always go to the gym. Play tennis with friends or family, go running in your neighborhood, do a strip tease aerobics or belly dancing video. (My hubby loves that I learned those.) Take spin classes; add new weights to your training. I'll take my kids to the track and my six year old autistic daughter will run two laps with me and then another kid changes places when she's tired.

6) Every time I lose a little or reach milestones (take your inches) I reward myself with small things. When I went 300 miles I bought new shoes. I bought an iPod and then I bought some outfits to wear to the gym. I recently bought a pink water bottle. It's part of my lifestyle now, so I need things for it.

7) Music is essential. I tried listening to classical music or books on tape while working out and bottom line --it doesn't do it for me. It is exciting and energizing to listen to fun motivating music that makes you want to shake your butt. That has been ESSENTIAL for me. I am always changing it up too so it's fresh and I don't get bored. I share music tips on my blog. http://www.hotmamasweightloss.com/ I also have compiled a separate list. Keep an eye out for that article.

8) Visualize. I get running magazines and in a recent issue I read that if you visualize your run before you do it, your body will fire off the muscles you will use thinking you are actually doing it. It not only gets your body prepped, but your mind as well. The morning of a run, I imagine myself running the route I mapped out. I then feel excited and motivated to do it.

9) Only compete against yourself. Write down every night what you did that day. You can see the progress, no matter how small. Progress is progress. Every day that you do not do something to make yourself stronger, you move backwards, with the exception of recovery days. We all need those. Everyone is at a different level. If other women are doing more, more power to them. Don’t allow yourself to feel intimidated by them or competitive. That is a recipe for disaster and a sure way to quitting before your goal. Be inspired by those who inspire, but if you feel those intimidation or competitive feelings creep in get rid of them before they do damage. You are your own person. You know where you've been in your life and what you can do right now. Keep going!

10) Read everything you can get your hands on (or computer screen on) about losing weight with diet and exercise. Find blogs that uplift and motivate you. Subscribe to sports and running magazines. Sign up for weight loss or exercise ezines that send inspiration, motivation or new exercise tips. Reading about weight loss on a regular basis keeps it fresh in your mind.

One final thought. Get to know people at the gym or friends who want to join you in your journey. There is nothing more energizing that seeing familiar faces and chatting with people who have a common goal. Also, take a before picture no matter how humiliating you think it will be. That will motivate you when you feel like you haven’t progressed. When I get to feeling down I’ll just pull out the old pictures and realize how far I’ve come. You can do it too!

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Shiloah Baker is a thirty something mom of seven, married to the man she's madly in love with. Exercise is her vice. She runs a homemaking business online (The Homemaking Cottage http://www.homemaking-cottage.com) and homeschools. In her spare time she sews, crafts, writes, blogs, and reads. See more weight loss tips at her blog Hot Mamas: Losing Weight and Feeling Great http://www.hotmamasweightloss.com

You may reprint this article as long as the byline stays in place.

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My New Protein Shake Project, Tunes and a Picture of Me

Got my protein shake Thursday after being overwhelmed by choices. I felt like I need a pro shopping with me. I got through it and hoped I made a good choice. I liked this one because it was low calorie (100 cal per scoop), gluten free, 97% lactose free and low in sugar (2 g). I got French Vanilla so I could add fruit if I wanted to, or chocolate and peanut butter if I wanted too: flexibility, ya know? ;)

When I looked... Read More up their website, I saw they are the company that the Biggest Loser uses. Pretty cool. :)

http://www.designerwhey.com/





The kids broke my nice glass blender so I had to have replacement to make my protein shakes. I love ice in mine. We mostly use the blender for my shakes, so when I saw this one and saw that it was on sale, I bought it!

It's the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender. It comes with Includes 5 cups(4 tall and 1 short), along with various lids. I thought it was perfect for a quick drink mix and easy to store and put away. :)

A hint my fitness mentor shared with me for a great protein shake flavor combination was to mix my French Vanilla with orange Gatorade for a creamsicle flavor. mmm! I've also been adding my flavorless fiber to it too.


I made have stopped the loss of pounds temporarily, but I haven't stopped losing inches. Here I am in my size 8's! (My daughter caught me talking- sorry! )

Workout Tunes

My favorites right now are:

Krazy by Pitbull
Gives you Hell by All American Rejects
Poker Face by Lady Gaga

Till next week! :)

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Crazy Workouts, Dr. Visit and my Diet

Starting my workout week on Tuesday, I hurt strained and sprained the muscles in my lower back during my Tuesday workout (which I will share stats for at the end). I went into the Dr's Thursday and the chiropractor hoping for some words of wisdom. I got a few tips from my chiropractor like eat the sugar I want to right before a workout so it all get's burned off. I also decided to get my cholesterol tested as I have NEVER had that done.

While in the doctor's office I mentioned that I had lost almost 50 pounds and the >doctor was so excited. I did not expect that reaction! He was telling me to market the idea and put it on the web that I could teach so many women that "you can do it." (I smiled. Little did he know.) He told me that I had no idea the number of women who come into his office everyday who ask him for help losing weight and that they've "tried everything". He was excited which really made me feel so great. For years I had always had them comment on me needing to lose weight. The tables have turned now- I've been losing it!

My new fitness mentor is awesome. She is just what I needed at this time. I've pushed myself beyond the average workout girl, into a serious athlete. I had to get in that frame of mind, though because I haven't been treating my body like an athlete's body, but as an average person doing some workouts and dieting. This would be the cause of the plateau. I work hard and eat little. Bad, bad.

So, I found a calculator on how many calories my body needs to maintain the basic metabolic functions and then how much to eat to lose weight. Medical Calculators. Click the Dieting Calculator.

Summing it up: Pretty much all the diet and weight loss, counting calories and eating minimally, etc. like they say for the average person no longer applies to me. I am now an athlete and need to eat or fuel my body as such. THIS would be the reason I plateaued. My body wasn't being fueled properly. Well, that and I have a muscle memory thing going on...doing the same workout for too long. I've changed it up now and am now changing my diet and adding calories. Time to rid myself of this last 20 pounds! Come on, girl!


Tuesday:

Spin Class: Miles-20 Calories-625 Minutes-60
Weights: Calories- 584 Minutes- 90

Totals:
Miles-20
Calories- 1184
Minutes- 150


Friday:
I ran outside in the heat. I was so sweaty and hot that I looked just like this guy in the front AND the back.

Run: Miles-2.25 Calories-300 Minutes-30?
Bike: Miles-2.20 Calories-75 Minutes-20
AMT: Miles- 3.04 Calories-333 Minutes-32

Totals:
Miles- 7.49
Calories- 708
Minutes- 82

Saturday:

Weights: Calories- 400 Minutes- 90
Elliptical: Miles- 2.25 Calories-235 Minutes-31

Totals:
Miles-2.25
Calories-635
Minutes-121

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13 August

Got myself up early this morning. Since the kids are starting school in a week, I have been waking myself earlier and earlier.
I am proud of myself for this and for being consistant on the treadmill. I am anxious at how long it will take for me to see results!

1.3 miles - 180 Calories

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I am on a roll!

I gave the treadmill another go at it tonight!!

1.1 Miles- 146 calories

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2 days in a row!

Walked on the treadmill again this morning. I pushed it up to 2.2 mph, and at the end got it to 2.5 mph. It feels GREAT!

1.1 miles- 148 calories

My goal is to get up to 5 miles a day. I am working on my exercise right now, but will work on my diet later. I think for now one thing at a time will be good enough for me as long as I keep progressing.

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Got off my butt!!!!

Walked on the treadmill. Woohoo!

1 Mile- 136 calories

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Saturday

Taking it easy today. I worked hard this week! :)

I did 30 minutes on my elliptical at home and 7 minutes of aerobics. It was just enough to give me energy, but not wear me out.

Elliptical:
Miles- 1.25 (estimation according to revolutions)
Calories-275 (Don't know if I trust the meter so I took off one hundred)
Minutes-30

Aerobic video with weights (didn't do the whole thing)
Calories-49
Minutes-7

Totals:

Miles- 1.25
Calories- 324
Minutes-37

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Workout Links--You've GOT to Read

Check these articles out! Great finds this week!

A Beginner's Guide to your First Spin Class -

Blurb:
"Since there is no breeze when you're on a stationary bike, you will sweat more. A towel is mandatory, and a full water bottle is advisable."

Made me laugh when I remembered my first spin class. Wished I would have known that then!

The Bike and How Exercises Compare

Blurb:
"This is one of the biggest questions I get. I talk a lot about running and someone will say, I want to walk or ride a bike or swim. So if I talk about running a mile, what is the the equivalent of in walking, biking, and swimming? This is not an easy answer and experts disagree. Since triathletes run, bike, and swim; I am going with data from triathlete trainers and experts."

Excellent post and he shares the breakdown of how much you have to swim, bike or walk to equal one mile of running. Eye opening for sure!

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Spinning, Recovery and Spinning

Okay, the step class on Monday was fun, but I used some muscle groups I haven't used with running, spinning, elliptical, stationary bike and weights. Mostly the top part in the back and the sides of my calves hurt the most. Yeow...

I still was hurting Tuesday, but went to spin class anyway, thinking it would loosen them up and work them out. After spin I did another 40 minutes on the elliptical and twenty minutes of weights. That night, I could barely walk. Wednesday I was hobbling around. I gave myself a recovery day.

This morning, I could move...time to be up and Adam at spin class. Hubby and I were going to go to spin together, then take the kids in while we did more cardio with them in the kid's room and then weights. Nope- he got called in to work and I did it by myself and had the kids. I would have NEVER brought them had I known he was going to leave as I can't do weights with the kids there. He made it after the class and 30 minutes on the elliptical. By that time I was cooled down and had no desire to lift and we live 20 minutes away with hungry kids.

I got tired of not knowing how many miles I'm going in spin class. That is a LONG, intense class and 6 miles just doesn't feel right. I did a search and one spin teacher says most of her students go 20 miles in a class. I'm going to go on the safe side and knock five off of that and say it's 15. Much better. I'm resetting the miles on the blog to match that accordingly.

Anyway, so here are stats from Tuesday and Thursday:

Tuesday:


Spin Class: Miles-15 Calories-600 Minutes-60
Elliptical: Miles-3.21 Calories-345 Minutes-32
Weights: Calories-45 Minutes-20

Totals:

Miles- 18.21
Calories-1010
Minutes-112

Thursday:

Spin Class: Miles-15 Calories-650 Minutes-60
Elliptical: Miles-2.60 Calories-271 Minutes-32
Treadmill: Miles-.42 Calories-45 Minutes-4

Totals:

Miles- 18.02
Calories-966
Minutes-96


Total for the last two workout days:


Miles- 36.23
Calories- 1976
Minutes- 208

Wowsers!

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Because I Love Me- I Am Losing Weight

By Shiloah Baker

I was thinking recently of the emotional journey of losing weight. It's not purely physical, as anyone who has lost weight can attest too. What was the difference in my thought process between then and now? I really had to think back, but I do remember some of my reoccurring thoughts. Many of these thoughts I would even say in comments to friends. Some of my thoughts were,

"My husband will love me no matter what weight I am."

What I didn't ever stop to think was,

"Will I love me not matter how heavy I am?"

Had I ever stopped to look at it that way, I would have reversed the bad patterns right then.

Many times I felt like a prisoner in my own body as my sedentary lifestyle took over and my body became weak and unhealthy. I would get worried as my wrist grew too weak to pull pans out of the oven or to open a jar. Worry took over instead of change.

I had hypoglycemia and was becoming more and more unhealthy. One day, I decided that God gave me this body and it was up to me to care for. After all, I have to live in this body for the rest of my life. My choices make it a pleasant or miserable experience.

Because I love me -my body- I want to treat it with respect and lose weight in the way that makes me happy. I don't want to starve. I don't want to go hungry. I rarely count calories (I'll estimate), I just workout hard because I love working out. I would rather work hard to burn the calories than feel uncomfortable by not eating when I should. Yes, it may slow my loss down some, but I'm comfortable and not miserable.

When I began, I didn’t love working out. I didn’t like it at all. I had no friends to motivate me or go with me to the gym. One morning, I woke up and took a good look at myself and was disgusted with what I saw. That same morning I went to the gym and made a commitment to myself to love my body and care for it for me and me alone. That was one year ago this month. I’m still at it. I’m stronger than I have been in my life. I run further than I ever run and workout longer and harder and get this, I love it!

The only person I want to please or compete with is me. I want to run faster or longer than the last time I ran. If other women are doing more, more power to them. I am my own person. I know where I've been and what I can do. I have had 8 pregnancies- 7 children. That is hard on a woman's body. I've now proven to myself that if I have more children, great, I can still stay in shape and feel good about me.

I am amazed at how easy it is to victimize and prevent myself from moving forward. Some of the thoughts I had when I was overweight were, “Well, I’m overweight because of…” Fill in the blank and I used that excuse. I got sick of the excuses because they never made me happy and I always felt guilty about not doing anything about my health and weight. Excuses are the bricks laid around our prison walls. That heavy, miserable person really wasn’t me, or was it? It certainly wasn’t who I wanted to be. I will never really know exactly how I got to that point, but I do know what made me decide to change it.

It has been a very emotional journey. I had to first get rid of the guilt for spending time on myself. I worried that the kids or my husband would feel neglected. I had to get rid of that guilt before I could move on because my first workouts were only 15-20 minutes.
Next, I had to learn to zone out and just do it. Exercise takes time, time that I wasn’t used to giving my body. I had to get used to sweat. I had to learn to be okay with getting sweaty.

I went to the gym with a friend one afternoon that had a cute workout outfit. She told me that it was something she gave to herself because she deserved to look and feel nice while working out. Here I was in sweats that were way too big as I had already started losing weight. My t-shirts were so loose they would inhibit my movement and sometimes get caught on the equipment. I decided then that I would get an outfit, socks and all. What a difference it made. I officially was a regular exercising mom. My psyche changed when I became “official” in my mind. There was no turning back. I had the rest of my life to look forward to.

Each time I met a milestone for the first several months, I would reward myself. Sometimes it was something small. Never was it food, I didn’t need food as a reward. New shoes after I made it to 300 miles, a new ipod, a new pair of pants. They were always things that helped me get to my next goal.

When I think about where I was a year ago, tears come to my eyes. I’ve worked hard. I’ve added new exercises to my routine from running, to the elliptical, to weights, to spin class. I am happy with who I am. My body is anything but perfect, but it’s near perfection for me. My legs take me places; my arms are strong enough to easily lift my toddler. I have the strength to take all my kids shopping and come home and make dinner. I have energy for my family. My family knows their mom takes time to care for her body and they love the mom who has time and energy for them. Never give up!

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My Push Up Report (A little Late)

I forgot to post my push up report for July-a-thon.

I totally didn't get 100 push-ups at a time, BUT, when I started, I could barely squeak out ten. I can now do 45 (women's) and 3 men's push-ups. That is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I'm not stopping the program...I'm going to keep going as it is such a good goal!

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Step Aerobics

I went to my first step aerobics class today. My husband was a little bit of a doomsday-er yesterday when I told him I wanted to try it.

He said, "Well...I hear it requires a lot of coordination...."

Whatcha trying to say, hubby? Of course after that, I went into the class with more determination to do well than ever. I had to show him UP! I did do a good job! I kept up the whole time and caught onto the steps very well. I realize some of them will come with more experience like the figure 8, cha cha, and all the jumping around the step during the seven count step.

My ankles, feet, and lower calves burned like the dickens! Everything else was fine, but oh boy, they hurt!

Our teacher was a highly motivated lady. I love working out with black instructors...they are loud, fun, and full of energy! She kept yelling out, "How you do? How you do?" Everyone screams in reply. It was quite fun!

When I finished the class, I went out and grabbed a water. A friend met me at the gym and we went to another room and I did another 40 minutes on a new elliptical/stair climber.

I worked out some new muscles and am so tired tonight from it. I LOVE exercise!

Tomorrow I'm going to Spin class and maybe kick boxing. :)

Today's stats:

Step Aerobics: Calories-551 Minutes-60
Elliptical: Miles-3.46 Calories-371 Minutes-40

Totals:

Miles: 3.46
Calories: 922
Minutes: 100

After working out today, I had to run to the store for a couple of things. There is nothing more embarrassing than going to a store in sweaty gym clothes. I may start bringing a change of clothes, just in case.

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