Tag: Fitness

Nutrition is So Important

Of course we all know nutrition is important, well more so when working out.  What so many do not know and I raise my hand or both because I lack the knowledge as well.  There are a various types of nutrition and not just unhealthy, healthy and healthier.

There is a nutrition for losing weight, reducing the caloric intake be mindful of the foods you eat. Losing weight also means to make certain you are taking in enough nutrition, if not there can a down side. Yes the scale will show a decrease at first which may be rapidly then the plateau comes along with other health problems.  The health problems may come later but not the plateau.  If the caloric intake is too low then the body begins to hold onto whatever it can to survive as well as your energy decreases.

portion container

To reduce caloric intake make certain you’ve consulted a dietitian, MD or for me Portion fix on BOD.  Portion fix breaks down the protein, carbs, fruit and vegetables necessary for a healthy weight loss and it includes about 85% of food we already consume.  Now there is another nutrition program I use 2B Mindset,  teaches me how to arrange the food on my plate, depending on the time of day, what to eat first, how to enjoy every celebration known.  In reducing our intake it is IMPORTANT to get the correct nutrition in for a healthy weight loss.  Psst…. I’m still working on my nutrition some days are a bit difficult than others.

Now, If you want to lose weight and pack on the muscles don’t get shocked.  Your intake will increase, you will lose the fat but that lean, healthy muscle may not reduce the number on the scale.  What does this mean, well you need to decide if. You want tone lean body or if you want tone, lean body with muscles.  Either way NUTRITION is key.  You can workout for hours but without the right nutrition you just maybe sabotaging your workouts.

To weeks of GREAT workouts and GREAT NUTRITION.

It Is A WOW of a workout

I did a sample workout, I’ve been thrilled to do because I’d done a couple of the trainer’s workout before.  Now in case you didn’t know I stream my workouts, which for me has so many benefits.  Yes, the benefits but that is not my focus today.  I did a workout  and it was just a 30 minute sample.  After the workout I felt the adrenaline just flowing and I was excited I did the entire workout without stopping.

E8AF312A-1A42-448B-A019-39B893CD490E

Now I have did boxing on You Tube and each time I was sweaty and felt ever so good.  However this workout was different, there is boxing, weight lifting and an ab workout. Yeah, I even decreased my starting weight, recommended is light, medium and heavy.  From experience I know not to jump too high in the beginning until you get to know what the workouts will be like and which angle the trainer is using.  I decided on 5, 12 and 15 lbs.. I never used the 5 lbs.  This was Saturday’s workout and I felt nothing until I woke up today, Sunday.  My muscles each and everyone of them is feeling yesterday’s workout, greater in the back, shoulders and butt.  I’m wondering what the full workout will be like, but since I’m currently during a Barre and have 3 weeks late until I answer that question.  But My Oh My is my response.  Boxing at a new level.

FD526048-BE44-4BD0-A5AB-2CB770612017

Is it POWER or STRENGTH or Both

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Photo by Jermaine Ulinwa on Pexels.com

There are days I get confused myself with power and strength.  With that said I’ve come to my conclusion and it works for me.

It takes both power and strength to endure on my path.  I need the strength for lifting and push through on a challenging workout as this also applies to challenges in life.  I also need the strength to be patient with my self and again sometimes in life challenges  oh in so many ways in life challenges.

I need the power to increase my weights and actually lift, because if I cant lift then why would I increase. I need the power to roll out of bed on those 3 AM mornings.

brown rope tangled and formed into heart shape on brown wooden rail
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I definitely need both the power and strength in my mindset. Being honest with myself I have to change my mindset sometimes in my goals because the fear is there and that negative doubting voice is also there.  It takes power and strength to push through that fear and both to shut up that negative voice.

I guess it is safe to say whatever applies to an individual,  for me I have to say both.  What applies to you? Which ever make this week and this to come of both POWER and STRENGTH.

I’m Halfway There

pexels-photo-1339866.jpeg
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

I am at that point.  I completed week 4 of my current workout Barre Blend.  I’m excited to have made this far for several reasons and they are all mixed.

1. When I begin the first day and the first 10 minutes in I was thinking this is really low impact and on this day using the recommended weights 1-5 lbs., my choice 5. I had the 8 lbs. ready because really I THOUGHT 20 lbs. maybe this is combination workout.
2. Combination workout ballet, Pilates, yoga, light strength, kickboxing. Now why would this program recommend such light weights.
3. Did I mention it’s a combination workout well within 10 minutes may have been 9 I understood. I checked my weights did I accidently pickup the 8’s or 10 lbs. NOPE 5 lbs. and I quickly reduced to 3 lbs. and have been there for 4 weeks.
4. Honestly a few of the routines I had to drop the weights to nothing because I was losing form and balance oh endurance too. I first contributed the drop of endurance to me sometimes doing a pre-workout before my workout. My pre-workouts are usually 1-3 miles on the treadmill and 2 miles on the elliptical beginning at speed of 3.4 up to 7 but today I begin at 3.5 and increased to 8.5.
But it wasn’t the pre-workout that challenged my endurance and barre workout it was both the weights and a new approach to fitness on a new level.
5. As always follow the recommendation of the trainer.

This week-end sometime I will be purchasing 1lb. weights and maybe 2 lbs., because I know this low impact, high intensity will be challenging as each week the intensity increases and I want to be better (though I have improved) than the past 4 weeks.

To a week of progression.

I Wronged Myself

neon signage
Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

I really did with my pre perception of my current workout- Barre Blend.  I almost  stopped the workout on day one until I was half through and realized I was sweating and breathing hard.  It challenged me with 3 lb weights. Huh what the heck I asked myself is going on.  The next day I felt that workout and the previous days workout in every muscle.

Now I know where my perception went off, “low impact”.  Barre is a low impact workout however it is high intensity and there are way to intensify it further.  I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but now I do.  Will I recommend barre to anyone? No, I recommend it to everyone for a new approach to an intense workout with fun and dance.

 

45D8B972-AA15-40D4-9C87-6E19387285EA

Of course I stream my workout, Beachbodyondemand.com, because I need structure a calendar to follow a team I can talk to that is doing the same workout as well accountability. Yes I need it all but I still am stoked as to how I wronged myself.

 

How Could I ?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Photo by Livier Garcia on Pexels.com
Photo by Tijana Tix on Pexels.com

How could I?, before I complete this let me share a few details.  I begin a new workout and still as I begin week 3 am uncertain if I will endure the 5 day, 30 minutes a day, 8 week program.  I committed to sharing my response to this program in weight loss or gains as well as in inches lost or gained.

This new workout is Barre and I’ve recently heard of barre but never thought to explore it until by streaming workout offered it. So here I am and it is not at all what I envisioned or thought after the first 10 minutes.  It’s a combination of Pilates, yoga, muscle training, ballet and just everything.  Yeah it has it all and the weight use is light.  Okay back to the the topic, How Could I?

I did good on the first week in inches more so than in pounds but I was satisfied. Nonetheless, week 2 I just lost it I ate a entire sleeve of Girl Scout cookies, and two days later I completed the second sleeve.  Now I’m still eating my usual meals and I log my intake and workouts.  Calories in, calories expended through workout and just daily steps and whatever activity I do and they vary.  I also went to a friend’s birthday party and I showed out in eating but not all at once. I ate cake 2 different flavors, and oh my those potatoes and corn with the crawfish were too delicious. I don’t eat crawfish but I confess I indulged in the potatoes and corn. NOPE I’m not saying how much I ate cause you’d loose a few breathe.

Now I weighed myself and took measurements I had the audacity to question what, I ran a few times last week and I monitored my intake. I lost 0.9 lb and 4 inches much less than the following week. What the heck is going on? I asked myself and myself reminded me. You enjoyed those cookies, corn, potatoes so that’s what’s going on.

I’m not saying you cannot enjoy life but I know you do have to monitor portion size and if you do over indulge one day then it should be that one day not every other day, which I am so guilty and raise both hands to guilt.  With a slow metabolism I knew better. SO with that “How Couldd I” expect a greater loss.

Working out no matter the level of intensity I the nutrition is off except a slow response. I’m not angry with myself because I staggered off my fitness journey but this week I am SO COMMITTED .  I say when you get off your fit journey or any journey just get back on. Don’t stay off, don’t get angry.  Keep it moving me, you, we are human we make our own positive recovery.  To a Positive WEEK.

So WHAT

Photo by Dima Valkov on Pexels.com
Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Pexels.com
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

 

So WHAT, now do you know the meaning of that? I bet not, but so what.

Okay I have to tell myself this and I think others should too as long as we’re not doing it on a regular basis.  I am good for meal prepping, or have ready made salad fixings especially when I’m extremely tired. BUT there are days I do toss it to the side not intentionally.  Like when I forget to make a grocery list and pick up everything else but what I need for me because I have enough.  I was wrong .  This is a recent occurrence and what did I do.

Well I stopped at Burger King and purchased the Impossible Whopper.  It was okay, a bit large in size and I was only able to consume 1/2 of it .  I was okay with this and said so what.  Yes because I knew I would not eat it again at least for awhile.

So what is not only for me but for Anyone feeling guilty about deviating from a workout, well you will resume so what, if you’ve gain weight and not happy about it but you have begin working out and changed your nutritional intake, so what to the weight gain.

What I’m saying is making change to a better you and with change you cannot focus on reaching goals if you waste time on the past.  Yes that burger is the past because I will not eat it again for several weeks most likely months.  Did it hinder my workout umm just slightly.

So WHAT, what matters and is so important is the change or changes you,me, we have decided on to reach our goals.