Workout of the Month?!?!

You'll hear me talk a lot about how it is the little things we do for our body that really add up. Especially since we don't always have time do the big things we would like to accomplish. Even doing something small for our health and bodies CAN and WILL make a difference in the long run.

Today, I joined a challenge, a chilly challenge.  The idea is two teams compete against one another to see who can rack up the most mileage.  I find it a fun reason to force myself to get out and pound the pavement, or maybe the treadmill (let's be realistic) I'm not a huge fan of the cold but I love competition. (I'm joining #teamgiraffe by the way, so I think you should join as well).

While signing up for the challenge I stumbled across another challenge.  This one is a much smaller challenge.  Although it requires a daily effort it's a challenge that can takes as little as three minutes each day for 30 days.  The idea is that is one move can completely change your running.  So I'm going to give it a try,  it might even help me gear up for the chilly challenge.

So what is this three minute move that could completely change your running?  It's called the 100 Up Challenge.  And instead of me trying to explain it, I'll leave you with the link and the video that explained it to me.

100 Up Challenge

So this week I'm going to dedicate to the 100 Up Challenge. Of course I'm going to get a few solid runs, abs work-outs, and strength training in, but I will make this challenge my #1 goal of the week.  '

I challenge you to join the chilly challenge with me on #teamgiraffe as well as the 100 Up Challenge.  

Workout of the Week 12-2-2012

I'm jump starting my New Year's Resolution plan of featuring of not only featuring but completing (hopefully) a "Workout of the Week" (WOW).

I plan to post the weekly workouts by Saturday (so forgive me for this late post) so if any of you out there want to attempt it with me you can have access to it Sunday morning if you are feeling ambitious.

For the first week I'm featuring a whole weeks plan.  If you read my If only booze had zero calories (miles for beer)... post I owe nine miles this week for last weeks debauchery.  It was much needed, and well worth it.

So within my current WOW plan I incorporated three different three mile runs, I'm hoping to be ambitious and throw in a little more mileage but nine is the minimum.

Obviously all of this workout can be adjustable to your needs.  Maybe the idea of running 3 miles sounds like torture?  Go ahead and substitute with 30 minutes of cardio of your choice.  Perhaps you been pushing out 8 miles regularly for years, as Nike would tell us... JUST DO IT.

Have any comments, concerns, or suggestions?  Let me know!! I'm all ears.

So good luck to all those who join in on the Workout of the Week, I'd love to hear your experience with it.

Why I like to put on my fat pants...

If you are anything like me it's so easy to diet... for a week or maybe as long as a month.  Then you lose motivation.  You have been doing so amazing so you have a little cheat, skip a workout or have a piece of cake... or three.  Wait, you can't just waste that cake, so maybe you finish it.

It's not that one piece of cake that is the problem.  We are all human and if you are anything like me you like dessert!  Or maybe those salty snacks.  It's about the overall, doing more good for your body than doing harm.  I need to learn how to keep going even though I like to treat myself.  I need to remember that is it not a TREAT if I treating myself every day!

There are so many healthy alternatives, it's finding ones that you like, that help keep you on track.  It's about finding things that make you feel you aren't missing out.  DO NOT eat the same few healthy meals over and over.  FIND VARIETY.  We live in a world where he have more food options than we will ever get the opportunity to try in our life.  If you have access to read this blog you have the means you also have access to find amazing HEALTHY recipes for whatever nutritional needs / guidelines you need or want to follow.  Of course I plan to share my favorites with you but do the same for me.  Or at the very least put in a small fraction of the effort you put in on catching up with your favorite TV show as you do in looking up great recipes or finding a great workout plan.

It's not just about food, but it's reminding yourself how far you've come when you have lost even some of the weight.  When I was losing weight and would put on a pair of my old fat jeans I would be surprised how much I really have lost.  I could FEEL how HUGE they really were on me.  So I plan to put on my fat pants on days I feel like I'm falling off track, it'll remind me how far I really have come and how much better off I am today.

I'm going to remind myself, although I had a bad day, tomorrow is a new day and it was not one day that got me where I did not want to be and it will not be one bad day that will prevent me from where I want to go.

Talk about what you are doing to be a better you with your friends or the weight loss community.  We are all here to support you and it helps you stay on track when you are staying involved.

If you have any secret to how you stay motivated please share!     

Finding Balance

I am very knowledgeable on the subjects of health and fitness (I’m not claiming I know everything).  I simply do not always apply my knowledge to my health and my body.  I’m foolishly placing size over health on my scale of importance.  I simply have forgotten how great it feels to be healthy so I do not always understand the benefits of reward.   I only know the disgusting feeling I have with my current self.  I convince myself that not being overweight (no matter how I get there) is healthier than where I am at today. 

When it comes to eating I struggle with maintaining a balance in my diet.  I either find I’m out of control and putting in way too many calories, carbs and fat into my system or I am so concerned about my diet I am not consuming nearly enough calories.  

Not eating enough can cause stagnation in your weight loss.  The majority of us know this.  Our body stores the calories because it turns into starvation mode.  That being a reasonable explanation and I accept this to be fact (it is fact).   Even though I understand concept I still struggle to eat more even when my calorie intake is extremely lower than recommended.  I fear eating will make me gain on the scale.  I convince myself that since 3,500 calories equal a pound I simply need to reduce my calories.  I tell myself this is okay because I am not hungry.  I make excuses. 

In high school I viewed myself as average weight but wanted to be considered thin (looking back now I was THIN – hell I was a size zero to two).  I ran cross country and was surrounded by rail thin girls.  I was short but always have chunkier (though muscular) thighs compared to the rest of my body.  I wanted those ultra thin long runner’s legs. 

 I struggled with eating then too.  I didn’t have the average cross country runner body so I was embarrassed to eat in front of my peers.  I’d feel embarrassed about eating but not guilty.  So eating was an issue when eating in front everyone outside of my immediate family.  I was never a breakfast person so I would not eat breakfast (nor would I allow myself enough time in the am even if I wanted breakfast) During lunch I was surrounded by my peers so I could not eat lunch.  School would end and it would be time for practice and I’d go run 5-6 miles.  I’d come home and generally gorge on whatever my mom made for dinner. 

I went to college and got over my fears of eating in front of people and stopped running and working out and gained 40 pounds.  After college I would yo-yo and topped out at 173 this summer.  Now I am finally determined in taking my weight loss journey seriously I am struggling, once again, with consuming enough food. 

I have yet to ever find the correct balance in my life. 

If anyone who shared similar struggles I’m open to any and all suggestions.  Please leave a comment below or e-mail me at hungrylittlehippo@gmail.com  

Scale Disappointment

The majority of those who have been involved in the health and fitness community know the rules of the weight loss tango.  We know weeks may exist that you eat a near perfect diet paired with giving it all at the gym and you still might post a gain, especially for women whose hormones dictate our body.   We know that in the end, over a span of time, our bodies will adjust and overall if we are eating right and working out we WILL SEE RESULTS.  We know all these facts, and more, but getting over the days when we don’t see the loss we expected or even worse see a gain on that scale after the week were you didn’t give in to any temptation that came your way doesn’t make the emotional disappointment any easier.

There is a plethora of reasons from water retention to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) that can be temporarily throwing off your results.  But how do you stop the feeling of defeat from carrying into the next week?  If you have been at the weight loss game for a while try looking at the total number lost.  Just like any other big project you have accomplished in your life you have to take it one step at a time.   Maybe one step you worked on was a little more complicated and took a bit longer than you expected but that does not mean you are not going to finish what you started. Think about the advice you’d give you a friend who was experiencing the same thing, what would you tell them?

Most importantly do something that you can visualize your results.  My absolute favorite things to do is put on an old pair of fat jeans and just feel how big they are on me and visually see the progress I have made.  So maybe try on that shirt you forgot about that was just a little too tight on you, you might find yourself surprised that you can put it back in your rotation of things you can wear.  

When you don’t see the results on the scale it is important to try to see the results somewhere else.  Get creative.  Go workout and remind yourself how hard your first workout was and how much further you have come since day one.  

My #1 Secret to Losing Weight...

Have fun while trying to get to your goal.  People constantly tell themselves they will be happy once they reach their goal.  But first always remember there is no guarantee.  It’s in our nature to always want more.  Many of us will reach our goal and then still want more.  Maybe it won’t be more weight loss but maybe we get to our goal weight than want more muscle.  It is natural.  But beyond that, we are more likely able to stick with a plan we when we are happy and when we enjoy doing it.  We are more likely to continue working on ourselves if we are having fun in the process.

Alright, sorry for the cheesy blog entry title but it holds true.  It is one thing if you push yourself through grueling workouts if you get satisfaction upon completion but it’s another thing to hate every minute of it.  You are more likely to commit and continue doing something if you are having fun in the process.  Buy an exercise tape that you find fun.  Love the outdoors?  Find an activity outside where you can surround yourself with a location that will make you happy. 

Maybe it’s you don’t have enough time with your partner, sibling, friend or spouse.  Find something you can do together.  Are you someone with a short attention span?  Commit to trying a new activity once a week.  Find something that excites you, it doesn’t have to be staring at a wall on a treadmill at the local gym, unless you are someone who gets the runner’s high (or likes staring glancing at the sexy guy in front of you). 

The same applies to the food we eat.  Just because you are not a diet doesn’t mean food has to taste as if we are on a diet.  We are lucky to live in an age where we have more recipes that we can possibly think of at our disposal.  We have a plethora of healthy substitutions to foods we love.  We don’t need fat and a salt shaker to make food taste delicious. 

Variety is the spice of life.  Sometimes making an ultra healthy version of your favorite foods just doesn’t cut it.  Instead, try finding new favorite foods.  Be daring, go in recipe hunting with an open mind. Try recipes you are not sure you will like, maybe your taste buds will surprise you.

We can put off happiness until we reach our goal, but I assure you, having fun now won’t make reaching your goal any less enjoyable. 

Today I stand before you as a 5’4 155.8 pounds female.  My initial (and all time high) was 173.3 pound on June 10^th, 2011.  I decided instead of being embarrassed about being overweight I’m going to be proud of my 17.5 pound weight loss in 6 ½ weeks.