Cardio or Strength Training?

I've seen many questions recently about lifting weights versus cardio. Which one is better for toning up? Losing pounds? Losing inches? Here's the answer:

You gotta do both!

Now you're groaning. You can't imagine lifting a dumbbell after sweating your butt off on the treadmill for an hour. Where are you going to fit more working out into your day? Relax it's easier than you think!

First of all doing endless hours of cardio isn't going to be a total solution for your weight loss. You have to be careful that you're body doesn't get used to the exercise and it's just "going through the motions". One indication that your cardio isn't working is when you plateau. Some experts say to eat more or to eat less but what you really need to do is move differently. A great way to do this is to incorporate strength training.

The new philosophy in strength training is lift heavy for 1 set where you almost can't finish that 12th rep. This works wonders!!!! I first discovered this method when I read "The Cardio Free Diet". This was also the philosophy behind Chalean Extreme (see before and after pics at www.chaleanextreme90dayjourney.blogspot.com) which I also completed. Not only are these workouts short but since you're doing different exercises one after the other you're also getting a cardio effect as well.

Let's say you normally do one hour of cardio six days a week. You can easily change that to 1/2 an hour of strength and 1/2 an hour of cardio 3 days a week and the other 3 days you leave as cardio. The time you spend working out will stay the same and you will see the inches fly off.

Here's a warning. When starting a new workout you may get sore. With soreness comes water retention due to your muscles going through the repairing process. So 2 - 5 pounds of weight gain is absolutely normal when starting a strength program. Within a couple of weeks you should see those pounds come off. The other thing I have to warn you is that you may end up replacing your scale with a tape measure. You will lose a lot of inches when you start lifting so you're better off getting a tape measure to track your progress instead of relying on your scale.

Lifting weights is amazing. It is very gratifying to see that one week you were doing bicep curls with 5 lb weights and now you're doing them with 10 lb weights. It gives you yet another motivating factor to keep track of during your fitness journey.

I hope this helped.

Cya!

The Attitude of Gratitude

Today I woke up at 6am and it was dark and a little gloomy outside. Later on I heard some thunder and got a little excited because I love a good rainy day. I threatened Mother Nature by telling her tomorrow better be sunny because one good rainy day is all I really want. I guess she heard me and didn't appreciate the threat so she let out another loud thunder clap and made my dogs start barking ( I have 4 so it wasn't fun). I don't even know when it started raining or when it stopped but now it's beautiful and sunny out. So why do I still feel dark and gloomy inside?

It's strange when this feeling comes over me. It's a mix of anxiety and depression and a little fear to keep pushing. Maybe it's the fear of failure or maybe it's the fear of success. Maybe it's the fear of momentum slowing down. Not sure what it is but the big F is staring me in the face. I'm not one to dwell on these negative feelings too long so I went to my go-to self pep talk. BE GRATEFUL!!!!

Gratitude...one of the most powerful tools you can arm yourself with. When this weird fear-based anxiety strikes I stop thinking about it and start the mental checklist of everything I am grateful for. Ok so boo hoo I feel tired and scared for no reason...well besides that I'm hear writing this blog with my working fingers typing away. I have the eyes to read this and the brain to dictate the words. I live in a house that is comfortable for my partner, my four dogs and myself. I pay my bills in time and I don't have any debt. I have a harmonious family that shows me support and love and would help me in a drop of a dime. Just reminding myself of all of that is good in my life instantly is enough to get me on my way.

Gratitude will open up a whole new world for you. Everyone has something to be grateful for even if it's just the simple acknowledgment that you're able to see and read this.

Cya!

I'm Cured

For many years now I've accepted the fact that my stomach is a bottomless pit. I call it the "Bottomless Pit Syndrome" BPS for short. I've always felt like I could eat and eat and eat without getting full or satisfied. I never understood how these skinny chicks could eat eat three pieces of lettuce and claim they were "full". Full of BS more like it!

I went to a diner with my boyfriend once for breakfast. He's a good looking guy weighing about 100 lbs more than me so it would be safe to assume that he would eat more than me. So wrong! I ordered a Spanish omelet, a stack of pancakes, home fries with cheddar cheese on top and it came with 4 pieces of buttered toast. My BF ordered a Gyro with fries and it came w/ a
Greek salad. Needless to say he was stuffed but I kept right on eating. I finished my plate off and helped him with half of his salad. I was about to polish off the last piece of toast when I noticed the look of disgust on his face. He politely asked if I was full and I put my last morsel of toast down and told him I was. I lied of course. I felt fine! I really wanted another pancake, that last bite of toast and more cheesy potatoes.

A couple of weeks ago I started my "no cheat weekends" where I focus on the weekend fun rather than the weekend eating extravaganza. I really think it's been working! This past 3 day weekend I was gearing up for a weight gain fiasco. Three days of BBQ, no work, and not writing down what I eat. The only thing I did was focus on the fun ahead. Guess what! I gained 1 lb. That's it! Also when I ate my delicious burgers, guacamole, salsa and chips on Labor Day I actually stopped because I was full.

So I think my "no cheat weekends" cured my BPS! If you need support for your BPS please feel free to message me lol! We can start a BPS support group :)

Cya!

Happy Labor Day!!!

It's Labor Day! We work hard so this is our day! It's the last day of our summer vacations and the first day of back-to-school power shopping (for those of us who like to procrastinate with that stuff). The best of all are the legendary BBQ foods!

You got burgers, hot dogs, steaks, cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and apple pie. If you're Colombian like me you may have some chorizo, sancocho, platanos, carne asada, and aguardiente (that's the best part). All beautiful foods that can make you gain 5 lbs just by smelling it.

So here's what I did...this may not work for everyone...but it's an idea. I created my own menu. Instead of relying on my host's food I brought my own. I went to Whole Foods and got a couple of their fantastic cheddar bacon burgers and whole wheat buns. I packed up some leftover fat free cheese, a 100 calorie packet of guacamole and my favorite bottle of BBQ sauce. I know that I'll be completely happy w/ this meal and that I won't be tempted to totally binge. Does it look a little weird to bring your own food? Yeah sure...but one thing I've learned is not to care what others think because after all whose going to have deal with the weight after I gain it? ME not them!!!!

So think about what's best for you not what it may look like to others...after all you'll have to deal w/ consequences!

Have a great day!

Cya!

The Chalene Johnson Cult

It's a cult and Chalene is our leader! Ok it's not as ominous as it sounds. This is going to be short and sweet I promise.

I first met Chalene when I ordered Turbo Jam. So here she is on my TV, super bubbly and working out in a skirt. I felt a little under dressed. Maybe I should be wearing a plaid skirt as well. Then the music starts and I think "Ok I've heard this song before that's nifty." The 30 minute work out ends, I'm dripping sweat, and I felt like the time flew by. That was my first indication that this woman was going to be part of my life for a very long time.

After Turbo Jam I started Chalean Extreme (see my results on www.chaleanextreme90dayjourney.blogspot.com). She didn't get dressed up this time. We were both in our sweats just working out. She was still bubbly. What struck me the most was that she gave me the motivation to keep going and to push forward. I looked forward to each workout no matter how tired I felt.

Now TurboFire. My true soul-mate workout. With this workout Chalene is tougher but still uplifting. Sometimes we argue. She'll yell "YOU'RE NOT TIRED" and I'll yell "YES I AM DAMN IT" but she always ends up being right. I always end up finishing the workout and gosh darn it I'm not tired!

Since the first time we "met" I immediately knew that she was a positive influence for me. I you-tubed her and I saw the evidence. She's just a regular person, loving what she does and who got her success through positive thinking and work. And there lies the clincher that sucks you into her cult (it's not really cult - just in case your freaking out). She's approachable, easy to talk to (well I would imagine so), and she gets you moving!

Alright I got my sappy blog entry out there. I'm part of the Chalene movement and she's my fitness leader. ALL HAIL CHALENE!!!!!

Cya!

How'd They Do That?

So you start a new workout and you start to eat "right" and the results are slow. You're wondering how did this lady go from a size 18 to a size 2? How did this guy go from carrying around a person sized beer belly to having six pack abs in 90 days? You see the lbs coming off slowly and can't even picture yourself having the same success story. Well here's the truth about those infomercials.

1) Pay attention to the tiny words underneath the before and after pictures - "results not typical". They're right! The people you see there completely changed their eating habits. A lot of those folks started eating "clean". "Clean" means unprocessed natural foods. So instead of eating a low fat hotdog for 200 calories they ate a lean piece of organic chicken. Basically they knew what they were eating just by looking at it. I used to be addicted to the low fat food craze until I realized that 99% of the ingredients on the package were chemicals and I had no idea what they were doing to me. Jillian Michaels has a great book "Master Your Metabolism" which explains what all of those crazy chemicals can do to your body. Nutrition is complicated I admit but rest assure that if you're eating foods that only have one ingredient then you're on your way to eating a healthy "clean" diet.

2) These people were dedicated to the workout. They really did do the workout the way it was designed to be done. The people that are chosen to be in those infomercials truly made that workout their "soul mate workout" (I took that from Chalene Johnson) . A "soul mate workout" is the workout that you absolutely love to do, there's no hesitation, there's no lazy procrastination feeling that comes over you because this workout seemed to have been made for you. When you find that workout then dedication is easy. Also don't forget that sometimes these success stories come around because they do multiple workouts in one day. You may not have that much time so don't get discouraged because whatever you do will work!

So eating right and working out is how those people made it. I saw this one guy on the P90x infomercial that was over 300 lbs and he did the 3 month workout 5 times in a row. So in 15 months he went from 300 flabby lbs to 180 lbs of ripped muscle. But still it took him 15 months (on the infomercial they showed his results after each round so you could see his progression throughout the 15 months).

You may just be starting out and may not be ready to revamp your diet while starting a new workout plan. That's ok! You're taking a step and that's what matters. The more you work the more results you'll see and eventually you'll be so motivated that the healthy eating will come naturally.

Good luck!

Cya!

The First Workout Jitters

In talking with some folks (alright it was just my mom) I realized that I wasn't the only one who got nervous when I was about to do my very first workout. I think it was just the fear to push myself. To push past that comfort zone that got to me. In the past this fear kept me from getting to where I am now.

So let's see...the first time I felt this I was 9 and attempting to do Jane Fonda's workout vhs tape (what the hell are those again?). I got to huffing and puffing and my round little pudgy self (sans leotard and leg warmers) got scared and stopped. Ugh the first feeling of workout failure guilt set in. Then about 13 I attempted Cher's step aerobic vhs tape (wiki it people) and again I felt like I was going to die during the warm up - again scared - again I stopped. Then came 16 and Billy Blanks was all over my late night TV so I ordered him to come over and punch, kick, and jab my ass back into shape. I did pretty good until I had to graduate from the intro tape to the actual workout tape...guess what I did. Yeah DUH I stopped! O and don't forget about the Ab Roller ("work your abs AND get a great back massage" - yeah right!) ...Next day my abs hurt so bad that I went on a 2 year "recovery" period.

So zoom forward to 2010 where VHS players are considered antique and DVDs are all the rage (it's just a fad ...like the internet). Its February 16th my "rebirth-day" (read the prior blogs people keep up with me here) and I make the decision to just do my best. No expectations, no weird anxieties, just my best. Chalene Johnson told me "GO HEAVY OR GO HOME" - it scared me a little yes but I tried it. I picked up my first dumbbell not really knowing if this was heavy enough for me, I did the first 12 reps like Chalene told me to, and then she said the magic words "if you got to 12 and felt like you could do more then pick up heavier weights". Those words were magic because they kind of embody the philosophy I took to push out of the fear box. Instead of stopping a workout if I'm too huffy and puffy I'll walk in place. If I pick up a weight that's too heavy and only do 5 reps I'll quickly switch to a lower weight and do the rest of the set. The whole point is DON'T STOP. Even if you have to walk in place while watching the rest of the 25 minute workout until you can breathe again DON'T STOP MOVING. The next day just try to go a minute longer. Don't feel like you failed just keep pushing forward. Soon enough you'll finish that workout without stopping.

I used to look at the P90x infomercial with actual fear. I really felt like if I even attempted to watch the infomercial for a 2nd time I would have a heart attack just at the sheer imagined exhaustion of those people sweating and grunting. Now I love those commercials. They pump me up, get me motivated and feel like I can jump over mountains. I pushed past the fear now nothing seems impossible! It'll happen to you...JUST MOVE!!!!

Cya!