Tuesday, October 5, 2010
TurboFire
FEEL THE BURN!!!!
Just wanted to do a quick review of my favoritist (not a real word) workout in the whole wide world. You've probably read this before but this workout is off the hook! Here are the top five things I love about it:
1) The music is hot!!!! I've never worked out to a video that gets the songs stuck in my head afterwards...like right now "I'm a bad girl break me like the law..." LOVE IT!!!
2) The moves are hot!!! (do you see a theme here?) No for real the moves are awesome. So you're not dancing around like a ballerina. You're throwing punches, your doing round house kicks, you're jabbing, you're doing cross punches. You can channel Mike Tyson's energy and kick some ass! (Or at least pretend to be kicking ass like I do everyday)
3) Chalene is hot!!! She has the personality and attitude that makes her entertaining and motivating. As a heterosexual woman even I think she's smokin'. The woman has 2 kids and abs to die for.
4) It burns the time away! (I love my puns) Any 55 minute workout that feels like it took 10 minutes to do is a life savor for me. I've always gotten bored with other workouts too quickly but this one is so entertaining and there are so many DVDs included in this set that there's no possible way you can get bored.
5) Last but not least...IT GAVE ME ABS!!!! (Yes it's all about me again) In 30 years I've never had abs ...Chalene revealed them for me :)
Give it a try!!!!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Are you eating enough?
Are you not eating as much as you should be eating? Weird question right? Especially when you're trying to lose weight.
The popular weight lose mantra is "calories in vs. calories out", you have to expend more calories than you consume. According to this rule this will guarantee weight loss. Well let me send your world spinning because this my friends is not always true!!! Wha-wha-what!!!!! Yep I said it.
Let me tell you what happened to me (it's always about me...just get used to it!). I started Chalean Extreme in April. I incorporated TurboJam and jogging as my daily cardio in addition to the cardio workouts in the C.E. program. I was also eating 1200 calories per day. I expected to lose a ton of weight right away! The scale wouldn't budge. The first week I lost 1/4 of a pound. Of course my mentality was "Ok I'm building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat". That statement of course is true. Then the 2nd week it was the same .25 pound weight loss. I had read from one of Chalene's blogs that when you start a new workout and are sore your body retains water while the muscles are repairing so weight loss may not be seen during those first couple of weeks. Ok so I gave my 2nd week the soreness excuse. Then the 3rd week rolls around and still .25 pounds. I was a little frustrated at this point.
I asked a friend (my fitness guru Diana) what's the haps? Why aren't I losing weight. She first suggested that I start a food journal and make sure that my numbers are accurate. Little did she know that my food journals are as precise as my check book (pretty gosh darn perfect)! But heeding that advise I went out and got myself a food scale just in case my measurements were off (I can't be too careful). Then she said that if my food journals were perfect then maybe I'm not eating enough. Say what?! She informed me that when cutting calories you shouldn't have more than a 500 calorie deficit.
So I got myself a bodybugg (a little gadget you strap on and it tells you how many calories you burn throughout the day). I found that I was burning 2200 calories per day and with a 1200 calorie diet I had 1000 calorie deficit!!!! So I had to add 500 calories to my diet. Wooooo hoooooo! I was ecstatic ( I love food - what do you expect?)! I was also skeptical but I happily did it.
The 4th week I consumed 1700 calories per day and BAM 2 pounds lost! The moral of this story is that if you have a really great workout program and you're burning a lot of calories - you gotta eat!!!! Stop starving yourself and start moving and eating great quality food!
I love good news! Now go eat something!
The popular weight lose mantra is "calories in vs. calories out", you have to expend more calories than you consume. According to this rule this will guarantee weight loss. Well let me send your world spinning because this my friends is not always true!!! Wha-wha-what!!!!! Yep I said it.
Let me tell you what happened to me (it's always about me...just get used to it!). I started Chalean Extreme in April. I incorporated TurboJam and jogging as my daily cardio in addition to the cardio workouts in the C.E. program. I was also eating 1200 calories per day. I expected to lose a ton of weight right away! The scale wouldn't budge. The first week I lost 1/4 of a pound. Of course my mentality was "Ok I'm building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat". That statement of course is true. Then the 2nd week it was the same .25 pound weight loss. I had read from one of Chalene's blogs that when you start a new workout and are sore your body retains water while the muscles are repairing so weight loss may not be seen during those first couple of weeks. Ok so I gave my 2nd week the soreness excuse. Then the 3rd week rolls around and still .25 pounds. I was a little frustrated at this point.
I asked a friend (my fitness guru Diana) what's the haps? Why aren't I losing weight. She first suggested that I start a food journal and make sure that my numbers are accurate. Little did she know that my food journals are as precise as my check book (pretty gosh darn perfect)! But heeding that advise I went out and got myself a food scale just in case my measurements were off (I can't be too careful). Then she said that if my food journals were perfect then maybe I'm not eating enough. Say what?! She informed me that when cutting calories you shouldn't have more than a 500 calorie deficit.
So I got myself a bodybugg (a little gadget you strap on and it tells you how many calories you burn throughout the day). I found that I was burning 2200 calories per day and with a 1200 calorie diet I had 1000 calorie deficit!!!! So I had to add 500 calories to my diet. Wooooo hoooooo! I was ecstatic ( I love food - what do you expect?)! I was also skeptical but I happily did it.
The 4th week I consumed 1700 calories per day and BAM 2 pounds lost! The moral of this story is that if you have a really great workout program and you're burning a lot of calories - you gotta eat!!!! Stop starving yourself and start moving and eating great quality food!
I love good news! Now go eat something!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Visualize Your New Body
Starting a weight loss adventure can be daunting sometimes. We tend to look in the mirror and point out the parts we desperately want to get rid of. We begin to criticize ourselves for overeating, wasting time, and being lazy (even though we're not). We start to play back all of those hurtful comments that we've heard someone else say about our weight. Are you depressed yet?
Well snap out of it! It's time for a new approach. A more positive approach. Visualize your new body. At first this is a difficult thing to do, so I fixed that by actually making a visual aid. I used to watch Regis and Kelly everyday and I marveled at her ripped arms so that was the first body part I looked for. I Googled pictures of Kelly Ripa and I cut out the arms (wow that sounds a little psychotic...stick with me it gets better). I was flipping through a magazine and saw this girl with fantastic legs so I cut those out too. Angelina Jolie's shoulders made the cut. Jennifer Lopez's abs were included. You get the picture. Then I went into kindergarten mode - I got out my glue stick and construction paper and made a collage of my future body. I stuck my beautiful piece of stalker art in a place where I would see it every single day.
Everyday I would look at that picture of mixed up parts and just tell myself that I will have those_(fill in blank)__. Looking at Kelly's arms made me want to lift heavier weights, run longer, and sweat harder.
To date I still don't have that exact body that I have hanging in my office but it doesn't matter. That project stood as a daily reminder of what I wanted to aspire to. I still have it up there and every once in a while I'll imagine my head with those body parts (jeez I sound like something out of Showtime's Dexter). It still serves as motivation to keep pushing even though when I look in the mirror I like what I see.
If you don't like you're body then visualize your head on someone else's body until that body finally becomes yours. It doesn't take a long time. You'll see! Once you start getting into the groove of working out and eating right suddenly you'll look in the mirror and love what you see even if it's not perfection. Love and visualize the future you...don't criticize, don't blame, don't get sad...just keep it positive and happy!
Well snap out of it! It's time for a new approach. A more positive approach. Visualize your new body. At first this is a difficult thing to do, so I fixed that by actually making a visual aid. I used to watch Regis and Kelly everyday and I marveled at her ripped arms so that was the first body part I looked for. I Googled pictures of Kelly Ripa and I cut out the arms (wow that sounds a little psychotic...stick with me it gets better). I was flipping through a magazine and saw this girl with fantastic legs so I cut those out too. Angelina Jolie's shoulders made the cut. Jennifer Lopez's abs were included. You get the picture. Then I went into kindergarten mode - I got out my glue stick and construction paper and made a collage of my future body. I stuck my beautiful piece of stalker art in a place where I would see it every single day.
Everyday I would look at that picture of mixed up parts and just tell myself that I will have those_(fill in blank)__. Looking at Kelly's arms made me want to lift heavier weights, run longer, and sweat harder.
To date I still don't have that exact body that I have hanging in my office but it doesn't matter. That project stood as a daily reminder of what I wanted to aspire to. I still have it up there and every once in a while I'll imagine my head with those body parts (jeez I sound like something out of Showtime's Dexter). It still serves as motivation to keep pushing even though when I look in the mirror I like what I see.
If you don't like you're body then visualize your head on someone else's body until that body finally becomes yours. It doesn't take a long time. You'll see! Once you start getting into the groove of working out and eating right suddenly you'll look in the mirror and love what you see even if it's not perfection. Love and visualize the future you...don't criticize, don't blame, don't get sad...just keep it positive and happy!
Friday, September 24, 2010
"The Power"
I finally posted my first youtube video about the secret to life. Pretty hefty subject. Easier than we're all made to believe. So let me sum it up for you - happiness. Yep that's it. Happiness. Easy right? I know it's not always so easy but watch the video and you can start today with three easy steps - http://www.youtube.com/user/Fitmagnet
The bigger subject greater than happiness is "The Secret". The movie/book that changed my life. I used to let life happen to me instead of making it what I wanted it to be. "The Secret" talks about the law of attraction. It teaches you that the feelings, thoughts and actions that you put into the world will be returned to you. It's more than just karma it's power! You have the power to change your life. You have the power to get everything you've always wanted and more. It's amazing. You're the magnet by which everything that has happened to you good or bad was attracted to. You put it out there and you got it back.
After "The Secret" a wonderful person introduced me to the follow up book "The Power". This book gives you another round of lessons about the law of attraction and using Love as the vehicle to get what you want in life. To sum it up - if you're feeling good about something it's because you have love for it. If you're feeling bad about something it's because Love was lacking on your part. The lesson is to feel as much Love as you can for everything you want in life.
So here's the weird part. I love "The Secret" . Like I said it completely changed my life. Then I speak to this great woman about the book she is currently reading "The Power". Low and behold the mailman comes with a package containing "The Power". Six days after we talked about this book it came to my door. I came to find out that my extremely loving and thoughtful boyfriend bought it for me as a surprise. I didn't even know he heard us talking. THAT my friends is the power of the THE SECRET at work!!!! It's incredible. This stuff happens to me all the time. I'm living in a magical world (too bad unicorns don't exist). You can do this too!
So "The Secret" and "The Power" two must reads to change your life!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Overwhelmed
Work is overwhelming. Luckily I have the luxury of working from home. The downside of that is when stress strikes I run to the kitchen to make some pasta. That's my fight or flight response...I run and make pasta. Today I discovered something new.
I'm currently doing a 3 day Shakeology cleanse and today is my second day. Last Friday - Monday I was away on a camping trip where I ate bacon cheeseburgers and cookies. The cheeseburgers were made from grass fed, antibiotic and steroid free cows. So I really tried to get good quality meat for my burgers. The bad part was that I bought cookies so of course I kept snacking on them every time I past the picnic table (Bad Jenny!!!). Add to that the fact that bathrooms weren't conveniently near us and that I get performance anxiety when I'm not in my own home (TMI?). So a 3 day cleanse is what I needed!
Today however I'm back to work. Stress starts jabbing at me. Hunger starts gripping me. Pasta starts calling my name. But a weird thing happened. I shut it out and just went straight to make my Shakeology. Normally Pasta would scream at me but it didn't this time. Shakeology won out. You know why? Because I know that no matter what I'm craving this magical chocolate milk shake knocks the craving out cold (ha! get it? It's a cold drink...forget it). So I was able to block out the pasta screams (how scary would it be if your food actually screamed at you?) and get to the good stuff.
Then I thought about it. I knew that if I would have stood around the kitchen contemplating making pasta that it would have brought me to my knees. I realized the worse thing you can do is stand around and rationalize an unhealthy meal. It will bring you down! Just go straight for the good stuff, don't think about it, don't even consider the bad stuff even though it's screaming at you. Make it a reflex- like action. It was so weird when I did this today...but so powerful! Take back your power and shut up that damn pasta!
Also make a list of those really healthy foods that you absolutely love so when stress and hunger hits you can go directly to that food like an instict. Luckily for me it's Shakeology!
I'm currently doing a 3 day Shakeology cleanse and today is my second day. Last Friday - Monday I was away on a camping trip where I ate bacon cheeseburgers and cookies. The cheeseburgers were made from grass fed, antibiotic and steroid free cows. So I really tried to get good quality meat for my burgers. The bad part was that I bought cookies so of course I kept snacking on them every time I past the picnic table (Bad Jenny!!!). Add to that the fact that bathrooms weren't conveniently near us and that I get performance anxiety when I'm not in my own home (TMI?). So a 3 day cleanse is what I needed!
Today however I'm back to work. Stress starts jabbing at me. Hunger starts gripping me. Pasta starts calling my name. But a weird thing happened. I shut it out and just went straight to make my Shakeology. Normally Pasta would scream at me but it didn't this time. Shakeology won out. You know why? Because I know that no matter what I'm craving this magical chocolate milk shake knocks the craving out cold (ha! get it? It's a cold drink...forget it). So I was able to block out the pasta screams (how scary would it be if your food actually screamed at you?) and get to the good stuff.
Then I thought about it. I knew that if I would have stood around the kitchen contemplating making pasta that it would have brought me to my knees. I realized the worse thing you can do is stand around and rationalize an unhealthy meal. It will bring you down! Just go straight for the good stuff, don't think about it, don't even consider the bad stuff even though it's screaming at you. Make it a reflex- like action. It was so weird when I did this today...but so powerful! Take back your power and shut up that damn pasta!
Also make a list of those really healthy foods that you absolutely love so when stress and hunger hits you can go directly to that food like an instict. Luckily for me it's Shakeology!
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Power of a Home Cooked Meal
Let me preface this blog by saying that under normal circumstances I eat 1600 calories per day Monday - Friday and on the weekends I try to eat in moderation but I don't keep track of my calories (wha-wha-what??!!!).
Let's go back in time to Wednesday, September 8th. It was a gloomy rainy day. Anxiety kicked in for no reason, I'm crying at commercials with kittens in them, and overall I'm just feeling "off". Then hunger strikes! (Insert thunder and lightning sound effects here) Normally I would just prepare a 400-700 calorie meal (depending on how many calories I had left for the day) but not this day. I wanted Chinese food. My hormones wanted Chinese food which in turn dictated to every fiber of my body that I WANTED CHINESE FOOD!!!!! No one was going to get in my way and gosh darn it I got my food! I ordered vegetable lo mien, fried dumplings, and an eggroll. I ate the entire thing (my Bottomless Pit Syndrome flared up) and moderation was not happening.
Then KABOOOOOOM!!!!
Three pounds of instant weight gain hit me like a ton of bricks. Thursday I get on the scale and it wasn't surprising but the days too follow sure were. First of all it was like my digestion just halted. Like my body was holding on to the stupid food and every ounce of water I drank for dear life. I was bloated, I was uncomfortable, and I swore off Chinese food!
Sunday at home was the key! I needed to detox so for breakfast and lunch I had Shakeology. That jump started my digestion. Then my boyfriend calls and he's at work and starving. He didn't want a dumb turkey burger, he didn't want a salad, he wanted....CHINESE FOOD (insert horror movie scream here)!!!!! So I begged him not to bring it home and promised him to make him an awesome dinner.
I made him taco eggrolls. They're not healthy. They're fried. BUT they were made at home! I browned up some ground turkey, heated up some canned black beans, and cooked some frozen corn. I got these egg roll wrappers from the supermarket filled it with a little turkey, beans, corn, cheese and guacamole. I wrapped that sucker up and dunked it into a hot vat of olive oil. I fried up 8 of those suckers. I also made some string beans with garlic (just to keep my dignity).
It was gooooooood. So now you're asking..."You begged him to not get Chinese food but yet you made fried crap anyway? " ...and I'm saying YES!!!! I don't know what it is but when you make food at home with good quality ingredients and fry all the nutrients out of it ...it still reacts better than ordering it out! Today Monday morning my weight is almost back to normal.
*************** WARNING****************
I am not advocating that you eat this way every single day of your life and expect to lose weight. Like I said in the beginning, I eat 1600 calories of healthy food Monday through Friday. My point is that if you ever get a horrible gut wrenching craving like I got last Wednesday maybe instead of ordering out make something super unhealthy at home...it may turn out better on the scale lol.
Cya!
Let's go back in time to Wednesday, September 8th. It was a gloomy rainy day. Anxiety kicked in for no reason, I'm crying at commercials with kittens in them, and overall I'm just feeling "off". Then hunger strikes! (Insert thunder and lightning sound effects here) Normally I would just prepare a 400-700 calorie meal (depending on how many calories I had left for the day) but not this day. I wanted Chinese food. My hormones wanted Chinese food which in turn dictated to every fiber of my body that I WANTED CHINESE FOOD!!!!! No one was going to get in my way and gosh darn it I got my food! I ordered vegetable lo mien, fried dumplings, and an eggroll. I ate the entire thing (my Bottomless Pit Syndrome flared up) and moderation was not happening.
Then KABOOOOOOM!!!!
Three pounds of instant weight gain hit me like a ton of bricks. Thursday I get on the scale and it wasn't surprising but the days too follow sure were. First of all it was like my digestion just halted. Like my body was holding on to the stupid food and every ounce of water I drank for dear life. I was bloated, I was uncomfortable, and I swore off Chinese food!
Sunday at home was the key! I needed to detox so for breakfast and lunch I had Shakeology. That jump started my digestion. Then my boyfriend calls and he's at work and starving. He didn't want a dumb turkey burger, he didn't want a salad, he wanted....CHINESE FOOD (insert horror movie scream here)!!!!! So I begged him not to bring it home and promised him to make him an awesome dinner.
I made him taco eggrolls. They're not healthy. They're fried. BUT they were made at home! I browned up some ground turkey, heated up some canned black beans, and cooked some frozen corn. I got these egg roll wrappers from the supermarket filled it with a little turkey, beans, corn, cheese and guacamole. I wrapped that sucker up and dunked it into a hot vat of olive oil. I fried up 8 of those suckers. I also made some string beans with garlic (just to keep my dignity).
It was gooooooood. So now you're asking..."You begged him to not get Chinese food but yet you made fried crap anyway? " ...and I'm saying YES!!!! I don't know what it is but when you make food at home with good quality ingredients and fry all the nutrients out of it ...it still reacts better than ordering it out! Today Monday morning my weight is almost back to normal.
*************** WARNING****************
I am not advocating that you eat this way every single day of your life and expect to lose weight. Like I said in the beginning, I eat 1600 calories of healthy food Monday through Friday. My point is that if you ever get a horrible gut wrenching craving like I got last Wednesday maybe instead of ordering out make something super unhealthy at home...it may turn out better on the scale lol.
Cya!
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