Is This Correct?

According to my scale, I have lost 10 pounds! Can this be right? On January 19, 2012, I weighed in at a whopping 148 pounds, which was very disappointing as this is the heaviest I had ever been. This morning, 2 months later, I weighed in at 138 pounds! I guess all of my hard work and dedication has been paying off.

It feels go great to know that powering through these past few months of intense exercise and strict eating habits has actually worked!

Progress Report

Monthly Goals

As I have preached many times in my blog before, it is important to set goals. In order to achieve my ultimate goal of losing 15 pounds (of body fat), I must set smaller goals for myself on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I have made some new goals this month, and thought it would be important to share them. 

Weekly Goals

In order to focus on my weekly goals, I have recently started a “goal board.” The board allows me to lay out tasks/goals I want to achieve during the week, and also gives me an opportunity to beat last week’s “score”. 

 As you can see above, I have made “Total” and “Last Week” columns which allow me to track my improvement and differences from week to week. The goal board is a great way to stay on top of my fitness goals, as well as staying organized with school assignments and other tasks.

What to eat? What to eat!

Unfortunately, I have been very sick this past week. I have come down with a case of bronchitis, and have not been able to exercise all week (which is very disappointing.) I’m not going to lie; I have “cheated” on my healthy eating habits this week (opting for chocolate chip cookies instead of snacking on carrots). I’ve noticed that while I was eating junk- food, my energy levels have been very low (even lower because I am sick) and I haven’t felt motivated to do ANYTHING. So, in an effort to get out of this funk, I thought it was time to get back to my healthy diet. 

 It’s not all about exercise!

Healthy eating is one of the most important components to fat-loss.Many people think that cutting out carbohydrates will help them lose weight, but this is no permanent solution. Eventually, your body will start to crave carbs and you’ll end up on an eating binge, which could completely undo all of your hard work. 

A "balanced" diet, which contains a wide variety of foods including about 40-50% of the calories from vegetables, fruit, natural starches and 100% whole grains, is almost always the best way to permanently lose fat and it's the way almost everyone should start. This is sometimes referred to as a "baseline diet."

All you have to do is exercise, pick the right types of foods and eat less than you burn each day and you'll lose fat! Losing weight has to do with how many calories your body is taking in each day. It's simple: reducing your caloric intake will reduce your weight. I am starting out on a 1,600 calorie (approx) per-day diet. A good meal plan provides enough calories and nutrients to sustain you and includes fiber and lean protein (the average woman needs 1,200 to 1,800 calories.)  

I have created a sample meal plan which can be used for 2-3 days of the week. Try it out and let me know what you think!

 

Breakfast

Omelet with 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup chopped spinach, 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes 1 cup plain coffee or green tea

Snack

1 apple with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter 20 oz water

Lunch

6 oz grilled chicken breast (try seasoning with lemon juice, garlic & rosemary) 3 cups romaine lettuce with 2 tbsp light or low-fat dressing 1/2 c steamed broccoli, asparagus, green beans, peas, or carrots 20 oz water

Snack

1 protein shake (1 scoop of isolate whey protein, 1 cup of water.) *Approx 115-130 calories, depending on the brand and how much protein per scoop. Mixing the powder with water provides a leaner source of protein with less calories! OR  1 cup sliced raw veggies (carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers) with 2 Tbsp hummus 20 oz water

Dinner

8 oz grilled chicken, beef, turkey,tuna, salmon, tilapia or fresh water fish. 1/2 c steamed broccoli or asparagus 3 c plain lettuce with 2 tbsp fat-free dressing, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar 20 oz water

Snack

1/4 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup berries *Substitute 1/2 cup greek yogurt if you don't like cottage cheese. Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein!

 

Also try this yummy salad dressing!

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

And a tiny pinch of salt

It is VERY healthy, low in calories, and not to mention delicious!

  

Here’s to hoping I get back to my healthy eating habits and kicking this case of bronchitis. I hope this helps some of you who have been trying to eat healthier. Enjoy and stay motivated to lose those pesky pounds!

HIIT it!

A very important part of weight-loss is performing cardio exercises that allow your heart-rate to increase. The reason we need to increase our heart- rate is so that the heart can work harder to pump the blood through your body. This is where HIIT comes into play. The trick is all about the TYPE of cardio exercise that you do, and HOW you perform it. HIIT, high intensity interval training, is proven to be one of the fastest ways to shed body fat.

What is "HIIT?"

Below is an example of a HIIT routine: Try it out and let me know what you think!

My experience

I have gotten up to an intermediate level of HIIT: jogging at a steady pace for 1.5 – 2 minutes, sprinting (as hard and fast as I can) for 30-40 seconds, and repeating this pattern 6 times. It feels as if I am working twice as hard, because once I have become comfortable at a steady pace, it’s time for me to change it up.

Every time I do a HIIT workout I am exhausted by the end of it, but I always feel great once I have completed one because I feel an extra burst of energy that helps me get through the rest of my day. My goal this week is to do a HIIT workout every day so that I can continue to feel positive and energized, and I invite you to do the same.

Let’s get moving!!

To put it simply, HIIT is the idea of alternating short periods of very high-intensity cardio with short periods of low to moderate-intensity cardio. Interval training burns a lot of calories during your exercise; but it really pays off after the workout. Your metabolic rate stays elevated longer after the workout is over, rather than exercising at steady and low intensity cardio pace, which will allow you to burn fat. That means if you trade in your 30 minute jog on the treadmill for a HIIT program, you should see faster results.

Take part in my challenge!

In order to achieve anything in life, one must set goals, both personal and professional. I have created this blog in order to challenge myself to lose 15 pounds.

I have always been very active by exercising regularly at the gym several times a week. However, since this school year has started I have had a very busy schedule, and have not had enough motivation to exercise and eat healthy. I have realized that when I work out on a regular basis, I feel energized and more motivated to accomplish other goals. I have been telling myself I would lose these pesky pounds that I have put on over the past year, so I’m promising to myself, in front of the readers of this blog, that I will.

I will be blogging weekly about my fitness schedule and routines, things that keep me motivated, eating habits, and my success along the way. I hope that this blog will not only allow me to stay focused on achieving my goal, but will inspire others to encourage themselves to achieve any personal goals they may have.