“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” – Unknown
Why should you be resilient? We live in a tough world. Full of competition, setbacks and failure. When you try and want to give up, that is when you know you must hang on a little harder. Starting a training program is tough, reaching a goal is tough, losing weight is tough. You must be tougher. When the scale isn't moving and you are having an off day and french fries and a Dr Pepper have never sounded better, then that is when you need to take a step back...Remember why you started this journey. Remember how far you have come. Remember all that you have already achieved. Rededicate yourself to your goal or give yourself a break if you need it. "I have worked out everyday this week and I don't feel like it"- its okay to feel that way! Just don't lose sight of what you want! Too often the next line is "so I might as well order take-out and camp out on the couch, I'm over this whole being healthy thing" (or some variation of such). You must persevere through the good days and more importantly through the bad days to reach your goal! Do not surrender to the negative self-talk in your head. Positively affirm yourself instead! "I have done so much this week that I am going to take today as a break but I will be back and refreshed tomorrow"- that is the kind of positive self-talk you need to remind yourself of, do not let the negative self-defeating words start sneaking into your workouts.
“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” – Marilyn vos Savant
Instant gratification does not work in fitness. Ask any person that has ever done a crash diet or taken a weight loss pill. When you so dramatically change your life you can often be setting up for failure. Do not let your past experiences of failing to meet your goal or gaining weight back defeat you for your future. You can lose the weight. You can be the fit, healthy and active person that you want to be. You will make the daily changes and sacrifices in your life to make that work and you will not give up on your new plan. The key is following your SMART goals and making a realistic plan for you. If you are currently eating 3,000 calories a day then why would you cut down to 1,200 for your weight lose plan? You will lose weight if you cut down by smaller increments and you will not feel as deprived. Some people can eat a normal diet of 2,000 and still lose weight! That is a crazy concept to crash dieters that live on a yo-yo of eating out and consuming thousands of calories a day to restricting down to 1,200 bland calories and working out many hours a day. Those people crash because the change is too drastic and although they may lose weight at first, they will gain it back and then some. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories. So if you expend 500 calories more a day then you will lose one pound in one week. 500 calories means skipping dessert for a night or working out for an hour. If you make both changes then you will lose 2 pounds a week! The point is, you can make these small changes. Do not give up because it is too hard, make changes to make it more do-able. Be patient in the changes that are happening to your body and your mind. Do not expect instant results. If you can approach this realistically you will be proud of the 2 pounds you are losing a week. Most importantly, when its not going your way don't let it defeat you. It wouldn't be success if there weren't a risk of failure. BE RESILIENT!
"If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” -Unknown
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Plank workout!
Use this video as a starting ground for your own plank workout. Proper technique will help you get results faster so please follow the tips I give to get your most toned tummy yet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoXnbF0-umk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoXnbF0-umk
Friday, August 19, 2011
A little less talk, A LOT MORE ACTION
We spend so much time planning what we are going to do. Making schedules, buying what we need, talking with our friends, revising our schedules. We have busy lives and preparation is necessary. Some may say:
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
No one wants to fail, so we plan, we organize. But sometimes, we spend so much time talking about we are going to do, that we fail to actually do it. I will start my diet on Monday! This is my favorite. How many times have you heard or said that one? How many times have you made it through that last weekend of gorging yourself with all your favorite foods in preparation for your diet to find the temptation of a box of donuts at the office? Temptation exists in various forms every day. If you can fight it on Monday, you also fight it on the weekend and you could be three days closer to your goal by the new week. Instead of hungover and bloated from a weekend of feasting.
If you want to make a change. Then you are responsible to make that change. You are capable of making that change. You have the ability to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Remind yourself of that everyday.
Scheduling gym time in to a jam packed schedule is important, but there also may be a day where a gym visit will not fit in your schedule but suddenly you realize you don't have anywhere to be for the next 15 minutes. Don't be a victim of your day planner. Use those 15 minutes to your advantage. Aren't there days when the day goes by a little too fast and you don't have the chance to check everything off your list? Well there are also days that you may have an extra few minutes before you have to do the next thing. Why not do 50 crunches and then hit the obliques 50 times? Or do push-ups until you max out, then squats to rest your upper body then back to push-ups until you max out. Or if you don't mind being a little sweaty. Go for a run and try to beat your fastest mile time! Those extra 15 minute workouts can help transform your body and will be time better spent than starring into your fridge because you are bored and don't know what to do with your extra time.
Wake up every morning and remind yourself that you are responsible for your own actions. Do the things you want to do each day that make you feel happy and healthy. When you hit the pillow at night you won't be regretting what you could have done because you didn't just plan, you acted. You can be proud for putting your talk into action. I know from experience, you will sleep a little sounder at night.
Alright now... ready, set, GO!
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
No one wants to fail, so we plan, we organize. But sometimes, we spend so much time talking about we are going to do, that we fail to actually do it. I will start my diet on Monday! This is my favorite. How many times have you heard or said that one? How many times have you made it through that last weekend of gorging yourself with all your favorite foods in preparation for your diet to find the temptation of a box of donuts at the office? Temptation exists in various forms every day. If you can fight it on Monday, you also fight it on the weekend and you could be three days closer to your goal by the new week. Instead of hungover and bloated from a weekend of feasting.
If you want to make a change. Then you are responsible to make that change. You are capable of making that change. You have the ability to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Remind yourself of that everyday.
Scheduling gym time in to a jam packed schedule is important, but there also may be a day where a gym visit will not fit in your schedule but suddenly you realize you don't have anywhere to be for the next 15 minutes. Don't be a victim of your day planner. Use those 15 minutes to your advantage. Aren't there days when the day goes by a little too fast and you don't have the chance to check everything off your list? Well there are also days that you may have an extra few minutes before you have to do the next thing. Why not do 50 crunches and then hit the obliques 50 times? Or do push-ups until you max out, then squats to rest your upper body then back to push-ups until you max out. Or if you don't mind being a little sweaty. Go for a run and try to beat your fastest mile time! Those extra 15 minute workouts can help transform your body and will be time better spent than starring into your fridge because you are bored and don't know what to do with your extra time.
Wake up every morning and remind yourself that you are responsible for your own actions. Do the things you want to do each day that make you feel happy and healthy. When you hit the pillow at night you won't be regretting what you could have done because you didn't just plan, you acted. You can be proud for putting your talk into action. I know from experience, you will sleep a little sounder at night.
Alright now... ready, set, GO!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
hitting the pavement
It seems becoming a runner is the cool thing to do these days (1/2 marathon participants have spiked up to 30% more)! I have been getting a LOT of questions from newbies on how to start so I compiled two lists of the very basics.
If you are new to running there are a few basics that the elite runners forget to mention to us newbies. It is feasible to figure it all out on your own but wouldn't be a tad easier if I just told you some things to keep in mind if you are new to running? I think yes, so here are my top TOOLS and TIPS for newbie runners.
TOOLS
One of the fab joys of running is that you don't need a gym membership, a class schedule or any fancy equipment to hit the pavement, BUT there are a few tools that are going to keep you safe and running for a longer period here are the top tools.
1. You must invest in some good running shoes. Go to a legit store, try a few pairs and bounce around, jog in place in them. You need a shoe that is going to keep you stable and also give you a solid thumb width in between the end of your toe and the tip of the shoe. Generally, you have to go up a half size to get that space, I go up one size and lace up my shoes super tight to prevent toe banging (the fastest way to bruise and lose your toenails). You will need to replace these shoes after about 300-400 miles as the midline cushioning of your shoe will breakdown and can end up causing shin-splints or joint pain.
2. Get some arches. Stand on a sensor in a running store and determine if you have a high, mid, or low arch. If you invest in the arches you can help protect your shoes from breaking down too quickly and also can prevent against some body pains. Before I got arches my right knee always hurt on my short runs, after getting my medium arches from New Balance, that little bit of support in both shoes kept me running all the way through my half marathon without any pain at all!
3. Get good socks. Sweat wicking socks are a must to keep your toenails happy and attached and prevent foot fungus. Do your really need anymore explanation on why you want the sweat wicking brands? I didn't think so...
4. After all the focus on the feet I just have one note on all the other parts of your body...wear sun protection! Do you really want a farmer's tan? No. Then you should wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you want to follow my lead, I wear sweat proof SPF 100 (why not?) and a very mom like hat. But really, no one judges your running attire, and if they do- just lap them on the street and they won't worry so much if your hat brim is flat and the material is mesh/breathable fabric. Jealous?
TIPS
1. Start slow. Often a newbie runner wants to run like a champ right out the gate. Running too fast, too much, too soon is a super way to get injured early. Running is a perfectly natural thing for your body to do, but running on pavement day after day as a newbie is a great way to break down cartilage before even giving your body a chance! The body needs time to rebuild ripped muscles after a run. While I trained, I followed a schedule of runs 3-4 days a week at first. I took the other days to do lower impact activities- swim>bicycle>elliptical>stairmaster for about 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of strength. You can then build on the runs by increasing mileage each week and even increasing the number of days you run. I highly recommend taking one day off of running no matter what level of running you are, the body needs to recover and build up its strength for the next week of training.
2. Keep up your strength! Strength training while running is crucial. The focus is on muscle endurance think- low weight, high repetition (15-30 reps) rather than maxing out on your highest potential weight lifting. Focus on the strength in your back and core, do crunches, work obliques and work every muscle in your upper and lower back. These practices will keep you strong in your runs and again- prevent against injury! I knew a super fit runner that tore her obliques running a week before she ran the half marathon. Those muscles need to be kept in tip-top shape to protect you while implementing your new running plan.
3. STRETCH. I realize at this point, you are skimming through this post, but please do not skip out on this last piece. STRETCHING YOUR HAMSTRINGS AND HIPS will keep you limber, aid in muscle recovery, increase your stride, and again PREVENT INJURY. You need to stretch for 10-30 seconds for each muscle group after a run when your muscles are all warmed up. Stretch to a point of mild discomfort (not pain) and hold that position. Stretching will keep you in this running game for longer. Plus you will find there are many added benefits to being super limber :)
Hope these Tools and Tip were uber useful or at least will prevent you from learning some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way...(after doctor recommended toenail removal surgery- one week before my first 1/2 marathon)
If you are new to running there are a few basics that the elite runners forget to mention to us newbies. It is feasible to figure it all out on your own but wouldn't be a tad easier if I just told you some things to keep in mind if you are new to running? I think yes, so here are my top TOOLS and TIPS for newbie runners.
TOOLS
One of the fab joys of running is that you don't need a gym membership, a class schedule or any fancy equipment to hit the pavement, BUT there are a few tools that are going to keep you safe and running for a longer period here are the top tools.
1. You must invest in some good running shoes. Go to a legit store, try a few pairs and bounce around, jog in place in them. You need a shoe that is going to keep you stable and also give you a solid thumb width in between the end of your toe and the tip of the shoe. Generally, you have to go up a half size to get that space, I go up one size and lace up my shoes super tight to prevent toe banging (the fastest way to bruise and lose your toenails). You will need to replace these shoes after about 300-400 miles as the midline cushioning of your shoe will breakdown and can end up causing shin-splints or joint pain.
2. Get some arches. Stand on a sensor in a running store and determine if you have a high, mid, or low arch. If you invest in the arches you can help protect your shoes from breaking down too quickly and also can prevent against some body pains. Before I got arches my right knee always hurt on my short runs, after getting my medium arches from New Balance, that little bit of support in both shoes kept me running all the way through my half marathon without any pain at all!
3. Get good socks. Sweat wicking socks are a must to keep your toenails happy and attached and prevent foot fungus. Do your really need anymore explanation on why you want the sweat wicking brands? I didn't think so...
4. After all the focus on the feet I just have one note on all the other parts of your body...wear sun protection! Do you really want a farmer's tan? No. Then you should wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you want to follow my lead, I wear sweat proof SPF 100 (why not?) and a very mom like hat. But really, no one judges your running attire, and if they do- just lap them on the street and they won't worry so much if your hat brim is flat and the material is mesh/breathable fabric. Jealous?
TIPS
1. Start slow. Often a newbie runner wants to run like a champ right out the gate. Running too fast, too much, too soon is a super way to get injured early. Running is a perfectly natural thing for your body to do, but running on pavement day after day as a newbie is a great way to break down cartilage before even giving your body a chance! The body needs time to rebuild ripped muscles after a run. While I trained, I followed a schedule of runs 3-4 days a week at first. I took the other days to do lower impact activities- swim>bicycle>elliptical>stairmaster for about 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of strength. You can then build on the runs by increasing mileage each week and even increasing the number of days you run. I highly recommend taking one day off of running no matter what level of running you are, the body needs to recover and build up its strength for the next week of training.
2. Keep up your strength! Strength training while running is crucial. The focus is on muscle endurance think- low weight, high repetition (15-30 reps) rather than maxing out on your highest potential weight lifting. Focus on the strength in your back and core, do crunches, work obliques and work every muscle in your upper and lower back. These practices will keep you strong in your runs and again- prevent against injury! I knew a super fit runner that tore her obliques running a week before she ran the half marathon. Those muscles need to be kept in tip-top shape to protect you while implementing your new running plan.
3. STRETCH. I realize at this point, you are skimming through this post, but please do not skip out on this last piece. STRETCHING YOUR HAMSTRINGS AND HIPS will keep you limber, aid in muscle recovery, increase your stride, and again PREVENT INJURY. You need to stretch for 10-30 seconds for each muscle group after a run when your muscles are all warmed up. Stretch to a point of mild discomfort (not pain) and hold that position. Stretching will keep you in this running game for longer. Plus you will find there are many added benefits to being super limber :)
Hope these Tools and Tip were uber useful or at least will prevent you from learning some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way...(after doctor recommended toenail removal surgery- one week before my first 1/2 marathon)
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