Weekends

I love weekends.

We do a lot of eating, sleeping and general lounging about.

None of which is condusive to losing weight.

I was really good this week...even if you factor in the birthday treats. So...I kinda don't want to break my routine. I also want to enjoy myself.

See my dilemma? I want to be healthy!

Its just so hard.

As I write this post I am realizing how lame I am.

Would it really kill me to get up at a decent hour and do some yoga before I start my day?  Would a healthy breakfast be less satisfying than the fattening one I normally make?

No.

I can and will get up and workout and will cook us a tasty and healthy breakfast!

I will not blow it this weekend! I'm sticking to my plan!!

Have a great weekend!

Making it Count on the Elliptical

I love the elliptical.  It is the ONLY exercise machine that I enjoy.  You heard right.  I ENJOY being on the elliptical. I found this article at Livestrong.com. If you dislike the treadmill, as I do, give the elliptical a chance.  You can choose different workouts and resistance levels to challenge yourself! Check out the article and hop on the elliptical the next time you are at the gym.

Do Elliptical Machines Burn Fat?

Overview

Elliptical trainers are exercise machines that simulate a cross-country skiing motion. They have hand-held poles with foot platforms that both move back and forth in a gliding motion when you exercise. If you have lower back pain or joint issues, the elliptical is a good choice because there is virtually no impact. If you are looking to burn fat, find out if the elliptical achieves this goal.

Weight Loss

The way to burn fat is to decrease your caloric intake and expend calories through exercise. When you burn calories, you decrease fat on your body. The elliptical burns calories through cardiovascular exercise, so it does melt fat.

Size

The size of your body has a lot to do with the amount of calories you burn with elliptical training. A 160 lb. person, for example, burns about 825 calories in a 60-minute session. However, a 200 lb. person burns more than 1,000 calories for that same time frame. If you were to exercise on the elliptical every day of the week, you would burn well over 3,500 calories. Because 3,500 calories equates to 1 lb., you would in turn lose more than 1 lb. a week.

Potential

By making an adjustment with your intensity, you can boost your fat-burning potential even more on the elliptical. Instead of gliding at a steady pace, perform interval training. Begin your workouts at a slow speed, then glide as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Glide at a moderate intensity for 60 seconds, then glide fast again for 30 seconds. Continue this pattern for the whole duration of your workout. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you'll burn -- even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time, according to the Mayo Clinic's website.

Effects

When you work out on the elliptical, you recruit multiple muscles in your upper and lower body, such as the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, pectorals and latissimus dorsi. Any time you build muscle, your resting metabolic rate increases and you burn fat more efficiently while at rest. To increase the intensity and work your muscles harder, simply adjust the resistance on the machine.

Considerations

If you are trying to lose weight quickly, pay strict attention to your diet. By cutting back on your caloric intake, you can maximize your fat-burning and weight-loss results. If you were to cut your daily intake by 500 calories and burn 1,000 calories with elliptical training, you can conceivably lose 3 lbs. a week. Eat foods that are high in nutrients like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, low-fat dairy products and lean meats. Eating healthy foods will give you adequate energy levels during your training sessions.

References

• Spine-Health: Elliptical Trainer
• Health Status: Calories Burned Estimation
• MayoClinic.com: Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie-burning Power?
• University of Michigan: Beginning Strength Training

About this Author

Kevin Rail has worked in the fitness industry since 2001 and has been writing since 2004. He has professional experience as a certified personal trainer, wellness coach, motivational engineer and freelance fitness writer. He currently writes a monthly column for Ron Jones High-Performance Health. Rail has a bachelor's degree in sports management: fitness and wellness from California University of Pennsylvania.

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/280092-do-elliptical-machines-burn-fat/#ixzz12xIeeQ9W

Time Crunch? Why I don't want to exercise.

I did a little poll on my side bar asking my readers about workout challenges.

The winner? So glad you asked…

I don't have time.

Is that really true? When I examined my day I found plenty of time. (there is a good chance that you are busier than me...it might really be harder for you to find the time)

That extra hour of sleep in the morning. I adore my sleep. Don’t you? 

The hours watching Veronica Mars on Netflix. (awesome show...just saying)

You get my drift?

You have to take the time to make the time. <----- Swiped that one from my boss.

After an 8-hour work day, chasing children, playing taxi, who knows how many hours spent in the kitchen, all the time it takes to do all those things that need to be done...don't we deserve some leisurely web browsing? 

Yes. The trick here is balance. 

We must work and we must play. However, we must workout in order to be healthy.

If you are pressed for time and don't want to give up the me time that is rightfully yours, try some of the following:

A. I love to slowly devour Real Simple magazine.  It is my FAVORITE magazine.  It arrived yesterday so this morning I got up 30 minutes early and took my beloved Real Simple to the gym with me. I hopped on a stationary bike and read away! Small sacrifice...but tonight I will be chillin' on the couch with Will and/or doing anything else that I want!

B. I am TV fan.  I have a few guilty pleasure shows that are pretty good at grabbing and holding my attention. Last night I watched Pretty Little Liars while on the elliptical. Working out is much easier if you can distract yourself and a good TV show is a great way to get caught up and lose track of time. 

C. In keeping with the TV theme, I like to exercise at home while watching as well.  I have a few small and inexpensive workout accessories that are perfect for the home. Small set of free weights, wrist and leg weights (I love using these while doing house work), resistance bands (most with instructions and sample exercises) and workout ball.  There are SO many exercises that can be done mindlessly with this equipment while watching TV. 

D. Exercise usually implies workout. This implies the gym, weights, treadmills, and all that other stuff that sucks.  This is NOT true. Be active. Play in the back yard with your kiddos for an hour, run on the beach with Fido, find a way to include more walking in your workday (ya know those stairs aren't JUST for emergencies) or shoot some hoops with your pals. I have a friend that is a swimmer.  That is the only workout she does and she looks as though she spent hours in the gym. Swimming burns calories and works all the muscle groups. It gets the heart pumping and to my friend it is FUN. 

Find the time.

 It is there.

I am learning to give a little more time to my goals for a healthier me.  

It isn't easy but it is worth it.

Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show or magazine?? Do tell!

I'm back on the wagon...

and back in the GYM!!

Wow. Someone let the holidays make some excuses for her. *hides face, very ashamed.

I let the “I’m so busy”, “The holidays are so crazy” and my favorite “I want to enjoy the holiday season”, get in the way of my goals.

I caved.

I got lazy.

I paid for it.

What did I learn during my “break”?

Allow me to share.

1.  Consistency is ALWAYS the best policy. If you want to be healthy you have to consistently do 2 things: eat right daily and exercise often.  Skipping out on one or both can cause weight gain and you lose that “I just conquered the world” feeling that is now replaced with the “may I pretty please with a cherry on top take a nap” feeling.

2.  One good decision will lead to another. Yeah. That one is a 2-way street.  It all started with Thanksgiving.  I broke my work out routine and things went downhill from there.  Really. Make exceptions, give yourself rewards but plan ahead. Example: I like to work out at night so when there are events in the evening I plan ahead a get my workouts in the morning instead. Bend your routine but do your best to get the time in! Also, it’s ok to splurge but make it up in the gym!

3.  If you aren’t moving forward then you are sliding backwards.  There is no such thing as standing still.  The longer I went without working out the harder it was to start back.  It was hard to put in the time and it was actually difficult.  I had lost so much of the progress that I had made in addition to packing back on some pounds.  I have to admit that the 60 minutes on the elliptical was always challenging but it had gotten easier and tonight I nearly died.  No lie.

I am back in a routine and back to blogging.  I’m sad that I back paddled so much and sad that I neglected my blog. I am glad to back and I hope that we can help keep each other motivated.

How did you do during the holidays? Do you have any tips on being consistent even when things get busy?  Please do share!!