| 9.1.10 |
| Another day! |
No working out this morning and I missed it. I thought about sneaking in a little run on the treadmill after work... but I didn't do it. I was too busy chattin' it up with Stacy at dinner and grocery shopping.
I used my time wisely at work, I found a recipe that I intend on making for my lunches next week. I googled soups with my favorite veggie and the only vegetable I had in my refrigerator: cucumber & carrots - I found this soup on the New York Times website. I am slightly stoked about this new soup - I even borrowed Stacy's blender to make it. Double stoked. Tomorrow after work I plan on cooking up a storm. Im also also going to be making my low carb breakfast burritos for the week! Yum! It helps alot to make my meals for the week ahead of time, daily life is that much easier!
Wish me luck on my soup tomorrow! I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the weekend!
HeatherLabels: cooking, soup, working out |
posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/09/2010 08:10:00 PM   |
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| 8.1.10 |
| It's the small successes in life... |
I woke up this morning and I was very amp'd to workout, Sat and Sun are my days off from the gym... kinda looking forward to that! Stacy asked me today if I was sore, and I responded hesitantly... I'm sore from working out but I don't feel it all of the time... it creeps up on me, like when I get in and out of my car or light my cigarette..that really was a challenge, I've been doing lots of arm workouts. That leads me to the topic of today's post: Exercise Routine.
I think it is fanfreakintastic that I have begun working out. Really, it is. The last time I worked out consistently was in high school… almost 10 years ago. I don’t want do this all willy-nilly, it’s hard enough to wake up early in the morning, then I get to the gym and don’t know what the hell to do with the machines. I can’t afford a trainer and I don’t like being told what to do… consequently, I end up just using the treadmill, who can’t fake being an expert at ambulating?
My solution: I am going to build a routine myself. My areas of focus: Arms, inner thighs and tummy.
I am knee deep in printed pages and workout videos online. I love Google, what was life like before it? I sure can’t remember, I consider myself smarter and much informed because of Google. I get side tracked... thanks to Googles bounty of information I found, here is the routine I am going to try out for a couple of weeks, I did this in my workout this morning. I apologize if I don’t use the correct names for the machines! I put the explanation of each workout below:
Streeeetch!!!
Treadmill (Cardio Program) – 15 Mins
The Chair Dip – 2 sets of 5
Floor Leg Lift – 2 sets of 2
Over your head weight pull-down machine – 3 sets of 5 at 50 lbs
Stair stepper/elliptical machine – 5 Mins (add 1 min each day)
Inner thigh firmer – 2 set of 10 on each leg
Chair Leg Lifts (Lower Tummy) – 2 sets of 5
Streeeeeetch!!!
Lastly, I would like to address the topic of how to know when you are doing an exercise the right amount. I don’t want to do all of this work and not see results!! The number guide below helped me and will hopefully help you determine what intensity is right...In order to see results, you need to push to an intensity that falls between 3 and 4!
Level 1 - Light exercise, can barely feel the muscle... this is in the first 1-3 reps.
Level 2 - You can feel the muscles working and you become more aware of the tension in the muscles.
Level 3 - Moderate intensity, where you begin to feel a 'burn' or 'strain' in the muscle. You have to exert a little to maintain the exercise.
Level 4 - Moderate to high intensity, where your muscles starts to hurt, and you feel like stopping.
Level 5 - High intensity, where you just can't continue. You need to stop and take a break.
I hope everyone has a swell weekend, I will be stuck at work. Yippee.
Heather
The Chair Dip
Sit with the heels of your hands on the edge of a sturdy chair seat. Slide your butt off the seat, and support your weight with your hands. Straighten your right leg; bend your left leg at about a 90-degree angle.
Bend your elbows back, and slowly lower your butt toward the floor. Keep your elbows tucked in. Your body should just clear the seat. Push back up until your arms are straight; don't use your feet for help.
Repeat with your left leg extended.
The Floor Leg Lift
Lie on your back with your legs straight.
Slowly raise your head and neck off the mat as if you’re starting a basic crunch.
Place your hands behind your head.
Bend legs in and raise them off the floor then straighten and point them in the air at the 11 o’clock position keeping your head and neck off of the floor.
Slowly move both legs down (keeping them together and as straight as you can until they are about a foot from the floor).
Inner Thigh Firmer
Lie on your left side with your head resting on a rolled-up towel to maintain proper alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Bend your right leg and rest it on the floor in front of you while extending your left leg straight with the foot. Slowly lift your left leg about six inches. Hold for a moment and then gradually lower the leg, beginning the next lift before your foot touches back down on the floor. After ten lifts, roll onto your right side and repeat. Complete 2 sets of 10 lifts with each leg. 2 sets of 10 repetitions each is a good starting point.
Chair Leg Lifts
Sit upright with your back straight on a flat surface (chair, workout bench).
Place your hands on the surface you are sitting on by your legs.
Slowly lift your knees up toward your chest and hold for 5 seconds.
Then slowly lower them back down, resting your feet on the floor.
Breathe out when you lift your legs up and inhale when you lower them to the floor.Labels: exercise, results, working out |
| posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/08/2010 05:56:00 PM |
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| 7.1.10 |
| Not much to report! |
It's very cold here and there isn't much to do but laundry and hibernate. This is what I did today, haha! I spent some time with my family and used their laundry facilities (who wants to schlep all of their laundry into a laundrymat in this coldness... not me!). I found it particularly tempting to eat out of boredom, but I didn't! Yay for the small successes. I weighed today, lost about 6 lbs - 154.. I am on my way :)
Tomorrow morning is the 3rd workout, woohoo! I was extremely sore today, it hurt to move, but I am hoping that when I hit the gym in the morning my stamina will have increased! Stacy and I are probably going to grab some Cafe' Brazil after - never eaten healthy there - I am determined to find the healthiest thing on the menu! Their coffee is devine - they have like 1.5 million different flavors... I will definately get the unlimited refills on that!
Much love to all!
HeatherLabels: exercise, laundry, small successes, sore |
| posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/07/2010 07:50:00 PM |
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| 6.1.10 |
| To buy organic or not to buy organic... that is the question.. |
Day 2 working out was great - I felt drastically more energetic, so glad today was better! Now I would like to tackle a subject I have been milling about in my head for quite some time! I wanted to put together a simple guide to buying organic for the not-so-organically inclined consumer. Definition: me. I want to be smart about my purchases, the purse strings are tight for all of us (where the hell did that saying come from), and I can’t afford to spend extra money on food that really isn’t worth it.
First of all, here is a list that contrasts the differences between a conventional farmer and an organic farmer:
Conventional farmers
1 - Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.
2 - Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.
3 - Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
4 - Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. And use irradiation to preserve foods. Organic Farmers
1 - Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
2 - Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
3 - Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
4 - Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.
Here is a list I adapted from http://www.organicconsumers.org/ that demonstrates the vast benefits of going organic; each of the highlighted words is a link to a related page:
1 - Organic food doesn't contain food additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.
2 - Organic food doesn't contain pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, may be responsible for early puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.
3 - Organic food isn't genetically modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are prohibited.
4 - Organic animals aren't given drugs. Organic farming standards prohibit the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified vaccines in farm animals. Hormone-laced beef and dairy consumption is correlated with increased rates of breast, testis and prostate cancers.
5 - Organic animals aren't fed slaughterhouse waste, blood, or manure. Eating organic reduces the risks of CJD, the human version of mad cow disease, as well as Alzheimer's.
6 - Organic animals aren't fed arsenic.
7 - Organic crops aren't fertilized with toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, or irrigated with E. coli contaminated sewage water.
8 - Organic food isn't irradiated. Cats fed a diet of irradiated food got multiple sclerosis within 3-4 months.
After I clicked on all of those little links and went from website to website to website pouring over the ugly truth about the food I have been eating I halfway decided I wanted to stop eating meat altogether.
Now that we all have a better understanding of what the difference between non-organic and organic foods are, here are some tips on what you should spend the extra cash on and what foods just aren’t worth it (adapted from an article on http://www.smartmoney.com/):
Worth It
Fruits: Apples, cherries, grapes, pears, berries, peaches, nectarines, plums
Vegetables: Celery, potatoes, spinach, bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, green beans
Meat/Dairy: Beef, pork, poultry, eggs and dairy
Other: Baby food
Not Worth It
Fruits: Bananas, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, pineapples, oranges
Vegetables: Asparagus, avocados, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, onions, sweet peas
Meat/Dairy: Seafood
Other: Processed food (chips, pasta, etc.), cleaning products, cosmetics
Lastly, before you decide to head to your local organic food store, make sure you check the label:
100% Organic: Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients.
Organic: Must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
Made with organic products: Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
All Natural: Any product labeled with this does not contain organic ingredients, in effect this is a way that companies try to trick you into buying food by making you think it is organic.
I hope that all of this information was educational! I will be making a trip to my local organic grocery store (Sunflower Shoppe) on Friday or Saturday!
Happy shopping :)
Heather |
| posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/06/2010 05:22:00 PM |
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| 5.1.10 |
| I need some energy here! |
Today was the first day I started working out. Should I be this freakishly tired? Thought I would be a bundle of energy, but I feel drained. Hoping this is just the start-up growing pains. Only time will tell.
I have been doing research on healthy eating, I don’t want to be strictly low-carb - piling on the fat and banishing anything with the slightest hint of sugar (even some fruits and vegetables!)… I remember when I first started the low-carb lifestyle a couple of years ago… I FREAKED when it dawned on me that I had been eating those puffy, melt-in-your-mouth peppermints; those bastards were packed with sugar (the enemy). I almost burst into tears, I had at least 3 handfuls a day – every time I passed the receptionist’s desk I would plunge my hand into the peppermint jar and shovel out as many as my hand could hang on to. I was a food addict; I never paid attention to what I put in my mouth until I started the low carb lifestyle.
This time around I want to include healthy fruits and vegetable into my diet as well as healthy carbs like whole grains – carbs aren’t the enemy anymore, they are my frenemy. I can’t chow down on them too much, but, for example, I will be using them to give me energy in the mornings by way of a banana or oatmeal (in the Atkins/ no/low carb world that is practically a sin).
I plan on learning as I go along and will be posting what works and what doesn’t work for me! Maybe it can help someone out there that just can’t let go of the carbs completely, but really wants to make a positive and healthy lifestyle change.
Lastly, my bestie Stacy is doing this workout routine with me, it just so happened that on the same day I decided to embark on my healthy journey, she had decided to incorporate a 1 hour workout, 3x per week into her daily routine. This was kismet, I needed a workout buddy to keep me motivated and accountable; likewise she needs someone to push her when she doesn’t feel like throwing on her workout shoes… If she slacks off: I will be publicly calling-her-out here. Bwahahaha!
Day 1: DONE… Hoping for the best on Day 2!Labels: beginning, exercise, healthy, low carb, tired, vegetables |
| posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/05/2010 05:26:00 PM |
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| 4.1.10 |
| And then there was motivation.. |
It all started with this pair of jeans I bought in New York. I didn't try them on in the store, once in the hotel room I decided to try them on... as I struggled to pull them above my thighs, I thought ahhhh.. what a perfect incentive. These would be the pants I am going to focus on fitting into.
I weighed myself this morning... my scale told me that I have gained 22 pounds in the past 6 months (roughly)... when I watched 160 pop up on my scale, it startled me so deeply that I almost dropped my donut. The nerve.
This really isn't my first rodeo losing weight, in March of 2007 I started at 223 pounds... this was me:
Then I started doing the low carb thing - my lowest weight was 138 pounds, this me at my lowest (pardon the picture, it is a little wierd, but is the only full length pic I could find!):
I have since gained 22 pounds back and this is me at 160 pounds (center):
I have decided that I am going to try this again - my goal this time: 130 pounds.. I have 30 pounds to lose with a deadline of: 4.4.10
This time I am going to workout 3x per week, I didn't do that before (just ate low carb); I am also not eating after 7:30pm.
I am hoping that in 3 months I will be struttin' my stuff in my New York jeans!
Here's to a successful endeavor and the motivation to carry me through!
Heather
My starting stats:
Weight: 160 lbs
Left Arm: 13 in
Right Arm: 12.5 in
Waist: 33 in
Hips: 41 in
Left Leg: 23 in
Right Leg: 23.5 in Labels: diet, exercise, fat, healthy, low carb, weight loss |
| posted by Heather Elise' @ 1/04/2010 08:33:00 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: Heather Elise'
Home: Euless, Texas, United States
About Me:
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