Fight the holiday bulge!

Happy December! It’s that time of year where cookies, cakes, pies and any and everything you could ever want is available. It is the most tempting time of the year that can result in a weight gain, on average, of 8-10 pounds.

With the holidays come parties, cocktails and family commitments that prevent you from sticking to your gym schedule and your daily eating routine. Here are  a few tips to help keep you from adding to your waist line during the holidays!

  • Avoid mindless snacking
    • It is SO easy to stand by the appetizers table and eat more than a meal BEFORE the meal! So be aware of what you are eating – put food on your plate and walk away
  • Don’t skip the gym
    • It’s important to keep your physical activity up! It’s easy with office parties and relatives visiting to decide to skip — try to keep a routine the best you can – this is the time when you need it the most!
    • Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean it’s cold in the gym! Battle the cold and you won’t have to battle your jeans!
  • You don’t need dessert
    • Woof – I know this one sucks – but it’s true. If you are full and think I can’t eat another bite – don’t change when it’s time for dessert. And if you feel obligated to have something (which you shouldn’t because it’s your choice what goes in your body) have one dessert, not all of them. You also don’t have to eat the whole thing. Split the dessert or just politely discard whatever is left.
  • First bite is best
    • If there that pecan pie your aunt makes or the cookies your grandmother makes just for Christmas – I’m not saying deprive yourself – just remember the first bite is the best. Don’t go back for bites 5 and 6.
    • Eat slowly and enjoy – you are less likely to feel the urge for another and you can completely enjoy whatever you have without feeling the need to over-indulge.

Good luck this holiday season! Remember your summer-time body is made in the winter! You can make it through the holidays without any set backs as long as you stick to your plans and keep moving!
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Tired? Go for a walk!

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Sometimes you hit that wall, sometime around 2 or 3pm you just dont know how you’ll make through the rest of the day; what do you do? Grab a cup of coffee? Snack on something to keep you up? Take a energy drink?
While all those may “work” the most effective way to get an energy boost – physical activity. Crazy right? Go exert energy to gain some? But that’s exactly right!

“We live in a society where people are always looking for the next sports drink, energy bar, or cup of coffee that will give them the extra edge to get through the day,” says researcher Tim Puetz, PhD, also of UGA. “But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out and doing some physical activity every morning can provide that spark of energy that people are looking for.”

If you get to the point where you can barely stay awake – go take a 10 minute walk around your office or walk out to your car and back in. You’ll be surprised how much a little physical activity will increase your energy level for the rest of the day!

 

Referenced article

Strong sexy legs!

I love squats and heavy lifting for lower body but sometimes isolating muscles gets you a burn like nothing else!

Here are two leg exercises I did in n preparation for my wedding.

Focus on squeezing planted leg and keep the moving leg foot flexed and controlled throughout the move.

Try doing 10x 4 sets each leg. 

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Please be careful! Try these moves on the floor before standing on the bosu ball. 
Remember to pin and share with your friends and workout partner!

*By doing these exercising you are assuming all risk and acknowledge you are in good physical condition for physical activity.

How to do a push up

Push ups are great full body move. They require not only upper body strength from chest and shoulders but also the core, glutes and legs for stabilization and good form throughout the move. So many people end up doing push ups wrong thus putting them at risk for injury. 
Here are two modifications that will help you gain the strength needed for regular push ups.

Move 1: one leg push up

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Start with knees on the floor but as you lower yourself straighten one leg.  This move helps strengthen your core, helps prevent low back sag and replicates the form you’ll want to have during a regular push up.

Move 2: power up push up

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This move is a step closer to a regular push up.  It allows you to practice lowering yourself with no assistance but placing knees on for at bottom of move to press up, power up, through chest. Again this move helps with proper form and technique of av regular push up.

Try incorporating these moves 3-4 times a week and I promise you’ll gain the strength needed to do a regular push up with good form and technique!

You vs You

Everyone is at a different place in life and same goes for fitness – everyone is at a different place. Everyone has struggles and successes so when you see someone that is where you want to be, before you take even a second to get discouraged – know that someone is looking at you, wishing they were where you are. STOP COMPETING – just try to get better than YOU were yesterday.

Take pictures, take measurements, keep a fitness journal and track YOUR journey. Scales can be very misleading so ditch the scale and look in the mirror – that’s your competition.

 

youvsyou

Depressed? Go Exercise!

There are many studies showing a direct correlation between happiness and physical activity.  Here are some facts about physical activity.

  • Releases endorphins
    • Endorphins are those “feel good” chemicals that are produced from cardiovascular exercise. The body has positive reaction to exercise naturally so that feeling after you get through a tough workout out–yeah those are endorphins!
  • Increases serotonin levels
    • Having low levels of serotonin has been connected to depression, but guess what naturally increases serotonin levels….yep-EXERCISE! Serotonin affects your mood, ability to sleep and your appetite. So get moving and release those  good natural chemicals!
  • Improves sleep
    • Lack of sleep, restless nights and insomnia are effects of depression. Exercise releases endorphins and serotonin chemicals for “feel good” result and sleep aid but also your body will need rest with the increase activity level you are physically and mentally spent which will allow you to relax and get quality shut eye!
  • Distraction
    • Now that you are feeling good (endorphins) and sleeping well (serotonin) you are able to focus on you and the natural positive chemicals being released in your body preventing negative or discouraging thoughts that are common with depression.

Exercise has many many positive side effects  – do yourself a favor and get moving!

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Reference

Try something new

We all get into a routine or pick exercises we like but the way to results is to push yourself to a new limit! 👊
Many gyms offer all sorts of classes, no harm in trying one out. You may find a new passion! If you don’t like it, try a different one. ✔✔ Whether it’s yoga,  pilates,  kick boxing or a spin class the variation will target your muscles in a different way. 💪💪💪
I did my first spin class today and it was tough🔥🔥🔥.  Am I gonna go back?  Definitely. I’ll try to improve and get better each time.  Don’t think you’ll be a pro right away, work into the class and I bet you’ll see the results in your body and the way you feel!

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Sunday BUNSday

Happy Sunday!  If you can’t make it into the gym today don’t worry, I got you!

3-5 rounds of this booty blasting routine will keep you on track and best part, it will take at MOST 35 minutes of your day! Get everyone involved family, friends and neighbors!

Pin,  share,  tag your friends and tackle this Sunday BUNSday workout!

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Moment of clarity

With the ALS ice bucket challenge taking over all forms of social media it wasn’t until I saw the Pete Frates feature on SportsCenter that the severity of the disease hit me. Then it got me thinking, so many able, young people are obese and do not take advantage of their ability to go for a walk, run, or swim. People with ALS, rapidly lose the ability to do basic every day functions like sitting up, talking, even feeding themselves. Seeing people in this condition makes me so glad the ice bucket challenge happened to raise awareness of those suffering from the disease but also to remind those of us that are healthy and fully able to be active and take care of our bodies, to do so.

Not exercising, drinking alcohol and poor eating habits are poisonous to the body, very slowly weakening the immune system, stiffening joints and inhibiting many from doing daily tasks; taking a perfectly able body and destroying it from the inside out.

Take time to donate to ALS or any disease close to your heart,  but also reflect on how blessed you are to have a body that hasn’t failed you. Don’t be the one to fail it.

 

 

nourishyourbody