Thursday, December 29, 2011

New Years Resolutions & SPoH: Day 29 - Detoxification! A great way to start the new year

I know it has been a really long time since I have posted anything.  I apologize for the dead space.  Some of you were probably wondering if I was still ALIVE!!  J/K.  Anyways, this two week break from work has not turned out to be the way I had hoped.  As much as I love spending time with family and friends, this time of the year tends to be more stressful than helpful.  My schedule is loaded up with so many things to do and very little time to myself or with my husband.  No offense to those that I spend time with.  I really do love the social gatherings that take place this time of the year.

With Christmas Day now passed in 2011, I am beginning to look at what 2012 will bring.  I have a few goals in mind for New Year's resolution that I wanted to share.

1) Read the bible in a year.  My church did this together a couple of years ago and I think it was a phenomenal idea.  I did not do so well on my part, but maybe this year I can do it.  I have not done this since I was in high school.  I printed a schedule found on the gideons international website.

2) Continue to work on my health and attain my weight loss goal of 50lbs.  While you all know that I have lost inches, losing actual lbs has been more difficult recently.  I hope that this year I am able to reach my goal of losing an additional 50lbs.  Your continued support and encouragement really helps.

3) Complete the ASL Institute's first and second semester courses.  I plan to do this on my own time.  The lessons are free and I hope to obtain some practice with a very good friend of mine who is fluent in ASL.  I really look forward to it.  If anyone is interested in learning or even teaching your kids some basic ASL the website is http://www.lifeprint.com/index.htm.

SPoH: Day 29 - Detoxification!  What a great topic just before we begin the new year.  Our bodies are exposed to so many different toxins this day in age between the air, water, food supply and even the medications that we take as well as dental procedures.  The list goes on and on.  Our bodies are exposed to so many different things.  God truly gave us amazing bodies to be able to handle all the abuse!  However, I don't think that it hurts for us to try to minimize some of those toxins if we can.  Here are some tips that Colbert gives to start: 1) Watch the kinds of foods that you eat ( organic, free-range, low-fat, etc.) 2) Drink good water. 3) Breathe clean air. (avoid areas with high content of smog, etc) 4) Wear rubber gloves when handling chemicals.  5) Work with your dr to get off medications as much as possible. (this will give your liver a chance to do it's job)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Day 43 of 5am & SPoH: Day 28 - Succeeding at Exercise!

Tuesday, I worked out 35 minutes on the stationary bike.

Wednesday I took a break.  I was up later on Tuesday watching the Biggest Loser Finale and so I decided to sleep in on Wednesday.

SPoH: Day 28 - How do we succeed at exercising for life?!  Not just for the moment.

Colbert gives a list of suggestions or tips on how to do this.
- Build exercise into your schedule.  Look at it as like an important doctor's appointment.
- Choose Exercises that you enjoy.  Obviously if you have problems with your knees or hips, etc. you want to do an exercise that will not hurt your body.  You will enjoy it and you'll stick with it.
- Have an Exercise Partner. This may be a challenge for some, but there are certain exercises that are much more enjoyable with a partner.  Plus you have accountability.
- Choose a location that you enjoy.  As much as I love working out in a gym with all its fancy equipment, I find that my home is more enjoyable for working out simply because I do not have to leave my house during the winter months just to get my workout in.  In the summers, I love being outdoors.
- Change it up!  If you are bored with something, what are the chances that you will stick with it?  Slim to none.  Find new and exciting ways to get your calorie burn in.
- Do Occupational/Transportation Exercises Meaning take every moment you have any opportunity to just move.  Park your car in the back of the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, during your break or lunch take a walk, etc.

Check out this list for ideas of how to get a good calorie burn and keep track.  If you don't already have a HR monitor for your workouts, you can use information like this to help figure it out. http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist.htm

On the flip side, beware of over exerting yourself.  Colbert mentions that he pushed himself so hard that he caused himself to have a heat stroke and almost died.  While exercise is important, be careful not to over exert yourself.  Listen to your body.  Give it the rest that it needs if it needs it.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Saturday Workout, Day 42 of 5am & SPoH: Day 27 - Alternative Exercises

Saturday, I did Dancing with the Stars: Cardio Dance.  A little different from Zumba.  I really liked the workout though.  It's a bit longer then the Zumba workouts I have been doing.  If you ever try this one,  I highly recommend not trying to do this on carpet.  I love doing dance as a workout.  It gets my heart pumping and the time goes by rather quickly because I am having fun.

Day 42 of 5am, I did the Zumba 20 minute workout again today.  I'm finding that the colder it gets, the harder it is to get out of bed.  I went to bed at a good time last night, but my body still felt like it needed more sleep.  I was very tired.  Did you know that our bodies are actually designed to sleep more in the winter months?  I wonder what this will do to my workout habits. :(  Check out this article to see what I am talking about http://www.fitwatch.com/health/seratonin-why-you-need-more-sleep-in-the-winter-366.html.  So if you feel like your dragging a lot during the winter, your body is probably telling you that it indeed needs more sleep.  I guess this means I'm going to have to try to go to bed even earlier so that I get the required amount of sleep that my body needs in order to workout.

SPoH: Day 27 - Alternative ways to exercise.  Have fun!

Colbert mentions a couple of ways to exercise that for personal, christian convictions I do not agree with. Yoga and Tai Chi are very popular in our country because of some of the benefits that it provides.  However, many Christians have not really educated themselves on the origination of these exercises.  In 1 Timothy 4:6-8 we are told to train ourselves in Godly ways.  Yoga and Tai Chi are heavily rooted in eastern religion.  Every move signifies something spiritually.  We offer our bodies not to God but to the gods of eastern religion.  That is my personal conviction on it.  If you have not thought about it or done research yourself, I highly recommend it.

However, Pilates is not rooted in any religion.  Pilates is named after it's maker, Joseph Pilates from Germany.  It is an exercise using your mind and body.  Focusing on breathing and movement.  This exercise helps improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and produces long, lean muscles.  Many dancers use pilates as a part of their training.  This is one form that I do enjoy.  It is challenging for the body and kind of fun to see what you can do.  Joseph suffered from rheumatic fever, rickets, and asthma which produced many challenges to face through his life. He developed exercises to help him overcome his ailments.

Dancing! . . . is another fun form of exercise.  Colbert talks specifically about Ballroom Dancing.  But there are many forms of dance out there.  Zumba is becoming ever so popular.  It is good for balance, developing coordination, and rhythm.  As you have read in my blogs recently I have done Zumba and Dancing with the Stars videos.  You can also spend a night line dancing at a local dance club or sign up for classes either at the gym or the local colleges.  It can also be a great social activity as well.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Day 41 of 5am & SPoH: Day 25 & 26 - Two Types of Exercise

Day 41!!!  I can't believe that I have really stuck with it this long!  Thanks to all you out there for your encouragement and support.  In the past, it has been easy for me to just give up on my workout routine.  The true test will come when Christmas break comes.  It is so easy to break the routine when your schedule changes.  I have ideas on how to keep it going though.

So today I did the Self: Bikini Ready Fast workout.  This was more of a strength training workout.  The main focus seemed to be on the upper body.  It did incorporate the core and legs as well, but where I felt it the most today was in my arms and shoulders.  I think if you are in need of shaping and strengthening the upper body, this is a great workout.  There is not much if any cardio in this workout.  So I would alternate this one with a higher cardio based workout on alternating days.  Since I did Zumba yesterday which is more cardio, this worked out perfectly.

SPoH - Exercise has been broken down into two different types: Aerobic and Anaerobic.

Day 25 - Aerobic exercise  is defined as "in the presence of air."  This form of exercise forces you to breath in more deeply.  Cardio workouts are considered aerobic exercise.  Walking is one form of this exercise.  You want to walk slow enough that you you can talk, but fast enough that you can't sing.  Others include jogging, cycling, rowing, elliptical machine or glider, aerobic dance routines, stair stepping, skating, cross-country skiing, singles tennis, racquetball, basketball, ballroom and other forms of dancing, and swimming.  Before you decide to do these kinds of workouts, make sure that you speak with your physician.  If he/she has already given you the green light, then don't wait any longer.  If you are considered obese, you should avoid running because you could cause injury to your back, hips, ankles and knees.  Try the exercises that are easier on your joints.  But you also want to sweat.  Swimming is a great activity, but it is not conducive for sweating.   Adults should be able to eventually do 30 minutes of moderate intensity workouts most days of the week.

Try not to exceed your target heart rate. Your target HR is calculated through 220-your age. Then multiply by .6 for your low target or .9 for your high target.  If you are starting out, you want to stay close to your low target rate and work your way up.  If you feel during your exercise that you are having a very difficult time breathing and your chest is tightening up, that is a sure sign that your body is not ready to work at that intensity.  Take it slow.  Don't rush your body or you could wind up in a worse place then you started.

If you are experiencing muscle pain there is a limited amount of things that you can do. First and foremost, make sure you are doing a warm up and cool down for each session of exercising.  Go easy on the stretches.  Build on your exercise, don't try to do something that is way beyond the intensity that your body is used to.  Avoid making sudden changes in the type and the amount of time you exercise.  Be patient with your body.  The soreness should go away between 3-7 days if you overdid it.  Do some low impact aerobic exercise.  It will help the blood flow to your muscles helping to diminish the pain.  Gently stretch and massage the area.

When exercising, it is best not to do so immediately after eating.  Your body needs time to digest the food.  If you have a light snack before exercising, that is ok, just not a full meal.  Wait at least 2 hours after eating.

Day 26 -  Anaerobic is obviously the opposite of aerobic, meaning "without air."  Weight lifting and calisthenics (using your own body weight) are considered anaerobic.  This type of exercise helps with muscle mass, metabolism, posture, joints and increases levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

When lifting weights, just as you do with aerobic exercise, gradually increase your level as time goes on.  If you are looking to gain muscle mass, you will want to increase the amount of weight you lift with smaller amounts of repetition.  But if you are just looking for longer leaner muscles, go with smaller weights and increase the number of repetitions to get the toning you want.  As I have mentioned before, if you are trying to get rid of the flabby arms, go with smaller weights and increase the number of repetitions.  It will help to tighten up those arms.  If you have not done any weight training yourself, it is a good idea to maybe schedule a time to work with a personal trainer to get all of the basics in order.  I took weight training in high school and I still remember most of what I learned from that.  The rest I have had to refresh myself on.  One very important tip for weight lifting is that before you begin your workout, be sure to warm up those muscles.  Do some jumping jacks or run a lap.  Do something cardio for a few minutes before you start lifting those weights.  And don't forget to stretch them out afterwards.

If you don't have weights, or you are not ready to workout with weights, you can use your body weight.  That is the beauty of calisthenics.  There are tons of exercises that can be done without weights.  Try pilates moves.  Many of them are great for building strength and muscles.  Sit ups, Push ups, pull ups, calf raises, lunges, squats, etc.  These are all examples of exercises you can do to build up your strength.




Monday, December 5, 2011

Day 38-40 of 5am & SPoH: Day 22 - 24 EXERCISE!!!

Day 38 of 5am: Monday was my first attempt at doing the Zumba videos.  I did the Basic video which shows you all the different moves and such.  I love to dance, but I am not sure how my body is going to do with the 20 minute video of non stop movement.  I suppose I will have to try sometime later this week.  We will see how it goes.  My heart rate went up just from learning the steps.  So that is a good sign.

Day 39 of 5am: Tuesday I rode the stationary bike.

Wednesday was Wellness day at school, so I decided to wait until the afternoon.  I participated in a Zumba class led by an old friend of mine.  If any of you live in the Zion or Winthrop Harbor area, there are classes led by her.  Let me know if you want info I can let you know what the schedule is.

Day 40 of 5am:  Today I did Zumba at home.  I am really liking this way of exercising.  I love to dance and this is a great outlet for me.  I will probably be doing more Zumba over the next 3 weeks since I have the videos for awhile.

SPoH - Exercise!

Day 22: Colbert likes to look at our bodies like they are water.  Essentially they are made up 2/3 of water, so it makes sense.  He talks about when you have stagnate water, water that is just sitting in a cup for a very long time, eventually you will see it start to breed bacteria, become slimy, etc.  Just think of how your body is.  If you are not moving, replacing the water in your system, it can become like that cup of water.  Exercise helps move that water through your system.  You need to "stir" the waters to rid the toxins in your body.

This is why when you are exercising, you are less susceptible to becoming sick.  Even for many of the diseases today, you can fight them with exercise.  Cancer being one of them.  The ones who I have known to survive cancer have been the ones who have been most active in their lifestyle.  In Jesus time they did not need to set time aside to exercise.  They were consistently walking everywhere.  Today, we have the ability to drive a car from one location to another.  Exercise is not as natural for many of us.  We are forced into a situation where we must incorporate it into our daily schedule rather than allowing our day to day activities to take care of it.

Day 23: Exercise effects your body in many different ways.  It helps prevent cancer, heart disease, heart attacks, and diabetes. (all things most of us have heard) It improves our lymphatic flow and increases perspiration. (basically the garbage removal system in our bodies)  It lowers stress, promotes weight loss, and decreases appetite.

When I woke up today, one of my nostrils was completely blocked.  As most of you can tell, I have sinus issues from time to time.  I've been doing what I can to control it.  Anyways, I decided I was not going to let my blocked nostril stop me from doing my workout.  So I did my 5am workout and sure enough at the end of my workout it was completely cleared.  And whatever stuffiness I had left after the workout vanished after taking a shower.  So if you are battling with minor sinus stuff, try exercise and see what it does.

Day 24: There are more ways how exercise benefits our bodies. It helps to slow aging and build strong bones. It helps with digestion and regular bowel movements. ( I know, gross, but it is very important for your body to have them!) It helps with sleep, prevents cold/flu, reduces depression, improves memory, slows Alzheimer's, may prevent Parkinson's, increases lung capacity and energy, and alleviates pain.


Friday, December 2, 2011

Crazy week & Preface to Exercise

So Wednesday, I woke up with a scratchy throat and since my body seemed to be lacking sleep, I allowed myself to sleep in.  Same thing happened on Thursday.  But I decided on Thursday that instead of just allowing myself not to workout at all.  I rescheduled my workout for after work.  I am obviously fighting something and when that happens, I want to allow my body to get the most rest possible.  So Thursday afternoon I burned 400 calories on the treadmill.   While you do need to allow your body to get adequate rest when you are not feeling top notch, Exercise can also be helpful as long as you don't have a fever or a severe injury of some type.  If you are able to be up and move around, exercise can be helpful.  It can help you fight off whatever is trying to take over your body.  However, it is good to be mindful that some medications you may take might change the effects of exercise.  If you are battling a cold, be careful that you don't push yourself too hard because when you take a decongestant it already has increased your heart rate.  So be mindful of your body.  Read labels of any medications that you might be taking to see how it might effect your exercise.  Don't overdue it.  Your body needs enough energy to fight what you have got.  Maybe cut down on your exercise that week until you get better.  I know for me, that my breathing was a little heavier than usual when I was working out because of my congestion.  Don't push yourself too hard.  Get to a point where you might sweat a little to help release some of the toxins in your body and then back off.  If your body just doesn't have the energy, allow it to rest.  Eat soup, drink lots of water and tea, take a steamy bath.  Today, I do not have a scratchy throat, but I still have congestion.

Ok, so the next several days in Seven Pillars of Health covers exercise.  I am very excited to see what he has to say.  Exercise is probably the most difficult part of the weight loss and becoming more healthy. . . At least I have found for myself and many other women.  Some men struggle with this too, but I have heard that when it comes down to cutting out certain foods versus letting out their aggression in exercise, men tend to choose the latter. I have battled a lot with might weight since high school and in previous occasions when I have tried to lose weight, I found that it was much easier for me to lose weight with food and I would often skip the exercise because I did not like how hard it made me work!  However, in the past few years I have discovered that one without the other is actually causing more harm to my body then help.  Exercise is extremely important for maintaining a good weight.  As I have mentioned in my other blogs, it is important for your metabolism.  When you don't exercise or have continuous movement, you are not gaining muscle or burning fat.  If you have a desk job, you may find that you have to work a lot harder during your workouts because you are sitting most of the time at work. I know, I have been there.  And you know what, most of my back problems came about due to my sedentary lifestyle.  Ever since I have been working harder at incorporating exercise in with all of the other important stuff, I find that I feel so much better.

I know that I have not been blogging as much as of recent, but what can I say, it's a busy time of the year.  I will try to post at least once a week, if not more.  But with how busy life is currently, I want to be able to enjoy it.  I will try to at least post once a week to update everyone on what has been going on and continue with info that I am learning from SPoH.  And to finish off my blog today, I wanted to post a picture that just shows how much I have progressed in my journey.


This is a picture just to show how much I have progressed in a year and a half.  I could not do it without God, my wonderful husband, and all of you who show your support, encouragement, and keep me accountable.  I still have a long ways to reach my goal, but I am not giving up.  God does not give up on me and He deserves the best from me.