Showing posts with label Workouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workouts. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2016

Free Workouts

For those times you're stuck at home and can't make it to the gym or don't have a gym membership!



Tuesday, September 1, 2015

What to eat before and after your workout

Have you ever felt confused about what to eat before you work out? Or what to eat after you work out? Fueling your body is one of the most important jobs you have, and one of the keys to losing weight. There's a lot of controversy over eating vs. not eating before you workout, and the best advice I have, is go with what you feel best doing. I personally like to get my workout done first thing in the morning, and I don't eat before hand. If I do eat right before a workout, I feel sick and sometimes throw up during my workout. Some people feel the same way when they don't eat, so try both ways, and determine what's best for you. If it is to eat before a workout, try waiting a half hour-45 minutes after eating, to workout.

What should you eat before a workout? Protein and carbs. I'm not talking a stack of pancakes and several pieces of bacon. Look for foods that have carbohydrates in them, like fruits. Lean protein, quality carbohydrates, low in fiber, and low in fat foods. Here's a list of good {small} snacks to eat before a workout.

Make sure you are getting plenty of liquids during your workout. I used to go an entire workout with out drinking water. I drank enough throughout the day, but drinking water during my workout has helped me a ton!

What should you eat after you workout? MORE protein! Not a LOT of protein, just protein in addition to the protein you ate before your workout, if you ate. (Once again, I try to get my workout done as soon as I wake up, so I workout on an empty stomach. Unless of course, I workout later. I always eat around an hour before I workout if it's during the day.)

Your body needs about 10-20 grams of protein after your workout to help your muscles recover. I also find that this helps keep me full longer.

Things to avoid at both times are foods that are fried, greasy, high in fat, high in sodium, high in sugar, large quantities, or even raw vegetables. 

Did this information help you? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Frog crunches


An ab workout I'd love to share with you is frog crunches. This video doesn't show how I've turned my feet and legs out, but it's important for you hips and makes it a lot more challenging. Lay on your back, put your legs up, and put your heels together, turning your feet and legs out. Bend your legs, and pull your upper body up trying to meet your knees. Do this for 60 seconds, break, and do it again for another 60 seconds. Your whole body is getting worked, and it feels GREAT!  

Do it, and let me know in the comments or message me and let me know what you think of this move!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Work it Wednesday

I have always loved working out, sometimes just the idea of it, sometimes the actual act. In middle school I did track and learned to love running. After high school, I stopped running and have struggled ever since to get back into it. I have felt weak and frustrated with my lack of endurance when trying to run after losing that drive when I was in college.

In high school, I cheered, and that helped stay somewhat in shape, although after I broke out of an eating disorder (for the most part) in my sophomore year, I put on the pounds that are just starting to come off! I never realized how much weight I gained until I looked back at pictures recently.

College was just like most peoples' experiences, I gained weight from eating a ton of quick and easy processed foods. I tried to eat healthy when I could, and even got a Gold's Gym membership. I HATE working out in front of people though. It was so overwhelming and scary to walk into a huge gym and have all these people around. I got a little to anxious and stopped going after a few times. What a major waste of money.

I first got introduced to Beachbody after that gym experience. I saw a commercial about Slim in 6, and I gave it a try. I liked it, and stuck with it for about 3 weeks, which was amazing for me! I never stuck to anything. And then I quit. I tried it again a few more times, and it's been in my movie box ever since. I loved that I could get results in my own home, without major machines or needing a ton of dumbbells. The program was a great price for the money. The only problem? I didn't have a coach who cared. I think he emailed me once.

I married my husband when I was 21. He was 22, so we were both young, working full time, and living in a dinky apartment. I was used to cooking big meals for my big family of 9 if I did cook, so I would make way too much food for the two of us. He ate so quickly, that I felt like I had to shove food down fast. Because we were both working, we also went out to eat, more times than we should a week. Thus began our joint weight gains.

I noticed my weight gain first. My clothes started getting snug, but I was a dental assistant and wore scrubs all day, so no big deal. We were struggling to get pregnant, and I found out I have Celiac Disease. I changed my diet for a few weeks, and BAM! Got pregnant. My husband got a job offer in another city, so I quit my job and we moved. I watched some children during the day, but not everyday, so for the most part, I just rested and swam and ate during my pregnancy. I quickly gained 70 pounds. I was so uncomfortable. I didn't feel like myself. I hated the way I looked. I couldn't wait to have my daughter and get all that extra weight off.

In September 2012, I had a c-section. I was determined not to let it hold me back. I started walking the same week I had my daughter, and all was good. Until I got postpartum depression. I felt immobilized with negativity about myself, my skills as a mother, my weight, everything you could think of. This went on for an entire year.

I remember the day my daughter turned 1, I had lost some weight but not enough, and I remember thinking, I wanted to be back to pre-pregnancy weight or lower by now. Everyone was having fun, and I just felt sick to my stomach. I was ready to break out of my funk.

I found a program the next day, and it took some time to decide if I wanted to try it or not, but eventually in January I did. The program consisted of prepackaged foods and eating every 2-3 hours. I learned a lot from this program, specifically from the doctor who designed it. But it wasn't right for me. You were discouraged to workout, or do minimal working out. I didn't like the idea of eating packaged foods when I'd read so much about clean eating.

I kept on the program until I got pregnant with my son. I had gotten down to about where I was when I got pregnant with my daughter, so I was happy, but not happy about getting pregnant already. It was tough for me to adjust. I started walking 4 miles a day with my mom, and I felt so strong, and so great. I did that until I was about 30 weeks along, and then brought it down to 2 miles a day. Then in the end, I started walking like crazy to get that baby out! He finally came a week late.

I only gained 30 pounds with him. It was more than I wanted, but I was being healthy and that's what mattered to me. I started walking again, and even added in some running here and there. I could only run a mile, and I felt like I was dying. I missed running for miles at a time, so I quickly got discouraged.

Then I got introduced to 21 Day Fix. I LOVE these workouts. I love working out in my living room, or in my bedroom. I love that my daughter can do it right next to me. I love that it's only 30 minutes. I love Autumn and how encouraging she can be. I absolutely love how quickly I saw results, and how easy it was to stick to the workouts. I've done the workouts since the end of April, and with a few exceptions, I haven't stopped! I'm now at a weight I haven't been at since high school. I have muscles and definition I've NEVER had. Like ever. I feel strong. I feel healthy. And I'm addicted! It's so awesome, I just want to share it with everyone (I guess that's how this post that was supposed to be small and about workouts blew up and became my whole life story...sorry!) Literally anyone can do these workouts! I have seen 90 year olds do them! I even know a lady in a wheel chair doing what she can! Anyway...

What you've all been waiting for, some videos of my workouts! (Don't judge me! I didn't work out the whole week before from being sick and it was my first day back into it!)



What has helped me stick to it this time? Having a great coach! This is something I'm striving to be as well. I can't force people to do their workouts, but I can encourage them, and listen to their struggles and help with solutions. So far, everyone has loved the workouts just as much as I have!

Interested in trying 21 Day Fix? Message me.


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