Keep your Monday In Motion!

Mondays can be such a drag. People are back at work and you are back to their grinding schedule. They can get so caught up with everything that they forget about themself. Here is one of my favorite exercises and it is great for Mondays when you "just don't feel like it". This is an exercise that works the whole body. I love it, it's great, and it makes you feel accomplished when finished. It can be a little challenging so I am posting pics at all different levels of fitness. This exercise is call knee tuck push ups or push ups with knee tuck. It is a whole body workout because you are in a plank position the entire time.

So start in plank position with arms fully extended, do a push up, tuck one knee in then back to plank, then the same with the next knee, and start all over again. Give it a try and see if you like them as much as I do (you may not at first and you may just develop a love/hate relationship with them, lol. Either way try it).

2)This option is the one I described above. She is
bringing her knee to her elbow but I bring it up
to my chest. It's up to you.  

     

1)This option is for beginners. If doing a tuck
with your foot off the ground is too hard
then tap your foot and bring it back.

4)If you are wanting to take it up a notch this will do it.
Find an elevated object. I often use my couch. Do the
same exercise just keep your feet on the object. 

3)This is the one I usually do the most.
When bringing her leg up she takes it
across her body. Really targets the obliques.

5) This is the mother of all push up knee tucks. Haha!
This one will require balance which will increase the
intensity of the exercise! I love this because
it's a challenge. Give it a try but don't get hurt.

So there you have it, 5 different options when doing this exercise. It doesn't show them doing a push up in every picture but you are suppose to. These pictures are many to show the different ways to do the tuck part of the exercise. If you are a beginner start with #1 and work your way to #5. It doesn't have to happen over night, so master one at a time and move on. If you want make it your Monday routine then start the first Monday of the month. Each Monday take the time to master one option of this exercise. The next month do the next step up. That's only 4 days out of the month and it will be a series of goals. Each month you have a goal of mastering the next level of this exercise and the duration of the long term goal is 5 months. Always have a goal, small and big goals, the world of fitness is never ending and full of challenges. As soon as you complete one goal there is always another to be met. 

More to come,

     Stay Fabulous!

Get that body moving!!

   It's so easy to get comfortable in a routine that doesn't involve doing much of anything. It's easy to get home from work and sit down in front of the computer or t.v. and not move for hours. It's a double whammy if you have a desk job where you sit all day then come home and sit at home the rest of the night. Every day we need to try to do something! Running, jumping, playing with the kids outside, yoga, spin class, Zumba, boot camps, hiking, and the list goes on.

Both of these pics give many suggestions on fun things to do. If you have never done some of these please give them a try. Get out of that comfort zone and see what your missing! You never know it might be your new favorite thing!

  

 It's also easy to get that way in life. Where we do the same things over and over and don't take any risks. We are so afraid of change that we just don't do it. We are afraid to put ourselves out there and see what happens. We are worried about what people think or what they might say about us. None of that should matter but sadly it does. We are so concerned about having other people's approval that we don't allow ourselves to do something we might end up loving! We need to start focusing on us and what we want in life and what we want to accomplish no matter anyone says. Not care if people are looking at us, not care if they laugh, not care if they have smart remarks, or stare at us. We need to find ourselves and what we love and get out of our comfort zones. Never give up and never let anyone talk you out of anything. 

More to come,

     Stay Fabulous!

Short on time? That's no excuse!

I don't always have time for a full workout. Like today I only had about 15 min to get my workout in. So I made the best of it. Made sure my heart was pumping and I got sweaty. I made sure to hit every body part so I wouldn't feel cheated.

Here's what I did:

60 sec. jumping jacks
60 sec. burpees
60 sec. bear crawls
60 sec jump squats
30 sec. right side plank dip
30 sec left side plank dip
repeat 2x 

Then for fun I did a 3 min. plank.

If you aren't sure what side plank dips are here is a pic to help out with that:

Start in a regular side plank position. Next lower your hip down to the ground but remember keep everything in proper form. Next you will lift your hip back up to starting position. Done. Now repeat until time is up. When people start getting tired they seem to start leaning forward, DON'T DO THAT!! Also make sure your shoulder stays over  your elbow to keep proper form. This exercise targets your obliques (love handles, muffin top, spare tire).






More to come,
    Stay Fabulous!

TGIF.... Thank Goodness I'm Fit

   When we think of being fit we usually imagine a person that is really ripped and you can point out every muscle in their body. That just isn't the case. What people fail to realize is fit comes in many shapes and sizes. It takes time for it to happen and it takes patience. We think after one workout we should see results. It just doesn't work like that. It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for friends and family, and 12 weeks for the world to take notice. So many time we feel down and upset that we are doing these things but not getting the results fast enough. I am not the most patient person so when I first started on my fitness journey years ago I easily got frustrated but then realized I just have to keep going.
   Just like you have to put the right kind of gas in your car for it to work properly, you have to put the right kind of food in your body to make it work properly. Just like you have to keep putting gas in your car you have to keep putting in the effort of you want to change the way you are/appear. No matter what stage of your fitness journey you're at just remember you deserve this! YOU are amazing and YOU will continue this journey.
   One thing that helps me at times is having someone to workout with. That can be a little tricky. You want to make sure that your fitness partner is on the same page when it comes to goals. You don't want someone that is going to get there and then not do anything. You don't want to be those people that stand at the machines and just talk and not workout. Trust me, no one likes those people. So make sure they are really wanting to workout and help you stay on track. I have a few people I can call when I need a little encouragement and company while I workout. It makes for a fun time, especially if it's a day that you just aren't feeling your workout.

Here is a workout I did with a friend not too long ago, we really enjoyed it!
60 sec. jump rope
60 sec. burpees
60 sec. upright rows (15 lb weights for us)
60 sec. uneven push ups
60 sec. lat pull downs (don't remember the weight)
60 sec. bicep curls (15 lb weights for us)
60 sec. in and outs (some call them crunchy frog lol)-pic below
60 sec. bear crawls
60 sec. mountain climbers
60 sec. V ups

We did this circuit twice and took 15 sec breaks between each exercise. It was a good circuit that day!

This is a great picture to show you how to do this exercise. I call them in and outs. You basically put your body in the shape of a V then fold your legs to your chest and tap your feet. It's more difficult than it looks. Another favorite of mine! Give it a try and let me know how you like it! WARNING: you make tip over. Haha, just thought I would tell you before you gave it a try for the first time.








More to come,
    Stay Fabulous!

Get in my belly

    Food, I love food. Which is a big deal for me. When I was younger I struggled with eating disorders. I had both anorexia and bulimia. I wouldn't eat and if I did I would throw it up. Looking back on it that was such a horrible thing but at the time it's all I knew to be right. The solution on how to fix the way I felt about myself. I got down to 89 lbs. and that is AWFUL!!! I have never been over weight but during that time I thought I was. The heaviest I have ever been (besides when I was pregnant, first pregnancy I was 118 lbs. second pregnancy I weighed 128 lbs.) was 122 lbs.and wearing a size 4. I am only 5'4" so to me I was huge. I am proud to say I now fluctuate between 107-111 lbs wearing a size 00-0. I can say that and be proud because I work hard for it and I do it the right way, the healthy way. I discovered my love of fitness, nutrition, and healthy living through my recovery. So, I guess in a way I'm thankful I went through that. Now I get to help people who struggle with the same insecurities that I once did.

    Now I'm a clean eater. That means I eat little to no processed foods. I make 95% of all my meals and snacks and do a lot of prepping. It sounds complicated and time consuming but it's not once you get the hang of it. At first I was very overwhelmed with it and it was complicated and time consuming. After 2-3 months it was much easier and I enjoyed it. I figured out a routine. My kids eat the same way, except when they go to the grandparents house, but they like the healthy meals and snacks. Now my favorite thing to do is come up with new and exciting recipes. My body thanks me for it. I know that sounds a little silly but I challenge you to go 2 weeks eating clean and see the difference in your body. They way it feels, the way you feel, your energy level, your attitude, your alertness, your immunity, and more. Now don't get me wrong I still like the way regular sugared up processed foods taste I just choose when to have them. I eat a cheat meal once a week. Not only does it give you that satisfaction of having what you can't have but it shocks the metabolism and gives it a little kick start again. See there is a method to the madness! If you were wondering my cheat is usually a huge piece of cheesecake. I can't help it!

    There is also a process to the way I eat. I eat every 2.5-3 hrs. Yes that is a lot of times to eat and yes it's a lot of food (in theory). However, it really isn't. I'm not eating huge meals every time. I more so snack all through out the day. I have a decent size breakfast of either oatmeal (real oatmeal not instant) with fruit and chia seeds or scrambled egg whites with turkey bacon. Every now and then I change it up. I'm not a huge breakfast person so I stick to the ones I know that are fast. Then I have my snacks in baggies or fresh fruit and most of the time all those are in my purse for easy access. I'm a busy working mom so most of my meals are on the go! Just because I am on the go doesn't mean I go through the drive thru of the fast food world.

    Here are a few tips on eating clean and often:

• Only eat real food- example real potatoes not boxed potatoes
• Prepare in advance - night before, days before, the week before
• Don't skip meals - skipping meals makes your body think it's starving and it will store your fat
• Keep it simple- buy tupperware that has several compartments so you meal goes in one thing
• Read labels- you will be surprised at the hidden ingredients 
• Make sure to drink plenty of water- enough is never enough

I hope this helps you get started on your journey of clean eating. I will post on it from time to time seeing it's my lifestyle. Below are a few pics of how I prep for the week!

To the left we have 14 almonds in each bag. 14 almonds equals 100 calories. So instead of buying those 100 calorie snacks you can make your own!
To the right we have prep meals. These were dinners and snacks when I had a night job. (Thank God that time has passed) Left side of the pic is my main course: Turkey burger pattie, spinach, asparagus, and brown rice. Top right baggies of fresh fruit and then 2 days I had a banana as a snack. Bottom right home made protein bars. Those are so good!

So your fridge will become an advertisement for tupperware and plastic baggies but that's a small price to pay for eating healthy! I have cut back on the plastic baggies, I didn't like the fact that I had to throw them away and they just stay in a landfill. So I bought small tupperware containers that I can use over and over.

More to come,
   Stay Fabulous!

Feel the burn!!

  The day I love/hate the most is the days that I put most of my focus on my legs. I don't really do certain body areas on certain days I pretty much do everything every time. When I work out I do a whole body workout but focus more on certain areas each time. However, leg workouts suck no matter what day you do them!
  Today's is not a crazy leg workout like I do sometimes but it was a good one. I liked it.

1 min. plank

25 jumping jacks

25 high knees

30 alternating lunges

repeat 3xs

1min plank

30 sec. mountain climbers

30 alternating donkey kicks

30 alternating fire hydrants

repeat 3xs

1 min. plank

                  25 pile squats (pic below)

15 jump squats

10 burpees

repeat 3xs

If you noticed I started with a 1 min. plank each time. I do that because once I start repeating it gives me a little break. Makes me feel like I'm cheating when I'm not. I should probably start upping my minutes when it comes to planks because 1 min. is very easy for me. I think I will increase that number from now on. 

With any workout that I do or suggest know that any and all of it can be adjusted to you and your body. Listen to your body and do what is best for you. If this is just way too easy add some weights (I probably should have I just wasn't in the mood to workout but knew I had to). If it is too hard for you take breaks or lower the amount of reps. I hope you at least try this little workout and most of all I hope you enjoyed it!!!

OK so the images to the left are showing you how to do a proper pile squat. Hand placement optional, I put mine on my hips or I touch the ground with my fingers to make sure I get good and low with them. In image (a) you are in standing position with toes pointed out and a little wider than shoulder width apart. In image (b) you are squatting down into position. 

Make sure your butt is back, chest is up, and knees are not crossing over your toes. That last check point about your knees is extremely important!! 

You will feel the pull in your inner thighs. If you don't then recheck your position. Toes pointed out, butt back (not like a regular squat where you pretend you are sitting in a chair), chest up and knees over ankles. 

Once you are in position (b) go back to (a) and continue doing that until you are finished with your reps! These are one of my favorite exercises. Hopefully this workout got you warmed up and helped you forget how cold it is outside right now!!!

More to come,

   Stay Fabulous!

Crazy Cold Weather? Let me help warm you up!

 
    Right now the kids and I are in MI. The weather is so cold. There is so much snow it's crazy! I am from GA so driving in snow isn't my thing. I'd rather stay at home and look at it from inside. However, you are required to shovel the driveways and side walks even if you aren't going anywhere so that gives you a little mini workout in itself. I'm not going to the gym due to the weather and the fact that the schools are closed so my kids are here with me so I need to work out at home. As you know from previous post I like home workouts too so I don't mind.

    Here is what I did today and I hope you try it out. It's a cardio blast and it will get your heart pumping I promise! It only takes about 15-20 min but you feel like you just did a hour.

30 sec. plank
30 sec. squat jumps

30 sec. burpees
30 sec. mountain climbers
30 sec. jumping jacks
30 sec. march in place
30 sec. wall taps
30 sec. alternating lunge jumps
30 sec. speed skaters
30 sec. plank

repeat 3 times with a 15 sec. at the end.

(You want to do as many as you can in those 30 seconds. Don't worry about counting just do it!)

Now if you need a break that's fine take it but make sure it's short. No longer than 10-15 sec and then continue with the next one. That list looks long but it really is only 5 min total. What I did was the whole routine and then took a break before I started again but it's totally up to you. Make sure you are listening to your body and if you truly need a break take a short one. Also try to push yourself because usually when you think you can't do anymore you can squeeze 2 more out!

It's a new year with new possibilities and I know a lot of people said that they were promising to workout and be healthier and it's day 6 so many people are already finding the excuse of the crazy weather to get out of their workout. I spoke to two who did that this morning. So, I thought I would post this to help keep you going with your goals in 2014. My goal was to stay dedicated to this blog and take to to places I never thought it could go and reach people I never thought it could reach! I want to help people and encourage them to stay strong and focused!! I hope to help so many people that I don't even know all the people affected. You have to go big or go home so that's what I'm doing with my dream!

More to come,
     Stay Fabulous!