Continuing Forward.......

My 24 Day Challenge is over, and I've had great results with it.  The "challenge" is over, but my journey to being the healthiest and fittest "I" can be isn't!  Being fit doesn't end after 24 days, it is a lifelong journey, a lifestyle.  In my prior blog I shared my Christmas goal.  The 24 Day Challenge helped jump start me toward that goal, but it's up to me to continue forward to reach it.  So what am I going to do to get there?  Below is my game plan:

Nutrition:
Eating 5-6 "clean" meals a day, to keep my metabolism increased.
Drinking 96 ounces of water a day, to replenish my muscles, keep me satisfied, and flush out toxins.

Advocare Supplements:
MNS-3 (Metabolic Nutrition System)
SPARK Energy Drink
Catalyst (Amino Acid)
10-Day Herbal Cleanse (after Thanksgiving)
Meal Replacement Shake (breakfast)

Exercise (in addition to the classes I teach, I don't usually count those as my workouts):
Day 1: Heavy biceps/triceps/shoulders
Day 2: Stair Climber 30 minutes & abs
Day 3: Heavy legs
Day 4: Heavy chest/back
Day 5: Stair Climber 30 minutes & abs
Day 6: Cycle (I do count this class since I'm on the bike for an hour!) After this current session ends I will replace this with Stair Climber.
I'm also doing the Squat Challenge.  125 squats 3x a week!

Why am I choosing the stair climber?  I'm starting my training for the Fight For Air 70 Floor Climb in March 2013.   March 2012 was my first time participating in this event.  I climbed 70 floors in 12:28.  I placed 28th in my division and 224th overall (out of 826 participants).  My goal for 2013 is to finish in 11:00 or less!  As time goes on, I will increase my stair climbing time, and days.

Yep!  I reached the top in 12:28!!  Here's looking at 11:00 in 2013!!

My Christmas Goal

I'm always up for a challenge.  Most of the time, when I set a goal for myself, it's hard for me to reach that goal if I don't have a "reward" waiting for me at the end.  With that said, I have set a personal Christmas weight loss goal, and what better reward for reaching that goal then a super awesome pair of jeans!!

Now, here's the twist!  I already purchased these jeans!!  BUT, I purchased them in a size smaller than what I'm currently wearing.  These jeans are so small that I can't even button them!

I also paid $98 for these jeans, so trust me, I WILL fit into these jeans and wear them until they fall apart to get my $98 worth!!  Ha!!

My goal is to wear these jeans, comfortably, on Christmas Eve.  I'm afraid if I don't reach this goal my 14 year old daughter, who can already fit into them, is going to steal them away from me!  So, time to get to work!!  Stay tuned for updates and a final posting on Christmas Eve!!

What are your fitness goals for the end of 2012?  Post them in the comment section below, and together we will reach our goals!!

Free SPARK!!

GIVE AWAY TIME!!  Once my FaceBook page www.facebook.com/LivingFit hits 100 "likes" I am giving away a free box of Advocare SPARK Energy Drink (flavor of your choice!).  The winner will be randomly chosen.  Click on the FaceBook link above and "like" it.  Be sure to share this with your friends.  The quicker I get 100 "likes" the quicker I give away Spark!!

Pounds vs. Calories

A simple guide to go by when trying to lose weight.

Enjoy Thanksgiving, Without The Weight Gain.

It's that time of year again!  Christmas songs on the radio, community tree lighting, sales galore, holiday gatherings, and more.  Thanksgiving is just over a week away!  With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to lose time and difficult to stay on track with your fitness plan, but it doesn't have to be that way.  There is light at the end of the tunnel!  This holiday season, make a goal to stay on track with your fitness plan, while still enjoying yourself and indulging in the delicious tastes of the holidays.  How, you ask?  It's simple.  First, and most important, remember that it is a holiDAY!  NOT a holiWEEK, or a holiMONTH.  Enjoy yourself that DAY, and that day only.
Did you know that the average Thanksgiving meal is around 3000 calories?  You may be thinking YIKES!  But it's really not as bad as it sounds.  3500 calories equals one pound.  So, to gain one pound you have to eat an additional 3500 calories on top of your daily required calories.  In other words, if you eat 2000 calories a day to maintain your current weight, you would have to eat 5500 calories on Thanksgiving to gain one pound.  Thats a lot of calories!  How do you stay under 5500 calories on Thanksgiving Day?  It's simple, eat a clean meal for breakfast, and lunch (don't starve yourself all day so you can pig out at dinner!).  When it comes to dinner, treat yourself to whatever you want without over-indulging.  Eat until you're satisfied, not over-stuffed!  Drink plenty of water to help flush out sodium, and keep you satisfied.  If you want that piece of pie for dessert, have it!  If you're too full to finish it don't force it down, simply stop.
Okay, now here's the important part, once Thanksgiving is over, it's OVER!  Leftovers can get you in so much trouble!  With leftovers, you'll continue to eat this 3000 calorie meal for days!  Ditch the leftovers, and continue eating clean the very next day!  If you're hosting dinner this year, send the leftovers home with your guests!
Let's not only focus on the calories you're taking in, but also on the calories you're putting out.  Don't forget to continue to exercise during this holiday season!  Start Thanksgiving morning with a workout.  Wake up an hour earlier if you have to.  Not only will this help you stay within your calorie range for the day, but it will also relieve stress that can come with busy holidays.  Your day will go a lot smoother if you begin with a workout.  Also, workout the day after Thanksgiving.  Breaking a sweat will get rid of some of the toxins and sodium your body took in during that hefty dinner.  You won't feel so bloated, and you'll have more energy!

Being Consistent (and my new haircolor!)

So I am on day 24 of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge.  This is probably the longest that I've stuck with a single program.  Crazy....I guess I'm growing up and realizing that in order to see results you must stay consistent!  Who would've thought??  Heehee!  Anyway, whatever health/fitness program you decide is best for you, CONSISTENCY is key!  Being patient, committed, and consistent is what's going to make all the difference in whether you succeed or fail.  In the beginning of a new program you'll start to feel the difference, soon after you'll know that there is a difference, and with commitment and consistency, in no time you'll begin to see the difference!  We are all human, and it's okay to treat your taste buds and indulge in a treat every now and then, or to take a couple of days off from working out to give your body a break.....but, IT'S WHAT YOU DO NEXT THAT COUNTS!  After your treat, start eating clean again with your next meal, or after a break from your fitness routine, begin working out as if there was no break.  Always remember, the next step is the one that counts the most!

Side note:  I'm totally digging my new hair color!  I'm feeling pretty "sassy" these days!

My Favorite Fitness Apps

Wow, it's so amazing how much technology has advanced over the last few years.  iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, the list goes on and on.  Life is so much easier with all of this information right at our fingertips!  I no longer use pen and paper to write my grocery lists, my to-do lists, or even my workout logs.  I think it's funny to see the looks on my kids' faces when I tell them that there was no internet when I was in high school, and that we had to use books called encyclopedias to do our research with!  They are so amazed!
The information out there is endless, and included in this information is my favorite topic, Fitness!  There's a huge variety of fitness apps available, and a lot of them are free (the paid apps are only a couple of dollars or less)!  It amazes me how much information is available with the tap of a finger.  Fitness, fitness, fitness, oh how I love that word!  I have an iPhone.  A lot of the iPhone apps are also compatible with the iPad and iPod Touch.  Below are a list my 7 favorite fitness apps.  These are the apps that I recommend to my friends and clients, based on their needs and lifestyles.  These are also apps that I have used at some point and had great success with.  Although I don't currently actively use all of these apps, I keep them in my phone as a reference, and sometimes revisit them for information.

myWOD


This is the perfect companion for CrossFitters.  It includes a list of the most commonly used WODs that you can select from, or you can manually enter your own WOD.  With this app, not only can you record your WOD results, but you can also record your Max Weights, and Records.  I paid $1.99 for this app.




Fooducate


I love, love, love this app!  This is my grocery shopping companion.  This app has helped me in my weakest moments in the store.  You know, those moments when you see an item on the shelf that looks so yummy, and you say to yourself "oh, it won't hurt if I treat myself this one time".  It's during those moments that I click on Fooducate and scan the item that I'm drooling over.....and after about 10 seconds of reading the results, I place the item back on the shelf and walk away.  It's funny how your craving for a certain food immediately disappears once you read what those 15 letter ingredients actually are!  This app scans the food item, gives you all of the nutritional information, tells you the Weight Watchers Points Plus value, but then goes a step further and grades the item giving you an explanation of the grade along with warnings for particular ingredients in that item.  This app was free!

Restaurants from Unified Lifestyles

This is another go-to app for me.  I use this app when planning a dinner date with my husband or kids, or when making an unplanned stop at a restaurant.  It has hundreds of restaurants listed in alphabetical order, and gives nutritional information for items on their menu.  It also provides a map of where the restaurant is located!  This app was free when I downloaded it!




Dotti's Food Score


If you're counting Weight Watchers Points Plus (or the original Points Value), then this is a must have app.  Dotti's Food Score lists hundreds of restaurants in alphabetical order, it also has a search bar, and lists the Points Plus AND original Points Value for many items on their menu.  This is the perfect companion to help stay within your points range when going out to eat.  I paid $1.99 when I downloaded this app.


iTrackBites

For those of you who want to follow the Weight Watchers Points Plus (or original Points Value) plan, but can't afford the sign up fee and/or monthly meeting fees, this app is perfect for you!  It calculates your daily allowed points, your weekly allowed points, and your activity points.  You are then able to calculate and log all the food you have eaten.  It also includes a pocket guide, favorites list, and keeps track of your weight loss progress!  I paid $1.99 for this app.



MyFitnessPal


Calorie counter and diet tracker.  You first create a profile and input your current weight and your goal. MyFitnessPal will calculate and make a daily calorie recommendation from the information you provided.  It then allows you to log your daily calories, telling you how many you have left, or by how much you have gone over your daily goal.  It includes a VERY LARGE food database.  One of the largest I've seen!  Restaurants are also included in this database!  MyFitnessPal also includes a scanner to conveniently enter and calculate nutrition information for you.  You can also log and calculate the estimated calories burned during your workout.  Remember, not all calories are treated equally!  I've found that a lot of other important nutrition facts for food are not included in the database.  Always make wise choices!  This app was free!

RunKeeper


This was another go-to app of mine, before a sick knee put me on a break from running.  You choose your activity type; running, cycling, swimming, etc....of course, I chose running!  It then allows you to set a pace goal, and choose the playlist you want to listen to when working out.  You can set the frequency of pace and distance updates, and according the the frequency you set, an voice will sound giving you the distance, time, and pace, as well as how close to your goal you are.  I've tried other running apps, and this is the most accurate one I've come across.  This app was free!

These are my favorite fitness apps, based on my personal experience and opinions.  If you have a favorite fitness app that is not listed here I would love to hear about it.  Post your fitness app review in the comment section.  I will try it out as well and leave my feedback!