Attempted 21 day fix.....

I got the 21 day fix in the mail and began to follow along with the exercises. I found them challenging and they seem to be a great workout. However due to getting sick I put the exercising on hold. 

What  I did not like about the 21 day fix was the eating suggestions. When I did the calculations I should be at the lowest calorie intake for the day which is 1,200-1,499 calories. I instantly knew that was defiantly not enough food for me. 

I bumped my calories up 2 levels to 1,800 to 2,099. This was okay as long as I did not exercise or walk for the day. My Fitbit keeps track of the calories I burn throughout the day from walking and just being awake. I was burning an average of 1,954 calories a day simply from my steps and my normal resting metabolism.

Adding my workouts in, I was burning a lot more calories than I was consuming. I talked with some coaches from beach body and a couple told me that it is normal to be ‘hungry all the time’ at first and that after a while you get used to it and won’t feel as hungry.

This is fine if you are trying to lose weight….. however, this is not my intentions. I want to tone my body and gain muscle not lose weight. If I would have continued the strict diet I feel that I would have lost weight and became unhealthy. I am going to start back up with the exercises and eat healthier… but not as strict of an eating diet as they want. 

Getting to 10,000 steps

Getting to 10,000 steps a day can be really hard. Since I started the 10,000 steps a day for 30 day challenge I have been falling short of the 10,000 steps a lot! 

Here are some ways to help you reach your goal of 10,000 for each day...

• Take the stairs! 
• Break your goal into smaller goals!
• 10,000 is a HUGE number! I started today to break it down into smaller and more manageable goals. Here is my smaller goals:
• 300 steps from the time I wake up until I leave for work (about an hour)
• 2,000 steps at lunch time at work (about 3 hours into my shift)
• 4,000 steps after work
• 6,000 steps by dinner time 
• 8,000 steps by 8 p.m. 
• 10,000 steps by 10 p.m. 
• (If your mini goals aren't being reached add extra things into your schedule where it will fit and help you become closer to your goal.) 
• Add Jumping jacks, jumping squats, jumping rope, running or jogging (in place) into your morning or nightly routine.   (or both!!) 
•  Break chores into smaller sections that require some extra stepping. 
• Take walking breaks! 
• Go to the gym (if this wasn't already part of your day)
• Walk the dog/kid =)

Hope everyone is doing good with their steps! I hope now that I am done with all day (6/8 hrs) of training that I can get back on track!

My first time doing a little Yoga

I always hear people talk about Yoga but I have never really done any. I have the Wii which has yoga on it but I never really tried it. 

Last night during some of my ab work I decided to try a couple Yoga poses. I went to Yogabasics.com  and Pinterest (lol) to see a variety of poses. 

The first I did was the Plank =) one of my favorite exercises to do. I never really realized that it was a Yoga pose! I love doing plank challenges! They can be very challenging. 

Next I tried some simpler poses (I was a little tired from the ab work at this time).

First I tried was the extended mountain pose. This was a really nice pose to stretch and relieve some stress. 

The last pose I tried last night was the Downward Dog. This however did not turn out too well. I have tight hamstrings so I was not able to have my feet completely flat on the floor while doing this pose. I think I will keep working on this pose to help stretch my hamstrings. 

What Yoga Poses do you like to do?

Motivation Monday

It's the first Monday of the New Year!

Monday's can be pretty rough! It is already hard to find that motivation you need to achieve those New Years resolutions. 

A lot of my motivation comes from...

• Quotes on Pinterest
• People I follow on Instagram 
• Friends in my life
• My engagement ring (when I want to be lazy I look down and think 500 days a lot I want to do!)

Don't be afraid to start off small! Take the stairs or park a little further away.  Don't push yourself too much! Enjoy the workouts don't dread them!

I will be posting motivational quotes in a lot of my posts! I hope that throughout this year some of my motivation will help each and every one of you reach your resolution!

2015

Happy New Year!!!!

Yay! The first day of 2015! You ready for a challenge???

I saw this on Pinterest and couldn't resist! Who's with me? 1st day towards our resolutions! You can start with 1 of the exercises a day since there are 3 exercises.

I know it has burpees and a lot of people HATE burpees but I LOVE them!! They are a great full body workout! 

New Year New You!

It's that time of year again....       New Years!

Every year millions of people make resolutions to...

• lose weight 
• start exercising
• eat right 

How many people actually stick to this? My guess is not many. My advice, make your resolution realistic! Don't go crazy and say this year I will lose 100 lbs.. Yes it is possible but it could take major changes! Instead say my goal is to lose 20 lbs this year! By setting smaller goals they are easier to reach and if you go over your goal you will be EXCITED!!  

Another big tip! Figure out how you will reach your goal... 

• do 3 jumping jacks a day
• cut back on sweets
• take the steps instead of the elevator
• etc! 

Just remember! You got this!

My New Years Resolution is to get my body wedding dress ready! I want to tone my body so I can look perfect for my big day! 500+ days to go! I got this! A couple ways I will reach my goal

• reach 9,000- 10,000 steps per day
• eat well balanced meals
• go to the gym 
• workout at home 

What is your resolution??