Monday, March 26, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Week 3: Exercise Journal and Healthy Habits
Resources: The 7 Healthy Habits of Highly Fit People
http://www.answerfitness.com/39/the-seven-healthy-habits-of-highly-fit-people/
Week 3 is a 2 part challenge.
Read the article I posted about The 7 Healthy Habits of Highly Fit People. Hopefully you read it and take it to heart. This week we are going to incorporate two of the habits into our daily routines {by incorporating 2 of the habits, we are setting a healthy goal, which is another habit (the 6th habit), so essentially we are working on three}. This challenge goes from March 26th to April 1st. You will report whether or not you completed the challenge with your weigh in on April 2nd.
Healthy Habit #2: They Move
Part A - It's simple: Park far away.
It's only for 7 days: you can do this for 7 days! You may find you really like it and keep it going after that. Any excuse to get some physical activity is what we are going for.
People who seem to be perpetually in good shape not only eat frequently, but they move a lot. This seems elementary, but in a sedentary society, we are moving less than ever before.
Highly fit people don’t shy away from physical activity in their daily lives, whether that is walking when they could have drove or taking the stairs when the elevator would have been more convenient. If we walked more, and drove less, we wouldn’t have to spend as much time on the treadmill at the gym. Yet our daily lives are often arranged in such a way to discourage physical activity.
Highly fit people consciously go out of their way to find opportunities to move. Whether that is parking a greater distance away from the shopping mall, taking the stairs at work, or even picking up their pace when walking from meeting-to-meeting, you’ll always notice that fit people seem to be on the move.
They also find ways to get exercise that doesn’t always require spending time at the gym. Whether that’s recreational sports, walking the dog, swimming, running, yoga, Pilate's or even stretching at their desks, they understand that staying in-shape is a lifestyle, not just a kick” you go on.
B. Exercise Journal. Whether it is your weights and repetitions, or speed walking from the back of the parking lot into the grocery store, how much exercise are you getting? How are you going to improve and move more if you don't know? Write it down! If you are sunbathing and watching your kids swim...doesn't count. You jump in and swim laps with them, you can log it! Make a choice to move more and become more active. You should see progress from one week to the next, whether you run further, lift more, find a goal and work towards it. Exactly WHAT do you record? That is up to you, depending on your exercise goals, make it your own. If your goal is to get moving and become more active, write down all of your physical activities. If you're goals are more specific, that's OK. {Example: the past few months, I've been working on improving my speed. My journal is going to have the days I ran and how fast my mile was. Maybe you are trying to increase the weights on your chest press, if so yours would be the date with the amount of weights and repetitions.}
Healthy Habit # 7: They Record Their Progress
Healthy, highly-fit people keep track of their exercise so they can determine whether they are actually making progress toward their goal. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Most highly-fit people keep an exercise log of some sort or another. It may simply be a notebook where they write down each exercise, the weight and completed reps. Or it may be more formal, for example a store-bought exercise and fitness log or a sheet provided by their gym. There are even programs available for cell phones or PDAs that can help track progress.
One of the first pieces of advice I give someone who feels like they aren’t making progress with their workout routine or diet is to start an exercise and food log. Often, people aren’t working as hard as they think at the gym or they’re eating more calories than
they originally estimated. By keeping track of the details of your diet and workout regimen, you can have better visibility into potential stumbling-points and improve them.
Fitness-conscious people understand this, since meeting their goals means understanding that progress from the little improvements you make each workout. Unless you are tracking those improvements, you’ll find yourself stalled and frustrated.
Examples:
Person A: Her goal is to improve the time of her mile. This is what her Exercise Log may look like:
Monday 1 mile 7.06 minutes
Tuesday 2 mile 15.03 minutes
Wednesday 1 mile 7.04 minutes
Thursday 2 mile 15.02 minutes
Friday 1 mile 7.15 minutes
Person B: His goal is to get in as much physical labor as possible while doing outdoor productive activities.
Monday Cut down a tree, mowed the lawn, shoveled gravel
Tuesday Took down a fence, weeded the garden
Wednesday Planted new tree put up a new fence
Thursday Painted new fence, dug a hole
Friday Mowed the lawn again, shoveled dog poop
Person C: Her goal is to increase her distance running AND reps with strength training
Monday Ran 1/2 mile
Tuesday did 14 push ups, 10 pullups, and 5 minutes of walking lunges
Wednesday Ran 2 mile
Thursday Did 17 push ups, 12 pullups, and 5 1/2 minutes of walking lunges
Friday Ran 10 miles :)...Wow
http://www.answerfitness.com/39/the-seven-healthy-habits-of-highly-fit-people/
Week 3 is a 2 part challenge.
Read the article I posted about The 7 Healthy Habits of Highly Fit People. Hopefully you read it and take it to heart. This week we are going to incorporate two of the habits into our daily routines {by incorporating 2 of the habits, we are setting a healthy goal, which is another habit (the 6th habit), so essentially we are working on three}. This challenge goes from March 26th to April 1st. You will report whether or not you completed the challenge with your weigh in on April 2nd.
Healthy Habit #2: They Move
Part A - It's simple: Park far away.
It's only for 7 days: you can do this for 7 days! You may find you really like it and keep it going after that. Any excuse to get some physical activity is what we are going for.
People who seem to be perpetually in good shape not only eat frequently, but they move a lot. This seems elementary, but in a sedentary society, we are moving less than ever before.
Highly fit people don’t shy away from physical activity in their daily lives, whether that is walking when they could have drove or taking the stairs when the elevator would have been more convenient. If we walked more, and drove less, we wouldn’t have to spend as much time on the treadmill at the gym. Yet our daily lives are often arranged in such a way to discourage physical activity.
Highly fit people consciously go out of their way to find opportunities to move. Whether that is parking a greater distance away from the shopping mall, taking the stairs at work, or even picking up their pace when walking from meeting-to-meeting, you’ll always notice that fit people seem to be on the move.
They also find ways to get exercise that doesn’t always require spending time at the gym. Whether that’s recreational sports, walking the dog, swimming, running, yoga, Pilate's or even stretching at their desks, they understand that staying in-shape is a lifestyle, not just a kick” you go on.
B. Exercise Journal. Whether it is your weights and repetitions, or speed walking from the back of the parking lot into the grocery store, how much exercise are you getting? How are you going to improve and move more if you don't know? Write it down! If you are sunbathing and watching your kids swim...doesn't count. You jump in and swim laps with them, you can log it! Make a choice to move more and become more active. You should see progress from one week to the next, whether you run further, lift more, find a goal and work towards it. Exactly WHAT do you record? That is up to you, depending on your exercise goals, make it your own. If your goal is to get moving and become more active, write down all of your physical activities. If you're goals are more specific, that's OK. {Example: the past few months, I've been working on improving my speed. My journal is going to have the days I ran and how fast my mile was. Maybe you are trying to increase the weights on your chest press, if so yours would be the date with the amount of weights and repetitions.}
Healthy Habit # 7: They Record Their Progress
Healthy, highly-fit people keep track of their exercise so they can determine whether they are actually making progress toward their goal. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Most highly-fit people keep an exercise log of some sort or another. It may simply be a notebook where they write down each exercise, the weight and completed reps. Or it may be more formal, for example a store-bought exercise and fitness log or a sheet provided by their gym. There are even programs available for cell phones or PDAs that can help track progress.
One of the first pieces of advice I give someone who feels like they aren’t making progress with their workout routine or diet is to start an exercise and food log. Often, people aren’t working as hard as they think at the gym or they’re eating more calories than
they originally estimated. By keeping track of the details of your diet and workout regimen, you can have better visibility into potential stumbling-points and improve them.
Fitness-conscious people understand this, since meeting their goals means understanding that progress from the little improvements you make each workout. Unless you are tracking those improvements, you’ll find yourself stalled and frustrated.
Examples:
Person A: Her goal is to improve the time of her mile. This is what her Exercise Log may look like:
Monday 1 mile 7.06 minutes
Tuesday 2 mile 15.03 minutes
Wednesday 1 mile 7.04 minutes
Thursday 2 mile 15.02 minutes
Friday 1 mile 7.15 minutes
Person B: His goal is to get in as much physical labor as possible while doing outdoor productive activities.
Monday Cut down a tree, mowed the lawn, shoveled gravel
Tuesday Took down a fence, weeded the garden
Wednesday Planted new tree put up a new fence
Thursday Painted new fence, dug a hole
Friday Mowed the lawn again, shoveled dog poop
Person C: Her goal is to increase her distance running AND reps with strength training
Monday Ran 1/2 mile
Tuesday did 14 push ups, 10 pullups, and 5 minutes of walking lunges
Wednesday Ran 2 mile
Thursday Did 17 push ups, 12 pullups, and 5 1/2 minutes of walking lunges
Friday Ran 10 miles :)...Wow
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Week #2 - The Mile Challenge
Starting Monday, for 6 days, run/walk/jog/elliptical a mile a day.
{This can be replaced by a 1/2 mile swim or 2 mile bike}
Sounds simple enough, but remember this is your challenge, your competition. If walking 1 mile is easy, walk further, walk faster, or jog it. If jogging it is easy, run it. If running is easy...run faster...sprint part of it! This biggest loser competition is about pushing yourself harder, finding some healthy consistency and getting results.
Tip - Breaking it up
Exercising at the same intensity everyday can wear you down. Break up your schedule by going hard one day and a little easier and longer the next.
Remember this is only for 6 days. You can find time for a mile the next 6 days. On Monday, March 26th, when you report your week 3 weigh in, you will also report whether or not you completed your week 2 challenge.
If you complete the challenge you will earn 1 point. If you are the top loser of the week you will earn 3 points, 2nd place loser- 2 points, and 3rd place loser- 1 point!
More suggestions? Have advice on ways to get moving? Comment and share!
As a side note, I will be making this blog private this week so make sure you all have
your emails in to me.
Tools and Resources
How to run - perfect form. http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-run.html
{This can be replaced by a 1/2 mile swim or 2 mile bike}
Sounds simple enough, but remember this is your challenge, your competition. If walking 1 mile is easy, walk further, walk faster, or jog it. If jogging it is easy, run it. If running is easy...run faster...sprint part of it! This biggest loser competition is about pushing yourself harder, finding some healthy consistency and getting results.
Tip - Breaking it up
Exercising at the same intensity everyday can wear you down. Break up your schedule by going hard one day and a little easier and longer the next.
Remember this is only for 6 days. You can find time for a mile the next 6 days. On Monday, March 26th, when you report your week 3 weigh in, you will also report whether or not you completed your week 2 challenge.
If you complete the challenge you will earn 1 point. If you are the top loser of the week you will earn 3 points, 2nd place loser- 2 points, and 3rd place loser- 1 point!
More suggestions? Have advice on ways to get moving? Comment and share!
As a side note, I will be making this blog private this week so make sure you all have
your emails in to me.
Tools and Resources
How to run - perfect form. http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-run.html
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Week #1 - Food Journal
Do we eat when we're hungry and stop when we're full? Figuring out WHY we eat is the dietary core to losing weight and KEEPING IT OFF. Mastering our emotional eating and taking control of our diets leads to long term weight loss success.
Instructions:
Week 1 challenge comes in 2 parts A and B. Read thoroughly and carefully. This is personal so the journal will not be turned into me, but you will report to me if you completed the challenge next Monday, March 19th with your regular Monday weigh in.
Things You'll Need:
- Notebooks
- Pens
A. Recording Your Eating Habits
Monday-Friday (March 12- March 16)
Step 1
Record the day and time of everything snack, meal or beverage that enters your mouth.
Step 2
List the food and serving size at every snack or meal, with a different food or drink on each line. For instance, if you ate a hamburger, fries and a soda, list fries on one line and soda on another; then hamburger on the next line.
Step 3
On the same line, write down your reason for eating and your feelings during the meal. Were you really hungry? Bored? Upset?
Step 4
Make a note of where the snack or meal took place. Did you eat at home? At a fast-food restaurant?
B. Interpreting Your Journal
Saturday (March 17th)
Step 1
Determine your motivation for eating. Are you truly hungry when you eat? If not, are you eating for emotional reasons?
Step 2
Compare the types of food and portions you eat with the food pyramid. Do you eat well-balanced meals with good serving sizes? Do some areas have room for improvement?
Step 3
Take note of your eating habits. Do you eat regularly, or do you eat a little and then overindulge later?
Step 4
Use the above as guidelines to determine your problem areas, and brainstorm ways to repair those problems.
Tools and Resources for Week 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJFNlNdybKw
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/can-food-diary-help-you-lose-weight
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/food-fitness-journal
http://www.personal-nutrition-guide.com/support-files/food_mood_journal.pdf
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