How One Healthy Decision Creates Three Amazing Outcomes
If you haven’t been here long, you may not know that I believe that life is all about choices. The decisions we make are a direct result of those choices. And our lives are a reflection of those choices. I recently discovered how one healthy decision creates three amazing outcomes.
I’ll explain what I mean when I say “healthy decision” because those words could mean different things to different people. I’m pretty sure that all of us know what it means to make a decision However, it’s the word “healthy” that may be a bit confusing or ambiguous.
In short, when I use the word “healthy”, I’m referring to anything that has to do with your personal health. It could be financial health, mental health, physical health or nutritional health.
So when I say “healthy decision”, I mean an intentional choice to do something that will positively impact your health. However, it could also be an intentional choice to stop doing something that negatively impacts your health.
The Background
In October of 2022, I made a decision to drink more water. At the time, I had a half gallon jug that I carried pretty much everywhere. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I hadn’t consumed much water. I felt like such a hypocrite. I was ALWAYS talking about drinking more water. But I wasn’t doing what I told others to do.
I won’t get too deep into the steps I took, but I figured it out. I can’t say that I drink half a gallon of water every day, but I do drink way more water than I did last fall.
That one healthy decision – to drink more water – has created three outcomes that I didn’t expect. First, I’ll tell you what I looked like for me. Then I’ll explain how it could look for you.
Fitness background with bottle of water, apple, dumbbells, nuts, and tape measure on pink table
More Movement
Initially, the idea of drinking half a gallon of water each day was intimidating, but now it’s extremely attainable. Since I met that goal, I looked for more ways to challenge myself. I decided on a movement goal: 45 minutes of personal exercise each day.
I’m a fitness instructor who teaches six to eight classes, but when I’m teaching I’m not exercising. That’s not my time.
Finding time to get my personal workout done is impossible. I have to MAKE the time, to wake up early or move things around in my schedule to get it done. There are times when it doesn’t happen, but most of the time, it does.
More Rest
When I decided to get more exercise, I realized that would only happen if I woke up earlier eat day. That meant I would have to go to bed a little earlier, so I could wake and exercise at the beginning of the day.
Sleeping in means I won’t have time to work out early. If I don’t make time in the morning, I can almost guarantee that it won’t happen for me later in the day.
Because I know what time I need to get up in order to get to the gym in time for my swim or get out the door for my run, I know that I have to be in bed by a certain time in order for me to get the amount of sleep that I need. So I’m actually getting more rest than I did this time a year ago, even a few months ago.
Better Food Choices
Since I’m exercising more, I’m actually a lot hungrier than I have been, and that makes sense. I’m burning more calories, so my body needs more fuel to sustain itself. I find that I’m gravitating toward foods that are rich in fiber, anti-inflammatory and full of nutrients.
I want foods that are going to stick with me not bring my energy levels up way high before sending them crashing down. I’m not saying that I never eat junk food, but I’m more interested in the good stuff nowadays.
Will It Work For You?
If you had sat me down a few back in November and told me that I come mid-February, I’d be experiencing a snowball effect healthy outcomes based on my decision to drink more water, I wouldn’t have believed you. I think it will work for you to.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that if you decide to drink more water, you will have the exact same three positive outcomes that I have.
I am saying that positive healthy choices propel you forward and provide stepping stones that snowball into other things.
For example, suppose your healthy decision is to spend one less hour scrolling through social media each night. Maybe you use the extra time to pick up a hobby that you put down . That could lead to a clearer mind and better self-awareness.
The outcomes aren’t the focus; it’s the healthy decision that starts the ball rolling.
So figure it out. What’s that one healthy decision you’ve been putting off? Take care of that. Focus on that decision and only that decision. Before long, you’ll find yourself surrounded by more positive outcomes than you can count.
As always, I’m here to help if you need me.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!
I was always that if you eat after 8:00 pm, you’ll gain weight. Your body simply won’t have time to burn off the calories before you go to sleep.
As a result, I went to bed without eating quite often. However, I’d wake up between 11 pm and 2 pm, ravenously hungry. Then head to the kitchen to get something to eat, not caring where the calories went. I should note that eating after 8:00 pm didn’t cause me to gain weight.
Who Placed Deadlines on Daily Meals?
I’m not sure who came up with the magical time of 8:00 pm for evening meals to cease. I’m guessing it was a dietician or doctor who conducted a study. I would bet that the findings were for a specific group of people. It probably also had something to do with when people went to bed.
Someone probably took those results and applied them to the general population. Because the statement was backed by science, people assumed it had to be true for all people. But I would counter that.
As I’ve mentioned before, every exercise isn’t for everybody. In like manner, every bit of nutrition advice isn’t for every one either.
Why Am I So Hungry At Night?
Before we go any further, let’s discuss a few reasons that you may be hungry when you’re winding down for the day. There are two many reasons.
You’re actually thirsty.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the body doesn’t have a clear signal to let you know that you’re thirsty. Sometimes your stomach growls when you’re in need of liquids, but you think you’re hungry.
If it’s later in the evening and you feel hungry, drink 12 to 16 ounces of water and then wait 20 minutes. If the hunger returns, follow the guidelines listed later in this post. If if doesn’t, head to bed. You were just thirsty.
You’re under your calorie count for the day.
If you count your calories, then you know precisely how much you can eat at any point in the day. However, if you’re not a calorie counter, you may be surprised that you’re hungry at an odd time.
If you’re significantly under your calorie consumption for the day, your body will let you know. But you shouldn’t just eat anything.
Balance is the Key
I think everyone knows that they key to a healthy lifestyle is balance. Whether we’re discussing your work/life balance, a balanced diet or making time for both friends and family. Too much of one thing – good or bad – simply isn’t healthy.
If you’re wondering, “Can I eat after 8:00 pm?” The answer is, “Yes.”
If your next question is, “Won’t that make me gain weight?” The answer is, “It depends?”
What you choose to eat after 8:00 pm is just as important as what you chose to eat at 1:30 pm.
When choosing something to eat later at night, consider the foods that you’ve eaten through out the day. You may also opt for something healthy, like fruits or nuts.
Choosing What to Eat After 8:00 pm
If you’ve determined that you need to eat something after 8:00 pm, choose wisely.
If you have left over chicken fried rice or lobster ravioli, those might be a little too heavy if you’re going straight to bed. However, if that’s what you have a taste for, perhaps you could take a couple of bites and drink 8 ounces of water.
The best options for eating later at night are fresh fruits and vegetables along with some thing light.
Gaining weight if you eat after 8:00 pm doesn’t have to happen. If you make healthy eating choices for those late night cravings, you’ll be just fine!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!
Water consumption! Nearly every adult has said something like, “I really should be drinking more water.” But it’s easier said than done.
Sometimes it’s a bit more convenient to drink more water at work than it is at home. However, when you’re working from home for an extended period of time.
The Importance of Water Consumption
It’s a bit perplexing that a colorless, tasteless liquid can be so refreshing, but there’s nothing quite like a cool glass of water on a warm day. However, we don’t just need water for refreshment and rehydration. Water helps maintain our body temperature. It also removes toxins and wastes from our bodies. If you want a clear, less oily complexion, more water may be the secret. Drinking more water before or during a meal could result in eating less food.
Tip #1: Get a Clear Water Bottle
Water bottles come in all sorts of styles, colors, and shapes. But all of them were designed to keep you hydrated on the go. I’ve discovered that the best water bottles are those that are clear or see-through. Why? When you’ve decided to start drinking more water, it’s important to be able to access your progress very quickly. A brief glance at a see-through or clear water bottle lets you know whether you’re right on track or you need to take a sip.
Tip #2: Take Your Water Bottle EVERYWHERE
The easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough water is to drink during the course of the day. The best way for you to do that is to take your water bottle everywhere you go. That means, your water bottle is going to be your most popular accessory. It should go with you to the grocery store, to church, to every work meeting, to social events…everywhere. It should be such a part of you that if you’re without it, people actually ask you where it is.
Tip #3: Set Checkpoints During the Day
When I was younger, I was told that everyone should drink eight 8 oz glasses of water each day. I thought that 64 oz (or half a gallon) was a lot. During my personal trainer coursework, I learned that we should be drinking half of our weight in water. So if you weight 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces of whatever every day. That was overwhelming.
I discovered that the best way to get all those ounces of water consumed is to work within the idea of checkpoints. Suppose you wish to drink 80 ounces of water each day, and you have a 16-ounce water bottle. You would need to drink empty that water bottle five times in the course of a day. That may seem impossible.
However, you could use 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm as checkpoints. Then you could aim to drink 16 ounces of water within each of those time frames. Drinking 16 ounces every three hours makes drinking 80 ounces in a day, a reality.
One Last Tip…
If you’re still having a little troubled drinking more water because you don’t like the tase, spice it up a bit. Add a little lemon juice. Or maybe some sliced fruit like strawberries or limes.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
This time of pandemic has greatly impacted how we do life. By now, many of us have adjusted to working from home. Or we work an essential position with a variety of different adjustments and new restrictions. But what about the kids, though. They’re missing out on recess, physical education, and youth sports. This week, I simply want to share a few fun family fitness ideas.
What is Family Fitness?
Family fitness isn’t all that different from personal fitness. Personal fitness is simply a person making the decision to get fit. Family fitness is nothing more than a family making the decision to get fit together. They could hire a personal trainer and have group sessions. It’s possible that they could attend the same fitness classes. However, the following options may be more appropriate for younger children. And they are definitely more applicable to our current situation
Play Tag
Most kids LOVE playing tag, but not the way you remember. When I was a kid, tag was simple. Someone was “IT”, and everybody else ran away from that person. If you made it to “base”, you were safe. If you got tagged, you were “IT”.
You don’t have to worry about coming up with new tag games on your own, though. Your children can probably teach you variations from recess our their PE classes. If not, check out these 10 Fun Tag Games for Kids.
Create Your Own Olympic Games
For the first time in history, the summer Olympic Games will be postponed, but your family can host your own version of the international sporting event. Simply pick categories like running, tossing, or jumping. Then create events that you can do around the house using minimal equipment. For example, you could have a paper towel toss or do rolled sock golf.
Don’t forget to include a scoring system and medals.
Geat a Daily Dose of Fresh Air
Maybe your family just isn’t into physical activity. The idea of running around playing tag or going all Olympian just doesn’t appeal to you…at all. You can still promote family fitness by making a commitment to getting some fresh air every day.
You could by walking five minutes away from the house before turning around and walking five minutes back. It might be surprising how accomplished you’ll feel. Who knows? You may even want to extend that walk the next time.
Keep It Moving
If these fun family fitness ideas work well for you, let me know. If you come up with your own fitness ideas, I’d like to know that, too. It doesn’t really matter what you do to keep your family fit. Just get out there and get moving!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
Years ago, I dreamed of working from home. I desired to be in charge of my own schedule and make a living doing only what I wanted to do. Since we’ve been “on lockdown” the past few weeks, my dream has come true; it just doesn’t look the way I thought it would. Beyond that, there’s one aspect of working from home that I’d never really considered until now: naps. I’ve realized that are significant pros and cons of naps that you might be interested in learning.
The Negatives of Naps (aka The Cons)
Let’s start with the bad news. There are definitely a few cons that should be mentioned before you settle in for your nap today.
Con #1: Inability to Sleep at Night
Last week, we discussed How to Avoid the Quarantine 15 last week. The first two things we talked about were getting enough sleep but not getting too much sleep. We normally take naps when we’re tired. But super long naps or naps that are too late in the day, aren’t good. They keep us up at night.
Con #2: Grogginess
Naps are thought to help you catch up on some rest or give you a boost of energy. That’s not always the case, though. Sometimes after a nap, you feel groggy or cranky.
The same Texas A&M article also stated that long naps have the potential to increase our risk of death.
The Positives of Naps (aka The Pros)
There is a wealth of research on the benefits of napping. In fact, it was a little difficult to restrict myself to just five. Even so, I think I found the five pros that will bless your soul.
Pro #1: Resembles a Mini-Vacation
According to the National Sleep Foundation, “A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.” I couldn’t have said it better, so I let them take that one!
Pro #2: Boosts Energy (and Saves Money)
This one may seem like a stretch, but it’s not. A lot of people hit a slump sometimes after lunch. Our energy seems to have evaporated, but we need to stay awake. So we spring for a drink or snack that will give us the kick we need to make it through the day. A quick nap can actually boost your energy…allowing you to save a little cash each week.
Pro #3: Relieves Stress
The National Sleep Foundation said that we can lower tension by taking short naps. A variety of other sources indicate similar findings. In fact, one article said that even five minutes of rest has a positive impact on stress.
Pro #4: Improves Memory
Sleep experts say that sleeping at night helps make our memories stick, so we can bring them up in the future. Other research studies have shown that taking longer naps has the same effect on memory consolidation.
Pro #5: Improves Your Appearance
I’ll bet you’ve looked at a friend or co-worker and thought, “They need some sleep.”
We can tell when people aren’t well-rested. There are dark circles under their eyes. And they just look…tired. Napping can help out with that. Sleep restores and rejuvenates our bodies. So if you think you look tired, you might just need a nap.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Nap
As you can see, there are some legit negatives against and some compelling positives for napping. There are additional pros and cons of naps that aren’t listed here. One expert says that naps are detrimental to your health, and another states that naps can help you lose weight. You will need to decide for yourself. If you notice that you don’t sleep well when you take naps, then avoid them. However, if naps help you feel energized and alert, keep doing what you do. The choice is yours alone.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to think that these shelter-in-place orders and work-from home options, may have a negative impact on my waistline. Everyone knows about the Freshman 15. Those extra pounds that a lot of people tend to gain during their first year at college. I recently saw someone joking about the “Quarantine 15” and had an idea! Why not write a quick guide about how to avoid the Quarantine 15.
I know that I’m not alone when I say that my schedule has drastically changed during the past month. Some of the changes have been good. Like not being constantly on the go, and saving money on gas and eating out as a result. Then there’s the added bonus of spending more quality time with family! I’m guessing you can probably relate to some of those. You may even have some positive changes that are a bit different than what I shared.
The Flipside
Of course, there’s always a flipside.It seems that for every positive there’s at least one – maybe even two negatives. Like I’m not able to burn extra calories by swimming twice a week or teaching multiple fitness classes. Or being in super close proximity to foods that were supposed to be my quarantine snacks for the next several weeks. How about spending the overwhelming majority of my work day sitting at a computer, when I used to be up and about all day? I’m sure that you have some that are even more frustrating than mine.
The point I’m trying to make is this: our current life is way different than it was six weeks ago. Most of us have become quite sedentary, yet we’re eating the same amount of food or perhaps more than we used to. (Confession: I made a two-layer cake a couple of weeks ago and ate the whole thing in less than a week without sharing it with anyone.)
No one knows how long, we’ll be living life this way, so it’s probably best for us to create some new habits now. What follows are 10 tips on how to avoid the Quarantine 15. Every tip may not work for everybody, but I hope you’re able to find something that works for you.
#1: Get Plenty of Sleep…
Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and weight gain. During this season when most of us don’t have to be up at O’ Dark-thirty to get ready for work (or head to the gym before going to work), it’s really tempting to stay up much later than normal. However, since we’re creatures of habit, most of us still wake up at our formerly “normal time” even though we don’t have to.
Perhaps we should consider going to bed as close to our normal time as possible, just so we can still get enough sleep. According to the Sleep Needs article from HelpGuide.org, the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. One way to help ensure that you get enough sleep is to turn off the alarm clock and let your body wake up when it’s rested.As long as you get in bed at a decent hour, you should be able to wake up refreshed with plenty of time to get ready for that 8:00 virtual team meeting!
#2: …But Don’t Get Too Much Sleep
Believe it or not, there are also studies that show direct links between too much sleep and weight gain. If you read that part from the previous section about adults needing up to 9 hours of sleep, you may be thinking, “That’s waaay too much sleep for me.” According to that same article, if you’re alert and energetic all day, then you’ve had plenty of sleep. However, Matt Valentine’s Goal Post article about “6 Signs You’re Getting Too Much Sleep”, let us know that fatigue is a major sign of sleeping too much. So if you wake up tired and are completely exhausted after nine hours of sleep, maybe you should try seven or eight hours next time.
#3: Create a New Routine
Do you know what I finally realized this week!?!? Since I don’t have to be up super early, I don’t need my alarm, my secondary alarm or my final warning alarm to make sure I’m up on time. So I turned them all off. In addition to that, it occurred to me that it’s both pointless and impossible to try and maintain my old daily routine. So I created a new one.
How does creating a new routine fight weight gain? There’s a huge chance that when you realized your old schedule just wasn’t possible anymore, you sat around and snacked all day like I did. However, when I created a routine things changed. I something to do at a specific time, and it helped give me a sense of accomplishment.
If you’re not into routines or schedules, try making a list of ten things you want to finish each day. You might be surprised how great you feel at the end of the day.
#4: Plan Your Meals – And Stick to the Plan
I realized quite a while ago that I have a very interesting relationship with food…I eat it all the time. In a way, it makes sense. I mean, I typically teach five super intense fitness classes each week. Plus after running up to four times a week and swimming twice, I burn a ton of calories, so I need to eat to replace what I’m using.However, I take my food to work with me, so when I’m done eating them, there’s nothing left.
The food game has changed since I now work where the food lives. I’ve really had to be intentional about what I’m eating and when I’m eating. Now more than ever, it’s really crucial to focus on meal planning and meal prep. But more than that, we need to self-control to ensure that we only eat what we’re supposed to eat at a given meal or snack time. This is one of the best ways to avoid the quarantine 15.
#5: Switch to Daily Weigh-Ins
I am a HUGE fan of weekly weigh-ins to make sure you’re on track with your fitness journey. A lot can happen in a week, so making sure you have a dedicated time to check the scale helps you see the changes you need to make the following week.
Now that so many of us are working from home, there’s a lot that has the potential to happen from a food consumption standpoint each day. For that reason, it may be worth it to step on the scale once a day for the next month or two.
The focus isn’t so much weight loss as it is maintenance. The goal is to keep it the same from day-to-day. I’ve found that knowing I’ll face the scale first thing in the morning causes me to have a really thoughtful conversation with myself when I head to the kitchen for something to eat. I ask myself things like, “Am I really hungry? Do I need this or do I just want it? Are there any healthier options for me right now? Is this going to make me tip the scale on the heavier side if I eat it?”
Don’t have a scale? You can still monitor your weight by using a tape measure, taking pics of yourself and trying on “real” clothes to make sure they still fit.
#6: Drink Plenty of Water
I’ve said this before, but the body doesn’t have a die hard way to let us know that we’re thirsty. Sometimes our mouths are dry or our throats are parched, so we drink a little water.But did you know that a growling stomach doesn’t always mean that your body needs food?
The next time you think you need something to eat in order to satisfy your hunger, slowly drink 8 to 12 ounces of water and wait about half an hour. If the hunger pangs go away, you were simply thirsty. If they persist, you really could use a healthy snack.
Experts say that we should drink half of our weight in water, so if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 oz of water each day. Drinking enough water does some amazing things for you. First off, it helps clear up your skin. Secondly, it actually energizes you! Finally, it helps release toxins and wastes in your body which positively affects your overall health and can assist in maintaining your weight. All o that will help you avoid the quarantine 15.
#7: Schedule Three Rounds of Physical Activity Each Day
One thing many of us have right now is an abundance of time. Even though we’re working from home and helping children finish out their school year at home, we still have a ton of time because there aren’t sports practices and games to get to; we can’t go to church anymore and every form of entertainment is shut down. We’re really tempted to sit in the house and watch TV or cruise social media after the work day/school day is complete. But all that sitting is not going to help us avoid the quarantine 15.
We have to get moving, and the easiest thing to do is plan three rounds of physical activity each day – making sure that each round is a minimum of 10 minutes. If you have a dog, you can walk your dog three times a day. If you have young children, you can play tag with them for ten minutes, ride bikes or just take a walk. Turn on some music and have a dance off. Just commit to get moving for ten minutes three times a day every day.
#8: Break a Sweat for 30 Continuous Minutes
Strongly consider changing one of those ten minutes sections from the previous section to a thirty-minute exercise session that’s going to raise your heart rate and make you sweat. Run, dance or ride a bike. Head over to my YouTube channel and do five of the six-minute workouts. Join one of my online Zumba classes (just comment on this post to let me know you’re interested). Or google someone else’s workout videos.
Just break a sweat for thirty minutes a day to fight off that quarantine 15.
#9: Limit the Amount of TV Time
I’ve already hinted at this a couple of times in this post, but sitting there watching TV all day isn’t going to help anyone avoid gaining weight at this time. Why? Most folks don’t workout while watching TV. (I know I typically don’t.) Plus most of us like to snack while we’re watching TV.
If you’re having trouble finding time for that thirty minute sweatfest I mentioned earlier. Turn off the TV, take a break between episodes of whatever show you’re binge watching and get your workout on.
OR you could alternate between squats, lunges, jumping jacks, and burpees while watching one of the episodes. That could be really fun!
#10: Switch Refined Sugars for Natural Sugars at least Twice a Week
Let’s face it! It’s going to be hard not to snack, so let’s do so wisely.
I have the worst sweet tooth in the world. I rarely buy sweets or make them because they’re gone almost as quickly as I make them. Remember the cookies I mentioned?
However, I’ve learned that my taste buds enjoy natural sugars, like fruit and honey, as much as it enjoys refined stuff. So I would challenge you to take a couple of days each week to avoid refined, processed sugar and only eat natural sugars…just go easy on the honey.
How’s It Going?
Now that you have 10 tips to help you avoid the quarantine 15, I want to know how’s it going. Click the pink banner below to join the Facebook group, and let us know which tip is your go to!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Body Weight Training! I know that I said that before, and I’m sure that I’ll say it again. Here are 3 incredible benefits of bodyweight training.
#1: Affordability
Bodyweight training is extremely affordable! Why? You always carry everything you need for every workout. There’s no need to invest in a home gym. You won’t need any weights or fancy equipment. All you need…is you!
#2: Accessibility
You can workout any time and anywhere! You can perform bodyweight exercises at your desk, in your living room, in a hotel room or in your back yard. Instead of waiting for the gym to open, you can work out first thing in the morning!
#3: Adaptability
When you’re performing bodyweight exercises, you’re not stuck. You don’t have to do a particular exercise a certain way. There are tons of options for nearly every type of bodyweight exercises. Take jumping jacks, for instance. If you have mobility issues or prefer low-impact exercises, you can do one-legged jumping jacks. On the other hand, if you want to up the intensity, you can alternate jumping jacks with stars jumps.
Summing it all up…
There are far more than three benefits of bodyweight training. However, I wanted to showcase the three benefits that are most applicable for getting fit at home.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
If you’ve been checking in for the past few weeks you know that I’m a huge fan of both Body Weight Training andTabata Training. I almost got a bit carried away last week and went into information overload. Then something occurred to me! I could continue that conversation by weighing in on the benefits of Tabata Training.
Although there are countless benefits of Tabata Training, I will only focus on four that simply cannot be denied.
Benefit #1: Improves Aerobic and the Anaerobic Energy Systems
Aerobic means “with oxygen”. The aerobic energy system requires blood or oxygen to operate. Aerobic exercises are typically continuous, repetitive movements that greatly benefit the heart.
Anaerobic means “without oxygen”. The anaerobic energy system doesn’t require blood or oxygen to operate. Anaerobic exercise typically includes intense physical activity, and usually can’t be done for a long period of time.
Tabata Training allows you to activate both systems simultaneously so that you improve both your endurance level as well as build muscle.
Benefit #2: Easy to Customize Workouts
One Tabata round is four minutes long. It consists of eight 20-second rounds that are each followed by a ten-second rest period. You can do one exercise for all 8-rounds. Or you could do four rounds of two different exercises. You could even opt for two rounds of four different exercises…it’s all up to you.
Tabata workouts are extremely easy to customize. If you know you’re only going to have to exercise for 20 seconds, that really opens up tons of possibilities. You can include exercises that you either don’t like or you can’t do for a long period of time.
Benefit #3: Experience “After Burn”
Like other forms of high-intensity interval training, Tabata Training works on the theory of EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption). In other words, once the workout is complete, your body still continues to burn calories.
Admittedly, it’s a bit more technical and scientific than that. However, to help put this in perspective, other forms of exercise don’t work that way.
When you’re done running, you stop burning calories. The same goes for swimming and other forms of cardio (aerobic) based exercise form.
Since Tabata Training activates both the anaerobic and aerobic systems, it allows the body to respond differently to exercise.
Benefit #4: Burn Tons of Calories
The average person burns about 100 calories per mile, so if someone were to run for 20 minutes, they could burn up to 200 calories, provided that they were able to run ten-minute miles. However, that same person could burn about 15 calories per minute when participating in a Tabata Training workout.
In other words, a twenty-minute Tabata Training workout could allow someone to burn 300 calories during that workout out. T
he key to burning more calories lies in the intensity of your workout, so be sure to give your all during the twenty-second exercise round, so you can burn the most calories possible.
Talk is Cheap
You’ll be able to find several Tabata style workout video on the Get Fit with Charity YouTube Channel. I want you to experience the benefits of Tabata training first hand.
I can’t wait to start working out with you!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
Yesterday was my birthday! So I thought I’d weigh in on how to handle birthday treats. That way you’ll have a guilt-free birthday when you’re on your fitness journey.
When you’re younger, birthdays are the best! There are parties with your school friends. Parties with your other friends. Family celebrations. And TONS of presents.
When you’re older, birthdays sort of lose their pizazz! They do nothing more than remind you that you’ve gotten year older.
That’s why I did some research several years ago and discovered a bunch of places to go for free stuff on your birthday. Then I looked a little deeper and found even more free stuff for your birthday.
I joined pretty much every birthday club on my lists…and a few more. As a result, I have nearly twenty birthday coupons to redeem and most of them are food-based. I’ve been struggling with how to celebrate my birthday responsibly without overindulging in sweets and other foods that I probably shouldn’t be eating.
Even though you may not have as many coupons to redeem, I’m sure you can probably relate to the challenges associated with food-based birthday celebrations – whether you’re celebrating your own birthday or the birthday of a friend or loved one.
I’ve come up with three tips for guilt-free birthday celebrations.
Tip #1: Allow Yourself to Celebrate
Healthy eating doesn’t have to only consist of fruits and vegetables. It’s okay to eat sweets and not so healthy foods…on occasion. If you have a ton celebrations to attend or coupons to redeem, simply set some limits and decide what will and will not do. Giving yourself permission to celebrate actually releases you from guilt and enables you to truly enjoy your day!
Tip #2: Pace Yourself
Although your birthday only happens once a year, you can redeem some of your coupons up to four weeks after your birthday! That means you won’t have to cram all of those desserts and free meals into one day. You can space them out over a month, so that you’re still able to maintain a sensible eating plan and avoid feeling guilty.
Tip #3: Share Your Gifts
Let’s be real for a minute. One person doesn’t actually need to consume five free desserts, three free drinks, two free meals and three free appetizers on their own. That’s a ton of calories – most of which will do more harm than good. If you share your treats with friends, you’ll have the opportunity to have a totally guilt-free celebration and still enjoy your special day.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
The most recent post about 3 Places to Find Motivation really had me stuck in my past. When I took my own advice and seriously considered things I used to do that helped me feel my best, there was one thing that came to mind: counting calories.
This week I’m weighing in on counting calories because it is essential on the journey to get fit. Before you can make changes to what you’re eating, youhave to know what you’re eating.
I know that it might sound a little nerdy, but I really did count every single calorie that I consumed for about two years. However, I can assure you that it wasn’t as intimidating as it sounds. I simply used the My Fitness Pal app to keep track of the calories I consumed as well as the calories I used. After that last post, I was inspired to start counting those calories again, and I haven’t missed a morsel. Over the past few days, I’ve realized that there are six outcomes of counting calories that may catch you by surprise.
1. You’ll want to move more.
When you initially sign on with My Fitness Pal, they ask you a ton of questions to get to know what you’re hoping to accomplish; they want to help you meet your fitness goals. Then they’ll let you know how many calories you’ll need to consume each day in order to reach those goals. If you also log your exercise (or link a fitness tracker), your calorie count will be readjusted, and you’ll be inspired to move more just to see the numbers change.
2. You’ll start thinking about portion sizes.
If you want to get an accurate calorie count, you’ll need to enter the correct portion sizes when you add your meals. It won’t take long for you to be completely astounded by portion sizes. In some cases, you’ll learn that the portion sizes of some foods are much smaller than you think is appropriate. In other cases, the portion sizes are much larger than you can eat. You might even start making different choices about food based on what you’re logging in the My Fitness Pal app.
3. You’ll consider options with fewer calories.
When you realize that some serving sizes are rather small, you’ll have to make a decision: are you going to eat the foods that might cause you to go over your calorie limit or will you eat something else that’s perhaps a bit healthier and just as tasty, but with fewer calories? If you’re anything like me, you’ll go with option 2…or at least eat half of option 2.
4. You’ll realize which foods you need to limit or eliminate.
Before I started counting calories again, I knew that I had an unhealthy relationship with sugar, but counting calories has really caused me to see just how much refined sugar I eat. I’m starting to see that I need to replace sugary foods with natural sweets like apples and oranges. When you start counting calories, I’m sure you’ll notice some trends in terms of foods you need to cut back on or foods you need to add.
5. You’ll probably start planning your meals.
While you’re trucking along taking care of business, you might have a day or two where you don’t log your calories right away. As soon as you log what you had for dinner, you realize that you are dangerously close to going over your limit for the day. In order to make sure that doesn’t happen again, you might start planning your meals in advance. That way you’ll at least know your calorie baseline for the day.
6. You’ll think twice about mindless snacking.
When you have to log every morsel of food that you eat, even samples at the grocery store, you might not be so willing to snack on those samples…regardless of how enticing they are.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
