Just keep swimming… swimming… swimming…

After the enlightening Dr. Oz that I watched last week (which I commented/blogged about afterwards) and the episode’s topic focused on the book:

The Tools: Transform Your Problems Into Courage, Confidence, And Creativity

by Phil Stutz, Barry Michels

I have been trying to maintain their weight loss attitude, and practice the following exercise:  Remind myself when I am hungry and want to eat everything in sight… that this hunger is my bodies way of reminding me that I am on a diet… and that it is working!  If I wasn’t hungry, I wouldn’t be losing weight, and therefore I would not be part of a successful diet!

(Now I also keep in mind that I am not supposed to starve myself!)

So currently, I am sitting at my desk in my office, writing this message to reinforce the voice in my head that is trying to repeat this mantra with confidence!  I am going to go eat a snack, because my tummy is terrified, but I am not going to overinduldge, because I actually want to feel this pain (just on a slightly lesser scale), because I enjoy knowing that it is working!

10 hours ago  /  0 notes

Jillian Michaels on Cardio Fat Burning Zones

Ever notice the color-coded exercise “zones” listed on cardio machines? There’s a “fat burning” zone, an “endurance training” zone, and so forth. The colors look nice, but how many times have you chosen the “fat burning” zone and watched as your fat stayed put? That’s because fat-burning programs keep you at a lower intensity level, when to lose weight you really need to burn big calories. That only happens when you exercise at a higher-intensity level.
Let’s look at the math. In a half hour of low-intensity exercise, you might burn 100 calories. Of those 100 calories, roughly 80 percent will be fat calories, meaning that you’ve burned 80 fat calories. In a half hour of high-intensity exercise, you might burn 300 calories. Of those 300 calories, roughly 33 percent will be fat calories, meaning that you’ve burned around 100 fat calories.

Get it? Even though the percentage of fat calories burned is higher during a low-intensity workout, you’re burning so many more total calories during a high-intensity workout that, percentages aside, you are still burning more fat calories — not to mention the 200 additional carb calories.

5 days ago  /  1 note

Long Weekend Bliss!

I certainly hope that everyone had a wonderful, active long weekend!!

I was out at the lake, getting some sun, a little relaxation, and doing a lot of manual labor!  My arms (specifically biceps) should look nicer tomorrow! haha

Prior to the commencement of long weekend fun I went to a new exercise!  As I was enjoying an outdoor lunch on Friday I realized that a new yoga studio that I had been hearing about was located a mere 4 minute walk from my new downtown Winnipeg office.  Yoga Public offers hot yoga and TRX.

After work Friday, I spontaneously decided to venture down the street, and got a 2-week membership.  Then I further ventured into a TRX class (which I had never tried)!

It was fun, different, challenging, and left my sore the next day!  I love challenging my body to new things!  And I can only imagine that it will get better the next time, when I don’t need to take as long of breaks to get into the next position!  My only complaint is that, as a person with sensitive knees and hips (not that they hurt, but that they crack with any bending motion) I experienced many cracking sensations simultaneously!  

I will definitely try it again, I found it great for working on my upper body which generally does not get an adequate amount of attention!

1 week ago  /  0 notes