Changing Seasons: From Indoor to Outdoor

Spring is the perfect time to step up your game and start changing your workout routine.

Maybe you can simply change from indoors to outdoors. 

And if you aren't currently working out, the season of change is the perfect time to start.  

So let's get it in. 

Here are a few outdoor workout ideas.

- Yoga on the lawn

- run or walk up and down and up and down the steps

- a walk or jog around the neighborhood school track 

- bike riding on the waterfront bike path 

- leave your car parked and walk instead 

- flashback in realtime to the past and jump a rope outside in the park

It's springtime. Let's get the changing of ourselves in and have fun doing it. I mean if it feels like a drag then what's the point. But if it is a drag to do something that is beneficial to you then your gut will be the point, pointing outwards. But no point in complaining for your own intent and purpose. 

By the way, thanks for pointing your mouse on my link and clicking to read my post. 

Happy spring! 

Alphabets of Fitness: F is for Fashions to Fancy

“You can be whatever size you are, and you can be beautiful both inside and out. We’re always told what’s beautiful and what’s not and that’s not right.” – Serena Williams

 

When I started working out and eating healthier, the changes to my body became pretty noticeable to my peers after a while. It showed in my face and in how the clothes that I used to wear began to drape over my body.

I started getting compliments from people telling me that I look good now. The now is what stumped me the most. Should I have felt offended by that? Not for nothing but I was da bomb when I was big.  Just a little bit bigger.  

Do not allow society’s beliefs on what beauty ought to be, make you change your beliefs about whom and what you are. Believe in yourself no matter your size or shape.

At the same time, “when friends tell you how awesome you look, drop the "I still have more to go" crap.  You worked hard and you deserve the compliment” (Jillian Michaels)! A compliment is a compliment and almost like a gift so be appreciative of it.

Wherever you are and on the road to where you are going, be happy and satisfied with that because you can only be you and no one else. So be the best damn you that you can be.

 

“Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man. The biography of the man himself cannot be written. – Mark twain

It started the summer of 2012. I was set to sing at a black tie affair and I needed a dress.

Sometimes your idea of your size is not the actual truth. There is a coined term used when you are tardy for something you are fashionably late. I guess it applies here because I was the only one who didn’t see that I had started to explode. Who would have thought that person I saw as little was bigger than I ever realized.

That is when I made the decision. I would not be going up in sizes anymore but instead would find ways to change.  

Change became drastic though and I was changing my wardrobe about every two months.  If you are attempting weight loss and start to see success, do not run to buy a new wardrobe just yet. It might look a little tacky, but wear what you have a little big until you have no choice but to change. Wear belts to keep pants from falling and/or get some fabrics taken in before having to go and spend money. Clothes shopping when losing weight can become costly after a while. But if you wait out the weight, you will be weighing in a wise decision. Fashion is just fashion but style is in the way you carry yourself and wear it and even if it is a little big, you can still make it look good.

 

“Bravery never goes out of fashion”

– William Makepeace Thackery

 

If you feel like braving the storm and it is in you to get out there and start your fitness challenge, let nothing stop you, but also be prepared to go into beast mode. While the stylish clothes I loved from Ashely Stewart no longer fit, and my beautiful coifs were looking less and less appealing due to sweating off the pounds and sweating out the perm, I had no choice but to continue thrusting forward to do what I had to do.

The important thing is to brave the storm. Everything starts with day one, without day one there is no possibility. You will crawl, then walk and then run like you never imagined you could. Try it for yourself.

Joan Rivers said that “diets, like clothes, should be tailored to you.” Try getting on that treadmill or onto the track at your nearest park and do intervals of walking, jogging and walking for about 30 minutes or so and your heart will be thanking you for each and every minute. Or why not get onto that elliptical machine and bust out a three-mile glide? It might seem a little boring at first if you are not used to it, but you are equipped with all that is necessary to tailor your exercise routine to your liking and make it fun. Fashion the instructor led group classes or even the free ones on the Net. Just do it. But if you are going to work-out and plan to see true results, make sure you are not eating the same old crap that got you to where you are now. Fashion a new diet that you can fancy and stick with.  

 

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world”

– Marilyn Monroe

 

By this, I hope you were thinking sneakers. Yes, wear a good pair of sneakers that can support the heavy beating you are about to put onto your feet.  You want to avoid foot pain and cramps and achiness and if you are wearing the incorrect shoe while exercising, you will know just by the way your foot feels.

Look for sneaker stores in your area that examine your old sneakers as well as study your foot in movement to determine what sneaker is best for your foot.  They then will give you a visual idea of the support your foot needs and might even tailor make one for you or point you to some of the sneaker brands you like that will provide that support needed for your foot.

Starting a new lifestyle is fashioning a new attitude. Something has made you want to change. Whether it was a circumstance and illness or something that somebody said, you have come to that point in life where you felt that it was necessary to. You now have two options. You can complain about it and do nothing or you can get up and bust your ass trying to make a difference in your own life. But only you can change you to a different version of you that you might fancy more. Brave the change you made and claim your own victories. Now fashion that!   

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I appreciate you stopping by to read my blog post and I truly hope that some of these things being discussed can be beneficial to you and your new lifestyle change that you have embarked on.  While you have fashioned in a new mindset, I would like to also invite you to visit a few links that you might fancy.

 

Fashion Advice After A Big Weight Loss From WSJ

How to Choose the Right Athletic Shoes

My Fitness Pal

Eight Glasses of Water A Day Chart

How Much Sex is Considered Exercise

Keeping That New Year's Resolution

Get Ready For Your Breakthrough

Fitness Blender's Beginner Kettlebell Workout

Ivanka on Fashion and Weight Loss

Feedback is requested. If you found this post helpful, please let me know. And if you have some pointers that might be beneficial to others, please share because everybody is always looking for new and exciting ways to enhance their workout and diet experiences; including me!

See you soon!

 

Alphabets of Fitness: D is for Dose of D Words

“In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,

anything can be made, any sentence begun.” – Elizabeth Alexander

 

Did you know that diving into a new lifestyle is easier said than done? Did you know that anyone can begin fresh and new again? Did you know that it only takes the will to be on the way to doing something different than you already are?  Many will desire it but only few will jump deep in to do the work that will truly get you there.  My suggestion; just do it!

When you go to the doctor because of an ailment, the doctor will diagnose you and most likely give you a dose of whatever medicine will work to maintain that very sickness. If you do not have the proper attire on for the cold winter air, you will be hit with a dose of reality.  We listen to stations like WBLS, KTU and WBGO for our daily dose of quality music. We watch CNN for a dose of what is happening right now. And when we go to the gym, we get a dose of the exercises that best suit us.

Today’s blog will feature a dose of D words for fitness and weight loss to consider that might help you along your journey.

Dance . . . Do a little dance. You can shake off some of those calories you add while consuming your meals.  Put on some music and move your body like you would if you were at a club for 20-30 minutes. 

30 minutes of cardio is a great benefit to your heart.

Dare . . . to go beyond the limits! If you are used to getting on the treadmill and walking at 3 miles an hour, increase the speed by 5miles or add an incline to it to make it a little more intense. If you are not breaking a sweat, your body is now used to it and might need a little push.

Energy!!! Just add it.

Dine . . .  In or out. Out can be tricky because you have to try to figure out what to actually get. So you go to a salad bar and you add all the toppings you could find and the dressing and you are still having a high caloric meal. Or you can make your own salad at home. I am pretty sure you would not add the eight or nine toppings you added at the salad bar at home.  Would you? 

Fried chicken wings and fried plantains from the Chinese restaurant or oven roasted chicken wings and boiled plantains at home?  Okay so if you were at home, would you really eat four chicken wings at dinner time or an entire box of plantains?  Slice a whole plantain at your dinner table just to see how many plantain chips it would actually be. Now compare it to the portions given at the fast food restaurant. Which is more?  Would the one that is less still fill you? 

Dine in or out?  Your choice!  But nine out of 10 times, cooking your own meals will provide a much healthier meal. Cook and save calories. And while cooking, also burn calories because it is also considered housework which is a cardiovascular activity. And while waiting for that quinoa to cook or for the timer to go off, do a quick 20 minute circuit and include jumping jacks, burpees and pushups.  That would be a cool and different experience.

Do It . . . You want to but!  But, what!  The only thing keeping you from going is you.  If you want to do it, do it.  Nobody can put the pep in your step. Nobody can force you to get up and get in the spirit of things. Nobody can do the work for you to help you to accomplish your goal. It is your choice. You either want to do it or you don’t.  But if you do, put on your shoes and do the do.  You got this so don’t let anything block it and get with it.


Donuts . . . "Did you know that one plain cake doughnut can have up to 18 grams of fat?  For many, this can be about a third of their total fat allowance for the day.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010) recommend adults keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of total calories. Read labels carefully. Doughnuts can pack a hefty dose of unhealthy saturated and trans fats.  If you have a choice, consider a whole-wheat bagel or English muffin with a tablespoon of peanut butter or nonfat cream cheese. Your arteries will thank you." - (Emblem Health Daily Fitness Tip)

Doubts . . . Just because you do not see the weight coming off as quickly as you’d like does not mean that you should stop working towards your goal. Remember it takes a lot of work and determination so continue on the fight until you get right to where you want to be. You’ll get there. Just be patient.  And just because you see all these slim, model type people up in the gym, does not mean you have to feel discouraged about putting on your cool work out gear to go and join them out there on the gym floor. Even they started somewhere.

Remember you have to start at point A to get to point B; see my point?

Drinking . . . Hey, nothing wrong with a drink now and then; but what is in your cup? Is it something sugary sweet?  Do you have cup full of junk that will only enhance your trunk?  Or is it one of those 400 calorie alcoholic mixed drinks? For the occasional drinker, change that mixed drink to a simple glass of wine to reduce calories. It still is alcohol. But if you certainly need something harder, go for the clear drinks like vodka and mix it with fruit punch.

Go a little bit more extreme and can the alcohol for a non-alcoholic mojito. Which one of your friends would be able to say that you weren’t hanging tough with them?  Would they even be able to tell?  Does it really matter if you want to truly go strong with your new lifestyle?  Your choice!  But out of all the drinks, be sure to include eight glasses of water into the mix. If you drink soda, coffee, or green tea, be sure to add two extra glasses of water to replenish. Especially if you exercise, your body needs that water. So please be sure to add some water to your cup.

Vitamin D . . . Who wants to be cramped up in the confines of a gym all the time? Actually it might be fun to workout with others who have the same types of goals as you in a place where you will not be judged doing what you have chosen to do. But, it is also a great feeling to get out in the sun and enjoy the wonderful day that God created.  Why not workout outdoors sometimes? It might be too cold to put your hands on the metal bars and do tricep dips, but not too cold to do an all-terrain walk, jog or run or interval walk/run/jog. Not only will you experience breaths of wonderful fresh air, but you also take up a nice supply of natural vitamin D from the sun. Isn’t that awesome!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by and dabbing into my diet and exercise blog post. I hope that in some ways, it might be some kind of help in your quest to continue with your new fitness journey for 2014. This is definitely the year to do what you didn’t do when you said you wanted to do it in 2013.  But since you are determined, why not? As we come to a close for this post, I'd like to invite you visit a few links below:

Web MD Discussion in Vitamin D

 

CNN's How Much Sex is Considered Exercise

 

Warning: Dieting Increases Your Chances of Gaining More Weight

 

Toning The Jigglings

 

Lose 75lbs in Less Than A Year

 

 

Hope you will stop by again soon for more alphabets of fitness.

Alphabets of Fitness: C is for Change

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or we wait for some other time.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek.” – President Barack Obama

 

Today is only the fifth day of the year but for some, it might seem like a long time since commencing New Year’s resolutions; so long that some people might have caved in already.  Are you one of those people committed to change or did you reverse back to the same old song and dance?

Change is not something that you simply add to your life to get the desired results. Change is also part of the results that will make you have to change other things within your life. Here are a few things to consider.

Changing Your Attitude

If you are used to hanging with friends at a bar/restaurant, then you are probably used to alcohol binge drinking and eating. But just because your friends are drinking does not mean you have to. They will understand your new lifestyle and if they are true friends will support it. Instead of getting that 420 calorie overly mixed drink, get cranberry mixed with pineapple juice. It still quenches your thirst. It just won’t get you drunk. Choose healthier food options like a salad or a turkey burger and hold the fries.  Do you really believe that you cannot be satisfied with a protein based meal without having the extra stuff? Make sure you do not forget who made the resolution.  Stay strong and don’t give in just because you want to be cool. You fashion an even cooler attitude when you stay true to yourself and decide against being somebody else’s clone.

 

Change your Eating Habits

There is a difference between having an entire Chinese food order of chicken wings and fried rice and sharing it amongst your peers.  But there is also a difference between oven baking your own chicken wings and preparing your own rice. Less fat and more care into the ingredients being added!

Here is my advice. More water. Let’s eliminate soda. Let’s also give up the sugary drinks. Instead opt for 100% juices or blend your own drinks. Cook more and order out less. When shopping for groceries, choose items that have less than 30% of calories from fat. Let’s trade in the white bread for whole wheat or gluten free and opt for brown rice instead of white rice. After meals, drink hot tea or coffee to increase metabolism.  Switch up from eating meat on a daily basis to fish, seafood or other protein based food items like soy, tofu, beans or nuts. Snack less. And one more thing! Pay attention to portion sizes. If a box of cereal says one serving is ¼ cup, pull out your measuring cup and measure ¼ cup to prevent overindulging. Change is change; even if it is small change.

 

Change Your Routine

It is as simple as incorporating little changes to our daily lives. Take the steps instead of the elevator.  If your gym is remotely close, walk to the gym instead of driving or taking public transportation. If you are sitting home relaxing while listening to music, put on some high energy music instead and start dancing the inches off.  Take two 16.8oz unopened bottles of water and use them as weights to do bicep curls while watching your favorite can’t miss TV shows like Scandal.  Instead of accessing YouTube to simply watch Beyonce’s latest videos, get up and dance along with her.  I bet you will have fun trying some of the moves she does in her song Crazy in Love. Let’s get things started in truth as we are already on our fifth day.

Changing Clothes

It is inevitable! You eat right, you exercise and you drop weight and inches.  Nothing wrong with letting the clothes you already own get a little big. Purchasing new clothes while in between sizes can become expensive because you will constantly be changing your size if you stick to the plan. Use a belt. Don’t just change them because you dropped one size. Keep them until you have no choice but to get something new. Shop the Clearance rack as opposed to getting the most expensive name brand items. Look for sales and do not be opposed to clipping coupons.  Now what do you do with all those old clothes that no longer fit?  Here are some options; list them on an on-line auction or have a garage sale to get some of the money back you spent on them or donate them to your local church. I am sure they will find someone who will be so blessed by your changes.

 

Considering Change

Change is even sparked by just considering the idea of it. How can we not change when change is the only thing constant in life?  We must take into account how change can truly benefit our lives as opposed to life forcing us to consider other options. It is one thing to choose to eat healthy on your own. But when a doctor tells you that you must, the experience is not the same. By that I mean, in choosing to do something, we do it with passion. When being forced to do something, we do it and often struggle because it was never our own will in the first place. Also, if you are going to change for anybody, change for yourself. Not for the opposite sex and not for your peers and definitely not for praise. Do it because that is what you really want for yourself. A self-motivating reason is actually the only way you will stay true to your goal because in all actuality, this new fitness journey you are on is not just a resolution; remember!  It is a new lifestyle.

 

Here are some websites that you might consider accessing to help you along your journey

 

How Much Weight Do You Lose Before You Change Sizes

11 Simple Weight Loss Tips

Five Foods that Help Shed Pounds

Lose 75lbs in Less Than A Year

Eating Healthy

My Fitness Pal

 

Come back soon for more alphabets of fitness.