Creative Workout Idea: Dance Central 3

Sometimes on your fitness journey it's important to get creative with your workouts. We can often get stuck in a rut, doing the same things over and over again, which can cause us to lose our motivation for working out altogether. This week I've found myself in a space of being tired and unmotivated. It has happened before and I personally think it's important to listen to your body and take breaks or switch things up when needed. If we force ourselves to do things that we don't necessarily want to do it can have adverse effects, including injuries and burnout.

When I get in a rut I turn to my trusted XBox Kinect to switch up my workouts. Dance Central 3 is one of my favorite non-conventional ways to get in some great cardio. Not only is it super fun (which helps to make it feel like it's not even a workout), but it's also something that can involve the whole family (our daughter LOVES playing with us!). The game even has a Fitness Mode, which allows you to maintain a steady state of cardio (rather than stopping and starting between song choices). I would recommend playing in Fitness Mode for at least 45 minutes in order to burn a decent amount of calories (I have read that dancing can burn about 370 calories per hour at average intensity). There are rumors of a Dance Central 4 coming out in the near future (couldn't confirm this). If it does come out I can't wait to see what songs are going to be included on it!

For those with an XBox Kinect I would definitely recommend trying any of the Dance Central games (Dance Central, Dance Central 2, Dance Central 3).

My Home "Gym"

A lot of people find it hard to believe that it is possible to lose a substantial amount of weight without ever stepping foot in a gym. It is possible! Of course I have thought about going to a gym, but my biggest obstacles to make that happen are time, money, and my child. So, instead of making excuses I made a way for myself and my circumstances. For those that are able to attend a gym that is great! But there are a lot of us out here who simply cannot make that happen. I just wanted to share some of the things that I have in my home gym that are helping me to get the body that I want.

It's important to note that I did not purchase all of this equipment at one time.

1. HAND WEIGHTS

Hand weights are great to have in your home gym because they can be used in many different ways. I have different sized hand weights that I use for difference exercises. When I began my fitness journey I actually started out using THREE pound weights!!! Yes you read that right. 3 pounds. I have since moved up to larger weights (still not much) and intend to keep moving up in order to achieve my fitness goals. I currently own sets of 3's, 5's, 8's, 10's, and 25's. I will more than likely purchase 12's and 15's (or somewhere in that neighborhood) in the near future. 

I use the lighter hand weights for arm exercises (i.e., biceps, triceps, shoulders), chest exercises, ab exercises, and back exercises. I use the larger weights (25's) for lower body exercises (i.e., calf raises, squats, single leg deadlifts).

2. KETTLEBELL

I currently own one 10 pound kettlebell and intend to purchase heavier ones in the future. I honestly currently do not use my kettlebell very much, mainly because I have outgrown it! Kettlebells are really great for using for the lower body. In the past I have used my kettlebell for kettlebell swings and kettlebell snatches. There are also many other great things that kettlebells can be used for. Although I currently don't use a kettlebell I do recommend them for anyone who has a home gym.

3. RESISTANCE BAND(S)

I have to say. My resistance band is one of my favorite items in my home gym! Like the hand weights, resistance bands are very versatile and can be used in many different ways (see the picture). A good set of resistance bands can replace certain gym equipment that you may not be able to have in your home.

4. ANKLE WEIGHTS

I also love my ankle weights. I use them mainly when doing lower body exercises, specifically those that target the glutes. However, ankle weights can also be worn while walking or running to add some extra resistance to your workout. I currently am using 5 pound ankle weights and intend to move up to ten's in the near future.

5. EZ CURL BARBELL & BARBELL PLATES

Barbells are another great versatile piece of equipment. Barbells can be used for lower body exercises (i.e., squats, deadlifts), as well as upper body exercises (i.e., barbell curls, chest press). I would recommend buying multiple sized plates to use for different muscle groups.

Barbell plates by themselves can also be used for other muscle groups, including shoulders.

6. THIS THING (Not sure what the name is!)

Not sure what the name if this thing is, but it is used for doing pull-ups (and assisted pull-ups for those of us who cannot do pull ups!). It's also great to use with your resistance bands as well.

7. Treadmill

Now, of course a treadmill is not necessarily something that is vital to your home gym. Prior to getting my treadmill I ran (and walked) many a mile at the local parks in my area, as well as in my own neighborhood. I personally like to have my treadmill on days when I don't have the time or the means to get in a good outside run.

8. Wall Mirror

A wall mirror is great to have in order to check your form and to ensure that you are doing exercises appropriately. Ideally I would love to have something like this in my gym:

Maybe one day!!

9. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

• Chair
• Television
• Radio
• Towel(s)

10. EQUIPMENT WISH LIST

These are some of the items that I wish I had in my gym and hope to add one day.

• Weight Bench 
  
  
  
• Bosu Ball 
  
• Medicine Ball(s) 
  

Hopefully this post will be helpful to those that are trying to figure out what type of equipment they should have in their home gym. Thank you for taking the time to read this post! Any questions, please ask!

Overdue Update

I just realized that I never shared my most recent update on my blog. I ended up taking more progress pictures in March and was extremely pleased with my weight loss results.

I remember being totally devastated with my "progress" in August, almost to the point where I was going to give up. But I kept going and it was well worth it! I think between August 2013 and March 2014 I lost about another 10 pounds (seems like it should be more, right??). So as of right now I have lost a total of 50 pounds!!! I am so proud of my progress and can't wait to see more.

As I've stated before my new goal is to tone (build muscle). My ultimate goal is to be able to feel comfortable with wearing an actual bikini in public! Right now I would rather DIE first! I plan to take more progress pictures this week, getting down to the real nitty gritty of what my body looks like. Unfortunately losing weight does not necessarily mean that your body will look like what you want it to look like. I plan to showcase my problem areas and discuss the improvements that I would like to see with my body over the next year.

Finally Back

So it's definitely been a while since I last posted, and my lack of posting has been for many reasons. 

1. I have been slacking! Once I got to a weight I was happy with I started slacking up on things. I fell off with the clean eating big time. I've had so many cheat meals I don't even know if they should be considered cheats anymore! If I had been eating like this while I was trying to lose weight I never would have lost very much. I've still been doing pretty well with my workouts, but I haven't always been consistent. Thank goodness I haven't gained any weight, but I also haven't made much more progress, either. 

2. I've been going through some things. As with many of us, life happens. Things come up, things get you down, you start throwing your own private pity party. And things that were important to you just aren't that important anymore... But I'm done feeling sorry for myself.  I'm working on learning from my mistakes and trying to grow and better myself in the process. I'm done whining (at least for now)! 

3. I've been busy! Between myself, my husband, and my daughter we have been all over the place! Birthdays, weddings, kids' parties, sick family members, you name it! Busy busy busy. 

4. I'm lazy, y'all!! After successfully losing 50 pounds a lot of people find it hard to believe that I am a lazy person, but I am. I fight laziness every single day. Sometimes laziness wins! I'm really trying to get better about that.

So, now that the excuses are out of the way it's time for me to recommit myself, not only to my blog, but to my personal fitness journey. It's time for me to get back on track. Cut down on the cheats, rev up the intensity of my workouts, and focus more on my clean eating to help me reach my goals. Even though I don't want to lose anymore weight I do want/need to tone and build muscle. It seems like the muscle building is proving to be a bit more difficult than the fat/weight loss. But I am not giving up!!! I think I am finally ready to hop back on the wagon and push full steam ahead toward my goals once again. 

The main focus of my blog had always been to show that those of us who don't have a lot of means can successfully lose weight and have the body that we want without all of the bells, gym memberships, fancy supplements, and whistles. It requires patience, dedication, creativity, and consistency, but it can be done. I've done it! I'm doing it! 

I am planning to take some more progress pics this week and will post for them here for accountability and to share my journey. Thank you for those who are sticking with me even after I've disappeared. I do promise to make a better effort to post weekly on my blog. Thank you to those who have sent me friendly reminders to keep going and encouraged me to update my blog. You weren't ignored. It just took me a while! :) 

Motivation for 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 2014 is here!!! It is time to renew those old goals and make some new ones! I had a WONDERFUL holiday full of fun, family, love, and plenty of cheats! But now that the new year is here it is time to refocus and continue working on those goals!

Over the holiday I was able to do a lot of soul searching and thinking about where I want my body to go. I have gone back and forth about where I want to end my weight loss journey. I've finally decided that I would like to lose about 20 more pounds before I decide to stop actively losing weight! I am also focused on toning my body and building more muscle. I have been VERY happy with the progress that I made in 2013 and look forward to much more!!

For today's post I thought it would be great to share some of my favorite motivational pictures. I have actually printed these out and will be using them on my 2014 vision board. I think it is a great idea for anyone to create a vision board for themselves in order to help with visualizing your goals. When I have completed my board I will be happy to share it with you all! For now please enjoy these motivational quotes and feel free to use them however you'd like!

Snack Attack

I wanted to talk about snacking. Some think that snacking is not allowed when trying to lose weight. That cannot be farthest from the truth!! Depending on yor fitness goals eating regularly can be very important. I tend to eat every 2-3 hours and have at least 3 snacks a day. 

Of course your snacks should be healthy, low in fat, low in added sugars, etc. These are the snacks that I tend to buy the most. Usually I will find something I like and stick with it. So, here are my favorite snacks of the moment. 

1. Fruit

I have a serious sweet tooth and I use fresh fruit to satisfy it. Strawberries are my favorite fruit of all time! I've loved them since I was a young child. Grapes are also a deliciously sweet snack that I eat often. Other fruits I enjoy include cuties, apples, and blueberries. 

2. Hummus

Need I say more?? Hummus is so great and can be enjoyed with fresh vegetables. I prefer to eat my hummus with baby carrots. I also enjoy eating my hummus with smart pita pockets. 

3. Baby carrots

As I've a least mentioned I love eat if baby carrots with hummus, but I also love eating them with other things, including salsa, guacamole, and lite cheeses. 

I have found that baby carrots can often be a great clean and healthy replacement for chips or crackers. 

4. Hard boiled eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of protein. I eat a lot of eggs. Sometimes I will eat just the whites, while other times I will eat them whole. Either way eggs are good for you, especially when boiled. 

5. Rice cakes 

I almost forgot about one of my favorite snacks! Rice cakes are great plain or topped with different things, including mustard, salsa, or peanut butter (or other types of nut butters). It's fun to get creative with rice cakes. They make a wonderful canvas!

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? I'm always looking for new ideas!

My Green Smoothie Recipe

Good morning, ladies! 14 days until Christmas!!! Are you ready?? I still have a LOT of Christmas shopping to do. Most actually! I am a procrastinator to the fullest!

Anyway, I just wanted to share my smoothie recipe with you all today. I love this recipe and generally drink this as my morning snack on the way to work. Adding the raw oats makes the smoothie a little more filling and gives it some substance. Adding spinach also allows you to increase your veggie intake for the day. I definitely recommend this as a snack. This is a high sugar smoothie due to the fruit, so keep that in mind. If I have this smoothie I usually don’t eat anymore fruit for the day. It is also high in carbs due to the oats as well as the fruit.  

Ingredients:

½ banana

1 handful fresh chopping spinach

1/3 cup berries of choice (frozen or fresh)

About ½ cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk

½ cup raw oats

Combine all ingredients in blender (I use a personal sized blender). Blend for about 1 minute and enjoy! 

The key to this smoothie is the green color. If it’s not green then you didn’t add enough spinach!

Nutritional Info:

243 calories

47g carbs

4g fat

8g protein

15g sugar