Healthy Happy Halloween!

  Slim down secrets ~10 tips for a Healthy Halloween!

Halloween may be a time of tricks and treats, but that's no excuse to give up on your healthy holiday goals. While there are sugary snacks lurking around every corner this time of year, there are simple tips to follow that will help you curb your cravings and avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain.

 

Avoid “banking” your calories. Start your day off right, without skimping on breakfast, lunch or dinner. By eating frequent small meals throughout the day full of good nutrients (e.g. vegetables, protein, fruit, small amounts of healthy fat and grains), you will stay satiated. This means you're less likely to overeat when the tempting treats are in front of you.

Keep the candy out of sight. Wait to open the bag(s) of candy until the treat-or-treaters arrive. It’s hard to resist when the candy is available and is an easy to access. Another key tip to help you keep from eating the candy while it’s in your home..don’t buy your favorites. Purchase healthy options such as raisins, fruit snacks, pretzels or tiny toys.

Move your body. Aerobic exercise is a fat burning activity that continues to help your body burn calories after your workout, plus it’s an appetite suppressant. Get in a good workout during the day and take a neighborhood walk with your kids, grand kids, or even your dog in the evening! It’s fun to watch the kids trick-or-treat while you get in a little exercise yourself.

Don’t deprive yourself. Vowing not to eat any candy maybe unrealistic. Rather than completely avoiding candy, pick out the healthier options like dark chocolate, which has less sugar and more antioxidants. Also try to not eat to excess. If candy is a trigger food, you may do best to have one piece and get rid of the rest. No matter what, enjoy the sweet fix without guilt. There is no reason to beat yourself up over a tiny indulgence.

Hydrate! Drink plenty of fluid throughout the day and into the evening.

Have FUN! Halloween isn’t just about candy and treats… it’s about the costumes, and spending time with friends and family. So, relax and have fun today!

Keep it sealed. An unopened bag of candy takes more effort to get into than an open, easy-to-grab-from package. Wait to open bags of candy until the festivities begin, which will not only save you up to 100 calories per piece, but add to the specialness of the evening’s events.

Out of sight, out of mind. Keep candy for the trick-or-treaters hidden away until the night of. When it's not in plain sight you will be much less likely to go searching for it.

Have a pre-party dinner. A hearty, wholesome dinner leaves less room in everyone’s tummies for sweets later. Some nutritiously delicious ideas include a bean and lean beef chili bar with toppings such as shredded cheese, plain Greek yogurt, sliced green onion, diced tomatoes and avocado slices. Another warming option is silky butternut squash soup. For extra flair, serve it in scooped-out, roasted mini pumpkins.

Plan for the day after. After the big day, sort through the candy with your children and allow them to pick out their favorites. A reasonable amount per day could be one or two treats for the rest of the week. From there, donate candy to a dentist’s cash-back program, send to military troops, or take the rest to your workplace and share with co-workers so you won’t be tempted to finish it off yourself.

Trick or Treat?

Happy Halloween ~ If your watching your waistline it would be best to choose a trick instead of a treat. Halloween candy may come in bite size pieces, but they are not so bite size when you can see them on your butt, thighs and tummy in the days to follow. Those bite size pieces can lead to you over indulging yourself without even knowing it. So if you choose a treat instead of trick be careful not to eat too many.. You don't want to spend the first half of November working off your Halloween bite size candy splurge..  

"Be careful how many u eat" 

Have a safe Happy Halloween =)

Today's Workout !

 Today's workout!
3.5 mile hill run ~  Fast run.. under 30 min =)
110 walking lunges ~ 10 extra just in case I missed count...lol
15 min 4-lb hula hoop ~

Just too Funny...lol

                                                                                                              

Today's diet!

I didn't do so well with my diet today =(  I didn't splurge on anything, I just didn't eat much or enough food today.

   

 

1 large smoothie (papaya, strawberry, banana) 1scp.protein & creatine  1tbsp.faxseed oil ~ 24oz water ~

1 cup green tea ~

2 black bean burritos w/mozzarella cheese  1diet pepsi ~

Daily Fit Tip!

   Have you stopped getting results from your strength training workouts? Has your body, muscles adapted to the same workout routine? It's time to change things up & really mean it when your working out. Don't just do it to get through it, or to just say you did your workout today. Workout like an animal. Really feel it, and put your mind, body and soul into each workout you do. If you don't you mine as well go home and cancel your workout. Going through the motions is just not going to do you or your body any good. If you do have a day where you cannot give it your best, which we all have them, take a rest day and come back ready to kick ass the next workout. My brother would see when I was having one of those days and just tell me to stop and take a rest, but be ready tomorrow to mean business. He would always be ready to kick my okole (butt)in our gym that next day.. I welcomed it too =)

If you’ve stopped getting results from your strength-training routine, listen up. It’s time to lift heavier, harder and stronger. To halt progress, cruise through your sessions and lift light weights. To see results, work your muscles until they’re fatigued. Here’s how to do it...
Warm-up.. A cold muscle is a weak muscle, so you need to prime your body for action before you begin. Start every exercise you do with a set of lighter weights. For example, if you usually do shoulder presses with 15-pound weights, do a set beforehand where you lift only 10 pounds. If you simply take one minute to warm up before each exercise, you’ll find you can lift heavier and harder, which translates into sexy muscles and a faster metabolism! 

One at a time..If you want to tone your butt (and who doesn’t), you may think you’ll get the best results if you performed three sets of squats, three sets of lunges and three sets of plies. But in reality, by the time you get to your final exercise, your rear will be too tired to work anymore. Instead of doing three sets of three different exercises, stick to three sets of one exercise. And for that one exercise, lift as hard as you can.

Hold heavy dumbbells while squatting, or rest a barbell on your upper back while you lunge. Replace the second two exercises with moves that work another muscle, such as chest presses or lat pulls. This will work your entire body evenly. Women shouldn't be afraid of adding weight, or lifting heavy. The weight is the very thing that builds the sexy shape of your muscles. Women's muscles aren't made to get huge like a man, and unless your genetically gifted or taking illegal substances chances are your fear of getting too big from lifting heavy weights is just fear of the unknown. Take it from me and a lot of other women bodybuilders, it takes lifting super heavy weight and hard training to gain big muscles. 

So don't be afraid to feel the weight you are lifting, pick a good weight that your muscles feel when you do your reps. If you can do more than 12-15 reps then you need to go heavier. Push yourself and your muscles feel it, make gains and create your own sexy shaped muscles.. Being sore never felt so good !!!

 

Exercise of the Week! "Good Mornings"

The good morning is a great exercise to help strengthen and develop the lower back and gluts (butt) region. The primary muscle groups for this exercise are the lower back and glut region but also, the hamstrings get a great deal of work from this movement.

The thighs and calves also work as secondary muscle groups.

This exercise makes a great addition to any strength program and will help to support big compound movements such as the squat and dead lift.
The important point to remember about this exercise is form. Try using very light weight (the bar) to start since the lower back is very sensitive.
Try and keep your back straight at all times during this movement. It is very important that you only bend at the waist and keep your eyes forward at all times. 

When I first learned this exercise I would say...why would they call these "Good Morning" clearly who ever named them never did this exercise..lol  How about "Good Nights" lol.  Anyway it's a great exercise to strengthen your lower back and having a stronger lower back is equally important as having strong stomach muscles. Strengthening both these muscles will make it much easier and safer when you are doing exercises like... squats, dead left, bench and other mass, muscle strength building exercises. So be happy and say..."Good Morning"

Position for the good morning...
Place a light barbell across the back of your shoulders. Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor and spaced roughly shoulder length apart.
Execution of the good morning...  
Lean forward at the waist. Keep your knees locked, back flat and straight, and head up. Bend forward as far as possible (stop bending if you start feeling uncomfortable). Straighten up and repeat until set is complete!

 
 

Today's Workout !

 

Today's workout!   
45~min on Elliptical Trainer ~ 
20~min 4lb Hula Hoop ~
100~ 30lb Kettlebell Squats ~ 3x
100~Bench Stepups w/12lb dumbbells in hand ~ 3x
100~Dumbbell Leg Curls 30-35lb dumbbells ~ 3x
50~ Reverse Lunges w/20lb Kettlebells in hand ~ 1x
50~ Lunges w/20lb Kettlebells in hand ~ 1x

Today's diet!   
5 egg whites, 2 yolks scrambled, half papaya, 1cup green tea ~
1 smoothie (strawberry, banana, mango, papaya) 1scp.protein, 1scp creatine 1-tbsp Fax seed oil ~
1 chicken Cesar salad  16oz water ~
2 pieces boiled Ahi w/lemon  1 glass diet pepsi ~
1 cup green tea                                                                             

Motivational Note ~

I just love this saying... 

Intense Training!

My son came across this picture of me training, and hung it up in our home gym last night... He said I looked very intense! I love that he wanted to hang it up in our gym <3

Workout #9 Back/Biceps

Workout #9
(Sequence #3 high reps)

Back/Biceps 

* 3x sets ~ 10-12 reps ~ 60-90 sec rest *

Warm-up  Back & Bicep Stretches ~ (see pics)

1. Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Barbell Rows ~(middle back - lats)
2. Standing Close-Grip Ez-bar Bicep Curl ~ ( your favorite=)
3. Bent-Over Two Dumbbell Row ~  (middle back - biceps -lats) 
4. Preacher Barbell Curls ~
5. Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldowns ~ (lats-middle back-biceps)
6. Standing Bicep Cable Curl ~ (use bar attachment)
7. Barbell Dead Lift ~ (lower back - builds strength) See #8 4 2nd choice
8. Hyper Back Extensions ~ (DO If barbell dead lift is too hard on knees) 

NOTE: Exercises #7-#8 are for your lower back, if barbell dead lift is too hard on your knees, and your gym has a hyper back extension machine as shown in pic below u can choose those in place of.. Use a plate to hold to chest.. A 25lb good! If you do this exercise make sure you go level at the top as shown in pic, and NOT any further up or arching! Just level and back down. It should feel real good on your lower back as u stretch at the bottom and raise up. If you choose to do the dead lifts and want to do the hyper back extensions do without weight and stretch your back after your workout =) Train like a "Animal" 

Stretches

Warm-up ~  Bicep Stretch

Warm-up ~ Back Stretch

#1 Reverse Bent-Over Barbell Rows

#2 Standing Close-grip Ez-bar Curl

#3 Bent Over 2-Dumbbell Row

#4 Preach Barbell Curl

#5 Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldowns

#6 Standing Bicep Cable Curl

#7 Barbell Deadlift

#8 Hyper Back Extensions

 

Caution ... Bodybuilder Dieting!

I came across this sign today... A perfect sign for a bodybuilder dieting.. Hell anyone on a extremely restricted diet! The diet can be harder than all the training.. Both combined is a true testament of commitment, drive, passion, shear will power & love for the sport!

Daily Fit Tip!

Use it or Lose it!

The phrase “use or lose it” can elicit fear in people who are just beginning their fitness or weight-loss journey. “If I take a week off, will I have to start over at square one?” It’s a fact that when you stop training you can quickly lose what you’ve worked so hard for.
  Within as little as two weeks, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and muscular endurance can be lost. Of course, there are many factors that influence how fast your fitness level will decrease, including how fit you were when you stopped exercising and for how long and hard you’ve been training for. 

Highly trained athletes will take longer than poorly trained people to become detrained because of the magnitude of their initial fitness. It may take months for a competitive athlete, whereas a less fit person can start losing their fitness level within days or weeks.
 
So what can you do if you’re a beginner and have to take a break? If you want to get and stay in shape, don’t take more than two days off between workouts when you’re able to work out regularly, and don’t let your total physical activity cease for more than one week. If you're sick or injured, try to accomplish the minimum amount of activity that’s feasible for you. On a brighter note, having to start over never really puts you all they way back at square one because you always learn and take away valuable lessons from each of your experiences.