Exercise of the Day that you don't have to make ANY time for!

Calf raises! Do one set of 50 while brushing your teeth, or 20 while sud-sing your hair in the shower, or 2 sets while doing the dishes.
If you are unaware of what a calf raise is, its exactly as it sounds. Standing up, you raise your body up, to where you're only standing on your toes. Preventing yourself from going complete flat footed before doing another rep will keep your muscles tightened, working them more!

Gearing up for the holidays

I strongly suggest for you to kick up your cardio and weight training regimen BEFORE the holidays, where you see yourself piling on pounds and regretting eating that extra spoonful of mashed potatoes. Getting yourself in a routine prior to the holidays will help make you more aware of what you're eating during the event, and encourage you to keep coming back to the gym, opposed to the "oh I'll just wait til the end and then worry about it."
Analyze your diet. and your exercise. and figure out where you need to improve and start in small doses.

I will be starting a nutrition/strength training/motivational meeting at Better Bodies once a week, which will include weekly weigh ins and advice. If anyone is interested, or has any suggestions, let me know!

P.S. I also work at Gold's Gym in Springfield, so if you're looking for a trainer, I can now serve my clients in Cottage Grove AND Springfield! :)

Progress has been made :)

I don't believe in rewarding yourself with food. I do believe in having a treat though. If you have a 1600 calorie goal a day and make sure you only hit 1400, then yes, you deserve to have a little something if you're craving it. But once you've gotten yourself onto a certain schedule, you won't even be craving all those sweets anymore. A huge problem in dieting is the use of diet products, i.e. diet soda. The consumption of a fake sugar substance tricks your body into thinking it is sugar, and then when it realizes it is not, it will just make you crave both sugar and more calories. So here's my idea. cut out all soda. because its BAD for you! And don't let juice cocktails trick you either. Many of them have just as much sugar, while yes, 100% juice at least comes from its natural source.
My biggest tool for not caving into sugary treats and processed foods is to NOT BUY THEM OR PUT THEM IN YOUR HOUSE! Even if you think you'll "Ration yourself out", bad idea. Read your ingredients list at the store. If the beginning ingredients include the words "sugar, processed, hydrogenated, salt, enriched"...don't buy it. Yes, obviously some things will include it, for instance, sugar...haha...but try to buy more natural forms of it...cane sugar, stevia, etc. The FDA recommends not to include more than 40g of added sugar into your diet. This means, baking sugary treats, adding sugar to teas, etc. 40g=10 teaspoons. And one can of soda is 43g. so GROSS.
The biggest motivator for me is just knowing I'm doing a good job. Limit yourself to being a scale freak. every other day maybe to keep yourself in check, but not more. Any more and you'll get obsessed over every .1 pounds. Exercise is mandatory to healthy living, muscular tone, weight loss. Yeah, you can lose weight without it in the beginning if you are large enough, but it won't help you in the long run not doing it.

When I got back from europe on sept 10, I weighed 138. I'm now in my 120s again at 129.5. So hooray. I don't plan on getting below 125-127 though. I'm realistic and know whats appropriate. I'll be here if anyone wants advice still! I'll be working at Better Bodies again every sunday 11-3 as well.

Feeling good with success. (It's time to get started, don't throw away those years)

This will be an uber quick post, since I have a lot of homework I should be doing! So here it is. In the beginning, you are going to hate exercise. You will be sore every day, and you will think you are going to passout in the middle of a workout. But that's just your body strengthening itself up to be all that it can be. It wants to be there for you, but because you've abused it for so long, its going to take you a while to get into shape again.

Anytime muscles endure a new kind of exercise/angle/resistance, etc, you may exercise delayed onset muscle soreness, also known as DOMS. I got sore slightly yesterday, and more so today. But I'm still working my way back on track. But I love that soreness, because it lets me know I was doing it right and that my muscles are getting stronger.

Not always the best, but for our sake, it will be enough. Go calculate your BMI (body mass index). If it is at or over 25, it is essential that you begin a program to improve your life. Its time to take back those lost years. Lower your risks of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc...You're risking FAR too much because you're too tired, or feeling lazy. that would be WHY you are tired. It's all a big cycle.

*Monday-kickboxing class (1hr)
*Tuesday-rest
*Wednesday- Tobata interval training, cleaning house
*Thursday- Circuit training
*Friday- 8hr shift of work, lifting heavy boxes and running around like crazy.

Exercise of the day: Plank: hold in push-up position. Try 10 seconds each, 4 times.

This is my passion. It's time to love yourself.

Everyday I find myself making excel documents full of lists--homework to-do, cleaning to-do, class deadlines, food logs, exercise logs, goals, etc. The fitness-related ones being the ones I return to time and time again. But what good is my passion when I don't get to share it with other people. I'm getting back on my path to everyday fitness and living a healthy life, and if I can help others do that as well, I'll be much happier. Returning from Europe having gained 15lbs and experiencing some other self realizations, I'm ready to make me a priority again.

If you are experiencing troubles losing weight, I strongly recommend journaling and tracking food, emotions, exercise, etc. And talking with others in the same boat as you can be most motivating. Its been commonly researched and found that people who surround themselves with the type of people they want to be like (in this case, athletic and healthy), have a better chance of success themselves. My two rocks for this case are my friends Chelsea and Amber, who are with me everyday in class. We often get together to make meals together, all in agreement of healthy substitutions.

Including exercise in your lifestyle is not only good for losing weight, but it can boost confidence, increase energy, prolong your life, help body pain, etc. I myself have scoliosis and a misaligned lumbar vertebrae. But through fitness, I can control my pain.

I strongly encourage people to start journaling. Just write down your goals. What your willing to do to reach them, how much time you can commit to them.



My tools for the day, and plan:
*Clean the house, finish unpacking (easy way to burn a few calories)
*do some homework (lots of inactivity, which must be made up by:

*Tobata...high intensity, but short exercise:
http://tabataexercise.com/about-tabata-training/

*Zumba- exercise dance class

*food log


I want to help you guys! So any questions, comments, concerns, let me know!
facebook, or email me. jfreder3@uoregon.edu