So yesterday I ran 2 miles; one on the treadmill and the other outside. The run outside was much more fun, though also more challenging physically. Does anyone else find it boring to run on the treadmill, no matter what you do? It is just so much more entertaining to run outdoors! What did you do for Day 2?
p.s. Day 3 is in progress :)
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
On The Run
Motivation has begun to falter...each day I find that I am completely irritable if I do not run or at the very least walk; but I still find that I must talk myself into the workout. I used to be 100% motivated, but now that I am close to my target weight and the scale has barely moved it is definitely harder to find motivation. Therefore I have come up with a different way to motivate; I am calling it On the Run. It was inspired by Run Nerds Rock. Specifically the Run Streak, which today is day 875 for Michael. (Go Michael!) I wish I were on day 875!
Today is day #1, and I have ran 1 mile. Yes, I realize it's nothing compared to Michael's 5 miles (on his days off) and 13+ miles on other days, but it's still a mile!
Therefore I invite anyone else who is a beginner like me to join me in On the Run. The goal is simply this: do something (anything) everyday. Just get up and move. Every Little Bit Counts <---Read that again! If you ran 0.1 miles...that counts and count it as a victory because you got up and did it! If you walked 0.1 miles, you got up and did something, count it!I am not going to keep track of pace because no matter how slow you are going you are still going! The more you do, the more you'll be able to do! Let's keep track, let's keep motivated, and see how many miles we can walk/run in 2014! Starting day is whenever you choose to start, keep a journal; make a facebook page; start your own blog; comment here, whatever you do start!
As for Run Nerds Rock, I want to thank you for helping kick start my "go" engine once again. I was really considering giving up, but seeing all of your Facebook posts really got me motivated once again, so thank you!
Day 1: 4/15/14
Ran 1 mile :)
Also just a reminder; before starting any new exercise program you should always check with your physician first!
Today is day #1, and I have ran 1 mile. Yes, I realize it's nothing compared to Michael's 5 miles (on his days off) and 13+ miles on other days, but it's still a mile!
Therefore I invite anyone else who is a beginner like me to join me in On the Run. The goal is simply this: do something (anything) everyday. Just get up and move. Every Little Bit Counts <---Read that again! If you ran 0.1 miles...that counts and count it as a victory because you got up and did it! If you walked 0.1 miles, you got up and did something, count it!I am not going to keep track of pace because no matter how slow you are going you are still going! The more you do, the more you'll be able to do! Let's keep track, let's keep motivated, and see how many miles we can walk/run in 2014! Starting day is whenever you choose to start, keep a journal; make a facebook page; start your own blog; comment here, whatever you do start!
As for Run Nerds Rock, I want to thank you for helping kick start my "go" engine once again. I was really considering giving up, but seeing all of your Facebook posts really got me motivated once again, so thank you!
Day 1: 4/15/14
Ran 1 mile :)
Also just a reminder; before starting any new exercise program you should always check with your physician first!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Under Armour Storm with Micro G
Anytime I make a big purchase I do my research first. This ensures that I am equipped with the knowledge to make a good decision on how I will spend my money. After researching shoes I found two pair that I thought would get the job done; Under Armour Spine Venom and Under Armour Micro G.
After arriving at the sport store (Hibbet Sports) I found these bad boys. I tried on every pair of running shoes in the store, but fell in love with these. They are extremely comfortable and supportive. The Under Armour Storm with Micro G has tread on the bottom that makes it feel like you are walking on pillows. They actually fit to your foot instead of trying to find a pair of shoes that your foot fits in perfectly. They are made of fabric that actually does breathe which helps keep your feet dry when running. They are durable and seem to be a high quality shoe. Once again Under Armour has proven to be the superior brand in my book!
Here is the tread:
If you decide to purchase new running shoes these are a little pricey..however if you have ever bought running shoes before you know that you have to spend a little more if you want to get a quality item that does what it is supposed to do. And when you are talking about running you have to keep in mind how hard running can be on your body. Your body is worth the extra money, in fact you'll thank yourself down the road when you can still move because you chose to take care of yourself!
Please feel free to leave your comments about Under Armour (and their awesomeness) below :)
Until next time,Alaina
Monday, March 17, 2014
The Time Is Now
There have been so many times that I have been asked about motivation. Motivation to begin your health journey can be hard to find and easy to lose.
It is much easier to tell yourself that you will begin getting healthy tomorrow or that you will start next week.
My motivation:
We only have so many "tomorrows". There is only a certain period of time when I can take control of the way I look and the way I feel and that time is now. Life is not forever. I can choose to take control of my life or I can let it pass me by.
When it comes down to eating that cupcake or having that one bowl of ice cream I remind myself of what I want in life and I evaluate if that one moment of happiness is worth the many hours of work it will take to get rid of those excess calories.
When I feel like taking a day off my mind (because I've formed a habit) reminds myself of how I will feel later that night if I skip out on my daily routine. I ask myself if skipping is worth the regret. I remind myself that the one hour I give now will get me one hour closer to my health goals.
In the end I keep myself motivated by staying focused. There is only so many tomorrows and today is as good of a tomorrow as the next day, so why not start now. I once read a quote, though I cannot remember the author, that stated "You may not want to start now, but a year from now you'll wish you would have started today." That is so true. To let a year go by knowing what you want to achieve and yet doing nothing to make that goal a reality is a waste of time. Why put off something for tomorrow that could be done today?
So take the first step, choose to make your goals a reality, make the choice to be the you you want to be. Your life starts now!
Until next time,
Alaina
It is much easier to tell yourself that you will begin getting healthy tomorrow or that you will start next week.
My motivation:
We only have so many "tomorrows". There is only a certain period of time when I can take control of the way I look and the way I feel and that time is now. Life is not forever. I can choose to take control of my life or I can let it pass me by.
When it comes down to eating that cupcake or having that one bowl of ice cream I remind myself of what I want in life and I evaluate if that one moment of happiness is worth the many hours of work it will take to get rid of those excess calories.
When I feel like taking a day off my mind (because I've formed a habit) reminds myself of how I will feel later that night if I skip out on my daily routine. I ask myself if skipping is worth the regret. I remind myself that the one hour I give now will get me one hour closer to my health goals.
In the end I keep myself motivated by staying focused. There is only so many tomorrows and today is as good of a tomorrow as the next day, so why not start now. I once read a quote, though I cannot remember the author, that stated "You may not want to start now, but a year from now you'll wish you would have started today." That is so true. To let a year go by knowing what you want to achieve and yet doing nothing to make that goal a reality is a waste of time. Why put off something for tomorrow that could be done today?
So take the first step, choose to make your goals a reality, make the choice to be the you you want to be. Your life starts now!
Until next time,
Alaina
Saturday, March 15, 2014
This is Me Now...
This is me now, 9 weeks into my health journey:
I don't have a very good "before" picture. I didn't take the time to take one, but in the picture above I am at 119 pounds, which is a total loss of 24 pounds! Please excuse the mess behind me, I took the picture in my daughters room because the lighting was better.
Here is a picture of me two years ago:
Here is a picture of me two years ago:
In this picture I believe I weighed 135 which was the summer of 2012, so two years ago.
This is me last year after working out, so you know it's a little rough, but I wanted to point out the difference in the picture from now (the first one) this picture.
This is right before starting my health journey (2014) I had to weigh in for a FB contest. You can see that I started out at 143 or 144 pounds.
And this is a side view of me now. As you can see I have made progress, though I still have a ways to go. I was asked to post pictures so here they are.
Until next time,
Alaina
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Catfish, Asparagus, and Mashed Cauliflower
Tonight I made baked catfish, garlic asparagus, and mashed cauliflower (which I will post the recipes for), and it was absolutely delicious. Plus it was only 212 calories total!
Baked Catfish
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Catfish chunks
Weber's Mango Seasoning
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Lay out the catfish chunks. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes, until white and flaky in the middle.
Garlic Asparagus
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
A few squirts of lemon juice
Snap the ends off of the asparagus and mix with olive oil, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Lay the asparagus in the baking dish 1 asparagus deep. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.
Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons butter
Chop the cauliflower up, removing the leaves. (Make sure you wash first). Put cauliflower in bowl with water and cover. Microwave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile put butter and garlic in food processor (or blender, I use my Ninja). After cauliflower is done the bowl and cover will be extremely hot so use a hot pad. Pour cauliflower into blender and blend until desired consistency.
These recipes make enough to feed a family of four. If you have a larger family or desire a bigger portion size simply double the recipes. Portion sizes are around a cup of each food per person.
I hope you find them as yummy as I did!
Until next time,
Alaina
Baked Catfish
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Catfish chunks
Weber's Mango Seasoning
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Lay out the catfish chunks. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes, until white and flaky in the middle.
Garlic Asparagus
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
A few squirts of lemon juice
Snap the ends off of the asparagus and mix with olive oil, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Lay the asparagus in the baking dish 1 asparagus deep. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.
Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons butter
Chop the cauliflower up, removing the leaves. (Make sure you wash first). Put cauliflower in bowl with water and cover. Microwave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile put butter and garlic in food processor (or blender, I use my Ninja). After cauliflower is done the bowl and cover will be extremely hot so use a hot pad. Pour cauliflower into blender and blend until desired consistency.
These recipes make enough to feed a family of four. If you have a larger family or desire a bigger portion size simply double the recipes. Portion sizes are around a cup of each food per person.
I hope you find them as yummy as I did!
Until next time,
Alaina
The Problem With Diet Pills and Supplements
Recently I have seen so many ads on ways you can "get skinny quick" or "lose the weight fast" (and not so recently, I mean these plans have been around for some time). However, they are not without strings.
The Strings:
Firstly most of these "lose it quick" plans come at a hefty price and I'm not just talking finances. Yes, most of them do require you to dip into your wallet, but they also require you to put your health in jeopardy as well.
Losing weight fast does not allow your body the time it needs to tighten your skin, therefore you might get rid of the fat but you are going to have a lot of skin left over. Skin needs time to adjust, and when you lose weight the "old-fashioned" way your body has time to make the necessary adjustments that keep you looking healthy.
What kinds of chemicals are you putting in your body to create this weight loss? Are they natural? Are they healthy? Are they actually good for you? Is the quantity of said chemicals (even if they are healthy and natural) safe? You should always talk to your doctor (no matter what) before you begin your weight loss journey and most importantly if you are planning on starting a new pill or diet. Learning the adverse effects of new medications (because diet pills are essentially medicine) is extremely important to your overall health. [How many times have you seen a new "lose weight" pill or drink come on the market, only to be recalled a few months or a year later in those ads that ask you to call a lawyer if you've had such and such reaction to said pill or drink.]
Losing weight with a diet fad can be successful, but for how long? When all you are doing is taking a pill or drinking a shake you are not forming healthy habits, and you are not changing your lifestyle. This means that your weight loss is dependent on that pill or that shake and in order to keep the weight off you are going to have to continue the pill or shake diet. If you quit it is likely that you will gain the weight back.
When you commit to getting healthy, and that commitment is to true health, a diet pill or diet shake should not even be an option. Yes, you can eat lower calorie foods, but changing what you eat from un-healthy to healthy foods is a change in lifestyle. It is creating new eating habits, and habits are hard to break.
Dedicating yourself to an exercise plan creates healthy habits. When you have made a commitment to work out 3, 4, 6 times a week this creates a habit, and like I said habits are hard to break. You get your mind and your body working together. After this habit is created you will find that the days you take off from exercise your body and your mind remind you that you need to exercise.
Working out does more than aide in weight loss, it creates overall health. Exercise is good not only for your body image but also for your heart, your brain, your mental health, and the rest of your body. It lets your body know who's boss. Exercise has even been proven to help you live longer. Why is that? Because exercise gets your blood flowing, it burns the energy that the food you have consumed provides, it gets your heart working.
Until next time, good luck on your journey!
Alaina
The Strings:
Firstly most of these "lose it quick" plans come at a hefty price and I'm not just talking finances. Yes, most of them do require you to dip into your wallet, but they also require you to put your health in jeopardy as well.
Losing weight fast does not allow your body the time it needs to tighten your skin, therefore you might get rid of the fat but you are going to have a lot of skin left over. Skin needs time to adjust, and when you lose weight the "old-fashioned" way your body has time to make the necessary adjustments that keep you looking healthy.
What kinds of chemicals are you putting in your body to create this weight loss? Are they natural? Are they healthy? Are they actually good for you? Is the quantity of said chemicals (even if they are healthy and natural) safe? You should always talk to your doctor (no matter what) before you begin your weight loss journey and most importantly if you are planning on starting a new pill or diet. Learning the adverse effects of new medications (because diet pills are essentially medicine) is extremely important to your overall health. [How many times have you seen a new "lose weight" pill or drink come on the market, only to be recalled a few months or a year later in those ads that ask you to call a lawyer if you've had such and such reaction to said pill or drink.]
Losing weight with a diet fad can be successful, but for how long? When all you are doing is taking a pill or drinking a shake you are not forming healthy habits, and you are not changing your lifestyle. This means that your weight loss is dependent on that pill or that shake and in order to keep the weight off you are going to have to continue the pill or shake diet. If you quit it is likely that you will gain the weight back.
When you commit to getting healthy, and that commitment is to true health, a diet pill or diet shake should not even be an option. Yes, you can eat lower calorie foods, but changing what you eat from un-healthy to healthy foods is a change in lifestyle. It is creating new eating habits, and habits are hard to break.
Dedicating yourself to an exercise plan creates healthy habits. When you have made a commitment to work out 3, 4, 6 times a week this creates a habit, and like I said habits are hard to break. You get your mind and your body working together. After this habit is created you will find that the days you take off from exercise your body and your mind remind you that you need to exercise.
Working out does more than aide in weight loss, it creates overall health. Exercise is good not only for your body image but also for your heart, your brain, your mental health, and the rest of your body. It lets your body know who's boss. Exercise has even been proven to help you live longer. Why is that? Because exercise gets your blood flowing, it burns the energy that the food you have consumed provides, it gets your heart working.
Until next time, good luck on your journey!
Alaina
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