Soda, Sugar and Calories

I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser. Last night's show focused on the calories and sugar grams in regular soda. I felt this important enough to reiterate here for those that don't watch the show & don't pay attention to this very important fact. Regular soda is LOADED WITH CALORIES AND SUGAR! For those that drink a lot of regular soda, count up how many ounces or cans of soda you are having each week & multiply those calories out for the year. You will be astounded by how many extra calories you drink each week, month, year. By just cutting back and/or eliminating those calories, think about how many less pounds can be added to your weight loss goal. Try cutting back & substituting with diet soda or water. It will be well worth your time. There are plenty of flavored zero calorie waters or you can even make your own by cutting up slices of your favorite fruits & adding to a glass or pitcher of water. Also, PUR water filters now offer their filters in flavors!!!!! Another benefit of less soda, lower tooth decay from the sugar! Take this one step and you will be on your way to a healthier body!

Lift Weights with Proper Form

I want to make note of something I see often in the gym. When people lift weights, some feel that the heavier the better no matter what the form. Men, you are notorious for this! When lifting weights, don't forgo form to lift heavier weights. Not only do you get better results from doing it right but you also eliminate the possibility of really injuring yourself by throwing the weights around. Do it right & get results!

My Struggle to get you Information

So, I am struggling with how to put all this information in my head on my blog. I am sure those that eventually get to my blog want to know how I did things wrong when I was younger, how I learned to make changes for the better, what I have learned along the way, what I know now & how I can help you all accomplish your goals based on my 25+ years at this fitness game. I know you want to know how I lost the weight (the wrong then the right way), what I did along the way, what changes I made, what I learned from the programs I outlined for myself, how I kept the weight off & now weigh less than when I first lost the weight AND how at 50, I maintain a body fat % of approximately 16%. Please bear with me as I try to figure out how to put this down for all of you without overwhelming you & so that it is in an easy format to read. Please keep coming back!

Eat Well, Get Results

I want to reference my tip of the day about eating healthy. This is integral to a fitness/health program. I am not saying that it has to be perfect all the time but one does have to try to eat well at least 80% of the time. Another huge issue for people is that they underestimate the calories they consume per day. All the little extra nibbles here and there - a piece or more of candy, snacking while cooking meals, the condiments you put on food, that little bite of everything on your spouses/partners' plate - these all add up. It is proven that people that keep a food journal AND ARE HONEST ABOUT IT lose weight & keep it off compared to those that don't keep a food journal. I know it is hard but this is the step to take to succeed!

What I Do to Keep Fit

So, you might ask me what I do to keep fit. Right now I do a variety of cardio machines. I use the treadmill to jog, hill walk, interval train and more. I also use the elliptical machine and the "revolving stairs" machine in the gym. In addition, I do an outside jog on the weekend. I also do what I preach .. lifting weights. I finish off with stretching at the end of my routine when my muscles are warmed up. I should also add that I do a variety of ab exercises, some before, some during & some after my routine. It is all about finding what works best for you.

When I was younger, it was all about the treadmill & running but as I got older, I learned to do a variety of things not only to keep my body guessing but to prevent overuse injuries.

Experts like to say that this works better than that BUT in the long run, you must find out what works best for you. That is key! It does not have to be a gym routine. Just find something you like AND MOVE!

So, for those that saw my previous tip of the day saying weight/resistance training is a must because when you have more muscle, you burn more calories at rest, I can just hear the women screaming, "I don't want to look like her ... be that muscular"! Let me say this: I want to look like this. I set my own exercise program up specifically to meet these goals. This does not mean you have to add this much muscle. All I am saying is that you need weight/resistance training as part of your program. Not only does it help burn more calories, it also helps sustain that calorie burn after the workout AND it is important because having muscle helps combat osteoporosis. When I was younger, I did minimal weight training. It was all about cardio. I did not look as good, was not as lean, could not eat as much AND I wore a larger size than I do now at 50. Make weight/resistance training a must in your program!

Thx much to the first person that has found my blog and commented.. I do so appreciate you saying I look good! It has been a lot of years since I lost weight. I was heavy as a kid and did not lose weight until high school. Saying that, it took me years to understand how to do it right, how to eat right, how to exercise right. When I first lost weight when I was young, I did it the wrong way. Like most women, I just cut my calories back way too much. We can't survive on 1000 calories a day. It will starve the body & then your body holds on to fat as it thinks it is in starvation mode. It took me years to understand & figure out what works best for me & that eating more and eating the right things along with exercise is the key. More on that to come. Bear with me. I am just learning at 50 how to do this "blog stuff"!

I am a 50 year old women that has been working out and trying to eat healthy for over 25 years. I have done it wrong and I have done it right.

I hope that each of you learns from my experiences. I am not a certified personal trainer although I have been certified in the past. I am not a registered dietician but have been reading about & refining my own nutrition program for years.

I am just a person that has worked at this for so many years that I can pass on the things I think work & those I think don't work.