There is no spoon...

Jan. 23:

So technically I lied.  There is no secret to losing weight.  Everything I've been talking about has just been techniques for the basics that you already know.  To lose weight effectively you have to pair exercise with good eating habits.  End of story, right?

Technically it is the end of the story, but life is in the details.  Different techniques can help you further your goals.  So although there is no secret, there are different paths.  Keep looking for paths that help keep you motivated and inspired.

 "Life is a buffet and some people are starving, darling." Auntie Mame 

<3<3 Twice the love Thursday!

My other secret weapon!

Jan. 22:

Wewease the secwet weapon!

So today I'm going to talk about the other tool that helped me out.  It is also on the internet, but more importantly it exists in app form.  So its on my phone, the device I can't seem to leave home without.  And what pray tell is this awesomest of awesome apps name?  It is, drum roll please...dah-dah-dah

Lose It

This app allowed me to enter my stats, choose how much weight I wanted to lose per week, and it generated the amount of calories I needed to eat per day.  Then you start logging your food and it tallies it up for you.  The app also allows you to enter exercise and that gets subtracted from the total of calories you've eaten.  So if you keep your net calories at the suggested amount you will achieve your goal. 

Remember that whole bit I wrote about logging and basically taking an inventory, this helps you do that (it even displays the info in easy to read bar graph form!).

I haven't used any of the other fitness apps that are supposed to allow you to log, but if this one doesn't suit you try some of the others.  Or try keeping an old school journal if that's your style.  Or if you want to make it even easier, just plan a weeks worth of meals ahead of time (or borrow someone elses meal plan) and then you won't have to log daily.  The point is to know what you are eating and how much you should be eating.

It's for the most part a simple math equation, your body needs a certain amount of calories to function, and you burn a certain amount of calories during the day.  This app just does the math for you.  It's not even that "new" fangled math they teach these days.  You can do this! <3

Here's my internet secret...

Jan. 21st:
Cassey Ho's website of awesome fitness tools

That link up there might change your life. It definitely changed how I work out.  She creates monthly workout calendars, for free!  You subscribe to her blog and she emails the password.  Poof, daily workouts laid out calendar style. Hit up YouTube and search for the described videos, and poof, she shows you how to do it.  On her blog you can also try her weekly meal plans, I haven't yet but it was the holidays recently and I'm slowly working back towards a much more clean eating style (I say slowly because I've had a doughnut and a half in the last two days, I am human too.  Chocolate is a hard habit for me to moderate, but it can be done.).

I was originally looking for a stretches that would help increase flexibility to be able to do the splits, and then there was Cassey.  And not only did she make free monthly calendars she had designed an app for Apple devices that incorporated her you tube videos, had a section for recipes, link to her shop, and a forum where you could share with other Popsters (pop Pilates, Popsters. It's silly but hey, we are hard core!). My absolute favorite part is that for 1$ monthly subscription the monthly calendar is viewable in the app and all you have to do is click on the link listed and workout. No creating playlists on you tube, no searching, and it even has little boxes to check off your progress as you finish. It fills some OCD part of me seeing all the little boxes checked.

Which brings me to the next part of using the tools at hand.  A tool is useless if you don't put it to it's intended use.  Having a fitness app does you no good if you never open it.  Just like a stationary bike doesn't help you burn calories holding your clothes.  Whatever your tool of choice, make a decision to use it at least four times a week (following her calendar is six times a week) and put in the effort.  Doing a workout, however imperfectly, is better than doing none at all.

For the men following this, there are more macho websites that use a different style of working out, but I enjoy most of Cassey's workouts because they are fun. If dance/Pilates isn't your style, no worries. There are plenty of fish in the sea, but give her a try before you besmirch these as 'girly'.

Web based workouts work for me because I can do them at home. She has made some gym oriented workouts, and treadmill ones as well. I'm telling you all this because this is where I found a focus for all my prior inspiration. By the time I found Cassey I had already lost 38lbs, since doing her monthly calendars to the best of my ability I lost 28lbs.  This internet tool works for me, and it might work for you.  Or it might inspire you to look around and find something else that moves you.  Like I said, there are other fish in the sea.  Find something challenging and go for it! <3

Google Fu

Jan. 20th:

So today's ramblings will be about one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal.  THE INTERNETS!  The internet is a vast library of knowledge that is searchable through da google (or the yahoo, or bing, or whatever you use, I prefer da google).

For starters, want to find healthy recipes, or healthier versions of food you already like, try the internet.

Want to find new workouts, youtube my friend (which resides on the internet).

Looking for a trainer (Internet)
 

I'm starting to see a pattern here, there is lots of information to be found on the internet. If you are here reading this text, then you have the internets!  So take advantage of the tools you have at your disposal.  Knowledge is power, start flexing your google fu and see how far you go! <3

The trail may look hard

Jan. 19th:

If you are just starting down the path to a healthier lifestyle (don't say diet, diets indicate that it is something you will someday stop doing) it may look like the above path, unattractive and difficult.  But remember while you are on it to look up and see where you are headed. 

Yes it takes discipline and hard work to make changes in our lives.  But it can be done.  Find what makes you feel alive and strive to achieve it.  I love hiking and these photos are from today's hike.  The first photo is the trail called Devil's backbone and the second photo I'm not even sure what I was looking at, but the clouds were just surreal looking.  These were both taken on the way to the Mt. Baldy summit.  So go climb your mountain, its sitting there waiting! 

The beauty of climbing mountains is that the mountain isn't going anywhere so it gives you plenty of time to get the job done without treating it like a race. <3

Birthday musings

Jan 18th:
I will get right back to the previous style of a quote which I try to expound on. But I'm not feeling it today. Plus I don't have one in mind and I need to go to bed soon. So there you have it, honesty at its finest. I turned 33 today, but I don't feel that age. Except for when my back or knee hurts, then I feel older, but mostly I still feel like I did in my early twenties. Looking to try new things and go places I haven't been. So today was Catalina, and tomorrow I intend to climb mt baldy. I think we never truly get old if we keep trying new things and keep looking to have fun with this life we are given.

I truly want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes!  I felt like a queen today :D
Love you all! <3

Goals and what to do when you get there (or don't)

Jan. 17th:

I don't have some awesome phrase for today.  Just a topic that's been eating me for awhile now.  So back in October I was 190lbs and decided I was going to get down to 170lbs while I participated in a two month weight loss competition.  The end of the competition came, and I was three pounds short.  Oh woe is me, right?  I have been stuck at the cusp of 170lbs for two months now.  I have let it affect my mood and drive me crazy.  The other day, I weighed myself in the morning before working out and then I weighed myself after working out.  I actually managed to sweat myself down to 170.2lbs.  I couldn't believe it, the scale finally said my goal weight.  Did I celebrate, no, I didn't want to accept it because it had been forced.  I didn't wake up to that number so it didn't count in my crazy brain. 

Today the top and shorts arrived that I had wanted to get when I made my goal weight.  I was feeling guilty about wanting to wear them because I wasn't truly at my goal weight, but you know what.  I'm in a healthy weight range according to the charts, I feel great, and dammit the clothes fit so I'm going to wear them.  Does that mean that I'm going to quit trying to get to my goal?  Of course not, but it means I'm going to give myself a break and enjoy where I've gotten to.  When you are in the midst of working hard towards your goal, don't forget to stop and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.  It doesn't mean you are giving up.  The goal is a nice motivator, but the important part is to remember it is all part of the journey.  And life is to be enjoyed!  <3

P.S.  When you get to your goal, that's easy, just set a new one.  I don't mean constantly keep trying to lose weight; pick something to work towards with your bad self.  If you made your weight goal, try picking things to improve your physical abilities.  How fast can you run a mile, can you do a pull up, ever wanted to rollerblade, want to take up bicycling, yoga, swimming, participate in a 3k, a marathon, ice skate?  There's other things that can keep you motivated besides the number on the scale!  Have fun and hit me up if you need a workout buddy!

My shirt says Excuse Me I Burpee'd and my shorts say Beast Mode.  Best Christmas gift ever!