Spot training

Don't we wish we could spot train? Man I do! Take the extra fat around the arms, and the stomach! But its not possible. Darn. So what can we do? What will help take our fat percentage down and lean us out so our muscles can show?

CARDIO! That's right cardio! Now don't get me wrong we need to be lifting weights or some other variation of weight training but you aren't going to get lean just by that!

One of my favorite ways to get in my cardio is by running. I know some people like to bike or swim better. Great! Whatever it may be, do it And do it for at least 45 minutes a day.

If you do this and add it to a clean diet you will see your body fat percentage go down and you will look more toned!

Happy sweating!!

Water

Making sure you get plenty of water throughout the day is very important! If you have a hard time knowing for sure how much you are drinking here are a few tips!

1. Have a big glass of ice water on you counter when you are home. It helps you grab it and drink that rather than trying to search for something else!

2. Keep a water bottle in the car. This will stop those gas station stops because you are thirsty! Save you money, time and maybe calories!

3. Set a timer on your phone to drink 8 ounces of water throughout the day

4. Drink one full glass if water before you eat lunch or dinner. This will also help you eat less!

5. Add some flavor to your wAter. Some days water just doesn't do it for me. Do i will add a lemon. But you can also find sugar free add ins at the store! It'll help you get a little different flavor but not get you away from water!

The plateau

So I've been doing my regular exercise now for about 6-7 weeks. I consistently have lost weight each week until the last 2 weeks. Now I have to admit, I have relaxed a bit on my diet but I also haven't changed up my exercise either.

After an evaluation of what I was doing I decided my body needed a shock. I needed to change my diet. Take out sugar and lower my carb intake. I also needed to change up my exercise routine.

You're body gets into a rut. It needs a change or a shock to where it doesn't know how many calories you need for that activity.

Change it up. It not only helps you stay into your routine, it also helps you to lose weight or burn more calories each time.

Music and exercise

Ever hate getting out the door for another workout? Double check your playlist! Nothing helps get you in the groove like a good song. Keep them up beat and lively! You'll be done with your workout in no time!

Soda

My wonderful loving husband is so sweet. He works in an office where they drink soda all day. He's never been this kind of a guy. Ya he's a had a soda every now and again but never consistently. Anyways, he decided to stop drinking soda to see how he would feel while he runs. He's a great runner but has wanted to get faster. He has been running about a 9:30 minute mile and his fastest time has been an average time Of 8:50. So after a week or so of not drinking soda at all, he ran a new speed of 8:30 minute miles. He did this in heat and up hills. He was surprised at the difference he felt physically. He wasn't winded At all. To me that is a great example of why soda should not be in your diet on a regular basis. There are also other reasons and studies that show why you shouldn't drink it but this is just a great example of how it affects your exercise. Here's to water and a great workout!!

Eating smarter

Eat smarter
After trying to find good healthy recipes I found this article that helped me realize you can make any recipe healthy. You just need to substitute a few things, hide some nutritious ones and eat the right portion. (article found from weightwatchers.com)


Easy Ways to Eat Smarter
Too busy to make sure you're eating foods that are good for you? No sweat! Try our low-maintenance approach to healthy eating.
Article By: Sandra Gordon


Somewhere along the way, the practice of eating healthy got a reputation for being difficult, time-consuming, and pretty much a pain in the butt. To that we say, Whoa! Eating nutritious meals doesn't have to be work. Our nutrition experts shared their best super-fast, incredibly easy ways to fill up on foods that are good for you.

1. Get sneaky. That is, sneak fruits and vegetables — excellent sources of disease-fighting vitamins, fiber, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals — into the foods you already eat, advises Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, author of Stealth Health: How to Sneak Nutrition Painlessly into Your Diet. No-brainer ideas include: Top off your morning cereal or yogurt with blueberries, peaches and the like. Add finely chopped carrots, broccoli and kale to pasta sauces, meat loaf, soups and salads. (Hint: Buy them ready-cut at your supermarket.)

2. Experiment with exotic fruits. Think papaya, mango, melon and fresh pineapple. "Tropical fruits are especially potent sources of antioxidants," says Felicia Busch, RD, author of New Nutrition: From Antioxidants to Zucchini.

3. Down some veggies. Another no-fuss way to eat more veggies? "Drink vegetable juice," Busch suggests. Besides offering disease-fighting nutrients, "most vegetable juices are blends, so they provide more unique combinations of vegetables that you might not otherwise eat," says Busch. A varied diet maximizes your body's arsenal of health-promoting nutrients, she says.

4. Milk those calcium moments. Choose calcium-fortified juice instead of the regular version — you'll get as much calcium (300 milligrams) as you would in a glass of milk (bear in mind: milk has more nutrients, particularly vitamin D, which helps absorb calcium). Make oatmeal and other hot cereals with skim milk instead of water, and switch to skinny lattes (2/3 skim milk, 1/3 strong coffee) instead of regular coffee, suggests Tribole.

5. Don't bypass beans at the salad bar. They're an underrated source of disease-fighting fiber, as well as a great source of iron, protein and folate, the last of which is especially important for women of child-bearing age, says Busch. Studies show that a diet high in fiber can even help keep your weight in check. Use canned, rinsed beans in salads, and incorporate them into soups, stews and sauces.

6. Choose fish. "The average American eats fish about once a week," says Busch. But two to three times a week is better — so why not grill some up, or make a fillet in minutes in your broiler pan? Little-known fact: Fish generally takes less time to cook than a boneless chicken breast. And fish, especially coldwater fish like salmon, is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid, the heart-healthy fat that helps lower LDL (or "bad") cholesterol. "Eating more fish may also reduce your cancer risk," says Busch, "and even lower your blood pressure."


With it being summer it's easy to get out the grill, but fresh veggies and fruit and get outside to move. Take advantage of what you have.
Ty and Mari at 8:23 AM

Get in shape fast

Here is a great article taken from KSL Salt Lake City UT about how to get in shape fast. It has great info and a few good workout links.


3 tips for getting in shape, fast
by Lindsay Maxfield

Here’s a look at three tried-and-true tips from the experts.

Get a plan

You can have all the desire and motivation in the world to get fit, but without a plan, you’re more likely to end up stalled than slimmed. There are literally countless books and articles with meal plans, exercise routines and health regimens to help you get in shape fast. For starters, check out Shape magazine’s “How to Lose Weight and Get Fit for Good” plans for women or ABC News’ “Get In Shape Fast” plan for men.

In addition to having a plan, you must have a vision for what you want to accomplish. “When you don't have a specific goal, it's difficult to keep exercising and to track your progress to see how far you've come,” writes Paige Waehner for exercise. about.com. Another benefit of setting an attainable goal: It will be realistic, meaning you won’t want to quit after only a week when you haven’t seen the dramatic results that are only made for TV.

Get a complex

Do you have a complex when it comes to exercising? I don’t mean a psychological hang-up about your level of fitness (or lack thereof). “Complexes are three or more exercises done using the same barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell with no rest between each movement,” writes Curt Peterson, a health and fitness writer and founder of stayfitcentral.com. “Despite the name, they are anything but complex with regard to the equipment, space, skill or time they require to complete.” Check out his 20-minute workout complexes at lifehack.org.

If toning and building muscle isn’t your thing, ditch this routine but stick to the concept. Combine your efforts wherever possible to maximize both the time and effort you spend getting healthy.

“The trick is to sweat smarter, not harder, and, in many cases, for shorter durations,” writes Caroline Schaefer for fitbe.msn.com. “In fact, a study from McMaster University in Ontario found that people who did brief, fast-paced workouts for a total of 90 minutes a week got just as fit as those who did lower-intensity training for four and a half hours.”

Get a disguise

The promise of getting more out of doing less has lured many but fulfilled few. But doctors say there’s an easy way to put this principle into action: "The goal here is to disguise your exercise," says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, in an article for medicinenet.com. "We have, as a nation, overemphasized the value of structured exercise and underemphasized the value of lifestyle physical activity as a way to get more fitness into our lives."

Franklin suggests simply getting more active in your daily life, which will provide the same benefits as a structured exercise routine but without the gym hours logged. Try team sports, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and going for longer walks with your dog.

Whatever you choose to do, just do it. The longer you wait, the longer it will take you to attain the kind of fitness you're dreaming of.