Fat Free And Fit

My new plan!

2007-06-27T19:48:00.000-04:00

Everytime I need to go take a break from the children, I brought my own food. I brought my own 100-Calorie Snack Pack (peanut butter cookies, for my sweet tooth) and two bottles of water. Maybe I'll also bring my own healthy snacks for everyone?

Daily Workout

Need to... ohm.. work on my... ohm.. flexibility..
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-2-92-745-4754-1,00.html

Daily Tidbits

It's in: studies have shown that resistance training are one of the most effective ways to tone tummy flab in women, in comparison to men. The men and women had both increased their strength by about 15 and 16 percent and had lost about 4.4 pounds of body fat. But in comparison to the looks of the midsection, the girls definitely won. Sorry guys, but women can be better at some stuff!

Volunteering, yet again.

2007-06-26T20:43:00.000-04:00

I have a new plan for the break room, because I ate one too many brownies today.

Daily Workout

Jump. Rope. That's all I have to say. But, you don't have to use a rope. Just twirl your arms and jump up and down like you can jump rope. That way you won't trip over the rope every five seconds like I do. And in case you need any more encouragement, check this out:
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-2-67-208-2477-1,00.html

Daily Workout

Need a backpack for school? Can't stand the pressure they put on your back? Try these tips:

Wear both straps.
Don't put too much in your bag, meaning no more than 15-20% of body weight.
Choose wide straps.

Volunteering.

2007-06-25T08:35:00.000-04:00

Volunteered at my church for Vacation Bible School. I'm a teacher, and most of the kids are absolutely adorable, but they're wearing me out! But the only bad side to this is that the break room is stocked with nothing but junk food. I swear, if I keep eating there, I'm gonna gain four or five pounds this week!

Daily Workout

Burnin' all the fat I've eaten at the break room..
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-2-67-208-2477-1,00.html

Daily Tidbits

Eat darker veggies and fruits. Studies have shown they have more nutrients in them in comparison to lighter colored produce. (And yes, that probably does mean adding the spinach to your salad next time you're at the salad bar. Iceberg lettuce just ain't gonna work all the time.)

My feet already hurt.

2007-06-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

I have a horse show tomorrow, so I was at the barn all morning getting ready. I was walking around, fetching stuff to put in the trailer and bathing my horse and cleaning the saddle and bridle. From all that walking around, my feet are sore! And then I'm going to a soccer game. And then Target. Does the madness stop? I don't think so. Aw, poor feet. But at least my horse Sparky is all clean and beautiful.

Daily Workout

From Self Magazine, fight that fat hanging off your body. I mean, c'mon, who wants that?
http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/slideshows/2007/05/0522_fightfat_slides

Daily Tidbits

Trade whole wheat crackers as a substitute for white bread. White bread can raise your blood sugar more than chocolate cake can, and with 1 gram of fiber, it won't keep you full. Instead of a regular sandwich, pack cheeses for fiber and a crunch.

Busy day, perhaps?

2007-06-21T17:16:00.000-04:00

Did chores, did some latin dance cardio, got my hair done, and I am about to go to the Summer Soulstice thing tonight at the park near my house. (Walking, extra exercise!) It celebrates the beginning of summer, and they have tons of crafts, bubble machines, and beautiful scenery. At the closure, they usually have firedancers. It's neat, because it's weird how they don't get burnt. I'm jealous. I wish I could do that.

Daily Workout

Perform as a circuit; do 4 sets, 12-15 reps each with 5- to 10-pound dumbells

Lateral raise (dumbells at waist, then lift up to shoulder height, arms straight)
Biceps curl with shoulder press (curl up your biceps, then press the dumbells to the sides)
Triceps kickback (bend knees and bend waist forward, arms in a 90 degree angle, perpendicular to the floor. 'kick' arms back so they are parallel to floor, then lower)
Squat (act like you're about to sit down. that means stick your butts out!)
Wallt sit (stand with back against wall, legs too. then slide down the wall, like you're lowering into a chair.)

Daily Tidbits

Need an excuse to get moving? At the beginning of every week, write down six physical activites you would like to do that week. If you complete all the activites, reward yourself (and that is with something besides food). Get a mani-pedi, buy a new football, or sit down for a movie marathon Saturday night (popcorn is a healthy choice for movies, just don't overdo the butter or salt!). That way you're motivated to work out.

Rising from my slump.

2007-06-20T21:53:00.000-04:00

I've quit laying around the house all day (I cut back my time to two hours today--be proud). I cleaned a little bit (which, if you go at a steady pace, burns a ton of calories per hour) and went to the dentist. No cavities! This is very different from my last checkup, where I got my first cavity ever. Trust me, that experience made me brush my teeth so that my gums bled, the night after my tooth filling. Disgusting. I also went walking with a friend, which is good. There is a playground near my house that has fitness equipment. They have signs near every station, telling you what to do. My friend and I definitely felt the burn.

Daily Workout

Go to the link below. Great workout, you will definitely feel the burn. No lie.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12193.asp

Daily Tidbits

Are you a chocoholic like me? Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate has rich benefits in moderation. By adding dark chocolate to your healthy diet, your giving your body healthy antioxidants that increase good cholesterol, stopped harmful bad cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, and decreased the risk of blood clots. But remember, the only healthy type of chocolate is dark. So don't go sneaking in some milk or white chocolate, and eat in moderation.

Vegged, again, but worked on some things.

2007-06-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

Laid around the house. Again. Today. But I did work on a few things, namely for all you readers. I am currently in the process of creating a regular podcast for you guys, so expect that in a week or two on iTunes. Once it's released, I will tell you about on this blog. It has the same name as this blog, too (for the naive: Fat Free and Fit).

Daily Workout

Download Prevention Magazine's free podcast, 'Walking Programs: Interval Walks at All Levels". It ain't half bad.

Or, you can also try some lessons in a sport you're interested in. I am taking an hour long horseback riding lesson today, and no it is not just walking around a trail. I'm walking, trotting, cantering and jumping, and if that ain't a workout, I don't know what is!

Daily Tidbits

After a long, hard workout in the sun, you often feel dehydrated and tired, right? Replenish body fluids and energy with fruit like grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew.

Vegged around the house today.

2007-06-18T21:45:00.001-04:00

Laid around the house all day today, but I did manage to sneak in some workout time today. Also snuck in a few small activites that I know will burn mucho calories over a period of time. Read a little about nutrition and fitness (okay, a lot) and I am definitely in the mood to kick my butt into gear and get more active and develop more muscle.

Daily Workout (20 minutes maximum)

Walking lunge with overhead press, 30 repetitions, while alternating sides.
Deadlift with row, 20 repetitions.
Lateral lunge with chop, 15 repetitions.
Walking plank with pushups, walked over six steps to one side in push-up position. Went down on knees and did five push-ups. Walked six steps to other side and did just as many push-ups. Was supposed to do this three times on each side, but could only do one on each. I promise you by the end of the summer I will be able to complete these.
Side bridge, 10 repetitions. On the last rep on each side, pause for 10 seconds in the air, then lower.
Finish up by doing some kind of aerobic activity (like cycling, jogging, dancing, whatever) for 10 minutes. Your rate of percieved exertion (how would you rate the difficulty of the workout on a scale of 1-10, one being sitting and ten being about to collapse?) should be around 5 or 6. That means that you should be able to carry on a steady pace but you should start feeling it by the end of your quick cardio session.

Daily Tidbits

Based on a 125.5 pound woman. To figure out your calorie burn from doing the same activity in the same amount of time, do this equation: (Calories listed/125.5)*Your weight

Washing the car - 30 minutes - 89 calories
Gardening - 30 minutes - 115 calories
Throwing a frisbee - 30 minutes - 89 calories