Sometimes, exercises with the best intentions lose the least amount of weight. What's worse is that they often seen their friends slim down just weeks after starting a new workout program. It can be frustrating and confusing. So what makes one weight loss workout plan effective and another one fail? There could be a number of factors involved. But in many cases, the cause can be traced to one of these blunders. If you've been struggling to shed a few pounds and your exercise plan isn't yielding any results, see if you are making one of these common workout mistakes.
1. Doing the same workout day after day. It's not a bad thing to exercise every day, and it's not necessarily a bad to do the same workout everyday to maintain heart health. But if you want to lose weight, repeating the same workout mode, intensity, or duration day after day won't work. Why? Your body adjusts to the daily workload and you hit a dreadful plateau.
To fix this try and develop a workout schedule that involves different activities, different intensity levels and different sessions lengths. Try taking classes and since the weather is warming up try outdoor training. Switching up is better anyway because you don't get bored with the same routines!!
2. Compensating by eating more. When you add exercise to your daily routine, you are likely to become more hungry than usual and want to eat more. Dealing with that hunger can be a uphill battle, because there is often a little voice inside your head that says, " I can eat whatever I want because I exercised today."
That rationale makes sense. But if you are trying to lose weight with exercise, you need to achieve a calorie deficit at the end of the day. If you satisfy your post-exercise hunger with high calorie foods or with too much food, you'll end up replacing all of the calories you burned.
3. Decreasing non-exercise physical activity. It's great if you go to the gym every day and complete a killer workout- unless the payoff is that you spend the rest of the day on the couch. If you compensate for your workout by decreasing the amount of non-exercise physical activity that you do during the day, your total daily caloric expenditure may end up being the same as if you hadn't gone to the gym.
4. Using supplements/sports drinks. Do you refuel during your workout with sports drinks or bars? Do you grab a high calorie , high sugar supplement drink or bar after the workout is complete? If so, you're probably erasing the calorie deficit that you just earned. For more people that exercise, WATER is the best choice for hydration. Remember there are hundreds of products on the market and, sadly most of them do nothing but make empty promises and drain your wallet.
~Wendy
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The Skinny on Milk
So I went and purchased the new Self magazine with Beyonce on the cover. While reading I noticed they had a great breakdown on the pros and cons of various types of milk that I thought was interesting. So I am going to share a little bit of what they talked about.
Cow's Milk (skim)
Pros: Loaded with calcium, protein, and potassisum, lowfat milk offers, for many people, the most nutritional bang for their buck.
Cons: This type of milk is off limits for vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant. To make matters worse there is some concern about the use of growth hormones or antibiotics in cow's feed. (Yuck!!)
Soy Milk (light)
Pros: Made from a mixture of heart-healthy soybeans and water, this nondairy vegan pick contains almost as much protein as soy milk.
Cons: Some studies have linked high soy intake to health conditions ranging from digestive ailments to reproductive disroders.
Almond Milk
Pros: This low-calorie drink boasts a whole milk-like texture and a big dose of antidoxidant vitamin E. It's sweet, nutty flavor is a excellent complement to coffee and breakfast cereal.
Cons: Though typically enriched wih calcium and vitamin D, almond milk loses fiber and protein during production.
Goat's Milk
Pros: The new non-vegan kid in the dairy aisle is easier to digest than cow's milk because it lacks a protein that can trigger allergies.
Cons: Goat's milk has more saturated fat than any of the other milk alternatives and a tangy taste that can take some getting used too.
Coconut Milk
Pros: This fresh blend of coconut pulp and water is fortified with vitamin B12 which promotes a healthy nervous system.
Cons: All 5 grams of fat in a serving are saturated (that's a third of the daiy limit for women on a 1,600-calories-per0day diet.) So take baby sips!!1
Rice Milk
Pros: Combine partially milled rice with water and you get the ultimate cholesterol-free hypoallergenic beverage, a savior for those avoiding soy, nuts, or dairy.
Cons: Rice milk has minimal amounts of protein and fiber and lots of carbs, 23 grams in one cup!!!
Cow's Milk (skim)
Pros: Loaded with calcium, protein, and potassisum, lowfat milk offers, for many people, the most nutritional bang for their buck.
Cons: This type of milk is off limits for vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant. To make matters worse there is some concern about the use of growth hormones or antibiotics in cow's feed. (Yuck!!)
Soy Milk (light)
Pros: Made from a mixture of heart-healthy soybeans and water, this nondairy vegan pick contains almost as much protein as soy milk.
Cons: Some studies have linked high soy intake to health conditions ranging from digestive ailments to reproductive disroders.
Almond Milk
Pros: This low-calorie drink boasts a whole milk-like texture and a big dose of antidoxidant vitamin E. It's sweet, nutty flavor is a excellent complement to coffee and breakfast cereal.
Cons: Though typically enriched wih calcium and vitamin D, almond milk loses fiber and protein during production.
Goat's Milk
Pros: The new non-vegan kid in the dairy aisle is easier to digest than cow's milk because it lacks a protein that can trigger allergies.
Cons: Goat's milk has more saturated fat than any of the other milk alternatives and a tangy taste that can take some getting used too.
Coconut Milk
Pros: This fresh blend of coconut pulp and water is fortified with vitamin B12 which promotes a healthy nervous system.
Cons: All 5 grams of fat in a serving are saturated (that's a third of the daiy limit for women on a 1,600-calories-per0day diet.) So take baby sips!!1
Rice Milk
Pros: Combine partially milled rice with water and you get the ultimate cholesterol-free hypoallergenic beverage, a savior for those avoiding soy, nuts, or dairy.
Cons: Rice milk has minimal amounts of protein and fiber and lots of carbs, 23 grams in one cup!!!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I am Determined
Patience is a virtue many do not possess. We have very little difficulty identifying what we want and need. The difficulty comes in waiting for it to manifest. We become nervous, doubtful, even fearful when we don't see our good coming as quickly as we think it should. Sometimes we even allow ourselves to believe someone or something can hold us back or stop our good from coming. We worry, we complain and sometimes we give up hope. We cannot see how we get in our own way. We forget about universal timing and divine order. We may not realize how our negative thoughts, doubts and fears uproot the positive seeds we plant. We just don't understand that we would not have the desire unless the supply were ready to come forward. We must learn the virtue of patience because every time we open the oven door, we run the risk of making a good cake fall.
I shared this positive message this morning to say that even if you have been working out and eating right, results don't come overnight. You can not keep pressuring yourself when you don't see the weight dropping off as quickly as you would like. If you still attend happy hours and drink a lot of alcohol more than likely you won't get the results you want. Remember this takes time and a lot of dedication to get the results you want.
Continue to have positive thoughts and stay focused.....you will thank me later!!!!
Wendy
I shared this positive message this morning to say that even if you have been working out and eating right, results don't come overnight. You can not keep pressuring yourself when you don't see the weight dropping off as quickly as you would like. If you still attend happy hours and drink a lot of alcohol more than likely you won't get the results you want. Remember this takes time and a lot of dedication to get the results you want.
Continue to have positive thoughts and stay focused.....you will thank me later!!!!
Wendy
Monday, March 18, 2013
Great Website
Good Morning...I hope everyone had a great weekend. I have came across this amazing website that I want to pass on to my readers...Please check it out, you will thank me later..
Blackgirlsworkouttoo.com
Wendy
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Yes, I Can Lose Weight!
It's hard to feel good if you don't look good, and it's hard to stick to your diet if your self-confidence is in the gutter. But how do you boost your confidence if you feel bad about your body? Many dieters wait until they are the perfect size to invest any time or effort into their appearance. But they've got it backwards. You need to invest in yourself everyday, starting at the beginning of your diet, so that you look fabulous., feel empowered and believe that you are capable of doing everything you set out to do.
Self-efficacy is your belief that you can successfully carry out a specific task. if you start your weight loss journal with the words, " I can lose weight!", your self-efficacy with regards to weight loss is probably high. Self-efficacy generally relates to a specific goal. For example, you may have strong beliefs that you are capable of skipping a high-calorie late-night snack. That means your self-efficacy regarding late-night snacking is high, but you might have doubts about whether you're going to get up early the next morning to work out. Your self-efficacy regarding the morning workout is low.
Ways to Improve Self-Efficacy to Lose Weight
1. Set and reach goals. Always start with small goals that will act as stepping stones to larger accomplishments. The completion of each small task will build your level of self-efficacy for completing larger tasks in the future.
2. Surround yourself with positive messages. If the people that surround you are successfully completing the goal that you want to achieve, you're more likely to believe that you can do it, too. Find friends that have some habits that you admire. Instead of going to happy hour with your friends, find some new friends that want to hit the gym and exercise.
3. Social persuasion. Talk to your family and friends. Let them know that their encouragement and positive messages make a difference. If your family or friends are not supportive, this is another area where social media can help. Get connected with me. Visit my blog for your motivational support!!!
4. Learn to Relax. If you have intense emotional reactions to situations, your self-efficacy with regards to your ability to handle that situation will probably be low. Take some time to identify the situations that cause you to react strongly. Then, learn relaxation techniques that will help you to manage them with a calm demeanor.
Self-efficacy is your belief that you can successfully carry out a specific task. if you start your weight loss journal with the words, " I can lose weight!", your self-efficacy with regards to weight loss is probably high. Self-efficacy generally relates to a specific goal. For example, you may have strong beliefs that you are capable of skipping a high-calorie late-night snack. That means your self-efficacy regarding late-night snacking is high, but you might have doubts about whether you're going to get up early the next morning to work out. Your self-efficacy regarding the morning workout is low.
Ways to Improve Self-Efficacy to Lose Weight
1. Set and reach goals. Always start with small goals that will act as stepping stones to larger accomplishments. The completion of each small task will build your level of self-efficacy for completing larger tasks in the future.
2. Surround yourself with positive messages. If the people that surround you are successfully completing the goal that you want to achieve, you're more likely to believe that you can do it, too. Find friends that have some habits that you admire. Instead of going to happy hour with your friends, find some new friends that want to hit the gym and exercise.
3. Social persuasion. Talk to your family and friends. Let them know that their encouragement and positive messages make a difference. If your family or friends are not supportive, this is another area where social media can help. Get connected with me. Visit my blog for your motivational support!!!
4. Learn to Relax. If you have intense emotional reactions to situations, your self-efficacy with regards to your ability to handle that situation will probably be low. Take some time to identify the situations that cause you to react strongly. Then, learn relaxation techniques that will help you to manage them with a calm demeanor.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Self Image
We have such poor images of ourselves that we have difficulty understanding the good others see in us. When someone gives us a compliment, we are quick to point out what is wrong. When someone supports or encourages us, we remind them of our failures. We play ourselves down to such a degree that others begin to question the faith they have placed in us. This vicious cycle can only lower our already low self-esteem. Today is a good time to rethink our thoughts about ourselves. We can accept the compliments we receive when we give them to ourselves first. We can build our confidence by celebrating our small victories and successes. We can support the faith and trust others have in us by supporting and having faith in ourselves. It all begins with our willingness to acknowledge that we are really fine, just the way we are.
~Wendy
~Wendy
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Does Meal Timing Matter If Your Trying To Lose Weight?
Happy Tuesday!!!
This method took me a while to get used too. I always ate when I was hungry! Now I have a developed a routine (depending on what shift I am working) that works best for me. Usually I do not eat after 7:30pm however if I do it's usually a piece of fruit or a yogurt. If you can't time your meals perfectly throughout the day, just start with just timing how late you eat. For instance just try and eat your dinner no later than 7:30 each night. Once you get the hang of that you should be able to include the best times to eat breakfast and lunch.
If you can't lose weight, look at your own meal-timing pattern and see if it affects your ability to eat reasonable portions at each meal, exercise vigorously, sleep well, and avoid mindless snacking. Monitor your caloric intake with different meal schedules to see if there is any pattern. Do you overeat at dinner when you skip lunch? Do you snack on starchy high-fat food when you skip breakfast?
For example, today I ate breakfast at 7:30am (a bowl of special K with a yogurt), between 9:30 and 10:30 I will have a snack (either my orange or a special K bar) depending on how busy I am around noon and 1pm I will have my lunch which will carry me over until I leave work this afternoon. Like always I have my snack bag which is just another piece of fruit and some nuts just in case I have the munchies on the ride home. Dinner tonight will be baked fish, steamed veggies and a baked sweet potato which I plan on eating between 6-630pm.
A lot of people that I know eat when they are hungry. Also your career plays a huge part in how you eat and what time your eating. My rule of thumb is you have to crawl before you walk. So on that not try for a week and see how well you stick to your plan. Make your grocery list and plan out your meals and snacks for the entire week and map out the times you plan on eating. Now don't get upset when you can't eat during the time you had set out for. Trust me when I get a new case and I can't eat dinner at 6pm I just have to improvise and change some things around but the key is don't eat too heavy late at night.
~Wendy
This method took me a while to get used too. I always ate when I was hungry! Now I have a developed a routine (depending on what shift I am working) that works best for me. Usually I do not eat after 7:30pm however if I do it's usually a piece of fruit or a yogurt. If you can't time your meals perfectly throughout the day, just start with just timing how late you eat. For instance just try and eat your dinner no later than 7:30 each night. Once you get the hang of that you should be able to include the best times to eat breakfast and lunch.
If you can't lose weight, look at your own meal-timing pattern and see if it affects your ability to eat reasonable portions at each meal, exercise vigorously, sleep well, and avoid mindless snacking. Monitor your caloric intake with different meal schedules to see if there is any pattern. Do you overeat at dinner when you skip lunch? Do you snack on starchy high-fat food when you skip breakfast?
For example, today I ate breakfast at 7:30am (a bowl of special K with a yogurt), between 9:30 and 10:30 I will have a snack (either my orange or a special K bar) depending on how busy I am around noon and 1pm I will have my lunch which will carry me over until I leave work this afternoon. Like always I have my snack bag which is just another piece of fruit and some nuts just in case I have the munchies on the ride home. Dinner tonight will be baked fish, steamed veggies and a baked sweet potato which I plan on eating between 6-630pm.
A lot of people that I know eat when they are hungry. Also your career plays a huge part in how you eat and what time your eating. My rule of thumb is you have to crawl before you walk. So on that not try for a week and see how well you stick to your plan. Make your grocery list and plan out your meals and snacks for the entire week and map out the times you plan on eating. Now don't get upset when you can't eat during the time you had set out for. Trust me when I get a new case and I can't eat dinner at 6pm I just have to improvise and change some things around but the key is don't eat too heavy late at night.
~Wendy
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Inner Strength
Fear, lack of confidence and low self-esteem tends to make us jump to conclusions. If what we are facing is near to our hearts, we have a tendency to expect the worst. We miss so much, including opportunities to change, when we jump to the end from the middle. We forget our focus and our goal when we poise ourselves for failure. The ancient Africans knew that no matter what was going to happen, it would not happened until it happened. Therefore, they were prepared for all possibilities, the good and the bad. Do not jump to conclusions, you could be wrong. Do not pull out in the middle, that is a total waste of time. Keep your faith, trust and stay focused, put your best foot out anyway. The ancient ones had faith and trusted, knowing the end is only a reflection of the beginning.
~Wendy
~Wendy
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Excuse After Excuse.....
Most of the time, excuses are made out of pure laziness. For people who are constantly making excuses..the negative energy it takes to do so could instead be used on getting things DONE! Great things come to those who work hard for it and that goes for everything in life. Opportunities will pass you by if you don't take advantage of them. Simple as that. So next time you hear someone whining about why they aren't where they want to be in life...ask them what they have done to get there.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
How Can I Not Feel Hungry all the Time?
It's normal to feel hungry when you start a new exercise regimen or you increase your exercise frequency or intensity. You're burning more calories, so your body needs to take more in. Make sure you get lots of healthy, high-fiber foods in your diet. Most high-fiber foods require more chewing, which helps to satisfy hunger. Spread out your calories by eating five to six small meals as opposed to three large ones during the day.
If you wait too long for a large meal, you'll be starving and tempted to overindulged by the time you eat. Remember eating more frequent, smaller meals helps keep you full, and lets you stay in control.Slow down when you're eating. It takes our body 20 minutes to realize it's full. If you eat quickly, you'll eat extra calories while your body is figuring out whether it's hungry. If you eat slowly, your brain will start sending signals to stop eating at the right time.
~Wendy
~Wendy
Monday, March 4, 2013
Summer Bodies are Earned in the Winter
Spring is around the corner and before you know it summer will be here but will you be ready to enjoy it? If you want to look great this summer the time is now. If you'd prefer to make reasonable changes, lose weight at a steady pace, add some sexy lean muscle to your frame and keep the weight off for good, then you need to start now. If your workplace has a gym then take advantage of it. Pack your gym clothes with you and after work take a coworker along and hit the gym. Where I work there is a gym and also they offer free Zumba classes at the Police Academy.
Within the past few weeks the stores at the mall have placed all of the newest items for the spring and the summer months. If you see something you want to wear now is the time to dig deep within yourself and get motivated to put the necessary work in. Trust me the results will pay off in the long run. Work hard now and enjoy that sexy dress you want to wear this summer!!
~Wendy
Within the past few weeks the stores at the mall have placed all of the newest items for the spring and the summer months. If you see something you want to wear now is the time to dig deep within yourself and get motivated to put the necessary work in. Trust me the results will pay off in the long run. Work hard now and enjoy that sexy dress you want to wear this summer!!
~Wendy
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Springing Into Action
Good Morning!!! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. All is well over here. Spring will be here on March 21st but it's not to late to get back on track if you fell off. Over the weekend I had a few people come to me and express how much they love reading my blog and I how I keep them motivated however at times they just want to throw in the towel because they don't see results fast enough.
People results will only appear if you put in the work. If you don't eat right and don't do any type of exercising then you will only make matters worse. You have to set a small goal and take it from there. The weather will be changing soon and this will be the perfect time to maybe take a walk around a track. Grab a girlfriend. Take the kids. Also from time to time I like to go to the malls before they open and walk around a few times. Believe or not the average mall is about 1.5 miles (per floor). This is something that a person has to want to do. No one can make you do anything but you can't think just because you fell off that you can't get back on track.
Becoming active takes time and a lot of discipline. You have to crawl before you can walk. However once you take your first step it becomes easier and you build up your motivation. I always said this will not happen over night but you can't lose focus after a week when you don't put in any work. Three weeks ago I had a visit with my nutritionist and told me that he was very proud of how I always manage to stay focused and he wanted me to speak with some of his clients who was just starting this lifestyle change. It's all about changing for the better and enjoying life. There have bee plenty of times I fell off and just like a kid learning how to ride a bike, I dusted myself off and got back on the bike.
Don't let the spring/summer pass by and you are still in a slump because you haven't seen any results. This is the day you get off the couch...stop feeding yourself with excuses...and do something about it.
~Wendy
People results will only appear if you put in the work. If you don't eat right and don't do any type of exercising then you will only make matters worse. You have to set a small goal and take it from there. The weather will be changing soon and this will be the perfect time to maybe take a walk around a track. Grab a girlfriend. Take the kids. Also from time to time I like to go to the malls before they open and walk around a few times. Believe or not the average mall is about 1.5 miles (per floor). This is something that a person has to want to do. No one can make you do anything but you can't think just because you fell off that you can't get back on track.
Becoming active takes time and a lot of discipline. You have to crawl before you can walk. However once you take your first step it becomes easier and you build up your motivation. I always said this will not happen over night but you can't lose focus after a week when you don't put in any work. Three weeks ago I had a visit with my nutritionist and told me that he was very proud of how I always manage to stay focused and he wanted me to speak with some of his clients who was just starting this lifestyle change. It's all about changing for the better and enjoying life. There have bee plenty of times I fell off and just like a kid learning how to ride a bike, I dusted myself off and got back on the bike.
Don't let the spring/summer pass by and you are still in a slump because you haven't seen any results. This is the day you get off the couch...stop feeding yourself with excuses...and do something about it.
~Wendy
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