Jenn's Losing It

Moving more is the gist that keeps giving.  Stretching, walking, yoga, running - any sort of physical movement doesn't just help you shake the cobwebs from your brain and strengthen your body - but it can boost your self esteem, lighten your mood and even help you sleep better. The second "gift" that comes with moving more is it helps with weight loss too!  Changing your eating and moving more - you can shed up to 20% more than if you only changed your eating habits.  Keep moving for the long term and you're more likely to keep the weigh off too! So here's the secret - choose activity for its feel good benefits, rather than what you think you "should do".  When you choose an activity that you enjoy, you are more likely to continue doing it, succeed in your weight loss and maintain it.  In one study that the Weight Watchers weekly sites, they asked people to walk a mile for "fun.  those people said they felt less tired and in a better mood than...

Choose physical activity that you enjoy- It can help you succeed at weight loss! In the meeting room during the last week of July we talked about focusing on fun. Making your movement goals by doing things you enjoy rather than by doing what you think you should do. My leader gave a great example of how to have fun while earning fit points, she had us all stand up and we did the hokey pokey! It proved that just having fun or doing something silly still counts as earning activity points. We all traded stories about the last time we "had fun" or "played". For some it was gardening, furniture restoration or another hobby. For others like myself, it was doing things with our children. I gave the example of a family hike or walk and playing with James (my youngest) in the sprinkler. The Weight Watchers Weekly on this topic reminds you to "Move the way you love! Swapping an it's good for me mentality for an it feels good to me mentality...

Tap into the power of awe to enhance your happiness. Moving mindfully, do you ever think about the word "awesome"? Often we use the word to mean great, amazing, cool but in fact awe is a reaction to vastness and to scenarios that challenge how we think about the world.  Coming physical activity with the awe inspiring scenes anything from the deep blue of the summer sky to skyscrapers can help heighten a sense of wonder at the world.  This can also make physical activity more enjoyable! According to the Weight Watchers Weekly studies show that having a sense of awe in life can enhance your happiness and physical well being! It can also increase your generosity .  Its so easy to get caught up in our own life and not focus on others or the world around us, but experiencing awe can put our ;lives into healthy perspective.  Having awe reminds us that no matter how consumed we are in our own lives- what we have, what we don't, how we compare to everyone else - ultima...

Longer days and milder weather -  make now the perfect time to step out!  Did you know that walking is the most popular form of activity?  After all, humans are built for it!  It's something you're doing already in a daily life, so consider adding a few minutes her and there each day or if you're already walking, doing it more often or for more time.  Walk on your own terms: You can do it indoors or out, on a flat surface or incline, on a trail or sidewalk and you dont need to join a gym or buy pricey equipment to do it.  All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes. According to Weight Watchers Weekly, how this helps is as the weather turns milder and the air is fresh and warm, getting outside for a walk can boost your mood and your physical health.  Research shows that brisk walking 30 minutes a day can help keep lost weight off.  Its also a great excuse to spend time with family or friends, be sure to keep a steady pace that still let...

How to find physical activity right for you. Thinking of physical activity as part of a full life helps you make it a priority.  Just like eating healthy meals and taking care of yourself.  When you let go of the beliefs that keep you from moving more, you'll find it easier to do and you'll start reaping those benefits! According to the Weight Watchers Weekly - when you shift into a move more mindset, you'll likely to seek out ways of moving that make you feel good.  You'll also reap the physical and mental benefits that come with moving more.  You'll gain confidence, improve your mood, boost your health and be better able to achieve and maintain your weight loss. During our meeting we discussed that not every exercise "works" for every person.  One person may love Zumba and another may hate it.  You have to find what works for you right now.  Even if it's just taking a walk - find out what motivates you.  Some people love taking the s...

The struggle for me is real on this one.  It feels like there's never enough time for the things I want to do.  Now before I continue, let me just say that I know that being a mom is a full time, all the time job.  My family means the world to me.  BUT sometimes this mom and wife needs a break.  I have been a stay at home mom now for two years and I've spent most of these two years trying to figure out "what am I going to do?"  I've realized that what I need to do is find something for me!  I had been taking metaphysical classes (that's what we'll call them...) from October 2014 thru June 2016, these were weekly classes and they were something very special to me.  I created great connections with these people and they continue today.  However now these classes have gone to a once a month meeting, which just isn't the same.  I need to find something to replace this.  Maybe it's teaching the classes myself, maybe it's honing som...

Well. What can I say about week nine? I got in my own way and gave into all my vices. Yesterday was the worst. I got my mind together and reminded myself that I'm only hurting myself by eating that way. So the promise I've made to myself is that this week, I will do the very best I can and work on self control. There are always going to be temptations and it's learning to not avoid them, but to just have one donut or one slice of pizza. When you lose control, that's where you spiral. The donut screw up in the morning doesn't have to lead you to 3 slices of pizza and more donuts later.  This week will be amazing. 

Week seven, no change. I guess it's better than falling into that lose/gain cycle I was in the last couple of weeks. I'm on vacation next week, so my intention is to get out and get moving all week!  James will be logging some miles with me. I picked up a used jogging stroller so I can do some hiking with James too. My biggest challenge for next week is going to the Big E, which in New England is a big to do. Most people including myself, eat their way thru the fair. The state buildings are my absolute favorite. Maine baked potatoes, Fresh Lobster Rolls, clam fritters, maple sugar candy and kettle korn. All of my favorites. I guess I could use my bonus points for the week and do a little extra walking to make up for the food.  What's your biggest challenge for the next week?

Week six, has come to a close.  I lost 1.8lbs this week. I'll happily take any loss that comes my way. I battled with emotions eating this week. Lots of personal things going on in my life with my family (small things-nothing serious), but enough for me to want to eat myself to no stress. I took walks and practiced meditation. Then, when all else failed I simply went to bed!  I am most definitely an emotional eater. I hate that about myself, but feel accomplished when I can conquer my demons and move past it. For this time at least.  I'm hoping for the best for week seven. Hoping for another loss is what I really mean!!

Week four is over and I feel like I've got better control of what I'm eating and holding myself accountable by tracking every bite, lick and taste. When you are completely honest with yourself and track everything, it really makes you think twice about what you eat.  I'm excited for this weeks loss of 3lbs, making it a total of 5.6 for the month! That's a little more than a pound a week. That's a good start and this next month I think will get even better. Not swapping my activity points is a good plan for now. This keeps me from abusing that hard work I've put in. The bonus points should be enough for food splurges.  Here's to another great week!🍸

Here I am, beginning week four and I've gotten a little more honest with myself. I realized I was grazing every night and not tracking it. So this week I tracked...EVEYTHING. Thats how I came up with that pitiful number of "extra" points. That accounted for the whole bag of pop corners I decided to eat one night or the extra chocolate bananas. If I don't get real, I'm not going to lose the weight.  I'm already fighting what feels like a losing battle with Hosimotos Disease (which results in hypothyroidism).  They found my thyroid was under active when I was pregnant with James in 2013. They've been trying to get the dosage right ever since. The doctors hoped it was pregnancy induced, but my luck was that it was clinical levels and it wasn't going away. Within the last few weeks they diagnosed me with Hosimotos. Essentially, Hosimotos is an autoimmune disease that your immune system attacks your thyroid. Awesome right?  So where this week will take me i...

Week two is complete. Gained this week. Two pounds to be exact. I learned a few lessons. First is diet cheat day...not for people starting out. Having diet cheat day two days in a row. Giant mistake. I don't have much self control when it comes to not splurging. I'm working on that. Second is this week I'm not swapping activity points. I logged in and shut that off. Otherwise I'm adding more movement in for nothing. I'm eating what I'm burning and that defeats the point. Third is I need to plan a little better. I seem to leave myself stranded for dinner time points. Then I break into the bonus points, then the activity points.  Now for the positives. I earned 38 Activity Points for the week. I'm pretty impressed by that. I did an Actove a Link assessment to see where my current "activity level" is and when you're in the assessment, you kind of just do business as usual. Which I did. The end of my assessment was Tuesday, so on Wednesday I steppe...

There are a few things that inspire me ~ 1. My children are first on the list.  I base the decisions I make, actions I take and words that I speak based on the fact that I want my children to be proud that I am their mother. Even when it comes to diet and exercise I want to lead by example.  I try not to hang my hat on the "do what I say not what I do" theory of parenting (always harder to do than say!). I want my children to see me eating right and being active.   2. Other peoples success. No matter the size of the success, seeing someone else do something they didn't think they could or try something they never thought they would-it makes me feel good. Seeing my friends post their workouts on Facebook motivates me to go take a walk or even take the stairs in place of the elevator. It pushes me to do things out of my comfort level and to put a little extra effort in when I think I'm all out.  3. Sharing. That's why I began sharing my daily food diary and now my w...

Water. I know I don't drink enough of it. So I figured this would be the best monthly challenge to get back in the groove of things. For the next 31 days the challenge is simple. Drink water ~ eight ounces, eight glasses per day.  Comment or share this post if you're in on the challenge. It's summertime here in Connecticut and the weathers been hot, so drinking water should be no problem!

SHUTTERSTOCK If you're used to working out before or after the daily grind, here's a suggestion: start incorporating fitness into  your workday. Some recent cool research shows that a sweat session can have a positive effect on your job performance. Here are the details: It Fuels Your Creative Juices Ever notice how desk jockeying all day can leave you feeling so uninspired? Then this is for you: A new study published in the  Journal of Experimental Psychology demonstrates that simply taking a walk during office hours can score you a creativity surge. Study authors conducted four separate experiments, asking subjects to take part in a series of creative exercises while doing some combination of sitting, walking, being rolled in a wheelchair, and/or walking on a treadmill. The results demonstrated that walking indoors and outdoors triggered a burst in creative thinking, with the average creative output rising 60 percent (!) when a person was walking.  MORE: ...

                               Today is my FRESH START FRIDAY.  I'm hitting the reset button and starting from the ground floor. No excuses. I'm making time for me and taking charge of my health and nutrition. Here's my 30 day short term goal: 1. Track my food. Everyday. No skipping, no lying on portion sizes. Write it down.  2. Move. Even if it means taking a walk around the block before going into work in the morning and before heading home. Those are times I'm kid free!! 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes are a good start.  3. Drink more water.  Sounds fairly reasonable, but it's time to make time for me.  I'll be posting my food diary on Instagram #lilyboxing, if you want to check in on me. I'll cross post the really good ones onto the Facebook page.  I want to get back to where I feel good enough to start running again and boxing. I love both of those things. I felt a...

Shutterstock What’s the cost of one workout? If you hire a personal trainer, it’s not just  sore muscles : The average trainer charges $26 an hour, according to an American Council on Exercise survey—which means just three  workouts  a week could set you back more than $4,000 a year!   Not in your budget? No worries: You can borrow some trainer-approved techniques. The IDEA Health & Fitness Association recently  surveyed  2,818 personal trainers and revealed the five types of exercise equipment the pros are most likely to use with their clients. Lucky for you, we have  workouts  to help you put these handy tools to use! 92% use resistance tubing or bands Try this:   The 15-Minute Exercise Bands Workout 91% use stability balls Try this:   The Stability Ball Workout for Flat Abs 89% use barbells or dumbbells Try this:   The Power Pairs Dumbbell Workout 84% use foam rollers and small balls Try this:   Roll Your Way to a Fit Bo...

THINKSTOCK.COM If you're hitting the slopes this winter, you might want to pick up skis instead of a snowboard.  Skiers report more pleasure and engagement than snowboarders, even if they're just casual participants , according to a new study in the journal  Applied Research in Quality of Life .  Researchers surveyed 279 visitors at three ski resorts in South Korea to look at their level of pleasure, flow (when you lose yourself in an activity), and sense of involvement after participating in either winter sport. The result: Ski bunnies came out on top. The skiers reported more pleasure and involvement in their sport than the snowboarders, which seemed to be mediated by their level of flow or engagement. And luckily, even one or very few outings had a positive effect on their mood—so there's no need to blow your bank account on a cabin for the whole season just to reap these benefits.   Women's Health Magazine PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 9, 2013  |  BY...

Isometric exercises, in which you hold a position perfectly still for a few seconds, trigger a ton of activity in your muscles—a real boon to boosting strength and endurance. (Just think how quickly you feel it in your biceps when carrying a bunch of grocery bags.) Do these exercises up to three times through as a circuit, medium dumbbells optional. Hold each one for at least 10 seconds, then rest for a moment before moving on to the next exercise. You can also use them in supersets to compliment their moving-exercise counterparts (i.e., do a set of 10 squats and then move #1, a wall seat; do a set of 10 close-arm pushups and then move #2, low plank, etc.). Or, just sneak one in here and there for a little tone-up throughout the day. (Skip ‘em entirely, though, if you’re pregnant or have high blood pressure—isometric action can elevate BP levels.) —Amy Roberts, NASM-CPT MOVE  1 Wall Seat JENNIFER WEAVER Get your thigh muscles firing (and burning). Place your feet about 18 inches fr...

1. Just Show Up On low-energy days, head to the gym with the promise that you can leave after you finish your warmup. "Tell yourself you'll just do the Dynamic Warmup," says Rachel Cosgrove, author of The Female Body Breakthrough and creator of the  Look Better Naked  fitness program. "Once you get to the gym and get your blood pumping, chances are you'll finish your full workout. Ninety percent of the time, my clients do." 2. Play the Percentages Have your body-fat level measured early in the program and then toward the end to gauge your fitness progress. "You'll actually have numbers that you can shoot for, and something that you can definitely measure, as opposed to, 'I just want my abs to look better,'" says Tim Kuebler, a certified trainer in Kansas City, Missouri. A body-fat percentage from the high teens to the mid-20s is considered healthy for most women (ranges vary by age), according to the American College of Sports Medicine....