Loose Weight Fast With One Move

Jump roping has been around for ages and is one of the most effective ways to help you loose weight and rev up your metabolism.  Not only will jump roping help you to loose weight fast, it also is very beneficial to your health and wellbeing as it helps to drain your lymphatic system and rid your body of toxins.  Jump rope for 5-10 minutes a day and in 4 weeks you will see the weight start to fall off!

Calorie Calculator

I just found a great tool on HealthyWeightForum.Org to really help you figure out exactly how many calories you need to eat in order to loose the amount of weight you're wanting to loose.  It's such a great calorie calculator.  It will show the results in red if it's impossible, yellow if it's too few calories to be healthy while loosing weight and then white when showing a healthy amount of calories to intake in order to loose however much weight you want to loose.  I love it because it puts your weight loss goals in perspective and give you a more realistic goal and idea of when you'll see results and how much weight you'll loose week by week.  Make sure to read what the activity levels mean to get more accurate results.  Let me know what you think! :)

5 Ways To Loose 5 Pounds Fast!

I've come up with 5 healthy ways to loose 5 pounds fast.  Stick to these 5 steps and you will see a difference in yourself.  You will look and feel so much better and hopefully that will be enough to keep you motivated to continue to follow these simple steps and really change your lifestyle to accommodate reaching your weightless goals.  It's up to you!  You are the only one who can change yourself!  I believe in you!

Make it a great day! :)

1 - Move
Move, as in move your body.  You have to burn more calories than you eat in order to loose any weight.  Go for walk in the morning before work or even drive to work early so you can walk for an extra 15 minutes.  Walk to lunch.  Go for another 10 minute walk after dinner.  Just making time to fit in an extra 10-15 minutes of some kind of physical activity during the day will definitely burn extra calories and help you shed those 5 pounds.

2 - Avoid Processed Food
By avoiding processed food, you are forced to consume fresh fruits and vegetables.  Fresh fruits and veggies have more vitamins and minerals to keep you're body at it's finest, allowing you to yet again loose that unwanted weight.

3 - Fill Up On Water
I can't say enough about how important and healthy it is for you to drink water.  Don't even buy juice or soda!  Water keeps you're body running smoothly, keeps your skin healthy and keeps you feeling satisfied so you don't binge on bad food.  Try keeping a water bottle with you at all times and every time you even think about food, drink some water until it's really time to eat or until you're truly hungry.

4 - Break Up Your Workout
Try breaking up your workout into two different sessions.  Do your cardio in the morning and then your strength training in the middle of the day or at night.  By breaking it up like this you are making it so that you don't have time to just sit around.

5 - Get Up And Go To Bed At The Same Time Everyday...Even On The Weekends
Doing this helps keep you on a good schedule and forces you to be more organized which will then allow you to get in your workouts, feel more accomplished and become much healthier.
 

The Perfect Shade Of Pink

Pink is my random obsession this week:)

Nothing says feminine more than the color pink, and the perfect shade at that.  This is the softest, prettiest, most subtle shade of pink I could find and I love it!  It makes me feel so elegantly girly...

Don't Quit

This is so true!  Make up your mind to stay with whatever it is you are doing.  You can do anything! 

How To Get A 6 Pack In 6 Weeks

In order to get a six pack in six weeks you must follow a healthy diet in order to see any results, and make sure your eating enough calories but not too many.  Try to get at least 4 days of some kind of aerobic activity in as well.  Even people who eat healthy food but eat to many calories of healthy food can be overweight.  It's all about balance and proper portions.  Making sure you're getting enough protein, carbs and good fat.  Don't be afraid of good fats!  They're good for you.  Make sure to do all the moves properly to avoid injury.  Always check with your doctor if you have any concerns about certain exercises.  You'll be performing 30 reps total for each exercise.  You can rest for no more than 10 seconds between each set of 10 reps.  Good luck! :)

Make it a great day!

Do 10 reps and repeat 3 times.

Do 10 reps and repeat 3 times.

Do 10 reps and repeat 3 times.

Do 10 reps and repeat 3 times.

Do 10 reps and repeat 3 times.

7 Easy Ways To Burn Extra Calories

Do you not have time for the gym?  Here are 7 easy ways to incorporate burning those extra calories.  What more of an incentive for cleaning your house, cooking meals, and keeping up on your yard than to be able to burn tons of calories while doing so.  Happy cleaning, cooking and gardening:)

1 - Cooking for 1 hour = 150 calories 

2 - Gardening for 1 hour - 240 calories

3 - Moderate household chores for 1 hour - 210 calories

4 - Carrying small children - 180 calories

5 - Mopping for 30 minutes - 110 calories

6 - Vacuuming for 30 minutes - 110 calories

7 - Sweeping for 30 minutes - 120 calories 

8 - Mowing the lawn for 60 minutes - 270 calories

4 Amazing Butt Exercises

While most would like to be able to "spot" reduce, it's just not possible.  You have to follow a great diet and you have to exercise regularly!  You can however build muscle in specific areas and then as we all know, the more muscle you have the more calories you're going to burn and the easier it will be to loose those extra pounds.  Once you loose those extra pounds,  you will then be able to see the muscles you have been working on.  I've come up with a few of my favorite butt exercises for you.  Let me know how you like these! :)  

Make it a great day!

Bulgarian Split Squat

These are somewhat of an advanced move so make sure you're comfortable with the basic lunge and squat before you try some of the more advanced exercises.  If you're already advanced, you can add weights to this exercise and get an even better leg workout.  Make sure you're using proper form!  Your forward knee should NEVER go over your forward toe, back straight, shoulders back, looking forward, arms to your sides or you can place them on your hips and your ready to go.

Walking Lunge

The walking lunge is such an effective exercise and should also be performed with proper form.  As a rule of thumb, always roll your shoulders back and hold good posture while performing any exercise.  This works your glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Basic Squat

Ah, the classic squat...what more to say, gotta love these.  Remember good form!

Butt Raises

I learned these back when I was a dancer...If you're more advanced, you can put a dumbbell on your pelvis as you move up and down.  These are great for defining the base of your butt.

Remember, remember...PROPER FORM!!!  Proper form is what will make it or break it.  Don't think you need to do 500 reps in order to get results.  All you need is a good diet, get some cardio in about 4-5 times a week and you will definitely see results.  I usually do about 3 to 4 rounds of 15-20 reps with little to no weight.  You can adjust your weight to your comfort level and goal.

4 Ways To Loose Weight Without Exercise

Although exercise is extremely healthy and good for you, sometimes our bodies or circumstances don't allow us to fit in that time at the gym.  No real exercise and still loose weight?  Sounds to good to be true right?  If you really focus on these 4 tips, you will be able to maintain and even loose weight without setting foot in a gym.

1- Make Sure You're Truly Hungry

When hunger strikes, make sure you're really hungry and not just dehydrated and need water.  Being dehydrated can make you feel hungry for food even though all your body really needs is water.  Drink at least 6-8 oz of water then wait 20 minutes and reevaluate your state of hunger.  

2- Illusions

Try using smaller plates, bowls and even utensils when you eat to trick your mind into thinking your'e eating more.  Using a smaller plate or bowl will allow you to really fill your plate yet you're only actually eating about half of what you would normally if it were on a regular sized plate.  Using smaller utensils allows you to slow it down when it comes to consuming your food.  Sometimes we eat way too fast and our bodies are robbed of being able to actually taste and ingest the food that we're shoveling down our throats.  Taking smaller bites takes longer, therefore your'e body is able to process what and how much you're eating and then lets your brain know you're full much sooner.

3 - Fill Your Schedule With Calorie Packed Activities

At the beginning of each week, sit down and write out your schedule for the week.  Make sure you're filling your days with things for you to do that will burn a few extra calories.  For example, if you're a stay at home mom or dad you could go to the park and run around or clean your house more.  If you work, walk somewhere for lunch instead of driving.  Try to think outside the box and mix up your normal routine.  If you usually come home go to the kitchen then plop yourself down on the couch, switch it up.  Come home, get your hiking shoes on and go for a hike or even just a stroll around the block.  Take your dog for a walk.  Wash your own car.  Pull your own weeds.  Clean your own house.  You get the picture right?  

4- Stop With The Mindless Eating

I see this all the time…just because your bored doesn't mean you need to eat!  This goes back to the planning and filling your time with good activities that leave you no time to eat mindlessly.  We are such creatures of habit that we have to make more of a conscience effort to change our patterns.  When we make that conscience effort to change the way we do certain things and stick to the change, we then create new habits that will be much more rewarding and create happy healthier individuals. 

If you have any other tips that have worked for you, please share:)

Make it a great day! 

Mint Green

Nothing says spring like the perfect shade of mint green.  I love the spring season with the new grass coming up out of the ground and the colorful fresh flowers in bloom.  And then the colors in fashion to coordinate with the season...Effortless!  This post is not totally health or fitness related but it is one of my random obsessions:)  What are some of your favorite spring colors?

5 Ways To Help You Loose Weight

Swimsuit season is coming in hot, so it's time to kick it in high gear and get rid of some excess body fat.  I know I titled this post, "5 Ways To Help You Loose Weight" but please don't focus on the actual number you see on the scale.  If you can just focus on eating healthy and controlling your portion sizes, this will be much easier and way less stressful for you, and you are sure to see results sooner than later. :)  If you have any other tips that have helped you shed that unwanted body fat, please share! 

Make it a great day! 

1- Eat Breakfast

Eating breakfast is so important for more than just weight loss goals.  It helps your mood so you feel happy, it helps your brain so you can think more clearly and it helps give your metabolism the boost it needs to get going for the day.  Breakfast is one of those meals that you can get away with eating good healthy complex carbs and feel no guilt from doing so.  I always try to include a complex carb, some protein and little good fat in my breakfast.  One of my favorite go-to breakfasts is a little bowl of oats with 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, chopped nuts (usually cashews or almonds), a little almond milk and a few raisins or craisins.  Another one of my favorite breakfasts is 1-2 fries or scrambled eggs on top of 1 piece of whole wheat toast and salsa to top it off.

2 - Eat Smaller Meals More Often

If you take 3 normal size healthy, well balanced meals and split them up into 5 or 6 little "snack" meals and then spread them out throughout the day, you would be loosing weight in no time!  Eating smaller portions more often really boosts your metabolism and allows your body to use everything you've consumed for energy instead of storing it away as fat.  When you eat smaller meals, you have to make sure you're eating balance meals so they you'r body ins't ingesting all these empty calories and then telling you it's hungry 2 seconds later.  

3- No Bread After Breakfast

Since whole wheat bread is a complex carb it takes your body longer to digest it, which is why your able to get away with eating complex carbs in the morning.  After breakfast though, if your looking to loose weight quicker, skip the bread and complex carbs.  Go for the veggies and lean proteins!

4- Eat Enough Protein

Eating protein not only helps keep you full longer, it also is the key component in repairing and maintaining your muscles after you workouts.  And we all know that having muscle is incredibly important in helping you loose excess fat.  

5 - Stop Eating Out!

Eating out is one of the deadliest things you can do to sabotage your weight loss goals.  I know that restaurants have become a little more healthy but the food is not near as fresh and doesn't have near the amount of nutrients in it as it would have if you bought it yourself and prepared your own meals.  Plus, when you buy your own food and prepare your own meals you are forced to plan out your own menu.  When you plan out your own menu you are setting yourself up for success because you can now control exactly what gets brought into your home and ends up on your plate.   

5 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism

It can be intimidating to start a new chapter in life, one that involves a healthy, fit you!  It makes it a little easier to reach your weight loss goals when you have a metabolism that's working for you rather than against you.  Here are 6 things you can do to really aid in helping you get to where you want to be.  Number one is sticking to your goal!  Make realistic goals so you don't get overwhelmed and give up.  Just think baby steps:)  Once you get a few baby steps down, move onto the next step and you'll be looking and feeling great in no time!  Good luck!  I know you can do it!  

1 - Build More Muscle

The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn and you don't even have to do anything.  Every pound of muscle burns between 5-7 calories in a day.  That means that say 135 lb female will burn between 675 and 945 calories a day doing nothing.  

2 - Eat, Eat, Eat

When people try to loose weight, they tend to think that drastically cutting back on calories will do the trick.  While they might loose a bit, almost all of them will gain the amount they lost plus some over time.  The reason for this is because when you limit your calories so much, your body automatically goes into starvation mode and begins to store everything and anything you put in your mouth, including healthy foods.  The best way I've found, is to eat every 3-5 hours just a little something that has carbs, protein and maybe a little fat and around 200-500 calories.  By eating this way you are constantly keeping your metabolism going, which makes your metabolism become faster.  Just what we want! :)

3 - High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

This type of training boosts your metabolism the most due to the intensity.  When you perform HIIT, your metabolism goes into overdrive for up to 3 days!  Doing this type of training 4 times a week will really aid in your weigh loss goals.  I have a few examples of this under my "Workout" section.  You can also take any exercise and create your own HIIT mix, just make sure you have a mix of strength and cardio when creating your own!:)

4 - Water

Make sure you're drinking plenty of water.  You don't have to necessarily over-do the whole water thing.  Just make sure you're getting between 6-8 glasses a day.  Staying hydrated will help keep your metabolism going and your body running smoothly, so drink up.

5 - Spice It Up

Adding spice to your meal will help increase your metabolism.  One of my favorite snacks as of late is putting humus on a corn tortilla and drizzling cholula or smoked tobacco sauce on it, so good!  If you're not a into spicy foods, ginger and mustard will also help raise your metabolism.

6 - Protein, Protein, Protein

Make sure you're eating enough protein!  This one is so important for so many reasons.  For one, protein builds muscle and muscle burns fat.  Two, Protein helps regulate your blood sugar which stabilizes your insulin, which helps regulate your metabolism.  And three, protein supports your immune system, which keeps you healthy and vibrant.  Some of my favorite sources of good protein are fresh alaskan salmon, garbonzo beans, black beans, chicken, greek yogurt, nuts, seeds and eggs.  Hemp seeds are an exceptionally great source of protein and can be easily thrown into almost any dish you're making!

  

Spicy Cucumber Salad

I hope you're all having a great start to your week!  I know for a lot of people you crash on the weekends and then pick back up starting Monday.  If that's the case, then this is a great salad to use for lunches, dinners or just a snack.  This salad has very few calories and you can eat more than usual and still loose weight.  Besides the benefits of cucumbers, the spices in this dish will rev up your metabolism and help you burn off those calories and feel good again.  Let me know what you think of this recipe!  I found it off Jeanette's Healthy Living:)  I would like to find a few more cucumber salad recipes to get me through spring and summer, if you have a favorite let me know:)  Thanks!


Make it a great day!


2 cucumbers (thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (adjust for more or less spicy)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar

Combine cucumbers in salt and in colander, place over a bowl. Allow to sit for 25 minutes.
Place salted cucumbers on a layer of paper towels and pat dry.
Combine red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, oil and sugar in bowl.
Add cucumbers and toss well.
Serve chilled.

Last Chance to Win Free Color Me Rad Passes!

Last Chance to Win Color Me Rad Passes! Enter for your chance to win!

Entry Rules:

**MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF STAYMOTIVATEDWITHME**

*Like StayMotivatedWithMe on facebook

*Like ColorMeRad on faceook

*Post the link to this giveaway on your facebook/blog

Good Luck!

For more details about this race, go to ColorMeRad.com

7 Tips for Staying Motivated

Staying motivated is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. Life gets so busy and working out seems to get pushed aside, yet that's one of things that keeps our minds fresh, our bodies healthy and strong and our emotions in check. Here are seven tips to help get you and keep you motivated!  Work on one every day of the week and by the end of the week you'll be ready to get moving:)

1. Set a Goal
If you have no goal then you have no place to go. Set realistic goals. Start small. Don't get carried away. If it's just walking for 5 minutes a day, great! If it's running a marathon, great! As long as you are working towards something you will be able to achieve, you're on the right track.


2. Make a Schedule
Putting your workout into your schedule will help to ensure you've created time for yourself to work on whatever workout goal you've designed. Now, stick to your schedule and it will soon become habit! :)

3. Get Cute Workout Clothes
What you wear to workout in, really can make all the difference in how well you workout. Make sure you buy workout wear that's flattering, comfortable and of course functional.

4. Create a Support Team
Get your friends and family involved if you can or at least tell them all about your goals and that you would appreciate all their support. The more people who are aware of what you're doing the more likely you are to stick to it!

5. Do What You Like
You are ten times more likely to stick to something you actually like doing verses something you don't. This might require that you venture out and try new things to find the few things you actually like doing. Make sure to give yourself a little time too...don't just try something once and give up. Really try it and then decide if you like it. :)

6. Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress allows you to really see how far you've come and give you inspiration and motivation to keep going.

7. Reward Yourself
We reward our kids all the time...Why not reward ourselves? When you reach your goal, go get a pedicure, a new book or something else that's considered rewarding to you. This should act as a great motivational tool and help you reach your workout goals!

My goal right now is to train for another half marathon and stick to my training guide! Tell me what your workout goals are?

Last Chance To Win Free Color Me Rad Passes!

I have 2 more FREE passes to give away to 2 more lucky winners!  What better way to jump into spring than to get blasted with color, burn some calories and enjoy good company!  This is going to be such a fun race!  It's perfect for any level of fitness!  Get a friend, make a goal together and run this race!

 Good luck to you all! :)

Entry Rules:

**MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF STAYMOTIVATEDWITHME**

*Like StayMotivatedWithMe on facebook

*Like ColorMeRad on faceook

*Post the link to this giveaway on your facebook/blog

Good Luck!

For more details about this race, go to ColorMeRad.com

Passion Fruit

What do you do when winter lasts to long?  I buy exotic fruit:)  My mom recently returned from the Caribbean and shared with us her story of passion fruit smoothies.  Apparently the woman that gave her this passion fruit smoothy has given this same drink to her children. Because passion fruit lowers blood pressure so much she can only give her children a certain amount.  This lady also told my mom that when her children drink this smoothie, they end up taking 3 hour long naps.  Now we're talking!  Bring on the passion fruit! :) Ha! Ha!  What's the most exotic food you've tried?

    Benefits of Passions Fruit 

    • Passion fruit is a very rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and fiber. 100 g of fruit has about 100 calories.

• This fruit is a great source of good dietary fiber.  Good fiber in your diet helps remove the bad cholesterol from your body.   The fruit is a very good source of dietary fiber. 100 g fruit pulp contains 10.4 g of dietary fiber.
• It's a great source of vitamin C; provides about 30 mg per 100g.  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• This fruit provides a good amount of vitamin A which help with vision and protects against lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Passion fruit is also very rich in potassium; providing about 350 mg of potassium in 100g of the fruit.  Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids which helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure. 

2 More Winners!

Congratulations!!!

The winners for last weeks giveaway to ColorMeRad are 

Caitlin Obrien and Jenn Lassiter

You are going to love this race and have so much fun! :)

Jenn and Caitlin, email me at Tiffany@StayMotivatedWithMe.com so I can get you your passes.  Thanks:)

2 More Color Me Rad Passes to Giveaway!

I have another 2 FREE passes for Color Me Rad! This is such a fun race to run! Round up your friends and enter for your chance to win! 

 Have you ever run a race? If so, what's your favorite?

Entry Rules:

**MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF STAYMOTIVATEDWITHME**

*Like StayMotivatedWithMe on facebook

*Like ColorMeRad on faceook

*Post the link to this giveaway on your facebook/blog

Good Luck!

For more details about this race, go to ColorMeRad.com

Jenn and Karrasch Won!

Congratulations!!!

The winners for last weeks giveaway to ColorMeRad are 

Jenn and Karrasch

You are going to love this race and have so much fun! :)

Jenn and Karrasch, email me at Tiffany@StayMotivatedWithMe.com so I can get you your passes.  Thanks:)

Strawberries

Nothing beats fresh produce!  When I was a kid, living in California, my family would go to the stands that had the freshest produce in the world!  They would literally have just picked it that day!  My favorites were oranges and strawberries!  To this day I still love both, but now I'm kinda picky about what I'll even buy just because the mass produced produce doesn't come close to tasting like the fresh produce I used to get as a child.  Ah….I miss those days:)  With that said, I did purchase a flat of strawberries at Costco last week and I have to say that these berries are very very tasty!   It's a good thing they're so good for you because I eat so many!

Benefits of Strawberries:

*Loaded with antioxidants and detoxifiers which help with preventing eye problems due to aging and arthritis.

*Help fight the growth of cancer  cells.

*Helps with brain function.

*Helps with lowering high blood pressure caused by sodium.

*Help with heart disease and better functioning of the heart.

*Helps prevent birth defects.

*Helps prevent infections and colds.


How To Buy Strawberries:

Strawberries come in many sizes.  Berry size is influenced by the variety, time of picking during the season and their growing conditions.  Sometimes the smaller the berry, the sweeter and tastier it is.  The best berries are dry, firm and fully ripe.  Leaves should be green and very fresh looking.  Careful for a stained box; that could indicate that the berries could be overripe.