Tag: body goals

Summer Time Fine

Just JourneyingLeave a comment

Hello everyone,

Summertime has arrived which means beach trips and sunny days poolside are coming up and coming up fast! Are you ready? No, I mean is your body ready? Whether your answer is yes or no, I have some tips to help you get ready and fast. Also, I have a special announcement so stay tuned until the end.

Most of us know that more clothes come off in the summer and not everyone is a sight to see. Let’s face it, fat is not attractive no matter what the new trends may be saying. It is most definitely not acceptable to be overweight and/or obese. The impact that those conditions have on the body are far from positive. So please, take control of your life and get in SHAPE. Now that I have said my piece on that, I want to get into ways you can slim down, tone up and even maintain a healthy weight during the summer without stressing yourself out about it.

PS. This will not be a long read.

1. First thing’s first: DRINK YOUR WATER!

The easiest way to shed weight is by drinking your daily dose of water. That may be 8 bottles of water or maybe even a gallon throughout the day. Whatever the amount recommended for your body weight (see here) that is what’s necessary for your body to operate and carry out its daily functions. One of those being, burning fat and distributing essential fats to the proper places.

2. Sweating is Amazing

Wanna keep the weight off? Sweat some more! Sweat is a great way to help the body release excess waste and toxins. I know it’s already hot in the summer and we’d much rather stay cool, but sweating is good for the body. I recommend going to sit in the sauna for about 10-15 mins. Don’t have access to one? Make your own by turning the shower on hot like you like it leave the bathroom with the door shut for about 10 mins and then returning. By that time, it should be nice and steamed up in there. Just sit down and bask in it for about 15 mins. I do this often and it’s been wonderful for keeping off extra weight.

3. Continue to exercise

Now this one seems like common sense, but some people tend to fall off working out in the summer for various reasons. Whatever the reason, it’s so essential to not fall off. If this, is you, I recommend that you make a conscious effort to not stop completely but rather maybe just slow it down a little. Remember, working out for 30 mins a day can do amazing things. if you are one to workout 5 days a week for an hour or 2, perhaps just take it down to 40 mins every 3 days. There are all kinds of variations for working out that we can use to help us stay at it. Do what is best for you and your body but stay ACTIVE. Don’t fall off if you really can help it. Which in most cases, we can.

4. Yoga

I remember towards the middle of my workout journey; I wasn’t feeling up to a full-blown workout with weights and aggressive exercises, but I wanted to stay in shape. I decided to start stretching every day and that led me to an old friend, Yoga. Yoga is nothing new to me. I grew up practicing yoga and certain moves stuck to me. When I began to practice yoga again, I noticed certain areas becoming slimmer and more toned. I loved it because I was getting a good workout in as well as getting some good stretching done. It was a double whammy, and it wasn’t killing me. After a yoga session at home, I was relaxed but energized enough to do whatever awaited me.

5. Try New Activities

The summertime is a perfect time to get active and get out there to try new things. If you have never been diving before and you swim regularly, give it a shot. If you are a runner, try hiking. There is always something new to try that will help you stay in great shape while also having fun. Just have to be open minded.

That concludes this blog. Sorry it’s been a while since my last one. Things have been pretty darn busy!

Happy and Healthy Living! Stay FIT!

Personal Fitness

Just Journeying2 Comments

Everyone has their body goals. Some what a big round tush and a slender waist, maybe others want a more chiseled mid section, perhaps you’re somewhere in between. The fact is we all have in our minds how we would like to look. The big deal is, how do we get there.

As a young girl I was taught to take good care of my body and that started with what I ate and how much excercise I was getting. I have done Tae Bo, Yoga, Pilates, and a few different workout plans in my life and I noticed a couple of things: It will not help if I am not consistant, and my body is different so not all workouts will benefit me. I think a lot of folks forget those things when it comes down to it. So I want to give you my top 3 things that I did to get in the best shape of my life.

Do Your Research

This is a big one which is why I put it first. My body and fitness goals included shedding 20-25 lbs, and toning up. That simple. NOOOOT! When I buckled down and consistently worked out 4-5 days a week using one of my favorite fitness plans, I noticed that I wasn’t really seeing the results I wanted. I have always been big-boned woman, so I had no problem getting thick and sometimes a little too thick. That is what I thought would work in my favor as I worked to reach my fitness and body goals. Instead, it did not seem to help at all. As I toned up, I started to lose mass in the most important part, you guessed it, my rear-end. This was highly upsetting, and I just knew something was wrong for I was doing countless squats, lunges, pelvic thrusts, etc. Why was my butt getting flatter? Well after doing very detailed research for several months, I found out that I suffer from Gluteal Weakness. Yes, my butt muscles were inactive and weak and that is why I was not retaining my booty. In fact, this realization led to more eye-opening discoveries about the condition of my body, and though I was working out, I was not doing the exercises most beneficial for my unique situation. Once I had all the information I needed, I took the fitness plans that I had and tailored them into a fitness plan that would most benefit me and my body and WALAH! I started to see the desired results. It’s far from over though, I have not reached my goal nor my body’s full potential and I know it takes time and dedication. Still, because I took it upon myself to do the research and figure out what would be better for me, I am on the right path to having that awesome bod that I have been after for years. Do your research, it will save you a lot of time and headache in the long run and enable to reach your goals sooner.

Diet

The next important thing to remember is you are what you eat. Diet plays a very important role in your health and fitness journey. You will not gain the desired results by eating all the trans fats, fried foods, and consuming sugary snacks and drinks. You might see a slight change, but it will never be what you want it to be unless you cut the wrong things out of your diet and introduce the right things. There is a specific code for food for each unique situation whether you are trying to gain weight or slim down. It’s about knowing what the food you consume does to benefit your body. For example, because I had lost the mass in my ass lol I had to start consuming more proteins and healthy fats to gain mass back. I have to be careful because I know too much will take me too far, there is a nice delicate balance and that is something that you have to pay attention to when working to a desired and specific fitness goal.

Consistency

Here is that word again. Consistency. With everything in this life, you won’t get anywhere without working at it and for it. You also won’t keep it if you do not maintain it. This was a big one for me. Staying consistent and dedicated has been super challenging because I am impatient. Not seeing the results I wanted, and then finding out that I had been doing it the wrong way all along set me back and to be very honest with you, I had lost the motivation and drive to continue for a while there. When I had gotten back into, I found myself falling off repeatedly and I would beat myself up about it. That is the WORST thing you can do to yourself when working at accomplishing your goals. That goes for any goals. I finally had to learn to take it a day at a time and start by doing at least one workout a day. I decided to do that one workout and 2-3 sets of 10 or 15 depending on how I was feeling that day and I felt accomplished. Like they say sometimes, it’s not always about quantity but quality. In doing that, I started to feel more motivated and a few weeks later found that I had added two more workouts to my regimen. Baby steps go a long way, which takes me to me final point.

DO WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU

Stop worrying about what he is doing to get buff or what she is doing to gain that curvy body. What works for them is not guaranteed to work for you. Some people can go to the gym and spend 3 hours there 5 days a week. Others feel like 3 times a week for an hour does them just as well. It’s all about you and how you feel and how your body feels. As a professional personal trainer, I do not recommend working out till you throw up. That is not a healthy response. In fact, that is a signal that your body has been pushed past it’s limit and you really need to stop. If you feel like that when you work out then please take the time to evaluate the exercises you are performing, how you are doing them and how long you are doing them for. Perhaps cutting your workout time in half would be a smart move until your body has gained the tolerance and strength it needs to move to the next level. There are levels to everything in life and fitness is included. I had to start small and work my way up and it was definitely a great decision. Remember, you are a unique person and there is nobody like you. Understand that remains true in everything you chose to do. Do NOT force yourself to do anything that you cannot physically handle. Fitness is very important, and it can be tailored and altered to suit your very specific needs.

There it is folks, my top 3 tips that have gotten me where I am in my fitness journey and continue to help me reach the goals that I so desire. I hope they help you too!

Until Next Time!