It's the dieter's worst enemy....the scale! It holds so much more power over our lives than it should.
Are you the type that religiously checks the scale every week, or even every day?
How does that make you feel when the number you see is not what you had hoped for? I know that it ruins my day or even my week. It tends to stick with you, that feeling of disappointment. "I thought I was doing everything right!"
Or, the numbers show a great drop and you are overjoyed. "See, I was right. I felt like I lost and I did!" You want to celebrate and share it with the world.
I am not saying that you have no right to feel this way I just want to share with you that you shouldn't base your happiness on a number you see on the scale.
You are looking in the mirror and liking what you see. Your clothes are starting to fit better or even fall off. Why on earth would the scale then say that you have gained 3lbs?
In doing research for this blog and really for myself to understand what was happening and why I should really just throw away my scale, I found this very informative article by metaboliceffect.com. There article helps to give examples of how deceiving our the scale can be.
I found that research states that muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. It just takes up less space than fat does, which is one of the many reasons why you should be lifting weights. There are such wonderful health benefits to weight lifting.
What could be causing the scale to say something different?
There are many reasons why the scale could tell you something that you really don't feel....especially if you are a woman. We have that dreaded "time of the month" that has us retaining water and feeling miserable.
You might also retain water if you like food that is high in salt content. Ditch the soy sauce! And also the scale will say something totally different if you step on it first thing in the morning before eating and then again later in the day after meals.
I once had a health coach tell me that I needed to weigh myself at least 3 times a day!! I was so depressed by this experiment I ended up staying away from the scale for months. There are better ways to tell how your body is changing.
Can I have a healthy relationship with my scale?
I would recommend that if you feel you need to have a scale, which most of us do. It's a hard relationship to end! Just do NOT leave it out where you can step on it often. Put it away, out of site out of mind. When you are getting ready to start a new program and are curious what your starting and end weights are, then pull it out and use it the once but it put it back away. Don't worry about if you are getting there by a number, go by how it makes you feel.
*Do you use a scale? What way do you measure your body?
Are you the type of person who could spend all day in bed or do you enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn and go until the ten o'clock news comes on.
I use to not think that I needed that much sleep and never felt like I was missing out. When my body wanted up, I got up and if I had things to do then I would think that I needed to get them done instead of going to bed, never thinking anything of it.
That is not the case since starting weight training. I am up early to get my workout in, to start my day off early. If I have things I need to get done then I try to get done what I can because when my body says it's tired, then I listen and go to bed, even if I had things to do.
Do you feel like it's OK to push your body, missing out on sleep?
When your body gives you the signal that it needs sleep, you should listen. Why? This is the time when your body gets to recover from the stress you put it through during the day. It's like when you are sick and all you want to do is sleep. Your body knows when it needs sleep and when it needs to recover from something.
If you feel like there are other things that are more important than getting adequate sleep, your body will show you signs, even as soon as 48 hours after you have been missing out on a good nights sleep. Why should that matter? Well, it's not as easy to lift heavy weights if you are groggy and unable to focus. That is when injuries happen.
How can you help get those zzz's?
Set an alarm and stick to it, every day. Make it a routine, even if it is an off day, stick to the same routine. If you fluctuate all over the place sleeping different times each day.
Make sure your room is dark, any light can disturb your sleep. Try not to sleep with the tv on or even keep it out of your bedroom all together.
Don't do a hard workout before bed, that will raise your heart rate and make it harder to get in a state of calm or even eat a big meal after 5 or 6, especially things containing caffeine.
I have yet to write a blog post that is all about me and my fitness journey. I have been trying to stay away from getting personal and just be informative....BUT I had such a great week that I wanted to share.
Why did I have a great week?
Well, this week I started a program called Charlie Mike on bodybuilding.com by Ashley Horner. I wasn't sure what to expect with this workout but I really needed something that would push me and give me motivation. I found it. This program is broken down into weeks. Each week is different and each day is a different focus area. The first week for me was so fun! I did things I had never done before.
What's the program like?
It is a 6 week program that each week you will be adding weight and working on endurance. The first week you want to see where you are at with max weight of the basics. Squat, deadlift, push-press and bench press. There is also a day to find your fastest mile time. There is also rowing, which is nice because I just got a rowing machine so now I have a reason to use it and not let it collect dust. You need to be keeping track of your numbers so you can see where you are making improvements and what needs work.
Why do I like this program?
I am the type of person that needs change, I know that you shouldn't be changing your workouts often but I can't help it, 2 weeks and I'm bored. Hoping that since it is a 6 week program it will help me stay focused on one thing. I have been adding my weight routine after because this week was just to find max weight of things and it didn't give me enough of a workout, but I'm sure that will change. This program has many things that I needed to work on also.
What do I hope to accomplish?
My goals for this program is to drop a little bit of weight and add some muscle tone. Mostly I want to be able to do a pull-up and handstand. I want my bench press number to go up and my squats to be easier. That's not to much to ask I think! I haven't been able to do it on my own so I hope that sticking with this program I will see an improvement.
Is it something you can do?
I think that if you are already on the fitness journey and have some weight workouts under your belt then you should be able to do this workout. Just don't try to over do it. Start at a level that is comfortable for you and work up. If you start off to heavy than you could injure yourself. Of course you should push it just a little or you won't be doing any good. I haven't done some of the workouts on here but that is just part of the fun in working out, pushing your limits and learning what your made of.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, Yes I would. I think that for a free program that you can install an app for easy access it is a great choice to get you motivated. If you are like me and like to have someone to push you than Ashley would be the one.
*what workouts did you enjoy this week?
I am a morning person!! Some people are not but they have busy lives that require them to get a lot done before some people are out of bed.
Are you one of those people that would rather hit the snooze as long as possible than get up before the sun and enjoy some alone time?
I have 5 things that I do to help make my morning go smoother and maybe one of them would help you too.
1. If you get your workouts in before the gym gets crowded and you have a gym bag full of stuff you have to take with you, then why not sleep in your workout clothes? I don't have to rush off to a gym because mine is in my basement but I know that the longer I can take to get the coffee going the better, so this really helps me. (I was told by my Dr. that since I have cysts in my breasts, sleeping in a sports bra actually helps with the pain...it does)
2. I know you have heard the whole "make your lunches the night before" but it really is a time saver, heck why stop there, you should prep your whole week on a Sunday and that takes away a lot of the stress from your week. You have better things to do than slave over the stove first thing in the morning, if you prep you'll have breakfasts too. I would go nuts without my prep day!
3. Make a to-do list. I like to do mine on a Sunday also but re-check it every night before bed so in case I need to add or subtract anything. I am a list person!! I make a list for EVERYTHING. It helps me feel calm when life gets out of control. It also gives you an idea of how busy your morning may end up being.
4. DELEGATE, you are just one person and you can not be expected to do everything. Unless you are a control freak like me, then make lists for other people and don't get to crazed if they don't handle it like you would just take a breath and let it go.
5. Now if you wanna feel like your getting one over by hitting that snooze button, then set the alarm a few minutes early but not a lot because you have a wonderful day ahead of you that you can get a lot done before your house is awake and ready for their day.
Well I hope that one of these ideas sounds like something that would help you. I use to not be a morning person but once I started working out and got that endorphin rush in it helped the rest of my day go so much better.
*What do you do to help your morning go smoother?
Do you know what your ideal heart rate is? Are you reaching and holding that heart rate through out your workout? Why does your heart rate even matter if you are just weight training?
These are some of the questions I had when my old health coach first suggested I get a heart rate monitor.
First of all, your heart is also a muscle and like all muscles it needs to be used and properly, to be healthy. Knowing what your heart rate should be during a workout is where you should start. How on earth do I do that was my thought! It's pretty simple actually. You just take your age and subtract that from 220, that gives you your max heart rate. To be in your target heart rate, it should be between 55-85% of that number.
Now that you know your number, what should you do about it? You should be trying to reach this number when you workout and hold it there for roughly 30-40 minutes. I'm not saying that if you don't reach that number every time that it is a wasted workout because just being active some days is good but to really get into the fat burning zone your heart has got to be in it.
What are some things you can do to get your heart rate up?
Hiking
If you like to walk but not yet ready to get out there and go for a run, then you can go for a hike. That is a good way to elevate your heart rate for a longer period.
Biking
Indoor or out, going the distance on a bike is a good way to get your heart rate up, especially if you find a hilly path and you put your speed up.
HIIT
High intensity interval training is a quick way to get your heart rate elevated and keep it up. Not all trainers will recommend HIIT to people that are new to physical fitness because it is all about going all out. Example- running for a minute and sprinting for 30 seconds, for roughly 20-30 minutes but no longer.
Weight training
Not a lot of people think lifting weights when it comes to raising your heart rate but it is a great way. You can do high reps with low weight or low reps with high weight and you will be getting the oxygen flowing. If you keep at steady pace with little rest in between you will raise your heart rate while working your muscles.
What ever it is you enjoy doing just get out there and do it. Eventually you will get the whole heart rate thing under control.
*What's your favorite way to get your heart rate up?
