How To Stay Motivated To Lose Weight

So many times, it is easier to gain weight than it it is to take it off or even keep from gaining anything.  According to my doctor's scale, I'd put on something like 8 pounds in about 6 weeks which is something I have not had happen.  This made me step back, revisit my life, make some decisions including looking for ways to lose the weight while staying motivated.  I found something that works for me but I am not promising it will work for everyone but I'm including the most promising tips to help others.

When it comes to losing weight, you need two components.  The first is your diet while the second is exercise.  You need both components to successfully lose weight because you have to burn more calories than you consume.   Unfortunately, loosing weight can be quite difficult, especially if you lose your motivation.  When it comes to motivation, there are two types. The first is extrinsic or that which comes from outside in the form of rewards.  The second is intrinsic or motivation which comes from inside you.

According to a study of people who participated in an internet based program, the ones who lost five percent of their body weight by the 16th week, were the people who were able to maintain intrinsic motivation between weeks 4 and 16.  In fact, the study also found that those people who increased their self-monitoring, were more likely to be successful when it came to losing weight.

There are nine things you can do to help you lose weight.  First is to set realistic goals.  It is best to write down a very specific goal so instead of saying you want to lose weight, say instead that you want to lose 15 pounds by eating healthy foods and exercising more.  One has to also have a way of monitoring the diet and exercise and this would consist of writing down what you eat, how much you exercise every day and one a week write down your weight.  This way you can see what is happening.  

In addition, when you set these goals, you need to make sure they are attainable.  Goals such as losing one to two pounds a week is much better than deciding to lose 15 pounds in a month, or exercise 20 to 30  minutes a day if you know you don't have time to do an hours worth.  

Next, have a journal where you write down every single thing you eat, and how often you exercise.  You might also want to record what type of exercise you do.  You do not need a fancy journal, I use a spiral bound notebook where I write the date, a line for exercise and two for what I each each day.  I have a third line for when I need to record my weight.  Be specific when you record what you eat.  You might state you had 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal for breakfast with 1/4 cup milk and one tsp of sugar.  Make sure you also record any and all liquids you have every day.  In addition, include some self-reflection such as why did you keep wanting to snack all day, or why did you cut short the exercising or how did you feel after you tried that new workout? 

Provide positive self-talk to yourself.  Rather than thinking something is too hard, think of it as challenging, or rather than saying you should workout, just do it.  I find once I get started,  it is so much easier to complete a session.  If you don't manage to exercise that day, don't get mad at yourself. Forgive yourself and promise you'll do it tomorrow.  If you end up enjoying a piece of cheesecake, don't berate yourself, just accept that we all slip up, and start again 

As far as eating, do not go on a diet, especially one that is extremely restricting.  Start with a list of foods you like and want to eat but if they are higher in calories, look for variations that are lower in calories.  For instance, if you like a Chicken Alfredo, check the internet for a recipe that is just a creamy but has fewer calories so you don't feel deprived.

If you are a person who operates with todo lists or calendars, set them up for yourself.  Be specific when you schedule your exercise.  Don't just say walk but write walk for 30 minutes.  In fact, you can get your exercise via walking, dancing, working out, rowing, or other activity but you need to enjoy what you do.  

Look for a buddy who is there for you throughout your journey.  When you have a partner, you both keep each other motivated, you hold each other accountable, and you celebrate the small losses together.  Exercising with a friend, makes the time go faster and you have more fun.  From a personal viewpoint, I find having a journal the most motivating thing for me because I can see how much exercise I get and what I eat during the day so I know if I am eating properly.  I also know that weekends are the hardest thing for me because I'm at home all day, so I have to figure out what I can do to keep me from eating due to boredom.  

I hope this helps you.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.

Strengthening Your Core Muscles While Standing Up.

 Last time I looked at how important it was to have a strong core. This time I'm looking at ways to get a strong core without doing it all on the floor.  Yes, I do some of my core strengthening on the ground but it is not that easy so I prefer choosing exercises I can do standing up.  In addition, I still have to modify some of them so I don't hurt myself or get discouraged.

Although standing core exercises are not as effective as the traditional ones such as plank, abdominal crunch, or bridge, because of gravity.  Unfortunately, gravity helps do the exercises rather than providing resistance but for some people, the standing versions are better due to back issues. In addition, standing core exercises tend to target more muscles in your back and hips than the normal ones done on the floor.

One that can be done is the standing bicycle crunch. It actually mimics the bicycle crunches you do on the ground.  Furthermore, it helps your body be more functional, burns more calories, and there is less stress on your neck and back. Basically you bring your hand up behind your head with your elbows out.  Bring up the left knee while bringing the right elbow towards it as you would if you are on the floor.  Then you place the left leg on the floor and return the right elbow to its original position while standing straight.  Repeat with the right leg and left elbow and then revert back to the left.  Continue alternating sides.

If you want to take the standing bicycle crunch one step further, add in a squat.  You would start by lifting the left knee and moving the right elbow towards the knee and then return to a starting position. At this point, rather than switching to the other side, you squat while holding your hands up behind your head.  So you go down into a squat and back up.  Then you switch to the left elbow and right knee crunch and back to standing position. Then you throw in another squat.  Keep repeating. This variation burns even more calories.

For this next exercise, you'll need a dumbbell or a kettle bell. You grab the weight and hold it with both hands in front of your chest.  Keeping both hands on the weight you will bring it up by the left side of your face, up around to behind your head and down the right side till you return to the original position.  Then reverse the circle up the right side, behind the head, down the left side to the front.  This overhead circle or halo can be done with 8 or 4 or 2 in one direction before switching and doing 8,4, or 2 the other direction or you can do singles.  It is up to you.  In addition to working on your core, it also works on the rotational function of your abs along with your shoulders, triceps, and upper back.

Next is the standing oblique bends also known as the weighted side bend.  As the name implies, it targets the obliques.  This requires a set of dumbbells so you have one in each hand.  As you hold one dumbbell in each hand, feet a bit more than hip distance apart, you are ready to start.  You hold the hands down by the thighs, then slowly lean sideways to the right side allowing the weighted hand to move down towards your ankle.  Come back up slowly to an upright position, then slowly lean sideways to the left allowing the weighted left hand to move towards the ankle before slowly coming up.  Repeat multiple times. 

These are four standing exercises to help get you started on improving your core strength.  I'll revisit the subject in the future with more standing exercises.  I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to share your thought.  Have a great day. 

Why Core Strength Is Important.

 

It seems like every time I exercise, I hear the words core strength.  I know I need a good strong core but have never thought about the why before.  Why do I need to have a strong core?  So today, we are going to explore the topic.  In addition, we'll look at the best way to get a strong core because if you need one, you also need to know how to get one.

When they talk about core strength, they are referring to the muscles that are around your middle region also known as your trunk. This area includes the pelvic region, lower back, hips, and stomach or abs. They connect your upper and lower parts of the body.

One big thing working the core does is to help train the muscles all to work together so that you have better balance and and are more steady and are much more stable. Improving core strength is not only important for anyone who participates in sports, it is also important for people in everyday life. These muscles help you with everyday activities such as bending over and reaching up, to on the job activities that require twisting, standing, or even sitting at your desk, to household activities, to gardening to having good posture.

Now, you don't need to rush to the gym to exercise there. You can do certain moves at home to improve core strength but the moves need to coordinate back muscles with stomach muscles so they work together.  For instance, if you do a workout with free weights while keeping your core muscles stable, you are working on core strength.

Many of the classic exercises designed to strengthen your core include plank variations, sit-ups, and the use of a fitness ball.  One example of a classic exercise is the bridge. This is the one where you lie on your back with your knees bent.  You tighten the muscles in your stomach, raising your back off the floor up so your body is in a straight line from the shoulders on the floor to your knees.  Hold for three breaths and then slowly lower.  Repeat as needed.

Although it takes cardio exercise to burn the fat off your stomach, core exercises help strengthen and tone the muscles located underneath.  Another thing your core muscles are needed for is to make doing certain physical activities so much easier.  Activities like swinging a golf club, getting a plate down from the top shelf, or even bending down to tie shoes.  If you have weak core muscles, you tend to have poorer posture, lower back pain, and more inclined to suffer muscle injury.

It is important to include core exercises in your workouts so you have the stronger core and reach all your fitness goals.  So next time, I'll share more exercises that are designed to strengthen your core and they can be done at home.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Instead

 Instead, I'm wide awake.

It's Saturday Morning

 I want to be asleep like this.

Spring Fashion Colors Trends for 2023

 

In the last column, we looked at the trends for makeup so today we'll look at the trending fashion colors for spring 2023.  It's time to see what the best colors are and to decide if they are already in your wardrobe or if you need to buy a few pieces to update your look. 

Overall, the colors are selected to be combined in as many different ways as possible with the idea of living as if there is no tomorrow.  People are expected to combine vivid and saturated colors with neutral and basic tones to create the perfect look.

Specifically, look at intense reds, astro green, cerulean blue, rust brown, hot rose, cobalt blue, pistachio green, a beautiful vibrant orange, bright solar yellow, lavender, and mint green.  The intense red is a self-affirming, powerful, and impactful color that was seen on four major runways indicating it is quite popular.  It is wonderful to add a touch to monochromatic looks  and looks great when paired with neutral, warm, pink and gray tones.

Astro green is quite popular with the generation Z folks.  It adds a joyful look to any casual piece worn, yet looks fantastic in party wear with its shiny and satin type fabrics.  It adds that bit of luxury. On the other hand, cerulean blue works with so many different seasons. It brightens up the look as it goes well with darker shades or with monochromatic looks and is great in tailored pieces, party wear, or sportswear.

Then there is rust brown, a nice striking, versatile, neutral color which allows it to be used in a variety of combinations. This shade looks best in cotton and linen fabrics and goes well with certain blues and greens. This year pink is moving to a warmer and less vibrant shade called hot rose. It goes well with prints and small florals. In addition, it can easily be paired with lace, satins, and textured fabrics. 

Another shade of blue, cobalt blue, is on for this season. It looks good in monochromatic situations, matched up with neutrals or with oranges, yellows, and pinks, no matter the shade. On the other hand, pistachio green is wonderful to pair with certain shades of pink, brown, and gray, especially when worn as a blouse or dress. 

This year, vibrant orange is found with ruffles, and drapes of satin fabrics.  In addition to being found in clothing, it is great when worn as an accessorizing color for shoes, etc.  Choose a dress, jacket, or blouse of this color to match with other pieces.  The nice thing about Solar yellow is that it is a bright, cheerful color that cheers us up. It is great as an accessorizing color or in prints.  

Of course, lavender is one of those shades that can be found in warmer or cooler choices. It can be romantic, or youthful depending on the shade and looks great in lacy or transparent pieces.  Finally is mint green that is great in dresses, tops, and outer wear such as jackets. 

Have fun with these new colors and enjoy updating your wardrobe.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.

Spring Makeup Trends For 2023

 

We are now in February, the days are getting longer, and it is time to look at your makeup palette.  It is time to think about spring and checking out the latest trends for the new season.  Think about dewy skin, smoky eyes with layers and layers of liner, shadow, and blush but that isn't all.  Some of the looks and colors are subtle for those who prefer something lighter.

Shimmer is back but not as a one note.  Think about using a dimensional look so it adds depth.  In addition, think about choosing a frosted color on the eyes, the lips, and even a dab on the cheeks.  Frosted can be your friend.  Look for a gel containing shimmer to help it stay on better.

For contouring, look at underpainting so it is more subtle.  Think about applying the contour first before putting on the concealer and foundation so that the contour is barely there but causes the cheekbones to pop.   For a more subtle over all look, think about using the barely there look of rosy cheeks with the minimal make up look which is way different than the no make up look. You can still have the slightly flushed look on the cheeks, a bit of glimmer while having a polished look.

Of course, smoky eyes are usually around and this spring, they are there in the forefront.  Think about adding a angular wing at the eyes for that special look.  In addition, think about moving away from the gray and black shades towards the warmer shades.  The nice thing about a smoky look is that it can be matched up with bright red lipstick and nails.

As far as blush goes, layer, layer, layer it.  If you layer different blushes, you can create a theatrical look while elevating the overall look.  When you layer blushes, you need to start with a cream blush and then set it with a powder of about the same shade. This will give you that "look" you want.

Don't forget to start with the dewy skin look so you glow and look ethereal. Use plenty of highlighter so you get this great look. You don't have to use glitter to glow but you might want to use a skin care hybrid designed to boost the skins luminosity rather than relying on highlighters to get the look. 

Have fun experimenting and if you want something a bit extra to pop, think about a yellow lipstick, neon green eye shadow but save those for the Avant guard days.  Enjoy yourself this spring.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.