Baby steps to a better you {finding a plan for you}

July 13, 2012 | posted by | 1 Comment

 

Happy Friday the 13th! It’s always been a lucky day for me (first date with my hubby, our rehearsal dinner, and many other great days)! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Today, Chrissy is back with this week’s Baby Steps to a Better You issue! I hope that you have enjoyed her advice so far! Let us know if you’ve incorporated anything into your lifestyle.

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Hi ya’ll!

So now I’m going to compile a list of workout options that are available to anyone who has internet, can stream YouTube through their gaming devices, or has a Smart phone, so no excuses, no really!

I wanted to only talk about options that I have personally used and found to be fun and effective. So that’s not to say that there aren’t 20 or so more amazing trainers out there that might be more suited to you and your style, so go hope on YouTube and do some searching, put on your tennis shoes and get a little sweaty!

Let’s break it down into how I found these trainers and my experience with each.

After having my second son I thought I that I needed something “easy”, and I found Blogilates. I figured, I get to lay on the ground and workout! SCORE! But it proved to be so much more than that, and I loved every minute of it. And no joke, I could feel my improvement as early as the next week, moves were easier, things were shifting, it was a good thing! Cassie is A-MAZ-ing! She has an infectious attitude and she knows just to keep you smiling throughout your entire workout. Oh, and let’s face it, pilates is FUN!

Then I moved up to the Tone it Up Girls, Karina and Katrina are adorable and their back and forth is peppy and up-beat, but their workouts will kick your butt! Some of their exercises do involve weights, so there is minimal equipment necessary, or you could get creative and grab a few soup cans. What I liked about these girls is that they also emphasize on cardio and give you a schedule to work out along with, which helped me immensely when my stamina was back up and I was ready to kick things into gear, but was unsure where to start.

Now, I’m currently following and working on getting on Zuzana Light’s level. OMGoodness! Her workouts will leave you as a puddle on the floor when you’re done. She’s beautiful, soft spoken, and has the most inspiring body I’ve ever seen! Don’t let her workouts intimidate you either. I was so afraid to start with any thinking, “there is no way!”, but when I did finally suck it up and try I was amazed at how much I could actually keep up. All her workouts require at minimum moderate to heavy dumbbells and for you to leave the whining at the door. All of the workouts I have done were all less than 20 minutes, and trust me it’s all you need! I saw the most results the quickest from Zuzuna’s workouts.

Those are the absolutely free options out there. I also wanted to talk to you about another option that I am finding to be perfect for me and my family. Recently my family has joined our local YMCA, as a way for our little guys to get out and play with kids their own age while my husband and I work out. Our local Y takes babies as young as 6 weeks, and I know that in other places it’s a bit higher  think 9 months in Maryland where we lived before. This works well for us, because my husband and I will push each other in the gym, or we’ll swim, and during the winter months I can still run indoors without using the Washington weather as an excuse. And BONUS you can sign your little ones up for classes, we’re looking into gymnastics for my 3 year old, tumble for our 1 year old and swimming for both!

There are also tons of great classes that are included in your membership! Anything you can think of, they have it. :) I’m thinking of taking a hip hop class… or extreme yoga.

Now I open up the floor to you! What are your favorite exercise routines? Some of your favorite DVD’s or online trainers?


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Thanks, Chrissy! I have to add in the MY favorite is Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred! It’s only 25 minutes a day for 30 days straight, and I saw HUGE results with it! I have several of her dvds and love them all. I just started her 90 Day Transformation in addition to running 3-4 days a week! So what are YOUR favorite routines?!?

 

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Find YOUR Why {better you part 2}

June 1, 2012 | posted by | 1 Comment

 

I’ve been receiving a lot of comments about my weight loss journey this year and the results. Be on the lookout for that post next week! I had planned on writing it for today, but this whole 4 day week thing has had me “a day late and a dollar behind” all week.

But I do have this week’s SECOND edition of Baby Steps to a Better You. Please help me welcome Chrissy back!

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Hi guys, I loved reading the comments from our 1st post 2 weeks ago.

This week, I want to talk to you about your “why”, your reasons for losing the weight, or toning up, or just all around striving for better health.

So often we women compare ourselves to our loved ones, our friends, people on the street, and worst of all celebrities. I see so often on Pinterest women pinning what they call “inspiration”. I’m going to be completely frank here, these women you are seeing, these gorgeous, fit, seemingly perfect women have never had a child, they have probably never weighed more than 15-20 lbs more than they do in the photo.  And more importantly, I feel, they likely do not have the responsibilities that come along with having children. I remember pre-babies I used to think I didn’t have time for anything, I was sooo busy, then I had children, now I know how hard it really is to squeeze in a 20 minute workout before 9 PM.

The point I’m trying to make here is; do not wish for someone else’s butt, abs, arms, legs, back. Instead, dream of what YOUR body will look like after the work. You do not have Jenifer Aniston’s backside, or her bone structure, or her personal trainer and chef for that matter!

Be proud of you! Look what you did, you created life! You carried something so precious inside of you, you nurtured it with your body for 9 months, you held it in your arms, you give up sleep, food, and sometimes your sanity for that baby/child’s well-being, be proud of that! Don’t look at your body and remorse what it used to be, be thankful for what your body has done.

Now, back to that “Why”. Mine was that I needed to get healthy for my children. I have a heart condition, I lost my driver’s license, I felt useless and pitiful. I didn’t want to use the various drugs the Doctors were “hoping” would help. I knew that if I turned my health around I would be a better Mom, wife and I would be a better Me. It was hard at times, I got scared a few times when my heart rate would skyrocket and I would lose consciousness, but eventually it got easier and blackouts occurred less and less often.

My goal was the fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. And I did in about 6 months. I didn’t take the exercising seriously for so long, I was let my fear of blacking out get the best of me. I would let my fear of my heart condition hold me back from pushing my workouts. But I got over it, and it was so worth it.

What is it that you are striving for? Want to fit back into those designer jeans you bought a year ago? Want to run a marathon? Do you want to just be able to run around with your kids, and actually keep up? Let yourself be selfish here! Find a reason that will sing to you, write it up and stick it somewhere you will see it everyday.

Remember, you are the only person in control of your body, and your health.

Please tell us your motivation in a comment below. Jaima and I want to be your support system!

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baby steps to a better YOU

May 17, 2012 | posted by | 9 Comments

 

I am pretty excited to introduce you all to my new and first ever Blog Contributor. Chrissy is a work at home mom and military wife who lives a very healthy lifestyle and likes to help others do the same. She grew up in a gym and has learned from the best, along with the hard way as to what works best for her. As part of my current weightloss/better health journey, I asked Chrissy to join me in help sharing her tricks for you.

So without further ado: Here’s the first edition of:

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Hi all.

I’m so excited to introduce this new series that Jaima and I are teaming up on! As I’m sure you have seen Jaima is taking a big step in her life to become the best version of herself, by way of creating a healthier lifestyle for her and her family. I will be a contributor here twice a month with fitness tips, tricks, and motivation to help get your body exactly where you want it!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Chrissy. I am a work from home Mom with two of the silliest little guys I know. My husband is in the Coast Guard and we currently live just outside of Seattle, WA. I write at Parlo and Logi.

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I never considered myself to be “out of shape” I cheered from the time I was 8 until I graduated High School, which meant for me 90 minutes a day of weight training followed by 3 hours of cheer practice every day. After that I worked as a distributor/ marketer for Dewalt where I was up and down ladders every day lugging combo kits. Fast forward to us moving to Maryland where I wasn’t working and it was cold for this Florida girl, so not too much moving around. I quickly gained 10 lbs. A few short months later I became pregnant with my first son not only did I gain an amazing little boy, I also gained 57 pounds, and that doesn’t include the 10 I lost with morning sickness and the insane ravenous hungry that comes with breastfeeding. I stopped stepping on the scale for almost a year after having this little guy.

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Now I have two little guys and am working my way to the BEST me. I have learned how to treat my body the right way; how to stick to an exercise routine without having to constantly start over again. And I’m down 2 pounds and 2 pants sizes smaller than my “goal” weight, all from hard work and persistence. I want to share my success with you. Every one of you!

I know what it’s like to wake up one morning and look in the mirror and think, where did this body come from? I know the mindset that comes with those thoughts.

Now I look in the mirror and I’m PROUD! I’m not just proud of how my body looks, I’m proud of what my body has accomplished. I brought two amazing little humans into this world. I am stronger and more confident than ever with enough stamina for two.

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Will you join me? Let’s get those muscles moving, and your confidence soaring!

For the next two weeks I want you thinking about “Why?”. Why do you want to lose weight? What is your goal?

See you in a couple weeks!

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Thanks, Chrissy! I just have to say that MY WHY is what keeps me going. And not just the “because I want to lose 50lb”. It’s the, “I NEED to lose 50lb to better my health and ensure I can always be an active part in my daughter’s life”!

So are you up for the challenge? What are your goals and WHY? Leave a comment below or Join our discussion on Blog Frog and tell us!

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