least effective exercies

Hi all,

Courtesy of WebMD, 9 Least Effective Exercises

I found this slide show on things you could possibly do wrong while working out in the gym.

Click on the link for the 9 incorrect moves and how to effectively do them.

~Kanae

yoga =)

Hi all,

As you saw from the last entry, high impact cardio is not really good on my knees so I am back to doing my favorite yoga. It is very relaxing and very beneficial. No matter, if I am in a hot room or just my living room, yoga always leaves me feeling good. The breathing calms my spirit and I feel centered. Its not very stressful which I love and you push yourself as far as your body tells you to.

Personally my favorite positions are the Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Child's Pose, Warrior 1 and 2, and Lotus. I love to end with Namaste.

Some benefits of yoga are:

Increasing flexibility

Increasing strength

Better posture

Increasing lubrication of the joints, tendons, and ligaments

Massaging all organs of the body

Complete detoxification of the body

Toning

If you are interested, here are some good yoga websites:

Health and Yoga

ABC of Yoga

Yoga Journal

~Kanae

Plyometrics workout?

Hi  all,

I was on Self magazine website and saw the following article Plyometrics workout: Burn more calories in less time! Basically, it says that if you do a plyometrics workout (high powered explosive jumping movements) you will burn 100 calories in a short amount of time. According to bodybuilding.com, pylometrics are characterized by their ability to increase reactive strength, jumping skill and coordination. So in theory, it is an amazing way to burn calories and get rid of that fat quickly.

Sean Burch, a professional trainer, created a 10 move pylometrics workout plan, and by following this workout plan 5 times a week, Burch and Self claim that you will burn 100 calories in 10 minutes. These 10 moves are aimed to help you melt away the fat and be bikini ready in no time, and if you do it twice in one night, say adios to 100 more pounds.

I wonder how effective this workout plan is so I am going to try it for a month straight and let you know what I think.

My moves to master are:

1. Soaring Eagle
2. Pop-Up
3. Pogo Stick
4. Hurdler Hop
5. Carioca
6. Tush Tuck
7. Open Sesame
8. Flutter Kick
9. The Straddler
10. Getting Jiggy

Update: I tried this workout and I must say it does require a ton of energy. I did the first 5 and was panting. LOL Then my knees started hurting. This workout is not the best if you have bad knees. It is extremely high impact. Therefore, I must ammend my pledge, I cannot do this for the sake of my knees. I did however enjoy some nice yoga.

~Kanae



Healthy Choice... YUMMY?!

So if you live in Chicago, you know that is it extremely cold outside.  I didn't not pack a lunch and knew that I was not going to step outside in the Arctic HAWK to get something to eat.  Well this posed a slight problem. What am I going to eat??!!! I decided to venture downstairs to the CVS on the first floor of my work building. If I get something to eat from there, its usually a roast beef sandwich. I head to that aisle and......... There's No SANDWICHES!! =O  Now, what do I do??? I contemplated just running outside to Corner Bakery.. but I'm not that crazy.  I'm not going out until its time for me to leave and go home.  So I sigh and try the soup aisle, where I came across this item called Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers.  The name intrigued me enough to pick it up and look at the specs...  I was amazed that a pasta dish was included in the rather small container and that you could cook it in the microwave. I'm not fond of microwavable food but beggars can't be choosers right??

I decided to try the Ziti and Meat Sauce one.  It had 340 Calories and 6g of Fat and fit right into my lunch goals!  I love that you just fill the container to the line with water and cook for 3:30 mins and then strain the excess water with the strainer built into the top of the container. How cool is that!?  Then you warm the sauce in its container for 30 mins, mix it with the pasta and WAHLA! You have a ready-to-eat pasta dish! =)  Now what you really want to know.... how does it taste??  Now.. I can say that it does not taste like my home cooked food. I put LOVE into my food! However, you don't really expect it to right? So it is ok in taste. Not great but not bad.  I plan on trying the other types.  It was a very quick low calorie meal.  So for what I'm trying to do. It works for me!

Let me know if you tried some flavors that you absolutely love! (Or at least like lol) =)  You can see all there items at this link http://www.healthychoice.com/products/fresh-mixers.html

~Tiana

healthy snacks

Hi all,

I am finding myself hungry throughout the day and grabbing whatever comes my way. I know this pesky snacking habit is not conducive to me loosing weight. I know I should just say no to those potato chips screaming eat me. I know I need to forget about those chocolate chips staring me down. I know I need to resist the tasty junk food that craves my attention and is always ready to get in my belly.

First let me say the whole snacking concept is not wrong. Whats wrong is when you make bad decisions like junk food. Its call junk food for a reason. Nothing about it is beneficial to you. Healthy snacks on the other hand can help you go much further. By snacking, you will inevitably eat less during those big meals like lunch and dinner. Healthy snacks full of fiber can fill you up, decrease those hunger pains and monitor how quickly you want to eat again. They will boost your metabolism and energy. Remember Mr. Possible's quote "candy is dandy but fruit makes you poop!"

So in the middle of the day, grab a yogurt instead of chips. Eat an apple instead of candy. Try a granola bar instead of cookies. Say goodbye to those empty calories and hello to those that make you feel good on the inside.

To get you started here are a few healthy snacks to keep around:

1. Laughing Cow Cheese
2. 100 Calorie Packs
3. Trail Mix
4. Oatmeal
5. Veggies and Humus
6. Smart Pop
7. Fresh Fruit
8. Light /Low Fat Yogurt or Parfait
9. Low Fat Chocolate Pudding Cup
10. Whole Grain Crackers or Pretzels or Crispbread

Need some more ideas, read 30 Healthy Snacks at Self Magazine.

~kanae



Let's Run this Weight Off!!

So I was browsing one of my friends FB page and I came across this website she found here.  It shows you how to train for a 5k in 9 weeks by following this regimen 3 times a week. Because I hate running and I want a challenge, I think this is for me!  I love that running is a full body workout and that it will slim you down all over. By the end of the 9 weeks, you are supposed to be able to run a full 5k or at least 30 mins straight.  It starts with you walking for 5 mins to warm up, then alternating between walking then running for 20 mins, with a 5 min cool down walk at the end.  Every week, you increase the run time and build up your stamina for running.

So I will start today! My days will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Morning.  I'm am very excited and hope this exercise speeds up my metabolism as well as slim me down.

And for you people that don't want to run on the treadmill, they have different options on the website. Check it out here! And for you iphone and android users, there's an app that you can run while listening to music that will tell you when to walk and run.  I've already downloaded my android app here. LEEEE GOO!

~Tiana

Weekend dilemma......

Eating right on the weekend proved to be a hard feat for me.  Now I didn't do horrible but I don't think I did as good as I could.

For instance, if I go to a restaurant or run out and get lunch during the week, I can make myself pass up Chipotle and get a sandwich or salad.  However the weekend tends to be the time when I eat what I want to eat.  That's when I can go to my favorite spots and eat an Italian beef or deep dish pizza or fried wings with mild sauce!!  I need to learn to control myself on the weekend, because I would hate to eat the pounds that I just lost that week on the Weekend!

I need to think about eating this:
 










And not eating this (Looks good tho, don't it?? LOL):

Also, along with not eating that great, working out on the weekend turned out to be hard to do also.  The weekend is when I run most of my errands.  I need to become discipline enough to work before I run my errands.

But a new week is ahead of us and I will conquer this!

~Tiana