You're Doing It Wrong

This post is brought to you by one of my dearest friends, whom I met through the most unfortunate circumstances, but without her I would have crawled into a hole and died. She brings me life, joy, and much laughter. AND she is THE BOMB!!! Here is to you Tiff!

To get the most out of your workout — and avoid an injury — after talking to a few different trainers at my gym and little research on my own, I've come up with 6 common mistakes that you should avoid to make the most of your workout.

1. Jerking to lift weights: Make sure your lifts are slow and controlled. Use your muscle to hoist the weight, not momentum. If you're having to put your back into it just to get those weights up...your weights are too heavy. Try lifting a lighter load and see how you feel.a

2. Leaning on the handrails of the stair climber, elliptical trainer, or treadmill: This makes the workout less challenging and can injure your wrists and back. Stand up tall and instead barely brush the handrails for balance.

3. Not getting enough rest: Working out when you're fatigued can lead to sloppy technique and an injury. It's always better to do less reps and have proper form than doing the usual in a schloppy manner! So don't forget to get your Zzzzzzz's!

4. Locking your knees: Always keep your knees slightly bent to prevent an injury.

5. Not warming up: Don't try to shave time off your workout by skipping the warm up could leave you hanging out on the bench instead of using it to power through your work out.

6. Getting stuck in a rut: If you're just going through the motions during your workout, shake things up by changing up your routine. I LOVE the results I get from doing P90X, but can't STAND to listen the guy on the videos. He drives me BONKERS! But his philosophy works...you should switch things up every 30 days or so so that your body doesn't get used to the same ole same ole!

Hope these little tips will help you improve and give a little direction so you can make your fitness goals a reality! Happy Living!

And the WINNER is....

Mistie S. with 279 POINTS!!!!!

Congratualtions to Mistie. That is AWESOME.

Ok now for the "we are all winners" pep talk. I am so glad that I decided to do this. The feedback has been truly inspiring to me.

You are all winners. Here is to another GREAT week. My goal is to BEAT my SCORE. We used to call that P.R. in track. You know, set a new 'Personal Record.' So here is to YOU and I to beat our scores from this week.

Well done.

Shandra will be sending Mistie something in the mail. HOW FUN!

TALLY the Points Peeps!

Well I guess we are here.

The final day.

Let's see how we did.

Please leave your points in comments on THIS post.
That way I don't have to fish around trying to find all our points :)

We start anew. Our week is Monday to Sunday. Please have points in by Monday at noon (following the close of Sunday).

Fruit and Veggies

There has been some question as to what classifies a fruit or veggie, so I asked my impartial, unbiased sister in law to write a post for me. She is a dietitian and puts together wellness plans for big companies. So here is to Nat! Thanks!

Fruits and Veggies

If you eat Healthy you will look and feel Healthy- who wouldn’t want that?

Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to improve your nutrition. It can be as easy as adding fruit to a bowl of cereal or adding grated carrots and zucchini to pasta sauce. These tips can help you get started.

Make it easy

• Keep a bowl of fruit within easy reach on the kitchen counter or your desk at work so that you can grab a piece of fruit when you're hungry. Then, you will reach for a piece of fruit instead a not-so-healthy snack. One thing that always helps me eat more fruit and veggies is to clean and/or cut them up as soon as I come home from the grocery store. Then, they are ready for me to snack on.
• Buy packaged, ready-to-eat fresh vegetables and fruits. These cut down on preparation time. They are great for making stir-fry.
• Keep dried fruit on hand for a snack that is easy to take with you when you're away from home.
• Use the microwave to quickly cook vegetables.

Take small steps

• Mix sliced fruit or frozen berries with yogurt or cereal.
• Add apple chunks, pineapple, grapes, or raisins to tuna or chicken salad.
• Make fruit smoothies by blending together fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice, and yogurt.
• Add dried or fresh fruit to oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles.
• Add lots of colorful vegetables, such as red cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers, to green salads.
• Add lots of vegetables to sandwiches. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and avocado slices are flavorful choices.
• Drink 100% fruit juice everyday, just make sure that the juice you buy is 100% Real Fruit Juice.
• Try freezing fresh grapes. Not only will this snack keep you cool, but it will give you a serving of fruit!
• I love putting fresh strawberries or peaches on top of vanilla ice-cream it is a delicious treat and a great way to get a serving of fruit into my diet!

What exactly is a serving of Fruit and Vegetables you ask? Well- I’m going to tell you.

A serving of Fruit is one Medium piece of fruit = the size of a Baseball

A serving of Fruit Juice is 6 fluid oz. = A little less than one cup

A serving of Vegetables is ½ cup = Bulb part of a light bulb

Examples

Fruit Servings

½ banana

1 medium apple, orange, or pear

½ cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit

Vegetable Servings

1 cup of raw leafy vegetables

½ cup of other vegetables; cooked, raw (chopped), or canned

½ cup of vegetable juice

PS How is it going? How do you like your "new fitness" plan? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? Let me know. I would LOVE your feedback. Just leave a comment :)

Healthy Start to your Morning

I can't guarantee that I will post a healthy recipe EVERY day, but I will do my best. Perhaps with you alls help I will be able to manage such a task.

Email me (superfitandfab@gmail.com) your FAVORITE HEALTHY recipe and I will post it for all to see.

A few months ago when we were in Idaho, my brother in law busted out this shake/smoothie if you will. He asked if I wanted to try it. Ya. Right. It's green. I am will not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am. Those were my initial thoughts.

I tried it. I had to close my eyes, because seriously, just to warn you, it looks like poo. I know. You are thinking well why would you post a recipe on the blog if it looked like poo. Well friends I am glad you asked. Because. IT IS YUMMY! Really. It is. And it only has 169 calories. OK this may seem weird and odd and gross and GREEN, but TRUST me it is GOOD.

Eat it for Breakfast, Lunch, OR as a snack, but seriously, you must TRY it.

And please, Don't Knock It, Till YOU Try It.

At least 3 times.

If you don't like it after that... we can still be friends.

That is if you still want to :)

Fruit Smoothie

by Tyler Overall

1 cup water

3 cups Spinach (20 cal)

8 frozen strawberries OR 8 regular strawberries (49 cal)

1 medium banana (100 cal)

Some ice if you used non frozen strawberries

Put all in a blender. I like to put the water in with the Spinach first because it blends better. Then I add the banana and then the strawberries. You can then add ice if you like.

You can also add your own kinds of fruit to it. Just remember the banana gives it volume (looks like more, but really isn't, if that is your thing) If you use frozen fruit, you don't need ice. If you use berries, it will be less green. Just sayin.

****Please please please, before you DON'T partake of this shake again, make it 3 times. It is tasty, you just have to get pass the green. Trust me. It is good. And you will like it.

ENJOY!!!

PS Did you notice that there are 3 SERVINGS of fruit in this blend? Only two more the rest of the day!!!!

A New Beginning!

Well folks. Today is the day. My 30th BIRTHDAY!!!!

The day you change your habits. The day you hopefully changed them for the better.

Good Luck to us all.

Sleep: Counts for last night.... just in case you were wondering :)

PS I have a spreadsheet brought to you by Amy S. to keep track of your points more efficiently. Email me if you want it and I will send it to you.

PPS Please make sure that your info on the side bar is correct and all the information you want (or don't) is there. And remember to LEAVE a comment with your points on MONDAY MORNING.

PPPS I am SO stoked. This should be super duper fun.

LET'S GET FIT AND FAB TOGETHER!!!!

PPPPS If your friends or fam want to join. It is never too late. They are always welcome. This works because we do it weekly!

Let the GAMES begin

And so it begins. TOMORROW!!! On my birthday.

Eat your hearts out today. Well technically you can do that after the contest begins, just as long as you only have ONE sweet and it is BEFORE 8pm :)

Good luck to you all. I must admit that I have been at this for about 2 weeks now (because I had to make sure I could get a decent point score, that it was actually feasible, that I could actually do it, because seriously HOW EMBARRASSING if I fail at my own game, or mispell embarrassing, so I did it just for you!)

And guess what? I am down 4 pounds! I can't believe I just announced that on the internet, but I have it posted to my name on the side bar, so whatever.

I have been working hard physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And it is paying off. Go figure. I am excited to see how this all plays out. Hopefully I won't mess it all up too badly.

Be sure to read the Fit and Fab Rules and IF you happened to miss the other posts be sure to read them as well. I am going to take it on your honor that you did :).

Technically there are no losers in this contest (just only one loser.... LOL and one winner) But I think that we all win by having some accountability, an incentive if you will, to do better, and I have found out in the last two weeks, this will do just that! At least for me it has.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!! And thanks for joining.

****PS If you have a friend or family member that is still on the fence. That is ok. They can wait out this week and start next Monday.

********PPS Our weeks will go Monday to Sunday. I know. Why can't I go Sunday to Saturday. Well that would be easier on our brains, but tis not so. Monday to Sunday it is.

Please Take Note

We start on TUESDAY AUGUST 24th:

There will only be 290 points possible for the first week.

Exercise points on Sunday do not count:

Take a load off! Total for the week will be 340.

Point total:

Changed. I have seen the light that exercise took up more than 100 points for the week so I didn't want it to have so much weight. It is important, but it had too much bearing on the final points. SO it has changed. Please take note.

Exercise:

Let's define. Full on sports bra at the gym, outside, in the pool, taking a brisk walk, heart rate up, burning some caloric intake.

Sweets:

Let's define. Anything you want it to be in ONE sitting. You can have a bowl of ice cream and a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and peanuts on top. A large Blizzard. 4 cookies. A candy bar. As long as it is in ONE sitting.

***Just remember that you are only hurting yourself if you go for the ice cream and chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and peanuts, but you are welcome to it. I would suggest One cookie. Or One bowl of ice cream. Or One piece of chocolate cake, but that is just me.

I have to tell myself that I can have the chocolate cake with ice cream if I WANT, but I am CHOOSING to only have A Cookie.

I don't know if any of you are like me but if I say I can't have something, that is the exact thing that I will binge on. :)

Things To Remember

1. THIS IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS BLOG- I know that I have the "goal to lose" section... this is ONLY if you WANT to lose weight.

2. THIS IS A FITNESS BLOG- We can all do better in lots of areas, this is for physical and mental and spiritual health. I believe that all 3 have to be accounted for in order to truly be healthy

3. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT- I will only have your "points for this week" posted. If I have taken off the "goal to lose" and you want it, leave a comment here.

4. TELL YOUR FRIENDS- The more people the more fun!

5. JUST SIGN UP!!!- Stop sitting on the fence and just do it. You know you want to.

6. BECOME A FOLLOWER- That way we can all see who is on here. We don't have to "blog stalk" but I sometimes like to know who my competition is.

7. ADDRESSES- By giving me your addresses you are giving me permission to give it to the losers so they can send you, the winners. something in the mail... because that is what this is all about. The competition. The motivation. The accountability. THE REWARDS!!!!

8. I LOVE YOU ALL- Thanks for joining with me. I need some competition, some motivation, some accountability and you all are helping me have it!!!!!

Welcome to FIT and FAB

10 weeks of Fit and Fab

August 24th to November 2

(If you want to participate, leave a comment AND your EMAIL :0))

I am so glad that you want to join me at "A Fitness Blog For You and Me" It will be so much fun getting Fit and having Fun!!!

I will try each day to post a healthy recipe or a personal story or even something by YOU!!!

I started this blog because I think it would be fun to just "Be fit"spiritually, physically, and hopefully emotionally if we are the first two. If we lose weight then that is a bonus!

The rules are listed on the side bar to the left of the screen. PLEASE read them. It is set up on a point system basis. The person with the MOST points at the end of the week WINS. The person with the LEAST points LOSES.

Why is this so important? Well the LOSER has to mail the WINNER something. Because WHO DOESN'T LOVE MAIL??? It can be a handwritten note, a card, something from the dollar store, a picture, whatever. There is no minimum or maximum you can spend, however, keep it more to a minimum. We don't want to punish anyone here :). A card is sufficient. The point is to get MAIL.

Now PLEASE remember. This is NOT a "Weight Loss Blog." It is a Fitness blog. If you lose weight. THAT. IS. A. BONUS!

You will notice on the side bar to the right there are two names. Mine and one who wants to remain anonymous :) You can choose what you want.

1. Every Monday, You will send me your totals from the previous week. (Monday to Sunday)

2. I will post your totals as seen on the right of the screen. I will post the winner AND the loser.

3. The winner AND the loser will then email me their addresses and the loser will mail the winner a "prize" if you will. The PRIZE MUST be mailed within a week. That's boring to get your prize two weeks late.... just sayin.

4. In the event of a tie between the losers OR the winners, the bottom losers will be evenly distributed with the winners, and vice versa. I will try to be as fair as I can.

Hopefully the same person won't win OR lose ALL the time. But if you do, don't despair, you can try better next time :)

So all this

STARTS ON AUGUST 24th. HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!

PS Please email your email and home address to superfitandfab@gmail.com (if you know my reg email, PLEASE DON'T use it for this) so that I can add you on the side bar, if I get inundated on the 24th I won't be able to enjoy my 10th anniversary on the 26th!

OH and DON'T Forget to tell your FRIENDS!!!