Steps to getting over a plateau....

Steps to getting over a plateau:

• Keep the faith. You may feel stuck, but you’re probably still losing weight—just not enough to register on the scale. (Hey—Even dropping a third of a pound per week means that in a year, you’ll be down a whole 17 pounds.)
• Avoid fuzzy math. It’s common to overestimate calories burned and underestimate calories eaten. Look for places where calories may hide—dressings, spreads, sauces, croutons, and condiments. Keep a detailed food diary.
• Put up some resistance. Increasing physical activity is particularly useful for moving beyond a plateau, because exercise both uses calories and builds muscle.
• Trick Your Metabolism. Many fitness gurus claim that surprising your body with a change in diet, workout or both can shift you out of a weight loss rut. Change up your routine. If you are doing the same exercises over and over again, your body “knows” what to expect.
• Reboot and recharge. If your motivation is non-existent, write down all the reasons you originally wanted, and still want, to lose weight. Look at the list every day. Let friends and family know what you’re up to, and ask for their support. Make a Vision Board with photos and words visualizing your successful body transformation.

Randoms....

Things to do after an unexpected binge...

Things to do after an unexpected binge:

• Don’t starve yourself. Make sure to eat. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but fasting after a binge will only make you severely hungry, which can easily lead to another binge. When you’re hungry again, eat. If you binged at night, start fresh by giving yourself a healthy breakfast. Stick to clean, whole foods (sugar free if you can) and drink lots of water. You can’t change the past, but you can prepare for your present and future by feeding yourself whole, healthy foods to prevent a future binge.
• Forgive yourself. Trying to starve yourself the next day is a sneaky way to try and get away with bingeing, to “make up” for your slip – “I’m going to make up for yesterday by not eating today.” Instead, admit you made a mistake. Forgive yourself. Be very, very kind to yourself: Beating yourself up or criticizing yourself won’t make you change.
• Give yourself self acceptance. It’s easy to offer yourself approval when you’re on your “best” behavior. But what about when you’ve been overeating? Do you offer yourself love and support at those times, as well? That’s when it’s most important.
• When you’re ready, examine what happened. Binges are great learning opportunities. Try and examine what was going on: how were you feeling beforehand? What thoughts were running through your head? Write about the event and see if you can make sense of it. This can help you prepare for the next time. Think of how you can support yourself next time so that

Quote: “Nature does not require that we be perfect, it requires only that we grow, and we can do this as well from a mistake as from a success.”

A letter to my current plateau!

Dear current plateau,

I needed to get this off my chest. You drive me fucking crazy. I thought I’d made it clear I don’t want to see you, talk to you or have you in my life anymore, but alas! Your still here.
So with New Year being just around the corner, I think it has truly come time to bid you farewell and go our seperate ways.
I just can’t have you in my life anymore. You frustrate me beyond measure and thats not good for me.
So good luck in the feature dear plateau.
And I hope this is truly our last goodbye.
Sincerely,
Ashley M.

GET BACK ON TRACK NOW & don't give up on your goals!!

GET BACK ON TRACK NOW & don't give up on your goals!!

When you feel like getting back on track is overwhelming, try one (or more) of these small steps each day. You will be back in no time ;)
1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing.
2. Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right!
4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference!
5. Look for motivational pages/ weigh loss stories. Seeing how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles can be a great source of motivation.
6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it.
7. Update your Facebook page. It’s a visual way to track your ups and downs, but also your progress.
8. Share your goals. Whether you post them here or share them with a friend, you’ll be more accountable.
9. Exercise for 10 minutes. Jump rope, march in place, or do some crunches. Small amounts do add up to something big!
10. Find a buddy. Get support from friends, whether you need someone to listen or a mentor to give you ideas and encouragement.
11. Take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or far you go—just get out there!
12. Create a motivational collage. Include pictures of your goal and reasons why you want to get there.
 13. Go shopping for some healthy foods.
14. Check the nutrition fact before you go out to eat. That way, you can make an informed choice. 15. Ride your bike. Even a leisurely ride has benefits for your body and mind.
16. Work in the yard. Gardening and yard work is a great way to add activity to your day.
17. Take the stairs. Even if this is the only thing you do all day, you’ll feel stronger for it.
18. Listen to an inspirational song. Better yet, make a playlist of them so you can turn to it whenever you need a boost. 1
9. Eat a piece of fruit. Even if 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to you, one is doable.
 20. Slow down during meals. You’ll be less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy your meal. 21. Play! What kids call “play,” we often call “exercise.” Play a sport, a game, or use the playground equipment to bring the fun back into fitness.
 22. Learn something new. Sometimes simply taking a quiz or reading an article about nutrition, fitness, or health can change your mindset and get you back on track.
Just set your goals (be realistic) → write them down → keep them in your mind → start archiving it → & don’t forget to stay positive → YOU CAN DO IT! ☺ ✌

I love my followers!!!

Hey darling! Yes, you! Stop scrolling. I want to say I love you. You’re my follower, and I love you! I don’t know why you follow me, I might not even know your name, but I do know one thing. You’re beautiful and I love you. I will always be here for you, remember that. Now smile. You may now get back to your scrolling.

Super-Sly Ways to Slim Down Your Portions

Super-Sly Ways to Slim Down Your Portions

1. Use a smaller bowl and think of them as standard size. Who came up with bowl sizes anyway? They’re hardly suited to everyday portion sizes. If you start small, you’ll end up eating less, AND you can be one of those ultra-positive people and think “my bowl of ice cream is full to the max!” instead of “I have one lowly scoop of Chunky Monkey in here, OMG so deprived.”
2. Start with half. Of course it’s okay to have an entire bagel, but only toast one half to start. After you’re finished, if you’re still hungry, go ahead and toast the other half if you want to, no problem. Starting with half just prevents you from wasting food or feeling guilty if you do in fact end up full from the first half [and you might surprise yourself that you are, in fact, full from the first half!]
3. You’re not “wasting” food. The habit of finishing everything on your plate is a bad one—it forces you to override the ‘full’ signals your brain is giving you and stuff yourself even though your body is telling you to stop. This will make it harder later to figure out if you actually are hungry or not. Just because you eat the food you’ve been served doesn’t mean you’re not wasting it—you’ll just be w-a-i-s-t-i-n-g it instead [Ohmygosh so clever.]
4. Act like a three year old. You don’t have to eat the parts of a meal or a snack that you don’t like. Having a piece of toast but don’t really care for the crusts? Cut them off and don’t worry about it. Why put something unhealthy in your mouth if you’re not enjoying it? Think that whoever invented pop tarts could definitely have left off those filling-less, cardboard-y edges? Me too. You don’t have to eat them. Only like the peanut butter cups out of your ice cream? Feel free to dig them out and throw the rest away. Make sure you’re enjoying your indulgences 100%.
5. When you go out, split a meal with a friend instead of getting your own. Eating out is one of the biggest triggers for stuffing myself, personally, because if I paid for it, I’m going to eat it. But splitting huge restaurant portions with a pal ends up with both of us feeling satisfied, but not so stuffed we want to stay in bed and die.
6. Another eating-out trick to try is skipping dinner altogether—just get an appetizer and a dessert. The appetizers are always yummy, perfect for two to share, and thenyou get to have dessert, which is really all you want anyway.
7. Make “small” the standard. When you order a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant, make it a small. Same with getting a sugary coffee drink, or some fries, or an ice cream cone. You really aren’t sacrificing much, you still get to enjoy a treat, you just don’t start out with so incredibly much to finish. Plus small is cheaper, so you can buy one of these.
8. Get a bowl of chips [or some other delicious snack] rather than bringing the whole bag with you when you have a snack. You can always have more, but you’ll know how much you’re actually eating, instead of “somewhere between most and all of the bag.”

10 Healthy Late-Night Snack

Strawberry shake
Blend kefir (it’s like a liquid yogurt), strawberries, and a teaspoon of honey for a refreshing protein shake that’s also chock-full of digestion-enhancing probiotics.
Frozen blueberries
A cup of the fruit is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and more than 4 grams of fiber. For a richer snack, top them with a little light whipping cream.
Yogurt cubes
If you’re an ice cream lover, try this lean alternative: pour a homemade smoothie (like the kefir-strawberry mixture above) into ice cube trays, then freeze until slushy.
Multigrain pretzels
Whether in stick or twist form, pretzels are a surprisingly good alternative to chips. One ounce—about a handful—boasts just over 100 calories. To add some metabolism-revving protein, dunk ‘em in yogurt.
Crackers
For a nutty snack, try Ak-mak crackers (made of stone-ground sesame seeds), multigrain Wasa crackers, or low-fat rye mini toasts. Spread on some hummus or light cheese, or eat with a small slice of lean lunch meat.
Cheese quesadilla
Sprinkle some grated low-fat cheese, like Jarlesberg light, in between a couple of high-fiber tortillas, then crisp both sides on a cast-iron skillet or indoor grill. The healthiest cheeses have just 3 to 5 grams of fat per ounce.
Popcorn
Choose 100-calorie packs of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn. Or air-pop your own. Skip the butter. Instead, raid your spice cabinet: Use lime powder for tang, cayenne pepper for heat, or a dash of cinnamon for sweetness.
Greek yogurt
“It’s high protein, low in sugar, and can really fill you up,” Villacorta says. For more flavor, mix in your own fruit, like sliced papaya.
Dark chocolate
The darker the better. Chocolate made with at least 70% cacao contains less sugar and more antioxidants than its milky cousin.
Dried figs
Three or four of the chewy, candylike fruit should do the trick. Still hungry? Pair them with a wedge of light cheese like Laughing Cow.

Great total body exercises

Great total body exercises

Squats
Squat thrusters
Deadlifts

Lunges – static, reverse, forward, and lateral
Planks
Side planks

Mountain climbers
Cross body mountain climbers
Exercise ball rollouts

Bent over dumbell rows
Bodyweight rows
Squat to rows

Seated rows
Pushups – all different grips and hand placements
Standing cable presses

Chin ups
Push presses
Inchworms

Exercises for Lower Back Love Handles

Exercises for Lower Back Love Handles

Walking
Walking is a low-impact form of cardio that burns fat throughout the whole body. What makes it easy is the fact that you do not need specialized equipment and you can do it out on the streets in front of your house. After walking slowly for a warm-up, increase your speed to a pace that is comfortable and remain there for the duration of your walk. To lose weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio. Although this may sound extreme, break it up into multiple bouts to make it easier to obtain.

Elliptical Training

Elliptical training is a form of cardio that involves moving hand-held poles back and forth in conjunction with foot pedals. This is another form of low-impact exercise. Unlike walking, you actually work your entire back while gliding on the elliptical. This will help you burn calories and also tone your muscles.

Seated Back Extension

The seated back extension works the erector spinae muscles that are located in the lower back. By working these muscles while you lose weight, you will give your lower back a leaner appearance. To do the back extension, sit in the seat, place your feet on the foot plate and rest your shoulders against the padded lever arm. Steadily bend backward until your back is almost fully extended and slowly bend forward to the starting point. Keep your lower body still throughout.

Bird Dog on Ball

The bird dog is a low back exercise that also works the shoulders and glutes. It is performed from an all fours position or while lying face-down on an exercise ball. To use the ball, place your stomach on the top and place your hands and feet on the floor. Steadily raise your right arm and left leg in the air and hold for a full second. Lower your arm and leg, repeat with your other side and continue to alternate back and forth. If you do this exercise on all fours, make sure to place your hands right under your shoulders and your knees right under your hips.

Supermans

Supermans work the lower back muscles, glutes and shoulders in similar fashion to bird dogs, but they are performed from a face-down position on the floor. After extending your arms straight in front of you, move your legs together behind your body and flatten the top of your feet on the floor. In one steady motion, raise your arms and legs off the floor while keeping your pelvis and lower belly in contact. Hold for a second, slowly lower yourself down and repeat. For a variation, alternate lifting your opposite arm and leg.

Which Cardio Exercise Burns the Most Calories?

 

Which Cardio Exercise Burns the Most Calories?

1. Step Aerobics - one of the most favorite cardio exercises preferred by women. Step Aerobics mainly target your legs, hips and glutes, and can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

2. Bicycling - stationary or outdoors is a great cardio exercises, depending on resistance and speed can but 250 to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

3. Swimming - like cross-country skiing is an excellent cardio exercises as it is a full body exercises. Swimming is a great cross-training for other cardio activities. Doing the breast stroke can burn approx. 400 calories in 30 minutes.

4. Racquetball - side to side sprinting makes racquetball and excellent cardio exercises. A 145-lb person burns over 400 calories in 30 minutes.

5. Rock Climbing - is not only a cardio exercises, but also uses arm and leg strength and power. Rock Climbing can burn up to 380 calories in 30 minutes.

6. Cross-Country Skiing - whether on a machine or outdoors on snow, is an incredible cardio exercises as it involves both upper and lower body. A 145 lb person can burn approx 330 calories in 30 minutes.

7. Running - Running is an excellent cardio exercises because all you need is a pair of quality running shoes. Running burns serious calories. A 145 LB person can easily burn 300 calories in 30 minutes.

8. Elliptical Trainer - is an excellent cardio exercises and a great way to build endurance. A 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

9. Rowing - is both a cardio exercises as well as giving your arms an incredible workout. 145 LB person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes.

10. Walking - Brisk walking is a less strenuous form of cardio exercises. Walking can burn up to 180 calories in 30 minutes. Sprinting, adding hills or an incline can increase amount of calories burned.

You can Do This!

If you want a fit, toned, healthy body.. you’re going to have to earn it. You’re going to have to work for it, every day. There’s no going back now, you’ve got to be dedicated. You can’t sit around waiting for motivation to slap you in the face, you are your own motivation. You’ve got to get off your ass even when you don’t want to. You can’t snap your fingers, or wish yourself to be healthy. You can do this.. we all can do this!

Negative Calorie Foods...

So what are Negative Calorie Foods?
If the energy burnt when eating and digesting certain foods is more than the actual calories that they contain then these types of low calorie foods can be called negative calorie foods.
A diet of mainly negative calorie foods is extremely powerful, not only because they are the best fat burning foods but also because of the excellent nutritional value (vitamins, minerals and fiber) associated with low and negative calorie foods.

Just eating low or zero calorie foods, can also do harm to your body! Our body requires all the different food groups to function at its best (dairy, vegetables, fruit, meat, grains and fats too).

Zero calorie foods should be used in addition to other foods, or as part of a cleansing or detox course.

* Anything in excess can be bad for example certain fruits have a high acid content that can irritate your stomach lining.
* Chewing food slowly and thoroughly helps digestion and also releases more of the nutritional value that are stored in the fibers
* Where possible eat the foods raw. Raw foods contain more enzymes and nutrients than their cooked counterparts.


List of low calorie foods - List of negative calorie food

Negative Calorie Vegetables: Asparagus, aubergine (eggplant), beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupes (see calories in cantaloupe), carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery stalk and root, chicory, Chinese cabbage (pak choi, bok choi), cucumbers, cress, dandelion leaves, eggplant, endives, fennel, garlic, globe artichokes, green beans, green cabbage, leeks, lemons, lettuce, mangetouts (snow peas), mooli (daikon or Japanese radish), mushrooms, okra (ladies‟ fingers), onions, radishes, seaweed, spinach, squash, swede, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits: Apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, clementines, cranberries, damsons, figs, gooseberries, grapefruit, grapes, greengages, guavas, kiwi fruit, kumquat, loquat, lychees, mandarins, mangos, medlars, melons, mulberries, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, prickly pear, prunes, raspberries, redcurrants, satmusas, star fruit, strawberries, tangerines, white currants

Negative Calorie Nuts: Almonds, Barcelona nuts, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, filberts, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts

Other list of low calorie foods: Low fat cottage cheese, light yogurt, pickles, apple cinnamon rice cakes, fresh poached fish, Muesli and porridge oats, lentils, Canadian bacon, ground turkey, egg whites.

How much exercise do you really need?

How much exercise do you really need?

1. To increase cardiovascular fitness levels?
20 Mins, 2-5 times a week.

2. To lose weight?

20-30 mins, 3 times a week.

3. To tone up?
2 sets of 15 reps, 2 times a week.

4. To maintain fitness / weight?

20-40mins, 3 times a week.
5. To increase flexibility?

5-10 mins, everyday.

Planking..

Plank

(works your abs, back, butt, hips, thighs and shoulders)

• Get into a raised push-up position,
• with forearms resting on floor,
• palms down,
• abs pulled in tight.
• Keep body in a straight line from shoulders to heels, as shown.
• Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Seriously burns. Initially you might not be able to plank for even 10seconds, but don’t give up. Keep practicing, each time, you’ll find yourself able to last longer and longer.

Hunger vs. Cravings

Usually, the foods you crave are not a necessity, and don’t serve a life-sustaining need. Cravings, unlike hunger signals, change over time, even over a time period as short as 10 minutes. They are usually triggered by emotions (stress, boredom, sadness, etc.), an attachment or fondness for a certain food, or just being around the food. Unlike hunger, where any food will satisfy you, only one specific food will satisfy a craving.
How to tell if you are truly hungry:

• The desire to eat doesn’t go away, even if you wait.

• The desire for food intensifies while you wait.
• Even the thought of eating something not that pleasant (e.g., lima beans) still makes you want to eat.

How to tell if you are just having a craving:

• You don’t feel any hunger “pains” or experience any physical hunger symptoms.
• The thought of eating goes away when you are distracted by other things.
• You feel “emotional” about eating a certain type of food (e.g., happy, comforted, guilty, etc.)
.
• You desire something very specific and not healthy, so not a particular nutrient but more a texture or consistence (e.g., sweet, crunchy, etc.).

Ways to control a craving:

• Go nuts. Drink two glasses of water and eat an ounce of nuts (ex: 6 walnuts, 12 almonds or 20 peanuts). Within 20 minutes, this can extinguish your craving and reduce your appetite.
• Let it go. Since stress is a huge trigger for cravings, learning to deal with it could potentially save you hundreds of calories a day. If only ice cream will satisfy you, it’s a craving, not hunger. Recognize that and divert your mind: Call someone, listen to music, run an errand, meditate or even go out and exercise! Do whatever will help you relax.
• Treat yourself…within limits. Once in a while, it’s OK to go ahead and have what you’re craving. The more you tell yourself that you can never have that specific food, the more likely you are to not only eat it, but also overeat. The trick to this is to buy only one pack at a time so you won’t be tempted to reach for more.

What is Strength Training?

Strength training is one of the oldest disciplines. Legend has it Milo of Croton trained for strength in Ancient Greece by carrying a newborn calf on his back daily until it was fully grown.Today we don’t use a calf anymore to build physical strength. However we still use the same approach Milo used. This article will give you more info on what strength training is, its benefits & how to get started.
What is Strength Training? Strength training is exercising with the goal of increasing your physical strength. There are two kinds of strength:
Relative Strength. Gymnasts or rock climbers need strength, but not at the expense of an increased body-weight: it makes their sport harder. Relative strength is building maximal strength while controlling calorie intake and/or adding cardio so you don’t increase your body-weight.
Absolute Strength. Strongman or Olympic Lifters in the heaviest classes easily weigh 130kg. More body-weight means bigger muscles & thus more strength. Absolute strength is about becoming the strongest person regardless of body-weight.
Benefits of Strength Training. 2-3 generations ago, physical jobs kept you in shape. Nowadays sedentary lifestyles are common: desk jobs, watching tv, driving car all day. Here’s what strength training can do for you:
Builds Muscle. Strength training builds muscle: the stronger you are, the more muscles you’ll have. Strength training is not bodybuilding however: building muscle is a byproduct of exercising, not its goal.
Burns Fat. Strength training burn calories, keeps your metabolic rate high under strict dieting and tends to make you stick to your diet better.
Increases Health. Strength training increases endurance, bone density & testosterone levels. Strength training strengthens your joints, lowers cholesterol & improves your sleep. You’ll notice nutrition is important to get results in strength training. All leads to a healthier body & lifestyle.
Forges Character. Strength training teaches you persistence, sacrifice, self-control, responsibility & builds self-confidence. You’ll get out of strength training what you put into it.
How do You Build Strength? Strength takes time to build. Here’s how strength training programs like StrongLifts 5×5 work:
Stress. Exercising stresses your body. Your body doesn’t like stress & adapts by getting stronger & building muscle.
Progressive Loading. Your body quickly adapts to stress. Increase the resistance systematically to avoid plateaus.
1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward. Eventually you’ll stall. You can’t increase the resistance forever. Decrease the resistance for a while, then increase it again bursting through your plateau.
Speed. The faster you move, the stronger you’ll be. You’re using more muscle fibers & can use momentum.
Power. Power is the ability to acclerate: going from a dead stop to fast. The quicker you can achieve top speeds, the stronger you’ll be. Olympic lifts like Power Cleans build power.
Types of Strength Training. You have different methods available to build strength. Here’s a non definite list:
Weight Lifting. Barbells are the easiest method to build strength. Start light, focus on technique & add weight systematically. The more weight on the bar, the stronger you get. Example of weight lifting exercises are the Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Barbell Row & Deadlift.
Body-weight Exercises. Force you to use your own body-weight as resistance. Can be hard at first if you lack sufficient strength. Examples of body-weight exercises: Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Dips, Pistols & Push-ups.
Machines. Machines balance the weight for you. This makes them easier & less effective than free weights or body-weight exercises. Machines also force your body into a fixed movement pattern. Position yourself wrong using a lot of weight & you risk injuries

Facing my Fear of Spin Classes Starting Tonight!!!

Hello Friends and Followers:

For some unknown reason I am so super scared of taking a SPIN CLASS, but tonight I am facing my fears and going all in and taking a class at LA Fitness in Cypress Creek. Needless to say I am scared but  I will do it!!! I will blog about how I made out!!!!

Here is some info I found online!

What Happens in a Spinning Class?

The Bottom Line

Spinning classes can be a great way to get in a vigorous workout -- burning calories and keeping your muscles in shape -- especially during the off-season. But you have to have a high tolerance for exercise bikes and being cooped up inside with a bunch of other sweaty people for this to be a satisfying alternative to the real thing.

Pros

·         An effective workout

·         Allows you to train in the offseason

·         Varied routines keep things fresh

·         Great for all ability levels

·         You don't have to wear your helmet :-)

Cons

·         You're not on a real bike

·         Classes can become monotonous

·         You have to push yourself for maximum effect

Description

·         Spinning classes are done in a fitness studio, with various light and music settings to create an energized atmosphere.

·         Instructors guide participants through workout phases. Warm-up, steady uptempo cadences, sprints, climbs, cool-downs, etc.

·         You control resistance on your bike to make the pedaling as easy or difficult as you choose. Constant adjustment is normal.

·         All you'll need is workout clothes, a towel (to wipe your face) and a water bottle.

·         Spinning bikes have toe clips so you can wear tennis shoes. But many pedals also work with Shimano-style SPD cleats.

Guide Review - What Happens in a Spinning Class?

Imagine a whole bunch of exercise bikes lined up inside a health club studio. Riders are on each one, spinning the pedals at a rapid pace. The lights are turned down, pumped up music fills the air and an instructor with a headset sits atop a lead bike, calling out commands.

"Climb out of the saddle," she barks at the class. "Big hill coming!"

The riders rise as one, pedals spinning faster as they grimace with exertion, sweat dripping off their bodies.

What you're witnessing is a spinning class, a workout option available at fitness clubs everywhere. Spinning is a relatively recent phenomenon, where participants take part in a group workout on exercise bikes that typically lasts anywhere from 30-75 minutes. The classes are lead by instructors who normally guide participants through a series of phases, from warm-up to more challenging phases, to a period of peak effort followed by a cool down.

In spinning classes, the intensity of the workout is influenced by a couple of things:

·         cadence, or pedal rate

·         resistance of the bike's flywheel, which can be continually adjusted throughout the class to make pedaling easier or more difficult

·         by the rider's body position, as they either pedal from a seated position or rise from the saddle.

Ultimately participants determine their own levels of exertion, something that works better for some folks than others. For instance, I personally find myself slacking from time to time in a spinning class if I don't stay focused. I know that I do better when I'm being pushed, like when riding a real bike and the only option to hustling on a group ride is being dropped.

But a good instructor can certainly encourage and motivate you to push yourself, and you'll most likely find spinning to be a vigorous workout. It's a decent way to stay in shape when you can't get outside on the bike.

Ashley M.

Love this song!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C_oNMH0GTk&ob=av2e

Oh you think that you know me,
that’s why i’m leaving you lonely,
cuz baby you don’t know a thing about me,
you don’t know a thing about me.....

Facts...

Blueberries.....

Highest Fruit with Antioxidants

Helps Reduce Belly Fat

Preserves Vision

Helps prevent diseases such as cancer,heart disease

Helps improve brain health

Keeps you active and in a good mood

You look pretty today....

Take a moment and read this as truth:

You look pretty today.

Stop, read it again. Imagine I’m standing in front of you, with every inflection of sincerity.

You look pretty today.

Only four words, but to a woman they hold an awful lot of power. They can add a bounce in your step that you may not otherwise be able to give yourself or can crush your self-esteem when you feel you don’t hear them often enough.

You look pretty today.

They are also the words we use to compliment each other, or boost a friend when we notice they’re feeling down. I love your hair! Great outfit. You’ve lost weight! Almost everyone has told a friend she looked pretty, even when we don’t really think so. We do this, because those words are the quickest way to generate a smile. You know that it’s something she wants to hear. Even if met with modesty, you know that she’s going to walk with her head a little higher that day.

You know this because you would too.

Fruity Frozen Yogurt Cups!!

Fruity Frozen Yogurt Cups!!
Ingredients: Yoplait Light Yogurt
Fresh Fruit
Mini Cupcake Liners
Aluminum foil
Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a mini cupcake liners. (Helps to keep them in a mini cupcake cooking pan as well) Cover with foil and Place in freezer until frozen. Cut slices of fresh fruit for the topping.
Calories 1 Frozen Cup (13 calories)

The Healthiest Fruit with Antioxidant Fruit Benefits

The Healthiest Fruit with Antioxidant Fruit Benefits


1. Apples, with the skin, provide pectin, 5 grams of fiber and a heaping dose of flavonoid antioxidants. Apple fiber helps lower cholesterol and keep you regular. And the powerful flavonoids reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. A medium apple has about 80 calories.
2. Apricots are a good source of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The lycopene found in apricots helps protect your eyes and prevent heart disease, LDL cholesterol oxidation and certain cancers – especially skin cancer. And the fiber in apricots helps relieve constipation. Plus 1 apricot has only 19 calories.
3. Bananas are a great source of potassium (about 400 mg), which helps lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke and plays a key role in muscle function. Bananas are delicious and sweet to eat, making them a good sugar substitute and natural energy source. The fiber in bananas helps restore normal bowel action. A medium size banana has around 108 calories.
4. Berries are super high in powerful antioxidants, including vitamin C. Numerous studies show berries offer great protection against heart disease stroke, cancer and many other diseases.

• Blueberries top the antioxidant fruit benefits list. Besides other health benefits, blueberries help prevent high blood pressure, macular degeneration and brain damage leading to Alzheimer’s disease. 1 cup of blueberries has 81 calories and 4 grams of fiber.

• Blackberries – a single cup of blackberries has 74 calories and a whopping 10 grams of fiber.

• Raspberries – there are 60 calories in 1 cup of raspberries with 8 grams of fiber.

• Strawberries – 1 cup of sliced strawberries has 50 calories and 4 grams of fiber.

5. Cantaloupes are packed with Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoid antioxidants. Cantaloupe can help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, boost immunity and help protect your skin from sunburn. Half a melon has 97 calories and 2 grams of fiber.
6. Cherries are very high in iron and disease-fighting flavonoids. They also have potassium, magnesium, C and E, folate and heart-protective carotenoids. Cherries can significantly reduce inflammation, arthritic pain, bad cholesterol and cancer risk. 1 cup of cherries has 88 calories.
7. Citrus Fruits are best known for flavor, juiciness and high vitamin C content. But they’re also a good source of folate, fiber and other antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruit has been shown to help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of some types of cancer.

• Pink or Red Grapefruit – half a grapefruit has just a scant 47 calories.

• Oranges provide an impressive 50 to 70 mg of vitamin C and a medium orange has only 68 calories.

• Lemons and Limes – 1 lime or small lemon has about 17 calories.

8. Kiwifruit, when compared ounce for ounce, has more than twice the vitamin C of an orange. It’s also an excellent source of magnesium, potassium and vitamins A and E. Kiwis have been shown to boost the immune system and reduce respiratory diseases. 1 medium kiwi has 47 calories and 3 grams of fiber.
9. Papayas are loaded with vitamin C, folate, carotenoids and natural digestive enzymes that help with protein digestion. 1 cup of cubed papaya has 55 calories.
10. Red Grapes contain iron, potassium, fiber and an abundance of powerful disease-fighting antioxidants. Although red wine gets most of the publicity, dark colored grapes are the original source of the flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol, which have been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer. 1 cup of red or purple grapes has 60 calories.

Thanks for Following!
Ashley M.