Category Archives: Health/Fitness

by | March 22, 2013 · 7:32 am

Just A Little Heart Attack

I wanted to drop you a quick line pointing you toward an excellent video to watch this weekend. Cardiovascular disease impacts 1 in 3 Americans, and is the leading cause of death in the United States – killing more people than the next 5 most common causes combined.

Women’s symptoms of a heart attack are *VERY* different than those of men, and because they often can mimic fatigue or the common cold, many women don’t realize they are having a heart attack.

Now, for some of you, you may think this video is an exact replica of your LiFe each morning (that’s how I felt!) which is even more of a reason that you should watch this!!

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by | March 21, 2013 · 8:52 am

Get Your Posse and Get Your {Exercise} Groove On!

Source: girlgetstrong.com

Source: girlgetstrong.com

If you read Robyn’s post The Weight Is On yesterday, you can probably relate.  As spring approaches it is just natural to want to get in shape whether you have gained excess winter weight or you’re just feeling like you’ve been stuck inside for way too many months and are needing a ChAnGge oF sCeNeRy.

Sometimes it can be hard to get started when you see the long road ahead to reach your WeiGht-LoSs GoAl.  Afterall, overcoming the inertia can be a difficult thing to do.

On Monday we had a little pep talk and we decided that we would overcome the inertia together.  So we made a 2-MoNtH pAcT to exercise consistently from now to mid-May, basically, the beginning of summer.  It is actually quite motivating when you look at it in the context of  summer being right around the corner.

One thing that really motivated us in our new goal was this website from the National Institute Of Health that can help in your weight loss efforts.  Here’s the link:  http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/ .  It allows you to put in your weight, goal weight, and a few other items.  It will then tell you how many calories you need to consume each day to reach your goal.  We played around on it and found it quite addictive.

(You do need to have Java installed on your computer.  You can install a free version by going to www.java.com ) Here is what the simulator looks like:HWS

Overwhelmed by the idea of tracking your calories?  No worries!  Check out this quick, easy and free calorie counting website:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/  They also offer a free app for your phone!

So, if you’re like us and you need to overcome inertia, GeT yOuR PoSsE - a group of friends, an exercise group, your neighbors, or family members and get your exercise groove on.  After all, there’s only about 60 days until summer!

Lara, Robyn, & Robynn

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by | January 24, 2013 · 5:01 pm

Eat What You Want

Already lost moTivAtioN with your weight loss/get healthy resolution for 2013?  Well Robynn and I talk about weight loss a lot and we came across something this week that lines up exactly our philosophy, so I had to share!  Check out this short and informative video by Bobby Flay: Bobby Flay Fit

I don’t believe in diets and I couldn’t agree more with Bobby that you shouldn’t have to give up the foods that you love.  Eat what you want…just not as much as you want!!

Cake

So don’t throw in the towel for good.  Continue business as usual, and cut corners when you can.  The most important thing is to NEVER sacrifice so much that you end up feeling deprived of the foods that you love.  We all know that is a recipe for disaster.  I don’t know about you, but thinking about giving up chocolate always results in me gorging in it later :-/

Lara

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by | April 3, 2012 · 6:45 am

Weight Loss: What Works For You?

It’s that time of year…people start panicking about losing weight before they hit the beach.  With the swimsuit season quickly approaching, what works best for you to KiCk those last few pounds?

I’ve been debating this answer all week.  Is it going through the cupboards and throwing out all of the junk food?  Is it giving up pop?  Fasting for a day or two?  Running a mile a day?  Starting a new diet?

Source

I finally got my answer last night:  Wear clothing that makes me feel skinny.  When I wear my “skinny clothes” I eat well.  If I wear an oversized t-shirt and mesh shorts I might as well be holding a bag of Oreos, because that is what I will turn to after I look in the mirror!  To be honest, I only found one or two outfits that made me feel GoOd.  Since I am limited on these outfits, I may only wear them in the evenings (when I struggle the most with eating) or, better yet, this may mean I need to go shopping! :)

I realize that my answer may be different from yours, which is just another point I want to make:  Every person has to come up with their own weight loss plan because every person has a different body and circumstance!  Don’t get frustrated because you are trying to follow the same plan as your co-worker or friend and the results are different.  If giving up sweets causes you overcompensate later then agree to eat (and enjoy) one cookie every day.  If you hate working out, maybe you need to decide to redo all of landscaping in your yard so you can burn calories while you are doing something you love.

Do whatever it takes to keep you on track.  YOU need to be the one that creates a weight loss plan that is tailored specifically for YOU.  Don’t feel like you have to follow someone else’s rigid plan!  Take bits and pieces of the weight loss resources available and customize a plan that works specifically for you.

Good luck!   (see our other Peace w/ Food posts here).

~Lara

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by | July 19, 2011 · 7:58 am

Accountability Partner

It seems like I have always tried to lose weight.  When I had a baby, it was a cHallenGe to get back to my previous weight.  Even during my pre-kid days, I was trying different weight loss tactics to shed those last several pounds.  This year I’ve had my BEST SUCCESS at eating right and in moderation, thanks to one thing…my accountability partner!

In the past, I remember wanting to ask someone to hold me accountable for my weight loss.  Subconsciously though, I knew if I ever wanted to quit my diet, I could give up and no one
would know.  In reAlity, I was setting myself up to fail before I ever started!  Asking someone to hold you accountable is scary, but in the end, it will determine how serious you really are about wanting to cHanGe.

Finding the right person to share your jouRney with is important. My accountability person is someone that I don’t necessarily see often, but who I have to share my weigh-in number with every week.  We don’t work out together, but text or call each other with what we are up to (good and bad).  You must be comFortable enough with this person so you can “be real” and trust that even if you gain a pound or two, they won’t judge you but continue to enCouRage.

Is there a habit you can’t kick? Perhaps you should REACH OUT to a good friend and ask them for help.  It not only will strengthen your relationship with them, but have poSitiVe Results on achieving your goal!

~Lara

P.S — A big shout-out to my accountability partner today!  Wouldn’t have the success I’m having if it wasn’t for YOU!!  Thanks :)

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by | July 12, 2011 · 7:35 am

Stop Staring at Me!

Are you ever trying to break a bad habit, but the hAbit is always staring you down?  I was having this issue over the weekend with a red velvet cake.  Although I knew there were a tremendous number of calories in every slice and how sluggish it made me feel AFTER I ate it…I still wanted more.My solution?  The cake went in the trash.  I eNjoYed two small slices over the weekend, but I won’t feel guilty for throwing something away that is only going to make me feel worse.  Back
in the day and I would have never thought to do such a thing.  Knowing that there are people in the world in nEEd of something to eat would have kept me from tossing it.  However, keeping unnecessary snacks and junk food around the house would just be contributing to another big problem in this country, weight management.

Sometimes we have to take eXtreMe measures to avoid being stared down by our tEmptAtions.  In the end, we need to do whatever it takes to set ourselves up to SuCCeeD.

~Lara

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by | June 30, 2011 · 6:00 am

BBFYB: Avoiding Skin Cancer & Hearing Loss

With the FuN summer hOlidAy around the corner, get your biggest bang for your buck by packing along your sunscreen and earplugs.  Don’t underestimate the ImpAct of being in the sun for a picnic or surrounded by a few fireworks crackling in your ears. Someone once told me that any noise over 85 decibels causes hearing loss.  For example, a lawnmower makes noise at 90 decibels. Keep this in mind when the kids are outside or near other sounds at similar volumes. Prolonged exposure of the sun and noise can cause problems later in life and ProTectiNg yourself from these potential issues only takes a second!

Have a SAFE holiday!

~Lara

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by | May 19, 2011 · 6:18 am

Only Skin Deep

This year has been an eye-opening one when it comes to taking BeTTeR CaRe of my skin.  Shortly after my 27th birthday I had 4 pre-cancerous moles, which involved having them surgically removed and  unfortunately leaving me with 2 scars on my stomach, one on my face and 1 on my arm.  I don’t spend much time in the sun but have had occasional sunburns in my life.  Skin cancer is serious stuff, but nothing to be afraid of as long as you keep a close eye on your skin changes.  I now wear makeup (or moisturizer) that has SPF 18 daily, get full body exams from my dermatologist every 6-12 months and MONITOR my skin REGULARLY.  This requires minimal effort, and as a result, keeps me healthy and worry free.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month.  Please watch and pass this video on to anyone you can.

~Lara

(*Although this scar on my arm is an obvious one, it serves as a great ReMinDeR to protect my skin on a daily basis.)

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by | April 27, 2011 · 7:02 am

Biggest Bang For Your Buck – Toned Arms

S  u  M  m  e R   is just a month away!  This is what works for me when it comes to toned arms…

I’ve never had naturally ToNeD aRmS, but being a farm girl who would spend her summer days bailing hay I would have defined arms at the end of each summer.  After I got a teaching job and no longer spent my summers on the farm I looked for an alternative to getting toned arms – lifting weights.

A fitness magazine had promised me toned arms if I would do their exercises 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week.  I began doing these arm exercises using dumbbells and weight machines.  After a few months of this regimen the results were, well, disappointing.  I could barely tell any difference.  So I came up with my own plan:  PuShUpS. 

When I started out doing pushups I had to do them on my knees.  Because my upper body had never really been that strong, I could not do many in a row without resting, but I pLuGgEd AwAy.  I did this for three weeks and was very happy with the results, so much so that I decided I would do 75-pushups each day.

I don’t actually do 75-pushups a day, but that is my goal.  Sometimes it may be 3 times a week, sometimes 5, something is better than nothing.  I can’t do all 75 at once and so I break it down.  Now I have something that not only works, but takes only a few minutes each day.  I cAn HaNdLe ThAt. =)   

Pre-Pushups

Post Pushups

~Robynn

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by | April 9, 2011 · 7:11 am

Green Apples

Trying to eat hEaLtHy snacks?  This has worked like a ChArM for my family and me.  Place fruit in a pretty bowl or basket and then strategically locate it in a HiGh tRaFfiC area.  (Or use as an accessory on the kitchen table or a side table in your great room.) In my case, our high traffic area is our island where we eat our meals and snacks, as well as CoLoR, draw, play with PlAy dough, etc.  My kids know that this is one food they can help themselves to without asking.  My husband and I also find that we eat lots of aPpLeS and BaNaNaS because they are constantly in front of us.  You can also place veggies such as bags of cArReTs on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator so when your kids open the door, VoiLa!!      

And by the way, don’t worry if you find that ALL the apples have ONE bite taken out of them.  Offer to cut them up in slices instead of having your kids eat them whole.

~Robynn

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