Posts Tagged ‘Lose Weight’
Exercises That Are Easy On The Knees!
Do you have bad knees? Are you healing from a previous knee injury? It’s important that you don’t do any high impact exercises or sports, which would aggravate your knees.
There are some exercises that you can still do – even if you have or had knee pain in the past. Of course, every situation is very different, but typically these are the exercises that should be safe for you and your knees. Check with your doc – or stop immediately if you are feeling any pain.
Keep it Easy on the Knees!
Bicycling - This is a great way to exercise without hurting your knees. Make sure to keep your knees bent and enjoy the bike ride!
Swimming – If you want zero impact on your knees, swimming is a great full body workout for you! I suggest keeping to the freestyle stroke and enjoy the many health benefits that come from this cardiovascular exercise.
Elliptical – If you want a machine that is easy on the knees, the elliptical is it. It’s considered to be very low impact and great for those who are trying to lose weight while recovering from some knee pain.
Treadmill – I don’t suggest that you run on a treadmill, but you may want to consider going from a run or jog to a steady paced walk instead. Walking is a great way to continue exercise, lose weight, and stay in shape- all without all the impact that can come with running.
Step Ups – Anyone with knee pain probably cringes at the thought of doing lunges! For those with sensitive knees, but want to still workout the same muscles as you would with lunges, you may want to consider doing step-ups. You can use stairs or actual step ups, and just go up and back down, allowing for a deep- but not too deep-of a bend to activate those glutes and quads!
No Pain No Gain?
When it comes to recovering from an injury, you want to avoid painful movements. If any of the above exercises are painful, you need to stop immediately. I suggest consulting with your doctor first, before you do any of these exercises, since different knee injuries may prevent you from doing specific exercises, or you might just not be ready yet to exercise yet.
Bottom Line: It’s one thing to feel your muscles burning, and it’s another to feel actual pain. Don’t push through an exercise if you are feeling any pain.
No More Excuses!
Now you know that you can still lose weight or stay in shape – even if you have “bad knees”! Empower yourself to reach your goals and always keep moving forward.
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Image Credit: sxc.hu/photo/391481
Tags: easy on your knees, exercise, Fitness, knee, knee pain, Lose Weight, maintain weight, Weight Loss
Fun Date Ideas…that Burn Calories!
I love dates that don’t involve just eating and sitting. Dinner and a Movie, anyone? No thanks! They are great every once in a while, but I prefer to do something a lot more active when the weather is appropriate!
Why not go hiking and enjoy a picnic at the top of a mountain?
Here’s some fun date ideas that involve burning a lot more calories than sitting at the movies for two hours and munching on popcorn! Oh yeah, I think you will have a lot more fun too!
Canoeing - How fun would it be to go out on a lake with your date for a little canoe ride? Not only will you be able to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company, you will also be able to burn about 320 calories an hour if you paddle at a moderate speed.
Walking – Go to the zoo, museum, park, or beach and just go for a walk! When you talk and walk you can burn about 210 calories an hour!
Biking - Why not go on a bike ride with your date? You will burn about 415 calories an hour, and if you are adventurous enough to go Mountain Biking, you can burn up to 600 calories an hour! Talk about a fun workout with your hot (literally) date!
Swimming – You can cool yourself off from the hot Summer sun and end up burning around 270 calories an hour if you just lightly tread water. Of course, you will end up burning more calories if you swim laps, but this is a date, right? Have fun!
Rock Climbing – For those of you who are not afraid of heights, this is the perfect activity for you! You can expect to burn approximately 575 calories an hour from Rock Climbing!
Surfing – If you are lucky enough to live close to a beach, why not go Surfing for a date? If you or your date doesn’t know how to surf, you can always take lessons together! Surfing is a fun way to exercise and burn about 170 calories an hour. Surf’s up!
Hiking - Enjoy the nature together and burn about 420 calories an hour! I am not surprised you can burn that many calories hiking since it’s like a natural stair master, only harder! Perhaps you and your date can hike to a beautiful location and enjoy a nice picnic lunch together?
Dancing – Do you and your date love music? Dancing is a great way to have fun while burning lots of calories! Turn up the music to upbeat songs and have fun burning about 160 calories an hour!
Mini golf – Whether you are on a double date or not, it’s pretty fun to go Miniature Golfing! Enjoy some friendly competition and burn about 135 calories an hour. “Four!”
Roller blading – This is a fun way to burn about 465 calories an hour, and that’s just if you are skating on a flat surface. If you roller blade uphill, expect to burn even more calories!
Volleyball – This is a fun group date activity that let’s you enjoy some competition, have some laughs, and burn 300 calories an hour. If you play Beach Volleyball, you will burn about twice as many calories since the sand makes it more difficult to balance and move on. More fun, more calories burned. Sounds like a win- win to me!
No Gym Required
I hope you realize that you can still have fun while you burn a lot of calories! As you can see, you don’t need a gym to exercise or lose weight, and I hope that you will enjoy the nice weather outside and all of your workout options!
Remember to drink plenty of water and bring food if the date lasts more than three hours. Wear safety gear as needed, be safe, and have fun!
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Tags: burn calories, exercise, Fitness, fun date ideas, Lose Weight, Weight Loss
Losing weight after having a Baby
Meet Three Inspirational Women
I interviewed three women who are Moms that have successfully lost weight after giving birth. They are an inspiration to others by proving that you can skip the crazy diet pills and actually lose the extra “baby weight” in a healthy way.
You will learn a lot from these women, from relating to their weight loss battles and you will find strength in their ability to succeed.
Brenda E. and baby Zohie from Pensacola, FL.
Postnatal Exercise
As a new Mom, it’s important for you to realize that you need to rest and let your body properly heal after having your baby. Your body just went through a lot!
Depending on the type of delivery you had, you may need extra time to heal. Some Moms wait six weeks, while others wait several months before they start to exercise again. Wait for your Doctor to tell you when it’s safe to exercise, as well as listening to your own body’s needs.
There are a lot of exercises for you to choose from, so which types of exercises will work best for you?
For Brenda, who was preparing for a marathon before she got pregnant, she decided to go back to her roots and start running again.
“I love to run! So I started running again and that was great! Running has always been a stress reliever for me, so it felt great to run and leave the stress of having a newborn out on the road.” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.
I think a great way to workout is to involve your baby! Katie talks about how she took her daughter in the stroller and went on walks. It’s a great way to burn some extra calories while letting your little one explore the world outside!
“I took my daughter on walks. I also did a walk at home exercise DVD. It is great!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.
Are you ready to workout? If you have ever been on bed rest, you can relate to Genine. She had a high risk pregnancy and spent most of it on bed rest. Once she started her exercises, she started with small steps and worked her way up, which is a great way to start a new exercise program.
“…since I was on bed rest for so long I was struggling to even move – so I started with Pilates – twice a week. From there I moved into cardio – and then onto weights – now I maintain cardio 5 days a week, Pilates twice a week and weights twice a week.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.
Genine lost a total of 140 pounds since she had her twin boys! She lost the extra weight in a very healthy way, and said that she is in better shape and more balanced now than before she was pregnant!
Biggest contributing factor in your weight loss success
I understand that with a small child, it can be hard to get your exercise routine back. I asked these wonderful Moms what helped them most with their weight loss success.
Brenda realized that exercise wasn’t the only factor that led to her weight loss. You can’t focus on the reasons why you shouldn’t start eating healthy or exercising again. There’s plenty of reasons to hold you back, but all you need is one to move forward in the right direction.
Katie S. from Draper, UT.
“It is so easy to come up with a million excuses (most of them extremely valid!), but with motivation; nothing stops me!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.
Be sure to surround yourself with those that are able to support you with your goals. Katie found that having a workout partner is very helpful in succeeding. If someone else is working with you towards the same goals, is seems to help ease the burden of trying to do it yourself.
“My husband worked out with me, and was very encouraging.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.
Are your thoughts in the right mindset to help you succeed? You need to decide if eating right and exercising is a temporary change or a permanent one. Once you make the decision that this is a lifestyle change, you will start to incorporate healthier habits into your life that will help you reach your health goals.
“Consistency and Patience – this was going to be a lifestyle change and a marathon not a sprint – so even when I didn’t want to workout i did. When I wanted to eat bad, I would stop and think if I still want it after a glass of water 10 minutes from now then I will have it, most of the time I forgot.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.
Time to Motivate Yourself!
Everyone has their reason why they want to lose weight after their baby is born.
What motivated you to get back into shape after giving birth? Losing the extra weight is healthy for you and helps you feel good on multiple levels.
I have to say, I just love what Genine had to say when I asked her what motivated her to lose weight after she gave birth to her twin boys!
“Honestly – I often joke that I wanted someone to think I was the nanny to the twins” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.
Every Mom deserves to feel good about the way they look.
Becoming healthy is a journey that doesn’t end with a single decision. Health starts before your pregnancy, during your pregnancy, and a long time afterwards!
Weight Loss: Challenges and Success
Trying to lose weight can be quite the challenge, especially when balancing the hectic schedule of having a little one around the home!
“It was hard to find the time to strength train at home because most workout videos that give good enough workouts are 45-60 minutes! I just don’t have that kind of time. Once I found Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, it became a whole lot easier! Her workouts are only 20 minutes (almost 30 with warm-up and stretching), but they really kicked my butt! It was perfect!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.
Everyone faces the challenge of trying to get started, and the first step to losing weight is just making the decision to do something about it. Once you have made the decision to change, you need to create a plan and take action immediately. Don’t wait any longer, and you will reap the many rewards of a healthy lifestyle.
“I sometimes lacked motivation to lose the weight. Then one day I just got really motivated, and started working out everyday, and eating even better.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.
If you run into a brick wall where you seem to stop losing weight, does this mean that you have reached your goal weight? Without measuring your body fat ratios, I can’t give you an answer. No matter what the situation, you still have every reason to continue to eat healthy and exercise. Perhaps you can evaluate your current situation and see if there is something you can improve.
“The biggest challenge that I have found is that I would plateau every few months – and would have to go back to the drawing board and change some things up… there are also days when I just don’t feel like working out or being healthy but I have pushed through…” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.
Great Advice for You!
These three Moms did it. Now it’s your turn to get back into shape! Here is some practical advice to help you lose the extra weight in a healthy way that will be beneficial for your body.
“Just do something! Even if it small, it is a step in the right direction! Want to eat healthier? Try adding just one extra serving of vegetables to your intake for a week or two, then add another and so on! Also, always eat your vegetables first! Filling up on the healthier options first will cut calories and provide you with more nutrients! Want to be more active? Try taking the kiddos with you for a short walk or go to the park and be active with them! You don’t have to start with long workout hours! Just adding more active minutes into your day will help burn calories! Remember that you don’t have to be active and eat healthy on your own! Your whole family will benefit from it, so include them too!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.
“It may seem hard to lose weight after your baby is born, but you can do it! Just take one day at a time, and before you know it the weight will be gone!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.
“Don’t look at the immediate – look at the long term goal!” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.
I would like to thank all of them for their willingness to share their story and inspire women to get back into shape after giving birth – in a healthy and safe way.
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Tags: Baby, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, Lose Weight, New Mom, Nutrition, Pregnancy, success story, weight, Weight Loss
Ricki Lake: From size 24 to size 4
Without surgery, Ricki Lake went from a size 24 to a healthier size 4. If it wasn’t with surgery, how did she do it? Her tips are something you can do yourself if you are trying to get down to a healthier weight.
Big-Boned or Overweight?
At her heaviest, Ricki weighed a total of 260 pounds. She managed to lose 110 pounds when she started to host her own TV show, and she maintained her weight of 150 pounds for 15 years. Due to her weight, Ricki always thought she was just a big-boned girl. After her final pounds dropped, she realized she wasn’t the big-boned girl she once thought she was.
“I’ve realized that my bones are a lot smaller than I thought.” -Ricki Lake
How Ricki Lake lost the last 30 pounds
You don’t need surgery, you just need to adopt healthy eating habits and an exercise routine!
When Ricki Lake first lost her 110 pounds, she admitted that she didn’t lose it in the healthiest way. She said she felt like she was starving herself, and was absolutely miserable. Yes, she lost the weight, but it wasn’t in the healthiest way.
To lose the last 30 pounds, Ricki started to eat healthier by eating a more balanced diet consisting of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. She didn’t starve herself either, by eating a healthy amount of calories, which was anywhere from 1,200-1,400 calories a day.
In addition to healthier eating habits, Ricki Lake started working out with a personal trainer three times a week to shed her last 30 pounds, which resulted in Ricki Lake’s current weight of 120 pounds and fitting into a slimming size 4.
Weight loss Reward
I am always up for rewarding yourself for achieving healthy weight loss, and it looks like Ricki Lake believes in the same splurge as I do: Shopping! Ricki Lake has said that since her weight loss, she plans on indulging in a whole new wardrobe to show off her newly slimmed body. Want to reward yourself too? Don’t reward yourself with food! You don’t want to train your brain to thinking that candy or junk food is a reward, because you will teach yourself to want it and will try to find ways to treat yourself to it. Find healthier ways to reward yourself, such as a new outfit, painting class, or another hobby you are interested in.
Sources: People.com; QuickandSimple.com
Image Source: Getty; Wire Image
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Tags: big boned, Celebrity, Celebrity Diet, exercise, Fitness, goal size, Healthy, Healthy Eating, healthy living, healthy weight, Lose Weight, Nutrition, Ricki Lake, Weight Loss
Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
Tipping the Scales
Drew Carey’s feet were hurting so much while hosting for The Price Is Right, he sometimes had to resort to using a cane. Carey weighed 260 pounds and confessed that at one point he was afraid to step on the scale. Carey stated that he didn’t want to live trying to reach a certain number on the scale, but he wants to live to be healthy.
Carey has the right idea, by saying he is choosing to “live to be healthy”. I couldn’t agree with him more!
Motivated to Make a Change
Drew Carey admitted to Parade, ”I always thought I was going to die before I was 60″, which is no surprise Carey thought this since his father died of a heart attack when he was just in his 40′s.
Carey decided he needed to make some big changes in order to save his own life and not fall under his father’s footsteps. Carey ended up trading his daily greasy hamburgers for healthier foods in moderation and picked up an active lifestyle.
After creating a healthier lifestyle, Carey ended up losing more than 85 pounds!
Noticeable Difference
Drew Carey said that he has “tons more energy now” since he has lost his extra weight. You can just tell from recent interviews with Drew Carey that he is so much happier with himself now. One thing I know for sure, it just feels good to be healthy!
What do you think of Drew Carey’s weight loss success? I appreciate Drew Carey for showing us that it’s never too late to start eating healthy and exercising – Thank you Drew!
Image Credit: WENN, PicApp
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Tags: Drew Carey, exercise, Fitness, Health, Healthy, Healthy Eating, Lose Weight, moderation, Nutrition, portion control, Weight Loss, weight loss success
