MOTIVATION

Eat Only When You're ACTUALLY Hungry

Hey guys, 

I always hear people say that losing weight and changing your body is only partially about how you workout and exercise. Many point out that it has a lot to do with the way you are eating and what kinds of foods you are putting into your body. I notice, as many probably do, that when you exercise more often you tend to eat healthier or at least try to. When I workout more I want to maintain my progress and not digress so I avoid eating lots of junk and try to eat before it gets late in the night. More than ever, I am now avoiding the urge to eat. I know when I am hungry and try to only eat then and if it happens to be late at night, I keep fruits to snack on. A lot times we eat just because we feel like it and do not pay attention to whether or not we just want something because we smell it or see it vs whether we haven't eaten in 4-5 hours and our stomach is growling uncontrollably. I think mastering the will to eat will increase the overall satisfaction you receive from working out. It would not make sense to make a goal for yourself but continue to carry old eating habits and expect change. I do not avoid eating chips and candy and greasy food but I do try to avoid eating fast-food and indulging in sweets and snacks often. I am trying to eat more well-rounded, increase my protein and fresh fruits and vegetables and cut down on the amount of pasta and rice I eat. 

"As a rule of thumb, weight loss is generally 75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise. An analysis of more than 700 weight loss studies found that people see the biggest short-term results when they eat smart. On average, people who dieted without exercising for 15 weeks lost 23 pounds; the exercisers lost only six over about 21 weeks. It's much easier to cut calories than to burn them off. For example, if you eat a fast-food steak quesadilla, which can pack 500-plus calories, you need to run more than four miles to 'undo' it!"

- Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, nutritional biochemist and former director of the University of Utah Nutrition Clinic

So for the change you want you have to do more than go to the gym 5x a week. You have to motivate yourself to eat better. It doesnt mean you give up all the things you love, just eat smaller portions, try adding in healthier options and slowly transform your diet.

bye

It's Okay to Look Cute at the Gym

Hey guys, 

I am so proud of myself for continuing to go to the gym. I feel like Im becoming addicted lol. When I am done working out I do not even want to leave. I want to do more exercises and run more but I tell myself that I need to stick to the routine. 

Anyways, to continue motivating myself I decided that after I reach my 4 week mark I am going to treat myself to better work out attire. I go to the gym in baggy sweats and oversized t-shirts. I throw on some bandanna or headband and go do what I gotta do. I want to be cute at the gym. Being cute and showing off my progress is more encouragement. Good thing I have a great boyfriend who already decided that he wants to get me new workout clothes because of my dedication <3

I saw some nice outfits on Pinterest (my new favorite site). A lot of them have bright bold colors and I think thats what I am going for. To start off, I want to get some better leggings to exercise in and then I can upgrade my running shoes and sports bras.  

So a lot of the clothing paired  together come with hoodies. I think this hoodie is cute. I mostly like the colors of the outfit. Pink is my favorite color and the design of the shorts would be nice with some toned thighs. I could strut my stuff. ;) 

I like this outfit better than the last because the running shoes are perfect and its a colorful outfit but its simple. I wouldn't mind wearing it outside the gym just because. 

I thought I wanted bright colors  until I saw these outfits .........

These outfits are what I need now for the colder weather and then I can bring out the cute shorts during the summer to show off all my hard work <3  They have a splash of color but dont draw too much attention. These are the type of leggings I want to add to my gym attire. I wouldnt mind having a stash of tanks too. There are tanks with phrases like: "Eat Clean, Train Dirty", " Eat, Sleep & Workout" and "I Run Because I Like Food". My favorite is "Better Sore Than Sorry".  I see that I am attracted to Nike so I think I am going to try a newer pair of Nike running shoes. Although, the Nike hoodies are nice, I saw some really nice Adidas ones too. I wish  I could go to a website where all these outfits are paired and I could add the whole entire outfit to my cart and purchase it. That would make my life so much easier. Thats the one thing about sites like Pinterest, they show you exactly what you want but then you have to search for them yourself :( 

Anyways, 

bye 

Rough Day at the Gym

Hey guys ,

So Saturday was the day I looked forward to because it was AB Day. I did so well during the week but the Ab workout was a lot more intense than I thought it would be and it pushed me to my limits. I got through the first 2 circuits which were a mixture of exercises to target areas across the body. I told myself that I would not give up and I had my boyfriend doing the exercises with me so I wanted to stay motivated. Then I got into the strictly abs exercises and I could not force myself to keep going. Laying on the ground trying to do bicycles and reverse crunches just brought out all the pain that I had been feeling from working out during the week. My lower back was killing me, my upper abdominal area was hurting, I was tired and did not feel well overall. I did not want to get up and leave the gym so I stalled and waited it out to see if I would regain my energy and motivation but it didnt happen. I could not push myself and I felt like such a failure. I felt that I had let myself down and had let down my boyfriend who is supporting me throughout this journey.

Even with the rough day, I decided that I would not let it define me. I am just getting use to the workout and overtime I know I will get better. I still wish I had completed the workout but it is a new week and I have to focus on the positive. I know for sure my body is transforming. I see it in my arms and my thighs. Yesterday after I completed Leg Day, I noticed that I was not tired and extra sore like I had been last week. I was amazed because in just a week, I was able to do all the leg exercises I thought to be challenging with no effort. I even increased my weights and increased the amount of reps I did. I left the gym very proud of myself despite Saturdays misfortune. I am thinking about adding in additional ab exercises starting my third week. Since the exercises will become less difficult to do, I can increase the reps as well as work my abs out for about 10 mins each day during the week before I get to the full workout over the weekend. 

So working out and trying a routine has its downs but the ups are worth the misfortune. I am proud of myself for sticking to the workout thus far and even deciding to add in additional exercises during the week to target my abs since I want to see better results. 

Exercise is Teaching Me Life Lessons

Hey guys, 

So what I realized today is that exercise is definitely helping me in more than one aspect of my life. Not only is this workout routine motivating me in new ways but it pushes me outside of my comfort zone, allows me to be okay with my mistakes and is helping me learn the importance of patience. These are life lessons Im talking about here. I am new to many of these exercise so I do not know how to do them properly and yet at my college's gym I am surrounded by buff guys , athletes and girls who have been working out all their lives. At times I feel intimidated and embarrased. I feel as if I am not doing the exercises as they should and wonder if people are looking at me funny. Even still I do not quit because I am motivated and as I notice small changes, it pushes me to take the extra step and ask for help. I am constantly asking guys if I am doing the exercise properly or if they could show me how equipment works. If this had been me working out last semester, you would never catch me asking random people for help. I would have been too scared to do so and here I am trying out a new weight lifting workout, asking for clarification and taking the time to learn from my mistakes. I can say that in just five days, I have been more motivated than ever to continue exercising. It has benefited me in so many ways. 

I love this quote that I found on Pinterest. I think my desire to be healthier and get in shape has also challenged me to become more comfortable in my skin. I think that becoming comfortable involves overcoming things that held you back. Your thoughts play a big role in how you feel about yourself. Becoming comfortable in my skin means being okay with my ignorance and lack of knowledge when it comes to exercising. If I dont accept that others didnt get where they are without trial and error, I will never become okay with the fact that I have to make those same mistakes to get my bangin beach body. If I cant overcome that fear I will never get my body to where I want it to be. Being able to accept that I have a long way to go allows me to find strength in who I am and where I strive to go. I have set goals and I am comfortable knowing that I am moving forward instead of remaining at a stand still. 

"each day is an opportunity to grow and evolve "

Bye!

Day 2 & 3 (Sorry for the Wait)

Hey guys, 

So, a lot has been going through my mind since finishing Day 1 of the workout. 

1. WARNING : Never go 3 weeks without working out ! 

After Day 1 of working out I felt fine until I woke up the next morning. My legs and butt were so sore. I could barely walk and sitting hurt. It wouldn't be that big of a deal except for the fact that I have to sit through lecture and walk back and forth to class. I thought to myself "No pain, No gain" and although that may be true, the pain was no fun! Even during my day off Wednesday, my legs continued to hurt. Now I know that I should continue to stretch and do some moderate exercises at home even if I cant go to the gym often while on break from school :)

2. The workout is set so that you have time to allow the different areas of your body to rest 

After Day 1 I felt that I had not done enough cardio and I really wanted to lose calories and work on my stomach. I thought about running more on the treadmill or getting on the Elliptical but I decided to stick to the routine. I wont know how effective the workout really is if I start doing whatever I want. I am no pro, I should follow a routine and trust that the person with more experience knows a thing or two lol. I realized Day 2 was focused on arms for a reason. It was definitely helpful but it was not too intense therefore my legs could rest and I wouldnt cause any further pain to my body. 

VERY IMPORTANT

The less you try to cram more things into your workout, the more you may be willing to stick to it. By trying to over do it you will over work yourself and will decrease your motivation. Have patience and allow your body to shape and form over time. I am pretty sure it didnt get the way it did over night. So do not expect change in 24 hours!!!1 

3. DON'T  be afraid to ask for help 

Many of the exercises I am doing are new to me. I do not know the proper way to lift the weights or use the machines. That doesnt mean I should half - a** it or skip it. What would be best for yourself is to ask for help. I had to get out of my comfort zone and ask some guys if I was using the Tricep Rope Pull correctly. Before Tuesday I didnt even know what the heck that was! Eventually I will get the hang of the routine and all the different exercises and gym equipment. Its a process. 

*USE YOUTUBE AS A RESOURCE

BYEEEE

There Are So Many Workouts to Get the Perfect Body, Which One Do I Choose?

Hey , 

So I recently became a fan of Pinterest. There are a lot of cool things on the site. Although, what I really want to talk about is the vast amount of exercise routines and workouts that people have pinned to their boards and how you should go about picking one. Honestly, I am no pro. I am not a personal trainer and I've only recently gotten serious about working out. But because of that I believe that you should simply PICK ONE and STICK TO IT. That's really all I have to say. 

You know what you are aiming for in a workout. Maybe you want a flatter stomach or maybe you want to get rid of your back fat. Whatever it is, make sure your new routine targets those areas of your body and that you are sticking to the exercises it entails. If you don't usually exercise regularly, don't have money for a personal trainer or too embarrassed to ask for help, you have to pick something and stick with it. That is the only way you can truly see if the workout does you any good. 

Maybe you could do a little research and see if the exercises within the workout have done justice for others. Don't stick to the first plan you see and don't pass up on a great workout because it looks challenging. Honestly I don't know what the results will be from the 5 Day Workout Routine I am now doing but I am willing to give it a try. Although it feels weird to be doing so little cardio, I know that weight lifting has done wonders for others. I will stick with the routine mapped out for me for 4 weeks and track my progress. If I am not getting the results I hoped for, then I will adjust it and look into adding more cardio. Its all about trial and error. 

On the other hand,

If you are tired of doing the same ol' exercises, I believe Pinterest will turn into your favorite site. Because there are so many different exercises you can customize your own workout by trying suggested ones and then picking those which you like best. One workout I saw, that  I would love feedback on, is the Bikini Body Countdown. There is a full calendar of workouts that are customized for different days. Even if you already have the beach body, you could try out the variety of exercises they include which  covers strength training, yoga, cardio, and abs& butt toning. Definitely CHECK IT OUT! 

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Bikini-Body-Workout-Plan-34665861

AND FOR MORE WORKOUT ROUTINES AND MOTIVATION TO KEEP EXERCISING, FOLLOW MY PINTEREST

BYEEEE FOR NOW :)

5 Day a Week Workout Routine

Hey guys, 

My name is Nyasia. I am a junior nursing student at Villanova University. I have been wanting to get in shape for a very long time. With such a busy schedule and many lazy tendencies, I have yet to do that. Although I have made some progress as of last semester. I successfully attended the gym at least 2x-3x a week which doesnt seem like much but is a huge deal for me. Anyways while on Pinterest I stumbled upon a workout on Jerseygirltalk.com for weight training. Today was my first day and I must say it feels good yet a bit strange. I am use to doing all cardio: running on the treadmill and using the Elliptical but now I will be doing mostly weight exercises. After working out I wasnt as exhausted as I usually am but I could feel the burn. 

Here is the weekly lay out: 

http://www.jerseygirltalk.com/2014/11/19/current-5-day-week-strength-training-workout-plan-routine-women/#.VLQaCyvF_E0

As you can see, it is divided into upper and lower body workout days. Today was a lower body leg day. It was not that bad. Although its expected that you increase your weights as the weeks go by. I want to try out the routine for 4 weeks and see what kind of progress I make. Today I used 7.5 lb dumbells for the squats and lunges. I used a 15 lb olympic bar for the back squats. The calf raises didnt seem like much of a challenge so I upped my dumbells to 10lbs each. I stretched before and after and thats all. I was tempted to hop on the treadmill and do more cardio because I felt that I had not done enough but I am going to stick to it and see where it gets me.On Saturdays, Ab day, I will be with my boyfriend so he can make sure I am doing all the exercises properly and I hope I see some change over the next few weeks. 

Stay tuned for more !