Winter Weightloss

I know, I know, it's been a LOONG time since my last post. I'm sorry!! That being said lets get down to it. For anyone that really knows me, you know that I usually drop weight around the holidays. Don't hate :) I don't know how it happens and it is usually only 3-5 pounds but this year I have dropped 12. I didn't even know I had 12 pounds to lose. But alas, it has happened. Everyone has been asking me how I've done it. The plain truth is....I just don't know... But it got me thinking about what I change in the winter time to lose weight and this is what I've come up with:

• I eat a LOT of soup in the winter. Most everyday in fact. Soup typically fills you up for less calories.
• I drink a lot of hot drinks in the winter. Sugar free spiced cider and coffee are my go to drinks when it's cold outside. No soda, juice or smoothies. Just hot drinks that sometimes fill me up at breakfast or late at night so I don't eat.
• I don't eat fast food in the winter. This is one I just realized. In the summer I take the kids out to eat at least once a week. And what do they choose? McDonalds, Arbys, Burger King, Carls Jr., Wendy's, etc. But when they are in school I don't go to these places. Sure I order "healthy" when we do go, but I'm sure all those stolen fries add up.
• I am happy during the holidays. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those three holidays just make me happy. And when you are happy, you don't need food to fill the void.
• I am busy during the holidays. Between finding that perfect Halloween costume for everyone, planning, cooking, cleaning and shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, and shopping for Christmas I don't have a lot of down time from September to January.
• I exercise more in the winter. Not typical gym workouts but daily bouts of movement. Starting in August when the kids go back to school I start walking a lot. I walk them to school in the morning and back home in the afternoon. This is an extra 50 minutes of "unplanned" exercise. Then in the winter I am shoveling snow....a LOT of snow! And as you know that is hard work. I probably burn an extra 300-500 calories on the days it snows. Add in sledding with the kids and my "normal" workouts and I've got some major calorie burners happening.

So there you have it. It's not much but it seems to add up. Try one, or all. But most importantly stick to a healthy diet, eat less calories than you burn, exercise daily, stay active daily and do the things you need to do to stay happy and healthy for 2011.

Yes, the posts on this blog are far and few between. I'm sorry :) But...try this arm workout on for size:

10 pull ups (full or modified)
1 min. soccer taps
Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets

12 push ups
1 min. step runs (run up and down one step of a staircase or use an exercise step)
Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets

10 lateral raises with heavy weight
1 min. heel digs
Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets

15 side tricep push ups (lie on left side with right hand in front of left arm pit, left hand rests on right shoulder; push upper body off ground with one hand and lower; repeat on other side)
1 min. plank jacks (like jumping jacks in a plank position)
Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets

8 dumbbell bicep curls with heavy weight
1 min. "over the top" on step or speed skater jumps
Repeat twice for a total of 3 sets

My week at a glance

Sometimes people ask me what I do for exercise in a week. This is an idea of what I am doing next week. I change it up constantly depending on my moods so I like options.

Monday: leg weights (either plyos, circuit, or P90X legs and back)

Tuesday: cardio (45-50 run with hill sprints around my neighborhood, or 30 min intervals on the treadmill or elliptical)

Wednesday: arm weights (arm circuit)

Thursday: cardio (intervals or Cardio Jam)

Friday: Ass&Abs workout-a circuit of butt exercises and abdominal exercises

Saturday: Anything goes, but if I don't skip this day I go running with Jeremy

Sunday: P90X Yoga

At Home Workout

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There IS a way to get in shape with little to no equipment. You'll just have to get creative, know a couple good moves, and be willing and able to push yourself. Here is a basic but great no equipment workout:

• 3 min warm up (march in place, do a couple jumping jacks, swing your arms back and forth, lift your knees high)
• Set of push ups. Do as many as you can on your feet.
• 1 minute any cardio (see ideas below)
• Set of lunge jumps...as many as you can
• 1 minute any cardio
  
• Set of triceps push ups. Keep elbows in close to your body and don't let them flair out.
• 1 minute any cardio
• One-leg squat: find something to hold onto (counter, door frame) and squat down and up using one leg. Push hips back and drive through the heel on the way up. Try 15 on each leg.
• 1 minute any cardio
• Set of wide stance push ups (hands are wide as are feet; keep abs tight and butt down) As many as you can.
• 1 minute any cardio
• Wall sit (like in P.E. where you have your back against a wall and squat down so thighs are parallel to the ground) Hold for 1 to 1 and a half minutes.One-leg squat: find something to hold onto (counter, door frame) and squat down and up using one leg. Push hips back and drive through the heel on the way up. Try 15 on each leg.
• 1 minute any cardio

• Set of Dive Bomber push ups. Start as shown below, duck head then chest then hips toward the ground like you are diving under something but don't let anything but hands and feet touch the ground. Try 8-10 reps.
• 1 minute any cardio
• One leg dead lift: Standing on one leg, keep back straight and leg slightly bent. Bend only at the hips to touch the ground with hands on either side of foot. Stand back up and repeat. Change sides.
• 1 minute any cardio

Cardio options: Jumping Jacks, High Knee Run, Run in Place, Shuffle Side to Side, Jump Rope, Mountain Climbers, Cross Country Skiers, Punches, Skip in Place-with high knee, Stair Runs

Aim for 45-60 minutes of this circuit. So if you have to do it 2-3 times through then that is what you'll have to do. Have fun!!

Good Exercise Advice

Get moving. Late afternoon to early evening (5 to 6 p.m.) may just be the best time to exercise, because that's when you're hottest, literally. Your body temperature reaches its daily peak (2 to 3 degrees warmer than in the morning), giving you maximum muscle strength, flexibility, agility, and stamina as well as faster reaction times. Even your lungs are using oxygen more efficiently at this time. You'll work out harder with less perceived effort and are less likely to injure yourself. Of course, any exercise is better than none, so if an early workout fits best with your schedule, keep it there. In fact, a.m. exercisers are most likely to stick to their habit: Studies have shown that more than 90 percent of people who work out in the morning are consistent about doing it.

Legs, heart and core

Need an exercise that works your legs, heart and core? Do you own a trampoline??? Try it. I jumped with my kids yesterday for the first time since before winter and today my legs are still jello. Bouncing them high into the air is best for the legs, running around and falling and jumping works the heart, and laughing so hard I almost peed my pants worked my core...all the way down to the kegels :)

Plus my kids thought I was the best mom yesterday. Belle even told Tre that they are "so lucky to have a mom and a tramp so she can bounce us SO high". The best exercise is the kind when you don't even realize it's exercise because it's so much fun. Bonus!

P90X Core Synergistics

Wow! This is my new favorite DVD from P90X. I LOVE it! This is a total body workout that involves multiple muscle groups at one time for serious calorie burn and muscle tone. I used no more than 8 pound hand weights and I felt like I was running a 10K. Some of my favorite exercises from this video are as follows:

Staggered hand push ups: In push up position place one hand more forward than normal and one hand back more than normal. Stack your toes (so you are on just one foot) and do 5 push ups. Then switch hand and feet positions and do 5 more. Keep going until you can't go anymore!

Lunge with kickback and curl press: This one is hard to explain but I'll try. With weights in hand lunge forward and keep back leg straight. While in the lunge, lean forward, pull elbows back and weights close to chest and perform a tricep kickback. While still in the lunge straighten upper body and perform a curl press (bicep curl right into a overhead press and reverse to the start) then stand up out of lunge. Repeat process on other side for one rep. Repeat for 14 reps. Killer!

The Dreya Roll: Stand in front of yoga mat or soft surface. Sit on heels and roll back pointing toes to the ceiling (in gymnastics we call this a candlestick). Roll back up to standing position without arms if possible and do an X jump (star jump). Repeat for 1 minute.

The Banana Roll: This one is hard to explain too but (again) I'll try. Lie on your back and lift arms, shoulders and legs off the ground. You should look like a banana shape. Hold for 10 seconds then roll onto one side and hold for 10 more seconds. Roll onto stomach in a "superman" position and hold for 10 more seconds. Roll onto other side and hold 10 seconds. Your core is engaged the ENTIRE time. Repeat several times...as many as possible.

If you want any demonstrations on these exercises I'd be happy to post a video. All you have to do is ask. Thanks!