Real Weight Loss Info

I’ve written a lot before about exercising at home, ways to get more use out of your treadmill, etc., but today I want to talk about something else.

Getting back to nature

As a single mom with two little kids, it’s sometimes difficult to get out and run like a maniac like I used to before I had kids.

I used to get up at the crack of dawn (sometimes before) and run around town before the rest of the world woke up. Granted, I didn’t get very far because I didn’t do this as often as I should have and was not in the best of shape and had little endurance.

BUT, it was great to get outside in the fresh air and be surrounded by nature while I ran. It was invigorating. I felt energized for the rest of the day. I felt like I accomplished something good that day. There was also a serene-like feeling of being surrounded by nature. Birds were singing. Leaves were rustling in the wind. If it was raining, the drops of cold rain felt amazing on my face. Pretty corny, but all very true. It feels great!

I’m so tempted to get up at five in the morning before my kids wake up and go running down by the river. I could never do this of course. That would be slighly horrible of me to leave my kids alone and unattended, even while they were sleeping. But if YOU have the opportunity, I encourage you to take advantage of it.

If you’ve never run a day in your life, then walk. Keep walking until you build up your strength and endurance enough to start running for short periods of time. I found that going between walking briskly and flat-out running was best. Jogging was out of the question. Jogging hurt my knees and feet and left my back aching for the rest of the day due to the “bouncing”.

Instead, I’d run as fast as I could for as long as I could, then walk for awhile until I was able to run again.

Running on the streets or sidewalks was usually my only option, but it’s best to find a trail or some grassy areas which will help absorb the impact as you run. When I run on grass or dirt I can go much farther and for longer periods of time as opposed to running on cement. It doesn’t jar your body the way cement does either so you won’t feel sore for the rest of the day.

It goes without saying that you should have proper footwear and clothing. Also - warming up, cooling down, and doing stretches is important if you want to avoid injuries.

I can guarantee you that running along a trail beside the river, through a forest, around a park, or wherever you can find, will be a much better experience than running on a treadmill. Not to mention a much better workout.

A couple years ago I whipped out the big bucks and purchased myself a good quality treadmill. It took me hours to put that sucker together and when I finally had it finished I realized that there was no way in hell I could ever move it. It was HUGE and weighed a ton.

I assembled it right in the middle of my living room. I managed to wrangle it to the side of the room where it stayed for many months. It was a giant eyesore but it was in plain sight every day so I ended up using it every day.

Christmas time rolled around so I decided to disassemble it and move it into my daughter’s room since that was the only place where I had room for it. I needed to make some space for my awesomely decorated pink christmas tree, so the treadmill had to go. Sorry treadmill.

It’s been six months since I moved it and I’ve used my treadmill a grand total of four times. FAIL.

I’ve since made the decision to sacrifice the lovely decor and stick that big ugly eyesore back in my living room. I reached my goal weight long ago, but my endurance is declining and unfortunately I’m getting a bit fluffy. I need me some cardio.

So, if you’re in the same boat, here are some ways to get better use out of that dust-collecting piece of equipment that you bought while insisting you’ll use it frequently but instead let it sit and rot.

Keep it in plain view - Even if this means smack dab in the middle of your living room. What’s more important - your health, or how good your living room looks? I vote for the first one. I hope you do too.

Include it in your schedule - If you pencil in appointments and shopping trips and meetings, why not pencil in some exercise time? My list looks something like this: clean out junk drawer, plan supper, get ass on treadmill, shower, waste time playing video games. Yes I’m boring.

Park it near a TV or stereo - Some people like to watch TV while they exercise because it keeps them focused on something else instead of how much longer they have to go, or how many calories they’ve burned so far. Listening to music also helps keep up your momentum so having a stereo with a remote handy is…well, handy.

Have it ready to go - When I get on the treadmill, I like to have some water within reach, my cell phone (in case I get an uber important text), the remote for the TV, the window open and blowing in my direction, some good running shoes, etc. Some of these things you can have ready to go beforehand so it’s that much easier and quicker to just jump on and get going. I also have a playlist saved on my computer that’s ready to go with some good fast tunes to walk or run to.

Accountability - Have a friend or family member give you the third degree if you haven’t used it in awhile. Make sure they’re really good at giving you the guilt trip.

Reward yourself - Every time you exercise, reward yourself for a job well done. Don’t include ice cream or chocolate as the reward. Bad idea. Instead, allow yourself some time to read that book you’ve been meaning to read, or go get a manicure. If you’ve got the cash, go buy yourself some awesome shoes! If you’re a guy, go buy yourself a….whatever it is that guys like to buy. You can reward yourself with small treats for every time you exercise, or reward yourself with a big treat if you’ve exercised regularly for a week or month. It’s up to you.

If your treadmill is collecting dust, masquerading as a clothes hanger, or in my case being used as a slide for the kids, hopefully you can use the above ideas or come up with your own to get better use out of it. This goes for stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, or any other kind of exercise equipment as well.

Just do it! (I stole that from Nike.)

I’m sad that I lost my flat stomach, but I’m happy that I know exactly how to get it back.

A few months ago my appendix almost ruptured and I had to have it removed. Since then, I’ve been sick with something else that has prevented me from being very active. At first, I thought I was recovering slowly from my appendectomy, but now I’m sure it’s something unrelated and it was just coincidence that it started right after I had appendicitis.

Anyway, I’m on all kinds of medication and waiting to see a specialist. In the meantime, I’ve been extremely bloated and after feeling my stomach, my doctor said my insides are all swollen. Thus, no flat stomach. However, I do have good days when I’m not feeling any bloating or pain, but my stomach is still flabby and yucky.

Obviously this is because I haven’t been getting any exercise. It just hurts too much.

Before this all started however, I wasn’t exercising much then either. At least, not in the form of going to the gym or running on the treadmill for hours at a time. Instead, I was dancing around the house like an idiot all day to my cranked music.

Sometimes I was just making my kids laugh with some goofy moves, but mostly it was belly dancing. My mom teaches belly dance and she taught me a few moves, so I would sometimes spend an hour or more doing them each day.

Talk about a great way to strengthen your core muscles!

Note: Focusing on exercising your abdominal muscles alone will not get you a flat stomach. You also need to burn the fat on top of those muscles with cardiovascular activity and keep it off by eating a healthy diet.

Thankfully, belly dancing strengthens muscles AND burns calories. Not only that, but it makes you happier. Since I haven’t been able to dance around my house like a fool, I’ve been depressed and unhappy. On the few good days I have, I turn up my music really loud and bust out the moves ’til I drop and I feel great!

So if you’re looking for a fun way to exercise (especially strengthening your core muscles) then look no further than your living room floor. Any kind of dancing is beneficial, but belly dancing is one of my favourites. YouTube has lots of belly dancing videos that teach you how to do the moves properly - and that’s the key. Doing these moves the right way means getting more out of your belly dancing workout.

Note: A lot of these videos don’t teach the techniques completely and leave out a lot of important information like proper posture and positioning. Here’s an example of a good one.

Guys, don’t think this is just for the ladies. There are male belly dancers as well. Try it out, it’s really fun. And if you can get to this point, let me know!

STRETCH MARKS - WHAT ARE THEY?

If you’ve ever been pregnant or have been overweight, chances are you have stretch marks (striae or striae atrophica). Some teens also get stretch marks during puberty.

Most people detest stretch marks because of their appearance. Newer stretch marks can be red or purplish, but over time they’ll fade to a lighter color and won’t be as noticeable.

Stretch marks can appear anywhere, but they most commonly form on the abdomen, thighs, hips, breasts, and butt. (I’m lucky enough to have them in each one of those places, and also on the insides of my knees.)

TIPS TO AVOID STRETCH MARKS

My best advice to avoid getting stretch marks is to stay as healthy as possible, both inside and out.

Keep your skin in its best condition by eating healthy and moisturizing daily.

Avoid rapid weight gain. Better yet, avoid weight gain altogether.

Pregnancy is a different story however. Weight gain is going to happen and in most cases, stretch marks are inevitable.

I dreaded getting stretch marks, so during my first pregnancy I applied a cocoa butter lotion with Vitamin E on my stomach every day. I got lazy after awhile and stopped using it. Less than a week later I got my first stretch mark.

Experts say that creams don’t prevent stretch marks. In my case, it could have been a mere coincidence. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to try.

CAN STRETCH MARKS GO AWAY?

Unfortunately, stretch marks are almost impossible to get rid of, despite all the claims of the many creams and lotions you can find on the market. Stretch marks are essentially scarred skin. Removing stretch marks is like trying to remove a scar from surgery or an old injury.

You may not be able to get rid of stretch marks completely, but you may be able to reduce their appearance.

The best way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks is by visiting a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. There are various procedures you can try that may work, but you have to outweigh the pros and cons when it comes to money and any risks that may accompany the procedures.

You can also try some natural home remedies like creams, vitamins and oils. Some women swear by these solutions, others say it doesn’t make a bit of difference. But again, it doesn’t hurt to try.

I’ve been working on this little baby for awhile now, and now that it’s finished I’d like to invite you to sign up for my free email mini-course at LoseTheFatToday.com.

In the past eight months, I’ve gone through a lot of changes. Some of them good, some of them not so good. The best change though is my health. I’ve always known what to do to be healthier, but until recently I never put it to good use.

Now that I have, I feel better and I look better. I’m going to brag a bit and admit that I turn quite a few heads when I leave my house. I certainly didn’t turn heads 8 months ago. This has to do with not only my weight loss, but a major boost in my confidence.

I feel great, I look great and I’m a stronger person emotionally because of it. I want everybody to feel the same way and that’s why I created this mini-course. I’ve outlined the steps that I took to get to the point I’m at today. There aren’t any secrets with me. No fluff, no hype, just honesty.

Click here and get started right now. There’s no better time to do it.