Tag: Two Ways

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General Weight Loss Tips

Minus 50 to 29

This post has been a few weeks coming, I’ve been nailing down exactly what I want to say and my plan. It’s been awhile since I’ve made any concrete weight loss goals on this blog, and I’m ready to make it happen. I want to lose 50 pounds for my 29th birthday on March 14th. That’s exactly four months, 16 weeks, and 111 days. 50 pounds for me, at my weight is totally reasonable, and of course, if I lose 40, that is reason to celebrate, but 50 is what I’m aiming for.

I’ve shied away from making weight loss goals public, because there is a little part of me that worries that people will think I’m setting myself up for failure and give me advice to just have other smaller or slower goals. To be reasonable with myself. I want to get into it and make it happen. And not just in a way that will only work short term.

While I was visiting Dole, I had the opportunitiy to stop over at the California Health and Longevity Institute which was incredible. If I ever have a spare few thousand, I’m high tailing it to California for a thorough health assessment. During my time there, I was given an hour-long healthy life consultation with a nice lady named Claudia.

Before I even sat down she had read my blog and had printed out notes for me. She was ready. I told her that I struggle with consistency in my life, in all ways. I get really excited and then I drop everything. The tool that she gave me to keep going, was so simple, yet powerful. She told me that when I have the strong desire to drop everything and flee, to ask myself how much can I do?

For example, can I exercise for five minutes? If I can, to do just five minutes. Or one minute. Whatever I can do, to do it. I told her that I struggle with that in two ways, 1) not thinking it’s enough and 2) feeling like I was tricking myself into doing more even though I said just five minutes. And then she told me something, that was a huge “a’ha!” moment for me…

It’s not about the five minutes of exercise for the sake of getting in exercise. It’s the act of doing something when I didn’t want to. She assured me that after doing this several times, I would build up confidence and the habit of doing things when I didn’t want to.

And then I got it. I struggle with lasting changes because I never get to the point of them becoming a habit. I feel like I have to go big or go home, and when I can’t give 100% I don’t try at all.

She said that when I go out and run-jog-walk for an hour, I’m setting myself up to come up with a thousand excuses on days when I can’t wrap my head around an hour spent exercising. That mentally, if I can’t do my best everyday, that I can’t do it at all, and it sets me back and I feel like a failure.

I want a weight loss goal again. I want to delve into the mode and make it happen. I’ve been coasting along with eating well enough, and exercising when I feel like it, but it’s not getting me anywhere, because I don’t have a goal. I do believe that weight loss is a result and not a goal, but having some numbers to reach for is motivating.

50 pounds, would put me at the lowest weight this blog has ever seen. It will mean smaller clothes and more mobility. It also means getting our photos taken professionally again. I told Josh I’d like to have our pictures taken every 50 pounds that I lose.

I’m getting to a place where it’s now or never. I refuse to enter my 30’s as an obese woman. I just cannot do that. I deserve more.

My plan of action is to count calories using MyFitnessPal, Lorriebee and restarting the Insanity program (with days of zumba, strength and running outside when it’s nice).  As always I will use this blog to track my progress through photos, what I’m eating, daily thoughts and struggles and celebrations.

 

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Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Training Belts – Are They Necessary?



Weight training belts used to be worn only by power lifters and Olympic weightlifters. These days, however, you see more people with varying degrees of skill and experience wearing these weightlifting belts. You may want to know if this device is necessary for recreational lifters. What is the proper way to use the belt, and what adverse effects can arise from the misuse of weight training belts?

Weight Training Belts Are They Necessary?

Weight Training Belts

Weightlifting belts are primarily used for heavy power lifting exercises such as deadlifts and squats. The belts serve the purpose of preventing lower-back injuries and can help increase the amount of weight lifted. While they offer some benefits when lifting heavy weights, a weight training belt is not necessary all of the time.

How Weight Training Belts Work

A weight training belt works in two ways. First, it reduces stress on the lower back while lifting in an upright position. The belt compresses the contents of the abdominal cavity, thus increasing the intra-abdominal pressure or IAP. This provides more support in front of the bones in the lower back, allowing the spinal erector muscles to produce less force while lifting. The belt also reduces lower back compression or spinal shrinkage.

Second, the belt prevents back hyperextension. By forming a rigid wall around the lower torso, back movement is limited. The belt also prevents sideward bending and twisting.

Wearing a weight training belt allows an individual to complete a greater number of repetitions or increase their one-repetition maximum weight. The belt also reduces the risk of lower back injuries.

Disadvantages of Weight Training Belts

Wearing a belt too often especially when performing exercises with weights below your maximum may lead to a decrease in performance. This is because the belt prevents you from engaging and strengthening your core and abdominal muscles used while lifting. Strong abdominal muscles are important if you want to lift more weights especially during squats and deadlifts.

When Should You Use A Weight Training Belts?

It is best to use a weight training belt only when lifting maximum or near-maximum weights for exercises that stress the lower back. When working with lighter weights, leave the belt off. This will help develop your abdominal and lower back muscles. Obviously, you will not need a weight belt for exercises that do not put stress on the lower back, such as bicep curls.

Important Considerations

While a weight training belt can help prevent lower back injuries, it is always best to learn and practice the proper technique when lifting. Also, be sure to lift an appropriate weight. Remember to lift with your legs and not your back. The spine must remain in a stable and neutral position.

Beginners should be able to demonstrate proper form with lighter weights before moving on to maximum or near-maximum weights. Make sure a spotter is available when doing heavy lifting as weight training belts will give you stability but not strength


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Weight Loss Exercise

What Weight Loss System Works?


What Weight Loss System Works? The weight loss industry is highly profitable, as there are always people looking for ways to lose weight. It seems that for as many people looking, there are as many different weight loss plans out there. So how can you avoid falling into the trap of spending more money and time on so called solutions that do not work for you?

In this article we look at two ways to lose weight that you should avoid if you possibly can.

Stomach staple or gastric band as a Weight Loss System

What Weight Loss System Works?

Weight Loss System

The first weight loss system to discuss is surgery. In other words a surgical operation to make your stomach smaller. A few years ago this would just be reserved for people with critical medical conditions, but nowadays it seems to have moved into the cosmetic surgery bracket.

This means that instead of doing any work to get rid of the fat, you reduce your body’s ability to absorb foods. If it sounds extreme when put like that, it’s because it *is* extreme! It can seem tempting because you do not need to put in any effort. But nobody should have this done unless their weight is such that no normal methods will ever get rid of.

Apart from the dangers involved in having any surgical procedure, this type of operation can have unwanted side effects either immediately or later. It is much like going bankrupt to clear your debts – only to be done if there is really no other solution. Talk to your general health practitioner and unless your doctor recommends it for your particular situation, try other methods first.

Weight Loss System with a crash diet

The second weight loss system to discuss is a starvation crash diet. You can pretty much put most fad diets in the crash category. The main element of these diets is that you lose weight very quickly, but the problem is that the initial weight loss is water loss, and mostly brought about by simply not eating enough calories.

That makes this type of diet unsustainable in the long run. The ‘quick fix’ element comes back to bite, because the weight will simply go right back on when you stop the diet, which you will probably do very quickly because these diets are so hard to keep to. In fact, many people find that in the reaction phase after the end of a crash diet, they actually put on all the weight that they lost and even more. So crash diets can make you fatter.

Weight Loss System with Sensible Diet and Exercise

The last weight loss system to discuss is real diet and exercise. The key is that it not only loses weight, it changes body shape, which is actually what most people want when they seeks ways to lose weight. If you eat a more balanced diet, avoid excess refined sugar and fats, reduce your calorie intake a little and exercise a little more, your shape will be better and so will your weight.

To get diet and exercise right all you need to do is eat well with a caloric deficit. This means that you eat less food than you burn. Exercise will help you feel better and be more healthy and of course those calories that you burn will allow you to eat more food. This blog is full of ideas on how to eat better and exercise better.

So as you can see, there are many ways to lose weight, but be sure to choose the one weight loss system that will help you lose weight and feel better while making you healthier than you are today.

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