26 January 2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

Buddy Up!

Fitness buddies are circle of friends who commit to helping each other reach consistent healthy goals with good-natured encouragement and regular contact. We all need a buddy who is willing to help keep our weight off; boost our confidence and finally make fitness or losing weigh a little more challenging.

Here are my fitness buddies:
     Home/lifetime partner :  DH
     Work/Gym                   :  Mai, Jessica, Cindy and Kathy
     Online                          :  Ate G, Geri,  Mel, & Sandy
     My consultant              :  Bro Jim Adams, FMS

Some people make the mistake of doing it alone and I know it can be done but sometimes it's just too hard to stay consistent or get going if you do it by yourself.

So if you are considering to get a fitness buddy, look for someone who is upbeat and can hold you accountable without passing judgment during the downtime moments especially when you get discouraged to continue living a healthy lifestyle.   Do make sure the person you are considering to be a fitness buddy is just as committed and eager as you are to get fit. Just because you get along well with this friend of yours doesn't mean he or she will encourage you to do your workout regularly and eat healthy.  

Tips on convenient frozen foods:

In order to eat healthy and conveniently, it is important to READ labels and check for sodium, fat content and not just the number of calories per serving. As we all know, there are a lot of frozen entrees out there that claim to be low in fat and calories however, many of these meals have more fat and sodium than you should consume in an entire day. The American Heart Association  guidelines dictate that healthy Americans should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, (and 8 grams of fat or less that’s limiting fat intake to 35 percent of your total calorie intake per day).

The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend aiming for slow weight loss by eating fewer calories while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake and increasing physical activity.  Just aim to lose from 1  to 2 pounds a week by reducing your calories by 500 to 800 per day. 

I tried to stay between 1100-1500 calories per day (except on some days when I feel like a piglet hahaha) and work out at least an hour five times a week (3 times a week cardio and 2 times per week strength training).  I can tell you that working out religiously often lead to amazing non-scale victory. I say this because even if I didn’t really shed that much weight this month but all my size 4 clothes are fitting looser.

Health experts suggest you record everything you eat in your food journal that way you know your the total calorie intake per day and make some necessary adjustment like if I consumed closed to 1500 or more calories that day, I usually increased my work out to 1.50 hrs or burn at least 500 calories on treadmill then lift weight for 15 minutes).  I am relieved to know that I actually have lost the 2.5 lbs  that I put on when I was in Ohio two weeks ago :-) 

It's empowering to remind ourselves that we are in control of our life, even if only by controlling our food intake. Yah, right! *rolls eyes*  as if I really have that much self control when it comes to doughnuts, chocolates, ice cream cookies and cakes offered to me free of charge. *sigh*