Loving my FREE Polar HRM

When I started this journey, I told myself that I was going take one thing at a time.  So many times I have rushed out and bought things and didn't even finish what I was set out to do.  My first investment was my Fitbit.  (which I LOVE!)  My Fitbit keeps track of my everyday steps and synches with My Fitness Pal.  It has been a big help to keep me on track.   

 

Now that I am doing more than just walking, I have decided to buy a HRM for more exact calorie burn for when I do incline on the treadmill, weights, and toning.

I just went with the basic Polar FT4 HRM.  

It is perfect for just knowing your heart rate and calories burned during a work out.

  Now there is no guessing and hoping that my calories are correct or not.

You know what else is awesome about this......I didn't pay for it!! I used my Swagbucks to by Amazon Gift Cards and bought the HRM through them.  Amazon had the best price anyhow.

{What is Swagbucks? Check out the post here and here!}

Here are my last two work outs.....during the duration of the work out it will tell you your heart rate and as you scroll through, it will tell you the duration and calories burned.

I really like how easy it is to use!

What are some fitness tools that you love?

Coming Soon......

I have invested into some new toning tools that I have been having fun with.  Also.....I have some new yummy foods that I have been eating.  I'll be sharing those also!

Have a great Sunday!

The Vemma Bode Challenge for Me!

Oh my....where do I begin?  There has been so much going on and a lot of changes on this journey of mine.  Nothing bad! Actually some great changes!  Let me start here.....

Around six weeks ago I took the time to read this book.  I was at a frustrating plateau and struggling to stay focused.  I was working hard, but the weight wasn't coming off.  After reading this book I was very excited!  It was awesome!




Chris Powell believes in carb cycling.  The carb cycling caught my interest because I have had great success with the low carb plan.  I can flat lose the weight on low carb, but it isn't a long term plan for a healthier lifestyle.  But this plan was doable! 

I was so pumped and I immediately down loaded the Vemma Bode App and got started! For one month I followed the app, without the products that they suggested.  At the time I didn't know much about them and just followed the plan from the book.  The app was a big help.  It reminded me when to eat and gave wonderful tips to make me successful.  It was also amazing having Chris and Heidi Powell on my iPhone giving me tips and cheering me on!



The plan was working! I did so well the first month that I took the steps to find out more about the Bode 12 week challenge and the Vemma Bode products.   As like many plans it does have a cost, but I was committed and ready to do what it took to be successful.  I am already 6 weeks into the program and two weeks with the Vemma Bode Products.  The results with the Vemma  Bode products have been wonderful.  I am excited to see where I will be at the end of the 12 weeks!    {I do not represent these products; this is solely my opinion.  But if you decide that you are interested, Vemma Bode has a great friend referral program and I would love it if you mentioned my name.}

NSV:  After 6 weeks - 3.5 inches

{  If you are interested and finding out more about the vemma products let me know.  I can give you the rep's information.}


I am getting ready to finish my sixth week, but because of the products I started over.  So really I am ending my second week.  Ten more weeks to go on my challenge!   Goodness!  There is so much more to talk about but I will save it for another post!  I hope all of you are finding success in your healthy journey! You got this! Don't give up now!
             

Variety is the Spice of Life

Hello everyone! Hope your summer is going great for you!  I am longing for the cool days of fall.  It has been a warm summer in the valley and it really makes you very lethargic.  Everyday day, every week, my healthier journey becomes easier to do.  In the past I would be very bored and would have given up by now.  It reminds me of a song that we sing in church.....I've been on this journey a long time, and I'm not tired yet!  I just keep plugging along and try my best everyday.  I love the below cartoon I came across.  It is so true!  I know that I am going to slip a time two, but I don't want to go back to where I began.  In years past I would totally give up.  I am NOT going to climb the same hill twice! No more!

When eating healthier I have learned that variety is key.  As the title says, Variety is the Spice of Life.  Some people can eat the same ole food everyday, but I am trying to introduce new foods so that I will not get bored and reach for unhealthy choices.  

This is a new snack or breakfast that I have tried.

Ezekiel Bread, Natural Peanut Butter, & Rasberry

It is actually very good and when having protein, it helps to stay satisfied longer.

I know this is crazy, but I am not a vegetable eater.  There is only certain ones that I will eat.  I don't really care for tomatoes, but I make myself eat them.  Cucumber is my new like.  Here I made a cucumber sandwich.  I am really trying to incorporate more veggies into my meals.  It has turkey, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.  It was pretty good snack. 

It really helps to have veggies cut up and ready to go.  Here are different colored peppers ready for my breakfast omelets.  Aren't they pretty?

This is just a few things that I have been eating lately! I will share some other things soon!

Hope everyone has a healthy and wonderful week!!

Busy Summer

Hello Everyone!!   I know it has been a long time! But my summer has been crazy busy and something just had to go.  I am afraid it was blogging. But not for good! Just until the beautiful, sunny days are not calling my name.

When the summer heat arrived in the valley, I was having a hard time finding motivation to exercise.  I even cut back on how many days I exercised.  As it is every year, I eventually start getting used to the heat, and will find motivation again to get moving.  

I promised myself this summer that I was going to do some things that would be a new challenge.  I went to our church teen camp as a counselor.  Every year they hike to the top of Donkey Rock.  I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I just had to try.  I was assuming that it was just going to be a trail or a road.  I was wrong!  Through the years they have forged a trail up the side of the mountain.  It was going to be a quite a challenge for me.

We started with 116 hikers.....

Our first challenge was crossing a creek over a log.  Easy peasy to what was to come!

Here the trail starts to climb.....

As you can see, it was single file, straight up.

After awhile,  we started hiking through bushes also.

Then came the rocks!!  Up and sometimes over  we went!

I was getting tired and pushing myself harder then I ever had.  Right before the final climb to the top, we came to some more rocks.  It was climb through.....or climb over.  Yeah right!! I could see myself getting stuck! But I trusted our guide and he assured me that I could make through.  I really need to save what energy had left for the final climb.  I made it through.....sideways at the end. Whew!!

Exhausted I reached the final climb! Thankfully one of the men in our church was waiting to help the ladies, and he helped propel me the the top. :o)

The view was worth the climb!  Absolutely beautiful!

Another thing to check off of my bucket list......I climbed Donkey Rock!  116 started to the top and 114 made it!

But what goes up.....must come down.  Going down was just as hard as going up.  I got most of my scrapes and bruises from going down.    Leaving the top you can see the rocks whe had to climb.

Down....Down....Down.....we go!  It took us one hour and 15 mins to get to the top and 45 mins to get down.

A challenge was met and I was very proud of myself.  No I am not ready for Half Dome at Yosemite, but I may hike Donkey Rock again.  Well see.....

I hope everyone is doing well with their healthy journey.  I hope to check in with you and see how you all are doing!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Finally More Progress

Finally.... Friday I weighed in and had a huge weight loss of 3.4 lbs!!  That is a grand total of 26.4 lbs!  {happy dance}  I finally hit my first goal goal of 25 lbs!!  It took almost 16 weeks, but I didn't give up!  I will tell you one thing I did different last week.....I drank LOTS of water.  {I must have burned a lot of calories running to the restroom. :O) }  We had a really busy weekend, so I took a logging break.  But I am back to the grind today.  I am going to keep doing what I am doing, because it is working!

I hope everyone is doing well! I hope to get caught up on my blog reading this week.  Have an awesome week!!

Unexpected Motivation

It was Monday, and it was my first day back to the gym after our mini-vacation.  Tonight I was making myself work out.  I was feeling a little lazy after a fun weekend with family.  I walked to through the gym and since I have been going to the gym since January 1st,  I am starting to recognize the regulars.  This particular night, an empty treadmill was next to an elderly patron.  She comes very regular and we have only just greeted each other with a smile and a wave.   Tonight, she greeted me and asked me how long I have been coming.  She noticed how faithful I have been and she could see the changes.  You can?  I was so surprised at her compliments, but excited also.    This little lady is go getter!  I have been watching her, because she faithfully walks six miles on the treadmill,  with incline too!  Tonight she asked me how old I thought she was.  She looked to be my parents age, so I guessed in her seventies.  I wasn't right!  This amazing lady is in her eighties.  88 to be exact!  And she really IS amazing!!  

 She was really talkative this night and I just listened.  She exercises five days a week because she has to stay healthy.  She believes that what she is doing is keeping her out of a convalescent home.  She knows the day she goes will be the beginning of the end and she doesn't want that.  She exercises five days a week and does not eat after 5pm during the weekdays.  She is a little more flexible on the weekends.   She has not eaten a hamburger or hot dog for 25 years and never eats fried foods.  If she has pizza, she never has meat on it, it is just veggies.  One of her weaknesses is chocolate.  She does allow herself to have that.  She amazingly does not take any meds besides her vitamins.  That is fantastic!!   At her age, she says that her metabolism doesn't work anymore and she has to keep from gaining weight.  That is why she eats right and exercises daily.

I listened attentively to her talk.   She was proof of the rewards of a healthy lifestyle.  That night I walked in lazily, without a lot of motivation.  But after talking with Ms. Amazing, I felt ashamed of my thoughts and was more motivated than I had ever been before.  This is not a short journey.....it is a long journey that will have long lasting results.  I can honestly say that I did not expect to be motivated when I went to the gym,  but I got more than I bargained for.

Where Has the Time Gone?

My sincere apologies.....I cannot believe my last post was May 28th.  What a horrible blogger!  I really have good reasons.  I have been busy with LIFE! :-)  But it has been a good busy.  I have gotten a lot of projects done that I have been wanting to do.  And also, I am still making my fitness goals which take time away from the computer.

This week has been my first week back to normal work out schedule.  Taking a week off really helped my calf to heal.  I worked out on a modified schedule of three days last week.  This week will be a little messed up because of vacation! Oh beautiful San Diego is calling my name!  My niece is graduating from 8th grade and we are looking forward to a few days down south.  Anyhow....I am so glad to get back to working out.  This week I am back to incline on the treadmill and alternating days I will be using hand weights.  Time to tone these flabby arms!!  I could not believe how much of a difference hand weights made.  I was sweating  like I was running a marathon!  I also read that you burn more calories using hand weights.  Tone and burn calories, that is a win, win situation!

Fitbit totals are down, but they will be back up next week.

I love to read everyone NSV's and at times I have a hard time of thinking of my own.  But I have two that I want to share.  We have stairs to our balcony at our church.  Usually when I walk up the stairs they are a killer and I am huffing and puffing and need an oxygen tank.  I was so excited to walk up the stairs our last service a few times and it was a breeze.  That is a huge improvement for me!   Also, I just made a new exercise skirt for myself.  Since the last time I made a skirt, I had to take two inches off the waist.  I am so excited that I am losing inches!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying encouraged!

Remember....

Have a wonderful weekend!