A Great Recipe

I really respect Dr Libby and her holistic approach to food...Here is one of her latest recipes

http://www.drlibby.com/recipe/extra-green-frittata/

Stop and de-stress!!!

I know a yoga class is a great way to de-stress but finding a class that suits you and instructor that you like is easier said than done sometimes.  Check out the Women'sHealth Magazine article for a few pointers.  Thank you WomensHealth


http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/how-to-meditate-to-relieve-stress

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Today's Excuse! - I don't have time I travel with work!

Travel

When traveling, book hotels with gyms or those near outdoor recreation areas. If you'll be stuck in your room, pack a lightweight resistance band or tube to do strength moves.

 

Instead of hopping on the elevator to get to your hotel room, take the stairs. A 5-minute climb burns 41 calories. If you don't feel like exercising, plan an easy workout for the minimum time.

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

Today's Excuse - I don't have time to go to the gym!

Finding gym time

Train with a friend or trainer for a commitment that you are less likely to cancel. A health program with a friend can motivate you to stick with it.

 Gym time is not always indoors. You and your friend can take it outdoors. Thirty minutes of the    following activities will have you burning calories while having fun:

Bicycling (mountain): 259 calories

Backpacking: 215 calories

Rock Climbing: 336 calories

 

Today's excuse! - I'm bored

Today's Excuse - I'm bored!!!

Try new activities such as yoga and Spinning to add variety to your workouts. Group Personal Training is a great way to relieve the boredom.  You will also pick up new exercise ideas to try on your own.
 

Find group classes that are convenient for you.Group fitness are great for those days when you are lacking motivation you have someone telling you what to do!!!
 

Do activities you actually enjoy. One hour of shopping burns 146 calories*!

 

www.realffitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

 

No more excuses!! It's no excuse week!!!

This week I am focussing on excuses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Boy oh boy have I heard some good ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I think I might write a book one of these days.

We are all crazy busy I get that, I am a full time working mum of 2 boys so I do get it.  But sometimes our 'reason's are just flat out excuses...

I hope my NO MORE EXCUSES series this week helps you make some changes to your lifestyle habits xx

 

TODAY'S EXCUSE - I am not motivated

 

Wake up 15 minutes early to squeeze in a mini strength session. Since there are usually fewer conflicts at 6 a.m. than there are at 6 p.m. Morning exercisers tend to stick to their routines better than people who work out later in the day.

Make the most out of equipment you have access to. In the mood for a new look? Redecorate your home. Moving your furniture around for 15 minutes burns 101 calories.*
 

Change into your gym gear immediately when you get home. That way you won't be tempted to just laze around on the couch.

 

Enlist the support from a Personal Trainer or a friend so you have some accountability xx

 

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

 

Missed a gym session - Don't Stress!

Happy to help!!! IF it's helping you get closer to your health and fitness goals :)  Missed a gym session this week then, butt up, shoes on and off you go :)

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Does your kitchen rule? Follow these simple rules in the kitchen

Do These 9 Things in Your Kitchen to Lose Weight

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it's also the place that can make or break you on the weight loss front.  If you are on a mission to change your body and your lifestyle then implement these kitchen rules.

 

Make fruits as accessible as a bag of chips: Wash, cut up, and store fruits such as grapes, melon, kiwi, pineapple, and apples in reusable containers in the fridge so they're easy to grab. Make sure they're right up front at eye level so they're the first thing you see when you open the fridge door.

 

Prepare a big container of salad: Making a salad every night is time consuming so at the beginning of the week prep your salad so you are ready for the week ahead.  Wash the lettuce, cut up vegies and put them in a container so it is quick and easy to throw a salad together.  Bulk up any meal with a side salad.

 

Have measuring cups and spoons on the counter: Measuring your food will keep portions in check since over-estimating serving sizes is a huge reason people don't lose weight. Seeing measuring spoons and cups on your kitchen counter will be a visual reminder not to forget to use them.

 

Pre-make snack packs: You know what happens when you eat chips or crackers out of the box — you practically end up polishing off the entire package! Take your favourite healthy snacks such as mixed nuts, popcorn, cheese, and fresh fruit, grab some Ziploc bags, and make some measure snack packs you can keep in your cupboard or fridge.

 

Ditch the unhealthy foods: Your partner might be a fan of an occasional can of soft drink, bowl of cookie dough ice cream, or chocolate, but if those foods are within your reach, you're bound to crave them. Throw out or give away the junk because if it's not in your kitchen, you can't be tempted to eat it.

 

Use smaller-sized plates: When we prepare a plate of food, we feel the need to fill it up completely. If you start out with a smaller-sized salad plate, there's only so much you can pile on, so you'll end up consuming fewer calories.

Freeze fruits and veggies: Buy larger bags of fruits and veggies at the store and wash, cut, and store them in baggies in the freezer. You'll not only save money when you buy in bulk, but you'll also have them on hand to add to your smoothies, yogurt, pasta dishes, soups, and omelettes.

 

Double or even triple the recipe: Whether you're making soup, roasted veggies, quinoa salad, or something else for dinner, don't just make enough for one meal. Package the leftovers in containers you can easily grab for the next few days' meals. If your lunch or dinner is already prepared, you won't have to resort to unhealthy takeout.

 

Put food away before you sit down to eat: After you've cooked up an amazing meal, serve yourself an appropriate serving size and then wrap it up and put it in the fridge. If you leave it out, you're more likely to go back for unnecessary seconds or thirds. Out of sight means off your hips

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

How long is a piece of string????

I will tell you in a moment but first a funny story!!!!!

Meeting with an amazing group of smart and savvy business women brainstorming idea's about how to help women in their roles.  We are the powerhouse of the home and we put ourselves at the bottom of the to do list.  Can we all agree that we do soooooo much to keep our homes and families on track but we do soooooooo little to support our emotional and physical health.

Ok so back to the string.....From a fitness perspective I wanted to help these amazing women be accountable to their goal which was to improve their nutrition and fitness and fit into skinny white jeans in 3 weeks!!!!  eeeeekkkkkk!!!!!!  Yes we all know what we need to do cut out gluten, reduce our processed foods exercise a little more blah blah blah!  But to be held accountable...wait for it....here comes the piece of string !!!

We need something to help hold us accountable and measurements are the way to go!  If I told you I was going to do your belly button and  hip (butt) measurement in 3 weeks do you think it would motivate you to work a little harder in achieving your goal.... I bet it does!!

So instead of making an excuse of not having a tape measure so we couldn't do measurements we used string!!!!  Job done and quite a motivator when the string is pinned to your office wall....Great motivator!  So that's how long our piece of string was x

Remember the little red engine that could???? I think I can!

I think I can, I think I can! ....You know what....YOU CAN!!!!.  You can have all  the support and fancy equipment but at the end of the day it's up to YOU. If you want to change your lifestyle, your health, your fitness or your weight the buck stops with you.  How badly do you want to achieve your goal?  How angry do you get when you try on clothes that are too tight? Is the quick satisfaction of a chocolate bar worth it?  You are in charge or your results......

Real Fitness for Real Women, is here to support you and make the journey as painless and as quick as possible but at the end of the day you have to be responsible for your actions.

Do you have a craving plan?

You know those times when you could seriously demolish 5 chocolate bars before you even realise what you have done??? That's why you need a craving plan....!

Acknowledge that you have a craving, appreciate that the small term satisfaction is just NOT worth the calories and implement craving plan.

Maybe you could...
- Have a glass of water
- Make a cup of herbal tea
- Go to the loo (not a silly idea, at least you are away from the kitchen!)
- Go and tidy a cupboard
- Put your joggers on and exit the house

So know your craving plan BEFORE the craving hits!

Fad dieting facts - a MUST read article

The consequences of extreme dieting are not pretty, as they all involve debilitating effects on your body.

On the physical side...physical fatigue; continuous hunger pangs; sinus problems like post-nasal drip; bloodshot eyes; gallbladder disease; rashes; atrophy of your muscles; seizures; malnutrition that may lead to dying; dehydration; acidosis; constipation; and a regaining of the lost weight after the diet.

On the mental side... consequences are irritability, depression, lower sex drive, and the risk of being vulnerable to more eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.

Your Looks

Limited calories will deprive your body of vital nutrients. Body will use those nutrients for vital organs so tissues such as hair, skin and nails are the first to miss out, leaving you looking less than glowing.

Added to that, rapid weight-loss leads to stretchmarks as the skin loses elasticity. Added to that, hair goes dry, thin and may even fall out.

But it's not just the hair on your head that's affected. Your temperature drops when you're under-nourished so the body compensates by growing an extra layer of hair on your cheeks and back,  Nice!

And to finish the look, a lack of calcium will eventually weaken teeth, leading to decay.

 

How you Feel

It's no surprise that if you're hungry all the time, you're not going to be on top form. This leads to confusion, poor concentration, dizziness and low energy levels.

 

Vital Organs

When you go on a crash diet, it's not just fat you lose. Losing weight rapidly results in muscle loss but it's not just your biceps that are affected.

The same thing is happening to your heart muscle. Because your body isn't getting energy from food, it converts body tissue into glucose for energy. If the heart loses too much muscle, it can't pump properly.

Also filling up on too much water to stave off hunger, or on the other hand being dehydrated from a lack of food, may alter the body's balance of fluids and electrolytes (minerals such as sodium and potassium), triggering kidney and heart failure.

In the long term, it's also bad news for the brain. "The brain tissue shrinks, showing similar changes to those in dementia sufferers.

 

Eventual Weight Gain

The challenge with unhealthy diets is that they usually cannot be sustained in the long term. You may be able to survive on a short term basis on an extremely low-calorie diet, but eventually you will have to resume eating regular meals. When you go on an extreme diet, you don’t have the opportunity to gradually develop habits that will sustain you in the long haul.

 

Challenge to Mental Health

Unhealthy dieting is challenging for your mental health. Many people feel grumpy and irritable when they are hungry.

Unhealthy dieting generally leads to greater weight gain in the long run. Extensive juice fasts, extreme calorie reduction, and an overuse of diet powders and pills may lead to immediate weight loss. These results, however, are often hard to sustain on a long-term basis.

Fad diets are bad because they don't address the problems that caused you to gain weight in the first place. Once you're through with the fad diet, you'll probably gain the weight back when you reestablish old eating habits. Fad diets are also bad because they usually require the elimination of foods that normally aren't bad for you.

How do you know you are looking at a fad diet? Typical signs include:

• Claims of fast and easy weight loss.
• Elimination of certain food groups or bad foods.
• Includes dietary supplements impressively labeled as fat burners, weight loss aids, hoodia, and metabolism boosters.
• Tells you that foods need to be specifically combined for proper digestion to occur.
• No need for exercise.
• Highlights specific foods, such as grapefruit, maple syrup and lemonade or special soup.

 

So what’s the solution......

REAL meal plans and advice

EFFECTIVE exercise programs

MENTAL support, change the way you feel about food

Make it LIFESTYLE not weight loss

SUPPORT, enlist REAL support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

facebook.com/pages/Real-Fitness-for-Real-Women

 

facebook.com/pages/Real-Fitness-for-Real-Women