Tracy Anderson on Target.com

Hello everyone!


Before I posted about how Metamorphosis is available at Target stores and that I only saw the Omnicentric. Now, they are working on all four centrics I believe. The pictures are what the packaging for Target looks like. (looks smaller and more stylish)

Link to Omnicentric- http://www.target.com/p/tracy-anderson-metamorphosis-omnicntrc/-/A-14262841#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=tracy anderson

Abcentric- http://www.target.com/p/tracy-anderson-metamorphosis-abcentric/-/A-14298318#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=tracy anderson

Hipcentric- http://www.target.com/p/tracy-anderson-metamorphosis-hipcentric/-/A-14298319#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=tracy anderson


My guess is that they are still in the process of adding Glutecentric.  They also have the 30 day method book for sale at Target.

A little behind the scenes of Continuity and Teen Metamorphosis

Hello everyone!



I was on YouTube and I came across a video showing some behind the scenes stuff for future Continuity DVDs and the upcoming Teen Meta.  Yep! Tracy is making a Metamorphosis program for teenagers.

I had almost forgotten about the Teen Meta as I haven't heard much about it, but I do remember a while back Tracy had a casting post up looking for teenage girls to audition for something.  I guess this is what they were auditioning for. 




My opinion- the new Continuity background looks nice, the Teen one looks kind of cheesy 90's for my tastes. What do you guys think?

10/29/2012

Hello everyone!


As I mentioned before about trying a macrobiotic diet.  Today, it didn't happen.  I even had pizza (2 slices) today.  It seemed that everything kept me from doing that part right.  I did eat outside food and stuff but kept within reasonable portions, etc.

Taking it one day at a time, to avoid self-hating, etc.

As for exercise, I took a walk for an hour and got a bit tired, I am on my monthly but trying to make the best of it by not letting my cravings or cramps get the best of me.  

Macrobiotics

Hello everyone!


This is something I've been toying with in my head for a while and I think I'm going to give it a shot.  I've talked about the macrobiotic diet before and upon taking inventory of what is in my refrigerator, it's safe to say that I have a good amount of the kinds of foods that macrobiotic dieters eat (brown rice, vegetables, tofu, beans, miso paste, green tea, etc)

Macrobiotic food pyramid

So, I am going to give it a shot for a week. No long term commitments. Just giving it a try to see how it feels, how the cooking impacts my life, weight loss, etc and I will report here. 

More tomorrow! Have a great day!

I forget if I posted this...

Hello everyone!


I was looking around online to see if anyone has reviewed Tracy's pregnancy workout DVDs (nobody has that I am aware of) and I found this:




This is a little promo/commercial for the DVD set.  I thought it was interesting, although I think her shoes look odd with the outfit. 

I do eventually want to get this, later on.  (I have no need to do it right now anyway- no baby in there)

Have you seen this, or do you have the actual Pregnancy Project DVD? 

Gluten free not just for celiacs

Hello everyone! I have posted before about how going gluten free and wheat free helps people with celiac disease. 

There is also evidence that being gluten free can help those of us who test negative for the disease. There is a story of an Australian woman who luckily was advised not to eat gluten even before the current level of awareness. 

 "She lost all her energy. She developed acne. And she began experiencing gastrointestinal problems: bloating, diarrhea, cramping, constipation. Her doctors, thinking something must be missing from her diet, put her on various vitamins, none of which helped. "It was all I could do to go to work," she says. After years of failed treatments, Cooper's luck changed. She saw a doctor who suspected she might have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that can appear at any age and is caused by an intolerance to gluten. Cooper tested negative for celiac disease, but the doctor advised her to try a gluten-free diet anyway. "Within a week of eliminating [gluten], I started to feel markedly better," says Cooper, now 36, from Melbourne, Australia. "It wasn't a gradual feeling better; it was almost a crossing-the-street kind of thing."

Nowadays, experts believe that celiac disease is an extreme version of gluten sensitivity, but there are also likely millions of people with less severe variations of it that still respond well to a gluten free diet.

So, if you're feeling tired, out-of-sorts, in any kind of pain, acne, etc, try ditching the gluten for a while and see how you feel. 

Ramen Noodles- Really THAT bad?

Hello everyone!


We all have heard that instant ramen noodles aren't healthy, but are they really as bad as they claim?

                 

I have  heard all kinds of things about ramen noodles, particularly about how they are covered in some kind of wax to keep the noodles from sticking, and that it takes five days to get out of your body, etc. 

Well apparently, that isn't true for most brands of ramen. Snopes.com and the New York Daily News both analyzed the content of several major brands of ramen noodles and found no wax in any of them.

So while I am far from saying ramen noodles are GOOD for you, they are not quite as unhealthy as some people may think.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

One of those days

Hello everyone!


After a pretty lazy (and food filled) weekend, I woke up today feeling like I needed more sleep.  I still feel like I need more sleep. Ugh.

When my alarm went off this morning.

I also have been having a terrible stomachache all morning.  I think it might have been this bad eating weekend catching up with me (I don't even remember what I ate exactly, but I know I flew off the handle). 

How do you normally handle recovering after a fattening, lazy weekend?

Brown Rice vs White

Hello everyone!


So, like most people, I keep hearing all the time about how brown rice is good for you and white rice is so bad, don't eat it, etc.

I decided to do a little research on this, like how much of a difference does it REALLY make?

1. The glycemic index factor.  White rice does have a higher GI.  However, many experts say that eating foods based on their GI actually is somewhat irrelevant.  Some foods that are higher in GI are actually more nutritious than any given lower GI food.  Also there are lots of factors that affect GI.  

2. Calories.  White rice has more calories than brown rice, but not by much.  White rice has 242 calories per cup and brown has 216.  Not much difference.

3. Fiber.  Yes, brown rice has much more fiber than white but some people may find it hard to digest.

4. Taste.  These rices do taste quite different.  Brown is more chewy and "nutty".  I actually prefer white rice based on taste alone.

5. Cooking time.  Brown rice takes a bit more work to cook.  Usually I end up soaking it overnight before cooking (which also takes longer) while I can just throw some white rice in the rice cooker and have at it.

6. Cost and shelf life.  If you have to be very frugal (like I do these days), keep in mind that brown rice spoils way faster than white rice. Brown rice has oils in the outer layer that do go rancid. White rice can be kept quite a bit longer.

7. Gluten.  Both rices are gluten free and safe for celiacs (as far as I know).

So, in the end, brown rice or white rice is really a matter of personal preference.  They each have their pros and cons. They can both be healthy when eaten in moderation.  Most people should not be eating massive quantities of either rice, or any food for that matter.

10/19/2012

Hello everyone!

Today (yesterday by the time you read this) was a so-so day. Didn't have the best TYPES of food but still kept the portions and calories in check.  


Breakfast:

Dunkin Donuts egg/bacon wrap 210 calories
Large skim iced latte 160 calories

Lunch:

10 pieces of McDonald's chicken nuggets 460 calories

Dinner:

1 Garlic bagel 330 calories
3 ounces of warm ham slices (put on the bagel like a sandwich) 150 calories
1 cup of chocolate almond milk  120 calories


Total calories eaten: 1430

No meta today.  I am very exhausted and I am listening to my body.  I haven't been sleeping as long as I should be and today I was shlepping all over the place (walking.). (I actually just woke up from being slumped over at my desk passed out to write this post, haha)

I also realize that I really really SHOULD do my meta during the morning or daytime.  It is way more motivating then than it is at 9 pm (at least for me).  Going to bed early tonight, then going to attempt to wake up well rested and get my workout in in the morning. 

10/18/2012

Hello everyone!


Yesterday was also a good day!  Here's how it went down~


Breakfast:

Pumpkin Pie steel cut oatmeal- 324 calories

Lunch: 

Sun warrior berry smoothie (1 scoop of sun warrior + 1 cup berries) 130 calories
3 ounces of ham 300 calories

Dinner:

Beef skewers with mushrooms and broccoli- unknown but can't be much

Post workout snack:

2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter - 180 calories


I have no clue how many calories were in dinner but I did use lean sirloin beef and used pan spray instead of oil when cooking those and the mushrooms. Broccoli was steamed.

I was so hungry after my workout, but instead of having a bunch of crap like I have before, I measured out 2 Tablespoons of crunch peanut butter and ate that.  Much better choice. Working on being able to ignore that hunger but at least it was a better choice.


Workout- Level 1 Day 3.  AMRAP, I do the moves until I shake and can't hold form or when Tracy is done, whichever comes first (the first one usually).   I also did my 30 mins of meta dance cardio and even snuck in a couple of actual jumping jumping jacks, but still mainly step touching.


Today, as I have been all week, I am still sore because I push myself. Pushing yourself = faster results.


Hope everyone has a great day today!

Victoria's Secret Untouched Photos

Hello everyone!


I came across an article that claims to show the before and after of one of the Victoria's Secret catalog pictures. 

The picture on the left is the "before", the one on the right is "after".  

Aside from the brightness I don't see  THAT many major differences. Just minor ones.  So, I am not convinced at all that models are "just like us" because even in the before picture, most women would kill to look that way.

The models themselves even say they "sell fantasy, not reality". I guess that's true, but it's not like these women have that many imperfections to begin with.  Just saying.

In my opinion, the pictures of film stars and such being photoshopped are much more convincing, not many of them look even this good without retouching. 

10/17/2012

Hello everyone!


Yesterday I can say was quite successful, all things considered. 


Breakfast:

Garlic bagel from Dunkin Donuts 330 calories
Large Latte Lite (skim milk, no sugar) 160 calories

Lunch:

1 slim jim beef stick 86 calories
Peanut Butter Granola Bar (no gluten! yay!) 190 calories

Dinner:

Homemade steak and mushrooms in balsamic/wine sauce- unknown!
Used lean steak (cut off all the fat) and lots of mushrooms and onions.
Pinto beans 120 calories


So my total is unknown today, but I did make much better choices than yesterday, THAT'S For sure!

Now, on to my workout.  (Which I am still quite sore from)

Abcentric Metamorphosis day 2 level 1.  AMRAP used, I always do all of the arms and ab work (not easy, my arms are sore by the time the arm section is through)  Also did 30 minutes of Meta DC step touching but doing my 110% best.  Was thinking of going for the whole hour but I know my limits, and I don't want to get hurt.  Let me get lighter first, THEN up the cardio, first to 30 mins of jumping, then the hour, etc.

I also walked 30 minutes, but I really do not count that as my exercise, it's more like my transportation to school. 

Starting off today on the right foot too!  Hope you're all doing the same!

10/16/12

Hello everyone!

Today was not nearly as good as yesterday.  More on my feelings after I share what went down.

Breakfast: 

Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal (2 packets)  320 cals

Lunch:

1 cup of pinto beans with a little sea salt 120 cals

Dinner: (where it all went haywire)

1 bean burrito from Taco Bell  370 cals

4 crunchy tacos from Taco Bell  680 cals

2 pieces of fried chicken   470 cals

Dessert: (like I needed it?)

1/4 small jar of Nutella     500 cals

Total calories eaten-  2.460.

Dinner just went haywire.  Honestly I do not know what was going through my head.  Initially, yes, I was hungry. Taco Bell fixed that.  The chicken and the Nutella?  Not so much.  I think this was done out of stress and distraction because I was also working on some homework and really wasn't considering what I was eating.  When I finished was when I was like... Oh shit.  

Also the only workout that got done yesterday was a 30 minute walk.

Now here's the part where I go into a spiraling pity party about how I am going to "start all over".

Just kidding!

 Ok, so I messed up yesterday. Today is a new day, and already at the time of this posting I have made good choices, so I am off on the right foot.

As for starting over with Metamorphosis, I remembered something that Tracy posted online a while back when it came to missed days.

Miss less than a week- pick up where you left off.

Miss over a week- restart the level of meta.

Miss over a month- start over fresh.

 So, the moral of the story is I had a slip up, today is a new day, and there is no reason why my workout and better eating should not happen today. The end.

Wow. That is a huge change from my usual thinking.  It was actually very hard to type that, even though I KNOW it to be true.  Felt good but uncomfortable to get it into words.

Well, anyway.  Today should go much better and I hope to post about how well I did!

have a great day!

10/15/2012

Hello everyone!


Yesterday was pretty successful~!  

Breakfast:

Sun Warrior and berry smoothie

Lunch:

2 cups of blueberry Greek lowfat yogurt

Dinner:

1 chicken breast and some vegetables


It doesn't seem like a lot of food, but I need to explain something (to avoid backlash and needless worry) first.  I am taking Adderall for my ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and a major side effect of it is reduced appetite.  Come lunch time I usually have to eat just to get something in me (doctor's orders) and even if it's little, it's better than nothing.


As for my workout, I did do Meta level 1.  However, instead of droning away counting reps, I just used the AMRAP concept- As Many Reps As Possible.  I didn't count my reps for any of the moves.  I just did whatever Tracy was doing while she was doing it to the best of my ability.  I definitely did not do as much as she did but I did notice something while doing it that way.  I actually felt way more of a burn than before and sweated a lot more.  I did all the moves I could, basically to failure, with little to no rest in between.

As for cardio, I did walk for about an hour total going to and from school.  I also ran through the 30 day  method cardio twice, totaling 40 minutes of cardio.  I'd LIKE to do an hour but on days when I do not have class (I have class Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays).


So I think yesterday went pretty well~ How was your day?

Plan for today 10/15/12

Hello everyone!

Today, I woke up and decided I would LIKE to give Abcentric metamorphosis another try.  However, there are some extra rules this time.

1. Do a workout even if it is not meta.  If I don't feel up to meta on any given day, do something else. NO EXCUSES. 

2. Eat healthy, try to be as gluten free as possible but not let it consume my every thought.  If I do eat a non "clean" food, still do my  best to keep within my calorie limit.  Overly limiting myself and obsessing are just a recipe for failure for me.


So, I am not going to be titling my posts "abcentric day 1" etc.  I'll just  be titling them the dates and whatever I did that day.  

So today- I PLAN on doing Meta level 1.  Whatever workout I do today will be posted for tomorrow along with my eating.


Why am I going back to Tracy?  Because I actually look back and I liked doing it. Plain and simple.  Also when I did keep at it, the measurements showed great progress (2 inches off my waist in 10 days... Who's complaining?) The best exercise are the ones you'll keep doing.  For me, it has to be something I remotely enjoy or I really will be like.... Nothanks.

I will also post before and 10 day measurements when I am done with 10 days of Meta. 


Have a great day today!!!!!! 

Coconut Oil Cleanse

Hello everyone!


Today, I came across something online that I found interesting.  Coconut oil is known for its health benefits, but did you know it can be used as a cleanse?

According to naturepacific.com, it can be.  They explain what sort of benefits we can get by doing one, such as:

- Clearing up Candida infections
- Clearing up fungal infections
- Helping reduce or eliminate digestive issues
- Protect against viral infections


So, how would one go about doing this?

A coconut oil cleanse usually lasts 3-7 days, and is more of a healing cleanse than a weight loss cleanse.  On a coconut oil cleanse, one would normally consume up to 14 tablespoons of coconut oil (less if your stomach can't handle it, too much for your body can cause loose stool) and unsweetened lemon water.  Some versions of the cleanse allow up to 4 ounces of fresh unsweetened coconut meat for fiber.

As for if you should exercise while on a cleanse like this, I couldn't find any information.  However, since you are NOT starving on it (getting plenty of calories), I am assuming that exercise could be done but remember to listen to your body.

Would I do this?  I may try.  I will post if I decide to!  Have any of you tried this before? Post below~!

Tracy Anderson & Molly Sims Interview

Hello everyone!

I came across a recent video of Tracy Anderson and Molly Sims talking about fitness during pregnancy and after.  Click video below to watch!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Another good day in the bag

Hello everyone!


Again, yesterday, I managed to go out, run errands and not eat like a pig!

Dramatization: My usual eating habits

Today I actually made an unconventional choice for breakfast that also carried over into lunch.  Here's a breakdown.

Breakfast: 8:20 am

6 inch roast beef Subway sandwich on wheat- no cheese/oil/mayo, meat and veg only - 320 calories

Bag of salt and vinegar chips- 210 calories

Lunch: 12:20 pm

See breakfast aside from chips- bought a footlong sub and split it into two meals.

Dinner: 5:00 pm

Kidney Beans - not sure how many calories but I'm sure not much

3 ounces of chicken

2 hours of walking too, I was plenty tired when I got home. Today, I am going to be out again.  Maybe not getting outside food but we'll see.  If I do, I'll try to do a repeat of yesterday.

Pregnancy Tips from Tracy Anderson

Hello Everyone!


With the recent release of her pregnancy workout DVDs, Tracy Anderson has some tips for women to follow while pregnant.

In an article on thebump.com, Tracy gives the following advice-

• During your pregnancy, it’s most important to listen to your own body; don’t let yourself get overheated and don’t exercise in heated conditions.  Understand that the pregnancy is a journey that has many different stages, so what feels good during one month, might not the next.
• During pregnancy, as it applies to cardio, every woman needs to listen to herself and not a coach. For me, jumping does not feel right, so the only cardio I do during pregnancy is walking.
• Exercise is great for circulation and maintaining the connection to the body and the changes you experience.
• Muscular structure work, which can be found in my new series Tracy Anderson: The Pregnancy Project, is great for pregnant women, It allows the body to do what it needs to do for pregnancy, while keeping the woman connected to her muscles and empowering them to work for them: to be ready to get their bodies back post pregnancy.
• Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water is always important, especially in during your pregnancy.
• After giving birth, it’s very important to not exercise before your doctor releases you.  You can actually cause your abs to stay separated if you work out too soon. Let the body heal and come back together, and as soon as your doctor releases you, take your exercise regimen seriously. Carve out time for someone to watch your baby or have your baby in a swing with you, so you can do your exercises at home.  Exercising in front of your children sets a great example for them when they’re older!

She also has a product suggestion for stretchmark prevention- Mama Mio's Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter- 35$ found here: http://www.mamamio.com/us/pregnancy/must-haves/tummy-rub-stretch-mark-butter.html

10/10/12 Food/Exercise Journal

Hello everyone!

I am proud to say I followed my diet plan pretty well yesterday.  I didn't take a starting weight (will do this morning) but I will post tomorrow.

Yesterday-

Breakfast

2 packets of maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal

Lunch

2 crunchy tacos from Taco Bell

Dinner

Korean Clear Noodles stir fried with vegetables

Kidney Beans

For exercise, I walked about an hour while running errands.

Today, my walk will be a bit longer, as I have to be out and about.  I also plan on doing that bodyweight circuit I posted the other day later on.  For my cardio I think I may do Addicted to Sweat disc 1 (the easier dance). 

I will post again soon about how today went!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe!

Hello everyone!


As I mentioned yesterday, I had a chat with my younger brother (who has lost about 70 pounds now, yay!) about how he lost his weight.  He mostly ate (and still eats) clean, and does a bodyweight routine every day. He told me he feels much stronger these days and he looks very small now.  No bulk. I am looking into bodyweight things to do myself, since even a man doesn't bulk on them.

He also told me what he eats for breakfast every day- oatmeal.  Lately, he has been making it this way and recommended I do the same.

Need to spice up that plain bowl of oatmeal?  Try the recipe!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Cooked oatmeal (however much you'd like, but this recipe is for one serving on the container of oatmeal. I used Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats but regular plain is just as good, that's what my  brother eats to save time)

1 Tablespoon of peanut butter 
1 Tablespoon of honey (more or less to taste)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Cook oatmeal according to directions.  When done, add one tablespoon of peanut butter per serving you made.  Then add honey to taste.  Lastly, sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg (or actual Pumpkin Pie spice, they sell it at Target and I got a couple of containers for about 2$ each) and mix. 

Here's the nutrition breakdown for the way I made it- with the red mill steel cut oats and Planter's crunchy peanut butter.

Calories: 324
Fat: 11 grams
Carbs: 51
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 11 grams

I just made it myself this morning and all I can say is yum. It's almost like eating actual pumpkin pie and it is also very nutrient dense. 

Give it a try! It's inexpensive and delicious!

Tracy Anderson at Target?

Hello everyone!


Today I was out and about, had lunch with my brother, and I stopped at Target.  Every time I go to a Target I like to walk around and browse.  Well, I went into the sporting good section (one of my favorite sections to look in) and on the shelf, I had to do a double take.  

I saw Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis on sale there.  For $89 dollars you get the set, plus (For now, I am assuming) a $20 Target gift card.


I didn't have a camera with me to take a picture, but the packaging is different too.  It's a shrinkwrapped slightly smaller box than the one that they normally send.


As far as I could tell, they only had the Omnicentric type, I am not sure if they even had the others.  Also, I looked on Target's website and I did not see it there, so it may be a store-only thing for now. 

I also got a recipe for a really yummy oatmeal that I will discuss tomorrow after I try it.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr

Hello everyone!


First, let me start by venting about weather, haha.  It's the beginning of October and already it's fucking FREEZING.  I went to take my dog out and it was a sweltering 35 degrees outside!  Winter really needs to learn to wait it's turn, Fall just got here!

This pretty much sums it up, hahaha.

In other news, I am really looking forward to Monday when I start really working out again, even though I have a ton of things to do on Monday as well (school related stuff).

This weekend I also have a lot to do, and my time of the month is just about over so Monday fits in just fine. 

Do you have plans for the weekend? Enjoy them!  

Have a great day!

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

Hello everyone!


I went to the store yesterday, looking for dry beans as I've mentioned earlier.   I actually found a jackpot.  The ethnic grocery store near me had organic red kidney beans for 2 dollars a pound. (about half kg)  They also had Bob's Red Mill steel cut oatmeal for about 3$ for 1 1/2 lb, but those I didn't buy yet because I already have some.

I ended up buying 5 bags of beans, which should last me about a month if I eat them twice daily.  9 grams of protein per serving is not bad, not bad at all.  I may make them in half bag batches and make them fresh as needed (each bag is 12 servings so do the math and that's 3 days worth).

Do you guys eat your beans?  Other than the usual (beans and rice, etc) what do you do with them creatively (recipe wise?)

Still not feeling too well.

Hello everyone!


A good thing happened to me today- class was canceled due to some water main break. However, I could not enjoy my day off, because I still feel like crap.  I actually think I may be anemic as a result. 

Here are some symptoms of anemia according to WebMD.

• Easy fatigue and loss of energy
• Unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise
• Shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Pale skin
• Leg cramps
• Insomnia

Here's a picture with more symptoms.

I definitely have the fatigue, dizziness, and the concentration problems, with a touch of insomnia.  I haven't given myself much of a look over recently to tell if I am pale or not.

I really hope I can start feeling better before Monday at least, so I can start working out, even with Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme for weights.

If I feel better tomorrow I'll at least do some walking.

Re-evaluation

Hello everyone!



Yesterday, I did not work out (again, for the same reason) but I did see my friend and she brought up something that changed my views on something.


Apparently she noticed that as long as she has known me (13 years) both fat and skinny, that I've actually usually been more of a curvy girl- as in having most of my weight on my hips, butt, and thighs and able to have somewhat of a waist no matter what I have weighed.

Even now, in clothes, aside from my stomach I am hourglass-looking.  So, it clicked in my head that I should choose new thinspiration, as my current thinspo is relatively unattainable.

Here is a list of who I have always wanted to be like.

Kate Moss

Gwyneth Paltrow

Paris Hilton

Victoria Beckham

What do these women have in common?  They're all super skinny, (usually tall) "fashion model" type.  And honestly, I think this body type looks best *my opinion, not trying to force anyone*.  But considering I'm only 5'5 and pear/hourglass under my fat, I decided to find some new, more attainable, thinspiration to look at.

Scarlett Johansson

Lady Gaga

Marilyn Monroe 

(WAS NOT a plus sized woman, contrary to popular belief)

That's as much as I came up with for now, it's kind of rare to see curvy women in Hollywood (I cannot stand Kim Kardashian, hence her abscence).

Who do you look up to?  Are they attainable or not?

Blah.

Hello everyone!



I tried to sleep 8 hours last night but that really didn't work out for me too well.  I am still really tired and achy and feeling like crap.  Going to the doctor today, so I don't have much to say otherwise.

My mindset for tonight when I go to bed,  hahahaha!

I have no idea if I am going to work out today or not, to be totally honest.   I feel bloated, horribly crampy, severely emotional and all kinds of lovely.


So, I hope today ends up going right, for you guys as well as myself. 

Have a great day, I will update if anything happens!

Sleep. You'll lose weight. No, seriously.

Hello everyone!



I am sorry that I didn't post earlier today, I had a lot of personal drama come up and it kept me occupied for a bit.

I also didn't work out all weekend because (TMI alert) I recently went off of hormonal birth control and switched to Paragard (non hormonal IUD).  I now have my period and I am not feeling well. Lots of pain, etc.  The good news is I haven't been overeating, but I am bloated beyond belief.


So, today, I am going to talk about something very important with losing weight.  Getting enough sleep.

Ok, we all know this, but I actually found out exactly what happens when sleep is considered.


There was a study in which 2 groups of overweight people were put on the same low calorie diet.  The difference, however, was the amount of sleep they got per night.  One group got 5.5, the other 8.5 hours per night.

While both groups lost the same amount of weight, the major difference is where that weight left from.

Those who were sleep deprived lost half the amount of body fat as the others and twice as much muscle and lean body mass.  Keeping lean body mass intact helps a lot with metabolism of fat. The low sleep group also felt hungrier more often.  

Why does this happen? Here is a quote from the article that I read.

"Dr. Penev and his colleagues were surprised by the stark difference in the losses of body fat associated with each sleep regimen. On average, they found, the dieters lost 3.1 pounds of fat with adequate sleep and just 1.3 pounds with restricted sleep.

They also found that sleep deprivation raised levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger and increases fat retention."

So now, I am going to try my  best to sleep at least 7-8 hours per night in order to get this effect.

Do you sleep enough? If not,  you should!