Of course exercise is great and required to be our healthiest. But there is too much of a good thing. Too much exercise can have you taking steps back when it comes to your efforts to get healthier and seeing results with your body and actually has a name: overtraining. I’ve been there and done that and let me tell you I definitely don’t recommend it.
When I overtrained (back in college) I ended up with shin splints in my left leg, a stress fracture in the right, a broken right wrist, and depression… sound like fun? Learn from my mistakes and don’t do it!
Just watch this to see if you might be working out too much!
How often do you workout?
Right now I am hitting up the gym 3-4 days a week and I add some cardio workouts in there too. But I make sure to take at least 1 complete day off, which is normally Saturday. Though, the day is still spent staying active with cleaning my entire house, errands and trying to get to the beach or something with Dan.
]]>I can’t believe it… just twenty days left until the big day! This whole engagement time has flown by way too fast! I can not believe that in less than 3 weeks family will be flying in to share our wedding day with us. CRAZY!!!
Tomorrow starts my hardcore lean out! I’m treating it like a fitness competition, aiming to keep my carbs below 4o grams, protein high at around 130 grams and drinking no alcohol and eating no processed foods! My workout is going to be upped a bit too. During the summer it was great, but since school is back in now my cardio has decreased a bit. Now I just have to work a little harder to make the time for it, which I will do!
I got a few special bathing suits things for the honeymoon and I want Dan’s jaw to drop when he sees me in them! That’s why I am working so hard to look my absolute best. What bride doesn’t want to look her best?
My new honeymoon bathing suit!
The Bachelorette Party
Dan and I both spent the weekend with our friends… Dan’s guys took him to Myrtle Beach SC for a surprise bachelor party weekend and my girls threw me an awesome lingerie shower and took me out for a night on the town here in Charleston. Did I follow a clean eating diet? Ummm…. No, I think it’s safe to say a night of champagne, wine, cupcakes, meatballs (these were delish) and brie, was not my normal diet habits but I didn’t feel guilty at all!
We both had a wonderful time (though today we are moving around pretty slowly). We’re now just waiting for the big day to come. Thanks to my amazing friends for making it a night I will never forget! I felt like one special bride to be! And it wasn’t just because of the tiara, the vail, the sash and the boa that did it for me!!
]]>Oh boobs… one of the gifts we get for being women. When we were younger we couldn’t wait to get them, and when they come a lot of women wish they were smaller or bigger, but no woman is ever completely satisfied. I have to say though as a woman that has had everything from a B to a D cup I am loving my Bs… when I gain weight my boobs are one of the first things to blow up!
Ouch! Too much movement going on!
One way that the larger breasted woman does get in trouble is when it comes to exercise. A lot of women I train get so annoyed when the workout because they have their boobies bouncing in their face or getting in the way when they try to do exercises like mountain climbers or cherry pickers.
Yes, it is annoying but it can actually cause real issues! A long term study done in England was done on women with all different size breasts and sports bras. The discovery was that lack of proper support led women to run differently, putting MUCH more stress on their joints due to a different stride they would take compared to that of a small chested gal.
The stress increases risk of injuries significantly… shin splints, stress fractures, ankle problems and much more. And on top of that your chest hurts like hell from the bouncing!
So you’re probably wondering, great, what kind of sports bra can I get that will help? This answer sucks, but here it goes: there isn’t a “great” bra that is designed with all that is needed for the bustier ladies. The encapsulated bras (the one with the underwires and cups) only support movement from one angle and the same goes from the ones that just flatten you out (those these are best for smaller breasted women like myself).
The best option is to wear a bra! Some girls just think a regular bra is enough but not at all, definitely find a sports bra that is the best present day option.
Getting A Proper Fitting Sports Bra
]]>I have women ask me all the time if they are destined to gain weight as they get older. Is age a true factor for your size and is it inevitable that your clothes will start to get bigger and bigger with each passing birthday?
Just watch and find out:
Am I Going To Gain Weight With Age?
]]>I have been doing some brainstorming and having fun with this blog post! Here are the 10 ways to know you might be relying too much on cardio for your workouts! I got these from when I really was a big cardio freak and from what I see around me at the gym!
Cardio Lover!
10 Ways To Tell If You’re A Cardio Freak
(I use freak as a term of endearment of course! Afterall, I can stand up proudly and say that I have done all of these in my past!)
- You named your favorite treadmill. There is that one machine in the gym that you have bonded with. It knows how to get you from the start of a workout to the end seamlessly. And you’ve named it… “I am off to do my run on Speedy” for example or maybe you’re going to take your stress out on Petunia today?
- You give the evil eye if someone so much as looks like they might get on your treadmill before you can reach it… and God forbid that someone is on it already when you get there. What are they thinking!? They must be outside their mind after all.
- You can look down at the belt and tell which sweat spots are yours from yesterday.
- You know exactly which cardio machines have working headset plugs so you can hear the tv.
- You have been on every piece of cardio equipment in the place but never touched a weight.
- You know down to the minute how long it takes to burn 300 calories going at a particular speed.
- You get excited when a new magazine is put out because you’ve read what is there more than once… and even grabbed the guy’s magazines from time to time.
- You used to love running now you hate it and have to force yourself to push the “start” button.
- You have daily meet-ups or a fellow cardio junky that works out beside you each day… same time, same place, same cardio machine.
- AND THE #10 WAY TO TELL YOU’RE A CARDIO JUNKY: You’ve been working out for months and have gotten very minimal results.
If these sound like you then it is time for a change! Start enjoying your workouts by simply changing what you’re doing and you will be surprised with the results you will see!
When I think of the treadmill this is what I think of:
Here It Goes Again… (LOVED THIS!)
]]>Dear Fitness Diary,
Life is crazy right now! Don’t get me wrong… it is a good crazy but crazy none the less. My wedding is in 34 days! I can’t believe how fast 9 months goes by when you’re planning something of this caliber. I can’t wait for the day, I know it will be great but with all the stress is has put on me Dan and I wish we had just had a small destination wedding with just our closest family. But our big day will be great!
My clean eating is going really well… in fact I have a trainer friend who is just as fitness crazed as I am so we share our nutrition diary each day through Google documents. I really recommend it for you… find a friend and just link up through your documents to allow each other to view whatever documents you want.
When it comes to workouts, my workouts have kicked ass! And I have revved up my cardio too. And I am setting big goals for myself in the next 34 days to rock the socks off of Dan on our big day!
Here’s the workout I did this morning:
3 sets of 6-8 reps per superset
- Barbell Squats (35 lb plates added each side)
- Dumbbell Bench Press (35 lb dumbbells)
- Dumbbell Clean and Press (25 lb)
- Barbell Bent Over Row (60 lb)
Finish with Triset
- Windshield Wipers (15)
- Push-ups (x15)
- Jump Squats (x15)
I’m sorry I’ve been posting a bit more sporadically lately, I am hoping that I can get back in to the habit this week of being more regular! Wish me luck on that one!
]]>For the first time EVER wheat has out sold white bread! Can I go ahead and say that white bread is toast? Cheesy, I apologize! Go wheat or go home should be the new slogan. We’re now more aware about the added nutrients from wheat along with the high fiber.
Toast To Wheat Bread!!
I’ll just put it out there… who doesn’t love fiber! Remember how fiber helps your weight loss goals and it’s benefits? It helps keep you fuller longer, helps keep the intestines moving (so you stay regular) and helps regulate blood sugar! Check out the video click below about fiber benefits.
The only problem is now that people take healthy to mean weight loss foods. Wheat isn’t going to drastically make you drop loads of weight over night… especially if you eat loaves of bread!
Compared to white you bet your butt it’s a lot better for you, your blood sugar won’t rise as quickly, and you in turn won’t store as much grotesque body fat from eating it… but calories are still calories! So if you’re stuffing your face with everthing bread or pasta whether white or wheat it isn’t going to help much.
I anticipate that this means there will be more and more whole wheat products jumping on to shelves at your grocery store! I have been looking for whole wheat rosotto for some time, and whole wheat gnocci… maybe soon I will actually see it without having to go to a super expensive specialty store.
What is in your kitchen? Be a cool kid and opt for wheat when you go shopping this week!
This lady makes some good points about fiber, and she cracks me up…
]]>I have been doing really well with my clean eating for the past few weeks so I know I deserved a treat. But I was so upset with the way it turned out!
Such a disappointment!! I want a re-do
I teach kids gymnastics and yesterday one of the girls had her birthday. Her parents brought in cupcakes for everyone and wouldn’t except “no” from me when they offered one. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE cupcakes, the icing in particular, but I also have the idea if I am going to cheat I want it to be with something worth cheating for.
I was so disappointed with the cheat meal! The icing was bad, the cake was dry and it was not worth it! I would have much rather enjoyed a glass of wine last night or a cookie! But no, not in my cards.
The Deal On Cheat Meals
Remember that it is more than ok to have a cheat meal from time to time… in fact I encourage it! You’re human, you’re a woman and you have cravings that need to be filled! But keep in mind that on your cheat day (just once a week), it doesn’t mean to eat whatever you want all day long. Just find one cheat meal or a snack to indulge in and fill that craving.
Here are a few of my favorite cheat foods:
- White chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies
- Soft serve ice cream
- Lime Tostidos and salsa (salsa isn’t bad)
- Trail mix (with m&m’s)
- Wine
What are you cheat meals?
If you’re looking for help getting your clean eating where you want it make sure to go to The Art Of Weight Lifting…T here are tons of Eat Clean Foods!
]]>Dan and I were at a wedding not too long ago where the bride looked gorgeous. She had dropped some weight before the wedding and was just glowing in her dress… but then something happened. All eyes where on her during the first dance with her new husband and everyone could see dimples in her arms, and each time she was spun, arm jiggle spun too.
Not quite the look most of us brides are going for… and I have even upped my arm workout over the past few weeks so they look sleek and tight when I am dancing across the dance floor. Dresses cover and squeeze most everything, but they aren’t
going to help you arms… so here is a great total body workout to still help you drop fat but it’s very targeted to shaping great arms and shoulders.
Sexy Bridal Workout Circuit
- 10 Burpees
- 12 Step-ups with DB press
- 15 Walking lunges with DB Lat raise
- 12 BB curl
- 10 Bent over rows
- Max push-ups (complete as many reps as possible)
Do this circuit 2-3 times with little or no rest in between exercises. Once you have completed them rest 60 seconds before doing it again.
Let me know what you think!
]]>I was just complaining that I needed new workout shoes, and that I have recently developed runner’s knees. The pain has been really bad lately so I couldn’t put it off any longer… I went to a small locally owned runner’s shop here and got a full consult on my gait, arches and the best shoes for me.
It was great! The owner gave me great tips on picking out shoes for my body and explained to me why my knees and ankles have been hurting. Talk about customer service! I am sure I could have bought the shoes online for a lot cheaper but the information I got was well worth it! And my shoes are Awesome (yes, they get a capital A because they are that bad ass).
Apparently my feet roll in a bit due to my arch, I already knew this because of the wear I see on the bottom of my shoes, but I had no idea what that meant. I need high arch support and an insert to help me stand correctly on the balls of my feet.
Here are the ones I ended up with:
Saucony’s ProGrid Guide 3:
I have heard great things about Saucony... this is my first pair.
This isn’t a shoe I would normally pick out, but if it’s going to help my joint pain and let me run my intervals again than you better believe I am game!
If you’re ever in the Charleston area and need a new pair of shoes the I definitely recommend heading to On The Run! They were really helpful.
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