Just Elizabeth Ashe
Health and Fitness

I Can’t Fit My Clothes Anymore!

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So lately, I have really been on this kick to get myself into shape all from my home, and lose some pounds that I've gained. I mean I really did not  know I gained some weight, until I got on the scale at the grocery store and it really put things into perspective for me.

It took my son to scream out  loud in front of everyone and tell me my weight . Out loud in the grocery store before I even had a chance to glance at the number. I had gained almost 10 pounds in a period of three months without even blinking an eye. I admit I really like to eat and sometimes I might just eat too much of something even though its good for me. All the while snacking late at night with a heavy sweet-tooth that does not help me either. Since I tend to go for chocolate and ice-cream.

However, It isn't  funny anymore when all my clothes that fit my lower body barely  go pass my outer thigh. I have clothes that I paid a good amount of money for and look great on me and I really don't want to give them away or just buy new stuff.  Just because some clothes don't fit me anymore. When I have some really good items at my disposal!

My hubby has always been into working out over the past 15 years off and on, and I for the most part have never gone this long in my life. Where I have not been as physically active or just in a rut for so long. Maintaining  a healthy weight is really important to me because my mom instilled that in me a young age and I want my kids to have the same example.

A photo posted by @imanaturalchick on

According to my BMI Calculator it says that my Composition is in the Healthy range, and I agree. However, it does show that I am really close to the overweight range for my height and weight and age. My body could use some toning and conditioning. I also need to re-build my endurance back up since I have not been physically active, Trust me. The first day I started working out , I couldn't even get through the whole thing and the rest of the day or week shall I say.

It felt as if my knees were giving out on me and doing a thing of their own. Lol! 🙂

I have a couple of goals that is to get down to my optimal weight, lose some inches and gain muscle mass. I really love a fit look and I know incorporating some weight training into my fitness routine will build that fast for me.

Some goals I have been doing is making sure I eat the right healthy foods, lots of lean protein, low carb intake(good ones) Healthy fats, and weight training.

My son and I have started making a goal to walk at least twice a week in the evenings, and I have started doing early morning workouts before the kids wake up in the morning. I love working out in morning, that is when I have the most energy and it really does help to burn those fat stores and turn them into energy.

A couple of things I got to work out with are some 8 pound dumbbells from the brand ignite by Spri like the ones you see in the picture. They have a really great grip and don't have that chemical smell of other cheaper weights. They are really good deluxe rubber dumbbells with stainless steel. I prefer stainless steel. Just my opinion they tend to last longer.  I also got some 2-3 pound ankle weights from Empower and I already have my 10 pound kettle ball for high interval training.

get in shape from home

 

I am really trying to commit self to getting in shape from the comfort of my home. Without really having to go to the gym all that much.

So investing in small items at home will really pay off in the long run. Plus when you lots of kids like I do. It saves time.

I plan to change up my diet a little bit, but not that much since I already eat pretty healthy,  for example this  past week I combined strawberries with cheese for a nice filling snack midday. Instead of running for the junk food.

See…..

fruitandcheese

 

 

So what sort of things are you doing to get in shape from home without having to go to the gym that much.

I would love to know 🙂

 

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Fun Stuff

Bye Bye Beach!

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The kids and I had a great time this past labor day weekend at the beach.  Hubby and I thought it would be great just to get away from the world of cleaning, chores, homeschooling,  people for a while. Of course you really can't let go of motherhood because my kids are with me all the time. However,  when were just relaxing and going with the flow.

It's all good!

I love my kids and wouldn't have it any other way, I love having them with me, I love having them sleep next to me, I love it all.  So here are just few pics of the family just going with the flow and enjoying the beach.

What about you did you enjoy your past labor day weekend!

I know I did, I can't wait to go back! 😉

 

Hubby and I:

hubby and i

Two of the Four Boys:

kids

Finally Me!

lily

Health and Fitness

Go Green Get Fit Challenge- Week Two

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To follow up with  go green challenge I thought I post a little topic on five techniques that you could do right now to start losing weight. I'm no pro at working or no ultimate fitness trainer, but I do know a little bit about fitness and what it takes to stay in shape.

I decided to touch on this topic after talking to my sister today over the phone. Many of dilemmas that she is having with her weight is trying to figure out how to jump-start her fitness routine. Clearly my sister is not in shape, because she was tired  just doing the fitness test. On the insanity fitness program.

I thought that was funny:)

However, losing weight and getting in shape can be tiresome especially for those who have never worked out before in their life. It can really make you feel as if you are not cut out to do it, and push you to give up.  I told her to stick with it and use these little steps that will help her to reach her goals.

health and fitness

So if you are trying to lose weight here are a couple of the tips I shared with her today over the phone. These are things you can do to make weight loss easier and faster. In fact, a few lifestyle changes and new habits can make a huge difference. Here are five great fat burning habits to consider adding to your daily routine right now. In fact it can speed the process.

 

1. Eat often. It may sound strange but if you eat more frequently you can help your body burn fat and lose weight. The key is to make smart food choices. Additionally, you’ll want to take care to eat smaller meals.

Smaller meals can be anything from a piece of fruit, meal replacement shake, veggie smoothie, boiled eggs and the list goes on. These are considered meals, The point is to eat.

If you generally eat three larger meals each day, try eating 5-6 smaller meals. Make sure each meal has protein, a fruit or a vegetable. Nuts for example are a great snack. So too are apples and cheese. Choose whole grains, fruits and veggies. They fill you up quickly and keep your appetite at bay for hours. Some of my favorite nutrition bars are Kind!

2. Consume Protein . Protein helps balance your blood sugar. In fact protein is broken down slower in the body and keeps you full for and extended time. Instead of the spikes and plummets you experience with starchy carbohydrates and sugary snacks, you feel full and satisfied. You have an even level of energy for longer. And you don’t get hungry or experience cravings.

 

3. Drink water and green tea. Often thirst is mistaken for hunger. Drinking more fluid each day can help you feel full. Water and green tea can also help flush the toxins from your body. Many toxins affect metabolism, inflammation and the release of fat into your body. Additionally, green tea has fat burning properties. It actually stimulates your metabolism. Finally, green tea also has caffeine which suppresses appetite. All in all green tea is a fantastic fat burning habit to adopt.

 

4. Walk – a lot. Bodies in motion have faster metabolisms. The more you move the more you burn. Experts recommend walking ten thousand steps a day. That’s about five miles. If you can squeeze in a few ten minute walks throughout your day, you’re going to make that quota easily. You’ll likely also find you’re going to feel better too. If you can't get out to walk much you can buy the walking dvds and do them in your home. Or keep yourself moving throughout the day in your home. Trust every little steps adds up!

 

5. Lift weights. Muscle burns fat faster than other tissues. Additionally, a strength training workout can burn a lot of calories while you’re working out, and after. Add a few strength training workouts to your week or lift weights for twenty minutes before your cardio workout. You’ll burn fat faster.

 

As many fitness experts know. The best way to burn fat, lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle. Adopt healthy habits. Get rid of the unhealthy ones. These five habits are a great start to losing the weight you want to lose. And keeping it off for good.

 

So what steps  are you taking to stay  in shape? I would love to hear your response.:)

 

 

Health and Fitness

Get Fit: Take the Go Green – Get Fit Challenge

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via ecomoma

The Summer has already began, and I have been hitting the beach with the family. Soaking up the sun and enjoying the time in the water. I'm not that great at swimming  I do plan to get better at that really soon.

However, when it comes down to hanging out at the beach or at any event that requires you to show a little skin. You want to be in shape right? Well I do. I work out all the time, but lately I have just been bored with my routines, it seems to be the same oh, same oh. The other part is that with the kids home now indefinitely. I am forced to get creative and find new ways to incorporate fitness into my daily schedule.

That is why when I heard about the Green Fitness Challenge I was all over it. I love new challenges and they always seem to get me revved up again. When you have four small boys and lots to do, it can be hard to get motivated to work out.

The go green fitness challenge was started by Planetshoes.com and hosted by 30 well respected green bloggers to bring awareness to natural living and fitness. The main goal is to motivate and inspire many to get their booty up and work out.

One important reason for me doing this is because according to the U.S. Center of Disease Control 50% of women 20 years or older  are obese and more than half of these women are of  the minority such as blacks and  Hispanics. What a reality check ! This epidemic is something serious and deserves the attention that it is getting now. I know how important it is to fight of obesity, because it touches home with me since my own mom struggles with her weight and adult onset diabetes.  I encourage her all the time to be as healthy as she can because if she lost a certain amount of weight her diabetes would go away.

The go green fitness challenge would be  a boost for  her and I  to help her  become healthy.

So how do I Plan to combat the issue and take the next step. With my goal of staying( I say staying because I am already active, but I have become dormant in my activities) physically active and in shape.  We'll over the next couple of weeks I will be posting my progress and the little steps I take to get up and moving.

Some of the tools that I will be using will be pretty simple, such as fitness DVDs , dumbbells I already have, my Fitness Ball and Treadmill. I do have a membership to a dance studio to get some extra cardio , so I will be trying to incorporate all that into my routine.

The main thing that I will be using starting with week one is using my membership to Trainwithmeonline. This site has a ton of videos, print outs and workout routines that you can do from the comfort of your own home or at the gym. With out the assistance of a personal trainer. This community gives results!

You can join for free or you could sign up for about $5.00 a month to use the whole thing, it surely worth it.

So for week one:

  • I will be using Trainwithmeonline.com
  • Dvd's – Dance with Julianne – I just bought this one so I will let you know If I like it or not.

What will you be doing to get in shape and get your booty moving? I would love to know.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health and Fitness

Kind Nutrition Bars: O’h How I Love Them!

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kind bars

I have been trying out these new  Kind nutrition Bars Lately. Boy, do I love them. Eating nutrition bars is not something that I have been into, in fact most , brands taste very pasty, chalky and too thick for my taste. Than to top it all off they leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. Many nutrition or health bars contain way to much sugar, and are full of fillers and synthetic vitamins.  Synthetic Vitamins in fact are not even utilized by the entire body completely, in fact in some people it could even cause adverse reactions.

So as you can see picking out nutrition bars to eat was never high on my list. Than one day I was in health food store and on the isle I saw these kind bars. These bars kept on getting my attention, I did not try them the first go around. Than the second or third time I went back to the store I decided to give them another try. I am so glad I did. I ended up trying their peanut butter and chocolate combination the first time around.  Man did I fall in love in love with these kind fruit and nut bars, they taste so good!

It was like eating a sneaker bar, but not as sweet.

If that gets you thinking.

I have never tasted a nutrition bar packed with so much deliciousness.

To top it all off, these bars are made with:

  • Ingredients you can actually say.
  • Filled with only non GMO (genetically modified organisms).
  • Very, very low sugar content.
  • Very low calorie content if you count calories, how ever I follow a (traditional foods way of eating). So counting calories is irrelevant to me.
  • KIND's all natural whole nut & fruit bars put an end to hunger by delivering all-natural nutrients like fiber, protein, calcium and iron. (I know this for a fact because when I snack on them in between meals, I don't get hungry or experience a drop in my blood sugar levels. )
  • According to a Yale Study, snacking on two kind bars a day can help with naturally suppressing your appetite and reduce overeating.
  • The Kind Bars are high in Fiber.
  • Filled with a ton of all natural protein, with no chemical additives.
  • Completely Kosher!
  • Even Gluten free!

These kind power bars, kind snack bars whatever you want to call them is just what its name implies.  They impart a kind  holistic way of making food and that is better for your health.

Not to mention the fact, they come in all kind of flavors! From Macadamia and Apricot, to almond and coconut. To peanut butter and strawberry, and the list goes on. They include three lines.The Fruit nut line,  the Kind Plus Line  which is packed with a nutritional boost,  than last but not least the healthy grains lines. Filled with ingredients such as whole grains amaranth, quinoa, oats, millet and buckwheat.

Totally a health benefit.

Since I found these kind nutrition bars I have loved them and will continue to eat more. They have become a staple for myself and family and great to give to kids.  I feel as if I have finally found my one true nutrition bar.

When you get a chance give Kind  a try, I promise you will love them.

Ready to give them a try, check them out here!