Living Smart Girl

Pace Yourself

2012-02-09T14:26:46Z

From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Thursday, February 09, 2012

Pace Yourself

Believe it or not, your muscles do not get stronger during your workout; it’s after the workout that they grow and develop. Intense strength training places huge demands on your muscles. To adapt to those demands, your muscles need adequate recovery time to rebuild and get stronger. As important as it is to stay the course and not get lazy, it’s just as important to know when to cut yourself a break so you don’t burn out, and your body has a chance to process all of the work you’re doing.

Do not train a muscle group more than twice a week, and make sure it rests between training sessions. I want you to have at least two days in between training the same muscle groups. When you work a muscle, the muscle fibers tear. Given the proper rest and discovery, your muscle fibers will repair themselves and grow leaner and stronger. But if you train the muscle too soon and impede its recovery, you can damage the muscle and break it down.

Additionally, you should never exercise intensely for more than two hours at a time. When you hear some buff celebrity talking about how he trained six hours straight a day to get ready for his latest action movie, he’s talking a load of embellished bull that makes the ordinary person feel totally inferior. We have lives, we can’t possibly do that! However, spending that much time working out is not only impossible, it would be counterproductive, as it would throw the body into a state of overtraining and make it more prone to metabolize its own lean muscle tissue for energy.

Living Smart Girl ~ A Healthy Way to an Organic You ~

Sheila

Join our Fitness Challenge ~

http://livingsmartgirl.myvi.net

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Craving Butterfinger Candy Bars?

2012-02-08T21:27:15Z

Stop denying yourself of the sweet treats in life and
make it yourself!!

ViSalus offers so many amazing, yummy,
low calorie shake combinations that
one will never be bored or run out of things to try.

Check out all the other amazing shake recipes
I have posted ~ click here

Are you ready to make a change for the better?
For as little as $49 (plus tax & sh) you can enjoy 1 shake
a day and be on your way to a new you.
Join the Body by Vi Challenge.
You will feel great inside and out.

Contact me for information or visit my site and watch
the video’s. Millions of people can’t be wrong ~
So what’s stopping you from taking that step?

Replace one or two meals a day with a shake and
and watch your body change right before your eyes.

7 Fast & Free Slimming Secrets!
You’ve heard all the hype, the gimmicks, the mystical ancient tricks that are supposed to be your
shortcuts to lasting weight loss success… If only it were that easy, right?
The one thing we do know is that healthy, lasting weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, but it is
something you can have if you follow the right plan. However you decide to begin your weight loss
journey, take a moment to read the tips below and keep them in mind along the way.

1DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
Did you know that 74% of adults are dehydrated?
This can slow metabolism 3–5%, and keep the
pounds on. Another reason to drink plenty of fluids is that
37% of people can confuse thirst as hunger. So drink plenty
of fluids, including Neuro™, and you’ll have healthy energy
and help your body flush out toxins, feel fuller, and help your
metabolism too.

2EAT PROTEIN
Protein is a key way to help keep blood sugars
level, and keep you from getting hungry. But not
all protein is created equal. The Tri-Sorb™ protein in ViSalus
products were specially designed to help you retain and build
lean muscle, and burn fat. other brands use gelatin, milk
powder, or other proteins that may be great for skin or hair or
nails, but won’t help you burn fat or boost muscle like ViSalus.

3EAT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Did you know that 83% of adults don’t eat enough
fruit every day, and 72% don’t get enough
vegetables? These are critical to losing weight as they fill you
up, provide healthy antioxidants and fiber, and are low in
calories. You can ‘eat more’ and weigh less by adding fruits and
vegetables to your diet.

4AVOID THE COLOR BEIGE
Did you know that beige foods tend to be high in
carbohydrates and calories, but low in nutrition?
Bread, rice, and pasta may taste great, but they can add up
to more calories, and more fat. one cup of refried beans can
be 500 calories! You could eat almost 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables, and still not reach 500 calories. So avoid beige,
add color to your plate and you’ll lose weight.

5GET SOME SLEEP!
Too little sleep, and your body won’t function
and you’ll gain and retain weight. Maybe it’s a
coincidence, but 68% of us don’t get 8 hours of sleep per
night, and almost the same percent is overweight. Sleep, and
you’re body will de-stress, de-tox, and retain less cortisol to
make you gain weight.

6PORTION SIZES COUNT
The average plate of food is 2–3 times larger in
size and calories than just 30 years ago. Did you
know that a serving size of protein is the same size as your
computer mouse? Two cups of mixed greens should be about
the size of two baseballs. A serving of fruit the size of a tennis
ball. A serving of butter or cheese the size of a dice. Little
tricks can help you keep portions under control, and help you
lose weight.

7EXERCISE!!!
The best way to boost metabolism, boost mood,
and boost weight loss is to exercise. Simple tricks
like go for a 10 minute walk, 3 times a day can help you lose
weight, build muscle, and look better.

And Remember… It’s the inches—not the
pounds. Many people look to lose pounds, but that can
be misleading. Did you know that 1 lb. of fat is the size
of a large grapefruit? 1 lb. of lean muscle the size of a
small tangerine. By boosting exercise you’ll lose inches,
but may not lose pounds. But this is good, as muscle
burns more calories and can help keep you healthier.
So don’t focus on the scale, focus on how your clothes
fit. That’s’ the true test of weight loss.

Valentines Date Night with KY

2012-02-08T03:30:40Z

A dozen roses. A heart-shaped box of chocolates. A pair of diamond earrings. No.. how about a night of passion, love making and the two of you forgetting about everything around you and just sinking into each other. Now doesn’t that sound like more fun, and way less expensive than the other stuff. Who says diamonds are a girls best friend? My best friend is my husband and I would much rather have him all to myself for a night than any of the other stuff.

So, why not light some candles, put on some of your favorite music, slip into a sexy little outfit and let yourself go. But wait.. don’t forget the K-Y. Start out the evening with a nice massage for each other. You can use the Yours and Mine Kissable or the 2 in 1 Warming Touch Massage & Lubricant. After the massage you can use any of the other great lubricants K-Y has to offer. Maybe the Intrigue or the Intense. No matter what you pick, K-Y will be a hit for your Valentine’s evening.

I was excited to open my Date Night Box I received.

It came complete with the Yours and Mine and the Warming Touch Lubricant as
well as a Seasons of Love book. The book is for your guide to a better sex life.
Many tips to keep the romance alive during the year and the different holidays.

Plus, it came with a $10 off coupon for 2 movie tickets. Hubby and I will be using those this coming weekend and pretending it is Valentines Day on Friday since he works on Valentine’s Day and I have a dentist appointment. So.. we will just have to enjoy our day a bit sooner. Not complaining at all!!

So stop at your local store and grab yourself some K-Y before your next date night. You will thank me.. and thank K-Y.

sweetriot RiotBar Review

2012-02-08T20:55:00Z

sweetriot riotBar

Best known for it’s original, all natural treats made with actual cacao beans, sweetriot is a small mission based company in NYC which strives to build tasty little morsels for a different generation. And now, they have taken their delicious dark chocolate and created a portion control friendly bar. Called.. riotBar!

The riotBar is available in Pure 60% Dark Chocolate with Crunch Nibs, Pure 70% Dark Chocolate and Pure 85% Dark Chocolate.

sweetRiot products are healthy, organic, packed with antioxidants, free of gluten or dairy ingredients, contain 20 to 21 calories per square and are low in sugar. And, the packaging is recyclable with limited edition artwork by emerging artists. Plus they are the only chocolate company to offset all of it’s carbon emissions.

I am in love with the 60% Dark Chocolate for a snack/treat bar. The other two are a touch to bitter for me so I use them in my smoothies. A few squares and a tablespoon of almond butter make a great addtions to my morning ViSalus Shakes.

Check out sweetriot and grab yourself some chocolate for Valentines Day.

Time to get your Phix

2012-02-08T02:35:57Z

Have you tried Phix yet? OH MY.. if you haven’t you really need to! I love it! And, was so excited when I opened my mailbox one day and found a bunch of samples of new flavors Yeah!! I got a stick of each ~ Peach, Black Cherry, Berry Grape, Tropic Berry, Lemon Vanilla and Grapefruit. Well, I have to say my favorite is the Lemon Vanilla and then Grapefruit in second.

Phix Energy is a sophisticated,natural energy drink mix blending green tea antioxidants, energy-restoring NADH, and yerba maté for enhanced vigor, plus we add vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling healthy. Our natural energy drinks give you an immediate lift, but unlike other energy drink mix products, there are no spikes, jitters, or crashes. Phix Energy is smooth and sustained energy designed to give you a natural boost day in and day out. Try Phix natural energy drinks, which come in a variety of flavors.

Get a free sample of Phix for yourself ~ Click Here

I also love that they offer a Sleep Phix.

And right now until Feb 14th if you order Phix you can take 25% off your order.
Click Here to order and use coupon code Valentines12 when you checkout.

Enjoy ~ I am off to get my Phix

Navitas Naturals Review

2012-02-08T02:14:03Z

Since 2003, Navitas Naturals has been helping people achieve optimal nutrition to fuel a busy lifestyle.
Health-conscious consumers choose our organic superfoods because they are a rich, whole food source of antioxidants,
protein, essential fats, and other key minerals and nutrients. All of our products are certified organic.

Navitas Naturals is a company that carries a very interesting array of products. They specialize in organic and wild crafted functional foods. Their premium quality “superfoods” are always free of additives and trans fats; the absence of these elements speaking to the purity and effectiveness of the products.

I received a huge box of goodies to try and at first was a bit confused. I had never seen foods like this so wasn’t sure what I was to do with them. I got some Cacao Goji Power Snacks, Organic Mulberries, Organic Cacao beans, Organic 3 Berry Trail mix and some Cacao Lip Balms. (love the lip balms)

The first thing I tried was the Cacao Goji Power Snacks. Well… I popped one in my mouth and back out it came. Yikes.. what was it. The consistency, the taste.. it was not like anything I had eaten. But, I tried again.. and after having a couple of them I did sorta decide I liked them. But, what I do like is throwing a couple in my morning smoothies. Now that rocks!!

I do like the trail mix and the mulberries. Different, but good.

The Cacao beans, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Those I do also use in my smoothies. One can’t eat them alone as they are not sweet at all, so they are best to use in things.

One thing I really like about this company is all the recipes you will find on their site. That is nice since they do sell unique things and so it gives you an idea of what to use these “good for you” ingredients for.

Check them out ~ You will love their selection.

Emotional Eating

2012-02-03T14:06:17Z

From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Friday, February 03, 2012

Let Go of the Trigger

Okay, go grab a notebook or journal. It’s time to start getting real about your emotional eating. Sure, it can be a vicious cycle if you allow it to progress, but I’m going to show you a quick little trick to help you understand your behaviors and break the destructive pattern. Let’s go.

Below are two questions. For a week, before you eat anything, whether it’s dinner or a small snack, I want you to answer these two questions in your journal. Sound easy? Well, you might be surprised. By doing this, you’ll be able to quickly tell if you’ve got real hunger or if your emotions are what’s causing you to reach for a bunch of junk you know you don’t need — or even really want.

1. Are you hungry?
Are you experiencing any physiological conditions that are signaling to you that you are hungry? Is your stomach growling? Do you feel weak or tired? Has it been longer than three or four hours since you last ate? If you concentrate on answering these questions, it will be very easy to determine whether you are genuinely, physically hungry or whether you are eating for a different reason. If you’ve determined that you are hungry, then it’s time to eat. If not, it’s time for the next question.

2. Are you depressed or anxious?
Did you just get into a fight? Are you anxious about a work-related deadline? Whatever it might be, write down what you’re feeling and why you think you’re feeling it. Getting in touch with your emotions here is critical. If you can’t, you’re going to have an incredibly difficult time reaching your weight loss goals. Dig deep, and get it in writing.

Bad Fitness Habits You Need To Break

2012-02-02T22:26:41Z

Being a fitness minded gal I see and hear about so many bad habits and bad choices that people do these days that can affect
their long term health. If you’re guilty of any one of these, it’s time to make a change.

Running on ‘E’ Before a Workout

The old theory used to be that you should train on an empty stomach in order to burn more fat. There are conflicting studies on whether this is true, but I’m in the camp that believes you should give your body fuel before you push it to the max. In fact, your body needs some glucose (blood sugar) for fuel in addition to what it can use from fat stores when you’re working out. If you don’t have any blood sugar available, your body can eat it’s own muscle tissue to get glycogen for fuel once it runs out of available blood sugar or glycogen stores. Low blood sugar will also make you tired and sluggish — and maybe even dizzy — during your training session.

Most studies show that working out on an empty stomach will make you perform worse and keep you from having an intense workout. I suggest you eat something 45 minutes to an hour before training — you’ll have more energy and endurance to work harder, burn more calories, and improve your muscle tone. Quick healthy low-fat yogurt with berries, a banana, or spread a few tablespoons of natural almond butter on apple slices. These are quick, healthy snacks that will provide your body with the fuel it needs for a hard-core workout.

Skipping Your Stretches

We were taught years ago to sit or stand and stretch one muscle group at a time before we train. Contrary to popular belief, that type of stretching is best saved for AFTER your workout, when your muscles are warmed up. To warm up the right way, perform 5-10 minutes of cardio (jog, elliptical, stationary bike, jump rope or jumping jacks etc.), then some form of dynamic stretching.

Stick with me here — dynamic stretching is basically stretching with motion, so your body gets a chance to warm up the muscles slowly and in a functional way. Think arm circles, leg swings and so on, but be sure not to bounce the stretch as you risk injury when you ballistic stretch. One of my favorite methods of dynamic stretching is butt kicks — here’s how you do ‘em:

Butt Kicks

Purpose: To stretch your quads.
The stretch: This can be done walking or jogging. As you walk or jog, exaggerate the knee bend so that you are trying to kick yourself in the butt. You want your knee to point straight to the ground as your heel comes toward your butt. Keep your arms pumping in the normal running motion.
Key point: The higher you get your heel and the more you keep your knee toward the ground (instead of coming up in front of you with hip flexion), the more of a quad stretch you’ll get.

Avoiding Strength Training

Don’t get me wrong, cardio is GREAT for your body. It gets your heart rate up, burns a lot of calories, and works a lot of muscles. But it’s not the most effective way to burn the MOST calories. I’m a huge advocate of high-intensity circuit training and I use cardio intervals in my circuits in my online workouts and in my DVDs. A circuit is a series of exercises performed one after the other (about four to five) with little or no rest in between. For example, if you’re doing push-ups, you’re incorporating your shoulders, triceps, chest, and abs, and then you can go straight from your push-up set into a set of lunges. You’ve changed the muscle groups you’re working, but you haven’t stopped exercising.

Then you add high-intensity training (HIT) into the mix by throwing an intense cardio interval into your resistance-training circuits. For example, you add a minute of jumping rope, sprinting, or doing jumping jacks to jack up your heart rate and burn a ton of calories, and then you go back into the resistance-training sets. This way, you maximize BOTH your time and your calorie burn. When a set of these moves are done, you go back to the beginning and do them again before moving on to the next circuit.

A typical circuit-training workout will get your heart rate up and impact a variety of muscles — not just one body part. Then, you can constantly switch up your circuits to hit different areas of the body. Ladies, don’t be afraid to add free weights into your routine! I hate it when women are hesitant to use weights because they’re afraid of bulking up. Lifting weights is a critical way to boost your fat-burning potential and you won’t bulk up unless you are lifting EXTREMELY heavy weights and eating far more calories than you are burning. I recommend you start with a weight you can lift with good form for 12 to 16 repetitions.

Getting Stuck in a Workout Rut

Often people have a routine that they do in the gym every time they go. This is bad for many reasons, most importantly of which your body will stop progressing. You see, your body adapts to the stimulus you subject it to. If you don’t constantly change up your workout then you cheat your body of opportunities to get more fit. Think about it, you haven’t trained in months and you do 20 squats. Well, the next day you’ll be sore, but if you do 20 squats for 10 days in a row, by day 10 you won’t be sore. That’s because your body has adapted to it.

So, make sure that at least every two you weeks you change your routine. Try changing the types of exercises you are doing and playing with the amount of sets, reps, and weights you are lifting. Also, try adding new classes to your regimen like a spin class at Flywheel, boxing, CrossFit, bar method, dance, yoga, kettlebells etc. By training in different ways, your body becomes more efficient, well rounded, and less prone to injury. Break out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Phoning It In

The intensity of your workout is crucial to burn fat. If you want results you need to give it your all. You give what you get! Forget about the “target fat burning zone”. As I mentioned earlier, to get results fast intensity is key.

Get your heart rate up and working at 85 percent of your maximum. To calculate your maximum heart rate, if you’re a woman, subtract your age from 220. If you’re a man, subtract your age from 226. That number is your maximum heart rate in beats per minute. The ONLY time I give you permission to decrease the intensity is if you feel that you’re working too hard to maintain proper form, which is a sure path to injury.

Not Knowing Your Limits

On the flipside of underperforming, is pushing yourself too hard. You always need to understand and be aware of your limitations. Injuring yourself can put you out of the game for weeks! Make sure to take the time to use proper form. If it’s a really hard one, try a modification of the exercise.

If you injure a part of your body, you can still work around the injury (after consulting a doctor!), but there are some key points to remember. Generally speaking, if you have sustained an injury in your upper body, such as a rotator-cuff injury or torn biceps, for example, you can most likely do high-intensity, lower-body cardio like running, step, jump rope, elliptical, spinning, and so on. You can also continue to do exercises for your lower body, such as lunges, squats, leg presses, or dead lifts.

If your injury is in your lower extremities — knees, ankles, feet, shins, or calves — try low-impact forms of cardio such as swimming, recumbent biking, rowing, and shadow boxing with light weights in each hand. Again, generally speaking, you can also continue to do resistance-training moves for your upper body, such as back, chest, abs, and arm exercises.

Article from Jillian Michaels .com

Metabolism and Hormones

2012-02-02T22:18:58Z

Sharing a great article ~ From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels

Metabolism and Your Hormones

I haven’t gone soft on the importance of exercise or watching calories, but what I’ve discovered over the years is that a healthy metabolism (and essentially, healthy hormones!) is the key to changing your life — much more than just getting skinny. I’m talking about adding years of quality to your life.

We all know that fad diets are a thing of the past (or at least I hope we do!). The no-carb, no-fat crazes of the eighties and nineties are scientific laughingstocks and pop-culture dinosaurs. Now that you’re living in the present, I want to let you in on the secret that will keep your body healthy and hot naturally: hormones.

So what do hormones have to do with anything? If I were to ask you what your metabolism is, would you say, “It’s the way my body burns calories”? If so, you’re wrong! That’s what your metabolism does, not what it is.

The correct answer is, your metabolism is your biochemistry. And that biochemistry is run by means of the chemical messengers known as hormones. Hormones tell you that you’re hungry, full, when to eat, and what to do with your food (whether to burn it or store it). And when you exercise, hormones tell your body how to move and consume energy stores. Hormones control almost every aspect of how we gain weight — and how we can lose it.

The scary part is that your hormones — and by definition, your metabolism — are being set up to fail. Without you even knowing it, your hormones have been hijacked by toxin-filled, nutritionally deficient, stress-dominated foods — endocrine disruptors — that cause obesity and disease. It’s time to target and eliminate these endocrine disruptors and replace them with the hormone-positive foods that make you healthy, happy, and skinny, no matter how old you are.

Weight Lifting for Women

2012-02-02T18:13:24Z

When you think of women lifting weights what is the first thing to come to mind? For me it used to be the image of a huge muscular looking woman that looks to much like a man. Ewwww… that is not the kind of “buff” I am looking for. Well, it took me a few years to realize that just because that is the look for some, it doesn’t have to be the look for me. I want to be long and lean, with nice muscle definition. Found a great article to share ~from FitnessBlackandWhite.com

Some women who go to the gym to workout want to get ripped and/or buff — just like the guys. This is probably not the type of feminine look that most women are going for though. Usually, the goal of weight lifting for women is to get a nice “womanly” figure while slimming down and firming up. For women to get this look instead of a more masculine look, it takes a different approach to lifting weights than what you are most likely used to. In fact, chances are that even most personal trainers are not teaching the proper techniques for women to get this look because they don’t realize how.

In my opinion women should look like women and men should look like, well — men. What is sad is that many women who go to the gym will actually pay an instructor to train them to get a nice feminine look and to get in shape. My guess is that the majority of these professional trainers are giving horrible advice about weight lifting for women.

Weight Lifting For Women

When approaching a workout, men and women have much different goals and much different thoughts in their mind as to what they want to achieve. Many times, a man is going to workout to get buff, ripped or strong — generally speaking.

Women, on the other hand, seem to want to get slim, firm and fit without looking manly — the Bond Girl look.

Because of these differences in goals there are some key items that a woman should keep in mind in regards to weight lifting and working out.

Do not do any “forced” reps
Do not lift to “feel the burn”
Do take longer rests

These three items all relate to an effect that weight lifting for women should not create — fatigue in the muscle and therefore muscle growth.

Bad Advice For Women Lifting Weights

Probably the #1 most commonly taught piece of bad advice for women who want to lift weights has to do with the amount of sets, reps and weight. I would be surprised if the majority of women don’t think that they need to lift light weights as many times as possible to get that slim and toned look. Forget lifting a little heavier and with less reps because that builds muscle mass. Right? Wrong.

The best way way to build muscle mass (for women or men) is to lift a high volume of reps and to focus on volume. Meaning, you could be doing around 4-5 sets at 10-15 reps.

In order to do so many reps of so many sets, you’re naturally going to have to use a lighter weight. Also, many times you are going to be quite exhausted by the end of your set. You may have to really push yourself or your personal trainer may be pushing you to get in those last 2-3 reps. All of this is the opposite of what you should do to avoid adding size.

Weight Lifting For Women To Get A Feminine Look

Now that we know what not to do, here are a few key points on how weight lifting for women can create a nice, feminine look.

Basically you want to do “strength training” workouts. I know, it sounds funny because women don’t necessarily want to get stronger because it seems that your muscles need to grow in size to get stronger but they don’t.

When I am training for definition and less for muscle mass, I actually increase the weight and lift fewer reps.

Doing this makes your muscles more dense but does not make them any larger — which I think is a good thing for a woman.

An Example Strength Training Workout For Women

The overall amount of reps that you will do is going to be a bit less than you’re probably used to. The common (and bad) set and rep scheme given to women lifting weights is 3 sets of 10 reps. Usually this is done fairly quickly too — all bad.

Instead of doing a total of 30 reps per exercise, you’ll be doing a total of 20 reps. Also, you’ll be spacing out the reps so that your muscle can recover from one exercise to the next — this prevents muscle fatigue and therefore growth in the muscle size.

Day 1 – Chest & Back
Day 2 – Shoulders & Arms
Day 3 – Abs
Day 4 – Chest & Back
Day 5 – Shoulders & Arms
Day 6 – Abs
Day 7 – Rest

You should pick two exercises that you like for each muscle group and you should do 4 sets of 5 reps for each exercise and rest about 1-2 minutes between each set.

I have started my toning plan about a year ago. Slow go for me because of life.. (yeah, no excuse!) Well, I had a photo shoot last spring and was pleased with parts of my body but knew I had a long way to go still. Unfortunately I slacked off for a few months, but am now back at it hard. I just got a home gym and am so excited as that will now bring me to my next fitness level. Woot Woot!!

Here are some of my pics I was happy with. I may not be ready for a fitness competition, but am happy with what I have achieved!