Connect the Dots Ginger | Becky Allen

Monday, February 13, 2017

Beginning Treadmill Interval Training

Some days it is just too cold outside to go running. To keep from getting bored on the treadmill you can do one of two things. First, use the personal TV on the machine, your phone or tablet to watching something or listen to your favorite personal development book so that you are working on yourself from the inside out to keep your brain occupied on something else. 

Secondly, do interval work. This keeps your body guessing and keeps your brain from losing focus. It also will test your endurance as it is a way to spike up your heart rate for short bursts of time then allow yourself to rest a little on the walking sections.


This is also good practice if you want to use this technique in a long distance race. Similar to the Galloway method of speed walking and sprinting for short periods of times. This training below is for beginners! 
You can adjust these speeds based on your current running level but the point it is to push yourself. Remember to listen to your body and if you have to skip an interval, then skip it but do as many as you can! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes

Source: Team Beachbody
Exclusively on Beachbody On Demand is the Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes episode with step by step directions to make these amazing, dye free, vegan cupcakes, and yes, they are still red just without the dye! Wanna check it out and some of what BOD has to offer FREE 30 day Trial of Beachbody on demand to try it out, or UPGRADE to the Standalone ALL ACCESS PASS to get access to every workout program and exclusive content! Option to bundle the ALL ACCESS PASS with Shakeology too so you can get MAX RESULTS! Plus get me as your coach to help you reach your goals, WIN, WIN, WIN!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Old Ways Won't Open New Doors

Know the saying, "You can't teach a dog new tricks." Well, that is not true. The yo-yo dieting cycle of reducing calories, exercising more, lose some weight, then stop doing everything only to gain the weight back, plus, needs to STOP! It doesn't work. It really doesn't. Why? Because it is too extreme of a change to sustain. Humans don't like change. And to completely change your lifestyle in such a drastic style just won't work. It didn't work for me, and I think if you are in here it probably didn't work for you either.

It's time to change how you think of losing weight.
Nutrition: It all starts with nutrition. Really! To lose weight you need to fill your body with healthy whole foods. Healthy food has more volume than junk food. So you will actually feel full sooner eating healthy foods compared to junk foods. Compare the calorie count of junk food to the calorie count of fruits and veggies. Think about it, how much junk food did you have to eat to feel full compared a large salad which is quite filling.

Exercise: Think of exercise as the way to make your body stronger, lean, defined. Not as your way to lose weight. That means, no more spending hours in the gym burning 1000 calories to counteract your calorie intake.
Don't Be Perfect: Doing a diet plan 100% doesn't work, or actually it only works for so long before you want to give in to a treat, or start making excuses. (21 Day Fix is so popular because it is only 21 days long and it is easier to follow a program that is short) Allow yourself to not be perfect. Eat healthy whole foods 80% of the time, and allow yourself an indulgent meal occasionally. and you won't feel guilty because it is allowed! I am following my program for the next 21 days, but agreed to let our Valentines Date be my off day. And honestly I am so excited for it! And I won't feel any guilt for it. Being 100% on nutrition and workouts just don't work for me! I have found that 90/10 or 80/20 is the best way to think about it for me.
Excerpt from my Love Yourself Fit ebook
Love yourself: In the end, this is a journey of bettering yourself. You have to love yourself first though. Don't forget to tell yourself how amazing you are!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

21 Day Fix: How The Containers Work

If you are new to the 21 Day Fix program, be sure to check out my Tips To Getting Started Post as well!

The hardest thing about losing weight is the FOOD PART OF IT! Nutrition. Healthy Eating. Clean Eating. Whatever you want to call it, that is the part that most people struggle with. Why??? Food is good. Food is AMAZING and it is yummy and IT IS HARD TO CHANGE HOW YOU EAT! Plus, restaurants are serving up huge portion sizes that are enough for 2-3 people most times and sometimes the portion sizes we eat at home are too big. And for me, I grew up in a household where you had to eat all your food. So combine HUGE PORTIONS with the thought of having to clean your plate, leads to over eating.

The Color Coded Containers were created to solve the problem of over eating and make learning portion control easy and fun without having to count calories. If the food fits in the container and it's on the approved food list, you can eat it!

How the 21 Day Fix Containers Work

There are six colors for each type of food group:
The green container is for vegetables. These can be cooked or raw, sliced or chopped. Some examples include lettuces, kale, squash, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Go ahead and really squish the lettuce into there to create a nice big salad! This is the only container that I personally suggest that you can a) squish full of and b) eat more of during a day. We all could use more veggies!
The purple container is for fruits. Berries can easily fit into this container as can grapes and cherries, but you’ll want to cut larger fruits like watermelon, or fruits with pits, like peaches.
The red container is for protein. Fill it with chicken breast, yogurt, eggs, tofu, or shellfish. For some of the other protein, consult the food list in your guide.
The yellow container: carbs & starches. This is where you’ll fit in foods like rice, beans, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain pasta into your diet. No squishing of foods here, please! For foods that don’t easily fit into your container such as waffles and tortillas, the portion amounts are in your 21 Day Fix guide.
The blue container is for healthy fats. Mashed avocado, nuts, cheese, and hummus are just a few of the things you can put in this container.
The orange container is for seeds and dressings. It is the smallest and is used for calorie-dense foods like seeds, olives, coconut, and 21 Day Fix-approved dressings.
There is also a teaspoon measurement included in the 21 Day Fix program, and this is for oils and butters, such as olive oil and peanut butter.
How To Use Them
First, take a look at the calorie bracket chart to figure out how many containers of each color you should eat each day for your calorie range. Once you know that then and you know what goes in the containers, it’s time to use them. Use the first 2 weeks to use the containers every single day so you can truly see how much you are supposed to eat and help you learn portion control!  If you’re paying attention to macronutrient percentages, you’ll notice that the plan is roughly 40% carbohydrates, 30%protein, and 30% fat.
Feel free to mix and match foods in each container too. Have some 1/2 yellow of rice and 1/2 a yellow of quinoa at lunch to give you 1 full yellow container.
I personally measure out the portion in the containers and then empty the container out onto a plate or into a bowl then rinse them out so they are ready to go next time I need them.

Why the 21 Day Fix Container System Works
Containers in action over at my 21 Day Fix Approved South-Western Egg Cups Recipe

No counting calories. Just count and follow how many containers you use a day. And it’s a lot easier to keep track of three green containers than x number of calories.
It is plenty of food. Often when people begin this program, they find that they’re full even before they’ve finished all their container portions for the day. That’s because healthy food has more volume than junk food. If you find you find this is the case for you, only eat what you can, but make sure to eat a little from all the containers instead of just filling up on your favorite kind and avoiding what you like the least. Start with your red and green containers on your plate, leaving your yellows for last if you find you are getting too full. It can take a week or two for your body to get used to the volume of food you will be eating, which is the correct amount of healthy food that you want to fill your body with!
It teaches you how much you really need! Portion control is about moderation and being aware of what you’re eating. The containers help you do this. After you’ve completed your first 21 days, you’ll have a good idea of how many fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats you should be eating every day.
Need some ideas on what to eat? Check out the perfect companion for your containers to get amazing meals, the FIXATE cookbook. Has options for Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, and it isn't just for the containers. It does have the nutritional info for each meal in it including macronutrients counts. Good, healthy eating is what this book is all about and I use it ALL THE TIME! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

4 Month Postpartum Update


Exercise: For the past 4 weeks I have been doing a combo of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day fix Extreme. I started adding Extreme in half way through the month. I have been using my Beachbody On Demand. Feeling so accomplished that I get to move on to the extreme workouts. Schedule I have been following is:  

Recovery: Good. I haven't had any bleeding since the end of November. Which I thought I was back on a regular cycle but I guess I'm not. Way not! 
Weight: Pre-pregnancy weight:237.7. Weight morning of birth: 264.8. Current weight February 1: 243.9. I lost a total of 1.6 pounds. I was aiming for min of 2 pounds lost, max of 4. I did lose a lot of inches though, so I am quite pleased with that. Adding in the strength training. I already am feeling much stronger. 


Next Months Goals: I am still aiming to lose .5-1 pound a week since I am breastfeeding. I think that that is a safe amount to lose without sacrificing my supply but also making sure I am eating enough "good stuff". Goal for eating is to follow the meal plan 90% of the time, allowing our Valentine's Dinner to be my only "off meal". In all honestly, the accountability from sharing my journey and in my groups is what is keeping me going everyday. I have a natural drive to exercise and eat right, but I have even more of a kick to just KICK BUTT and show everyone that it is possible to lose weight while breastfeeding. (interested in joining my private support groups? Send me an email or comment below!)
Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!
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