I am having such a hard time getting into working out right now. It seems like as soon as I start getting into it something gets in my way. I am trying to coordinate workouts between work, school, boyfriend, and seeing family, not to mention homework and sleep that I have to to fit in somewhere. Well, I had finally started getting a routine down, and was actually on my treadmill several times! Then I hurt my foot. I am not sure what is wrong with it yet, but I have a guess. I was diagnosed with something called Friebergs disease when I was about 13. Basically it's where the bone in my second toe starts to deteriorate and creates spurs that poke my muscles. Yes it is very painful, but only when pressure is put on it, so as long as I am sitting I am not in pain. I am still trying to do some ab and arm workouts, but without the cardio I won't burn the fat. I can't get in the pool and swim for too much longer (and it's hard to do that late at night in the dark too). Hope you all are doing well and beating your obstacles!
Another week has passed us by! The weekend is over, and it's time to start fresh again. How was the first week of September for all of you? I had an amazing week. It was a perfect food and exercise week-- meaning I was within cals everyday, I made mostly healthy choices, and exercised 5 days! I completed my first week of C10k training [couch to 10k]. I couldn't be more excited! It's a 13 week program so I'm hoping to do a run sometime in December! More on this later.
This post will not be comprehensive on the topic, but I really want to talk about sweat. I love sweat. First of all, it's a great way for your body to rid itself of toxins. It's completely natural. But I feel like we, especially as women, have been brainwashed to believe that we have to look perfect all the time. I know some girls feel insecure about working out because they "sweat more than normal." We see fitness videos of women with perfect bodies showing us 2 or 3 reps of something we are doing 20 of, and they have perfect hair and makeup. Magazines, even fitness magazines, show women in perfect outfits, with perfect bodies, and are completely airbrushed.
I just really want girls to know that sweating is good for you. It's a natural function of the body. It's beautiful in the way that tears are beautiful. It's how our bodies work. Sweating is sexy. It shows courage and hard work and perseverance and determination and effort. And it's OK.
I'm working on a "sweat like you mean it campaign" and while I don't know what all this entails yet, I would LOVE if you fellow fitness men and women would send in photos of your real workouts. The kind where you are grungy and sweaty and your hair is wet and your face has no makeup. Let's show the world that sweating is beautiful, and that women are beautiful without being all made up. With permission I'll share your photos on my blog. Let's be a community that builds each other up and that is REAL. We are not airbrushed. We are real people with real lives who sweat.
I love sweat. I love the word and I love talking about it. Send your photos dear friends! I might even do a drawing and a giveaway [working on the details].
AHHHH!! I (Karen) have started school again for the first time in years! I am still working full time and it's very hard to keep up with the diet, but I am doing decently well so far. The only thing I am struggling with is snacks during school hours. I don't have a place to keep things cool, and I can't take food or drinks into my classes, so anything I bring has to be able to sit in the car until I get a break, or I buy it from the vending machine which I am trying super hard not to do! I am in class for 6 hours with just a few minutes of a break! Any ideas on some healthy filling snacks I can bring that do not require refrigeration are more than welcome! Please keep positive thoughts for me starting this very exciting venture in my life!
And a little late, but here is our official weigh-in photo from September 1st, 2013.
How was Labor Day weekend for you? I hope you were able to relax, let loose, and eat good food. I was able to enjoy the company of some sweet sister-like friends that I've known since we were all toddlers. We went swimming, painted our nails, and grabbed a glass of wine and a turkey burger at a local eatery. The day ended in a perfect sunset.
On the fitness front, Karen & I have started training for our couch to 10k program (C10k) and are very excited to be working out full time again!
The program is a walking/running interval program and we use the iPhone app called "Run 10k" for anyone interested.
I have created a "fitness calendar" for myself for the month of September to make sure I am moving my body every day (with the exception of my rest days.)
So far it's working out well and I've completed my first week of the program and I couldn't feel better.
I've been struggling with weight gain (not muscle related-- stomach bloating) even with my new changes, so I'm hoping as I continue my routine things will start going better!
All in all, things are falling into place and it was a wonderful weekend with great choices, amazing friends, and a refreshing start to a new month!
TFS is changing it's format and there will be some site changes coming soon too! We're excited to get back in the swing of things with summer wrapping up towards the end of this month.
Yvonne is taking a short break from the blogosphere as her two toddlers are keeping her extra busy lately, but Karen & I [Meg] will be here strong as ever. You can expect "letters to you"-- [our new format] several times a week + weigh-in photos & recipes as we discover new ones ourselves.
We will do our best to post body photos too & share all our exercise plans with you.
Each month we will have a NON SCALE challenge (sometimes multiple ones) that you can join in & share your experiences. This month's challenge is tracking calories/food every day.
Karen & I have set new goals which should put as at our goal weights by Christmas 2014 & July 2015 respectively. Yes, these are realistic long term goals. We hope you are part of our journey!
It's been awhile since we've been doing regular weigh-ins, for various reasons. But as promised, we are back! This is our official reboot!
Our weights are as follows:
{{Karen}} 154.8 - "I really need to start exercising regularly, because diet alone is not working for me anymore." Karen wants to lose 20 pounds.
{{Yvonne}} 200.5 - "Only half a pound to the 100s. So close!" Yvonne wants to lose 40 pounds.
{{Megan}} 242.6 - "This summer is my time to take my body back. No more excuses, ever." Megan wants to lose 77 pounds.
There are some big changes happening with us here at T.F.S. and I'll be talking about them soon. In the mean time, stay well my friends! Remember to put into your body what you want to get out of it. You wouldn't poison an animal or a plant so don't poison your body with toxic foods. <3
What have I been doing? Turning thirty, that's what. Turning thirty and getting ready to graduate from college {{I did it!}} and preparing for life as a "real adult." I honestly feel really good! Stressed out? Yes. But I feel like this is my time. I'm going to embrace my thirties and believe that amazing things are in store for me.
So, here are some highlights from my retro 80s party! Enjoy.
The Girls ;)
The Pacman Cake- Thanks Sissy!
The Boys
Haha, I don't know.
Smiles!
Me & Michael having our moment.
Such good times with amazing friends and family. <3
I just wanted to share this with you, although not related to fitness, let's just keep it all real. I'm ready for this new journey into thirty, and I'm ready to take control of my life again (it has not been easy for me lately & I will write more about some food struggles soon.)
We are so sorry that we've missed a couple of weigh-ins, dear friends! This past weekend I was out of town, but we did manage to do our weigh in, which officially brings us to week 19.
Karen and I [[Megan]] have been maintaining their weight while Yvonne has lost 4 pounds! Look how close she is to the ONEderland! We are extremely excited to see what the next couple of weeks bring.
So much has been happening, and although we've been behind-- and although this post will remain short-- we have a bunch of fun posts coming up soon! If you want to see Meg & Yvonne all dressed up in 80s attire for Meg's dirty thirty, stay tuned!
I have been trying to help a friend of mine lose weight, and She gets all pumped for about a week or two, then just gives up. I always get so frustrated with her for not keeping up with it all. This time was no different, she lost 10 pounds in the first three weeks then said its too hard to keep track of her food, that she is too tired to work out at the end of the day, that she has other stuff to do. I was so mad! I took all this time out of my life to show her how to track all her food, get apps on her phone, and even give her work out plans.. I was very encouraging and helpful, and what does she do, just give up?? It really hurt my feelings... Then I got to thinking.. I haven't been doing what I should be doing either.. I had been eating like crap, not working out and just not caring. Sure I had "good" reasons for not working out as I had an injury, but I could have found some way to work out! I hadnt been eating right, because I started my new job and didnt have the time.. I could have made better choices! So I have realized, I am just like her, I just dont have anyone that is helping me that I am frustrating for making bad choices... So what shall I do now? I shall make the right choices, the smart choices, the HEALTHY choices! what are you going to do? <3 Karen
Can you believe we're already in week 16? This is also our measurements week, but they will be posted in a separate blog post later this week [hopefully by wednesday!]
I just want to give some totals for everyone who is just joining the site. It has definitely been a rough four months and we all feel like we should have made better progress during this amount of time. From our first weigh in until today this is what's gone on:
//Karen has maintained her weight during this time //
//Yvonne has lost a total of about 13 pounds //
//Megan has lost a total of about 8 pounds//
This is still progress and we've worked really hard to make healthy changes and not to gain any weight. We've also had non-scale victories which we will discuss later this week! Those are important!
So let's go ahead and recap this week!
{{Karen}} lost 1.4 lbs since last week. She is working on maintaining a regular exercise schedule and drinking more water.
{{Yvonne}} is up slightly from last week, but is acknowledging that it is her monthly cycle and knows she can bring it back down soon!
{{Megan}} is down 1.6 lbs since last week. She's been focusing on healthy food choices while at class all day, and maintaining an exercise schedule of at least 4-5x / week.
We look forward to the continual progress and hope to see more consistent results as the next couple of months before summer approaches!
We live every day, doing our normal {{routine}} getting up, eating breakfast, going to work or school, come home eat dinner, try to get a work out in, and go to bed. Today as I sit at home watching out my window, the thunderstorm that is passing thru, drinking some tea and watching a movie, I am thinking about the daily routine we go thru.
We have to be the {{change}} we want! We have to do the things we want, when we want! Go out and do something, go dance in the rain! Go ride your bike in on the beach, sing on the porch, do anything as long as its for your self! We are too often caught up in just surviving our day to day lives.
What will happen when you do this? It will make you feel better, make you want to be healthier! Make you a much happier person in general! and happy people lose weight faster then sad and depressed people!
So let what ever storm happening in your life be the reminder you may need to get up and make your life the way you want it to be.
We are so sorry that we missed our last weigh in!! We have all been super busy! <3 How are you all doing on your journey to good health? We hope you're doing well and we'd love to hear from you!
It's been a bit hectic this week because Karen has been working 6 days a week, Yvonne has been busy with her rambunctious two year old, and Megan is trying to get good grades at school so is studying her butt off! Although we are so excited that she has gotten into rock climbing!
We'll keep it short and break it down for you!
{{Karen}} Gain of 1.8 pounds, which was to be expected with all the crap I ate for my birthday! Starting back on track full force!
{{Yvonne}} Down 3.2 pounds! Way to go! Got that grove going!!
{{Megan}} Maintained... She says "I'm actually really happy with this. "Since I was on prednisone 2 weeks ago, and I have been doing the rock climbing I know I have gained a ton of muscle wait!"
We are really loving doing the challenges every month, and can't wait to show off the results of them! Please feel free to share your results too!
Did you all notice the extra day off the work out today??? Did you wonder why? It is because it was Karen's {{BIRTHDAY}} I am now in my 30's!! Every one has been asking me over the last 2 weeks how I am feeling about turning 30, and my response has been.. Well I am turning 30, but my life has finally started to fall into place, I have lost most of my weight I need to lose, I get to spend time with my nephew, my job is going great, and I am finally going out and doing the things I want to do! So, how do I feel? I feel great! I feel like the 30s are going to be the best 10 years of my life! I had a great day today even tho I was at work. They brought me cheese cake, and yes I ate it! I may have to run an extra 5 miles on sat, but it was worth it today! So thanks for the extra day off! and remember that your life is what you make of it, so be happy with what you have when you have it! <3 Karen
I have been struggling with losing the last 15 pounds, but I know why, its because I haven't been making the right choices! I haven't been drinking enough water, I have been eating food that is high in carbs, and yes, I have been within my calories, but I haven't been pushing for the gold! I know we all {{struggle}} with making the right choices, and that is because we have been in the "bad habit" of eating what we want whenever we want for years now. We need to change our habits to "good habits."
A friend of mine had asked me a few weeks ago to help her lose 30 lbs, and I agreed, and so I have been helping her track, helping her keep motivated, and helping her pick out some good work outs. Well last night we went to a BBQ for a baby reveal party. They had the normal hamburgers, hot dogs, smoked hog. Plus chips and dip, cake and cookies!! Can you guess what she did? She went straight for the chips and cake!! I tried stopping her, I said, Hey, your not going to lose weight by {{eating}} all that now! Do you know what she said back?? I don't care I had a bad day today! Now, don't get me wrong I know we all have bad days, but we still need to be mindful of our choices we make! and it is ok to have some "bad habit" food once in a while if you do it right. I had 9 chips, but I also left off the top bun on my hamburger so I didn't go over my calories.
What I am trying to say, is if you want to lose weight, you have to keep in the habit no matter what, your you'll just keep going to the unhealthy side. It is a lifestyle change, and not an easy one! It takes daily practice, trial and errors, and support from family and friends! {{So glad for my wonderful sisters}} But most of all it takes "wanting it." if you don't want it, you wont stay at it!
It's our first weigh-in of April! <3 How are you all doing on your journey to good health? We hope you're doing well and we'd love to hear from you!
It's been a bit hectic this week because Karen is still adjusting to her new schedule, Yvonne has been busy with her rambunctious two year old, and Megan starting her last quarter at the university. So we are sorry for the late weigh-in posting!
We'll keep it short and break it down for you!
{{Karen}} lost 1.6 lbs this week, yay! She says "Yes! Finally! I'm going to keep busting my butt and hope for just as good of results next week!"
{{Yvonne}} maintained this week. She says "I'm still having trouble getting my full motivation back and on track, but I'm starting fresh this week."
{{Megan}} gained one pound. She says "I'm actually really happy with this. I've been on prednisone for a week [for asthma] and I usually gain weight really fast… like 10 lbs. So 1 lb up is not too bad. I'm going to keep working out and eating healthy and try to just keep this gain a minimum! Hoping for some good results next week!"
We've all been at a bit of a plateau lately, but we're not losing faith! I feel like really good results are going to happen soon! Plus we can see the physical changes in our bodies after last month's fitness challenge! Can't wait for even better [[results]] <3
How many of you get 8 hours of {{sleep}} a night? I know I don't! Did you know that it is very important to weight loss to get at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night? I have not been able to sleep well the last few weeks, and I think that has to do with the number on the scale every saturday. Did you know that a person that only gets 5-6 hours of sleep a night compared to some one that gets 6-8 will gain an average of 1.6 more pounds a year? Regular sleep helps regulate your {{appetite}}, and helps your body to be able to burn carbs better. Lack of sleep will make you more irritable, moody, and flattened emotional response, which in turn makes you want to eat more, and eat food that is bad for you.
The number one cause of lack of sleep is stress, which is also the number one cause of over eating! But did you know that being {{obese}} can also cause you to not sleep well? The possition you sleep in, the aches and pains of your body, they all have an affect of how you sleep at night.. The best position to sleep in is on your back, it provides the best support for your entire body, but if your like me, that is unthinkable! I am a side sleeper, and that is ok, if you do it right. The best way to sleep on your side, is to do it on your left side, as it promotes healthy blood flow. Also keep a pillow between your legs and arms to support your body to stay in a good form.
Now, how do you get that good night sleep? EXERCISE! That is the number one way to get a good night sleep! Isn't it ironic that sleeping helps you lose weight, and losing weight helps you sleep? Other things include going to bed at the same time every night, do not drink caffeine for at least 4-6 hours before you plan on going to bed. Do not watch TV in bed, don't go to bed hungry, but don't over eat just before bed either, and lastly get up at the same time on the weekends! Just for fun, here are some foods that if you have troubles falling asleep will help you out... Banana's, chamomile tea, warm milk, {{honey}}, potatoes, oatmeal, almonds, flaxseed, whole wheat bread and turkey. Just remember if you are going to use this to aid in sleep remember your portion control and dont over eat! Avoid spicy food, high in sugar foods, greasy or oily, and high in protein foods just before bed as they can cause you to stay awake! <3 Karen Info was found on apa.org and webmd.com
The world today is all about "skinny this" and "thin that" but the true {{beauty}} is all about how you see your self! I am sick and tired of the world saying what is pretty or not. The reason I want to lose this weight is to be healthy not "skinny." I wish we could all realize that our weight is just a number. The important thing is to love the way you look and be healthy. I want to work out, and be able to do the activities that my nephew wants me to do with him. I want to be able to go walk on the {{beach}} orride a bike around an island, or even play on a softball team. As you all know I just started a new job. I have been talking to my co-workers, and I had heard a rumor about the insurance we have at work requires us to submit our weight to them or we will be charged more. Most people are absolutely furious about it. I think it is a great way to get people to actually start taking care of themsleves. I don't think they should necessarily be charged more because they are over weight. But the insurance also offers to pay for {{gym memberships}} and other alternatives to becoming healthy! It is time to make a change in the world, not because we need to be pretty, but because we need to be healthy!! All three of us sisters used to be smokers, but have all quit, not because of any other reason except to be healthy! And now we are losing this weight to be healthy, to love ourselves, to be able to be active in our lives, and to be confident in ourselves no matter what the scale says! I am going to start loving my self! Will you start loving yourself? <3 Karen P.S. Here's some inspirational messages I found on pinterest and google for you all! <3
Another month has come and gone! I cannot believe it's already April, but I have a feeling it's going to be a good month with much positivity! And do you know what this means? Yes! Another [[fitness chalenge]]!
This month's challenge is [[LEGS]] and [[BUM]]
CLICK TO OPEN IN PRINTABLE WINDOW
Ready to focus on our core and lower body? There are 5 basic exercises used in combination for this workout. It builds up slowly from the beginning of the month until the end of the month! I am also including some abdominal exercises from last month so we can all keep flattening our tummy while focusing on our lower bodies.
I'm providing you with YouTube videos that I think are really great examples of how to [[properly]] do these exercises to get the best results and avoid injury. Please [[please]] watch them! They will be so helpful.
1) Let's start with the BRIDGE exercise. This focuses on abdominals and bum.
Last month we focused on abs and we have some great results!
I love this video by Modern Mom! Please take a look if you're not familiar with how to do the bridge!
2) The next exercises we will take a look at is the heel press and fire-hydrant which focuses on glutes, thighs, and bum.
This video shows how to do these properly, how many reps are appropriate, and variations on the exercises in order to get an even better workout!
3) A great exercise for thighs and butt is the SQUAT! I really urge you to look at this video on how to do a proper squat, because many people don't do it correctly and risk injury as well as not targeting the muscles correctly.
4) Next let's take a look at the wall squat! This is a great exercise for your lower body! This can be done with or without a ball between your legs, so don't be discouraged! If you do use a ball you can get more inner thigh workout.
5) And LASTLY the LUNGE! It's important to do these correctly to avoid injury. I had a difficult time finding a good video for the lunge, but I really like this one! She talks a lot at the beginning so please FAST FORWARD TO 1:21 on this video to see the demonstration!
Now you're all set to get your [[lean legs]] for April! I also just wanted to point out that you cannot target fat. These exercises are target exercises for muscles which means they will help to define and build muscle in these areas, but they will not cause fat loss in these areas. This is true for [[ALL]] target training. Fat loss is an all over body type of deal! <3 So just keep working on cardio and healthy eating! You should definitely do the target muscle training so that you have nice lean muscles as the fat drops!
SO YOU WANT TO SEE OUR RESULTS FOR MARCH ABS?
Yvonne is still in progress because she started the challenge late, but Karen and I have our final results of the MARCH ABS-So-FAB Challenge!
Results for {{KAREN}}: Subtle change but feeling stronger. Karen was unable to do the entire had to do modified planks and and could not do burpees to a severe previous shoulder injury. She notices that her belly feels and looks flatter since the challenge. She is currently in physical therapy for her shoulder and hopes to be able to do more intense workouts soon. Here's her photo!
Results for {{Megan}}: I only did this challenge through day 24 because I came down with a terrible chest cold, asthma, and had to go to the hospital which you can read all about {{here}}! These are my results up until the time I finished! I'm looking forward to legs combined with abdominals this month!
What do you think of our progress? Can you see a difference? We'd love to hear your thoughts either by comment below or by private email to TheFitnessSisters@gmail.com! <3 We're super excited to start our 2nd fitness challenge now in April! March's [[Abdominal Challenge]] really motivated us all to get back on a fitness regimen [even though we have all had some health issues to deal with.]
Remember, you are loved. [[LOVE YOUR BODIES]] and Be. Well.
Have you seen the commercial that say's "Save the chocolate bunnies?" It is a toy company telling us to put more toys in our kids {{Easter baskets}}. Well I have been doing something even better then that for a few years now. Last year I got Megan a cute Easter basket with a bunch of different health stuff, some vitamins and {{marshmallow tea.}}I did it because we were both trying to lose weight, and candy was just a bad idea! Megan was still having some health issues, and I wanted to help. I went to the local health store and was able to find every thing I wanted (most of which you can get at Walmart as well.)
This year, I have decided to do it again! I did more fun baskets for us, with things we can use daily, or are inspirational. I included in Megan's this year a salad tupperware! (its like the new one I just got, but its made especially for salads!) and you all know how much she loves her salads! Also, an inspirational book, "Happy thoughts for you," some nail polish, chap stick (our very favorite kind "soft lips" which is not easy to find any more" and some hand lotion" I did put in two pieces of candy, but only 2, and its ok to have a little {{chocolate}} now and then! I also did a basket for a friend Jessi, who is trying to lose weight as well, and in hers she got a cute plant growing kit, and some shampoo and conditioner, instead of the book and tupperware. Please remember the holiday's we celebrate have been commercialized so bad that it is all about the buying of things, giving presents and making money. But that is not what they should be! They should be about family, loving, kindness, and sharing. <3 Karen
***
Hey All! Meg here! Happy Easter! I just wanted to share with you the adorable basket Karen sent me for doing Easter the healthy way! First of all, it has the most amazing salad lunch kit which will be perfect for me to take to school on those long day to keep my veggies cold and ensure that I'm eating healthy! It also had little goodies like an inspirational book, yummy smelling hand lotion, lip gloss, nail-polish, and my favorite deodorant [yep, haha!] for using while I run, but still feeling fresh[that stuff is pricey!!] Oh, and I also got a couple small pieces of chocolate! Because if you don't know this about me already, I LOVE chocolate. It's my achilles heel for sure. Hope you enjoy and are inspired to put together healthy fun baskets for your friends, family, or lovely sisters next year! <3 Meg
Wow, let me just say this month has been so rough! It started off really well; I was motivated, I was exercising daily again and I was feeling really great! And then came finals-- yes, I'm talking about good old college finals (something I'm really too old to be doing, but almost done now). The stress set in, I had 4 papers to write and 3 exams, and I lost 3 whole nights of sleep. Yep, three entire nights where I didn't sleep! And so it happened, I got sick. A good two weeks of sick.
The day after finals, I miraculously recovered (of course!) and started a week of juicing and exercising again and feeling amazing! I was finally feeling stress free and started painting again! (did I mention I paint?)
Anyway, by "week" of feeling great I mean it lasted 4 days before I landed myself sick on the very day I had big plans to go to a fun hockey game! (GO KINGS!) No worries, I pushed through that! But then I was sick sick. Beyond control sick. Chest cold sick. And then my asthma kicked in and two nights ago I landed myself with 8 paramedics at my door and an ambulance ride to the hospital. Yuck!
I was prescribed prednisone, which I've been on before, and I'm totally bummed because no matter what I do I WILL GAIN WEIGHT no matter what while on it. And I'm not talking about 3 pounds. This steroid has a serious effect on me and I usually gain 15-20 lbs while on it. I'm going to stick to a VERY healthy eating regimen while on it this week and really try to maintain my weight. I cannot exercise because I can't breathe, but hopefully I'll be feeling in tip top shape soon!
I've had a lot of down time to visit blogs and one of my favorites is {{Sweetness Itself}} <--- link! by my dear friend Erin, who is more like a sister! She's posted some "Hey Girl" images which have really cracked me up and lifted my spirits, so in the spirit of Hey Girl, please enjoy!
I really had to! ^^
Haha! Super Gosling! Here's to a better week ahead! I hope you are all staying well, drinking tea, eating good healthy foods, getting sleep and having restful weeks! Be well, friends!
