VP Health & Fitness

So we have arrived to the 2nd week of the year and I must admit that I have have not been 100% committed to my goals yet.  On a positive note, I lost 3.5 lbs which puts me at 210.5 lbs to start off my little friendly fitness wager (FFW) & the Phit-n-Phat 12 week blast the fat challenge that will be starting next week.  That’s it.  I was thinking about also doing the Turbulence Training & the Youtube video contest, but I decided against it because it was just gonna be too much to do & I would probably be setting myself  up for failure.  

So… to start off, here are my starting stats for the 2008 year & starting stats for the FFW & PNP Challenge:

*Note: This online BF% Calculator is about 3-5% lower than my callipers test & BIA body fat test done at the gym.

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Inches lost past 2 weeks: 3.75 inches
TOTAL inches lost since Jan 1, 2008: 3.75 inches

Weekly TOTAL Fat Lost: 1.716 lbs
Weekly TOTAL Lean Mass Gained: -1.784 (loss)
Weekly TOTAL Weight loss: 3.5 lb

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GRAND TOTAL 2008 Fat Loss: 1.716 pounds
GRAND TOTAL 2008 Lean Mass Gained: -1.784 pounds
GRAND TOTAL 2008 Scale Weight Loss: 3.5 pounds

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So… I have a long ways to go again. 

I’m almost too embarrased to post this, but I have to stay accountable so here I go…

~ Vilma

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One of the most important things you need to learn when trying to change your eating habits to a healthier lifestyle is how to grocery shop.

Here are a couple of tips to help you get started:

Tip #1: Clean out your refrigerator and pantry.
Tip#2 Create a budget, make a list and stick to it!
Tip #3 Organic vs. Conventional Products
Tip #4 Read Labels
Tip #5 Remember the 3 S’s

CLICK HERE to read the entire article

And here are a couple of my own money saving ideas that you can use while still eating healthy:

Grocery Shopping Strategies & Money saving tips:

• Eggs, eggs, eggs!  They are cheap & have good quality protein in them. Whole eggs are way cheaper than egg beaters– just throw out the yolk.
• Make it yourself!!  Instead of buying protein bars, make your own!  It’s a lot cheaper and better for you.  You have more control over the ingredients and you can choose what type of ingredients you want.  This also applies to everything - pre-packaged food costs more and has a lot of unnecessary stuff, such as sodium.   
• Dried beans instead of canned beans.  Again, you get much better value without all the preservatives - you just gotta cook them!
• Only buy canned goods when they are on sale & buy the store brand ones instead of the name brand ones.
• Oatmeal is super cheap.  The Walmart brand oatmeal is JUST AS GOOD as the Quaker kind

• Fresh veggies getting a little too soft? MAKE SOUP. Use a bouillon cube instead of canned broth - much cheaper.

• Potatoes in bulk - they are very versatile & are a great source of carbohydrates. 

• Work with what the season has to offer & only buy fruits & veggies that are in season.

• Frozen veggies are cheap.  I buy them by the bulk. Green beans, broccoli, stir fry veggies.

• Plan your meals ahead of time so you will know EXACTLY what you need when you go grocery shopping.

• If you do go out to eat at restaurants you can use the following strategies to eat a healthy & non-expensive meal:

  • Sign up for online for newsletters for the restaurant - they often send you coupons in the email that you can print out and take to the restaurant.
  • Invest in a good coupon book such as the Entertainment Book or other discount cards.
  • And finally, see if you can find the restaurant at Healthy Dining Finder  which is a FREE useful resource for restaurants that offer healthy entree choices.

 ** Remember: The cleaner you eat, the less it cost. Seriously. You are not paying for all the packaging, advertising, etc, that are on all the processed foods.

Here are other ideas that you can use:

Maggie Wang’s list of healthy & frugal food & grocery shopping ideas

Finding healthy foods at the grocery store

Healthy Grocery Shopping List

Bodybuilding.com - a healthy Grocery shopping List

~ Vilma

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Protein Shakes always get me out of bind when i’m running late or need a quick & simple meal.

I’ve even started my own Recipe Book with a couple of my own recipes that I would like to share with you.  My favorite one right now is my Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie:

Ingredients

Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened, 1 cup, unthawed
Syntrax Nectar Stawberry Kiwi Protein Powder, 26 gram(s)
EAS Vanilla Protein, 17.5 gram(s)
1 cup of cold water 
Splenda to taste

Nutritional Info
Calories: 212.2
Total Fat: 1.4 g
Total Carbs: 15.1 g
Protein: 37.1 g

See Full Nutritional Information

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For more healthy protein shake recipes check out the following resources:

Vilma’s Protein Shake recipe Box

BodyBuilding.com’s Protein Shake List

Recipes for Protein Shakes & Snacks from Critical Bench

Fit Food: The Protein Recipe Page

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Enjoy!   

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Happy New Year everyone!  First off, I just want to wish everyone the most success & happiness in every area of your life this year.  2007 is in the past and all we can do now is learn from our triumphs & mistakes, set new goals & keep on going strong.  I am reminded of a song by Switchfoot that I was hearing ealier this morning & the lyrics really hit close to home:

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyesThis is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be…

So, with that said… let’s focus on ourselves this year.  Whether you have 5 lbs to lose or 60+ like me… we can do this!

To motivate you a bit more I have a couple of fresh weightloss challenges that you can choose to enter to get you started off in the right direction.

#1 . The 2008 National Body Challenge -

Discovery Health’s National Body Challenge is a FREE, comprehensive fitness and weight-loss challenge that provides the tools and inspiration – online, on television and beyond – to get in shape, shed pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

When you register you’ll receive FREE:

• An 8-week membership to Bally Total Fitness*
• Customized meal plans with over 1,000 kitchen-tested, nutritionist-approved recipes
• Progressive fitness plans, tailored for you by experts
• Diverse community of  support to help you achieve your personal lifestyle goals
• Individualized weight and fitness trackers
• Video and interactive tools from fitness and weight loss professionals
• And much more!

#2.  Turbulence Training 12 week Transformation Contest -

This Challenge will be running from Nov. 36 2007 to April 15, 2008.  The last day that you can get started on this is Therefore, you could start as soon as today (which I hope you do!) or as late as January 21st…

The thing that I really like about this particular contest is that unlike the yearly Body For Life contest which has like more than a gazillion people doing it- by entering the Turbulence Training Transformation, you have a much better chance of actually winning something because you will probably be going up against just a couple hundred people. 

Grand Prize - $2000 & a 3-year Platinum TT Membership

Second Place - $1000 & a 2-year Platinum TT Membership

Third Place - $500 & a 1-Year Platinum TT Membership

#3.  You Tube Weight Loss Challenge -

Will begin in February 2008. 

There is really no catch, just check out the group details at www.youtube.com/group/weightlosschallenge.

Winners are based on the number of views and ratings, so it doesn’t matter if you are having a hard time losing weight, you can still win!

For more details, email videochallenge@diet.com. They can walk you through the whole process.

#4.  Oprah & Bod Green’s 2008 weightloss challenge -

The Challenge is based on Bob Greene’s weight-loss philosophy of making small, gradual changes that will add up to big results. He also asks you to examine your relationship with food, and recognize the reasons behind misusing it. Bob will guide you through these changes and this period of self-discovery by giving you specific goals to follow, such as stopping eating two hours before bedtime or working in more minutes of physical activity each week. Each of these goals will help you take off a few more pounds, so that by the end of the year, you’ll be slimmer and healthier. But more importantly, you’ll have learned to eat, exercise and even think like a thinner person.

#5.  Phit-n-Phat Blast the Fat 12 week Challenge

The PNP community has become one of my favorite sites to visit & Corinne is having a special challenge that will be starting up on January 14th.  The only requirements to participating or winning this challenge are:

1. You have to be a member of PNP. Here is Application to Join PNP!  
2. Submit your starting weight, measurements, and pictures to Corinne.
3. Keep a journal in the challenge forum. You do not have to complete a certain amount of journals but you will use this forum to record your workouts, what you eat, and your successes/struggles.

 The winner of this challenge will be selected by PNP voters & will receive a basket filled with some of the PNP favorites and a 20 minute phone call with Corinne to discuss the next training cycle.

And that’s pretty much it.  You have do have to follow one of her various workout schedules (IMHO they are awesome & similar to Turbulence Training Workouts)

By being accepted into PNP you will also get your hands on a whole bunch of other resources including her famous Work Your Butt Off Book filled with various cardio & HIIT training routines, Getting fat the Healthy way & the Exercise Bible, plus additional Fat Blasting Schedules & full access to regularly moderated content & forums.

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So… there you have it folks… take advantage of these challenges or make your own with your friends & family.

~ Vilma

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