Eights & Weights Video - Burpees

Some call it a burpee, some call it a squat thrust, but either way, we all recognize that this power exercise really burns some calories and tones all over. Haven't heard of a burpee? Watch the video below and try it at home. 

Here are a few steps to help you out as well:

• Start in a standing position with your arms at your sides
• Lower into a squat position like you're sitting in a chair, but have your knees together and your palms on the floor to the left and right of your feet
• Jump back into the plank position (or you can extend one foot at a time like in the video below)
• Jump forward back into the squat position
• Jump straight up in the air in the standing position with your arms in the air above your head
• Repeat

Sound complex? The video is here to guide you!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Need Some Help Eating Healthy on a Budget?

Recently, I've heard people make so many comments about eating healthy or eating natural and how expensive it is. But simply because restaurants charge you double when they put the word 'Organic' or 'Fit' beside a menu item does not mean you cannot still eat healthy on a budget. How do you do it?

I found this article on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion website on how you can use the 3Ps principle to eat healthier for cheaper. To access the whole article, visit the site here: ChooseMyPlate.gov

PLAN

• Plan meals and snacks for the week according to an established budget.
• Find quick and easy recipes online.
• Include meals that will “stretch” expensive food items (stews, casseroles,stir‐fried dishes).
• Make a grocery list.
• Check for sales and coupons in the local paper or online and consider discount stores.
• Ask about a loyalty card at your grocery store.

PURCHASE

• Buy groceries when you are not hungry and when you are not too rushed.
• Stick to the grocery list and stay out of the aisles that don’t contain items on your list.
• Buy store brands if cheaper.
• Find and compare unit prices listed on shelves to get the best price.
• Purchase some items in bulk or as family packs which usually cost less.
• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables in season; buy canned vegetables with less salt.
• Pre‐cut fruits and vegetables, individual cups of yogurt, and instant rice and hot cereal are convenient, but usually cost more than those that require a bit more prep time.
• Good low‐cost items available all year include:
• Protein — beans (garbanzo, black, cannellini)
• Vegetables — carrots, greens, potatoes
• Fruit — apples, bananas

PREPARE

• Some meal items can be prepared in advance; pre‐cook on days when you have time.
• Double or triple up on recipes and freeze meal‐sized containers of soups and casseroles or divide into individual portions.
• Try a few meatless meals by substituting with beans and peas or try “no‐cook” meals like salads.
• Incorporate leftovers into a subsequent meal.
• Be creative with a fruit or vegetable and use it in different ways during the week.

I think these are great tips we can all implement. Print out the sample plate below, stick it on your fridge or put it in your purse to remind you of your meal targets.

 

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Shape.com, ChooseMyPlate.gov

Hotel Rooms with In-Room Exercise?

Do you never hit the gym when you are traveling because you prefer to work out in your own room? Well, some hotels have the answer for you!

A few hotels have started offering in-room exercise options. Yes, there have been "Fit channels" for a while, but these are more intense physical options. If you are thinking about a trip, and are not sure what hotel options to choose, maybe this list can help you out:

Westin Hotels: A few Westin hotels offer an in-room option as part of their WestinWorkout program. Per their website, for those who prefer to work out in privacy or at their own convenience, Westin offers the special option of booking a guest room equipped with a treadmill, a stationary bike, dumbbells, fitness DVDs, resistance bands and stability balls. These rooms are limited so you have to ask specifically for one when you make your booking. They are also not at every location.

Kimpton Hotels: The Kimpton boutique hotels offer a yoga kit (includes mat, blocks, strap, and a towel) for you to practice yoga on your own. Technically, you can use the equipment for all other sorts of exercises too. Per their website, they'll send up a tote bag, with the props and straps you'll need for doing on-demand yoga classes, Pilates or meditation practice, right in your room. All you need to do is call the front desk.

Omni Hotels: Just like the Kimpton hotels, Omni hotels also offer a kit. Per their website,

Guest services will supply you with a handy canvas bag, a floor mat, two dumbbells and an elastic exercise band. You can create your own routine, or bring some DVDs!

There are several other hotels that may offer these amenities so these are just a few. Make sure you do your research when you are booking or ask at the front desk. You never know.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Hotelchatter.com

 

Baby Weight: Where to Start

New mothers face a different set of challenges than others. You've just had a baby in you for nine months, which means you probably have not been able to work as hard on your body as you usually would. Your middle area is bigger than you could have ever imagined, and of course, if you had to push, down there is a little less tight.

Getting back into your program is never easy, but you have to consider a couple of things: Your body needs time to recover, so give it about 6 weeks; And you need to understand how different your body is now from how it was prior to the baby. Plus, you now have a baby to take care of, so your time challenges are different.

Fret not though. It is achievable. You should focus on the following as you rebuild your training program:

Incorporate Kegels into your training: Childbirth weakens the pelvic floor muscles. For those who do not know, Kegels are meant to help strengthen these muscles, allowing for increased sexual pleasure and to tighten up the area down there. Kegels simply involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles (in your vaginal area). As you do any ab or lower body exercises, contract your pelvic muscles as you contract any other muscle, and then relax these muscles as you would relax other muscles as well. For example, as you bend into a squat, tighten up, and then as you lift up, relax the pelvic floor muscles.

Focus on cardio for fat burn: As a new mum, you've gained weight all over, and so it is important to do workouts that burn fat all over. Do something very high-energy that also forces you to use your core for balance, like taking a hip-hop or zumba dance class, swimming, or doing kick boxing.

Ease into the workout: Your body is like a machine. It needs to be charged, properly oiled, and heated up when necessary. Since you have had a foetus feeding off you for nine months, you now need to focus on eating right for your routine, and getting your body slowly charged as you fully get back into your workout regimen. Don't force your body to go lengths that it cannot yet achieve and then break yourself. Ease into the workout.

Don't hold out on the core exercises: There is no doubt about it - the midsection is one of the most problematic areas for mums. And if you take to long to work it out, you could risk making it harder to lose. So make ab exercises your best friend, especially ones for your lower abs like leg raises, reverse crunches, and six-inches off the ground. Also, make sure you incorporate core exercises into every single routine you do. Hold your abs tight in every pose, twist to work on your obliques when you can, and always sit upright with your abs in.

Manage your expectations: It took your body nine months to get where it is, and so it is important to be patient with it. You are not going to be able to run 10 miles a week after your delivery or get that butt that you were known for the minute the baby pops out. In fact, for the first few months, you'd have to work harder than you did before to get to the same level of fitness. So make sure you are prepared!

You can get your body back. You just need some patience and hard work. But you can do it!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: MadameNoire.com

Tips to Stay Fuller Longer

Food is one of or biggest issues. It's difficult to understand what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. The good thing is Eights & Weights is here to make the process less complicated :)

If you didn't know, there are foods out there that help you feel like you're full for a longer time. It is less about the nutrients and more about the feeling sometimes because we may have our 3 regular meals, and still feel like we need to eat even when we're really not that hungry.

So what are some of the foods you can eat or things you can do to fight that deceptive need to eat?

Chew sugar-free gum: Yes, I said that will a straight face. Chewing gum actually reduces the need to chew since you have something flavorful in your mouth. If you really are starving, that's a different issue, but if you just felt like you needed to eat, then the gum should help your brain have time to process that you really aren't hungry. Just make sure it's sugarless so you're not defeating the purpose :)

Eat your complex carbs: There is a reason we keeping forcing whole grain down your throat. Not only is it healthier, it keeps you fuller longer because it doesn't just ease through your digestive system. However, complex carbs are not only found in whole grains; you can also eat foods like sweet potatoes and vegetables to stay full. Complex carbs also tend to contain more fiber, which keeps you fuller longer and contains fewer calories than simple carbs.

Fruit it, don't juice it: When you eat an apple, do you notice you are fuller than when you buy a cup of apple juice? But somehow, the cup of apple juice seems to contain more calories because they say it is more concentrated. Hmmm... Here's what I say: Eat the apple rather than drink the juice. And if you must, blend the juice yourself. Because it comes out thicker, more satisfying, and more natural than buying it from a store. And guess what? You stay fuller longer.

Control the smells around you: When you're out, you can't really control other people, but when you're home, this is a great trick. Rather than have citrus, coffee, cupcake, or other 'foody' scents at home, stick to flowery or other non-food scents. The smell of food triggers your appetite.

Add lots of protein to your diet: You probably already know this by now: protein contains fewer calories than carbs and reduces the feeling of hunger later on. But it's not just any protein you should be targeting. Things like almonds and beans are your best bets. However, be conscious about how many almonds you eat because nuts do have a high fat content, and so eating too much could defeat the purpose.

Watch what you drink: Soda has so much sugar in it that it flows through your system pretty quickly, and then comes the slump. With the slump usually comes the desire to eat. Drinking lots of water, tea, and even dark cocoa help maintain that slow-releasing energy to keep you feeling full and refreshed.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Womenshealthmag.com

Eights & Weights Video - Side Plank

Yes, I know it will no longer officially be summer tomorrow morning (*sobs*), but autumn is still a great season to work out since the winter coats haven't come out yet. Here is a video I made to help you work on your obliques. Working on your obliques help create than total ab definition that we all want. You don't have to do a push-up as you switch from side to side. Watch and try it at home.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Healthy Nigerian Recipe: Baked Plantain Chips

So I sometimes watch videos by another fitness blogger Adura, and in watching some of the videos yesterday, I wanted to share one I thought was great. In Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, a lot of countries eat deep fried plantain as one of the staples. Needless to say, it contains a lot of oil, and regardless of what oil you use, too much oil could pose a caloric problem.

I watched this video, and really wanted to share with you because it is an easy alternative for those who love plantains. For more information on Adura, visit her website here or check it out on my blog list on the side bar. Check out the video on Youtube to see calorie information as well, and while you're there, subscribe to her channel!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Video credit: Adura-o.com