Today’s guest post comes to us from Heidi of Health Nut Wannabee Mom. Heidi is a 39 year old married stay at home mom living in Kansas City, who is trying her best to get the health thing down. I am a huge fan and enjoy visiting Heidi’s blog daily. Her posts are always interesting and informative and I learn something new with each visit.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Sometimes that word makes me want to throw the covers over my head and pretend I never heard it. Now, keep in mind that I am health nut wannabe mom and not health nut you got it down mom so sometimes the whole exercise and nutrition thing can be a bit overwhelming. The great thing is that there are experts out there to help guide the wannabe’s like me until we can actually become the real thing. I decided to go to the best fitness professional that I knew of to get to the bottom of what is really going to make you lose fat and make you healthier in your exercise/training routine. I did a really informative and shocking ( I thought it was shocking because I had for years been doing most of the exercise misconceptions) interview with Christopher Warden , a New York City fitness professional and author of the fitness book Unlock Your Strength. This is a terrific list put together by Christopher Warden that I hope will help you as much as it has helped me to get my exercise and training routine to be its most efficient.

Five Misconceptions Of Exercise

1. Steady-state cardiovascular training (“cardio”) is the best way to lose body fat. Going out and running long distances may be great for a couple of things – pure enjoyment and, well, getting better at running long distances – but burning fat is not one of them. Why?

•It makes your body a more efficient fat burner – exactly what you’re trying to avoid. If you become more efficient at burning fat, you’ll have to consistently run further (work longer) to burn the same amount of fat you did when you first began training.

•It reduces your lean body mass (read: reduces muscle). Muscle can serve you beyond simply providing mobility and strength. Because it’s a highly energetic tissue, it also acts as a “furnace” that burns excess body fat, provided the body’s internal environment is healthy and functioning optimally. Reduce the size of the furnace, you reduce the demand for energy and your reduce fat burning capability – it’s that simple.

•It doesn’t agitate your body enough. Research shows that one of the best ways to burn body fat is to exercise in a way that promotes the burn long after your training session has ended (The term for this is EPOC). Slow going cardio doesn’t do that. The activities that do? Resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Focus on these (and great nutrition habits) for “the best way to lose body fat.”

2. Resistance training will make you big and bulky. This fear is most common amongst women concerned about maintaining their feminine appeal. Many variables have to work together for “bulking up” to happen – genetics, ample food consumption, very intense strength training and lots of time (not to mention testosterone which, last time I checked, exists in much lower levels in women than men). The one thing strength training is guaranteed to do is make you stronger. But getting stronger is not necessarily synonymous with getting big and bulky.

3. Achieve a lean, toned look by training with low weight, high repetitions. Low weight, high repetition training is good for three things:
1. Introducing a beginner to strength training.
2. Developing strength endurance.
3. Psychologically pacifying somebody who is afraid of bulking up. (See Misconception #2.)

Muscle tone simply describes muscle tension – the firmness/hardness of a muscle. To get that firm, toned feel, you’ve got to get stronger and build muscle. How do you do this? Pick up heavy weights.

As for the lean look you desire? Eat better! You can lift until you have the strength and muscle tone of Atlas, but poor dietary habits will still keep you trapped in an excess layer of body fat.

4. Exercise will alleviate my stress. Training actually is useful for reducing stress, especially in the context of “taking your mind off things” or “blowing off steam.” However, many people turn to exercise for relief without recognizing it for what it is – another form of stress. This becomes an issue if you’re not managing the other emotional, mental and spiritual stresses in your life.

Why?

Because all stressors - whether they’re a product of the mind or of physical labor - have a physical effect on you. And the body isn’t capable of compartmentalizing stress, or replacing one stress with another. . . So, if you exercise catabolically without considering the other stressors in your life, you increase the chance that your body will be pushed to exhaustion or illness.

The bottom line? Listen to your body and keep your internal stress in check. Doing so enables you to handle the stress of training, no matter what the intensity, and adapt positively to the exercise stimulus.

5. More is better. This mindset is especially common when you want results. . . yesterday. The key here is remembering that training is the stimulus for change; your body transforms because it responds to, rests and recovers from that stimulus. So, rather than training more, train smart with intent and intensity. . . Get more out of less time so your body has plenty of time to rebuild.

I want to thank John for letting me do a guest post on his site (one of my favorites) and to thank Christopher Warden for providing such beneficial information. Now you can get to the gym, do what you need to do to be your best and then go have some fun (except for you health nuts who think the gym is fun then you can just spend more time there having “fun”).

I would like to thank Heidi for taking the time to do a guest post here on EzGreatLife. For more great articles on health and fitness visit Heidi’s blog Health Nut Wannabee Mom. Also, you can subscribe to her feed here.

Last weekend my wife and I planned to work on our yard. We made a list of everything we wanted to accomplish. After getting up early Saturday morning, we spent the day working our tails off! With the help of our daughter and my mother in law, we made some serious progress.

By Saturday evening we had cut the lawn, ran the weed eater around the perimeter and sprayed for weeds in places they don’t belong. We trimmed bushes, swept the driveways and straightened up the garage. We tilled the garden, went to the greenhouse to purchase our veggie plants and planted them neatly in the vegetable garden (see picture above). We pulled weeds and planted some herbs and flowers. Our yard is finally getting in shape for summer!

While doing all of this we felt fine. We had no idea of the pain we would feel Sunday morning! My wife in particular, had done most of the vegetable garden and was paying dearly for all her hard work. Weekend warriors we are! Yes, we got just about everything on our list done. And we got plenty of needed exercise in the process. In our busy lives today it is hard to find time to do everything that needs to be done. So I felt like we killed two birds with one stone! It was like a buy one get one free coupon! We had made real progress in the yard and inadvertently exercised ourselves silly! I couldn’t tell you the specific benefits to the body, but I think we used just about every muscle at our disposal!

After completing our chores, I cooked the Delicious Smothered Steak I posted about on Sunday and we all ate dinner together. A great reward for a hard days work! So as the weather gets better, I recommend getting outside and doing something that needs to be done. You will feel better about having achieved whatever it is and you get the added benefit of some old school exercise. What could you do this weekend that needs to be done and get some exercise in the process?

Alright! So here it is. My big announcement. I weighed in Monday morning and behold! I finally hit the big 25! That’s twenty-five pounds! Gone. Vanished. Disappeared. Elvis has left the building! Or at least 25 pounds of Elvis. =) I waited until today to tell you because I wanted to make sure I would maintain the loss, which I have, all week. I’m actually down 28 pounds as of this morning. But who’s counting? Ahhhh, I am!!!

I guess the big question is “How did you do it?” I started my weight loss discussion with the post “Next Stop 25 Pounds“. But I wanted to wait until I had some real progress to share with you what I have been doing. And I guess there is no arguing that 25 pounds is “real” progress. So Here goes.

If you having been paying attention, you probably know that I cook most of the meals in our family. Further, if you have seen my recipes, you know that I mostly cook healthy meals. Or at least try to! I believe that diet, more than anything else is responsible for my weight loss results. So I will try to document what I am doing. Please note that I have tried all kinds of diets over the years, read many diet books and have talked to many other people about dieting. What I am doing is a cumulative result of my past experiences and is not a completely documented “diet”. So, here are my “diet” guidelines.

1. I have decided that this is permanent, not a “diet”
2. I eat breakfast every morning.
3. I have a 10:00 AM snack
4. I eat a healthy lunch
5. I have a 3:00 PM snack
6. I eat a healthy dinner
7. I restrict meat to 4 oz portions
8. I have reduced all of my portion sizes
9. I never eat after 8:00 PM
10. If I’m bad one day, I make it up the next
11. I try to substitute chicken for beef and pork
12. I try to always have a veggie with dinner
13. I restrict my fat grams to 19 per meal
14. I try to eat low calorie meals
15. I have researched what I can eat at different restaurants
16. I try to avoid fast food
17. I try to avoid deserts
18. I try to avoid bleached, processed white flour
19. I use wheat flour and whole grains whenever possible
20. I substitute whole wheat pasta for regular pasta
21. I cook brown rice instead of white
22. I drink a large glass of water 1/2 hour before a meal
23. I substitute ground turkey for ground beef
24. I try to eat at least one meatless dinner a week
25. I try to avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup
26. I try to avoid anything with partially hydrogenated oil

Breakfast
I usually eat oatmeal and fruit

Snacks
I snack on fruit, veggies, pretzels, 100 calorie snack packs & yogurt

Lunch
Veggie or turkey subs, salad, homemade sandwich, soup, veggies, fruit
I watch fat and calories

Dinner
One of my recipes, anything with chicken, whole wheat spagehtti, veggies
I watch fat and calories

I started walking regularly in November 2007 which you can read about in 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today! My dog and I take a 1/2 an hour walk every morning and most nights. Additionally, I started out with a vigorous workout last November which included the stationary bike, treadmill, push ups, crunches and Hindu Squats. I think this helped kick start my metabolism, which seemed almost non-existent at the time. =) My problem with this routine lately is a severe lack of time. I hope to return to this routine sometime in the future. Until then, I will keep walking. Here are some ways I try to maximize my walking time:

1. I park as far away from my destination as possible and walk

2. I try to get up and personally visit co-workers, instead of calling on phone

3. I park at work and then walk around building to get to the entrance

4. I am trying to walk during my lunch at work

5. I bring my mail to work and walk to the corner post box

I started doing the above because of my time shortage, I figure it can’t hurt.

My wife and I started using Alli in January. Alli is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved diet pill available without a prescription. It is a watered down version of the prescription diet pill, Xenical (orlistat). It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

How it Works
Alli comes in a pill form and is taken with each meal. Alli blocks fat from being absorbed into the body. It is said to block 25% of your fat intake allowing it to pass through your digestive system and out of your body.

My Personal Take
I believe, based on my past experiences, that we have lost more weight while taking Alli, than if we did not take the diet aide. Having said that, I am not recommending you try Alli. It is hard to tell how effective it has been because we started our new eating habits and exercising at the same time. But, I do believe it is worth checking out. If you decide to try it, you can purchase it here at a good price.

A Word of Caution
I don’t really want to go into great detail here, but some people have reported “side effects” while taking Alli. Neither my wife or I have had any side effects while taking it. I recommend you visit the company website and decide for yourself. As always, before taking anything or starting any diet or exercise program, please consult your physician.

So there you have it. Diet, Exercise and Alli. That’s what’s working for me. Have any weight loss suggestions? Please leave a comment and get the discussion started!

When I first began kicking around the idea of starting a blog, I came up with the theme of Family, Fitness & Finances. Sort of like food, folks and fun; only different! =) My premise was that these three key elements in peoples lives are interconnected. A recent comment to one of my posts “I love the idea of putting physical health and finance together. What’s the sense of having money if you can’t live healthy and long enough to enjoy it. :-))” just about sums it up. Right on, Ms. Cheapy! My thoughts exactly.

Armed with this idea I began blogging about life, family and getting fit; both physically and financially. As Web Goodies 411 put it, “Its a great mix of low fat recipes, health ideas, financial tips and devotion to family.” This is what I’m striving for. I try to pass on useful information, demonstrated through some personal experiences. And I aim to provide entertaining commentary about things that matter in our everyday lives. In exchange, I just ask for some of your time. =)

So here are my 3 Steps To A Healthier You.

I covered this one fairly thoroughly in Plan Your Next Family Get Together Now! and I covered the importance of family meals in A Family That Eats Together, Stays Together . The point here is to strengthen family relationships through planned activities and random get togethers. Your family will inevitably become closer and you will all get to know each other much better. Because our family practices this, my children got to know their great grandparents. That’s priceless.

This is an area that I am personally struggling with as we speak. As I have mentioned previously, I have been struggling with my weight since I quit smoking some eleven years ago. I think this one is really important. If you are unhealthy, you may not be around to enjoy your family or any money you saved over your lifetime. So, I am working on my weight through diet and exercise. I have covered exercising in Hindu Squats: Rock Your Body! and 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today! . This is a work in progress, I’ll keep you up to date from time to time.

3. Get Your Personal Finances In Order

I covered Paying off debt, cutting unnecessary spending, and starting a savings plan in 8 Steps To Recession Proof Your Finances and in 5 Steps To Cut Your Grocery Bill Today! Doing any or all of these things will do a lot to reduce your stress levels, thus contributing to your good health.  And finally, I wrote about how to help ensure that you keep your income stream alive in 5 Ways To Recession Proof Your Job. I think this last one is pretty important. Without any income, everything else becomes that much more difficult!

I hope you will take some time and go through this material. I wrote some of these posts shortly after starting out and many, I believe, have not been read by most of you. As always, I encourage you to post your thoughts and comments. Looking forward to some good discussions! And last but not least, I would like to thank everyone for your support and most of all taking the time to read and join our discussion!

I started walking regularly on November 3, 2007. Why do I know this? Because I wrote it down! Since then I try to walk twice a day. First thing in the morning after breakfast, I take a brisk half an hour walk. At the end of the day, sometime after dinner, I take a more leisurely half an hour stride.

When I first started this regimen, I really stressed about the fact that I “must” go walking. Over a period of time I have gotten used to it. Eventually it became second nature. I really don’t like missing my walks now. I feel good, as I commute to work, knowing that I got some exercise. You could too!

Here is my list of 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today. Notice that it is not a list of strictly health reasons. Don’t get me wrong, their are plenty of health reasons to start exercising. I’m trying to point out that there are other reasons that could motivate you to get active. AND becoming more healthy would be a positive side effect.

1. Time For Reflection

This one is important to me. I always walk alone in the morning. No music and no people, just my puppy dog. I think about yesterday, today and tomorrow. What happened. What I could have done differently? What do I need to do? I usually make a mental game plan for the day.

2. Increased Energy Level

When I get done walking, showered and dressed, I feel great! No really, I’m not kidding. I feel like a million bucks. My energy level is much higher than it used to be first thing in the morning. And the funny thing is, I have scaled back my coffee to one cup a day. I actually feel more vibrant now than when I was a caffeine addict! I believe that if you started walking today, you would feel a noticeable change in your energy level by this time next week. “No way” you say, prove me wrong.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

3. Enjoy Your Surroundings

Another aspect I have really come to enjoy, is observing my surroundings. It might be my neighbors cats. Squirrels fighting with each other. Or the dog running the length of fence barking at me. In any case, I have really become captivated with what is going on around me. I was in New York City recently and kept up my walking routine while there. It was a completely different atmosphere than what I am used to. The streets are smothered with cars. The sidewalks are crowded with people, walking quickly to their destinations, sipping their Starbucks. Steam rises from the sewer vents. Taxis are honking like crazy. And it’s only 6:30 AM.

4. Spend Quality Time With Family

Many times my evening walks are shared by my daughter. We have great conversations about our days happenings and just about anything else we can think of to talk about. It has become a nice nightly tradition. Well, it’s not every night, she’s a teenager and subject to change her mind at any time.  Sometimes she doesn’t want to go. I don’t push and usually in a day or two she asks if she can join me.

5. It’s Inexpensive!

Compared to joining an over-priced gym, walking can be done on the cheap! You will need a good pair of walking shoes and some comfortable clothing, maybe an MP3 player. But that’s it, no set of clubs, memberships, racquet’s, roller blades or bicycles. That’s what I’m talking about!

I hope you will consider my 5 Reasons To Start Walking Today. Of course there are all kinds of health reasons, as well. The sooner you start, the sooner it will become part of your daily routine. And before you know it, you’ll be getting upset because you can’t take your walk today! So, I challenge you to skip the morning news and take a morning stroll. Already have a walking routine? Let us know about it!

WARNING:  This is not for the faint of heart.  Consult your doctor before beginning any workout routine. Remember to always warm up and stretch out before doing strenuous exercises.

Ever heard of a Hindu Squat?  OMG! If you have never done these before, proceed with caution. I was talking to a co-worker about exercising and he asked me ” Have you ever heard of a Hindu Squat?”  The answer was “No”.  Come to find out he used to be a personal trainer and Hindu squats played a major role in his workouts.  So, the next week we met at the gym and he began teaching me the correct form. He pushed me to do thirty the first night. I couldn’t walk up stairs for three days!  I am now doing 50 every other day.  These squats really improve your endurance and help develop your lower back, calves, thighs and hips.  What a workout!  Watch the video for a good demonstration.

Additional Information:
Fitness Guru Matt Furey’s Website

As I write this I have lost 15 pounds. Fifteen pounds! That’s the equivalent of 60 quarter pound cheeseburgers. Fifteen, 16 oz rib-eye steaks. Or, thirty, 8 oz cups of cottage cheese…..Yuck!  No matter how you cut it, fifteen pounds is a lot of extra weight.

“That’s great” you may be thinking.  However, I am far from reaching my goal. I plan on losing 70 lbs., for good. You must be wondering, “How did you let yourself gain 70 extra pounds?”  As best I can recall, it all started about 11 years ago. That’s when my wife and I quit smoking. Yes, I know, that sounds like a really lame excuse.  It’s right up there with “the dog ate my homework”.  But it’s true. For whatever reason I gained a tremendous amount of weight. For whatever reason?  I know the reason.  I began to eat everything in sight.  And then some!  It was a see-food diet! Now it’s time to pay the piper.

Do I regret quiting smoking? No way! I’d do it all over again. Absolutely! I feel wonderful!  I can breath again!  I have regained my sense of smell and taste. I don’t cough continuously anymore.  It’s great!  Except for the weight.

So, how do I plan on returning to the previous ME? The old fashion way. Hard work. Diet. Exercise. Diet in the sense of eating well balanced meals.  Not a starvation plan.  We are giving the Alli Weight Loss Aid a try.  My exercise plan is realistic and very doable. I am walking two miles a day for starters.  I plan on making these changes permanent.  A lifestyle.  I’ll let you know how I’m doing as I progress.  Are you struggling with your weight?  What are you doing about it?  I’d love to hear from you!