Weekend Weigh In : June picture update and #turnup21 Week 1 Progress Report

Hey there! I just wrapped up week one of my #turnup21 challenge and it was a success! I stuck to my diet of no bread, rice or pasta, drank lots of water (a gallon most days) and snacked on nothing but fresh fruits! I also stuck to my plan of working out for an hour, 6 days a week, splitting my workout up between cardio and strength training. I made it a point to not eat after 7p. To ensure that I stuck to this schedule, I set my cell phone alarm for 6p so I had at least another hour to eat dinner before my cut off time. This worked out perfectly for me and definitely kept me on track. By sticking to my plan, I was able to lose 4 pounds! *cues applause*  

Since it's about that time for a picture update (and I was feeling photogenic), here's an updated one that I took over the weekend: 

Now, to my surprise, I didn't go into snack withdraw and the fruits I ate instead (mostly grapes, apples and bananas) were very satisfying. I also did not feel excessively hungry while sticking to my plan. I think most of that had to do with my water consumption. I'm normally a big diet tea and soda drinker, but as of last week I started drinking water only. I noticed that I wasn't hungry in between meals (which almost never happens) because I drink at least 16 oz. of water with each meal. I'm learning to recognize the difference between being hungry and being thirsty. So, the next time you're feeling hungry in between meals, try drinking a glass of water. I also made out my workout schedule for the week in advance and stuck to it so I was able to hit the gym 6 days which was my goal. I felt energized during my workouts and accomplished a lot in an hour which really made me feel good! *gasps* Could I be becoming a 'gym rat'? *clutches pearls*

Photo credit: www.eziahp.com

Remember 'a goal without a plan is just a wish' - Antoine de Saint-Exupery. You have to have a plan and then put that plan in action! With just 2 more weeks left in my #turnup21 challenge and 2 more weeks before my trip to Miami, I'm going to continue to execute my plan. Whatever you are doing to meet your fitness and weight loss goals, just remain consistent and don't get discouraged. You will see results if you just stick with it. You didn't gain the weight over night and you won't lose it over night either. You have to keep working at it. 

What's your weight loss and fitness plan? Weigh in below in the comments section.

Follow me on Instagram @shopsweatheart to see more health and fitness motivation pics! 

Corrin K. Jones

twitter: @sweatheartboss 

Instagram: @shopsweatheart

Weekend Weigh In and #Turnup21

Hi everyone!

Still on my weight loss grind. Had a great week but only lost another pound. I made it to the gym 3 times this week but my goal was 4 so I fell short. No excuses, just didn't get it done.

I have 3 weeks before my trip to Miami to see King Bey which means I only 3 weeks left to get it together and meet my weight loss goal. With that being said, I've decided to 'turnup' up my diet and exercise game for these next 21 days! I've started my own little challenge, #turnup21 which is basically me turning down the plate and turning up my efforts. I've learned a lot about myself since I started getting serious about my weight loss and blogging about it in April so I feel like I know what works best for me. I know they say you can have all things in moderation, but that doesn't apply to me (yet) so I have to steer clear of certain foods. I also know that I do much better with my weight loss when I cut out bread, rice and pasta so I'll continue to do this. I know that snacks are my biggest downfall. Although I've been sticking to a controlled snacking plan (200 calories a day) I know that I should be eating better snacks. So for the next 21 days I'll be doing the following: 

- not eating any bread, pasta and rice

- drinking only water

- snacking only on fresh fruits and veggies (sorry Motts)

- not eating anything after 7pm

- working out for at least an hour, 6 days a week

This is definitely going to be hard for me, but its called a challenge for a reason. If you want to see different results you have to do something different. Now, this is just what I'm doing, it's not for everyone. However, I challenge you to do something different for the next 21 days. Maybe step up your workout game from 1 day a week to 2. Cut out soda and coffee for the next 21 days. Try incorporating more veggies into your meals. Whatever it is that will help you meet your weight loss/fitness goal, JUST DO IT (shout out to Nike for that one)! 

I'll be posting daily pics on Instagram under #turnup21. So be sure to follow me at @shopsweatheart and if you'd like to join me in this challenge, use the the hashtag #turnup21 so we can see your pics!

If we can 'turnup' in the club and for everything else, we can 'turnup' for our health! 

Corrin K. Jones

Twitter: @SweatHeartBoss

Instagram: @shopsweatheart

Weekend Weigh In: Still Juicin'

I'm still on my 10 day juice fast (which ends this Saturday) and I am thoroughly enjoying it. No annoying headaches, more energy and just feeling pretty good in general. For breakfast, I juice 2 apples, 2 oranges, a carrot and some ginger and this yields about 2 cups for me which is just enough. For lunch or dinner I'll have some kale, spinach, celery (yuck!), cucumber and apple. I hate celery for many reasons, most of all the horrid smell but it's good for you and it's a cheap veggie so I include it in my juices. As I said before, I juice by sight, so I can't tell you exactly how much spinach and kale to use (since neither yields much juice) but I can tell you that whenever I'm falling short of my 2 cup requirement I add an extra apple of half a cucumber. Both of these make good amounts of juice and they'll help you get to 2 cups. They are also inexpensive and are great for juicing on a budget. Now, contrary to what you may be thinking, these juices actually are quite filling. I always drink a full 8 oz. cup of water right after each juice and it always leaves me full. By the time I'm hungry again, it's time for my next juice (or meal). I've been alternating between juicing my lunch and my dinner just because of time constraints and my work schedule but for the most part, I'm juicing 2 meals a day. My one, non-juice meal for the day is always a meat/fish and vegetables. No bread, rice or pasta. If I feel like a snack, I'll have a piece of fruit. Really trying to steer clear of the bad carbs and sweets that I love so much. Keep me in prayer y'all!

As for my exercise routine for last week, I met my workout goal with 5 workouts for a total of 240 minutes and 2151 calories burned. I mixed it up a little between the elliptical and some great Zumba and aerobic workout videos I've found on YouTube (I love technology).

I didn't weigh in this weekend because I want to wait until I complete my juicing fast this Saturday. So, I'll weigh in on Sunday and report back to you. I won't lie though, I really want to sneak on the scale and just see where I'm at so far, but as hard as it is for me (I'm use to weighing myself daily) I'm going to hold out until the weekend.  My stomach is noticeably less bloated so I really do believe that I've lost some weight and inches (kicking myself for not taking my measurements) but we'll just have to wait and see...

Anybody else juicing with me?

Weekend Weigh In - We Fall Down but We Get Up!

This was NOT my best week folks. Although I hit my 21 day mark (number of days it takes to form a habit) my performance this week was less than stellar by far. First off, I only worked out twice this week *sighs* and I truly have no one to blame but myself and my lack of planning. My husband and I both keep busy work schedules and I just did not plan accordingly to make time to workout. Then my husband, who subconsciously has a tendacy to sabotage my progress, made a trip to Brooklyn and brought home a few different cheesecakes from the one and only restaurant, Juniors. Now, if you know anything about this place, you know how incredibly good their cheesecake is. Since I'm a sucker for sweets, I simply could not resist. Now, I didn't go in like I normally would. I paced myself and didn't eat everything he brought home but I definitely indulged more than I should have in the Red Velvet Cheesecake. I literally felt guilty with every bite but I kept eating, so I have no one to blame but myself (and my husband of course). Now, the weigh in...girl, bye. I lost NO weight at all! *bangs head against keyboard* I called my scale everything but a child of God, even though I know the scale wasn't to blame ( I apologized later so we're good now, I hope). Between my failed workout plan and my cheesecake indulgence, I already knew that my weigh in would not be good, I'm just surprised that I didn't gain any weight (trying to look at the bright side).

Now, even though I know this was my worst week so far, I did learn a few lessons that will prevent this from happening again. First, no more cheesecake! Until I can learn to control my portions, I just have to steer clear of these things. I'm currently at an 'all or none' stage in my diet plan so it's better for me to have none than to eat it all. Secondly, I have to plan my workouts in advance but I must leave room for the unexpected because things happen and plans do change (always have a plan B). I have to remember that I do not have to leave my house to workout. There are plenty of workouts On Demand to utilize. I also have Zumba and the Biggest Loser for the Wii that I could have used (ok the more I write the more I realize how dumb it was that I didn't workout more last week). Heck, I could've free styled and just made up my own routine based on what I already know and a few YouTube searches. Yeah, I failed.

Yes, I fell but I got back up and this week will be better! In fact, tomorrow kicks off my 10 day juice fast and I'm really excited about it (check back for details). We all have those off days, but the most important thing is to not give up. No need in crying over spilled milk (or eaten cheesecake), you just have to learn from your mistakes and keep it moving. When we know better, we do better.

Did you weigh in this week and if so, how was it? How do you bounce back from a bad week? Please leave your comments in the section below.


Corrin K. Jones

twitter: @SweatHeartBoss
www.shosweatheart.com

Weekend Weigh In (Week 2) - Zumba and Brownie Brittle

They say it takes 21 days to make a habit and this weekend I hit the 14 day marker so I'm almost there. Although I have to admit that I still struggle with my snacking habits, I must say that I'm more conscious of what I snack on and how much of it I consume. The 'My Fitness Pal' app plays a major part in my weight loss journey. It really keeps me accountable and forces me to eat smarter and keep track of my calorie intake which in turn translates in to weight loss. I'm down another 2 pounds this week and I know that a huge part of that is credited to my diet. Instead of indulging in soda and donuts, I've been snacking on Greek yogurt, pretzels, fresh fruit and my latest obsession, Brownie Brittle! Wendy Williams did a segment on her show the other week about healthy, low calorie snacks and this company, Sheila G's Brownie Brittle was one of the featured items. It's basically the crispy edge of the brownie and it is fantastic! The best part of all is that 6 pieces is only 120 calories so you can indulge in that sweet tooth and not undo your day. You can buy them online or at your local BJs Wholesale Club. Check out their site (www.browniebrittle.com) to see what other locations carry them.

The other major part of my weight loss journey are my workouts. Last week I somehow managed to fit in five sessions for at least 1 hour each. Four of my five workouts involved running and the elliptical machine so I managed to cover a total of 11 miles (I'm still in disbelief). My fifth workout was a one hour Zumba class which was both fun and challenging. Now normally, I only do Zumba on the Wii in the privacy of my home because I have no rhythm (just like poor Carlton up there). I prefer a safer, no laughing zone, but my good friend and college roommate recently became an instructor so I wanted to support her. Well, I did better than expected and managed to keep up for the most part (I just free-styled on the parts I couldn't catch on to).  I definitely broke a sweat and felt a little sore the next day which is a good sign for me.

I know I've only lost 5 pounds since I began this journey 2 weeks ago, but I consider that a milestone for me. Normally, I would've fallen off by now and set a new start date, but not this time. I really am committed to getting in shape and leading a healthier lifestyle. Although I wish I could speed up the weight loss process, I know that this is a process that can't be rushed, especially if I expect long term results. Besides, Rome wasn't built in a day...and my new, fit body won't be either.

Did you weigh in this weekend, and if so, how did it go? What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? Please share in the comments section below.


Corrin K. Jones
twitter: @SweatHeartBoss
www.shopsweatheart.com

Weekend Weigh In

Last week really kicked off my weight loss journey and I am very proud of myself for sticking to my guns and following through. I set a goal of working out at least four times a week for 60 minutes and logging everything I ate through the My Fitness Pal app. Well, I am happy to report that I worked out four times last week for a total of 250 minutes and I burned a total of 2,529 calories! I also logged into My Fitness Pal everyday and logged every single thing that I ate, the good, the bad and the ugly. By setting a goal and sticking to it, I lost exactly 3 pounds last week and I am so excited about it! I realized that I was much more conscious of everything I ate because I was journaling it and tracking my calories. When you are not counting calories and tracking your food intake, you are more likely to over indulge (at least I know I am). Now, I know a lot of people who say they don't count calories because it's too tedious or time consuming, but it definitely works and if you want to see weight loss results, you have to do something that holds you accountable for what you consume. Whether you download a tracking app, join weight watchers or just keep a little food diary in your purse, you have to be conscious of what you are eating. It really does make a difference. Don't believe me? Try it! It certainly can't hurt.

As for my exercise regimen, I did 60-65 minute workouts on the elliptical all four days. Now, I know that many experts would disagree with this workout and say that I need to switch it up and incorporate some strength training. However, I'm no expert and this works for me (right now). Besides, 60 minutes on the elliptical beats 60 minutes sitting on the couch doing nothing any day. #babysteps
I plan on trying other cardio exercises and incorporating some strength training in the coming weeks. Right now, I'm just getting used to working out four times a week.

I figure there are 24 hours in a day, so why not take one hour and dedicate it to working out? Download some good music, watch a movie, flip through a magazine, do whatever it takes to get you through that hour. You'll be glad you did it.

Do you track your food intake, and if so, how? How often do you workout and what's your exercise regimen? Please share in the comments section below.

Q's - Tips: Alcohol, Metabolism, and the Body Part I by: @agent17prime

Shots, shots, shots, everybody…..

 

The social lubricant, Do-if fluid, truth serum, its known by many names and has many uses. In the vast effort to cut down on body fat, increase energy, enhancing appearance, and enjoying a lifestyle we take a close look at the effects of Alcohol. This is a three part series for one of my readers Kody@masterpiecefitness who asked the question “How does alcohol affect the Metabolism?”

Q's - Tip's: Vegetables in Your Diet by: @agent17prime

Food for Thought…..

I know you have seen that photo that shows how even your exercise regimen cannot outweigh you dietary regimen. In your normal research you probably find many variations of diets and nutritional programs, but what do you stick with and what do you weed out for your specific needs.