END OF the 4 WEEK RESULTS FOR TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE

After 4 weeks of the being part of the Transformation Challenge I am pretty happy with my results and the changes I am slowly making with the help of my trainer. She has given me some great direction and I am ready to follow it to the "T"

I have decided to post my results and measurements that I have did this past Tuesday. Unfortunately I do not have the measurements from the start, but I still have another 8 weeks to track them - so I can still see the progression. My weight has gone down 5lbs and according to my Omron so has my body fat :) But as my trainer suggested this may not be very accurate - so I am taking that information with a grain of salt and relying more on my photos, energy and of course measurements.

So for tracking purposes and motivation. Here they are:
WEIGHT: 104.4lbs (down from 109lbs)
% of Body fat: 14.75% (down from 15.3%)

So here are my measurements- not a big change because it was just this past Tuesday (01-27) that I decided to use this marker, which was 3 days ago
Chest: 32 (the same)
Small of waist: 24 1/4 (down from 24 1/2)
Across the Navel: 25 1/2 (down from 26 3/4 - a WHOLE INCH and 1/4)
Hips/Butt widest part: 34 1/4
Right Thigh: 19 1/4 (down from 19 1/2)
Left Thigh: 19 (down from 19 1/2)

TRAINING PROGRAM DAYS 1 & 2

So I will be working on a 4 day per week strength training program (not on consecutive days) and I am pretty excited. When I first looked at the list of exercises I thought "Really? This does not seem so bad. I can do that in 25-30 minutes". Boy was I wrong!! What I started doing differently was a few exercises but most importantly really concentrating on each and every rep. Resisting the muscles on the way down for 3 seconds and lifting for 2 seconds. I could visual the muscle and each and every little muscle fiber. And my workouts have a different intensity that I never felt before. AND I LIKE IT!!!

So here was Tuesday workout of BACK & CHEST
Warm-up first back and chest exercise with 20 warm-up reps of low weight
Barbell Bent Over Row 3 sets X 15
Incline Bench Press 3 set X 15
Seated Cable Row 15, 12, 12, 15 (increasing weights as reps decreased)
Squat Bar Bench Press 3 sets X 12
Lat Pulldowns 20,15,12 (increasing weights as reps decreased)
Flat Bench Chest Flies 3 sets X 16


DAY 2 was Legs that I did today along with ABS that is prescribed 3 times per week
Warm-up squats with low weight - 20 reps
Squats 15, 12, 10 (increase weight as reps decrease)
DB Step Ups 2 sets X 20
DB Lunges 3 sets X 20
Stability Ball Hamstring Extension 3 sets X 15

Moving right into Abs:
Stability Ball Crunches 3 sets X 25
Reverse Crunches 3 sets X 10
and I threw in 2 sets of 10 on Stability Ball Pikes

So that's it - may not seem challenging but work your mind differently and your body will follow. I did :)

Developing a Healthier Lifestyle

I think developing a healthier lifestyle also requires educating oneself. I know since I got my modules back in mid April of last year I have been better equipped to address my own health concerns and in turn change and develop better habits.

With education, one is better equipped to asses ones lifestyle and recognize signs and symptoms and focus on prevention. A healthy lifestyle is about balance, calculated choices and motivation. Train the body to realize that a healthy lifestyle is a way of living, not a “quick fix”. If you want to transform your eating habits, you need to start “eating to live” not “living to eat”.

I have made a concise to look down at your plate and ask myself, “most of my food alive or dead? Is it nutrient dense or void of nutrients?” This translates to getting a majority of my daily calories from fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally processed whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and lean meats and fish. Clean eating minimizes the presence of preservatives, chemically altered fats, extra sodium and artificial ingredients. In addition to this I pay careful attention to portions. We have adapted the bigger-is-better attitude, without realizing that many prepackaged meals can actually stimulate the appetite. So go for moderation—I do a reality check and give myself one serving, not three. This takes education, discipline and practice.

My own persona five life-saving healthy habits that I practice and preach are: Not smoking, daily exercise, prudent eating, consuming limited amounts of alcohol and marinating a healthy weight. I have learned to do is strength my brain. Sounds strange but I tease and challenge my brain. I play games that rely on logic, word skills and math. I spend maybe 20 minutes a day on this. I make the effort to meditate daily and eat for my brain such as fish oils like wild salmon, nuts and seeds while eliminating trans-fat completely from my diet. Something my family has done is turned off the television and we exercise our brain more with physical exercise especially with our toddler and board games. Learning new skills is also on my list of things to do – from rollerblading to learning new fitness routines to challenge myself and even cooking new dishes for my family.