Get Healthy...Build Your Body

Being healthy means watching what you eat and choosing the right foods. Getting in shape and trying to stay fit is not at all an easy task, and it can get expensive...but it doesn't have to! Like most routines, this article is not intended to be a “one size fits all.” Take from it what you will as non-professional advice from a woman who has always carried an extra 10 pounds on her at least. I kept telling people it was 'baby fat' until my daughter said to me one day; "Mom, I'm 21, it's not baby fat any longer!" 

It was then that I realized I was hiding behind the childbirth of my two kids who were now college age and could no longer use the weight gain as an excuse. It wasn't until then that I decided it was time to get in shape and watch what I ate, but even then I was sloppy at it. Could it be more difficult? Oh you bet it could...then menopause set in..as if things weren't bad enough, now this? Hot flashes, weight gain again,..was this all necessary? I work hard to watch what goes into my mouth and I try to stay on a general exercise routine. Not everyone has the same body, and not everyone has good health, so please...seek the advice of your physician first and know that is most important is your health and well being. In that light, consider the following list that I found to be quite helpful:

• Before beginning any serious weight lifting or body building regimen, consult your physician. Muscles are not built over night..it takes time and hard work to achieve a great body. What am I trying to say? You won't turn into Hercules over night!
  
  
• Set your goals. What will make you happy? Define what you expect to achieve with your new bodybuilding campaign within a realistic time frame. If you create goals that are unattainable you are setting yourself up for failure. You can become bored, disappointed and disillusioned to the point where you may give up. This is a very sad outcome to what might have been the best decision of your life. Don’t sell yourself short. Set your long term goals, of course, but also set short term goals that are achievable. And, don’t forget to reward yourself when you do achieve them.
  
  
• Consider the costs. If you don’t already have a budget, create one. Eating healthy is not cheap. If you live in good climates like I have in Houston TX, I had a garden from April through November. I had greens and such at hand all the time. If you don't have access to a garden 24/7, determine what amount of discretionary funds you have available for your bodybuilding program. This will determine whether you can afford to have a home gym or if your needs would better be served by joining a club. Joining a club is still a good short term introduction before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment that might not be appropriate for your needs.
  
  
• Don’t forget some of the low cost alternatives to purchasing your bodybuilding equipment. If used equipment is still functional why spend the extra dollars just for a little glitz! Good, brand name used equipment is every bit as functional as something right off a showroom floor. If you can't afford the fancy schmancy gym equipment...get an exercise ball and a couple of 15 pound weights like I did. They work just as well and you work just as many muscles!
  
  
• Consider combining a home gym along with a membership in a public facility. Purchase less expensive free weight equipment for use at home and join a gym to have access to the more expensive equipment. You can design your entire workout routines around a combination such as this. No money for a gym? Invest $9.99 in a DVD called Yoga Booty Ballet. I LOVE IT....and like milk, it does your body good!
  
  
• Eat healthy! This can’t be stressed enough. The only true bodybuilding aids are good nutrition. Ok so I cheat sometimes...who doesn't? Just be careful, and try to stick to the proper nutrition schedule. I've found that when I tell myself I can't have something, I cheat and eat it 'because I can' ....my friends, we're only cheating on ourselves when we do this. Need help? Consult a licensed dietician. Watch your local community calendar for free seminars on diet and nutrition. Learn all you can about what nature freely provides that can help you to develop a healthy diet. 
  
  
• If you choose to use dietary supplements, make certain that you know what you are putting in your body. Follow the packaging guidelines I outlined previously. Ask your physician for his/her recommendations based on the regimen you have selected. No friend, coach or acquaintance can take the place of your physician and what works for one person may not at all work for someone else. In fact, you may even investigate finding a physician who specializes in sports wellness.
  
  
• Be kind to yourself. Yes, it’s important to push to achieve your goals, but it’s very easy to tip the scales in the other direction and create a nightmare for yourself. Obsessive, compulsive behaviors are not conducive to a healthy bodybuilding lifestyle. Someone once told me that your body is your house, and my friend...it's the only one you'll ever have, so please, take care of it! Be happy being YOU and be proud of what you have accomplished! When you get to your desired weight, go shopping at www.SimplyDeliciousLingerie.com for a sexy new babydoll, bedroom costume or teddy. We have hundreds of pieces of women's intimate apparel to choose from!
  
  
  
  

  

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• About Simply Delicious Lingerie

  Simply Delicious Lingerie is an online boutique specializing in sexy lingerie from designers such as Carrie Amber Intimates LLC ‘SeventilMidnight’, Be Wicked, Elegant Moments, Fantasy Lingerie, Raveware, and WMS Clothing. Our lingerie is the aphrodisiac of taste, and represents beauty and luxury at an affordable price. At Simply Delicious Lingerie we've personally selected a variety of sexy lingerie just for you and all of your sensuous rendezvous. We sell accessories, Bordello shoes, Pleaser shoes, garter sets, bridal lingerie, bridal undergarments, honeymoon lingerie, wedding day lingerie, wedding garter sets, wedding petticoats, affordable plus size lingerie, Halloween costumes, sexy plus size costumes,  fantasy lingerie, matching lingerie sets, Men’s underwear, men’s Lingerie, sexy thigh high stockings, satin pajamas, plus size sleepwear, adult novelty items and sex swings including the Whip Smart Pleasure Swing. Have a lingerie party with us and experience fun!  Our mission is to take your sexy lingerie needs to the next level of comfort, intrigue, romance and sophistication. For more information or to place an order today please visit http://simplydeliciouslingerie.com/  Say YES (your everyday sexy) to Simply Delicious Lingerie! ® 

  
  

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Hips and Thighs... Lose Inches and Shed Pounds

Day in and day out we worry about the same things  and we ask the same question? "Does my butt look fat in these jeans?" Men are terrified to respond in any way because they don't want to say the wrong thing and end up in the dog house. Our hips and thighs are a great problem, at least for many of us. I've worried about these issues all of my life. When my hips and thighs expand, my ass gets bigger. There are ways to make changes that will allow you to feel like a 'better you.' Every woman dreams of having a perfect figure. For this, she will try almost anything that may help her achieve her dream. However, not all women find time to obtain a well-toned body. Thighs and hips are the first places which will accumulate fat, with the additional effect of cellulite.So, watching what you eat and exercising will fix this if you take action now.

For the vast majority of women, shapeless hips and thighs with excess fat are a major complaint. Thanks to female physiology, women’s bodies are simply designed to retain fat in the hip/thigh area to assist with childbearing and be available for energy in case of famine.

 Where do you start?

Begin by assessing your diet – do you eat a lot of junk food or dine out frequently? Oftentimes a busy schedule can prevent people from eating as healthy as they would like, especially since it can difficult to get away from work for a real meal. What about cravings? Women especially are prone to cravings for high-fat, high-calorie foods that have no real nutritional value. Premenstrual syndrome can be responsible for many of those cravings but often emotional eating is a factor as well. You should take an honest look at your diet and keep a food diary for a few days.  

Write everything you eat and how you felt at the time.

 Sounds like a pain in the neck to do this, but there is reason behind it. This can provide insight into your choices for nourishment. If you’re dealing with stressful situations at home or work, that can reflect itself in your daily diet. Make a commitment to yourself to change your eating habits and take care of your body by providing yourself with healthy, nutritious foods that give you the right kind of fuel to make it through the day. Eating a properly balanced diet can actually help to alleviate many symptoms of stress and may help you deal with your situation more effectively. When you know how to use it properly, food is a powerful tool. 

As part of your program, you should keep a food journal to track your eating and also motivate yourself to eat better every day. Knowing that you will have to write down two chocolate bars or an entire bag of miniature Reese's Cups will make you think twice before you put them in your mouth, including the amount of calories and fat can deter you from eating them in the first place – this being one of the reasons that food journals are so powerful. Being able to track your feelings at the time you ate can help you identify emotional issues and encourage you to eat because you want to, not because your boss yelled at you. Consider also using your food journal to keep track of your weight and measurements once a week to provide yourself with an accurate record of your progress over the weeks.

Consider your exercise program – do you have one? I didn't for a long time.Now I do yoga booty ballet and I love it! You should try it too! When the hips and thighs are chubby and out of shape, that’s typically a situation that will require a lot of fat-burning. The issue is not so much that the muscles aren’t in shape but that there’s too much fat over the muscles to show any real definition. Fat-burning activities will be a vital part of reshaping your lower body and you should plan to work out at least four times every week for about thirty to forty-five minutes each time. 

The good news is that you don’t have to work out all at once – Can you three 10-minute workouts into your day? If so, you’ve made time for your exercise. Increase it as you get more and more used to doing it. You never want to over do it as that can create even bigger health risks and issues if you are out of shape and try to do too much too fast. Recent studies show that short, intense spurts of exercise can be just as effective as longer workouts. That’s good news for everyone with busy days and busier nights. The best choices for fat-burning are swimming, power-walking, and high-intensity aerobics. All three of these options will blast calories from your body and help torch the fat from your body. Burning the fat off is your first priority in order to see the true shape of your body underneath. In between your fat-blasting workouts, make time to strengthen your hip and thigh area by doing squats and lunges as well as lateral raises to tone the outer thighs. You may want to wait to focus on the strengthening exercises until you have lost fat from the hips and thighs, but fortunately this is an area that builds muscle fairly quickly. Squats are an especially powerful move to tone up the buttocks and increase the power of your workouts. 

Shaping up the hips and thighs is by no means impossible. Make your plan, keep a daily food record, and burn fat through cardiovascular exercise – your lower body will start to reshape itself within a few weeks. There’s nothing better than looking in the mirror and knowing that the strong, beautiful lower body is thanks to your hard work and effort.

My advice? 

 1. Diet:
Diet is un-arguably a quintessential part of any weight loss regime. To reduce fat, you need to follow the below-mentioned measures:The most effective methods of reducing fat is not just by following a great diet, but by altering the way you think. You need to learn to differentiate between your cravings for food and real hunger. Never binge even if you are feeling sad or guilty. It is always good to chew your food well before swallowing it, since it not only helps in digestion, but slows down your eating as well.

2. Exercise:
The next attack on your flabby thighs is exercise. The best way to reduce fat is by including cardio as well as strength training exercises to your workout. Here are some good exercises that can help you in your attack against flabby thighs.

The outer thigh blaster: it firms the outside of your thighs and hips and strengthens your lower body. Lying on your side, rest your head on your left arm, which should be stretched out above your head. Put your right arm on your right hip. Keeping your legs straight, use your outer thigh muscle to lift the right leg six inches off the floor. Keeping your heel out (opposite of pointing toe) will help you get a better stretch. Slowly lower your leg and repeat 8-12 times on your left side, flat against the floor.
• The inner thigh lifts: it works wonders for the most difficult part to tone in the lower body, the inner thighs. Lie on your left side, flat against the floor. Rest your head on your left upper arm. Bend your right (top) leg at the knee and cross over in front of left leg. Rest your right arm on your right hip. Keep your left leg straight. Using inner thigh muscle (adductor), lift left leg 6 inches off floor. Keep left toe in flexed position (not a pointed position). Exhale (breathe out) as you lift your leg. Using resistance with the inner thigh muscle (not gravity), slowly lower your leg. Inhale (breathe in) as you lower your leg. Repeat exercise for a set of 8. Repeat entire sequence on your right side, step 1-9 (working right adductor muscle). By practicing these exercises regularly, you can tighten and tone down your thighs. 

Before long your be looking and feeling great and the inches and pounds will be dropping off!

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Happy Hour...How To Stick To Your Diet

This is on of my favorite times to get together with friends BUT I have to be careful of a few things. Alcohol and food. No one wants to drink too much. For me a glass or two of wine is great, or a martini. For food, I am trying so hard to be good BUT it's hard. Weight gain is a difficult one for me. I gain 5 pounds just looking at a big slice of cheesecake so I monitor what I eat and ration it. Like so many people, the end of the day, especially the end of the week is a time to unwind and prepare for the weekend. Happy hour is a post workday tradition for many Americans, but oh those fun calories can add up quickly if you aren't careful. Hey, we all fall off the diet wagon from time to time, and when friends go out especially after work hours, it can be even more difficult. What is one to do? Consider these options for sticking to your diet when visiting a bar or opting for other alternatives for the after work get-together. Here are a few tips for healthier eating and drinking.

Nutritious Bar Foods

1. Select soy. That's right, you heard me....Edamame and veggie burgers can turn happy hour into a low calorie early dinner. You'll get plenty of good quality protein and vitamins. With the rest of the evening free, you can even take a run when you get home.

2. Opt for seafood. Oysters and shrimp may be high in cholesterol, but they're also good sources of low fat protein. Just watch out for the high sodium cocktail sauces. Mussels are another smart choice if you skip the French fries on the side.

3. Nibble on olives and other vegetables. Olives are high in fat but it's the monounsaturated version that's good for your heart. Cut vegetables make an excellent snack as long as you avoid the breaded and fried varieties.

4. Order the hummus platter. Hummus can also be the center of a balanced meal. Just remember pita chips may be just as fattening as potato chips.

5. Indulge in pizza. Pizza is fine for an occasional treat. Plain slices or vegetable toppings are better for your waistline than pepperoni or sausage. Plus multi-grain crust is a whole lot more wholesome than white crust.

6. Have some nuts. Portion control makes nuts a great snack. An ounce of almonds or walnuts has less than 200 calories.

Drinking Wisely

1. Drink in moderation. Moderate drinking is considered one drink per day for women and two for men. Keep in mind that many bar drinks contain more than one serving of alcohol, which is about 12 grams. That's equivalent to 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

2. Recognize the highest-calorie cocktails. White Russians and Long Island ice teas have as many calories as a whole meal. Think twice about any drink with cream or extra alcohol.

3. Pick slimmer cocktails. Rum and diet coke has less than 100 calories. Bloody Mary's are only about 120 calories and you'll get some vitamin C!

4. Drink light beer or wine. Red wine and white wine both have only about 100 calories a glass. Most light beers are about the same.

5. Switch to non-alcoholic beverages. You can always enjoy hanging out while you stick to water or diet soda. Drinking plenty of water may also help you resist the temptation to eat more.

Additional Suggestions

1. Suggest alternative activities. Focus on spending time with your colleagues and unwinding after work rather than on drinking alcohol. You could go out for frozen yogurt or take in an early movie or concert. Local gyms or yoga studios will likely give you a discount if you ask about bringing in a group.

2. Enlist your employer. Studies show that positive relationships at work can improve productivity and worker satisfaction. Talk with your boss about coordinating after-work events. Many organizations offer free guest speakers on topics like wellness or financial management. You might also use the conference room to watch a movie or the parking lot to serve up a taco bar.

3. Avoid drinking and driving. It's always best to drink in moderation but it's even more important when you're planning to drive. If you think there's any chance that you will drink to excess, pick a designated driver or make other transportation arrangements in advance. 

Happy hour is really great way to boost morale among co-workers and switch gears between the office and home while you sit out the rush hour traffic. Order carefully at the bar if you're watching calories or try some new activities for your next after work get-together. Life is good, enjoy it.

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