10 Tiny Changes for Weight Loss

I get a lot of questions about losing weight. What is the easiest way? Can I lose weight and still eat my favorite foods? Do I have to eat breakfast?

I went to info from one of my favorite trainers, Chalene Johnson. Chalene created Turbo Jam, which is one of my all time favorite workouts! It is actually what got me started working out several years ago. It is so fun! This is what Chalene has to say about losing weight.


10 Tiny Changes for Big Weight Loss by Chalene Johnson

Turbo Jam™ trainer Chalene Johnson recommends taking baby steps to eat more healthfully. If you "slip," get immediately back on track. Never let a vacation or a special holiday be an excuse to overdo it the entire time. Go ahead, enjoy the occasional indulgence, but keep it reasonable.

Here are 10 tiny changes you can make for big weight loss.

1. Wait 2 minutes. Cravings will disappear after two minutes if you walk away and turn your attention elsewhere.

2. W.I.W.M. When you really crave something unhealthy, answer this question: "What do I Want More," that piece of chocolate cake, or a body I feel proud of? And on rare occasions, it's okay to pick the chocolate cake!

3. No one's perfect. Don't allow one bad choice to result in bingeing the rest of the day, or falling back into old habits.

4. Focus. Make eating purposeful, not something mindless to do while watching TV, driving, or sitting in front of the computer. Whenever you put food in your mouth, try to engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Don't skip breakfast. Start eating a filling breakfast, but one that's lower in fat. It will help you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

6. Veggies. The majority of your plate should have veggies and/or fruit on it at both lunch and dinner.

7. See what you eat. Eat your food off of a plate instead of straight out of a jar, bag, or box.

8. Don't buy it. Stop buying the food you snack on all day. Just eliminate the temptation.

9. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in their diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.

10. Watch what you drink. Cut back on or cut out high-calorie drinks like soda, sweet tea, lemonade, and, especially, alcohol. People have lost weight by making just this one change.

Discussion: Do you struggle with any of these? Which one is the hardest? Easiest?

Larabar = love

I LOVE larabars! They are so tasty and the perfect size to fit in my purse for a hunger emergency! Do you have hunger emergencies from time to time? I like to be prepared since I won't eat certain things. Larabars are just right for these occasions. The bars won't melt and don't freeze. There are only 2-8 ingredients per bar. Fruits, nuts and spices!! 16 great flavors!

From the Larabar website:

LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices - energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than eight ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.


GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE * NON-GMO * VEGAN * KOSHER

LÄRABAR REAL.
Sweet with no added sweeteners. Sustaining with no added fillers, supplements or flavorings. LÄRABAR is what your body needs - real, whole food loaded with nature's own minerals and vitamins.

LÄRABAR RIGHT.
All of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats are derived exclusively from the whole food used to make LÄRABAR.

For LÄRABAR, we source the best possible ingredients. Every time. Every bar. Enjoy.


My favorites are cherry pie, coconut cream pie, and cashew cookie! Of course, I love them all, but those are my faves! I could go on and on about these great bars, but instead, I'll let you have a chance to win some of your own! YEAH!!!!

You can find Larabar at most health food stores and also purchase online direct from them!

9 Snack size bars! Perfect way to try several of the flavors!

To enter: Go over to the Larabar website and come back and tell me which flavor you are most excited to try!

Bonus Entries:

1)Become a fan of Larabar on Facebook and/or follow Larabar on twitter.

2) Become a follower of my blog

3) Tweet or facebook about this giveaway: I hope I win the @larabar giveaway from @Danamoritz at Feeling Fit With Dana!

4) Blog about this giveaway - leave me a link so I can check it out!

5) Become a fan of Feeling fit with Dana on facebook

You have to do the original entry to be eligible for the bonus entries. Leave me a comment with the entries you have done!

Winner will be chosen on April 16 by random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or a second chance drawing will be held!

fit club monday

It's Monday again, and that means - Fit Club Monday! I am getting a late start today since we decided to prolong our weekend at the lake. We squeezed every little bit we could and I love that! Just got home and wanted to be sure to keep you informed!

When you are trying to lose weight, working out or just wanting to be healthy, there is no better way than to increase your water intake. I know I talk a lot about water here, but it is that important. Staying properly hydrated during a workout is important, as we all know because your performance hinges on it. But how do you know how much is enough? Is it really possible to drink too much water?






P90X® Results and Recovery

Purchase Now

Refuel, re-energize, and reduce muscle soreness with this after-workout shake. Four parts carbs to one part protein ensures speedy muscle repair after intense workouts!*

Recover faster and see better results!
This great-tasting shake is specially designed to provide the precise nutrients you need to recover quickly after intense workouts. P90X Results and Recovery Formula offers a unique mix of:
Simple and complex carbohydrates for optimum glycogen replenishment*
A high Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) blend to provide the critical building blocks for rapid muscle resynthesis*
Vitamins, including antioxidants, to help reduce muscle soreness and assist in repair and growth*
Studies show that with proper nutrition during the first hour following a workout you can increase your body's ability to recover more than 100%. The key component to maximizing this "window of opportunity" is a formulation of approximately 4 parts carbohydrates to 1 part protein.

P90X Results and Recovery Formula is a state-of-the-art, great tasting, body-shaping cocktail that's guaranteed to take your workouts to the next level.

Today's Recipe:

Heart-Healthy Blueberry Smoothie - Thin Kitchen Recipe Book by Beachbody
Serves 1

This blue machine powers you up with antioxidants to keep you pumping strong.

1 scoop protein powder(your choice) (Beachbody has a great whey one, I don't do dairy, I prefer Sun Warrior)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
ice

Place ingredients in a blender. Add ice and blend until smooth.

This smoothie makes a great immune booster when you are feeling worn down. Also serves as a grea afternoon pick-me-up.

Calories - 250, Fat total - 3 g, Sat Fat - 1 g, carbs - 39 g, fiber 5 g, protein 20 g (based on Beachbody whey protein powder)

Discussion: do you drink water during/after your workouts or do you feel you need a recovery drink. For me, it all depends on the workout I am doing. I LOVE the recovery drink. It is tasty - like an orange julius. As Tony Horton says - I workout just so I can drink the P90X recovery drink!!!

Easter Greetings!

I hope that you are having a wonderful Easter day filled with love, gratitude and family!

I am so blessed to have such an amazing family, wonderful friends, a healthy body and a place to share it all with you!

Thank God, hug your family, and enjoy your day!

Happy Easter!

slim and shake update

I am on day 3 of the Challenge and I think I'll do my weekly updates on Saturdays! Why not , right?

Just to catch you up if you missed the challenge details. I am doing a Slim and Shake Challenge for April. I'm going to be doing a challenge each month. You are always welcome to join in. The Slim and Shake Challenge consists of Slim in 6 workouts ( I am adding these to my P90X rotation) and Shakeology. 30 days. Workout 6 days per week, 1 rest/stretch day and Shakeology for at least 1 meal per day. Pretty simple, but oh so effective. I really believe that there is no better workout for women than Slim in 6. Debbie Siebers really knows her stuff. Slim in 6 works the lower body like no other. I was planning on doing the Shake cleanse for the first 3 days, but after this week, it just didn't happen. So, I'll do the Shake cleanse after I get back from my trip next week. Plan B in action.

Day 1 - I took my measurements and weight and before photos. Not thrilled, but I have a starting point. Workout was Ramp it up from Slim in 6 and a 1 mile walk outside with Brian.

Food Journal -

b - shakeology (chocolate mixed with water and ice)

s - banana

l - potato salad, baked beans, pickle

s - shakeology (chocolate mixed with water and frozen strawberries) 1/2 tropical fruit Larabar

d - caeser-ish salad w blackened shrimp (5)

Water - 64 oz.

I've decided that I will eat some fish and eggs throughout this challenge. I'm going to see how my body reacts and go with it.

Day 2 -

workout - Start it up, Chest Shoulders and Tris, 200 crunches

Food Journal

b - shakeology (chocolate mixed with soy milk and ice)

s - none

l - big salad with peppers, tomato, onion, avocado and tomato vinagrette and veggie enchilada

s - hummus and pepper strips and Sunny Hemp granola bar

d - chips and salsa, veggies and refried beans

Water - 52 oz

Today is Day 3 and I've had my shakeology for breakfast so far. My workout is supposed to be Legs and Back, but the guys were griping last night and I'm not sure what we'll do this morning.

I am walking with Brian when the weather allows it. He needs to get back to some type of exercise routine and walking is all he can do for now.

Ok, this is a little different post for me. Let me know what you think. Do you want to see the details or would you rather just have the beginning and end?

Feel free to jump in on the challenge with me at any time. I'm always up for some company. You can do whatever workout you want and use Shakeology or even your own meal replacement shake, although I can't recommend Shakeology enough. Remember, I'm happy to send you a sample.

Discussion: Do you like to challenge yourself each month? Do you focus on a certain body part or work on your body as a whole? Are you keeping a food journal? Anyone jonesing for an ipad? Oh, I'm just full of questions!

Crunch Time

It's Finally Friday! I'm so glad this week has gone by fast. I'm not one to wish my life away, but this was a tough week.

FRIDAY CHALLENGE

Last week was 100 pushups. Several of you participated and did all of them or as many as you could do! That makes me soooo happy! So today we are going to focus on our belly - CRUNCHES! 200 of em. Do all of them at one time for a great burn or space them out throughout the day. Lay on your back, bend your knees, let your head just fall into your hands and raise from the middle, not the shoulders. Try not to put too much strain on your neck. You can even put your hand on your belly so that you can feel the muscle working. This way you know you are doing them right. Be sure to tighten those muscles. This will be easy for some of you and really hard for others. You can do it! Of course, you can do more than 200 if you'd like. Be sure to let me know how you are doing here or on facebook or twitter!!!!

Crunches will help you to tone the muscles, but to lose belly fat, you must change your diet. "Abs are made in the kitchen" - Tony Horton

So, also work on eating a healthy diet, no processed foods, no sugar, no white bread, white rice, eat whole, nutritious foods and you will see changes in your belly.

FRIDAY FOLLOW

It's also Friday Follow. I really enjoy particpating in this, I get to find so many new blogs to read and new friends as well.

Today is the last day for the Function Drink giveaway. I'll be drawing at 6 PM today. Be sure to get your entries in! Just click on the link to the left (giveaways) and you will be taken right to the page!

Enjoy your Good Friday!

RIP Luke Grayson

Today is going to be a very hard day for us to get through. Our good friend Luke, passed away on Monday. He was 35 and died of a massive heart attack. Today is the funeral. I want to share the words Brian wrote on his facebook wall.

Today we will bury my old poker buddy Luke Grayson. Luke was the kind of guy who could make you laugh even when you were the one he was making fun of. Luke was a big man with a big appetite for fun. If you ever had the pleasure of seeing Luke in full color at the blackjack table it was a sight you would not soon forget. Luke was in a very small group of people I would call a master craftsman, he could build or fix anything, he would do it right and he would make it beautiful.

Luke had recently brought the church back into his life and I feel he left in peace. Luke's life revolved around his family, whether at school or at play, he never missed a practice or game. Sonya, Taylor, Ethan and his brother Josh lost their patriarch and I lost a friend. God bless us all. Peace to Luke.

I really hope that we all will learn to not take life for granted. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow. So, please, for me, hug your children extra hard, call your loved ones and tell them just how much they mean to you.

Thank you so much for hanging out here with me. I appreciate each and every one of you!