Motivation??

I am not that girl who jumps out of bed excited to work out the next day. I would like to say I am motivated to get healthy or even look good in a bathing suit. But to be honest some days I put on my workout clothes and make myself. 

Today would be a great example of that. It was cloudy, raining off and on and I just wanted to sit around and do nothing. Soon it was almost 430 and I still hadn't even left the house let alone worked out. I knew if I didn't workout soon I never would. 

I never did find my motivation but my kids know I workout so I changed my clothes and than sat back on the couch. My son moved the table and rug for me and than finally I put the video in. Would love to say I found my motivation but it was literally a few steps that would make me follow through. Being a good example for my boys being the primary while the other is knowing once I stop it is easier to keep stopping. 

I know some of you know what I am talking about. While others have motivation in spades....I am a little jealous if you do, but some of us have to dig deep and make ourselves do it even when we don't want to. I just wanted you guys to know you are not alone when you feel that way and that if I can do it you can too.

Diet Myths-Busted

Ok I get some fun articles sent to me and this one I really loved. Its from Spark people. Debunking Diet myths. The first one really caught my attention. 1. Do you have to eat less to lose weight? This is not true. No starving! No deprivation! and No Tiny Portions! Fill your plates with lots of healthy food, feeding both your eyes and your stomach. Making you feel more satisfied. You can eat water rich food, foods high in fiber, and plenty of healthy fats while staying in your calorie range 2. Plain vegetables are better.Fat free dressing may not be the way to go. Small amounts of healthy fat are important in helping you feel fuller faster plus is needed to help metabolize certain vitamins and antixodiants. Good option is to ditch the fat free dressing and dip your fork into an olive oil based dressing. 3. Low-Fat Low-Salt meals are flavorless. This is where your spice rack comes in handy guys. You can add plenty of flavor without having to add the extra calories. Make sure you check your labels. A lot of pre-made spices you get from the store are full of sodium so do a double check or mix and match your own flavors instead of opting for one that is pre mixed. 4. Fat free foods are the best choice. This sounds good in theory but when they remove the fat you have to think about what they ad. Most the time it is sugar or salt. To avoid this a good ideal is to try reduced fat instead of fat free. 5. Baking and Steaming are only healthy ways to cook. Not at all true. Grilling, sauteeing, sweating and broiling are a few other alternative ways to cook. These are a few other options for you to cook with and give your food some great taste. If you would like to read more from the article go to http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=93
Are you ready to join the challenge? What have you got to loose besides the weight?

Check out my site. Pick a kit and lets get started: http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Are all fats created equal?

So I was eating my yummy treats from Hawaii that my best friends sends me every year for Christmas and my birthday. So its a goodie box from Hawaii so you know there are going to be Macadamias nuts. I have not been very rigorous on my workouts during the holiday season and except for sticking to my two shakes a day (Body By Vi I love them) and despite munching on my goodies I still broke through this little plateau I was stuck in and lost a pound. So while snacking on a handful nuts I looked over the calorie and nutrition of my yummy nuts and WOW in a 1/4 cup these little guys have 230 calories. Most of which are of course fat 24 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs and 2 grabs protein. The fat grams are broken down Saturated fat 3.5 grams, Trans fat 0, Polyunsaturated fat 0, and last but not least Monosaturated fat 20 grams. So how with stats like this did I still loose a pound while eating a few (I grab a handful and munch I don't eat a whole bag in one sitting just to clarify) of these covered in chocolate. 

First things first even sliding a bit on my diet replacing my breakfast and lunch with my Visuals shake kept my calorie intake down. The fact that I only maybe had two handfuls a day I am sure helped but to be honest that is not something I would normally have so I was having a hard time believing that replacing my granola bar (90 calorie) snack with this one that was full a fat still feels like I should have gained, right?

So are all fats created equal? Lets break it down a little each gram of fat has 9 calories, for a reference carbs and protein each have 4 calories a gram and alcohol has 7. Fats are essential in absorbing fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and help provide energy. I have also read that it also helps you feel full longer and faster. 

Now lets see the differences between the different kinds of fat:

Saturated Fat: This type of fat is solid at room temperature. Typical found in animal foods, milk, cheese, and meat, and tropical oils for example coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fat raises your cholesterol.

Trans Fat: This is the one most of my friends check for. This type of fat is found in processed foods to give them a longer shelf life and is also known for raising cholesterol. This is one that seems to be most stressed about and every where you look you are being told to stay away from it.

Unsaturated Fat: This type of fat is usually a liquid at room temperature. Unlike saturated fats may cause your cholesterol to go down. This type of fat is broken down to Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated.

Polyunsaturated fat: Is found a lot in vegetable oils (ex. Sesame, soybean, and corn) and main fat in seafood. Eating Polyunsaturated fat is thought to help lower LDL Cholesterol. Two types of this fat are Omega-3 and Omega-6. From previous post you guys know knows omegas are very healthy.

Monounsaturated Fat: Mainly found in vegetable oils (ex canola, olive and peanut oils). This type of fat is though to lower the Bad LDL while raising the good HDL cholesterol levels, but only if you cut back on your saturated fat. NO eating both and hoping for results.

I am hoping with me eating my healthier Vi Shakes and eating a handful of these nuts that besides loosing weight and feeling better (oh and lets not forget my pants are getting loose so I am going to say looking better too) that I have helped lower cholesterol. I am not sure if that would have helped with my weight loss but I am sure it didnt hurt. 

Are you ready to get healthy this year? Dont put it off any longer. The only thing you have to loose is the weight  Click here to join the challange!

New Year and my New Years Resolution

The holidays are over, everyone in my house is feeling better and I am ready to get back to my own challenge. So this first post will be about me and I will try and update once a week on my progress with Body By Vi and the 90 Day Challenge. So between my fun articles on ways to loose weight, fun foods, yummy recipes you will get a more personal look at me.

Yesterday I did 30 minutes on the eliptical trainer. Today I started Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Its great its just under 30 minutes and I will be able to do in the morning before I get ready for my kids to go to school. I have two boys, I was doing the Insanity workouts but when my schedule changed I needed a shorter workout. 

I hate taking pictures of me. When I was younger I used to love it, than I gained a little weight and had two very big boys. I love them to death but they were big boys and I carried them in front. I swear I looked like a giant egg. I still think I look pregnant but hopefully that will go away as the weight comes off. 

Here is Day 1, January 1, 2013:

Are you ready to start your challenge but have a few more questions? Ready to pick a kit and just get started on your own 90 Day Journey?  http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

A few fruits you should add to your diet

I am lucky in that my kids love fruits. The other day after dinner my son came to the table with an apple. I started to laugh because generally my kids have to ask before they grab food and just start munching but it was an apple and not a piece of candy from the Halloween candy bag we have. I couldn't get mad but I became curious besides the usual fruits I buy is there one I should try.

I found an article on the 8 Healthiest fruits you should be eating from Ladies Home Journal. So here's the 411 according to this article.

1. Blueberries. This has been listed as one of the best super fruits for awhile. I have seen this on the cover of many magazines while in the checkout line. Rich in antioxidants helps in fighting cancer and in the prevention of muscle degeneration. Like cranberries they also help prevent urinary tract infections.

2. Oranges. A single orange has a full days worth of Vitamin C plus potassium. The scent is also supposed to be calming.

3. Apples. The skin of an apple is high in fiber both soluble and insoluble. These types of fiber help lower cholesterol and keeps you regular. It is also packed full of antioxidants.

4. Bananas. These by far are my sons favorite and have become my favorite thing to mix with my Body By Shake mix with a dab of peanut butter. Bananas are full of potassium and low in sodium. This can help reduce your chance of high blood pressure and strokes.

5. Kiwi. Kiwi has twice as vitamin C as an orange and is thought to help reduce risk of cataracts and might even help protect DNA from damage.

6. Red and Purple Grapes. For those of you with little kids these are always the easiest things for me to get mine to eat. At every party with a fruit platter I would find them stuffing their cheeks like little chipmunks. Grapes contain resveratrol. This antioxidants helps fight against heart disease. You can get this in a cup of dark grapes or a 5 oz glass of Merlot.

7. Strawberries. Another one of my favorites for my Body By Vi shakes. A handful of this yummy treat is expected to help control type 2 diabetes, help prevent heart disease, reduce inflammation, plus full of vitamin C and and other antioxidants.

8. Papayas. Papayas help in digestion. They are full of Vitamin C and a good source of folate.

My kids still won't eat Kiwi. Maybe later when they get over that it looks fury. I hope you all enjoy and find this information useful. If interested in the article check out http://www.lhj.com/recipes/healthy/eating/8-healthiest-fruits-you-should-be-eating/

Ready to start your own 90 Day Challenge? Pick a goal, pick a kit and lets get started. http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

How much protein do you really need?

This is a common question along with why do I need so much. There is no magic number that fits everyone across the board but my dietician told me the best way to figure out what you need as individual is to take your current weight and multiply it by 0.3. That means if you are 200 lbs you would take 200x0.3 and your total would be 60 grams. This number changes as you loose weight so make so as your weight goes down you will need less, and of course the opposite is true if you gain weight you will need more.

Why do you need protein? To make sure that while you are loosing weight you loose fat and keep your muscle mass. It is also the building block of every cell in your body. It is needed for virtually every function in your body and half the protein you consume goes to energy for your body. 

Not getting enough lean protein. Want a fun way to increase your protein and loose weight?

I am currently doing the 90 Day Challenge with Body By Vi and despite my under active thyroid and my PCOS I am loosing weight, loosing inches, and have more energy. Regardless and what you choose make sure you are getting enough lean protein. 

http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

The Weight Loss Challenge Sweeping The Nation - Body by Vi Transformations

From 197 to 136 in just 90 days! Tired of being sick and tired? Join the weight loss challenge that's sweeping the nation - The Body by Vi Challenge.

http://body-by-vi-shakes.com