The struggle

The struggle of losing weight is so real! I mean I have my days were, I am just so tired of dieting and exercising,  and what not. Most women and some men can relate to the "struggle" of fatloss and getting healthy. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that its like squeezing molasses out of a tube on a cold winters day.

I know there is no magic pill, or no "cookie cutter" exercise, but must it be so hard.
I get the calories in, calories out mantra,  but what if thats not enough with diet and exercise?

Well Im sure im not aline on the issue, and try to keep good spirits about the matter. So a little advice I may have for some of you is the fun exercises that fit your interest level and your lifestyle.

First let me lead with some things that might be interesting to some of you before I get into the eating part, calories in and calories out ordeal.

So some of the things I like to do when it comes to exercising and keeping it interesting for me is things like playing a sport that I enjoy. When I play sports like flag football, or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or sparring, boxing, anything of that sort it makes me feel invigorated, and keeps my competitive spirit up. However if you are not the sporty type, there are other ways to keep yourself moving. Another thing that I like to do is dance; and when I say dance I mean a vigorous nonstop rhythm Matic movements that gets my heart rate going. I cranked up the music and dance while I'm washing clothes, while I'm folding clothes, while I'm cooking, while I'm watching TV, or when I'm just simply happy.

I dance my heart out!!!! 

If you're not much for dancing and you might be just too busy with housework or if you go to work there are many things that you can do while doing your household chores and while at work.

For example while you're washing the dishes go ahead and march in place for as long as it takes you to wash the dishes or load the dishwasher. If your cleaning the windows or moping the floor, go ahead and so some squats or lunges. Lol seems weird, but it works.

Or while your in the shower, do 10 squat, wash up and rinse, 10 more squats after. Than pretend to hula hoop while drying off for 1 min.

At work... pending on your job. You can take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. If you have a desk job, do like 20 dips with your chair. Or stand up and give yourself a nice 5 min stretch to start the day. So many things can be found on the Internet to demonstrate different ways to work out at different types of jobs. Or be creative and think of safe ones for you to do at work, also that won't bother others of course.
Some other things that I like to do at home is play with my wii fit which keeps me entertained for hours. Sometimes I think it's not that accurate when it comes to weighing myself and on certain movements but for the most part it's fun and it keeps my attention.
I strap on my Fitbit force and I go to town on my wii fit.

These are just some of the things I'd like to do on a daily basis rather than go to the gym and endure the daily grind of commute. However if you're a person who loves the gym, like really loves the gym then I probably won't seem so tedious to you have it.

Ok now for the calories in calories out ordeal.
So I don't know if many of you heard about the whole calories in calories out counting calories or counting anything that has to do with your food such as weighing stuff and paying attention to your seasoning intake as well as water. No for me to elaborate on this I'm going to get pretty specific on what I mean.

Okay so the calories in calories out dilemma,  consist of mainly what you put in your body how much of it you put in your body what you do after you do this to your body.

Okay so that one piece of pizza totals to be about 560 calories. Alright that doesn't seem so bad for a breakfast, which should be your largest calories in the morning when your most active. Then you have a small snack of carrots and peanut butter which are both let's say 60 calories, do you have your lunch which is a Caesar salad with extra Ceasar dressing on it and that's about 300 calories, then you have your next small meal after lunch and said its in a bowl with some walnuts or peanuts and say that's about 60 calories also of pure protein, and then you have your dinner what you decide to make a lasagna which totals abults another 700 calories. No if you're on a diet plan that says you can eat 1700 calories,  you have essentially
Eaten 1680 calories which mean you are a littlw under budget, but that ok.
Also say you worked out fir an hour burning 400 calories,  meaning for your daily calories in calories out youve maxed 1280.

So you most likely will lose weight if this is your consistent routine. You should always strive to burn more or equal to the calories that you eat.

With that being said I have a hard time with this concept also. It's not a hard concept to get, it is just a bit difficult to keep a strict eating plan full of clean meals as well as exercise every day at a set time.
But I try to keep up a steady routine and even if I fall back I was bring back and bounce right back into it. I want you all to remember that life is a process and can also be fun. Remembering why you're doing this should be a positive effect on your lifestyle.

Do not do it for your husband or your spouse or your boyfriend or girlfriend, don't do it for your kids don't do it for your friends, do it for yourself; because doing it for yourself is like doing it for everybody. To become more healthier, fitter, and happier human being.
Remember ladies that its ok to get it wrong sometimes,  or ask for help. This is your life, and you want and need to get it right as you only have one life to live.

With that I leave you with this famous quote.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other thing. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek". -Pres. Barack Obama

Lady Motivation rules the Nation

I am so happy that I finally created a facebook page for my community help group and I am even more excited to share it with all of you!

So I have stated before that I also have a YouTube page at youtube.combodybyangels and I am preparing to make content and post for the world to see.

Oh boy...oh boy
I'm nervous, excited, scared, happy and everything in between.. I'm not exactly sure what to do it myself at this time.
All I know is I had to share it with you guys!

So the name of my page is.... YES you guessed it Body By Angels Fitness. Heres the exact like to find it, like it, subscribe to it and friend us!
https://www.facebook.com/
BodyByAngelsFitness

Its all about positive ways to fat loss, weight reduction, healthy clean lean eating and genernal health and beauty shared by many woman just like you from all over the world. Meal plans, recipes, workout plans, suppliment suggestion (rants and raves) and so much more.
Its a mecca for the modern day gal and her journey to being fit, making friends, and most of all promoting positive lifestyles.

I know, that we are all so different; with different ideas, different body types different just about everything.  However that doesn't mean we can't help each other on our path or journey if you will.

So check it out and stay tuned for our first youtube posting coming soon.

Progress is a process!?!?

Weightloss vs Fatloss

How to eat

Progress is a Process!

So lately in class I've been learning a lot about health, nutrition, and general wellness. And it seems to me obviously, that they go hand in hand.

Ladies we seem to really be confused on what our bodies need. There are so many different body types out there, that it is easy to get confused on what is best for each of us.
Everyone seems to always want instant gratification, its pretty human to think that way right?
However being healthy, proper nutrition, and fat loss not weight loss is a process!

Try to think in terms of how to lose excess body fat, not weight. Obviously your weight will go down with fat loss. However,  it may stay the same if you are gaining muscle; which weighs much more than fat. It is a hard concept to understand if you really don't understand it.

Let me break it down for you:
Tatiana
A woman weighs in at
145lbs
5ft 1in
Pear shaped body type

Her friend
Abby
Weighs in at
145 also
5ft 6in
Athletic body type

Evolution of woman

 Now with those two examples, why would you think the shorter one weighs the same but looks different?

Well let's go ahead and examine their lifestyles.

Well from what I have learned and also struggle to understand is weight loss vs fat loss.

Tatiana is a workaholic, freshmen in college,  with little time to workout between class and work, however her efforts to try to eat well is strained by her limited time being home, to prepare her own meals.

Abby is a fashion designer with a open schedule,  she is about to pick and choose her time at work as well as exercise 4 times a week, and plays community rugby on her weekends.
She is into clean eating and meal preps at home.

Take each ladies lifestyle, and weight, height, and assumed calories in and out.
By comparison Abby has the advantage.

We can assume the with Addy's open schedule, knowledge of body proportions (per her job as a fashion designer),height, and active lifestyle; her fat ratio is low, but her muscle mass is high.

Tatiana can have the same assuming she had more time between school and work to work out or stay active in some way. She may eat better if she had more time at home to prepare her own meals, and if her main goal was fat loss and not weight loss.

One can also assume Tatiana's stress level higher than Abby's, rendering her body capabilities to look and respond to her limited time to exercise.

Putting aside Abby's height, with her prepared meals her daily workout her open schedule and her athletic ability, her fat is lower, her muscle is up and she weighs the same.

You may not start off where you want to be but hard work preparation and a little sacrifice goes a long way. 

When you are stressed, sleep less, work more, and eat poorly it affect your body in the worst way.
Try not to look ahead to where you want to be or where you should be or compare yourself to another person's weight. Instead focus on how to better your health, lose fat, maintain healthy weight for your height and stay active the best way you can.

With time and patience you may start out looking like Christi alley and end up looking like Cameron Diaz or a Monique to a Hallie berry. Either way all woman are beautiful in their own way. So take your time, and work on being a better you inside and out.

With that being said here's a workout of the week for you. Progress and post your process here. Lets motivate each other.

A workout for the week 2x

  BodyByAngels

Eat your healthy heart out!!

So you like to EAT!

Here are some healthy meals and snack recipes to quiet that rumble in your tummy!

  I Scoured the web for more healthy meal goodness and tasty treats! A few I got from my personal Instagram account and some from other site or just or I experimented with! 

So let's get started!

Idk exactly what this is called but it's a protein super food!

I've made this before with my twist on it!

Yummy Green Smoothie

Plenty of delicious fruits and vegetables

Remember pre-meals

OPEN face sandwiches are All the RAGE

Open face sandwiches are the best kind, it limits the carbs but adds the flavor!

1} Strawberry Nutella open-faced

Take 2-4 medium-large strawberries

Take 2-4 slices of whole grain or wheat bread (toasted Lightly)

Take 4 tablespoons of Nutella

knife

Instructions:

Toast 2-4 slices of bread

Take your knife and cut strawberries in medium-thin slices

On your toasted bread, take your 1 Tbs of Nutella and spread it on toasted bread.

Then place the cut strawberries on top of Nutella on bread

 Than ENJOY!!!!

2} Banana Peanut Butter open-faced

Take one banana

Take 2 slices of whole-grain or wheat bread (lightly toasted)

Take two Tablespoons of low-fat peanut butter

Take half of teaspoon of All-natural honey

Instructions:

Cut the banana up in medium slices

Toast your bread

Take 1 Tbs of peanut butter and spread it on your toast

Take your cut bananas and place them on top of the peanut butter on toast

Then take half tsp of honey and drizzle over your bananas

Avocado Egg and Turkey bacon

I'm not sure how they made this on here, but I do have a way I made it my own type of way! You can alter it the way you see fit. (Just keep it healthy)

Instructions:
Take an avocado and cut in half (like shown)
Pick the center seed out
Fry up some turkey bacon to a nice golden brown
Pat turkey bacon dry with a paper towel
Cut your turkey bacon in bit pieces and place them inside the avocado.
Take an egg or egg white substitute and place it in the avocado on top of turkey bacon, if you don't have or like bacon uses another lean meat or just use egg.
Cut up some a few mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
place them in the top corner of avocado and egg.
Your oven should be preheated to 360 degrees
Place the avocado on a baking pan and place in the oven for about 20 mins or until the egg is firmly cooked.
Let cool
ENJOY

These are a few I found on the internet or came up with by myself,
Do you have any meals or snacks? Let us know and share with your BodyByAngels community!

xoxoxo
~Angels😇

Weigh in on your WEIGH INS!

 HAVE YOU WEIGHED IN THIS WEEK?

So weigh-in is important for a motivational and informational for one's self!
So one question for you guys that's kinda worrisome lately. That question is when do you all start to see progress from your workouts? I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm having a hard time with that fact...
simply because I am not used to my weigh these days, but I'm making a conscious decision to lose this "prison of a body" of mine..lol

My last Sunday weigh-in Jan. 19, 2014
173.2 lbs

So I weigh a little bit more and when I first started working out and I think it's because I'm gaining a little muscle, however, I am not able to see it yet.

So I also keep picture logs on what I am looking like after every weigh-in!

One of my gal pals from my football team THE LADY STINGRAYS; we made a pact to do this every time we weigh-in to keep us on track.

Having a workout buddy is great and helps us to reach our goals, so my suggestion once again is to try to find one...and sweat it out!

My goal and yours as well should not be to just lose weight but to be fitter and gain some muscle. Many people go wrong on this because in their head it's all about losing weight and forgetting about the bigger goal to be in shape.

Yes, I know the joke "ROUND IS A SHAPE", and as funny as that may seem, it's not the shape we are looking for RIGHT?  We want to be fit, live long and be comfortable in our skin.

Taking care of one's self inside and out should be your ultimate goal and something to strive for.

So WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION? What quips do you use to keep you going?

Let us know.

Make sure you weigh it in and keep track of your progress.

Make sure to to check out my youtube channel coming soon!

xoxoxoxox

-BodyByAngels😇

New Year, New You!

Happy New Year to you ALL!!

So getting in to shape is not the easiest thing to do, and Bringing in the New Years with a Resolution to "change one's self" seems easy than actually committing to doing it.

Well what I hope to get out of starting this blog is a community of  people whom are tired of just putting it off, and trying a little each day to not just follow a corny, unrealistic Resolution of losing large amounts of weight, starving, and lifestyle changes that do not fit every ones level of style.

I want the ones, that are willing to learn with me, teach me, and help each other become a better version of ourselves.

I plan on doing this by engaging in with you all on a personal level and keeping it light and fun to get not only fit; but healthy!

I always recommend talking to your Physician and or doing your own research to help "US" reach our common goal!

SO let's embark together on a New Improved self, teach each other and learn how we can better take care of "US" inside and out!

With that being said You can also go and check out our youtube channel bodybyangels for daily workouts, training ideas, and tasty recipes.

Plan to a fitter you

Schedule Your Days

If you make a schedule every day for your everyday life errands, why not add your workouts to your daily routine! What I mean is as exactly what it sounds like; when you go to make a calendar schedule or and day planner schedule, make sure you add your attended workout.

I don't mean every single little work out information, but just a generalization of what you plan to work out that day.  For example, Say you have written down...


Monday- work at 8;00am to 1:00pm, arms and back Day, walk dogs

Tuesday-Legs and glutes Day, work from 7am to 12pm,

Weds-Cardio

Thurs-Abs and core

Fri-Cardio/Zumba, work from 9pm to 5am

Sat-yoga, walk dogs, family night

Sun-off

Or however, you like to plan your days/weeks/months out!
and try to switch which days you do what, and rest days.
You can also go as far as meal planning/logging if this helps you make smart and healthy choices, but we'll get into that in the next blog.

I don't recommend weighing your self every day, but try to do it every end of the week or every other week.
Remember muscle weighs more than fat, so don't get discouraged when your weight seems to not be going down, you may be building muscle which will lead to "killing" fat. I have to remind myself of that a lot LOL!
Also taking a start weight photo of your self at the beginning of your start date. Then another as you see more and more results to keep track and plus self-motivation.

Putting a picture of your self of what you used to look like on a board, wall or refrigerator can help you also to your goal.
Or a celebrity or sports figure that you would like to look like.

Be careful and take caution on which person you wish to look like because most pictures of them in magazines are photoshopped and may be unrealistic.

Here are some pics of my self today before a workout!

And here are a few after, just some fit posing!

I do both home and gym workouts. (Not in the same day though)

Keep up the hard work, grab a partner, make it fun, and enjoy the journey to a better you!!!

Let me know your Fit-aspiration!

xoxoxoxox,
BodyByAngels