21 Days with a Twist Challenge!

In just 21 days/3 weeks you can make significant changes in your life!  The 21 Days with a Twist Challenge gives you the chance to do just that!   And I have a list of 21 Things you can do each day for the next 21 Days to create a healthier you!  

So, I know that every one of you can pick at least one thing on the challenge list... but don't stop there do 2 or 3!  

Many of you have told me you will be doing at least 30 minutes of exercise every day with the new Country Heat, Cize or 21 Day Fix!  

I will be doing the following each day:

-21 Day Fix 

-portion control

-standing while working on my computer instead of sitting

-planking

- ? do you want to add one for me???

Of Course there will be prizes!  Stay tuned for those!

Now ... what will you be working on these next 21 days... 

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

21 Day Fix - Honest Review

I've been a big fan of BeachBody for a long time!  My favorite workout series is P90X;  however, P90X requires a lot of time, which I just don't seem to have anymore!  And I was looking for something that would give me a quick tone-up as I look forward to another runDisney race!   So, I decided to try the BeachBody 21 Day Fix...

What exactly is 21 Day Fix?
The 21 Day Fix is an exercise and diet program which focuses on short, fat burning workouts, and portion control of healthy foods.  You work out once each day and follow a simple diet plan.  It was just what I needed to jump start weight loss and loved it so much that I will be doing it again!  Here is what I thought...

4 Tips on Beating The Heat This Summer

It's super hot outside!  August hasn't gotten here yet - so heat more to come!  I can't take the summer off from training, and our families still need to get outside and play.  So, in order to stay safe and play well in the heat, I follow these 4 simple rules:

3 Things that are Stealing Your Progress

Anyone on a Fitness/ Weight Loss/ Inches Loss Journey know that progress can be slow or just stop all together.  After a closer look at what I was and was not doing, I found 3 things or behaviors stealing my progress!

4 Ways to Take Care of You!

Sometimes we feel guilty about getting our work outs in:  you work late, dinner needs to be cooked, laundry needs to be done, and you want valuable family time, too.  We rationalize that taking time for us, takes away time from our family and all those things that "need" to be done.  However, by not taking care of yourself, you are putting your health at risk, and jeopardizing your ability, long term, to have the energy you need to keep up with a busy family.

3 Reasons to Jump Rope Now!

Have you ever noticed that elite athletes are always jumping rope?  Well, there is a reason for that!  It is a super efficient way to burn calories and get conditioned!  It is also a great way to have fun, get your family involved in fitness, and just be a kid again!

I thought it would especially important to start a jump rope challenge now because we are starting the holiday season.

It starts with just a few extra pieces of Halloween Candy, which rolls into Thanksgiving which puts

Being SMART About Fitness

We all talk about what we want to do:  lose weight, run faster, run farther.  But getting there can be ambiguous sometimes;  as it is for me.   So 6 months into the year, it's time to readjust, rethink, replan: to be SMART about my fitness.

In order to work through a SMART fitness plan, you have to start with 5 basic questions:

1. What are your specific goals?

2. How will you know that you've completed your goals? 

3. What is your plan to accomplish the goals?

4. Are your goals realistic considering everything you have going on? 

5. When do you want your goals completed?

So, after making myself sit down and answer these questions, my SMART plan comes down to this:

Mini Challenge: Count the Sugar

I'll admit I have a sugar craving... I love desserts.  And in all honesty, I have no idea how much total sugar I eat in a day; and I would venture to say that most of you don't know either.  So, our challenge this week is to Count the Sugar!

Here are the details:

Why Should I Care about Added Sugar?
Added sugar can lead to many health problems and might just be the culprit keeping you from loosing weight.  It also creates a full feeling which can keep you from eating healthier choices.

What are we counting?
Table sugar, fructose, and high fructose corn syrup are all examples of added sugar.  Ingredients are normally counted in grams:  1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar

How much is bad?
The American Heart Association recommends the following guidelines for added sugar:

Women: 100 calories per day or about 6 teaspoons
Men:   150 calories per day or about 9 teaspoons 

Where do we find it?
If you are adding sugar to your coffee, tea, etc., simply count the teaspoons.  Otherwise, you should be able to find sugar count on Nutrition Labels.  Manufacturers aren't required to list natural vs added sugar, but they are required to list ingredients in the order of amount.  So, if sugar or fructose shows up in the top 3, it is probably added sugar.

How Many Days To Count?
Wednesday will be our Count The Sugar Day, but you can count everyday if you would like!  I think our results will be surprising!

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

1 Week Avengers Workout

Workout Warriors Assemble!  For the next seven days we are going to find the focus of Captain America, the skill of Ironman, the strength of Thor, the agility of BlackWidow and the power of The Hulk!

It's a very simple plan that I have pulled together from neilarey.com: a plan that anyone can achieve.   You can approach it at your own pace,  and no gym required!

Here's how it will work!.

- Each Day We will Focus on A Different Exercise in the Workout,  with our Goal to have done every exercise in the Workout by the end of the week.  2 Days we will have to double up since there are 9 Workouts in the series.

* Beginners, will strive to complete the exercise for the day.
** Intermediates, will strive to add another set; as many as they can get.
**Advanced, will strive to complete the goal set each day.

-Break it up:  Do half in the morning and half at night.  Find a time that is right for you.

-Remember We are not keeping score!  Just striving to be better, stronger and more powerful

The Avengers Workout:

Wouldn’t it be great to build a stronger, leaner and more muscled superhero body?   We can do this!

Who's in with me?

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

Tips for Starting a New Fitness Class!

Starting an exercise program or even beginning a new one can be intimidating!  You are going to a class where you may not know anyone and launching something that you may have never done before.    The good news is, you are not alone!   I recently went to a new fitness class at a new gym, and it took some guts just to walk in the door!  So, I put together some tips that helped me and will help you as you explore a new fitness class!

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Thinking about starting a new class?  or recently started out on a new fitness adventure?  I'd love to hear all about it!

kesselrunner77@gmail.com

June Challenge - Pump It Up Total Toning Challenge

The Month of June starts the Pump It Up Total Toning challenge! 

Each week in June we will be doing an exercise that can be a jump-start for your body.  Summer is tough for outside activity, but we can do all of these exercises inside and gain muscle and tone at the same time!


Here's what we are going to be doing each week:

Week 1:  350 Jumping Jacks
Week 2:  100 Push Ups
Week 3:  100 Crunches/Sit Ups
Week 4:  350 Squats


-You have one week to complete each challenge:  Monday through Sunday
-These are in addition to your normal workout schedule.
-If you are advanced, then add weights and/or double the number


Steps to being successful:
- split up the activity so that you are doing some in the morning and some at night
- be realistic, but it's best to do some every day so that you won't feel overwhelmed on the weekend. (especially if you want to take Sunday off)
- keep a record to be accountable

By the end of the month, you will have worked your whole body and burned calories you hadn't planned on!

I"m ready to Pump It Up!  How about you?

www.kesselrunner77@gmail.com

5 Healthy Habits I Learned Watching Jack LaLanne

I grew up watching Public Broadcasting out of New Orleans (WYES).   Along with Sesame Street and The Big Blue Marble, I would watch Jack LaLanne!  It was my first fitness "video" and would not be my last!  Such great memories!

As I reflect on where I am today in my fitness journey and where I need to be,  I decided that sometimes getting back to basics is the best reboot for anyone, and I'm reminded of 5 Healthy Habits that I learned from watching his show.

1.  Exercise Every Day:  Jack LaLanne exercised every day.  He started with stretching, then weights, and then cardio.  He mixed up his routine every 30 days to avoid muscle memory, and he enjoyed jumping rope, swimming and running.

The Beach, Fitness and Backpack Buddies

My love for fitness and for giving back to the community came together today at the Beachbum Workout in Long Beach, MS.  Justin Herring, from Beau Vie Fitness, is putting together fitness/charity events to help support the local community.  Today's event was in support of Backpack Buddies of Long Beach, managed by my friend Lori Cripple. 

Backpack Buddies is a program of the First United Methodist Church of Long Beach in conjunction with Long Beach School District to feed children on the weekend.  Food is handed out each week, to children in need, because "hunger doesn't stop on Fridays!" I have supported Backpack Buddies in the past and when I saw the Beachbum Workout activity,  it felt it was something I wanted to embrace.

Justin gave us a high-intensity workout with every squat imaginable, kettle bells, and ladder fire drills.  The beach not only gave us added resistance with the sand, but also beautiful scenery to start our day!  It was an all around great workout!

As an affiliate of Motts Applesauce,  I am involved in supporting active families on the Coast.  I was excited to share Motts Applesauce with Backpack Buddies and all the athletes at the workout!

I am looking forward to Justin's next event and more opportunities to help the community.

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If you have fitness questions please contact me at kesselrunner77@gmail.com

Would you like to support Backpack Buddies of Long Beach? please contact Lori Cripple at lcripple@hotmail.com

Interested in the athletic opportunities through Beau Vie Fitness? check out their page 

http://www.bvf-lb.com/

Fit For Disney

This past weekend, I traveled to Walt Disney World for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend!  I loved

every minute of it, and can't wait to do it again!  But, that wasn't the only thing I was doing… I was on a mission to see if I could follow my fitness plan and goals while at My Happy Eating Place -- Disney!

I use a FitBit Force and MyFitnessPal Apps to manage my fitness plans.  I started using these 2 tools together after Christmas when I received my FitBit as a present.  The FitBit keeps track of all of my steps during the day, calculating calories expended.  MyFitnessPal is used to log the food and snacks I've eaten during the day and calculates calories consumed.  When synced together, I have a watchdog system that keeps me on track!