Skin.

this is not "fitness related"...but I've got to share this!

I've tried scrubs, creams, proactive....it all SUCKS. Here's what helps my skin not blow up with zits and stay moisturized!!

1) Seriously people, clean up your diet. Cut out sugar, carbs and fatty foods. Lots of salads, veggies and lean meats. It's almost scary how much of a change you will see!!

2) PROACTIV IS BAD. Benzoyl Peroxide is a big ingredient in Proactiv and has this in their products. Here's the deal (because you are perfectly capable of looking up this stuff yourself.) When benzoyl peroxide is continuously used, your body builds up a defense system against it. When that happens it stops helping you and it will never be able to help you as it did when you first started using it ever again. 

3) I have a solution!!! crush Asprin (yes, the pills) and put some water in it. Add sugar if you desire. Get your face wet with hot water (or steam your face to open pores) and work the asprin/sugar paste in circles all around your face. Gently scrub for a few minutes and wash off. 
Next, get yourself one egg white (NO YOLK AT ALL, it can make your face break out.) and beat it so it's not stringy. Apply to your face and put pieces of paper towel over the egg whites. Allow this to dry completely and then peel the paper towels off and wet your face to get all the egg white off. (here is a link that briefly explains some stuff about the asprin mask/scrub)

4) Instead of normal moisturizers, I like to use coconut milk. It's molecular structure is super small and it's easy for your skin to drink up (hair too! Put some of this in your hair after every shower and it's like a hair-makeover!) Coconut milk is also a natural oil so I feel a lot better about using it on my skin and hair versus acids that typical conditioners and moisturizers have. Also, if my skin's really bad I'll take fish oil. (I purchase a really high quality fish oil from my local health food store. It comes in a bottle and you measure out the liquid daily and ingest it. It doesn't taste bad either and it's a LOT higher quality than the pills you get at walmart.) Fish oil is also good for your hair and overall health. Good stuff, guys!!!

So that's all for today. If you have skin issues like me (at times), I hope this helped! I'll pick up with weights tomorrow.

I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!

Ladies Ladies! Don't be afraid of weights!

I have found the fountain of youth. The magic touch to losing weight fast. I know what all those Victoria Secret models do...I also know that at least 50% of my readers will balk at what I'm about to say. 

Ladies, don't be afraid of lifting weights!!!!
The holy grail of being fit is doing weights for your legs! I know a lot of you don't want to bulk up and gain so much muscle. Neither do I! I'm a petite little girl, we don't look good bulky and fat-looking. But doing weights does not make you look fat or bulk you up. You reeeally have to be trying hard to actually get big like you're imagining. 
I also want to point out that you are burning FAT here and upping your muscle. That means your BMI is going down. Your "fat content" is diminishing and your "muscle content" is increasing. And ladies, the scale might show that you weigh more. THIS IS OKAY. It's perfectly fine, no need to freak out. I've talked to plenty of health professionals and they all say the same thing. Muscle weighs more than fat, and if you weigh 150 lbs but a good deal of that is muscle, then it's not as bad as it sounds. Just trust me here, ladies.
This is the leg workout that I do twice a week. 

I do 3 sets of 12-15 reps at each machine listed. 
*Take a minute or so between sets.*
It's also suggested that you push yourself. Don't pass out or vomit because you're pushing too hard, but don't do 20 pounds either. Your legs have extremely strong muscles, and you'd be surprised the kind of weight you can apply to these muscle groups.

SMITH MACHINE: I weigh approximately 135 pounds, so for me to do 100 pounds on the bar with my squats is fine. Be careful to not let your knee's go past your toes. That can mess your knee's up. Also, the first time you do this machine, have someone watch you. I don't want to scare you away from this machine, but if you push yourself too hard you can pass out because the muscle groups you're working on this machine is HUGE. This machine should work your butt and thighs mostly.
Also, be careful about adding a lot of weight to this machine because it can compress your spine, and that can be painful for some people. If you want to work super hard on this machine, do more sets and/or reps and/or change your foot position.

INNER THIGH ABDUCTOR: (you push the weight out, works the outer thigh, really.) This works the outsides of your thighs and your butt. I usually do 70-80 pounds on this machine at the moment. 

INNER THIGH ADDUCTOR: (pushing the weight in, works the inner thigh) I do 70-80 pounds on this machine also at the moment. These two machines I started with 60 pounds. 

LEG EXTENSION: (pushing the weight up, works the top of your thigh) Now this is a tricky one for me. I've been getting over a nasty knee injury so I've been taking it easy on myself with this machine. Right now I'm doing about 45 pounds. Make sure your reps are slow and controlled, no sense in hurting yourself. Starting off at a lower weight is a-o-k when you're beginning! Just don't forget to PUSH yourself.

LEG CURL: (pushing weight back, works the backs of your thighs) I'm doing 50 pounds on this one right now. I find this one really easy to do.

LEG PRESS: (pushing weight away from you, you can also work your calves on this machine. **i do both!**) This machine you can do a ridiculous amount. I do about 160 pounds for both exercises performed on this machine. (calves and the actual press for the rest of your leg) This is just a really good machine. You'll probably feel like you're cramping  your calves on this machine. It's okay, you're going to live. 

Leg lifts (optional, works lower abs and upper thighs) this is self explanatory. no extra weight to start with, for sure. When your body is reaaal comfortable and you're not getting very sore from this anymore, add a 2 pound ball. owch. 


Please remember that I've been weight training for some time now. Don't go to your gym and throw on the same weight as me. Work up to it all. 

Also, you want to have a protein-rich meal 60 minutes before this workout such as 3 oz.of lean, white chicken breast AND a protein shake 30 minutes before you workout. (I use Muscle Milk, it's about $20 at Walmart. throw that in your blender with some oatmeal, a half of a banana, almond milk or skim milk, and ice! It's yummy.) 

You also want to make another shake for after your workout. This is very important!
Please also keep in mind that after this workout you want to make sure you eat plenty of protein and greens!!! STAY AWAY FROM FATTY, SUGARY FOODS. You'll want to eat your whole pantry, but don't do it! Stayy awayy.

I also want to state that when you run or do hard cardio, you break down muscle. The day after a leg workout, go for a walk or light jog, but don't do a hard, all-out run. Give your muscles time to recover and rebuild themselves, this is where the fat-loss is, people! The second-third day you're going to feel fatter. ITS OKAY. Your muscles are swollen, that's just part of the healing process. You're going to live my darling :) Also, start off with just doing one workout a week. After a while add that second one in there. I usually do one on Mondays and Thursdays or Fridays to make sure my legs get plenty of resting time. Some weeks you might just want to do one and up your cardio. That's fine! Play with your schedule a bit, keep your body guessing. That's good for it. Just never do a leg workout back-to-back. 

I think I've covered legs! Watch for my next posts about arms and abs!!

I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!

"diet" is one letter off of "die"...

OKAY guys, this may sound like a ranting of mine...but here we go.
America (and quite possibly the entire world) has a warped view of the word "diet".
I like to use the word "diet" as a noun; "The kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats."
instead of the verb-version of a diet. (basically, limiting yourself)

When I started really dieting and exercising, I changed my lifestyle. 
I started with cutting out my bread and carbs (as I have already briefly talked about in my last entry) and substituted with TONS of "roughage" such as salad. Instead of cereal in the morning, I had smoothies (frozen strawberries, almond or coconut milk, spinach and a fresh banana), scrambled eggs or fruity oatmeal (oatmeal, blueberries, apples, walnuts, bananas and cinnamon. NO SUGAR!) I ate organic as much as I could afford.

For lunch I might have a fresh-cut salad with lemon juice or balsamic vinaigrette. (no ranch guys, low fat.) topped with a tad of cheese (do not over-power your salad with cheese..it's not as good for you as the FDA makes you think.) and if the day was special I'd put three or less ounces of lean chicken on top. 

For dinner we did salads again. Or a home-made veggie soup (not from a can, toooooo muuuuch sodium!!) I really really tried to keep in super clean. I tried my best to stay away from packaged food and anything that had to be processed. 

If I needed a snack, there was always plenty of carrots, celery, bell pepper, salad, apples, bananas or nuts sitting around. And guess what! I ate as much as I wanted to!

I also allowed myself one meal or snack in the week to just eat junk. You have to allow yourself that or you won't stick to your lifestyle-change. (not a diet as we know it, people!) I might have a burger and fries, or some pizza. but remember to not go crazy! you're trying to change EVERYTHING you know about food. When you start changing your diet like this, you do not want to go back to your old ways. And also remember that, if you truly stick to it, your taste buds and what your stomach deems as normal has changed. You can't consume four slices of pizza like you once did. You'll make yourself sick! Don't take three steps forward and four steps back on your cheat-day. Balance. Don't go overboard. I cannot stress this enough...

At the time that I started this I was swimming on a USS swim team and we practiced for two hours a day. I lost a lot of weight at that time, but I wasn't as slim as I wanted to be. I'll tell you my secret in a later entry. :) 


I'm going to close this entry with a few recipes for desserts that are okay for you to have during the week, not on your cheat-days.

First recipe that I LOVED when I was at swim meets were basically dates, dried cranberries, raisins (basically any dried fruit can be incorporated. you pick your favorites!) Apple, shredded, and finely chopped almonds. (my Mom made these, they were great)  and Chocolate. (dark chocolate is the best!!!)
One part dried fruit (dates, raisins, cranberries, things like that. you want this to be a stickier fruit when dried.)
One part apple
One part almonds. 
Throw it all in a food-processor (we have a Ninja Blender that works great to make those smoothies and this recipe!!!) and blend thoroughly. 
Take it out of the processor and into a bowl and let it cool in the fridge. (this is a VERY sticky mixture and making it cold makes it easier to work with) 
Roll the chilled mix into little balls about half an inch to an inch in diameter, set aside.
melt chocolate
dip the balls you rolled into the chocolate and throw back into the fridge. 
This candy is so good! And when you eat a few of these 1) you don't feel deprived of sweets and 2) they are SERIOUS energy-givers! Like I said, my Mom would make these for my all-day swim meets. They're great.


Second recipe is super easy. I call these my healthy "brownie-cookies"
a Banana, mashed (with a fork)
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 cup  of semisweet morsels. 
1/2 cup of honey. (you can experiment with this part.)
mix it all up and put it in a brownie pan. 
put it in the oven (350) for about 10 minutes I guess...I just watch it until it starts getting slightly browned. You want it to be heated but not cooked through and through. I like it a little mushy in the middle. mmmm, it's so good. If you want a little more moisture, add some water to the mixture before cooking. 
Again, you can eat as much of this as you want. look at the ingredients! There's NOTHING super bad for you in there (except for the chocolate...gotta watch how much you put in there.) It's warm and yummy. You can even have one of these for breakfast! 

I want to re-state... I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!

Blog entry no. 1!

First, I would like to welcome myself and to welcome others to this blog. I'd like to share a little bit about me and my fitness adventure also.

My name is Lisa, I'm 19. I'm a complete goofball, I LOVE to surf, and I love physical fitness. I know a lot from my own personal experience. I am not a doctor and I'm not certified or anything, this is strictly what has worked for me, though I have done my share of homework when it comes to what I post on here. I'd also like to say that everybody is different, what works for me may not work exactly for you. You might have to tweak it.
I am not at my goal yet. I'd like to have less fat on my body right now. So this blog will be sharing some quick tips and ideas for diet needs and your workout schedule that work for me!!

So let's start at square one, shall we?
the gym.
My personal attitude towards the gym isn't like a lot of people's. I don't believe you have to do cardio at the gym, for instance. I enjoy the heat, wind, rain and cold when I run. I like the scenery and watching people and cars. So a lot of the time, unless I want really controlled cardio time, I'm running around my town, at a park, or over a bridge. The first 2-3 weeks of "getting back to the gym" or even just working out in general, do 45 minutes of good hard cardio.
I'm not saying to go jog for 30 seconds and then take 5 minutes off at a walk. push yourself. If you want to get fit or slim down, you're not going to get there by not pushing yourself. puhlease. Even if you start with 30 minutes and work up to 45 minutes-an hour, GOOD! This first bit of cardio ABSOLUTELY has to be done first thing in the morning before any food or coffee. You can drink some water when you wake up..but I don't suggest anything else. What happens? What's the difference between this fasted-run versus running after you eat in the morning? This never made sense to me until someone explained it to me. (I always used to run after eating because I felt like I could give more energy to the run..)
You literally deplete your Glycogen. For some, running for 30-60 minutes in the morning can cause what I call glycogen headaches. IT'S OKAY, YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE.
Fasted runs in the morning boost your metabolism, it causes you to burn strictly fat the in your body (not the food you eat!!) Sounds good, eh?

So, your first challenge is to take 2-4 weeks and do 30-60 minutes of fasted cardio in the morning. Wait an hour before you eat any food if possible.


I'm going to quickly go over a good diet so you don't waste up to 4 weeks doing the wrong thing...I'll go more into detail about a good diet soon...
for this time period, STAY AWAY FROM CARBS. If you absolutely have to have some, have whole wheat, but eat carbs sparingly. Again, you will not die...
this will make you feel hungry alllllll the time, I repeat, you are not going to die, there's a solution. Instead of eating two rolls with dinner, fill that space on your plate with veggies! cut carrots, make a big, yummy salad, green beans, SPINACH. (I cannot stress spinach enough..) stay away from potatoes, corn and beans. (these are carbs in disguise.)

Again, I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!