Get Fit - Get Healthy: Week 3

Hey you guys!!!

New this week to the get fit challenge?

1. If you haven’t yet, join the challenge here: GET FIT and GET HEALTHY

2. Every Saturday come back to The Art of Making a Baby and {shutter}mama to read the tips on how to be fitter, healthier and more confident.

3. Weekly write a post about your progress, following the questionnaire below, take a self-portrait (optional) and link up with us.

4. Don’t forget to grab the GET FIT challenge button on the sidebar and display it proudly on your blog or GET FIT post.

5. Link your post with Selfie Saturdays if you took your week’s self-portrait.

Time for that wonderful check in!!! How have you guys been doing? Getting tired or burned out? Feeling in need of some encouragement or perhaps you need some encouragement to start? Well... I started this a week or two before you guys did and so I'm personally headed into week 5 as you guys are going into week 4...I've lost a little over 10 lbs. That's just the excess goo...but as I looked closer at progress pictures it became very clear that a few things are happening to my body.

1. My love handles are significantly down by inches.

2. My breasts are smaller.

3. My legs are toning.

4. My arm boobs {the excess skin between where my arm meets my body and my chest area, not sure how to explain} are nearly diminished.

5. My face is thinning and my butt looks freaking amazing in panties as I discovered in the bathroom mirror two days ago...those squats are working!!!

So not only am I seeing the results but I am feeling it. I think that after every workout this week, even if I was in a little pain, that after I was just sitting on the bed gleaming! Huge smile from ear to ear. Feeling so proud of myself and that's a feeling that I well deserve for finally going about losing weight the right way. I feel amazing and I am walking taller for sure.

This picture was taken after I got done doing the P90X cardio. 45 minutes of sweat and burn!

Anyways...Today I wanted to discuss cardio and the benefits and how you can do it in the privacy of your own home.

Cardio exercise is a physical activity which raises the heart rate to around 60 to 85 percent of the heart's maximum heart rate for an extended period of time, usually twenty minutes or longer.

The benefits of cardio are endless and so it would be crazy to touch on everything. However here are some key benefits for you to remember:

1. Improving the health of your heart: Your heart is a muscle, obviously the most important one, because without this one, we would not even be alive. This is one muscle that you CAN NOT forget about. A lot of people don't get second chances with their hearts. So take care of it!!

2. Increased Metabolism: the easiest way to maintain and lose weight you guys!!!

3. Improvement of Hormonal Profile: Want to defeat depression? Yup, when you exercise your body releases hormones that make you "feel good"...lifting your overall daily mood.

4. Improvement of Recovery Ability: Removing delayed muscle soreness, allows your body to recover quicker after an intense workout, brings oxygen rich blood straight back to your muscles {allowing you to work your muscles again shortly after}.

5. Fat Burn!!!: Let me tell you this again...WHEN YOUR HEART RATE INCREASES YOU BEGIN TO BURN FAT!!! YOU BURN ThOSE CALORIES!

Okay so most of us are fairly quick to plead that we're incapable of showing up at the gym out of fear or perhaps we have no money...no fear. You can do it right at home! Anymore excuses? haha.

Some great indoor cardio exercises are:

1. Jumping Jacks - there's many varying forms, as you can do high and low or even wacky jacks!

2. Jump Rope - you don't even have to have the rope.

3. Jog - staying in place and bringing your knees high will raise your heart rate in no time.

4. Dancing - bust out some jams and dance like there's no tomorrow

5. Stairs - yup...do 50 sets of up and down. FEEL THE BURN!!!!

6. Cardio Kickboxing - whewwwwwwwww this stuff WORKS!

7. Yoga & dynamic stretching - proven to get your heart going and you feel the burn like it's no one's business.

I could go on and on...exercise is important for your body, health, emotions. Even if you're not looking to lose weight you NEED to exercise your muscles...especially that heart!

Week 2:

Your Height: 5' 4"

Your weight {if you don't feel comfortable sharing this, you don't have to}: 129-130 {-10}

Your fitness challenge(s) for the week: I really changed things up this week. I worked really hard this week. Doing cardio for about an hour everyday. It hurt, it was challenging, it burned...but I felt so so so so good.

Your food challenge for the week: No sweets, no soda...JUST fruits and veggies. What more could I say? Hahaha it was a challenge but my body is thanking me. I have had the best sleep, amazing energy...great week!

How well did it go: It was hard. I had moments..Jose really pushed me when I wanted a soda or treat haha, but it was really really good.

Failures and slip-ups: Had a soda and we went out for burritos yesterday at this AMAZING restaurant...couldn't turn it down. haha. I don't feel bad about it either.

Weekly challenge wisdom: Don't wish for it, work for it.

Advice to fellow GET FIT members: Incorporate your family into this!!! Get them to help you! You will be thankful!!!

Your couple portrait ( optional but strongly encouraged): Will be adding this puppy later...Jose and I haven't really had time until well, today!! So look for my update!!!

<a href="http://www.shutter-mama.com/search/label/Get%20Fit/"><img border="0" src="http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy169/sonyamarie89/getfit.jpg"/></a></center>


<center><a href="http://prebabyblog.com/"><img border="0" src="http://prebabyblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/gethealthybanner.jpg"/></a></center>

xoxo,
ME