Monday, February 23, 2009
Welcome Biggest Loser Contestants!
Welcome all to the Leesburg, VA Biggest Loser Contest blog. All who are participating in the contest are invited to contribute and post. We hope this will be a good tool to share motivation, progress, tips, recipes, and encouragement. The rules have been posted. However, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. thedeckers@hotmail.com
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Make Your Treadmill Workouts Fun
By The Editors of Women's HealthWomen's
The next time you're running bored on the belt, change your routine with one of these four programs. They'll help you burn calories, without burning you out. Play By Numbers First, calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends hitting at least 70 percent of your MHR while you exercise to maximize your calorie burn and fat loss. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, count your pulse for 10 seconds, and multiply that number by 6. Keep working at 70 percent of your MHR for as long as you can. When you get tired, slow the treadmill to an easy jogging pace, and rest for a few minutes. Next, see how long you can go at 85 percent of your MHR.
Random Pickup
Tom Holland, a triathlete and physiologist in Darien, Connecticut, suggests watching a 30-minute TV program, like the nightly news. Increase your speed so that you're running hard (about 80 percent of your maximum) during the commercials. When Katie Couric returns, slow your pace to an easy jog.
Take a Hike
Rebecca Rusch, top adventure racer and 2003 winner of the Raid Gauloises, likes to walk or run on an incline to mimic hiking outside. Some treadmills have preprogrammed hiking trails, but if yours doesn't, Rusch recommends this: Walk at 3.5 miles per hour on a flat belt. Increase the incline every minute until it reaches 5 percent, and stay for three minutes. Next, lower and raise the belt every two minutes until you've been exercising for 25 minutes. Gradually lower the belt and decrease your speed over five minutes to cool down.
Weight it Out
If you're short on time, do double duty with your cardio and grab a pair of two to five pound dumbbells. Perform biceps curls as you walk, raising and lowering your arms with each step. Next, perform military shoulder presses. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Press them up overhead, and return them to start. Do 10 repetitions of each exercise. If you need your hands for balance, try this on a stationary bike.
Share your dreadmill, I mean treadmill tips!!
The next time you're running bored on the belt, change your routine with one of these four programs. They'll help you burn calories, without burning you out. Play By Numbers First, calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends hitting at least 70 percent of your MHR while you exercise to maximize your calorie burn and fat loss. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, count your pulse for 10 seconds, and multiply that number by 6. Keep working at 70 percent of your MHR for as long as you can. When you get tired, slow the treadmill to an easy jogging pace, and rest for a few minutes. Next, see how long you can go at 85 percent of your MHR.
Random Pickup
Tom Holland, a triathlete and physiologist in Darien, Connecticut, suggests watching a 30-minute TV program, like the nightly news. Increase your speed so that you're running hard (about 80 percent of your maximum) during the commercials. When Katie Couric returns, slow your pace to an easy jog.
Take a Hike
Rebecca Rusch, top adventure racer and 2003 winner of the Raid Gauloises, likes to walk or run on an incline to mimic hiking outside. Some treadmills have preprogrammed hiking trails, but if yours doesn't, Rusch recommends this: Walk at 3.5 miles per hour on a flat belt. Increase the incline every minute until it reaches 5 percent, and stay for three minutes. Next, lower and raise the belt every two minutes until you've been exercising for 25 minutes. Gradually lower the belt and decrease your speed over five minutes to cool down.
Weight it Out
If you're short on time, do double duty with your cardio and grab a pair of two to five pound dumbbells. Perform biceps curls as you walk, raising and lowering your arms with each step. Next, perform military shoulder presses. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Press them up overhead, and return them to start. Do 10 repetitions of each exercise. If you need your hands for balance, try this on a stationary bike.
Share your dreadmill, I mean treadmill tips!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Favorites
Thought I'd share a few places I've found good ideas for healthy living:
Blogs:
Simply Healthful
Liz Rosenbaum Fitness
Great tips and recipes for families.
Websites:
Nutrition Data Calorie and nutrient breakdown of almost every food you could ever imagine!
Biggest Loser Great general tips and motivation.
*Make sure you enter yourself into the Pound for Pound Challenge on The Biggest Loser.
For each pound you lose, a pound will go to help feed the hungry.....Just in case the money isn't incentive enough!
What are your favorite places on the web to find healthy living tips?
Please share!
Blogs:
Simply Healthful
Liz Rosenbaum Fitness
Great tips and recipes for families.
Websites:
Nutrition Data Calorie and nutrient breakdown of almost every food you could ever imagine!
Biggest Loser Great general tips and motivation.
*Make sure you enter yourself into the Pound for Pound Challenge on The Biggest Loser.
For each pound you lose, a pound will go to help feed the hungry.....Just in case the money isn't incentive enough!
What are your favorite places on the web to find healthy living tips?
Please share!
Rules
$10 for 10 weeks
What are you doing between March 2 and May 11th? Would you like to be losing weight? On Monday, March 2nd we'll begin a friendly weight loss competition.
Here is how it is going to work:
There is a $10 fee for each person participating. I must receive the $10 by Monday, March 2nd. The money will be divided into weekly and grand prizes. Each week the person with the highest percentage of weight loss, for that week, will win $5. At the end of the 10 week competition two prizes will be awarded. The person with the second highest percentage of weight loss, for the entire competition, will win $25 and the person with the greatest percentage of weight loss will win the rest of the money (approx. $100-$200). The prize money will vary & is subject to change depending on the number of competitors who enter.
You must weigh in at my house on Monday, March 2nd. You must also weigh in at my house for the final weigh in on May 11th. Similar weight clothes should be worn for the first and final weigh in but preferably the same clothes. If you live far away and cannot make it to my house then special arrangements can be made.
You may weigh in at my house, if it will help motivate you, on the other nine Mondays, but it is not required.Weekly weigh-ins are due by no later than 8 pm each Monday(either call or email). If you miss the weekly deadline then you are not eligible for the weekly prize but your progress will still be tracked.
Progress of all contestants will be sent out each Monday night to give kudos, encouragement and to announce the weekly winner.A blog (http://leesburgbiggestloser.blogspot.com/) has been created to track our success. That is where I will post your weekly percentage lost and also the pounds lost each week for those that don't mind sharing. This blog will be a place we can post healthy recipes, weight loss tips, and congratulate each other.
We look forward to sharing in your successes. PLEASE invite friends, family, and coworkers to participate in our competition. The more the better. This is open to anybody and everybody regardless of geographic location.
Let me know if you have any questions.
What are you doing between March 2 and May 11th? Would you like to be losing weight? On Monday, March 2nd we'll begin a friendly weight loss competition.
Here is how it is going to work:
There is a $10 fee for each person participating. I must receive the $10 by Monday, March 2nd. The money will be divided into weekly and grand prizes. Each week the person with the highest percentage of weight loss, for that week, will win $5. At the end of the 10 week competition two prizes will be awarded. The person with the second highest percentage of weight loss, for the entire competition, will win $25 and the person with the greatest percentage of weight loss will win the rest of the money (approx. $100-$200). The prize money will vary & is subject to change depending on the number of competitors who enter.
You must weigh in at my house on Monday, March 2nd. You must also weigh in at my house for the final weigh in on May 11th. Similar weight clothes should be worn for the first and final weigh in but preferably the same clothes. If you live far away and cannot make it to my house then special arrangements can be made.
You may weigh in at my house, if it will help motivate you, on the other nine Mondays, but it is not required.Weekly weigh-ins are due by no later than 8 pm each Monday(either call or email). If you miss the weekly deadline then you are not eligible for the weekly prize but your progress will still be tracked.
Progress of all contestants will be sent out each Monday night to give kudos, encouragement and to announce the weekly winner.A blog (http://leesburgbiggestloser.blogspot.com/) has been created to track our success. That is where I will post your weekly percentage lost and also the pounds lost each week for those that don't mind sharing. This blog will be a place we can post healthy recipes, weight loss tips, and congratulate each other.
We look forward to sharing in your successes. PLEASE invite friends, family, and coworkers to participate in our competition. The more the better. This is open to anybody and everybody regardless of geographic location.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)