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Archive for Exercise

Jul
27

What’s the Best Time of Day to Exercise?

by OperationFit

Article by Steve Edwards

The time of day you work out gets a lot of attention, but is it really that important? Let’s dig deeper and take a look at the reality of how much the time of day you work out can affect your results. I’ll also share with you the five best times of the day that you should work out.

***

1. When You WILL Workout. While this may seem obvious, you should not lose sight of the fact that exercise is almost always preferable to no exercise. While technical “nit-picking” can help make your fitness journey easier, it can also work against you if you get too wrapped up in it. Exercise and healthy eating will always trump all other advice. I’ve seen every excuse in the book, including “I missed my optimal window for training so I skipped today’s workout.” Don’t let this happen. Unless you’re injured, sick, or overtrained, exercising is better than not exercising. Schedule your workout when you have the best chance of getting it done.

2. When You Feel The Best. There are times during the day when you will have a slight physiological advantage if you work out during them, but none of those trump the psychological edge you have if you feel like exercising. As simple as this sounds, effort equals results more than any other one factor. This means that if you’re a night owl, work out at night. Morning person? Work out first thing in the morning . . . you get my drift. Any time you’re in the mood to really Bring It will work because, by far, the biggest physiological changes happen to your body when you push yourself further than you’ve pushed yourself before. There’s a reason the P90X® mantra is “Bring It.” The closer you get to putting in 100% effort, the more you force your body into an adaptive state, which is exactly where it needs to be in order to change.

3. When Your Glycogen Store Are Full. Now, let’s get technical. Your body can push itself anaerobically longer and harder if you begin your workout with a full tank of muscle glycogen. This will let you lift more weight, jump higher, move faster—pretty much improve every important aspect of every workout that’s not tied to recovery or aerobic efficiency.

Glycogen is mainly recharged by carbohydrates, and is extinguished very quickly with exercise, brain activity, and most other tasks. This means it fluctuates throughout the day and is always highest immediately after you digest a meal containing carbohydrates. This means—depending on your eating schedule—your body is probably primed for peak exercise in the late morning, afternoon, or early evening.

At night, your body can store glycogen, meaning that it’s possible to wake up and train in the morning before you’ve eaten and still have enough energy to get through a workout, but this is a theoretical scenario. Most of us, especially when we’re training hard and not eating a ton, will burn through glycogen recovering from the prior day’s activities. The result is that those early morning workouts can lead to something called “the bonk,” which is what happens when your body runs out of glycogen. Essentially you lose the ability to push your anaerobic realm, and you feel like you’ve hit a wall.

Bonking is not one of those “good pain” times. When your body is out of glycogen, it starts to break down muscle tissue and you quickly begin to offset the fitness gains you’ve made. It’s inevitable that it will happen to you at some point. When it does, don’t try and push though. Instead cut your losses and get on the recovery program by eating, resting, and then reevaluating your eating schedule and/or choice of workout times.

If exercising when your glycogen stores are low is the only time of day available, you can fix the situation nutritionally. If it’s first thing in the morning, eat a half or a whole banana or drink a half or a full serving of Results and Recovery Formula® (depending on how long you’re training) before you start your workout. If that helps, try adding another serving of complex carbohydrates to your evening meal and then skip the banana. If that doesn’t work (you’ll know if it doesn’t—bonking isn’t subtle) it means you’re on a nutritional edge and aren’t eating enough calories to recover from your workout program. It’s time to reevaluate your daily caloric intake.

4. In The Morning On An Empty Stomach. In the morning, before you’ve eaten, your body is forced to utilize its fat stores for energy, and you can train your body to be efficient at doing so, which is cool. You’re also “burning fat,” which sounds even cooler (although it’s not nearly as effective as “burning glycogen” when it comes to losing body fat). While fantastic, in theory, it’s not if you force your body into a situation where you bonk.

You won’t bonk, however, unless you’re training anaerobically (in other words, hard—as in your heart rate is pegged during parts of the workout). This means easy workouts can have added benefits if done in the morning on an empty stomach. This is why during programs like P90X Doubles, the easier workout of the day is scheduled in the morning.

5. At Night Before Bed. This time of day is last for a reason. Unless it is really the only time you will work out or the only time you feel the best, you should probably avoid it.

Working out directly before bed can affect your sleep. Most people have a hard time getting to sleep after a workout because exercise can throw off your melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, among other things. This isn’t ideal because sleep is very important for recovery. It’s when your body naturally produces most of its own performance-enhancing drugs in the form of hormones. Anything that hurts your ability to sleep should be eliminated if possible.

Exercise also utilizes a lot of nutrients, which are further depleted at night. If you’re on a strict diet, perhaps trying to lose weight, you run further risk by training and then not eating to recover from the workout prior to bed. If you’re on a low-calorie diet and plan to train hard at night, you should follow your workout with, at least, a nutritional recovery strategy (Results and Recovery Formula or equivalent), if not a small meal before going to sleep.

I’m not the norm, so I’ll play the counterpoint to my point as I can fall asleep (and often sleep much better) immediately after a very hard workout. If you’re like me, there’s nothing wrong with training at night. Just follow nutritional protocols that don’t leave you depleted and starving when you wake up. I’ve done this and it can be so severe that you wake up in the middle of the night, a common issue with bodybuilders and fitness trainers getting ready for competition. This is not ideal as it means your body is essentially bonking during sleep. And while that’s okay if your goal is to pose in front of a crowd with absurdly low body fat, like a bodybuilder, it’s also a sign of starvation and, if done too long, will cause your body to begin to shut down its metabolic processes.

***

The bottom line is that everyone’s body responds differently. We all need to exercise and most of us can eat better. In between are a lot of individual variables. When it comes to getting your best possible workout, psychology often trumps physiology. Exercise when you can and pay close attention to your performance. Then choose your preferred workout time based on your results. It’s really that simple.

(Source)

0 Categories : Exercise
Jan
1

2013 Goals

by OperationFit

Every year I set large goals for myself to work on the entire year. I don’t believe in resolutions – to me, those are promises you make and forget about. I hold myself accountable for my goals all year long and do a halfway and final report. 🙂

This year I’ve got a bit of a predicament – we’ll be starting our IVF in about two weeks and not only will I be restricted physically, but a lot of stuff is out of my hands…and I don’t know what this year will bring. I know what I want it to bring and we’re praying everything works out, so when setting my goals I have to give myself a few things I know I can achieve and others that may be more of a challenge.

1. Continue to Work Towards My Normal Weight and Have a Healthy Pregnancy.
With our IVF coming up, I know getting back to my normal weight may not be reached – however, I’m going to keep it on the top of my list so that I’m not gaining excess weight that’s not needed during my pregnancy (fingers crossed everything goes as planned!). I’ll be listening to my doctor’s advice and not obsessing over weight gain that will happen, and I’d like to continue toning as much as possible, and cardio as I can.

2. Help More People Reach Their Goals.
I threw this out there last year as a new Beachbody coach and made amazing progress during the year (you can see my 2012 wrap up for details). I reached so many people, my team grew larger than I expected, and I’m so proud. So this year the sky is the limit. I want to reach out to as many people as I can and support them while they work to reach their goals. And I want to help my team of coaches advance in their business so they can reach as many people as they can, too. I want to continue to give the gift of fitness and inspiration to as many people as I can, and I would love to end 2013 with over 20,000 Facebook followers that are working towards their goals and spreading the word to others.

3. Complete Tae-Bo PT 24/7.
I didn’t get a chance to even touch this program in 2012 because I was busy with others. I miss Billy and I want to go back to my fitness roots, and I think this program will be great during my pregnancy when I can’t go as intense as I’d like to.

4. Complete Brazil Butt Lift. 
I bought this program a few months back and have yet to touch it – because I’ll be slightly restricted, I’m making this program top priority on my list.

5. Complete Les Mills Pump.
I purchased this program in December and I’m dying to try it! It’s definitely on my list for the year. 🙂

6. Walk/Run 500 Miles.
Last year I only made it to 208.96 miles due to a few months of restriction and honestly, just not paying that much attention. As my IVF procedures start, I’m going to be restricted to walking, and that will carry over into my pregnancy (and I’d like to get back to running if my doctor signs off on it)…so this one WILL be done this year!

7. Participate in More Races.
I got bitten by the running bug in 2012 and I want to keep it up in 2013. I definitely want to do the Color Run again with my amazing fitness family, and I’d love to do a few more runs if I can. Obviously this is going to be restricted a bit…but I’m going to make an effort.

8. Train for a 10K.
I know that this may or may not be possible this year, but now that I’ve finished the Ease into 5K program and successfully ran two 5K’s, I’m ready to start Bluefin Software’s Bridge to 10K program. If I end up being too restricted and not able to complete this, it will for sure be on my 2014 list!

9. Start a Local Fit Club.
The energy and excitement in Team Empowerment, our Facebook-based motivational workout group, is unreal – and I want to bring that to a local level. I have some amazing ladies on my team that are local and together we can put together a weekly/bi-weekly group that will allow people to try out all of the products that we love and believe in – Beachbody programs, Shakeology, and others (I’m sure a Tae Bo workout or two will show up during our meets). I would love to provide a place for people to go so they can stay motivated and get the support and inspiration they deserve.

 

0 Categories : 10K, 5K, Apps, Beachbody, Brazil Butt Lift, Ease into 5K, Exercise, Facebook, Fitness, Health, Healthy Eating, Les Mills Pump, Life, Measurements, Portion Control, Pregnancy, Running, Shakeology, The Scale
Jan
1

End the New Year’s #Fail

by OperationFit

This great infographic was put together by Nexercise and it is jam packed full of such great information. Read it, learn from it.

Join me this year in a free 365 Challenge – The 2013 Me – to help you stick with your resolutions. We’ll have monthly mini-challenges as well as monthly/quarterly check-ins and raffles.

0 Categories : Exercise, Facebook, Fitness, Health, Healthy Eating, Life, Measurements, Weight Loss
Dec
31

2012 Wrap Up

by OperationFit

So everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions…but I like to put together big goals at the beginning of the year so I can check my progress throughout the year (like I did with my halfway point check-in).

I set some big goals for 2012…so let’s see how I did!

1. Lose this stupid medication/hormone weight for good!
As of today, I’m at 20 pounds lost from the 50 pounds I gained – at one point I was at 30 lbs. but then I gained 10 pounds despite fitting into my regular sized clothes and feeling and looking better than ever. I’m watching the scale and I’m using it as a tool, but I’m also paying attention to how my body feels and how fit I am. I started the year struggling with a 1 minute run and the other day I ran 45 minutes without stopping. I had to get a glucose test in preparation for our IVF tests and my blood sugar is excellent, and my blood pressure came in at 110/80. I’m using the heaviest weights I have to date for my workouts, and I don’t cringe when I look in the mirror. I’m happy to take photos of myself. People I’ve run into have complimented me. My clothes are loose on me and I’m fitting into clothes I haven’t worn in years. I’m not scared to run into people and worry they may think I’m a fake or not worthy of being a coach because I haven’t seen enough of my own progress. I’m not there yet…but I’ve made HUGE progress this year and I’m very proud of it!

2. Finish P90X.
Done!  🙂

3. Complete P90X2 & Insanity…at the same time.
Eh, this changed slightly. I ended up doing Insanity and TurboFire together and completed both, and then I started P90X2 at the end of this year when I started the TurboFire Advanced program. I’m a week away from finishing TurboFire, and I’m about halfway through P90X2…however, I’ll be putting that only hold because of the physical restrictions I’ll have with my IVF procedure. I will be continuing with the toning workouts from X and X2, but I won’t officially “graduate” P90X2 until I’m okayed to go back to plyometric cardio workouts…which may not be until after my pregnancy. So oh well, such is life.

4. Complete the full C25K program.
I did and as of the other day, I officially ran a FULL 5K without stopping. I could not be prouder!

5. Complete Tae-Bo PT 24/7.
Because of all the other workouts I was doing, I didn’t even touch this one – BUT this will carry over into my 2013 goals because it will be a perfect pregnancy workout. 🙂

6. Participate in a Race.
I did, plus some! I did the Color Run with some of my amazing fitness family and we had a blast. My husband and I ran it after a week of being really sick (we almost didn’t make it to the race) so we alternated walking and running. This fall I participated in Crazy Sexy Fitt’s Virtual 5K, Fellow Flowers’ 2.6 Mile Run for the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and on December 28, I officially ran 3.1+ miles (45 minutes) without stopping. I ended the year yesterday with a 5 Mile Memorial Run/Walk (I did a mix) supporting my friend and fellow coach, Lisa (from Rock N Rage Fitness) – she’s turned a day of hurt and sad memories into a day of empowerment and I was proud to support her.

7. Bike 500 Miles.
I was so busy with all of my workout programs that I didn’t even get my bike down off the hook this year!

8. Walk/Run 500 Miles.
I ended up getting pretty bad shin splints from my first round of C25K because I was pushing too hard and going too fast with terrible form, so I lost 2 months of progress. I did start to pick it up towards the end of the year though, but I only made it to 208.96 miles. I didn’t really focus on the 500 like I should have, and I’m going to carry this goal into the new year as well – and I WILL get there! I’m proud of the progress I made this year and I set a nice base for next year.

9. Help More People Reach Their Goals.
I started this year with only one other coach on my team, and together we created something beautiful. We now lead Team Steel, made up of 32 fitness coaches who are setting out to help more people every single day. Our motivational workout group that started as a New Year’s Resolution group with only about 20 members now has 375 members, and we’re growing every single day. Our monthly 10 Day Challenges have gone from 6 participants in January to now bringing in about 50 people a month that are dedicating 10 days to making a change in their life. My Operation Fit Facebook page, which started the year with only about 50 followers (lol, if that) now has 4,400+ followers and more follow every day. I now also have followers on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, too. I talk to more and more people every single day and this goal is will roll over into 2013 because I’m nowhere near done. Becoming a Beachbody coach was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done, it has connected me with people I never, ever would have met…and I cherish every single one of them.

 

So while I didn’t 100% achieve everything, I think I did a great job of making some excellent progress this year and I cannot wait to see what 2013 brings! I will sit down tomorrow, January 1st, and list out my goals.

0 Categories : 5K, Beachbody, calories, Ease into 5K, Exercise, Facebook, Fitness, Health, Healthy Eating, Insanity, Life, Measurements, P90X, P90X2, Pregnancy, Running, The Scale, TurboFire, Weight Loss
Dec
31

Documentation = Success

by OperationFit

When I started to get serious about my weight loss and goals back in 2004, I needed to have a clear plan of attack visualized. I also wanted to keep myself accountable, so I decided I would track my workouts and note the days I didn’t workout…and what my excuse was. My workouts calendars were born and I’ve kept one a month ever since.

I would track my workouts in black and my excuses in pink so they stood out – I wanted as little pink on the calendar as I could. I noticed it was also helpful to track my period since that could affect my weight, so that went on in blue (and now I track my cycle days and medication with that as well – I have PCOS and I have to take Provera every month to start my period). When I got my bodybugg and now my Fitbit, I also started to track calories burned with each workout – noted each day in parentheses in order of my workouts that day. Over on the right (not pictured here because I was just talking about my workouts when I posted this on Facebook) I track my weekly weight loss and set goals at the beginning of the month.

I’m obsessed with numbers, obsessed with beating my personal best every workout, and this gave me a way to track all of that. It has also become a really neat way to see my fitness progress over the years.

As I started to post different images of my calendars on my Facebook page, I always got asked where I got these calendars from – I make them because I never found anything that had everything I wanted so I just made my own.

I’ve decided to start offering them for download. You can use them in the exact way that I do, or you can decide what works best for you. I’ve also added a “Tracking, Notes & Accomplishments” section at the bottom so you can track anything you want. For me this year, I started noting at the bottom of each page how many miles I walked/ran because that was part of my 2012 resolutions – so you can set your own goals and see what you can accomplish.

You can download these all now or you can download a couple months at a time. They will be up and available for you all of 2013, and expect another set in 2014 and every year after since I’ll be making them for myself anyway. These have helped me so much and it’s great to sit down and look back over all of my progress.

And a little tip – I set weekly goals for myself and put them on sticky notes. I can visualize the whole month of progress at the very beginning and have a clear direction of where I’m going, but I also know that life happens and every week I may not meet my goal. That allows me to track my progress and move the stickies around as needed. Here are my goals for January (and don’t even ask about my crazy numbers…I have a set math that I work with, lol!).

2013 Printable Progress Calendars
To download, right click on each of the months below and save the linked file to your computer (each is in PDF format). You can also click on each month to preview the calendar.

Depending on your printer, you may need to adjust the printing size – my old printer was fine at 100%, but with my new printer I had to scale it to 98% so it wouldn’t cut off part of the month. 

January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
May 2013
June 2013
July 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013

0 Categories : bodybugg, calories, Exercise, Facebook, Fitbit, Fitness, Health, Life, Measurements, The Scale, Weight Loss
Dec
23

Ease Into 5K

by OperationFit

Confessions of a Non-Runner
I’ve always wanted to be a runner…but I sucked at it. I had no endurance and I would quit the minute I felt any sort of discomfort. I decided this past year to change that and it has been one of the most life changing experiences. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve read all about it – I love sharing with my followers my progress because that has been such an incredible experience.

I heard about the Couch to 5K program that would help a non-runner be able to run a 5K with a program that gradually stepped them up in intensity. I downloaded and tried out a few different programs and eventually settled on one from Bluefin Apps and I absolutely love it.

Ease into 5K
Ease Into 5K is an 8 week long program that has you running 3 times a week, alternating walking and running and gradually increases running time until you are running your final 30min, 45min and 60min runs. I spent longer than 8 weeks with the program – I would do each day until I felt confident enough to move on. The app is available for both iPhone and Androids.

You can redo days as many times as you want – the program has a slider that allows you to go through each day (marking it with a green dot when you complete it the first time) and gives you a breakdown of that day’s run.

Track Your Time
During your run, you’re working with a time clock that counts down each portion of your walk or run. Each run starts and ends with a 5min warm-up and cool down, and then alternates your walks and runs. Up in the top right corner it tells you where you are (example: Walk 1 of 4) and the arc progress bar slowly fills. At any point you can pause your run, or you can even flip forward and backward. I’ve only done that when I was doing a day back-to-back, but you can skip ahead if you find you’re struggling, especially for beginners, and redo if you need to.

Music to Keep You Moving
The program works with your phone’s music playlist and allows you to play/pause and skip around from inside the app at the bottom of the interface. You simply go to the Music tab from the home screen and select your running playlist. I use Pandora during my runs, which it doesn’t let me control – but I have no problem flipping between the apps. I’m hoping one day for them to integrate it into the app, but it’s not an issue for me at all. If you also use Pandora: the one issue I have found is that I have to start the Ease into 5K app before starting Pandora or the volume is too quiet, but now that I know and do it in the right order, I have no issues.

Journaling Helps You Record Your Progress
One of my favorite features of the Ease into 5K app is the journaling feature. It lets you rate how you felt (great, ok, not good, terrible), what the weather was like (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowing), and where you completed your run (road, trail, treadmill or track) with little icons and it has a Notes box where you can write anything you want to note. I always use that box to mark my walk and run paces, my incline, and I make notes about my run and things I should do next time.

Track Your Distance
The program also has a GPS feature that will automatically track your time, distance and pace, or if you’re on a treadmill you enter in the time and distance and it figures out your pace for you. I’m crazy about numbers and I track all of that plus my calories, so it’s nice that they have places for all of that within the app.

Share Your Progress
Want to motivate your friends or share your progress? Easily connect the app to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and click to share each time you run. There is a default message that comes up that shares what day you did and the distance you ran, and then lets you add in any other information you want to share.

   

Breaking Down the Mental Barrier 
While this app is great and very helpful, it will set you up for success but YOU are the one who has to make it happen. At the beginning of the program, I really struggled a lot and it was all mental. I would get to a point where I felt uncomfortable and my reaction was to immediately step up on the sides of the treadmill and break. I redid the early days of the program a lot – I was struggling with the 90 second and 3min runs, and 5min runs seemed impossible. I was watching TV while on my treadmill to distract me from my runs and I didn’t enjoy the experience.

One day I decided to try music since the app integrated it so nicely and it’s like I opened a door I didn’t know was there. The beat of the music drove me along and suddenly when I started to struggle, I’d turn my mind off and concentrate on what I was hearing…and I was doing the 3min, 5min, 6min, 9min runs…and more. I started to look forward to my runs and I was excited to see what the app would challenge me with on the next day. I still repeated some days, but I found I was moving on quicker. During the later runs, I didn’t repeat at all and before I knew it, I was running 20min without stopping. I couldn’t even run the mile in high school without stopping, that accomplishment was incredible!

I cried the day that I ran my first 20min run, I was so proud of myself – and I have this app to thank. Before when I would try to run, it was all or nothing…and I would always fail. The Ease into 5K program taught me about stepping up slowly, getting comfortable with my progress before challenging myself more. I never would have been able to accomplish what I have…and what I will continue to accomplish.

Beyond 5K
Bluefin Software also offers other programs to help you succeed based on your current level of running, all available for both iPhone and Android.

  • Bridge to 10K : A 6 week program for graduates of the Ease into 5K program
  • Ease into 10K : A 10 week program for those who are new to running
  • Bootcamp : A circuit training program that lets you build your own workouts and guides you through them
  • Power Walk : A 12 week program to help you build up to a 60min power walk for those who don’t want to run or who don’t feel they’re ready for the Ease into 5K program yet
  • Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon, Novice 1 and Novice 2 : A 12 week program designed by well-known fitness trainer Hal Higdon, this includes all the features of the other programs plus new features like race day selection, GPS and a training calendar. It also includes motivational recordings and fitness tips from Hal himself. Novice 2 includes slightly more running.
  • Hal Higdon’s Marathon, Novice 1 and Novice 2 : Similar to the Half Marathon apps, and again Novice 2 includes slightly more running.

Experience It For Yourself!
The wonderful people over at Bluefin Software have given me codes for 10 of my followers to get their app for free! Normally a $2.99 cost (and well worth it!), this is a steal if you’re looking to start running yourself.

I’m sorry, the raffle is now over. Congratulations to our winners:

Gurpit Grewal
Natalie Morris
Patricia Gonzalez
Maralana Fulton
Catherine Ettery
Jim Davis
Joyce Freeman
Ruth Corey
Elizabeth Swinburne
Jessica Swinburne 

Follow my Facebook page for more great giveaways and daily motivation and support. 🙂 

 

All images are ©Bluefin Software, LLC.

0 Categories : Apps, calories, Exercise, Health, Running, Weight Loss
Dec
9

Fitbit One Review

by OperationFit

I’ve had my Fibit Ultra for about 5 months but when the new Fitbit One came out, I had to have it….and I’m so glad I upgraded. There was absolutely no issue with the Ultra, which is currently not available as it is being replaced by the One – I’m actually selling it at half price to a friend because it’s in ‘like new’ condition and my husband still has his. However, the One takes everything that was great about Ultra tracker and improves upon it with a couple great features.

 

 

Fitbit Ultra vs. Fitbit One
The main technical upgrades that I was excited for were:

  • Sweat, water and rain proof. I workout hard and when my husband and I walk outside, there is always a chance that we’ll get caught in the rain. When we have, the first thing I’ve done is work on protecting my bodybugg/Fitbit and iPhone. It’s nice to know this isn’t a concern anymore. The Fitbit One is smaller than the Ultra and fits into a rubber case, which protects all of its connectors that were previously exposed. Please note that it is NOT fully waterproof and cannot be submerged in water or worn while swimming.
  • Syncs to Smartphones and Tablets. Unfortunately I only have an iPhone 4 (syncing starts at 4S and up) but I will be upgraded to the iPhone 5 soon so I am looking forward to this feature. I don’t consult my current iPhone Fitbit app that much anyway because I can see all the info I need right on my device, but it will be a really nice feature when I can take advantage of it. Right now I have to shove my head halfway into my shirt to see my current burn (I wear my Fitbit on my bra), which can get me odd looks in public… I’m looking forward to just pulling out my phone, opening my app, and seeing everything right there.
  • Silent Wake Alarm. You can set multiple alarms and your Fitbit will vibrate. I have two set up in the morning in addition to my iPhone alarm, but this is also a great feature if you need to remind yourself of something at the same time every day. You can choose to have the alarm go off once or repeat (and you select which days of the week it will go off). This is such a simple but great upgrade, I love it!

Fitbit Ultra

New to the Fitbit? In addition to the feature upgrades I listed above, the Ultra and One both offer the following capabilities:

  • Steps, Distance & Calories Burned. This is the most basic information you need if you’re working on losing weight or just looking to live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve used both the bodybugg and the Fitbit and the calories burned were pretty much the same (to within a 20-40 calorie difference at times) so I’m going to say the calorie burn is accurate. It also tracks the steps and distance you’ve walked, and even flights of stairs. These display on your Fitbit device, mobile app, and website in real time.
  • Activity Badges. This is a really fun feature that I didn’t see the appeal of until I started earning different badges. I love getting emails (like the one seen below) informing me that I’ve earned a new badge. I feel accomplished and it makes me check out what I’ve earned and excited to start working towards the next goal. Between that, the random messages that pop up on my iPhone telling me that I’m almost to my daily step goal, and my daily food and calorie logging, I’ve always got fitness and my goals on my mind.
  • Sleep. This was one feature I didn’t think I’d care about but now I’m addicted to. The Fitbit shows you your hours asleep, time it takes for you to fall asleep, number of times woken throughout the night, and rates your sleep efficiency. I can tell you it’s pretty accurate – if I wake up feeling tired and dragging, I can look at my Fitbit sleep tracker and see why.
  • Syncs wirelessly to Macs and PCs. For the Fitbit One, you have a Dongle that plugs into the USB port of your computer and syncs you’re information when you’re within 20 feet of it. You also now have the Fitbit Connect app installed on your computer where you can manually sync, set up a device, check for upgrades and troubleshoot.
  • Rechargeable Battery. Your Fitbit One battery will last a minimum of 5-7 days between charging. I plug mine in once or twice a week when I’m sitting at my computer and not moving around much – 10-15 minutes is all I need to get my battery back up, and I’ve never had an issue with the battery dying on me.
  • Free online and mobile tools. After your initial purchase of the Fitbit One ($99.95 + shipping), everything is absolutely free. Besides having a beautiful user interface, the Fitbit online site and mobile app are simple to work with and provide a lot of information in one glance. You can set goals, track your progress, and you can connect your account to My Fitness Pal (also free) for very easy food tracking on your computer and smartphone.

 

What’s in the Box? There are some new accessories with the One that Ultra users will be excited about.

  • Fitbit Tracker and Silicone & Metal Clip Case. (top left)  The Fitbit One is considerably smaller than the Ultra and goes into a silicone & metal clip case that you attach to your clothes (protecting its connectors from water and sweat). It is taken out of the case and slid into the Sleep Wrist Band at night (top right) through the slit you see at the top. It sits inside a nice little mesh pouch so you can still see the information on the device. I was unsure about it at first since I was used to the Ultra clipping onto the wristband (one side in, one side out) but this option is so much more compact.
  • Wireless USB Dongle. (top middle) The little dongle plugs into your computer’s USB and uploads the information from your Fitbit One when you are within 20 feet. I absolutely love how small it is, especially when I’m plugging it into my laptop’s side USB port.
  • Charging Cord. (bottom) To charge your Fitbit One, you take it out of the silicone & metal clip case and plug it into the charging cord, which connects to your computer’s USB port. The battery indicator displays on the Fitbit as it charges.

Why Not the Fitbit Zip?
The Fitbit Zip is only $59.95, which may be a better option for some people. The reason why I’m not a fan of it is because it doesn’t include the sleep tracker, doesn’t record floors climbed, doesn’t have a silent alarm (which is one of my favorite new features of the Fitbit One) and it requires a watch battery. That’s not a big deal for a lot of people, but I say pay the additional $40.00 and get so much more out of your tracker. I have no experience with it so I’m not knocking it all, though…different people have different preferences.
 
Fitbit Ultra

*Fitbit photos courtesy of Fitbit.com. 

0 Categories : Advertising, Apps, calories, Exercise, Fitbit, Health, Healthy Eating, Life, Measurements, The Scale, Weight Loss
Dec
4

Commitment Day 01.01.13

by OperationFit

I am proud to announce that my team of coaches will be hosting a free 5K event in support of the Commitment Day movement on 01.01.13. Register on their site and join a run in your city, or run on your own or with friends.

We have a Facebook group to support everyone who joins us, and anyone who submits proof of their walk/run will be entered to win some great raffle prizes.

We will also have a custom t-shirt you can purchase for your run. Join us!!

0 Categories : Exercise, Health, Life
Nov
19

Don’t Let Thanksgiving Derail Your Progress

by OperationFit

Did you know that the average American will consume 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving and gain around 10 lbs. during the holiday season?

Last year I was terrified of Thanksgiving. I love to eat and Thanksgiving food is by far some of my favorite, but I was a month into P90X and I was scared I would erase all my progress with just a few days of food. So rather than derail my progress, I set out to figure a way to enjoy everything I wanted…but not gain and hopefully still lose.

I busted my butt and set a record high burn with a double workout in the morning, and then my husband and I set another record with a long walk in the evening that burned over 1400 calories! I lost weight the week of Thanksgiving and I was so proud – I had conquered a major fear and proven to myself that I AM IN CONTROL. This year we’re looking to beat our numbers from last year (and I will be updating my Facebook page with our final numbers).

Here are a few tips for pushing through, staying on course, and proving that you’re not an “average” American.

Start or Continue A Workout Program
Don’t use the holiday season as an excuse to relax and take a break from your workouts; if anything, let it motivate you to push harder towards your goals because you will be faced with more temptations and challenges than normal. Continue to set your goals, and if you’re not currently doing a workout program, start one! We offer great Challenge Packs that set you up with 60 and 90 day programs, and all purchases come with one-on-one support and motivation from me as well as Team Empowerment, our Facebook group that is filled with motivated people working towards their goals, supporting and inspiring each other. Plus, we have a GREAT Black Friday deal coming up that will allow you to save with a Challenge Pack and get a $25 Beachbody eGift Card for your next purchase (or feel free to use it as a gift). Contact me if you’re interested in a Challenge Pack or if you just need motivation – no purchase is necessary to receive one-on-one coaching or to join our Facebook group, and all workouts are welcome.

Start the Day with a Workout
You know that amazing feeling you get after a workout? It makes you less likely to cheat or make bad choices because you don’t want to ruin what you already did. Plan a big workout for the morning of or sign up for your local Turkey Trot if you’re not doing the cooking to set a positive tone for your day. Don’t think you have the time? YES YOU DO. Plan ahead and you will be able to fit in a workout or two before you start the cooking or during a period of waiting. I get mine in as soon as the turkey goes in the oven before I start prepping the rest of the food closer to dinner time. This year I am going to be doing my Crazy Sexy Fitt Virtual 5K, which means I’m going to burn 800 calories before I even sit down to eat.

Plan Ahead
You have no idea what you can accomplish if you do a little planning before you head out. Whether you’re cooking or something else is, make a plan of what you’ll eat and if you can, log your calories (My Fitness Pal is a great app that you can use on the computer or on your smartphone). If you go in with a plan, you’ll be less likely to stray and consume additional calories.

Eat Ahead of Time
If you think you’re going to have a hard time controlling yourself, why not eat a bit at home before you go? You will already be satisfied which will allow you to make food decisions with your brain, not your stomach.

Downsize Your Plate
Ever notice how plates at restaurants are huge? The servings are proportional to the plate so your brain doesn’t register that there’s anything wrong, but they’re way more than you actually need in one sitting. The same goes for decreasing the size of your plate – when you eat from a smaller plate, you can trick your brain into believing that you’re getting the same amount of food you would on a larger plate…and chances are you’ll find you’re just as satisfied, and you will definitely avoid overeating and getting that uncomfortable “overly full” feeling.

Portion Your Plate
So now that you’ve got a smaller plate, keep this breakup in your mind as you add food.

50% of your plate should be veggies and 30% should be lean meat, which leaves 20% for your starches. A favorite little trick of mine that I use the whole year is adding a salad separate from your main plate to really help you fill up with a smaller amount of calories, making you less likely to want to continue eating. With your salad, make sure you watch the dressing – put a little on and mix it up thoroughly, or have it on the side and dip your salad to avoid a lot of extra calories. You should have 90% veggies and 10% dressing.

Pay Attention To Your Food
If you pay attention to what you’re eating and fully chew and enjoy each bite rather than wolfing it down, you’ll find that you’re less likely to go for seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize when you’re full – eating slower and waiting a bit before you decide if you really need seconds will help you make a smarter decision. And if you do go back for seconds try a smaller plate, or use the same plate and ratio you did before but just take up less room (as if you’re filling up a smaller plate).

Hydrate
Many people are dehydrated and don’t even know it – and most confuse thirst for hunger. Keeping up with your water throughout the day, especially before dinner, will keep you more full and allow you again to decide with your brain and not stomach when you’re filling up your plate.

Take a Healthy Dessert or Side
I enjoy cooking our meal because I can control everything that goes into our food – I use the same low-calorie recipes every year and I can plan my portions accordingly before I even sit down to eat. If you don’t have control of the cooking, consider taking a healthy side or dessert that you can indulge in, especially if you know there will be other foods tempting you. Doing a Google search, visiting a healthy cooking website (a great one is Skinny Taste) or even searching Pinterest, you can find a bunch of great recipes.

Enjoy a Drink or Dessert
But do so in moderation! If you’re living a healthy lifestyle properly, you know that you can cheat in moderation once in a while…and holiday get togethers are a perfect reason to do this since there is so much temptation. Reward yourself for the hard work you’ve done all year, you deserve it! When picking out your cheat, only eat half of what you normally would – you get the taste, you get to enjoy it, but you’re also not going crazy and completely sabotaging yourself. If you going to have an adult beverage, limit yourself to 1 or 2.

Workout After Dinner
It’s a common myth that turkey makes you sleepy (see the proof here) and sitting around after a bigger meal than usual isn’t help your body use those calories. Your workout after dinner doesn’t have to be a hard one – my husband and I enjoy a long walk every Thanksgiving evening. It allows us to start working off what we just ate, and we can enjoy each other’s company and feel great when it’s time to head to bed.

Avoid Leftovers or Send Them Away
I make a big 20 lb. turkey for my husband and myself because I love a week of Thanksgiving food, but after the first day the desserts and other “unhealthy” items have to go. We keep turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and lots of veggies on hand because we know we can control our calories – but if the treats are sitting around we’re going to mindlessly snack. Avoid leaving parties with “bad” leftovers, and if you’re hosting send the treats home with your guests and just keep the healthy food on hand.

0 Categories : Beachbody, calories, Exercise, Health, Healthy Eating, Holidays, Life, Money Saving, Portion Control, Recipes, The Scale, Weight Loss
Nov
13

Black Friday Deal!

by OperationFit

Skip the crowds this year and purchase a Challenge Pack to start 2013 off right! Plus, get a $25 gift card for every Challenge Pack you purchase (even if you’re purchasing for a friend or family member).

Contact me to purchase!

0 Categories : Advertising, Beachbody, Exercise, Health, Holidays, Life, Money Saving, Shakeology, Weight Loss
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