Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Get Healthy Blog Hop :)





I'm so excited to be participating in today's blogfest! And only because I've been trying extremely hard to lead a healthier lifestyle which is sooooo difficult when I spend most of the day sitting in front of my laptop.

Thank you to the hosts: Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, Michael Di Gesu, and Alex J. Cavanaugh. Please visit them today when you get a chance.

So, what have I done to get healthy?

Long term, I've eliminated sugar in my coffee It's been 2 years now and I can't drink sweetened coffee anymore.

Since I've already been eating healthy, I haven't really changed my diet other than the sugar, but I have increased the amount of my physical activity.

Short term, as of April this year I've been walking almost every morning. I've even added a bit of running in there too. I've also started a routine I'd heard they do on Dancing With The Stars called 8 minute abs and although I don't last eight minutes, I do crunches for as long as I can, without counting, until my abs (or my stomach for now) burn. When I don't think I can do it anymore I add another 20 crunches.

I've also been working on my arms (especially the back of my arms). And this part is not because they look bad, in fact they look pretty good, but if there's one part of the body that freaks me out as I get older it's that sagging back of the arm. I really don't know why, it just scares me.
What do I do? I support my upper body by leaning back on the second step from the bottom of my staircase, feet flat on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees and then using only my arms I lower myself slowly and then push up. I also do this until the back of my arms burns and I cannot lift myself up anymore.

Whatever you do, please pat yourself on the back today because whether you're eating healthier or exercising, it takes will and strength to lead a healthier life.

Now hop on to the other participants below and see what they're doing to get healthy:)


20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post, I used to drink many fizzy drinks but it caused havoc to my body, for years apart from an early morning coffee I drink only water, spend more time in the bathroom but it eliminates the toxins in the body.

Yvonne.

Shelly said...

Sugar has been out of my life for years now. And I don't miss it either.

Hugs and chocolate,
Marta

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sometimes it's just the small things. Eliminating that sugar cuts out over a hundred calories a day!
Thanks for participating in our bloghop.

Stina said...

I do the cruches thing, but I haven't thought of adding another 20. I'm going to do that. Great tip! :D

My hubby bakes but uses less sugar, though I'm sure he makes up for it with the chocolate he adds. lol

Stephen Tremp said...

It's good to have both short term and long term goals. And no coffee for two years? Wow! Now that's commitment!

Unknown said...

20 more crunches??? Ouch! Of course going past what you think you can is how you get where you want to be. I need to cut back my sugar, too.

Unknown said...

Sugar is my deadly sin- I love the sweet stuff but I swear it goes instantly to weight on my body. I can't metabolize it for anything. Thanks for the great tips!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Sugar is a great thing to eliminate! The backs of the arms are the first thing most women mention when they come to the gym for the first time - it's a universal concern.

SK Anthony said...

I've replaced sugar with Splenda but now working in cutting it out since its benefits can't be too good... but I have a thing for desserts :-/

Anonymous said...

Great post. CONGRATS on giving up sugar in your coffee.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Arm flab is something I really want to avoid.

We don't use sugar, but I still need a little Splenda in my coffee. Iced tea I can drink completely unsweetened though.

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats on your long term and short term plans!
Sounds like you're well on track!
I'm fortunate in that I don't have a sweet tooth. I can go for weeks without eating chocolate.

Writer In Transit

Anonymous said...

I've heard that about sugar. And bat wings on the upper arm freak me out too. I've been working very hard in the pool lately to try and make sure I don't get them. I don't know what it is about women and bat wings, but I sure hope they never happen to me.

Michael Di Gesu said...

HI, Marta,

Good for you. Those little extras will really pay off in the long run. Sugar especially is really not good for us.. especially the highly processed one.

I only use ORGANIC sugar when I back and I cut the sugar in half on every recipe. It still takes great and I get to have a sweet when I want it.

Many woman have problems with their triceps as they age. Taking care of it now will insure your arms will look great for years.

With men it's the beer gut. Thankfully I don't have one and I do forty five minutes of ab work a day so I never will. LOL. That's what freaks me out. Especially men in my age group. But that gut appears on guys even in their late twenties or early thirties. SCARY...

Thanks for sharing you routine with us. YAY for you! Keep up the good work. You are truly lovely!

Suzanne said...

I find the 'will' part the hardest. My head knows what's good for it, but my body likes to over rule it!
Suzanne @Suzannes Tribe

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Cutting back on sugar is one of those things I know I should do. . .but it's so hard! :)

Martina Boone said...

Yep, waggly chicken arms are seriously scary. And I love the way that strong shoulders and arms look really healthy. I just started the 7 minute workout -- baby steps -- and they include that same exercise. Easy peasy. Even I can do it for 30 secs.

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