The Reality of Health and Weight Loss

Hi,so I have been working out for the past month(yes I know it's not that long)but I have been seeing NO results,sometimes I feel like my clothes fit me even tighter and yes I have been eating healthy and I don't understand why

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:55:56 -0500

Hey there!

I can’t really help you without knowing the intricacies of your workout routine, but here are some resources from my blog that might help you!

Hopefully these are helpful!

Hey,I was wondering if you know any good butt and thigh workouts,because I always have people telling me I have a huge ass and I hate it.Would toning exercises work,can you recommend some good videos(:

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:10:09 -0500

Hey there!

First of all, ignore those silly people. You’re gorgeous the way you are, and you do not have to fit other people’s narrow definitions of beauty. Love yourself first!

In terms of good lower body workouts, Day 11 of the Youtube Workout has a really tough, really great lower body toning workout — if you do all 44 minutes you will be sore and begin to see results if you keep doing workouts like it! — and Day 6 is a shorter, easier but still intense workout that has a bunch of great squats and lunges. You may want to start with Day 6.

I would recommend doing all of the 30 Day Youtube Workout Calendar, since each day focuses on a different body part — Blogilates Victoria’s Secret Ab Workout is a challenge! — and you need to focus on your entire body because although you can work certain muscle groups, you cannot spot fat loss.

You can’t do crunches to get a flat stomach, you have to also do HIIT cardio to burn the fat on top of your abs.

Hopefully this helps!

And remember, you have to love yourself first :) Only then can you go about improving your health and fitness!

Day 11: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:58:27 -0500

Hey guys! I created a fancy-shmancy 30 Day Youtube Calendar — you can download it for free here! I’m doing the 30 days with you guys, and sharing my tips and tricks along the way. You can see all of my posts about the Youtube Workout here. Good luck!

Day 11: Lower Body Toning Better Booty by Fitness Blender

I’m going to be honest with you guys and tell you this straight: today’s workout is going to be TOUGH.

The point of circuit training and tabata intervals is to improve lean muscle mass and burn fat.

But you have to WORK for it if you want results!

The 30 Day Youtube Calendar does ramp up in intensity, and this workout will bring your fitness to the next level! I know you guys can handle it!

Time Required: 44 minutes

What You Need: Good shoes, a chair, dummbells.

Tips:

Choose your weights wisely. I used an 8lb set and a 12lb set of dumbbells: the 8lb for the bridge and the step ups and the 12lb for everything else. Don’t overload yourself, and use a lighter weight if you need it to keep your form right.
Stay strong! I know you can do this workout. Play some music in addition to this music to keep you motivated. These kinds of workouts are the ones that will kill you but you’ll definitely feel sore and see results, I promise! You just need to give it your all and you’ll do great :)

After your workout:

Eat some peanut butter, greek yogurt, or other protein, and relax! I’m so glad you decided to put in the effort and do this video today.

I treated myself to some Starbucks after my workout.

What rewards do you use to stay motivated? Send me an ask!

See you tomorrow!

First off, thanks for giving wonderful advice on being healthy :) Secondly, how does a beginner start? And how does one stay committed on being healthy during college, especially with having so much work to focus on?

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:39:39 -0500

You’re welcome :) Glad I can help!

When I was a beginner, I started by pledging to work out a minimum of three days per week. I went to the gym, and soon started jogging — and eventually running — after that. Then, I did the 30 Day Shred and P90x and that really took my fitness to the next level!

The key is variety— I have never done the same routine for too long! Some days I go hiking, some days I go ballroom dancing, or rock climbing, or do power yoga, or some tough HIIT workouts.

I know how tough it is to balance everything in college— but the key is to remember how great you feel after a workout and then use that to stay motivated and carve out an hour or less to work out 4-6 days a week.

Here are some resources on my blog that you may find useful:

Day 10: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:32 -0500

Day 10: Weight Loss Yoga: Fat Burn by Tara Stiles

It’s yoga time! I’m so excited, you guys. I’ve been craving yoga since I got back from college. Maybe it’s because I got new yoga pants? *thinks for two seconds* Actually yes, it’s definitely because I got new yoga pants:

#messyhairdontcare #alsoglassesareathing

Also someone please explain to me how bathing suits work because I don’t understand why it’s inappropriate to run around in public in your bra and underwear but then we go to the beach and all of the sudden bikinis are the norm? What magical threshold do we pass when we step on the sand that suddenly switches our mind to “little to no clothing time!”

~~shhh amy back to fitness~~

What You’ll Need: A yoga mat, towel, or rug

Time Required: 9 minutes

Tips:

Engage your abs to get through tougher moves. Side planks are my life in yoga class— they’re so tough but so good for you! By really engaging your abs throughout the entire workout, you can smooth out transitions and survive through tougher poses.
Watch the video first before attempting. If you’re new at yoga, scroll through the video real quick and see what the moves look like.

After your workout:

I picked this video because it once again highlights yoga not only as a great way to improve your flexibility, but also your strength!

I encourage you to check out what other workouts Tara Stiles has to offer, and if you’re up for a more intense workout, go check out my supplemental list of workouts.

See you guys tomorrow! :)

Is it okay if I do yoga and jogging at the same day ?

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:44:41 -0500

Of course! Yoga is great for runners— it improves your range of motion and increased flexibility can help prevent injuries! Yoga is low impact and low intensity (unless you’re doing power yoga) and it’s not taxing on your body like other workouts can be.

I haven’t done a good, hour-long yoga session for a week and a half, and it’s really getting me down. I’m wound up and I need to just take an hour tonight and do a yoga session to just relax. Yoga addictions are real, beware :D

HeLLo There..!! :)) Thank you so much for all the awesome information you provide, and motivation for us who try to stay healthy !! I'm sort of a beginner, and I have some questions I hope you can help me with!! First of all, what are some good apps that help you record your progress on food /exercising /both?? :) I sadly only have access to Android - that's the problem!! :\ Also, about exercising, is it okay to focus on muscles in the morning, and cardio in the afternoon? (: Thank you !

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:31:31 -0500

Thank you so much!

Lose it is far by the best app I’ve tried— and I’ve tried a whole bunch! Daily Burn, Fitbit, and tons of others don’t have anything on Lose It in terms of ease of use, pricing (free) and overall awesomeness. It’s also available for Android!

And sure, focusing on strength in the morning and cardio in the afternoon sounds great! Just make sure you don’t overload yourself. If you’re doing a tough strength routine in the morning and a intensive HIIT workout in the afternoon, that may be too much. Listen to your body!

I’ve deducted fast foods from my diet and I only drink sodas and corn syrup drinks...

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:23:00 -0500

I’ve deducted fast foods from my diet and I only drink sodas and corn syrup drinks occasionally but I take half and hour to hour walks daily and have been for a month and half and my body is starting to show the results. It only takes effort! Everyone can do it (:

RealityofHealthy says:

This is awesome! You guys are so inspiring :) Keep it up!

I can't stop looking at your posts, it made me realize that I need to work out and eat healthy. Thanks a lot!

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:18:00 -0500

Thank you!

Running this blog has been so inspiring— not only do I get to see you guys reach your goals and hear your success stories, but thanks to this blog I’ve been able to advance my fitness goals as well.

I’ve lost twenty pounds, 3-4% body fat, two dress sizes, and three pants sizes— but that’s not all. I ran my first marathon, I’ve become more in shape overall. I’m faster, stronger, happier, and I have more energy than ever.

But NONE of that would have happened if I had not made this blog and decided to START back in 2011.

ANYONE can reach their goals— you just have to begin!

Hi there How do I know how many calories do I burn everyday ?

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:14:37 -0500

Hey there! Check out my FAQ. I’ve got some great links to help you calculate how many calories you should eat and burn per day based on your age/height/activity level/goals/whether or not you like long walks on the beach.

Day 9: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:10:00 -0500

Day 9: 5 Minutes to Slim from Fitness Blender

Hey guys! Sorry today’s workout is so late, I was meeting up for coffee with an old friend from high school. It’s so interesting to see people change and find their calling, embracing new passions and goals, don’t you think?

Anyways, today’s workout is HIIT! Maximum results in less time. This one’s a toughie, but I know you can do it! Lots of fat burning plyo, and what will become your “favorite” move of all time: burpee jacks!

What You’ll Need: Good tennis shoes

Time Required: 5-10 minutes

Tips:

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down! I do dynamic stretches (walking toe touches, buttkicks, high knees) before nearly every intense workout, and a little bit of yoga afterwards. Just do SOMETHING to warm up your muscles, and then let them cool off. Even if it’s just jogging in place.
I did this workout twice in a row, and it’s a challenge! See if, after a short active break, you can do this workout twice for a total of ten minutes :)

I’m sweaty and gross as I type this, but I feel awesome!

Keep up the great work and I’ll see you lovely people tomorrow :)

Day 8: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:33:56 -0500

Day 8: Victoria’s Secret Ab Workout from Blogilates

I hope you enjoyed your rest day yesterday and are ready to work today!

What You’ll Need: A yoga mat or a towel

Time Required: 14 minutes

Tips:

Don’t slack! Ab workouts are worthless if you don’t give it your all! It’s easy to just lie on your mat and not do the moves, but you need to try your hardest to get results.
Bonus challenge: pick another workout off of this list if you’re up for another workout!

Short post today because I’m doing some blog re-working to prepare for disaster if the Yahoo buyout affects Tumblr too negatively. If they take off my ads on my blog, I’ll probably move everything to my other website, RealityofYou.com and just use this Tumblr for Reality Checks and answering questions, and instead put most of my content on Reality of You. It’ll be a headache to move stuff over and still get you guys the best health and fitness motivation possible, but I’ll do my best :)

Anyways, go drink some water and pat yourself on your back when you finish this workout because it’s a tough one!

Day 6: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:35:33 -0500

Day 6: Little Black Dress Bootcamp

For some reason the link on my youtube calendar isn’t working for this video, but I’ll fix that! You can also just click on the link above.

This is the last video of week one, so do your best!

What You’ll Need: Tennis shoes or workout mat

Time Required: 9 minutes

Tips:

Today’s bonus challenge is to do this video three times so you can do three sets of each exercise.
Watch your form on the lunges, squats and pushups!
Add weights to the squats if you need a tougher intensity!

After Your Workout:

Congrats! You’ve completed Week 1!

Tomorrow’s your rest day, but if you don’t feel like resting, feel free to redo your favorite workout from this week:

See you in Week 2!

Day 5: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:01:53 -0500

Day 5: Weight Loss Yoga with Tara Stiles

You’ve been working hard this week, so stay strong! Today’s workout is a little easier, but still a challenge nevertheless. Prepare for chair poses!

Tara Stiles has a ton of great routines, and I picked the beginner weight loss yoga video because it’s a great intro to how yoga can improve both flexibility and muscle tone.

What You’ll Need: A yoga mat or towel

Time Required: 8 minutes

Tips:

Get low. Really dig into those chair poses!
Focus on your breath. Yoga is all about linking breath with movement, so focus on keeping your breathing smooth throughout this whole routine.

After Your Workout:

If you’re looking for a good, protein-filled snack, try my Angelic Eggs — a healthy twist on the traditional deviled eggs dish!

BONUS CHALLENGE! Select a flexibility workout from my list of harder youtube workouts. I recommend Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown Level 1 if you’re up for the challenge!

See you tomorrow!

Day 4: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:40:00 -0500

Day 4: Fitness Blender Strength Training for Fat Loss

Hey guys! Today’s workout is a tough fat burner, and it’s going to sculpt your upper body!

What You’ll Need: dumbbells, yoga mat (optional). I used 8lb weights for this one, and don’t go too heavy but make sure you’re challenging yourself!

Time Required: 26 minutes

Tips:

Play Pump Up Music. Fitness Blender workouts don’t have a soundtrack, so turn on some tunes to keep you working hard and inspired!
Focus on your form. Keep your back straight with the deadlifts to protect your spine. Good form is key!
Customize the intensity. Don’t go too heavy, because that could cause injury. Don’t go too light, because then it won’t be an effective workout! Anywhere between 5-12lbs is a good range — if the later reps aren’t feeling really tough, you need to increase your weight, and if your form is suffering, choose lighter weights.

After your workout:

Stretch, eat some delicious Greek yogurt, drink water and sleep well in order to make sure your muscles recuperate!

I don’t know about you guys, but my muscles are quite sore from yesterday’s jump roping. Do some yoga if your muscles feel tight!

See you beautiful people tomorrow! :)

LINK TO: Day 5

Eat clean and train mean to burn fat! From Livestrong: Protein,...

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:01:36 -0500

Eat clean and train mean to burn fat!

From Livestrong:

Protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats should all be balanced to enable you to maintain energy levels, rebuild and recuperate, and avoid illness. Finding ways to include protein, carbs and fats in your diet in the proper forms and amounts is the key to optimum health.

Day 3: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:01:00 -0500

Day 3: Jump Rope Training Circuit

The actual workout starts at the 1:45 mark, so you can skip to that point in the video if you are so inclined!

Today’s your first day of circuit training, which is a type of HIIT that involves strength moves mixed with cardio. (Most HIIT is usually just cardio done at different speed intervals.)

If you find today’s workout too easy and want more of a challenge, select an additional workout from this list. If this workout is too difficult, or if you don’t have a jump rope or dumbbells, you can also find an alternative on that same list. I recommend the Yoga Cardio Blend from the “easy” column if you don’t have any equipment, since it’s a comparable workout in terms of integrating both strength and cardio.

Here we go!

What you’ll need: A jump rope, dumbbells, a chair, and good shoes! Jump ropes are the perfect fitness tool. They’re cheap (usually less than $5!) and make for a great fat burning workout!

Time Required: 12 minutes

Tips:

I picked this workout because it’s a challenging, total body workout! You WILL see results from circuit training because it’s the best of both fitness worlds, cardio and strength.
This workout may be overwhelming for some — she talks a lot about technique of jumping rope. Honestly? Just jump rope. Fast. That’s all you need to do to get a good workout. Trust me, you can worry about all the jump rope techniques later.

After Your Workout: Today’s workout was tough, so make sure you drink plenty of water and eat something with lots of protein! Protein shakes, peanut butter — all good options! See you tomorrow :)

LINK TO: Day 4

Day 2: Youtube 30 Day Workout

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:01:00 -0500

Day 2: Blogilates Drive By Inner Thighs

I don’t know about you, but I can still feel those mountain climbers from yesterday!

Today’s workout is only 4 minutes long. You know what that means? It’s going to be INTENSE and you’re gonna need to bring it like a beat poet at a rap battle.

If you find today’s workout too easy and want more of a challenge, select an additional workout from this list.

Time Required: 4 minutes.

Tips:

Engage your core!
When you’re making small circles, try and make them smaller and faster
Keep your legs straight and point your toes

After Your Workout:

**BONUS CHALLENGE! Do the Call Me Maybe Squats Challenge by Blogilates if you’re up for it! The plie squats also work your inner thighs, so it’s in line with today’s workout. I have strong legs, so I also added ten pound weights to my squats and was dying by the end. But it’s worth it!

Remember, you need to eat protein after your workout — especially when you’re doing strength workouts. Here are 8 great post-workout snacks!

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #YoutubeWorkout to share your progress/healthy eating on Instagram!

Tomorrow we’re doing a full-body jump rope workout circuit! Sleep well, drink some ice cold water, and get plenty of rest!

LINK TO: Day 3

Thank you so much for posting the 30 day youtube challenge. I did day one today and it was awesome! Thanks again for that post and all of your other amazing posts as well! :)

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:26:35 -0500

Thank you so much!!

My hope is that the Youtube Challenge will make fitness more accessible. Not everyone can afford gym memberships or have safe places to run. And there are some really fun and challenging workouts on Youtube, so this project aims to show you what’s out there while you’re improving your body and health :)

Thanks again!!

Hey Amy. I started the youtube workout today, and I'm glad I did. Junior year has been very sedentary for me, what with all the AP homework, studying for the ACT and being an officer in two clubs with tons of paperwork. I've been looking for a way to start excercising at the start of summer, and the 30 day workout has given me an "in" of sorts to start even though I'm out of shape. It was tough, but I'm eating low fat yogurt with 7g of protein and I"m excited to keep going!

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:43:51 -0500

Awesome, Alexis! I know how tough AP tests are this time of year (I know my brother is feeling the pressure) and sometimes it feels like studying can take over your life and eclipse everything else. Not to mention all the other stuff you guys have to do to get ready for college apps and finish up the year! I wouldn’t want to do all that again.

Stay strong and awesome :)