Welcome!

I'm Shannon. When I was pregnant... I packed on a nice 60 pounds. It was so easy going on (yummy cheese steaks), but coming off was a whole other story. I was not one of those blessed women who miraculously dropped the weight within a month, breastfeeding didn't help, neither did simply having her. I was merely 15 pounds lighter after birth and a couple months later I had it back on. So I had 60 pounds to lose...but where to start? I had never exercised, never dieted, and ate whatever I wanted my whole life without gaining and looked in shape. This was not the case after giving birth (which I'm sure many of you are learning that it's 5x as hard after birth to get back in shape). Over the last two years I have tried various diets, various exercise routines, and found what I liked the most. This blog is going to include some diet tips, exercise routines, ideas, and ways to cheat but still look good!
Here's to hoping I can help you all shape up after having those beautiful little babies!!!
Leave a comment on Shannon's Blog here!


February 27, 2009

3 Reasons Your workouts aren't working

I found this great article today and I have to say I completely agree!
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/3-reasons-your-workouts-arent-working-376716/

Basically in a nutshell it says the reasons your working out and they're not working are:
1)Doing the same routine over and over
2)Doing the reps too quickly
3)Exercising too often and too hard

I was guilty of all of these. I was doing the same routine essentially evreyday and getting pissed that I was not seeing crazy results. I was working out 2hours at least and 5 days a week. I figured I should have had a supermodel/crazy 6 pack abs or something but I didn't (and still don't).
I hate weight training so I would rush through my weights too.

Basically in the last 6 months I have cut back to walking daily...but only hitting the gym 3-4 days a week and for a little over an hour. I cut back on my weight training (and until this article I didn't realize I should slow my reps down). So hopefully come summer the change in my routine and everything will help. Don't frustrate yourself like I did! switch it up and SLOW down! :)

Coming soon..... pregnancy workouts!

September 29, 2008

The holidays are coming.....

Ahh, as if it's not bad enough to have to worry about trying to lose the baby weight or keep the weight you've lost off...now here come the holidays to tempt, torture, and fatten you up.

Typically most people gain between 5-10 pounds over the holiday. Why? If your holidays are anything like mine...there's food, food, and more food. And not just food...YUMMY food...like candy, pies, cakes, etc. All the stuff I avoid buying and keeping in the house for the sole reason that I KNOW I will eat it is placed lovingly within my reach almost on a daily basis.

I've learned a thing or two over the years about not gaining the dreaded holiday weight. Unfortunately there is no magic answer...it rests 100%, completely, and totally on YOU. You have to have a little willpower and the desire to at least maintain.

Angelina was born in September and I didn't even attempt to start dieting or exercising until after the holidays. Was this the right thing to do? Maybe. I have terrible willpower...if this is you...I would wait til the holidays are over honestly before you decide to start a diet regimen otherwise you're setting yourself up for failure. Whether or not you have willpower does not guarantee success. The guarantee is your absolute desire. :)

Anyhow, willpower or not...in order to not go overboard and gain a bazillion pounds over the holiday follow these guidelines.

#1) CHEAT- yes I said cheat. I've mentioned it before in my blog and I'll say it again. If you've already begun a diet and are tempted looking at all that yummy stuff...eat some.
#2) MODERATION- this goes hand in hand with my advice to cheat. I said to cheat...but don't take that as free reign to devour everything in site. Don't eat an entire pie! Rather get yourself a plate and have a small slice to satify your urges.
#3) BYE BYE FOOD- a HUGE downfall for me is if it's in the house...I'm going to eat it. So my solution is to get rid of it. Don't keep all the leftovers or the extra bags of Halloween candy. Send it home with people who are leaving, bring the candy to work, toss it, do whatever...you know your limits. I have none so I know whatever is in the house has to go...unless after the holidays I want to be working off the weight I put on.
#4) NO SCALE- definitely do NOT look at the scale. It is expected to gain a little weight over the holidays and you don't need to beat yourself up over it. Wait til after New Year's and then peek at the scale and pray it's not more than 10. :)

It's honestly that simple. You can enjoy the holidays and not gain any weight if you follow those simple rules. The last 3 years I have managed to maintain my weight around the holidays simply by doing that. I eat...but I still exercise and I don't go overboard.

So enjoy the holidays and don't have to fret about your weight the whole time.

Below are a few links I have added. They are not about holiday diets or food...but I thought they would be helpful in everyday life to know.
The first link are fat burning eating tips. There are everyday foods that you could incooperate into your diet that would help in burning fat.
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/22863/9-fat-burning-eating-tips

The new craze in all fast food restaurants is "healthy." Some places claim to be healthy...but are they really???
Here's some great info on some supposed healthy dishes from your favorite fast food chains.
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/22839/healthy-fast-food-traps-and-tipsns.

I know you Moms are looking for a healthy breakfast. My eat on the go breakfast is a granola bar or a protein bar. But sometimes you just want to hit McD's or IHOP. But they also have these meals that they claim are healthy or low fat...here's the real story!
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/21192/worst-chain-breakfast-diet-busters-satisfying-swaps

July 31, 2008

Sneaky Convenience Store Snacks

Although I know most of you know the snacks in most convenience stores are junk...but here's site that shows some of the "healthy" snack options that are also bad.
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/22295/snackers-beware-convenience-store-shocks-swaps

April 16, 2008

Lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks

I found this article on http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/26679/lose-10-pounds-in-six-weeks/

Alot of it is common sense...but I think it could help! Good luck everyone! :) Please give me any feedback you have...I am not trying to lose any weight and I already do most of this anyhow...but let me know what you think. :)


Here are five simple food swaps that can help you lose more than 10 pounds in the next six weeks. 


1. Stick to one serving of cereal. For most people, a typical pour of breakfast cereal is equal to two servings. If you're trying to lose weight, trim calories by accurately measuring one serving into your bowl (usually that means ¾ - 1 cup, however, cereal serving sizes vary so you must regularly check the package labeling on your favorite brands and varieties).


For those who eat a daily bowl of breakfast cereal, follow my lead, and you'll save about 150 calories by cutting back on cereal and at least 50 calories in extra milk every morning. That's 8,400 calories saved and 2.5 pounds lost at the end of six weeks!


2. Skip your late night snack. We all feel the need to munch in the evening, and although a p.m. snack can be perfectly appropriate (diet-friendly p.m. snacks should not exceed 150 calories), for many people, the evening tends to be the time of day we blow it on calorie overload - comfort food central; ice cream, cookies, potato chips, popcorn and more!


On average, people gobble down way more than 250 calories after 8 p.m. Exercise some willpower and skip your nighttime snack altogether. Sip an herbal tea, floss/brush your teeth and close down the kitchen for the evening. You'll save at least 250 calories each day and after six weeks, you'll have cut 10,500 calories and dropped three whole pounds!


3. Scratch the butter/margarine. Cut out a total of one tablespoon of regular butter or margarine from your toast, veggies, potatoes, dinner rolls, etc. each day. At 100 calories per tablespoon, you'll save 4,200 calories and drop over one pound in six weeks. What if you can't give up the butter or margarine? At least switch to a soft tub spread that says "reduced fat" and "trans-fat free" on the label - it's half the calories of the full fat versions, so you'll still drop over ½ pound.


4. Lose the mayo and cheese on your sandwich Omit the slice of cheese and mayonnaise on your sandwich (use mustard instead - only five calories per teaspoon) and you'll save about 200 calories per sandwich. If you eat a sandwich a day, you'll end up saving 8,400 calories and find yourself 2.5 pounds lighter after just six weeks.


5. Delete the extras: It's amazing how much extra food we can munch on without realizing it - a grab of this/that off our kid's plate, an extra packet of ketchup or salad dressing, a bite of your co-worker's dessert... before you know it, you've consumed an extra 800 calories!


Be super mindful and delete the "extras" and you'll be able to trim a significant amount of calories off your weekly total. Also, pay attention to your beverages (alcohol included) - as well as what's going into your coffee and tea. By trimming 1000 extra calories off each week (about 150 per day), you'll save a total of 6000 calories and drop 1.75 pounds at the end of six weeks!


Follow all five tips and you'll potentially lose more than 10 pounds at the end of six short weeks. Here's the math: 2.5 pounds + 3 pounds + 1 pound + 2.5 pounds + 1.75 pound = 10+ pounds lost!

March 11, 2008

I'm SORE!!! What to do

I'm sure many of you have gone to work out and then felt like you were hit by a train the next day.

There are some simple ways to avoid that awful feeling...or deal with it when it comes.

Most people I've talked to say they quit working out because it hurts...well here's what to do so you can still exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

How to Prevent Sore Muscles:
-STRETCH!(Before and after workouts)
-Stay hydrated...drink PLENTY of water
-Have had enough sleep

It's pretty easy to avoid it...but sometimes we push ourselves too much or don't take the time to do it right. So in that case....

How to Deal with Sore Muscles:
Ok, so you forgot to drink water, forgot to stretch and now you're in agony! What helps (besides taking a painkiller)???

-Believe it or not, go back to the gym and work out. After stretching and warming up, your muscles will start to loosen up and feel better. Just remember to stretch after!!!
-Drink plenty of water!
-Take a warm bath (add some epsom salt to it)
-Alternate icing and heating your muscles
-Eat some protein and carbs


If all else fails take an ibuprophen...but you should feel better if you've tried some of the above. :)

January 30, 2008

Gym Etiquette

Most people know how to behave in a gym...but some do not. I cannot tell you how many times I have been at the gym and been so annoyed by other people  and their behavior.

Here's some tips to NOT be that girl that everyone wishes would give up her New Year's resolution to work out. :)


Here's 2 websites with gym etiquette
http://www.filly.ca/health/body/fitness/Gym-Etiquette.asp
http://www.gympost.com/articles/gym-etiquette.php

I know it seems like alot of rules...I will say the TOP 5 things that drive me the most nuts at the gym (and most of the people I have talked to are irked mostly by these things as well)are:
#1- someone yacking away on their cell phone. Loudly at that!
#2-a machine hog! Let people work in!
#3-stinky people. Lose the perfume, wear some deodurant, take a shower, etc.
#4-grunting. I work out at a co-ed gym...the meatpuppets grunting are so annoying and distracting. The other day though I was on a machine and the woman next to me sounding like she was having an orgasm...I could hardly concentrate because it was so unnecessary and LOUD!
#5-Getting interrupted in the middle of a set. Wait until I'm in rest period to talk to me or ask me a question.

So good luck! don't be that annoying person at the gym! :)


January 29, 2008

Weight Watchers




It seems like alot of you are doing weight watchers and it really seems to be working for you guys! I wish I did it to lose weight! I looked up some WW recipes and here's a link to it. It's seperated by apps, dinners, breakfasts, veggies, desserts, etc. and includes points. Yummy! Enjoy!

http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/

January 22, 2008

Women's Day Magazine


I liked some of the info on this website...this is incase you don't like some of the added links. :) It's just some new ideas for dieting and excersise


Here's some great weight loss ideas
http://www.womansday.com/health/12660/new-year-new-you.html

Here's some great workout ideas

http://www.womansday.com/health/12003/workouts.html

January 21, 2008

My pregnant ladies

Hey ladies...I added some links on the side for some great pregnancy workouts. As I mentioned before...I was TERRIBLE during my pregnancy...I maybe walked here and there, but I ate terribly and I honestly didn't try to stay in shape. I was counting on my genes and and the fact that I ALWAYS had been able to eat whatever I wanted and stay in shape...but that failed me. So, try to keep up with proper eating and exercise. Remember not to over do it...you want to remain healthy and not gain too much...but you also want to make sure you don't hurt yourself in the process. :) 

Good luck maintaining a healthy growth during your pregnancy and losing it afterwards!!! :)


P.S. I did not add the link for the Wu-Yi Tea...I don't know why that's showing up. Please try to ignore it...I don't believe in fast fixes or miracle drinks...they are simply B.S. Diet and exercise will help you...not pills or drinks.

January 09, 2008

A different idea for working out



Take a deck of cards...make each suit a different thing.
For example:
Diamonds= calf raises
Spades= squats
Hearts=right leg squats
Clubs= left leg squats

Or Make it for cardio (make the # stand for minutes)
Diamonds= jumping rope
Spades=jogging
Hearts=power walking
Clubs=sprints

Or Make it for whatever type of exercise you feel like doing...abdonminals, arms, legs, butt, back, etc.

Go through the deck and that's how many reps you do. This is an exercise used by many trainers...it works...just be sure to stretch before and after or else plan on not walking the next day!