Are On Pinterest?

Yes, Pinterest. It's a huge time-suck. But it's so much fun!

It really is useful. Instead of having a million bookmarks I can "pin it" and find it later. My OCD likes this.

There's a lot of food...

Source: kasfitness.blogspot.com via Kasondra on Pinterest

Source: closetcooking.com via Kasondra on Pinterest

But...there are a lot of photos to remind you exactly what you're working for...

Source: noskinnybitcheshere.tumblr.com via Kasondra on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Kasondra on Pinterest

Go see what everyone pinned! And don't forget to

Why Is This Important To Me?

Seriously though. Why did I create a whole different blog from my homemaking blog? Why is exercise SO important to me? Why would I choose such a job? I was a theater major! We're not known for our exercise habits (unless running across campus to rehearsal counts...) I rarely had TIME to go to the gym. I ate fast food at 11pm (because rehearsal went until 10pm and I was HUNGRY)

So why exercise? I have a variety of reasons actually...

As a Christian I believe my body is a temple (1Corinthians 6:19-20). I don't take it to, what I consider, extremes and avoid all "bad" things. I have to have caffeine each morning (I think I have trouble seeing color until then! lol), I enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink, and I love chips a little too much.

I have an eating disorder in my past. 5 years of off and on bulimia. I developed a distorted view of beauty, health, and food. Foods were "good" or "bad" and I based my self worth on which food I ate. Even at my thinnest I was terribly unhappy with how I looked and tried to become even thinner. At that point it wasn't about health. My brain would distort what I saw in the mirror. Eating disorder awareness and education is VERY near and dear to my heart. There are so many misconceptions about it. So many people view it as "stupid" and whatnot. I want to teach people (especially teens) that you can be healthy and happy and enjoy the occasional cheat meal! You can exercise without killing yourself.

I'm going to step on toes with this one...

I hate seeing overweight and obese CHILDREN. That bothers me to no end. A little baby chub is fine and healthy (my exclusively breastfed boys were pretty chunky). If your child eats healthy foods and is a bit bigger than his peers that's fine. It's the toddlers that weigh as much as a 10yo that eat soda and candy all day that bother me. Usually these heavy kids are accompanied by heavy parents. You can stop the cycle! You can start healthier habits and teach your kids.
When my husband and I first got married we would sit up until 11pm, watching TV shows, and eat chips and dip. We could easily finish a full sized bag of chips each. We didn't have a lot of money so we ate a lot of boxed crap. Hamburger Helper, Blue box Mac-n-Cheese, SPAM, etc... We drank water only because we couldn't afford anything else (not out of health concerns obviously).
When we had our first baby we decided things needed to change. (And it turned out he was dairy intolerant so I, due to breastfeeding, had to cut out dairy. Are you aware that just about every boxed meal has dairy in it?) We wanted our kids to have better palates than we did.

And...I just wanted to be healthier. I want to be thin without being SKINNY. I want to have energy to take care of my kids. To echo my above point: I was at the park with Franklin the other week and saw an overweight mom with her toddler. The toddler was running (as toddlers do) and she was struggling to keep up. I felt so bad for her and wanted to go over and encourage her...but I know a lot of people don't appreciate that so I didn't.

What do you think? Comment below (even if  you disagree)

How Do I Lose Weight FAST?

I see this question far too often. It's always different numbers with different (unrealistic) amounts of time.

"How do I lose 10lbs this week?"

"How do I lose 50lbs this month?"

Well, I'm here with the answer!

Ready?

Photo Credit

YOU CAN'T! Well, not and be healthy or keep it off.

I know, I know..."But on The Biggest Loser..." I'm going to ruin reality TV for you now.

It's not real. Yes, they're losing the weight, but it's not REAL LIFE. Their kitchen is stocked with specific foods (specific to the show because you know advertising is part of how they make a profit), their diets are crafted exactly to them, they have the "luxury" of being able to exercise 5+ hours a day with personal trainers, and right before a weigh-in they stop drinking water to shed those last few pounds (or so I've heard).

I take issue with exercising until you pass out or vomit. Yes, sometimes you should push that extra mile...but dizziness, nausea, and PAIN are your body's way of telling to STOP.

If you pay attention to the show you'll see that after a couple of weeks half of the players are injured. Some will be unable to exercise and the rest will have an Ace Bandage wrapped on some part of their body. Uh, not healthy people! If you are consistently getting injured you should take it as a sign that you're doing something wrong! 

 

You *can* work out while injured provided you do it safely...but that's another post!


What is the average weight loss standard? 1-2lbs a week. Yep. If you have a bit more to lose then you can probably get away with losing a bit more at first. (I'm talking 5-7lbs...not 25)

Remember this: A loss is a loss. Every OUNCE of fat you lose gets you closer to a healthier person. (But I don't believe in relying on the scale either)

Confessions...

Linking up with a new blog!



I confess...
I only worked out a couple of times this week. I've been dealing with sick kids, teething kids, and been sick myself. Blah.
I confess...
I've totally been craving JUNK all week long. Especially pizza. What's up the pizza cravings?I had a burger last night. It wasn't as good as I wanted. Sad day.
I confess...
I didn't have my Shakeology every day.I truly regret that. I feel SO much better when I drink it.
I confess...
I yelled more than I should have at my kids/dog. Sleep deprivation is an ugly thing!
I confess...
I planned dinner at the last possible minute.It wasn't as well-balanced as I like.


Got a confession? Click the picture and link up!

Top Ten Tuesday

Such a simple link-up!




Ten Easy Ways to Sneak in Exercise!

1) Take the stairs: This is a common one to hear right? Seriously though, taking the stairs every day will burn extra calories.

2) Stand more often: On the phone? Walk around. Waiting for an appointment? Pace

3) Fidget: Tap your toes, stretch your hands above your head, swivel in your chair (if appropriate)

4) Calf Raises: Standing in line? Put your feet hip width apart and raise up on your toes several times (slow and controlled) So what if you look silly? Your calves will look awesome!

5) Squeeze a stress ball: Not only will you burn stress but you'll burn calories and strengthen your forearms.

6) Have stairs in your home? Take 7 mins: And do this simple stair workout

7) Dance like a crazy person: Getting ready for a date or for work? Put on something that pumps you up and dance around while you get ready. You'll get pumped and burn a few calories.

8) Carry your own groceries: Only getting a handful of things from the store? Carry your bags to the car instead of using a cart. Speaking of the car...

9) Park at the back of the parking lot! You won't have to fight for a space AND you'll burn more calories.

10) Or you can just plan for it! Check out my website and find a workout you think you'll love and DO IT!

Come over to Kas Fitness! We're almost at 100 fans.