Everything has been crazy!

Hey guys it's Reena!! I AM SO SORRY there hasn't been many posts. For one my hours at work changed, for two my computer has crashed and I currently do not have one, and for three me and my boyfriend are in the process of getting a new house, packing, painting, and moving! It's been so hectic and  crazy and I feel awful that I haven't been updating.

On another note, I hope everyone is at least keeping up with their diet and exercising! This week has been a tough week for me but back to the grind in the a.m! My old Zumba instructor is starting back up again which I am wicked excited about! It starts in two weeks I believe. I will post where and when as soon as I find out more details! I would love to see you guys show up and have the time of your life.

I prob. won't be posting until after I move in. Hopefully my cousin and post some things in the mean time. Give me about 2 weeks or so. Until then I will repost some of the older blogs.

Weight loss update

Good afternoon all! Ok so it's been a while. I figured i (tiffany) would give a quick update of how i've been doing on weight watchers. So far i've been on WW for exactly 2 weeks today. I've lost 4.2 lbs. I weighed in  today and only lost .4 this week. Reasons why? I know exactly why....last weekend was horrible. Heres a breakdown..

friday: i went out to chinese. Had beef teryaki and also extra fried rice instead of eggroll ( almost ate it all)
friday night: had quite a few bites of Greggs Death by chocolate cake ( one slice itself is 76 pts if i remember)

saturday: Me and the boyfriend went out for breakfast at the cozy grill.

Saturday night: had a drink or two


UGHH. learned my lesson this week!

this weekend will be better i promised myself.


I will update every friday to let you know the loss/gain.

Current weight: 152.8
Goal weight: 120

Warm up ZUMBA routine choreographed by us!!

DONT MIND THE GUY IN THE BACKGROUND AT THE END LMAO! HE DID NOT KNOW WE WERE RECORDING! HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT!

Shake it up zumba video

Thanks to Jennergy for teaching us this routine! Love it :)

Change of heart

Hey guys its tiffany here. I am extremely sorry that i've been slacking on posts. I've decided to quit my second job which gives me plenty of time to update on how im doing, etc.

I'VE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART..

ON MY DIET!

I started off doing Herbalife. Which seemed to be okay at first. To me, it seemed to be extremely hard to keep up with and even harder to stick to. Two shakes a day seems like a piece of cake. Duh!  But for me it wasn't so easy.

I would have my two shakes a day and snacks in between like i should. By 2pm i would be starving. Craving anything and everything. From Chocolate to pasta to chips. It was AWFUL.  I decided to go back to doing weight watchers. I did weight watchers back in october and only stuck with it for 3 weeks until i found a started a new relationship (if you wanted to call it that).  I viewed my old progress and in that 3 weeks i had lost 4.8 lbs. So i know that has worked for me in the past, i'm aiming to try at it again.

I'm currently on day 2 of weight watchers and i feel great!

CRAVINGS=GONE
examples of what i have eaten so far...

breakfast day one:

1 fried egg (using pam on the pan. it should have been a boiled egg).
1 piece of wheat toast
8 oz of tropicana 50 orange juice

Snack:

 2 tablespoons light ranch veggie dip
7 baby carrots

Lunch:

Smart one

Breakfast day two:

6 oz skim milk
3/4 cup of special k vanilla almond

Etc...

I think it's a good thing that me and reena are doing different diets. This way here everyone can get the perspective of what goes on during both of our journeys.

Snacks!

You are at work and it's not quite time for lunch yet and you already ate breakfast about 3 hours ago and you are STARVING. What do you do? What do you eat? Do you suck it up and not eat anything? Well I have some answers for you.

You need eat at least 6 times a day....Breakfast, SNACK, Lunch, SNACK, Dinner, SNACK. Now when I say snack, I am NOT meaning chips, cookies, chocolate, a whole package of crackers, I mean something small and healthy and especially tasty. Make sure it's between 100-120 calories if you are on a 1200 calorie intake!

Here are some suggestions:

• Fruits! Cut up some fruits, make a fruit salad, and if it is not sweet enough for you, add 2 packets of splenda, truvia, sweet and low, or equal. Also, add some water so the fruit won't go bad.
• Veggies and dip! Any type of veggie will do! Just make sure the dip is Light of Fat Free. Remember, there is no need to consume extra fat where it can be prevented!
• 100 Calorie packs! They may be a little high in fats and carbs but if you can fit them into your daily intake that would be wonderful!
• Fiber one 90 calorie bars...DELICIOUS! 
• Fiber one Brownies...DELICIOUS and curves your chocolate cravings!
• Fat free vanilla/chocolate pudding
• Reduced fat wheat thins (check the flavors, see which ones you like or are better for your daily intake)
• Weight watchers String cheese (its the healthiest out there, I've checked)
• 80-100 calorie Yogurts! (make sure low in fat)
• Welches fruit snacks (kind of high in carbs but again, if it fits your daily intake its fine!)
• Rice cakes!!
• Skinny cow candy or skinny cow ice cream! (it's pricey but def worth it)
• Frozen Yogurt
•  Laughing cow cheese on rice cakes or crackers, w.e you prefer
• Baked Potato Chips (if you are really craving chips
• Kettle popcorn

And anything else that you can think of that isn't too high in fats, carbs, or calories! You can still have things that taste amazing and still get full at the same time!!

African Dream- Zumba

LET ME WARN YOU GUYS!

• MY ROOM IS MESSY
• I MESS UP ABOUT 3 TIMES
• I LOOK AWFUL
• AND A BIG THANKS TO JENNERGY FOR TEACHING ME THIS!

SO SORRY GUYS!

hey everyone! I am just posting to let you know I didn't forget about all of you! My computer crashed and  its just been so busy! But I promise I will post tonight!

JUST REMEMBER.......

Crazy weekend

It has been such a busy weekend!! I (Reena) wish I could say it was a healthy one =/ . I ate wonderful all day Friday (consumed only 300 calories) and for dinner I had a turkey burger, a few fries and 2 buffalo wings =( and a few mixed drinks (captain and coke zero).  Saturday during the day, I consumed about 400 calories and for dinner I had a piece and a half of pizza from Antonio's. Then today I did pretty damn well. I have not consumed as much water as I wanted to this weekend either. I am trying not to feel so bad about what happened this weekend since im trying this new way of life lol. On a better note, I went for a BEAUTIFUL walk this weekend on a nature trail. It was so much fun. There were hills which were great! But back to the grind tomorrow.

How was everyone else's weekend? Did you all eat healthy? Did we have some difficulty like me? I would LOVE to hear from you guys!

This is what I want all of you do to and feel.................

Totally Cheated

For the past few days I (Tiffany) have done an amazing job keeping up with herbalife. I've been starving and grouchy but dealing okay.  Yesterday, i wanted to take the boyfriend out to dinner.  He chose to have chinese food. When you go to a chinese restaurant, we all know everythings loaded with sodium. I felt awful eating it, but i made sure to drink plenty of water ( although i probably retained all of it). After having chinese, i had 3 captain and cokes. UGH. it wasn't even worth it.

Going back to the grind today!

BREAKFAST =)

8oz of skim milk
2 scoops dutch chocolate herbalife mix
2 strawberries
1/4 of a banana

picture time!

Alright guys, we had said we would put pictures of ourselves up, and clearly we havent.  I (Tiffany) am going to put 2 pictures up of myself. one a front view, the other a side view. i will not show my face because these pictures were taken at 6am a couple days ago. They were taken when i first really started sticking to the diet.

PLEASE IGNORE THE MESS IN THE BACKGROUND!

OK. Now i know some of you may not think i'm not chubby or anything along those lines. But ill tell you what i would like to change about me.

LOVE HANDLES. Have always been a problem for me. Even when i went down to 108 lbs i still had them. Its uncomfortable in clothes i don't like the feeling of them.

LOWER BACK. my lower back is awful. I don't know whats going on down there but somethings gotta give.

Anyways, there's the pictures, and  those are the two things i would like to see improvement on!

1200 Calorie Diet!

First off, let me thank EVERYONE for following us!! We had 400 views in one week and the blog is going viral which is awesome! I never  thought this many people would actually be following! So thank you all!!!

I am getting a lot of questions about different "diets" and calorie, fat, and or carb intake. I just want to say you can do whatever "diet" suits you best! You do not have to follow what I am doing. Everyone has different body types and prefers different foods at different times of the day. This blog is just an inspirational guide per say =).

With that said, I am on a 1200 calorie diet! Everyday I try to get at least 1200 calories into my system because it's VERY unhealthy for you to consume less than that unless you are training for something.

It's as simple as this: 1200 Calorie Diet
 Calories: 1200
 Fat: 30-40 grams a day (I always try to aim low but if you go over a bit its okay!!)
 Carbs: 140-180 grams a day
 Protein: 30-100 (protein is VERY good for you!)


Like I have mentioned before, KEEP track of everything you eat! It's def. a motivator in losing weight. It is also a confidence boost when you look back on what you ate all day long =). WEIGH your food if you have and/or even buy a plate that has smaller portion sections so you don't eat too much. The world is in your hands!

Here is a quote I found...

So PLEASE remember, YOU CAN DO IT =D

Quote of the day!!!

That's right! It's not a diet, you are just eating healthy! It's a new way of life =D STAY POSITIVE GUYS!

Yummy Temptations

That snickers bar...the popcorn at the movie theatre...that chocolate ice cream. All of these things do wonders to our tastebuds. How can we manage to fight the cravings for sweets while trying to lose weight? This is one of the hardest things i deal with while dieting. Everyone has their own cravings. Mine is chocoalte. Whats yours?

I find that with different jobs comes different opportunities for consuming food. I work at a doctors office. I mostly sit all day at a computer. Along with doing this, comes my opportunity. I can just simply put that food next to my mouse and chomp away. Drug reps will come in with goodies for the doctors. Panera Bread cookies, doughnuts, gift baskets with more goodies. It makes it very hard not to go into the back and snack away. (Also not to mention, theres a vending machine with more deliciousness in the hallway).

I always think to myself, "one bite won't hurt". But one bite, leads into two, then three. All of a sudden you've eaten the whole cookie and started on a second. NOT GOOD!

Replace these snacks with fruits, vegetables, yogurt, nuts.

I went shopping last night with reena. A few hings that i've bought to snack on:
-carrots with light ranch dip
-fat free vanilla yogurt
-apples (2 different kinds)
-melba snacks with laughing cow cheese
-almonds

If you absolutely need that piece of chocolate, i say HAVE IT. in moderation. and then go back to following the diet. I know i need my one cheat day a week that i can look forward to. Whether its going out to eat with my boyfriend, or just having that one day on the weekend to enjoy something you like eating. I say its ok. If you don't at least have that one day to look forward to, you'll eventually splurge and break down and go snacking crazy!

So please. Learn to like that crunchy carrot and learn to like that stringy celery. It'll all be worth it in the end.

A few things to mention =D

So today I started Zumba again which was absolutely amazing! It felt like I was right at home. Me and my cousin Tiffany cannot wait until we are in shape because we are going to be getting Zumba certified hopefully before this year it over!!! I'm going to promote this Zumba place because it was PACKED and full of ENERGY! The place is actually on 845 Oaklawn ave in Cranston, RI. They do it three times a week. Zumba Classes<----Click that link and it is the towards the bottom of the page. I will also be putting the link on the home page of the blog!

In other news, my friend has started an Inspirational vlog (video blog) on Yourtube. She is trying to make a difference in people's lives by creating a positive lifestyle! So I would LOVE for you to check her out Help Make a Difference<------Click there! And this will also be on the home page of my blog!

Also, if any of you have any comments, questions, concerns, ideas just shoot me a message here, comment on a post, anything! I have made a Facebook page for this blog which is probably and easier way to contact me.  Click to LIKE Inspirational Health Blog on Facebook





What I ate today:


Breakfast: one piece of toast, egg, and cheese with grapes

Lunch: An Italian roll with 3 small meatballs (it's teacher appreciation week at work!)

Dinner: 6 inch sweet onion teriyaki with lettuce, pickles and banana peppers on honey oat, lays light chips

Snacks: 4 twizzlers and lays light chips

Drink: 200 oz of water, Large Iced tea from Dunkin Donuts, and 2 20oz Coke Zeros

Exercise: 1hr of hard core Zumba, work out with children at work =P

Healthy Breakfast!

Lately I have been having Herbalife shakes for breakfast and that isn't very realistic because not everyone is going to go out and buy Herbalife. So today, I had a piece of toast (it wasn't wheat which I wasn't happy about), and egg with seasonings, a piece of cheese, and grapes!

so filling and healthy!

So here are some IDEAS of some easy healthy foods you can eat for breakfast!

• ALWAYS have a fruit whether its kiwi, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, pineapple. It's very important!
• If your going to have cereal, make sure its only 1 cup so measure it out. Fiber One Honey Clusters is amazing and keeps you full longer, any kind of Special K cereal (you can even add your fruits to your cereal), Total cereal and anything with oats or wheat!
• If you are craving a bagel, do not eat a regular wheat or grain bagel because they have way too many carbs and you don't want to use up all of your carbs in on sitting! I suggest the bagel thins (put out by Thomas but stop and shop has their own brand too). They come in wheat, everything, plain and cinnamon raisin! If you want cream cheese on it then buy the FAT FREE kind. No need to be wasting fats so early in the day! Or top it off with some jelly or honey! =D
• If your not a bagel fan, have a piece of wheat toast or wheat/grain English muffins!
• Shakes are always a good idea! Just make sure when you are making the shake that you use fat free/skim milk!
• Yogurt is always good to have with a fruit or anything that I have listed above!
• Pancakes, waffles, french toast are always an option but make sure you make them by scratch. Wheat flower, egg whites, etc. I had a pancake made out of carrots, potato, and zucchini and it was DELICIOUS..experiment people =D
• Eggs! Eggs are so yummy =). Fry an egg or egg whites (using the PAM spray) add spices, fat free cheese if desired. Add the egg to a bagel, muffin, or toast or eat it plain!
• ALWAYS have water!!!!

What I ate today!

Breakfast: 2 Scoops of herbalife shake mix, mixed with strawberries, berries, and banana, with yogurt

Snack: bowl of grapes

Lunch: 6 inch sweet onion teriyaki on honey oat with lays light chips

Dinner: 2 Slices of cheese, onion, pepper, and chicken pizza (I shouldn't have had that I know)

Drinks: 10 bottles of 16.5oz of water

Exercise: 35 minutes of Just Dance 2

Did better yesterday than today but like I said it's a work in progress!!

Eating Healthy

We just love to have a full plate of food, especially food fill with grease and fat! We have to stop that. Obesity is growing rapidly in the USA especially among children and young adults. Diabetes is also growing and is beginning to be found more in children who are obese. We need to put an end to this by exercising and eating healthy.

2012 Food Pyramid (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/)

It's very important that we get the right amount of grains, veggies, fruits, dairy, meat an oils everyday. On top of that, its very important that we don't go over the certain amount of calories, carbs, and fats that our body needs each day. For instance, I need to be careful not to go over 1200 calories a day.  I know that some days we may slip and go over here and there but that is okay! As long as you are trying to get exercise in and you are watching what you eat and you are PORTIONING your food! Some of you may not like many veggies (like me) or not many fruits. In that case, just eat what you like! The food pyramid can be tweaked to what you prefer as long as its healthy. Remember water is key! It keeps us full longer =).  Reminder:  It is easier to keep track what you are consuming each day. My Fitness Pal works great! The link is at the top right of the page =D

Quote of the day!!

What I ate today!

So I told you I would post everything that I ate today so here it goes.....

'

Breakfast: 2 scoops of herbalife, 8 oz of fat free milk, a few cut up strawberries and grapes, light and fit vanilla yogurt blended together with 3 bottles of 16.5 oz of water!

Lunch: One cup of honey and oats special k cereal dry, strawberries and grapes, and 16. 5 oz bottle of water

Dinner: 3 pieces of backed chicken strips, and a squirt of mustard with a diet pepsi!

Everything that I consumed today was most likely under 1200 calories! I did not make it to the gym =( because I have had some really bad lower stomach and back pains but hopefully I can work out a bit tomorrow!!

Baby steps will get you a long way!

Baby steps in working out take you a long way! These four games up there changed my life at one point in time. When I was using the Wii fit, I lost 25 pounds. I did it at least 4 times a week for about 45 mins. And for fun I would play Wii Play but made sure I really got into the game instead of being lazy with it.

Now if you love to dance and can't afford to take Zumba classes, then  I HIGHLY recommend Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3. It's unbelievable how much you sweat during those two games and when your finished every muscle in your stomach, legs, and arms are killing you. Try not to look at this as "work"..its FUN! Invite friends over and play these games and you will be burning calories like crazy.

I call this baby steps because if you cannot get to the gym, and your not the type of person to life weights or go for a run, this can work for you! Results may take longer to see but they will appear! Don't get discouraged!

I also found this mini work out. Its cute and the title made me laugh so I decided to share it with all of you.

I personally have not tried this yet, but I will.  Maybe we can get into a nightly routine of doing this before bed? =P

Day 4 of Reena's weight loss journey

Good Morning! Hope everyone is doing well.  This is day 4 of my "diet" and this is also the first day I actually start working out! Looks like I am going to be going alone (which I hate) but if I don't get my self to the gym then I will never go. I will post tonight how long I was at the gym and tell you what I did. Also, everyday (at the end of the day), I am going to be posting a log of everything I had ate for the day so you guys can actually get and idea of how I am eating healthy.

So on that note, I need to get to work! I will leave you all with this. I saw this quote today and it touched me, so I am sharing it with you all. Hopefully it makes sense to you like it does to me! Lets MAKE it happen!

Anxiety in Relation to Health

Hey guys! I'm sorry that I didn't post anything yesterday! But it's time to get on track again!

Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state where you feel a state of fear and/or concern over something. Sometimes we may not know what is it. Everyone experiences some type of anxiety one way or another and its perfectly healthy. But other people experience anxiety and don't know how to cope with it. I am one of these people. I end up stressing over everything and there is not a reason why most of the time. Some people use medication, therapy, self therapy, and working out/being active. I have done all of the above and they all work especially in combination.


Tips on dealing with Anxiety

1. When you are feeling anxious, put on some relaxation music (I usually use Pandora for this) and just become one with the music. Take in slow deep breaths from your stomach. It makes you feel light headed but it really does calm you down. Also, light some candles it really sets the mood. Some people prefer to take a nice warm bath including all of the above. It does work. The more you do this, the more your body will relax.
2.  Go to the gym. Don't over do it, but go to the gym for 45 mins. Run/walk on the Treadmill, do the elliptical for 15 mins at a fast pace, or lift heavy weights; Whatever suits you do it. While your doing this, think of what is stressing you out and take out your anger/worries/stress in the work out. You get a wonderful workout at the end, your body feels relaxed, and all the worries of your day are left behind in that workout. Remember, don't over do it!
3. Check your diet. Make sure that you are getting PLENTY of water and PLENTY of FRUITS and/or VEGGIES. Eating unhealthy can be a big cause of anxiety also. And if you are really over weight, consider being tested for diabetes. Diabetes does cause anxiety.
4. If you find yourself beyond anxious and you feel like after a few weeks of doing the relaxation techniques and working out isn't working, then definitely make and appointment with your doctor and talk about medication. DO NOT FEEL LIKE YOUR CRAZY OR THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU IF YOU GO ON MEDICATION, IT IS PERFECTLY OKAY! Sometimes people do need the medication and there is nothing wrong with that. All that matters is feeling yourself. 

I am posting about anxiety because a lot of time my anxiety holds me back from accomplishing many things such as losing weight and being healthy. I'll think about this whole journey and get anxious about it and think that I cannot do it but I know that I can. Today is one of those days for me.

Day 2 of Reena's Diet

Good morning everyone! This is day two of my journey to being healthy! I wanted to briefly touch upon the concept of exercising and routine. They say the best time to exercise is in the morning but most of us are not morning people, including myself. It's all about routine. We all know about routine, we have certain routines that we repeat every day. If you can't tweak your morning routine to get some exercise it try and tweak your afternoon one. For instance, get a  calendar and write down under  at the gym, or go for a run, etc when you get out of work or after dinner. (I have some great work out ideas that I will post later due to lack of time this morning!) The first week will be hard because your body isn't use to this new routine and you will be tired but after a week or so you are going to feel GREAT! Next week is when I officially start the gym and Zumba again =D. I cannot wait.

I will post more later on working out...and you never know guys, there might be a zumba video of us up later on =D

Quote of the day!

Not much of a quote per say but more of a mini 7 step guide! Don't ever forget to floss! =P

Water is KEY!

So Refreshing!

Have you ever been so thirsty and grabbed a soda or juice and after 5 minutes your still dying of thirst? Well this is because your body is dehydrated and you need to drink WATER. Water is crucial to wait loss. Water keeps you fuller longer, its great for your muscles after you have had a hard workout, and its great for your skin and your body. We drink at least four 16.9 floz of water a day. Sometimes we consume about 100 oz of water. I know some people believe it or not, do not like drinking regular water. THAT'S OKAY! It's perfectly fine to drink flavored water whether it be a name brand or not. As long as your consuming water you will be alright!

"The Diet"

We both have been on so many different "diets" its crazy! ( I put the word diet in parentheses because its not a "diet" that we are doing, its a change of lifestyle) From LA weight loss to Weight Watchers to making up our own "diets". The reason why we try so many different  "diets" is that we need the initial boost of motivation to get us going. Not everybody is like us. This time around, we are doing the Herbalife shake diet. We didn't sign up, we are through with wasting money. We just order the shakes via Amazon and Ebay. To be honest, the shakes are AMAZING. Just cut up different kinds of fruits, throw it in a blender and you are set to go. The shakes are very filling and make you very thirsty so you drink lots of water.

May 3, 2012 Fruit and Shake Breakfast

I know that a lot of people can't afford to waste money on a crazy "diet" and I will be the first to tell you not to. Last August, (Reena) did a 1200 calorie intake "diet". Breakfast: 300 calories Snack: 150 calories Lunch: 300 calories Snack: 150 calories Dinner: 300 calories. THIS WORKS. (Reena) Would make sure that she would get most of her carbs and fat at dinner time. Keeping track of what goes into your body is key too! Myfitnesspal.com is a GREAT tool to use while changing your way of life. It logs everything you eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, and Drinks. It also logs in your exercise that you do through the day so you can see how many calories you burned. Anyway, 30 pounds were lost due to the "diet" (using myfitnesspal to keep track of the intake of calories) and Zumba.

Bottom line is, YOU can do it. We are here to show you and help you while we help ourselves too! Just remember......

1st Day of Reena's weight loss challenge

May 3, 2012

The first thing that a person needs to do before they begin their journey is to accept that they are over weight, accept that number on the scale and set a goal weight. We want to take baby steps. I got on the scale this morning (which I am petrified of, but I over came my fear) and it read 193.2. Last September, I weighed 170 lbs. I got to that weight by eating healthy and doing Zumba. I have gained all of my weight back by not caring what goes into my body and not working out. I want to live a long and healthy life. Today starts a new ME.

This is one of the Zumba workout dances that we put together. (Left: Reena  Right: Tiffany)

On the road to a healthy life

If you are reading this it looks like you have taken the right exit! =P Not many people realize that being over weight and unhealthy affects your life span and how you perform day by day. By not exercising and eating healthy, our telomeres' (which are part of the end of a chromosome) are shrinking. By shrinking, they are cutting off how long we are going to live. We need to step back and look at the bigger picture here and not just live in the moment! This blog is going to help not only us but you to be healthy once again!