Breastfeeding Moms, Read This!

You may have heard that breastfeeding helps you to lose the baby weight fast. Well, there's good news...it's true! Breastfeeding burns an additional 500 calories per day! That's a little more than three servings of oatmeal (for those of you who are revving up your body and metabolism with that first meal of the day) or about two and a half glazed doughnuts (for those of you who AREN'T!).
However, there is bad news. Most don't realize that when you STOP breastfeeding your body doesn't burn those 500 extra calories anymore. Instead of being used, if you continue to eat the same amount of calories, they will pass through the lips and end up on the hips! Or butt or arms or face or wherever you gain weight first. No mom wants that soon after pregnancy!
So while you're breastfeeding you may be losing weight very happily but beware of the dreaded weight gain after you're done breastfeeding. Change your diet and exercise plan accordingly.

Beginner Workout

A good friend of mine has recently lost weight after having two children by means of a healthy diet and cardio. Now, she plans to integrate weight lifting into her workout routine to add muscle tone and strengthen her body. For those new to weight lifting, it can be intimidating. The huge, sweaty guys who totally look like they know what they're doing in the free weight area of the gym don't help either.

I've put together a super simple workout to get you started if you're ready to move from the machine section of the gym to the free weight area (or, your own living room). All you need for this workout are dumbells, so it can easily be done at home, at the gym, at the hotel, or wherever you happen to be for the day.

If you've been eating clean and doing some cardio to drop some pounds, good for you. Now get ready to totally transform your body even more, because that's precisely what weight lifting will do for you. 120 pounds doesn't always look the same. It can look like what many call "skinny fat" or it can look sleek and toned, the kind that will also lower your BMI (Body Mass Index) because you will have more muscle compared to fat.

You can change up this workout to meet your own needs and schedule, but I'm going to recommend doing this workout three times each week, taking a day off in between each workout. On those off days you can do cardio or you can take it completely off. This simply depends on your schedule and your body's needs.

Aim to work each major muscle group each time you lift weights. These include the back, chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, legs, and abdominals. Start with the larger muscle groups and work your way down. For example, the chest and back are larger muscles while the biceps and triceps are smaller muscles.

For this particular workout I'm going to recommend alternating an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise with little rest time in between. This will increase your intensity level, keep your heart rate up, maximize your calorie burn, and decrease the amount of time you have to spend away from those other things that need to get done.

First, warm up for 5 to 10 minutes on the treadmill or eliptical (or around the block or jumping rope). Really WARM UP the body, so walk briskly. This isn't an afternoon stroll.

I suggest starting your first set with lighter weights. You can always increase the weight on your second set. For your very first workout, aim to complete TWO SETS and 12 to 15 REPS (repetitions) for each exercise. The next time you workout you can increase to THREE sets if two seemed pretty easy. If it didn't, stick to two sets for the first week or two.

Exercise 1: Chest Press

Palms face the knees as you begin with your arms at 90 degree angles. Exhale as you push the weight to the top. The weights will almost come to touch as your arms straighten out. Keep a slight bend at the elbow, however. Never lock your joints.

Exercise 2: Squat

These can be done with or without added weight. Begin standing and as you squat down think about sitting down in a chair. Just before your booty would hit the chair to rest use your leg and glute muscles to rise back up again. Notice how the glutes stick way out behind you, there's a slight arch to the back, and the knees stay over the toes.

Exercise 3: Single Arm Dumbell Row

Palm faces in towards the midline of the body. Keep the chest out and tummy tight to protect the back. Using the back pull elbow up so that arm forms a 90 degree angle. Exhale as you pull the weight up towards the hip.

Exercise 4: Lunge

You can choose to begin with no added weight on this exercise. Stand with the legs wide, one in front of the other, with both toes facing forward. As you lower your body down be sure that your front knee is above the front ankle. The knee should not pass the toe. The back knee should come close to the ground.

Exercise 5: Military Press

Stand with knees soft, or slightly bent, and the abs contracted. Arms begin in two 90 degree angles with the palms facing forward. Exhale as you lift the weight up overhead where the weights will almost touch together. Inhale as you lower down again.

Exercise 6: Deadlift

Begin with knees soft, abs contracted, and palms facing the top of the legs. As you lower the weight down the front of your body, keep the chest out as well as the glutes. Remember to keep the abs tight and the knees slightly bent. The knees should not lock! The weights will come about to mid-shin and then return to the top of the movement.

Exercise 7: Bicep Curl

Knees are soft and abs are contracted with the palms facing up and out. Curl the weights up but do not let the weights bounce off of the top of the arm. Inhale as you release the weight down to the starting point.

Exercise 8: Calf Raise

This can also be done with added weight or without. Hold one weight in one hand and the other hand can be used for a small amount of stability. Do not rely on this hand to support all your weight, however. Simply lift up on the toes of one foot. Lower down but do not place the heel back down on the ground until the entire set is completed.

Exercise 9: Tricep Kickback

Begin with one leg in front of the other. Place one hand on the front leg for support. Tighten the tummy and lift the chest. Begin with one arm at a 90 degree angle next to the body. The palm faces the midline of the body. Push the weight back so that your arm becomes a straight line behind you. Exhale as you push the weight back.

Finally, abdominal exercises.

Exercise 10: Crunch

Keep the elbows wide as you lift the upper body. Make sure to keep a space between the chin and the chest as if you were holding a grapefruit in that space. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower down.

Exercise 11: Crab Crunch

This exercise is a basic crunch with lower body work added to it. The bottoms of the feet will be together while the knees remain wide. As you crunch lift the lower body as well so that the knees and elbows meet. The glutes should lift off the floor slightly. Exhale as you crunch and inhale as you lower down.

Exercise 12: Bicycle

Keep the same principals in mind for this ab exercise. The elbows stay wide and a space remains between the chin and chest. Extend one leg while the opposite legs bends in so that the knee comes in towards the chest. The opposite elbow will meet this knee. The upper body must twist in order to bring the elbow and knee together.

Exercise 13: Plank

Simply rise up on your toes and elbows and forearms. The body should be in one straight line. The hips should not be lifted or falling towards the floor. Aim to hold for 30 seconds. Do three sets. As it gets easier, increase your time.

This is your total body workout. Do it consistently three times a week and you will see tremendous changes in your body! The older we get the more difficult it will become to get in the groove of maintaining our bodies and health. Start now and you won't be sorry. You're on your way to a happier and healthier life.

In FOUR weeks I will add a workout that will be a progression to this one. Good luck!

Amanda

What A Weekend

So, quite a few things happened for us over the weekend. First, my little sister had her baby girl, Madison Taylor Graham.

We went to the Seafood Festival and left exhausted, hot, and dehydrating.

My friend and our local celebrity, Jasa Lewis, sang her heart out at the festival.

And finally, my husband's best friend and his wife, Daniel and Allison Garner, had their baby early this morning, which I don't yet have a picture of.

I'm still getting the hang of my new video camera and hope to learn how to put my videos on here in the next day or so. Check back to see if they're up! You'll see some of the highlights of our eventful week!

Also check back this week for helpful new health tips!

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday everyone!

A Child Is Born

Yesterday was such a day. One that at the end of it you can't even fully describe all that happened, who was there, and how you felt about it.
My little sister had her baby girl yesterday afternoon. After a series of events that I don't really care to recall in detail, I left the hospital last night while Madison Taylor was still breathing with the help of an oxygen machine. Details about her condition weren't readily given to any of us, so it was difficult to know how serious it was or wasn't.
I went to sleep last night (after a large glass of wine and lots of tears) knowing that this little baby girl wasn't able to eat anything until she was able to fully breathe on her own!
I held my own baby last night and I looked at my son, and I just cried to my husband. We are told to be grateful and told to cherish the moments, but it really really hit me last night. I am so blessed. I mean....I really am.
I have a tendency to think about all those things I don't have but wish I had, or all those things my husband doesn't do that I wish he would. But all those things don't matter when I look at my children and realize how much I do have. They are so healthy. And they are so good and sweet. Five-month-old Emma was with me all day in the hospital and she never complained.

In the midst of typing that last sentence I got a message from my sister saying that Madison had been taken off the machine at last, was breathing on her own, and was finally given something to eat! Yay!
Now I'm off to see my precious new neice for the very first time...
Have as great of a day as I will everyone!

The Big Game

Carver played (and I use that word loosely) his very first flag football game last Saturday. He was so sleepy and napless by the time they actually started that for the majority of the game he plopped himself down in the middle of the field to rest while everyone else ran for the kid with the ball or whined for his coach (daddy) to hold him. I had to bribe him with the promise of a new toy just to get him to stay on the field!

We had fun anyway and were very proud of our little guy!