Product Review- EatSmart Precision MaxView Digital Bathroom Scale.

I recently was contacted by EatSmart products to review their new Bathroom Scale, the Precision MaxView Digital Bathroom Scale, the newest scale in their line of products. It was good timing, since my old bathroom scale recently crapped out! I was debating whether or not I wanted to get another scale, honestly; It's easy to get really wrapped up in weight and numbers. That being said, I appreciate the ability to be able hop on a scale at home to check in and see both the progress I am making, and also to be able to get some perspective on those tough weeks.


That being said, the Precision Max is definitely a scale I would purchase, if I had not been sent one to review! It's really easy to use, and very simple. Basically, set-up involves putting in batteries (which it comes with) and letting the scale calibrate. You can set it to stone, kg, or lbs, which is nice for folks on the other side of "the pond".

The design is modern and clean, and it is a stable little guy, which is a unique feature for a scale. I've had several that rock to one side when you step onto it with just one foot. My husband actually commented "wow this is solid!", without my soliciting any input from him.

The large display is nice and it's backlit in blue, which is a little feature I like- most mornings I like to leave the lights off while I get ready, and now I can incorporate a weigh-in into my morning routine without flipping on the bathroom lights. The display is big enough to see without having to do any squinting down at my feet too!

It sells for $29.95 on Amazon, and I feel that's a fair and reasonable price for a new scale. EatSmart also has a variety of kitchen scales and other products which I'm excited to learn more about. If you're in the market for a new, nice & simple scale that's in your price range, take a look at the Precision MaxView- it's worth your while!

*I was sent a complimentary EatSmart Precision MaxView Scale to review, and keep. However, my opinion and review on the scale are solely my own honest feelings not influenced by EatSmart Products.

Fitness Assessment Results- March 2013!

Had another great fitness assessment last Wednesday! This was my 6 month check-in that I'd scheduled for myself, to see how I've been progressing overall since I started this most recent leg of my fitness journey in Sept of 2012. I decided to forego some of the usual tests (push-ups, Vo2 Max, Sit & Reach), because I've already done them twice in 6 months.

I'm excited to say that in 6 months I've made a LOT of progress:

Body Fat Percentage

September 2012 31.8%

March 2013 17.8% 

Hips Measurement

September 2012 40"

March 2013 34.6" 

Waist Measurement

September 2012 31"

March 2013 26.25"  

Weight in Lbs

September 2012 139

March 2013 109

I am really proud of how far I've come, and very happy with my results. I don't think I want to go much lower on my body fat %, actually. Although there are some "spots" that I'd like to loose some more fat, I am going to try to improve those areas (and my muscle definition overall) with weight training, vs. loosing more weight or fat. Also, (TMI alert) I haven't had my period for the last 2 months, so I am thinking I need to figure that out vs worrying about some impossible spot-toning. I'm set to have some tests @ my doctor's office next week. I figure that a perfect storm of back/neck problems, intense exercise routine, significant weight loss, lowered body fat, and greatly increased work stress and anxiety might have something to do with it!

My dad and I! It was his birthday this week :)

As much as I can, I'm trying to address each one of those areas by making my life easier, more stress free, and treating myself well.

At any rate, I am headed into a weight maintenance phase, which is AWESOME! I will be focusing on my upcoming races, as well as building strength with weight training, and I've upped my daily calorie intake from 1200 to 1400 over the last several weeks.

There's lots to look forward to, including my first 5 mile and 10K runs, my Girls on the Run team, a fun 5-year anniversary adventure coming up in May, just to name a few things. Life is crazy right now, but I'm thankful for everything I've got and I'm living it the best way I know how!

Reached my "target weight"; Now the real work begins!

Why Hello! :) I'm doing a very self-congratulatory post today, so sorry in advance! I want to re-cap my fitness journey so far, because Monday I reached an exciting milestone- my "goal weight". (Sound the trumpets!)

When I started this journey back in 2010, I weighed 145 lbs, which was my highest recorded weight. As a 5' 0" shortie, that's a fair amount of extra fat, or at least it was on me!

This is me in Dec of 2010, folks.

After 2 years of trying out different exercise programs, and slowly loosing and gaining back 8 lbs (through P90X, gym memberships, yoga videos, etc.), something finally clicked in my brain; in Sept of 2012 I was ready to ACTUALLY make a change. I joined my local Community College's gym this past September, got a fitness assessment, and started working out 5-6 days a week, for a total of 300-400 minutes per week, as well as truly monitoring my calories here on MPF, on a 1200/per day routine. I set some goals, both weight related and otherwise, and set to achieving them!

These past 5 months have been life changing! I've started doing heavier weight lifting, I lost 26.7 lbs, and my body fat percentage went from 31.4% to 20.2%! I started clean eating, I completed a Whole30 program, I've run 3 5ks, I'm now training for a half marathon. While the weight loss is awesome, and the new clothes are great, THE BEST result of all these changes is that fitness and healthy eating are my lifestyle now.

This lifestyle is easy(ish) to maintain because of YOU! My #runchat buddies, my fellow crazy runners doing 13 races in 2013, my friends at work, who have been really supportive as well and great gym buddies, my dad, who is a constant fitness inspiration, and my husband, who has made me feel great at whatever weight!

I know now that I'm not finished! Just because I reached some number on a scale does not mean that I get to quit eating healthy and stop going to the gym or that I don't have room for improvement, greater success, or to challenge myself!

My plans to keep myself motivated this year:

• I'm running 13 races in 2013, including 5 5ks, 3 10ks, a Mini-Tri and at least 1 Half Marathon!
• I'm working on building my strength by doing the Strong Lifts program- today for my workout I'll be able to squat 105 lbs and deadlift 110 lbs- my exact body weight now! 
• I'm hoping to get my 5k time down to under 26 minutes! My first 5k time in 2008 was 38 minutes, and this past Nov my time was 29:42. 
• Continuing to blog here about my fitness journey, so I can share with others, give back some of the support I've received and remind myself of how far I've come!

SO after rambling on- THANK YOU, friends and family, both IRL and virtual, for your support now and into the future! Also for those of you still struggling, know that it's possible to achieve your goals and redefine yourself! See you out there- at the gym, on the track, on the road :)

Staying Motivated AFTER Weight loss

I'm at a VERY exciting point in my continual fitness journey- a point where I am almost at my "target weight"! To even call it that might not be accurate- my target weight is less of a weight I've always dreamed of being and essentially a weight that I think is healthy and manageable for my age, height, gender, size, and fitness level.

One lesson of the many I've learned on this journey is that I am hugely motivated by goals. If I don't have defined goals, it ain't happening. On the other hand, if I have clear, SMART goals, I can amaze myself with what is possible! So as I'm heading down towards this magical "target weight", I've started a new list of Health & Fitness Goals for my new, weight-maintenance world. I'll be turning my focus from weight loss to strength and muscle development, flexibility, and improved athletic performance.

Process goals

Work out 6 x a week for 60 minutes

Incorporate the following workouts into schedule:

• 2 short runs (between 2.5 and 5 miles)
• 1 long run (6-10 miles)
• 3 45 minute weight sessions (2 Strong Lifts x week)
• 1 yoga class
• 1 Spin class

Up calorie intake to 1450/day + extra workout calories 

Maintain weight at 110 lbs +/- 2 lbs

Fitness Goals

Body fat percentage: 

• 20% by 3/7/13
• 16% by 6/7/2013

Improve run times (by 12/31/2013)

• 5k time: under 26 minutes
• 10k time: under 50 minutes
• Complete a Half Marathon in under 2 hours 

13 in 2013 Challenge (by 12/31/2013)

•  Complete 13 fitness events in 2013 (see my list of events on the right)!
  

Pull-ups (by 12/31/2013)

• Do 10 consecutive pull-ups!

Strong Lifts: (by 3/7/13)

• Bench Press- 65lbs
• Overhead Press- 60 lbs
• Deadlift- 100 lbs
• Row- 80 lbs
• Squat- 100 lbs

Health/Nutrition Goals 

Eat Clean(er)

• 6-8 servings Vegetables/day
• 2-3 servings of protein/day from:
•  sustainable meat & eggs
• legumes
• nut butters
• cottage cheese/greek yogurt
•  2-3 servings of Fruits/day
• 2-3 servings of Whole grains/day
• Chocolate in moderation (2-3 servings per week)

• Avoid:
• Refined/enriched grain items 
• Milk and cheese (not including cottage cheese/greek yogurt)
• Added sugars, although prioritizing honey & maple syrup as sweeteners when applicable

Share:  
Have you gotten to a place of weight maintenance? If so, what goals keep you inspired and motivated?

Happy Anniversary to My Healthy Self!

Tomorrw, Dec 7th, will mark three months since I have truly committed and dedicated myself to this fitness routine. What a challenging & satisfying journey it has been so far, and what an intense season!

Three months full of:

Treadmill runs

Spin class

Pushing my limits

Smarter snacks

New recipes

Healthier habits

Stress relief

Holding myself accountable

Feeling GREAT!

In the last 91 days:

1 5k race in 29:42

13 weeks of sweaty, breathless workouts

83 gym visits

80 days at or under my calorie goal

15.7 lbs lost

Next Tuesday I've scheduled another Fitness Assessment at my gym (my first one was on September 7th)! I am really excited to see how I've improved in measures other than weight. I was especially poor at the grip test, and the sit & reach. I'm hoping that I can do better at the grip test, which is a strength indicator, and the sit and reach, which is a flexibility indicator- two things I've been been working hard on improving. My bodyfat percentage was super high at 31%; the recommended range for ladies my age (27) is between 16-24%. I'm not sure what kind of change to expect here, but hoping to eventually to get down around 25%, so where ever I'm at on Tuesday will be a place to progress from!

Thanks for sticking around for the journey so far! One thing that's really helped me keep going is a supportive family, awesome co-workers, and a great active community; I'm talking to you, gym buddies, gym staff, fellow Greatist Ambassadors, and fitness bloggers! For those of you out there, shorties and otherwise, who think you're just not meant to be fitter and that maybe you're just not one of "those people" who's going to ever get to a healthy weight, I say:

You can be healthier and fitter.

You are TOTALLY one of those people!

Part 4 of Design your Perfect Fitness Routine- Create Action Steps, & Get Started!

We've come so far together in this series, Design your Perfect Fitness Routine! We covered components of a successful workout plan in Part 1 of the series, figuring out your starting stats in Part 2, and SMART Goal Setting in Part 3! Hopefully by now you've established 2-4 specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals for yourself. You still with me? :) 

Our next steps will be to take the goals we've set for ourselves, and assign a game plan for achieving them- this will be your Fitness Routine! 

For weight loss goals, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• 3500 calories = 1 lb!
• A Healthy Weight Loss Expectation is 1-2 lbs per Week

If you want to loose 1 pound, you need to get rid of 3500 calories; through exercise, through eating less, or a combination of both. As the figure to the right illustrate, decide how you're going to reduce or get rid of those 3500 calories!

Healthy methods only, please- no starvation or crazed exercise is needed!
An example of this in practice:
My BMR: 1,520
320 Calorie reduction x 7 days/week = 2400/week
183 Calories burned x 7 days/week through exercise = 1100/week

Based on this calculation, I was able to design my Fitness Routine. This is where you get to fit your favorite fitness activities into your routine: you can even make a list! A nice way to truly plan this based on how many calories you want to burn is to look up each activity.

Know Calories Burned by Activity
I personally use MyFitnessPal- once you create a profile it will give you a guideline on how much you'll burn. This list is based off of my estimated calories burned, for my height, age and weight (a 5' 0" female, 27 years old, 122 lbs):

Cardio
Spinning 60 mins =390 calories
Running (tread) 30 min s= 277 calories
Elliptical 30 mins = 249 calories
Zumba class 50 mins = 323 calories
Kickbox class 50 mins = 466 calories
Stationary bike 30 mins = 194 calories
Walking 45 mins = 127 calories
Stairmaster 30 mins = 249 calories

Strength Training
Free Weights 60 mins = 166 calories
Weight machines 30 mins = 83 calories
Calesthenics 30 mins = 221 calories
Total Body/Bootcamp class 50 mins = 369 calories


Make your Workout Schedule for the Week
Each week I look at this list (in my head), at the class schedule at my gym, and at my work schedule. Then I figure out when I can fit in a workout, how to get a good balance of cardio, strength training, and balancing/flexibility work for that week.

I want to say as a sidenote that I am not a crazed calorie counter. The reason I made that table on calories burned and used per day was to illustrate that weight loss is definitely a game of numbers.  I also want to be clear that these methods I'm outlined have been working REALLY well for me, but that doesn't mean a) they will be guaranteed fix for you and b) that there are not other ways to be healthy and get fit!

Hopefully this series has been a helpful illustration of how to assess your current fitness level, decide what your fitness priorities, choose your favorite fitness activities, and then create your Fitness Routine based on your fitness goals! Let me know if this works for you, and good luck!

Design your Perfect Fitness Routine- Part 1

If you're looking to get serious about fitness and weight loss/weight maintenance, a reliable Fitness Routine is essential. Think of it as your Road Map- this routine or plan will not only tell you your destination, but how to get there!

Map Analogy- For those that are as direction-challenged as I am, you know that without a road map, GPS, Google Maps, etc., it's easy to get lost. I've experienced the same lost feeling when trying to decipher the world of fitness information:

What's the right plan for me? 
What will work for my "body type"?  
Is there a magic workout combination for weight loss? 
What am I doing wrong?

Without a Fitness Routine, it's easy to get stuck exercise-hopping. What is exercise-hopping? It's what I define as trying one type of workout routine for several weeks, only to become discouraged by lack of results and to try another "plan", etc. etc. I did a lot of this for years without actually stepping back and looking at what was working and what was not working.

More recently, as I have stepped back to look at patterns and trends in my health and weight loss, I began to connect some dots. Here are some helpful steps to take when it comes to developing a workout routine that will be perfect for you:

Click here for Design your Perfect Fitness Routine- Part 2: Get your Starting Stats!