BLOG HAS MOVED

My BLOG has moved to a NEW location!

Go to 

http://jeanelyhunt.wordpress.com/ 

and subscribe there! 

See you there!! :-)

My Weight Loss Story

Motivation!

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

When trying to eat healthy and/or lose weight motivation is at the roots of it all and is something that we all need to constantly strive for because it doesn't come easy.  Whether it's seeing yourself lose those first 5lbs or wanting to accomplish a goal such a running a 5K.  What's great is that motivation comes from all places. what's not so great is that motivation leaves as quick as it comes.

How did I start getting motivated to actually start losing weight?
It started all when I realized how bad I let myself go.  I was starting to experience symptoms of obesity: high blood pressure, fatty liver, etc.  When the doctor said I needed to take medicine for my on-set hypertension my eyes opened up.  This fear of a medical complication is what initially motivated me.  I started changing how/what/when I eat and started to get more activity in my life.  I saw the first 20lbs come off EASY.  Those initial results had me HOOKED!  I realized I could do it.

What keeps me motivated?
NOW this is the TOUGH part.  As I mentioned it comes and goes in waves for all of us I think.  I found it hard to stay motivated when I would hit plateaus in my weight loss.  When I put so much effort in and I didn't get anything in return made me question - what's the point.  Well I had to think back well this is the point.  I have lost weight alot of weight.  I was doing something great that was working.  I did not have hypertension anymore and I could run for 1 mile in under 10 minutes.  The results are there and I was basing my success by the number on the scale - BIG MISTAKE!  Yea its important but it doesn't truly reflect your fat/muscle ratio.  Judge by how your clothes fit.  Like the saying points out "don't forget where you come from!" this is what keeps me motivated - not forgetting my accomplishments, my goal, and knowing that this is something that I need to do. 

Solution for those tough days:
Don't worry about it - seriously.  If you want to give yourself the day take the day.  Just remember that you will get back on that horse the next day and continue what you said you were going to do (i.e. exercise, nutrition, etc.)

Surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you because this is a constant source of not only motivation, but support.

I know how hard it is to lose weight and stay motivated.  You can always count on me for support and motivation!

I'm on Facebook: facebook.com/jeanely1
I'm on Twitter: @JHUNT313

Solution to my "overfed yet malnourished" post

So the solution to the problem we are facing (mentioned in previous post) is Shakeology!

I think we've all done different meal replacements to try to lose weight.  I'm guilty I've done it too - Ensure, SlimFast, etc.  Well nothing comes close to Shakeology.  This shake helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. A blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today's highly processed foods.  This shake WILL help curb your cravings, help you burn fat, and reduce any free radical damange in your body.

Even if you searched all over the world, you probably wouldn't be able to find all of the 70-plus, ultra-high-quality ingredients included in Shakeology. Not only do you get a wide range of essential nutrients, from the fruits and vegetables you should be eating more of every day, you'll also get the benefits of important foods from all around the world—foods that the latest scientific research has shown to be highly advantageous to your well-being.

Tell me if you can find a shake that has all this in it:
- Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings
- Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption
- Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases
- Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay from personal experience this shake has become a staple in my diet and I've got my husband who is a picky chef drinking it and he loves it.  There are tons of recipes that come with the shakes and I PROMISE you will feel better and see results drinking this whether you lose weight, digest better, whatever - you'll see your own personal result and I'll tell ya I'm a Molecular Biologist and this stuff does what its supposed to do, I've done the research on it!

So if you're interested in a sample let me know or message me for more information about getting a  25% discount and free shipping! (this discount will only last until the end of year, so get it on it now)

Go to my like page and go to albums to see the nutrition fact on this! www.facebook.com/JeanelyHunt

For more information: www.myshakeology.com/jhunt313

We are overfed yet malnourished!

Modern life has become too comfortable and convenient and we have underestimated the importance of good nutrition. In fact it’s become such an extreme problem that poor food quality is largely responsible for illnesses, diabetes and obesity, depression, and a multitude of other problems.    Being malnourished is different from being underweight, although they often go hand in hand. It is possible to be overweight yet malnourished! That’s what I’m getting at!
The intensive farming drive over the last fifty years has provided an abundance of food (that Americans gladly consume) but the quality of that food falls short on nourishment (hence the malnourished part). In fact, we are seeing more than 50% drops in nutritional content in foods across the spectrum.  So for an example a banana today can have up to 84% less phosphorous and nearly 92% less Vitamin B6 than a banana from nearly just 20 years ago.  That is scary!!  Geez, what’s the point I thought I was doing my body something good by eating the darn thing and you tell me now it lack nutritious quality.  YES – and that’s the problem today!
Significant changes in the way food is produced and manufactured have also reduced the amounts of essential fats, vitamins and minerals consumed.  These changes have also disturbed the balance of nutrients in the foods we eat. Industrialized farming has introduced pesticides and altered the body fat composition of animals due to the diets they are now fed.  In fact, there are studies that link pesticides in produce to developmental problems.

So what do we do?  Do we avoid produce all together, do we go organic? 
Stay tuned for my next blog post … to be continued!

Waiting for New Years to make THAT resolution? Set your goals NOW!

We all wait until the start of the new year for that fresh start, that time where we can start with a clean plate and hopefully redo what we've failed to do in the past year.  The only thing though is that the majority of us probably repeat the same goals year after year after year. Hands down that one of the top 3 new years resolutions are to get fit and lose weight.  Hey, I'm guilty of it.  The only thing I'm sure we all start off eating our best, trying our hardest to get the gym those first few weeks of January.  The second we have an extra slice of cake, that second helping of dinner, that extra rest day(s), it starts to all just fall apart.  We shouldn't have to wait for that one time a year where we make a decision for ourselves and to keep it.  Why not now?  What's the difference?  There is no difference starting then or starting now.  We will all fall of the horse and it's okay - AS LONG AS we get back on the next day.  So what if you have that extra snack, you won't gain a pound overnight because of it.  Focus on following your plan the next day as best as you can. 

So that being said......

My goal right now is to lose 5 lbs before November and help at least 3 people work towards their goals. 

What's your goal!?!?

TurboFire!

I've used Beachbody exercise programs since 2002.  I recently picked up TurboFire because of the crazy stats on this workout. It burns up to 9x more fat and the classes include Fire Drills, also known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). These drills push you to your max for up to 1-minute bursts, with quick recovery periods. Studies show that HIIT ignites your metabolism, enabling your body to burn more calories for up to 48 hours after your workout. This very fact here is what made me pick it up.


So I started yesterday with First 30 Class /Stretch 10 Class. Now before I give you my initial review of it I have to tell you that I workout pretty hard about 5-6x/week. I've built great endurance, strength, agility, you name it. I did this first tape and it was SO MUCH FUN! The music was awesome I love how Chalene Johnson times the music great with her killer moves. Well today I'm here to tell you that I HURT SO BAD TODAY! OMG LOL Don't get me wrong feeling sore after a workout sucks, but I feel even more alive. I intend to do the HIIT 15 Class/Stretch 10 Class tonight before I go to the gym. I'm mostly sore in my obliques and the sides of my back. I'll tell ya what did it to it was the circuit there with the speed bags and side punches. I love it and I am hooked after 1 class. I'll report back later and I would love to give some results in about 1 month, so stay posted.


In the meantime, if you are interested in trying this workout visit: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/jhunt313 click "Shop" and get your TurboFire now! You will love it! :-)

Running

A particular goal of mine was to be able to run again.  Not that I couldn't when I was 70 lbs heavier it's just I didn't have the endurance, strength, and lung power to stay running for long periods of time.  I worked on it for many months.  I would increase my intervals of running one minute at a time.  One minute doesn't sounds like a lot but when you are running it seems like forever when you are focusing on it. About 6 months into it, I started to notice a significant improvement when I ran for 20 mins straight no break.  I won't deny that music is a great inspiration, but I had finally done it!  Since then I try to run faster for longer periods of time and yes I'll hit the incline button on the treadmill.  I love setting new goals with running.  I shed about 40 lbs in that 6 months.  Running is one the best feelings to me and I appreciate every second I can do it, I feel human.. I feel alive.  I was inspired to write a poem about running, I chose to go with a Haiku.  I felt the short thoughts developing in my head for a long time now and finally I have written it down and would like to share.

Laces are tied tight...

Hard pavement under my feet.

Running... Feeling free.

It's simple, but it conveys exactly what I feel.  When I hear the laces wrap around each other I know I'm on a mission and I mean business.  Yea I run on the treadmill alot at the gym, but running on pavement is still a very liberating experience. 

First Blog - How I got fat!

September 17, 2010 / 2:12pm EST

How a girl that weighed over 260 lbs got down to under 200 lbs!

Today is the day that I finally set up my first blog.  This is sort of new to me, but I figured I need to catch up with everyone else and so here it is.  A little about myself for now.  I joined Team Beachbody as a coach this past Wednesday.  I did it because I really want to help people with nutrition and fitness.  I've lost over 60 lbs since June 2009.  That was all weight that I gained in undgrad/grad school (can you believe it - in only 6 years!)  That's alot!  Thankfully I got it off in about a year, which was great.  It wasn't so great along the way, it was hard. 

A big part of it was giving up ALL alcohol at first.  This was one contributor to packing on the pounds.  I didn't realize all the EMPTY calories in those drinks and sure I had one every night to take the edge off having 18 credits + course loads every semester. Along with that I ate really late at night, which is definitely not good to go to bed with a full belly like that.  While I was in college I met my husband and he's a chef so you can only imagine how good that food tasted too.  But I knew he wasn't using low-fat methods, so I tried to do a little exercise here and there.  I'll tell ya, hindsight is 20/20 b/c if I knew then what I know now I would have always committed to exercising 4-5x/week HARD - like sweating bullets hard!  And you know it probably would have helped with the stressors of college too. 

So I gave up all alcohol like I mentioned.  I think I dropped a quick 10lbs with that one.  Then I started to exercise with some at home tapes - lost another 20 lbs in several months.  The majority of my weightloss took place between March 2010-June 2010, where I lost 30+lbs in 4 months and that was right around the time I got a gym membership to Planet Fitness.  My husband and I got it together so we could work out together, buddy-system.  He's lost some weight, but not as much as me.  I keep telling him he isn't eating enough.  His body is continuously in starvation mode which is just holding onto that fat.  He's doing really good and I'm very proud of him.  So going back to when I got the gym membership, I said to myself then that I wanted to start running.  So it was tough at first, but I worked up from running for only 1 min to running for a half and hour and then adding high intensity interval training (HIIT) running in there. I love going to the gym, it really has become a place of comfort.  I love to see everyone else working out and it motivates me.

Recently, I've decided to make more improvements on the way I eat.  I've eliminated useless carbs as best as I can like bread, pasta and incorporated more meaningful carbs like rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, millet, spelt, and grain breads (those are tough to get used to they taste a lil weird at first).  I won't say that it's been easy I'm still trying out new things.  I eat tons of vegetables and fruits.  LOTS of water, but I'm sure you hear that from everyone - it really does help your metabolism though.  I try to cut down on red meats and eat more poultry and fish. 

I still have weight to lose some more weight, but there are alot of things I've learned along the way and I want to share that with you!