Skinny Saturday {Guest Post}

By Gail · Leave a Comment

If you have not visited Clare at Peak313 for any of your fitness needs, you are missing out! I met Clare through a Lilla Rose giveaway that she did for me, and shortly after that started blowing up her Facebook inbox with so many questions about health and exercise!

Clare has been a huge part of my working out being successful! She has helped me work through the tough things, get through the “I’m completely exhausted” stage, and much, much more! Since she was helping me so much, I knew she’d be a help to you all as well. So, she graciously accepted my offer when I asked if she would do an e-mail interview for me! Without further ado, here is my interview with Clare!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What is the hardest thing about losing weight for women?

Each woman has a unique situation so it’s really hard to pinpoint what one thing is the hardest for every woman. I would say it’s a combination of : continual defeat, not having the stamina/perseverance to keep going even though there aren’t short term results and comparing to other women

What is the biggest excuse and how do we conquer it?

Again, so different with each woman, but I usually hear that women don’t have enough time. To conquer it, we have to take an honest look at our schedules. Many times it’s not that we don’t have the time, it’s that we choose to let other things fill that slot. (Some of which are “good” reasons and some of which are not!)

What are your favorite target toning exercises?

That’s a tough question to ask a fitness lover because I love them all! I really enjoy toning my arms and my abs! So I love multiple types of push-ups and different planks which target both!

Do you have videos that we can work out with you and/or are there any on YouTube you would recommend?

Of course! There are mainly short videos that demonstrates moves, but you can browse and see what you think! As far as other videos I recommend, I think that Blogilates does a great job of many videos along with Revelation Wellness

How important is the role of food and weight loss?

Food is perhaps the most UNDERESTIMATED and LEAST FOCUSED on factor to weight loss. It is a HUGE part of how we feel, perform and look, yet it’s probably the hardest area for all of us. Many can commit to one hour of exercise a few days a week, but to constantly say no to foods we love every waking minute of the day is much harder.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How do we eat without feeling like we can’t have any thing we like?

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. First off, you have to check your goals. There are plenty of “fun” foods we can eat that will still get us to the point we want physically. Now, if you are looking to be a bodybuilder or something, then that will drastically change, but for the average woman in American, having some of their beloved cheesecake or ripple chips a couple times a week isn’t going to kill them, as long as everything else is on target. Second, stop thinking of it as denying yourself the good. It’s actually bad. Really bad. The good would be foods that fuel us to be stronger and have more energy. I’m not sure how something that makes us feel sluggish and sleepy in a matter of 30 minutes is considered “good”! Finally, take it slow. It’s a long process, so if you just can’t give up your Coke every day, then don’t. Focus on the areas you can have achievement in and then tackle those harder areas later.

How do you maintain weight loss?

Great question! Wrote a blog about it!

What would you say are the key components to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle?

Consistency. Determination. Accountability.

As far as WHAT you do, well, that will look different for each person. Ideally, 3-4 days of cardio mixed in with 2-3 days of strength training is best, but that won’t work for everyone. You have to be willing to play around with different combinations and not get discouraged when you find one that doesn’t work.

For someone who is just starting out, what are a few things that are a MUST to getting on track to being healthy and losing weight?

1.) Don’t do it alone. Be accountable to a friend or hubby or online cousin!! Exercise with people as much as you can.

2.) Understand that it’s going to be hard. But as I like to tell folks, you have to choose which hard you want–being fat, maintaining weight, or losing it. It’s all rough and requires determination and perseverance.

3.) Ask God daily for wisdom, perseverance, self-control etc. God is concerned with the small things of our lives–and I’d venture to say that our health is much more than just “small!” We need wisdom to choose which exercises plans to do, when we should exercise, what we need to cut out of our lives, how we should budget our money towards food etc, etc. There’s so much to equation and to go at it without God’s help is rough! (***note from Gail: Remembering to ask God to help us along the way is one of the most undermined areas of our health!***)

What are your tips on using a Stability Ball? The pros and cons, best exercises, etc.

You want to get one that is correct size. 5’4″ and shorter should have 55 cm. Everyone taller can use 64cm. I LOVE using them!! The con is that they are bulky to store and carry with you. Other than that, they are cheap, readily available, and great to switch up your exercises. I have some exercises with them here.

And last, but not least, how important is counting calories?

Oh boy. This is a whole blog for another day! In short, they are important, but they aren’t everything. There’s so much more to the equation than calorie in/calories out! Stay tuned for the blog to find out my thoughts on it!

Thank you Clare, for taking the time to share from your wealth of knowledge about a healthy lifestyle!

You can follow Clare on:

Happy Saturday!