ART IS LIFE.

There are so many apps out there for your smart phone that allow you to track your appointments, keep track of your finances, and even keep up with friends. I love all of these features, but wondered if I could use my phone to lose weight. I decided to try out a bunch of free apps and found success by using three different types of apps, check out here.

Fitness apps

I enjoy running so I searched for an app that would map out runs for me and keep track of my distance. My favorite is “mapmyrun.” You can go online and map out your run which will then transfer to your phone. It will show your elevation gains and total calories burned also. You can also use the app for hiking, biking, walking, or any other exercise. You can create goals for yourself and even compete with your friends. If you want something more along the lines of a gym workout, there are also apps to show you good moves to tone up. I use “daily ab workout” to get my core in shape, but there are also apps for all other parts of the body including total body workouts. There are even personal trainer apps to give you routines to use. This has kept me motivated and prevented boredom.

Calorie counter apps

In order to lose weight, you need to know how many calories you can have in a day and keep track of them. You usually carry your smart phone with you everywhere you go so it is the perfect way to help you keep track of calories. There are many apps that have a calorie counter that shows what your daily intake should be such as “Calorie counter.” You then enter in foods every time you eat and it will deduct those calories from your total. They even have fast food restaurants listed if you are eating out. Some apps like “Mapmyfitness” even add more calories in if you exercise so you can eat more. The trick is to make sure you are burning more calories than you are taking in, so you don’t want to reach your total calories for the day.

Apps for recipes and local healthy restaurants

There are a ton of apps for all smart phones out there to help you find healthy recipes to cook at home or places to eat and stay within your budgeted calories. “Recipe search” is a great app that has thousands of different recipes that are quick and healthy. If you don’t like to cook or feel like you don’t have time, there are apps for restaurants also. I use “Foodspotting” or “Locavore” to find local healthy restaurants that I haven’t tried. They give you reviews and show you what type of food they serve.

I have lost 6 pounds in the last month and increased my running by 3 miles. I feel healthier and more motivated to lose more. These apps are easy to use and really help you see what you need to do to get in shape.

Surprisingly, few people know how to take a good, deep, and cleansing breath. Even more surprising is how little people know about how important it is to breathe correctly. Constant stress is part of our daily lives, and unfortunately some of the stressors are out of our control. Luckily, breathing is something very much in our control and it can help our bodies and minds a lot more than one might think. By learning to breathe diaphragmatically, or into your belly, you can reduce stress, help yourself cope in a stressful situation, and over time increase your overall sense of health and wellbeing!

The Difference between Paradoxical and Functional Breathing

Many people ‘chest breathe’, or raise and lower their shoulders and chest and suck in their abdomen while inhaling and exhaling. This breathing pattern activates the sympathetic system’s stress response, “fight or flight,” which tells your body to increase the stress hormone cortisol, increase heart rate, and send blood to your extremities and away from your organs. This is also known as “paradoxical breathing.” Constantly being in a stressed state can increase problems with blood pressure, digestion, sleep, mood, and a plethora of other common complaints.

Diaphragmatic breathing, or “functional breathing,” is breathing into your diaphragm and abdomen which makes the belly bulge out and the lower rib cage expand on the inhale and deflate on the exhale. This breathing pattern activates the parasympathetic response, “rest and digest,” which tells your body to relax and sends blood back to the organs so you can digest and function properly.

To find out if you are a paradoxical or functional breather, look in the mirror and place one hand across your belly and one across your chest. Take a deep breath in and notice whether or not your chest hand or belly hand is the one moving more. Paradoxical breathers tend to move their chest and shoulders up and down when they breathe, so you’ll notice your chest hand move up. They also suck in their bellies, so you’ll feel this hand move slightly inward. Functional breathers expand their bellies and lower rib cage, so you’ll notice your belly hand move outward. Your chest hand should move very little.

When and How to use Diaphragmatic Breathing

The most wonderful thing about diaphragmatic breathing is you can do it anywhere and at any time. It is not only one of the simplest ways to relax the body and mind, but many other forms of relaxation, such as yoga and meditation, use functional breathing as their cornerstone.

To practice breathing diaphragmatically, sit or lay down in a comfortable position. Focus your attention on your belly. Breathe in through nose slowly and count to 10, filling and expanding first your belly, then your lungs. Hold the breath for 5 seconds. Release the breath slowly through your mouth as if you were blowing out a candle and let all of the air flow out; about 10 seconds. Then repeat the process as many times as needed to feel a sense of calm. Usually about 5 minutes of deep diaphragmatic breathing twice a day is recommended, but if you can build up to 20 minutes twice a day you’ll definitely notice major changes in your stress levels and coping.

While you’re doing these breathing exercises try adding positive imagery, like thinking of beautiful scenery or a relaxing vacation, read more from here. You can also use mantras. For example on the inhale think to yourself, “calm mind,” and on the exhale, “relaxed body.”

Change your Life with Diaphragmatic Breathing

Long term consistency of diaphragmatic breathing can have very profound physiological and psychological effects. Muscles relax, the heart pumps blood more efficiently, the mind calms, stressful situations are handled more effectively, digestion and sleep can improve, and an overall sense of wellbeing can be achieved. If you are looking to change your life and do something good for yourself try beginning with diaphragmatic breathing for 5 minutes twice a day and see what other changes follow.

Staying motivated to keep off weight is key to a healthy lifestyle. Sure I lost weight, and I have some more to go, but that doesn’t mean I can get discouraged and eat anything. That doesn’t mean I can give up. That doesn’t mean I just throw in the towel and keep gorging myself.

After losing about 35-40 lbs, I didn’t do what I normally do and slack off and just watch TV. I go to the gym five days a week and sweat up a storm, releasing feel good chemicals such as endorphin and seratonin.

I pay attention to what I eat, not eating out of boredom. I pine for a walk although recently I have been getting blisters when I walk. That hasn’t stopped me from working out. I use the elliptical trainer and use weights. I spend about an hour at the gym and people are very nice to me there. I didn’t do it so that I could have a hundred lovers. I am not that big of an Ass. I didn’t do it to become a model. I am not that greedy. I didn’t do it to feel superior to other people. I just did it to feel better about myself. To know more about the Lose Weight, read here: https://icrowdnewswire.com/slimy-liquid-test-helfen-die-tropfen-wirklich-beim-abnehmen.

When I realized most fit people work out, I was like, I gotta keep it up. It helps your mood, and if you eat right, it can lead to weight loss. I remember being so happy at 14 when I ate a lot of protein and was a size 12. And I want to get back to that. I don’t want to be vain and unattainable. I just want to be healthy, mind body and soul. I have Jesus now and the bible calls the body your temple. You need food, exercise, rest and surrounding yourself around positive people.

I was harrassed in my High School after I lost weight. My teacher yelled at me. A boy kept coming on to me. And this model who claimed he loved me kept grabbing at me. Distraught, I turned to medicine after highschool. What I needed was proper nutrition. Malnourished, I gained weight on the medicine and I was afraid to lose weight because of my disasterous High School years where everyone just wanted to get high. I went to college, graduated magna cum laude and floundered afterwards. I did learn about communication though.

I think now that I know myself better, that I am sensitive and a dreamer and need to pay attention better to my health, I have gotten a lot better. I rest now instead of pushing myself too hard. I was in Junior Showmanship in Highschool and didn’t get a good nights sleep. I wanted to be a Christian, but I didn’t know any churches. I didn’t have a day off. I kept going and going and going.

After trying to find myself through spirituality, I realize that I need to honor the body. And that I have so much to be grateful for. For a loving family. For my gift of creativity. That I am beautiful. And that I can change.

While I have a ways to go, it is important to keep it up and not get discouraged. And staying motivated is key. Even when I don’t see results. I have to think I lost 4 inches in my waist and I don’t want them back.

Many people complain that they do not have enough time to workout, and I understand that feeling, but here I am going to describe a routine that I have recently tried that not only makes me feel great, but also helps me to burn unwanted fat. This workout is great because you can do it in the comfort of your own home with out any tools or machines. All you need is a clock and twenty minutes.

Okay, remember to wear some comfortable cloths and have a water bottle handy. You will sweat, and you will be thirsty when you are doing this routine. If you don’t sweat you are not burning fat.

To start this routine you will do jumping jacks for 3 minutes. A jumping jack is a simple exercise that will bring your heart rate up so that you are burning fat. Starting this routine with jumping jacks makes sure that your heart rate will be at its best during the rest of the work out. To do a jumping jack stand with your hands at your sides and jump and spread your legs out while also lifting your arms out in a straight line from your shoulders. After you have done this for 3 minutes relax for 30 seconds. Remember to not relax more than that because your heart rate will relax as well, and we do not want that.

After you have done your jumping jack warm up you will continue by doing a series of 8 exercises for 30 seconds each, look at this site. Move from one exercise to the next without stopping. Here I will describe the exercises:

1. The first exercise is the knee lift. This exercise requires you to lay flat on the ground with your knees bent and your hands at your sides. Now pull your knees up to your chin. Remember to keep your hands on the ground and use your abs to pull you forward.

2. Leg lifts are the second exercise in this routine, and they are similar to the first because you start out in the same position except your legs are flat and you bring them straight up so that they are perpendicular to the floor.

3. Knee touches are next, and again you start out in the same position as the first exercise except you bring your hands, arms, and chest up and toward your knees.

4. Squats are done by standing with your hand on your hips and extending one foot forward and bending it at the knee so that your other knee is bent in a downward position. Alternate forward foots in this exercise.

5. Push ups are done by kneeling on the floor with your hands in front of you. Next push your feet back so that you are comfortable and use your arms to move your body up and down from the ground.

6. To do the hip thrust exercise you must lay on the ground with your knees bent. Now lift one foot up and point the toe at they ceiling. With your hands flat on the ground at your sides use your legs and stomach to thrust your hips upward and away from the ground.

These exercises should be done for 30 seconds each with no break in between. Since there are only 6 exercises listed you should do push ups and squats as your first 2 exercises; after that you can continue with the routine as listed.

Remember to start slow; you do not have to do a hundred exercises per session. When I started I could barely do 10 half push ups. If you do this routine everyday it will get much easier, and you will be able to move onto something harder. If you find that you need to stop in between exercises that is okay, but don’t stop for more than 20 seconds because you want to keep your heart rate up.

I hope these exercises have helped you improve your physical condition and your mental condition, and I hope the next time you are feeling tired you do this workout instead of taking a nap because I guarantee it will wake you up and give you more energy than you would realize.