Sunday, January 27, 2013

#iheartOmron Fitness Challenge Halfway Mark

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The #iheartOmron Fitness Challenge is halfway completed!

Since applying to be an #iheartOmron Fitness Challenge Ambassador I have lost a total of 12.8 pounds! I am sure I have already shredded some inches, but for the sake of the surprise, I am not measuring again until the end of the challenge. 

This week was a little more challenging than the first week. My body started getting used to the workouts but, uh-oh, life happened. That is why I always plan meals, workouts, etc in advance, because if you are not prepared when life strikes, it could throw you for a loop and sometimes it is hard to catch back up to hop back on the wagon. 

As mentioned in previous challenge updates, this challenge would not be successful without the tools supplied to us. The Omron 510W Scale and the HJ-323U USB pedometer have supplied feedback that is essential when trying to lose weight. Some days, my step count wasn't quite what it should have been, and if not for the pedometer, I would not have pushed to reach my goal. The scale provides so much information besides just how much I weigh. I can see how much body fat I have, and see when it goes down and more. 

At the end of the challenge we will be supplied with the Omron Strapless Heart Rate Monitor (HR-5ooU). That is when the real challenge starts! I will be excited to use the heart rate monitor to gauge how my workouts are going and if I should step it up or back down a little for maximum fat burning!

Stay tuned as myself and the other fitness ambassadors continue our journey to lose weight and become healthier!

This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for familiesI was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions. 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

#iheartOmron Fitness Challenge : Week 1 Recap

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Oh wow! The first week of this challenge was, well, challenging! In the past I have not done much in the way of strength training but this past week I discovered muscles I forgot I had! I also discovered muscle failure this week, and while that sounds bad, it's not. Muscle failure is what you should push towards when strength training. I am already seeing an increase in the reps with each workout. 

Using the HJ-323U USB pedometer and Omron 510W Scale is so motivating. Without the pedometer I doubt I would push myself as hard as I have been this week. Like I posted last week I was overestimating how many steps I was getting each day. I can't wait to get the Strapless Heart Rate Monitor (HR-5ooU) and learn more about my heart rate while working out! 

I want to extend a very sincere appreciation to Omron Fitness and Mamavation again for this opportunity. Since applying to be an ambassador I have lost a total of 7.8 pounds and can already tell a difference in the way my clothes fit!

This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for familiesI was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions. 
 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

#iheartOmron : Challenge Accepted!

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Check out this video from Bob Greene welcoming us to the challenge!

The #iheartOmron Fitness Challenge with Mamavation has finally begun. This week brings new workouts, meals that have been meticulously planned and excitement. Now that I have the tools provided to us by Omron, I feel more empowered and am ready to take charge of my health. Weighing on the scale is a whole new experience with the Omron 510W Scale. Not only can I see what my current weight is, but I can also get a body fat reading. Speaking of weight, I have lost 4.2 pounds since applying to be an #iheartOmron Fitness Challenge ambassador! Seeing those numbers go down is exciting! 

Wearing the pedometer is a different experience in itself. Think about something for just a moment. If you had to guess how many steps you are walking every day, how many would you guess? Now, do you think, if you aren’t correct, that you are underestimating, or overestimating? For me, I overestimated, largely. I sit behind a desk for around 7 hours a day at my job. The activity I get, if I do not work out, is getting ready in the mornings, bathroom and snack breaks at work, and preparing for the next day when I get home. Before I started wearing the HJ-323U USB pedometer I would have guessed I was getting around 5,000 steps a day. WRONG! Without extra activity I only get around 1,500 steps a day! That is an eye-opener! Wearing the HJ-323U USB pedometer helps me gauge my activity needs during the day. I can look at the pedometer and if it is 2:00 pm and I am only around 4,000 steps, then I know that on my break, I need to walk. A few months back I was challenged by a weight loss mentor to make it a point to walk for five minutes straight every hour while at work. Even if I had to stand behind my desk while work, walk once an hour, every hour at work, for five minutes. I started doing this. I kept track of the extra steps I was getting each hour and at the end of my shift, that extra five minutes of activity an hour was giving me over 4,000 extra steps a day! I still struggle to get to the recommended 10,000 steps a day during the work week, but my number has greatly improved since implementing this little trick. So I challenge you, put on your pedometer (if you don’t have one click here to check out the HJ-323U USB pedometer!) and get to stepping! I can only imagine how using the Omron Strapless Heart Rate Monitor (HR-5ooU) will motivate me even more as I continue my journey to eat better, get more activity and improve my health and well-being!

This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesityprevention for familiesI was provided with product andcompensation for my time and honest opinions. 
 


Sunday, January 6, 2013

#iheartOmron Fitness Challenge Ambassadors Announced

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Ambassador. Ambassador. Ambassador. I like the word ambassador.

I am an Omron Fitness Challenge ambassador.
On Friday, the twenty five ambassadors for the #iheartOmron Fitness Challenge were announced on Mamavation.com. Out of a total of 600 people who applied to participate in this awesome opportunity, I was chosen. (insert high pitched squeal, accompanied by a smallish happy dance) The challenge officially starts on January 13 and will end February 10. During that month I will be supplied with a fitness plan as well as some nutritional advice. I am excited to experience the tools that Omron will be supplying during this challenge. For one, I am not sure I have ever calculated my body fat percentage. I will however guess that it is close to 50%. (Wanna hold me to that guess? Come back in about a week after I receive the Omron 510W Scale and I will update this post! Update: 59.5%! WOW). I am also super excited to strap on the HJ-323U USB pedometer to count my steps. USB? Yes, this pedometer plugs in to a PC or Mac and syncs with Omron's Fitness Dashboard to help keep track of day to day activity, trends and more! At the end of the challenge each of us 25 ambassadors will receive the Omron Strapless Heart Rate Monitor (HR-5ooU). I am looking forward to jumping right into this challenge and losing a grip of weight!

Make sure to follow our progress on twitter by using the hashtag, #iheartOmron.

Let's get this party started!

This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for familiesI was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions.