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There are so many diets on the internet! Keto, No Carb, Protein, Intermittent Fasting, etc. I’m sure that these work for some people, and good for you if you’re one of them. Whatever it takes to get you to your healthy weight!

Personally, I’ve tried some different things. I was a chunky 13 year old and didn’t want to be anymore, so Mom helped me go on a diet that was very simple: I ate a hamburger patty and a boiled egg every day, twice a day, until I took off the weight. It worked. And I was able to keep the weight off because I then had a picture in my mind of how I wanted to look. 

Much later on, after my divorce I did the grapefruit diet. Eat all you want but after every meal drink an eight-ounce can of grapefruit juice. This also worked and I used it several more times in my adult life. BIG CAUTION: Before starting any diet with grapefruit, check with your doctor or pharmacist for med interactions. If you are taking certain meds, grapefruit isn’t just harmful, it can be fatal.

With the above caution in mind, yeah, I can’t do the grapefruit diet any more and it was my favorite. Sigh. 

So when I add a few pounds now, what do I do? That question took me five years to answer. 

I yo-yo’d with 10 pounds that I desperately wanted to lose and couldn’t find a way to do it. I was of the mind (see grapefruit above) that I could somehow eat all I want and that as long as I was exercising the weight would come off.

But it didn’t happen. Or, I would start to lose and then gain it back and then some. Total bummer. Stubborn as always, I kept at it, doing exactly the same thing and experiencing exactly the same result while expecting a different result. Calling Dr. Einstein, code blue!

Finally, I found that the simplest answers are usually the right ones. I went back to old school, back to good old fashioned counting calories. Since it’s not mainstream anymore, I had to do a little research.

• First, I came up with about 10 meals I enjoy cooking in the wintertime, and 10 in the summer. Fall and spring vary between the two or something different, which is the spice of life.
• Second, I checked the calories for each meal, trying to keep the overall calorie count down to 1600 per day. Now guys, this takes into account exercising every day. If you are not exercising, get moving. If you exercise 3 times per week, lower the calorie count to 1200/day.
• I do cardio, isometric, resistance, endurance and stretching 5 days per week for 45 minutes to an hour.
• I have a Fitbit watch that I wear all day. It keeps track of calories burned, among other useful things and I highly recommend it. If you work out in the water like I do, make sure you get a waterproof watch.
• Keep a food diary. Every day, write down everything (and I do mean that candy bar!) that you eat each day. Referring back to this will keep you on track.
• Drink lots of water. You should drink half your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 140, you should drink 70 ounces of water per day.

 

  This is how I keep my “diet” on automatic. I’ve been doing this for years and still keep the food diary. If something (like my weight) is off for that week, I just look back and see what (all) I consumed. 

  Okay, so how much exercise is enough? Simple answer: When you are burning more calories than you’re taking in, you’re doing enough. When you break it down this way, it’s obvious that your choice for losing weight is pretty straightforward: Either burn more calories or take less calories in.

  

  What about specific exercises? I hesitate to recommend specific exercises. You should sit down with an instructor at your gym pool and discuss this with her/him. I will say that generally speaking, when you’re doing cardio, faster is better for losing weight. I tell some people this and they fly through the exercise, abandoning proper form, and do no good for themselves at all. So don’t go that fast. Just keep a steady pace as opposed to a slow pace.

  The reason I do the exercises I do – cardio, resistance, endurance, isometrics and stretching – is because it works for me. I have worked with instructors for years, and worked through every exercise they recommend. Then, when I began teaching, I put together a routine from the best of the best.

• Cardio, like running/jumping, gets your heart rate up. It also improves your overall heart health and assists with weight loss. 
• Resistance and endurance exercises burn calories efficiently and decrease abdominal fat. 
• Isometric exercise boosts bone density and has a high caloric burn. 
• Stretching is absolutely mandatory. It provides a cool down, decreases your risk of injuries, and moves your joints through your full range of motion. *

          *Stretching should not be done at the beginning of exercise; save it for last. Do some warm up exercises to begin. Think about it this way: If you take a rubber band out of the fridge and start stretching it, it will break.

  There are great resources for choosing specific exercises. As I mentioned, the best is consulting with an instructor at your gym or pool. And there are tons of videos available online, and great books (with pictures) for developing your own weight-loss exercise routine.

  You can do this.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see ya’ in the water!

How often, during a workout, do you really push yourself? Are you in a rut, and just doing the same things with a yawn? Don’t get me wrong, as long as you’re moving you’re lapping everyone sitting at home on the couch. But let’s talk about going beyond.

No matter what we’re discussing, in every area of life going the extra mile is the requirement of success and excellence. Ever wonder where the expression came from, “going the extra mile”? It’s from the Bible. In the days of the Roman Empire, a Roman soldier could stop anyone at any time anywhere and have them carry the Captain’s armor for a mile. Jesus was the first one to say go another mile. Or, do more than expected. If you’re only doing the least you can do with the least amount of effort, you’re probably just getting by in that area. The same is so true for your workout.

You’re thinking, I go to the gym/pool, sometimes twice a week. I make room in my schedule to go to the gym, for cryin’ out loud. I’m a busy person, I do the best I can. Congratulations, you’ve done the first step: You’re at the gym.

The second step is your workout. Whether with a class or on your own, you’re there, doing the exercises. I say, Way to Go! You’ve accomplished step two.

However, sometimes during step two I think we often worry about getting to the end of the hour more than thinking about what we’re doing for our bodies. Our bodies want to be pushed, our minds want to be pushed and challenged. You can do both by varying your exercise routine just a little bit. How? Relax, it’s easy. Just spend longer doing only one exercise in your routine. That’s it. Just one. For example:

If your standard routine includes bicep curls in the water with buoys, add a few curls – like 10 – to that day’s workout. Your arms will thank you with firm biceps and the loss of bat wings. If you do your HIIT exercises with a run in place for a minute, try going a minute and a half. If in a class setting, stay after and do these little extras.

Don’t extend every exercise in one workout (unless you’ve been regularly working out for years and are upping your game). I’m talking about going beyond every now and then to challenge your body, your resistance, your strength, and yourself. Among other benefits, I guarantee a good night’s sleep.

Going the extra mile in your fitness routine can make a major difference in achieving your goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways to help you push beyond your limits:

Get a Goal: Clearly define your fitness objective, whether it’s losing a certain amount of weight or increasing your overall strength. Clear goals give you a sense of purpose and motivation. Say, I will be at X weight in six months. Then break it down into what you’ll have to do to get there. First, take in less calories than you burn off. But simply eating less is not healthy or is it gonna get it done. It’s so much easier to develop a workout to burn more off than you take in.

In my personal workout, I burn off about 900 calories. This is an hour of cardio and stretching. The average burn for the class I teach is 700-750 calories. Not bad for a 45 minute class.

Next, join a class or develop a well-structured workout and nutrition plan that aligns with your goals. This plan or class should include a mix of cardio, strength training, flexibility, and rest days. 

You’ve heard of athletes being “in recovery” after a game, right? Do you know what that really means? They’re asleep. That’s right, they’re getting the rest and sleep that their bodies deserve after a hard workout. Don’t you deserve to do the same? Don’t skip the rest days. Proper rest and recovery are essential for muscle growth and injury prevention.

You can take rest days every other day, e.g. work out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and recover on Tuesday and Thursday. For myself, I like working out five days a week, and then taking the weekend to rest. Hey, it works for me.

Be consistent. Consistency is key in fitness. Stick to your workout schedule and nutrition choices, even on days when you don’t feel like it. Small, consistent efforts add up over time.

What’s my diet? I eat lots of fish, shrimp specifically, lots of veggies and some protein like chicken, eggs, or lean meat. I try to stay away from bread, but, bread happens, lol. If you’re working hard enough, dessert can happen too!

Tracking your progress can also help. Weighing yourself once a week and making a note of it, keeping a food diary, and even noting your measurements can help. But don’t get all anal about it. Sometimes it takes a while for your efforts to kick in. Measure it, but don’t measure yourself against what you’re doing. You are putting in the work, and that’s what matters.

As I mentioned earlier, periodically increase the intensity of your workouts. Keep pushing your boundaries!

Seeking professional guidance is another great idea. A personal trainer or instructor can provide expert guidance and accountability. These people are wonderful! A water aerobics instructor at a good pool knows what they’re doing and how to help you reach your objectives. They enhance your support system, along with fitness buddies or inspirational quotes and visualization techniques. They are also an excellent source of information and the people to question about the body and your workout.

Keep in mind that going the extra mile is always a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another. Listen to your body, no one knows it like you do! Then, adapt your strategies as needed, and enjoy the process of creating a better YOU.

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What’s the first thought you have when I say noodle? Okay, not pasta, so the second thought you have. Okay, not that either. When I say pool noodle, what do you think of? Lazy afternoons in the pool, floating with the noodle under your arms, taking it easy with a cold drink?

You might want to rethink that. A pool noodle is a very helpful and sophisticated piece of water fitness equipment if used correctly in a full body aquatic workout. While lightweight, pool noodles offer a very good workout. The reason for this is that it’s very versatile and can be used for both resistance and balance support purposes. 

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The standard pool noodle is five feet, three inches long, and three inches in diameter. Pool noodles come in all different colors. It’s made from polyethylene foam and it’s very buoyant.

What can you do with it in the pool? Ohhh, a few things. Like:

• A pool noodle makes an excellent balance brace for underwater resistance exercises such as the plank. This exercise is great for strengthening your core, as well as weight loss. K-Lean!
• Pushups: In chest-high water, take the push-up position with legs stretched out in back of you and on your tiptoes (like a ballerina). Do pushups for 75 seconds and I guarantee you’ll feel it.
• In many exercises the pool noodle is used to keep your arms in position. This applies to crunch twists, fans, and even simple push exercises.
• Pool noodles are perfect for waist-deep lunges.
• Want to tone your stomach? There’s a noodle exercise for that.

There’s also:

• Swing through exercises.
• Leg Curls.
• Leg Raises.

I won’t go into the how-to’s for each exercise. For specifics on doing these exercises, check out the book below and also online videos. They’ll have you using a noodle like a pro in no time.

Get your pool exercises here:

In all cases, the pool noodle should never be used as a deep-water flotation device. As people use them as a float, they become waterlogged and ineffective. Use a belt for flotation. Your membership pool should offer these free of charge, in several different sizes.

Get your pool noodles here:

Pool noodles are also very inexpensive, so if you’re exercising in your home pool you will definitely want to purchase one. In fact, in the late spring and early summer you can usually pick one up at the dollar store. Wherever you purchase it, be sure to get the three inch diameter noodles, not the one inch, for the best support.

Or, grab a 4-pack of noodles. Get them while they’re hot!

You will notice there are holes in the center of the noodle. No matter how tempting, these are not for tossing water at other exercise participants. The holes actually contribute to the buoyancy, or how far down in the water you can push the noodles while exercising.

There are also noodles that are solid at the core. These noodles are even more buoyant, and work well for larger people and some more strenuous exercises.

Here’s an example of a solid pool noodle if you want to try that!

The pool noodle is a simple but effective work-out device. Be sure to add it to your pool exercise equipment!

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**If you experience problems with the form (argh, WP!), please email me at jimsey@hookedonwaterfitness.com to be added to the list. Thank you!

I’ll see ya’ in the water!