.: what the H is a HRM? :.

have you guys been missing me???

i am seriously embarrassed by how long it has been since i have posted. i am even more embarrased by how long ago one of my followers asked me to write up this post - to that follower, i am sincerely sorry!

ok, enough gushing! this post is a basic breakdown of a heart rate monitor - the specific model is a Polar FT40. when i was able to run, i was trying to decide between investing in a GPS or a heart rate moniter. the HRM won because it was more versatile than a GPS - it doesn't track distance, but it tracks your heart rate (obviously), whether you are in a cardio (fitness improving) range or fat burning range, how long were in each range, length of work out and number of calories burned. you are able to enter your height, weight, gender, birthdate, etc., so your HRM is tailored for you and your workout stats are accurate unlike what the machines at the gym tell you.

getting started:.

first, you have set the time and enter your biometrics in - height, weight, gender, etc. if you buy a new HRM, you will be prompted to do this. if you buy a used one, it is easy enough to hit a few buttons and change them. another bonus, it is easy to change these if you happen to lose or god forbid, gain weight to ensure your results are always accurate.

that's pretty much all you need to do and you are already ready to use it in a workout!

the chest strap - the strap is very comfortable, adjustable and easy to put on. before you put it on, you need to wet the back of strap where the transmitter attaches. the transmitter is the small chip-looking piece that will snap on and off the strap. when i say wet, i mean spreading a couple drops of water (or spit), not running it under water - too much. plus chances are you may sweat during your workout so you just need something while you warm up. placement - you will want the transmitter to lie flat, for me that is either to the left or right of my sternum. picture this, place the strap either under your sports bra band or right above whichever is more comfortable for you. i tend to place mine a little above the band so i don't feel too constricted. play around with it, see where you get a 'signal' and adjust it from there. guys, i am sure you can picture where a sports bra band were to lie if you wore on.

now, all you have to do is hit the middle button on the right side of the watch (twice) and get moving! it may take up to 30 seconds for your watch to link with the transmitter, but your heart rate should soon take over the watch screen. if it does not pick up your heart rate, it will say 'check your transmitter' - if that happens, adjust the transmittier, end the session and start it again. extra bonus, your heart rate monitor will most likely automatically sync with the cardio machine you are using.

the HRM does have the ability to pause - hit the 'end' button once to pause or twice to end.

what else do you need to know??? after you hit end, it will automatically break down your workout data and you can interpretate how ever you would like!

here is one of my workouts as an example:.

breaking down how long you were in each 'zone'

tracks your average heart rate throughout the workout and the highest that your heart rate reached 

tip: detach the transmitter from the strap after every use - this will help extend the battery life of the transmitter.

i hope i gave a decent overview of a HRM - let me know if you have any questions. the user manual is EXTREMELY helpful.

i use my HRM for just about everything - yoga sculpt, barre, buti, ellipticalling, lifting weights, spin, biking outside. i love that i can see how productive each work out has been regardless of what it is - a GPS watch can't do that..... i have also found that i can use my HRM as an indication of being sick or not getting enough sleep - for instance, i noticed my heart rate spikes really quickly and has a hard time coming down when i am sleep deprived or am getting over a cold.

heart rate monitors range in brands and prices. it all depends on what you want to use it for. i am biased towards to Polar brand because they seem to be the largest and most popular HRM, but they can come at a cost. i was lucky enough to have my employee wellness program offer discount prices. do some research - there are hundreds of makes and models that can benefit you in a different way!

do yourself and your workouts a favor, buy a HRM - it will keep you honest.



always strving for more,

 dee b.

DETOX DAY 3:. the LAST day



happy humpday, friends! this humpday seems to be an extra special celebration because it is my LAST day of this darn detox! i may never want to see a fruit or vegetable again! ok, little dramatic, but seriously, it is hard to function on only fruits and veggies and NO PROTEIN! i am tired, a little shaky and i guess a little irritable (according to my mf....whatever). not quite sure if all of these are truly from this detox diet or a combo with lack of sleep and ZERO time to workout, blah! i can almost guarantee that if i did have time to workout, that it would be pointless because of my lack of energy. i have time for a short run before practice tonight, so i am curious to see how that goes...

here is a recap of day 2 (don't get too excited it is very similiar to day 1) :.

breakfast:.

banana, strawberries and blackberries

lunch:.

again, same thing. diced tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers over spinach. so good, yet getting so old!

 

snack:.

an apple, carrots and peapods

dinner:.

i'm sorry that i'm not sorry that i steamed another big basket of veggies similar to day 1, you can judge all you want! :)

**confession time**

one of my awesome basketball parents brought me homemade caramels to practice last night. it literally made my day and was exactly what i needed for a pick-me-up from the cruddy day that i was having, but i politely put them in my bag and said 'i cannot wait to try them later' (which was true, but later meant thursday). her daughter kept insisting that i MUST try one ASAP. i was very disciplined and kept repeating, 'i am very excited to try one, but i am going to wait until after practice to try one' (of course, banking on that she would forget and i could move on with my tasteless detox). well, being the sweetheart that she is (seriously, she's one of my favorites), she took it upon herself to unwrap a caramel for me so she could be there when i tasted it for the 1st time! i could have felt quilty for breaking my detox diet, but i'll be honest, i didn't. i truly think i needed it get through practice and the rest of my day. plus, what kind of role model am i to explain to an 11 yr-old girl that her healthy-looking coach is on a detox DIET?  by the way, it was THE most delicious caramel i have ever tasted!

i forgot to add, i weighed myself yesterday morning and i lost ONE not worth it POUND! let's see if i get more surprising results in the next day....

always starving striving for more,

dee b.

.:act great, feel great, be your best:.

what's the best way you get your body back in equilibrium after thanksgiving?

before, it was the typical 'watch what i eat for a fews day' and exercise a little more to get back to pre-thanksgiving health, but this year i am trying something different.....a DETOX diet.

trying a detox has always been something i wanted to try, but never knew where to start! to be honest, i still don't know what i am doing, so i decided to make my own rules for it.

i am at day 2 of a 3-day detox and let me tell you, it's not easy, but it's not too hard either. maybe my rules are a little too lax?

here are my rules:.

>eating only fruits and veggies--cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, aparagus, carrots, bananas, blackberries, strawberries, apples....
>drink lots of lemon water and water in general--i've read that by adding lemon to water is great for creating an acidic pH balance within your body. the lower your body's pH level (read more acidic), the less likely you are to manifest illness, disease and cancers. now, this is what i've read from a few sources, i would like to research this theory a little more...
>no coffee, dairy, carbs, gluten, sugar (besides what is in the fruit)--i have adjusted to this by drinking lots of herbal and green tea which still does not suffice my caffeine headache, but it makes me feel like it's doing something.

i started out this detox diet by getting all of my produce from whole foods, if i'm detoxing, i better use organic, right? i am sure there are better "detoxing fruits and veggies" then the ones that i purchased, but like i said, this first time around, i'll create my own rules.

here's a recap of day 1:.

i did weigh myself before this adventure began....my starting weight was 141 lbs. i know as a female i am not suppose to be comfortable sharing this with the world, but whatever, i'm not a normal female and as long as i am healthy, the number on the scale doesn't matter to me.

breakfast:.
banana and a cup of strawberries and blackberries

lunch:.

this was a mixture of cut up cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes. SUPER good! i actually put it over spinach as the 'dressing', but i ate that before thinking about taking a picture of it. since i'm being honest here, i didn't get around to eating the carrots and snowpeas....

snack:.

an apple and banana

dinner:.

ok, i may have cheated here a little bit by steaming the veggies before i ate them, but to my defense i was very cold after watching my mf's soccer game and the thought of eating more cold veggies made me shiver.

anyway, my dinner consisted of a big basket of steamed veggies:. asparagus (yum!), snowpeas, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers (green and red) and maaaaybe a little bit of salt for taste. although i was drooling over my mf's streak and sweet potatoes, it was actually surprisingly filling and satisfying (and i may have stolen a few sweet potatoes slices).



anyway, reflecting on day 1, i can say that it was pretty easy, there were a few times when i really wanted to eat just 1 starburst, drink 1 cup of coffee to get rid of my headache or get pizza for dinner because i had ate so well all day. NO! it is 3 days, i can suck it up for 3 days...

this is currently my main goal and focus, i don't think i'd be able to accomplish it if it didn't have my full attention, so my list of goals will have to put on hold except for 2:. get an oil change and make spare keys for our house (both getting done before practice this evening).

always striving for more,

dee b.