No Gym Necessary

Posted 17 June, 2013 By vblean

Confession: I haven’t worked out in a gym for at least a good four months.

How am I working out then, you say?? A whole gamut of different ways.

  • Sprints outside.
  • Sprints on hills outside.
  • Kettlebells.
  • My Ultimate Sandbag (I use the pink one from Ultimate Sandbag Training & LOOOVE it!).
  • Bodyweight workouts – my own, some of Zuzana Light’s workouts, some of Myomytv’s workouts.
  • Clutch Bodyshop workouts by Ashley Conrad (who is, btw, a freakin’ ROCKSTAR!).
  • Pushing my SUV, flipping tires, jump roping.

My gosh I could go on for ages.

  • Tabata … you name it. I’m doing it.

Do I have a plan? Of course. I lift, I do HIIT like sprints/tabata for cardio, I stretch, I foam roll.

Here’s the age old question: Do you need a gym to workout? NO. Can it be helpful sometimes? Yes, of course. Is it bad if you work out at a gym? GOSH NO. But if you:

  • a) don’t want to pay for a membership
  • b) can’t get away from the house for that long
  • c) have limited time due to work, kids, etc,
  • or so many other reasons, you can ROCK some killer workouts ANYWHERE.

No gym necessary. No fancy equipment necessary.

My thoughts: If you cannot move your own bodyweight functionally, efficiently, in many different planes of movement and in many different ways, you have absolutely no business moving weights. And I mean that.

Lift heavy they say – lift heavy I’ve said. Do I mean it HAS to be X amount of weight? No. By lifting heavy I mean lift heavy enough for your muscles so you keep progressing. Could lifting heavy be doing 20 pushups if that’s where you get to failure? Yes. Could lifting heavy be doing squats with a 30 lb sandbag until failure? Yes. Could lifting heavy be squatting 200 lbs? Yes. It’s all about you. Choose your battles wisely. If you can’t get to a gym, lift your own body weight. Lift apparatus around your house. Push your car. Lift your child. Don’t let “not getting to a gym” be your excuse. I’ve found that working out at home has given me freedom to DO WHAT I LOVE and do what I feel like and play and have fun and move and get outside and get to a park and enjoy the small amount of time I give myself for myself. It’s allowing me time to do handstands. It’s giving me time to be creative. It’s breaking me out of my comfort zone – my go through the motions zone. One day at a time. One “no gym needed” day at a time.

***

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Where do you workout? (And what makes you love that – or not?)

What battles do you overcome by working out where you choose to work out?

What are your plans to move and play and workout today?

    

Look Into The Mirror

Posted 31 May, 2013 By vblean

Would you ever tell your best friend that she’s fat?

Would you ever tell your best friend that she’s ugly?

Would you even tell an acquaintance either of those things?

No. No you wouldn’t.

So why, oh why, do you tell yourself all of those awful, terrible things?

Look into the mirror.

What do you see?

  • You see a beautiful woman (or man) staring back at you.
  • You see someone who is working to be the best them they can be.
  • You see someone who is unique. No one else is like you.
  • You see someone you will remember to love.

Remember, what you say to yourself is invaluable. TRULY invaluable.

No beating yourself up allowed.

Constructive criticism works, and is very necessary to become a better person. There is a large difference between talking to yourself negatively and constructively criticizing yourself. Talking to yourself negatively – whether through negative words or a negative tone – will only hurt your goals. You need to learn to be nice to yourself. Be real with yourself, but be supportive and nice. You need to be your own best friend. That’s how better people and confidence are built.
Self-talk and self-esteem go hand in hand. Those thoughts in your mind are more powerful than you think.
Remember – real, but nice and supportive at the same time.

***

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  • Be completely honest – what are some things you tell yourself often? (I want to hear the good, the bad, AND the ugly.)
  • What are you going to work on telling yourself?
    

Re-Lighting My Fire

Posted 27 May, 2013 By vblean

[P.S. (Can I start a post with a P.S.? Smile with tongue out)

This post may make more sense after reading these:

Another way awesome and completely unexpected thing for me through participating in the Under Armour What’s Beautiful campaign is that it’s re-lighting a fire within my competitive nature, but in a completely different – MUCH MORE HEALTHY (and balanced) – manner. I have always been competitive. I’ve talked about this before. I was an athlete growing up, volleyball, gymnastics & soccer.

Who would have thought a competitive nature + balance could be the best of friends? I’ve found What’s Beautiful to me.

Competitiveness & winning was my MO. My MO got the best of me when it turned into a perfectionism, can’t deviate from the strict rules I set for myself competitiveness. That’s an unhealthy state to be in.

My MO has since become a lifestyle of embracing balance, promoting self love, and remembering to love myself along the journey. This has been well complemented with the Under Armour What’s Beautiful campaign that I’m participating in through FitFluential. I have been able to dip into my competitive nature by completing challenges they have laid out as well as create my own.

I have also been able to balance this and keep from going too far by enjoying the journey and reminding myself of What’s Beautiful to me, every step of the way. I am thankful to be a part of this campaign for many reasons, this being one of the main ones. Re-igniting competitive fire within me while allowing myself to stay balance and remind myself I love myself through each day I work at being better. Being better no longer means to me “leaner, leaner, leaner.” It now means stronger, happier, more balanced, SELF LOVING.

I completed the Exercise Take Down challenge, where I took an exercise I avoid. Or USED TO, in this case. I have been working on practicing & incorporating pistol squats into my workouts for about the last month. I used to avoid them like the plague (and that’s saying a lot – I work in an ER Winking smile). I now love putting them into my workouts – ESPECIALLY because they’re hard – and working through them gives me a sense of accomplishment. For the Under Armour campaign, I set a one minute count down timer and did as many pistol squats as I could do within one minute. I got 10 alternating. Not bad!! I will work on increasing this number.

Who’s in?? Who’s going to attack an exercise they used to avoid? Who will try the pistol squat challenge I completed? How many can YOU get in one minute?

Come join me in the What’s Beautiful movement and show me what you’ve got!

Make this movement work for you – whatever it is you need to re-light or balance out – let’s do this!

***

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  • What are you working to re-light or balance?
  • What exercise do you avoid at all costs?
  • What exercise did you choose and how many did you get in one minute?
    

What’s Beautiful? Loving Yourself.

Posted 22 May, 2013 By vblean

BAM! This post is a must read. It’s long. It’s important. It’s one of the most important posts I have EVER written.

I have written many posts embodying these three main concepts:

  • Promoting self love
  • Embracing balance
  • Fighting back against deprivation
  • (I will do a post round up in the near future!)

I have learned the hard way that it’s so important to live a lifestyle that not only allows, but truly embraces, balance and fights back against deprivation.

Last year I wrote a post for Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful campaign. I will not join a campaign unless I truly believe in the heart of their motives. I am lucky enough to be working with Under Armour through FitFluential because I believe in what they’re promoting. They aren’t promoting unhealthy ideals. They’re promoting a way to redefine the female athlete, a way to accept everyone, a place everyone can help inspire each other.

The post I wrote last year was THE MOST RAW POST I HAVE EVER WRITTEN. I posted pictures and words I thought would never leave the dark skeleton laden place in the closet of my memories.

(^A picture from the original post I never thought I’d share.)

But this campaign pushed me to share my experiences, and the feedback I got from everyone was BEYOND AMAZING. It breaks my heart to look at my pictures from that deep dark place. But it heals my heart a million times over to get the support and kind words I’ve received, but most of all, to hear that I am helping. If I have helped even just ONE person through a tough experience by sharing my own fight, it’s worth putting out there.

 

Read: My first Under Armour What’s Beautiful Post!

 

I am now taking it up a notch. Not only am I posting about this campaign, but I’ve created a profile, which I’d love if you’d do too so we can interact, and I’ve also created a team. When creating a profile you must create a goal.

Here is my #IWill statement:

I WILL remember to love myself along the way to being the best athlete I can be.

My Team is called TEAM LOVE YOURSELF. This team welcomes EVERYONE. No one is left out. I don’t care if you run, strength train, crossfit, walk around the block, do summersaults & cartwheels across your living room every day. If you’re an athlete in your own right, if you’re pushing yourself every day to get better and to LOVE YOURSELF THROUGH THE JOURNEY, you’re welcome. If you’re reminding yourself every day to remember that happiness isn’t an end point, but something to be grabbed by the horns right now. If you’re reminding yourself that your body is beautiful just the way it is all the way through your journey, not just at the “end point,” you’re in.

IF YOU NEED HELP REMEMBERING YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, EVERY BIT OF YOU IS BEAUTIFUL, through your journey to be the best you, the best athlete, the best person you can be, COME LET ME INSPIRE YOU. Join my team! Follow me! I will be here for you ever step of the way. Let’s do this! Let’s do this together!

Say it with me:

What’s Beautiful?

I AM BEAUTIFUL!

AND as if that’s not all enough to make you want to be part of the movement, the winners get surf lessons in Costa Rica, and weekly swag bags of Under Armour goodies are given away for those who are rockin’ it. I mean, c’mon, how much better could this get!? Winking smile

***

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What is beautiful to you?

What is your I WILL statement going to be?

    

Work Hard Play Hard

Posted 29 April, 2013 By vblean

If you eat clean and train consistently on a regular basis, and these are the ground rules you stick to, a treat here or there won’t slow progress.

I’ve learned the hard way that it’s no way to live to deprive yourself. Treats are an integral part of any balanced program.

I’ve tried treat days, treat meals, small treats in my every day, and all can definitely work. I’ve found that NOT planning treats has worked better for me than planning them. I prefer to eat clean and train consistently and when an opportunity arises to enjoy life with those I love and when it includes a treat, I go for it.

Instead of planning treats, I allow life to happen. There are more than enough spontaneous treat occasions and for me, it makes me feel less deprived and much more free if I am not restricted to a specific treat date and time. I’ve found that with all those spontaneous treat opportunities, there’s no need for me to plan my own treat meal or day – plus – that only puts emphasis on deprivation for me.

Flexibility, spontaneity and balance is where it’s at. But remember, you have to have already put in the work. So work hard, but play hard too. It’s the only way I’ve found to live. It’s where happiness is at for me.

Work hard, but play hard too.
Be consistent, but treat yourself.
***

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Coffee Talk

  • What is your treat mentality?? I’d LOVE to hear it!! Share share share!!!
  • What questions do you have for ME about my approach?
    

Quick Intermission

Posted 25 April, 2013 By vblean

I know. I owe you all a million posts. Okay, not a million. But a lot. They’re coming soon, I promise!

I owe you all a lot of things. I owe you a post about what I’ve been doing for workouts lately. And I owe you a post about how I’ve been eating (way cool by the way!). And I owe you lots more posts about lots more things. I have some seriously exciting, awesome, and somewhat controversial posts in the mix right now that I’m working on putting together and finishing. They’re about how and what I’m eating now, how I’m working out, about being healthy and how it’s perceived in the fitness world, so much to talk about and so many posts that are long over due! Thank you all for being such patient readers!

[Side note: In the meantime here is a quick do-anywhere workout I posted on IG to get you through until my next post! Winking smile]

Before I post all of these things, I want to take a quick intermission. I want to take a quick minute in my corner of the blog-web-osphere and tell everyone that I am praying for America. It’s an uncertain time in the U.S. and the world right now. I wanted everyone and anyone effected, and to everyone else glued to their TV’s in horror, by the bombing in Boston, or the factory explosion in West, Texas, or any of the shootings in Washington or Illinois lately, or any other tragedy that is taking place currently that I am thinking about each and every one of them. I don’t know if there are words that can help, but know I’m thinking about everyone and anyone effected, no matter how small or large of a scale.

I am thankful for the first responders and bystanders that have done everything they can to help. Being an ER nurse myself, I can only imagine what healthcare workers in these areas are seeing. I can only imagine the heartache from families directly effected. I have seen the compassion from those who are willing to help, willing to fundraise and willing to dedicate a workout or run to those effected, and though that doesn’t change damage done it shows what happens when people band together. Americans are tough and resilient. Let’s keep making America strong, keep making us who we are. America can go back to the strong nation it once was – let’s all band together to make it happen.

And to all of my wonderful readers from other countries, I hope that you’re all safe and though I may not know the ins and outs of your country like I do mine, it doesn’t mean my thoughts aren’t with you through trials or my joy with you through happiness.

Keep being the best person you can be. Be there for those you love. And goodness, if things like this remind me of ANYTHING, it’s to be thankful for everything you have, and especially the time you have with the ones you love. Don’t forget to hug or kiss your family tonight. Don’t forget to tell them you love them. Remind those you care about what they mean to you.

Fitness related? Not directly no. Nutritionally related? Not so much. Related to life? Yes. Too important to ignore? I felt I couldn’t let these things pass without telling all of you I’m thinking of you. Keep being the best you that you can be, remember life is too short to beat yourself or anyone else up, so remember to love and remind those you care about how much they mean to you!

***

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Coffee Talk

  • What hit home for you most with all of these tough times?
  • Did you remember to tell someone you care about how much they mean to you today?
  • What did you do to remind yourself you love yourself because life is too short not to?
    

Pink Stronger RX Gloves

Posted 27 March, 2013 By vblean

You all know how I’ve been having a tough time finding workout gloves that can handle a beating.

Here was my post from 3 months ago on instagram:

Here’s what I said: “Really?? Again?? Gloves torn to pieces for a third time? Fourth time? Training mean has its consequences for fit gear. On the hunt for a pair of badass gloves that won’t rip on me.”

When I got the awesome opportunity to try out Stronger RX gloves (and who would say no? They’re pink! Winking smile) I crossed my fingers these gloves may be JUST what I’ve been looking for.

And I think I may have been lucky enough that they are. These Stronger RX gloves are to die for, not to mention totally cute in the process. You all wanted me to share when I found some groundbreaking workout gloves. These seem to be them! Yes, they still need to stand the test of time, and you know I’ll be honest and share with you how they’ve held up down the line but to be completely honest, I doubt these will end up like my others. They’re clearly made with intention, intention to hold up to badass workouts, and this my friends, is EXACTLY for what I’ve been scouring the fitness gear world.

You all know I’m brutally honest, so let’s talk about what I’d change on the gloves.

To be completely transparent, there is only ONE thing I would change about the gloves, and that is to have them fingerless. It’s tough to change music on my phone without at least a fingertip showing, and having to take my gloves on and off during my workout to change my music is a hastle that I’d rather not deal with, but if the gloves work, the gloves work. But guess what? Stronger RX must have telepathically known my thoughts. They’re working on fingerless gloves as we speak. I CANNOT wait to try them out!

My other gloves that have clearly not been able to pass the test of time:

20130208_093416

Stronger RX gloves:

20130208_093422

The pads are tough enough while being lightweight enough to allow you to feel the bar through a lift. (VERY important!) The wrist closure helps with support and to keep the gloves in place.

I put these through the wringer, weight lifting, body weight exercises like burpees where your hands see a lot of ground time, toes to bars where the bar rips against the gloves, and so far – so darn good.

20130208_105802

I am psyched about these and believe they’ll hold to the test of time. Only time will tell, but if I had to bet on it, I’d be on the Stronger RX glove side of things.

If you’ve also had a tough time of finding gloves to hold up to your workouts, Stronger RX is offering all of you wonderful people a discount code for free shipping that is good until the end of March, so jump on it! Winking smile

Coupon Code: SRXFIT

***

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  • What gloves are your favorites?
    Do you like fingerless gloves or gloves with closed fingers?
  • Do you have any Stronger RX gear?
    

Sore Muscles–Rest or Push Through?

Posted 10 March, 2013 By vblean

When we work a muscle group, it causes small micro tears in the muscle that are rebuilt stronger, which is how we build muscle. The small tears and repair of the muscle group in addition to lactic acid build-up (waste product of anaerobic exercises – ie: weight lifting) cause muscle soreness. The question is when to rest the muscles and when to push through the soreness.

What can help prevent muscle soreness and quicken recovery?

Poor nutrition can weaken muscle fibers. Ensuring you’re fueling your body with proper nutrition can prevent excessive muscle soreness and can help promote a quick turnaround. Adequate sleep is also essential to promote strengthening of the muscle, preventing excessive soreness. Warming up before weight lifting sets and cooling down afterwards, in conjunction with stretching sets the stage for quick muscle recovery. Foam rolling can add that extra punch to hasten the recovery as well.

How long should I wait to work the same muscle group again?

  • Smaller muscle groups, especially the core, should be given 48 hours (2 days) of rest before training again.
  • Larger muscle groups, especially the legs & back, should be given 72 hours (3 days) of rest before training again.

Say I’m doing all of this right but I’m still sore when I’m supposed to train the sore muscle group again, do I train or rest?

  • If you’re just slightly sore, you can safely train while making any necessary modifications or slightly decreasing intensity.
  • If you’re very sore, especially after a DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness that shows up 1-2 days after the workout due to small muscle tears we talked about earlier), rest or do a very light active rest and stretching until the muscle is ready to be trained again.
  • A good way to judge is that if your muscle is sore to the touch or the soreness prevents full range of motion, it’s best to wait until that subsides to train that muscle group again.

What happens if I don’t listen and continue to train anyway?

This is where overtraining occurs. When muscle groups don’t get the chance to recovery properly, overtraining occurs which can lead to increased incidence of injury, joint problems, increased illness, fatigue, & plateaued performance.

Ensuring proper recovery is just as important as working out intensely. The strength work is primed at the gym through micro-tears and the recovery builds the strength. Both the workout and the rest period go hand in hand and are both equally important to increase your strength, performance, and get you closer to your goals.

***

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  • Do you rest or push through muscle soreness?
    Which muscle group gets most sore on you?
    

Natural Ways To Boost Your Immune System

Posted 7 March, 2013 By vblean

Yes, we work out and eat clean to look good and feel comfortable in our own skin, but an even more important reason that we take care of ourselves is so we FEEL good. It doesn’t matter how good you look if you feel lethargic and sick.

Working out boosts our endorphins and invigorates us while clean eating can truly be the medicine our bodies need. One huge benefit of clean eating is that the majority of your food is REAL food, not processed. That’s definitely step number one to feeling better. Getting enough protein, enough carbs, and enough fats is another really important part of feeling good.

Say you’re working out, eating clean, and still want to work on boosting your immune system and overall energy. This is where looking at specific natural remedies can come into play. Here are some of the best of nature’s “medicine” that we can use on a daily basis to keep our immune system strong and to feel energetic and healthy, without any side effects.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar:

This is one of my go-to’s, and I take a couple tablespoons every single morning. ACV helps to balance our bodies pH levels so you’re alkaline (you don’t want to be acidic – bacteria & viruses flourish in acidic environments). ACV is also anti-bacertial, anti-fungal & anti-viral. Ensure you get ACV with “the mother,” this is the unprocessed, unfiltered version. My favorite brand is Bragg’s.

Raw Honey:

Chock full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, live enzymes – honey is an antioxidant, antibiotic, & antiviral. Ensure that you’re eating RAW, unfiltered honey – it’s opaque and thick. Raw honey doesn’t come in the cute bears that you can see through, but instead in a jar. Honey helps to start up the immune system. Combine it with ACV and you’ve got a winner. 1-2 tablespoons of honey per day helps boost that immune system.

Vitamin C:

We all know Vitamin C is a given when we’re sick. Why? It’s an antioxidant, antiviral, and antihistamine (stops the inflammatory process in your body). I drink Emergen-C (powdered vitamin C drink that you dissolve in water – tastes great too!) every day to help prevent illness.

Aloe Vera Gel:

This helps to detoxify and cleanse your blood and digestive tract. It is also an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-septic agent that is full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and helps the body stay in balance. Ensure that the gel you’re taking is not for sunburns, make sure it’s for INTERNAL use. 1-2oz per day helps keep your immune system humming along!

Echinacea:

Increases all of the cells that fight off bacteria & viruses, boosting the immune system. Take only at the start of a cold or flu, not every day otherwise it loses its’ potency.

Other great immune system boosters:

  • Zinc
  • White Tumeric
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Astragalus
  • Omega 3’s
  • Flax Seed Oil
  • Pau D’Arco
  • Lysine
  • LOTS OF FLUIDS – drink your water!
  • Wash your hands!

***

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  • What are your go-to’s when you’re feeling under the weather?
  • How do you prevent getting sick?
    

The Skinny on Body Fat Levels

Posted 4 March, 2013 By vblean

Day 15 of 21 Days of Health

The Skinny on Body Fat Levels

During those tender teenage years when us ladies were starting to grow our curves, the age old saying from our mothers about how women are blessed with curves hit us hard because today’s media often portrays the “beautiful” woman as a “skinny” woman, making those curves undesirable to us growing up. Our mothers were right to an extent, women are supposed to have some body fat. How much is too much? How much is too little?

Interesting visual on approximate body fat percentages:

(Source)

We all know that obesity (too high body fat) can literally kill you by the health problems it causes. A body fat that is too low can also cause complications, both fatal and life-altering.

Women have a higher body fat than men for the purpose of reproduction. Hormones, your breasts, your uterus, and ovulation (releasing an egg each month) all play a role.

In both men and women there is a body fat percentage that is “essential to human life.” This amount of fat is needed by the body for basic physiological functions.

No two people are the same, and someone else’s unhealthy could be healthy for you, and you’d both be borderline on the charts. Every person’s body is made differently, and body fat is gained in different proportions on everyone. One woman with may need to get down to 10% body fat to see her abs while another woman can see her abs at 16% body fat. Everyone is built differently. Just as there are normal limits for blood test levels, there are normal limits for body fat, and everyone fits into the range differently.

What body fat percentage is too low?

  • Women: Approx. less than 12-14%
  • Men: Approx. less than 5-8%

What body fat percentage is too high?

  • Women: More than 32%
  • Men: More than 25%

Great chart from ACE (American Council on Exercise) on body fat:

(Source)

(Again, everyone is different, but these are average numbers.)

If you don’t test your body fat, how do you know if your body fat is too low?

  • Low energy (chronic fatigue)
  • Loss of menstrual period or change in period characteristics (flow, etc)
  • Palpitations (from electrolyte imbalances)
  • Sleep Disturbance
  • Cold hands & feet

Complications of too low body fat for too long:

  • Metabolic Damage
  • Infertility (loss of period for extended length of time)
  • Osteoporosis/Bone loss
  • Cardiac Problems
  • Fluid & Electrolyte Imbalances

I have learned that as long as you have a healthy lifestyle filled with working out, clean eating, rest days, happiness, family and FEEL healthy – that’s the best gauge of all. Every single person is different, but it’s important to remember that although we’re bombarded with how bad obesity (too much body fat) is for you, there’s an opposite side of the equation, and too little body fat can be just as detrimental. I have learned that moderation and balance in everything could not be more important, and that FEELING healthy is the most important thing.

***

Do you measure your body fat percentage? Have you ever been too high or too low?

I don’t measure my body fat % and never have, I use the mirror and my jeans to gauge my progress.

I have been too low. I had a very unhealthy relationship with food at one point and ate WAY too little calorie-wise and my carbs were way too low. In turn, over about 9 mths I became underweight and my body fat was way too low. I luckily have the most wonderful man in my life who gave me the wake up call I needed, which allowed me to heal myself and re-learn how to love myself. I have written posts about this in the past, here is one of my most personal posts:

http://vanillabeanlean.com/2012/10/whats-beautiful/

Remember, being too low body fat can be just as harmful has having too much body fat. Moderation and balance is key to a healthy and happy life!

***

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  • Do you measure your body fat level? I don’t – I use my jeans and the mirror as a gauge Winking smile
  • Have you ever measured your body fat levels? Nope!
  • Do you feel healthy? Yes.
  • Give me your thoughts on the skinny and fat of it all! Winking smile