Day 4 of Week 7 Official At Home Leg Workout

Weight today: lost one pound

Total lost: 12 pounds in 6 1/2 weeks

1/2 cup of oatmeal:150
2 tsp of sugar:30
1/3 cup of skim milk:30
1 tbl of powder creamer for coffee:30
with sweet-n-low:0
total: 240

3 1/2 oz banana:87
vanilla protein powder:110
1/4 graham cracker:15
total: 212
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running total: 452

2 lefse:60
1 extra large egg:80
1 extra large egg white:15
1 Laughing Cow Garlic Herb slice:35
almost 1/2 cup of Blue Bunny Premium light ice cream:90
1 tsp of chocolate syrup: 15
1/4 graham cracker:15
total:310
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running total: 762

3 1/2 oz of blueberries:53
1 tsp of sugar:15
total: 68
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running total:830

2 saltine crackers:22
4 tsp of powder creamer for coffee:40
3 1/2 oz chicken breast:122
1 tsp of Bacon Ranch dressing:23
5 oz potato: 110
2 tsp of Smart Balance Light butter: 30
1 cup of Honey nut cheerios (don't ask): 110
total: 458
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running total:1288

powder creamer with coffee:30
with sweet-n-low:0
total: 1318

Today's Challenge: Staying focused on work-outs and staying hydrated and not snacking

Actual fitness: 5 mile run, abdominals,

Note on Picture: Who says you can't get the full flavor of Bacon Ranch Dressing on a diet? Sure it's high calorie, but not if you eat one teaspoon at a time. Then, it's only 23 calories. Perfect for dipping on a 3 oz piece of chicken. Ahh... and the taste...you will savor every bit of its flavor on a diet. Hey did that rhyme?

Official At Home Leg Work-Out

For those of you who don't already do any type of lunging or squatting exercises, these exercises that you can do at home will definitely hit the spots on you legs that you want to hit.

What I first want to make sure you understand is this: The lunge and squat type of exercises are THE leg work-out you want to be doing if you want your buttocks and adjoining leg muscles to look great. It's very important that you do these exercises with the correct form to get the maximum great benefits from them.
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First, what I consider the easiest exercise is the step-ups. My daughter is using a chair in this picture because she's so tall. Obviously, the higher the step, the more intense the exercise, and the greater the benefit. But to start out, I might use something that is perhaps the height in between your knee and your foot.

And it's pretty basic. I go up and down on one foot 15 times and then switch to 15 repetitions on the other foot. If 15 is too hard to begin with, then maybe start with 10 repetitions. You complete three sets altogether.
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I would next do the walking lunges. This may feel awkward at first, but after a few weeks, you will get the hang of it. You want to go down on each leg 12 times each. So, if you're at home, pick a long hallway and begin by standing upright. Then, take your right leg and move it forward and move downward until your left knee is bent and almost touching the floor. You want to make sure that your right knee does not go over your toes, otherwise, you are bending your right knee too far. So, then, you next move your left knee forward and past your right knee and bend it the same way you did with your other knee.

You will notice that you may feel a little off balance while transferring to the next step. This is normal and good. Walking lunges bring into play your balancing muscles and also forces you to isolate the use of each leg as it is brought into play during the lunge. This is also good for your leg muscles, but after several steps, you will feel like you are dying. You may have to work up to 12 repetitions.
So, I will end up counting to 24 by the end of the first set, thus exercising each leg 12 times. You then proceed with two more sets. As you progress, this is an excellent exercise to add holding dumbells in each hand.
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If you felt odd doing the walking lunge, the jump squats will seal the deal. But please, don't laugh while doing the jump squat, it completely disrupts your movements. And don't ask me how I know that.

This is the exact position that you should be in for starting a jump squat. It's critical that your legs form this 90 degree angle. If you sit too high, you will be robbing yourself of those precious few degrees that work your butt like nothing else. And you will know when you are sitting too high because it feels easier. At 90 degrees, you will feel uncomfortable, like your legs may give out at any minute. But at this angle, you are sculpting a beautiful body...you have to start at this angle and land down at this angle for each jump squat repetition.

Notice how her arms are reaching outward. This is to help her with momentum for when she jumps upward. So, in one smooth motion, you jump up and land down, up and then down. I do three sets of 15. This exercise will leave you literally out of breath. You may need to start with just 10, which is what my daughter is currently at. I'm still trying to work up to three sets of 20.

So, if you don't go to a gym, here are some leg exercises you can do at home. After a few months of doing these exercises, you perhaps are ready to get a gym membership and do another level of leg exercises.