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Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

Yup. It’s been 20 years. I started getting the Facebook messages about our 20 year reunion….really? Really. Is it possible that it’s actually been that long since I hair sprayed my bangs straight up with Aquanet and and thought wearing ties was cool? This October, my high school will be celebrating it’s class of 92 [high kick] graduating class. Without going into the details of my 10 year reunion, I just hope that this milestone is not celebrated with the same cliquie ways that the 10 year was.

There is always the dreaded fear among some of us of “how will I measure up to my classmates?” There are SO MANY different things that go through our minds [you know I'm talking about you!] “I need to lose weight!”, “what will they think about me when they find out I’m divorced?”, “I need to make a list of what my kids are successful at”, “How much does Botox cost?”, “Dammit I didn’t finish school!”, “What have I done in my life compared to everyone else?”, “I should bring pictures of my fabulous house”………..WHO CARES!!!!!! Only those with those same complexes are the ones that will be judging! I have found that in life, when a person feels inept with themselves about something, anything, they tend to displace that and find it in others to make themselves feel good. Our mothers taught us this survival instinct, right? “Don’t pay attention to them. They are just jealous”. Actually, a lot of times it’s true. I teach that to my own children. Unless you give someone a genuine reason to snicker about you, what worries should you have.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:1-3

Even after 20 years of what we hope or like to think of as “growing”, many of us still like to gab too much. Others feel as though they have so much to accomplish before the big weekend. I’ve been guilty of having some of these thoughts I admit. Yet others, are so content with what/who/where/when/and how they’ve lived their last 20 years. They are content with NOT having the huge house; not having straight “A” students (occasional B’s and maybe a C is ok); It’s ok to drive a used car with a cracked windshield and shop at Ross for Pete’s sake because you’re a smart shopper :) THOSE are the folks that I want to hang out with on that weekend. Just down to earth people that aren’t measuring me for what I have or haven’t accomplished in the last 20 years.

Raise your hand if you LOVE to exercise? Now raise your hand if you HATE it? Now, raise your hand if you hate to do it but love the results? Some of you just don’t like it at all because, “my hair gets messed up”! Oh brother….I’ll tell you something, I was a freak of nature years ago when I couldn’t’ get enough of it! It affected my relationships, and just the simple outlook on life. It wasn’t until a dear friend of mine had enough guts to tell me that my butt was actually “disappearing” and the nice glow to my face wasn’t there anymore. First of all, unlike most women, I do like my rear view, but apparently the problem was that it was, how shall I say it…..not in the right place? I guess I had lost the bump I had once had and the jeans weren’t looking too flattering. Second, I looked older then than I was because I was dehydrated (in my mind I had to lose the water weight too), and I was  training outside ALL the time. So it took a good friend to shine light on my hypocrisy of “always in moderation” because I was surely not applying it.

Just remember that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing!

So you haven’t been very active for the last, let’s say….6 months….ok how about a year! Better yet, you’ve been raising kids…who the heck has time for exercise???? You’ve found yourself in a rut that you just can’t get out of and you’re comfortable with where you are at. Or are you?

Most of the time what I find with clients is two things: They lack the knowledge and/or the motivation. Some of you may be saying “but what about not having enough time?” Sorry, but I have little sympathy for that particular excuse. One kid, two kids, triplets, it doesn’t matter. If you REALLY want to be more physically fit or just healthy overall, you will make the time for it when you are motivated, and you will EDUCATE yourself via a class, the internet or through a personal trainer on all the ways you can train….so be honest with yourself when you give your excuse.

One of the best ways I have found that really works is during lunch breaks for moms that work away in an office setting, or catching just 30 minutes during the day for moms that work at home, like stay at home moms. I stayed home for 10 years to raise my kiddos and now I work in an office, so I know that stay at home moms have THE hardest jobs out there! Another idea is joining a team and setting a goal for yourself. Grab a friend and sign up for a 5K or a 10K down the road. When you’ve spent the money on something like that, you increase the chances of making sure you make some time to train for it. You meet new people along the way too :-)

Being a good role model for the kids is very important. With obesity trends at their peak and will be for a while, it’s important that you find some type of physical activity that you enjoy. Here’s a benefit that you might have not thought about: Increased energy! Yes, you will likely lose some weight, your cholesterol levels will get better and your blood pressure readings will impress those around you….but who cares about all that right? (Yeah, yeah…I thought so). I know that I wish I had the energy levels that some of these little kids have and although I may not have all what they do, I know that even 30 minutes during my lunch time gets me more alert and able to focus on what I need to get done. Again, let me remind you that I was a stay at home mom for quite some time, so I know how tiring it can be, especially when you have more than 1 child under the age of 2.5! But it’s worth it to try and get some fresh air…some alone time if you can….some sunshine on your skin (wear sunblock!) and your kid(s) will love spending that time moving with you. It won’t always be easy. I get it. But it will just get harder as time goes on to get that weight off, or to change your motivation, or to be more energetic. In my book, you don’t have to be a triathlete, a marathon runner, a cyclist, a hiker, or swimmer to be considered an athlete. Put your faith in yourself to do little by little to keep being active. Break a sweat 4-5 times a week. I didn’t ask you to come home drenched. Just break it. You’ll be glad you did!

Don’t give me any guff for saying Happy New Year 2 weeks late!!! Better late than never! Wow, I can’t believe it’s 2011 already (how cliche is that statement?). I am home at this very moment wishing I could get over this darn cold that has had a grip on  me for about 3 weeks now. It comes and it goes and comes and goes….like a bad relationship! Lol…anyway, in looking back at my 2010 “resolutions”, I conceded that I did not fulfill all of them, but for good reasons. I’m not trying to make excuses, I am DEFINITELY making excuses! Yoga: did it once. I liked it. But not enough to do it again. Sorry yoga fanatics! Just isn’t my cup of tea. If I want to truly relax, I need to have gloves on and a heavy bag to look at and punch. Learning French: eh, no time. I did go to the library and rent audio cd’s to learn on my own time. I could hear Rosetta Stone in the background laughing at me, that’s when I realized that I just don’t have the extra time needed to learn a new language right now. I’m not done with school yet and being a single parent requires me to pull double duty with responsibilities sometimes. The bible : I have been reading it a lot more and praying a lot more. I’m happy with that, but want to do more. This doesn’t mean that I get exactly what I’m reading still…I try to read the different versions for better understanding and that helps sometimes. Volunteering: I don’t think I did enough in 2010. I definitely shared the importance with the kids and shared opportunities with them, but I need to do more this year. Take 4 road trips: done and double done! Granite, it was with work, but traveling with these girls was a such a great experience! I made lots of memories, gained a better understanding of logistical planning when traveling via air, and learned to pack light!!!! (That’s a biggie for girls :) Learn how to sew and paint on canvas: yeah right. I think I may have been slightly high on this one! Gotta think BIG picture.

I have “resolved” that for 2011, I’m NOT going to make resolutions. It just seems so permanent and failure is involved in one way or another! Instead, I’m going to make goals. To me, this seems more attainable than resolving to do something for good that lasts about 1.5 months. So here are my goals for 2011:

• Graduate next month for grad school!
• Get myself and the kids involved in monthly volunteer opportunities
• Continue to read the bible and pray everyday
• MAKE A DIFFERENCE in Someone’s life EVERY DAY! (no matter how big or small)
• ALWAYS try to see the silver lining (blessing in disguise)
• Get hired full time somewhere ;-)
• Finish a 1/2 marathon trail run or road run…but in Tahoe!
• Compete in my first Ms. Figure competition
• Get down to San Antonio to see my folks and my soon to be new nephew this summer
• Try to get to NC and see my sis and brother-in-law before Dec 1st!
• Have a girls weekend road trip
• Begin my photography endeavor again after I graduate
• Paint on ONE canvas by the end of the year!

I think these are doable. I know they are doable! As a matter of fact, I’m going to print a few copies of my goals, print them out, and post them around my home so they serve me as a constant reminder of what I’m striving for. I heard a wonderful scripture today. It was Isaiah 41:10 and reads:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I like to see this as my compass for when I have anxiety about something, anything. Most of us aren’t born with an innate sense of confidence. I can only speak for myself when I say that I fear the unknown, and it’s then that I need to rely on my faith that everything will turn out just the way He intend them to be. Keeping that in mind, I am more confident that I can accomplish my 2011 goals. Just as a child leaps in faith that their father or mother will catch them, I know my Father will always catch me, in His own way.

Here’s to a VERY productive 2011!!!!

It’s easy to get sidetracked in the everyday things that we do day in and day out. From eating to exercising, from cleaning to driving,  to yada, yada, yada…you get the idea. So instead of getting sidetracked, just mind your business! Being mindful of the things we are involved with can make a huge difference in our lives. When we are more mindful, it helps us to feel empowered. This in turn makes us less judgmental about ourselves which builds confidence within. This type of conscience effort can improve any aspect of your life!

Keep your eye on the prize! What do you think about that phrase?  Again, you can apply it to just about anything you set your heart on. Stay focused. Concentrate. Be mindful ;-)

Eating: Be mindful when you eat. So you’re trying to shed some weight. Hopefully it’s because you NEED to and not because you’re being unrealistic in your goals. There is a difference you know. It may sound and feel really silly if you’ve never done this before, but the next time you eat, really pay attention to your senses. Think about what you are eating. What kind of texture does it have? Did it go through a process and where did it come from? How does it look? Be mindful when you’re cooking too. Use spices and sweets and sours to add zing to your food. Wait 10 seconds in between bites. It actually takes effort to do this. Amazingly, you’ll also get fuller much sooner, which of course means you’ll be eating less…which again of course will help you tighten your belt. Exercise: Stop the chit chat in between sets if that’s what you’re doing. Stop rushing through your movements, unless they are purposeful explosive moves. Stop paying attention to what everyone else is doing and how much weight they are pushing. Just mind your business! Use the mirrors in the gym. Be mindful of how you are spending your time resting. If you’re going to the water fountain in between every set you do, chances are you’re not getting the full benefit of your training. If you’re able to hold a conversation easily while doing cardio, you’re probably not working your heart the way you should…or burning as many calories for that matter. Watch your muscles contract as you go through the movement of each exercise or how you are breathing when your heart rate is going up.  Be mindful of how the burn feels, and be in the moment of how you are sculpting areas of your choice (I love sexy shoulders!) Thoughts: What you think and how you think can make you go crazy or push you to the next level. Be mindful of your thinking patterns. Stay away from negative self talk! Bad, bad I tell ya! I get on a couple of my clients for this. As soon as the negative talk starts, I nip it in the bud. None of that on my watch buddy! Try to be positive in your thoughts and actions. So what if the gal next to you can do 20 push ups! It’s not that YOU can’t do it, you are just working your way up to 20 at a slower pace. Mind you that she’s probably been doing them for a while anyway. Let me tell you something, I’ve had a number of club members approach me or my clients during a session and are just amazed at the fact that a 220 lb man can balance himself standing straight on a hard medicine ball while doing lateral raises….believing that you CAN do it is half the battle. The list can go on and on, but these three principles of minding your business should be practiced everyday in everything you do. If you look at mindfulness as a supplement to your everyday living, then you’ll be more appreciative of the foods you eat, your workouts and more in tune with moods. You have the power to change a bad vibe. Our attitudes and mindfulness can influence everything that we do and in the same, also help us create great habits while we break ugly ones. You don’t have to give up the cheesecake completely! (I wouldn’t), but maybe by being more mindful, you’ll only eat 1/3 of what you would have had you not taken the time to appreciate it. Create workouts with a great ending! Maybe saving your favorite exercise for the very end can be like a dessert that you would have at the end of a meal. It’s something that you can reward yourself with after eating all your veggies (being mindful during your training session). Go outside and enjoy the Fall air while you workout! That’s my favorite time of year to exercise outside! And no more negative talk! The next time those thoughts start to creep in, just tell them to go mind their OWN business…

Have you ever known someone that you admired and/or looked up to, only to find something out about them that doubted what you knew about them? Today at the gym, I was talking to one of my friends who happens to be a trainer. She and I have had many conversations about anything and everything. One of our favorite topics happens to be fitness of course :-)

Anywhoooooo, we both have talked about and agreed on the ramifications that diet pills can have on a person and both of us have maintained that we do not use, nor do we promote the use of any diet pills to accelerate weight loss. Well, as she was getting ready to leave, her bag fell over from the bench and guess what rolled out of it? You got it…diet pills!! I couldn’t believe it! I called her out on it and she apologized to me over and over. Truth be told, I think she needs to come clean and apologize to her clients, not me! Clients pay good money to look up to someone they BELIEVE is living their life in a healthy and safe way. They seek accountability, motivation, support, knowledge and even friendship. To find out that your trainer is cheating to “stay fit” is a slap in the face in my opinion. Now don’t get me wrong, I drink protein shakes after a good strength training workout, so I’m not talking about that protein drinks. According to the FDA, an analysis of the ingredients in 72 over the counter products showed that they contained undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients, including the controlled substance sibutramine, an appetite suppressant legally sold as the prescription drug Meridia; rimonabant, a drug not approved in the United States; phenytoin, an antiseizure medication; phenolphthalein, a suspected cancer-causing agent; and the diuretic bumetanide. No prescription drug—even a diet aid like  an appetite suppressant—should be taken without medical supervision. And because some of the products contained doses higher than the levels approved for prescription drugs, the risks are higher as well. Potential side effects are scary: seizures, heart attacks and strokes. So much for safe and natural.

I can’t stress enough about the importance of a healthy diet and plenty of exercise being the TWO key ingredients to living a healthy lifestyle. Getting “help” in a way that puts your body in danger is not smart. Let me put it to you this way….it’s down right STUPID! First of all, if you are not heavy to start with and are just looking to lose 5-10 pounds, I wouldn’t suggest to lose more than 1 pound per week. On top of that, the National Institute of Health recommends that you only lose up to 10% of your body weight for the first 6 months. If you can keep it off, THEN you can lose a few more pounds.

So if you read a label, or magazine ad, or internet ad, or whatever and the thing promises you to lose 30 pounds in 8 weeks, RUN!!!! Run far….you’ll be better off burning up those pounds that way anyhow :-)

THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL!!!!!

How many different commercials, magazine ads, computer pop-up ads and books can you think of that offer you the opportunity  to lose inches or even 50 pounds in two days??? I’m exaggerating of course, but you get the point. The truth is, there is no magic pill….but…you did know that already right? Please say you already knew that.

It’s amazing to me how many people, especially women, still fall for this gimmick. You know, I used to like Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser, but she’s really chapped my hide with the recent push for supplements that promise to make you lose weight. I’ve never been a trainer that pushed pills or any specific diet like Atkins or South Beach to name a couple. I like to keep in good fitness health the old fashioned way, through a healthy diet and physical activity at least 80% of the time. Many times, there are long term affects with these “promised” solutions. For example, the American Heart Association states: “Individuals who follow this diet (Atkins) are at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, kidney, bone, and liver abnormalities overall.” Low carb diets like the Atkins diet may also hasten the onset of type II diabetes. Yikes!! That’s some scary crap people!!

Every New Year’s, millions of people claim that THIS will be the year of shedding those unwanted pounds. “And I’m going to do with hard work….I’m marching myself to the nearest GNC and buying my weight loss!” Yeah. Right. Just doesn’t work that way. Let me rephrase that, it just doesn’t work in a HEALTHY way. These may be temporary fixes, but only contribute to health problems or frustrations at  the end as you may see the weight come back when you get off the diet or supplement.

Lifestyle changes are the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Creating a habit of eating well and being active each day will become a lifestyle change. Did you know that it takes 21 days for something become a habit? Now, I truly do understand that some people have a hard time to lose weight through diet and exercise; I’m not denying that. When that happens, there may be an impending visit to the doc or maybe a registered dietician to see if there is something you may be missing. Perhaps a thyroid problem or very slow metabolism. But for those of you who really haven’t tried as best as you can, are you really struggling? Be honest with yourself please. Denial will get you nowhere.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that we should be getting at least 150 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. That breaks down to 30 min each day for only 5 days! That’s the minimum to keep your heart healthy. Now to lose weight, you should really be expending energy for approximately 60-90 minutes each day with one or two days rest. You don’t have to spend the 90 minutes all at once either. Don’t forget you strength training too.

Keeping a journal of your daily physical activity can help too. If you don’t have a personal trainer, this is a great tool to have and it acts as accountability as well (it just won’t yell at you :) In this journal, you can also keep a log of what your feeding yourself. Now THAT can be an eye opener. We usually don’t think of all the “little” snacks we grab on the go, or those 3 peanut M&M’s you just ate….oh….that was me. Anyway, my point is that you have to be completely honest with yourself, and when you decide to do that, you will start to see the change.

You may encounter a plateau. Damn those last 5 pounds!!!!! Curse you!!!!! Ok, ok, settle down now. If you ONLY had the option of losing weight either through exercise or your diet, do you know which one would win? The diet. Ultimately, if you want to achieve the lean physique and toned muscles, eating a clean diet is what will push you over the edge. So be patient. It takes roughly 6 weeks to really start seeing results if you’ve got maybe 15-20 pounds to lose. Remember that the more weight you have to lose (the heavier you are), the faster you will see results. Don’t get discouraged if you hit a wall. We all do. I’ve hit walls, but punched through them.  Stay focused and put your heart into it because at the end, it will thank you!!

If you’re brave, you can take a “before” picture. Place it somewhere that you can see, albeit a private place. Remind yourself that it DOES NOT have to be Jan 1 to start your weight loss goals. It can be Cinco de Mayo or October 25 for pete’s sake! Who cares!! Just don’t use the “New Year’s resolution” as an excuse to wait for your makeover.

Make it happen. YOU, can make it happen!

This is about 10 minutes long, but so worth it if you’re looking for a good laugh for the day! I’ll repost this in the Funny Bone tab as well. Ciao!

Sorry, sorry sorry!! I have been lurking behind school books, indoor soccer window panes, behind desks, in and out of Sacramento and I’m still going! Obviously I haven’t been able to keep up my end of the bargain when I said I wouldn’t let more than 2 days go in between posts. What I meant to say was that I would let 22 days go in between posts….of course I’m joking. So basically I’ve been so busy up to my armpits that I neglected one of my favorite things…my website. *sigh*

So I thought I would just slap some info together for you in lieu of leaving you wondering what the heck I’ve been up to, and then we can just move on. Sound good? Good.

First off I wanted to share with you that I FINALLY did a yoga class! Remember how it was one of my New Year’s resolutions? In case you didn’t know, Yoga has actually stressed me out in the past when I’ve tried it. I’m more of a kickboxing, boot camp, Krav Maga girl, so the s..l…o……..w static positions drive me batty. But I wanted to give it one more try. Perhaps it was the instructor that really made it a great experience for me. Or maybe it was the fact that I didn’t give a flip about how stupid I looked in class, so I was able to relax more this time. At any rate, I was so sore the next two days!! It was awesome! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go back because I had to work during that time slot, but at least I want to, right? But for now, even though I don’t have the “best” yoga form, I can still hold my balance pretty well, AND with one foot in the sand!Now I have to tell you this story because it’s funny…and it’s about me. Sometimes we need to laugh at ourselves, especially when we have stressful things going on in our lives. So I’m at the gym the other day and I get on the elliptical trainer for about 20 minutes. Truth be told, I got bored, but I wasn’t done working out, so I decided to shoot some hoops. Yes…basketball. Those of you that know me pretty well know how much I REALLY like watching basketball. I enjoy watching most sports and get very vocal too, but I like basketball the most. Anyway, I’m in the gym and I figure that I’ll shoot hoops and do some drills for cardio for about another 20-30 minutes. For every basket I make, I will do 10 jumping jacks and ten pushups. It was official. The basketball gods has placed a forcefield AROUND the entire darn basket!!! I am not kidding people! It got so ridiculous that I was laughing hard, to myself, and the 4 yr olds that were in there for the childcare were even laughing every time the ball hit the board or I air balled it. I think they thought I was doing it on purpose and playing around with them. I had a good laugh, let me tell ya :-D

But I stayed. And the moral of the story is that I didn’t quit, no matter how bad I was. Then there’s my allergies. *another sigh* Are any of you familiar with this? Oh my gosh, if there is one thing I really miss about being in Hawaii is the fact that I never had allergies. They’ve hit me like a ton of bricks, or mold for that matter. I’m always itching my throat, scratching my eyes, wiggling my nose and sneezing. Blah! So that has slowed me down a little bit, but not too bad.

Regarding my cholesterol: THANK YOU for all of you who have inquired and sent me good wishes on this. It was all very sweet :-) All the good joojoos that came my way paid off too! I recently had it checked again and I’m now at 191! Yay!! I admit I was eating a lot more shrimp before, so I cut that out a lot….amost completely for a while to see if that could have been the culprit and I think it may have been. So I’m happy to report that according to my results and doc, I’m not going to be keeling over anytime soon due to clogged arteries and cholesterol. My HDL’s (good cholesterol) were still at 79, so that was great news. Many of the comments have been, “how can you have high cholesterol with how much you work out?” Well guys and gals, it just goes to show that sometimes we can have genetic dispositions (like in my case) and then adding shrimp to the mix isn’t a good idea! No seriously, I do have a genetic disposition in which my body produces more cholesterol than what is being removed. So, I have to take extra precautions to keep that in check. Check out the video on  How cholesterol clogs your arteries. It’s an eye opener!

School is kicking my booty this term. Thank goodness I only have 5 classes left. Or is it 4, or I think 3 actually. * double sigh* I can’t think sTrAiGhT. Either way, I’m almost done thank God. Classes are really busy right now, but I must toot my own horn for a second and say that I’m very proud to have a 3.78 GPA right now! My son asked me the other day, “mom, are you going to get your P.h.D. after your done with your Master’s?” to that I replied, “I’m not sure, but if I do, it won’t be for a while, why?” And he said, “Oh good, because I miss spending time with you”. [guilt trip] At this point I have a blank stare and I hear violins playing in the background. I was bummed, but at least he knows that I work hard in whatever it is I set my mind to, so hopefully he and his sister will catch that fever.

Well, except for all the other little boring details, this is really the big stuff that stuck out in my clouded mind at the moment. Little stuff include: My son wants to start triathlon training now with me in May, I want to start taking photography more seriously, I’ll be renewing and testing again for my personal training certs in June,  work is really picking up as I’ll be traveling outside of CA, I’m now a newly certified level I phlebotomist, my daughter is playing basketball and indoor soccer, my sister is graduating with her Masters in May so I’ll be flying out to DC for that, my car is dirty and I have to fold some laundry now.

Have a great day, afternoon or evening…whatever time it is wherever you are at :-) See you again soon!

I feel motivated, pushed, supported, free and I’m in deep like. Spreading my wings, seeing more gray instead of black and white, and able to give of myself more and more. I’m loving life.