• 30Dec

  Social Fitness: Smiling is Contagious

  Health/Fitness 11 Comments

  This months focus for social health is to smile more. When ever some one gives me a genuine smile I can’t help but smile in return. It’s true smiling is contagious.

  Have you even been driving down the road and either something on the radio, something you see, or even something you finally figured out makes you laugh out loud by your self?

  It feels good to smile and to laugh
  This winter we’re all sharing our contagious colds and flu’s. Now, it’s time to share our contagious smiles. If smiling doesn’t come naturally, try smiling at your self in the mirror. Once you realize what your doing it’s pretty hard not to smile. Some say it’s strange, and it is…but it works. Just from smiling more I’ve had genuine conversations with complete strangers.

  I met one lady at the post office and know that she has one son who’s 11.  He goes to a charter school, and won’t be seen in public with his school uniform (which is only khakis and a blue shirt). We came to the conclusion that we both would have loved a nice pair of khakis and a nice blue shirt growing up, and both decided we should be careful not to spoil our kids too much. We talked for a while, which all started with a genuine smile.

  A genuine smile goes a long way and really does help build healthy relationships. So, I’m going to continue smiling more, even when nobody is looking =)

  Hope you’re all feeling well.  Love, and appreciate all of your comments.  Happy Tuesday =)

  Feel free to share somthing that made you smile or laugh recently, or anything that came to mind while reading this post =)
  

• 29Dec

  Physical Fitness: 5 Exercise Tips to Avoid a Plateau

  Health/Fitness 13 Comments

  Hope that all of you were able to enjoy your Holiday.  Mine was great!  Still looking forward to New Years and working on my “Focus” for 2009, and some quarterly goals to go with it.  I may even start a simple blog to help me stay focused on my goals for 09′.

  The family all has the stomach flu including me. We’re putting our health first, and taking all the steps to get healthy again. The Hubby even took the day off to help. Lot’s of fluids, no dairy, and lots of sleep.

  I’ve been reading up a lot about…well…about everything fitness related. But for today, Exercise related, and how to avoid hitting a plateau, and get the most from a workout with out over doing it and burning muscle instead of fat. A lot of this also came from my physical trainer.

  5 Exercise Tips to Avoid a Plateau (or get over one)

  Continue reading »

• 19Dec

  Financial Fitness: Homemade Gifts & Happy Holidays

  Health/Fitness 11 Comments

  This year we wanted to give thoughtful gifts but stay within our budget…

  Earrings

  Well, I could either go buy a $5 pair of earring that look like a $5 pair of earrings, or make them and personalize the style and card their in. The real cost was more like $2.50/pair, because I only used half of the beds I bought for each pair. So, now I can make more for Birthday presents throughout the year.

  Christmas Collection for DENEIL

  

  I made these for Deneil and couldn’t help but play off the CHANEL brand.

  Wallets
  The hubby made Duck tape wallets for the guys in his life. One for my brother-in-law who’s a big time fix everything dude (we gave him all the extra duck tape we didn‘t use). The other was for his brother who’s starting a new law firm and want’s to look his best (more of a joke).

  Photos
  For the rest of our family we had a friend take pictures of our kids. I share photos of my self in a bikini and tell you stuff I don’t share with anyone, I can share these photos too. Because a friend took the photo, the entire cost was only cost of prints $9. Not bad at all.

  

  These will be going to Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles…and now You get to enjoy them too =)  I love my boys.

  Happy Holidays!!!
  Hope you know how much I’ve appreciated your support and helpful ideas. I wish you the best, because you deserve it. You’ve made a difference in my life. Thank you!

  I’ll be back blogging after Christmas. Who knows I may find time write one up before then.

• 18Dec

  Mental Fitness: Appropriately Selfish?

  Health/Fitness 9 Comments

  I quoted Tom Venuto yesterday, and I’ll be doing it a lot today. I found his blog and loved every word. It was a whole new plethora of information, and in todays case motivation. I loved all of it.

  “People will stay the same until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing.” – Tom Venuto

  The Hubby sent me a link to a post in Tom’s blog yesterday all about putting your health first on your priority list.

  “You have to put yourself first” – Tom Venuto
  There are so many demands in life. That doesn’t mean you can’t have some demands of your own. I’m happiest when I’m healthy. I’m still not quite healthy is the honest truth, but I’m completely happy because I know I’m making the necessary changes needed to obtain my optimal health. I have simply made myself a priority.

  “..how do you take care of your family without your own health? Taking care of youself IS taking care of your family!” – Tom Venuto

  I haven’t neglected my family by spending time in the gym. I’m actually able to give my family and everyone around me much more, because of the health and energy I’ve gained from going to the gym.

  “If you think that’s so selfish because your family needs to come first, then what happens when you’re so out of shape and out of breath just from walking, that you cant play basketball with your son?” – Tom Venuto

  This one really hit me. I have two boys. It also reminded me that my hubby needs a chance to workout as well. Whenever he asks for time to go to the gym I make sure he gets it. He’s happier, less stressed, and more focused. He does better at work, and home. Most importantly he’s taking care of himself.

  You’re Stressed? STOP, Focus, and Re-Prioritize
  Focusing on breathing is a great way to slow things down long enough to re-prioritize. Make sure when your making a list…

  “…make priority list, not “to do list.” To do list are usually filled up with busywork that’s not that important. Priorities are the things that are most important to you, that will provide the greatest happiness and tangible results for you.” – Tom Venuto

  I just sat down and starting to make a “priority list” I’m good at “To Do” lists, but this was hard. I kept putting down things that weren’t important. Then I stopped took a few breaths and realized…The world won’t come to and end if I don’t get those gifts mailed off in time. That eating right, and exercising today might be the best thing I can do for myself and for my family. Once I make time for that, then I can make time for other tasks.

  I’m going to reach my goal. I’m going to complete it for myself. My children will be blessed to have a healthy, energetic, confident mother who achieves goals. Self-esteem (self worth) is a very important thing to teach my children. Leading by example is the best way for them to learn.

  “Is that selfish?

  Yes.

  But it’s appropriately selfish.

  Being appropriately selfish is not about bucking your responsibilities. It‘s not about ONLY taking care of yourself. It‘s about putting your priorities in the right order. And it‘s one of the keys to great health, happiness and personal success” – Tom Venuto

  Well, enough said. It’s time for me to stop blogging and start taking care of me =)

  Most of Tom Venuto’s quotes from today came from his recent post “Want To Lose Weight And Keep It Off Forever? Be “Appropriately Selfish!” on his BurnTheFatBlog.

• 17Dec

  Nutritional Fitness: Spinach Omelet

  Diet/Nutrition 12 Comments

  I seem to be doing a quote of the day lately so why break the trend.

  “You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both.” – Tom Venuto

  Yesterday I started to feel the stress of procrastinating my Holliday shopping. Honestly…I crashed yesterday night. Hard. I ate a few of the treats I had made for the neighbors. Then I stopped and realized that I was stressed. Once I finally accepted that I was stressing out, I decide to stop. I did one thing that needed to be done to help relive stress. Then, put my feet up and relaxed for a while.

  We ended up watching Kung Fu Panda. There was actually an overwhelming moral to the story and great quotes. A lot of it had to do with believing in yourself and having an attitude of gratitude, and more specifically being grateful for “today.” The hubby almost died laughing when I asked him to pause it so I could jot one quote down for today.

  “There is a saying:
  Yesterday is history,
  Tomorrow is a mystery,
  But today is a gift.
  That’s why it is called the present.” – Kung Fu Panda

  Wow, pretty deep for DreamWorks animation =)  Yesterday is history.  Yes I crashed and binged.  That’s history.  Today is a gift, and i can make what i want of it.  Make the most of your day today =)
  
  5ive Fitness Focus Areas
  I’ve decided to write on one of the 5ive Fitness Focus Areas each day of the week. That way I can spend more time sharing about each specific area.

  Nutritional Fitness: Don’t skip a meal or skimp on the protein

  I finally got around to making a Spinach Omelet. My fresh spinach was getting a little soggy. So rather than tossing it I cooked it up.

  

  Spinach Omelet (more like Quiche)
  Diced tomatoes
  Chopped fresh spinach
  Garlic salt
  Eggs (4 egg whites, 1 whole egg)

  Toss in the tomatoes first and season with garlic. Then, toss in the spinach and spray with cooking spray to help it cook down. Once the spinach is cooked down, add the eggs and stir a little to mix. Cook until it’s done =)

  For more visual aid =)…I found a video at BetterBodiesByCarmel
  “5 servings of eggs” LOL! Pretty close to the truth for me. Egg whites are one of the cheapest ways to get more protein in the diet.

• 16Dec

  Reach For the Stars

  Personal 5 Comments

  Holiday Cookies
  Not a nutritional or physical fitness booster, but definitely a financial and mental one. I found everything I needed in my house. I even went thru a bag of M&M’s and picked out the green and red ones. I usually just go and buy a dozed for about $3-$6. This was free, much more fun, and the 3 year old got to help.

  

  5ive Daily Fitness Focus Areas

  1. Financial Fitness: Pay off one debt
  Less then a minuet after I set this goal my hubby called and said he received a $600 bonus.

  I heard someone once say that they only reach 80% of the goals they set. But, they reach 0% of the goals they don’t. Don’t be afraid to set goals.

  “Reach for the stars. Even if you miss, you’ll end up on the moon.” – Fitness Surfer

  2. Physical Fitness: Intensity & form
  The hubby was gone all Saturday getting ready for final presentations. The weights were in the sleeping baby’s room. I used the resistance bands, bike, a kitchen chair, and got a great workout in. I worked the chest, and triceps, then got a 30 min cardio in on the bike. The bands were surprisingly tough. I need something heavier then the bike to anchor them too.

  Yesterday night I used the machines to work the biceps, shoulders, and back. Then I finished up with a 20min cardio. My intensity level was at it’s highest. Barely able to do 15 of each set, but then pushing myself as hard as I can to get 5 more in…shaking on the last few reps.

  3. Social Fitness: Smile more
  I’ve been smiling a lot more which makes it a lot easier to talk to people. I know that I’m always more egger to talk to some one who’s smiling. I gave a guy a helpful tip at the gym on how one of the machines worked. He laughed when he realized there was a much easier way to adjust the machine.

  4. Nutritional Fitness: Don’t skip a meal or skimp on the protein
  So far so good, but I just set this goal yesterday. I need to decide what I’m having for dinner and lunch the day before and make sure I make time to prep and eat it. Today I’ll prep a bunch a meals saving me time during the rest of this busy week.

  5. Mental Fitness: Attitude of gratitude
  I’m grateful for snow. It really is beautiful. I’m also grateful for heating that works, and warm clothes so I can go play in the snow with the kids.

• 12Dec

  I Won Free Skinny Jeans!

  Fitness Motivation 18 Comments

  

  Yea!!! I just won a pair of jeans from WorkoutMommy. Thank you so much. I never win stuff. This is so cool.

  She had a contest a while back and all I had to do was leave a comment , and share…

  “…what your fitness goal is this holiday season and how you are going to make it happen.“

  I just realized I never shared this with you guys. I know you all know what my ultimate goal is. However, because of WorkoutMommy I set a “Holiday Goal” just after Thanksgiving to help me stay on track.

  Here was my comment….

  “I squeezed into my old skinny jeans just before thanksgiving. Now their getting baggy, and I could really use a new skinny pair to squeeze into. My goal it to be at 15% body fat by May 20th which is a big goal considering I was 24% two weeks ago.

  My holiday goal is to lose 10 lbs of fat and gain 5 lbs of muscle get to 20% body fat percentage.

  To get there I’ll be working out 5+ times a week with cardio every day and 3 days including resistance training. I’ll be eating a 40:30:30 ratio (Protein:Carb:Fat) to make sure my body has the fuel it needs to build muscle. I plan on wearing tighter jeans to parties because I’m less likely to over eat, and I’ll eat a healthy filling meal before I go. If I decide to enjoy some delicious favorites I’ll also plan on enjoying an extra workout on Saturday. I’m already seeing results and I’m very motivated (and sore). It simply feels better when I take care of my body, and it’s always nice to fit into those skinny jeans.”

  And…I WON!!!  I’m still on track with this goal and i’ll share how close on Monday with my 4 month before and after picts =)

  On the way home from the Christmas part tonight, I was showing my hubby how baggy my jeans were getting. This is perfect timing. I’ll be taking pictures and showing off my new skinny jeans when I get them.  Similar to my tight is alright picts, but much better.

  Thanks Workout Mommy!

  Now I’ve got to step away and spend some time with the Hubby =)

  Another Happy Friday to Everyone!

• 12Dec

  Exercise & Relax

  Health/Fitness 9 Comments

  My biggest thing every day, is actually making my self relax. If I’m going to make time to exercise then I need to make time to relax. These muscles need time to heal, and so does my brain.

  

  I made the most delicious oatmeal I have ever tasted, and ate it while taking a nice hot bath with candles lit, and listening to some good Norah Jones.  Now that was relaxing =). Aaaaa…

  

  Delicious Coconut Oatmeal
  1/3 C quick oats
  2/3 C water (or milk)
  Coconut
  Vanilla
  Brown Sugar
  Cinnamon

  Cook and add a spoonful of peanut butter if you like, or some milk to get the desired texture.  It is so good.  It taste like desert to me & i use to hate oatmeal.  (Thank you Kath Eats)

  
  5ive Daily Fitness Focus Areas
  Continue reading »

• 11Dec

  Keep-It-Up!

  Fitness Motivation 7 Comments

  Many of us have been working out and keep contemplating if we’re getting the results we want.  “Am I actually getting stronger?”  Hope this gives you the motivation to keep-it-up, and a good healthy laugh.

  I can’t help myself. LOL! Too many years working in a corporate office…I guess.

  You are stronger than you think.  Mentally and physically.  There isn’t anything that you can’t achieve.  Keep-It-Up, and don’t forget to laugh.

  5ive Daily Fitness Focus Areas

  1. Physical Fitness: Exercise 5 days a week
  Last night I did a lower body workout. I could feel it burn, and know I’ll feel it ache in a few days…gota make sure and get plenty of potassium, and water to prevent excessive muscle cramping.

  2. Social Fitness: Connect with 5 people daily…baby steps
  Attitude of Gratitude. I’m grateful for others who share their fitness knowledge, journey, and experiences on the web. I’m finally going to get around to highlighting my favorite blogs.

  3. Nutritional Fitness: Eat 5 Vegetable or fruits daily
  Tomatoes, cucumbers, edamame, orange, banana (potassium), and spinach. Not bad, even 6 for the day. It’s getting easier every day.

  4. Mental Fitness: Set and complete 5 daily goals every day
  I’m not following thru on these like I use too. Which probably means I’m not as focused as I use to be. I’m following thru today.

  Today
  -relax, and enjoy the day
  -exercise - 60min cardio
  -find something “formal” for work party
  -make Christmas list
  -make delicious oatmeal again (recipe and photo coming tomorrow)

  5. Financial Fitness: Set side or come up with $500 for San Diego done
  Ok, the holiday bonus will go toward gifts, and the money we had set aside for gifts will go towards debt. (It’s the same amount of money, but it just doesn’t seem fun to spend holiday bonus on debt…so i switched it around.) I have enough money to buy 5 training sessions. I think I’m just going to do it. Right now they’re having a special for $25/session. Sounds pretty good to me.

• 10Dec

  Bee Pollen Day

  Diet/Nutrition 6 Comments

  It’s hard to top yesterdays “Donut Panic” pict. I’m still laughing. How about “Bee Pollen Day.”

  

  Today I’m heading to the local health food store to buy some Bee Pollen. I have the worst allergies, and could use some added energy. I’ve heard many stories and benefits of bee pollen recently. Lately when I go with the flow things work out better. So, I’m going to give it a shot.

  Stephanie recently wrote a great post all about bee pollen. Inspired by Healthy Chick’s she started to take bee pollen and loves it.

  “I started taking Bee Pollen a few weeks ago and while I’m still under the recommended and allowed “dosage,” I have noticed a definite increase in my energy. I’m more focused… …I do not pass out after a hard evening workout.”

  Here are a bunch of links referring to bee pollen and it’s benefits…

  Continue reading »

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