New Year, new you?

Have you been naughty or nice this season?  I'm going to bet you've probably meant to be nice, but have fallen victim to the naughty Holiday temptations.

Take yourself off the merry-go-round of guilt and hop on the treadmill!  If only it were so simple, right?  You see those skinny bitches complaining about the SINGLE carb they ate and as you literally LOL you shove another gooey treat down your pie hole.

Do you equate diets with deprivation?  Are you giving yourself a free pass because it's the "Holiday season" and you don't want to be the only person denying your taste buds at that Holiday gathering? Guess what...deprivation gets you no where, fast.  Actually, it gets you into your fat pants.  That's a destination no one wants to visit.

The savvy secret is to have what you really want, satisfy that craving and move on.  But save your splurges for what really grabs you.

Isn't it hilarious you'll see gym memberships soar at the beginning of EVERY year, without fail.  Most of those same resolution makers (I omit keepers for a good reason) go to the gym for two weeks and then it's business as usual.  Sitting on the couch simply wishing your waistline would shrink without having to sweat it out.

Here's the sad reality - those same resolution makers are the people who fail because they just don't know what they're doing.  Who wants to exercise improperly?  It's totally pointless and results will never be gained.

I used to despise running the dreaded mile in school, every year for 12 years, because when I would run I would get cramps in my tummy and my body would hurt.  Why, for the love of God, does the country make children do such exercises without giving them proper instruction?  No wonder I always 'failed'.

I have been going to a few running seminars (free) and now I actually enjoy running.  I highly doubt I'll ever be a marathon enthusiast, but at least if George Clooney were 3 miles from me I could run to him in a decent time.  What I learned at these seminars was proper form.  What to do with my arms, what my stride should be in order to feel less fatigued and proper alignment.  It has made a big difference.  It only took me 32 years.

When I'm at the gym, I know what I'm doing now because I have educated myself.  I have worked in small group personal training (small price compared to 1:1) sessions.  I am now certified by the National Academy of Sport's Medicine to be my own personal trainer.  I hope to train others, soon.  Just need to gain more experience.  I'm also a certified Pilates instructor.  These certifications would not have been achievable if I didn't figure out how to work with my body.

Pilates, yoga, short distance running, weight training and swimming appeal to me.  My body feels so much better after an hour or so of each.  But the real secret is to combine what feels good.  I would not be this strong just doing yoga.  The other modalities have greatly improved my arm balances in yoga, for example.

So when the year passes and you commit to finding the 'new you' thirty plus pounds lighter...get some education.  Don't think by just suiting up and gutting it out for an hour will change you.  Enjoy what you're doing and do it right.  Be wary of over indulging your sweet tooth simply because you 'worked out' that day.  If you work out for 1 hour, that's 4% of your day.  The real trick is controlling the other 96% of it.

You are amazingly gifted and can achieve whatever you put your mind to with the right attitude and resources.  GO YOU!

Are you Skinny/fat or a Strong bi*ch?

I know this Kelly Clarkson song doesn't really apply to my message here, but she has been scrutinized for her weight and she has admitted that she'll never 'be skinny'.  Her body is rockin' and a waif she will never be. This strong gal gets it!  She's beautiful and she looks 'healthy'.  Excuse me, but when did this look fall from grace?  "OMG!  You look so healthy"...these are words I live to hear!

Have you ever had a friend that eats whatever they want and their gym 'routine' consists of passing a facility on the way to work?  No matter what they do, exercise or not, they just don't gain weight.  They're not flabby, they're not struggling and they don't even think about it.  Their only concern is what to eat next!  

These people are FREAKS of nature, plain and simple.  Many of these same people are also paid beacoup cash to be models/dancers/actors, etc.  Sometimes their only talent -- a metabolism that won't quit.  But these are the people who seriously need to watch what they're putting into their bodies.  I know I cannot eat crap because it will adversely affect my weight and health.  However, for these freaks of nature who eat whatever, they may be doing far more damage to their systems because their outsides mask it.  Beware of bad habits!  Watch out for cholesterol levels, raised blood pressure, premature aging (courtesy of fried foods) and chronic diseases related to poor food choices.

For the rest of us mere mortals, we are cursed with a metabolism that slows to a crawl as we age.  There are basically two choices - diet, feel total deprivation and then put it all back on OR have a come to Jesus moment and change the way you handle your lifestyle!  

People who diet, or have done so previously, will all say the same thing....it doesn't work!  They're right.  Dieting is a joke.  But people are so desperate to lose weight they'll try anything.  Astronaut food, bars, points, juice fasting, you name and someone will have tried it and failed.  

Here's a shocking fact: food tastes good and is mandatory.  There is no getting around it.  We need the stuff or we die.  And our bodies need the REAL stuff, not the fake/chemically processed crap on the grocery shelves.  

I'm sorry, but simply eating grass and never enjoying food is just not an option for me.  I read 'Skinny Bitch ' and for four years I gave up meat.  What ended up happening was a major carb overload!  My corner was turned when I finally realized I wanted to be stronger and if I lost the weight, it was a bonus.  Being strong and healthy are my main goals.  Getting into skinny jeans was a thrill, not a priority.  The most amazing things will happen to your body (and your aging metabolism) as you increase muscle mass.  

Quick Fixes

by J. Rentilly July 11, 2012, 09:02 pm EDT
"You can always go under the knife, hack yourself to pieces, or take a bunch of pills. Plenty of Americans do that, but I think it’s a losing bet. Most of us know the best ways to take care of ourselves, but we just lack the discipline, focus, and tenacity to live that way. At this age, you can still turn it all around. You can drop the 20 pounds if you want to. Basically, the choice is this: Do I want an easy exit or a crash landing? At 50, those are your options."

It's not sexy, it's not rocket-science and it's free for all!  This is easy to do at home and you don't even need equipment.  Check out these additional articles from Women's and Men's Health!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/anywhere-workout

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/gym-exercise-machines?page=0

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/no-gym-no-excuses-workout

It's totally fine if you're starting a new routine from square one.  Some of these examples are a bit advanced, no problem.  Start out by going for a walk!  Each time you walk, extend your time by 5 minutes.  Maybe pick up the pace a bit.  Getting your cardio going will help start to strengthen you and then you can flirt with some of the exercises or even free weights.

I'd much rather be a strong bi*tch then a skinny one.  I'm much more confidant, I get a major rush of endorphins and it's empowering...plain and simple.

Quit dieting and join the legion of strong peeps who'd rather charge for tickets to the gun show!

How do you get strong?

Get movin'

Get this...more than 75% of the American adult population does NOT partake in the recommended daily 30 minute low-moderate physical activity.  I took this statistic out for a spin and the feedback: "After a mentally exhausting day, who wants to?", "I don't have any extra time", "Really?!?!"

So what's up with this?  Our country is more overweight than they are normal weight (I'm completely turned off by the word 'skinny' so I try to omit it)...66% are overweight and of those overweight 30% are obese.  And guess which population is most at risk?  Kids!  Schools are cutting out physical activities from their days and after school programs are getting the ax, so these little bodies just PLOP in front of the TV or computer.  Something needs to be done!!!

What are some of your barriers?  Common obstacles to getting our booties moving are social supports, resources, fear of failure/pain or just not giving a hoot!  There are people in this world who think, "what's the point, we're all going to die."  I cringe at this thought.  Sure, no one will live forever but isn't important to feel good as we approach the end?  For me, it's a no brainer.  I don't want to take drugs to alleviate aches and pains, I'd like to spend more time with my fam instead of the doctor's office and quite frankly being strong is one of the coolest feelings!

What gets people moving?  Social supports, resources, achieving goals, imagery, a good dance beat and the desire to say, "I'll carry in all the groceries, solo!".  Ok, so maybe that last one is just mine ;-)  I started getting my act together and before I knew it, my strength had increased and I no longer ask my super savvy (and strong) hubby to do things for me. HA!

I have found it to be beneficial to set some goals in order to achieve the big ones.  My ultimate goal is to increase strength and endurance.  The way I work towards these goals - train for a 5K, take on challenging classes, make peace with weight equipment, talk to social supports about small achievements.  I ran a 5K last year with my savvy hubby and it was great to have each other to share the pain, er memory.  

Here's a (funny) true story.  My best friend and I signed up (and paid) for a 5K run in Central Park.  We got up super early in order to make it by 8am.  For us, this was killer.  We're the type of friends who get some serious pillow talk done into the wee hours of the night.  But we were committed.  We nearly missed our stop on the train because we were chatting!  But come hell or high water, we made it to Central Park on-time and ready to run.  Well...this fly by night group that took our money were no where to be seen.  There were a handful of other frustrated runners that joined our search to find the sign in table.  Well, the joke was on us.  They never materialized.  

My bff turned to me and said, "Breakfast?".  I said, "Hell to the no, we got our butts up this early and we're ready to run, so we're running."  And off we went.  We kept each other honest, even though we had gotten tangled up with a dishonest company.  That's my secret - I keep my supports close at hand and when I don't feel like going to the gym or eating non-savvy foods, I remember my motivators and I stay on track.  

Glo and I ready to run in Central Park

What's holding you back?

I was in a spin class the other day and the instructor was trying to keep us positive as we tried to 'break through' the challenge.  He said, "Just know there is something in the universe that is always trying to hold you back from obtaining your goals."  Well smack my butt and call me Sally...he is completely right.  Nine times out of ten this 'thing' holding us back is fear.  Fear is a hologram, of sorts.  Some of us are so afraid of failing that we don't even try.


Run?  Yeah right, I'll ruin my joints.  Cycle? I'll go flying off the darn bike.  You want me to stand on my head?  I'll fall and break something.  Dance for an hour?  Are you kidding?  I'll twist an ankle or hit someone in the head.  Give up fried foods?  But I love french fries so much.  Make time to work out?  I'm afraid I'll be too tired and waste money on a gym membership.


If we get right up to the very thing that is holding us back, we push ourselves to the limit and realize that fear is just an illusion.  Unless you are into death defying feats (i.e. jumping off cliffs or out of planes) most of us will not perish by switching things up and facing our fears.  You get right up to the hologram of fear and realize its power is fictitious.

There may be some pain involved in adjusting our lifestyle.  If you're a perpetual couch potato, you most likely will not take well to moving your booty more often.  If you're a 'go-with-the-flow' eater (meaning you eat whatever you like and throw dietary caution to the wind), putting restrictions on yourself will be nothing short of irritating.  There will be something in the universe challenging your commitment to honoring your health and well being, trust me.

The old me hated:

• sweating
• washing hair too frequently due to sweating
• push ups
• running
• weight lifting
• eating vegetables
• not eating mac n'cheese
• not eating french fries
• gyms
• skipping desert
• not baking

The new me loves:

• sweating
• standing on my head
• standing on my hands
• push ups (even though I'm still working on doing a real man's push up without knee assistance)
• free weights
• veggie/fruit juice
• veggie smoothies
• not putting cream and sugar in my coffee
• gym
• baking once in awhile and sending the treats off with my hubby to work
• feeling and looking soooooo...much better!!

So you see, the pros outweigh the negatives.  If you're not having fun, you only have yourself to blame.  I make my exercise fun while I'm doing it.  I love going for bike rides with my savvy hubby.  I love taking my pups for a morning walk.  Going to the gym is something I look forward to because I have found a variety of classes that keep me motivated and excited to see what I can accomplish next.

Life is a challenge, no doubt.  My savvy friend recently joined a gym across the street from her work.  She and her husband have planned their schedules to accomodate gym time.  They have a little guy at home so they take turns going.  I think she's super savvy because she only takes it one week at a time.  Life does have a way of 'getting in the way', so they have a plan that ebbs and flows from week to week.  She plans her meals, her workout gear and her office attire the night before.  So when her 6am alarm rings, she already knows what she needs.  That's half the battle right there!  She's never stressed and she's looking and feeling great!  

I think it's brilliant to plan ahead.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  These are words I live by.  So plan out your meals, plan out your gym days and don't be afraid to change it if something comes up.  Just promise yourself that you will not let fear hold you back.  Make it work!

Breakin' up is hard to do

Over the weekend, my savvy hubby and I got reacquainted with some of our past loves.  We did this together, all the time laughing and sharing.   We're so scandalous, right?  HA!  I'll tell you some of our mutual past loves: chicken wings, pizza, ice cold beer, potato chips and cookies.  Our old flames made a brief appearance over the weekend and now it's back to reality.  It was a fun flirtation, but now it's Monday and we're back to reality.

Much like a real ex, it's fun initially but we quickly remembered why we broke up in the first place.  These indulgences are best enjoyed once in a blue moon (that's one of our favorite beers, coincidentally!!).  If we ate like idiots every day, things would look a lot bleaker for our futures.  We've been so disciplined to regain our sanity come Monday.  We used to splurge every weekend, for the entire weekend.  As we are aging, we realize it's a lot harder to keep our savvy figures if the flood gates open every Friday and don't close until Monday morning.

This morning the clouds hovered, the rain was pending and quite frankly my mood was in the gutter.  I didn't sleep well for three nights in a row and my energy level was so low I was surprised to find myself driving to the gym...truth be told I wanted to go back to bed.  I got to the gym 45 minutes prior to my strength training class.  There was some serious contemplation going on at this point, "Should I just go home and start again tomorrow?"  I wrestled with this dilemma and got a hold of myself when I remembered the current price of gas and what a waste it would be to get to the gym only to turn around and go home because I was tired!  Hell to the no! 

I put Beyonce on the iPod, hopped on a stationary bike and peddled until the class started.  I then jumped in the studio and lifted weights as if I actually had energy.  My levels did elevate, but at the end of my 1.5 hours of working out I was ready to crash.

My point in sharing this story, get your booty moving whether you're up for it or not.  Do what you can and don't let yourself off the hook.  I consumed more calories and fat over the weekend, then I normally do, so it was a 'go hard or go home mentality' this morning.

In order to remain savvy, I knew I had to hit the gym after my weekend of flirting with my exes.  After all, it's only my health ;)  And I'm never breaking up with my hot bod!!!

It's about time!!!

What can you get done in 30 minutes?  I'll tell you what I can do in thirty minutes:
-watch an episode of 'Say Yes to the Dress'
-google the words 'Snooki's love child' and read the countless number of articles speculating the future of Jersey Shore's sure demise
-hop in the car and drive to Starbucks for an Americano (that's a hot beverage, not a hot Italian import)
-think of new blog post
-catch up with friends (and mother) on the phone (sometimes more than 30 minutes, truth be told)
-throw a ball for my poodle (which she would rather I spend all day doing)
-take a shower

The list could go on for a blog that would read as a mini novella.  My point -- thirty minutes is not a long time.  I'm going out on a limb and guessing most of you reading this (kudos to you for having higher IQ's!!) would agree that thirty minutes is really just a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.

Guess what you can do, everyday, for thirty minutes and improve your health -- exercise!  For example, thirty minutes of walking everyday helps to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.  I hope it goes without saying, being a savvy foodie AND exercising go hand in hand to help improve your health.  I do not condone downing a Big Mac, french fries and a coke and then justifying it by saying, "Well I walked for thirty minutes so I'll be fine."  Fine is the last thing you'll be if that's your normal way of being.

The hardest part, for me, is actually getting my behind TO the gym.  I read a weight loss success story of a women who struggled with the simple act of getting dressed FOR the gym.  To bypass this obstacle she slept in her workout wear and then when her alarm rang (at 5:30 am)  all she did was brush her hair and teeth and she was ready to head out for the gym.

Ask yourself this, once you're engaging in your workout routine (be it, walking, running, weight lifting, stair climbing, whatever) is it still challenging to press on?  I usually join a class that goes for an hour so I just put myself in the middle of the room and throw my 60 minutes to the wind and get a great workout.  Sure, I have those moments when I think....THIS SUCKS!!!!  But my life would suck if I weren't working out, that's for sure!

I just got my 6 month body measurements done today.  While this savvy foodie had some moments of (what I like to call) 'eating like an idiot'...I was nervous and wanted to put it off for another month.  To my pleasant surprise my weight and percentage of body fat both decreased and my muscle mass has increased.  I'm stronger, leaner and more flexible.  My fabulous trainer told me, "Those of us who frequent the gym are stronger than 90% of the rest of the population who don't work out at all."

This squirrel is my inspiration

Well smack my (smaller) butt and call me happy!!!  What's another 30 minutes of exercise?

Not-so-savvy Holiday

Opps I did it again!  I fell victim to eating like an idiot.   I did not resist the urge to indulge.  My state of mind was simple -- 'enjoy'.  No carb was overlooked, cookies were consumed in mass quantities and I 

promised myself come Monday I'd get back to my regularly scheduled eating habits.

I'm (still) reading the Mayo Clinic Diet book and I'm being bombarded with bad habits to toss out. Suddenly I feel gross.  Granted, I know I don't usually eat like this everyday and I reserve the right to put my convictions on hold for special occasions, but nonetheless the feeling of guilt is palpable.

I let myself down.  I have been working diligently on my exercise routine and making sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies everyday.  In the last few days I have placed an overextended pause on my usual routine.  

"...remember, this is about you - when you come up with your own solutions, you're more likely to be successful."  (Mayo Clinic Diet, pg. 61).  This spoke to me!  Not just after over eating for Holiday weekends (!!!) but this is true for life.  I realized the importance of committing this to memory and applying it every single day.  This life...it's mine and this way of living is to improve ME!  I need to enjoy special occasion meals and not put myself on the rack of guilt afterwards.  Here are some thoughts to help keep me strong...feel free to try them out yourself

• no snacking, reserve the indulgence for what I truly want
• move my booty (a lot) prior to eating
• tell family I will be exercising for specified amount of time and will gladly help afterwards
• no desert, afterall it really is all about the mashed potatoes and gravy
• for every glass of wine, chase it with a glass of water
• heck, put water in wine glass to play with the mind
• do not pass out after meal
• prioritize what I really want
• eat lots of veggies instead of mac n' cheese as a side
• do not wear Thanksgiving pants, keep the tight jeans buttoned at all times

I have to also honor the fact that I have been working really hard at the gym and consequently building muscle which has helped raise my metabolism. This mindset can lead to a slipperly slope though.  My poor father thinks that going to the gym balances eating 'whatever you want'.  His little tummy is evidence enough for me to realize the error in his thinking.  It does help, but I cannot justify every decision with this mindset otherwise there goes my behind into a larger size.

I was super happy to re-join my favorite strength training class this morning and the entire room, instructor included, admitted to gorging (a bit) over the weekend.  I was thankful!!