How will I know?

We are now eleven days into the new year.  For most of us, we're also 11 days into our resolutions which means we only have 3 more days of misery.  If you're anything like the majority of Americans, you've given it your best shot.  You joined a gym, vowing to go before or after work 3x a week.  You tried a new class.  You've been starving for the past 11 days and quite frankly you're getting sick and tired of 'trying'.

The masses are trying to sell more sugar in the form of Valentine's Day candy.  I mean....the Christmas crap isn't even off all the shelves yet.  The 75% off candy is next to 'A New Year, A New You' self-help book!! And for cryin' out loud, it's just too hard to stick to your resolution.

Something in the universe is working against you and you're slowly slipping into your old patterns and seriously questioning your resolution.  What's a few more pounds?  Isn't life too short to not enjoy?  Don't you miss the taste of crap?  It's time to get off the treadmill.  You have no desire to stand on your head in that God forsaken Yoga class with those weirdos and weight lifting is just for meat heads.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
It's only the rest of your life!

Do you want to enjoy it?  Or just find yourself on the merry-go-round of mediocrity?  Giving into your taste buds?  Who's stronger?  Big wonderful YOU or little stinking them?  Do you know it's possible to re-train your buds?  Just because it's green does not mean you'll gag.  Just because it's not doused in sugar does not mean it won't be yummy.

Here's the giant elephant in the room...if you want the NEW and IMPROVED YOU there are no resolutions.  When the clock ticks away to a new year, there is no vow to make yourself miserable.  Instead, it's all about just getting back to YOU.  Figuring out what works for you to be savvy and healthy.

I have found it's not about counting calories or hopping on the scale.  By living a healthy savvy life, pounds drop and diets are a thing of the past.  I love my yoga classes.  I look forward to my weight training sessions and I can now safely run a 5K without stressing out.   It's not a goal.  It's not a resolution.  It's my life!

You'll find, as with any addict, people who enable and discourage you.  'Just eat it, who cares?' or 'Why be miserable?'.  My answer to these enabling statements: Because it's my life!  The choices I make today will have a lasting effect on the rest of my days.  I don't want to be at the doctors for high blood pressure and type II diabetes.  I don't want migraines or other common aliments.  I want to be the best I can be and I want to feel good!  I want to be able to fit into my normal size pants and not creep up into 'fat pants'.  I want all the good stuff and I know it's worth it.  Who wants to feel miserable/depressed/fatigued/moody.  Bad food, over processed food can cause all of the aforementioned lousy side effects.

It's also important to figure out what type of exercise doesn't feel like exercise.  By this I mean, if you do not enjoy running, for example, don't rely on that form of exercise to burn the calories.  If the treadmill makes you cringe, no biggie!  Try a bicycle!  Try a stair master (for buns of steel!).  If you're afraid of bulking up from weight lifting, trust me unless you're going hard core the likelihood of looking like the 'Incredible Hulk' are slim to none.

Stop letting YOU get in the way of YOU!  Imagine an angel on one side and a devil on the other.  The angel will push and motivate you, the devil will tell you 'it's too hard, stop'.  Which do you listen to?  Don't misunderstand something as being painful with something that requires training your muscles.  If you have not done yoga before, some of the poses will freak you out (they did me!).  But by building muscles, the poses become easier.  If there's pain involved, stop.  That's not the devil, that's common sense.

Get in touch with your body.  You are the expert.  Challenge yourself, but don't hurt yourself.  If you fall off your wagon, there is no shame in getting back on it.  If you're in an exercise class and you can't do something, don't worry.  We weren't born knowing how to do it all.  Learn.  Be patient.  Be committed.  The results will make you smile.  Take yourself from goals to a way of living.  The benefits will blow your mind.

Namaste.

Pump up the jam!

Music has a profound influence on me.  It's amazing how energized I become when I have a fierce jam blasting in my ears.  A lot of people psych themselves up for something epic by listening to various tunes.  For some, rap has a 'take no prisoners' message that helps them soar to new heights of athletic performance.  Others prefer songs with mantra's of 'you can do it', i.e. 'Eye of the Tiger'.  My apologies, the included videos are from YouTube and you'll need to be redirected.  Simply hit play, minimize the YouTube screen and come back to my brilliant writing!

I believe associations are of great importance.  Just like 'eye of the tiger', the visual comes to mind of a boxer.  'Chariots of fire' has a direct link to running.

What motivates me, is angry music.  Songs that make me want to curse and scream, because let's face it...working out can be grueling. The harder I push myself the greater the reward.  I'm obsessed with a strength training class and there have been times when I literally wanted to cry.  I was sweating from every pore and I figured it was just my eye balls sweating, too.  It's hard work, but it's worth it when I get back into my skinny jeans.

I have a very defined jaw line and when I'm puffy, it's lost.  I have the unfortunate luck of having weight position itself right on the very thing I cannot conceal with spanx...my visage.  So when I'm in dire need of trimming down, all I need to do is look in the mirror.  It's a blessing and a curse.  I digress....

I went to a running seminar a few weeks ago.  Some runners prefer not to listen to music, but those who do (it's essential for me) determining the Beats Per Minute (BPM) truly influences the pace.  It's all about cadence of the stride.  Ask a running professional about the ideal BPM and the goal should be somewhere around 160.  If you clock your BPM, you'll enhance your running.  It's kind of amazing, actually.

You can google (I just love this is a word in our vocabulary now) 'songs to run to', 'runners world', and 'run2rhythm' to get some examples of songs and their pace.  I'm going to share my 'run bitch' playlist that keeps me going.  Whether it's running or lifting weights, these jams get me pumped!

'On the Floor' by Jennifer Lopez - this is the song that initially got me running.  It has such a great beat, I just can't help myself!!

'Blow' by Ke$sha - if this comes on towards the end of my workout, I feel like I'm going to blow UP!

'Howl' by Florence + the Machine - I first heard this song in a spin class.  The instructor was so moved by it's beat, he played it twice!  Never happened in a class before.

'Kiss with a fist' by Florence + the Machine - This tune will raise an eyebrow. I googled (love this word) it and the message is NOT about domestic violence.  For me, I run so hard my legs feel like they're going to fly off!!!  WHOOSH!!!  If you click this link, you'll be able to read about the message of this tune.  I LOVE the link's main image says 'sweat drips'...it's perfect!!  

'Little Lion Man' by Mumford and Sons - This is a great jam to listen to when you literally think you have nothing left to give.  This song will carry you through!!  Again, sorry you'll be re-directed to YouTube.  

'Lose Yourself' by Eminem - This tune is perfect to run to at a 5.8 pace.  It's an angry song and the epitome of a 'you can do it' tune.

'Justified and Ancient'  by KLF feat Tammy Wynette - This is a very old song.  Many of you won't even know it.  But this is my cool down jam!!  I had to order the darn thing from a previous owner in Europe just to get the right version.

These are just a few of my favorite plays when I'm at the gym.  I also love listening to them en route to the gym.  It gets me really psyched up and I'm ready to 'attack' once I start my workout.  I love my music so much that sometimes I don't want to take a class because that means I'll have to turn off my music and listen to the crap the instructor plays....like 'Barbie Girl'.  I'll take one for the team, though.