SMILE - LAUGH - its good for you.

I woke up late this morning - rushed around my house - tripped over the dog, Zachary takes a 20 min to just get dressed (because well he stops to play with every toy that seems to come in his path), shuffle through the closet to figure out what I am going to wear (thank god its friday so jeans are it), remind Zachary to brush his teeth, run downstairs to iron my shirt, trip over dog again, AHHHHHH, blow dry hair, put makeup on, change shirt (so didn't even wear the shirt I ironed), had my son make my coffee for me (gotta love Keurigs), I make my shake, yup - trip over dog yet again, tell Zachary to get shoes and jacket, finally head out the door, drop Zachary off at sitter, stop to get gas (I always wait until super low), and drive to work - phewwwww..... All of that within an hour of my day.  All of you reading - so know where I am coming from - I'm not the only one that has mornings like that.

Now back in the day - that would have totally set my day off and would have been miserable - but why bother - its done and over with - so SMILE - LAUGH about it and let it go. I got to work - and have just laughed since walking in the door - it was something that a few co-workers said to me about the wedding, it was something I read on facebook, one of my friends (who has been working super hard at eating healthy and losing weight) told me that her scale is moving in the right direction - I am so happy for her!

So all of you that have had crazy mornings - smile - forget about them - and just think of all the great things that will happen to you today!!! Make your day awesome.

On a side note - I too lost another lb - which I'm an thrilled about. Between changing up my eating habits, drinking TONS of water, karate with the awesome Dawn Richey, checking in with my Beachbody Coach Laurie, and digging deep through INSANITY - a combination of it all has made it work for me - but  most importantly its because I'm MOTIVATED - I'm on a quest to be my best!! :)

For anyone that is interested in learning more about the Beachbody products, want to learn how I can coach you and help you reach your goals, or want to learn more about the karate program I am in - please contact me. It has helped me and I can guarantee it will help you (in more ways than one).

Have an awesome Friday everyone!!!!

Hugs :)

Water water water - What it do for you?

Feeling dehydrated is such an awful feeling - what it does to your body is just as bad. Drinking water - through out the whole day - is such a boost to your mind and your body. I found an article that I thought said it perfectly - I will share bits and pieces in today's blog...

Here are 11 Benefits of Drinking Water.. by mangosteen-natural-remedies.com

Top 11 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

You will be amazed of the benefits of drinking water as follow:

1.     Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger; it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories.

2.     Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.

3. Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
4. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.
5. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
6. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps with digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
7. Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
8. Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system.
9. Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
10. Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
11. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Can you see the importance of water to your body after understanding the above benefits of drinking water? Makes sense right - so do your body right today and drink some water. If you are a soda drinker - or love your coffee all - start by drinking a glass of water in place of the soda or coffee - and eventually you can wean yourself off it totally (if you would like to wean yourself off - water is so much better for you anyway) :)

I know I have't drank enough water lately and I could tell - I'm tired, I get a headache in the back of my neck/head when I am dehyrdrated and well have had that for two days, with this weather my skin is so dry so can tell there too - I have too many of the signs myself!!

Not sure if you are dehydrated - thats ok - here are some signs to watch for:

• Dark Urine – Dark Yellow or Orange in Color: Urine is generally pale yellow to clear when you have sufficient water intake. Dark color or strong smell indicates that you need to drink more water.
• Dry Skin: Skin is the largest body organ and requires its share of water.
• Thirst: Thirst is the most obvious sign that you're already dehydrated. It is always a good practice to drink more water when your are not thirsty, don’t wait until you're thirsty.
• Hunger: Most people mistake hunger for the indication to eat more, whereas in actual fact, they may be dehydrated. So before you have your meal, grab a glass of water.
• Fatigue: Water is a source of energy and gives you a boost in energy.

So the question of the day - how much water should a person drink in a given day???

There is no clear-cut answer as to how much water to drink per day, because it depends upon a number of factors like your health condition, your activity status, the climatic conditions, physical size, your weight and your environment etc. You lose quite a lot of water through sweating, exhaling and urinating. In hot weather, you tend to lose more water through sweating, in cold condition, you tend to urine more. In the event of sickness like flu and diarrhoea, you tend to lose fluid. When you weigh more, your body needs more fluid for the muscle, organ, bone etc.



There are many recommendations advise that you drink 8 glasses (250ml/8 ounce per glass = total of approx 2 litre) of water a day. Is drinking 8 glasses of water enough? Remove the environmental, climatic factors and your activity level out of the equation, the amount of water intake is vary according to your weight. A more accurate estimation is to drink at least half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. Let's illustrate with the following example:


1. You weigh 160 pounds.

160 ÷ 2 = 80 (amount of water to drink in ounce per day) Answer: Drink 80 ounce of water per day. 

So stay thirsty my friends and drink up - WATER that is :)

Decide .... Committ.... Succeed!!! I am a winner!!!!

Whoop whoop! I went and tried my dress on last night - and boy it was nerve wracking for a few seconds. Put the skirt on - girls - you know the thing that you put under the dress to make it poofy - and OMG that sucks ya right on it. Ok, check - that went on with no problems.  Next the dress - so up over the head it goes - slips right on into place. So here is the moment - the moment I have been dreading since before Thanksgiving - WILL IT ZIP and WILL I HAVE BACK FAT? AHHHHH.

So I'm holding the front in place - I hear the "zipping" sound - and up it goes - I swear I heard the angels singing "hallelujah". OMG I was sooo happy that it fit. Not only did it zip up with no issues - my dress is a perfect fit - no alterations needed at all... not even the hem. Fit like a glove!!

I'm still all smiles.

I even had my hair done - had a pre-bridal hair appointment - which I didn't have planned - worked out perfect that it was going to be the same day I was trying on the dress. So I was able to get the whole picture... and well I am still smiling. I just LOVE LOVE my dress - its so comfy and love how she ended up doing my hair - it all just came together nicely.

DECIDE... COMMITT.. SUCCEED I did and it brought me to the exact spot I wanted. Fitting into my dress like a glove.  I had alot of support from my Beachbody Coach - Laurie and the challenge groups I was in and the karate classes I have been taking at East West Karate with Dawn Richey. It all helped me stay committed and accountable for my actions - for what I ate or didn't eat, for working out or not, etc. I did it - I know how I want to look at feel on my wedding day - and beautiful, healthy, fit, happy, all came to mind. I love knowing that I will have ZERO regrets for reaching my goal - no EXCUSES - and better yet - I DIDN'T QUIT when it got hard - I might have taken breaks - but NEVER QUIT!!!! Most importantly - I did this for MYSELF!!! No one can take that from me.

Not only has me weight/body changed but also my attitude -  I am trying to be so positive about as much as I can. If anything is negative - I try very hard (really really hard) to find the positive in it. Be at work, home, friends, family, etc - it has helped. I swear smiling just because makes your whole body feel just better.

I want to be a better person all the way around - and well I think I'm on the right track.

Hugs to all my readers and know that you too can reach your goals. :) I'm here to help in any way possible - you owe it to yourself!!!

:)

High Five

What do you do if you wake up and have a lame workout?? You high-5 yourself for getting up, and go for it again tomorrow!! Well said by Carl Daikeler, CEO of Beachbody!

Seriously - if you get yourself up in the morning - cold mornings and all in good ole CNY - get yourself to the gym or walk to your downstairs and put in a DVD - you made an attempt alot of people don't do! So you truly deserve a high five (my high five for you is below)!!

However, I want to give all of my friends/family out there a high-five that workout whether you are in the mornings, afternoon, at night, while vacuuming - whenever you can fit it into your schedule - GOOD FOR YOU!!! You will see once you get a routine down and keep at it - it gets easier. You don't want to miss that workout, its easier to get up in the morning, you can make it a family event at night. All of it - all of it will get easier.

So give yourself another high five and know that you are on your way to a healthier and happy you!!

40 Days Left

OMG 40 days until the wedding. I am so excited - I just want the day to be here already. I try my dress on this Thursday - so we will see if all that I have been has paid off - lets hope!!

So a few post ago - I talked about setting goals -so how many of you readers (no clue how many are really even reading my blog lol) but anyway - the ones that are reading - lets check in and see how you are doing.  Are you sticking to any of your goals? Have you started yet? Are you on track? Do you need some help? Do you feel better? Take a step back and "check yourself" see if the goal you set is working for you - does it need to be modified - can you check it off your list and move onto another goal? Do you need to set some more??

One of my goals was to get up by 6am during the weeks. I did well first week of so - then it seemed to slip to 6:30am vs 6am. So I am making a conscience effort to stick to it. DEMOLISH that goal of mine. I was doing so well and felt great when I would get up earlier - not rushing, was able to toss in a load of laundry, get some Team Beachbody work done, etc. Now - I am so tired that I just starting to hit snooze - well now I just turn off the damn alarm.. ha ha. NOT GOOD! I pushing myself and am determined to demolish this one.

Have a great day everyone!!

Wash it all away!!!

I agree with the below picture 100% - nothing better than working out and getting rid of so many negative emotions. When you have that day that you are just miserable and don't want to work out - those are the days you need to push through it and JUST DO IT! You will feel so much better - I guarantee!!

No pain ....

Is it sad that I'm looking forward to my workouts today??? After work I will have my love hate relationship with Shaun T and do my Insanity workout - he will push me to my limit and I will keep pressing on - keep focused and dig deeper - then I will get my heart rate back down - help Zachary with his homework (heart rate will go back up lol) then go visit the awesome Dawn Richey at East West Karate where there she will kick my ass some more - however I will continue to press on and focus!! I got this - I know I do!! I WILL WIN!! I WILL BE A WINNER!!

Make time to worry - and workout

Ha.. how funny does that sound right "make time to worry" but its amazing on how much it works. I mean come on we all worry - its just human nature - but instead of worrying ALL day long - make time for it. When something comes up in the middle of the day - write it down - set it aside and later in the day go back to your list and figure it out. TRUST me it works. Never go back through the list though - no sense in going back through what has already happend .... quote from my Beachbody Coach Call last week "No Future in the Past - look forward".  How awesome is that quote??

My wedding is fast approching and there have been some stresses lately (and I'm sure there will be plenty more) - but I have dealt with them and have moved on.  There is no changing some things, things happen, and quite frankly - WHATEVER - IT IS WHAT IT IS (love that saying).  Lastnight - I cried, was angry, no patience, but I put in my INSANITY DVD - those next 33 minutes were amazing. I pushed it - focused on my workout - forgot about everything else around me and felt awesome after. I was able to think clearer - and was able to forgive. As late as it was - I new working out would make me feel better and it did. Thanks Shaun T - you helped in more ways than one!

Try it next time - make time to worry and push yourself - even when you feel awful and feel you have zero energy to work out - you will be surprised - if you dig deep enough - that its there and how amazing you will feel after!

Cheers to a great day my friends - make today RIDICULOUSLY amazing.

WANTED: Positive People

This was posted on one of my Beachbody Groups today and I just had to share as I believe its a great message. Words to live by!!!

"Surround yourself with Winners. A winner is someone who is positive, optimistic, lives life to the fullest, and inspires you to be your best self. Strive to limit your interactions with negative people. Negative people will drain you of your energy and sense of hope"

YES MAM'

Lastnights workout was Combat Fitness at East West Karate. Zachary started karate there in September and what a difference in him (granted last couple of weeks have been rough but... ). His teachers even noticed a difference in his focus at school - AWESOME!!

Well I started taking their Combat Fitness classes for teen/adults and awesome awesome workouts. The beginning of the class is conditioning... whoop whoop (yes I'm sick I love conditioning workouts).  Last night she switched it up - first 10 minutes was a warm up - run, wall chairs (where you put your back against the wall and squat down) feel the burn feel the burn. We did the wheel barrow with a partner - which is great both directions - as the wheel barrow - its all upper body to hold yourself up and walk across the mat - on the way back its all upper again again to hold your partner. I held my core tight to also give my abs a workout.

In the middle of class we learned a new technique (which I'm not even going to try to spell - Dawn will need to chime in for that) and well you hold certain poses long enough you feel the burn in your legs or when you chamber your arm back the correct way you feel it across your arm, shoulders, and back!!

End of class she followed up with some sit ups - first with a partner - wrap your ankles together and clap hands when you come up - then we had to so them separate - I totally need to work my core more!!!

So a big YOU ROCK to Dawn for being the awesome person she is and taking her knowledge and sharing  it with us!!!

Monday monday!!!

Its so amazing on how we wake up monday morning and alot of us go "ugggg monday you suck" When really monday hasn't even started yet. I am (was) totally that person.

When really - lets get up and hit monday hard - start our week off positive and give ourself the best week we know how. Think about it - if you start your week off negative - when we haven't even gotten out of bed yet - I mean really we have set ourself up for a shitty week. I have started to make sure that I get up on time - I like before 6am - that way I am not rushed, I can get a workout in if I want, drink my shake, have a cup of coffee, change my outfit 3 times, get Zachary up and going, and still be relaxed. I use to hit snooze and end up getting up late - rush to the shower - no breakfast - no coffee - then I end up rushing Zachary too. That is no way to start a day.  I don't want Zachary to have a morning like that. :)

One of my goals so far this year has worked (getting up at/or before 6am on weekdays and I will continue to make it work!!  I have seen a difference in myself and Zachary and its great. :)

So cheers monday - YOU ROCK!!!

Friday Food Tip - Calming Foods

Want to eat your way to zen.. studies have found that these options can help contribute to a healthy mental state, buffer against the harmful physical effects of stress, and dial up your serentity level.

Asparagus:
Yes, it is true a side effect may include funky smelling urine but its a small price to pay for all the folate they deliver. The B vitamin is essential in  helping you keep your cool when stress rears its ugly head.

Berries:
All berries are rich in vitamin C - which has been shown to be helpful in combating stress.

Oranges:
Another vitamin C powerhouse!!

Who knew these simple foods could help us out in more ways than one.
(thanks Womens Health Jan/Feb 2012 mag for the above info)

Day 3 - Weight lifting

Well being that I still can't feel my legs from the intense Insanity workout - I didn't push it yesterday. So instead I did a light arm workout. We have one of those all in one weight machine in our office at home. So I did about 4 arm workouts. I must have did something right as my arms and pecs are yelling at me today. My legs are just getting back to feeling normal. So hopefully tonight I can continue with the Insanity. I don't know how people can do it every day - maybe I will get there - and hopefully I will... but a <clap clap> YOU ROCK - if you are one of those peeps that does Insanity daily. :)

My eating habits haven't been bad either. Had my shakeology for breakfast - healthy lunch - and dinners have been solid. Protein, veggie, and a side. I just watch my portion size. With the work outs I am doing - having the carbs and the extra calories are needed - just need to make sure its the right calories. :)

Have a super duper of a day everyone!!

:)

Day 2 - Insanity and Karate

So my work out yesterday consisted of Insanity with Shaun T(around 5pm) - the Plyometric Cardio Circuit (40 minutes). Burning fat with intervals of intense lower body plyo and sweat inducing cardio. Well #1 - I was sweating for sure. More than a women should sweat. LOL Thats ok - that means I was putting 110% into my workout. Don't get me wrong - there were times I had to stop - my body was telling me "NEED BREAK". Thats ok... as Shaun T will tell ya - take breaks when needed. They were short ones - enough to catch my breath and for my legs to stop shaking. :)

The other part of my work out was Karate with Dawn Richey at East West Karate in Liverpool (7:30pm - 60 minutes). The first half hour of class is always conditioning. We had to do sprints - start off on one side - run to the other touch the cone - run backwards to the next cone and keep going. We then had to hold this dummy (I am not sure what the weight of it was) over our head and do squats (at this point I thought my legs were going to scream at me).  Then we had to do more sprints back and forth across the mat. Then onto our bellies - had to army crawl across the floor and back, bear crawl, and baby crawl... OMG - if legs could talk mine would have been swearing at me. Then we went into puches - all upper body - perfect!!! Then the remainder of class is karate moves - we did self defense moves - perfect!!

Hope everyone was able to get a work out in yesterday as well. Please share with me what you did - I would love to hear!!! :)

Sprinkle on the citrus

Did you know that an orange peel contains more Vitamin C than the fruit itself??? So, grate the skin of the orange and use it as a topping for salads and vegetables.

Pow....... :)

Worth it!

Ab-tastic Advice

Saw this in my magazine and thought I would share. A good way to get great abs - my fav is the perfect plank.. :) Enjoy!

Here are some really great ab workouts....

Zero in on the O.
Not that kind... lol. We are talking about your obliques, the muscles on the sides of your waist that, when targeted, can help melt a muffin top. "Working your obliques pulls everything together and gives you a slim waist."
Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, elbows out. Life your legs to the tabletop position (knees and hips bent 90 degrees). Raise your shoulders off the floor as your bring your elbow to your right knee. Lower, than repeat with your right elbow and left knee.

Perfect the plank
The plank works your abs and everything else. To do it..
Hold the upper position of a pushup, keeping your arms straight, back flat, and neck long. Hold for 60 seconds.

Give yourself a raise
Can work legs and abs....
Lie on your back, arms at your sides. Brace your abs, then left your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor, keeping them pressed together and as straight as possible. Slowly lift your tailbone and inch off the floor. Reverse for one minute.

Commit Yourself!

As many of you are aware I recently became part of the Beachbody Team!! I started with a challenge pack (drank Shakeology and did the Insanity workout) and felt amazing. At first I thought OMG its a little too pricey - however the challenge pack included a month of the Shakeology, a DVD workout, Free 30 Day membership which gives you access to the meal planner, and you get free shipping. When I broke it down - the shake was about $4.00 day -the breakfast I buy from my work cafe' cost more than that. So I went with it and liked the product so much I ended up signing up and becoming a coach. I thought of all of my friends and family that are interested in health and fitness and well - thats why you are receiving this email. :)

Fitness and being healthy has always been important to me. We all want to feel and look better so why not start today. You too can start with a challenge pack - there are three different options and price ranges. With each challenge pack you will receive the shakeology (enough for 30 days), fitness program of your choice, Free 30 day membership with access to the meal planner, free shipping, and full support and motivation from me. I will be there whenever you need some help, motivation,or questions answered (I'm the question queen - just ask my coach Laurie).

Below is a quick little video for you to watch. You can see the transformation that people have gone through. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcMkF7XV4yg&feature=share

So what am I asking of you?? Commitment - commit yourself to either 30 or 60 or 90 days. Its not only a commitment you will be making for yourself but also one I will be making to you. I will be committed on giving you the full support and motivtion that you need to reach your goal.

2012

Rewind and restart....

Well last post was in Nov... I haven't stopped working out or went back to my old eating habits - I just well guess I lost my blogging touch. Ok, really there was way to much going on at that time for me to also be writing in my blog... but onward and upward.

I have also started karate at least twice a week I aim for. Last week wasn't a good with with it as I was sick and would not have done well and well I couldn't go longer than 5 min with out needed to blow my nose... wouldn't have been pretty!   But this is a new week and a new go at it.

Did the Fit Test on Insanity yesterday and well my numbers are up from the last time I did it - so thats a bonus. Means my cardio is getting better.

I'm not making any new years resolutions what I am making for myself are goals - things that I want to accomplish this year and more!! :) Resolutions I think get lost - goals well goals I can work towards - not setting a time limit - just my list for me!!

So why doesn't everyone sit back and write your goal list out! They can be easy to hard. Here are some examples of mine: I would like to run a 1/2 marathon and a full marathon, Get out of bed no later than 6am each day (stole that one from Laurie), I want to learn to not take things so seriously and not not things to heart so much, & I would like to WRITE and MAIL letters/bday cards to people. So there is a little snip it of what I would like to accomplish this year.

If you want a letter or card send me your address - lol :)

Have a great day everyone! Talk to you tomorrow.