"She's got Man-Arms!"

There's such a negative view on women having "buff" arms.

In fact, I was looking at a "Oxygen" (women's fitness) Magazine and my co-worker blurted out, 

My Co-Worker: "That's gross."  I look over to see what she's talking about.

My Co-worker: "Look at her arms.  She's got Man-Arms."

I look at the picture of the woman flexing in the picture. I shrug my shoulders and say:

Me: "Well, she's flexing.  She doesn't walk around like that all day...flexing."

I don't know why but I got annoyed by her comment.  Given, yes she had bigger/muscly arms than most women would have.  But I looked at the fitness model in a different way.  I looked up to her because I think of all the training she has gone through to look like that.  It takes a lot of time and GREAT dedication.  I think that it's fine however a woman wants to look, as long as THEY"RE HAPPY!

I think society has this "Typical" idea of what every woman should look like.  

And sad to say, WOMEN are the ones that support it most.

There is not a moment that goes by that women out there are trying to change something about themselves.  And I'm not saying I've never been a victim in this false idolatry.  

I wish I could easily escape it.  It's all around us.

Tina Fey said it best:

“Every girl is expected to have caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits. This is why everyone is struggling.”

I've looked at my own arms and flexed, and I kind of scare myself sometimes.  I've got MUSCLES now.  Aren't I supposed to have delicate skinny arms???

Then I realize all the hard work and dedication that I've put in to getting those arms! And you know what?? 

There's no way I would take back my workouts.

Because of my workouts, I FEEL empowered as a woman! 

And my workouts make me feel great!

So yes, I don't judge women that may be more muscly then their own kind may be acceptable by but as long as their happy, BE HAPPY FOR THEM!

Workout Week #3

I finished a fascinating book this weekend called Bombshell by Suzanne Somers.  

I've been wanting to read it for a while and finally got around to doing so.  

Here's my review from Good Reads:

This book was absolutely fascinating. I find myself wishing I had all these doctors to help me figure out a health plan for me and my future. BUT all of that takes a lot of money, which all celebrities (including Suzanne Somers) HAS. So I get a little frustrated with all the things they're able to change in their life because they have MONEY! But aside from that fact (that all of this costs money) , I am still grateful for all the wonderful knowledge in this book. I learned a lot about what steps I I should be taking to live a long, healthy and happy life.

But that's another thing, I didn't like the attitude of "I want to live forever," from Suzanne Sommers and some of the doctors. It turned me off in some chapters because it kept coming up. I'm all about doing everything I can (within my limits) to help improve my life and get rid of the toxins but I'm not thinking extreme longevity (past my 100's). I just want to be able to have strength, happiness and mobility. That's all I want when I'm 80 or 90 years old. So all-in-all, Bombshell was very enlightening to the fact of just working on being more fit and eat natural foods. The other stuff such as bio-technology and so forth....I'm sure that I won't ever be able to afford it, sorry Suzanne.

Last Week's Workout:

Monday: Jillian Michaels: 6 Week Six-Pack (workout 2, then workout 1)
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs (workout 3, then workout 2)
Wednesday: Insanity's Cardio Power and Resistance
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Bob Harper: Yoga for the Warrior
Saturday: Insanity's Plyometric Cardio Circuit + 5 minute low plank
Sunday: Rest




RED= Mostly Strength workout
BLUE= Purely Cardio

What You Seek!

I love this picture of Marilyn Monroe because she looks
so content and at peace.  We are all looking for
that peace in our lives!

I have a very strong belief that whatever you seek, 

IT is seeking you!

If you work hard to find the answers to a more fulfilling life, whether it be:

Your job.

Your health.

Your happiness.

Your family.

Your religion.

Your love for yourself.

Your love for others.

Your service for others.

Your laughter.

Your strength.

Your TIME.

You will FIND IT!

Planning to Be Healthy

One of the hardest components in being healthy is to plan for it.  BUT if you get your head in the game and get excited about it and get great ideas of HOW to plan to be healthy then it is 100% doable.  

And Trrrrust me, this is a work-in-progress for me!

So here are areas that I find helpful to plan ahead:

1. Breakfast meal

I eat breakfast EVERYDAY!!! It's my most favorite meal of the day.  I give myself 15 minutes to prepare/eat my breakfast.  In fact I would like to plan more time for my breakfast because 10 of those minutes turns into cooking/ taking my supplements/ putting my lunch together (cause I was lazy the night before).  Anyway Breakfast is so important!  Most mornings I have egg & spinach omelet cooked in coconut oil with steamed sweet potato--or if I don't have any sweet potatoes, I have a banana with natural peanut butter.  I have eggs quite a bit.  If I'm more hungry that morning I make oatmeal with--natural peanut butter, honey, almond milk, shredded unsweetened coconut and sliced almonds.  Most commonly that is my oatmeal recipe--it's SO delicious!  Other times I may add cacao powder to make it taste like a dessert!

2.  Packed lunch for work the next day

This probably the most annoying one because I have to make it the night before and sometimes that includes extra cooking because there may not be any dang leftovers in the house.  So I usually make a Spinach Salad with whatever Veggies I have in the house (cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, cilantro), Nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts), Fruit (dried cranberries, chopped apples), Meat (chicken, ham, pork, eggs), and almost always AVOCADOS! ---because I love them so much!

3.  Post-workout snack

For me, I just need to actually HAVE healthy foods in my house to have a healthy post-workout snack.  For example, if I always have berries or a banana, almond milk, nut butter (important for Protein)---THEN I always have a healthy smoothie as an option.  Other possible smoothie ingredients I use: protein powder, handful of spinach, shredded unsweetened coconut,  sliced almonds, cacao powder.  BUT the basics are all you need for a healthy post-workout snack.

4.  Dinner

I plan at least 2-3 meals per week (we have leftovers or salads/sandwiches on other days).  I plan on meals that are healthy  but foods that Blake will enjoy as well.  I also focus on at least 1 vegetarian meal per week for dinner.

5.  Good-for-me snacks when I'm feeling snacky

It's so easy to grab the chip bag.  I like to have a bag of small pre-cut carrots, nuts, apples, peanut butter & dark chocolate when I'm feeling snacky.  And it does the trick every time.  What I use to do was grab some chips, then a cookie, then some ice-cream--because I felt like I was filling this craving that never got filled because I was choosing foods that were making we want more processed foods.

6.  What foods I plan to buy at the grocery store

I make a list of what I need and mostly I stay on the outskirts of the grocery store, where the produce is located.

7.  What exercise I will do that day

Am I feeling tired--Do I need something less strenuous?

Am I feeling energetic--I want something more challenging.

8.  How much water I am drinking (more like monitor)

I've heard so often that you need to drink 8 oz of water 8 times a day = 64 oz!

BUUUT actually it's not based on a number.  It's based on the color of your urine.

It needs to look like a pale lemonade to know that you're drinking enough water.

If it's at all orangey---chug that water!

9.  How many hours of sleep I plan on getting

This is the ABSOLUTE most important factor of all of these.  I've noticed that if I don't get enough sleep, everything else goes down hill.  I'm too tired to make breakfast, lunch or dinner.  I'm too tired to go to the grocery store to restock my fruits/vegetables/protein etc.  I'm too tired to exercise.  Above all, not enough sleep = cranky mood + crazy cravings!  Anyway, not getting enough sleep is a set up for disaster for me.  So I make sure I go to bed early and read before I go to sleep to get a good, deep sleep. 

Workout Week # 2

I thought I might post my workouts (per week) up to a whole year!

I will do my very best to keep this going.

That way you can get an idea of what I do.

Also, it will help remind myself...now what did I do again last year?

I hope to change it up more when the summer comes (running, hiking etc. )

I also hope to get a stationary bike (like the ones in cycling classes).

I'm sure I'll try out new workout DVD's as well and I'll include those in my weekly workouts.

One i'm looking forward to now is Jillian Michael's Hard Body, which comes out March 5th!

I'm also looking into Jari Love and Michelle Dozois (if you've tried them out, let me know what you think :)  I've never tried their dvds...so we'll see.

What I did last week:
Week # 2

Monday: Insanity's Cardio Power & Resistance
Tuesday: Insanity's Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Wednesday: Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning
Thursday: P90X Plyometrics DVD
Friday: REST
Saturday: Insanity's Max Interval Plyo
Sunday: REST


RED= Mostly Strength workout
BLUE= Purely Cardio

Key Lime Pie Protein Shake

Yesterday I went to the library to check out some fitness magazines.

A lot of people forget to use the library as a source to find out what's new

 in the health/fitness world. You can keep up to date with out spending a single penny.

Ahh....I love the library!

I love reading Oxygen magazine.  I love that they have pictures of women that actually look like they workout rather than just slim-looking women.  It's very inspirational! 

They always have great recipes and every month they introduce a new shake recipe.

January's shake recipe is Key Lime Pie Shake.

I couldn't wait to try it!

I love trying new shake recipes, especially if it tastes like having a treat!

I had this delicious shake in the morning for breakfast before my workout.

It's got a freshness to it from the lime zest which I love!

Great way to start the day or use it as post-work-out shake!

Source: Oxygen Magazine

Ingredients:
makes 1 serving

1/2 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp lime zest
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/4 c vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1-2 packets stevia (optional)


Place all ingredients in a blender and process thoroughly


Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 350
Total Fats: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium 230 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 22g
Dietary fiber: 8 g
Sugars: 5 g
Protein: 25 g
Iron: 2 mg

"End-Date" Diets

Avoid any diet with an "end-date."  Instead of Dieting, adapt life-long changes!

I've tried out a new podcast called Balanced Bites.  It's a podcast strictly about Paleo.  

As I've said before, I'm not strictly paleo.  I mainly just  LOVE their idea of eating raw and natural foods.  So I wanted to learn more of their "take" on food.

The first podcast I listened to had to do with their "21-day Detox."

I was curious what steps they take to "get rid of" sugar in their diet.

But, the more I listened to it, the more I realized this is insane.

In terms of Carbs/Sugars, they can only eat certain fruits, 

no sugar substitutes (stevia, xylitol etc.) no gum, not even mint, no protein powders!

Also, I thought okay what is the point of this detox for 21 days.

What does it help? Does it really truly detox your body?

Doesn't your body need some sort of carbohydrates?

The more I listened to the podcast, the more I realized how stupid the idea is.

Plus, it didn't help that their attitudes were high-and-mighty about how "EASY" this detox is and people just need to do it and get over their complaining of no-sugar intake.  

One Listener, in particular, asked if their was a substitute for sugar to put in his coffee...

Their answer was "Man-Up and get over it."

Ummm...First of all it is DANG hard to go without no sugar at all in your diet! 

It sounds like a set-up for FAILURE to me!

So what happens on the 22nd day?

How do you go from NO sugar to eating normal again?

The hostess of the show even admitted to binging in sugar after her 21-day detox.

I already know that without trying, I would want to binge too!

In fact, I have binged when I would strongly restrict my sugar intake!

I literally GO CRAZY! It started with pizza, then a bowl of ice-cream, then those chocolates I was avoiding, then those peanut M&M's I've been eyeing, Ahhh and CHIPS! 

It was a nightmare! It never worked! Does this sound familiar to you?

My body needed carbs/sugars! I was just going about it all the wrong way.

Another reason why I wouldn't take part in this "21-day detox" is because I workout!

My body NEEDS Carbs after a workout, as long as I balance it out with some protein and healthy fats.

Sugar is necessary!

What isn't necessary, is the processed sugars.

That is where you need to keep it to a limit.

But there are so many types of non-processed sugars that you can still 

get your treat AND still feel good afterwards as well.

To add some sweetness, I personally love

L.R. Rice Raw & Unfiltered Honey

Stevia

Nectar Agave Syrup

I think after hearing this ridiculous "detox", I realized even MORE,

Diets that have an "end-date" shouldn't be bothered with!

In fact, I'm tired of the "detox" label.  I think it's a bunch of Boloney!   I think that adopting an everyday habit that is doable that helps your body function at a better level is better than ANY Diet ever invented.

Diets or healthy eating or whatever you want to call it should be a life-long goal.

Hence, you should make goals that are attainable, not insane like no sugar or no fats.

I've made goals before and realized, you know what?...This is not for me and I know it will NOT work for me.  

And that's all there is to it.  Everybody is different.

Do what is attainable to YOUR body!

Something that may be easy for me may not be easy for another.

Just listen to your body, Maybe even keep a journal and note how 

your body reacts (whether positive or negative) to certain foods so that you 

can make necessary changes.

So be SURE to watch out for those RED FLAGS 

when you're about to start a diet with an "end-date."