If you have read in previous posts that the color run was the very first color race I had ever done. I didn't know what to expect going into this race but I am very glad that I took that leap of faith. Now that I have a few color runs under my belt I know what to expect and can actually have a bit of fun this time. This year I am going to be doing this race with a good friend of mine and even possibly doing it with my trainer May. I feel this will help me push through any struggles I may have and it gets me involved with all of my gym friends. I have been talking their ear off for the past 3 weeks about this race and now they are all signing up to do it with me. We have sat down and came up with a name that best suits us. This year we are going as TEAM PIMP OUR STRIDE!! Oh yes! We are gonna do shirts and the whole get up and we are going to make the most of this race.
The Color Up 5k is apart of the RaceTx series. This race series has many different styles of races from color races to a zombie race. Making this race series one awesome series to follow. I have been fortunate in the past to be able to participate with this wonderful group of people who organised this race and I am looking forward to doing it again this year. The color up 5k will be on Saturday March 8th at 9 am which is less than 2 weeks away. This is kinda of stressful because I am so very excited about this race and all the fun that I know I will have from doing it. If you are in the Central Texas area, this would be a race you don't want to miss. Besides, who wouldn't want to do a race that allows you to have so much fun. Look how much fun I had last year :)
This year I plan on having much more fun than I did last year. So who is going to join us?
I am super stoked and yet surprised that the color run is coming. I am so super excited that it will be coming this year in warm weather and so close to now. As you all know I loved doing it last year and once I found out that they are coming to Austin May 27th this year, I got even more excited. Who wants to do it with me? Get $5 off when you use the promo code in the picture. This code is good for any race in the Kaleidoscope tour. I have already been on the site wanting to register. How about you guys?
Relaxation is very important for everyone. When I say
relaxation I don’t mean sleeping either.
You can however relax to help you sleep but that is not the relaxing I
am talking about. I am talking about the “me time” relaxation. You know that
kind of relaxation you do for yourself to get rid of the buildup stress and
worries. Relaxation isn't just for women
or men. Have you ever seen a child that was throwing a tantrum and was inconsolable? Didn't you notice after being put in "time out" or "thinking time" how better the child acted? That is because children as well need relaxation just as much if not more than us adults do. I
know there are days I come home from work and are so stressed I non-intentionally
snap at my family. It ends up making me
even more stressed afterwards because I feel so awful for doing it because I
know it isn't their fault. Those days are when I need some “me time” the
most.
Ever catch yourself so strung out and stressed that you can’t
even think straight? Or how about after a long day of work if anyone so much as
to look at you wrong, you blow your top? Or even more commonly is when you have
that very important assignment or deadline that you have to get done but it
seems like there is a radio playing in your head and everything is spinning
like a world wind in your head? We all
get these but when we let the stress go for too long is when problems start to
arise. There are tons of ways to help you unwind. Like relaxing music,
meditation, “me time” with a good book or a nice soak in the bath. Just to name
a few of them. I personally love to do the bath because it I know then I will
not have as many disruptions. There are a few rules to this though. I know you
are thinking rules to relax?!?! Are you kidding me? Listen up and I will tell you what I mean by
rules.
Leave your troubles and frustrations at the door. It isn't
much of a relax time if you are bringing what is stressing you in with you. The
world can wait an hour or two. If you are
a single parent it is best to wait till the little ones are in bed asleep
before you do this. This time is all about you and you alone. Go into the
bathroom and start making yourself a nice hot bath. Then add some essential
oils like peppermint or lavender to your water with some Epsom salt. Then sink
yourself in with some nice quiet and relaxing music and just let all that is
troubling you wash away. If you are
strapped for time or the little ones just won’t go to sleep then just get a
bucket or a bowl that is big enough to soak your feet into, a towel, some Epsom
Salt, and essential oils. Put them into the bucket with hot water and let your
feet soak for at least 5 minutes. It will also help adding your hands to the
water as well and if you have something cold like a bag of frozen peas then
place these on the back of your neck. This will help relieve any stress headache
you have and will help you feel much better.
This is because your skin is thinnest in the arches of your feet and
around your wrist. So it will absorb some of the water and help you feel
better. This is partially because it helps hydrate your body to aid in the
fight against dehydration.
After a long day of stress it is important for not only your
mental health but your physical health as well. Not only will stress cause you
to blow your top but there are also physical side effects that can wreak havoc on
you and your body. For example, you are
sitting at the office and all of a sudden your neck gets stiff and starts to
hurt. You reach up to rub it and feel a dull pain in your neck. This is called
a stress knot. If not worked out, it can end up pressing against your spine and
can cause some damaging after effects like a hunch back. Other damaging side
effects of stress are: Headaches, chest pain, muscle tension or pain, sleep
issues and many more. Did you know that
stress also affects your behavior in other negative ways as well? Stress can
cause you to overeat or not eat enough, tobacco use, drug or alcohol abuse and
much more damaging effects.
X marks the spot! No not really but there are a few things
that can help. One of which is exercising.
When you exercise your body releases endorphins, chemicals in your body
that have similar effects on the body as morphine. This Often gives the feeling
known as “runner’s high” or euphoric.”
Endorphins act as analgesics, which mean they help get rid of pain and
at times act like a sedative. These sedatives
are made in your brain, spinal cord, and many other parts of your body and are released
in response of your neurotransmitters. These neurons endorphins that bind are the
same kind of ones that bind in pain medicines. I would say that working out
actually saves us money because now we don’t have to spend money for the same
effect. Another interesting fact about
exercising is that it wards off depression, boosts self-esteem, and helps you
sleep better. It also helps strengthen your
heart, increase your energy levels, lowers blood pressure, and reduces excess
body fat and much more. Yoga in an excellent form of exercise that helps reduces
stress and increases your flexibility. Try it out and see how you like it. If it isn’t
for you then try any form of physical activity. It will help you out much more
than sitting on the couch stressing about things more.
I hope you guys really liked my week of how to help fight your inner demons. You are all beautiful and I hope these last 5 posts have been able to help you just a little. As they have helped me by writing it. As most of you know, I write as a way to express myself and to help relieve the stress I build up during the day. S in turn my blog is my escape and in turn I know it helps all of you guys in return. I want to give a huge thanks to all of you for all you have done for me this year. Even if you think you didn't do anything you have. That is why later today and this weekend, I will be doing some thank you giveaways just for you guys to show you how grateful to you all I am. Please make sure to get plenty of rest, water, food, and most of all get active and sweat pink.
Restoring your body to its optimal state is very important.
When your body is getting all it needs we will notice things in our body
working a lot better. Like more energy, improved moods and over all better
health. Now that you have fed your body it is time to do the most important thing
you can do. Most people forget to do this and it just so happens that your body
needs but most of us are so busy and forget to do it. What I am talking about
is hydration. Not just any form of hydration, I am talking about drinking
water.
Everyone needs it but yet most of us are so busy running
around with our busy lives to take a moment to do this and our bodies suffer
from it. Did you know that the body is composed of up to 75% water? So wouldn't
it be obvious to make sure you are drinking enough water? Surprisingly most
people don’t hydrate the way they need to. It’s not because they don’t want to
but because they are so busy they forget to. Some people think they are yet are
falling majorly short in this department. Some also think they are but are actually
drinking things like soda that are actually dehydrating them even more. Have
you ever been out in the summer heat and got thirsty so you grabbed you a cold
soda? How long did it take before you had to grab another one because you where
thirsty yet again? I bet it wasn't long after you drank that soda that you were
even thirstier than you where before you drank it. Have you ever wondered why
this happens?
Studies show that drinking non water drinks like sodas and
artificially sweetened drinks add to the body’s toxin burden which dehydrates
you even more. These create an acidic environment in the body causing a heavy
load on the kidneys. Your kidneys have one major job to do and that is to rid
your body of excess acid. This in turns
requires your body to use more water to enable the kidneys to do their job. These drinks are also diuretics. Meaning that
they elevate your blood pressure, causing you to urinate even more making you
dehydrate faster. Just like when out at
sea, they tell you not to drink salt water. That is because your body needs 3
cups of water for every cup of salt you drink just so your body can process the
toxic salt from your body. Another reason why sports drinks are not good for
you to drink either is because they contain a high content of salt. If I am thirsty, does this mean I am
dehydrated? Well, this is actually a tricky question because a lot of people
are actually dehydrated on some level and just don’t even know it. Your body
will actually send out little clues to you that will help let you know that you
are dehydrated. Some of these little
clues are headaches, stomachaches, low energy and even dry skin. By the time
you feel thirsty you are already in the clinical state of dehydration. Is what
I mean is that by the time you feel that urge to drink your blood has already
gotten thicker and it’s concentration levels have risen. It is still not at the
dangerous levels and is considered mild dehydration but it is not to be over
looked. Mild dehydration can still cause havoc on your body by slowing your metabolism
and optimum vitality. The point I am getting at is don’t wait until you are
thirsty to drink. Your body needs consistent water throughout the day to
maintain itself. Once that water starts to deplete problems start to arise.
That time of the month is the worst time for us women because
it is when we lose the most water. Due to the amount of water that is lost
during our menstrual cycle. Have you ever noticed bloating and fatigue during that
time? That is because your body is screaming at you that it needs water. This
next part is really going to freak you out but did you know the more water you
drink, the less you retain? I didn't know this till recently and I am glad I do
now. Your body bloats and retains water because your body doesn't know when it
is going to get it next. Just like with food, when you deprive your body of
something it needs, it is going to hold onto it for dear life. If you drink enough water like your body
needs you to, you will notice little to no bloating because your body is
getting what it needs so there is no use of holding onto extra. I know that sounds pretty confusing. I mean
drink more to retain less? It does come as a shocker but if you remember this
next time you menstruate. You will thank me for it.
One important trick to remember when it comes to hydrating
your body is very simple. To hydrate your body properly you need to drink 1/2 ounce
for every pound you weigh. Does this sound pretty easy to remember? Another way
you can think of it is to take your weight and divide it by half. That number
is how many ounces you need to drink. So if you weigh 250 pounds you will need
to drink at least 125 ounces of water a day. As you see that is pretty simple
way to know how much water you need to drink. An even easier way to do it is if
you weigh 250 pounds, go buy you a gallon jug and fill it full of water. That
is your daily water intake. If you weigh 150 you will need 75 ounces of water a
day. That is a little more than 2 liters of water a day. You can get that by
going to the store and getting one of the big bottles of water. Or if you don’t
want to do that, then just fill you a gallon jug half full and there you go.
You can drink more than that but that is your base number. Especially if you are active, you need to drink at least that but preferably more because as you sweat, you lose some of that water. So make sure you are drinking more than that. Drinking the proper
amount of water can also help you on your diet as well. Did you know that a lot
of time when you feel hungry, you are actually thirsty? This is because the
feelings of being hungry and thirsty are a lot alike and so sometimes it is
hard to tell the difference. If you feel hungry drink 8 ounces of water and if
you are still hungry then eat. If the hunger goes away right after you drink
then you where thirsty. Also when you drink an 8 ounce glass of water before
you eat it will help prevent over eating.
You will also eat on average, 75 fewer calories during your meal because
your stomach already has that water in it taking up a bunch of room so it makes
you full faster. Drinking water also helps with your metabolism because your metabolism
is like a series of little different chemical reactions that are taking place
all over your body. Just like a car or
anything else mechanical, if it has enough fluid it runs smoothly. If it doesn't
however problems start to arise.
Rest assured that once you start drinking the proper amount
of water you will also notice some positive changes. The one I noticed first
was that I had lots more energy. I was up doing things I was too tired to do
before. I also noticed my mood was better. I wasn't as depressed anymore. This
is because your brain is made up of 85% water. If your body is lacking enough
water on a daily basis, your brain will get sick of sorts. When your brain is
dehydrated it can’t function the way it needs to. Also drinking the sports drinks and other
non-water drinks force your body to take water from any place it can. Like your
organs, your bones your skin and even your brain. This is why it is so
important to drink water. It is not only for your physical health, but for your
mental health as well. This too will help you in fighting your inner demons
because they will be too busy swimming and having fun. Not literally but you
get what I am saying. A quote from Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., author of YOUR
BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER, states:
"Pathology that is seen to be associated with 'social
stresses' -- fear, anxiety, insecurity, persistent emotional and matrimonial
problems -- and the establishment of depression are the results of water
deficiency to the point that the water requirement of brain tissue is affected.
The brain uses electrical energy that is generated by the water drive of the
energy-generating pumps. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in
the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend on this type of
energy become inefficient. We recognize this inadequacy of function, and call
it depression."
Everyone needs water. I am not saying only women need water
but guys, you need it just as much. I don’t care if you are male, female,
black, blue, brown, pink, tall, short, extra weight or thin as a rail. We all
need water. The only thing different is the amount we need. No two humans are
alike. Just like no 2 peoples body will need the exact same amount of water.
Some may do perfect by drinking their minimum amount of water and be fine.
While others have to drink a little more to get that same feeling. I do have a
word of caution that you need to take into consideration. If you are not use to
drinking your recommended amount, do not go and start drinking that amount
right away. It will send your body into shock and your body will not know what
to do with all the excess. This can cause just as much harm to your body as it
would if you didn't give it enough. You need to slowly start working your way
up to the proper amount. I really hope you guys take my advice into
consideration because this is very important. It helps you become the person
you are trying to be and makes you healthy in the process.
I
want to take the time and thank you all for reading all 4 of the ‘About Me’
posts, or which I was told ‘for a better you’ is a better name for it. Tomorrow we will discuss the importance or
relaxation and the why a rest day or ‘me day’ is something you need to incorporate
in your daily life. Don’t forget to eat right, be active, drink plenty of water
and most of all sweat pink. Research credit can be found at: http://owen.curezone.com/healing/depressiondehydration.html http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-common-myths-about-dehydration.html
No I am just kidding. I am not about to waist some perfectly
good chicken throwing it. I will however, throw all the junk food I can out the
window because this post is about nourishing your body the way it deserves to
be nourished. Now that we have talked about the daily pep talks and getting
active I am going to talk a bit about feeding your body. Honest fact here, did you know 75% of healthy weight-loss comes from your kitchen? So even if you work out for 5 hours a day, which I really don't recommend you doing, if you are not eating right, you are throwing all that effort down the drain. Contrary to popular belief, you need to feed
your body to reach any goal you may have. I am not telling you to go to the
store and grab a bunch of chips, Twinkies, and junk food. There is a right way
and a way to feed your body. Please hear me out before you click close on the
browser tab and think “oh no here comes one of these posts that make me feel
bad because they eat all perfect and I don’t. Man I can tell you some stories
about how I slip up and my trainer and mentors always know it. Even before they
ask me how my eating is coming along. This is not going to be one of those
posts. I will tell you how I eat and the mistakes I have made and maybe I can
help guide you and myself to eat better. Here lies the confusion me and most
others face, what is the proper way to nourish my body? Why is it so important to
eat the right kinds of foods? What are some healthy tips I can use to pick out
food that will nourish my body and not hinder it? All of these and more will be
answered in this post. I am going to tell you guys my struggles and bad eating habits
nearly killed me and how I, with a lot of tough love and guidance from my
mentors, have focused on eating better and extended my life.
Oreo’s, chips, pizza, these all use to be my weaknesses. I
would sit on the couch in front of the tv and dip Oreo into peanut butter and
pig out till the whole package was gone. Then I would feel so guilty that I
would start crying because I felt so fat. I never knew why I felt the way I
did. All I knew was that something had to change. With the hell and torment I
was going through at home, even though I hated food, I would use it to make me
feel better. All in all, it only made matters worse. I was never taught the
importance of not eating junk food or eating a bunch of fried foods. Shoot, my
favorite food growing up was my mother’s fried chicken. Even to this day, I am
still told that removing gluten and processed foods from mine and my children’s
diet is child neglect from my family. I mean, I know that isn't true but it
goes to show how people who don’t know or who are jealous lash out on those who
are trying to better themselves and their family. When I went to the doctor and was told that all of this stress and eating was killing me I got scared. Even more so because she told me if I didn't change something soon, I would have a heart attack because my father had a heart attack in his 30's and my cholesterol and blood sugar levels where so high. She even wanted to put me on medicine and I know I am not good at taking pills so I opted to change my diet. It worked. With all the confusion that these companies
are causing my mislabeling their products is not helping society any. Shoot I know when I first tried to read labels
I was all sorts of confused on what was healthy and what wasn't. That’s when I
made the choice to stop stressing myself out so much and do what was the
easiest. You may be wondering what that is and I bet you have read it before. Is
what I did was limit what I did buy that had a label on it. In this day and age
I know that is hard to do because I do it every month but there are tons of benefits
from doing this but we will get those juicy facts in a minute. I honestly am about to give you the best and
easiest advice I can give you when trying to shop for healthy options for you
and your family. Shop around the edge of the store and stay away from the
center isles. Kind of easy sounding don’t you think? It is but it isn't. I only
use the center isles to get my frozen veggies and fruit only because they are
flash frozen shortly after picking so they have more nutrients in them.
Understand that I didn't get this way over night. It took a
lot of slipping and failing miserably on my part. I would catch myself in the
juice isle or the snack isle grabbing things off the shelf because they said on
the label that they were healthy or had less sugar in them. It wasn't until I
stopped and looked at the labels and noticed that I was so wrong. The sugar
content on the juices were so high, it is like giving my kids a tablespoon of
pure sugar with each 8 ounce drink. That is a lot of sugar. For example, I went
to Wal-Mart and got a package of 10 Fl. OZ. of Welch’s 100% juice. If you don’t
know what you are looking for, you would probably just pick these bad boys up
and be done with it. The scary part is when you look at the label. Upon reading the label you will notice first
that this little 10 oz. bottle of juice is has 36g of sugar. You will also notice
in tiny little wording that the juice is from concentrate. Makes you wonder why they make those little
words so small so people can’t read it unless they are actually reading the label.
This one little bottle of juice has more sugar in it than a regular size
snicker bar and a whole pack of star burst. I don’t know about you but I know
that scares me because with me feeding it to my kids, it is making their
insulin fluctuate so much and is leading them down the road to major health
problems like Obesity and Diabetes. Brace yourself for what I am about to tell you
because it is a harsh reality. An estimated 300,000 people die each year from
obesity and overweight together. That is
basically ½ of the people living in Wyoming die each year from obesity and the
problems it causes. That is also more than the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Kaui,
Molokai, and Lanai combined. That alone should be an eye opener.
Reducing your foods that have labels on them will help you
and your body out a whole lot. This is
because the foods without labels such as fresh fruits and vegetables don’t have
any preservatives. This makes them a lot healthier for your body. That’s why
doctors recommend them so much because they are packed with healthy vitamins
and minerals your body needs to survive. I personally buy frozen fruits and veggies
more than I do fresh because as that apple or tomato sits on the shelf at the
store, it starts to slowly decay and wilt, losing all the viable nutrients. When they are frozen, they are washed then
flash frozen within a matter of hours of being picked. This process locks in
the nutrients and the flavor. I avoid canned goods if all possible because they
have added preservatives and salt to extend their shelf life. This causes so many issues because nearly
every food we eat has sodium in it. If you actually take a moment and look at
your average daily salt intake you would be shocked. Why is salt so important
yet so deadly? Well this is because your body needs a little bit of sodium to
survive. It is why when you are dehydrated they give you a salt water mixture
to replenish your body. However, like most everything else, there is such thing
as too much. When you eat too much sodium in your diet, you will notice
bloating, swelling of the hands and feet. This is because salt makes you retain
water. When you retain too much water, it puts a major strain on your
cardiovascular system because it has to pump 3x as hard to get blood to the
places it needs to go because the extra fluid presses against the vessels
making them have to force blood through a tinier opening. The best way to
describe this is to make you a really thick smoothie and try to drink it out of
a coffee stir straw. Makes it harder to drink it doesn't it. Now imagine how your body feels. Ladies, we are doomed by this even more so
because of that time of the month makes us retain water as it is so the added
salt only puts a bigger strain on our heart and cardiovascular system.
It is also to wise to be careful what meats you eat as well.
When trying to lose weight, it is best to limit your red meat intake due to the
high fat content it has. I am not saying give up your steaks and such. I am
simply saying it is best to limit them. I still eat steaks and such 3-4 times a
month. Eating leaner white meat like chicken, turkey, and fish are your best
option for a healthier you. This is all in part of these meats being low in fat
and high in protein. Red meat is high in protein but if you don’t eat the
proper portion size, which no one ever does, then you can overload your system
with too much protein which causes your kidneys to have to work 3x as hard.
Besides it takes longer for red meat to digest in your stomach than it does white
meat. With white meat, you will notice you are hungry more often than with red
meat but that also means that you will be taking in the proper amount of
calories your body needs. This is where the controversy comes into play. Now
days you hear from so many so called experts that say you need to this fad diet
and only eat 400-600 calories. The problem with this is yes you may lose some
weight with it but what happens when you stop? You are going to gain it all
back plus some. That is the problem with all these diets out on the market.
None of them have your health and well-being in mind. They only care about
those dollars you are forking up. They promote if you don’t lose a certain
amount by this certain date they will give you your money back. Is what they are
not telling you is yes it may make you lose weight because you are starving
your body. Did you know that we females need at least 1200 calories to sustain ourselves
on a daily basis? That’s why I never diet. I don’t see the point because diets
are designed to fail. This is why you never see me say diet anymore. Instead I
talk about lifestyle changes. A lifestyle change won’t set you up for failure
because not only are you eating right but you are combining it with physical
activity so in turn they are working hand in hand.
Staying along the outer side of the store makes it a lot
harder to fall off the wagon when it comes to nourishing your body. Not only
will you find foods that will give you everything your body needs but you will
also notice you have more energy to do things. This in turn eating healthier food
actually helps you reach your goals a lot faster. I bet you are probably
wondering why healthier foods are any better than those meals you find pre-made
in the frozen section or those just add meat meals. The reason these are so bad
for you are the preservatives that are added to them to extend their shelf
life. Most are loaded with salt and
sugar and the things that are used to preserve them are chemicals that your body
doesn't know how to handle them. There are so many study’s going around today
and they all are discovering the negative side of these preservatives and additives
so I won’t go into those. I will say this though, if you do have to get
something off the shelf, read the label carefully. If you see anything on that
label you cannot read or know exactly what it is, please don’t get it. If it says artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners,
please don’t get it. For example, without looking it up on Google, what is
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT)? How about
Yellow #6 or Sodium Nitrite? Without looking do you know what these are? I bet
you if you pick up that box of Macaroni and cheese or potato chips you will see
it on the label. At the end of this post, I will have some links available for
you to look over and find out where I got my information from and what each of
these words mean.
Have you ever eaten potato chips or even those McDonald's
fries you like to eat and had a kind of waxy feel to your mouth? Have you ever
thought about why that is? Well it may come a shocker to you but did you ever
think it is because all of the additives and preservatives they use to keep it
looking fresh. McDonald's uses additives and chemical fragrances as does this as most big name fast food conglomerates get their food from the same
place yet they have different fragrances and additives to them. I am going to challenge
all of my readers to go a month without fast food and processed food and then
tell me how you feel. This includes sodas, any fast food, any easy cook meals,
etc. I highly recommend you looking online and finding a BMR calculator. I
prefer using the one at If It Fits Your Macros. It will tell you your basal metabolic rate,
which is the rate your body metabolizes food if you don’t get up and do
anything during the day. Or in other words if you are completely sedentary and
don’t even get up to go to the bathroom. Once you found out that I recommend you
eating that number of calories a day at minimum. If you are active of any kind,
I recommend you eating more. Another
awesome tool I use is My Fitness Pal It takes everything I eat and breaks it
down for me so I know how much fat, calories, carbs, sodium and fat I am eating
a day. You will be surprised on the outcome.
I hope you enjoy the 3rd post of the All about
you week. Stay tuned for some hydration and a little bit of relaxation that is
on the way.
What guilty foods do you like that are not good for you? What are some foods that you like to substitute for bad ones?
Are you tired of the way you look? Is your weight one of
your biggest insecurities? Today I am going to use my experiences and knowledge
to help you work on overcoming that. I myself have these same insecurities
about my body and fight them daily. I admit, it isn't an easy battle and I am not going to even try to say it is either. Nor am I going to try to sugar coat it and say that it will be when we both know it isn't. I am not like that. I want you all to be healthy just like I want to make sure me and my family are getting healthy as well. That is why in this post, I will tell you all things that I have done to help me and my family. Will it help you? It may but it may not. Everyone is different and what works for some may not work for others.
Caring for yourself is the best thing you can do for
yourself. As you have read in the last
paragraph I got to the point I quit caring about myself because of all the
negativity that was going on around me.
Once I hit the rock bottom and quit letting his insecurities affect me
so much, I started feeling a lot better. Yes, people still made fun of me for
working out by saying comments like “I was wondering where the earthquake was coming
from” and “you look like beached whale with all that blubber flapping about.” I
refused to let it stop me. I was going to be here for my kids and I wasn’t
going to let him stop me. My husband, family and strangers harsh words were my triggers to my insecurities and as soon as I
got strong enough to fight it, I became free. I am using my testimony to possibly help
anyone else that may be going through the same things I have and may need help. I have
been down a very rough road. From abuse of all kinds to fighting the after effects
of it and the turmoil that I still fight inside of my head because of it. I let someone who I trusted break me down and
make me feel worthless. So I know how it is to hear negativity all the time to
the point, you start doing it to yourself. I have fought to overcome it and so
can you.
Taking care of your mental health and your physical health
are extremely important. Until you get
the all clear from your doctor, physical activity is not recommended because
you don’t want to hurt yourself. Once you start loving yourself and battling those
inner voices in your head that are telling you negative things, you will start
being able to enjoy life and all it has to offer. Taking care of yourself means
learning to eat right, not listen to your insecurities and getting active for a
better you. The level of activity you
can do all depends on your body. If you are not use to being active, don’t
expect to be able to run a marathon within a week. Start small and work your
way up to where you want to be. If that means you have been sedentary for most
of the day and are not use to walking, then take a short 5-10 minute walk
around the block or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Little
changes will help you more than you know. This is why I chose to write this week’s
posts. To help by giving tips that I have used myself to in turn help you guys
as well.
Incentives are a great way to get you motivated to be
active. When I talk about incentives I am talking about little rewards that you
give yourself for being active. My favorite one that I have used is the rewards
jar. The rewards jar is actually a 2 jar system that helps you stay on your
goal by having you fill the jars every time to do something negative or positive.
To make these jars, you will need 2 mason jars or any kind of jar with a lid on
it. For every time you are active, put a bead in the good jar. For every time
you slip up and don’t work out, you take 2 out of the good jar and put it in
the negative jar. Your goal is to fill us the positive jar without
cheating. If you cheat, it defeats the
purpose of the jars. If you don’t have any beads, a good thing to use is money.
For every day you work out, put $1 in the good jar. For every day you skip, you
have to put $2 in the negative jar. You can earn those in the negative jar back
for working out. So basically you will have to work out 2 days to equal the 1
bad day you had. This will give you the incentive to work out. After the good
jar is full, you can exchange it for bigger bills and continue going for 3-6
months or you can use that time to treat yourself with something you would
like. I like to use the beads because
then once my jars are full, I get to get one thing I really want. It is great
way due to how tight money is and it keeps others in my home from robbing the
jar for things they want.
Venture out a bit and get out of your comfort zone. I love
trying new things and it helps keep my body guessing so I lose more weight and
gain more muscles, which is my goal. There
is another saying that I follow because it is absolutely the truth. The saying
goes “your comfort zone is a nice place but nothing ever grows there.” To me this means that if you venture out of
what you are used to, that is where you will start seeing results. If you are
not use to being active and you start, even if it is walking from one side of
your house to the other in between commercials, you will start noticing the
difference. It will not be overnight but you will start seeing it become a lot easier.
Before you know it, that little bit you are walking will be so easy you will
want to do more. When it does get easy, that is the time you extend it. Meaning
if all you could do is walk around your house with every commercial for a short
distance and you notice you can do it with ease and then try walking to the
street and back. You need to be active at least 30 min a day. If you can already walk or jog like 3 miles
try extending it to 6 miles. You will thank me later for it. If you don’t like
to walk or run but like to lift weights then take this time to up your limit. I
am not saying that if you are used to lifting 30 pounds that you need to go try
100. I am saying however if you are used to lifting 30, try lifting 35 or even
do higher repetitions. For example instead of your 5 reps you have been doing,
try doing 10 or 12. Your body will feel fatigued and even sore for the next few
days but you will be glad you decided to take that extra push.
Excuses will get you
nowhere. I say this because excuses won’t get you to where you want to go any
faster. I use to be that girl that would
have an excuse for anything so I know all too well all about them. It took that
reality to knock some since into me. I
have given lots of excuses and have heard my fair share as well. There is no
magic pill or miracle product that is going to help you lose weight or get you
to where you want to get. I have had to learn this the hard way and I swear if
my mentors had a club, they would beat me over the head because of how many
times they have said this to me. Being active is not only going to improve your physical fitness, but it will also help with depression and many other illnesses/diseases as well. It is great for your cardiovascular system, your joints, and even your respiratory system. Their are so many benefits of being active and outweigh the risks. Their are so many diseases that can be prevented by just being active and eating a balanced meal plan. NO! I will not use diet as I feel diets are meant to fail. A lifestyle change however is more likely to stick around for the long run. Look at it this way, getting active may also help you get into those jeans you have always wanted to get into as well.
That is why I have become a fitness and race
ambassador. I am currently a fitness ambassador for Girls Gone Sporty, Sweat
Pink, and Strong Figure. I am a race ambassador for Pretty Muddy, Hot Chocolate
15k/5k, The Color Run, Color Up 5k, Color Me Rad and recently Shape Diva Dash. I have talked a bit about the others so I
will take this time to talk to you about the Shape Diva Dash. If you are looking for a women's only race that you can walk or run with other women who have been where you are, then take a look into doing the Shape Diva Dash. Shape diva dash is a woman’s only 5k obstacle race
It is designed to bring out the Diva in any woman with 3 miles of trail, sand
and pavement and 10-12 obstacles designed to test your strength, agility, and
balance. If you are scared to do any of
their obstacles, they offer an easier option or even give you the choice to
skip it all together. This is NOT a mud run. There is something for everyone to
bring out your inner Diva. If you have done this race before, you will still be
guessing this year because every race is different. No 2 are the same. The one thing I am looking forward to is their
maze because I have heard so much about it and to me it honestly sounds
fun.
Because I am a new ambassador for the Diva dash, I have
something awesome to share with all of my readers. I have a promotion code
available for $10 off your registration. Currently the code is active for the
following races:
Dallas TX– March 22,
2014
Austin TX - April,
12, 2014
Chicago, IL- August
02, 2014
Washington, DC –
August 16, 2014
The other races they have are:
Boulder, CO – May 10,
2014
Twin Cities, MN – May
31, 2014
Charlotte, NC – June 21,
2014
Boston, MA –
September 06, 2014
Philadelphia, PA –
September 13, 2014
New York, NY- October
11, 2014
If you would like to participate in one of the bottom 6
races feel free to message me here or hit me up on my Facebook page and I will get
the code active for you. The code to use for the $10 off is AXAPHBLS. Below is a poster made by me for the AUSTIN race. Now I get to do the
most fun part of the pre-race activities…… picking out a costume. I have a few
running through my head but none that have become concrete. The ideas I have thought of are tutus, which to
me everyone does; Super heroes or going all Pink Ninja Style.
What costume ideas do you like?
Is there a costume Idea you
would like to see me wear?
If you could participate in this race, which city
would you do it in?
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What does that even mean? Well I am going to take a few moments to discuss this with you. Does it mean that to be beautiful you have to be a size 2 runway model that you see on the runway during fashion week or Victoria Secrets? NO! That is not what true beauty is. I am sorry, when you put a Victoria Secrets next to a fitness model, to me the fitness model wins hands down. Not because of her looks, but how she cares for herself. Most models on the runway during fashion week and such starve themselves to be thin for that “perfect look”. While 90% of fitness models have learned a little secret that has not only made them successful but has made them a much happier person. The secret is, they have learned to love their self and all of their flaws. No they don’t brush their flaws under the rug, they just wake up and tell themselves “I know I don’t like this about my body but I am still beautiful”. These wonderful ladies don’t say this because others are telling them this, they are saying it because they know beauty doesn't come from the outside, it comes from within.
Everyone has their own insecurities and inner demons. There
is not a person alive that is immune to this.
If they say they are, they are only lying to themselves. Yes, some women have learned to live with their
insecurities and have chosen to not listen to them but they still have to wake
up and make that choice to do so. Everyone at one point or another has fallen victim
to this horrible self-hate male and female alike. When you go the gym or the store and you feel
like everyone is looking at your “flaws” and that is all they see. Well sweetie
that is your insecurities and self-hate talking there. Then you end up feeling
depressed or angry and you just want to hurry up and get out of their as quick
as you can. Often times you find
yourself making bad choices you regret in the long run because your mind is
playing tricks on you. You are not alone in this. Trust me I have to give
myself pep talks like this daily. When it gets too bad that even my pep talks
don’t work, I have found a good friend and mentor I run too for help. I have
noticed less often now I have had to run to her for help because I have started
to incorporate this advice into my everyday activities. Like when I first wake
up, the first thing I do is say something positive about myself. Even if it is just something as simple as
saying “good morning, you made it. Yesterday is gone and it is a brand new day.
Anything can happen”
Accepting your flaws is the first step you can do to become
the beautiful person you know you are. I know this seems a bit confusing but I
will explain this more. Once you accept your flaws and accept that they are a
part of you, you can start to love the beauty in yourself. This in turn makes
you more confident and that my friend is a big part of being beautiful. For example, I hate the way my body looks. I
stand in front of the mirror for hours criticizing myself because my stomach is
too big, my butt looks like it got caught in a hail storm and lost. My teeth
are crooked and my gums are ugly. Then I start looking down when I walk around
hopping others don’t see all of these flaws like I do. After years of doing
this, I finally decided one day to look up and just for one day keep my shoulders
back, head high and smile. It took that one day and that one day alone to
change my perspective about me. I actually had people who I thought where
gawking at me tell me I was pretty. I was even told that they never noticed my
eyes before and that because I was standing taller I looked thinner. Could this
be true? Could I really have something about me that is pretty? You can bet
your bottom dollar I do. I have even been complimented on my calves. Which I
honestly thought they were bulbous and ugly yet everyone says they are well defined
and muscular.
Uniqueness is what set you apart from everyone else. You are the only one that looks exactly like
you. Even identical twins have their own flaws because they do not live the
exact same way, eat the exact same food and do everything the exact way.
Uniqueness has its own hidden beauties that are just waiting to reveal themselves.
Maybe it is that hat that everyone laughs at you for wearing but as soon as you
put it on, you feel like a million dollars. Maybe it is even those jeans you
got from a second hand thrift shop that you l couldn't wait to get home and put
them on because they were that cute. It may even be that picture that your
child drew of you that says “I Luv UOU MOMMY” – yes I spelled that wrong
because that is how I got my first I love you note from my daughter- that makes
you cry because you sat there for so long thinking you were a horrible parent
because you made a few mistakes. Well guess what, we all have those little
things that bring a sparkle to our eye. Even if you think no one is watching,
people notice something has changed about you. Whether it is a sparkle in your
eye, pep in your step, or even a bigger smile. The little things that you may
not catch yet others do. That is where beauty comes from. It comes from a place
that you can’t find in an anatomy book or on a runway or even in the gym. It
comes from deep inside of you and allows you to blossom into the beauty that
you are meant to be. It took me a long
time to figure this out. Years upon years of being broken down by my family and
my husband finally took its toll and broke me. It took me hearing that is
something didn't change I would no longer be able to be here to protect my
babies, to get me off my behind and determined to find the beauty in me.
Take the time you need to learn to take care of you. I don’t
mean this as you have let yourself go and haven’t taken a shower in a week. I
am saying take the time to battle that inner voice and let it know you are
beautiful and you will no longer let yourself be tormented by the ugliness it
brings. You only have this one life and only you can live it in beauty. Only
you can live life to its fullest and experience all it has to offer. Don’t let
someone’s harsh words cut you like a knife and bring you down. Don’t give
others that power over you. Take yourself on a date night. Oh yes, you heard me
right. Take yourself on a date and do something that makes you happy. Weather
it is sliding into that sexy dress and going to dinner and a movie, or crawling
into those favorite pair of comfortable sweat pants on the couch to a good book
or movie. Make it all about you and what makes you happy. You will end up
feeling much better I promise you. If you are worried about your weight and
that is your biggest insecurity, chose to do something healthy. For example,
walk around the block, instead of that tub of ice cream covered in chocolate
syrup and whipped cream, get you some frozen fruit and stick it in the blender
with some water and yogurt and make you a killer smoothie and pop up some
popcorn on the stove. It is all about you, do what you want to with it.
You are the one that has to live in your own body. No one
else can or has the right to say what you can and can’t do when it comes to
your body. Just like no one else has the right to make you feel bad about
yourself. Don’t give them that power over you. They are fighting their own
insecurities and are trying to hide them by making you feel bad about your
own. You know yourself better than they
will ever even get a chance to know. If
you feel no one loves you, learn to love yourself. After all, you are what is
the most important. Once you learn to love yourself you will start to see how
beautiful you really are. Haters only do
so because they are jealous of how beautiful you are and they feel that is they
put you down it will make them a better person. They don’t understand that by them doing that,
it only makes their insecurities and inner demons show even more. Kindness in turn is the truest form of beauty.
It is the most pure and respectable quality that anyone could ever possess. It is what makes you stand out in a crowd and
makes you the kind of person others want to be around. No one wants to be
around someone who always hates on people. It makes them wonder what you are
saying behind their back when they are not around. For the longest I thought that nice people always
finished last. I mean even my closest friends only wanted something to do with
me when they wanted something or needed something. They were hardly ever their
when I needed them and only one was their when I was at rock bottom. My best friend who I claim as my sister Jill was the
only one who was their- not physically but on the phone- when I was about to
give up. She called me daily to give me
little pep talks and to tell me how beautiful I was and how I was the luckiest
woman alive because I had 3 beautiful children who love me dearly. Knowing that
they are my world and I would give everything for them. If anyone where to ask me today who I felt was
the most beautiful person in the world other than my kids, I would say my
sister Jill hands down. To me, she is the most beautiful person I have ever met
and ever will meet. Followed close by Joanna
Broadbent from Sports bras and sippy cups,
Laura ‘Farman’ Williams founder of Girls Gone Sporty, and
my trainer May Kusiak. All of these
women have made a huge impact in my life and to be honest, I can’t ever thank
them enough for all they have done. These women are by far the most beautiful
women I know. Think about this next time you feel like you are unworthy and
ugly.
Comment below who you have been inspired by and who you think is absolutely beautiful in your eyes. What are some other tips and advice would you give to those that feel like they are less beautiful than others?
I really hope you enjoyed my first post of the all about you
week. Stay tuned in for more all about you posts this week with a few awesome surprises
to help pamper yourself with! Sleep well, eat right, and don’t forget to sweat
pink!
Hey guys, Sorry I have been a little MIA lately. Due to the
stress of my health issues and work, things have been a little, overly stressed
and drained. Don’t be alarmed, all is
starting to get better. Meaning, You will be reading more from me a lot more often. This is great news because this month is Aphalicious
Bliss’s 1 year Anniversary! *Sings* "It’s
my Party and I’ll work-out if I want too” ha-ha that is right, I reworded it! I
even danced as I typed it as well. That
is right; bring out the candles, the Greek yogurt iced watermelon cake and the
smoothies because it is time to party. You guys know I love a good party as much as the
next gal but at my parties, you guys reap the rewards. Oh yes, have I got
something very special for you guys.
As most of you have read in my previous post, I have been
accepted to be a Pretty Muddy Race Ambassador for my second year. I will be running in Dallas again this year!!! Once I got
the news, I literally ran around my house doing squats, lunges, jumping rope,
you know the works. I am super stoked to be able to do this again this year.
This time however, I have a deeper drive than I did last year. As you guys have
read a few posts ago, I myself had a Breast Cancer scare and trust me, it was
no walk in the park. I actually got ill from the stress of it all. I can only
imagine what it would be like to be sitting there and be told that it was
cancer. I would never wish that on anyone. My prayers go out to everyone who has to go
through it. This is why I promise you, with you and god as my witness, I will give
150% towards this race for the cause.
With that being said, it is time for me to start the
party! I mean who doesn't like gifts? As
this is my 1 year Blogiversary, what better way to celebrate than to giveaway a
race entry to the very first race I participated in last year? You heard me
right, 1 lucky follower will be participating in a Pretty Muddy Women’s Fun Run
sponsoring the Susan G. Komen near them.
See, you guys know me, when I party, you guys get the gifts. So without further…… ah I am not going to let
you guys go that quickly. I have an announcement to make. As you guys know, I
have been struggling so much to lose weight with little luck, well I slipped my
behind into a pair of 20’s yesterday! I have gone from a size 26 to a 20. Look
out size teen jeans hear I come!!!! Next post will be Feb. goals and pictures.
Now, what you have been waiting for…….. Enter below for your chance to win a
free entry at Pretty Muddy!!!!
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