Fun and Mental Changes

Yesterday I got an early birthday present..... YAY!!!  You all know I ALWAYS do.  This gift I begged for after filling in for a girl at work who stashes hand weights under her desk.  Who wants to lug around hand weights???  The challenge for me has ALWAYS been, "What to do when I'm not at home?"  And, at the new house, my beloved Curves is nowhere to be found.  Coincidentally, that is where I first read about resistance band training... the Curves book. The workout in the book utilizes resistance bands to get the 1/2 hour Curves workout at home (BTW I'm totally needing right now), which I never did because I had my Curves close by.  But then we moved and my husband had surgery and has been using resistance bands three times a week at his physical therapy appointments and swears by the workout he gets with them.  SOLD!  I HAD to have these for my birthday! WOW.... no kidding these babies are INCREDIBLE an...

Well, yesterday I shared some of my inspiration with you, today I want to share satisfaction.  I've been given the pleasure of sharing my journey of gaining health and losing weight with the incredible ladies that I work out with at Curves and today I got a clear view at how much more I really get and why it is all worth it. A lady talked to me today about feeling alone in her own weight loss journey with no where to turn for motivation to reach her goals... she was even thinking of quitting altogether.  Boy, did I relate!!!  All I could tell her is about the satisfaction that I receive from my own journey with the wonderful Curves ladies. Reality check:  you HAVE to find your own motivation.  This is nothing someone can give to you.  But the miracle that I have found on the Curves Complete program is that once I tapped into that motivation (just to get myself there), Curves has the support and programs in place that is getti...

***CLICK HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN MY FAVORITE THINGS BIRTHDAY GIVE AWAY!!!*** Wow!  What an incredible birthday already!!!  So let me give you a little back story for those who may not know.  I am trying to get down to wedding-dress-shopping-weight and started the Curves Complete program at my Curves gym to get me there.  When they called this program "Complete", they were NOT joking!!! This morning I went in to my Curves to take a Zumba class and decided to take a piece of the gluten free birthday cake I made yesterday with a copy of the recipe to my Curves Coach.  She looked at the recipe wide eyed and said, "I bet that you didn't gain a pound from this cake yesterday.  Let's see!  Jump on the scale!"  Now, YESTERDAY was my weekly weigh in, so you know that my current weight was fresh on everyone's mind and I'm not gonna lie here, I just about peed my pants when I stepped up on the scale to find that I lost an additional 2 p...

As you may already know, this is my first week of Curves Complete and, THE DAY BEFORE signing up for the program, I had an accident breaking a toe and hurting my back BADLY!!!  I went to my chiropractor (lightening fast) who has been working with me to overcome the back injury.  I told him that this was my first week of Curves Complete and he said that I could work out, but I needed to take things slowly... so that's what I've been doing.  What I've found during my workout, even though I'm taking the Curves circuit at a snail's pace, is that my heart rate is only SLIGHTLY slower than when I'm working out at 100%!  I'm moving through the circuit VERY slowly (skipping machines that I'm not confident using) and ending my half hour workout SWEATING!!!  I was so worried that this injury was going to keep me from being successful on the program, but as it turns out, giving it your all means different things at different times to different people.  My "a...

Ok folks... today's the day!!!  Today's the first day of the 90 day Curves Complete program and my emotions are in overdrive!!!  Now, I've known FOREVER that a healthy, strong body begins in the mind.  I cannot tell you HOW many times I've read article after article about the brain being the largest muscle in the body that needs the most training, but you can KNOW information that never quite makes it to your heart.  THIS is where I really need the work!  But today I think I'm on the verge of a breakthrough! So as I was perusing the internet in search of inspiration to carry me through the next 90 days of Curves Complete I ran across THIS gem from Muscle and Fitness Hers:  Master Your Mind And that AMAZING article sparked a full-on Bible study that was desperately overdue!!!  So to start things off, the Bible very clearly points out that knowing without doing is NOTHING!!! James 2:17 - So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ...

I forgot to mention yesterday that the owner of my Curves advised that I try out a gluten-free diet for the next 90 days during my first run at the Curves Complete program.  She is suggesting I do that because I told her about the article I read that discussed wheat intolerance being associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.... which I have.  She thought that since I'm "tweaking" my diet anyway, that it might be a great time to try this gluten-free gig and see how I feel.  I couldn't agree more!!!  But where do I start???  I first started online.... OF COURSE!!!  Here's what I came up with:  http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/gluten-free-whole-grains Then I found:  http://glutenfreegirl.com/how-to-live-gluten-free/  and http://simplygluten-free.com/  and http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/high-alkaline-foods-12-perfect-foods-for-optimal-health And great tips here:  http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-well...

So I joined Curves around Christmas of 2011 and just started the new Curves Complete program (my official start date is actually this upcoming Monday).  The Curves Complete program offers me everything that Weight Watchers was offering.... ONLY BETTER.  Let me tell you why its better for me.  1) I'm already working out there.  The convenience of weigh ins, education and group support all at the same place where I work out means that its more efficient for me. 2) I actually am saving money too!  I didn't think that I would save money since the Curves Complete is $200 for three months and Weight Watchers was costing me about $50/month to go to the weekly meetings.  But as it turns out,  for the extra few dollars a month with Curves Complete, both me and my husband can participate in it for that amount (the program is web based, but he CANNOT work out with me at Curves...its women only) AND I get online benefits.  We...

Something tells me the name of this post will send my readers FLOCKING to snag an awesome deal... luckily I just so happen to have one. What if I told you that I had something that would help you burn excess calories, get fit and trim, all without taking away from your already hectic schedule? What if I told you that it is yours free of charge!?! No memberships to purchase, no club dues and no trainers to pay... FREE!!! Gang... the freebie that I'm offering you IS your hectic schedule!!! I used to HATE grocery shopping and house cleaning and running errands, that was, until I got a Body Bugg that started monitoring my calories burned every day. And when I set a goal that I wanted to take 10,000 steps a day and burn and extra 500 calories per week that would be charted and graphed by the minute using the Body Bugg software for the ultimate accountability... well, suddenly my hectic schedule had some serious value. Suddenly it was something I looked forward to and not dreaded. Grocer...

As I promised earlier today... here's the big news regarding SmashFit.com, but first let me give you a back story. I am a big believer in the law of reciprocity - what you give, is what you get. I believe that sacrifice is directly linked to success and that the heart of a volunteer is a powerful thing. So with all of these beliefs driving this bus, last year I volunteered to work for Heather Frey of SmashFit.com. I have been working for over a year and a half to increase my health and fitness and had an opportunity to give my time and service to someone with a passion for everyone on the same journey as me... I JUMPED at the chance to volunteer for that. So after devoting time volunteering last year, THIS YEAR I just got me a new title.... I am the new General Smash Manager for SmashFit.com! There will be plenty more info to come as I get ramped in this position, so you all will get to hear about my journey. You will also get tips and hear about all the fun events happening ...

So, as some of you may or may not know, Fun And Mental Changes is having a give away! We are days away from announcing a winner... March 27th is the deadline for entries and I will post the winner at 11:59 (PST) p.m. on March 27th. The prize is OPI's Mad as a Hatter and Absolutely Alice in honor of the Alice In Wonderland opening this month. These colors are VERY hard to find (trust me on that one) and because of that, I expected a ton of entries. But as it stands right now, there's only 8 entries, so there are GREAT ODDS of winning right now. To enter, simply become a follower (if you aren't already) and click HERE to leave a comment on the post titled Calling All Lacquer Heads! But in the spirit of give aways.... OF COURSE I've entered a couple myself, and want to share where you too can find some more "prize hauls"!!! Nail Addicts Anonymous ... giving away a HUGE polish haul!!! Konadomania ... giving away a mish mosh of GREAT products + a $25 gift code to ...

Well.. today's post is going to be a guest post of sorts. Yesterday I received an email from my sister on her FIRST DAY of C25K. For those who aren't familiar with this program, C25K stands for Couch to 5 Kilometers and is a program that gets people off the couch and running 5K in 9 weeks. That's just over 3 miles!!! The program sounds pretty great, so you can image my excitement for her when I received her email recapping her first day.... You should have seen me on the treadmill yesterday! I walked for 5 min (warm up). Then the C25K said to run for 60 seconds… sure, no problem… Then walk for 90 seconds …again ok…. Then run again for 60 second (HOLY SHMAKAKA! I thought my legs were on fire, my lungs just closed up completely… I think they went on strike). Then I was really scared because I didn’t know how I was going to hang on to the side bars and push the dang button to get the speed to go down. All I kept picturing was falling on my face and getting "tread" ...

It was brought to my attention last night from my friend Lori Shemek that simply reducing your calorie intake every day by 100 calories equates to 10 pounds a year. With that I couldn't help but think about the reverse, and what exactly 100 calories looks like. So 100 calories is a piece of buttered bread (in my case whole wheat). That's pretty nominal and insignificant when you think of ALL the food you consume throughout your day. It's not so strange to butter a piece of toast with your breakfast or to serve a buttered roll with dinner. THAT is 100 calories. And how many of us eat TWO rolls with dinner? I mean, it's relatively small... maybe 6 small bites and the roll is gone. Wow... that small shift (either way) makes that big of an impact!?! I honestly never really thought about it quite so simply before. Cut out the roll or add another.... 6 less bites or 6 more bites to make a HUGE difference. That is certainly something to think about. And while cutting your cal...

I'm so very drawn to the topic of athleticism... actually the science behind it. With the Olympics coming up next week, I find myself glued to the various reports on the Olympians' training schedules, their psychology and their character. One of the many traits that these champions share is high intrinsic motivation. There are two types of motivation. The first is extrinsic motivation. This motivation consists of a drive to lessen pain or discomfort. A great example of extrinsic motivation would be hunger. One is motivated to eat because of hunger or eating for comfort when stress levels are high. Another great example would be NOT exercising. The motivation to not move because exercise is awkward, uncomfortable or painful. This type of motivation only serves the "now" with no thought about dream attainment or what the future will look like and is actually rooted in negativity with a focus to NOT feel something. Intrinsic motivation goes beyond that rooting itself in...

Yep! Gadget girl strikes again! This time the gadget isn't for my kitchen... it's actually a tool I got as an early birthday present to monitor my health and fitness (yes... I begged!). I am suddenly a walking science exeriment! This little (and I mean little... 2" x 1.75") gadget straps to your arm and electronically monitors your energy output. With the included program (I got a 12 month subscription), you input your energy consumption and this little miracle calculates, tracks and utilizes your data to propel you toward your health and fitness goals! Introducing my newest obsession: The BodyBugg! There are plenty of resources out there to gather the specifications on this unit and like a million more for reviews, but the most helpful resource that I found was from an instructor that I adore. Ms. Chalene Johnson, the maker of Turbo Jam, gave a superb review of this gadget and convinced me that this little gem would be the tool that would teach me how my body works a...

This post is for everyone who shares in my quest for health and fitness. If you have a goal to lose weight or build muscle, where exactly does that goal fall on your list of priorities from day to day? Do you have other goals that come before this particular one? If you do, then you'll probably just want to pass on this blog post because in today's post I'm talking about MY discoveries on the road to attain my goal of ultimate health and fitness and THAT IS MY FIRST PRIORITY. Not to say that God and family are not important.... they are actually my HIGHEST PRIORITY! But I've realized that those relationships are lacking when my health and fitness levels are low. The healthier I am, the more energy I have and the more I have to devote to God and family. So, with that said, let me tell you about the greatest tool I've found to reach my goals... A schedule! A schedule is really just a list of your priorities with a road map for planned execution. Steven R. Covey writes...

For those who make small changes and take baby steps to achieve their goals but just can't seem to stick to it, I suggest that you strap on a parachute and jump! Sometimes (for some people) jumping into a new lifestyle is the greatest thing that you can do for yourself. At least it was for me. The small changes would only give me small results making it easy for me to quit or give up because I just wasn't making progress (I should clarify, s-l-o-w progress). But when I made one huge complete change I saw HUGE results and those results have been motivating me ever since. The other bonus to "jumping" was that I only had to "suffer" once. There was no, "a little suffer here....... a little suffer there" until one day I was transformed. For some people that works. For me, not so much. The ultimate decision to live my life differently was only tough for the first few weeks of LEARNING a new way to live, and it was while I was motivated to change and wil...

The whole Jillian Michaels craze, I'm gettin it. Jillian appeared on the Joy Behar show last night and I was charmed by Ms. Michaels to no end! While I'm not a big fan of Joy Behar, I happened to catch her show while flipping through the channels at the precise moment Joy said that she is interested in diet and exercise for her introduction to "Joy's Anatomy". That too is where my interests lie so the Joy Behar show is where I stayed. Ms. Michaels rocked. She did not over speak, she was articulate, humble and charming, tackling each of Joy's questions with an easy candor that has won me over. To be honest, I've always kind of been drawn to the drill sergeant in her.... I don't know why??? But last night I saw another facet of Jillian Michaels that I adore. Her honesty about her own workouts and the RESPECT she has for the hard work that the Biggest Loser contestants put in blew me away. And what kind of relationships is she cultivating??? Season 4 Big...

Why do our emotions have to lie to us? I've known for quite some time that our emotions are a gauge of sorts on our control panels of life. If we're feeling bad, then we aren't living the way we need or want to. If we are feeling good then we are on the right track. But sometimes our gauges read like my gas gauge when I first get into my car.... false. If I didn't know that I had to turn on or start my car for the gas gauge to read correctly, I might have a panic attack when I first get in. The false reading of empty would scare anyone who didn't know any better. But I know that once I've done what I'm supposed to do (start the car), the indicator on the gauge will move; it will give me a completely different and much more accurate picture of my situation. Behold, I actually have a full tank! The same seems to hold true for our emotions. That feeling of joy at the prospect of eating that huge piece of chocolate cake is ALWAYS replaced with a feeling of guil...

You would be AMAZED at the small things that become unknowing road blocks on the road to your fitness goals... at least I was! Years ago I broke my ankle. I didn't just break it, I managed to shatter it to shards. It was in so many tiny pieces that the orthopedic surgeon said there weren't pieces big enough to even attempt to screw me back together. I STILL have visions of me, an egg and a wall. Well, that MAJOR road block was overcome with physical therapy and sheer will to overcome. But as of late I have been experiencing pain, other symptoms I didn't even realize existed and a pretty big decrease in motivation to workout that began quite some time ago. It's always the little things! I bought a new pair of shoes yesterday. The birds now sing, the sky is blue and the world is right again with this one simple change. My new shoes made me feel like a million bucks INSTANTLY! As a matter of fact, THE TRIP to the shoe store.... The New Balance shoe store to be exact, chang...

Everyone knows that it's good to workout with a partner. The experts say that partners keep you accountable, which of course is a good thing. But what if your partnership is holding you back? What if your partner is sick or can't make a workout or gives you excuse after excuse why they can't workout, what do you do? What if they tell you, "I just can't make it today, but we'll do our workout tomorrow"? Are you letting your partner down by going without them? What if you feel like you are? Would it be right to end the partnership and find a new one? Well, I can't be the one to tell anyone that they need to dump their partner (mainly because my workout partner is my husband and I certainly can't dump him!), but I can share what I did to keep myself on track and give my partner the boost they needed for both of us to stay on track for this new year. The end of 2009 was rough! I got sick, then my workout partner got sick. My workout partner did not go...