I Wear a String Everyday

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I Wear A String!!!

I absolutely LOVE my string…when I wear it, I feel strong, balanced, and sexy.  I would not go anywhere without it…I wear it all day long when I am at home or on the go.  It is so important for my everyday functions for work and play.  So….what the heck am I talking about…the String…really Darla…my string is my imaginary connection to the ceiling from my upper chest that maintains correct posture all the time.  My body just like all bodies is adaptable to the functions it performs.  If I were to sit all day slouched into my computer, standing with my shoulders slumped forward, driving all crooned into the dash board, or hunched over cardio equipment…YIKES…would I be in serious muscle dysfunction.  My anterior muscles of the chest, front deltoids (shoulders), neck muscles, and even core would become tight and adapt to that position…YUCK for the lungs as well…all crunched up and not able to deliver great oxygen supply to my body…OK..NO WAY. 

Do I have my String On?

  Also, do I want to be a person who stands humped over…OK...BIG NO…not healthy, not sexy, not ME.  Let’s talk about what would happen to my back muscles…overstretched & loose to accommodate the slump…Forget it people…NO WAY.  So, I prefer to pretend that my string is attached to the ceiling from my sternum area just like a puppet…walking, working, exercising, sitting, standing, driving all in perfect posture and to maintain great body balance & avoid muscle tissue dysfunction.   

Posture Check

This is not about being vain & cocky walking with my chest puffed out…certainly not about that…it is about beautiful posture.  I have talked with so many women especially who want to hide let’s say large breasts or small breasts so they adjust their posture to ensure that all is hidden…OK…on a soap box here…STOP DOING THAT!!!!  All bodies are genetically different and we need to embrace that, stop hiding, and LOVE who we are and please start wearing that FABULOUS STRING…get that chest out, walk proud, be confident, accept yourself…and feel on top of the world.  I have to admit when I first starting wearing my string it was a conscious effort of maintaining it all the time.  I had to constantly check myself and before long, it became automatic, and is now a part of what I do to maintain my 47 year young physique.  When I wear it I can feel my core contracted and strong, the ability to take large full breaths filling my tissues with fabulous oxygen, confidence and of course...I feel very tall…lol.  Such an important topic….posture… and now you know the secret behind my STRING…it is FABULOUS and part of my Stay Healthy Life and the BEST part…now you can wear one;)

Motivation of the Day: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.”

Workout of the Day: (neck is flared :/ so limited on the upper body this week)

ARC Trainer 45 min

Body Stuff:

Variety body weight legs

Squats/variety lunges/step ups: 20 reps each exercise x 4

Nutrition of the Day: (Enjoy the Video)

Coffee: Great one cup on an early morning

Protein Shake

Pumpkin Seeds & Home-made Protein cookie

Post- Workout Shake (watermelon)

Egg Salad on Thin bun

Grilled Chicken Breast Patty & Corn (Super YUM!!!)

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Stay Healthy!

What a Vacation Adventure...OH MY!

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Our Magma Boat Grill for Marine Stay Healthy Cooking

I am not kidding…my vacation was full of adventure, storms, bears, and a few bumps and bruises…YIKES…but OH…did I have a BLAST.  Well…the last week in June and into the July 4^th weekend…a vacation on the water seemed absolutely perfect…escape the heat, enjoy swimming in beautiful Lake Shasta, and take in the majestic Glacier and surroundings.  We would stay on our boat, bring our Stay Healthy Foods, and try our new addition...a marine Grill to enjoy our fabulous foods.  I am a planner, so list in hand, creating the budget and down to every morsel we would stock in our cooler.  The excitement and anticipation of a week escape into the beauty of nature was over the top YAHOO…ready to GO!  My hubby paid attention to the weather forecast and attended to the mechanics of the boat and truck…thank goodness.  Let me tell you and can you believe this….drum roll…THUNDER STORMS were on the way…a tarp was packed with bungee cords just in case we had to batten down the hatches.  We were hoping for the forecast to change the closer the trip came…we both were not going to let anything like a forecast change our plans….Full Steam Ahead.  I pre-cooked Stay Healthy Omega Muffins, Whole Wheat Pasta with sundried tomatoes, basil, spice and olive oil, & boiled eggs.  I also included raw nuts, fruits, peanut and almond butter, plenty of veggies, fruits, yogurt, spinach salad, lean meats, graham crackers for a treat, & plenty of water.  We also purchased a small aged beef to break in the new Magma Grill.  It was truly one of those feel like a kid can’t sleep because we are leaving for someplace magical vacations.  The drive was fabulous…no clouds, great conversation, and we arrived at Lake Shasta ready to start our week of living on the boat.  Food on board, water, and us….life could not have been any better.  We launched the boat and found our cove for the night…now you have to imagine close quarters on a boat…and I look back now on how funny all this is…first thing… needing to drop anchor hubby quickly moves from the wheel to the front of the boat, but in the process foot connects with my jaw…YIKES…startled to feel a big foot in my face…but an ice is nice made it feel so much better.  Moving on to 4am...the forecast came true and the rain began to demand our “no stitch on” attention…there we were in the middle of the night, tarp in hand, bungee cords everywhere, balancing on the top of the boat  to batten down our home away from home. 

Tarp On, Thermals On...Ready to Weather the Storm

We could not get done fast enough and now in our thermals...YES…thermals and sweatshirts the end of June on beautiful Lake Shasta completely shut into our 24 foot boat.  We were very thankful for our prepared food because the new grill was now going to have to wait until the storm blew over.  We rocked, we talked, we ate, we napped and had truly quality time in our little shelter….this is where you know a relationship is a healthy one…teamwork and laughter through a crisis which turned out not to be…really.  It was still our vacation and we were going to make the best of what nature brought our way...and we did.  I was bummed that I could not be physically active as planned the first few days…but it was what it was…so there Darla.   So… foot in face, raging storm, playing balance without a stitch on in the middle of the night on top of a boat, tarp on, bungee cords securing our shelter and shut in this rocking tiny house….it could make for a funny movie…don’t you think.  Our adventure started on a Monday and the storm broke on Wednesday…we were able to un-tarp and poke our heads outside….IT WAS ON.  I brought my resistance bands and was able to do a little workout and swim like crazy. 

Mt Shasta after the Storm...BEAUTIFUL

It was like the Wizard of Oz going from black and white to color…all of a sudden everything was no longer grey but green and lush.  The water gleamed like emeralds and felt so refreshing!  Hubby and I grilled lean turkey burgers and corn, gourmet chicken sausages, thin bagels, and although quite horrible…boiled water for instant coffee…it grew on me.  We saw a black bear along the water and a brown bear during our tour of the Caverns.  Wildlife was everywhere and the beauty of the trees was breathtaking.  Now…imagine…we made the most of our Thursday because Friday was the drive back home.  Were we disappointed because things did not happen as we wanted them to….NO…it was an adventure…it was a journey….we worked together as a team and still had fun through every bump in the water.                                             

Grilled Aged Beef & Asparagus

Greek Yogurt Parfait!

     

Turkey Burger!!!

Thermals, Tarp, Instant Coffee, US...PRICELESS

We were thankful for things like our ready to go Stay Healthy food, our tarp that provided our shelter, and the warmth our thermals and cozy boat provided. Also, being a fit couple gave us the ability to be agile to batten down our hatches.  Life is a journey and this vacation is one that has so many fun stories that will be told over and over again….fabulous memories!  I hope you enjoyed the videos and images of my fabulous Shasta Vacation Adventure;)

Spinach Salad

Fabulous Shares from Our Shasta Adventure Vacation:

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I Love My Melons…OH YEAH!!!

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Love My Melon!

 Yes…I absolutely love my melons…juicy, firm, and with a good thump…PERFECT!!!  That was quite an opener….but now that I have your attention…I really do love my melons…WATERMELON specifically.  Now where did you think I was going with this…of course I do love my physical self…but I am talking about what I put in my face to maintain the person I am today.  I was doing some research for my Natural Muscle Magazine submission about…drum roll…Watermelon…and OH MY…I think I am going to eat the whole thing today....lol.  I am a fruit girl…along with so many other healthy foods…but today I am sharing my love for watermelon.  When I was a girl, my Mom would buy those huge watermelons, cut a round, put it on my plate…and how fun to sit outside on the porch enjoying such a juicy sweet treat and the best part…seeing how far I could spit the seeds…YES...I am young at heart…forever will be.  What a fabulous memory.  Fast forward to today…I still love watermelon and have discovered the many health benefits that my body receives when I eat my personal size slice or two or three…OK…you get the picture.  Did you know that watermelon aids in energy production and fat loss….WOW…studies show this.  This caught my immediate attention…fire up the blender for watermelon protein shakes…no kidding, my post workout shake today will contain this fabulous stay healthy fruit.  Watermelon is rich in B vitamins necessary for energy production and magnesium, not to mention electrolytes that help keep my body stable as I sweat my bootie off in my studio. The antioxidant value is impressive, especially lycopene which eats up free radicals (crap in our system) reducing the risk of many diseases…that is another RIGHT ON!!! Check this out…reduction in heart disease, colon cancer, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and prostate cancer (listen up men out there).  Watermelon also contains a special amino acid that helps to remove ammonia from the body…so bring on the healthy PEE…YES… I go there! A fruit that naturally aids in energy production and fat loss, is fat free, high in water content, is sweet to eat, and everything that says Stay Healthy…OK…that is going to be in my face on a daily basis for awhile.  With wonderful fruit like this to eat…why turn to any fake burners, pills, powders for any quick expensive fix…THAT DOES NOT WORK…sorry, but true. Personally, I do not throw my money away on any fake promises, but fuel my body with the healthy foods necessary to keep my physique lean, strong, sexy and overall healthy….does that mean I will go and thump a few melons…YEP YEP YEP…and let me just share that I bought my melon for 97 cents.  Now, that is a bargain for my Stay Healthy Body….not hard to weigh that one out…expensive fake promise not proven to work non-food items or save a butt load of money proven studied health benefits through my melons…WELL that is NOT a hard choice….I CHOOSE MY MELONS!

Motivation of the Day:  Eating Healthy is Necessary for a Stay Healthy Life

My Workout of the Day:

My New Modified Me Smith Leg Press

Arc trainer: 20 minute Interval Training

BodyWork: repeated cycle 3x

Sand Bag kettle style swings 50 reps
Low rows 35lbs @ 30 reps
Modified pull ups on the smith bar 10-15 reps
Bicycles (ab work) 50 reps
Modified Smith Leg Press 50lbs @ 50 reps

My Nutrition of the Day:

(Watch the Video)                

Coffee, one cup

My Watermelon Side Dish!!!

1-Post-workout shake (watermelon)
2-Powered Up Oats
3-Shredded B/S chicken breast & ½ cup brown rice
4-Cherries & protein ball
5-Lean turkey burger wrapped in Lettuce
6-Protein Pudding

Watermelon Post Shake...YUM!

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Getting it All In!!!

Motivation of the Day: If you always have an Excuse You Will Never get it done.

A Sweaty ME earlybird workout today!

This morning has already blended into this afternoon….what a day already. Up at 6am to have my one cup and the aroma of the spiced chicken and oats filled the house…..YEAH!!! Now…I love that kind of time saver…several meals for the week…DONE! My spontaneous self took advantage of the moment and my hubby was kind enough to film the Crockpot event. Just back in town yesterday, I had lots to get ready for with work and getting back on track….that wonderful feeling of being back home is so nice. I love to get away, but enjoy the routine of having my foods ready to go, sleeping in my own bed, etc. Well…yes, I had lots to do, and I am jamming around here today in a flurry and multi-tasking in a huge way. While I am putting together my Blog videos, I am also putting away my chicken and oats into containers for the week…a load and load scenario. It works…and I will not let having much to do get in the way of getting in my workout. I could simply say…too many files to prep, food to cook, laundry to do, emails to answer, blogs to write, articles to prepare, recipes to create…on and on…and I know that many people DO that. Not this girl….hence the motivational saying for the day. Really, the laundry will still be there and the dishes will too….what does not remain the same from moment to moment is ME and YOU. I refuse to deprive myself of the moments that matter….and one of those is taking care of me….because…my health is my wealth. It is a thrill ride to challenge myself and see how efficiently I can multi-task and get it all in….do I feel a bit of pressure….YES…but…healthy pressure can be a good thing. It drives me to be an efficient person, trainer, wife and mother. If I did not follow through and created excuses for things…YIKES…what the heck kind of life and person would I be? How could I exemplify to myself, family, friends, clients, and YOU the importance of a Stay Healthy Life. I really would not even be here creating this Blog for you….because there would be some sort of excuse to not do that….No Way. I am not that kind of person….I will get it all in. Even through camera technical difficulties today…you will see in the videos….I did not get discouraged…but continued along at a good pace to complete my daily goals. I fit in completion of my Blog in between my clients and still was able to get the food in the refrigerator…do I have crock pots in my sink…YES…but they will be there when I get off work all soaked for an easy clean. Being successful at anything in life is about balance, no excuses, and getting it all in. I not only have a goal but I reach for those goals…..My goal for today was to complete my workout before my clients, finish this Blog before client 3, get my Crockpot meals into the refrigerator, review files, and answer a few emails….and I DID IT!!!! How do I feel….Accomplished….No Excuses for this Girl;)


My Nutrition for the Day:



Coffee, one cup please

I buy chicken in bulk for crockpot

1-Post workout Shake
2-Powered Up Oats
3-B/S shredded chicken on sprouted bread with avocado
4-Fruit & 2 protein balls
5-Egg White Scramble with Spinach Salad
6-Protein Pudding


My Workout of the Day:

ARC Trainer 35 minutes – Strength Interval


Body Work ~ completed 4 sets of the following


Negative pull ups 10 reps
Lunge back kick forward 25 reps per leg
Leg Extensions 25lbs @ 25 reps
Hamstring Curls 25lbs @ 25 reps
Lunge back kick forward 25 reps per leg
Low Rows 30lbs @ 25 reps
Lunge back kick forward 25 reps per leg

Post Shake Coming Up!

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STAY HEALTHY!

Butt Squeeze Anyone?

Motivation of the Day: Exercise without Proper Form and Function is a Waste of Time and Energy

MOTIVATION - AGE ALMOST 47

What the heck is she talking about….got your attention…GOOD. What I am talking about here is how I utilize my muscles while I am working out. In my routine today, I concentrated on a bodyweight interval targeting my legs and glutes as well as my anaerobic system. So, I give myself a good butt squeeze when I perform an exercise. What I mean by that is I think about my muscle, contract it, and use it to lift myself for example. I will share that during my ARC Trainer interval, I also concentrate on my glutes and contract them as I am running my bootie off. Do I keep them constantly contracted….NO…only during the movement….now that would be ridiculous to keep my butt in a constant contraction unless I want to create a “Charlie horse” in my bootie. Not the feeling I am looking for….what do I look for in a good butt squeeze…LOL? I am looking for the muscle being efficiently and effectively used during each exercise. I do not believe in wasting my time or any contractions. I want to feel a good burn in the muscle during the work, and upon completion of my workout, I want to feel as if I have exhausted the muscle completely and have to pick my butt off the floor and carry it into the next room. Not really to that extreme…but sort of. I maintain my glutes through high rep workouts and believe me, I put my all into the work. Yes, I am maintaining and this is how I do it. I enjoy the feeling of muscle fatigue from a good workout and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the next day. A good butt squeeze workout lets me know that I have challenged myself and worked the muscles in a different way to cause muscle confusion. I never let my glute workouts get repetitive and allow my muscle to adapt to the same routine over and over. I love to change things up all the time and feel my butt being squeezed in different ways to keep maintaining, sculpting and being the BEST me from behind;) Another butt squeeze tip…while walking, I contract my glutes to get even a more intense workout. I do just about anything to modify and make an exercise more intense…..even walking. I definitely love a good butt squeeze and I know that tomorrow will let me know even more that it was GOOD! Off to soak my bootie in some Epsom salts;)


My Workout of the Day:

35 minute ARC interval


My Leg/Bootie Interval….I repeated this 5x… WATCH THE VIDEO


Step ups 20 each leg
Low Squat bench step-ons 20 reps
BOSU jumps 20 reps
ABS on the bench 20 reps


My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup please

MEAL 3: MY SWEET POTATOES & PROTEIN BALLS

1-Pre-workout shake
2-Post -workout shake
3-Sweet potato and Protein Ball
4-B/S chicken breast , avocado & mustard on Sprouted Bread
5-Grilled Shrimp & Fish with Steamed Veggies
6-Protein Pudding


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STAY HEALTHY!

Discipline….It is ALL GOOD

Motivation of the Day: “You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

Discipline & Determination are keys to success

That word…remember when we were kids and it was “oh no” in trouble…what will be my discipline this time. I look deeper into that word and how I live my life with discipline. It is discipline that has molded me into the woman that I am today. Today it is such a POSITIVE word and a big part of my success in looking the way I do, and having the drive to pursue my goals. Without discipline, I think my life would be completely different…..I could not imagine not having the discipline to work out, eat the way I do, and take care of myself overall. Let me share my examples of discipline…my workout appointment with myself and keeping it…NO MATTER WHAT, preparing my meals ahead of time so they are ready and with NO EXCUSES, sticking to my Stay Healthy life, remaining true to my philosophies in the face of social activities & foods, & follow through with promises to family & friends. YES….DISCIPLINE takes on a whole new level of WOW…this is a GOOD thing for me. Many times, this is a GO alone process and it should be for everyone, as I do not depend on things to happen for me…I MAKE THEM HAPPEN. This is all about the discipline to do it. Like this morning….a little hitch in the program, but I quickly restructured my day and although my workout time got pushed to a little later this morning, my goal will still take place and completing my other tasks as well…just in a different order. I am not one of those that will say…OH…it did not happen the way I planned (and yes this can be a disappointment), and throw in the towel and forget it. OH NO…It is the DISCIPLINED GIFT that I will apply and see the potential in the opportunity presented, push forward with planned tasks and still get that workout in. I am a woman of Discipline and this provides success for my Stay Healthy Life;)


My Workout of The Day: Watch the Video !!!

Back/Leg/Triceps focus repeated each Set 4 times


Set 1 – demo on video
Neg Pull ups 5 reps x 4 sets
Jump rope interval: 100 reps
Set 2
Low rows 35lbs @ 25 reps
Modified burpees @ 30 reps
Set 3
Leg Extensions 25lbs @ 25 reps
Hamstring curls 25lbs @ 25 reps
Lung Back Kick Fronts 25 reps
Set 4
Modified French Press 10lbs on bar @ 25 reps
Triceps Push Downs – 10lbs on cable @ 20 reps
Jump rope interval – 50 reps


My Nutrition for the Day:
Coffee….one cup please

We had these too!!! Love the Brussells

1- Powered up Steel Cut Oats (My favorite)    
2 – Post Workout Shake
3 – Left over spaghetti squash with lean turkey pasta sauce
4 – Sweet potato with 2 protein balls
5 – Grilled Shrimp & Chicken with Steamed Green Beans/Broccoli
6 –Protein Pudding


CHECK OUT THE FOOD BELOW: SPAGHETTI SQUASH COOKED IN MY CROCKPOT (3 HRS), LEAN TURKEY PASTA SAUCE, AND OUR LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE DINNER…GRILLED SHRIMP & CHICKEN!!!

Fabulous Grilled Shrimp & Chicken Breast!!! Under 30 minutes

Crock Spaghetti Squash...EASY!

Lean Turkey Pasta Sauce for Squash...YUM

IF YOU ENJOYED THE CONTENT, LIKE IT, AND LET ME KNOW BY POSTING A COMMENT!  STAY HEALTHY!