I'm Back! August 2014

Wow it's been a Couple of years since I've Blogged!  I'm still alive!
I've decided to get back to Blogging!  It helps to keep me Balanced.  I'm still working out at least 5 days a week.  My week lately goes as such.  I'm focusing on Supersets and some Trisets.  Trying to lean out some!

M- Shoulders, Abs, 20 min Intervals
T-  Chest, Tris, 30 min Cardio
W- Legs
T- Back, Bis, Abs and Intervals
F- Active Rest Day
S- Legs
S- Off

This year I made an important decision to get back to church!  Part of finding and keeping Balance!  I also started working a part time job at a wine shop and bar.  I'm really enjoy it!  Perfect hours and fun people!   I've also got out of the need to try and be perfect and clean with my eating.  My husband and I like to go out for dinner and we like our wine!

Speaking of wine my husband and friend are making there own wine.  So far they've made Petit Sarah, a Petit Verdot and a Cabernet.  We love the Valley we live in!

I will Blog another Day to Share the Lessons I've learned over the past couple of years.

Feels good to be Back!

Alzheimer's and the Importance of Exercise and Diet!!!

I know the benefits of working out and so it doesn't take much to motivate me but I know a lot of people have a hard time finding a good reason to workout.  I think almost daily I find more information on the benefits of Exercise.  Why we should get off the couch and start moving!! 

Today I decided to look at Alzheimer's.

Why is it that there seem to be a growing number of people in our western civilization getting Alzheimer's?  Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening to me?  It seems like there are so many diseases and syndromes out there today and I often ask myself, WHY?  What can we do to prevent or detour this? 

I prefer Prevention if I can help it~

So I decided to Google Alzheimer's and Exercise is one of the key components in prevention.  Not only your body, but your mind as well.  I do a good job on my body and I know my challenging goal will be my mind.  I need to focus on daily workouts with my mind and exercise it accordingly. 

Breaking News!!

So now I have to share this Awesome bit of News with you all~  My focus as you can see is on Alzheimer's today and I had this blog saved to finish later when I received a Forward of information from and old dear friend. How Timely is this?  It's so Important that I need to Share it with you all!  It's worth the watch!!  If you know somebody with Alzheimer's right now, this could help!!!

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

I have heard of the Health benefits of Coconut Oil before ..........this just made me a Believer!  Oh the Simple things we can do to help our health that we don't even know about because of LACK of FUNDING!!  Well guess what........Let's all get the word out on this!! 

I'd much rather do DO something like take Coconut Oil then a drug by one of the drug companies if I can!!

Oh and Let's all get off the couch and Exercise our Bodies and Brains!

Yours in Health and Happiness!!

Jesse Burdick~My Husbands Trainer

This Blog is dedicated to my husband and his success over the past couple of months.  In January we signed him up with a trainer Jesse Burdick out of Cross Fit Gym ReActive gym in Pleasanton to help him reach his goals.  He has of last week (it's changed since then) lost 16 lbs of fat and gained 4 lbs of muscle!  No supplements, just protein shakes, protein from meats and nuts, fats and some greens such as a salad in the day and some green veggies.  We've also had a vacation we went on for a week where we cheated and a couple of desserts, bread but overall kept it clean.  He works out Hard with Jesse 3 days a week for 1 hour.  Occasionally he comes home and he feels like he needs to puke............that's a good workout!  I've been curious to see where all of his health markers have been with the change in diet and weight.  He has high blood pressure and cholesterol and takes meds for both.  Well last week he also go his results from his DR and everything is lowered now as well.  Every marker is better and the Dr told him to keep doing what he's doing. 

So on Wednesday I went with him to one of his training sessions to see what he's been doing.  His trainer knows that I'm an avid gym goer and has been asking my husband to bring me to some training sessions with him.  So I went finally.  Well that lovely picture up there is a picture of a Workout sled.  We used that outside to warm up.  My husband added 45# to mine and his was 90# and we took off.  We dragged the sled with two big ropes for approximately 3 Commercial Sized buildings....not sure how long but MUCH longer than I had pictures it when he was explaining it to me.  We went down to a fence.  On the way back we turned around and pulled it like we were chest presses and pulling really hard tell the sled would land at our feet.  Then we do another pull to bring it closer again until we got all the way back.  That was warm up.  Then we did some stretches for the legs, high knees and such.  Gearing me up for the Prowler!  It was a pink one!!  Got to love that.......then I saw the stack of weights.  Oh NO!  He had me push that Prowler as hard as I could for about 40 yards and then rest a minute....he added weight and I'd do it again......more weight and again........more weight and again.  Until I reached 100lbs  and then he started to shed the weight in between the 1 minute rest periods until it was just me running with the Prowler again and no weight.  I felt like Puking!  Yep, this is why my husband felt (feels) the way he did.  I used every muscle in my body to push that thing!  Loved the exhaustion afterwards!
I can't wait to go back! 
Now my husband also knows my addiction to working out!  How Great it can make you feel! I Love that too! 

Focusing on Eats today!

Lately I've had too much fat in my diet.  So I am focusing on bringing it down today!  I'm going to write down what I eat and get in that habit for the next few days.  Tomorrow night will be my cheat though as I'm going to my girls night out and that will be my choice of indulgence.  Got to Live right!  In my mind I have my focus set on loosing fat and getting ready for a May and photo shoot.  I will use these sheets I made up.  They worked well for me the last time I wanted to focus on a weight drop. Just mark them off as you comsume one.  I even make notes on it as to what proteins, fruits, veggies and so on.  Sometimes I sub a fruit for some oatmeal or brown rice.

5 proteins- 1 2 3 4 5
Frutis and Veggies- 1 2 3 4 5
Fats- 1 2 3
Water- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Date:
Day:
Weight:
Workout:
Cardio:
Mood:

It kept me focused and helped me see the real picture~

I am also going to take the day off of workouts...........give my body a much needed rest!  I've been pushing really hard lately and it's important to listen to your body when it's screaming at you!
I'll be staying busy with packing up my kitchen and getting ready for our remodel.

Almost a Year! Here it is 2012!

I'm still here and still at it!! 
Changes in my life..........I've got a new grandbaby!!  His name is Maximus!!  Hes got a head full of black hair and looks just like his daddy!  Such a Blessing!
My youngest daughter got married in June!  She started a new job and she's moved and seems to be doing well!  Sure makes life Great when all your kids are settled and happy!
My son bought a house and got a dog named Porter.  He's a great Dog!! 
We've been Blessed and have gone on several vacations.  In September we went to Hawaii with some friends on the island of Kaui!  It was an Awesome Vacation!  Then in November I went to Nebraska to meet up with some of my Buff Sisters!  There was a group of them competiting in Figure and Bikini.  It was great to go there and be supportive and have continued bonding.  I have now been a Buffmothre for just shy of 6 years.  In that 6 years I've had a lot of growth. What an Awesome group of ladies!  Wished they lived closer!  We are from all over the states but there is a larger group there in the midwest.
Fitness is a part of my life!  Can't imagine life without it now!  Many people think I'm still competiting and my standard answer is "Yes"  the Competition of Life!  I like to train like I'm going to but my eating is more Balanced.  I enjoy Life and like to have my wine now and then!  Love good food too!!  So I do indulge!  I do eat Clean most of the time.

So today was Cardio!  I usually do Legs on Wednesdays but I was so sore from Sundays Leg Day that I decided to take a break.  I was a sweaty mess though.......did 20 min Easy Intervals on the Stepmill and then 30 sec sprints on the treadmill.......about 5 of them and then back to the stepmill for 15 min fatburning.  I stretched really well after my workout but my left foot is still bothering me.  I have Plantar Fasiatas in that foot.  It's very painful!  I really miss running and every time I try this happens.  Strange....I can run on hills and no problems.

With this year I have some goals:

Fitness~
~Do a 10k trail run, Try Crossfit, Get down to 124, A photo shoot by May

House~
~ Redo Workout Room
~Remodel Kitchen
~Organize Office

Personal~
~ Get Creative with paints again
~Get back to Church
~Start Blogging Again Here!!!!
Today is the First Day!!

Tomorrow I plan to do Complexes and Ride My Bike!  The weather has been beautiful!

Superstar!!

I will say that it's been WAY too long since my last Blog!  So much has happened it's overwhelming as to where to start and so I'll just start here!

I have another weight goal in the make.  Hawaii bound in September and so DIET or EDIT is on!!  Workouts for me are always there as they are my medicine for sure but the two together = Power and Focus!

I'm actually doing a challenge taking place in the Rally Room of Buffmother.com and in it there are some amazing like minded women!  Today somebody posted this Blog from another source and I thought it was worth sharing with you all!

We are SUPERSTARS!! 

You´re a Superstar

August 2, 2011 By Belinda  

Maybe today is not your best day. Maybe like me a few things have gone wrong and you’re feeling out of sorts. We all have those days. But imagine for a moment you are a superstar.
Now hold your horses you’re saying; Belinda you have no idea – I don’t have the body I want and right now I feel like no one else wants it either! I’m sitting here wondering how I’m going to *fill in the blank”* and my list of “things to do” goes back to last year.
I hear you!

So get ready for some feel good therapy.

You are a superstar to somebody.

Just stop for a moment and think about it. You’re a superstar to somebody in your life.  Somebody special looks up to you and cares about you – someone who thinks you’re the most important person in the world.

You've had superstar moments in your life.

Dig deep. I am sure you can think of a few moments in your life where you felt like a superstar. Maybe it was Grade 3 when you won your first competition. Maybe it was after you finally got to kiss that special person you had been dreaming about for months. Maybe it was when you bought a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller or lifted your max weight in the gym last week.
Hang onto those moments because they are magic. They are fuel to get you through the tough times and help you believe in yourself.

You can be the superstar of your own life.

One of the biggest turning points in my life came when I realized, “if it is to be it’s up to me”. I stopped waiting for someone else to make it happen, I stopped relying on others to change things, I stopped hoping that someone with a magic wand was going to turn up and make everything all right. Instead, I decided to become the superstar of my own life.
I started believing I could change. I learned to surf, I lost weight, I ate better and started working out. I started believing I could be different from the person I had let myself become. And I did things just for me!
I gave myself permission to do the things I wanted, to start dreaming again and to be the person I knew I was deep down on the inside.
We all have down times, difficult days and discouragements. But don’t stay there. Be the superstar of your own life and rise above it.

Believe you can do it, and you will do it!

Today I challenge you to set some new goals. Raise the bar and keep raising it until you become the superstar of your own life.
Belinda
Your Aussie Transformation Coach

Good Stuff wouldn't you agree? Let's all be Superstars and get after Life!!

For us 50+ Year Old Women~

For us 50+ Year Old Women~

How does one get started at our age?  I get asked that alot!  Many will have health conditions and not know where or how to begin~

I thought this was a good article to help with the right steps to get on a road to better health~

Overview

The ability to lose excess weight and gain muscle decreases with age, according MayoClinic.com. For women, the reduction of estrogen after menopause also leads to a greater risk for osteoporosis and other diseases.



Exercise, strength training and stretching, along with a proper diet, can thwart many of the affects of aging and often helps reverse disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. Without spending extra money on expensive gym memberships or equipment, transform your life with an age-appropriate exercise plan.

Assess and Plan

Step 1

Determine how fit you are by assessing your past, recent and current exercise habits. Even if you haven't exercised in a number of years, it's not difficult to get back into the swing of things and exercise can benefit you in numerous ways.



If you have certain health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, exercise may help improve them, according to the National Institute on Aging. Examine your own health and take into account past and recent injuries, arthritis and other factors that may limit your exercise routine.

Step 2

Besides a self-assessment, get a complete physical assessment from your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Talk to your medical practitioner about health concerns you may have and ask for advice about the type of exercises that would be best for your current physical condition, recommends the National Institute on Aging. Remember to inquire about the possible effects of working out while on your specific medications.

 

Make a personal fitness plan. Keep in mind that if you haven't exercised for a while, you'll want to start out slowly, advises the National Institute on Aging. Make long-term and short-term fitness goals, and keep a daily journal of exercises completed to help you with your goals.



Schedule 30-minute blocks of time each day for fitness, but keep in mind that you can break exercise up into 5- to 10-minute increments. Plan a break from exercise or work out light at least one day each week.

Target Total Fitness

Step 1

Include at least 30 minutes of mainly aerobic exercise most days of the week. Try different types of aerobic exercise, such as walking, dancing, swimming, softball or badminton, and choose the types of activities that suit your personality and lifestyle.



Pick aerobic exercise that you enjoy and that is appropriate. "Scientific evidence supports the notion that even moderate-intensity activities, when performed daily, can have long-term health benefits," notes the American Heart Association. Take it easy and don't push yourself too hard.

Step 2

Add at least five minutes of stretching to your daily workout routine. Exercising without stretching often leads to sore muscles and injury. Muscles contract during exercise and tighten with long-term exercise. When muscles aren't trained for flexibility, a wrong move may cause a pull, sprain or tear, often requiring medical care and long-term rest.



The Mayo Clinic suggests performing stretching exercises "gently and slowly, without bouncing" and advises that you should also "avoid stretches that flex your spine or cause you to bend at the waist." Try group exercise classes, such as yoga or Pilates, to learn proper stretching routines.

Step 3

Understand the importance of including strength training in your weekly exercise routine. Without strength training, "You're missing out on a key component of overall health and fitness," according to MayoClinic.com. Weight training of any kind helps build muscle to support bones, but it also builds bone.



Strength training is especially beneficial for those at risk for osteoporosis, adds MayoClinic.com. Use free weights, body weight or machines at the gym to build muscle. Keep in mind that simple strength training exercises, such as push-ups build upper body strength.

I happen to be one of those at risk for Osteoporosis.  It runs in the family history with us women. 

Today is Leg day for Me.........Going to go work on fighting that Osteoporosis!  Just talked with my mom yesterday and even with all my efforts I'm on my way to this condition.  My goal is to just stay off the meds as long as I can!!  I go for another test this month for my bone density and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm still holding!

What's your fight?  How are you gearing up to combat and get yourself on a better road?  Good Luck to you in your efforts to better Health <3  We're all fighting the fight!

In Fitness and Friendship~ Julie