- Maximize Your Life -

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now, but have been so busy the past month!

I attended Jillian Michaels' "Maximize Your Life" tour a little over a month ago and learned SO much about my new, healthy lifestyle.  I can't recall EVERYTHING she said, but I'll recite all that I can remember.  This is going to be more of a long blurb, than a well thought out organized post, while I try and remember everything she said in my notes... bare with me please.

What stuck out to me most is how disappointed Jillian would be with something I've written on this blog.  I have previously stated before that counting calories is a waste of time!  Jillian stressed the importance of counting calories and keeping track of your caloric intake.  I completely agree if you don't generally know the average of calories in common foods, but once you know it's easy to remember.  I especially don't count calories since most of everything that I eat is organic and I keep my portions light and right.  

Jillian also stressed the importance of how exercise/diet makes you HAPPY and LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE!  It's so true that it truly changes your lifestyle.  I took a Biology class not too long ago solely focusing on the human body and how your body reacts to exercise.  Endorphins are released when you exercise and endorphins are what makes you happy!  Most doctors actually tell their depressed patients to start first with exercising before committing to any kind of medication.  

Surround yourself with positivity; whether that be people or new habits in general.  One of my favorite quotes is by that of the brilliant Chuck Pahalniuk, "Nothing of me is original, I am the combined effort of everyone I've ever known."  Surround yourself with that kind of positive influence that makes you who you are.  It truly makes all the difference in how you live your life.

"Food makes you feel good... not really, maybe for 5 minutes.  We develop coping mechanisms in a response to pain.  We eat too much, drink too much, spend too much, because in that moment we consider that as a 'treat'." - Jillian Michaels.  After you take on your little splurging act you're left with the same kind of miserableness you were in the first place.  Do NOT make excuses or encourage coping mechanisms.  Place yourself outside the box and take a deep, hard look at what you are doing in the moment BEFORE you do it.

"Find what you love to do that makes you feel beautiful, makes you feel fun, and isn't destructive."Jillian Michaels.

Jillian joked off how silly it is to only use the weight machines at the gym.  "This isn't 1985 and you look ridiculous."  (Typical Jillian attitude).  Get comfortable in the weight room where the "men" work out!  Talk to the people who work at whatever gym you're at, or another member who knows what he or she is doing if you need the help.  It's better to ask questions than not know what you're doing, or worse, doing nothing at all.

Figure out what your maximum heart rate (MHR) is before you begin your workout.  This means that during your workout you should not allow your heart to be over its number.  How do you find out what your MHR is?  Take 220 minus your age.  Then take .85 X the number you came up with and that's the number you don't want to go over during your workout.  If you don't want to do the math then buy a little fancy watch or any kind of gadget online for a REASONABLE price.  Pay attention to your MHR and base your workouts off of that number for the best weight loss results.

"Your body adapts to stress so don't feel discouraged when you get sore.  Although I do LOVE reading your tweets when you tell me you can't sit on the toilet!" Jillian Michaels.

Jillian spent about 30 minutes going over calories and foods that are good and bad for you, but spent the majority of her time talking about how important it is to know that YOU are important and that YOU matter.  She gave such inspiring advice and words of wisdom explaining that the dieting and exercise follows after you realize your self-worth.  

As far as food is concerned, she made it more simple than people realize.  First of all, EAT ORGANIC!  "Sure it'll cost a lot sometimes, but guess what costs more?  Hospital bills from being unhealthy."  Shop around the outside of your grocery store and stay away from the inner part.  All of the inner part of the grocery store is full of processed foods that to be honest, we don't need.  Meat and fish are full of hormones, chemicals, and MSG when you don't buy organic.  People buy it because it's cheaper, and the sellers are making more money, because more people are buying it. 

Stick with organic grass fed ground beef!  Think about it, if you buy the meat where cows are injected with antibiotics and chemicals then guess what?  Those antibiotics and chemicals are going into your body.  Those chemicals are not only damaging our bodies, but giving 9 year old girls boobs that they should not be getting so soon!

Keep your body antibiotic free and stick with the grass fed beef.  Jillian said don't buy the biggest salmon that you see because it looks the "juiciest".  The smaller salmon fillets are the ones you want to be going after.  

I think I have given the simplified version of Jillian's incredible seminar.  So always remember, know that you are worth it, stick to all things organic (mainly plant-based), keep in mind your MHR, and never feel discouraged.   I'll leave you with this funny, little meme I found on Instagram that I think Jillian would most definitely approve of:

 

Stay encouraged ;-)

-C

For more information on Jillian's "Maximize Your Life" tour, click here to find out how to get started on a new healthy lifestyle with the help of Jill.

April Ambition!

We are in the midst of spring, friends!  Walk around, smell the flowers, and enjoy the breeze ;-D 

More importantly, set some rules/goals for yourself.  We're only a week into April, so I set a lovely goal for myself: "NO CHEAT APRIL" 

That's right... NO CHEATING! Try going an entire month with no sweets and see how it changes your body.  This shouldn't be too hard since we only have about 3 weeks left of April!

I've posted a few alternatives to sweet cravings on my blog thus far and I will be sure to post more throughout April to satisfy your sweet tooth, because if you're anything like me, you've got a bad one! 

Natural sugars are more than okay.  It is so good for your body to have one serving of fruit a day.  Mangos, my favorite fruit, are probably the most satisfying for a sweet tooth.  And homemade mango popsicles? Life changing. 

Try something this month that works for you!  Maybe "No cheese April" or "No soda April".  I promise that these small changes will greatly impact your health and body.  Maybe after this month you'll get used to those changes, and instead of going back to making them a part of your diet, they can be a treat instead!  

Need help along the way?  Help YOURSELF!  I now love leaving myself sticky notes throughout the house reminding me of how far I've come and to not give up.  Get creative with what you write on your sticky notes and where you place them.  I put one on my bed after I make it (yes, I do make my bed although it may appear otherwise in pictures) with a question, "Sure you wanna lay down and be lazy?" Instantaneously, I get up and start doing some home workouts!  Who would have thought I could get so much exercise in when originally my plan was to be lazy?  

Another help method: "bikini bff".  Take that cute, teeny bikini every where with you.  I'm not kidding.  Bring it with you to the bathroom, hang it on top of your drawers/closet, hang it in the kitchen while you cook, sleep with it on your bed.  It sounds sickening, but it actually works.  It forces you to have this unhealthy (yet ultimately healthy) drive that makes you obsessed with the idea of perfectly fitting into that bikini.  

Whatever "No Cheat April" you decide to do, remember you are doing it for no one else, but yourself.  Make sure you choose a cheat that you struggle with most; one that you feel your body would be healthier without.  That's the one that's worth it!  Now go take in the beauty of this world and have the happiest of Tuesday's.  I leave you with one of my favorite songs to get you in that happy, full of life mood-

JUST DANCE

 NEVER DREAD A WORKOUT! 

Rihanna

Working out should be something to look forward to.  But, being the ridiculous human beings that we are, we have days where working out sounds dreadful and quite frankly annoying.  Let's be honest, having to spend an hour with the bike or elliptical doesn't sound very exciting sometimes.  So what do we do when these emotions take over us? DANCE. 

Last night, my beautiful girlfriends and I headed south to San Jose and saw the one and only BADGALRIHRIH in concert.  Not only did we have the time of our lives, but we probably burned at LEAST 500 calories dancing our butts off. 

Dancing with my girl *pour it up, pour it up* 

Yes, I danced and duck-faced the night away. 

Don't feel like going for a run, or heading to the gym?  Call up your girls and have a DANCE party or just go out dancing!  You don't need to go to a Rihanna concert just to dance all night and you don't need to go to a club just to get wasted.  I need to start making a habit out of just dancing with my girlfriends to burn those extra calories.  Dancing makes you happy AND you're burning fat -- what more can a girl want? ;-) I drank only 2 drinks at the concert and guess what?  I don't regret it one bit.  Remember, it's okay to treat yourself sometimes, it actually helps you stay on track better as long as you don't overdo it.  I usually have one drink per week, which mainly consists of a glass of wine, and one glass of wine is good for the heart!  

According to this online health article, dancing tones your entire body, reduces stress, builds confidence, and increases stamina and flexibility!  So grab your heels, grab your girls, and get out there! 

SWEET CRAVING OF THE WEEK-

Homemade popsicles!

Prepare your fruit.  I used peaches, kiwis, and strawberries.  Juice whichever combinations you'd like and"juice it up" in your juicer. 

I bought these at the grocery store down the street from my house for a couple bucks.  Fill 'em up and stick 'em in the freezer for a few hours.

My strawberry and peach popsicle... DELICIOUS!  No preservatives and all natural sugar.  I'm officially addicted.  I also made kiwi lime, raspberry, and blueberry! So easy and effortless.

Stay euphoric! ;-)

-C

Quick Motivation Boost!

Say HELLO to your newest Biggest Loser, the beautiful Danni Allen.

Lost 121 lbs, currently weighing in at an amazing 137 lbs.

Jaw dropping bomb shell.  If this doesn't drive you to the gym, I don't know what will!

Since Jillian Michaels dedicated this as Danni's song, I thought this was the PERFECT meme.

Excuse the horrible lighting... try baking your salmon in the oven covered in cajun seasoning (to add a little kick) for 20 minutes on 350 degrees.  Serve with brown rice and grilled veggies.  Someone once told me, "If eating healthy feels like a punishment you aren't doing it right!"  It's SO true, some of the best foods I've made are healthy!

PLANT BASED DIET!  Grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli, and my "Green Machine" juice for lunch.  DELISH!

Stored the rest of the veggies that I didn't use in the fridge, and made a delicious pasta the next day with no sauce, or butter, just olive oil, pepper, and garlic.  

My latest sweet craving: mango and cantaloupe.  I get at least 2 servings of veggies a day and 1 serving of fruit a day. Remember, it's all about portions!

Finally a recent picture of me taken this morning.  Gaining more and more muscle every day, ab's are getting more defined weekly, and I can still do my cardio daily!  Every other day I switch from the stationary bike to the stair master since I still can't run.  I do each machine for at least an hour and am SURE to ice for 30 minutes when I'm home.  Break free from your barriers!  Make "lemonade" out of any situation.  I didn't stop doing cardio just because I can't run.  It's so easy to make up excuses, but excuses won't help you lose the weight!  Happy Friday my friends.   

Hot Yoga = Hot Bod

Bikram (hot yoga) is, in my opinion, way more invigorating than regular yoga.  

Nothing against regular yoga at all, I still think yoga is amazing.  However, the challenges and mindset of bikram are unlike anything I have ever tried.  Not to mention, the post-bikram feeling is incredible.

-So, what is bikram?

Bikram Yoga sessions run for exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures including 2 breathing exercises.  Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (≈ 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%, and is the most popular form of hot yoga.  For further background information, check out the rest of the Wikipedia page here. 

I have been doing bikram on and off now since July of 2012.  Memberships are VERY expensive, so my trick is to buy Groupon packages!  Most Groupon deals are somewhere along the lines of $40 for 20 classes, $60 for 40 classes.  Why is this better than buying a membership?  Memberships are around $500 for a year.  Most studios don't offer monthly payments either, so that would be a $500 dollar downpayment! 

-What do I bring to a bikram class?

Bikram class requirements:  towel (preferably a beach towel), Ice-cold water bottle, and a yoga mat.  You can wear any kind of gym clothes you want, although I prefer to wear tight yoga shorts and a tank top, or just my sports bra.  The title of hot yoga is no joke, you get HOT and SWEATY.  My clothes are always drenched after every class.

-How do I prepare for bikram?

Bikram is not just physical, it's a mindset you have to put yourself in.  You have to tell yourself YOU want to be there and remind yourself how amazing you will feel when you're done.  Bikram is very hard, but the feeling when you're done is incredible.  Come to class very hydrated and keep hydrated after class.  I've recently been juicing, making my "Green Machine" and drinking that before the class.  The nutrients that the plants and fruits give me provides so much energy that lasts for the whole class.  I like to drink a coconut water (although I'm not a fan of the taste) after the class is over, because it helps hydrate me better than regular water.

-How often should I go to bikram?

Go to bikram as much as you feel like going.  Base how often you go off of how many classes you buy.  Almost two months ago I bought a Groupon for 20 classes so I've been going only once a week, that way I have my one class to look forward to for many weeks!

-Why is bikram so good for you?

I know I've already stated it many times, but there really are NO words to describe the feeling it gives you when you're done.  You really feel like your body is capable of doing anything and it's a very mind-blowing feeling.  Bikram will rid your body of all toxins, loosen your muscles, and elongate your spine.  All of the sweat that is pouring out of your skin is the water full of toxins escaping your body.  It is the water weight you WANT to lose.  It is the water weight your body NEEDS to lose.

I have done bikram with a cold and my cold went away afterward.  I have done bikram on extremely stressful days and I feel rejuvenated after.  I have done bikram on amazing days and I feel even more amazing after.  Bikram really is wonderful no matter what kind of day you're having.

Also remember, like everything else, practice makes perfect.  You aren't going to nail all of the poses your first or second time and you'll probably have to lay down once or twice to relax.  The more you go, the more you'll fall in love with it and the easier it gets.  I still struggle with some poses, but I know in the weeks to come they will look much better!

Stay limber! ;-)

-C