YES...I AM TALKING ABOUT REALLY PERSONAL STUFF~ ME at 47

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Give me some Watermelon

Yes, I am 47…am loving it, embracing it, feeling pretty darn fit, sexy and my BEST ME…that is for sure.  I absolutely love to blog…it is an outlet, and I am a very social person…have to be in my business…but for the most part…that is my personality.  The beautiful part about writing is being able to be expressive and so guys…just to let you know…I am going there about being a woman at 47.  As a trainer, I talk with my beautiful female clients everyday about absolutely everything fitness….right down to periods, cramps, constipation, hormone headaches, anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness…well you get the picture. 

Being 47 and a woman, I am not exempt to the YUCK changes that the body goes through at my fabulous age.  Do I feel like I am 23...YES…my body sometimes reminds me that I am not in the area of female changes….OH REALLY!!!  Now this is ridiculous…OK…things I do not like…night sweats….OH MY… soak the sheets and put myself in the heavy dry cycle for heaven’s sake.  Moving on to hormone headaches…when these hit....not fun…I do find that the OTC menstrual cramp medicine helps.  Let’s see…YES…irregular bleeding…another one of my non-favorites….I mean really…am I hemorrhaging or what….sorry guys…but ladies, I am sure some can relate.  One month can seem slight and the next month…I do not dare step out of the house…and walk to the bathroom cross-legged…yep yep yep…been there.   Why spend exorbitant amounts of money on fancy panties…NO WAY…Target here I come…lol.  Not to say that I do not have some of the fancies...but definitely not on PLAGUE days.  I was thinking about how much planning goes around this unkind week of the month…can I plan a vacation, weekend getaway, out with friends for the day….OH MY…wait everyone, let me grab my calendar so that I can count my days to ensure that Aunt Flow will not be along…I mean really…now bless the men who are understanding to their wives & significant others when it comes to women and going through changes. 

The thing about being 47 and experiencing things like night sweats, crazy bleeding, anxiety, and a whole different lower part….YES…the vagina does change as we age….OH MY…I said the V word, is that a pro-active approach is necessary.  My goal in life is to be the BEST ME at every moment and in every way…so I do take steps to have a healthy under carriage…lol.  This is a subject that many people are afraid to talk about and to write about…NO WAY…so, I will be the brave one and put it out there.  Things that I do to maintain my female reproductive health is using transdermal (rub on the skin) creams like progesterone and testosterone.  I am also a researcher regarding any natural way to maintain my body to include my vagina, and overall feeling of well being.  Hormonal changes are definitely not fair and I am doing everything possible to keep my body balanced.  I have incorporated eating ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds & watermelon in my daily nutrition as a way to maintain a healthy libido. 

Raw Pumpkin Seeds...Giving them a try!

I am looking into things like L-Arginine and other similar supplements to keep myself in check.  I also read that using olive oil 3x per week massaged into the inner labia of the vagina keeps the tissue moist and supple.  YES…I am 47, but my goal is to do all I can to feel my BEST in every way…so talking about something like this I feel is very important…is it OH MY…I can’t believe she is writing about this…MAYBE…BUT…that is ME.  This is my life to motivate you and sharing about my life, and what I do to maintain my physical fitness in every way.  This is a subject that is very important for me and ultimately my relationship with hubby…who I must share is a very understanding man when it comes to absolutely everything woman…thanks Babe!  Do I want a dried up prune, unhealthy undercarriage for myself…OH MY Hell to the NO…well that might be overdoing it a bit…but really….I DON’T…so off to research more about olive oil.

 Motivation of the Day:  Look at Every Circumstance in Life as a Learning Experience to Grow and Be a Better Person

This is What I Can Do...Neg Pull Ups!!!

My Workout of the Day:

30 min ARC trainer

Body Stuff: Sets repeated 4x/1 min Intervals

Set 1
Incline Chest Press Smith: 40lbs on bar (1st time trying these...will see how I am tomorrow)
Neg Pull Ups
Set 2
Squats 10lb sandbag
Lunge Backs 10lb sandbag

My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee 1 ½ cups
1-Pre-workout shake (lighter side)
2-Post-workout Shake (everything)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
3-Lean Turkey Wrap (spinach/onion/tomatoes/mustard)
4-Grilled White Fish & zucchini
5-Protein balls (vanilla whey/flax/peanut butter/raisins)

My Published Stay Healthy Recipe for Meal 4

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STAY HEALTHY!

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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Stay Healthy!

It’s All Chemistry to Me….

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Me and My Protein

It really is a fabulous relationship…chemistry is so important when it comes to that.  What is also important is breaking those relationship bonds…YIKES.  How can that be good at all…the chemistry I am talking about is the process of what food turns into when it hits my face…my relationship with food.  What it comes down to is the simplicity of the calorie and me.  Do I count them….NO…but eating my 5 to 6 meals per day in small portions keeps me in the ballpark of where I want to be every day.  The Law of Thermodynamics says this…whatever is not burned as energy is stored…that is it people.  It is truly that simple. So, when large portions of food are hanging over plates and made up of high calorie fat laden items….look out energy storage…when excess calories are consumed the body converts what is not used into FAT stored on the body…OH YUCK…some would like to get more colorful than the YUCK word.  Also….I hear stories about the snack grabs…going to the pantry and grabbing a handful of this and that…snack snack snack..and usually on CRAP…guess what…calories in the face not burned through physical activity add up…BIG TIME!  Look at this example…let’s say you take in 2000 calories per day but are only burning 1500 calories per day, that means an excess of 500 calories are left over which are placed in the fat storage body bank.  There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so on this course of eating, a person would gain one pound of fat every 7 days…that is 4lbs of fat per month.  Can you see how this adds up…can you see how this works.  So do I sit around eating out of boredom, without reason, and just because it takes good….Hell to the BIG NO.  If you look at the simple chemistry behind it, and realize every morsel placed in the face is a calorie ready to be converted to another form of energy in the body….that in itself can be the motivating factor to knock it off, and take control of the chemistry relationship with food.  I eat to live and not the other way around….I have shared this before.  I maintain a fabulous chemistry balance with my food in (energy) and energy out (the physical activity) which keeps me at a maintenance weight.  Now if I consumed too much over several days…guess what…I would gain…Not what I want to do.  I ensure that my food choices are not heavy calorie laden with lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.  In fact, I eat as many veggies and as much salad as I want at my last meal….over half my plate are the greens.  My lifestyle with eating this way is as natural as breathing so it is not hard for me, and is key to maintaining my physique.  I never plan to count calories ever again in my life…been there done that years ago…it is a pain in the bootie….however for newbies wanting to get a handle on food intake….I feel journaling it for awhile is great accountability until the Stay Healthy lifestyle is completely adapted.  The Food Administration just developed a new food pyramid guide…the dinner plate…and I love the simplicity of the visual… a long time coming and it covers my philosophy on food intake pretty well.  The point I am strongly making is that weight loss is not hard to understand when you grasp that it is all about Chemistry….one last look.

The New Dinner Plate..Check Out the Portions!

~Too many calories consumed to energy out – fat is stored, weight is gained ..YUCK

~Less calories consumed to energy out – energy is burned, no fat is stored, weight is lost…YEAH

~Same amount of calories consumed to energy out – no weight is lost, Maintenance…This is ME…so YEAH

So, yes it is all about the chemistry for me...YIKES..that was a tough one in college...but now it all makes perfect sense for my Stay Healthy Life;)

  

Motivation of the Day: It's Starts with the Person in the Mirror

 My Workout of the Day:

Arc Interval Training: 30 minutes...YIKES..I really had to motivate myself today...did a no/no &   went to bed too late..BUT..Stayed TRUE to my Workout...LESSON LEARNED..Bed on time tonight!

This was Tough Today!

Body Work: repeated cycle 4x

Hamstring Curls 25 lbs @ 25 reps

Leg Extensions 25 lbs @ 25 reps

Low Ab work, Leg Lifts on Bench 25 reps

Modified Triceps Extensions 10lbs on bar @ 25reps 

My Meal 2

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup please (needed it BIG TIME)

1-Post Workout Shake (gotta have my prune juice in it..lol..love it)

2-Sweet Potato with plain non-fat yogurt topping

3-2 Protein Balls (Vanilla Whey, Flax, Cinnamon, Raisin) YUM!!!

4-Grilled white fish with lots of grilled veggies

5-Protein Pudding

My Sunday Night Spontaneous Splurge...It was FABULOUS!

Splurge Report: Hubby & I made a Margarita Pizza on a thin crust Boboli, used low fat Italian cheese blend, fresh basil, roma tomatoes, olive oil, and minced garlic (YUM)!!! I had 2 slices. Our dessert...Low fat butter pecan ice cream with chocolate grahm crackers.  We were out all day and instead of stopping at a pizza place, we made our own...It was a spontaneous unplanned splurge...I never plan as I shared before and everything is better when I make it myself!!! 

I am SERIOUS about Spreading the Stay Healthy Life!

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Stay Healthy!

Crunches - Not The Answer For Six Pack Abs

The truth about crunches! We all seek answers to achieving
ripped abs. The truth about crunches is that they are good
for our abdominal muscles, but they will not give you the
ripped abs that you want. To get ripped abs, you need to
work on fat burning exercises that will burn overall fat,
watching what we eat and eliminating stress from our lives.

Doing crunches may be stopping you from getting six pack abs
because it doesn't focus on what needs to be trained.
Crunches strengthen, stabilize and develop the abdominal
area. But to get six pack abs, we need to focus on overall
fat burning.

Overall fat burning exercises are activities that allow us
to train our whole body to increase our metabolism. By
increasing our metabolism, we are better able to burn fat
and utilize the excess belly fat, which results in more
visibility of the abdominal muscles.

Resistance training has been shown to increase metabolic
activity and help the body to consume more body fat.
Increasing lean body mass through resistance training allows
us to utilize more fuel for our muscles.

Watching what we eat is important as well. By eating quality
foods, which are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals, we fuel our body to function better.
Instead of eating 3 big meals per day, we can increase our
meals to 5-6 and decrease the meal portions. This will allow
us to maintain our energy and blood sugar levels throughout
the day.

Stress affects our bodies in a way that makes our bodies
react in an emergency mode. When our bodies are in a
stressful situation, Cortisol is released and causes fat to
be stored in the abdominal area.

There are several ways to decrease the amount of stress in
our lives. Activities like deep breathing, tai chi, and
yoga, have ways of calming the body down and help to reduce
stress.

Crunches, in truth, are good for you but to achieve defined
ripped abs, we need to focus on other factors. Activities like
resistance training, watching what we eat and eliminating stress
from our lives, will help us achieve our ripped six-pack abs.