MOTIVATION

I am MOTIVATED

Just like you, sometimes I struggle with this.  What keeps me going is how good I feel from where I was when I was injured.  I have worked too hard to fix myself to ever give up on me…that is MOTIVATION!   I have progressed to modified workouts instead of straight up physical therapy and believe me I still throw in a bit of the PT just to keep me honest.  As I have shared and you know how I feel…Life is too short not to be my BEST ME…so even on those days that feel hard and hand me a “I do not want to  attitude ”…I DO IT.  That inner voice talks pretty loud, and on those days, I truly feel like I am having an out of body experience going through my workout…but…the important thing is…I AM DOING IT.  

Off topic, but not really…I came down with the bronchial flu…a not so fabulous share from hubby that has set me back going on 2 weeks of no workouts…YUCK YUCK YUCK…I would love to say more about how frustrating this makes me feel.  Why do I share this…hmmm…well, I write what pops into my mind and I am relating this to motivation because I am motivated to get back on track once my energy is where it should be.  I am no super human and this past week has definitely proved that, but boy am I determined and motivated to get back to it.  You see, my lifestyle motivates me…I miss my workouts, even on the hard days.  There is a saying that goes…”You regret those things you do not do”…Well, I know that if I do not maintain my physical fitness, my body will suffer the consequences.

I Want a Long Healthy Happy Active Life with Hubby

I have so many motivators in my life…My Faith in God…this is HUGE…I have respect for this gift of life in this body and it is up to me to take the BEST care of ME always…One Life, One Chance, No Rewinds…WOW…this gives me goose bumps.  My fabulous husband motivates me to take care of ME, to be my BEST ME for him…crap, I want to feel sexy, alive, and all those things not only for myself, but for him.  We have a common goal of living a long, happy, healthy and active life together. My children motivate me…WOW…I have 4 now and I want to be my BEST for them, spending time, having laughs, watching their lives unfold as they journey into adulthood…they are already there…AMAZING!  My Grandchild and future grandchildren are motivators…how cool it will be to be a fit and trendy Grandma…I want that for them…I want to be able to sit, play and move around with ease and scoop them up in my arms with confidence and strength.  My parents and family motivate me…I want to be a healthy example for them, to enjoy the wisdom of my parents, and share in the lives of my siblings; My friends motivate me…you know in this life, seriously, true friendship is a rare gift and I cherish a couple that I can call my gems in life…a chosen sisterhood.

My clients and those I touch on a daily basis to live healthy lives motivate me. I receive emails of gratitude and celebrate success stories everyday…and you know what…I am just the voice to provide the MOTIVATION…truly it is each person that has to make a personal choice to change…and when this happens, that is exciting and MOTIVATING for me personally. Wrapping this up, I am a collector of motivational posters and sayings and I share this information on my Stay Healthy Facebook page on a daily basis.  I get so excited with a new find and how it moves me to be a better person and I think…if it speaks like this to me, then I am definitely going to share it.  I began a Pinterest account…OH MY…this is absolutely the BEST place to find motivational posters on every topic under the sun…no kidding…check out my board specific to MOTIVATIONS! 

This blog has been a bit everywhere in my life, but when it comes to Motivation, it is such a grand word, and even more than that, it is one to think about deeply.  So….does feeling sexy in my clothes MOTIVATE me…a big YES, but it goes much more beyond that and each day could bring a different motivator, but overall…I am Motivated to be a healthy person…and I am Motivated to Motivate…Can I say that…does that make sense…I hope so. 

My Workout of the Day:

Recovery Period:  Recovering for 2 weeks from the flu…not happy but necessary to prevent relapse

Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date Cookies...YUM!

My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup with splash f/f vanilla creamer & Stay Healthy Harvest Muffin

Juice/Shake Combo

Juice/Shake Combo with Egg Whites

Lean Turkey Spaghetti Sauce with veggies served over Quinoa

2 Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date cookies

Click Here to Check out My Pinterest Account and GET MOTIVATED!

Motivation of the Day: I Will Do This for Me

Newly Added to the In My Kitchen Page on the Blog

 Stay Healthy Caramelized Onion Bella Pizza Recipe

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED TO SUPPORT STAY HEALTHY FITNESS WITH A SHAKE DONATION…I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

STAY HEALTHY!

Setbacks SUCK

IF YOU LIKE MY BLOG…DONATE A PROTEIN SHAKE;)

Setbacks Suck...but Hey...I make the BEST of IT

Well, I have to say that I do not like setbacks…and in fact they do SUCK.  Going through the pain of a setback from my injury is the hardest part…but also having to cut way down to doing nothing with my fitness program…big YUCK.  I am such an active person and giving in to what my body is telling me is definitely a mind vs. body fight, and I have to say that I do practice what I preach…and listen.  I would not push my clients through a setback in ways that would further aggravate an injury and I need to apply that to myself…is it hard…YES.  Always honest here…I am one of those can’t hold her down personality types usually, but the wiser Darla says…hold yourself down GIRL!!!  I have been through so much and I can tell you…IT IS NOT WORTH IT…meaning pushing myself through pain only to land flat on my ass for days…hell to the BIG NO THANKS. I also have a supportive hubby who keeps me accountable to that.  In fact, he makes me promise that I will not workout for however long it takes to get back on track and feeling close to 100%...MAN THAT IS A TOUGH ONE FOR ME…I have to admit, I hesitate to answer…lol…but you know what, I have gone most of my life without an accountability coach…so although hard…I appreciate it.  The athlete in me truly wants to do at least something…cardio at the minimum…but if I feel discomfort even in that movement…well…I need to STOP doing that.  I confess that it is so hard to shut this part of me down…meaning the athlete, but what I do enjoy during my recovery time is working with my clients and being a part of their efforts as I push them through their fitness programs.   In a way, this satisfies my urge to workout because I am still in the environment, actively involved by pushing them, and celebrating the accomplishment of the finish.   

Getting back to my inner turmoil when it comes to setbacks…I am a person just like you…and I do feel frustration, blah, yuck, maybe even a bit of anger about it…I say to myself…really Darla…still feeling like this today…ugh…another day of ice packs, TENS unit, ice packs, ice packs, ice packs…well you get the picture.  Not a fun time and in fact it gets in the way of my quality life functions…spending time with friends, family, hubby, etc…It is really a hard thing to enjoy something when my pain level is saying a BIG HELLO all the time.  These are times I have to take a deep breath and accept that it is what it is for the moment and still the BEST me in the circumstance.  What the heck Darla…really…how can you be the BEST you when you feel like shit (can I say that??) Oh well…I did…that is me.  The fact is…I CAN and I DO…is it anyone’s fault that I am having a flare up…NO…well, maybe mine if I tried a new exercise that caused the problem…so…the motto that I hold true to…Life is 10% What Happens to You and 90% How You Respond to It…is always whispering in my ear.   

LOVE THIS

My response is…I do not like this, but I am not going to be a crabby “B” to hubby, friends or family…I mean really…what would that do for me or anyone else.  I take this moment to reflect on things like…not repeating the movement that may have caused the flare up or how I can modify the move even more to protect myself…it seems like I will always be a test as I go Gal…meaning it works for the New Modified Me or it Doesn’t…and then stick to the routines that DO work.  Setbacks do suck, but they also teach me what my body can or can’t do, and although I sometimes feel sad about the things I can’t do and think to myself…really…this is going to kick my ass like that, I appreciate even more those things I can do that don’t set me back at all…and that my friends…is FABULOUS!!! Stay Healthy!

MOTIVATION FOR THE DAY:  Always Strive to Be the BEST Version of YOU

Workout of the Day:

ARC Trainer cardio segment 45 minutes (I have been on this routine for 2 days now)

Nutrition of the Day:

Crock Pot Chicken Ready for Meal 5

Coffee, one cup…fabulous

1-Pre-workout shake

2-Post-workout shake, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

3-Peppered turkey breast with Avocado on a Thin Bun, Grapes

4-High Fiber Wrap with Almond Butter and Dried Cranberries

5-Crock Pot Chicken and Baked Butternut Squash

6-Two Protein Balls

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED…DONATE A PROTEIN SHAKE!

Stay Healthy!

Why I Do It ~ A Client Success Story

Do You Like My Blog…Donate a Protein Shake Today

This is WHY I do It

I am over-the-top excited about this Blog!!!  I wake up every day with excitement to help people adapt healthy lifestyles and when my clients have been walking the talk of Stay Healthy Fitness, it definitely shows.  I schedule new client assessments 12 weeks out from initial intake giving their bodies a chance to change and to see the results of their dedication.  I get just as excited about assessment day as they do and it is a proud trainer moment....this is my reward…watching their faces light up, listening to all the great ways they have changed, how much they are enjoying the foods, feeling good, having more energy, less pain, and overall confidence…the comments are endless…and the celebration for that moment…PRICELESS!!!   Living a Stay Healthy life means having a quality life inside and out, and I am so happy to be able to walk beside so many fabulous people to educate, coach, and celebrate every moment of progress that brings them closer to their goals.  When a client comes to me for the first time and shares that they want to look better, feel better, have more energy…and the list goes on and on…we begin our journey as a trainer/client team and together we work to obtain those goals.  It takes discipline each day and a progressive approach celebrating every small victory with each step closer to the goal.  The beautiful part about starting to live a Stay Healthy life are the benefits that go unseen but are exciting for me to share with them as a trainer…decreased cholesterol and blood pressure readings, decreased resting heart and recovery heart rates, decreased BMI, decreased body fat measurement…and my physiological list can go on and on.  The more obvious benefits of creating a “New You” and shout YEAH…LOOK I AM DOING IT…are reduced weight, decreased body fat, inches lost, strength and stamina gained, increased range of motion…all that defines the outward appearance of what healthy feels like and what friends and family notice.  The combination is absolutely my wish for everyone and my passion to reach out and help as many people as I can to live a Stay Healthy Life…this is Why I Do It…It is people like Cindy that make it easy for me to say to myself…YES, Darla, continue to do this!  So, let me introduce my wonderful client Cindy to you…I am so excited about her accomplishments and I will not give it all away here, but I will let you read her story, feelings, and WOW moment of her assessment results and so much more.  Cindy is 59 years young and our Stay Healthy Fitness journey together began in May 2011:  

 

Stay Healthy Fitness Success Story

Cindy, age 59

CINDY NOW!!!!

Darla has provided me with the tools to change my life.  Prior to contacting Darla, I was exhausted all the time and I felt like I didn’t have the time to workout or prepare special meals.  Shopping for clothes was depressing and I needed resuscitation after getting on the scales.  The big 6-0 was approaching and I didn’t want to spend the future in a recliner.  So, I messaged Darla for help explaining to her that I also had a health condition requiring me to take weight gaining medications.  Darla was encouraging and supportive...exactly what I needed to make my 12-week transformation, a loss of 23 inches and 19 pounds.  No unhealthy weight loss tricks, just clean, simple meals and workable exercise routines.  Darla is extremely knowledgeable and continually concerned about preventing injuries and often providing me modifications to avoid inflaming painful joints.  She was also helpful in unlocking a health mystery for me.  For years, I had agonizing hip pain often waking me up at night and periodically causing me to limp.  X-rays only revealed mild osteoarthritis.  Gleaning information from our initial assessment, Darla suspected I also had trochanteric bursitis and had me begin a series stretches and exercises.  The results have been amazing.  I truly thought I would have to live with that pain forever.  After our first meeting, I knew Darla’s enthusiasm for life and fitness would be infectious.  She’s a wonderful and caring person and shares in your success for fitness.  Her gym is well equipped and immaculate.  Working with Darla has been the best investment in my life and I look forward to continuing my goals.  Thank you, Darla. 

Cindy, age 59

Roseville   

 BEFORE                                                                                               12 WEEKS AFTER

 

                                                

5-23-11, 179 lbs                                                                                      9-14-11, 160lbs                 

BMI 26.2, BF 32.1%                                                                             BMI: 23.5, BF: 26.7% 

  

                              

Cindy continues to work on her goals, has lost a total of 20lbs now, is gaining lean mass, continues to decrease pain, increase her range of motion, and overall, continues to improve the quality of her life

I began working with Cindy in May 2011 and what a wonderful first meeting.  Cindy was ready for a change and her enthusiasm was apparent.  We began our journey as a trainer client team to improve Cindy’s quality of life while reaching her goals.  I provided the exercise & nutritional guidance and Cindy lived this philosophy not only while working with me, but outside of the training studio…this is what it takes to achieve results.  Cindy, I celebrate your accomplishments…you are truly an inspiration and motivation to those around you.   I look forward to our continued time together as we progress toward your overall fitness and life goals.

Big Stay Healthy Hugs and Trainer Pride, from your trainer and coach, Darla;) 

If you enjoyed my Blog, Like it, Leave a Comment, and if Inspired…Donate a Protein Shake Today to help spread the Stay Healthy Life.

Stay Healthy!

Confessions of a Cherry Picker

Do You Like My Blog…Help Me Spread the Stay Healthy Life with a Protein Shake

My Bulk Sweet Potatoes 61 cents/lb

I admit it…I am absolutely a huge cherry picker, and I wanted to get this out to you quickly while the picking is still good…LOL.  I will share exactly what I am talking about…the confessions of a cherry picker…that is ME.  I have always been a money saver, combing the circulars for deals and clipping coupons.  This, my friends is a “cherry picker”…searching the circulars for deals and picking them off. This has also become a fun game for me and I challenge myself each time to save more and more with each shopping adventure.  The key is to stick to the deals and not get sucked into the full price items that are NOT Stay Healthy food items on my list.  I plan my strategy as you will see in the fun video included with this Blog. I also plot my driving route to transition well from store to home…this also saves me on gas money…OH MY…that is another soap box issue…the price of gas right now is absolutely ridiculous.  We all have to do what it takes to save here and there, so I will take the time to put the deals in order according to route.  I also frequent the same stores and know my local groceries pretty well, so that I can get what I need and get out…another time saver.  I am not one to stay in a store for hours…I mean really…NO NO NO…this is temptation to get sucked into things not on my list…I do not care if it is the deal of the century…it is still spending money I would not spend otherwise.  I stick to the circular deals, stick to my list, buy healthy food items, use coupons on items that I buy…and that is how this cherry picker does it.  I also buy in bulk which is another huge savings....I am not one who likes to run back and forth daily to the grocery….I mean really…and why???  The only items I will return to the store for are the produce items like fruits, veggies, and salads…but that may be a once a week quick pick and again using the circulars for deals.  I will share that I shop at Costco for bulk items and you better believe I know if it is a deal or not.  

I am a Cherry Picker

 My cherry picking route looked like this…Costco, Sprouts, Winco and Nugget stores.  I try not to go over 3 stores per pick, but there was such a good deal at the Nugget on the whole free range chickens and Gala apples, it was a MUST stop.   Being a cherry picker enables me to save lots of money, eat healthy, and maintain my physique with fabulous Stay Healthy food.  I also have everything I need on hand in my refrigerator and pantry for every meal throughout the day…being a cherry picker means I have no excuses NOT to eat healthy.  So, it is also a motivator and accountability tool for me.  You may think I am over the top on this one, but it really takes minutes to look through the deals to save money…and believe me….it is worth every penny.  That is what I am all about…being real on how I do things to eat healthy and labeling myself a “cherry picker”…well…there you have it.  Stay Healthy!

Motivation of the Day:  If You Change Nothing, Nothing Will Change

Neg Pull-Ups...Down Slow & Controlled

My Work out of the Day:

30 Minute ARC trainer

Body Stuff repeated 4x

Neg pull-ups 7-10 reps

Hamstring Curls 25lbs 25 reps

Leg Extensions 25lbs 25 reps

Pull downs, 30lbs 25 reps

Low rows, 30lbs 25 reps

BOSU abs, 25 reps

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup with f/f French vanilla creamer

1-Thin bun with PB2 (2tblsp mixed with water)

2-Post Workout Shake

3-Lentils and Grilled Chicken

4-Cauliflower Chicken

5-Spinach Salad with Grilled Salmon

Protein ball before bed

Thanks for Supporting the Stay Healthy Life

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED OFFER ME A PROTEIN SHAKE TO HELP SPREAD THE STAY HEALTHY LIFE

STAY HEALTHY!

Looking Past Rotten and Seeing Potential

DO YOU LIKE MY BLOG…OFFER ME A SHAKE TODAY!!!

I See Potential!!!

Now that is an opener for you…I have to say that I absolutely love rotten fruit…well, not completely over the top rotten…but most definitely very over-ripe, brown tinged, fragrant sitting on my counter fruit.  What do I see???  I see potential…I see that with some blending and mixing that I can create wonderful healthy foods.  I look past the rotten and into the beautiful creation of OMG…this is over the top fabulous (one of my fav words) and so good for me.  YES…I even maintain a positive attitude about rotten fruit…do I toss it…NO WAY…it has potential…potential to become something better than before. This can apply to who I am as a person as well…when I was injured…did I toss in the towel…throw myself away….give-up…NO, NO, and again…NO. I saw potential with a little mixing and blending of different therapies and exercise, I DID become better than I was.  So, YES…do I go over the top about such things as rotten, over-ripe fruit…well...YES…that is ME.  I savor every small thing in life because they are truly the big things…and tonight…the rotten overripe fruit is the BIG thing that I am going to create something very special with. 

What Do You See?

 I also think…why throw away a perfect piece of rotten fruit…OH MY…what a waste of $$$$...and I am not about doing that.  In fact, as I have shared in the past, I am all about saving every penny I can, clipping that coupon, and the deals…RIGHT…who does not want a DEAL.  OK…off that save money by saving the rotten fruit soap box.  Getting back to what I am doing with two rotten bananas and pears…creating another version of my Stay Healthy Omega Muffin.  If you have been following me, you know my passion for creative Stay Healthy cooking and baking.  It is truly therapy for me.  After a long work day, I find it so much fun to make a B-line to the kitchen and let the juices flow…no pun intended…but in a way…YES.  Having a passion in life is so important with the balance of who I am….I truly enjoy working in my passion which to me is not really working.  My sharing of Stay Healthy recipes is also a way I can reach out and motivate people to please get healthy and Stay Healthy with the one life that we all have.  So…if that means saving rotten fruit and sharing what can be done to create healthy snacks…I will click on that video to do just that…share my passion for cooking, share the enjoyment of healthy baking, and showing the outcome of living this way….PRICELESS.  I hope that this Blog comes to mind the next time you have rotten overripe fruit on your counter…and can look past the blemishes and into the potential that something better can happen with a little blending and mixing.

Motivation of the Day: You Do Not Have to Get an “A” Everyday ~ a Great Client Share

Workout of the Day:

Cardio Time: 45 Minutes ARC Trainer

Ended with Ball Work for my Core/Stretch

Stay Healthy Omega Muffins

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup

Stay Healthy Banana Omega Muffin

Post Workout Shake & ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

Egg Whites, palm of raw nuts, watermelon slice

Grilled Salmon

Stay Healthy Banana Pear Omega Muffin x 2 ~ fresh baked from the oven

Here to Motivate YOU!!!!

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED…OFFER ME A PROTEIN SHAKE!

Stay Healthy!