Juliebw’s BodyBlog

What is the one excuse you always hear when you talk to a smoker, drinker, or compulsive eater? “Well you gotta die of something, right?” I mean that is true, everyone does eventually die of something. My question to them is, why would you want to pick the one thing that is slow, painful, debilitating, and preventable? Doesn’t make any sense to me. When I die, I hope it is in my sleep, peacefully and at a very old age. I surely wouldn’t pick wearing an oxygen mask, or having a tube breath for me, or having to undergo open heart surgery, or gastric bypass surgery. Is that really what you would pick if given the choice?

“No thanks on the peaceful natural death at a ripe old age, I’ll take the slowest most painful option you have at a young age to boot.” Is that what you are saying? Is this seriously the mind set that we have resulted to just because of the fix of a cigarette, or the taste of an overly processed food, or the sip from a bottle? This scares me! It scares me to think that there are people out there that have been given this wonderful body that has so much potential to be strong and healthy, successful, and extraordinarily happy and it is thrown away due to an addiction. Yes, I look at emotional eating as an addiction just the same as alcohol or drugs.

Anything that you abuse over and over again that is detrimental to your health is an addiction. Now, I can’t speak for cigarette smokers or drinkers, but I do know a thing or two about emotional eating. I was a sufferer for many years. I have hid many depressed feelings in a bag of mini chocolate donuts. Oh yeah! However, I am hear to tell you that there is no fix out there more sweet tasting than a fit mind and body. When you turn those destructive behaviors, put it in exercise, and clean eating, the things you can achieve are limitless.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not applying that by exercising, you are going to be a millionaire without ever having to work a day in your life again or never suffering from a cold again. No, I am talking about when you take the time and effort and invest it into yourself, your mind strengthens, becomes more positive, and clear, and you have the confidence to go after your dreams. Having a fit mind and body gives me the ability to run around with my children, playing those favorite childhood games, that I use to love to play as a kid. It gives me the energy to run a successful business, it gives me the confidence to train for a figure competition, it gives me the positive mindset to reach for higher and higher goals.

Imagine being able to go into any department store and pick that cute little top you want and not worry about whether it will show your back flab? Or being able to walk up a flight of stairs without becoming winded. Or how about being able to pass by a drive thru restaurant and not being tempted AT ALL? Living a life full of good health, tons of energy, and positive thoughts is AMAZING!!! I want to spread the love and these feelings with everyone I come into contact with. After all, it was Mother Theresa that said, “Let no one come to you without leaving better and happier.” No truer words have ever been spoken.  You should always strive to lift someone else’s sprits when you see they are having a tough time. Everyone will have down days and stress in their lives, but if you take, your health for granted, life is going to be so much more stressful, than it was ever meant to be.

By eating a clean healthy diet, you heal faster and by having positive thoughts your mind can change how your body is feeling. Go ahead try it for a month, I guarantee you feel so much better and have a brighter outlook on life because of it.

Love yourself today by putting yourself on your to do list

I knew that title would get ya? Everyone wants to know the “secret”. The quick fix, the trick that no one else knows to get into that tiny bikini in record time. The truth is and you already know this, is there is no secret. There is no quick fix, no tricks, no gimmicks (no matter how many commercials say so). You can only get to your fitness goals through proper diet and exercise and H20. Yep, that is how you will look leaner faster than anything else. 

Water is an essential of the human body. Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% of water. Water is involved in almost every bodily process. When you deprive yourself of this MOST important component, your body cannot function at peak performance, your body holds onto the little water it does have, creating that wonderful “bloated look”.

It is a misconception that by consuming water you will look bloated. NOPE! NADA! Don’t believe it for a second. The opposite actually happens. When your body detects it is getting an adequate supply of water, it will in fact let go more efficiently, making you shed water weight and look leaner. This is the secret you have been waiting for.  

Did you know that at just 2% dehydration, your performance declines? Now just think about that for a second, that isn’t very much at all. Water also increases metabolism (did you hear that?) It will help aid your body in shedding fat. Without an enough water, the body will use fat cells. That’s not what we want, we want the body to use our fat cells for energy. 

A good guideline of how much to drink is 0.55 x your body weight. I like to aim for 80- 100 oz a day myself. Now, you don’t want to guzzle all of it at once. Your body cannot possibly hold that much water in just a few sittings. You need to drink it throughout the day. Water is best received in small amounts more frequently. (Where have you heard that before? Eating smaller meals, more frequently). Check out the color of your urine. If it is dark yellow- drink up you are dehydrated. You are aiming for pale yellow to clear for adequate hydration.  

Sometimes, we think we are hungry and in reality, we are thirsty. Always start your meal with a glass of water, eat, then finish with another glass. It will fill you up, and the good news is it contains no calories!

Intention- according to Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “a determination to act in a certain way; resolve. One attends to do or bring about. Purpose”.
So that brings me to my question, Do you intend to reach your fitness goals this year or are you going to “try” and reach them.
Try- is defined as “to make an attempt”. Many times when we set fitness goals for ourselves, we unconsciously state that, ‘this year I am going to try and reach that goal.” When we slip that word “try” in our goals, we are setting ourselves up for failure right from the starting gate.  
Why not rewrite those goals, except this time, omit the word try and substitute it with “intend”. The most effective way to write your goals with this new belief system is to answer a few questions first.
1.     Determine the results you want and how will you make it happen.
2.    You need to have a detailed plan on how you are going to reach these goals.
Look wishing never got a man on the moon. He actually had to have a dream and design a detailed plan of action. He had to prepare his mind and body for this new adventure.  The same goes for you. What are your goals?  Do you want to lose 10-20 pounds or just be a toned and healthy individual?  Well how are you going to get there?  I can promise you it is not going to happen by sitting on the couch watching Days of Our Lives every after noon, promising to start your workout tomorrow.  You have to take ACTION, EVERYDAY!
Get our your day planner, do to list, phone calendar, desk calendar, whatever high tech gadget you are using to keep track of your daily to do’s. Schedule in “me” time everyday at the same time everyday. I mean it, actually write in that 30 minute cardio interval session and that 45 minute circuit training, or that yoga class. If you don’t schedule it, I promise you, something far less important will take its place.  I’ve seen it time and time again. If you don’t have a plan, you will never see results.  No one reaches success on a whim or on a wish.  You have to have a plan on how you are going to get there.
Your goals need to be specific and believable. No far fetched, impossible goals here. For example, you know you are not going to lose 40 lbs in 4 weeks, or run a marathon in two months with no training whatsoever. Be realistic, use the SMART goal system.
          S- specific- clearly state what you want to accomplish
          M- Measureable- keeping a journal on your journey will help you see what your doing that is working and what’s not.
          A –appropriate – are these goals right for you.
          R- realistic- think about this one.
          T -time frame- short term goals are the building blocks for long term goals.
Now find a way to get motivated and let’s reach some goals.

Fear! Just reading that word puts most people in a state of anxiety. Fear, it makes your palms sweat, your heart rise, and the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It is the four letter word that binds us all. It is the one thing that makes us human. It causes stress, it causes change, desire, movement, and many times success stories come out of fear. The word itself is nothing to run from. What you do in response of fear is what is important. Fear doesn’t have to be scary or debilitating! It can move you in directions that are wonderful, amazing, and life changing. Again it is determined by your reaction. Yes, there is that physical fear. Where the hairs on your neck stand up, and your instincts kick in telling you to run for your life. That is a different kind of fear from what I am referring to. That is a fear that works much like an instinct. Your body senses physical harm, like that of a stranger getting a little to close to your personal space or someone being threatening to you, which causes you to take the “flight or fight” response. The fear I want you to embrace is the fear of the unknown. We have all been there. As children, it was when the teacher called our name, to have our turn at the front of the classroom to read our speech. Those were some scary times. You get that lump in your throat, the racing heart rhythm, the shakiness in your knees. Seems kind of silly now though. It didn’t cause us any harm and every kid in the class had to do it. It’s also the fear of getting caught for doing something your parents told you not to do in the first place. You remember those times! I was told several times not to go play down the block at this HUGE sand hill, yet I managed to find myself there everyday after school. One day, my father found out and I was told to sit in the chair until he was ready to deliver the spanking that he had promised me. Now, that was fear. I sat there which seemed like hours waiting for the 5 slaps I knew would hurt and be humiliating, you know the ones that hurt your parents more than you. Yet that fear played it’s purpose in life too. It taught me discipline and respect. Respect for authority and the discipline to understand that I would have to pay a consequence for not listening to what I was told to do. Now it has a different meaning altogether than when I was a kid. Now, fear is what drives me to be the best person I can be. Fear is what pushes me to talk to that stranger about my business when they approach me. Fear is what guides me to motivate women on reaching their fitness goals. Fear is what gets me up in front of 15+ people in a group fitness class to encourage them to push out the reps that I ask of them. Finally, fear is what gets motivates me to rally up a huge group of individuals who are getting ready for a 3 mile walk for a charity. Fear is what keeps me working on my marriage and teaching my children lessons of good character at every opportunity that presents itself. You see, there is nothing to fear with the word Fear. It can motivate you to do things beyond your wildest dreams. When you want to accomplish goals in your life, no matter what they are, you use fear to reach them. Without it, you are just an ordinary individual looking for that quick fix to get you to your goals. Fear can teach you drive, determination, and even self confidence. The end result is self gratitude. Ah, how sweet it is. To know that in the face of fear, you kept going and conquered your quest! So what it is going to be? Will you embrace your fears?

Preparation is Key When it comes to anything worth achieving, you gotta plan to work and work the plan. Well adopting a healthier lifestyle is no exception. If you really and truly do want to shed those extra pounds of fat, fit into that special dress or bathing suit, or you just want to have more energy, then you are going to have to plan. What I mean by plan is: You gotta get organized. Figure out your goal, what it takes to reach that goal, the obstacles that you will have to overcome, and a plan of action. The way I tackle it is this: purchase your meat in bulk and as soon as you get home, measure it out and divide it into small containers. I then cook enough meat based on my meal plan for the next 4 days. (I repeat this cycle again on Thursday for the remainder of the week). So say, you eat 6 meals a day, in which 2 of those meals are chicken and one is a turkey burger. I cook enough chicken and turkey burgers for the next 4 days, measure them out, and put them in a tight container in my fridge. Now, I don’t have to worry about those meals, when its time to eat, I just go to the fridge- grab and go. I do the same thing with my salad. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I wash all my veggies and cut them up. I boil a dozen eggs and put them back into the container (be sure to write the date on the outside of the egg carton, it is wise to also note that they are hard boiled eggs; if not you will eventually grab on in the morning and try to crack it open in the pan.) I put my spinach leaves and romaine leaves into a big bowl. Mix in my chopped hard boiled eggs, chopped red, green, and orange peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and toss it all together. This goes back into the fridge (covered) and it is ready for as my side dish for the next several days. Then I got to my almonds and my other snacks. When it is readily available in the fridge, it becomes convenience foods. By getting into the habit of doing this, you will start opting for the good clean foods instead of the cookies or soda that is there. The main reason we grab those junk foods, is because 1. They are there and 2. They are easy to grab. Look at your habits and try and figure out how to adapt them to a healthier way of life. Make sure your fridge is stocked with Organic yogurt, water bottles ready to go. Cook up your sweet potatoes or baked potatoes so they are ready for the next several days too. This may seem like a way in the beginning, but trust me it is a HUGE time saver and waistline saver as you get used to it. This is how I live during Spring and Summer when my daughters keep me so busy. It’s nice to know when your at a game, that dinner is already prepared when you get home. You know it will be well balanced and nutritious, no need to go to that drive in. Imagine the money you will save by adopting these habits. Trust me, your gonna need that extra money to go buy a new wardrobe in smaller sizes. ?

Okay Ladies! Everyone here knows I am a competitor in training. However, my competition has been set back due to this cyst on my ovaries. With that being said, like you I want to keep on track through these upcoming holidays. We all have heard, that from October 31st thru the New Year the average person gains 7 lbs. I refuse for that to be me. Although, I am still trainnig and eating clean, I like having a goal. That competition date keeps me on target and makes it easier for me to stick to my grilled chicken when my friends are devouring a cheesey pizza.

My trainer, Cathy has started this Litlte Black Dress Challenge! This is just a way to keep a goal in front of you to keep you honest through the holidays. I love the concept soooo much, I would like to have you all join me too.

This way it works is, you need to go buy yourself a nice little black dress to wear to that speical event this holiday season. It can be an office Holiday party, Christmas party with family, or that awesome New Year’s Party that you will be attending. Holidays are a stressful, hectic, and tempting time of year. How many of you have put on a couple extra pounds last year and to only spend the first 6 months of the new year trying to lose it?

Remember, what I have been preaching, change the behavior today that will change the outcome of tomorrow. I would love to offer this challenge out to all of you as well. Let’s do this together and keep our healthy selves (some of us an even slimmer version) through the holidays.

Okay, here’s what you need to do. Purchase that hot little number one to two sizes too small, nothing crazy, remember it is only 12-15 weeks till the Big Event (depending on which one you are aiming for). Pick something that you are comfortable in. Don’t pick something that is off the shoulder, if that makes you feel insecure. You want to feel HOT on this day!

I will giving tips about eating clean and exercising thru my blog during this time. If I can get this countdown clock to work on my blog,  then you will have that additional remainder in front of you.

Okay Ladies, here is another new challenge. There is no reason you cannot make this goal! We have the Heart Walk coming in October, that’s a 3 mile walk for a GREAT cause, we have the boot camps, in home personal training, online training! I want all of you to feel fabulous in your God given skin on that special day. No excuses this year! Join me in this Little Black Dress Challenge. I will be posting my results as I hope you will comment on here how your progress is going too.

Do you suffer from the “loser mentatility”? Are you one of those people that slips up on clean eating and throws it in for the rest of the week, with the “I’ll start back again on Monday” mentality?” Life’s too hard for this anyway! Dangit, I want a juicy cheeseburger, a Coke, and some gosh darn fries!” Are you starting to think that it would be easier to just join the crowd and live with your heath the way it presently is? Only to decide to try again due to the frustrating act of lying on the bed trying to button up those jeans, or calling yourself names through the fitting room mirrors. Life is about balance, you have to give and take all the good and the bad. Expect slip ups and you will be okay. Healthy living is not about sacrificing everything good in your life to fit into a pair of jeans, its not about missing your child’s soccer game because you have to get to that cardio class or workout session, nor is it about giving up all the fun treats in your life just to lose some weight. If that were the case, the world would not consist of fitness models, fitness competitors, or athletes. It is about balance. Living life in moderation. Just like some stress is good for us, in moderation. We wouldn’t want to pile it on, but some of it is actually beneficial to life; getting that project done by the deadline, getting dinner on the table, so you can enjoy it before rushing off to a sporting event. Remember your human! You are gonna have the occasional mess up, the occasional missed workout. As long as you stay with the program you will see results. Life gets in the way sometimes of what we have planned. You get the flu, your kid is sick from school, your husband invited his parents over for dinner. It’s okay. There is always another hour, another meal, another day. Start back on track. People that don’t reach their goals, are the ones that throw it all in and quit. Your not a quitter are you? I didn’t think so. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, look at your goals again (because we all know they should be written down), and carry on. No self defeating talk, no negative thoughts, no poor me’s, nada, zilch, nothing! Just move on from it and continue. Eat those darn cookies, next meal have a handful of raw almonds and an apple, and carry on with life. No deprivation, no starvation, no diets. NO GUILT!! So again I ask, what are you going to do today that will change tomorrow?