MONIKAPL’s BodyBlog

I wanted to post this important message.  It gives you million more reasons to eat healthy and workout!  What a great read!

I’m Not Sure Any Of This Is Worth It

Here are some facts, reliable ones, research-based
ones, that relate directly to the health-related benefits
of living a Leanness Lifestyle or the consequences
of not — it all depends.

40% of all cancers are caused by the typical American
diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity, and cancer
is MOSTLY a preventable disease.

Eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day can
DRAMATICALLY reduce the chance of getting several cancers.

Chronic diseases don’t just happen–they are almost
entirely the result of decades of unhealthy living.

Over 700,000 people die of heart disease each year.
According to research, 82% of these deaths–560,000–are
caused by lack of exercise, poor diet, and tobacco
use.

Some people claim that it’s just not worth eating healthy
and exercising since the extra time and effort is simply
matched 1 to 1 in life extension. What this means is
people believe that if they exercise a total of one
year’s worth of clock time over 20 years or whatever
they are only going to get about 1 year of extra life
anyway–this isn’t true.

In the book “Culprit and the Cure” Dr. Aldana cites
the following things and what they can do to longevity:

Are vegetarian — 1.5 years 
Exercise regularly — 2.4 years 
Eat nuts 5X/week — 2.5 years 
Have normal blood pressure — 3.7 years 
Are not diabetic — 6.6 years
Maintain NORMAL weight — 11 years 

And, of course, when you combine two or more of the
choices above you may be able to combine the extended
years too.

Living a Leanness Lifestyle is not dieting. Dieting
doesn’t convey the benefits above. Dieting is short
term. You deserve better than a short-term “fix” to
a long-term problem (overweight/obesity). 
Be sure and stay tuned for the next issue of Club Lifestyle
tips. In it I’ll discuss what a polymorphism is and
why you should care.

Sincerely yours in health,

David Greenwalt CSCS
Leanness Lifestyle
Muscle Audio

P.S.: Share this message with a friend—just please
leave it intact as is.

									

This is probably one of the best messages I have ever read.  Please take your time to read this, and you will not regret it!!!!

“Waiting for Life to Level Out

The chronic contemplator’s motto is “When in doubt – wait till tomorrow.” If you wait for life to level out before you begin to take control of your life, you will waste a lifetime. Action creates motivation, not the other way around.

I believe many people who are stuck in a state of chronic contemplation have a very backward way of thinking. Most contemplators have a genuine interest in improving their health and physique; however, they still do not act because they are waiting. For what, you might ask. They’re waiting for life to level out, for the current crisis to pass, for work to let up until they have some more energy, after this semester at school – “you know how crazy this year has been?” when the summer is over and things aren’t so hectic and disjointed, and in general, they’re waiting for things to occur that never will. The chronic contemplators would like to cure life instead of manage it.

Life is simply one crisis after another, only broken up briefly by intermittent periods of peace and leveling. The leveling periods are the exception and not the norm! Do not wait for “leveling” or you will wait your life away.

Energy does not precede your Lifestyle choice. Energy succeeds your Lifestyle choice. If you wait to begin
The Lifestyle until you have more energy, you will wait your life away. It will not happen. You have to start. Quit procrastinating!

After a few days to weeks the energy will come. I never talk to anyone, ever, who says they have less energy after they begin a new training regimen and they get their food planning in order. I always hear people talking about waiting until they have more energy to start. Very simply, it does not work that way. It is like saying you are going to wait to start practicing
the guitar until you play it well. Huh? No, you have to practice it for years before you play it well. Start practicing to feel better now. Do not wait to feel better to begin practicing.

If you want to change your body, start with a change in behavior. In other words, begin to act the part, as well as you can, of the person you would rather be, the person you most want to become. Gradually, the old, out-of-shape person will fade away. If you wait until you feel like it to try to change your body, you will never change.. John Maxwell says it very well - “You have to act yourself into changing.”

You must manage life and not try and cure it.

If you are a chronic contemplator it is time to put your knowledge to work and do it instead of thinking and talking about it. The life you are living is not a dress rehearsal. You never get another chance to live it again. There is no do-over. Beginning the Lifestyle is not nearly as hard as thinking about it.

Procrastinating and continuing with the negative thoughts you have had in the past will always keep you at arms-length
from success. Just do it! Get off the fence and become the great person you were destined to become.

Your actions are so loud I cannot hear what you are saying.

I have alluded several times to this stage and it is clearly the one that everyone desires to be in because it is the stage that gets you noticed. Those in the action stage should recognize first that action without insight (contemplation and preparation) will likely lead to short-lived change.

Without question, however consequently, this is the stage where your behavior and surroundings are being modified most noticeably. You are utilizing specific objectives to measure progress, and are no longer living with false perceptions about “how you feel” to guide your change. You are fully committed and full commitment to changing is evident in this stage.

The distinguishing difference between wanting to drop some weight, and really knowing why you will really transform this time, is the depth of the feeling and the drive that ensues from it. Thus, what happens not on the first day or week, but many weeks after, is that you have truly realized why you are going to transform. The person who truly knows why they must transform will be driving, full steam ahead, weeks after they have begun to take serious action. They will no longer
be wishing and hoping for weight loss - the scale, the tape measure and old clothes hanging in their closet will tell them undeniably that they have lost weight.

Transformationists in this stage weigh themselves frequently, they measure body circumferences, and they throw away
junk in the house, log their foods, exercise properly, write goals, and commit to them almost daily. These transformationists also surround themselves with positive peer pressure. They ignore the comments of ignorant
bystanders, they realize they are doing this for themselves and no one else and, in short, they are doing all they
have been preparing to do up to this point.

“It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and
others are not.” — James Gordon, M.D.

The unprepared “action” person will become charged up for a few days (this is what I refer to as having
a hot flash) to a couple weeks, and then realize that it takes hard work and focus to really make it happen.
Eventually some emotional episode or short-term illness will occur and since most hot flashers have not set
any goals (realistic or otherwise), they fall off the proverbial wagon.

Hot flashers want all of the good that comes with the transformation and none of the bad. Unrealistically,
they believe they should not have to endure any cost dearer than money to make the change a reality. Hot flashers would love nothing better than to simply buy their way to a fit body with the next gizmo, gadget or miracle pill and powder.

The list of excuses and justifications when you are unprepared for action could fill a thousand pages. Since many of you have thought or spoken these excuses, I will not bore you with samples as they too are as diverse and varied as the individuals who think and speak them are. When excuses and justifications for over-consumption, not analyzing your food intake, and not exercising dominate your thoughts and actions, there is no doubt you are not truly in the action stage.
In short, your efforts were premature and without sufficient consciousness, preparation, and commitment..

During the action stage, others will take notice of what you are doing. During this time you’re likely to ruffle a few feathers, by creating uncomfortable or “different” eating arrangements, reducing the amount of time you spend doing now less important tasks around the house, and no longer seeming as unselfish as you once were. This is your time. Because people will take notice of your action, they are likely to cheer or jeer you depending on how much your action steps are
affecting their life.

The less you affect another’s daily grind, the more likely you are to receive cheers. The more you affect another’s daily routine in what they perceive as a negative way (”Hey, I thought we always had ice cream on Friday nights?”), the more likely you are to receive jeers. Do your best to work with those closest to you, but ultimately you have to decide to firmly commit to your goals and let the chips fall where they may. There are critical times in life when you must throw your whole heart, mind, and body into what you are doing in order to succeed. You must forsake short-lived pleasures for the ultimate goal.

“Whenever you find something getting done you find a monomaniac with a mission.”

Brian Tracy — Success is a Journey

I understand you need balance in life, but when you’re going to break new ground in weight loss and body composition,
you don’t get to assign the transformation process the same priority as your other daily tasks merely to maintain some sort of perfect harmony with the earth. You have to take your transformation to the next level and prioritize it accordingly.

Instead of weight loss being number sixty on your “to do” list of priorities, it immediately moves to the top position or as low as position three or four. What might remain more important than your transformation when it is time for action?: Husband, wife, significant other, career, and children. However, not much else and many times not even those I just mentioned.

Partying with the boys, saying yes to the potluck lunch at work, swinging by McDonald’s every morning on your way to work, sitting down to a nice, big bag of chips and dip at 11 PM at night and having your traditional, popcorn-sized bowl of ice cream every Friday night, all take a distant position somewhere below the success of your transformation. The “I just don’t have enough time” and false beliefs that “I just do not eat that much” are looked at with a realism and conclusion which cannot be avoided - they are excuses and they do not hold water. There will truly be a disruption in your present routine and this may last for several weeks. Because your transformation is now taking a top priority, other areas of your life may suffer for a while. If you clearly know why you must change, these disruptions will not seem as harsh. Being properly informed and prepared for the action stage will help you keep your transformation goals a top priority.

The applause and cheers from your supporters will motivate you to push on and excel. The scary part, however,
is it is typically only during this stage that you receive any recognition. The reason for this is that most people only recognize your change when you are overtly changing. People believe that action and change are synonymous. Although it is no less important when you move from Pre-contemplation to Contemplation, friends and family do not see these changes. You are not noticed and you do not “rain on their parade” until you enter the action stage. In the minds of bystanders you are undeserving of encouragement until they see the physical changes the Action stage delivers. In actuality, however, in order to reach the action stage you had to change significantly. Unfortunately, little recognition exists
for the prep and follow ups surrounding the action stage”.

Be sure and stay tuned for the next issue of Club Lifestyle
tips. In it I’ll share a great quote from Theodore
Roosevelt about who we should admire.”

Sincerely yours in health,

David Greenwalt CSCS
Leanness Lifestyle
Muscle Audio

P.S.: Share this message with a friend—just please
leave it intact as is.

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Hey guys,

Several of you have asked me if I would record video series with some of my exercises, answers to your questions, motivation tips, and tips in general.  I would love to do that, but I need your help and input on it.  What specifically would you like to hear, ask me specific question please, etc.

I will work on that in the next few days/weeks, so check back and give me some feedback.

Thanks,

Monika

Here is a write up from Gregg (FITTRAINER).  Thank you so much Gregg for your hard work on this.  Hope this information will be helpful to you and maybe give a little bit of inspiration.  Please email me with questions, comments, suggestions.  Thank you

Here is a link:
http://www.tnafitness.com/fitness_models/new-fat-burning-fitness-tips-revealed/#more-651

Best advice I ever heard: "Your mouth isn’t a vacuum - it’s not meant to suck up everything in sight.  Pay attention to what you eat, and treat your body with the respect it deserves."  I LOVE IT!!!! :p

It’s been 2 weeks since I last updated you on my progress and training for my show.  So, I have 15 weeks left.  Dropped 10 lbs in the past 3 weeks.  I have been eating very clean, I have lots of energy, and I feel great.  It is so motivating to see my body change every week.

I have been hitting the gym 6 days a week, I feel stronger and I am able to lift more.  I change my weight training routine every 4 weeks.  Just posted a new progress photo taken 2 days ago.  I can see a difference in the shape of my back and my legs.  My goal is to continue preserve my hard earned muscle and keep dropping the body fat.  Stay tuned for more updates coming soon.

Take care,

Monika

Check out my bio, pictures, and few articles on JIM MACHAK’s website.  He’s got some great stuff on there, so check it out!

http://www.jimmachak.com/monikabanach.html 

I believe that your diet is one of the most important factors of getting in shape. Often you will hear that nutrition is about 75-80% of what you look like, working out 10-15%, and genetics about 10%. This is so absolutely true. Diet is the KEY! There are people out there that eat junk all the time and look like they are in a great shape, but do not let them fool you. It will catch up with them sooner or later. Rather it will be gaining weight later in life or getting heart diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. it will catch up! You can do all the cardio you want or lift weights all day long but if you do not supply your body with the proper nutrition/clean diet, you are simply wasting your time.

Eating clean can seem very difficult for a lot of people; many do not understand what it takes to eat clean. They think it is some kind of mystery and it is too difficult to understand, so they just give up before they even start. Well, good news: eating clean is very simple. If you want to lose weight, get in shape, put on muscle, you have to eat at least 5-6 meals per day, and you should not go longer than 3 hrs without eating. If you only have 3 large meals per day, your metabolism slows down significantly, and you tend you eat more because you are so hungry by the time your next meal comes. Each meal should include source of lean protein (chicken, fish, tofu, steak, whey protein, etc.), veggies (broccoli, asparagus, spinach, green leafy lettuce, cauliflower, etc.) and complex carbohydrates (brown rice, sweet potatoes, oat meal, whole grain bread, etc). Good fats such as nuts, flaxseed, fish oil, olive oil should also be part of your daily intake. Good fats are vital for your cellular functions and development, such as preventing inflammation, lubricating your joints, proper insulin functioning in your body, and several other important roles. And last but not least, do not forget to drink lots of water. I drink about a gallon of water a day.

Eating clean is simple. Start today, read about it, educate yourself about things that you do not understand, do not just give up and say “it is too hard”. It will be hard at the beginning to get used to eating clean, but when you start seeing the changes in your body, you will not want to go back to eating junk and feeling like a pile of junk.

Preparation is the key when it comes to eating clean. I always prepare my foods for the week on Sunday. I usually cook few chicken breasts, fresh veggies, rice or sweet potatoes and if I know it will be a very busy week for me, I even arrange individual meals in plastic containers so I can just grab them and throw them in my lunch box in the morning. I always have my lunch box somewhere with me, in my car or at work. We are inseparable. This way, I never have to worry about what I am going to eat or if I will have enough time to run home and eat. If you have it right there, you are less likely to grab junk when you are hungry.

Give up junk! You will not miss it after you see how your body feels when you feed it quality foods. When you get in a habit of eating clean and seeing the difference it does to your body, you will not want to cheat or eat junk. Stay away from people that push junk food on you. I know people that will offer me crap to eat, and when I politely refuse, they keep pushing it at me: “Come one, one little piece of chocolate won’t kill you”. Why do people do that? They feel guilty about eating crappy & they want you to eat crappy too, so they do not feel as bad about it. Misery loves company. Do not let them make you feel guilty, be strong and say NO. When you are eating clean, explain to your family and friends how important this is to you and how much you would appreciate if they respected that and helped you out during your progress. You never know, you might inspire them too. Remember, you only have one body, take good care of it. Do this for YOU and not for others.

Patience is another important part when it comes to losing weight or getting in shape. Everyone’s body reacts differently to changes; for some, it will take longer to see the results, and for others not as long. Do not get discouraged when you do not see changes right away. Stick with it and the changes will come.

When rough times come and I get discouraged, I remember one of my favorite quotes by Lance Armstrong and I remind myself that nothing worthwhile comes easily. It takes hard work and dedication to get somewhere that is worth going:

"This is MY body. And I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it. Study it. Tweak it. Listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I’m on.
What am I on?
I’m on my bike busting my ass 3 hrs a day.
What are YOU on?" – by Lance Armstrong.

So, I finally decided to train for my first figure show:  the Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding & Figure Championship on March 14, 2009.  It is 17 weeks out! That should be enough time to start dropping some body fat %  I am very excited about my first show.  I have tried to train for one this year, but my crazy school and work schedule has been a huge obstacle.  It sure keeps me super busy but I will not let it stand between my dream of competing.  I have made a promise to myself to do a show before I turn 30!!!  I turn 30 next year in April, and I want to greet the BIG 30 with the best body, mind, and spirit!

I am currently working with a nutritionist/trainer, Julie Lohre, she is a IFBB Fitness Pro.  I have met her in person last month during our photo shoot.  She is amazing.  I know that having an experienced fitness/figure pro trainer will ease some of my worries, esp with nutrition/diet.
Thank you for all of your support and motivation.  I will keep you all posted on my diet and progress.