Shannan’s Journey

Think before you Compare Yourself To Others

You are unique, remember that. There is no one else like you!! Acknowledge what it is that makes you special and unique. Do Not compare yourself to others!

It is Normal to want to see how we measure up in comparison to others – especially if we think that they are better than us (for some reason) or have more of something that we want. There is no reason to do this because no one is like us, we are all so unique and different in our own ways. This is somthing to remember, as we step on stage or undergo a show prep. We tend to compare ourselves to others but we can’t. Especially when it comes to physiques, metabolisms, etc. there is no way to compare ourselves! We are are all so different and come in so many different shapes and sizes. It is sometimes almost easier to look outside of ourselves and feel like we are deficient in comparison to other people rather than seeing how we are uniquely different and special in out own ways! It actually takes more courage to be self-referential and look at ourselves to see whether we are measuring up to our standards or meeting our full potential.

Each of us has very special gifts, and we are here for very specific reasons. We each have a life purpose to fulfill and with this come the lessons that we must learn and the circumstances that we must go through in order to evolve as spiritual beings. To compare our lives to other people’s lives when we have no idea of what they are here to learn or fulfill doesn’t benefit anyone – especially you.

Instead, if we can accept ourselves, appreciate the special talents and qualities that we alone possess, and realize that each of us is going through certain kinds of experiences for a reason, we are less likely focus so much on what other people have or are doing. Realizing and valuing our uniqueness enables us to bring out the best in ourselves so we can get on with living rather than preoccupying ourselves with meaningless comparisons. Try to not compare yourself to others, and you will see how much you have and how special you are.

By Gina Aliotti

Hope you all have a fabulous day !!

Shannan

My focus is on my shoulders and back, with attention to the legs as well but on form, lunges and deadlifts…  everything else is for reps, lots of reps. 

3 DAY PER WEEK WORKOUT 
MY ULTIMATE FAT-LOSS WORKOUT 
3-4 sets, 10-30 REPS 
HIGH INCLINE D.B. PRESS

D.B. ROWS OR D.B. PULLOVER

D.B. BENCH PRESS OR T-PUSHUP (REG. PUSHUP TO PLANK)

BARBELL BENT-OVER ROW (OVERHAND) 
SINGLE LEG SQUAT (OFF OF BENCH)

SINGLE LEG D.B. DEADLIFT

STATIONARY LUNGE OR ELEVATED LUNGE (ONE LEG BACK/UP)                    �
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D.B. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 
STANDING D.B. SHOULDER PRESS

DECLINE PUSHUP (ALL WIDTHS)

DECLINE LYING D.B. TRICEPS EXTENSION

INCLINE D.B. CURLS 
DECLINE SIT-UPS (20 REPS)

SWISS BALL SIT-UPS (20 REPS)

REVERSE CRUNCH (20 REPS)

I go through the whole thing (each exercise once before I rest for 1 minute, then start the next set….)

Have fun for those of you who dare to try it… can be done at home or in the gym.

Shannan

Makes 12 muffins.
Hands-on time: 15 minutes. Total time: 45 minutes.

These yummy muffins – with no saturated fat – are easy to make and are freezable, too, which means you can make extra and freeze the already-baked muffins for a quick and easy on-the-go snack.

INGREDIENTS: 
5 large egg whites or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (1 6-oz container) OR, 6 oz. Greek yogurt 0% or 2% fat
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup almond oil and 1 orange, zested
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups protein powder (vanilla)
1/2 cup Splenda or Stevia

1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 cup strawberries, sliced
Olive oil cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:
ONE: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 1 12-cup or 2 6-cup standard-size muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.

TWO: In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, yogurt, applesauce, almond oil, zest and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine protein powder, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring until just short of combined. Gently stir in strawberries, mixing just until combined.

THREE: Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake until tops are golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin until it comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from tray.

Nutrients per muffin:
Calories: 180, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 10 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 10 g, Protein: 10 g, Sodium: 300 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

A Mission to defatten America, I would like to see these changes:

• Add taxes to grocery products such as chips, donuts, cookies, candy bars and ice cream. As soon as you walked into that artery clogging danger zone you know it would cost you about 50% extra. That tax money would go into reducing the cost on vegetables. 
• Add mandatory one hour lunch break for exercise for all stationary workers who sit on their ass all day in front of the computer. Put in some treadmills in the conference room and get walking.
• Tax reductions for those who keep blood pressure in normal range with prescribed exercise regimen.
• Adding back the old school stairs and make the elevator slow so stressed people walk instead of waiting.
• Build more human powered gym facilities. I read about one in Canada that has people generating electric power by biking indoors! Pay those bikers an hourly rate for sitting there pedaling for energy.
• Bonus money for workers who regularly work out.
• Better benefits from those who show very good blood work in terms of cholesterol, non obesity and normal blood pressure.
• Add warning labels on junk food snacks: “THIS MAKES YOU A FAT ASS, you still want it?” Would be a great addition to the McDonald´s mmm.. I’m loving it.
• Make time for employees to stay healthy by offering flexible work schedules without losing money. Money well spent because fit people are not calling in sick as much and they feel better all the time.
• Fast food chains should be OFF LIMIT for kids under 13 years old. YES I think it would be perfect.
• No fried food in school cafeterias

By: Pauline Nordin

What do you all think ????  And wht else should be added to this list…??  If you don’t agree with this, why not ???

Thanks,

Shannan

In today’s world, far too many people try to live on the smallest amount of food necessary - and they put their health on the line as a result. I call this practice “self-inflicted” dieting, and, sadly, many people subject themselves to this torture for years. Every time you diet and then go off it, it becomes harder for you to lose weight the next time you diet. That’s the conclusion of research done in both animals and humans.
In one study of 1000 obese patients who were put on weight loss programs between 1973 and 1983, researchers found that the rate of weight loss slowed with successive diets. They stated in the study that “chronic dieting may lead to permanent metabolic and physiological alterations which promote weight gain and make subsequent loss of weight more difficult.”
1. There are many theories as to why this happens. One is that once you start eating normally again, your body accelerates its build-up of fat as if to prepare for the next “famine” (another diet). This famine/ fat acceleration cycle makes you regain more body fat after each period of dieting. Other factors are at work to keep you fat. Did you know, for example, that by not eating, you are training your body to store fat? Here’s why: Your body contains an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase or LPL. Found on the surface of fat tissue, LPL governs fat storage.
When you go on and off diets, your body starts producing more LPL - which in turn steps up fat production and storage. Repetitive low-calorie dieting has many other severe consequences on health. For example: n Studies show that when people regain pounds after dieting, blood pressure rises, and blood levels of glucose (blood sugar) and triglycerides (blood fats) increase.
2.  Weight fluctuation (“yoyo dieting”) has been linked to heart disease - especially among men and women between the ages 30 to 44 - the age group in which dieting is the most common, according to an analysis of data from participants in the Framingham Heart Study. (The Framingham Heart Study is a study of the health status of 5127 men and women from Framingham, Massachusetts, who were initially free of coronary heart disease. Since 1948, their health has been monitored. The study cited is based on data from 32 years of follow-up.)
The risk factors for coronary heart disease in this age group (30 to 44) were comparable to coronary risk factors associated with obesity! That’s frightening, especially if you consider the fact that about 50 percent of American women and 25 percent of American men are on diets at any given time - and most of the time, these diets fail.
3.  When you lose and regain weight quickly, you’re at risk for developing gallbladder disease amoung a host of other issues. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that 13 of 38 obese women and 13 obese men on a rapid weight loss program developed gallstones within eight weeks. All but one recovered after eating normal foods again.
4.  The action of important digestive juices is diminished with low-calorie diets. When normal eating resumes, you start experiencing gas and are unable to handle certain foods. n Overweight patients who go on low-calorie diets of between 400 and 800 calories a day experience side effects that include fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, hair loss, menstrual irregularities, and intolerance to cold.
5.  Low-calorie diets not only cut calories, they also cut vital nutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals. These are your “armed forces” for good health. When in short supply, these nutrients cannot adequately defend your body against invaders. Your immune system is weakened as a result, and you’re a target for disease.  So what’s the answer, if you want to trim body fat? If I were to tell you that eating more— not less— was the key to losing body fat, you probably wouldn’t believe me. After all, every diet you have ever tried involved cutting calories, not increasing them. Yet not only does this approach work, it’s the only way to successfully lose body fat and keep it off.  By actually increasing your calories to a proper amount, you can and will lose body fat and  through training gain muscle.  You can do all of this while eating more food that when you were on one of those fad diets.  while you get leaner and fitter than you have ever been in your life. No more starving yourself, no more regaining all the weight you worked so hard to lose.
A proper meal program with plenty of protein, healthy fats, lots of vegetables, and some carbs will dramatically speed up your metabolism and trim your body into a highly efficient fat burner. You’ll notice the changes almost immediately, and you’ll get measurable results in weeks.
Spread your meals throughout the day. I recommend that you eat five or more times a day. Every time you eat a meal your metabolic rate goes up. The reason  is your system starts working very hard to turn that meal into fuel. As part of digestion and absorption, heat is given off in a process called thermogenesis, and this elevates your metabolic rate. By eating frequent meals throughout the day, your metabolism is constantly charged up.
And that means more fat can be burned. Combine your foods properly At each meal, eat a lean protein (fish or white meat poultry, a starchy carbohydrate (potatoes, brown rice, yams, etc.), and a fibrous vegetable (greens, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). Together, these three types of food slow-release glucose. With a slow release, there’s less tendency for carbs to be converted to fat stores. Be sure to avoid simple sugars or refined carbs too. They “fast release” into the system and are more easily deposited as body fat as a result.

Stay active- One of the factors that has the most dramatic effect on metabolism is exercise. I recommend following a program of aerobics and weight training. Together, these forms of exercise help your body burn fat better, enhance your oxygen delivery system (oxygen is needed to burn fat), and increase muscle, a metabolically active body tissue. Another key point is the timing of your aerobic exercise. If you do aerobics for 45 to 60 minutes in the morning before your first meal, your body begins burning fatty acids (body fat) for energy because there is very little stored carbohydrate (glycogen) in the muscles to supply energy.
You become leaner as a result. Or do your aerobics following your weight training workout. Once you’ve depleted some stored glycogen from weight training, your body will theoretically dip into fatty acids as you exercise aerobically. Performing aerobics after weight training is a terrific fat-burner. At each meal, eat a lean protein (fish or white meat poultry, a starchy carbohydrate (potatoes, brown rice, yams, etc.), and a fibrous vegetable (greens, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). By now, I hope you’re convinced that diets don’t work. There is a much healthier alternative - increasing calories to burn body fat. While you lose fat, you gain so much more: a well-tuned metabolism, a healthy body, and a positive perspective.