Benefits of Challenges!

 

 

Hey guys! 
    I am about 10-15 pounds away from my goal weight now.
I often think about what is going to happen when I reach my goal weight.
Do I stop? Do I keep up the same regimen? Do I push harder?
What happens?

Most people go on an up-and-down trend.
They reach their goal weight and think, "Hey! I'm here! 20 pounds gone! I'm free!"
And they will live life as they have before: lack of exercise and healthy eating.

They will gain some weight back and before they know it, they are making the necessary changes to restart their journey. Sounds cumbersome. Why even bother in the first place?

What can you do to prevent your relapse?

Set personal challenges!

Whether it's running a marathon, doing a monthly challenge, weight loss challenge, entering a bikini competition, whatever it might be, refocus your goals!

There are few options to prevent a relapse but my focus for this post is setting challenges for yourself.

And it doesn't have to be for people who have reached their goals, anyone can set a goal, whether it is for fun or to trump a plateau.

It can be set as long term or short term. I know some people who have started training for a marathon a year ago and others who are starting to train now. People have different regimens and different goals, and they are also at different stages.

The benefits?
You won't relapse, you'll be improving yourself, and most importantly, you will remain healthy!
It is also rewarding and fun! :)

Just for fun, here is an April Ab Challenge! This was found on a facebook page I am involved with: No Excuse Moms
(keep in mind though, you can't spot reduce! ^.~)


(Save picture as on you computer for a bigger, readable calendar)

This is a 30 day thigh challenge calendar that I found :)
Another area I would like to work on.


Happy challenges guys! Remember, being healthy is a lifestyle! ;)
Keep at it!

How to be a Super Mom

Among our daily lives, there are Super Moms everywhere. You just don't see them because we dress like ordinary people. There are some Super Moms in training out there, and I thought it'd be nice to give a little advice.

Here are 5 tips:

1. Don't sleep.
    There are only so many hours in a day (24 to be exact). You have to spend time with your kids, keep up with the laundry (washing, drying, folding, putting it away), cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, do the dishes, put them away, and clean your home (including but not limited to vacuuming, dusting, picking up toys, scrubbing the toilet and bathtubs and cleaning the windows).
  If your kiddos are younger, you gotta feed them every few hours and change their diapers often and if they are older, there's the whole aspect of helping them with their homework, possibly giving them a workbook for them to do, being their chauffer taking them to the park, swimming lessons, play dates, and the sorts.

If you are sleeping, you can't possibly do all that. So, no sleeping.

2. Pick a super power.
    Some moms opt for multiple arms. They are cooking while they are folding the laundry. Or they are picking up toys while helping their kiddos with homework. Some of them do all four at the same time. Way to make good use of your extra arms!
   Other moms choose the power be at two (or more) different places at once. They are at the grocery store shopping, at the bank making a deposit, at school dropping their little ones off at school, and some manage to get their hair done as well and have enough time to come home to prepare an after school snack and dinner.
   You can definitely pick more than one super power, but remember, with great power, comes great responsibility. Having too many powers at once can and will drain your energy!

3. Be the family file cabinet
    I don't mean be a push over and take crap from people. But as a Super Mom, people will start dumping to do lists and stories all day and night.
   Your kids will cry, babble, giggle or if they are older, they will ask questions you don't know the answer to, tell endless stories about what happened at school, and will constantly beg you for something you possibly cannot retrieve.
  Your husband will ask questions he already knows the answers to, he will vent his anger and sadness or tell funny stories about what happened at work. You will have to listen, and let it all pile up and you will have to remember. Why?
Because you are Super Mom and you keep track of everything: Birthdays, errands, anniversaries, important meetings, conferences, appointments, things-to-do-lists, things your kids will need (like school supplies, things your husband will need (like more socks or ties), phone calls you will have to make.. the list is endless.

You might be thinking, "But isn't that what calendars and memo notebooks are for?"
 Yes, it is. But here is the catch. Only Super Moms can see it. You can hang it on the fridge or the living room wall. Your husband and your kids will not see it. They will come to you.

So, please use this special gadget to help you.

4. Speaking of gadgets...
There are a few special gadgets you should always have in hand.

- Magic kisses. Thankfully, once you become a Super Mom, the supply is endless. Simply kiss your child when they are sad, and it'll make them feel better. It will heal all physical and emotional wounds.

- A second pair of eyes. This comes with a little training. But before you know it, you will be able to know where your child is, even if you're not looking at him directly.

- The Look. This too, comes with practice. But it will come in handy when your little one is being strayed from the good side. Simply, give her the Look, and she will back away from the dark side and rejoin you.

- The Magic Bag. This, you must carry with you everywhere you go! It's like Batman's utility belt but we as Super Moms have much more responsibilities and hence, need a bag to carry all our gadgets with.
This may or may not include: Bandages, Neosporin, wipes, diapers, milk, snacks, water, small toys, extra clothes, blankets, jackets, hand sanitizer, and many other things (or less).

5. I saved the most important for last: Love and Faith
Super Moms don't sleep. We are beckoned at every call by our husbands, kids, parents, siblings, bosses, co-workers, and friends. Our minds are filled with past memories (good and bad) and the future, yet we are surviving and living in the present. At the end of the day, what gets us through all trials and tribulations is love.

Sometimes, you will be weary. You will want to run and hide. But you don't. And it's because you are surrounded by love and exude love.

Faith in knowing that God is there, that you are not alone, will keep you in touch with Love and you can get through almost anything.

Cheers to us and soon-to-be Super Moms!

Switch It Up!

Ever since I've started waking up early, I've attempted to work out every morning.
Sometimes, it didn't happen.
When it did happen, I always opted for cardio.
Well, I have workout ADD. I always have to switch it up or I get bored so fast, I'm jumping off the healthy band wagon and never getting back on again for a month or two.

This past week, I lifted weights in the morning.
For now, I absolutely LOVE it. I haven't lifted weights in awhile- it's a love/hate thing.
I love how I feel during and after, I love muscles, I love the challenge. But I hate the counting...
I know, it's such a frivolous reason to hate.

There I am, breathing hard, huffin' and puffin', and all I'm thinking is, "Onnneee..... Twoooo......."
It's mindless...and boring....

It doesn't matter if I'm listening to some pumped up music or in silence or whatever, I hate counting.

Anyway, enough with the hate, because I'm loving it at the moment.

I've also decided to do some HIIT or tabata work outs during my cardio days.... if it happens at all..

I'm always doing one or the other- I'm either really good with keeping up with my weight training or I'm really good with staying on track with cardio.
For some reason, I am never able to do both.

But I'm going to try my hardest this week to switch up and keep them both consistent.

That means knowing what my options are since I can't seem to do the same things for more than 3-4 weeks.

Cardio:
toprocks
footwork
jump rope
HIIT
tabata
workout dvvds (Turbo Fire)

Weight Training:
Dumbbells
calisthenics

Hm... seems like my weight training options are a little short. I should look more into weight training options. I do have some resistant bands, but so far, all the workouts I've seen or tried haven't been appealing to me so they are just sitting in a box.

When I get bored of my regimen I always try and find a way to mix it up or spark my motivation again.

- I spend time on my pinterest looking up fun and interesting workouts
- I look up amazing dancers on youtube because the strength (among many other things like flexibility and balance) always puts me in awe and inspires/motivates me to keep going
- Heck, I look up workouts on youtube
- I look through my little notebook of previous HIIT workouts and see if I want to re-do any of them and improve my score (drawback: I don't always track my reps because... you guessed it! I hate counting!)
- If you are a member at a gym, try a group class! When I was a 24 hour fitness member, that's all I ever did and it was A LOT of fun! Plus, they have many different classes at different times so it was awesome! I miss it.... :(
- going back to the basics: This is a new one for me, I tried it yesterday just for fun and to see how I feel about it. I did the most basic, most simplest exercises in a HIIT format, maybe you'd like to try-
    Three exercises:
      1.  knee push ups (yep, that basic)
      2. crunches
      3. reverse crunches
12 rounds. 30 sec work, 10 sec rest. A total of 4 rounds. You don't have to do what I did, you can put your own favorite exercises in place of mine.
I was dripping in sweat and I loved it! I will be trying this again, with different exercises of course (or the same).

What do you like to do to stay on track with your workouts? Do you get bored as easily as I do? Or are you pretty good about doing what you gotta do? :)
Share some of your favorite workout regimens!

Zombie Apocalypse! Ahhh!!

   Since Friday is devoted to me, myself, and I, I was wondering all week what I was going to write about.
  I am a very quiet person but my mind is on a buzz all day, everyday. It's hardly ever quiet.
I decided that the first thing I think/daydream/opinionate will be my first topic.
I have definitely went through various scenarios of what could be, what will be, what should be, what if's, and many other "what's" before I consciously realized I was thinking about what I would do if a zombie apocalypse happened.

I remember awhile back, maybe a year or two ago, I asked my dad what he would do.
"Burn them!"
I laughed at his response because it was so quick and he gave his whole reason why:
1. Shooting, especially at a distance, doesn't seem to slow them down for whatever reason.
2. According to movies, your best bet is to decapitate them, but decapitating them requires you to be near them, increasing the probability of you getting infected...unless you can get a head shot every time...and from the rules of the movie Zombieland, you gotta double tap it and that seems unlikely...well..I know for a fact it would be impossible for me. Ha..
3. Therefore, burning them, is your safest, sure fire bet to get rid of them....

Unless they're somehow anti-flammable.. can you imagine burning zombies chasing after you? Yikes..

Anyway...
As morbid as this post may be, it's what I caught myself thinking about, so, here it is.
First of all, I'm pretty sure I won't survive...but I'll be damned if I get eaten up by zombies.

My rules to surviving a zombie apocalypse:
1. STAY PUT. I don't understand why people in movies venture out. They get out their doors, get noticed and then get eaten up... end of story
2. Contact family/friends ONLY if possible. If for whatever reason, my phone dies and the electricity is out and there's no way of contacting anyone, I'm staying still...and hidden...and hope for the best
     - If my phone works, I will contact my family and friends in hopes that their phone is on silent or vibrate so they aren't found. I would hate to think I led them to their deaths by getting them noticed....much like texting and driving.. please don't do that.. anyway...
      - If friends and family are ok, great! We will not rendezvous unless necessary and it is "safe" to do so
                - what I mean by necessary: run out of food, evac site is determined
3. Carry small, light, quiet weapons. My husband and I do not own guns but I'll take the next best thing- kitchen knives, swiss army knife, some form of aerosol and a lighter.
    -Why lightweight weapons? Because I'd much rather be mobile and be able to hide
    - Why quiet? I'm sure you know why- Guns go off and all off a sudden your surrounded by zombies because you drew attention to yourself. Unless you've got a silencer, I'm not going anywhere near you...unless you want to sacrifice yourself or something...

4. As you all know, I have two toddlers. I think during the first few days of knowing that zombies are out in the world, I am going to train them.
    a. Lesson 1: Be and STAY quiet
    b. Lesson 2: These are tough times, eat slow and eat in timed intervals
    c. Lesson 3: Be stealthy- walk, run, whatever, as quietly as possible
    d. Lesson 4: Listen to mommy :)

5. Cover all cuts and scrapes so as not to get infected. Actually, find some way to cover all openings on your body: mouth, eyes, ears, etc. 
 
I remember watching a movie and a bird was infected. A drop of blood fell into this guy's eyes and well....it wasn't a happy ending..

Basically, my theory of surviving the zombie apocalypse is to go unnoticed.
The setback is that it probably means I won't get any help from the outside world either like helicopters or something since they are unlikely to see me. I'm such a chicken.

I would probably die of starvation :(
But, I will not be painfully torn apart by zombies and become one of them.. which is what I'm deathly afraid of. I want my limbs intact and my organs kept inside when I die... O_O

If I had all the resources in the world and I had time to prep for it...
I'd probably build a "home" underground filled with supplies of weaponry, food, and health kits. It would be surrounded with various security such as electrified fence and flame throwers and...perhaps a moat...zombies can't swim, can they? Oh and a big "HELP!" sign would probably be a good idea...

This is definitely not the same thing I was thinking about as before, but like I said, I think about a LOT of things, and I did my best to adhere to it...
And this concludes my survival guide.
Also, check out http://www.zombielandrules.com/
You bet I'm following those rules.

What would you do if a zombie virus broke out? Are you prepared for it? Or do you simply believe it's not going to happen at all?

Thanks for reading guys!
Hopefully, next week, I'll catch myself thinking about something a little less creepy.. ^_^"

The Oops and the Hurrah!

I'm sure as parents, we all have those moments where we go, "Oops!"
Whether it's something minor as forgetting his or her pacifier or maybe it's something bigger like dropping your by kiddo on accident...hopefully the latter. But we've ALL had those moments.

And then we've had those moments where we are totally bad-ass, whether it's a little win or a big win, we've had'em and we do a little celebratory dance...er..at least I do.. o^_^o

Well here is my oops! And my big hurrah!

The Oops:
   My kids have been playing this game with me for awhile: When they hear me unlocking the door, they quickly run to my bedroom and hide under the covers. Needless to say, I play along.
I don't like doing the same thing over and over again.
Some days, I come home and act panicked, "Oh no! Where is Jade and Melody!" I act distressed and look around for them under the bed and in the closet and eventually make my way to the bed.

Other days, I tip toe in and throw the covers off and roar, "I've got you!" and have a little tickle fest.

And sometimes, I come in, yawn out loud and say, "Oh! I am SOOO tired! I think I'm gonna take a nap!" And just lay on top of my kids until they wiggle and laugh their way out from under me.
But ONE time.... I played their little game too. For some reason, the lights weren't on except for the dining room which is very dim.
My dishwasher was set out with all the racks out as well.
"Perfect!" I thought.
I sat right down beside the dishwasher so that, looking straight ahead into the kitchen, you wouldn't be able to see me.
(Righttttt there...)












After a few minutes have gone by, I heard the kids talking to each other...
"Hey, where's Mom?"
"Mom? Where are you?"
"Where is she..."

I started make strange sounds and tap on the floor and cabinets to give them cues to where I might be.
They've glanced into the kitchen a few times but never spotted me.

Getting a cramp in my leg, I decided it's time for me to finish the game.
I gave really obvious clues like slamming the cabinets shut or stomping on the kitchen floor.

My 4 year old came running to the kitchen, only to see that, again, nobody was there.
As she was turning around, I jumped and yelled, "RAAAWWRRR!"

Poor thing jumped 10 feet in the air and started sobbing.

I was laughing hysterically because I'm not exaggerating, she jumped so high and the look on her face... priceless!
But I did feel bad... really, really bad >.<

I never hid again since then and I always go to the bedroom now doing any of my other variations to the game. 0:)

My Hurrah:
  There came a time, when my husband's and my schedule was just too crazy. By the time I had to leave for school, he wouldn't be home on time and the kids would have been alone. If I had waited for him, I would have missed my class.
So, I had to bring my kids with me.
We went bed early the night before and woke up at 5:00 AM. It definitely didn't have to be that early but I am very slow in the morning...VERY SLOW..

And with getting two kids ready, I wanted to take my time and have a mellow morning. I also didn't want my kids to wake up to a frantic, crazy mother so early in the morning. We were going to have a very long day and I wanted them to feel as pleasant as possible.
So, I got them ready, got myself ready, prepared my backpack, prepared my kids' backpacks and we ate breakfast.

In short, the day that should have been very crazy, hectic, and stressful, was a win for me.
I had planned everything out:
- having colors and paper out when they got bored in my class
- multiple snacks, ready and on hand
- lunch prepped and ready to eat
- planning bathroom breaks for my then three year old Jade, carefully mapping out my next class and the nearest bathroom
- brought a few silent toys for them to play with quietly
- extra water for them to sip on

They did a lot of walking and were very big girls for me that day.
I wasn't late to a single class.

If my kids had been throwing tantrums or been disruptive in any way, I would have left immediately, but I never had to do so.

I definitely felt like a super mom that day and it's one of my favorite hurrah moments.
Makes me proud to have my kids because well, they're awesome.

I go to school up in Boulder and commute from Denver.
My kids were KNOCKED OUT on our way home and I knocked out once I got home :P

Some pictures from that day :)

What are some of your winning moments as a parent? What was your "oops" moment?
If you're not a parent, what moments are you looking forward to or what are you apprehensive about? Feel free to share! :D

We definitely learn as we go and sometimes, we learn from our mistakes and other times, we learn from our positive experience.

To Parenting! :)

My Favorite Exercises!

Hi everyone!
  With all my posts about working out in the morning and being an enthusiast for bodyweight exercises (but I do have dumbbells and lift weights at home!), I thought I'd share ten of my favorite exercises!

1. Push ups
   I loved doing these in high school and I loved challenging myself with the 1-minute tests. After having my kids though, they became VERY difficult to do. I struggled with even doing one push up on my knees!
  But that's the great thing about push ups, there are many variations to make it suitable for anyone. 
 I couldn't do them on my knees, so I started on the wall, then progressed to my knees, and then finally went for that one push up. I can now do 20-25 in a row. Nowhere near what I was able to do in high school (50+ in a minute- yes, all the way down, all the way up with correct form) but I'm proud of how far I've come.
   Along with the "standard" push up, you can do wide armed push ups, diamond push ups, tricep push ups, and "shoulder" push ups just to name a few and work out different parts of your body!
Awesome, isn't it?

2. Squats
   Gotta love'em. It can be strictly squatting or you can do squat jumps or squat jacks to add a bit of cardio or to work slightly different muscles. Now, I'm no expert, but I find that doing squat jacks make my inner thighs sore the very next day- which I LOVE because it is one of my "problem spots".

3. Burpees!
   Sometimes I call it the hybrid- it's like a mix of push-ups, squats and a jack (jumping jack) so why not? I love it for the challenge, definitely gets my heart rate up, and I find it fun. I find it interesting how I can do 20+ push ups and a bunch of squats but burpees just absolutely KILL me! It's a good way for me to get out of my comfort zone and push my body hard.

4. Leg lifts (and variation)
  I made up that name, I have no idea what it is called and I have heard different names for it...Fire hydrants..donkey kicks..leg lifts..you get the idea. These exercises target the glutes and the hammies. For me, I definitely feel my inner thighs burn on the stationary leg while my butt on the active leg burns. Hurts so good! I like how there are a few different ways to do it to switch it up and of course, work different parts of your legs. You can keep your leg straight to the back or to the side, have it a 90 degree angle and lift up, or keep your leg out to the side and kick.

5. Side Bends
  Again, no idea what it is called...in fact, I made the name up just now because that's pretty much what you're doing, you're bending to the side. You want to keep your hips stationary and your bending from your waist, crunching your ribcage to your hip bone. I like to do this exercises with a 3 or 5 pound dumbbell for the extra resistance but you can definitely do this exercises with no equipment at all. Love how sore my obliques are the next day! Feel the burn!!

6. Shoulder taps (and variations?)
   I learned this exercise from a friend of mine and I'm not sure what it is called either. But basically, you are tapping your shoulders, alternating, and lifting and lowering your arms, resisting with your own force, there are some shoulder shruggings involved, some pulling, slicing.. and a few more exercises...I think it would be easier to demonstrate so MAYBE I'll post a video up? I'm pretty camera shy so we'll see about that...needless to say, this exercise set is an awesome arms/shoulder work out.

7. High Knees
  I hate it and love it. I find it very hard to do! Especially when after a mere 30 seconds, my legs start to feel heavy but I'm doing the best I can to keep my knees up as high as I can. I hate the misery I put myself through doing it but I love how I feel after I complete it..haha

8. Dive Bombers
   I think the only reason why I like this exercise is because it feels new and refreshing other than the fact that it's fun. In my head, I always go, "aaaannddd...woop!" when I "go under". I find it hard to describe the exercise in words..so I will send you to the link I learned it from. I learned it from Zuzana when she was the first bodyrock.tv host (and if you guys love her as much as I do, she has moved onto Zuzka Light- but I like her older workouts more..I'm not sure why...)
Dive Bomber- BodyRock workout

9. Wall Sits
  Oh how I loathe it! But I love timing myself. To this day, I struggle to go for a minute, probably because I don't do it on a consistent basis, but when I do add it to my workout regiment, I aim high...maybe a little too high..haha But it's easy and the timed challenge is what makes it fun, at least for me it does!

10. Planks
  I like doing this exercise while listening to my music, headphones on. I have a timer running and I try to go beyond 1:00 minute. Rest for 15 seconds and repeat. Sometimes  I make it past 60 seconds, sometimes I struggle to last 30 seconds. But whatever the case..it's my "chill" go to workout when I don't feel like working out. Once I start and get my blood flowing, I end up working out full throttle. If not, which is rare, at least I had a good core workout.

So there it is! My favorite bodyweight exercises! Which also gives you no reason to dip out on a workout session! Gym Schwim! You can work out at home! For Free! :)

I may or may not post a workout video of me going through these exercises... ;)
What are your favorite exercises? Are you a gym rat or do you like to workout at home with your own bodyweight? Or maybe you have your own gym equipment you like to use at home! If so, what is your favorite equipment? :)

The Fast-Forwarded Moment

There are days when I feel excited about my kids growing and learning. But then it's also a heart- heavy moment.

It's mostly a joyful moment, but after the moment passes, whether it's seconds, days, or weeks, it becomes nostalgic.

I remember when Jade first started preschool. I made such a big deal about it (I mean, it WAS big deal..it was PRESCHOOL!). I got her all dressed up, did her hair, took pictures going to the CAR, getting out of the car, walking to the school doors..like oh man, I feel as if I overreacted but I definitely do not feel embarrassed or regretful that I took one too many pictures.

Now here it comes... Melody will be starting preschool in the Fall (at least that is the plan, arrangements still need to be made) and Jade will be in KINDERGARTEN. She'll be gone for a full eight hours.
Then the next year, both my kids will be away at school for eight hours, learning their ABC's and 123's.
Where has the time gone?
I've looked forward to that moment- EIGHT HOURS..I can get so many things done! Errands, schoolwork, working, training, working out, napping..like oh my goodness, talk about paradise!

But then it means the kids will soon hit middle school...then high school...then college..then marriage..then a family of their own..
I know I'm fastforwarding waaayyy ahead of time but when people say kids grow up fast, they're not lying.

It feels like yesterday when I was hoping Jade would start crawling soon but now she's a little daredevil, running up and down hills, racing down the stairs, jumping off playgrounds, and playing tag.

It feels like yesterday when I was hoping Melody would start talking soon but now she's so sassy! When a three year old acts bossy, it's cute...sometimes.. :P

I am now living in the moment I wished to fast forward to- only to find that I want things to slow down. But now that they're older, can they be three and fours year old for a couple more years?

It's totally okay to want to fast forward- we, as parents, look forward to their growth and development! Otherwise, what would parenting be?

What were some of the moments you were looking forward to with your kid(s), only to have time pass you by?
:)