Mind-Body Connection

I have had some problems getting the muscle growth I want when working out, especially when it comes to symmetrical growth. Lack of muscle growth can happen for various reasons - diet, improper form, not working out enough, etc.

I’ve talked about this problem before in my blog. My main issue right now is symmetry. My right side, which is my dominant side, isn’t progressing like the left. How that happens, is really a mystery. You would think the dominant side would be more muscular. I, first, noticed it in my quads. My right leg just looked fat and the left was toned. Then I noticed it in my arms and calves. Disproportioned body parts are normal. Please understand that. None of us have perfectly symmetrical bodies. If you do, you’re a friggin’ unicorn!

If you are into bodybuilding, having less muscle growth on one side can become a problem to conquer. There are ways to help muscle growth and look symmetrical:

1.) Do a couple more sets on the side of the body that isn’t getting enough muscle growth.

2.) Work out each side independently.

And I was, recently, introduced to 3.) Use the “Mind- Body Connection”.

The Mind-Body Connection is the art of focusing your mind precisely and accurately on the exercise and, more specifically, the body part you’re working on. This will maximize the benefit of your training session, minimize injury risk and is a greater stress reliever.

The “Mind-Body Connection” method is used in other wellness workouts such as yoga/pilates, muscle relaxation, relaxation breathing, mental and physical rehabilitation.

Before I began using this method, I never felt like I worked out hard enough. I would be sore the next day but I felt like something was missing. Just because you’re sore the next day, that doesn’t mean you had an effective workout. Sure, you may have some results but it’s important to maximize your results and you can do that by using the Mind-Body Connection method.

This is how it works. If you are working your quads, visualize in your mind the quad contracting with full range and controlled motion. Then proceed with the exercise. Stay focused on the quad. Don’t let your mind wander to another subject. Go slow. Don’t jerk the weight. Feel the muscle relax as you release the weight. Didn’t do it right? Start over until you get it right.

Be patient with yourself. It takes some practice. I have a short attention span sometimes so it was pretty hard for me at first. I do better in an empty gym so I like to do my weight training in the middle of the night. It fits my schedule since I work evenings too. No one hogging the machines and you have the whole place to yourself!

I’m sure this can work for cardio too. You can try this meditation during a long steady cardio session or even HIIT. I’ve tried it to ease my shin pain during HIIT. Don’t get me wrong. Pain means you need to rest. Listen to your body when it’s in pain.

If you’re looking for quality workouts from here on out with maximum results, try this out!

My Complete “Trip to California” Fail

I made my somewhat last minute arrangements to attend my cousin’s wedding a couple weeks ago. I was super excited to see her and my other cousins and family. I was elated she was getting married to her honey. It was a beautiful wedding. At the Flower Farm in Loomis, CA. Silky chickens, hilarious and in mating season - picture chicken porn up-close and personal. (I’ve been scarred for life!) Fragrant flowers everywhere. Cabins for the bridal party. The short ceremony was outside on the lawn. A little warm outside. The audience was a mix of both sides’ family and friends including the bride’s father’s fire department family. The groom and his groomsmen wearing suspenders and flat caps. The bridesmaids danced down the aisle to Abba’s “Dancing Queen”. The bride’s niece was dressed in a lavender princess dress and was accompanied by the bride’s youngest son with a sign, “Hey Dad! Here comes our girl!”. She looked timeless and incredibly beautiful. The ceremony was officiated by a close family friend, a firefighter. I was glad to be a witness to such a wonderful union. We walked a short distance to a cocktail hour by the koi pond. There was fruit infused water and pink lemonade, an array of fruits and a few other refreshments waiting for us before we went into the reception venue. Upon entering the reception hall, they had a photo booth outside – so much fun! Dinner was a trifecta - prime rib, herbed chicken, and tilapia. Sides were asparagus, mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and salad….all buffet style served by hired servers. The bride and groom danced to Jason Mraz’s “Lucky”.  The father of the bride (my uncle) and bride performed a memorable dance to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” and then broke it down to “Tequila”….and then my uncle sang Billy Idol’s “White Wedding Day” to her. I got it on video. Our families danced the night away and we enjoyed a sweets bar. It was a time to remember with family and new friends made.

(My mom and I in the photo booth.)

I did all kinds of planning for my trip a week in advance. I made a meal calendar for the four days I would be traveling to California. I went grocery shopping. I did my food prep. It was time consuming but it was the only way I would succeed, assuming I even had a chance. I mean the weekend was filled with wedding festivities, my family is part Mexican, and it was a Cinco de Mayo weekend. I was still prepared and ready to embark on this little adventure. Sneaky son of a….! It was a big test. I FAILED. Miserably.

I had all my meals with me minus 2 meals because I knew I would be eating the dinner at the wedding and I was able to have a cheat meal on Cinco de Mayo. I did need to go shopping for a couple things at the grocery store for breakfast items – tomato, avocado, berries and oatmeal. No biggie. I handled that after the gym on Saturday. I was set for the rest of my weekend. Wrong! Keep reading…..

While I was there, I googled the closest Anytime Fitness. 5 miles away from my aunt’s house – perfect! I did 2 cardio sessions - 30 minutes of HIIT. Once on Saturday morning and once on Sunday morning. I didn’t weight train because I was having pretty bad body aches. I had already done one full body session earlier in the week. I’m supposed to do 3 a week though (1 upper body, 1 lower, and 1 full body). Seriously though, my chronic body pain has been pretty bad lately so it’s been keeping me from actually getting to the gym to get those weight training sessions in. It is so difficult to get out of bed. It takes me at least 30 min to an hour to get up after my alarm goes off. I end up falling back asleep so I have 2 alarms. Because of this problem, I have been doing midnight weight training workouts after work – much more effective because I am in less pain by that time. However, I don’t have the energy I used to get from working out first thing in the morning. I get my cardio in after work or when I get up and just jump on my flimsy elliptical I have in my bedroom. I thought I would get a weight training session in while I was in CA but that didn’t happen. Just in too much pain. Doing the HIIT was pretty intense on my body. It was a miracle I was able to endure 30 minutes of it.

On Friday, my travel day, I did okay at first. Ate my first two meals as planned. We got to our hotel and we tried to check in only to find out we didn’t have a reservation. The hotel was booked. We weren’t staying there. We researched hotels in the area. Many were booked or just disgusting. I had to eat so I had the chef warm up my food I brought. We headed to my aunt’s house where we stayed the rest of the weekend. I hurried to get ready to go out with my cousins. It was the bride’s “last night out”. We went to Red Lobster. Grilled salmon, asparagus and a couple of shrimp from the shrimp cocktail. I had to have the cheddar bay biscuits. I see bread and I have to have it! I have no willpower when it comes to bread! It’s my kryptonite…especially those biscuits! Afterward, we went to the casino and the bar threw itself in front of me. I had a celebratory lemon drop shot with my cousins and then I had 2 grape vodka/sprites. Then I lost $20 on the Wizard of Oz machine. :(

Saturday, I ate a great breakfast according to my meal plan. Was fine until I got to the wedding dinner part. More drinks. Scarlet Letters (Amaretto and cranberry). THREE! A glass of white wine and ½ a glass of champagne for the toast. I went light on the food. Sorta. I had asparagus and chicken and very little mashed potatoes. Then, they opened the sweets bar after cake cutting. HAVE MERCY! You don’t even wanna know!.....but I will tell you. Crème brulee, raspberry fudge, sour balls, marshmallows, peanut brittle, mini cupcakes, M&Ms…I didn’t have everything though.

Sunday was Cinco de Mayo and I said to myself, “Self, you need to get back on your meal plan. SELF!” So I ate another great breakfast. It was my high carb day so I was happy to eat oatmeal and strawberries. This was also supposed to be my “one cheat meal” day. We had leftovers from the wedding. More Scarlet Letters. Jello shots. Chips and guacamole/salsa. All the yummy stuff Mexicans eat on Cinco de Mayo.

Monday, I was on my way back to Texas. I ate my low carb breakfast before I left my aunt’s house. Had my snack at the airport and then I boarded the plane. I was ok until the second stretch. I asked for tomato juice – the Bloody Mary mix and the attendant gave me an actual Bloody Mary. Free. I wasn’t gonna turn it down or tell her she made the wrong drink. LOL Airfare is already overpriced. I drank my free drink!

Then I went to my friend’s bar when I got off the plane. Didn’t drink at her bar but when she ended her shift we went to another bar and I had my last Scarlet Letter.

I knew I failed the rest of my trip so it was whatever at that point. I’d start over the next day. I am actually surprised I didn’t gain more weight while I was there. But the weight scale is a tricky thing. One day you will be 2 lbs heavier than you were the last time you weighed yourself and the next you’ve lost 2 lbs and a couple more. My weight hasn’t fluctuated at all since I started carb cycling. Luckily, I am back down again after a couple days of being back home. Still have 8 lbs to lose before June 1^st. I am back on my training plan full force. No cheat meals this week! I don’t deserve it. BAD D’ANNA! LOL I even did 2 rounds of cardio in a 12 hour period. I won’t do that every day but I felt like it needed to be done. I’ve done plenty of reading. It is recommended anywhere between 30-60 minutes a day 5-6 times a week accompanied with resistance weight training for weight loss. (Note: Please do your own research. I’m not an expert and I don’t personally recommend any training plan.) My trainer has me doing 2 days of HIIT and 3 days of long steady cardio aka the elliptical. That’s 5 days of cardio a week.

Some important things I learned through this trip….

1.     Don’t rely on cardio to do all the work for you. You still have to eat clean. Nutrition + Working out = Real Results!

2.     You can’t just do cardio and expect real changes to happen either. You have to lift some weights too. Resistance training is pretty important. Please read this article when you get a chance:

“When Does Cardio Become Too Much of a Good Thing?”: http://www.lifetime-weightloss.com/blog/2013/5/4/when-does-cardio-become-too-much-of-a-good-thing.html?utm_source=WL&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20130505~Flourish~WLIN3045&utm_content=MX~T0&utm_term=

3.     Stick to the meal plan. If you stray away from it, it’s going to bite you in the ass. I gained weight after the 4 days I was gone. It was only 2 lbs but for a girl that is trying to gain muscle and lose fat, that was a little disappointing. I only have myself to blame. I put those delicious alcoholic beverages and sweets into my mouth. I absolutely love bread! And I couldn’t resist it on my low carb days when everyone else was eating it. DANG YOU, BREAD, FOR TASTING SO DARN DELICIOUS! There is a reason I don’t buy it. Even the Ezekial bread. I can’t have just one piece! So ridiculous!

4.     "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!" - Benjamin Franklin. Well, you can plan all you want. I did crazy OCD-level preparation for this trip. If you fail to stay focused on what needs to be done in order for that plan to succeed, there is always the consequence of failure. It’s inevitable. You have to execute the plan…every detail! I learned to be detail-oriented in the Air Force. I still have that value instilled in most aspects of my life. However, it still is easy to deviate from a well thought out plan. I didn’t follow my plan and my results will reflect it. There may be obstacles but it’s up to you to stay focused on the prize.

5.     Stay focused.

Wow, I was really honest there. That was exhausting. LOL

Thank you to any and all my readers. I really don’t know how many people actually keep up with my blog or my FB blog page. It’s more of a diary, hence the subtitle “Diary of a Lazy Girl on a Mission to Get Healthy and Fit.” Anyways, thank you for reading it. Please feel free to comment.

Gotta Love Bad Advice!

I feel the need to vent because I think it’s important if you are setting weight loss goals, you need to be realistic. You cannot expect to lose a lot of weight in a couple days and keep it off. That’s a fad diet and they NEVER truly work.

I will share a personal story with you….

Someone I briefly dated thought he knew everything…..and everything about how to lose weight. PFFFF! Yea right! We had an argument about how bad carbs are for you…..over text message. LAME!  Yea I know  - why did I even entertain it?! LOL He had the balls to tell me when I got serious and wanted advice to let him know. BAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! Uh no!

I didn’t see Pro Bodybuilder, Doctor of Dietetics, or Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist on his credentials!  - Definitely less than qualified to tell me how and what to eat.

There’s a saying, “Never trust a chubby trainer!” Yea, I follow that. I hired a real bodybuilder to train me and tell me how/what to eat. I’m getting pretty great results considering it’s only been two weeks too. I’m happy with my slower progression. Almost 15 lbs lost since 23 December 2012 and that’s with building muscle. Will have measurements this next weekend. J

He sure didn’t know how to lose weight and keep it off….the HEALTHY way. Just because you took a nutrition class once does not mean you know everything about it, dude! His weight had fluctuated the last few years and he had the biggest belly on a man I have ever dated. He had a six-pack when he was in the military so it was a little surprising he let himself go. I don’t know the whole story and I’m not going to judge him for weight fluctuation. I know how that goes because my weight has fluctuated being on/off migraine medications. My problem is the advice he was trying to tell me about how brown rice and other whole grain carbs, like oats, were so bad for you. There are bad carbs, better carbs, and best carbs. Here is a good article, from the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/.

He made himself sick only eating 2 meals, no whole grain carbs, and relying on zero carb protein shakes the rest of the day. If that’s what was happening to him, I surely was NOT going to get on that same rollercoaster ride. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY! Don’t do that! I’m not stupid and I have yet to take an adult education nutrition class but I will be majoring in nutrition this Fall. I do know that depriving yourself of certain food groups can be detrimental to your weight loss progress or even a healthy lifestyle at all.

Protein shakes, especially zero carb shakes, are not for weight loss meal replacements! You will starve your body of important nutrients and you may lose weight but you will gain it back once you start eating. You will probably eat all of the wrong things when you do start to eat at a more regular pace again. He didn’t work out on a regular basis either. I can understand a busy schedule but you make the time and stop making excuses. There’s a reason you put half the weight back on you previously lost, buddy! You may think you are doing miraculous things by losing 10 lbs in 3 days but really? What does that sound like? STUPIDITY! You’re sick because you starve yourself. You’re getting migraines because you starve yourself. You have NO energy because you starve yourself. You don’t sleep probably because you starve yourself. And then you eat ridiculous things late at night when you can’t sleep because you starved yourself. Nothing healthy is open in the middle of the night – huh?! Lots of excuses.

I am a chronic migraine sufferer. I usually get them 1-2 times a week! Once I started eating clean, I would get them, maybe, once a week. I even went 2 weeks without getting one recently. Diet is truly important when it comes to weight loss and muscle gain/maintenance. You can’t starve yourself or deprive your body of what it needs or it will start to use the healthy muscle you worked so hard in the gym to get.

Moral of the story, eat clean. Eat enough. Don’t overdo and don’t under-do it. Lose weight responsibly. Don’t expect drastic results overnight, or in only 3 days! You will be rewarded when you put the real work in. I promise you. I’m a lazy ass and if I can do it, you can too. You just have to believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will. As always, if you have a nutrition question, ask a real expert.

I do guest posts, every now and then, on a friends blog…. Dateless in Dallas, www.datelessndallas.com. Feel free to check her out!

My Story....

This blog has taken me a couple months to write. I've mulled over this blog so many times before publishing it just to ensure it was information that could be beneficial to my readers as well as spreading awareness without too much personal information. Yea, maybe it is too much information but it will serve its purpose to inspire and motivate. If you comment, please be respectful.

My life adventure began at Vandenberg AFB near Santa Barbara on June 14, 1980. I was raised all over the world since my dad was in the Air Force.  We were stationed in different countries and all over the U.S.

 I have never really been into anything athletic at any time in my life. However, I did try. My mom had me in gymnastics and ballet as a toddler and during “Parents’ day” for ballet, I thought all the parents were laughing at me so I quit ballet for good. I didn’t try any other sports until middle school when my family moved to Saudi Arabia and I joined the swim team. I, also, enrolled and paid for my own gymnastics lessons from money I saved from weekly allowance. I, actually, excelled in gymnastics during that time. I tried to play soccer and volleyball but was too afraid of the ball. I enjoyed those sports but the ball loved hitting me in the head more.

When we moved to Ohio, I tried out for the cheerleading squad in 7th grade. I couldn't get the routines down. I was so uncoordinated. I love to dance and I love gymnastics but put me in a group cheerleading routine and I lose all control of my body in spastic ways.Instead, I helped teach cheerleading pre-k through 3rd grade instead. Those who can't, teach. Right? Ok, maybe not but I was better at teaching the routines to little kids.

When we moved to Turkey, I tried to play basketball and run in cross-country but those were all short-lived. I was still afraid of the ball and I am definitely not a runner. I wanted to be an athlete so bad, mainly to fit in with the other kids, but for some reason it just wasn't me. I was better at art and music. I played the flute and was really great at drawing and painting. I taught myself how to play the piano and guitar.

I visited a recruiter my senior year in high school and enlisted in the Air Force (via Delayed Enlistment Program). Six months after high school, I was off to Air Force Basic Military Training. I tried to get in some running before I left but was pretty unsuccessful because I never could run far. We ran practically every day in boot camp and did pushups/sit-ups. I was so out of shape. I thought I was going to die most days. I let the sweat conceal my tears. Before I graduated boot camp, I was keeping up with the base commander who was a marathon runner. I did over 60 pushups in 2 minutes and I exceeded the standards for sit-ups, as well. I actually, injured my back somehow and wasn’t able to run when I got to tech school.

In the 6 ½ years I was active duty, I did okay when it came to passing fitness tests. The initial test included an ergonometric stationary bike test which was basically a breathing test. All you had to do was stop breathing about 10-15 seconds before the 2-minute interval where the heart rate was measured. I think someone caught on eventually and realized this wasn’t an accurate measurement of physical fitness. After all, cyclists and marathon runners were failing the test! They revamped the fitness program and got rid of the bike and began measuring physical fitness by timed running, pushups and sit-ups.

In 2004, when I was assigned to the headquarters for my job here in San Antonio, I got the worst headache of my life. I could barely move. I was in tears and I’m pretty sure I scared the crap out of my co-workers. We were all really close. They took me to the clinic on base and I was told it was a migraine. I would get migraines out of the blue after that and, also, when I ran. I was referred to a neurologist. I had every test done to make sure there wasn’t something going on in my brain like an aneurysm or stroke. I was cleared and diagnosed with migraines. I was trialed through every medication possible. I tried beta-blockers, anti-seizure, anti-depressants, etc. Some made me sick. Some gave me weird side effects like sleep hallucinations and sleep-eating. Yes, I said “sleep-eating”. It’s a real medical problem. I’ll try and post more about it another time. I gained about 25-30 lbs and through those scary hallucinations, the memory of being sexually assaulted resurfaced. I had blocked it out for 4 years and it was taking its toll on me. I began getting migraines even more. I was getting them 5-6 times a month and they were extremely bad. I was later re-diagnosed with chronic migraines. I was sent to pain specialists and they were frustrated with me so they discharged me from their clinic.

I was medically retired in March 2005 after a year and half on a temp retirement disability list (TDRL). My post-retirement treatment consisted of a daily medication of Effexor XR and multiple Botox injections into my head and neck every few months. At my VA (Veterans Affairs) Compensation & Disability interview, I was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). I also have all-over body pain which my neurologist believes is fibromyalgia. He said I could have always had it or could have developed it while on the migraine medications. There is no test for fibromyalgia.

By mid 2011, coping with my PTSD on my own was not working well for me so I was referred to a VA psychiatrist. I had already seen civilian psychologists before that but “talk therapy” didn’t work for me either. My psychiatrist wanted me to keep my medications simple so she increased the dosage of Effexor XR I was already on for my migraines. I was at the maximum dosage after a month. I started having horrible side effects and was really sick. I felt like a zombie because of the sedative side effect. It was miraculous if I could make it into work at all sometimes. I also had absolutely no appetite so I didn’t eat. I lost 30 lbs in 2 weeks. I told my psychiatrist but she didn’t want to take me off the medicine or decrease the dose. She said I would “get used to it”. I thought she was crazy! This drug wasn’t helping me. It was killing me. She went on maternity leave after that so I didn’t see her again. My next appointment was with another doctor via webcam at the VA clinic where I had my other appointments.

In September 2011, I decided I needed to get off the medicine. I quit cold turkey, which is not recommended. I researched the withdrawal symptoms before I stopped taking it. The drug is associated or similar with the withdrawals of heroin. People would count the tiny beads in the capsules and try to wean themselves off, usually without success. Bead-counting is not accurate since the beads aren’t always the same size. Since I lived at home at that time, my mom nursed me back to myself and helped me get through the horrible withdrawal. I didn’t get out of bed for almost 2 months. I experienced nausea/vomiting, migraines, and unbearable electrical shock-sensations in my head. I detoxed by taking a bunch of Omega 3/fish oil capsules, a certain kind of tea my mom had me drink, and lots of sleep. I gained the weight I had lost pretty quick after my detox. Without all the weight fluctuation and medical problems, I was at 120-125 lbs. I was now at 160+. It was very hard for me to deal with because I have never been overweight up until I started having migraines. I started to wonder if the weight gain was the source of my other medical problems and body pain.  

In May 2012, I decided to start on a journey to lose weight and get "toned up". What does that even mean? I don’t think anyone who says that really knows. I began to educate myself about a healthier life of eating right and working out. I’m still learning and it’s very fascinating to me. I’m looking into going back to school for a degree in health. I set new goals for myself. I wanted, desperately, to become healthy again. I wanted to stop having chronic pain and migraines too.

I joined a great 24-hour gym and I began Jamie Eason’s LiveFit on Bodybuilding.com. It’s a 3-phase, 12-week program complete with meal plan. I worked out right after I got out of work at midnight. I did really well the first 8 weeks but started to burn out in week 9. I completely stopped in week 10. The last phase implemented plyometrics and I wasn’t ready for all the bouncing around just yet. I was seeing great results though. My migraines were less in quantity and severity. I felt stronger and some of my all-over body pain was relieved. I never had muscle definition before and I finally had some. I took a 3-month break from working out regularly. I maintained a somewhat healthy meal plan but I have to admit I really did not eat well/clean all the time. I was hitting all the fast food chains almost every day again for dinner on days I worked. Guess what else was back! My migraines. Some worse than ever!

Right before Thanksgiving 2012, I decided I needed to start getting healthy again. I needed to work out to get to where I wanted to be physically. I didn’t start up full force because I knew I would burn myself out again and it was, also, the holidays. I really didn’t want working out and eating right to be a New Year’s Resolution. Those types of resolutions have a high rate of failure anyway.

“All you need is a new day to begin something new. Don’t wait until the first of the year, or the first of the month. Don’t wait until Monday. Start tomorrow.” – D’Anna

Fast forward to today, I am working out at least every other day. I’m doing bodyweight exercises and cardio. I’ve lost a total of 7 lbs and ½ inch in my waist since December 23, 2012. Haven’t had any other measurements done but I can see a difference in my legs and arms too. Much of it I believe is through clean eating. I don’t eat fast food. If I do, I eat the healthiest thing on the menu. I allow myself reasonable cheat meals on Sundays when I visit my parents.

I know I am well on my way to reaching my goals of wearing shorts or a bikini comfortably. I’m not working with a time frame right now. I am going at my own pace. I have a future goal of competing in a bodybuilding competition (bikini class). I love blogging about my journey and I hope I inspire and motivate you to start and/or continue your own personal fit journey. :)

Benefits of Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum) in Your Diet

Here’s a short list of the benefits of cayenne pepper added into your regular diet. I found this so interesting because I suffer from chronic migraines my family has been hit with pancreatic cancer quite a few times. I am putting the dry spice right into my water with lemon juice and agave. It’s a little spicy but it actually tastes pretty good.

·         Powerful anti-inflammatory: arthritis, diabetes, psoriasis and herpes-related nerve damage.

·         Cleansing and detoxing

·         Stimulates blood circulation throughout the body

·         Neutralizes acidity

·         Anti-allergen

·         Digestive aid

·         Anti-cold/flu

·         Relieves sore throat

·         Oral health: Produces saliva, aids in prevention of tooth and gum disease

·         Useful for blood clots reducing the risk for heart attack and stroke. Can stop a heart attack within 30 seconds!

·         Joint pain relief

·         Anti-bacterial

·         Possible anti-cancer (lung, liver, prostate, and pancreatic cancers)

·         Supports weight loss (decreases appetite, metabolic booster)

·         Energy booster

·         Helps to alleviate muscle cramps, including menstrual

·         Helps wound healing

·         Balances blood pressure

·         Migraine headache prevention

All I Ever Really Wanted....

Throughout my fit journey, I have received amazing support from most of the people in my life. I’ve surprised, and even wowed people, with my goals, changes, and what I’ve accomplished so far, There are a couple of key people in my life that are failing to support me. I wanted to blog about this because it is important to understand that even if you don’t have support from the people closest to you, you can still move on and succeed. You can still reach your goals!

I have had one of the worst days getting bad news, three-fold, today. One of those bad news topics come straight from the people I have been looking so hard to please and get support from all of my life. Actually, it's happened over time. Something else happened today that brought me back and I realized they just don't support me at all. They don’t understand my goals. They think it’s ok to exercise and eat right but they don’t understand my biggest goal - to, one day, compete in a bodybuilding contest. Knowing the way they think, I’m sure they think "steroids" and other ridiculous things. That is a stereotype of most bodybuilders. These people that inspire me have dedicated their lives to natural bodybuilding. I can't say it enough. It is a lifestyle and I want that for myself. It’s a very tough goal to reach. You really have to have the discipline and desire to get there. I’m working my way there. It’s a process but slowly I will get there. One day at a time. Nothing easy lasts. And nothing that will last is easy. I want a lifetime of good health. This is not a phase. I am educating myself on everything I possibly can about eating right, proper exercise form, etc. I’m reading every personal story from bodybuilding/fitness veterans I’m inspired by. I have never been so interested in something in my entire life. To have certain people in my life not support my goals and dreams really hurts me. It’s disappointing, frustrating, and heartbreaking.

Right before Thanksgiving, I sat down at dinner talking to these individuals about what I wanted to do. They were negative and told me I shouldn’t become a competitor. I was heated. I wanted to drop my fork and walk right out the door. Who says that? Who tells me to aim lower than the goal I have set for myself? Who tells me I can’t? This was the last thing I expected from these people. That’s just more fuel to my fire! I may be one of the laziest people when it comes to being active but I’m making changes to get away from that lazy life. I am growing out of it. Health is very important to me. I have seen too many people in my life be diagnosed and pass away from horrible cancers and disease….all of which can possibly be avoided if they lived their lives differently, ate differently, and exercised. I learned of a friend I grew up with having cancer today, too. Very tough for me to process right now with the bad day I’m having.

All of my life, I was allowed to quit things when it got rough. At 3 years old, I quit ballet because I got stage fright. At 11 years old, I quit girl scouts because I didn’t think I fit in. In my 20s, I quit art school. Art school was my dream! Most things I started, I never finished. No one made me believe I could do anything I put my mind to.

By now, you’re wondering who these unsupportive people are. I will keep that information to myself. I will let you put the unsupportive figures in your own life into those spots of my story. What I want every person who reads this to know is:

1.    Don’t crush someone’s dream and tell them they can’t do something. This will only push the person away from you.

2.    You CAN reach your goals no matter how far they are out of reach! A little work each day will get you there!

With support from these people in my life, or not, I WILL reach my goals. The only person that can stop me is myself and I’m not ready to give up!

D'Anna

Unilateral workouts

I have this problem and I can see it only becoming a bigger deal when I decide to compete later on as symmetry is very important. This problem seems to be quite common. Mainly because many people don’t know what the eff they’re doing – yep, I’m one of those people!

I have disproportionate muscle growth. I am not getting the same results on both sides of my body when it comes to muscle growth. My left side is growing differently than the right. I, first, noticed it in my legs (quads) and now I’m seeing it in my arms. The measuring tape reflects they’re the same size, however. It seems my left side is leaner, or smaller, than the right side. I see more muscle growth on the left, I think. It’s really weird for me. I have never had an injury to either side of my body. I do however, have poor posture. I find myself leaning to the right (my dominant side) quite a bit. I don’t know if any friends or family would notice the symmetrical error but if I plan to compete one day, the judges will definitely notice. Better to learn to correct it now. I'm trying to learn the different mucles in the leg so I can target the problem area and focus on correcting it.

I was advised to do unilateral exercises from someone who is considered an expert in the field, Bodybuilding.com sponsored Sean Sarantos. He told me exercises like lunges were great. Unilateral exercises permit the body to focus on one specific muscle contracting at a time rather than bilateral (both arms/legs) movements.

So when I workout now, I try to focus on the movement and form. I love squats, which are a bilateral exercise, but I make sure to do unilateral squats as well.

3 recommendations from Hugo Rivera’s website, www.hugorivera.net:

1. Practice perfect form: By ensuring proper form not only you ensure that the targeted muscles are the ones doing the work but also that both sides are putting an equal amount of force as the movement is performed, thus preventing imbalances.

2. Concentrate on activating the muscles of the weak side: When performing the movement, really concentrate on using and squeezing the muscles of your weak side to move the weight. This extra concentration will ensure that your dominant side is not the one doing the work.

3. Perform extra sets of unilateral movements to only target the underdeveloped area: Doing a few extra sets that solely focus on your weak side will teach the body to better activate the muscle fibers of that side.

(http://www.hugorivera.net/natural-bodybuilding-disproportionate-muscle-growth.html)

Water Powerrrrrrrr!

Water is essential to sustain life. (Duh!) Water makes up about 60% of your body weight. It regulates the body’s temperature; carries nutrients to all of your vital organs and other tissue; it keeps the joints lubricated; and helps with the body’s plumbing to flush toxins and other unnecessary waste out of the body.

When you’re working out, it is even more important to stay hydrated. I remember, in boot camp, the MTIs (military training instructors) always made us drink water. We carried a water canteen on our belt. I was so sick of water by the end of each day. Had we not drank enough water, we surely would have passed out because the training was exhausting at times.

Dehydration is very common. I bet you are dehydrated right now. Feeling tired? Sluggish? Thirsty? Yep! You are dehydrated! Go drink some water!

A good way to monitor your fluid intake is to check your urine. Sounds silly but you know you check out what’s in there anyway! Admit it – you do! Your output should be plentiful and colorless or light yellow. You will not see me without a bottle of water in my hand or nearby. I love water! I pee about 20 times a day because I’m constantly drinking water. It’s pretty annoying to have to run to a bathroom every hour but who cares! I get a few more extra steps walking to and from the bathroom because of it.

Keep in mind why being hydrated is so important! Drinking water gets rid of toxins and you know what else it’s great for? Weight loss! Fat stores toxins. Toxins sounds pretty appealing – don’t they? Not eating a “clean” diet will allow your body to store these toxins and, in turn, you gain weight and become “fat”.  Don’t pay attention to the scale. If you are constantly weighing yourself and your weight is fluctuating, it is probably because of fluid retention or loss. Somewhere there is a balance. Just make sure you keep up with your water as you’re exercising and throughout your day, even if you don’t work out.

Water comes in different forms but you want to look for the purest form. Stay away from sodas, juices, anything with added sugar. Milk, low-sodium broths, herbal teas and 100% fruit/vegetable juice are other alternatives to just plain water.

I calculated my intake to 79.5 ounces or 2.4 liters per day using this hydration calculator: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

I have a 64 oz water jug I use daily. You can get water from eating food sources like fruits and vegetables too.

Don’t drink all the water at one time. Spread it out during the day. Believe it or not, water intoxication is a real condition, although somewhat rare. Athletes are most at risk due to the loss or dilution of electrolytes when working out. Your kidneys can tolerate 15 liters of water a day. As long as you drink slowly, you are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication.

Water can become really boring so I will share what I do with my water. I love love love loooooooooooooove fruit-infused water! I found the idea on another blog months ago. I can't remember the name of the blog now. It was called "spa water" on the blog. You can buy fresh fruit or frozen. I use several glass mason jars so I could have different flavors to pick from to keep my taste buds entertained.

Directions:

1. Add the fruit into the glass jar or pitcher. Not a lot. Maybe a quarter full.

2. Take a wooden spoon and mash the fruit a little bit to get the juice flowing and then fill the rest with filtered water. If using fresh fruit, add ice before adding water.

3. Replace lid and refridgerate for 8 hours or over night.

4. If you don't like fruit pulp in your water, use a small kitchen mesh strainer or a strainer lid (usually sold in the mason jar section of the grocery store).

Some of my fave flavors are:

·         Orange

·         Lemon (with agave nectar)

·         Citrus - orange, lime, lemon

·         Blackberry

·         Strawberry

·         Pineapple

·         Cucumber/lemon

*The only fruit that won't work is bananas.

You can add herbs in as well like sage or mint. Reuse the fruit for no more than 3-4 days.

Couple of quick notes:

·         If you are concerned about your fluid intake, consult with your doctor.

·         Drink a glass (8oz) of water with each meal and between each meal. Drinking a glass of water before eating is a good way to feel full and will keep you from over-eating.

·         Drink water before, during, and after a workout.

D’Anna
xo


One last thing.......

“Weight loss” is NOT the same thing as “fat loss”!

I add a lot of people on Facebook for motivation reasons – people who want to get healthy (not experts in anyway) and bodybuilding athletes /pros. With saving all these fit friends comes a vast amount of knowledge. However, some of these people post some wacky stuff. Some are just ridiculous. You can pinpoint who doesn’t know much about becoming healthy.

I watched a video today where this guy was telling his audience not to be so upset with all the new people in the gym in the next couple weeks. (I won’t be because I’m still new too.) The guy, also, talked about how there are so many personal trainers and other people that know nothing about training and they’re the first ones to judge a “New Year’s resolutioner”. Really, if you’re in the gym and you’re judging other people negatively, you’re done with your workout – go home. Now, if you see a person who is doing an exercise wrong, where they could possibly hurt themselves, then you should say something to help them. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted someone to show me what to do in the gym as a newbie. I had no one to help since I would go after midnight. I know I do a lot of things wrong and no one corrects me. I had a boyfriend who went to the gym with me one day and had the nerve to tell me after I was done working out that I was doing my triceps extensions wrong…and he still never told me how to do it. People, if you know how to do an exercise and someone is doing it wrong, help them! GEEZ! (FYI – that guy is my “ex” now!)

Skinny fat or Fat Skinny? I chose neither. HA! There is no difference. I don’t want to be “skinny”. Been there, done that. People thought I was anorexic and I ate a lot! I just didn’t have any muscle. A healthy body has some muscle. Something I have learned since my journey started back in May was that doing too much cardio will keep you from maintaining the muscle mass you worked so hard to get. Depending on your goals for your own body, anymore cardio after 45 min-1 hour is considered excessive and your body will start to use muscle (or fat, whatever your body feels like using) as energy. The best way to optimize muscle gain/maintenance is not to overdo the cardio. And if you are only doing cardio, stop it! If you really want to lose weight, adjust your caloric intake, do at least 30 minutes on the treadmill and lift weights. If you eat clean and you lift weights, you will build muscle. You can do your much-loved cardio – just keep it under an hour. After a while and with clean eating, your metabolism takes over and the muscle will burn the fat itself, even when you’re not working out. A person, who does more than an hour of cardio, is going for just being skinny. That is, if they are in fact burning more calories than taking in. Otherwise, they won’t see much of a difference.

My goal is to lose fat mass and gain muscle. My ideal body fat would be less than 20%. I’d like to be around 120-125 lbs. (I’m 5’2.) If I decided to compete, then obviously those numbers would drop a little bit.  I’ve got a ways to go.

The minimum amount of fat necessary for basic physical health is 10-13% for women, and 2-5% for men. Don’t take that wrong though. That is not what an average healthy person should have. It is only for what amount of fat a person needs to maintain life. AccuFitness came out with a chart for body fat %. For a person my age (32), it is considered “ideal” to be between 21-26% body fat. I’m pretty sure I’m a few percentages above that without working out so I have some work to do.

Many people will think it’s about dieting and end up doing those fad diets. Fad diets do NOT work! They are temporary fixes and why would you want weight loss to be temporary? Most people will gain the weight they lost after they stop the fad diet and some will gain even more weight, leaving them back where they started. There is nothing “temporary” about becoming healthy and fit. It’s a lifestyle and you have to commit to exercise and changing your diet (what you eat daily) for the rest of your life.

Here are some other things I’ve learned:

1.      Eat that protein! If you eat enough protein, your body will burn the fat and spare the muscle. 1 gram per lb of body weight per day, if you’re wondering.

2.      Lift weights. More muscle = more fat burned.

3.      Your body loves muscle! That’s why it will burn fat more efficiently when you do have more muscle. It wants to get rid of the fat! I’m not wrong on this! Get fatter and see how your body and organs start to function for you!

4.      Weights before cardio. It’s better to use most of your energy lifting weights. You really don’t need much for cardio anyway. You will burn more calories this way as well.

5.      Train one body part a day. You need a couple days in between to recover that muscle.

6.      Eat 5-6 small meals a day, equally spaced apart. I eat every 3 hours. This will include a pre/post workout shake or meal.

7.      Get enough sleep. 7-8 hours is what I need.

8.      Drink water! Flush all that crap out of your body! LOL I pee 20 times a day but I feel so much better if I’m hydrated. I like to drink fruit-infused water. I’ll blog about it soon.

9.      Seek professional help. It’s not a bad thing. Ask a certified personal trainer/training coach. FYI, I’m not an expert. You don’t have to ask me or take my advice on anything.

D'Anna
xo

Oh Deer! New Year! New Workout!

(written on NYE)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope you all are having a wonderful time as I sit writing this blog at work. LOL I am working at the hospital until midnight. Just my luck. I always have the worst luck on New Years. Couldn't get today off because I was too slow at requesting it. :( So sad. But it's just as well. I always have bad luck on New Years.

Last year, coming home from a friend's house in Boerne which was less than 15 minutes away, I hit a deer 5 minutes into my drive back to my place. It was so upsetting to me. I felt so bad for the deer. She actually ran back and forth and then into my car wheel well on the driver's side. I tried to honk but it didn't work. They say you should do that so they'll run away. Usually, it works. The people in the car behind me stopped and comforted me until the cops came. I was pitch dark out except for car lights. When two cop cars came, one cop came and took a report from me and the other one ended up having to shoot her. I guess when they approached her she wouldn't get up. She was just sitting there. It looked like she was ok but she wasn't. I don't know what they do with the animal's body after they shoot them but the cop disappeared quick. I never looked to see if she was still there. I just tried to stop crying so I could drive and left as soon as they let me. I'll remember her every year! RIP deer! :( There's my sappy bad-luck-on-New-Years story.

So tonight at work. I'll be going upstairs to my favorite ward to drink and toast (with a non-alcoholic grape beverage) to the New Year at 11pm to bring in the New Year as it hits our country first (on the east coast). We decided 11 would be the best time since we are hoping to be out the hospital doors before the clock strikes midnight. HOPING! LOL

Ok so onto what my blog is supposed to be about! My fit journey has brightened up a bit! Courtesy of a coach from down undah! I didn't think I would win but I posted on her page for her contest to win a free weekly personalized workout plan. She is Australia's Carla Britten. I tell ya, I have looked high and low, and now looking for real help all the way across a couple of ponds! Let's see what she can do to help me out for a little bit. :)

D'Anna
xo