Alphabets of Fitness: J is for Just Do it!

Just do it! You have it in your heart. You feel the temptation to get with the program. Your mind is filled with ideas of the what ifs.  But what if you just do it? What then?

I know, things do not seem so easy at first. You start and then a mountain of doubt tries to stop you from moving forward. But you have been equipped with all you need to continue upon the journey you started. So just do it!

Go out to the nearest park and do a brisk walk or jog. Go out there and shovel or do gardening. Lots of calorie burning there, in doing housework and some in cooking as well. How about doing some cleaning and getting rid of old stuff that are no longer necessary in your life?  Oversized clothes items that no longer fit or those Burger King coupons that you are no longer going to find use for because of your new eating healthy lifestyle. Letting out the old truly ushers in the new. So make way for the new you.

Choose the light butter over movie butter popcorn and say no to the extra cheese.  Choose turkey burgers as opposed to the beef and ask for whole wheat toast when ordering sandwiches.

One thing you must remember to do is to meditate and keep God on your mind and your mind on the matter. Prayer while you are on your way to reaching your goal is necessary. Do not turn back and give up. Let God guide you to exactly where you are striving to be and to what you are striving to accomplish. For he told us that we only need to stand still while he fights our battles for us. 

All that stands in the way will fade. Most of the time it is our own doubts and fears that stand in the way.  But why fear the very things you hope for?  Why doubt in your abilities to make things happen? Remember it took strength to start walking from crawling.

Finally, be happy about your decision. You started it, now smile about it. Be confident in any and all you are doing and that will lead you to the strength and the joy that was never anyone or anything else's to reckon with because joy is internal from God. Now carry that faith with you in your gym bag, wear your confidence like cross training sneakers and exercise faith wherever you go. Even if everyone else is wearing shorts and cut-off t-shirts and you feel out of place because you are all covered up; or you want to do chest presses and can only push with resistance at 10 lbs.

Who cares?  As long as you are doing it. For to not try is to fail. But trying leads to pushing harder. Isn't that the whole point of the new you attitude you decided to bring into your groove?

Alphabets of Fitness: I is for Independently

When we make a decision to start something new, even if our friends advise us or try to inspire us to do it, it is our very own selves who must make the step in order to independently overcome the boundaries of before, for the after.

So let’s see; yesterday you thought that. Is that right? And today, your mind is set on higher things for the present moment and for tomorrow.  Is that the case? 

Okay so that means, you independently have a goal that you’d like to accomplish that is yours solely.  I mean in all honesty, reading Fitness or Shape magazine won’t change your habit if you do not change your habit. 

In other words, your friend asks you to go to a Zumba class with her on Wednesday evening and you bring your stuff and you are all prepared but then something comes up at the last minute and your friend can’t make it. Do you go or not go? Were you going to please your friend or to also reap the benefits of the workout? How willing are you to be independently bold to choose a salad even if your friend chooses a burger or you choose to go to the gym even though your friend wants your accompaniment at the bar? It’s your decision independently. And if you started this lifestyle, the challenge is also yours independently. Just remember if the new you is that very way of thinking you want to be strong in and continue moving forward with, do what is necessary to make that a reality. For your friends can’t do the workout and healthy eating for you to lose that weight on your own body. All the work must be independently done by you.

The following poem was inspired by two things; Poetry Tuesday and how it feels when you feel alone because your peers get tired of you inviting them to the gym and call you obsessed or you eliminate things from your diet that people all around you are eating or everybody at the gym seems like a pro and you don’t even know how to turn on the stationary bike. If that is you, I know exactly what it feels like. This poem therefore, is dedicated to you. Prayerfully it motivates you in some way.

Independently,

I see!

My decision means;

it's all in me.

 

I won't make it

sitting down.

All the snow

has me bound.

Stuck at home

before the tv.

So, for the next few moments

it's popcorn and me;

and a soda to taste.

Maybe I'll mix it with vodka.

Oh man, I forgot my own decision

in my gym locker.

 

Independently,

I see!

My decision means;

it's all in me.

 

But I'm hungry for life

and working out ain't it.

Who cares about

being skinny or fit?

I'm great the way I am;

beautiful, it's true

and sexier than red velvet cake

to a man with a sweet tooth.

But then I noticed

all this sluggishness I have.

I find myself in struggle

to keep up with the pack.

They are running their three miles

and I'm running out of breath.

I even find myself holding up the wall

when I go out dancing with my friends.

At first I thought I'm getting old

and took it as fact;

but then I look at myself in the mirror

and realized, it can't be that.

For I'm young and vibrant

and ready for life.

But somehow I am being controlled

by the foods that catch my bite.

 

Independently,

I see!

My decision means;

it's all in me.

 

I feel heavy; so ready

to make a change for the better.

Must I really give up

on those cheeses of cheddar?

And what about my Popeyes

chicken and biscuits? Good to the last bite.

But here I start this new lifestyle.

And I'm ready for the fight

over healthier eating

and more controlled breathing

and dropping pant sizes.

And no more burnt up rubbed together thighs.

And to less weight to carry.

And to the fitness strategies.

And to low fat snacking.

And to the haters I'm attracting

Who would love to see me fail at this;

my fit bits with a twist.

 

Independently,

I see!

My decision means;

it's all in me.

 

My mind right with a half full cup

and ready to rock and roll,

like a star in the night sky

shooting across it with purpose glows.

For I started this lifestyle and it's mine

so I'm gonna keep it for life.

For what's style if it isn't me?

It's with my past editions of me which I compete.

And complete with a theme:

My goal strives are mine; independently!

 

 

 

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Check out the following links if you are interested

 

Full Length Workouts for Free From Fitness Blender

 

Tips For Eating Healthy When Eating Out

 

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Heart Attacks from AHA

 

Downsizing Your Sweet Tooth

 

Diet And Exercise According to God

 

Before and After: How to Lose and How to Maintain

 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Hope to see you again soon for more Fit Bit twists. God bless you and have a pulchritudinous journey moving forward.

 

 

Alphabets of Fitness: H is Hopefulness

When we start on any new venture, we hope that we will be successful with it and we hope that we will be able to accomplish overcoming all obstacles to get us to the place we desire to be. We hope that we will not fall and if we do, we hope that we will be able to get back up on our feet and continue moving forward to complete any and all tasks that need to be.

Same applies to weight loss and fitness. We hope that we will find enough motivation to get to the gym or to workout and we hope that the delicious food we used to eat doesn't tempt us to move backwards.  We hope that we will be able to maintain and we hope that we will not give up because we do not see immediate results.

The late great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." What a statement that has so much power and truth in it. 

So we want to keep our lifestyle commitment which is hard in itself. It is more than just a temporary fix to fit into a nice bathing suit or dress for an event. It is a movement forward for better heart health and life.  We give up some things of the past for a healthier future. This requires much faith, willpower and confidence. 

Nobody said the road would be easy. We see that in the legacy that Dr Martin Luther King Jr left behind. He was so strong and powerful and would not give up no matter what obstacles stood in the way.  His example should be regarded as something that we can all benefit from in life. Whatever we aspire to accomplish, we must not give up the fight and continue on until we reach our goals.  Get up and go. Do what is required. Seek for the finish line and make positive movements forward. 

The following is a slideshow created by Melodiaz Creations in association with Stephanie Jeannot. The slideshow and cover of Mariah Carey's "Hero," is a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and all he was able to accomplish. What a blessing God has given to the world in one individual. A hero indeed. He changed lives. He inspired a nation. He showed a true man of God by holding on to faith and never letting go of God's unchanging hand; even with every trial he faced. I pray that this slideshow may inspire you in your quest for moving forward with your 2014 resolution, regardless of what it is; fitness, weight loss, quitting cigarettes, having a closer walk with God. And let's dabble into the hope that this true hero had, for to change lives, we must first be that hero that changes our own life and mind about things in life.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by for another installation of my fit bit twists. Hopefully this has inspired you in some way and it will help you in maintaining and keeping you in line with your fitness goals. Feedback is requested. Please let us know what you think and/or share some of your fitness tips if you have them which can also benefit others including me. Please return soon for more alphabets of fitness. Have a blessed and wonderful week.

Alphabets of Fitness: G is for Gym or No Gym

Gym or no gym; find a way to get that workout in if your goal is to stay fit. Gym or no gym; do at least 30 minutes of cardio Gym or no gym; get in gear and get in step. Gym or no gym; just do it!

 

You do not have to have a gym membership to workout. You do not need a fitness trainer to get in shape. You do not need to have expensive equipment to get into the swing of things.  All you need is your will power and that desire to get out there and just do it. Working out does not require much.  If you feel like you do not have the energy, here is something to think about.  Exercise gives you energy.

 

That last statement however may not apply to all, but for me, a nice workout during lunchtime helps to give me that boost that coffee can’t that enables me to go back to work refreshed and more energized to work effectively.

While the gym has nice equipment, classes and trainers that can help you to move forward with your fitness goals, the gym is not always the option. Whether you go to the gym or not, the following are different workouts and motivating ideas you can try that might help you in the long run.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by to read the newest installation to the alphabets of fitness.  Before you go, here are some links that might be helpful to you.

 

Printable Workout Plans

 

Unleash Your Inner Badass

 

I Need to Workout, Butt

 

Total Body Exercise Ball Workout

 

Lose 75 Lbs in Less Than a Year

 

Please leave feedback and share your thoughts and also some fitness and weight loss tips that we can all use and benefit from. Please be sure to come back again for more alphabets of fitness. God bless you and have a wonderful week.

Alphabets of Fitness: F is for Fashions to Fancy

“You can be whatever size you are, and you can be beautiful both inside and out. We’re always told what’s beautiful and what’s not and that’s not right.” – Serena Williams

 

When I started working out and eating healthier, the changes to my body became pretty noticeable to my peers after a while. It showed in my face and in how the clothes that I used to wear began to drape over my body.

I started getting compliments from people telling me that I look good now. The now is what stumped me the most. Should I have felt offended by that? Not for nothing but I was da bomb when I was big.  Just a little bit bigger.  

Do not allow society’s beliefs on what beauty ought to be, make you change your beliefs about whom and what you are. Believe in yourself no matter your size or shape.

At the same time, “when friends tell you how awesome you look, drop the "I still have more to go" crap.  You worked hard and you deserve the compliment” (Jillian Michaels)! A compliment is a compliment and almost like a gift so be appreciative of it.

Wherever you are and on the road to where you are going, be happy and satisfied with that because you can only be you and no one else. So be the best damn you that you can be.

 

“Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man. The biography of the man himself cannot be written. – Mark twain

It started the summer of 2012. I was set to sing at a black tie affair and I needed a dress.

Sometimes your idea of your size is not the actual truth. There is a coined term used when you are tardy for something you are fashionably late. I guess it applies here because I was the only one who didn’t see that I had started to explode. Who would have thought that person I saw as little was bigger than I ever realized.

That is when I made the decision. I would not be going up in sizes anymore but instead would find ways to change.  

Change became drastic though and I was changing my wardrobe about every two months.  If you are attempting weight loss and start to see success, do not run to buy a new wardrobe just yet. It might look a little tacky, but wear what you have a little big until you have no choice but to change. Wear belts to keep pants from falling and/or get some fabrics taken in before having to go and spend money. Clothes shopping when losing weight can become costly after a while. But if you wait out the weight, you will be weighing in a wise decision. Fashion is just fashion but style is in the way you carry yourself and wear it and even if it is a little big, you can still make it look good.

 

“Bravery never goes out of fashion”

– William Makepeace Thackery

 

If you feel like braving the storm and it is in you to get out there and start your fitness challenge, let nothing stop you, but also be prepared to go into beast mode. While the stylish clothes I loved from Ashely Stewart no longer fit, and my beautiful coifs were looking less and less appealing due to sweating off the pounds and sweating out the perm, I had no choice but to continue thrusting forward to do what I had to do.

The important thing is to brave the storm. Everything starts with day one, without day one there is no possibility. You will crawl, then walk and then run like you never imagined you could. Try it for yourself.

Joan Rivers said that “diets, like clothes, should be tailored to you.” Try getting on that treadmill or onto the track at your nearest park and do intervals of walking, jogging and walking for about 30 minutes or so and your heart will be thanking you for each and every minute. Or why not get onto that elliptical machine and bust out a three-mile glide? It might seem a little boring at first if you are not used to it, but you are equipped with all that is necessary to tailor your exercise routine to your liking and make it fun. Fashion the instructor led group classes or even the free ones on the Net. Just do it. But if you are going to work-out and plan to see true results, make sure you are not eating the same old crap that got you to where you are now. Fashion a new diet that you can fancy and stick with.  

 

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world”

– Marilyn Monroe

 

By this, I hope you were thinking sneakers. Yes, wear a good pair of sneakers that can support the heavy beating you are about to put onto your feet.  You want to avoid foot pain and cramps and achiness and if you are wearing the incorrect shoe while exercising, you will know just by the way your foot feels.

Look for sneaker stores in your area that examine your old sneakers as well as study your foot in movement to determine what sneaker is best for your foot.  They then will give you a visual idea of the support your foot needs and might even tailor make one for you or point you to some of the sneaker brands you like that will provide that support needed for your foot.

Starting a new lifestyle is fashioning a new attitude. Something has made you want to change. Whether it was a circumstance and illness or something that somebody said, you have come to that point in life where you felt that it was necessary to. You now have two options. You can complain about it and do nothing or you can get up and bust your ass trying to make a difference in your own life. But only you can change you to a different version of you that you might fancy more. Brave the change you made and claim your own victories. Now fashion that!   

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I appreciate you stopping by to read my blog post and I truly hope that some of these things being discussed can be beneficial to you and your new lifestyle change that you have embarked on.  While you have fashioned in a new mindset, I would like to also invite you to visit a few links that you might fancy.

 

Fashion Advice After A Big Weight Loss From WSJ

How to Choose the Right Athletic Shoes

My Fitness Pal

Eight Glasses of Water A Day Chart

How Much Sex is Considered Exercise

Keeping That New Year's Resolution

Get Ready For Your Breakthrough

Fitness Blender's Beginner Kettlebell Workout

Ivanka on Fashion and Weight Loss

Feedback is requested. If you found this post helpful, please let me know. And if you have some pointers that might be beneficial to others, please share because everybody is always looking for new and exciting ways to enhance their workout and diet experiences; including me!

See you soon!

 

Alphabets of Fitness: E is for Equipped

Everybody has been made wonderfully equipped with a purpose.

 

Everybody has a story. Everybody wants to accomplish something. Everybody comes to a point where they might experience doubts. Everybody finds a reason to hope. Everybody uses that hope to encourage themselves.  Everybody uses that encouragement to continue on. Everybody continues on and finds the door to their goals cracked open just for them to enter. Everybody enters and shares their experiences. Everybody experiences something. Everybody’s something is different. Everybody has different ways of handling that something. Everybody sees that something from a different point of view. Everybody’s point of view is based on their own system of beliefs. Everybody’s system of beliefs is either self-made or culturally grown. Everybody has a culture. Everybody’s culture is their own. Everybody owns their own mind. Everybody’s mind features its own thousand words. These are mine:

1,000 words Equipped For Me

I had just gotten to work and was waiting for an elevator and when it opened, a young lady I have been acquainted with in the past also entered as well as another woman trying to get to her point of interest. The familiar face looked and asked how I lost so much weight. The unfamiliar woman asked how much weight I’d lost and I told her that I lost 80 pounds. When explaining that diet and exercise were the biggest contributors to my new present self, the familiar threw many doubtful statements my way. “No you didn’t. You got gastric bypass.” “Don’t believe what she says. Ain’t no way somebody could lose so much weight that fast.”  “She is lying. She was probably bulimic or anorexic.” 

To be honest;  this was never my intention. I just wanted to feel healthy for a couple of reasons. There is a big difference between climbing up a flight of steps and panting like you just ran a five mile race or going up a flight of steps and not breathing uncontrollably, but as you normally would from brisk walking.  There is also a difference between getting on a treadmill and running for a few minutes and your ankles and knees starting to hurt because you are carrying so much weight on your body, or running and not really feeling the stress on the lower extremities of your body. But there is also a difference between eating something and your whole entire body becoming swollen from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet or eating something and the normal processes of the intestines occur and you excrete and defecate as you ought to.

I wish I could say I did do gastric bypass; but I did not. I really did diet and exercise and in just nine months, I lost 80 pounds. 

 

Natural over bypass any day!  Bypass requires the consulting of a doctor as a new lifestyle might.  But with the doctor, they will prescribe you medicine as well as put you on meal restrictions you have to now stick to so you do not have any complications after the surgery. A nutritionist however might put you on a meal plan that can help to benefit your life and also to form new eating habits that are in line with your fitness goals. Bypass requires overnight hospital stays.  Working out only requires rest to heal the stressed out muscles and bones; in your own home and in your own bed. Bypass will come with a huge bill. You might get a bill from the gym, but with all the free YouTube fitness programs available, you can actually lose weight in the comfort of your own home without a gym membership. Wherever you live, you have a chair or a staircase. Use the staircase to do step aerobics by just going up and down the same step for like 20 minutes or so, to your favorite song list; or use one of the chairs in your home as a base to do triceps dips. Use the floor before your television to do squats and pushups while watching your favorite sitcoms. No computer is even required. Maybe you can use on of those Heart rate monitors to calculate how many calories you are burning just from getting into the swing of things in the comfort of your own home.

 

About the anorexic and bulimic statement; No, I am not any of the two.  I did however begin my program on a very strict diet that I put myself on. I gave up eating rice, pasta, bread, meat and drinking alcohol. It might shock people including yourself if you start a diet of this sort, but the real shock will be how much weight you begin to lose and in such a fast period of time.   But first things first, you must be mentally prepared.

How I began; I fasted and prayed for one whole day, the day before the day I gave into my new lifestyle.  Without prayer, your new lifestyle may not work so make sure you include God into the challenge you set for your own self.

Here is something to think about. A non-meat eating diet is not a starving yourself diet. Yes, you still can get protein from other sources. Your body is well equipped to handle other forms of protein. Here are some you might want to try.

Cottage cheese or peanut butter
 

Have some with your fruit. How delicious is a cup of these two protein sources that are even healthier than pork chops or sirloin steak?  You can still have your protein and eat it too. I am begging you to try a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Delish!!! Or take some of that cottage cheese and have it with cantaloupe or honey dew. Not only are these two ideas tasty, but they also serve as great meals. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner; Hmmmm!!!!

Beans or Nuts

Okay so you are making a salad and usually you cut up fried or grilled chicken and put it in your salad. Attention! Please note that chicken is meat. Yes, it is poultry. Poultry is meat. So if you are giving up meat, you are also giving up chicken.  How about some garbanzo beans or almonds? You would not believe how tasty it is with some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette sprinkled atop it. Add some Goji berries as well which can be a nice replacement for a tomato if you are willing to try something different. Sunflower seeds, pistachios, split pea or lentil soup. Great sources of protein!

Eggs or Soy

Okay so you can have scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu. Preferably the soft tofu because that is the best type for beating; and you can add some of the same wonderful ingredients to it. But wait, instead of bacon, how about salmon?  If you have never had a bagel with smoked salmon, you do not know what you are missing. Tastes great. But let’s hold the starchy bagel and opt for something else like a slice of whole wheat toast or a spinach wrap. If you must have the egg however, why not try it soft or hard-boiled?  Have one with a bowl of cut-up fruit.

Protein bar or shake

So many different protein or granola bars out there. My favorites are Luna Bars. So many different flavors to choose from that have less than 30% calories from fat in it. Special K makes pretty good ones too that are also healthy and filled with 9g or more of protein to keep you full until your next meal which is hopefully lunch as opposed to the snack in between. But if you must snack, how about a protein shake?

 I love Spirutein. Also, a lot of different flavors that you can choose from that have no sugar added besides that natural sugar of the main ingredient. It is powder based, so add it to some fat free or dairy free milk and enjoy. If you are going to use dairy free, make sure you get the ones that are also sugar free as opposed to vanilla.  

Naked drinks are pretty decent too; not to mention that they are packed with a plethora of vitamins and nutrients your body needs; but,  lots of sugar. But make sure to remember that the label might say the bottle serves two people so the calorie content is doubled if you drink the entire bottle.  Make your own instead.

Why not add half of two different fruits, a vegetable like spinach or kale and some plain organic yogurt to the blender with a little bit of dairy free milk and ice and blend to make your own smoothie?  Tastes even better knowing you made it yourself.

Finally Seafood

Who said you had to go vegetarian to not eat meat?  Why not make it a pescetarian diet instead? No meat but all the fish and seafood your heart can desire.  But watch out; remember that some of the shell fishes of the world are very high in cholesterol.  So let’s not have it every day. But do add it to your weekly meal plans.

Everybody; Again?

Everybody is equipped with a mind to set it to whatever they want to program it to do. Everybody has abilities they have been fully equipped with to step up the game. Everybody has a heart equipped with desire to make things happen according to their own vision. Everybody however is different; so everybody might not be able to hold forts down in the same manner. Yet, everybody does have a mind of their own and goals of their own and with that in mind, if fitness is yours, let’s make your 2014 resolution take a smooth sailing flight to your final destination; your goal.

 

Now that we have settled on the idea of what we are equipped with, here are some links and other  ideas to get jiggy with:

Reading Food Nutrition Labels

Caloric Content of Alcoholic Beverages

Protein Foods

Pescatarian Chili Recipe

Lose 75 lbs in Less Than a Year

7 Keys to Improving Your Life Everyday

Motivational Quotes

Smoothie Recipes To Make At Home

13 Easy Ways to Eat More Greens

30 Minute Trampoline Workout

 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope this post inspired you in some way and I also hope to see you back here for more alphabets of fitness. Feedback is requested. If you found this post helpful, please let me know. And if you have some pointers that might be beneficial to others, please share because everybody is always looking for new and exciting ways to enhance their workout and diet experiences; including me!

See you soon!