Alphabets of Fitness: K is for Keeping up with Thine Own Health

("God Cares" written by Stephanie Jeannot & Mike LeShore) , (c) All Rights Reserved)

 

This month of February, like every February, is American Heart Month. Are you celebrating?

Remember, the heart is like the drum pattern in a song that without, the song and dance would seem irregular.  And with the perfect tempo, the rhythm flows naturally as God intended without having to be doctored to fix.

So what are you doing to show that organ that orchestrates the beautiful melodies that God enables to pace in each new moment of life?  Are you getting it pumping hard with passion?  By passion, I mean exercise.

If you love the beat of life, like the beats of music then, walk hard like you would to a funk song with a song in your heart like, “I want to thank you for letting me be myself.” If you are loving the simple fact that God woke you up this morning in new mercies, you are dazzled in red and those lyrics you groove to are then truth and you are definitely then, keeping up with thine own health; especially with the given fact that heart disease is the number one killer of women. As soldiers, we are equipped to win the battle over health and we definitely can conquer good health.

So what else can you do?

K is for kettlebells. Did you know that in 20 minutes of doing kettlebell workout, you can burn up to 400 calories?  Seems like a lot if you are sticking to a 1200 calorie diet. But if you eat a bacon double cheeseburger with large fries and a soda every day, you will only be burning off the calories from the fries.  Not so bad but if you love your heart, let’s eat a lil better to show it some true appreciation and love. 

K Is for kicking the carbs.  Did you know that the serving size of bread per person is really one slice?  Take a look at the nutritional facts on the bag of bread that you just copped from the grocery store.  What does it say about the serving size?  Am I right or was I just really kidding? 

K is for keeping the faith. Keep the faith and keep moving forward. We all stub our toes

sometimes and even if we fall, we were built with enough strength to stand back up and face the sun of yet another morning. So how are you keeping the faith?  Are you praying? Are you aware that there is more power behind you than any challenge that stands before you? 
Because moving towards a fitness goal is not easy at all; takes a whole lot of willpower. So don’t give up. Even if you decide to give up sweets or alcohol for Lent and all your friends flaunt red velvet cheese cakes or Long Beach Iced Teas in your face; if you made the decision to kick the habits, you need to keep the faith and stick with it because it is still your journey alone; even with your family and peers around you. Your true peeps will be your support team and will help you to stay motivated.

Finally! K is for Kill it.  Don’t sit around pinning workouts you want to try and never try them or have the tv on with Gillad doing his workout while you just sit back and watch without joining in the excitement and putting in the actual work. No, if you get a chain letter email that tells you to forward it to ten friends to lose 20lbs, you will not lose 20lbs by just typing names in the to box.  Also, don't use the excuse of not wanting to sweat out your perm and can't workout. Can't is such a disabling word. You can still look cute and workout even with your perm having sweat in it. Natural sweat actually helps hair to grow.  You would probably look sweeter on an assisted weight machine than laid up in a hospital bed somewhere from heart related illnesses. You gots to get with the program and do the job required to do what you are wanting to achieve.  If better heart health is it, do it. Walk for it. Run with it. Ride towards it. Kettlebell the inches off. Kut the krap and get your healthy heart-conscious eating and heart-pumping workout on. You can do anything you want so even if doubt comes to stand in your way, let your faith be the weapon that kills it and keep moving forward.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blogpost. Please leave feedback with tips or comments in regards to health and maintaining it because we can all use the motivation if you are willing to share. By the way, if you liked the song at the beginning of this post, you can find more original music on my Reverbnation page here: Stephanay JNote's ReverbNation Page

 

May God continue to bless you in abundance.  

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!