MY INSPIRATION

Hi Gorgeous Ones!

My apologies for the lapse in blogging on a regular schedule. But after a weekend trip to Orlando full of running around and the drive back home to the ATL, I was pretty wiped out..... on Monday. Haha! Tuesday was more of a "playing hooky" day.

Anyhoo, I have been struggling with my workout. Yes. I. Have. So at this point, I'm having to just do it, instead of putting much thought into it. Hey... it's like that sometimes.

So in my search for inspiration, I remember Ernestine Shepherd, the 74-year old foxy ma who I absolutely would not be mad at if she got a man 40 or 50 years her junior. Just sayin'. Like Tony the Tiger, I have to say that she looks GGRRRREEAT.

She leaves me (and everyone else) absolutely no excuse. For God's sake, she's 74. No excuses. On top of which, she didn't get into working out until she was in her early 50's. Seriously, no excuses. Now most of us women have been groomed to believe that as we get older, we naturally put on more weight. And that as soon as we hit 40, it all goes to hell in a handbasket. As if its some natural order to our body's maturation. Well, looking at pics of  Mrs. Shepherd blows this myth out of the water.

Oh, and please know that when she started exercising in her fifties, she did not look like she does now. I've read that she started out pudgy. No excuses. So my point is that, it is indeed possible. Not just for all us gals who are in our 30's and beyond, but e-ver-ry-body.

And just for more inspirational/motivational kicks here are pics of a few other older women who are working it out and showin' it off.

Jennifer Lopez (mom of 2)- Academy Awards 2010



Halle Berry (mom of 1) - Jenesse Silver Rose Gala & Auction 2010

Salma Hayek (mom of 1) - Cannes 2010

Sally Richardson-Whitfield (mom of 2) - Syfy Upfront party 2010

Stacey Dash (mom of 2) - Vanity Fair Oscar party 2010

Are there are any women you know who inspire/motivate you who are still keeping it together?.....

Post Title → MY INSPIRATION

GOOD NEWS MONDAY WEDNESDAY AFFIRMATION

I love working out!

Exercise is joyous & fun for me!

My body loves being active and healthy!

Just do it!

Post Title → GOOD NEWS MONDAY WEDNESDAY AFFIRMATION

MY VEGA LOVE



Vega products

   Hi Beautifuls!

 

I’ve noticed something about my workouts. I function better off of smoothies and shakes before working out. I honestly thought that I needed to eat solid foods before working out but I’ve seen (and felt) the difference between the two. And when I say, "before a work-out", I'm referring to breakfast and all things an hour or so before I exercise. When I’ve only had shakes, smoothies and/or juices, I have more energy during and after the workout. When I’ve eaten solid foods before a workout, I feel a bit sluggish and have to push more thru a workout.


 
Anyhoo, I want to tell you all about a product that is really turning out to be a plus for my workouts, as far as recovery and energy is concerned. I’m using Vega products that I won some months ago thru a giveaway by FitBottomGirls.com.

 

The products that I'm lovin' for my workouts are the Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Optimizer and the Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Protein powders.
 
Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Optimizer

 

• Provides immediate & sustainable energy.
• Increases endurance, aerobic & anaerobic capacity.
• Enhances mental focus & motor performance.
• Reduces stress & enhances immune system function.
• Replenishes electrolytes lost during exercise.
• Reduces inflammation, joint & muscle pain.
• Improves body composition & reduces body fat.
• Supports healthy weight management.

 

 

Vega Sport Natural Plant-Based Performance Protein

 

• Improves exercise performance.
• Maintains strength in workouts.
• Increases muscle protein synthesis.
• Develops and maintains bone strength.
• Assists in muscle cell repair after exercise.
• Reduces inflammation, soreness and fatigue.
• Reduces length of recovery between training.
• Provides immune support following exercise.

 

It honestly took me a minute to get used to the taste of these. Both products seemed to have a bit of an after-taste, but it seems that I suddenly am fine with it. Don’t know why. I just am. I just know that I think this is a great product for those who exercise and are looking to use high performance supplements and/or meal replacements natural, plant-based, and healthy.

If you'd like to know more about the Vega company, here are their company principles.

• Plant-based whole foods are the true future of optimal health
• Raw, alkalinizing foods are the best defense against illness and disease
• Nutrient density is more important than calories
• Food should provide energy, not drain it
• Food should energize through nourishment, not stimulation
• Avoid common allergens to reduce food sensitivities
• It is possible to grow a younger body

 

And based on my experience, I can vouch for a few of these. Don’t know about you, but I can’t help but love a company with these types of principles. You can find out more about Vega products and purchase them at MyVega.com.

Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer

One of my fav products of theirs is the Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer, in Vanilla Chai flavor. Yummm. Often, when I go to refill on this, the stores are temporarily out of this particular flavor. Bugs the crap outta me but is certainly a testament to its great taste. I recently discovered my love for the Chocolate flavor, also. All I do is add a frozen banana and unsweetened Hemp milk and the result is a delicious and quick smoothie. When I’ve been in a crunch, meaning without Hemp milk or Almond milk, I use filtered water. Still tastes delicious.

I am definitely continuing use of their products as a part of my daily regimen.

Post Title → MY VEGA LOVE

BECAUSE I'M WORTH IT.....The Series

Hi Gorgeous Ones!


As I mentioned last week, I’ll be posting weekly on my journey to greater health & fitness. Over the weekend I was out-of-town in Gatlinburg, TN with my daughter, which entailed some elements that slightly threw me off. Will discuss that further in Friday’s post. Outside of that, I worked out that Friday morning which was the day we left. I didn’t get in any “deliberate” work-outs during our trip but I can say that I got an extra good amount of daily walking in.

My 1st workout since then was on Tuesday. I haven’t made it back to the gym yet, so I’ve been gettin’ it in at home with my trusty work-out dvd’s by Gilad and Jillian Michaels (You know, the hellified fitness coach from "The Biggest Loser"). You may think that it’s not possible to get an authentic workout outside of a fitness gym but it really is. As long as you have the genuine desire and drive to get to a specific goal it’s doable. Great workouts and exercise can be done just about anywhere. Trust me. I’m giving up the same amount of sweat as I do when I go to the gym.

My weight hasn't fluctuated, which is a good thing. it did cross my mind though, as I ate some fries with a veggie burger while in Gatlinburg. Oh! I also had a Coke Zero while on the road. I know some of you may be thinking "What's the big deal with that?".  Lately, I've stayed away from diet sodas for some of the reasons here and here. I caved in late Sunday night for a caffeine buzz. Had to make sure I stayed awake while on the road and coffee would've made me need some extra stops. So I definitely have to find another and healthy option for when I'm on a road-trip like that.

If you know or have heard of anything, do share. I'll research it and see if it's something I could try. And in the meantime, will look for other options myself.

So, what have you done for your own heatlh, wellness and fitness?.. You know you're worth it.

Peace,

Post Title → BECAUSE I'M WORTH IT.....The Series

UPDATE ON MY "FILL-IN-THE-BLANK" JOURNEY

Hi Lovelies!

Just wanted to update you all on my "fill-in-the-blank" journey. Click here to know what I'm talking about. Still haven't settled on an official title for this series. Lol.

Thanksgiving was Thanksgiving. And while I wasn't terrible at the table, i didn't exercise until this past Tuesday. Boo. Not good but it was what it was. needless to say, i remarkably still lost a couple more lbs. I can only attribute this loss to my continues green juices, ACV elixir, green teas and such. Or maybe my metabolism is up. Or could be both. I dunno. But I'll take it! So now, I'm down to the magic ten. Ten more lbs to lose, that is. Woo hoo!!

Now let me say this: Please know that was on the cornbread dressing, greens & sweet potato casserole (and pie). No regrets though. I had a great time with the fam. But now, its back to serious business.

On Tuesday, I broke out my trusty Gilad "Best of Bodies In Motion" dvd. An oldie but goldie that's a serious workout. On Wednesday, since I didn't make it to the gym, I worked out to Jillian's "30 Day Shred" dvd. I'm feelin' this one, too. And today, since I'm up late, I'll probably end up gettin' it in w/Gilad again. I enjoy going to the gym (I enjoy some comraderie with my workouts.) but sometimes it just doesn't work out like that. It's all good though. The most important thing is that I do get some exercise in.

To help keep me motivated, I've joined VeganFitMama's "Fit Plan Pre-2011". Check it out over at her blog, "Lovin Vegan Food, Fitness & Yoga". Who knows? You may want to join the fun. And no, you don't have to be vegan, 100% vegan, raw vegan, vegetarian or whatever. I'm definitely not 100% vegan. And honestly, I'm not trying to be right now. However, I do believe in it. And I believe in being fit & healthy, which for everyone, is not living a 100% raw vegan or 100% vegan lifestyle. But that's a whole 'nother post. =)

Anyhoo, I'm excited! And once I reach my goal weight, I have other health plans. Like following a 21-day vegan diet plan. Carolyn Akens has a "Body Rejuvenation Detox Program" that I've been itching to try. I haven't spoken with her yet about following her program but I'd love to feature my progess & journey with it right here on this blog. I also plan on doing the "Healthforce Healing Cleanse" sometime in the new year.

Yep! I've got plans. I'm serious about taking the best care of this body which I've been given. I'm serious about taking care of me. Cause guess what?.... I'm worth it.
                                                                            ..............And so are you.

So Beautifuls... what are you doing for your health? For your body? For you?
You are so worth it!

Hey!! Maybe that's what I'll name this series.... "BECAUSE I AM WORTH IT". Let me know what you think of this title. I believe I'm gonna roll with it. =)



{{Hugs}},

Post Title → UPDATE ON MY "FILL-IN-THE-BLANK" JOURNEY

MY REDEDICATION(?) JOURNEY

I recently got back on my journey to healthier, more fit me. As I mentioned here , I've had to rededicate myself to my original desired lifestyle. Chronicling this specific journey here on this blog will be part of the changes that I mentioned before.

So let’s start with my basics. My goal was/is to lose 20lbs. So far, I’ve lost 8 of those lbs, which is *sings like Oprah* “AWESOOMMME!!” I’m almost down to the magic ten. Woo hoo!!


What have I been doing to get there?.....

Well, first off, I made up my mind to do this. Nothing can be done, started or achieved without first making that concrete decision to do it. From there, I went back to the super affordable, highly doable Arden’s Garden two-day detox. Cost around $30. Because I cannot fathom doing a detox without it, I added green juices to the mix. Did I finish? Yes. Did I slip? Yes. But got right back on the wagon & kept it moving without judgment.

After doing this detox, I had more of a handle on my eating habits. On top of mainly eating whole unprocessed/low-processed foods, I’m doing a lot of juices & shakes (Vega Sport). I’m taking advantage of my stash of Healthforce Nutritionals Vitamineral Green. Awesome green powder! And I’ve also been using a couple more of their products that I found at the check-out line in a Whole Foods store.

Aren’t they adorable?... I took these pics so you could see how little they are in comparison to the regular bottle of Vitamineral Green. Anyhoo. Their “Fruits of the Earth” and “Earth” are the other foods I’m trying. I really am liking them both and hope to purchase them (and more) full-size one day.


I’ve also been taking my ass to the gym (and working it out at home) on the regular. I pretty much workout Tues-Fri. Soon, I’ll end up adding a weekend day for jogging. Gotta prepare for the Peachtree Road Race, Beh-bay!


Unfortunately, I have yet to get some colonics in. Just not in my budget right now. Maybe, I’ll start a “Colon Collection ” or “Colonics Fund”. Haha!!


Oh, I almost forgot! I’ve also begun taking daily swigs of ACV in distilled water. You can read about Apple Cider Vinegar and its benefits here.
 
During this time, I’ve begun to feel really energized. The sinus infection that was wreaking havoc on me is nearly a distant memory. Also, in thanks to New Chapters “Sinus Take Care” herbal defense. So I'm really feeling awesomely well. =)
 
I plan on posting about this aspect of my journey each week. Haven’t settled on a concrete title just yet. One of my fav jams is Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack”, so it could be a variation of that song title something like “Bringing Sexy Back”, “Bringing Healthy Back” or something totally different. 
I dunno. I’m so undecided on that.
 
What do you think?......


What do you think?......

Post Title → MY REDEDICATION(?) JOURNEY

REDEDICATIONS

Due to yo-yo eating and inconsistent workouts, I’ve had to rededicate myself to consistent exercise & consistent healthy eating. One of my goals is to be in skinny jeans by Christmas. Yes, I said skinny jeans. Not that I’m big on them, it just gives me a nice goal to envision.

Anyhoo, I’m working (along w/a lil help from here and there) on a detox plan that will include colonics. Don’t know what a colonic is?.. Well, think of it as a major enema or just read {here}.  It’s been a few years since I’ve had one but I’m definitely not a stranger to them. I’ve already scheduled a colonic for next week so expect a post on it.I’m also paying really close attention to the ingredient listing on ALL products. Vegan included. *Carolyn Akens had warned me about that.* It’s amazing (and sad & unfortunate) how much crappy shit is in the majority of things sold. Since I’m still working out the details of my detox plan & eating habits, I’ll have to post on that later. Or it may turn out to be something that I sort of “wing” as I get retuned to listening to my body. Either way, I’ll be chronicling all of this, in some way, on the blog.

As far as my workouts are concerned, I’ve gone back to the gym and am working on my running (better yet jogging). I’m doing pretty good so far. And will continue to work on increasing my distance. I have an awesome goal. I’ll be returning to jog the Peachtree 2011 . This is my main motivation for working on my jogging endurance and time. It’s not until July 4th, so my plans are to be more than ready for it by then. What I’m even more excited about is the half-marathon that I’ll be participating in Thanksgiving Day morning. *I’m so stocked about it!* Wish me success!
I’ll definitely post on the experience.



Is there anything that you’ve had to rededicate yourself to lately?....

Post Title → REDEDICATIONS