In Colombia, salsa dancers Reynaldo Ojeda and Claudia Lopez have become a YouTube phenomenon--and an inspiration. Why? Reynaldo uses one leg and a crutch. Wowing crowds on rooftops and dance clubs and at school assemblies, Reynaldo muses, "I'm no longer that disabled person, but a living example of self-improvement." (courtesy KARMA TUBE)
I have to share some of the workouts I've had this week because they were great!
Monday, the bloody local gym was closed-which is really a pisser when you pay $240 for a 3 month membership and they are closed for holidays, closed on Sundays, closed for 3 hours in the afternoon, and closed until 9 on Tues, Thurs, and Saturday.
Soooooo-we went into the gym on Tuesday at 9 (totally throws the eating schedule off!)-and I still had a killer workout!
I did chest and shoulders...and I used Katies' SHOULDER SMASH routine as a base for the shoulder segment.
CHEST:
Flat Dumbbell press-12x3 sets
flat flys 12x3 sets
smith machine incline press
1x12 reps
1x10 reps
1x4 reps
1x3 reps
(I was obviously increasing the weight on each set)
SHOULDERS:
(LOVE THIS TRIPLE SET!)-I used 2k dumbbells
Front dumbbell raises x 10 each arm-hold other arm straight out to side whole time!
Lateral raises x10
bent over lateral raises x10
I did 4 sets waiting about 30 seconds in between each full set
Then Arnolds-12 reps 3 times
Did legs on Wednesday-but it wasn't really the order or exercises I had planned since 2 guys that talk worse than to old ladies were sitting on machines I wanted and I had to totally do other stuff and didn't write it down-(sorry, had to have a whinge about the lack equipment since we pay soooo much at our gym!)
So- today
BACK, BIS & TRIS
light pull downs for warm up
then
PULL UPS-8 (+ 2 assisted), 6 (+ 2 assisted), and 4 (+2 assisted)
GETTING THERE FOLKS!
then did some T-rows 3x12
straight arm cable pull downs 3x12
and Bis=
I was going to do 3 sets of 21's-but ended up putting a tad too much weight on so did 4 sets of 12's (4 of each-with the curl bar-half curl up, then half curl down then 4 full curls)
Then on to incline dumbbell curls
and some tris
Jogged a bit on the treadie and stretched
A good workout!
Many of you have read Puline Nordin's Rant about people complaining that it's just too hard to lose weight and too hard to pass on the "yummy" (crappy processed) food……and I have to say I pretty much agree with her rant! Many of us who generally eat well and exercise or workout regularly get lots of questions of how to lose weight and we say eat lots of veg & protein etc, and of course get regular exercise; Then the excuses roll in, and if you’re like me you just get a bit fed up.
First off, this info is not new nor is it secret-IT’S EVERYWHERE! Turn on the TV, pick up a magazine, do a web search “healthy weight loss” and you get almost 2 million sites! And the first page is full of actual real tips and advice rather than fads and pills (believe it or not!). Not to mention aaaaallll the bloggers out there (myself included) constantly putting out our food and exercise plans. The information is out there people.
I recently was giving some advice to someone and I had to ask “why do YOU want to inhibit YOUR OWN ability to lose weight by eating crap?” Of course, the answer is in the question-YOU. You are the only one who puts food into your mouth; you are the one making the CHOICE to put certain foods into your mouth. I’m sorry, that’s the fact, it’s up to YOU.
“But I can’t control it”….WHAT?! Do you have Prader-Willi Syndrome (a genetic disorder characterized by food preoccupations, as well as small stature and learning difficulties and is associated with an extreme and insatiable appetite, often resulting in morbid obesity)? I doubt it. I’m sure there a few (very few) people that are obese or overweight because of very real genetic disorders or medications...but I’m guessing about 90% of the overweight people are simply eating too much crap and not exercising.
“But the kids want McDonalds” WHAT?! I’m sorry, YOU are the parent-but maybe you shouldn’t be if you cannot tell your kids no.
“I just don’t know what to eat” WHAT?!!! Once again-this information is out there-it’s everywhere and it’s just not hard.
EAT REAL FOOD, GET RID OF THE PROCESSED CRAP, AND EXERCISE.
It's not rocket science.
I'm out.
HEALTHY CHICKEN WRAPS
1 slice mountain bread
1 tbs avocado mashed w/
1 tsp plain yogurt
1/4 cup diced cooked chicken
3 long slices cucumber
3 long slices of capsicum
handful of baby spinach leaves
3 thin slices of tomato
1 tbs sliced kalamatta olives
1 tbs crumbled reduced fat feta
cals-221,carbs 18g AND WITH ONLY 7 GRAMS OF FAT! Mountain Bread brand comes in a multitude of varieties including wheat free & dairy free and Freedom Foods has gluten free, dairy free, soy free & wheat free.
Perfect for a hot summer night!
You may have noticed on my side-bar, I am now offering glucosamine and fish oil at a significantly reduced price! Hubby and I have been distributors for quite a while, and thought why not offer this low price to my blog friends!
We have used glucosamine products for a few years now and I can firmly attest that this stuff is great for achy joints. I had knee problems for years and after taking this consistently for at least 3 years now-my knee problem is pretty much non-detectable! Even while attempting the one legged squat for the first time-my knees totally stood up to the test.
We have also used fish for quite some time now as well. Studies have shown fish oil can improve your mood, aid in the control of asthma, assist in reducing pain and inflammation, assist with your cardiovascular health, protect from stroke, assist with better brain function, assist in the prevention of breast colon & prostate cancer and more!
And this is 100% fish oil-nothing else added!
Glucosamine tabs are 100mg, 200 caps $39 (Woolies was asking $49.95)
Fish oil 1000mg, 400 caps $29.99 (Woolies was asking $35.95)
All prices include shipping!
So go on and order some up….If you try and it doesn’t seem to work-pop me an e-mail-I’m new at Pay-Pal selling!
After leaving a blog comment about how much we gals love DOMS, I started thinking about all of the blogs I’ve read and written paying homage to the dreaded & loved DOMS. This lead me to start thinking about OTHER people. You know-people that have no interest in working out or simply do it because they know they should and people that think gals that workout HARD, with real weights, shooting for DOMS, are a different breed. These people do not have the love/hate relationship w/DOMS, or fitness in general that we (that secret strange sect of women) all share. And in that shared love-we all have the appreciation and respect of each other! It’s this common thread that brings us all together.
Then I read earlier this week a post by “muslfettish” on her Divatude blog (a must read for those who admire and strive for that fit “figure” physique). The blog talks about those “other” people who scoff at women that workout hard and maintain fit, muscular bods; because the women of these “other” people just want to “tone up a bit”-not be muscular, and the men of these “other” people just think it’s not right for women to be muscular.
And this all brings me to today’s title “Are we a strange brew?”
I THINK NOT!
What on earth is strange about wanting to sculpt a beautiful body? What is strange about pushing yourself through physical challenges of endurance & strength? What is strange about wanting to be healthier and stronger at 40 or 50 than that neighbour chick who at 25 can’t even pick up a 20K bag of dog food let alone bench press her own body weight?!
I love the end of the Divatude blog “You don't want to look like me you say?...congrats, keep doing what your doing and I'll keep doing what I'm doing cause I don't want to look like you either.”
I recall Katie’s anthem to the Women Warriors and the phrase “we continue to fight to transform our past selves into better, stronger, indestructible versions of ourselves.” and I think, yep that’s what we are doing…nothing wrong with that!
SUNDAY STATS!
So, for my own ongoing maintenance-here is where I’m at -Weight is 53.9 (118lbs)-I'm total PMS bloat right now though.
On with my skin folds.
Tri-7
Sub-6.5
Supra-20
Abs-20
Thigh-16
Body fat= 19%
So I’m up-but my abs are showing so, again, I know it’s just water. The mirror speaks louder than the numbers!
No computer tomorrow! See ya’ for Tasty Tuesday!
If you're trying to achieve, there will be road blocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” —Michael Jordan (b. 1963), retired professional basketball player, businessman
Well, I gotta tell you, I’ve encountered an obstacle this week, so this is the advice I’m following right now-working through the obstacle. I won’t go into the gory details and bore you to death….but just remember-WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!
Oh-super-wide grip lat pull downs yesterday…worked up to my final 2 sets of 45k (99lbs) for 5 reps –so I should be able to tackle those pull-ups again next week! Shooting for at least one set of 8 unassisted people! I know I can do it- I KNOW IT!!!
So-getting through obstacles and shooting for physical challenges-that's what I'm doing. How about you? What obstacles are you climbing over; what challenge have you set for yourself this week? You can get through it all- it whatever it is!
Hey kids! Been training hard? Hope so!
Well, since I'm going to be 42 this year, and they say women should start getting mammograms at 40,I am about to schedule myself my first one. We all know the importance of mammogram, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death-and early detection would be a key factor in recovery.
Now, this is a scary venture for most woman because, well-it hurts! But I am almost petrified due to the fact that I have breast implants.
I have done a little research and found this blurb...
Mammograms require breast compression, which could contribute to implant rupture. According to the FDA adverse event database, there were 41 reported cases of breast implant rupture during mammograms, reported between 1992 and 2002. An additional 17 cases of breast implant rupture during mammograms were reported in the medical literature. RUPTURED?! That's scary!
I did also read that the implants can interfere with the reading...I kind of figured that-but the rupture thing has got me quite worried. My implants have been in for quite a long time too-I wonder if that would make them even more vulnerable? I am also aware that most experts will say that the benefits of mammography in the early detection of breast cancer outweigh this risk of rupture.
In light of all of this-I will still go through with scheduling the mammogram, after all there is more to being healthy than eating right and working out-like getting regular exams! But, I would really love to hear from anyone out there that has implants and has had a mammogram-or knows of someone who has.
Any feedback would be most appreciated!!
Cheers mates!
I saw a comment the other day (I think it was by ESSIE?) about her boyfriend asking why she needed to train with weights to lose weight…why can’t she just do cardio?
WELL…ladies….First off-there is no way of coming close to Valerie up there without it!-LOL But-if you have a significant other, or family or anyone in your life questioning why you need weights….Here is what you tell them…
Strength training increases the amount of lean muscle mass in your body, and lean muscle mass requires more calories to be burned both during exercise and throughout the rest of your day.
Lean muscle mass cannot be maintained or increased with aerobic training alone. Without strength training, an adult will lose approximately 1% of their muscle mass per year after the age of 30. Here's an example. If you're 50 years old and you've lost 20% of your muscle mass, you might be expending 200 calories less per day. So even with aerobic exercise and a moderate diet, if you're not strength training you will have gained weight and/or fat. The bottom line with muscles is "you've got to use them or lose them." Increase muscle and you'll burn more calories naturally, 24 hours a day. This will help you lose fat and maintain your desired weight.
I had the above quote in my file-so I’m not actually sure where it came from-but it is basic knowledge put into easy to understand words.
MUSCLE BURNS FAT PEOPLE!
Awesome leg workout today-did a PB on leg press...
after a bit of warming up I put 160K (353lbs) onto the machine and did 2 sets of 3 reps
Now add on the approximate weight of the sled at our gym- roughly 50k (100lbs)...and BOOYA!
I'm pretty happy with that!
Challenge and variety-the key to workouts that work! Are you shaking things up a bit-pushing yourself to your limits? I HOPE SO!!
Cheers all!
Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”
William Faulkner
Well, yesterday was chest & shoulders….very good workout-Didn’t break any record for my PB..but still, it was the best PB I’ve had in about 8 months.
Last February I was able to do a one rep max of 57k (125lbs)…yesterday I did a one rep max of only 52k (114lbs). So, I now have another goal for 2009-to get a one rep max of 60k (132lbs)! And to do that at my goat weight of 52.5k (115 lbs).
Now, I know I’m motivated-and I just increased my motivation by adding another reachable goal. How about you? Are you still motivated to achieve the goals you set out for the new year? Whatever you do-do not tell yourself you’re not motivated!!! I recently read an article about tips for maintaining motivation and this is the number one thing not to do. By being negative and telling yourself you’re not motivated-you are in fact setting yourself up for failure.
If you start to hear yourself saying the words “I’m not motivated” –take a minute to remember what had motivated you in the first place. If you had desire to lose weight four weeks ago-did that desire to lose weight disappear? Most likely not-so basically that is still your motivation.
Unless you truly do not want to lose weight, (or get more fit, or stop smoking)-then you are in fact still motivated! So just take the phrase “I’m not motivated” out of your vocabulary!
On to TASTY TUESDAY’s recipe….
Gnocchi , spinach & turnip salad
1 Turnip-chopped
¼ cup leek-chopped
4 large mushrooms-chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
drizzle of olive oil
1 package potato gnocchi
2 cups baby spinach-roughly chopped
sauce-
1 avocado
2 tbs yogurt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs of flax oil
Sauté turnip and leek in pan for about 5 minutes, add mushroom and garlic & olive oil-for about 5 more minutes-set aside.
Cook gnocchi in water til done –drain and leave to cool slightly.
Chop spinach and place in a large serving dish.
Mash up avocado and mix with yogurt, lemon & flax.
Toss turnip mix with spinach, add in gnocchi, then avocado sauce and serve.
Approx 248 cals and 11.3 grams of fat per serve. (and that is from the avocado and flax-both healthy fats!)
I served with some Moroccan seasoned chicken
So-This weekend marks one month since I started taking my stats weekly…here is where I was on Sunday December 28, 2008
Tri-7
Sub-7
Supra-20
Abs-23
Thigh-16
=19.04% body fat
Weight 54.5K
Here is where I am at today..
Tri-8
Sub-7
Supra-19
Abs-20
Thigh-15
=18.68% body fat
Weight 53.8K
Not a whole heck of a lot of change…but now I’m ready to do a bit of a revamp on my eating-and step up the cardio a bit. I was supposed to start doing afternoon cardio on weight days (by my own rules), and I have put that off. So-starting this week-do a 25 minute walk/jog session M, W, & F afternoons. My food; need to cut my portions down a tad at brekki and lunch-and add a small protein snack/meal in between-just like when I was prepping for comp last year. So this will make 6 meals instead of the 5 I’ve been doing.
And this weeks weight training will be a week of max outs! Bench press tomorrow and I haven’t gone heavy in a while-so we’ll see! Then I’ll go for a heavy leg press on Wednesday, and may tackle pull-ups on Friday –onward troops!
Have you been challenging yourselves? Done any PB’s lately-have you even tried? WHY NOT? Get out there and go for fitness gold!!
Tomorrow is my Monday madness of no computer-so I’ll be back for Tasty Tuesday-and to hear all about your PB’s!
Had an absolutely brilliant leg workout today and I am feeling on top of the world! First thing this morning before I got out of bed I smiled to myself and said this is going to be a great day! And wow- Just slammed legs!
Warmed up with light extensions and seated leg curls.
Went straight to the hack squat machine for 3 sets of 12- Had not done these in a while but was inspired by LIA'S leg workout the other day-Thanks LIA!
I then attempted for the first time the one legged squat-without the weight...and let me tell you THESE ARE WONDERFULLY HARD! I can't wait to try them again. I couldn't even get down as far as that guy in the video and that was without weight! I did 2 sets of 5 on each leg-I WILL CONQUER THESE-WooHoo!
Then did 3 sets of 12 on leg press, 3 sets of 12 on the butt kick back machine, 3 sets of 12 standing dumbbell dead lifts, 3 sets of 12 on leg extensions, then 3 sets of 12 on the lying leg curl. Finished off with 20 minutes on the recumbent....I don't like to jog on leg day-no sense in over-fatiguing the legs!
I feel awesome-and yes, just like LIZ blogged recently, I am walking taller!
How do you feel kids? Have you had any awesome workouts lately? If so, you probably feel like me-over the moon! If not, try to start your day with a big 'ol smile on your face-it really helps!
I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk. --Tony Robbins
Have a great weekend!
It’s no wonder people are confused about healthy eating when every time you turn around, established diet books and groups are re-inventing themselves to sell copies & win converts.
One day you’ve got the “South Beach Diet” pushing a low-carb regime and the next day they espouse the Mediterranean way which includes lots of carb rich fruits and vegetables. “Atkins” the well known no carb advocate is suddenly emphasizing “good carbs” too! “Weight Watchers”, for years championed the point system and now offers the ‘no-counting’ option….confused? Who wouldn’t be?
There are, though, four things that each “diet” acknowledges as basic rules to healthy eating. Hold on to your seats kids-these are shockers!
-Consume carbs in the form of whole grains and fiber
-Avoid trans fats and saturated fats
-Eat lean protein
-Fill up on fruits and vegetables
Amazing stuff-right? Well, to those of us who generally follow a healthy lifestyle-these are in fact very basic rules. You can call it anything you want-it’s simply eating right!
I say forget the “diets”…It’s got to be a lifestyle shift; changing the mind set to make healthier choices. Eating with moderation in mind, not deprivation; eat in a way you can live with!
Not quite so impressive today :-(
Since we didn't make it to the gym Monday-I did back, bis and tris today; I did 3 sets of pull-ups but only got 5, then 6 then 5 all unassisted-but I was planning to do 3 sets of 7-I will blame it on not getting a good nights sleep a couple of nights in a row and shoot for my 3 of 7 the week after next. Good to mix it up and not do the same thing each time ya' know!
“Try and fail, but don't fail to try.”
Stephen Kaggwa
I'll just keep trying!
I'm off to the vets now-baby needs a check up!
Have a good one!
Or is it just me?
TOTALLY NOT FITNESS RELATED-JUST A HUMAN RANT!
So, I'm in a nationally franchised shop (big name people), and I hand my item to the gal behind the counter, she rings it up, tells me the price then TAPS HER FINGERS ON THE COUNTER while I dig for my money. HMMMMMMMMM!
Maybe she was just showin' off her past due nail job...I don't know-but to me this is rude.
Don't even think I speeded up my diggin' peeps! That s**t slows this bitch down!
What do you think? Am I just an over-reacting 40 something or is this RUDE?
This was our only road in and out of the property-and it rained for about 6 hours more after this pic was taken. This meant no gym :-( ....and no anything yesterday-it was way to muddy to even walk; so, just did some stretching, push-ups & sit ups for exercise-aside from running around shutting windows and drying stuff off -the wind really tossed the rain sideways!
However, I still refrained from the computer-pat me on the back! :o) Instead, got caught up on a stack of magazines I'd been slack on, and finished the book I was reading-
He's not the greatest writer-but what an amazing story...he survived cancer twice in his teens, then went on to climb Mt. Everest-with less than two lungs! Just shows that you really can accomplish anything if you just focus and put your mind to it!
I haven't forgotten TASTY TUESDAY!
Today is a very low fat and healthy dish....Spinach, rice & feta
3 cups spinach
1.5 cups mushroom (I used the Swiss brown type)
1/4 cup leek
1 cup veg broth
1 cup water
2 tbl garlic -minced
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup reduced fat feta
1 cup brown rice
Bring rice, broth & water to boil, simmer covered until liquid is absorbed. In large skillet, saute garlic, leek, mushroom for about 5 minutes, add spinach, lemon juice,oregano, rice and cheese-toss until spinach is just wilted.
I served with a mackerel cutlet and some sliced tomato....
approx 277 cals and 5.3 g fat per serve.
Well, the blue skies are showing through the clouds today-wouldn't even know it was raining all day yesterday just looking out the window!
And my weight is down in the 53's woohoo!! Should be an awesome day!
Cheers all!
This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy. --Susan Polis Schutz
It’s Sunday already?! It rolls around fast these days!
This week is going to be kick booty! Tomorrow is back, bis & tris-and I’m shooting for 3 sets of 7 unassisted pull-ups. In the past- I think I have done one set of 7 unassisted an then the second and third sets of about 5 or 6…so 3 of 7 this week!
Are you challenging yourself? Pushing yourself past previous records? I hope so!
Sunday stats-first are my skinfolds and weight from 2 weeks ago
28 December, 2008
Tri-7
Sub-7
Supra-20
Abs-23
Thigh-16
=19.04% body fat
Weight 54.5
And today…11 November, 2009
Tri-7
Sub-7
Supra-19
Abs-19
Thigh-15
=18.33% body fat
Weight 54.1
Nice and slow-the slow chisel… hehehe
We watched the movie ROGUE last night-dumb story-but visually stunning! It was worth it just for that –the first 45 minutes just had spectacular footage of the Northern Territory-really fabulous!
Tomorrow is my "Monday Madness" of no computer-so see ya' Tuesday!
Onward troops!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”
—Pamela Vaull Starr
Hey kids! Well, we are 9 days into the New Year...Have you stuck to your new healthy goals so far? Since about 30% of all resolutions are usually broken in the first week of new years-if you've made it to day 9, PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK! And keep going!
How am I doing? Well, I never have a problem with going to the gym-but I did take it very easy after a 10 day break. Ended up a little sore in the legs, and didn't go heavy on anything. So, next week will be the real deal-pull ups, max bench press, hack squats-the stuff real muscle is made of! And-I'm going to start working on those one legged squats I learned about from KELLY O of AIM HIGH. I'm looking forward to those-but I can already tell my knees are thinking something else-LOL! Got to give em a go anyway! That's what it's all about, trying new stuff, mixing it up-give those muscles some change; a new move, a different angle-it's all GOOOOOOOD!
We are having lots of rain here-a tropical low is looming just north of us-and since I'm on satellite internet-may not be able to blog or read as many blogs over the weekend. I'll try though-as Sunday is Stat Update.
Have a great weekend-2009 CLEAN, LEAN & MEAN!!! WooHoo!
We all know that we are supposed to drink heaps of water whilst trying to lose weight and get fit-but generally, we never hear why. Well, I saw an article in a magazine this month, and did a little more research into it. It’s quite simple really.
Basically, it all comes down to the liver & kidney functions. If the kidneys are water deprived, they can’t function properly. In this case the liver has to take over the job of the kidneys-and then isn’t able to do it’s primary functions very well. One of those functions is converting stored body fat to energy. If the liver doesn’t convert that stored fat into energy, it just sits there!
If everything is working properly, you end up with Ketones, a natural byproduct of fat burning; they are flushed out of the body through urine. Drinking water helps to flush them out, thereby improving the fat burning process. Also, if you are following the advice of most bodybuilders, figure competitors, coaches etc-you are eating more protein in order to build muscle; one of the chief byproducts of protein metabolism is urea (an unwanted waste prodcuct). Water helps to flush this out too!
Besides not metabolizing fat, without water, your body isn’t digesting food as efficiently, your heart may be overworked, and on a hot day, there is danger of heat stroke. Since water is lost throughout the day by body functions and sweating, it must be replenished.
Another reason water is important, dehydration can signal your body to eat because breaking down food releases water. Don't be fooled when really your body is asking for water! This happens allot at night-I do believe it’s a cause of the dreaded “midnight munchies”! Personally, I keep water by the bed and sip anytime I wake up during the night.
My research also uncovered this important fact about why we need water for fat loss-especially when we are trying to build muscle; dehydration stimulates muscle destroying hormones-pretty much defying the whole point of working out!
So, I say DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!
The minimum recommended amount is 6 glasses a day. Personally, I drink about 3 or 4 liters a day and most coaches and trainers will probably agree that that’s a better goal.
“But how can I fit that much water into my day?”
Here are a few tips:
-Start off the day with a big glass of water right when you get up.
-Carry it with you wherever you go.
-Drink large amounts while working out and taking your supplements-makes the supps go down easier too!
-Maybe try a few glasses with a slice of lemon or lime
-I remember reading in Tosca Reno’s book “The Eat-Clean Diet”-that she starts each day by filling 4 bottles of water that way when she’s done with each one, she knows how much she has consumed.
So, what are you waiting for? Go get that glass of water and drink! For more information about how water can help you with weight loss check this site out...Drink
Water to Lose Weight
Have a great day!
“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” —Zig Ziglar (b. 1926), motivational author, speaker
G’Day Troops! I don’t dare ever say that out loud, because even though we have lived in Aus for almost 12 years and are Aussie citizens, I have never lost my very American accent-and that phrase just does not sound right coming out of my mouth-LOL! So, at least I can say it here!
Well, I survived my Monday Madness of no computer-it’s a difficult goal to stick to…I felt some withdrawal symptoms for sure-but made it through! And yesterday was the first day back at the gym after the 10 day closure. Went well-didn’t go too hard because I wanted to be able to get out of bed this morning ;-) and I did! I did not do pull-ups-I will put those off until next week…like I said-didn’t want to over do it.
I’m glad everyone like John’s article Sunday. He really is a good writer, and I will try to get him to put something on at least once a month.
Today we start our weekly feature of “Tasty Tuesday” were I will put up my healthy recipe of the week. I will try to include calorie & fat counts as often as possible.
First dish is a turkey veg mix
1 pack of mince turkey
2 med size tomatoes
1 med size zucchini
Fettuccine noodles (mixed veg type)-enough to get about 300g cooked
1-2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbls toasted pine nuts
handful fresh roughly chopped basil
Cook pasta. Sate zucchini for a few minutes until tender. Remove and cook turkey. Throw in tomato and zucchini, toss until tomato is warm. Add pasta, then basil then vinegar and toasted pine nuts last.
Add salt and pepper to taste-but not too much salt!
Rough counts…based on about 80 grams of meat and 80 grams of pasta per serving….
Cals- 351
Fat- 14.6g
Carbs- 26.3g
Now you can reduce the fat a bit by getting rid of the pine nuts..but this is a healthy fat-so I wouldn’t worry about it.
Well, back at it folks...are you sticking to your New year's goals? Are you back at the gym and eating healthy? I hope so! Keep on chugging people...this is just the beginning! I will leave you with one of my fave fit chicks Rosa Marie Romero-Just check out how hard her muscles are-look at those abs-that's a pic that definitely makes me want to work even harder at the gym-hope it works for you too! 
Hey campers! Having a good weekend? Sticking to those New Year goals? Hope so! Well, Sunday is stat day so here they are….
Weight-54.5 (no change there)
Skinfolds-
Tri-7
Sub-8
Supra-16
Abs-22
Thigh-16
Bodyfat=%17.61
I didn’t expect much change as this week just did cardio and stuck to my eating plan. Tomorrow will be the first day back at the gym-woohoo! As some may recall, our local gym was closed for 10 days over the hols, so we had a forced break. I’m sure my body appreciates it-but I’m feeling a bit mushy. I could have done some strength exercises here at home like push-ups, dips, crunches, and use the band…but I feel my body did need the break since I hadn’t taken more than a day off from training in the last year. So tomorrow-back, bis and tris-yeah! Well, see how I go with pull-ups!
Starting Tuesday, I’ll be doing a weekly healthy recipe of the week-Tasty Tuesday’s!
Tomorrow, is Monday-which means (according to my own New Year Goals)-no computer! That’s right folks, a full day without turning the computer on. Now-this is easy when I’m out sailing, or visiting family & friends in the states-or the internet just doesn’t work. But none of the above are in action here-so wish me luck!
Last, but certainly not least-I have hubby for a guest blogger-woohoo! He has written several articles for 'Australian Yoga Life' magazine and has been kind enough to share some of his thoughts on balance and New Year’s goals-so without further ado…I present my hubby-John…!
LET’S GET REAL: MAKING PRAGMATIC RESOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY AND BALANCED 2009.
With the New Year upon us, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a moment to reflect on what it means to make realistic New Year’s resolutions and set sensible goals for living a balanced life. But just what is a balanced life anyway. Balance is defined as “an influence or force tending to produce a state of equilibrium”, or “to be in and to maintain a state of equilibrium”. Based upon this definition, I think most of us would agree that our own lives are out of kilter in one way or another. But why is maintaining some semblance of balance in our daily lives such an important thing? One reason is that without a sense of balance and stability we tend to fail to achieve our goals and objectives; which, for our purposes today, are our new year’s resolutions. This being the case, it seems elementary that we should understand that a critical part of being a balanced person is to set balanced and practical goals and resolutions for ourselves. Notwithstanding this, invariably we tend to neglect this fundamental precept, in favor of setting impractical, and often literally unachievable objectives for ourselves. By doing this, we set ourselves up for failure and all of its attendant consequences such as frustration, self doubt, and the low self esteem that can follow.
A recent article I read involving the current financial crisis beautifully illustrates this point. In this case, it seems that thousands of customers of a large financial advisory firm had lost nearly all of there nest eggs because they had been encouraged to borrow money to invest in the stock market in a process known as margin lending. The goal here was to greatly accelerate and increase ones investment returns, by leveraging ones own money. Unfortunately, all those who tried this approach failed in their efforts and came to ruin. The reason for this can be summed up in just two words; “unrealistic expectations”. Had these people applied the tried and true evenhanded methodology of investing over a wide range of asset classes (often offered in products referred to as “balanced funds”), and done so with there own as opposed to borrowed money, they would not be suffering now.
This same principle applies to the diet and fitness goals and resolutions we set for ourselves. In making these resolutions let’s be to sure to take the balanced approach. First, we have to look at just what it is that we ourselves have to work with. A case in point here is when many years ago as a competitive body builder, I made a new years resolution that I would put a couple of inches of girth on, and have twenty inch calves by the end of the year. For myself, this was an unbalanced and literally irrational objective as at the time I had been already been training for many years, and probably had already realized at least ninety percent of my already limited genetic potential. Nonetheless, I determined that I could and would achieve this aim, and that it was simply a case of mind over matter. Never mind that what science tells us about muscle fibers, and my having a limited number of calf muscle cells to begin with! Anyway, I soldiered on doing seated calf raises with a couple of hundred pounds, as well as countless sets of donkey calf raises with two of the biggest guys in the gym on my back. Needless to say, I failed to reach my aim.
About twenty years later, when I was in my mid forties and living a more balanced lifestyle in many ways, I began to supplement my more than twenty years of weight training with activities such as yoga to gain more flexibility etc.. After several years of practice, and seeing dramatic improvements in this area, I was reading an article in a Yoga magazine written by a man in his late forties who was giving training tips on how to do the front splits. Moreover, he was actually demonstrating the posture in near perfect form! Well it just so happened that I had been working on this very move for some time, and had recently made to the point where I could reach almost reach the bolster. Of course, the first thing that crossed my mind was that if this guy could do it at fifty so could I, never mind that he was a former dancer! Anyway, my irrational side nearly set about making a new years resolution to achieve the full posture. Luckily, the older and now wiser side (although the juries still out on this one) of me piped in and I decided that instead I’d resolve to do my very best to get by bum down to the bolster by the end of the year and then take it from there. To make a long story short, I continued to make levelheaded incremental goals every year, and now nearly five years later (I’ll be fifty next year) I can actually do the full splits
The point is that in setting our diet and training goals, we have to take the balanced approach and realize that it is a combination of factors that we’re working with including both the physiological and psychological. The physiological include things like genetic potential (I can’t borrow any more calf muscle fibers), diet and training etc., The psychological include things such as attitude, emotion, discipline and self control, as well as rational and commonsensical thinking. It is this type of thinking that is essential when making resolutions or setting specific goals which themselves are factors of critical importance in achieving our objectives. But to be of benefit, these goals must be realistically achievable, and this may mean that they’re set for attaining incremental stages along a much longer progression.
Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, we must always keep in mind that so long as we are one hundred percent certain that we have given the very best of our physical and mental capabilities in our effort to achieve whatever our purpose may be, then we have succeeded. As my mother use to put it “just always do your best, to be your best”. If we can honestly do this, then we have succeeded no matter what the outcome, but only if we can really and truly know in our heart of hearts that we have given the very best of ourselves to ourselves. Unfortunately, this is where so many of us fall short, and we know it! This year, let’s all resolve to formulate realistic and rational resolutions for ourselves, and be one of those who at years end can take an honest, sincere and lucid look into themselves and say “I gave it my all”, “I did my best”. If we can do this, then we’re sure to come out winners, most of which who have either achieved or surpassed the precise purpose of their aspiration or resolution, and who can also proudly say “and I did it”!
Hey kids!
I saw a clip last night on A Current Affair about this wonderful 99 year old woman who actually throws a shot put and bench presses!!! I found this article in "The Northern Territory News" and had to share-99 people!!
Masters champ fighting fit at 99
WHAT does your average great grandma in her 90s want for her birthday?
In the case of former Territorian Ruth Frith, a home gym to keep up to scratch with her hammer throw and shot put.
Ms Frith is a marvel at 99, a Masters athlete who refuses to act her age.
Grant Hackett has just retired as a swimming oldie of 28.
Now living in Brisbane, this great grandmother of 11 has already enlisted for the World Masters Games which will draw an estimated 25,000 competitors to Sydney in October next year.
She is literally in a league of her own in the women's 95-99 age category in which her best throws for the discus (9.85m), hammer (11.37m) and shot put (4.72m) are all world bests.
"I hold five world records but, let's be honest, I'm the only competitor in my age group," she says with a smile.
"I'm the oldest competing in the world. You have to aim high ... I look at what those in their 80s are throwing and try to beat them.
"Honestly, I don't know what is so magical about being 99. It's just two numbers on a piece of paper and I'm still the same freckle-faced redhead I was at 98."
Ms Frith -whose late husband Raymond was a civil engineer involved in the rebuilding of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy - trains each Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. "My daughter asked me what I wanted for my 96th birthday. I said 'some weights' so I've got this wonderful home set-up where I can do my exercises," Ms Frith said. "I just love the training. It's never a bore."
To what does Ms Frith credit her vitality?
"In my era, kids lived a totally different life," she said. "There was no junk food and I think it's the foundation set as a little kid.
"Of course, I love the athletics. That's it."
Ms Frith has never smoked or had a drink since an early sip of beer in her youth convinced her "it tasted like bad vinegar".
RUTH IS MY HERO! IF THIS DOESN'T GET YOU UP OFF YOUR BUM NOTHING WILL!
NO MORE EXCUSES PEOPLE! SHE'S 99!!!
Have a great weekend!
Quote for the New Year...
“The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions.”
—William F. Scolavino
Cheers All!!!
