A Skinny State of Mind

Remembering my First Half Marathon

2016-03-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

This morning a friend of mine commented on a picture I posted when I completed my first Half Marathon in October 26^th and asked me to do it again. I was immediately flooded with fantastic memories of the anticipation, the training it took to get there but most importantly that feeling of accomplishment I had when I finished.

I am not planning on doing another Half Marathon but I won’t say it will not happen. I will however, always continue to fight obesity and Diabetes with all I have and I will never give up.

What this Half Marathon signifies to me is not related to how fast or slow I finished or who I was ahead of but rather to the fact that I accomplished something that I never in my wildest dreams thought I could do. I set a goal, I trained hard and I killed it!

I know you may be sitting there thinking how you could never even do a 5K let alone a Half Marathon but the truth of the matter is that you can do so much more than that liar in your head tells you. I encourage you to begin by setting small fitness goals, crushing them and moving on to the next one. This is what keeps you going, what keeps you healthy and most importantly what gives you your life back. Remember, fitness is not a temporary fix, it is a permanent change that affects every aspect of your life for the better; your mood, your stamina, your energy levels and your health in general.

I have set a new goal to do a 15K in September, which means I have to train for it and that is what keeps me healthy. Set a goal, kill it then set another goal and repeat, your life is worth it.

Let’s go!!

So You Don’t Have Diabetes Anymore?

2015-07-17T18:13:00.000-04:00

Hello my friends, as you all should know by now I am a diabetic and was diagnosed about 4 years ago. This diagnosis changed my life in so many ways and although I dislike the fact that I have it, I take a lot of pride in saying that I am not dependent on medicine or insulin to control it.

Now lets get down to the title of this post, the famous question “So you don’t have Diabetes anymore?”. The first time I heard the question a while back, I immediately responded with “there is no cure for Diabetes”. However, after that immediate response I began to question myself as to the accuracy of my answer so I went to my friend Google and typed in “Is there a cure for Diabetes?”. After reviewing a few websites I was confident that my response was accurate.

Fast forward to last Friday when the question was asked again by a coworker who is a diabetic. He proceeded to tell me that he was not told by his doctor that there was no cure and he nonchalantly explained that he just doesn’t take his medication and does not really eat healthy. At that moment I pictured myself walking over to this man, shaking him and telling to snap out of it and yelling at him but of course I could not do that. I felt so sad for him and thought of the consequences of his actions.

I invited him to workout with The Dukes, the group I workout with but he politely declined. You have no idea just how dumbfounded I was to hear this. My doctor was very clear with me when he gave me my diagnosis, in fact his delivery was short of a slap in the face. My doctor told me that if I wasn’t as fat as I was I could have delayed my diagnosis and now I have this disease for the rest of my life. And yes he really did say that and although rude, I could not find it in me to be angry at him because he was right. I was unable to counter on that statement because it was the plain and very ugly truth.

This question got me to thinking just how many people actually believe that there is a cure for Diabetes and don’t truly understand the severity of the disease. Therefore, I am writing this post to shed some light on the subject in case you are also mistaken.

Let me briefly go over Type 1 Diabetes first which was formerly called Juvenile Diabetes and it occurs when your immune system destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar into your body so that it can be used for energy. Without this your body is not able to function the way it is designed so people with this type of diabetes are insulin dependent. This type mostly starts before the age of 20 but it can also start at any age.

Type 2 Diabetes, the type I unfortunately have is the body’s inability produce enough insulin or is unable to use it as it should. The glucose then builds up in the blood and it in turn causes other complications in your body. There are many risks associated with the effects of Diabetes such as stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure and many more.

With a healthy lifestyle, you are able to prolong the effects that this terrible disease has on your body without the need for medication. However, please always consult your doctor before you stop using any medications because every situation is different.

So to answer that question, no Diabetes does not just go away even if you live a healthy lifestyle. However, a healthy lifestyle enables you to live a somewhat normal life while suffering from Diabetes. I encourage you to get moving and pay attention to what you eat if you are a diabetic and if you are not then start now so that you don’t have to suffer later.

In my opinion, the best way to deal with diabetes is by putting your gloves on and fighting it by educating yourself in how it affects your body.

How do you fight Diabetes?

Pesto Tilapia

2015-06-30T18:05:00.000-04:00

Hi guys, I want to apologize for my lack of posts lately, I have been really busy and trying to do too much without a schedule resulting in total chaos. I am working on scheduling myself a bit better beginning next week so that I can resume posting at least twice a week.

So this recipe came out of desperation because I did not know what to make for dinner. I normally like to cook colorful foods in order to attract the eyes to healthy goodness however, this dish looks pretty dull with all the green so I would suggest sauteed carrots instead for a pop of color. However, having said that this fish is delicious, I could not get enough of it.

The recipe is very simple and you are done in less than an hour.

3 tablespoon of pesto
3 tsp of lemon juice
3 tsp light mayo or olive oil
3 tilapia filets
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pump that oven on to 350 degrees and spray a baking pan with non stick spray. Whisk together the pesto, lemon juice and mayo or olive oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and coat the fish with marinade on both sides and bake for 20 minutes, turn and bake for additional 10 minutes and devour. That is all! I know, I told you it was simple now go make it!

Sausage and Peppers

2015-06-22T21:15:00.001-04:00

I have made this recipe several times before with pork sausage and my very picky husband does not like it. I decided to try it out one more time with my fingers crossed to see if he would like it and voila, it was a hit!

Sausage and Peppers

6 Sweet Italian Turkey Sausages

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ of a Hillshire Farms smoked Turkey Sausage sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced

½ of a medium size red onion

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 large red bell pepper, sliced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

½ jar of Bertolli tomato and basil sauce

2 cups of baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, remove and slice them.

In the same pan heat the remaining 2 tbs. of olive oil. Add the yellow onion, red onion, red bell pepper, dried oregano, dried basil and the smoked turkey sausages and cook, stirring, until slightly softened. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for about one minute.

Add the sausages back in along with the tomato sauce. Reduce heat to medium and add the spinach; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Enjoy in a sandwich or as a main dish and please share if you make it.

Working Out Gives Me Superpowers

2015-06-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

Hello my friends, I am sorry that I have been MIA for the past few days, I am on a new schedule and need to figure out a way to squeeze in my blog posts. There are so many topics that flood my mind at times that I want to share with you all because I think they can be helpful to at least one of you. One specific topic came to mind when a friend commented on a 5 mile run I had done, she said she is exhausted after 3 miles so she must be doing something wrong. I encouraged her and explained to her that she should be out of breath and exhausted in my opinion and she is doing it right.

This comment just made me want to clarify this myth that some believes to be true about people who work out. There are many who believe that working out on a regular basis makes you a superhero or that it even gives you supernatural powers. Stay with me here, I know you think this is silly but it is true and seldom conveyed by asking the famous question “but don’t you work out (pause) ALL the time? Ah, I hate that question, not because I feel offended by it but rather because I know it is being asked out of lack of knowledge of how the process works.

I was asked this question by my husband the other day while we were playing tag with the kids, I was out of breath about to pass out and he looked at me, shook his head and asked “the question” and even added, “Aren’t you a Duke?” followed by “Don’t you flip tires?”

The beauty that I find about a healthy lifestyle is that in order to live it you have to continue to challenge yourself, to get faster, stronger, more confident. Even if you have run a full marathon you can still challenge yourself by improving your time and 5k’s are still very challenging. The process does not get easier you just get better with consistency but it will always be challenging.

I would hate to discourage someone starting to exercise by making them feel like I have it all together and I am an exercise guru because I am far from it. I do admit to learning a great deal but there is always something new awaiting when it comes to fitness. I do want to encourage you to see past the appearances and understand that working out is just as difficult for seasoned veterans as it is for beginners, we just do it at a different levels. Therefore, I encourage you to forget about how confident anyone looks doing a certain exercise and just go for it, dive in head first and do the work because the rewards are uniform for us all.

Now go, get moving!

Fun Things to do on a Budget

2015-06-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

Have you ever gone through financial difficulties that hold you back you from doing fun activities with your kids? No? well lucky you! I have had plenty of those, we became experts at gathering all the change we can find, going to the Coin Star Machine and getting enough for gas to go somewhere.

We all go through these times but if we play our cards right as parents we can make things work out for our family. I am a firm believer that your kids will not remember that expensive game you bought them but will always cherish the times you spent together.

The majority of Americans live check by check leaving very little room to enjoy life. The bills need to be paid before we can do anything else so prioritizing fun activities becomes difficult when you live on a limited income.

I would like to share some of the activities my husband and I do with the kids when money is tight:

A picnic at a local park - this may sound simple but it is always memorable. Make the packaging look pretty and give it a fancy look and you turn an ordinary dinner into a great bonding time with your family with no distractions.

Drive to the beach at night - This is one of our favorite things to do, we go to the beach and bring flashlights and just walk as far as we want. We take pictures, laugh, get our feet wet and just enjoy each other’s company.

Hide and go seek in the dark - We turn off all the lights in the house so its pitch dark and we play hide and go seek. The kids love it so much and we have such a great time doing it.

Get a movie from the library - Our local library allows us to borrow movies free of charge with our library card so we watch family movies together.

Watch funny YouTube videos together - This is so much fun to do because we laugh so much while we watch people doing silly things.

Ice cream run - Who doesn’t love an ice cream run right? we sit together and enjoy the ice cream or frozen yogurt together and just enjoy each other’s company.

Go for a long bike ride - We love doing this, we make sure to bring snacks and drinks and just enjoy a morning or afternoon riding our bikes. My daughter is the photographer so she takes lots of pictures.

These are great ways to not only do things on a budget but also to spend quality time with the ones you love and I am confident they are the ones they will remember the most. Please share your ideas with me so that I can incorporate them into my budget friendly activities.

What do you do on a budget?

Sauteed Tofu

2015-06-06T20:37:00.001-04:00

Today's dinner was delicious, I have been wanting to make tofu for a while and I finally did, this one was sauteed with some red peppers and spinach. I loved it! it was very filling and delicious I could not stop eating it. This is a perfect example of how healthy eating does not have to be boring. My new go to recipe!

Intredients

14 oz pack of extra firm tofu patted dry with paper towel
1/2 of a red pepper sliced
2 garlic cloves diced
1/4 cup chopped sweet onions
3 tbs. Olive oil
1/2 tsp each of
tumeric
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika
corriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs of Olive oil (for marinade)

Nasoya Tofu

Directions:

Cut the tofu into small cubes and add all spices and the 2 tbs. of olive oil set aside.

Sautee sweet peppers and onions in the olive oil until translucent and then add garlic for about 2 minutes.

Add Tofu and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat until all flavors are well combined and voila! you are done, enjoy with your favorite sides and please feel free to change to spices to whatever you like. Don't forget to share if you make it.

Running for a Cause

2015-06-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a fabulous and very busy weekend, my daughter graduated from High School on Saturday, yikes! And yes I am feeling old, but other than old I am feeling extremely proud of her accomplishment. I was very busy getting everything ready for her and as always those last minute tweaks always needed as you are trying to walk out the door to make it on time. We had a good time, went to dinner after and just smiled and enjoyed each other’s company as we celebrated this milestone.

For those of you who don’t know, I work out with a group called The Dukes based out of Deltona, we exercise around the city in various parks and trails and it is a free. Aside from exercising together, we also try to assist the community whenever possible. The latest project was a 5K race scheduled for this past Sunday to raise funds for one of our team member’s mom who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Bladder Cancer and is in need for funds for medication.

Although excited, I was also a bit anxious and unsure of what the turnout was going to be. There was rumbling of thunder as well but I said a little prayer and requested God to please move them out of our way. When I arrived, my friend Trish and I went to the trail to place some signs we had prepared to encourage the participants in their run/walk. By the time we got back to the parking lot, the place was full of people, more people than I would have expected.

The sky cleared up and the weather was perfect, we began the race with a prayer and some words of encouragement to the family accompanied by some tears and off we went. This race had nothing to do with personal records, being faster than the next guy or winning first place, it was a group of people coming together for a good cause. We encouraged each other, high fived each other and smiled all the way to the finish line. This was my 8 year old son’s first 5K and he was very excited to do it, my husband and daughter also participated making it the perfect race to date for me.

We managed to raise $2,000 for our friend a number that just baffled me because I was not expecting it to be that much. This goes to show the power of a few people coming together to help others. Humanity showing their love and doing their part to help others is an amazing site to see and an overwhelming feeling to have.

I encourage you to give your part to give to others, take some time from your busy schedules and give, whether it is your time or a little bit of money the feeling will fill you with joy. Today I feel full of happiness for being able to help even just a little bit with the burdens that come along with this disease. I am thankful that I serve a God who makes this possible.

I Can't Workout Because...

2015-05-28T13:44:00.001-04:00

This very famous phrase followed by that list of valid excuses as to why I was unable to workout in the past. The excuses were so good and the points so valid that after uttering them I nodded my head eyes wide open as if to say “there, that’s the real reason why I don’t workout” and truly believed it.

I always try to teach my kids that in life they will encounter difficult situations but it is how they handle them that will shape their destiny. I tell them that they can choose to curl up in a ball and cry about it or they can grab it by the horns and tackle it down, their choice. Life is difficult as it is so when we are faced with challenges, difficulties or a variety of scenarios it is up to us to handle them the best way possible.

The list of reasons why I could not workout was very long and I had some valid points. I I will share my top 3 excuses and how I managed to overcome them.

Excuse #1: I don’t have time, I work full time, have two kids and a husband (ok 3 kids), cook, clean, do groceries, well you get the picture.

Solution: I still have 2 kids or 3, still cook, clean, do groceries and everything else I did when I came up with that excuse. However, the difference is that I now MAKE the time to workout because it is a priority in my life. I was working out evenings and weekend mornings but that was taking too much time away from my kids so I changed to mornings at 6 am. I just did it like the Nike Commercial says and made it happen and so can you, yes there is time, yes you can do it so just start!

Excuse #2: I don’t know what healthy foods to eat.

Solution: I myself did not know what to eat but I used my common sense and did some research. There are so many resources out there with so much information as to what is good to feed your body and lets face it, you know deep down that eating that mac and cheese is perhaps not the best choice you can make. The bottom line is that it will take time and effort on your part but it will be worth it in the end.

Excuse #3: I feel intimidated going to the gym

Solution: I was very intimidated going to the gym, so much so that I even wrote a post about it. I was scared and embarrassed of looking silly but I kept reminding myself that they all must have started somewhere and I was determined to learn. I am very comfortable when I go to the gym now not because I know it all but because I know that it is a constant learning experience. I ask a lot of questions, ask advise, it is amazing how others are eager and willing to help you out. The bottom line is if you don’t start, you will never learn so take that leap and join you will be a pro before you know it.

I know that living a healthy lifestyle is difficult at times, but the outcome supersedes all the hard work, the rewards that you reap will alter your life for the better. Start slow, but start.

Now go, get moving!

What's for Dinner?

2015-05-22T14:04:00.003-04:00

That infamous question that when asked plagues my mind with a million possibilities while other times leaving me staring into the abyss like a deer with headlights. I have found that there are weeks when I can come up with dinner ideas on the fly and chef it up like a pro. However, there are those days when somehow my mind just draws a blank and I just can’t come up with anything to make, I can’t think of one dish to cook, kind of like the famous “I don’t have anything to wear” line with a closet busting out the doors with clothes. Am I alone on this one or has it happened to you as well?

I often find myself asking my 17 year old daughter what she thinks I should make and her answer is always “lemon chicken”, because it’s her favorite or she has often replied with a simple “food”. That latter reply draws dirty looks, eye rolling finished with a frustrated groan on my part. I don’t really have an explanation as to why this happens, perhaps the weeks when I draw a blank I have too much on my plate and my brain has reached its maximum capacity for the week aka brain overload.

Then when I finally figure out what I want to make, I find out I don’t have all the ingredients so I have to do a supermarket run after work, waste time, get home tired and frustrated. The adventures of a supermom but I would not change it for the world.

The solution for me came to me by chance one day as I was having one of the deer in headlight dinner moments. I began to ask myself why I was having such a hard time if I cook 6 days a week, why can’t I think of what to make. This series of questions led me to a very simple answer, are you ready? (drum roll please), MAKE A LIST! Wow, what a brilliantly simple solution to such a nerve wrecking problem. Yes a list! Why didn’t I think of this before?

I decided to make a list of dishes that I normally prepare, I did a main dish list along with a side dish so when I’m having a brain fart I go to this list and it really has helped me a tremendously. I often find myself looking at the list and remembering recipes that I have not made in a while.

I really hope I’m not alone in this so please let me know if you suffer from Lack of Dinner Idea-tis (Get it? No?) like I do, it would most certainly make me feel a bit more rational in my seemingly very chaotic world.

In an effort to help you guys out I have created a printable list so that you can get your family menu started. It is the little things like this that make our world that much better.

Please click here to print your menu and enjoy! Dinner planning will never be the same.

WOD

2015-05-19T23:21:00.001-04:00

I love to share my WOD (Workout Of The Day) with you guys in hopes to inspire you but it also keeps me motivated and accountable. I will post them every day so that you can get ideas and please feel free to ask questions. Please consult your doctor prior to beginning any workout regimen, I am not a personal trainer or a nutritionist, the information I post here is based on my personal experience.

Please visit http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ if you are not familiar with any of the exercises I post. This website in general is a wealth of information with several plans you can follow along with meal plans to help you reach your goals. I think it is very useful especially if you are just starting because it shows you how to properly perform exercises and also tells you what body part your are working on.

One very important thing to remember when working out is proper form which basically means proper way of performing the exercise. I shared this website with you so that you can familiarize yourself with doing these exercises properly in order to avoid injury while maximizing results. Please feel free to share any websites you may find helpful yourself.

I try to change my workouts as much as possible to keep from getting bored and to confuse my body as well so I look for workouts online, run with friends, play tennis, play basketball, do crossfit, ride my bike and whatever keeps my heartrate going. Staying active is key to balancing sugar levels and living a healthy lifestyle.

Tabata Workout and Firefighters

2015-05-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

Last week a coworker invited me to workout at one of our local fire stations so I happily said yes, I mean how can I say no to working out with firefighters right?. When I first got there I didn’t know what I was getting myself into so I showed up with my favorite workout clothes and my matching Polar watch ready to go.

The workout began with a warm-up run and then we jumped right into the workout which is called a Tabata workout which is a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout. Basically in this type of wokout you do high intensity movements with very little time to rest in between. This gets your heart rate going, helps to burn more calories even after you completed the workout. Here is an article in www.bodybuilding.com for a more detailed explanation of this workout.

Here is how it went down:

1 minute per exercise with 15 seconds of rest in between for a total of 6 minutes and then repeat 3 times

Air Squats

Burpees

Flutter Kicks

Bear Crawl

Push-Ups

Yikes! I know this may not seem like a lot but trust me it was brutal, and I loved every minute of it although I almost passed out mid way through the workout. By the time I got home my Polar watch read 1,204 calories burned, now that is a winner workout if you ask me.

I like this workout because it is short, efficient, no equipment needed and you can do it in your living room. Also, please feel free to change the exercises to change it up like sit ups, planks, jumping jacks, the possibilities are endless.

I hope you try it out and as always please let me know if you do. Now go, get moving!

Grilled Salmom Recipe

2015-05-17T08:27:00.001-04:00

6 (4oz) Salmon Filets with skin

1 lemon Juiced

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbs. olive oil

Salt/Pepper/Dry Dill to taste

1 lemon cut into 6 slices

Directions

In a food processor pulse the lemon, garlic and olive oil until a paste is formed. Season both sides with salt, pepper and dill to taste, spread the garlic paste on the salmon and place it on the grill skin side down.

Cook until salmon is easily flaked with a fork (about 6 - 10 minutes) Don’t overcook or it will be tough. This was so good! enjoy!

Trampoline Fitness

2015-05-15T14:12:00.001-04:00

Wow so in keeping with my promise to share workouts that will both get your heart rate up and allow you to spend quality time with your kids, here are some ideas for a great trampoline cardio workout:

Tag - so obviously the trampoline is very small for this game so the rule is you can only run in one direction and closest to the edge as possible (assuming you have a net around your trampoline), then run as fast as you can and make sure they are not taking shortcuts (I know my son Daniel does! smh)

Copy-Cat - Basically one person does a series of 10 movements and then the other person repeats it. Here are some of the ones we did:

Jumped like a frog

Touch your toes with opposite hand

Jumping Jacks

Side leg raise

Jump and Spin

Marco Polo - Now this one was Daniel’s idea and I thought it was brilliant, again assuming you have a net around your trampoline otherwise it can be dangerous. It is very challenging if you play it the right way but very easy if you are a little cheater like Daniel is. He somehow managed to catch me very quickly every time but he claims he had his eyes closed (blink blink, sure Daniel)

Jump Around - This is a simple one, just jump around as high as you can and laugh, enjoy, sweat, raise your heart rate and love on your babies.

Oh yes and I burned 451 calories in less than an hour.

Have you worked out with your kids? If so, please share your workout ideas with me.

Happy jumping!!

Mother’s Day card Inspired post

2015-05-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

My husband and kids already know that hand written cards are a must for me on Mother’s Day, I love receiving them, I cry EVERY time because they mean the world to me. Today I want to share with you the card my 8 year old son Daniel gave me this past Sunday (Picture Above). When I first read the card, after wiping my tears off and blowing my snot, I read it again and it filled me with so much happiness and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.

My favorite part of this card is where he says “she plays with me (it is not really a super power but some mom’s don’t do that)”. Wow! What a powerful statement that is for me that when asked why is your mom your hero he thought to say that. Soooo what’s the big deal you say, right? Well, wrong! It is a big deal for me because the old me never played with him because I was always too tired to play, I just wanted to sit on the sofa and watch tv, so much wasted time that I am unable to recover L but that’s ok, there is still time to make up for it.

Now let me explain what he means when he says that I play with him, I DO NOT play cars, transformers or video games with him, I find them to be very boring and my attention span for them is approximately 5 to 10 minutes. What I do like to do with him is to play tag when we go to the park, play tennis, racing and his ultimate favorite of all time the trampoline. He is a boy after all and he loves these things and I found that they serve a dual purpose; quality time with my kids and I get to burn calories, most definitely a win win situation for all involved. There are 4 in our family, my husband, 17 year old daughter, my son and I and we all play these games together.

The other day when we were headed out to play in the trampoline he pointed out that I forgot to wear my Polar heart rate monitor which he called “that thingy that tells you how many calories you burned”. I love to wear this monitor because after a fun filled session I look at it and I see that big number of calories I burned while enjoying time with my babies.

This card was so significant for me because no matter how much time has passed by I am very happy with the changes I have made in order to create a better quality of life for all of us. This card inspired me to create a section dedicated to workout ideas with your kids.

I will post the things I do with them but I would love to hear any ideas you may have as well.

WOD - Legs and Abs

2015-05-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

I am currently working on Lee Labrada’s 12 Week Lean Body Daily Trainer program from Bodybuilding.com. I like doing these programs because I don’t have to think about what I’m going to do when I get to the gym, I have an app (bodyspace) from bodybuilding.com that tells me what to do and it even keeps track of how much weight I used the time prior. This is a great tool to have since I forget just about everything these days.

Because my goal was to begin on Monday, I will post yesterday’s workout today to catch up. Yesterday’s workout was Legs and Abs and it was very good, I say this because I’m having a hard time getting up from my chair at work and walking like a normal person. Yikes! However sore is good, it’s proof that I did a good job and I love it, it’s a good kind of pain. So here it is my legs and abs workout:

2 sets of 10 reps and 1 set to failure (failure means going until you cannot possibly do another rep)

Smith Machine squat (90lbs)

Dumbell Lunges (30lbs)

Seated Leg Curl (60lbs)

Stiff-Legged Bargell Deadlift (50lbs.)

Seated calf Raise (115lbs.)

Standing Calf Raise (15 lbs.)

Crunches

Hanging Leg Raise

Please note that I included the amount of weight I am doing in each exercise, I am sure some of you are able to do a lot more than that and some not nearly as much. Either way, go with what feels comfortable for you and kill it, strive to do better next time, kill it again and repeat.

I like keeping track of my weight because after a

Workout Tips

2015-05-08T08:05:00.001-04:00

Workout Tips

When I first started working out I started at the Y. Included with my membership was a free fitness consultation where a Personal Trainer went over my goals and gave me a basic plan. He walked me through the equipment and showed me how to use it adjusted the weight for me and wrote everything down for me. I had a card on file that I would pick up every time I went to the gym and I would do my workouts from there every time I went. I do understand that not everyone is able to go to the Y and I’m not sure if all Y’s offer this type of assistance but I loved the structure it provided for me since everything was very new for me.

My suggestion to you if you want to start a workout regimen and can afford a personal trainer, hire one. However, I know that this may not be an option for all, myself included, so you have to do some homework and learn your way around the gym. I was very intimidated at first because I looked around and saw that everyone appeared to know what they were doing. However, I kept reminding myself that they all had to start somewhere and I was there for me not for anyone else. Here are a few tips that I recommend for you:

Set up a schedule - if you write down a schedule of what you are going to do, it helps you to keep accountable, organized and it helps with time management at the gym.

Ask questions - You would be surprised just how willing others are to help you if you ask them. I have found myself asking for help a lot and every time I do I am helped without hesitation. I now see others in the gym doing certain exercises incorrectly and I want to go to them to tell them but don’t do it for fear of inadvertently embarrassing them. I still ask questions because there is always something new to learn.

Try different things - There are so many different exercises and variations of exercises out there so my suggestion is, don’t be afraid to try different exercises. This teaches you what exercises work for what body parts.

Don’t get stuck - Plateaus are a big part of weight loss, I am almost positive that we all hit them at one point or another. In order to get over a plateau you have to change your routine, perhaps incorporating more cardio or more weights. A personal trainer friend of mine told me that changing your routine from week to week helps keep the muscles confused so if you do Cardio on Monday then do it on Wednesday the following week. Once your body gets accustomed to a routine, it gets bored and it won’t change so you have to continue to challenge yourself in order to continue to improve.

You can’t outwork a bad diet – Boy is this so very true and I am true testimony of it. I have been unable to lose more weight because I am not eating the way I should. I know this is an issue for me and I am working on fixing it but I am also not in denial, I know I am responsible for it.

Gym vs. at home workouts – This depends on your personal preference, there is no right or wrong just what works best for you. I personally find it very hard to workout at home, I don’t like it, it bores me. However, this may be the opposite for you and that is absolutely fine, you have to find what works best for you and that is key. This is why fitness is not a one size fits all fix, it really is very customized according to each person.

Use available resources – With today’s technology it is amazing just how much information is available at our fingertips. You can google workout routines, workout schedules, exercises targeting different areas and so much more. Through my research I found a really good website www.bodybuilding.com which is so full of resources . This website has healthy recipes and a wealth of information about fitness and nutrition, I can’t get enough of it. This website has different programs that you can do based on your goals and it gives you a detailed schedule of your workouts and even include meal plans as well. My favorite feature is the exercise guide, where you type in a particular exercise and they show you a video of how to perform the exercise.

What is form? – Exercise is very important however, performing it correctly is even more important. Form is the way your perform an exercise avoiding injury and getting the best results out of it. If you perform an exercise without proper form it will not work and it will injure you.

Educate yourself – A healthy lifestyle is an always evolving process, there are fads that come and go both in fitness and in healthy eating and there is nothing wrong with following fads, it keeps it fresh. However, the one constant is the fact that balancing the two is key to living life to its fullest.

Now go, get moving!

How Do I Keep Motivated?

2015-05-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

I was going through my Facebook feed and someone posted in one of the Fitness Groups I’m part of asking for tips on how to keep motivated. This got my wheels turning and I began to question my source of motivation. I wish I was able to answer that question with one sentence or even a paragraph, but it goes in much deeper than that and involves a variety of answers that ultimately lead me to keep going. Here is a brief list of some of my personal motivators:

Fear - I think this is one of my biggest motivators because I am absolutely terrified of going back to where I was before, not only physically but most importantly mentally. This fear drives me to get up every morning and do the best I can.

My Kids - As a mother, I want what is best for my two children, I want them to be successful and to live a great quality of life. Because I want this for them I know how important it is to lead by example and to show them what a healthy lifestyle can do for their lives.

Diabetes - Ahhh the big D! This is most certainly a big motivator for me because it affects everything in my body. The effects of this horrible disease keep me going because I do not want to end up without a limb or in a bed unable to function. I do not want to place that kind of burden on my family.

Freedom - After beginning my healthy lifestyle even before I lost any weight I felt fantastic, I felt in control, I was freed. When I was not eating healthy, I felt tired all the time, going to the bathroom was painful, I was unable to function as a normal human being because of the limitations I placed on myself by living an unhealthy lifestyle. My life was full of darkness, depression, sadness, self pity and it was all tied into what I ate. I know this may sound bizarre to you but I am a true believer that what you put in your body has everything to do with how it functions.

My husband - My bad eating almost destroyed my marriage. When I first met my husband I was not overweight, not skinny either but not as big as I got after I had my daughter. My weight made me depressed, insecure, clingy, possessive, jealous and did I mention insecure? lol. I became a different person, unable to make even the smallest decisions on my own, unable to enjoy life to its fullest potential. Things have changed a lot now, I love who I am and what I look like, I love taking pictures, I am the real me again and it has strengthened our relationship a great deal. Relationships are difficult enough as it is without adding all that baggage I was carrying with me both mentally and physically. My husband and I are always working on our relationship but it is now on a leveled playing field, we are playing our roles as equals and that makes the world of difference.

Relationships - It is amazing what insecurity can do to relationships in general, wether it was with the closest members of my family or just friends I became somewhat of a puppet. I allowed people in my life to treat me as they pleased because after all who was I right? I was nothing, I was less, I was weak. Therefore, I allowed toxic relationships in my life because I did not feel worthy of anything different always playing the role of the martyr, the victim. I don’t ever want to go back to that place where I had no control of not only myself but of they way others treated me, it was a sad way to live and my pain was genuine, nevertheless self inflicted. I love to watch how it all unfolds now, how just with the fact that I have changed ME has also changed the way others treat me. This is powerful in more ways that I can even explain, no words necessary, no cursing, no fighting just the fact that having control of my life is so apparent that it automatically changes the dynamic of my relationships and that makes me very happy.

The Selfie - I lost so much during my destructive years and one of the big things was captured memories, I hated taking pictures, I hated looking at myself in pictures or even in the mirror, I hated the person I had become. Fast forward to now boy has that changed, perhaps I take way too many selfies now but thats ok. I am very comfortable in my own skin, I love to see pictures of myself now and I would not change it for anything in the world.

With so many factors fueling my motivation, its very difficult to narrow it down to a list. I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that my motivation is the fact that I love my life too much now to ever go back to who I was before. Having said that, I still have challenges, tough days and more to experience and to grow but I love to actually live my life and not just exist.

Go and find the true you, the one that has been hiding under the fat, under the diabetes, under the insecurities. Go out and begin to live your life, I promise you you will not regret it.

Cilantro Lime Hummus

2015-05-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

1 (15 ounce) can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup of fresh cilantro (or to taste)

2-4 cloves of garlic depending on your garlic preference

2 tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and black pepper to taste

3 tbs. Olive Oil

Place everything in a food processor until smooth.

Now this is a very simple base recipe for hummus, normally it is made with tahini (about 2 tbsp. for this recipe). I have also added jalapeno peppers to it as well but without the seeds (I’m a wimp). Please feel free to add ingredients that you like to make it your own and share your variations if you make it.

The Before and After Picture

2015-05-04T22:09:00.000-04:00

I realized that I have not yet shared a before and ~~after~~ during picture on my blog yet so here it is. I call it my before and during picture because I still need to lose about 35 more pounds and after I lose those 35 lbs. I will set another challenge for myself, something else to work on. The moment you are satisfied with what you have is the moment you will fail so keep striving to improve yourself weather it is weight related or any other personal goal.

The woman on the pictures to the left was insecure, doubted her abilities, had a very low self esteem. The woman on the right is confident, knows her abilities and wants to push her body like it has never been pushed before in her 40 years of existence.

Hard work pays off, get up and get started don't wait!

Thrift Stores and Tennis Rackets

2015-05-04T22:01:00.000-04:00

So remember when I told you that I needed to find different ways of working out? well I have been wanting to play Tennis for quite some time now, I love watching matches on TV and always wanted to do it but never got around to it so today I just decided to "just do it" like the Nike commercial says. Yesterday after work I went to the thrift store where I had seen some tennis rackets before and I happened to find three perfect ones for about $13 total (score!) and then I went to Walmart to get an additional one, the balls and some tape to re-cover the handles on the used ones.

I spent a total of less than $30 and off to the Tennis courts we went. We spent a little over an hour got our heart rates up, lots of sweat, the weather was perfect but most importantly I spent quality time with the most important people in my life. My husband got to join us today because he did not work so it was perfect.

I know some of you may not have the luxury of Florida weather but I am sure there is something you can find to do that you will enjoy so get to it! :)

Mug Cake

2015-05-04T21:59:00.000-04:00

My weakness when I have a sweet tooth is having something I can bite into, so this recipe is the perfect solution for my needs because it feels like I am cheating but I’m not. I got the recipe from @tastyhealth in Instagram, check her out she has great recipes.

Ingredients

A little more than ½ cup of old fashioned oats turned into a flour

2 tbs pumpkin puree (or mashed banana or applesauce)

2 egg whites

½ tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp granulated sweetner

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Optional: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 tsp butter extract

After you turn oats into flour in food processor add the rest of the ingredients and process until well incorporated and pour into your favorite greased coffee mug (use non stick spray or coconut oil). Cook in the microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes. For the topping I used vanilla greek yogurt with a splash of vanilla, sweetener to taste and top with your favorite nuts.

Enjoy!

Call me "Dear Yoselin"

2015-04-29T13:39:00.002-04:00

Good morning all! I am excited to announce that I now have my very own column in the employee newsletter at my job. I love sharing my story not to brag but to inspire, to help others in hopes to improve lives. I want to share my first article with you which was published at the beginning of April. I received great feedback, it opened up lines of communication with others struggling with living a healthy lifestyle and Diabetes. I am very excited about what is to come.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes at the age of 38, I was devastated when the doctor relayed the news, I cried, wiped my tears off, went home and began taking my medication but never changed my eating habits. Then the day came when I got tired of the way the medicine made me feel, of feeling tired and depressed all the time, the pain in my knees, the back aches and how obese I had become so I decided to make a change. I decided to lose weight, and one of the decisions I made was to not just lose weight but rather change my lifestyle completely, at the time I had no clue what this entailed but I was soon going to find out. I wasn’t looking for a “quick fix diet” or a “fad diet” because I love food (emphasis on the love part), I am a foodie therefore, I knew that if I began a no carb diet, cabbage soup diet or any diet that would deprive me of eating foods I enjoyed I would fail so I had to be creative.

My solution was to create my own diet, which I named the “common sense diet”. Let me break this down for you, this diet is the one where you know that biting into that burger is no good for you; the one where you know there is too much food on your plate but you eat it all anyway and wash it down with a diet soda; the one where you add extra butter to your toast to follow the grease filled bacon you are having for breakfast knowing that it will clog your arteries, well you get the picture. My challenge was finding a way to lose weight, be healthy and not feel deprived, but was that even possible? Absolutely it was, I began tweaking the recipes I was already preparing making them healthier while also incorporating new healthy options to my diet and voila, the “common sense diet” was born.

With somewhat of a plan on hand, now it was time to do some serious research, well ok I used google. My very first step was to understand how much I should be eating and how to keep track of it. I had no clue because I always ate until I was full, well let me rephrase that, I always ate until I was so full that I could barely breath and passed out on the couch right after.

I googled several calorie calculators and came up with an average amount of calories I needed to consume in order to lose 2 lbs. per week and then I downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal and began tracking my food intake.

This first step was big because for the first few days I would consume my daily calories before lunch so this helped me to better understand how much I should be eating and boy was that a learning curve. This first step took some getting used to however, it kept me on track and taught me a lot about portion control. Because I am a diabetic, I found that eating smaller portions every 2 hours worked best for me keeping my sugar levels regulated.

I have not taken a diabetes medication in over a year and my lab results always turn out as my doctor says “better than someone without Diabetes” and that alone is a huge accomplishment. I have run several 5K’s and obstacle races and I just signed up to do my first ½ marathon in October. Although I do not look like a fitness model and I still need to lose more weight, I am in the best shape I have been in my entire life and I love setting an example for my kids so that they don’t have to struggle with obesity or diabetes like I have, my only regret…not starting sooner.

I am not a nutritionist, fitness expert or anything even close but I would like to share some of the things that have helped me, along with some recipes in hopes that it will also help motivate you to take that first step so stay tuned, there is more to come ;)

Fried Brown Rice

2015-04-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

I always like to take recipes of foods I love and making them healthier, now here is one of my favorite recipes but remember, everything in moderation. The problem with this recipe is that I have no self control when I eat it but so don't follow my example.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small yellow onion chopped

1 small green bell pepper chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 8 oz can of water chestnuts

3 green onions thinly sliced

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 tbs low sodium soy sauce

2 egg whites

In large non stick skillet heat the oil and add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and ginger, peas/carrots and stir fry until tender. Push the mixture to one side and add the eggs to other side and stir until scrambled.

Now add the rice and soy sauce season mix well until thoroughly heated. Please let me know how you like it ok.

Running Your Race

2015-04-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

Hello my beautiful people, this morning my friend Sarai did her first 5K and I had promised her to do it with her so here we are. She is not a runner, started running with a couch to 5k app and she went out there and gave it her all.

I am very happy she did and I know that this race was a little taste for her and I hope that she will continue to run. I was right next to her the entire race and I tried my best to encourage her along the way and providing her with tools she can use in the future.

I remember my coach Roy always telling me not to listen to the voice in my head telling me to give up and I shared that with her and I now want to share that with you. When you are ready to stop, ask yourself why are you stopping, can you breath? do your legs hurt? if the answer is no then shut up and keep going.

I think this advise can be applied to life in general, when things get a little rough we are quick to want to give up but we must ask ourselves why, we must pray, dust ourselves off and...yes you guessed it, keep going, keep running that big race called life.