Surround Yourself

I have thought a lot about this blog post... its a little delayed because quite honestly I couldn't think of something I hadn't already written about... but everyday is a new day and the days in our lives are like snowflakes... they may seem the same at a glance.. but each one is different when you look at the detail...

  

And those details say so much more about us than we can ever know... how we react to them can say a lot about our characters and emphasize what we care about, even if it is a small thing... and we all know small things can set us off...

But that's not what this post is about... just a prequel... lets say today (Sunday) I had a moment... a bad moment where I came undone just a little more around my already frayed edges... I am sure you've been there too... where you have this thing you so strongly believe in and want for others but those others are doing every *&%$ thing they can do to contradict everything you've done... you feel so helplessly out of control of the situation that you feel like there is nothing you can do....sometimes to the point you want to give up... you ask yourself is it worth it...
Yes it is.  Yes you are... and if you are helping someone... Yes they are... because you may be all they have... but that one moment of hesitation... 

...it destroys your calm...

And then someone brings you back... they restitch the edges and help you weave them back stronger then they were before...  that someone for me is my husband... he brings me back every time... he is my voice of reason when my inner one shuts down... my own personal cheerleader... in everything I try to do to better myself he is there cheering me on... putting me "in check" when I am doing something bad for me (which usually revolves around food and thinking unhealthy thoughts) ...and reminding me I am human... not a superhero... even though I want to be... 

So the point of this blog post in relation to our wellness journey is for me to ask you... do you have that person? or persons? Having people cheering you on through your ups and helping you get back up from your downs is just as important as the actual exercise and lifestyle changes you are making.  Because no journey is ever accomplished alone.  Faith tells us that whomever we praise walks with us through all the days of our lives.  But they also put those we love and those who love us in our lives to help us through. 

I have learned from experience that true wellness cannot be done alone.  Because Life itself cannot be done alone.  I am blessed to have my husband, family and friends who supports me and make my life better... in turn making me a better, stronger person.  Because they care for me, I can turn to them for strength when I am not strong enough, for calm when mine is fleeting, and for laughter when my smile disappears...

So who is your person...? or people...? hold them close to you... because you will need them in this journey... there will be days when you want to give up.... don't. 

-M

Nothing Worth Having is Easily Attained

So... its been about 2-3 weeks since we've started... how's it going with the challenge?  Are you incorporating the rules into your life, even if its slowly? Truthfully, for me... its not going so great... You see, I didn't have my mind right... there was always some excuse to eat something bad... another truth is that it was pure laziness... Yea I said it... I am guilty of sloth... Strike me down... Wait don't... I'm ready now though... Not that I am saying that as I am writing this that I'm there.. ready to totally embrace these rules into my life....

But I'm closer than I was yesterday. Are you?

True health and fitness is hard. I mean really.. if being healthy in this day and age were easy, we'd all be one app away from it.  And I'm not saying that it's super hard to get in shape... because people are doing it.  I saw a Subway commercial during the Super Bowl about how their spokesperson - Jarrett - has kept the weight he shredded off for 15 years.  Can you imagine... 15 years we have been seeing this man tell us that by making healthy lifestyle choices (doesn't have to be Subway), we too can be where he is today. Think if you started 15 years ago, for those of us who are old enough... or even a year or six months ago.. where would you be today?

The main reason we started this challenge is because people can exercise their bums off, but still not have the body they want or be as healthy as they need to be... because they do not change what and how they eat.  You absolutely cannot out exercise a bad diet.  For the sake of science (they don't call me dazumbageek for nothing), I kinda tested this over the past few months... I usually exercise 5 -7 times a week, depending on what's going on in my life.  There's always cardio and usually some form of muscle torture (i.e. Desert Groove for my Zumba people).  But I didn't change what I ate too much.  Yes I did make sure to drink tons of water and eat fruit and veggies most days, but not as well as I should have.  So since the LoseNow program in the summer of 2012, I have not lost a pound.  I look like I have lost weight due the muscle I have gained, but I figured I should have shredded more, because of that.  The stuff I was putting in my mouth put a kink in that part of the plan.

So now begins the next leg in my experiment.  I will do my best to incorporate all challenge rules and eat as healthy as possible.  Whatever life has to throw at me - coz we all know that family, children, work, traffic, and just life in general, cause us to lose focus of what we should be doing...  Here's a good example... I not only cook for myself, but for my hubby, it will be challenging to purge my home of "white" processed foods - because he is a rice-a-saurus (if you didn't know.. I'm Filipino - rice is considered a food group).  And he likes the occasional chip and cookie and ice cream cone or two... but who doesn't?  No one said you couldn't treat yourself once in a while... just not a full buffet... right??? I digress... but it can be done... I am willing to make two meals if I have to to get this right.. then maybe I can get him to jump on the health bandwagon with me...

So.. are you with me?  I, like any other person out there, need support too... its always more fun to have others working beside you and bouncing ideas off of them (and feeling your pain coz you both really want that post workout cookie).  I know it will be difficult, but I know it can be done.  I've seen too many success stories for it not to work.

Aaannnnnd.... I'm throwing another wrench in our lifestyle change challenge.  If you would like to join me, I have found some mini challenges that will prolly push you (and me) to the limit of the body's ability to function without expletives coming out of our mouths...  They are starting off as 7 day challenges and I will probably run them every 2 weeks, opposite weeks of the blog posts.  Soooo (cue fireworks) you will be hearing from me every week... lol.. no.   I will post the challenges to the "Mini Challenge" tab on the blog and you can do them as you please.  I suggest only doing one at a time.  I plan on doing them once through, then incorporating them into my non-Zumba days.   The first one is SkinnyMS's arm challenge.  This site has some great stuff on it so check it out: SkinnyMS Summer Arm Challenge.  Give it a go... starting next Monday, 2/11/13.  Do as much as you can without hurting yourself.  Remember, which ever weight you choose, your muscle should show fatigue during the 3rd set.   Respond to this post or ask to join the group Get Fit with Z @ NE on Facebook and let us know how its going... Friends don't let friends workout alone... >insert chinky (yea I said that) grin<

Hope to hear from ya'll...
-M

You Have to Start to Be Great

Sorry for the late post... you can always have plans, but life, as we all know, can change those plans for you.    

So here I am today, Monday Jan 21, 2012 - on a day of remembrance and reflection of just how far this country, the world, has come.  In many ways the world has changed since the days of Martin Luther King, Jr., but in some ways it has not.  Tradition, like habits, can run deep - so deep it seems we will never shake them.  Some traditions are meant to stay because they feed light into our souls... some are meant to change because they not only bring others, but ourselves down... 

But there is always a bright side to everything.  You may have a not so healthy habit - smoking, drinking something bad for you (alcohol, soda, etc), not exercising, that you feel that you just can't kick.  But it is all mind over matter.  Your Mind over Your Matter.  When it comes to your health, small steps in the right direction, even if you take steps back, is still good.  You are still going the right way, as long as you try.   

Think about this... you don't want to be far down the road of life and have a bunch of "what ifs".  What if I took that chance? What if I took better care of myself?  And if not for you then definitely for your children/grandchildren - for those people who you love and those who love you.   Don't keep saying tomorrow.  Start today.  Now.  

With health, every step you take towards a healthier lifestyle, no matter how slow is a positive step.  It is you fighting for your life.  You have to find what works for you.  Do not fall into these gimmicks of "Lose Weight Fast" because often times, if you don't change your life - if you don't change yourself - then you will gain the weight back.  Trust me - I've been there many times.  

So enough with the talk.  Let's act.  If you are signed up for this blog, you have hopefully committed to your health, whether it be baby steps or you are willing to take a leap.   We are asking you to make some lifestyle changes that will help you towards your weight loss goal.  We have adapted Dr. Oz's 2011 Just 10 Challenge to wean people off of their seemingly bad habits and get them going towards better total wellness.  There are 5 simple rules participants must follow - at their own pace.  It often takes at least 14 consistent repetitions of an action for it to become a habit, so take it slow if you need to.  There is no time frame on this challenge.  Here are the rules:

1. Cut Caloric Beverage (start slow if you need to)
2. Move at least 10 minutes each day where your heart rate is elevated (even slightly)
3. Weigh yourself (oh no!) 2 - 3 times a week and record your progress - look at the trend, not each day
4. Do not eat 2-3 hours before bed - I know this one is hard for moms and dads, but try your best
5. Watch your portions - WebMD has a great tool for this: Portion Size Plate

So its easy for me to say get going.  Get up off the couch and do something.  But really, your wellness, or lack thereof is in your hands. We only seek to give you the tools and support to get you going and to keep you going.  Please feel free to respond, add to, and share your experience on the blog... Everyone needs support in life changing journeys.  Even from strangers.  So here's to you.  I know you can do it.  This is your time.

- M

Get To It...

So... 2013 has arrived.  Are you ready?  Have you started on your "resolution"? Or are you still saying tomorrow?

If you follow me on social media you'll see that I've decided not to RESOLVE to do anything... because those things... unfortunately like promises... are usually forgotten and thrown by the wayside.  What I have resolved to do is to change my lifestyle and (bad) habits.  So with that.. there are no limits to how far I can go, no boundaries, no promises to break... just DOING...

With that said... we are starting a new "challenge" for the year.  I say year because realistically, healthy body weight and total wellness is a lifetime deal... there is no expiration date on taking care of yourself...  We hope to create enough healthy habits to lead you through your entire life... If you are a regular at our Zumba class, then you've got most of the exercise part covered... lets work on the hardest part...

So here's the deal:

We are using Dr. Oz's Just 10 Challenge as a platform for building good habits.  We understand that each person's lifestyle can hinder their adherence to the "rules" so we hope that the act of trying will gain results - even if the rules are bent.

If you are interested and do not come to the NE class, then email me at dazumbageek@yahoo.com and I can send you a questionnaire to fill out.  This will help us keep track of who is participating AND will give us something to wave in your face when you are falling off.. JUST KIDDING!!!... we want to give give you a good starting point...

The fun begins on Jan 21st 2013.  For everyone local, we are having small meeting on Jan 9th after class to talk about the challenge... the main ways I'll be using to get info out is this blog (be sure to sign up for feeds) and through class. I will link a Facebook page to my posts in case that is easier for some folks....

So.. I hope you're ready... this is going to be your year! We will do everything we can to try to help you reach your goals and we'll be cheering you along the whole way!!

Toodles
-M

Cues

So I apologize (yet again) for being a total slacker on the blog... life has been busy as of late and most of you know that at this moment my NYC fam is in NC for a visit.  So I'm getting a blog post in where I can...

So what we learned from our latest LoseNowNC meeting was that in order for diet (the food you eat/dont eat to lose weight) and exercise success to work, you have to remove the cues that keep you from eating healthy and exercising.  For example... at my house, because of my nephews, we sometimes keep chips and such in the house - but we keep them in the closet so that my hubby and I don't see them.  We keep fruit on the counter top.  In our fridge, we keep cut fruits and veggies right at eye level - so that we are not tempted to open the freezer and pull out the ice cream. 

I know for exercise its a little different... if you're part of the Z-fam, then you've got no worries - except on your off days.  I definately suggest having a backup plan for days you do not Zumba with us.  Maybe do some kind of cardio workout (walking, jogging, biking) for your off days... or you could check out another Zumba class.  There are plenty in the Concord/Kannapolis/Landis/China Grove area at local churches that have relatively cheap classes.  If you already have a pretty good workout schedule, then try to bump it up and add another day or add some resistance training.  You can also spice it up by trying out a new workout class. 

I know it is so hard to keep fighting the weight loss/healthy living fight... but it is something that I think everyone can do.  Unless you have health conditions, then a lot of this journey is mental.  As I've said in previous posts, find your motivation and let it lead your way! You will get there and your Z-Fam is here for you!!

Til next time!
>M<

Inspiration

So I haven't been neglecting the blog on purpose.  It has been busy AND I haven't really had anything to write about because I don't want to beat the same drum all the time.  I can't continue to blog about how you should eat this, not that, exercise more, drink more water, blah blah blah.  You all would totally get tired of it.  Because it is the same thing we hear all the time about weight loss.  We hear success stories about how people have had a miraculous weight loss and have yet to see the same miracle for ourselves.  I hate to say it... but we're all family here and this is the truth:  It takes time! 

The true weight loss successes are those who get the weight off and keep it off.  Its about the lifestyle changes that have generated benefits in health, total wellness, and confidence.  Let's talk about it in terms of the tortoise and the hare.   The hare thought he would win by taking shortcuts.  But in the end, slow and steady wins the race.  And not to knock taking short cuts.  If you feel that is the way you have to go, then by all means.  Just remember - it is the lifestyle changes that stick with you.  Make sure whatever change you make - its gonna last.

The other main reason why I haven't blogged in a while is because I truly haven't had much inspiration.  But now I do.  We've all heard that with weight gain comes many problems, especially health problems.  Most of you know I have problems with my knees.  So I wear knee braces and am trying to lose weight to help my joints and bones out.   And recently, we found out a ZChica was told she had to have major surgery, but told she couldn't do it now.  The doctor was a tool to her and told her she needed to lose a lot of weight like yesterday.   Of course we rallied to her. 

I know that doctors know more than we do about what our bodies need.  But they don't feed our souls.  Sometimes, thier clinical minds work in overdrive and they forget we're human, not just mammals.   So now I am inspired.  Because our ZChica could have taken this to be it.  But no.  She's going to fight and Zumba her way through this.  And we will be right beside her.  I may have lost some inspiration in myself, but when you can't always find it inside, looking outside isn't a bad thing.

So find your inspiration.  If not when you look in the mirror, in those around you.  Those who love you - those who will dance with you.  We're here.  Familia.

>M<

Challenge Updates

Check out the new challenge page with updates for the 10 week challenge that started yesterday. I will be posting again later today with more information. 

Sorry for being so lax!! I'll get back on it!

Maria

Challenges

So the first challenge is about to draw to a close.  Please remember to submit your weights and measurements, or have them done in class, by the end of the first week in June.  We will announce our winner in the 2nd week. 

The next challenge is a 10 week challenge starting June 18th.  Its relatively easy, but requires commitment. Your instructors have joined MyFitnessPal, a free calorie counter.  There are apps for phones and a website.  It is an online calorie counter, not much different from WW other than it uses calories rather than points.  We all have decided to do the recommended "lose 1 lb per week" selection.

Before you participate in this challenge, especially if you have any reservations or concerns, please talk to your doctor.  There may be things regarding your health that you need to take into account before joining the challenge.

We're doing this challenge to try to help increase awareness regarding consumption. We have found that exercise alone does not get results. You have to eat healthy as much as possible, for multiple reasons that benefit your overall health.   Also, it will give you a few minutes for yourself.  We all are busy with our families, especially now that it is summer, but it is important for us to make time for ourselves.  Entering into your log can be your 5-10 minutes just for you.  It may be stressful at first, espcially, when you see how quickly unhealthy choices add up in the calories, but it will get better!  And you are doing it for yourself; therefore taking care of yourself, and in turn taking care of your family... but we've covered this topic in previous posts... so on to the challenge rules.

The challenge is to log your daily intake and activity for at least 6 days a week for 10 weeks.  The rules are as follows:

1. Log everything you eat, except for fresh or frozen fruits and veggies - as long as they are not in a sauce, syrup, or other kind of additional flavoring.  This follows the WW formula. We're including this for many reasons, for instance, want you to try to up your intake of healthy carbs (i.e. the natural sugars in fruit), rather than to unhealthy carbs, like a candy bar or something.   If you are not a fan of fruits, try making a protein shake with them.  Angela and I use a great protein shake called Nectar Sweet... it by far tastes the best and has the least amount of calories and fat of all the shakes I've tried.
2. Get at least 8 cups of water per day.  If you get at $4 sweatproof cup at Walmart, there's at least 4-5 of your glasses right there in one container.  If you work out, try to drink more than that.
3. Try to get at least 3-5 days of 30+ minutes of cardiovascular exercise where your heart rate is elevated for the 30 minutes.  Now the 30 mins does not include a warm up and cool down.  Try for at least 5 mins on each, including stretching.
4. Try to incorporate 2-3 days of some weight training/conditioning/yoga.  It doesn't have to be long and intensive, just do something to engage your target areas.  The calendars and supplemental exercises are still great tools.  If you have been following them, then create your own workout that will hit your target spots.  Remember to always warm up a little before doing any conditioning exercise to avoid injury.  Do not lift more than you feel you can. Your muscles should get tired by the end of three sets of 12.  If they do not, increase your resistance.  If they are tired before then, decrease or drop your resistance completely. 
5. Do not log exercise activity until the day after it is done.  Stick only to your calories for the day and try not to go over.  For example, if you have 1500 calories, then try to intake only those calories. Do not delve into your exercise calories. 

I may have forgotten something, so there may be additions.  Above all we ask you to be honest about your entries - because the only person you cheat by cheating on this challenge is yourself.

There is no "winner," per say, in this challenge, you win if you do it.  All participants who produce a printed log (it doesnt have to be with MyFitnessPal) at the end of the 10 weeks (through the last day of August) will receive a free ZumbaChicas sticker and possibly something else.  To up the ante, we may add a special prize for whomever has the most change in their start/stop measurements/weight. 

I will be providing these guidelines and your instructors usernames in class. You can also private message me through the blog or on Facebook.  We hope to build a small community on the website for our group so that we can support each other.  Jill and I have found that having a buddy makes doing all of this so much easier!

Contact me if you have any questions. I'll be announcing all of this in class. And I promise to be better about the updates to the blog... life has been busy for me the past month or so... so now its kinda resumings its normal pace...

>M<

Apologies

Ok... so I've been kinda lazy about the blog lately... I haven't updated the back pages like I promised... and I totally apologize... but it's been BANANAS lately... shirts, zumbathons, events... it has seemed neverending...

and if you know me... i'm a stickler for research.  I don't want to post something without doing the background work and that takes a while... so hopefully that will be forthcoming (uh coz my library books are due back soon) after this week's round of zumba events...

so don't give up on me... if you have found something that works for you, WONDERFUL! keep at it!

Summer is here in the South, even though it is only early May... when you are not at Zumba, go outside if you can stand it! Get the kids (and ourselves) away from the TV and game console and go to the park or playground! Just remember to be safe with sunscreen, water, etc...

Til next time.. don't forget to log your intake ZatNE-ers... I know I haven't talked about it in class but I will... promise

>M<

You Are What You Eat

On my personal wellness journey, I have found that eating is the hardest thing to control.  Being of Filipino descent, my culture's food is rich and always comes with a side of jasmine rice (and I say jasmine coz that boil-in-bag stuff doesn't cut it at my house).  You can see how this can be somewhat of an eating heaven, uh I mean nightmare, for my wellness journey.  So getting a hold of my diet (what I eat) was essential to my wellness.  The balance between exercise and consumption is pretty much a tightrope. 

And I was on that tightrope for a long time.  No matter what I tried, I couldn't find the right equation between what I ate and how much I exercised that would give me weight loss.  And then I would get frustrated and get off.  Then get on again, and so on and so forth.  It was tiring.  When I enrolled in graduate school, it all got tossed to the back seat. 

So when school ended and I joined WW, it was great.  I was told exactly how much to eat per day and could fill the day with whatever I wanted.  AND I talked to my doctor.  She suggested to try not dipping into any of my extra points (exercise or flex) as much as possible.  So far it has worked great!  I've lost pounds in the double digits since starting about 10 weeks ago... yea that may seem like a long time, but for me, slow and steady wins the race.  As I continued on the journey,  I learned to cook in ways that could satisfy my hubby (he's Filipino too) and help us both around the waist-line.  He, in turn, has accepted what I cook and now we're on the right track.

So you see how important it is to find the right diet (eating and eating for weight loss) for you.  It not only has to suit your body (because some do leave you starving at the end of the day), but it has to suit your life.  It has to fit in with your family, your lifestyle, your budget, etc. 

We are in the final stretch for the Pre-Summer Slimdown.  May and June's focus will be consumption.  If you do not log your daily intake, please start doing so.  Remember - knowing and awareness are very important in any wellness journey! If you are an employee at the hospital, please make use of the LiveWell representative to go over your food intake with you.  Remember, don't cheat.  Write down everything you eat.  Lets do this for about 2 weeks, then start looking to see where there can be improvements. 

Some tips:
1. Personally, I don't recommend totally cutting out your favorite foods.  Remember, everything in moderation.  If you starve yourself off of the things you love, eating will become a chore and you will hate every minute of this challenge.
2. Drink GALLONS of water.  Well not gallons.  Try to get at least 8 8oz glasses per day.  If you drink about 2.5 of those red water bottles given by the hospital, then you've done it.  I have found that I will drink more during the day if I drink it without ice. 
3. Eat fruits and veggies, but try to venture out and eat some fruits and veggies that you're not used to eating.  Preparation is a big thing... who knew pureed cauliflower with the right fixins is a great sub for mashed potatoes. 
4. Eat lean meats.  If you have to eat steak, ask the server which is their leanest cuts.  If you're making them at home, trim the fat before grilling
5. PORTIONS PORTIONS PORTIONS.... watch them!  Check food labels to see how much the label gives you nutritional information for... you'll be amazed at how much this will help.

That's it for now!  I'll talk about it in class more!  Don't forget to get measured!!

>M<