FIX YOUR FITNESS

We do not need anyone to tell us that we are unhealthy or that we need to fix our fitness, right?  If you are unhappy with yourself, feeling like crap, have been told by the doctor to change your lifestyle, or have had your friends and family kindly give you hints, then guess what, you already know that you need to fix your fitness. Fitness goes beyond the physical and includes emotional and spiritual well-being as well.  Don’t think we can walk around in physically pretty bodies and be all messed up emotionally, stressed out, overwhelmed and feeling like life is too big to handle.  Fixing our fitness requires looking at our complete picture and making the choice to clean up our act. 

It is not rocket science and requires nothing magic to fix our fitness, just our will, determination and follow-through to become healthy.  The media would like us to believe that we need a bunch of expensive things, products, pills, and potions to obtain the body that we are looking for, but the truth of the matter is that we all possess the ability to create our fitness.  The first step is admitting the areas we are unhealthy and putting forth a plan of action to get the process of adopting a fit lifestyle started.  If being overweight and struggling with painful joints, lack of energy, low self-esteem, and frequent illness is the issue, a great start would be to look at daily nutritional intake and exercise. If emotional problems such as anger, high stress on the daily, inability to relax, and tension that sends your shoulders to the ears is a constant, a great start would be to look into what is causing these feelings through possibly a counselor or clergy member. 

The important thing is to get on board with fixing your fitness.  Procrastinating on this very important subject does nothing but waste what could be a healthier happier life.  Being in denial about being unhealthy is also a thief of health and fitness.  Changing our mental game and looking at ourselves with rose colored glasses off to expose all the unhealthy parts is what it will take to implement the changes needed to fix our fitness.  It is a brave step in the right direction and today is always the right day to get to work.  

Darla Leal, Fit at 50

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Feeling Fabulous Friday

Today feels like an especially fabulous Friday and I wanted to share that with you.  I have been so blessed with busyness that making videos has taken a backseat…but…drum roll…I finished work early today and busted my backside to put a workout and In Your Face MOTIVATION video together…with a little flub in the beginning…but oh well…let’s see if you catch it.  Today is all about feeling fabulous and really appreciating the life that I have.   Truly, it is all about being happy right where I am…not wanting for more or wishing I had this or that materially…because that is not the meaningful stuff in my journey called life. 

Think about feeling fabulous, feeling healthy, feeling happy….I strive for that every day, every moment.  Is it realistic that I will have this all the time…well of course not…but I choose to be positive, surround myself with people who grow me in positive ways, and lean on my faith in God.  Life is really too short not to strive for QUALITY in everything that I do, think and feel.  Quality workouts, food, relationships, time…and my list can go on and on…do you get my picture?  In fact, I believe in quality over quantity…am I going to pound out 20 biceps curls in poor form…well…NO…but slow, controlled QUALITY movement…now that is what I am talking about.  I often say that “Nothing Good Happens Fast” and it is so true for many things in life.  Successful weight loss, lean mass gain, healing through injury, recovery from childbirth are all examples of things that take time.  I will be writing more about that in another Blog post.

Getting back to this moment and feeling great on this Friday…I have been able to do so much that has made me feel accomplished… working with my fabulous clients, getting some domestic engineering done and making a video for you…Woo Hoo…I FEEL GOOD!  I am only one, but I WILL DO whatever I can to help as many as I can to adapt a healthy lifestyle, and I do have a plan for this Blog which I have explained on my DONATION page.  I am patient however, and when the time is right and ready, it will happen…that is called FAITH and believe me…I am full of that.  I wish YOU the best of health on this beautiful Friday, and thanks for all your support, feedback, and sharing of your success stories…YEAH!  

 

 

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

 

For a Limited Time Only, enjoy my Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide as a Free Gift to YOU with a $10 donation to support Stay Healthy Fitness, YOU, your health and happiness. Thank you all for the many MOTIVATIONAL comments, notes of appreciation, and emails sent to me through all my online mediums.  I read and respond to each and every one and hearing that I have helped YOU is YOUR gift to me.  Many Blessings to YOU and Stay Healthy! 

 

 

Historic Spot in Nevada with my Hubby

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Have a Fabulous Week!

Stay Healthy!

Darla;)

 

 

MOTIVATION

I am MOTIVATED

Just like you, sometimes I struggle with this.  What keeps me going is how good I feel from where I was when I was injured.  I have worked too hard to fix myself to ever give up on me…that is MOTIVATION!   I have progressed to modified workouts instead of straight up physical therapy and believe me I still throw in a bit of the PT just to keep me honest.  As I have shared and you know how I feel…Life is too short not to be my BEST ME…so even on those days that feel hard and hand me a “I do not want to  attitude ”…I DO IT.  That inner voice talks pretty loud, and on those days, I truly feel like I am having an out of body experience going through my workout…but…the important thing is…I AM DOING IT.  

Off topic, but not really…I came down with the bronchial flu…a not so fabulous share from hubby that has set me back going on 2 weeks of no workouts…YUCK YUCK YUCK…I would love to say more about how frustrating this makes me feel.  Why do I share this…hmmm…well, I write what pops into my mind and I am relating this to motivation because I am motivated to get back on track once my energy is where it should be.  I am no super human and this past week has definitely proved that, but boy am I determined and motivated to get back to it.  You see, my lifestyle motivates me…I miss my workouts, even on the hard days.  There is a saying that goes…”You regret those things you do not do”…Well, I know that if I do not maintain my physical fitness, my body will suffer the consequences.

I Want a Long Healthy Happy Active Life with Hubby

I have so many motivators in my life…My Faith in God…this is HUGE…I have respect for this gift of life in this body and it is up to me to take the BEST care of ME always…One Life, One Chance, No Rewinds…WOW…this gives me goose bumps.  My fabulous husband motivates me to take care of ME, to be my BEST ME for him…crap, I want to feel sexy, alive, and all those things not only for myself, but for him.  We have a common goal of living a long, happy, healthy and active life together. My children motivate me…WOW…I have 4 now and I want to be my BEST for them, spending time, having laughs, watching their lives unfold as they journey into adulthood…they are already there…AMAZING!  My Grandchild and future grandchildren are motivators…how cool it will be to be a fit and trendy Grandma…I want that for them…I want to be able to sit, play and move around with ease and scoop them up in my arms with confidence and strength.  My parents and family motivate me…I want to be a healthy example for them, to enjoy the wisdom of my parents, and share in the lives of my siblings; My friends motivate me…you know in this life, seriously, true friendship is a rare gift and I cherish a couple that I can call my gems in life…a chosen sisterhood.

My clients and those I touch on a daily basis to live healthy lives motivate me. I receive emails of gratitude and celebrate success stories everyday…and you know what…I am just the voice to provide the MOTIVATION…truly it is each person that has to make a personal choice to change…and when this happens, that is exciting and MOTIVATING for me personally. Wrapping this up, I am a collector of motivational posters and sayings and I share this information on my Stay Healthy Facebook page on a daily basis.  I get so excited with a new find and how it moves me to be a better person and I think…if it speaks like this to me, then I am definitely going to share it.  I began a Pinterest account…OH MY…this is absolutely the BEST place to find motivational posters on every topic under the sun…no kidding…check out my board specific to MOTIVATIONS! 

This blog has been a bit everywhere in my life, but when it comes to Motivation, it is such a grand word, and even more than that, it is one to think about deeply.  So….does feeling sexy in my clothes MOTIVATE me…a big YES, but it goes much more beyond that and each day could bring a different motivator, but overall…I am Motivated to be a healthy person…and I am Motivated to Motivate…Can I say that…does that make sense…I hope so. 

My Workout of the Day:

Recovery Period:  Recovering for 2 weeks from the flu…not happy but necessary to prevent relapse

Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date Cookies...YUM!

My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup with splash f/f vanilla creamer & Stay Healthy Harvest Muffin

Juice/Shake Combo

Juice/Shake Combo with Egg Whites

Lean Turkey Spaghetti Sauce with veggies served over Quinoa

2 Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date cookies

Click Here to Check out My Pinterest Account and GET MOTIVATED!

Motivation of the Day: I Will Do This for Me

Newly Added to the In My Kitchen Page on the Blog

 Stay Healthy Caramelized Onion Bella Pizza Recipe

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STAY HEALTHY!

I Use BOTOX…YEP YEP YEP

I use BOTOX

Do You Like My Blog, Offer Me a Protein Shake…

YEP…the cat is out of the bag…I use BOTOX…OH MY Darla…really?  Yes, every 3 months I attend my standing appointments to maintain my 47 year young self…do I enjoy having it done…absolutely NOT…it is very uncomfortable…but I enjoy the results.  What the heck Darla…OK...let me break this down for you.  Do I see a cosmetic specialist to have this procedure done…a BIG NO…who do I see…My Neurologist.  YES…I have BOTOX injections to alleviate the pain, discomfort, and tension that come with having Torticollis or another name…Cervical Dystonia.  As I have shared in my bio, I have endured injury and along with that…early onset Torticollis, a genetic disorder that may have presented later in my life, but with trauma…oops here it is…early…YUCK…but out of my control.  It is one of those things that I MUST accept and love about myself.  At first, I was so embarrassed about it, because with the disorder comes cervical tremor…the late great Kathryn Hepburn also had the disorder.  I felt like one of those bobble dogs you see sitting on a car dash…lol…  I have to laugh at life and I am no longer hiding who I am and this is a part of me…so if I am a bit shaky sometimes and having a not so good day…oh well…goes with my program.  I have responded well to the BOTOX treatment, and can actually say that it is being used for a fabulous purpose.  Did you know that BOTOX is used to treat medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, migraines, back pain, excessive sweating, weak bladders, and enlarged prostate glands.  I have to honestly say that I could not sit there and have this stuff injected in my face or anywhere else for that matter just for fun thinking it might give me some youthful rewind…YUCK…and further remove my ability to have facial expression when I talk or laugh…OH, hell to the Big NO.  That is just how I feel however and not to offend.  Besides, when that huge needle is penetrating different layers of muscle to get to the root spasm…OMG…it hurts like no other…and to sit through several injections…well, again…no way to elective “I want to have no lines on my face” BOTOX… No, No, and again, No….and the stuff is outrageously expensive…I can’t believe that thousands of dollars are shelled out per treatment and if elective…that is out of pocket…a BIG NO way for this frugal girl.  I am so excited to share that BOTOX IS used for positive benefits such as treating my condition and many others…I experience relief with tremor, reduced pain, tension, and everything YUCK that goes along with Cervical Dystonia. 

Typical Injection Sites for My Cervical Dystonia

  

Relaxing on the Boat Last Week...Life Balance is Key!

 Of course, exercising in addition also provides a stress reducer and endorphin release that provides natural healing that keeps me calm, relaxed, and since Torticollis can be negatively affected by stress…It is important for me to exercise often…and I DO!!!  Why do I write about this…because I am REAL, and I AM who I AM… OPEN…and willing to share my life with you…wanting you to know that everything is possible with limitations and medical conditions.  This is actually the very first time that I have disclosed in depth regarding my Cervical Dystonia and I hope that it reaches many that suffer with the same condition and provides hope to not be ashamed or embarrassed.  Life is too short not to embrace each moment given…it truly is like that.  I take each moment and in that moment, I WILL be my BEST ME…I persevere through the storms and walk strong …do I have fears…who doesn’t…but my Hope, my Strength, and my Will always prevail.  WOW…deep stuff, so on the lighter side of my life…today is a very good day and I am into month 2 of my injections and I feel…whoop whoop FABULOUS!!!  This weeble wobble refuses to fall down.  Now off I go to kick my bootie on the ARC trainer for 60 minutes, then hit my modified weight routine…You See…My Life is Real Good!!!

Motivation of the Day:  The Only Limits on Your Life are Those That you Set Yourself

My Workout of the Day:

60 minute ARC trainer cardio day

Watch my Video…Modified Exercise in My Cage

My Nutrition of the Day:

My Spinach Salad tossed with EV Olive Oil & Balsamic

Coffee, one cup with n/f creamer

Pre-workout shake

Post-workout shake

Egg white salad on high fiber wrap

½ cup mixed beans with salsa, topped with n/f Greek Yogurt

Protein Balls (almond butter, whey, cinnamon, raisins)

Large Spinach salad & Grilled Salmon

1 Graham cracker with peanut butter

Personal Share:  Celebrating my 1^st Anniversary on September 15 married to my fabulous husband ~ My partner, my friend, my support, biggest fan, cheerleader, and My Forever and a Day Love ~ Thank you Babe for being such a wonderful man & I am happy to celebrate this day and look forward to years of Stay Healthy Happiness with YOU;)

Don & Darla Leal, Happily Married September 15, 2010

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STAY HEALTHY!

It’s All Chemistry to Me….

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Me and My Protein

It really is a fabulous relationship…chemistry is so important when it comes to that.  What is also important is breaking those relationship bonds…YIKES.  How can that be good at all…the chemistry I am talking about is the process of what food turns into when it hits my face…my relationship with food.  What it comes down to is the simplicity of the calorie and me.  Do I count them….NO…but eating my 5 to 6 meals per day in small portions keeps me in the ballpark of where I want to be every day.  The Law of Thermodynamics says this…whatever is not burned as energy is stored…that is it people.  It is truly that simple. So, when large portions of food are hanging over plates and made up of high calorie fat laden items….look out energy storage…when excess calories are consumed the body converts what is not used into FAT stored on the body…OH YUCK…some would like to get more colorful than the YUCK word.  Also….I hear stories about the snack grabs…going to the pantry and grabbing a handful of this and that…snack snack snack..and usually on CRAP…guess what…calories in the face not burned through physical activity add up…BIG TIME!  Look at this example…let’s say you take in 2000 calories per day but are only burning 1500 calories per day, that means an excess of 500 calories are left over which are placed in the fat storage body bank.  There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so on this course of eating, a person would gain one pound of fat every 7 days…that is 4lbs of fat per month.  Can you see how this adds up…can you see how this works.  So do I sit around eating out of boredom, without reason, and just because it takes good….Hell to the BIG NO.  If you look at the simple chemistry behind it, and realize every morsel placed in the face is a calorie ready to be converted to another form of energy in the body….that in itself can be the motivating factor to knock it off, and take control of the chemistry relationship with food.  I eat to live and not the other way around….I have shared this before.  I maintain a fabulous chemistry balance with my food in (energy) and energy out (the physical activity) which keeps me at a maintenance weight.  Now if I consumed too much over several days…guess what…I would gain…Not what I want to do.  I ensure that my food choices are not heavy calorie laden with lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.  In fact, I eat as many veggies and as much salad as I want at my last meal….over half my plate are the greens.  My lifestyle with eating this way is as natural as breathing so it is not hard for me, and is key to maintaining my physique.  I never plan to count calories ever again in my life…been there done that years ago…it is a pain in the bootie….however for newbies wanting to get a handle on food intake….I feel journaling it for awhile is great accountability until the Stay Healthy lifestyle is completely adapted.  The Food Administration just developed a new food pyramid guide…the dinner plate…and I love the simplicity of the visual… a long time coming and it covers my philosophy on food intake pretty well.  The point I am strongly making is that weight loss is not hard to understand when you grasp that it is all about Chemistry….one last look.

The New Dinner Plate..Check Out the Portions!

~Too many calories consumed to energy out – fat is stored, weight is gained ..YUCK

~Less calories consumed to energy out – energy is burned, no fat is stored, weight is lost…YEAH

~Same amount of calories consumed to energy out – no weight is lost, Maintenance…This is ME…so YEAH

So, yes it is all about the chemistry for me...YIKES..that was a tough one in college...but now it all makes perfect sense for my Stay Healthy Life;)

  

Motivation of the Day: It's Starts with the Person in the Mirror

 My Workout of the Day:

Arc Interval Training: 30 minutes...YIKES..I really had to motivate myself today...did a no/no &   went to bed too late..BUT..Stayed TRUE to my Workout...LESSON LEARNED..Bed on time tonight!

This was Tough Today!

Body Work: repeated cycle 4x

Hamstring Curls 25 lbs @ 25 reps

Leg Extensions 25 lbs @ 25 reps

Low Ab work, Leg Lifts on Bench 25 reps

Modified Triceps Extensions 10lbs on bar @ 25reps 

My Meal 2

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup please (needed it BIG TIME)

1-Post Workout Shake (gotta have my prune juice in it..lol..love it)

2-Sweet Potato with plain non-fat yogurt topping

3-2 Protein Balls (Vanilla Whey, Flax, Cinnamon, Raisin) YUM!!!

4-Grilled white fish with lots of grilled veggies

5-Protein Pudding

My Sunday Night Spontaneous Splurge...It was FABULOUS!

Splurge Report: Hubby & I made a Margarita Pizza on a thin crust Boboli, used low fat Italian cheese blend, fresh basil, roma tomatoes, olive oil, and minced garlic (YUM)!!! I had 2 slices. Our dessert...Low fat butter pecan ice cream with chocolate grahm crackers.  We were out all day and instead of stopping at a pizza place, we made our own...It was a spontaneous unplanned splurge...I never plan as I shared before and everything is better when I make it myself!!! 

I am SERIOUS about Spreading the Stay Healthy Life!

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Stay Healthy!