OFF ROUTINE FEELS GREAT

Photo op Road to Hana

Last week was an off week, away from my studio, my workouts, my food, and everything that felt routine to me.  I was more excited than stressed about it because I was going to Maui for the very first time in my life.  Last week was my wedding anniversary and we planned our vacation time to celebrate in Hawaii.  The “old” Darla would have worried about missing workouts, not being able to eat like I usually do, stressed about money if I took time off, and through all that nonsense not have been able to enjoy the moment.  I am so glad to have shed that girl years ago, and now fast forwarded to what life and health is really about.

I was off routine and on VACATION, well-deserved, and off the clock.  I literally took my watch off as soon as my work day prior to leaving for Maui was done.  What a free and fun feeling to go, do, and be without restrictions.  I think my clients were just as excited for me as I was, and that made me feel over-the-top GREAT. 

Being off routine did not mean that I was not active, and in fact, hubby and I snorkeled for hours, hiked for hours which included climbing, walked and ran on the beach, played in the ocean, swam in the resort pool, and that became our gym for the week.  I am definitely not one to lie in the sun for hours and for some reason, that makes me feel sick, but I do like to play in the water and outdoors so I got plenty of vitamin D.  My favorite active part was snorkeling and swimming with huge turtles and checking out tropical fish.  Talk about a workout!  Swimming against an ocean current for a couple of hours until your lips are pickled from the salt is quite the tiring event.  Top that off with the hike back to the resort, and I was ready for a shower, food and relaxation. 

Don and I at the top of the falls, Seven Sacred Pools

Mai tai at Feast LeLe

We did have a plan, a budget, and we were pretty pleased with ourselves to stay under budget.  The first stop off the airplane was to Costco where we stalked up on organics, yogurt, quinoa, nuts, veggie burgers, and tequila to stash in our room. Yes, I indulged in a few cocktails on vacation.  We ate fairly healthy the entire trip and allowed for treats of our choosing as we were out.  The Feast LeLe was our choice of Luau and the food was spectacular and surprisingly pretty healthy.  The portions were such that I did not feel overly full, but very satisfied.  I really enjoyed that we had a healthy food supply in our room, and made a quick dash there many times to eat between adventures.  We dined out a couple of times without concern of what we were ordering, simply enjoying the tastes of the island to include dessert.   We were so active each day, that I am sure the calorie consumption matched the activity calorie output…I came home weighing the same, and so did my husband.  The best part was that we were not worrying about it in the first place.

 

It was great to be off routine and experience a tropical paradise gym setting, and to try foods that are not in my normal daily food intake.  I do not consider vacation to be about food though, and constantly wanting the next meal to be here.  I simply listened to my body as I usually do, and ate when I felt I should.  My portions remained as I usually intake, but the indulgence was there with eating foods that I typically shy away from. 

Being on vacation also provided my body and mind a rest from my every day work, workouts and environment.  It was a beautiful place to recharge my mental and physical batteries.  Moving my body in different ways like swimming in the ocean felt more like play than working out, and lying on a hammock listening to the ocean was relaxation that I have never experienced before this trip.  Life is simply not healthy or balanced if the busyness of life does not allow time to appreciate such beauty, to take in a moment, dump the brain battery, and to just “be”.  Off routine can be as simple as in your own backyard, nearby park, beach, or within a planned vacation.  I have learned through the journey of my life how important it is to get off routine once in a while and to enjoy the ride.

 

MAUI MOTIVATION ADVENTURES

ALOHA!!!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

Stay Healthy~ Darla 

 

 

 

NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST

I have learned in life to take things a little slower, to be patient, a great listener, and to enjoy the moment.  All this rushing around can make my head spin, increase my stress levels, and I miss way too much of what is important in life.  I implement this philosophy in my workouts, food intake, work and play, in the bedroom, and I know I am missing some other categories, but I will share those as I am inspired. 

I like to share that “nothing good happens fast” with my clients if they try to rush a move and I usually get a chuckle, as the mind can go thinking about other things, but I always pull everyone back to the exercise, of course enjoying the humor right along with them in that brief instant…it is all about life and having fun with fitness. Now, think about an exercise and what the body needs and how benefited the muscles are by focused, slow, well executed contractions.  Before I lift a weight, I create a two part motion to the exercise by putting my mind on that muscle, slightly contracting that muscle, then executing the contraction of the muscle with the lift. 

This creates the best environment for muscle growth and reduces the chance of injury as I am not just throwing weights around without purpose.  It truly is about going about exercise with purpose and knowing that muscle growth is a slow process.   Remember…nothing good happens fast, so in this want for lean muscle on the body, patience is very important and “GOOD things come to those who wait”.

Moving on to my food intake and eating slowly.  If I have worked my butt off preparing a fabulous healthy meal, I am going to take my sweet time eating and savoring every bite of that work.  I will not be one of those gulping my food down remaining hungry because I did not allow my brain to register with my stomach that I am full.  This is an area where many do not realize that it takes at least 20 minutes for the brain to communicate satiety to the stomach, and sadly too large of portions are consumed because of eating too quickly.  This type of continued eating pattern is one of the many causes of obesity, in addition to the unhealthy processed products that are consumed as well.  Nothing good happens fast in the eating department, and in fact, the slower the better and for at least 20 minutes.  This gives me time to enjoy my food, have lengthy and meaningful conversation, and relax during my meal.

I also take things slower to reduce stress in my life.  I used to be a “yes” girl

as I have shared in the past plus having an A1 personality type.  I would busy myself so much, always say “yes” to everyone, and overload my calendar to the point where I had to be fast just to keep up with all of my commitments.  Let’s just say I needed a big crash in my life to bring that to a screeching halt.  I look back at all that and can say in a big way…nothing good happens fast, and all that madness can cause YUCK chemical release in the body to produce stress and anxiety, which of course can lead to illness, burn out, depression, and that whole “life feels bigger than me” overwhelm.  Fast forward to the new Darla taking life slow, breathing, calendaring according to what works for me, and living a healthy “balanced” life.  When life feels too fast, what is the point of that and I truly do not want to miss out on what life is gifting me. 

I am going to the bedroom because it is a part of life, health and fitness.  Now, when I talk about intimacy and sex, please realize that I am referencing within the bonds of marriage, but do not think I am sitting here judging people as that is not for me to do.  Now, the point I am trying to make with sex is again “nothing good happens fast.”  I am a woman of almost 50 and I am sure that my fellow gal readers out there will agree, that our bodies go through changes that can leave us feeling frustrated, and not understanding what the heck is going on.  This goes for men as well, and I am talking physically and emotionally.  The key to a happy healthy sex life is to take things slow, be patient, embrace the changes that are occurring and do the best with what we have.  Sometimes that means being very creative and how can that be a bad thing…right?  Instead of frustration and thinking things should happen fast, toss that thinking out the window and accept the new body that responds to slow, and know that the mind and body work together to produce fabulous results.

The wonderful thing about “Nothing Good Happens Fast” is that it can be applied to so many things in life as I shared above, and so much more.  I am a planner and a processor of thoughts, feelings, and life decisions.  The “nothing good happens fast” philosophy works well for me here as it slows me down to think before I jump, make a pro-con list if needed, hear feedback from my hubby, family or friends, and helps me to make decisions without fear.  If things are taken slowly, I feel better and more confident about the choices that I make.  The important thing is taking care of ME through a healthy mind and body process that works for me, and taking things slower just works. 

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IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATION

This one was FUNNY!!

BLOG DEDICATION:  I dedicate this Blog to my BEST friend, my biggest fan, cheerleader, and the one who helps me appreciate and take life at a slower pace...My Fabulous Husband who I wish a very Happy Anniversary next week.  I love you "Forever and a Day".

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

Stay Healthy~ Darla 

Having a Relationship with Myself

Just ME

If I did not have a GREAT relationship with myself, I would be a complete mess.  This is just not a physical existence for me, but a very deep spiritual bond with God, and being truly content with me and my life.  The healthy lifestyle that I maintain comes from how I treat myself, how I allow others to treat me, how that is perceived, how I grow from my journey, continually being enlightened by both positive and negative experiences, setting healthy boundaries, and wrapping all that up into how I respond to life’s circumstances. 

 

As I have journeyed through this life, I have suffered physically and emotionally and would not be honest if I did not say that I have felt the sting of both from time to time even now.  The difference in the now is my past experiences have been a life education on how to love myself enough to see things and handle things in a healthy way, and navigate through boundaries that I now have to take

care of me.  A great example would be a person that has hurt me emotionally through an insensitive act or words.  I have realized that this has nothing to do with me or who I am as a person, but all about the offender not knowing how to be sensitive or compassionate in that moment.  Would it hurt…well of course but the important thing is realizing the behavior is not my fault, and even more important is responding to it in the healthiest way possible.  The best part about life is learning through the experiences, being enlightened by what is acceptable and not acceptable, not reliving the unacceptable, and “the knowing” of what is wanted and not wanted.  Looking at all things this way has created a healthy perspective of circumstances and a clear understanding  that God wants me to learn something from the situation and possibly create a circumstance that I will be able to help others going through a similar experience in the future.   Emotional growth has not been an overnight learning method of how to handle things, but a cultivation of experiences, over time that has developed my emotional self and created a bit of thicker skin as well in a positive way. 

Having a relationship with me also includes my physical day to day actions.  Believe me, there are days where I need to be In Your Face MOTIVATED to get my bootie moving to workout.  I feel very comfortable eating healthy a very high percentage of the time, but as I get older, I find that the workouts are my more difficult area and because of that, I have become wiser with my workouts.  This has become an enlightenment experience for me as well as some days I will be gang busters and full of pep in my step, and other days…OH MY…throw a towel over my ARC trainer monitor and beep when it is over.  I have also fine tuned my fitness training using what works for my body to reduce/avoid the chance of aggravation.  Nothing is worse than aggravating an injury during a workout and spending days rehabilitating something that could have been prevented.  My relationship with my physical health is all about HEALTH and feeling great, not so much on how great I will look on the outside.  Although, I do appreciate that my outward appearance is a reflection of living a healthy life.  I also want to add that I do not feel looking healthy to be a “vain or ego” thing and that it is OK to enjoy the “physical look” of living a healthy lifestyle.  Many people get so caught up in “acceptance”, and I think that is healthy to a point…but not to be taken to an unhealthy one.  No one should accept being in an unhealthy state of life in my opinion...how can that be a happy place or something to accept? 

Both the emotional and physical parts of my “self” relationship have taken years

to fine tune and develop, and still nothing in life is great all the time.  Life is not perfect or even easy, and in fact it is all the challenges, bumps in the road, hard work, and experiences that sand down the roughness of our inner and outer shells into smooth, beautiful gems.   Through it all, I have learned to not give up, be patient, and above all to know that I am worthy of great things, and I have definitely learned not to settle for anything less.  Life is too short to not want to be healthy physically and emotionally and the BEST place to start and maintain all that is within ME. 

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATION

Me with My Fabulous Kids

Thanks for stopping by my Blog and I hope you enjoyed the content.  Let me know by leaving a comment, a LIKE, or whatever you are inspired to do. I look forward to responding, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friends list.   

Stay Healthy~ 

Darla 

MADE IN THE GYM, MAINTAINED IN THE KITCHEN

It does not matter how much I exercise, if I do not put healthy foods in my body, I will not be healthy.  It is really that simple.  Outside of my workouts, I maintain my body mostly with healthy food intake.  An hour of exercise at least five days per week is sufficient for me, and allows for great recovery and rest for my body.  How I feed my body is the maintenance work that takes place all day long, until I hit the sheets for sleep.  Even then, it is important to eat healthy food that promotes sleep as well. 

Yes, I build my body in the gym and prior to that ensure that my body is ready to go with the proper fuel to get me through my workout.  I purposely create a space on my client calendar where I am the client for a workout.  I give myself one hour of bodywork time and that is enough.  If my hunger bell rings just before my scheduled time, I will slam an apple or a few pieces of watermelon, and if over the top hunger hits, there is no way I am missing what my body is telling me…GO EAT.  It happens sometimes and I will not allow my metabolism to be thrown out of whack over one workout.   Most of the time though, a small piece of fruit and water will allow me to push forward and I fuel directly after my workout.  I have become quite the strategic eater and workout gal with my career as a personal trainer and coach.  

The maintenance work is always on call and important for a healthy body.  Like I shared earlier, there is no amount of exercise that will create a healthy body without the healthy food.  Some get caught up in a vicious exercise punishment cycle of I got to work that “shit” off or starvation mode the following day.  That creates a negative thought process about working out instead of looking at it as a gift for the body.  Before any backlash, I need to clarify that exercise is great and important for the body even if unhealthy food is being eaten, so please do not think I am saying not to exercise if your nutrition is not dialed in yet. The human body was made to be active and move, not remain stagnant and sedentary for hours on end.  So any steps taken to create a healthy body with exercise are POSITIVE steps. I understand that beginning and adapting a healthy lifestyle can be a struggle in the food department and if exercise is the first thing on the agenda to incorporate…that is great. 

What I am saying, and I will use my personal life as an example, is that my body is at its’ healthy best when I am simultaneously eating healthy and exercising consistently.  It is a LIFESTYLE of building and maintaining that has been fine tuned over the years.  It does take years to develop muscle, maintain that muscle and fuel the body in ways to keep that muscle.  Without healthy food and not eating, I would lose all the hard work made in the gym, and that is just not going to happen, besides…I LOVE to eat!

My main maintenance foods consist of lean proteins, antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber.  Examples would be boneless skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, eggs, yogurt, nuts, seeds, oats, all types of greens and vegetables along with fresh fruits, and healthy oils.  I prefer to purchase all my healthy food products organic, humanely and sustainably raised, and non-GMO (genetically modified organism).  If I am on track at least 90% of the time with my healthy food intake for maintenance, I feel pretty good enjoying my occasional treats.  I do not deny myself if I want to enjoy a cookie, brownie, pie, frozen yogurt, etc. as long as the dessert or “cheat meal” is quality.  There is no way I am downing a packaged processed non food item for a “treat meal”…did you catch how I changed that up?  The indulgence would have to be home baked or gourmet, all natural quality ingredients and provide over the top fabulous flavors in my mouth.  

Overall, the combination of work in the gym, maintenance with the food, plenty of rest, and balance of life with work and play is what makes up healthy ME.  I do not believe in calorie restriction, over exercising my body to risk physical injury, or overworking myself to unmanageable stress levels.  Life is about being healthy and the work in the gym and maintenance with the food is just a part, but very important part, of the success of living a healthy life, feeling my best, and enjoying the results of living this way. 

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATION

Thanks for stopping by my Blog and I hope you enjoyed the content.  Let me know by leaving a comment, a LIKE, or whatever you are inspired to do. I look forward to responding, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friends list.   

Stay Healthy~ 

Darla