Thoughts of a forgotten mind

There are times in our lives when I believe it’s OK to stop, breathe for a while and enjoy the endeavors which surround us. There are other times when we get consumed by our day to day activities that we don’t give ourselves the chance of enjoying life happenings. It seems that it all comes down to having a balance; having the equilibrium of each aspect in our lives.

Too much work leads to living in a cycle that might lead to a stressed and not happy life, on the other hand too much fun leads to a life where in my opinion not much gets accomplished.

So what is the key for a life well balanced? Is there an ABC recipe I can follow? Will I ever be destined to work and not think about other stuff? Well, these past few weeks I started an experiment, and the first lesson I received was that having a balanced life takes a butt load of work. You need to plan and organize, especially if you have a lot of activities to accomplish in one day.

What I did was some kind of schedule, yes like the one I had as a kid so I could remember all the things I had to do, this includes everything, from waking up at 6:00 AM, through finishing a day perfectly at 10:00 PM. There are a lot of activities I included, but today I want to write about the ones that for me mean having a more balanced life:

Start with Breakfast and that is because throughout the years I started skipping it, but what I have learned is never skip breakfast, it really is the most important meal of the day, I started neglecting breakfast because I wanted to sleep more, but I wanted more sleep because the day before I stayed up late watching TV.

By the way don’t watch TV, I  know this sounds ugly, but really if you want to accomplish things in life don’t sit in your couch for 3 hours changing channels until you find something that amuses you, Is not that I don’t watch TV, but if I have a show I like, I make use of my DVR and tape it, then watch it over the weekends, plus I can skip the ads, which in my opinion are a waste of time and make me fat because I cannot control myself when I see that random Pizza advertisement.

Work Out, yes yes everybody tell us how exercise is great for our mind and body, and well it certainly is. Whenever I stop working out I feel tired, depressed and my mind doesn’t function as it should; you don’t have to join a gym if you don’t want to, there are tons of videos that can help you work out, or you can also walk outside, but do try moving your body at least 30 minutes every day.

Read before going to sleep, something you like and enjoy, it can be something funny, adventurous or spooky, try avoiding topics related to your work, because that time should help you relax and unwind from all the things you already did over the day.

Lastly find your passion, a couple of weeks ago I discovered that  mine is swimming, I used to swim while at college and discovered that was the only sport I did not suck at because a) I didn’t get hit with a ball in the head and b) I didn’t get hit with a ball in the head. The feeling that swimming and being underwater gives me, is nothing I can’t compare so I had added this activity to my Sunday’s it is part of my “me time”.

Don’t Feel Like Working Out? Think Again!

Saturday! The perfect day to wake up late (if you don’t have to work), have a relaxed and luxurious breakfast and enjoy free time ahh…That used to be my life in the past…but now I try to make the best of my mornings. Today my alarm went on at 7:00 am to get ready and head to the gym for my zumba class which I’ve been enjoying A LOT!!.

Even though after going to the gym I feel completely different I still have some trouble making it, which I believe tends to be because I really haven’t regained my habit and still trying to figure out the perfect schedule for my workout routine to be accurate and complete. So there’s no surprise I almost missed today’s class, but my conscience couldn’t allow it and I put my sneakers on and went to my class.

So instead of talking about the bad stuff of why I don’t feel like working out most of the times, I decided to focus on the good stuff of how do I feel when I do work out.

1. I feel great after working out, I am in a good mood and everything is awesome.

2. It helps me to sing, yes it really does, I mostly sing in my car and my shower (LOL) but working out really improves my voice plus singing makes me happy.

3. My mind clears, especially if I have to go back to work afterwards, it helps me concentrate.

4. My day goes smoothly when I workout in the mornings.

5. I remember that I can breath, because I get very unconscious about this especially when I feel stress.

So this is what working out does for me..Now I want to know what working out does for you please comment I would really like to know 🙂

Until Next Time,

xoxo

My Zumba Experience

Hey everyone, I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend I know I am full of work thanks to month end…but still I have a small break and decided to write a bit, and wanted to talk about my new hobby. Well is no news to everyone that since I returned from Ecuador and moving to Houston I’ve been gaining some pounds (ok a lot!!). These past few months have been a bit stressful and I have not been taking care of my eating habits that much, until a couple of weeks ago when I said enough!…

So I decided to eat healthier and join the gym once again, now that I am more “stable”. They offer tons of classes, but my first option was cycling since I used to do that in my previous gym and helped me a lot! But, a friend of mine (who joined as well) went to the Zumba class and told me how great it was. Honestly I was a bit skeptical because I never thought it would work, but I decided to give it a try, little did I know that I was going to LOVE IT.

IT IS AMAZING, you burn a lot of calories, while dancing (even if you don’t know the steps) and you work out ALL YOUR BODY. I ended up burning almost 500 Calories in a 60 minutes class which is way more of what I’ve burned in cycling in the past. So yes! I recommend Zumba if you want to exercise while having fun and learning a few new steps.

Have you practiced zumba?

Until Next Time

xoxo

Update, Travel & What’s in My Bag!!

Hey guys so today I am pretty excited, I know once again I should be studying because I have a test on Saturday, but God it’s hard to concentrate. So what’s been going up lately, well a lot of work which has been hectic, but I don’t give up and I keep going to the gym as I committed, every day before going to the office.

Food related well I’ve been trying to be better because let’s be honest I am basically working out pretty hard and I want that effort to be worth it, I just been cutting out a bit of calories per day and been eating more veggies.

And some exciting news I will be going out of town YAY it will be only for a couple of days, but it is quite cool and where am I going??

That is right I will be hitting Houston!! I heard that the weather is hot and humid so let’s see how it goes. Has anyone been there or lives there that can give me a couple of tips?

Anyway I will be preparing my suitcase and makeup, question would you like me to do a what’s in my travel stuff?? Also do you want to see some vlogs??

Last, I have an updated what’s in my bag which I randomly decided to show you here, LOL Enjoy!

I guess that is all for me now I will be seeing you all next time!!

xoxo

What’s in my Gym Bag

You are in the gym after working out, getting ready for work and uh oh! You forgot your shoes!! Yes this happened to me once and it is not a nice feeling especially when you need to run to work!

So today I have for all of you What’s in my Gym Bag, let me tell you I have come to this from Trial and Error, Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Summer School and Other Stuff…

Today I would like to apologize to my Statistics Teacher, because God knows I should’ve been doing homework right now, but hey as a former student right now I prefer writing a post for all of you 🙂

So what I’ve been up to? Well lately it’s been gym, work, school, sleep and that is that LOL. I am proud to say that I am at my day 32 of going 5 days to the gym without missing one day. Let me tell you I’ve totally been feeling the changes and it feels amazing. I believe it is what has helped me keep going definitely.

Yes this is me in front of my bike at the gym at 6:00 am

At work I am in a new position which is very interesting I really like it, but it is very demanding as well, so you can see why I have not been posting a lot, I’ll give it 3 more months and everything will sail smoothly.

Luckily in 3 more weeks I will have 2 weeks off from school which is amazing and will give me time to catch up in my posts and videos.

For now this is it I hope that you are enjoying your summer, I now I am right now because we have been having such a lovely weather right now, it’s been raining and between 80’s to 90’s I hope it lasts more 

Until Next Time,

The Benefits of Morning Exercise

I’ve been working out for 3 weeks straight and today I thought that I was ready to write about it. Basically I’ve joined a gym since last December and I was going after work (a couple of days a week). While this “routine” worked for a couple of months I got to a point where I just could not handle it. I just remember feeling tired and not wanting to go anymore.

One night after a hefty dinner I could not sleep, it was 3 in the morning I believe, that guilty feeling for eating a lot and the fact that my birthday was a month away made me say to myself I cannot do this anymore (it was like my AHA moment!) 2 hours later I jump up off bed, got my stuff ready and hit the gym.

What started as an abrupt decision of me going to the gym at that Insane hour became a habit, I only was planning on doing this for a straight month, only to see what it felt (after all I’ve never did this in my life), but honestly I think that this has become my new way of living. I wake up every day at 5:00 am and get ready for my 6:00 am gym time, after that I get ready there and go to work.

Today I want to share with you all of the great things that have happened since I have been doing this:

I feel more awake. Yes people often say that morning exercise really helps you feel more awake during the day. And it really does, my work requires my brain to be awake so since I started working out I completely forgot about “needing a coffee to wake up and start my day”

I think faster and give more accurate solutions. Sometimes there are situations that need to be fixed fast and correctly, before working out early I felt tired all the time and lazy, now I find an easy way out when I have to solve a problem at work or take better decisions.

My breathing has improved. Before this I would say I breathed normally, but believe me when I tell you that every day I leave the gym ready to start my day my breathing is different and feels good, I feel that I can really expand my lungs, which makes me feel pretty alive.

I don’t stress anymore. I used to be a person who could get stressed pretty easily, when I went to the gym after work I went and got out all the “stress of the day” but REALLY, now that I think about it, working out in the morning helps me not to have stress during the day.

I smile more. It is easy to smile when you are awake, have good natural energy and feel awake.

I sleep better. Incredibly I do, I don’t have any more problems with my sleeping habits plus I sleep early because I wake up at a bloody early hour every day.

I eat better (ok I try). I am still lacking a bit on this side, but I believe I become more selective because I do think more before putting stuff in my mouth and if it is a snack and it doesn’t taste good why bother I just won’t eat it.

And basically that is it, I know I have more to go, but today when my alarm rang and I woke up with no hassle and started getting ready without nagging I realized that it already became a habit for me and nothing can beat that.

Have you had an AHA moment lately?

Friday| Take a Deep Breath

Hey everyone, happy Friday, I know probably many of you are just starting their weekend (so jealous!) so be happy and be safe. Today I just wanted to take some time and update, because I’ve been missing a bit, so I said Tomiko take a deep breath and carry on, I will not deny that I am a bit (ok A LOT) tired, but still I feel pretty good.

I did complete my entire week of going to the gym at 6:00 AM (12 days now) which makes me feel pretty energetic throughout the day. Also, I have a new position at work, so this has had me studying a lot; there are so many new things and I’ve been running up and down, it’s been a bit of hectic, but at the end of every day I just sit and say to myself:

But returning to the weekend part, this one will be my last one before starting school again (decision I took by choice!) and I wanted to show you my outfit. Nothing says more relaxed than a pair of shorts, some sneakers and a t-shirt.

And while I’ll be sporting this outfit I will be working on future posts and some video ideas I’ve been having (so stay tuned for those). Also expect my May Favorites soon!!

PS: Something I also noticed today (due to our month end closing at work…duh!) is that June is coming!! I am pretty excited because My B-day is in June so I always love my birthday month is like a huge celebration for me even though I never have a BIG party I just love it.

Until Next Time

xoxo

Exercise, Money and Am I a Student?

Hey everyone, so if you are a current assiduous follower of this blog of mine, you might have noticed that I have not been posting a lot. Well basically I’ve been running up and down here and there with a lot of “interesting” things, and today I wanted to share them with you.

Well, first of all you know I’ve been working out in my fitness/health side for some time now, and somehow the past months I got stuck in my weight and was not feeling good. I just knew I needed a change, so one day at 4:00 AM I decided to give a big turnaround to my routine. I started working out early in the morning!! Now this is a big challenge, because my working hours are from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, so I started getting up at 5:00 AM and going to the gym.

This has been a BIG challenge and I’ve been trying to get USED TO my new schedule, which I won’t deny is a bit harsh, BUT the feeling I get every day after I leave the gym ready to start a new day is PRICELESS. No wonder I heard that working out in the mornings is the best thing. On my weight I have not seen big changes, but my clothes are loose now and I feel great, which is the most important thing.

On the other side, well I think I am going back to school (wait, I am going back to school)…I still cannot believe it. Two years ago I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and I felt that was time to go for my Masters, it all happened very sudden and I’ve actually been given a great opportunity that I cannot reject. So yes, I will be a student again. Not a full time because with a master is very different and this one is great because classes are only on Saturday’s so this will not mess with my weekly goals.

So where does this leave my blog and my YouTube channel? Well I’ve been giving it some thought and I will definitely not be leaving it because I love it, this is my hobby my escape and something I truly love doing, and I know school and work are first (after all they pay my bills and the stuff I review for all of you guys! ?) but I have to be realistic and I know that I will not be posting every day as I used to. Hang in there posts will be juicier!!. Plus thanks to these new activities I have now tons of new Post Ideas for all of you, so it is a win win situation.

On my No spending month let’s say that I’ve been a little overboard with my expenses (just see my YouTube Hauls) but now that my birthday is coming well let’s say that It will be over for some time, maybe until winter comes. But I have managed to keep my savings in good condition still and keep moving forward!!

Wishing you all a happy Weekend!!

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Is Willpower Enough for Losing Weight?

A friend once told me:

If you really want to be healthy and lose weight you need to follow this equation:

Now it sounds simple, but in my head and looking at my background I thought that things were different, I mean I thought that 80% was the exercise and 20% controlling what I put in my mouth. Well that hasn’t taken me any farther so now I am under an experiment.

This experiment started last week when the hubs and I felt really down and with no motivation for working out or taking care of our meals. Until he was like ENOUGH I can’t take it anymore, and I was like yeah sure…(in my mind I couldn’t take it either but I was just craving some desert that I didn’t want to listen).

Does this situation ring a bell to you?

After that declaration we cleaned our fridge (with all my pain) and made a healthy groceries list. We redefined our goals for losing weight which resume in:

• We will lose at least 2 pounds per week (until we reach our personal goal)

• We will weight weekly and take our measurements once a month.

• We will go to the gym at least 5 times a week (1 hour minimum).

• We will not eat any junk food, processed food and Sodas are way out of limits.

• We will eat more Veggies and Fruits (that is how we get our sugar from).

• Dinner after gym will only be salad and a small protein portion (tuna or chicken).

Ok at this point I was going to cry LOL. But took the determination of saying, if you want different results you have to do things differently.

My first week just went by and let me tell you my experience, I did have some freaking cravings which are not fun, these cravings were due to the fact that I was in the junk food cycle, you know, the more you eat that type of food the more you desire it. BUT the gratification of seeing my weight in the scale this past Saturday was WORTH IT, I lost almost 4 pounds (even though I must confess that I did cheat twice over the week, but I don’t care).

I am not saying that I am over it, and that from now on things will be easy as pie, but if last year was the time when I became from an exercise hater to a person who enjoys it, this year will be the one when I will become a person who enjoys eating healthy.

In my belief, although willpower is important while conquering losing weight or any other goal (because you have to say NO to the good to say YES to the best), I also think that the words commitment, patience and perseverance play a big role. Why? Well because losing weight is not a thing that happens from one day to another, you have to let go of old patterns and develop a new way of life, which makes you a patient and perseverant person, and you do have to be committed all the time, is not like “I eat healthy on weekdays and have 2 free weekend days to eat what I want”. No it does not work like that, if you do that you are only fooling yourself.

Now, I am starting week number 2 now I want a Krispy Kream donut, but that’s OK because I am human, so what am I going to do? I am going to my fridge and eat a bit of chopped strawberries before hitting the gym. It is all about the choices, and though it takes willpower, I don’t want to restrict myself, because if I do I will fail. So I am just weighting my options and taking the best one. I know a donut right now will bloat me and will give me energy for like 10 minutes, while strawberries will be fresh, low in sugar and will reduce my craving for a longer period.