March: A Time to Review Goals

I would dare to say that most than 50% of people in this world made New Year resolutions, set up goals and want to accomplish something for this year. It is March already and while you might have joined the gym to shed some pounds or joined a class to learn something new, this is the point where a lot of us start flaking and forgetting about our goals, or feel that we still have 9 more months to accomplish them.

The truth is that Rome was not built in one day and neither your accomplishments, so I encourage you to take this time to remember what you want to achieve; re-evaluate if you are failing in some part of your goals and just do something about it; because honestly things won’t fix themselves.

And remember it is all about the decisions you take today what will take you to your goal. Yesterday choices are gone and tomorrow’s not even here yet.

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Feeling Depressed? Hit the Gym

Ok so last week was very hectic for me I must say, if you go a couple of posts back you would know that I was involved in a car accident and I’ve been going on and off dealing with car insurances, yara yara…anyways besides this I had tons of work and a dentist appointment (which was stressful). My mood was awful.

I was only able to fit 3 gym days and yesterday I was feeling grumpy and I didn’t know why? I only felt bothered at everything and very very tired. I didn’t even feel like going to my spin class, but that was when it hit me. I had to go more than ever because I needed exercise to feel better.

So after work I put my sneakers and hit my spin class. I must say I felt great after, and the instructor just puts you in this great mood always. He was saying to us “Smile just for 20 seconds, it’s free and it will make you feel good” so that’s what I did, even if those were the hardest 20 seconds of our strength class, that made me feel amazing.

Of course that you need to hear your body and if you feel physical exhaustion you do need to rest, but in my case most of the times is anxiousness from the day, that I do need to release by exercising. So next time you start feeling depressed and not so good, put your sneakers and go to the gym or just go for a walk, the thing is to do something different than be sitting in front of your computer or watching TV believe me your body will thank you later.

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Being Healthy + Losing Weight = Happy Me

So it has been a while since I did my last being healthy-losing weight update. You know it, if you are familiar to my blog you are aware that since last year I decided that I did not want to live in the same situation, a.k.a. gaining weight, eating junk food, and being as sedentary as a manatee (are manatees sedentary? If not sorry for the reference)…

Anyways, January has passed as a big flash that comes and goes (and this is where I stop with my weird analogies). I have to say that I am proud of myself, OK going to the gym 21 days out of the 31 that January had beats my lifetime record of exercising. (I know this because every time I hit the gym I mark it in my calendar).

Also, I started recording again in SlimKicker (If you don’t know what SlimKicker is please check out here) I just think that this is a great app that helps you stay in balance and their community helps you when you are struggling with your food, mood, and working out issues. I was able to record all my meals for January, all the calories I burned at the gym, and my weight every Monday.

In total I lost 6.82 Pounds (3.1Kg) for January honestly I do think this is amazing because I have to admit I did not do any diet, and I did not stop eating sweets, BUT I tried to limit my portions at dinner and stopped drinking soda for the most part of the month.

In retrospective, maybe if I would have been better with my eating behavior I would have lost more weight, but right now I am at this point where if I start cutting cold turkey on things I know I will fail. So instead of having the two Reese’s pieces (My favorite chocolate) I only eat one, and when I do I just won’t eat anything sweet the rest of the day.

All these things give me confidence to keep moving forward, and now crunching some numbers I feel strong to accomplish my goal for this year.

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Flu Season it’s Here, How to Stay Healthy

Hey everyone, so today I started hearing about flu season and how badly it is affecting people right now. So I wanted to take some time to give you some tips for staying healthy over these weeks of cold.

Eat Healthy. Ok we love eating that crusty cheesy hot pizza (ok or at least I do) but in order to boost your immune system try eating lots of fruits and veggies citrus’s are a great option, and while doing that why not having comforting healthy food like soups and casseroles.

Clean Hands. That’s right!! wash your hands whenever it is needed, if you are going out carry an anti-bacterial with you. Nowadays this portable wonders come in delicious scents that will not only disinfect your hands but will leave them smelling yummy.

Keep yourself warm. Even if you are inside a warm environment (house, school, work) odds are that you might be going out to face the cold some time. Over the years I have learned that layering is my salvation so I always have thermal pants and long sleeve shirts. Knit and Wool Scarves, Hats and Gloves are a must and boots with fuzzy socks are great option for colder days. Once your head, feet and hands are warm it is easier to survive the cold weather.

Avoid hot-cold changes. I know there are times when you are at work or home and it is so warm inside that you feel like its summer (i.e. my parents home), but the trouble comes when you have to go out to the cold; these changes are dangerous because you can get sick very easily due to temperature changes. What I do is, if I am in a warm place and have to go out, minutes before leaving I stand out of the door without opening it entirely (with all my outwear ready of course), so stay there a bit, this will help you get used to the temperature outside and you will feel less vulnerable. Also, if you are driving with your heater on, make sure to turn it off approximately 5 minutes before arriving to your destination, or else when you go out all the cold will slap you in the face.

Exercise. Working out is great at any time of the year, but in winter is excellent because you are as well boosting your immune system while being active. Nobody likes couch potatoes, so put some sneakers on and hit the gym. If you cannot pay a gym exercise at home, how about climbing those stairs a couple of times? Doing some crunches? Or dancing to your favorite beat? You will feel more energized and will feel like doing other things. Warning: If you are going to the gym, make sure to bring an extra outfit; odds are that you will sweat and you don’t want to go outside like that.

If everything else fails and you start feeling really bad I would suggest you to go straight to your family doctor, I was hearing that if fever goes over 100 degrees it is a sign that you need to be attended by professionals A.S.A.P. so ask someone to take you if you are feeling sick, and DO NOT wait…

Until Next Time and Stay Healthy!

Christmas Carols and Funky Glasses

Hello everybody, so I hope that everyone had a great Christmas full of family, friends, happy people and gifts (if you are into them). Well holidays for me happened to be AMAZING, I got a very well-deserved rest and I am full of batteries ready to start writing again (which is something I did miss).

So yep for these festivities we went with my parents, had some excellent food, and played a lot of board games, I actually ran on the 24th to the Dollar Store to buy some funky prices for the games. You would not believe but this was the most wanted price:

Better Sore Than Sorry

With all the Christmas Treats you might be receiving right now, there might be a chance you are forgetting about something. I’m talking about that place you know you should be at and that whispers to your ear “don’t forget about me…” Yep that’s right I’m talking about THE GYM (or what you might call your favorite place for exercise), I know festivities can be hectic, but I do think that doing some exercise can help you stay focused with all the things you might have to accomplish.

So the hubs and I have been in the search of a new gym for some time now, and let me tell you something December is like the best month for haunting a new gym, because this is the time when they have their lower rates. This is because well, nobody actually goes I mean with cold weather all we people want is stay home drinking some hot cocoa watching Christmas Specials. Anyways…

I was able to score some deals at work and I received a free 3 day pass for both of us to a gym that is near our home (nothing can beat that). So yesterday I left work very very tired, and I got home with a face that made the hubs say with a jingly voice: It’s Gym Time, in reality all I wanted to do was lay back at my couch with my laptop but then I remembered about some strong words that always help me workout.

And it’s true, we went there, took a 45 min spinning class, with a great instructor, burned 605 calories and felt GREAT after that. I cannot wait to take my second class with him today. Let me tell you something, I did feel that this class was more intense than my previous spinning classes (at my other gym), I don’t know why, but with the other classes I used to take I burned around 450 calories, and at some point yesterday I think I got to my limit, but then I said to myself.

So yep I am very happy that I did went yesterday, and I cannot wait to keep going, this means I am still committed with my goal of being healthy and feeling great…

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Losing Weight Update

Hey everybody, I am here today very very excited about this post. If you have been a regular follower of this blog, you would be aware that one of my goals for this year is losing weight and be sexier healthier. I mean I’ve been through years of diets that work at first but then give you this awful rebound (you say the diet and I will name it) anyways, I got to the point where I said to myself I just can’t take it anymore.

The truth is that this year has been a year of discoveries for me and even though I have not been able to reach my goal yet, this challenge has taken me to places I never thought it would.

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Review

For all the cardio lovers out there and the ones who are thinking about purchasing a heart rate monitor, I have this review and how to use video prepared. This is related to the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor. This baby was a big investment, but it has been worth it.

I got this for my spinning classes about two months ago and I have not regretted it an inch. This thing has improved humongously the way I exercise and it’s all because I have learned to control the way I breathe. Just how my yoga teacher once said, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BREATHING. Plus it’s easy to use (I show you how to in the video).

I got mine at Academy Sports, but you can this at most sport stores, or else you can go to their website.

So without further ado here’s the vid, Enjoy and happy Friday!!