No Woes Here!!!

Yesterday I received lots of encouraging feedback about my Veggie Tales (not to be mistaken for the animated guys that teach awesome moral lessons)...
Yep, I took a leap of faith with hopes of improving my quality of life... I can't live this way.  Food literally feels as though it is stuck and won't budge-- namely meat products.  Ergo, my decision to become a veg-head was not only by choice but by force, I can't keep that up in the name of a sirloin...just can't. LOL

So, my journey to veggie-dom is a three-tiered process; mental, emotional, and physical... I will elaborate:

1. Mental.  I have to mentally remind myself that although meat seems like a great idea because it's something I have eaten off and on for nearly three decades, the repercussions belie the truth, which is meat isn't helping me feel better.

2.  Emotional.  Sometimes I hate meat.  Sometimes I love meat.  I am human!  I can appreciate a tender Argentine, Brazilian, or Japanese steak, but the way in which those animals are bred, fed, and "dead" is totally incomparable to their North American relatives, so the taste, texture, and aftermath all lead to different paths... It hurts, but again, can't keep meat-eatin' up in the name of a good steak.

3.  Physically.  I just need to physically remind myself.  For instance, today, I wrote "NO MEAT" on my hand with a smiley face (Please see picture I posted on Instagram and attached to this post)... that is a physical way to remind myself-- much more efficient than a ribbon or rubber band on the finger, OR having a friend pop me on the arm when I go to press my lips up against a meat product.

I make light of the situation, but I really had to tie in vegetarianism with my studies.  It was in early Portuguese letters from the New World (in this instance Brazil) to Iberia that the indigenous people were observed as healthier even though they did not raise cattle or consume the same food as the Europeans.  Their diets, largely of fruit and manioc (aka cassava or yuca) and other plants, was foreign to the Portuguese, and although they did not have immune systems to withstand European disease, they were otherwise the healthier beings.  I didn't make it up, check out Azurara and/or Caminha "Early Portuguese Expansionism" and their writings will divulge such truths.  At any rate, reading this for class ironically reaffirmed my decision to go back the basics... now determining which facet of vegetarianism to identify as, that is an entirely different story... we shall see, details later!

In the meantime, I will leave you with this recipe for a dish with manioc so near and dear to me.  I found the recipe here : http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/saladssidedishes/r/farofa.htm It is called farofa, a popular Brazilian accompaniment to feijoada, black bean "stew" if you will... I'm always up to try new things, I hope you all give it a shot!

** If you aren't chef material I recommend making friends with a Brazilian or enthusiastic Brazilianist  asking for an invite to dinner!**

Tchau

Veggie Journey

So I've had a series of unfortunate events occur in my life, and in retrospect 50% of them were under my control and watch.  The phrase "I could do better" rang in my head as I sat in doctor office after doctor office, and today I have decided to recommit.  We all fall off of the wagon sometimes?  We all have weak  moments that turn into weak days, and weak ends, etc.

I haven't been the worst eater, and even when I wasn't able to hit the gym I was walking two-three miles a day.  Obviously I haven't been doing that bad but there is that inner guilt lurking inside-- because I know I can do and I deserve better.

My gastro issues are due in part to the food I eat, so I have decided to once again commit to being a vegetarian.  I have never eaten a ton of meat, but I just can't seem to shake the pain, literally, associated with consumption of processed foods and meats.  I'm going to take a step back and make my way back to my-MYFITNESSPAL account (follow me on there my user name is whoisalove) and log everything, and get back to the vegetarian drawing board!

Udemy is an excellent resource for anything.  As a lifelong student (of life in general) I browse and take the free courses because some are really rich in content.  http://www.udemy.com/see-my-personal-motivation-for-becoming-vegetarian/ is the website for the vegetarian course I am taking to re-jump start my journey.  Many people don't take the time to learn about true vegetarianism and why such a thing exists anyway.  Most college kids turn vegetarian because it's cool, but overloading on bread or just "juicing" isn't the premise of vegetarianism, there are abundant resources to guide you.  I encourage everyone to take a look and feel free to comment on my veggie journey-- I am most certainly open to feedback!

Confession-- I want it ALL

I have a confession...I suck, at doing 50,000,000,000 things at once... I mean, I totally try to manage 49,000,000,000 but sometimes that extra 1,000,000,000 gets caught in the multitasking crossfire!

I have so much to blog about today!!! I have lost 18 lbs so far on my 90 Day Challenge (www.ashleylove.bodybyvi.com) and I have been working on maintaining the proper balance between work, working out, and personal time-- and by that, I mean, not always looking like a gym rat with a knotty ponytail and expandable clothing LOL.

I recently started selling Mary Kay!!!! In addition to the other millions of things I have going on (www.marykay.com/allove ) and I have been working on my overall image, because in all facets of life you wear how you feel about yourself and others in everyday demeanor.  I had to take a couple of weeks off to reflect on what I truly want to get out of life and everything I am doing...what I seek to fulfill, if you will...

I decided that instead of thinking about all that I AM doing (which at times can be TOO much), I'm choosing to look at things I can do once I accomplish the short term goals currently on y plate.

I want a BMW. In order to earn that I have to hit the streets and tell people about the wonderful benefits of Body By Vi, and how just being a part of the challenge motivates me to want overall wellness and weight loss. This way of thinking is much better than thinking about how to convince or "sell" people on their own health. The minute I thought about my own health and losing weight I did the typical "I can do that on my own..." -while this can be true, it's not for the most part. If I could do it I would have. If I could self motivate and lose it all on my own personal 90 Day Challenge, I would have. The model is fool proof. You drink two shakes for two meals you need anyway, and just aim not to screw up the rest of your day. The minute you stop "selling" and start "doing" is the minute you succeed... I'm adopting the "I can show you enter than I can tell you" mindset, so just be on the lookout!

As far as Mary Kay and image...it speaks for itself...cosmetic and beauty industry went unshaken in a time of economic turmoil not just in the US but across the globe. Check your facts, Mary Kay has been around 50 years and is a billion dollar company. The products are amazing, reviews and tests are conducted by a third party, outside laboratory (so unbiased)--as a consultant you get a generous discount and commission like NO OTHER direct sales company and as a consumer you look great:) as a businessperson you are able to attain a level of success that no part time or really full time job could potentially offer... Lisa Madson, one of the most humble women EVER, can say she's earned nearly SIX figures in just ONE MONTH... While we grind daily she goes with what she knows, and that's Mary Kay...I'm stepping off the soapbox, but one thing to know about me is who I am...I'm a shopaholic who is also a VIB at Sephora, VIP at Macy's, and on the private invite list places like Nordstrom and Gilt Group...I'll try what's on the market and review it for anyone...
Sephora is amazing, I love their free gifts and great customer service, but I don't get paid from Sephora when I shop there...and I definitely don't get to keep HALF of what I spend at Sephora, which is what I get when I buy Mary Kay for myself. I'm a rational woman, so Mary Kay makes sense to me. My driveway will have a BMW and Pink Cadillac sometime soon:) I'm the typical woman, I want it all!

Baby's got BACK {problems}

So I've been working out pretty hard and my body feels like one of the construction cranes rolled over me--although I might like that as stiff as I've been feeling! A great friend who's also a physical therapist gave me insight...

Here is how my day went...I went to a health fair and voilá! A chiropractor told me to come get a free consultation for my aching neck and shoulder pain... Sounds fair enough?! So after talking to my friend about my fears of becoming addicted/dependent upon the snap crackle and pops of the chiropractor I learned of preventative things to do to help and optimize the work chiropractors and physical therapists do...
1. Do sit with good posture. Practically 99.9% of all humans sit and stand with poor posture. I'm not statistician but this is my lighthearted guess:)
2. Try sleeping on a FIRM mattress AND do not use more than ONE pillows-- if any at all! You read correctly. ONE, UNO, Un, Um, ένας, Een...any other Languages you need "ONE" translated to?!
3. Do ask for exercises to strengthen your neck and back, lower and/or upper, but having your back or any part of the body "set" is pointless of you go back to the same poor habits (posture, sleep, etc.)
4. Take frequent work breaks, get up and move, do toe touches, stretch, step away from the computer for a few minutes
5. This ones for my ladies: wear the right under garments--supportive and posture supporting!

I know, I probably lost you at ONE/NO pillows! Just google back exercises and give it a shot:) I am not a doctors and my suggestions are personal action items I plan to take. I'm not a doctor so you should definitely consult a doctor and see what action you should take to improve any ailment(s) you may have!! Swimming is a good cardio workout that's virtually heaven for your joints!!! I'll have to share my Aqua Zumba experience so that you can try it out near you!!!!!

Hiatus

So I've taken a few days to reflect on life and my goals, what I want from this fitness thing... Is it a fad since everyone is jumping on board the bandwagon or is it a serious choice I've made to improve my quality of life and overall health.

It's amazing to see so many people interested in health and fitness but am
I seeing this as a "trend" because there is increased access to photos and others via social media (Social Cam, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)or is it society's way of capitalizing on the opportunity to make money off of people by selling competitions, fitness gear, personal training and other misc. products?

What do I know, I'm just a former athlete trying to recover from cancer and a few other small injuries that have made weight gain possible. I'm just going back to what I know and what I remember-- but what I remember where days without social media...

So again I'm back to my original premise; do I disconnect and do my own thing or take advantage of the many resources available using such outlets and compete, just as I planned to do 7 years ago?! It's nothing personal, but it's exhausting for me to log onto any given social media outlet and a million people are quoting fitness industry people and then in the same day posting pics of loaded baked potatoes and fried chicken 😳 it's too much at times! I figured since I'm not a judgmental person I say "Do YOU" but I definitely need strong players on my team only! Sure we all cheat sometimes and we deserve indulgence but if you really want something eventually you need to make sacrifices...leading me back to the fad question... Are folks online only temporarily given up indulgences to be "in-style" rather than "in shape"?! Who knows... I know I have to continue to move toward my goal(s) and I hope to inspire people along the way!

Fair Food isn't always a FAILURE

Summer time is full of early sunrises and later sunsets, ample time to get in your workouts and soak up some sun.  Tis also the season of fairs!  I walked into the fair with a heavy heart.  I have either been at a point in my life where the extra calories were more like a cheat day and didn't matter, or I didn't care at all.  I quickly passed all of the fair food vendors and moved onto the rides, and the free unsweetened iced tea stand, where I downed about four samples (it was scorching outside).  I intentionally waited, let everyone else eat what their hearts desired, and when I ran out of almonds to snack on, and coincidentally at the close of the fair, and decided I would research what options I had that were within reason.

The results, I did taste a red velvet funnel cake, the smallest portion possible, and it was enough, because I want this competition more than I wanted the funnel cake.  I decided that since I hadn't eaten anything I needed to simply have just one spoon of funnel cake and protein was next on my agenda.  I found a chicken kabob and it was delicious! Just grilled, nothing added, and corn on the cob was everywhere you turned around so I had a corn on the cob and I wiped all of the butter off.  I was satisfied, washed it down with another sample of Pure Leaf unsweetened Tea (sample) and I walked out of the Fair with my head held high, and walked like that for about another half an hour all the way back to my car, just to make sure that I got rid of the "taste" of funnel cake I have...

I avoided ALOT of calories!
Cotton Candy, per 1oz, has 110 calories and 28g of SUGAR
Funnel Cakes are 760 calories with 44g of FAT, 80g of CARBS, and 16g of SUGAR
Corn on the Cob with butter is 140 calories and without the butter you lose the fat and calories by almost 70cal
Soft Serve Ice Cream, one cone, is 280 calories 14g of FAT, 36g of SUGAR and 30mg of CHOLESTEROL
2 Bones of generic BBQ Ribs are 350 calories, 25g of FAT, and 196g of CHOLESTEROL
(**All estimated caloric info was provided by www.myfitnesspal.com )

So I would say my chicken kabob, corn no butter, and teaspoon of funnel cake (400 calories total) was a prize to be won!  I am not judging anyone, but I would have never known that on any given day at the fair you may consume about 2000 calories, 200g of FAT, and even about 300mg of CHOLESTEROL...that is awful, and it may be a rare indulgence for some, but for others bbq ribs and butter on corn is their Memorial Day to Labor Day diet...  you just have to track your food and know what you are eating, and make the conscious decisions to really decide if eating it all is worth it.   The other day I wind the battle (I resisted Inky Dinky Donuts, see pic) I won the battle, and I'm still fighting in this weight loss war, so thanks for being with me on this!

Soaking Up the Sun

So I did P90X for the first time this summer!!!!! Sound the alarm! While I'm sure I should celebrate that victory I am proud of the fact that in honor of the exceptionally hot and humid summer I have resorted to pool workouts to prevent post-workout muscle pain:) what I get is more like a cardio-combo in disguise!

Swimming can burn up to 1000 calories an hour... Don't believe me? Just flip on the Olympics and check out the swimming and diving physiques. It's do easy to get my second workout in and I even got a little tan-- cha ching!

By now I've got the broken record beat, the (free) outdoor workout opportunities are endless and it's another way to get out, soak up some sun and get some Vitamin D!

Today I'll keep it brief because tomorrow's workout consists of legs and a mock 5k... Wish me luck!!!

Building Your Dream Body on a BUDGET!

It's been a few days....but don't worry, I have still been hitting the pavement running almost every day, and walking inevitably).  I started out wanting to hone in on one thing for this blog only to realize how random I am, and how random life is in general!

I'm training for my first fitness competition this fall, may be October, November, or the spring..I'm in no rush as long as I do it the right way and meet my goals.  My training experience thus far has been one big uplifting adrenaline rush, and then there were the costs.... I want to be realistic, I'm not a millionaire and I have financial obligations outside of leisure activities, but I also want to get it done.  I have noticed that since my transition to a healthier lifestyle I haven't been sick once, my previous injuries are virtually history, and I feel better in general, so I'm trading the post workout soreness for prescriptions and I like it, my wallet likes it, and my employer likes it :) wins all around!

Enough of the small talk. I'm working on out to train for this competition on an extremely tight budget as well as working on ways to motivate my close friends and family to challenge themselves and get active.  It's draining and hard, but I find comfort in knowing that there are tons of other people who empathize and agree that a healthy, clean lifestyle is best for everyone :)

I've recently done a 5k (www.thecolorrun.com), signed up for North America's LARGEST walking race (www.newalbanywalkingclassic.com)  I can't afford 3-4 sessions a week of personal training so I have resorted to Pinterest, Instagram, and the Internet to help me out! I will post recipes and workouts from my Twitter and Pinterest pages so do follow!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MinOURityReport
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/minourityreport/
90 Day Challenge: www.ashleylove.bodybyvi.com
Running Group: www.blackgirlsrun.com

You all should already know about my 90 Day Challenge and my weight lost has almost doubled in just three weeks.  This is the 21st day of my Body By Vi Challenge and I weighed in this morning 13lbs lighter!!!!  I have a long way to go to meet my goal, and I am realistic, I don't want to hurry and lose it all this challenge, I just want to be healthy and lose mos of it, which I have a fair shot at doing. It's a win-win with the shakes, one for breakfast, one for lunch or dinner, and then just protein snacks such as chicken and turkey, then almonds and or fruits and veggies.  The 13lbs was practically effortless.  I also went to bodybuilding.com and found a 12 week plan, and it's been great so far!  I have also hit the ground running, literally, I have laced up my running shoes and jogged up stairs nearby, gone to the track, found any hill to run up, and didn't pay one cent.  Cardio is essential when you have 30+ pounds to lose, and you don't need a fancy gym or personal trainer to move your body, that is free!  I even invited all of my friends and family over for a swap (which I will blog about tomorrow) and we traded fitness videos!  Check out MinOURityreports' post tomorrow for more information.  Back the free goodies, I joined a local running group promoting running and activity for black women, www.blackgirlsrun.com AND  walking group to get more active, and I found a small local gym willing to trade me great fitness classes for a few hours of work a week.  Black Girls Run!, or BGR is great because you have a large group in tons of cities you can link up with and run with.  Everyone runs at different paces, so there is always someone with you, and something to work up to.  Most of the local races with BGR chapters will have teams, so you can train and run as a group.

Don't say you can't afford to get healthy and in shape, there are ways around spending a fortune, and my ultimate goal of being sponsored isn't far away using ALL of the free methods I have just listed.  That being said, I am working toward a fitness competition goal...if you are simply working toward better health and losing a few pounds you have options... walking, jogging outside or at a track, park, driveway hill, trail, the opportunities for free workouts are endless, and the Internet provides great workouts too!! I've mentioned Bodyrock.tv and Exercise TV made the recent switch to HULU (http://www.hulu.com/exercisetv/) check your listings for workouts On Demand.  To put it plainly, no one has ANY excuse not to go after the body they want and so many minority women are really capitalizing on opportunities to beat genetics and make a healthier life for themselves.  I believe in myself, and I believe in you too.

I Used to Think Cakes Were Made in the Kitchen....

Greetings!!!  Just a moment ago I had a good conversation about workouts, alternating days and all of that good stuff, prompting me to post and share with everyone...weight training is tricky...the soreness sneaks up on you, but your body is sore for a reason (it's tired and needs a break)...another enthusiastic fellow BBV Challenge member (www.ashleylove.bodybyvi.com) and I had a great conversation about ABs and working out various parts of the body every OTHER day to maintain balance and give your body (parts) time to recover in between workouts.

I think this is standard practice...I'm no expert and perhaps some day I will get there, but for now, I keep it basic. Most of us, even those of us who are training for competitions and overall muscle building know that you probably want to switch up the workout routine and alternate the muscle groups you work throughout your week.

That being said, the topic of abdominal muscles surfaced...

Abs are tricky because we all could (probably) push ourselves to do sit ups and ab work daily, but even parts of the body that recover faster than others such as your abs, need rest too!

Abs are made in the kitchen, and this article tells you the 10 best foods...so devise a plan...ab work three days a week and make sure you are eating right while they recover on your rest days :)  I also attached a cool picture to accompany my point and this article!  Not sure how accurate the percentages are, but I will sign off with this note.  In the past 6 months my activity has increased and no weight was lost.  In the past three weeks my diet has changed and I will be at my 10lbs lost in the next day or so!  Diet matters, and the right, healthy diet contributes to the ability to visually see your hard work!

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/plans/diets/foods-for-flat-abs/ 

Put some COLOR back in your RUN

So.... after many months of being sad that The Color Run was sold out in virtually EVERY city on the schedule, I received an email from the organizers pleading for what I call the "running rejects" to volunteer in exchange for a bib in The Color Run.  Ironic... a run is a fafillion people filtering through a town, and there is a maximum capacity?!?! Doesn't make much sense to me, but I don't make the rules, I just follow them...

So at any rate...I get happy just looking at the Color Run's website... I'm either a cornball or this is really the happiest race on the planet.  I will let you see for yourselves what I have to look forward to in the near future. I will probably post later on this afternoon because I am going strong on my 90 day challenge and just found out about Vi-Defy, which is a new product and I think I need it in my life...yup, I think I do.

Anyway, feast your eyes on the images courtesy of the Color Run and watch the videos too! Try not to be jealous...just go register for the Color Run closest to you: www.thecolorrun.com

Use Your Resources and of course, Rock It!

I was told I needed to start posting pictures of my workouts, so I will be on target to do so tomorrow!!! Today's workout was inspired by the hardbodies of bodyrock.tv !  The exact link is http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/07/09/hot-mom-moves-bodyrock-lite-workout-with-lish/  I pretty much just opened all of the You Tube videos I saw and did them all :)  This workout was challenging, free, and I didn't have to have a gym membership or personal trainer!  I may look into the interval clock-- Gymboss, but until then, I have an iPhone that has a stopwatch/timer so it will do!

Today is also the 8th day of my Body By Vi Challenge (ashleylove.bodybyvi.com) and I am down 7lbs-- which is 3lbs less than I weighed in this past Sunday (July 15th)!!! I am super excited to see the results after 90days.  It isn't hype, it's real, and I'm not starving, I take a shake for breakfast and one after I work out with healthy snacks such as almonds, a chicken breast stripped seasoned with Mrs. Dash, and a corn tortilla with ground turkey.  I also drank PLENTY of water...I am up to almost one and a half gallons!

All of what I am doing is a healthy plan designed by a team of enlisted help-  personal trainers who happened to be friends of mine (some of whom are trained professional athletes), a dietitian provided by work place, and a health coach also provided by my employer.  Use your resources.  I have visited the dietitian and have regularly scheduled calls with my health coach and they cost me NOTHING.  I get up to three appointments with the dietitian each year, and my calls with the health coach are free until...whenever!  You can't beat that!  Often I find that when I rely upon my friends and family for support, they let me down.  Not because they want to or are intentionally doing so, but because they lack the know-how, and they too need a support network.  It is great to have friends who hold you accountable but everyone isn't privileged enough to be the sibling or spouse of a body builder or personal trainer.  That being said, the dietitian and health coach are the best support system I could ask for.  Ask your human resources department about health coaching and weight management counseling and see what your low to no cost options are!  Doesn't hurt to ask!!!


Today, for instance, we had a discussion about calcium and iron.  I was then provided with the following information from the Harvard School of Public Health-- Enjoy!!!:

Are we getting enough calcium?

Recommendations for women:

·         1,000 milligrams/day for those age 19 to 50

·         1,200 milligrams/day for those age 50 or over

An important nutrient that us ladies need, especially in our later years to ward of osteoporosis is calcium which also has numerous other functions, including building and maintaining bones and teeth, blood clotting, the transmission of nerve impulses, and the regulation of the heart's rhythm.  The body gets the calcium it needs in two ways: by eating foods that contain calcium, and/or by taking calcium supplements and from pulling it from our bones. This happens when blood levels of calcium drop too low, usually when it's been awhile since having eaten a meal containing calcium.

People typically lose bone as they age, despite consuming the recommended intake of calcium necessary to maintain optimal bone health. An estimated 10 million Americans—8 million women and 2 million men—have osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women account for 80 percent of all cases of osteoporosis because estrogen production declines rapidly at menopause.

There are a number of lifestyle factors that can help increase calcium into your lifestyle:

·                Getting regular exercise, especially weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercise.

·                Getting adequate vitamin D through diet, exposure to sunshine, and/or supplements. Look for a multivitamin that supplies 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day. If your multi only has 400 IU of vitamin D, consider taking an extra supplement to get you up to 1,000 IU or 2,000 IU per day

·         Consuming enough calcium to reduce the amount the body has to borrow from bone.

·         Consuming adequate vitamin K, found in green, leafy vegetables.

·         Not getting too much preformed vitamin A.

Food	Amount	Calcium (mg)
Yogurt, plain, low fat	8 oz	415
Collard greens, frozen, boiled	1 cup	357
Skim milk	1 cup	306
Spinach, frozen, boiled	1 cup	291
Yogurt, plain, whole milk	8 oz	275
Black-eyed peas, boiled	1 cup	211
Canned salmon	3 oz	181
Calcium-set tofu	3 oz (¼ block)	163
Cheese food, pasteurized American	1 oz	162
Trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips)	1 cup	159
Baked beans, canned	1 cup	154
Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat	1 cup	138
Iceberg lettuce	1 head	97
Green peas, boiled	1 cup	94
Soy milk	1 cup	93
Oranges	1 cup	72
Almonds	1 oz (24 nuts)	70

Harvard, School of Public Health

Table 1: Calcium Content of Selected Vegan Foods
Food	Amount	Calcium (mg)
Blackstrap molasses	2 Tbsp	400
Collard greens, cooked	1 cup	357
Tofu, processed with    calcium sulfate*	4 ounces	200-330
Calcium-fortified orange juice	8 ounces	300
Soy or ricemilk, commercial,     calcium-fortified, plain	8 ounces	200-300
Commercial soy yogurt, plain	6 ounces	80-250
Turnip greens, cooked	1 cup	249
Tofu, processed with nigari*	4 ounces	80-230
Tempeh	1 cup	215
Kale, cooked	1 cup	179
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	175
Okra, cooked	1 cup	172
Bok choy, cooked	1 cup	158
Mustard greens, cooked	1 cup	152
Tahini	2 Tbsp	128
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	94
Almonds	1/4 cup	89
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	86
Soy milk, commercial, plain	8 ounces	80

Sexy Legs...At Home

This summer has been one of unprecedented HEAT!  The weather can play into one's motivation to work out as well.  I completely get it... if the weather is too cold or hot you can lose all motivation to get out there and get at it. I saw a few cool workouts easy enough to do at home, outside or even at the gym in a clear space!  The workout below,"Sexy Leg Workout", I found on Pinterest!  I love going to Pinterest to find motivational pictures and quotes, recipes, and workouts.  Blogs and websites such as Min{OUR}ity Report and Pinterest provide readers with enough shared information to never need a gym.  A few readers have asked me to blog about gyms, and so I shall (in a later post).  Today I wanted to give readers an idea of how easy it is to put the body in motion-- for free, in the privacy of your own home or with a group of friends, and anywhere.  Nothing is keeping anyone from doing the "Sexy Leg Workout", anywhere!  

Don't knock it til you try it--free blogs and websites eliminate the convenience and/or expense factors that most other fitness opportunities may entail.  I have been researching free/home workout

 programs.  One of my all time favorite blogs is http://www.bodyrock.tv/ so the today's homework is the "Sexy Leg Workout" and visit Body Rock to see what free at home workouts can do for you.

Fish Out of Water

So today was my first day of my new 90 day challenge and I get to the gym only to discover a lack of headphones. Awesome. I get onto the treadmill and pressed start anyway...I stared at the headphone jack for almost an entire minute, wondering what I would do to fill the void of hearing every machine pulley, every foot hit the treadmill, along with any random gym conversations...?! Lucky for me the gym offered an easy compromise. On Demand TV.

My original feeling, like a fish out of water, was gone within seconds, but then it happened. I looked around and EVERYONE else had headphones. Great. I tried to focus on what had the potential to be the longest workout ever and decided to read lips of the people on tv. My timer went off 40 minutes later, cardio was over!

It seems like an insignificant post but small positive thoughts make all the difference. I can think back to at least one other time, a while ago, that I actually got up and left the gym because I had forgotten headphones and I just wasn't in the mood to face the gym noise and couldn't focus without them. Reading lips was something small but made all the difference in my success for the day. I was even able to scope out what kind of new headphones I may want to purchase to keep me on top of my game but people watching!

The moral of today's story is simple; getting into shape and being healthier-- be it eating better or working out, may have times where we feel like a fish out of water, it's how we jump back in and "swim" that counts. My self motivation even called for a reward--a protein shake (Body By Vi) with peanut butter and banana!! So let's get and keep out heads in the game today!

Min{OUR}ity Report Welcome

This marks a new and exciting day!  The first step was naming the blog and truly refining its purpose.  I am on a personal quest for physical and spiritual well being and I would be remiss if I did not share this journey with my community and the world.  This blog is a reflection of my world travels and my multicultural experience(s).  I will include exercises, historical references, and recipes from all corners of our globe.  There are many fitness and (health) food related blogs many people could be viewing, but I sincerely thank you for following Min{OUR}rity Report.  


Ashley