12 WORKOUT MYTHS THAT SHOULD GO CASPER (GHOST)
For every two fitness truths, there’s a lie, and sometimes it’s hard to determine which is which. (Especially when it’s something many of us have just assumed for as long as we can remember.) So, now presenting: Mythbusters, Fitness Edition. Letting go of these 12 fitness misconceptions will help you get better, faster, stronger, and more powerful. Flex on friend, flex on.
MYTH #1: STRENGTH TRAINING WILL MAKE YOU BULK UP
Truth: It’s pretty hard for women to bulk up from a normal strength-training routine because they don’t have as much testosterone as men (the difference in this hormone level makes men more prone to bulking up). In fact, if weight loss is your goal, strength training can actually help you lean out, but you have to keep your nutrition in check, too. “Muscle is metabolically active,” explains Adam Rosante, C.S.C.S., author of The 30-Second Body. Simply maintaining lean muscle mass requires higher energy, he explains. “So, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest.” #Science.
MYTH #2: YOU CAN FOCUS ON LOSING FAT FROM CERTAIN BODY PARTS
Truth: Spot-training is not a thing. “Fat cells are distributed across your entire body,” says Rosante. “If you want to lose fat from a specific spot, you need to lose overall body fat.” High-intensity interval training can work wonders—after an intense workout, your body needs to take in oxygen at a higher rate to help it return to its natural resting state. This process requires the body to work harder, burning more calories in the process. Incorporating strength trainingcan help you hit your goals too, since having more lean muscle will help your body burn more calories at rest. (Psst—here are 10 workouts that are insanely effective for weight loss.)
MYTH #3: DOING LOTS OF CARDIO IS THE BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT
Truth: If your goal is weight loss, logging endless miles on the treadmill isn’t always the best approach. Yes, traditional cardio workouts will help create a day-to-day calorie deficit (in addition to a healthy diet), which is essential for losing weight. But in the long-term, since having more lean muscle mass helps your body burn more calories at rest, you’ll be adding to this deficit without doing a thing. A combination of both high-intensity cardio and strength training is a good idea. And don’t forget, when it comes to weight loss, having a smart nutrition plan is key.
MYTH #4: NOT FEELING SORE MEANS YOU DIDN’T GET A GOOD WORKOUT
Truth: While soreness and workout intensity are sometimes connected, how tired your muscles feel isn’t always a good indicator of a solid sweat session. “Being sore doesn’t necessarily mean it was a great workout—it just means that a significant amount of stress was applied to the tissue,” says exercise physiologist and trainer Pete McCall, M.S., C.S.C.S., host of the All About Fitness podcast. “You can have a great workout and not be sore the next day,” he says. Proper recovery will help prevent achy muscles. “Refuel within the first 30 to 45 minutes post-exercise, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep—all of these things can help boost recovery and minimize soreness.”
MYTH #5: YOU SHOULD GIVE 100 PERCENT EFFORT DURING EVERY WORKOUT
Truth: Sort of. You should try your best to stay focused, be present, and give 100 percent during every workout. But not every gym session should require a balls-to-the-wall level of intensity. And if you are sore everyday, that may be a sign that you’re going too hard. “It’s not a good idea to exercise at too high of an intensity too frequently—it limits recovery and can lead to overtraining,” says McCall. Ideally, to avoid putting too much stress on your body, you should only be going extra hard two to three times per week.
MYTH #6: STRENGTH TRAINING MEANS USING MACHINES AND HEAVY WEIGHTS
Truth: Strength training means using resistance to work your muscles—and that resistance doesn’t necessarily have to come from a machine or a heavy weight. (Hello, killer bodyweight exercises!) Aside from your own bodyweight, you can also use tools like kettlebells, medicine balls, and resistance bands to add resistance. None of that around? Here are 13 incredible bodyweight moves you can do at home.
MYTH #7: SWEATING A TON MEANS YOU WORKED YOUR ASS OFF
Truth: Not necessarily. “You sweat because your core temperature increases,” explains exercise physiologist Tracy Hafen, founder of Affirmative Fitness. Yes, your muscles create heat when you exercise so a tough workout will increase your internal temp, she explains, but it also has to do with the temperature you’re working out in. “For example, you’re not going to sweat as much in 40-degree weather as you would in 80-degree weather,” Hafen explains.
The humidity in the air also plays a role. “It’s not sweating that cools you off, it’s the evaporation [of sweat]. You’ll feel like you’re sweating more when it’s humid because sweat can’t evaporate.” (This is also a reason to be careful exercising in hot, humid climates, because your body temperature will keep increasing.)
MYTH #8: CRUNCHES ARE A GREAT EXERCISE FOR YOUR ABS
Truth: Meh. Crunches probably aren’t going to hurt your core strength, but they’re not the most efficient exercise you can do to strengthen your midsection. “Your ab muscles are designed to work most effectively when you’re standing upright,” says McCall. Of course, there are plenty of great abs exercises that aren’t completely upright (for example, this perfect plank), but these four standing abs moves will set your whole core on fire.
MYTH #9: YOU HAVE TO DO AT LEAST 20 MINUTES OF CARDIO TO MAKE IT WORTH YOU WHILE
Truth: You can get an amazing cardio workout in less time by utilizing high-intensity interval training. “High-intensity cardio challenges the respiratory system to work efficiently to deliver oxygen to working muscles,” says McCall. “If the system is stressed hard enough, it doesn’t require a lengthy workout for results.” Plus, high-intensity training creates an afterburn effect, meaning you continue burning calories after you’re done. One approach is Tabata, or 20 seconds of hard work, 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds total, which adds up to a four-minute routine. Here’s what you need to know about Tabata.
MYTH #10: YOU NEED TO STRETCH BEFORE A WORKOUT
Truth: While it’s true that you shouldn’t just jump right into a workout, dynamic warm-ups are where it’s at—you can save those static stretches for afterwards. “Your pre-workout goal should be to improve mobility and elasticity in the muscles,” says Rosante. This is best done with foam rolling and a dynamic warm-up, where you keep your body moving (instead of holding stretches still). This preps your body for work and helps increase your range of motion, which means you can get deeper into exercises (and strengthen more of those ~muscles~). Try this five-minute warm-up, or the warm-up section from this 30-minute workout.
A GYM SELF - PORTRAIT
I love art. It’s why I delved into fashion in the first place.
In my final project of my art class I worked on Vincent Van Gogh. One of my favorite pieces of his were his self-portraits. A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist.
It was a way of representing more than their physical attributes. A self-portrait would represent one’s vocation, announce one’s place in society and even one’s style. Picasso, Cassatt, Fridah Khalo, Rembrandt and many other notable artists expressed themselves this way.
This got me thinking of my little ritual in the gym. Gym selfies. The gym is the one place where I sheepishly walk to a mirror wearing a Monalisa smile, angle out my leg and take a picture of that person in the mirror. ME.
I take a selfie every time I go to the gym, it could either bepre- workout when my gym clothes look nice and clean or post – workout when I am sweaty and buzzing with endorphins. I usually post these selfies on my Snapchat. I am still a huge loyal snap chat fan. May be it’s because I started with it and the people who have been watching my shenanigans have been with me on this fitness journey.
I wanted to talk about what working out means to me nowadays. It’s akin to brushing teeth in the morning. It has officially become a habit. Even on days I cannot fathom walking into the gym, I find myself strolling in there because my brain has officially been conditioned.
By consistently working out, eating healthy and drinking at least a gallon of water a day, my acne prone skin has started clearing, my waistline is becoming smaller and my body much leaner.
Of course, standing in front of a mirror to take a picture sounds vain but that selfie says I showed up.
I am here.
I am committed.
I want to be healthy.
I want to be the best version of myself and lastly, I am taking care of myself.
So like the artist of years past, a selfie or today’s version of self – portrait is my version of representing more than my physical attributes. It represents my lifestyle.
Do you have a gym ritual?
EXPECTATIONS VS REALITY
I posted this pic on my social sites after a workout this week. I was seeing a little progress which made me very happy. However, it did not come easy. What was going on in my head when I initially started this year vs the reality was a different thing all together. I saw a post about it on COSMO and decided to do one adapted from it.
Still...I do not regret that pint of Talenti I ate in one sitting. lol
1. Expectation: You get up at 6 a.m. so you can get to the gym before work.
Reality: Why is your alarm going off? What is that noise? Snooze.
2. Expectation: You walk over to your dresser and pull out fresh yoga pants and an adorable workout top.
Reality: You pick up some Dumpster clothes on the floor that could pass for a workout outfit, plus a ratty sports bra you've had since the first George W. Bush term.
3. Expectation: You have watched IG videos. Your form lifting the weights is video worthy.
Reality: You feel uncoordinated. It is not going exactly as you planned.
4. Expectation: You go to the gym at a weird hour on purpose and are rewarded with empty machines.
Reality: You go to the gym at the same time that everybody on the planet and their mothers and all the machines are taken.
5. Expectation: You'll do Insanity or P90X instead.
Reality: The cd’s are so scratched and have been collecting dust since the 2008 recession.
6. Expectation: On the weekends you take advantage of the nice weather to go for a run outside and all the guys in the park check you out.
Reality: You run and everything wiggles.
7. Expectation: Your amazing "Dj Shinski “ mix makes the time on the treadmill fly by.
Reality: You left your headphones at home.
8. Expectation: Jan 1st. I will be bikini ready this summer.
Reality: July 21st. Summer comes knocking. What is a bikini?
9. Expectation: Once you decide to work out three days a week, you stick to the plan.
Reality: You never go to the gym. You train your eyes on the TV instead.
10. Expectation: You treat yourself with a green smoothie after your workout.
Reality: You down a whole pint of Talenti because you deserve it.
11. Expectation: After a few workouts, you'll have washboard abs. Take selfies to prove it.
Reality: After a few workouts, you'll be in such intense pain that even squatting on your way to sit on the toilet is excruciating. And your core is looking at you like bruh!!
Do you have expecations vs reality wellness stories? Share them with me...
WHAT I LEARNT FROM RUNNING THE CENTRAL PARK WINTER HALF MARATHON
Another one in the books!!!!
I signed up for the Central Park Half Marathon because I had lost my mojo. I needed it back from the vacation it had taken. As soon as I signed up, I started at my race confirmation email wondering what I had gotten into. It freaked me out!! This was last September and since misery loves company, I got my Fit fam to sign up.
I have trained for a half marathon in the winter, never have I participated in one. Until now.
Half marathons especially in the winter are not for the faint of heart. It is daunting. Apart from the mileage you have to deal with the frigid temperatures and short daylight hours. Despite these factors, I enjoyed my training. Yes, I know that sounds strange but I found it eerily beautiful. Winter mornings are extremely beautiful, while everyone is asleep, I would wake up -begrudgingly I should add- but as soon as I had my running gear on, I was set. The park by my neighborhood is surrounded by water, frozen, it looked like an unfinished painting, with the bridge standing out against the morning fog. I would run past naked winter trees, colorless grass stiffened with frost, empty trails, gray skies with no horizons. Occasionally, I would meet a fellow runner or an older couple brisk walking, we would nod at each other then continue with our morning activity.
I have always wondered what other runners thought about when on the trail. Personally, I come up with a lot of ideas when pounding the pavement. The next blog story, shoot location, what to create, a dilemma I had gets solved all while running through cold air and hushed beauty.
Apart from being captivated by winter's beauty while spotting a few squirrels here and there, winter running whips you in shape and ensures that Spring running will be a breeze. I do not know if running in the winter is something you would enjoy but I figured I should share a few things I picked up during my training.
Post-race happy smile!!!! :) #CentralParkwinterHalfMarathon
1. Proper shoes. This is mandatory. You can't log mileage in cute sketcher shoes. You will injure yourself. Stop by a running store, it's the best thing you will do for your feet.
2. Winter running gear. - Pants, jacket, socks, the whole nine. It is a tad bit pricey, but absolutely worth it. I saw a quote at the Under Armour store recently that stated, "There is no such things as bad weather, only bad clothes." Nowadays, they have light weight infra-red pants and tops that keep you warm using your body heat. No need to dress like an Eskimo.
3. It's not about speed. - Since you are dealing with harsh winter element, forget your speed. Just run at a pace you enjoy. This will make the running less tedious. My comfortable running pace is 10 min per mile so while using my Endomondo running app, I can be able to pace myself. There times when I found myself running a quick 9 minute mile since I was enjoying the music and I would have to tone it down a notch.
4. Ears and hands - In frigid temperatures, excessive heat loss gets lost through your hands and ears this makes the run very uncomfortable. Ensure your ears and fingers are sufficiently covered. Grab the beanies and gloves.
5. Warm up.- Jumping jacks get my heart racing and my body ready for my long run. Super important.
6. Change as soon as you are done. The body temperatures drop as soon as you are done with your run. Chilling in wet clothes is recipe for disaster.
7. Yoga is your friend - I know I am starting to sound like a broken record but the benefits of yoga are endless. I did hot yoga on one day a week to sooth the muscles and aid in recovery, plus stretching in a heated room made my body feel amaaaazing!!!!! You do not have to do hot yoga but incorporate a serious stretching session regularly. Your body will thank you and your legs will show you love out there on the trail.
8. Loop in your friends - I stated misery loves company earlier, that is why I had to get accountability partners to support me on days I really wanted to cuddle with the blankets and ditch my running shoes. A support system is so important, I do not think I would have been able to finish my Half Marathon without my amazing Fit Fam.
9. Charge up - Make sure your phone is charged up on the trail. To log in the miles, listen to music and also for those emergency calls. You never know.
10. Stay safe and have fun. - In as much as I freaked out in the beginning. I enjoyed running in the winter. It is something I would definitely do again. You do no not realize how much you can accomplish until you actually do it!
5 WAYS TO AVOID BEING GYMTIMIDATED.. YES ITS A WORD!
New year, same you..but with a different mindset! You've decided to hit the gym more frequently than the-once-a-month 20 min elliptical session. You are focused! Driven. Read countless fitness blogs, binge watched Instagram fitness videos promising yourself that one day! One day, you shall conquer this gym business. You have a dream!
The only thing that shutters that dream is getting there and putting in the work. To be honest, I used to be gymtimidated. My favorite place in the gym was the stretching area after my 15-20 min treadmill session reading People magazine. I never looked at another machine. I thought people were judging me already. Those voices in my head were the worst! Uggh, just thinking about the gym had aneurysm inducing effects which I quickly avoided. However, I realized if I dispersed that loud negative meeting going on in my head. Shut the voices and stayed focused, gymtimidation was just another made up word! The gym became the boyfriend who I could just unload to, sweat, and walk out feeling like a million bucks. The biggest pay off was how amazing I looked after our frequent dates. Wink!
Here are five easy breezy ways that enabled me to muzzle the voices in my head , stay focused, schedule the frequent gym dates and walk in the gym like a true boss.
- NO ONE CARES - Seriously, no one does! Everyone is busy doing their own thing. No one is focused on you. So wondering whether your visual panty line is showing or not should not get you worried. Do your squats. Go deep, go low. Ass to grass baby. Focus on your self!
- JOIN A CLASS- It could be Zumba, Pilates, Core... anything really. It's a great way to get you working out, shed those stubborn 10 pounds and also make great gym buddies.
- PLAN AHEAD - Figure out your workouts of the day. Are you doing shoulders or arms, back and biceps? If it helps jot it down. Planning will ensure you know what machines you will be using for your workouts, that way, you are not waltzing around the gym like a dancing with the stars contender. It will also save you from wasting precious time.
- DO NOT FORGET YOUR HEADPHONES! The worst thing you can do is to forget your headphones. Playing music you like allows you to really enjoy your workouts. You stay focused by cranking out that Konshens tune, or having Future yell things you do not comprehend in your ear. Either way, it's fun. Create a playlist with your iTunes or like me, download the mixx cloud app and listen to amazing mixes from your favorite Dj's I should probably do a post on some of my favorite mixes. Be advised, they will be dance-hall heavy.
- STAY POSITIVE - It's so important to remember why you are doing this in the first place. It's not for anyone else but for you. For your health, your mental state of mind, and well, to look damn good. It does not matter what size you are, thin, thick, gymrat, heavy, et al. What matters is that you are there. You showed up. Remember everyone else pays the same monthly dues as you. They are there to work on themselves as well. Having a positive mindset before walking into the gym makes you a winner already!
Here's to owning it at the gym. Rock on!
A WINTER HALF MARATHON - BRING IT ON!!
Do not let that title fool you!!!
The minute I got my confirmation after signing up, I had a what the fuckkkkkk have I done moment? Seriously ROSHIE!! SERIOUSLYYYY!!!
For a brief moment, I wondered if I could call the contact number on file and tell them to give me my money back because I had made an error. Sigh! But.... but.... I've trained in the winter before, I did it early this year while I was training for my Puerto Rico Half Marathon. So it's not that bad!!
Ummm forget about it.
Everytime I walk outside the door for a run, this is usually my thought process..
You are mad Roshie?
What the heck?
Why is the wind soo disrespectful?
Did I say you are totally insane?
This is THE last time I am ruuning. Absolutle last!
ugghh Roshie. This is torture!!
Seriously though?
Then after logging in some miles, I get so high on endorphins and repeat that whole process again!
If you've read my previous post the struggle is real, you already know I signed up for another sort of madness. Ha! But that will be later on in 2017. Truth of the matter is, I was vying to become the Co Chair of the Blanket and Duvet Community with the temperatures dropping. The Indoors Hot chocolate and Cuddles association had an open spot reserved for yours truly. My body was happy about it but my mind was not taking it plus I dislike being inactive. It makes me feel stagnant. The half marathon was just a spur of the moment thing. I was chatting with my fitness group fam and I mentioned that I needed to get something to motivate me to run.
I started searching for a run, preferably in the Spring, that way I can stay motivated during the winter. A winter half marathon popped up! The last weekend of winter aka THE DEEP OF WINTER! I have never done one of those before and faster that you could day JOHN SNOW, I was typing my name in the boxes and swiping my card in case my inner rebel came out!
She is the one who uttered that F bomb earlier! Kindly, forgive her.
After signing up and having a WTF moment, I told my FIT FAM group, snapped a pic of my registration and started convincing them to do it too. What can I say? Misery loves company.
Come February 26th, I shall be running the NEW YORK CITY Central Park Half Marathon. Typically, I would say I'm excited, thrilled, throw in a quote and yada yada yadah but I'm nervous wreck. Just thinking about it gets my stomach in knots. Super grateful to have a FIT FAM who I can bounce my thoughts on, get that motivation talk when I fell blah, sorta have a kumbaya thing going on.
Apparently, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. Time to go get my under armour cold gear!! Winter run here I come.
What are your fitness plans this winter?
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!!
I am wondering where my mojo went to. I think it packed it's bags, took the first flight out to Bora Bora. It's currently sitting somewhere by the beach holding a cocktail with an umbrella on it. The damn thing did not carry it's phone either or if it did, I am blocked or something.It's so freaking frustrating. We used to hang out on the daily and just like the snap of the finger the damn Mojo just rolled out on me. Arrgh
So here's the thing, I have not been consistent as I would love to be with my workouts. I feel like I do the same thing over and over and over again. I enjoy working out, sweating and the feel good endorphin that come later but lately I have been giving myself all the excuses in the world. Last week I went to the gym once, the week before that two times. Seriously Roshie? Let me tell you what happens when your workouts are not consistent. You start eating. A lot!! Cravings and family show up and everything on site looks appealing, heavenly and scrumptious. Tempting treats seem to be everywhere. No wonder it's soo easy to gain weight.
I decided to get to the bottom of my inconsistent gym dates and get my mojo back even if I have to call the US Marshall and have it extradited umbrella drinks be damned!
I am a goal oriented person. I make them. attain them, celebrate, then make more goals. I realized the reason I have nothing to look forward to. In the past I had a marathons and new classes to look forward to, So first order of the day is to set a goal. My friend Shiro mentioned doing a competition. Not just any other competition but those grueling, weight lifting, cardio five times a week, eat only chicken with Broccoli and a scoop of rice, protein shakes on deck typa competition. Gulp!!
Shiro mentioned these bikini competitions during our hot yoga sessions. She had great reasons why we should do it. First and foremost we have each other for that moral support. Two, I love love weight training so this wont be unfamiliar territory to me. Three, we get to work out. Four, we shall look amazing!! Five, did I mention how amazing we shall look at the end of this? The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. So there it is folks!!
I will be in a bikini competition sometime in May, the training starts in December so that gives me approximately 6 MONTHS of intense training. Oh my nerves! I wil be giving you updates once I start on this journey and I know a few months in I am going to ask myself why I and doing this, but I am doing it for me. My mojo better be getting in a cab back home from the airport.
I mean serious business!
KALE YEAH!!!
After my marathon in March, I took it upon myself to add more weights to my workout and boy has that decision paid off. Ladies, weights are your bestfriend. Do them for a couple of months and the results that will come forth will make you so vainnn. I always have to catch myself from snapping soooo many pictures. I am honestly thinking of sharing some before and after pictures.
The main thing I have had to watch out for has been my diet. I am attracted to sweet things and they to are attracted to me. It's been such a struggle to stay away from my beloved icecream, warm, soft, cookies and decadent cakes. However, self discipline has a new meaning to my life.
I have made Kale my close pal too. I love vegetables but Kale was one of those green leafy veggies that was never invited to the party. Couldn't stand it! After finding out it's numerous benefits like finding out how HIGH I could get of of it. It's high in Vitamin K, high in fibre, high in iron... Prettyy much high in everything. It's no wonder they call it a super power veggie. As a fan, I had to pay homage to it. Well, on my self!
YOGA
Downward dog. Chair pose. Warrior one. Warrior two. Triangle pose. The first time I heard those names was from a workout dvd. Like the rest of the nation, I had gotten into P90X workout program after seeing the infomercial around 1AM. What is it about infomercials after midnight? I swear they can sell ice to an eskimo. Beach body sold me into the 39.99 deal for 3 Months and bam! Tony Horton would be my trainer!!
The 3-5 business day shipping seemed to take forever. Eventually, my P90X shipment came through and I opened it faster than a kid on Christmas day. I was looking forward to a banggggging body in 90days!! All the hours spent on the treadmill machine catching up with my INSTYLE magazine be gone! Nothing came out of you anyway.
In was Tony Horton, chiseled jaw a la Jaime Lannister, body with -3% body fat, with a booming voice, hilarious quips, and charisma galore. I was ready to Bring it! Whatever he asked for I would bring. Started day one pumped and fired up. I could already see my beach body!!
P90X program schedules a yoga day in between your other Xtreme workouts and I was looking forward to it!! When I first played the Yoga X dvd, I sat back and watched it like a movie, forwarding it in areas where one had to repeat a sequence! This will definitely be a piece of cake, is what I thought. Looks like a whole lotta stretching. My treadmill sessions were tougher. Ha!
I had gotten a yoga mat from Walmart which smelled like an open can of tennis balls and of good fortune, after all, it’s yoga. There is something about a yoga mat! It makes you seem cool and zen. Makes you want to put your palms together and Namaste everyone you meet. You don’t have to be doing yoga. Just carry a yoga mat, see your zen like status rise like sunlight from the sea. No shade needed!
I decided to get down to business and nail my yoga day. Tony initially tells you how yoga is amazing. It will help with your flexibility yadah yadah yadah!!
Sir, am ready bring it!
Let’s just get this party started.
We started with breathing sequences. To open up the lungs. Told ya! Piece of cake. Next came the sun salutations. Ok. Weird names but I dig it. Then as the sequences progressed. My poor little muscles somewhere near my elbow started shaking as the minutes went by.. I didn't even know there muscles there! Anatomy be damned! At one point Tony quipped do your VINYASA! I had to stop and watch this vinyasa. Vinyasa, in swahili means shorts!. Why we doing shorts? I was baffled. My sister Flo swears I do not sweat heavily when we work out but I was ten minutes in and sweat was running down my temples. The workout was an hour forty five minutes long!
Get out of here!!!
SERIOUSLY?
Since I live by the mantra NEVER GIVE UP, I kept doing my sequences trying not to fall off my brand spanking new mat.
I made it to the 25th minute and then I sat down and watched them as they progressed to balance poses and other non rookie moves. Piece of cake huh! That was my intro to Yoga. In 2008.
I did the program for close to 45 days, shed some weight. Yas!! It must have been my new found confidence, my zen like status after falling off the mat and getting back on like an undeterred buddhist monk or the little biceps that were forming because of Plyometrics. Who knows. Sneaky little fate stepped in and I met a boy, a date here, a date there, you know how that goes. You miss a workout for a day, then it’s a week. Then…..The end!
The boy is not around but my P90x program still is. Somewhere on my bookshelf. Collecting dust!I am sorry Tony.
Fast forward to 2016, I met Shiro at a house party of a friend of mine. After chit chatting, we discovered we both enjoyed working out. Gym buddies yay!! Shiro mentioned Bikram yoga during one of our Leg day workouts. Bikram yoga is done in a 100 Fahrenheit room resulting in greater elimination of toxins from the body through the increased production of sweat. As in yoga in a room that is hot as a pot of Githeri! Or Black beans. Nope!
You must be mad! I remember the little muscles quivering at the elbow and kinda let that yoga story die a swift death.
I had done Bikram yoga two years prior in Baltimore with my buddy Stephanie. Bought those groupon deals. 10 classes for $39, not too shabby! Figured I could hack Tony, what’s a hot class going to do to me. Scorch me?
Boy was I wrong.
It was the most humiliating class of my life. Remember I sweat in 10 minutes at room temperature. Hike the temp to 100 degrees and my pores become dams releasing tsunami like quantities of sweat. It was a 6am class and I had not practiced yoga in eons and here I was standing like the tin man in a hot room. My moves were off and falling of the mat was my comfortable pose. Sigh! Those were the longest 90 minutes of my life. The class ended and so did my relationship with yoga. I never showed my face to that sauna of a room ever again.
Then here comes Shiro urging me to try Bikram yoga! She tells me I will love it. Love! She is Hilarious. I eventually acquiesce since am a team player and all that. Plus I give second chances, what the heck! Yoga was good to me. It’s that heated room I frowned upon. Back to groupon. We settle on a Saturday class at a beautiful studio in Herald Square.
Eat a banana. Drink tons of water at least two hours prior. Carry a water bottle. See you soon.
Thats a text from Shiro. Just making sure I will show up.
Here’s the thing!! I LOOOVEDDD IT! LOVE!
Loved it so much. I went to all ten classes and signed up for more. I had checked the attitude I had outside the door and told myself I would Ace this yoga in a hot room business.
The instructor was amazing. The whole focus was on myself. Every move I did, every sequence no matter how HARD, I breathed through it. If a pose was a little bit extreme, us beginners were instructed to do the little we can and just breathe.
Just breathe. How beautiful is that?
Breathe.
Dang! I should have mentioned this was going to be a looong post, we have come this far so hang on. Here are the five things I have learnt about yoga from the classes I have taken.
BREATHING IS KEY
The amazing benefits of just opening up your lungs is beyond. Pranayama - breathing is incorporated into the exercise positions encouraging you to be conscious of your body. It also aids in restoring balance of the body and mind. I found some poses tough but remembering to breath through it made the poses a little bit easier.
STOP COMPARING YOURSELF
If you are a beginner, it’s ok to fumble about and even fall off the mat. Laugh or smile about it and breath. Do not look at the pros in the class who have been practicing for eons. Just do what you can. Remember that at one point they were also beginners. No one is born a pro. Do the best you can and forget the rest.
INCREASED FLEXIBILITY
From tin man to the rubber man. True story. Initially, touching your toes and doing a back bend will seem like a far fetched notion. With constant practise, you will notice a gradual loosening. Seemingly impossible poses will be possible.
FOCUS
My mind is a rollercoaster of ideas and activities. Things to do. Things that need to get done. A hub that is constantly on the go from the moment I wake up to the time I go to sleep. With yoga, an important component is focusing on the present. It’s calming and restorative which then makes me coordinate and solve problems that may come my way. Quiet the mind, focus on the present and the recurring loop of scattered thoughts and little distractions fade away. How awesome is that?
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
The basic foundation of all body goals is a healthy lifestyle. Practising yoga got me moving and burning calories. My face is radiant and my skin feels amazingly soft thanks to Bikram yoga and sweating off all the toxins. I have become a more conscious eater which in turn has enabled me to shed off some stubborn pounds and even increase my strength and endurance during my gymmy dates. That endurance can be channeled into other things as well. Wink* Falling off the mat is less frequent meaning my balance has improved, and my posture is about to rival the Queen. No not Cersei, my Game of Thrones fam know what I mean! Plus I sleep like a baby. No lullaby needed.
Seriously! The benefits of yoga are numerous. Hopefully this has encouraged you to contemplate taking a class at your local gym. Or try one of those groupon deals. They have one in every town trust me. Find a buddy who is willing to try it out with you. If you are not into this class things. How about trying out a dvd in the comfort of your own home. Or even better the internet has numerous yoga videos done by certified yoga trainers. For free! All you need is a good wifi connection.
Yoga is for everyone. I love the fact that you do what you can. It’s not about being good at something, it’s about being good to yourself. Here is beautiful quote I read about the goal of yoga by International Yoga teacher, Rachel Brathen.
"The yoga pose is not the goal. Becoming flexible is not the goal. Standing on your hand is not the goal. The goal is to create a space where you were once stuck. To unveil the layers of protection you’ve built around your heart. To appreciate your body and become aware of the mind and the noise it creates.
The goal is to love, well...You!
Come to your yoga mat to feel; not to accomplish.
Shift your focus and your heart will grow."
Thanks for stopping by.
Ready to hit the mat?
10 AMAZING WAYS TO INFUSE YOUR WATER WITH FLAVOR
Summer is upon us.
With it comes heat, extreme sweating, and parched mouths. It is advisable to stay hydrated to recover all the water lost in the next upcoming months. Staying hydrated can be such a chore. Water is bland and plain boring. It took me a long time to get into the habit of tilting a bottle of water thanks to a few creative ideas and a little chopping time while listening to my favorite dance hall tunes.
The best part about summer is the availability of fresh fruits. Mangoes, pineapples, blueberries and other delicious fruits could be used to infuse your water with amazing flavor. Flavored water tastes great, flushes your toxins, it's amazing for your waistline plus you aids in your daily vitamin intake.
Below are some of my favorite ways to get you hydrated and get your taste buds tingling.
This post has been curated through BRIT + CO. Let me know which is your favorite infused drink. Stay hydrated :)
13.1 MILES LATER... NOW WHAT NEXT?
Oh my gooooodnessss!!! Ok!! After training like a mad woman this winter. Running in subzero temperatures and freezing my ass off, I am glad to say that all that effort paid off. If you have been following me on social media, you already know that I ran the half marathon and I finished it and I had such an amazing time but I will get to that shortly !
Why Puerto Rico? After doing most of my runs around the DMV area, it was such a treat to be running at a different location. My friend Sylvia came up with the idea and my friends and I were all in!!! We always struggle with winter workouts. Who wants to go to the gym in the middle of an arctic blast, or try running 5 miles in 30 degree weather? No one. But through in a destination, think warm immaculate weather, beach, culture, Caribbean and everyone is thrilled to train for a half marathon. Basically, that is what happened. Started as an idea almost 15 weeks ago that eventually came to fruition.
Puerto Rico was beyond divine. We toured Old San Juan discovering little local joints to eat. Took pictures galore and danced to some serious latin American music. Our theme song for this trip was Marc Anthony Vivir mi vida! We would be walking down the street, one of us hums the tune and boom, we are a choir, yelling at the top of our lungs ....la la la la la!!
This song is so catchy I have to share some of theMarc Anthony Vibes we had. The song stands for LIVE MY LIFE!!
To answer the what's next question, here's what I have lined up for my fitness regimen...
WEIGHTS - Now that the training is over, I am going back to my regular gym dates this time I just want to left heavy, gain a little definition that long distance running seemed to have taken away. Ladies, do not be afraid of the weights, they help tone those arms, structure your back, chest presses makes the boobies perky and leg day is defines your legs, thighs and butt.
SWIMMING - I had an episode in the Dominican Republic a couple of years ago where I nearly drowned. Drowned!!! I happened to jump in a cave that had water 38 FEET deep. My friends looked like they were having sooo much fun and because FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the enemy of progress, I lined up and before I knew it, I was jumping into a dark murky abyss, water sucking me in to the bottom. It's was by the grace of God that I was able to come up and fight my way out.... I am not the best swimmer out there, I can;t even swim to save my life and that's a damn shame esp for someone who loves water as I do. Hence, I got 5 classes set up with a swim instructor at my local gym starting April. I can commit to two days of swimming. If I can ran a half marathon, swimming should be a peace of cake right?
YOGA - My friend Shiro and I have decided to take some Bikram Yoga classes thanks to Groupon. Groupon has my go to for everything nowadays. They have really sweet deals from fitness to getaway vacations that come in so handy. I used to practice yoga four years ago but as with life. I feel off and now I am trying to get back to that flexible, limber me. Furthermore, yoga helps in all areas of our fitness.
I hope you are keeping up with your fitness goals that you made in the beginning of the year! Let me know how that is coming along... :)
Thanks for stopping by....
4 WEEKS TO HALF MARATHON - (an update and Meeting SHAUN T!!)
Woah!! Time seemed to have breezed by. We are already in the second month of the year, that makes me four weeks out to my half marathon! Welp! I have to put in mileage this month. Two weeks to the half marathon I should be doing really short runs and some speed work. So for the first three weeks of this month I should be logging in 7- 11 miles. It does sound a lot but considering I have 13.1 miles to tackle on race day, getting my body conditioned for this is super important. I did seven miles at Central Park the other day. I like how I can easily say seven. A few years back a half a mile was a struggle!!
Being on a vegetarian diet has it perks. I am more energetic, I have really improved my pace and do feel amazing and not heavily weighed down. I have been doing my meal preps of certain foods that I eat on rotation. Legumes are huge especially to facilitate the protein. My faves are chickpeas, lentils, and black beans. I make stews and have them with brown rice or sweet potatoes. For my veggies, spinach and kale, or steamed red cabbage. Red cabbage has become so dear to me, I don't know how they found their way to my heart but they did. I am in love!! Sometimes I go for a huge salad or rice bowls. Rice bowls are so easy to make. Prepare your rice as usual then throw in the veggies of your choice and don't forget to top with a few slices of avocado!! Yummm!
So here's the thing after doing this month in month out for the past 6 months or so. Carb-loading on pasta and rice because they are like fuel to your long distance runs!! Sigh** and slightly melting off the extra pounds. I find that I am getting EXTREMELY BORED with my diet!! I am soooo bored I want to punch the black beans on their face! Like a nice sucker punch. I am looking for creative ways to make my meals. Is this marathon over? This is what I always say, then a few month later, I am signed up for a race)
Of late I have been pouring in on Vegetarian Blogs to get inspiration. My running buddy Sylvia has been throwing down some veggie inspired meals and tagging me on Instagram! Thanks Sly! Buuut every time I got into the kitchen, just like an old habit, I pick up the pan, boil some water for the rice, prepare my bean stew, steam some veggies and call it a day. I love cooking. I really enjoy it, it can be therapeutic. Crying while cutting the onions, meditating while the onions caramelize. Ha! I am about to go off on a tangent here but you get the point.
I have mentioned to a few friends of mine I might introduce some meals on the blog. It's only right since the way we eat and my content on wellness go hand in hand. Plus, I do see a lot of vegetarian blogs but they are not linked to working out. With this said, I scoured numerous sites to check out any vegetarian bloggers who are also into fitness. The sites that were available to me were either amazing vegetarian food bloggers or just fitness ones. I did not find one that linked the two together and since I already have a little platform on here... Why not bring the two together? FOOD AND FITNESS! YAY!
As I have said in the past my relationship with gymmy is strong and steady. Our dates are frequent now, we tend to have Happy hour on the treadmill, it's honest to say that we are pretty serious. Sometimes I do like to switch it up and do Shaunt T like workout with Insanity. Talking about Shaun T.
I got to meet him and he is amazing!! He is one of the ambassadors for the Council of Fashion Designers in America and he was in town for Fashion week. This is not me gushing just because I did some Insanity workouts eons ago where he kicked my butt or getting me all hot and sweaty in T25 while he is motivating me to push and dig deeper!! I am saying this because the man is phenomenal!!!!!! Shaun get's to change people's lives by doing what he loves through Fitness!!! I know so many people who swear by Shaun T. He walks in to the room, and you can feel his positive energy. He has accomplished so much yet he was humble and down to Earth. I am an eternal fan who would let a photo op go by!! Shaun, Scott and I had these pictures taken in between laughs and strategic poses. Year made!!!
I am currently thinking on what is my next goal after this half marathon is over. Do I sign up for another one right before summer. Should I focus on Yoga or Pilates which has always been on my mind? I always try to focus on the next goal after I have accomplished one so I can stay on track. The best part about this is that I can figure it all out in due time. According to my HAPPINESS PROJECT, March I shall be focusing on health and wellness. That should be extremely fan. Are you on snap? Follow my antics and a few behind the scenes shenanigans @Anconventional.
Back to training......
5 RUNNING TIPS TO GET YOU FROM COUCH TO TRAIL / TREADMILL
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
You have been saying you will start running. You have circled a day on the calendar. Put an alarm on your phone with the said date and a special ring tone, probably the "Eye of the Tiger" or Beyonce's "Bootylicious". You even bought new sport shoes from Sport Authority. Your Nike's are brand spanking new. They smell of good fortune and endless miles. You are ready!!! You tell your buddies and everyone in your neighborhood, some will look at you like horns sprouted on your head, others will root for you and tell you to go for it. The day ambles closer and closer. It's D day! Buuutttt, you started that captivating documentary series on Netflix last night. You know the one I am talking about. The documentary EVERYONE is talking about! There you are, nestled on the couch, eyes trained on the tv screen, the only movement from your body is from your breathing chest. You are hooked on How to make a Murderer!!!
The story grips your heart, you are engrossed, transfixed and the D day fades away like the last stanza of a religious hymn. A few days go by and you happen to talk to your buddy. She asks how the running is coming along. You are mortified because your Nike's are still in the box, shiny as a new penny. Your running clothes neatly folded in the dresser.You sheepishly say you are working on it.
I have been there, done it, Saying that you are going to do something is a piece of cake. Getting to do the actual deed takes willpower and determination. I have a few pointers that have carried me through ever since I started running. Hopefully, they will get you from couch to the trail...
1. GET A GOOD SPORTS BRA
OMG!! This priority numero uno!! I can not stress this enough!! You will be comfortable. the girls will be comfortable. It is a win win for everyone. I remember a few years back when I had gotten this EL CHEAPO bra from Old Navy! Sigh* It looked cute the end! I had registered to a new gym and when you join a new gym, they usually link you up with a trainer to show you the ropes and all that. They also want you to sign up for personal training a marketing ploy that works. Annnyyywaaaay, I had my appointment set and had on my uber cute workout clothes on. I was ready!! My trainer was super hot, he had that Channing Tatum thing going on. Helloo!! So he there is mumbling about this machine here and there, and what they do and blazi - bla - bla!!! Honey, I was not paying attention! He finally gets me started on the treadmill, as a warm up. Then he states that we need to get my heart rate up and speeds up the damn machine. WOOOAAHH!! My boobs threw a riot and nearly smacked my face!! This man is standing right beside me looking at me. I was mortified!!! He stopped the machine all together then with a knowing look he asked me if I had heard about Under Armor. At this point I just wanted the ground beneath me to open up and swallow me. I wanted to disappear. He went on about how great their active wear was and how he thought I would personally benefit from their BRAS!!!
Moral of the story, get a good bra! I have seen many women at the gym with horrible sports Bras. It's worse if you are well endowed. I happen to be have a bosom on me that requires serious armor. Under amour is my go to choice. DUH!! Yes they are pretty pricey but totally worth it. Your boobs will be comfortable and so will you.
2. ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER(S)
Major Key!! Major!! A support system comes in handy. Especially on days where your MOJO has taken a Vacation to Tulum, Mexico! They motivate you and at times remind you why you are doing this in the first place. My friends and I have a Whatsapp group where we post our runs, give each other ideas on meal recipes, share memes, and basically get that much needed inspiration. Some people connect through groups on Facebook, some on Instagram. It's also a fun way of connecting with people whose goals are aligned with yours. If you are on SNAPCHAT find me @Anconventional. I don't have Major key alerts like Dj Khaled, but you can see me out there putting in work and having fun. Let's get snapping. :)
3. SET A GOAL
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A goal gives you a purpose. Your goal could be losing ten pounds or running a 5K. I have a hard time working out in the winter. The weather is nasty and brutally cold. I just want to stay indoors, covered in a warm blanket with a good book, drinking hot chocolate and cookies. When my friend Sylvia asked me if I wanted to ran a Half Marathon in March, I knew without a doubt that I had to train in the winter to be ready for a 13.1 mile run. I did not hesitate. I said yes immediately. My half Marathon in March is the goal. It keeps me focused. Sometimes I don't feel up to it but I put my shoes on and get it over with. I take it one day at a time. The thing with goals is that they will require dedication, will power, tons of sacrifice, but accomplishing the goal will definitely be worth it. That goal will definitely get you off the couch!
4. CREATE A HIT PLAYLIST
Music is life!! Period. I have no idea how people run without music. You might be one of them but I personally need music to give that extra pump especially on those lazy days where I don't feel like running. I am a huge dance hall and reggae fan, play some Konshens and my blood starts pumping and my legs feel like they could sprint from here to Timbuktu. So by the time I am out the door, I feel like I am in my own party jamming with every step I take.
5. DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOUR SELF
Enjoy the process and have fun. I have to remind myself over and over that fitness should be fun. If I don't run as scheduled today it OK, I will run tomorrow. If my body is sore from previous workouts and I am not up for a run, I should take it easy. I am not competing to tear up my connective tissues. After my first two half - marathons, I swore off running. I was done!! It felt like a punishment that I was over with. Then I learnt to take it easy and enjoy the process, I found myself falling in love with the process and loving the results even more!! When I did my ten mile run on Christmas day, I doubted myself a little bit. I hadn't put up that much mileage in a long time. Once I hit the ten mile mark, I was so happy! The most beautiful moment in this marathon training was the transition from wondering if I could, to knowing that I can. So on those really lazy, crappy days, I remind myself that I can make it. All I need to do is put on my running gear, tie my shoe laces, put on my headphones and walk out the door!! Oh and yes..... HAVE FUN!
Hopefully, you will press pause on that Netflix series, it will be there when you come back from your run! :)
10 WEEKS TO HALF MARATHON (AN UPDATE) AND THE GUY!!
It's 6:30 am, my alarm goes off. I need to wake up but my body and my mind are having a tumultuous argument over why I should be up at such an ungodly hour on Christmas day. I decide I need a few minutes of sleep. The body wins round one. I snooze, then wake up as if someone just poured icy cold water on me. I tap my phone and the light emanating from the screen glares at me. 7:12 am. I am wide awake! Flo, my sister, is still asleep. Our 10 mile run is scheduled at 8:00 am!! It's 7:12 am!! I yell her name and she grudgingly wakes up. I start frantically looking for my workout clothes.
My body is not up for this. I look at the warm sheets which seem to be looking at me invitingly like that dude on the subway the other day. The one wearing an olive Canadian goose parka with a faux fur on the hood. He had on a pair of blue denim jeans and a sweatshirt with the New York Giants logo emblazoned on it. He wore brown boots which showed no signs of wear and tear. Boots that were well worn and comfortable. His skin looked like melted tar and eyes that were so piercing they held me. Now I don't usually look at people on the subway, actually you are not supposed to. It's rude! Look up at the advertisements on Viagra and boob implants or look down at people's shoes. Shoes that can probably tell your where they've been, or the lives they have lead. Stare down at the subway floor dammit, act fascinated with it's nooks and crannies while Adele croons in your ears but just don't stare at people!! Personally, I am not one for eye contacts on the train, my eyes tend to look up at the adverts as if they hold a key to a puzzle I want to decipher, or my nose is usually buried in a book but on this particular day, I had no book and my eyes were focused elsewhere. On him. We looked at each other for a strange long moment, like two animals meeting at twilight, then, if a gaze can turn warm, his did. Warm and inviting like baked brownies. His lips quirked into a smile, he'd seen me giving him the once over. I thought I would win the eye contact battle but there's no need to fight a losing battle. He kept looking at me, with his warm inviting eyes as if I was a shot of single malt. And as fate would have it, the train pulled up at my stop. I gave him a brief glance, and noticed he was smiling now. A smile that reached his eyes. I stepped out of the train and as I walked away, I bite my lip trying very hard to not to smile. It was as if we were in on a secret.
I resolved to walk away from the warm inviting sheets as well and get ready for my 10 mile run. The morning was foggy, the air cool and damp. Flo and I did not say much on the way to our running trail. I sat quietly lost in my thoughts on the passenger side as trees and buildings zoomed by. Then Flo's voice broke into our comfortable silence. "How times have changed! Back then we would be passed out from a serious turn up session, exhausted from all our dancing and merry-making exertions. Here we are heading out for a ten mile run on a Christmas day!!" I smiled and concurred with her. Times had indeed changed. We resumed back into our comfortable silence. And as the rest of the world woke up to unwrap its gifts, we watched as a new day, a gift in essence, unwrap itself.
I thought of the guy while running between the fifth and the sixth mile on the Baltimore - Washington trail. He came to my mind quite randomly. There I was running one step at at time, glancing at my watch to peek at my heart rate, and the guy strolls in my thoughts, takes a seat and gets comfortable. I started wondering about fate and how we meet people. May be one day, at a random house party, I will meet him again. They will be serving those dehydrated veggie platters from the grocery store with ranch dressing in the middle, a fruit salad, cheese and crackers, yellow tail moscato, Malbec boxed wine in red cups and someone will have brought some brownies. Hard, cold brownies that no one will gravitate to. Then in in the middle of a conversation with someone who I just met, I will look up and see some warm eyes staring back at me. Perhaps, I will be invited to a friend's wedding. One of the groomsmen on the altar will be Mr. Warm eyes or even worse the GROOM and at the back of his mind - hopefully - a memory of an afternoon in the subway where he saw a girl with big brown eyes will replay itself. Like a scene from a movie. Fate! Ha!! Blame this on those Mills and Boon novels I read in high school.
The thing about running is this, most of the time, you are usually left with your thoughts for miles on end. You build castles in the air and other times, that's where really good ideas come from. Ideas that enable me to tackle something that had me on a creative block. It's how I solve a certain problems. With every mile, I clear my head. Often, I get a deeper appreciation of this beautiful world we live in. The meandering trails, the dark wet leaves on the floor and the almost naked trees, the gentle slopes covered in fading green before winter stomps in, the sounds of nature harmoniously working together, as if an orchestra. I become grateful for my health, legs that push me forward, eyes that get to appreciate the beauty that is earth, a sane mind, and a body that can be pushed beyond it's limits and still persevere. Now and then, while running between mile five and six, D'banj yelling in my ears on my being a sweet potato and how I will make him fall in love, the random guy in an Olive Parka with the piercing eyes will walk into my head, pull a chair and stay in my thoughts, and that too is OK.
I am on week 10 of my half marathon training. I got to go home ( Maryland) for the Christmas festivities. I hadn't seen my family in over three months so I was beyond thrilled. The camaraderie among my siblings is out of this world. Half the time I am usually clutching my ribs and wiping the tears from my eyes from laughing really hard. The other time my vocal cords are straining from the extreme yelling and banter. I went out running with my friends Steph, Muchai, Sylvia, and my sister Flo. This was the first time since I started training for my half marathon that I have had people running with me. I had forgotten how awesome it was to have someone else root for you or support you on your next mile no matter how badly your legs seem to be resisting the effort. We finished the ten mile run and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at a diner three miles from the running trail. They had a special fruit parfait which came in a bowl and had as all entranced. It looked mouth - watering and tasted like a slice of heaven. Other orders were placed. No one wanted to miss a bowlful of this particular heaven. My sister sang about it for the rest of the day, recipe ideas were being traded on how to layer up yogurt and granola with bananas and berries, even that particular bowl, with it's intricate design, had a role to play in this discussion.
How can a fruit bowl have all that power?
For my main breakfast dish, I went for pancakes. I love, love pancakes. After ten miles, a stack of chocolate chip pancakes is well deserved with a nice mug of hot chocolate. I inhaled what was on my plate, all that remained was dribbles of syrup. I resume my training next week. Week nine is a cross over between the old and the New Year. I have a long run scheduled for the 31st and I think I will run it on Central Park. I have always wanted to run out there.
That's it for my little running update. Best believe if I see the guy again I will let you know. Fate likes playing quirky tricks on us, doesn't it?
So what are you guys up to?
CATCHING UP, RUNNING AND NEW GOALS
First of all let me just say that I am extremely embarrassed to put up a WELLNESS post in December. Embarrassed because it's my second wellness post and I bet you are wondering what have I been doing since that post in January? Have I been stuffing my face thIS whole year? What happened to Wellness updates.? Goodness!! Quite embarassing. Ok! I will jump right to it. I have been going to the gym at least three times a week. Stuffing my face is not an option. I have the metabolism of a tortoise and one loving glance at a cupcake results to a 20lbs gain. Boom! On my midsection, where else? So regular gym dates are a must. Even when I moved to New York, the first thing I did was find a gym. I take my physical well -being very seriously. I never cancel my gym date unless I have to. It has become a habit, like brushing my teeth. Boy did it take time to get where I am today!
I was a little bit under the weather last week and I still showed up for my gym date. I put in a 40 min cardio session on the treadmill. I felt so much better walking out of the gym than I felt going in. Working out will do that to your body. Endorphins have some healing powers as well. Lately, the treadmill has been my buddy. It's one machine I avoided like the bubonic plague. Nowadays, I walk in and all the treadmills seem to be winking at me, vying for my attention. Truth of the matter is this I used to hate running. Abhor! Detest! Are there any other synonyms? I had designated my cardio to only ten minutes on the elliptical, or walking really fast, if necessary. Most of the times the necessary never occurred. That's why we have cars right? I was the girl in highschool who participated in majority of the clubs. Clubs that would to get out of school and socialise with other beings, namely boys. I frowned upon anything that had the word ball in it. Basketball, netball, volleyball, all that running and sweating? I was better yelling and cheering on the side-lines. I was in an all girls boarding school. The last thing I ever wanted was to sweat. Ew..!
Of course, my teenage metabolism is not what it is today. Age catches up and the pounds do too. After moving to the states, I started to going to the gym just to "maintain". I don't know why I used that word. Maintain. It sounds so bizarre. I never maintained a damn thing. The only thing that got maintained was the weight in addition to more pounds. I have a weakness for sweat things. If it has glucose, fructose or sucrose we are in business baby!! Bring it on!! Icecream and cookies tops the charts on my list. They have never been dethroned. I would have a scoop or two almost every day, sometimes more than two scoops. Have you ever had Talenti? Boy? You will finish a tub in one seating. It's soooo good. Try the Pistachio! Ok! see what I mean. Talking about it gets me all.... ugh* Sneaky little ice cream! All in all, I gained weight and with that comes the feeling of being tired and uninspired. Meaning more eating and more unhealthy foods and more ice cream.
Then my mum was had kidney failure in 2011. There's nothing that sets off an alarm than someone you love being in pain and or going through surgery. It's a wake-up call. I am extremely happy to say that my sister Flo donated her kidney to mummy dearest and it was 100% match. Mummy is doing quite well. :)
I resolved to getting serious about the fitness regimen. Eat better and treat my body right. Almost a year later, my friend Sheila asked me if I would like to run a half marathon. I had never run more than a mile miles prior to that so I decided to challenge myself. How hard would it be? Piece of cake I should imagine, I mean I am already Kenyan, that should already work in my favor. Yes? Ummm no. Doesn't work that way. A half marathon is 13.1 miles. It would entail a lot of running, a lot of sacrifice and tons of determination. I started the training. Lots of runnings and learning about what to wear. Especially shoes. They are very important if you are putting in milage. Friday nights were no longer spent imbibing in lethal doses of alcohol or camaraderie with the crew but with a nice book and getting my shut eye early to be up at 5am for my long saturday morning runs. Talk about a complete turn around.
Two weeks before the the half marathon, we got word that my dad had gotten a stroke. I was told about it on a Friday evening. Apparently he was doing well, responding to doctors and so forth. He got another stroke sunday morning. He passed away minutes later. When I was told the news, I was in utter disbelief. I had just spoken to my dad that wednesday and in a blink of an eye, he was gone! Life!!
My first half marathon was scheduled the following Saturday. That week became one of the toughest weeks of my life. I had even thought of not participating in the half- marathon but I decided it would be best to see all the hard work put in come to fruition. I dedicated my run to my father and I remember crossing that finish line with tears in my eyes. For you dad!!
It was the beginning of everything.
I have close to four half marathons under my belt now. I do my runs for charity. When the group of ladies and I started training for that first half-marathon, we wanted to do it for a cause. A cause makes all the sacrifice worth it and to top it up, someone else will gain from it. That is how Hopeforfistula.org came to be.
This past November, I remember watching the runners dash past me during the recent New York City Marathon, the crowd was cheering, the runners though fatigued would smile with every step, others high-fiving the spectators. It's a beautiful thing to watch. It made me miss all the action. From someone who truly hated running to running half- marathons. I plan to run a full marathon soon. The last run I did was sometime last year in August. The Charm City Charles Street 12 mile run in Maryland. The jumper I am wearing on this post is a reward for finishing the race.
For 2016, my first half marathon is in March. When I told my friends I was running a half marathon, they always meet my statement with exclamations of, " I thought you hate running. " After every run I always say that that's my last marathon, then when I start training again, I am met with exclamations. What can I say, I got bitten by the bug.
I am beyond excited because it will give me something to do this winter plus it's a destination run so I get to tour a new place and participate in a run. Score!
I plan to give you weekly updates on how my training is coming along, tips and tricks I have learnt, and hopefully get you to start running as well. Even if it's a mile. I am currently 13 weeks out from my marathon in March. I haven't done one this year so am back on training mode and hopefully muscle memory will kick in. Running has become some sort of therapy for me. I clear my head with every step I take and I get a kick from the endorphins. I mentioned on some outfit posts that I am on a vegetarian diet and I feel amazing guys plus my energy is on a trillion. This time around I have to get super creative with my meals.
One thing I have learnt through my training regimen is not to be too hard on myself. I used do that alot. I pushed myself extremely hard and when things didn't go the way I have planned, I got frustrated with myself. I am learning to enjoy every little accomplishment be it an extra rep, a new pace. It's about staying in the moment and if I can't accomplish an extra mile today, it's ok. I have tomorrow to make it happen.
How's that for catching up? What are you guys up to?
Thanks for stopping by...
PS: I am almost -15lbs that I wanted to get rid of earlier this year!! YAY!!! (Read previous post) I wanted some Beats by Dre as a mini reward but Talenti sounds so good!!
Printed Tights - JC Penny
Pink Tank - Under Armour
Stripped Top - Charles Street 12 gift
Shoes: Nike 5.0
HEALTH JOURNEY
The best part about getting back on track is that you can easily do it by just STARTING. Yes! No need to set dates, or mark calendars, just start.
First post of the year and I jump straight into wellness. I think it is rather appropriate to jump right into; it’s the beginning of the year any way. Resolutions and all right? Wrong.. Being healthy is not something you should think about just because it’s the beginning of the year it should be part and parcel of your life.
That’s not always the case. I, too succumb to the no motivation phase where any mention of the gym puts me in a funk. My taste buds seem to crave everything extremely sweet, or dipped in cooking oil. Yikes!!!
A moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips, or belly, or underarms, or thighs…..love handles? Ugghh what’s to love about those handles?
"Ring the alarm!!! I’ll be damned if I see another flab on my waist!!!!" (Beyonce scream)
Eventually my relationship with the gym resumes. I started calling the gym Gymmy. Every time I say am meeting up with gymmy, sounds like am going on a date. And just like any other relationship; we have to make it work. Communication for gymmy and I is sweating it out on the treadmill or throwing dumbbells around for our dates. Preferably, at least 3 times a week. Buuuttttt like every relationship has it’s ups and down and I personally have to make it work.
Last year was a good year for me. It was actually the first year I was committed to the gym. At the moment, am in Kenya on vacation and to be totally honest, I miss walking in the gym for my workouts. Goodness!! I really can’t wait to get back to it.
Since am on this honest bus, I will let you know that I’m not with gymmy to get ripped but to stay healthy. My family has had a lot of health issues over the years and I take this matter close to my heart. It’s so easy to let yourself go but trying to get back to where you were is always the hardest. The best part about getting back on track is that you can easily do it by just STARTING. Yes! No need to set dates, or mark calendars, just start. I always try to get a gym bud, or someone who is also on that working out train, that extra motivation comes in handy. Oh! Aand lately I have been getting fitspiration from following some fitness folks on Instagram.
Last year I promised to get myself Beats by Dre, if I lost 10-15 pounds. Well, we wrapped up the year and I was 8lbs from my goal (I’m afraid I might have gained a little bit more on this vacay, yikes!!)
Soooo I am hoping to get back on track, and hopefully get my Beats while am at it. Am on the journey down to 15lbs. I should probably post what I’m eating now and then because 80% of the staying healthy involves the diet. Eating clean in order to see the results, the other 30% is gymmy dates, or working out at home. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for instant updates.
Let me know if you want to join me on this journey, we can encourage each other!!!
Photo Cred: Kimnation
On a side note, my brother Kim took these pictures sometime last year, figured I should use them for this post. Here's to staying healthy and hopefully I will have the same huge smile when am down 15lbs.
Thanks for stopping by.