Life balance: not easy but necessity (guest post)

My sensei, Mizfit, knows this to be true as I still look to her for guidance on BALANCING life and getting it all done!

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t get it all done.

I am my all means the definition of a work in progress.

I have made improvements, though, and that in and of itself is cause for being thankful!

I’ve learned that balance in life is not easy, but it is a necessity. We can’t get it ALL done nor expect to get none of it done at the same time. Mizfit’s term of monotasking has been my biggest area of focus.

Monotask!

Do each task you set out to do to its fullest and to the best of your ability. I don’t halfass and I don’t put too much work into anything. I just do my best. I try to do each task separately now, too, so they don’t cloud together. Into mush.

I work to live and don’t live to work.

Period.

We all may not have the job that we dreamed we’d have nor are we 100% ecstatic about going to a place for 8+ hours a day away from the things we do love.

However, 99% of the time, it’s what we have to do to make a living.

Do a job and do it well, I always say.

Don’t make those 8+ hours misery nor make it so much fun that you’re job hunting every 2 months. I know that my job is what helps me vacation, travel, have dinners out with my husband, so it affords me those things I love to do. I respect it, but I also leave it at the door once I walk out of it.

Who comes first?

Your dog? Your children? Your husband? Your wife? Your cat? It should be YOU.

I’ve learned that I have to balance enough to make time for myself.

Whether it’s a 5 mile run right when I wake up or 30 minutes to make my toes look decent and not runner-like. If we take time for ourselves, we’ll feel at least a tad more refreshed than we did before. We also won’t feel as expended in the 5 million directions we get pulled in daily.

Organize as best you can.

I stay organized with a planner at work and a separate one for home. I pre-plan as much as I possibly can.

That includes date nights, time with friends, time to workout, time to blog, anything. If I at least set aside a reasonable amount of time to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, they don’t bleed together. They get their own separate special time.

Aaaand I don’t forget important events causing me to let down others – I’m big about keeping commitments.

Don’t over-commit.

In order to not let anyone down, including yourself, know your limits.

All-in-all I remember to not give in one area more than I should in another – after taking a look at prioritization.

Life isn’t about giving ALL to others and it’s not about giving ALL to yourself either.

That’s my main takeaway for BALANCE.  What’s YOURS?

Kat is a pug-mom and wife trying to stay fit while tackling work, getting creative intermittently, studying for her NASM CPT exam, and managing asthma while taking on an active life in general! Her fitness blog, sneakersandfingerpaints.com, helps her hold herself accountable for all the goals she plans on accomplishing and inspiring others to do the same.

View the original article here

True Balance Toning Shoes By New Balance: Should You Really Be Wearing These?

Why the hell is Frankie wearing women’s sports shoes? Emmm, because I forced it on his foot. He didn’t take too well to modeling feminine footwear, but at least he’s got himself a (living-breathing?) girlfriend.

I’ve never worn a pair of those unattractive, platform-ish, Frankenstein-looking toning shoes. I don’t care what they promised to tone. If they’re ugly with no style, I ain’t wearing. Then there’s that lady I saw with the Frankenstien toning shoes, shoving excess sammiches down her food trap at high speed. What’s the point of the shoes then?

So anyway, New Balance threw me a pair of their True Balance toning shoes to take for a spin. At first glance and even upon closer inspection, there’s really no way to tell these are toning shoes. True Balance is sleek and sexy looking with no platform. They’ve got style, people.

I’ve heard the toning shoe concept in general get a bad rap for causing soreness and stuff – even pain in some cases, so that made me a little skeptical. My feet, legs and ass are precious to me and I don’t want them screwed with. I also got feedback from some Yum Yucky peeps who have the actual True Balance shoes. Some loved them. Some couldn’t keep them on for too long because certain prior injuries made the shoes not good for their wearing.

Okay then. Now it’s my turn to try them on and formulate my thoughts to maybe recommend them (or not).

This is my foot in True Balance.

I gave myself a full month to test these out. My first wearing was on July 5th. I wore them several times per week, sometimes for up to 10 hours. I worked in them and shopped in them. The very first thing I noticed was the comfort. Ahhhh. The fabric is thick with a little bit of stretch. It hugs your foot, yet is not tight. They also fit true to size. I tend to have a semi-wide front part of the foot, but they still felt really good.

When you start walking, there’s a little extra squish and give in the heel compared to regular sneakers. This creates an environment of “controlled in-stability” (yes, I made up that scientific term). Over the first few days, the shoes made me very aware with almost every walking moment that this controlled in-stability was going on, but after those initial days it was a gravy train. My brain caught up to my feet and I got used to the shoe without thinking about it. It was fancy walking as usual.

This controlled in-stability caused me to feel my calf muscles working, I’d say, maybe 15-20% more.  So for me, yes, I felt some toning going on. Yet I didn’t feel any difference in my upper legs or booty muscles. I did notice, however that after about 9 hours of wearing, my feet would get a little more tired than usual. Not sore or in pain – just fatigued. But this could be a plus considering what True Balance is meant to do? I don’t really know, but I just stopped wearing them for longer than 9 hours and that fixed the tired problem.

I’ve come to this conclusion about True Balance toning shoes: If you have any type of foot, leg or hip problems, these probably aren’t for you. If you’re just starting out with fitness and have absolutely no prior lower body strength, toning or conditioning experience, you may need to get your body developed in those areas before walking in these long term. But! If you have generally healthy lower body parts and desire EXTREME comfort while giving your body a little extra challenge throughout the day, go snag yourself a pair or at least try them on in the store at the very minimum. They’re FREAKING COMFORTABLE!! The shoes retail for $89.99. I think they’re worth the price.

True Balance toning shoes are meant for walking. NOT running, skipping, slip-sliding, hiking, disco-dancing, tree climbing, mixed martial arts, break-dancing or any other extremer activities. But you could wear them while couch-azzing or just trying to look cute. Okay?

Read about True Balance toning technology here. And if you desire to eat sammiches while wearing the toning shoes, please limit yourself to one sammich. Sheesh.

View the original article here

Borba Replenishing Skin Balance Water (Lychee Fruit Flavor)

Borba says it's Replenishing Skin Balance Water is, "made with botanical ingredients designed to boost moisture across your entire body. It's a zero carb, zero-calorie, skin care formula that helps you experience healthy-looking, hydrated skin."

I decided to try Borba when I randomly found it in a local convenience store. Sure, it was $3.99, but I had had a long night and was especially swayed by the "Replenishing" promise.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 8 ounces
Calories: 0
Total Fat: 0%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 0%
Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Fiber: 0%
Sugar: 0 grams
Protein: 0 grams

The flavor was wonderfully subtle, not to sweet, and it tasted quite like lychee, which I love. It was super refreshing, too, and I drank it all quickly. This stuff has no aspartame, so no artificial flavor, and no sodium as well, so no bloat. The "Lychee water" is designed to combat dryness, sensitivity, and roughness. It's got antioxidants, B vitamins, and papaya and guava. Yum!

sponsor

Each 8-ounce serving of Borba Replenishing Skin Balance Water (Lychee Fruit Flavor) - half of a bottle - provides no calories, fat, carbohydrates or protein. There are daily values of 25% for vitamin A, 360% for vitamin C, 330% for vitamin E, 40% for B3, 125% for B6, 260% for B12, 90% for pantothenic acid, 2% for magnesium, and 6% for zinc ... sounds like a true vitamin water.

I thought this was a really interesting concept. Of course, I don't know if this will help with healthy looking skin, but it sure will help with hydration. Naturally, I couldn't afford to drink this everyday at the $3.99 price tag, but if I see this for a lower price, I would definitely buy it again. Have you tried this or any other "beauty beverages"?

{Website: Borba Replenishing Skin Balance Water}

View the original article here

Balance Log Weight Loss Kit ~ Version 2.0

*** WEIGHT LOSS AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM *** WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE *** PERSONALIZED PROGRAM BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM; SET WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND NUTRITION GOALS; BUDGET YOUR DAILY CALORIES ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN METABOLIC RATE AND EXERCISE PROGRAM; ACCESS A DATABASE OF OVER 300 EXERCISES AND 4,000 FOODS, INCLUDING BRAND-NAME FOODS AND MENU ITEMS FROM NATIONAL RESTAURANT CHAINS. ACCURATELY TRACK CALORIES IN AND CALORIES OUT. EASILY AND CONVENIENTLY LOOK UP CALORIE NUTRITION FACTS. ADD YOUR FAVORITE FOODS AND CREATE PERSONAL MENUS. MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND OVER TIME. EASILY ADJUST YOUR PROGRAM AS YOUR METABOLISM CHANGES. USE WITH WINDOWS PCs, AND PALM OS PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAs). SUPPORTS COLOR PDAs AND SONY JOG DIAL FUNCTIONALITY. ***

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Balance Log Weight Loss Kit ~ Version 2.0

*** WEIGHT LOSS AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM *** WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE *** PERSONALIZED PROGRAM BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM; SET WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND NUTRITION GOALS; BUDGET YOUR DAILY CALORIES ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN METABOLIC RATE AND EXERCISE PROGRAM; ACCESS A DATABASE OF OVER 300 EXERCISES AND 4,000 FOODS, INCLUDING BRAND-NAME FOODS AND MENU ITEMS FROM NATIONAL RESTAURANT CHAINS. ACCURATELY TRACK CALORIES IN AND CALORIES OUT. EASILY AND CONVENIENTLY LOOK UP CALORIE NUTRITION FACTS. ADD YOUR FAVORITE FOODS AND CREATE PERSONAL MENUS. MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND OVER TIME. EASILY ADJUST YOUR PROGRAM AS YOUR METABOLISM CHANGES. USE WITH WINDOWS PCs, AND PALM OS PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAs). SUPPORTS COLOR PDAs AND SONY JOG DIAL FUNCTIONALITY. ***

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Balance Log Weight Loss Kit ~ Version 2.0

*** WEIGHT LOSS AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM *** WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE *** PERSONALIZED PROGRAM BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE METABOLISM; SET WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND NUTRITION GOALS; BUDGET YOUR DAILY CALORIES ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN METABOLIC RATE AND EXERCISE PROGRAM; ACCESS A DATABASE OF OVER 300 EXERCISES AND 4,000 FOODS, INCLUDING BRAND-NAME FOODS AND MENU ITEMS FROM NATIONAL RESTAURANT CHAINS. ACCURATELY TRACK CALORIES IN AND CALORIES OUT. EASILY AND CONVENIENTLY LOOK UP CALORIE NUTRITION FACTS. ADD YOUR FAVORITE FOODS AND CREATE PERSONAL MENUS. MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND OVER TIME. EASILY ADJUST YOUR PROGRAM AS YOUR METABOLISM CHANGES. USE WITH WINDOWS PCs, AND PALM OS PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAs). SUPPORTS COLOR PDAs AND SONY JOG DIAL FUNCTIONALITY. ***

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Lynn's "Balance Plan"

I’ve been reading over some of my writing as I research an upcoming Refuse To Regain blog about an aha! moment I had recently regarding exercise and weight maintenance. I came across this blog, “Lynn’s ‘Balance Plan,’” written in June 2008 for RTR, and I thought how, more than two years later, it still represents how I feel about weight loss and maintenance. I wanted to share it with you in hopes maybe you’d relate to some of it yourself. I’d love to hear from you if it does, and even if it doesn't, and why.

Have you seen or perhaps even used a balance board? It’s basically a 2-foot by 1-foot wooden board with a rollerball underneath. The idea is to stand on it while performing other exercises such as lifting free weights. The goal is to teach the body how to balance itself, to be more stable.

The first time I got on one of those suckers, I felt like I was on an amusement park ride. I was all over the place! Wobbling here, wobbling there. I could barely stay on the thing, let alone lift weights at the same time.

Over time, however, my body adjusted to the subtle movement of the rollerball and I learned to trust my instincts – to feel the rocking back and forth and to stay stable – as I concentrated on lifting weights. I found the balance.

And so it is with weight loss/weight maintenance. As reader/fellow maintainer Susan said in a comment posted to Barbara’s recent blog (see “Let’s Get Specific”), “Perfection is not the key to maintenance. It is finding balance you can live with.”

In response to Barbara’s challenge that we name and explain our “lifestyle change” plan that works for us, I offer “The Balance Plan” (or as I’ve nicknamed it: “How Lynn Walks and Chews Gum at the Same Time”).

The Balance Plan incorporates everything in my life. I blog, I answer email, work out, feed the birds, water the plants, babysit my granddaughter, eat, sleep, shower, go to parties, and go on vacation and all the while, maintenance buzzes in the background. It’s always with me, around me, and in me. It is me.

I’m adopting as my credo something my friend Sondra wrote in a comment: “I choose to stand my ground that I will put what is best for me first.”

Amen.

To maintain my weight loss, I’m learning to rely on my instinct and what “feels” right, in the same way I trust my body will keep me balanced on a wobble board. I also eat whole foods as close to their natural state, most of the time. I allow for chocolate and pudding and vices such as that, but always, always in moderation. I still use, as a tool, the Points system to help me gauge my overall food intake, but even that is becoming more “natural” for me to determine. My goal is to one day eat in total accordance to my body’s needs.

I’ve always said there’s a reason why pregnancy is supposed to take 9 months. We need time to prepare. There’s a reason why weight loss isn’t overnight. We need time to prepare for maintenance. Whether you lost weight through diet and exercise alone or with some kind of surgery, how you lost the weight is only a preparatory class for maintenance and forever, and as Sondra said, you have to change your lifestyle to get to goal.

It's frustrating to read posts on my favorite Weight Watchers discussion board from people returning from vacation bragging about how much food they ate and how “off plan” they were. They were on a “food vacation,” happy and content to stuff themselves with all their old favorites.

In real life – in real weight loss and in real maintenance – there are no such “food vacations.” Yes, there are times when we might indulge in some particular food, but we know it can’t be all the time and we know that to continue our maintenance balance, we must plan for such splurges. And as Susan reminds us, “…the most important thing is getting right back to good/clean eating after a couple of not so great meals.”

When these people return from their food vacations, the often post that they are are sad to get “back on plan.” They miss their old lifestyle. They see the new lifestyle they must embrace and resist it, like it’s their enemy.

On the Balance Plan, I understand that I have to be a friend to my body, to my food choices, and my exercise regimen, and to stand on the same side as my “lifestyle change,” to be fully immersed in it and not leave it at home when I go on vacation or out with friends or to a party or on a picnic. I take it with me at all times because it’s who I am, just as sure as I am a 44-year-old female.

The Balance Plan is open to new ideas and research. I educate myself and question “authority.” I ask lots of questions, try new foods and various approaches to obtaining the right nutrients. As I said earlier, I trust my instinct. I trust there’s a balance.

If I fall of the balance board, I get right back on. Not getting back on is not an option just as I can’t choose to not be 5’5” tall. The Balance Plan is innate so its “rules” change from person to person. But in the end, it’s about being your own best friend – walking and chewing gum at the same time, so to speak.

View the original article here

Lynn's "Balance Plan"

I’ve been reading over some of my writing as I research an upcoming Refuse To Regain blog about an aha! moment I had recently regarding exercise and weight maintenance. I came across this blog, “Lynn’s ‘Balance Plan,’” written in June 2008 for RTR, and I thought how, more than two years later, it still represents how I feel about weight loss and maintenance. I wanted to share it with you in hopes maybe you’d relate to some of it yourself. I’d love to hear from you if it does, and even if it doesn't, and why.

Have you seen or perhaps even used a balance board? It’s basically a 2-foot by 1-foot wooden board with a rollerball underneath. The idea is to stand on it while performing other exercises such as lifting free weights. The goal is to teach the body how to balance itself, to be more stable.

The first time I got on one of those suckers, I felt like I was on an amusement park ride. I was all over the place! Wobbling here, wobbling there. I could barely stay on the thing, let alone lift weights at the same time.

Over time, however, my body adjusted to the subtle movement of the rollerball and I learned to trust my instincts – to feel the rocking back and forth and to stay stable – as I concentrated on lifting weights. I found the balance.

And so it is with weight loss/weight maintenance. As reader/fellow maintainer Susan said in a comment posted to Barbara’s recent blog (see “Let’s Get Specific”), “Perfection is not the key to maintenance. It is finding balance you can live with.”

In response to Barbara’s challenge that we name and explain our “lifestyle change” plan that works for us, I offer “The Balance Plan” (or as I’ve nicknamed it: “How Lynn Walks and Chews Gum at the Same Time”).

The Balance Plan incorporates everything in my life. I blog, I answer email, work out, feed the birds, water the plants, babysit my granddaughter, eat, sleep, shower, go to parties, and go on vacation and all the while, maintenance buzzes in the background. It’s always with me, around me, and in me. It is me.

I’m adopting as my credo something my friend Sondra wrote in a comment: “I choose to stand my ground that I will put what is best for me first.”

Amen.

To maintain my weight loss, I’m learning to rely on my instinct and what “feels” right, in the same way I trust my body will keep me balanced on a wobble board. I also eat whole foods as close to their natural state, most of the time. I allow for chocolate and pudding and vices such as that, but always, always in moderation. I still use, as a tool, the Points system to help me gauge my overall food intake, but even that is becoming more “natural” for me to determine. My goal is to one day eat in total accordance to my body’s needs.

I’ve always said there’s a reason why pregnancy is supposed to take 9 months. We need time to prepare. There’s a reason why weight loss isn’t overnight. We need time to prepare for maintenance. Whether you lost weight through diet and exercise alone or with some kind of surgery, how you lost the weight is only a preparatory class for maintenance and forever, and as Sondra said, you have to change your lifestyle to get to goal.

It's frustrating to read posts on my favorite Weight Watchers discussion board from people returning from vacation bragging about how much food they ate and how “off plan” they were. They were on a “food vacation,” happy and content to stuff themselves with all their old favorites.

In real life – in real weight loss and in real maintenance – there are no such “food vacations.” Yes, there are times when we might indulge in some particular food, but we know it can’t be all the time and we know that to continue our maintenance balance, we must plan for such splurges. And as Susan reminds us, “…the most important thing is getting right back to good/clean eating after a couple of not so great meals.”

When these people return from their food vacations, the often post that they are are sad to get “back on plan.” They miss their old lifestyle. They see the new lifestyle they must embrace and resist it, like it’s their enemy.

On the Balance Plan, I understand that I have to be a friend to my body, to my food choices, and my exercise regimen, and to stand on the same side as my “lifestyle change,” to be fully immersed in it and not leave it at home when I go on vacation or out with friends or to a party or on a picnic. I take it with me at all times because it’s who I am, just as sure as I am a 44-year-old female.

The Balance Plan is open to new ideas and research. I educate myself and question “authority.” I ask lots of questions, try new foods and various approaches to obtaining the right nutrients. As I said earlier, I trust my instinct. I trust there’s a balance.

If I fall of the balance board, I get right back on. Not getting back on is not an option just as I can’t choose to not be 5’5” tall. The Balance Plan is innate so its “rules” change from person to person. But in the end, it’s about being your own best friend – walking and chewing gum at the same time, so to speak.

View the original article here

Gaiam Balance Ball Chair (Black)

Due to a change from the manufacturer, packaging may differ slightly from photograph.

Price: $99.99

Click here to buy from Amazon