Workout Motivation: Fitness Progress Video Footage

I decided to video my fitness progress instead of snapping pics this time…

I figured it was better for documenting where I’m at and evaluating what I need to work on most. I like this method! You should try it, too. But too bad my hair is a hot mess. That’s what happens when I kick my own ass in a training session. Check out the progress footage:

My thoughts? Definitely gotta take it to next level on arm and leg development. Go on and film your own progress for a little self-evaluation!

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Fitness mission statements.

why are we doing this??

I believe in the power of intention.

I look to my vision board as a source of motivation and inspiration.  (I also turn to my gratitude board as a reminder of what Im thankful for).

I have a personal mission statement.

Ive created a blog mission statement.

Im working on a spiritual mission statement.

We have a family mission statement.

The older I get, however, Ive realized none of the above WORK if Im not on my healthy living path.

If I dont have a FITNESS mission statement.

seriously. whats the point?

What is a fitness mission statement?

Almost as important —-is what it is NOT.  A Fitness Mission statement is not a workout plan.  Nowhere in your statement are you committing to X race on Y day or announcing a plan to shed X pounds by Y date.OK, then what the heck is it?!  Your Fitness Mission statement is an announcement of purpose.  It’s an answer to the query: why are we here? what’s the point? and is created with the backdrop of what you value in life.EW! Im not motivated by flowery words, MizFit!  No worries! A Fitness Mission statement is sentences which have a GOAL that is an ACTION.  A chain of words you choose which, when read and reread and reread, spark you to MOVE.  Quantifiable not flowery vague. why am I up here?

Um. Im lost. Can you clarify!?

Fitness Mission statements….arent about fitting in.  As with all aspects of healthy living creating my statement took trial & error.  The result is sentences which motivate me *every time.*  It can help to explore core values.  It can be illuminating to reflect on where youve started & challenge yourself to define where you want to go.Ask yourself: “WHY AM I HERE?”  The next time you exercise (or PLAYout!) write a sentence describing EXACTLY what got you moving that day & what your end-goals are.  Specifics.  Clarity about where you are going is the surest way to get there. REALLY, why ARE we here?!

Are Fitness Mission Statements lists of workout routines/competition goals?

Fitness Mission statements are sentences which help in planning routines to achieve goals.  They’re the umbrella underneath which we place our specifics (goals/exercise programs).  A statement might read:  To live a long, active, healthy life extolling the power of play and practicing what I preach.  Your statement should provide clues to answering the question: what approach to healthy living should I take? Are your goals endurance? Does your statement specifically mention flexibility? Did you choose to focus on the ZEN? *this* fits my MISSION!

Are you moderately muddled? kinda confused? lets get started…

 How do I create my Fitness Mission statement?

Be brief Initially I limited myself to eight words.  Id definitely say a maximum of three or four sentences. Clear, concise, terse.Identify your healthy living focus (for example: leadership, improved overall health, more flexible) and whom you desire to be in the fitness realm of your life. A lean mean machine? A more calm centered you? A role model? Be specific.What would the *ideal* end result of this healthy living look like (yes it’s morbid but I mean endend.  once we start we’re not stopping.)?Be positive. Do not include in your statement things you currently DISLIKE about yourself. PERIOD. Take any negative urge (I hate my fat thighs and stomach) and turn it inside out (Crossfit will give me the sleek leg muscles I desire).Include how healthy living habits/behaviors will impact relationships.  Through the practice of yoga I will be more calm and far less tempted to rip Renaissance Man or Toddler Tornado a new one.Create a statement you could use as backdrop to your life (I will do yoga consistently and grow to become more calm, have lowered blood pressure and be more present throughout my day) and which is in harmony with your PERSONAL mission statement if you have one (this was important for me. I worked to be sure that all my values were in alignment).

(pauses to serve snacks & acknowledges this post is long. and it’s the edited version.)

Quite frankly the next step is to git to writing.

And to be patient.

It can take a few tries to craft a statement where you read it and think: Ive nailed it!

For me it took writing, putting it away, rereading/tweaking and *then* I had my this is it!! moment.

I felt Id created a phrase so ‘right’ it not only inspires me to stay on track it’s energizing on the days Id much rather slack than work out.

Now you:

Do you also believe the body follows where the mind leads?
Have you written mission statements for facets of your life?What words/phrases might your statement contain?

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Home Workout Essentials: Online Streaming Of Fitness Videos From Gaiam TV

No more excuses, everybody. It’s time to workout!

If the gym isn’t your thing, you now have a new go-to option with Gaiam TV. I remember the frustration when I tried searching for quality workout videos on Netflix. Talk about a major letdown.

Gaiam TV has done what Netflix failed to do. They’ve stepped up to provide us health-conscious peeps with access to online streaming of fitness and Yoga videos, with a huge variety to choose from. We no longer have to sink hundreds of dollars into buying workout DVDs or paying for classes. Gaiam TV has over 2,000 titles with unlimited 24/7 streaming access from your computer, smartphone or iPad. 

The service is user friendly, giving you the ability to create playlists, preview videos, and also rate & review. It’s flexible and simple to use, granting you the superpowers to filter your search and customize workouts for weight loss, total body sculpting or increased energy, and narrow down your options based on level, style, instructor and amount of available time.

GAIAM TV ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET

We’re not talking about some no frills, econo-brand kind of thing. There’s strength & cardio workouts, Pilates, and online Yoga from powerhouse instructors like Rodney Yee (dear gawd, you know I love him), Mari Windsor, Jillian Michaels and Leslie Sansone to name a few.

It’s all very magical. I have my suspicions that Gaiam created their service with sprinklings of unicorn dust to provide us with an extra splenduperful experience. But it’s not just exercise that you’ll get. There’s also a robust library of health & wellness and personal development videos, too.

ARE YOU READY TO TRY OUT GAIAM TV FOR FREE?

It’s pretty dang affordable to get access to Gaiam’s smorgasbord of fitness videos & stuff. You get a 10-day free trial, then it’s only $9.95 a month, and the first 25 people that sign up for Gaiam TV using this link will get a free yoga mat with their subscription. Emm, hellooo! FREE stuff!

You’ll also get zero hassles from Gaiam, because there’s no long term commitments. You can cancel anytime.

This year is coming to a close really fast and 2013 will be here before you know it. How about you kick some booty this fall with the help of Gaiam TV?

This is a sponsored post for Gaiam TV. May thanks to Gaiam for inviting me to try out their service and spread the good news to all the lovely people out there like YOU.

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How atoning is kinda like fitness.

Irreverent, but closest thing I possess to a pious photo.

Tonight at sundown starts the one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar

It’s also a day (or more aptly put a process) to which I look forward all year.

I readily admit Im not the most religious of misfits.

I tend to claim Im a cultural Jew (you know, as opposed to the JewJews who actually attend religious services weekly)—but even that claim can be a stretch.

I fully intend to celebrate all the holidays “culturally”–but I lack much cooking prowess & REALLY what’s more part of the Jewish culture (or any for that matter) than the food & the process of creating it with LOVE.

Let’s just say I frequent the local bakery a lot for Shabbat and my last foray into hamantashen making was a mess.

Kitchen skills lacking aside, the Sabbath is very important to my family.

Ren Man comes home early, we unplug en masse, recite the traditional Shabbat prayers and remain present & family-focused for the remainder of the night.

I look forward to Shabbat starting Monday morning in the same way I begin to long for next Yom Kippur pretty much right after the day’s fast is broken.

Yom Kippur means day of atonement and, for those unfamiliar, that’s what I’ll be doing from sundown tonight until sundown Saturday.

We go to synagogue.

We pray and murmur offerings of apology for wrong doings the previous 365 days.

We are forgiven.

(that’s the short version–but it gives you the gist)

There is, however, a catch.

Tonight and tomorrow we are offered a last opportunity to make amends to G-d but Yom Kippur prayers dont “cover” sins or wrong doings against other people.

This, because I am nothing if not a misfit, is my favorite part of Yom Kippur.

We are told in order to be ‘written in the book of life’ we need to seek reconciliation with the people we’ve wronged and right these offenses if at all possible.

All this straightening up & flying right must be done before Yom Kippur/sundown tonight.

This year Im less busy atoning than I have been in years past.

That said, I still take today to reflect on who I am, think long, hard and honestly about whom Ive slighted, wronged or even gossiped about, and I reach out, apologize and ask for forgiveness.

While it’s hard (and at times embarrassing) it serves as a yearly reminder we all have the choice of what kind of person we wish to be.

I may make mistakes and wander off my path (as with fitness. GO ME bringing these religious mumblings all back to FITNESS!) but Im never as far away from the person I strive to be as my very next action.

For the religious Jew Yom Kippur represents a sort of spiritual rebirth.

For this misfit cultural Jew it represents an overall opportunity for cleansing and rebirth.

On this Yom Kippur I am grateful.

On this Yom Kippur I am reflecting.

On this Yom Kippur, almost more than any other, I am ready and eager for repentance and rebirth.

To my Jewish readers may you be written in the book of life.

To my non-Jewish readers THANK YOU for indulging my religious ramblings and accidental fitness-tie in.

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Burpees and Booty Shorts: Fitness Moves Designed For Bad-assery

OMG! It’s ma-booty! I don’t have a backside “before” pic, but judging from old pictures I’m sure you can imagine what that looked like.

My lower stomachs area continues to put up a fight (story of my life) and my thighs still jiggle, but so what! I actually like my legs more than I ever have in my life. It hasn’t been easy getting to this point and I’m damn proud. Have you considered how far you’ve come? You should be damn proud, too.

Bad-assery is the name of the game. The fitness moves that I so strongly recommend for major body transformation will not only change what you see in the mirror. These workouts require a level of commitment, discipline and mental fortitude that will spill over to make-better other areas of your life. Trust me.

(side note: the booty shorts I’m wearing are from Target. Price: $16.99)

As with anything, find your lane and do what you love, but if you’re still searching for the right workouts, or simply need change to get you to the next level, consider this bad-assery:

1. High Intensity Interval Training: This include speed rope, sprint intervals and other forms HIIT.

2. Plyometrics & Other Bodyweight Exercises: Plyo moves like burpees, mountain climbers, ski hops, jump squats, box jumps, tuck jumps, bounding, split squat jumps, etc, etc… And bodyweight moves like push-ups, dynamic planks, lunges, squats, and Turkish get ups… ya feelin’ me?

3. Strength Training: I went from pure plyo for my weight training, to incorporating free weights (dumbbells), and now on to a completely structured system with Les Mills PUMP. I like to change things up periodically to keep the body guessing. However you choose to train, make sure strength training is part of your formula. You must! Losing weight will get you slim, but training with weights is the thing that will shape and sculpt your body, giving you curves and definition in all the right places (like in your booty area).

4. Yoga: Do not forsake it. You’ll keep your body limber to prevent injury and increase range of motion. Yoga can also aid in faster recovery time to keep your workouts going strong. Rodney Yee continues to reign supreme as my top Yoga DVD pick. He’s the man.

Oh, and I recently just had another vision of bad-assery. There’s just something that’s screams “sexy bad ass” about doing burpees in booty shorts while wearing Ryka Downbeat Sneaks. I accidentally stumbled across these online. I want a pair of these shoes!!

I hear the typical kind of chick who sports Downbeats is the one doing dancy-type fitness, like Zumba and Jazzercise. Yet I’m sure these could easily accommodate my sessions of burpees whoredom, complete with booty shorts attire, of course. Now tell me that wouldn’t be bad-ass…

(say “burpees and booty shorts” real fast for me 10 times)

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Ten Little Things That Mean A Lot To Your Fitness Goals

One less hour of staying up way too late at night.

Two less bites of your favorite decadent food.

Three more reps to go! Don’t stop now. Just finish it.

Four excuses you kill and don’t allow to hinder you anymore.

Five consecutive days of consistency with your fitness.

Six minutes to plan tomorrow’s workout and healthy food choices.

Seven reasons you’re going to make it happen for real this time.

Eight ways you end the self-neglect and finally make yourself a priority.

Nine extra gulps of water throughout the day.

Ten less minutes of bullshitting, procrastination and staying stuck in your situation.

These ten little things will have major impact on your fitness, but they’re not so hard to do. Get your booty in gear and make it happen. Don’t just read this and then go off somewhere and do nothing…

XOXO,

Josie

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Epic Week of Fitness

If you think you can’t have a flat stomach. Think again.

If you believe your legs will never be lean and sculpted. You’re sadly mistaken.

If you’re convinced your fatty parts won’t melt away. You need to think again.

Can’t? Never? Won’t?

Screw all that defeatest nonsense. You’re the one in control.

Commit to making this week an epic week of fitness. Only YOU can make change happen.

XO

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No flipping time for fitness.

I need more ideas or a smaller jar.

Ive ranted ad nauseum about how my workouts are brief.

The thing is, whether your workout du jour is 2 hours or 20 minutes,  it *still* requires you find.the.time.

What about those days where, no matter what you do, life conspires to steal your exercise time away?

Or the days where, despite valiant efforts, every.single.thing. goes wrong as you strive to steal some YOUtime? (not that Id know anything about that one).

I give you my 5 best tips for days when the world seems to be against finding time for a full-on traditional workout.

With special emphasis & “try this! try this!” for numbers 3 and 5.

1. Meditate. Too often we view meditation as an act which requires tremendous time commitment (not to mention oodles of preparation). This does not have to be the case. Steal two or three minutes to stop, pause, unplug, and just be still.  Use this time to wholly focus on releasing tension and capturing the same feelings you have after a challenging, sweat-producing workout.

2. Help others. Nothing makes us feel better than a good ole case of Helpers High.  No time to volunteer traditionally? Email a struggling friend a note of encouragement.  Heading out for coffee? Take a moment to see if you can bring anyone else a cup.  Hold the door for someone.  Heck, even a simple smile can be a kind act which changes someone’s day—and makes YOU feel better, too.

3. Laugh. (Or, if you’re me some days a tough customer in a grumpy mood, at least smile) Take a moment and grab whatever it is that makes you giggle. A silly movie. A television sit-com or even phone a funny friend. While exercise is fantastic for us laughter also serves as a powerful stress reducer.  A good guffaw relieves physical tension (for up to 45 minutes!), can help boost your immune system, increases your blood flow (always good for reducing heart attack risk!), releases those endorphins we all seek and burns approximately 100 calories per twenty minutes!

4. Take full, deep breaths. When we are stressed (as we can be on the days life steals our workout time) we shift to shorter, shallower breaths.  This manner of breathing causes fatigue, increased stress, and is even correlated with triggering anxiety/panic attacks.  If time forces you to skip your workout make the time to stop and focus on your breathing pattern. Check out your posture. Don’t slump or hunch which encourages shallow breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply. Allow your abdomen to move as you breathe. Slow frequency of breaths. I’ve found breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 2 seconds, and then breathing out for 4 seconds provides me stress relief which can rival my recumbent biking.

5. Create a fitness jar. No time for a full-fledge workout? Make today when you finally create a fitness jar. Snag some scraps of paper & write down as many non-gym workout ideas as you can think of (skating, hula hooping, exercise DVDs, jump rope, walking, basket ball, playground time, biking, pogo-sticking are but a few).  Even if you dont have time for the workout TODAY you’re now all set up for success for the next time life has you harried.

Whats your approach when life gets in the way of fitness?

Do you chalk it up to a rest day or try, as I do, and fight back with “creative” fitness?

Would you be annoyed with me if I lovingly remind you 30 minutes of movement is only TWO PERCENT of your day?

please to hit us up with your suggestions, tips & whinings in the comments below.

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April’s Fitness Theme: 30 Days of Body Transforming Change

Me on the left: The day I decided I wanted real change.

Me on the right: The results of that decision. I made change happen.

If you don’t like your situation, then stop festering in it. Half-assed-ness will not get you there. When it comes to your fitness (and anything else in life, really), the road to change must be traveled daily.

Will you start with these next 30 days?

Hoping, talking about it, and even planning is not enough. You’ve gotta get down in the trenches and do the actual work to make change happen. Consistently and diligently.

There’s no doubt you’ll deal with discouragement at some points in this process — you’re only human, after all. Those feelings are bound to happen, so just accept it as part of the journey and work through it.

You are NOT weak, but your thirst for change has got to be greater than any negative feelings and thoughts that threaten your progress.

Don’t let the reality of your situation paralyze you into not taking action. And keep in mind that this change you’re in pursuit of may first require you to change your mindset, your attitude and your perspective.

This is a call to action for 30 days of body transforming change. Where will you be 30 days from now? Will you make a personal commitment? Real change starts NOW, so don’t get left behind. 

There are a few good roads to get these next 30 days done, so do what works for you. A handful of you have reached out to ask me for guidance in your own journey. If you also need a little help and want to grab some tips from the healthy lifestyle road that I personally travel, then click here for a snapshot of my own fitness and weight loss plan. It’ll give you details of what I do and how I do it. I’m extremely results oriented. I find what works. I do it consistently. And I get results. Won’t you do the same?

xoxo,

Josie

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Anti-Aging Fitness Facial Docu-drama (Hold Onto Your Granny Pannies!)

Wait. How the hell did I get so old? Oh, that’s right. It’s year 2043. You’re still reading this blog? Shouldn’t you be flossing your dentures and eating jello through a straw?

…rewinds back to 2012…

So now that the Aging Booth has used their crackhead crystal ball to forecast what I’m supposed to look like in 31 years, how can I prove these bastards wrong? I’m 39 years old now, and something’s been going on with my face for, hmmm, a little over a year now.

In addition to the spontaneous woman-whiskers that show up on my chin (I keep emergency tweezers in my pocket for that), I’ve also been noticing fine lines around my eyes, random dark spots (age spots?), a bit of darkness and dryness under my eyeballs, and other imperfections that I terribly disapprove of.

I chatted with a fancy makeup specialist in an effort to purchase expensive magical makeup to cause my face to appear anti-mature. What she explained to me during my consultation was a serious wake up call:

“Those spots on your face are sun damage,” she says.

“Wait. Black people can get sun damage?” I said.

“Yeah bitch, so stop being a dumbass and protect your face from the freaking sun,” she says to me.

…at least that’s how I heard it.

Turns out I’m supposed to be using an SPF product on my face. And I do. I have! But not faithfully. And now my sporadic face care has finally caught up to me. I freaked out real good that day and bought an SPF 50, and a bunch of make up that’s still sitting in the closet. Was that overkill?

Since then I’ve been through a lot of face care products that suck, either because I didn’t like them on my face and/or they were too dang expensive. So I’m shopping at Target one day when this Boots rep starts talking to me about my face. Now allow me to keep this docu-drama short (I know, I know, you want the longest version available), and I’ll just tell you that I finally found my anti-aging face care match.

It’s gentle, effective, therapeutic, invigorating, makin’ my face clear & bright, affordable… AND! I feel so pampered. That’s what Boots does for me.

Boots No7 Lifting & Firming Eye Cream:

Ahhh. This eye cream is luscious and emollient and feels so good around my eyes. It’s smooth and hydrating, not oily. I was never sold on the idea of anti-aging creams in the past, but I’ve seriously noticed that the area around my eyes is much brighter with a rejuvenated, perky appearance. SCORE!

Boots No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator:

After reading an awesome micro-dermabrasion overview, I knew this treat could be really good for me. And it has been! Prior to micro-dermabrasion my face looked tired and splotchy. I also had old scarring from zits that I picked at a long time ago. But after only a few treatments with micro-dermabrasion, I can see the evenness returning to my skin and much brighter appearance. That matted, gray-ish, tired look in my face is outta here, baby! ** follow micro-derm instructions very carefully.

Now I know what you’re thinking. I don’t need this stuff. I don’t look my age. There’s no doubt that a clean diet, lots of water, not wearing 35 layers of makeup everyday and NOT smoking has helped my face stay fresh. But the older I get, I cannot deny the aging I see creeping up. That’s where my Boots stash does me good.

The lesson here? If you’re in your 20's, use a good SPF daily. If you’re in your 30's and beyond, care for your face well with the right products so it can love you back. If you can’t find Boots products at Target, or you’re just too lazy to go there, then follow this link to shop Boots anti-aging while sitting on your ass.

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Craptastic Fitness Demands a Spring Cleaning

I was bitchy. Moody. Even feeling a little evil. Almost had a meltdown, too.

“Well, what the hell was your freaking problem, Josie?”

Thank you for asking. It turns out my fitness was staring into the face of Craptastic. I wasn’t getting enough sleep awhile back, and it was causing me all sorts of problems.

I wanted to slap somebody, starting with all the stupid people. I wanted to drop kick the ice cream man in the throat for not driving down my street. I wanted to tell the husband, “wash your own damn clothes!” (might still do that), and I started to slightly not give a damn if I ate too much popcorn and other forms of tantalizing carbohydrates.

Did I mention I almost had a meltdown? All because I wasn’t getting enough sleep.

That’s Craptastic Fitness, ya’ll. You ever teeter on the lines of Craptastic?

I do possess a magical solution that healed me of this ailment. Spring Cleaning! You know, clear out the fitness cobwebs — get rid of shoddy tactics that aren’t working, but you haven’t changed yet. Spruce up the place a bit. Bring some freshness into your fitness so it doesn’t suffer instead. When summer gets here I don’t wanna hear you boo-hooing because your Craptastic ratio is still elevated.

Craptastic Fitness includes but is not limited to…

Not enough sleep.No change in fitness routine to keep the body guessing.Not pushing yourself to the next level.Too lazy to commit to anything beyond easy.Lack of improved food choices (at some point, you just gotta start doing better).Other people/things/situations always taking precedence over YOU.Other Craptastic stuff my brain cells can’t think of right now.

Got any fitness cobwebs hanging? Craptastic is NOT the hot look for summer, so take care of it right now while there’s still plenty of time. If you’re desperate for spring cleaning supplies I’ve got a crusty mop out back you can rent.

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Six fitness lessons Ive learned from my child.

Last week was heaven.

Five full Tornado & Me days which were reminiscent of all our time before Kinder started.

We laughed, we cried (seriously. all that one-on-one time was NOT without its bickering!) it was better than Cats.

What I loved most was the fact we didn’t travel.

We hung here & just spent time together.  Time which caused me to marvel at how she’s matured & reflect back on all Ive learned *from* her the past six years.

In chronological order please to enjoy.

1.  Cardio can be creative. You, oh Tornado, were a crier.  All the time.  Needed or not.  You cried till you became red in the face and (as we searched for late night levity) we joked you appeared to be winded from the workout.  What did I learn from that? Anything done long enough & with enough tenacity/focus (hello bubblewrap!) can be cardio!  You taught me to skip (it) the traditional & let my imagination soar.

Getting your workout on.

2 . Pull-ups are fun!   Back in the day, before you were The Tornado, we referred to you as Toddler Freaky Strong.  The moment I’d dump you in the pack and play so I could finally shower set you in the P&P so I could work you’d commence pulling upward along the side.  Happily.  You’d smile, giggle, do pull-ups to fatigue never once complaining or shouting “Hey!! can I get a spot up in herre?!”  What did I learn from that? Pull-ups dont have to be a dreaded to-do on my back workout schedule.  The mere challenge of them & the faces I make as I struggle upward can!be!fun!

Practicing pull-ups poolside.

3.  Eat mindfully!  Now, to be clear, I discovered the importance of mindful eating long before you hit the scene.  With the addition of you, however, I began to rush through my self-care (fitness to food) in order to return to you-care.  Then you turned three.  You began to express a clear opinion as to what you wanted to eat & when you wanted to eat it.  You’d share these thoughts (slowly) and happily (slowly) ate what you ‘ordered.’  What did I re-learn from this? You weren’t annoyingingly slow at all—merely mindful.  You *paused* to ask yourself if you were hungry.  You s-l-o-w-l-y ate your food savoring, tasting, touching, EMBRACING each bite.  You reminded me to be more mindful.

The inexplicable chop sticks phase.

4. Wind-down routines ROCK.  I’ve always lamented the fact Im a poor sleeper.  I’d go to bed different times each night with absolutely, positively no method to my nighttime madness.  Id watch TV in bed.  I’d check email from bed.  I was a wind-down mess.  Then you came along.  You thrived on routine & practically demanded a strict nighttime regimen.   One small deviation from this plan and you’d not fall asleep.  What did I learn from this?  I need to sleep like a child, too.  Ive never slept better.

Pink princess PJs help.

5.  If at first you dont succeed—QUIT.  I’d known this at one point & somehow forgotten until you dancingly reminded me.  You “just knew” you wanted to take ballet.   You longed to learn to dance like the ‘pretty ladies.’  You tried, you loathed, you quit, you never looked back.  After two classes (the class leaped delicately as instructed over a stuffed bunny. you stopped, KICKED SAID BUNNY, and leaped away) you declared yourself done.  You informed me you’d prefer soccer and you’ve never looked back.  What did I learn? I re-learned there’s no percentage in sticking with something I know is not a fit for me.  I reminded myself I *know* when I long to quit out of fear and when I’m merely banging my head against the wall kicking a bunny.

Kicking encouraged.

6. Read the wall.  This is one we learned together over spring break.  Somehow Id forgotten all the lessons Id learned from climbing and needed you to remind me of them.  Life can be overwhelming and, at times, I plunge ahead without looking, scanning, planning or preparing.  In fitness I’m slowly learning I need to have a plan, too.   Spontaneous is great—but only goes so far.   I need to look ahead, read the wall, and prepare for what I want to achieve down the road.  Muscling my way through works—-but only in the short-term.

"Watch and remember, Mama."

In the moment I couldn’t see any of these concepts being “taught.”  It’s only with hindsight I see my greatest teacher is a six year old Tornado.

Have you, too, learned healthy living lessons in surprising places?

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Not Doing These 8 Things? Your Fitness Will Suffer (warning: eye bleach not included)

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Fitness Fashion: DA Active Makes Me Feel Sexy and Confident and Beautiful

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Announcing March’s Fitness Theme!

This isn’t cuddly panda mode or cute little fuzzy kitten mode. This is BEAST MODE, baby!!

“Beast mode is where the magic happens.”

But what exactly is this magic I speak of?

It’s the magic that YOU create and make happen every single day when you step out of your comfort zone to do the things that are guaranteed to transform your body. You did know you can guarantee your own fitness success, right?

It’s where fat melting is in full swing and you can feel your muscles burn through strength training. It’s where healthy eating takes a front seat, you’re getting enough sleep and doing all the other things you know dang well needs to be done for your own fitness-good.

Although everyone’s Beast Mode level is different, it always involves more sweat, more fitness funk and more consistency. Everything has gotta go up a notch. No more comfortable workouts. No more barely breaking a sweat. And no food sabotage (although that part does take practice).

So what’s it gonna be? You can either continue in Cuddly Panda Mode or get your booty into Beast Mode, pronto!

If you volunteer for Beast Mode, please raise your hands. I need to see hands raised.

Side note: If for any reason you feel yourself slipping into Rabid Deer Mode, please consult with your physician, because that’s not my department. I don’t handle that.

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If You’re Feeling Like You’ll Never Reach Your Fitness Goals…

There was a time when I believed — despite all my fitness efforts — sure, I’d lose some weight, but my thighs would never be slim and my stomachs would never go down. I’d never be truly strong or look hot. I birthed 4 child-spawns, after all. A nice physique isn’t reserved for people like me.

But you know what?

I wrote my own fitness future and changed what I believed by barreling through those negative thoughts. Day in day and day out, with sweaty workout sessions OUTSIDE of my comfort zone, combined with smart food choices (sprinkled with just a little bit of greedy fun), my body has changed. And it’s still changing.

Don’t let your brain talk you out of what your heart really wants. You can DO THIS!! But it’s going to take hard work and serious commitment. It’s foolish to expect awesome results if you’re not putting in awesome effort.

Think about where you’re at today, where you want to be, and then work for it. There’s no other way around it. You bettah WORK!

…as for that “now” picture? I was forced to intimidate Greedy Kid #3 with my Ninja moves in retaliation for the Kung Fu he tried to inflict upon me. It’s all very logical.

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Let’s Get Crackin’ on February’s Fitness Theme!

“I’m a Badass and I Know It”

Welcome to February, all you lovely peoples! Last month’s theme was “No More Jiggle in the Middle”. And while your jiggly parts may not be totally gone yet (emm, I know mine aren’t), I hope you trained hard to continue decimating those jigglies with cardio and firming it up real sexy with weight training.

Oh, good. Okay then.

Now moving on to February’s theme… “I’m a Bad Ass and I Know It”

This month’s theme was inspired by me wanting to quit in the middle of my last workout. It was hard. Really hard. I didn’t think I could finish. It was KILLER. But I’m not a quitter and stopping in the middle of a workout is totally unacceptable.

So in the middle of my 3rd round of push-ups, I started to say to myself out loud, “I’m a badass… I’m a badass… I’m a badsass…”

And yep, that affirmation gave me the steam I needed to stay strong and finish strong. Sometimes you just gotta remind yourself of who you really are.

I’m a badass. So are you.

And guess what, everybody. This is my birthday month. I’ll be 39-years-old on February 17th! 

Holler!

Anybody wanna send me a birthday card? I love getting happy-mail. Send me a birthday card, yo!

Josie Maurer
P. O. Box 1962
Wilmington, DE 19899

I’m seriously thinking about NOT having a traditional, high calorie birthday cake this year ((gasp!)). My recipe for So Delicious Low Cal Strawberry Shortcake was ohhh sooo tasty, and the Greedy Family really loved it, too. I’m wanting to cake-celebrate that way instead.

Okay, everybody. Let’s get it crackin’! Be the badass that you are all month long by putting in the work to get the body you want. I’ll be doing the same thing over here. You can bet on it.

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Fake yer fitness…

till you make yer fitness?!

Sounds crazy.

It IS a little misfit’y crazy, but this misfit firmly believes it works.

Three simple steps to thinking yourself fit until you ARE the fit person you will soon be (power of positive thinking).

Create your story.  What would FitYou eat, drink, read, think, DO each day?

Tell.Everyone. They may think you’re a misfit–but letting friends know the YOU youre working toward is a key step.  It helps your PEEPS start seeing you as the fit person you will soon become.

Respond as the Fit You would.  Before you do *anything* pause and ask yourself: how would superfit me respond to this situation?

Want more?

Click on over to Sears Fitstudio to read the rest.

Happy with whatcha got here?

Join me in a Fake It Till You Make It Tuesday.

Whatever your “faking it” aspiration might be.**

**That’s your heads-up Austin. I shall be wandering our fair city faking and pretending behaving as I imagine a super successful authorwoman would.  Now run and get me a pen, pleaseandthankyou? Ive got book signings to attend!!

***comments are closed because I want you to GIT TO LIVING.  GIT TO THINKING ABOUT YOU.  And yes.  Git to the faking it…

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Tags: fake it till you make it

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4 Flakey Fitness Habits to Avoid Getting Sucked Into

1) slacking: Averting work or effort. Inactive. Not inclined to work or exertion.

“Booquisha has been a slacker for weeks. Maybe today she’ll get her lazy azz up to do cardio and drink up some Sleekology.”

2) procrastination:  Putting off something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.

“It is not good to procrastinate. Justin does that with his laundry and now he’s wearing dirty spandex to the gym again.”

3) lack of planning: Without apparent forethought. Having no particular purpose, organization, or structure.

“I don’t give a damn if Mildred brags about that 3,000 Days to Shred DVD. Her lack of food planning has her eating Cheetoes out the vending machine before noon.”

4) lack of commitment: Absence of determination and follow through to work hard at something pledged or obligated to do.

“Bart’s lack of commitment to building man-muscles has him starting Day 1 of that expensive Q80X Fitness System for the 5th time now. He’s never made it past day 10.”

Put in the hard work this week and make it count! I know dang well you are NOT a slacking procrastinator who doesn’t plan or follow through because you’re soooo not committed to your fitness goals.

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Greedy Proof That a Consistent Fitness Regimen Gives You Swagger

This pic is from this past November. I actually wish I wasn’t holding that magazine in my hand (my sister made pose with it), because I have very few “oh my gawd, I love this pic of me!” pictures. And I do love this pic. Just pretend you don’t see the magazine.

So, uhh, how about we turn this into a fashion post? This is an example of how I usually dress on the weekends when I’m out and about. In this here pic, I’m wearing:

Sweater poncho from Macys. Black turtleneck, jeans and dangly earrings from JCPenny (can you tell I love that store?).

I used to dress messy on the weekends and not take any kinda pride in myself. I’d just throw on whatever. But the more I started to care about my health, the more I also began to care about my physical appearance and how I present myself. I am in no way fancy with my fashion and I don’t spend a lot of time with prim and prep. I’m not a diva and don’t have time for high maintenance (but a shout out to all the divas, yo!).

It’s just great to finally wear clothes that fit right and feel good — clothes that I can move in without being all squashed and uncomfortable because of extra weight. Feeling comfortable and confident in your clothes gives you automatic swagger. Fitness will do that for ya. Dedication to your fitness regimen is guaranteed to put you in an outfit that gives you swagger and makes you say, “Oh my gawsh, I love this pic of me!”

Stay dedicated to yourself. Keep working hard, increase your swagger ratio and capture that picture-perfect moment for yourself.

Have a GREAT weekend!

XOXO,

Josie

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