Finally

Hey reader. Today I finally invested in something that I should have bought a long time ago. I just purchased a waterproof ipod case. This is a little extra kick in the pants to get in the pool at the gym. It will also come in handy when it's paddle board season again. I'm celebrating with a new playlist of workout music.

All in all, today was full of good purchases. Every once and a while it's worth to spring for the little extra something to make your workout more fun.

Fun new toys

Hey reader. This christmas was pretty awesome. I received a new weighted  hula hoop, and I haven't put it down since I put it together. I can feel some new routines coming along for me. I already belly dance, but it's been a while. This seems to be just what I needed to jazz the dancing up a bit, as well as being super fun on it's own.

I do feel a little bit like a wimp though. With a 2.5 lb. hoop my torso feels like it's been taking a major beating. I'm just waiting for the bruising to set in, but until they do, there's no stopping me.


Hope everybody is having happy holidays too.

WE can do it

Hey reader. I am officially a trainer for both my parents now.  Yes, my father has gotten on board. Honestly, I don't plan on him joining us for long, but it's good for him as long as he does.

My relationship with my father is what one might call complicated. I was almost offended in the beginning, because it meant that he would be invading my sanctuary. He would be joining me to a place where I go to get away, sometimes from him.

He seems to know that he isn't a part of my life, and is using working out as a last attempt to build something with me before I head off to college. Although he is coming on a little strong, I appreciate the sentiment, and this is the best attempt I can remember.

I just guess, even people that aren't your favorite in the world can still surprise you sometimes. I'm trying not to get too emotionally invested in this, as we've done this tango about 100 times, but I guess he's trying, even if it's just for right now.

I guess take the family fun where you can get it. There is only so much of it in a lifetime.
Happy workouts everybody!

Christmas gifts for my body

Hey reader. I have been doing a little Christmas shopping for my friends and family, but I was sure not to forget my own organs. Yes I know it sounds a little crazy, but hear me out.

We all know there are some foods that are good for us, but if they're not particularly tasty, we probably don't eat them as often as we should. I decided to change my perspective. Instead of "selfishly" deciding "I" didn't like that food, I try to think of my organs. It's much easier to force down a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice, when your doing it as a gift for your kidneys and liver. They filter the toxins from your body to keep you safe. They deserve a present, they do so much for me!

I have been trying to keep this in mind through the holidays so I'm less likely to put it through the traditional holiday beating of cookies and fatty holiday empty calories.

I hope this little mind trick has encouraged you to learn more about your body, and take care of it.

Until next time, do a little holiday shopping for your body.

Happy Holidays, and Don't Screw Up

Hey reader. Today I ordered an awesome Dr. Horrible lab coat T-shirt. I purposely ordered it a little small for a babydoll white shirt, so I have something to work for before Christmas. It's a really nice shirt, but from what I've been told is a bit sheer. The plan is to work hard from now until Christmas so the shirt is vaguely showing something I'm proud of. This should help me keep into perspective how much I really want the cookie.

So that's my plan. I hope you keep your health goals in mind as we all truck through the holidays.

Until next time remember, the holidays are about love and charity, not eating like a pig.

just checking in

Hey reader. I know it's been a while. I've been really busy but in all honesty, nothing particularly interesting had been going on.

I've been doing essentially the asme routines I've been doing at L.A. Fitness, and as much as I love it, it's not super exciting.

I suppose I could mention I ordered myself a bunch of new workout clothes for christmas to kick off the upcoming new workout year.

...I guess that's about it. I promise I'll keep you posted though, and I wanted to make sure you didn't think I forgot about you.

Until next time, keep going. I believe in you.

Getting the parents in shape

Hey reader. This weekend included teaching my mother to work out properly for the first time. She does well when she knows what to do, but let her loose in a gym by herself and she might as well be lost in a forest. We both got in a pretty good workout in, but it was kind of funny. We looked like a before and after ad for the gym.

I have some time off at the end of the week, so I know I've been saying this for a while, but I'm optimistic that I will get to the gym for some of the group classes they offer. Cardio kickboxing and yoga are at the top of my list.


So everything is going along like I hoped. I've gained some muscle weight, which always looks good, and the cardio training is definitely paying off.

Until next time, set goals and just go!

New and Old

Hey reader. Yesterday was pretty cool. I was able to take my workout partner to my new gym to give me some extra motivation. It's nice to workout with someone with opposite strengths (she's pretty good at cardio, while I'm constantly correct her lifting form). I got to use their treadmills for the first time, and between the ipod jack, and the small cable tv, I approve.

I realize this post isn't especially exciting, but I've been really busy and haven't had the chance to try anything new in a while. I see a break coming up for me at the end of next week, so I'll try to have more to post about then.

Until next time, keep going! you can do it!

New Gym

Hey reader. I know it's been a while, but  there hasn't been anything new or interesting to report on. Today that changed. My family just signed up for L.A. Fitness memberships. I don't really think they will be going too often, but this may have just replaced my after school workouts three times a week.

I'm not getting paid or anything, but I have nothing but nice things to say. Their facilities are beautiful, and they have all the equipment I could ask for, and much more. Plus all the classes are free. I'm psyched. 

I'll be sure to keep posting about all the cool new stuff I'm trying, and it's nice to be writing again.

Until next time, mix it up a little!

No more leisurely thursdays

Hey reader. Things have continued to go well since I've last posted. I have continued to work out as planned, and am even enjoying it. I'm even getting used to the "new format" my gym class is in.  See, due to a scheduling error two classes of students (about 25-30 people) are in our relatively small weight training room at once, resulting in about a 30 sec. limit for each machine. As much as it sucked in the beginning, we're all starting to get the hang of it.

The real reason of this post was to report in a MAJOR change in our school's P.E. policy. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday should be (and are) days that my class spends in the weight room, and Tuesday and Thursday we our "cardio" days. Traditionally Tuesday is always really intense like some sort of cardio circuit, or more often some  kind of track running. The following Thursday would then be much less strenuous. My gym teachers called it "options day" as we were able to play volley ball, basketball, frisbee, and things like that. As we were also given the option to walk the track I referred to these days as "leisurely walk Thursdays". It was my favorite day of the week, but we are now doing intense cardio days twice a week now (they haven rescheduled the walks).

At first when I realized my walks were becoming a thing of the past, I wasn't thrilled. I liked when I could just talk to my friends while walking at a pleasant pace. I'm now starting to actually appreciate them. My cardio conditioning has improved much faster than it would have otherwise, and I can still hold up a conversation with my friends while jogging. It's actually taken some pressure off my busy schedule, allowing me to just take the day off after school, and letting me get other things done.

So with the passing of one of my beloved high school traditions, I see it's for the best. Until next time, maybe you should reevaluate your routine.

Feel like a Health Rockstar

Hey reader. Today was an absolutely magnificent day! I went to the doctor today to get a refill on the last prescription I take, and some back up inhalers (because mine keep expiring :) ). As I mentioned that I have stopped taking my inhaled steroids, he recommended I take a breathing test. It's kind of that time a year for it anyway. For the first time ever (off steroids mind you) I have average, even quality lung function. I took a breathing treatment and took the test agin, to see of there could be improvement and the second test came out exactly the same. We're all very proud.

I have been battling my health, mostly my breathing, most of my life. I finally have proof that all the work I've been doing to better myself is paying off.  They asked mw what I've been doing, but the only response I can come up with is "I've changed everything". (raw honey has been a lifesaver though)

My doctors are actually incredibly pleased with me. We're kind of close, from how sick I was as a kid, and they just have seen me progress from my worst to where I am now. Every time I go, we usually talk about how much time I have to go before I can go to school to be on the road to becoming a nutritionist, and every time they remind me that I am welcome and encouraged to do my internships with them. I'm just so lucky how everything is working out, I don't like to use this phrase much, but I really do feel blessed, and I just can't wait to help others go through the journey I am.

I don't usually brag, but this is what this blog is for, and darn it, I've earned it! I rock! I have also been told that I might appear in his blog www.livewellthy.org at some time in the future.  (the post is called another success story)

Until next time, you can let things be curses of blessings, choose wisely.

Victory and Chia

Hey reader. I would consider this past week to be a success. I have accomplished all of the workouts I set out to do, and my partner is just as enthusiastic as I am to continue.

Granted so far out workouts haven't been especially intense so far, the important thing is that they were accomplished. I have been extremely tired while adjusting to my new school routine, so we usually just lifted, walked, and jogged a bit. Either way I'm a bit sore, so I know I'm doing something. I almost can't wait until next week!

I have also just purchased a bag of chia seed. For those of you who don't know, it's a small seed that has the ability to absorb a massive amount of water, and is a quality source of energy, and a plethora of other things. I recommend googling it in a spare moment.

Today is my first day with the chia seed, so I chose to try a traditional chia fresca. It's a really simple recipe:

1 Tbs. dry chia seed
1 c. water
2 Tbs. lemon juice
honey to taste (I did 1 Tbs.)

combine ingredients and allow to sit for 10-15 min.

It was pretty tasty. The seeds themselves don't taste like anything, and it tasted sort of like lemonade.

So that's my story for the week, and I wish the best for you out there trying to accomplish your fitness goals. "Don't dream it, be it!"-Rocky Horror Picture Show

Back to School Workout Time

Hey reader. I've been back to school for a few days, and I'm finally ready to get back to my old workout routines. I still want to do Insanity at some point, but I don't have the funds, or the ability at this point, so I'm using the mean time to save up and train for it.

If all goes well, my old workout partner will be going with me as well. I hope so, she gives me a real boost when running.

So starting this week I will be lifting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and cardio every day after school on these days. On Tuesday and Thursday I do cardio during school, so I will either be taking these days off, or trying a yoga instructional DVD. I've never done yoga, but I've added to the long list of things I've always wanted to do.

Well, that's the plan, and now that I've posted about it I'll feel twice as motivated to actually go. I'm also aware I keep forgetting to weigh myself for the sake of tracking it here, but I promise I'll post it soon.

Until next time, get going.

Proper Playlist

Hi reader. I just made myself a new playlist for work and my workouts. I can't stress enough how big a difference music can make to the quality of your workout. Plus it makes whatever you're doing much more fun.

Speaking of fun, I thought I'd share my new list with you.

1. East Bound and Down (Smokey and the Bandit soundtrack)
2. Here It Goes Again (ok go)
3. White Knuckles (ok go)
4. One Last Hope (Hercules soundtrack)
5. All Star (smash mouth)
6. Come On, Come On (smash mouth)
7. I'll Make a Man out of You (Mulan soundtrack)
8. Touch the Sky (brave soundtrack)
9. Defying Gravity (wicked soundtrack)
10. Back in the Saddle (Aerosmith)
11. Back in the U.S.S.R. (the Beatles)
12. Save Tonight (eagle-eye cherry)
13. Come Dancing (the kinks)
14. Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO)
15. (oh) Pretty Woman (van halen)
16. Welcome to My World (Mavin)
17. Danger Zone (kenny loggins)
18. Jump In the Line (harry belafonte)
19. Supernatural (daughtry)
20. Boys Wanna Be Her (peaches)

Yes, I know there is a fair amount of movie soundtrack songs, but don't knock them till you try them. I hope that gave you some ideas. Enjoy your next workout, and don't forget they're supposed to be fun.

Fake ice cream for the win!

Hello reader. As you may know, ice cream is my absolute favorite junk food. This summer I really have been indulging in it a bit more than I would like to have done, but I finally found my answer. BANANA ICE CREAM! It's awesome, all you have to do is cut a banana into small pieces, freeze them, and throw them in a blender. I just use one banana and a little peanut butter, and it comes out smooth and sweet. One large banana makes enough "ice cream" to fill my bowl more than I would with regular ice cream.

I'm actually eating it as I write this. There are Klondike bars in the freezer, and I don't even want them anymore.

I have two more sandwich bags of banana pieces in the freezer, and I think for my next batch I'm going to try dark chocolate (85% cocoa) chip and fresh strawberry. I'm also getting cones next time I go to the store.

As you can tell, I highly recommend this. My only warning is beware it can be kind of hard on your blender blades over time.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it!

Insanity Workout

Hi reader. I just came back from another summer trip. Where I was staying, there was only the most basic of television plans, and I ended up watching quite a bit of paid programing. Among the many products I was almost certain I needed, I was very intrigued by the Insanity Workout (by Beachbody I think). 

After I watched the infomercial I was starting to believe (like most infomercial products) that it was too good to be true, so I started doing research. I'm pleasantly surprised by the number of people that swear it changed their life. I'm just about convinced enough to get it. 

As it is a bit pricy, I think this will have to be a Christmas time purchase, but I'm beginning to look forward to it, and it comes with a meal plan, etc. so I think this could work out.

I'm going to my doctor soon anyway, so I might as well get her opinion on this too. I know all health things say to check with your  doctor before use (not that most of us have), but I think for how hard core this program is, perhaps I should get a professional opinion of my heart's condition. I'm impressed by the people who were in much worse shape than me, getting better results than I'm expecting. 

So I know I probably can't start this until about January, but I'm optimistic that it will go well. Plus then I get to be ripped (more) for part of my senior year, and should have the body of a greek god by the time college starts at the latest. 

That's my plan (long term anyway), and if you have any opinions on the Insanity Workout (that you have tried, please) feel free to comment and share. 

Healthy Convenience

Hey reader. Things have been going pretty well since I've been home. I have been cooking pretty regularly, granted I'm getting kind of tired of cooking every day.

While looking for new recipes online, I stumbled upon this technique used by busy people for who knows how long. Apparently it's actually quite easy to make your own frozen dinners. It allows you to pre make meals in advance, when you actually feel like cooking, and heat them up when your busy or just lazy.

I'm kind of excited to try it today, I'm going to start cooking an eggplant parmesan and put it in a disposable cooking dish, and then I can heat it up for diner when I know I will have no interest in making it. I realize that's a little short term for this method's potential, but it's a start.

I'm not very worried at all if this will work, this is apparently a really common thing to do for busy people trying to do the same things that I am. I see this idea being my best friend in college. Now that I think about it, this is how my school cooking classes work. We don't have enough time to prepare and cook things in the same day. Cool, I guess I've already done this.

So, if you have any recipes that are especially good for this method, please feel free to comment and share. Until next time, appreciate and use your freezer to its fullest potential.

Home Sweet Home

Hey reader. I'm finally back home, not that my trip wasn't fun, but it's nice to be back. It's back to kale smoothies, and paddle boarding every other day.

I actually didn't gain much at all. I lifted weights with whoever I stayed with every other day, and I swam at my sisters house just about every day. I didn't eat too much junk either. I think it's in the realm of possibility that I gained some muscle weight, because I tried on my bikini top to assess the damages, and I think I look better than when I left.

As always I'll keep you posted. Until next time, wear something that makes you feel fantastic.

I'm ok

Hey reader. I've been off soy milk for about a week, and just about all of the autoimmune symptoms that I'm aware of are going away. As long as I stay off soy milk, this should just clear up on its own.

Apparently it's common for people with asthma (like me) to have soy allergies, but most of them don't eat soy in high enough amounts to realize they have a problem with it. So, I guess what I'm saying is be warned. Just because you've never had a problem with soy before, doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have problems on a small scale you're not aware of.

So like I said, I'm fine now, and officially switching to almond milk.

my annual veggie burger

What-up reader. Today was awesome. I buy veggie burgers all the time, but usually frozen ones from the store, and they're not especially fantastic. Even when I go to most restaurants they just dress up the same thing I buy.

When I go on my summer trips to see my sister I always make sure I go to this little hipster restaurant by her house. Everything they make is all natural, and made from scratch on site. I'm sure everything there is great, but I've only ever had one thing. The three-grain veggie burger with sweet potato fries is my standard order. It's made with actual vegetables and grains, that have never been frozen. It just makes me happy. It even reheats in the microwave pretty well (breakfast of champions!).

If you ever find a restaurant that makes its own veggie burger, try it. It will save you a substantial amount of fat and calories while you're eating out.

Well that's about it, for now. Until next time, happy summer, and eat your vegetables.

bikini body

Hey reader. Know I went from almost no posts at all to about three in about an hour, but I'm sure I'll run out again soon, but for the moment I want to get it all down and out of my system.

I know I've been talking about wanting to get my body up to a place where I feel proud to wear a bikini. I'm getting close, if I haven been on vacation letting my grandmother feed me for a week. I'm blaming her, she wasn't force feeding me or anything, but I come from a not so small family, and she gets concerned when she sees me eating an normal amount of healthy food. I wish I had a dollar for every time she said "well you didn't eat very much at all, do you want something else?" She's kind of funny, because she is so proud of me and how healthy I am now, but she still feels the need to offer me cookies and ice-cream at every opportunity. She's not doing it on purpose or anything, and frankly I did want some, but she makes it too easy.

I'm staying with my relatively health conscious sister and brother and law, and that's been a kind of relief. They have a pool too, so I can keep a more regular/ convenient workout plan.

Either way, this whole post was really just to brag that I bought a new bikini top from Sports Authority, and new board shorts from Walmart. Yes, I wear men's bathing suit bottoms, but I love the pockets, and I can pull it off I feel. Now I have the outfit to try on, to track aesthetic progress. I'm sure that now that I'm in a healthier (only by standards of diet, my grandparents are the best) environment, and especially when I get back home in a week, I will be in my new outfit on the lake in no time.

So that's just about absolutely everything I've been doing lately. If I do anything else I'm sure I'll talk about it in a relatively prompt manner, not that you would know I suppose, but I do it out of principle. By keeping this blog honest, it keeps it motivational.

There you have it. I can't think of any even slightly clever sign offs right now, so just thank's for reading, and I'll try to write again soon.

Finger strength

Hey reader. After my last post I wanted to mention something I've been doing lately that's been going particularly well. I just went to Sports Authority looking for something for my wrist. I once saw a product in a weird sort of mind game/ odd toy store. It was a ball about the size of a baseball that had a smaller ball on the inside (just barely smaller) and you have to use one hand to spin the ball on the inside and keep it spinning. I didn't have the $30 or however much it was to spare that day, but I've never been able to find it again, and that day at Sports Authority was no exception. If you know what I'm talking about and know where I can get one please comment the details. It's really cool it's supposed to prevent carpel tunnels, reduce stress, it's supposed to be the equivalent of working with a 30 lb. weight on your arms, and I'm sure about 100 other things.

What I found instead was a regular stress ball, and another thing called a "grip master" by prohands. It's a spring resistance device that you squeeze with your fingers. It's nice, because you can train each finger individually. I fingered it would be good, as the box claimed it helps increase dexterity for tasks like typing, and more importantly it would help develop a better grip for things like weight lifting and such. I could always use some help in such fields.

So I've been using it for about a half a week, and I must say I'm happy with it so far. I have no real way of seeing if it makes a difference in my workout yet, but I'm getting stronger on the device it's self (I have really weak pinkies). I think it's safe to say I recommend this product.

I hope that information was helpful in some way for you. I also hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and do something fun.

No more soy milk

Hey reader. This post is more like an anti-endorsment. I have been drinking soy milk for a few months now, and I may be experiencing side effects including gas (yes, I know it's embarrassing, but it happens), and I have a sore spot on the side of my neck (it feels about the size of a pea on my left side, just lower than my jaw).  From what I've learned on the internet these may be linked to my increased soy consumption. Apparently it also has the potential to play with your hormones, which at my age, I certainly don't want.

I plan to stop drinking soy milk completely, and avoid product that contain soy until further notice (I'll probably be done with soy milk forever). I absolutely will stop recommending it to weigh lifters as an additional lean protein  source, it may actually make building muscle harder.

I still want to stay away from dairy milk, for ethical reasons (not that I'm a vegan, or even a vegetarian at the moment). So far the internet hasn't mentioned any of the weird side effects of soy in almond, rice, or coconut milk. I don't think I will try rice milk, because it really doesn't have any natural health benefits. It's really chalky tasting fortified water. I'm leaning toward almond milk, but I'm still researching coconut milk. I want to be more careful this time.

It could take about month for the soy milk side effects to go away, but I'm hoping for the best. I plan on going to see a doctor about the neck thing if it hasn't gone away when I go home from my trip. I might even go while I'm out here if it gets noticeably worse.

So long story short, don't drink soy milk. It has way more risks than you might think, and it can take quite a while before you may notice any side effects.

Until next time, drink water.

No GMOs

Hi reader. I know it's been a while, but I promise I haven't abandon this blog. There just hasn't been too much interesting or new activity going on in a while. I'm currently on the summer trip I mentioned I was going on and since I have a moment, I thought I'd chime in.

I have been chipping away at my long netflix queue, and that list included a lot of food based documentaries including some about GMO (genetically modified organism) products. I have learned that the effects on the body and the environment are very limited and I am fundamentally against them (although I'm aware that I probably eat quite a few of them on a daily basis).  It's kind of a big issue to explain here, but I recommend watching things like "deconstructing supper", "ingredients", "the future of food", "fresh", and I'm sure there are countless others. The Nongmo project has a lot of good information as well, including what foods don't contain GMOs.

So far I have been eating a lot of Amy's Kitchen products, which are easy, organic, and also GMO free.       All of the foods I have tried so far have been pretty delicious. I grilled some California veggie burgers at our family BBQ for the fourth of July, and some of my non-vegitarian (not that I am) cousins had some too. Take that, frozen beef hockey pucks!

Well that's all I have to report right now, because most of the things I have been doing lately aren't breaking any new ground.

Well, I'm sorry it took me so long to post here, but I'm not planning on going anywhere. I hope this information was helpful, or at the very least interesting. Happy eating and happy summer.

Nature's candy

Hey reader. I know its's been a while, but I've just been continuing to implement all of the things I've been talking about. I have even been taking out all of my friends on the paddle boards so sometime I can finally have my picnic on the middle of the lake, but that's not why I'm here now.

I just want make a mention of my new favorite snack. I've rediscovered dried apricots. I never really cared for them, but now that I'm beginning my summer traveling, I'm on the lookout for healthy snacks to avoid the standard chips and such, and these dried apricots have ben the answer. For one thing, they're dried (so I don't have to worry about them need refrigeration), they have a decent amount of fiber (so I get full and don't much the whole trip), and best of all they're super sweet (be careful not to buy the ones with sugar added, especially because they don't need it).

 So I highly recommend if you haven't given these a try yet. Next time you go to the store grab a bag and give them a chance.

Enjoy your summer.

Balloon regime

Hey reader. As always, I'm trying to keep my workout sessions engaging and fun. I'm trying something  else I did when I was a kid. I can remember at almost every party with non-helium balloons my friends and I would start little games of don't let the balloon touch the ground.

I had a bag of them sitting in my basement closet with our other miscellaneous things, and I figured I could put them to good use. If you make an effort to hit them relatively hard, chasing them around can really get you going. If you add fans in to the equation it makes it even more interesting, as it makes the balloon's movements less predictable. You can even bounce them off the walls and ceiling to add angles in to fun. Granted it takes about an hour for it to really qualify as exercise, and it's lowish key at that, but every once and a while, why not? That also gives me an opportunity to spend some quality time with my itunes library.

I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad that at my age I can still have fun with balloons. I even invited my friends to try it at my last little party, and they loved it. That just goes to show you, if you look like a dork you're probably having fun.

So until next time, do something dorky. Who cares who's looking.

Hard core whimsical workouts

Hey reader. I know it's been a while, but everything is moving along pretty well. I've been keeping up with all the things I committed to when I said it was time to dig deep, and I feel really good.

In addition to tracking everything I eat on my "mypyramid" app, I've been keeping up on the exercising too. Today was a pretty quality day as far as they go. I went SUP (big surprise, I'm sure. I must sound like a broken record). I also indulged in some swimming in the lake, with my board on tow. I feel like such a baby that I have to keep reminding myself that there isn't anything dangerous in my lake every time a scummy plant touches my foot. I try to paddle out to the middle of the lake, and then slide off to avoid plant contact. Either way, it's a nice change to the usual exercise staples.

Lately I've been trying to mix up the workout routine. Today after the swimming I gave jump roping a shot. I can't remember when I used it last, but I was impressed with my skills. I managed to be 17, jumping rope, and still look kind of cool. WOO!

I think I mentioned it before, but I'm a reasonably skilled belly dancer. I used to dance at least four times a week, and after Christmas that regiment slowly came to a halt. In the spirit of these nostalgic workouts I have been trying lately, I believe it's time to bring that exercise back into the routine.

I know everyone says it's important to find activities you like, but it really is true. If you haven't found one yet, I highly recommend you keep looking. I'm proof that there is something for everyone, even some unorthodox activities can be super fun, and burn more calories that sitting on the couch.

So until next time, go do something fun.

Time to dig deep

Hey reader. Today was a fantastic workout and it helped relight the fire. I cleaned stairs at apartment complexes  (as I will be doing every thursday for work). After I got home I wanted to have a real hardcore workout. I've been slacking a little lately with my eating, and i've been trying to at least break even.

Today I went paddle boarding and tried to make a whole workout on it, and in the lake. By the end of my about hour long session I did: 50 sit-ups, a 1 min. plank, 30 sec. side planks on both sides, 24 reverse sit-ups (when you raise your legs instead of your torso), a little swim (which I haven't done in that lake since I was a little kid. It felt good. ), and my usual 3 laps around the part of the lake where I know I can swim back to my dock.

That insane workout motivated me to eat strictly and properly again. I'm tired of working out as hard as I can, just to break even. I'm done! Time to get back to business and remember what I'm doing all of this for. My health and to tone up (especially while the lake is still a resource to me).

I just finished overhauling the fridge and pantry, and threw out all of the old vegetables I won't eat and the junk I don't need. I even had a little talk with my mother so she won't bring any new trash into the house for a while. I'm motivated now, but I'm not sure how great my will power will be when actually tempted. Either way the fridge and fruit bowl are ready to be refilled, and I think I did my inventory pretty well. I can't wait 'till I go grocery shopping this weekend. Because of all the work I've been doing for the family company I can afford about 2 oz. of oolong tea, too. This fresh start is going to be a good one (my screw up wasn't even too awful), I can feel it.

So this just goes to show you, just because you aren't doing great that's no reason to stop. It just means it's time to dig deep. So until next time, what are you digging deep for?

Work and a Workout

Hey reader. Lately I have been working for my parents' cleaning company, and that's been going well. It's no barrel of monkeys, but it's still work. The bulk of my job consists of vacuuming stairs in apartment buildings. Running up and down stairs all day, certainly takes care of most of my exercise for the day. I'm kind of enjoying it (in a weird way), because it keeps me from sitting on my couch all day, a few days a week.

I really like the job because of the obvious, I get paid part. I've had my eye on a body fat analyzer, and my funds are finally able to recover from after I got the paddle board. I really want the analyzer, because with all the muscle building my weight fluctuates a lot, and doesn't always reflect how tone I am. This product uses micro pulses of electricity to measure the body's composition, so this way I think start getting some more reliable way to measure my progress.

Right now I know I could be working harder, but my workouts continue to be pretty intense. My weight hasn't changed very much, but my general definition, especially in my abs, has definitely improved.

Well, that's how I've been doing. I gotta say I'm not entirely displeased. So until next time, work hard and play just as hard.

Quality Day

Why hello there. I must say that today was in fact quality. I got up early and paddled across my entire lake, instead of just doing circles in the little area I usually do. It only took a few hours, and It probable would have been faster if the wind wasn't so hard. Granted, the extra resistance was kind of a nice challenge.

After I got showered up and put some fresh clothes on, I made some, I guess you could call it, ramen. Not like the stuff from the package, but home made onion, garlic, ginger, chicken broth with spinach, cilantro, and of course rice noodles. This is the first time I made it like this, and I love it. My whole house smells good too. 

Good workout, good food, what else cold I ask for? Until next time, make today special. 

Paddle Board Win!

Welcome reader. Well I managed to accomplish another SUP goal. As of yesterday I can do 10 push-ups the 50 crunches, and some light belly dancing. I'm still working on the one foot boarding, but I'm getting there.

I can defiantly feel I'm getting stronger and my definition on my arms and abs is certainly improving. I need to do this as much as humanly possible without hurting myself before the fall comes. I might even get a wetsuit so I can go later into the season, funds pending. We'll see.

Well, that's about all. Until next time find something you like, and go for it.

Well that didn't work like I hoped, oh well

Well tried my sunscreen cold hives experiment. My unsprayed arm section and my sunscreen section looked almost exactly the same. They were similar enough to say the sunscreen didn't do anything. Well back to the drawing board.

At least I had definitive fun on the lake again (I'm loving this summer). Now that there are two boards around I want to start taking friends out with me. Today I took the first one, let's call her "B", and she was pretty impressive. She had a lot of motivation as she forgot her bathing suit. Falling in for her meant wearing my clothes home, and washing lake scum out of hers. She did great and we had fun without me having to worry about if she could do it.

I'm also getting back into herbal tea. I usually just do green or oolong tea, maybe mixing them with herbal, but I made a cup of mint tea from fresh leaves from my garden and another cup from some ginger I had laying around. Both were pretty good, by themselves. I hope to get more oolong when I get the chance, but my garden herbs and lipton green tea will certainly hold me over. I have a small jar of lemon zest I could brew with breakfast. Woo, living on the edge!

Until next time, keep brewing?

Fun X2

Salutations reader. Today has been a day of serious fun. My mother has been taking my paddle board out almost as much as I have, and finally decided it was time she had her own. Now we have two boards to take out, and we can go together. I plan to take some friends out this week to have picnics in the middle of the lake. I can't wait.

Other than that, not too much to speak of, but I'll be sure to make some progress soon.

Until next time, "keep adventuring and stay not a grown-up"

rain, rain, go away

Hello person on the internet. I can say for sure kale smoothies will be a regular thing for me. I tried the recipe I talked about yesterday, but with about twice the kale. It doesn't get quite as smooth as say a spinach smoothie, but definitely not bad. Be warned that little bits of green will get stuck in your teeth, though.

I wish this rain would let up so I can work out outside again. Today is the first day of June, and I can't believe how crapy it's been. For the past couple of days it's been raining and cold, and since it's finals week, my school gym is closed. I guess I'm going to have to get creative. I used to be a pretty good belly dancer. I learned a few years ago, and it might be time to break that back out.

As of this second, no extra goals to speak of, but here's where I stand today. 

Kale

What up reader? Finally went grocery shopping and I grabbed some real food. I'm trying kale in smoothies for the first time. I tried making kale chips before (they sucked, but I was told that I over cooked them), and after all the raving on the internet about kale smoothies, I'm giving them a shot. I'm doing kale, bananas, strawberries, and soy milk (I love this stuff). So, we'll see how that goes.

I've decided that I'm going to try some personal medical research this summer. I have two skin conditions called cold urticaria (cold hives) that acts up when my skin is exposed to cold things like snow, cold air, cold water, etc. The other one is dermographism (allergy to physical pressure) where my skin if brushed up against something, or scratched I get raised hives in the shape of the scratch.

At this time there is no known cure, little research, and I'm unable to find a treatment that's side effects aren't worse than the reactions I'm trying to avoid.

Since I've been eating mostly natural foods my skin has become much less sensitive (or I could be growing out of I suppose, but eating this way can't hurt). Recently I discovered that spray sunscreen may help (I realize that if I'm using sunscreen I'm probably not cold, but just hear me out). I went on a bike ride when there was drizzling rain, and came back covered in hives. Apparently I don't learn and did it again with sunscreen and nothing happened. I plan to look into this further, this summer in a more controlled setting. I'll post my results conclusive or not.


So that's my plan, and I'll write again if something interesting happens

Time to buckle down

Hello digital natives. I've been able to maintain my 175 lbs. while indulging quite a bit, but I'm ready to get back on track, and kick it back up. Tomorrow when I go to the grocery store I'm gonna get all the stuff I need to make smoothies and nice meals. What I need to do is come up with something healthy to help beat the heat. Most of my problem lately has been my shameless ice-cream consumption. If anyone has any recipes they like for healthy or fake ice cream, please don't hesitate to share, and I'll do the same next time if I find one.

On a sort of related note, I made some progress on my paddle boarding goals. Yesterday I managed about 10 pushups, 25 full sit-ups, and I lifted my right foot for about a second (and had to quickly put it back down). I'm on my way.

So getting back to eating less ice cream is my next step. Until next time keep it cool.

I have regained my health!

Greetings bloggers. It's true, through green tea and "Amy's Organic" vegetable barley soup, I'm just about back to my proper health. I guess I was wrong. To get over a cold in about three days, I guess the remedies I was trying really did work (along with massive amounts of rest when I was home).    

It's just about the weekend again. I plan to SUP again, but this time perhaps a little less, and I'll add some stretching to the equation. Since last time I've been trying to come up with tricks and things to do on the board to keep things interesting. Right now my list includes: push ups (by the end of summer 10), crunches (50), belly dancing (still need to work that out), and paddling one foot (3o sec?). I can't wait to get started so I can show off on the lake. I also want to do four miles on my bike in one session, so I can stop being embarrassed about my 10 min rides, lol.

I think one of my biggest goals is to wear a two piece bikini bathing suit this summer, with the abs to pull it off. I have been saying that every year for the past three years or so, but I still mean it. I think I can really do it this time. I mean, I'm as close as I've ever been. I suppose I will wear my lifejacket so no one will see anyway, but I'll know.  Like I said in my first post, I'm in pretty good shape, but I just want to kick it up to the next level for me. With school almost over, I will have plenty of time to try to tone up some more.

So my summer goals have been set, now I just have to get out there and get to it.

Achoo!

Greetings reader, today isn't quite the fantastic day it usually is. As customary, finals are next week, and I have fallen ill. I'm all congested and all my little trouble shooting remedies aren't working. It looks like i'm going to have to get full-blown sick. I keep drinking greed tea with honey, good thing I like it because I'm beginning the think it doesn't do anything.

I'm not the first to fall to this cold. All around my school you can hear people sniffling. I'm actually proud that I lasted as long as I did.

Well it's too late in the school year to take days off (in my head, they don't have a policy or anything), so I think I'm gonna just truck trough. I just have to make it through the rest of this week, then I can enjoy a long weekend, and I only have three days of finals. I'm sure I can make it.

I have my Amy's organic vegetable barley soup, and my tea. Like I said, I'm getting skeptical, but I love those things either way.

So until next time, stay healthy.

can't move at the moment

Hello once again users of the internet. Today wasn't the best I've ever had. Not that anything went wrong specifically, but I'm still incredibly sore from yesterday's mega SUP session. Reaching for my alarm clock this morning has never seemed so painful. I need to stretch my forearms the most, because the muscles are getting strained every time I extend my fingers. I had an epic amount of fun yesterday, but I'm definitely paying for it now.

I'll be resting and stretching at least today, my bike regiment can wait for a bit.

So until next time, have fun, but don't forget to stretch after.

Full Body Soreness

Hello all. I've been taking the paddle board out on the lake every available minute today. I can believe how much fun it's been. You feel like you can do it for hours before you really get tired. I was warned that SUPing is a full body workout, but no so much on not being able to move 20 min after (as well as feeling that I was still rocking back and forth). When I got home, I dozed for about a half an hour, and then when I tried to get up for more water, I could barley move. Everything was achy. I'm not saying I regret being out all day at all, it was a ridiculous amount of fun, but I'm glad I didn't have to go anywhere important after. From now on, I'll have to make sure all I'm responsible for at the end of the day is a good long sleep.

I guess the bike ride I took before breakfast was unneeded.

I just want make a quick mention to the amazing dinner I had. I bought a pack of Morning-Star veggie burgers, and they were pretty good. I was a little skeptical, I love fresh veggie burgers, but the frozen ones usually suck. I even microwaved it, and was pleasantly surprised. I put one one a whole gain bun with spinach, provolone, and cilantro from my garden. So woo, I can finally enjoy veggie burgers at home. Just to clarify, I'm not now, nor have I ever been a vegetarian (not that there is anything wrong with that, it just doesn't fit my lifestyle at the moment), I just really like veggie burgers. Frozen beef patties have always been kind of gross looking to me (I don't eat hotdogs either), through I'm sure I've had no less than a million frozen burgers  in my lifetime. Either way, Morning-Star beats Boca Burger by a landslide.

Well, I think I'm going to have to go back to bike rides for during the week. I have too much to do when I get home from school to go play surfer. At least the year is almost over anyway.

Well, I hope your weekend's were as fun as mine... and if they weren't, the summer has only barely begun. I'm sure you can still catch up.

Surf's Up

Hello to all who read this. My little post about not eating pizza yesterday worked! I'm down to 175 lbs. (I kind of expected for it to come off fast. I put it on really fast. My lowest has been 170-172 before I started screwing up. this all took about two weeks.) I grilled myself some fish and left the rest of the family's pizza alone.

Today's adventure revolves around me getting a new paddle board. I live right across the street from a lake, and the flat water and relatively nice scenery makes stand up paddle boarding (SUP) (you stand up on what's essentially a big surfboard, and paddle yourself with a kayak paddle), a perfect new exercise for me. I love the water, and the washboard abs some people claim you get after a while won't be too bad either. It didn't take me very long at all to get my balance. I never even got wet. Highly recommend it to anyone thinking about trying it. I'm planning on going out at least once a day, as long as I have time. I was going to take the old man pug out but I don't think he has the balance for it anymore, but for those of you who might try this, dogs usually do very well with it.

Good thing I got out to SUP. There was an event in my neighborhood and it was way to dangerous for me to take my bike out with all the crazy drivers. 

I almost forgot, I finally got all my organic plants in the ground for the summer. I started them from seeds in Febuary, and I've been keeping them in my kitchen, bringing them out on nice days/ bringing them in at night. It took almost all day, because I had to pull a jungle of weeds, turn my soil by hand, and plant: cucumbers, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, pumpkin, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, red bell peppers, and a ton of strawberries. At least the worst is over and all I have to do now is water it.

Well I had a fantastic day, and I hope you all did too.

Relaxation and Temptation

It's a lovely day to be alive (as usual). Today when I woke-up and weighed myself I was pleasantly surprised, 176 lbs. I realize that's no reason for a parade, but at least that proves my bike rides yesterday paid off.

Today is my day off (woo), and that gives me some really nice options of what I can be doing and eating. It's also Friday, which means my family will be ordering pizza. I always say I'm gonna hand up, but at the last min. I usually go YOLO, and get a spinach, tomato, garlic deep dish pizza. The problem is not only will I just screw up Friday night, I will continue to be screwing up all weekend long reheating it instead of making real meals. I hope that by posting this out into internet land, it will give me some sense of responsibility. I know, God forbid, the handful of people who look at this see I ate some pizza, but that's my plan.

I'm starting out the day well with Post Banana-Nut Crunch (my favorite). For lunch I'm gonna make one of my shakes/ smoothies (I go back and forth on what to call them. Is there a difference?). I have all the ingredients to make a....

watermelon smoothie:
1 c. fresh watermelon, 1 c. fresh spinach, 1 c. lite soy milk, and 1 tsp. unsweetened  cocoa powder. If you add ice it's kind of a watermelon milkshake. Just blend it all in your blender (duh), until smooth. It's really good, and the spinach flavor completely disappears. I have a Ninja blender, that gets mine really smooth, I don't know how well other blenders stack up.

My goal is to make a real dinner like grilled salmon with rice and vegetables or something, to go on 3 bike rides at least a mile each (I don't yet have to endurance to it all at once, but I'm getting there), and to leave to pizza my family orders alone. I can do it!

I wanna ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike

Well, I just wanted to make a post for today. On sunday I got a bike. I know that doesn't sound like that big a deal, but I'm 17 years old and this is kind of my first  one. I haven't been bike riding (that wasn't a stationary bike at the gym, where I lift weights) since I was about seven. I'm kind of psyched about it. I'm finding it's much more difficult to ride a one-speed cruiser around in a hilly neighborhood, than a stationary bike where I can lessen the resistance when I get tired. Meh, it's good for me, and I'm getting used to it really fast.

I have a driod, and I just got an app that uses GPS to track my speed and distance, which is pretty cool. I also have a heart rate monitor that tracks my heart rate (duh) and the number of calories I've burned. Today, I went on three rides, lasting about 15 min. each. I tried the new technology on the last one. I rode for 1.77 mi. and burned about 180 calories. WOO!

I also have an old man (13 -year-old) pug that I like to take out for about a 1/2 block long walk as my cool down. He can't really go any further than that at his age, but he seems to enjoy our little strolls.

So all in all I would say today, I could have eaten better (I normally eat really well, like fresh organic vegetables from my garden raw, but I've been stressed about my high school junior year finals, and indulged in a little stress eating), but my exercise went pretty well.

So, that's all for now. I think I'm really going to enjoy this blogging business. Even now I'm thinking about all the recipes for organic raw fruit/ vegetable smoothies, and how to make an organic garden, and all the other hippie crap I do, and could be posting about. I'll try to  pace myself.


Until next time, keep on rollin'.

I've already started, but let's keep going

Hey there internet goers. As some of you may know, I have another blog I'm maintaing simultaneously (the journey of a thousand miles has just started). This one is to document another goal of mine. I have Always been heavy, right now I'm actually in a pretty good place at 177 lbs. at 5'4'' (I am a pretty dedicated weight lifter with higher than average muscle percentage for a girl my size, I'm not delusional). I still want to work on myself, as I mentioned on the journey blog I want to be a Nutritionist after I graduate in 2013, but early next year I want to get my personal training certification. That being said I want to continue to work on my body by continuing to exercise and eating right. My goals of this particular blog are to keep me motivated, track my progress in an emotional way (as opposed to only a statistical way, as I have been), I hope that someone might read this and will learn something or be motivated to start their own journey, and I don't know, maybe this will turn into something. If no one reads this, and all this is just for me, it's still worth it. So...here it goes.



"The information provided on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your physician or health care provider for your specific health care needs." I do.