Do YOU have balance in your life?

Hello everyone, I bet you have been wondering where are the weekly blogs on fitness and health? I would like to say that I have been pretty busy these last couple of months with mid terms, changing careers and also trying to finish the end of the semester with a bang. I am glad to say that while I have been busy with all of these tasks and duties I have continued to practice what I preach when it relates to fitness and health.

Today I would like to touch basis on balance. As we all should know this is very important in our everyday lives.I must admit I am still working on it when it relates to balancing out my work and school schedule but it is all a work in progress. Right? Balance is very important in our lives whether it relates to fitness and health or just being able to maintain a weekly schedule.

To be able to balance out your week when it relates to working out or eating habits you first must come up with a plan. For instance: I know that I have a busy week Monday through Friday with a few ours to spare here and there. In order for me to stay on top of my physical appearance I must use those hours in between my busy schedule to work out in the gym. At the beginning of each week I tell my self that this is how many days I will work out this week and I am so determined at sticking to it. For now I have set a schedule for three to five days a week. With basically three being the minimum and five at the maximum. As of right now my days are set for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. With Tuesday and Sunday as off days. I try and strive for five days but as we all know things seem to come up without us planning and we are not able to meet those certain goals as planned. But my theory to this is as long as I get atleast three of those five days in, I have reached the minimum of my work out schedule. Which is very good given that I am already juggling, work, school and other activities.

So you must be wondering how do you balance when it comes to eating habits. This first starts with what you have at home in your cabinets and fridge and also what you purchase from the grocery store. In order to balance what you eat make sure that you are eating more beneficial foods rather than just a lot of junk food and carbs. Be sure to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with a couple of snacks added if desired. Sometimes in our busiest weeks we can either forget to eat and skip a meal or if we work in a office settting we may over eat. Trying to avoid these situations can be difficult but anything is possible when you have balance.

Balance is very important as mentioned above with our work and school schedules and also our fitness and eating habits. I've learned that balancing out your life has great outcomes and a feeling of completion.

I hope that you all have learned a lot from this blog on how YOU too can balance your lives!!

One Love <3
YM

Do YOU prefer water or sodas, sweet teas, etc?

Hello everyone, today I would like to blog about what beverages do YOU prefer?  As for many people I know, aren't fans of water or healthier beverages. I will explain why it is important on what drinks you choose and how much water you should be drinking daily. I also would like to go in details on why most drinks that are chosen are not good for you and how to prevent yourselves from drinking a lot of caffeine and sugars.

I would first like to touch basis on why I prefer water. I was at that stage like many others, when I couldn't stand to drink any water. I have never been raised on sodas so we always drank a lot of juices and Kool-aid. (which also is not a good choice because of all the artificial flavors and sugars added.) As I got older I started to drink more water because of the request from my doctor. When I chose to drink water it not only was a good choice for me but it also contains zero calories and has no added ingredients. I always think of it as this, I am saving calories throughout the day if I choose to drink water rather than juice and the more water I drink the hydrated I am. Also as I mentioned above I have recently enjoyed the different tastes of green tea. I have been purchasing brands such as Arizona, Lipton and herbal teas. I enjoy the natural flavors of ginger, honey and citrus that are added to the teas and I also like how it can be enjoyed cold or hot.

For those who enjoy juices, you have to be aware of all the added artificial colors and the sugars. I too enjoyed apple juice and orange juices the most, but after I discovered all the added ingredients I slowed down on how much I drank.  Have you ever taken a look at the back of the bottles nutritional facts and read the calories? Hint. Hint. You will be very surprised on where your added pounds are coming from. For the individuals that enjoy sodas you have to pay attention to the high doses of caffeniene that are being intaked as well. As mentioned we were not allowed to drink many sodas when I was growing up, so this was not a challenge for me. Many people are tricked in believing also that diet sodas or juices are better choices than just drinking the sodas. But I have learned that a diet soda is not at all any better of a choice than a juice or soda. The reason is because diet drinks have a ingredient added that is called aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetner that has many negative effects if too many does are intaked. The sweetner can cause a number of conditions such as: spasms, headaches, depression and a number of conditions as well. I am not trying to scare anyone on whether or not you should drink these beverages but what I am simply saying is that too many doses of these diet drinks can cause serious health conditions.

So why should you drink more water? Because it keeps you hydrated and every human needs water to survive. It is not only an important part of our diet but it also is free of calories and keeps you flushed from the intake of daily toxins. For those who cannot drink water by itself, you can also add mint, fresh fruits and even citrus to give it a more interesting taste. When drinking flavored water you also need to be aware of the added ingredients, as well as aspartame.

I hope that everyone was able to gain some knowledge on choosing healthier beverages. Remember to drink more water and less sodas, juices and diet beverages!!

Have a Merry Monday!!

One Love <3
YM

Do YOU take the stairs or elevator?

Which do you prefer, the stairs or elevator? I find it quite interesting when I see people wait on the elevator to come back down, when not even a few steps away is the sign for the staircase. Don't get me wrong I have taken the elevators also in my day, but now I prefer the steps because I look at it as me going that extra step in being active. I can also remember when I couldn't climb the steps without getting to the top and being out of breath, now I am proud to say that I can handle 3 to 4 flights of steps. Recently I saw a woman waiting on the elevator and I begin to take the steps, there were 3 flights of steps I had to go up and by the time I reached the top and headed to my destination, her elevator had not reached the 3rd floor yet. Seeing this I began to realize you have more control of your time taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Time is such a terrible thing to waste... Don't you agree?

I am surely not trying to have anyone upset because they would rather take the elevator, but all I am emphasizing on is that if we want to be more active and fit we have to take baby steps in getting there. I do believe taking a flight of steps instead of the elevator is a good step in becoming more active. So what will you be taking today?

I hope that everyone was able to gain some knowledge from this blog about taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Be sure to Read/Comment/Share my other blogs as well. Have a Happy Friday!!!

One Love <3

YM

Traveling, Eating and Staying Active

This past Friday I got on the road to head 8 hours away to Virginia. On the road to VA I enjoyed the sight seeing of nothing but Fall in the air. All of the different shades of leaves and the view of the mountains from the highway was very relaxing.

Whenever I am traveling I have had the most difficult problem of spending too much money and also my eating habits. Is it just me or when you are out of town you just HAVE the urge to try all the different types of foods? Well I am a witness of this in the past but now I am able to have self-control and knowing when to stop over eating. I will explain in detail of how I maintained my appetite while on the road and also what food selections I chose.

First off I thought about what I would eat everyday in my mind so that I would not get side tracked. I continued to eat breakfast every morning whether it was some Nekot cookies or a chicken biscuit from Biscuitville. Remembering that breakfast is very important I didn't let that change because I was away from home.

When lunch time came around I ate either out to Chickfila getting my regular (#3 spicy chicken sandwich meal) with a wheat bun and a fruit cup or I ate at Jersey Mikes. Choosing the right fast food places to dine out at is key, you don't want to eat a bunch of fatty foods when you are on the road, it tends to make you sluggish and lazy, and trust me I was not planning on gaining any pounds while on vacation.

Dinner time I ate out to Ocharley's and Cracker Barrel. While some of these days I didn't eat dinner, simply because I only at half of my food and saved it for the following day/night and other nights I enjoyed a home cooked meal. With the home cooked meals I continued to watch portion control with using a small plate rather than a dinner plate. That way when I did go for seconds I would not feel guilty. (as mentioned in other blogs)

Lastly while being out of town I enjoyed many sweets from cookies, brownies and lemon pound cakes. To not feel as guilty about enjoying these sweets I only at half of the portion and saved the rest for later or another day.

I emphasize on portion control so much now because it is all about how much you eat. Because honestly, you can eat whatever you want as long as you take control of how much it is you are in taking. Eating all these different foods these past 5 days I am proud to say that I haven't gained a single pound. I also was staying active with doing my regular 3 sets of 12 squats and planking,(every morning and night) as well as going to the local gym.

I hope that everyone has learned a lot from this blog about eating and traveling. Be sure to Read/Comment/Share my other blogs. Thanks in advance.

One Love <3
YM

Do YOU have Self-Control?

Today I would like to refer to my last blog but in this sense,  I would like to talk about self-control. Self-control is very important relating to eating habits and changes. For myself this was another situation that I struggled with the most. Self-control is defined as: the restraint or control of oneself, or one's actions, feelings, etc. When I think of self-control I think of how many times I've persuaded myself into thinking that its okay for me to have just eat "one" more cookie, (which usually turns out as more than one) or when I am indulging in Sunday dinner and it wouldn't be complete without a couple or more pieces of hot watered cornbread. I believe not having self control and not being able to control my own behaviors was a very important part of the stuggle with my weight.

Self-control was also the main difficulty of me being overweight and obese. I am positive that many individuals around the world are having these same dilemmas. Sometimes that saying, "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach" is very true to many of us and still is true for myself today. The serving size on the back of most products and items are for a good purpose. Even though at times we feel as if that is just not enough. I can relate, I mean really 3 to 4 Oreo cookies (160 calories or more) are just not enough when you are used to eating half of the package. Agree? Even though we all are at the beginning of changing our eating habits or are in the middle of mastering it, we still should be able to enjoy the snacks and goodies that we love the most. Right? Here are a few tips and suggestions to keep in mind when you become eye to eye with your favorite foods and how not to binge and still be able to enjoy.

When eating your favorite snacks and foods take a glance at the serving size.. just a glance. I want you to become familar with the serving size, calories and also the carbs. Don't be like me and try to change all your eating habits at once and then relapse, (I am certainly not saying that) but I would like  everyone to become very familiar with the exact amout of your intake. Also, as I mentioned above, it is okay to treat yourself, but be sure to keep self-control in mind. The way I treat myself is that I first begin with the amount (quantity) that I buy. For example, If I want some cookies I would buy the 4 to 6 pack rather than the large packages, this way you are still getting your sweet fix, but you will not be overeating while doing so. You don't want to fall in the trap of boredom and begin eating simply because it is just there. Just yesterday, I had bought some Famous Amos cookies from the vending machine as a snack, but instead of eating the entire bag I glanced at the serving size which was for 4 cookies it was 150 calories and I ate just that amount and was comfortable with that. Now don't get me wrong I was tempted to eat the entire bag which then would have ended up as 450 calories. See the huge difference? Just remember to buy smaller quatities, and to also ask yourself, Do I really need/want this? Okay lets say it is not sweets or snacks that is your stuggle but instead it is those homecooked dinners and outings. In this case when dealing with home cooked meals, avoid seconds and also use a smaller plate and bowl to fill. When you use the method of a smaller plate it gives your hunger a thought of this is just enough, and while avoiding seconds this is putting self-control into action. When dealing with outings and fast foods, try and get the minimum, avoid upsizing and try and eat only half and try to take home a doggy bag. *Be looking for future blogs on eating out and fast food choices and tips*

I hope everyone was able to gain some important tips and advice from my perspective of self-control. Be sure to Read/Comment/Share
Thanks!


One Love <3
YM

Sources: Dictionary.com

Are YOU really hungry or just bored, dealing with life situations, etc..

Asking yourself are you really hungry is very important when it comes to eating and also is the cause of over eating. Many times we just indulge in foods because we are bored, depressed and "think" we have a craving for a particular food. Going back to my previous blogs when I mentioned how it all starts with your mind set, it still is true when it comes to our eating habits as well.

I  can remember when I felt a certain way I would eat certain foods. I always seemed to convice myself that this is what I wanted/needed. When in reality I was just feeling a certain way and could have taken another route in food selections. As we approach the holidays and Winter season there are sure to be a lot of indulging in our favorite meals and snacks.. this is the perfect weather! So how do we know exactly when we are hungry? What are the signs that we need to look for?

Here is how, first things first, listen to your body! What I simply mean is if your body doesn't show signs of hunger...DON'T EAT! Signs of hunger is growling of stomach and overall you've realized its been quite awhile since your last meal. I usually use the method of waiting for the growling of my stomach before I eat another meal. Believe me your body will indeed let you know. It is very important that you pay attention to these signs because if not you could all of a sudden notice weight gain and become sluggish throughout the days. When you stop eating just because you are bored or because you have a certain craving (when you know you are not hungry) your body can become trained in letting you know when you are really hungry.

Everything I share on my blogs are situations that I feel I struggled with throughout the years of my weight battle. I hope that we all could take some great tips from this blog about whether or not YOU are really hungry? Thanks and don't forget to Read/Comment/Share all of my previous blogs as well!

Have a Terrific Tuesday!!

One Love <3
YM

What are YOU eating for breakfast?

Eating breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day. I would have to agree with this theory, only because when I don't eat breakfast I'm not as focused or ready for certain job functions as if I did.

So what do YOU eat for breakfast? My opinion I don't believe there is a certain food you should eat. As for my mom she prefers peanut butter and crackers, Progressive soup or even sometimes a brownie.. Yummy, right? I preferably eat whatever my heart desires. Whether it be Chick-fil-A, a honey bun or maybe a bowl of cereal, whatever it may be I try and eat it within the first hour from when I wake up.

I've also heard that it doesn't matter what you eat for breakfast because that will be the first meal that you will burn off, throughout the day. I must admit of being a witness of this, because working at the library I run a lot of errands and do a lot of squatting throughout the day. So usually while eating my breakfast around 9 a.m. no later than 11 a.m. my stomach starts growling and letting me know that I'm hungry again. *In later blogs I will discuss in depth and the importance of not eating until your body warns you.*

The importance of this blog is to be sure and not skip breakfast, it really balances out your day and is like a free meal.. So, what are you eating for breakfast? Have a good morning!

One Love <3
YM

Back to the basics

Good evening everyone, I know we are all entering into another busy work week. Is it just me or do the weekends just fly by? Well tonight I wanted to get you on the right track with a few points to keep in mind while approaching this upcoming week. I wanna touch basis on staying in control of our spiritual selves, how to make the more appropriate eating choices and also focusing on our fitness.

First things first, let us always remember to be positive in whatever we face this week. Start off by thinking that "This is going to be a fantastic week!" rather than approaching it with negativity. Remember only YOU set the mood for YOUr day, not anyone else!!

Also, let us be sure to eat our breakfast every morning. Eating breakfast is one of the many important meals of the day. Tomorrows blog I will go more in depth about breakfast, explaining what you should eat, and more tips relating to breakfast choices. So be sure to be looking out for that blog.

Lastly, let's get active this week. Like myself, many of us participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event this past Saturday, and I have to admit I am pretty sore after completing 5 miles in less than an hour. Congrats to all of us again by the way, we rock!! Lets be sure to make room for more fitness activities this week. Whether it be hitting the gym a few days this week, taking a walk on our lunch break(s) or even doing 3 sets of 12 squats/lunges in the comfort of our own homes. Also this week I will blog about exercise choices more in depth, so that we all can see what type of exercises are right for us, as individuals. I will also share many tips and advice that I feel was very helpful for me in the process of my fitness journey.

Well I'm going to wrap this one up for tonight and be sure to get a good nights rest, and don't forget to say your prayers and dream BIG! Goodnight Loves!!

One Love <3
YM

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk!! 🎀🏃👟

Today is the day everyone, get out your walking/running shoes and your pink attire, it's time to make strides against breast cancer. The 2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Association is an awesome opportunity for you to make a huge difference in your community. The location is downtown Nashville at the LP Field. Registration starting at 8:00 am and the event beginning at 9:00 am. Participating and making a donation for this event will show that YOU too have the power and potential in making a real difference for YOUrself and your loved ones. I like many others have known or lost a loved one in regards to this disease. My beloved grandmother was called home just a few years ago. But this isn't a time for grief but instead a time for celebration and hope. We want to let our loved ones know, who are struggling that they are not alone and we will show it by participating and making donations to win this fight! I have made a commitment in my heart and to my angel to jog/run majority of the 5 miles along with my mother, family members and many friends. (But remember this is not a race you do what is comfortable for you; walk, jog, etc; the goal is that you're a inspiration to many lives, that is truly the real reward.)

Every stride we take today in fighting breast cancer is another stride of hope!
🎀Pink is Hope!!🎀


Rest in Peace Grandma Rosetta! We love you and you are forever missed but we know that your spirits continues to live within us. Forever!! 😘

I hope to see everyone there!! Let's make a difference, one step at a time! :)

One Love <3
YM

Are you really ready?

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time out to read/share my blog posts.. Today I decided I wanted to ask everyone are you REALLY ready?!? This is a very important question when it comes to any goal, dream or sacrifice. When being determined and motivated at something that you yearn for, it all begins with your mindset. You have to know what you want in order to get where you wanna be. Is your mind right? While struggling with my weight for over 10 years, I began to realize that not having my mind right was the major problem. This problem led me to just talking about it rather than putting in the full effort to get the results. I began to give up very easily on myself, I wasn't self-motivated and overall I was just doubting my potential as being fit and healthy. Until one day it finally clicked. (And boy am I glad it did!!) I believe that click was me getting into a mindset of believing in myself and to know that if I try hard enough and stay consistent that I can be that goal weight that I had been longing for. So here are a couple of points to keep in mind: know your purpose; be sure to know what your aiming for and why, stay consistent; nothing gets accomplished if you give up too easily, and lastly stay assured; when you free yourself from the "I just can't do it" stage then nothing is impossible. Be blessed and have a great day everyone!


One Love <3,
YM

Introduction to Fitness Tips

In the last couple of years I have been able to find and understand who I am. What I mean by this is, for  many, many years I have struggled with my weight. As normal as this sounds, dealing with yourself and your weight can be a real strain on your everyday lives. I mean really, we have enough to deal with, work, school, family and even church... Agree? But I am here to tell you that with losing over 65 pounds and actually keeping it off, is not easy but it was/is well worth it. I am here to give you those small fitness and health tips that will in the end make a great difference. From something as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and even parking far at the grocery market, instead of searching and searching for parking near the entrance.... Ready?