Mid Week Motivation: My Current Health & Fitness Routine

Hello everyone!

It is July 1st! Can you believe it?! Lets take some time and enjoy the view.

Felt this would be the perfect occasion to bring back the "Mid Week Motivation" series (if you missed the previous posts search "Mid Week Motivation" on the search bar to your right).

Today I want to chat about what I am currently doing for my health, fitness, and lets be honest- my sanity! I don't know about you but maintaining a fitness routine helps me be more focused, motivated, excited, and disciplined with pretty much everything going on in my life. As the saying goes, when in doubt, work out!

[Workouts:]

Honestly, I am not doing anything crazy. For the past several months (pretty much since the beginning of the year) I've kept pretty consistent with the cardio portion of my workouts. During the past month or so, I have been incorporating weights and strength training in to my routine, as noted in this post.

CARDIO: So basically, 5-6 times per week I am at the gym. I have found that hitting the gym at around 11:00 am-12:00 pm on most days is what works for me the best (I currently work from home during the first half of my day and then head out to my other job in the late afternoons). Find the perfect time that can work for you and make it happen. Remember that all you need is at least 30 minutes of high intense cardio. 

My routine is currently at 45-50 minutes plus a cool down. I use the elliptical for about 15-20 minutes and the treadmill for the remainder. 

I proudly wear my Spartan shirt to the gym when I want to feel fierce. Little do people know that race almost killed me. But I made it out alive :-D

WEIGHTS: I do workouts incorporating weight training and strength training about 2-3 times per week. Either Monday, Wednesday, Friday OR Tuesdays and Thursdays depending on what I may have going on in a particular week. I have been using my workout DVDs but strongly considering signing up for a gym class incorporating weights at a local gym. I enjoy working out at home but it would be nice to  break the routine a bit, and meet new people while I'm at it.

Post-workout shameless selfie

[Food:]

I dislike being strict with what I eat or denying myself anything. I simply made a decision to make a conscious effort to eat something that is good for my body each time I eat a meal. I currently eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) PLUS snacks whenever I am hungry. I don't believe in starving to death waiting for a next meal- that's something that can simply set you up for failure. If you are hungry, eat something! Just remember to make a conscious effort to make it healthy.

I cook, I bake, and I love to eat {if you think I'm lying just scroll back to prior posts, there is a good amount of food involved, and more to come}.

Restriction is not for me and allowing myself to eat well is something that has worked for me tremendously in terms of getting fit, maintaining a healthy weight, and keeping cravings at bay (don't get me wrong, I still get cravings but definitely not as much as before). Plus, I never feel like I am depriving myself.

Just yesterday I was watching a show about this "new" diet that allows beer and drinks in moderation. Some idiot on the TV show (one of the hosts) said "oh wow that is genius". I am sorry, but having things in moderation is something people have known for....ever....some people just choose to ignore it seeking the easy way out. I know the word idiot sounds harsh but I'm just being honest. It's been common sense for a while. 

Ok peoples, thanks for reading. What is YOUR current fitness routine? Or, if you plan to start one soon, what are the plans??

Love,

Mabelle

Mid Week Motivation 9: My favorite strength training DVDs (and plan of action)

Good morning everyone!

Happy Wednesday hump day. Today's post is inspired by the fact that I've been doing a whole lot of cardio since the beginning of the year. Although I absolutely love cardio (endorphins galore!) and I've also been incorporating some strength training (weights) workouts almost every week, i've been feeling that I should be upping up my game a bit (or a lot).

Strength training is a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. -Wikipidia

I may eventually sign up for a serious cross fit class or something similar but as with every goal I ever set for myself, I like to start with the basics (or sometimes not so basic- hello Jillian Michaels the muscle killer) and move my way up. And so, this week I gathered all of my favorite DVDs (the ones that I've actually look forward to doing) and I am ready to set up a plan for myself!

Here is the stellar collection of faves:

I've been a fan of workout DVDs since I was around 15 years old and only Jillian Michaels and Gilad have managed to create workouts that don't bore me to death and that I actually look forward to. And yes, I met Gilad in person a few years back and he autographed my DVD. #DontJudge ;)

I don't know about you, but I've found that setting specific goals and tracking progress as I go along is one of the best way to stay motivated and consistent with every goal we set for ourselves. I've reiterated this over and over again on the blog.

***

Simple Three Step Goal Setting:

Target areas: Also known as body parts I look forward to 'tightening' more and see clear progress: Abs, arms, thighs (<--wondering if this is the same for every women in the universe?).

Consistency: My original plan will be fitting in a strength training workout 2-3 times per week on alternating days. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays or Monday, Wednesday, Friday, depending on the week. I'll also keep visual track of consistency by writing down each strength training workout completed in my fitness calendar.

Tracking Progress: I will be taking before pictures, which I will post with the after pictures when I see more results feel more comfortable (I love my body dearly but there is something about showing my bare belly on the internet, just a bit weird for me right now). I'll also track my progress by how committed I stay with my consistency plan above.

***

And that is all my loves! What fitness goal do you have in mind? How will you stay motivated? Hope this three step goal setting plan helps you in your own endeavors, whatever they may be!

Love,

Belle

Mid Week Motivation 8: The idea of seeing life as a book or series of chapters

Hello loves,

Its been a few weeks since I've shared my weekly mid-week motivation series. To be quite honest, I like to post when I have insightful and meaningful things to say not 'just because', which is part of the reason for my little hiatus.

Today's post was inspired by a random thought that came in to my mind the other day as soon as I woke up. It was one of those thoughts that comes unexpectedly but brings such a strong and captivating message. In a nutshell, this is what my 'instinct' (or whatever you may want to call it) said to me:

"Certain parts of my life at this time may not be perfect, however, I do want to see what the next chapter has to bring once I close this one".

I'm usually not the type to talk about a lot of personal things on the blog although I have, from time to time,  shared a bit of personal stuff here and there. In terms of whatever situation may be going through right now, I am in fact looking forward to sharing everything including details, when I'm ready. It may be a post with several parts or just one long post. We shall see. However, I do need time. I'm not where I want to be yet and I feel that the "story" is still writing itself.


So, my loves, the motivational part of this post is to let you know that even if certain things are not perfect, remember that life is a series of ups and downs. I feel like I talk a lot about that on the blog. However, is a lesson that Ive learned over and over again and feel I cannot emphasize that enough.

Remember this amazing quote from back in the days? :-D

Many people going through tough times take drastic measures after lying to themselves thinking that things will never get any better and may choose to do something crazy like end a life or just succumb in to the holes of depression. I am here to tell you that if you can weather this storm, you will see the other side soon enough. It may not be easy and it may take some time but one day the storm will pass and you will see the rewards of your patience.

Aren't you excited to read the next chapter of your book of life? I know I am :)

Tell me, can you share any "feel good" rituals you partake in when things may not be going your way?


Love,
Mabelle

Mid Week Motivation 7: Giving a + spin to life events can be healing

Hello Loves!

Happy "hump day". Hope you're all having a good one so far.

So yesterday I read a really good article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Healing Power of a Good Spin" and decided it would be the perfect topic to share for today's post.

So, what is the article about? in a nutshell, it narrates the story of Bill Baker, someone who found extreme joy in running triathlons and simply being a stellar biker and runner. He spent countless days training for competition after competition- that's until he was diagnosed with a serious health condition that prevented him from doing any of the things he enjoyed.

The article then continues on to explain recent studies which have found that, even when we are faced with devastating circumstances and we feel that our life is "over" (as it was the case with Bill), changing the "story" regarding the circumstances in our minds can have tremendous benefit for us not only mentally but also physically speaking. In a general sense, the study reinforces the idea that everything is about perspective and our attitudes and approach towards life going forward always depends on how we CHOOSE to see things.

"We all create narratives to process information and make sense of events, whether explicitly or in subtle ways. The way we construct these stories has a large impact on our mental health, research show".

Also from the article:

"In a study that followed 54 people, half of whom went on to receive a diagnosis of a major illness- cancer, heart disease, or diabetes in the six months after they recorded their life stories. The researchers measured their mental health every 6 months for two years...they found that people whose personal narratives- the stories they told themselves- contained more agency, communion and redemption, and less contamination, saw their mental health improve, even after getting a serious illness".

"When re-framing negative events. acceptance is crucial" says Hal Shorey, a psychologist and assistant professor at the institute for Graduate clinical psychology at Widener university.

Bill ultimately realizes that being unable to compete and train as much as he used to turned out to be quite the blessing in disguise. He was able to find other very effective ways to remain fit and healthy
and was finally able to spend more time with his loved ones, people he would tend to ignore and disregard almost completely, specially during training season.

The article ends with the subject coming to this amazing realization:

"...I am pretty upbeat about how the closing of the triathlon door opens up a whole bunch of new ones". 

What are your personal thoughts on this story? are you also a believer that we can gear our minds and lives towards any way we desire, simply by the way we think? (I am.)

Thank for reading!

Love,

Mabelle

Mid-Week Motivation 5 (fitness series): Food Diaries

Hello ladies and gents,

Another day of waking up at the top of the morning. Here is a bit of my morning routine:

Had my 'power tea' while listening to Oprah and Chopra meditation series (we are on day 3!). 

Tea recipe: Boiled water with 1 cinnamon stick, star anise (or nutmeg), lemon juice. Let simmer for about 10 mins, removed from heat, add a bag of green tea to hot water. let it infuse for ~5 minutes. 

Made myself a quick breakfast and ate it while reading the paper, getting ready for my work day.

Yummy oatmeal w/ raisins, walnuts, almond butter toppings + cinnamon & coffee w/ soy.

Got to work.

Hope you're all having a phenomenal week so far! We are smack in the middle of it and here I am again with yet another Mid-Week motivation post to inspire and motivate you (and myself, while I'm at it).

Today I want to talk about a super powerful tool which has aided me tremendously pretty much my entire life when it comes to weight loss and fitness efforts. This post is in fact a way overdue considering I've been using a food diary since I was a teenager. You may notice a trend when it comes to me and using writing in pretty much every facet of my life. I don't know if there is a "type" of people that is inclined to writing everything down but if there is, I am definitely one of those people and using writing in my fitness journey is no exception.

I know there can be a lot of debate surrounding a food diary including-  "is too restrictive", "who has time to write things down?!", "we should just be eating intuitively without the need of tools", and the list probably goes on and on. However, I have to say that I am on the other side of the debate and feel strongly about the value of food diaries not only to keep ourselves accountable in terms of what we eat and how we exercise, but it can also also serve many numerous purposes including but not limited to:

• A 'therapy' tool where we can elaborate a bit on how we felt on a particular day, which can help us find a link between the foods we consume and our emotional and/or mental state on a particular day. 

• A food diary can also assist tremendously in identifying how certain foods affect our bodies. Maybe we feel bloated, tired, lethargic or maybe we  feel amazing, energized, strong on a particular day. We can always look back to what we did/ate and see if we can identify some type of connection. 

• A tool which can keep us accountable and focused on our ultimate fitness & well-being objectives while we take it a day at the time and have an actual tangible visual of how we do each day. Something we can look back to and analyze.

Just to show you, I was able to find a bag in my apartment that contains most of the journals I've used over the years. Out of all the journals inside this bag I'd say about 80% of them are former food diaries:

The type of data we can gather from simply keeping a food diary can help us tremendously as we go forward in improving ourselves in a comprehensive level-- including our bodies, minds, and spirits.

I am aware it is 2015 and there are a gazillion smart phone apps out there where we can track our foods and fitness activities on a daily basis. However, to be completely and utterly honest with you (and speaking from personal experience, as I have tried these tools temporarily) I feel that nothing compares to using pen and paper. Taking the time to search for a particular food/portion size/etc. on an app and making sure it all syncs correctly is far more time consuming than simply designating a journal as your food diary and make sure you have a pen with you. That's pretty much all you need.

I would recommend the size of the journal/notebook is compact enough that you can pretty much take it anywhere if you wanted to. I like to update my food journal at the end of the day or some time in the middle of the day. However, some people like to write down what they ate immediately. Do whatever works for you.

Just to give you an idea on how I personally organize my food journal entries, here is a sample of the journal I am currently using:

• Very top contains the number of days I have been using the journal 
• Right hand corner contains the date/day of week
• Left hand corner indicates (W, F, V) which stands for 'water', 'fitness', 'vitamins', and is where I write down my water intake for that day, what I did for fitness, and whether or not I took my multi-vitamin. 
• Moving on to the body of the entry: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks (self explanatory; I list what I ate under each section).
• 'Reflections': End of entry. This is the part where I elaborate a bit on how I was feeling that day overall. I also find a connection on days when I am feeling down I consume more snacks or 'sugary' foods. I also find a link between not drinking enough water and my sugar intake/level of cravings.

I have a post coming soon about all the intriguing and helpful things I have learned about myself and my habits which I have learned from simply keeping a food diaries (on and off) for several years. Is very interesting stuff so jamming it in to this post wouldn't do it justice.

And that's all my friends. Hope you found this post useful and hope that I've encourage you to incorporate some reflective writing in your your fitness and/or health and fitness journey. It has worked for me so incredibly well and I have no doubt it can work for you as well.

How do I know it works? I've tried starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle without keeping food diaries in the past and I've found that I wouldn't be able to keep up my "good habits". This may sound weird but, without the need to write things down, I felt like nothing was really keeping me accountable and there was no real way for me to look back at my progress whenever I felt like it. The minute I introduced a journal to my journey it officially feels like "its on now! its game time!".

Tell me, do you or have you used food diaries before? What are your personal thoughts on it?

Love,

Mabelle

Mid- Week Motivation 4: The Present

Hello Lovelies,

Happy hump day! Here I am again with yet another {mid-week motivation} post with the purpose of providing a bit of a positive boost to your week.

After a whole lot of brainstorming, I decided to feature one of my favorite inspirational books today. And here you have it:

 The Present

I read this listened to the audio version of this book several years ago. I loved it so much I actually transferred the entire audio in to my "IPod" (remember those?). I recently found my old IPod again and was pleasantly surprise to find the book in my playlist. I've been listening to the chapters every chance I get and is as great as I remember it.

The book has no "ground breaking" realizations. It is actually a very concise reminder of something most of us have probably heard of several times over: Living in the present moment makes us happier people. When we live in the present (focus on the task at hand, one moment at the time) we allow ourselves to ease any anxieties caused by the past or the future. We simply live in the moment that we are planted and we take it a moment at the time.

I've personally tried this strategy in my life several times and I have to admit that it is true and it works. I am not saying that focusing on the present is easy by any means. I think that as humans we have a tendency to replay the past over and over again (specially if its negative, why is that?!) or feel anxious and worried about the future. We all do it! However, if we make a conscious effort to just stay in the moment, its eye-opening how all regrets, worries, or anxieties 'magically' disappear from our minds. However, as I said, it has to be a conscious effort. We have to train our minds to stay in the moment. I promise you, it becomes easier over time.

Although the book focuses on "The Gift of the Present" {meaning, the present moment} it does make reference to the past and the future and provides strategies on how we can use both to make our lives better. One of my favorite chapters focuses around this very concept. Here are some of my favorite highlights:

• Living in the present means tuning out distractions and paying attention to whats important now. You create your own present by what you give your attention to today.

• Its hard to let go of the past if you have not learned from it. As soon as you learn and let go you improve the present.

• Anytime you are unhappy in the present or feeling less successful, it is time to learn from the past or plan for the future.

• Look at what happened in the past, learn something from it, use what you learned to improve the present.

• You may not be able to change the past but you can learn from it. If  the same situation arises you'll do things differently and enjoy a happier and successful present.

• No one can predict or control the future but the more you plan for what you want to see happen, the less anxious you are in the present, and the more the future is known to you.

• Beginning today: Think about what a wonderful future would look like, create a realistic plan to make it happen, put your plan in to action in the present.

I encourage you to check out the book. You can click on the link above (Amazon affiliate link) or simply borrow it from your local library for free! I truly believe this is a book you'll enjoy and may become a bookshelf favorite.

Spencer Johnson is one of my favorite authors when it comes to motivational literature. I've also read "Who moved my cheese" long time ago, another great book.

And that's all folks. Thank you for reading. Have a phenomenal Wednesday.

Tell me, what does living in the present mean to you? Have you read this book?

Love, 

Mabelle

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Mid Week Motivation 3: Vision Boards

Check out Mid Week Motivation 2 if you missed it.

Hello my loves,

Breakfast this morning: GF waffles, eggs, cafe

Good morning and happy hump day.

MWM series continues today with yet another tip to help you accomplish your dreams and make your life fabulous. Today I talk about my obsession with vision boards and I'd like to let you in a little secret: they do work!

Some people may be a little skeptical about sitting down with a bunch of magazine, glue, and white board ready to cut out appealing pictures, with the hope that those images may one day come true. "Vision-Boarding" (I think I just made that up) goes well beyond arts and crafts and is actually a HUGE stress reliever and a great way to lifts your spirits, envision a great life, and create the future.

I made my first vision boards back in 2011 and I still have them to this day. I can tell you that most of the items (symbolizing personal plans and dreams) did come true. 

After going through some tough times last year, I started making vision boards as a hobby. I'd grab my "materials" in the evening after a long day of work and start dreaming away. It became such a "feel good" project that I made several boards and they are all plastered all over my apartment.

I am telling you, one by one, the images I posted are manifesting themselves one way or another. I don't know what it is about envisioning positive things and putting them right in front of you that triggers manifestation.

Still skeptical? You don't have to take my word for it ladies and gents! Try it for yourself. If you are new at this, try making one during a relaxing evening when you are simply watching your favorite shows, listening to music, or just relaxing around the house. Grab some old magazines, glue and some cardboard. This is literally all you need:

• Glue stick (or any glue you have will do)
• Stack of old magazines with inspirational images (ie: Oprah, Health Mag, Shape, Glamour, Fitness)
• White board (you can find them at 99 cent stores usually 2 for $1)

Cut out inspirational images of things you'd like to see happen in your life. Put it up somewhere where you'll get to glance at it often and prepare for greatness.

If you have done this before, I'm sure you'd agree with me that this is quite magical.

...and even if you feel this may be too much work (trust me, it isn't and is so worth it) just putting up things around your place that inspire you and put a smile on your face should be enough. Here are some additional examples from around my apartment:

As always, would love to hear from you: feel free to share your vision board experiences below. Or, if you've never made one before, tell me why.

Love,

Mabelle 

Mid Week Motivation 1: Five Steps to a better life

Good morning sunshines,

Happy "hump day". My workday started pretty much at the crack of dawn and I was able to enjoy this delicious breakfast.

-Organic oatmeal made w/ almond milk. Toppings: Sliced almonds, PB, Cinnamon

-Cafe w/ soy milk.

So, there is this super motivational guy I've been following for years now (probably since 2011). His name is Martin Llorens and he is incredibly awesome. His content is all in Spanish so I apologize to all non-Spanish speaking followers. You can check him out on You Tube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

He recently launched a series of videos on YouTube and I absolutely love them. I took some time late last night after my day was over to really listen to a few of the videos and take note. One of the videos really inspired me. So, for this Mid-Week motivation, I respectfully want to share the incredible message: Five ways in which you can lead a more positive, better life. And here is the run-down:

1. Take one minute every morning to imagine an incredible day ahead and a minute each night to think of at least 3 things that happened during the day for which you are grateful for.

2. Every day make sure you take notice of all the positive things you do and say throughout the course of the day. 

3. When negative thoughts come to your mind acknowledge them and then let them go. Make a conscious effort not to dwell on negative thoughts nor feed negative emotions.

4. Accept when people try to help you. Be thankful for it. Understand that you do enough to assist others in your daily life so there is nothing wrong to welcome help in to your life as well.

5. Start creating positive affirmation and positive thoughts. If necessary, play a 'game' with yourself of always finding the positive and 'flipping' any negative thoughts that come in to your mind in to positive thoughts. If necessary, write affirmations and put them inside your wallet; make boards with positive images and place them around your home.

Some of these steps I've already followed for a long time (i.e: making poster boards, and keeping positive affirmations all over my apartment). Others I found interesting and look forward to incorporating in to my life starting today. I've been on this quest lately to transform my body, mind, and spirit in to the best it can possibly be. It is a work in progress and I look forward to getting better and better each day.

Tell me, who do you look to for motivation? Do you follow any coaches or motivational 'gurus'? Share below!