Ms Bliss Fit

Make it Fun…But Challenging

So there seems to be many people who think that exercise should be miserable and boring. But if that is how you approach getting fit, than you will never make it a lifetime habit. The most important thing is to do what you like! If you like to run, sign up for a race and challenge yourself to make a certain time. If you like to dance, go to a dance class! If you enjoy lifting weights, make lifting goals for yourself.

You must enjoy what you are doing but don’t mistake that for it being easy. You have to also challenge your body because it will get used to doing the same routine over and over again.

If you find yourself struggling to exercise…maybe re-think your approach and try something new. Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to do one specific thing to stay fit. There are hundreds of activities that will burn calories. We all get a little bored sometimes but don’t use that as an excuse to stop exercising. Keep going until you find that special thing that sparks your interest.

Stay focused! Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryan

Chick-fil-A® Grilled Market Salad Review

There aren’t too many healthy options when it comes to fast food and sometimes this includes salad. Just because you are eating a salad does not mean it is healthy. They often come with fried meat, a ton of dressing, and extra carbs! I noticed several weeks ago that Chick-fil-A has revamped their salad menu. 

The grilled market salad is actually pretty good. It comes with blueberries, strawberries, a bit of blue cheese as well as nuts and granola on the side. If you want to cut back on the carbs, you can eliminate the granola. I recommend eating the nuts because they are a healthy fat option. If you use dressing, just use half of the packet or a just a dash. The dressings can be up to 200 or more calories! Watch out for that.

I definitely have added this to my list of go-to meals when eating out.

Digging In…

So I find myself at the point where it seems to be a great challenge to stay motivated. Each morning seems like an arduous task to get moving. It’s not that I  am not training, but it is the lack of enthusiasm that seems to be the issue. I think that everyone reaches places in their life/training where they feel challenged to keep going. If anyone ever says that never happens, they are not telling the honest truth.

What separates successful people from those who are not succesful, is the ability to dig in. Dig in deep to keep going even though you don’t feel like it. When all you want to do is nothing. Or when you want to do something but have no idea how to get started you just have to put your head down and dig…

I am digging now. I never want to go back to what I used to be and I want to remain excited and motivated during the process. I think the key for me is not only variety but challenge. So over the next few days, I will be digging… If you are at a place right now where you feel lost, unenthusiastic, scared…whatever the case may be, just know that if you push through…no matter how long it takes, you will survive. You can reach the goal you set for yourself.

Consistency

Eating 6-7 meals per day. Lifting and/or cardio 5-6 days per week. Going to bed at a decent time. Reading and learning about healthy living. Day-in-day-out. This is the key to success. There is no magic formula, no spectacular thing you have to do. In order to be successful, you need to be consistent. Everyday will not be perfect, you will not PR every day. You might have to change your workout routine to accommodate other things in your life but the main way to develop a healthy lifestyle and keep it going is to be consistent. Even when things happen in your life that get you down, you have to remember that eating right and exercise are always a part of the plan.

You will never be successful until you realize this one simple truth.

When I go to the gym, I see the same people every morning and the same people every night. They might not be training for some grand event but they are consistent. These people will outlast those who only stop in when they are dieting, or only training for a competition and then go right back to a sedentary lifestyle. This is what keeps me from going back to being overweight…I am consistent. I have not always been like that. There were times in my life when my weight fluctuated and those were the times when I got out of my routine. Even though I might try new exercises and classes, I will never stop living this life…I refuse to go back.

So get off of your temporary diet and start LIVING the life.

“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
― Jim Rohn

10 mph…

10 miles per hour seems slow when you are thinking about driving your car.But when you are on the treadmill, 10 mph is fast (to me anyway). I have been trying to get up the courage to go at 10mph for a long time…today I finally did it. I have always keep my intervals around the 9.0-9.4 range. Mentally, I just always thought 10 mph was too hard. Also, when you are outside sprinting…you don’t think about it being too hard…maybe because you don’t have a fear of falling. This morning, I got on the treadmill at my apartment complex and just told myself to go for it…and I did it! I did not have to worry about other people being around, looking at me if I started making funny noises :). It was tough and also invigorating to be able to do that multiple times.

Now I have set a new standard for myself. 10 mph is the minimum for sprints. I know I can do it, so I can’t do anything less! If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over and over again…push yourself to the next level! Get over your fear of falling. Just go for it. Your body is capable of much more than you think. Your thoughts will push you farther or keep you where you are…

“If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the power of our words, we would prefer silence to anything negative. In our thoughts and words we create our own weaknesses and strengths. Our limitations begin in our hearts where we can always replace negative with positive.”

My Semi-Paleo Plan to Get Lean

Over the next few weeks, my plan is to drop about 5-7 lbs. This becomes more difficult when you reach the set point for your body…the weight where it is comfortable. After doing three shows, I realize how hard it can be to maintain a certain level of leanness and still perform well. You have to work your butt off and you have to be on point with the diet. One cannot work without the other. During my first figure competition, I followed a plan very close to the Paleo Diet and I was the leanest I have ever been in my life. Paleo followers believe that we should eat as our ancestors did…fruit, veggies, meat, nuts, and fats. They encourage people to stay away from grains and dairy products. They limit potatoes, yams, and cassavas.

I am going to try a variation of this diet. I am not eliminating sweet potatoes or quinoa. (Quinoa is not a grain…it is a plant used as a grain). I am also eating Ezekial Bread a couple of times a week. I don’t like to be too restrictive unless I am preparing for a show. I need variety. Also, if I don’t change my diet now, it will be harder to shock it when I start competing again next year. I am cutting out the dairy but will still eat eggs. (Sorry…I just can’t give them up). My fats will come from Coconut Oil, Almonds, Almond Butter and the meat that I eat. I’ll stick with lean meats such as fish, chicken, turkey, and lean beef. I also can’t give up my protein powder!

Here are some foods that I am eating this week:

• Tilapia
• Chicken Breast
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Grapefruit
• Berries
• Almond Milk (Unsweetened)
• Dymatize Elite XT Protein Powder
• Coconut Oil
• Quinoa
• Sweet Potatoes
• Eggs
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini and Yellow Squash

The Not So Cardio Style of Cardio and The Fat Burning Zone Myth

If you are trying to lose body fat, there are just some things you absolutely have to do. You have to burn more calories than you consume, drink plenty of water, eat whole and healthy foods, and you have to get your heart rate up during exercise. My first competitions were not for bodybuilding…they were for 5k and half-marathon races. I was the cardio queen until I basically injured myself by overtraining and omitting weight lifting from my routine. I could run circles around you, but I was not strong, nor did I have a low body-fat percentage.  Long duration cardio is good in moderation but moderate to high intensity intervals and workouts torch fat in the best way.

I have done both, and I don’t think I will ever slave away on the treadmill or the road ever again. I think the longest distance I will run is a 5k. Lately, I have been doing more interval work such as sprinting on the treadmill, spinning on the bike, and dancing. I will do it at the end of my weight session, in a separate session, or in between sets. You don’t have to do 2 hour low intensity, empty stomach cardio sessions anymore. You can kill yourself for 20-30 minutes or you can die of boredom and starvation because you spent 2 hours on the treadmill on an empty stomach!

Intervals are best because your body does not get used to them and you are constantly challenging yourself. When you do long duration, low intensity cardio, after a while, your body will adapt and progress will come to a halt. Now you have people who will argue that if you stay below the “fat burning zone” and do empty stomach, low intensity cardio you will burn more fat calories. This is thought to be true because you have not eaten and you can tap directly into fat stores. This is a fitness myth. Here is a little science for you…let’s say you walk for 20 minutes at 3 miles per hour, 67% of energy will come from fat which equals 64 calories from fat burned. BUT….if you run at 6 mph for only 20 minutes…you use more carbohydrates as fuel and only 46% of energy comes from fat but you have burned more TOTAL calories and 90 calories from fat. You use more carbs for energy but you also burn more calories overall in a shorter amount of time with HARD WORK…NOT LOW INTENSITY.

Confusing? Keep it simple…work harder and burn more fat. If you are walking and talking, you are not burning enough fat. If someone told you the sky was green and the grass was blue but you can see for yourself that is not true would you still believe them…? Don’t believe the hype just because everyone else around you does. I’m not just telling you from science, I am telling your from experience….

Here are some fun ways to get your high intensity cardio sessions in:

• Sprint on the track or treadmill
• Go to Zumba class or turn the radio on and dance in your house…make sure that you are doing constant intense dancing…not at a slow pace
• Spin intervals on the bike
• Jump rope competition with your kids
• Run the stairs
• Lift weights in a quick circuit style fashion and jump rope in-between circuits

Try this full body circuit for a nice sweat session. Complete these exercises back-to-back. Perform each one. At the end of each circuit, jump rope or do jumping jacks for 60 seconds. Then rest for 2-3 minutes. Repeat 3-4 times depending on your fitness level

• Burpees (30 seconds)
• Jumping Lunges (30 seconds)
• Dumbell Swings (Hold dumbbell in one arm and swing up to chest level while in the squat position…repeat 10 times, then switch arms)
• Jumping Pull-Ups (Find a bar high enough and jump up and pull yourself up) 15 times

Self Massage

Massage has many benefits. Massaging the muscles can reduce inflammation and reduces levels of cortisol. Massage also helps to improve the range of motion in your body. The reason most people don’t go to massage therapy very often is  due to the cost. It can be very pricey for a one hour session. Although, if you have not tried it, I do recommend going at least one time.

There is a way that you can massage yourself using a foam roller. Foam rollers can be purchased at department stores or online. http://www.amazon.com/Super-High-Density-Roller-Black-36×6-Inch/dp/B00AMTAC9S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370342488&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+roller

After a workout along with your stretching, you use the foam roller to massage your muscles. Below is a chart that shows common exercises. Get your massage on today! See how much of a difference it makes. For further questions, send me an email.

When You Know What Excellence Is…

When you have gone above and beyond and know what true excellence is, you can’t settle for anything less. Lately, I have found myself becoming restless and looking for the next challenge.  I tried to just be average…I can’t. I know my potential. I have gone above and beyond what most people do, and I can’t help but to come back to that challenge.

Are you feeling restless…maybe you need to challenge yourself. Find out what your motivation is and just go with it. Be prepared to motivate yourself…whatever you need to do. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can truly encourage YOU. Don’t settle for less just because everyone around you is willing to settle.

Tips for Staying in the Game

1. Do what makes YOU happy.

2. Immerse yourself in it…read, watch videos, find friends who are fit and healthy.

3. Don’t force your lifestyle on others.

4. Always be prepared…food with you at all times, water bottle, snacks, and workout clothes in the car.

5. Track your macros…how can you lose weight if you don’t know how many calories you are eating and how many you need to eat to lose weight?

6. Form habits…the key to change is consistency.

7. Learn how to say “no”

8. Never apologize for your healthy choices.

Excellence is obtained through persistence…stay at it. Even when you fall down, get back up and try a new way. You are not ordinary, you are EXTRAORDINARY.