Remember being graded on a curve back in high school? I implement something similar when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. I am sure you have all heard of a 90/10 or 80/20 percent variable when it comes to eating clean and exercise. What it comes down to for me is CONSISTENCY with a curve and that allows for the little fun off the plan meals or missed workouts that WILL be a part of my balanced life. I really do not stress about it, and I try to have a positive and fun outlook most of the time. There are times that my mental game can be in the tank just like anyone else, and my actions have to be stronger than my mind. It is in these moments that I realize that the workouts never get easier, but I definitely am stronger for them.
I am not perfect and never will proclaim to be, but I am CONSISTENT. I exercise at least five times per week and nothing extreme either. I get in my sixty minutes and sometimes even forty-five and call that good. I am in lifetime maintenance mode, which is easier than let’s say having a goal of building muscle mass. Through my journey of consistent exercise, I have paid my dues to create the muscle that I have, and I am happy with that and do not long for more. What I do care about and my lifetime goal is being a fit healthy person, having a quality life, free from injury, pain, and to just feel good overall. I strongly feel that when the focus is on healthy and quality life rather than meeting the goals of extreme this or that, then a healthy body is the result. So much brain effort is placed on all the new workouts and “diets” that people are becoming obsessive, discouraged, disenchanted and sadly give up before even trying. I enjoy being simplistic, getting back to the basics, and do not fall for the fads when it comes to working out.
I eat healthy REAL foods the majority of the time and am CONSISTENT with this
habit that is now my lifestyle, and do not stress when a craving calls for something off my normal. Please do not think that I am sitting over here eating boiled fish and steamed broccoli. That is definitely not me, so boring, and I enjoy spicy foods and lots of variety to even want restrictions like that as part of my life. Besides, that is not realistic, not lifetime maintainable and just could not be accepted consistently in my menu planning. Healthy eating does not mean I am on a diet, it just means that I eat healthy foods all the time that taste good.
I maintain my body CONSISTENTLY to keep it healthy, to feel good and yes, I enjoy the outward part of being a healthy woman. Anyone who says different just is not being honest. I feel a certain confidence that comes from being a healthy person and I enjoy that. Things that I will not call a sacrifice to keep me consistent are eating at home all the time and rarely dining out. On those rare times, it is a real treat and in fact, I do not mind hitting up the dessert menu during those occasions. Honestly, I prefer my cooking to what is served in restaurants, for so many reasons. I can control what is actually going in my face, the fats, sodium, and overall organic value of what I am eating. The struggles I have are with getting to bed on time and I would have to give myself a “needs improvement” grading on the curve. I enjoy my weekends so much and night time with my hubby that sometimes, it is difficult to want the evening to end, and the consequences are a tired, and not fully recovered body. Overall though, I am very CONSISTENT and enjoy a bit of a curve in life for that balance that is so important.
IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS
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As promised, I am continuing my write about why I think “Simple is Healthy” and how I apply that to my life in all aspects.Of course, it is such a HUGE factor for me, and knew that I could not fit all I had to say in one piece being the chatter bug that I am, so had to break it up in a series of Blogs. If you read the first of the series, I covered my food and how keeping it Simple makes for healthier foods…an apple vs. some packaged product with fake apple substance in it for example…YUCK.I am dedicating this Blog to how I keep my workouts Simple and how that is absolutely HEALTHIER for me.
I am a down to earth, back to the basics, sticking to the foundation of exercise kind of gal.I do not need anything fancy to create a healthy body, and in fact enjoy the simplicity of an all over body weightprogram many times throughout the week.Also…my time…it is so important…please do not think that I spend hours in my studio pounding the weights to maintain my 48 year young self…..NOT.I keep that simple as well and dedicate one hour at least 5-6 days per week to get my Darla Sweat ON.That is it…if I am spending more time than that…what the heck am I doing and WHY for crying out loud.My body requires daily physical activity and healthy foods and feeling like I need to push my body to limits beyond requirements is unhealthy in my book.I consider working out a reward, a privilege and thankful that I can perform the exercises that I do with my new modified ME.I think when the balance of workout is tipped so far into an obsessive thought process, it can become a burden and a something I “have to do” instead of “I want to do it”.Think about this idea…maintaining healthy food intake so I do not have to work as hard or long in the gym…WHAT….YES, studies have shown that the body only requires a good focus of 30 minutes per day of QUALITY exercise to maintain a great physique.LIGHT BULB moment here and QUALITY workouts are a “want to” inclusion in my life to make exercise SIMPLE, and that is HEALTHY!So, if I remain consistent on my healthy food intake, I can shave down my gym time by at least 15 minutes and really complete what I have to do in 45minutes.WIN WIN…clicking of fitness gal trainer shoes…woo hoo.
There are so many ways to exercise the body, but think about the root of all exercise that stems from strength and stabilization…that is where I come from.If my strength and stabilization are not in order, I might as well forget having a healthy workout session and body for that matter.I am all about body balance, proper posture, positioning, form and technique, and positive and negative (concentric/eccentric) movements.Let’s say I have a postural deviation and need to work on my core strength, my simple focus will be on doing that, and progressing from there.I will not put my body at risk for injury by swinging this or that for hours on end, jumping here or there, and creating pain and suffering by performing movements that my body is just not ready for and may not be able execute properly even after I have come to my point of progressing forward.I feel like a “body whisperer” where I pay close attention to what my body says I can do and proceed with caution with those things that I should not be doing. I am not a “push through the pain” person or trainer…there is normal discomfort that comes from a workout and then there is that “not right” discomfort that should put a screeching halt on my workout and yours for that matter.
I can have a simple good exercise time with nothing but my body weight, a set of dumbbells and pull up bar…BINGO.I see squats, negative pull ups, overhead presses, bicep curls, triceps kickbacks, and core work in that program.Nothing fancy about what I do, just me executing simple controlled QUALITY moves for 30-60 minutes, getting a fabulous sweat on, and feeling accomplished when I am done.Getting back to the basics of exercise, and the base moves that ALL workouts stem from is the safest and simplest form of creating a healthy body for ME and has served me well for several years.I turn a deaf ear to the fads of fitness out there, especially if they are making unrealistic promises with risky movements that may send a once healthy body into a now I need rehab for an injury body.Keeping it simple, fun, QUALITY, and time efficient sums up my workouts to be HEALTHY and LIFETIME maintainable.That is what I am all about …Quality Life, Simple is Better, and Simple is definitely HEALTHY!
Enjoy my Stay Healthy recipe feature this month on SkinnyMs.com, a website dedicated to Health, Fitness and Success!
Coming soon…I have been asked to provide a review for Ellie, a new online fitness clothes brand and I am very excited to share my personal and professional opinion next month in addition to providing a special offer for you!
Thanks to all my Stay Healthy Fitness Facebook Followers who contributed to the Stay Healthy Fitness Grocery List and this was a fun interactive project. I have put your selections together and created a printable PDF list for you…HAPPY STAY HEALTHY SHOPPING!
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Stay Healthy~ Darla
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NOT MINE...but OH MY...I DO NOT WANT MY PIGS TO SUFFER
OK...what is on my mind...MY PIGS...Oh My YES...I am talking about my feet and the need for comfortable high heels, wedges, etc...I am on the hunt to no longer wear heels that kill my precious pigs. I rarely wear them, but when I do, I want the experience to not be a horror foot story where my husband has to carry me back to the car by piggy back ...I mean really???? YUCK...what in the heck. YES...I am still talking about my health...foot care is so important...I want to take care of what I use everyday...I realize how important my feet are when it comes to supporting my structure, and do not want pain, callouses or growths of any kind to suddenly appear on my PIGS because I was lax in taking care of ME. So, what I have read so far...skimp on a shirt, but never on the shoes...that would include my fitness shoes...Asics being my Fav fitness shoe...but back to the search of heels or wedges that are not only sexy...but I can walk as if I am on a cloud, without my PIGS being squished into contortion and OMG...take these damn things off already, would rather walk bare foot, or ride bareback on a horse to get back to my car. Moving on to cost...WOW OH WOW...talk about expensive...anxiety producing...OMG...life savings for my PIGS...this frugal, coupon clipping, deal of a girl has to calm down here and realize that I am worth the cost of a few marvelous shoes that will be so beneficial to how my PIGS feel and ultimately, how I will feel during an episode of wearing them for several hours. So...what am I doing this early Frisky Friday morning before clients...researching the BEST sexy shoes and COMFORT will be KEY for my PIGS. I would love YOUR input on heels, wedges, etc...I love personal feedback experience from great shoe finds. Kind of random...but hey...this is ME! Have a fabulous Frisky Friday!
Friday In Your Face MOTIVATIONS
Consistent Exercise IS key to a Fit Stay Healthy Life
LOVE THIS IDEA...GOT PLAYGROUND...GOT WORKOUT!
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. Let me know if you LIKE this entry, I look forward to reading your comments, and I am always in the mood for a Protein Shake;)
In this world of extreme perfection and nothing being good enough, I say it has to be good enough…I will go farther than that and say IT IS GOOD ENOUGH…I mean really…YUCK…otherwise I would be such a miserable person always searching for something to fill some void I think I am missing.You know what…I AM good enough.I can recall a time in my life where I did struggle with the whole “not good enough” thing, always trying to please someone and giving so much consideration into what others thought of me…OMG…what a horrible way to be and so anxiety producing…just thinking back about it…I now laugh and am so thankful for being older, wiser, and so much better.I guess it had to be a part of my journey of learning and maturing into the healthy woman I am today.
Perfection and pleasing are tossed to the side, and just being the BEST version of ME each day is my goal.I am not saying that I do not enjoy pleasing people with my cooking or something fabulous like that…I am talking about the warped thinking of “why did they not approve of this or that about me, or not like how I did something”…there is truly a difference.Why did I even care???WOW…talk about unhealthy thinking of the past.What the heck does this have to do with maintaining my now 48 year young physique…I SAY EVERYTHING.
It is my state of positive thinking and ACCEPTANCE of Darla, with all my imperfections and physical limitations that motivate me each day.It is that “feel good” feeling that completely coats my spirit and provides an “AH HA” moment each day for me…I mean it can make me feel like a kid, not take things so serious, and free me to be ME…IT IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!It is that whole not sweating the small stuff in life anymore and letting go of things I can’t control… YAHOOO …. YES…this is healthy, I feel healthy, I love how I take care of ME and I accept that about ME, and it feels better than good.I will go farther than good and say that it feels pretty darn GREAT!
Starting the Weekend with this In Your Face Motivation!
Personal Goal:OK everyone…I want to blog more and I am praying for more time to do this.My goal is to MOTIVATE through my writing at least one time per week.I have been utilizing my Stay Healthy Facebook because of its’ quick and easy download of this or that in seconds and I still plan to maintain that as long as FB does not continue to try and regulate business pages.My passion and “want” is to channel the same feel of what I like to call “In Your Face” MOTIVATION posters here, along with helpful links, recipes, and exercise ideas.I like that the Blog is individual and very personal…this is more down to earth and ME to MOTIVATE you.So, even if I write a brief paragraph about my thoughts for the day or week, I am on board for that…how about you?
Looking for an In Your Face MOTIVATION to move IDEA…I LOVE HIIT Workouts!
(My modifications...negative pullups for the pushups to protect my neck)
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. Let me know if you LIKE this entry, I look forward to reading your comments, and I am always in the mood for a Protein Shake;)
Really I am…..what am I trying to say about myself…really Darla.It is all positive…yep…this negative girl is positive about my negative self.YIKES…But do I have your attention?If you talk to my clients, they will surely tell you that I am a negative person too….even my hubby will let me know that.I say YAHOO…love it.What is all the negative hoopla that helps me be the person I am right here right now.Well…I work my muscles using negative movements & it makes me a strong girl.When I really want to focus & concentrate on feeling my muscles really firing, I work them slowly with the resistance.For example, today I performed hamstring curls and instead of focusing the weights up, heels to the bootie (this is a positive move), I brought the weight up initially with a positive move, held at the top, and began to lower the weight slowly, breathing the whole time….the slower…the better…the muscles love it, and talk about burn baby burn…WOW…my backside already is feeling the fatigue.This is another way I maintain the muscle I have worked so hard for….yes, remember I am in maintenance mode.Being negative puts a different spin on my workouts, and I am constantly changing things up to confuse the heck out of myself…lol.No, really, I love the feeling of controlling the weights during a negative move…it is a whole different program.Being negative allows me to do so much with modification as well…so it is a win win for me.If you have read my “About Me” and have been following my Blog…you are aware of my limitations and the modifications I need to implement to maintain my physical self.What do I say about that…RIGHT ON!!!!Another favorite negative move for me is my pull up.I no longer pull against gravity (meaning a positive from the floor and up & over the bar) but I start from the top of the bar and slowly lower myself to an extension.This is also a great way for a beginner to gain strength to build up the ability to do a full-on positive pull up.Every exercise can be done in a negative way….so when I want to be a negative person….I will BRING IT…but it is really all POSITIVE…because that is who I am… a negatively positive person who Loves to share my fun self with you!
MOTIVATION OF THE DAY:A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE THAT WE MAKE EVERY DAY
My Workout of the Day:
My French Press Station
ARC Trainer for 20 Minutes (strength Interval)
Bodywork (repeated cycle 3x)
Leg Extensions 25lbs @ 25reps Negative Ham Curls 25lbs @ 25reps BOSU ABS 30 reps Modified Smith Triceps Press 15lbs on bar @ 25 reps
My Nutrition of the Day:
Coffee, 1 ½ cups (oops) 1-Post Workout Shake (The Works!!!) 2-Egg Whites on Sprouted Bread (On a Kick) 3-Protein Ball & Fistful of Blueberries with splash of Vanilla Soy on top 4-Lean Burger Patty wrapped in lettuce (Watch the Video) 5-Protein Pudding (vanilla whey with banana…YUM)
Splurge Report: My Fabulous Friend & Client Meighan baked homemade cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese frosting & brought me a portion size one...how wonderfully delicious!!! Thanks Megs and worth the splurge...I ONLY EAT QUALITY!!!
Personal Memorial Day Share: I conducted a Stay Healthy Fitness Bootcamp for models attending the Vista de Vintage fashion show and to support Courage to Be You!!! What a wonderful Stay Healthy time we had! I will be blogging about my bootcamps very soon;)
YES….I am a RECOVERY girl….I believe in the healing powers of rest, sleep and the fabulous benefits this has on my body.In fact, I know that my lean gains are made during this very important time and I will not deny myself…so another way I maintain my 47 year young physique is to get plenty of rest and when my body is screaming for a recovery day…I LISTEN.What does that mean…sitting on the couch watching & wasting precious hours in front of the TV eating crap…hell to the NO.What it does mean is I do not plan a workout for me and if I do…it is active recovery….possibly a walk or even a stretch program in the studio in between clients.It is also a fabulous time for me to catch up on paperwork, writing programs and the to-dos that are always there.It also means that I stay true to my 5/6 small meals per day and using my palm size portion philosophy.I will not be burning as many calories today, so my portions will remain a bit smaller, but very frequent…full of lean protein, fibers, antioxidants, and fabulous healthy fats.This is very important for me as well being a woman at 47…meaning the healthy fats, especially flaxseeds, which studies have proven assist with hormone balance.Ladies you know what I am talking about…pre-menopausal symptoms can be a bear…that will be a whole other subject though.Back to recovery…exercise brings about tissue trauma in need of repair…do not let this alarm you.It is a good thing and the way my body builds lean mass…when I feel DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) that simply means that the muscles have been challenged & micro-tears of the soft tissue are bearing fruit.Recovery allows for building & repair of the stressed areas and PRESTO…MUSCLE!!!!Of course there is a difference in…YIKES…I tore my muscle and …WOW...I worked out and feeling the fitness love today.Usual post workout soreness should last no longer than 24-48 hours.Sometimes it is the second day after my workout that I feel the DOMS the most and then I count from there how long the recovery lasts.I try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night…very important for healthy recovery and in general.Sometimes taking a rest or recovery day is hard because I LOVE to workout everyday…however…I know that it is counterproductive to over-train.Not allowing my body to rest will set me up for chronic injury, disturbed sleep, burnout, decreased immunity, and so many things that do not say Stay Healthy.Fitness is all about balance and being obsessive about my exercise to the point where my life & health are negatively affected is NOT a good thing.So today I rest and allow my body to grow beautiful muscle and to regenerate so that my next workout I feel ready to challenge myself…it is like going on a mini-vacation for the day and coming back home to my comfort zone…my studio and me!Oh another personal share…..I DO NOT WATCH TV….well, rarely…I am not kidding…and DEFINITELY NO TV IN THE BEDROOM…Big NO NO...I will let you think about that;)
My Workout of the Day: RECOVERY Active Rest
MY MEAL 3...SO SIMPLE STAY HEALTHY GOOD!
My Nutrition of the Day:
Coffee, one cup 1-Early Morning shake (small) 2-Mid Morning Shake (more like a meal) 3-Egg Whites on Sprouted Bread 4-Protein Balls & Sweet Potato 5-Spinach Apple Cran Salad w/Walnuts & Grilled Fish 6-Protein Pudding (maybe..depends on time of meal 5)
Motivation of the Day:Not Having the Time to Take Care of YOU IS NOT AN OPTION
IF YOU LIKED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF YOU ARE INSPIRED…OFFER ME A PROTEIN SHAKE!
habit that is now my lifestyle, and do not stress when a craving calls for something off my normal. Please do not think that I am sitting over here eating boiled fish and steamed broccoli. That is definitely not me, so boring, and I enjoy spicy foods and lots of variety to even want restrictions like that as part of my life. Besides, that is not realistic, not lifetime maintainable and just could not be accepted consistently in my menu planning. Healthy eating does not mean I am on a diet, it just means that I eat healthy foods all the time that taste good. 
