Love your Heart!

February, wow! I can't believe it is already here.  This month is very dear to me, because it is Heart Month!  There are so many of my family members that have been affected by this disease.  My grandmother, my uncles, my aunt, and even myself.  I say "affected", because some of them actually found out about it, so they are able to be proactive about getting it healthier.  Unfortuantely,  my Dad didn't even know his heart was in trouble.  He died on May 30, 2010 in his sleep from Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. He was only 57 years old. I miss the old man like crazy, and I hope he would be proud to know that I started this fitness/health venture in part, because I want to educate others about how to make little changes that can ultimately change lives. 

I developed SVT during my second pregnancy, and I had no idea WHAT it was let alone HOW to treat it.  I only knew of my family history, and at age 31, I became a regular visitor at the cardiologist.  I had stress tests, leak tests, EKGs, MRIs, CAT scans, Ultrasounds, you name it, I did it.  Unfortuantely, to date, there are no findings of any defects, so for now, I can do only what I can control.  I wanted to know everything I could do to "control" my heart palpitations without going on a lifetime of medications.  Therefore, I learned my personal triggers (caffeine, too much alcohol, eating too much, etc).  After making some changes, my symptoms lessened.  After my Dad's passing, I decided that I needed to do EVERYTHING I could do to be healthy.  It has been a process, and it has taken me 4 years to get to where I am with my diet and exercise are today.  As of today, I only have minor palpitations, if any at all, so I will continue to do my part. 

I can't change the fact that it is hereditary, but I can change how I live each one of my days.  If that means I can't eat some things or I have to exercise a little harder, then I will do my best.  I mean, after all, that is what I can control, right?

If you are someone you know needs more information about heart disease, please click here.

I love you Daddy....

Jumping into January Fitness...

So, I was flipping through my People magazine and saw an ad for Shape Magazine.  They were kicking off the 2012 Diva Dash Race Series in San Diego, and I casually mentioned it to my hubby.  Little did I know, he was actually listening, and for Christmas, I got a trip to San Diego and a race packet.  This was a good thing, since we all start off the year wanting to be healthy.  It got me focused on running  jogging again.  I have alot of tendonitis in my knees from many years of softball catching, so jogging is not a strong suit.  I exercise usually around 5 days per week sometimes 2x per day, so I pretty much kept my regular routine. 


California is suppose to be warm and sunny, so I was surprised to get off the plan to cloudy and not so warm weather.  Nevertheless, we still rented our little convertible to make the drive down the Hwy 101 PCH (Pacific Coast Highway for my Southern Friends).  We were planning to meet my sister n law and nephews in Orange County, but not before we did a little shopping.  The race forecast was cold and rainy, and I don't much like either.  The hubby wanted me to be prepared, so I got a fancy new jacket and hat(above) to ward off any rain that would come my way.  It was about 55 degrees and misting rain, but it was still AWESOME. The scenery was beautiful and we were running on the beach.  Wait, this turned out to be bad for my knees, but I digress. Anywhoo, I finished in 40 min (with obstacles), which was good considering it usually takes me that long on the treadmill. I had a great time, and it felt good to jump start January with a nice 5k.  My goal for this year is to try improve my time and run as many I can.  The rest of the trip was awesome, and I would love to go back there to catch some more sights.  

What did you guys do in January to jumpstart your fitness?

Brown Bag It!!

When you decide it is time to try something new to skinny your life, Cinch makes a huge difference. In previous post, I have mentioned how it has helped me, so here's the skinny! Shaklee offers two great packages depending on your weight goals. There is a two meal replacement plan or a one meal replacement plan. You can choose to use Cinch protein shakes or Cinch meal bars. They also provide metabolism boosters, a variety of snack bars. and energy teas for healthy snack options. Click here to see options.

The Cinch program isn’t just delicious – it’s easy to follow. Just replace two meals with your choice of shakes or meal bars, treat yourself to a snack and afternoon tea and take a metabolism booster with each meal. Add a healthy dinner and your day is complete.                          

      My husband chose the two meal replacement, so packed two Cinch meal bars along with two healthy snacks, and quick boost. For him, it was easier to create a "brown bag" special for work days.  As I watched him do this, I realized that this is a great idea for workout friends, Moms on the go, and professional women that need quick choices.  I wanted to post how easy it is with 15 seconds of preplanning.  As mentioned in a previous post, it is not only easy to do, but it is way cheaper than grabbing a Starbucks coffee for breakfast and eating Subway for lunch everyday.  It actually put some $ back in our budget. 

Also, there are a ton of success stories to visit to see how successful program has been. 

Skinny your waist, Fatten your wallet!

Exciting news!!  On average, people spend $10 per day or more on getting coffee in the morning and eating out for lunch.  How would you like to eat for less than $3 per day? Wouldn't be great if you could put that money back in your wallet?

Shaklee has introducted a new Transformation Pack for their Cinch inch loss plan!!  Buy 3 Months of Cinch, and Get the 4th Month FREE!!!  In a clinical study, participants lost 15.4 lbs and 6.6 inches over a 12 week period.  As you can see below,  I personally lost 20 lbs over last summer incorporating Cinch with my workouts, and I feel great! I even kept the weight off during the holidays!  It didn't feel like I was dieting, and it changed my mindset about living "skinny". 

  

For those that know me, I am a BIG "why" person. The first question that I get ask, "Why is Cinch different?"  Shaklee Cinch protein uses non GMO soy, and the whey is also from Grass Fed Cows.. and is Gluten FREE. Also, most protein powders do have Sucrolose (hidden Splenda aka chlorinated bleach) and most protein powders out there have cholesterol.  There is a HUGE difference!! Cinch is also powered with Leucine that helps keep the muscle you have and burn fat you don't need. Therefore, you lose inches!!  To me, this is a pretty big deal!I would love to tell you about the quick 3 step process that will help you lose the weight, and you get to eat a healthy dinner to reward yourself! 

 If you or someone you know needs help, email me at skinny_green@yahoo.com.  I would love to skinny their life! 

Where do I begin?

At the beginning of the year, we try to figure out how to keep our promises to ourselves to be healthier and exercise more. Some of us find the way to achieve it, but most of us have a hard time figuring out where to get started. For me, I created some simple rules for myself.

1) Exercise can be F -U -N

Rule #1, find something that is FUN!  I am not much of a long distance runner, so I found an interval training program that got me interested in getting back on the treadmill.  I made sure that I did my workout every M/W/F. My hopes were to build up enough stamina to go to some group fitness classes.  After completing the 8 week program, I started seeing weight loss.  It isn't rocket science, I mean, exercise does a body good.  Finally, I stepped into some fitness classes where I challenged myself just to finish the class or not to hurl during the class. I went into a new class randomly on a Tuesday afternoon, and I met Jen.  The class was some kind of "power" class that I had never even heard of.  I stepped in and within minutes I was hooked.  It turned out to be a weightlifting/cardio class. Week after week, I returned to better my best, then I got ask to join a quest of some sort.  There were several woman that were going to start meeting to do "boot camp" style personal training.  I thought that was a fantastic idea.  All summer we sweated and laughed as the weight dropped off, but we did gain a fantastic friendship!  All in all, just find something that challenges you and HAVE FUN! 

2) Shop natural/fresh ingredients.

Rule # 2  Know that this is a work in progress for us.  The biggest challenge for me is that I have to "retrain" my family. When my kids were babies, they ate any and everything with no perception of how anything taste. Now, it is a struggle to get them to try certain foods. I have to look at me as a parent and say, where did they get these perceptions?  I love to cook, but I am terrible about following recipes.  I found CleanEating, and I started playing with different foods.  I started seeing a repetitive list of ingredients in all their dishes. I noticed that the fewer the ingredients, the better the taste.  This began a challenge for me, so I was all about reading foodie blogs.  At the store, I started looking at ingredients on prepackaged items, and I couldn't even pronounce some of them.  Therefore, rule #2 was born.  If I can't pronounce it, I wouldn't buy or eat it.  In the kitchen, I wanted to use cook foods with few and only natural ingredients.  I quit buying seasoning in packets, and I started making my own seasonings.  It takes a little extra time, but you can make it in bulk to have on hand.  I also started freezing fresh fruits/vegetables if I wasn't going to use them, so I wouldn't waste so much food and money.  I found that this saves time in the future if you need quick veggies to throw in soup or stir fry, since it is already cut up.  The main  thing to remember is to start small.  Just cut one thing out of your weekly shopping trip, and it will lead to great things!! 


3) Decided to stay healthy.

Rule # 3, You have the power to be healthier.  After years of struggling with allergy/sinus problems, I decided to do something about them.  I found Shaklee. I had been taking Cinch protein to help supplement calorie loss, but I didn't know how important it was to also feed my body the correct nutrients.  I started taking the Vitalizer to help sustain my sinus problems and build my immune system.  I can tell you that I have felt better than ever before.  If you or someone you know is struggling to feel good, contact me at skinny_green@yahoo.com.  I would love to tell them my story.  I don't know much, but I do know that this worked for me. 

It doesn't matter where you start, but where you want to end up.  As my husband pointed out, I didn't make all these changes at the same time.  I started with something familiar to me which was exercise.  I got AM a little obsessed with seeing how far I can take my body, but it certainly led me to different things.  Exercise to diet to overall health, and so on....It may not seem easy, but you can do it.  What will you start with? 

Junk Free January Challenge

Happy New Year! Last year was alot of highs and lows for me, so I am hoping to experience more highs this year.  One of my highs this year was rediscovering what I'm capable of accomplishing.  In 2011, I promised myself to get in shape and get "skinny". This was the first year in history that I have made a resolution and actaully kept it.  In January, I began my fitness journey and started improving my health.  By March, I started seeing results, and by May, it was on! I changed one thing per week to "skinny" my life.  I gave up candy, carbonated drink, chips, ice cream, and just about anything I was always told was a "treat". I felt like since it was New Year's and all, maybe that should be our first milestone.  Let's start small.  Let's give up one thing that we love to treat ourselves with for the entire month of January.  Afterwards, we can see how hard was it really to do without.  For me, I love pizza.  Love, love, love it.  In fact, I plan my entire workouts around the fact that I can indulge in pizza on Thursday nights.  We will talk about how this work in a later post, but for now, no pizza for me until February 1st.  Think big, think small, but just think how good it will feel to do this.  Let me know how it goes......