Life Starts Outside Your Comfort Zone

You will never solve problems using the same thinking you created them with! Listen  to Einstein on that one. We all have our issues, but it's time to put them aside and do something to better ourselves.

Saying "I'm fat" over and over again without exercising and eating healthy isn't going to get you anywhere. Some people are afraid to go to the gym because they think people will judge them. No one is there to judge - we are all there for the same reason - to get fit!

We all start somewhere and work our way up.

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Get off the couch, yes it's comfy, but it's not really your friend. Go for a walk. Find something productive to do. Paint, read, write, do something!

Don't think you aren't ready for something great. Yes sometimes "good things come to those who wait," but the matter of fact is, good things often come to those who get out there, try something new, and work their a$$ off!

Smile at someone on your way to work. Reach out to people; make new friends. Looking for a new job? Apply anywhere you can, ya never know!

Go out for a drink or a nice dinner with friends.

Alone time is nice, but it's important to network and be social and take chances.

Don't be afraid to put your needs first. You're the one who is living your own life, you can't make decisions based solely on others needs.

Kettlebell Squat for the IT Bands

1. Start in squat position, legs hip-length apart.
2. Try not to move your torso as you hold the kettlebell (of appropriate weight for your strength), and squat and bring it down to the ground. Start with a set of 10, then a set of 12, and third set 15 reps.
3. In between each set, perform an ab workout of your choice.

Proper Running Form

Prevent injury and become a better runner by following these tips:

Head Tilt: How you hold your head is key to overall posture, which determines how efficiently you run. Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet, and scan the horizon. This will straighten your neck and back, and bring them into alignment. Don't allow your chin to jut out.

Shoulders: Shoulders play an important role in keeping your upper body relaxed while you run, which is critical to maintaining efficient running posture. For optimum performance, your shoulders should be low and loose, not high and tight. As you tire on a run, don't let them creep up toward your ears. If they do, shake them out to release the tension. Your shoulders also need to remain level and shouldn't dip from side to side with each stride.

Arms: Even though running is primarily a lower-body activity, your arms aren't just along for the ride. Your hands control the tension in your upper body, while your arm swing works in conjunction with your leg stride to drive you forward. Keep your hands in an unclenched fist, with your fingers lightly touching your palms. Imagine yourself trying to carry a potato chip in each hand without crushing it. Your arms should swing mostly forward and back, not across your body,between waist and lower-chest level. Your elbows should be bent at about a 90-degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out for a few seconds to release the tension.

Torso: The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. Many track coaches describe this ideal torso position as "running tall" and it means you need to stretch yourself up to your full height with your back comfortably straight. If you start to slouch during a run take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale simply maintain that upright position.

Hips: Your hips are your center of gravity, so they're key to good running posture. The proper position of your torso while running helps to ensure your hips will also be in the ideal position. With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment--pointing you straight ahead. If you allow your torso to hunch over or lean too far forward during a run, your pelvis will tilt forward as well, which can put pressure on your lower back and throw the rest of your lower body out of alignment. When trying to gauge the position of your hips, think of your pelvis as a bowl filled with marbles, then try not to spill the marbles by tilting the bowl.

Legs/Stride: While sprinters need to lift their knees high to achieve maximum leg power, distance runners don't need such an exaggerated knee lift--it's simply too hard to sustain for any length of time. Instead, efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover, and a short stride. Together, these will facilitate fluid forward movement instead of diverting (and wasting) energy. When running with the proper stride length, your feet should land directly underneath your body. As your foot strikes the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. If your lower leg (below the knee) extends out in front of your body, your stride is too long.

Ankles/Feet: To run well, you need to push off the ground with maximum force. With each step, your foot should hit the ground lightly--landing between your heel and midfoot--then quickly roll forward. Keep your ankle flexed as your foot rolls forward to create more force for push-off. As you roll onto your toes, try to spring off the ground. You should feel your calf muscles propelling you forward on each step. Your feet should not slap loudly as they hit the ground. Good running is springy and quiet.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/perfect-form

The Alternative for Mashed Potatoes

Delicious mashed potatoes so it seems.. but nope, it's cauliflower mashed!

Great alternative to fattening, buttery mashed potatoes. I suggest not adding butter and cream to keep it healthy. It still tastes great, maybe not as great as the taste of mashed potatoes you are used to, but once you get accustomed to the taste of mashed cauliflower, it will be delicious every time. I use olive oil for taste and to make it healthy.







Steps:

1. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Transfer half the cauliflower to a food processor; cover and blend on high. Add remaining cauliflower florets, one at a time, until vegetables are creamy. Blend in garlic.

4. If you want it to be a little more fattening, blend in parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt, and black pepper. No butter necessary.

(If you're in a rush and don't have time for all this, buy a pack of cauliflower  you can throw in the fridge and simply just mash up the cauliflower in a bowl. I do this often!)

Match Your Sneakers to Your Workout

There are shoes made for the gym and shoes made for running.
Make sure you are wearing the right sneakers for the workout you are doing.

You can go online and look around, but I recommend going into a store and having a professional help you.

<---- running

<---- gym workouts

<---- high intensity training

Don't Give Up

Don't give up! Even if you think you've hit a wall, progress is progress, no matter how small.
Keep your head up!

Find Your Happy Place - Peace of Mind

When I'm super stressed and need to take a break, my dogs and exercise make me happy! Everyone has his or her own outlet. Reading a book, taking a walk, exercising in a group class, or just listening to music, we all have our ways to cope. DON'T make eating your way of coping.

Gym Selfie

Come on, we all do it.. right?

Yummy Meals of the Month

Pumpkin Ravioli is delicious and more nutritious than cheese ravioli.

You need some iron in your diet - this lamb chop was amazing.

 Falafel and hummus with grilled eggplant Eat more avocado!

Need Motivation? Run With A Buddy

Running with a partner can motivate you. Make sure you are running with someone who is also determined and is serious about the run. Running with someone who just talks the whole time won't help you reach your goals.  It's good to have a fitness partner - you can push each other to your limits and reach your goals!

Detox Your Body

Where Ya Real Friends At?!

Take caution! Being friends with cookies is DANGEROUS!

Cook. Clean. Iron.

Hey guys - follow me on instagram for more: MelDubz

Eat A Banana Post-Workout

(I thought I looked artsy).

Why? It stores glucose in your body, which will give you energy for later!

Throw it in a shake or eat it whole. Get those benefits.

Feelin' Glovely

Tired of your hands burning after holding weights or a rope?

Getting callouses on your hands?

Invest in a pair of workout gloves! The brand I use is Harbinger.

Barbell Squat

Main Muscle Worked: Quadriceps
Other Muscles: Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back

For more information: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-squat

Deadlift

It may look intimidating or scary for a beginner, but follow the simple guidelines and you'll have it down in no time!

Proper form is key - without this, you can get injured, mess up your back, and you won't be getting the full benefit of the workout or working your muscles properly.

How to do a deadlift:
The deadlift is a great exercise to help develop the hamstrings and the lower back. The exercise is done by pulling the weight off of the floor and then standing with your legs straight and your shoulders back. To keep pressure off of your spine and lower back muscles it is important to keep your back straight.

You really want to concentrate on sitting back as if sitting in a chair when you are deadlifting. You want to get a good grip on the bar and can also use some straps to ensure your grip on the bar.

Once you have a reverse grip on the bar (one hand over, one hand under) you want to drive the weight from your heels through your legs.

In the down position you want to have your thighs parallel to the floor. You should have your knees directly over your feet. Make sure your knees aren't past your toes or behind your heels. You want to keep your butt low to the ground in the downward position.

If you have too much weight on the bar for you to handle a tale tell sign is that your back will be rounded. Make sure this doesn't happen or injury can occur.

In the next portion of the movement it is very important to execute the movement with power. You want to use your glutes and quads and explode the weight off of the floor. You want to think of the movement more as a push than a pull movement. Your lower body muscles should be doing the work, not your arms and traps.

(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik30.htm)

What Does BPA Mean?

BPA stands for bisphenol A. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s.

Bisphenol A is used primarily to make plastics. Polycarbonate plastic, which is clear and nearly shatter-proof, is used to make a variety of common products including baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental fillings and sealants, eyeglass lenses, CDs and DVDs, and household electronics. Epoxy resins containing bisphenol A are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans.

If you've noticed the little arrows stamped on plastic items with numbers inside, the number to look for here is 7. Although not all plastics labeled "7" contain BPA, it's still a good identifier, as are the letters "PC."

Until other companies follow suit or the FDA changes its stance, there are several steps you can take to limit your exposure. And yes, one of those steps is to replace your beat-up polycarbonate water bottle and to stop using polycarbonate containers to hold food and beverages. If you'd rather not buy new containers, at least make sure yours aren't scratched and that you wash them by hand - extreme heat and degradation          increase the likelihood of BPA leaching out.

Here are some other steps you can take, courtesy of the Green Guide Institute:

• Use glass baby bottles or switch to polypropylene bottles that are labeled "5" on the bottom.

• Limit your intake of canned foods or buy from makers who don't use BPA in the lining. (Eden Foods claims to use an alternative)

• Buy soups and milk that are packaged in cardboard cartons that are lined with the safer materials of aluminum and polyethylene.

• Buy or can your own fruits and vegetables in glass jars.

• Try to find out if your favorite winemaker uses vats lined with epoxy resin -- such wines can contain six times the BPA of canned foods.

If BPA turns out to be harmless to humans, at least you can say you're doing your part for the Earth.

As seen in picture two, refillable bottles save the environment! So make the switch from plastic water bottles to refillable BPA-free bottles.

French Fries Are Not Only Unhealthy - They Are Dangerous!

TBHQ is a petroleum-based, butane-like (yes, that's lighter fluid!) ingredient used as a preservative.  It's been linked to asthma, hormone disruption, skin conditions, and in long-term animal studies to cancer and damage to DNA.

They taste amazing, but just think what you are putting in your body before you indulge.

For more: http://www.undergroundhealth.com/mcdonalds-reveals-17-foul-ingredients-in-their-french-fries-including-gmos/


Chicken Nuggets aren't much better: http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/whats-inside-chicken-nuggets-far-less-chicken-than-youd-think/

Step Up!

 There are plenty variations to do the step exercise on a platform at the gym.  I use the ones to the right that offer a low, medium, and high platform. Personally, being 5'3" and a half (I always add that extra half! Why can't I be 5'4"!), the high platform is too high for me.  My routine is starting on the low platform at a fast pace with 8 lb. dumbbells. Use whatever weight you feel comfortable with.

I start off with a jog on the low platform, quickly shifting my feet up and down, while keeping the weights straight, the same way my arms would be facing as if I were running.

Once I complete that for a minute, I move onto the medium platform.  This one I approach at a slower pace, for it is harder to step up onto. I start off with bicep curls as I reach the top, then I use my opposite leg to step down. I then use the opposite leg I used to step up, and perform the same exercise for 8 reps.

I go back to the shorter platform and do the same exercise as previously for 30 seconds.

Then I go to the medium one and do the same thing with my legs, but squat while bending my arms with the weights in hand, and lift the weights above my head holding them vertically, then come back down and repeat 8 times.

Back to the short one for 30 seconds.

Up to the medium, putting one arm up, the opposite to the side, like an "L" formation.

Short platform for 30 seconds.

Medium platform while performing what the girl below is doing. Notice how her weights are horizontal.

Low platform for 45 seconds.

If you don't have a watch or don't want to check your phone because it slows you down, no problem. You can approximate the time lengths for the low platform exercise.

This is a calorie-blasting workout and works various body parts!

Some prefer to have a barbell on their backs while doing the step-up, which is also a great exercise.
The reason I don't do that is because I prefer to do squats on the ground with the barbell against my back and deadlifts. If you're a beginner, don't try the barbell on your back while doing the step-up right away. it is more dangerous.

Forget the Granola

Granola is very overrated. Not only does it PACK ON the calories, but it really isn't healthy at all.

There are so many other things you can eat besides granola.  Try having a snack such as hummus and guacamole with Mary's Gone Crackers, nuts, fruit, or a KIND bar.  Make sure you are having proper portions.  Even if something is healthy, you can still gain weight if you eat too much of it. And with granola, I know for a fact that it's easy to eat over 300 calories in a sitting.

If you want to have granola, my recommendations are KIND Granola Clusters & Udi’s Au Naturel Granola.

Check it out: http://www.diet-blog.com/12/why-granola-is-not-a-health-food.php

Food Log

Forgot what you had for breakfast?

Feel like you ate too much today but can't seem to remember how much?

Making a food log is a good way to keep track
Whether you use an app like My Fitness Pal, or just write it in a notebook, you're on your way to taking charge of your eating and health.

It's also good to make an exercise log so you can estimate how much you burned or just to look back on your progress. If you're having a crappy day, look back on a good day in your log and say, "Wow, I can't believe I worked out for an hour and ate 1500 calories! I used to be so much worse."
It will help you focus on your goal.

Cheat Day

No.. I'm not talking about cheating on your significant other!

I'm talking about having a cheat day as in indulging in foods you wouldn't eat everyday, or going over your calorie limit.

We're all human, it happens! Just don't turn that cheat day into a cheat week, one day is enough.

Also, don't make that cheat day a day to go eat fast food and tons of candy.

If you want a brownie or a home baked cookie and a slice of pizza, that can be fine, but just don't overdo it. Morning regrets are the worst!
If you are going to eat pizza, PLEASE make it the real kind and not Domino's or Pizza Hut, EWW! Enjoy the real deal!

Having too much sugar or carbs is dangerous because the next day you can crave more. So just be careful.