Turn your C into a T

How are you sitting right now? Think about it... are your shoulders rounded to the front? Is you belly hanging over the top of your pants? Are you slouching on your desk just zoning into the computer screen? Does your back make more of a C shape rather than a T shape? This week a thought has slowly crept into my mind and has really called forth my attention, and so thus I feel the need to address it. POSTURE! Such a simple word really. When most of us hear the word we may think of long ago girls balancing books on their head, or prim and proper gals eating lunch with fine silver. The truth is POSTURE is way more important than a social status or training tool, it is VITAL to our overall body performance in daily activities.

Activity:
Keep sitting slouched over ( I know you were because we all do!) now I want you to take a deep breath in through your nose and sit up as straight as you can. Pretend someone is pulling a string from the top of your head. Raise your shoulders to your ears and try to imagine picking up your shoulder blades and placing them directly over your hips and down your back. Notice how your chest rises and your tummy sinks in a little? POSTURE. INSTANT TUMMY SLIM!!! who doesn't want that?

I took a yoga class this morning and really the whole time the teacher kept drilling into our heads, "keep your shoulders relaxed, back straight and shoulder blades down". In my new found love of spinning, the teacher again " shoulders relaxed, back straight and shoulder blades down". same in all my gym classes really. If you really think about it, when you are working out and you sit straighter it makes that exercise a little harder doesn't it? So why if in the gym it is so important, why not in our day to day lives? IT IS! I clean homes for a living and I am usually on the floor, hands and knees scrubbing. I find myself out of breath easily and by the end of the day my back is screaming at me. Lately I have really been trying to focus on my posture and wouldn't you know it I was breathing better and started to have sore upper back and tummy muscles! A work out just making sure my posture was correct!

On top of the workout aspect, correct posture is an instant slimmer.
Activity:
Stand in front of your mirror and completely relax. if you have been practicing slouching (guilty), then you'll notice your shoulders roll forward and your back fold a little, and whelp, there's that belly......ugh. Now try the posture activity in the beginning of this monstrous post. Ah Ha, notice how the tummy flattens a little and you looks slimmer, taller, and lets face it ladies the girls look happier!

Something so simple can be a work out all its own and no one will even know your doing it! If your posture is up your chin and your confidence will be up to. Try it for a day, you will notice a difference. I will leave you with a few exercises I learned on The Revolution show today. Ways to improve upper body posture and tone up. tell me what you think and how posture affects your life. Thanks for reading and Happy Dropin'!

Exercise #1:
Stand with your feet hip distance appart. Bend at the waist so your back is flat, tummy pulled in tight. open your arms, really squeezing the shoulder blades together. Hold for 5 seconds and release. do 10-15 reps. make it harder by adding weights. This will work your upper back to help hold your shoulders back.

Exercise #2:
Lay flat on the floor with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. With some weight (howver much you can take), raise you arms directly above your head. Bending at the elbow, lower your hands to the ground and raise your hands back to the ceiling. this will work your triceps and upper back. do 10-15 reps.

Exercise #3:
Lay face down on the floor with arms stretched out infront of you. raise your arms, head and legs, leaving only your tummy touching the floor. Hold this postition for 10 seconds and slowly lower back to the ground. Do 10-15 reps. This will work your arms, upper back and lower back.

This weeks focus

Last week I mentioned taking a healthier life in baby steps. Last week I tried to focus on Time Management. I just wanted to make sure that whatever else happened, I made it to the gym. I am happy to report that I went 4 out of 7 days! 2 of the other days I still got a work out but it was playing co-ed volleyball and a ladies event at my church.

This week I would like to focus on water intake. Sometimes I am great at drinking water, and others its like I am lucky to get in 2 cups of anything into my system. Water is essential to any ones daily life. Its the purest form of hydration that God has granted us with, and unless you are trying to be stupid and drink 25 gallons in 1 hour, you can have as much of it as you want!

At my Church's ladies night, my very good friend led the devo and she gave a really helpful idea. Carry water with you everywhere! Take it with you when you are running your errands, or going to work. If you are sipping on water then you will be less likely to stop and get a coffee or soda. Or even go through the drive through for Sonic Mozzarella sticks.. ( my weakness). We have heard it time and time again that a lot of times your body mistakes hunger for thirst. So if you think your getting a snack wave, drink a glass of water and wait 15 minuets. If you are still hungry afterward have a light snack. If its sweets you crave grab those Crystal Light packets. They are 0 calories and will satisfy your sweet tooth!

Another quick idea. My Dad told me this years ago and I just recently tried it. Buy plain non fat yogurt, take the serving amount and add just a sprinkle or two of Crystal Light. (to taste). Very low calorie, and will be a sweet healthy snack. Plus plain yogurt is way cheaper than that flavored stuff! Cut up your own fruit to throw in there too!

WATER! drink it! My focus this week to add to time management is WATER! I challenge you to join me in taking small steps. Whats your focus going to be this week? Happy Dropin'!

Short and Sweet.

Last week I tried a few new classes at my local gym. I had tried a spin class before, YEARS ago and though I'd never go back. Only because I was more bruised than sore and needed to carry a doughnut with me everywhere :) But after a while, and with a little Biggest Loser help, my curiosity grew until I finally hopped on that bike last Tuesday. Walking was near impossible Thursday but that was due to extremely sore muscles, not bruising. I really liked the class but thought I should go one more time to see if it was really for me. So I got up Saturday and went to the 8am class. I say all that to say, I'm Hooked! I love it. I love the muscle groups it works and it really is an all over body workout! Plus this class the only light is a black light at the front of the room, and you take it at your own speed. No one is paying attention to you and you can zone out in your own world and push yourself.

A few years ago, my Mom brought me her old bike and got a nice tune up for me for my birthday. I know there are great trails around here to ride, but I just never do it. I felt silly I guess. But this spin class has really motivated me to make an effort to get out this spring. I realized I have friends that like to ride, and there are just as many bike races as 5K's.

The point of this blog is to say, try something new. Step out of the box. You may find what you have been looking for this whole time, and something that will really speak to you and something that you really enjoy. Shake it up! We can get bored running only on the treadmill and doing our weight sets. We are creatures of habit. but mix it up, try a new class, or search for groups in your area. It may be just the thing you need to get you back on the right path, and really enjoy it this time! Happy Dropin'!

Painful Encouragement

OK, after thinking about it for a few days, I would like to briefly touch on my last blog. I feel I may have implied something that I didn't mean. I meant, Don't use books or other peoples ideas or opinions to tell you how fast you should be doing something, or what it will take to make you or your family happy. Books are useful tools of information. Use them at your discretion, but the minuet you start doubting yourself because of it, I recommend you stop and look at the bigger picture.. Okay? I feel better :)

Now, This week has been AMAZING so far. First of all, I applied to CBS to participate in a little reality show you may have heard of.. SURVIVOR! I highly doubt that I will even get a call back, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed because that would be awesome! And GREAT motivation to get in shape. Not so I can wear next to nothing like most of the girls on that show. But so I can survive without dying, and actually hold my own in the challenges :)

Second, I have gone to the gym 3 times this week, all new experiences. Monday I tried a PliYo class. (Pilate's meets Yoga). I have never tried either so I was excited. Truthfully I left the class with my muscles burning, but utterly relaxed! I LOVED it. It was such a suttle way to burn calories and tone muscle, I can see why both of those are fads right now. I have put the 6:30 class in my calendar for the rest of the year, for sure! Tuesday I tried a spinning class. I have only done this one other time, and it was about 4 years ago. If any of you have ever taken a spinning class without riding bikes on a normal basis, you will know what I mean when I say that it was hard to sit for a few days without wincing ( and not because of sore muscles).The only thing that got me through this class what closing my eyes and picturing myself on the set of survivor! HA. Again, I have put the 5:30 Tuesday class on my schedule for the next year. Wednesday I was entirely sore. Legs burned all morning, but wait I went to my FAVORITE step class at 9:30. by the end of class I could hardly walk. My legs were a shaky mess for the rest of the day. Today is no better. I woke up every time I had to even move last night to really focus to get my body to budge. Needless to say with a cup of coffee and a few Bayer's, I was somewhat normal and almost ready to work. I still can't stand or sit without holding my breath.

The point of this is, I'm moving in the right direction! I have decided that I will just take one day at a time, not stress about doing everything all at once. This week was about Time Management, meaning get my flabby rear into that gym! Who knows what my goal will be next week. That isn't coming for 4 more days. I am focusing on this week and so far I am pretty proud of myself. Even if my body is a painful mush, it just means that I am holding to my weekly goal!

I know that you need to eat right and exercise to see results. But for me, I'm going to try just getting the ball rolling on one, and see if the other will follow. I have already made better decisions with my eating without really stressing about it. not saying its going to work right off the bat, but I have given up or failed at most all my other attempts, at least I won't be out of anything trying this. What are your tricks of the trade? Any advice or tips you can share with the average mom trying to drop a few pounds? Good luck to all of you out there trying to live a healthier life, whether its in the weight, mind or soul. There is a finish like out there, it just takes one step in front of the other to get there. Hows your race going to Dropin' that Poundage?

On a final note, Some friends of ours and us went in on a little farm venture and bought some Nigerian Dwarf Goats. We bought 2 girls and 1 boy. Pilgrim, Princess, and Zeus.. As of yesterday we have expanded our beloved herd to 5! Pilgrim gave birth to 2 healthy twin girls (yet to be named) yesterday afternoon. I leave you with a little ray of God's miracle that astounds me everyday! we are a blessed people ya'll!

Oberservations and Revelations...

I took my son to the park yesterday. It was 60 degrees in early January so EVERYONE was there. All the benches were full, so I of course asked to share a bench with 3 other moms. I did not include myself in their conversation, but I did over hear what they were talking about. One mom told the other 2 that she was recommended to a book, something about " The top 100 things every kids should do and have". She then continues to explain some examples to her friends. ' Enjoy nature. Take them out and have them start a collection of sea shells, leafs, etc.' " I have done almost everything in the book with my kids, and they don't seem to care about any of it. I don't understand" she says. Her friends tell her that she should really sound excited and maybe 'pretend' to do it with them, in a way to encourage them. As they continued talking, I just thought to myself. "Why would any parent need a book to tell them the top 100 things their kids needs to be happy. You shouldn't enforce someone elses idea of happiness on your kids just because a book says it will work."

A while later, while pushing my son on the swing ( his FAVORITE past time) a Mom walks over to her 2 boys who are about my sons age, 4 and tells them shes ready to go. the kids beg to stay at the park. " We like playing here" they say. " Well I'm ready to go, why don't we go home and you can ride your new 4-wheelers you got for Christmas?" the boys want to stay. "why don't we go home and you can ride your new electric scooters you got for Christmas?" " We just want to stay here Mom." This had me thinking as well. Kids like it simple. PERIOD. They are so easy to please. It's US who train them to be lazy with video games and T.V. We teach them to be greedy with expensive things. I still remember when my daughter was 3, she had so much loot for Christmas. My mother in law received a large box with her gift inside, and once that box was emptied, my daughter had no interest in opening anymore of her gifts, she just wanted to play inside the box. SIMPLE.

We are creatures created for simplicity. Why then, do we complicate things with other peoples ideas and gadgets to make it "easier"? when really all it does is make us struggle and feel like we are failing? I'm not innocent to this either. I have books on weight-loss, organization, potty-training, being a good mom, so on and so forth. But when I read those books, all it does is make me feel like I am doing something wrong because I'm not doing it in the way the author says is right. Make your own decisions about what works for you. Work at your own pace. Society already tells us what the ideal body image is, how much money you need to make in order to truly live a "happy and fulfilled" life. Put all of that out of your mind. If you try to live up to someone elses standards, and work on their timeline, you are almost set up to fail.

This may sound a bit hypocritical , seeing as this blog was started by me doing a 30 day weight-loss program. However, I defend my case by stating that almost all of my weight is back simply on the fact that I didn't finish. I can't deny that I didn't see results, I did. You most defiantly will see results in almost any aspect, however what do you do when that program or book ends? My friend told me last night that its a mind set. You have to have your mind set on it, otherwise its just another failing trend. (New Years Resolution????) Life changes aren't a trending fad. That's why its a CHANGE.

Set your own pace. Set your own boundaries. Set your mind on what YOU want to accomplish. And get there! I am trying hard to set my mind on 1 change at a time. Right now.... Time Management. Everything else will fall in to place as time goes on.

Do-Over?

OK ladies and Gents. I was just reading over some of my past blogs. I read my very first one, and I remember how I felt that day.TIRED. But I also remember how I felt the whole 3 1/2 weeks of doing it. Proud, Motivated, Skinny, Successful. so on and so on. Yes I only made it 25 days. I had a week left and slowly but surely did I start to wander off my path and then one thing led to another and here I am. I can truthfully say that I only lost about 8lbs in those 3 weeks, and I am happy to say that 5 remain off! That is a HUGE accomplishment for me, to keep off some weight at all! with my Jack and Jill I mentioned last night I have slowly been getting back on my horse. Just in time for the weather to shut down my outside running and force me back indoors to the gym that I pay monthly for but haven't seen the inside for almost a month and a half. SO, I think I will give Jillian another try and this time, make her proud and reach my goal. Not sure when I will officially start, but its coming. I am just feeling really good right now with the little bit of running here and there, that I feel like I should really kick it into high gear. Any of you kind of luke warm right now? The holliday season is the perfect time to START. Why wait for New Years resolutions? start now, so by the time N.Y. gets here you will be half way if not almost done and you can make a goofy resolution like.. " I will start cutting my toe nails every week." think about it. Theres room on my horse if you want to jump on too! It's never to late to start or get back on!

Positive reinforcement

Tonight while I was running.. well not really 'running'. I was trying to keep up with 2 of my tall long legged friends. A married couple that is in tremendous shape, lets call them Jack and Jill. Anyway, most might think that going for a run or work out at the gym with people who could leave you in their dust is quite daunting, but for me its that reinforced encouragement and motivation that I lack when I am alone. Not only are Jack and Jill great athletes, they are also the most encouraging friends I have ever met. They find positivity in everything. Example: toward the end of our 3.6 mile jog is this hill. Not a large hill by the normal runner, but to me its a fourteen-er in Colorado. about halfway up I start slouching, dragging my feet and sucking in air like a 30 year smoker. Most trained athletes would leave you in their dust and meet you at the top. Not Jill. She stays by my side setting a pace that normally I wouldn't follow by myself because at this point I would be WALKING and no one would ever know! She stays with me telling me how awesome it is that I am still just running, that I haven't walked and that we are almost at the top. then at the top she says " almost done, here's our cool-down". Simple words. at the end of it, with sweat dripping off my nose, my feet about to fall off and my lungs and muscles burning, she high-fives me because we ran it in 35 minuets. just short of a 10 minuet mile. GREAT for me, slow for them I know, but that doesn't matter to them, they are more proud of me finishing at that time.Later she explains how fast I could run a 10K and then a half marathon! By the time I get in my car to head home, I am confident that I CAN and WILL run those races. If nothing else to show them and myself that I can! I feel so good by the time I get home. So positive and ready to take on the world.
I say all that to say this. We all need someone to push us up our hills. Sometimes our own will doesn't cut it. We need someone there to shout in our ear little bits of motivating tidbits to keep us going. Whether its in our workout, our healthy eating expeditions, or daily life struggles. We need honest reinforcements who will build us up, drag us along and cheer for us in our most dreadful circumstances. We are all in a race. LIFE is a race. We all need a cheer section, a honest and realistic cheer section. I am thankful for my Jack and Jill! Thank you for always dragging my heavy feet up that hill. One day I plan to beat you to the top but until then I am thankful for you to run it by my side. I hope everyone has a Jack and Jill no matter what kind of hill you are facing. Take care, Good Luck and keep Dropin' that Poundage!