Are You a Fitness Junkie?

How are you fairing in the game of life? Are you winning? Are you losing? Do you have balance? Are you a fitness junkie?

I have recently re-entered the competition world of bodybuilding after taking a break for 18 months. I never stopped training nor did I fall off the wagon with my nutrition. I deviated a little bit, but the reality is, I just took a hiatus from the actual stage. At first, I was asked quite frequently when was I doing another competition? My response was that I had no plans in the immediate future because the reality was just that, I had no idea.

It wasn't necessarily a planned break, it just kinda happened. I was focusing on other things in my life.  I like to dabble in things if you will. I began my headband business - www.Headbanditz.com. I learned how to sew when I was 12 years old and decided to make an effort to jump back into a child hood hobby. It served a dual purpose as I hate having my hair in my face when I am training so I decided to give it a whirl.  I make them from scratch by myself, market them, designed my website and process all the orders. It's not a huge business and I certainly need and want to spend more time marketing them, but again its about balance. I took a chance.

I work full-time in a demanding career. I have two teenagers. Life is busy with sports, college search for my senior, academics & kid's part-time jobs, etc. I have a significant other and several pets, all of whom I enjoy spending time with. I have a household to run which includes daily chores, yard work, general upkeep and bills to pay. This is not much different than most folks. Then you add in training. I love to train. I love to be healthy. But it all takes time. It all takes money. It's easy to become a fitness junkie.

Competing adds another layer upon my already busy life. It is a choice. It is part of my lifestyle, but it isn't my entire existence. It does not define who I am. It is one piece of the puzzle that makes me who I am. There is a difference. I have been more cognizance of this over the last year.  Balance is important. We get one shot at living our life and I don't want to have regrets of what I wish I would have done.  I don't want to look back and wish I had spent more time with those I love, both family and friends.

My career is what pays my bills, feeds my family, will allow me to retire and permits me to enjoy my play time. Plus I enjoy helping victims and putting the bad guys in jail.  My fitness is important to me and I will chose fitness over the bar scene. But there needs to be compromise and balance.  It can't always be about prep mode, no indulgences, always putting people, vacations, and hobbies to the back burner because you have a competition to prep for in the near future.  What's the point of being healthy if you don't enjoy the life span you hoping to extend?

Competition should be a part of your life but not your entire life.  Because the reality is very few will make a sustainable living in this sport. Goals and  bucket lists are important. Don't get me wrong, I like to win and the 'iron' does solve a lot of 'issues' for me.  However, at the end of the day, I don't want to be remembered for my fitness accomplishments.  I want to be remembered as a great mom, girlfriend, sister, daughter, and friend.

My trophies are the people who I have touched in a meaningful way and aren't afraid to call me their friend.

Health is Wealth

It's hard to believe summer has come and gone already. As I age, summer seems to get shorter and shorter every year. I struggle with the winters in Minnesota and have grown to dislike the dark cold winter days despite being a native.

I know my pitfalls of wanting to hunker down and not go outside anymore than necessary. And when I sit around, I want to eat. I want to eat what most people refer to as 'comfort foods'. I have cravings for heavy carbs, bad fats and junk food just like the average person.  It is not any easier for me to say no to these indulgences than it is for you.

So what's the difference? How do I stay lean? Why don't I put on any winter fluff? Well, I do. Just not as much. I am not genetically gifted. I pack on the pounds as quickly as the next person if I were allow it to happen. So the difference is, I don't hibernate and drown my winter blues in food and booze.  I stay on my plan. I keep working out despite the frigid temps that chill me to the bone.  I stick to my LIFESTYLE.

You've heard it a hundred times, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's not always easy. It's not always fun. But anything worth having is worth the challenge. Because when it is a lifestyle, you can indulge in once in awhile in the holiday decadence and good cheer. Key words... "once in awhile".

Contrary to popular belief,  I eat pizza, eat pita chips with pub cheese, have weakness for chocolate and partake in other forbidden foods. BUT, I do it in moderation. Again, pay attention to the key word..."moderation". I don't eat these foods daily or even weekly.

I don't refer to these as cheat meals either. They are 'refeeds'.  They help restore my body's composition and also my mental satisfaction.  It's not a garbage feast or a pig out for free card. Refeeds serve a purpose when applied with an overall nutrition plan.  A plan, which if followed permits these foods to be eaten at certain times.

Everyones body reacts differently to refeeds. It takes time to evaluate what you can handle based on your body composition of muscle mass, fat mass, etc. What works for me may not work for you. Your plan needs to suit you so you can reap the benefits.

I'm not perfect either. I over indulge at times. I don't want to workout at times. I stray from the plan at times. But the important thing is, I have learned how I feel after I stray too far or for too long. I feel like crap. I look like crap. So I jump back on the wagon. And soon enough, it's smooth sailing again. Then I wonder, why the heck did I fall off anyways? Stress? Overtired? Lazy? Of just plain sick of it!

Then I have to remind my self of how miserable I felt at 176 pounds. How much I hated getting dressed. How much I struggled to lose that weight. I need to be a good example for my kids. I needed to walk the walk to show them it's important to be healthy. We get one body and the parts aren't always replaceable.

It's been just over a decade since I lost 40 pounds. I made a promise to myself that I would never allow myself to devalue my health like that again. I have kept that promise. It has paid off mentally, physically and emotionally. It was the best gift I ever gave myself.

We all deserve to happy. Our journey will be different and the reasons for traveling that road will vary. However, in the end you will decide your self-worth. So, you must ask the question - "How much is your Health worth to you?"

What's Your Carrot?

There are many cliches when it comes to health and fitness. Some hold a definite truth while others just sound good when they roll off the tongue. Either way, they serve a purpose - they are designed to motivate you. The biggest obstacle to pursue that motivation is you.

Motivation will challenge you.  It will kick you when you are down. It will laugh at you when you fail. It will spit in your face when you quit. But most of all it will reward you when you succeed. Motivation feeds off itself. But in order to feed, it has to be nourished by it's motivator - YOU!

Like so many things in life, it's a vicious cycle. Your health and fitness need to balance each other. They need to compliment one another in several ways. It's difficult to be healthy if you starve yourself. It's difficult to be healthy if you eat foods which don't fuel your body and your mind.  If your body is injured, it's challenging to perform any type of physical exercise. Health and fitness is give and take. It's a relationship. At times, it takes - it takes time, it takes effort, it takes money. Later, it's a giver - it gives you an endorphin high, a healthy heart, a sense of accomplishment.

Yet, we struggle. We struggle on a daily basis to do right by our mind and body. We know what we should do and we know why we should do it - only to put it off another day. It's not going to be any easier tomorrow.  But it will get easier once we actually start the process. If you never start, how will you know?

It's not easier for me because I've been doing it a long time. I struggle more than most would think even though I've been an athlete since I was a young child.  I don't have any special talents or skills which make me genetically gifted.  I work my butt off. But I have bad days, bad weeks and even a bad year. I argue with myself in the morning before my workout. I try to negotiate when else I can schedule it into my day if I sleep just 15 minutes longer. One more missed workout isn't going to matter. But then one turns into two and then the chocolate candy rears it's ugly head...just one piece. My mind wins the battle because I know how I WILL feel later when I have used my motivation to get done what needs to be done. And I also know how I will feel if I DON'T get it done.

Motivation. You need to hunt it down.  You need to harness it.  Don't tame it because you will need it to be the beast within you. You will need motivation to kick you around when you can't do it yourself. Motivation is your enemy and your best friend.  Keep motivation alive because your life depends on it.

Bodybuilding.com - We 'Mirin Vol. 65: Knockout Bodies

Bodybuilding.com - We 'Mirin Vol. 65: Knockout Bodies

Healthy Hearts

Have you lost your focus or are things just out of focus?  There are not the same.  What's the difference?  Think of it from a camera lens angle. If you lost your focus, you really don't know what image you are trying to capture. If the image is just out of focus, you need to make a few minor adjustments to clear away the fuzziness.

Health and fitness can often be described the same way.  We often lose our focus and find ourselves distracted when our heart is not in what we are trying to accomplish. I call it the 'shiny object syndrome'.  We lose focus because we get bored with our current exercise routine, we miss indulging in tasty foods, grow frustrated because we don't see results quickly or simply are too lazy to get up off the couch. We begin to look for distractions or 'shiny objects' to capture out attention!

We have become an impatient society wanting anything and everything instantly.  Why wait when you can have it now? Unfortunately, the 'things' that bring us the greatest happiness take time to materialize. A healthy loving relationship, the birth of a child, an education, financial success, friendship and of course - your health.

Stop and take notice of your life.  You are in charge.  You are the producer, director and actor of your own life path.  Your health is a key component of how your life will be lead.  It is important.  It is hard. Choices must be made. Decisions will be tough. Life is meant to be lived, not endured.  There is truth in 'survival of the fittest'.  Health encompasses physical, mental and emotional health.  It takes work and you must maintain your focus. If it's out of focus, adjust the lens in which you are viewing it from and regain your focus. After all, you have the best view.

On this day of love, learn to love yourself.  Be heart healthy in every way.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Beauty is the Beast

Some will argue that a woman with a visible muscular structure is masculine looking, ugly or bulky. A muscular woman is a beast rather than a beauty.  Women should be soft, curvy, and supple.  Men should be hard, firm and muscular. Who says? Do you have to believe?  Must you agree?

Most will follow the masses and agree with whatever is the most popular ideal at any given time.  It's human nature. It's easier.  Less conflict. Run with the crowd because you will be accepted rather than exiled. Go with the flow.

"Strong is the new skinny." This phrase seems be tossed around quite frequently these days. But stop and think about it.  One can be quite strong without having 'visible muscle'. When I refer to 'visible muscle', I am referencing a female with a very low body fat which causes her muscles to 'pop' more or less to the observer.  I interpret "strong as the new skinny" to refer to women who are ultra fit and thin yet muscular.  Not anorexics. Not steroid using body builders. Not cardio bunnies. But athletes.

Strong is the new skinny is an athlete.  A female who takes their sport seriously whatever it may be. They are concerned with more than just their outward appearance.  They have developed a lifestyle which incorporates fitness and health as part of a daily regime.  It's as common to them as maintaining employment. It's part of who they are.  It is not an obsession it is a way of life.

Athletes have goals.  Their goals are unique and help develop a plan of what they want to accomplish and how they will tackle the process.  Society may not always agree with the goal or even the method used to get there.  That is why it is unique.  It is not society's goal, it is the individuals goal. Again, going against the grain. This is not the easiest route or the most traveled but can be the most rewarding.

Athletes have muscles.  Muscles help propel them into motion.  Muscles aid in their speed, strength and stamina. Muscles have mass.  Mass carries weight.  Weight on a fit body is called muscle. Therefore, a female athlete who takes her sport seriously is going to have muscles.

If you don't like it, keep it to yourself. It's not okay to ridicule someone for being obese, anorexic or skinny fat.  So why is it acceptable to criticize females who are muscular?  It's not.  It's called envy. Step up or shut up.  I have chosen my own journey and never looked back.  I'm  a fit, healthy female who can protect herself with those big ugly muscles.

At War with Will Power

Have you ever waged a war against your Will Power?  Think about it carefully.  This is actually a war you want to lose. Sometimes. I want to eat that brownie.  I want to sleep in and skip my workout.  I want to skip those last few reps because they hurt. I don't want to do chin-ups because I suck at them.

Sound familiar? Who is the victor? You or your Will Power? Wait, aren't you really the winner if your Will Power wins? It's all very confusing.  You feel like you lost because you didn't get what you wanted - the brownie, extra sleep or an easy way out.  Yet, you won because you reap the benefits.

Confusing, right? No. These are only battles.  Battles that build up to the war.  The war which awaits you somewhere off in the future.  It's lingering out there.  It's lurking. It's stalking you. It even taunts you from afar.  You can't see it or even feel it, but you sense it. It mocks you every day.

It is the unknown. It's a powerful force and one that has the ability to knock you on your ass.  So you keep fighting.  You fight every day. Some are easy days and some are harder.  You lose focus once in awhile and have to readjust. It's second nature to you. The course is filled with obstacles yet you continue your journey. You have goals, ambitions and dreams.

Why do you fight so hard? Why not throw in the towel? It would be much easier.  Because you are a soldier.  You are fighting to survive.  You are fighting to be a better version of you. You are fighting because your Will Power  has ordered you to fight until the end.  Because if you give up, Will Power dies.