Long time no post. I know. I’m still running but not hitting the gym much. I’ll do another post about running and races later. Anyway, last week I started Mr. Shut Up and Train’s 30 Day Cardio Challenge. It’s going well but I’m feeling out of shape. LOL I’m going to put my all into this and then get back in the weight room when it ends. I’m ok with my one-piece bathing suit body but I want to wear a two-piece. LOL
Single Leg Circles
Lie faceup on the floor with your arms at your sides, palms down. Scoop your belly in (imagine you’re pulling your belly button toward your spine) and extend your right leg toward the ceiling, toes pointed and turned slightly outward. Inhale and imagine that you’re tracing a circle about the size of a dinner plate with your right leg, tightening your abs to keep hips still on the floor throughout the movement. Circle 10 times clockwise, then repeat in a counter-clockwise direction. Switch legs and repeat.
Single Leg-Plank
Come into upper push-up position with your hands beneath your shoulders, feet together. Curl your toes so that some of your weight is on the back of them. Keeping abs tight and tailbone straight, lift one leg a few inches off the floor and point your toes; hold for five seconds and release. Repeat with the opposite leg to complete the set. Do 5 to 8 sets.
Quarter Curls
Lie on your back with your knees bent and shoulder-width apart, feet flat on the floor, and your hands behind your head (or ears, if you tend to pull on your neck). Scoop your belly in and curl your shoulders off the mat. Hold there for 5 counts, then exhale as you slowly lower yourself back down onto the floor. Do 5 to 10 reps.
Quarter Curls with Rotation
Come into the same starting position as you did for the quarter curl. As you exhale and lift your shoulders off the mat, twist your torso to the left and bring your left elbow toward your right knee; look toward your right elbow. Hold for 5 counts, then inhale as you return to center without letting your shoulders rest on the mat. Exhale, then twist to the opposite side to complete the set. Do 5 to 8 sets.
Toe Taps
Lie faceup on the floor with your legs in tabletop position (knees bent at a 90-degree angle with feet off the floor), palms facedown by your sides. Tighten your abs and exhale as you lower your right foot to the floor, keeping knee bent. Inhale, then exhale as you return your right leg to starting position in 4 counts. Tap 5 times with each leg.
Once you get through this exercise with ease add some weights.
Posted from Parents Magazine
Source: muffintop-lessSWEET POTATO PIE TRUFFLES
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 oz finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pecans
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 6 tbsp coconut flour
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, add potatoes. Bake, turning once, for 50 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, heat a small skillet on medium. Add coconut and cook, stirring often, until toasted and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate.
- Halve potatoes and scoop out flesh, discarding skins. Transfer flesh to a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- In a food processor, process pecans into fine crumbs. Add 1 cup mashed potato flesh (reserve remaining potato for another use) and maple syrup. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and process to combine. Gradually add flour and pulse to fully combine.
- Scoop out potato mixture in 1-tbsp increments and roll into balls. Transfer to coconut and roll to coat. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
Found this recipe at Clean Eating Mag!
~ your present circumstances don;t determine where you go, they merley determine where you start~nido qubein~
(via tumblrgymyoga)
Source: valerielavigneyoga
Source: muffintop-less21 TIPS TO RELEASE SELF-NEGLECT AND LOVE YOURSELF IN ACTION
Feeling worthy requires you to see yourself with fresh eyes of self-awareness, , and love. Acceptance and love must come from within.
You don’t have to be different to be worthy. Your worth is in your true nature, a core of love and inner goodness. You are a beautiful light. You are love. We can bury our magnificence, but it’s impossible to destroy.
Loving ourselves isn’t a one time event. It’s an endless, moment by moment ongoing process.
It begins with you, enfolding yourself in your own affection and appreciation.
Read on for steps to discover your worth and enfold yourself in affection and appreciation.
1. Begin your day with love (not technology). Remind yourself of your worthiness before getting out of bed. Breathe in love and breathe out love. Enfold yourself in light. Saturate your being in love.
2. Take time to mediate and journal. Spend time focusing inward daily. Begin with 5 minutes of meditation and 5 minutes of journaling each morning. Gradually increase this time.
3. Talk yourself happy. Use affirmations to train your mind to become more positive. Put a wrist band on your right wrist. When you’re participating in self-abuse of any form, move the band to your left wrist.
4. Get emotionally honest. Let of go of numbing your feelings.Shopping, eating, and drinking are examples of avoiding discomfort, sadness, and pain. Mindfully breathe your way through your feelings and emotions.
5. Expand your interests. Try something new. Learn a language. Go places you’ve never been. Do things you haven’t done before. You have a right to an awesome life.
6. Enjoy life enhancing activities. Find exercise you like. Discover healthy foods that are good for you. Turn off technology for a day and spend time doing things that make you feel alive.
7. Become willing to surrender. Breathe, relax, and let go. You can never see the whole picture. You don’t know what anything is for. Stop fighting against yourself by thinking and desiring people and events in your life should be different. Your plan may be different from your soul’s intentions.
8. Work on personal and spiritual development. Be willing to surrender and grow. Life is a journey. We are here to learn and love on a deeper level. Take penguin steps and life becomes difficult. One step at a time is enough to proceed forward.
9. Own your potential. Love yourself enough to believe in the limitless opportunities available to you. Take action and create a beautiful life for yourself.
10. Be patient with yourself. Let go of urgency and fear. Relax and transform striving into thriving. Trust in yourself, do good work, and the Universe will reward you.
11. Live in appreciation. Train your mind to be grateful. Appreciate your talents, beauty, and brilliance. Love your imperfectly perfect self.
12. Be guided by your intuition. All answers come from within. Look for signs and pay attention to your gut feelings. You’ll hear two inner voices when you need to make a decision. The quiet voice is your higher self; the loud voice is your ego. Always go with the quieter voice.
13. Do what honors and respects you. Don’t participate in activities that bring you down. Don’t allow toxic people in your life. Love everyone, but be discerning on who you allow into your life.
14. Accept uncertainty. Suffering comes from living in the pain of the past or the fear of the future. Put your attention on the present moment and be at peace.
15. Forgive yourself. Learn from your mistakes and go forward. Use this affirmation, “I forgive myself for judging myself for __________ (fill in the blank i.e.: for getting sick, for acting out, for not doing your best.)
16. Discover the power of fun. Self-love requires time to relax, play, and create face-to-face interaction with others. Our fast-paced world creates a goal setting, competitive craziness that doesn’t leave room for play. Dr. Stuart Brow says, “The opposite of play isn’t work, it is depression.”
17. Be real. Speak up and speak out. Allow yourself to be seen, known, and heard. Get comfortable with intimacy (in-to-me-see).
18. Focus on the positive. Go to your heart and dwell on and praise yourself for what you get right in all areas.
19. Become aware of self neglect and rejection. Become conscious of your choices. Ask yourself several times throughout the day, “Does this choice honor me?”
20. Imagine what your life would look like if you believed in your worth. Dedicate your life to loving you. Make it your main event.
21. Seek professional help. Self-rejection and neglect is painful. You deserve to be happy. You have a right to be accepted and loved. If necessary, seek help from a support group, counselor, or coach. It’s the best investment you can make.
Because we are all interconnected, when I love me, I also love you. Together through our love, we can heal ourselves, each other, and the world. Love is our purpose, our true calling. It begins with and within each of us.
This article was found at one of my favorite websites: Tiny Buddha
Source: muffintop-lessHEALTH BENEFITS OF SHRIMP
Shrimp are a tasty, easy-to-cook, lean source of protein. Shrimp is a healthy seafood item that is low in mercury and high in several nutrients. Increase the health benefits of a shrimp meal by eating shrimp that are lightly steamed or boiled as opposed to fried or sauteed in oil or butter. Serve shrimp alongside a fresh salsa made from fruit or vegetables to increase the health benefits of your meal.
Protein - Eating 6 oz. of shrimp will add more than 34 g of protein to your daily intake. Getting enough healthy protein in your diet can help your body fight off illness and keep your circulatory and respiratory systems functioning properly. Focusing your diet on lean, health proteins such as shrimp can also help you lose excess weight. The Institute of Medicine recommends getting 8 g of protein for every 20 lb. of body weight daily.
Vitamin B-12 - Adding 6 oz. of shrimp to your meal will increase your daily intake of vitamin B-12 by 2 mcg. A lack of vitamin B-12 in your diet could lead to a deficiency, which can cause muscle weakness, vision problems and psychiatric issues, among other problems. Even a slight deficiency in vitamin B-12 can cause health issues, according to MayoClinic.com. The recommended dietary intake of vitamin B-12 is just 2.4 mcg per day.
Iron - You’ll add just over 4 mg of iron to your daily intake by eating 6 oz. of shrimp. If you don’t get enough iron in your diet, you could become anemic, which could lead to health issues such as fatigue and shortness of breath. Consuming vitamin C along with an iron-filled food such as shrimp can help increase your body’s ability to absorb the iron. Pair shrimp with broccoli, mangoes or tomatoes to add vitamin C to your meal and increase your iron absorption.
Misconceptions - Shrimp are high in cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid eating them. Since shrimp are low in fat, especially saturated fat, eating shrimp won’t have a negative effect on your cholesterol levels the way eating fattier foods would. If you are watching your cholesterol levels, talk to your doctor about shrimp to make sure you can safely add shrimp to your diet without ill effects.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/520767-the-advantages-of-shrimp/#ixzz2J6pFmW4u
The post-baby belly bulge isn’t always the result of a tendency to finish your kids’ grilled cheeses, or just leftover pregnancy weight. For some women, the culprit is a condition called diastasis recti. (Take the simple test below to see whether you have it, or ask your ob/gyn or regular doc to check you at your next appointment.) It occurs when the abdominal muscles that separated to make room for the baby during pregnancy don’t migrate back to the middle after you give birth. While many women will have this condition after childbirth, often it’s mild “and the muscles may tighten on their own within a few months,” explains Jill Boissonault. Ph.D., an assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “But for some, the muscles need extra strengthening.” As for why your ob/gyn may not have pointed it out, or even noticed it: “We don’t tend to draw attention to all of the changes in a woman’s body after pregnancy unless they’re causing a problem,” says Katharine O’Connell White, M.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine. “Most women who have a diastasis aren’t at risk of anything serious—it’s a cosmetic condition; it doesn’thave to be corrected.”
