Running A Race. Overcoming Your Obstacles.

 

(that's me in the black)

Today was my first 10k of 2012.  And for a dear friend of mine, it was her first race ever!  We ran the 6.2 miles in just over an hour.  It was Santa Cruz, CA's She. Is.Beautiful PINKEST 5k/10k...for women only.  Some of you fellas might not agree with this and at first I thought it was a little bit silly.  However, hearing the women throughout the race cheer you on as you ran by was encouraging, empowering, and even uniting.

The health factor in training and subsequently running a race is pretty obvious.  Burning calories and building muscle comes with the territory.  However, the excitement that you feel when you are at the starting line is amazing.  The "Can Do" attitude you get from your adrenaline and fellow racers is awesome!  For me, the last mile always flies by.  I find myself pushing my body harder and harder to finish strong.  To feel that flutter when you run across the finish line.  Makes me want to register for my next race before I even get home!

So take some time today, this week, or even this month, and find a race that fits your skill level.  Remember to train properly, eat healthy foods, and know your limits! Throughout this race, and every other race i've done, you see people walking.  THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS :) It's called doing what you need to in order to get it done! So don't let the fact that you think you won't be able to run the whole thing prevent you from signing up.  The point is to complete the race course as best you can.  Your best might be winning or it might be simply getting from start to finish.  Just do it.

My last tip for today...find a friend to do it with.  Not only to hold you accountable for training, but for race time support too :)  Experiencing something like this puts every runner on a common ground because every one of us is just putting it all out there.

 

(Me on the left & my friend Deidre on the right)

So get outside and experience a race.  Good luck everyone!


LIVE HAPPY & BE HEALTHY

Detox Diets - Miracle or Myth?

 image source

Detox diets, also known as cleanses, are basically fasts.  Cutting calories to the extreme.  These diets are nothing new.  People have been participating in them for years.  Women seem to be the most concerned when it comes to weight, body image,  and the idea of a miracle diet that might exist somewhere out there.  As nice as it may seem to be able to drink liquids to flush your fat away, you'll actually end up spending about half your day in the bathroom!  So many of these detox diets may start out as a good idea, but the question is are they actually good for you???

Today, most detox diets consist of an unhealthy formula of ingredients with some key product that is supposed to kick start the shedding of fat, like cayenne pepper or vinegar.  But these recipes aren't backed by actual science or regulated by the FDA.  These low-calorie diets are starving your body.  The drop in pounds that you'll notice on the scale isn't really fat.  Bad news guys.  Due to inadequate protein, your body is forced to pull from it's reserves.  Your muscles.  What's even worse is that it's your muscles that continue to burn calories, even when you're not moving.  So what you've just done is put your body behind.

On top of all this,  your metabolism will slow way down in order to compensate for the lack of calories and nutrition.  So when you start eating normally again, you will pack on the pounds much quicker than before.

Not every detox diet is bad however.  They can assist your body in shedding the unnatural toxins that you consume daily.  But be sure to do your research before partaking in just some random recipe you find on the internet or a magazine.  A short term detox or cleanse diet can be helpful, say 3 days maximum (anyone with special dietary restrictions or health needs should consult a physician).  Something like this can give you and your body a fresh start to a healthy diet and way of living.  So be sure to do your research on the diet you are interested in!



BE HAPPY & LIVE HEALTHY!

10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates

I want to try so many things and take a million different fitness classes.  I even dream of becoming an instructor myself.  But the prices of membership at a studio are insane! We're talking $120-$140 per month for unlimited classes at a Bikram Yoga studio for example.  For the rest of us who have a lingering cash flow...there's Netflix?  Haha yes I know that sounds weird.  But today I tried a Pilates video called "10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates."  Sounds cheesy (and yes it was a little bit haha) but it actually was a great workout.

Pilates instructor Lara Hudson provides you with five 10-minute workouts targeting different problem areas using a variety of Pilates techniques.  Best part is, if you don't have much time available, you can split the workouts up into quick 10 minute sections, making it super convenient!

The five sections are:

1. Super Tones Buns & Thighs
2. Arm & Shoulder Shaper
3. Waist Slimmer
4. Total Body Blast
5. Slim & Sleek Stretch

Again...sounding pretty goofy...but as someone who does yoga almost everyday, I still felt the burn!  So search this in Netflix and try out a section or two :)

LIVE HAPPY & BE HEALTHY

Guilt Free Vegetarian Pizza

There it is again.  That nagging and gnawing pizza craving that seems to plague the healthy eater.  Solution? This little slice of guilt free vegetarian pizza deliciousness!  Try it out...all products were purchased affordably at Trader Joe's too :)

• ingredients:
• All Natural Sonoma Carb Cutting Tortilla (60 calories)
• Trader Joe's Soy Cheese (60 calories)
• Yves Veggie Cuisine Meatless Pepperoni (30 calories)
• Optional --> Any veggies you want! Spinach, tomatoes, etc. (negligible)
• Optional --> 1/8 cup of finely shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on top (50 calories)

Next, heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake pizza for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

This is a maximum of 200 calories! That's it!  Perfect for a snack or with a salad for dinner. So make this guilt-free treat and stay fit.

BE HAPPY & LIVE HEALTHY

Get Motivated & Get Movin'!

If you're anything like me...you have the best intentions, but don't always follow through.  Where's your motivation???  Sometimes it really is a struggle to get past the lack of desire.  To get up each time and get away to run.  To just let it all go.  Your expectations, your stresses, your responsibilities.  But here you are, dreaming of the thinner more beautiful you, right?

Here's the only thing that gets me up and moving...a tangible goal.

Pick a race.  Start with a 5k.  3 months from now.  It's realistic and absolutely doable!  Even if you have never run a mile in your life.  Start out every other day (no not everyday as this can become too time consuming for many and they'll bail) with a mile walk.  Add another mile to your walk after 2 weeks.  Add that third mile after 2 more.  Now that you've hit the distance, you can work on your time.  Each time you go out to do your 3 mile walk, add 1 minute of running until you are running the whole thing!

Here are a few sites you can check out for races here in California...

• http://changeofpace.com/Event_Calendar/calendar.htm - Northern California
• http://www.raceplace.com/ - Southern California
• http://www.theschedule.com/ - California in general :)

And the BEST and MOST EFFECTIVE way to make yourself stick to running is ---> to get your friend to sign up with you!  Support helps make fitness attainable and even contagious.  So reach out and get someone else involved with you...

ATTN: LADIES --> Interested in  getting your first run under your belt but would rather not feel embarrassed in front of anyone but girls...check out 2012's She.Is.Beautiful Run! It's girls only! Sorry fellas :-P  Let me know if you'll be joining us there by liking our My Secret's To Skinny facebook page and leaving a comment.  Hopefully we'll see you there!

BE HAPPY & LIVE HEALTHY

Conquer Your Cravings!

 image source

Stress, work, men, dieting...all of these things can lead us ladies right to the kitchen for those comfort foods! But as soon as our snacking is complete, guilt isn't far behind is it?  Read on to see how to stop the cycle of stress-->food-->guilt-->stress-->food...well, you get the point.

To curb those calorie packed cravings - 

• Avoid triggers: Spend a day or two taking note of where you are and what you're doing when you experience cravings. Take a different route back to your desk instead of walking by the candy bowl for example or avoid that second or third cup of coffee which leaves you craving a sugar boost hours later for energy.
• Stick to a schedule: Now I've mentioned this before, but it's so important that I didn't want to leave it out this time either.  Eat every 3-4 hours to avoid mindless grazing or binging, potentially saving HUNDREDS of calories.
• Be realistic: Don't starve yourself of everything that you love! It's okay to indulge (moderately) a few times a week.  The extra satisfaction is a treat and you will feel like you are still getting to satisfy your need for your special something.

When a craving slams you in the face -

• Wait: Don't give in right away.  Take a few minutes to think it through.  Ask yourself, "Do I NEED this or do I WANT this?"  Decide if this is what you are choosing as your treat and if the proportion is appropriate.
• Find a substitute: Want some ice cream?? Pick up some greek yogurt with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey instead.  Save those extra calories for another time.
•  Portion control: This is key.  Whether you want few crackers with your soup or maybe an ice cream sandwich for desert...keep the serving size small!  Only have a few crackers or find that 100 calorie desert option.

Nobody is perfect.  Keep this in mind please??? Yes we will all slip and yes we will all crave those naughty foods. But it's how we choose to react and how we control the indulgences.  Not everything is worth the calories.  Try these tips out and watch your healthy diet (and body) progress!

BE HAPPY & LIVE HEALTHY

Are HCG Drops A Miracle Diet???

 image source

Have you heard of the HCG Drops Diet?  It's one of the newest fad diets on the market.  All you have to do is take the (appetite suppressing) drops and the "weight falls off."  Sound sketchy and too good to be true?  Well it is!  So be ware...

Take a minute to visit their website...HCG Diet...all you will find is fluff and testimonials! And, of course, there is no description about what is ACTUALLY contained in the drops.  The description of the "special HCG diet" doesn't even tell you what it includes, just that you will shed all your unwanted and unhealthy pounds...MAGICALLY.  But wait.  It gets more suspicious.  They tell you that you will save money on the foods you will eat.  Know why?  Because YOU WON'T BE EATING!  Come on people! Recognize this!

If you reference the informational packet provided upon purchase, it tells you that you will skip anything with any caloric content for breakfast which is actually the most important meal you could eat all day.  And you daily calorie intake should be between 300-500 each day.  Seriously?!?  This is what classifies the HCG Diet as a "starvation diet" folks.  The average female requires a minimum of 1,200 calories each day and the average male requires at least 1,800.  So what you are doing is forcing your body to eat its stores.  Yes this is ultimately what your goal is. However, all this starvation does is slow down your metabolism.  Once the HCG Drops stop, the weight gain begins again and is often even worse.

Exercise is also forbidden on the diet.  Why would they restrict this if we have always been told to be active?  Well that's because you are consuming far fewer calories than your body needs to simply function. So if you're burning more from exercise, you are starving your body even more.  Long term starvation leads to organ failure and possibly death.  Is your immediate and simultaneously temporary weight loss worth your body's health?  HE*L NO!!!

PLEASE please please do not partake in this diet!  It is terrible for your health and overall well-being.  Instead, please just eat a healthy and balanced low calorie diet combined with sufficient exercise and watch the safe and long term weight loss begin.

LIVE HEALTHY & BE HAPPY