Game on, Mr. D.M., Game on

Ok, I just read an article that freaked me out about being in my mid-thirties and the big differences of women working out in their 20's, 30's and 40's.  Yes, I admit, I looked pretty damn fit right before I got pregnant with my first son in my late 20's and worked hard to get back in shape when I found out I was pregnant with my second son.  But, after reading this article it made me upset and scared on what to expect in the next years to come once I hit my 40's.  I know quite a few people in their 40's and I must say they do not look decayed at all (have to read the article to see what I am talking about).

So, this got me thinking, how can I prove that being in your 30's is not a downward spiral once you hit the next decade and so forth.  Trying to figure out how to get some motivation back into my groove, this article helped step up my game as did a recent karate class I took my son to.

There is a karate instructor that is in his 20's, he is tall and skinny.  Probably eats anything and everything without worry, but he is all muscle.  When anyone has a birthday in karate, they do push-ups while singing happy birthday and this instructor who I will call, Mr. D.M., was sort of showing off his triceps push-up skills on one foot.  Then it hit me, why can't I do that, just because I am in my mid-thirties who says I can't be just as good or better doing that.  Why should age really matter.

I stumbled upon another blogger, A Spirited Mind, about how one person is better at something than others and it all boils down to owning it.  If you want it, you have to own it to make it happen.  Since I enjoy working out and the way it makes me feel, I should easily be able to do any workout activity as long as I own it to enjoy it.  With that being said, I want to own the moment of being able to do what those 20 year olds do, male or female, and prove that I can do it because I own it.

Now I am challenging myself to do push-ups like a 20 year old, just like Mr. D.M.  Quick, fast, with easy and showing off the form.  Sure hope Mr. D.M. doesn't read this because it will certainly take me time to get close to his level of push-ups, but hopefully by next year I will have my pre-baby body back and fitter than ever.  To end this, I say, game on, Mr. D.M., game on!   

Inspiration - Motivation - Dedication

My favorite quote of all time that keeps me motivated and going is below.  I wanted to share it with all of you in hopes it will inspire you as much as it has and does me!

“Being inspired is fine for a week, and being motivated might work for a month or so, but to make any lifestyle change last a lifetime, you need dedication!”

John “the Penguin” Bingham

Workout Update

It has been quite awhile since I updated you all on my progress and thought it was due time.  Since getting sick mid-January, my motivation has been weak to say the least.  I tried to do a third round of Insanity again, but got tired of it.  Then I decided to do the hybrid version of P90X and Insanity, but hurt my back on some of the P90X floor exercises.  From that, I played around with the Biggest Loser workouts and now am back to good 'ol Billy Blanks and Tae Bo.  Yep, I admit, I get bored quickly with workouts and need something to keep me going.  I am in that phase again where I am trying to find the next fun workout to keep me going.

With all of the jumble of workouts, I did actually loose weight and inches since January.  It hasn't been much, but I am impressed with the inches lost than I am the pounds.  Since January, I have lost another 7 lbs and 6.75 inches!  So overall since last year, I have lost a total of 23.4 lbs and 22.25 inches!  Plus, I have gone down 2 sizes in pants and am finally fitting back into my medium sized t-shirts which means I can stop wearing my husbands large size t-shirts!  It is the little things that I take into account and call it a victory.  Yes, I know I still have a long way to go with 30 pounds yet to loose, but every small step counts in my book.  I am too chicken to post before and after pictures just yet as I am not where I want to be.  So hopefully this time next year I will have one of those cool YouTube videos everyone makes with before and after pics to get my pre-baby body back!

Ok, onto the raw diet before dinner.  I have to admit, I have fallen off of that horse two weeks ago.  Yes, I did get more energy from eating fruits and veggies, but certainly missed a hot lunch.  The weather has been quite chilly here, but am hoping once it gets warmer out I will be back in the smoothie swing of things like I usually am in the summer months.  But, I did get a chance to make some amazing raw recipes and will be incorporating them in more and more into our vegan lifestyle.

Post Workout - Coconut Water & Dates

So what do you have to eat and/or drink after a workout?  I wanted to find something that didn't involve mixes and bars, so after some searching online I kept finding great things about coconut water and dates.  Could two simple natural foods really help after working out from my kickboxing class or P90X or Insanity workouts?  Well the quick short answer is YES!  I was quite surprised how amazing the two are to have after working out and giving me the boost I need after the high intensity.  Here is the lowdown on these two foods on why they are so great for you.

Coconut Water:

• natures energy drink to replenish your electrolytes after working out
• contains 294 mg of potassium, that's more than bananas and sports drinks provide!
• contains 5 mg of natural occurring sugars unlike energy drinks that contain an average of 10-25 mg of sugars or other sweeteners
• contains high levels of calcium, chloride and magnesium
• naturally sweet, nutty and refreshing flavor
• healthier than orange juice and less calories
• helps break up kidney stones
• supercharges your metabolism
• promotes weight loss

Dates:

• one of the best energy boosting snacks
• Gives extra energy to a tired human body within half an hour after taking it
• packed with 29 grams of natural sugars including glucose, fructose and sucrose
• only around 23 calories per single date fruit
• contains 31 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of dietary fiber
• have a high content of iron in them, which makes them great home remedies for reducing iron deficiency
• rich in potassium, which is essential for a healthy nervous system
• low in sodium, thereby preventing blood pressure levels from rising
• consuming dates on fasting days before breaking the fast helps avoid overeating after the fast. The factor responsible for human hunger is shortage of sugar in the blood. Consumption of dates, not only pacifies the feeling of hunger with its sugar content, but also all of its nutritional value is absorbed by the body. This prevents people from overeating after a day of fasting.

 So what do you think?  We have only tried the O.N.E Coconut Water brand as that just happened to be what my husband bought at the store.  Man was it good, but pricey for a small container.  But since it is working and I like that it is all natural, I will have to work it into our budget.  As for dates, we always have a big container of medjool dates in our fridge that we get from Costco.  We usually use them in our smoothies, but we also have them because our 2 year old loves to eat them like candy as a snack.