December...Really?!?!?

Hey NeverEver's!

Wow its December. Its seriously December 1st! What happened? Where has this year gone? I am not sure and if it wasn't for this blog I am pretty sure my internal calendar would be way worse then it is. 

Anyways, it is December and I am happy to say that most of my Christmas gifts have been gotten. Its now just the odds and ends that I still need to get. I won't be getting a tree until next weekend but I can't wait! And I just got some old Christmas favorites of mine...finally! 

Yes I got them on Groupon but it was such a great deal and I love these Christmas Classics. Now I just need to get the rest of them ^_~. Plus as today is officially December I get to watch one of these badboys! Not sure which one though, and since the Hubby is feeling sick I am thinking about letting him pick! 

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine went pretty darn good. All the cooking went well, I timed the Turkey being done w/ the family coming over perfectly. However, my dessert was a little to sour for me. Cranberries and I just don't get along. 

I would like to mention that the coke you see is not mine...I am still 5 months clean, that is my Father in Laws. We can't get him to stop -_-. 

This was my plate and my ONLY plate. Not sure if it was because I cooked all day and just wasn't that hungry or if I actually learned about portion control. Anyways, I filled my plate w/ my Spinach and Apple Salad, Roasted California Golden Potatoes w/ Pepper and Garlic, Roasted Carrots and Walnuts and my Turkey w/ Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce. 

I did have some of the dessert that was brought by my cousin. She brought home made flan and plain cheesecake. I did have 1 slice of each and they were delicious!

I hope that your Thanksgiving was guilt free, drama free, wonderful time w/ your family and friends!

Did anyone go shopping on Black Friday? Usually for me I don't go out, well not for a few years, but this year we just decided to go. But it wasn't for a gift for anyone else...it was for ourselves! 

Yup Hubby and I got ourselves a new T.V. This thing is a beauty and it is a wonder that it took us so long to get one! Its a Samsung 55 in 3D. Wonderful...I can't wait to watch the Christmas specials on this thing!!

So what are you plans this Holiday? The healthy plans that is. Mine is pretty simple with only 2 challenges that I am doing this month. (what thats small compared to last year!)

I found #Elf4Health last year and it was amazing! Lindsay and Ellie are doing it again and you can still join! Today's challenge is to do 100 burpees (yay -_-) but I will get it done. 

I am also doing a BeachBody Challenge Group as well. I have decided to take the Brazil Butt Lift Master Series for 30 Day challenge. And I am planning on doing the workout in the mornings...since my work schedule has changed and I don't have to be into work until 8am. So since I am used to waking up a little earlier then I need to for a 8am schedule I am going to be using that time to work out. 

Okay NeverEver's its time for me to take care of my sick hubby and enjoy my lazy Sunday! I hope you all have a wonderful one and may your Monday be light! 

Guest Post - How to Have a Happy & Healthy Holiday (Protein please, Hold the gluten!)

Hey NeverEver's!

It is now officially 2 days away from T-Day or otherwise known as Turkey Day. So of course this Tuesday I had to have a special Thanksgiving Guest Post and I found one! A special thanks to Amber from Eats & Exercise Amber for coming up with this post about having a Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving.  The table is set, the turkey is cooling and everyone gathers together.  Around the table family and friends, one by one say what they are thankful for.  While everyone else is treasuring this moment, if you have Celiac Disease, food allergies, or intolerance's, you’re more concerned if whether your host is going to unintentionally poison you.  It’s hard to give thanks when you’re worried about the serious complications accidentally ingesting gluten could do to your insides…

Dealing with a diagnosis of Celiac or other food limiting conditions/intolerance's can be tough, especially when it comes to events that are revolved around food.  I was sure that my first gluten free Thanksgiving would be awful but it wasn't!  Instead, I survived, thrived even, with not an ounce of gluten accidentally ingested AND I educated my whole family on cross contamination and why we couldn't mix up the spoons for gravy and stuffing.

This year, I found out that I wouldn't be able to go home for Thanksgiving.  So instead, I would be spending it with my boyfriend and his family.  While most girls would be excited, I was at first anxious and uncomfortable.  The whole idea made me feel sick as if I had already been glutened!  His family doesn't know my dietary needs that well and often forget that in addition to gluten, I cannot have lactose.  So, after a few weeks of worrying and planning out possible what if scenarios, I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to take charge of the situation because if I wasn't going to ensure my health and safety then who was?

So, if you are experiencing your first gluten free Thanksgiving or spending the holiday with those who may not be familiar with your needs, here are my five tips on how to have a healthy and happy holiday!

ABOVE ALL ELSE-
Talk to your host about everything.  Whether you feel as if you are being annoying or not, you are your own best advocate and if you don’t speak up, it could result in you becoming sick.

1. Not all turkey’s are gluten free – tell your host this ASAP

Do your research and provide your host with a list of safe and unsafe turkeys.  For example, Butterball turkey is not gluten free, Wegmans’ brand is.  When broaching this subject, remember to be polite and courteous, do not demand they buy a certain brand, say something like, “I did a little research and found out that not all turkeys were gluten free.  This was something I wasn't aware of, so I found a list of safe and unsafe brands for you to keep in mind when you’re shopping please”

2. Ask your host what the menu/meal plan is. 
Most families have a typical menu for every year, so it should not be too difficult to ask this in advance.  If your host is unsure, then go over what ingredients that you cannot have, such as breadcrumbs in the stuffing, specific broths that are not gluten free for basting the turkey, gravy mixes that use wheat flour, etc.  You may need to write this down for your host or send them an email list.  If you think that they will forget, then write it down or email it to them whether they want you to or not.  Also, remind them closer to the day of about specifics you talked about!  Depending on your host, they may be willing to make some changes to their meal menu so you can enjoy as many side dishes as possible. 

3. Provide ingredients for the host to cook with. 
Most “normal” people do not keep lactose free butter, gluten free bread crumbs, xatham gum, rice flour, etc. in their house nor do they need to!  If your host is willing to cook with your ingredient substitutions, provide them with the ingredients.  For example: gluten free croutons/bread crumbs for the stuffing, lactaid milk, and lactose free butter for the mashed potatoes

4.  Offer to help cook
If your host is using your “special ingredients” or says that they are using naturally gluten free items, offer to help them cook.  I know it always makes me feel better when I have prepared or helped prepare the food I plan on eating.  This ensures that there has been no contamination because I have watched it like a hawk.  Plus, your offering to cook helps lessen the burden on the hosting chef, who probably is just as nervous about serving you, as you are about eating their food!

5. Don’t let yourself be deprived! Bring your own sides AND dessert!
Your host should be able to provide you with a gluten free turkey (since there are plenty of brand options out there) but as for side dishes, well that could be a whole different story, especially if it’s great great great grandma’s recipe that is a tradition to be made, as is.  If this is the case, make your own sides!  If you are traveling, pack a cooler with your pre-cooked sides and when you arrive on location, politely ask where you can store your own prepared sides.  Just before dinner, pop your own options into the microwave.  If you feel embarrassed or silly doing this, don’t.  You are being smart and allowing yourself to enjoy what YOU want to eat on this holiday!  If you are staying on location, bring your own ingredients to prepare your own sides.  For my gluten free, dairy free Thanksgiving feast this year, I know that I am going to have to make my own sides.  After talking to my boyfriend’s mom, I realized that although there would be some gluten free items for me, there would not be lactose free items.  I am extremely sensitive to whole milk and butter, so instead of having a bare plate, I plan on making my own sides!  I will be replacing milky mashed potatoes with a sweet potato, gluten filled biscuits with a few slices of cornbread I made already made a batch of and froze, and cream of mushroom gluten-filled green bean casserole with green beans and mushrooms sautéed with a little olive oil.  While it may not be the easiest thing to have to cook for myself and travel with my food, it also isn’t easy to sit at a table and watch everyone else eat what I cannot have.  In addition to side dishes, don’t forget about dessert!  If you’re an avid baker, bake something for everyone.  If you don’t feel like making enough for everyone, make a single portion of a sweet treat you would like to have while everyone else is eating dessert!

I hope that these tips helped!

Stay happy & healthy

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Thanksgiving Food Prep

Hey NeverEver's!

We are officially 3 days away from Thanksgiving which I just can't believe that means we are that close to Christmas. Well I can but I would prefer if we could go back a few months ago ^_~. Time seems to be flying by with no stop.

But anyways, since this is Sunday and I usually do my Food Prep or at least Food Planning for the following week I thought I would tell you all about my plans for Thanksgiving. Because to tell the truth Monday - Wednesday is going to be left overs. All my cooking skills are going to be stored up for Thanksgiving.

So here is my Game Plan!

Turkey - Fig Glazed Roast Turkey (Food Network pg 155) I have never done a glazed Turkey, I have done a Herb Rubbed, Brine and Salted. But never glazed so I am really looking forward to this one.

Stuffing - I am doing SkinnyTastes Mushroom Quinoa Stuffing. I have gotten my family to like Quinoa and I wanted something different then a bread stuffing.

Sauce - Cranberry Orange Sauce (Food Network pg 155).

Vegetable - Carrots with Walnuts (Food Network pg 176)

Salad - Spinach Apple Salad (Food Network pg 176)

Dessert - Cranberry Pear Crisp (Food Network pg 94)

I was able to find most of the recipes in the magazine online of their page so I have included the links!

What is the best thing about this upcoming Holiday? It isn't the food that I m cooking, although I am looking forward to it. It is the

The run I am doing that morning!

Yesterday I picked up my race gear and I got all of this! Look a T-Shirt, Hat, and Time Card! Plus we all get a finisher medal!!!

Really looking forward to this run!

Oh and before I leave for the night, heading to the Laugh Factory tonight w/ the Hubby, I wanted to share with you all my latest NSV!

I got boots to fit over my calf! Now this is a BIG BIG deal for me. I have always wanted to wear knee boots and high calf boots but my legs were just to big to fit into them. Well I got it! I lost a nail (well the length of it) getting one of them on but it doesn't matter. It went on!

Woot!!!

Okay NeverEver's, I am ready to call it a night. So how are your Thanksgiving plans going? Are you ready? Have you started on your Christmas list yet? I have but then I am a Christmas Freak so thats ok ^_~

Guest Post - Tabata Workout Post

Hey NeverEver's,

Sorry about not being here yesterday...my computer hates me. It was stuck doing those Windows updates for a day and a half and once I was ready to just get on the Hubby's computer, well that one thought it was a good idea for updates as well. So therefore computers hate me.

But that wont stop me from posting this amazing workout today. Which I did this morning. And man did it kick my behind. It really did, but it was just enough kicking where I wanted to complete it.

Those Mule Kicks may be making it hard to sit today...maybe. Anyways, I am proud to present this workout to all of you. I can do it....you can do it! I just know it!

You can find more of these workouts from Julie Auler and her blog Grace. Lace and Iron be sure to check it out!

Sunday Food Prep

Hey NeverEver's!

Welcome to Sunday. Is it just me or did this weekend fly by? I swear that it was just Friday yesterday and now its Sunday.

Has anyone started planning for Thanksgiving yet? In my family it is me who does the Thanksgiving dinner. I don't mind its just a ton of planning for a family my size. I am thinking about doing a quinoa stuffing I saw on pinterest (if I can find it again). It seemed like a good alternative to bread. Also, I am going to try and make a pie (and to use Thanksgiving as a cheat day of course). But, since it will be my first pie ever made I am still considering it.

However, it is Sunday and that means Food Prep or at least for me getting my recipes ready so I know exactly what I am making on each day. Except for Tuesday as I am going to the dentist and will most likely be having left overs...or something.

So here is my week plan.

Monday - I am craving this one again - French Onion Soup

Tuesday - If I feel up to it w/ the dentist - Pasta and Broccoli

Wednesday - Grilled Steak Fajitas

Thursday - I have been wanting to try this - Oven Fried Chicken

Friday - Tuna Noodle Casserole

Sat and Sun I will be doing left overs. There should be more then enough for not only lunch but to survive until Sunday. If not I shall improvise ^_~.

Yup so this is my plan. Of course I will be loading up on veggies / fruit for snacks in between all of the dinners. I am really looking forward to this week and seeing what I can do for myself!

Okay NeverEver's, it is time to enjoy...well almost enjoy, my Saints beat the 49er's (please please please!). So I am leaving you all with my plans.

What is your Food Planning for this week?

Sugar Cleanse is Happening!

Hey NeverEver's!

So I am crazy. Its the only way I can explain to you all my want to do a sugar cleanse in the middle of the Holiday Season. What has possessed me to do this? I am still not sure to tell the truth but I feel like I have to do this. My in-law family doesn't do sweets and my parents are in a moving truck 300 days of the year so it isn't like I actually have excuses as to my own sweet tooth. Especially since anything sweet that is brought into the house is by me.

Ya its ok I know I am insane but let me share it with all of you!

I am already doing my Shakeology every morning, which keeps me full for lunch time. I have dropped my soda habit (which wasn't really a habit it was more 'Ok I will drink it if its there' type thing). Which if I am being honest be doesn't feel like that much. Sometimes, I feel like 'Ok so I don't have soda anymore big woop' or 'ya I am eating breakfast but I don't see any results'. And those are the moments when I have to remember that I didn't build this body in 1 day. I have about 10 years of damage, neglect, and abuse to get through. Its not going to happen over night, in a week or even a month. So I should be happy with the steps, small and large, that I have been able to do.

However, I want to do more. So I am going on a sugar cleanse. Which started as a bet with the hubby...which most things do if I am gonna be honest with everything. He said that although I gave up soda that there was NO way I could control my sweet tooth. Now to be fair he would in most cases be right...but I wanna win this bet (with the side effect of actually controlling my sweet tooth) so I am going to win this thing!

Here are the rules.

1. I am allowed 1 spoon / packet of brown sugar or stevia for my coffee a day.
2. No processed foods or eating out at fast food joints for the rest of the month
3. No baked goodies...AT ALL
4. I am allowed 1 cheat item 1 time every week.

Now I know that the 'white' products are just as processed as anything else you can find...but I will tell you right now. I can deal w/ brown sugar, wheat flour, wheat bread but I will not switch my potatoes. I do not like sweet potatoes and will stick with my real deal.

Other then that I, after this weekend, will be really watching my intake. Of course I am not planning on having many holiday parties and I did include at least 1 'cheat' item. So I do believe I am safe (so I say at the beginning ^_^).

Some of the things that I will be looking out for because while I am trying to take out as much processed things as I can...if I have to I will choose the lesser of 2 evils so to speak. So these words I will be scanning for.

Now what am I going to do about food? Well most of my plans are coming from SkinnyTaste for Gina's soups and meals. All of her things have real ingredients and are perfect for people that are still figuring out the kitchen. But, since it is, supposedly (it was 85 last night!) colder this coming week...Soups here I come!

I will be doing my meal planning on Sunday so I will share with you all what my meal plan is looking like. All I do know is that I will be getting tons of veggies / fruit and meat. Which doesn't sound too bad at all.

Okay NeverEver's, enjoy your Friday! I am going to try to talk the Hubby into going to see Thor (I want my hottie!!!) and having dinner with me. I will see you all on Sunday!

Have you ever done a sugar cleanse? Still a soda addict or have you kicked it? Am I crazy (its okay to answer truthfully ^_~)?

Motivational Thursdays!

Hey NeverEver's!

Work has been super busy today and I still need to make my Mo-vember treats for the bake sale tomorrow. So I am going to head straight into the Motivational Thursday and I will catch up with you all on Friday!

So before I go away and bake things I wanted to let you all know that I am going to be working out on Saturday with one of the Trainers from Biggest Loser Australia! 

So if your in the LA area come on over and work it out with the rest of us!! 

Guest Post - Weight Loss Benefits of an Elimination Diet

Hey NeverEver's!

Its Tuesday and you all know what that means. Guest Post day!! Its a happy day isn't it? Today's Guest Post is about the Elimination Diet.

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One of the hottest trends in nutrition is the Elimination Diet. If you haven’t heard of it, it is essentially exactly how it sounds: You eliminate a large amount of foods from your diet. The idea is remove typical or expected trigger foods from your diet for a number of weeks and then slowly reintroduce them while closely monitoring your symptoms. The main goal is identify foods that cause you problems so that you can avoid them in the future. Interestingly, following an Elimination Diet can have a beneficial side effect: weight loss. Here are some of the weight loss benefits of an Elimination Diet.

Lean protein. Most Elimination Diets limit you to fish, turkey, lamb, and wild game. These are lean, unprocessed meats that are often not subject to the hormone treatments that are common in mass-market beef and chicken. Lean proteins help promote muscle growth and help you feel fuller for longer after a meal.

Natural, non-processed foods. Many elimination diets are also de facto organic diets. You cut out all processed foods and are left with mostly fruits, vegetables, and nuts. These are typical weight-loss foods that contain important nutrients for maintaining your health. They are also low in fat and can help you lose weight.

Good fats. An Elimination Diet will cut out most fat sources except for olive oil and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. These are considered “good fats” that provide fuel and nutrition for the body and don’t contribute to fat build-up in the body. They give you energy to exercise and can help prevent disease.

Low carb and low sugar. A side effect of cutting out most grains and processed foods, an Elimination Diet is quite low on carbs and sugars. As we know, low-carb diets can be very effective for losing weight, since these nutrients are easily converted to fat in the body.

Replace other beverages with water. Elimination Diets also cut out things like soda, alcohol, and caffeine, which can all be weight-gain culprits. By replacing most beverages with water and tea, you can eliminate a large part of your daily calorie intake. This also promotes overall health and helps to cleanse toxins from the body.

While usually used by people with gastrointestinal issues to identify problem foods, an Elimination Diet can also be a powerful weight loss tool. Just be sure to consult your doctor before drastically changing your diet.

This post was written for Never Ever Been Skinny by Karen Danish, LAP. Karen is a licensed acupuncture physician and a valued staff member at Tampa Acupuncture Clinic.

Motivational Thursday

Hey NeverEver's!

Welcome to Thursday! The week is almost done and the weekend is almost here. Not to mention that Thanksgiving is coming soon.

Seriously, its coming and I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Cause I am the one in the family that cooks the dinner. Last year it wasn't a bad turkey if I do say so myself but this year I want to do even better. How?

I am thinking about making my first pie!

Yup a pie! I haven't made the decision if to do it or not but its there...in the back of my head...making me think about pies at random moments.

Anyways, on to my day so far and then...Motivational Thursday!!

So I started my day off right! Shakeology, Coffee and Water. Plus my Shakeology is in a Saints Cup!!

I killed my lunch workout for the #LBDWorkout! I even did 15 close squats and 15 wide leg squats at the end of my Thursday workout. Plus some left over soup from SkinnyTaste, a Broccoli, Cheese and Potato Soup

 

But I had almost forgot about my wallsit challenge. Well I am going to do it when I came home but I decided that it wasn't a good idea to wait. Especially since I am going to be doing my spin class tonight. So in comes the work wallsit! 

Now on to the Motivation!! 

Okay NeverEver's! It is time for me to get back to the grindstone! I will see you all late! Have a great Thursday and even better weekend! 

Bad Day's / Good Day's

Hey NeverEver's!

Ever had one of those days where you just wanted to crawl back into bed? Well I had that day on Tuesday. And I let it get to me. Really Really get to me.

I shouldn't have. I know that I can turn a bad day into a good day. I know that my reasoning for having a bad day was just plain stress from some family drama. In fact, I was responsible for making something that was only a small hill into a big freakin mountain. It didn't need to be a mountain. In fact, that small hill could have been handled with some deep breaths and a good nights sleep.

So what happened?

I over thought it.

I have a habit of over thinking when it comes to stressful situations. I remember things that have happened in the past, that was in the same situation, and then I get re-stressed by those past events. As if the current drama wasn't enough, I add more.

So once I came home I tried my stress reliever. Reading. It helped while I was reading but as soon as I stopped I felt the bad mood coming right back. My next course of action was just to go to bed.

And you know what.

It helped. I woke up this morning with a better mood. And it felt amazing!

So bad days come. They always do. When they happen sometimes you can change that mood. Turn your frown upside down. And other times you just can't. You can't shake that bad mood at all. That is when you should sleep it off.

All you can do after having a bad day...is to have a better day the next day. And that is exactly what I did.

During Lunch I did my #LBDWorkout and since I was such a pain yesterday I did both Tuesday's and Wednesday's workout. I will tell you I felt it...and still feeling it! 

Once I came one, it was time to start dinner and workout! I did the Slim in 6 w/ the Hubby for 30 minutes and still had dinner ready by the time it was done! 

Then of course I had to make up for my wall sits I missed yesterday. So it was time to pull out the #RTF30daysofthanks and do my 1:00 min wall sit! Thank you Hubby for the pic! 

And after all of that physical activity I can only feel happy again. I have my Shakeology ready for Breakfast, My gym bag ready for tomorrow's Lunch Workout / Spin Class and my dinner soup ready to go. So there really is nothing that I will allow to stop me from having the rest of this week a good week! 

On a side note I have changed my workout schedule. I went to the Kickboxing on Monday and found that it just wasn't my cup of tea. The owner was nice enough where I am exchanging my groupon to someone else (seriously awesome guy!). So instead on kickboxing on Wednesday / Friday I am coming home to do a BeachBody Workout DVD. I have Slim in 6, Hip Hop AB's and now Brazilian Butt Masters. So there are plenty to choose from. 

Okay NeverEver's, it is time for me to head to bed! I will see you all tomorrow for Motivational Thursday! 

What do you do when you are having a bad day? 

Guest Post - Top 4 More Weight Loss Myths Debunked

Hey NeverEver's!

First I am sorry this is a day late. It was a horrible day for me yesterday, while not an excuse it is just the truth. However, I really had to share this Guest Post. Why? Because we have all been there. Yo-Yo'ing on our weight or googling 'Fast Way to Lose Weight' even though we know better. So here is some of these weight loss myths taken away!

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Top 4 More Weight Loss Myths Debunked

You’d think that by now the whole subject of weight loss would have been blown wide open with all the various studies and research carried out over the decades, but you’d be wrong. Even in 2013 there are still more myths and misunderstandings about weight loss than there are comprehensively understood facts, which leads to the perpetuation of myths which only stand to hamper the efforts of those with the best intentions.

So once again as a means by which to address some of the more common examples that for one reason or another just won’t quit, here’s a look at a few more weight loss myths and the actual truth behind them.

Eating at Night is Bad for you

One of the longest-standing weight loss myths of all, there are still millions who for one reason or another are convinced that every last crumb they put in their mouths before bed will turn into fat. Nonsense – like the rest of the day it’s all about what you eat before you go to bed as opposed to whether or not you eat at all. Go to bed starving hungry and your body won’t respond well at all during the night, but eat something easy to digest and low in sugar to keep your whole system moving as it should and encourage restful sleep.

Rapid Weight Loss Is Impossible

This is a bit of a tricky one as rapid weight loss is indeed 100% possible, but the trick is knowing how to lose it healthily and in a way that sticks. Crash diets prove that the body can lose weight like lightning, but they’re so dangerous for your health and always lead to the dreaded yo-yo effect. Healthy weight loss over a short period of time therefore is not about starving the body, but instead giving it exactly what it needs combined with serious efforts to improve and increase exercise and training. Lose weight this way and you can rest assured it won’t be coming back to bite.

Carbs Make you Fat

Somewhere along the course of the past few years, carbs developed a reputation for being the single biggest enemy of dieters all over the world. As of right now, there are millions going about their business under the impression that carbs make you fat and should be avoided at all costs – some going so far as to cut them out of their diets entirely. In reality however, carbs will only ever make you fat if you binge on them without taking into account their calorie content. Eaten in sensible quantities, carbs provide efficient slow-release energy that can keep you feeling fuller for longer and thus naturally reduce the amount you eat.

The Fewer Calories, The Better

And finally, it might seem like a good idea to cut your diet from 2,000 calories a day to 1,000 from the word go, but it isn’t. If you don’t take in enough calories then your body will think it’s going to starve to death and make sure every calorie you do consume gets stored safely away as fat reserves. It’s hard to believe, but there are so many people across the UK that could lose weight if only they’d eat more!

By Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton has sought the help of Tim Hayes Fitness, a well-respected fitness centre in London, to achieve her fitness goals.  She exercises not to become skinny but to become healthy.  For more info about THF, you may click here.  For more about Lisa, you may add her in Google+.

November 1st

Hey NeverEver's!

Welcome to the first day of November. Wait its November already? Seriously, wasn't I just talking about July and EDC? I can't believe that we only have 61 days until the end of the year. That just seems crazy to me and from what I have read on other blogs crazy to them as well.

But I am starting off the new month right. In plaid. I have always wanted to wear plaid but never really had the guts to pull it off. Well that and I was never sure what to wear with patterns. But I would like to think that I pulled it off today!

So besides my awesome fashion sense (slightly using sarcasm fyi) I am also working on what my month is going to look like. I have it planned out, mostly, and I do not want to see myself not making this happen.

Lets do my runs first.

11/2/2013 - Awesome 80's Run in San Diego
Side note I am really looking forward to this run for 2 reasons.
1. I get a Darth Vadar Medal at the end
and
2. This run is professionally timed. I never had a timing chip before!

11/28/2013 - Turkey Trot in Los Angeles.
Never done a Turkey Trot before (I wasn't running last year sooo ya) Oh and did I mention that I get a Medal w/ this run as well!!!

I also have 3 Virtual Runs that I need to do this month but I haven't exactly planned them out. Usually they just happen. So be on the look out for 3 mile runs happening in the middle of the week ^_~

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Next is my workouts. Now that I can walk up my work stairs without gasping for breath I am ready to go hardball again!

Monday - Wednesday
Kickboxing Class at Marcelo Cavalcanti Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
6 pm to 7 pm

Tuesday - Sunday
KettleBells at Long Beach Kettlebell Club
Tue - 5:30 pm / Sun - 8 am

Thursday - Saturday
Spinning Class at Studio Pulse
Thur - 5:30 pm / Sat - 11 am

Saturday
Brazilian Butt Lift DVD at a Friends House
12:30 - 1:30 pm

I am also doing 2 different side challenges.

The first one I am going to be doing in the morning before heading to work.

Hey even my sleepy head has 4 mins and 30 seconds to spare ^_~

So I will be working on my wall holds in the morning. If you want to join me make sure to post on FB Rhoads To Fitness or you can tweet to join with # RTF30daysofthanks .

The next one is my lunch workout. I personally don't think it will be strenuous but it will get me active for at least 20 minutes during my lunch. Its from ChallengeLoop and its called LBD Workout and you can follow along w/ #LBDWorkout

But here is the workout.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will be doing

1. Shoulder Raises - 3 sets of 15
2. Hip Hinge - 3 sets of 15 on each leg
3. Reverse Fly  - 3 sets of 15
4. Sit up with a Twist - 2 sets of 20
5. Squat & Swing  - 3 sets of 20

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

1. Press & Reach  - 3 sets of 10
2. Booty Bridge -  3 sets of 10 ( each leg and 1 w/ both legs on ground )
3. Step-ups  - 3 sets of 15 ( 3 sets each leg )
4. Hip Drop Planks  - 30 seconds
5. Hi Pulls  - 3 sets of 10

 Ok that is it. I swear. Gonna start all of this on Monday...except my run of course. That is still on for tomorrow! But now it is time to finish up Friday and to get ready for a really early wake up call for tomorrow.

What are your plans for this November?

Guest Post - Easy Tips To Help Anyone With Kidney Disease Remain Super Positive

Hey NeverEver's!

Welcome to Tuesday! I have to be honest with you all today the weekend can't come fast enough...or at least 4 pm so I can go home and take a nap. I have been feeling exhausted but I know that is just my cold leaving my body.

However, today is the day for Guest Posts and it is all about the Kidney! Now that little organ in our body is something I never really thought about too much before until about 3 years ago I got a Kidney Infection. And then suddenly everything I thought about was the Kidney. So when I was approached to have a Guest Post about Kidney Disease and how to be positive throughout it I jumped at it. Because, maybe if there was something like this before I got my infection it wouldn't have been so hard.

So without further ado I present the Guest Post ---

You've just been diagnosed with kidney disease and the news has just totally flipped your life upside down. You’re sitting there and you really don’t know what to do. What’s going to happen and will your life ever be the same again? 

Once the initial shock is over, you start to have a lot of talks with various different kidney disease specialists but no matter what advice they give you… deep down you just feel like nobody understands what you’re going through. You just want this whole mess to disappear and for your old life to come back to you.

In official terms an individual that goes through illness will actually experience 4 different phases which include denial, anger, depression and acceptance. These phases together are known as the Kubler Ross cycle.

But if you want to overcome kidney disease and move into good health you need to go from the denial phase to having an extremely positive outlook for your future. This will not only make it easier both mentally and emotionally but it will actually help you get into good health a lot faster too.

There are various research studies out there such as the work done by Dr Candace Pert which shows that the mind has an extremely powerful affect on the body.

This is why it’s so important that you make sure that you remain in a positive frame of mind at all times. Whether it be good times or bad times you have to stay positive at all times.

You also want to avoid being one of those people that keeps bouncing about from being happy one moment and sad the next. This will surely just leave you physically and emotionally distressed. Instead of this why not just follow the tips below to remain in a positive mental state at all times!

Work To Get Rid of All The Negative Labels You Have On Yourself!

The truth is that whenever anything goes wrong in people’s lives the first thing they usually do is start to mentally torture themselves over and over again.

Instead of just accepting the failure as part of life and moving on they keep thinking about it and keep telling themselves that it was because of them that everything seems to fail. But calling yourself a failure is not going to do anything but result in you getting sad and depressed. Stop doing this to yourself… focus on the positive and on moving towards good health.

Your Current Problems Are Your Greatest Assets

Take 5 minutes of your time and study the most successful people on this planet and you’ll realise that they all have one thing in common. That is that they all went through periods of extreme hardship and instead of letting the situation get them down they used it as motivation to move forward and get amazing results.

Your current situation with kidney disease is no different. You have the opportunity to actually move forward, overcome kidney disease and get into the best health of your life. Not only that but you actually have the chance to make some amazing discoveries about yourself.

I’ve found that every single person out there is different and so depending on who you are, you’ll make unique discoveries about yourself. I’ve known people who as a result of their experience with illness have gone on to really start paying attention to their loved ones… others have actually gone on to start appreciating their own lives on a whole new level!

So what discoveries are you going to end up making about yourself? Well, only you can really answer that! But keep in mind that this disease is merely a blessing in disguise!

Begin To View Every Problem As a Challenge You’ll Solve Step by Step

You see if you analyse the Great Pyramids of Giza then you’ll notice that it was the result of putting one brick on top of another, again and again until the whole pyramid was done. 

There was no shortcut, and it wasn’t done overnight. But if you take a look at people today then it’s really sad to see that most people end up giving up well before they even get started because they feel that the journey ahead of them is just going to be too hard or just impossible.

But I want to tell you right now that nothing on this planet is hard as long as you’re prepared to put in the work and stay committed to getting the job done.  Not even kidney disease will be able to stay around if you’re persistent and never give up!

But you must remember that the only way to achieve anything is to take it one step at a time until you have gotten to where you want to be.

Start To Really Appreciate All The Good Things in Your Life

You seriously need to develop a sense of gratitude because doing so will help you to constantly focus on the good things in your life rather than all the things that aren’t going so well. 

To make this a regular part of your life, I’d recommend that you start each day by writing a list of all the things that you are seriously grateful for. 

Whatever it is that you feel really grateful for, just write it down. Keep repeating this habit every single day and you’ll get to a point where you’re going to feel great all the time. Being at this point is really amazing because it’ll help you focus completely on the things you need to do in order to get into amazing health in record time… instead of just focusing on all the negative elements and end up getting nowhere.

So there you go folks, all the tips you need to implement to get into a really positive frame of mind. Remember it’s only when you’re in a positive state that you’ll be able to make all the best choices in regards to your health! So get out there and make sure that you are implementing the advice I’ve shared here.

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If you enjoyed reading this article then be sure to check out Jenny's blog over at kidneydietcure.com where she tries her best to help as many people as possible overcome kidney disease and live a healthy and meaningful life :) You can also find her over at Twitter.

Laryngitis How I Hate You

Hey NeverEver's!

I swear to you there is nothing worse then being sick but not feeling sick...unless you start doing something physical. That is how I am feeling with my Laryngitis. I feel fine. No fever, no headaches, no throat hurting, no coughing (ok some they don't come often) and no body aches. Yet when I am faced with climbing upstairs (like at work) by the top I am winded and dying. So this is why I am seriously hating on Laryngitis. It isn't fair. I hate being sick and I haven't had this particular cold since I was a kid and I remember my throat was hurting a lot more back then.

Anyways, the worst part is the whole 'I can't even go upstairs how am I to workout' deal. I want to workout. I have my barre, bikram and boot camp to finish this month. I wanted to finish strong, I wanted to show myself that I could do it. But nature had other plans for me. Nature (or at least my body) told me NO you are going to take a break. I have tried to fight it, with my 5k last Saturday, and at times I succeeded but for now I have to take it easy.

So what does all of this mean for me? Besides the fact that I can't work out or do anything more then just walk around? Well it means tons of

So admittedly this is my struggle. I mean I have given up Soda's for 2 1/2 months and counting! But beyond that I still have my sweets, I still eat out and although I am cooking more at home it just isn't enough. So while I was at lunch feeling sorry for myself (hey I can't talk and I can't work out I am allowed a moment of self pity) it hit me. Why not make the rest of this week all about clean eating. Do something that your body will appropriate even if you cant do anymore burpees (my boot camp instructor loves these horrible creations) currently.

But I know if I try to do to much at the same time (unlike too much working out) I am going to get over whelmed. However, it does seem to work, at least for me, that if I make 1 or 2 changes at a time with my eating clean that I can stick with it. For proof please look at the fact that I can't stand the taste of soda anymore and I do not even crave it. Oh and I have given up white sugars. Oh and plus no more splenda or white sugar cane. I either do Stevia (which I admit I am still getting used to the taste of it) or Brown sugar cane.

So here are my options.

Now to be completely honest I don't think I am ready for Paleo yet. I mean I still eat In-N-Out for lunch or go out on the weekends. That type of dedication to eating is something to be looked upon with awe but with the knowledge that I am just not there.

So that leaves clean eating. Which is nicely broken down here for me. So what exactly am I going to focus on?

• More Fruits and Veggies in my life. Which includes during lunch, dinner AND as Snacks
• More Water...Seriously I need at least 4 of my purple bottle (20 oz) a day
• Since I am not working out...cook but just for me. Don't want the family getting sick
• Stay away from processed foods. 

I have included a guide on here, for me and for you, on what basically clean eating food is. I am printing this out as I head to the grocery store tonight after work. 

Looking at my list of things that I want to change most of them are doable. Actually, they all are but the one I am probably going to have the most issue with is the 'Stay away from Processed Foods' one. I mean lets me honest it is so much easier getting processed foods even if you don't mean too. I tried getting corn off a cob and it was a pain. A real pain so I still buy canned goods. Maybe I should just stay away from corn...

Anyways, I am ready for this challenge. I am ready to do something else for my body that I have been neglecting. 

So that is my plan for the rest of the week. Or at least until I can go back up the stairs without being winded. Hopefully, that happens soon!