WORK IT WEDNESDAY

I hope all of you are enjoying your week....

I have been following my STAR SYSTEMZ plan by taking my workouts to the hotel gym and eating the most nutritious foods but still of course LOVING life out in Playa! 

It has been so fun and so care-free. I may not have results next week but I know I will maintain which is what is most important. I am loving my muscle definition and I can not wait to see those abs pop! I am not one of the lucky ones with the good genes I really REALLY REALLY have to work for anything on my body!

As they say:

"80-90% DIET, 10% WORKOUT"

I am in Playa Del Carmen on my honeymoon with my husband so posts may be spastic but I could never let you down and not give you a workout!

If you do not have dumbbells at home grab a milk jug and feel that thing with water and you have yourself a kettle bell/dumbbell :)

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

If you have goals, dreams and desires and never start the actual goal or take the first steps towards obtaining your goals, dreams and desires you really do not have ANY right to complain that something has not happened.

For instance..I dream, I desire and I want abs! I work hard at the gym, eat extremely clean but lack cardio sometimes and I honestly know I can push myself harder but do I?

Well...sometimes...but right now I am on a mission to get these abs I have always dreamed for and desired! 

I stopped complaining and am now on a MISSION to eat organic, healthy foods and explore my natural surroundings while pushing myself EXTRA hard at the gym and adding more cardio to my lifestyle.

I hate the treadmill, elliptical etc. so I switch it up every 10 minutes at the gym but STILL ugh! 

So now I am off to a new LOVE of hiking, and exploring Cabo San Lucas by foot. 

Today I went off with two of my girlfriends and hiked (scaled) LOVER'S BEACH

 For those of you who have yet to experience the MAGIC of Cabo San Lucas need to come to this beach! You either have to hike (scale rocks) to it or you can take a water taxi (which I always have)

Little girl in a huge pile of rocks!

The man pictured here has so much swag it became photo worthy! Socks and snorkeling! 

Ashley and Nickie about to Scale Rocks

By the way I am BAREFOOT on rocks YES!

I did it!

I felt so accomplished and just super connected to my spiritual, natural self which is always good :)

My challenge to myself is to start trying new things and explore my element and explore just ME more!

I love the fact that I spent time with my girlfriends, worked out, checked off a ( I have never....) and began a new routine for myself.

As the quote above says...Begin NOW so start today....

MAKE THAT LIST RIGHT NOW!

and start checking things off...

What is stopping YOU from starting your new beginning?

Why?

TIP TUESDAY

You eat all the right foods, 4-6 meals a day and workout and you still seem to be STUCK! No more pounds falling off, fat still sticks there and you just DO NOT GET IT!

Well SISTER, I am here to help you!

There are a few reasons why this is going on but today we are going to focus on one of the larger reasons: PORTION CONTROL..

That's RIGHT...just because you are eating "healthy foods", :ALMOND's, PINENUT'S, SEEDS ETC. (raw, unroasted, unsalted) does not mean you can eat the whole bag.....

And grains like quinoa, barley, brown rice, whole wheat pastas..etc..same thing! YES you are eating quinoa and you know all of the health benefits but does that mean you should have three servings? NO

These foods STILL have calories! Yes, they are better choices compared to what you used to eat so GO YOU! 

But it is NOW time to look into that NEXT STEP...

You have the right formula, the right foods but those portion sizes are out of control! (trust me I am with you on this one...me and nuts are "frienenemies")

Counting on Nutrition Charts that restaurants and the internet are WONDERFUL but remember these estimates are not EXACTLY what you will be served when you go out to that same exact restaurant and order that same exact dish...WHY? Well half the time the chef is not measuring the amount of oils, butters, and gosh knows what else and could give you a larger slab of meat or even a larger serving than what was given the day of testing. Also this number is usually a "mean." A mean is a sum of all the totals divided by the amount which then gives the approximate result. 

I know you most likely don't have a portable food scale, or a nutritional chart on the back of every single thing you eat so here are so "handy" guides for you to control your portion sizes....

WORK IT WEDNESDAY

SOURCE

First position releve example.

SOURCE

Romanian deadlift example

Sixth position example

When I get brave enough there will be workout videos that correspond with these just give me a few :) Let me know how this works out for you, COMMENT BELOW!

I worked out with some of my girlfriends this morning and had a BLAST! I love it when I can challenge someone and show them something new that they can use to help with an area they don't like about themselves and want to change!

WORK IT WEDNESDAY

PLAYLIST

StarShips-Nicki Minaj

Party Rock Anthem-LMFAO

Good Feeling-Flo Rida

Works out perfectly with this workout! Let me know how you completed work it wednesday :)

OUT AND ABOUT

I pull out my Skinny Star tricks all the time when dining out! Right now I am preparing for my wedding day, May 5th which is right around the corner and of course I want to be in tip-top shape! Last night I went out to Edith's in Cabo San Lucas, MX with my fiancé and our friend and it was delicious! The atmosphere there is unbelievable with live music, gorgeous decor and top of the notch service.

A fun video of my fiancé and our friends dessert and not going to lie I took a bite :)

*This was my very first video so don't judge me haha :)

Some quick Skinny Star tricks when dining out:
-1 glass of wine at dinner, 1 glass of wine after (or other drinks work as well, I am just a wino)
-Turn that one glass into 2 with a trick I like to call "The Skinny Sparkler"
-Tea for dessert (freshens breathe and helps you feel even more full)
-If I have to one bite of each persons dessert, savor all the flavors.

"Skinny Sparkler"

1 Glass of Red Malbec Wine (my favorite, any will do)

Sparkling Water

Squeeze of Bar Sized Lime

-Delicious yummy and will last you the entire dinner

The best thing is have FUN! Always enjoy yourself! There is no need to NOT drink because you are trying to lose weight its called not downing 50 margaritas! A HUGE difference! 100-150 calories is not I repeat is NOT going to make you fat the next day. The point of going out is to enjoy yourself so do it!

POWER SHAKE

Right now I am cleansing my system to get a fresh start to my new workout regimen! I always do a little change before starting something new because I like to switch things up in order to continue seeing results. To do this the first thing you need to do is cut out ALL and I mean ALL sodas, sugars, alcohol, packaged/processed foods which is easy considering all this diet consist of is a few simple ingredients!

Its three days for me this time possibly I will do five we will see what my body says. In anything you do, ALWAYS listen to your body! If you treat your body like a temple and listen to what its saying to you, you will never have those problems many of us have today (poor health, poor digestion, upset stomach, heart burn, large stomachs etc.)

My skin has been very dry and by looking at my tongue on this chart I am at a Damp Retention and need some detoxing ASAP! Take a look at this chart and see where you are at.

http://www.stewarttrotter.com/tongue_chart.htm

My Super Shake:

Ingredients:

-1 handful raw spinach
-1 scoop whey chocolate protein powder
-2 spoonfuls chia seeds
-8 oz of water
-1 handful of berries (the darker the better, blueberries,blackberries,raspberries, strawberries)
-dash of cinnamon for taste
-3-4 ice cubes

I get some protein, fibers, antioxidants, Omega 3's, vitamins, minerals and since its all mashed up my body doesn't have to put too much into digesting it so it can focus on all the other undigested foods I have lying around in there.

-Tip: If you have yet to try Chia Seeds they are pretty much tasteless and have so many amazing health benefits its only to your benefit to start adding it to your meals!

Try it out and let me know what you think! I have been seeing results just from drinking a shake in the morning instead of my normal oatmeal. I am seeing that eating such a large bowl of oatmeal was slowing me down instead of energizing me due to the fact that breaking-the-fast should be a light meal not a heavy one.

Have an terrific Tuesday :)

NUTS ABOUT NUTS

One trait that I notice about individuals who are consuming healthy foods but are still overweight is there portion sizes are out of whack! Eating almonds is amazing for you, it provides you with healthy fats and proteins and taste really good. So why are you gaining weight? The first questions I always ask is how many are you eating? I always hear the same thing.."I am unsure, a few handfuls I guess" well if you knew that every handful contains about 100-120 calories you would be shocked to know that your "healthy snack" has become 300 or more calories. Snacks should be around 100 calories, 150 at most of course depending on the individual but 300 calories for anyone is too much.

I have created a list of commonly consumed nuts and how many equal 100 calories.

Just keep this chart in mind the next time you go for that handful of nuts! Have an amazing day :)

WORK IT WEDNESDAY

What are you working on for yourself? Start by switching those bad habits to good ones!

What if you were able to just put down that pizza, chocolate bar, cigarette, starbucks drink or soda? What power would you hold being able to set that bad habit down and walk away and grab something else?

A bad habit ends through change. What change can YOU make to let go of that bad habit?

For some, it takes radical damage to occur or an event to create change. For most, it really just takes replacing it with something else. Another habit..but it needs to be a "good" habit.

Here are some ideas of good habits:

Feel like chowing down on some chips or nibbling on processed snacks?

-Write it down! Studies show that writing down your bad habit or even just scrabble will take your mind somewhere else.

-The next time you feel like munching, grab a piece of paper and a pen/pencil or even colored pens or pencils and get writing and or drawing.

Always grab a soda at your lunch break?

-Start by drinking soda water and squeezing a lime in it

-The fuzziness of the soda water will cure that habit and the lime will give it just the flavor it needs

-If you have to have that coca cola taste start by mixing half soda water and half the soda that way you can ween yourself off of that bad habit

-Learn to suck down waters instead! 0 calories, refreshing and just what the body needs

Work on ONE habit at a time. If you are one to have many habits, do not stress! Just focus on one at a time. You will get there and YOU have the confidence, you just have to do it.

Just remember to keep things consistent. Do NOT, and I repeat do NOT just break that bad habit because you feel you have overcome it. Studies show that it takes at LEAST 31 days but I say it takes 3 months to banish a bad habit. I know because I was highly and I mean not living a day without sugar. The high I got and how I felt while doing homework by eating a bag of gummy bears was priceless. I now indulge in a sweet about once a week or if that. If I can do it YOU can do it :)

TABATA TUESDAY

And here it is Tuesday :) The one thing I love about Tuesday's is that I am over the Monday thing and ready to get my week fired up!

Check out this Tabata I rocked this morning and try it for yourself! It is a real sweat creator!

TABATA WEEK 9 WORKOUT

-2 minutes pre cardio warm up with stretching-

Jump Rope-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Lunge Jumps-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Froggy Jumps-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Sumo Squats-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Lunges with Knee Raise-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Lunge Jumps-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

Froggy Jumps-20 seconds

REST-10 Seconds

REPEAT 3 TIMES

-2 minutes resting cardio and stretching-

-I know you can do it-

ROCK IT :)

Let me know how it worked out!

WORKOUT ROUTINE

Lately, I have been trying to switch things up as I feel I need a different push. Working out takes a toll on our bodies and when pushing too much your body starts to feel stressed. I used to do a 7 day a week workout whether it was a hardcore cardio push, strength training or just an easy pilates toning day, I always did SOMETHING.

The next three months, I have been putting together another schedule as my current training schedule, I feel has been overwhelming to my body and my body is starting to store. This is what they call a "plateau."

A "plateau" is when the body gets used to your body doing the same routine over and over again and you either stop losing weight and stop gaining muscle which of course is the ultimate goal. Most want low body fat and of course to do this the "correct" way you must gain muscle.

My new schedule looks a bit like this:

Monday-Stretching morning/chest and triceps at night

Tuesday-Tabata morning/bicep and back at night

Wednesday-Cardio morning/shoulders and abs at night

Thursday-Stretching morning/legs at night

Friday-Tabata morning/rest at night

Saturday-Cardio or Tabta morning/full body strength at night

Sunday-REST DAY
REPEAT

Hopefully I see some results because from what I can see my current routine is not working out for me or its just that holiday bloat.

What is your current routine? Sometimes you need to switch something up in order to maximize your efforts. I am tweaking with my nutritional plan right now as well and avoiding certain foods and alcohol. I know I did some damage to my liver and staying away from alcohol, fatty foods and caffeine. I also have been squeezing lemons in everything as lemon is a strong detoxifier for the liver. I recommend squeezing lemons in your water and teas in order to help that holiday liver out ;)

Enjoy your weekend and remember your body is a temple, love it and treat it right and in no time your summer bod will be rockin ;)

TABATA TUESDAY

TABATA WEEK 7 WORKOUT

2 minutes of light cardio to get your heart and body moving :)

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Air Squats-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Wall Sit with Bicep Curl- 20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Plank-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Bicycle Crunches-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Squat Jumps-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

REPEAT

2 minutes of light cardio to put your heart back on and breathe!

I am sure if you have been following my blog you are ready to repeat this lovely tabata at least one more time :)

Enjoy and do not forget to stretch your brains out this one might make you a bit sore ;)

MENU STACKER

Next time you head out to eat remember some of these key words :)

TABATA TUESDAY

I have been completing my tabatas at the end of my strength training. During strength training the body uses glucose to provide energy to the muscles and body. Once the glucose is all used up the body relies on fat to give it the fuel it needs to power through a workout. A quick 4 minute burst of intense cardio will help burn that extra fat and keep the flame firing for several hours after your workout.

Give it a try, I promise results!

TABATA WEEK 6 WORKOUT

-Start out with a 2 minute light cardio warm up and a quick stretch

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Froggy Jumps-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

High Knees-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Mountain Climbers-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Squat Jumps-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

High Knees-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Mountain Climbers-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

-Do light cardio for 2 minutes and stretch!

Todays playlist: Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Let me know how it works out :)

TABATA TUESDAY

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays :) I sure did! I got tons of makeup, clothes and from the love of my life some bling bling and a brand new big Louis! I could not ask for more! I also threw a dinner party of 13 people and with the help of my Mom it went quite smooth considering I had never done something like that before, especially a Christmas dinner! I made side dishes like quinoa black bean salad, apple cider carrots, asparagus with shallots, candied chickpeas and my love grilled steaks, chicken and shrimp!

To burn off this wonderful feast I have been working out like crazy even doing squats while washing my face but in my eyes every bit helps!

Today I started off my morning with a ton of water and this lovely tabata workout:

Tabata Week 5 Workout

-Start off with a quick stretch and 2 minute pre cardio workout. Try walking around the house in a steady pace, jogging on the treadmill or lightly jump roping

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

V-ups- 20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Squats with 5 pound weights-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Lunges with 5 pound weights-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

V-ups-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

For some reason I was able to repeat so I did but I recommend just completing the one time! If you still have energy why not try a second round or even just do a quick ab burner!

-Do some light cardio for 2 minutes and stretch everything out!

You now are ready for the day and mind what you place in your body! Your body is your temple, you only get one so make it a healthy one!

Enjoy your workout and let me know how it goes

Love and Shine

C

TABATA TUESDAY

The holiday's are here and I am sure all of you are indulging on all your holiday favorites! I personally am not a big sweets person, but I definitely indulge in a few extra glasses of wine! I have been doubling up on my tabata as with anything your body hits a point where it becomes almost used to the routine and you hit what is called a plateau. To end the plateau, you must switch things around within your diet and workout routine. I suggest shaving off 100 calories-200 calories a day for a four weeks and adding an extra set so instead of doing 3 sets of 15 try doing 4 sets of 20 and also an extra day of fitness. If you usually do five than make it six. For me at first I would do five hardcore fitness days and the sixth day would be a yoga/pilates light day which still engages the muscles.

A way to get that metabolism blasting before heading out I suggest doing a tabata before heading into the shower. I have been jump roping for the 20 seconds for all eight times before heading out as I know I am revving up my metabolism and that extra 100-300 calories I added that meal will not make that large of a difference.

Tabata Week 4 Workout

-Start off with a quick warmup: 2 minutes or so either doing light jump roping or jogging on the treadmill

Jumping Jacks-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

High Knees-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Air Squats-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jumping Jacks-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

High Knees-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Air Squats-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

--Finish off with a 2 minutes cool down of what you did when warming up but relaxing and practicing deep breathing!

Have an amazing holiday and I hope all of you are gearing up for your resolutions and fat loss goals for 2012

Love and Shine

C

TABATA TUESDAY

Here we are again another Tuesday and only a few more weeks left until the year of 2012! I have been doing quick Tabata drills after a 45 minute strength train and a Tabata right before I hop in the shower for a holiday party! Remember although it is the holiday's and certain dishes can only be made by certain family members does not mean you should overstuff yourself! I do advise you to taste those dishes though since I can understand a good dish created by a family member :)

I have been noticing lots of leggings and wanted to dedicate this tabata to quick cardio with some nice butt exercises to lift those booties and make your booty pop in those leggings!

Tabata Week 3 Workout

-Start off by warming up for 2 minutes or so either doing light jump roping or jogging on the treadmill.

Air Squats- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Jump Rope- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Lunges- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Jump Rope- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Wall Sit- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Jump Rope- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

First position/Eleve- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

Jump Rope- 20 seconds

Rest- 10 seconds

-Finish off with a 2 minutes cool down of what you did when warming up but relaxing and practicing deep breathing!

Let me know how that goes and get fit and firm in just 4 minutes :)

Love and Shine

C

Tabata Tuesday

Another Tuesday has arrived and its time to up the tempo a tad :)

Last week we did "lady" push-ups, standing squats, jumping jacks and other fun exercises.

This week I am going to switch it up and really push the cardio blasts!

Remember Tabata is:

• Pushing hard for 20 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 rounds

Let's get rid of some excess holiday calories and really push this week! After this week we will start recording our results and start creating mini goals for each Tuesday session!

Tabata Week 2 Workout

-Start off by warming up for 2 minutes or so either doing light jump roping or jogging on the treadmill.

Bicycle Crunches-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Mountain Climbers-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Twist Crunches-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jumping Jacks-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

V-Ups-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Finish off with a 2 minutes cool down of what you did when warming up but relaxing and practicing deep breathing!

Stretch that body out and keep that metabolism burning all day long!

Tababta workouts are very powerful and keep the metabolism up for a longer period of time and burn more calories in a shorter amount of time!

These workouts are not to be done every day as they are very intense! Beginners should practice 2-3 times a week and as you progress you can always add small weights or even push yourself even harder!

Enjoy the workout and let me know what you think?

Love and Shine

C

TABATA TUESDAY

What is TABATA?

• Tabata is a high intensity interval workout system that was researched in Japan by Izumi Tabata.
• Izumi Tabata studied two groups of athletes to compare moderate high intensity interval training to high intensity interval training
• Tabata found that the group testing the high intensity interval training improved both there anaerobic (without use of oxygen) and aerobic (use of oxygen) systems while the other moderate high intensity interval training group only improved there anaerobic system.

Basically Tabata training is:

• Pushing hard for 20 seconds
• Resting for 10 seconds
• Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 rounds

Why Tabata?

• Tabata produces incredible result in under 10 minutes which for most would equal the amount of 45 minutes on a steady cardio machine

Tabata Workout (Beginner)

Because of the intensity of Tabata training, I suggest starting out here and working your way up!

1. Start with a light warm-up for 2 minutes, this signals the body and prepares it for exercise. For those at home do some light jumping jacks, stationary jogging or just walk up some stairs nice and easy. For those at the gym get on the treadmill at a 2.5-3.0 pace and walk moving your arms to increase heart rate. Stretch your body out as well!!
2. You are now ready, keep close to a clock as you will need to be on top of your timing, or pick up a Tabata timer for free on your Ipod http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tabata-timer/id391275156?mt=
3. You will need a jump rope and I recommend an exercise/yoga mat as it is much more comfortable and NEVER forget your WATER BOTTLE!

Tabata Week 1

V-ups-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Lunges-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Squats-20 seconds
Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Bicycle Crunches-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jumping Jacks w/ squat-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Lady Push-Ups-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Jump Rope-20 seconds

Rest-10 seconds

Simple yet very effective

*If you want a challenge do real push ups and put some 3-5 lb weights in your hands while doing those jumping jack squats!

*Put yourself to work and PUSH yourself

Let me know how this one works out, I plan to do it later this afternoon possibly after my resistance training!

Love and Shine

C