MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Before starting any lifestyle program, "diet" program, weight loss program, workout program, any program you need to have a PLAN..

Sure the coach maps out a plan for you but if you do not plan to plan you will FAIL

I guarantee it! 

9 times out of 10 people fail programs because they do not plan to succeed in the program.

These people have:

• 0 goals
• 0 groceries
• 0 schedule
• 0 motive
• 0 PLAN

So what do I mean by 0 plan..

Well lets say you sign up with a weight loss program and you follow every single instruction but:

-You don't schedule a time to workout

-You don't grocery shop

-You don't prepare meals

-You don't have daily goals, weekly goals, biweekly goals, monthly goals, 3,6,9 month goals...

So the first week works out for you because you just decided to find the time to workout and you went to the grocery store with the list and found the easy recipes how you say easy so you bought the fruits and yogurts and you really have no goal in mind you just hope to lose those 5 pounds you gained over the last year. 

"But its your best friends birthday" and theres liquor, cake and your ALL TIME favorite loaded potato skins and since you are "dieting" you have made this your "cheat meal" and hoard the entire tray along with cake, shots, long island ice tea's and god knows what else....

So you are on this "diet" and:

I will start again monday...

and the cycle continues....to O shoot my sister is getting married and I really don't want to look like a cow next to her so here comes the next plan...

and the next...

But why are you failing?

You really need to ask yourself these questions before starting another one those "diets" your co-worker lost 15 pounds on..

Why did i purchase programs in the past?

• Did they work for you girlfriends?
• Celebrity Inspired?
• Sounded good at the time?

Did I have defined goals? Weekly goals? Daily goals? 

• Did I make actual goals: drink 8 oz of water today, add 1 more serving of vegetables, try a veggie juice, add 10 more minutes to my cardio
• Go to the gym 4 times this week, try a hike with a girlfriend instead of our weekly lunch, bring lunch to work everyday
• Lose 3 inches from my waist, fit into my "skinny" jeans, have to buy new clothes 2 sizes smaller

Listing actual obtainable goals:

• Listing goals dealing with weight loss ,inches lost, nutritional goals 
  Example could be : I want my waist to be 25 inches and I will do this by: 
  Or
  I want to start a workout program I love and workout 4 times a week

Did I define why I am having trouble losing weight? Do I have a food allergy? Lack of energy? Food addictions? (soda,sugar etc.)

• Using a food consumption chart like this: FOOD CONSUMPTION RECORD for 3-5 days and start noticing patterns. Maybe your breakfast has more sugar then you can imagine so you crash by noon and want more sugar which leads to more and more and more...and you get the point
• Do you notice that you are more bloated after some meals? gassy? This could be an allergy, I suggest going to the doctor and getting tested. Just because you do not break out in hives and have to be rushed to the hospital does not mean you do not have a food allergy
• Do you feel like you are dragging at a certain point in the day? 
• Do  you have to have your frozen yogurt or Starbucks everyday to even make it? Do you know what the nutritional status of these items are? 

Ask yourself why your last program did not work:

• Maybe you hated the food,
• Felt like an idiot doing the workout
• Your lifestyle may not work with a program that has you cooking at every meal and working out every single day for 2 hour

Again ask yourself WHY and be detailed about it whether it be:

• I just didn't have the time
• The food tasted like POOP
• The workout was to difficult
• I was not coordinated enough to do the movements
• I felt like I could not keep up and I just threw in the towel

Before starting any lifestyle changes you MUST plan to make these changes! 

No plan is a quick fix, all changes should be life long changes and fit into your current lifestyle.

Sure some programs like to boast how easy it is if you buy a product from them and how yummy it is but honestly how long do you want to put artificial crap into your system? It is time to really plan and have a plan that WORKS for you! No one's lifestyle is alike! Someone might work the same hours as you but have a gym in there apartment building and love to cook, someone else may not work at all but have 5 kids who hate vegetables and a small budget for extra activities.

Stop dreaming and START DOING

What is your plan today?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

That word...DIET..

It SUCKS does it not?..

Like me I am sure you are getting ready to ROCK your hot new bod at the beach, pool parties or just wearing those hot new summer dresses and short-shorts!

Or if you are not quite ready yet you are working towards it and working hard!

You have cut it out and are so tempted ALL the time but what if there was an easier way to make this diet thing EASIER?

Today I am going to show you how to psychologically lose weight..

Most nutritionists, diet experts and so forth tend to talk about all the foods you CAN'T have...

NO white breads, NO cookies, NO flour, NO candy, NO starbucks, NO alcohol, NO  to all of your favorite foods 

So what happens...

Imagine yourself as a little child..

Me at 3...

Your parents told you "NO, you can't do that or NO you can't have that", so forth...what did you do?

YOU DID IT ANYWAYS because YOU WERE TOLD NOT TOO

You are a REBEL, hey so am I look at that picture....

most likely without a CAUSE..

but when you force the word NO into your mind you are most likely going to eat that "NO" listed food

For most people trying to achieve that level of "perfection"; it just becomes more stressful so that person ends up throwing in the towel and not doing anything about their current eating habits..

Especially since most of the healthy foods they have tried are plain, tasteless, boring, the word NO to the one thing that fulfills that current desire, that current craving, that current YUM (nom nom nom) moment, just seems too difficult to say NO too...

Is this you?

It was me especially with candy...I knew sugar=fat, sugar=diabetes, sugar=the devil, but one taste of Swedish Fish and I was eating the entire box (movie theatre size of course)...and this is because I kept telling myself NO Court you can NOT have these Swedish Fish...

What I learned from what nutritionists call the "90/10" rule is that if you fill your temple (body) up with nutritious, healthy foods your body will no longer crave these "NO" listed foods...

Ok yah whatever I still crave those chocolate donuts even after a filling chicken and veggie salad...

I still crave those swedish fish sister let me tell you...but..the last time I had some was on my wedding day and I had..if I can remember like 5 or 6 and I was happpy..

But wait, I said 90/10 rule which means 10% of the time you can feel free to help yourself to that donut because what's the one goal most of us have? 

It is to be BALANCED...

Start looking forward to those juicy fresh fruits, or that scrumptious vegetable salad with your favorite homemade dressing! I love red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of hummus!

Salad with chicken and shredded carrots! The chicken was marinated in rosemary and dill so good!

Yummy chicken salad with sprouts, sun dried tomatoes, olives and a balsamic vinaigrette 

Soup that tasted like a pizza with some brewers yeast (since I am allergic to dairy)

1 cup air popped pop corn is only 35-40 calories per cup add some coconut oil while popping and you get around 50-60 calories add some Brewers Yeast which will dose you up on B-12 (energy) and add a cheesy flavor to your popcorn and there you are your replacement for cheesy chips!

1/2 a cup of papaya and a drizzle of raw honey takes even that ice cream fanatics craving away and its only about 50 calories depending on how much raw honey you drizzle! If you want more papaya trade the raw honey for some 0 calorie Stevia for that same craving punch and remember that 1 cup of papaya without honey is only 50-60 calories!

Sprouts are living foods which give you a ton of energy and can be added to anything! Add them to your eggs in the morning, toast them and have them as snacks, make a salad out of them! 

Star Systemz Sprouting

Start your day by telling yourself what you WILL be having not what you WILL NOT and I promise ridding of that crap food will become easier and easier! 

Try new foods and make it exciting for yourself and friends by printing out recipes and cooking for each other! Grab your friends and run to the farmers market and pick up some vegetables you have never seen nor heard of! Ask the farmer or seller a yummy recipe it or just even what its called and look it up online.

There are tons of ways to make eating healthy fun you just need to put the words HEALTHY into a positive light and not an ugly, boring, tasteless one!

Remember slow and steady wins the race...

"Adding MORE heathy foods to your plate "CROWDS OUT" all the crap"

How are you going to crowd out the crap?

What are you going to do to make your YES list more exciting?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

If you follow me on twitter @c0urtstar, you know I am SICK! I have an inner ear infection and to state that I feel like I am constantly high (not that I would know) is an UNDERSTATEMENT

This quote really spoke to me this morning because even though I have been sick and not truly able to go full force in a workout I have been practicing stretching, Mat Pilates, and lightly walking around my neighborhood when I feel up to it :)

I miss my hardcore workouts and sweating like crazy when leaving the gym and trust me I am dying to go but completely quitting your workout routine is one of the worst things you can do. Trust me, resting and taking rest days are CRUCIAL but if you completely lift the emergency brake on your car it can be more harmful then good! So get stretching sister :)

Eating tons of healthy food helps too :)

Meal for my hubby: Pita, Salad with carrots, pineapple, raisins, and walnuts with some rice pilaf and grilled chicken 

I have been craving sweets and a slice of papaya with some raw honey has done the trick (so far)

Steamed broccoli, green peas, squash and grilled chicken

Thawing out some chicken to prepare for the next few meals

Mix of leftovers (best meal yet)

Update on me:

-I have quit my Lexapro (anxiety meds) and let me tell you its been difficult but since I have been practicing food meditations, deep breathing (through the nose and out the nose), and stretching it has been helping A TON. When a situation comes up where I feel that rush of stress I just breathe and stretch it out of my body!

-I have completely rid of WHEY PROTEIN and I am feeling so much lighter and not so sluggish! I really do believe that you can be allergic to just about anything. Stop and feeling how your body feels after certain meals. Just because EVERYONE hypes about WHEY protein and its health benefits there are tons of other options that work with those with dairy allergies: Hemp Protein, Rice Proteins, Egg White Proteins, Kefir

Sun Warrior Protein is going to be my next trial :)

-Like I said above, I am stretching like a fanatic and have started practicing pilates again (in hopes of abs) and of course better posture! Ladies you know ALL about osteoporosis so start putting those shoulders back, getting your daily calcium requirements and weight lifting!

My Power Pilates Certification Book

What are some changes you have made? Comment and let me know! I love being inspired :)

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?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Anything is possible! I mean it!

Truth to that be told and for some it can be harder than others but just know that anything, ANYTHING is POSSIBLE if you put your mind to it!

Since this is a health, fitness, motivational type blog I will focus on that as my "main point" but it really can be APPLIED to ANYTHING in life (love, friends, work etc.)

Women most of the time are looking for a quick fix diet, a way to look EXTRA fit for memorial day weekend, birthdays, that next big trip but go home after all the fun/hardwork and gain it all back and then some (most of the time)

I am about to give you some tips that will transform the way you think about dieting and I promise you there are ways to lose weight without dieting...


THATS RIGHT WITHOUT DIETING

it is called a LIFESTYLE CHANGE...

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Start making commitments to yourself!

We all make commitments to our friends, boyfriends, husbands, kids, jobs, and god knows what else but what about YOU!?!

I sit back and do the same. I get caught up in pleasing others, stop what I am doing for myself to do something more for my husband, my doggies, friends, family and I sit back and wonder what is missing sometimes. What is missing is ME! My love for music, working out, cooking, sprouting, reading learning and dancing! Putting others before yourself is ok sometimes, but is never ok if this is the life you lead!

Take charge of YOU first and the rest will follow....

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

You walk into a Zumba class with an excited mind set, a bit nervous as you have never done it before and have 0 dancing skills, but still excited. Then the class starts, the music gets pumping and the instructor starts moving and shouting. You look around and everyone knows the dance moves and looks like a Justin Bieber back up dancer, while you are in the corner eyes wide open and now feeling stupid. (by the way, I have been here before in a multitude of classes)

NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GOALS! I know how hard it can be to join a new class or start exercising after NEVER having done it since forced PE in high school, but you must remember one thing EVERYONE had to start somewhere. That means YOU have to start mimicking moves you have never done before whether it be zumba, kickboxing or just simply lifting weights.

Programs like P90x might scare the crap out of you and you may think you will never get to that point but I promise you in time YOU WILL!

Do you think Kobe scored 3 pointers without any practice, a good attitude and mind frame? How hard do you think Lady Gaga practiced and struggled to be who she is today? I know these examples may seem extreme but remember that to get ANYWHERE you must get off your BUTT and get moving!


If you get discouraged remember ONE thing, you are still lapping everyone on the couch and that should make you feel better at that moment!

KEEP IT UP, you will be a SHINING STAR IN NO TIME AT ALL!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Have you ever drove yourself crazy trying to be perfection and get everything around you to be just PERFECT? Well I have and it has torn holes in me, and almost always been a downfall. So why do we do it? Not really sure..neither am I? All I know, is that we should start striving for progress! 

How AMAZING does it feel to look back and see how far you have come on a goal or project? I know I feel so good that I have finished my wedding! It may not turn out to be PERFECT but hey at least I was able to get it pulled together right? (Thankful for my wedding planner) haha*

I can't wait to post pictures of an event that has not even happened! Its going to feel so good to have all that work completed and pictured forever! I am so excited :)

This weekend my LOVE and I just relaxed because we are mentally and physically preparing for this week. I had an advantage because I could just focus on getting the final details taken care of and finish off my cleanse! My cleanse went wonderful :) I am so proud of myself! PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION :)

QUESTION: What stops you from progressing on a project, goal, work, school or fitness?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

As some of you know I have been cleansing in preparation to my wedding day which is in 12 days! Wow has time flown on by :) Anyways I got A LOT of feedback some great and motivational and a lot of questions (you are so skinny why would you harm your body so and so...) I really love the motivation and the questions because it gives me a chance to explain to people that cleansing is not just about losing weight, as most think. Cleansing is a chance to give your body, organs, soul, mind and digestive system a time to clean out the waste. I have yet to meet someone who cleansed and did not feel more postivie or even more in touch with themselves. If you have noticed, since I have been cleansing my blog actually has a standardized theme now :) See what I mean... I have stopped harming my body and it has opened my mind and self to creativity! If you have ANY questions or concerns let me know I love talking with people about cleansing and asking is learning!

Motivational Monday today was inspired by yesterdays festivities. I really tried to stick to just tasting the wine and crunching away at the cooked veggies but if you see below in these gorgeous pictures it was difficult not to test the chocolate strawberries, VERY difficult not to munch on some grilled chicken skewers and EXTRA EXTRA difficult not to enjoy more wine, but hey as David Guy Powers says EACH DAY IS A NEW LIFE! So why give up now when today is a NEW LIFE and I can start over! 

All set up for wine tasting and scent smelling games! The girls and I learned SO much! How to properly open a wine bottle and more about the scents of Blush, White and Red wines. Little did I know being a wino and all but I had a fantastic time learning how to open a bottle!

Set up of delicious lunch for my lovely ladies! Catered by Teo's in San Jose! Alferdo Aguilar does an AMAZING job setting everything up and uses organic ingredients which is so important to me! The girls LOVED all the food if you would like to contact him his number is 624-157-5943 and he has a restaurant called Teo's right in San Jose if you want to give him a try!

Bacon covered pineapple salad with what I think is feta cheese! The girls finished this one right off!

Smoked salmon salad with cheeses and tomatoes.

Little fruit cakes and those delicious chocolate covered strawberries! Chocolate covered strawberries COULD not be passed up! O well today is a new day :)

All the girls who attended! Thanks again ladies, I had SO much fun! We played games brought by the lovely Rachel Marie and I got some beautiful gifts which I am VERY thankful for!

SUNDAY APRIL 22, 2012 

Hot water and lemon to start off my day and give my liver a jump start for the days activities!

Enjoying a delicious Baja Super Food shake! Tons of greens spinach, celery, and cucumber!

Result...delicious :)

This is my hubby's breakfast: turkey bacon and eggs with a slice of Ezekiel bread and some cheese :) Smells so yummy but only for the HUNNY!

Last night (Friday night), my love and I as well as our good friend went out to Mi Casa for dinner so I enjoyed an amazing salad with zucchini, corn, onions, peppers and leaves with a lovely dressing made just for me. I asked the chef to take all the veggies and blend them in a blender with some lime and boy was it delicious! I later added some pico de gallo on top to add some of my favorite fruit tomatoes :)

Green Shake I had filled with Chia Seeds and all the greens I had in my fridge!

This is what has been keeping me busy! My finished product, welcome baskets for my out of town guests flying in just for my wedding :) One thing I recommend while cleansing is keep busy! It really takes your mind off of it and my creative juices have been flowing like crazy!

The next time you fall off your wagon and turn away from your goals don't worry tomorrow is a new day! Get back on and work it girl! 

Question: What keeps you going towards your goals? What is your biggest motivation? 

COMMENT and let me know!