Some Monday Motivation and Making Time to Work Out Even When You Are Busy

The Dreaded Monday is among us yet again! Lol. 

Time For #MotivationalMonday!!

A lot of my close friends have been making some life changes and seeing some AWESOME results and I'm just sitting here like:

I just look at how amazing they are doing and know that there is no reason that I couldn't be doing the same.

This is one of my best friends, Stephanie:

The before pic was her almost 3 years ago, with my babygirl.  She has lost 50+ lbs in about a year (a little less)! She has been making time to get healthy by clean eating, running and lifting weights all while working and going to school, both full-time!

Another bestie of mine, Jess has recently started working out again and look at what she has already accomplished by changing her eating habits and working out!

Another dear friend, Kayla has been doing great as well... Better than great! I mean she has already dropped about 20 lbs!

CAN YOU SAY MOTIVATION!!!!

That being said, I know why I haven't had much success and when I do take two steps in the right direction, I end up taking three backwards. 

I usually tend to make lots of excuses as to why I can't do this or that. But now I really have no excuse. If I didn't work out one morning, I figured I would have to wait until after I got off work and got my little girl to sleep and the majority of the time, I would go to sleep with her. The fantastical two-hour lunch break I have wasn't gonna work either because I didn't have a way to get home to work out and I didn't want to go for a run or do any kind of anything that would cause me to sweat and not be able to go take a shower and have to go back to work. By me not being able to go home for lunch meant another temptation. FOOD.  Going out to eat three days a week. Not good, especially when you aren't making even halfway good choices. 

But now, I have a car so I can go home, workout, take a shower and eat. YAY ME!! That is exactly what I came home to do today. 

And this is what I plan to do everyday. I can't let anymore time fly by and me continue to be unhappy with how I look and feel. The excuse of being too busy or too tired is no longer valid for me. 

If you are struggling to find the time to work out, here are some tips on how to make some:)

1. SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUT!-- If you go ahead and schedule your workouts for the week, you will have already set that time aside for it and you will be less likely to skip it.
2. WORK OUT AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP-- Now if you are like me, and arent a morning person, this one can be a bit tough. Set your alarm earlier, and set it across the room. That way when that alarm buzzes, you HAVE TO get up and turn it off.  Then the hard part is over. Drink some water (it helps boost your metabolism if you drink it as soon as you get up, set a glass or a bottle beside your bed), eat some breakfast, wait a little bit and then get that workout in! Do you know how great it feels to already be done with your workout before most are even out of the bed?! No one is up to distract or interrupt you. It feels pretty freakin awesome. And you have also boosted your mood for the day! 
3. WORKOUT BEFORE BED!-- If the morning workout is out of the question for you, then try it before bed. I know I tend to sleep better when I work out at night. I don't know if its just where I am able to clear my mind, or work out that extra stress but it still feels good. Everyone is in bed, once again, no distractions or interruptions
4. PUT IN WORK ON YOUR LUNCH HOUR-OR-KIDS NAP TIME!-- If you have enough time during your lunch break, or while the kids are napping, get your workout in at that time. Perfect way to de-stress midday! 
5. MAKE IT A FAMILY THING!- If you have kids, take them outside and go for a walk or a bike ride. If weather doesn't permit that, you can always have fun inside with games like Wii Fit and all the fun dancing games. As long as you are having fun and being active, that's all that matters. My little one loves to do planks and squats with me and she LOVES TURBO JAM!!

Hopefully some of these tips are able to help you make some life changes for the better. No time like the present for you to get healthier and happier!

On your busiest days, how do you make the time to work out?

Every Journey Begins With a Single Step....

The past few weeks have been nothing but chaos and stress for me... then again, when isn't it? I get myself in these situations when I try to help others and I feel like I get taken advantage of.  All this stress threw off my eating and I binged. Damn emotional eating. And I barely worked out. I am not gonna try to make excuses for why I didn't do better, I just have to learn how to handle stress in my life better. What I have been doing has been hurting me instead of helping me.  The crazy part is I can stop this particular cause of stress and hadn't done anything to stop. Mainly because every time I did, it seemed to only cause more problems. But I can't and won't do it anymore. 

With that problem behind me, I am back to focusing on ME! My mind, my body, my spirit, and my child. 

I had to work until 6pm yesterday and had a rough night Sunday. Bug didn't sleep very well, so neither did I. But as soon as we got home, I made her some dinner and I almost didn't work out. I was tired and honestly not in the mood. But then I had a realization. The only reason I am still so miserable and unhappy with the way I look is because there have been so many times I haven't been "in the mood" to work out. So instead of letting the old J'Wana make the decision to not work out, the NEW J'Wana stepped forward and took control!! I can't let my old mentality keep me from getting healthy, fit, and happy.

IT WAS TIME TO SWEAT!

Brazil Butt Lift's Bum Bum and Turbo Jam 20 Min and I was pouring sweat! The FAT was definitely crying a river last night! I love TJ because of the music and its fun to do. Chalene is so upbeat and motivating! I just love it! Dare I say, my soulmate workout<3

BBL on the other hand, KICKS MY BUM BUM!!! Don't get me wrong, it is an amazing workout! But there is definitely a Love/Hate relationship. My legs and booty are so sore! I am very happy I only had to give a 30 min massage today. Lol! 

I am gonna eat some lunch now and take a nap! Gonna get my sweat on later! 

What are you having for Lunch?

Turning Heads in 2013- Brazil Butt Lift Challenge!

Making Some Heads Turn in 2013-Brazil Butt Lift Challenge Group!!

WE ALL want a nice round booty, right?! Summer time will be here before we know it and 2013 is the year for us to get the body and booty we have always wanted! Whether you have too much junk in the trunk or you are as flat as a pancake, you can lift, shape and round out that behind so that you can be confident working that bikini on the beach! Brazil Butt Lift is the way! Give it 30 days and see how much your body will change!

You see this gorgeous lady below? She is Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio... and guess how she keeps her booty looking like this? 

You Got It! Brazil Butt Lift!

You wanna know what I love about Brazil Butt Lift?? You can do this program in the privacy of your own home. I hated going to the gym because I felt like I looked like a hot mess. But really, there is no reason to throw your hopes, dreams, and goals out of the window just because you are afraid of the gym! 

 Look at these awesome results!

Want to join in this challenge to a beautiful bikini body and a booty that will turn heads?!

• Order your copy of Brazil Butt Lift here.
• Register on my site with me as your coach: http://bit.ly/11MQK4I. If you already have a Beachbody Coach, make sure you check with him or her about any challenges they may have.
• You must have a Facebook account. Makes it so much easier to check in! Add me as a friend- facebook.com/jwana.saunders. Once you message me that you want in, I will send you information to join the group. You can also email me at massagemama@beachbodycoach.com for info.
• We will keep each other accountable through secret group on Facebook.  No one can see that you are in the group or what you post, except for us in the group.  We will post daily check-ins about our workouts, how we’re doing with our eating, recipe ideas, questions, good days, bad days, any day, every day!  You must check in daily! There will also be some weekly challenges.
• I want to see some before and after pics!! So we will take one pic the first day of the challenge, so we have something to look back at and be proud of in 30 days.
• Along with working out, we are also going to work on making better, healthier food choices. We don't diet. Diets never work. Lol. Lets work on something we can maintain for the rest of our lives/
• Schedule a time for your workout everyday. When you schedule ahead, you know when you’re going to workout so there’s no last minute struggle to fit it in– that’s how workouts get missed.
• And last thing is  – HAVE FUN!  Brazil Butt Lift is a super fun workout, incorporating Brazilian dance, cardio, and sculpting moves, but is definitely not a joke when it comes to giving you results!

LETS RAISE OUR GLASSES AND OUR ASS-ETS TO THE NEW YEAR!!!WE WILL START ON FEBRUARY 11TH!! SEE YOU THERE!!

BRAZIL BUTT LIFT- HIGH AND TIGHT....AND IT BURNS! LOL

So, as you know from my last  post, I am restarting Brazil Butt Lift. The workout I have the most trouble with, I would have to say High and Tight and I have heard that is not everyone's favorite ;). Now don't get me wrong, High and Tight is a great routine. But my body doesn't like it. I am so out of shape that it is really hard for me to keep going during some of the exercises. But there is always Leandro in the background saying "Never settle for less...Give it all you've got...keep pushing... you can do this" and so on. So I keep trying. I know if I stay consistent and keep working hard, it will get easier.

With that being said, I am going to use High and Tight as a progress video if you will.

I want to track my progress with this round and see how I improve. I recorded myself doing some of the exercises. In a few weeks, I will compare them! I am excited to see how this goes!

So this first one is called On the Beach. You lay on your side. Elbow in line with your shoulder, your other arm/hand in front, supporting you. Legs straight or slightly bent. You lift both legs off of the floor, and then lift your top leg while squeezing your bum bum. After a set of those, you lift both legs again, but then you lift the top leg up and hold it. Lift your bottom leg to meet the top (tough stuff lol)... 

The next is the Clam Shell and Suspended Clam Shell. So with this one, you are still laying on your side but you can lay all the way down. Put your legs out in front of you and then bend your knees so that your feet and parallel with your spine. Keeping your heels together, open and close your legs, squeezing your butt. Keep your feet flexed. Then you have to do some small, controlled, quick movement (ouch) For the suspended clam shell, you are in the same position but you lift your feet up, and then do the same motions (I have no clue how to explain that one lol)

The Corkscrew.
So you are still lying on your side legs bent, you take your top leg and turn it so that is in front of you and the bottom of your foot is facing the ceiling. You just press straight up into the air while tightening your glutes (I wonder how many different ways I can refer to the butt in this post :) haha)

These last ones, I'm not sure what the name is but....I struggled lol
So pretty much, you get on all fours... well, on your knees and elbows. You hold your abs in, and with control, lift your bent leg up into the air. Then you have to do those lovely short ones. -_-
Next, you lift your bent leg up in the air and then take it across your other leg. Up, across, up, down.
Then you straighten out your leg and lift and squeeze and then take it back down...then those short movements again....
Then you make a V-shape with your leg. Up, across, up and down.
Lastly, you bring the same leg you are working out to the side and you are going to want to make an arc. A rainbow shape. All while keeping your glutes tight and your abs engaged.

These are the moves I am going to be looking back to in a few weeks to see how I improve!

What is your least favorite exercise to do???

BRAZIL BUTT LIFT!!! JUST THE BEGINNING!

Ok so as I have told you guys before, I have been the queen of being inconsistent. Starting a workout routine and never finishing it. And I am sick of starting over so I am simply not gonna stop this time. Its gonna be hard, of course. I am gonna have days when I would rather not work out, or would rather eat a whole tub of ice cream than to make a healthy food choices. There have been a lot of those days recently. Sometimes I swear the world is against me.

If I want to reach my goals, I have to push through all the obstacles, work hard and just do it! I have to make make healthy meals for me and my little girl. I will have to force myself to wake up at 4:30am or 5 am just to make sure I get my workout in... I say force because I am in no way a morning person, but I also know I will get used to it and start looking forward to starting my day with some sweat:) I have to give this my everything and that is exactly what I am going to do!!

I made a little video for you to get to know me a little better!

Excuse my looks today....Been doing housework all day! You know how that is...

How do you keep the negativity around you out of your way and push through your obstacles?

SICK!!... On New Years Eve?!

Are you FREAKIN SERIOUS?!!!! I got to work this morning and started feeling sick. Light-headed, hot/cold chills, nauseous. Absolutely miserable! If that's not bad enough, it is NEW YEARS EVE!! I definitely didn't want to bring in 2013 like this!  Wrapped up in a blanket, curled up in the bed, trash can near by. Now I didn't have any plans set in stone tonight because I didn't have a babysitter set up. I wanted to just go hang out... didn't plan on drinking... much...well maybe I did.  Lol. Maybe this is telling me I didn't need to go out tonight.  I don't do too much hanging out anymore so it would have been nice! Hey, I'm 22 years old, I still like to act my age every now and then. I can still say that I am way more mature and responsible that some people my age and older. But Ill have just as much fun bringing in the New Year with my little one!

I am thankful for my little doctor! When we got home, she came and got in the bed with me and asked what was wrong. I told her that Mommy is sick. She told me she would be right back. I hear her run off to her room then return with this...

She said, "Mommy, I'm gonna give you a check up!" and my heart just melted.

She started off by checking my temperature to see if I had a fever....

*pay no mind to the scarf on my head lol* leave me alone I don't feel good lol*

 Followed by listening to my heart....

Checking my blood pressure...

I guess its a pretty serious diagnosis, I have to get a shot:(

But I got a very cute bandage!

I asked my little doctor what was wrong with me and she said " I don't know." *gives me a kiss* and says "It's ok Mommy, you will feel better!"and pats my back! She can be the sweetest person...earlier she was in a bad mood so this was a welcome mood change!
I have to admit I sure will miss these days when she goes back to daycare and then goes to preschool.

I have been trying to think about what is the best workout for me today......... but with the way I am feeling, I don't think one will happen today. I do want to focus on my core tomorrow. My abs are so weak! I may post some healthy tips to get rid of belly fat -exercises and foods that burn fat.

But before I go, I have seen so many vlogs, blogs, facebook pages and tweets about New Year's Resolutions. I never do too well with them. I say I want to do something and maybe do good for the first few weeks but after that... HA! Its over as quickly as it started. But I am not making resolutions this year. I am setting goals for myself. I am gonna write them all out and start completing them! I'm so sick of the excuses I have come up with over the years! I am going to figure out how to stay motivated enough to follow through. I will continue to expand my education in health and fitness. I will make healthy menus for me and my daughter.

There is so much I want to accomplish and 2013 is my year to do it! My year to SHINE! A year for SUCCESS!

I'm gone for now. I am gonna try to get some rest and start feeling better!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! BE SAFE, DONT DRINK AND DRIVE.

How do you nurse yourself on sick days? Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?

Healthy Eating on a Budget! Why is it so freakin' EXPENSIVE?!

I have struggled with my diet for a long time now. I can definitely say that when I first became interested in changing my eating habits, the prices of healthy foods disappointed me. All I could think was "It's so important to be eating healthy foods but how in the world can I if everything is so freakin expensive? There is NO WAY I could afford it!" I am pre-diabetic at 22 years old. I HAVE TO change the way I eat but with my budget, I just couldn't see how I was going to keep food in the house for me and my 2 year old (who is very picky), while still buying the healthiest food I could. Not to mention, try to keep my head above water with all my bills.

 

I know you have been in the grocery store and looked at organic and all natural foods and wondered why it costs so much to eat the foods that we are "supposed to" eat. There are plenty of reasons to eat organic food... good, better yet, GREAT reasons to do it but for some of us that just can't afford it. I really thought that I had to eat organic, all natural food to be healthy and it made me want to give up. While it is better to eat organic foods, it is not 100% necessary to do so. Some fruits and vegetables are safe to eat even if they're conventionally grown. Let me tell you this was a relief to me!   I had to do a bit of researching but it was really quite simple. Here are steps that I am taking to eat healthy on a tight budget.

• I thought that I had to buy FRESH fruits and vegetables. But guess what? Frozen is good too!! In some cases, they are more nutritious than fresh. Just depends on what's in season in your area, how long after it was picked before frozen and how it was frozen. But either way, frozen fruits and veggies are great and can be cheaper than fresh.

• Don't be afraid to go for the generic or store-brand items. They (a lot of the time) taste the same and sometimes better. You should still check the product labels for specific differences in the brands but for the most part, you can save plenty of money by going with generic healthy foods without splurging on the name brand stuff. It's not really necessary.

• If you are a meat eater, I seriously recommend checking out the meat section and look for meats that have been marked down because they are getting closer to their "Use By" date. Especially if you plan on using them quickly, or if you buy it in bulk (example being...I found a family pack of chicken breasts kinda like whats below. I am a single parent... just me and my 2 year old so that lasts a little while.

Be on the look out for coupons and check your grocery store's sales papers. You can find some really awesome deals if you take a look.

On that last one, I think i will try becoming one of those extreme couponers. LOL... Can't knock their hustle. Some of them are getting hundreds of dollars worth of food and paying little to nothing for it. I will probably have more paper cuts than I really need, especially since I am a massage therapist. I really don't want to use gloves if its not necessary and considering my luck with paper cuts (and I got the equivalent of a paper cut with a piece of plastic) I should probably rethink that plan!

With that being said, I am going to hang out and enjoy the rest of my evening with my little princess. But before I go, I must ask...

How do you save money when grocery shopping for healthy foods?

So... Let's Talk About Sports and Exercise Massage.

In case you didn't guess from the title of this blog, I am a Licensed Massage Therapist. I specialized in Sports and Exercise Massage. When I chose that specialization, to be honest, I was thinking about all the lovely buff athletes I could massage. *shrugs* I mean, that wasn't the only thing I was thinking about but it was definitely a benefit of it. But then I realized that I wanted to go more into the health and fitness aspect of it. I am on a fitness journey so with me adding exercise to my lifestyle, this would be perfect. So when I made this blog, along with fitness and nutrition tips and stuff about me and my Ari-Bug, I wanted to incorporate my Massage Therapy/Sports and Exercise Massage specialization. 

Sports and exercise masssage has physical and psychological benefits. Massage can prevent injuries and also help relieve pain and help heal injuries. It can relieve muscle soreness that is associated with athletic competition and exercise. Anxiety before or after an event can also be reduced! I mean massages are pretty freaking relaxing!

As far as injury prevention is concerned, massage can stretch your muscles along the fibers of your muscles and also cross-fiber, which releases tension. It can break down scar tissue as well. Scar tissue can cause inflexible tissues and then you are more likely to become injured. By lossening up these hypertonic or tight mucsles, you can increase blood flow to the area and then the blood with be better absorbed and used.

Ok, so think back to your last intense workout. You absolutely KILLED that workout! At first, you feel pretty good, but after a day or two, you can barely think about moving without being sore. This is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. During your killer workout, muscle tension built up in your soft tissues, along with small muscle tears and maybe some minor injuries. That's what is making you so sore. Well guess what, massage can reduce DOMS by about 30% by increasing circulation and blood flow to the areas affects. And if its possible for you to receive a massage after your workout or athletic event, you will reduce the overall effects of DOMS. WINNING!

Now for what everyone pretty much knows about massage. ITS VERY RELAXING AND SOOTHING. It releases endorphins that help relieve pain and soreness. Massage stimulates the mechanoreceptors that can sense touch, warmth and pressure. This results in even deeper relaxation and reduced anxiety. Now if you are about to participate in a sport, competition or exercise, the slow relaxing massage may not be the best way to go. You can pump yourself up and invigorate your muscles by receiving a pre-event massage, which is done with faster, shorter motions.

I've been privileged with the opportunity to do post-event massage at the Marine Corps Marathon 2011. I met many people from all over the country. For some, it was their first marathon. For some, it was one of many. One person had a tattoo of a four leaf clover, with 26.2 below it. 

The purpose of a massage after a major event is to aid the athlete to recover from the activity. This is achieved by reducing post-exercise soreness, re-establishing full range of motion and enhancing blood flow to tight muscles. 

The length of recovery time from strenuous competition can be dramatically reduced with a good post-event massage. Studies have found that correctly applied massage in the first two hours after activity can be critical for reducing the effect of delayed onset muscle soreness.

I have read a little about foam rollers and based on what I have heard from those that do use them, they are great. Especially if you don't have a massage therapist, or if it is just not gonna work with your schedule to make an appointment with one. Apparently pressure is placed on specific surfaces of the body. Use the roller to apply pressure to sensitive areas in muscles-which could be a knot, trigger point, or just an area of increased muscle density.  You are supposed to use the roller to search for these tender areas and to roll these areas to decrease density and over-activity of the muscle. You may find these places easily, and you may need to re-position the roller (parallel, perpendicular, or at a 45 degree angle. It just depends on the muscle. In time, you will master working out the knots with it, but it never hurts to just go ahead and book a massage. My hands can probably find and work knots and trigger points out  better than the foam roller. But the foam roller could definitely be used in between visits or before or after every massage.  Your choice.

Anyways, I need to get some house work and a work out done while my little one is asleep.

Do you receive massages regularly? Do you use a foam roller? What are your opinions of either or both? Someone please tell me more about this foam rolling! 

Have a great day!