Daily Challenge: share 2 things you do to take care of yourself while caring for others.
1. Make time to read a book every week.
2. Paint my toes once a week!

How bout you guys? It's so important to take time out of our crazy lives and all the responsibilities we have to others & do something for our OWN well being:)

So I was driving along in my car, listening to National Public Radio, shaking my head at the reports on Afghanistan and the economy, when suddenly I was assaulted with the worst news ever: “Having a mere three ounces of alcohol,” intoned a diet book author being interviewed, “reduces fat-burning by about a third.” Now, if there are two things I love in life, it’s drinking wine and burning fat. Hearing they were in opposition was like when I heard Jon and Kate were splitting up: How could you choose between the two when they’re both so delightful? The author continued, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably need to stop drinking alcohol. You booze, you don’t lose.”

It’s not like I thought cabernet was made with Splenda. I knew it was calorific, but the idea that it was double-crossing me by slowing my body’s ability to burn fat was almost too much to bear. I normally believe anything NPR tells me, but I decided to do a little fact-checking. I mean, beer is among the top 10 energy sources of Americans (right up there with soda, doughnuts, cheese spread, and corn chips—and, no, I am not making that up). Since the majority of Americans need to lose weight (last count, 67 percent of us are overweight or obese), and health officials are always looking for reasons to tell people to stop drinking (don’t drink if you’re pregnant, don’t drink if you have breast cancer, don’t drink and drive, nag, nag, nag), wouldn’t we have heard by now if Bud Light were some evil fat-storing demon foodstuff? And beyond that, moderate drinking is linked with lower risk for heart disease and diabetes and increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol—how could it do that and be working overtime to make you fat, too? As I suspected, the story is more complicated than the diet book author suggested—although, sadly, she was not totally off base. How alcohol affects your figure depends on genetics, your diet, your gender, and your habits.

Now I'm going to take a break from the article and talk about my personal experience, but if you'd like to read the rest you can find it here: http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/Alcohol-and-Calories-Does-Drinking-Cause-Weight-Gain


I seriously began my wellness journey in October, 2011. During that time until about March, a single drop of alcohol did not touch these lips. I was serious. I was motivated. I was ON IT! Then the weather gets a little nicer, and with that comes patio dinners, beer gardens, outdoor bands, and many other enticing activities that tend to include booze. During the last couple months I have consumed alcohol 2-3 times a month. No big deal, right? WRONG! Obviously, there can be other contributing factors here, but I saw an immediate plateau occur as soon as I began drinking again, and the effects seem to linger. I vowed that for the duration of my current 5 week boot camp, I was NOT drinking at all, because I wanted to maximize my results. But week 1 was Cinco De Mayo...and Week 2 my favorite band was playing. My point being, there will always be SOMETHING! If I had the discipline to abstain from alcohol for all those months, there is no good reason I can't do it now. So, I here pledge (very publicly) that I will NOT BE DRINKING until this camp is over.
I have read on some trainer's blogs that 2-3 drinks per week is ok. Other body builders say none at all. I say, that while you're in serious weight-loss mode, just give it a rest. I promise you'll feel better and utilize your time in a much more wise and healthy manner. I should also note that my thoughts aren't directed toward those individuals who simply want to tone up or lose 5 pounds. I'm talking when you're trying to lose a significant amount of weight. I also promise to follow my monthly follow up pics when this bootcamp is over! Always scary:) 
Live Your BEST LIFE; love one another, and most importantly, love YOURSELF today! Feel free to weight in with your thoughts in the comments section!

**Side note: I read an amazing article on alcohol and the effects it has on the body about 6 months back. I can't seem to find it anywhere right now, but when I do, I will be sure to share it!

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

It's really easy to make excuses as to why you can't work out, and I think lack of time is probably #1. Yes, we are all busy living our lives. But yes, we can find 12 minutes SOMEWHERE in our day to break a little sweat:) Here's a quickie workout from Zuzana Light (you may recognize her as co-creator of Bodyrock TV.) I plan to start my day with this tomorrow and get the old metabolism going! Who's with me?!

Source: http://www.facebook.com/ZuzkaLight

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Green Smoothie - 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup kale, 1 pear, 1 ½ cup of orange juice, and 1 frozen banana.

Chocolate Peanut Butter – 2 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 TBL peanut butter, ½ banana, 1 cup almond milk, ice.

Mango Ginger — 2 cups frozen Mango, 1 cup frozen raspberries, 1 banana, ¼ cup chopped ginger, squeeze of lime, yogurt.

Strawberry Date — 1 date, 1 ½ cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup almond milk. Optional: 1 scoop protein powder or 1 TBL of flaxseed oil.

Supermans,Bananas, Mountain Climbers, OH MY!!

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROLBe willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. GIVE UP ON BLAME Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. GIVE UP YOUR SELF-DEFEATING SELF-TALK Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. GIVE UP YOUR LIMITING BELIEFSabout what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. GIVE UP COMPLAINING Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. GIVE UP THE LUXURY OF CRITICISMGive up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO IMPRESS OTHERSStop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. GIVE UP YOUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. GIVE UP LABELS Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. GIVE UP ON YOUR FEARSFear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. GIVE UP YOUR EXCUSESSend them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. GIVE UP THE PASTI know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. GIVE UP ATTACHMENTThis is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. GIVE UP LIVING YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONSWay too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.


Source: http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

And if you still absolutely detest veggies...click the Shakeology Tab!

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Life is one big choice. I choose to be happy, healthy, and... BUSY! A note to Champaign area readers: I have a couple spots left in my Insanity Challenge group for June. They're going to go FAST, so e-mail me at [email protected] if you think you're up for it! HAPPY MONDAY and I hope everyone had a great weekend:o)

Workout tune of the day: T.H.E (The Hardest Ever) / will.i.am ft. Jennifer Lopez & Mich Jagger
 http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/t.h.e-hardest-ever-feat.-mick/id481539809

Hope everyone had a fantastic mother's day! (I think Grandma likes green & blue this time of year! :)