Looking Like Myself ~

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Taken Last Weekend ~ Vacation

LOOKING LIKE MYSELF…what do I mean by that?  Well, I have my genetics and my lifestyle of fitness and nutrition that creates…drum roll…ME!  I am not supposed to look like the girl in the magazine, the movies, or anywhere else for that matter.  Back in the day when I competed, did I look at magazines, other girls and think…I need to look like that…why is my body not responding the same way as hers…check out how tight her backside is…on and on…YIKES...and BIG YUCK.  I am so happy to come full circle with knowledge, age (yes…it is fabulous), and wisdom.  I embrace who I am, what I look like…and being the BEST ME…not anyone else.  It would be such a stressful life to constantly compare myself to her, then her, and oh my…her…OH hell to the BIG NO.  Life is too short to even think unrealistic thoughts, goals, and for crying out loud….I AM NOT HER, HER, OR EVEN HER.  Did you know that ALL images in magazines are photo shopped to soften here, cut there, and create unreal images of girls, women, and men representing something that they are not.  I am not saying that they are not fit, although some probably are not in the greatest shape …BUT…lines, bumps, blemishes, rolls, bootie, hips are quickly painted away with a few strokes of a computer…for crying out loud…you can get a photo shopped 6-pack now…lol.  Really????  I am not saying I am anti-photo shop, but if I look at a photo and struggle to recognize who it is and have to go to the credits…I say…horrible…off that soap box.   

 Some of my older model images are slightly photo shopped…not all…but some…and I have to say it is an art of knowing just how much…and loved when some softness was needed.  Overall, I prefer the edgy REAL image that shows me, right here, right now…and those… I embrace the most;)  I really enjoy taking self portraits…no photo shop…most without makeup, and posting them on the blog so that you can see ME, at 47, after kids, injuries, surgeries…and Staying Healthy with my lifestyle. 

Love the NOT overdone photo shop

It is important to want to be ME and not someone else…that tells me that I accept, embrace, and honor who I am as Darla, the woman, wife, mother, trainer, daughter, sister, and friend…How could I even walk the shoes of helping people get healthy if I did not believe in this.  I hear so often…I want to look like you… and I smile, take it as a compliment…and let them know that the goal is to look like them…their BEST self with the wonderful genetics they have. I am a mother with a beautiful daughter full of youth, smooth skin, and body that a 20 year young woman should have and it feels like a reflection in the mirror…ME and that body 20 years ago…BUT that is the point….that was 20 years ago… and all I can do and want for me is celebrate who I am TODAY…and for 47 years young…I am pretty darn happy with that. 

Not Shopped

I embrace my fine lines earned from laughs, smiles, and a few frowns along the way and also the energy that I still maintain from taking care of myself…and say…YES YES YES.  I believe that aging is a privilege and an honor and although there is no such thing as the fountain of youth…the only way to keep this body and mind young is through living a healthy life…that means regular exercise, healthy foods, plenty of rest, and balance of work and play.  Also, living a healthy life and feeling youthful decreases my risk of illness…I want to do my best to live a good long life.  When it comes down to me and my mirror…there is acceptance and I look back and smile…YEP…the lines are there…I EARNED EVERY ONE!!!

 

THIS IS ME!!!!

Motivation of the Day:  Don’t Compare Yourself to Others in Your Journey of Life…Let Your Life be Yours…and Live it to the Fullest!

My Workout of the Day:

ARC Trainer: 30 minutes

Body Stuff: (light today…a bit tired) 1 minute intervals

Modified french press (repeated 4x in between legs)

1 set cross back step ups

1 set reverse lunges

1 set squat lateral lifts

STRETCH TIME

Meal 3

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup

1-1 Chocolate Cherry Whey Protein Muffin

2-Post Workout Shake/ ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

3-Shredded Chicken & Spinach Wrap

4-Small potato topped with n/f Greek Yogurt

5-Ground Turkey Breast Burger & Grilled Corn

6-Watermelon/Protein Ball

Personal Share:  Hubby wanted to prepare a full course healthy meal for me, so last night on the menu was: Appetizer: Grilled Jumbo Shrimp marinated in an orange ginger sauce and Chicken Sausage Skewer ~ Main Dish: Grilled Salmon and Brussel Sprouts ~ Dessert: Grilled Peaches stuffed with Goat Cheese topped with crushed Raw Walnuts.  He paired the dinner with a light Muscat wine.  The meal was absolutely fabulous….and we created a small video of part of it…bloopers are fun.  Enjoy the images as well.

 

Stay Healthy!

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YES...I AM TALKING ABOUT REALLY PERSONAL STUFF~ ME at 47

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Give me some Watermelon

Yes, I am 47…am loving it, embracing it, feeling pretty darn fit, sexy and my BEST ME…that is for sure.  I absolutely love to blog…it is an outlet, and I am a very social person…have to be in my business…but for the most part…that is my personality.  The beautiful part about writing is being able to be expressive and so guys…just to let you know…I am going there about being a woman at 47.  As a trainer, I talk with my beautiful female clients everyday about absolutely everything fitness….right down to periods, cramps, constipation, hormone headaches, anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness…well you get the picture. 

Being 47 and a woman, I am not exempt to the YUCK changes that the body goes through at my fabulous age.  Do I feel like I am 23...YES…my body sometimes reminds me that I am not in the area of female changes….OH REALLY!!!  Now this is ridiculous…OK…things I do not like…night sweats….OH MY… soak the sheets and put myself in the heavy dry cycle for heaven’s sake.  Moving on to hormone headaches…when these hit....not fun…I do find that the OTC menstrual cramp medicine helps.  Let’s see…YES…irregular bleeding…another one of my non-favorites….I mean really…am I hemorrhaging or what….sorry guys…but ladies, I am sure some can relate.  One month can seem slight and the next month…I do not dare step out of the house…and walk to the bathroom cross-legged…yep yep yep…been there.   Why spend exorbitant amounts of money on fancy panties…NO WAY…Target here I come…lol.  Not to say that I do not have some of the fancies...but definitely not on PLAGUE days.  I was thinking about how much planning goes around this unkind week of the month…can I plan a vacation, weekend getaway, out with friends for the day….OH MY…wait everyone, let me grab my calendar so that I can count my days to ensure that Aunt Flow will not be along…I mean really…now bless the men who are understanding to their wives & significant others when it comes to women and going through changes. 

The thing about being 47 and experiencing things like night sweats, crazy bleeding, anxiety, and a whole different lower part….YES…the vagina does change as we age….OH MY…I said the V word, is that a pro-active approach is necessary.  My goal in life is to be the BEST ME at every moment and in every way…so I do take steps to have a healthy under carriage…lol.  This is a subject that many people are afraid to talk about and to write about…NO WAY…so, I will be the brave one and put it out there.  Things that I do to maintain my female reproductive health is using transdermal (rub on the skin) creams like progesterone and testosterone.  I am also a researcher regarding any natural way to maintain my body to include my vagina, and overall feeling of well being.  Hormonal changes are definitely not fair and I am doing everything possible to keep my body balanced.  I have incorporated eating ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds & watermelon in my daily nutrition as a way to maintain a healthy libido. 

Raw Pumpkin Seeds...Giving them a try!

I am looking into things like L-Arginine and other similar supplements to keep myself in check.  I also read that using olive oil 3x per week massaged into the inner labia of the vagina keeps the tissue moist and supple.  YES…I am 47, but my goal is to do all I can to feel my BEST in every way…so talking about something like this I feel is very important…is it OH MY…I can’t believe she is writing about this…MAYBE…BUT…that is ME.  This is my life to motivate you and sharing about my life, and what I do to maintain my physical fitness in every way.  This is a subject that is very important for me and ultimately my relationship with hubby…who I must share is a very understanding man when it comes to absolutely everything woman…thanks Babe!  Do I want a dried up prune, unhealthy undercarriage for myself…OH MY Hell to the NO…well that might be overdoing it a bit…but really….I DON’T…so off to research more about olive oil.

 Motivation of the Day:  Look at Every Circumstance in Life as a Learning Experience to Grow and Be a Better Person

This is What I Can Do...Neg Pull Ups!!!

My Workout of the Day:

30 min ARC trainer

Body Stuff: Sets repeated 4x/1 min Intervals

Set 1
Incline Chest Press Smith: 40lbs on bar (1st time trying these...will see how I am tomorrow)
Neg Pull Ups
Set 2
Squats 10lb sandbag
Lunge Backs 10lb sandbag

My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee 1 ½ cups
1-Pre-workout shake (lighter side)
2-Post-workout Shake (everything)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
3-Lean Turkey Wrap (spinach/onion/tomatoes/mustard)
4-Grilled White Fish & zucchini
5-Protein balls (vanilla whey/flax/peanut butter/raisins)

My Published Stay Healthy Recipe for Meal 4

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STAY HEALTHY!

What a Vacation Adventure...OH MY!

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Our Magma Boat Grill for Marine Stay Healthy Cooking

I am not kidding…my vacation was full of adventure, storms, bears, and a few bumps and bruises…YIKES…but OH…did I have a BLAST.  Well…the last week in June and into the July 4^th weekend…a vacation on the water seemed absolutely perfect…escape the heat, enjoy swimming in beautiful Lake Shasta, and take in the majestic Glacier and surroundings.  We would stay on our boat, bring our Stay Healthy Foods, and try our new addition...a marine Grill to enjoy our fabulous foods.  I am a planner, so list in hand, creating the budget and down to every morsel we would stock in our cooler.  The excitement and anticipation of a week escape into the beauty of nature was over the top YAHOO…ready to GO!  My hubby paid attention to the weather forecast and attended to the mechanics of the boat and truck…thank goodness.  Let me tell you and can you believe this….drum roll…THUNDER STORMS were on the way…a tarp was packed with bungee cords just in case we had to batten down the hatches.  We were hoping for the forecast to change the closer the trip came…we both were not going to let anything like a forecast change our plans….Full Steam Ahead.  I pre-cooked Stay Healthy Omega Muffins, Whole Wheat Pasta with sundried tomatoes, basil, spice and olive oil, & boiled eggs.  I also included raw nuts, fruits, peanut and almond butter, plenty of veggies, fruits, yogurt, spinach salad, lean meats, graham crackers for a treat, & plenty of water.  We also purchased a small aged beef to break in the new Magma Grill.  It was truly one of those feel like a kid can’t sleep because we are leaving for someplace magical vacations.  The drive was fabulous…no clouds, great conversation, and we arrived at Lake Shasta ready to start our week of living on the boat.  Food on board, water, and us….life could not have been any better.  We launched the boat and found our cove for the night…now you have to imagine close quarters on a boat…and I look back now on how funny all this is…first thing… needing to drop anchor hubby quickly moves from the wheel to the front of the boat, but in the process foot connects with my jaw…YIKES…startled to feel a big foot in my face…but an ice is nice made it feel so much better.  Moving on to 4am...the forecast came true and the rain began to demand our “no stitch on” attention…there we were in the middle of the night, tarp in hand, bungee cords everywhere, balancing on the top of the boat  to batten down our home away from home. 

Tarp On, Thermals On...Ready to Weather the Storm

We could not get done fast enough and now in our thermals...YES…thermals and sweatshirts the end of June on beautiful Lake Shasta completely shut into our 24 foot boat.  We were very thankful for our prepared food because the new grill was now going to have to wait until the storm blew over.  We rocked, we talked, we ate, we napped and had truly quality time in our little shelter….this is where you know a relationship is a healthy one…teamwork and laughter through a crisis which turned out not to be…really.  It was still our vacation and we were going to make the best of what nature brought our way...and we did.  I was bummed that I could not be physically active as planned the first few days…but it was what it was…so there Darla.   So… foot in face, raging storm, playing balance without a stitch on in the middle of the night on top of a boat, tarp on, bungee cords securing our shelter and shut in this rocking tiny house….it could make for a funny movie…don’t you think.  Our adventure started on a Monday and the storm broke on Wednesday…we were able to un-tarp and poke our heads outside….IT WAS ON.  I brought my resistance bands and was able to do a little workout and swim like crazy. 

Mt Shasta after the Storm...BEAUTIFUL

It was like the Wizard of Oz going from black and white to color…all of a sudden everything was no longer grey but green and lush.  The water gleamed like emeralds and felt so refreshing!  Hubby and I grilled lean turkey burgers and corn, gourmet chicken sausages, thin bagels, and although quite horrible…boiled water for instant coffee…it grew on me.  We saw a black bear along the water and a brown bear during our tour of the Caverns.  Wildlife was everywhere and the beauty of the trees was breathtaking.  Now…imagine…we made the most of our Thursday because Friday was the drive back home.  Were we disappointed because things did not happen as we wanted them to….NO…it was an adventure…it was a journey….we worked together as a team and still had fun through every bump in the water.                                             

Grilled Aged Beef & Asparagus

Greek Yogurt Parfait!

     

Turkey Burger!!!

Thermals, Tarp, Instant Coffee, US...PRICELESS

We were thankful for things like our ready to go Stay Healthy food, our tarp that provided our shelter, and the warmth our thermals and cozy boat provided. Also, being a fit couple gave us the ability to be agile to batten down our hatches.  Life is a journey and this vacation is one that has so many fun stories that will be told over and over again….fabulous memories!  I hope you enjoyed the videos and images of my fabulous Shasta Vacation Adventure;)

Spinach Salad

Fabulous Shares from Our Shasta Adventure Vacation:

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Stay healthy!