I Keep It Simple and Slow

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Life is really too short not to…I do not entertain drama, negativity, or anything that screams…NOT HEALTHY.  I enjoy the little things in life because they are truly the BIG things.  I have learned that rushing through a day at the speed of light is not a good thing and literally landed me flat on my backside in 2008…and besides…you miss out on a lot of life. For quite some time now, I have made sure to slow things down, enjoy the moment and build fabulous memories. I have this saying…nothing good happens fast…LOL.  I use this all the time when I am training clients…and I also put myself through slow methodical workouts where I concentrate on the muscle being worked, feel the muscle move through its motion, and really get the most out of the work.  Nothing good happens fast when an exercise is done so fast that the movement is out of form, without thinking, compromising the body, and before you know it…injury…and YUCK…what the heck is that all about.  Not for this girl and maintaining my 47 year young self…OK…yes I am talking about life and I am talking about my workouts…well, it goes hand in hand now doesn’t it?  Getting back to simplicity…I have learned to be content in all circumstances…in my book, life is not about having a million dollars, or the nicest car or house, but happiness with myself and getting up every morning looking forward to what I will do with my day. 

During Our Honeymoon Last Year

I enjoy the simple pleasure of a cup of coffee in the morning with hubby, good conversation, time with family and friends…and I am talking quality time…giving my full attention to someone when they are sharing a story.  I can remember when my kids were small and the rush rush get things done was on overdrive for this actively involved parent…they are sharing something exciting that happened on the playground for example, and I would be washing the dishes with one ear on them, the other in the sink…I would definitely change that…put down the dish and sit down to look intently in their eyes and allow myself to feel their excitement.  You see, these are the important things that are learned in life…the lessons learned that I now apply and live by.  You better believe my children get my full attention when they are visiting…no cleaning, no dishes, but quality time. I use this same philosophy with my clients, and especially during an initial consultation.  I give all of me during a consultation, coaching, or training session…I am a deep person and need to feel what is being shared in that moment.  It is in that moment, I can see clearly to help.  OK…I am all over the board here…but I hope you understand what I am sharing…simplicity comes with slowing down, being a good listener, a good friend, wife, mother, daughter and taking in the moment. Slowing down also means taking care of my body using slow, methodical movements where my muscles get the most benefit for the time I give. 

Exploring a Ghost Town

I am a simple girl…I love the smell of the first rain on the pavement, hummingbirds flying around my orange tree in the morning, the sound of laughter around the dinner table, my cooking being enjoyed, and my list can go on and on.  I sit here as a 47 year young woman who has lived a lot of life, experienced quite the journey and realizing that simple and slow may not be a million dollars…but is sure feels like a million dollars.  So, next time you think about wanting things now, fast, rushed….think about so many things that would be missed along the way…because truly…nothing good ever happens fast. I will end with another favorite saying….Exercise is a journey NOT a destination….this applies to everything in my life. Stay Healthy!

I Slow Life Down and Enjoy the Moment

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Motivation of the Day: Nothing Good Ever Happens Fast

Me in my Studio

Workout of the Day

45 minute exercise of my choice workout

I started out on my ARC trainer and felt burnt after 10 minutes, so with my minute interval timer clipped on my sports bra, I began doing whatever exercise that popped into my mind for that minute…it became a game…and before I knew it, 45 minutes…DONE.  So, included in my fitness game were lunges, low rows, lunge backs, step ups, bicep curls, triceps kickbacks, squats, and pull downs just to name a few.  I also used my tubing.  YES…today was a tough motivation day and happy that I completed the game.

Meal 5

Nutrition of the day:

Coffee…so good this morning;)

1-Thin Bagel with 1 Tbsp peanut butter

2-Post work out shake

3-Spinach salad with grilled chicken

4-¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds and ½ cup Greek Yogurt

5-Egg white scramble with spinach & avocado

Personal Share:  Happy 87th Birthday to My Fabulous Father!!!

Love You Dad ~ Your Baby Girl

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STAY HEALTHY!

It Is Not Always Easy

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Great Place to Meditate...On the Water

It is true…life is not always easy for me…are you kidding.  I am just like many of you…a woman, wife, mother, daughter, a friend…who just happens to walk the talk of fitness with my occupation as a personal trainer and writer.  I have up and down days mentally and emotionally…and YES…I do experience burn out with my workouts.  One of my favorite life quotes is this “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it”.  I came across this quote from a school project that my son made in junior high and it has really stuck with me…my son is now 23.  You see, I have realized through my journey of becoming a healthy person that the only thing that can be controlled, is how I think, feel, and respond to life’s circumstances and I have learned to let go of the rest.  Being healthy has not only been a journey of the physical but also the emotional for me…as I am sure with most of you.  However…this Blog is about me to motivate you…and this is indeed a personal share.  I do not believe in perfection but I do believe in being the BEST ME everyday…what does that mean.  One of my fabulous new clients just shared this quote…”You Do Not Have to Get an “A” Everyday”…WOW…now that is a revelation for someone like me who can be an overachiever.  This is a step back statement that says…when I have a down day…it is OK…I am not perfect, never will be.  If I were perfect, I would not be existing on this planet now would I?    What the heck does this have to do with maintaining my physique, fitness and nutrition…absolutely everything.  Attitude is huge in life and really dictates how I am going to proceed with my day.  I can choose to be a bitter, angry person, full of non-forgiveness and YUCK or I can choose to be a person with the potential to learn and grow in a positive way from every moment in life.  I choose door number 2…that is healthy for me.  OK…on the days that I feel down and need motivation…I pray, read the Bible, talk with my hubby, or trusted friend…and then I am able to get my positive groove on for the day. 

If my attitude is not in the right place and I am not responding healthy, I would be a person unable to help people…I would not be a good choice to come see for a healthy lifestyle.  I mean really…would you want to entrust your health to a person that was unhealthy in any sense of the word…sadly, many people walk around emotionally unhealthy without anyone knowing.  That is the kicker…boy am I jumping around…but that is me with writing…I put down my feelings…the Real Darla Deal. Getting back to why this is important…it is my attitude about life and how I respond to it that lifts me up, that motivates me, that keeps me moving in a positive direction, that helps me be the BEST me every day with my nutrition and my fitness.  I choose NOT to give up in despair but to persevere through life.  Life will bring challenges…I have faced many and I will continue to do so…but how I choose to respond will be the key to my healthy self.  I am just like you with the struggles of life, injuries, finances, economy, illness, family crisis…and every other life bump that comes along….but what has always remained important is how I respond. I can tell you this…it may be hard to get my backside on my ARC trainer on a down day, but after I get going…it does become easier…and then a whole different attitude kicks in and I start using this time to think through things, and before I know it, 45 minutes are done, several calories burned, my clothes are soaked…and I feel pretty darn accomplished…now this is Fabulous Response to Life’s Circumstances…Right On Darla! 

What I am really trying to bring home here is that life is about balance and health includes the emotional as well as the physical…and when one is out of sync…the machine will not work properly…I hope that makes sense.  I Blog to you on a down day and YES…I started my morning with an early cup of coffee and my Bible reading outside and enjoying my cat nibbling my toes…after 20 minutes of quiet time taking in this moment…I felt energized, fresh and better equipped to start my day…and YES….I rode my ARC trainer for 45 minutes…is everything perfect…NO…never will be…but I will tell you this…Life is Good. Stay Healthy!

Motivation of the Day: Life is 10% What Happens to You and 90% How You Respond To It

Me

My Work out of the Day:

ARC trainer 45 minutes ~ Strength Level 3/Intervals

My Nutrition of the Day:

Fabulous Cup of Verona Coffee

1-Pre-workout shake

2-Post-workout shake

3-Egg Whites on Sprouted Bread, 1 peach

4-3 slices Peppered Turkey Breast & ¼ cup raw walnuts/cranberries/sunflower seeds

5-Spinach Salad topped with Grilled Chicken Breast, EV Olive Oil & Balsamic

6-Protein Pudding

Meal 5

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I Use BOTOX…YEP YEP YEP

I use BOTOX

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YEP…the cat is out of the bag…I use BOTOX…OH MY Darla…really?  Yes, every 3 months I attend my standing appointments to maintain my 47 year young self…do I enjoy having it done…absolutely NOT…it is very uncomfortable…but I enjoy the results.  What the heck Darla…OK...let me break this down for you.  Do I see a cosmetic specialist to have this procedure done…a BIG NO…who do I see…My Neurologist.  YES…I have BOTOX injections to alleviate the pain, discomfort, and tension that come with having Torticollis or another name…Cervical Dystonia.  As I have shared in my bio, I have endured injury and along with that…early onset Torticollis, a genetic disorder that may have presented later in my life, but with trauma…oops here it is…early…YUCK…but out of my control.  It is one of those things that I MUST accept and love about myself.  At first, I was so embarrassed about it, because with the disorder comes cervical tremor…the late great Kathryn Hepburn also had the disorder.  I felt like one of those bobble dogs you see sitting on a car dash…lol…  I have to laugh at life and I am no longer hiding who I am and this is a part of me…so if I am a bit shaky sometimes and having a not so good day…oh well…goes with my program.  I have responded well to the BOTOX treatment, and can actually say that it is being used for a fabulous purpose.  Did you know that BOTOX is used to treat medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, migraines, back pain, excessive sweating, weak bladders, and enlarged prostate glands.  I have to honestly say that I could not sit there and have this stuff injected in my face or anywhere else for that matter just for fun thinking it might give me some youthful rewind…YUCK…and further remove my ability to have facial expression when I talk or laugh…OH, hell to the Big NO.  That is just how I feel however and not to offend.  Besides, when that huge needle is penetrating different layers of muscle to get to the root spasm…OMG…it hurts like no other…and to sit through several injections…well, again…no way to elective “I want to have no lines on my face” BOTOX… No, No, and again, No….and the stuff is outrageously expensive…I can’t believe that thousands of dollars are shelled out per treatment and if elective…that is out of pocket…a BIG NO way for this frugal girl.  I am so excited to share that BOTOX IS used for positive benefits such as treating my condition and many others…I experience relief with tremor, reduced pain, tension, and everything YUCK that goes along with Cervical Dystonia. 

Typical Injection Sites for My Cervical Dystonia

  

Relaxing on the Boat Last Week...Life Balance is Key!

 Of course, exercising in addition also provides a stress reducer and endorphin release that provides natural healing that keeps me calm, relaxed, and since Torticollis can be negatively affected by stress…It is important for me to exercise often…and I DO!!!  Why do I write about this…because I am REAL, and I AM who I AM… OPEN…and willing to share my life with you…wanting you to know that everything is possible with limitations and medical conditions.  This is actually the very first time that I have disclosed in depth regarding my Cervical Dystonia and I hope that it reaches many that suffer with the same condition and provides hope to not be ashamed or embarrassed.  Life is too short not to embrace each moment given…it truly is like that.  I take each moment and in that moment, I WILL be my BEST ME…I persevere through the storms and walk strong …do I have fears…who doesn’t…but my Hope, my Strength, and my Will always prevail.  WOW…deep stuff, so on the lighter side of my life…today is a very good day and I am into month 2 of my injections and I feel…whoop whoop FABULOUS!!!  This weeble wobble refuses to fall down.  Now off I go to kick my bootie on the ARC trainer for 60 minutes, then hit my modified weight routine…You See…My Life is Real Good!!!

Motivation of the Day:  The Only Limits on Your Life are Those That you Set Yourself

My Workout of the Day:

60 minute ARC trainer cardio day

Watch my Video…Modified Exercise in My Cage

My Nutrition of the Day:

My Spinach Salad tossed with EV Olive Oil & Balsamic

Coffee, one cup with n/f creamer

Pre-workout shake

Post-workout shake

Egg white salad on high fiber wrap

½ cup mixed beans with salsa, topped with n/f Greek Yogurt

Protein Balls (almond butter, whey, cinnamon, raisins)

Large Spinach salad & Grilled Salmon

1 Graham cracker with peanut butter

Personal Share:  Celebrating my 1^st Anniversary on September 15 married to my fabulous husband ~ My partner, my friend, my support, biggest fan, cheerleader, and My Forever and a Day Love ~ Thank you Babe for being such a wonderful man & I am happy to celebrate this day and look forward to years of Stay Healthy Happiness with YOU;)

Don & Darla Leal, Happily Married September 15, 2010

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED…OFFER ME A SHAKE;)

STAY HEALTHY!