A Hard Day

Blast off to Somewhere

I found this fabulous Motivational Poster that says “You are one workout away from a Good Mood”…this is so true!  Feels like a hard day, or hard week…all blending together as my fingers are trying to unwrap my feelings as I write this Blog.  I always like to say YES…I am human and have hard days, weeks, moments…just like you, I am not immune.  Sometimes I want to curl up in a human escape ball and ya know…blasting off to Hawaii sounds pretty good sometimes.  OH MY…what a share…well, why not…I mean really???  I have no fear of sharing who I am with you.  I am in and out of my workout writing this getting into that “Good Mood” coming from a great sweat.  It is my free therapy session where I process all the crap that can attempt to bring me down or create a hard day. As things come to my mind, I am near my computer for entry…that being said, back at it soon to return that will be for certain.

What the heck am I talking about…well, lots of things that have not been so fun…illness, a little surgery, and you know what can bother the most…being hit with the daily not so great communication or circumstances that can come from OMG…really…from them, or her, or him.  BIG YUCK…I am sure I am not sharing anything new…this screams…ARC TRAINER please and the other poster that I just found and absolutely LOVE…”God is STRONGER than my mood”…whew…Perfect for today and has been an “In My Face MOTIVATION” Screen Saver for me this week!

No…it is NOT my period or hormonal issues…although I must say that I do feel more anxious and edgy during that time…generally, I do not allow that to have any power over me though.  I am talking about living one day at a time, and just having, well…a hard day…I will not call it a bad day because I do not believe that days are bad…they are gifts.  I am happy to be here today…although hard…I am thankful. 

I am definitely a believer of a drama free life, not sweating the small stuff, letting go of those things I can’t control, and responding to life’s circumstances is 90% of the outcome.  Sometimes, depending on what the heck has hit me in the “funk” face determines how difficult it will be to not be sad, funky, down or whatever word best fits the scenario. I mean, if something continues to sneak into my mind and try to bug me…YUCK…it must have bothered me for some reason.  I will say to myself…I have let that go… so what the heck…maybe something triggered it…who knows…but the BEST I can do is be my absolute BEST through all situations…which I will also share…I AM NOT PERFECT…and so sometimes get this wrong.  I mean really, if I always get it right, then how am I learning?  Life is a learning journey and I will experience let downs, hard days, unfair circumstances, and unkind words …do I like this part…well, of course not.  Don’t we all want fairy tale days full of nothing but happy times, carefree living, sitting at nearby cafés sipping our favorite beverages while watching people stroll by…that warm fuzzy life that is perfect, picturesque, and stress free…OK…KNOCK KNOCK…time to wake up…this is not reality, and only a fairy tale perfect for travel brochures and romance novels.

What does sharing this have to do with living my healthy life…I think it still comes down to how I handle things.  Today feels like a hard day and the last couple months have been up and down a funky town ride, and I am going to grab onto that poster that I shared in the beginning…”I AM ONLY ONE WORKOUT AWAY FROM A GOOD MOOD”.  I release so much stress when I get my sweat on and achieve a feeling of strength that is greater than anything a hard day can give me.  Like I shared in my last Blog…my free therapy session…and when I am done with that hour, I seem to have a whole new perspective on things. My mood is definitely lifted in a positive direction, and I can think clearer, and make better choices for myself.   

So... Hard Day…Go Take a Hike!

Motivation of the Day:  You Are Only One Workout Away from a Good Mood

Workout of the Day:

ARC Trainer: Strength Mode, Level 6, 30 minutes (this kicked my literal Bootay)

Triceps/Biceps Interval

Cable push downs: 15lbs, 8reps, 5 sets

Tube kickbacks: (medium resistance): 8 reps, 5 sets

Interval of choice (one minute)

Biceps curls: 12lbs 8-10 reps, 5 sets

Interval

Nutrition of the Day:

1. Coffee with Sprouted Wheat Bread drizzled with honey

2. Post Workout Juice/Protein Shake Combo (The Works)

Stay Healthy Quinoa Chicken with Fresh Basil

3. Shredded Chicken Breast on Thin Bun with Avocado 

4. Juice/Protein Shake (The Works)

5. Quinoa Chicken with Fresh Basil

6. Peanut Butter Protein Balls

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED TO SUPPORT STAY HEALTHY FITNESS WITH A SHAKE DONATION…I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

STAY HEALTHY!

Focus Night and Day - Contacts for Outdoor Enthusiasts

What?! You still take your contacts out and clean them every day? I can't tell you how happy I am that I don't have to do that anymore. The good news is, neither do you!

I'm talking about Focus Night & Day contact lenses. If you haven't heard of them, they're contacts that you can wear for up to 30 days continuously. You never have to take them out before that!

As an avid mountain biker and outdoorsman in general, it's not always practical for me to take my contacts out. It's a pain to have to take my contacts out while camping, and it's not exactly safe, either. First thing, I doubt that my contacts would be very clean after sitting around out in the woods. Second, what if I need to get up early and do something? My uncorrected vision won't let me do too much.

Do you like to hike, camp, swim, bike, run, canoe, fish, or hunt? If you answered yes to any of those, then Focus Night & Day contacts could be for you. Or if you are just sick of having to take your contacts out at night only to put them back in the next day, these lenses are just what you have been waiting for!

Now that I have these, I don't even think about Lasik surgery anymore. Switching contacts once a month isn't that big of a deal, more of a compromise between the hassle of contacts and the risk of Lasik.

Here are some tips if you decide to get Focus Night & Day:

1. Ask your optometrist for a trial pair. This way you can try them out for free to make sure they work for you.

2. Get some lens drops. These lenses will dry out a little easier since they never leave your eyes, so it's a good idea to keep some drops handy.

3. When you switch to a new pair at the end of the month, let your eyes go for a full day without contacts. They need some time to breathe.

The first few days, I actually felt like taking them out at night, out of habit. After that short adjustment period, I realized that these contacts are amazing!

Enjoy your new vision! I know I will.

Levi Bloom is an avid outdoorsman who hikes, bikes, camps, swims, and more. He frequently writes about the outdoors, sports, health, and fitness. Find more of his insights at BloomBikeShop.Com and RunnersResource.Com

"No Bunny Business"

I am a Woman of Faith

OK…another holiday that the stores are cramming with crap...YIKES and YUCK.  Am I a scrooge (oops…wrong holiday)...stick in the mud about Easter????  Well, of course not, far from that…and YES…when my kids were small and even adults…I would make baskets filled with goodies, hide Easter eggs, and had great fun dying eggs…and better yet…eating egg salad sandwiches…BOMB protein.

Easter just is not about the “Bunny Business” for me or shoving tons of candy in my face…A Big NO WAY…in fact, and get ready for a soap box moment here…there is too much capitalization on every single holiday telling the consumer to eat more junk, spend on junk, and the worst part…the meaning of the holiday is missed altogether…there…said it and further…how is this healthy…I think NOT…OK, now I am moving on.  YES, Easter has such a deep meaning as I celebrate my faith and well, sorry chocolate rabbit, although cute and full of calories, it takes the back seat. YES…I enjoy my spiritual life and have faith in the meaning of what it means to be a Christian.  Drum roll…YES…Darla is a Christian, believes in God, reads scripture, prays a lot, and believe me….there have been many times in my life where I know that my strength alone was not enough to get me through…I am talking about the belief in something greater than myself.  There was a time in my life when I was at that… OMG…can’t let anyone know that I am a Christian…what would they think, would they still like me, think I am weird, accept me? I am so happy to be beyond living my life according to what I thought others expected of me, accepted of me, never good enough, pleaser, pleaser, pleaser for everyone but myself…WOW…what was I thinking, and why did I care…it was all a part of my journey of learning…yes, I was once there. 

How refreshing to be living Darla’s life now, and I say something as fabulous as faith is meant to be shared, not hidden.  “Older, Wiser, Better” is what I say now, and this quote can definitely be applied to many areas of my life’s journey… that’s for sure. I know that we all want to believe in things we can see, feel, pull up a chair and have a conversation…but you know what…too easy…that is why it is called faith.  Does this put you off the person who is Darla…well, I will take that chance…this is who I am…the person that is here to MOTIVATE you with my life.  I do not walk in fear or shame of who I am, my beliefs, or my passions, otherwise I would be a hypocrite and that is NOT me.  What you see is what you get…that has always been my way and how I share with you…REAL…like me or not…now that is healthy!

Free Therapy...My Cardio

I look at it this way, life is about challenges that push and pull me in different directions and it is how I respond to those challenges that makes me a healthy girl and with God by my side, I feel strong, confident, and able to walk through any circumstance that comes my way.  Sometimes even a workout may seem tough and let me just share that my cardio is the perfect time to chat with God…pray and sweat and believe me I can cover quite a bit in this hour long conversation. Talk about a therapy session that is free and burns calories…a WIN WIN in my Stay Healthy book.  OK…are you thinking…OH MY…she is a “Jesus freak” off her rocker, Bible thumper, door to door sales evangelist, or how about… the new fitness evangelist…YIKES…are you kidding me??? I do not have to be any of those things because I live my life as an example of loving God, and if how I conduct myself says something to my family, friends, clients, online followers, etc…then that is inspiring and MOTIVATING.

Easter just seemed the perfect time to share this with you, and believe me, I try to live to honor God everyday in what I say, think, and do…I am human, make mistakes, fall, and I am humble enough to apologize when I am wrong.  Definitely far from perfect…as you know, I do not believe in that.  The difference is that I am my BEST as a faith driven woman.  Faith is what keeps me loving myself through how I treat my body, and deeper, how I am with my family, clients, and the extreme passion that I have to MOTIVATE people online to please live healthy lives…make it quality…One Body, One Life…MAKE THEM BOTH AMAZING is another one of my philosophies.  I hope everyone has a fabulous Easter day…will I have a chocolate rabbit…well maybe…and if I do, tradition says….bite the ears off first…at least that is what my daughter says.  I know I will be making my Stay Healthy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls, recipe link below, and enjoying a healthier version for Easter brunch. Wrapping this up…what is important on this day and every day, is being the BEST version of me, otherwise…what the heck am I doing?  Stay Healthy!

Motivation of the Day: One Body, One Life…Make them both AMAZING

Newly Added to the In My Kitchen Stay Healthy Recipes: Stay Healthy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls, Perfect for Easter brunch!

My Workout of the Day:

30min Arc Trainer

Pyramid Workout…LOVE THESE!

My Nutrition of the Day:

Stay Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake - Meal 1

1. 1 cup coffee, Stay Healthy Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

2. Juice/Protein Shake Combo

3. Juice/Protein Shake Combo

4. ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds/walnuts/cranberries

5. Stay Healthy Quinoa Chicken w/Sundried Tomatoes & Fresh Basil

6. 1 Scoop chocolate whey protein mixed with almond milk before bed

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED TO SUPPORT STAY HEALTHY FITNESS WITH A SHAKE DONATION…I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

STAY HEALTHY!