Category: Healthy Living

Well, well, well…

Posted on by maljoylove

As I mentioned at some point earlier, I’ve been doing a “poetry a day” challenge. I’ve been incorporating photo editing to each poem, so it’s a two hour process, and as a result, I haven’t been able to blog as much. I have to be honest, I love writing poetry… but I’ve missed this!

I have a lot of laundry to iron and put away, but I did half of it and now my “ironing” hand hurts. Now is as good as time as ever to come back!

This week I would like to start fresh: drinking water, healthy sleep schedule…I even purchased a WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN (this post is sponsored by SugarBear Hair [no it is not I just bought them]). I look at some of the women in my “#goals” list and I notice some similarities. I think it’s time I take stock in it!

  1. Solid morning routine. Warm water with lemon seems to be the go-to for every influencer and Angel. What I want to do is start my mornings with this lemon water, yoga, and meditation.
  2. Varied workout routines. Yoga seems to be a consistent go-to, along with dance or self-defense inspired workouts. Boxing and Barre seem to guarantee limbs that are both long and strong. I’m down, honestly!Side Note: I will note that these are a bunch of skinny women, and I don’t know if workouts for girls with a much lower body fat percentage will work for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try them. I’ve always wanted to be super-hero strong, with cutie lil’ arm muscles but thin legs.
  3. Diet preferences. Get shocked — lots of veggies, little dairy, lean proteins. Have a dessert once in a while to avoid feeling crazy. Emily Ratajkowski says that she eats lots of carbs and plenty of dessert. She eats a pastry for breakfast and goes out for dinner regularly.
    Emily-Ratajkowski
    I DON’T BELIEVE YOU EMILY. I. DON’T. BELIEVE. YOU.
  4. Sweet Dreams — These girls get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This seems not impossible, and probably a strong habit to develop before I have kids (eventually). I think I want to start striving for seven hours of sleep, and then if I can add the extra hour, I will make it happen. If I wake up at five, I have to go to bed at ten. I think getting in bed by nine is doable.
    I’m headed to Disney for a late night event tonight, so I won’t be able to enact this one until tomorrow night. In general, I want to turn my computer off at eight. If two hours isn’t enough time on the computer for me, I have a much bigger problem.
  5. Hydration — OKAY, I GET IT. You all drink water and use coconut oil. that appears to be the magic elements: coconut and water. I’ll start incorporating it more.
  6. Tuning in — There seems to be a pattern of connection. The girls I look up to all seem to do yoga, meditate, or some combination of practices that enable them to listen to their bodies more.

So in summary — clean eating, workouts that combine strength training and cardio, and connection with the body, mind, and soul.

With that, I’m going to do my poem for the day. The theme is “reflection.” How’s that for connection to the soul?

The Many Moods of a Workout

Posted on by maljoylove

This week has been one of mediocre workouts. To be honest, I haven’t had a GREAT workout in a while. I haven’t left the gym feeling sweaty and accomplished in a few weeks, and I’m disappointed about it. I agree that working out regularly is more than can be said for a lot of people, but if I’m waking up at the crack of dawn, missing out on an extra hour or two of sleep, to do something good for my body, shouldn’t it be time well spent?

To me, the only two things you need to have a good workout are motivation and the right soundtrack. I have three playlists that I work with regularly. If you’re reading this and wanting some new “tunage” for your workout, maybe some of these will help!

The “Superhero Playlist”

This is my playlist for when I want to feel super strong. When I want to watch my form in the mirror and see my muscles “jump” with each movement, this is my go-to. I tend to stick to this playlist when I’m strength-training, and it makes me feel like Wonder Woman. Or Thor.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:7nfgDk94crwsVacZfurTxp

 

The “Happy Playlist”

I save this one for when I’m just… D E A D. Some days I feel foggy but still alert, it’s the same sensation that, if I decide to let it put me back to bed after turning off my alarm, I end up playing on my phone until 6:30 instead of sleeping. When I recognize that mental/physical state, this playlist gets me up and at ’em at the gym. It’s all feel-good, can’t help but smile songs.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:3xAYxdp7A7SmZ54o0sJUMT

This music always gets me ready to bounce my way through a workout. I regularly dance from one set of weights to the next using this playlist! I kNoW, I’m such a DORK.

“Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend”. Riverdale, The CW. 17 April 2017.

The “CW Theory” Playlist

I’ll talk about this with anyone who will listen: EVERYONE ON THE CW IS ATTRACTIVE. Think about it: Stephen Amell, Nina Dobrev, Jared Padalecki, Madelaine Petsch, all GORGEOUS people. “Gossip Girl” aired on the CW and EVERYONE on that show was beautiful. 

Katie Cassidy has been on four shows on The CW so like case in point.

Moral of the story is, find a fanvid on Instagram of someone on a CW show, and chances are that song will motivate you through your workout: be hot enough to be on the CW. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

spotify:user:1271959391:playlist:12zKqGIrRSpSey4klHq4PL

I’ve barely listened to these playlists for the past month. I bet that has SOMETHING to do with it. I will return to this roundup with this week’s workouts.

Full Steam Ahead

Posted on by maljoylove

Okay, I should have been asleep forty minutes ago but I wanted to get my thoughts out instead of letting them float around in my brain.

No free associating or attempts at metaphors tonight. THIS HERE IS REAL.

I had a nice spa day with a good friend, and while sitting poolside we started reflecting on our ambitions and our life goals. We realized we had one thing in common that we didn’t love to admit: we tend to coast by giving 80 percent, knowing full well we would be unstoppable if we worked at 100 percent at all times.

Actual footage of me giving 100 percent. No, just kidding it’s Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins. Warner Brothers Pictures, 2 June 2017.

Anyway, it occurred to me, for the fifth time in this context:

“What if… I gave 100 percent to my weight loss goals?”

So the question continues: “What does giving 100 percent to my weight loss goals look like?”

I’m going to jaunt down the inconvenient truths to that answer and commit to them:

  1. Drinking water
  2. Eating more greens
  3. Putting all my energy into workouts
  4. Eating a calorie deficit
  5. Sleeping more than four hours a night (she said, at 11 PM on a Sunday knowing she should wake up at 4 AM tomorrow morning)
  6. Listening when my body says it’s not hungry
  7. Refusing the free food at work like Bagel Fridays and Coworker Birthday Cake
  8. Cutting out most dairy (it makes you bloat and your skin break out)
  9. Not ordering french fries with every meal
  10. Understanding “Everything in moderation including moderation” is a thing, moderation was a word invented by junk food merchandisers to convince the health-conscious to indulge in Cheesy Blasters
“Season 4.” 30 Rock. NBC. 15 Oct. 2009.

11. Live by these rules until weight loss goal is achieved.

12. Don’t starve yourself or limit yourself, just practice good habits and self-discipline.

13. Stay active or go to sleep. Lazing around on Netflix leads to eating for the sake of eating and not for any form of a need for nutrition.

Boom. Done. It’s 11:20 and I need to go to sleep. I love you, myself. “

“Telethon.” Parks and Recreation. NBC. 6 May 2010.