Just when you think you are fit...: Ab-solutely!

Just when you think you are fit...: Ab-solutely!: These last few days have been so beautiful! It makes me anticipate summer and all the wonderful things that come with it, especially all the...

Ab-solutely!

These last few days have been so beautiful! It makes me anticipate summer and all the wonderful things that come with it, especially all the days I plan on spending on the beach. But lets be honest, most of us get a little freaky and weird when we think of getting in a bathing suit. It's only March. There is plenty of time to get our asses in motion! There is no butts about it, crunching the Ab issue will give us a little peace of mind at the edge of that ocean blue. There is this abdominal routine that is said to itty bitty our bellies. Remember that Spartan movie that came out a few years back? The one with all those perfectly buff men and women? Well, I suppose they may have done this routine. It's called 'Spartan 300'. There is no deciphering this one. The name stands for what it means. 300 abdominal moves to bring out that spartan in you! It's not for the faint of heart. It's some serious moves for that serious person who can stick with all that serious pain for a seriously cool mid-section. I've done this routine several times over the last few months in a class that specifically targets abs. I did it yesterday and I'm sure to do it next week. It's not easy and if you haven't worked on your abs for awhile, and actually get through it, you may not be able to belly laugh for a few days. But, you will be well on your way to a leaner stomach. The video below is by my favorite personal trainer, Robin Shean. She has killer abs! Check it out. Tell me what you think. Try it and then also, tell me what you think. The first three exercises uses a bench but you can modify if you don't have one. Do it all on the floor. The first set can be crunches instead of The Hanging Bench Abs. Why am I trying to sell you this routine? It's simple. It targets every part of your mid-section and if you are faithful and do this once or twice a week... You will look f-ab-ulous! Aside from looking great and feeling confident, there are other benefits to having great abs. Strong abdominal muscles improves your stability and balance. Your Basal Metabolic Rate will also be higher and that will increase the amount of fat you burn. And more importantly, low fat percentages will keep your cholesterol level and blood pressure level fairly low. You'll also be less prone to depression or suffer from heart disease. Should you try this even once? Ab-solutely.

It's B time!

I'm just hours away from leaving to a land far far away, where the sand is white, the ocean is turquoise and the frozen strawberry daiquiris are bottomless! My bags are packed, got my pedicure and I've been spray tanned (insert smiley emoticon here). This mama is ready to hit the beach! These last few days, I've been reminiscing about the last few weeks; where I was physically and where I am mentally today. I feel stronger. I went from working out hard one day and then not being able to walk normal for a few days... To now... Where I can run 2 miles on the treadmill and still have energy to burn after. Yes, I feel strong. Last week, I ran 8 miles in total. I hardly ever run. But over the last few weeks I've developed this insane stamina and energy. It's crazy what a little commitment will do for you. I finally weighed myself this week. I was really dreading it. I don't know why. But I made it on the scale and what do you know. I didn't gain or lose a pound. Those three numbers made me so happy! This experience made me realize that unless you are extremely overweight, numbers are just numbers. Even if I were 5 or 10 pounds heavier, I'd still feel great. I build up my 'fitness' confidence over the last few weeks and have a positive outlook in life. Now it's 'B' time! Bahama Mamas, Bikinis and Beach time! This week, I missed my training session and didn't go to the gym for 2 days. But I had a great reason. I was present at the birth of my lovely little niece. Her name is Isabella Maria and she is as beautiful as her name. My sister, Marina, inspires me every day. She is so strong and hard working and is going to be a wonderful mama. I've decided to continue my blogs but not as personal. I will post some delicious healthy recipes, maybe some fitness tips and anything fitness related. My trainer also agreed to do some video blogs with me. We'll see what we can come up with! In the meantime, enjoy your weekend. I know I will!

Making it count...

It's been a week since my last blog. I am not slacking but life took over this mama. With school vacation and the stomach bug running amuck in the Papaporfiriou household, writing or taping a blog just seemed wrong. This brings me to something I really want to talk about; balance. I don't mean on a beam or on one foot but juggling a household, children, work and still have time for ourselves? I was talking to a very good friend today who seemed at wits end trying to figure out the complexity of adding health and fitness to her everyday life. I can tell you first hand. It's not easy. In fact, it's sometimes ridiculously difficult. There are times when you wake up in the morning and you just know its going to be a good day. You get dressed and notice your bum seems perky from all those squats. The kids are cooperating. Your hair and make-up are flawless. You go out, find a $20 bill on the ground and you get your nails done courtesy of the person who had a really bad day and lost that $20. And sometimes, you wake up and feel you don't have your shit together. Your child is screaming bloody murder, you are scrambling to get her dressed but you realize her clothes are still in the washing machine. You ran out of your favorite K-cups and you have no lunch for your 8-year old. So, you hop in your gas less car with 20 bucks in your pocket hoping to grab one of those Lunchables at the market. But you lose that 20 bucks somewhere between the gas station and the supermarket. It's not going to be a good day. At this point, working out seems worlds away. How do you do it and still maintain some sort of balance in your life? Men will likely disagree with me. But I really, truly believe women have it harder. We feel that men want us to look great, have a squeaky clean house, no laundry, perfect children and a 3 or 4 course meal on the table when he gets home. In theory, the 1960's barbie doll trophy wife is not far fetched. But in reality, it isn't reality. We are too hard on ourselves. So what if your bed isn't fixed. Does that make you messy? Big whoop if there is a dish in the sink or a couple loads of laundry in the family room. Does that mean you are dirty? And what if there is only Mac and Cheese on the table once in awhile. Does that mean you are not Giada? After my second child, I quickly learned that we can't have it all. But on those really great days, make it count. You make sure it's memorable. End dinner with a little massage for your hard working man and give your kids some treats because they were good. And remember that stash of Godiva chocolate no one knows about? Have one. Life is short. Those really great days will make you a star in their eyes and in your heart. The bad days can bite us. Simply laugh it off like its the opening act for a headlining comedian. Shrug your shoulders and smile. For every bad day, there are several good ones. Moral of the story: you can lose 20 but make sure you lose it working out. Its guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Working out & Sex

Week 3

Pre-Workout

Post-Workout

Boy, was I wrong. Heavy weights? Try 8 pounds! I never thought 8 pound weights would put me through a beating like the one I got today. I expected to go out there and hit the machines for weights. Jokes on me! Robin put my ass through a grilling. I don't think I ever worked this hard in the gym. Gone are the days of the elliptical and circuit training. This is a different animal! And let me add, I felt like one on the floor today grunting involuntarily, like those 300 pound meat heads lifting massive weights and dropping them like hotcakes, shaking the ground! Do you have a visual yet? It was a mere 8 pounds. I sound like a wimp, right? For this first time in 3 weeks, I was ready for my session to end. Don't get me wrong. I love working with my trainer. She is definitely a motivator and fun to work out with. But halfway through, I felt as though my lower body was a 5 alarm fire. If there was a puddle of water somewhere inside the gym, I would only need to sit on it so it could sizzle and evaporate. That's the type of burn I'm talking about. Looking forward to limping tomorrow. But tonight, its Red Velvet Cupcake time from 'Treat'! Happy Valentine's day!



Just when you think you are fit...: Weighty woe's...

Just when you think you are fit...: Weighty woe's...: I made a pact with myself. I will not step on a scale for 6 weeks! Its been 8 days and I'm still going strong. It's not that I want to see t...

Weighty woe's...

I made a pact with myself. I will not step on a scale for 6 weeks! Its been 8 days and I'm still going strong. It's not that I want to see the scale go down or that I don't want to see it go up, I just don't want to obsess. We judge ourselves more than we should with one little step onto that big scary scale. What if those numbers went down? Does it mean that I will look too skinny, anorexic or even a preteen? What if my weight went up? Does it mean that I'm slowly becoming a heavy weight in training? Am I doing something wrong? Am I eating too much? Will I look like a man? I simply want to avoid over analyzing the answers to any of these questions. Weight is such a touchy subject for many people. We constantly talk about it. I talk about it. And chances are, so do you. Let's try a little experiment. For 24 hours, try not to mention your weight or talk about gaining or losing weight to others. Let's go a little further. Can you stop *thinking* about your weight situation? Sounds easy, right? Try it and let me know how it goes. My point is, on any given day, we likely think more about how fat our thighs look or feel in those skinny jeans or whether anyone will notice the muffin top, than planning our next brisk walk. We've inadvertently made our weighty woe's second nature. During today's training session with Robin, she stopped and asked me if I weighed myself because I was looking lean. Part of me was excited to hear that and couldn't wait to get back to the locker room to weigh myself. But, I didn't. What if that scale went up? I would feel terrible even though I know better. My workout today was very different from anything I've ever done in the gym. It was hard work but so much fun! At one point, Robin placed the largest rubber band I've ever seen, around both our hips. I had to sprint across the gym as fast as I could while she tried to hold me back with that band. It was challenging but so much fun! I even ran backwards! I was actually a little sad when our session came to an end. Despite the sleepless nights and the sick children, today was a refreshingly good day. Later, I decided that whether the scale goes up or down, I will judge myself on how I feel and not on ridiculous numbers. I won't let 3 numbers define who I am and how I *should* feel. I will be happy that I'm challenging my mind and my body. I will allow myself a treat once in awhile. No matter what, mind over matter always wins! Peace...