What's your Favorite Way to Reset?

Life is stressful. It moves way too QUICKLY. Before you know it we are through a month, a year, our kids breeze through being babies, into elementary school and it seems like you just blinked. With all of the CRAZY moments of life, work, and other obligations, how do you make time stop? How do you decompress? What do you do to relax?

Yes, I use exercise to de-stress. But, I also try to take each weekend to completely break free from work. I want to leave work on Friday and not think about it until Monday. Can you do this? My weekend is dedicated to the kids and making the most of every moment. This weekend was really wonderful. We were able to get out on the water and grill.

I like to be able to break away from life for a while. Not be so attached to our cell phones, to sit around and do nothing, but have snacks (some healthy, some not so much) and drinks.

This weekend we also made it to my parents for a barbecue.The kids had lots of fun playing with squirt guns and in the water.

They were soaking wet in their clothes, but they had a GREAT time!

I want my kids to remember all of the fun times that we had out on the water, barbecues with family and friends, meeting new people, and all of the adventures along the way.

To me this was a RELAXING weekend. No...I didn't get all of the housework done. Yes....I still have many things I need to get done, but we made the most of our time together. Are you able to do the same thing? I hope so.

Be Positive

I try to walk in to each day being positive. I know not every day is going to be wonderful, but I try not to let things bring me down. Yes, some days do not go my way, but I make a mental decision that I am not going to have a bad day because I REFUSE to! Sometimes it might take a few deep breaths or a break to get back on track. Often times a GREAT workout gets me rejuvenated. This is my time to clear my head and I tend to have the BEST workouts on what I thought was the worst day. A KILLER workout can turn a bad day into a good one. This is when I really get in to RADIO ON...WORLD OFF. My workout is time for me to defeat myself (my mind, my reps, etc.). Often times when I workout I count my reps and try to do better than I did before.

The way I look at it is you decide each day if you are going to be in a good or bad mood. If you let one thing bring you down, this could lead to letting other things get you down and before you know it you're having a horrible day. I'd rather feel great instead of down. Try to see the upside of every situation. I guess I'm a true optimist. I HATE to have bad days and I HATE to have bad workouts even more, but I figure it leads me closer to something wonderful.

Remember, you choose each day how you are going to feel and act. Try to look at the upside of things. If you can't find it let me know and I'll try to brighten your day!

What's your FAVORITE type of workout?

We all like to do certain things. What's your FAVORITE type of workout? For me, the harder the better. I like to CHALLENGE myself.

I like when the instructor shows you what you are supposed to be doing, I think I can't do it and then I somehow convince my body to get it done. I especially HATE when I can't do something. For example, I haven't jumped rope in years. One of the trainers I work with does a lot of jump rope. I was getting so frustrated  because I felt like I was stopping every few seconds and it was killing my workout. My solution, get a jump rope and jump for 10 minutes everyday until I got back on track. I'm still not the best at it, but at least I am doing better.

Mixing up my workout is important too. Sometimes I run, other days I do Insanity Max 30, or T-25, and sometimes I create my own circuit. Everyday I try to get in 1-2 workouts. It's time for me to get sweaty and clear my mind.

My favorite way to clear my mind is to run. Once the weather breaks it's hard for me not to run all the time. I LOVE getting outside and enjoying nice days. I don't run too much, maybe 3 miles a day. Yet, the nice weather practically calls my name. Some days I'll do 6 miles in a day (3 in the morning and 3 at night). Although, when I do this I tend to get chin splints. My body just doesn't like to run as much as I do.

Whatever the workout is my goal is to work hard. I like the way I feel at the end of an AWESOME workout. I enjoy feeling healthy and fit.

What Dishes Have You Made into a Healthier Version?

If anyone knows me they know that I LOVE to eat. Diet is always my downfall. Over these past few years I've learned that IT'S NOT A DIET, IT'S A LIFESTYLE!!! I cannot stress this enough. Yes, you can still have delicious food, but in moderation. I try to transform my favorite dishes into a healthier version of the same thing.

Most recently I've been spaghetting zucchini squash and summer squash..

My husband got me this small kitchen gadget and I think I may be addicted to it. I steam the veggies in water and garlic after I spaghetti them and top it with my turkey Italian sausage sauce. It is simply DELICIOUS!

I also make a lot of pizza using flatout bread. It seems like I go through phases. Right now I'm huge on seafood and southwest cuisine. I've been making cilantro lime fish tacos. They way I look at it....you can have whatever you want. You just need to try and use the healthiest ingredients. I try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible.

I also manage to satisfy my sweet tooth. Sometimes just making a protein shake does the trick for me. Sometimes I mix vanilla Shakeology into cake batter or pumpkin spice. Other times I use chocolate Shakeology and make a butterfinger shake. I blend this with ice and it's just like having a milkshake. I wonder how it would be if I froze it.

Whatever it is, try to cater to what you have a craving for. I'm always trying to find things that I will find DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS. This way I will be satisfied and still eat things that are good for me.

The next thing I plan on making I found on Pinterest. Maybe I'll make this over the weekend. What dishes have you created using healthier foods? Please SHARE!

Your Only Limit is You

Your only limit is you. This is something that resonates with me deeply, especially recently. I competed in judo as an elite athlete. I dropped out of the sport for a while. I made several attempts to return, but it just didn't happen. After I had kids my time was dedicated to them and I felt guilty for leaving them because there are so few hours you can spend with them each day. About two years ago the kids made the transition into judo and I was able to return to the mats. It's amazing how much I missed it and I didn't realize it until I was able to get to practice.

The kids started competing this year and after a 15 year break I returned to competition. I cannot believe how nervous I get when it comes to competing. I don't remember being this nervous when I competed when I was younger. Then I made the realization that I am ONLY fighting myself. Now how to I get past this? Repetition is key, but the kids also help cut the edge. It's hard to be nervous when tiny little people are asking me for things and constantly by my side. Their hugs and kisses also help. RADIO ON WORLD OFF also helps when it comes to competition. Although, this is a little harder because I have to tend to tiny needs (which never end....and that's okay <3).

This idea also resonates with me when I work out.

Yes, we all have good workouts and we all have bad. Yes, the trainer can push me a little harder and can bring me back to class if I've wandered off. At the end of the day it's really me that needs to PUSH MYSELF. Do you give up, or do you do one more? My philosophy is that you only have so much time to put in at the gym, at practice or working out. You should make the most of EVERY moment. When I hear the time called out I try to push myself to the end of each exercise.

Do you agree with this statement? How do you push past it? I just try to remember that I DECIDE what I'm going to do or not do. When I am able to push past my limit if feel ACCOMPLISHED.

Drink Enough Water?

Do you think you drink enough water? Drinking enough water is really important. First and foremost, it's healthy. Pop has adverse effects on your body.

If you look at the sugar contained in other drinks water should be the obvious choice.  It keeps you hydrated, it quenches your thirst, it can help you feel fuller, it lubricates the joints, and there are so many more reasons why getting water in is important. If you're interested in finding out more reasons why water is important check out http://greatist.com/health/health-benefits-water.

You should try to drink half your weight in ounces of water daily. Can you do this? If I can do it daily you CAN too!!! At first you might want to find a method of tracking your water intake. There are aps out there, or you could just jot it down.

Tips for getting more water in:

1. Always carry a water bottle
2. Freeze a freezer safe water bottle partially full to keep your water colder longer
3. Drink water instead of pop and juice
4. Want to make your water more interesting? There are lots of recipes out there!!!
5. Drink water with meals. It helps you feel more full.

Especially with the warmer months and increased exercise it is important to keep yourself hydrated.

Injured?

Ok.....who is injured?

Or trying to convince yourself you are not hurt? Working out with injuries has been a normal part of life for me. I did judo growing up and this is a  year-round sport. You really can't take time off and miss major events. I've been trained to work through injury. I'm not saying it's right, it's just what I'm used to. I feel like for the past year I have been plagued with injury. I broke my foot, followed by a heal spur and tendinitis in my knee. All this and I still can't stop working out. Who's with me on this? Even when I broke my foot I still worked out with my ortho shoe on. I was doing single leg burpes and creating circuits. As soon as I could wear tennis shoes I started doing the elliptical machine.

I HATE modifications, but I hate missing a work out even more. What do you do to get past injury? I will admit that sometimes you do just need to take a day off, or some time off.

You need to recognize what your limits are. If you do group workouts it's important to find a trainer who will make modifications to accommodate you. It is also important to try to figure out what triggers the injury. Of course, make sure to make modifications to ensure you do not further injure yourself and hopefully allow you more time to heal.You need to be smart and seek medical attention when necessary.

We all get injured, it's a part of being human. It's just a matter of recognizing the severity of the situation and either taking it easy or getting a medical opinion. Either way, let's try our hardest to avoid injury. I'm sure we can't completely avoid this, but we can try to help ourselves by warming up, cooling down and using proper form.