The Journey that is Life

Life is full of ups and downs. We stumble. We fall. The trick is getting back up. Luckily I have a great support group that will not allow me to stay down to long. My family, friends, and yes, partner, all make sure that no matter what, I am not defeated.

I went through a difficult time this past year. It was painful, it was bitter, it was a whole lot of NOT fit and pretty-mentally or physically. But you know what? For all the pain, and for all the sadness, I discovered a lot about myself. I am a strong person. I can stand on my own. I am perseverant person. I will not let road blocks stand in my way. Lastly, and this is possibly my most important lessoned, I learned a lot about who I am, what I want, and who I want to be. Through this journey I have even picked up a few yummy hobbies (i.e cooking) which I will fill you in, in lengthy, delicious detail :)

I am sorry I have been away, but I promise it has all been for good. I can't give you fit and pretty advice or support, if I myself am not living life Fit and Pretty.

I still have not arrived at the end of my journey, myself and my heart are still healing, but I am in a much better place in my life. I grow happier and improve my daily being every day. I thank you my readers, for not forgetting about me, and wanting to continue on this journey with me. I am here for you guys, you all honor me and through befitandpretty, bring me so much joy, I am honored- so thank you for that.

Love, peace, health, and happiness. We will talk soon.

XO-

Carmen

Forgiveness: For yourself

I would like to share with you that I am really struggling through something. I'm dealing with a situation that has led me to feel inadequate, foolish, hurt.... so much hurt......, sadness, resentment, fear... a lot of feelings that aren't so "fit and pretty".

My heart feels broken, tarnished, damaged, like there is a huge gaping hole in it that I can't fix. I go through such a roller coaster of emotions. Happiness, contentment, hope, love, numbness, and then my whole gamut of bad emotions. 

I am introspective enough to realize that these feelings are a) not productive and b) some that I will have to let go of. In this journey there are people that I have to forgive, but right now I need to start by forgiving the most important one of all: MYSELF.

I largely feel like I have let myself down. How could I let this situation happen to me. Wasn't I good enough? Didn't I do my best? Was that not sufficient? That's a big thought/ feeling I struggle with daily. Tears and heartache really have become my closest friends as of late- but I know that is a friendship I will have to give up.

Today I would like to begin to move forward and start my healing processes. Forgiveness to myself. 

I am enough.

I did try my best-and my best was good enough; regardless as to whether or not someone else agreed on that.

I am beautiful, smart, and have a great future ahead. 

I am loving, caring, amazing.

The situation that happened is in no part my fault.

I am a great human being to which of whom anyone would be so lucky to have me; because I am more than enough. 

Have any of you been struggling though a similar situation? Are you hurting? Please start by forgiving yourself. Know that sometimes situations are unfair, and bad things happen- but that doesn't mean that they are your fault. 

Forgive yourself today. 

Make a list and remind yourself of why you are enough. Why things were not your fault. Why you are a catch. Remind yourself how fit and pretty you are. 

I would love to say that the healing process is easy and that the above will fix everything. I wish that was the case. There will be good days, and there will be bad days- some worse than others. But if you can remind yourself that you are amazing and keep that forgiveness for yourself in place then you are on the right track. Forgive yourself even if you never got an apology, closure, etc.  

Forgiving those that have faltered you is also important and it is a logical step that will come, but only when you are ready.

Start with forgiving yourself so you can forgive others. Shower yourself with love. You are enough. You are amazing. Beautiful, smart, funny, fit, caring, loving, and above all more than enough.  Don't let others take that from you or make you believe otherwise. You need to be your own cheerleader in life because in all honestly there are only few people you can really count on. Even those that you once believed blindly would always be there, might not be. So love yourself and relentlessly believe in yourself.

You are more than enough.

Forgive yourself today for the most important person in your life. YOU.

Sending all my love,

-Carmen

Life: 99, Me: 0- Keeping score in Life

Growing up from a young age, we are taught to keep score. Scores of tests, sporting games, the list goes on. But this morning I had a thought- in life should we keep score? Should we keep note of every time someone wrongs us, hurts us, or lies to us? Should we tally each time life gets one on us, or should in turn forgive, move on, and continue?

I happen to know someone who keeps score on life. I will make an assertion and  say he is not happy. His health isn't well, his personal relationships are strained, and within him you can feel so much hate. On the contrast, I know someone who does not keep score with life. He is happy soul. He takes life one day at a time; and will turn 86 this year with no real health problems. Just there you can see the stark difference- you will be surprised to hear that the (soon to be) 86 year old man is the score counters father.

We have all been wronged in one way or another. We have encountered unfair situations, we have been hurt, we have been let down. There have been times that you have been so hurt, you have even questioned whether or not you should continue believing in others. But despite that should we keep score? Have you been keeping a tally?


I have learned that life isn't about keeping score. It isn't about how many times you have been wronged. It isn't about how many unfair situations you have been in. It isn't about who hurt you and didn't say sorry and it isn't about how many times you have been cut off in traffic.

Life is about who you love. It is about how you feel about yourself. It is about trust, happiness, compassion, and forgiveness. It's about standing by the ones you love.  It is about replacing inner hate with love. It is about loving those that love you; and having compassion for those that don't. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. Most of all, life is about using your life to touch someone else's life in a way that could never be achieved otherwise.  That is what life is about.

So I would like to ask you, are you a score keeper? How would you feel about letting go, and stopping the count? Perhaps you  might even feel a little better. Living healthfully well into your 80's doesn't sound half bad either :)

What are your thoughts on keeping score on life? What is your scoreboard at? Leave your thoughts below.

Keep living, loving, and forgiving.

Talk soon,

-Carmen

The Shape of your Heart

I sat yesterday and pondered, can you die of a broken heart? I began to grapple with the idea yesterday. I work in a level 3 ER that has a STEMI lab- so we see the absolute worst heart patients. A few weeks ago we saw a young woman in the ER- her symptoms: chest pain x 2 days, squeezing pain, no radiation, with shortness of breath. Based off of these symptoms a true heart attack was unlikely (but not improbable). However a full work up was done on her.  As we continued to monitor her I had a chat with her; she told me that she had been going through a rough time- her relationship was rocky at best. She said that they had recently had a huge fight 2 days ago (the onset of her chest pain) and hurtful things were said.

I continued on with my day not thinking much of my conversation when it dawned on me- she had Broken Heart Syndrome (BHS).

The heart is such an amazing organ. It pumps and oxygenates blood, allowing us to live. When your heart ceases beating; life ceases. But how does an organ that seems to have nothing to do with our feelings, sense our emotions? Shouldn't it be our head? The organ that is quintessentially regarded as our feeling organ? 

I once heard a story of a woman whose husband had recently passed. They had been married for 40 years. They had 5 kids and 14 grandchildren. Her and her husband had made a beautiful life together. They were eachothers best friend. Partners in life. Soulmates. The woman plagued with sadness began to experience health problems shortly after his passing. To no surprise shortly after his passing, she joined him. Everyone said she died of a broken heart. I could not believe that story at the time. It felt so improbable to blame death on a broken heart. Perhaps she had something else wrong with her- given her age and other risk factors. But as time progresses, I have began to change my mind on the subject, perhaps you can in fact die of a broken heart.

Stress Cardiomyopathy is what we colloquially call Broken Heart Syndrome and it does feel like a heart attack. Periods of high stress can cause the Sympathetic Nervous System to go into "fight or flight" mode, which releases high levels of Adrenaline. The high levels can stun the heart by the flood entering it and cause it to not pump properly. That is the heart "squeezing" we feel. 

Takotsubo is what it is called in Japan. Researchers there concluded that the left ventricle takes on an unusual shape during periods of BHS. It looks like a fishing pot! They also concluded that if the heart is not able to pump blood out properly due to this, the patient can experience heart failure (i.e. dying of a broken heart). 

But does this mean that everyone with BHS dies? No. Absolutely not. If that were the case we'd likely be extinct by now. The heart (and body) is a fantastic machine that heals. Someone can be critically ill with BHS on Monday and by the end of the week on their road to recovery. The heart is miraculous and recovers fairly easily.

So I would like to ask you all, what shape is your heart today? No matter what shape it is today,  I can assure you that time heals all. Take care of your body, exercise, eat well, live, keep loving, laugh. All things will pass, and happiness will come. If you are hurting, heal your heart with me. I know what you are going through. There is no reason to be alone. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to drop me a line. I'm a great listener.

All the best,

Carmen

Healthy Pesto Chicken and Rice Recipe

I'm baaaackkk!!! I'm so sorry I have been gone :( I have missed writing so much, but I have been so busy with studying for the MCAT ( a test from Hell- I WISH I WAS JOKING! But I think that the devil literally FEDEX'd it up to the living world, ughhhhh).  I am taking my test on the 21st of the month, and despite studying, I feel unprepared :( Hopefully I will feel prepared come test day.  The MCAT is the medical school admissions test, which is required you take prior to applying to medical school. It goes over things I learned in school : Biology, organic chemistry, general chemistry, physics, and reading comprehension. It's a hard dense test, which guards the gates of med school. Wish me luck. I'm less than 2 weeks away. I honestly can't wait to be a doctor. I'm so fortunate to have a supportive family and partner that have been more than accommodating to my study schedule. It can't be easy to deal with someone who is constantly stressed out and busy studying, but they understand... I'm so lucky...

To celebrate my return, I wanted to share with you all a delicious recipe that I made today. Super easy, and super clean. This will surely fuel your fat burning diet, and help you look hot in your bikini this summer: This recipe is delicious and under 300 calories!! :o

Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe... YUM!

You will need:

• 3 ounces of cooked chicken
• 2 tsp of Pesto
• 1/4 cup cooked Brown Rice
• 1 cup steamed chopped Broccoli

Cut chicken up into bite size pieces. Combine with rice and chopped broccoli.  Add pesto, and mix.

Enjoy!!! 

XoXo

-Carmen

Love Your Body TODAY

All too often we get caught up in the mind set that we can't enjoy life until x, y, z is complete. Have you ever found yourself saying, "I will start enjoying life- going to the beach in a bikini, buying the clothes that I want, or just going out to the trendy places, once I have lost 20 pounds" ? Or once I have achieved (fill in your goal).  Often we create excuses. We think that once we have achieved our goals, then we can start living. Until then we shouldn't. I am here to tell you that is down right wrong.

I used to feel that way. I would tell myself that I couldn't wear a two piece bikini until I lost 15 pounds. So I never wore a bikini for the greater part of my teenage to early adult life. Was this good thinking on my part? Absolutely not. By saying that, I was telling myself that right now, at present, you are not good enough. I would always be so jealous of girls with less than perfect bodies strutting their stuff in bikinis, while I sat there covered up. I was jealous of their confidence, and positive body image.

I want to tell you that no more will we do that! No more until (fill in the blank). Start now. Live your life. Life it how you want to live it. Do what you want to do (as long as it's legal and your aren't breaking any laws- I can't condone that lol ).

I encourage you to go and live your life. Live it to the fullest. You are enough. Right now. Go! What are you waiting for. Don't let life pass you by, because life goes by in the blink of an eye. Don't realize that when its too late.

Have you always wanted to be a dancing queen? Well get your dancing shoes on and go. Have you wanted to participate in a race? Well lace up your running shoes and hit the pavement. What about walk around in a bikini? Do it! Who cares! Love your body for what it is- a wonderful beautiful machine who keeps you alive, who allows you to exercise, who is a more high tech computer than we could ever create. Love the body you were given TODAY, now and without conditions.

I realize this more and more everyday. My body is great. It runs marathons, it lifts heavy weights, it processes specialized information in the blink of an eye. How dare I undermine it, and talk down to it?

Get out there and love your body today! No longer will we live by the until then mind set. No, until NOW.

Comment below and tell me what you did for your gorgeous body today?

You are Fit and Pretty- don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

XOXO,

Carmen

When Weight Loss Turns Bad- My Personal Struggle

I want to start this off by telling you that I will be sharing my personal story. It was hard to write, but if there is someone struggling out there with weight or body image, maybe you yourself are or know someone that is  and they read it, I hope it gives you hope. Hopefully it helps them feel connected, like they are not the only ones going through it. I am here to tell you, you are not alone.

My struggles with weight and body image are long and deep rooted. They go far back into my childhood-and maybe that is why they have have stuck around and lurked for so long. I grew up being a little bit of a chubby kid (looking back on it now, and looking at pictures I was a pretty normal weight kid, almost fit by today's new wave over childhood obesity, but that's nor here nor there).  Despite being a fairly nice and sweet kid, it felt like I was always the target of mean comments about my weight. Sadly, these were not from strangers, they were from what should have been loving and positive image supportive family members. My half brother, big mouthed and rude neighbor, and extended family were my biggest critics. The fact that neither one of my parents told them to stop the teasing did not help the situation.

So at the age 8 years old I began to exercise. I vividly remember my first exercise session. I took our family dog Cisco (who in doggy heaven may he rest ) for a run around my neighborhood. It's interesting how some things become etched in our minds, because I remember that day so vividly. My parents were eating dinner whem I announced that I was going for a run. My parents only let me run up and down my street, but that was okay I could still run up and down it.

From there on I became exercise and diet obsessed. By the 8th grade I remember "dieting", skipping lunch at school, attempting to only eat a few kernels of corn on the cob for dinner and figuring out ways to "pretend" to have eaten the pancakes my mom would make fresh every morning for breakfast before school.  I played soccer and was on the swim team so this kept my weight low and I was a slim 115 pounds. The comments about my weight had stopped, but I was always fearful of them coming or them being said behind my back. Despite looking fit, I never looked fit enough to my personal standards, I never felt fit enough to not be criticized and scrutinized by family

In high school I struggled with my weight again. The "popular" and pretty girls were 105 pounds, something rediculous like that, and here I was a plump size 5. So at the age of 16 I began to take diet pills. I would take them for a period of time, but they would give me so much anxiety that I would stop taking them. I felt miserable.

I read US Weekly, and other magazines like the bible, scouring them for new diets and tricks to stay slim. One summer I followed US Weekly's Jessica Simpson plan to get into her Daisy Dukes. A completely low carb diet, with lots of squats, abs, and cardio. In two months I looked great! By the time my senior year came around I looked great. But I can tell you that low carb diets are tricky, once you start eating carbs again, the weight piles back on, and you find yourself back at square one, if not in a worse place than you started. While on the low carb diet, I struggled with constipation, low energy, fatigue, but I figured it was worth it for the body aesthetics.

I probably tried more weight loss pills through out high school than participated in any event. I honestly probably spent more time researching weight loss products and techniques more than studied- my grades began to reflect it.

Anyway, I graduated high school and began college in the fall. I went to a local CSU. I was happy there, and even got to run Cross Country. The way I prepared that summer for the team? Low carb dieting, and a heavy amount of miles logged running. I couldn't be the fat girl on the team. My past weight scrutinizers had now been replaced by my peers-at least in my mind. It worked-more or less, but while participating my my plan, I developed shin splints- which turned into stress fractures, and unsustainable running schedule- I was running close to 55-60 miles a week! I was miserable.

During this time, I endured a particularly hard family hardship, which didn't make things any easier, but I am not complaining. Things happen, and we adapt.

I kept taking weight loss pills, but now I had graduated to making my own. I was staking Ephedra. Making my own ECA stack that I had heard was a miracle worker- however now banned, due to death, stroke, heart attacks-no big deal things like that (sarcasm).

This is where things got bad. The high caffeine, and ephedra began to give me so much anxiety. I was fearful to go outside- I felt I would be taunted for my weight. I began to develop a body dysmophic disorder. I thought I was the fattest person on earth-simply grotesque. Although I was thin, I thought I looked like the most horrendous person ever. It was a bad time in my mind. I would cry alone. I felt like I had no one to talk to, no one who could even begin to understand.

So finally I checked into counseling. I have to confess, I scheduled and cancelled a lot of appointments until I finally went in. But I am happy I did. I met with a wonderful counselor who through many sessions allowed me grow and feel safe. She gave me a lot of information, advice, and served as the listening ear I needed. Things got better.

I went a while doing well. But I still had my weight phobia. Things became worse when I knew we would be getting company from "fat hating" family that summer. I embarked on my get slim for summer family visitors plan: Running high mileage~ 50 miles a week and virtually not eating anything. Sure enough it worked, and I looked great for the visit, but 2 weeks later I landed myself into the hospital. This was no regular hospital trip, I passed out unresponsive, the ambulance came and picked me up, intubated me because I couldn't breathe on my own, I was medi-flighted to a major hospital 2 hours away from my home town, where I was in the ICU for 4 days. It kills me to think of what it must have been like for my family. They were devastated. Doctors honestly told them they were unsure if I would make it, and if I did, I would likely be left with a severe impediment. My brother now recalls the situation and tells me " I didn't care if you came out needing us to bathe, feed, do everything for you- in my mind I had already made up my mind that I would do anything".. .he was only 17 years old at the time. There in the hospital my mom and brother would feed me; I was a wreck. I was so tired, my mind of was so foggy, my memory was terrible. I wasn't sure if this would be my life forever.

I give my family and God all the credit in the world that I was able to fully recover, and here I am still going through life.

I returned to counseling, where I was able to combat some of my weight demons that I had developed, but like any emotional scar, you have to keep working at it.

I want to tell you THAT THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO LOSE WEIGHT THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TAKING CARE OF YOU AND YOUR HEALTH. Think of your family and your friends that love you. Love yourself for who you are, not what others think of you. I have learned that over the years. The emotional scars I built as a child sometimes resurface, but I have to remind myself that my worth does not lie in a number on the scale or the size of my jeans, but in the size of my heart and the extensions my positive actions have on others.

If you are struggling with your weight, and feel like you have to take things to an extreme, please stop. Please seek counseling. Nothing is that important that you should put yourself in harms way. Love yourself enough, and remember that. If you don't have anyone else to talk to, talk to me. If anyone understands, it's me.

You are beautiful just the way you are.

Your worth is measured by the size of your heart, not the size of your waist.
People that are worth it will see that <3

I  hope that by sharing my struggle, I can positively impact someone else out there. Even if it is just one person-I will feel happy. I want to let you know that there is hope- you can get better. It is so easy to turn a simple diet into an obsession or full blown disorder- I know this all too well.

Sending you all the love in the world. Be safe, healthy, fit and pretty.

-Carmen

Top 3 Reasons to Workout with a Friend

Okay, lets be honest, sometimes we don't feel like exercising. There are times when after a long hard day at work or school you just feel like coming home and sitting on the couch. The cast of Glee is practically singing "sit down and watch me" (in their oh so harmonious voices), Gloria from Modern Family is saying "Com waash me!!" ( at the top of her lungs, in her heavy accent), and Juan Pablo the Bachelor is asking you to accept the rose at the Rose Ceremony--taking place right now!

When this happens don't give in. Say no and remind yourself of this: the Journal of American Academy of Physician Assistants recommends that people exercise with a partner or group because they "are more likely to stay on track", so what are you waiting for? Call up a friend!!

Below you will find my top 3 reasons to grab a pal and start sweating:

1. Because it's Fun, duh :)  You get to chat with your BFF and catch up while jogging or participating in an exercise class- you pick. How fun is that?!!? Strengthening friendships and your bum, love <3

2. Extra Motivation- You are less likely to skip your sweat sessions if you know someone is waiting for you. This is so true, you will feel bad cancelling on your pal.

 3. Competitive factor- Despite what you may think, we all have that competitive spirit within us. Exercising with a friend will likely trigger that- you will be more likely to workout hard until the end.

Like they say, friends that sweat together, stay fit together... Well at least I say that :)

Today I enlisted two of my favorite gals: my mom and Golden Retriever, Cammy, for my morning sweat session. We ran 4 miles together-which honestly didn't even feel like hard work because we were having so much fun chatting.

So get out there today and sweat it out with your pals. Friends + exercise =LOVE= Great bikini body

X's and O's, your friend and fitness liaison,

-Carmen

Running on Happiness-Back to Basics

I often talk about the benefits of exercise- here, and in my daily conversations. I am what you could call a "self imposed exercise marketing specialist". I am here to remind you exercise is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. There is nothing that comes even close to how beneficial it is- I can't help but smile just talking about it. With that said, today I want to chat with you about how necessary it is to participate in enjoyable exercise; do what makes your heart sing and soul happy-especially during turbulent, trying, and incredibly stressful periods.

I recently began to think about how immensely important it is to engage in "enjoyable" exercise -lately life has been a little bit more hectic; I have several projects in the works-some that I will tune you into soon, promise :) But needless to say how blessed and fortunate I am to have such opportunities before me, I have to admit I have felt a little bit more stressed out than usual. I have to tell you how important it has been to engage in exercise that I truly love. I can tell you from experience that if you are participating in an exercise plan doesn't encompass exercises you love- it will be the first thing to fall off your to do list- and this won't help your stress.

With so many stressful things in life, I figured it would be silly of me to bog myself down with a stressful and tedious exercise programs-so I decided to bring things back down to basics. Instead of worrying about sets, and reps, and heart rate, blah blah blah. I stripped my workout down to the basics- I went back to my first, true and unfailing love: running. When all else fail me, running does not.



Running has always been a great escape for me. It has been a haven for my thoughts, feelings, and dreams. A safe place for me to share my hopes dreams and fears.  When its stripped down, and only me and the pavement, I feel I have made the greatest realizations, the biggest breakthroughs, and I have learned the most about myself.

I have decided that for the next few days I will just run. Run and relax. Work through my stress. Focus on me and my thoughts. Unplug from the world, and just be me.

Here is my workout for the moment:

Run

Nothing fancy. Nothing extreme. Simple and basic. My first love.

I encourage you all to take some time and strip your workout down to basics from time to time. Remember why you first fell in love with working out. Rekindle your relationship with exercise. Don't over think your workout. Don't add unneeded stress to yourself- bring it back to basics. Do what refreshes your soul. This way you will strengthen your body and mind- and what could possibly be better than that? <3

Being fit and pretty starts with your mind-so take care of that beautiful mind and soul of yours. Beauty starts from within.
-Carmen

P.S. I follow my run off with 100 crunches, 3 X 20 push ups, 3 X 20 lunges for added oh so sexy-hot body benefits ;)

Cardio Vs. Weight Training

Cardio vs. Weight training, the never ending debated question. So lets start by chatting about both.. 

Cardiovascular exercise is wonderful! It strengthens your heart, lungs, muscles, bones, trains your body to more efficiently transport oxygen and nutrients to your tissues,  and releases endorphin to keep you happy. Doesn't sound too shabby to me!

Now lets discuss weight training. Weight training is also nothing short of fabulous. It strengthens and builds bone and muscle mass, helps boost your metabolism by building more muscle, helps manage blood sugar, helps manage back pain; again endless wonderful benefits.

So with that said, why the constant dispute about which is better? To me this question should be more properly phrased as :

Cardio vs. weight training-which is better for my body composition goals at the moment?

This properly helps advise the person wondering which will help them achieve their body goals. So lets chat about that.

For someone who is overweight, and by overweight I don't mean according to your personal standards, but overweight defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 ( unless your are a professional bodybuilder, then you need to go by body fat percentage). If your BMI is greater than 25 then I would say Cardio exercise will be your best friend, along with a modified calorie intake diet.

My exercise prescription for someone BMI 25 +

• 60 minutes of heart elevating cardiovascular exercise 4-5 times a week for quickest results. If you haven't exercised in ages, that's okay. Start off 3 days a week 30 minute sessions, start small and build up. Your cardiovascular system is wonderful at adapting quickly this will in turn boost your exercise confidence :) Remember, "watch your fork" as they say and stay within your calorie budget. Their is nothing worse than reversing your hard work in minutes.

My exercise prescription for someone BMI <25

• Weight training 4-5 times a week 45 minute sessions with cardiovascular exercise sessions of 30 minutes x3 a week. This will get you results fast. Lift weights that are heavy enough to make you struggle at repetition 8, but you can go to 10 reps still keeping perfect form. Try to work all your body parts either on separate days or do a full body workout. You will be amazed by the results. Like all fitness plans, I can't stress how key your diet is, watch what you eat and the results will come. This I can promise you.

There is it the cardio vs. weight training debate broken down for you. There are no winners, we are all friends; there is just one that at the moment will help us reach of fitness goals quicker.

How are you all doing on your exercise plans? Spring is rapidly approaching. In my area it is expected to be 82 degrees today, eeekk :o

Make sure to wear sunscreen. Enjoy the day, and get active.

Wishing you the best in your endeavors. Your friend and fitness facilitator,

-Carmen

Falling off my diet confession...

I have a confession. Maybe after I tell you I will feel better and be able to move on.  Yesterday was a day full of bad eating.

March 8th... started off like any other day. Who would've guessed such a diet crime would be committed...

I woke up. Ready for my day, hungry and ready to eat. I was craving something delicious. Something like granola. YUM! I thought to myself, no granola is so dense in calories, that little bit I will eat could be a lot more delicious healthy oatmeal with some added fixings to enhance its deliciousness.  So I made a bowl of oatmeal with protein powder and some blue berries. It was good, but I still wasn't satisfied.

I thought okay, I'll wait. Maybe my mind hasn't registered as full. Maybe I'll have some coffee. Maybe I'm just tired and craving the sugar. I slurped down my coffee, and waited. All I could think of was, how delicious that granola was, and how I really wanted some. And like most diet crimes, I rationalized eating just a little...

Well I had a little. It was so good! Omg! My long lost love, granola. Oh how I love you. I just wanted to sing and dance with pleasure. So I had a little more. A little granola never hurt anyone, right? This is where it got ugly. "Maybe I'll just have a little more?  Maybe I'll add some milk to it, that will make it so good. Maybe I'll have some blueberries too, omg that would be just divine. So I poured myself a huge bowl. I know what you a thinking, granola, wow, big deal, but no hear me out, this was not just a little granola, this was enough granola to feed a family of 3 with milk and blue berries. I ate enough granola to make me not ever need granola ever. Any more granola and I probably would have turned into a granola oat myself... and then turned around and eaten myself, because granola is just that darn good...aghh... I wish I was exaggerating..

A little bit later, in hopes of getting back on track, I had a snack...

Snack: Apple and mixed nuts

At that point I was doing better, and thought, okay smooth sailing, back on track... right? Wrong!

Lunch: 3, count them 3! peanut butter cookies with milk and small slice of digorno pizza.... Aghhh what is wrong with me?!?! I couldn't stop at one cookie, no I had to eat three. I figured well subway sells them to you 3 for a dollar, so that must be the serving, right? Ughhhh, no, no wrong, wrong, wrong, but yummy, yummy, yummy.

So now in hopes of not vastly exceeding my daily calories to maintain my weight, I had dinner... Luckily by dinner I had finally gotten my head on straight-somewhat.

Dinner: Steamed veggies, and but to follow my apathetic diet mode, I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on them.... sigh*

:(

Ugh, I hate when this happens. After the eating the cookies, there was a point in my mind where I just though, f*** it, I all ready ruined my diet, might as well eat worse. Has that happened to you? That's such bad thinking. It's like saying okay I dropped my phone, now let me smash it in, drop it in mud, and then maybe submerge it in water.

But what can I say, we are human. We make mistakes. Maybe if we just admitted it, we wouldn't feel so ashamed when it happens and keep on doing it. So now, I hope that after getting it out there, and confessing this to you guys I can carry on with my normal healthy eating and workouts.

Drop me a line and tell me how your are doing. Have you also fallen off your diets? Come out and confess it. No judgement here.  Shout it out, let us know. Maybe if you put it out there, we won't all be trying to hide and pretend we are so perfect.

Honestly, I feel so much better! It felt great. Thanks for listening. Do yourself a favor and confess your diet sins to someone. If you don't want to tell a friend, post it here. We will understand, and then you can move forward. xoxo -c

How to sculpt Kelly Ripa Arms

Fan or non-fan, we all can agree that she has some really rocking arms. Her arms (and body) are those that most of us think we can only dream of. Not true! Here is a workout that will help you too get arms that look just like Kelly's.

Warm up 5-10 minutes jump roping, doing jumping jacks, or what I like to call a dynamic warm up (consisting of karate kicks- then plank, reverse kicks-then plank, and squats).

• 15 Push Ups
• 15 Band Bent Over Wide Rows

• 15 Band Bicep Curls
• 15 Band Overhead Tricep Extensions

• 1 Minute Arm Circles (30 seconds in each direction)
• 15 Band Lateral Raises

• 5 Sets of Push Up Planks (5-10 seconds on each hand counts as a set)
• 15 Back Bow Crossovers

• 15 Band Upright Rows
• 15 Band Overhead Presses

• 15 Tricep Push Ups
• 15 Band Bent over Close Rows

End with a cool down of stretching

Workouts like this one will help you get Kelly's arms, but you will have to pair this with a  healthy-calorie controlled diet to achieve maximum results.

Remember for your toned sexy arms to show you need to have a lean body. This will be achieved by eating a low calorie diet and doing at least 30 minutes of cardio everyday and doing these exercises 2-3 times a week. 

Enjoy! 

-C

Bikini Body Boot Camp Style Workout

Sound off!!

As summer starts to loom around the corner, for us most of us that means trying to start melting away that added fluff that we have added over the winter. As most of us, I, want results fast. To achieve that, I will need to do high intensity cardio mixed with strength training. This will burn the maximum amount of calories in the least amount of time, and build and strengthen muscle-which will increase my resting metabolism( i.e burn more calories all day long, even when watching your favorite reality TV show)- who doesn't want that!?

Bikini Body Bootcamp Style workout:


Best to do at a park with hills
Warm up 5-10 minutes jogging

• Sprints up hill x 5 sets, jog down
• Lunges up hill x 5 set, jog down
• Box Jumps up hill x 5 set, jog down
• Bunny Hops up hill x 5 set, jog down

Repeat x 2 times

• Up down's x 20 reps
• Triceps dips with knee ins x 20 reps
• Crap walks x 20 reps

Repeat x 3 times

• Plank with knee ins x 1 minutes x 3 sets
• Leg raises x 30 reps  x 3 sets

• Cool down with 20-30 minute jog

This workout should take ~1 hour and torch 400-600 calories, depending on body size ( I burnt 435 calories in 1 hour at 5'2 125 pounds doing this workout this morning).

Try this workout out and let me know how it goes. Talk soon.

Muah, xoxo

-C

Eating Healthy Doesn't have to be Hard... Protein Pancakes

When embarking on a "healthy eating" plan, immediately you think baby carrots, rice cakes, and in general boring foods. Gone are the days of delicious bacon, creamy ice cream, and decadent pancakes, right? Wrong!

Here is a great recipe that will help you stay on your diet. 

Protein Pancakes! YUM! So good you might permanently switch to these

1. 1/4 cup oatmeal
2. Half a banana
3. 1/4 scoop of your choice protein powder (chocolate tastes really good BTW)
4. 4 -5 tsp of liquid egg whites
5. Non stick cooking spray
6. A pinch of baking soda
7. A pinch of salt
8. Peanut butter to serve

Blend oatmeal, banana, protein powder, egg whites in blender. Heat skillet, spray non stick spray. Pour batter on skillet (make them as big or as small as your heart desires). Let them cook up, flip and serve. Add a table spoon or 2 of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter to serve, and voila! Delicious, nutricious, and healthy pancakes.Makes 2 pancakes.

Nutrition: 

• 10g fat
• 33 g carbs
• 22 g protein
• 308 calories

I made some for myself this morning after my workout.They were amazing!

Tell me what you think of the recipe? Good? Bad? Suggestions.

XOXO,

-C

P.S. Still craving that bacon? Try turkey bacon ;o. 

Brazilian Booty Treadmill Workout

Want to plump up your butt while trimming your waistline? Want your butt to look better, tighter, and higher in those summer shorts? Well I have a great work out for you! This will not only torch calories but it will firm up your trouble zones in only 45 minutes. Have 45 minutes to boost your back side? Well this workout is for you.

Brazilian Booty Treadmill Workout

Warm up on treadmill 5 minutes.
-Minute 1 at 1.0 incline at 3.5 speed
-Minute 2 at 5.0 incline at 3.5 mph
-Minute 3 at 9.0 incline at 3.5 mph
-Minute 4 at 12.0 incline at 3.5 mph
-Minute 5 at 15 incline at 3.5 speed

-Minutes 5-15 at 15 incline at 3.5 mph

-Minutes 16-20 1.0 incline at 6.0 mph

-Minutes 20-30 15.0 incline at 3.5 mph

-Minutes 30-35 1.0 incline at 6.5 mph

-Minutes 35-40 3.0 incline at 3.3 mph

*HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART*
-Minutes 40-45 15.0 incline 1.0 mph and 20 lunges followed by 30 seconds of walking and then repeat 

* Alternative to lunges, Side squats and switch

CAUTION: Results will be intense and serious levels of sexiness will be achieved. May cause jealousy, admiration, and too many date requests to handle.

Enjoy! Be Fit and Pretty!

<3

Unhealthy Foods Incognito

Unhealthy Foods Disguised as healthy foods

I will be the first to say that I am guilty of falling prey to the unhealthy food that is disguised healthy foods. I have always considered myself a healthy eater so of course I was on board to add these tasty treats to my normal diet. However, upon taking a closer look at these delectable treats I have established that maybe I haven't been doing myself as big of a favor as I had initially thought. Perhaps these foods were actually not aiding in me get closer to achieve my body goals. Maybe they were even putting me further behind.

Biggest diet offenders in disguise.

1) Granola.

This one comes as a blow to my diet ego. I am a self proclaimed granola lover. Hands down favorite "healthy" food, or so I thought. Here's the "skinny" on it. On average 1 cup has approximately 453 calories, 12 g of fat, and 80 g of carbs, 28 g of sugar. Yikes! My  morning cereal or snack was packing near half of my daily calories, and 28 g of sugar that is equal to 7 tsp of sugar! That's no favor to myself!

Compare that to the "unhealthy" Cinnamon Toast Crunch which 1 cup has 173 calories, 3.7 g of fat, 31 g of carbs, and 13 g of sugar.

While I don't recommend starting your day with a nice bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I don't recommend patting yourself on the back for eating a bowl of granola either.

Instead I recommend for a delicious breakfast: A nice hearty bowl of oatmeal (stone ground or old fashioned made on the stove top, topped with your choice of delicious fruit, 1 tsp of brown sugar and voila awesome breakfast and on the path to a trimmer waistline!

2) Wraps.

When cutting carbs, doesn't it seem like a no brainer to swap your bread consumption with a wrap? To ramp it up and be even more healthy you opt for spinach, tomato, or even whole wheat wraps. [pause to pat self on the back]. However, good idea? Unfortunately not. A large 12 inch spinach wrap packs in 290 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 43grams of carbs. Thats equivalent to about 3 slices of bread. After coming to this finding, I found myself feeling less virtuous about my "smart" food choice.

Instead! Have Ezekiel bread! Each slice only has 80 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, and 14 grams of fat. Not too shabby. If you'd like to be an over achiever, have your sandwich open faced and only eat 1 slice of bread instead of two.  By doing this you save yourself a few calories and if you compare this to the wrap you spare your self 210 calories! ( 210 calories is equivalent to a 35 minute exercise session on the elliptical BTW!) :o

3) Bran Muffins or otherwise whole grain muffin

Who doesn't love a sweet treat. A delicious addition to your coffee, Mmmmm,  or a nice quick breakfast. Bran muffins seem to solve the unhealthy pastry problem, right? Sadly wrong.  I will confess serious sweet tooth. I think that those near me will back me up on this. I love sweets, but after delving further into the nutritional facts on my pastry substitute, I have determined maybe I should look into alternate ways of satisfying my sweet tooth.

A Starbucks 2.5 inch Bran Muffin has a whopping 400 calories, 19 grams of fat, and and 58 grams of carbs! Holy skinny mocha-latte that is a lot of calories! This pastry substitute is no way to maintain a slim waist line.

Instead, consider making your own breakfast treat. Google a great recipe for a protein muffin. There are so many great recipes that you can put together. A breakfast option I really want to try in this egg white french toast muffins.

Directions: Cut up Ezekiel bread into cubes, place several into muffin pans, add egg whites to cubes, mix in cinnamon and your favorite sugar free sweetener and there you have a healthy alternative to this. Each treat comes out to only about 50 calories!   Now there is a treat I can get on board with.

4) Fruit Juice. At about 110 calories for an 8 ounce cup, a piece of fruit has about half that, plus plenty of fiber.  When possible always opt for fruit.

5) Veggie Chips. This is one that I am so sad about, I thought for sure chips made out of vegetables had to be good for me. Right? Wrong! These chips are basically the same as eating regular chips with all the added oil they have and processing.

My suggestion? Find ways to make vegetables snacks. Maybe adding lemon, salt and pepper to cucumber. Or Drizzling some olive oil, salt, and pepper on some cherry tomatoes and serve with a serving of cottage cheese or low fat mozzarella cheese. YUM!

6) Gluten free foods. I will say, there are some people who are 100% truly gluten intolerant have Celiac Disease, but by and large the general population can eat gluten despite what the latest diet trends may be saying. Gluten is a protein that is added to make breads bind and have a really nice texture, so when a product is made gluten free, something else has to be added to make up for the change.  This is normally achieved by adding sugar and extra starches to the products.  This makes the product higher in calories a lot of times, and definitely not as healthy as we would believe.

So there you have it. A list of unhealthy foods hiding behind health food labels. Of course as any healthy diet allows you can still eat some of these products on occasion if you love them, but like with everything, moderation is key.

Hope these tips help you on your quest to be continue being Fit and Pretty.

xoxo,

-Carmen

About Me...

About me...Well this is different. I spend 24 hours /7days a week with myself and yet talking about myself is always difficult, but I want to share with you all some odd tid bits about myself...

• If I could be an animal I would be a Golden Retriever... They are just the sweetest, most loving, and happy beings. I have a beautiful Goldie named Camille. She is the kindest and most curious being. I have had Golden Retrievers since I was born. 
• I want to be a doctor. I love health, science, and above all the ability to help others. 
• My favorite healthy foods are peanut butter at oatmeal... mmm. I have been caught on numerous occasions with a spoon in the peanut butter jar. More often than not we go through jars of peanut butter quicker than you can say "super delicious peanut heaven in a jar"... speaking of I should go have some... I need a snack... 
• I really love Spanish soap operas. I think they are cheesy and all a variation of the same poor girl/ rich guy scenario, but I love them. 
• My favorite subject in college was Organic Chemistry. There is just something so gratifying about figuring out how compounds work. I feel the key in o chem is "being one with the electron flow".  Yes I know this is nerdy, but what can I say, the heart feels what the heart feels. 
• I really, really love writing about health and fitness. It makes me truly happy. I love the ability to spread knowledge and help others. I really hope that you enjoy what I write, and please comment and let me know what you would like to hear about.

Hope to hear form you soon. Hugs.

-Carmen

5 simple rules to help you stick to your diet

We all start diets with great intentions. Follow your diet with complete accuracy, vows to never miss the gym , and voila in 3 months people will be asking us what we did- how did we transform our bodies. I can't tell you enough how many times I have played this scenario in my head. I know I can't be the only one. But it seems like some how, my diet gets derailed, my workouts don't always happen, and I don't get the changes in my body I had hoped for. After going through this cycle for a long time. I have vowed to this time make it work. Here are 5 rules that I have implemented that I have found help me tremendously stick to my diet plan. Let me know if you have any more. We can share tips and support each other to achieve our goals.

Tip 1: Plan ahead. Know what you will be eating for the day and make your meals ahead of time. This can be achieved by making your meals earlier in the week and just putting them into containers for the day. Having a plan always makes it easy. This has helped keeping me from cheating on my diet or scrounging the cupboards trying to put together a half decent meal.

Tip 2: Drink lots of water. Often I have found that I am just thirsty and not in fact hungry. Mistaking thirst for hunger is an all to often mistake. I now travel around with my water bottle.

Tip 3: Have a list of healthy alternatives on hand. Whether it is you have to eat out or you just don't have time to leave the office to get something to eat. Have a plan. If its eating out, have a list of safe things you can eat at several restaurants- don't have a list? That's okay. Restaurants are completely okay with making you what you want. You are paying them good money to do so. Ask for a grilled chicken or fish, with a side of veggies/salad/ or broth soup, if its early in the day, have some complex carbs. If you just can't eat because you are stuck at work, have some healthy snacks you can eat-fruit, nuts, protein bar, etc.

Tip 4: If healthy eating is new to you, try to stick to the same foods over and over until you get the hang of it. Once you have figured out the tenets of healthy eating, play around with you meals. Make some delicious foods so you don't miss the unhealthy counterparts you have ditched from your diet.

Tip 5: Make sure all your meals have some protein. This is actually something that has greatly helped me stick to my diet. I don't mean pound a protein shake in between every meal- you can however if you'd like and it fits into your daily calorie allotment, but eat some protein with all your meals. It will help you feel fuller longer. It helps level out your blood sugar. By keeping it level you will avoid blood sugar dips that make you feel ravenous. 

Let me know if you have any more tips to add to the list. Good luck on your body goals. Just for reference, I am 5'2 and 123 pounds right now. I want to increase my muscle mass and drop body fat. I would like to be at about 16-18% body fat- I am about 23% right now. It's been such a struggle to decrease my body fat-despite my best efforts. I know I can't be the only one. Join me on my goals. Set some goals for yourself. Together we can achieve them. 

What goals are you working towards? Drop me a line. I would love to hear from you.

Stay fit and pretty.

-C

Benefits of Exercise

We all know that exercise helps us strengthen our hearts and lungs while keeping keep fat at bay. But what other benefits does exercising have?

I have made a list to keep you more motivated than ever when the thoughts of a flat tummy aren't enough to get you to the gym. 

It reduces stress.  This is probably the most notable benefits. Exercising releases norepinephrine ( the chemical that helps of moderate stress) . Research actually shows that the more you exercise, the better you handle stress!

STRATEGY

• Bad day at work? Go for a 30 minute run or walk. You will feel better I guarantee it. 

It helps you prevent Alzheimer Disease. Alzheimer's causes the shrinkage in your brain as you get older. Research shows that people that exercise tend to not experience this.

STRATEGY

• In your 20's-40's? Make sure to get that exercise in. This is an important time to capitalize on Alzheimer prevention. Studies have shown that during this time in your life, the chemicals in your body that support and prevent the degeneration of your hippocampus (important for memory and learning) are at their highest. Capitalize on that. 
• 40 +  don't despair! You are still at a key time to keep that hippocampus strong. By exercising you help prevent degeneration. It is important to keep exercising during this time to keep those brain connections just as strong as your bicep muscles ;)

It keeps you feeling good.  Thanks to our friends by the name of endorphins, exercise keeps us feeling happy.  Those feel good chemicals are released when we are exercising. 

STRATEGY

• Exercise at least 3 times a week for some endorphin love. Any type of exercise is great. Cardio, weights, you choose. Your mind, body, friends/family and person sitting in traffic in the car next to you will thank you :)

Those are only a three additional reasons why you should exercise. Pretty good ones huh?

What are your reasons for exercising? Do you have any to add to the list? Comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Stay fit and pretty

-Carmen

Meal Prep

They say the worst thing you can do is fail to prepare. I think this is by and large very true in all aspects in life-dieting not withstanding. Diets fail do not fail due to lack of desire-everyone who starts a diet wants to succeed, but diets fail due to lack of preparation.  When you don't have something healthy ready to go when you are in a rush, stressed out, or just plain tired; that take out menu looks attractive, the drive thru seems delicious, and raiding your cupboards for those Oreo's sounds divine.

To avoid this I try to prep my meals.  This is very easy and can be one once or twice a week for maximum convenience.  That way when hunger, stress, or exhaustion strikes- you've got dinner covered.

Today I prepped my food for about 3 days.  I think that any longer than that the flavor suffers, and no one likes eating unflavorful food. However, when I am really busy I will go ahead and cook for a week at a time.

On the menu:

• Chicken Breast
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potato
• Spinach salad

Currently my diet plan is consisting of:

Breakfast: 0.5 cup of oatmeal + 1 tps peanut butter + 0.5 cup of blueberries

Snack : Post workout shake with 0.5 banana + 1 tbsp chia

Lunch: 4 ounces chicken breast + 3 ounces sweet potato + 1 cup of broccoli

Snack: Fruit of choice -today I had a grapefruit and a handful of non salted nuts

Dinner: 4 ounces chicken breast + 1 cup spinach salad with balsamic + 1 cup bro coli or any green veggie

It's simple, basic, and borning right now. I'm currently trying to drop body fat so this diet works for me. Tell me what are your goals? What is your diet looking like right now? Any suggestions on what I should add?

Wishing you a fit and pretty day ;o

-Carmen

P.S Check out my lunch today :) Yummy-yummy!

Drive-Thru Done Right!

We all know that preparing our own food is always the best way to eat healthy, but lets face it that's not always the option that is most convenient. The CDC estimates that approximately 15% of calories consumed from people in their twenty and thirties comes from fast food.

To help keep fast food from derailing your diet, I have brought you a list of Fit Meals to Grab on the Go courtesy of Fitness Magazine. These are great options, most of these picks are about 480 calories or less. Eat up, guilt free :)

Taco Bell

• Fresco Streak Burrito Supreme plus black beans ~430 calories, 10.5 g fat

• Fresco Chicken Soft Taco plus pintos and cheese ~330 calories; 10.5 grams of fat

Subway

• 6 inch Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich on wheat with all veggies, no mayo and your choice or cheese; with apple slices ~350 calories
• Oven Roasted Chicken Salad with honey mustard dressing and a yogurt ~400 calories

Starbucks

• Chicken & Hummus Bistro Box (hummus, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, cucumber, and pita bread) plus a banana~380 calories
• Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad Bowl (grilled chicken, black beans, roasted corn, jicama, tomatoes, feta, greens, and quinoa with chile vinaigrette) plus Seasonal Harvest Fruit Blend;~450 calories

Chipotle

• 3 Barbacoa (braised beef) Tacos on soft corn tortillas with lettuce and tomato salsa~405 calories
•  Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with brown rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, lettuce, and roasted chili-corn salsa~350

Wendy's

• Large Chili plus Garden Side Salad (no croutons) with fat-free French dressing~375calories
• Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich plus apple slices~ 440 calories

Panera

• Half Smoked Turkey Breast on Artisan Whole Grain Loaf plus Low-Fat Garden Vegetable with Pesto Soup (from the You Pick Two Menu); ~320 calories
• Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad (no bacon) plus Baked Lays Potato Chips~430calories

Burger King

• Whopper Jr. (no mayo) plus Value-Sized Onion Rings~ 410 calories
• Veggie Burger plus apple slices~ 440 calories

KFC

• 4 Hot Wings plus Sweet Kernel Corn~380 calories
• Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast plus mashed potatoes (without gravy) ~310 calories 

Have you tried any of these? Have any to add to the list? Comment below and let's talk about it :)

-Carmen

Does eating at night make me fat?

Here is a question that I hear frequently. Does eating at night make me fat? The answer? It depends.

Weight gain is something that happens when you eat more calories than you burn on a consistent basis, not what you eat before bed. Some people due to schedule or preference do not eat until late hours of the night.

Our bodies do not have an enzyme that has us store fat if we eat past 8 pm.

Lets imagine this scenario:  There is a 150lbs 5'4 female whose calorie intake to maintain weight is 1950 calories.  Lets say she gets off of work at 8 pm and eats a huge 1000 calorie meal after only having the chance to eat a 350 calorie breakfast.  Will she gain weight? No. She is under her daily calorie budget.

On the other hand, lets say that she comes home, eats the same 1000 calorie meal, but after she has eaten a 500 calorie breakfast, a 500 calorie lunch, and 200 calorie snack.  Will she gain weight? Yes. She has exceeded her daily calorie budget.

Moral of the story? Eating at night will not make you fat. What you need to do to lose weight, or maintain your current weight is set up a food schedule that will meet your target calorie budget and allows you to distribute those calories in a way prevents hunger and makes you feel your best.

Stay healthy, fit and pretty.

Wishing you luck in reaching your fitness goals.

XO
-Carmen