The End of a Series

After a year, I have finally finished the Left Behind series; 12 books depicting what happens during the rapture, when Jesus takes his believers, what happens during the seven year tribulation period up until he finally returns for his final judgements.  I’m glad I read it all, despite the couple of books that were slow that made me want to stop. 

I recommend this book(s) to anyone who wants to renew their faith or just learn more about the Bible and what He fortells in a more interesting way. 

Next on the bedside table…The Shack

Eating clean is no easy feat!

In my line of work, and with my experience in training and competeting, I find it a pleasure to help people with their diet and nutrition plans.  After all, the way you eat greatly affects the way you look, even more so then exercising.  Look at it this way, you will more likely see those abs if you choose to eat oatmeal and eggs for breakfast than a muffin (which, coincidentally, might give you a muffin top, lol-please I’ve had 5 hours of sleep and just got a venti skinny latte, waiting to kick in).  But I run into trouble when trying to help my male clients.  Do I give them just larger portions of what my females eat?  How much MORE protein do they really need?  How much fat?  Do they eat 8 times a day? 

Those questions are always on my mind, although I fair pretty well when giving men diets, I have a male client who has lost 20 pounds since December!  Tosca Reno has helped millions of women already with her best selling book, The eat-clean diet for women.  I bought this book as soon as it came out in 2007 and read it cover to cover and it does change you!  I let someone borrow it and alas, they lost it, so if anyone feels the urge to buy me one feel free!  Tosca explains in details about the protein, carb, and fat needs of women.  It’s basically a bible on how you should eat every day of your life. 

This month, with the collaboration of her husband, Robert Kennedy, editor of Oxygen magazine, they came out with the Eat clean diet for men!  Yeah!  I just purchased it off ebay this morning and can’t wait to rip into it.  Not only will it help with my male clients, but my confidence will increase in that area as well as my knowledge to provide fat loss and muscle gain for men (including joey).  With 60 recipes to boot, I’m sure it can help any male looking to just eat healthier and lead a better lifestyle. 

A couple of other books I hope to get this year too are Tosca’s Eat clean Diet cookbook:

 

And her book about eating clean with family and raising healthy kids:

 

All are VERY useful books I recommend to EVERYONE!  Just keep taking what you eat one day at a time and try to eat clean, whole foods, no processed.  I find it help to keep a food journal to be held more accountable.  I love for my clients to keep one for me to check on them.  Maybe you would think twice about eating that bowl of ice cream if I had to see it huh?

Chic lit authors at their greatest

Two days ago I finished a book by Jennifer Weiner called “Good in Bed.”  The story entails the adventures of a woman who wants a “break” from her bf and then he proceeds to write about her in his magazine article.  From revenge to sadness, to laughter and happiness this book was one I could not put down and was eager for the good girl to get out on top.  But they do not always and lessons must be learned, hardships taken upon, and mountains are climbed.  A good book to lift you up to another level and state of mind.  Definately changes your perspective on life. 

That book was over and I really have been dying to start a new series of books I got by Emily Giffin.  The first is called “Something borrowed.”  It tells the tale of Rachel, who has been best friends for over 20 years with Darcy, the “better” friend who has always been on top, always has to win.  Darcy is engaged to Dex, Rachel’s law school best friend and on the night of Rachel’s 30th birthday bash, that Darcy threw, Rachel ends up sleeping with Dex.  Little do they know, they fall in love.  The tales of friendship, laughter, frustration, and pain will want you to see your best friend.  Love gets you in this one.  Read in one day, could not put down.  I’m on to the next book, “Something Blue.”

Attractively Repulsive

My cousin gave me a bunch of books and I started one yesterday entitled “I hope they serve beer in hell” by Tucker Max.  I am already half way done.  It is that funny.  With chapters titled “The Famous Sushi Pants Story,” “Everyone has ‘that’ friend,” and ” The dog vomit story” to name  a few, who could resist?  This is definately a book to read to make you laugh outloud, cheer you up, and forget whats going on in the world (and maybe bring back memories?) kind of book.  Warning: must be of appropriate age to read, in my opinion, especially to have an understanding of why those things are funny if you have gone through some of them.  Its appealing, but appalling at the same time.  Try it on for size…

Sleeping Beauty will feel cleansed soon

I do not know what the deal is but I have been tired this week.  Last night I slept 9 hours, and I got up and worked out and trained and then came home and crashed for 2 more hours.  I took a nap yesterday too after sleeping 9 hours at night.  My body is hungry for carbs, not craving, hungry.  I HATE THAT!  Maybe its destressing and refueling for life.  I’ve been eating healthy, drinking lots of water, I dont have much caffeine as it is and of course sleeping.  Maybe its my body’s way of fighting off a cold.  Who knows, but starting Monday things will change.

My bf Jeni at Enjoyer of the Journey called me and asked me if I’d like to do a little challenge with her called “The Master Cleanse.”  I bought the book, “Lose weight, have more energy, and be happier in 10 days” by Peter Glickman and read it cover to cover in one day to try to learn what was really going to go down (or come out, in our case).  So this 10 day cleanse will begin on Monday and we will be detoxing our bodies during that time.  I’m sure many of you  know that “gunk’ piles up in your intenstines and colon over the years and your physical and mental health goes down over the years.  Well, we are pushing that all out, detoxing our bodies, and restarting our bodies over again!  We will both be blogging about our experiences so please stay tuned.  Both excited and scared to see what is going to happen but we should feel great a few days in and beyond!  For more info check out The Master Cleanse Web Site.  Some results I hope to achieve with this detox:

1) No longer feeling sluggish or tired

2) No more knee pain without having to take supplements

3) The ability to resist eating so called “bad foods” and making my body crave good things

4) Less daily stress over unimportant things

So stay tuned folks and Monday February 2, 2009, the journey begins!

Resolutions of 2008, did they work?

Looking back at an old blog, these were my resolutions or things I was going to try to do in 2008.  Kind of funny when I look at them.  My own comments at the end of this year are in parenthesis

1) Drink more wine.  I’ve started a wine journal and no matter how cheap or expensive, I’m going to sample wines and keep track of them in my journal.  I’ll make up my own methods of tasting wine. (I’d say I’ve tried about 5-6 new bottles, but all in all, I dont like the feeling the next day and I dont like drinking them on my own) 

2) Do not stress as much.  Things usually get done themselves, or get done eventually, and things work out.  Take a breath, or whatever I need (some wine) and relax.   (This has probably been the most sressful year of my life…nuff said)

3) Read a book a month.  This month….the Kite Runner.  If I get more than one then Bravo!  ( I excelled in this one, I’ve probably read close to 20 or so books this year!)

4) Not obsess over exercise and such.  I know I’ll work out, at least 5 days a week I do.  I try hard and still look good, no worries right?   (Um…I did a figure competition, again nuff said)

5) Pay off debt.  Its so tempting to buy even the simplist things…things I need, workout clothes, movies, a treat meal, etc…..but debt needs to go DOWN!   (This is still going down, little at a time)

6) Get farther ahead at Bally Total Fitness.  I would like to get established as a reputable trainer and then move up in the company by the end of the year.  Get a good foot in the door in 2 years time when it comes time to move.  (well, I am now an idependent trainer and bally’s is going out of business)

7) Laugh more.  Not that I dont….but more  (Oh yeah, Joey helps a lot with this one)

8) MORE PATIENCE…I’m getting better at this one…but I need more.  HELP!  (this will always be a constant battle…always)

I don’t think I will really be doing resolutions this year.  The way I see it, I’m always trying to better myself and really, who needs the extra stress of trying to live up to something you set?!  Yes I believe in GOALS, but those are different.  Just relax, laugh more, and enjoy every minute of your life, you only live once!