Quick Tip Tuesday- Overcoming Your Superwoman January 28, 2014

This month, I have had the pleasure of being a featured contributor in “Health, Hair, and Happiness” online magazine.  This new online publication is a great resource for information on natural hair care, healthy living, and more. Please be sure to check out.

Here is an excerpt from my article, which may not be such a quick tip, but it is quite beneficial for women who have become overwhelmed with life’s daily stresses. Here, I offer a few tips and techniques on how to lighten your load.

Overcoming Your Superwoman

As mothers, wives, sisters, or women in general, we find ourselves overwhelmed with the sense of obligation almost every moment of the day. An obligation to our children, spouse, job and most everything with which we affiliate ourselves. If you are like me, you wake up and immediately begin to think about all that you “must” get done for the day. I “must” put a load of laundry in the washing machine. I “must” feed the cats. I “must” vacuum the hallway. I “must” fold the clothes, and most importantly, I “must” get in my cardio…all before 6:30 a.m.! I “must” be insane.

As a fitness competitor, wife, and mom with a 9 to 5, I get caught up in that Superwoman mentality inwhich I have to be all and do all for everyone. But the reality is; I can’t be. I will end up overworked, overstressed and useless to myself and my family.

To help maintain my sanity, I have found four ways to keep my inner Superwoman in check:

Know My Limitations

I work out regularly, so I have come to know my limits in the gym. If you hand me 65 pound dumb bells

and ask me to do bicep curls, I will promptly let you now that those weights are far beyond what I can

handle right now and may end with me injuring myself. Taking on that heavy load and incurring that

injury may have a negative effect on things I have to do outside of my fitness life.

Now, think about your daily tasks in the same manner as those 65 pound dumb bells. Choosing to take

on more you can handle can be detrimental to yourself and everything else on your to-do list.

Just imagine that your co-worker asks you to help them finish a project to which you are not specifically

assigned and you are already working on something that is due by the end of the day. Your co-worker’s

project becomes that 65 pound weight. You have exceeded your limit, which brings me to my next

point…

[Click here to read more from my article in “Health, Hair & Happiness” Page 7]

 

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(Pink glitter logo courtesy: www.birdonthestreet.com)

One Less Excuse January 3, 2014

With the new year in full swing, most of us have promised ourselves that we would get fit for 2014.  If this lifestyle is relatively new or rekindled, sometimes even the smallest things can become an excuse to fall off the fit wagon. We must do all that we can to stay on task and stay true to our resolutions.

As a follow up to the Quick Tip Tuesday post this week, I thought I’d share with you how I prepare for my gym week. This only takes about five minutes out of my day on Saturday or Sunday and is done much like how I prepare for my work week. Those five minutes of prep can be what determines whether or not you go to the gym. Let me explain…

Usually, the average person, especially women (sorry, fellas), who goes to the gym (especially someone with a full-  time job) is faced with many obstacles and potential excuses as to why they decide not to go to the gym. Whether it’s after work exhaustion, spending time with kids, household responsibilities, alleged lack of time, nothing to wear… the list goes on. But with proper preparation, there will be little to no excuses left.

 

My gym schedule requires me to go Monday through Friday after work, which is easier said than done. Here is an example of my after work schedule:

3:30 p.m.- Work day ends

5:00 p.m.- Pick up son from YMCA

5:20 p.m.- Arrive home/Eat Meal #5

5:30 p.m.- Check both kids’ homework

6:30 p.m.- Wash a load of laundry

6:35 p.m.- Start dinner/Clean some area of the house

7:15 p.m.- Eat Meal #6/Head to gym

9:15 p.m.- Return home

9:30 p.m.- Eat Meal #7

As you can see, there is lots of room for excuses. As many times as I feel like heading straight for my bed after making dinner (every once in a while it happens), I must keep a promise to myself to stay on course, reach my short-term goal of being ready for Nationals in July, and to not start the snowball effect of putting the gym off to the next day. We all know that next day ends up being two months or more and I can’t afford to do that to myself.

So, every Saturday or Sunday (my off days), I put together what I will wear to the gym for the next week- the tops, bottoms, and socks. Having these things already put together is one less thing I have to add to the aforementioned evening list of things to do. All I have to do is change out of my work clothes and into my gym clothes without any extra thought or effort.

This also works if you go to the gym directly after work. Prepare your gym clothes on the weekend and just throw one outfit in your gym bag every night or morning, including gym shoes. Make sure you put your bag in your back seat or else you will have to stop home first, which gives you a reason to sit on the couch “for just a few minutes,” which we all know ends up being for the rest of the night!

This has made life so much easier for myself and the hubs. It has pretty much eliminated the, “Honey, where’s my [fill in random gym attire]!” conversation every night.

Stay tuned for my next post on how to pack a “grab and go” gym bag.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”- Benjamin Franklin

What is something you do to help make your trip to the gym easier?

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*Cartoon graphics courtesy of http://www.gymmomentum.com and http://www.joemartinfitness.com

Related articles

• Quick Tip Tuesday – Going Bananas! (mayafitgirl.wordpress.com)
• ‘If It Were Easy…’ (mayafitgirl.wordpress.com)

2013 Was Awesome! December 30, 2013

As 2013 comes to a close, I think back over the past twelve months on what I have accomplished- the children’s milestones, the great changes and improvements in my marriage and all of the plans I have made for 2014.

2013 marked the beginning of my life as a fitness competitor. It is the year in which I competed in my first show and also the year that I qualified or the national Team Universe competition at my second show. I am very excited to travel to New Jersey next July to compete for the coveted pro card!

2013 is also the year in which I earned my Master’s degree and was inducted into the National Honor Society of Lambda Pi Eta. I won numerous awards in my field and celebrated them with some great friends and co-workers.

My youngest son started the first grade and is excelling in math and science. My oldest is in his last year of junior high and has shown a great interest in graphic design and video editing. He is also an honor’s violin student with plans to continue playing in high school and college.

My husband and I are living a healthier lifestyle, which means we will live a longer life together. His daily jogs and clean eating have really made a difference in his overall wellness. My consistent eating and exercise has allowed me to gain “good” weight and become a better me.

Both he and I have big plans for 2014. I hope to launch my fitness website in January, which would not only help motivate others who are on their fitness journey, but also support women in need through financial contributions to various nonprofit organizations.

I have been bitten by the big dreams bug and have no plans on finding the antidote. I want to take my fit life to the next level and that’s exactly what I plan to do!

“May the best of this year be the worst of next.”- Unknown

What are some of your highlights of 2013?

What are you plans for 2014?

 

Follow me and my journey on Twitter @maya_fitgirl

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*Photo courtesy of James Allen Photography

‘If It Were Easy…’ December 23, 2013

Sometimes I get tired of going to the gym twice a day five days a week, eating planned meals seven times a day, sending weekly progress pics to my coach hoping that she sees improvements or declining an invite to hang out with friends for the hundredth time.
I wonder if maybe I should just quit.

+++ I’m not getting paid.

++++++++++++ I’m not featured in numerous major fitness magazines.

++++++++++++++++++ I’m not being forced to do it.

So why should I continue?

Then I think about what this lifestyle has done for me. It has transformed me from someone who was underweight with no appetite to someone who has gained healthy weight, developed a consistent diet and rekindled my athletic and competitive spirit. I now have a renewed love for fitness and greater confidence in myself.

+++I am leading my family into the way of the fit life.

++++++++++++I am a proven example that it is never too late to become truly fit and healthy.

++++++++++++++++++I have inspired others to achieve their fitness goals.

Becoming a fitness competitor has changed my life and opened my world to new friends and a new way of life. My way of being is positively challenged on a daily basis. To top it all off, I get to inspire and motivate others everyday.

So when I feel like melting into the couch, remote in hand, or scarfing down that Oreo cookie ice cream cake, I remember all the good this fit life has done for me and how I owe it to myself to keep it going.

What challenges are you facing on your fitness journey?

What’s stopping you from reaching your goals?

“If it were easy, everybody would do it.”
-from the motion picture “A League of Their Own”

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*Photo courtesy of James Allen Photography

Summer Fun! July 31, 2012

For most of my life as a Chicagoan, July usually marked the end of summer.  It was a time when the warm summer breezes transformed into cool, crisp winds. It was time to start breaking out your light jacket for the early morning hours and your cute hoodie once the sun set.Even though I now live in North Texas, almost a thousand miles away from my hometown , I still feel like July’s summer turns into August’s fall, despite the triple digit temps.  And as I look back over the activities of summer 2012, I have done and seen quite a lot.

Here goes…

While attending a journalism conference, I was asked to speak on a panel about the digital public relations tools needed to succeed in the industry today. If you know me, you know that public speaking is not my thing. As a matter of fact, speaking in public period is something I have never really been comfortable with. But I did it!

Sooo nervous!

I started on a fitness journey that has helped me to become more physically fit and healthy.  I hope to be competing in a fitness competition by the end of fall. Eating all of this fish, spinach, green beans, eggs, berries and protein shakes will hopefull pay off!

Working on my fitness…

I ran my first marathon in New Orleans! It may have only been a 5K, but that does not make the accomplishment any less exciting.  I MIGHT just do it again…MIGHT!  Next time I’ll remember to wear my headphones.

I did it!!

My youngest son graduated from Pre-K and will be soon attending kindergarten at an International Baccalaureate charter school. He is so excited that he will get to wear his “work clothes” (uniform) everyday!

Excited!

My oldest son auditioned and made it into our county’s youth orchestra playing the violin. The family attended his first concert over the weekend. Such a proud mommy moment! (He didn’t want to take a photo)

The family and I took a road trip (twice) to Chicago.  During our visit, I rediscovered my hometown as if I were a tourist, complete with a tour of the top of Willis Tower (previously known as the Sears Tower). Although we waited in line for two hours, it was great to be able to view my city from atop the tallest building in North America.

View from the glass ledge

The hubs and I celebrated thirteen years of marriage AND we celebrated in St. Louis where we visited the famous restaurant, Sweetie Pie’s. Although the food did not live up to the hype, we still had a great time!

The famous Sweetie Pie’s at Mangrove

While in St. Louis we visited the famous Arch. We even went all the way to the top!

View from the bottom

View from the top

The hubs and I experienced, for the first time, a Korean bath and sauna spa. It may sound weird, but it was the most relaxed I had been in a long time.  It is a place meant for you to spend all or most of your day. The calming and rejuvenating effects of the saunas, the heat of the baths, the calm of the whole atmosphere makes me want to go back right now!

Awesome experience!

And to top off my summer, I enrolled in summer school to continue my course through my Master’s degree program. Once class concludes this Thursday, I will be halfway there! I’m still holding on to my A average—4.0!

Whew! That was a lot to cram into two months!

What are some highlights of your summer?

Top 5 Tips to Help Celebrate Dad June 17, 2012

In honor of this Father’s Day I have decided to share a few tidbits on how I celebrate my husband for all that he does as a great dad. Before you even begin to lay out your plans, you must come to grips with a few things.

1. Stay away from the conventional.

If the father you are celebrating is as awesome as you think as is, or at least as awesome as he thinks he is, he deserves more than the average.

No more ugly ties, no more ridiculous socks, no more lame shaving paraphernalia. Get your guy something he actually deserves, unless of course he has been a bit mediocre this year, then the tie with the Santa Claus with sunglasses is completely apropos. Otherwise, get him a gift or an experience as uniquely different as he is.

2. Get to know his likes and dislikes.

If you know that he completely abhors going to play miniature golf, save that for a day out with the kids.

For his day, actually do something he thoroughly enjoys, even if it means that you will not participate. He may be a huge sports fan, how awesome would it be to arrange a tour of the stadium in your city and have him meet a player or two from the team (benchwarmers or not)? Sometimes baseball teams allow fans to come see them practice get autographs, etc. That is one gift that won’t be forgotten.

Or maybe he is a cigar connoisseur. Take it up a notch from the regular box of cigars. Make an appointment with the owner of your nearby cigar shop. Usually these places have special smoking rooms filled with all different kinds of cigars to try or at least learn about. The owner would be more than happy to share his knowledge of cigars with your special guy. Just imagine the look on his face and the new conversation he will have about all he learned from his new friend, the cigar shop owner.

3. Introduce him to new things.

In keeping with the first two tips, think of something he has never done or has mentioned he’d like to do, but just hasn’t gotten around to it.

Make him an appointment for a massage, manicure, and/or pedicure. Not only will you avoid a Father’s Day crowd as these types of activities are usually saved for us moms, but you will expose him to an hour or two of relaxation and pampering that he may not have ever experienced before.  If money is tight, you are free to pamper him yourself (only if he is your husband or significant other; it may seem a little weird pampering your dad)!

4. Feed him exactly what he likes.

Whether you make him a meal or take him out, don’t skimp on the kind of meal he truly enjoys.

If his favorite meal is southern style barbecue, don’t take him to McDonald’s for a McRib sandwich. Unless that’s his fave, please leave that kind of fare off of the meal plan.  Instead take him somewhere like Aunt [insert southern woman’s name here] BBQ Joint or Big Daddy [insert southern man’s nickname here] BBQ Hut. Please note, a good barbecue place never spells out the word “barbecue” and it must have “joint,” “hut,” “shack,” or “place” at the end of its title.

5. Set the example.

Applying all of the aforementioned will, no doubt, up the ante for Mother’s Day.

He will see the hard work and the attention to detail you put into making his day special, he won’t have a choice but to reciprocate. Don’t get me wrong, I love lavishing my husband with all of his favorite things for the entire Father’s Day weekend, but I must give in order to get.  I can’t expect the very things I refuse to do.

It brings me great joy to plan a series of events and activities that I know will bring a smile to his face (plus, event planning is my forte!)

Happy Father’s Day to the greatest dad I know, my husband, Johnny!

A Different Kind of Fitness Journey May 25, 2012

Last week a couple of co-workers and I decided to embark on a new journey. A journey not too typical of the average woman looking to incorporate a little exercise into her everyday routine.  We have decided to seriously train for an upcoming fitness competition here in Texas (fitness, not bodybuilding).  This idea did not just come on a whim. We were trying to set a goal bigger than just toning our biceps or losing 5 pounds, which, by the way, I cannot afford to lose! We wanted to work toward something different, something challenging, and something that meant cheating or cutting corners was not an option.

This new journey means that I now have to stick to a very strict high-protein diet and rigorous weight lifting routine. I now have a “high carb” day twice a week. When I said that out loud the other day when the hubby asked what I was having for lunch, I felt like a professional when saying, “Well, you know today is my high carb day.”  Ha! That’s insane!

The great thing is that the six meal-a-day diet means that I actually eat when I’m supposed to eat, whereas before I was only eating about two or three times per day. My mom will be happy about that! And I get to eat things that I like anyway without getting made fun of because now I have an excuse.  Eating five boiled eggs in the morning, a cup of blueberries, a handful of almonds, tilapia, or protein shakes made with honey and peanut butter now have a purpose in my life.  When someone glares at me while I stuff that last boiled egg in my mouth, I can confidently say, “Hey, I have a competition coming up man!” Instead saying hanging my head in shame wishing I had finished my bowl of eggs at home.

That not so great thing is getting all of my meals prepared ahead of time and knowing that when I go to work I must carry a huge bag packed with all of meals, protein powder, one gallon water bottle, mini blender, and whatever else I will need for the eight to ten hours I will be away from home.  This weekend I plan to get more plastic food containers, prepare my food for the week and pack them away in the freezer.  Man, there is a lot of work, planning, and organization that goes into this…geez!

Fortunately, I am getting a little help from the hubs through this journey.  He has become my official spotter in the weight room.  Although I’m not lifting 300 pounds barbells, that little sixty pounds I have to push up is brutal! I would surely drop the bar on my face or possible crush what little chest I have.  He has been great encouragement in the weight room helping me to keep going when my arms start feeling like noodles.

I cannot wait to see the results from all of the weight lifting and protein shakes! Maybe I will actually place in the competition. If not, I will move on to the  next one and see how far I can take this thing.

Here I am at the beginning of WEEK TWO! Ten more weeks to go…

(Click here to see part two of this journey)

Supposed Wrong January 24, 2012

I recently had a discussion with a group of people who were talking about all of the things they had been told they were “supposed” to be doing with their lives.

I dont know about you, but I was told, from a very early age that I was “supposed” to go to college in order to be successful in life. So, I walked around for twenty two years with the idea that if I didn’t graduate high school, get into college, and graduate, I would be a failure. I would be jobless, broke, and probably homeless. This must’ve been some type of propaganda for Generation  X because I wasn’t the only one who had this notion ingrained in my brain at an early age.

Needless to say, college isn’t always the answer to success. Just ask the people in the unemployment line who have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree if they think all of their years of schooling has paid off. Or ask all of those college drop-outs who run successful companies or who are super happy with their lives, sans degree.

I learned pretty quickly, all of those fabulous jobs that were “supposed” to be awaiting me the Monday after graduation, were  nothing but a dream. Lets just say, it took ten years to get into the field I studied in college and about $35,000 in student loans. 

Don’t get me wrong, education is important, but it shouldn’t be the only key to what is “supposed” to unlock your life’s success. Instead, maybe travelling abroad, learning new cultures, and  gaining awesome experiences will help to propel you where you’re “supposed” to be.

Most people are told that you are “supposed” to get married, have kids, and buy a home. So, you go through life with that in mind without really wanting it. You want to attain all of it because that is what you are “supposed” to do. But, what if what you actually want is to remain single, adopt five kids, and live in an apartment?

Sometimes I think we get so busy trying to do what our parents said we are “supposed” to do, we never really took the time to figure out what it is we really want to do with our lives. 

Maybe if we were told that not only are all of those things we are “supposed” to do good, but that there are alternatives and those are good too, there would be so many less confused people in the world still trying to figure it all out at forty.

Ready, Set, Go… January 22, 2012

Today, I finally got my workout schedule together so that I would actually stick to it.  I have learned that if I don’t put what I need to do in my cell phone calendar or task list, I, most likely, won’t get it done.  So, I took a look at the classes the gym offers during the week, put them into my schedule, and hope the reminder notifications go off when they are supposed to!

I was also inspired by a couple of blogs I’ve read  to look up some good juicer recipes to add to my new workout routine and healthier eating habits. My faves so far has been one made of spinach and pineapple and also one made with peanut butter, banana, milk, and honey….yummy! The next step is to create weekly recipes to make sure I get in all of the food groups, vitamins, proteins, etc. I need.  I tend to go too long, within a course the day, without eating. Not because I’m starving myself, but because hunger pangs are something that I am rarely afflicted with.  I always get the “eye roll” response when I say that I can sometimes forget to eat, so I’ll spare you that excuse, no matter how true it is.

I’ve also found that if I have an end goal in mind when attempting to change my diet and exercise routine, I will be more apt to stick to the new routine. Exercising for the sake of exercising or because it was on my New Year’s resolution list, is not good enough.  There needs to be a reachable and realistic goal to attain to keep you motivated, focused, and challenged. My goal is definitely not to lose weight, but to firm up a couple of key areas, maintain a healthy diet, and set an example to my children that no matter your size or shape, having a healthly lifestyle is important.  Once I reach each goal, I will set another and then another…

 

Next post- how to turn a gym day into a spa day… without the spa cash!

 

Need a Lift… January 17, 2012

Have you ever had a bad week? The kind where you feel lost, unmotivated, let down, and need more than Calgon to take you away? That’s what I have been going through for the past four or five days.  I know there will be an end and I know “this too shall pass”, but I can’t help but to feel a little down and out.

I guess it all started one day while at work as I was sitting at my desk doing the most mundane of the mundane.  If there is one thing that I hate, it’s doing a monotonous and tedious task.  Doing this particular task isn’t an everyday thing, but it seemed like it for the two days I had to do it.  Tasks like that always get my mind running to the unreasonable.  Thinking about how I feel as if I am wasting precious moments of my life, how I could have done this task from home and eliminated the two hour roundtrip travel , how millions of brain cells were going unutilized, and thinking about the thousands of other things I would rather be doing.  Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely grateful for a job, but I was just having one (or two) of “those days”.

In addition to feeling like a Toucan who lost its colors, I got to thinking about how far behind I am in life, career-wise.  Right now is where I should have been about ten years ago.  I don’t regret any of the decisions I made that were a direct impact on my past job/career choices.  Sometimes I just feel super behind and do not have the luxury or the time to gradually climb my way to the top, wherever the “top” is. I am finally in the field in which I obtained my college degree and dreamed of for so long, but being at the bottom is a tough pill to swallow when you know you have the education, skills, and background to be a lot further ahead.  Everything happens for a reason, right? I am where I am for a specific purpose.  I just have to figure out what that is and create a strategy to get to where I, ultimately, want to be.

Next up is school.  Last fall, I began a new journey to get my Master’s degree.  I hadn’t been in school for nine years! I thought I would fail each of the three classes I was taking. I thought the hundreds of papers I was assigned to write would be complete garbage.  I thought the “graduates could not receive a C” rule would most definitely be used against me because I was sure to get a C or less in one or all classes and be immediately removed from campus.  Please note that I have never received a grade lower than a B and have always thought my next assignment would surely be an F. Why? Just crazy, I guess.  But I digress, I received straight A’s! One of those A’s just happened to be an A+.

Well, now it’s time for the second semester, I am worried that the previous semester was just a fluke and, surely, this time around I will have to accept the grades of shame as I hand in my parking pass and return all financial aid.

Lastly, I have been really thinking about my friends, most of whom live about 1000 miles away in my hometown of Chicago.  I miss our monthly game night where we would enjoy friendly competition, food, drinks, and tons o’ fun! I miss just knowing they are a short drive away or close enough to meet up for a movie, lunch, or a late night Slurpee.  I miss visiting with each other’s children and talking about their crazy boyfriend or girlfriend. I miss having the option to visit or them visit me on a whim.  I’ve always wanted that “Seinfeld” circle of friends that would burst through the front door like they owned the place or drop by with an outrageous story or just want to hang out at a moments notice.

Maybe it’s just a shift in hormones. Maybe I’m just bored and my mind is wandering to places of depression and doubt. Maybe I just need to busy my mind so that all of this foolishness will get pushed out.

Or maybe I just need a long vacation on a hot beach with an umbrella’d drink or two with the hubs! Any suggestions?