A Gift Of Life

The holidays are here and no matter what traditions you celebrate, I hope you received everything you wished for.  For me, it’s not about the material things because I already have the greatest gift.  If you’re reading this, then you too, have the most precious gift of all.  It’s called life and many of us take it for granted.  Although it’s wonderful to have family, friends or loved ones to share the holidays with but not everybody is as fortunate. 

Recently, I lost a good friend to depression.  He took his own life because he thought that dying was a better alternative than the life he was living.  He had a troubled past and felt that he’s couldn’t start over.  Even for myself, I’ve made mistakes in the past but it never stopped me from creating my future.  In life, we all make mistakes but it’s the lessons we learn that define who we are.

Life is about balance.  It’s about learning how to balance our life and taking control of our mind and body.  I believe each and every one of us have a special gift and have a purpose in life.  No matter what you’ve been through, you can always start over.  Life is an evolution.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to reach out because there are many people who do care because life is sacred.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of celebration and the year is coming to an end.  It’s been a tough and challenging time for most and some of you may feel that you don’t have anything to celebrate.  We all have something to celebrate!  It’s called life.  It’s common to experience loneliness during this time of year and feel disconnected if you don’t have close family, friends or loved ones to share it with.  It’s important to put things in perspective.  There’s no need to be alone, you can always volunteer your time to those who are even less fortunate.

I try to live everyday like there’s no tomorrow and empower myself by the lessons I’ve learned from past mistakes.  Alone or not, holiday or no holiday, I focus on myself to become the best I can be.  We all go through difficult situations and may feel down at times but it’s important not sit around and feel sorry for yourself.  Work on how to improve your life and you’ll draw those special people into it whether it’s personal or professional.  Focus on yourself and don’t worry about what other people have. 

In the end, the material things are meaningless.  Be positive, keep focused and be grateful for the little things in life that money can’t buy.  Everyday is a new beginning.  A smile, the weather or the holiday spirit are some of the most precious gifts of life.

Increase Your metabolism With Green Tea

Wondering how you’re going to keep the weight off this holiday season?  Instead of reaching for the coffee pot in the morning, replace it with green tea.  Green tea has many benefits and one important function is that it can help you loss weight. 

Research has shown that green tea helps to reduce weight by stimulating the body's thermogenesis process, which raises your energy level in turn boost your metabolism making you burn more calories.  Catechin antioxidants in green tea reduce your body fat and help control obesity.

I don’t suggest drinking green tea alone for your weight loss.  You still need to eat healthy and exercise.  If you’re concerned about the taste, there are several delicious flavors such as pomegranate or you could just add a bit of honey.  There are many significant benefits with green tea.  You literally can’t go wrong and it’s a nice way to start your day!

There’s Always Room For Improvement

Obesity is an on-going problem in America.  When I looking around, I see so many overweight people.  I’m not talking about curvy, big-boned or voluptuous people. I’m talking people who’ve really let themselves go, given up and morbidly obese.  I often wonder at what age and when did they give up.  What’s the true problem for the mental break down?  Did they wake one day feeling hopeless and say, “This is as good as it’s going to get”.  If this is you, just know that you’re not alone.  Let’s break that negative thinking starting today because the truth is, there’s always room for improvement.  We can always be better!

I know far to many people who’ve stopped taking care of themselves once they get into a serious relationship or get married.  They feel that they don’t need to impress anyone anymore.  It’s not about impressing others, it’s about being healthy.  Being admired for your physique is only a plus.  Even if that was the case, isn’t your partner worth looking good for?

As we age, it’s even more crucial that we take care of ourselves to avoid future health issues.  Don’t give up because you think you’re too old.  Staying fit will make you feel younger.  You’ll have more strength and energy to do the things you want to do.  You are responsible for the health and maintenance of your own body.  Every little effort you do to take care of yourself will improve your overall fitness.

Here are some guidelines to help you get started.  You can do it! 

1)  Have a positive attitude and change your negative thinking.  

           (Stop making excuses.  Start saying - I can & I will)

2)    2)  Set a short-term goal. (Example - losing 2-3 lbs. per week)

3)  3)  Set a long-term goal. (Example losing 50 lbs in a year)

4)  4)  Create a nutritional plan.  (Low calorie meals and cutting your food portions)

5)  5)  Have a workout routine (Cardio exercises are best for losing weight)

People are always fascinated how I maintain myself physically.  That’s because I don’t wake up thinking that what I have is good enough.  I wake up thinking,  “How can I improve myself today?”  No matter at what age, I’m constantly challenging myself to be better and I won’t stop until the end of time.

It doesn’t matter how you put on the weight.  It’s about finding a solution.  When do you stop taking care of your body?  The answer is never!

Self Defense Is The Best Protection

When a crime is committed against you, what exactly do you think will protect you?  Nobody can protect you better than yourself.  This is one of the reasons why I’m currently taking Wing Chun martial arts class.  Women and the elderly are targeted more when it comes to crimes because they are considered the easiest and weakest to overpower.

I want you to seriously think about this especially if you’re a female or an elderly person.  If you’re being attacked, how would you defend yourself?  Even if you call the police, it could take them 10 minutes or longer to respond.  Which in most cases will be too late.

Years ago, my mom came home from church and told me that four guys sneaked up on her and snatched her purse as she was walking out of Mass.  I asked her if she was allright.  She said, “I’m fine.  I was only carrying $3 and a bible.  They can have it!” and laughed hysterically.  Many people won’t be as lucky as my mom.  Most people will probably end up getting hurt and losing so much more.

I’m currently taking martial arts class and when I’m in my golden years, I surely will not be intimidated because of my age.  If someone tries to assault me, they better be ready for a battle.  Although I’m a petite woman, I won’t give up without a fight because I refuse to be a victim.  You should never limit yourself by thinking that you’re “too old”.  Many women have a false sense of security thinking a man or someone else can protect them.  That’s great if you can be escorted 24/7 but what if they’re not around?  You should always be able to defend yourself.

Learn how to protect yourself before it’s too late.  That’s why it’s important to stay physically fit and active.  Take a self-defense class, you’ll learn a new skill and feel great about yourself at any age.  The first mistake is thinking that it could never happen to you. I don’t know about you but I take every precaution to protect myself and my loved ones. 

Burn Off The Calories By Swimming

One of my favorite overall cardio workout is swimming, it’s low impact but it works your whole body.  And if you like the water, then it’s just considered a fun activity that’s beneficial to your body.  Swimming is one of the most important cardio exercises for losing weight, building muscles as well as having an aerobic affect that improves the body’s use of oxygen and increases lung function.  When you swim, all your major muscles are working at once.  Swimming is good for building muscles because water resistance is greater than air resistance therefore your muscles have to work harder.

If you don’t know how to swim, anytime is a good time to learn.  It’s never too late.  I taught myself to swim at 9 yrs. old.  I had no fear and it didn’t take me a long before I could swim like fish.  Up to this day, I still love the water and swim on a regular basis.  If you don’t have a pool, look for a gym, the YMCA or a community pool for a fun place to practice or learn as most places even have swimming lessons. 

Swimming burns about 3 calories a mile per pound of your bodyweight and improves your ability to maintain a healthy weight.  For example, if you weigh 150 lbs and swim 1 mile, you would burn 450 calories (3 calories x150 lbs = 450 calories burn).  If it takes you 30 minutes to swim 1 mile and 1 hour to swim 2 miles, you would burn 900 calories in 1 hour!  Swimming will burn up a lot of calories but be careful not to eat a big meal after you swim.  If you do then you’re just simply replacing all the calories you just burnt up.

Swimming also promotes proper breathing, stimulates your circulation and easy on the joints.  I swim on a regular basis because it’s fun as well as it builds up my muscle strength, endurance and cardio fitness.  

Appreciation, Focus & Perspective

In this economy, many people are frustrated.  This is the time that you should take a moment to appreciate the things you have and the people in your life.  There’s always something to appreciate.  Getting frustrated will get you nowhere.  Take a moment to focus on yourself and find a solution.  If you find that you’re going through a difficult situation, remember that there is always someone worse off than you.

In Vietnam, my family was very well off but that was all taken away during the Fall of Saigon (Vietnam War) and we lost everything we have.  It wasn’t easy but my mom worked and mange to pay my uncle $18,000 US dollar for the 6 of us including myself to flee the country by boat.  My uncle took the money and left us behind.  Full of determination, my mom later managed to pay a complete stranger the same and got us out of Vietnam.  We lived in a refugee camp in Singapore for 2 years until we were able to come to the US.  Life wasn’t easy but when you have nothing, there’s only one way to go…up! 

The fist time I remember seeing my mom was when I was 12 yrs old when she came over to the US and joined the rest of the family.  I remembered her still wanting to see my uncle even though he stole from her.  She told us all that we must forgive him for what he’s done.  Although I’ve learned to forgive, it doesn’t mean I’ll allow bad people into my life.

I learned a lot from my mom.  She was a beautiful, strong yet simple woman.  She didn’t know how to hate and didn’t hold any resentment with my uncle.  We didn’t have a lot for having to start our lives over but my mom always managed to send money back to Vietnam to help people that were worse off than we were.  Even at church, she would give a nickel even if that was all she could afford to give. 

My family couldn’t afford to send their kids to college but paid for one of my cousins’ education and I remembered asking her once, “Why do you give money to strangers and not your own family?”  She said, “You’ll do just fine, other people need it more”.  What my mom meant was that in America, we have the opportunity to achieve anything we desire.  You just have to work for it and sometimes you have to work really hard.

By American standards, we had nothing but compared to others we had an opportunity to make our lives better.  I basically had two choices:  I could be resentful or I could be independent on my own.  I chose to be independent and for years, I struggled with no help but it made me the strong person I am today. I learned early on that I can’t focus on the obstacles.  I forgive people who did me wrong and not live with any resentment.  I focus on my goals and I refuse to let the negativity get the best of me.

You can’t always control the situation like the economy, but you can control your response and action towards it.  If you think you’re having a bad day, think about the wounded Veterans coming back from the war.  When you feel badly about yourself, go help someone worse off than you. Times are tough right now, you may not able to change your immediate situation, but you can make a big difference in somebody else’s life and you’ll feel better about yourself.  A small gesture goes a long way.  Go visit the wounded soldiers, help the disabled or volunteer your time.  It’ll help you to put things in perspective. 

When life gets rough, buckle down.  Appreciate the little things you have.  Don’t feel sorry for yourself, don’t blame anyone for your misfortune.  Don’t focus on the things you can’t control.  Focus on yourself and find a solution.  Think, get organized and be responsible for yourself.  Fight for what you want.  Dream, believe and achieve!

Sense of Self

Do you see yourself the same as the world sees you?  How many of you take the time to write a bio about yourself?  How would you describe yourself?  Do you write the truth or you write to sound impressive?  Do you perceive yourself the same as how others perceive you?

Recently, I met a woman on line and on paper she said all the rights things.  Independent, intelligent, artistic, out going, adventurous and athletic, these descriptions always catch my attention because I’ve always been drawn to people with common characteristics.  After a few email ex-change, we met for lunch.  To my surprise she was nothing like the way she described herself on paper. 

She didn’t have a job and her fiancé supports her.   She was very conservative and I can tell she was high maintenance, as she would brag about the material things that her fiancé bought her.  Not long after meeting her, I could tell that she had a brain the size of a peanut and she’s nowhere near being athletic or adventurous.  Needless to say we had absolutely nothing in common and I found it to be a waste of time but I got through lunch and never saw her again.

I found myself wondering why she would describe herself with those characteristics?  Was she delusional?  If I had to describe her, it would be:  conservative, reserved, high- maintenance, boring, ordinary, materialistic and fake.  But I guess if she had used these actual descriptions, we probably would never have meet for lunch.  Then I thought, maybe she was that way a very long time ago or perhaps she is when compared to in her own circle.  She had no sense of self and doesn’t realize she’s not the person that she described.

It got me thinking about myself and how others perceive me.  The worst thing for me is being judged by my appearance.  Thinking that I have breast implants or being categorize as high maintenance.  There’s nothing wrong with it, but I’m not that type.  It doesn’t bother me too much because I have a sense of self and know exactly who I am.  It’s not always pleasant but I do straighten people out when I need to. 

Some people spend their whole life not knowing themselves.  The next time you write a description about yourself, think about who you really are now and look deep inside.  It’s good to have a realistic sense of self.  If you don’t, you may find yourself wearing a mask.  If you find you’re describing yourself as you used to be or want to be then maybe it’s time to take action to become the person you dream of being.

Broken Schedules & Managing Your Time

One of the top excuses I hear from people for not working out is finding the time.  Anyone that knows me well would never say such things because they know how much I multi-task and how dedicated I am to staying fit even while living on the road.  Being self-employed I have the freedom to make my own schedule, although it doesn’t make it any easier to find the time.  It still takes effort.

We all have to earn a living to provide for ourselves or for our family.  Working out is just as important.  You owe it to yourself to maintain a good health.  At the end of our lives, most people realize they should of taken better care of themselves and will grasp at anything to stay alive.

I don’t doubt that some of you do the best you can and that’s great but there’s always room for improvement.  People often ask me, “How do you find 2 hours or more in a day to work out?”  My schedule is constantly changing so I have to be flexible with my time to get my workouts in.

There’s 24 hours in a day, even if you used 16 hours between work and sleep, most people still have 8 hours of personal time.  How you choose to use that time is totally up to you.   Here are some tips I use to maximize my time in order to get my workouts in:

1)    I don’t watch TV unless I’m jogging on the treadmill. 

2)    I don’t spend hours on the phone just chatting. 

3)    I don’t spend hours at the hair or nail salon.

4)    I get ready quickly and don’t waste time looking in the mirror.

5)    Although social time is important but I don’t “hang out” on a daily basis.

I work around the clock until my mind needs a break. Some people take a break by having a smoke or calling a friend to gossip on the phone.  When I take a break, it’s only to workout.  Every time I take a break, I’ll either jog for 4 miles, swim for 30 minutes or do 45 minutes of ab training.  I believe in being productive and using every minute wisely.

What makes it harder for me to keep a consistent workout schedule is my traveling.  For people who travel for a living know all too well, it takes a lot out of your body whether you’re flying or driving.  After a full day of traveling, I’m wiped out.  I usually give my body a day to catch up before I exercise.  This is the only time I would skip a workout.  Nevertheless, I’ll still give my body a good stretch and try to get a good night sleep.

Most of us have complicated schedules but it’s important not to give up on your body. When you are as busy as I am, it’s even more critical to make the time to exercise.  This will allow your body and mind to be more energized.  While I was in college I had multiple jobs and sometimes I would do my exercises after midnight if that was my only option.  When someone tells me they don’t have any time to workout, I can only conclude that working out it’s not that important to them.

Lose Weight with Cardio Exercises

I can’t emphasis how great cardio is for your body and truly the best overall workout. Whether you choose to walk, jog, swim, cycle, aerobic, elliptical or participate in an active sport, all of these are great choices.  Cardio is truly the best especially if you’re trying to loose weight.  The more you do it, the better your results will be.  When you exercise your cardiovascular system not only will you burn off calories, your heart and lungs will get stronger.  This will improve the quality of your breathing because oxygen will be circulating better. 

A protein shake is an excellent pre-workout supplement if you are doing cardio exercise.  My choice of protein is soymilk.  Your muscle strives on protein so it’s good to consume protein approximately 30-60 minutes before doing cardio exercise. This will help increase your metabolism so that you loose more weights from fats.

My favorite cardio exercise is jogging.  As a warm up, I jog 4 miles before doing any exercises.  I used to do this daily but I had to cut down to every other day because I was burning too many calories and losing too much weight, which I know for most of you that is a good problem to have.  If you’re just starting out, I suggest you start slowly and work your way up.  Begin with a simple one-mile walk.  As long as you take that first step, you’re off to a great start! 

The best thing about jogging for me is the runner’s high that I get when I’m done and nothing gets my heart pumping more.  I feel alive and have the energy do anything. I’m often asked, “How can you stay on the treadmill for so long?”  For me, it helps to put on my ipod.  When doing cardio, I choose techno music because the fast beat really gets my body moving.  It’s during this time that I feel like I have no care in the world.

My advice is choose the music that you enjoy or have a TV in front of you to catch up on the news or your favorite program.  Some people may do better with a workout partner or being outdoors.  My technique is not for everyone, you’ll have to find what works best for you.  I enjoy jogging because that is when I’m truly alone and free of any thoughts or stress.   You need to make your exercises a priority, fun, and exciting.  That way it’s not a task but something to look forward to.  It’s this mentality that makes the difference between being fit or unhealthy.

If you are trying to loose weight, I recommend doing cardio exercises at least 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  If you need to, take a day to give your muscles a chance to recover by stretching, taking a nice bath, or getting a massage.  Cardio exercise is truly the best overall workout to maintain a healthy weight.

Trim the fat to get sexy abs!

How many of you out there exercise and can’t seem to get those sexy abs that you’ve always wanted?  Don’t use that as an excuse to stop what you’re doing, lets analyze and find a solution to the problem.  If you to want have sexy abs you have to lose the fat around your waist.  The only way to that is by eating healthy, exercising, doing cardio along with abdominal exercises.

If you are exercising and not getting the result, you obviously have to do something different either with your diet or exercise or maybe both.  What you’re doing may seem like a lot of effort but if you’re not getting the result, then it’s just simply not enough.  You can’t expect a different result if you continue to do the same thing.

First thing you have to look at is your food intake.  To gain great abs, you’ve got to be lean.  What do I mean by lean?  Having no “extra” fat in your body. Try cutting your food portions or eating a lighter meal, even if that means eating one spoonful less at each meal.  You may not think that it would make that big of a difference but every calorie counts.  Your liquid intake also has a big impact.  That means no alcohol, sodas or anything with a lot of calories.  Replace your liquid intake with 8 glasses of water a day and you’ll see the changes.

The second part is exercising.  You’re probably not doing enough exercises to see the result you want.  The best exercises to trim down and get sexy abs involve cardio.  Most likely you’re not doing enough cardio exercises to burn the fat.  Some people think that if they walk or jog 30 minutes a day that it will be enough.  What is enough?  Everyone is different and depending on your body and goals, I recommend doing an hour or more of cardio per day if you’re serious about trimming the fat to get those sexy abs.  Cardio is the fastest way to burn the fat.  Without it, no matter how many ab exercises you do, your abs will always be hidden under a layer of blubber.

According to the Health Check System, your body fat percentage categories for women and men are as follows:

Women           Men

Essential Fat    10-12%           2-4%

Athletes           14-20%           6-13%

Fitness             21-24%           14-17%

Acceptable      25-31%           18-25%

Obese              32%+              25%+

Although there are several formulas, using the U.S Navy body fat formula, my current body fat is 12.35%.  Does that make me unhealthy?  No.  Charts are only guidelines and this is only of them.  Don’t be afraid to trim down your fat!  I’m very healthy and my endurance is extremely high.

Three years ago, I was 88 lbs. and by most standards, I was in great shape!  For my height, I was already considered underweight.  My abs were toned but I wanted a more defining set of abs.  In order to do that, I had to do something different.  I was doing 200 ab exercises daily and decide to increase it to 500 ab exercises.  As healthy as I was, I still had to trim down my fat to reach my goal.

Now I weigh 85 lbs and my abs are still toned but just more defined and that was exactly my goal.  To have my abs, I do 45 minutes of ab training daily, a 4 mile jog every other day and 30 minutes of swimming along with a variety of other exercises.  Of course I continue to eat healthy. 

Keep it simple!  If you are at a plateau and are not getting the result, you may need to change your diet or your exercise routine.  Maybe even both.