Turkey Bloat

Thanksgiving…

To some this is the best day of the year, to others, its temptations cruel joke. I should fill you in,  just in case you don’t know this about me... I have seriously food guilt! I am conscious of everything I eat, and I am fully aware of my body at all times and I Google everything, every food, every exercise. Even on Thanksgiving I still feel guilty for the gluttony. I swear it makes me bloated for a week. People think I am obsessed or it’s all in my head but if there is one thing I know, it’s my body. I know what I can and can’t eat. I know when how much and often I can cheat. I know when I am really healthy and when I am not so healthy and most of all I know the positive and negative effects of my actions. If there is one thing I can stress about a healthy lifestyle its Balance. Balance is key! Anything extreme will NOT work long-term! Crash diets, No carb diets, ECT. They work in the short term but most people can not restrict themselves for long periods of time. So in regards to thanksgiving my opinion is to go full on gluttony! The average person consumes 4,000 calories on thanksgiving! That’s right 4,000 calories! We know that 3,500 calories equals a pound so just accept the fact that you’re going to gain a pound or two and it may feel like more because of all the food bloating! There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the holiday but accept the consequences. The real trick, however, is the leftovers. If you are having thanksgiving dinner for a week than watch those pants get real tight real quick. The holidays are meant to be enjoyed but it’s still important to be aware and have “some” disciple. So go stuff yourself, but if you don’t want to pack on those pounds make sure you limit your left over portions.

Ok that being said Id would like to take a moment and list some of the things I am thankful for, Feel free to share some of yours as well!

1. My health
2. My beautiful Daughter
3. My wonderful friends and family
4. My patient,caring,driven bf
5. my job
6. my other job
7. My natural Blonde hair(yes that’s right,NATURAL)
8. my gift of singing
9. My new apartment
10. Gods Grace
11. breath

Happy Thanksgiving my loves

XOXO

Sarah

Homeless Barbie?

Once again I must apologize for my fat Barbie absence. I have been dealing with a lot of personal stress and change. I have always been one who wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t hide things. I feel like our struggles can inspire and motive others who feel lost or lacking hope. We all fall on hard times, but what is most important is that we rise from the ashes without to many burns. I believe that if you want something bad enough you can get it. Maybe not everything but if something is in your heart and it’s aligned with what’s meant for you life, you will see it. Now this could turn into a whole fate destiny conversation but I will lightly tread with subject. I have recently gone through a huge transition in my life in where my whole world was shaken. I had to find a new place to live in a very short amount of time and it hasn’t been easy.

Ok before we talk about the present day, let’s visit the past year shall we? In approximately 7 months I have lost a job, an apt and went through three cars! Sounds like a bad country song huh? Oh, and did a mention all this while starting a new relationship! Poor guy! I am sure he thought he was getting involved with this spirited singer chick with all the confidence in the world. Not even a month after we started dating I lost my job and then it was a downward spiral from there. It’s hard to be cute and confident when you feel like a lost mess both financially and emotionally. I should mention he’s been pretty great through this, not perfect, but pretty great and kind of cute ;)

Ok, present day. Moving to trolley sq. Delaware, Two jobs and a horribly ugly van (hey it runs). I feel as though imp being trained by life. Something good is around the corner, I can feel like. It almost feels like I have been through an obstacle course and my prize is right around the corner.Too corny? Sorry I am just a tad happy right now. Last week at this time I was probably in tears, so it’s a nice feeling to feel happy again. I have always kept one thing during all these trials: HOPE. Without hope, life is nothing.

I’m ready for the new chapter in my life. I want to be a great mother to my beautiful daughter. I don’t want to live in the past, but I do want to learn from it and make my future better with the help of family, friends and my main man upstairs.

Now you may be thinking what does this rant have to do with a health and fitness blog? Health is not just about calories and gym equipment.  What’s in your head and your heart can impact your body more than you think. Throughout this whole “moving” (we will call it that to be nice) process, I kept eating healthy and working out. When you are going through a hard time its important to train your brain to remain healthy even if your life is anything but that. Even though my regular gym routine was disrupted, I still found a way to workout. Now that being said I definitely ate some junk to make me feel better, but never in excess. Everything is connected. Mind, Body, Soul. Don’t neglect one or the others will suffer.

I’m going to wrap this up by saying….Don’t ever stop fighting. Don’t ever stop hoping. Don’t ever let other people crush your spirit. Don’t ever let life get in the way of your dreams. Don’t compare yourself to others. And most importantly listen to your gut. Make good choices even in bad situations. I am living proof that you can rise from the ashes with only a few visible scars. I wanted to live in a certain area, find an apt that I loved and could afford and despite all the odds against me, I did it and I am excited about this new part of my life! I hope maybe my story will inspire someone else or at least entertain...

That’s all for now! So TGIF and go take a walk!

XOXO
Sarah

Deck the halls with Eating healthy!

Loosing weight and being healthy around the holidays! Crazy right?

 Why In the world would we want to torture ourselves with all the yummy food that surfaces this time of year? Gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, egg nog! The holidays are surrounded by food and it seems unfair to not indulge especially when you see all the skinny people binging on endless amounts of goodies and not gaining a pound. It can be really frustrating when cursed and blessed with a conscious body. By conscious body, I mean a body that is conscious of every drop of food and reacts accordingly. I have found that jealousy is a toxic and useless emotion and no matter how hard I try I am me and they are them (sorry for the poor grammar) Some people have better genes than others so we just have to work with what we got! Whine all you want but its not going to change your body. OK so back to the holidays. Last year around this time is when I really got serious about changing my body. I actually lost weight during the holidays! I ate cookies and thanksgiving dinner but I didn’t over indulge. If you can remain healthy during this crucial time then you are guaranteed to make it the rest of the year. It’s an incredibly empowering feeling to have self control without feeling deprived. So here is my advice. Make the decision today to be healthy and be aware of what you eat and how you feel after. Go to a party knowing you’re going to eat one or two not so good for you things. Give yourself limits and stick to them. You will enjoy what you eat with out all the guilt after. Trust me you can do this! Nothing tastes better than a smaller size and more energy!! As far as thanksgiving goes I say forget all the rules and eat like a pig but November 26^th you better be back on track! I know this is hard and the comfort in us tells us to give in but trust me you will feel wonderful when you learn to control yourself. It’s really very little about food and more about how we feel. I'll give you an example; at work there are always donuts, cupcakes delicious dips and all kinds of goodies on a daily basis. I’m not going to lie, it SUCKS sometimes. I’m like a crack head when it comes to sweets and they are in my face everyday! Yes I indulge on occasion but I do not gorge. Every time I’m tempted to stuff my face with cookies, I think of those 30lbs and how much I don’t want to see those bad boys again! Just remember to be(a)ware, set limits and don’t over do it! Live your life to the healthiest and see how much happier you will be in the long run!

Hope your week is fab!

XOXO

Sarah