Social Media and Healthy Tips

Instagram. Even if you don't use it, I would bet you have heard of it. I know I did for the longest time and for the longest time said I don't get it and why should I join when I already use Facebook and Twitter.....until now.

So many social media options!!

A few months ago a friend would only post on Instagram and I wanted to see the pictures she was posting so I joined. Thinking it was only for seeing a few people's pictures and that was all, imagine my surprise when as I started playing around more I found so many people posting about recipes, workouts, outfits, hair, weight loss. It was this whole other world I felt like I discovered and now enjoy very much. 

I follow some incredible people on Instagram, Twitter, g+, just to name a few sites, who have taken charge of their health and weight loss and documented step by step. I've really enjoyed seeing the different types of food people are are eating, and getting ideas for myself to make, but most importantly I started noticing how much or should I say how little they were eating. It got me thinking about my meals.

Some days it's like this.....

Just my size...what too much?
But if I take it off the bun it's low carb

Other days...

Oh you used up all your calories by dinner time...
too bad, now starve!

My calories and numbers say I am eating fine, but as you know I'm not dropping any more weight. When I think about my portion size I realize I'm not connecting to my stomach, I am connecting with my numbers. If I calculate I can have so many calories per meal you can bet your butt I am eating that amount even if I feel full. I am going to try and give my brain a rest from counting for a little and give my stomach and body a chance to speak. If I am stuffed, stop eating and if I am hungry I should eat. I know this may seem like common sense to some, but if you have dieted in the past and had a similar health journey like me then you know exactly what I am talking about. We are just hard wired different, but that doesn't mean we can't reprogram ourselves.  I am still going to make healthy choices and keep myself in check, but maybe knowing exact calorie and carb count isn't necessary.

My new plan for success

Hopefully I have some great weight loss and feeling good results to share soon. 

Learn to Trust Your Body

A few years ago a friend of a friend approached me to help him with some administrative/marketing work for the gym he had opened up. I knew financially they weren't set yet so we decided to make a deal. He was going to give me a super low discount and train me personally for my administrative/marketing services. Since I was really wanting to get into shape I was on board with that deal. This wasn't your everyday treadmill, weights, classes type of gym; this was more of a boot camp style gym. Before we even started working out I warned him that I had a very weak lower back and sometimes my knees bothered me and wanted to make sure that wouldn't be a problem. He assured me it would not be a problem and he would modify moves to prevent injury. I worked out with him for about a week and was feeling sore, but knew I was working towards my goal.  During the second week I went in like usual for my workout, he decided to switch up the routine a little and we used medicine balls and dummies to drag around. Turns out I was the dummy that day and didn't listen to my body. I knew something didn't feel right during some of the moves, but thought, this guy is professionally trained and must know what he is doing.....

They know a lot, but you know your body.
Don't forget to tune in and listen to yourself
Pic: http://www.memecreator.org/

After waking up the next day and passing out from the pain I was in when I tried to move. I went to a chiropractor for a full workup. He discovered I had 2 bulging discs and 1 partially herniated. OUCH!  I continued to see him multiple times on a weekly basis to get myself back in action for a very long time. During each session, or every time my back would twinge, or when I see the shoes I can no longer wear due to the heel size, I repeated to myself...why didn't I just trust myself when I knew that workout was bad for me.

Moving was not an option
pic: https://lapsedpt.wordpress.com/page/2/

I learned a lot from that experience. The biggest being, trust your body and instincts. Sure he was professionally trained, but that doesn't mean he knows everything and he especially doesn't know my body. I should have stopped him and refused to do the workout, even though he told me to work through the pain. Big lesson learned. Through my chiropractor I  learned about the importance of stretching. My chiropractor gave me tons of stretches to do on my own to help loosen everything up and that made a tremendous difference. I found this really neat deck of cards that shows other stretches and techniques, they explain every move and even have pictures on them to help you visually see what the stretch should look like. The stretches are for all over the body, not just your back. I highly recommend them. I still do my stretches after every single workout or even on days when I feel my muscles tight. The last big lesson I learned was to always keep a good heating pad in your home!!

Stretch Cards
Really helpful information to get you started stretching

Front and back pictures of the cards
One side explains and the other side shows

I know my back will never be the same again, but I am learning more and more how to help myself and maybe this story will help prevent someone in the future from going through what I did and if you already suffer from aches and pains check out different stretches that you might benefit from.

It's Not a Diet It's My Future

I have black hair and brown eyes, my sister has brown hair and hazel eyes, my coworker has blond hair and blue eyes. We are a mix of tall, short, big, skinny. We are all uniquely different inside and out; so why should we all follow the same advice to lose weight and be healthy? There are tons of articles, diets, and books out there telling us how we must only eat a certain way to achieve maximum weight loss and healthy results and that all the other diets are wrong. I have read so many over them years I could probably write a combined book. It got me so confused at one point I starting thing....if we are all different inside and out why will the same diet and eating habits work for everyone equally?

Be unique and be true to yourself inside and out

A few years ago I did Weight Watchers, I gained weight. My friend Debbie did it and lost a ton of weight and continues to lose weight and love the program. We did it exactly the same. So why did she drop weight and I gained and felt sluggish? Because we are different. Our bodies are hardwired (that is my scientific term) different. Over the years my mom and I have realized that carbs and sugar are our kryptonite. Eating those can mess up our bodies pretty quick and the recovery time is very very slow. I am talking sugar coma for days just from a small intake, stomach that gets bloated and puffy and overall feeling of yuck. We stick to a low carbohydrate, low sugar, healthy fat eating routine, similar to primal eating/paleo/Atkins. I also now read labels and get pretty grossed out seeing what is in some processed foods. Now on the other hand, my dad and sister can eat pretty much whatever they desire, no problem, and as long as they watch their calories they lose weight and feel good. They are slowly learning about reading labels as well.

No cookies for me...
I am going to leave the cookies to Cookie Monster

So what is my point? My point is we are all uniquely designed inside and out. I don't recommend cutting out all food groups, but I do recommend being in touch with your body. Take notice how you feel after eating certain foods. It's a trial and error sort of thing and of course balance. Too much of anything, no matter how healthy or wonderful is not always a good thing. Be patient with yourself and be willing to learn. Maybe your body just needs a limitation in calories, but maybe you need more than that, maybe less sugar or carbs or dairy. Being open to finding out what my body needs and wants has showed me a whole new world. I still have ups and downs, and thanks to being a girl I get those crazy hormone cravings, but I have learned a lot about my body and when those moments creep up on me I feel like I handle them a little better each time. The conclusion I came to is that taking the time to learn about my body, explore foods, read research and invest in myself is more important than just a diet and weight loss, this is about my health and my future.

I hope I can teach my nieces all that I have learned from my
health journey while they are young.

Hair and Skin and Mosquitos...Oh My!!

As I've mentioned I love summer! There is something wonderful about the sun on my skin, relaxing at the pool, so many delicious fruits available, tons of events and festivals to wander around at, and of course my favorite BBQ!

Not only does the warmer weather mean it's time to switch out the clothes in the closet, but it also means time to switch up the products I use. I thought I would share some of my fun finds and maybe you will try one or more and love it too.

Let's talk hair! I have naturally wavy hair with a mind of it's own. I have been searching for products that I can use on my hair to help control the craziness. I believe I have found the solution!! While wandering around the store one day I came across the clearance rack with some hair products that sounded interesting all for $.97 each, I thought why not. The next day I tried the products in my hair and was pleasantly surprised! When my hair is damp I put a dime size amount of the Organix kukui oil through it, once it dries a little more I spray the Organix sea salt spray and reapply during the day if my waves get flat. My hair actually had a nice beach wave going on and it lasted for most of the day. I promise next time I decide to go wavy for the day I will add a picture. 

Organix Kukui Oil and Moroccan Sea Salt Spray

While I have enjoyed the beachy waves and how quickly it can be done, I prefer my hair straight. Anyone with curly/wavy hair who straightens it knows moisture, humidity, dampness, whatever word you prefer, equals a bad hair day. New Jersey summers are full of many humid days. In the same clearance rack I found straightening products and thought, why not. So after my wavy hair day success I went for the straight look. I loved that the Orgsnix smooth perfection cream was to protect my hair from heat as well as helping with frizz. Once my hair was dry I used my straightening iron and then applied a very small amount of the Organix macadamia oil. That oil smells wonderful!! Between both products my hair was shining and looked silky smooth all day, even going from the air conditioning to the humid outside. 

Organix Moroccan Smooth Perfection Cream and Macadamia Oil 

Let's face it what we use in the shower is just as important as everything we use after. I color my hair so I look for products that won't strip the color and even help it last longer. I'm a big fan of L'oreal products and these three get two thumbs up each. I use the color vibrancy shampoo every day and I rotate between the EverPure color care smoothing conditioning and the EverPure color care moisture conditioner. Keeps my hair from getting dried out and straw-like. And I love my color! 

L'Oreal EverPure Color Care Smooth Conditioner, L'Oreal Color Vibrancy Shampoo, and
L'Oreal EverPure Color Care Moisture Conditioner

Hair is important, but we can't forget to skin. The sun brings warmth but it also brings UVA/UVB waves. I'm not sure what that stands for, but I do know those waves are dangerous and can cause sun burns and leave you vulnerable to skin cancer. When I was younger my mom would tell me to wear lotion, I of course thought using tanning spray was a better idea. That was until The dermatologist had to have to spots removed two suspicious dots from my arm and chest. I got lucky with those, but figured I better try and avoid that again! Now I use sunscreen. Before heading out to the pool I love applying Hawaiian Tropic silk hydration in SPF 30. The smell alone will make you feel like you are on vacation and it leaves your skin so smooth while protecting. The after sun is great for the skin as well and helps hydrate after you have been in the sun all day.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 and After Sun Lotion

The sun is on you even when you aren't laying out hoping for a tan so don't forget to apply sunscreen whenever you leave the house. If you are like me, the chances of your remembering are slim until you realize you are getting burned and forgot to use sunscreen. I came across this wonderful Eucerine Daily moisturizer that has SPF 15 in it. I put it on as soon as I dry off after my shower and I know at least I have that protecting me. It goes on so light and smooth and really leaves my skin hydrated. This really came in handy this weekend. I was out with my taking photos for my fire department at a large drill for 3 hours with the sun besting down on us. No shade. I did end up getting a little color, but had I not applied the Eucerine sunscreen I would have been in bad shape and really sunburnt. I'm so glad I got that lotion! At night when I want some extra lotion after the dry air conditioning air I love cvs brand cocoa butter. Another one with a smell that makes you feel like you are on vacation.

Eucerin Daily Protection Lotion with SPF 15 and CVS Brand Cocoa Butter lotion 

The last item I think is important enough to bring up has to do with all the bugs! Humid air and warm weather brings out some creepy crawlers, especially Mosquitos and ticks. No thanks!! Knowing I was walking in the park the other day I picked up a can of Off! spray since it was on sale and I hoped it was good. This stuff wasn't just good it was great. I sprayed it and my dad didn't, some bugs enjoyed him but I didn't notice any. The spray itself went on and dried right away and didn't smell at all. I will be stashing this in my car for moments I find myself outside and need to spray. 

OFF! Deep Woods Dry Spray

Hopefully you find one product you might want to try or have tried. I would love to hear feedback and if you have any products you think I would enjoy please feel free to let me know. I love finding new great products and sharing!