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My RCR Action Hero Babe Transformation Journey

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Superbowl Sunday Preparation



It's not your average Superbowl Party!! This will be the 3rd year in a row that I'll be going to a Salsa Superbowl Party! There will be LOTS of dancing, food and a lot of people just watching the football game. I must admit, I go there mainly for the social aspect... b/c I like to hang out with my salsa buddies, dance a bit, eat and have fun!! It's never a dull moment! Haha, last year I caught the last 5 minutes of the game and that was it! lol. The rest of the time I was dancing, believe it or not!

Anyhow, this year I will be bringing food over! P.S. Every year the menu has been a REAL roadblock for anyone trying to eat clean. From hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken wings, cake and brownies to cookies... YOU NAME IT, TEMPTATION IS EVERYWHERE AT THESE PARTIES!! Fortunately, I have some friends who are somewhat health-conscious, so I'm hoping they enjoy the stuff I'm preparing! :)

Secret Ploys to Keep you FAT at the gym! Plus importance of Pre-workout Nutrition.



K, so here I am... arriving at my gym. Isn't it amazing how many places take advantage of hungry gym-goers? The fact of the matter is that this gym was built at the same time these fast-food joints opened... Secret Ploy?? Most definitely!

Just think about it if you don't plan your food ahead, you're gonna keep eating at these conveniently located food locales. It's also going to keep you FAT and ensure that you continue to go to the gym! Worst of all, It's an endless cycle, and it keeps both businesses happy as you continuously spend and use their services! So next time you're at your gym... just look around and see which businesses are trying to profit from unprepared gym-goers! Please keep in mind, this cycle CAN be broken if you simply have some sort of meal/game plan in mind before hitting the gym! :)

Moreover, in the second half of this video, I want to point out the importance of pre-workout nutrition. Last night, I would've done 40-45 minutes of cardio but I didn't have the energy... Normally I workout after a nice meal, but apparently my small pre-workout snack wasn't enough to hold me over. By the time I finished my 25 minutes, I had a MASSIVE headache! Of course, everybody is different I just know that my body requires more food prior to working out.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Cardio was cut short last night, but with good reason...


I put my ankle to the test last night and went running on the treadmill... Did speed and hill intervals, got up to speed 9, so I know the ankle is doing great!! (P.S. I fell on my ankle maybe 3-4 weeks ago and had a minor sprain, so that's why I consider this good news!)

On another note, although I have decided to do about 45 minutes of cardio (on my non-training days), I decided to cut my cardio workout short last night (instead I did 25 minutes and got a nice sweat)... I just needed to catch up on some much-needed sleep, even if it was only an extra 20 minutes!

Monday, January 26, 2009

A Day at the Office



So here I am at the office... Just showing you around. Again, planning is everything... so make sure you stock up on some healthy stuff at work (including emergency snacks)!

Also sharing a tip for increasing your water intake: just drink water at every meal/snack! It's as simple as that!

Pre-Diamond Journey Results (5-lbs down)! ... 6 more weeks to go!


K, today I'm starting the Red Carpet Ready Diamond Coaching Club and I've got 6 weeks left to see some results!!... Since January 8, 2009, I've had some time to clean up my food and manage my workouts... Just wanted to share my "PRE-DIAMOND" club results that I achieved in about 2.5 weeks! :)

Gosh, don't mind me... In the video, I just came back from the gym -all sweaty and without makeup. lol

My #1 tip: Keep yourself accountable... Keep a detailed food & exercise journal -let others see it on a regular basis to provide you with feedback. Also Plan, Plan and PLAN!! It might seem like a chore at first, but it eventually becomes a habit and ultimately, it's the ONLY strategy that keeps you on track!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Grocery Shopping Tips - Plan for Success!


So I'm about to go grocery shopping... All I have to say is: not only do you need to plan your meals, BUT you need to plan your grocery trip for SUCCESS as well.

In the past, I'd enter the supermarket and roam each aisle, saying "oh, that looks good", "I need that" or better yet, I'd grab a snack b/c it was on sale or looked oh so good! The truth of the matter is, when you walk in that grocery store, you need a plan and you need to be in and out of the store as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might do some impulsive shopping by leaving things to chance.

My solution has been to look up my local supermarkets' online circulars. Print my lists, then go shopping. Also if I'm planning to make a home-cooked meal, I make sure to have all the ingredients in the recipe. Other than that, I tell myself, I've got to stick to the list!

Motivation... It's all around you!




Here I am discussing some current health & fitness motivations on my Diamond journey...



Reviews:

Red Carpet Ready book by Valerie Waters (www.redcarpetready.com) - tons of great info! I know her program works based on my initial results... FYI, I currently belong to her new Diamond Level Coaching club and plan to take it to the NEXT level of fitness - action hero babe status! ;-) Stay tuned for the rest of my journey & results!

Eat-Clean Diet book by Tosca Reno - Highly recommend!

The Body Fat Solution book by Tom Venuto - Haven't read it yet, but have heard many great things! I'm looking forward to this book. :)

Fast Food Nation movie - you will never look at a fast food burger the same after this. P.S. my sister is a nursing student and she said that the stuff that happens in the meat factory production line sometimes happens in real life! ...Gross!

Friday, January 23, 2009

My Kitchen... The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. PLUS Spice Rack Tip!

This video starts out with the phrase "EAT SITTING DOWN!!!!"... I can't stress that enough, since it helps you from eating mindlessly while standing around in the kitchen. K, as you can see, we've got our shelves stocked, but we need more cabinet space! At least I got my recipes all nicely organized! :) ... Don't you just love a home cooked meal??

Hit up the International Food Aisle! You might be surprised on how much you can save!

The Beginning of my Diamond Journey


Join me for the ride and watch me from the beginning of my RCR Action Hero Babe transformation!! With Valerie Waters' help in the Diamond coaching club, I plan to reach an all new fitness level... Grant it, the journey is not gonna be easy and it's definitely going to require commitment, but overall I think I'm gonna enjoy it!

P.S. This is actually the first time I've ever done a video blog, so I hope you enjoy my amateur camera skills, lol. :)