Ode to my sister

I spoke with my sister yesterday after I received her beautiful pictures of my nieces and nephews, including my brother’s children. This holiday season my family is 3,000 miles away, but for sure I’m there in spirit.  And keeping with that holiday spirit, my sister told me she just started my fat burning workouts and intends to lose 12 pounds.  The key word here – intends – as opposed to hopes.  Because with anything you do that requires action, it’s better to set your intentions and make it happen than to hope for something good to happen.  She also told me the first two days her legs were so tired she couldn’t go for her 2 mile walk – which she also just started.  I told her after a week or so that muscle fatigue will get better and she’ll be jogging those miles in no time.  This Ode’s for you sis…

Burn Fat Burn

Sometimes the path seems filled with pain,
but the only thing that hurts is your ego in vain.
Who says you’ll find success by pushing yourself daily,
when the results seem as far as the comet Halley.
But wait, you say, there’s a simple solution,
because reasons and excuses are just an illusion.
So keep on trucking with that positive attitude,
with fat burning workouts there’s no room for platitude.
Always set your intentions and just let’em fly,
no judgment, no worries, to your old ways goodbye!

Merry Christmas Everyone – R

Sore in a good way

Saturday's Fat Burning Workout

After my workout this morning I ran into a friend who just started doing my 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts.  I would describe this twenty-something gal as rather solid, with about 25 pounds excess weight.  She told me she started with Tuesday’s Workout – which happens to be one of the more challenging ones – and that she was “sore in a good way”.  For someone who doesn’t workout much – or at all – being sore was certainly a good thing.  It means the workouts are affecting her muscles in a fatiguingly positive way, opening them up to receive new energy and nutrients, thus making them stronger and firmer.  It’s the sore in a good way feeling that burns fat and conditions the muscles for future workouts, allowing that soreness to diminish over time.  Because that soreness does go away folks.  Although it may return from time to time based on where your body is on any given day – a topic for a future blog – your muscles become accustomed to the workouts and respond more amicably, i.e., no soreness.  So don’t get worried or discouraged, and certainly don’t stop working out just because of a little discomfort.   Always remember: pain is bad, soreness is good.  Enjoy the good with the bad and get your workout in today.  And I’ll see you tomorrow.  R

It’s never easy

Sunday's Fat Burning Workout

You’ll never hear me say that developing and maintaining a daily fitness program is easy.  It just gets easier to keep it going.  And more rewarding each time you workout, whatever you do.  Like today vs. yesterday.  Yesterday I felt like someone ran me over with a steamroller – you know the feeling. I barely made my 20 minute stretching and abs, but I made it.  Today I felt like a million bucks!  I hit the gym for an hour, then went for a 2-mile run at the Silver Lake Reservoir, then taught an 11a yoga class.  And I’m 47 and lived a party lifestyle until I gave up alcohol three years ago.  So change does happen if you really want it to.  It’s never easy, but in the case of a daily fitness routine, it’s well worth it.  So if you haven’t started one already, well let’s get going.  Because with each passing day your body is not getting any younger, or firmer, or leaner, or stronger, or more flexible without doing something. So make that something the most important 1% of your life.  See you tomorrow – R