The Blonde Behind The Blog: 20 Facts

We have made it to another Friday, and as usual, I am more than happy to see it. I have had a "serious" couple of days on my blog so I want to keep it fun today, link up with my ladies, and write another "getting to know you" post. This is the second in my "series". The first can be read here: a list of current favorites. 

Before I begin, I want to say thank you for all of the comments and emails from Wednesday's post: "You are so pretty... for someone of your size". Writing that was really hard. I have been so damn ashamed of my body my entire life; and it was not until a couple of months ago that I finally fell in love with my curves and muscles and developed a healthy confidence within myself. I hope together, we can spread the message of embracing our flaws, uniqueness, and genetic makeup. Plus show the world that health and fitness come in many, many shapes and sizes, and we, especially as women, follow no standards or expectations except of our own. Two of my dear blogging friends Tricia and Rebecca shared their personal experiences and struggles as well. I am so proud of their courage and very lucky to be surrounded by such strong and amazing women. 

1.) I was born exactly 2 months early. I weighed 3.8 pounds. My mom was deathly ill with pneumonia and toxemia. Her doctor had to do an immediate c-section to save our lives. Because of this, a lot of my nerves were not properly developed. This caused me to have ADHD and severe night terrors. I still have night terrors sporadically. It has only been about 4 years since I stopped having them on a nightly basis. 

2.) I am related to two former United States Presidents. William Henry Harrison is my great, great, great Uncle. I am obviously related to his son, Benjamin Harrison, who was also a President.

3.) I have the skull from the movie "The Punisher" tattooed on the middle of my upper body. Above the skull is the word "Broken", which is my favorite song of all time by the band "Seether". "Broken" also happened to be the theme song of the 2004 Punisher movie with Thomas Jane. That is one of my favorite movies. My tattoo represents the pain and struggles of my childhood. I am also a huge, huge Marvel Comic fan and nerd.

4.) This may be hard to believe in blog land, but I have never eaten at Chipotle. I have also never seen an episode of "The Price is Right". How weird, huh? 

5.) My mom never made me sandwiches when I was a toddler because any time she did, I would cram them in the VCR player. (I have no idea).

6.) My dream career besides writing is to be a Forensic Psychologist. It was my major in college and I wish so deeply that I could have finished and received the required advanced degrees. However, I ran out of money and refused to take out loans. Additionally the course work was becoming too difficult to bare as I also worked full time at a minimum wage job 45 minutes from my home. Plus I helped take care of my mom and our home. If I am ever able to make a lot of money on my own, the number 1 item on my bucket list will be to get my PhD in Forensic Psychology and work in a jail and on trials. It still hurts to think about this. 

7.) Speaking of writing: if you read my blog, you know I am writing my first book! My love and passion for writing has been with me since I was a child. When I was 6, I wrote this book. Then when I was 14, I wrote the below "book" -- all for fun. It is called "Quest"; I can't believe I still have the notebook I wrote it in! 

8.) My Abnormal Psychology professor in school dated my grandmother when I was a baby. He announced to the class once that he used to change my diaper, ha ha!

9.) I have been in one car accident. It was November of 2009. I was driving home from the gym. The road I lived on was very, very curvy. The city was repaving the road and the new pavement was extremely slick. However there was no signs indicating this or to warn people to drive at a slower speed. My tires slid on one of the curves which caused me to veer off of the road. My car flipped twice down a hill and landed upside down about 6 feet away from a lake. My doors were crushed so I was unable to get out. By the grace of God, a Deputy Sheriff was driving by, saw my car, and rushed down to help me. He cracked my window and was able to pull me out. I walked away without a scratch. I only wrecked about 6 houses down from where I live so the Deputy Sheriff called my mom to tell her what happened while the EMS checked me out to make sure I was OK. When my mom walked up to the scene and saw my car upside down, she thought without a doubt that I was dead. That moment caused her to have an extremely bad MS flare up an sent HER to the hospital and she was out of work for a week. 

10.) I was obsessed with Britney Spears when I was a child. Hell, I still love love her, but her music disappoints me so much now. Anyways, I wrote fan letters to her all of the time, posters of her were all over my bedroom walls, I would play her CD's constantly in my room and pretend I was her putting on a concert. I would pretend that she was my best friend. Any time a new album of hers came out, I would beg and plead to my parents to take me to WalMart the day it was released so I could get a copy before school started. WalMart opened at 7 AM at the time and I would always make my parents get there at 6:45 (just to be safe, ha). I also had a VHS of Britney called "Time Out with Britney Spears". I watched it so much that the actual tape part of the video ripped and fell apart. 

11.) In 2009 I had bright red hair. It was hands down my favorite look! If my hair could permanently stay that color red without fading so drastically, I would never be blonde again.

12.) I have never bought a lottery ticket or played one.

13.) I consider myself a brave person and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. However, I have two fears that literally tear me up. One is flying in an airplane over the ocean. I am fine flying in an airplane over land; but the ocean? No way. It makes me shake, tremble, cry and I am convinced the plane will crash. My second big fear is death-- knowing that one day I have to die. I have had panic attacks in bed thinking about it sometimes. They both are so odd, I know.

14.) I hate seafood; all of it. Shrimp, tuna... there are no exceptions. I hate the way all fish look. I hate the way they smell. I hate the way they taste. I hate everything about fish. Gross!

15.) I am left-handed. 

16.) When I was a freshman in high school, my dog got sprayed by a skunk. The smell was so bad, that it migrated into my clothes and backpack for school. That day, I was sent home from because the smell was disrupting my class, ha!

17.) One day at the gym, I sneezed so hard on the elliptical that I fell off of it in front of everybody. It was so freaking embarrassing! 

18.) I love pretending I am a "model" and taking weird and "artsy" type photos then playing with exposure and contrast. Pictures make me come alive; I feel creative and free.

19.) You guys know the love of my life Marty, right? Well, my friend gave him to me in August of 2008 because he was moving in with his mother in New York and could not take him because she is allergic to cats. He did know anyone else in North Carolina and did not want to take him to a pound. Of course I said I would take him. I had been around Marty for 2 years at this point. However, my mom said no. I took him anyways and hid him in my closet sneaking food and purchased him a litter box. One night my mom heard him meowing and asked what was going on in my room. I told her I was watching a movie but she knew otherwise. She demanded to search my room, found him, and fell in love. Luckily I did not get in trouble.

20.) I am actually ALLERGIC to alcohol! I never get drunk and when I do drink, my limit is two - if even that. I develop really bad mucus in my throat and lungs and have trouble breathing. This is due to my body not having the proper enzymes to break down (metabolize) toxins in alcohol.

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The Blonde Behind The Blog: Current Favorites

I write often about my weight loss journey and all things health and fitness. I then write about my weekends and random things that happen in life. Since I do not really write anything else about me personally, I thought every now and then it would be fun to post a blog entry with random answered questions about me and my personality. If you have any questions you would like to ask, feel free to leave the below! I am kicking things off with a list of things that I consider my "favorites". One thing I did learn about myself while answering these questions is that I am a little boring, ha!

Now on to my giveaway. I believe that knowledge is power and if a person wants to be healthy and fit for the rest of their life, they need to LEARN about proper nutrition and exercise, not just rely on someone else to tell them what to do. When I first started my journey in 2008, purchasing health and fitness magazines were a stable for me. I was constantly cutting out recipes, informative articles, and exercises I wanted to try. These magazines offer a lot of good information. Thus I wanted to give some away! All of the magazines given away are from 2014. There will be 3 winners - each winner will receive 6 different magazines with the 1st place winner also receive the 2014 Women's Health Training Guide. The contest is open to all residents of the US and Canada, you must be 18 years old or older to enter. The contest will end Saturday, July 5th at midnight and the winners will be chosen at random via Random.org and will then be displayed via blog post on Wednesday, July 9th. 

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Why All the Fuss About Zumba Toning Sticks - Why Use Them?

ByAngella Wilson

You have undoubtedly heard of Zumba Fitness, it seems everyone has these days. Zumba is the world-wide fitness phenomenon that is taking America by storm. It seems the Latin dance craze has captured the hearts, and feet, of those looking to get in shape, drop weight, or tone their bodies in a fun and "party-like" way.

Started by accident over ten years ago by Beto Perez in Columbia, Zumba Fitness brags a following of over 12,000,000 class enrollees and millions more at-home followers throughout the world. In short, Zumba is a cross between traditional aerobics and Latin dance. It is fun, entertaining, and a lot of good old-fashioned cardio work.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

As a result of its popularity, Zumba has had to adjust its routines to many different levels of work-out enthusiasts. What started out as one type of routine geared to the physically fit has turned into several different types of routines catering to different ages and fitness levels. It has evolved to challenge the beginner all the way to the very advanced.

One part of Zumba Fitness that has become popular in helping participants reach the next level of fitness includes what are called Zumba Toning Sticks. These are dumbbell-like weights that are filled with a sand-like substance to provide resistance during workouts. They come in 1 pound weights for those just beginning to use toning sticks to 2.5 pounds for the more advanced user. They can be used from beginner to advanced routines to add an increased level of fitness.

When combined with regular routines, Zumba Toning Sticks provide for an enhanced total body workout. They are perfect for use in clinics, gyms, clubs, or even in the home - anywhere a person takes on the Zumba Fitness challenge. The toning sticks, if used regularly, promise to improve muscle tone and definition while at the same time enhancing cardiovascular fitness; they are promoted to help strengthen the entire 3-dimensional muscle structures and connective tissues such as tendons.

You Said Those Sticks Were Good for What?

To follow are some of the benefits of using the Toning Sticks during any kind of exercise:
Enhanced total body workoutImproves the bodies rhythmic perceptionSoftens hardened muscles to help them have more flexibilityIdeal for additional fat-burning resultsGreat for outdoor or indoor useAppropriate for exercising in groups or individual exercise programsRecognized for being therapeuticImproves coordination and therefore running and jogging stylesIncreases body-toning and muscle definitionEnhances body awarenessMore complete workout of the entire upper body while dancing, running, jogging, or walking

Goodbye and Good Luck
Participating in Zumba Fitness has become almost a national pastime; however, if you have become accustomed to your regular routine, challenge yourself to take it to the next level. Grab yourself some Zumba Toning Sticks and see if you can keep up.

Angella Wilson is a writer who specializes in sports and fitness activities. You can check out her latest website at Zumba Gold, where she provides reviews on the Zumba Fitness craze including routines, Zumba Sticks, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Dance Shoes, and more.

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It's About Time - Getting In Shape

"How many rest stops is that now, 2 or 3? Try 4. Well, don't worry, we're about at the top. We're almost there." Sound familiar? Have you been out trying to have a good time on a daytrip, or on vacation looking to explore and see the sights, only to find yourself hindered because you ran out of energy too soon, or worse, didn't have the energy to begin with? My wife and I were doing just that, looking for some fun and adventure, visiting Mesa Verde National Park for our 10th anniversary, when we got a wake-up call, when we had the cold hard reality of our physical conditioning, or lack thereof, pushed upon us. When we should have been able to fully appreciate and freely maneuver through one of our nations most beautiful national parks unhindered, we found instead we had to pace ourselves, and limit our explorations to the less advanced areas and activities, the equivalent of the "bunny hill" in snow skiing terms.

Even the simpler hikes, you know the ones for the whole family, the ones where little school children on a field trip dart past you on the trail, required a rest, a few rests actually, every time the panting got too bad. But we weren't the only ones. We noticed several others of the 40-50 yr.

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Being Smart About Exercise

ByBethany J Trezvant

When it comes down to it, exercise is not just about losing weight, it is also about keeping yourself healthy. One of the biggest misconceptions out there when it comes to Exercise is that you only need to do it when you are looking towards weight loss. The thing is, having a regular routine in place doesn't just help you with your weight, but it also keeps your body healthy as well. The more that you exercise on a regular basis, the more oxygen that is in your blood, and the better that your food digests. These are all things that your body needs, which is why exercise is the key to a healthy life.

While there are some people out there who are able to run or bike each and everyday, there is a good chance that you are not one of those people. While you would love to get a routine in place where you take an hour everyday to exercise your body the fact is that, well, that's not exactly realistic for everyone out there. After a long day of work you probably just want to crawl into bed, which is fine as long as you make sure that you get some type of exercise at least four times during the week. It doesn't have to be running, it can be walking, swimming, basketball, baseball, whatever.

The thing that a lot of people do recognize when it comes to exercise is that it helps you out tremendously with your mind. The more exercise, the better your body feels, which allows your mind to focus on more important things. If you are looking for the best way to get your brain awake in the morning, try 20 minute on the treadmill. It gets the blood flowing, and thus you end up feeling more awake.

As you grow older, you will notice that your metabolism isn't what it used to be. You know how you used to be able to eat 10 tacos before you went to bed and not gain any weight? Those days are over. With that in mind, having an exercising routine is not so much about losing weight, but instead about keeping you at where you are now. If you are going to eat bad a couple of days of week, simply taking the time to do some exercising will help you stay at your ideal weight. It's something that you can't afford to keep putting off.

Visit http://www.diet-compare.com.

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More About Pilates For Rehabilitation

ByPauline B Dukoff

If you are in recovery from some kind of illness, injury or even some form of psychological condition, then rehabilitation is incredibly important to ensure that you recover as quickly as possible and to ensure that you avoid further problems.

In many cases, people will view rehabilitation as something that is largely passive - it is common to view recovery as the lack of activity - such as sitting down for long periods of time and get ting rest. If you have an injury specific to a particular area, then recovery might mean avoiding putting pressure on that area or using it.

This is all fine and well, and of course in many cases you certainly should avoid strenuous exercise or movement if you want to enjoy the speediest recovery possible. However this is at the same time certainly not the only form of recovery, and it is very important to recognize that there are many other ways you can help yourself to recover from injury or illness.

For instance if you are recovering from an injury that is to do with your muscles, bones or joints - then Pilates may well offer you the help you need to recover.

If you should injure your back or your leg for instance, and you aim to recover by simply resting your body and taking time out of your usual activities, then you may find that this doesn't help you to combat all of the potential problems. The worry here is that you will still exacerbate the issue by letting your muscles waste away. If you spend a lot time in recovery and don't get any kind of exercise during this time, then it will of course cause your muscles to deteriorate and that in turn will cause you to lose muscle mass and strength. Then, when you are recovered, you will find that you are unable to move properly and this can actually lead to further injury. Furthermore a muscle imbalance can cause unequal pressure to be exerted on the joints which can also cause injury and discomfort.

At the same time, if you injure any joint or muscle then you will risk overcompensating for this by altering your stance or your gait. For instance, if you injure a leg or an ankle, then this can cause you to limp and to stand somewhat lop sided. This in turn can lead not only to joint and muscle problems directly, but also potentially again make you more prone to falling and injuring yourself further.

As anyone who has ever been to a chiropractor or a osteopath will know - what affects one part of the body can have effects elsewhere in regions that are seemingly unconnected if you end up walking incorrectly or standing awkwardly.

Pilates can prevent all these problems by ensuring that while you recover from your injury you still get some forms of light exercise to maintain muscle tone and balance. At the same time it can help to encourage a correct stance and gait and thereby avoid your doing harm to yourself accidentally.

There is a big difference between Pilates classes, and one on one sessions. For rehabilitation or for more comfortable aging, this is usually called physiotherapy Pilates.

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A Surprising Fact About Fitness Bootcamp Workouts

If you want to lose weight, you have to exercise and burn calories. This is the only way to lose weight the way that you want to lose. The way that you can have the best results when you do this is to go through something called metabolic fitness training. This is a very effective type of working that is geared toward burning a lot of fat in a short amount of time, but in a very surprising way.

Metabolic resistance training, or MRT as it is also called, is a type of workout that involves highly intense, incredibly quick workouts. But, there is something about metabolic resistance training that may actually surprise you. The workouts that are involved are actually more like strength training than actual cardiovascular exercises as most people would do if they were trying to burn fat.

Cardio is the most common type of workout that people tend to do when they have a goal of weight loss, and it does work very well for many people. This is because cardio actually causes fat loss through fat burning, so this would naturally make sense. Cardio does to a great job, so this is a very logical approach to weight loss, but there is an easier way to do it.

Cardio does not boost metabolism when it burns fat. MRT does, and it does not involve cardio. Instead of doing this, metabolic resistance training is geared toward building up your metabolism so that your body will on its own be capable of long-term weight loss and fat loss even if you are already done exercising. This makes your body work much better for itself when you are trying to lose weight.

This type of exercise is done through quick workouts that are very intense, but they are quick strength training exercises instead of quick cardio exercises. The exercises have more weight and affect more muscles. Chain exercises are very common types of exercises that are done. When you do these, you will improve your metabolism and your body will actually not have to work as hard when you exercise in order to burn fat.

If you want to make your body work that much better when you are trying to lose weight, you should use MRT. This intense strength training will not only burn your fat on your body, but it will also increase your metabolism so that you will gain the benefits from your exercise even after you stop doing it. That way, when you sit down and are finished with your workout, you will be able to still burn fat as if you were still working out.

If you are looking for a great source of MRT, you can start a bootcamp workout program to help you do it the best that you can. There is a great fitness bootcamp in South Florida that can guide you through this type of workout in order to have the best results with your fitness goals that you possibly can.

Are you looking for more information regarding bootcamp workout? Visit http://www.southfloridafitnessbootcamp.com today!

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Are There 7 Easy Ways To Lose Weight? What You Need to Know About Getting Healthy and Fit Again

In the last couple of years each year sees the launch of easy ways to lose weight with the hyped up launch of a new magic pill solution. These programs usually promise 3, 5 or 7 easy ways to lose weight. Why these numbers you might ask. The answer is very simple: it's just a marketing technique to grab people's attention. It has nothing to do with the products or their effectiveness. This article will aim to give you cornerstones you can rely on when you are planning to get healthy and fit again.

With the new spring on our heels everybody starts to think about losing weight and becoming more healthy and fit. Like many mass marketed products from the past, this year is definitely bringing a brand new magic solution. Savvy people who have fallen prey to such promises several times know that the real solution to getting healthy and fit lies somewhere else. Their problem is that they don't know where to look and how to start being actively involved in taking their well being into their hands.

What you need to know first of all is that you need to do some sort of exercise in order to get your body "oiled" again to work flawlessly and well. What has been demonstrated countless times is that without doing some kind of exercise you won't achieve long lasting results. What's more, you even harm your body more than if you left it alone especially with the artificial supplements that don't give the body the needed vitamins, flavonoids and enzymes; instead they burden the body down and cause it to work even harder to get rid of this artificial stuff the body cannot utilize.

As you can probably tell by now, in order to get healthy and fit again you MUST start doing exercise. The question is what type of exercise to chose, how much time to spend initially on a daily basis and what brings great results in a short space of time. These are highly important questions as you don't want to end up with a heart attack on the first day because you started running after x years of inactivity thus exhausting your body with your sudden over activity. You need to start with a "light" program that is easy to do and you can fit it into your busy everyday life.

Luckily there are several alternative methods that give you just that: they are easy to learn, easy to do and they take up little time from your daily routine while bringing in great results. Usually you start feeling much better in your body within the first week of your practice and start getting healthier and fitter after each day. Chikong is one such great method with a history going back to more than 7000 years of effectiveness. The movements are easy to do and learn and what's more you can do them even while watching TV! It is considered an easy way to regain your well being as it requires little effort from you, while it brings fantastic results within a short period of time with a continued practice.

As a summary we can say that regardless of whether you only want to lose weight or get healthy and fit you must start with some form of exercise that helps you instead of doing more harm to your body. As I mentioned above, there is a great method that has all the prerequisites to get you off the road towards complete well being which is chikong. The beauty of it is that you not only get healthy and fit but you also enjoy doing it and especially the results the daily 15 minutes bring to you. As will likely be the case in not too little time chikong will rise to the top of its field of helping preserve your well being in the western world as well, as more and more people realize that the real solution to losing weight lies in methods that have proven to be effective for thousands of years.

Erzsebet Bogyo is an avid follower of the effective alternative methods. She runs an informational website that provides an online chikong course and also offers a free report to help people start taking their well being into their hands. To take advantage of this cool stuff and more make sure you check out Erzsebet's site at http://chikongmadeeasy.com

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The Truth About Abs: What You Need to Know About It

So many men and women want to get flat and muscular abdomens, but even all of their workout sessions just fail to give them what they asked for. Some people get tired of seeing no effective results, even though they go on a diet and exercise every day, so, they just stop all of their abdominal exercises and revert to their old ways, causing them to gain excess fat again around the waist. There are several ways to become fit nowadays, and one of the ways is by purchasing home DVDs, giving people a workout routine right in the comfort of their own home. One of these workout and diet routine DVDs is the Truth About Abs, which has already gained popularity online.

It comes with a kit that contains a manual with instructions on how you can lose weight. The author of this manual is Michael Geary. However, there are actually a team of people who provide comprehensive and updated guidance on weight loss. Michael Geary has conducted years of intensive research on weight loss, and he incorporated every piece of information he gained from his research into the manual. When you subscribe to this particular weight loss product, you will be entitled to receive regular newsletters, which feature their discoveries or innovations. You will also get a DVD and audio lectures. All together, these weight loss program materials will guide you on what food to eat and what exercises you have to do in order for you to successfully get the body you have always wanted to have.

Over the years, this weight loss system has received good reviews. Like other legitimate workout and diet programs, this one promises you that you will shed fat in just a few months. You have to keep in mind, though, that this is not an overnight solution for quick weight loss. The program is much like a guide to lifestyle modification, which should involve dedication. If you buy the product, you have to do everything it says, otherwise, you will only waste your money. If you want to know what people say about it, go to the internet to look for reviews.

The Truth About Abs diet plan is not your regular strict diet scheme. This is because Michael Geary understands that so many people fail in tough schemes in which they have to go through a strict diet. So many diet plans fail, because they do not satisfy people, hence, they end up abandoning it. While this particular plan should not be strict, it should not include unhealthy snacks.

Another important feature of the diet/workout system is the instructions on weight lifting exercises. Cardio exercises are not enough for someone who wants to lose a few pounds. Lifting weights boosts the metabolism of an individual. It is recommended to do this activity about 3 days per week. Each session should last for 45 minutes. Not only will you lose the necessary fat, but also, you will develop your muscles. These exercises are quite simple to follow.

Those who want to lose weight and develop a muscular physique will have to brace themselves for a long journey. Most people want a fast solution, which usually does not work that way if you want a great, flawless body. With the number of products available in the market, it's easy to be fooled by deceptive ads. You have to be critical and look for information about each weight loss program. The most reliable method is one that takes hard work and time.

For more information about the truth about abs and for more abdominal exercises, visit our website truthaboutabsreviewed.info.

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