LOL. Actually, here's just part two of HealthLikeMe's gym time. For today's post we'll do butt, lower abs, some simple cardio and inner thighs -- my worst nightmare! As an added bonus to this post, I'll share with you a mini-playlist to go along with these exercises. cARDIO:I've never been huge on cardio. When I was younger and religiously doing sports, the only thing exercises like running did was keep weight off me. Cue the nostalgic "issues you still wish you had" eye roll. But now running still sucks but for the reason of my boobs playing their own game of Paddle Ball on my rib cage. Nevertheless...
Ass:Should I be all proper and say it correctly? Gluteus Maximus... Nahhh! But man do I love...
2. Fire Hydrants 3. Butt Ups 4. Donkey Kicks/Kick Back Crossovers All four of these are so difficult to describe. I always look over my shoulder to make sure I'm doing them right! My suggestion would be to google or search on Pinterest for them. My description for how to do them might have you throw out your back. Lower AbsIn our gym part one, we worked out our obliques and the main part of our abs. Unfortunately, there's one more part of the core muscle family. It's the part that we affectionately call our "food baby" after a good burrito meal. To get our food baby holders toned up, let's try:
Any at home exercises you'd like to share? Leave me a comment below and it could show up on the next Gym post here! And as always: Do It For The Booty! Archives
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January 22, 2019. One month ago. It was the last time my lips touched a soda. One month may not seem that long for some, including me, because having a fizzy, caffeinated, chock-full of fake sugar empty calories in a can has never ruled and fueled my day as it does for some people. I remember when I was younger and my dad was taking us to school every morning; we would stop for breakfast and he would order A COKE to drink -- not to mention the left over fried chicken he would heat up and throw between a slice of bread! The health factors weren't thought about too much as a six or seven year-old, but as a 28 year-old it screams high cholesterol, high blood pressure and many congested arteries. Now I'm not saying I'm saint-like in my soda crusade. Before this health blog endeavor, I had my occasional can here and there. But never more than two a month. So in order to stop poisoning my cholesterol and shred some inches, I say: Back in January right before I completely quit drinking the toxic, sugary-sweet "thirst quencher", I read an article titled What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Soda from EatThis,NotThat! In it, it describes five healthy benefits once you kick the soda habit. Losing weight is the one we all know about. But did you know that your immune system becomes stronger as well? Me neither! If you're a can (or two) a-day person, a word of caution: you could develop headaches as you deprive your body of the sugar it has become accustomed to. Check out the 'Read More' link below to learn more about what happens to you when you stop drinking sodas. Now dairy on the other hand...
Shredding Some Extra InchesI will be the first to say there is NO universal way for every female to magically melt off those unwanted inches from our waistline. But! There are small things that we already should be doing that might aid in shrinking that tough area called our tummy. It won't hurt to try out these five tricks that I've been doing and have seen results myself:
Pick your poison wisely with these three - especially the dairy one. We are all different and should treat our bodies so. Takeaway? Love it no matter what. Take care of it no matter what. Read and research more with these links: ArchivesBut not really. However, I will not be posting today. So be lazy while wearing your favorite comfy yoga pants. Let's postpone the cookie feast celebration though. I suggest fruit instead! P.S: I am going to start featuring female blogs that I feel align with some of the themes of this blog or ones that I just genuinely enjoy reading! Keep your eyes peeled to the very bottom of the home page. When there is a new blog for y'all to check out, read, and maybe subscribe to and follow, I will update the text to orange. And purple when not updated.
Think about the song "Let's Have a Kiki" by Scissor Sisters -- My favorite line in the song is when they describe what exactly a "kiki" is. It's "a party for calming all your nerves. Where spilling tea and dishing just desserts one may deserve." If you haven't ever heard of this catchy, fun song, I recommend you go listen and just do a little jig while you envision a party that you might have recently attended where you did just those things that describe a "kiki". For me, I can think of a more than a few just in the past year! And what's more fun than serving up those "just desserts" about your own self and your preferences than at a Pure Romance party! You're already in a pretty open mood, so to speak. So continue to let it flow! I love how that's one of the affects of these parties. After all, sharing is caring. I'm honestly not sure if there is anyone left within these lovely 50 states who hasn't heard of Pure Romance. But for those of you who are living under a rock, Amish or Mormon, let's find out why this phenomena has taken America by storm: What is pure romance, you say?"Founder & Chairwoman Patty Brisben started Pure Romance from the basement of her suburban Ohio home in 1993. Using the latest sexual health education, the best in must-have beauty products, and the hottest bedroom accessories, Patty empowered, educated, and entertained the women at her parties—helping them fulfill their desires while offering them the chance to own their own business and achieve their dreams exactly the way she did. -- Pulled from the Pure Romance website Women starting and owning their own business? Check! Women owning their sexuality through entertaining methods? Check! Count me in! Again. And again. and again. and again. No, really. I've been to four parties total since I started going in 2016. And each one continues to differ from the previous one. The majority of the products and accessories displayed and demonstrated are the same I see each round, but I continue to buy, collect and grow my "treasure chest". I always learn and open up more every time. the goal?
why I love it?Other than really appreciating one of the main values of PR - empowering women to own their sexuality - I really do love how it brings friends and family together for an all-around good laugh. The party goers just don't learn from each other or the consultant, sometimes the consultant can learn from the people they're supposed to be teaching. It's a beautiful thing! Although Pure Romance has been around since the turn of the 21st century, it aligns perfectly with the feminist movement that has been thankfully gaining traction for the past decade or so. Men have never had to hide discussing their sexual nature. Now it's our turn to have an "equal share" in projecting our habits and fantasies. No one puts that sentiment quite into words more so than Jackie Johnson. Really, that's her name. I didn't change it for privacy purposes. As she puts it... A testament to its magic!"I believe history has shown us that women should be conservative in all aspects including sex. I firmly believe that women should become more confident not only in the bedroom but in talking about sex. They should also feel more comfortable with [expletive] themselves. They have to at least know how to [expletive] themselves so they can direct someone to do the same. They also will learn the different ways they can spice up their sex life instead of just doing the same 'ol same 'ol. I can help them be comfortable with all of that." - Jackie Johnson -- Her response to when I asked her if she would ever become a consultant. Her honesty to my question alone would make her a fantastic PR consultant. Can you see her giving a lively and no-holds-barred blow-by-blow of some of the products and toys? I know I'd get a great laugh from it. Half of the parties I have attended recently have been in the home of a great friend of mine, Tammara Rosales. AKA: Tia Mia! When I asked her if she preferred hosting parties or just being part of the main party, her response was that she actually did enjoy hosting much more. (When you host parties, the get together is usually at your home rather than heading over to someone else's place or a common/neutral site.) Regardless of hosting or attending elsewhere, Ms. Rosales made it clear that it was mostly about getting "away for a couple of hours and hanging out with friends and family that (she) deeply cares about. I just love to have a good laugh and a place where the ladies can just be themselves and be free from judgement while eating and drinking." Going off of Tia's thoughts of always having lots of laughs with your girlfriends, newcomer to the game Xochitl Ballesteros found out that the more quiet you are, the more you get volunteered to be a part of a live demonstration in the hostesses living room! Fortunately for her, she zeroed in on a fabulous bedroom accessory that had us all rolling laughing: "My favorite part of PR has to be the demonstration of the straps. I find it hilarious how (the company) tries to sell bondage items and (so) they put it on you to prove how comfortable they are to use with your man... or woman... it's 2019." So what have we learned?Whether you just want to enjoy a good laugh with your girlfriends, want to spice up date night or need to find a fun avenue to express your sexuality, Pure Romance opens up all kinds of ways that most of us Millennial females view how romance should be: enjoyably rough and full of toe-curling passion.
Oh, did I mention? There's also health benefits to having regular sex! If there wasn't any more icing on this cake, here's your extra! Check out The Best Life website's article below! The first time I said a truly and definitive no to a request that clearly shouldn't have even been asked was so liberating I just had to do it again - five years later. LOL. But let me tell you, this most recent no, while at first gave me serious heart palpitations, was just as freeing if not more so than the first. I just hope it won't be another five years before I get the chance to assert how much I value my well-being! Maybe if I remember these six results of standing up for myself and then not being worried about thinking of an excuse as to why, my next time won't feel so fretful. Learn who you areWhen you say a quick no to weekend plans, you open up a world of possibilities you may not have known about. That park you always wanted to read your book at or that brewery at the boardwalk by your home that has the best turkey burger. It could even mean you recuperating from a crazy work week by getting a good sleep. Say yes to yourself and in the long run you'll feel emotionally and mentally stable; while also giving you a chance to learn more about who you are and who you want to be paving the way to a self-assured you. becoming Brave, Confident and independentThe two examples of me saying no in the introduction to this post? Those were said to people who I put into the category of "frenemy" or "Small Dose Friends". You know, the ones that will run roughshod over you if you let them? Distancing yourself from those negative energies that zap you dry will make you a stronger person. Be brave and confident and let them know you are a person with feelings, too. Assert your independence. Respect yourselfThere is nothing wrong with wanting to please the right people. I repeat: THE RIGHT PEOPLE. And even there's a limit to doing that. But that limit aside, we are all entitled to a certain amount of respect. Saying yes to any and every things means you don't respect your own well-being or your time. Individuals in your life can pick up on that subconsciously and therefore not respect you as well. Break out the Aretha if you need a fun reminder about the word RESPECT. less stress and more timeThere are moments where I dread the anticipation leading up to an event that I prematurely said yes to. So much so that I literally have a quick dance party if the plans eventually fall through. But imagine if I had initially said no. How much my stress level wouldn't have shot through the roof? How much time I would have saved if I hadn't been planning some excuse to get me out of it? All that time could have been devoted to something I personally wanted to do on "me time". burnoutFeeling burned out makes you feel lousy. Duh! Personally, I'd rather feel burned out from working productively, blogging, or hell, even crying over yet another guy who didn't notice me - but that's a different topic for another blog. You never want to feel burned out from something you could have controlled if you had thought about what YOU had wanted a little bit more Prioritize your prioritiesWhat are YOUR priorities? Every time someone asks you for/to do something, 9 times out of 10, it has to do with what they want or how it would benefit them (remember those "small dose friends"). When you say no, you leave the door open for what you consider more of a priority! Restructuring your resume? Say no to going to the bar to watch the basketball game. Trying to eat better and don't want to gorge on chips and salsa at On The Border? It's alright! And the friends that matter to you and care about you will understand. ** No articles were "harmed" in the making of this post. Got to love experience, right? ** Why No "Why?"So you said no to plans with a group of friends? What's next is the dreaded, "Well, why not?". The automatic defensive response you want to give is, "Because I said so." But you know what's an even more powerful response than that?!
Silence. A "why" isn't always needed and us as females almost always are expected to give a reason or an excuse to pardon why your "no" was given. Just don't. Men aren't expected to. So why should we? So the next time a "why?" or "why not?" is asked, try empowering yourself by not responding! An internal "no!" so to speak. This post veers off the beaten path from what I've previously written in this blog. For one, when I was creating my blog schedule at the beginning of the year, I knew exactly how I was going to tie this post into the main themes of HealthLikeMe. Sadly, the idea leaked its way out of my brain since the first week of 2019. But, alas! I can still congratulate myself because... I (accidentally) officially have my first "uncategorized" entry! Anyways, getting back on topic -- This post about the joys of getting to go and explore different places will detail my favorite destinations, places I'd love to go back to and ones I'm dying to visit for the first time! The states -I guess you can say I have been to at least one state in each of America's regions. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to go to Boston and see a true autumn with all the colorful tree leaves! I finally got the chance to for my 26th birthday in 2016. I didn't see changing leaves since we went in December, But, I still had the time of my life - Copley Square, Martha's Vineyard, watching the Patriots win in a bar in downtown Boston, trying "chowdah" for the first time - all amazing! Earlier that year, I was back on the East Coast in NYC. And I completely acted like your typical Manhattan tourist. There's nothing like having a Guinness at O'Lunney's in Times Square. Highlight: Seeing Wicked on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater and visiting Ground Zero. Next time I go: Explore the other Boroughs. Chicago, November 2014. The Windy City was windy, cold and then colder because it sits on Lake Michigan, and it has towering skyscrapers that if you go between at the wrong time it steals your breath. My wish is that I could've spent a lot more time there. The older architecture and seeing one of the Great Lakes was astounding. More importantly, I saw the Bean! It's one city I definitely need to go back to during a better weather season. Keeping on the road west, I most recently got back from San Francisco. Another birthday trip! My Golden Birthday last year was a lot fun — I walked a lot, ate a lot, shopped a lot and drank a lot. We had a local San Franciscan who’s also a family friend take us around. The night we had set aside to celebrate my birthday was magically dapper. We all got gussied up and ate at a restaurant on the bay and after we had champagne at the hotel rooftop lounge called The View. 360 degrees view of downtown San Fran at night at the Marriott Marquis! Beautiful! That was my highlight of the trip. Sadly, some of the other legendary views couldn’t be seen because of the terrible air quality from the devastating California fires. When I go back, it’s wine tour life! I have been to California once before. I don't remember much seeing as I was two. But at least I can say that I've been to Disney Land. Speaking of Disney... Back on the East Coast I have a blurry memory of Orlando and South Beach, Florida. Not for the reasons a 28 year-old could give (I was 13 at the time), but simply because I can attest to nothing much exciting happened. I do love the water though, so playing in the Atlantic FTW! I'm a native Texan, so any place considered in the Southwest Region is basically home for me.
EurOpe -I probably could go on and on about the two times I crossed the “pond”. Each time left deep impressions on my heart. I won’t crowd this page and bore you with all the minute details, so I’ll just touch on the details of the sites that stole my heart – and food that stole my stomach – along with destinations I have yet to travel to that are on my bucket list.
Italy – the food and the history! We stayed in a bed and breakfast for a few days while we roamed Rome. Homemade Italian pasta? Yes, please! I had to it without the veal though. The Trevi Fountain was just as the rumors say it is. I made my wish and I have to admit that part of my wish was that there weren’t so many people crowded around. While getting a guided tour through the city and its museums, we snacked on gelato and portable pizza! I was not disappointed. Favorite part? Going to the island of Capri. Breathtaking! Greece – I’ll never forget getting lost on Delphi at night with my friend. Or throwing up in Athens. Or wading in the Aegean Sea. All have very funny stories. What stole my heart here however were all the islands we sailed to on a cruise ship. Every day we woke up on a new island. |