Monthly Archives: April 2015
Overwhelmed? I Feel Your Pain!
Weekend paperwork
With this Motivation Monday post, I throw my support behind anyone struggling to get it all done. I’m with you. Lately it seems to take me longer to cross the tasks off even the most organized to-do lists. So, I offer a reminder that sometimes you simply need to take a deep breath, remember you’re human and accept the reality that the world won’t end if one or two things have to wait until tomorrow.
Where is this all coming from? Last week, I posted about renewing my adult CPR/AED certification with the American Red Cross. I left that requirement until one of the last weekends I could get it in and still get my paperwork in for my NASM personal trainer re-certification. Two days ago, I blocked out time to take a NASM Integrated Flexibility Training online workshop so I could obtain the last continuing education units (CEUs) needed to actually get re-certified. The deadline is only a few weeks away. I got through the material, passed the online test and rushed all my paperwork to the post office. Now I wait for it all to be processed, approved and then hopefully receive my new NASM certificate in the mail sometime next month.
I got it all done, but I have never been one to wait until the last-minute to get important items like these off my plate. But the clock seems to tick at a faster place lately, the work days bleed into the all-too short weekends and then the cycle repeats on Monday. I am looking to the energy of the new season to figure out new ways of doing things. That includes possibly re-vamping plans on how I schedule everything from my workouts to overdue catch-ups with friends and family.
Through any stressful time, working out and eating healthy always help me keep my cool. However, I hate to admit, over the past month, the frequency of my workouts has taken a hit thanks to longer-than-expected work days and overall fatigue. But there are peaks and valleys in every relationship – including the one we have with the gym.
So here’s to the new week with the NASM re-certification application crossed off my to-do list and the chance to find new energy to tackle what lies ahead. If today gets a bit manic, like Mondays often do, take a breath, close your eyes for a moment and remember this one thing: you are stronger than you think. Sometimes we all need a little reassurance to stay on the path to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous.
Why Not Spend a Few Hours Learning How to Help Save a Life?
Every couple of years, something great happens. Not only do I get to re-certify for my AFAA & NASM credentials in the fitness world, but part of that process involves me getting some life-saving reminders that could hopefully make a difference in the event of an emergency.
Last night, I took an adult CPR/AED course at the American Red Cross. In just three hours, I learned the basic skills needed to help someone in the event of a choking situation or cardiac emergency. This marked the third course I’ve taken since 2010, and I’m always grateful for the reminders. On this Motivation Monday, I simply encourage everyone to consider taking a similar course to learn the basics about administering CPR, operating an AED and just being able to help if the unexpected happens. Even if you don’t work in the health or fitness industry, you never know when someone you care about could need your help in an emergency.
Click here to find a course near you. Doing something good for people around you is a great way to stick with your plans to have fun, be fit & feel fabulous!
Six Months and Counting…
I Need YOU to Help Me Re-Unite with Sue and all the other Walkers in October!
Is it me, or do these Motivation Mondays seem to arrive faster and faster? I can hardly believe we’re already done celebrating Easter and Passover and for many others, spring break 2015 is a happy memory, as well. With time flying by so quickly, I hope you won’t mind this early call for support as I try to make my way to the finish line of my second Avon Walk to end breast cancer. The 39.3 mile journey takes place here in New York City in six months.
As you longtime readers may recall, my experience in last year’s Walk was truly life-changing. (Click here for a re-cap of what made the weekend so special.) My goal this year is to re-unite with fellow St. Mary’s Gael Sue and hopefully encourage other classmates, friends and family to put their best feet forward, too! It’s simple. The more people who walk, the more money we raise and the better our chances of wiping breast cancer off the planet once and for all. While I look forward to participating in as many Walks as possible in the years ahead, it would be absolutely amazing to know the event became obsolete in my lifetime because doctors and researchers found a cure.
Before I walk a second time for my mom who beat breast cancer in 2008 and two women my age who went through hell and back to battle the disease during this past year, I need your support. Each walker needs to raise a minimum of $1,800 to lace up. No donation is too small. Just think, if you donate early, you can consider it a good deed crossed off your list for spring.
The link below will take you to my personal page on the Avon39.org website. You can make a donation online, or if you’d rather mail something in, email me and I’ll gladly send you the paperwork.
http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/NewYork?px=7671099&pg=personal&fr_id=2406
I thank you ahead of time for your support, not only for the Walk, but for all my efforts aimed at helping others have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Let the Easter Bunny Motivate You To Move!
If you need some motivation to get moving on this post-Easter Monday, let me direct your attention to the empty Easter basket in your house.
If you were lucky enough to get your own personal visit from the Easter bunny or perhaps you simply swiped some of your kids’ loot, you joined thousands of others in a sugar-filled holiday celebration. After Halloween, Easter is the second-largest candy-giving holiday. So if you enjoyed savoring some sweetness, now’s the time to work it off!
Still need a shot of motivation to kick the candy coma and get your butt to the gym? Here are some calorie counts of some of the most popular treats:
- Cadbury eggs – my all-time favorite! One egg = 170 calories; 6 grams of fat
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs (probably my second favorite) One egg = 180 calories; 11 grams of fat
- Solid chocolate bunny (small, 1.75 ounces) = 298 calories; 18 grams of fat
- Jelly Beans: 20 candies = 160 calories, 0 grams of fat (But oh, the sugar!)
- Jordan Almonds: 13 almonds = 140 calories, 5 grams of fat
- Peeps: 5 Peeps = 160 calories, 0 grams of fat (Again, the sugar!)
For those celebrating Passover, here’s how a few menu items break down:
- Dark chocolate covered matzah: 3 pieces – 200 calories; 11 grams of fat
- Coconut macaroons: 2 cookies = 142 calories; 7 grams of fat
- Chocolate coconut macaroons: 1 cookie – 190 calories; 11 grams of fat
Remember, whatever and whenever you celebrate, enjoy the quality time with family and friends and don’t sweat the extra calories. There’s always post-holiday time to get back on track with your plans to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
lauralovesfitness 