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Are Abs Really Made in the Kitchen?

This has been said before.  It will be said again.  But it actually needs to be reaffirmed.  We are all looking for that miracle answer that will whip us into model, perfect shape and size.  

The truth is that you really are what you eat.  You simply cannot avoid it.  The little article shows you the truth about the balance between exercise and diet.  Like it or not, getting that perfect summer body is not easy to get or keep.  That is one of the reasons that we all want it so bad, it seems like everyone but us has that flat washboard stomach, but it’s just not true.  

  • Work hard at the gym.  
  • Run, swim, play, just move and your body will thank you.  
  • Eat right, eat whole real foods, keep your portions real, and your body will again, thank you.
  • You may never be able to see those abs that you yearn for, but you will look and feel healthier and isn’t that the real goal?  

Here's is a great 5 minute read by Fitbit that keeps it real.

Are Abs Really Made in the Kitchen

Give the Gift of Experiences (Not Things)

So, as of late, we have been getting into a great habit of buying each other experiences instead of things.  We are buying what we need as we need ‘it’ or the ‘it’ isn’t a fun kind of gift anyway.  So, we are now getting in the habit of turning on our imagination for things we want to ‘do' instead of ‘have'.

I find the older I get the more ‘stuff’ I seem to have.  It’s not like I am an avid shopper.  As a matter of fact, unless I have something that I must pick up and can’t get somebody else to get it for me, you won't often find me in the mall.  

But, I still seem to have closets that are full.  My car is in the driveway because there is more room for it out there.  I am strategic with my kitchen cupboards and I even have rooms that I rarely use, but are full of stuff.  Why do I have so much stuff?

One of the reasons is, like my dad, I am not a fan of throwing away things that may have value or use for me in the future.  I am not quite a hoarder or anything like that, I just tend to see value in a lot of things so, I keep them, just in case…

Another reason is my age.  I am in my 50’s now and my kids are finally shopping for us instead of just us doing the shopping for each other.  So, I have a lifetime of gifts that I just don’t have the heart to give away or put up on ‘bidding wars’.  

It has become really fun.  We really love our kids.  I know, not that unique, but our kids like to spend time with us too.  So we have been getting into the habit of asking for time with them.  They are loving it too.  The whole thing doesn’t have to be expensive.  It doesn’t have to be scheduled way in advance.  It is just about spending time together.  Obviously, some things take a little planning, but we also just have coffee dates.  No biggie, just coffee.  Put it on your calendar and just do it.

Here are a few ideas we have used and that are not going to break the bank

  1. Go to the movies.  We still have a couple of cheap theaters nearby, so Tuesday nights work great.
  2. Bowling.  Silly, but fun.  Lots of giggles.
  3. Coffee dates.  Make a point of making the other person an actual appointment in your calendar.  
  4. Go for walk.  No big hikes, unless you want that, just walk and talk.
  5. Local ball game, hockey game, junior sporting event.  The best part of this is, it’s cheap and they love an audience.
  6. Local theater.  Up and coming thespians never get enough audience while they are learning.
  7. Go karting.  This is a fav of ours.  We have a couple of options near us.
  8. Batting cages or mini golf.  Whether you can hit a ball or not, it’s fun just the same.
  9. Comedy clubs.  Generally, these are cheap and worth it even if you only get a few laughs.  That would be more than you get staying home.
  10. Take a class.  You can take a painting, pottery, cooking class.

 

The most important thing is that you are spending time with someone.  The event sometimes is completely irrelevant.  At the end of the day, spend time with each other.  That is the only thing that you can’t really get too much of and will miss the most when that other person is not around to do this stuff with.

 

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. – Margaret Mead

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

It's Father’s Day on Sunday.  It’s a great day to let dad rest, relax, and feed him until he explodes.

Why not feed him something that you know he loves, but is just a little more healthy than he needs to know.

Breakfast for dinner in our house was always one of our favorites while our kids were growing up.  This recipe is simple yet delish.

You are welcome.

BTW, it can be found on our Q4fit Pinterest page.

 

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484981453603023101/

The Secret to My Gym Energy

OK, so it is Monday morning and I am back in front of my computer and I am trying to get my mind in the mood to write to you.  I do the usual, check my social media, check Q4fit social posts, email, and then, get down to writing.  

Nope, the computer needs to be restarted.  As it restarts, I push myself to do the other things that will help me focus.  I light a great smelling candle, I close the door to lessen the outside noises and then I put on some music.

Now, I have truly done all the procrastinating I can do, time to type and yet I still get distracted.  This time it’s my music.  I chose  playlist that I actually love.  I tend to sing along.  Not normally a bad thing, but when I am writing, I need to get my creative brain to focus on just those thoughts and I have learned over the time that I have been writing that if the music has too many words, I actually tend to listen to them and lose focus on what I am writing.

So, as my mind wanders, I think about music itself.  I love music.  I have it on all the time.  I change it according to my moods and the only time that I am not listening is when I am out hiking, that's when I like to listen to the birds. What is it about music that draws me in.  I did a little research.

Although music is not essential to surviving, it can have the same response in our brains as food, gambling, drugs, and even sex. Oh, my!  That explains a lot.  There have been several studies done lately that all come to the same conclusion.  As they have studied music and the brain they have actually been able to see the chemical changes and have seen the release of dopamine and elevations in serotonin.  

Studies have even gone so far as to show that at the base of this phenomenon is rhythm and tone. When we listen to a rhythm, our heart actually begins to synch with it. A slow heartbeat with a strong diastolic pressure tells our brain that something sad or depressing is occurring.  Cool.  Plus if upbeat music produces a psychological response that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, then they predict that the mental and physical connection in the body will cause upbeat music to increase our heart rate and blood pressure, and calm music will decrease our heart rate and blood pressure.

This all makes so much sense.  We can associate music with our youth, with movies, people, and moods we had while listening to music.  So after learning all that, what are you listening to?

  • When I am at my most creative, I need music without words.  
  • When I am baking, I want high energy, fun music.  
  • When it’s house cleaning day, again, high energy, sometimes some music from my kids' childhood, or movies that I love, or my high school rock.  
  • When I am editing, or otherwise working in my office it needs to be soft, but easy to listen to.  Sometimes it needs to remind me of places we have traveled to, so background music you will find in a hotel.  
  • Then there are the times that I need to feel like I am in the tropics, so fun, Caribbean tunes.  
  • But in the gym, it needs to be loud and high energy.  Now I know why I need that.  Sometimes, it’s the music that makes me want to continue working out.  

So my advice to you is to find your music that makes you the most happy, crank it and get your heart rate up.  Get a great set of headphones, or speakers, but get the tunes cranked.

Once I am finished my tasks today, I think I will make a new playlist on my spotify to get me charged up again.  

 

Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heart strings. It acts as medicine. – Macklemore