Feel great in what you wear.

My Christmas wishes have been answered! The treat...new workout clothes and a pair of New Balance shoes!!! There is something to be said about the way you feel and look when working out. One of the biggest complaints I have about my workout attire is that many of my clothes are old t-shirts and sweats that I've worn through high school and college sports. Not only do the clothes stink, but they are in no way flattering to my womanly figure. When I would go to the gym I felt as if I was the only woman wearing clothes a teenage boy would wear. For example, no bright-colored clothing, no tight fit shirts or pants, no make-up, etc. Thus, I asked my family to help me in my reinvention efforts by finding me some cute workout attire, and they did an excellent job!

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Monday, December 26th, 2011

• 5 minute warm-up on the treadmill
  
• 5 minute light stretching
  
• Women's push up's (2 sets of 12)
• Planks (2 sets @ 30 seconds each)
• Curtsy lunges (2 sets of 12)
• Bent-over row with L-raise (2 sets of 12 w/ 5 lb dumbbells)
• Body-weight squat (2 sets of 12)
• Captain's chair leg raise (2 sets of 12)
• Seated side twists (2 sets of 12 w/ 10 lb plate)
• Yoga ball crunch (1 set of 10/1 set of 12)

Note of the Day: Thanks to T.J. and the Women's Health Training Guide for 2012, I was able to try this awesome workout! It doesn't seem like much but when you add 30-45 minutes of cardio it makes for an ideal routine.

Brick Wall.

Yes, folks… I hit my wall but only briefly. For those of you who have attempted (and repeatedly I might add) to get into healthier habits you know what I’m talking about. But for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me educate you. The brick wall represents your old, bad habits. Some of mine include: sleeping in, in the morning when I had originally planned on working out; not watching my food portion sizes; using the excuse of work to say I’m tired and not in the mood to work out, and so on. The brick wall can hit you during the first few weeks of new work out/diet routines. Several weeks ago, I felt like I was on fire! I had managed to fit in SIX muscle building, fat burning, wicked work out days. Last week, it fell to a measly three; and, by this week I was ready to throw in the towel. I was reminded by someone who cares very deeply for me that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. The journey ahead is long and far from easy, but you know a change has come if you will no longer accept excuses and defeat. Reward yourself for even the smallest of attempts. For example, yesterday I wanted an afternoon snack to suppress my appetite before dinner. Rather than have an extra helping of pasta, or a sugarary sweet holiday snack I decided to eat an apple. Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But my wonderful boyfriend was kind enough to compliment my food choice.

I mentioned to a friend yesterday that I was going to stop caring during the holiday season, but now more than ever I need to drop my defeatist attitude. In the words of singer/songwriter Sam Cooke:

“Oh, there been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long

But now I think I’m able to carry on

It’s been a long, long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48K5Y0421Ig

Take it one day at a time. Remember to fight for yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. No pain, no gain.

-Darbs

Change Your Attitude.

Inspiration can come in many forms. While looking at one of my favorite online picture blogs, The Berry (theberry.com), I came across the following picture:

Immediately, I was struck with a sense of hope! This seemingly normal guy was able to create his ideal body in a matter of months. I can’t help but wonder what his exercise and diet routines were, but all that matters is that he accomplished his goal.

While we often come across body transformation pictures in diet pill ads, magazines, and infomercials, this is one of the first transformations I have seen which shows the month to month progress. I attempted performing a Google search using the phrase ‘month to month body transformation pictures’. Most of the images typically showed the beginning and end result pictures. Additionally, I would say approximately 85% of the Google images showcased male transformations. I’m sure if I took the time to do more research I would be able to find more month to month transformation images, but the fact of the matter is many people (and yes, even I have been guilty of this) rely on these types of success stories to give them a jump start with their weight loss goals.

While our mystery Berry gentleman’s success has inspired me, I have discovered it takes more than a jump start to be successful. It takes a change of attitude, dedication, and a little pain.

As I have mentioned before, Charmed is one resource I use for guidance in my reinvention process (and yes a change of attitude is part of my process). This past week some of my appearance goals included the following:

1. Picking out business attire the night before my next workday, while pairing articles of clothing I have not typically combined in the past (i.e. Monday - black pin stripe trouser pants; red short sleeved button up blouse from Express; black, plaid patterned round neck vest; and, mismatched accessories).

2. Placing more focus on the appearance of my lips, and lip color. (i.e. Tuesday – paired light eye makeup with dark plum lip color). Being aware to reapply the color throughout the day.

3. Painted nails a fire truck red for the week. Repainted tips when slight chips occurred.

Admittedly, all goals were small changes (that I am sure many of you already do on a daily basis), but for me, focusing on these aspects of my daily work appearance proved to create a change in my attitude. I felt more confident in my overall appearance. I received compliments both from work colleagues, friends, and even some strangers. And, for some reason, ‘looking the part’ made me feel more energized and womanly.

Sadly, my cold from last weekend followed me into the beginning of this week so I decided to rest Tuesday and Wednesday. However… yesterday took me back to my volleyball routes. Check it!

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Thursday, December 8^th, 2011

Volleyball – 3 games (1.5 total matches – I subbed out for one game) = apprx. 1 hour of non-stop play *Volleyball provides you with a quick cardio workout, plyometric training, and it’s a great way to get your heart pumping while having fun J

“Plyometrics (also known as "plyos") is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric exercises may also be referred to as explosive exercises.^[1][2] Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics has been shown across the literature to be beneficial to a variety of athletes. Benefits range from injury prevention, power development and sprint performance amongst others.” (wikipedia.org)

I WILL be hitting the gym tonight to get in some much needed lifting (and maybe some cardio). You can count on the breakdown of my routine tomorrow.

Feel free to leave comments on my page about your motivations, helpful reinvention tips, and any work out routines you would like to share. And remember… no pain, no gain!

-Darbs

Déjà vu’.

It was this time about three months ago… I had the itch to get back into shape. If you are like me, you have these moments once every few months starting with a New Year’s resolution, which leads to a “Spring cleaning” (of your body that is), then early Summer ambition (whilst thinking of your pre-bikini body), first of Fall ‘damn’ moment (post-bikini – realizing you were embarrassed of how you looked in your bikini), and then the patterns seems to become a perpetual cycle. I had conquered the dreaded three day mental block and I was on a roll! For three weeks straight I managed to work out four to five times a week, alternating cardio and weights. Then came the cold... I’m talking your standard head cold: runny nose, sinus pressure, sore throat, etc. I decided I was too tired to work out so I rested for the day. Then a day turned into two days, two days into four, four days to a week and before I knew it all my hard work was wasted; and, my next attempt at working out left me exhausted and self-conscious.

Flash forward to last weekend (wait, does that make sense ha)… Friday morning I wake up to a runny nose, sore throat, sinus pressure- “Great.” I think to myself. “Not again.”- But this time, I was determined to not let the cold get the best of my weakness! Instead of sleeping in Saturday morning (something I would have done several months ago) and doing a lot of lying around, I woke up promptly at 8:30am and was ready to hit the gym with my trusty sidekick (and boyfriend) T.J. by 9:00am. We both had wicked good lifts! AND, not only did we have good lifts, but it has proven to be much more difficult to want to return to my old bad habits.

Speaking of wicked lifts… check out my latest routines:

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Thursday, December 1st, 2011
• 3.0 mile jog (on lunch break 35 mins)
• Bench Press 3 sets of 7 & 1 set of 8 at 65lbs (heaviest I have gone since high school)
• Butterflies 3 sets of 10 w/ 8lb dumbbells
• Tricep extensions 3 sets of 10 at 50 lbs (on machine with rope grip)
• Lateral Pulldowns 3 sets of 10 at 70lbs (on machine)
• Bicep Curls 3 sets of 10 w/ 15 lb dumbbells (FIRST TIME USING 15lb DUMBBELLS!!!)
• Abs, Jack Hammers (the one where you are in a half crunch and you extend your arms and legs outward then circle back in and repeat the motion while remaining in the half crunch)

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
• Straight-leg deadlift- 3 sets of 10 w/ 15lb barbell plus 10lbs weights on each side
• Box jumps (side to side)- 1 set of 10, 1 set of 20, 1 set of 18
• Wall sits- 3 sets at 1 minute each
• Hip Induction- 3 sets of 10 (inward squeeze on machine)
• Calves- 3 sets of 10 at 70lbs (on machine)
• Leg extensions - 3 sets of 10 at 50 lbs (on machine)

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Sunday, December 4th, 2011
• 2.5 mile jog (outside)
Also, if anyone runs outdoors and is wanting to know how far they ran… mapmyrun.com is a great resource to utilize!

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Monday, December 5th, 2011
• Lateral pulldowns- 3 sets of 10 at 55 lbs (on machine)
• Lateral (shoulder) raise – 3 sets of 10 with 10lb dumbbells
• Overhead shoulder press- 1 set of 10 with 8lb dumbbells, 2 sets of 10 with 10lb dumbbells
• Front lateral (shoulder) raise- 3 sets of 10 with 10lb dumbbells
• Box Jumps- 3 sets of 15 jumps
• Wall sits- 2 sets at one minute each (90 degree angle parallel to floor)
• Stationary Bicycle 10 minutes of fast pedaling at Level 10, Hills setting

I have to say my momentum has worn off slightly, which may be a result of the cold, but I can say it is getting a little easier. I just have to remember to take it one day at a time.
Seeing as how sleep is just as important to one’s health as working out and eating right are… I’m off to bed!

Sweet dreams until next time 

-Darbs

A New Chapter.

What fascinates us so much about beauty? Celebrities would not exist without our obsession for beauty because what separates us from the animals is that we have the intelligence to find beauty in all aspects of life. Well that’s my theory anyway. Humans will never unanimously share the exact same vision beauty, but there are plenty of us who kill ourselves trying to look that ‘certain way’. I’m not going to write a pity story here. Rather, I want to discover what it means to truly explore myself as a woman and human being to find my ultimate beauty. What is the ‘ultimate beauty’ you ask? Well…

Ultimate beauty-

1. a place where one exudes sheer and utter happiness after finally reaching a place of pure satisfaction with both inner and outer aspect’s of their beauty (or at least this is my definition J)

Naturally, I, like many of us out there, think I have some striking qualities but it has taken time for me to realize the beauty that is Darby. We all feel the pressures of media and cultural bombardment. Young, old, skinny, fat, short, tall… it doesn’t matter the type there will always be someone (especially YOU) who wants to focus on the imperfections.

I can remember the exact moment when I started to not like me anymore. Fourth grade… my friend got boobs…the boys began to stop caring about my flies up record (you know that game with the red rubber ball where you would kick it as high as you could in the air in hopes that no one would be able to catch it – but if they did they got to take your spot at the top of the hill) …started asking me if friend was single…not sure why we even think about intimate relationships as fourth graders… we don’t even know what intimate means!…but you can fill in the blanks on the rest of the story. Really, this isn’t important. What is important is coming to the realization that you are not in control of your image anymore. What is important is fighting back to regain your identity. What is important is reaching a healthier state of mind. Well friends, I have reached the point where I am ready to fight for myself. I challenge you to join me on my journey, learn from my mistakes, and rejoice in my success with me.

Scary Thought of the Day: I bet you can pinpoint the exact moment when you became dissatisfied with yourself.

Our story begins here…

I have a slight obsession with the TV series Charmed. For those of you who don’t know what Charmed is, and you’re expecting me to explain it... I have provided this link http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/ (thanks to the wonders of the world wide web and TNT network -photo provided by fanpop.com)which will provide you with a full synopsis of the story.

The thing I have always admired about the Halliwell sisters is that they knew how to carry themselves. I know what you are thinking. It’s a TV show of course they are going to try and pull smart, sexy, and fun while on screen! But, I have two counterarguments for you: 1) is it really so bad to relate to women portrayed in the media as intellectual, sexy, do-it-all women… I think not. And 2) Phoebe played by actress Alyssa Milano knows how to carry herself ‘on and off the court’ by remaining active typically running three miles a day, kickboxing, and practicing the art of yoga (at least that is the rumor). She is one of many inspirations for this transformation. I figure it is important to have a role model. And of course this isn’t to say I don’t have other role models but they will get their time in the spotlight later.

There are a few things worth noting about the Halliwell characters that are important to my reinvention process.

1. The Halliwell sisters know how to dress! I always looked forward to seeing the transformation between day and evening wear in the show.

2. The Halliwell sisters made sure to take advantage of the small details. Being aware of how my manicure looks is one small detail I have decided to tune in on.

3. The Halliwell girls always rocked complimentary face wear. When it comes down to it knowing how to use makeup (i.e. contrasting light eyes with dark lips) is key, and the make-up artists on the show knew just the right combinations for each Halliwell sister.

4. The Halliwell sisters hair-do’s even made stubborn lil’ old me want to learn how to French braid. Your hair is dying to be played with people. Mess with it once in a while would ya!

Wednesday, November 30^th –Reinvention Phase 1: Just Do It Already!

I have found working out in the morning really is best to get your day started right, but how do you manage to get yourself out of that warm, cozy bed, with a brand new 3 inch memory foam pad, that was $150 off on Black Friday at ShopKo? How I ask you?!

Simple, just do it already!

Alarm goes off playing Drake’s Forever. I’m trying to remind myself that I need to be pumped about a healthier me. Tip: Music helps allow me to get excited about working out so try downloading a catchy tune for your alarm clock. I slowly roll to my left side, lay for a minute or two, then drag myself out of bed. Start the coffee pot – usually brews in about 3-5 mins- get dressed, drink a cup and make my way to the gym. Relief hits. I’m not alone! In fact, there are about just as many people at 6:00 in the morning as there are at 4:45pm. I have my sights in mind to lift and that is exactly what I do after a quick 5 minute warm-up. If there is one thing I have learned from my life of sports, it’s that you need a thorough warm up to get the blood flowin’.

WORKOUT OF THE DAY:

· Single leg squats – 3 sets of 10 on each leg w/ 10lb dumbbells (if you aren’t feeling a burning sensation in your buns at this point, you are doing something wrong ha ha)

· Box jumps (substituted standard weight bench for box) – 3 sets of 15

· Hip induction machine (the one where you squeeze your inward to bring your knees together)- 2 sets of 10, weighted

· Leg press- 3 sets of 10 w/ 45lb plates on each side

· Abs, knee raise (the one where you support your weight on your elbows and lift your knees to your chest) – 3 sets of 10

· Abs, side twist (the one where you are in a half crunch and you usually rotate a weight side to side in a swinging motion) 3 sets of 10 w/ 10lb plate

The end result…I’m feeling great! I just needed to be reminded of what it feels like to get a good lift in, and now I’m ready for day two.

The important lesson I have learned is that you sometimes need to take progress day by day. If I focus too much on the future, I get overwhelmed and often give up. However, when I reward myself for my efforts (maybe by having a cocktail before bedtime) I find myself wanting so badly to do better the next day. Well friends, I think I have said enough for now. Join me tomorrow to know the latest on my workouts, and for some insight on healthier eating habits.

-Darbs