*sighs*

   It's holiday time so if anything, it's suppose to be a time to be jolly. Maybe I am backwards this season. Also I am sure that that those of you who are also friends with me on facebook are probably wondering "What's going on with Kiki?!?!?!" "Normally she is so bubbly and silly but now we only see her complain about work." Stress is recently through the roof and the lovely cherry on top is I have to move out of the city. Even as I am writing this I am preparing to leave tonight for good. (Also why it's a short post.) So I suppose that this could have a smidge to do with my stress level.
     Honestly, do you want to know the biggest thing I am afraid of? My weight of course. I have gained a bit but at least I now know stress/water "weight" is not the same as weight gain from fat. I am nervous because I will be a great deal from the gym and I seem to be experiencing de ja vu. That's right I seem to be falling into some of my old work habbits. I remember applying for part time so that I can keep some sort of balance because if it was just as simple as working out at home I would have never became this unhealthy . Not even two weeks and now I have 8 day weeks! *chuckles* I need to learn how to politely decline because if I keep going like this, I will undoubtedly hit 400 pounds. I've always tried to look for the silver lining and say at least i'll be busy but that's exactly what I said last time. Until next time.
-SKBarnes

Letter To Myself

 Dear Kiki,



     I know that this is a bit overdue but you know how work can be. Congratulations on all of your success thus far! Can you believe it has been one entire year already? Take a moment to look at yourself. You've lost 54 lbs which averages just over a pound a week. I am so happy to see that were consistent and didn't let the glitz and glamour of diet pills tempt you. I remember when you use to say "A year would take way too long. I'll never be able to stick with it." You have always been an open book but I feel that now when you speak about yourself, it really is weighed with the intent that you may possibly help someone. I am so proud of you. Remember when we looked through some of your older pictures? Not only has your body shape changed but your face looks younger now than it did when you were in school. I know most of your "school pics" have been put up but just look at this one from last year. Neither of these pictures show you with makeup on!

2012

October 2013

     I know sometimes you want to face palm yourself when you think "If only I had know about this sooner." I'm telling you right now there is nothing you can do about your past. Leave it in the past! I know the thought may come around every once in a while because you are only human but don't dwell on it. Always make sure you stay positive and focus on moving forward because this is only the begining. So with that being said. Keep up the good work and I raise a smoothie filled glass to you. CHEERS! (>_<) Until next time.

-SKBarnes

November 2012

July 2013

Pinkie

2-4 bananas depending on size

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 cup of orange juice

2 cups of water.

If you have little girl's who are insisting on a "bubble gum" smoothie. (You know who you are lol) Try adding a cup of jack-fruit for slight bubble gum taste.

I really wanted to do a PINK drink for breast cancer awareness month and the best way to fight disease is with prevention. Also, did you know cancer thrives when the body is in an acidic state? You can read more about it here http://www.cancerfightingstrategies.com/ph-and-cancer.html Let's get a head start by adding another green smoothie to the mix.  I owed you one from the last post anyway. (>_<)

The Popeye

6- 8 oz of frozen spinach
1 cup of water
1 20 oz can of cut pineapple in juice with no sugar added
(add frozen berries if you'd like but this will change to color a bit)

I hope you enjoy these two as much as I do! *raises glass* Let's toast to our health! \(^_^)/

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

     Finally!!!!! I have finally hit my 1st big goal of 50 pounds! Now to go get cake and ice cream! Just kidding. I ask that you please excuse the way this is written being that I have to do this via cell phone. When I am able to have time to actually get on a computer I will correct this. I really hope I will be able to upgrade soon.
     Do you remember when I was saying I couldn't remember what I wanted to do to celebrate? Well I believe I have narrowed it down to two choices. Funny thing is, they both have to do with my new lifestyle. Choice number one is a juicer. I have to admit as time has passed I find that I am enjoying the benefits of consuming full blenders of fruit and vegetables as opposed to just juice alone. For starters I don't get nearly as hungry as quickly. Also I notice I tend to be a um, I'll just say,"cleaner" then when I consumed juice alone. I only now see myself using a juicer when it comes to fruits that contain a lot of seeds. Besides, if I really want my smoothie to have more of a juice like consistency, all I have to do is add more water.
     Option number two would be a toning belt or something along the lines of one. I notice that I'm toning up pretty much everywhere but the place that needs the most help would be my lower stomach. I feel like at this point any little bit would help.
     Oh! I almost forgot. My part time job has turned into a full time job so that means less time at the gym. (T_T) I do however try to go before work along with turning my job into a sport as much as I can lol. It must be working because I actually had to buy new work clothes. Potentially mooning your customers is frowned upon in this society. (>_<) Until next time,

SKBarnes

Ps. I haven't forgotten about this month recipe. I will upload it here when I get back on a computer. Stay awesome guys! \(^_^)/

Am I ready?

     Hey! Great to see you! Come sit with me so we can discuss this past month over some tea. That would be just lovely wouldn't it? I suppose for now though you can just sip on some water while you are reading this. After all, it's better for you right? Where do I start first. Well, maybe with just a smidgen of not really bad news. I was hoping that by this time I would have smashed through my new goal of 50 lbs but alas the scale wishes to play games with me. (~_~) The good news is at least I have not gained any weight. Maybe my body is freaking out or something. You see, and to be honest I am not quite sure of when or how this even happened, my diet now consists of 75 to 80 percent fruits and vegetables. Currently, two of my meals are now fruit/vegetable smoothies. The great thing is this has become routine for me and not just some crash diet.

     There has been one huge change in my life. After reflecting on how far I have come in my progress. I have concluded that I am indeed in a better state of health and therefore I should return back to the working world. Almost a year ago, I was in such horrible shape that my husband and I came to the decision for me to take some time off for me to actually take care of myself. To be honest I am still kind of afraid to go back because it seems as though every time I start working I throw me, myself, and I out the window. I guess I was distracted by something shiny when God was passing out the skill to multitask. Now, small things like talking while doing something is one thing but when it comes to work I literally put my all into it.
     I use to work at a salon where I was one of only two stylist. In order for one of us to have a day off, the other would have to work a double shift. So imagine working 12 to 13 hours with barely any breaks and lunch was but a dream. I at first was excited about it because I would just count my job as exercise. Then boom out of now where I got sick and began falling down the slippery slope of weight gain. I gained 30 lbs in just three months! I just couldn't understand how. After all, I was barely eating and "working out" all day long. Now I know this took what little metabolism I had left and completely destroyed it. My body went into extreme starvation mode. I later switched to another job where I was at a computer all day because I was retaining so much water I could not longer fit my shoes let alone stand for long periods of time. At this job I just new that if I stuck to eating lean microwave dinners that I'd be on my way to a thinner me. WRONG!!!! These so call frozen healthy meals come with a lot of sodium which in turn made things worse. Hello additional 30 lbs. Apparently my first 30 needed company. At this point I just knew I was going to die. In documentaries I would see people who were in excess of 600 lbs and think that was going to be me in just a few years. I'll never forget the day I went to get off the couch and my knees gave out. One moment I was up, the next I was down on the floor struggling to get up. This happened twice. Lost in a horrific stupor, I prayed for change and decided that I would put behind the embarrassment from multiple failures and try again. You know, I still get a bit choked up when I stare at that place on the living room floor.
     Okay, enough with the tear jerk-er let's get back to present day. I decided to ease back into working by getting a part-time job. I am hoping by doing this the task of working and keeping me healthy won't seem so daunting. So far so good. I got a job close to where I live so I can walk instead of taking my car. Also I bring a fruit/vegetable smoothie with me for lunch so I am not so quick to buy off the shelf. If I feel that I want to go to the gym but am just not in the mood to drive, i'll ask a friend who is also on the way there to give me a ride. Hopefully, these few changes will help keep me on the right track to success. Until next time, wish me luck!

-SKBarnes


Okay, seems like everyone out there has a green smoothie so here is mine. (>_<)


Green Dream

2 cups of watermelon juice (you can make this by blending watermelon and straining out the seeds)

1 cup of orange juice

1-2 cups of your choice of leafy greens. (I use either a mix of fresh baby spinach, kale and Swiss chard or frozen spinach)

1 cup of water

All you have to do is blend until smooth. This drink is surprisingly creamy as well as refreshing. The watermelon juice is slightly reminiscent to cucumber but sweeter. At only 337 calories for the entire blender (5 cups), what do you have to lose? I really hope you like this one. I will probably come up with another green juice for winter seeing as watermelons will soon be hard to come by. Enjoy!

Experiment #1

     Hello everyone, I am happy to announce that I have lost a total 45 pounds! That's right, I am five pounds away from my first major goal. (cue fanfare) \(^_^)/ I would like to start off by saying thank you for all of the love and support thus far. You guys have no idea how much you inspire me. I am still in a bit of disbelief because when I went in for a check up the doctor actually high-fived me! I don't think I've ever been so happy to go see the doctor! Also, the more I think about it, the more I am like "Hey! It was hard but not impossible. I think I may actually be able to do this!" Sorry if I am rambling. I am just super excited. Looking back on all my past attempts I wish to say the most I have ever lost was around 30 pounds. My goals so far have mainly been based off of 10 pound intervals. This way it seems less intimidating. I have decided however that for larger goals such as losing my first 50 pounds or the moment I am no longer in the 300's, just to name a couple, that I should do something amazing or something out of the ordinary. The thing is, I myself am a bit out of the ordinary. (>_<) I mean I have always been known as "the different one" in the family. A "black black sheep" if you will. LOL! If there is something new or different, rest assured I will more than likely be the first one to try it. My family is more into watching tons of sports on television, and sticking to eating things they are familiar with. I on the other hand would rather not waste my energy on something I am not playing. I enjoy anything where I can learn awesome facts or get a great laugh. I also love watching cooking shows and trying new foods. Which brings us to the topic at hand.
     A few months after beginning my lifestyle change I came across some information about people who only juiced their meals. I immediately questioned this and even asked around because to me it just came off like another fad diet. We have all heard of the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, and the  infamous master cleanse which consist of nothing more than water, lemon juice, agave nectar, and cayenne pepper. So I immediately chalked it up as garbage because most of these when completed resulted in the regaining of their original weight back. Two rules I have given myself for my weight loss are no fad diets and absolutely NO DIET PILLS!!! Both options resulted in yo-yo dieting and voila! You had me 362 pounds. (T_T) After researching I have discovered that there are people who lead full lives on just eating raw foods. Some of which have done it for 8+ years
! You heard me folks. Not just vegetarian or vegan but Raw Vegan. I think I just heard a cow moo. (>_<) So far the changes I have made consist of exercising more and increasing my water intake. I also watch my calories but nothing as drastic as juicing and eating raw foods for the rest of my life. I mean with every pro there is a con as with just about anything in life. I then thought, "What if I only replaced one of my meals? Eating multiple times a day is still a challenge for me but what if I drank some of my meals?" So I decided to give it a try for one month. All I can say is wow! Doing this has assisted me in having a well-rounded diet. I will say that I was shocked that I experienced detoxing symptoms even though I never became fully raw. I sometimes got headaches from caffeine withdrawal or felt as though I could not completely focus. I even developed a rash under my chin. This happened on and off for about two weeks. I am just happy I didn't undergo any worse symptoms such as a serious cold or fever. You can read more info about the symptoms if you'd like here. Juicing side effects. Around the third week I could really feel a difference. My skin started to clear up while my energy went through the roof! I remember going to a Zumba class and joking with one of the instructors saying that I felt like I had co-taught the class. For me to still be smiling at the end of ANY class was huge. So now if I feel like I need a kick of energy or I just don't feel like physically eating, I make a smoothie. Here is one of my favorites. (^_^) I do not currently own a juicer however my blender works just fine.

Beet-live Me

1 large carrot grated
1/4 cup of grated beet
1-1/2 cups of orange juice
1/2 cup of water
1/3 of a ripe pineapple
5 frozen strawberries
1 cup of rinsed seedless grapes.
1-2 bananas
(The amount of bananas depends on how sore I am from the previous class. You trainers reading this know who you are...(>_<))

My tip here is to start with the liquids and then add each item one at a time to ensure your blender blades continue spinning. Also, by using frozen fruit instead of ice, your drink will not be watered down. This recipe yields two and a half 16 oz servings at only 272.8 calories a glass!

I am currently working on other drinks that I will post here. Hopefully, you will enjoy them as much as I do. Until next time,

-SKBarnes

Shopping Angst

     Does it have too much sodium? Does it have enough fiber? What's the caloric content? UGH! All of this is enough to trigger a panic attack right in the aisle! You don't want to just throw anything in your cart but you are not exactly wanting to live your life only on 100% wheat bread and water. I remember the good old days when I use to be able to shop like a guy. I would just grab what I needed specifically in that moment, at least most of the time, and leave! I guess overall it's not that bad of a trade-off in actuality. More time in the store is now equal to making better choices. Just make sure you have eaten first! Please trust me on this folks or this whole "extended stay" can and will most likely backfire. It also doesn't help when you have a husband who is addicted to "Oreo's" *coughs* "Twist n Shouts" (Wal-mart brand) (^_~)
     So what do you do when you wish to eat better, combat inflation in this warped economy, and you don't have the time nor the energy to take up a full time job of coupon-ing? *light bulb turns on* Get out of your comfort zone and talk to people. Come on you can do it. I know you can. (>_<) Do some research on local stores and compare. I know this may seem like common sense to some of you but I am meaning doing more than the obvious. I recently have been talking to a few store managers to find out which "tactics" are allowed at each store. Something I've done to save money recently was to use the salad bar available in my local heath grocery foods store to my advantage. All I have to do when I want some romaine lettuce, spinach or any type of ridiculously over priced leafy green is grab a container, fill it up and check out. These items are virtually weightless so you can fill a container with no worries. I use to spend around $4.00 a bag and with that a lot of the time there were pieces that have begun turning brown and slimy. I had no idea that I would become so picky with my greens but by doing it  this way I spend anywhere from $1.29 to just under $2.00 and I am the one in control. I hope this helps. Also, if any of you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below or comment under the link where you found my post. We can all help each other. (^_^) Now let me leave this computer before I pick up where I left off about this economy. LOL! Until next time.

-SKBarnes

Lunch:  Lean pastrami sandwich with hummus
Dijon mustard, spinach, pickles, red onions, and bean sprouts. All veggies listed totaled $1.29 with plenty left over,the lean pastrami pack was $.58. and the croissant roll was $.33. This means lunch was only $2.20 today!  I really didn't think you would want me to break down the pennies it would take to cover the cost of a squirt of mustard etc. so I just omitted it. \(^_^)/

One giant step forward, three steps back... (v_v)

     *Sighs* I did say that this was going to be a learning experience, I just didn't realize how naive I was about the smallest of things. Water intake? Check. Stretching? Check. Knowing the difference between wishing to give your all and realizing you need to take a break? No not so much. To be honest, I don't even feel up to writing about this but I must. By doing so, hopefully this will get logged away in my mental Rolodex somewhere. I need to remember exactly how I feel in this moment so that I am not so careless in the future. Also, I wish to warn you that what I am about to share may make some of you uncomfortable. Feel free to skip ahead to the next paragraph if you'd like. I won't mind. (>_<)
     It all started where else but at the gym. I was going my hardest like I normally would when I noticed a stinging sensation on my inner right thigh. After class I sat in my car for a bit before proceeding to drive home. When I was ready to enter my home however, OUCH!!!!!!!! It felt like I had gotten a paper cut! Fast forward to the shower. I'll save you the graphic details but have you ever had to feel for something you can't see? Well this happens to me often on account that I am an obese individual and can't normally just look down. Having folds of excess fat definitely makes things harder. Allow me to touch on this briefly. For example, I remember being in yoga when we were transitioning from standing to sitting poses and my rolls (I hate saying that) made a slapping noise that resembled a fart. (Sorry to be so crass) For me it was simply easier for me to say "excuse me" than to stop the class and proceed to educate everyone on what had really happened. Can you imagine?!?! "No I did not break wind, my folds just expel air sometimes because I am a fatty!" (Laughs at how I pull out a dry erase board with a diagram on it in my mind). (>_<) Okay, enough of that, back to the story at hand. Well, I am going to assume that at this point it was just mild chafing. (Stupid new underwear) So what does this genius do? She goes to sleep, wakes up still limping mind you, and then proceeds to go to the gym! See, in my mind my thought was "Athletes compete injured all the time. They wouldn't allow a little chafing to stop them from competing." So I do this for three more days until you guessed it ladies and gentlemen, that is if all the gentlemen didn't just skip ahead to my closing statement, it became infected. Yeah, I know, I know. (Insert scolding comments here) Then to top it all off, I caught a cold which triggered one of the worse toothaches of my life!!!!!! You know because having menstrual cramps added to this scenario wasn't nearly thrilling enough. Can you recall how people in action movies are portrayed? That tremble they all have when they are desperately looking for the solution to their problems? Well that was me for about a solid week after the chafing incident. Even now I would say that I am overall only around 80-95% better. So what I am doing in conjunction with taking meds around the clock? Detoxing yay! Can you tell how excited I am? UGH! I just figured it would kinda help move things along. I have a few samples of Flor Essence by Flora. You can try looking for this at your local natural/health foods store. The company suggests mixing three ounces with one ounce of hot water. The solution is a dark brown liquid that tastes like stale water but it works so that's all that really matters.

     I know you are wondering why did I allow this to happen? Why could I not allow myself a few days to heal instead of losing over half a month? The reason for me was simple. I was afraid. I still am to some extent. Previous attempts at losing weight failed as a result of not over eating but of getting sick and  feeling too lethargic to get back into it. This has ALWAYS been my downfall. This literally was the trigger to me gaining all my weight back plus more. I felt so accomplished up until this point. I just can't help but think about what if I had been able correct this the first time around right after high school? There it is again. That shame. That embarrassment...  Depression... *Snaps out of it* NO!!!! This won't be like last time! (I am actually talking to myself at this point) Do you know how I am so sure?  Ever since having to take my leave of absence from the gym, that is all I can think about! I find myself talking to my husband about which classes I should start back with so that I can ease back in my routine. I miss it SO MUCH!  Also, this may come off as a bit cheesy but I really do miss seeing everyone.  Remember the days when you were in kindergarten and all you wanted to do was go to school to see your friends? That's how I feel! Plus, I miss laughing at my "teachers"! (Just kidding, sort of (^_^)). I'm tired of being at home and seeing these same walls day in and day out. It reminds me too much of how my life was before I decided to take it back. Around me is that familiar feeling of hopelessness that amplifies the numerous times I have FAILED. Also making a guest appearance is its old running mate negativity who is attempting to convince me that surgery is my only option. That's it! That settles it. I have no choice! I am going back to the gym. I'll just make sure that I am healthy first. (^_^) Until next time.

-SKBarnes

Balancing Act

     Ow! Bang! Crash! ( Insert any crazy or wacky onomatopoeia here. Come on all you teachers and students out there. I know you can do it!) I have become the epitome of clumsy. I mean that quite literally. I could be standing perfectly upright in the living room with NOTHING around me and just trip, lean, fall or what have you. It's so weird! After much discussion with my husband, who at one point of his life was well over 400 lbs but for the life of him can NOT REMEMBER how he lost the weight, (~_~) I have come to this conclusion. My weight distribution has now changed. I before would carry weight through out my entire body but the majority of it would be concentrated around my core. Reflecting back now, I can recall when peers would attempt to guess my weight and be off by at least 100 lbs. Now however, as I am losing fat and gaining muscle in new areas. I feel as though I am learning all over again. A trainer could say something along the line of, "Make sure all ten toes are facing forward". Sure enough I would think I was doing just that until I saw my feet in the mirror. Totally crooked! Then what's worse is when I would align my feet correctly, I would become off balanced!  Ugh! Since then I have been attempting to teach myself how to walk correctly and viewing videos online about strength exercises for my feet. When it came to my walk I normally would overpronate due to the fact that I am naturally flat footed. Now I am glad to say, after going to a store that will actually check your stride, not only I am developing an arch but also my foot alignment is falling into a neutral position!
     It's crazy what a life time of being in the wrong shoes can do. Growing up it was "Who ever could find the cheapest shoes wins!" Even to this day I have to remind myself that shoes are not just accessories but are very important tools. I wouldn't just warm my hands up by rubbing them together and then proceed to glide my hands over my hair and call it "flat-ironing" (especially not with this huge Afro ha!), therefore I shouldn't workout in just any pair of shoes that come my way. I mean really? "Who ever finds the cheapest shoes wins?" The only one winning was my dad while my brothers and I grew up with flat feet and foot pain.
     Something else too, while I'm thinking about how I look in the mirror. Some days, it's as if I don't even recognize my reflection. I mean don't worry I know it's me but it's almost as if I have to tell myself it's MY reflection. Now, this is not necessarily an awful thing. I guess the reasoning behind why I appear to be so foreign to myself would be because even though I use to weigh less than I currently am, I am doing strength training in conjunction with my cardio. Even during my active days I wasn't doing clean 'n presses. (my favorite Body Pump move believe it or not (^_^)) I'm positive someone has caught me staring at the mirror in class before. I can't help it! Especially in my Body Combat class. When we are asked to focus on a "target"  I immediately find myself looking straight ahead. Each attack seems to come in contact with my reflection's face as if to defeat that person who thought it was too late to fight and said that I had become too old to try again. Each hook feels like a blow to the "Old Kiki" who would let the painful jabs of family members walk all over her. During "the fight" I can see the new me emerging. When I am tired and have to place my hands on my sides. I can actually feel where my "true body" lies within.
     This is so hard for me! Even in writing this I have to take breaks due to the fact that this brings out a side of me I am not fully comfortable showing. Once again growing up in a family where showing emotions made a person WEAK, it's hard to share this experience without feeling utterly broken, embarrassed  and down right ashamed. Too many emotions and too many feelings. Happiness, anger, sadness, contempt, range, determination, the list just goes on and on. I have to keep smiling. I have to keep laughing. I have to know that God will never give me anything that I can't bare and that one day I will look at this time in my life and feel proud. *smiles* Until next time,

-SKBarnes


Ps. I actually got this in a fortune cookie the other day. My husband wanted to go out so I just made a chicken salad. See? Even the cookie knows what's in store for me! \(^_^)/

Can't quit now! (^_^)

  * Drum roll* Hey it's time for an update! How am I feeling today you ask? A lot better than I previously was. Allow me to elaborate. Lately, I have noticed that along with this goody bag of fluctuated weight, fat loss/ muscle gain, can and more than likely  be paired with fluctuated emotions. For example, sometime around Valentines Day, not exactly sure what day but I'm sure you get the gist of what I mean, I decided to take one of the trainers' suggestions and literally CARRY around the weight I have lost so far! (30lbs) Not only did I go up a flight of stairs but I also did a lap around the indoor track! I was so overcome with emotions that I had to leave. Mind you these were happy, proud, emotions however I did not wish to explain to onlookers (who may mistaken my joy for sadness) why I was crying. Actually, I was so happy I was telling everyone and I mean EVERYONE! (>_<)
     The following Monday, I was totally pumped and ready to go to Zumba. I was especially excited to see a fellow friend return from her hiatus due to personal reasons that I will not mention here out of respect for her. So, by this time class had started, everyone was dancing, it was great! Then around the third song I noticed it. Someone was standing outside the door with what appeared to be a cell phone recording and laughing. I really hope they weren't recording at least. I know nowadays people get their kicks by recording people and placing them on YouTube. So I did what came instinctively. I put on the best show I could and when the song ended, I smiled, waved and walked away. I only left my spot for a moment just to get my water because of course I couldn't quit now! After coming back home I could feel that something was different. There was this frustration being fueled by something I haven't felt since middle school. I mean normally if I saw someone looking at me I would just brush it off, keep going, and maybe even smile. Why not this? Why did this bother me so much to the point where I started kicking myself for not saying anything earlier? I wanted to speak about it. Really I did but to be honest, I just didn't want to come off as "That " person. You know the type. The one who always has something to complain about and never is satisfied. To be completely frank, I wanted to come on here and do a 30 page rant but I allowed myself a few days to cool off. I feel sometimes we can say things out of anger that we don't really mean so I took a time out. Don't worry, I'm much better now. (^_^)

Until next time,


-SKBarnes

Also, I almost forgot. If you were just wondering what 30lbs, in the right place, looks like. Then look no further! (^_^)

Twenty-seven and counting!

As of today I am proud to announce that I have lost a combined total of twenty-seven pounds thus far! Even though I am ecstatic now, I have to admit that this didn't seem like such an accomplishment to me initially. I automatically thought on how much more I have to go and started reflecting on how I should have never allowed myself to get to this point in the first place. Luckily, I reminded myself that this new lifestyle is no longer about my past but about my future. I didn't get to this weight overnight therefore quite naturally it will take me some time to lose the excess amount. I am deeply touched with the amount of support I have received. For the first time I truly realize that in some kind of twist, I have gained an " audience". That is to say that previously, the only people who I figured were REALLY paying me any attention were my family, friends, and the gym instructors. Man was I wrong! I have had total strangers who have seen me running on the indoor track cheer me on and tell me that I can do it. I have even had people to tell me that they have been watching me since I started back in October. It's amazing to see that they can actually tell me where I've lost inches! The best feeling I have to say is when I get to speak with others who wish to change their lifestyles for the better as well. If seeing me all sweaty  and giving my all in Zumba makes you want to try to reach for your goals, then by all means do it! I'll even be your little cheerleader in the corner of the room with the glow sticks. Ha! In all seriousness though, I consider myself blessed. To think, not too long ago I seemed to always be sick! I dealt with tons of swelling, constant pain, and a bit of depression. There, I said it, DEPRESSION. That was something I never wished to let anyone in on except my husband. Well that's all behind me because now I feel nothing can stop me! Until next time,

-SKBarnes

Cleaning the secret workout

Here I am at home completely worn out. Why you ask? Simple. I have literally been cleaning my house from top to bottom. Why must I wait for Spring to do a thorough cleaning? *shrugs* I'm not even quite sure on how I got started but something in me literally just wanted to get rid of any unnecessary junk from the previous year. Before I knew it my house was completely unrecognizable and I'm left utterly worn out. Recently I downloaded the free My fitness pal app on my smartphone. You can find out if your phone is compatible and download it here. "My Fitness Pal"  So just for fun I decided to see if I could actually count my house work as a workout. After I'm sore and completely drenched! Come to find out, depending on your weight, one can burn anywhere between 385 to 462 calories an hour. It feels great knowing that even though I couldn't physically make it to the gym, I was able to do my workouts. (^_^) Until next time.

-SKBarnes

When to hydrate and when to replenish?

Hey just checking in with an update. I know some of your are probably wondering why on earth do I not post on a daily basis? This is mainly due to the fact that more or less I am still involved with the same activities I listed earlier in the previous year. I naturally just assumed that you all at home would get bored of me writing, "Zumba today was fun lol." Anything really that short sweet and to point I just post on Facebook. I digress. Not too long ago I noticed that even though I was consuming plenty of water, a gallon on many occasions, I would feel drained. This later turned into me feeling quite ill and became dehydrated! Dehydrated! How could I be dehydrated when I was consuming so much water?  Up until this point I had made an attempt to stay away from all sports drinks because of how bad they have been made out to be due to the sodium and sugar content. I later came to the conclusion that it's not about omitting one choice but about when to choose one over the other. You see, on days when you choose to do light to moderate exercise, up to one hour, the better choice would be water. During that time, the only thing your body is looking to replace is water. Now on days where you strive to go the distance and push it to your limits, high-intensity or prolonged workouts, a sports drink would often be the better choice. You see, the sodium that is found in sport drinks assist your body by helping it hold on to the fluids that are normally lost through perspiration. Also, unlike water, sports drinks contain calories as a way to replenish energy. You can read more about it here. . Drinking Gatorade vs Drinking water. What I have now started doing is either, on days where I plan on doing more than one class, bring one bottle of water and one sports drink or I'll mix half and half. This really helps me because I get to cut down on the sugar and sodium without suffering the taste of the "diet" sports drink. Ha! They can keep that! Until next time.

-SKBarnes