Goals for the Week…

It's a new week - time to kill it!

It’s a new week – time to make things happen!

Well…I’m not going to lie to you – last week was pretty rough. Not Titus Young “NFL player arrested three times in one week tough”, but nevertheless – it drained me.  If I don’t start my week out right – it is hard for me to rebound. Sooo Sunday night I was at the Rihanna concert and out until about 4am. Monday night I was at a benefit at the Met Museum with some friends and was out until 2am guzzling champagne…but had to be at work the next two mornings at 5:30 am. I spent the rest of the week as an absolutely exhausted, snarling mess – because I partied too much – but I must admit that I looked great doing it!

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Well let me not make it seem as though it was all gowns and RiRi…I had two new personal bests in the gym last week – 145lb deadlift and 450lb leg press…so I also put in some WORK.  It also made the boys bow down.

I really enjoyed the last month, but most of the champagne and games have died down and I am finally re-energized, ready to stick to a budget, and just get back on track.  I had a solid well mannered weekend to set myself up for a successful week – well rested, lunches prepared, workouts planned – all I have to do is show up and execute.

Goals for the Week…

Mind: Attend guided meditation  - get in some purposeful reading (as opposed to tv watching) on my downtime.

Body: 4 workouts – 2 of which I will dedicate to practicing the programs that I have designed for my new clients

Balance: Organize! The best strategies are well articulated. So figure out how to maximize my potential over the next few months – or as Eric Thomas would put it “Back to the Lab!”

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by Re Lei For Life on May 13, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on May 13, 2013

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T.G.I.P.F! (Thank God It’s Playlist Friday!)

It’s finally Friday! I have had a long week and I am ready for the weekend – why? Because I have tickets to the Rihanna concert…so I am ready to party! But I’m not going to do what everyone thinks I am going to do…and Playlist Friday only RiRi – although I sort of want to and I am shocked that I am not.

I made a new playlist earlier in the week – to facilitate getting my post “New Orleans Leila Gras” booty back into high gear ready for benefit and wedding season.  I honestly aimed for 4 workout sessions this week – but my playlist was so good that I wanted to work out more just so that I could listen to it – so here we are Friday afternoon and my 5th workout is upon me.

1. Calvin Harris and Florence Welch – Sweet Nothing (Diplo Remix): I love the beats and the drops in this version – which I came across while in New Orleans

2. Major Lazer (Santigold and Vybez Kartel) – You’re No Good: ML’s new album came out a couple of weeks ago and it is pretty awesome. Once again – I am trying to avoid busting out a little two step in between sets at the gym. This track features two of my favorite artists – Santigold and Diplo (Major Lazer) – so I was certain it would be awesome.

3. French Montana and Nicki Minaj – Freaks: A new take on a classic 90s track. One of my friends was shocked that I hadn’t heard this – once I did – it was an instant addition.

4. Britney – Circus (Diplo remix): Fine you caught me…this is the third Diplo track to appear on this playlist (and trust me – the full playlist has many more). What can I say – the man knows how to keep me hyped in the gym! This track is old – but I still throw down to it on a regular basis.

5. Rihanna – Stay: Not my usual uptempo track, but I like to end my workout with a little down-tempo track just to mellow me out so that I don’t run out into the streets like a Spartan in the film 300.

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by Re Lei For Life on May 3, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on May 3, 2013

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That’s What I’m #Trending: Cha Cha Cha Chia!

Chia on the go! Shots all around!

Chia on the go! Shots all around!

I am in love with chia seeds! I have been for about 5 months now. As a child of the 80s and 90s – I have to admit that originally, I was scared to try them.  ”You want me to eat a chia pet seed? The pottery that GROWS? No way no how!”

And then – NutriBullet-mania happened. It started with simply trying chia seeds in a shake and then… it was like a gateway drug.  Next thing you know I am trying a little in my Greek yogurt,  a little “chia bar” here and there, then you are making chia gel and chia pudding with protein powder.

So what are some of the innumerable the benefits of chia?

  1. It is like liquid plummer for your digestive track! When mixed with liquid/enzymes it creates a gel like substance and expands.  While the chia gel travels through your digestive track it assists in collecting and helping push out waste.
  2. It keeps you full! the gelling of the seeds, combined with the plant based protein helps keep you full.
  3. Balances Blood Sugar! Chia’s combination of soluble and insoluble fiber helps slow down the conversion process of starches into sugars during digestion.  This process helps prevent spikes in energy and sugar levels and provides you with a steady stream of energy.
  4. Great Omega-3 (healthy fat source)  and excellent source of plant based protein – a great nutrition combo which will assist with weight-loss and muscle growth.
  5. An anti-oxidant source that is always in season. When stored at room temperature chia has a long shelf-life.

Chia Double Protein Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup of milk/coconut milk/water
  • 1 tablespoon of honey/maple syrup/agave
  • half scoop of your favorite protein powder
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds

Preparation:

  • In a small bowl – add milk, honey, and protein powder – whisk. Then add chia and stir
  • Refrigerate 4 hours, stir after 2nd hour
  • Serve chilled…and enjoy!
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by Re Lei For Life on May 2, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on May 2, 2013

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Goals for the Week…I’M BACK!

The birthday crew in the French Quarter...on our best behavior.

The birthday crew in the French Quarter…on our best behavior.

New Orleans was an absolute blast – one of my all-time favorite birthdays. We did a lot of those Big Easy sort of things and it has been so much fun traveling with my best friends so frequently this year. This entire month has been full of so much fun, excitement, strides, celebrations, and milestones that I have hardly had time to blog, but I am ready to get back in the swing of things.

Honestly, after a group vacation/rampage and being stuck in the airport at a Chili’s (it was right across from my gate and I really needed a margarita or two to comfort me through my 4 hour delay getting home due to “furloughs”) – I had to take a few days to convalesce – fetal position and eye masking it hard.

I have to also admit that there was a degree of shock to my digestive system from abundantly eating and drinking in New Orleans which made me insanely lethargic upon my return home. Hey, I promised to enjoy myself – and that I did. However, the lingering effects of not eating clean for a prolonged period was a great reminder of the importance of nutrient dense, organic whole foods diet.

So after a few days of “detoxing” – nutribullet-ing, water, aloe, tea, fruits, and veggies – I am finally feeling energized and human again. This week I am officially ready to get back in the gym and put and end to this little post-competition hiatus and get back to regular meditation and purposeful reading. Simply put, my belated Mardi Gras needs to come to an end – it is not even consistently 60 degrees in NYC and I was already delving into my “summertime and the living is easy” swag.

Goals for the Week!

Mind: Attend guided meditation – time to restore structure to my practice and realign myself. Figure out what I would like to accomplish next.

Body: Four gym sessions. Sit down and establish a post-competition maintenance program for both fitness and my spring menu.

Balance: After traveling a bit this year, I have realized that my actual big trip is around the corner so establish a budget for May and June…and actually stick to it :(

leilani-crazylady

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by Re Lei For Life on April 30, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on April 30, 2013

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That’s What I’m #Trending: Aging Gracefully

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Sooooo…I am back from my 30th birthday holiday to New Orleans and trying to get back on my grind! This entire month has been a whirlwind and has to hands down be my worst blogging month – but it is time to get back in the game. I can’t pick a highlight of turning 30 – but here is a list of some thing that I am extra appreciative of:

  1. Having lived 30 years and having most of my family, friends, and loved ones still alive and present in my life.
  2. Sharing such a memorable birthday weekend with 7 wonderful friends in a pretty outrageous city.
  3. Maintaining my balance (sure – I have a bit of a crush on myself right about now but I have been consistently on my game for well over a year  now, however, i acknowledge that at any moment my circumstance can change).
  4. Having the technology of social media/Facebook photo albums and being able to easily look back at photographs and see what friends, boyfriends, acquaintances have come, gone, and remained over the past decade. As well as see how I have transformed in that time.
  5. Having the ability to be present, mindful,  and acknowledge and accept change (aging, impermanence, dynamics of relationships, career paths, concepts of what is “success”).
  6. Being genuinely happy.
  7. Being in great health.

In a wonderful book that I read a few months back, Lodro Rinzler’s “The Buddha Walks into a Bar”, there was a passage which mentioned a birthday mediation where one line reads:

“Death is my friend, the truest of friends, a true friend that never abandons me.”

Sure, it is slightly morbid to contemplate death on your birthday.  However,  the point of the meditation is that your birthday is a great reminder of the passage of time and our impermanence.  Broken down into lain English – aging another year is an opportunity to remind yourself to turn off the tv, get the hell off the couch, and get out there and live life to the fullest.

The people who dread aging – are the people who aren’t living. Keep aging…it beats the alternative!

 

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by Re Lei For Life on April 26, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on April 26, 2013

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And Now back to our regularly scheduled program…WAIT!

What’s my regularly scheduled program?

Seriously, I have no idea what to do with myself now that I have competed and my schedule is wide open…and just in time for nice weather.

It has been a week since my first competition – which went well in the sense that I had a great time, made some new friends, accomplished a goal, found a new hobby, and love my new body.   It was wonderful to share such a great day and experience with friends and family and I am excited to compete again in the Fall – this time with a coach.

Fitness Goal Accomplished...

Fitness Goal Accomplished…

Last week was spent resting, decompressing, and catching up with friends – some of whom I had not seen in months.  Yesterday my friends put together a pre-birthday brunch/party, which was just absolutely awesome.  I am really so fortunate to be surrounded by some many great, fun, and beautiful people.  My post-competition/birthday celebration will officially end next Monday – when I return from a birthday holiday/rampage to New Orleans with about nine or ten of my good friends.

Once I return from New Orleans – I will get back on my workout grind, although I began lightly working out again after taking a week off to rest my muscles and spend some time outside of a gym.

Goals for the Week:

Mind: Meditate – I have not dedicated an appropriate amount of time to meditation over the past 2 weeks.

Body: Relax – get in 2 workouts – but mostly enjoy this little off-season.

Balance: I earned my “cheats” – so enjoy New Orleans and let’s eat, drink, and be merry.

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by Re Lei For Life on April 15, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on April 15, 2013

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Goals For the Week…

...almost there.

…almost there.

Last time that I had time to write – I was embarking on becoming a personal trainer at a health club in New York City and I was less than two weeks out from competing. Well, little did I know that I probably should have waited before embarking on my new venture because becoming a trainer is indescribably time consuming and has interfered with my actual training.

Nevertheless, I am doing my best to balance everything – and remain confident and positive about my first competition.  Sure I have not been able to train like the lunatic that I am; however, this first competition is about trial and error, self-discovery, building confidence in my body, and setting a goal and following through.

Recently, I reached my one year anniversary of this blog  (as well as my commitment to a balance life – both physical and mental) and it is amazing to look back and see all of the growth – mental, physical, and spiritual. A year ago I never would have thought that I would be competing in a Figure Competition, becoming a personal trainer, and enrolled in “Buddhist College”.

I was feeling a little panicked during my sodium and water loading bloated phase – but then I had to remind myself that it was not my intention to place in my first competition – my victory lies in personally crafting a body and spirit that beautiful and confident enough to stand more than half naked in 5 inch heels and be judged among people who have been doing this for years and before hundreds of audience members. So in that sense – let’s get ready to pop some champagne!

Goals for the Week…

Mind: Breathe, relax, and be mindful. Enjoy this experience, especially the discomfort of the dehydration phase.  Allow any discomfort to be a lesson in impermanence. You have endured worse and on Saturday at about 10pm you can be as epicurean as you want to be.

Body: Get in my last chance workouts. Stick to the sodium, dehydration, and carb-loading system.

Balance: Enjoy it all – from beginning of this week until the last bite of my post competition binge meal. Some people are born with great bodies – some of us have to earn them. Congratulations – you have earned yours.

One of my favorite motivational “go-to’s” is Charles Bukowski’s Roll the Dice – it has gotten me through law school, the bar exam, and now this competition prep. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Roll The Dice:

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.

go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.

if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.

do it, do it, do it.
do it.

all the way
all the way.

you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.

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by Re Lei For Life on April 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on April 1, 2013

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That’s What I’m #Trending: Why Can’t You Lose Weight? #Food!

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I have recently been all about #Trending things on Thursdays, but this week I am just trending #Food.

People often complain to me about their inability to lose weight and when I ask them what they are eating…I just hear a lot of chemicals and very little actual food.  When I first started my journey – I thought I knew how to eat – turns out I didn’t but I learned over time.  I was never a Lean Cuisine kind of girl, but I certainly was all about calories in and calories out (fat free, low fat, 100 cal pack, etc.) and would occasionally see results but would never tighten up to the degree that I desired.

Over the past few months since I have stuck to a clean diet and only consume real, whole foods – it has been impossible not to notice the various changes throughout my entire body.  Sure I have lost weight and tightened up; however, overall my health, skin, mental clarity, radiance, and energy levels are through the roof.

If you eat actual real food and not things packaged as “100 calorie packs” or “lean cuisines” or “reduced guilt” you will be more inclined to lose weight – those marketing schemes are 90% chemicals and 10% food devoid of any real nutritional value.  Our bodies’ digestive system is not designed to break down chemicals created in laboratories.  So yeah, you cannot lose weight because although you are eating 1,200 calories a day – your body does not know what to do with or how to breakdown the food-like substance you are ingesting.

I typically shop the periphery of the market – fresh fruits, veggies, organic milk, fresh caught fish (not farmed), Ezekiel Bread (the primary bread I will eat in America – in Europe bread has fewer additives so much so that I can actually consider it to still be bread). When I venture down an aisle – let’s say for peanut butter and I read the label –  if there are a bunch of words that I have to sound out, cannot pronounce, that I know I cannot find down another aisle in the supermarket, or would have to consult a high school AP Chemistry textbook to figure out – then the item stays on the shelf and goes on to my “That is Not Food” List.

I am not saying that the only way to lose weight is to eat raw daily and down wheatgrass shots to lose weight – although that will do the trick. Just limit your intake of foods that are not whole foods to your cheat day – and consume primarily fresh fruits, veggies, and organic meats and dairy – and you will see results!

My favorite weight loss food consumption rule.

Grocery shopping for weight loss 101

 

* Editor’s Note: After nearly 100 years of making actual real ice cream – Breyer’s Ice Cream was sold in 2006 and now contains chemicals…it is on my “That is Not Food” List.

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by Re Lei For Life on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on March 21, 2013

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Goals for the Week…

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Last week was perfectly executed. Every night I was able to lay my head on my pillow full of excitement because I killed it. I meditated every morning. I killed it in the gym. I honored my rest day and managed to get in nine workouts in six days. I practiced posing and restructured my diet for my final three weeks. I hung out with a lot of friends – some whom I had not seen for months. I made it to the Museum of Natural History for an awesome lecture on sharks. Groceries. Laundry. Bridesmaid appointment. Food prep. Birthday vacation finalized. You name it – I got it done!

So last week’s goal of regaining balance was crushed and I honestly am excited for this week to get underway because with only 13 workout days left (19 days until stage day) I am pumped up and in the zone.

Traditionally, this is always one of my favorite weeks of the year – the Spring Equinox. I often notice a shift in my energy and the emergence of a new beginnings. I always manage to do a bit of metaphysical and social spring cleaning around the equinox. This year I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life and begin working part time as a personal trainer at one of the best fitness clubs in the country. Several months ago a spiritual advisor told me that until I was aligned with my true desires I would not be completely successful. I have not felt fulfilled by my career. In fact it was the only area of my life that I felt wasn’t aligned with the person that I developed into over the past two years. As I embark on this new phase which is aligned with my desires and on the verge of the spring equinox which symbolizes rebirth and renewal – I can’t help but know that a continued period of abundance is upon me.

Goals for the Week:

Mind: I am admittedly behind on reading – so it is time to hit the books. There are just so many great books that I have to read/start/finish.

Body: Six workout days for a total of nine workouts – go hard! The finish line is within sight. It is crunch time – literally and figuratively.

Balance: Focus on getting to know my new co-workers. For awhile I had become so comfortable in my close knit group of friends – which made me forget just how much I enjoy meeting and getting to know new people.

This verse of the Upanishads (ancient Hindu philosophical texts) has been a sticking point for figuring out my desire and having the wherewithal to align myself with it. I hope it brings others the same clarity that it has brought me:

I am what my deep driving desire is.
As my desire is, so is my will.
As my will is, so is my deed.
As my deed is, so is my destiny.
~ The Upanishads

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by Re Lei For Life on March 18, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on March 18, 2013

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Feature Friday: Ending on a Negative

Back in my Sigma Delta Tau sorority days – when we would vote we were never allowed to “end on a negative.”  Even if the only positive that someone could come up with was “she has nice shoes” – we would all snap our fingers and move on to another topic…which would again end on a positive.

Sorority days aside, I am a genuinely positive person; however, one place that I love to end on a negative is in the gym by utilizing Eccentric Training, also known as negative training. Here is some brief plain English science behind the mechanics and why you should consider including negatives into your lifting routine.

There are three basic motions when performing a resistance training repetition: concentric (positive contraction – lift), isometric (the resting point), and eccentric (negative contraction – return to starting position).

Muscle growth is the result of tearing and damaging your muscle fibers.  When your muscles repair themselves, think of it sort of as a scab/scar tissue forming on your muscles, that is how they get bigger.  Eccentric training results in greater tears to your muscle fibers, thus more scar tissue, and the end result: more muscle growth.

To perform a negative Bicep Curl set without a partner’s assistance:

  1. Select a lighter weight than usual – because like pimpin’, being negative isn’t easy
  2. Lift the weight at a normal speed – typically it should take 1 second to get from Point A to Point B
  3. Pause at the isometric portion (Point B – the peak of your curl) for 2 second
  4. Now slowly lower the weight back down to Point A at a 5 second count
  5. Repeat for however many reps and sets you have scheduled.

Slowing down your routine during the eccentric portion of a repetition is a great way to switch up your routine and see maximum muscle gains; however, it should be noted that you should not train this way frequently.  Excessive negative training can result in muscle fatigue and even bursting capillaries (which I learned the hard way)  I prefer to use it just to get past a plateau – so I might have a “Negative Week” every 4 to 6 weeks.

Burst Capillary (fancy talk for "a bruise") a few weeks ago. Learned my lesson: use lighter weight when performing negatives.

Burst Capillary (fancy talk for “a bruise”) a few weeks ago. Learned my lesson: use lighter weight when performing negatives.

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by Re Lei For Life on March 15, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Re Lei For Life on March 15, 2013

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