One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato Four...Is There More?

In 2009, Club Fitness reported over 45.5 million Americans had gym club memberships, Unfortunately, according to the reports about 80% of these gym memberships are rarely or never used. I’m not a fitness trainer, nor am I getting paid by a gym or home exercise machine company to talk the fitness topic up; but I am passionate about getting people to live a healthy and balanced life.

Traveling, serving others, and being fit are a few things that top my list of ways to obtain this type of lifestyle. It’s disappointing to learn that the average American watches 170 minutes of television a day, more than 9x the amount spent on exercise related activities (according to a University of California study in 2003). Firstly, the content and quality of what is on television is pretty appalling; and secondly, there’s a whole world out there—get off your bum and embrace it!

Of course I recommend that you to travel abroad (have you heard of www.CulturalEmbrace.com …well, I guess I do get paid if I promote that company—ha!), and will share more international + fitness insight in my next blog; but get off the couch and move around at home! Now that the days are longer with Daylight Savings, you have more sunlight to exercise after work. Walk around the block. Take the kids. Go jogging with your dog. Ask your boss if you can exercise during your lunch hour; or better yet, challenge your work or school mates to get fit together. It’s more fun to be in it together and hold each other accountable to reach your goals. Buy a treadmill or stationery bike so you can exercise while watching television. Most gyms have cable television (and some now have wi-fi) available in their clubs if you really can’t shut the world off…but c’mon, really?! If you’re on a tight budget, lift canned vegetables throughout your favorite show and do push-ups and sit-ups during commercials. Put YellowPages on your quads and do leg lifts (now you won’t feel guilty throwing them straight to the recycle bin anymore).

I encourage you to set small goals but be consistent. Start with 20 minutes a day for at least 3-4 times a week. Your clothes will fit better, and you will have more energy throughout the day. Keep track of your daily exercise and diet in a journal, or join Cultural Embrace’s fitness team through SparkPeople’s free on-line or mobile application that will record your calorie intake and exercise regime. Plus SparkPeople and Cultural Embrace’s very own intern, Haley, will share regular fitness and nutrition tips; and you can read, be motivated and inspired by others that want to improve their lives. I’m confidant that you will feel better mentally and physically, which will lead to a happier, healthier, and more balanced way to live.

In God We Trust

Today marks the beginning of Lent, a time of sacrifice to remember God’s unconditional love. Although I am not Catholic, Lutheran, or Methodist (the denominations that typically practice Lent), the least I can do is to sacrifice some of my life’s comfort as a reminder of God's righteousness for 40 days, right?

If you know me or have read my blog from last week, you know that I love to eat, and am a habitual snacker. I am constantly grazing on something throughout the day yet still have an appetite for a full 3-4 course meal. My friends joke that my fridge and pantry are always stocked even though I travel a lot and live alone.

Thus, I am going to give up snacks, desserts, and alcohol for Lent.

Insert evil Smurf sitting on Emlyn’s shoulder whispering…”40 days without snacks? Dessert? Are you kidding me? You just ate a pound bag of Twizzlers in one sitting last week, and you have another bag sitting in the closet. You know that means no in-flight pretzels and peanuts, and you have at least 4 flights lined up next month. And alcohol?!? SxSW is coming to Austin next week! And what about March Madness…you’re not going to have a drink and snack on some wings or nachos? C’mon what about a glass of wine over dinner?...”

Oooh, backspace. You’re right, maybe I should change that to three drinks maximum a week.

Delete.

What am I doing? I’m sticking to it—ALL snacks, desserts, and alcohol. Once this blog is uploaded I’m committed. Accountability is key so if you are reading this please hold me liable to my words. I told my team today of my Lent sacrifices while they were smacking their lips from the Ghiradelli chocolates that I brought back from San Francisco. That’s okay, I’m not flinching. I’ll just step slowly away from the candy bowl.

Accountability is a wonderful means to attain success. For example, I’ve been tracking my daily nutrition and fitness intake on a free on-line web and mobile application via Sparkpeople since the start of this month. Although I have no target weight to lose, it is keeping me accountable for drinking 8 cups of water a day, eat within the recommended calories, and do some sort of physical exercise. (Come join our fitness team to get tips from our intern, Haley, who is also a fitness instructor; and meet other wanderlusts that share the same passion of a healthy world, starting from within.) I know that giving up a lot of my comfort goodies will be hard, I'm kinda dreading it. But isn't life full of challenges?

In God we Trust.

March Madness Starts Early - Set your Fitness Goals

March is one of my favorite months of the year since the weather gets warmer, days are longer, flowers and tree buds start to bloom, spring break and SxSW spice up Austin, and college basketball’s March madness pumps the adrenaline (Go Terps!) With these hot March highlights along comes the shorts, tanks, and swimsuits—eeuuurgh, record scratch…gulp, b-b-bb-ikini season?!

I have to admit; with my love for food, and constant grazing on snicky snacks, I am blessed with good metabolism, and am tall in stature so I look slender and lean. However, looks may be deceiving since my once mini muffin top has suddenly grown in to a pound cake resting over my waistband. And funny enough, each year that goes by, whatever touches my lips seem to find their way much faster to my hips (except I’m not laughing anymore).

I love to work out and am disciplined enough to do some form of physical exercise at least an hour a day, 5-6 days a week (c'mon I gotta burn some of the excess calories I intake daily and it relieves my stress and clears my brain). But my issues lie within my portion control (girlfriend can eeaaaat), and my carefree spirit to inhale anything and everything in sight. Carpe Diem, right?! Yea, seize the day and now those processed and preservative foods have conquered my stomach!

Each of us has our own definition of being 'healthy' and getting in to 'shape.' We all have different strengths, weaknesses, and interpretations of our bodies. In order to improve our self image, we need to start from within. Setting goals to lose weight, stating that we’re going to eat healthier, and signing up with a gym are easy to do, but to actually follow through and stick to your goals is the hard part.

Thus, I invite you to join me on Cultural Embrace’s new fitness and health team via SparkPeople’s site (click here to join).  It is a free on-line fitness and health tracker that also has downloadable mobile apps. We have created this team to help support, motivate, and hold each other accountable to set, meet, and accomplish our goals. We are not going to judge you or expect everyone to have the same fitness or health level. But I encourage you to set a target that is obtainable yet pushes you beyond your comfort level so you can challenge your mind and body. Think of this as going on an international trip where you have to open your horizons and embrace the cultures. This will be the best adventure ever; one that no plane, train, or automobile can reach…just yourself…on your own personal journey. Carpe Diem!