TRAVEL BLOG

Have you ever had a severe sinus infection? I have experienced a couple and they can really put me down for a few days. I couldn't believe how horrible the symptoms were and I sympathize with anyone who has suffered through it. Bad sinus infections can take a while to recover from similar to any severe illness. For those of us who rarely get sick, this is quite a humbling experience. Symptoms can include a severe headache and I would say more like entire face pain. Also, the inability to breathe and high fever are typical signs of a sinus infection. Sleeping can feel impossible and eating is often limited as our appetite decreases. Sinus mucus coming out yellow, green or even brown are obvious infection markers. Fitness is pretty much out the window when an illness of this magnitude comes calling. This is the time to focus our energy on getting better. Illness can happen and does and it's okay to relax with your fitness program. In fact, your body will recover faster if you ta

We may all differ in our fitness levels but all share the same goals ... health improvement. Getting fit takes changing our life and daily habits to become healthier people. This choice is inspiring and motivating to me . I respect everyone trying to get fit.  The decision to get in shape can feel overwhelming for some of us and even vulnerable. Being over fat can come with a negative stigma and society can make people feel bad about themselves. The same goes for muscular women and skinny men. Body shaming has no place in our fitness journey. Making the choice to become our best healthy self is a great decision regardless of the stares or opinions of others.  We don't need to be told we're too fat, too skinny, too muscular or not muscular enough. We all know the condition of our health and body without negative lip service. What we all need is positive support and motivation on our journey to achieve fitness goals. Part of achieving fitness goals is accepting where we are righ

Living a healthy lifestyle is not about restriction but allowing for moderation. It's not realistic to eliminate a favorite food forever from our diet. I consider my occasional splurges as treats and not even cheats. Because eating them in moderation is an enjoyable experience. It's called living a balanced healthy life. I don't believe having a fresh baked brownie now and then is cheating on my fitness program. I follow a 90/10 rule consuming a wide variety of good carbs , lean proteins, and healthy fats 90% of the time. I allow for 10% indulgence like a glass of wine or dark  chocolate . These small treats won't derail my efforts as many of us are taught to believe. It's what we do consistently that defines what our body looks like. I will even apply the 80/20 rule eating healthy foods 80% of the time and allowing 20% for indulgence. This comes in handy when on vacation or during the holidays. I will not turn down a piece of my Mom's home-baked pie or biscu

How many times do we justify unhealthy choices using the 'it's only' intro? Whether it’s only five pounds more, a small bag of chips, or one missed workout, it's easy to keep going once we start.  These two little words can be the start of losing our fitness. The occasional treat turns into daily choices leading us in the opposite direction of our fitness goals. The five pound gain turns into ten, two cookies are suddenly five, and several workouts somehow get missed. Two innocent words have suddenly derailed all our hard work.  The ' it’s only ' dilemma can happen at any time but appears to creep back into the picture once fitness results are achieved . What we thought wouldn't make a difference in our fitness has taken us back to an unhealthy lifestyle and body. These two words are not as innocent as one might believe. Saying 'it's only' is only for those with a strong mental game who really mean it for one time. Let’s look at the time it t

We have all experienced frustration and it's actually normal during our fitness journey. Nothing goes perfectly and results can take longer than we thought. When results are slower than expected, frustration can feel overwhelming. Staying motivated can be difficult during this time. Our feelings can move past frustration straight into pissed off and angry.  Frustration causes many of us to consider giving up. We doubt our efforts and think nothing will work. We may even return to old unhealthy habits. Before the negative mental game  stops you completely, consider fighting frustration with motivation . The truth is we're all working toward the same fitness goal but at differing rates of progress. Health is a process of small steps taken over time that provide big results. Just know each positive step to improve our health is working.  Our bodies know something good is happening, even when we're unable to see it. It's during times of the unseen we must have faith in the