Fitness Goals: Reach them, Evolve, then Set New Ones…

What are you working towards when you spend an hour or two at the gym? Have you thought about what your specific goals are? It is important to know exactly what it is that you are working towards, because you don’t want to waste precious time and energy running around in circles and ending up at the same place at the end of the year.
Exercise should be a progression, an evolution, a forward movement, just like everything else in life. As the end of the year approaches, think about these questions and decide what your fitness objectives are, because nothing else will move you faster towards them, than defining them and then taking the right action towards them.


Seeing results really depends on your specific situation, some people go to the gym wanting to drop 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds, others want to tone every muscle in their body, others just want to maintain their current weight and some just go in without any previous thought of what their objective is.


Please don’t be one of the latter subjects on this list. Get clear! Affirm your objective in a positive, clear, concise manner. Some people write out their goals, others just affirm them to themselves; what ever works for you is fine. Here are some examples of very specific, defined objectives:


“My fitness goal is to fit into my size 2 skinny jeans by February 2011.”

“My objective is to weigh 110 lbs by April 2011.”- This objective is clear, positive, and measurable.

“My goal is to wear a size 0 dress size by April 2011”- this objective is also specific, clear, positive and measurable and it has a deadline.

“My objective is to tone every muscle in my body, therefore commit to lifting weights, at least three times per week and eating healthier foods by February 2011.”

Having a visual picture of what the end result looks like also helps in getting clear about the results you are trying to achieve. 
I invite you to look through a health and fitness magazine or celebrities and look at the different body types there are out there. Do you know what you would like your body to look like in the future? We don’t all want to be skinny, model types. Some of us want to have curvy, lean, toned bodies with the right proportions in all the right places if you know what I mean. So it’s important to know what you are working towards.


Once you have reached specific milestones, then make note of them. Celebrate them and evolve. Set new ones. There is a saying that says that in order for something new to be born, something has to die. Let your old objectives die, and breathe new life into the new ones. Because sometimes, not changing your mindset can set you back and keep you in your current situation, no matter how hard you work. Change, evolve, grow, progress and you will start seeing new possibilities. You will get a renewed sense of accomplishment, motivation and growth. Stay active, work hard! Motivating you is my motivation!

Running my First Half Marathon!

Hello Vidaglammers! I turned 32 this year :-) Which, I welcomed with lots of joy, positive energy, Champaign and chocolate thanks to my wonderful friends and family.

So my two good friends Stephanie and Claudia had the awesome idea of running the Long Beach half marathon, which coincided with the weekend of my birthday. At first I was sort of reluctant to join, because as you all know; I’m a big fan of group exercise and I knew I was going to have to tap into a different source of energy to face this challenge, since it requires a lot of individual strength, focus and motivation. Needless to say, I enjoy running but I have never been a dedicated runner, in fact the most miles I had ever tackled on my own prior to the marathon, were 3 to 5 miles 2 to 3 times week as part of my cardio routine. Last year I ran a 5K, which gave me a good idea of the kind of focus it takes to train to run long distance; but 3.2 miles is a long way from 13.2 So I knew that in order to run 13.2 miles I would have to dig deep, and reach for extra strength and motivation to train and prepare.

This was definitely a learning experience. I trained, running indoors and outdoor as well.

I bought the Nike + ipod Sports Kit, which is like having your own personal trainer. It’s a device that syncs with your iphone to keep track of the distance, calories burnt, pace and it syncs with your ipod, preventing the music to skip while you run. It also lets you assign a “power song” to play when you are in “the zone”. I have to say that this gadget was the most useful tool ever. The cost is only $29.00 and it’s sold where ever Nike products are sold. Nike running shoes that have the Nike+ sign on them have a hidden compartment where you can hide the sensor (as you can see in the pictures posted here).

I have to say, I have a new profound respect for marathon runners, as it takes preparation, motivation and lots of determination. I think the most challenging part for me, was really reaching into myself for the energy I needed to keep on moving. Although a race is essentially a group event and the energy is incredibly contagious, you, as a runner are there on your own, running at your own pace. The first 6 miles where a breeze, as I was used to running this distance from the training sessions, but when I reached 10th mile, my energy started to drop. I was very grateful that right around that time my friend Stephanie tapped me in the shoulder and we where able to finish the race together. Overall, I was happy to have finished the race in 2 hours and 2 minutes as I had set a goal to finish in less than 2 hours. At this point, I enjoy running, I think I will eventually run a full marathon, but I know I will have to prepare myself for a HUGE challenge. Keep motivated! Keep active! Challenge yourself! Motivating you is my motivation!

Have a treat!

Here at Vidaglam we are Super-Fans of candy, sweet treats, cup cakes, sweet breads and all the wonderful sugary treats that come with the holidays; which of course, can get us in trouble very quickly if we don't remember to consume in moderation. Moderation is the key, when dealing with sweet temptations!

But before you set aside, choose to ignore or simply eliminate the guilt of reaching for another fun sized Snickers, Butterfingers, M&M's, consider the following: Each fun-sized chocolate bar has about 85 calories each, so it is completely OK to have one or two pieces. It's when we start reaching for one, two, three, four, five, even six pieces, that it becomes a problem. Let's do the math just for fun: If you consume a total of six candy bars during one day, you will have consumed a total of 510 extra calories for that day. Most of us go into the office five times a week, and lets say we practiced this behavior for the next five days, at the end of the week we would have consumed a whopping 2,550 extra calories for the week, that is the equivalent of 1 lb of fat.

Therefore, if your goal is to lose weight, or to maintain your current weight, consider consuming the treats in moderation or simply resolve to do spend an extra 45 minutes on the cardio machine, because as we all know... calories consumed - calories burnt = optimal weight!

Bottom line, practice moderation! Enjoy one or two treats, exercise a little more, drink lots of water and for God's sake stay away from the candy bowl! You'll thank yourself later when its time to get ready for your Christmas Party and you look and feel fabulous! Motivating you is my motivation!