Running Buddy Pouch. No Belt! No Tilt!

When I workout I use a fanny pack kinda pouch thingy for my phone.  After a while, however, the belt starts irking me something serious.  I go through different motions of trying to put it on over my shorts/tights and t-shirt so as not to get that horrid rub-rub.

And the armbands irk me too.  I have issues.  Seriously.

So I looked for something else.  I found it in the Running Buddy Pouch and used their chat feature to ask if it would work with my new phone, the Note 5 since it's pretty large.  I was told yes if I took into consideration the size of the case I'd use on the phone so I bought one thinking I'd buy the slimmest case possible.  

The case is pretty cool because you stick the flap inside of your waistband and it has strong magnets that keep it in place.  It won't move, tilt, etc.

When I got it I was bummed because it was such a TIGHT fit and, since the earbud connection is at the BOTTOM of the phone, I wouldn't be able to use it.  I was disappointed and used the chat feature thingy on their site again to let someone know that it didn't work.

Imagine my surprise when the phone rang and it was Greg from the company.  He told me to check out the insert card and then go to http://tinyurl.com/n7v4qml for information about how the mesh part is a ripstop material and I could put the hole in wherever the port is located on my phone.  I told him that it wasn't just that but the size of my phone too.  I was so impressed however, I decided I'd just give this one to Robby and I'll wait until November when the slightly bigger one comes out.  Like...who takes time out to call a customer anymore?????  For that alone, every runner on my Christmas list is getting one of these for Christmas.  Seriously.  That impressed me beyond reason.  I totally predict this small, family owned company is going to go far because of their word of mouth traffic.  There is just no way that you can keep something this amazing to yourself.

I just read some of the customer reviews who took it to Disneyland and other parks and I can't WAIT to use it on a roller coaster!!!!!  LOL!  Wheeeeeeeee!  Look ma no hands!

Greg...if you're reading this...yall rock.  I'm going to get a couple of those H2O pouches and the new pouch when it is released too.  Thank you for offering up AMAZING customer service.  Dude...yall rock.  

Ginger and Lemon Tea with Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

I love ginger.  Like...LOVE ginger.  I love handling it and then smelling my fingers after cuz it smells sooooooooooo good!

Sometimes I have tummy issues that I can't pinpoint and I've found that a cup of ginger tea with lemon makes it all better.  I sweeten it with a brown sugar simple syrup that I make a batch of whenever we run low.  Two parts water, one part brown sugar.  Bring to boil stirring until sugar dissolves.  Let sit until it reaches room temperature and store in a lidded jar in the fridge.  It's perfect to sweeten tea, cold or hot.  Just put a little bit at the bottom of your glass or mug and then add the tea.  DELICIOUS!

To make the ginger tea, all you have to do is peel a finger of ginger and then cut it up in either a mug or the strainer if you have a mug like mine (TeaForte KATI Cup).  Then, pour boiling water over the ginger until the ginger is covered and let it steep for ten minutes.  Next, remove the ginger by removing strainer or by pouring through strainer, squeeze a slice of lemon in it and voila!  Instant tummy soothing goodness that is, well, just simple goodness.  It's good to and for you.  You know...building up good gut bacteria and whatnot.  

Do you make fresh ginger tea?  Do you drink it daily or only when you have a tummy ache?  

Size 22 Model

I overheard a conversation yesterday about the Sports Illustrated first plus sized model.  They said she was a size 22.  I just asked Mr. Google about it and turns out they were wrong.  The plus sized model in Sports Illustrated is NOT a size 22...it's this chick:

Her name is Robin Lawley and she's a regular size 10 person so yeah...I'm confused that she is considered "plus size."

o_0

I think they were talking about this model, Tess Holiday who is the first sized 22 model to sign with a major agency.

I kept listening to the conversation unchecked and overheard a guy say that whenever an anorexic model is shown, people lose their shit so why should it be any different with a size 22 model since they both have unhealthy bodies.

I didn't join in on the conversation so I didn't say anything but I've been thinking about what he said.  I just had the conversation with someone and they had some interesting things to say too.

What do YOU think?  Overweight people can be perfectly healthy right?  But anorexic people never are.  Are all versions of what folks consider extreme as it relates to weight...unhealthy?

Overweight people exist so why shouldn't there be models to represent them in the fashion world?  We all wear clothes right?

THOUGHTS?????

Me Caught the Flu

And all the reports telling people it's no joke are correct.  It is NO.JOKE.

Now...I don't know if it hit me so hard and so fast because I'm missing the lymph nodes under my left arm because of my mastectomy or if this strand of flu runs over everyone quickly but I was feeling fine, got on a plane and halfway through my flight was NOT feeling fine.  I got the worst headache and then my chest started burning and I started moving real, real slow.  Like...my entire body hurt even my scalp.  It was tender to touch.  I pressed down on the soft part of my shoulder where it starts curving into my neck and it felt like I'd had one of those sports deep tissue massages.  NOT.FUN.

Now here's the part that annoyed the pig ish outta me.

So I called the airline to change my flight.  Told them what was going on and that the doctor would fax them whatever they needed to know that I really had the flu.  I'd passed out on the damn plane coming here so they had an incident report and I'm thinking that's all it would take.  The agent told me that sure...I could change the flight but that I'd have to pay change fee plus difference in cost of new flight.  Now...I'm feeling some kinda way because I'm sick and trying to not infect other people.  Well...I ended up snapping and told the woman that I had absolutely no problem whatsoever getting on that flight and going home to be sick in my bed at my home.  Not ONE problem because there is nothing more miserable than being sick AWAY from your own bed and home but I was trying to be socially responsible and not infect two plane loads of people and anyone I came in contact with at two airports including airline staff but she should probably check with her supervisor first to make sure that was her final answer.

Then the supervisor came on and tried to make it seem like she was doing me a favor by changing the flight and not charging me.  That pissed me off even more.  I'm like...ma'am...don't act like you're doing me a favor because you're not.  You're doing the right thing.  I mean really.  

So I started thinking about it and that's how we all get sick on them damn planes.  They show no mercy and a lot of people either A...don't know how to stick with them and be firm enough to get what they want out of the conversation or B...don't have the money to pay extra.  That change could have possibly cost about $500 extra.  

NO.

Airlines should figure out that the least sick people on planes spreading FOR REAL sick germs is a big deal and do something about their policies regarding.  I mean...that's just all the way wrong to not do that.  According to the first lady I spoke to, if I'd shown up and looked not fit for flying, they would have done something there but I'm like...that's bullshit.  I'm not getting up, dressed and packed to PROVE to yall that I'm sick when I can have my doctor send you a note saying so.  I'd still come in contact with other people and I'd run the risk of making myself sicker messing 'round getting up and out.

I hate non-logical stuff.

My fever this morning is down to 99.9.

The headache is gone.

Body aches still in place.

Cough is crazy bad.

But I feel better.

When's the last time you had the flu?  

Have you ever been sick away from your home?  That's a special kind of misery huh?

Free Workouts!

This picture has nothing to do with the post...it just makes me laugh.  LOL!

I'm of the mind that once you get really serious about something, you don't have a problem paying for it.  And, since we are all really serious about our money...if we pay for it...then we'll use it since we don't want to waste our money.  That said, when I hear that someone has hired a personal trainer, knowing how much they cost, I know they are about to get for real brickhouse.

But...what if your money doesn't support personal training, which can be pretty costly?  What if you don't have all of those fees runs/races charge to participate?  What if, once again, the universe if playing a sick joke on you giving you the willpower and the mindset but not the means to make it happen?

And...what if this is yet another one of the ways your own mind plays tricks on you by getting you all riled up to do something and yet...you end up not having any follow through?

I know someone who gets really serious about working out several times a year and I always notice that they start off by buying stuff.  New sneakers, yoga pants, tank tops, sport bras, sweat wicking socks and underwear, headbands, etc.  By the time she's at an actual gym...she's spent several hundred dollars getting ready.  She looks good from head-to-toe in that matchy, matchy way.  She gets in there hot and heavy for about a week and then...previous routine work gets in the way and let's face it...having responsibilities really does take up the majority of our time.  When you're a professional woman...being worried about what your hair is going to look like at the office later is a for real concern no matter what anyone says.  Nobody sees your biceps and abs under  your suit jacket but they do see your hair so I never, ever, EVER discredit anyone who is concerned about what their hair looks like after an early morning workout.

When I workout I keep my hair bound as tightly as possible and I never take it down until it has completely dried.  That's easy for me since I'm in complete control of my time, but for others...not so easy.  

And I get that.

So...you need to really know what your hair will need in order to be work presentable after working out.  If you know you sweat a lot and that your hair is very porous so it takes a long time to dry...you will need to build in enough time to use your blow dryer on the cool setting to dry your hair.  

And time is really the biggest deterrent I've noticed in people who don't workout.  

I have a friend who gets up before goodness in the morning to go workout.  She gets dressed quietly so as not to wake up other members of her household and she rolls out, returns and then gets ready for work.

She also has a husband who is home with their children while she does this and she understands and appreciates that benefit.  If you're a single mother of a younger child, you can't very well roll out leaving the child(ren) solo while you get your sexy on.  You'd have to get the child up too and take him/her with you.  At 5:00am.  Now...I know yall love your babies...but I don't know many of you who would wake your child that early and drag them to the gym with you.  You will CLEARLY elect to let them sleep while you have some quiet time in the early mornings.

So...what do you if these are your challenges and you don't have the money for a personal trainer you can go to after work while your child is in after care or in a program at the gym that you pay for?

There are lots of things you can do actually.  LOTS.

I know someone who used to be overweight.  They lost all of the weight by walking.  They opened their door and walked out of the house and then...walked around and around and around their house.  She's been doing this for so long, you can see her "track" around her house.  She lost all of the the weight over time and incorporated weight training into her routine.  She's one of the healthiest women I know.  When she's not home, she uses a treadmill to do the same thing.  Three miles of walking a day.  Just walking.  

It worked.

If you have Hulu, search for GAIAM workouts:  GAIAM on HuluPlus

The Wake Up Workout is pretty good to get your morning started and you can mix up the different workouts daily.  All you'll need is a pair of weights.  You can do these at home wearing your underwear if you want to.  LOL!  Add that to some walking and you'll have a pretty good start if you need a jumpstart that your finances will support.  Get up at 5:00am, do some walking and one of these and you'll get a good workout in as far as heart rate and working out muscles go.  I mean...you can't do this to train for a marathon mind you...but you see where I'm going here.  It's SOMETHING.

The worst thing you can do is nothing.  That just doesn't even make sense.  Some of these workouts are 20 minutes long.  Add 30 minutes of walking and you're well within an hour.  Drink water and get it in.  Once you feel like you have surpassed the skill level of some of these workouts...think old school bootcamp workouts.  I fully agree that these moves are great to maintain on your own:

The Only 12 Exercises You Need To Get In Shape  

I love planks, pushups, lunges and squats and all the variations of those.  They keep my butt and tummy tight.  Those things are important to me as I'm vain as hell.  A droopy booty would send me spiraling into a free fall of depression I'm sure so...when I say I love those exercises...please note that I really mean that I love what those exercises DO because baaaaaaby...sometimes they can drain your brain.

Another thing you have to make sure you do is stay hydrated.  I have a tiny bladder so I tend to hydrate significantly twice a day.  After I have my morning coffee, I try and drink as much of a 40 ounce bottle of water as possible.  I usually get about 28 ounces in before a workout.  Then...I don't workout for another hour or so so I can get my bathroom breaks all out of the way.  If I drink even the tiniest amount of water while working out...I will have to take a bathroom break so I tend to workout completely and THEN drink the rest of the water in my bottle which I immediately fill up again and keep with me at all times.

I generally make a pot of organic green tea to drink during the day.  Just one pot.  Sometimes I drink it unsweetened and sometimes I add a bit of honey to it.  Around lunchtime I hit another big swig of my water trying to make sure I've finished it all before 7:00pm.  I try my best to not drink water after 7:00pm so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night and use the bathroom cuz when I get up I wake Robby and, more importantly...Jaru.  LOL!

I weigh myself every.single.day.  When I get out of bed, I use the bathroom and then weigh myself.  That helps me maintain throughout the day.  If I'm heavier than I like to be...I adjust.  If I'm lighter than I like to be...I adjust.  I make sure I do what I need to do to look like I want to look at all times.  

I eat more fruit and veggies than pretty much anything else and only eat meat for dinner regularly.  Of course I have bacon sometimes for breakfast but honestly...that's maybe twice a month and I SAVOR those times.  LOL!  I.LOVE.BACON!

The meat we eat with dinner regularly is always a good piece of something.  There is pretty much nothing we don't eat but whatever we do eat I try to get the best of it that is available to me.  One of the things I want to try to do really soon is to try and go for as long as we can eating foods that DON'T come in any type of packaging.  I think that will be an interesting challenge.  Straight fruit and veggies and meat from the butcher.  Should be interesting.

I was having this conversation with someone recently and they pointed out that it was easier for me to stay in shape because I never had babies.  *YAWN* Since she has a sister who also never had babies and who is overweight...I made my point pretty easily.  ESPECIALLY since we both know PLENTY of women who have had multiple children and are fine as a glass of wine.  We all work with what we have no matter what.  We all know what is needed in order to maintain the body we want.  Some of us never slacked off and some of us did but to slack off and not work on it is the true, major problem.

You simply can't live a good quality of life without moving.

You can't.  Stop fooling yourself.  You simply can't.  

Do this for yourself.

This year, instead of buying something to start a workout or joining a gym you know good and well will take more work to get to than you have time allotted for, try working out at home using free resources.  Search YouTube, ask your friends who are in great shape, put on a playlist built with music from  your senior year in high school and first year of college and WALK.

Once you build a for real routine...then spend some money.  If you have it and IF that's what you want to spend it on.

No excuses is a for real thing when it comes to working out and eating right.  

What type of at home workouts do you do?  Are they effective?