Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes!

I had such a great birthday weekend back home in California. I’m usually running around all over the place trying to see everyone when I go home, but this trip I decided to dedicate to my family. And what a great decision it ended up being!!! My husband and brother were both gone at a 4-day conference so it was so nice to have my parents all to myself.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend… my camera battery died so I didn’t get many pictures.

My friend made me a beautiful dolphin birthday cake!

Birthday-night out with the rents

Birthday Dinner at Woodward Ranch BBQ

My husband definitely knows me! For my birthday he got me The Wave by The FIRM. I had never seen or heard about The Wave workout, so I was very interested to see how it worked. I love all of The Firm workout DVDs so I had high hopes for this one. It came with a board, 3 DVDs, and a success guide with nutrition tips.

The workout kind of feels like step aerobics with a twist. The arched board can be used as astep or can be flipped over as a rocker. And let me tell you, the rocker works the whole body trying to balance on it.

I love this workout! I would say that I am more of a cardio girl … I hate lifting weights. This workout involves lifting weights, but it didn’t really phase me because I was moving so much while lifting. The time definitely goes by way too fast and my whole body feels it by the end of the workout. The only down fall- I’m so clumsy that one day I know that I am going to trip or fall off the board. When that day comes I will be sure to let you know.

To see the WAVE in Action, check out this short video clip-

Have you seen or tried The Wave workout?

What are some of your favorite workout DVDs?

Don’t forget to head over HERE for a chance to win the Turbo Jam Workout DVDs! Turbo Jam workouts are just as fun as The Wave!

My parents surprised me with a ticket to fly home this weekend for my birthday! I still can’t believe that I’m going to be 25 tomorrow. That’s a whole quart of a century. . . Man I’m old!

It’s been a great weekend having my parents to myself. Brother and husband and busy at a conference so I’ve been loving all the one on one time with my mom, dad, and of course my dog Wicket! Tons of window shopping, Coffee bean and Tea Leaf, and you can’t forget Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt… Just like the good ole days prior to getting married and moving off to Arizona.

Yesterday my mom and I had a lunch date at The Cheesecake Factory. For one who is very indecisive, this was the wrong place to pick. My goodness, the menu is like a book! You can find anything and everything ranging from Chinese to Mexican and American food. . . OH, and not to mention the 25 different types of cheesecake!

It’s great to have a variety, but the poor waitress has to come around several times before I could finally say “I am ready to order.” I decided on an egg white veggie omelet and my mom choose my all time favorite, the Navajo Sandwich.

Ok, I thought the menus were big… the portion sizes at The Cheesecake Factory are over the top! You definitely get your money’s worth with these portion sizes.  It’s places like these where a to-go box is a must a great meal for the next day! Needless to say, it was a great lunch and time well spend with my lovely mother!

I though in light of the over-sized portions I would share with how America as a whole has increased portions. Here is a comparison of portion differences since the 1960′s and now:

The crazy thing is that we aren’t just seeing it in restaurants, we are seeing it at home. Everything in your kitchen- from the size of your plates to the way food is packaged has you hearing “eat more, eat more!”

Portion control is very important, but one thing that I am learning is to pay attention to my body and listening to it when I am either full or hungry. It’s quiet the skill to master but once you do, those enormous proportions won’t even be an issue!

Oh water… can’t live with it, can’t live without.

If any of you are like me, you choose flavored beverages over water anytime of the day. I must admit, Diet coke is my guilty pleasure and it gets in the way of my 8 cups of water a day, leaving me dehydrated and feeling sluggish. I know, I know… Diet Coke is horrible to drink and I shouldn’t be drinking it. I am working on it people… ok, maybe not as much as I should. I guess this post is more for me than it is for you guys!

Water works in so many different ways throughout our body. Just look at how water affects out body

There are so many benefits to drinking water besides the obvious of staying hydrated! Drinking at least 8 cups of water a day aids in weight loss, moisturizes skin to make it look younger, relieves headaches, fuels to brain to function better, aids in energy to exercise longer, prevents cramping and sprains, and helps fight against the flu.

So with this in mind, how can we get more water in throughout the day?

Here are 7 great tips to get in more water:

1.)  Buy a fun water bottle and NEVER let it leave your side

1. Rule: Only fill up with water

2.)   Drink one glass of water prior to every meal

3.)  Spice up your water with a slice of lemon or lime.

1. My friend taught me to slice up cucumbers and throw them into a pitcher full of water the night before. The water soaks up the flavor of the cucumbers to give a nice taste. You can do this is all sorts of fruits!

4.)  Straws… They work wonders

1. Who would have known that straws help in drinking water? I find myself drinking so much more when I drink from a straw.

5.)  Drink and Drive… water that is

1. Ok, this is the only time on my blog that I will ever encourage you to drink and drive. Keep your car cup holder full with your fun water bottle and make it a priority to drink your water while on the road.

6.)  Add your vitamins

1. Kill two birds with one stone by getting in your vitamins and water at the same time.  There are several different vitamin supplements made to be mixed with water

7.)  Filter your water

1. I don’t know where you live, but Arizona has the worst tasting water in the world. Brita Filters have saved my life ever since I moved out here. They aren’t too expensive either. Speaking of filtered water… Starbucks has the best water ever! From what I hear it’s triple filtered

Find what works for you. Hopefully some of these tips will help you cross the finish line of 8 cups by the end of the day.

Cheers and drink up!

Question: How do you fit in your 8 cups of water a day?

Weight can easily become an obsession.

Living a healthy life and losing weight is something that takes time and energy as you count calories, plan out healthy meals, and exercise daily . . . and that is ok. But what most people don’t realize is that losing weight to live a healthy life can soon be tossed out the window and the numbers on the scale can start to define you.

It amazes me how a scale can dictate the mood someone is in or consume the mind day in and day out. The scale starts to define one for who you are… one day they are thin and beautiful because they lose a few pounds. The next day you are fat and ugly because you went up 1 pound.

A piece of metal has so much power and control in one’s life… Don’t let the scale define you!

I challenge you to copy this picture for one week and seek out what defines your life. Living a health life is so much more than numbers… it’s about feeling great, living longer, being able to run around with your children or grandchildren, or gaining confidence in your self.

What defines you?

Diving is a mental sport. As a springboard diver in college, I use to freak myself out on the boards because I would think too much into my dive… the fear of hitting the board, loosing my balance, or hitting the water at the wrong angle. A teammate of mine once said, “ Don’t think, just do.” This motto helped me push through those mental blocks and eventually led me to nationals.

These days I still look to this motto. There are days that I wake up and dread the cold, the aching muscles from the workout the day before, or just no motivation to get out of bed to workout. The holidays don’t make it any easier for those that have taken a break. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things.

I have found that the motto, “Don’t think, just do,” has helped me overcome these days. When it comes to exercise, “don’t think, just do it.” Wake up in the morning and head straight to those shoes… don’t think about the cold, how tired you are, or what needs to get done that morning. You won’t regret it!

What exercise motto do you live by?

I thought this was an interesting clip from NBC on Diet myths, which is the series that I had started a while a go.

Hope you enjoy!

Question: What Diet Myth do you struggle letting go?