You Don’t Need Cardio to Sculpt Hard Abs?

On February 3, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, health, Helpful TipsLeave a comment

abs When my jeans are a touch too tight I pull out the food scale, cut calories, and make myself miserable by piling on the cardio. That just gives me a headache, makes me grumpy, and leaves me hungry.

I get that adding more fruits and vegetables is a good thing to do when you want to lose a few, and those are things I already enjoy, but no matter how hard I try, the joy of eating like something other than a rabbit and the desire to lose a few pounds always seem to stay at cross purposes.

I have always believed you can’t lose weight while still enjoying an unrestricted diet. I’m not good at starving myself, sticking to a diet or counting calories. I don’t overeat, but I do like to eat food that tastes good. To be perfectly honest, it isn’t even always about wanting to lose weight. Most of the time I just want to tighten up.

The blogger profiled in an article I read today in Shape Magazine makes more sense to me than cutting carbs, logging hundreds of miles on the treadmill, doing hours upon hours of crunches, sit-ups and other ab focused exercises that just seemed to leave me hungry and with an aching back, ever did!

Faith Brar profiled 24 year old Instagram fitness blogger, @Lindseylivingwell, who had open heart surgery at only 7 years old. With her history, she has great inspiration to keep herself fit and healthy. Like many others, she has tried many approaches to do that, finally settling on something that worked for her, and I think, works for me too!

“#transformationtuesday “skinny” v. strong 💪🏼 and sorry, I’m about to get sassy. • first of all, I hate the word skinny. I hate that people tell me I was “skinny” in my before pictures – I didn’t need to lose weight. and maybe they’re right. but the truth is I don’t give two shits about being skinny 👋🏼👋🏼 I don’t care if I have a fast metabolism. at the end of the day, if I’m not eating to fuel my body, it doesn’t matter if I’m skinny if I’m not healthy. • the girl on the left was doing whatever she could to keep a flat stomach. endless hours of cardio, restricting carbs and other food groups, limiting calories to 1100/day. weight loss was her number one goal. and honestly, she felt awful. • FLASH FORWARD to the girl on the right. hi, that’s me 🙋🏼 present day. that girl is lifting weights 3-4x a week. yes I still do cardio, but my main goal is to gain muscle, not lose weight. I count macros, consume 400+ more calories, AND still eat an occasional donut 🍩 I don’t care that I don’t weigh any less. I feel good. I don’t care that my thighs look bigger. it’s MUSCLE. I don’t want to look skinny, I want to be strong 💥 • my point is, don’t fixate yourself and your fitness journey on some skinny bullshit (sorry for the language). and if you’re one of those people messaging me, or anyone else, saying I “don’t need to workout,” shame on you. do whatever routine works for you and helps to be your best, HEALTHY self. healthy looks different on everyone 👊🏼 you got this. #YouKnowILoveAGoodRant #SorryNotSorry“

Posted by l i n d s e y ❃ 24 (@lindseylivingwell) on Jan 31, 2017 at 4:39am PST

And, lest I fall down on my own blogger job, speaking of traditional ab routines that leave you with an aching back:

crvsplvssu

Keeping Lindsey’s lessons in changing my mind set at the top of my list, I’m off to the rowing machine to burn some calories and build some muscle at the same time. Then I’m texting my husband and asking him to stop at In-N-Out on his way home. What? I’m not having him bring me a shake 😦 or a soda.

Do you use Facebook? If you’re interested in the occasional product that intrigues me or something I’ve bought that’s a waste of time or money, things that make me wonder, piss me off, tickle my fancy, scream like a maniac, giggle, or yell in frustration, you can receive an email each time I’ve got something new to ponder or you can join the nearly 2,900 people who find me engaging or amusing at the Facebook page dedicated to this blog: https://www.facebook.com/extremeblondemoments

My Pup’s Bad Breath Has Got to Go!

On January 30, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, PetsLeave a comment

I love my fur babies, but my male lab has got baaaaad puppy breath. His teeth are healthy, he takes probiotics, eats healthy, grain free food, and I regularly use my fingertip doggy toothbrush on him, but I’m looking for some new ways to sweeten up my sweet boy’s breath pronto!

Hopefully this info graphic will help:

Since I already give him carrots to nibble on, it looks like my boy has some daily doses of coconut oil and brown rice with parsley & lemon juice straight from my garden in his future! 👍🏻

Pairing TRX Straps With My Workout Foe, The Kettlebell

On January 29, 2017 By ls1228In Exercise, Extreme Blonde Moments, Fitness, health, Helpful Tips, Product EndoresementsLeave a comment

TRX, for anyone who is unfamiliar with the workout system, is a highly effective body weight training system using only straps to perform a whole body workout. TRX was developed by the Navy Seals, who couldn’t tote a gym with them into the secret places they were sent. I am convinced that they only shared it with the public to prove what wusses we regular people are.

Like anyone who works out, I get bored doing the same thing day after day, so I change up my routine. I rotate PiYo, Rowing Machine, Kettlebells, TRX Rip Trainer and TRX Straps, but the TRX and I, because it kicks my ass, have a particularly rocky relationship. 😉 HMMM

trx_workout_plan-700x189

Today I came across a trainer in Colorado using a few moves I haven’t tried, combining the TRX with my other workout foe, that Bitch, the Kettlebell. You think I’m being facetious, but have YOU tried to rise from a sitting position (or up from the toilet, especially an old school low one) the day after doing kettle bell figure 8’s? Laugh now, but you’ll agree with me the day after 3 sets of 30 with a 15 lb Kettlebell, trust me.

TRX Single Leg Front Squat with Core Cross-over

Position one foot in the strap.
Begin standing with your arms out at your sides.
As you come into a squat (pay attention to your alignment – be sure the knee isn’t coming in front of the toes), cross your right arm in front of you to touch your left foot.
Allow your back leg to bend slightly as you come down.
Repeat for 15, then switch sides

Kettlebell Row with TRX Single Leg Squat

Position one foot in the strap scissored out to your side.
Begin in a single leg squat holding a kettlebell with two hands.
As you straighten your standing leg, bring the kettlebell up to a row.
Keep the leg in the TRX straight as you lift and lower, and maintain a flat back.
Keep your chest lifted when you’re holding the kettlebell and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you come up into the row.
Modify this by doing it without the kettlebell until you feel comfortable with the extra weight.

TRX Bicycle Straddle Combo

Both feet in the straps, lay on your back.
Lift your hips and engage your core without arching your back.
Do 1 bicycle pull in with each leg followed by abduction (legs apart).
Return to beginning and repeat.
Do 15 of that series in a row

Twenty minutes of cardio (mine will be on the rowing machine) plus three sets of this circuit and you should be a quivering mess like I was. If you aren’t then you are in much better shape than I am and need to add a heavier Kettlebell and more reps then tell me how standing up from sitting on that toilet feels. 😉

How’s Trump Week 1 Treating You?

On January 26, 2017January 26, 2017 By ls1228In Dirty dealing, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Pisses Me Off, politics, Science, TechnologyLeave a comment

Trump Presidency Day 6: It’s a good thing I ate a light breakfast this morning, because these headlines made me want to throw up.

“President Trump intends to move forward with a major investigation of voter fraud that he says cost him the popular vote, White House officials said Wednesday, despite bipartisan condemnation of his allegations and the conclusion of Mr. Trump’s own lawyers that the election was ‘not tainted.'” The New York Times

Part of that investigation is to include weeding out and punishing those who are registered, and supposedly voted, in multiple states. Do you think he can comprehend that most of his cabinet, his son-in-law, and his youngest daughter are registered in 2 states?

We all remember how appalled Trump was that Secretary Clinton used a private email server, right? Remember the chants of, “Lock her up!”? Take a look at this verified headline: Trump White House Senior Staff Have Private Email Server Um, Pot Meet Kettle!

First he pisses off the scientific community by “disagreeing” with their lifes’ works, then he erases all mentions of global warming/climate change from the White House and other government websites, he freezes all grants and contracts to the scientific community AND imposes a gag order on all employees of the National Parks, EPA, USDA, US Department of Health and Human Services, and other agencies so that they cannot Tweet, send Emails nor comment publicly in their capacity as government employees. In some cases, via a memo that’s circulating on The Hill, that gag order extends to restrictions on communicating with Congress! After pubic outcry the USDA lifted their ban on public communications, but as of today, all other departments are still gagged. Thank God for the rabble rousers over at the National Park Service who started non-government owned Twitter accounts that cannot be shut down! Other agencies quickly followed suit.

Donald Trump has proven that vengeance is his main focus, and this Biggest F You yet to “The Donald” could very well result in mass firings, but I applaud the efforts of those who refuse to be silenced by the Mad Man occupying the Oval Office!

Mass exodus from the State Department: “the emptying of leadership in the management bureaus” is “disruptive because those offices need to be led by people who know the department and have experience running its complicated bureaucracies.” And, of course, now #TeamTrump are using state run media (Fox News) 😉 to declare that he “Fired them.” Yeah, I call Bullshit. They needed them to teach the morons how to run things. UG!

A little levity for the morning

Since Donald Trump has a habit of using the songs of artists who absolutely don’t want their music associated with him, let’s pick one that actually fits him (as much as The Rolling Stones‘ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” does)

Do you think the Trump administration’s theme song should be:

“Lies” by Thompson Twins; or
“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC?

Both are far more appropriate choices than “Hail to the Chief.” Hmmm

Soft to Shredded in 60 Days

On January 25, 2017January 24, 2017 By ls1228In Exercise, Extreme Blonde Moments, health, Helpful Tips, Product EndoresementsLeave a comment

shopping I’m skeptical but that’s what PiYo promises.

Foot surgery to install plates & screws in my right foot, immediately followed by a 3 1/2 week bout with bronchitis/pneumonia/strep has left me feeling weak and soft.

I bought the PiYo videos before my surgery, exactly 20 weeks ago tomorrow, because it promised that I’d be able to get definition without weights or jumping. The weights don’t bother me, but impact isn’t my friend right now, and I’m not exactly sure when it will be again…

piyo1

So I am prepared to start my 60 days. The first thing I’m supposed to do is measure myself, weigh myself, and review the diet suggestions to get the best results. All in all, it looks like something I can manage.

I already follow many of the diet guidelines
I just need to find the motivation to get started
I know that there will be pain in my foot
I realize that modifications in some of the movements will be necessary to accommodate the changed angles my foot can achieve
I need to stop the excuses and start today

All of this was spurred on by an article in Shape Magazine with a picture of a girl with ripped abs under a headline: How Long Should it Take to See Muscle Definition? Their answer was anywhere from 4-8 weeks depending on your intensity and diet. Well THAT was vague. Starvation would make it happen even faster….duh!

The article did remind me that I have the PiYo videos, that I have been sitting around for 5 months, and it’s time to stop doing that so I can get back into my favorite jeans, so I guess it served a purpose. Of course I probably should first remember where I put those videos I bought. :0 HMMM

Good thing it’s still early afternoon. I have a couple of hours to remember where I put them before my workout time is scheduled. UG! #OneDayAtATime

12 Amazing Beauty Benefits of Honey

On January 24, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, health, Helpful Tips, Product EndoresementsLeave a comment

Damn Dog Peed On the Rug Again!

On January 21, 2017January 21, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, Pisses Me OffLeave a comment

I have a male dog who was perfectly potty trained until our older female dog died last year. Then he picked three spots and he keeps lifting his damn leg in my house! Two are on the hardwood and they are easily cleaned up, but the third is on the edge of a 16′ shag rug and the edge of my leather reclining couch.

He doesn’t do it during the day when we can catch & correct him, it happens in the middle of the night, after we hear him go outside through the doggy door to pee! The problem is, we’ve never caught him in the act, try as we might. HMMM

I’ve tried nearly every commercial carpet cleaner, natural cleaners, pet odor removal sprays and nothing has deterred him. When I was using a wheelchair, when my foot was in a cast, parking it beside the couch kept him from peeing there at night, but he would still hit the other two spots. I’ve now broken him of the two other spots and I’m “this” close to getting him broken of the corner of the couch, now I am battling to save my rug.

I turned to my standby, Pinterest, for a solution, and my fingers are crossed that finally I have found an odor remover that works. I don’t want to have to replace this carpet again.

I followed this instruction exactly with three exceptions:

I peeled a large lemon, removed the pith, sliced the peel into strips and dropped them into the bottle;
1 added more than a few drops of the essential oil; and
I flipped up the edge of the rug, after treating the top side, and also treated the bottom of the rug. I then put a towel down between the bottom of the rug and the wood floor so that the rug could dry completely but not be lying directly on my hardwood floor.

The reason that I treated the bottom of the rug is that the urine had soaked through to the backing of the carpet. Since the backing was easily accessible, it made sense to me to attempt to clean both sides and have the best chance at removing the odor completely.

I allowed the carpet to dry about 20 hours before I vacuumed.

Doing the top side first, use a brush to agitate the baking soda so it’s easier to vacuum up.
Once the top side is completely vacuumed, fold the carpet over to expose the bottom.
Repeat the brushing to loosen as much of the baking soda as you can before you start vacuuming.
Before you vacuum the bottom of the rug, clean the floor beneath the rug and place a new clean towel where the towel was placed during drying.
Vacuum the bottom until all of the baking soda is gone. Use your attachments to get the best suction.
Use your brush one more time and vacuum the bottom again.
Place the rug back in place on top of the towel and re-vacuum the top area as some of the baking soda from the bottom may have come through with the brushing / vacuuming of the bottom.
Once all of the baking soda has been removed from the top, lift up the edge and remove the towel, which should have caught any dust that might have spilled through.

Your carpet should no longer smell of dog urine.

Federal Week in Review (2)

On January 14, 2017January 14, 2017 By ls1228In Dirty dealing, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Pisses Me Off, politics, SafetyLeave a comment

Last week’s post of the most asinine moves made in Washington, D.C., or in the case of Donald Trump, New York City, was so popular that I decided to make it a weekly thing. It appears there will be plenty of material for the foreseeable future, so here goes….

The week started with Donald Trump aiming his petty vengeance at an 89 year old man! Charles Brotman has announced every Inaugural Parade back to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s in 1957, but found out VIA EMAIL that, after 60 years, his services were no longer needed. Brotman told CNN’s Carol Costello, that he was heartbroken and detroyed, “I felt like Muhammad Ali had hit me in the stomach.” He’ll be replaced by a local freelancer who volunteered for the Trump Campaign.
Last week Trump told all Ambassadors and Envoys worldwide to vacate their posts by January 20th, now he has demanded the resignation of the two heads of the National Nuclear Security Administration as of Jan. 20, with no nominees waiting in the wings to replace them. Yeah that’s brilliant!
There are 3,000 to 4,000 positions that need to be filled to keep the government agencies and departments running. Most jobs are filled by career civil servants and Trump is so eager to, “Drain the Swamp” that he is leaving agencies unable to perform their tasks because there will be no leaders to hand down the new administration’s marching orders.
The Tuesday BOMBSHELL that last week Trump, Obama and the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” were given a classified forewarning, by the intelligence community (in the same report as the Russian Hacking of the election), that highly compromising and personal intelligence information concerning the depth of Trump’s relationship with Russia and much more, was being circulated, and had been since last summer. FBI chief Comey was aware of this information, but chose not to comment, confirm knowledge of, nor investigate Trump for it before the election. Seriously questionable considering Comey so infamously sabotaged Hillary Clinton a week before the election. Not only did he speak out of place, but he went rogue by issuing a letter, contrary to DOJ protocol, to Congress (which was then leaked to the public) with more unfounded email accusations against Clinton, which most certainly cost her electoral votes and ultimately the Presidency.
7 days before the Inauguration, Donald Trump has still not provided his Tax Returns. He personally owes roughly three-quarters of a billion dollars to foreign banks! He has not provided a solidified and comprehensive plan for separating his ownership and management of his vast business empire from his responsibilities as President of the United States. An attorney spoke of putting his holdings in a trust, one he will receive updates on, but it fails all five tests laid out by the ethics committee as they pertain to opportunities for undue influence or favoritism of foreign dignitaries or countries who, for instance, make allowances for properties of his in their countries, or who spend their money at his hotels, resorts, companies, etc.
No sooner had the head of the ethics oversight watchdog issued a response to Trump’s lack of separation from his businesses than Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, posted a Tweet threatening an investigation into the Office of Government Ethics. “His memo asked that the director present himself for an interview with the committee by the end of January. Richard W. Painter, an ethics lawyer who served in President George W. Bush’s administration, said Chaffetz appears to be punishing Shaub for the criticisms of the president-elect. “They are strong-arming them. They are obviously very upset the Office of Government Ethics is leaning on Trump and not willing to jam through his nominees. It is political retaliation.””
In response to the allegations of Trump’s collusion with the Russian’s leading up to and following the election, mounting outcry over the appearance of election interference and possibly multiple Logan Act violations by Team Trump, and what role FBI Director James Comey played in interference with the outcome of the election, Justice Dept. Inspector General launches review of FBI and DOJ actions ahead of 2016 presidential election.
This one may be my favorite bit of #TeamTrumpIdiocy this week. Trump team to remove commander of D.C.’s National Guard in middle of inauguration The Army general who heads the D.C. National Guard and has an integral part in overseeing the inauguration said Friday that he will be removed from command effective at 12:01 p.m. Jan. 20, just as Trump is sworn in as president. That means that, in the middle of the Inaugural Ceremony, before the rest of the Inaugural festivities begin, security for which he spent months helping plan, the commander of thousands of troops on the ground, plus 5,000 unarmed troops dispatched from across the country, in addition to all military air support protecting Washington, D.C., during the inauguration, will be required to leave his command. Yeah, that makes me feel secure. #WTFTrump

The list has many more items but I’m already pushing 900 words and there will be plenty more to digest next week, I’m sure. HMMM

Is It a Migraine or Some Other Type of Headache?

On January 13, 2017January 12, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, health, Helpful TipsLeave a comment

Anytime someone is suffering a particularly bad headache that lasts beyond a day there is a natural rush to label it a migraine. Most of the time that assumption is incorrect.

What is a headache?

Unpleasant pains in your head that can cause pressure and aching
Can range from mild to severe pain
Usually occur on both sides of your head
Some specific areas where headaches can occur include the forehead, temples, and back of the neck
A headache can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a week
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common headache type is a tension headache. Triggers for a tension headache include stress, muscle strain, or anxiety.

Ignoring the Migraine for the time being, other types of headaches include:

Cluster Headache – severely painful headaches experienced in cycles of attack followed by periods without pain on one side of the head; and
Sinus Headache – Often confused with migraines, sinus headaches co-occur with sinus infection symptoms like fever, stuffy nose, cough, congestion, and facial pressure; which then leads us to the Migraine Headache.

What Is a Migraine? Intense or severe headache often accompanied by other symptoms including:

nausea
pain behind one eye or ear
typically on only one side of head
pain in the temples
seeing spots or flashing lights
sensitivity to light and/or sound
temporary vision loss
vomiting
intense pain, possibly throbbing
performing daily tasks nearly impossible
pain may be so severe that the sufferer seeks care at the Emergency Room

feeling less mentally alert or having trouble thinking
seeing flashing lights or unusual lines
tingling or numbness in the face or hands
unusual sense of smell, taste, or touch

Some migraine sufferers may experience symptoms a day or two before the actual migraine occurs. Known as the “prodrome” phase, these subtler signs can include:

constipation
depression
frequent yawning
irritability
neck stiffness
unusual food cravings

So, how do you know if it’s really a migraine?

migraine-vs-headache

Once you have determined that you are a migraine sufferer, it is important to try and isolate what your triggers are so that you can eliminate them and try to reduce the number days you are affected by them. This chart is a handy guide to the most common migraine triggers.

Migraine Triggers Infographic

Image via: Migraine Triggers Infographic

The only trigger I do not see is Donald Trump. He gives me a Migraine. 😉 Hmmm

Buyer Beware!

On January 12, 2017January 11, 2017 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Fitness, Helpful Tips, Pisses Me Off, Rip-Offs and Scams, shoppingLeave a comment

kobe-bryant-final-game-shoes My birthday and Christmas are three days apart so my husband just usually asks me what I want. Last year it was power tools so I could work on projects. This year I wanted a new pair of basketball shoes, a pair of Kobe XI’s to be exact. I wasn’t even being particularly picky about the color, although I really love the black and gold ones he wore in his very last game. I didn’t think it was too much to ask.

I love shoes. Anyone who knows me knows that. I love my sneakers but have dozens of pair of cowboy boots, hiking boots, heeled and riding boots, strappy high heels, fancy pumps, wedges, sandals, fancy flip flops, and other girly shoes that are outfit specific. Sometimes that leads me to make impulsive buys. I have learned my lesson after this doozy!

nike-kobe-10-1631

In November I found a “too-good-to-be-true” website that advertised they had Pink Kobe and Jordan basketball shoes in stock, so I immediately ordered a pair of bright pink Air Jordan basketball shoes in my size & anxiously awaited their arrival.
I waited and waited but they never came.
Finally, two weeks later I received an email in broken English (they claimed to be in the UK) telling me that the shoe I ordered wasn’t available, advising me to choose one of the shoes they’d pasted into the email (different style and awful colors) or one from their website, and they’d ship that instead.
I had wanted that specific shoe. No shoes on their site (that I liked) were available in my size. I advised them of situation and requested a refund. Another week passed.
An email received from a new address shoes@custom-lists-service.com hmmm, that’s not jordan2u.com
If I want a refund I only get 70%. WTF? Nowhere on the site (I read every term and condition) or on my receipt does it say that!
Grudgingly I choose a pink Nike running shoe in a style I’ve worn before.
Another email, another shoe unavailable, another, “If I want a refund I only get 70%” email. Anyone else feel like they’re on a hamster wheel?
I went to their live chat in hopes of getting out of email Hell, only to state my problem and see the notification that, “A support staff member has joined the chat,” and then I sat and waited…It’s been an hour and 25 minutes now and I am still waiting for a response.
There isn’t a way for me to post a review to their site, although there are many (with the same shared poor use of English) reviews, or I would!

Needless to say, I have not agreed to accept the 70% refund! I am calling my bank tomorrow to let them know of the situation so that I can dispute the charge and have them refund it to me. But let this serve as a warning to all: Do not, under any circumstances, buy shoes from http://www.jordan2u.com/

I did get a pair of Kobe’s for my birthday. 🙂 They weren’t the black and gold ones but they were shipped from the United States, they fit and there were no customer service nightmares with them. There’s something to be said for that. Hmmm

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