Filed under: heatlh and fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: affirmations, burn fat, burn fat running, challenges, health, healthy, healthy weight loss, lose belly fat, lose fat, lose weight, losing weight, meditation, running, running at the beach, running mates, stretching, sweat, training, walking, workout, yoga, young runners
i am staying at my mom’s house while my house is going through some major remodeling. thank goodness there is grandma. she can watch lola so i can go for a run. i ran alone today for the first time in a long time. it was around 9am and it was getting hot so i had to hustle. i am not so familiar with places to run around my mom’s house. i had run one course to get to the beach but when i ran out the house today, there was a group of young high school boys who were running ahead of me so i decided to follow their lead to see where they would take me.
we ran a different route that i had never run before. they took a very long about path to get to the beach. it was a difficult path because there was a lot of hills and it pushed me to run harder. when we finally got to the beach, some of the boys were slowing down and i was running along side them. once at the beach, we took yet another different path that was filled with hills. heel toe, heel toe is all i was thinking as i was running up and down these hills. yes, these young strong boys were kicking my butt and pushing me to run harder. it’s so inspiring to run along side young lively runners. if i had to compare the feeling, it’s kinda like the time i swam along side dolphins on one of my diving expeditions. i felt the kinship of my new running mates allowing me to run with them. we smiled at each other and kept each other company. the sun was getting hot but the ocean winds kept me cool so i could keep running. i was mostly concentrating on my footing to make sure i don’t twist my ankle in a ditch and i was focusing on my breathing to get me through this new path with these strong runners.
after 30 minutes of running, i got to a cliff area and i waved good-bye to my new running mates and stopped to take in the view . i wanted to do a little meditation and yoga standing at this beautiful cliff. the view was spectacular because the marine layer created a fog that was blanketing the coast. i could barely see the surfers sprinkled along the sea shore trying to catch a big wave. it’s another magical day in southern california. i can hear the strong winds whistling in my ears. i closed my eyes to say my affirmations for the day and started my run back. it took me 30 minutes to run to this point and now i am clocking to see how long it will take me to get back home.
the run home was not as exciting as i missed my energetic runners who challenged me to run harder. nonetheless, i quieted my mind and tried to empty it of the constant chatter. purging thoughts and clearing my head always gets me to a place of tranquility. it took me 37 minutes to get back home and i was super tired and yet invigorated. i did not stop sweating until another 20-30 minutes after my run. that’s a good workout in my book. i love days when i get a good run in and sweat like the niagara falls.
can’t wait to run like that again…..tomorrow!
smiles…..GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: burn fat, burn fat running, cleaning, cleansing, clearing, focus, freedom, freeing, health, healthy living, healthy weight loss, lose weight, love, perspective, running, training
Since my roommate is remodeling the house and turning it inside out & upside down, i am having to clear out the clutter that’s been packed in our garage. it’s amazing how we simply accumulate stuff. things just sit there over time and we keep collecting more and more STUFF. some of the stuff are cool and i am having a hard time parting with them and some of the stuff are things that i had forgotten about and taking up space. i am organizing them in piles to give to donation centers, to give to friends/family and then there are things that i am just trashing.
it’s hard work to weed through all this stuff and deciding what to do with all of it. it’s actually really cleansing and freeing to go through this process. i am finding that it’s hard to let go and yet at the same time it’s also very liberating to let go. living life with less stuff is just so much more satisfying. at the end of the day, i really don’t need all this stuff. i love that song that goes…..”all i need is love.” well, i know it’s a little too simplistic but it kinda sums up where i am at, at this point in my life. me, baby, sun, healthy living and lots of love. the rest is just stuff.
clearing out the clutter helps puts things into perspective and gets me more focused on what’s important in life.
be well and smiles!!!…..GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: affirmations, burn fat, burn fat running, eating and drinking, health, healthy, healthy weight loss, lifestyle, looking good, lose belly fat, lose weight, losing weight, running, running at the beach, sunblock
i ran with cam & mel yesterday by my mom’s house because i have taken refuge there. we started out early as the summer heat is getting too hot to run later in the day. from my mom’s house, it’s about a mile to the beach. we ran without lola and it was a nice change. cam took the lead followed by mel and i was the last of the three. i am happy to be running with these young strong girls. they always inspire me to workout harder. we got to the beach and had agreed to run another 10 minutes before we would head back. cam was running hard and i had decided to stop off at a bench to watch the ocean, do some meditation and wait for the girls to return. i was happy to run about 3 miles that day. i think the girls wanted to run more so decided to wait for them to return when they were ready.
sitting there above a high cliff and looking down below, i could see people on the beach with their dogs. it’s doggie beach. lots of happy dogs frolicking everywhere. it made me smile to see them playing. i thought of my 2 golden retrievers who have since passed onto to doggie heaven. i was breathing in and breathing out and listening to the ocean and the wind. i was so grateful to enjoy that very moment and taking in all the sensations of the sun, the warmth, the wind, and the smell with my eyes closed. suddenly, i heard someone ask me, “aren’t you suppose to be running or something?” i was startled and opened my eyes. there stood an older man in his late 50′s or early 60′s with swim trunks, flip flops and a heavily weathered tanned body. i smiled and told him i was taking a break and waiting for my young running mates to return.
he introduced himself as steve and proceeded to interview me as a potential dating candidate. he wanted to know where i live, which part of town, how long i had lived there, what i did for a living…..then of course, my age. i told him that men should never ask a woman her age. he laughed nervously and said that i should just tell him then slap him afterwards. i replied that i don’t make it a habit of slapping men. without getting much info out of me, steve then told me he surfs regularly in this spot in the early mornings, he’s a grade school history teacher with the summer off. he works 180 days per year with every holiday off, the summer off and looking forward to a nice retirement soon. he was a nice enough guy but i had little interest other than a pleasant conversation.
meanwhile, cam & mel came back to get me. i introduced them to steve and he was making small talk to the girls, when i noticed a women jogging by with a very nice jogging stroller. i was eyeing the stroller when steve asked if i had a baby. i was happy to share with him that i have a 13.5 month old baby girl. steve chuckled in what seemed like embarassment or nervousness and made a funny remark that my husband must be watching the baby so that i could go running. cam, mel and i just laughed openly and explained nothing.
why is it that people, strangers and anyone should make judgements on others? a friend of mine wrote on her facebook wall today something that i would like to share….
“When You judge another, you DO NOT define them, you define YOURSELF!”
it is not a reflection of me but a reflection of him when steve spoke. cam, mel and i bid our good-byes to steve and ran home secretly laughing at how funny his comment was.
i don’t take offense to my encounter with steve, the surfer. i think it’s kind of funny how people are so quick to judge and make assumptions of others.
until next time, smiles……GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: baby, burn fat, burn fat running, chaos, chill, clean air, debris, environment, health, healthy, healthy attitude, healthy living, meditation, meditative, peace, relax
so my roommate who has lived abroad for about 5 years and has now moved back home. living together again is an adjustment to say the least. she’s been home for almost 3 weeks and has managed to demolish the back patio, fill up all the living room & dining room with all the contents of her room because she’s remodeling her bedroom floors, repainting and redoing her closet space. she’s also building a computer closet, wine cellar, replacing the living room floors. there are plans to expand the kitchen 10 feet out as well as the dining room. she has basically created absolute chaos around the house. the house is one big danger zone to a 13.5 month old baby and a constant disaster area in the making. there is debris & dust everywhere! yikes, when is this all going to end? we have workers coming daily to work on the house and there’s not one clean spot to sit down and relax with the exception of my bedroom and the baby’s room.
it’s an understatement when i say it’s a great means of stress for me and baby. i have decided to move to my parents’ home to stay for the next couple of weeks to get away from all this chaos. i need peace and quiet in my life to work, enjoy my time with baby and simply to chill. it’s impossible to find any peace in my home right now. it’s not a healthy environment! i am fleeing this taco stand!
peace out & smiles…..GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness, Uncategorized | Tags: burn fat running, change, happy, healthy, healthy weight loss, laughing, laughter, lifestyle, lose weight, losing weight, positive attitude, running, thinking happy thoughts
i went to a few parties over the weekend and i had no expectations as to what i would encounter. my only thought was i wanted to get dolled up, feel sexy and have fun. it’s been a while since i parked the baby at grandma’s and so it was overdue.
i met up with francois and we headed to his friend’s art opening in LA. when we arrived at the gallery, we ran into a mutual italian friend named orsola. she’s a vivacious, lovely, cheerful soul who always has a very deep and genuinely infectious laughter. i saw her standing at the entrance of the art gallery and reached out to grab her arm and squeeze in a big hug. i had not seen her for a few months. she’s a nomadic spirit who easily drifts in and out of continents. we saw each other and began to laugh, laugh and laugh. no words exchanged. we just held each other, rocking back and forth and continued to laugh openly and happily. i love to hear her laugh and when she laughs, she makes me laugh even harder. i really love having people like this in my life. they inspire me to let go of stuff that don’t really matter. we checked out the gallery and talked to some nice people and then headed to my friend’s fashion party. we had already missed the fashion show but i wanted to go there to meet up with my friends.
when we arrived to the fashion party, i ran into my beautiful venezuelan friend named tilly. she’s a spiritual, peace loving, sexy, lively, loving, yogi master. we found tilly with some friends when she yelled out to us in glee and once again, we laughed upon seeing each other. we walked inside the party and found a place to sit down. tilly and i were catching up with sharing our stories and we laughed without inhibitions. if felt so free & good to just laugh and not care about what people thought. it was dimly lit and the music was loud so no one could hear what we were saying.
every moment of every day should be filled with this feeling of elation. LMAO (laughing my ass off) felt so great!
keep it light and laugh if off.
smiles….GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness | Tags: ab work, burn fat, burn fat running, eating and drinking, energy, health, healthy, healthy foods, healthy weight loss, jogging, lose weight, pace, run, running, sit-ups, sprinting, strengthening exercises, stroller, training, workout, yoga
i ran the other day with 2 new workout buddies named cameron & melanie. cameron is a sophomore in college and she use to run long distance track & fields in high school. running a cool 10 miles is no sweat off her brow. melanie is cameron’s older sister and she had started running 2-3 mile runs to stay in shape. i asked them to run with me so that we could inspire each other to workout more regulary, push each other harder and to simply have fun.
before the start of the run, i had expressed to my new running buddies that our run together is not a competitive one. each of us should run at the pace that is most comfortable to us no matter how fast or slow. i wanted them to simply enjoy the cardio workout and get the most out of it. during the run, cameron took a big lead as she is the strongest runner, next was melanie and trailing behind them was me pushing my lola along with the baby jogging stroller. to burn fat running, it’s best to run a long and steady pace instead of sprinting and doing short runs with bursts of energy. we ran about 3 miles and ended our run with some yoga strengthening exercises and ab work.
i noticed that having workout buddies inspired me to push my workout a few notches further and i worked out longer. the best part was i had more fun doing it. afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with making a very healthy brunch and sharing it together. lots of sweating, great healthy foods, plenty of laughter made for a great day. i am looking forward to our next running date!
smiles…..GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness | Tags: attitude, cancer, chemotherapy, eating healthy, exercise, grateful, gratitude, health, healthy, swimming
i have been swimming at my local gym pool for over 1o years so i have made some poolside friends with the regulars. it has been a long time since i have seen miranda come to the pool. just recently, i saw her in the next lane from mine as i was swimming my laps. i noticed she was watching and waiting for me to acknowledge her so i stopped my swim to greet her. she use to have long blond hair but this time she had dark short hair speckled with gray hairs. she looked different and there was something she wanted to share with me. i was very happy to see her and asked her where she had been and what was new in her life. her voice started to shake and she became emotional when she told me of her past year of experiencing uterine cancer which lead to cancer of her one kidney and having both of them removed. all of which took away her ability to live a normal life as she had to recover from chemotherapy, losing her hair, and regaining her life back to where it once was.
miranda is a very attractive & elegant woman who always took care of her health and came to the pool regularly. i had always thought that she was in her early to mid 50′s but she finally told me she was in her late 60′s. i would have never guessed her age. she attributes her youthful look to eating healthy and swimming regularly. while she was sharing with me her difficult journey with cancer, i could not help but openly shed tears of pain and sorrow. i deeply felt her pain and her struggle. it hurt me to know what had happened to her. although miranda and i are more like acquaintances rather than close friends, for some reason, miranda and i connected on a deeper level that day.
i asked her what got her through it all, miranda told me that she only thought of living life one day at a time. that looking back, if she had thought of the entirety of the whole experience, she would have given up and resolved to dying. now, she’s so grateful to be able to eat again, to gain back the 20 lbs from the 30 lbs that she had lost and to be able to go to the pool and swim again. her message is simple…..to be grateful for everything that one has, to live life one day at a time and to never take our health for granted. without our health, we have nothing.
there is a resounding peacefulness in miranda’s being. she’s living life with the gratitude attitude. she does not feel sorry for herself and there is no anger in her heart for what has happened to her. i was so inspired by her strength and her ability to take a bad situation and turn it into a positive learning experience. as tears were streaming down my face, i reached out and hugged her. i was very grateful to cross paths with her that day and i am even more grateful that she shared her story. it is a reminder to me to continually have the gratitude attitude.
no matter what happens or where i am in life’s journey, i am always grateful.
be well & smiles!!!
GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness | Tags: aerosport, boot camp, build muscle, burn fat, burn fat running, changing, cycling, fat loss, golfing, healthy, healthy weight loss, karate, lungs, muscle, swimming, tennis, turbo kick boxing, walking, workouts
i have been running a lot lately. i am getting good strides in my runs and my lungs feel stronger. my quads are a little soar and tight from the harder runs that i did this past week. it feels so awesome to have that soarness feeling. i know my muscles are ripping and repairing themselves when i get that soar feeling. it’s a good thing because that means i am building muscles and muscles burn fat!
it’s another gorgeous day here and i want to take advantage of changing it up a bit by getting in a nice long swim in today. swimming is so great on the joints, it’s a total body workout and it gets my lungs even stronger. i sleep so well on days that i swim. to me swimming is like butter. it’s so smooth, it’s rich in exercise and all around great feeling!
baby’s at the sitter today, so i have plenty of time to fit in a refreshing & invigorating swim. so dive in everyone and change it up a bit with your workouts. burnfatrunning.com starts with burnfatrunning but it doesn’t stop there. to burn fat, you can burnfatwalking, burnfatturbokick, burnfatbootcamp, burnfatcycling, burnfatkarate, burnfattennis, burnfatgolfing, burnfataerosport, or burnfatswimming.
so get out there and get the most out of burning fat with whatever workouts inspire you to feel better & get healthier!
enjoy your workouts!
smiles…..GIGI
Filed under: heatlh and fitness | Tags: best diet, calcium, diets, eating, fish oil, healthy, multi vitamins, nourish, nutrients, supplements, vitamins, water
i have been so negligent in taking my vitamins lately and i noticed a big difference in my energy level and recovery rate from my workouts. too busy with baby, taking some classes, trying to work and exercising is taking its toll on my body. fatigue and lack of energy is settling in.
just recently, to help me remember, i put a red rubber band on my wrist to remind me to take my daily supplements. my daily doses of vits are a good multi, calcium and fish oil. although i am a very conscientious and healthy eater, i may not always get all the necessary vitamins my body needs. taking the vitamins help bridge that gap.
the vitamins don’t work overnite. just taking some today, does not mean that i instantly perk up in a snap. vitamins are like water to plants. over time, when used regularly, they nourish and provide the nutrients necessary for the body to maintain its good health. the hardest part is to remember to take my vitamins and drink plenty of water with it.
vitamins do the body good!
smiles…..GIGI
