DAILY BURN – Making Health & Fitness a Priority

I’m on a roll!

Yes, little old me — the undisciplined, routine-hating,
easily-bored-to-death moi is building momentum.

And it’s all thanks to Dino who introduced me to DailyBurn.

As soon as I saw Dino’s tweet about DailyBurn,
I was drawn to click on the link.

When I landed on the site, I knew it was the beginning
of a brand new adventure.

So, of course, I tweeted about it…

One tweet led to another, and soon
Todd Tyrtle decided to join.

We have since become
*Burn Buddies*

Thus it will go down in History that on July 5th, 2009,
Todd and I officially started working out
and logging our daily food intake.

Here’s what the Food Log looks like:

EASY AS 1-2-3

Now that I’ve entered the required nutritional information in the “My Favorite Foods” section, all I need to do is type in the number of portions I’ve had and the nutritional breakdown is automatically calculated. (I can also choose from a long list of foods already registered by other members.)

Over time, I’ll be adding more favorite foods to my list as well as vegetarian recipes.

Throughout the day, various charts
keep me posted on my progress:

As you can see, I’m having a bit of a challenge:
must add more protein…
and must EAT MORE!

Keeping track of my food intake brought on a major wake-up call: for the past two years, I haven’t been eating as much as I should. And what I have been eating has way too many carbs and fat, and way too little protein.

If I’m going to work out 6 days a week for the rest of my life, I need to make sure my body gets enough fuel to keep me going till I’m 133… MINIMUM.

MY WORKOUT SCHEDULE

I’m taking the “slow but sure” route so as not to injure myself.
Or get sick and tired and quit.

“Remember, goals are stars to steer by,
not sticks with which to beat ourselves.”
- Barbara Smith

Every day, 6 days a week, I start off with
WARM-UP AND CARDIO exercises:

• On my rebounder, I jog and jump and twist and kick, punching away, right, left and center, and basically doing any wild and crazy move I can think of to the beat of loud rock’n'roll music. YESSSS! This usually lasts 20 minutes… but I often lose track of time and go for a longer period because I’m having so much FUN.

Every day, I end my routine by doing crunches
and a variety of stretches.

AND every day, if all hell doesn’t brake loose,
I take a brisk one-hour walk outside.

Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I work my
UPPER BODY using 5-pound dumb-bells:

• Curls
• Shoulder Rotators
• Seated Shoulder Press

I also do 3 sets of 8 push-ups…
the girly kind, on my knees.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
I work on my LOWER BODY:

• Thigh Strengtheners
• Toe Risers

I also do Back Strengtheners.

Voilà!

Come Saturday, I deserve a break:
no workout, no food log.

But if you keep on reading, you’ll see that
a break won’t be that easy to take…

Here are the entries I posted in my
DailyBurn Journal for WEEK 1:

DAY 1

EXCITED AND DETERMINED = that’s how I feel today. After browsing this site and checking out different workouts, I decided to go with my very own slow-but-sure routine: the rebounder and the basic exercises listed in Deepak Chopra’s book, “Grow Younger, Live Longer.” I’m vegetarian and need to examine my eating habits in order to make sure I get the daily food intake I need to build muscle and stay healthy and energized. Will be getting the necessary info and post about this soon. Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Happy Oza

DAY 2

PROUD OF MYSELF = that’s how I feel today. Went out and bought an exercise ball. Will be checking out the training videos on YouTube, tomorrow… to see how I can add to and improve my workouts. The great thing about recording my food intake is that I realized how low my protein intake is. VERY low. And my calorie intake is also a bit low. So will have to look into this… maybe see if I should supplement with protein shakes. All in all, this experience is a terrific boost. I’m aching a bit, but I can’t wait for tomorrow’s workout. Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Burnin’ Oza

DAY 3

HOORAY FOR ME = that’s how I feel today. My legs are hard and feel tight, that’s how fast the rebounder works. Though today was an upper body workout day, I always start with the rebounder — for the cardio, but also for the sheer fun of it. Push-ups were easier to do than they were the first time, on Sunday, so I guess I’ll be ready to add a few by next week. Went to the library and picked up a series of DVDs on Pilates — want to learn how to use my gym ball properly. So I’m still excited about this new adventure. YESSS! Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Smilin’ Oza

DAY 4

BUILDING MOMENTUM = that’s what I’m proud of, today. As they say, if you persist for 21 days, you create a habit. And I do intend to make working out and eating healthy a habit… an addiction, even! I’m happy I finally increased my protein intake… but can’t seem to eat enough to reach my total daily calorie goal. You’d think all this extra exercise would make me hungry — on the contrary. Very bizarre indeed… But I feel GREAT, so I’ll try and eat a bit more in days to come. Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Gettin’ Stronger Oza

DAY 5

BURSTING WITH ENERGY = that’s how I feel today. Funny thing, I often find myself running around the house instead of walking, LOL. Still haven’t reached my total calorie goal — geez, it seems I’m eating all the time as it is! Will try harder, but can’t imagine ingesting more food. I’ve added a new exercise, today: DUMB-BELL SEATED SHOULDER PRESS. But I must admit, once it came time to do my push-ups, my arms were shaking. So all is good and I’m pumped like I’ve never been in my life. Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Super Oza

DAY 6

FLYING HIGH = that’s how I feel, tonight. The end of my first week… but the beginning of a new, healthier, fitter life. BUT… as I mentioned before, I really need to eat more. I weighed in this morning: 111.6 pounds, down from 113.8 last Sunday. And here I was, thinking I’d weigh more because I was building muscle mass. NOT! So I’ll be taking care of that in order to not disappear completely. LOL Tomorrow is an off day — no workout, no logging my food. It will be a welcome break. Back to business on Sunday for WEEK 2. Bring it on! Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. Proud Oza

DAY 7

INCREDULOUS = that’s how I feel, tonight. Is this really me? I had intended to take the day off, to not log my food intake, to stay put and relax. NOT! There was no way I was going to let a day pass without logging my food to see how many carbs and proteins went into my body. And though I didn’t actually “work out,” I did take a walk… a very looooonnnng walk: 3 HOURS. Incredulous, I tell you. Because I’m SO not a disciplined person. SO not into routines of any kind. Could I be addicted to DailyBurn? I think so. And I’m mighty happy about it. Tomorrow marks the beginning of Week 2 — yaba daba doo doo doo. Peace & Love & Rock’n'Roll, Mudd a.k.a. New and Improved Oza

*WEEK 2* starts today.
HOORAY!

LAW OF ATTRACTION: 133 or Bust!

In 1991, on the eve of turning 41,
I decided I was going to live till
I’m 133 — MINIMUM.

A healthy 133 years young…
in mind, body, and soul.

Along with being vegetarian, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and laughing in the face of adversity, I thought I’d add a little Law of Attraction to my daily routine to help keep my mojo workin’ for another 74 years.

Before I move on with my plan, here’s a reality check: I already have a ravaged face.

That’s because of the rock’n'roll life I’ve led, the roads of depression I’ve traveled, the sun I’m addicted to, and the load of crummy genes I inherited from my now-deceased mother.

At the moment, the wrinkles around my mouth are the ones that bother me the most. But I’m sure it won’t be long till they blend right in with the ones that are slashing my mug, from my forehead to my chin.

Another thing that makes me look older is my hair.

I got my first grey hair when I was 12; by the age of 28, my mane had turned to salt and pepper; nowadays, well, it’s mostly grey… a very light grey (see photos).

In 2006, sick and tired of my dusty locks which, back then, came down below my shoulder blades, I had my hair coloured a nice golden brown. Two weeks later, realizing that the grey would always pop back to ruin the look, I bought a clipper and shaved it all off.

In September 2008, deep in the throes of another capillary crisis, I had plum-coloured streaks brushed in. After going through the same process in December and once more last March, I have since chosen to drop the streaks and get used to my natural look. Instead of reaching for the clipper, I’m patiently waiting for the streaks to either fade out, grow out, or fall out.

So when I say I want to live till I’m 133,
esthetics are evidently not a priority.

My new motto:
GREY ROCKS!
WRINKLES RULE!

From now on, my mental and physical health, my strength, my endurance, my flexibility, and my humour-slash-happiness are what I intend to focus on in order to stay in top shape.

Enter Deepak…

According to Chopra’s teachings in his book Grow Younger, Live Longer – 10 Steps to Reverse Aging, the “normal” experience of the body and its aging is a conditioned response — a habit of thinking and behaviour.

By changing my habits of
thinking and behaviour,
I can change the experience of
my body and its aging.

Excerpt:

SETTING YOUR BIOSTAT

Close your eyes. Become aware of your breath, releasing any tension you may be holding in your body.

Now, choose an age within the last fifteen years
that you would like to be in biological terms.
(Note: I’ll be 59 this year, so I chose 49.)

This means you would like to have the physical and mental capacity of a healthy person at that age, that you would like your biomarkers to reflect that particular age, that you would like to feel and look that particular age.

Just as a thermostat adjusts the temperature in a room to a particular set point, so, too, your Biostat will orchestrate your psychology and biology around the biological age you have chosen.

This will happen through the following mechanisms:

1. Your intention to stay at a particular Biostat will directly influence your body of energy, transformation, and intelligence. This is because intention influences your biochemistry through its infinite organizing power. This is the principle of teleology, which states that intended outcomes orchestrate the biological mechanisms to fulfill themselves.
2. Keeping your Biostat in your awareness will influence your thinking, your moods, and you behaviour, and reinforce your intention to maintain your biology at that set point. Once you have identified your set point, begin affirming it five times a day.

We suggest practicing the following ritual upon awakening, before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner, and at bedtime. On each of these occasions, close your eyes and mentally repeat to yourself each of the following phrases at least three times:

Every day in every way, I am increasing
my mental and physical capacity.

My Biostat is set at a healthy __ years of age.

I look and feel a healthy __ years old.

Within a few days of performing this ritual, you will actually begin to think and act from the level of your Biostat. All your habits will be influenced, but even more important, your perception of your biological age and your experience of it will begin to shift. You will start to believe in your Biostat and its organizing power, and your new belief will shape your new biology.

Believe me,
IT WORKS.

Give it a try and let me know how you feel.
KEEP ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD