Feeling Healthy & Strong

I am feeling healthy and strong today. I have all that I need to make this a great day of my life. I am calm and peaceful, and greet this day with ease.

These are three of the eight daily affirmations I make each morning upon waking, repeating them 3x each. I've been doing this daily ritual for the past 5 weeks and I feel it has been making a positive change and difference in my daily life experience.

Today I am feeling resourceful, powerful, capable, uplifting, and full of faith. I want to have faith and I do have faith. I want to trust the process of life, and I do trust the process of life. I believe and feel all things are constantly working out for my highest good, and so it is.

I had a beautiful dream last night as well, which has left me filled and infused with a spirit and sensation of clarity, warmth, love and ease. I was on the street behind my apt building, directly facing the Azure building. It was nighttime and I was utterly captivated by a beautiful sultry piano music being played live from one of the tenants on the topmost floor. It was a gorgeous music, I was enthralled and just stood there looking up towards the source of the music just appreciating, basking in the gorgeous sounds. It filled me with pleasure and delight. Wow - so delicious. Nearby there was another captivated party, a fellow also standing still and gazing upwards, hoping perhaps to see who had the magical hands that created the mesmerizing and majestic melody. I was captivated...what a beautiful dream. This is definitely for me a sign of beautiful, positive energy and that my inner being is joyful.

This morning has been magnificent. As I mentioned I am feeling resourceful and part of that generative energy is linked to my speaking with my mom and dad this morning. It had been a while since we chatted, especially since my personal life has been gaining beautiful momentum recently which means I've been more happily engaged with the flow of my life. It's wonderful to speak with my family and to know they are healthy and doing well. What a marvelous blessing - thank you, God!! :-)

This morning's workout was similarly energized and fun-filled. I worked out my arms - biceps and triceps with finishing touch of salsa dancing; today I experimented with a light bar whilst dancing and really enjoyed. My approach to fitness and exercising is to apply intensity, intelligence and focus both in the gym and with my nutrition...and to have FUN! I try to mix it up and make variety the spice of my fitness life. I also maintain a routine of certain exercises however I ensure I make it fun for me and dynamic so that I can continue loving it and enjoying.

Why do I weight train? Asking myself...

When it comes to fitness and training, which I deeply enjoy and use as a focal point to guide my daily life I sometimes wonder - “What do I truly want out of this lifestyle?” Am I doing this simply to improve my physique? Or, is there something more I want out of this?

It started the way it typically does for most people - I was a chubby child and once I joined the gym and witnessed the progress and positive changes experienced through aerobics classes I was hooked and wanted to continue getting slimmer, never being fat again and working towards a more perfect, ideal body. At 17 yr old I became a certified aerobic instructor and taught for 2 years at Lucille Roberts gym, a women's only gym in NY.  I then went to college and continued exercising and went through period of serious caloric restriction which I overcame. I wrote a long post about that experience (Anorexia) on my other page jarcila.blog.com.

It's been an 11 year journey since I started out. I still remember first measuring/weighing my food when I was 16yr old and my first food scale. Little did I know I would still be using the same cute reliable scale 10 years later traveling from New York to Dubai.

Fast-forward to today, I am the happiest with my body than ever, and probably the healthiest.

It's been a topsy turvy road yet the most important thing I realize is that I haven't reached my destination and I am on a quest of sorts. I want a leaner body composition (12-15% body Fat where am currently at 19%), tightness, definition, MUSCLES :-P

Baking protein cakes, packing my meals for the day, buying wholesome foods and trying as much as possible to limit the processed, packaged foods...and then training 5-6 days/wk. All basic components of living the 'fit, healthy' lifestyle. I wonder why I am so drawn to it and what I truly want from this approach. Some thoughts:

- I want to have a healthy, strong, vibrant body
- I want to look good, slim, fit, trim, sexy and toned for myself
- I like the structure and routine the training lifestyle necessitates if you want to do well at it
- it helps me keep things in a structure and hierarchy of priorities for my life, and basically I become my own priority which is healthy, emotionally speaking
- it is a challenge that I need to exhibit focus, consistency, practice and effort to achieve a specific physique goal
- I love how I feel moving my body in powerful ways and improving, enhancing my strength. As my physical strength grows so too does my self-esteem and emotional, mental security.

I like who and how I am at the gym, the feeling of strength and possibilities...Of taking control into your own hands to influence your life when many other aspects are out of our hands and when I've felt lonely in the past.

I've met like-minded friends at the gym and have a feeling of support and solidarity through the folks I see regularly.

Multifaceted motivation :) Haven't met my amazing man yet, I have faith he's on his way and we'll have a blast for the rest of our days ahead - Yay!

This is a nice one. Finding someone who loves the gym and nutrition as much as I do is GOLD :-) Hope I meet him soon.

Geat Plyos (Plyometrics) - Cardio boost + Carbs as Fuel

Every day is a great day for a great day :-)

This morning I had an amazing workout - I went in not knowing what I would train yet allowed myself to know/believe that I would figure it out and make it good once I hit the gym floor.
I had my oats and 7g protein and noted I felt sort of tired/lazy before leaving the apartment. I think it was due to the 1/2 tsp Magnesium salts I took in the morning. I should've known better! Magnesium is typically a relaxant and usually taken pre-bedtime to promote better sleep. I took it this morning because I was listening to a podcast (one of my faves, Ben Greenfield Fitness), and he mentioned that Magnesium is helpful in promoting Adinopectin which is a hormone integral to body fat composition and seems to be found in higher concentrations in lean people. From a 2005 study found on PubMed:

"adiponectin levels are lower in obese subjects than in lean subjects. Apart from negative correlations with measures of adiposity, adiponectin levels are also reduced in association with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes."
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15655035

To increase/promote Adinopectin production you can take magnesium which is found naturally in pumpkin seeds as well as through an MG supplement. Since I've recently been cutting down my pill supplements, including MG, I realized that I've been missing Mg and thus added it this morning. Thankfully, I counterbalanced the slight sluggishness by drinking my 2 cups of delicious coffee, ensuring it buzzed my system. In the end it most certainly worked its magic.

Going back to the original point, once at the gym I 'woke up' so to speak and realized I was going to focus on plyometrics and raising my heart rate throughout with some emphasis on biceps. It was tons of fun. Burpees, jumping jacks, supported pullups, inverted rows, high quick knee raises, mountain climbers, star jumps, squat jumps and quick alternating toe-to-bench taps. I definitely raised my heart rate and experience some challenge to the muscles, which is great.

I also observed I was very energized and had an amazing workout - it just may be the case that the carbs I've been adding to my system are serving as potent fuel for my workouts.

So far so good, and I hope for continued positive outcomes along the way.

Tomorrow is legs day - finally I have a full, normal weekend again! After one month of training classes, which were really stimulating and engaging, I am also thrilled I can sleep in, eat my breakfast with peace and ease and make plans to enjoy the two days of REST albeit without rest from the gym tomorrow ;-)

Finally, the most valuable aspect of this all, for me, is that I have a healthy, vital, active, functioning body. I'm so blessed and thankful I can jump around in creative, fun ways; i can grow stronger and have new experiences within my own skin n bones. It's remarkable. I realize one day in the distant future my activity levels will be modified; thus, I'm thankful for this moment now, this moment in time, this particularly stage and chapter in my 20s where I am so passionate, devoted and excited about weight training and being fit. It is just amazing that this can endure for the rest of my long and healthy, joyful, love-filled life. :-)

xx

New Woman (poem by J.Arcila)

New Woman

I'm a different woman, now more than ever.
The clouds have lifted, on to other mountaintops


Scampering across my mind's eye
are thoughts and memories of the past
yet they are nothing more and fading fast.

That was then, this is now
That was me and this is me

I love them all, all the Me's

That's just how nature wants it to be.

Each moment, a precious gem,
shimmering in God's perfection
let me wear it, adore it, and prize it;
bask in its exquisite angles, glinting edges
and mesmerizing sheen.

New melodies are being sung
colors seem to glow unlike anytime before
A butterfly flutters on, leaving behind that rusty ol' cocoon
All my wishes and desires - exceedingly real,
Once upon a month, I make 10 wishes on the moon.


By. J.Arcila, April 1, 2014
The things that really matter, we already know by heart. 

New beginnings are always exciting! New Nutrition & Training - Getting lean!!!

Today is a new beginning, a fresh start, and it is a day we will never live again. Let's make the most of it!

It's particularly significant as it marks the 1st of April - a new month for the continuation of life's journey however colored with new details, elements and different beautiful aspects.

In this month, I'm going to change/tweak my nutrition and approach to training. Mostly a change in my nutrition.

Since Dec 17, 2013 (so 3.5 months) I started have 30g carbs (Oats) pre-workout + Protein and then weight training. I've continued training 5-6 days/week and eating a lower-carb intake overall. Most days I typically consume 65-90g (max) Carbs and 150-160g Protein, 25-39g Fat for overall 1400 cals, which I've bumped up to this amount in the last 2 weeks.

My goal is to become leaner and more toned; to go from 19% Body Fat (measured last week 27 Mar) to 15-16%. According to the caliper info, it's reasonable to have fat loss of 1%/month. So it will take 4 months at very least. I'm no expert and I could easily be missing some info although that isn't as important as having a specific outcome of what I desire and basic parameters to guide me.

• So the new nutrition approach?

Following sound advice of my nutritionist :-) I will start to gradually increase my calories and carbs.
40% Carb, 40% Protein, 20% Fat and approximately 1600 cals. I'm a bit hesitant to bump up my cals yet I do train consistently 5-6 days and thus my energy requirements are likely higher than I am giving myself credit. In fact, many fitness experts and nutritionists advise that eating below cal requirements can result in some fat retention as the body is holding on the energy in the body; if adequate cals are consumed then this can facilitate the body to build muscle, promote fat metabolism, and reaching the lean, toned, defined body I crave :).

Despite the fact that I am satisfied on my current eating plan (lo-carb, no wheat or limited grains), higher protein and average fat, I am willing and open to adopting and implementing a new approach to see if it will shock my system and yield the desired results.  If I do the same thing I've been doing, I'm going to get the same results, and thus I won't know until I give it a shot and self-experiment.

The best that can happen is that I start to tighten up! See more abs definition, more defined, lean muscles and overall stable, optimal energy levels. That would be incredible! I want to embrace the possibility for a great outcome and if I apply myself conscientiously and diligently I can totally evidence the outcome - whatever it may be, and it can be amazing.

Well let me see.

• Some of the carbs I will now include/continue emphasizing:

- Sweet potatoes
- Oats
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Gluten free pasta & bread
- Pumpkin
Basically, carb food items I've been excluding due to the higher Carb content. I haven't been craving, wanting or missing these. Nevertheless, I will probably enjoy the greater variety of food I can include in my daily intake.

• What else?

From my recent coaching session (I was being coached as part of our final exercises), I committed to tracking my metrics objectively so that I have concrete data to compare. Many times we are (I am) quite subjective, emotional, hard on ourselves and generally unable to accurately gauge our progress. Thus, I can best track progress with specific tracking - one of the components in achieving my desired outcome :-)

I'll start by (1) resuming weekly progress pics, (2) body measurements with tape measure and (3) taking caliper measurements for Body Fat %.

In terms of training, I've started incorporating higher reps for all weight training exercises to stimulate muscle activation and increase my metabolism, and I am also starting to include some HIT moves (which I had been doing although not necessarily consistently) at least 3 days per week.

Part of me thinks I could greatly benefit from having a personal trainer who can make a plan for me which I can follow without having someone there by my side. It's worth considering.

For time being, I will focus on just a couple of key changes: nutrition (40/40/20 macro split), higher cals 1600/day, and incorporating higher reps on weight training + HIT at the end of each session, or else sprinkled in between training.

Hilarious - I love this one cuz it's often true! haha :-P

I'm excited for this new approach and new start! I have a goal in mind, the desire and a plan to implement. Now it's just applying, trusting the process and having fun at every single opportunity.

 xx