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Grad School, Fighting, Figure, Etc~

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Sunday morning. Posted up at the gym with my computer, silence in the studio, cars in the street streaming by, sounds of traffic ebbing and flowing. I have about 10 minutes before my client comes. Can I knock out a synopsis of Life of Kristina? I’ll spare you the emotional piece, and focus for the most part on fitness.

Firstly, I started graduate school in kinesiology last week.

books

My long awaited studies are commencing! I always wanted to go to graduate school and actually intended on becoming a PhD before I became a trainer. I was offered a few full fellowships and turned them down. Now that I have been in the fitness industry, graduate school still beckons, and finally am working on my masters. I don’t know if I will feel motivated to pursue a PhD, but at the least I want my masters My life is ALREADY quite busy, so shortly we will see how much of an impact my course load will impose! I am thinking of focusing my masters on figure and fitness. Because figure and fitness are relatively new and therefore there is a dearth of scholarly research in the field, if I pursue that field, I will be a pioneer! You can say you knew me when…

Another huge thing is that I joined a local fight gym and I am so in love with fighting. A few years ago, I was part of a fight gym in Oakland and focused on boxing, with a sprinkling of Muay Thai and jui jitsu. Then, when I tore my ACL— I of course had to cancel my membership. Then I moved to the South Bay. And was recovering ever since. And now I’m feeling much stronger. I’m feeling feisty. I’m feeling ready. Hence the return to a fight gym. I had scoured the internet to find local fight gyms, and tried out several. All of them were okay, but didn’t make me super excited. Either they didn’t offer classes at times convenient for me, or the location was not convenient, or the instruction was not what I was looking for (e.g. house-moms looking for a cardio workout- NOT what I am looking for- I can burn calories myself- I am looking to learn to be FIERCE and HURT somebody*). Til the one I joined. I got a free week trial and I was in there ALL the time! When the week was up, I couldn’t stop! I totally love it and want to get really good. Please register in your brain: Kristina the fierce MMA fighter-gal to add to the different facets of self. It would be bomb to fight within 6-12 months…

handwraps (source)

>>>NOTE: fast forward several hours…resuming typing>>>>

I am still very passionate about becoming a fitness and/or figure champion, and also hope to compete within the next 6-12 months, but I wonder if they are mutually compatible. Certainly fighting and figure represent different ends of the spectrum in terms of functional versus fictional strength, end goals, as well as training methods. SO I had heard some disappointing chatter that I will not be able to achieve my physique goals if I pursue fighting- BUT I am so excited and delighted by fighting that I don’t want to sacrifice it, at least not at the moment. And perhaps I CAN be a badass fighter AND have a trophy-worthy physique? Only time will tell, as I continue to train at the same time for fighting and figure and see where the chips fall…

With regards to fighting, I am much more comfortable with my hands than anything else. My footwork (NOT breaking footwork, but boxing/muay thai footwork!!) is non-existent, and my kicks- especially on my right side- are pretty abysmal. So, my current priorities are to feel more comfortable with footwork, with kicking…and of course with defense, and then offense…then everything else…I am trying to be easy on myself since I JUST started training and I can’t be as good as others who have been doing this for years upon years straight (or their whole life)….but when I want something, I want it! ;p I want to be good NOW!!!!!

Another exciting thing is that I am going to the Olympia on the weekend of Sept 24^th in Vegas!!! YAYY!! So excited!! Are any of you going?? I have never been to a bodybuilding/figure/fitness event of that caliber before and I am so excited to see the nation’s best! It will also be a good way to assess if that is where I want to end up….

Very excited to see my FAVORITE fitness competitor, Tanji Johnson!

2007_olympia_tanji2

Excited to see everything- the vein-y, unnaturally orange flesh, the stripper high heels, the stiff strides, the supplement vendors, the hot bods, and just generally be intoxicated with the craziness that will no doubt be the OLYMPIA in VEGAS!

Well, my beauties, again I apologize for being MIA. Exciting things are on the horizon and (as always) I hope to post more frequently. By the way, I also post on Facebook and Twitter if you want to keep in touch that way, too. Love you all!! <3 <3 <3

*of course only in the consensual spirit of the sport, with the most loving kindness that can be transmitted while kicking the shit out of somebody

Posted in Figure, Fitness, & Bikini, Miscellaneous, Training | 2 Comments »

Time Management Reflection

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

My client just lent me a book called Fantastic Voyage by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. It was quite an odd yet interesting book about the science behind “radical life extension”- the point being extending your life long now so you can make it to the point where technology can assist us to live forever. Personally, I don’t know if I would WANT to live forever?! But, I read the book focusing on their recommendations of what promotes an outstanding level of health for the present

Check this link out for their “Short Guide to a Long Life.”

I started this post not intended as a book review, but because on one of the last pages of the book, I came across something that struck me and I wanted to pass it along.

Lately- well, probably often- I struggle with time management. And in less than two weeks I will be starting my graduate program, as well as working a lot, as well as preparing for my upcoming fitness domination (tee hee, this is how I get pumped up), etc etc…And I wonder how I will be able to work so much, work out so much, have a full load as a grad student, plus be happy, joyful, sane, and potentially spontaneous.

ToBeUsedTrail

So when I came across this item, it made me think. This is not an exercise I have done before. But seems very practical and helpful! The suggestion comes in Chapter 23 on “Stress and Balance.” The authors state “We can always find reasons to feel stressed, but the predominant source of stress in our lives is internally generated…It is an oversimplification to say that stress is bad for you. In many circumstances, certain forms of stress can be very damaging to one’s health.” They offer certain suggestions to reduce stress and promote balance in one’s life, one of which is good time management.

Without further ado, ladies and gents, here is their piece on time management: “How you spend your time reflects your priorities. As an exercise, write down your priorities in terms of work, family, friends, exercise, sports, relaxation, and so on. Then, for the following week, write down how you actually spend your time. How does your time management reflect an optimal and comfortable balance between work, family/friends, and self? With all the pressures of modern life, it is easy for your allocation of time to stray substantially from what you desire, and also from what is healthy. If you find a discrepancy, consider how you would prefer your time be spent, then develop a strategy for making the change. It’s often not possible to make significant changes overnight After all, you have responsibilities and obligations that cannot just be dropped. But with a well-thought-out plan, most people have a greater ability to control their destiny, not to mention their daily schedule, than they realize….Also, leave time free for problems and opportunities that arise. An overscheduled life does not leave time for spontaneity…”

Good stuff, eh? It makes me reflect- what is the discrepancy between what I would assert are my valued proportions for my activities versus my actual time spent? How am I doing now? And how will I do when grad school hits (T minus 13 days)? We will soon see Hopefully you also found this good fodder for self-analysis.

Present Moment Mutts cartoon 1

Tags: balance, stress reduction
Posted in Miscellaneous, Motivation & Mindset | 3 Comments »

Coconut Oil…and, oh yeah, art…

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

I received a while back Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. This was the first time I had used coconut oil, and I must say that I find it pretty awesome! I use it for cooking things that are sweeter, or even some things not sweet!! This includes protein pancakes and VEGGIES!!

Purple asparagus

the delicious cinnamon cabbage!!!

yummerz protein pancake

Their website states: “This Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is a truly unrefined coconut oil. This coconut oil is made on Mt. Banahaw and surrounding areas from organic coconuts. Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines. Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. The volcanic soil of Mt. Banahaw makes these organic coconuts some of the most nutritionally rich coconuts in the world! Testing done in independent laboratories reveals higher levels of phenolic antioxidants than other coconut oils. The fresh coconut meat is shredded (wet milled), and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk is then allowed to sit for about half a day, while the oil naturally separates from the heavier water. The oil is then filtered from the curds (coconut solids). No chemical or high-heat treatment is used, and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. We do NOT mass produce this oil. It is made by families who are coconut farmers using old-fashioned traditional methods that have been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Our coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year. This high-grade Virgin Coconut Oil has a long shelf life due to the high antioxidant properties. The Gold Label standard is our highest standard for Virgin Coconut Oil.

Virgin Coconut Oil is a food, and is one of the best cooking oils you can use. It has been a staple cooking oil for thousands of years in tropical climates. As a cooking oil, its chemical structure is kept in tact and therefore is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains even when used in higher cooking temperatures, unlike most vegetable oils. Research shows that the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil boosts the body’s metabolism, raises body temperatures, and helps provide greater energy which can lead to weight loss. For hundreds of tasty recipes from people who use coconut oil, visit FreeCoconutRecipes.com.”

I have a lot more experimenting to do, but ever since I got it, I have been using it waaay more than extra virgin olive oil! I like the tropical taste it imbues I have a friend who uses it with EVERYTHING including kale, brussell sprouts, spinach– anything you can sautee! It’s good stuff.

…Oh yeah, buy my art! Check out my gallery… http://kaleida-art.deviantart.com/

whitemixedmedia

Lots of love!

xoxo

Posted in Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 5 Comments »

New Beginnings

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

WOW! Where do I start?

I am openly GUILTY of not posting in…

FOREVER!!!

Why?

Well, as an understatement, my life has been CHAOTIC.

My partner and I broke up (after 2 years).

My world CRUMBLED.

My mind, like a seizing boat thrashing back and forth in a violent storm, ran through the whole gamut of emotions from disbelief, to anger, resentment, bitterness, optimism, desperation, attachment, peace, depression, uncertainty, insecurity, despair, wonder, and an entire SHIFT in my paradigm.

When we broke up, everything I thought I knew shattered. I had made all my decisions based upon the fact of this partner for life, and building for us together. Moving to this small town, etc etc. Then, I questioned my decisions, my path, my goals, my commitments, my desires, my situation…

I am taking it day by day. I recently moved out, which is is huge (so I can begin to heal), so I am beginning a new life. New journey. New opportunities. More love. More growth. More experiences, more passion, joy, excitement, energy, success, challenges, and so forth. (Just have to turn the words into something I wholeheartedly believe and embrace and into something that invigorates me!!)

With this huge transition, there have been some changes in my normal “routine” that are relevant to this blog. One thing is that I have been cooking WAY less. I was not at home much in the period after the breakup/before I moved out, and then now that I am at this new place, I am not home as much as well, because I am keeping myself busy, and also the kitchen is much smaller. Although I truly enjoy and prefer cooking and eating all my meals at home, right now I am eating out more and I am okay with it, given the circumstances.

Another thing is that my workouts are ummm “different”?? Rather than hitting the gym, I have been trying a bunch of different classes! I have taken two different boxing classes, a kickboxing class, two kettlebell classes, one hot Vinyasa yoga class, one Parkour class, one gymnastics class, mmm what else lol…err I think that’s it? I have also been starting to dance again a little bit and doing as much of all these things as I can, taking into consideration my bum shoulder n knee! ;P

Message to self #1: Before the break up, every morning I would religiously meditate and harness a great amount of energy and LOVE and passion and purpose and joy and wellness to myself (and others). I need to regenerate the authentic, loving, joyous, powerful, healthy, motivating ENERGY in my HEART.

Message to self #2: This is not the end, this is the BEGINNING.

Inspirational Quotes for me and you

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning ~Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” ~Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” ~T.S. Eliot (American born English Editor, Playwright, Poet and Critic, 1888-1965)

“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.” ~Erich Fromm (German born American social Philosopher and Psychoanalyst, 1900-1980)

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” ~Ursula K. LeGuin (American Writer best known for tales of science fiction, b.1929)

“I haven’t a clue as to how my story will end. But that’s all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don’t conclude the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?”

“On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.” ~Buddha (the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” ~Bob Moawad

“A warrior seeks to act rather than talk.” ~Carlos Castaneda (Peruvian born American best-selling Author and Writer, 1925-1998)

“The hardest thing in the world is to assume the mood of a warrior. It is of no use to be sad and complain and feel justified in doing so, believing that someone is always doing something it us. Nobody is doing anything to anybody, much less to a warrior.” ~Carlos Castaneda

Okay, all, I have officially spilled my guts! Any comments, quotes, feedback, or anything would be deeply appreciated. You know it! Much <3 <3 <3 and x’s and o’s

Posted in Miscellaneous | 10 Comments »

Studying, Chef Experimentations, Fun Clip, Gratitude, HANDSTANDS, Etc

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Hello my lovelies! Long time no talk. So sorry! I suck. I want to check in with you guys and give you a recap of what’s been going on, plus some fun things to watch/try…Here it is, in no particular order.

I’ve been studying for my Precision Nutrition certification. It is AWESOME. So many times, certifications are just initials, and don’t really provide practical information, or how to apply the concepts. This PN certification is really great because it actually provides the tools for application! In fact, I just started experimenting with my new client enrollment/assessment procedures by using their materials, and will see how that works out (for me as well as my clients). TBD.
The grad school schedule is finally up! I am a major planner, so I was waiting with extreme anticipation for the Fall 2010 schedule to be released. I think I will take 3 classes my first semester in grad school. If I take 3 in fall, 4 in spring, 4 in fall, 3 in spring, I should graduate within 2 years. But…the thought of jumping into 3 classes gives me a little bit of anxiety. I know I am perfectionistic, so I think 3 classes in addition to owning my own business, and working out with the goal of a figure or fitness show soonish, plus blog, plus cleaning at the studio and the house, plus cooking, plus healing, plus social life, plus everything else…makes me wonder if I will work myself into a tizzy and counteract all the low stress lovely lifestyle I have created for myself. On the other hand, I have to weigh the anxiety that I would be EXTENDING my grad school career. I want my masters. Like now. The degree should be in my hand. So the thought of taking a long time to get my masters does not appeal to me. I think maybe I should just focus on it and do it, and not drag it out. That’s why I think I should take 3. Thoughts?
I have also been chefing it up in the kitchen! I experiment a LOT but often times things…umm…don’t turn out so fantastically (Kristina = rookie) so I don’t post up most of my “creative” endeavors. Things I recently experimented with: homemade Chocolate Mint “Cliff Bar” (FAIL)(no pic)
protein pudding with agar agar (inspiration: Alyson)(Click the pic to see Alyson's)

Peppermint Chia pudding (inspiration: Averie)(Click the pic to see Averie's)

peanut butter “encrusted” root vegetables (inspiration: Angela)(Click the pic to see Angela's)

sautéed Asian greens (from the farmers market)

banana cinnamon egg white omelette (courtesy of Mercola Banana Whey & cooked in Tropical Traditions coconut oil)

By the way, I have totally been loving:

Cauliflower for breakfast with egg whites, cinnamon & stevia (“faux” oatmeal and you sneak in a VEGGIE for breakfast!)(Yes, I’m weird- maybe)
Big bowl of veggies like brussel sprouts, kale, edamame, broccoli, etc with chicken and everything heated up and mixed with hummus, Bragg’s, nutritional yeast, and Ms Dash hot pepper flakes. DELISH!

Went on a beautiful hike with the boo & dogs in Los Gatos. Look at Luke, all passed out! Abso-lutely-frikkin-ADORABLE!

I saw this clip and posted this on my FB page, but also wanted to post it here, in case you missed it. I love the positivity and enthusiasm, and I think she is hilarious!

I want to post a few things I am grateful for:

I am grateful for morning workouts
I am grateful for two adorable, vibrant dogs
I am grateful for my increasing healing
I am grateful for my friend, Crystal, who helps hold me down
I am grateful for the time I have now to share with you, and just be and reflect
I am grateful for new songs on my playlist that amp me up
I am grateful to Amanda for inspiring the GRATITUDE

Here is the freestyle fitness move of the week. I’ll call it “of the week” but I don’t know if weekly will be the case. Let’s just say “of the week.” The move is…a handstand!! I LOVE handstands. (Below- old school pics of me.) They are FUN, they are great for shoulder strength & stability, and by angling your feet in different ways, you place a huge demand on your core! Beginners, start against a wall and just HOLD a handstand. Peeps who are comfortable with holding handstands, I dare you to position your legs in different configurations! It’s hard! But good! And it looks badass. What do you think??

Much LOVE <3 <3 <3

~Kristina

Tags: experimentation, handstands, precision nutrition
Posted in Breaking, Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes | 9 Comments »

Protein Powder Review- Guest Post on FoodsOfApril.com

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Oh by the way I forgot to mention on my blog that I did a guest post on FoodsOfApril.com! It’s a protein powder review.

Here is some of it:

WHEY-BASED PROTEIN POWDERS

Miracle Whey (Peanut Butter Flavor)- The best tasting peanut butter flavored protein powder I’ve ever had! This is Mercola’s line of super healthy cold pressed whey from only grass fed cows! It is a bit higher in carbs than I would like, but very tasty, yow! 3 g F, 12 g C, 4 g sugar, 19 g P

All The Whey (cake batter flavor)- yummmers. This may be my all time favorite protein powder?? Not only is it extremely delicious, but it has good stats: 0 g F, 1 g C, 1 g sugar, 25 g P per serving!

Optimum Nutrition (mocha cappuccino)- not too bad! I like it because it tastes like cappuccino yummm. Sometimes I add it to my morning coffee or soy latte…. ;P 1.5 g F, 4 g C, 1 g sugar, 24 g P

Nectar (Chocolate Truffle)- eh. Whatevz. A little grody but fine. 0 g F, 1 C, 0 sugar, 23 g P

Jay Robb unflavored protein powder – incredible stats: 1 g F, 0 g C/sugar; 26 g P!! Indeed it is tasteless- great for baking and cooking!

Designer Whey in French Vanilla- Very common protein powder. Not as much protein as other powders. 1.5 g F, 2 g C, 1 g sugar, 17.5 g P

Biochem Greens & Whey (Vanilla) PP (I got it at Trader Joe’s)- very nasty! Tastes nastyyy. I thought- wow, what a great way to get in some greens and some protein. But beware it tastes oddly sweet but actually nasty. After sitting on the shelf forever, I finally tossed it!

Biochem Chocolate Fudge- good.

VPX No-Carb in Graham Cracker- Not good for shakes, but awesome with peanut butter and cottage cheese!! Amazing stats too: 0g Fat, 0 g carbs/sugars, 20 g Protein

Isopure in Strawberries and Cream- decent taste. Expensive. Great stats: .5 g F, 0 C, 0 sugar, 25 g P! BUT taste is a little funky.

Isopure Vanilla- pretty good. Great stats: .5 g F, 0 C, 0 sugar, 25 g P

BSN Syntha-6 Chocolate Peanut Butter- I bought this in the hopes of peanut butter tastiness but alas not only did it taste chocolately, NOT peanut buttery but it was too high in carbs to be worth it. Disappointed, I returned it.

Met-RX Metamyosyn Protein Blend (vanilla)- Because of the multi blend “time released” formula, Met-rx Protein Plus is best taken when you won’t have your next protein meal for more than a few hours. Like if you have a long meeting, school, or before bed. However, a straight whey based protein will serve you best in your post workout shake, when your body is ready to handle a large amount of fast released amino acids. Mixability- so so. A bit higher in carbs than I would like.

For the whole post, check it out HERE!

April is a super awesome blogger and awesome young lady whose story is unique because every other woman is trying to only eat lettuce and do cardio because they don’t want to “bulk up” (I would be a millionaire if I got a nickel every time a female told me this!!!)…April, on the other hand, is eating and working hard pumpin some iron baby!!! Okay, maybe not all that, but check her out, she posts daily (what my goal is, one day!), she’s smart, and she wants to look like this!!!! Follow her journey

rippedgirl (source here)

Tags: protein powder
Posted in Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 1 Comment »

More Cooking…

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Today was another day of cooking. Why do I feel like I am ALWAYS cooking? Always buying groceries, always chopping, cooking, cleaning it up, and then I have no food? Yes, “food prep” is hard. I basically eat all my meals from home, so I always need to have healthy food prepared…It takes a lot of time! But I glad to have so many clean options, so I am not too tempted to veer off course.

Dishes (here is the source)

Today I made

A protein pancake variation (for breakfast)
Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted zucchini, radish, and rutabaga
Spinach Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”
Another protein pancake variation for lunch, cuz the breakfast pancake was just so darn good

hmm what else? I think that’s it!

The recipes are in separate posts above.

The good news is that I am feeling a bit better from my cold. Best I have felt in a week. My voice is still deep and my boyfriend says tranny-like, but we won’t talk about that. I’m congested!!! Hopefully a few more days and I will be good to go. I have an appointment to go trail running with a buddy of mine on Friday afternoon, so I should be good by then!

There are a bunch of smaller-ish things swimming in my head, but I’ll leave them be. Hopefully the weather is nice wherever you are and I wish you much love and vitality~~ Make it a great night

Posted in Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes | 2 Comments »

Holistic Lifestyle Coaching & Getting Sick

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Hi kiddies!

How are you all?

I haven’t posted as much as I would like…where have I heard that before? ;P

Last weekend my schedule was FULL! All day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was the certification as Holistic Lifestyle Coach through the CHEK Institute. Wow, it was pretty intense! It was an hour and a half commute each way, and the in-house training was all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so I literally had no time…just enough to get home and pass out and get up early and start again.

I am now allowed to use this logo!

The workshop content was…interesting. Prior to the workshop, I knew the content would be…different than my way of thinking. I had read the textbook and other materials by Paul Chek. I was kind of skeptical, but was curious inside as to how much “brainwashing” I would be susceptible to in one weekend. Turns out, they did a pretty good job.

All though I am not a gluten-avoidant-nazi nor do I ONLY ever drink the triple-gadoople filtered water out of a glass bottle manufactured in an airtight facility filled with only pure air and 50 miles removed from any electrical wave…

BUT here are some things I am experimenting with: (note, I did not say I will do this FOREVER, but here are the things the workshop inspired me to change at the moment)

Organic foods (read = spending all my money at Whole Paycheck)
No caffeine (GASP! I AM REMOVING THE ESPRESSO IV DRIP!)
More sleep (even though I hate waking up past 6 or so, I am forcing myself to allow myself to sleep in…)
Less processed foods (I still love my protein powders, but will focus more on whole foods)
Less microwaves (arg, sacrificing convenience for health…I guess)
Switching to organic products (I just bought “natural” toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. Now my bf and I will not only be eating two different kinds of foods, but will have two different sets of toiletries!! He remarks- what will be next?)
Focusing on gluten free foods (although I don’t normally eat gluten, I may consume trace amounts. I went out my way today to buy gluten free oatmeal)
Eating more probiotics, live, cleansing food like raw saurkrout, kefir, fiber, veggies, etc…
Just being more aware of cortisol and stress
Being more aware of environmental toxins

What else…I think that’s it for now. But that sounds like a lot!

And what has the result been…? I got SICK!! I haven’t worked out in 4 days! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I tried to stay in the house as much as possible and REST. I have not gone to the gym….And I have not had the energy to do anything!

Today, I am still resting and feel sick, but feel a little better. It actually has been nice to allow myself to relax and give my body and mind a break.

And that’s what’s been going on with me!

It’s a gorgeous day out! Maybe I’ll sit out for some Vitamin D

Enjoy your weekend, lovelies! <3

Posted in Miscellaneous, Motivation & Mindset, Nutrition / Recipes | 4 Comments »

Tidbits & Big Changes

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

I haven’t been posting as much as I want to. Things have been c-r-a-z-y lately. A lot going on! Here are some tidbits:

Four dogs in the house. We already have two big pitbulls, but my boo is like a regular Cesar Millan so he is always babysitting his client’s dogs. We were planning on all going hiking today for our newly weekly hiking ritual, but the rain…rained on our parade. Boo!

Dogs

I received some casein packets & new shaker cup from Jay at Optimum Nutrition. Woo, thanks Jay! I am totally on the scour for some tasty, healthy peanut butter flavored things but so far have come across failures. This is a whole ‘nuther blog post in itself which I hope to write about later…but anyway I tried his chocolate peanut butter casein powder (a slow-digesting protein best for pre-slumber) mixed with some organic low-fat yogurt and it was fairly tasty. What I liked: 1) a good macronutrient distribution for me (24 g Protein, 3 g Carbs, 1 g Fat, 120 cal) 2) pretty good taste (esp. because many peanut butter flavored things TASTE LIKE BUTT, if I may be so eloquent 3) pretty good mixability. What I didn’t like: 1) it didn’t taste very much like peanut butter! More so like chocolate, which is fine, but I am looking for something tasting very peanut buttery.

Casein2

Shoes. I got new shoes last week because my feet were hurting. Bad. After another day or so, my feet still were hurting. Bad So I went to a podiatrist, who told me it was the shoes, despite the two different pair of shoes causing me problems. He told me to stay away from “stability” shoes and go for “neutral” shoes, and I should be fine. Well, that’s easy! (I was fearing having to work on adjusting my gait or some other complicated solution.) I went back to the running shoe store and they allowed me to exchange my shoes for these “neutral” shoes! Yay! So far so good Will keep you posted.

My shoulder has been acting up. It feels very inflammed right now. The frustrating thing is that it was just starting to feel better. I FINALLY went to the doctor and his assistant said it was the biceps tendon, the physician said it was the pec tendon, and they sent me to a physical therapist who said it was the rotator cuff. Lovely, indeed, I am so glad they agree on what the problem is so that we can create a focused plan of attack. Anyway, the physical therapist told me I can’t lift anything heavier than 5 pounds. Kill me now…But then I had “floor shift” at my work where I re-rack the weights on the floor. There are 45+ lb weights lying around on the floor because apparently the guys who lift weights then become so drained of every ounce of energy that they can’t return the weights to the weight stacks. So it’s my job to get the workout floor organized. As I would re-rack these heavy weights, I could feel my shoulder yapping at me…I know this isn’t good for me…And this puts all my figure & fitness plans on hold even longer…because I can’t do figure or fitness or train how I want to if basic movements hurt and I can’t lift heavier than 5 pounds! Even though I don’t much trust physical therapists, especially seeing that I have gotten different diagnoses from top-ranking Stanford doctors & PT’s… I will follow his advice for now… Is the illustration dramatic enough for you? ;P (source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aRknaJ8wci8/Rpbl0ncLzmI/AAAAAAAAAJI/5k8YQ4Gn8uM/s400/argh-frame.gif)

Embracing growth. This leads me to my biggest update. I made a big decision. The floor shift and other factors led me to give notice at that job, so I will be focusing full time on my own business, working out of my boo’s new studio! Wow! This new studio is MUCH closer, and with all the logistics (keeping a higher percentage of the session price, doing my own marketing and outreach, different tax implications, and more!) this will be a huge change in my life! Ch-ch-ch-changes!
And just, for fun, check out my boo’s video(s)! He is absolutely incredible.
And, just for double fun, gratuitous kitten pic (source: http://larry.ironlemon.com/sleepingkitty.jpeg)

Tags: casein, kitten
Posted in ACL Rehab/Prehab, Figure, Fitness, & Bikini, Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes, Training | 8 Comments »

Updates on the Life of Kristina

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Hello, my lovelies! Just wanted to give you a quick scoop on what’s been going on, as I don’t like going too long without letting you know what’s the dealie. In short, the answer is: I have been busy. Yeah, what else is new? Just a lot of stuff. Work. Miscellaneous. Here are some “highlights” from the recent past:

hiked with the boo & doggies at Almaden Country Park in San Jose yesterday
am working on a boot camp to be launched in April (right around the corner) called “Hot Body TRX Boot Camp” with my partner-in-crime, Cassie.
Saturday I made “guilt-free protein ice cream.” I followed the recipe and it turned out really gross. Tasted like 6 month old icy ice cream. Since it turned out so nasty, I didn’t want to showcase my disaster. Looking back, I realize that I should have posted it, so you wonderful readers don’t have to go through what I did. If anyone has a modification on this that makes it turn out yummy, of course I would be delighted to try it. Next time I will try to suck up my pride and post pictures of truly nasty experiments, just so you don’t have to experience what I did. You’re very welcome, I know, I know, you don’t have to say it.
bought new shoes to hopefully remedy my feet hurting! After my ACL reconstruction, it has been such a blessing to have the ability to walk, jog, and jump. The irony is that lately I have been limping due to blisters and other odd foot pain! My boyfriend suggested that my current shoes are not a good fit, and I am desperate to find a solution. So I am trying out these new bad boys!
rehab update: knees feel great. shoulder feels improved, but not all the way. Still have several weeks more until my program is finished, so I am still thinking positively about my the outcome of my program

May you all manifest wonderful days! Ttys~xoxo

Posted in ACL Rehab/Prehab, Miscellaneous, Training | 3 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

Grad School, Fighting, Figure, Etc~

Time Management Reflection

Coconut Oil…and, oh yeah, art…

New Beginnings

Studying, Chef Experimentations, Fun Clip, Gratitude, HANDSTANDS, Etc

Protein Powder Review- Guest Post on FoodsOfApril.com

More Cooking…

Holistic Lifestyle Coaching & Getting Sick

Tidbits & Big Changes

Updates on the Life of Kristina

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