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When You Can’t Catch Up

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Every day I have the best intentions. I have my schedule mapped out and tear into it like a beast. But all too frequently, one or more hiccups in the timeline mess up my perfect plans to get a plethora of things done. That being said, I move like a dynamo and get more done than the average person does, mainly because I don’t lead a normal life, and am extremely ambitious. But just when I think I am about to catch up in one area of my life, I get dumped on in another area. I suppose it’s just how life goes, but sometimes it is so maddening to see my to-do list for the day unravel despite all my efforts. It certainly doesn’t appeal to my sense of order and control.

RunningLate

I know many of you who are reading this can relate. Opportunities are blessed things, but when you can barely come up for air and you can’t attend to the most basic things like buying groceries, doing laundry, or catching enough sleep, you are teetering way off balance and need to pay attention. By no means am I suggesting that you abandon your responsibilities in favor of wanton playtime, but no one should be that busy all the time. The body and mind cannot endure such constant stress and will rebel eventually, usually through physical illness, depression or anxiety.

I have been travelling through my days at a frenetic pace lately, and can tell the stress has exerted a toll on me. So last Saturday, after I had completed my workouts and run a few errands, I just said, “SCREW IT”, and headed over to a local movie theater by myself to see “Grand Budapest Hotel”, despite the fact that I had work waiting for me at home. I happily turned off my phone and nestled into the fantasy world of the film for close to two hours. I felt no guilt whatsoever, and was completely refreshed by my little getaway.

Another thing I have just begun doing lately is sifting through all the contacts and opportunities before me, setting boundaries, and learning to say NO when appropriate. This has been huge for me, since I usually do everything in my power to please and take care of people. Though I am pretty good about putting the oxygen mask on my own face, I will often opt to make someone else more comfortable at my own expense. I have noticed that if my movement and freedom are compromised, I become extremely frustrated, yet I also understand that I often bring that upon myself. The most compelling thing about this situation is that it is one that I see over and over again with other people. It’s almost like a cosmic movement, a tendency towards losing control, taking on more than what is reasonable, and draining the body and spirit of resources instead of replenishing and supporting those resources.

My take-home message is to:

1. take a break every now and then to recharge your batteries
2. learn to say no when appropriate
3. honor yourself

The sooner you learn to achieve balance, the happier and more productive you will be.

How White Rice Ruins Me

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I grew up on glutinous white rice as a result of my Japanese heritage and never thought twice about it. Then when I began competing in 2009, I had to cut out the white food and actually went through a bit of separation anxiety. In a sense I was probably feeling more guilt than anything else, but I eliminated it from my daily meal plan and suddenly noticed that my physique leaned out rapidly. It’s not like I had started out with a weight problem, but I certainly did not have the chiseled appearance of someone who stepped on a bodybuilding stage regularly.
Oh no cellulite
Though it has been relatively easy to avoid regular bread, sweets, and other contest prep busters, I still find myself pining for sticky white rice, because it is the bosom buddy of the lovely raw fish slices that characterize sushi. I absolutely love sushi and sashimi but only indulge in it on rare occasions when I can afford it and when I know I can have a fun meal. What drives me nuts is the fact that all-you-can-eat sushi places require you to eat all the rice you are served, which means that you are almost force fed a large quantity of high glycemic index starch. It’s wild to think that people frequently negate the health damaging effects of the rice, only concentrating on the fish being served. Truth is, the insulin-spiking effects of white rice can wreak havoc on general health and can certainly set one back on contest prep. So if you consume sushi frequently, you may be setting up your body for insulin resistance over time.

Another thing I have noticed personally whenever I eat sticky white rice is that my hamstring region holds water. The following morning is always disappointing because I wake up to waves and ripples, and sadly, they aren’t the kind you would see in the ocean. It takes 24 to 48 hours to get rid of that too, and also requires me to hydrate aggressively to flush everything out. It’s dramatic and it’s very upsetting. My body has actually gotten more sensitive over time too, and my body struggles to digest white rice. To be honest, I am not sure it’s really worth indulging in the white rice I used to love to much because it sets me back so much health-wise.

Assault Gear

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http://assault-gear.com/

Assault Gear
Check out this great fitness apparel line! Not only do they have great stuff, they are going to expand their line as the company grows. I love the people who run this high energy company and am honored to be a member of Team Assault! This is definitely a company to watch, because the enthusiasm, integrity, drive and talent behind it will propel it into massive success. Go Assault Gear!

If I Scratch Your Back, Will You Scratch Mine?

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The internet has made it incredibly easy for people and businesses to reach out to each other and cross-promote. But it also makes it easier for opportunistic people to use another person’s social media platform to boost exposure for their businesses. Though some people have been polite enough to write direct messages to me, asking if I would be willing to promote their businesses or causes, I find it rather off-putting when I don’t know the people at all. It is presumptuous to contact a personality or celebrity, throw in a compliment, then launch into, “Hey, please promote my business by sharing this link. Thanks!” with no offer of co-promotion. When was the last time you felt compelled to promote a business you knew nothing about, owned by someone who was a stranger to you, who had the balls to write to you and try to persuade you to post links all over YOUR timeline, with zero benefit for you?

Let me be very clear in stating that my social media platforms are MY platforms. If I choose to promote a business, it is because I know and respect the people who run it, and I know about their products and services. All those elements must be in place. I refuse to promote a business I know nothing about. It is not my responsibility as a fitness personality to offer free advertising for businesses that want to increase their exposure. If you notice my posts on social media, I promote businesses I have had experience with and usually have worked with, so I can vouch for the quality of what they provide or sell. I will never serve as a talking head for something I do not fully believe in.
cross-promote-300x225
Another thing I NEVER do is private message people asking them to promote my services. Yet I get such messages from complete strangers telling me how great their company is and how I should be nice and offer free advertising by sharing a link on my page. I would only consider such a thing if I am familiar with the company or I know and like the person who runs the company. If the person sweetens the pot by offering to cross-promote or bring me on as a compensated spokesperson, that’s even better. It’s not that I think I am all that, but please don’t expect me to be amenable to having people ride my coattails unless there is some sort of benefit. It goes both ways!