Tag success

Bound And Determined

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People frequently ask me what my biggest life goals are.  As a chronic overachiever, I entertain many different interests and am pretty fearless about diving into new ventures and determining whether I have talents which fee them. 

My BIGGEST passions lie in the fields of medicine and fitness.  From the time I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, I have been completely committed to fitness and to leading by example.  My medical degree is another feather in my cap which increases my knowledge and my influence, but I always strive to combine all my talents and interests together as much as I can in order to lend a number of perspectives on health, wellness, anti-aging and fitness.

My ultimate goals in medicine and fitness are to:

1) Have my own TV show.  A few years ago, I began stating that I wanted to become the female version of Dr. Oz.  I said this at first in jest, then became more intrigued by the idea until it became one of my ultimate goals.  I reasoned that if Dr. Oz can command the attention of women around the globe (his viewer demographic appears to be mostly women between their early 20’s and late 60’s), why couldn’t an attractive 50-year old female physician, fitness professional, IFBB Pro, writer, and model who is also highly experienced in aesthetic medicine, nutrition, fitness and anti-aging achieve something similar? That shift in thinking was all I needed to spark a tremendous goal which I am constantly trying to manifest. And come hell or high water, I will reach this goal.

2) Establish a foothold in the fitness industry as an icon for the older crowd.   This is also HUGE for me, whether it manifests via workout content, products which are sold with my name or endorsement on them, or even a specific show on television or the internet. Instead of allowing my chronological age to deter me from going after I want, I use it to empower my goal set and am proud of forging new ground in territories which other people may be afraid of stepping into. I also refuse to allow others to discourage me because they have narrow minded ideas about what someone my age should be doing. I will not be the stereotypical fuddy-duddy who grumbles about my age and who lets it block me from my goals.

3) Launch my own specialty skin care line.  I have wanted to do this ever since I held the position of Director of Cosmetic Research at a Los Angeles area hospital.  Since I am of mixed ethnicity I would love to tailor a line of skincare products and cosmetics towards individuals of multiple ethnicities who have unique concerns. I honestly believe that there are too many harsh and reactive chemicals which are used in skincare products and cosmetics, and also understand first-hand that people of color have different needs and issues.

4) Design women’s fitness apparel and swimsuits with a distinctive edge.  I have yet to see clothing and swimsuit designs which incorporate the design elements I have always wanted to see and which are edgy and appealing.  The only thing that has been my real stopping point here is that I cannot stand sewing! When I was 17, I designed an entire spring line of active apparel for a company, and was thrilled to see my vision made and sold. Decades later, I’d love the opportunity to delve into that world once more.

What do I want to be when I grow up?  Lots of things!  I will keep my nose to the grindstone to make these goals and dreams manifest.

Cheat Meals (Repost)

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The following article was posted a couple of years ago here on my blog site…

If you ask a competitor about favorite cheat meals, you had better expect the person’s eyes to glaze over as he or she lovingly describes his or her most beloved foods. You may wonder if cheat meals are only incorporated into the lives of fitness people, but they actually serve a purpose for anyone who is committed to healthy eating. Perhaps you have just embarked on a healthy food regimen and are struggling with it. When you incorporate one or two cheat meals into your plan each week you will boost your metabolism and foster a more balanced relationship with food.

Let’s face it. We are only human, and we carry our emotional relationship with food with us throughout our lives. If we were to practice a rigid adherence to a healthy meal plan without any fun meals, we would feel guilty if we were to ever indulge in a bad food in a moment of weakness. There is a diagnosable condition known as orthorexia in which people develop a mindset which demonizes all but the cleanest foods, and which sets up a cycle of shame and remorse every time forbidden foods are consumed.

Rather than punish yourself for eating anything which falls outside your concept of “clean” foods, you have a far better chance of harboring a healthy approach to food if you allow yourself to enjoy the occasional treat. If you know that you are allowed to eat a fun meal (I prefer this terminology over “cheat” meal), you can rest in the comfort that it is acceptable, and avoid the psychological spiral which can create unnecessary anxiety. This also works nicely if you tend to go to events on the weekends and don’t want to be the party-pooper who can’t ever eat anything that is being served.

When you eat a more calorie controlled meal plan during the rest of the week, a fun meal will speed up your metabolism and satisfy cravings that have been accumulating during the week. I believe it is important to eat something you truly crave instead of doing a small cheat. For example, if you are craving pizza, go ahead and have a couple of slices of pizza, and quit pretending that you would be perfectly happy with a rice cake topped with some tomato sauce as a substitution! Just make sure to eat an acceptable amount of food and don’t gorge yourself. This means exercising some self-control so that two pieces of pizza don’t turn into an entire large pepperoni pizza which you annihilate in one sitting.

I am often asked by weight management patients if a cheat day or a cheat weekend is acceptable. My response is no, for the simple reason that this creates a slippery slope which causes many individuals to lose self-control and spiral into the guilt-ridden “I messed up so why stop now?” mentality. If it is too difficult to do one fun meal per week, incorporate two smaller fun meals spaced by at least one day so that your body can recover.

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I Can’t Eat That! – Balancing Healthy Eating and Normal Life

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Original post can be found at: https://www.p28foods.com/i-cant-eat-balancing-healthy-eating-and-normal-life

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There are countless challenges and roadblocks which can derail us from our efforts to follow a healthy meal plan, especially when we are faced with the indulgent foods that emerge during the holidays. Whether you are a seasoned competitor who is accustomed to following a strict meal plan, someone who wants to adopt healthier eating habits, or battling excess body weight, it can be very difficult to pass up regular restaurant meals, fast foods, and holiday treats. However, it IS possible to stay on track even in the face of such temptations.

The first and most important thing is to remember your GOAL, whether it is improved health, weight loss, or getting into contest shape for an upcoming event. Your goal should serve as a tangible mark which you are aiming for. I always tell my patients and weight management clients to post images of people who possess the type of physique they covet in a prominent place (such as a refrigerator) so that they can be reminded of their specific goal.

Here are other effective strategies to help you follow a healthy meal plan:

Keep forbidden foods out of the kitchen so that the temptation to eat something unhealthy is removed. This means that you need to avoid purchasing chips, crackers, cookies, ice cream, packaged pasta dinners and whatever other unhealthy foods you tend to gravitate towards. If unhealthy foods are not in your kitchen cupboards, you won’t be tempted to grab them and indulge.

Prep your meals at home beforehand. Meal prep can be tedious but it is well worth it when you consider the control you will have over what goes into your body. You can control ingredients, cooking method and portion sizes and maximize your chances of maintaining healthy eating habits. Once you have prepared your food, you can store single serving sizes in individual storage containers which are easy to pack when you need them.

Invest in a great food cooler bag. Trust me, you NEED one of these!

Make sure your meal plan is balanced. The best meal plans have lean protein, healthy fats and slow digesting carbohydrates. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that all fat is bad! You need certain healthy fats to maintain normal cellular function.

Avoid fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants (and most restaurants for that matter) feature extremely unhealthy options which can completely destroy your efforts at reaching your health and fitness goals. You will also save a ton of money by avoiding the calorie and saturated fat laden options found at such establishments.

Don’t cave in to peer pressure. I don’t know what it is about friends and family, but it seems like they get some twisted thrill out of convincing others to eat forbidden foods. If you find yourself in such a situation, you need to ask yourself if it is worth unraveling your healthy eating habits in order to appease a relative or buddy. I have heard, “Awww, come on, a couple of bites won’t hurt ya!” from people who usually mean well but who are unaware of the psychological torture they might be putting me through. I honestly don’t want to be pressured into consuming something that will make me feel guilty or will not digest well . It isn’t worth it!

Work Out Like You Mean It!

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Are you one of those people who has had an active gym membership for a while, but just can’t motivate yourself to avail yourself of the services which your gym offers? Perhaps you are new to a gym environment, and though you are interested in transforming your body and your lifestyle, you are intimidated by all the weights and machines. If that’s the case, a knowledgeable certified fitness trainer with whom you have a good rapport will familiarize you with the equipment and how to use it, while also motivating you to show up and move towards your fitness goals.

If you already know how to navigate around a gym, but just can’t seem to lock down a consistent regimen, the best motivation is to establish a specific fitness goal and develop a strategy to reach it. If you then pursue that goal with intention, you’ve already won half the battle. Hitting the gym with no real plan of attack is like trying to drive a race car when you haven’t even learned to drive yet. I firmly believe in the power of specificity, structure and accountability, because all of those elements provide a blueprint for you to follow.

Here is a step by step guide to developing a successful fitness overhaul.

1. Convince yourself that you WILL reach your fitness goals.
2. Print out images of people who have the kind of body you want and put them on your fridge or another prominent place you will see daily.
3. Give yourself a deadline.
4. Make your goals REASONABLE. Don’t put down, “I will lose 60 pounds in 30 days”, but pick a more reasonable goal, like losing 3 pounds per week.
5. Develop a workout schedule and stick to it.
6. If you don’t have a clue what to do while at the gym, hire a personal trainer.
7. Take progress pictures every week to monitor your progress.
8. Follow a specific meal plan to keep you on track.
9. If you have a setback, pick up where you left off. We are all human and have “off” days.
10. Don’t be intimidated by seasoned gym members. Most people are willing to help you if you have a question about how to operate machines.
11. Learn gym etiquette. The pace of a gym is rapid, especially during peak hours, so you need to be aware of concepts like “working in” (people will ask you if they can take turns with you on a machine or station). Don’t sit on benches unless you are actually exercising on them. Wipe down equipment if you sweat on it.

Now get off your computer and get serious about your goals!blue-and-black-leaning-001

I’d Rather Have Genuine Followers…

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It is astounding to me how many people will try to cheat the social media system in place these days by buying followers. A few of my friends have jumped on the follower-purchasing bandwagon, and though I understand to some extent why such a practice is appealing to them, I honestly believe it is cheating. I have seen Instagram profiles grow literally overnight (examples are: from 12k followers to 26k, or from 2,700 to 88k), and the number of likes on images grow (more examples: from 45 to 1,200, from 300 to 8,000). Sorry, but I call bullshit on every single individual whose profile has a sudden surge without any valid reason for it. It’s all so obvious!

Furthermore, followers who are purchased are typically not interested in what a person has to sell, and are only interested in a follow-for-follow, like-for-like benefit. For those of you who are guilty of purchasing followers, I will be blunt and tell you that your group of fair-weather followers is as ephemeral as the Sahara wind. So if you insist on building a phony world for yourself, by all means, have fun with that. But you will lose genuine followers in a heartbeat. I just won’t play into that game of illusion.

Proud To Be A MitoXcell Ambassador!

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If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have probably seen my posts about MitoXcell products. I am particularly fond of the original MitoXcell blend which I have every day, and which I swear by for peak performance and recovery as well as optimal cellular health.

Please check out my ambassador profile on the MitoXcell website!

Stacey Naito

I strongly encourage everyone to try MitoXcell products! Go to http://www.MitoXcell.com to shop, and be sure to enter my discount code at checkout for 25% off your order!

Discount code: NAITO25

Designer Protein 20% Off Sale On Bodybuilding.com!

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Bodybuilding.com is having a big sale on ALL Designer Protein products this month!

Go to http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/designer-protein.htm and make sure to enter the following discount code:

DesignerProtein20

The code is good for a 20% off all Designer Protein and will be effective from today through October 31st.

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Musings From A Happy Half-Centurian

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Now that I have been in the 50 zone for a few months, I can honestly say that I actually like it! Here are a few reasons why I am completely comfortable with being 50 years old…

* I still get carded. In fact, I have been asked for ID when purchasing alcohol more frequently now than a year ago. And it’s not because I am purchasing booze with more frequency either. I have even gotten carded while with younger friends who did NOT get carded. It’s bizarre and very cool.

* I can still rock an outfit and not only be a head-turner, but a neck-BREAKER. Gotta have goals!

* I can take care of myself and don’t panic if I am faced with a challenge. However, I am completely grateful when someone comes to my aid or shows concern for my welfare. I am so blessed to have wonderful, true friends who have my back as much as I have theirs!

* I can usually discern very quickly which opportunities and situations are legit and which ones are a waste of my time. With age comes wisdom, and my gut instinct has proven consistently to be a foolproof guardian.

* I don’t wait for things to happen…I MAKE them happen. When I was younger, I had a tendency to put more faith in others coming through for me. Over the past few years, I have adopted the attitude that I can only depend on myself, so I have pushed myself to become a solo mover and shaker. It’s pretty tough navigating alone, but at least I trust the person at the helm!

* I trust that time will always makes things unfold organically. This makes struggling through difficult times much more manageable. I know that situations will always come to a resolution eventually. Whenever I have any doubt, I think of what my grandmother used to tell my mom and her siblings when times were rough: “Don’t worry, after bad comes good.” What a wise woman.

* I no longer care if someone has a problem with me sporting a miniskirt, a bikini, or a curve-hugging dress. My thought is, I still have it, and I have every intention of flaunting it. Sorry if that offends some people, but the folks who have a problem with such attire can’t take away my resolve to celebrate what I have worked so hard to maintain.

* I realize that life isn’t over just because I hit a certain chronological marker. If anything, I am just getting started!