Monday, April 30, 2012

New additions

Whew, I have been a busy girl with this blog today. I've added all kinds of goodies on the side of the page that you guys can check out if you want.


1. I updated my about me. I thought to myself new visitors won't know my name unless they go to the first post, and I'm the kind of girl where I like to know peoples names so it feels more personable.


2. I added a button so that if you use Bloglovin you can follow Kiwi Fit from there!


3. I added my twitter feed so you can see what I'm posting about! If you want to follow me on Twitter, search @KiwiFitBunny!


4. Next, I added a blog list that I will be adding to slowly. My newest blog addiction is The Lean Green Bean! She is studying to become a registered dietitian and she loves kittys. Lots of recipes and workout tips! Check her out!


5. And lastly, I'm changing the font from Arial to Georgia. Its just... cuter. 


6. I added a Follow Me on Pinterest button!! 


I would like to point out about the picture of Kiwi and I, that out of the 20 pictures I snapped with my computer, that was the only one were she looked either semi happy or even looked at the camera. As soon as she heard the camera start beeping she would turn away. Can we say DIVA?


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Paleo

For those of you who are interested in Crossfit and following a Paleo diet regime, check out Paleomg! A neat food blog by Juli Bauer. She also posts about her workouts and daily life under the Random Rants tab. So check it out!


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi Fit


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your weight loss pictures and story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Motivation and a superset for your legs!

Here is a little super set you can throw on top of your exercise to get great legs! Trust me it burns!


25 Squats
15 Lunges (right leg)
15 Lunges (left leg)
35 Calf Raises
60 Second wall sit
80 Jumping jacks
60 Second plank
50 Second wall sit
40 Sumo Squats
30 Leg raises (right leg)
30 Leg raises (left leg)
25 Squats


Kiwi says MAKE IT HAPPEN. And if you haven't done any workout today at all, give me 50 pop squats right now!! She may be tiny but she is ferocious.


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Sunday, April 29, 2012

A Scary Statistic

Before I head off to bed, I wanted to post this little tidbit. I hope to post more on this subject at a later time when I can enlist the help of my sister the nutritionist. I mentioned something on this subject in passing a few weeks back and she talked my ear off for thirty minutes so I'm sure she could donate some wisdom to Kiwi Fit. I just read this statistic on LA Times and it really freaked me out.

"A third of American children and teens are overweight or obese. They are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, in which the body can't make enough insulin or use what it does make to process sugar from food. Until the obesity epidemic, doctors rarely saw children with Type 2 diabetes. The more common kind of diabetes in children is Type 1, which used to be called juvenile diabetes."



ONE THIRD. Could you imagine being a teenager and not only having to deal with being over weight but also having to learn to live with diabetes? I could not imagine. We are examples for our children. We can't say don't go to such and such fast food every day if that is where we stop every day on the way home. We can't say you need to join basketball if we can't find time in our own day to improve our fitness. Did you know what you eat when you are pregnant and breast feeding can influence what foods your child likes when they grow up?  We have to teach them to make better choices, involve them in sports and activities, and inform them of the consequences of what making less healthy choices can bring. I read the other day that the rate of teens dying due to obesity complications has increased as well. It is terrible to see our future dealing with this. Remember fitness is a lifestyle, a way of life. Share it with your family, involve them in your lifestyle. 


Live, Love, and Lift


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

50 Things You Need To Give Up Today

Good evening! I saw this over at Fighter on Tumblr and thought I'd share. Sorry for not posting too much lately but its finals time and for the next two weeks I'm going to be totally up to my eye balls in accounting books. But then things should pick up again!! Have no fear, I have not forgotten about you guys!

Give up trying to be perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

Give up comparing yourself to others. – The only person you are competing against is yourself.

Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future. – Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. Don’t miss it.

Give up complaining. – Do something about it.

Give up holding grudges. – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.

Give up waiting. – What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action.

Give up lying. – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

Give up trying to avoid mistakes. – The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

Give up saying, “I can’t.” – As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”

Give up trying to be everything to everyone. – Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.

Give up thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. 
Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

Give up setting small goals for yourself. – Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail. Ironically, setting these small goals is what makes them fail.

Give up trying to do everything by yourself. – You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you work together, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.

Give up buying things you don’t need. – Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.

Give up blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can live your dream life depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

Give up making mountains out of molehills. – One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years? If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

Give up trying to live up to the expectations of others. – Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations. Everything else will fall into place.

Give up the ‘easy street’ mentality. – There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society. For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of exercising and eating well. No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work.

Give up making promises you can’t keep. – Don’t over-promise. Over-deliver on everything you do.

Give up letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside. – People are not mind readers. They will never know how you feel unless you tell them.

Give up beating around the bush. – Say what you mean and mean what you say. Communicate effectively.

Give up avoiding change. – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.

Give up your sense of entitlement. – Nobody is entitled to anything in this world. We are all equal. We breathe the same air. We get what we give. We get what we earn.

Give up waiting until the last minute. – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Give up being dramatic. – Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

Give up being anti-athletic. – Get your body moving! Simply take a long, relaxing walk or commit 30 minutes to an at-home exercise program like the P90X workout.

Give up junk food. – You are what you eat.

Give up eating as a means of entertainment. – Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.

Give up foolish habits that you know are foolish. – Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t smoke. Etc.

Give up relationships with people who bring you down. – Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and likeminded.

Give up being shy. – Network with people. Meet new people. Ask questions. Introduce yourself.

Give up worrying about what others think of you. – Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression (job interview, first date, etc.), don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way. What they think and say about you isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

Give up trying to control everything. – Life is an unpredictable phenomenon. No matter how good or bad things seem right now, we can never be 100% certain what will happen next. So do you best with what’s in front of you and leave the rest to the powers above you.

Give up doing the same thing over and over again. – In order to grow, you must expand your horizons and break free of your comfort zone. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

Give up following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t find the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

Give up persistent multi-tasking. – Do one thing at a time and do it right.

Give up thinking others are luckier than you. – The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

Give up filling every waking moment with commitments and activities. – It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to do nothing sometimes. Think. Relax. Breathe. Be.

Give up making emotional decisions. – Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

Give up doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it. – Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it. Think bigger. Keep the end in mind. Do what you know in your heart is right.

Give up focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

Give up taking yourself so seriously. – Few others do anyway. So enjoy yourself and have a little fun while you can.

Give up spending your life working in a career field you’re not passionate about. – Life is too short for such nonsense. The right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing. So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop. You’re on to something big. Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions.

Give up thinking about the things you don’t have. – Appreciate everything you do have. Many people aren’t so lucky.

Give up doubting others. – People who are determined do remarkable things. Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.

Give up fussing with every beauty product on the market. – Good looks attracts the eyes. Personality attracts the heart. Be proud to be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.

Give up trying to fit in. – Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not. Be yourself. Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

Give up trying to be different for the sake of being different. – Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity is conformity. When people try too hard to be different, they usually end up being just like everyone else who is trying to be different. Once again, be yourself.

Give up trying to avoid risk. – There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’ Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.

Give up putting your own needs on the back burner. – Yes, help others, but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

And remember, mistakes make us human, failures help us grow, hope keeps us going and love is the reason we’re alive. So keep learning, loving and living. Never give up on yourself.

Live, Love, and Lift!

-Kiwi and Me

For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com


Friday, April 27, 2012

Furry Friday and Motivation

It's FRIDAY!! Which means FURRY FRIDAY. But I thought I would throw in some motivation as well! Got up early and went to the gym for some intense interval training! And for the first time in ages I'm wearing shorts and a tank top! So excited!! I'm two pounds away from being in the 120s! Much to celebrate today! Have a good weekend my friends!


Live, Love and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Motivation

Good evening guys! I saw this on Pinterest, and its perfect for the way I have been thinking lately. I am getting really close to my goal weight and every day I see myself get closer to how I feel I should be. Or how I see myself in my minds eye. Strong, healthy, determined. It now not only shows on my body, but in my face, in my walk, and in my demeanor. I am changed, yet still changing and I'm so proud of myself. 


Remember to celebrate the little changes, and soon you will be standing there changed. 


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me




For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Bikini Depression

Study: Trying on Swimsuits Makes Women Anxious, Depressed

(NEW YORK) – “We're heading into that dreaded time of year for many women: swimsuit season.

A study by Australian researchers seems to confirm the fear that women have of trying on bikinis or one-piece suits in store dressing rooms as the summer approaches.

What's more, just thinking about it can put women in a crummy mood, according to Flinders University psychologist Marika Tiggemann.

These negative thoughts only exacerbate feelings of self-objectification, which basically reduces women to thinking they're only being evaluated as objects.

Tiggemann says this can lead to women "always worrying about how you look, shame about the body, and [it] is linked to eating disorders and depression."

Put women in a dressing room and this self-objectification only grows worse because of "mirrors, bright lighting, and the virtual demand that women engage in close evaluation of their body in evaluating how the clothes appear and fit
."

Tiggemann admits it's a tough predicament, especially if you need to buy a bathing suit, so her advice is to avoid mirrors and comparisons with others and stick to activities that deemphasize appearance such as yoga or sports
.”

Amen! I have been busting my butt since early February just so I feel comfortable in a bathing suit come vacation in a few weeks. I’m still anxious about it. What if I don’t lose enough or tone enough by then? I am right there with you guys. And this applies to boys too. I know the fiancé has been working out in preparation for the beach, saying he doesn’t want to show his love handles to the world.

This summer lets change it up! Why do bathing suits have to be scary? Or make us want to go curl up in a ball? The key is to do your best and forget the rest. Don’t worry about the girl in the chair next to you at the pool, or splashing in the water at the beach. Maybe they are blessed with the skinny gene, or maybe at some point they made the decision to get up and work hard to change their appearance. I know we think everyone is watching us and pointing out our flaws, but they aren’t. WE ARE OUR OWN WORST CRITIC. These are people you’ll probably never ever see again.

So first off, get up and move your tush. Don’t wait till the last minute. Start a few months early, so that way come bikini season you’re in better/decent/good shape. You’ll feel better going to pick out a bathing suit if you’ve been busting your butt to get in shape and you have lots of new muscles to show the world. I started in February, and I'm down eight pounds and four away from my goal. I didn't want to go bathing suit shopping and cry. I wanted to be well prepared for fun in the sun. Bust your butt in the gym and count your calories and you'll be very happy with the results. Good things come to those who work!

Second, find a bathing suit that suits your body shape. Wearing a suit that doesn’t work with your body can make you look heavier than you are or highlight areas that you may not want to. So research bathing suit styles and which ones work with your body. I know we all want to wear the cute string bikinis but if it’s not best for you, let it go. I have seen some really cute one pieces, bikini’s with shorts, halter tops… Shop around, even if it takes a little time. You’ll feel much better about showing up in your bathing suit if it it’s the best one for you.

And lastly, learn what you can fix and what you have to except. Guys as much as we would all love to have a perfect model or sports athlete body, we don’t all have the same body shape. Some of us hold fat in different places. Like I’ve said before you can’t spot train, as much as we would love too, you can only reduce the all over fat on your body and hope it reduces that spot. But if you are a rocking weight, in good shape and you have that one spot that drives you crazy, it’s a vanity spot and it may never go away. Our body likes to store a reserve in case we ever starve. I know we probably won’t starve, but no matter how much we have evolved over the past centuries it hasn’t learned that yet. It really needs to get with the program. So fix what you can and accept what is natural. You are beautiful or handsome no matter what. And the people that matter, know that already.

As for me and my world…  A few weeks till vacation. This weekend will be the bikini trial run, it’s the fiancé’s birthday and we got a huge 20 foot water slide! I’M SO EXCITED! I’ve started using the My Fitness Pal app to track my calories instead of Lose It mainly because the calorie database is much better. I’m really enjoying it. Last night I didn’t work out because I got a migraine, so I stayed below 1300 calories for the day and went to bed early. Tonight, Insanity Pure Cardio and homemade veggie pizza. This girl right here is excited! Ms. Fluffy is still my perpetual shadow! I do crunches she jumps on my stomach. I eat pizza, she tackles me for it. I try to get comfortable in bed and she curls up on my face. What would we do without our furry crazy counterparts?

So for your homework, research some bathing suits and think of ways you can improve yourself, inside and out, to the best of your ability so that trying on a bathing suit doesn’t make you depressed.

Live, Love, and Lift!

-Kiwi and Me

For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Saturday Night Motivation

Everyone have a fun, productive and safe weekend! I'm going to be busting out a double workout tomorrow! Wish me luck! 25 days till vacation!


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi Fit


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Friday, April 20, 2012

Furry Friday

IT'S FRIDAY! And since it is Furry Friday, I though today I would share with you all a picture of my chunkster Jasper that I took of him earlier this week when I was studying my butt off. Why is it kitty's always come around when you're studying?


Live, Love, and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Thursday Motivation and Interval Training

Good evening my friends! The weekend is upon us! Today was one of those random days that the stars aligned and I got to go spend two hours at the gym, free time that I had between two appointments in town. I did thirty minutes of interval training, twenty minutes of interval training on the elliptical, and then supersets. I left literally exhausted. I knew I had royally kicked my own butt. Problem - I have night class, so now I'm falling asleep in class! Low carb Monster please save me. I can honestly say I've almost dozed off twice. My bad! 


So I thought I would post the interval training workout I got from a dear friend! Where said individual got it, I have no clue! So point is, I didn't come up with it!  But this interval training is GREAT for your legs and butt! Enjoy!


Kick Butt Treadmill Interval Workout


Warm up walking for 5 minutes.

Incline 1 - Speed 2.2 - Lunge - 2 minutes
Incline 1 - Speed 6.5 - Sprint - 1 minute
Incline 1 - Speed 2.2 - Lunge - 2 minutes
Incline 1 - Speed 6.5 - Sprint - 1 minute
Incline 1 - Speed 1.8 - Walking squats to right - 2 minutes
Incline 1 - Speed 6.5 - Sprint - 1 minute
Incline 1 - Speed 1.8 - Walking squats to left - 2 minutes
Incline 1 - Speed 6.5 - Sprint - 1 minute

And repeat. Sometimes I do two reps. Sometimes I do four. Two reps takes about 30 minutes, so the full four would take roughly an hour! And for some extra UMPH you can bump the incline up on every rep of you want. That really burns your tush! And if people look at you funny for doing squats on the treadmill at the gym, just smile and ignore. I got a few looks like what is that girl doing today. I'm busting my butt, yeah I look weird. 


Live, Love and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Haters gonna hate...

I read a great post today on FitnessRX that I thought i would post up on here for your reading pleasure! Its all about how to handle those who may make rude comments about your healthy lifestyle or try to sabotage you. Enjoy!


Live, Love and Lift!


-Kiwi and Me


For tips, suggestions, questions, or if you just want to share your story - email me at: kiwiandmefit@gmail.com



Choose to Live Fit!

How I Beat Fitness Sabotage...

Jaime_8X10_STAGE-1
When you choose to live fit, you inspire and motivate many others to do the same, which is one of the many benefits of doing so. However, along the way, you will also agitate plenty of people who will go out of their way to let you know.
I can remember going to a friend’s holiday party where I reunited with a number of former work colleagues I hadn’t seen in years. One of these former co-workers greeted me with, “Hi, Jaime. I saw some interesting pictures of you recently.” She ended the statement with pursed lips and a disapproving head tilt. In the moment, my heart dropped, and I starting scanning my “wild child college days” memory bank for anything that may have surfaced. She continued, “Yeah, I saw those pictures of you in your green swimsuit on Facebook. Must be nice to have so much time to work out and show it off to the world.”
Those statements were wrong on so many levels. My ego was chomping at the bit to respond aggressively and defensively. However, doing so would have given those statements confirmation, allowed the negative interaction to continue and taken away from a fabulous evening with my husband and friends. So, I took control of the conversation and said, “Oh yeah, I love competing and my fit lifestyle. So, how are you?” That conversation ended quickly.
While I don’t always handle such situations gracefully, I’ve adopted a few strategies to help me stand proud when facing fitness sabotage:
Dump Their “Junk.” Whether people claim you waste too much time at the gym, call you self-absorbed, say they don’t like the way you look, tempt you with goodies, help you rationalize just one bite or diminish the importance of your lifestyle choices in general, all of these comments and actions are grounded in a saboteur’s own “junk,” as I like to call it. Specifically, how people view the world has everything to do with their own life experiences, including their upbringing, belief system and insecurities. We cannot take their comments personally or let it derail us from our goals, because their “junk” should not burden us. We must throw away their junk and keep moving toward our best.
Before You React, Take a Breath and Smile. Whenever someone makes a snide remark, the typical initial gut reaction is to snap back or shrink back. In either case, you are allowing this person to control your emotional state. I always take a moment to take a deep breath, smile and assess the person and comment further. (By the way, it is really fun to see how someone reacts when you flash a big smile in response to his/her sabotaging remark.)
Diffuse the Saboteur By Responding With HumilityHonesty and HeartIn almost every situation, saboteurs are coming from an insecure place. They want you to feel bad about yourself, fail at your goals or respond negatively in some way to help them feel better about their own situations. While it’s tempting to respond to them with a self-righteous comment and easy to give your power away by underplaying the importance of the lifestyle, both of those strategies fuel the saboteur. To diffuse them, I have found the most success when I approach a saboteur with the following:
Humility: I never respond in a way that suggests I feel that I am better than him/her because of my fit lifestyle (e.g., “Well, at least I have discipline and don’t have to squeeze into my jeans”).
Honesty: I am honest about how important the lifestyle is to me and about how I feel about it. I never underplay its value to my life by saying things like, “You’re right, I hate working out. I just do it because I have to.”
Heart: I present my response with compassion, even when it doesn’t feel warranted. If possible and/or appropriate, I will offer them some sort of encouragement or offer advice/help.
A few examples:
If someone says, “Your husband must hate living with you since you eat such boring food all the time.” I respond with, “Actually, we share the lifestyle and we are pretty creative with fixing our meals. Let me know if you ever want a recipe.”
If someone says, “Wow, you must be really obsessed with your appearance to put yourself through all of that.” I respond with, “You know what? I feel great about how I look, but living fit also makes me more effective in all areas of my life by increasing my energy, elevating my mood, keeping me from getting sick. It’s pretty amazing.”
If someone says, “Just eat it. You know you want it. One bite won’t hurt.“ I respond with, “No thanks. I’m good. You enjoy it.”
While I am not always successful at doing this, when I approach it right, the results are pretty incredible: The situation is diffused, the person rarely makes another unsupportive comment and he/she often eventually asks for fitness advice. You have to love that.
A Winning Thought
As fit people, we have the opportunity to use our vibrant health to inspire others, and I believe we should do so any chance we get. To continue to be a beacon for others, it’s critical that we don’t allow saboteurs to dim “our light.” If you take away nothing else from this article, always remember that this fit lifestyle is yours to choose and no one has the right keep you from pursuing it (assuming you are making responsible choices in the process). So, stand proud, strong and unwavering in the pursuit of your best. You are getting closer every day.
JaimeBaird_thumbJaime Baird
IFBB Bikini Pro | Team Gaspari Athlete
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
http://www.facebook.com/ifbbjaimebaird
Team Gaspari Bio & Profile: http://www.gasparinutrition.com/teamgaspari/jaime-baird/bio/ 

Jaime Baird is an IFBB Bikini Pro & Team Gaspari Athlete. Through her education and career in marketing, Jaime has become a specialist in human emotions and motivation. Her life’s mission is to help others, especially women, achieve their best in health and life. Jaime can be contacted for appearances through www.fmg-fitnessmanagementgroup.com 

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