Monday, November 24, 2014

Rip the Tag Off the Pillow

We fall down a rabbit hole chasing after society's expectations. 

I want to know you. Who are you??? Says Alice's Caterpillar. Does he know you more than you know yourself?  

We are told. We listen. We replicate. We defy. Ourselves, others, those we so shamelessly try to please. Saying one thing on Sundays and doing another on Mondays.  Perhaps a very old book is to blame. 

So sad to see your wings clipped, while so desperately yearning to fly.  Let me wrap my wings around you and may you take flight.  

Show the world your true self, the world will love you back!






Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Women are wondering about the Men

Lately I've noticed a trend of beards popping up on the men. I've heard this is possibly related to hockey, Movember, or a deep yearning to resemble a bear in hibernation.  

Don't get me wrong, a five o'clock shadow can be alluring...but by the time the scruff hits Midnight, it's anything but. 

So why not gather your Bros and throw a manscaping party? Dust off your trimmers, sharpen your razors, and make an evening of it. 



Credit and props given to Danielle Partipilo for her contributions to this article. She's officially been published. 

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Setting Intentions. How do I start?

Day one, of my recently set intention, of blogging at a coffee shop. Drizzles of rain and cool air makes for the perfect day to begin. Lucky for me, it's open house and the shop is bustling with smiling faces, laughter, and the sweet smell of the my beloved coffee bean.

Which brings me to the topic of setting intentions. For many years, I operated on a "live each day as it comes" sort of way.  While I'll admit that offers a certain levity, more often I found myself without direction.


There is a celebratory air to achieving intentions.  It's not unlike winning. So, the competitive side of me was all for honing this craft. A way to "do" life.

It wasn't long before I realized that setting and accomplishing goals became contagious.  One runs into the next, and a string of simple intentions often morph into life changing wins.

So how do you start setting intentions? Actually begin? Simple...Start!

Just as I started today's blog by coming to this darling coffee shop to write. So whatever it is you want, decide what it is, name it, and take one small action that will increase the likelihood of it becoming a reality. Do this enough times and soon you'll find your goals at your feet. I'll be rooting for ya!


#intentions

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Science Behind Weight Loss!

Ok, here goes...


The good news is that there is no great mystery behind losing weight.  Eating more calories than you burn equals weight gain.  Eating less calories than you burn equals weight loss.  That's it.  All the hype and money and time spent convincing you otherwise is all for naught. 


Put simply, it's math.


I know this can be hard to hear.  There's comfort in knowing the reason you haven't lost "the weight" is due to a pesky thyroid, family history, or being big boned.  Sorry Folks, that's just not the case.  These things do "weigh in" on how slowly or quickly you may lose weight...but does not prevent you from taking control of your own personal health and well-being.


So what can you do? If you are really committed to losing weight, you can.  It's true.  I promise you.  But here are some tips to get you off on the right foot:
Eat less junk, drink more water, remove processed food from your diet, exercise more. Yes, exercise. You need to break a sweat if you want to boost your metabolism.  Get a heart monitor and make sure you are working at a level that maximizes your weight loss efforts.  Do this every day.  Yes, every day. The key to weight loss is to burn off more than you eat (or drink.)  Most (most) of us do more sitting than physical activity in our day to day routine; so most (most) of us need to exercise daily for 45 minutes to an hour. 


Will walking do it?
Not unless you are speed walking, breaking a sweat, or your heart monitor says so.  Better to spend the time on an elliptical and burn those calories off!


Must I exercise to lose weight?
No.  Not really. It's math, remember.  But it's worth mentioning that I've never seen anybody lose much weight, on a long term scale, that didn't include exercise.


There are hundreds of suggestions, tips and other random thoughts than contribute to weight loss, but these are a good start for those of you that just want to lose "the weight" and make some life style changes to keep that weight off.


"Take care of your body, you need somewhere to live until you die." -Unknown (but I'll try and find out.)



To PC or not to PC?

Hi All.  Welcome to my blog.  I must admit that I'm both excited and unsure about what this blog may grow into.  But this much I know...I want it to be a place where I can express my random thoughts with ease.  To do this, I have decided not to spend too much time combing through these expressions for grammatical errors, so should you happen upon them, please know that they are not of great concern to me. 


To PC or not to PC? Don't we all have those thoughts that we hesitate to share? The rules of Social Media can be inhibitive of the things we might have said in the intimacy of a face to face conversation.  This is the hue behind this blog.  I will go there.  I will say it. Perhaps you were already even thinking it? 


So let the blogging begin! And if I happen to offend you, please find a PC blog that will put a smile on your face.  Know that I love you and want you to be happy!


Michelle Rae
www.poweredgeyoga.com