Love the ladies of MP4!

Here are ten great tips:

1.  Understand your vision and message – Ask yourself, why do I want this?  What are your goals?  What does the road map for you future look like?

2.  Identify your support system –   Who are they and do they want you to succeed?

3.  Effectively articulate what you want – Create a vision board with pictures and words that support your goals.  Dream big and don’t be afraid to put on the vision board exactly what you want…be careful what you wish for J

4.  Develop an action plan – Write it in your calendar and remember that this time is non-negotiable.  When are you going to get your workouts in?  How much time do you need?  What are you eating each day?  You know the drill, get it done…..without a plan, you are just rowing a boat without a paddle.

5.  Stay in contact with your support system – Consistency is the key.

6.  Treat your body like gold – You are the only person that will ever care, love and respect your body, so treat it with respect.

7.  Cultivate successful relationships – Remember your primary foods, relationships are so important to a happy, healthy lifestyle.

8.  Network – Meeting people who love to workout and eat well want you to be successful.  Surround yourself with the expertise of the people you wish to learn from.

9.  Build your confidence – Just give it a try, really what is the worst that can happen?  Do everything, say yes to it all and each time it will get easier and easier.

10.   Reduce your fears – If you are afraid to achieve a goal, then that is probably the best reason to get it done.  The learning process will be amazing!

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday and Safe New Year!

For most of my make up wearing life I’ve taken cheek color for granted, focusing mostly on covering a zit or mastering liquid eyeliner.  Not any more though.  As I’ve aged I’ve learned to appreciate the lovely glow that blusher brings to the face.  And can I just add that I love the word blush.  Blush.  It’s a soft and pretty word.  Blush.  And I like to speak it.  Blush.

There are lots of thoughts on where to apply blush.  I think in general that blush is for your entire cheekbone area.  Not too close to the eyes both below and next to them, and not too far below the cheekbone.  Be sure to apply color to the apple too (the part that pops out when you smile).  Blush is NOT for the nose, forehead, hairline and chin.  These places are for bronzer, not blush, and can create a sunburned look.

Blush color is only a big deal if it’s the wrong one.  Choose a blush that is similar in shade to the color your cheeks turn when you … yep, blush!  (sorry, couldn’t resist)  There are thousands of colors of blush and plenty of sales people to help you find a color that works with your skin tone.  Cheeks and lips should not match, but they should be in the same color.  For example, pink cheeks with pink-toned lips; coral/peachy cheeks with tans and orangish lips; rosy cheeks with rose-toned lips.  For red lips, I like a neutral, warm, toned-down cheek in whatever color this is for you.

Bronzer is nice for adding a little warm color on it’s own or along with blush color.  If you are using bronzer, be very conservative with the color.  Faking a tan with bronzer never works.  Go only one shade or so darker than your skin color and apply the sheerest possible amount, adding more only as needed to achieve the look you want.  Bronzer looks great on the cheekbones, along the temple and a tiny touch on the forehead, nose and chin.  After bronzing, a swirl of blush on the applied to the apple of your cheeks looks very pretty.

I’m kind of in love right now with using a highlighter on my cheeks too.  Once you’ve blushed, bronzed, or both, take a little highlighter and apply a sheer swipe on the top edge of your cheekbone for a nice little dusting of sparkle.

Blush, bronzer and highlighter come in powder, cream and even gel formulas.  Powders are by far the easiest to work with and are the perfect choice for all but the most extremely dry skin types.  A brush is essential for applying powder cheek colors and at the completion of color application, blend, blend blend to soften.  Cheeks are no place for hard lines of color.

Cream, liquid, gel and cream-to-powder blushes apply nicely but not more so than powder.  In my experience with cream blushes, they look dewy and pretty for about five minutes before they slide, smear or otherwise disappear.

Experiment to find what works for you.  You know when you’ve done it right because your cheeks will look slightly glowy and healthy.  Likewise, you will know when it’s gone wrong.  If you aren’t happy or think it looks weird and off somehow, reach for a make up remover wipe and start over.  It’s only make up.

I’m more vain than I care to admit.  A lot of whether or not I’m happy any given minute depends on how I feel I look physically.  I’m not proud of it, but I’m not alone.  With time I become much more accepting of my physical self, but I have a long way to go.  Part of my problem is that I chose a profession with an element to it wherein my would-be “clients” shop with their eyes.  So my love of good health and how to help others attain it has sort of shot me in the foot a little there with regard to where I wrap my self-esteem.  I’m dealing with that in many ways.  Aging helps and hinders the process, but it seems to be a forward-moving process, thankfully.  And most who spend 5 minutes or more with me realize that I know what I’m talking about, thereby (I think) being less concerned with my physical imperfections.  Assuming they were in the first place.  Most of the time, I get a “Wow, you look great for 40!” so I think most of this is (and was and will be) of my own creation.  Ironic considering how many would be surprised to how nonjudgmental I am of that sort of thing when it comes to other folks.

I gave up on perfect a long time ago.  If we’re talking just about physical appearance, I looked about as perfect as I was ever going to look just a few years ago.  I felt great about myself, much more confident.  But that time period also put me in close contact with other women who were SO wrapped up in their physical appearance, that: a) They never looked good enough; b) There was nothing else to them.  And how could there be?  I know that for that brief blip on my 40 year screen, the extreme effort it took with nutrition and training to (naturally) achieve that extreme of a look felt like a part-time job.  It was hard to foster any relationship unless it was with someone who shared the same pursuit at the time, or maintain an interest in something other than asparagus and interval cardio.   Needless to say, it was not the time to take up a hobby.   Unless you consider trying not to be a social leper at special events a “hobby”.

My first physique show. When I had the thought: "I love you, Honey, but I'd sell you for a cookie right now", I knew this would not be a long-term activity for me.

One thing that has really helped me embrace the “me” that’s more than the meat suit within which my spirit is housed is delving into interests beyond fitness.  This year, for example, I’ve taken sewing lessons and I’ve even been painting with friends, something I can’t wait to do again!  I’ve been much more social and I’m sinking my teeth into another aspect of my career—segueing it into something that will enable me to help people improve their health on a much deeper level.  Not only will that stimulate my brain—something I need—but it will indirectly help me with my own psychosis, reinforcing to me that optimal (dare I say “radical”?) health goes way beyond one’s dress size or eyelash length.  So in big and small ways, artsy-craftsy or extra-intellectual, I’m moving beyond what I see in the mirror.  And where I work I’m quite literally surrounded by mirrors, so that’s no small feat.

Pillowcase I made for my hubs in sewing class. Hopefully that makes up for the sell-you-for-a-cookie thing...

Does this mean I’m packing it in to search for meaning outside of my bod?  No, of course not.  Without a really healthy physiology, how in the heck am I going to feel well, think well, function well—all necessary things for having the time, desire, and aptitude to do things outside of fitness activities.  It just means I’ll care a little less about how I look while I’m doing them.  If you are at all like me, I suggest reaching beyond what’s apparent to the naked eye, and realize that it’s okay to be a dynamic person devoting time and energy to varied interests.  And that it’s not ALL about looking good… naked.

Picture I painted at Sips 'n Strokes with some great gal pals. It's "perfectly imperfect". (The "sips" part helps with its appearance. )

As I drove to work yesterday morning I watched a women eat an entire meal while driving.  I understand that our lives get busy and it is sometimes hard to take the time to sit down to enjoy a meal, but I don’t even think this women even knew what she was putting into her mouth.  At every red light she quickly stuffed a few bites into her mouth, chewed as fast as she could while making sure she didn’t miss when the light turned green.

I am sure most of you that have experienced what it feels like to sit, eat a meal slowly and enjoy it, if not, today is the day to try it out.

What do you think it does to your body to eat under stress?  Have you ever taken sometime to think about it?  Have you ever felt bad after eating on the go or rushing a meal?

Here are a few things to explore during your next meal, see if you notice any difference in how you feel.

Sight: Take a look at your food, is this what you want and need right at this moment?

Smell: Take a moment to actually smell your food before digging in, does it smell good?  Are you hungry?

Physiological reaction: Notice how your senses respond to the anticipation of the food you are about to eat.  How do you feel?

Taste: As you take your first bite, give all your attention to the food as you begin to chew, notice taste and texture.

Breath: Put down your utensils; take a breath before your next bite.  Slow down and enjoy your meal.

Silence: Before you get up and move on with the rest of your day, sit for a minute and be thankful.

So often we eat mindlessly.  Eating in the car, in front of the tv or computer, talking and chewing at the same time can take the pleasure out of a good meal.

What are some ways that help you to slow down when eating?  Do you have a favorite place that you like to enjoy a meal?

Enjoy your weekend and every bite of every meal!

Holiday Fun

I don’t know about you, but at this time of year I tend to want to tune out from the world and enter the land of creativity.  Not necessarily mine, could be someone else’s, but I want something new and different to keep me going.  I hate the winter and I live in New England—need I say more?  And I, myself, have been working out for years. 

While I search for something new, here is a little snapshot of some combos you may see on some of our functional workouts.  We love for you to take advantage of an aerobics room or a track if you are in warm weather and really go to town on your workout.  Stop doing the same ole thing over and over and realize there is life beyond P90X.

Enjoy.

Perform a dynamic warm up before beginning the following combos.  If you like these and would like more, sign up for our newsletter and you will receive 10 outdoor workouts where at least 3 resemble the following:

Combo #1

10 rapid fire squats

10 squat jumps

10 alt. fwd lunges (ea.)

10 russian twists (total)

10 mtn climbers (ea.)

 Perform 1 time per workout for time.  Keep doing all exercises sequentially with no rest in between until your time runs out.  Each time listed represents separate workout days:  2 min, 2.25 min, 2.5 min, 3 min

 Combo #2

 On a track or in a large group fitness room:

 Sprint length of room or 50 feet 1X

Without resting perform 5 push ups, 10 reverse lunges, 20 mtn climbers and one rocket jump.

Walk back to start.

 Repeat for a total of 6 to 8 times.

Other things to do after sprint include:

• 5 burpees, 5 push ups, 5 squat thrusts, 5 squat jumps
• 10 prone jacks, 10 squats, 10 split jumps total

 Be safe performing all of these exercises.  We want you fresh for the beginning of the year when we unroll some crazy stuff.  You can add these to any workout you are currently doing.  If you have never jumped before, start slow and go all out when you feel confident in the moves you are performing.  Again, sign up on the right side of the page if you want more workouts like these.

 Thank you so much for your interest, we’re truly humbled.  See you next week…

Ok gang, it’s time for more make up!  I said last time that I would order topics in the make up mini-series according to my own must haves, but that’s not the case today.  For me, eyebrows and cheeks come next, and then foundation with all it’s magical ways, but in the interest of what probably makes more sense, let’s do foundation.  K?

I wish I didn’t need it, but I truly appreciate foundation.  When it’s the perfect shade and formula, a face can be transformed to that of a happy eight year old … glowing, smooth, flawless.  But therein lies the challenge.  Even if like Amy you have perfect, crazy gorgeous skin, and don’t wear hardly any make up at all, know that if nothing else, foundation serves as a great base for bronzer and blush to apply more smoothly and adhere to throughout the day.

With regard to foundation at least, to the extent possible, the goal is for your made up face to not look like it is wearing a layer of foundation and so finding the right shade and formula for your complexion and skin is key.

The color of your skin and foundation must match exactly.  NEVER a half shade or so darker in the summer, and NEVER more pale!  Foundation should not be used to change the underlying color of your skin in any way.  Even a slight difference in color between foundation and your true skin color will cause the foundation application look way more obvious, as will anything orange, peach, pink, rose or ash colored.

Look for a foundation that matches the “good” part of your facial skin, like your jawbone, cheek, or forehead, rather than the too red side of your nose, whitish scar on your chin, or the gray/brown melasma splotch.  A lot of times the best place to work with for a great match is your neck because this skin almost never tans and is usually the same color as your face.  In fact, the neck skin is a lot like facial skin in how it ages, so if you use a retinol or vitamin C product for wrinkles, for example, smooth some onto you neck as well.  That being said, please don’t ever put foundation make up on your neck.  Just, weird.

Once you’ve selected a foundation, the only way to know for sure if it is the perfect color match is to apply it to your whole face and view it in natural daylight.  Wait at least two hours then head back outside with your big mirror for another look to evaluate how it wears over time (does it change color, become greasy or highlight flaky skin?).  Keep trying foundations until you’ve found the right one.

Department stores and make up boutiques like Sephora and Ulta have testers everywhere.  The make up is more expensive than the drug store but it’s worth it to get samples of foundations and get trained guidance.  Most of these places have a good return policy if you can’t bring a sample home to try or because of their awful lighting you’ve chosen wrong.  I believe that even Walgreens and RiteAid allow you to return cosmetics.

In addition to the perfect color match, a foundation formulation needs to be right for your skin type.  Are you dry?  Oily?  Have scars and spots to cover?  It’s a big bummer when an otherwise perfect foundation turns your face into a grease slick or ends up settling into and spotlighting lines.  Ask me how I know.  Ugh!

As you can image, there are many formulations to choose from.

Oil-free and matte liquids – these set to a matte finish with no shine or dewy appearance.  These last a long time on oily skin like mine, and are also good for normal skin too.  They aren’t suitable for dry or flaky skin.  I love NARS Sheer Matte foundation.

Water-based standard liquids – This is regular old foundation and is good for normal to dry skin and is great to wear without a moisturizer.  They do not work for oily skin types, even with a finishing powder.  I have heard that the emollient in standard foundation give women with dry skin and women of color a nice glow preventing dark skin from appearing dull or ashen, I guess for the latter whether they’re oily or not.  Hmm.  Any comments ya’ll?

Loose and pressed-powder foundation- they look and act like a powder but have more coverage and stay on.  They have a silky feel and blend on easily and provide light coverage and a smooth, fast application.  They are good for all skin types except maybe dry-very dry skin.  Be careful with very oily skin, as powders in general tend to thicken and glop up as oil reappears.  I was and then wasn’t a fan of bare minerals powder foundation.  The coverage and performance was really great but I could never get a good color match.

Cream-to-powder – in the compact cream to powders have a creamy appearance but when applied the creamy part disappears to a medium coverage, slightly matte, powdery finish.  Cream to powder can apply thick and so isn’t great if you want a sheer natural finish; and as well is usually too creamy for oily skin and too powdery for dry skin.

Liquid-to-powder – like cream to powder these go on wet and dry to a smooth, sheer satiny, slightly matte finish with sheer to medium coverage, yet feel much lighter on the skin than cream-to-powder and tend to last longer on combination and oily skin.  It is unsuitable for dry skin due the powdery finish and once applied set quickly, so don’t dawdle with blending.

Stick foundations – basically these are cream-to-powder foundation in a fat twist up stick.  Sticks come in a wide range of sheer to full coverage and either creamy or matte texture.

Ok, you have the right color and best formula for your skin.  Now, for application.  I use clean fingers to dot on and smooth evenly over the areas that need coverage, like my forehead (thanks melasma), nose, and cheeks.  If I’m doing a full face of make up for a night out or photos or whatever, I’ll use foundation around mouth and chin too.  Avoid going too close to the hairline and ears.  Occasionally I’ll use a stippling brush to smooth around after dotting on foundation.  These are those weird looking brushes with black bushy bristles and much longer fine white hairs sticking out of a long handle:  simply swirl and smooth on the dots of foundation.  Natural sponges get a lot of good press although I’ve never been able to get it together with a sponge.  I don’t love the little white sponge wedges for foundation application or blending because they tend to drag and grab too much product (probably a user error), but for that reason I like them for dabbing off excess foundation or concealer from lines, corners of the nose, eyebrows, etc.

Once smoothed on evenly, blend.  Blend, blend, blend!  Please don’t skip this step.  Blend with a gentle buffing motion going out from the center of your face.  Blend using your sponge or a make up buffing brush (I love and totally recommend the Botan Brush by Nars).  Blend/buff before applying any touching up make up later in the day too.

Less is best when it comes to fine lines and foundation settling into them.  Be meticulous about blending and remove any excess product from the areas you have lines (usually the eyes, forehead, marionette lines around nose and mouth) with a damp make up sponge.  Allow the very little bit of moisturizer used here to fully set in before applying foundation or concealer.  And be sure your foundation and concealer are not too heavy or emollient (greasy).

A lot of foundations contain sunscreen, however I don’t recommend relying exclusively on sunscreens in foundation to protect you from the sun and it’s damaging, and very aging effects.  Be sure to read the ingredients to avoid chemical sunscreens or ingredients that you have sensitivities to.  To ensure complete protection, use a separate sunscreen product before applying foundation.  I’ll take the opportunity here to stress again that you must be vigilant about sun protection on your face, neck and décolleté (fancy for chest).

I’d love to know what you use and do and love about your make up rituals.  Tell me about techniques I may not know about.  If you use an adored and favorite product, I want to know!  Let’s hear about it in the comments.  Thanks!

 I’ve fallen into this trap many times.  For example, last year at this time I was doing cardio 4 to 5 days/week.  Right now I am lucky if I get in 3 days, sometimes its only 2.  This is where the comparison begins and it is easy to want to beat myself up for not doing enough cardio.  This is the type of behavior I need to knock off, and you likely do too.

 Once I take a step back and look at the bigger training picture I also see that I am lifting 1-2 more days per week than I was last year at this time.  But once I realize the switch in what I’m doing, I move onto the next comparison.  In years past I would workout twice/day and now, that never happens.  But again, there is a simple answer for that.  First, I have been putting in more hours at work.  Second, I have no desire to go back to the gym after work. Third, not working out twice per day has not negatively affected either my performance or my physique.  And fourth, I have much more time to spend with friends and family.

 However, regardless of whether I am doing more or less than I was a year ago, I need to stop the comparison.  I am not the same person I was a year ago and neither are you.  When I take a step back and look at what I want out of my life in this moment, the response is not the same as it was last year.  As a result, my training is not going to be what it was a year ago either.

 What is my point to all of this you ask?  Too often we use our training as a measure of success.  However, not in a way that is at all accurate.  It would be one thing to set out a six-month goal and once those six months have passed, look to see if we achieved what we set out to.  And if you are doing that, I applaud you.   That is a rational way to measure your training.  But that is not the measuring most of us are doing.  Most of us are taking and comparing only one aspect of our lives – ignoring everything else that was going at the times of comparison. 

 Last year you might have just finished training for a marathon and this year you did not.  Last year you might have been working on improving strength and this year you are working on improving speed.  Last year you might have been unemployed and this year you might be working 80 hours/week.  Regardless of the specifics, you are comparing apples to oranges. 

 In the end of the day, the best thing to do is sit back and look at where you were, as an entire person, 12 months ago and compare that to where you are now.  Once you have that baseline, then you can move down to the specifics of training.  Now, and only now, can you say “hey, I’ve been slacking and that’s unacceptable” or “hey, I’ve been slacking but that’s because I am now a part of this great non-profit organization that takes up my time after work so I can only get in my training in the morning, and that is more than acceptable.”  But had you not assessed your life as a whole, you never would have been able to realize your charity work is eating into your training time and you are ok with that trade.  Only after we assess our lives as a whole can we really make any realistic conclusions. 

 And in my case, last year I had just come back from the Women’s Tri-Fitness and was on a cardio tear like no other.  I am much happier now that I have a more manageable schedule and more balance in my life.  Especially when at the end of the day, my level of fitness has not changed and I train just as hard!  If you don’t believe me, go do the functional workout I posted right after thanksgiving .  This is not a free-for-all excuse for not getting it done.  However, if you are reading this blog, you are probably like me and not one slack off and look for excuses.  Instead you work hard at every aspect of your life, rarely giving yourself props but constantly finding reasons to cut yourself down.  And using your training (or anything else) to do that is not ok, so let’s all (as Jodi would say) knock it off.  I’ll try my best to do so and urge you to as well.

9 Surprising Diabetes Risks

Watching 2 or more hours of TV daily.

Raises your risk: 14%

How: More TV = less activity.

The fix: Limit TV time to 10 hours/week; exercise.

Drinking one soda per day.

Raises your risk: 83%

How: Soda adds extra and empty calories which can easily lead to weight gain.

The fix: Switch to water, diet soda, or even better, unsweetened tea, which might protect against disease.

Skipping breakfast.

Raises your risk: up to 50%

How: not having that morning meal increases the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin, making you hungrier and more likely to eat more.

The fix: eat high fiber cereal with low fat milk and 1/2C furit in the morning.  One study of people with pre-diabetes found that eating high-fiber cereals made their cells respond better to insulin.  Consuming dairy products may also cut the risk for insult resistance by 72%.

A bout of major depression.

Raises your risk: 23%

How: Depression may alter body chemistry in a way that makes us more prone to developing diabetes.

The fix: Take a walk.  Just 30 minutes, 3 times a week, has been shown to improve symptoms of depression.

A large waist—even if you are at a normal weight.

Raises your risk: 330%

How: Fat in the abdomen (visceral fat) produces compounds that make cells insulin resistant.  Women should keep their waist size below 35 inches and men 40 inches.

The fix: 30-60 minutes of cardio, 3-5 times/week.

Waking up in the middle of the night.

Raises your risk: 89%

How: Not being able to sleep means you’re not getting enough sleep, making you more prone to developing insulin resistance and leading to diabetes.

The fix: No caffeine in the late afternoon or evening; and no TV or alcohol right before bed.  Try yoga too.

Eating fast food more than twice per week.

Raises your risk 100 %

How: People who ate burgers, fries, and soda more than twice per week put on 10 extra pounds and were twice as likely to become resistant to insulin.

The fix: Satisfy cravings with smaller portions.

High stress.

Raises your risk: 184%

How: Stress can interfere with your ability to make insulin and process glucose

The fix: Allow 10-15 minutes per day to relax

Consuming lots of processed meat.

Raises your risk: 43%

How: These meats (such as hot dogs and bacon) are loaded with preservatives that may destroy insulin producing cells in your pancreas.

The fix: Cut back.  A Harvard study found that women who had these meats less often than once per week had the lowest risk.  Try a preservative-free type too.

Okay, it’s me (Heather) speaking now.  I directly quoted the information my husband’s instructor handed out.  I’m not sure I agree with all of it. For example, I’m not sure I’d recommend the breakfast of grain + dairy + fruit to a diabetic, whether or not it’s high in fiber.  But I certainly found some of the percentage increases in risk surprising.  I’m assuming that most of MP4’s blog readers are on to the dangers of sodas and such.  But reading over this really made me think about how choppy my sleep has been lately, and how I really need to regroup sooner-than-later from some recent stress that’s been a tad prolonged.  While diabetes doesn’t run in my family, per se, the recent exponential rise in the condition demonstrates that it doesn’t necessarily need to.  I hope, if there were some surprises for you in there, or if you have a loved one who might benefit from up-to-date findings, this might prove helpful.

To your continued good health!