Tomorrow is April 1st and kicks off Autism Awareness Month. Being that I used to work with adults with special needs and developmental/intellectual disabilities I take great pride in participating. Some of the most loving, friendly, kind and special people are those with developmental disabilities and I feel super strong about finding ways to make their lives better and lend a helping hand.
My friend, Carla, works in a school serving children with Autism and I will be walking and supporting her in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks on May 18th (along with some other lovely ladies from CKO). The link is here if you want to donate and help out!! If you'd also like to walk please comment below and join the team...the more the merrier!
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1084970&lis=1&kntae1084970=9C3394FB39E44B6CA2DB13E639040C96&team=5817254&tlteam=0
ALSO.....Invisible Self Piercing in Lyndhurst, NJ is giving 5% of all sales and piercing to Autism Speaks! http://www.invisibleself.com/ This is the link to the website. They are a new place with a great reputation and supporting a fabulous cause.
Lastly, CKO Lyndhurst has a member who is supporting an individual with Autism by selling bracelets for $2. I already bought mine so if you're stopping in for class pick one up too!
If you know of any other places, business, or people with fundraisers or events for Autism Speaks please feel free to comment on this post!!!!! THANK YOU :)
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Black and White- a balancing act
Balance-it's one of my greatest strengths and biggest flaws. If you know me well you probably know physically my balance is pretty sick! I can style my hair, brush my teeth, cook a full meal start to finish, clean the house, do laundry, carrying hot beverages, and all other random everyday tasks on one leg. If you know me well you've probably also picked up on my very "black and white" sense of thinking. Either something is or it isn't, I love it or hate it, I'm all in or totally out, my hair is deep red or it's light blonde, long or super short and buzzed! Side note....the buzz undercut definitely seems to fit me and my crazy, extremist personality if I do say so myself!!
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Back to balance.... or my lack thereof! In essence, it definitely helps drive me and is part of where my deep passion to push forward and never give up comes from, but at the same time it has been such a hindering on my ability to balance my life out in many aspects.
As mentioned before, I struggled with an eating disorder in high school, literally starved myself to achieve an unrealistic idea of what would make me "happy", never got there (because it was impossible and not real!), vicious cycle repeated, missed senior year, was stuck in a rehab center- miserable, kept persisting until I finally realized I was faced with an ultimatum....I can continue to live in complete psychotic "control" (or so I thought) over every single calorie that goes into my mouth and every single pound lost until I wore an altered size 0 and in return continue to also lose touch with every person and positive thing in my life- my boyfriend (who I am still madly in love with 9 years later), my family, my friends, my health, my studies, my independence (because who the hell trusted I was going to take care of myself), and so much more.
Luckily I chose to ditch the real scale completely and find a way to balance my life and become a healthier, happier person. At first I did it for everyone else but myself, but soon later realized I was also worth the work I put in. I also realized the less I try to control the uncontrollable, the happier I am. Balance was always hard for me. My mom says "I see only black and white, there is no gray area" and I'm okay with that as long as I can reign myself in when I know the scale of life is shifting way too much to one end. This is probably why I'm in love with a Libra, whose zodiac symbol is a glyph or scale! HAHA. Dan is definitely my balance and without him I fall off the deep end! Good thing I'm a Pisces (twin fish) so I am an amazing swimmer! OK enough, sorry!
Finally, at age 24 I feel like I can see my life as a jigsaw puzzle. From afar, it looks like a huge, intimidating mess, but if I start to pick up pieces one at at time and try to make a single match it just seems to slowly come together. I can't finish it in one sitting, I will definitely need extra helping hands and it's totally okay to walk away and come back later with a clear head and a new perspective. My jigsaw of a life is work in progress, a balancing act, and an unfinished masterpiece I need others to help me complete. I can't control the process, I can't rush the process it's just going to all work out.
As mentioned before, I struggled with an eating disorder in high school, literally starved myself to achieve an unrealistic idea of what would make me "happy", never got there (because it was impossible and not real!), vicious cycle repeated, missed senior year, was stuck in a rehab center- miserable, kept persisting until I finally realized I was faced with an ultimatum....I can continue to live in complete psychotic "control" (or so I thought) over every single calorie that goes into my mouth and every single pound lost until I wore an altered size 0 and in return continue to also lose touch with every person and positive thing in my life- my boyfriend (who I am still madly in love with 9 years later), my family, my friends, my health, my studies, my independence (because who the hell trusted I was going to take care of myself), and so much more.
Luckily I chose to ditch the real scale completely and find a way to balance my life and become a healthier, happier person. At first I did it for everyone else but myself, but soon later realized I was also worth the work I put in. I also realized the less I try to control the uncontrollable, the happier I am. Balance was always hard for me. My mom says "I see only black and white, there is no gray area" and I'm okay with that as long as I can reign myself in when I know the scale of life is shifting way too much to one end. This is probably why I'm in love with a Libra, whose zodiac symbol is a glyph or scale! HAHA. Dan is definitely my balance and without him I fall off the deep end! Good thing I'm a Pisces (twin fish) so I am an amazing swimmer! OK enough, sorry!
Finally, at age 24 I feel like I can see my life as a jigsaw puzzle. From afar, it looks like a huge, intimidating mess, but if I start to pick up pieces one at at time and try to make a single match it just seems to slowly come together. I can't finish it in one sitting, I will definitely need extra helping hands and it's totally okay to walk away and come back later with a clear head and a new perspective. My jigsaw of a life is work in progress, a balancing act, and an unfinished masterpiece I need others to help me complete. I can't control the process, I can't rush the process it's just going to all work out.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
To wear headphones or not to wear headphone... That is the question.
Answer: totally doesn't matter!
When lifting at the gym it does not matter if I wear headphones or not. Still got a marriage proposal. SCORE.... My push-ups really must be that awesome :)
Grocery shopping...craving carbs = FOOD POST
OK. So as many of you know I LOVE FOOD....but healthy food that's also delicious and nutritious! I am passionate about nourishing the body and fueling it for all the amazing things our bodies do everyday. In the past I've been like "eat to survive!" and undernourished myself (not a good thing!) then I was like "Eat! Eat! Eat! Just because you can!"(still not a good thing!) and now I'm like "Eat to fuel the body and eat to fuel the mind" basically meaning 1. Eat because, well you have to in order to survive and feel strong and energized! and 2. Eating should be enjoyable, fun and delicious.
I could give you all my boring pointers on food like when and how to pair complex carbs with lean proteins, my take on dairy and milk, protein shakes/supplements and all that jazz but you're not all one of my PT clients--if you really want my two cents I'd gladly give it to you, just not here ;) haha! SO instead I will post some of my "Creatively Clean Eats" which I have created a board for on Pinterest.
SO since I just ate a version of my Chia Seed Pudding with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt topped with KIND granola I will start with the basis of Chia Pudding. Plus the health benefits of Chia seeds are amazing!!! http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7928/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds.html
Just add a few scoops of Chia seeds (my Chia seeds come with a scooper otherwise do about 4 TB which I read is the recommended daily serving for maximum benefits of Chia seeds) in some unsweetened vanilla almond milk or coconut/almond milk- whatever you prefer. Obviously anything with coconut will taste like coconut verse the vanilla or plain which is a little more bland. As long as it's UNSWEETENED your all good! I usually don't measure the almond milk I just add it in so it completely covers the seeds with some more liquid than seeds....say maybe 1/2 cup?? I usually make a bunch of pudding at once and use it throughout the week because it doesn't go bad quickly! Then I scoop it out and mix it with some plain Greek yogurt and spice it up- it's like eating a dessert!
Chia seeds absorb liquid very easily due to the amount of fibers in them and are very bland so they take on whatever flavor your adding in. You'll want to refrigerate your Chia seeds in the almond milk in a Tupperware over night or at least a few hours. When you're ready to eat it, mix it up real good to distribute the liquid and puffed up seeds evenly and add more almond/coconut milk if needed. This is your plain Chia Pudding! Now you can get creative!!!!
I could give you all my boring pointers on food like when and how to pair complex carbs with lean proteins, my take on dairy and milk, protein shakes/supplements and all that jazz but you're not all one of my PT clients--if you really want my two cents I'd gladly give it to you, just not here ;) haha! SO instead I will post some of my "Creatively Clean Eats" which I have created a board for on Pinterest.
SO since I just ate a version of my Chia Seed Pudding with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt topped with KIND granola I will start with the basis of Chia Pudding. Plus the health benefits of Chia seeds are amazing!!! http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7928/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds.html
Looks totally gross, tastes totally good! This is Chia Pudding with organic powered chocolate pb
4TB Chia seeds + almond milk refrigerated over night + 1 TB organic powered chocolate pb
Just add a few scoops of Chia seeds (my Chia seeds come with a scooper otherwise do about 4 TB which I read is the recommended daily serving for maximum benefits of Chia seeds) in some unsweetened vanilla almond milk or coconut/almond milk- whatever you prefer. Obviously anything with coconut will taste like coconut verse the vanilla or plain which is a little more bland. As long as it's UNSWEETENED your all good! I usually don't measure the almond milk I just add it in so it completely covers the seeds with some more liquid than seeds....say maybe 1/2 cup?? I usually make a bunch of pudding at once and use it throughout the week because it doesn't go bad quickly! Then I scoop it out and mix it with some plain Greek yogurt and spice it up- it's like eating a dessert!
Chia seeds absorb liquid very easily due to the amount of fibers in them and are very bland so they take on whatever flavor your adding in. You'll want to refrigerate your Chia seeds in the almond milk in a Tupperware over night or at least a few hours. When you're ready to eat it, mix it up real good to distribute the liquid and puffed up seeds evenly and add more almond/coconut milk if needed. This is your plain Chia Pudding! Now you can get creative!!!!
Chia pudding additives:
Half a banana and some chopped walnuts
Just Great Stuff organic powered peanut butter (1 TB)
Organic regular peanut or almond butter
1 scoop protein powder (whatever flavor you like)
Mashed up raspberries, strawberries or blueberries
Shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)
KIND granola
Plain Greek yogurt
Honey
Cocoa powder
Pure extracts like coffee, almond, vanilla, mint
ANY OTHER IDEAS PLEASE COMMENT :)
Honey
Cocoa powder
Pure extracts like coffee, almond, vanilla, mint
ANY OTHER IDEAS PLEASE COMMENT :)
CKO Kickboxing of Totowa- building strength and CONFIDENCE
Back in 2010ish, I think? I started working for CKO Kickboxing. Basically I was in college, living alone in an apartment (with much financial help and support from my parents!) but still needed a purpose (I like to work!) and some extra cash of course. A friend of mine from the job I was currently working at found their ad on Craigslist for a sales rep, made me apply (THANKS MARIA) and the rest is history.
I'll never forget when I met my boss, Mauricio, for the interview and of course it was up a big flight of stairs. Red in the face, I had to explain why it took me forever to climb them one foot at at time and then left totally dumbfounded as to whether he liked me or hated me.... plus I am applying to sell a gym membership to kickbox, which I have never done before nor really knew if I even could do myself! Later that night my other boss, Joe, called and offered me the job on the spot. He asked when I could start, not if I definitely wanted the position so it was just meant to be!
Selling memberships meant I needed to know what I was selling.....right?! The afternoon Mauricio told me I had to take a class instead of just watching one to really get the gist of what I was offering our prospects I laughed and was like "ummm for real?" I had zero confidence in my ability to take one of these high intensity, full body, up and down, kicking, punching, squatting, push-up, sprawling, trying to SURVIVE cardio-kickboxing classes. BUT my boss told me I had to sooooooo I showed up for his 5:45am class. NO I was not so super-motivated that I woke up at the ass crack of dawn to take my very first class.....rather, I knew there was probably only about 6-12 other individuals up that early to exercise so I could hide really well and try to "blend in"....something I have never done well whether that be a blessing or a curse it's just never been me to "blend in".....
Anyway I started out right foot in front of left (totally wrong!) and couldn't do one pushup...not even ONE. And roundhouse kicks?! That meant using my weak leg (the left one DUH!) to balance so I can kick with my right.... I am dooooooommmmeeed I thought, but I am still here to tell the tale :)
Lucky for me, Mauricio didn't want their sales rep to completely SUCK at taking class so he worked with me afteward. A little confidence boost there (Thanks M!!) along with a whole lot of practice I got my stance right (left in front of right), roundhouse right, squat, and could eventually push-up with ease...upper body strength is clearly my bread and butter....PS ewwwww to bread and butter! I'm also a super health food freak and love posting my creations which are all healthy, creative and delicious food I make...you'll get a taste of that too!! No pun intended :)
OK so long story even longer..... I was an avid kickboxer and who didn't wanna buy a membership from the girl with one leg taking class with them?! I mean come on if you didn't sign up you were letting yourself get beat out by the one leg chic! JUST KIDDING...but it was a great convo starter!
After seriously getting myself motivated, wanting a better and stronger body (I struggled with an eating disorder in high school which I will talk about later on) and feeling supported by everyone in the gym I asked if teaching classes was in my future. Never counting me out, Joe and Mauricio worked with me until I was ready and BAM! AK (above the knee amputee) Kickboxing instructor at your service :)
Intro to ME and why I'm here
I am a left leg amputee. Born with PFFD (Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency) and Coxivera of the hip (is that spelt correctly?). Basically.. I'm missing my femur completely and my tibia and fibula are all discombobulated and hip was majorly dysfunctional... AKA I'm a physiological mess, not to mention I have my psychological disasters as well- who doesn't right?! I have had 2 amputations, one when I was under a year old and another at age 13. Also, my hip was completely reconstructed at age 8 so it moves more efficiently and I can walk much easier. All surgeries successful thanks to the Dupont Institute Children's Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware and Dr. Shanmuga Jayakumar.
Anwayssssssss..... It has taken me 24 years to finally realize that although I am "disabled" I am really anything but! I have my demons, many of them, which I do plan on sharing with you all...but more importantly I have found a light in the end of the dark tunnel and want to let the world know that there is hope for anyone and everyone with their own demons (physical or emotional) and I am living proof!
This blog will continue to follow my new endeavors, struggles, successes, failures, exercise routines, RECIPES (I love food!) and so much more....it will be emotional and hopefully motivational and if nothing else maybe hysterical because I love making people laugh! I always say if you can't laugh about it, you'll probably cry or scream about it and we all look a little cuter smiling than crying- well at least I hope so :)
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