Hiking for me really is about clarity. As I begin my ascend up the rocky path on my hikes I do feel like I’m climbing and it’s a challenge but I know that if I take baby steps one by one inch by inch I will arrive at the top. Making this so much a metaphor to what life is about that even if you don’t feel good, even if you’re worried, even if you have stress, you have to keep moving taking one baby step at a time to try to overcome it all and get to happier ground. It’s much like hiking baby steps one by one.

It’s Thanksgiving and I have so much to be grateful for but I’ve also come through some of the most challenging times of my life. I’m still healing and processing everything that’s happened over the last year and a half to two years. Like most of us, I could write an epic novel about it and sometimes feels like like once I get back on my feet the sledgehammer comes right back around and goes on out let me give you one more upside the head just to see if you’ll wobble and come back. I do I wobble, but I get back on my feet and I keep moving baby step after baby step, pulse after pulse not quitting! Quitting isn’t an option because I do know that if you keep moving you will wind up back in the sunshine.

So on this Thanksgiving holiday, which is a challenge for me, I’m grateful thankful and in the process of healing my soul and putting the pieces together to reach my new life.

The new life that is my dharma I have projected and worked really hard to get and so my challenges my sorrow and my struggles all amount to what’s most important and that’s my happiness!

Here are some of the trails that I’ll be hitting during Thanksgiving because I love being in nature and I love climbing up a hill. I love God talking to me as a hike and I am thankful that my body can respond and do these challenging hikes. Get outside this Thanksgiving week and let the universe know you’re thankful. Happy Thanksgiving hope to see you on the trails!

My favorite Trails:

1. Caballero Canyon Trail
2. Rocky Peak Trail
3. Las Llajas Canyon Trail
4. Runyon Canyon Trail
5. Fryman Canyon Trail

A year and a half ago I started my weight loss journey with one goal in mind; drop 40lbs. I was at my wits end with my body; not only the way I looked, but the way I felt. I embarked on my transformational journey at the start of 2019. This journey was not just about hitting the gym, it was also about adjusting my eating habits and keeping the wine bottle corked. I was no stranger to a workout but I was taking in more than I putting out and so I needed to shift more than just my diet, I had to shift my mindset. It didn’t happen overnight but I surely did lose those 40lbs and was suddenly feeling better and more happy than I had in years. 

But now what I have always been driven by the desire to meet my goals and now that I had lost the weight, I suddenly found myself less motivated to head to my workouts. I discussed these feelings with my trainer and we set new goals, this time it wasn’t about losing weight, it was about getting stronger. I was now on a journey to gain, but this time instead of gaining fat I would be gaining MUSCLE! Those initial workouts were surprising to me, I was in the best shape of my life but my muscles still lacked the power that I was seeking. Most of the year, my workouts were cardio based, we had been focused on burning fat quickly, but now muscle groups that had long been ignored, were being engaged and strengthened daily. It was then that I set my eyes on an exercise that had always seemed just out of reach for me; the pull-up. 

The pull-up is defined as raising oneself with one’s arms by pulling against a horizontal bar fixed above one’s head, but it might as well be defined as IMPOSSIBLE. I was getting stronger, easily completing pushups and planks that had seemed unreachable at the start but the pull-up still eluded me.  Every work out felt like a tiny step towards reaching my goal, my biceps started to look more and more defined, but the thought of those same muscles being able to pick up all my body weight seemed still so out of reach. It took almost two months of slow progress, but then one day I sensed I was ready and BOOM! IT HAPPENED! Looking back at my journey, I feel a deep sense of pride knowing how far I’ve come, while remembering that this road I’m on to feeling better is a lifelong one.

I wish you all your own personal victories and hope one day that you too have your own moment where you lift yourself up and out of whatever is holding you down. 

My Monday workouts are everything to me because Monday sets the tone of the week! Monday starts the week off with a bang and set you up with good intentions for the whole week. Skip your workout on Monday and it is easy to skip Tuesday.  By the time Wednesday rolls around you think to yourself, “already missed Monday and Tuesday may as well wait until Monday!” Start eating bad, same thing, start eating bad on Monday may give you a whole week of eating poorly.

Regardless of what you do or want to do, Monday is the starting line for the week and sets the tone for how it will go. I can’t remember where I read it, but I remember someone saying that using energy creates energy. So when you expend energy during exercise that in turn creates energy, leaving you feeling fresh, invigorated, and ready to face the day. I know we’re all struggling with having to be inside all the time during this social distancing thing; it feels like the days are starting to blend into one. However, it’s more important than ever to try and get some exercise in every day, even if it’s just a brisk walk around the block. Here are my top tips for motivating yourself to work out during quarantine…

1. Do it first thing in the morning

You get it done right away and the longer the day goes on, the longer you have to talk yourself out of it, and that’s certainly what happens when I put it off and tell myself that I’ll go later. I just don’t end up going. My advice is to get up, have a cup of tea or coffee first if you like, and then get up and go.

2. Remember how good you’ll feel afterwards

Taking that first step out the door or pressing play on that workout video is always the hardest part. However, like I’ve talked about above, you just have to remind yourself how amazing you’ll feel afterwards. You’ll feel more awake, alert, energised and ready to get on with the rest of your day.

3. Save different workout videos on your phone

Some days I’ll bounce out of bed and be perfectly happy to do a 5km run and other days its feels like a struggle to get up at all. That’s why I have a number of different workouts I can choose from all bookmarked on my phone. On those days when I’m really not feeling it I do a five minute arm workout video, which seems a lot more manageable when I’m trying to get myself up. Although trust me, you can still sweat in five minutes! If you want to do more then you can just do it twice, right?

4. Have a good podcast series on the go

I’m pretty new to podcasts and I’m even newer to having them as an accompaniment to running. What I’ve found, though, is that they take your mind of what you’re actually doing even more so than music.

Here’s what an average day of food looks like for me: 

In the mornings I eat oatmeal, maybe a strong cup of coffee or tea, and water with collagen.

For lunch, I usually eat a salad. I switch it up with vegetables, proteins, and salad dressings I use to keep it fresh. 

For dinner I eat a piece of fish, and vegetables. 

Throughout the day I also drink water with lemon. 

This is something I try to stick to strictly throughout the week, so on the weekends I can have my cocktail and a really delicious meal. As I said, we work so hard on our bodies, it’s important to have a diet that supports that! 

I wanted to share with you a few ways you can get in a few minutes of physical activity each day without the hassle of a whole workout. 

1. Take a hike. 

In California, and elsewhere, there are so many beautiful mountains to walk through. Take an hour or so one day just to explore your area on foot. 

2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. 

Walking the stairs a few times a day can do wonders to get your heart pumpin’! 

3. Take a walk around your neighborhood, or even walk on the beach.

Walking around your neighborhood can be a fun and peaceful way to get some physical activity in. My favorite thing to do on walks is find beautiful flowers and take phone camera photos with them. It’s a great activity to make walks more fun! 

Walking around the beach can be its own kind of peaceful, with the waves as your music you can do a quick powerwalk on the beach.

4. Clean your house.

I know this isn’t a fun one, but scrubbing the counters and floors are an awesome way to get some blood flow throughout your body. And at the end of it, you get to have a clean house! 

5. Take an online dance class or just dance. 

Dance can be such a great way to get some physical movement in your body. Sign up for an online class, or just turn some music up and dance like nobody’s watching! 

You’ll burn a few calories and get a mood boost at the same time. 

Being physically active can be a chore sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be. Use

Okay, I have a confession to make…I might be addicted to working out but let me tell you why…

My workouts have become my Happy Place! And now if I don’t work out then I go down the rabbit hole like in Alice in Wonderland! When I don’t get a burn in then my emotions take over and I feel like I can’t face my personal challenges. So I work out every single day, to the best of my ability! Every day isn’t always that intense but I do something every day to keep my body and mind strong!

I know it sounds crazy but working out is how I relieve stress in my life and the entire world. I’ve been going through my fair share of stress lately. So, to stay mentally tough, resilient, focused, and unstoppable I need my workouts. Which in turn have made me feel and look younger than I have in years.

Here are my general workouts:

I do my cardio first thing in the morning to get it out of the way before I get to busy. After cardio (except when hiking) I will generally leave some time to pump iron and work on my body.

CARDIO: 1 hour every day and most Sundays!

TREADMILL: alternate from 5 minute walk level 3.5 on 5.0 incline then 5 minute jog on level 5.0 no incline.

ELIPTICAL: level 4: 10 minutes, level 6: 10 minutes, level 8: 10 minutes, level 10: 10 minutes, level 12: 10 minutes, level 10: 10 minutes.

HIKING: I’ll go hiking 2 hours: 1 hour up the hill and 1 hour coming back down.

WEIGHT TRAINING: 1 hour three or four times a week.

I train with my trainer Dr. Alan Sherman at Sherman Sports Center two to three times a week depending on his schedule.

Here’s a great article to read on What Happens To Our Brains When We Exercise And How It Makes Us Happier

Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

I can’t remember where I read it, but I remember someone saying that using energy creates energy. So when you expend energy during exercise that in turn creates energy, leaving you feeling fresh, invigorated, and ready to face the day. I know we’re all struggling with having to be inside all the time during this social distancing thing; it feels like the days are starting to blend into one. However, it’s more important than ever to try and get some exercise in every day, even if it’s just a brisk walk around the block. Here are my top tips for motivating yourself to work out during quarantine…

1. Do it first thing in the morning

My rationale is this: the longer the day goes on, the longer you have to talk yourself out of it, and that’s certainly what happens when I put it off and tell myself that I’ll go later. I just don’t end up going. My advice is to get up, have a cup of tea or coffee first if you like, and then get up and go. if work prohibits morning workouts then do it after dinner but you need to be very discipline for night time workouts.

2. Remember how good you’ll feel afterwards

Taking that first step out the door or pressing play on that workout video is always the hardest part. However, like I’ve talked about above, you just have to remind yourself how amazing you’ll feel afterwards. You’ll feel more awake, alert, energised and ready to get on with the rest of your day.

3. Save different workout videos on your phone

Some days I’ll bounce out of bed and am perfectly happy to do a 6 mile hike up Rocky Peak Mountain but most days I jump on the Eliptical machine for 1 hour and then pump iron for another 30 minutes and then some days it feels like a struggle to get up at all. That’s why I have a number of different workouts I can choose from all bookmarked on my phone. On those days when I’m really not feeling it I do a yoga workout video, or arms video which seems a lot more manageable when I’m trying to get myself up.

4. Have good music to listen to on the go

I put on my different playlist on Spotify and just GO! Sometimes it’s just Drake playlist and then it’s woman impowerment playlist and then other times the hot hip hop current songs. This all depends on my mood but it keeps me moving and pump up! Love it.

5. Reward yourself with a tasty breakfast

Remind yourself that as soon as you get back from your run or workout you can have a hot shower and a tasty breakfast. For me, protein shake or a cup of tea served with oatmeal and blueberries or poached eggs on toast.

Working out can change your life!

Okay, I have a confession, I absolutely used to hate the Elliptical machine! Now it’s my ….itch! That’s right I had to learn to love the one workout machine I hated! If you know anything about me, I have all ways done some type of workout from spinning, barry’s boot camp, yoga, etc, etc; but hear me loud and clear nothing burns FAT more than the Elliptical! You just need to know what you’re doing!

Elliptical trainers can be your best friends in the battle of the bulge, but when you don’t really know how to maximize your workout, you may be spending a lot of energy and seeing very little results.

Even though your time on the elliptical can burn about 773 calories an hour, many new users don’t achieve anywhere near this number because they’re not using the equipment as well as they could.

Here are some tips on how to burn as much fat as possible on the elliptical.

Increase the resistance.

Beginning exercisers make this mistake frequently — they believe that they need to start with no resistance in order to build up to greater things.  Unfortunately, with the way the elliptical works, you’ve got to have some resistance to burn fat.

If you can hear the machine purring, you probably need more resistance.  Turn up the difficulty until you can feel a little strain in your muscles in just one or two strides.

Reverse gears

Going forward is one thing, but going in reverse works a whole different set of muscles (namely the hamstrings and glutes) — and can help fight your body’s propensity for developing exercise fatigue. Interval train by going forward for a few minutes, then going backward.  You’ll work more muscles and bust more fat.

Grab the handles

You should honestly never touch the fixed handles if you want a fat-busting workout, but if your machine has handles that move back and forth as you pedal, hold on to them for dear life. Using the handles works the upper body as well as the lower, creating more opportunities for burning fat.

It’s not a race

Going too fast on an elliptical can actually be counter-productive.  When you slam the pedals down, you can increase your momentum to a point where the machine itself can carry most of the load. Take it slow and steady — if the workout doesn’t make your legs feel like Jell-o, you’re doing it wrong.  Crank up the resistance and watch the fat melt away.

Vary your workout

No matter how much you mix it up on the elliptical, you can’t be a one-trick pony and hope to lose lots of fat — eventually you’re going to plateau. Getting off the elliptical can be as beneficial as being on it — try mixing in some basic strength training once or twice a week and see how much faster your body transforms. Also add a hike or just an hour walk around your neighborhood to mix it up.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a piece of equipment like an elliptical to your home gym, we’ve got some useful Pro Fitness Gears elliptical reviews on our site to help make that decision a little easier.

Having one of these machines in your home will give you the freedom to exercise when and how it’s convenient for you.  Plus, you’ll never have to wait for or wipe down another sweaty gym machine again!

Here’s an elliptical workout which will help you build endurance and burn fat.

Moving forward I will be posting weekly a workout or something to do with my weight loss journey. Remember, if I can do it so can you!

Which is your favorite cardio machine  Elliptical or Treadmill?

It has taken me so many years to incorporate weight training to my weekly workout regime and to be honest, I’m just realizing how “super” important weight training is at firming up the body especially at my age.

If you follow me on my instagram feed then you know I have sporadically started posting my 22 pound weight loss journey beginning in the end of January. But, what was and is super important to me while losing the extra pounds I had continuously gained was that I didn’t want to have flabby skin. So as I lost the weight I picked up the dreaded dumbells “old school style” to firm up my arms, butt, lean my legs and my core which is my number one trouble area since having my babies 17 and 14 years ago.

So, what does a lifestyle blogger do Start blogging about how I’m dropping the extra weight and I will be breaking down weekly how I’m accomplishing my goals thru my daily workouts and what foods I’m eating. Let’s Go!

Let’s start with the most important “secret”, it takes DEDICATION!

DEDICATION TO SELF-CARE!

If you’re totally intimidated by the weights at the gym, but you want to start strength training to get stronger or to lose weight, this workout was made for you. As long as you have a pair of dumbbells, you can do it anywhere, anytime. These dumbbell moves are basic, but you’ll still get in a muscle-burning workout in under 15 minutes that will leave you sore tomorrow.

Basic Total-Body Dumbbell Workout

Equipment needed: One pair of light- to medium-weight dumbbells (3 to 10 pounds). Once you get stronger, you can increase the dumbbell weight.

Directions: Repeat this (10 to 15) move workout for a total of three rounds. Focus on moving with control and with proper form. Each round should take you four to five minutes.

This recipe is featured in my second Ali in the Valley episode for 2019, and you can watch it on my Youtube channel here: The Master Cleanse Diet (don’t forget to subscribe)!

Yep, I’ve eaten everything that has come my way during the holidays and even more…I always give in during the holidays because all my favorite foods are cooked, we have the time to visit all my favorite restaurants and there are never ending parties! But now it’s time to dial it back and get back to my healthy food regimen and my consistent work out plan.  There is no other diet better for me than the Master Cleanse. I usually do it for at least 7 days if not the total 10 days! Wish me luck and here is how it’s done!

I realized that I had never posted the Master Cleanse Diet on the blog Don’t know why but this cleanse has been around for years and is a favorite for my peeps in Hollywood who need to crash off 10 pounds fast for an event. Trust they don’t wake up like that! Lol!

It is basically like a juice fast except that for 10 days you drink 60 oz a day of the Master Cleanse Recipe.  The easiest way to do it is to get a big jug and make it either the night before or every morning.

I have done the Master Cleanse many times for many years but not always successfully.  I have to admit that a of the few times I have tried the Master Cleanse, I have crashed very quickly.  If this is your first time at it, it really helps to get the book, but why do that when you have the recipe?

Well, after reading the book I was motivated not only from a weight loss point of view, I was determined to cleanse my body of all that built up toxic waste.  There is a lot of detail in it about the health benefits of doing a cleanse and why we need to do this 2 or 3 times a year.  The ebook covers:

1. Reasons to cleanse and why it’s so important
2. Controlling hunger while on the Master Cleanse
3. Helpful secondary ingredients you can use on the cleanse to reduce side effects
4. A daily Master Cleanse schedule, the optimum times to have the lemonade and the secondary ingredients
5. Preparing your body and mind for the cleanse to get the best results
6. The best way to exit the Master Cleanse and keep the results you worked so hard for
7. Question and Answer section
8. I have to say that with all the extra information and motivation, the book really did help me last the 10 days. You can order yours here.  The great thing is that you get it right away as a download and don’t have to wait to get started on your prep work.

Master Cleanse Diet

For a full day’s juice, you will need to make this recipe twice!  Unless you have a large enough jug, then you can just double the recipe. Also the minimum to drink is 60 ounces of recipe, and the maximum is the whole 120 ounces.  So for the first day, try the whole 120 ounces and see how it goes.

Ingredients

1. 60 oz filtered water
2. 12  tbsp Organic Dark Mapel Syrup
3. 12 tbsp Organic Lemon Juice (about 6 lemons)
4. 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender (optional) or a large pitcher and stir. That is it!

You may also drink filtered water and mint tea.  I highly recommended a Smooth Move tea at night, but that is pretty much it for the 10 days!

Important Note about the Maple Syrup In the book it says the Maple Syrup must be Grade B.  They are no longer graded that way for sale, what you need to look for is the Dark Maple syrup which used to be called Grade B.

Pros and Cons of the Master Cleanse

The good things

1. Rapid Weight Loss of 10-15 lbs in 10 days

1. Simple.  You make your batch every morning and don’t have to worry about what to eat and how much
2. Inexpensive

The not so Great

1. You will be very hungry the first couple days
2. Some people will experience fatigue, headaches and even nausea
3. Not sustainable for a long term diet. Yes, there are times when you need to crash off some pounds for an event.  As long as you go into it knowing that if you don’t change your eating habits, the weight will come back afterwards.  (If you are looking for long term weight loss, treat it like a jump start to a new way of eating.)

The Master Cleanse lemonade recipe itself tastes pretty good and you do get quite a few calories from the maple syrup to sustain you (about 1300 calories a day).

So this is doable, but still, I would pick a 10 day period where there is not too much going on so that you can focus on yourself and even sleep more, if needed.

And make sure you do not have to many important meetings or parties to attend in the middle of your cleanse!

Good luck and let me know how you make out in the comments below!

Personally, I usually lose 10 to 15 pounds which jumps starts my weight loss work out plan! I have no time to play around this year, we’re heading to Tulum, Mexico in March and I need to look good in a swim suit!

Hello 2019!

Ali in the Valley