Motivation for Your Monday

Happy Monday! For September I thought some beginning of the week motivation might be necessary. The hubs and I are going for some major goals this year and sometimes, a little motivation is needed! I once heard that A goal should scare you when you make it because you have no idea how you can make it happen. This is definitely the way I feel, but in the best way possible!

This quote is currently at the front of my day planner and stands as a constant reminder that we can all achieve our dreams and face down those mountains. The possibility of failure and the definite growth we will need can be scary, but what is even worse is looking back and knowing we did not even try. In my day planner this quote is directly followed by another stating "I will until" because, as Babe Ruth said, "it is hard to beat a man who never gives up".

And, since we missed last week's motivation, I thought I would share an incredible blog post over on Cup of Jo. In this article, Joanna talks about a game they play while waiting for tables at restaurants. Each person writes down five words that explain themselves at that time. What a neat idea! Joanna has realized that the five words she picked has, now, shown how she has grown through the years. For my first time playing, my words were loving, adventurer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, learner.

What would be the five words you would choose for yourself?

How Do You Run Safely?

Since I have started running outside waay more often, I have also started thinking a lot more about running safety. Of course this means running on the proper side of the road, wearing bright colors, have a phone with you at all times, and not running during busy traffic times. That last one is more important up here since we are running on roads with no sidewalk and no shoulder at times. Other than the basics though, how do you stay safe while running?

The hubs just got me a new key chain pepper spray and had requested that I never run alone without it. I think both of us watched waaaayyy too many episodes of Unsolved Mysteries at far too young an age. Especially since, now that I have it, I would never consider running outside without it.

For all those other issues that could befall me when running, I have turned to Kitestring. Kitestring is, possibly, the best use of my cell phone ever... Other than Instagram, obviously. This is not an app (thankfully since my storage is at about 1 mb free space), it is a number you have saved and simply text. Going out for a jog? Walking down a creepy ally? Going to buy something on Craigslist? Just text Kitestring the amount of time you should be done in and they will check on you when that much time has passed. If you are safe, you send a quick message back. If not, they will notify your emergency contacts right away.

There are two options for Kitestring, the free one and the $3 a month one. With the free option you get eight outings a month and one emergency contact. For $3 you get unlimited emergency contacts, unlimited outings, and two upgrades called perennial mode and a customizable check-in period.

6 Health Questions I Do Not Know the Answer To

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There are plenty, and I mean plenty, of ways to find out information on the internet. But, no matter how hard I look, a few questions of mine have still gone unanswered. Like most with a question, my first stop is the internets and it's wealth of knowledge. Unfortunately, these answers seem to not exist or I am at a loss for where to find them. 

I, therefore, set these questions out to the internets. Do you know the answers to any of these or have questions like them? 

1. What is a healthy body muscle percent?

We all know about body fat percentages, BMI, water percentages, and visceral mass, but what about muscle percent? Is there a healthy amount or is it just whatever is left over after everything else is a healthy number? 

2. Should I be sore after a workout?

This one is a little less of an unanswered question and a little more of a question that has many answers, all going in different directions. It also seems to change whenever the mood strikes. Is being sore a good thing for muscle growth like some say, or does it mean we breathed and drank to little?

3. Does height really make a difference to BMI?

It would make sense that it does since BMI only really covers two dimensions and we are three. But, would we have really gone this long in the health industry with something that measures us all wrong? I don't know... we did it with food. 

4. Give me real foods that are healthy and not fads

This is more a statement than a question. I am a bit simple when it comes to food and prefer to stay away from fads and "secret foods that will increase energy and health". I love spirulina and kale and vitamin B12, but there are so many fad mixes and sugar replacements out there; can't we just be healthy without jumping on a band wagon? 

5. Is a gym membership worth it?

We know that working out in groups is better for keeping us on track with our fitness goals, but do gym memberships count as groups? This is something I have been wondering as I have been taking more Orange Theory and Hot Yoga classes throughout the week. Unfortunately, I have found no conclusive data that shows a marked difference between health of non-gym and gym goers to share with you. 

6. What should I avoid to loose weight?

Haha, I tricked you on this one! There is a very good answer to this and one that will have it's own blog post quite soon. People have a predisposition to eat and not eat certain foods from the three categories- fats, carbs, and proteins. One of these three is harder for the body to breakdown and will cause weight gain. Thankfully, close monitoring of how what you eat effects your body, or, a quick genetic test will give you the answer.