Truth.

Posted on March 14, 2011 by kymarie13

I realized it had been quite sometime since I last wrote so I started writing about something I have been keeping a secret but then I decided that I had something more important to write about. THE TRUTH. And the truth is I have gained 12 pounds since I moved to New York. The truth is… it is REALLY hard to stay healthy! I read other health blogs and it blows my mind that a delicious snack is an apple. I wish I could pretend a delicious snack is an apple but I can’t even pretend. In my opinion a delicious snack is a bagel with cream cheese or my beloved oreos. With that said I have to thank the other blogs for motivating me to be better but the truth is IT IS HARD.

Waking up in the morning at 6am is no easy task, believe me when I wake up at 6am it is not pretty. It looks like 10 alarms on my iPhone, some moaning and complaining and finally getting my butt out of bed.

Eating healthy balanced meals is not easy. It is almost another job entirely! If having one job wasn’t enough you have to buy foods only from the outside of the grocery store, stick to the greens (when all you really want are the carbs), and then spend an hour preparing it. Finally by the time you have finished (and this is hoping that you haven’t snacked while making the food) you can eat your meal. But what happens when you get home from work at 10pm and your exhausted and you didn’t have time to prepare a meal?

Working out everyday is hard! When you work 10-12 hours a day and when you finally get home you just want to crash on the couch and watch Gossip Girls (or whatever your guilty pleasure is).

So please know you are NOT ALONE. It is hard and I am far from perfect but I have realized very quickly that even though it is hard you can not let yourself completely go. You have to BALANCE, and this is what made my blog have a complete facelift. I started out talking about the ways to stay healthy but what I need the most help with and I know others do too is Balance.

I have come up with some Truths that help me balance.

Truth #1: It takes time.

You have gained weight, you aren’t happy. The first thing you must realize to get back to your healthy weight or get down to that dress size you always wanted to be it will TAKE TIME. I can not tell you how many times, I thought I could do a program for a couple of weeks and I could get back to where I was only to realize I didn’t and it made me feel worse. A quick fix will never work. Put the time in and take the time and I promise you will be in a better place. I just realized this.

Truth #2: Be accountable.

“I have no idea how those 10 pounds got there.” Yes I have said this. I thought I was eating pretty healthy, I never drink soda, I only eat multi grain bread, and I don’t eat candy so where did I go wrong? I started a food diary and now I can see pretty clearly how I got there. My problem is portions and too many snacks. If you have said to yourself “I have no idea how I got here” start to write down what you eat and you can quickly hold yourself accountable for what and how much you are eating. Some days will be worse but as long as you can write it down you will start to see trends of why some days are worse than others. And when you know what those trends are you can stop it the next time it happens. I have an iPhone and I use MyFitnessPal to keep track but a notebook will also work. The only plus with an online program is they can easily keep track of calories for you.

Truth #3: Start Small.

I always wanted to take on big goals. When I wouldn’t finish a big goal it would leave me defeated and I would sulk back to my couch. Stepping on the scale and seeing that I was 12 pounds heavier I knew it wouldn’t be a quick fix, it would take time, I would need to be patient, and I would need to start small so I wouldn’t be easily defeated. As I accomplish one thing I will move on to the next. I started with going to spinning two times a week, which i successfully did for a month. After reading (and here is my secret) Walk to the Mailbox, I was inspired to start running. For those of you who know me, I am not a fan of running and I HATE TREADMILLS. I feel like a hamster. So I was nervous but I started the couch to 5k program and I have successfully completed 3 weeks and yesterday I ran 20 minutes straight (I promise to write a post just on learning to love…running)! I do have to thank Ashley from A Healthy Happier Bear because every time I posted on Twitter that I completed a week she would tell me to keep up the good work and I was nervous if I didn’t post I would let her down (SO THANK YOU ASHLEY, you have no idea how much the support means).

Truth #4: It’s Hard Work.

It is NOT EASY. Having to put down the oreos and pick up a carrot stick is not easy, its hard. Getting up at 6am so I make sure I make it to the gym that day sucks. There is no singing and dancing only moaning. So I will not sugar coat it for you, it will be hard work, sadly there is no magical pill to get in shape (believe me I looked). It will take work and perseverance,  but you will get through it. I promise you, people who are in great shape and say “they never go to the gym”, are lying to you. So just know going into that you will have to work. If there is no work involved it probably won’t work (sorry to kill your dreams). But its worth it in the end.

So to close and cut myself off before this gets way to long (oh wait it already did), know you are not ALONE. Realize things happen in life you can’t control. It will take time, you must hold yourself accountable, know it will be hard work and start small and then go big. I will be keeping you all updated on my process, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the great. If you want someone to talk to on your own journey email me, tweet me, facebook me I promise I am around. And having support is so important! Until next time, when I write about my new love for running (NEVER thought I would say that).

Filed under: MISC Wellness Info | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Review: Urban Rebounding

Posted on March 19, 2010 by kymarie13

“Urban Rebounding was created by J.B. Berns, a practicing martial artist for over 20 years, whom Fitness Magazine called one of the top personal trainers in the country. The Urban Rebounding Workout has it’s lineage in martial arts and core abdominal postures, resulting in a non-stop abdominal workout that melts away the fat and inches, strengthens your core and improves your balance and coordination like no other exercise! The Urban Rebounding System is the powerful total body workout that is in nearly 5,000 health clubs worldwide.”

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a Urban Rebounding class with the creator JB Berns. If you have never heard of Urban Rebounding, you are seriously missing out! JB Berns started the Urban Rebounding workout in 1995. The idea came after an injury he received from martial arts and his instructor put him on a rebounder to rehab. While he was on there he started to realize there was something more there and he was right. Since he started the Urban Rebounding Workout in 1995, it is now in 5000 gyms, 18 different countries and he has sold over 2 million systems to home users!

The class is so much fun and you get a great workout. Almost the entire workout is done on the rebounder except for push ups and stretches at the end. JB is an amazing guy with some great music taste, we only took a 35 minute class but that was enough to leave me sweating! We started with the basic jump and worked our way up into different jumping routines that included: double bounces, hamstring pulls, jabs, kicks, freestyle, 180′s and around the worlds. Being on the rebounder was so much fun and if you bounce correctly you can really feel it in your abs. My abs wore sore from the class for the rest of the night. The benefits you receive from rebounders are endless but some of them are: strengthens the heart, stimulates metabolism, improves circulation, and aids endurance. You can read about the research he has done on rebounders here.

You can find Urban Rebounding classes at: Crunch, Equinox,  and New York Health and Racquet. I would also check your gym near you to see if they have a class. If you can’t get to the gym he also sells his entire system with 6 DVD workouts  for $99.99 plus shipping charges.

I thought it was an amazing class and I will definitely be taking another class soon. If you haven’t tried Urban Rebounding yet, I suggest you give it a try.

Image from Weblogs.

Filed under: Workouts | Tagged: , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Review: David Barton Gym Astor Place

Posted on February 27, 2010 by kymarie13

Look Good Naked. Who doesn’t want to look good naked, honestly with the horrible fashion sense I seem to have, I should at least look good naked, so I went to the one place that’s lives by that motto. David Barton Gym. I first heard about this gym when I lived in Chicago, I heard it had the most unique atmosphere and that each gym was designed  to be completely different. I decided to check out the Astor Place location. Walking in the first thing I noticed was the arms on all of the trainers, they are huge! Which doesn’t surprise me because with an owner like David Barton, you probably strive to be like him. His personal motto is: “You only go around once. You might as well do it in a beautiful body.” The whole idea behind his gym is a cool place to workout, you don’t have to workout in a boring gym.

The gym has 3.5 floors: the main floor which houses the lobby, a cardio theater, membership services and a small store that sells some of the most random stuff I have ever seen. The top floor holds the aerobic studio, another cardio theater, and all free weights. The basement holds a coat check (which I was told I could take any jacket ;) ) the Women’s locker room, the pilates studio, and the yoga studio. The sub basement (hence the 3.5 floors) holds the Men’s locker room and the spin studio.

The gym is beautiful! It is by far one of the most beautifully designed gyms I have seen. The floors are all hardwood, the fitness equipment is all the most up-to date-equipment, each with their own tvs and iPod hook ups. The lighting is what they call Shakespeare lighting, which makes the gym much dimmer than most and is highlight

ed with accents of blues, purples and yellows. There is a huge disco ball on the top floor where DJs come a play music Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays. The Women’s locker room is beautiful, it was not like any gym locker room I have ever seen. It is like a night club bathroom and everything is done in dark wood, they have all the amenities you need like: towels, hair dryers, shampoo, and razors.

David Barton offers many of classes and all the classes are taught by their trainers. You can take classes like: Guns, Ass Blast, Six Pack Attack, Yoga for Jocks, and Liquid Yoga. One of the things David Barton prides themselves on is their trainers, they were voted best Trainers in New York in Time Out Magazine.

Overall I loved the gym, I will tell you, it is true what they say in the reviews almost everyone that works out here is good-looking and it is like working out in a night club. Low lights, loud music and a DJ. If you need a fun environment to workout in that is aesthetically pleasing this is the gym for you.

David Barton has two locations in New York, Astor Place and Chelsea (23rd and 7th). They also have a location that is solely for private training. As for pricing, enrollment fee is $400. For one location it is $125 a month, both locations is $130 a month and a Travel membership which will give you access to any of the David Barton Locations (Miami, Chicago, New York and Seattle) for $140 a month. After visiting this is not a bad price for a high-end gym. It is less than Equinox ($170 a month). Sometimes you can get lucky and go in when they are offering no enrollment fees to join. If you are interested in joining I suggest you go see Renee Campos at Astor Place, he is extremely helpful.

One of my good friends just said it perfectly… David Barton Gyms are SEXXY. (Yes sexxy with two “x’s”)
Images from David Barton Gym.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Review: New York Health and Racquet Club Cooper Square

Posted on February 25, 2010 by kymarie13

So my overall goal is to visit most of the gyms in New York City so you have a good idea of what to expect before you decide which gym would be the best fit for you. Two days ago I visited the Cooper Square location of the New York Health and Racquet Club (NYHRC) and I loved it. NYHRC is by far my favorite health club I have visited thus far, I know I still have a 9 locations to visit after this but they have not disappointed me yet. The Cooper Square location is located right off the 6 train at Astor Place on Cooper Square in between 6th and 7th Streets.

NYHRC is located in the Carl Fischer Building building, that was erected in 1926. It is a beautiful historic building. NYHRC occupies three floors. The first floor holds: free weights, weight machines, the rock climbing wall (which is two stories, it’s  a little small but it gets the job done), the spin studio and their juice bar. The second floor which is more like half a floor holds all of their cardio equipment (all of their cardio equipment is brand new with individual TVS and iPod hook ups) and a few punching bags. The bottom floor has their dance studio, locker rooms and whirl pool with a waterfall.

One of the best things about this club is their staff, everyone was extremely helpful and made sure I was taken care of. I am not even a member and I felt right at home at this club. I went around 6pm and it was not too crowded which was great. The clientele at this location is mixed not too old and not super young but I am sure there are many Cooper Union Students that go here, it’s so close to their school. I think they said this location was 7 years old and it looks great! It was extremely clean and all the machines were up to date. The only thing I would improve is the showers and locker rooms, they were not bad but not the best. They have a great variety of classes at this location which I love and they are the only location with a rock wall and juice bar.

If you are interested in joining NYHRC (and if you don’t have a gym yet, I highly recommend you check it out) go see Joe Oginski, membership consultant, at Cooper Square. He has been the most helpful and nicest membership consultant I have dealt with. He did not jump down my throat about joining, he answered every question and concern I had, and was up front about everything. It was one of the most pleasant experiences I have had with a membership consultant. He even gave me a smoothie at their juice bar!

As for prices until Sunday, February 28th, you can join with no commitment for $99 a month with an initiation fee of $49. If you sign a year contract it will be $99 a month with an initiation fee of $9. All 11 locations are included in this price (most locations have a pool and two of them have sun decks) and that also includes their beach club, yacht, and discounts at their partner Tennis and Golf locations. I heard the price will be going up after February 28th so this is a great time to join. I didn’t want to join another health club but I think I may have to reconsider now.

Images from NYHRC.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Review: 24 Hour Fitness Madison Square Park

Posted on February 22, 2010 by kymarie13

Today I went to check out 24 Hour Fitness in Madison Square Park. It’s located on the Northwest corner of Madison Square Park between 5th Ave and Madison. The easiest way to get there is the R/W train 28th street location or the 6 train 28th street location. I had read many mixed reviews before I went so I didn’t know what to expect. The lobby has a circular front desk when you walk in. A juice bar is to the  right and membership services are to the left. The front desk staff was very friendly and found someone to show me the club right away. Even though it was 6:45 there were membership representatives there which is very nice because at most gyms their membership representatives leave at 6:00pm.

All the cardio machines are located on the street level. Each cardio machine has their own TVs and iPod hook up so you can listen to your music or iPod workout. They have bikes, treadmills (that range between 25 degrees and 45 degrees), stair climbers, and various ellipticals. For being 7pm in New York City, there were surprisily a lot of machines open which is nice. The lower level has all of their weight machines, free weights, stretching room, spin room, and dance studio. There are about 25 bikes in the spin studio and the dance studio is very spacious. They offer a variety of different classes that you do not have to pay extra for.  All their machines are nicely spaced out so you don’t feel to claustrophobic. The only area that felt a little tight was the free weights. The locker rooms have all the amenities you need: towels, soap, shampoo, a few blow dryers, and razors. They also offer monthly locker and laundry service.

The club was really clean which I was very impressed with. The membership representative was very nice and answered any and all questions I had. Now for pricing. There is a $29.99 initiation fee, which is waived if you are a student. The club is a month to month membership. When you join you pay the first and last month (whenever your last month is). Right now the monthly fee is $69.99 but on Thursday, February 25th they are raising their prices to $110 a month. This monthly fee includes all locations in New York. In New York there are 3 locations. Madison Square Park, Soho, and 53rd street (this location has a pool). All 24 Hour Fitness Clubs in New York are Ultra Fitness which means all amenities are included in your monthly price. Also all clubs are open 24 hours a day, kind of crazy but apparently there are people who come at crazy hours.

24 Hour Fitness Clubs are privately owned, they were started in the West Coast and if you look at the map you can see they are everywhere, they are now trying to expand their clubs on the East Coast. You have probably heard of 24 Hour Fitness on Biggest Loser, as all of the trainers on that show are from 24 Hour Fitness.

Overall I was very impressed, it was super clean and offered everything I needed. I really like the $69.99 a month price but $110 will be pushing it for me.

Images from 24 Hour Fitness.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

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    Hello! My name is Kristine and I live and work in New York City. Since I have been here I have realized how hard it is to maintain a healthy balance while living in the City. Work starts to consume your life and you can get lost in everything around you.

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