Tag: derbalife

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Sweat-A-Fit = My Brain is MUSH

What is a Sweat-A-Fit? It is a fundraiser by LETSMOVE and the only thing they do is organize this event and it’s nine hours of working out. This year, at Millersville University there was a Zumba room, a Yoga room and a Spin room.

There was a moment today where I thought to myself, “I am so weak. I skipped four classes.”

Then I realized that it meant that I did five classes. According to iChange, the four 45 minute classes of Zumba and the 40 minute Spin class I did burned 1900+ calories. 1900 calories. NINETEEN HUNDRED CALORIES.

My body, on a typical day, only burns about 1400! At a really awesome derby practice I’ll burn 900 calories. I am just absolutely floored at this achievement! Those classes were hard. Even the one Zumba class that was a little less bouncy had a lot of super precise movements, so I was still working really small muscles. My team mates from Dutchland Rollers were there too, and that was pretty awesome. (Kudos to Acute Toxicity and White Wing Shove who did five hours of Zumba today. Lots of gyrating)

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I also started with the Spin class. Which was probably not the best choice. Especially since I’ve never done one before. Our instructor was awesome (10 am class – Frankfurter? Hm. Can’t remember his name but he definitely called out the roller girls in the crowd). What was awesome about the class was that it wasn’t just: “Now pedal! Listen to the techno!”

We had techno, but it was Florence and the Machine. We pedaled, but there was ab work and other interesting workouts. Also, he was into the personal development side of things so he kept talking about the spiritual connection to working out. It helped me push through the burning of my quads (still not recovered from rock climbing – WHICH WAS AMAZING) and the general underdevelopment of my biking muscles.

PS I’m sorry if this blog hops around a little bit. I don’t know who I even am right now I’m so spent!! 1900 CALORIES. ON 5 HOURS OF SLEEP.

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Ok, so thank goodness I also had an Herbalife table set up at the event, because wow did I need the supplements today. The ‘empty’ Prepare canister ended up having a scoop and a half of powder in it, so post-Spin, pre-Zumba THAT happened. It was a 2 Hydrate day (I probably should have taken a 3rd honestly). I had some beverage mix with H3O after lunch (which involved micro-greens from The Seed Café in Lancaster and a CARROT SLAW mmmm).I also had some Peach Tea Concentrate and my tabs. PLUS I’ve drank 150 ounces of water today.  I had a Formula 1 to start my day, a Formula 1 to end my day, and then Rebuild Strength when I got home! (PS I’m still in negative calories here at 10pm. Intense. Dinner is being made though. I am excited.)

So … The point of this blog is that … you can push through it. I don’t know how I did. The mental part of working out can be so much harder than the physical. The physical was tough, don’t get me wrong! It burned. My knee kept buckling. My arms were tight from climbing. I found that my synapses weren’t firing and I’d have to refocus to get the most out of each class. Zumba was crazy fun! Very intimidating at first, but AMAZING when you shut off your inhibitions and just DO IT.

SPENT! But I have my tea.
SPENT! But I have my tea.

So turn off your fear. Turn off the pain. Pain is something that you brain creates to fool you into stopping. Don’t be fooled. Prove your mind wrong. Show that you are stronger than your situation.

You can rest later. Later you can sit in your comfy chair with your chamomile tea with a happy tummy full of kale and broccoli and fish knowing that you left it all on the floor. You can rest later; happy that when the last beat dropped, you had nothing left to give – and if you had anything left to give, you went to another class.

I would not recommend doing three hours and forty-five minutes of working out all the time. Once a week? Sure! I think that would be a great thing for me to start doing. I imagine this is what people feel like post-marathon. And since I’m running a half in April – I may want to start training for it!

PS I didn’t get a chance to write about my climbing adventure, but know that it was amazing. I cannot wait to go back. And I will be. Often.

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This is why I love my job

Ok I hate the cold weather. That’s not much of a secret. I also hate that for the last week straight there has been ZERO sunshine. It’s just grey outside all the time. It is downright draining. On top of that, I have had a really hard time focusing because my laptop’s charger went kaputsky and our oldest boy, Abbey, has been really sick and we had to take him to the vet for hydration and meds.

Yes, Abbey is one of our cats. Don't judge. He is fur children.
Yes, Abbey is one of our cats. Don’t judge. He is fur children.

Well things have been looking up! Though my time at the bridal show hasn’t been 100% successful yet (but I know it will be), I know that I have laid groundwork with brides and some other vendors to be able to start working in the bridal industry again (and I’m so excited for that). In fact, you can check out my OTHER blog – Fit2TietheKnot.com … you should follow that too and tell your friends. I got to connect with old friends Linda Kelly and Mary Ann Naglieri at the Unveiled13 Bridal Show by Metalaye. Who are they? They were my Mary Kay sponsors!! (Ever wonder why my derby name is Merry Khaos?) I also got to see Nuria (who is now the event planner at AACA) and Melissa (who is the event planner at Metalaye). Together, the five of us would brave the weekends of Alfred Angelos together in Harrisburg.

Bridal card

What other job would I have been able to reconnect with them in such an awesome way! I’m so excited to work with all of them in the future! Mary Kay/Herbalife parties… consultations with brides… snacks and health for all!

So, because my charger has not been working, I’ve been looking for another way of reaching out to people and today I followed through on an idea I had a while ago. Why not reach out to my neighborhood? Let them know I’m here? So today I spent a half hour running and dropping door hangers onto my neighbors doors!

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Not only was I able to let people know that I’m here, but … I was able to get an extra workout in!! I’ve been having a really hard time getting myself OUTSIDE to run. I’ve been feeling it at practice though. When I jam, my short burst endurance and long endurance are NOT what they were in October. So I really have to push myself to go further and harder on my non-practice days. The big problem getting outside? I have to dress like Nanook of the North because it’s below freezing outside and I was not built for those temperatures.

Branded ninja. You don't see that often.
Branded ninja. You don’t see that often.

So running. And lifting. And doing the 24 week DVD series 24Fit by Herbalife. And lots of protein. And lots of water. And lots of shakes and vitamins and goodness!

This is why I love my job. I get to be healthy! I have to be healthy as part of my job! I get to set goals and accomplish goals and feel awesome about myself because I am the healthiest and strongest I’ve ever been. I get to talk to people about how they can do it too. I get to help my friends live better and maybe make a couple bucks on their own. I’m still finding my way, but I love that my friends are finding their way with me!

Post-workout mug of awesome.
Post-workout mug of awesome.

And now, I sit with a penguin mug with lemon tea concentrate and herbal aloe. I will be delivering goodies to my friends as soon as I can. I will be helping other athletes in my area be hydrated, stronger and faster. I will help other people be healthy. WOO!

PS Bank track tournament April 19-21 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Derby Ink Invitational. We’ll have a ‘Derbalife’ table there. You should make sure you check it out.

 

 

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The Knee, the Updates, the New Year

It is December 29. It is snowing and I am completely overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I am supposed to have done in the next four days. However, get it done, I must. Before so I thought I’d do an update here.

About 2 months ago, I set up a series of goals to hit over the course of my knee recovery. I’m pleased to say that I have hit many of them… The last set of goals was:

  1. Use the bike to complete 70 miles (cumulatively) on level 7 resistance  — Did not do this. I got so bored on the bike, and there were many days that I did my workouts at home so I never made it to the gym.
  2. Use the elliptical machine to complete 40 miles on level 6 resistance – I got 30 miles in during one week on resistance 4. Again, not being at the gym didn’t help this goal.
  3. Run outdoors (I don’t care what the temperature is) for 30 minutes one day – Did this the day before Thanksgiving! Well before it was scheduled
  4. Complete 25 one-minute plyometric exercises, with a focus on side-to-side motion – Totally done several times.
  5. Increase weight on all strength training workouts – I can now leg press 60 pounds with individual legs, my upper body has increased weight 5 times since I started too.
  6. Complete 250 pushups (cumulatively) – Ok. Slacked on this. I do about 120 push ups a week.
  7. Complete 30 minutes of derby position (cumulatively) – YES! Did this during my skating session!! My quads are so sore
  8. Complete 60 minutes of Bosu work (cumulatively) – Bosu was buried for a few weeks, but I’m back to it.
  9. Complete an extended Skid/Shrap “Derby Calisthenics” workout 4 times – Hell to the yes.
  10. Cardio should be done 6 days, strength should be done 4 days – Ok, I do my best to hit this. The snow has made it difficult, but I am working out daily.

BENCHMARK 4: After being able to walk, run and cut comfortably and with no knee pain… I CAN GET BACK ON MY SKATES ………………………..
Been able to skate the last few weeks. This week was the first time that my knee felt completely normal as I skated. It did fatigue for the second skating session I did on Thursday, but it feels great today.

Dave Wood Photography

On the nutrition side, I had switched from a long-distance nutrition routine to a strength/recovery-based regiment and it seems to have made a difference. For the last two months, I have been using the Rebuild Strength as my recovery, I’ve added the Joint Support and Herbalifeline to my routine, while taking out the Total Control. I also began taking the Aminogen. I drink a 3 scoop shake every morning and I have aimed for a minimum of 120g of protein each day. Thank goodness for the Dulce de Leche, Chocolate and Latte flavored Formula 1 shakes. 😀 And the multi-vitamin. AND the tea concentrate!! They’ve kept my body primed and ready to go.

Some personal goals for the next month:

1. Replace 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of muscle
2. Have complete hitting capabilities on my skates by January 15
3. Bench press 80 pounds by January 30 (don’t laugh, I’m only at 45 now)
4. 25 in 3:45 (My best is 3:42 and that was when I was in good form and had been on skates consistently for 2 years)
5. Be able to leg press 250 with both legs by January 30 (I’m at 140 now)

Nutrition goals:

1. No alcohol in the month of January
2. 140 ounces of water per day
3. 115g of protein per day
4. No more than 2100 calories on a hard cardio day, no more than 1800 calories on a strength day
5. Consume a minimum of 1400 calories daily
6. Get back on my fiber/aloe routine

Personal goals:

1. Have 10 Derbalife boot camps on the books for the year
2. Change 15 lives with Herbalife health programs (Check them out here)
3. Find 5 people who want to take the Herbalife journey with me (Learn about the opportunity)
4. Plan and implement marketing goals for Dutchland Rollers
5. Be organized for my last semester, including having my independent studies rolling
6. Have half the money saved up needed to get my own apartment
7. Keep up with my blog, iChange & Examiner pages.
8. Have tables booked at Derby Ink, NE Con and East Coast Extravaganza
9. Bring a guest to the January Spectacular Event in Philly
10. Have 2 more team members attend January Spectacular

Logos of events
January will be a great month to get the year started. I will be stronger and faster than ever before. My journey to the end of my Bachelor’s degree is almost complete. I’m building a strong Herbalife and Derbalife health client base. I have a good outlook. No matter how frustrating it may be sometimes. I will get myself and Matt and our cats to a place where we have space and comfort. It will happen.

If your league is interested in booking a Derbalife Boot Camp, contact me at DerbyAmerica@yahoo.com. If you’re interested in hosting a nutrition class, or just getting a health profile, you can also drop me a line. 🙂 Let’s find good health together.

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Creating a brand within a brand

Both a blessing and a curse is creating a brand within a brand. For myself, I have two brands that I fit my Health Coaching within: Herbalife and Derbalife.

Huh?

Yes. Herbalife is the large face of Nutrition that I work under. I am a Health Coach and I utilize the Herbalife nutrition and resources. Herbalife has been promoting health and wellness since 1980 and are the top nutrition company in the world. I have a strong brand to stand with.

Derbalife is a brand within the brand. Kristen Adolfi created the brand “Derbalife” three years ago when she began focusing on the health and fitness of the roller derby community. It started as a joke within the LA Derby Dolls and now has expanded to a worldwide recognizable name within the derby community.

So, in the everyday community I must create an image of Kristie Grey, Herbalife Health Coach. Then, in the derby community I must create the brand of Merry Khaos, Derbalife Health Coach. It sounds redundant, but it is necessary. The regular person at the gym is not going to recognize Derbalife (or may feel alienated by it). Something similar will happen with derby folks – they recognize Derbalife. They may think Herbalife is something different so I may have to work twice as hard to get their attention.

It is an interesting balance to work within two brands of the same company. Creating my own image as a Health Coach is reliant on the brands I work within, but then I must create my own path. Sports nutrition? Wedding parties? Weight loss? How do you tell people that you do it all without seeming to spread yourself too thin?

Primary audience and secondary audience are in the works. For now, I will work on getting every client I can and helping them get the results they deserve. The branding will have to be balanced as I go. So far, people who who have contacted me about getting results are not as concerned with the logo on my business card. I hope that continues!

See my Herbalife website here and have me as your own health coach!