(DA) Getting Healthy

Is being healthy feeling no pain?

Or is being healthy when your body works at 100%?

I say 100% and that's the core ideal of the Maximized Living regime which I have been following for the past month. I understand it's a lifestyle, not a diet, but the whole experience has been great!

My goal with Maximized Living and Preventative Chiropractics is to be the best and healthiest person I can be for myself, my current family, my future children and their children. I want to be healthy, functional, able bodied, able minded and happy for the rest of my life and Maximized Living promises to help me achieve that goal.

Losing weight was never a goal of mine, but I was shocked to learn that I have lost 5 lbs since I've started taking the baby intro steps to Maximized Living. What's so surprising about it is that I'm actually working out LESS. I used to walk my dog for an hour, then spend about another hour in the gym every day doing cardio or weights. Now (I still walk my dog) but I'm only doing 12 minute (*MaxT3) workouts, twice a week. TWICE A WEEK.
I throw in some bike riding and squash every once in a while, but the big change that I've made is what I'm eating.

Surprise, surprise, more fruit and veggies, and almost NO processed foods. No cans, no boxed pizza, no crap. (I was amazed how light our recycling bin got!)

Of course I'm still training myself into it, I have cheat days where I'll snack on smarties, or have a bowl of chips, but for the most part I don't even want it.

Pop is the worst culprit, everyone knows it's bad and I haven't been able to cut it out completely yet, but I'm getting better! I feel great, I sleep well and I am once again a task master! I feel more focused so I can handle performing multiple tasks simultaneously.

If you want an intro to Maximized Living, just let me know! You'll get a free dinner out of it.

-Brandolyn

*MaxT3 workouts are designed for Maximized Living and use a mixture of interval training, plyometrics and circuit training. Each exercise you perform for 60 seconds, then move on to the next, and the next for a total of 12 minutes plus a minute rest in between sets. It's wonderful fun, surprisingly challenging and easy to do at home, or with a group.

(DA) Perspective

5:00AM is no time to be woken up by the noises of young dogs barking, but sadly that wasn't the worst part of the early morning wake up call. The worst part was that their owner didn't do anything about it. It was so loud I couldn't sleep and she didn't get up to tell them "No."

This scenario isn't exactly shocking because it has occurred often enough for us to decide we will not be renewing our lease. What is shocking about this, is that after deciding not to renew the lease we are much calmer in frustrating situations like last night's early wake up call.

The realization that "we are only in this situation as long as we want to be" feels like a weight off our shoulders. We aren't stuck in a situation, instead we are 'in control' so to speak of our living arrangements.

That 'control' doesn't help us much right now, but it makes the frustration less, and more manageable.

It's amazing how a little mental perspective can change the way I look at a situation.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't appreciate the wake up call. But knowing I won't have to deal with it forever is easy on the mind.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Divergent Review

I saw the movie a while ago and just got around to writing a review for it. *slaps own wrist* "Bad writer!"

Check it out here.

-Brandolyn

(DA) Neighbors Movie Review

Check out my latest movie review on ALTSCRN!

CLICK HERE for the post about 'Neighbors' or CLICK HERE for the full site and all our reviews.

-Brandolyn

(DA) The Fast and the Furiest

Please see my blog post on Wash's blog about our 5K run today! Pictures will be posted later.

>>> CLICK HERE <<< to visit 'A Drop of Brandy and a Biscuit' (my blog dedicated to the dog)

-Brandolyn

(DA) Functioning Adults

This post came from a coffee shop conversation I had with my best friend a while ago.

We're at the age where we're starting to be recognized as adults. In our heads we've been "adults" since we were 16, but now society actually sees us as adults and expects certain things from us, and we're starting to notice.

She was joking when she said it, but her comment was something like "I'm not a functioning adult yet. I look like it but I'm not." I asked for clarification and we had a good laugh at her answer. She said, "I still live with my parents, I don't drive, I don't have a job, I know every line to Disney songs and I have no idea how to file my own taxes."

I laughed long and hard at the last one "taxes", until I realized I don't know how to file my own taxes either. This friend is the last person I would ever classify as "not" a functional adult. She's one of the brightest, most creative and clever women I know with a great head on her shoulders. Yes she lives at home, and she doesn't drive but that's a personal choice, AND she's been hired with a great company since we had this conversation.

No, neither of us has looked up how to file our own taxes yet, but we'll get there.

Baby steps. But I found the idea of a "Functioning Adult" interesting. What makes you a functioning adult? Does having a job make you qualify? How about living on your own?

I think it's much more than that. Perhaps it's knowing the difference between right and wrong. Having goals and respect for yourself. Having the awareness to seek out who you are and strive for more.

What do you think?

-Brandolyn

(DA) New experiences

Today I got a last minute call to work as a follow spot operator for a show featuring 'Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy'. The catch was that I was already working when I got the call. I got permission to leave another job early, so that I could go in and help out for the show but I didn't have my uniform, or any of my equipment on.

Before tonight I could say I've always worn an all black outfit with steel toed shoes to work calls. Tonight I was the complete opposite of your typical technician in a flowing mint green high waisted skirt, a lavender belly top, and black flats.

No radio, no gloves, no tools or flashlight... I was so out of place that just walking backstage I felt like the talent looked at me like a 'lost fan'. I had to assure them that I belonged there. But after a moment they recognized my skirt and said "I thought I saw a girl in the booth!" I laughed, but still felt foolishly out of place. Especially beside all the other technicians.

Tonight I also got the pleasure of teaching someone new all about the job. They had never worked a spot light and had never worked in theatre, so some of the terms and jargon (even radio etiquette) was lost on him. It was a learning experience for us both. He was learning something new, and I was learning to keep my cool and teach the basics to someone who was way out of their element.

The show was AMAZING! If you've never heard of 'Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy' I suggest you look them up. They are a great Jazz band and have been together 21 years. They have 10 albums and wonderful stage presence.

-Brandolyn