Distorted Perception

Ugh. So today the FLiP video I was supposed to do was called Optimal Fitness CST (chest, shoulders, triceps). It's a 90 minute video.... I gave up after 20 minutes. Seriously, I haven't worked out or done anything remotely active in months. So to bring myself to do a ninety minute workout doesn't seem pleasant, and proved to be too difficult for me. I did a bunch of crunches and push-ups afterwords to make myself feel better about myself, but it didn't really work.

Why is our society so focused on being thin? I had to teach a class on eating disorders and was shocked at all the facts.

"Up to 24 million people of all ages suffer from an eating disorder in the US"

....24 million in the US alone! And part of the reason why we're so obsessed with being thin is because of the celebrities being thrown at us on the covers of magazines! Something I learned while researching this though, was that those images are hardly ever real. In fact all magazines use photoshop.

Now I would say that Faith Hill looks great in either picture. So why do the magazine editors feel the need to make her arm slenderer? Our perception of beauty is severely distorted. I don't know if any of you saw the Dove videos that went around youtube. It showed a woman being transformed through makeup and photoshop until she was hardly herself anymore.

No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.

Well I think all my readers are beautiful. In fact, I want my readers to come to me and say that they know they are beautiful. Because you all are. Sometimes it's just hard to admit it. That's kind of what the FLiP program is about. It promotes positive thinking. Tamera's goal with this program is to train you to think positively about your body. Every video, she's constantly tell you to smile through the pain, train your body to like what your doing. Although I couldn't finish the video today, these videos are made to help you feel better about yourself. Tamera's videos are a really good workout for someone feeling down on themselves. I think they are fun and you can feel that you're really working yourself! I suggest you check it out, because this...

...is in no way an accurate way to analyze your own body. You are beautiful, even without photoshop. http://tamjams.com/flip_start_with_happy

And just for the fun of it... let's end with a musical number!! :)

--Kaylee

FLiP: Start With Happy

 So this morning I'm sitting at the kitchen table, dripping in sweat. I started a new workout program today. It's called FLiP by Tamara Squires. What's cool about this DVD program is that my mom was one of the testers! She went to workout with Tamara and tested out the FLiP system.

Tamera has been a teacher, choreographer, performer, and fitness professional for over 25 years. She founded TAMJAMS in 1996 with the goal of sharing her passion for dance and fitness with as many people as possible. Her full bio can be found at http://tamjams.com/tamara.

Now I've been dancing since I was about four and have a huge passion for dance. I hope to be a choreographer someday and coach a high school dance team. This workout kicked my butt today because I've been letting myself get out of shape. The beginning focused a lot on flexibility, and while I've never been extremely flexible, I found that my flexibility has diminished in the past few months. This workout was killer, I was sweating, and I don't sweat that much. It was also incredibly fun.

Tamera's focus is on positive thinking. With most workout programs, the focus is "IF I get the results I want by the end, THEN I'll be happy" but in the FLiP program, the goal is "IF I am happy, THEN I'll get results.

"'Happy' comes up a lot on this program. I know from my own struggles with weight, and from listening to the personal stories of my clients, that a positive mindset can be more valuable than any treadmill or meal plan.

Don't get me wrong, this is a WORKOUT. Lasting fitness takes effort: physically, mentally, nutritionally. But we're going to do it with a smile. We're going to burn calories and have a blast doing it"

Please watch this video on what it's all about:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZxP3H9tNos&feature=player_embedded]

My current weight is 133.4 (yes, I am sharing my weight with the world). But my goal weight is 120 and I want to be more toned and flexible all over. I'm hoping the FLiP program can help me reach these goals. I will be keeping my readers updated on what's happening with the program and my emotions and feelings that go along with it. If Tamara's plan works, I'll be more fit and have a more positive attitude in just 12 weeks. If you're interest in joining or purchasing the FLiP Program follow this link: http://tamjams.com/flip_start_with_happy .

--Kaylee