Instagram Yoga Challenges - all levels!

Hey all!  I just wanted to share with you two yoga challenges I will be participating in soon.  I've been wanting to try yoga for a while now, for more flexibility and for weight loss.  I think if you're looking to challenge your body in a more gentle way than traditional exercising, this could work for you.  Both of these challenges are for September.

The first one is the #BalanceBasics challenge hosted by @laurasykora @beachyogagirl and @kinoyoga. These ladies will be providing poses and modifications, for all levels.  They'll be posting pictures daily and there will be prizes for participating!  The challenge is sponsored by +Athleta (@athleta) who you will have to follow, as well as the hosts, to participate.  Just make sure to use the hashtag #balancebasics when you post pictures and/or videos of your poses.  You can find the poses here: http://instagram.com/p/sCmoQTlj8P/

The next challenge is for everyone, but is especially targeted for us curvy girls.  It's the #sizedoesntmatter challenge hosted by @mynameisjessamyn and @yoga_davina. This challenge is sponsored by @yogablissbox, @buddha_pants, and @invertyoselfclothing (you have to follow the hosts and sponsors to participate).  This challenge also has great prizes for participating!  You can find the poses here: http://instagram.com/p/sLgGQOkO_2/. There will be poses and modifications, and I believe this one will be more beginner-friendly.  Just make sure to use the hashtag #sizedoesntmatter  when you post pictures and/or videos of your poses.

I started trying some of the poses, and yes some are harder than others.  These are challenges, so CHALLENGE YOURSELF!  Even if you spend the next month focusing on perfecting one pose, just go for it.  I am working every day on my balance and flexibility.  I am a beginner with yoga, but every journey begins with a single step.  Think of how much I will have accomplished 3 months from now.  Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Check these fierce ladies out and let me know if you'll be participating in the comments below.  Also, if you recommend following anyone else for newbie yogis?  And by the way, you can find me on Instagram @k_hiraldo. 

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps. Check it out =) 

Hate Exercise? Try this CHALLENGE instead

I hate to exercise. Exercising is like a chore and a bore. However I love to move my body. What's the difference? Well, exercising to me means being trapped in a gym forced to sweat on an elliptical for an hour. Moving my body means having fun. You can burn calories in so many fun ways by doing things you love, like dancing. I'll share with you in a later post other fun ways to get your body moving.

In this post I want to focus on Erin Stutland's "Say it, Sweat it" challenge. I took the challenge when she first had it, last year, and loved it. It's completely free and once you register she sends daily emails with inspirational words and a video to get your body moving. Unlike typical workouts, Erin incorporates movements with affirmations, similar to her "Shrink Sessions". Each movement corresponds to a key phrase/affirmation to create more positive shifts. She also teaches you ways to incorporate a more positive attitude overall and how you can use these affirmations to work on other areas of your life.

I love this challenge because aside from being free and available for you to do at your convenience, you can also opt in to join our community on Facebook. In our FB group we share our progress in the challenge and anything else we want to discuss that's relevant to our health. Erin also posts giveaways for the participants via FB and Instagram.

If you're like me and it takes you a while to get motivated, at least view the first video and see how you feel about participating. There is movement involved but it's a gentle and positive process which you can do at your own pace. Looking to rev up your weight loss goal and improve your health? Pair this free challenge with my free ebook: learn 5 simple and easy steps to help you get started with your weight loss goals.

Have you done the Say it Sweat it challenge before? If so, how did you like it? What other challenges have you done that worked for you? Comment below and feel free to share!

12-Week Body Transformation + Lifestyle Blogger Conference

I previously entered a contest for a chance to win a scholarship to attend the upcoming Lifestyle Blogger Conference.  Latina Lifestyle Bloggers is also hosting another opportunity to not only attend #LALLBLOG14, but also serve as a Brand Ambassador for one of the conference sponsors, 12-Week Body Transformation.

Imagine what your life will be like in 12 weeks.  12 weeks from now it'll be either on the same trajectory it's in or be on track towards fulfilling your goals. If one of your goals is to transform your health, 12WBT can be a great option.  They offer meal plans, fitness plans, and tons of support.  12WBT is more than just giving you options to lose weight, it is truly about a lifestyle change.  I underwent (and am still going through) a major lifestyle change which began December 1, 2012.  I committed to changing my eating and fitness habits to lead a more fit and fabulous life. I am still working on my fitness goals and am taking it day-by-day.  I think working with 12WBT can help to give me a clearer focus on what my ultimate health and fitness goals are.  As Deepak Chopra affirmed in one of his heart meditations, "the body is the garden of my soul".  I am taking out the weeds in my garden and making room for roses, so to speak.

Being given the opportunity to attend this conference will also greatly help me with my blog.  I am truly passionate about writing and sharing my story.  I know that I am vital to this world and my voice is a vital force for the Universe.  I want to take my words and wisdom to new heights, and my blog is a vehicle to get the messages out there.  I know attending this conference will allow me to learn more about sharing my story effectively, and will also help me network with other like-minded individuals.

The Lifestyle Blogger Conference will be held on March 27-29 in Los Angeles.  Feel free to check out the event page for more information.

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

O2 Max and Operation Prom - #PromFit and Free Dresses!

Operation Prom has partnered with O2 Max  to provide fitness and nutrition resources to our youth.  Right now they are hosting a contest to win a package, to get you fit in time for prom!

Operation Prom is a nonprofit organization which provides many useful resources and mentoring opportunities to teens. There are many chapters of Operation Prom within the US. One of the major initiatives the chapters of Op Prom do every year is provide hundreds of free dresses, and tuxedos, to students looking forward to their proms. Many of these students come from low-income families who cannot afford the costs associated with proms. Please feel free to visit the Op Prom website for information on a giveaway event in your area.

On April 19th, one of the NYC chapters of Operation Prom (via Dominican Sunday, Inc.) will host the 6th annual giveaway in Manhattan. I am co-director of this chapter and have been organizing the giveaways since 2009.  Please check out our event page for details on the April 19th giveaway. Please spread the word!

If you are not able to attend one of the giveaways and/or would like to help out, you can also purchase donated dresses (in brand new or gently used condition) from the Op Prom web thrift store. Proceeds from the web store will help fund Operation Prom, in order for us to continue with our initiative.

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Weight Loss - one step at a time (3 simple steps to start)

Hello all!  In this post I am sharing what my current status and goals are, and a little further down 3 simple steps to get you started with your weight loss goals.

So I have a goal to lose 50 pounds by July 1st, 2014; that's about 10 pounds per month.  My eating habits have improved greatly since the holidays and now I am getting back to incorporating exercise.
First off I am searching for food options I don't have to cook or prep.  Right now I prep about 75% of my meals and I would like to bring the number down to at least 50%.  I currently prep about 3 times per week because unfortunately I share a fridge with 2 other people so as you can imagine, it gets pretty crowded in there.  Food prep takes time for me, and it's time away from working out.  I'm looking into some healthy, low-calorie frozen options which I can just nuke in the microwave, and of course keep some live food options (raw fruits/veggies) for snacks and weekends.

I'm not a fan of working out.  I would prefer to lose weight by taking naps if I could (hehehe) but that's not gonna work, at least not for my goals.  So I'm taking it back to when I first moved out here.  Back in December 2012 when I first moved to San Diego I walked A LOT.  I wanted to learn the lay of the land so walking helped me discover some "go-to" places.  I walked up and down the city of San Diego and lost 10 pounds in about 3 months, just from walking and cutting soda, and juice out (without changing my eating habits).  I figured if I could lose 10 pounds just from that, imagine how much more I could lose if I ate better and exercised more.  So I joined Beachbody and lost another 12 pounds in about 2 months (22 pounds lost as of July 2013).  My weight fluctuated since the holidays but I'm aiming to get back on track. I have been walking 2 nights per week for 20-30 minutes, and 2 other times per week doing Focus T25.  In a previous post I mentioned which were my favorite workouts from T25 (you get a bunch of different DVD's with the program), so I alternate those.  In addition, I recently purchased a sauna suit to help me sweat more when I'm "working out".  I wear it when I walk and when I'm doing T25.  I've been doing this for about a week and already noticed my belly feels a lot less bloated.  Here is the suit I purchased:

Just an FYI, I read in the reviews the suits run a little small, so get a bigger size.  I am between a 2x and 3x, and bought a 4x.  It fits me big but not uncomfortably so.

So if you're looking to lose weight but don't know where to start, start one step at a time:

Feel the FEAR but DO IT anyway!

Today's post is inspired by a challenge I am participating in, created by one of my favorite guides, Erin Stutland.  Her SAY IT SWEAT IT GET IT challenge is a FREE, one-week challenge to get your body and soul moving.  Not only do you receive daily emails with actions to take, but you also get a free 5-minute workout to get your heart and mind pumpin! Who doesn't have 5 minutes to dedicate to themselves; to work on their goals and desires.  The best part is that as you're moving your body to the workout you also have to state positive affirmations out loud.  The movements are in perfect sync with the words.

I'm currently on day-4 of the challenge and it has been my favorite so far.  One movement is to acknowledge that I am feeling the fear.  I feel the fear; it's present and I'm not avoiding it or backing down.  With the next movement you loudly and proudly state I DO IT ANYWAY!  That's my favorite part!  I laughed out loud when I first heard it.  The little rebel inside of me was jumping up and down excitedly.  It's like challenging fear itself; eff you fear!  I feel you, but guess what?  I don't care I'm gonna do me!  I'm gonna DO IT ANYWAY!

This mantra/affirmation really stuck with me for many reasons; the most present reason being my fear of lack.  Lately money has been great.  I've been creating abundance for myself just by changing how I view money.  It's a daily mental workout to change your thought patterns and behaviors, but I know I've come a very long way.  I'll give you an example.  I used to feel so angry at receiving what I called "pocket change".  I would randomly find dimes on the ground, or I'd receive a "cash-back" reward of 50 cents from my bank; I felt as though the Universe were mocking my desire for prosperity by presenting me with "minuscule" amounts, as if to say you want a million dollars but this is all you're ever gonna get.  Until very recently when I realized, oh shit!  I'm actually receiving without even really trying!  These "little gifts" from God are my desires manifesting.  I am actually creating magic after all.  Now whenever I pick up a dime on the ground or receive anything else I would've taken for granted, I say THANK YOU!

So, now I am creating abundance but WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?  I pay my bills.  I budget.  I plan how to spend every dollar.  This is something I'm working on to change.  I want to actually enjoy my money rather than be fearful I won't have enough.  I FEAR enjoying my wealth and then the next day being hit with a huge unforeseen bill or emergency.  Do any of you out there feel like this around money?  It's not a good feeling.  If the message I'm sending is money = fear, and I don't want to live in fear, then guess what?  I won't be receiving the money I desire.

I started changing the energy by doing some small acts of enjoying my money.  I bought myself some earphones I've been wanting and then the voices in my head started.  What if I'm gonna need this money later on, for an emergency?  Is this something I really need?  Can I live without it?  I would keep checking my account afraid that I'll find it negative (because of my past negative energy around money).  I couldn't even enjoy my purchase the first week I had them.  I kept going back and forth with myself on whether I should return them or not.  I finally decided to keep them and flexed my money muscles a little further by buying other things I DESIRED.  I am so used to buying things out of necessity that desire became a luxury I "couldn't afford".

When Erin commanded me to state out loud, "I feel the fear but I do it anyway" I took back my power.  I felt the shift immediately.  And I acknowledge that I already possessed this power when I challenged my fear by taking that leap of faith last year. Now whenever that nagging voice of fear pops in my head I tell it "I'm doing it anyway!".

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!