As 2014 Comes To An End....

Aloha readers! 

Today is a great day to make it a great day ! 

In the blink of an eye, it will be 2015! 

How would you sum up your 2014? 

For me, it was another roller coaster ride for me - but that's okay! It just means that I am learning new things, gaining more experience in different aspects of life, and living my life. Life is full of changes, and we can never stay the same - not for too long that is. 

I like to see myself as someone who is always looking for room for improvement and change. I don't want to stay the same as I am now. Not because I am not happy or don't love myself the way I am, but because I know I can do more, do better, and be happier. I believe in being proactive, and working hard for the things you want. And that's going to shape how I want my 2015 to be! 

I've still got a ways to go with school, so that will always be one of my top priorities. A year ago today, I would have envisioned that my blog would be running smoothly with good traffic, and I was doing well in school as well as taking on personal training clients. But that is not the case. Again, that's okay. 

It's all part of the learning experience. I tired things one way, it didn't work, and now I know where I need to work harder on and areas that need improvement. I know what my priorities are, and I am going to distribute my effort based on the ranking of these priorities. 

I am working hard to build this blog into what I envisioned it, and I hope - and will work hard - to make 2015 the year for this vision to start becoming a reality :) 

With lots of love from Sellychan Fitness, have a safe and happy new years! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight Times

Aloha readers! 

Today's post is a little bit personal. I want to share with you something I posted on Facebook recently. 

I haven't been feeling my best the past two days (reasons unknown), and it's really taken a toll on me. Tonight, I had some deep thoughts about how awful and sorry I've been feeling for myself. My life the past 6 months has been a constant cycle of: giving up, feeling sorry/awful/upset, take some time off, pick up the determination and motivation to start again, do good for a few days or a week, give up.

It made me ask myself: Why do I always fail so quickly? What am I doing wrong? Why can't I be consistent? Why does my determination dwindle so quickly? Why do I lose sight of my big picture so easily for the instant satisfaction? Basically, I've been feeling like a phony the past couple days!

This is my internet statement that starting today, I am going to commit to this change. I can't full on jump in and change everything in my life all at once in one day - because I know that's just too drastic and it won't last. Little changes by the day, one step at a time, one day at a time.

So for today, I have my meals planned out, and I have my To-Do list made.

Another change that I've introduced to my blog is .... a new title change! For you readers, this may not be a huge deal to you - but to me it is! This little change opens doors and windows to bigger changes in the upcoming future.

I started my blog a little over a year ago, when I first started my health and fitness journey. It started out with a selfie in the bathroom, which slowly led to book reviews and workout posts, and then to things we have today: workout routines, progress photos, recipes, foodie photos, grocery hauls, giveaways, and even an ebook along the way! 

Thank you for reading and supporting me. 

I don't know you guys, but I love you! 

Cheers! 

xoxo

Preparation for New Adventures

Hey fellow readers!

I took the time today to focus on my studying because I have my last deferred final tomorrow morning. (Wish me luck!)

I'm also very excited about looking into the details of booking a photo shoot for the summer. It makes me feel more motivated to have something to work towards, as well as a solid deadline to get it done by.

On top of that, I'm looking into getting some branding and logo-ing done for my blog :)
My blog is my release and my most important tool to communicate with you guys! It's a big step up from the very initial reasons of why I started this blog, but I've learned a lot since I started it and I have big plans for myself in the future :)

Here's to new adventures!
(and much more studying to come)

Cheers!
xoxo

Workout of the Day: 01/14 + What's in my Gym Bag

What feels even better/ just as great than stepping back into the gym on the first day, is going back the day right after. It marks the beginning of a new stretch, and it shows that I am fully committed.

Today's workout was a chest, tricep, and shoulder circuit - again, inspired by Fitness Barbie Lauren Gleisberg.

Shoulder press - 10 pounds/db 

Bench press - 15 pounds/db

Tricep extension - 20 lbs/arm 

Incline flyes - 10 lbs/db 

Side lateral punches - 8 lbs/db

I've never been a big fan of circuits, mostly because every gym is designed differently and it's so hard to do some of them. ie. One of today's circuit required jump rope, which I cannot do INSIDE my school gym (I must step outside to ensure I don't whip anyone in the face). So when I see circuits on the training plan, the first that comes to mind is - improvise.

Today's workout was great, except for a few things.

1. Someone has apparently stolen the ONLY set of 12 pound hexagonal dumbbells available in the facility - I am forced to either up my sets to 15 or dumb it down to 10 :\

2. I find that I have trouble getting my heart rate up during certain exercises - it never really goes over 140. When I hit the 150's and 160's occasionally, I know that I've been pushing myself.

3. On the very last rep of my last set of shoulder punches, I turned my neck at the wrong angle and I strained my neck - it still hurt's a bit to turn my head! Due to that, I wasn't able to finish the last part of the circuit.

What's In my Gym Bag? 

1. Nike Running Shoes
2. Polar FT4 Heart Rate monitor watch and heart rate monitor strap
3. Headband and bobby pins
4. Headphones
5. Lock
6. Student ID (required for entrance to facility)
7. My phone for some beats!!!!

All of those items you see there (+ my workout clothes) all fit into the tiny little bag underneath it, and it surprisingly all fits into my new lululemon bag, which I also use as a school bag! So really, there's a whooooole lot more of junk that's in my "gym bag/school bag".

Here's a little progress on my arms:

My left arm always looks more toned than the right! 

Wednesdays are always busy busy school days, so I'm going to give myself a rest day and focus on my studies for the evening!

Cheers!
xoxo

Yogi Tea Quote: Gratitude Journal Entry

Tonight's yogi tea quote writes "May your inner self be happy and secure".

The first thing that came to my mind was inner peace and yoga.
My long time friend Alyssa is a strong believer and advocate for yoga. She occasionally tells me things about yoga, it's benefits, and how it can help build one's body and mind to be stronger. I listened to what she said, but I don't think I 100% fully understood the things she meant until the first day I tried out yoga with her.

Man, that stuff is hard. If you ever thought that yoga seems easy, boy are you wrong. It takes so much focus, energy, balance, and flexibility to accomplish even the simplest moves. Even though we were taking baby steps during our class, I was still sweating up bullets and feeling breathless and falling down throughout. But by the end of the session, when we took a few minutes of time to ourselves to just lay down, and clear our minds, that's when my inner peace kicked in.

I felt so relaxed, so weightless on my shoulders - I almost drifted off into sleep. Through that experience I understood why Alyssa and many others practice yoga. It really does bring inner peace and happiness. And when you have peace and happiness within you, you will slowly feel more secure, confident, and strong.

To wrap things up, tonight I feel gratitude for the many great friends I have in my life. Never under estimate what a simple friendship and the simple things your friends say or do can affect your life. It may not seem important at that moment, but somewhere along the road, you reflect back on what they've said and done, and realize how it's slowly changed your life.

Alyssa has moved away last week to pursue the next chapter of her life, and I'd like to wish her the best of luck in her studies and where-ever yoga and yogi tea takes her next!

Cheers!
xoxo

Selina :)

Weekly Article: Which Should I do First: Cardio or Weights?

Which Should I do First: Cardio or Weights? 

When it comes to exercise, females tend to be under the illusion that lifting weights will make them grow bulky muscles, and that cardio is the only way to lose weight. However, that is not the case. 

Females naturally do not have the same testosterone levels as men do, so it’s almost near impossible to build huge muscles like the ones you see on male bodybuilders. That means when you consistently lift weights and eat a clean and balanced diet, you will build lean muscle on your body and work your way towards getting those curves that almost all ladies desire.  

Moving off the treadmill and towards the dumbbell rack can actually do you more benefit that you may have realized. Weight lifting bears many benefits. Building lean muscle to achieve those sexy looking curves, increasing bone strength and density, and increasing your metabolism are just a few of the many benefits. Lean muscle helps raise your metabolism and burns more calories than fat while resting.

For the female audience who’s main goal is weight loss, the treadmill is a good option to start with. Unfortunately, simply sticking to the treadmill may not allow you to achieve weight loss in the long run. When your body becomes familiar and comfortable with your workout routine, your body and the numbers on the scale start to a plateau.

On the other hand, for the female audience who are trying to achieve the sexy curves look, the answer is obvious - lift those weights! Consistently lifting weights will help your body strengthen it’s muscles while slowly burning fat stores for energy.  

So the answer is both! Do both! When you combine a mixture of weight lifting and cardio, you can maximize the results of your workouts! Utilize the treadmill or elliptical to burn calories, but also use the dumbbells and barbells to strengthen your muscles.

When you’ve got less body fat to keep your muscles from hiding, you will then appear more toned with the right curves at the right places! Combine that with a motivation, dedication, and a healthy balanced diet, and you will be on your way to the new, sexier you in a matter of months! 

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