This post isn’t just for people feeling depressed, this is for everybody who’s looking for ways to get motivated! There are varying degrees of depression but one thing is certain: When you’re depressed or sad, it can be hard to be motivated to do anything. Heck, motivation can be hard to come by when everything is going okay! This post is a continuation of Can Exercise Cure Depression? Part 1.

I have found that getting motivated enough to workout gets the ball rolling and I become more motivated and optimistic in other areas of my life. The mind and body connection really is amazing. When everything is “working” together, life can feel pretty amazing too.

First, the more serious side of things:

Deal with your Issues

Everyone has their own issues so don’t think I’m putting you down by saying to deal with yours. Bottom line is that you’ll need to work through what’s got you down in order to rise back up. Whether it’s something that happened in your childhood, the passing of a loved one or a serious illness, you’ve got to go through the grieving process and then move on from it (and NOT be bitter). Life’s too short to waste time being unhappy.

I recently started going through Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out and dealing with your issues is exactly what this book is about. You write out all of the defining moments in your life (good and bad) so you can free yourself and focus on your “authentic self” and what’s helped shape you along the way.

Work Diligently to Find Yourself Again

During my bout of depression, I completely lost myself. I forgot who I was, I forgot what I enjoyed doing, I forgot the things I liked, I forgot what made me ME. Take some time to reflect on who you are and what makes you special or what makes you YOU and what makes you HAPPY.  Maybe it’s your fun sense of humor, the way you laugh, doing crafts, spending time outdoors or dancing like it’s nobody’s business! You can’t find happiness, you have to create it. Sitting around waiting for it to show up at your door with a smile on its face is not gonna work.

Now, it’s time for a little fun!

Here’s an ongoing list all of the different things I can think of that motivate me:

Dancing

Any kind of dancing motivates me – live performances, movies and TV shows! I don’t know the first thing about dancing (hello, have you watched any of my TurboFire videos?), but I find a tremendous amount of joy in watching others dance. I grew up watching my younger sister’s dance recitals and they were always so amazing! Dancing with the Stars works for me too. The bodies of professional dancers are insanely strong and the way they move is incredible. Watching people dance makes me wanna dance and nobody is EVER gonna see that!

Spring and Summer

I don’t know if it’s because Minnesota goes through like 6 months of winter, but by the time it starts to warm up around here, it’s a miraculous event. Warmer weather always motivates me to get moving. It’s hard on the super humid days, but the hard work is worthwhile when I can see the definition in my arms, shoulders and back while wearing a tank top!

Music

Music a HUGE motivator for me – in all areas of life. I think music saved my life to begin with and it really has the ability to lift your mood and give you strength. Music is powerful – no matter what genre you like. For me, I find that artists like Rob Zombie, Papa Roach, Hollywood Undead, Shinedown and Avril Lavigne motivate me best though there’s definitely a huge range of different kinds of music that I love.

I like this one right now especially:

Fitness Magazines

I love fitness magazines for all kinds of different reasons. The model(s) on the front covers are always inspiring and make me wanna workout. It’s always fun getting the new Oxygen and Muscle and Fitness (His and Hers) in my mailbox. The very first fitness magazine I started reading was Muscle and Fitness!

(Source: Oxygen Magazine June 2012)

Seeing New Summer Clothing in Stores

I have no real fashion sense whatsoever (unless wifebeaters, sweat shorts, sports bras and sweatpants count?) but I always get excited when I start seeing tank tops, shorts and sandals in stores and online. I used to NEVER wear shorts. It took 2 years of working out before I started wearing them outside – and I just started doing that last summer! I’m a dork.

Gina Carano

I first learned about Gina Carano (aka Crush) while watching American Gladiators back in 2008. Around that time she was featured in Muscle and Fitness Magazine and I learned she was an MMA fighter. I tore out one of the pages of her and taped it to a cocoa pebbles cereal box! I still have the pic in my basement:

(you can totally see “Family Size” written at the top of the box.)

After I saw Gina on AG, I seemed to really realize for the first time how women can be beautiful AND strong. That might sound stupid but I don’t know how else to put it. She’s the reason I was excited to start lifting and I’ve loved it ever since. Oh what I’d do to train with her for a day!

Remembering the Things You’ve Accomplished

Once you start living an active, healthy lifestyle, you begin to notice accomplishments – no matter how small or large they might be. You can use these to keep you going and use them as fuel to keep the fire inside burning!

Give Yourself 5 Minutes

On the days you don’t feel like working out, give yourself 5 minutes. Make a promise to yourself to workout for at least 5 minutes and I’ll bet you’ll go even longer. And any workout is better than no workout. You’ll feel so much better after your workout too – physically and mentally.

Quotes

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man.
Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” -Vince Lombardi

“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” -Anonymous

(I forgot where I got this image, if it’s yours please let me know and I’ll credit you with a link!)

I think that’s enough for now.

Q. What motivates YOU?

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We have been eating A LOT of baked chicken over the past few months and haven’t really played around with it too much. As soon as you begin to add things like marinades to chicken, the sodium content packs a punch QUICKLY. Still, we were ready for something different, something more bold and that’s what we got with the crockpot teriyaki chicken I made last night. Yeah, that’s right. “I” made it! Hey, I’m learning.

The recipe I ended up with was adapted from this Slow Cooker Meal: Teriyaki Chicken recipe I found on the Rachael Ray Show website. Her recipe has a bazillion things which I’m sure make it taste incredible but in the spirit of keeping things simple, I narrowed the ingredients list down to 7 to work with what we already had in our kitchen.

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients:

• 5 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bottle teriyaki sauce  –  will be using less next time (maybe 1/2 a bottle?)
• 2 T honey
• salt (a little)
• pepper (a little more)
• 1-1/2 tsp garlic minced (or 3 cloves)
• 2 cups water

Once I figured out the ingredients I had on hand available for use, I started by putting the frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot:

Then I added the honey, garlic, salt, pepper, water and teriyaki sauce.

Then I just set the crockpot to cook for 6 hours and left it to do its thing!

About an hour prior to dinnertime, I decided to add some brown rice right to the crockpot to make it a bit more filling – I’m so glad I did. I actually added the rice (2 cups + a little more water) when there was about 25 minutes left so it didn’t get too mushy.

I promise no matter how bad my food photography is, this tasted good. (Blake-approved!)

The chicken was SO tender and both the chicken and rice were so full of flavor. The only thing I’ll change next time is to reduce the amount of teriyaki sauce that was used but it was still delicious!

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Menu Plan Monday isn’t brand new, but it’s new to me. Orgjunkie.com hosts “Menu Plan Monday” each week where bloggers link up and post about their meal plans for the week. I have decided to join Menu Plan Monday because both my husband and myself are constantly asking each other…”what’s for dinner?” We do this just about every night and in search of ways to make this easier and stop flying by the seats of our pants when it comes to dinner, what better way to do it than to plan our meals each week.

I know… some of you are probably like “derrrrrrrrrr”. Sometimes I’m slow! I’m not the best at planning things. I don’t even grocery shop with a list. (gasp!) I’ve learned to buy most of my items from the deli and the produce sections so I actually do okay without a list these days. The only exception is if I found a recipe I want to make and don’t wanna forget the ingredients needed – then I’ll make a list of those items.

Hasn’t always been that way though….

So, here’s my very first “Menu Plan Monday”:

Monday: Teriyaki chicken + brown rice
Tuesday: Sloppy joes
Wednesday: Steak + red potatoes
Thursday: Chicken Fajitas
Friday: Baked or broiled chicken + squash (haven’t had squash before, just got some from my mother-in-law and excited to try it!)

*I don’t plan ahead on the weekends. If I can get 5 of 7 days planned, I’m doing AWESOME.

If you’re interested in joining in on the fun please visit orgjunkie.com (Meal Planning section) and link up! It’s a great way to get dinner ideas too.

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Here’s the last Burn Circuit workout! I don’t have a video of this workout posted yet so here it is:

You can also find Burn Circuit 1, Burn Circuit 2 and Burn Intervals on my YouTube channel if you’re interested!

I’ve got a couple workouts left in the “Burn” phase and then I’ll be starting the “Push” phase on Tuesday. Lower reps, higher weight. I’m excited! Except for the pain in my left wrist…I’m hoping it subsides. I used wrist straps today when lifting the heavier dumbbells to lessen the strain but I hope it’s nothing serious.

Have a great weekend!! And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas!!

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I read this somewhere recently and it really resonated with me. Mostly because it’s true:

A Healthy Body Empowers the Mind.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional or expert of any kind. However, I have been diagnosed with various mental health disorders in the past including bipolar disorder, PTSD, anxiety and clinical depression. What I’m about to share here are my personal thoughts based on MY OWN experience in hopes that this will help even just ONE person. I know what it feels like to struggle in the depths of despair. If I can overcome it, I know you can too.

A bit of background:

I’m not going to dig too deep into my past here – if you wanna read more about me, please read: “Meet Mindi”. However, sexual abuse is a part of my past and you can couple that with an extensive family history of clinical depression. (that is NOT an understatement) Case in point? I probably didn’t have a chance. I’ve experienced something that was worse than simply “the blues”. I can’t tell you how many people kept telling me I was “just sad” and to “snap out of it”. For those who aren’t familiar, clinical depression isn’t easily “snapped out of”. If you’re struggling, or have struggled with depression, I’m thinking you can relate to statements like those?

From 1999 – 2009 I was prescribed the following medications at one time or another:

*Lexapro
*Prozac
*Seroquel
*Wellbutrin
*Paxil
(these are the ones I remember)

Not once did a doctor or therapist ever recommend exercise as part of my treatment plan. Surely they knew the positive effects exercise has on the brain? I had never had a doctor even ask me IF I exercise until I saw my ob/gyn LAST MONTH. And you know what? She was THRILLED when I told her that I was regularly active and how much it’s helped me. That brought a tear to my eye.

I’m not gonna sit here and say I’ve had the most difficulty of all people since the beginning of time, but I do know what it feels like to struggle, to lose hope, to be angry at God and to lose all interest in life and everything in it. The summer of 1998 was the last time I felt “normal”. Whatever that is…

WAIT!

I’m not saying people shouldn’t be on anti-depressants. Not at all. At the time of my diagnosis I’m pretty sure exercise alone wouldn’t have saved me. Maybe not even exercise and therapy, but I’ll never know. Looking back sometimes I often wonder how I made it through certain days because if I think on it too much, I can still feel now how sad I felt then. That’s crazy to me. The medication is definitely what helped me get outta bed some days…and into the shower.

In 2008, I started my fitness journey and my life hasn’t been the same since. I’m forever changed. Workouts have been my miracle drug. No, it didn’t happen overnight. I didn’t pick up a pair of dumbbells one day and feel “cured” the next day. But you know what? I did feel stronger. As stupid as that sounds. And it just gradually got better and better. It hasn’t turned me into little miss sunshine and bunnies all the live long day, but I’m feeling SO. MUCH. BETTER. And now I notice the bunnies and sunshine parts of life. Because they ARE there. Notice how I STARTED my journey in ’08 and the last time I was on any kind of medication was in ’09? I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

I think good workouts are like therapy. When you’re putting all you’ve got into your workouts and expending that energy in a physical way like that, I think it can only do good things.

Sure you might need to stay on meds when beginning your exercise program (maybe for months, maybe even years), but isn’t it worth seeing if exercise will allow you to lower the potency and/or dosage of your meds? Or even the remote possibility of getting completely off of them?

Will exercise cure your depression? I don’t know. But I feel that it is my cure. I feel the anti-depressants were a Godsend at first, but I think there comes a time when you at least have to try things like exercise and eating well to see if it helps. If you’re otherwise healthy and are able to exercise (even walk), IT CAN’T HURT! At the very least, it’s very possible that you’ll lessen the severity of your depression. What’s not to like about that?

Ok Mindi, Not So Fast.

I know what you’re thinking. How on earth can I get/stay/be motivated enough to even attempt exercise? While exercise could potentially be a possible anti-depressant medication substitute for some, the tough part lies in staying motivated while depressed. If you can’t stay on a regular exercise schedule, it’s not really gonna work is it?

In part 2 of this series, I’ll go into detail about how to stay motivated while depressed and what has worked for me personally.

*Always consult a doctor prior to starting an exercise program and NEVER attempt to stop taking meds without the guidance and consult of your physician.

Helpful Resources:

Exercise and Depression Report Excerpt:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Exercise-and-Depression-report-excerpt.htm

Walking for Depression or Depressive Symptoms: a systematic review
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755296612000099?v=s5

Prescribing Exercise to Treat Depression:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/prescribing-exercise-to-treat-depression

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“Flipping the bird” is a gesture I’ve used a time or two. Maybe you have as well? I’ve mostly used it in the car while driving I think, though sometimes I playfully flip off my husband. Yeah, we’re like that. Maybe it’s more just me though. I’m not sure he’s ever flipped me off? Sometimes words can’t come out fast enough and I go right to my finger. I am not proud. (but I can think it’s funny!)

I think maybe taking a photo of the mother of your child who is in labor warrants this kind of gesture.

Date: March 25, 2008

I remember it going something like this:

“Here hon, chew on some ice chips. It’s not like you can eat or drink anything right now. By the way, I’m gonna take a pic too.” (he didn’t say that, but those were his actions)

And you know what? He can’t even use the excuse of wanting to take a photo of my huge belly on the last day of my pregnancy because you can barely see it!

Having a child on your golden birthday is amazing. What are the chances? Saying that I was excited was an understatement. I wasn’t sure my little guy would be born on the night of the 25th or the early morning of the 26th, but at 9:56 pm on March 25, 2008, I had my second bio-son.

However, it wasn’t all bunnies and sunshine leading up to that point.

This photo was taken about an hour before our little guy was born via c-section. I had to wait until I was dilated to at least 3 and I was about a 4 here. Translation: I wasn’t feeling the greatest. Oh to be a guy.

Anyway…

Going back to the finger thing (stay classy, right?), haha.

You’ll soon see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as they say.

Date: April 3, 2008

I hope this was for daddy!

Ha!

Don’t worry though, we’re not an angry bunch.

Mother’s Day 2008:

See?

Shortly after this photo was taken, I began my fitness journey. After a few weeks of working out, I decided to start blogging about my journey and on June 30, 2008 I published my first post on my old blog here. I cringe reading my old stuff. No judging! I’m coming up on my 4th year now and although I’ve slid off track at times, I’m proud to have come so far. I guess maybe I should be looking like a fitness model by now. Haha!

My intention ever since I started has been to just concentrate on the journey and to keep going, to continue making small changes and of course, to never stop. I’m in better shape now than I was when I graduated high school a long time ago AND I have 4 kids now too. There’s nothing NOT to love about that!

2008 will always have a special place in my heart – bird flippage and all.

Q. What year did you start your fitness journey?

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I have been using the Perfect Workout Calendar (by Izzy), since I started ChaLEAN Extreme and I’m in love with it. This is seriously the best thing ever for those who follow home workout DVDs. Even if you don’t use DVDs, it’s still a great way to schedule your workouts. My favorite part? Crossing them off as I go.

Here’s a peek at what the 60-day calendar looks like:

This is what mine looked like after I got it all ready for Chalean Extreme.

And here’s a close-up:

Why I Love the Perfect Workout Calendar

• Quick, easy access to workout DVDs. For the ChaLEAN Extreme program, I’m able to put all the discs in that I’ll need for all 90 days. That means I don’t have to constantly take them out of the packaging they came with. There’s nothing wrong with the packaging, but this calendar makes it effortless, yet still provides great protection.
• Earth-Friendly. I love the fact that this is completely reusable. Simply fill out your desired workout schedule using a dry erase marker and cross them off as you complete them. When you’ve completed all scheduled workouts, wipe it clean and start over.
• Holds a week’s worth of workouts. There are 7 pockets attached to this calendar – one for each day of the week, if needed. Like I said, with ChaLEAN Extreme, I won’t even have to switch these out for the full 90 days. Nice!
• Easy to hang. I have mine hung up right in my living room where I workout. I used two 3M Command strips (one on each upper corner) so I didn’t have to poke any holes in the wall or the calendar itself. If you don’t want yours in your living room, you could also hang it in the garage, basement or closet. I like being able to see it all the time though – doesn’t bother me a bit.

• Can be rolled up and put away when not in use.
• Can be used with any workout program. Whether you’re using DVDs or not, this calendar is an incredible tool that you can use to schedule your workouts. It’s nice being able to see it all laid out in front of you.
• It’s a great reminder. Whenever I don’t feel like working out, I feel like the calendar is there to remind me of what I should be doing. I can’t miss it in my living room and if I skip a workout, it’s there – right in my face letting me know. Almost like it’s nagging me. That might sound ridiculous but this calendar can be a great motivator!
• It’s durable. The calendar is quality made. It’s laminated making it more resistant to tears and rips – plus obviously it’s there to allow the use of dry erase markers too. I can see it lasting for quite some time. And surprisingly, the kids have left it alone! They do like to cross off my workouts for me though.

To get an idea of size, here’s my mini bulldog posing for you:

Overall, this is a great investment if you’re looking for the perfect solution to scheduling, organizing and following any kind of home workout DVDs. You can use it over and over again which I think makes it worth every penny. You can learn more about the Perfect Workout Calendar by visiting the official website here.

I was given a complimentary 60-day calendar to review but was not compensated. All views and opinions expressed here are my own. 

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May arrived yesterday and with that, I’ve noticed quite a few exciting new challenges from bloggers around the web! I can’t not share these with you so here goes:

Move More in May

I recently stumbled upon Janetha’s Meals & Moves Blog. She blogs often and the title of her blog says it all. She posts about food and workouts! She throws in a lot of other fun posts too. Oh, and she has adorable dogs. She just launched “Move More in May” which is all about getting in more physical activity during the day and being less sedentary.

The main rule:

“…comment on the move more in may challenge page telling me how you moved that day OUTSIDE OF YOUR OFFICIAL DAILY WORKOUT. ”

Prizes will be awarded weekly during the challenge. The great thing about Move More in May is that anybody can do it – no matter what workout program you might be doing.

Click the banner below to learn more and get started!

BodyRock.TV 30 Day May Challenge

I’ve done a few BodyRock.TV workouts in my days, like this one, this one and this one and I highly recommend them. They’re my favorite kind of workout: short but INTENSE.

Basically, you begin by choosing one of their fit tests. You’ll do the fit test at the beginning of the challenge and again at the end to see how you’ve improved. They have a variety of fit test videos for you to choose from depending on your current fitness level, style and equipment availability.

If you have any doubts about the effectiveness of BodyRock workouts, they’ll all fly out the window when you see the instructors and begin your workout. Those familiar with BodyRock already know what I’m talking about!

Watch this video to learn how to get started!

*These quick BodyRock workouts would be a great way to enter Janetha’s Move More in May challenge!

#photoadayMay Challenge

Fat Mum Slim has been doing photoaday challenges for sometime now and although I’ve heard of them, I haven’t tried one yet. All that’s about to change because I am in for May! There’s a photo prompt for each day of the month and you simply snap a photo and share it however you’d like!

Here are the prompts for May:

Have you started any of these challenges or are you planning to? I’d love to hear about it!

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As of yesterday, I have officially completed the first 2 weeks of Chalean Extreme!

I gotta be honest here. My very first thought that comes to mind? I miss Pump! I think I really miss the music the most. I loved the songs and how each move went along with the music. With that said, I think Chalean Extreme is an awesome program and I’m excited to see what the next 76 days bring.

Before I get into the likes and dislikes, here are just a couple video stills from Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 3:

Ready for the next one?

Keep scrolling…

You’re almost there…

Keep going….

Wait for it…

LOL!!! If a workout makes you make faces like that, it’s probably a good one.

Likes:

• The moves. Each of the Burn Circuit workouts features compound movements using dumbbells (or a resistance band if you choose), which I love. I have experienced DOMS with every single strength workout so far.
• The Burn Intervals Workout. I love this workout. I mean, LOVE. Combining intervals of strength and cardio is incredible – it reminds me a little of 30 Day Shred because of the compound movements mentioned above and the strength/cardio intervals. There’s a ton of stuff packed in those 40+ minutes. The first time I did the workout, I nearly puked after the burpees but all was well in Week 2 during the same workout. Still tough, but I got through it without needing a couple minutes after the burpee part!
• Short workout times. Each strength training workout is right around 35 minutes. That is a perfect time window for me. Long enough to get some serious work in and have shaky muscles and DOMS, but not so long that the kids feel they need to run around the house like crazy little gremlins.
• Chalene Johnson. Chalene’s the trainer in this program and she is incredibly motivating. I love when she says, “You’re not tired!” Sometimes you just need to be reminded of that. Sometimes I feel like she’s wrong.
• Calf work! There are actually some calf moves. I like that.
• Perfect program for beginners. Chalene breaks down the moves, emphasizes the importance of form during movements, explains how to do movements, helps to ensure that you’re using the right amount of resistance and tells you how to create more resistance for yourself if your equipment is limited (or just not very heavy).

Dislikes:

• Music. There is music in this program and it isn’t bad at all, however, there is a lot more talking than I experienced in Les Mills Pump. With Les Mills Pump you have the option to make the music louder than the trainers – helpful once you know what you’re doing.  I’m just coming off of doing Pump so it’s hard not to compare the music aspect, especially since the music was one of my favorite parts about Pump and the key to what sets it apart from other programs. What helps though is that Chalene is very motivating and I love her positive energy and how helpful she is. Her talking has not bothered me, I just prefer music to words – especially once I get to know the routine of things.

Here’s Burn Circuit 2 (Day 3):

Who is Chalean Extreme For?

Just like every other exercise program out there, Chalean Extreme isn’t for everybody. But it’s definitely for somebody.

Let me explain.

Chalean Extreme is for people who…

A. Are looking for a strength training program.

B. Don’t mind following a DVD.

C. Enjoy working out at home.

D. Are committed to their workouts. (CE consists of 5 workouts per week; 2 rest days)

E. Are wanting to build muscle.

F. Can make time for 35-40 minute workouts.

G. Like scheduled workout programs.

Interested in checking out my progress?

Click here to see my Chalean Extreme Google Docs spreadsheet!

I hope this has helped you know what to expect in the first phase of Chalean Extreme. Please let me know if you have any questions. My next Chalean Extreme program update will be when I’m two weeks into the “Push” phase. So in about 4 weeks!

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This girl was born with zero interest in cooking. I have always loved to bake – cookies, cakes and cupcakes, but I really struggle with wanting to cook actual meals. I forget about things, I burn things, I can’t cook more than one thing at a time because everything is at different temps by the time it’s ready to eat so in other words…everything is cold. In my quest to improve on this cooking thing, I’ve been searching for fun recipes to try. Well, I found one that was simple, quick and very kid-friendly.

I love pizza. And I love cupcakes. It’s only natural that I’d have to see what “Pizza Cupcakes” were all about. I stumbled upon this Pizza Cupcake recipe, made a couple tiny changes and made them for lunch yesterday for the kids. They were a hit!

Sadly I did not find mini pepperonis at Aldi so I improvised by chopping up the regular ones into smaller pieces. Worked perfectly but not as cute!

Just a warning, my food photography is gosh-awful.

I love these reusable cupcake/muffin liners.  At first I panicked because I forgot to spray the cups, but these babies popped right out! They’re flexible and you can use them for baking all kinds of different things.

Ingredients used:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T. white sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 120 grams of pepperonis (roughly 2/3 of a package I bought)
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

The kids were definitely missing the sauce. When I make them again, I’ll be sure to have some kind of marinara dipping sauce on hand. I thought they were delicious but it was kinda odd not having sauce. You can’t add too much to the cupcakes themselves because they’d get soggy but dipping them into sauce while eating would be perfect!

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