Don't Quit

If you stop Gargamel just might get you, so you have to keep on going!

Did you ever have one of those days?...  Of course you have.  I mean that is unless you're one of the Smurf's living in a cartoon world where everything is drawn out for you.  I mean imagine if you were a Smurf, what's the worst thing that could ever happen?  You get chased by Gargamel?

Seriously though... if you're not a Smurf and you're a real person living in the real world it is highly plausible that at one time or another you've had a bad day.  So what do you do when that happens to you?  Are you the kind of person who just buries their head under the covers to hide until it has passed?  Or do you dig your heels in and push back when the world pushes at you.

Because no matter who we are, where we live, or what we do or are trying to do, there always comes a point where we have to make a choice.  Chose to keep going or give up.  For me there is no other option, I keep going.  Maybe it's that Greek "Stubborn" gene I was born with, you know the same Greek gene that invented the Windex, Acting, Politics, or any of the other cool stuff that came from the ancient Greeks.  Or maybe it's because I have spent my entire life chasing the same goal, I don't know.

For some people it's not that easy.  Some people find out what they are made of early on in life, for others it comes later.  Some, however never discover how strong they really are.  That makes me sad.  Some people give up before they have ever really reached their true potential, and even worse some do the unthinkable, they kill themselves.

How is it that so many celebrities have committed suicide lately?  Some have flat out killed themselves.  Others did it slower with drugs and alcohol and overdosed.  My question is, how is it that so many people with seemingly so much to live for and to look forward to could give up so easily?  I think part of it, well maybe a big part of it is because as a society we are living in very negatively infused times.

The media is quick to prop up, chew up and spit out sensation or celebrity of the week.  While the powers that be are pushing the idea that hard work should not be rewarded and everything in life is fair.  But in reality - life is not fair at all.  The good guys don't always win, and the bad guys don't always lose.  So when life beats down on the people who do not have a strong sense of who they are and where they are going, what happens?  When God has been removed from everywhere he might be able to "offend" anyone, what do these people who do not know where to turn do?  Sadly we see the results all around us.

Many people are so much stronger than then give themselves credit for.  Quick to assume they can't do something, when in reality they have no idea how strong they really are until they push themselves past where they thought they "couldn't" go.  I just have one wish for everyone who is having a bad day... Don't quit.  You might not "feel" like you can do it, you might not see how now.  But if you quit, you will never reach your goal.  If you keep going, there is always hope.

One of my favorite quotes from one of my fitness heros:

"Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving out, keep going." ~ Jillian Michaels

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

The Return of Jillian

It finally arrived... the day I had been waiting for ever since I heard it announced (on my Birthday of all days) that one of my most favorite fitness hero's ever - Jillian Michaels was set to make her return to The Biggest Loser after a two season hiatus.

I had been so excited all through the holidays as it was getting closer and closer.  Tick tock, tick, tick tock.  Today when I woke up I felt like a kid on Christmas.  You see not just for me, but for so many people who love fitness and working out and even those who have yet to make that change in their lives, Jillian is an inspiration.

Those of us who watched saw that she did not disappoint.  She steamrolled back onto the show by throwing not one or two but three contestants out of the gym.  She does not take any bull, and she does not want to hear excuses.  Over 10,000 people submitted applications to be on this season, and I do not blame her.  If a contestant is there they should be grateful for the spot and the opportunity to once and for all fix what is broken and change their lives forever.  If they are giving her resistance, not doing what she says, whining, complaining, and still having a victim mentality then they should leave.  They are taking up a good spot that one of those 10,000 would only love to have.

Yes it is hard, yes the people have health issues, yes it is going to hurt.  The thing that Jillian whips into each and every contestant if they have the backbone to dig in and really grasp what she is there giving her time to show them is that - there is no "TRY" you either do something, or you don't.  It's that simple.  All the chatter in your head, if you do not tap into your will and find the why - you will not find out how strong you really are.

We have seen it season after season.  Just when you think you have seen it all, in comes another heartbreaking story and inside my head at least I'm thinking, my gosh my heart is breaking for these people who have lost their will.  Jillian has a way to break through all the crap and get to the heart of person and help them to find their "why" and push and push them to reach their goals.  That is, if they can get past her tough exterior.

There are those that like to bash her in the media for this or that, methods, yada yada.  Muckery I say.  I used to be a little fat kid, just like she was.  The kids picked on me, and I struggled with weight my entire life until I was an adult.  (That is until I discovered my love for sneakers ;) ) Her methods - they work.  Because I like to workout at home (as I'm not really into being ogled at the gym when my face is all red like a tomato head) I have every single DVD she has put out, and trust me I have every workout system you can think of just about.  P90, p90x, insanity, slim in 6, tapout, turbofire, rev abs, urban rebounder, the firm, tae bo, Bob Harper, Jackie Warner, and on and on.  I love them all, and I always no matter what I'm doing incorporate Jillian's workouts.  Why? Because Jillian's workouts are effective and do not waste time.  You do not have to be super coordinated or able to do a bazillion push ups in order to do them.  You just have to keep going even when you do not "feel" like it.  She has workouts as short as 20 minutes, from beginner on up to advanced, all give results you can see and feel.

Anyone can go buy any one of her DVD's or systems, put in the DVD, push play when the calendar says to and see the results for themselves.  The best part, they do not cost a fortune.  So literally anyone can workout at home and watch along with the Biggest Loser week after week and see her help people while they are getting in shape at the same time.  I don't know about you, but for me, it is so inspiring.  To see people with serious weight issues change their entire lives.

Some Awesome Jillian Quotes:

"Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going." 

"Transformation isn't a future event, it's a presant activity." 

"Pain is fear leaving the body." 

"Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving out, keep going." 

"When you have a Why, you can tolerate any amount of How." 

So it's no surprise that this Greek Girl gives The Return of Jillian (also a Greek Girl) a great big Giamungo Thumbs up!  Can't wait to see what this season has in store.  Happy losing.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

Biggest Loser, Life Without Jillian

Do you see what I see?.... Something is definitely wrong with this picture, NBC someone's got some splainin to do.

Speaking the title of this blog actually hurts me in my heart, yes I am serious.  Anyone who knows anything about the Greek blonde girl knows that The Biggest Loser is my favorite show and this one other thing, that I love my Jillian Michaels.  In fact I admire her so much that I even named one of my cars after her... Jillian Jetta. ;D (yes I name my cars, doesn't everyone?)

Back to the Biggest Looser.  So it stands to reason that I would not be a happy camper to settle in and watch the first episode without one of it's best assets.  Why do I like Jillian so much you may be thinking? Well the answer is simple really, she is real. If you know or have known or encountered any Greek people at all in your life, you know one thing: we are very direct.  We say what is on our minds, if you want to hear it or not, and that is the beautiful thing about Jillian. She tells people what they "need" to hear, not what they want to hear. The things that are in most cases glaring them right in the face, but they have spent years burying or avoiding.  These things usually end up being hidden in poor and unhealthy eating and or exercise habits and then people end up on the Biggest Looser for help.  That is what is so amazing about Jillian, she has a way of cutting through all the crap and getting to the issue and dealing with it. Life is hard and every choice we make effects the quality of our life. Loosing weight is really simple in principle and it is not building a rocket.  Calories in vs. calories out and exercise. It is the "doing" part and the "sticking to it" part that most people struggle with.  Jillian has a way of staring down the truth and presenting the choice to people and challenging them to do it.  It is honest, blunt and yet caring at the same time.

Some of my favorite Jillian quotes:

"I know you're tired, wah wah wah - You want to be skinny, shut up and do your mountain climbers."       

"Remember I can always see you, kind of like a horror movie and if you don't do it I'm going to come through that TV."


"If it is not burning, then something is definitely not right, it should be so hard you should be cursing at me in your living room right now." 


"You have no idea what you can accomplish until you try, you might just surprise yourself at how strong you are." 

Can the Biggest Looser survive without Jillian?... Of course it can because at the heart of the show it is about the contestants. What we love to see is people figure out how they got to that point, then make the transformation to change and then see them do it. The trainers are a really big part of the show and no not all trainers are going to be as enjoyable to watch as Jillian, no one can argue with that. However at the end of the day in the early days of Biggest Looser Jillian and Bob were not the big dogs and the people still lost weight and changed their lives.  

Do I think they could have made a better choice? Well... that remains to be seen. I would never want to discount anyone just because I do not know too much about them yet. Just the same way I wouldn't want anyone to discount my music just because they have not heard it yet? ;D 

Now if they decide to get rid of or if Bob decides to leave, then that my friends is a whole other story, and I may just have to change the channel.  Happy loosing.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com 

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

It's always sunny day when the Greek Girl is working out :D I know rain is a good thing, in moderation that is. The last few days around NYC the rain has been anything but moderation, it's been more like a long slow drowning. Wahh Wahh (Que. the sad violins). According to the weather app on my iphone ~ the sun is not supposed to come out tomorrow... however it is possible that it "may" come out on Sunday.

Most of my blog friends know about my love of running outdoors, and this rain frankly is cramping my style, no pun intended. Yeah I know I could go to the gym and run on the treadmill, but it's just not the same for me. There is just something magical about lacing up my sneakers and spending some quality alone time with my ipod, the road & the outdoors. My favorite time to run is magic hour just when it's turning dusk or mid afternoon when the sun is beating down on me.... Yeah yeah, I stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, all the things a good doobie does.

With all this rain lately I have had no choice but to take my cardio workout indoors. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Well that depends on how one defines good or bad. When it is raining so much that I can't run outdoors on a cardio day, I usually do one of the gazillion DVD's in my fitness war chest. Yes I have a fitness war chest, doesn't everyone? ;D So since all this rain got me whining about not being able to run outside, it got me thinking today may be a good day to talk about what kind of workouts I do. As I receive a lot of emails asking about what do I like to do to stay in shape, etc. So here we go ~ sharing: :DD

Most of you know I have a few "fitness gurus" who are trainers I have a tremendous admiration for. You could say they are my heros, each one of them have amazing workouts on DVD & do so many things to help people become healthy: Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Jackie Warner, Billy Blanks, Tony Horton, Debbie Siebers, Saun T, Brett Hoebel & Chalene Johnson. Jillian, Bob & Jackie & Billy's Tae Bo's DVD's are easy to come by, they each have their own web sites & most retailers like Target also carry them. All my other fav's come from www.beachbody.com

So to date I have completed several programs from beachbody.com: Original P90, Slim in 6, Slim Series, P90X, Insanity, Rev Abs, Chalene Extreme, & last but not least I am currently checking out Turbo Fire before I start it full blast for 90 days. For me I just feel better when I workout it is that simple. Had I not been a little Greek Girl who at one time had a little extra baklava hanging around, and been born skinny like my sister's that may not have been the case. But alas, I have developed a serious addiction to endorphins (you know God's medicine, that makes you feel good) and end up working out 5-6 days a week. Hope you check out some of the workouts & find one that is right for you. Of course I just know your ipod will be loaded with Ava Aston Tunes to help push you through the hard workouts ;D just sayin.

Blessings ~
Ava :D xox

Twitches

This car is my #1 Twitch

Today the secret word is Twitch. A twitch is a reaction to muckery happening with your muscles. To my great Greek surprise Dictionary.com actually had definitions for several different types of twitches. Who knew?

• Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation, resulting in uncontrolled shaking
• Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
• Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle contractions
• Myokymia, a continuous, involuntary muscle twitch that affects the muscles of the face, particularly the eyelids
• Spasm, a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, group of muscles, hollow organ, or orifice
• Tic, an involuntary, repetitive, nonrhythmic movement or vocalization of sudden onset and involving discrete muscle groups
• Tremor, an involuntary, repetitive, somewhat rhythmic, muscle contraction and relaxation

To no one's surprise I have also found other types of twitches. It is not as cut and dry as just saying I have found good twitches and bad twitches. Because my Greek noggin is not wired like other noggins, I felt the need to also classify some of my twitches, fair enough?

Good Twitches

Shopping Twitches

• Super Dry
• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Express
• Kohls  (also Kohls Cash is a monetary twitch)
• Sephora
• Outlet Malls
• Coach Store
• A good TJ Maxx

Yummy Twitches

• A hot cup of happiness from Dunkin Donuts
• A few bites from a slice of New York Pizza
• Vitamin Water Zero "GoGo" Flavor
• Orbit Sugar Free Gum
• A Turkey Club on Wheat from my favorite diner (a yummo twitch)
• Ghiradelli Chocolate

Movie twitches

Rocky (also a motivational twitch)

Sneaker Twitches

Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6
Nike Shox
Nike 36o Air max

Musical Twitches

• The song "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky
• The Theme song from "The Biggest Loser"
• My new song "Gone"

Healthy Twitches

• Working out
• The Biggest Loser
• Jillian Michaels
• Bob Harper
• Brett Hoebel
• Tony Horton
• Billy Blanks
• Zone Bars

Bad Twitches

• Bed Bugs
• Checking into hotels  (gotta do that bed bug check)
• Getting "poked" by total strangers on FaceBook (that's a creepy twitch)
• S.p.i.d.e.r.s.  & --- I do not say that word out loud ~ Ever.
• Mr. Bricks' toe nail clippers  (that's a revolting twitch)
• A bad TJ Max store

Blessings,

Ava

xox

Can You Feel It

After a Jillian Michaels' workout you CAN feel it.

I think my manager Mr. Bricks has finally lost his marbles. Just got a text from him and it said, (and I quote) "Ava something good is about to happen. I can feel it in my bones." What is he, a walking Ouija Board? Maybe in his wallet he also has tarot cards instead of his business cards and that's why he hasn't gotten me a record deal yet.  The only time I can feel something in my bones is after a Jillian Michael's work out. But I don't need to call Dionne Warwick or her friends at the Psychic Friends Network to know Mr. Bricks hasn't been working out with Jillian. If any of my blog readers out there is a Casting Director for the Biggest Loser, I nominate Mr. Bricks.

My Grandma Pauline would tell me she could predict the weather by the way her bones felt. I can understand that, because our bodies are connected to the earth. That explains why there are so many crazy people running around when there is a full moon. Next time there is a full moon go down to the local emergency room. It'll be packed. So, when my Grandma said she could predicted an impending snow storm, I believed her. But Mr. Bricks new-found psychic abilities? Call me a skeptic.

I have heard some people say that they have a "gut feeling" about something. I think the only "something" Mr. Bricks has a feeling about is putting some McRibs in his gut, Just sayin'. As much of a skeptic as I am about it, I hope Mr. Bricks is right and that he does have some unexplained feeling in his bones that something good is about to happen and good gravy that his feeling is not something explainable like a tick bite or scurvy. Sometimes the greatest things in life are those that are unplanned and come out of left field, and I hope it is that type of feeling that is gnawing at Mr. Bricks' skeleton.

Speaking of Can You Feel It, that was also the title of a hit song by the Jacksons (formally the Jackson 5). Check out their Can You Feel It video.

So, can you feel it? Can you feel it? Tell me now, can you feel it?

Blessings,

Ava
xox