I have officially just done three things that I have never done before, all before noon today. #1 I went to Hot Yoga. #2 I used a hash tag (loving called the pound sign back in my day) in the title of this post. #3 I made a word play off of the "first world problems" that I see popping up all the time these days. News flash, I do not fully understand any of these three things, I'm not that hip. But here I am doing 'em anyways. Let me know if I mess them up.
Hot Yoga. Oh, Hot Yoga. Take a seat. This is gonna be a weird/wild ride. I would like to preface this post with two disclaimers. This first one is that I went to Hot Yoga to be supportive of my Mom going to Hot Yoga. I gifted her a membership to give her something to do for herself, something she NEVER does. I wanted to keep encouraging her by going with her on the weekends when I could. The reasons I go back may be totally different. The second disclaimer is this; I have an extremely sensitive sniffer. Unless I have a cold and I can't smell anything, I am smelling everything.
Sooooooo, I take back every good body image statement I have made about myself since the dawn of time. Yoga brought up some issues. I remembered vividly why I don't like going to gyms. There are mirrors and people. My workout room doesn't have any mirrors. I occasionally catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window, but no mirrors. Holy s#!& I am fat. And I don't even think I am as fat as I was, so that means I was incredibly fat. Why, for the love of Pete, didn't anyone tell me??? I would have been a little hurt, but in the long run I think I would have been grateful. Crap. My arm waddle is beyond impressive. I will be wearing a t-shirt instead of a tank top tomorrow. My apologies to everyone in the class today for you having to witness my arm waddle. My gut prevents me from getting all the way into many of the poses. Some things I am flexible at, others I may be hopeless at. For instance, the thought that any part of my head will EVER be in contact with any part of my legs is laughable at best. Watching myself try and get into some of these poses made me almost want to cry. I would never in front of all those people, but it did make me sad for myself. The upside, I am incredibly proud of my mom!! She has 20 years on me and she was giving it hell. I wouldn't expect anything less from her, once she gets on something she is a dog on a bone, so I know that she will have great success at this if she keeps with it. In regards to people. So, before the class you lay there on your mat and get yourself acclimated to the heat. As the room continued to fill up I could feel my anxiety level increasing. All these people are going to be able to see me struggling my way through this class. They are all going to see my fat rolls hold me back. They are all going to see my arms waddle when I raise them for EVERY SINGLE POSE. Remember "comparison is the thief of joy", well I let myself get robbed big time this morning. There was tons of chicas to compare myself to. Surprisingly enough, half of the class was men, so I got to compare myself to them too. Interesting, and also intimidating. I would say that of the dudes in the room they were probably split pretty evenly between being older and younger than me. Moral of the story, Yoga knows no age. Yoga also knows no modesty. Some of the outfits were basically underwear. I get it, it was hot in there. I do not believe that you will ever witness me doing Hot Yoga in my underwear. Rock on to those of you that are comfortable enough that you can, Pretty sure that won't ever be me though.
Now, for the second disclaimer. That room smelled BAD. It smelled like urine to me. I'm sure it is from the epic amounts (gallons) of sweat that have leached into the indoor/outdoor carpet that is in there. But it was almost more than I could handle. I will stick it out and I will go again because I love my Mom, but it was hard for me to breathe deeply from the stink. And, I am certain that after sweating that much, I too stunk. Nature of the beast. But the steamy stench in that room was rough on my olfactory senses.
Worst nightmare. I had to stop at the store (WINCO) after Hot Yoga. The day before Super Bowl no less. I was literally soaked from head to toe. A) It would have done me no good to change my clothes after Hot Yoga because I didn't stop sweating for another 45 minutes. B) I would die before I would change my clothes in front of a room full of strangers. Call me prude, but there is just no way. What is the absolute last thing that you would want if you were soaking wet with your own sweat and had to run into a public place??? You guessed, running in to someone that you know. Of course I did. She was very sweet and told me I didn't look bad. I know for a fact that I looked like a sunburned, gluttonous, drowned rat. So, short of passing out in class, I managed to hit some serious low points this morning in my journey.
You are probably thinking that I hate Hot Yoga right now. Wrong. I am grateful to it for bringing some things to light for me. I grateful to it for showing me where I am lacking in areas. One of them being the ability to lie still for two minutes. I still don't love the smell, but if that is something I need to overcome so that I may overcome some real issues, then so be it. We'll see how my week goes, I may try and make it more than just the weekend. It was cheapest for me to buy the 20 sessions in 20 days package, so I have unlimited access to their studio for the next 19 days. Stay tuned.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
Basic Math
There is a direct correlation between how hard I work out and how hungry I am. I know you are thinking, "Well, duh!!!" But hear me out.
I have always eaten because, well, I'm supposed to eat. I was made to eat. It's breakfast time, time to eat. What's that? Noon? Time to eat. 5 o'clock somewhere? Absolutely, time to eat. Feeling sad? Time to eat. Holiday? Time to eat. Happy, want to celebrate? Time to eat. It is basically always time to eat. But I have been consciously trying not to eat all the time. I have cut back. For sure. And I have been pretty darn diligent about WHAT I am eating. Lean protein, whole fruits and veggies, healthy fats. Boom. Today was a double T25 day. I'm not gonna lie, the Hip Hop Abs videos are not as hard as the T25 videos. I think they are a good supplement workout, and I am glad that I am doing them, but I am not sure I would see as great of results with them alone. Not that I have completely transformed myself or anything. Don't think that I got all delusional today and decided that I was skinny and fit. But I digress. Today was double T25 day and I was starving today. My stomach was growling for a good 2 hours before lunch today. By the time dinner rolled around, I was FOR SURE hungry again. Not just a I have the munchies feeling, but legitimately hungry. I am starting to think that I am recognizing the difference between I want to eat and I am hungry. This is kinda a big deal. I mean, if I actually got that in check, there might be hope for me. Just a little tidbit of hope. That is the equation right?
I have always eaten because, well, I'm supposed to eat. I was made to eat. It's breakfast time, time to eat. What's that? Noon? Time to eat. 5 o'clock somewhere? Absolutely, time to eat. Feeling sad? Time to eat. Holiday? Time to eat. Happy, want to celebrate? Time to eat. It is basically always time to eat. But I have been consciously trying not to eat all the time. I have cut back. For sure. And I have been pretty darn diligent about WHAT I am eating. Lean protein, whole fruits and veggies, healthy fats. Boom. Today was a double T25 day. I'm not gonna lie, the Hip Hop Abs videos are not as hard as the T25 videos. I think they are a good supplement workout, and I am glad that I am doing them, but I am not sure I would see as great of results with them alone. Not that I have completely transformed myself or anything. Don't think that I got all delusional today and decided that I was skinny and fit. But I digress. Today was double T25 day and I was starving today. My stomach was growling for a good 2 hours before lunch today. By the time dinner rolled around, I was FOR SURE hungry again. Not just a I have the munchies feeling, but legitimately hungry. I am starting to think that I am recognizing the difference between I want to eat and I am hungry. This is kinda a big deal. I mean, if I actually got that in check, there might be hope for me. Just a little tidbit of hope. That is the equation right?
Exercise + Good Nutrition = Healthy Body
or
if Calories In are < Calories out = Healthy Body
or
Move Your Butt + Eat Right = Healthy Body
Basic math, right? No division. No unknown variables. Just good ole addition and subtraction. Hopefully subtraction from my spare tire is the ultimate answer. I don't know if all this adds up to a total Ah-Ha moment, but it is a good realization none-the-less. Kuddos to me for recognizing actual hunger, good for me for drinking my water, good for me for battling through doubles day (second work out was hard, I was tired), and good for me for not reaching for junk when I was hungry. That is a lot of good for me's!!!!
Happy weekend all! Keep it real, keep it fun, move your hiney, cheer for the Seahawks, and most of all ENJOY yourselves... Not only do you deserve it, but you are pretty cool to boot, so, GOOD FOR YOU!!!
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Just a little list...
We haven't had a good list in awhile. I'm feeling listy today, so here goes:
1) Unless you are skiing in Sunvalley, or Aspen, or Bogus, or Willamette Pass or wherever you ski at, any form of pants that are tight (I'm talking about leggings here) you better have a shirt that covers your butt. Ski bunnies=OK to wear tight lycra pants. Everywhere else on the planet does not. I don't care if you are model gorgeous and only have 3% body fat. Cover your butt. Here is why, they are too revealing! Have a little modesty. And if your aren't model gorgeous with 3% body fat, guess what, they are still too revealing! I love leggings. I wear them all the time. I wear them with this great invention they call a tunic. Leggings=need for coverage. End of story.
2) My butt is so sore today I can't really talk about it. It hurts to sit. It hurts all the way down to the bone (is there bones in your butt???). I'm just saying, not only is it tender on the outside, the pain runs deep. I guess I can talk about it after all. This has lead me to believe two things. A) This is apparently an area I need to work a little harder on. All the squats are not enough. B) I think Shaun T used those exercises so that I would have to stay on my feet the next few days. That sneaky so-in-so.
3) I had an excellent sandwich artist today at Subway. When I asked for extra jalapeños, he didn't just put 4 instead of three, he piled them on. When he put my honey mustard on, he went from one side of the sandwich to the other, not just a non-committal blob in the center that forces me into being "that" customer who has to ask for more after they have already put the sauce away and holds up the noon lunch line traffic. My artist today knew his stuff.
4) I was stressed and I didn't eat because of it. Say what??? That's right, I had a big test at school this morning, it is important to me to maintain my GPA, this professor put the fear of God in us prior to the test. Last night I was a mess. I worked. I didn't blindly eat while I was studying. I just studied. Whoa. Revelation.
5) I am craving soup. I feel like this might be the spice-of-life-variety I am missing right now. My diet has hit a bit of rut due to convenience and what I have been eating is pretty cheap. I want mushroom soup. Or acorn squash soup. Or... Chicken tortilla soup! Ole!
6) I heard someone quote Theodore Roosevelt the other day. He said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I compare myself to others all day long. To other women, to Tanya on the workout videos, to old pictures of myself. And you know what, it does steal my joy. It keeps me from appreciating what I have gotten done so far. It has potential to stifle further progress if I don't get it in check. I am making a mental note to stop this. Ok, we all know I won't stop it. But I am going to make an effort to not let it be at the forefront for my daily thoughts. I blame some of it on my competitive nature, but in all reality it probably should be blamed on my incessant need to put myself down.
7) There is something wrong with the rear view mirror in my car. It is giving me excessive nose hair. I do not approve. I might need a new car. Or maybe a nose wax kit. I don't even know where to obtain one. Maybe Amazon. For the nose wax, not the new car.
8) I listened to another one of Shaun T's podcasts today. This one was on motivation and how to keep yourself accountable for your own motivation. Because, in the end, it really is up to you to stay motivated, do the work, be dedicated to your health and body. Go figure. Because if I could have someone else bust their butt and eat all these vegetables I sure would!
9) I'm gonna go hide my spare tire in a hoodie and watch Scandel while I study tonight. This # doesn't really have anything to do with anything, just thought you might like to know what I'm up to.
Peace out.
7) There is something wrong with the rear view mirror in my car. It is giving me excessive nose hair. I do not approve. I might need a new car. Or maybe a nose wax kit. I don't even know where to obtain one. Maybe Amazon. For the nose wax, not the new car.
8) I listened to another one of Shaun T's podcasts today. This one was on motivation and how to keep yourself accountable for your own motivation. Because, in the end, it really is up to you to stay motivated, do the work, be dedicated to your health and body. Go figure. Because if I could have someone else bust their butt and eat all these vegetables I sure would!
9) I'm gonna go hide my spare tire in a hoodie and watch Scandel while I study tonight. This # doesn't really have anything to do with anything, just thought you might like to know what I'm up to.
Peace out.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Sunshine and Cabbage
Someone must have heard my complaining from yesterday because there was most certainly sunshine in my life today. The sun graced us with his presence from about 1pm on today. I'll take it. In spades.
Workout report for today... I kicked some ass. (earmuffs) Literally. I rocked my T25 and then it was hips, buns, and thighs day on Hip Hop Abs. I have an ample supply of all three to offer up to the workout gods, so that is what I did. 4 million squats, 3,700 lunges, and some extremely painful floor exercises later, guess what??? I still have ample hips, buns, and thighs. But the good news is that they are all going to hurt tomorrow. Really good news, I'll be lucky if I can walk on Friday, but no worries, Friday is doubles day, so it should be a breeze. During the floor exercises I could not remember the last time that my hind end hurt that much. Burning. Shaking. Twitching. Maybe when I was a kiddo getting swatted with a wooden spoon for being naughty? But seriously, they kicked my ass (earmuffs) and then I kicked theirs! I felt like I put forth a good effort today. I worked out when I got up first thing instead of later in the day. They (whoever "they" is) call this a fasting workout, you know, because you have been fasting all night. It is an easy fast because I'm sleeping. I don't even have to think about it. It is a long enough fast that I was a little weak at the very end of my workout, but not quite long enough to produce a Buddha quality religious experience. So, I'll give it a 6 on the fasting scale. And I will stop calling it a "fast" since it is just me sleeping. Not an active choice to not eat. ;)
Speaking of eating. Is it possible to eat too much cabbage? Anyone out there know. I have Googled and there doesn't seem to be any Internet documentation on subject. I eat a lot of cabbage. A LOT. I just had a cabbage steak for dinner. I like 'em. I like 'em a lot. My lunch today was also comprised of a good amount of cabbage. I did not have cabbage for breakfast. I have to draw the line somewhere. Three-a-day cabbage seemed like as good a place as any to draw that line in the sand. Do you think it is possible that my twice a week Subway habit is keeping me fat? Just a fleeting thought that I had today. I would like to think that bread 2 times a week wouldn't be keeping me from entirely losing weight, but maybe it does. According to Jared, no. Not the ring Jared, the sandwich Jared. I make good choices as to what goes on said bread (I rhymed a little right there), but there is still the said bread (again) in question. I literally ONLY eat bread those two instances a week. I don't sneak a roll or pastry or muffin or anything else with flour/gluten in it any other day of the week. Not even a tortilla right now, and I love a good tortilla. So, what gives, do I need to give up my twice a week Subway habit and get more creative about my lunch on school days?
Today was definitely a better day. There was sunshine. No roses yet, but definite sunshine! The only downside was that I had to #2 in a porta-potty at work today. There is a major remodel happening and there are literally no bathrooms there right now. I want you all to know that this is my personal version of hell, #2 in a porta-potty. Let me know if I ever share too much.
Speaking of eating. Is it possible to eat too much cabbage? Anyone out there know. I have Googled and there doesn't seem to be any Internet documentation on subject. I eat a lot of cabbage. A LOT. I just had a cabbage steak for dinner. I like 'em. I like 'em a lot. My lunch today was also comprised of a good amount of cabbage. I did not have cabbage for breakfast. I have to draw the line somewhere. Three-a-day cabbage seemed like as good a place as any to draw that line in the sand. Do you think it is possible that my twice a week Subway habit is keeping me fat? Just a fleeting thought that I had today. I would like to think that bread 2 times a week wouldn't be keeping me from entirely losing weight, but maybe it does. According to Jared, no. Not the ring Jared, the sandwich Jared. I make good choices as to what goes on said bread (I rhymed a little right there), but there is still the said bread (again) in question. I literally ONLY eat bread those two instances a week. I don't sneak a roll or pastry or muffin or anything else with flour/gluten in it any other day of the week. Not even a tortilla right now, and I love a good tortilla. So, what gives, do I need to give up my twice a week Subway habit and get more creative about my lunch on school days?
Today was definitely a better day. There was sunshine. No roses yet, but definite sunshine! The only downside was that I had to #2 in a porta-potty at work today. There is a major remodel happening and there are literally no bathrooms there right now. I want you all to know that this is my personal version of hell, #2 in a porta-potty. Let me know if I ever share too much.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Sunshine and Roses
Not every single day is a good day. I am not afraid to admit that. Today was what I call a "fat day." I know you have all uttered that phrase before, I FEEL FAT. Am I more fat than I was yesterday? Than last week? I can't imagine why I would be, but anything is possible. Fat days usually snowball right into being grumpy days that inevitably turn into a bad day. I was not born with that innate ability to reverse my mood with a happy thought. Some people are. More power to them. Once I get in a little funk I tend to settle in. Hopefully it is just a day long. It is stupid, really.
Today it started from literally nothing. I put on a hooded sweatshirt that I hadn't worn in quite some time. I was expecting to be swimming in it. I wasn't. I'm sure it was bigger on me than I was giving myself credit for. But, it was still a suitable fit for public, so I wore it to school. I don't know why I thought it would be 18 sizes too big for me. While my jeans are loose, it is not like I have magically jumped down a couple sizes.
I'm sure that it is my incessant need for instant gratification that steered me astray today. You see, I am an only child, accustomed to getting my way. Right now the thing that would be "my way" would be for me to look as fit and healthy as I am feeling. Right now, my outsides don't match my insides. That is frustrating. My habits and actions are those of fit, healthy, slim person. In my mind I walk a little taller. I feel a lot better. In my mind I see a healthier and prettier version of me. My reality is a body where I still can't clasp my hands when I try to hold my knees to my chest. My reality is that I can't sit my butt back when I do child's pose. My reality is that I can't cross my legs above the ankle, not comfortably or attractively at least. My reality is that my spare tire inhibits me from gracefully standing from a sitting position.
My back was sore today too. This is the first time that has been the case since I started this endeavor. I have occasional lower back issues. These are GREATLY reduced when I am fit. I'm sure core strength has EVERYTHING to do with that. It doesn't take a whole lot for me to go from a sore back to full on spasms that make me want to throw up. I have a high pain tolerance (physical, not emotional) so I pay careful attention when my back sends me signals. I almost had myself talked out of working out. Almost. Between my funky mood and my twingey back, I seriously contemplated it. Then, I reminded myself of something. These are the days that it is the MOST important to workout. If I can conquer these type of days, all the other days will be a cake walk. Minus the cake. So, I did. And after the T25 video I had to have the little chat with myself again to do the Hip Hop Abs video. But, I did it. I sweated. I huffed. I puffed. I worked out even though 25 times today I had myself convinced that it is doing me no good what-so-ever. I made myself a healthy dinner. I am giving you the straight-up honest version of my day. I will read my Bible and pray about it tonight, emphasis on an attitude change for tomorrow. That is how I am dealing with the fact that there was absolutely no sunshine or roses in my life today.
P.S. In other news... Look for Hot Yoga post later this week. I can't promise that it will be as entertaining as the pole-dancing class was from a year+ back, but it should be good none-the-less.
P.P.S. I take it all back. My best friend just text me with a picture that her daughter (my honorary niece) drew of me today. Just made my day. How could you not smile at this??? For those of you that don't know what I look like, this is surprisingly accurate!!
Today it started from literally nothing. I put on a hooded sweatshirt that I hadn't worn in quite some time. I was expecting to be swimming in it. I wasn't. I'm sure it was bigger on me than I was giving myself credit for. But, it was still a suitable fit for public, so I wore it to school. I don't know why I thought it would be 18 sizes too big for me. While my jeans are loose, it is not like I have magically jumped down a couple sizes.
I'm sure that it is my incessant need for instant gratification that steered me astray today. You see, I am an only child, accustomed to getting my way. Right now the thing that would be "my way" would be for me to look as fit and healthy as I am feeling. Right now, my outsides don't match my insides. That is frustrating. My habits and actions are those of fit, healthy, slim person. In my mind I walk a little taller. I feel a lot better. In my mind I see a healthier and prettier version of me. My reality is a body where I still can't clasp my hands when I try to hold my knees to my chest. My reality is that I can't sit my butt back when I do child's pose. My reality is that I can't cross my legs above the ankle, not comfortably or attractively at least. My reality is that my spare tire inhibits me from gracefully standing from a sitting position.
My back was sore today too. This is the first time that has been the case since I started this endeavor. I have occasional lower back issues. These are GREATLY reduced when I am fit. I'm sure core strength has EVERYTHING to do with that. It doesn't take a whole lot for me to go from a sore back to full on spasms that make me want to throw up. I have a high pain tolerance (physical, not emotional) so I pay careful attention when my back sends me signals. I almost had myself talked out of working out. Almost. Between my funky mood and my twingey back, I seriously contemplated it. Then, I reminded myself of something. These are the days that it is the MOST important to workout. If I can conquer these type of days, all the other days will be a cake walk. Minus the cake. So, I did. And after the T25 video I had to have the little chat with myself again to do the Hip Hop Abs video. But, I did it. I sweated. I huffed. I puffed. I worked out even though 25 times today I had myself convinced that it is doing me no good what-so-ever. I made myself a healthy dinner. I am giving you the straight-up honest version of my day. I will read my Bible and pray about it tonight, emphasis on an attitude change for tomorrow. That is how I am dealing with the fact that there was absolutely no sunshine or roses in my life today.
P.S. In other news... Look for Hot Yoga post later this week. I can't promise that it will be as entertaining as the pole-dancing class was from a year+ back, but it should be good none-the-less.
P.P.S. I take it all back. My best friend just text me with a picture that her daughter (my honorary niece) drew of me today. Just made my day. How could you not smile at this??? For those of you that don't know what I look like, this is surprisingly accurate!!
Monday, January 26, 2015
FAQ's
Everyone have a good weekend???
I know I sure did! I spent time with awesome friends and family, I ate yummy food more than once, I got homework done, and I even walked 5 miles on Sunday to get some fresh air.
I thought you guys might like some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions from yours truly, Funny Fat Chic...
1) How long do you work out for?
Right now my schedule is semi-light by my standards. It is the dead of winter so my photography business is a little slow. With the free time that I have I am spending it focusing on getting healthy again and I am spending it here, talking to you guys. This is a round about way of telling you that I am spending more time working out than I probably will later in the year. I am lucky, my gym is in my home. I am one of those people that does better working out at home. I prefer the solitude and I feel like I do a good job of pushing myself. Or, more appropriately, I feel like Shaun T is doing a good job of pushing me. I am currently working my way through T25, which as the name states, is 25 minutes long. On Fridays, you do two sessions, so 50 minutes. I am adding Hip Hop Abs to T25. Those workouts range from 25 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the day. So, for the sake of clarity, let's say that I am working out approximately 1 hour, 5 days a week. The weekends I have off, but I try to do something (hiking, walking, etc.) one of those days.
2) How much water do you really drink a day?
There is something wrong with my new water bottle. As in, I am drinking at least 5 liters a day. For those of you that aren't Canadian, that is 1.32 gallons a day. This thing is making me thirsty. It's like the more water I drink, the more water I am thirsty for. I can't get enough! I am not bragging here. I am mostly baffled by this phenomenon. I have never really been a big soda drinker, at least not since high school. I had one small Diet Pepsi phase for about a year. But that is it. Ice tea, now I LOVE ice tea. But right now, all I wanna do is drink water. I am not forcing myself, I am just thirsty for it all the time. I attribute this partially to all the sweating I am doing and partially to the fact that more healthy stuff you do the more healthy stuff you want to do. The same is true for unhealthy stuff by the way. As in the more sugar you eat the more sugar you want to eat.
3) Where do you weight in on "diet supplements"?
Ha! Good one... "weigh in"... No pun intended. So, you are not gonna like what I have to say here. If there was a magic pill for sustainable weight loss, everyone on the planet would be skinny. The key word there is sustainable. I am certain that there are plenty of supplements (pills) that will facilitate a quick weight loss (probably mostly water weight) and will gain your confidence to the point that you think you don't have to make any changes in order to lose weight. How long does that usually last? Right up until you stop taking the pills. Then, the weight usually comes back and then some. Long story short, I feel like the supplements are a bit of a cop-out and should never be thought of as a replacement for healthy habits, aka a nutritious diet from whole foods and exercise. Being hyped up on stimulants is not the same as increasing your energy level from fueling yourself properly. I know that sounds a little preachy, but it is reality. There is no quick fix for boosting your metabolism and changing how you live. Albeit I get tempted by their claims and the thought of not having to work quite so hard, but in my heart, I know they aren't the right thing for me.
4) What is your favorite thing about working out?
This is an easy one. My favorite part of working out is when I am doing any kind of jumping move, jumping jacks for example, and I get to listen to my fat slapping against itself. This is AWESOME. You know why? Because I feel like I get to actually listen to the fat being beat off by body. I know that sounds gross/weird/down right bizarre, but right now it sounds like victory to me. A close second on my favorites is any of the sitting ab work. I get to have my belly right there in my face. And I am physically trying to squish it off my body. See you later belly, hopefully on someone else!
5) What is your least favorite thing about working out?
I change my clothes no less than 3-4 times a day. 4 freaking times a day. If I was currently riding my horses, it would be 6 times a day. If you are keeping score, that is more times a day than a toddler that wets its pants. There is once out of jammies into either workout clothes or regular clothes. Either a shower before the regular clothes or a shower after working out and then into regular clothes. If it is a school day, I get home, go from regular to workout clothes. then shower (2nd one of the day) and into jammies again. Unless I need to go somewhere then it is back into regular clothes. That is A LOT of clothes changing. This is often the time that I have the argument with myself as to whether I really need to workout our not. It is a vulnerable moment. That is why I hate it. Least. Favorite. Thing.
6) What does y our shopping cart look like when you go grocery shopping?
Funny you should ask, I went grocery shopping today. This is EXACTLY what it looked like...
A whole bunch of fresh fruits and vegetable. Whole foods, not the store, the actual foods. The only prepackaged thing in that mix was minced garlic. Why? Because I hate to chop garlic. I absorb smells really easily and I smell like garlic for 17 days afterwards. But, I LOVE to eat garlic. Compromise. There was no meat in there because I have deer meat in the freezer along with a big bag of Costco chicken breasts. My oils at home are coconut (unrefined) and olive oil. I lean heavily on cabbage, kale, and broccoli for vegetables and I have a personal affinity for mushrooms. For dinner tonight I had a cabbage steak, roasted broccoli and mushrooms, and some fresh sliced pineapple for dessert. Just for example. The less bags or boxes I open, the better I figure I am eating. My weaknesses are dried fruit, flavored nuts, and beef jerky. No, I am not pregnant.
There you have a few answers for those deep down burning questions you have been wondering. Have any more??? Feel free to comment on here or you can message me on Facebook. I will happily answer anything you want to know. You know, if I have an answer. If not, I'll shrug my shoulders. You won't see it, but it will happen. Thanks for tuning in.... See (talk to? write?) you tomorrow!
I know I sure did! I spent time with awesome friends and family, I ate yummy food more than once, I got homework done, and I even walked 5 miles on Sunday to get some fresh air.
I thought you guys might like some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions from yours truly, Funny Fat Chic...
1) How long do you work out for?
Right now my schedule is semi-light by my standards. It is the dead of winter so my photography business is a little slow. With the free time that I have I am spending it focusing on getting healthy again and I am spending it here, talking to you guys. This is a round about way of telling you that I am spending more time working out than I probably will later in the year. I am lucky, my gym is in my home. I am one of those people that does better working out at home. I prefer the solitude and I feel like I do a good job of pushing myself. Or, more appropriately, I feel like Shaun T is doing a good job of pushing me. I am currently working my way through T25, which as the name states, is 25 minutes long. On Fridays, you do two sessions, so 50 minutes. I am adding Hip Hop Abs to T25. Those workouts range from 25 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the day. So, for the sake of clarity, let's say that I am working out approximately 1 hour, 5 days a week. The weekends I have off, but I try to do something (hiking, walking, etc.) one of those days.
2) How much water do you really drink a day?
There is something wrong with my new water bottle. As in, I am drinking at least 5 liters a day. For those of you that aren't Canadian, that is 1.32 gallons a day. This thing is making me thirsty. It's like the more water I drink, the more water I am thirsty for. I can't get enough! I am not bragging here. I am mostly baffled by this phenomenon. I have never really been a big soda drinker, at least not since high school. I had one small Diet Pepsi phase for about a year. But that is it. Ice tea, now I LOVE ice tea. But right now, all I wanna do is drink water. I am not forcing myself, I am just thirsty for it all the time. I attribute this partially to all the sweating I am doing and partially to the fact that more healthy stuff you do the more healthy stuff you want to do. The same is true for unhealthy stuff by the way. As in the more sugar you eat the more sugar you want to eat.
3) Where do you weight in on "diet supplements"?
Ha! Good one... "weigh in"... No pun intended. So, you are not gonna like what I have to say here. If there was a magic pill for sustainable weight loss, everyone on the planet would be skinny. The key word there is sustainable. I am certain that there are plenty of supplements (pills) that will facilitate a quick weight loss (probably mostly water weight) and will gain your confidence to the point that you think you don't have to make any changes in order to lose weight. How long does that usually last? Right up until you stop taking the pills. Then, the weight usually comes back and then some. Long story short, I feel like the supplements are a bit of a cop-out and should never be thought of as a replacement for healthy habits, aka a nutritious diet from whole foods and exercise. Being hyped up on stimulants is not the same as increasing your energy level from fueling yourself properly. I know that sounds a little preachy, but it is reality. There is no quick fix for boosting your metabolism and changing how you live. Albeit I get tempted by their claims and the thought of not having to work quite so hard, but in my heart, I know they aren't the right thing for me.
4) What is your favorite thing about working out?
This is an easy one. My favorite part of working out is when I am doing any kind of jumping move, jumping jacks for example, and I get to listen to my fat slapping against itself. This is AWESOME. You know why? Because I feel like I get to actually listen to the fat being beat off by body. I know that sounds gross/weird/down right bizarre, but right now it sounds like victory to me. A close second on my favorites is any of the sitting ab work. I get to have my belly right there in my face. And I am physically trying to squish it off my body. See you later belly, hopefully on someone else!
5) What is your least favorite thing about working out?
I change my clothes no less than 3-4 times a day. 4 freaking times a day. If I was currently riding my horses, it would be 6 times a day. If you are keeping score, that is more times a day than a toddler that wets its pants. There is once out of jammies into either workout clothes or regular clothes. Either a shower before the regular clothes or a shower after working out and then into regular clothes. If it is a school day, I get home, go from regular to workout clothes. then shower (2nd one of the day) and into jammies again. Unless I need to go somewhere then it is back into regular clothes. That is A LOT of clothes changing. This is often the time that I have the argument with myself as to whether I really need to workout our not. It is a vulnerable moment. That is why I hate it. Least. Favorite. Thing.
6) What does y our shopping cart look like when you go grocery shopping?
Funny you should ask, I went grocery shopping today. This is EXACTLY what it looked like...
There you have a few answers for those deep down burning questions you have been wondering. Have any more??? Feel free to comment on here or you can message me on Facebook. I will happily answer anything you want to know. You know, if I have an answer. If not, I'll shrug my shoulders. You won't see it, but it will happen. Thanks for tuning in.... See (talk to? write?) you tomorrow!
Friday, January 23, 2015
And so it begins...
I was skeptical before, but I am positive now. I am definitely beginning to lose some weight. Wait a minute, did Funny Fat Chic step on a scale and not tell us??? Nope sure didn't. This is not me bragging. This is not me jumping for joy. This is me looking for some heart felt sympathy. I'll tell you why.
I have been down this weight loss journey enough times to know that my body has a VERY specific order of operations for losing weight. First thing to go is my boobs. Now, I am not all that well endowed in the chest department to begin with. I'm more built for speed than aesthetics in that area. But when I start to lose weight I crash down from what I would like to believe is the low end of a B-cup straight into an A. No more, no less. Well isn't that fantastic. It is if some higher power want to make sure that my center of gravity stays REALLY, REALLY low. No tipping over face first for me. If I go down, you can bet your bottom dollar that my bottom will hit first. I noticed yesterday that my chest is gone. I'm pretty sure it was there the day before. Definitely gone yesterday. Still gone today. Nothing there to distract from my large bottom or protruding spare tire.
Next in line of weight loss order of operation is my fingers. My rings start to get loose. The spin of the genetic wheel has left me with somewhat square hands to begin with. My fingers are not long and graceful. I won't be looking at becoming a hand model for my next career. Playing the piano at Carnegie Hall probably isn't on the bucket list. But, all-in-all I like my hands, they are strong, I have all my finger, I paint my nails. So losing weight in them doesn't rank high on my priority list.
Next one on the list is my face. This is great! I don't want to brag, but I am probably only one week of T25 away from fitting into my high school earrings. That's right, Mmmm-Hmmm. So now, I have no boobs, fingers that only I know are smaller, and a tiny head on large body. I'm so glad I passed on that bread laden triple cheeseburger the other day. This is SOOOOO worth it.
Ok, reality check. This is about being healthy, not getting skinny, right? Let's face it, a little bit of it is about getting skinny. I want to rock my cute jeans. I want to wear adorable shirts without wearing three layers of Spanx (that's a lie, I buy knock-off Spanx) underneath them. I want to see my beautifully painted toes in some really cute wedges this summer. The list goes on and on. What I need to do is not begrudge the mind-boggling order of operations that my body prefers to lose weight in and realize that once it gets through ditching the weight on my extremities, the important stuff is next. The back fat will wilt away. The arm waddle will decrease to a jiggle, then a passing nod, and then hopefully in the end some toned arms will remain. My speed skater thighs will unfortunately always be of size, but eventually they will be of muscle and not of dimples. My calves will slim slightly, but they too will be a testament to my low center of gravity (nice way to say I am short and squatty). And finally, my midsection will flatten out. Will I have six pack abs, according to Hip Hop Abs I will, but I am not holding my breath. I will however, if I keep after it, have flatter, leaner stomach, and I am good with that. I will always be broad through the ribs, I will always have power house legs instead of ballerina ones, but it would be nice to know that I have ribs, and I am good with being strong. So, bring on the skinny ear lobes, I am ready to keep fighting towards the next phases of weight loss.
Speaking of fighting. I battled my way through week one of the Beta round of T25. I am slightly sore, but I am happy that I stayed on track this week. Because the workouts have been new, I wasn't bored at all. I modified as little as possible and feel pretty good about my performance. Whatever you are doing to move your body, keep doing it. Fight through the boredom, push yourself a little harder, keep after it. I have an internal conversation daily that is comprised of me trying to convince myself that I don't need to workout today. Tamp that voice down and just go get it done. Keep doing it until it becomes routine. This is the time in January when everyone wants to quit. January is a terrible month. It is not made for activity. It is winter. It is depressing. Fight that urge to succumb to January. I've had to. And I am VERY glad that I have. I am going to enjoy summer so much more for having given January the finger.
P.S. Drink your water. Happy weekend!
I have been down this weight loss journey enough times to know that my body has a VERY specific order of operations for losing weight. First thing to go is my boobs. Now, I am not all that well endowed in the chest department to begin with. I'm more built for speed than aesthetics in that area. But when I start to lose weight I crash down from what I would like to believe is the low end of a B-cup straight into an A. No more, no less. Well isn't that fantastic. It is if some higher power want to make sure that my center of gravity stays REALLY, REALLY low. No tipping over face first for me. If I go down, you can bet your bottom dollar that my bottom will hit first. I noticed yesterday that my chest is gone. I'm pretty sure it was there the day before. Definitely gone yesterday. Still gone today. Nothing there to distract from my large bottom or protruding spare tire.
Next in line of weight loss order of operation is my fingers. My rings start to get loose. The spin of the genetic wheel has left me with somewhat square hands to begin with. My fingers are not long and graceful. I won't be looking at becoming a hand model for my next career. Playing the piano at Carnegie Hall probably isn't on the bucket list. But, all-in-all I like my hands, they are strong, I have all my finger, I paint my nails. So losing weight in them doesn't rank high on my priority list.
Next one on the list is my face. This is great! I don't want to brag, but I am probably only one week of T25 away from fitting into my high school earrings. That's right, Mmmm-Hmmm. So now, I have no boobs, fingers that only I know are smaller, and a tiny head on large body. I'm so glad I passed on that bread laden triple cheeseburger the other day. This is SOOOOO worth it.
Ok, reality check. This is about being healthy, not getting skinny, right? Let's face it, a little bit of it is about getting skinny. I want to rock my cute jeans. I want to wear adorable shirts without wearing three layers of Spanx (that's a lie, I buy knock-off Spanx) underneath them. I want to see my beautifully painted toes in some really cute wedges this summer. The list goes on and on. What I need to do is not begrudge the mind-boggling order of operations that my body prefers to lose weight in and realize that once it gets through ditching the weight on my extremities, the important stuff is next. The back fat will wilt away. The arm waddle will decrease to a jiggle, then a passing nod, and then hopefully in the end some toned arms will remain. My speed skater thighs will unfortunately always be of size, but eventually they will be of muscle and not of dimples. My calves will slim slightly, but they too will be a testament to my low center of gravity (nice way to say I am short and squatty). And finally, my midsection will flatten out. Will I have six pack abs, according to Hip Hop Abs I will, but I am not holding my breath. I will however, if I keep after it, have flatter, leaner stomach, and I am good with that. I will always be broad through the ribs, I will always have power house legs instead of ballerina ones, but it would be nice to know that I have ribs, and I am good with being strong. So, bring on the skinny ear lobes, I am ready to keep fighting towards the next phases of weight loss.
Speaking of fighting. I battled my way through week one of the Beta round of T25. I am slightly sore, but I am happy that I stayed on track this week. Because the workouts have been new, I wasn't bored at all. I modified as little as possible and feel pretty good about my performance. Whatever you are doing to move your body, keep doing it. Fight through the boredom, push yourself a little harder, keep after it. I have an internal conversation daily that is comprised of me trying to convince myself that I don't need to workout today. Tamp that voice down and just go get it done. Keep doing it until it becomes routine. This is the time in January when everyone wants to quit. January is a terrible month. It is not made for activity. It is winter. It is depressing. Fight that urge to succumb to January. I've had to. And I am VERY glad that I have. I am going to enjoy summer so much more for having given January the finger.
P.S. Drink your water. Happy weekend!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Sooooooooo Annoying!
Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Now you have to come from an era where Dumb and Dumber reigned supreme during your formative years in order to get that joke. As it turns out, I come from that very era. I also happily sat in the front row of the theatre to see Dumb and Dumber II 20 years later. There is a little awkward confession for you.
Now, for what is REALLY annoying.
Have you ever been a designated driver? Maybe you drew the short straw for the big night out. Maybe you were pregnant, thus you were DD by default. Maybe you were in recovery and hadn't properly adjusted your circle of friends yet. Regardless of what the reason was you probably stumbled upon the one concrete fact that every designated driver in the history of designated drivers has begrudgingly realized. Drunks aren't all that fun when you aren't drunk yourself. Their jokes aren't all that funny. Their slurred speech isn't all that understandable. Their disjointed gait isn't all that entertaining. Their request to have you hold back their hair while they vomit isn't the least bit cute. When you aren't riding the same train they are, it just isn't the same.
The same can be true with people on the healthy train. Have you ever been to lunch with a vegetarian? One that isn't just content to be a vegetarian (which in my experience is all of them, sorry if you are a vegetarian). They have to have a 37 minute rant about all the reasons that being a vegetarian is better than consuming flesh of living souls. Unless you are like minded and riding that same vegetarian train, this is SUPER annoying. People that are on any kind of diet can have this tendency. It is not intentional. And, I sincerely hope that it is not judgmental. But it can certainly come across that way. See, people on a diet, or a new fitness regime, or people making healthy lifestyle changes (those particular buzzwords we use to convince ourselves we aren't being deprived anything, especially that double cheeseburger with curly fries) are on a new path that is consuming every part of their psyche, every part of their energy, and every part of their time. They are thinking about it ALL. OF. THE. TIME. So, when you offer them a treat, when they are visiting your home, purely out of hospitality and good manners and they scrunch up their face and turn up their nose in disgust like you just put a rotten potato in their face, please don't take offense. They are making a concerted effort to stay strong on their new path. They have drunk the Kool-Aid and there is no stopping the momentum of that train right now. When you want to knock a few back on a Friday night and they say No Thank You and spend the evening nursing their water bottle with a wedge of lemon in it instead, try not to take it personally. If you are having dinner with them and they begin to talk about how many points it is, by all means, you have my permission, just bitch slap them. (ear muffs) Sometimes people need a little slap back to reality.
Now, flip side of the coin. For those of us on that newly painted, freshly fueled, healthy train, try to keep it in check. Just because you have made this grand leap into better lifestyle choices doesn't mean that everyone close to you in this life is going to do the same thing. Don't rant about your quest unless someone actually asks you about it. Complimenting you on how great you look is NOT the same thing as asking. How did you do it? Now that is asking. Try to be courteous when you turn down treats. Don't be judgmental of people that can eat dessert, bread, and beer without consequences. You don't know what other things in life they struggle with. Maybe they have never enjoyed sex. Maybe they feel like failures as parents. Maybe they are closet alcoholics. Maybe they have other health concerns. There are lots of worse things in this world than having a slightly slow metabolism and an insatiable love of all things food. Looking good while having a worse problem is a small consolation. Be proud of your journey and your choices without being preachy about it. Look for support from people that ARE on the same path as you. Have those lengthy conversations about exercise, food, and all the emotions that go with them with those people. Start a blog. I can testify, this is a good way to voice all that stuff. People choose to read it, or they don't. Either way, you get it out there. You have a place to voice all that crazy workout stuff. All that LOVE/HATE food stuff. All the ups, all the downs. Or, better yet, comment on this blog, I {LOVE LOVE LOVE} hearing from you. (P.S. If you didn't catch it, that was me asking about your journey) Don't forget to have some fun once in awhile too. And don't dismiss your friends that politely offer you desserts or naughty drinks, remember that they loved you through thick and thin and every size in between. Be classy about the whole thing. You'll be glad you did.
I started listening to podcasts in the car instead of music on the radio. Sometimes I get tired of the radio. I'm weird, I know. Guess what the first podcast that I listened to was. Nope, not Ted Talks. Guess again. Nope, not Serial. I listened to Shaun T's Define Your Life. I love this guy even more. He is human x10. Some of his stuff is a little touchy feely for me, but that is probably an area of my personality that could use a little work, so, so be it. These podcasts are partially about working out, but it is more about how your life and past experiences shape who you are and how you can use them to either drive yourself or to wallow around in self-pity. Shaun T has had his fair share of struggles. One being his sexuality, turns out he is gay. He continually says that this fact does not define him. He doesn't open with it, he just states it matter-of-fact 40 minutes in. He grew up with a single mom (something we have in common) and supportive grandparents (something else we have in common). He has been overweight, believe it or not. The list goes on and on. What I took away from listening to him today is two things, ok, three things: 1) Don't judge people. This one is hard for me. I am constantly working on it. I am never all the way there, but I am working on it. 2) It is important to not to hate yourself. When I fired this blog back up a few weeks ago, that was one of the first things that I told you. I no longer hate myself. I doubt myself sometimes for sure, but I DO NOT hate myself anymore. 3) Tanya was not trying to steal my man, go figure. This may be a new form of support for me. I can do it in the privacy of my car, I get to feel cool because I'm being all techy and stuff, and Shaun T is nothing if not uplifting (his grandfather was a preacher, it may come from that).
Sorry about the length of today's post... I hope it wasn't too annoying! Ha! I crack myself up. Here is a virtual high five (watch the elbow) to all of you on the healthy train. Keep after it. You are A-Mazing!!!
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Now you have to come from an era where Dumb and Dumber reigned supreme during your formative years in order to get that joke. As it turns out, I come from that very era. I also happily sat in the front row of the theatre to see Dumb and Dumber II 20 years later. There is a little awkward confession for you.
Now, for what is REALLY annoying.
Have you ever been a designated driver? Maybe you drew the short straw for the big night out. Maybe you were pregnant, thus you were DD by default. Maybe you were in recovery and hadn't properly adjusted your circle of friends yet. Regardless of what the reason was you probably stumbled upon the one concrete fact that every designated driver in the history of designated drivers has begrudgingly realized. Drunks aren't all that fun when you aren't drunk yourself. Their jokes aren't all that funny. Their slurred speech isn't all that understandable. Their disjointed gait isn't all that entertaining. Their request to have you hold back their hair while they vomit isn't the least bit cute. When you aren't riding the same train they are, it just isn't the same.
The same can be true with people on the healthy train. Have you ever been to lunch with a vegetarian? One that isn't just content to be a vegetarian (which in my experience is all of them, sorry if you are a vegetarian). They have to have a 37 minute rant about all the reasons that being a vegetarian is better than consuming flesh of living souls. Unless you are like minded and riding that same vegetarian train, this is SUPER annoying. People that are on any kind of diet can have this tendency. It is not intentional. And, I sincerely hope that it is not judgmental. But it can certainly come across that way. See, people on a diet, or a new fitness regime, or people making healthy lifestyle changes (those particular buzzwords we use to convince ourselves we aren't being deprived anything, especially that double cheeseburger with curly fries) are on a new path that is consuming every part of their psyche, every part of their energy, and every part of their time. They are thinking about it ALL. OF. THE. TIME. So, when you offer them a treat, when they are visiting your home, purely out of hospitality and good manners and they scrunch up their face and turn up their nose in disgust like you just put a rotten potato in their face, please don't take offense. They are making a concerted effort to stay strong on their new path. They have drunk the Kool-Aid and there is no stopping the momentum of that train right now. When you want to knock a few back on a Friday night and they say No Thank You and spend the evening nursing their water bottle with a wedge of lemon in it instead, try not to take it personally. If you are having dinner with them and they begin to talk about how many points it is, by all means, you have my permission, just bitch slap them. (ear muffs) Sometimes people need a little slap back to reality.
Now, flip side of the coin. For those of us on that newly painted, freshly fueled, healthy train, try to keep it in check. Just because you have made this grand leap into better lifestyle choices doesn't mean that everyone close to you in this life is going to do the same thing. Don't rant about your quest unless someone actually asks you about it. Complimenting you on how great you look is NOT the same thing as asking. How did you do it? Now that is asking. Try to be courteous when you turn down treats. Don't be judgmental of people that can eat dessert, bread, and beer without consequences. You don't know what other things in life they struggle with. Maybe they have never enjoyed sex. Maybe they feel like failures as parents. Maybe they are closet alcoholics. Maybe they have other health concerns. There are lots of worse things in this world than having a slightly slow metabolism and an insatiable love of all things food. Looking good while having a worse problem is a small consolation. Be proud of your journey and your choices without being preachy about it. Look for support from people that ARE on the same path as you. Have those lengthy conversations about exercise, food, and all the emotions that go with them with those people. Start a blog. I can testify, this is a good way to voice all that stuff. People choose to read it, or they don't. Either way, you get it out there. You have a place to voice all that crazy workout stuff. All that LOVE/HATE food stuff. All the ups, all the downs. Or, better yet, comment on this blog, I {LOVE LOVE LOVE} hearing from you. (P.S. If you didn't catch it, that was me asking about your journey) Don't forget to have some fun once in awhile too. And don't dismiss your friends that politely offer you desserts or naughty drinks, remember that they loved you through thick and thin and every size in between. Be classy about the whole thing. You'll be glad you did.
I started listening to podcasts in the car instead of music on the radio. Sometimes I get tired of the radio. I'm weird, I know. Guess what the first podcast that I listened to was. Nope, not Ted Talks. Guess again. Nope, not Serial. I listened to Shaun T's Define Your Life. I love this guy even more. He is human x10. Some of his stuff is a little touchy feely for me, but that is probably an area of my personality that could use a little work, so, so be it. These podcasts are partially about working out, but it is more about how your life and past experiences shape who you are and how you can use them to either drive yourself or to wallow around in self-pity. Shaun T has had his fair share of struggles. One being his sexuality, turns out he is gay. He continually says that this fact does not define him. He doesn't open with it, he just states it matter-of-fact 40 minutes in. He grew up with a single mom (something we have in common) and supportive grandparents (something else we have in common). He has been overweight, believe it or not. The list goes on and on. What I took away from listening to him today is two things, ok, three things: 1) Don't judge people. This one is hard for me. I am constantly working on it. I am never all the way there, but I am working on it. 2) It is important to not to hate yourself. When I fired this blog back up a few weeks ago, that was one of the first things that I told you. I no longer hate myself. I doubt myself sometimes for sure, but I DO NOT hate myself anymore. 3) Tanya was not trying to steal my man, go figure. This may be a new form of support for me. I can do it in the privacy of my car, I get to feel cool because I'm being all techy and stuff, and Shaun T is nothing if not uplifting (his grandfather was a preacher, it may come from that).
Sorry about the length of today's post... I hope it wasn't too annoying! Ha! I crack myself up. Here is a virtual high five (watch the elbow) to all of you on the healthy train. Keep after it. You are A-Mazing!!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
The Shimmy and The Shake
Good news to report here over at The Final Fifty. I no longer have to shimmy into my jeans. You know what I am talking about. There are three methods of putting jeans on:
1) You just pull them right up. The only parts that move on you are your arms to pull them up.
I have always quantified this method as how jeans go on that are too big. It may be time to revise that statement. It might actualy be the method for jeans that fit correctly. Food for thought.
2) You pull them up, but you have to shimmy and shake your hips in order to get them pulled over your derieaire. There is a certain amount of timing and skill involoved in performing this method. Depending on the degree of tightness of the jeans determines the violence with which you have to shake and shimmy. Sometimes it is just a couple little wiggles, sometimes it is a several well-timed large thrusts combined with a hard haul up with your arms. Some pairs of jeans require that you loop your fingers through the belt loops for a more secure grip. Jeans that fall under this method will NOT require one to wear a belt with them.
I always quantified this method as how jeans go on that fit. This may need to be revised to too tight.
3) Option 3 is a combination move. It involves laying down (usually on the edge of a bed) with your feet hagning off and then employing method number 2. Often times this method requires props in the form of a wire coat hanger for extra leverage to get the zipper pulled up once the jeans are actually over your hips. This method involves, sweating, swearing, and plenty of blame placed on your wardrobe that is somehow conspiring against you.
This was always the method for jeans that were a little too tight. Revision: don't wear these under any circumstances. Nothing good can come from wearing these jeans.
I noticed when I pulled up my jeans today I did NO wiggling around. Not one shimmy. Not one shake. Just pulled 'em up. I have also noticed that when I walk around I have to pull them up sometimes. They get baggy as the day wears on. Fist pump! Heck yeah! Go me! My next set of jeans is way cuter than these! Bring. It. On. If you know me and spend any time with me be prepared to see my butt crack over the next few weeks until I fit into the next size of jeans. I HATE belts. It's an innate fat kid thing. Belts are uncomfortable not only sitting, but standing, and bending, and breathing. Fat kids HAAAAATE belts. So, not only do I not own them, I wouldn't wear them if I did. So there. If you don't like it, don't look. Just sayin. Here's to only shimming when I exercise!!!
Exercise update: So far this week is AWESOME. Don't hate me for being enthusiastic. It has been awhile since I felt enthusiastic, so I'm gonna shine here for a moment. The BETA round is HARD. HARD. HARD. I feel good doing it. I still modify from time to time, but I am trying not to as much as possible. I am jumping, and kicking, and squatting, and huffing, and puffing. Today's workout added in resistance training. I {heart} lifting weights. I tolerate cardio so that I can lift weights. It felt great! Even if I was at the lighter end of my dumbbells, for now. My new shoes came yesterday, so, of course I can run faster, jump higher, and leap buildings with a single bound. My new water bottle came too. Three words. I. LOVE. IT. It is great!!! And no BPA's. Whatever those are. But they are always talked about with a bad connotation, so I'm making an attempt at avoiding them. I got an aluminum (or maybe steel???) 1L water bottle. I drink no less than 4 of them a day. I pee no less that 17 times a day. My kidneys are happy campers.
Happy hump day Final Fifty Fans!
1) You just pull them right up. The only parts that move on you are your arms to pull them up.
I have always quantified this method as how jeans go on that are too big. It may be time to revise that statement. It might actualy be the method for jeans that fit correctly. Food for thought.
2) You pull them up, but you have to shimmy and shake your hips in order to get them pulled over your derieaire. There is a certain amount of timing and skill involoved in performing this method. Depending on the degree of tightness of the jeans determines the violence with which you have to shake and shimmy. Sometimes it is just a couple little wiggles, sometimes it is a several well-timed large thrusts combined with a hard haul up with your arms. Some pairs of jeans require that you loop your fingers through the belt loops for a more secure grip. Jeans that fall under this method will NOT require one to wear a belt with them.
I always quantified this method as how jeans go on that fit. This may need to be revised to too tight.
3) Option 3 is a combination move. It involves laying down (usually on the edge of a bed) with your feet hagning off and then employing method number 2. Often times this method requires props in the form of a wire coat hanger for extra leverage to get the zipper pulled up once the jeans are actually over your hips. This method involves, sweating, swearing, and plenty of blame placed on your wardrobe that is somehow conspiring against you.
This was always the method for jeans that were a little too tight. Revision: don't wear these under any circumstances. Nothing good can come from wearing these jeans.
I noticed when I pulled up my jeans today I did NO wiggling around. Not one shimmy. Not one shake. Just pulled 'em up. I have also noticed that when I walk around I have to pull them up sometimes. They get baggy as the day wears on. Fist pump! Heck yeah! Go me! My next set of jeans is way cuter than these! Bring. It. On. If you know me and spend any time with me be prepared to see my butt crack over the next few weeks until I fit into the next size of jeans. I HATE belts. It's an innate fat kid thing. Belts are uncomfortable not only sitting, but standing, and bending, and breathing. Fat kids HAAAAATE belts. So, not only do I not own them, I wouldn't wear them if I did. So there. If you don't like it, don't look. Just sayin. Here's to only shimming when I exercise!!!
Exercise update: So far this week is AWESOME. Don't hate me for being enthusiastic. It has been awhile since I felt enthusiastic, so I'm gonna shine here for a moment. The BETA round is HARD. HARD. HARD. I feel good doing it. I still modify from time to time, but I am trying not to as much as possible. I am jumping, and kicking, and squatting, and huffing, and puffing. Today's workout added in resistance training. I {heart} lifting weights. I tolerate cardio so that I can lift weights. It felt great! Even if I was at the lighter end of my dumbbells, for now. My new shoes came yesterday, so, of course I can run faster, jump higher, and leap buildings with a single bound. My new water bottle came too. Three words. I. LOVE. IT. It is great!!! And no BPA's. Whatever those are. But they are always talked about with a bad connotation, so I'm making an attempt at avoiding them. I got an aluminum (or maybe steel???) 1L water bottle. I drink no less than 4 of them a day. I pee no less that 17 times a day. My kidneys are happy campers.
Happy hump day Final Fifty Fans!
Monday, January 19, 2015
I'm a LIAR
I know that I advertise this blog as being "honest". Well, here is the thing, I totally lied to you last week. Or, whenever it was that I told you I was getting in better shape. That time that I told you my form was getting better, or my squats were getting deeper, or my balance was stronger... ALL LIES!!!
I started the second phase of T25 today. My t-shirt was soaked through by the end of the first 5 minutes. I was out of air by the first 5 and half. My lungs were screaming for mercy by the first 6 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes my legs were shaking. So, yeah, nope, not fit. Not even getting close yet. That other part where I said I was getting bored and ready for a new challenge, yeah, I take that back too. There were parts where Shaun T worked me so hard, my feet went numb. What the heck????? I partially would like to attribute it the fact that I REALLY do need new workout shoes (Amazon should deliver tomorrow), but in all reality it is probably because morbidly obese people should not be trying to move like that, or that fast, or that anything.
And, you know what else? You'll never guess what else? I was shocked. Dismayed. Awed. There is a phase 3 of T25 that I don't own but that they mention when you flip your calendar over. The Gamma phase. That means exactly two things. 1) It gets friggin harder than what I did today. HARDER. Envision me sitting at my computer a puddle of sweat and wet curly hair typing this out for you with a slightly checked-out look on my face. HARDER. 2) Beach Body has yet again out smarted me into buying more of their stuff. I mean seriously. If I am going to do the first two phases I'm gonna have to do the last one. I'm a lot of things, but I am not a quitter. Just ask the plate of super hot buffalo wings I ate on Saturday night, I didn't quit until they were gone. So, I will be ordering the Gamma phase when I get close to finishing this phase (Beta), you know, if I survive.
I tried a new video in the Hip Hop Abs today as well. It was the dance cardio. With my coordination level I totally rocked it (insert thumbs down, fart noise, PFFFFFFFFTTTTT!). In some weird twist of irony the move that I complete with some form of competency is called The Afro. If you know me, and you have been introduced to my hair, then you know how truly funny that is.
So, there you have it. I lied. I'm not sure it is right up there with Nixon, or even President Clinton (I DID NOT inhale), not quite that scandalous. But if it is any consolation to you guys, I lied to myself too. :)
I started the second phase of T25 today. My t-shirt was soaked through by the end of the first 5 minutes. I was out of air by the first 5 and half. My lungs were screaming for mercy by the first 6 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes my legs were shaking. So, yeah, nope, not fit. Not even getting close yet. That other part where I said I was getting bored and ready for a new challenge, yeah, I take that back too. There were parts where Shaun T worked me so hard, my feet went numb. What the heck????? I partially would like to attribute it the fact that I REALLY do need new workout shoes (Amazon should deliver tomorrow), but in all reality it is probably because morbidly obese people should not be trying to move like that, or that fast, or that anything.
And, you know what else? You'll never guess what else? I was shocked. Dismayed. Awed. There is a phase 3 of T25 that I don't own but that they mention when you flip your calendar over. The Gamma phase. That means exactly two things. 1) It gets friggin harder than what I did today. HARDER. Envision me sitting at my computer a puddle of sweat and wet curly hair typing this out for you with a slightly checked-out look on my face. HARDER. 2) Beach Body has yet again out smarted me into buying more of their stuff. I mean seriously. If I am going to do the first two phases I'm gonna have to do the last one. I'm a lot of things, but I am not a quitter. Just ask the plate of super hot buffalo wings I ate on Saturday night, I didn't quit until they were gone. So, I will be ordering the Gamma phase when I get close to finishing this phase (Beta), you know, if I survive.
I tried a new video in the Hip Hop Abs today as well. It was the dance cardio. With my coordination level I totally rocked it (insert thumbs down, fart noise, PFFFFFFFFTTTTT!). In some weird twist of irony the move that I complete with some form of competency is called The Afro. If you know me, and you have been introduced to my hair, then you know how truly funny that is.
So, there you have it. I lied. I'm not sure it is right up there with Nixon, or even President Clinton (I DID NOT inhale), not quite that scandalous. But if it is any consolation to you guys, I lied to myself too. :)
Friday, January 16, 2015
What is APPROPRIATE?
Bear with me on this one.
Food is NOT an appropriate reward.
One more time.
Food is NOT an appropriate reward.
Part of losing weight is changing how you view food. Not just what you ingest. Not just how much you consume. But how you view food. For me, the eternal fat kid, I have been in love with food my entire life. I am quite positive it will be the one consistent romance that I will ever have. From the time I was a kid food has been used for everything from a bribe, to a comfort, to a reward for a job well done, and last (and unfortunately, least) as nourishment. Macaroni and cheese if I had a bad day at school, especially if I had a fat day. Taco popcorn if I was good kid and we were just chilling at home. Out to eat for a treat if my grades were good. My grades were always good. You name it, I think of a reason to eat for it. This will by far be the hardest thing to overcome. I may not get it done. You may not get it done. But trying, even a little each day will help. It has to.
This is my beef with most diets. They advertise amazing results. You even get a CHEAT day. How many times have you heard that? You can have (fill in the blank) once a week. Aren't you lucky? It will be so easy.
When was the last time they let a heroine addict have a cheat day? Every Sunday you get to have hit, won't that be fun?
This is a concept that people who aren't in love with food don't quite understand. And, of course, by in love I mean addicted to. Lucky us, we absolutely HAVE to have our drug in order to live. We have to have it daily in order to survive. But now we have to have it in moderation in order to achieve a healthy looking body. Falling into the occasional cheat has never worked for me. It tends to snowball into breaking out my fat pants again. Or in reality, buying fat pants again because I gave all mine away swearing that I would never have to wear them again. I can't just have that little dessert and not think that I should have another right then. Or better yet, a whole tray of something sweet in secret tomorrow. That way no one knows about it, except for the fact that a month from now my pants don't fit. People that don't have this struggle don't get it. They can have that treat without it turning their life upside down. They don't understand why you can't just have it with them. It's not their fault, it just isn't their walk. Me, it's just better if I refrain from even trying it at all. For me, this also pertains to alcohol. Now, mind you, I don't have an alcohol problem. I could probably go the rest of my life without drinking a drop. But I like to drink socially. I am a good time when I drink socially. Notice I didn't say I have a good time, I am a good time. But you know what alcohol does to me? It makes me fat. So, being diligent and good all week so that I can have a few drinks on the weekend, isn't a great trade-off for me. People don't get that. My metabolism doesn't accommodate cheats. My choices are fat-fun-girl or skinny-stick-in-the-mud-chic. Maybe there is a balance out there for me, but Lord help me, I haven't found it yet.
Back to where I started. Food is NOT an appropriate reward. So, what the heck is? For me, next week, it is going to be new athletic shoes. I have two pairs of VERY worn out tennis shoes. I will have completed phase 1 of T25 and be halfway through Hip Hop Abs, so I deserve a pat on the back... And shoes that don't kill my knees and feet. Amazon is running a special right now, if you spend at least $75 on athletic equipment you get $15 off your order. Code: 15ATHLETIC I am going to take advantage of that and get myself a non-food related treat. If you have some awesome treat ideas, shout them out! Be sure and take a drink of water first though. Have a great weekend all!!
Food is NOT an appropriate reward.
One more time.
Food is NOT an appropriate reward.
Part of losing weight is changing how you view food. Not just what you ingest. Not just how much you consume. But how you view food. For me, the eternal fat kid, I have been in love with food my entire life. I am quite positive it will be the one consistent romance that I will ever have. From the time I was a kid food has been used for everything from a bribe, to a comfort, to a reward for a job well done, and last (and unfortunately, least) as nourishment. Macaroni and cheese if I had a bad day at school, especially if I had a fat day. Taco popcorn if I was good kid and we were just chilling at home. Out to eat for a treat if my grades were good. My grades were always good. You name it, I think of a reason to eat for it. This will by far be the hardest thing to overcome. I may not get it done. You may not get it done. But trying, even a little each day will help. It has to.
This is my beef with most diets. They advertise amazing results. You even get a CHEAT day. How many times have you heard that? You can have (fill in the blank) once a week. Aren't you lucky? It will be so easy.
When was the last time they let a heroine addict have a cheat day? Every Sunday you get to have hit, won't that be fun?
This is a concept that people who aren't in love with food don't quite understand. And, of course, by in love I mean addicted to. Lucky us, we absolutely HAVE to have our drug in order to live. We have to have it daily in order to survive. But now we have to have it in moderation in order to achieve a healthy looking body. Falling into the occasional cheat has never worked for me. It tends to snowball into breaking out my fat pants again. Or in reality, buying fat pants again because I gave all mine away swearing that I would never have to wear them again. I can't just have that little dessert and not think that I should have another right then. Or better yet, a whole tray of something sweet in secret tomorrow. That way no one knows about it, except for the fact that a month from now my pants don't fit. People that don't have this struggle don't get it. They can have that treat without it turning their life upside down. They don't understand why you can't just have it with them. It's not their fault, it just isn't their walk. Me, it's just better if I refrain from even trying it at all. For me, this also pertains to alcohol. Now, mind you, I don't have an alcohol problem. I could probably go the rest of my life without drinking a drop. But I like to drink socially. I am a good time when I drink socially. Notice I didn't say I have a good time, I am a good time. But you know what alcohol does to me? It makes me fat. So, being diligent and good all week so that I can have a few drinks on the weekend, isn't a great trade-off for me. People don't get that. My metabolism doesn't accommodate cheats. My choices are fat-fun-girl or skinny-stick-in-the-mud-chic. Maybe there is a balance out there for me, but Lord help me, I haven't found it yet.
Back to where I started. Food is NOT an appropriate reward. So, what the heck is? For me, next week, it is going to be new athletic shoes. I have two pairs of VERY worn out tennis shoes. I will have completed phase 1 of T25 and be halfway through Hip Hop Abs, so I deserve a pat on the back... And shoes that don't kill my knees and feet. Amazon is running a special right now, if you spend at least $75 on athletic equipment you get $15 off your order. Code: 15ATHLETIC I am going to take advantage of that and get myself a non-food related treat. If you have some awesome treat ideas, shout them out! Be sure and take a drink of water first though. Have a great weekend all!!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
I have a pain in my side.
Sitting in class this morning I had an odd sensation. Unfortunately, it wasn't my synapses firing off because they just had some grand intellectual revelation. Nope, I realized that my sides were sore. Like sitting up straight fired off some nerves, or muscles, or something in my sides that said, "HEY, we're here, and we're not all that happy about it." Apparently my sides (and if I really think about it, my shoulders, and center of my gut) were happier when I was blissfully unaware that they needed any kind of attention. I haven't really changed my workout routine other than my shameful day off on Monday. But I have been trying harder and I have been able to do more of the routine with less modifying. So, maybe it is the walrus burpees. Who knows??? But I do know that being sore is good because it means that something is working. YEAH!
Let's talk a little about my diet for a minute, because, in all honesty, it is a little interesting (aka weird as hell) right now.
For starters, I am being relatively faithful to my hemp shakes in the morning for breakfast. Nothing too weird there. I have blogged about these before. The short and the long of it is that hemp was the only protein shake that I could find that was dairy(whey)-free and soy-free. I have it with almond milk, a banana, and some cinnamon. Done and done.
Next, we have lunch. This varies. I allot myself Subway twice a week. Here is why: it is the healthiest "fast food" close to my school. My school has no kitchen, aka no way to warm something up. It is cold out. I like to have a warm belly. There is all my reasons for twice a week Subway lunch. Ok, one more, I LOVE buffalo chicken. It speaks to my soul. Other days my lunch varies from lunch meat wrapped around a dill pickle, to a salad, to a few pieces of jerky and lemon water. I think it is safe to say that I need to work on the nutritional value of my non-Subway days.
Dinner. Ahhhhh, dinner. Most people (men) don't realize that if it weren't for them and kids women would never cook dinner. I have neither of those entities, so it is hard for me to want to cook dinner. I even was skipping it a little bit early on in this endeavor. That is bad. If you are hungry, you should eat. Just eat reasonably. What a deal. That reasonably thing will bite you in the hiney every time. I have been shooting for vegetables and lean protein. Sounds about right, RIGHT? I have a bag of those awesome frozen Costco chicken breasts that I have been working off of. I just bake them in the oven. I usually put some spicy spices on them because I like things spicy. I also roast some vegetable at the same time. Why do vegetable roast and chickens bake? 9 times out of 10 my vegetable of choice is cabbage. I have been eating A LOT of cabbage lately. Couple of reasons. A) It is cheap. Like really cheap. I am trying to live like a super broke college student so that I don't end up a super broke college student. A head of cabbage is right up my alley. B) Two words... Cabbage Steaks. A girlfriend turned me onto to this lovely concept and I have been having cabbage steaks ever since. You just cut them into 1 inch slices, line a baking pan with tin foil (which I have already done for the chicken) drizzle some olive oil, salt, and pepper on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Wall-ahhh! Cabbage Steaks! There is something about roasting the cabbage that gives it some great flavor. It has next to no calories in it and it is VERY filling. I mix it up with some onions or minced garlic sometimes (also dirt cheap). The dishes are almost none after cooking that meal, the prep time is basically none, it is a win-win for me all around.
There you have my diet in a nutshell. Hemp shake. Subway. Chicken and cabbage. I told you it was a little interesting (aka weird as hell). And let's not forget the gallon+ of water a day. Thank goodness I have an iron gut and a propensity for getting myself into a rut.
Let's talk a little about my diet for a minute, because, in all honesty, it is a little interesting (aka weird as hell) right now.
For starters, I am being relatively faithful to my hemp shakes in the morning for breakfast. Nothing too weird there. I have blogged about these before. The short and the long of it is that hemp was the only protein shake that I could find that was dairy(whey)-free and soy-free. I have it with almond milk, a banana, and some cinnamon. Done and done.
Next, we have lunch. This varies. I allot myself Subway twice a week. Here is why: it is the healthiest "fast food" close to my school. My school has no kitchen, aka no way to warm something up. It is cold out. I like to have a warm belly. There is all my reasons for twice a week Subway lunch. Ok, one more, I LOVE buffalo chicken. It speaks to my soul. Other days my lunch varies from lunch meat wrapped around a dill pickle, to a salad, to a few pieces of jerky and lemon water. I think it is safe to say that I need to work on the nutritional value of my non-Subway days.
Dinner. Ahhhhh, dinner. Most people (men) don't realize that if it weren't for them and kids women would never cook dinner. I have neither of those entities, so it is hard for me to want to cook dinner. I even was skipping it a little bit early on in this endeavor. That is bad. If you are hungry, you should eat. Just eat reasonably. What a deal. That reasonably thing will bite you in the hiney every time. I have been shooting for vegetables and lean protein. Sounds about right, RIGHT? I have a bag of those awesome frozen Costco chicken breasts that I have been working off of. I just bake them in the oven. I usually put some spicy spices on them because I like things spicy. I also roast some vegetable at the same time. Why do vegetable roast and chickens bake? 9 times out of 10 my vegetable of choice is cabbage. I have been eating A LOT of cabbage lately. Couple of reasons. A) It is cheap. Like really cheap. I am trying to live like a super broke college student so that I don't end up a super broke college student. A head of cabbage is right up my alley. B) Two words... Cabbage Steaks. A girlfriend turned me onto to this lovely concept and I have been having cabbage steaks ever since. You just cut them into 1 inch slices, line a baking pan with tin foil (which I have already done for the chicken) drizzle some olive oil, salt, and pepper on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Wall-ahhh! Cabbage Steaks! There is something about roasting the cabbage that gives it some great flavor. It has next to no calories in it and it is VERY filling. I mix it up with some onions or minced garlic sometimes (also dirt cheap). The dishes are almost none after cooking that meal, the prep time is basically none, it is a win-win for me all around.
There you have my diet in a nutshell. Hemp shake. Subway. Chicken and cabbage. I told you it was a little interesting (aka weird as hell). And let's not forget the gallon+ of water a day. Thank goodness I have an iron gut and a propensity for getting myself into a rut.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
The Mirror Test
We have already discussed my mental block about weighing myself or measuring anything at all on my body. I have been through this enough times that I know I weigh too much and all the floppy/dimply parts on me tell me that I probably measure out pretty big too.
Here is how I gauge myself. I call it The Mirror Test. Now, ladies (and guys if you are out there reading this), fess up, we all have a mirror or two that we check ourselves out in daily, if not multiple times a day. I have three. Two of them are in my bedroom and one of them is in the bathroom where I go to school. I don't look the same in the two mirrors in my room. I much prefer the full length one that hangs on the back of my closet door. It is my "skinny" mirror. The one that is over my dresser is most likely the more honest of the two mirrors. It is old, like really old. Like it came from a time when people weren't so caught up in their self-appearance, thus, they didn't need all the smoke and lights of a "skinny" mirror to boost their self-esteem enough to where they could leave their houses without hanging their heads in shame. Thus, I feel like it is probably the more accurate mirror. The final one is the mirror at school. Odd place for me to pick a mirror, but let me tell you why. Most of the time I am not the only one standing at that mirror. It's a public restroom, so often times there is another occupant washing their hands at this mirror. It's like a quality control. I can glance at that lady, see her with my own eyes, then look at her in the mirror, and know how true the mirror is. Then I can evaluate my own image in comparison. I'm not a weirdo. Let's just get that clear now. And, if you can't admit that you have done the same thing, you are a lying to yourself. Worse than that, you are lying to me. Ha!
Where the heck am I going with this convoluted story???? Well, I have been on break from school for the past 3 weeks. I haven't seen my school mirror. I have been trying to convince myself that I look a little thinner in my "skinny" and "honest" mirrors at home. Today I started back to school. The mirror said, "YES, you do look a little thinner. Good for you." I gave myself a high five without touching anything in the bathroom because it is a public bathroom after all (GROSS), and walked a little lighter on my feet to my next class. Cool. Maybe all this hard work is paying off just a little. Double cool.
In other news... I killed it today on my workout. I worked hard. I tried hard. I still modify some things, but I am getting better. My squats are deeper, my endurance is getting better, I am getting in more push ups, and I am doing burpees, I am doing them in the same fashion as a walrus would get them done, but I AM doing them. Cool.
I am on the last week of phase one of T25. This is good. While I haven't mastered all of these videos yet, I am getting just a touch bored with them and am ready to move to the next phase. I am fickle like that. I require variety. I am already plotting what videos I am going to buy next... Insanity Max 30 if you were wondering what I had on my mind.
My new favorite snack is blueberries, raspberries, and almond milk. I am not a huge sweets person. I say that, but I could demolish a batch of warm oatmeal raisin cookies faster than Cookie Monster. I wouldn't turn my nose up at warm chocolate chip ones either. But I digress. Berries are good for you. They are a little spendy this time of year, but it isn't too bad if you don't eat the package of them in one sitting. They are full of fiber, antioxidants, and I'm sure a multitude of other healthy things. For those of you that are new to the blog, I am lactose intolerant, not allergic, but it is better for everyone if I avoid dairy whenever possible. So, almond milk is a gift from God to me. It allows me to do things like drink milk from the carton. Something I have never done in my whole life. And, as it turns out a half cup of it over some fresh berries makes a pretty tasty snack and a good way for me to get in some calcium. Win-Win.
Happy random thought Tuesday!!!
Here is how I gauge myself. I call it The Mirror Test. Now, ladies (and guys if you are out there reading this), fess up, we all have a mirror or two that we check ourselves out in daily, if not multiple times a day. I have three. Two of them are in my bedroom and one of them is in the bathroom where I go to school. I don't look the same in the two mirrors in my room. I much prefer the full length one that hangs on the back of my closet door. It is my "skinny" mirror. The one that is over my dresser is most likely the more honest of the two mirrors. It is old, like really old. Like it came from a time when people weren't so caught up in their self-appearance, thus, they didn't need all the smoke and lights of a "skinny" mirror to boost their self-esteem enough to where they could leave their houses without hanging their heads in shame. Thus, I feel like it is probably the more accurate mirror. The final one is the mirror at school. Odd place for me to pick a mirror, but let me tell you why. Most of the time I am not the only one standing at that mirror. It's a public restroom, so often times there is another occupant washing their hands at this mirror. It's like a quality control. I can glance at that lady, see her with my own eyes, then look at her in the mirror, and know how true the mirror is. Then I can evaluate my own image in comparison. I'm not a weirdo. Let's just get that clear now. And, if you can't admit that you have done the same thing, you are a lying to yourself. Worse than that, you are lying to me. Ha!
Where the heck am I going with this convoluted story???? Well, I have been on break from school for the past 3 weeks. I haven't seen my school mirror. I have been trying to convince myself that I look a little thinner in my "skinny" and "honest" mirrors at home. Today I started back to school. The mirror said, "YES, you do look a little thinner. Good for you." I gave myself a high five without touching anything in the bathroom because it is a public bathroom after all (GROSS), and walked a little lighter on my feet to my next class. Cool. Maybe all this hard work is paying off just a little. Double cool.
In other news... I killed it today on my workout. I worked hard. I tried hard. I still modify some things, but I am getting better. My squats are deeper, my endurance is getting better, I am getting in more push ups, and I am doing burpees, I am doing them in the same fashion as a walrus would get them done, but I AM doing them. Cool.
I am on the last week of phase one of T25. This is good. While I haven't mastered all of these videos yet, I am getting just a touch bored with them and am ready to move to the next phase. I am fickle like that. I require variety. I am already plotting what videos I am going to buy next... Insanity Max 30 if you were wondering what I had on my mind.
My new favorite snack is blueberries, raspberries, and almond milk. I am not a huge sweets person. I say that, but I could demolish a batch of warm oatmeal raisin cookies faster than Cookie Monster. I wouldn't turn my nose up at warm chocolate chip ones either. But I digress. Berries are good for you. They are a little spendy this time of year, but it isn't too bad if you don't eat the package of them in one sitting. They are full of fiber, antioxidants, and I'm sure a multitude of other healthy things. For those of you that are new to the blog, I am lactose intolerant, not allergic, but it is better for everyone if I avoid dairy whenever possible. So, almond milk is a gift from God to me. It allows me to do things like drink milk from the carton. Something I have never done in my whole life. And, as it turns out a half cup of it over some fresh berries makes a pretty tasty snack and a good way for me to get in some calcium. Win-Win.
Happy random thought Tuesday!!!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Oh, Isn't She Cute...
Rewind to Saturday night. Did you guys do anything fun on Saturday night??
I did. In a concerted effort to get me out my funk, three of my best girlfriends took me out for the evening. It forced me to get up, get showered, get dressed, you know, basically make some kind of effort.
We went to a relatively new shopping center in our area called The Village. We went in a few shops and had an A-MAZINGINGLY tasty dinner at the Kona Grill. On a side note, I felt pretty good about my order selection and the amount of food I consumed, so, back pat there.
My pants felt looser that night. My pea coat wasn't screaming for mercy at the buttons. All in all, I felt pretty good about myself. And then we went in The Buckle. I have avoided this place like the plague. And for good reason. I know for a solid fact that I am going to love the clothes that are inside it. And, with just as much certainty, I know that I am not going to fit into any of said clothes. But that didn't deter the 19-going on-30-something girl working in there from trying to sell me some of them. I was holding up a shirt for one of my girlfriends that I thought would look DARLING on her. This girl runs up and enthusiastically tells me that she has a mustard color one in my size. Before I can protest that the only thing she has in my size in this store is the jewelry, she runs off to attain this elusive item. She brings it back, and of course, it is cute as hell. I love it. It is NOT going to fit me. This gal is not deterred. She tells me how it is a private designer, it's the last one, and how I have to have it. I try to allot the appropriate amount of time holding the shirt that is respectful before I let her down gently. She's cute, she's trying, no reason to burst her bubble with my abnormally large rib cage and chubby arms. I could have HULKed my way out of that shirt in no less than .07 seconds. So, that is a new goal on my ever growing list of goals. I would like to shop at The Buckle, for reals, not for fakes.
Now, I'm sure that you were having a small moment of pride for me having a night out, still eating sensibly, and not having a melt down for not fitting into a stinkin' cute shirt. Prepare yourselves to be disappointed in me.
I didn't work out today. Gasp. Sigh. Tsk. Head shake. I just wasn't feeling it. I had an internal argument with myself ALL DAY LONG. The bad version of me won. I'll make it up. I'll work out on my day off this week. I can give you a long list of excuses as to why I didn't. Some may even sound legit. But the bottom line is that I had time to do it and I chose to do something else instead. I read a book. I got work done. I did house work. I cared for my injured dog. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not upset about it. Not sure why. I should be. I don't think this is the beginning of the end of me working out. I think I had an off day. And that's ok. Hey, I still drank my water... Hahahaha!
Here is to a productive rest of the week. Sorry I let you down, Shaun T.
I did. In a concerted effort to get me out my funk, three of my best girlfriends took me out for the evening. It forced me to get up, get showered, get dressed, you know, basically make some kind of effort.
We went to a relatively new shopping center in our area called The Village. We went in a few shops and had an A-MAZINGINGLY tasty dinner at the Kona Grill. On a side note, I felt pretty good about my order selection and the amount of food I consumed, so, back pat there.
My pants felt looser that night. My pea coat wasn't screaming for mercy at the buttons. All in all, I felt pretty good about myself. And then we went in The Buckle. I have avoided this place like the plague. And for good reason. I know for a solid fact that I am going to love the clothes that are inside it. And, with just as much certainty, I know that I am not going to fit into any of said clothes. But that didn't deter the 19-going on-30-something girl working in there from trying to sell me some of them. I was holding up a shirt for one of my girlfriends that I thought would look DARLING on her. This girl runs up and enthusiastically tells me that she has a mustard color one in my size. Before I can protest that the only thing she has in my size in this store is the jewelry, she runs off to attain this elusive item. She brings it back, and of course, it is cute as hell. I love it. It is NOT going to fit me. This gal is not deterred. She tells me how it is a private designer, it's the last one, and how I have to have it. I try to allot the appropriate amount of time holding the shirt that is respectful before I let her down gently. She's cute, she's trying, no reason to burst her bubble with my abnormally large rib cage and chubby arms. I could have HULKed my way out of that shirt in no less than .07 seconds. So, that is a new goal on my ever growing list of goals. I would like to shop at The Buckle, for reals, not for fakes.
Now, I'm sure that you were having a small moment of pride for me having a night out, still eating sensibly, and not having a melt down for not fitting into a stinkin' cute shirt. Prepare yourselves to be disappointed in me.
I didn't work out today. Gasp. Sigh. Tsk. Head shake. I just wasn't feeling it. I had an internal argument with myself ALL DAY LONG. The bad version of me won. I'll make it up. I'll work out on my day off this week. I can give you a long list of excuses as to why I didn't. Some may even sound legit. But the bottom line is that I had time to do it and I chose to do something else instead. I read a book. I got work done. I did house work. I cared for my injured dog. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not upset about it. Not sure why. I should be. I don't think this is the beginning of the end of me working out. I think I had an off day. And that's ok. Hey, I still drank my water... Hahahaha!
Here is to a productive rest of the week. Sorry I let you down, Shaun T.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Some Good, Some Bad
I've been MIA for a couple days. Sorry about that. I will probably be MIA again this weekend. I am taking my Gram on a road trip. I'm cool like that. So, for a recap of the past few days...
Let's do a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly...
1. Bad. I'm sad right now. I have forced myself not to alter my eating or workout routines as a result. It's not all that easy to do, but I told myself that getting fatter isn't going to make me happier. This will pass. It always does.
2. Good. I'm sad right now, but I have not let it affect my eating or exercise routines. I know I just said this, but I figured it should count as a good too. Silver linings and all that.
3. Bad. I'm ridiculous and won't weigh myself, mostly out of shame. As a result, I have no idea if I am actually seeing any results. Way to go Funny Fat Chic!
4. Good. Before I got dressed this morning I had myself convinced that my stomach looked a little flatter.
5. Bad. Then I put on my jeans and they fit exactly the same.
6. Good. Thanks to Shaun T and his fitness regimes, I can successfully and comfortably perform the hover-squat-pee in public restrooms. I HATE public restrooms. They gross me out times 10. So, this is definitely a GOOD.
7. Bad. I'm not in love with Hip Hop Abs. It isn't Shaun T's fault. I cannot move my body parts independent of themselves. Plus, as previously stated, I have NO rhythm. To think that I am going to be able to bounce to the beat with my knees, while simultaneously lifting my hips and tucking my shoulders and pumping a hand in the air is a relatively ridiculous notion. It is an even more ridiculous sight to behold, I'm sure. There is a lot of flopping. A lot of pumping. A lot of me being out of count.
8. Good. I do however like the Night Fever move. It brings out my inner John Travolta.
9. Bad. The weather here sucks right now. There is an inversion. If you don't know what an inversion is, you don't want to. It is depressing and I'm 99.9% sure it is contributing to my #1.
10. Good. I am getting stronger. My squats are more confident. I am doing more push-ups each time. I am getting closer to doing an actual burpee. My lower back is tolerating more and more work which tells me that I am getting some semblance of fitness in my core. So, regardless of how my pants fit, I am making some progress.
So, there you have it, my current state of good, bad, and ugly. I realize none of them were labeled ugly, but bad is ugly enough.
I wish all of you a good weekend!! Be active, be healthy, find some sunshine, DRINK YOUR WATER. :)
Let's do a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly...
1. Bad. I'm sad right now. I have forced myself not to alter my eating or workout routines as a result. It's not all that easy to do, but I told myself that getting fatter isn't going to make me happier. This will pass. It always does.
2. Good. I'm sad right now, but I have not let it affect my eating or exercise routines. I know I just said this, but I figured it should count as a good too. Silver linings and all that.
3. Bad. I'm ridiculous and won't weigh myself, mostly out of shame. As a result, I have no idea if I am actually seeing any results. Way to go Funny Fat Chic!
4. Good. Before I got dressed this morning I had myself convinced that my stomach looked a little flatter.
5. Bad. Then I put on my jeans and they fit exactly the same.
6. Good. Thanks to Shaun T and his fitness regimes, I can successfully and comfortably perform the hover-squat-pee in public restrooms. I HATE public restrooms. They gross me out times 10. So, this is definitely a GOOD.
7. Bad. I'm not in love with Hip Hop Abs. It isn't Shaun T's fault. I cannot move my body parts independent of themselves. Plus, as previously stated, I have NO rhythm. To think that I am going to be able to bounce to the beat with my knees, while simultaneously lifting my hips and tucking my shoulders and pumping a hand in the air is a relatively ridiculous notion. It is an even more ridiculous sight to behold, I'm sure. There is a lot of flopping. A lot of pumping. A lot of me being out of count.
8. Good. I do however like the Night Fever move. It brings out my inner John Travolta.
9. Bad. The weather here sucks right now. There is an inversion. If you don't know what an inversion is, you don't want to. It is depressing and I'm 99.9% sure it is contributing to my #1.
10. Good. I am getting stronger. My squats are more confident. I am doing more push-ups each time. I am getting closer to doing an actual burpee. My lower back is tolerating more and more work which tells me that I am getting some semblance of fitness in my core. So, regardless of how my pants fit, I am making some progress.
So, there you have it, my current state of good, bad, and ugly. I realize none of them were labeled ugly, but bad is ugly enough.
I wish all of you a good weekend!! Be active, be healthy, find some sunshine, DRINK YOUR WATER. :)
Monday, January 5, 2015
Dang it Kyle.
Riddle me this batman...
This a strange phenomenon.
I got angry. I almost instantly got hungry.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
I had to sit on the phone for 45 minutes just to speak with someone at QuickBooks. THEN, I got Kyle. Kyle started out chipper. Then he got a little snippy with his "ma'am's." Then he started to realize how ticked off I might actually be. Then he put me on hold. Again. I'm not sure if they use that tactic to try and let people cool off, but if that is the case, they need to change the music. Maybe a little AC/DC would change my mood. Or throw in some Smokin' Armadillos, I'm sure that their music is as obscure as the instrumental Christmas music that I was listening to today. So help me if when I call back, because my confidence in Kyle is less than top notch, I know I am going to have to call back, if the hold music is Taylor Swift I may get put on the no fly list for QuickBooks help line. Then Kyle came back and talked to me like I was a third grader. I truly enjoyed that. Then he put me on hold. Again. Finally, at the end he switched from "ma'am" to "sweetie", another of my favorites. All in all I think I was on hold for total of an hour and fifteen minutes for a about 7 minutes of actual "facetime" with Kyle. Dang it Kyle.
During that whole process I worked up an appetite. Why? I wasn't physically exerting myself. I don't think that eye rolling actually burns that many calories. If it did, boy howdy, I would be the luckiest, surly girl alive. Why is my stomach joining in this fight? Does it feel like I need fuel up to continue into battle? Is this some kind of survival instinct left over from the caveman days? Or it just an incredibly misplaced emotional response? That last one is the least sexy, but most likely option. As much as I would like to blame evolution for my incessant need to eat each and every one of my feelings, the blame probably lands more squarely within the confines of my emotional baggage. Dang it Kyle.
So, when hunger hits you, make sure you are hungry. Not angry. Or happy. Or sad. Or ambivalent. Or thirsty (did you drink your water today???). I settled for typing this post to vent and snacking on some turkey jerky and lemon water while doing it. I think I am cooling off now. Thank goodness. Dang it Kyle.
This a strange phenomenon.
I got angry. I almost instantly got hungry.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
I had to sit on the phone for 45 minutes just to speak with someone at QuickBooks. THEN, I got Kyle. Kyle started out chipper. Then he got a little snippy with his "ma'am's." Then he started to realize how ticked off I might actually be. Then he put me on hold. Again. I'm not sure if they use that tactic to try and let people cool off, but if that is the case, they need to change the music. Maybe a little AC/DC would change my mood. Or throw in some Smokin' Armadillos, I'm sure that their music is as obscure as the instrumental Christmas music that I was listening to today. So help me if when I call back, because my confidence in Kyle is less than top notch, I know I am going to have to call back, if the hold music is Taylor Swift I may get put on the no fly list for QuickBooks help line. Then Kyle came back and talked to me like I was a third grader. I truly enjoyed that. Then he put me on hold. Again. Finally, at the end he switched from "ma'am" to "sweetie", another of my favorites. All in all I think I was on hold for total of an hour and fifteen minutes for a about 7 minutes of actual "facetime" with Kyle. Dang it Kyle.
During that whole process I worked up an appetite. Why? I wasn't physically exerting myself. I don't think that eye rolling actually burns that many calories. If it did, boy howdy, I would be the luckiest, surly girl alive. Why is my stomach joining in this fight? Does it feel like I need fuel up to continue into battle? Is this some kind of survival instinct left over from the caveman days? Or it just an incredibly misplaced emotional response? That last one is the least sexy, but most likely option. As much as I would like to blame evolution for my incessant need to eat each and every one of my feelings, the blame probably lands more squarely within the confines of my emotional baggage. Dang it Kyle.
So, when hunger hits you, make sure you are hungry. Not angry. Or happy. Or sad. Or ambivalent. Or thirsty (did you drink your water today???). I settled for typing this post to vent and snacking on some turkey jerky and lemon water while doing it. I think I am cooling off now. Thank goodness. Dang it Kyle.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
I'M READY!!
I'm ready... I'm ready... I'm ready.. I'm ready... I'm ready... I'm ready... I'm ready... I'M READY!!!
Good God Almighty, ready for what???
I'm ready to be fit and skinny. NOW. It's been 3 whole weeks. What gives??? Why am I not being rewarded with my 60 pairs of skinny jeans??? Ahhhhhhhh!
Ok, spoiled only child rant over. It took me a little over a year to put all this weight on. No miracle of science or Shaun T can take it off of me in 3 weeks. As much as I would like for that to be true.
I shouldn't even be ranting. Ok, let's call it what it is, whining. I had a good day today, exercise wise. In T25 you get the weekends off, but not in Hip Hop Abs. So, I did Hip Hop Abs and then I loaded up my border collie and went and did my hike. I shaved 15 whole minutes off of my time from last week. As much as I would like to think that I am that much fitter this week, in all reality I was probably just mentally a little tougher. But, I call it progress none-the-less. I get a healthy amount of fresh air. My dog gets a good stretch of his legs (if I had his energy and he had a feather...). So, all-in-all I call that a good day for being my day off. The hiking thing I don't really count as exercise. It is something that I love to do. The exercise is making it so I can do the hiking. This hike that I do is a straight up, straight down kinda deal. I think that it will make a good gauge of my fitness. A gut check, so to speak. If you are reading this, and you know me, and you live in close proximity to me, I am planning to do this hike on any given Sunday (not a movie reference) that I am in town. This is an open invitation. Just sayin'.
In other news... Short of hanging a few things on my walls, I got my bedroom finished this weekend thanks to the help of some VERY good friends!! I literally wouldn't have gotten it done without them. I love it. No, I LOVE it. Like, love it, love it. I really love it. It's awesome to see it in person instead of just in my head. Every surface in there has a fresh coat of paint, there is new floor and for the first time in over 10 whole years, I have new bedding. I slept like a baby last night. Every time I come back in the house from being outside or if I ran to town, or whatever, I walk down the hall and say hello to my room. I love it. I don't want it to feel neglected or left out, you know, 'cause I love it. Here is the problem. I did my bedroom for a few reasons. 1) It needed it. Bad. Really bad. 2) I had the time to kill. 3) I felt like I needed some instant gratification in my life. #3 is the problem. When you get instant gratification, it feels good, really, really good. It feels really good for about .002 seconds. Then, inevitably, you want more instant gratification. Hence my rant (whine) about not getting into my skinny jeans after 3 weeks of effort. I LOVE my room... But now what??? Anyone else suffer from this kind of unrest? I'm gonna work on it. It may fall squarely under the I Have No Patience category. Or, maybe I am truly spoiled. I'll let you know if I sort it out.
Finally, for you, in this modge podge of a post, I found an article about drinking water. Not to beat a dead horse, but are you drinking your water? This gal from the UK took pictures of her face over the course of 30 days of drinking 3 liters of water daily. Now, I fully realize with the advent of photoshop, these could be doctored photos, hell, I doctor wrinkles and bags under eyes everyday for people. But, I would firmly like to believe that these are real. I know that I experience the same GOOD side-effects from drinking enough water daily. This gal was just brave enough to take pictures of it. Here is the link...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2480491/How-drinking-litres-water-day-took-years-face.html
Happy Sunday all! I hope your Monday gets off on the right foot... Or the left foot, depending on which side of the bed you roll out of.
Good God Almighty, ready for what???
I'm ready to be fit and skinny. NOW. It's been 3 whole weeks. What gives??? Why am I not being rewarded with my 60 pairs of skinny jeans??? Ahhhhhhhh!
Ok, spoiled only child rant over. It took me a little over a year to put all this weight on. No miracle of science or Shaun T can take it off of me in 3 weeks. As much as I would like for that to be true.
I shouldn't even be ranting. Ok, let's call it what it is, whining. I had a good day today, exercise wise. In T25 you get the weekends off, but not in Hip Hop Abs. So, I did Hip Hop Abs and then I loaded up my border collie and went and did my hike. I shaved 15 whole minutes off of my time from last week. As much as I would like to think that I am that much fitter this week, in all reality I was probably just mentally a little tougher. But, I call it progress none-the-less. I get a healthy amount of fresh air. My dog gets a good stretch of his legs (if I had his energy and he had a feather...). So, all-in-all I call that a good day for being my day off. The hiking thing I don't really count as exercise. It is something that I love to do. The exercise is making it so I can do the hiking. This hike that I do is a straight up, straight down kinda deal. I think that it will make a good gauge of my fitness. A gut check, so to speak. If you are reading this, and you know me, and you live in close proximity to me, I am planning to do this hike on any given Sunday (not a movie reference) that I am in town. This is an open invitation. Just sayin'.
In other news... Short of hanging a few things on my walls, I got my bedroom finished this weekend thanks to the help of some VERY good friends!! I literally wouldn't have gotten it done without them. I love it. No, I LOVE it. Like, love it, love it. I really love it. It's awesome to see it in person instead of just in my head. Every surface in there has a fresh coat of paint, there is new floor and for the first time in over 10 whole years, I have new bedding. I slept like a baby last night. Every time I come back in the house from being outside or if I ran to town, or whatever, I walk down the hall and say hello to my room. I love it. I don't want it to feel neglected or left out, you know, 'cause I love it. Here is the problem. I did my bedroom for a few reasons. 1) It needed it. Bad. Really bad. 2) I had the time to kill. 3) I felt like I needed some instant gratification in my life. #3 is the problem. When you get instant gratification, it feels good, really, really good. It feels really good for about .002 seconds. Then, inevitably, you want more instant gratification. Hence my rant (whine) about not getting into my skinny jeans after 3 weeks of effort. I LOVE my room... But now what??? Anyone else suffer from this kind of unrest? I'm gonna work on it. It may fall squarely under the I Have No Patience category. Or, maybe I am truly spoiled. I'll let you know if I sort it out.
Finally, for you, in this modge podge of a post, I found an article about drinking water. Not to beat a dead horse, but are you drinking your water? This gal from the UK took pictures of her face over the course of 30 days of drinking 3 liters of water daily. Now, I fully realize with the advent of photoshop, these could be doctored photos, hell, I doctor wrinkles and bags under eyes everyday for people. But, I would firmly like to believe that these are real. I know that I experience the same GOOD side-effects from drinking enough water daily. This gal was just brave enough to take pictures of it. Here is the link...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2480491/How-drinking-litres-water-day-took-years-face.html
Happy Sunday all! I hope your Monday gets off on the right foot... Or the left foot, depending on which side of the bed you roll out of.
Friday, January 2, 2015
I Just Didn't Wanna
I REALLY didn't want to work out today. I had myself talked out of it no less than 17 times. I promised myself I would catch up on my workout calendar tomorrow. I cut myself a deal. A deal with the devil.
See, I am remodeling my bedroom. Nothing major, just paint, new floor, redo the furniture, and new bedding. Starting New Year's Eve, I started this project with the painting. Fast forward to today, the painting is done, the dresser is done, today was floor day. This was a one man show. And, I'm not gonna lie, even in my small room, it was an endeavor. I started the day with my cordless skill saw. After 5 cycles of waiting for the batteries to recharge (doing laundry in between so I wouldn't do anything else crazy like work out), I put it back in the closet and went and rounded up an electric one. AKA, much heavier. I got it done, by golly, I got it done. I got it swept, I got it mopped, I wiped all the dust off the walls, I got it done! Tomorrow is trim day and moving all my stuff back in to it. YEAH!!! I am so very excited for this project to be done.
But, after all that floor work I really did NOT want to go shake it off (pardon the Taylor Swift subtext) with Shaun T. So, I walked out the mailbox and what should I find???? Hip Hop Abs arrived today. Well, crap. I trotted back in the house and put on my workout stuff, I did my T25, begrudgingly, but I still did it. Today, Friday, is double duty day. Shaun T always has a regular workout plus an ab work out on Fridays. I don't love the T25 ab work out mainly because I am too fat to do most of it with any semblance of effectiveness. I plugged in the first Hip Hop Abs instead. I like it. Its fun. It is an obviously younger Shaun T that still talks in clubbin' metaphors, but hey, we all did stupid stuff when we were younger. Heck, I still do stupid stuff now!
Moral of the story: I didn't have my best workout day. I got it done, but I wasn't doing internal cartwheels about it. But I got it done. I leg lifted, I high-kneed, I squatted, I lunged, I tilt-tucked-tightened. I got it done. I hope that you got it done too!!!
See, I am remodeling my bedroom. Nothing major, just paint, new floor, redo the furniture, and new bedding. Starting New Year's Eve, I started this project with the painting. Fast forward to today, the painting is done, the dresser is done, today was floor day. This was a one man show. And, I'm not gonna lie, even in my small room, it was an endeavor. I started the day with my cordless skill saw. After 5 cycles of waiting for the batteries to recharge (doing laundry in between so I wouldn't do anything else crazy like work out), I put it back in the closet and went and rounded up an electric one. AKA, much heavier. I got it done, by golly, I got it done. I got it swept, I got it mopped, I wiped all the dust off the walls, I got it done! Tomorrow is trim day and moving all my stuff back in to it. YEAH!!! I am so very excited for this project to be done.
But, after all that floor work I really did NOT want to go shake it off (pardon the Taylor Swift subtext) with Shaun T. So, I walked out the mailbox and what should I find???? Hip Hop Abs arrived today. Well, crap. I trotted back in the house and put on my workout stuff, I did my T25, begrudgingly, but I still did it. Today, Friday, is double duty day. Shaun T always has a regular workout plus an ab work out on Fridays. I don't love the T25 ab work out mainly because I am too fat to do most of it with any semblance of effectiveness. I plugged in the first Hip Hop Abs instead. I like it. Its fun. It is an obviously younger Shaun T that still talks in clubbin' metaphors, but hey, we all did stupid stuff when we were younger. Heck, I still do stupid stuff now!
Moral of the story: I didn't have my best workout day. I got it done, but I wasn't doing internal cartwheels about it. But I got it done. I leg lifted, I high-kneed, I squatted, I lunged, I tilt-tucked-tightened. I got it done. I hope that you got it done too!!!
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