You might be wondering if I am about to dive into a diatribe of Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? What makes me yawn? Nope, not even close. I just wanted to check in because I feel like it has been a really, really, really, really long time since I have. And I miss you guys. And I needed a title for this post. I promise it will come into play later.
First off, I would just like to say that I am crazy busy these days, ever so slightly stressed out, and still feeling a little lonely, but I am by and far happy. HAPPY. I hope that you guys are happy too. I feel like the things that I am stressed out about are legitimate things, not trivial things like "What can I eat for lunch that won't instantly add three pounds to my rear end?" Worrying about things like that can not only make you crazy, but it usually makes you feel a little vain and petty which leads to a giant ball of emotion chasing you like Indian Jones in the Temple of Doom. Raise your hand if you are a child of the '80's!!! I am worried about term papers, doing my job to the best of my ability, the best ways to take care of my grandmother, and what trick I should teach my 5 month old puppy next. You know, the important stuff.
Here is how things are going on the fitness front (then we will jump to the oh-so-lovely food front). I am on the last 5 weeks of The Beast by Beach Body. My deepest love for Shaun T still remains, but I have enjoyed The Beast as much as I can possibly enjoy a workout. He has a heavy European accent, talks about himself in the third person, and looks like he could be Arnold Schwarzenegger's younger brother. The only thing that has me in a quandary is that I yawn EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I lift weights. If anyone knows the answer to this phenomenon, I'm all ears. I have also been trying to figure out why I like this workout so much. Is it because I have promptly dropped 12+ pounds since starting it? That doesn't hurt. Is it because it is all weight lifting and I LOVE weight lifting? Sure, it is always good to enjoy what you are doing. Is it because there are no women in it? Holy cow. I have just come to this realization after about 7 weeks of doing this program. There are no women for me to compare myself to. There are no women for me to beat myself up about for not looking like them. There are no women for me to fight against. I am only trying to lift more than my previous self, not the super fine fitness chick on the TV. Two things to take home from this... 1) Stop me if you have heard this one before: Comparison is the thief of joy. The more that we compare ourselves the more we are convinced that we don't measure up and the more miserable we make ourselves in the process. 2) I need to treat every workout as though there are no other chicks. Not because the chicks are bad or because a little competition is bad, but because my fragile ego can't handle it. Recognizing that, admitting it, and working around it will make me more successful in the long run. For now, I am going to continue to BEAST UP! Plus the guys on the video are muscle bound and beautiful, how can I go wrong? The running. Ahhhhh, the running. So, since we last talked I completed a 5k. Not a huge deal except for the fact that I ran in front of people and I averaged an 8 1/2 minute mile. I surprised myself. It was the color run. If you get the chance in your area, I recommend it, it was great fun and as an added bonus you will have a neon blue armpit for at least a week and will blow sparkly boogers for no less than three days. It has spurred me on to sign up for a 10k. It isn't until December so I feel like I have given myself plenty of time to train. I am sticking with my 3-4 days a weeks running schedule and slowly increasing my distance and always working on min/mile time. I can't help but wonder if I like the running because it is solitary as well. The only person I am trying to beat is myself. I'm sensing a theme to my fitness regimes. I welcome any training advice that you experienced runners may have (Mandi & Jenna this means you). Any tips on form would be awesome too. I can't help but think that I could be doing better by myself in that department. That's about it for fitness, just a lifting and a running. Lifting and a running.
Food. Oh, blessed food. I feel like I am on auto pilot these days in the food department. This can be a dangerous place because you can comfortably slip into old habits. But, for right now, I am focusing on eating clean, keeping my portions in check, and not depriving myself when special occasions arise. I am trying not to do too much work out to food comparison math. I don't want it to take over my brain to the point where I am obsessing. I still eat Subway, I still have the occasional alcoholic beverage, I still love jerky. My new favorite is Buffalo Chicken Jerky. It makes my heart sing. I have honestly been more hungry the past few weeks. I am blaming this on a couple things. The weather is cooling off and being the bear that I am I am trying to hibernate. Next, I have upped my training. I am running farther and lifting heavier. I think my body is trying to compensate for that. The trick is to not give into that. I have to continue to keep my portions in check, continue to eat whole foods as much as possible, and I have to listen to my body. If I am a little more hungry, I can add in another healthy snack during the day. I don't need to eat two dinners. Like I said, I am trying not to obsess, just sticking to the simple rules and tuning in to what my gut is actually telling me. Oh, and drinking more water than imaginable. It is easy to back off of the water when the weather cools down, don't do it! Drink more!!
Some interesting food choices that I have been making lately... My Canadian bestie made me lunch one day when I visited her. It was a salad with grated beets, grated carrots, quinoa, mushrooms, and a lovely dressing that has a nutritional yeast base. Who says a salad has to have lettuce? I have been adding back more beets in my diet since then. I have also made a big batch of quinoa to keep in the fridge. I quite like it. It has been a handy little additive for salads and what not. I have found that if I keep a batch of plant protein in the fridge (quinoa, garbanzos, etc.) it makes making dinner at the end of a week day a lot easier. Who knew?
My goals right now are drifting away from just losing weight. I still need to do that. Or losing FAT I should say. If you put a gun to my head I would tell you I have 60 pounds left to go. Most people would tell me that is crazy. I am a deceivingly dense being. I am honestly more worried about being prepped for my 10k. I am working towards boy push-ups and unassisted pull-ups. I want to be in these smoking hot jeans that I bought before I go to NFR and Las Vegas the second week of December. My goals are less about fighting the scale and more about making improvements. I don't actually hate my body right now. It has a gut, the arms are still a little flabby, and my legs are still tree trunks (but they are tree trunks that are starting to show definition). But, BIG BUT, this body carries me for 5.5 miles at a run, it does increasingly heavier squats and bicep curls, it feels pretty darn good once it gets past the morning wake up stiffness. I have to believe that these goals are good ones. Healthy ones. Potentially fun ones.
So, there you have it. I yawn, for why I don't know?
Thanks for tuning in!!!
P.S. This Funny Fat Chic is throwing out a challenge. If any of you get trained up and successfully run The Hot Chocolate Run with me in December I will personally put $100 towards new running shoes for you. Consider yourselves challenged.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, August 3, 2015
The Importance of Failure
This is somewhat unrelated to this blog... But if I really think about it, it's not.
I had to write an admissions essay for the NNU masters program over the weekend. They give you a quote and you have to display your analytical writing skills in a one to two page essay. It was about how you have to fail to learn. I applied it to my professional life, but why doesn't that same theory apply to all the areas of your life. I know I haven't really admitted it, but I have been feeling like I have been failing in my weight (no, FAT) loss journey as of late. I feel like I have let little things sneak back into my life. A weekend cheat day has slipped into 2 or three days. One skipped workout leads to two, regardless of the reason. You know, little things like that. The things that eventually add up to no results or a slump, and if you really don't get it in check, weight (no, FAT) gain. The past couple weeks I have cracked down on my eating. Portion size. Water intake. Clean foods. And you know what, when I went pants shopping yesterday, I have dropped a pants size. I didn't jump on the scale because I didn't want to ruin the moment, but by striving past failure, I made a difference in my body. Below is a copy of my essay. See how it can pertain to you and your life. The quotes that are in it should be read over a couple times to absorb all of their value. Enjoy...
My NNU Admissions Essay:
I had to write an admissions essay for the NNU masters program over the weekend. They give you a quote and you have to display your analytical writing skills in a one to two page essay. It was about how you have to fail to learn. I applied it to my professional life, but why doesn't that same theory apply to all the areas of your life. I know I haven't really admitted it, but I have been feeling like I have been failing in my weight (no, FAT) loss journey as of late. I feel like I have let little things sneak back into my life. A weekend cheat day has slipped into 2 or three days. One skipped workout leads to two, regardless of the reason. You know, little things like that. The things that eventually add up to no results or a slump, and if you really don't get it in check, weight (no, FAT) gain. The past couple weeks I have cracked down on my eating. Portion size. Water intake. Clean foods. And you know what, when I went pants shopping yesterday, I have dropped a pants size. I didn't jump on the scale because I didn't want to ruin the moment, but by striving past failure, I made a difference in my body. Below is a copy of my essay. See how it can pertain to you and your life. The quotes that are in it should be read over a couple times to absorb all of their value. Enjoy...
My NNU Admissions Essay:
To
learn, fail… If nothing ever breaks, you don’t really know how strong it is.
Strike out fear of failure… Reward success and failure equally-punish
inactivity.
~David
Kelley, IDEO
I believe that one good quote
deserves another. The quote from David Kelley brought a celebrated speech to
mind. Theodore Roosevelt spoke of individual citizenship in Paris, France in
1910. He was challenging leaders of democracies to hold their standards high in
an attempt to elevate society as a whole. Lead by example, if you will. He
knocked the legs out from under the pedestal of the privileged man and uplifted
the man that earned his place in society with failures and triumphs. He
emphasized the importance of the everyday man (and woman) that make up the bulk
of society. He made claim to the fact that the extremes in the sense of
individualism versus socialism both fall short of society’s needs and that a middle
ground is where we should lie. While he uttered these words over a hundred
years ago, the intent behind them still holds true today. Here is the portion of his speech that is most
applicable here:
It
is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by the
dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short
again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but
who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the
end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at
least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.
~Theodore
Roosevelt
The theme between these two quotes
is the importance of failure. How do we get to an elevated state of failure?
How do we get to that place where we either learn from a scenario with a less
than expected outcome or a place where we see better the value of victory
because we intimately know the ache of defeat? Effort. Valiant effort is the
not only the path to valuable failure, but it is also the path to strength in
victory. The point of both of these quotes is that passivity will obtain no
results. You will not succeed, learn, nor fail by taking a course of inaction.
Both Kelley and Roosevelt allude to point of action as being what is notable.
Action is what positions people to succeed, learn, or fail. Being handed
something freely never has the same impact as earning it honestly. Failing can
drive you to try harder, or approach smarter, until you do obtain your
something. Everyone has a something they want to have in their hand.
My something is being able to make
the most meaningful impact on society in a way that fully employs my skill set,
ambitions, and intellect. Furthering my education is the first step towards
realizing this something. I have not spent my life having things handed to me,
but I may not have always directed myself towards a path that would make full
use of my abilities. I try hard at everything that I do. When I fail, I fail
big. When I win, I win big. Those victories and achievements are always sweeter
because I made the effort to fail in the past. Bad luck is not the sum of
failure. But neither is lack of effort, at least not in my case. Sometimes we
need that failure to show us the correct direction to focus our energies, luck
or no luck. Some might think that I decided to make a 180 degree turn in my
life during my mid-thirties. I don’t believe that in the least. I think that
the jobs that I have had, the education I have undergone, the relationships I
have made and lost have all led me to this point. I am on the course that I
have chosen all along the way. I have not been passive; I have not been
treading lightly. I have been working to get to this point. Going through the
master’s program at NNU is something that I desperately want the chance to fail
at. However, I have no intentions of failing. I have every intention of being
the enthusiastically devoted person in the arena that wants to find out exactly
what my outer limits are. I have every intention of finding out precisely how
strong I am and how that strength can be put forth to better not only myself,
but to better society as a whole.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Playing catch up...
Ummmmm, where have you been Funny Fat Chic???
Its been a busy few weeks. That seems to be the case for everyone this summer. Between work, extracurricular activities, and trying to make the best possible use of the extra daylight hours, it seems like everyone I run into is operating on autopilot and in a hurry. And that is why I love summer. I love to be busy.
So, me, what have I been doing?
Well, I turned 35 a couple weeks ago. It was basically no big deal. Which, as you get older, is exactly what birthdays should be. I felt pretty good about it. I ran 4 miles at lunch that day. That is something that I couldn't even dream of doing when I was turning 34. That has to be some kind of marker that all my hard work has not been for naught. Is that how you say that? Not for nothing? Whatever, you get the idea.
I took last week off from running. I know that this seems to conflict with the epic accomplishments of the previous paragraph, but its ok to take a break sometimes. I had a summer cold. It involved snot, labored breathing, and a fever. I decided it was as good a reason as any to take a little break. I still did the final week of my P90X3. I added in some Natalie Jill workouts from her phone app (which is actually very cool). I am feeling much better this week and I would be ready to get back to running if it weren't for my latent softball injury from this past weekend. WHAT?!?!?! Yep, I hurt my knee running to first base. I heard a decent "SNAP" and then I was non-weight bearing for a few minutes. It doesn't really hurt at all, but if I fully extend it, it just won't hold. I'm going to give it the week. I ordered a brace that should be here Wednesday and we'll see how it holds up next week.
You may have noticed that I said the last week of P90X3. Yep, Tony Horton and I are no longer dating. All in all, I lost 12 pounds in the 3 months with Tony. My inches didn't make any drastic changes. I would like to think that my inches are a little more firm than flab now, but who knows, really. My lackluster results are not all the program's fault. It is BBQ and beer season, both of which play hell with my ability to lose weight. I would recommend this program to anyone who would like to get a formidable strength workout in on a time budget. I would recommend it for any one that would like to be able to do a pull-up or chin-up. I would recommend it for anyone that understands the Three Stooges humor.
I am starting Body Beast today. I wanted to do it in conjunction with my running. I guess I got the cart a little before the horse. I'll let you know what I think. The instructor is new to me. I had a really hard time not rushing back to Shaun T. Insanity Max 30 is next on my list. I miss Shaun T and his uncanny ability to talk about himself in the third person. I think Body Beast will be a great strength trainer. I think that Insanity Max 30 will be a great way to lose weight.
Speaking of losing weight. I read a great article the other day. Why are we all trying to lose weight? If you were a fit size 5 that could do anything physically you wanted to but weighed 280 pounds, would you care? If you were a size 20 and never wanted to get off of the couch but only weighed 130 pounds, would you feel good about yourself? So why are we so hung up on weight? We need to lose fat. Not weight. We need to put less of our eggs in the scale basket and more in the healthy basket. I was a little disappointed at the 12 pounds I lost on P90X3, but why? Of course, its because I want to be skinny and pretty. Guess what... Back in the day when I weighed quite a bit less than I do now, whenever I stepped on my scale, it NEVER one time told me I was pretty. It never applauded the number it flashed at me. It couldn't tell that while I was 60 pounds lighter than I am now, I could only do about half of what I can now physically. So, that is my new creed. I am losing fat and not losing weight. Will I still weigh in? Probably. But I hold less stock in it today than I did yesterday. It carries a lot less weight with me (get it?).
Other than that I have been up to my same old summer antics... shooting weddings, attending concerts, road tripping every chance I get, and of course, working. August looks to be more of the same. The weather has been mild, the people have been awesome, and well, as usual, life is good.
Its been a busy few weeks. That seems to be the case for everyone this summer. Between work, extracurricular activities, and trying to make the best possible use of the extra daylight hours, it seems like everyone I run into is operating on autopilot and in a hurry. And that is why I love summer. I love to be busy.
So, me, what have I been doing?
Well, I turned 35 a couple weeks ago. It was basically no big deal. Which, as you get older, is exactly what birthdays should be. I felt pretty good about it. I ran 4 miles at lunch that day. That is something that I couldn't even dream of doing when I was turning 34. That has to be some kind of marker that all my hard work has not been for naught. Is that how you say that? Not for nothing? Whatever, you get the idea.
I took last week off from running. I know that this seems to conflict with the epic accomplishments of the previous paragraph, but its ok to take a break sometimes. I had a summer cold. It involved snot, labored breathing, and a fever. I decided it was as good a reason as any to take a little break. I still did the final week of my P90X3. I added in some Natalie Jill workouts from her phone app (which is actually very cool). I am feeling much better this week and I would be ready to get back to running if it weren't for my latent softball injury from this past weekend. WHAT?!?!?! Yep, I hurt my knee running to first base. I heard a decent "SNAP" and then I was non-weight bearing for a few minutes. It doesn't really hurt at all, but if I fully extend it, it just won't hold. I'm going to give it the week. I ordered a brace that should be here Wednesday and we'll see how it holds up next week.
You may have noticed that I said the last week of P90X3. Yep, Tony Horton and I are no longer dating. All in all, I lost 12 pounds in the 3 months with Tony. My inches didn't make any drastic changes. I would like to think that my inches are a little more firm than flab now, but who knows, really. My lackluster results are not all the program's fault. It is BBQ and beer season, both of which play hell with my ability to lose weight. I would recommend this program to anyone who would like to get a formidable strength workout in on a time budget. I would recommend it for any one that would like to be able to do a pull-up or chin-up. I would recommend it for anyone that understands the Three Stooges humor.
I am starting Body Beast today. I wanted to do it in conjunction with my running. I guess I got the cart a little before the horse. I'll let you know what I think. The instructor is new to me. I had a really hard time not rushing back to Shaun T. Insanity Max 30 is next on my list. I miss Shaun T and his uncanny ability to talk about himself in the third person. I think Body Beast will be a great strength trainer. I think that Insanity Max 30 will be a great way to lose weight.
Speaking of losing weight. I read a great article the other day. Why are we all trying to lose weight? If you were a fit size 5 that could do anything physically you wanted to but weighed 280 pounds, would you care? If you were a size 20 and never wanted to get off of the couch but only weighed 130 pounds, would you feel good about yourself? So why are we so hung up on weight? We need to lose fat. Not weight. We need to put less of our eggs in the scale basket and more in the healthy basket. I was a little disappointed at the 12 pounds I lost on P90X3, but why? Of course, its because I want to be skinny and pretty. Guess what... Back in the day when I weighed quite a bit less than I do now, whenever I stepped on my scale, it NEVER one time told me I was pretty. It never applauded the number it flashed at me. It couldn't tell that while I was 60 pounds lighter than I am now, I could only do about half of what I can now physically. So, that is my new creed. I am losing fat and not losing weight. Will I still weigh in? Probably. But I hold less stock in it today than I did yesterday. It carries a lot less weight with me (get it?).
Other than that I have been up to my same old summer antics... shooting weddings, attending concerts, road tripping every chance I get, and of course, working. August looks to be more of the same. The weather has been mild, the people have been awesome, and well, as usual, life is good.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
I think I'm in LOVE.
So, I have been seeing this guy for awhile now.
No, not the guy from the bar.
It's been going on a little longer than that. I only get to see him once every couple of weeks due to circumstances out of our control.
He is a little younger than me. He's foreign. He has dark hair and nice eyes. He is gentle and firm. He rubs my feet, and as those of you that know me well, nobody touches my feet. He doesn't talk a whole lot and doesn't expect me talk much either. When he does he always imparts some life wisdom on me. He does ask me some questions every now and again. He's getting to know me slowly but surely. I ALWAYS feel better after I see him. I ALWAYS feel prettier after I see him. I'm beginning to feel committed to him.
If only he wasn't my nail guy.... ;)
P.S. Just in case you didn't read between the lines, go back and read that whole thing with a tone of sarcasm. Although if I ever found a guy that was as reliable as my nail guy, I just might think about being committed.
No, not the guy from the bar.
It's been going on a little longer than that. I only get to see him once every couple of weeks due to circumstances out of our control.
He is a little younger than me. He's foreign. He has dark hair and nice eyes. He is gentle and firm. He rubs my feet, and as those of you that know me well, nobody touches my feet. He doesn't talk a whole lot and doesn't expect me talk much either. When he does he always imparts some life wisdom on me. He does ask me some questions every now and again. He's getting to know me slowly but surely. I ALWAYS feel better after I see him. I ALWAYS feel prettier after I see him. I'm beginning to feel committed to him.
If only he wasn't my nail guy.... ;)
P.S. Just in case you didn't read between the lines, go back and read that whole thing with a tone of sarcasm. Although if I ever found a guy that was as reliable as my nail guy, I just might think about being committed.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
On the hunt...
Did you know I was a hunter???
I am. My love of the great outdoors and my redneck upbringing means that I have been hunting since I was a kid. I also happen to like game. It is a great source of lean protein. But I digress.
I have been on the hunt for some time to find an example of a body image that I would like to embody. The people at Beach Body are great and I realize that they are real people, but they are also fitness models. They try-out to be on the videos, they are the people in Fitness Magazine and Men's Health. They make the cover of magazines because of their incredibly fit (and lean) bodies. My hat is off to them. They are all amazing athletes. But, and here is the but, if I am looking for a body type to work towards, a body to compare myself to, it is HIGHLY unlikely that I will ever achieve their level of fitness or their version of lean. Now, I know that I have preached time and time again that comparison is the thief of joy. Still true. But it is also important to have a goal and to be able to visualize that goal. That is what I am trying to do here.
The first person I found was at the cancer center. Sitting around waiting with Gram, I decided to pick up something to read. Enter Ronda Rousey. She too is on the cover of a magazine, but she is far from skinny and far from being a fitness model. She is UFC all-star Ronda Rousey. She is changing the face of UFC fighting and changing body image standards for women everywhere. She is tough, yet sensitive, motivated, successful, and hard-working. She is on the go ALL. THE. TIME. She doesn't just have a booming fight career, but she is now popping up in action movies all over the place. She has also been an Olympic medalist. Her income from films far trumps what she makes as a fighter, but fighting is still her top priority. Why? Because she is an athlete, she is the best at what she does, and she loves every minute of it. She looks strong, not cut. She looks like she isn't afraid to eat a cheeseburger every so often and can still run five miles if she needs to. She has actual thighs. That's what I want. Healthy. Strong. Normal.
The second body I found wasn't actually found by me. I saw a link to this article on FB. An old friend of mine tagged her teenage daughter to have her read it. I thought it was genius. This gal is also an Olympic athlete. Hammer thrower, Amanda Bingson. She is a stud. Her attitude is what we should all strive for. She loves every bit of her body and makes no apologies for one inch of it. In the article she is shown throwing the hammer... Naked. I'm not going to be able to say it any better than she does in this article. I recommend the read. Long story short, she too is strong, healthy, and normal. She has an A-mazing outlook on her self-image and I hope that she medals when she goes to the next Olympics. I know I'll be cheering for her!
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/page/bodyamandabingson/hammer-thrower-amanda-bingson-says-athletes-come-all-shapes-sizes-espn-magazine-body-issue
So, the hunt is over. I found two spectacular women to model my fitness regime after. I'm gonna keep on trucking until I have at least an ounce of the confidence and presence that these women have. I salute them for being the faces (and bodies) for women and girls to look up to.
I am. My love of the great outdoors and my redneck upbringing means that I have been hunting since I was a kid. I also happen to like game. It is a great source of lean protein. But I digress.
I have been on the hunt for some time to find an example of a body image that I would like to embody. The people at Beach Body are great and I realize that they are real people, but they are also fitness models. They try-out to be on the videos, they are the people in Fitness Magazine and Men's Health. They make the cover of magazines because of their incredibly fit (and lean) bodies. My hat is off to them. They are all amazing athletes. But, and here is the but, if I am looking for a body type to work towards, a body to compare myself to, it is HIGHLY unlikely that I will ever achieve their level of fitness or their version of lean. Now, I know that I have preached time and time again that comparison is the thief of joy. Still true. But it is also important to have a goal and to be able to visualize that goal. That is what I am trying to do here.
The first person I found was at the cancer center. Sitting around waiting with Gram, I decided to pick up something to read. Enter Ronda Rousey. She too is on the cover of a magazine, but she is far from skinny and far from being a fitness model. She is UFC all-star Ronda Rousey. She is changing the face of UFC fighting and changing body image standards for women everywhere. She is tough, yet sensitive, motivated, successful, and hard-working. She is on the go ALL. THE. TIME. She doesn't just have a booming fight career, but she is now popping up in action movies all over the place. She has also been an Olympic medalist. Her income from films far trumps what she makes as a fighter, but fighting is still her top priority. Why? Because she is an athlete, she is the best at what she does, and she loves every minute of it. She looks strong, not cut. She looks like she isn't afraid to eat a cheeseburger every so often and can still run five miles if she needs to. She has actual thighs. That's what I want. Healthy. Strong. Normal.
The second body I found wasn't actually found by me. I saw a link to this article on FB. An old friend of mine tagged her teenage daughter to have her read it. I thought it was genius. This gal is also an Olympic athlete. Hammer thrower, Amanda Bingson. She is a stud. Her attitude is what we should all strive for. She loves every bit of her body and makes no apologies for one inch of it. In the article she is shown throwing the hammer... Naked. I'm not going to be able to say it any better than she does in this article. I recommend the read. Long story short, she too is strong, healthy, and normal. She has an A-mazing outlook on her self-image and I hope that she medals when she goes to the next Olympics. I know I'll be cheering for her!
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/page/bodyamandabingson/hammer-thrower-amanda-bingson-says-athletes-come-all-shapes-sizes-espn-magazine-body-issue
So, the hunt is over. I found two spectacular women to model my fitness regime after. I'm gonna keep on trucking until I have at least an ounce of the confidence and presence that these women have. I salute them for being the faces (and bodies) for women and girls to look up to.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Housekeeping
Is there anything worse than cleaning your house during the summer? I HATE it! I live like a tornado in the summer, mostly using my house to sleep in and prepare the occassional meal. The weather is gorgeous, I LOVE the summer heat, and I just don't want to be in my house. But as most tornadoes do, I leave a big mess in my wake. In attempt to avoid my physical housework, I thought I would take a minute and do a little of my housekeeping here.
First things first, I was supposed to give you guys some numbers this week. If you go back to the last set of numbers I gave you, you will find what you need. Nothing has changed measurement wise. I have maintained my weight, and my inches. Now, before you do a collective sigh and feel sorry for me, don't. I had a feeling that I was hitting a rut. I have felt a little bit rutt-ish in my workouts and my eating. And if we are being honest, and I like to think that we are here at The Final Fifty, I have been living like weekends are calorie free excursions. There have been BBQ's, birthday parties (apparently a lot of people get knocked up 9 months before summertime), and there has been some alcohol consumption. I made myself a deal though, I am not going to torture my psyche all summer long by avoiding all the above situations and not partaking in them to some degree. I do however feel fitter than my last round of measurements. Absolutely fitter. I can run farther (and faster... average of 9.5 minute miles now instead of 11 minutes), I can lift with more ease and even lift more (new dumbbells are on my shopping list). Even though the numbers haven't really changed, I feel like I have changed. I also feel like I am walking around feeling a little more confident (insert:about my body) than usual. Whether that new feeling is justified or not, who knows, but I'm gonna hang on to it for as long as I can.
I have had a crazy couple of days... Three days to be exact, so I guess I should call it a few. I went and saw one of my favorite bands on Thursday night. I went with some friends outside of my normal crew. We had a fabulous time and I wondered to myself why we don't all do stuff together more often. I'm adding these people to my social to-do list. Two very interesting things happened that evening. First, I had a lady get in my face and scream at me because of my hair. She was not a very nice person to say the least. I am not the kind of person that people (especially random strangers) yells at. I was so shocked I think I stood there for a good minute before I picked up my dropped jaw and managed a retort. She claimed that she couldn't see the concert because of my big (expletive) hair. I finally told her that I didn't know how to respond to that as my hair has its own fan base and people usually like it better than they like me. She finally backed off after I cracked a few more jokes at her that brought the ridiculousness of her outburst to light. I partied on, she stewed about it, nobody got scratched, no hair got pulled, no punches where thrown. We after partied at a local bar. This is where interesting thing number two happened. I lost a limbo contest (get low, get low) to a very cute, very young guy with dark curly hair. When the bar shut down, I let loose a little bit and made out with him in the parking lot. Yep, I acted for a blissful minute like I was 10 years younger (and 10 years hotter). When I woke up Friday morning after 2 whole hours of sleep with two hickeys on my neck, I hung my head in shame. But then I thought, what did I actually do wrong. Answer is... NOTHING. I didn't let anything get to an undignified state, I had FUN, and there was no harm, no foul. So, yep, or the first time in about 20 years I have the neck of a naughty teenager. So sue me. {Disclaimer: for those of you reading this, you may have noticed I didn't mention any names. If you are able to connect the dots, keep that dirty little secret to yourself and don't spoil my fun :) please.}
After pulling myself moderately together, I had to take Gram to chemo by 8:30am and then after that I headed out to second shoot a wedding for my best friend. After gram's chemo I went on a run and sweated out all my shame and a good portion of my whiskey. We shot a beautiful wedding and I was home again in the wee hours of the morning instead the late hours of the evening. Then yesterday, I had a wedding of my own to shoot. Not mine, that kinda sounded like it was my wedding. It was a wedding of my own clients I should say. It was 106 degrees here yesterday. I actually sweated all the way through my clothes. Twice. I looked like someone turned a hose on me. Over the course of the past two days I have only peed once. That is how much I have sweated. Today, I am laying low to say the least. I will say one thing about the little whirlwind that I have been on. I am so thankful that I have made the effort to get into shape and have fueled myself with healthy food. I had a foundation to work off of that kept me from being completely miserable over the past few days. My body could take the torture because I have tortured it much worse than that for a lot longer.
I want to talk for a second about my best friend. Some of this is gonna sound mushy. Some of it is gonna sound philosophical. I just told you a very entertaining and embarrassing story about myself, so now you get to bare with me for a minute. Have you ever known an incredibly talented person that had no idea of the reach of their abilities? My best friend is a photographer, like me, but that is by and far not all that she is. She is a wife, a daughter, and mother (most importantly), a stall cleaner, a business manager, and last but not least a friend. She asked me to second shoot this wedding with her. I first thought that it was just to be a second shooter, catch the things that she couldn't be two places at the same time for. Which I happily did. I am a photographer after all, I like to pick up my camera. But I was really there to support her. Support her as a friend. Here is the thing about taking pictures. It is true for me whether I am shooting a landscape, an adorable family, or two people in love. There is a piece of me in every photograph. I am not just recording a moment in time. I want you to see what I see and how I see it. I want you to not only look through my lens, I want you to look through my eyes, and I want you to use the filter of my soul to do it. My best friend leaves a little more of herself in every picture than most do. She has a special way of bringing beauty to light and shedding light on beauty. This wedding was for her husband's (another one of my BEST friends) baby sister. This takes up the intensity by a 1,000%. You not only know and love these people, but they are family. Your want-to to make these images be the best ones that you have ever taken is so strong that it can almost paralyze you. It will make you second guess your judgement all day long. It will make you convinced that you didn't get a shot off long before you bother to go home and even look at a single image. This was my best friend's gift to the bride and groom. And while some might think, oh that's nice, they got a free photographer, I know what she really gave them. She was giving them the type of images to remember their day by that only she could give them. She was the only person on the planet that could record the union of their love because she has watched it develop and grow from the very beginning. She is going to give them images that show how much she completely adores this couple with every click of her shutter. They are going to see themselves through the eye of one of the people that loves them most. She was the only person for that job. So, instead of sitting comfortably enjoying a cold beverage and catching up with her family, she sweated, she walked a thousand miles in the wrong shoes, she changed clothes in her car, she watched her kids be a part of a wedding through her lens instead through her eyes (there is a difference), she ate her dinner in under a minute, she did all the cat herding that comes with photographing a wedding party, she stressed about light (or lack there of), she fended off the event coordinator, and at the end of the day, she nailed it. She gave them a gift that only she could give. Because THAT is how amazing she is.
I don't know if I should hope that you guys had the same kind of weekend I did or not. I do hope that you had fun. I sure did. Stay cool. Drink your water.
First things first, I was supposed to give you guys some numbers this week. If you go back to the last set of numbers I gave you, you will find what you need. Nothing has changed measurement wise. I have maintained my weight, and my inches. Now, before you do a collective sigh and feel sorry for me, don't. I had a feeling that I was hitting a rut. I have felt a little bit rutt-ish in my workouts and my eating. And if we are being honest, and I like to think that we are here at The Final Fifty, I have been living like weekends are calorie free excursions. There have been BBQ's, birthday parties (apparently a lot of people get knocked up 9 months before summertime), and there has been some alcohol consumption. I made myself a deal though, I am not going to torture my psyche all summer long by avoiding all the above situations and not partaking in them to some degree. I do however feel fitter than my last round of measurements. Absolutely fitter. I can run farther (and faster... average of 9.5 minute miles now instead of 11 minutes), I can lift with more ease and even lift more (new dumbbells are on my shopping list). Even though the numbers haven't really changed, I feel like I have changed. I also feel like I am walking around feeling a little more confident (insert:about my body) than usual. Whether that new feeling is justified or not, who knows, but I'm gonna hang on to it for as long as I can.
I have had a crazy couple of days... Three days to be exact, so I guess I should call it a few. I went and saw one of my favorite bands on Thursday night. I went with some friends outside of my normal crew. We had a fabulous time and I wondered to myself why we don't all do stuff together more often. I'm adding these people to my social to-do list. Two very interesting things happened that evening. First, I had a lady get in my face and scream at me because of my hair. She was not a very nice person to say the least. I am not the kind of person that people (especially random strangers) yells at. I was so shocked I think I stood there for a good minute before I picked up my dropped jaw and managed a retort. She claimed that she couldn't see the concert because of my big (expletive) hair. I finally told her that I didn't know how to respond to that as my hair has its own fan base and people usually like it better than they like me. She finally backed off after I cracked a few more jokes at her that brought the ridiculousness of her outburst to light. I partied on, she stewed about it, nobody got scratched, no hair got pulled, no punches where thrown. We after partied at a local bar. This is where interesting thing number two happened. I lost a limbo contest (get low, get low) to a very cute, very young guy with dark curly hair. When the bar shut down, I let loose a little bit and made out with him in the parking lot. Yep, I acted for a blissful minute like I was 10 years younger (and 10 years hotter). When I woke up Friday morning after 2 whole hours of sleep with two hickeys on my neck, I hung my head in shame. But then I thought, what did I actually do wrong. Answer is... NOTHING. I didn't let anything get to an undignified state, I had FUN, and there was no harm, no foul. So, yep, or the first time in about 20 years I have the neck of a naughty teenager. So sue me. {Disclaimer: for those of you reading this, you may have noticed I didn't mention any names. If you are able to connect the dots, keep that dirty little secret to yourself and don't spoil my fun :) please.}
After pulling myself moderately together, I had to take Gram to chemo by 8:30am and then after that I headed out to second shoot a wedding for my best friend. After gram's chemo I went on a run and sweated out all my shame and a good portion of my whiskey. We shot a beautiful wedding and I was home again in the wee hours of the morning instead the late hours of the evening. Then yesterday, I had a wedding of my own to shoot. Not mine, that kinda sounded like it was my wedding. It was a wedding of my own clients I should say. It was 106 degrees here yesterday. I actually sweated all the way through my clothes. Twice. I looked like someone turned a hose on me. Over the course of the past two days I have only peed once. That is how much I have sweated. Today, I am laying low to say the least. I will say one thing about the little whirlwind that I have been on. I am so thankful that I have made the effort to get into shape and have fueled myself with healthy food. I had a foundation to work off of that kept me from being completely miserable over the past few days. My body could take the torture because I have tortured it much worse than that for a lot longer.
I want to talk for a second about my best friend. Some of this is gonna sound mushy. Some of it is gonna sound philosophical. I just told you a very entertaining and embarrassing story about myself, so now you get to bare with me for a minute. Have you ever known an incredibly talented person that had no idea of the reach of their abilities? My best friend is a photographer, like me, but that is by and far not all that she is. She is a wife, a daughter, and mother (most importantly), a stall cleaner, a business manager, and last but not least a friend. She asked me to second shoot this wedding with her. I first thought that it was just to be a second shooter, catch the things that she couldn't be two places at the same time for. Which I happily did. I am a photographer after all, I like to pick up my camera. But I was really there to support her. Support her as a friend. Here is the thing about taking pictures. It is true for me whether I am shooting a landscape, an adorable family, or two people in love. There is a piece of me in every photograph. I am not just recording a moment in time. I want you to see what I see and how I see it. I want you to not only look through my lens, I want you to look through my eyes, and I want you to use the filter of my soul to do it. My best friend leaves a little more of herself in every picture than most do. She has a special way of bringing beauty to light and shedding light on beauty. This wedding was for her husband's (another one of my BEST friends) baby sister. This takes up the intensity by a 1,000%. You not only know and love these people, but they are family. Your want-to to make these images be the best ones that you have ever taken is so strong that it can almost paralyze you. It will make you second guess your judgement all day long. It will make you convinced that you didn't get a shot off long before you bother to go home and even look at a single image. This was my best friend's gift to the bride and groom. And while some might think, oh that's nice, they got a free photographer, I know what she really gave them. She was giving them the type of images to remember their day by that only she could give them. She was the only person on the planet that could record the union of their love because she has watched it develop and grow from the very beginning. She is going to give them images that show how much she completely adores this couple with every click of her shutter. They are going to see themselves through the eye of one of the people that loves them most. She was the only person for that job. So, instead of sitting comfortably enjoying a cold beverage and catching up with her family, she sweated, she walked a thousand miles in the wrong shoes, she changed clothes in her car, she watched her kids be a part of a wedding through her lens instead through her eyes (there is a difference), she ate her dinner in under a minute, she did all the cat herding that comes with photographing a wedding party, she stressed about light (or lack there of), she fended off the event coordinator, and at the end of the day, she nailed it. She gave them a gift that only she could give. Because THAT is how amazing she is.
I don't know if I should hope that you guys had the same kind of weekend I did or not. I do hope that you had fun. I sure did. Stay cool. Drink your water.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
I've Noticed A Few Things
Hey... I'm gonna give you another list. I like lists. They keep me from rambling. They are organized. Or at least they pretend to be. You can talk about them later with ease... "Hey did you see #8 of The Final Fifty list? That girl is crazy!" They are a good way to talk about several different things without having to seamlessly transition in between. It's cheating for writers. Rambling over, list beginning in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
#1 I noticed as I was walking today (it wasn't a running day) that my elbows no longer hit my fat sides when I walk. They not only don't hit, but they don't even brush up against. Is it possible that I am getting a waist? You know, that space between arms and midsections in silhouettes of women. What the heck do I do with one of those? Wear a belt?? No way. But it's nice to have my elbows freed up.
#2 I realized today that I have not had any back pain in quite some time! Further proof that my back pain is entirely preventable by taking care of myself. No drugs, no adjustments, no other therapies. Just good old exercise and decent nutrition. Go figure.
#3 I am two days behind on my P90X3. I have a semi-good reason for this. Last Friday before I headed up to my best friend's for my honorary niece's birthday I was riding my two year old colt that I am just starting. He stumbled and then really tripped and then did an ass-over-tea-kettle somersault and then landed on his side on my leg. I have been a little bruised up and I seemed to hurt my shoulder/collarbone. All injuries are a long ways from my heart and I am going to be just fine. But, I took an extra couple days to try and let things settle back where they should go. I plan on catching up the two workouts this weekend. It's a weigh-in day on Sunday or Monday. Eeeek. So look for some numbers coming your way. In the mean time, enjoy my awesome bruises!! P.S. It looks a lot worse than it feels.
#4 I have been thinking about the word single a lot lately. I get saddled with that term quite often. Its most basic meaning is alone. And sometimes I feel alone. I have chosen relatively solitary jobs. I spend most of my evenings alone with my dogs (but they are awesome dogs). I work out alone. I am a social creature normally, but apparently I appreciate solitude. Most of the time I am the social event planner in my circle of friends. A role I love to take on! Lately when I have been on social outings I am there, but I feel a little withdrawn. I think that cancer in your life does that to you. But, really, if you think about it, any crisis in life can do that to you. Money problems? First thing you do is withdraw yourself and tell yourself you can't do anything because you don't have any money. Trouble on the home front? Time to retreat and spend more time at home and less time around other people. Put on some weight? Time to hideout and make sure no one gets the opportunity to see it until you get it off. The list goes on. Is this a survival instinct? Is this our way of protecting ourselves and our feelings? Is it an instinct that we should fight? I think so. I am going to work harder at being more present. I am not going to skip fun things because I don't deserve it or because there is cancer actively happening in my family. Why does one thing have to do with another? I have a girlfriend that invited me to her son's t-ball games and brought her boys over to see me the other night. Just to visit. She didn't need anything from me. In fact she was bringing me stuff for Gram to try for her nausea. She has no idea how bad I needed that visit. How bad I needed those t-ball games. She has seen cancer up close and personal. She knows how it can take over your life. Maybe she did know how bad I needed to just sit in the shade and chit chat. I am grateful to her for that. I think it brought me back to reality a little bit and convinced me to quit being such a hermit. I had another girlfriend come on a run with me. I almost killed her from heat stroke. But it was so very nice to have a partner to run with. I also visited my bestie last weekend. We shopped, we threw a party, we hiked. Seeing her and her family always helps. ALWAYS.
#5 Shaun T said something interesting today on his podcast. He said that the body you have is the one you deserve. He was speaking in the context that you shouldn't compare yourself to others. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. He's right. I deserve everything that I think is right and everything that I think is wrong with my body. I have sweated, fought, and battled for the muscles and I have eaten my way to the fat. I have eared every ounce of both. I need to be more accepting of that so that I stay happy in my workouts and don't view them as a means to an end. There is no end to fitness, just continual progress.
#6 I don't think I like chia seeds. I have been trying to like them because they are a GREAT source of well-rounded plant protein. But, they freak me out. They start as seeds, and then somehow turn into weird little gel coated things in my mouth. They also like to reside between my teeth. They have literally no flavor, so all I have to go on is the texture. And, I don't like the texture.
#7 Tomorrow marks the start of concert season for me. Willie Nelson. Don't be a jealous hater. I'm taking Mom and Gram. It is going to be nice to take Gram to something besides chemo or grocery shopping. She will wave at Willie like he is singing to her. I know this because she does it at every concert I've ever taken her to. This time though, instead of being embarrassed, I am going to wave with her because he will be singing to her.
#8 It is going to top a hundred next week. I am secretly excited about this. I LOVE the heat.
#9 My new favorite dessert is a bowl of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with a drizzle of raw honey and a splash of almond milk. Sweet (the good kind), full of fiber, and oh-so-tasty! Give it a try. I know berries can be a little pricey but no more spendy than a a run to the store for a tub of ice cream can be. Speaking of, on my way home from Oregon over the weekend I stopped and had a mini Blizzard at Dairy Queen. I don't even feel bad about it. Jurassic smash-up was the flavor if you were curious.
#10 Refer to #8. It is getting hot out there. All the more reason to drink your water. Lots of it. Put some lemon in it. Put some mint in it. Put some cucumber in it. Whatever blows your skirt up besides the a/c vent.
#1 I noticed as I was walking today (it wasn't a running day) that my elbows no longer hit my fat sides when I walk. They not only don't hit, but they don't even brush up against. Is it possible that I am getting a waist? You know, that space between arms and midsections in silhouettes of women. What the heck do I do with one of those? Wear a belt?? No way. But it's nice to have my elbows freed up.
#2 I realized today that I have not had any back pain in quite some time! Further proof that my back pain is entirely preventable by taking care of myself. No drugs, no adjustments, no other therapies. Just good old exercise and decent nutrition. Go figure.
#3 I am two days behind on my P90X3. I have a semi-good reason for this. Last Friday before I headed up to my best friend's for my honorary niece's birthday I was riding my two year old colt that I am just starting. He stumbled and then really tripped and then did an ass-over-tea-kettle somersault and then landed on his side on my leg. I have been a little bruised up and I seemed to hurt my shoulder/collarbone. All injuries are a long ways from my heart and I am going to be just fine. But, I took an extra couple days to try and let things settle back where they should go. I plan on catching up the two workouts this weekend. It's a weigh-in day on Sunday or Monday. Eeeek. So look for some numbers coming your way. In the mean time, enjoy my awesome bruises!! P.S. It looks a lot worse than it feels.
#5 Shaun T said something interesting today on his podcast. He said that the body you have is the one you deserve. He was speaking in the context that you shouldn't compare yourself to others. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. He's right. I deserve everything that I think is right and everything that I think is wrong with my body. I have sweated, fought, and battled for the muscles and I have eaten my way to the fat. I have eared every ounce of both. I need to be more accepting of that so that I stay happy in my workouts and don't view them as a means to an end. There is no end to fitness, just continual progress.
#6 I don't think I like chia seeds. I have been trying to like them because they are a GREAT source of well-rounded plant protein. But, they freak me out. They start as seeds, and then somehow turn into weird little gel coated things in my mouth. They also like to reside between my teeth. They have literally no flavor, so all I have to go on is the texture. And, I don't like the texture.
#7 Tomorrow marks the start of concert season for me. Willie Nelson. Don't be a jealous hater. I'm taking Mom and Gram. It is going to be nice to take Gram to something besides chemo or grocery shopping. She will wave at Willie like he is singing to her. I know this because she does it at every concert I've ever taken her to. This time though, instead of being embarrassed, I am going to wave with her because he will be singing to her.
#8 It is going to top a hundred next week. I am secretly excited about this. I LOVE the heat.
#9 My new favorite dessert is a bowl of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with a drizzle of raw honey and a splash of almond milk. Sweet (the good kind), full of fiber, and oh-so-tasty! Give it a try. I know berries can be a little pricey but no more spendy than a a run to the store for a tub of ice cream can be. Speaking of, on my way home from Oregon over the weekend I stopped and had a mini Blizzard at Dairy Queen. I don't even feel bad about it. Jurassic smash-up was the flavor if you were curious.
#10 Refer to #8. It is getting hot out there. All the more reason to drink your water. Lots of it. Put some lemon in it. Put some mint in it. Put some cucumber in it. Whatever blows your skirt up besides the a/c vent.
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