insane Friday ConFessions

I'm just going to say it...I have reached insanity.  I NEVER thought I would get to this point, but I'm insane in the membrane!!! I worked out 6 nights and included a 9 hole round of golf last night.  I know crazy, isn't it?  I can say, I feel empowered!! I feel great!!! I feel like I can climb Mt. Everest!..oh wait--that might be a stretch!  I don't like the cold weather (as if that's the only reason).  I have finally reached the point where I feel the need to work out, whether I feel like it or not.  I have past the point of it being a want--it is now a need and my body and mind NEED IT.  Wow--this is a huge milestone for me.  I've never been this consistent with a workout plan or healthy eating.  I am still working on cutting out the "whites" in my diet--that is going to be a work in progress, but I am more conscious of it now.    Here is the biggest confession for the week-- I took the plunge and hit the Enter button.  I ENTERED a 5K! YIKES...stay tuned, I might just get to that marathon one day....(or 1/2 marathon).  

Hump Day Helpers

If someone said "name 5 things you want to do over the next 12 months"....would you be able to tell them? Do you have things you want to do? I'm sure we all do.  I spend the majority of my time planning my boys schedule, looking for enriching activities (and sporting activities) and making sure they are where they need to be.  We spend so much time doing for others and planning our families schedule---we rarely plan our schedule or time for ourselves.   I finally came to the conclusion, I'm in charge of the scheduling, so why aren't I scheduling activities for myself--My kids and husband aren't going to schedule activities for me.  I recently started looking into activities that I might enjoy and started matching up my activity dates with my boys activity dates--if there is no conflict--I'm scheduling the activity for myself.   I also started becoming more diligent with what I am interested in and acting upon it.  I looked back over several of my "lists" and noticed only a few things were checked off.  I am now looking at my "lists" with a new approach---write it down and schedule it.  The scheduling it part is the most important because otherwise it just sits there on the list and the list becomes a "wish list".   I believe everyone should have a wish list, but along with the wish list, you should have a Hit List.  The hit list is your target list with realistic timeframes or dates.  The Hit List will be the spring-board to checking things off your list.   Ready, Set Go!!!!--start your Hit List... share it if you like....(plus, when you put it out there...you have to do it--people are watching...you never know who you might inspire.)

Journey to a 5K

So, it's official...I've decided to bring out my "inner runner" and try something new.  A few years ago, I made a list of things I wanted to do by a certain age....One of those things was to run a marathon.  Well, that certain age, has come and gone but deep inside I still have an inkling of wanting to run a marathon, however, I would be satisfied if I could just run.  I tried track back in high school, but quickly realized that wasn't for me.  However, some years later (okay MUCH later) I have this strange burning desire to get into running. SO, here we go,  Or here I go.  After talking to another girlfriend who said she too wanted to run, we are discussing joining a running group and eventually running in a race.  I couldn't talk her into golf, but she was down for the running!  Well, I've decided to take the plunge and start preparing for a 5K with the anticipation that in the near future, I will actually run in one.  Okay, I know, a 5K isn't that far, but for a non-runner, it is a start.  Remember, small steps toward big change.  I started training last night after researching for training plans.  The one I picked seems easy.  I made it through Day 1, with no problems.  How hard is it to run 1 minute and walk 1 minute and repeat it 10 times....that was a breeze....Well, we will see how much of a breeze things are as I progress.  Stay tuned!!!

Monday Motivation

I am in therapy--Treadmill Therapy.  I've been hitting it hard and with a vengence lately.  Since Friday night, I've been in "therapy" every night....I came to the scary conclusion today that I actually look forward to working it out on my treadmill.  I started to analyze what is really up with me and this working out thing---I realized that not only am I working out my physical body, but my mind is working out too.  Thoughts, ideas, visions are coming to the forefront of my brain, and ultimatley any of the stressors, issues or worries of the day are being left on my treadmill.  (I pray on there too) I also know that in the months prior to this journey of change, at the end of the day, all I wanted to do was do the nestea plunge on my bed, clothes and all!  I'm realizing the importance of doing for self while doing for others. Yes it is possible.   I hope everyone "gets this" before they get any older.  So, what have you learned during this journey?  I'm still learning and looking forward to more change!!!

Friday ConFessions

I'm in it to Win IT....do you ever commit to something and do it 1/2 way? do you ever commit to something partially?  For example... saying to yourself--I'm going to walk in the middle of a busy street and stop in the middle, or I'm going to get dressed, but only put on 1/2 of my clothes, or I'm going to cook this chicken, but only cook it 1/2 way.   NO, I don't think so, are you starting to see my point.  Why is it, when we make a decision to commit to healthier eating and lifestyles--it's soooo difficult?  It's hard to break habits, it's hard not to impulse eat, it's hard to say NO to that second helping or to eat only a serving of ice-cream instead of two or three.  The bottom line (or one of them) -- we are not truly making ourselves a priority and committing to ourselves NO MATTER WHAT.  The no matter what part comes when you push yourself to make healthier choices, when everyone else is eating fried chicken.  The no matter what comes when you are SOOOO Tired you can't see straight, but you force yourself to exercise.  The no matter what comes when you fall off the wagon--you immediately dust yourself off and get back on.  I've realized through this past few months (9 weeks to be exact) I'm getting a little radical (a little Angela Davis like) with my workouts and making sure I'm getting them in...No Matter What!  I'm about to get more radical with my eating and exercising.  I've been doing well, but as my doctor suggested I should cut out all things white.  (good thing chocolate ice-cream is my favorite-ha ha ha)  So, here is my confession and declaration.  Last night I hit work out #4....so with that...I'm moving on up--Like George and Weezie!!! I'm going to four workouts a week. (who said that? did I just say that?)  As far as cutting out the whites...I'm going to work on that--stay tuned.  Okay---your turn...

Help Day Helpers

Cheerleaders or Hecklers??? Ever notice there are two types of people when it comes to sharing and pursing your dreams or goals? Those who cheer you on and those who discourage or do not support you--Hecklers.  We all need to make sure we have a cheerleader in our corner!  It is important to counteract the hecklers with cheerleaders.  Hecklers can be used to motivate us, however, depending on the heckler, sometimes we listen and stop pursuing our dreams or goals.  There are also times when we heckle ourselves when we really need to be our own cheerleader.  I want to encourage everyone to keep pressing toward your goals and dreams.  If you are off course heading toward your dream, get back on course.  If you are being heckled, turn a deaf ear, grab a megaphone and start cheering!   Come on,
Give me an I, give me a C-A-N, give me a DO, give me an IT!!!!
Rah Rah Rah!!!! GO TEAM!!!!

Monday Motivation

Insider Information...we have heard this term with regards to security breaches, insider trading stories and reports of leaks of valuable information to the public.   "Insiders" can tell a lot about what is going on, on the "inside" that others can not see..... Let's use the insider analogy to look at our physical beings.  Everything that is taking place on the inside of our bodies, may not be apparent on the outside.  Usually when we have a pain or a physical ailment it is the result of something that was going on long before we noticed the symptom(s).  It is important to pay attention to the signs and symptoms we feel and stop to investigate them.  As women it is even more important that we get a yearly physical, mammogram, and gynecological exam.  Men have a different set of physical exam requirements, but a physical should be a standard yearly event.  All of these are essential to keep us healthy as well as abreast of what is going on inside our bodies.  There are a lot of things we are susceptible to that don't have obvious outward symptoms or signs; and if we are experiencing something, we usually shrug it off, or ignore it.  I always get my annual mammogram and gynecological exam, but I have not been getting an annual physical.  I finally got one and I'm glad I did.  There is NO way to know what is going on inside, without having a physical and having blood work drawn and evaluated.  That is one of the keys to having a successful health plan.  There are deficiencies that are detected in our blood that we may not know we have, in addition to other tests that are run for thyroid function and cholesterol, as well as any thing else they may be trying to determine might be an issue.  If you haven't had one or more of the above exams I have mentioned, stop what you are doing, call and make an appointment(s).  It's a matter of life or.......well, you get the point!!!!

Friday ConFessions

I had an epiphany last night as I was preparing for my second workout of the week.  I was thinking hmmmm, I'm supposed to work out three times a week now (since I made that declaration two weeks ago) and I'm one behind.  So I had a choice, prepare to confess I only got two in, or get up early today and get one more in.  At that moment when I was debating what to do, a slogan popped into my mind...."Put your money where your mouth is!"  This was a Close-Up toothpaste commercial and slogan used back in the late 70's.   However, this statement is still used and rings true today.  I had to remind myself that I made a declaration and I had to put my money where my mouth is.  I thought I have to follow through on my goals and continue to do it and not allow for ANY excuses.  I have made a promise to myself to take better care of "me", mentally, physically and spiritually (almost by any means necessary).  As a result, I am going to continue to put my money where my mouth is!!!! and YES, I got that third workout in this morning!!!!

Hump Day Helpers

Get Back ON the wagon!!! I've received a few e-mails and read a few posts from some of the girlfriends that have fallen off the wagon or they are having difficulty staying on the wagon.  Let me encourage you by saying, no matter how you fell out and no matter how long you've been off the wagon....YOU CAN GET BACK ON!!!!  For those whose wagon ride is bumpy--hang on, keep riding!!!  As women, we deal with a lot of things, mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.  We have a lot of responsibilities.  We try to be all things and try to do all things for everyone, but ourselves!!!! Alot of things derail us and throw us off the wagon.  Stress, illness, work, life issues, children, spouses/partners you name it--IT can cause you to be thrown from the wagon or at least make for a bumpy ride.  The important thing is--HOLD on...and if you fall off do not STAY off the wagon.  As soon as you fall off, get back on.  Remember, you can always get back on and continue the ride.  We all get thrown and it's difficult to dust ourselves off and climb back into that wagon.  When this happens, we need to get back into the wagon quickly--here are some tips to help motivate you.

• Look how far you've come...you are making progress, keep going.
• Do something different.  Try a new exercise routine.
• Buy a new exercise outfit--this does wonders for you physically and mentally.  We should all look cute while working out.  (Throw away those baggy sweats!)
• Put on some music and dance.
• Write down how you fell off the wagon and what you need to do to get back on.  Then make sure you do it!
• Talk to others how they stay on the wagon---and if/when they fall off--how do they get back on.
• Let go of the guilt of falling off.  Guilt will only keep you off the wagon.  Let it go!

Okay, come on, grab my hand, I'm pulling you back onto the wagon!!!!

MonTuesday Motivation

Sorry, I'm tardy for the party.  So, let's get crackin' on the motivation!  When you hear a good song, whether it's an old school song or this new jack swing they call music....what do you do? Do you start dancing or does it transport you and your mind to another place?  Music is meant to do a variety of things, usually it sets the mood or tone for things to come.  Nothing can help get rid of the blues like good music.  Nothing is better than a good beat and a dance floor.  I noticed that whatever is going on in people's lives- good, bad or ugly-music has the ability to change the mood, if only for the 3 minutes the song is playing.  Dancing like no-one is watching is also a healthy activity....it gets your heart rate going, it distracts you from what's bothering you and it will improve your mood!!  I encourage everyone to find a song, or a list of songs that  you can listen to that will transport you to a happy place, or help you maintain the happy place you are in...Go ahead--Dance like no-one is watching!!!  

Friday conFessions

Are you living off the wall? Or are you stuck to the wall like wallpaper?  Remember back in the day when you either hung onto the wall at a party, or you got dragged/pulled or lured out onto the dance floor?  I ask this because this morning I heard (and jammed to) Michael Jackson's song Off the Wall.  I started thinking about the phrase "livin' off the wall".  I was reminded that it's important to get off the wall--get into the game--go do something!!!!  Some of us stay on the wall watching, while others get pulled/pushed or motivated to get off the wall.  Which one are you?  This journey has reminded me to get off the wall and stay off the wall! Try new things, get moving in a different direction, be a risk taker (yikes!).  Once you get off the wall, you"ll see life ain't so bad at all.  (well, Michael said something like that).  I say all of that to say---I made my goal of exercising 3 times this week, and I lived VERY much off the wall by going golfing with a group of women I've never met.  Talk about an off the wall experience!  Okay, it's your turn--go ahead, live off the wall!

A Hump Day Push

As I was walking to my building this morning, I saw a green plant growing through the tightly laid cobblestone/bricks that line all the sidewalks around my office campus.  This green plant was a vivid green and it caught my eye because it was so bright and it was growing in between the bricks.  I continued to walk, looking down to see if there were any more growing, and as I continued, I saw no more evidence of plant life, in between the bricks.  I thought wow, that plant is resilient, determined and strong---it fought its way in between the bricks, so that it could grow.  It was encouraging because I thought, we have the ability to push through obstacles and still stand.  We can use our resilience to push through and we can use our strength to stand tall.  Both resilience and strength are useful traits to overcoming obstacles, but also to use them to continue to push forward towards our exercise and healthy eating goals.  No matter where you are on this journey---keep going---keep progressing forward---be like the green plant--push through and stand tall.

Monday Motivation

Just Do It.  This is going to be one of my mantras for awhile.  I'm done talking about what I want to do or what I need to do, because I realize talking doesn't get anything done, only Action does.  With that said, I have declared that I will be exercising at least 3 times a week.  This is my personal goal and at some point it will increase.   I'm doing this for ME, so that I can reduce my chance of heart disease (the no. 1 killer of women),  I'm doing this for ME, so I can make sure I am fit and healthy as I age.  I'm doing this for ME, because if I don't take care of my body, it will Fail ME, and I don't have time to be down for the count.

I'm excited for those of you who have jumped on the 3 days a week bandwagon with me, while others are still trying to get in some type of exercise on a regular basis.  I'm glad everyone is making small steps for big change.   Remember taking the stairs instead of the elevator, counts.  Carrying mulch from the car to the yard, counts.   Parking at the far end of the parking lot counts.  Those 10 minutes it takes to walk from your car to your building, counts (add some pep to your step).   Let me encourage everyone, that the goal of this exchange is to get moving...move more than you were when you started this over 6 weeks ago and to get healthier.   Make a conscious effort to take care of your body, mind and soul.   Numerous studies have shown that diet and exercise can lead to healthier living and reduced medical issues and costs.   When you nourish the mind and soul it helps with stress reduction and assists with making better decisions.   Everyone on this journey to change has a schedule that is packed to the max.  With our maxed out, filled to the rim schedules, we need to remember to take care of ourselves.  We need to recharge our batteries on a regular basis.  We all have a To Do List, whether it is mental or written down.  Is your name on your To Do List?  It's time we put ourselves on our To Do List.  I challenge everyone to get out your To Do List--and add "ME" to the top!

Friday ConFessions

The Early Bird catches the worm....that seems to be the consensus of those who are getting in their workouts more than twice a week and on a consistent basis.  I'm a morning person and I like to get up and get things done early.  I guess adding my work out to the morning might not be too bad especially since after work/school activities is proving to be difficult to add my workout in.  For the past few weeks, I've been getting my 2nd workout in (barely), by getting up earlier on Friday.  Next week is Spring Break for the boys, so in honor of that (tee hee) I'm stepping up my game.  I'm going to increase my workouts to 3 times a week (there I said it).  Anyone wanna join me? I'm just gonna be like Nike and DO IT.  No more thinking about it, no more talking about it, I'm just going to DO IT.  Come on...who's in?