Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2014 ... let's DO THIS!

2014... I'm holding it in my mind as a great year to come...

I will do a confession time, which I think should probably be a weekly post ... the areas I messed up in, the things to keep me in check... because goodness knows I'm not perfect.  I don't even want to make it even TRY to appear I'm perfect or I have it all together.  I'm just struggling through like most everyone else... I think most people struggle with the issues of health & fitness... I'm the queen of it.

Anywhoo... the holidays have really got to me.  I didn't do well AT ALL with the eating thing (still no meat, of course) but sugar?  Another story... A WHOLE other story.

My working out?  Non-existent.

Some fitness/health/nutrition blog I am, huh?

Again - I'm human...

I'm going into 2014 at the heaviest I have EVER been.. in my life...

yep... this is me...

that is so embarrassing to admit.

I look back at pictures of races from just a year ago & I can't believe how easily the weight piled up on me.

It just showed me how seriously I need to take my body, my health... my life...

the priorities I need to set...

So what am I looking forward to in 2014?  What are some fitness resolutions?

* More water... yes, its all I drink now, including some tea, but I drink more Sparkling Seltzer water - I need to drink more just PLAIN water... the enamel on my teeth will probably thank me (I heard too much seltzer water is tough on your teeth)

* I did it... I dropped a few hundred bucks to get the new T25 program... 25 minutes at least 5 times a week .. I can do that - right?  "I'm GOING to do that" is the answer :)



* Caring for my body... pushing it, but not harming it.  I've really done some damage with my back.  My knees are horrid right now... but I also know my weight is causing some of this.  My point?  I'm going to be careful of my body... be aware... take care of it.  It's gotta get me through a lot.

* I will continue to run... but I'm taking the pressure off of myself that I normally put on my brain, my body.  I have registered for a half marathon & need to start training for it, but also know that I have to get to a place in my body where I can safely train.  I'm telling you - my body is THAT out of shape now... if I don't make the half marathon, I'm OK with that...  I'm telling you, I'm getting priorities in check this 2014!

* At least 4 Fruits or veggies in a day... a must!  I'd like to do 4 of Each - 4 fruits, 4 veggies - that would be ideal...

Which leads me to my next one

* Follow the Happy herbivore food plan 5 days out of the week... that should ensure the above resolution.  A vegan diet plan is full of veggies & fruit.

* Take regular Probiotics & Fiber... the gut, I believe, is a serious source of where illness comes from.  Want to be in charge of it as much as I can....

* Staying POSITIVE.  I'm really bad at getting down on myself... focusing on the bad things that's happening - pain, weight gain.  I suffer from depression so the smallest thing gets me down & will hold me there.  I'm really going to try to focus on positive things... keep positive statements all around me - reminders that tomorrow is another day.

* This one will be tough... cut back on the Self Hate Talk.  I've gotten in such a bad place of calling myself "Disgusting"... that's also embarrassing... but I do it naturally now.  I look in a mirror & that's the word I use... not good... not good at all.... so I'm going to stop it.  This is probably one of the biggest things I need to do.  Remember that I listen to my words in my heart & they can hurt....

My word for the year is RENEW (you can click the link above to my home blog & read more about that)

One Word 2014


That word fits even more in my fitness world...

I'm ready for 2014... how about you?


Any fitness resolutions you have?

Any I should have?

What are you goals for 2014?

Monday, December 30, 2013

My Birthday

 
 
 
 
Yep...
 
Aging at its finest
 
I'm like wine
 
& Wine is good for you - right? :)

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Kombucha

So I have a new addiction...

Kombucha

It's funny because I saw on Facebook a few of my friends making it... & then, my step daughter that knows all things to do in the kitchen started making it.  I had to ask her what it was...

She gave me a little insight on it & couldn't believe I didn't know what it was...

Its actually a drink that is made from tea but has so much more in it... its full of probiotics & full of vitamin B's... lots of antioxidants... & I love it because its FIZZY! 

Who doesn't love a fizzy drink?


Its funny because I have bought some of these drinks at the local health food store, but never knew exactly what it was...

but I know now.




When we visited Julie in Nashville during Thanksgiving - I got to taste her brew... OH MY WORD - yumminess...

She had different flavors .. both amazingly delish!

I could drink Kombucha like this

& its struck up my love for it even more.

I have been stopping & getting a bottle to baby a few days.  I can drink the whole bottle in an hour if I wanted to...

This is my new love


I may have to look into making my own... its that good to invest the time to do it.  Not to mention that each bottle is like $3.99 a bottle.  Ouch!

I have a feeling I'm going to feel like Frankenstein creating my own creature while doing it... its all very scientific...

or maybe I just need to pay Julie to make me a batch & send it up to me every month... she's the scientist in the family after all :)


Have you tried kombucha?

Ever made it before?

C'mon - isn't it fun just to say the word kombucha?


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Failure... but a winner!

OK... confession time...

I've failed.  Once again.


I started out with great intentions with these Christmas/December challenges.  How hard is one mile a day for 40 days?  ... hard when weekends come & you're out Christmas shopping from sun rise to sun down... add in a few parties, throw in wrapping presents, & don't forget the trying to keep a little bit organized (insert mad laughter)... yeah, it gets hard.

I will say, I'm sticking to the plank challenge.  Though, I will do a confession again & say that I've had to go to my knees to do the planks.  My low back was hurting so bad for the length of time - which I'm up to 2 minutes now - that I had to do something.  And believe me, the abs are still shaking like a violent earthquake.  My back still feels it too, but not as extreme.  I figure if I do the rest of the challenge on my knees - get the abs SOME WHAT used to exercises again, then next month I can repeat it in the full out position.

Small steps people...

whatever works for me...

I need to keep remembering that.  Because its so easy to look at myself & see "FAILURE" written across my face - but I'm doing what works for me... not you... not the people who are already fit... not the people who have great abs & a great low back...

Me... the out of shape person who keeps trying...


On a positive note.  I was a winner from an incredible runner's blog.  Anita is such a fantastic woman of faith who shares her love for God & his word!!!  Plus she's just an awesome runner.  Hello New York City Marathon runner!

Check her out!:
http://nitasliferunning.blogspot.com/

... & I won a giveaway she had.


I always say I love runner's give aways... healthy great stuff.

Though Ricky claimed the bath salt.  Granted - he has a lot of stress & he walks at least 15 miles a day - he deserves a good soak.

So not all is bad - right?

The Holidays are almost here... the New Year will begin with a bunch of goals, challenges, resolutions...

As of right now, making it through.... with my dark chocolate bar I won!  YES!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Workout Videos make me feel like I'm a Dancing Queen...

Dancing Queen... flash backs of ABBA...

I was going to title this as "makes me feel like I'm on Club MTV" which REALLY is a flash back.  Downtown Julie Brown would appreciate me though.

Fun Fact - I went to the Club MTV Concert where Milli Vanilli was the main show!

I always love a good workout video.  Just because you can put on the worse outfit ever & no one cares.

I did Jazzercise for almost 20 years.  Seriously!  I started when I was 17 years old.  LOVED IT... everything about it.  But when my schedule changed & we moved far away from everything the world offers (country living at its finest) & I found a Jazzercise class, their schedule didn't work with mine....

alas, back to home videos.

But they make fun exercise videos to get your groove on.  No offense to Stella.

Last night, I tried a new one.

Because work outs need big hoop earrings


I laugh when they put the instructors in cool khaki baggy pants, like they're really in a club...

One part, we did a march in place move... & then she said, Move those shoulders.  "Now the step just turned into a dance move"

See - he's using his shoulders... its a DANCE MOVE!... maybe...

Get me to a club ASAP! 

I know... I know... a lot of these are corny...

But in my mind, when I put on a dance workout DVD, I turn instantly into J-Lo...

Or Liz Lemon

thatssotrue_com_1257_1329759570

even in my mis-matched sweats

.....

On a work out side, it does have a different 10 minute standing ab workout... which only taught me that I could NEVER EVER be a belly dancer...

but again, in my own basement, I was the best belly dancer in the world!

Friday, December 6, 2013

December Challenges... Wan? or Rulk?

So yes, I posted about a Plank Challenge for December & I've not just talked about it & then said, "Screw that"... I started it...

& man oh man... I had no idea how bad my abs are!  Right now, on day 5, I'm up to 40 seconds & I shake like a building in an earthquake rating a 10.0 ... its crazy...

& I can't believe that I'm supposed to hold that pose for 5 minutes in just a few weeks.  I'm expecting some sort of Ab-Plank-Fairy to come drop pixie dust on my abs at night to give me strength to make it.




1 HOUR & 20 MINUTES?  & I'm complaining about 5 minutes?
The Plank Fairy must REALLY like him!

I also can't imagine what I'll do while in that position for 5 minutes... that's a long time to be in a position where your face is just a foot from the ground.



There's an idea....

I expect one of my dogs to just crawl on my back & take a short snooze...

I'm also keeping up with my #RWRunStreak... which for me, should be called #RWWalkStreak ... or #RWRulkStreak ... or #RWWanStreak ... I'm doing a mile every day (if not more) but not killing myself.  Don't get me wrong, I still sweat, & I still try to get a better time then the night before...

But I've really accepted & been easier on myself about not trying to be something I'm not.  I'm not going to be the fastest- never was, not planning on it at 41 years old... I'm not going to be this amazing story that makes people think, "Wow - I want to be like her"... I'm just trying to realize that I'm climbing up the hill (not over it yet.. right?) & I just want to stay as healthy as I can... keeping an eye on my back & knee & not make things more miserable.  So yes, sweat is involved... pain?  I don't want to make it worse... I want to be smart...

I'm going to just keep working at it in small steps.  Like I posted on Instagram the other day, small steps make for BIG distances if kept consistent.



Last night I even incorporated an old school VHS Pilates video.  I really want to tone up the core, & I know Pilates is about that... but my hips & quads were the ones aching in this work out...

I guess its all connected though...

& I know it all needs to be strengthened...


So I keep trying to do just that.

Anyone else doing any challenge in December?

How long can you hold a plank?

Which is better?  #RWWanStreak or #RWRulkStreak?

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Let it be...

No... we're not talking about the Beatles...

We're talking about The Biggest Loser.

I was back on my treadmill doing my #RWRunStreak & watching my Dolvett & the other trainers...

Dolvett gets Rachel back in the pool during last night’s The Biggest Loser. Watch the full episode here.
Just because every post need Dolvett next to a pool...
Not the kind of trunks I'd imagine him choosing to wear.

This week, one person had to go home with a trainer & his weight would be against the other teams.  Jillian got to go home with him as well.  The winner was Jay.  Or Cowboy as I call him.  I mean, who wears a cowboy hat 24/7 while working out?  I guess Jay does.


 


We learned a lot about Jay while he was home.  The things that made him who he was, the things that devastated him & the things that may have caused his weight issues & his issues with food.

At one point, when he was talking about his parents divorce & his childhood home burning down, Jillian asks him, "What ended?"... she went on to talk about to have something born (an issue with food/eating), something had to die.. what was it?

Jillian goes on to talk about how we sometimes go through things that causes a piece of us to die...

Jay finally admits that a part of him died...
What died?  "I did" ...

it broke my heart...

I mean literally on the treadmill with tears streaming down my face.  Thank goodness my treadmill belt has a good traction on it or I'd slip in my own tears.
How tragic would that be?

I think if you've ever been in a situation where you've been so hurt, ever had regrets you couldn't stand, ever felt like a part of you has literally died... you would understand this moment.

Jay then goes on & says that he's trying to move on from it... & Jillian said something that punched me in the gut...

"Let it be"

Finding acceptance in things ...
Refocusing...

It was really powerful...at least for me...

I remember the episode I posted about not too long ago where the person admitted that he jailed himself...

This eating thing... its tough on some people... its a way of comfort, of dealing with hurt, of trying to make struggle easy, of coping by shutting yourself off from the world...
 
& the messed up thing?  It only causes more issues that makes you want to do these things even more.

Jillian Harris could have sent me a bill for therapy last night & I would have paid it...

In the end, Jay killed it & was safe...

& boo... my Velvet Teddy Bear was once again sent packing...
 
Good bye... again...


Now if he comes back again, something is gonna be fishy...
 
 


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Run your Mass Off

This is why I love virtual races...

So I can do them whenever I want to..

Which also means that I'm at the last day of the month & thinking, I didn't do my race!

So Saturday, November 30th - the last day of the month - we were out Christmas shopping all day.  I mean, ALL DAY!  We were out in our first store at 10:00am & shopped until we literally couldn't fit another package in the car.

I was exhausted.

image

& that's when I got home & saw the medal sitting on my dresser.

When they send them ahead of the race, I put it on my dresser - don't dare thinking of putting it around my neck & NEVER goes on the medal wall until the miles are done.

So it was either throw the medal in a drawer, or get to the treadmill...

Ricky ended up falling asleep & I headed to the basement.

Luckily, there was a Glee episode on the TV in front of Miley (my treadmill's name).  It only gets 3 stations - one being Public Access TV which isn't very entertaining, so I try to do all my treadmill jaunts on specific times where something actually grabs my attention & not makes me want to slit my wrists from boredom on the treadmill...

Even better?  It was the Glee episode with Neil Patrick Harris.. my secret BFF... I say secret because I know we would be BFF's... Neil just isn't in on this idea yet though...

I ended up walking this one... walking all day shopping, my low back still aggravated, & my runner's knee still hurting getting up the steps, I knew not to push it.  After all, December 1st started the #RWRunStreak ... one mile a day till 2014... I couldn't get to that day with even more pain.

Walking it was... & it worked out well.  Not much pain in the back, the knees did OK, & I still got the miles in... 3.10

I laugh because my walking time isn't too much off my running time :) 

46:38

May be slow... but it was done... I could wear my medal



So I am in love with Jost Running's medals... It has become my favorite Virtual Race place.  Even better?  They use part of the money to fund charities - changing every month.

Check them out...  www.jostrunning.com

So there you go.. another virtual race in the books...

Now let's start the posts on the Run Streak & the Plank challenge...