Lucky 13... wait... is 13 lucky?

Jumpstart!

So even though I haven't been HERE! I have been active. I come to you down 13 pounds with 20-25 more on my radar. I've been working out no LESS than three times a week. Most times five. I did break a toe that sidelined me for a month. I broke it May 21, 2011. I gained 4.8 pounds during that down time and learned that when I CAN'T workout I become very down on myself and will therefore eat anything in sight. lol

I'm not doing any certain workout.. in fact I'm switching it up to keep a creative routine. I do Chalene Extreme for strength workouts. I walk with a Meetup Group once or twice a week. I recently started loving some belly dance classes. I try out some Power Plate workouts, Flirty Girl, bike riding, yoga, whatever! I'm all over the place as far as activity is concerned.

I've also been following The Jennifer Hudson Meal Plan fairly diligently for nearing 16 weeks. Feeling good, looking good and will be more consistent here from now on. Promise.

I've been checking out a lot of Fit Blogs lately and became really irritated with myself that I haven't taken this thing of blogging a bit more seriously. I'll do better.

Take (Self) Care

(Editor's Note: I'm coming off two weeks of very little/sporadic rest, strep throat, a missed budget, and lots of work...)

So yesterday I walked past my mirror and caught a glimpse of myself... I was not pleased. Not only did my skin look blah and drab, but my hair looked dry and I looked fat (yet happy -- like literally, I was walking past singing a song very loudly and with a smile on my face, saw myself and my smile faded)... life has been really good as of late, yet my body shows a different story. So, I took a vow (didn't I already DO that??) to do better.

Money can be soooo tight sometimes, I often forget to take care of myself. After that mirror glimpse it dawned on me that in recent months, I stopped getting my regular mani/pedis, I'd went several more weeks than my normal four for retwisting my roots, I hadn't gotten my eyebrow maintenance, I'd put on a few pounds, I wasn't drinking much water, I hadn't washed my truck in Jehovah knows how long.... *sigh*

All very interesting seeing as how, I'm -- well I was -- the girl who wouldn't go so much as to the grocery store without making sure I was on the top of my game... maybe not stilettos and booty jeans for a store run but definitely cognisant of looking good and feeling my best. I haven't done that lately. Today, my sweetheart treated my car to a carwash. He called me and asked me to meet him there where he was getting his car done and grateful to not have it looking a mess, I immediately went. Throwing on an old pair of Adidas to top off my black lounge pants, I wrapped myself in muh black bubble Eddie Bauer and tied up my scarf... and headed out.

I got there and after we'd both finally got in, I went to sit next to him. In walks the chick that used to be me, dressed to impress even if only to go to the car wash. And I started to think.... what the HECK has happened to me?? I can't even blame it on being a mommy, cause as we all should by know, I've always deemed myself MILF status ever since I was good and pregnant.... but I've allowed my weight to literally control my mood. I'm not imaginative with my work wardrobe anymore... just kinda go with the flow. Since I'm on my feet all day, I avoid wearing heels often... I gave lots and lots of my shoes away to charity because I was originally to buy a bus load more... never happened... so, I went to buy some clothes for myself to give myself a boost in the right direction today... nothing huge, just a bit of retail therapy for my mood that matches my skin.

Ladies, have you been there before? In that spot where you just don't feel like yourself? How did you fix the problem? Or was it just an issue for the moment? I mean, really, sometimes I'm so bored and want to go out, but don't feel I look right in ANYTHING I put on. I used to know I was the hottest thing on my King's arm, lately I wonder if I don't get invited to something is it because he thinks I look drab too. lol... I laugh cause I'm serious.

I recently wrote a blog about us (ladies) not losing sight of ourselves in order to do our part to keep The Black Family strong and the excitement in our relationships.

In gist, I'm not feeling my normal overly confident self and I hate it... and I know it's something serious because I'm not even bleeding and I feel this way... for my guy readers, that means it's not the PMS talking. So consider this my two weeks notice. I'm going to start looking how I feel (which is really a whole other story in itself, does that mean when I was looking my very best I was secretly masking being unhappy?? Lawd... so many unanswered questions!) and taking charge of myself in the best of times and the worst of times...

Brings me back to the discussion (can't find the link) about how I am most motivated to lose weight and stay in shape when I am single and looking... ridiculous. I'm not announcing it to the world or anything, but I've got to get it together... I'm on it. No, seriously. It's time to be a little bit selfish.... cause how can I be the best mom and woman if I don't take care of myself first? I'm pretty dope at both now, so just imagine if I looked and felt I looked my best. I'm just adding some perspective... for myself.

Sometimes it's useful to be a little selfish and introspective otherwise you may just find yourself living someone else's life, achieving someone else's dreams or driving down a road with no destination or end game. ~ The Ripple Effect (Blog)

Photo Sources: http://www.wellspouse.org
http://rainbow120.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/self-esteem-training.jpg

UPDATE BLOG: Are you hurt? Or are you injured?

Hey! I'm still here! :)

"Are you hurt, or are you injured?"
"What's the difference, coach?"
"If you're hurt you can play, if you're injured..."
~ "Coach Winters" in The Program

Well after a few frustrating days of not being able to see my doctor or schedule an appointment, I decided to show up today on a morning I knew she was scheduled to be in a different office to walk-in and see a new primary care physician. He saw me and my knee and even though the "treatment" of it is spanned out over four weeks, I'm happy that the ball is even rolling. Because it definitely wasn't getting better with R.I.C.E.ing.

So he prescribed me some stronger ibuprofen than what I have in the cabinet and scheduled me for an MRI for the first appt I could get (8/25) saying that hopefully the ibuprofen will start to help the swelling before then. There's like a little bubble of ... something... sitting inside the left side of my left kneecap. And then I follow up with him on 9/8 (the soonest we could meet b/c he's goin on vacay for two weeks and since I just kinda deciced to switch to him as my primary care... he was originally gonna have me see my old physician and I declined. Who knows, maybe a lil ibuprofen inflammatory twice a day (I would never think to take that much ibuprofen in a day) might actually help a ton and by the time I see him he'll have even better news for me.) In the meantime, I'll wait. It severely throws off my timetable, but I'm just gonna start getting in about 30 minutes of the elliptical three times a week... not too long, but enough to get something done. And possibly some swimming. (I don't like the upkeep of swimming with all the showering in the gym and swim caps and carrying on lol) and staying as flexible as possible in hopes to keep up my endurance so that when this is all said and done, I can pick up where I left off, repeating week 4 and moving on with my life. Hopefully that won't throw off my training for my 5K too much. It's still 11/1 so hopefully all will be well. I have high hopes.

As of this morning I'm doing best to follow the Fat Smash Detox as of this a.m. I have never been very successful doing this... why, I'm not sure especially when I have managed to Master Cleanse for several days in succession. So this time, especially since now my activity has severely decreased, I need to make sure I follow the eating "rules" to continue to be able to positively contribute to the challenge I'm in on Spark People. So far today, I've had a small something every couple hours. Banana for breakfast, strawberry protein smoothie (with a cup of real strawberries in addition to the strawberry mix) and then two veggie kebabs with zucchini, squash and yellow pepper. Very tasty. I am soaking my red beans to make vegetarian red beans and gonna make a big pot of brown rice for the "heavy" stuff. But keeping it predominantly veggies and fruits and actually gonna really stick to the guidelines of how you're to prepare them: steamed, raw or grilled. Wish me luck.

30 X 30 Challenge
Thanks to Allyn, a Spark buddy, I was motivated to SHED 30 pounds by our 30th bday. She's a Capricorn as well and our 30th bdays are in days of each other. It's ironic because I'd thought to strive for that before, but the impatient girl in me, really wanted to get it done MUCH sooner than that. But that is also how I have done in the past. I put a LOT of pressure on myself to meet these dates when, sensibly, it would be better to give myself more time, even if I don't need it. It's just the fair thing to do. I owe myself that. My birthday present to myself will be MAINTENANCE. lol

Well, actually, I am looking into a February Ski/Super Bowl trip to the Catskills as my belated present. But my real present is maintenance. :)

Good-bye "Good" Parts!
Even in all this madness, I have still managed to lose a nice amount of weight (even tho the doc's scale was like 4 lbs heavier than what my home scale says I am... oyeee... need a new scale, man) and I want to keep these results.

I really, truly... truly miss C25K. I had no idea I could enjoy running so much. It's very empowering. And I hope I can get back to it a lot sooner than later.

A little while ago, I wrote a blog about losing the "good parts" . I am proud to announce that those good parts are slimming on down. My tight skinny jeans... not so tight anymore. I am seeing the results of my work and it makes me feel so great.

I caught a glance at myself in the full-body mirror and while I AM trimming down the "good parts" I'm also toning them up and lifting thangs splendidly... and guess what? The man notice anyhow.

As I told BUTTA... the men are taking notice not only because our BODIES are changing but WE are changing. Our self-esteem grows with every workout we finish, every inch we lose and every muscle we gain. Yay for us.

In the meantime...
I finally bought my poster board. I am about to use my "down" time as a breather to get my collage done... I am excited about the project and can't wait to post pics.

Keep moving...

A Dieter's Prayer

Found this on a Spark buddies page... just awesome. lol

A DIETER'S PRAYER

Lord, won't you help me?
It's that time of year.
Winter has come and gone.
Springtime is here.
In this season of flesh,
Won't you show that you care?
Lord, won't you heed
This dieter's prayer.

Teach me tonight
To love cottage cheese,
Grapefruit and celery,
Lord, if you please.
Make me believe
That tofu's a food,
And not something you made up
When you were in a bad mood.

Lord, won't you help me?
Show that you care.
Lord, won't you heed
This dieter's prayer.
Make me believe
That ice cream's just awful,
That the devil is hiding
Inside every waffle.
That mayonnaise is nothing
But a communist plot.
That broccoli is good for you
And chocolate is not.

Keep me away
From the refrigerator door
When life is a trial
And love is a bore.
Save me from nachos,
And tacos and chips,
For what goes in my mouth
Always lands on my hips.
Oh, pizza, oh pasta,
Oh, popcorn, oh, pork!
Get thee behind me
Oh, knife and oh, fork.
And chicken fried steak
From the deepest of south...
Oh, Lord, if you love me,
Won't you please shut my mouth?

Oh, Lord, do you hear me?
Honk if you're there.
Lord, won't you heed...
You know my need...
Oh, Lord, won't you heed
This dieter's prayer?

So how bout we all just DO IT... don't DIET!

Runner In Progress

WELP, I did it!!! I started week four today!!! I blogged about how I was gonna abort the last day of week 3 and move on to week 4 since I felt so comfortable.

Week four consists of two five-minute runs and two 3-minute runs with various shorter walking spurts. I FINISHED!!! I ran each segment I was supposed to, didn't stop. *SMILES PROUDLY* I am so proud of myself, ya'll... you really don't understand.. I could tear up a little bit.

I feel great.

Not saying it wasn't a challenge... Of course Oh Shila started whining a little bit, but I just made sure to cool down, taking the speed down on the walking, walking pigeon-toed then sleuth footed, then pigeon toed etc... whatever adjustments to calm her down then I hit my run intervals again. Making sure to take my time and stretch really well, holding each move for 20-30 seconds after a 8-minute cool down. For a total of 35 minutes of activity. I was running at about 4.5 for the first interval (3 minutes) but knew that I would probably have to take it down some after the 90-second interval because next us was FIVE MINUTES! Eep!! Shila's ass was like, oh no HONEY! I don't know WHAT you thought this was!" But I was like, "shut the hell up and hook it up!" :-) In every relationship there needs to be compromise, so I took my speed down to 3.8. I felt like I was walkin in sand, BUT I can work on speed later. Let me get her to cooperate first then we'll start doing competitive timing. We'll stick to this for a few weeks and then we'll reassess, deal, Shila?

There are little euphoric feelings like that of doing your workout, completing it and being in line with your caloric intake. It's enough to make me emotional. Next run is Tuesday morning, but KNOW that the work doesn't take a rest until then. Condition! Condition! Condition!

I see my runner's body hanging in the closet with those smaller clothes with the tags still on them... and I am gunning for em all. This is goin to be a GREAT first week to kick off August and round off the summer. Let's do it!

So Amazing

I am feeling so good...

Better than I have in a long time... this is it, friends! It feels great to be here again... I won't lose it ever again. You can believe that...

LET'S DO IT!

H2TC! I SEE YOU!!!!!

Just Bumpin My Music!

I adore my new iPod.

It was the best gift a man, co-parent and friend could give me for being a great mother, friend, lover of his seed for Mother's Day. It enhances my workouts and, if I do say so myself, my music choices rock. I heart my play list "Working it OFF in 2009." It's funny cause I add the songs I want there, but every time I work out I shuffle the music so it surprises me... and that it does.

My workout went off without a hitch with "Gadget Flow" by Lupe Fiasco... an upbeat hip hop track about being from "a city in the Midwest, best city in the whole wide-wide world, hey!" Just as I was finished with my first three-minute run interval, feeling good about it, Mavis Staples told me, "let's do it again!"

In the middle of my third set of my squats/lunges regimen, Teedra Moses kept my mind on my booty by reminding me that "it's something in yo backstroke, that keeps me into youuuu..."

Then when I thought to pass on the 30-mins of elliptical, Eightball & MJG told me I "don't want DRAMAAA!" So I got on that bad boy and made it "do what it's sposeta do" (Ice Cube).

Then when I was done stretching and headed out the door feeling good about myself, locs all sweated out like a championship round of sex, Kem told me to let my love (of working out) set me free... "let it set you freee..." and I did.

ahhhhhhh *sigh of complacency*

It was so nice....... but ummmmmm, yeah, that was Monday... TODAY'S workout kicked my ass! lol

But I'll be back out there tomorrow... thank you and a big "muah!" to my iPod for keeping me engulfed no matter my workout mood. Cause even in the midst of a torturous one today, Kanye let me know that I'm still "so amazing!"

Analyze. Strategize: The Intro.

I found my fit girl "crush"... a 35-year-old single mother of two in St. Louis who lost like 50 lbs., got certified as an ACE personal trainer, is now a fitness writer and currently training to be a fitness model. At 35, she changed the game and took on a new job totally unrelated to her two degrees. In the midst of all the adversity she faces, she ventured out.. it inspires me and makes me ashamed. Ashamed that I am SUCH a procrastinator. When the eff did I get sooo stagnant? So lazy? SO careless. I was in my iPhoto just staring at pics of how this...*pinches self* came to be. And then I sat my period-laden butt up all week eating everything under the sun... real rude like. It's like I know what I want and continue to ruin and/or delay my destiny
...

WHY?!

So now I'm reflecting.

The other day I was lookin at myself in the mirror impressed with progress. I swore I saw a shrinking waistline... and then I sabotaged myself. I must, must, must do better. I am currently developing a new strategy in my plan of attack.

10 More Tips for Your Wellness Journey

Easy Ways to Get Healthy

-- By Carrie Myers Smith, Health & Fitness Writer

Looking for more ways to become a healthier you? Here are 10 great ideas you can use any day, every day.

1. Drink a glass of water. Water is an essential nutrient for life. But beyond that, you just plain feel better when you’re well-hydrated. More energy, brighter eyes, healthy skin and a decreased chance of headaches are just a few of the benefits you’ll glean from drinking up!

2. Go for a walk. There’s nothing like a nice, brisk walk to relieve stress, give you a boost of energy and get the brain cells working again!

3. Call a friend. Do you have a friend who you know is going through some tough times? Why not zip off a quick note or give her a call and offer encouragement to her. She won’t be the only one who feels better!

4. Journal. Keeping a diary or journal has been shown to be a stress reliever. Seeing a quandary on paper can also help you uncover concrete solutions to it. Take a moment to write down a problem you’ve been encountering and get ready to resolve it!

5. Soak your feet. Your feet literally carry you throughout your day. Do something kind for them. Kick your shoes off and give them a good rub down. If you can, take a few minutes to soak them. Cover the bottom of a basin with marbles, fill the basin with warm water and sprinkle in some Epsom salts and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. While soaking, glide your feet over the marbles for a mini-massage. After you’ve soaked your feet, slather on a rich re-hydrating cream.

6. Send a thank you note. Has someone done something nice for you and you have yet to really thank her? No time like the present! Send a nice thank you note now!

7. Eat a snack. If you find your energy waning between meals, eat a small, healthy snack to boost your brain back into action. Combining a whole grain, fruit, or vegetable with a protein: nuts, nut butters, low-fat dairy products, seeds, soy products, lean meats, fish, or poultry will give you a sustained energy boost to get you to your next meal.

8. Chew a stick of sugar-free gum. There’s nothing like a clean, fresh mouth to make you feel refreshed all over. But when you can’t get to your toothbrush and floss, chew on a piece of sugar-free gum instead to give your mouth and body an invigorating zing.

9. Organize your space. Whether it’s at the office or at home, clutter can make you feel sick – literally. Get rid of what you don’t need and organize what’s left. Take a few minutes right now to clean up your space.

10. Take "five." Allowing your body to run on a constant adrenaline rush, which happens when you’re in continual stressed-out mode, wreaks havoc on the body. Take several breaks throughout your day to simply breathe, pray, or whatever it takes to bring your body down to neutral.

Source

Remember The Goals

I spoke to someone who actually successfully completed the ChaLEAN Extreme program and she told me that she lost 12 pounds over the 3 months and a few inches... that is awesome in the sense that it's 12 pounds she didn't have on her frame three months prior. Perhaps I am an overachiever or just seriously misunderstanding what the program is supposed to do. OR it has me thinking it will do something it simply won't. However, instead of trying to figure out which, I have to figure out what I can do to maximize my results. In a perfect world, I would lose two pounds a week over the 12 and end with at least 24 lbs AND several inches. But in order to achieve anything close to that, I'm going to have to utilize those recipes she shares in the food guide, cut my calories down to 1400 (I was previously at 1550 max). I have to utilize those calories better by eating more less calorie/fulfilling foods.

Gotta remember my goals. And figure out the best way to execute to make this work for me. The words "results not typical" keep flashing in my mind... I want my results to be untypical as well dammit!

Now during my day, I wear my little "I Play For Keeps!" bracelet to remind me to make best decisions all day long to be regret-free come workout time.

While I am doing the workouts (almost done with my first full-week ~ yay!) I know now I must add some more to my plan. Cardio. The circuits get my heart rate up. Which is great... and "muscle burns fat" but I need to be doing some cardio too, I feel. And there's only one workout in the week that incorporates some actual cardio into the workout (Burn Intervals). But at the same time, the workout itself is enough house activity, so I have to figure out something to do. I want to incorporate bike rides three times a week... but that's gonna need the weather to cooperate. It's been a rainy Chi-Town lately. But perhaps I can plan for bike rides and walks and Turbo Jam can be my "rain site." :-)

And I just have to push myself.

Currently, when my lifting is getting too tough, I chant little things like, "push..." or "I can do it..." "Sweat breeds athletes..." Perhaps a little lame to some.... but a big motivator to me.

This has been a long-awaited fight that I have postponed for nearing three years... it's bitter for me to even be here again... BUT I am here. I can either deal with it now or never address it and deal with the affects of it later. I choose to fight now... while I still have the energy, drive, motivation and great health to attack it. Furthermore, I want to keep all those traits. I don't want any of them to deteriorate.

So, it's these verbal cues and different visuals that are gonna help me through this. Around my house, specifically at my desk in my study where I sit often and perhaps decide not to get up to workout... near my sun's sweets section of the cupboard and on the fridge to name a few... I place little index cards with drawn statements like:

• I want to get stronger!
• I want to be a lean machine!
• I want to have more energy!
• I want to feel/look like myself again!
• I want to LIVE and be healthy for sun!
• I WILL reach my goal!

• 

That Terrible Feeling
Every time I eat some fast food or something not particularly good for me that's not included in my meal plan... I feel disgusting and disappointed with myself afterward. I mean, literally. It goes too quickly. It's (sorta) tasty going down, but not filling at all. But it's quick, easy and gets the job done for the moment. But oh when it's done... I just feel so guilty. Like a person with a conscience who cheats on her partner and afterwards gets those bad feelings like, "that was a mistake.... I should not have done that." That feeling (and my finances ~ not a lot of overhead to be wasting money on an unfulfilling meal) has been stopping me from going into a fast food restaurant or drive-thru. It's these little victories that let me know I just might be back. No, scratch that... that I am back.

Are you hurt or are you injured?

~ Coach "The Program"

I loves me some residual pain.

I know that when it's happening, my muscles are woooorking.

It's not that injury, "oh my word, that HURTS!" pain but, "oohhhhh yeah, that hurts sooo good!" :)

It's nice to be back... so long as I keep remembering the goals and visualizing myself successful.

I will be an athlete again!

Tomorrow morning I am biking to Washington Park (as promised) while my sun gets his haircut and goes shopping for his birthday stuff with Daddy.

OH and thanks for being here to hear me journal about these trials... just think soon it will be about my client meetings and classes! :)

"I get it in!"

Still Pushing Play

Rest Days Gone WILD!
Tuesday was my rest day... and it started off pretty good. Well, actually it started kinda off because my initial plan was to go for a leisure bike ride to Washington Park. But the weather interceded on that plan. It also interceded with plan B: to do my light errands on foot. It wasn't the worst thing in the world since I really should have been letting my muscles calm down from Monday, especially the first week back into these very intense workouts. It really is important not to overdo it... now when I consistently get through three weeks of them, perhaps then it will be OK to do a little more activity on Tuesdays and Sundays... but yesterday, I probably should have done SOMETHING because the day somehow turned into an emotional eating day. I worried myself into a frenzy about some personal issues and before I knew it had eaten two honey buns... "Well, CZ, why do you even have honey bun's in the house?!" I don't know, dear reader... I don't know why I even bought them. *lowers head in shame*

And then around midnight I added to the mayhem... when I should have been asleep, I ate a pizza puff and fries made in the comfort of my own oven. The good news at least is that the fries are gone. And I have vowed not to buy processed, already made cut potatoes for frying again. lol But instead try sweet potato fries/chips made in the kitchen. I still have pizza puff's.. they're not as bad as you might think though: 400 calories. What I usually do, is cut it in half. Give half to the boy with pretzels or calorie pack chips and eat half for myself with a big salad full of veggies and light dressing.

So yes, yesterday was a mess. BUT, bad associations spoil useful habits. Those damn fries were badly associated with my freezer! And today is a new day...

Burn Circuit 2... kicked my butt! But this day has started off a lot more awesome than Rest Day. I woke up on my own will at 6:24 a.m. Then after about 7-10 minutes of getting my eyes to focus, I headed downstairs to get my day 2 on. And I drenched sweat for that lil 38 minutes.

I could feel every muscle working and some reps were just plain difficult to get through, but I did. Those of us who workout have all had that moment at some point. You feel so fatigued and exhausted... every weight, even your lighter sets, feel like they weigh a ton. But we can either quit or PUSH through. You always have to push through. Unless you physically feel like you are experiencing a problem: heavy chest, heart rate way too abnormally high, working out through the "pain" to push past your boundary and comfort level cause that's what's going to make us stronger. Not just physically, but mentally.

I stopped for a couple brief (10-15 second) breathers during the workout when I felt like it was too much. Serial workout enthusiasts (myself included even though I am just getting back on the scene) can sometime feel guilty about doing this but it.happens. You can do that, or you can also slow your pace (pausing in between sets for lifting). Try a new exercise... doing the same exercise over and over can really get boring. I worry about this having to do five of the same workouts, five days a week for four weeks. I will try to combat any boredom by upping the weights to keep challenging myself. That will distract me from the fact that I am doing the same routine.

Morning Workouts
My morning workout, I've learned is a great, great motivator. I get it out the way in the morning and feel determined to be great the rest of the day. Not to eat too much or poorly because it will counter effect all my good work. If you can workout in the morning I would seriously give it a try and this is coming from one of the most NON-morning people ... ever. But it beats doing whatever the hell I want all day and then trying to workout later in the day and it barely puts a dent in what I ate or drank. I feel my muscles working... feels good and I wanna keep that good feeling going!

Make sure you motivate yourself... because you are the one that has to ultimately do this for yourself. And I will need a lot of motivation. I am in the hardest stretch of my workout: four consecutive days. One (today) down. Three to go!!!

Off to have a nice bowl of cheese grits, my daily vitamin, and a 1/2 cup of skim... do your best today. Log your food, workouts. You deserve it!

cheese grits, sprinkled with chopped turkey
bacon bits, paprika and cayenne
brendan brazier strength training

Don't Wait for Life-Changing Events

I always feel really silly when I (re)start a workout. Because I feel SO.GOOD when I am done. It's weird that I stopped in the first place. So today was official day one. My schedule is different than when I started the program. Now, I workout Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday doing the Chalene Extreme. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I am currently mapping out a safe route to bike in the a.m.

And now, after a healthy breakfast of Cinnamon Pecan cereal smothered in skim milk lol, I am snackin on frozen sliced strawberries. It wasn't planned for them to be frozen, but my fridge is a beast. But I actually kinda like them like this... kinda feels like a frozen treat. Might be on to something!

I did my workout at 8:30.. later than I planned to and my sun was up which made it more difficult cause he would try to crawl between my legs during my squats to be cute and problematic lol BUT I made it through it and I felt great... I'm also finally, finally using my SPARK PAGE and I'm not going to leave it unused again. It's also an app on my iPod Touch, so now there's absolutely NO EXCUSE for me not to track my stuff, get on it. What's ironic? I created my Spark Page almost a month to the day that I created this blog. Sense a pattern? So here we go... also there are several friends I actually know who are members also, so there's that accountability again. I must get it together ya'll... for me.

You know what I was thinking about yesterday? How complacent we women get in relationships. We fall into these new people who we're loving in this new euphoric state, but what I vow to do NOW, from this day forward (well I had already vowed, but now get to put it to the test) is to continue to keep/get myself together. Just because we're seeing someone doesn't mean we should stop our goals, dreams and plans. If anything, that person should make you strive harder, they should motivate you...

I did a little background on myself and everytime I've gotten fit, accomplished something it was after I'd left a significant relationship. Even when I got fit in 2005, it was after a breakup the previous fall. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In general, it's human nature to have epiphany's after major life changes/decisions... but I'm not gonna wait for something life-changing to happen before I do something to counter...


I am going to MAKE LIFE HAPPEN.

Dinner tonight...

Marinated broiled chicken breasts (low-sodium soy sauce, garlic powder and onion power) basted while broiling.

Sauteed asparagus in olive oil with red/white onion, celery, garlic and red pepper... pan sprayed with Pam olive oil

Brown rice

Sept. 10, 2007....

In 6 days, it will be June 10... three months from two years ago when I started this blog. And healthwise, I have accomplished very, very little in comparison to what I was supposed to have accomplished. But I did a lot of thinking and self evaluation in April and May, and June, the start of a new season (summer) is always the best time to bring fruition to ideas and goals.

When is it time to really stop bs'ing and get in your right mind?

Life as an adult is soooo routine, so wouldn't it be smart to make it be the BEST routine for you vs. letting the day waste away without accomplishments? I vow to make the most of my routine days. Life keeps on passing us by... we have to do better.

I mean, as we get older our health (by nature) deteriorates. So it is only smart to get on the good foot and get ourselves together. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, some positive and uplifting and some not so positive (i.e., what's the point of trying to recertify myself in fitness when other people in the business my age have been consistently doing it for years or are much younger than me?) But I can't be discouraged by those kindsa thoughts... if anything I need to prove to myself that I can finally finish this task... I mean seriously, if I count my original payment plus each $25 delay fee, I have probably paid near $800 to take this damn test in all... lol funny but incredibly... sad.

I was telling a couple of my favorite homegirls that by 30, I really need to have it completely together. With a "new" relationship on the horizon, I still do all the things I was once doing as to not lose myself. I am still getting out the house. Still very active with my Meetup.com groups via community service, health and fitness, professional groups and sister circles. So when I can steal away (and I have been making time to make sure I do) I have been doing that. I get so caught up in family life sometimes, and how to maintain it for my youth, that I forget that there are sooo many things I want to do. Still... at the "old" age of 29 and some change.

There's ... something more that is supposed to be done while I am here. On this earth. Less dramatically, in Chicago. I just have to focus. I completed The Master Cleanse... the one act that calls for serious, serious focus and determination. Surely I can change the path I am on to be even MORE positive.

So I have a plan of action for the next three months: that starts today. Well, really yesterday (June 3).

• Tone up / Lose 15 lbs. And keep it off by making time to work out 5 days a week.

• Study for my exam. Take the test. Pass. :) And look for teaching jobs for the elderly, youth, water aerobics etc.

• Love more... worry less. This is easier said than done but doable still the same.

• Fix my diet. Consume more fruits and vegetables.

• Stick to the budget. With the kids going on summer break, I will be on a very tight budget but if God willing, I will be able to still have a suitable "income" coming in but one that will also allot me the time in my schedule I will need to really get myself (back) together.

But hey, I can post all the bullet points in the world but only a PLAN will make sure I adhere to them. So I will post everyday on how I stuck to the plan that day be it my food intake, my regimen and my good thoughts.

Moving on... but not really:

I love Special K cereal, and was thinking about this Special K Challenge over the weekend. Not so much because I think it's the end-all, be-all of healthy weight loss, I realize it's not... but I was thinking of trying this out for a guinea pig purpose... but I mean, well, if I lose an inch (or six pounds) off my waste that would be cool too. They guarantee at least an inch on the commercials and I must admit I am rather curious. The "challenge" has undergone some slight tweaks since they first introduced it years back... I do remember trying it before but it didn't quite stick. I think because then they didn't have other flavors and I couldn't put sugar on my cereal cause that wasn't part of the plan. Hence why it didn't work for me at all... but now they have snack bars, protein shakes, waffles and a bigger variety of cereals. I was thinking of making a little test experiment out of it... I mean, I've done The Master Cleanse for 1o days... so everything else should be simple, right? lol And I was thinking I could use my Fat Smash detox guidelines for the one meal a day to really drive it home.
What say you?

I debate and debate about it, but I really do need something to shock my system while I am doing my workouts. Working out and eating whatever is not a good balance, but I've found (based on my 2005/06 get fit plan) that when I worked out, filling myself with better for me foods I had a lot more energy. Um, yeah, I know, duh!

I do like Special K, but in general I am not a cereal for breakfast person. I know if I am going to be my best healthy self I need to get over that. BUT since I can't make/won't spend time in the kitchen making egg white omelets and thangs everyday, I need to find a delicate balance. SO I bought some Special K Vanilla Almond and Special K Cinnamon Pecan :)

A nice huge salad some days for lunch or days where I have cereal & fruit for lunch I can make a big bowl of sauteed spinach (my sauteed spinach is fye (fire)!) or red beans and (brown) rice... so long as it's part of the fat smash menu. I think I might be able to make it! My baby's birthday is June 15, so I think that's a nice round numba to see where my progress is from today. Tomorrow, I will resume my Chalene Extreme... and stay the course this time... for real. Utilize that book of yummy recipes she suggests. I'm such a loser sometime... stop spending money on these things and not getting the full benefit, crazy!! *rolls eyes at self*

It's all so frustrating really to know that in 2006 when I returned here, I was extremely fit and still looking to lose like 20 pounds trying to adhere to industry standards... this is where my new recentered self will come into play... keeping me grounded in reality.

So, a typical day will go like this:
Times are estimates and will vary obviously... but the GOAL is to try and stick as close to the times as possible to not only create a rhythm and habit that my body is used to, but also make sure I utilize all the time in my days, positively and wisely.

6 a.m.: Morning rise and prayer
6:30 a.m.: Workout
7:30 a.m.: Breakfast
10:30 a.m. Snack 1
11:30 a.m.: Sun's nap
Noon: Study
1:30 p.m. Lunch
4 p.m. Snack 2
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:30 Sun's bathtime..
8 p.m. Sun's bedtime..
8:30 p.m. Study/Blog/Unwind

As I said, I'll post daily and make sure to live life in betweek eating lol Trips to the park, store, zoo, cleaning, etc. I just didn't feel it necessary to get into details as far as those were concerned. :)

What can you do/tweak to make your routine work more positively for you? Can you really commit to something for 30 days? 60 days? 90 days?

ETA 6/6/09: OK, so I decided NOT to do the Special K challenge BUT I have had breakfast the past three mornings... I will have it tomorrow as well directly after my morning workout. Yeah!

129 Days to Peace...

Today is the first day, of the rest of meh life... it sounds corny, but today... for me, it's true. I really need "a change gone come" around here. Having my sun 14 months ago really made me see a lot of things differently... and for him I was trying to make certain things work in my life that just aren't meant. I've had to refocus and center myself... but it is a seemingly difficult task with the wrong influences. Having him has truly changed me as a person, and I should follow suit in all things so that I can be the best mother he deserves. I'd like to believe I'm a good person, so why negativity always seems to find me, I am not sure. But today is the day I take more ownership of how things in MY life progress and keep them natural and positive and great. So with that said: I am instituting a sort of "challenge" for myself. There are exactly 129 days left until the first of 2009. (Nuts how fast this year went, but I digress.) So with these 129 days, I will take myself into my own personal "next level."

So of course, I have some goals.

1. Get Back Active: Exercise at least 3 times a week. It can be a walk, a bike ride, an exercise DVD, a dance class, whatever -- but I must get in at least three days.
~ I have registered to take my re-certification exam December 6, 2008 in Schaumburg.
~ Tone, tone, tone!

2. Remove 20 pounds... for good!
Genesis 1:29 ~ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Coincidence of this Bible verse? I'm sure, but who cares. I need to get back to eating those whole-grain, organic, things of the earth and away from what I had started resorting to... more flesh than veggies, more processed junk that life foods, etc.

3. Enjoy life... enjoy my child... and let no one take this happiness, love from me.

4. Save some duckets. Buy a home. The goal is to buy a home early 2009.

My moment has arrived. I give thanks for all that encompasses me and has made me who I am today... but tomorrow is not promised, so I must begin to live for my present.

I recognize now that which is truly important... I abhor being stressed out. I look on with envy as certain friends of mine are always golden. Either they hide it well or they truly are happy inside out. I crave that. I will have that.

I want to be free. I sense the divine order of all things in my life approaching me... and I welcome it with open arms. And then I will release it unto you and others... let's spread positive energy.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Rejoice with me! We just brought in Day One...

Jah Bless.