Feeling Lazy?

Some days I just DON'T want to go to the gym and I mean, it's okay to not be in the mood sometimes. I try not to neglect my workout and will plan a "makeup day". There are days where I just can't wait to get to the gym, days when I'm rather indifferent, and some days where I have to tell myself "just get there and figure the rest out later" because if I think about my workout, I surely won't go.


Over the past 3 years, I've been a member of 3 different gyms (I've finally settled somewhere that I LOVE) and have found some of the most amazing people at these locations. Sometimes when I just don't feel like going to the gym, instead of asking myself "what would so-and-so do" I'll think about the guy with bilateral lower leg amputations who attended my old gym. Or the guy who survived 3 strokes. 3 strokes, and would seemingly be at the gym 10 hours a day. I mean it didn't matter what time a day I'd go, he was there complete with his sweat bands, ready to get in on. The most amazing person of all is the most recent one, a guy with  spinal cord injury who is obviously rehabilitating the use of his legs. I saw this guy do laps around the gym with a walker, pushing the walker ahead then jumping up to meet it.... for hours.




I think that having been in environments where I've cared for similar patients who either haven't been able to rehab so well because of either their condition or their lack of will to have to start so "far behind" makes these people seem so amazing to me. These people are all so positive and upbeat while they bust their asses harder than anyone I've ever seen in the pursuit of their former baseline level of mobility. When I think about these guys I think there really aren't many valid excuses to not take charge of your health.


I hope that in my own "fitness future" I'm able to continually push myself to the next level each and every chance I get. For me, thinking about all of the people that aren't able to do so due to injuries and illnesses kind of makes it seem like it's my responsibility to give my body and my life the gift of fitness.


Don't you?

Sunday Morning Latte Talk.....

What a great week! Save for the snow and epic cold, I had a fantastically action packed 7 days. Being originally from GA it's has taken some time for me to get used to snow, but I think after last Winter's never-ending storms I've been well broken in. It was my first year driving in snow, DRIVING DURING BLIZZARDS, driving long distances to places I wasn't familiar with, etc. I think I'm probably one of the only people I know that thinks driving in these conditions is just SO MUCH FUN!

What I've come to love the most about snowfall is the sound. Everything just seems so quiet when it snows and as the snow falls, there's a kind of white noise that can only be described as calming to the soul. Something like a summer night's breeze. Even though most places around here didn't get a great deal of snow last week (except for Dracut) I still was able to have a brief moment that morning enjoying the calm of the snow. The funny thing about was that in that moment, I remembered that I have been FORGETTING to take a few moments for myself each day. In that moment I was reminded just how important those few moments can be. Some of you know about the many things on my plate outside of work and working out. As these things independently require 100% of my time and attention (in a perfect world) I often find myself overwhelmed and in need of a break. Well, not really a break, but some time to step outside of the chaos to remember why it all must be endured and to remind myself that though I am IN the chaos, I am NOT chaos.

I don't think that I'm alone in this. We all have busy lives and juggle many roles such as Mother, employee, boss, wife, student, etc. It's easy to get caught up in what you do and forget where YOU fit into all of it.

I am quite a frequent traveller, and my favorite part about the pre-flight instructions is where they tell you in the event of an emergency should the oxygen masks be released, apply the mask to yourself before assisting other passengers. That is the point at which I stop listening. I can't be anything to anybody else unless I'm complete in myself. If I'm constantly stressed out about juggling roles, or mounting obligations and the like, there's no way that I can perform for anyone else to any useful degree.

I said all of that to say this; Take a few minutes of every day to just close your eyes and tune into yourself, where ever you are. Take a few deep breaths and feel them move through your entire body and allow yourself to become fully aware of your body and mind. Be your own visitor. When you open your eyes, you'll return to the same world, but you return at a different place in time; able to make a fresh start for yourself moving forward.  

"Rock That Body"

By the Black Eyed Peas was TOTALLY my power song of last week. I twarted myself through the week in an obscene manner, kicking my own ass all along the way. I plan to do the same this week.

This morning's Sunday Session at CSF was so awesome (as always) and just the same, it was so great to see everybody after the past couple weeks that there have been no sessions. Every single time I'm around Savage Girls I get SOOOO inspired and EXCITE about the road ahead. I can't wait for my next workout to see how much further I can push myself so that  I can proudly wear my "Savage Girl" hoodie. Love it.

So this week I'm got SOOOO much going on. A couple of yoga dates, gym dates, training sessions, classes, other appts, and I can't forget work and studying (which did NOT take place at all last week). I've got a good handle on this month's workouts, so I'm hoping for a good week as far as everything else goes; one that is a perpetual challenge, but not a complete struggle.

To keep myself pumping along I've been organizing some playlists. I've downloaded some music that I would never listen to if it weren't for the fact that I needed some good gym tunes. But now they've all transferred outside of the gym. I find myself listening to my workout playlists when I need a jolt of energy and while I'm listening, I'm reminded of how productive and satisfying my time in the gym is.

I sound like a gym hippie... "the gym is a good loving caring place where I feel at home and relaxed blah blah blah gym gym gym"  What the hell do you expect; I'm spending enough time there every week. I could talk about work, but that just sucks, sooooo. As promised to Julie, here's my latest playlist:

Prodigy- "Medusas Path" & "Spitfire"
Black Eyed Peas- "Rock That Body"
Rihanna- "Hard" "Don't Stop the Music"
Britney Spears- "3" "Kill the Lights" "Toy Soldier" "Radar"
Sean Paul- "So Fine"
VNV Nation- "Fearless" "epicentre"
Lil Wayne- "Got Money"
Chris Brown "Transform Ya"
Janet Jackson- "Feedback" "If"
Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"
Beyonce "Radio"
Madonna "4 minutes"

Looking ahead

Thinking about what lies ahead of me in December on makes me very excited. I'm walking into it 10 pounds lighter, physically stronger, existentially content, and ready to tackle the next few months with full force.

When I first started this journey, part of me looked at it as "getting back to where I used to be", but as I progress I'm learning that I'm taking myself to such a different place. Thinking back on it now, it is totally wrong for me to try to go where I've already been. What the hell kind of shit is that? There's nothing new where I've been. Nothing forgotten that I need to go back and grab. All I need is my face forward and my feet on the ground, and THAT is not something to be found in the past.

December marks what is to me the closing in on my goals. The next few months will be non-stop action on many planes. I'm studying for my nursing boards as well as my CPT. There's Christmas and New Years, Girls Weekend in NY and Camp Savage in Jan. Actually TAKING my boards and CPT in Feb, as well as fulfilling other travel obligations. BIRTHDAYS GALORE in March (including mine, my son's, my mother's, my brother's) Then April marks showtime! There's apparently an NPC show in April as well which will push my goal date up by 3 weeks in order to make it there. These next 5 months are gonna fly by and I can't wait to get crackin'. I'm hoping that all of these things keep me busy enough over the course of time that I don't focus so much on my end goal, but rather have a focused awareness on everything that I'm doing to get there.

I've pushed the distractions and the negativity to the side, and have cleared the road in order to find my path to success. I'll bring stories of the latest and greatest as they develop.....

highlights from Thanksgiving......

Sweet Moses what a horrible day!

Life really sucks when PMS falls on a holiday. A holiday that you didn't want to parttake in, but got bamboozled into HOSTING. A holiday that was dropped in your lap with the expectation of pulling it all together.

Okay, long story short I ran my sister off because after she showed up to my house 3-4 hours late (leaving me to do 3-4 hours of cooking alone...... did I mention that I wanted no part in Thanksgiving) camping out on my couch trying to take a nap @ noon and continue to leave me alone in the production of this feast. Came into my kitchen grabbing at food, leaving banana peels and other food garbage on my coffee table. The coffee table that I had just cleaned because these people (my family) were coming over. I'm sorry, what? This is not the Holiday Inn, and my big comfy couch is not your nap-ground.

She finally got sick of my bitching and left, which made for a more quiet evening.

Thanksgiving FOOD!

As I said, I didn't want to participate this year, but I did. This year I had to make regular nasty food for my mother and those that wanted "traditional" artery clogging trough-worthy slop, and hearty, healthy, renditions of said classics for myself. As I posted on facebook "my sister scoffed at my oatmeal and cranberry stuffing and I told her 'that's why my ass is shrinking and yours is expanding'".

I made a regular pumpkin pie, and a heathier version made with fresh pumpkin, greek yogurt, and fat free sugar free vanilla pudding. When it came time for dessert we all tried both pies. My ADORABLE little clone of a son says "um Mommy, I don't like the regular one. Can I have another piece of the healthy one?"

He ate 3 pieces and I TOTALLY let him. Kudos to him for being able to stomach greek yogurt at age 7 because as an adult, I cringe when I eat it.

Thanksgiving was no match for me. Christmas dinner better watch out.

healthcare

I know its really wrong, but some days I walk past patients and I just want to punch them in the face.

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I'm here to help you. STOP FUCKING TREATING ME LIKE SHIT.

NOVEMBER

I've spotted a trouble area that I have to figure a way through this month; one week before my period I don't feel like going to the gym. I just don't I missed 2 days in October for this reason. I thought I had prepared myself for this, but I guess not. I don't know what to do! But I'll see if I can figure somethign out before that time comes around again.

In other news, I'm so psyched for this month.One of my friends joined the Hot for the Holidays program so we're acting as each other support during the day at work, which is great. She kept me from diving face first into a bowl of mini snickers yesterday, though I did enjoy just one. I really want to stay on point with my nutrition this month since last month wasn't the best. My food choices weren't bad, but I had trouble eating enough and eating on time. Yesterday was great, so if that's any indicator of the rest of the month, I think I'm in good shape.

Speaking of shape, I'm shaping up nicely. I've made the most progress on my upper body, which is great as it probably needed the most work. My back has gotten significantly stronger (won't be long before I can finally do a friggin pullup) as well as my bi's tri's and shoulders. This month I plan to focus extra on my 'trunk', that is my back chest and abs.

I'm beginning to really see that what has kept me from my goals is nothing more than myself. I thought that my body was getting old and wasn't responding as quickly as it once did to exercise. NOPE, wrong. I was just fucking lazy. Now that my nutrition and training are consistent, I'm noticing gains that are happening as quickly as they ever did. Oh, and as far cardiovascular goes, 3 months ago, my heart rate would hit 95% like nothing. Now, I have to work my ass off to even get it to 85%. This is another goal for the month: stepping up my cardio and making sure to hit my high intensity days. Part of this plan includes QUITTING SMOKING!

Yes, I smoke. In partial defense, I have cut down in the past months, I smoke about 4-5 cigarettes a day, primarily at work. I'm going to start wearing the patch at work to get me through all those cravings I have after being in that stressful place. I don't want to smoke and I'm ready to actively pursue quitting.

Sooooo big things this month. Very exciting. I'll try to post more frequently.