Running!

I haven't been updating as much as I would like and I'm gonna do better. I hope you all are getting fit and healthy. Summer is right around the corner with Memorial Day this weekend. Anyway you all know I am always looking for a new fitness challenge and I have found one! I have discovered I love to run and when I say love it I mean love it and I am craving it more and more. I feel that I have found my pace and comfort zone in it and the total relaxation I feel when I'm done is unreal. My only fear is future joint and knee problems I've heard such horror stories. I don't particularly like running on a treadmill but I will but I really enjoy running outdoors. I've been doing 3 miles almost daily for the past few week and get disappointed when I can't squeeze it in. I of course still love my gym routines but I just wanted to switch it up a little. When I finished my spin class on Monday I immediately hopped on the treadmill and started running. My instructor came over and he said he must not have done his job! I laughed and said I was just "Cooling down" which I was really I only did a mile!

Anyway on another note. I have been blogging for almost a year now and I am a little surprised that most of my friends and family aren't followers. Hmmm, I'll just leave it at that. Bye for now happy fitness!

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

If you are anything like me you focus on the parts of your body you don't like rather than focusing on the parts you do like and what you can enhance. Well no more! As I have said before we are our own worst critics and tend to see things no one else will ever notice. The next time you look at yourself find something you love about yourself. Find one area you think is smoking hot and find a way to enhance it, to bring it out and make you feel even better. Believe it or not this will have a positive effect on the areas you consider negative. Try it and let me know how it works out for you!

Checkin' In

I am glad some of you have been checking in with me and letting me know how you are doing both by this blog and phones calls. Stay encouraged and don't give up, don't let one bad habit day deter you from your overall goal. Keep it up and pass the blog address on to friends and family we all need to be healthy first and foremost and everything else will fall into place!

When do you say enough is enough?

Well we are headed into April, Spring is here and some of you are still saying to me that you are going to get started! What are you waiting for? If I've said it once I've said it a million times..."Let today be the day you start on the new healthy you!" Why not? I know it's hard! Yeah, I never said it wasn't but it's soooo worth it. Find a program that works for you. It may take a little trial and error but in the end when you find that perfect fit you will sail toward your goals! Make a list of what you want to accomplish and include personal goals. Your weight may also be holding you back at work, in your love life and other areas. Weight, self-esteem, and overall health can hold you back from a world just waiting for you to explore. So I don't if any of you watch Ruby on the STYLE network but I love this reality show because Ruby keeps it real. She is struggling with her weight loss but continues to work past obstacles. This woman was 719 pounds now she is 318. She has a ways to go but look at how far she has come and extending her life in the process. She is eager to get under 300 pounds because she hasn't been less than 300 pounds since she was 15 years old. On last nights episode her therapist suggested she change or eliminate 5 things out of her life that may be holding her back from meeting her weight loss goals. Some of the things she eliminated was diet soda, changing her exercise workout, getting rid of a huge chair that was like a love-seat that she had when she was 700+ pounds and getting a new smaller chair, putting mirrors around her house at waist level where she would sit or walk by so she was always reminded of what she needed to work on! So I thought, what do I want to change? First I had to think of what my real goal is and since it isn't to lose weight I really want to tone and strengthen. I want a killer body this summer! This is week 5 for me for exercise restriction so I am planning hard because next Monday April 6th, I am going to be training as if I'm headed for the Olympics. So the first thing I'm going to do is plan. Lack of planning is a disaster waiting to happen when it comes to weight loss or getting fit because there are so many things that can throw you off track. Also I am going to eliminate negative energy and self-doubt. You gotta believe in you, if you don't who will? Next I want to explore some new forms of exercise. I have also been watching Kirstie Alley's Big life and her trainer was showing her some serious moves! I have to try them as well as I think I'm going to take up running! Let me tell you I hate to run, but I feel so great after it. I love every other form of exercise I don't know why the running thing doesn't work for me but I'm going to make it work. OKAY who's in? What changes are you going to make to achieve your goals?

What to do when you can't do!

So I had a surgery 3 weeks ago and not being able to workout is totally driving me bonkers. I thought I would enjoy this time to just heal and recuperate but I am as antsy as ever. Fortunately I have been able to go to the gym and walk the treadmill but it is really such a tease. I want to feel the burn! 3 more weeks before I get the all clear to go hard again. It's gonna be like I'm training for the Olympics! I can't wait! So what can you do when exercising is restricted? Well the best thing of course would be to follow doctors orders. I was told walking would be good for me so that is what I have been doing. But I can't do any heavy lifting so I have been lifting 2 pound dumbbells which feels like nothing but it actually does help keep you tone in downtime. Make sure you know your limits and if you feel pain or distress in any way stop! When I first started walking again I could barely do 30 minutes and boy was I was sore but I am gaining some stamina I'm up to an hour and I have quickened my pace, still cautious not to over do it. Also when you can't do much physical activity keep your mind busy. Meditate and ponder. The worse thing you could do is get bored and start eating mindlessly. Be sure to be especially cautious of portions and your food intake. Especially if your workouts are restricted because you don't want to add any extra weight. Spring is next Saturday! You know what that means, time to put away the bulky sweaters and the true signs of what you have been doing all winter will be reflected in the short sleeve and thinner clothing! Are you ready?

In Your Own Time

Sometimes we can talk until we are blue in the face trying to encourage others to get healthy and fit! I have learned to shut my mouth! The truth is no one is going to take the steps they need for themselves until they are ready. The best we can do is offer support and words of encouragement and hope it's enough to steer them in the right direction. This blog is without a doubt a release for me regarding my struggles with maintaining my overall healthy lifestyle. Since I have been successful in doing so it must be working! Keep the comments coming! Invite friends to be followers and stick with your program. Remember you are getting thin in 2010!!!

Feeling Good!

So here we are in the second month of 2010! I'm feeling good. I am still on target with my goals but of course I need more motivation! The weather has been a total bummer. Snow just keeps falling out of the sky and I just wish I had a penny for every flake, I'd be a billionaire but nontheless I will press forward, dreaming of the day to peel off all of these layers of clothes for Spring and Summer so I know I gotta keep it right and keep it tight. This is the time when we give up on oursleves because the days are short and cold and we're bundled up but that pizza you had today will still be there when those layers come off if you don't do something about it today! Say to yourself that you feel goos and I know you want to look good to match that feeling so get moving...March 20th is the first day of SPRING!