inspired!

Because of this:I did this:

2 minute 45 second plank!

That is all :)

Monday Mix Tape - late edition

I'm not really doing well with my Monday posts am I??

Still really busy. Too busy but not complaining. EVER. I've even brought some old co-workers in to help me get all this work done. We joke that we're "getting the band back together" and I love it! Yesterday was my longest day in history. 17 hours of work. It was fun work but LONG.

My workouts have suffered this week but thankfully I've been doing well with my eating so we're maintaining this week. I had to cancel my trainer appointment yesterday to go to a printer - that was the first time I've had to do that in the 12 weeks or so I've been doing it so I guess it's not horrible. No way will I let this spell of crazy get me off track.

In the midst of all the crazy, I had this brilliant idea for an anniversary gift for our neighbors. Of course I put it off until the last minute and got them in their back yard literally 5 minutes before they came home from vacation.Now we all have our own pillows and chairs around the fire pit - just in time for the hot summer! :) I made them all out of fabric from the Ikea clearance bin. Eventually I'd like to sell these on Etsy. I think they would make a great wedding gift. If only there were more hours in a day....

I'm going to yoga tonight even though I went to bed at 2:30 am and got up at 6. I'm so stiff and sore from being cramped up in my work chair and I'm ready to sweat again. I can't believe how much I miss exercise when I don't get it these days. I've always wanted that feeling and I finally got it!

Have a great, healthy week!

Monday Mix Tape (Wednesday edition)

I've been desperate to have a minute to post to thank y'all for your incredibly kind support after my 5k on Saturday. I feel like a superstar :) I'm also glad some I could offer some inspiration - I swear, if I can do it you can do it too!

The day after the race I was having some shin pain and decided to call the running store and find out when I bought my shoes. They were 10 months old already so I decided I deserved a new pairThese are the updated version of what I had and the are so nice and bouncy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things are crazy busy on the work front (amen!) but that means no double workouts this week. I did manage at least an hour every day so far but I'm feeling the effects from stress of it all. I know that the workouts will help me deal with it better but sometimes it's really hard to step away from work to go to yoga or run.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've had a love hate relationship with the Biggest Loser over the years but there is REALLY something special about this season's group. They are amazing and every single one of them has already won. I'm motivated by every single word that they say. Jillian BOWED to Olivia at the end last night. You seriously know you did a good job if Jillian bows down to you!!! It was very touching and I don't think I've ever seen the trainers so affected by a group like that before. This whole idea that one of "us" could motivate the trainers is new to me but I get it a little more now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've come to the conclusion that I only lose weight one week out of the month. Blame it on hormones, age, perimenopause, or all of the above, but I'm starting to be okay with it. I should see a little loss again in the next week or two. I still check my weight every day but I don't let it affect me like I used to. I've learned that living this way is much less about the scale and so much more about feeling strong and accomplishing awesome things.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of awesome, if anyone is trying to keep up with my record setting planks, you've got to kick it up a notch
2 minutes 31 seconds
That's right. New record set on Monday. Karen saw the whole thing. I need to think about how I will celebrate getting to 3 minutes :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I must work. Have a great and healthy rest of the week!

5k number 3

I have to say this whole 'athletic' thing is fun :)

A nice picture before the race with my runner friend and neighbor.
I look like I'm on drugs and haven't even had my 5 hour energy yet. I was just really excited!


I'm still smiling since it's just started

Not as smiley but still having fun!

I can't believe how much progress I've made since my last 5k only 8 weeks ago.
10 minutes faster!!

While I was out there I could literally feel the core work I've been doing. I could feel the strength in my abs and my hips as picked up my legs and I'm able to take much bigger strides (well as big as my 2 foot long legs allow!)

A special shout out to Karen for helping me get so strong, caring about my core, and helping me feel good wearing that tight t-shirt with those really short sleeves ;)

Oh and I can't forget to thank our supportive spouses who enjoyed coffee and pastries while taking pictures!

Nirvana - not just a band

I always seem to head out to my yoga class feeling excited really good about myself. I've shed some pounds, have a few cute new workout outfits and can now do every one of the 26 poses without modifying anything. I'm almost ready to move out of the back row - almost.

As I've mentioned before, looking at yourself in the mirror is a huge part of the meditative side of the practice. Noticing how you feel at different times is also important and it's not always pleasant. I was troubled when I realized just how deflated I feel when I look in the mirror. I FEEL like I look like all the other girls in the class and there I am, faced with the big fat truth.

I made a decision right then that there was never going to be any negative self-talk in that room again.

I pay $16 a class to be there. The place is built on positivity. It makes me feel amazing. I'm better at it than some of the skinniest girls in there. I deserve it.

I know it's human nature to compare but I owe it to myself to let that kind of thinking go and not allowing it at the yoga studio is a good start. I will do my best to dig deep and focus on the progress I have made and not how far I have to go - especially when the journey feels so long. Maybe it will help to change what I see looking back at me.

A work in progress

Sometimes when I'm doing really well, I feel invincible and then when I make a bad choice, I beat myself up. I've been doing that all day and I thought it would be a good idea to blog about it and move on.

Friday night my husband was out. In the past I would have "stocked up" for this which is something Lyn always manages to blog so openly and honestly about. I would have gotten all my favorite food and settled in for a night of eating and watching TV. I was very proud of myself for going to yoga and coming home and eating some shrimp, spinach and white beans. Not sure what happened but by the time I had gone to bed, I had probably managed to eat another 500 calories in a kitchen that has nothing but healthy food in it. Way too much peanut butter, some cereal, a piece of chocolate, some Pop Chips.

The rest of the weekend I ate way too much and polished it off by drinking way too many cheap margaritas which of course led to waking up too hungover to work out.

I got on the scale this morning and saw the damage and was really disappointed with myself. I think that's the best way to put it. I'm not really upset about what I ate and/or drank. More about the fact that I "checked out" for the weekend and didn't even try to make up for it with exercise.

This particular part of this journey for me is all about self discovery. The why behind it all. After dwelling on this for far too long today I've come to the conclusion that last week I pushed myself too hard towards a number on the scale and probably didn't eat enough. That left me exhausted and starving by Friday night. I know better than that and will try not to let it happen again.

I'm hoping to undo the damage very quickly since I have a 5k to run on Saturday morning. The plan for the week is less meat and more water, making sure to fuel myself properly for the crazy amounts of exercise I'm doing.

Moving on now!!! Here's to a healthy week!

A great week

I was hoping to have time today to do a nice, long, thought provoking post but I just finished working and have to leave for yoga in 10 minutes.

I worked my butt off this week. I ate flawlessly despite a dinner party mid-week and a concert last night. I ate smaller portions and I was drenched with sweat every day from working out. I was in total control and it worked.

3 pounds down! Every one of them earned! :) We are almost to the teens! Have a great weekend everyone!

Monday Mix Tape

• The weekend started with this at 5am on Friday
  

(edited to protect the innocent and famous)

• Today is the first day I did 45 minutes of cardio intervals (minute run, minute walk) BEFORE I go to the trainer. Pray for me!
  
  
• In reference to the above bullet, I WILL get up and do cardio in the morning instead of putting it off until lunch to avoid 3 showers in one day. Double workouts are hard enough and I might as well maximize my time!
  
  
• Today is also the first day I ever wore a tank top to the regular gym. I wear one to yoga but that's different. Of course I saw someone I know but she was very supportive!
  
  
• Peanut butter and banana do not make a good desk snack. I forget that natural peanut butter is nice and hard when it comes out of the fridge but then it gets really runny. Also do not put anything that has touched runny peanut butter in your Michael Kors bag!
  
  
• I 'came out of the closet' and have shared my blog with some more people I know. Shout out to Mom, Meg, Laura, Amy, Alison and my sweet husband. After my experience yesterday I just thought it was time.
  
  
  
• Have a healthy, happy week everyone!
  
  
  

swim on

I don't normally post on the weekend but I had an experience over the weekend that I just had to share.

My Scottish niece and her boyfriend were in town for the weekend so we brought them to a neighborhood arts festival and had a blast walking around and looking at everything. I was so excited to see that my favorite local artist had a booth. I had purchased a piece from her a few years ago at a folk art festival and fell in love with her because she kept all her money in her giant bra and was the happiest most inspirational woman I had ever met. Her work is a wonderful combination of found objects and inspirational messages.

This one was destined to be mine

Mary is a very large black woman with equally large hair and dark sunglasses. She also wears headphones which I'm not sure are connected to anything. I spotted her right away, went over to say thank you and brought my niece with me so she could take our picture.

As we were walking away she said, gesturing to her ample curves,
"honey, I know you is tryin' and remember, you don't have to lose it all"

I was floored. My niece was in shock. How did she know??? Granted, you could assume that most larger people are trying to lose weight but I kind of have this (maybe) crazy feeling that she's some sort of guardian angel and that message was made for me.

I told the story to my my mom and she suggested that maybe I'm more open to those messages these days. Yoga helps and so does spending a lot of time inside my own head trying to work out the underlying cause of my struggles.

Even today I still feel emotional about it. It was a VERY important encounter I will never ever forget. That gorgeous piece of art is hanging where I can see it every day, next to the original one which I blogged about on my 4th post. Almost 3 years ago.

Mary, I know you will probably never read this but thank you. I be tryin' every day.

p.s. I finally lost another pound.