Breaking the Bond of “All or Nothin’ “

I’m an all-in kinda girl.  When I set my mind to do something I give it everything I’ve got and I don’t let up. I am a force, a fierce hurricane of ambition.  With my baby now trying to walk everywhere and getting into everything and knowing I am only 3 months away from also having an infant in tow it has brought my hurricane to a stagnant stale air.  I have felt fatalist and allowed my mind to think that if I can’t get it in consistently then what’s the point of getting it in at all?  I mean TODAY I have time, but I probably wont again the whole rest of the week, so is it worth the energy?

The answer is…yes!

I am learning to break this bond I have on myself and learn to seize the 1 set of 50 squats and tomorrow a full run and maybe the next day nothing, but maybe a set of pushups or pull ups. Fitness is there for the taking and I am truly the only one stopping me.

I am going to write a challenge for myself, but its the kind that allows me to stop stressing and beating myself just because I can’t be on my previous bodybuilding rampage right now. Life changes…we have to learn to change with it and not against it.

Eventually I know I will have the time to reach all the crazy goals my heart desires, for now, life has me in a different place.

Say No to Guilt

When I eat bad, I don’t feel guilty.  This is partly why I got myself overweight freshman year. HOWEVER, I think it is important NOT to feel guilty if you eat a slice of cake or dig into the bread basket.

WHAT?!

Yes, I really believe it is important to give action and purpose to the way we view our diet.  I think it is important to have planned cheats.  (deciding before you go to the party if you will or will not graze and how much you will eat).  But you know…life sometimes catches us off guard.  How we deal with the after-math is key.  If you ate too much, don’t beat yourself up with thoughts of “I shouldn’t have”, instead, realize that you wish you hadn’t and formulate a game plan to help you think first next time.  Sometimes reminding myself of how I felt after eating X helps me avoid it the next time.

I enjoy food. I enjoy life. If I let my guilt control how I feel then I am at risk of falling from “disciplined” into “obsessed”.

How do you handle cheats? Do you plan them in advance or perhaps have a handy rule like “only what I can fit in my hand…once!”

Small Windows Are Still Big Enough to Fit Through

Lately I have only had a small window each morning where I feel top notch. The rest of the day I feel extremely exhausted and usually sick, but I fight through it.  My job needs my full attention – no time for an energy slump.  I think of my mom and Titas (aunts) who, in the Philippines, they had to cook, clean, buy/sell goods, manage house and help…life did not stop just because they were pregnant. I think of the funny stories I have heard about women working in the rice fields, then squat down and give birth, then life continues. Ha!  I love these reminders that, for crying out loud, “I’m not dying…I’m just pregnant”!

Since I am usually at work during that small window of feeling great, I took advantage on Saturday and ran a 5k! It was harder than I expected, since just last month I was running 5-6 milers haha! My heart rate seemed to get up pretty fast, but I paid attention to my body to stop way before overheating. I never reached that point but did have to come to a walk 3 times during the race just to play it safe. Ah, but it felt so good to work my muscles again!

Moral of the story…if you have a window…TAKE IT!! Whatcha waitin for?! 😀

 

How to get fat in just 3 weeks!

Why wait? Get your winter-ready body now! Follow these easy steps and gain the belly and thigh fat that you’ve always wanted! Ready, set, go!

1. Add calories to your beverages any chance you get (try sugar and/or creamer in your coffee, or get a fruit smoothie from a local vendor to help pack on the calories when its not even meal time!)
2. Drink as little water as possible (so that all the sodium you are eating will retain tons of water weight)
3. Eat nibbles of small snacks or treats. Small snacks are great cuz you think you’re being diet-friendly, but you’re actually packing it on! (subconsciously snacking is best, like when watching a movie, because then you dont know how much you’re eating, yeah!)
4. Write down on a notepad if and when you do workout, that way you can look back at the end of the week and say “I worked out so I can eat whatever I want!”

• BONUS: Skip meals if you can that way you will be SUPER hungry at dinner time and probably eat your face off
• BONUS: Make frequent trips to your pantry so you can make a constant mental inventory of what is available to you

Life doesn’t come with an emergency break

The wonderful thing about life is that it doesn’t stop.

Work responsibilities have sky rocketed leaving only SLOTS for workouts. 😦 Major sadness: my trainer doesn’t have openings that can accommodate my insanity.  I’m terrified.  I’m terrified of working out entirely on my own because I am remembering how I was before her – I was hardcore, but I was not nearly as strong or lean.  Did I learn enough while training with her to prevent myself from going back?

I caught myself wishing life could just freeze for 2 hours every day so I could train with Susan  – but then I let the reality sink in that hey, this is life. We can’t change it, but we can adapt.

So I will adapt. I will find a way to workout on my own or enlist Susan as often as I can whenever and however it works out. Accomplishing goals is always difficult – and that’s what makes it worth reaching.

I’m glad life doesn’t come with an emergency break – how boring would that be?!

Getting Back After Falling off the Wagon on to the Horse and on to the Ground

April 2:   Competition

April
post show:    I started out strong – I kept working out HARD and ate semi-good

May:      Then I ate BAD

June:     Then I got back with my trainer and did about 60% diet

July:      Then I fell off the wagon and with momentum I hit every rock in the road for several miles.

Aug 1:    Well. I’m done being “fat”.  I miss putting on my clothes and NOT having to check the mirror to make sure it looks ok.  And if any of you know me by now, you know I will not allow myself to complain unless I am actively doing something. Sooooooooo…..

My goals over the next 3 weeks

• Stick to my nutrition plan
• 4 days cardio minimum
• 5 days weights
• 5 lbs down

I’m teaming up with my friend @fit_michelle. We, of course, would love your encouragement as we reach for our 3-week goals! Sunday is our weigh in day so I will let you know if I reached my goal for the week (or if I failed!). If you want to join us – come on! The more the merrier! I’d love to cheer you on and help you reach your goals as well!

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One of my favorite things about not being in prep is I get a play day (something active and fun – like biking or kayaking or volleyball etc)! Saturday the hubs and I went paddleboarding – SO FUN!!

*Paddleboarding is done standing up (like surfing), but you paddle with a single paddle (like canoeing). We are sitting here just enjoying the breeze. Yes, Texas Lakes are dirty, but we still love our lakes!  Check out whiterockpaddle.com for watercraft rentals like these 🙂

“I don’t cheat”

I was flabbergasted when I read that Jamie Eason said “I don’t cheat”!  I mean… I guess I shouldn’t be shocked because, if you look at her, how ELSE would she look that good all the time?!  But what I want to know is…HOW can you not cheat…wouldn’t you feel deprived?

Jamie Eason makes a HOBBY out of transforming her favorite comfort foods into clean, protein-dense fuel for her fit lifestyle. Here, she shares: Jamie Eason – June 2011 – Robert Kennedy’s Oxygen Women’s Fitness.

I don’t know about you, but I am TOTALLY motivated…I’m adding this statement to my 21 Day challenge:

“I will try to get really creative in the kitchen so I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”

2 Tips on Successful Dieting

Stemmed from the Harvard Business Review’s Management Tip of the Day, I give you 2 tips to increase your chances of succeeding with your new diet.

1. Be specific. Be precise about what you are trying to achieve and when you will do it. It’s not enough to say “I want to be fit and will work out consistently”. Write in your calendar the exact days and times so you can hold yourself accountable and have your diet written out to follow (including when you will have a “treat meal”).
2. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t. When trying to change behavior, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the bad habit. Focus on the substitute instead. If you want to stop munching, don’t dwell on the times you’ve caved to your cravings. Think about what you will do the next time you find yourself hovering over the pantry.

Thank you Michelle for sharing the Harvard tip of the day – you inspired this post!

I think that was a spark

Yesterday I was having moments of self doubt. Today, on my way to the gym, I told myself I was going to make it count. No long 60-second rests or scrambling my brain to decide my next circuit.  I hit legs HARD for 30 minutes, then did 30 minutes of cardio. It was short, but it felt great because I maximized the time!! I didn’t walk to the showers thinking I could have done better.

Today was a spark of a feeling that hey…maybe I CAN make progress and maybe I CAN pursue optimal fitness and still have a life… 🙂

Makin it happen…makin it count…makin it work even when life has me up by my bootstraps…

Let’s do this.

Moments of self-doubt here…

I am eating clean and back on a workout schedule, but since work is taking priority over gym now I do not have quite as much flexibility.  Still trying to figure out how to get it all in. I love 4:30am gym, but it only allows me about 1 hour to make cardio and/or lifting happen.  So I’m trying to alternate days where I just do cardio or just do lifting.  Still trying to sort out the schedule… I just REALLY like coming straight home after work and making dinner (instead of gym–>work–>double gym–>8:30p start dinner…ugh)

So then I was hit with a moment of self doubt today…

Can I get myself to my goals on my own?…do I need to have someone training me every day in order for my goals to become reality… :(…off-season is not as relaxed as I thought.  Since I would like to compete again possibly I really want to be maximizing this time and improving my physique.  Can I do this?…

Can I look like this?

Maybe after 3 weeks of being back on a gym schedule I will feel empowered again.  I am currently in week 2, so I’ll rest the doubting thoughts and re-address this at the end of next week.