I’m Bored and I’m hungry, NOT a good combination.

I just wrote this in the comment section on the previous blog, but the true is I really and not hungry.   Because I am bored I really just want to eat.  That’s the truth.  I told myself I was hungry because in my mind that would have been the perfect excuse for eating something.   How many of you eat when you are bored?   Besides true hunger, when do you eat?  When you are sad?  When you are tired?  When you are celebrating?  I use to think that being an “emotional eater” was simply eating when you are unhappy and trying to “fill the void” as the experts would say; but for me I think many emotions including the good ones cause us to eat more than we should.  I used to have such a negative mental image for the term “emotional eater” but in reality I don’t believe that to be the case.

How many of you actually began to gain weight when you were at a happy place in your life?  I can honestly say that I did.  I even use to joke about it saying there is nothing wrong with going through life fat, dumb, and happy!  Was I happy in that moment, absolutely!  Am I happy about the ramifications; absolutely not.

Has anyone here tried any of the diet supplements on the market?  I have to admit, I am thinking about trying Alli.  There are so many different things on the market I know I wonder 1) if any actually work and 2) are they safe.  I admit when I was in college I used Dexatrim.  At the time I believed it worked but looking back, who knows.  I Googled weight loss pills as I was writing this and it came back with “About 17,600,000 results”.  Some of the big names out there appear to be LipoFuze (stupid name), Decatrim, ProShapeRX, Fenphedrine, Theromotox, 7 Day Slimming Pill, Xendarine, Hoodia, Hydroxycut, and the list goes on and on.   Some of these honestly scare the crap out of me and their claims are outrageous, but there are some that I am curious about.  I certainly don’t expect to take a pill and the weight will magically just fall off, but if something can supplement my existing efforts and it is safe then maybe it is worth a shot?  What are your thoughts?

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Heavy – Ronnie and Debbie

Ronnie

Height: 6’2″

Start Weight: 446.6 lbs

End Weight: 264.8 lbs

“The knowledge I gained during this experience altered my life. I now understand that life is about choices and we all fail. The failure is not what makes us who we are, it’s the journey to recovery that makes us strong.”

     Ronnie is another “big guy” who is a hell of a lot bigger than just big.  He’s the quintessential football player.  In his heyday he was encouraged to be corn fed and husky.  The problem is that unless you are putting in football workouts to go along with that diet of extra everything, you will gain weight.  Ronnie is a perfect example of a self saboteur.  He knows how to workout and his fiancé is a fitness professional! The more he gains, the more he feels helpless to do anything about it.  His family relies on him to be the big strong man who saves the day and Ronnie is buckling under the pressure.  He has six kids, a fiancé, and was caregiver for a mother who died of breast cancer.  That’s a lot to carry on your shoulders.

     Ronnie steps up to the plate and does the damn thing at Hilton Head Health spa.  They changed the format dramatically this episode.  The participants stay the entire 6 months instead of 30 days like prior participants.  This leads to fantastic weight loss as they are guided every step of the way.  Visiting day had Ronnie’s fiancé joking that he could stop losing weight and I wanted to pop her upside the head for saying that.  You can love someone unconditionally and still encourage them to continue their weight loss journey.  I’m glad Ronnie didn’t use that as an excuse to quit.  His final weight loss of 180lbs was phenomenal.  I know his new sleeker profile will motivate him to keep the weight off.  His fiancé will finally get that beach wedding he’s been too ashamed to have.  Good for him!

Debbie

Height: 5’2″

Start Weight: 400.4 lbs

End Weight: 269.8 lbs

“This experience saved my life, I gave the weight too much power over me. I now eat to live, instead of living to eat.”

Okay, Debbie was a Hot Ass Mess, a HAM.  I was done with her almost immediately.  I can’t stand girls who act like they are too delicate to work out.  My mouth fell open when she told the trainer she was going to get off the treadmill as soon as she left the room.  WTF???  Debbie is a 44yr old virgin.  Not for religious reasons, either.  She never comes right out and says it but she implies that her weight keeps her from dating.  I’m not buying that.  I know too many women Debbie’s size (including a friend named Debbie) who date with no problems.  Debbie has low self esteem and is socially awkward.  These things will prevent her from dating no matter what she looks like. The flirting 101 class with the trainer at the golf course was just sad. Debbie is at a crossroads in her life and seemed resigned to being the fat spinster cat lady.  You do have a choice in how you live your life.  I’m glad Debbie finally woke up and got with the program.  It would be a damn shame if the $72,000+ spent on her went to waste.  Thankfully it did not.  Debbie lost 130lbs/ 30% fat and I will clap for that!

     Another emotional Heavy rollercoaster comes to an end. It’s funny that this episode was a great example of sabotage in its many forms.  Self, family, and society tell us we can’t.  We have to love ourselves enough to say “Yes we can”

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TrueLifeDiva Tuesday – The Saboteurs among us

The Saboteurs among us

     “With friends like these, who needs enemies?”   I ask myself this all the time.  At times it seems like everyone is trying to sabotage me.  Most of my friends know I keep a food diary.  I weigh all my food and track my calorie intake religiously.  Yet I have friend who constantly wants to go to the Chinese buffet.  I mean at least once a week, if not more.  When I decline he says he doesn’t want to eat alone.  He argues that I do so well during the week and what’s one little cheat day?  He even tried to tell me that he observes what I eat and tries to model my eating habits to help him in his dieting efforts.  Yeah right…… Then there’s the friend who wants to be my workout buddy.  She’s been saying this for 3 yrs.  We’ve never worked out together.  Why?  Because every time we schedule a workout, something comes up.  I’ve gotten her 30 day passes to my gym.  I’ve paid for hip hop classes at a local dance studio (taught by a member of the Jabbawokees) and offered to pay for registration fees for a 5K when she said she wanted to run one with me.  But when it comes time to shit or get off the pot, she never actually comes through.  There have been times when she called me saying she was running late and please don’t start without her, but after 3-4 of these calls never showed up.  But every time I run into her around town, she tells me how great I look and we should get together to workout. Uh huh ;-).

     My workout buddies are the girls I see at the gym every day actually working out.  My diet buddies are you guys ;-).  It’s kind of funny, complete strangers won’t bullshit you but your loved ones will.  It seems like it would be the other way around.  I love my friends dearly but they really work my nerves when they don’t understand why I am driven to be healthy.  Do the people in your life sabotage you?  Do your husband, kids, co-workers, and BFF’s try to derail your weight loss efforts?  How do you stay on course when it seems like everyone is out to destroy your diet?

     On March 26, 2011 I will be participating in The Race for Autism.  BuffyWood has generously offered to donate $1 for every lb lost by our crew.  Let’s all try to break BuffyWood’s bank by losing a ton of weight in the next 30 days!  If anyone would like to match her contribution or donate any amount, here is the link to my fundraising page   http://NFAR.kintera.org/raceforautism/truelifedivaruns

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I just want to weigh less than my dog!

Wow, I have really been a slacker these past few days.  For some reason this past weekend seemed especially stressful.  My son has been a challenge (which is the polite way of saying he’s been a pain in the butt).    I LOVE my son but after several days of him being home (since last Wednesday) I am definitely missing my “me” time.   My daughter had a cheerleading competition on Saturday and we were there for almost 7 hours!!  URG, between standing around and sitting on the floor or hard bleachers my back is killing me.   As a young teen I had a pretty catastrophic back/neck injury and days like Saturday still bother me.  

With it being President’s Day everyone is home with me yet again.   I work for a Boston based company so I do not get off President’s Day; instead I get off Patriot’s Day.   Today is a tough day for the whole family as my sister-in-law had a mastectomy this morning at the ripe old age of 37.  The good news is that after 16 weeks of chemo and now the surgery it seems they may not need to do radiation like they originally planned.  She is doing really well right now, just tired so thank god for that. 

Wow, I am just a little ray of sunshine today aren’t I?  We all have bad days and sometime venting about them just helps let off some of that pressure. 

Now, back to the title of today Blog…  Right now I really just want weigh less than my dog.  Is that really too much to ask for?  In most cases yes but my big beast weighs 149.7 lbs!  For some reason right now that is my magic number.  Did anyone watch The Biggest Loser last week?  One of the contestants was talking about the 200 lb mark.  She was saying that was her nemesis… she should get so close and then gain the weight again.  For me it is that damn 150 mark!  I have been teetering on the brink now for two weeks and haven’t crossed that friggin’ line.  When I go to the doctors next month I want that damn big bar at the bottom to only go two notches to 100.  When people comment about the size of my dog I want to be able to say with pride “He weighs more that I do”.  That really isn’t too much to ask for is it?

Starting tomorrow I will be re-focused on my goals.  Starting tomorrow my thoughts will be more positive.  Right now I will simply fight the urge to throw something at my TV when that damn Kit Kat commercial comes on again.  It really makes me want one and I don’t even like chocolate. 

In an effort to think more positively…

California35 is back!  YAY!  You were missed.

Golden Girl sent me a picture and out of respect I will not post it.  I just have to say that she is beautiful.  She has one of those smiles that just radiates!  

TrueLifeDiva has a great blog for us tomorrow! 

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Heavy – Kevin and Flor

Another great Heavy recap from TrueLifeDiva. 

Kevin

Height: 5’11”

Start Weight: 596.7 lbs

End Weight: 507.0 lbs

“This journey has taught me that nothing in life comes easy, but you can’t beat the results. One day at a time.”

     I once had an old boyfriend from Mississippi who would say, “He’s got more excuses than a MotherF*cker going to jail”.  Kevin has a lot of reasons for why he can’t achieve his goals.  My radar began pinging with him in his intro when he said he didn’t think he was obese.  How in the hell are you damn near 600lbs and think you are just big boned?  I didn’t expect him to flog himself on camera but he seemed too comfortable with his current weight.  When Kevin was busted bringing candy to Hilton Head I almost threw my shoe at the T.V.  First thing he did was lie.  “I didn’t buy that.”  So what? If someone else buys the candy, do the calories no longer count?  If Kevin had spent as much time working out as he did spouting “Affirmations”, he might have really lost some weight.  Did he think the weight was going to magically evaporate?  He refused to follow the advice of the experts trying to work with him.  His sorry ass excuse about different climates in different states causing him to gain back 14 lbs at home ticked me off!  Who do you think you’re fooling?  You stated on camera you were gonna do things your way. If what he was doing before had worked, he wouldn’t be 600lbs, but Kevin is hardheaded.  I really wish I knew what was going through his head.  To me it was a complete waste of 30 days and $12,000 at Hilton Head and the following 5 months at home.  He gained absolutely nothing from his experience.  Kevin did not appreciate the blessing this experience could have been to him and his family.         

Flor

Height: 5’0″

Start Weight: 308.6 lbs

End Weight: 242.8 lbs

“It has been a difficult journey, but I have learned through therapy, knowledge and hard work that it was lies that enabled me and justified my addiction to food.”

     Flor has been through a lot in her life and has been waiting for an opportunity to break free.  During the at home footage her husband spoke of her like a roommate and not a woman he loved dearly.  This broke my heart and I really felt for Flor.  When Flor came to the weight loss facility she came with determination.  This pint sized woman kicked major ass!  I knew she was not playing when she shaved her head.  Talk about a rebirth.  Too bad none of her positive attitude rubbed off on Kevin.  Flor knew she had to turn her life around when she came on the show and she did not waste any opportunity.  Flor was very inspiring to me.  I loved her fighting spirit.  She looked absolutely glowing at the final weigh in. I definitely see Flor achieving her weight loss goals and being fabulous. 

     This episode should have been called determination and denial. I was taken on an emotional roller coaster this week.  I knew this show would evoke feelings but I never knew I would get this wrapped up!  Flor’s picture should be in the dictionary under girl power.  Kevin’s should be in the dictionary under slacker.

      Next weeks episode looks like another ride on the Heavy rollercoaster of love.

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TrueLifeDiva Tuesday

How to get your groove back- fitness to feel young and sexy

 

     While we are on this fitness journey together we need to discuss a few peripheral subjects.  Last week I discussed clothing to enhance your mood.  This week I want to discuss beauty, hair, and skincare.  When I’m at the gym I notice good and bad examples of how we as women take care of ourselves.  I see women wearing full faces of make up.  I see women wearing their hair down or pulled up with newspaper rubber bands.  I see women wearing non-supportive bras.  I see women wearing shoes made for fashion, not working out.  I once saw a chick wearing stilettos and sunglasses on the Stairmaster!  I feel like  that one comedien and just walking up to them, “Here’s your sign.”    What’s with women wearing their hair down at the gym?  Who are you trying to be sexy for?  There’s a chick in my TKB class with waist length hair who comes in with it down, then struggles to pull it up into a ponytail while doing the drills, and has to stop numerous times to fix it.  Why doesn’t she just put it up in a bun to begin with? Like I do ;-).  I try to understand the make up thing.  If you’re coming from work or sneaking in a lunchtime workout, I’ll cut you some slack.  But I see some women who stroll in on Saturday with a full face of war paint and then act too cute to sweat because their make up might run.  I sweat like a beast when I work out, the gym is no place to be cutesy.  The only thing cute about me at the gym is my outfit and it still has to be functional.

     Aside from losing weight and toning up, working out has beauty benefits as well.  Jogging, jumping jacks, and fast paced dancing helps keep your skin firm.  Sweat helps flush impurities.  Vigorous exorcise helps blood circulation and gives your skin a rosy glow.

     Make sure your gym bag has all the essentials your need for after your workout.  My gym bag has small train case with 3 oz bottles of the following;

1. body wash
2. special Tea tree body wash for intimate area
3. shampoo
4. conditioner
5. lotion
6. sunscreen
7. eye make up remover
8. deodorant
9. styling spritz
10. styling wax
11. mini brush
12. tooth paste
13. travel toothbrush
14. razor
15. dental floss
16. “new item” OneMoreinBoston’s body scrub

 

     I also keep a spare pair of panties, socks, pantyhose, and scarf.  I can’t count how many times I have rescued someone by giving them a sample shampoo packet, a tampon, and recently a razor!  I bring my own body wash because the soap at the gym disgusts me.  Since I work out 6-7 times a week, if I used the gyms cheap soap my skin would be thrashed.  I use unscented body wash due to my psoriasis. For lotion I use non-scented brands or scented with natural essential oils like lavender or plumeria (my favorite) cut in half with baby oil gel.  I use Mitchum deodorant because it lasts longer.  I like Avon’s creamy eye make up remover because I use liquid waterproof eyeliner and mascara.  For shampoo I like Paul Mitchell Tea tree and Sebastion’s Laminates conditioner.  When my hair is “tore up” I use my Paul Mitchell Tea tree styling wax to slick my hair into a ponytail.  On my face I smooth on either Clean & Clear dual action moisturizer or Aveeno Ultra-Calming daily moisturizer with SPF 30.

     Well, now that I’ve divulged all my favorites, what are yours?  Do you have a favorite must have beauty item that makes life easier?  Please share with the group 😉

Also, feel free to ask me any questions about hair, skin, and make up.  I am a beauty professional with 20+yrs experience in the field.

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Choices

When my daughter was little and I did something special for her she would always say “Mom you didn’t have to do that”, and I always replied “Tiffany, I am a grown-up I don’t HAVE to do anything”.   I explained to her that almost everything we do is a choice; well with the exception of certain bodily functions like sleep, going to the bathroom, etc.  She really didn’t get what I was saying for the longest time.  She would say “But mom you have to go to work, don’t you?”  Technically I don’t have to go to work; it is a choice and not making the right choice has consequences.  Yes, I could choose not to go to work but then there would be consequences.  I would have to take time off and if I did it too often I would most likely lose my job.  I choose to go to work so I can make a good living for us.

Life at this point is really just a sum of our past choices.  If you think back it really is amazing how one decision made differently would totally change our existence.  “What if” really can be two powerful words!  What if I chose a different college, what if I chose a different place to work (I met my ex-husband at work).  I wouldn’t have gotten married and I wouldn’t have had Tiffany.  What would have been?  Every decision takes us down a different path. 

In the past I really didn’t even consider various choices when eating.  What I ate was simply a habit, something done without conscious thought.  I bought the same things at the grocery store I always did, I ate almost the same thing for lunch every day (ham and cheese with lots of mayo) and I snacked on what I wanted whenever I wanted.  Every once in a while I would think to myself that I wanted to look and feel better, but I didn’t make the choice to do anything about it. 

I honestly do not know why I continued to coast through life the way I was.  Deep down I wasn’t totally happy about myself but I lacked the motivation to really do anything about it.  I wish I knew what my “Ah ha” moment was.  Once day I just decided I was going to change.  For me yet again it was just a choice I decided to make. 

Step one was going to the grocery store.  I had to make sure I had everything in the house I would need to make smart eating choices.  A priority for me was to have my healthy options quick and easy to grab.  This way when I went downstairs to get lunch or a snack the “easiest” choice was also the best choice.  From a snack perspective in the past I would grab the whole bag of chips.  The issue was once I got the chips to my desk I mindlessly continue eating them without realizing that I had eaten half to bag!   By having my snacks pre-portioned once I made the choice of what snack I wanted there was no way for me to over eat on it.  Going back for more then became a conscious decision instead of mindless continual eating.

I believe (almost) every day we can choose our attitude.  I choose to be happy. I don’t succeed in this every day, but I sure try.  We have a running joke in our house.  I have a “Grumpy” t-shirt from the Disney store.  If I wake up and I can’t find happiness I usually put it on.  My family makes jokes about staying away from me for a while.  It is my warning sign if you will, and usually the act of joking about it is enough for me to snap out of my funk, but certainly not always.  I still have my days that I can be a downright bitch but those days are definitely few and far between.

We also have a choice in how we react to situations.  My daughter would come home and say “Ally made me so mad”; but I would tell her “Ally shouldn’t have that power over you”.  Regardless of someone else’s actions we choose how we react to it.   This is very hard to do as emotions come into play. Choices are hardest to make when we allow our emotions to interfere with our thought process.

Over all I am very happy with my life and I happy with the choices I have made.  There are very few things I look back on and say “I wish I had done” or “I wish I hadn’t done”.  The one big thing for is that I wish I had made the decision to improve myself sooner.  With that said, you cannot change the past, what done is done.  What you can do is make your choices now to improve your future.

Making the right choice is not always easy.  I’ve realized sometimes the best choice is not put you in the position to have to make that choice in the first place.  Right now I would rather not go out to our favorite restaurant; I do not want to be faced with the decision to choose between something healthy and my old favorite Cajun Chicken Pasta.  This goes for other aspects of our lives too.  Right now I am trying to keep things around me very positive.  I had a situation recently that really annoyed me.  I still do not know what bothered me more… what was initially said to me or the fact that I allowed myself to let it get to me the way it did.  In either case I made the choice not put me in that situation for a while.    

The weekend is upon us and I know I am faced with more choices during the weekend.  I am out of my routine and I have more time on my hands.  This weekend may be especially challenging if any of you have plans for Valentines.   Sometime just simply pausing and realize your actions themselves are a choice can help.  Try and make good choices.  If you don’t once the choice is done there is nothing to do about it but accept it and move forward.  Don’t beat yourself up about it; just use it as a reminder to make a better choice the next time.

“When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.”
– Sir Alexander Paterson

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Heavy

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Here is another wonder blog by our own TrueLifeDiva!

Travis and Lindy

Lindy

Height: 5’6″

Start Weight: 284.6 lbs

End Weight: 220.2 lbs

“This has been an extremely emotional journey for me. I’m finally equipped with the proper tools and resources necessary to live the healthy, happy and energetic life I’ve dreamed of.”

     I’m going to be honest with you; I didn’t really care for Lindy too much.  She started out at 5’6” and 109 lbs.  That’s underweight.  Lindy built her image around being underweight and “sexy”.  In my experience, underweight chicks often don’t know to deal with pregnancy weight.  After having children she settled at a normal 130-140lbs but I suspect she wasn’t happy with that.  When her marriage fell apart she ballooned up to 284lbs.  She says her daughters are embarrassed to be seen with her.  Maybe when you were 109 lbs you made fun of heavy set people?  Maybe when you were 109 lbs you wore sexy clothes and as you gained weight you started dressing down?  I suspect Lindy wasn’t very nice towards heavy people when she was thin and her daughters attitudes were a reflection of the things they heard at home

     I was also a little perturbed to see her attitude towards the counseling sessions at the weight loss spa.  She said it was nobody’s business.  Okay, then why did you come on the show?  You are on a T.V. show, you’ve shown us your exposed belly fat, we know how much you weigh, but therapy is private?  Her attitude made me think she wasn’t completely open to the process.  She lost weight but I think she might have had more success if she hadn’t fought the trainers and counselors every step of the way.  I was not inspired by Lindy’s story.

     Once at home Lindy decides to plan a wedding.  She uses the wedding as an excuse to sample fattening foods and drink empty calories.  Despite everything she’s been taught, she is not following the advice.  She claims to workout 3-4 hrs a day.  I don’t believe her.  She never seemed to embrace training at Hilton Head and I doubt she does at home.  The scale says someone is lying.  Lindy doesn’t seem to care and neither do I.

 Travis

Height: 5’9″

Start Weight: 431.2 lbs

End Weight: 333.6 lbs

“I wasn’t a good role model for my sons, I was just a lump on a couch. I needed to make a change and getting healthier was the only choice.”

     I had mixed feelings about Travis.  The trainer was reading my mind when he stated that Travis kept saying he was doing it for his kids but the effort didn’t reflect that.    Travis had a lot to overcome.  In the at home footage, his family is shown sitting down to a southern fried meal that had me drooling and my stomach churning all at the same time.  Travis grabbed a gravy boat and poured gravy over his whole plate.  The road to healthy eating was going to a long one for him.

     During his journey Travis became a dad for the second time.  The late night feedings and stress that come with a tiny bundle of joy threatened to snap Travis’s last nerve.  A sharp reprimand from his personal trainer causes him to walk out of a training session.  We see Travis struggle with the emotional battle that comes with changing old habits.  In the end Travis seems to get it and the weight starts to come off.  At his final weigh in he losses 99.99 lbs.  I’ll call it 100lbs and feel no shame doing so.

2011 Super Run 10k/5k in San Diego, Ca

     Okay, I didn’t break any speed records.  I finished, I didn’t have to be carried over the finish line, no CPR, and no vomiting.  It was a brisk sunny day in Mission Beach.  This was 3^rd year doing this event.  When they announced the race was about to begin, I complained to a woman standing next to me that the starting line wasn’t very flashy.  I wanted to take a nice picture for this blog.  The woman stared at me like I was crazy. ”Weight loss blog? Who you?”  She was a very fit person and her shock made me giggle inside like a school girl.  The race started and I felt great.  At the 1 mile mark the timer yelled out, “10 minutes!”  Cool J   The course snaked through the Sea World parking lot and around the bay. At the 2 mile mark the timer yelled out,  ”22 minutes!” and I thought to myself, “Okay, I see a trend.”  At the 3 mile mark, “33 minutes!”  Sure enough, I ended up averaging 11 minutes a mile, very short of my 8 minute average running 5K’s.  My final time was 1 hr and 9 minutes.  But that’s okay.  AZ Girl told me I did great and I believe her  J .  Matter of fact, I went to the gym afterwards, ran 2 more miles, and then took a Zumba class.  My fitness goal for 2011 is to finish a 10k in under an hour.  I think I can do and by reporting it to my friends here on the blog, I’m holding myself accountable.

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TrueLifeDiva Tuesday – Bringing sexy back

Bringing sexy back (dress to elevate mood)

 

     I don’t know if any of you know this about me, but I’m a fashionista.  Since I’m not rich, I try to be a recessionista too.  The one thing I’ve hated about working out is the clothes.  It’s either baggy sweat pants or muffin top inducing spandex.  I hate it all with a passion.  So in order to make working out more fun, I’ve come to treat it like a role I’m playing.  In my mind a movie is playing where I star as the woman who over comes all odds and wins.  This movie has been in production for a while but that’s okay.  I’m in charge of the wardrobe in this movie.  My character is constantly searching for figure flattering clothing that costs little or nothing.  I like to match and I like looking good.  My search for bargains leads me to the clearance racks at Sports Authority, Sports Chalet, and Ross stores.  Online I scan the availability of discount gear at Walmart.com and track how deeply my favorite items are marked down monthly.  I’ve amassed quite the athletic wardrobe.  The thrill of finding cute name brand yoga pants for $8.00 is almost as exciting as winning the lottery.  I can’t wait to go to the gym and strut around in a new piece of workout gear.  I love love love! when someone asks me where I got something and I tell them my t-shirt only cost $2.00 online ;-).  Cute gear puts a pep in my step and a glide in my stride.  A well coordinated outfit makes me feel like a model on the runway.

     So tell me, what do you do to bring your sexy back?  Do you have any great discount tips to share?

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Super You Sunday!

Ok, for the majority of poeple in the United States today is Super Bowl Sunday but tonight my focus is on you. 

Usually I am really into the Super Bowl.  I am a huge sports fan, especially football.  I’ve been a Philadelphia Eagle’s season ticket holder for over a decade.  For some reason though, this year I am not that into the game. 

When I think about the athletes I see playing tonight I am astounded by the sense of accomplishment they will feel at the end of the game tonight, especially the winning team.  In one night they will get that pure sense of joy that was a direct result of all of their hard work, practice, pain, and sacrifices they have made their entire lives.

I really missed that feeling.  Not to toot my own horn, but I was one kick ass athlete.  What is interesting is that even though it has only been 5 weeks since I’ve been working on improving myself, I am beginning to get some of those old feelings back.  I am proud of myself.  I feel great each night when I go to bed.   In general I am just a much happier person that I was just 6 weeks ago.    I feel more positive and energetic about me, my family, and even my job.  Could I slip back to my old ways?  Maybe; but that is what this place is for.  I can just come back to the blog and remind myself why I need to stay on track.   I am finding my inner athlete again and I couldn’t be happier about it. 

What about you guys?  How are you feeling?  I hope you all are feeling good about yourselves!    I hope you have that sense of pride for your hard work and your sacrifices.    

In the spirit of tonight being the Super Bowl, I wanted to post a quote by Vince Lombardi:

“Perfection is not attainable–but if you chase perfection excellence is attainable.”

This is something that is really important to me.  Growing up I was raised to be “perfect”.  Perfectly behaved, perfect grades, perfect appearance, and the perfect athlete.  I really believed that anything short of perfection was a failure.  Like I posted in my first blog; I was never thin enough, never strong enough, never fast enough, hell the list goes on and on.   Unconsciously I carried the idea of perfection into adulthood.   Based on my childhood I like to turn around his saying a little “By thinking perfection is attainable, you will always be a failure”.   We in this group can definitely achieve excellence. 

On Tuesday we will be treated to another guest blog from TLD.   I have been lax in my personal blogs and I am sorry about that.  Later this week I will be posting a blog about the choices we make.   

Now, time for some plagiarism…  While surfing the web I found some things that I thought our little group would appreciate.

From Loser’s Blog – OneMoreInBoston

“BYPASS & KICKASS” (I just loved it and I thought it was worth repeating)

From Fitbottomedbirls.com – Does the Scale Make you Crazy?

“We’ve long said that leaving your self-worth in the hands of a number on the scale is a quick way to drive yourself to the I-don’t-like-myself loony bin, and, I for one, only weigh myself about once a week to do a quick check-in on how my eats, workouts and life is affecting my weight—but I definitely don’t let it ruin my day. I know I’m active, fit and choosing healthy foods, so it’s just one of the barometers I check to make sure I’m on track. Not to mention that stressing over the scale may actually make it harder to lose weight.”

From Fitsugar.com

Burn More Calories at Your Next Workout

Let Go

Of the handles, I mean. When using the elliptical or stair climber, holding on doesn’t allow your arms or core to work to their full potential, which can mean 40 to 50 percent less calories burned. If you’re worried about losing your balance, slow down your pace until you’re more comfortable going hands-free.

Don’t Take Your Workout Sitting Down

Biking is a killer workout for your butt and thighs, but you’ll tone those areas more effectively and burn more calories if you refrain from sitting. You don’t have to stand the entire time, but add some standing intervals to your routine and you’ll quickly notice a difference.

Go Steep

Pumping up the incline will not only help prevent shin splints, but it also tones your tush, thighs, and calves while burning extra calories. After a 30-minute workout at a 10-minute-per-mile pace, you’ll burn 270 calories with no incline, but if you set the incline to five percent, you’ll burn tons more at 363.

Run Don’t Swim

If your gym has a pool, run in the water instead of on the treadmill. Either tread in the deep end, or run on the bottom of the pool in chest-deep water. The resistance burns extra calories while also toning your thighs, tush, core, and arms.

Rise and Shine (and Sweat)

Research has shown that people who exercise in the morning keep their metabolism elevated for hours and thus get a jump on burning calories. Studies also show that people who start each day with a workout tend to stick with their programs longer.

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