Get your Gym on

38 days to go.....next stop...London's Victoria Station!!

(New to our countdown - everyday, there will be an image of the bright future matching the number on the countdown. Enjoy!)

I think I apologize for my ranting and raving last night. I think I just felt a little despondent that things were not happening as quickly as I would like.

But in all honesty, things ARE happening. Ok, so I appear to have gained 2lbs, but look…I have completed a week and a half of our fitness challenge. I have gotten into working out again, I am conscious of what I eat, I drink enough water and I am blogging daily….yes, things are happening and even though my mood may change now and then, over all, I already feel much better than I did 2 weeks ago.

So the challenge continues and I am happy to report that today was an awesome day.

For my workout, my partner and I tried out a new gym. And I am so glad we did.

Although I use the gym at work, going to a “real” gym is a whole other experience. One I have not had in about 5 years.

I promise you, if you are looking for motivation, go to a gym.  Just the air in there can get you inspired to work out as long as your body can take. Seeing all those machines and hearing the pumping music makes you want to do just that – pump. And then seeing the people – some like peacocks, strutting their stuff…flat abs, big shoulders, perfect gluts…others a little less impressive but working out with all the fervor of a work horse..and then those obvious beginners learning the ropes for the first time, battling to move their bodies in ways they either have never done before or have forgotten how to. Very enthusiastic trainers smile as they egg their clients on and in the studios, you might see folks having what seems to be a party as they Zumba their extra pounds to oblivion. It’s incredibly inspiring! Could be scary for some, but definitely inspiring for me.

So when we walked in, I knew immediately that I was fit and healthy….until I saw myself in the mirror… and after the initial shock, I remembered that I’d have a little way to go, but I could most certainly get there.

This was a big Aha! Moment kind of thing for me, because for the first time since we started this challenge I actually got a clear vision of my goal….the new me that I am aiming to become. I saw her clear as day; For a moment there on the treadmill, I felt like I was her. Then on the machines, when I saw my reflection, though my apparent reality hit me, I also realized that my vision is also a reality…it is the TRUE reality..the one inside me that just needs to be given the permission to spring forth.

When we have such moments, it is important to welcome the vision.  Most times, we just want to say “oh..that’s the real me in the mirror…why am I fooling myself here? I am a slob…I am fat….it’s just the way it is...” and other such really 'polite and self loving' things.

No No No!!! Decide to see what you WANT to see…the vision…the truth…the goal…the finished product.

And this is Me:

YEEEHAAAAAH!!!!

OH YES!!!! I CAN!!!!

Mad as Hell...

...and I am SO tired!

It has truly been ‘one of those days’.

It was my boss’s first day back in the office after an extended business trip so you can imagine that it was a little 'all over the place'. I am always just trying to keep up at work. I had to bring work home, but then couldn’t do the bulk of it because of a technical glitch which could not be fixed because that particular part of our help desk had closed for the day. So we know what awaits me tomorrow. While I was working on some other stuff, I got an email from the same boss, asking for something that I was supposed to have done weeks ago. There was no way to cover this up. I had to confess to him that I had not done it. He was very nice about it but too many of such incidents are not a very good look.

You know you have been in a place too long when you totally start losing your touch. Things just keep slipping through the cracks…I know I am busy, but still. I think I have just shut down part of my brain concerning this job…I just really don’t care enough about it anymore.

I am proud to say that I did do my work out today though. (at least that did not slip through the cracks J) I went down to the gym at my job in the morning and working out felt really good, BUT I also weighed myself, and I am so unhappy because I seem to have GAINED 2lbs. yes! GAINED!!! I thought I was at my heaviest in the earlier post with my ‘before’ photos, but now I am 176lbs….sigh!

I know, I know…you build muscle before you start losing the fat but still….deep sigh!!

Then there is the pain. Does anything look strange to you in this picture?

That’s right. My middle finger is slightly swollen. It’s been 3 weeks now. At first I thought it would wear off on it’s own…after all there’s always little things that come and go…but then it got worse and more swollen…my finger looked like a sausage. So I took some Aleve and it got better. There is no doubt that there is some inflammation going on here. I know I need to see a doctor for an official diagnosis, but from family history and my own research…it kind of sounds like some early signs of arthritis. Not good!

I remember when my mom had joint pain, I used to give her lectures about taking better care of herself, doing more exercise and eating a healthier diet….now I look in the mirror and hear the same lectures. That’s why you should never judge, you never know when you might find yourself in the same situation. And THEN and only then will you know what YOU would do. So cut out the “well if it were me....” statements.

Then I had a dinner ‘situation’ tonight…we were out of rice. So I jump into the car and go buy some before the store closed. And then I cooked the rice…if that’s want you want to call it. To me it was more like the proverbial “bowl full of mush” from the Good Night Moon book (any parents in the house???)

I was doing dishes while cooking and the drain began to get clogged. The thingy in the sink that protects the drain broke in my hand….AARGH! I’m mad as hell and I want a spacey kitchen that has a large counter and a sink that has a garbage disposal. I want a toilet that does not keep running if I don’t make sure I flush it ‘just right’.

I am mad as hell and I just want to go to bed when I am tired for a change and actually SLEEP through the night.

I am mad as hell and I need a vacation!!!!!!!!!!!

And by the way….there are just 39 working days left!

Attempted Failure

Just back from the Bronx Zoo. Haven't done my official work out yet, but I wonder if I can't count the 2.5 hours of walking we just did at the Zoo. "We did not even get to see the snakes" my older son declares as we walk past a "snakes" sign on our way out. After some time I had simply stopped telling the kids what other animals there were to see, for fear that they might actually want to go see them. The only animal I was thinking of, was a stuffed one....my pillow!

Anyway, I wrote the post below while was at the laundromat this morning.

I am back at work tomorrow and by the way, we are down to 40 days!!!

You may be asking (as even I am) "are you sure?" "don't you want to rethink this?" "Change your mind?"

The answer is...I am SO ready for my next chapter. And it will NEVER happen as long as the old chapter is still open. So...No! I am not going to rethink this.

Wishing you all a great upcoming week!!!
Love, Peace and Blessings

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Earlier Today

Isn’t that just the way of things? You get all excited because you succeeded in starting something that you get carried away celebrating and end up not finishing it.

This is a very risky thing that sneaks up on you and happens VERY easily.

I am very upset that I missed TWO WHOLE DAYS of blogging.  

This is how “failure” sneaks up on you.

On Friday, it was not a regular day. I had to leave work early to attend a meeting with C.C., my partner. We already had dinner plans with friends so we thought we’d throw in a movie and make it a whole day for just us. And I figured I would squeeze in my 30 minute work out somewhere in between.

Well, I barely got out of work in time to make it home to meet with C.C. and make it to our meeting on time. In fact we were late. But no problem, had a great meeting and then had some time to while away before dinner. So we thought we’d see the movie then….but with traffic and being a undecided about what we wanted to see and therefore where we'd have to go, when we finally got to the theatre..there wasn’t a single movie we could see that would get us to dinner on time. So we strolled back to the car and headed on to the restaurant for dinner.

At this point it was getting clear to me that I would probably NOT be squeezing in my work out tonight.

Dinner was a blast!!!! And the food was SOOOO good. I highly recommend the Dumont Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

There is a delightfully cozy garden bar and seating available in the back.

At this point, my “diet” is out the door.

I had the yummiest burger, with a salad (hey, I got my veggies in) and a delicious side of Mac and Cheese. But this Mac and Cheese is not JUST Mac and Cheese…just look at this excerpt from the menu

DuMac & Cheese, 15
bacon lardons, cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, radiatore pasta

The DuMont Burger, 14
fries or salad, Boston bibb, tomato & pickles(add cheese $1)
sharp white cheddar, American, Danish blue, gruyere
(add thick cut bacon $2)

Darlings!!!!….it was DEEEElicious!!!!

I should also mention that I had 1 Lemon-drop Martini.

Okay….so that was not all…..when we left the restaurant, we all dipped into a corner store and bought…yes, you guessed it …ICE CREAM!!

All this and it’s 11pm..oh my..where will all those calories settle?!?!

After dinner, C.C, and I felt surprisingly awake and thought we would still go for a movie afterall…so we bought tickets for a 12:40am show, but were not allowed into the theatre to sit and wait. So here we are standing in front of the theatre with a one hour wait ahead of us before we (most likely) sleep through a movie. After the first 10 minutes, we knew that we were fooling ourselves. We got our money back and headed home. Hey, I could still make it to write into my blog before midnight….NOT!

The kids were still awake and needed cleaning and settling, and once that was done…not only was it already the next day….but I was falling asleep standing up. Case Closed!

“I’ll make up for it on Saturday”…famous last words!

Saturday, I am happy to say I went for a jog while the kids were down for their afternoon nap, but after that there was an unexpected flurry of activity which ended at 11:55pm (seriously!) I got in the house and RAN to my laptop to quickly put in an entry for the day. But of course, with 2 minutes to go, I can’t figure out how to turn off a mouse lock that my son had somehow turned on when I was watching earlier in the day…I didn’t even know there was such a thing. So I run to my work laptop and believe it or not….for whatever technical reasons, I can’t log in!!! At 12: 15am, I find out what the mouse lock is and how to unlock it but it’s already ‘tomorrow’. Bummer! And we all know what happened next….zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

There is a lesson in all this:

Do I let this detract me from my goals for the week?

Do I give in to the distraction and give up on everything?

Do I say…hey I missed two days already…I am already out of the rhythm, why bother?

Do I get really mad at myself and then sink into a depression because of what a failure I am?

NO!!!!

Distractions WILL always come. Obstacles, Interruptions, Discouragements of all sorts….DON’T GIVE IN TO THEM!!!!

Keep your eye on the prize. Gently lead yourself back to your goals. I say gently because I know that I for one can be extremely hard on myself at times like this.

But don’t beat yourself up. Don’t nag! Just remind yourself of what it is you were working on, and get back on it.

So here I am getting my laundry done at 7am. And I plan to get my work out in today, before our trip to the Bronx zoo. I am back on track! J

Failure did NOT Succeed!! : -D

41 "Sunny at Work" Shows to go

The Challenge Continues...June 3 - 10, 2011

So how did we all do with our fitness challenge last week?

FellowBlogger Friend, www.4everfab.wordpress.com, whom we will promote to “Challenge Coach” hence forth, spoke about what she learned from our first 7 day challenge in her blog last night. Brilliant!

And since we are doing this together, here’s what I have learned:

-          I really really need to stick with it and get back in shape. I feel way too heavy to run and I have NO stamina what so ever. Believe me when I say I used to run MILES…now I cannot even run a ONE city block. When I went ‘running’ this week, it was actually a brisk walk. It felt good and I realized that I really miss running/walking, especially outdoors. It has been awesome, and I do not ever want to stop again. Rather, I want to work back up to running again.

-          If I can’t do the work out I had planned…be ready and willing to improvise. Three times this week, I could not get to run, (handling kids, or it got too late, etc) I was VERY tempted to accept that excuse. But I didn’t!!! I turned on the dance music channel on the TV and just moved non-stop for 20 – 25 minutes. I incorporated, push ups, squats, jumping jacks, crunches, some kick boxing and any other moves that came to mind. So it became like an interval training kind of thing. The key was just not to ever stop moving till the time was up. It works up a really good sweat, I might add.

-          It really does help to have a work out buddy! No matter how far away they may be. Just to know you have to report back to someone, and that you may be letting someone down is a great motivator

-          In Oprah’s words, Set Your Intention. Be clear what you are trying to achieve each week and work towards it. This week I did not really set an intention, I just agreed to a challenge. But there was no real goal apart from just doing it. That was probably what I needed just to get started again, but going forward, I want to set a solid intention every week.

-          As for the writing part of the challenge, here’s what I learned: I love it!!!

And whenever it gets hard, just get yourself that "spoon full of sugar" and make it FUN!

And now let’s get into the next Challenge – June 3^rd -10^th

1)      Up the workout routine to 25 – 30 minutes of non-stop movement

2)      As Lady Gaga’s Trainer suggested in my previous post: eat 4 -5 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones

3)      Include at least 2 or 3 servings of Fruits and/or Veggies daily

4)      Drink at least 6 cups of WATER per day

5)      Write at least one blog post per day.

Think that’s too much??

Well, that's why we call it a

  

Let’s go do it and ENJOY!!!

On the subject of my escape from Corporate Entrapment...

...here is a hilarious quote from Comedian Martha Kelly on preparing for office work:

It's been a couple of years since I actually worked in an office, so I thought I should do something to prepare to get back into the typing, filing and phone answering, and what not. So what I did was I had a friend of mine go with me down to the local swimming pool, and I had him tie me up in a burlap sack and sink me to the bottom of the pool. And then just as I was about to suffocate, he yanked me up and gave me a lunch break.

:-) SO TRUE!!!

And as for me...the count down is on! Today is June 1st that means 42 days left.

If you were counting down with Oprah, like I was...you should enjoy this too.

Never give up on YOU!!!

"Never Give Up"

Yolanda Adams

Visions that can change the world trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me too afraid to dream out loud
And though it's simple your idea, it won't make sense to everybody
You need courage now If you're gonna persevere

To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds

[Chorus]
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Don't give up

Every victory comes in time, work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier, who's to say that you can't fly
Every step you take you get, closer to your destination
You can feel it now, don't you know you're almost there?

To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds

[Chorus]
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you

[Bridge:]
Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle?
The answer that can solve a mystery
The key that can unlock your understanding
It's all inside of you, you have everything you need yeahhhh

Sooooo, keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside, keeps inspiring you to try don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you

Sometimes life can place a stumbling block in your way
But you're gotta keep the faith, bring what's deep inside your heart yeah your
Heart to the light
And never give up Don't ever give up on you

Nooo don't give up,
No, no, no, no don't give up
Oh, no, no, no, no don't...give...up