Move Forward to be the Best You

Often times when I talk to my challengers about their goals I get lots of answers such as, "I want my pre-baby body" or "I want to look like I did in my 20s".  It seems to be a standard goal/dream to go back in time and be where we were years ago when it comes to our health and fitness.  I will admit, that I too have longed for that 20-something body that isn't marked with the signs of motherhood; we've all wished to return to our youth.  We'd love to go back in time and give ourselves advice:  treat your body better, we'd say, learn to exercise early in life, eat your vegetables.  Ha ha!  It's a sad, and funny truth.

Last week, I was listening to the challengers tell me once again how they'd love to go back.  Back to what?  Back to pre-college, pre-wedding, pre-baby, pre-everything.  Hell, if we go back far enough maybe we can back to our original weight of 7lbs 3oz!  Suddenly it was like a light bulb went off!  Everyone's wishing the impossible!  We cannot go back.  No matter how hard I wish or work, I cannot go back in time!  The world is moving forward; seconds, minutes, hours...years.  Life keeps on moving.  Now, I have the choice.  I can focus on where I used to be and continue to wish to have that body back, or I can move forward and decide to have the best body and health I've EVER had.  

I've seen and experienced my 20 something body, guess what, I wasn't happy with it then (silly girl) but as I entered my 30s, I knew I worked hard, I know that I earned it, I know that it took focus and discipline and, well, my reward is to feel like I'm in the best shape of my life.  No going back, no wishing for what's gone and past.  It's time to look forward and say, "I'm ready to take a step towards my best me!"  

You can't be 40 with three kids and look like you did when you were 18 years old.  I mean, I guess you could, but how many botox injections, tucks, lifts, peels and heaven knows what else would you have to under go?  However, you can be a smokin' hot 40 year old with three kids and not just look good for being 40 with 3 kids, but just look and feel good.  Period.  Wear your age and your life well.  My body is not perfect, but it's gone through months of stretching, expanding and growing both my children.  My body endured labor and childbirth. I nursed both my children for a year each.   I spent many nights sleeping sitting up with an infant on my chest because that's the only way he'd sleep and I've bounced a little girl on my soft hips while navigating my way through life as a working mother.  I should be proud of what my body can and has done; not ashamed of it.  

Through my journey of health and fitness, each day I've pushed myself farther and harder than the day before, at least I've strived to do that, and I know that today I'm stronger than I have ever been.  I could run circles around my 20-something self and I certainly understand the value of good healthy habits and I'm definitely kinder to my body and my emotions.  I no longer look back and wish to rewind the clock.  I look ahead and wonder where I'll go next and how with each passing year, experience and challenge, I'm stronger, empowered and determined to be the very best me.  

Healthy Does Not Mean Without Flavor

 

 

Last night we hosted an early Thanksgiving with my husband's family.  We are traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we decided to have a small dinner with our family here before we leave.  It was not a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but it was an evening filled with good food, great conversation and quality family time.

 

It wasn't too long ago when dinner parties would stress.me.out.  I used to really struggle to come up with a healthy meal that was flavorful and that I would feel confident sharing with others.  It would have been normal for me to put together a high fat, pasta filled, gravy/sauce drowned meal and everyone would eat until they were stuffed silly and then waddle out the door at the end of the night. 

On the menu last night was:

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Grilled NY Strip Steak

Steamed Shrimp

Roasted Butternut Squash with Beets
Mozzarella, Tomato and Artichoke Salad

Some side items were a Raspberry baked brie and French Bread and we did end the evening with decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  Adding those little things in moderation isn't so bad, as long as the meal is clean and well balanced.  I will post recipes soon!
 

 

 

Celebrating Life

Since as far back as I can remember, I could not wait to be 30 years old.  I'm not sure what was so significant about that number, but that was what I looked forward to for most of my young adult life.  As I approached my 30th birthday in 2011, life took a devastating turn.  My father, at the age of 56, died very unexpectedly and tragically; it turned my life and my family's life upside down. 

His death occurred just days before my birthday;  What I had I hoped for was a big celebration, what happened was what I can only explain as complete turmoil and dismay as my family tried to cope with the situation and plan our father's funeral.  A birthday is just a day, I realize that truth, those days in our life were not about me, nor should they have been.  It was about my family's grief and inability to cope or understand with his untimely death.  It would be a falsity if I were to say that my birthday will ever be the same for me.  I watch my mother and brothers grieve, I feel my own guilt and my own loss, and I feel tremendously selfish to expect the people I love so much to celebrate this time/day of the year. 

Last year, was hard.  I tried to ignore that my birthday is Nov. 15th.  I decided to pick a happy day, a day I love so much, May 1st (MAY DAY! Who doesn't love a day with flowers!?!) to celebrate me.  I believe everyone should have their day.  A few friends played along (Thank You, Lolly B.,  Kathy W.  and Jennifer R.)  I think people tried to understand my want to disassociate my birthday with my father's death, but the change didn't go over as well as I had hoped.  It's actually a lot harder to change your birthday than you'd think! 

This year, was better, my mom actually took me to dinner on Nov. 14th, which considering that was the 2 year anniversary of his death, I felt very blessed that she was able to emotionally do that.  I was proud of her.  I know that every day is very difficult for her, not just this week/day in November. These days specifically, I know I feel a great deal stronger about his absence, so I can only imagine how she must feel. 

 

 

 

So here I am with my mom.  She's a pretty neat lady.  She's stronger than you think.  She chooses to celebrate life and show that even with loss, you have to get up and put one foot in front of the other.  She validated for me on Thursday, that it's ok to want to be happy on my birthday.  I know it's hard for her.  She and my father started a life together 33 years ago (in October), they became parents on this day 32 years ago and then she lost her partner 2 years ago.  It's a sensitive time of year. 

 

I think about my own husband and how much I love him more and more when I celebrate the birth of our children.  As a wife and mother, I know what her heart feels.  To mourn your life partner, but to also celebrate the child you created with that person at the same time...I'm sure feels very conflicting.  I worry that she looks at me and feels more pain, but if she does, she didn't show it.  She just celebrated me.  Maybe my birthday will get easier for me.  I don't know.  I know that I'm truly grateful for the people in my life that have given me support and love. 

 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes yesterday, it really meant the world to me.  Tell the people in your life you love them and never take a day for granted, for each day is a gift, that's why it's called the present.  

Schedule Time for Rest

In my weight loss challenge group today, I asked the participants to share with me how they rest and relax.  It was not a surprise to get responses like, "rest, what's that?" or "hopefully when I'm asleep."  It's no secret that life is moving and it's moving fast.  There are things to see, places to be, people to meet all.the.time.  I recently had a revelation myself...

I had been STUCK, I was working out HARD and eating CLEAN (100%) and just could not see progress. If you know me in real life, you know I go a million miles an hour 24/7. I am constantly bouncing from one activity to the next; between working full time with my business, being a mother of 2 very outgoing and very active children, running the weight loss groups, managing my home/family...well, I know I'm not alone.  I'm a busy chick.  Most people I know are BUSY BUSY people.  My trainer ORDERED a rest day. I couldn't even walk the neighborhood (she told me that my kids were old enough to walk the dog) and she even threatened to text my husband to tell him I needed a mental health day of rest and relaxation. I've been working with her 4 years...she knows me well.

Well, I took a rest day. It was super low key. It felt GOOOOOOD. It felt so good, that I took another. The next day after those two rest days. I was down 3lbs (that I just could not get through to save my life weeks before!) My body released water weight, I could immediately see a little pump in my arm muscles, and when I went back to the gym I was able to increase weight on all my sets. I had made MORE progress in 2 days of rest than I had in weeks of push push push, go go go.

Not everyone has the luxury of staying home, or being able to just "stop". I certainly tell myself that there are million and 3 things that need to get done and only I can do them and they have to be done right now. Guess what? I'm really not that important in the world. The world will keep turning, things will wait. FORCE YOURSELF TO REST and RELAX. DO IT.  I'm not saying be lazy, but learn to slow down. Learn to let things fall through the cracks and learn to just do what you can, without breaking yourself.

REST is just as important if not MORE important to the whole picture of health, fitness and weight loss than busting your hump every day in the gym, meal planning out the wazzoo, grocery shopping, cleaning house, prepping and planning, etc. Make sure you're allowing time for it.

Going Gluten-Free

I am not a fan of fad diets.  I've been honest in that I don't believe in crash dieting, lemonade detoxes, zero carb, drink my calorie crazes that result in quick weight loss and even faster bad habit binging.  My entire philosophy is not about weight loss, but more about healthy living. 

I have done Whole Food Detoxes, but not for weight loss, more just to see how the foods and routine would affect my system.  I've gained a ton of incredible recipes from http://wholehealthdesigns.com/  I love her 10 day detoxes!  She gives you fabulous recipes with REAL FOOD, tips and advice for healthy living.  I do a modified version of the detoxes every season and each time, I've come away with something positive (and it has never been about losing lbs)

Almost 3 weeks ago, my trainer Blythe and I decided to try going Gluten Free.  I will be the first to admit that whenever I read a label that said, "Gluten Free" my first reaction was, "ewww, gross."  I told you, I'm not very mature.  I was so scared to try this.  I was afraid that it meant I couldn't eat anything.  I feared that finding foods I could eat would be difficult.  What I learned is that I actually don't eat a lot of gluten anyway.  Modifying my diet wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and I have, to my surprise, completely enjoyed this experience! 

My skin has completely cleared up (I've had terrible bouts of Cystic Acne since entering my 30s), my energy level has increased, I'm never bloated, or feeling a "Carb Hangover" and I really enjoy all the experimenting with new recipes and dishes I've been trying.  Blythe asked me last week if I wanted to start adding gluten back into my diet.  Without even a blink of an eyelash, I answered, "No, I really like how I feel.  I'll stick with it."  I'm going to do my best to keep a Gluten Free diet/lifestyle, but I know that in moderation, I'll be ok with it every once in a while. 

I'm SO happy I tried it and loving the results I see from it.  I've spoken to many other people that have moved towards GF and they've all had similar results.  I think I need to do a little more research as to why this has been so effective for people.  Stay tuned.

Bountiful Bikram

I've been known to be a "Groupon hoarder".  I have a terrible habit of buying Bikram Yoga Groupons.  It sounds like a really great deal: 10 Classes for $29 or 20 for $49.   I figure that its so reasonable that even if I use it only twice, I've gotten my money's worth.  Well, the last time I went was back in February, I've since let one Groupon expire, leaving 15/20 classes unused, as well as purchased another Groupon that is nearing its expiration.  I know.  It's an illness.  I always tell myself I'll go!

So this weekend, the owner of the studio emailed me and offered to combine all my unused classes (totaling 35) to a 10 class card (yes, she talked me into buying another 10 classes! UGH!)  So I am now the proud owner of 45 Bikram Yoga sessions that I MUST USE BY JAN 18.  No pressure.  I think I'd have to go every other day to use them all- it's a lofty goal, but I will rise to the challenge. 

Naturally, I felt that I had some serious Mojo/Motivation since I had just purchased more classes.  I packed my tush, my yoga mat and towel, and headed to the 11am class yesterday.   Aaaaaaand then I remembered why it is so hard to get me to class. 

#1 It smells like a jock strap
#2 The 250lb hairy man/gorilla next to me
#3 The 250lb hairy man/gorilla's sweat is definitely going to hit me
#4 I am too immature to handle bodily noises that escape fellow yogis without at the very least a small chuckle
#5 I'm a major germaphobe.  Honestly, do they have to have the room carpeted?

 

 

Aside from all that, it's an incredible workout.  90 minutes in 106 degrees, 26 poses, 900 calories burned.  I know that it's worth it.  I know the benefits.  I feel fantastic afterwards.  Getting to class...still damn near impossible. 

I was really nervous about class yesterday too.  I know that missing for long periods of time, you're just not going to retain your flexibility, it's going to feel hotter in the room, and the poses are REALLY hard to hold!  My legs were shaking, I did have trouble breathing at different points, only felt light headed a few times, but overall I was really pleased with myself.  I definitely came out feeling stronger than I thought I would.  #1, #2 and #22 are still awful for me, but I got through it. 

So I'm making a proclamation.  I WILL GO!  NO EXCUSES.  I will not let these Groupons die in vain! 

Namaste

The Power of Laughter

I am someone who LOVES to laugh.  I'm probably one of the few people that actually means it when I type, "LOL".  I love the deep in your belly laughs that you just can't keep inside.  I try and find humor in every situation and I believe that there is always a bright side.  For me, that's the only way one can push through life. 

My "real job" is working with children, actually, working with parents and adults who live/work with children; working with the children is a rare luxury for me it seems these days.  However, try spending a day with a child and not laughing.  Honestly, if you can really do that, WHERE IS YOUR SOUL?!?!  Children have a way of just seeing a situation for what it is, they don't over think it, they don't apologize for their silliness and they don't even try to contain their emotions in most circumstances.  What a great way to view the world, right?  Obviously, as adults, we must learn to sort of tone that down and live within the constraints of what is acceptable in society, but I definitely allow myself some leniency to just laugh out loud and unapologetically release. 

Some of my best experiences/stories during my health and fitness journey have nothing to do with actual health and fitness.  Most have to do with some blooper I've made (like going through an entire 4:30 am workout with my pants on inside out AND backwards; only to realize once I got HOME. I will never ever forgive you for that Steph and Kelly...some friends you are!  I kid. I kid.) and just learning to laugh at myself.  I get through a lot of awkward and difficult situations that way. I'm not going to get better, stronger, or closer to goals by sulking or beating myself up.  Things don't improve when you focus on the negatives.  Things happen when you put a smile on your face and put forth the effort to push through. 

Last night, I was picking my daughter up from her very first "Skate Party".  Suddenly I felt like I was catapulted back to 80s and I was hitting sensory overload just as spotted my gorgeous tween in the middle of the big wooden floor.  There she was, tall, beautiful, laughing herself silly and so gracefully skating...while pushing a walker with tennis balls on its feet.  Yes, there she was in all her perfection.  I've written about my kiddo before.  She's a gem.  The girliest girl I know.  Completely and hopelessly uncoordinated and undoubtedly confident that she can do anything with style and pizazz.  Her friends were skating circles around her, cheering her on, and laughing loudly as she proclaimed, "I've got this!  I'm going Grandma Style!"  (I assume that was a spin on Gangham Style.)  Being that she had been at the party for nearly 3 hours, I can only imagine the jokes and fun these kids had.  She was unfazed.  She was having the time of her life with her friends and not giving a flying fizz that she looked utterly ridiculous.  Like I said, she's perfect.  As I drove her and a friend home, they continued to laugh and share stories.  No judgment from her friends, they love her because she didn't let fear or insecurity stop her from having a wonderful time at this party.  She has another skate party coming up and she can't wait! 

 

 

My point is, don' t take yourself so seriously.  I know that's easier said than done, but you'll be amazed how much easier it is to get through life if you just laugh.  Do your best with what you've got and trust that the people that really matter in your life, well, they're thankful for the comic relief. 

A current (and long standing) goal of mine is to actually do a pull up.  I'm currently a pro at an exercise I like to call the "dead fish" where I just sort of dangle there and pull with every ounce of might that I have and don't even raise myself a few inches.  Yeah...that's awesome.  How many of you can say you did 3 sets of 10 "dead fish" this morning?  I won't give up and when I do finally do that pull up, ya'll better get ready to party! 

So get out there, be great, and if you slip up, oh well, at least you've got a great story to tell!

Loving Me

Now before you go off thinking I'm some sort of egomaniac, I need to explain what it means to "Love Me".  Recently, on Pinterest (yes, I am addicted to that site!) I found a quote from Kaci Diane, who I actually have no idea who that person is, but I loved the quote, "I love the person I've become, because I fought to become her." 

How true this is for me!  Years ago, I was a really miserable person.  Overworked, overcommitted, overweight, over everything...marriage, motherhood, life, you name it.  I consumed my time with things that didn't matter and the things that did matter, but were too difficult to face, I chose to run away.  Story of my life.  Blame everything around myself and fall victim to my circumstances.  When I finally took a good hard look at myself, the truth was really hard to swallow.  I decided not to be a slave to life.  I owned my life; it didn't own me. 

I fought very hard to come out of the dark place I had allowed myself to fall into .  I dug my nails in deep to find the strength I needed to overcome my insecurities, fears, self doubts, and predetermined failures.  I worked with all my might to get to a place where I could finally face myself and say, "it's going to be ok".  I developed a routine, I told everyone I knew, and that would listen, my plan and goals, and I stuck with it.  There were certainly days when my demons would try and coax me back to my old life, but I would just remind myself that the old life wasn't much of a life at all.  I wanted to look in the mirror (physically and metaphorically) and be proud of myself.  I wanted to show myself that I could do anything I put my mind to and that I would not be a victim of my own demise.  I looked at my children and promised myself that I would be a good example, not perfect, but good.

I changed my patterns.  I changed my thinking.  I developed NEW habits, healthy habits and focused on being the most positive person I knew.  I stopped setting limits, I stopped telling myself excuses and I stopped allowing my life control me.  I took the wheel and took charge of where I wanted my life to go.  Now, realistically, we all know that life is going to throw us some curveballs.  There are going to be situations that we have absolutely no control over, but what we can control is how we react to them.  I tried to think more clearly and be more proactive than reactive.  I forced myself to calm down and trust that things would sort themselves out if I kept a level head and followed my heart.

I learned a new mantra, "Not My Monkey", meaning that I didn't have to carry everyone else's problems.  I realized that I didn't necessarily take on others' problems because I could even help, it was more of just a distraction from my own.  How much help could I truly be if I was completely broken myself?  Right?  So I learned to let people take care of themselves and I focused on me; I focused on "my monkey". 

 

I learned to love me.  I love me for who I am.  What does that mean?  It means that I looked at myself and told myself I deserve to be the BEST ME.  That I deserved my time.  I deserved my happiness.  I deserved to take care of myself.  The only person that could give me those things are ME.  I decided to invest in myself. 

The journey is hard.  I battle it every day still.  I wake up every day with the idea that I have another chance to make the day great.  I have another chance to take care of me.  Some days, I don't always succeed in the way I hoped, but every morning, I'm blessed with yet another chance. 

No one gives you your worth.  There's no magic pill to make life easier.  Everyone is given 1 body, 24 hours in a day, 1 life...but there are a million perspectives and attitudes.  You just have to choose which one you're going to use.  I choose to be positive, love myself, live my life to my fullest potential.  The only limits ahead are the ones I haven't broken yet!

Yes, I love me.  I love who I've become, and I really did work damn hard to become her!

You Do It or You Don't

So many many many times in challenges I get these excuses:

1. I was traveling
2. I had friends/guests visiting
3. We had family birthday parties
4. Work parties/dinner meetings
5. Weekends are hard
6. Sick kids
7. A hectic work schedule kept me from working out
8. My mother-in-law sent a cake over
9. Neighborhood party/cookout this weekend
10. Sunday Football games and all that food!

Well, guess what, you're either on track or you're not.  When it comes to sticking to your plan, you either do it or you don't.  Pretty simple.  

As I prepped for my weekend away, I said this to myself.  "AA, you're going away on a girls' weekend.  Lots of food, opportunity to indulge in drinks and desserts and very easy to get off track.  I'm either going to do it or not."  I knew that if I got home on Monday and looked back at a weekend of unhealthy choices, I would not be happy with myself.  I knew that if I went in with the mindset to focus on my health and fitness goals, I could come home without regret (or extra lbs)  I did it.  I stuck to my plan.  I ate what I knew would fit into my plan and I didn't for one minute tell myself that I wanted or needed anything different (I didn't need the pasta, or the bagels; I wasn't running a marathon)  

I am the queen of negotiations.  I will negotiate, trade, reason and bargain for just about anything.  I sometimes lay in bed before going to the gym and battle with myself.  More sleep vs. a good workout.  I either get up and workout or I don't.  Many times I've convinced myself that I'll get that workout in later, 90% of the time...I don't.  I know myself.  I need to stick to the plan or I won't stick to it at all. 

Living well doesn't work if you only live well when it feels good or it's convenient.  Birthdays come every year; weekends happen every single week, kids will get sick, mother-in-laws will literally SWEETLY sabatoge the clean eating plan, sports fans will always crave chicken wings and chips and dips.  Life is hectic and it's full of opportunity to fall of the wagon.  We can negotiate, reason, bargain and try and play catch up as much as we can, but bottom line, you're either doing it, or you're not.  When in moderation, yes, it's ok to let loose, but when the excuses become things that are just inevitably going to happen week after week, day after day, it's not longer an excuse, it's just a way of life, and not a healthy one.  

We can come up with a million and three excuses as to why we didn't do it, but my challenge to you is to drop the excuses and just get on the plan!  DO IT!  

Setting Obtainable and Reasonable Goals

Today I spent some time talking with a challenger about goals.  She admitted to me that she was fascinated by the fact that I so openly share my goals and  that I "put it out there" what I'm working towards achieving.  She asked with all earnest, "Don't you worry you'll fail?!"  Honestly, even if I don't necessarily reach the goal I had in mind, if I truly believe that if I put forth all my efforts and do everything that I know I can do...failing is impossible.  Does that make sense?  Here's an example...

My current goal is to train for a figure competition in December.  I haven't fully commited to the competition (as in walking across the stage) because competition day wasn't as glamorous or fun for me the first time I did it.  TRAINING was where all the magic happened for me.  I loved getting stronger and seeing my body change.  I loved pushing myself to the limit and doing things that I had always wanted to do but never believed I could.  Did I look like a girl that would enjoy flipping a large tire across a parking lot?  No, but I did love it once I told myself that I could and then actually got out there and did it.  So this time around, my goal isn't to walk the stage, but my goal is to be completely confident in knowing I COULD walk the stage.  My goal is something obtainable, something I enjoy, there's a time frame around it and what happens if I don't reach my goal by Dec. 14th?  Will I be disappointed, sure, but will I have failed...absolutely not.  I know what you're all thinking: Why train if you don't plan on walking the stage?  Well, because I like the discipline, I like the challenge and I needed a date in mind to keep me focused.  I know it sounds silly, but it's my goal, not anyone else's and it gives me a timeline and point of reference.  I know how and what I want my body to look and feel and I know that if I don't set a date...well, then how to you measure the training period?  

So back to Dec. 14th.  What happens if I don't feel that I would be competition ready?  Well, then I re-evalute and figure out what I need to do to get ready and I set  a new goal.  Can I get lean by Dec. 14th?   Absolutely, I know myself well enough to know that.  I'm disciplined and I really enjoy the clean eating and seeing the transformation.  Can I get the muscle tone and definititon I need to get ready?  Definitely, I understand the process and I've got a dynamite trainer that knows her stuff and I trust her to help me get there.  Will I have the muscle mass?  I don't know.  I'm going to try my hardest and honestly, this is the part of the goal that I think I may fall short, but that's OK because if I'm not there Dec. 14th, I don't throw in the towel and say "dammit, I didn't get my biceps big enough, I quit!"  No, I just set a new goal, recognize that I have to refocus and fine tune my goals and then try again.  Guess what?  I'm still better off than had I not set any goal at all and just got squishy stuffing my face full or s'mores.  :)

So how does that relate to my friend that just wants to lose weight.  Well, she's got a goal.  She wants to drop some weight by the end of the 8 week challenge.  Perhaps her goal was to lose 15lbs.  So she gets to end of November and realizes she only lost 10.  FAIL, right?  WRONG!  She's working towards her goal.  The timeframe is not the end all be all in every situation.  Yes, time frames are applicable in many situations, like if she said on Dec. 1st she was going to build a homemade rocket and fly to Jupiter...  I'd have to pull her aside and say that her goal was just never going to happen, but that's not the case.  She's working towards weight loss.  1 lb at a time, one day at a time, one bite or bite passed at a time.  These goals are flexible, we can re-evaluate, refocus, learn from ourselves and keep plugging on!  

Focusing on being kind to ourselves, recognizing our weaknesses and not invalidating our strengths is really the key in goal setting.

1.  Understand what you know you're capable of doing and then push yourself just a little bit farther than your comfort zone.  

2.  Do something that challenges you, but doesn't crush you.  

3.  Build a life that's worth living, and living well, don't surround yourself with rules, restrictions and impossible scenarios that you won't maintain or enjoy day after day.  

4. Be flexible.  Understand that just because something doesn't work the way you thought it would means it isn't working, you may just need to adjust or modify.  

5. Know when you've had too much.  Don't obsess; when you find yourself feeling trapped and reeling with anxiety and distress about it all.  STOP.  The goal isn't right for you.  

6.  Reach out.  Someone else is working on their goals too and you're not alone in how you feel.  It's hard.  Anything worth having is hard, so share the load.  Talk to a friend, listen to a friend and don't allow yourself to hide behind your frustrations and fears.  People care and they want you to succeed.  

I love that I got to talk to a friend today and that she trusted me to share her struggles.  I'm cheering her on and I know that she can achieve anything, one day at a time, one foot in front of the other, and if she takes a step back, well...it's not a failure; Life is a Dance and sometimes a Cha-Cha  

NYC Marathon Weekend Recap

It was simply amazing. I stuck to my diet plan (high protein, no gluten, and lots of veggies) I did have 2 skinny girl margaritas on Friday night, but other than that, I was SPOT ON!

 

As spectators of the marathon, my sister-in-law Jessica and I traveled all over the city trying to catch our friends at different mile markers. Her and I did over 15 miles, 3500 calories, and over 30,000 steps (coming out to about 167 VIGOROUS/ACTIVE minutes) That does not include the cab rides, train rides, bus stops and just normal tourist walking; 15 miles of WORK! We worked our BUTTS off yesterday! I came home weighing less than I did Friday; which is pretty impressive considering it was a full on girls' weekend and I roomed with 5 women who were carb loading; yes, room filled with bagels, pasta, breads, bananas, apples, etc...all things I LOVE and cannot eat right now!

We ate at amazing restaurants and passed yummy smelling street vendors and temptation was everywhere...but I held strong. I did not for one minute feel like I deprived myself or that I did not enjoy my time, i'm training for MY LIFE. I did what I needed to do for me and recognized that they were doing what they needed to do to fuel themselves and their goals. Watching the marathon and being there for my friends was probably one of the greatest experiences and don't be surprised when you see me training for mine next year...I've got the marathon bug!

So there you have it...one of my greatest weekends ever! Life is all about choices folks; being fit and healthy does not mean sacrificing what you enjoy in life, in fact, I think I would have pooped out and not been able to keep up with the weekend had I not gone in with a plan and healthy mindset!

Solemates

I love this picture (Sweaty Betty and all); these are my girls...my besties, my solemates.  This picture was taken at mile 8 of the Annapolis 10-Miler this past August.  Today, I am up early, eating well, and packing for my Girls' Weekend in NYC...Jessica and I are going to support Kathy and Heather, as well as a few other friends, as they run the NYC Marathon!  I think it's going to actually happen this year!  I can't wait to see my dear friends cross that finish line.  I've done so many runs with them, talked about hurt knees, hurt hips, sore feet, the latest running fashion trends, carb loading, running shoes, compression socks, shock blocks, jelly beans, and hills (OH THE HILLS!) over the years that I could not imagine not being there as they finish this race.  I am so fortunate that I've made such amazing friends through this love, or rather obsession, of running!

Sharing a passion, supporting one another and cheering each other on; that's real.  That's friendship.  I've learned so many life lessons through running, and from my dear friends.  Life really is a marathon.  Not every mile is going to feel great, but it is an experience.  We can either let it slow us down, break us, or push us to do better on the next mile.  Every fellow runner has a challenge they are working to overcome and every person is on their own journey and as friends and fellow runners, we get to catch of glimpse of their journey while we travel along side them on our own.  Some days it feels near impossible to lace up, but we do.  When we finish a hard run, we aren't disappointed we did it, we're just glad it's over and we're thinking about our next one.  When we finish a good run, we could shout from the rooftops and our friends are beaming too because they are proud of you.  Being a runner isn't about being the fastest, or the strongest, or winning races or breaking PRs, at least not all the time, it's about feeling something deep in your soul and knowing that no matter what, every step forward is a step worth taking.

I love you, girls!  More than you'll ever know (and yes, I really do use the word LOVE)

NEW YORK CITY HERE WE COME!!!!