Blue Jean Baby

This weekend was - in a word - FAN-F*#$ING-TABULOUS.  So grab your coffee, lean back, kick your feet up, and listen.  Because I wanna tell you aaaaalllll about it.

Size FOUR. 

First up - didn't workout once.  Sorry...didn't mean to make you spit out your coffee in shock.  But it's true!  Normally, not a reason for fantabulousness.  And I should rectify that statement by saying I had no formal workout.  I did, however, walk my lil' butt off.  Literally.  As Hubby and I perused the Gettysburg Outlets, I walked that lil' butt right into a pair of size four jeans.  I never thought these hips or quads would see the day!  But I was walking right out of the 6's I had on, so I figured I'd make the attempt.  Left the store with spankin' new skinny jeans AND trousers.  BOTH 4's.  And all this after a month of that nasty scale not budging.  So once again, I am proven RIGHT.  Screw the scale!  Use the jeans!

And now I'm extra energized for my back-to-back workouts today (Insanity and an easy run).  My legs feel strong, my lungs feel ready, and my enthusiasm is obnoxiously high.  Sometimes, I need a break to remind me just how much I love what I do.

Mine at last!

Second - Hubby surprised me with a chinup bar AND Selectech dumbbells!!!! Now, of course we left on our mini-vacay before I had the chance to use either piece of equipment.  And of course nothing in my training currently necessitates either piece of equipment.  But I cannot keep my sweaty paws off of 'em so I see a lifting session in my very near future (translation: Babe's naptime).  I've been dreaming lustily of this since I helped Hubby carry the weights inside on Friday.  Today, my dreams reach fruition.  *blissfulsigh*

LOVE!

Third - I discovered our favorite restaurant in Gettysburg (Gettysburg Eddie's) has added a vegetarian menu!  I was not relegated to pale lettuce leaves and lemon water!  Instead, I feasted on portabella, roasted red peppers, and an incredibly vibrant salad.  My drool is making the keyboard kind of slippery...My only regret nutrition-wise while we were out and about?  Nary a blender in sight so no Shakeology for TWO DAYS!  And I forgot to take my vitamins along, so I was feeling mildly sluggish by the time we returned to the M&M Estate last evening.  Today, however, all is good and back on track.  Shakeology has been consumed and Mama is on the verge of a workout.  Things are back to healthy!

Last (but not nearly least) - I handed out copies of my book to my sisters and my mom.  Autographed and everything!  There's something about a book that just feels good in my soul.  Those are my words and my ideas between those covers...and that's my name on the front cover.  My bucket list would be shorter if I wasn't constantly adding new goals to replace those accomplished.

It's good for your FitLife AND your soul.

Great weekend.  But it's over...and now we're movin' into a new week, a new school year, and a new challenge group.  Just because I've had an awesome three days, don't expect me to slow down and become a slug.  I've got plenty of awesome to keep going.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Pounds

I still step on the scale nearly every morning.  Call it curiousity, call it habit.  I sometimes still feel that initial prick of irritation at the numbers' refusal to lower, but it's pretty easy to kick that downer to the curb.  And this is what I always want to tell people when they start their own fitness journeys.  STEP AWAY FROM THE SCALE.  Picture me holding a tape measure instead of a badge and a camera instead of a gun.  Because really, those are far better measures of progress. 

Depending on your starting point, yes, I get it.  Pounds can be pretty important and an easy tracker.  They were for me, too.  I dropped over ten pounds in my first round of TurboFire.  Even better, I dropped from maternity clothes to a size 8.  Even better, my arms went from flab to FAB.  Even BETTER, I went from schlepping through life to racing through my goals. 

Which is good, because those numbers on the scale stopped dropping midway through ChaLEAN Extreme.  I got angry, frustrated.  Then I realized I was in a size 6.  Muscles were forming and they just take up less room than fat.  A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat - it just looks a hell of lot sexier and fits into far cuter clothing.  True story.

It's an ongoing battle with me - what is actually happening versus what I thought when I was younger and far less knowledgable (and also certain that I was immortal).  I was always concerned with poundage and convinced that was the ultimate key in what I was trying to achieve.  But I was also convinced that tanning was a "healthy look" and cigarettes had no effect on my skin, let alone the rest of my carcinogen-racked body.  Oh, to be young and stupid...No thanks. 

Luckily, my brain has settled into FitLife Truths and only requires a spanking every now and again.  I still have those moments of basking in the sun and thinking "I could get some good color today" before I give myself a little mental ear pulling and admonishing.  And I still have those moments when I read the numbers on the scale and put one foot over the edge of the Grand Panic Canyon.  You know that canyon; it's filled with things like the Atkins Diet, Thighmasters, and ShakeWeights.  I don't sightsee there anymore, though.  Which is good, because I'd be a fat and miserable bitch.

Me, 1/17/12

Me, 7/31/12

In my not-even-close-to-humble opinion, the two best ways to track your ACTUAL progress are photos in which you wear as little clothing as possible while still being able to share them with others and monitoring how you feel.  I am a HUGE proponent of the Before&After Pics.  They grant you amazing bragging rights and help keep you in check when you wanna go into that ScaleRemainsTheSame tailspin. 

Now the other - how you feel - is incredibly subjective, isn't it? But let me share this incredibly fascinating tidbit with you: I can bust through Insanity workouts in ways I couldn't just weeks ago.  No lie.  When I began this program, I wanted to vomit and had to take breaks with nearly every move.  The first time I did Pure Cardio and realized there are NO SCHEDULED BREAKS I thought I might die in a puddle of my own sweat and tears.

Today, I did EVERY SINGLE MOVE.  And I did the majority of them without ANY BREAK AT ALL.  Now that, friends, is progress.  Slice it any way you want, I am stronger today than I was four weeks ago.  I am stronger today than I was YESTERDAY.  Who the fuck cares how much I weigh?  Not this FitGal.  And if you do, I double dog dare you to tell me...

So yes, I'll grant you the pounds lost when you're just starting out.  But when the plateau hits - and it will - I will not pat your back or hand you a Kleenex.  I will roll my eyes and tell you to grab the tape measure, go shopping and try on a new size, and for the love of all that is sweaty (mmmm...Shaun T's chest....what were we talking about again?) - TAKE A PICTURE.  It's worth a thousand pounds.

Me, Myself, and I(ron)

Ah, anemia...just when I forget all about you, there you are, tugging at my ankles and weighing them down, laying your weight across my quads and my biceps, turning my shoulders and neck to lead.  I loathe you...

It's one of those on-again, off-again relationships, and I am so much happier and so much more me when it's off again.  I've been pretty religious about taking my iron supplements and eating more spinach than Popeye could fit in both biceps, but the last few days have seen me sliding ever-so-ungracefully out from beneath the covers and lurching through my day.  I wish I could say through my workouts, but today was my first sweat session in three days.  Just in case you're unaware, that's kind of unheard of around these parts.  This is a gal who likes to get her sweat on.

My plan had been to readjust to those pre-dawn workouts, pretty much my only guaranteed time to be all alone with Shaun T or grab an outdoor run.  My alarm goes off each day at 5:45; I immediately shut it off and commence staring at the ceiling, checking my Facebook notifications, and catching up on all those missed late-night talk shows I can no longer stay awake to watch.  I ponder reaching to my left and mixing my E&E to garner the required energy to simply start my day.  But it's too much most days.  And so I feel sad, a tad guilty, and still exhausted. 

The amount of sleep just doesn't matter.  I can sleep a little; I can sleep a lot.  I have become the Goldilocks of sleeping, but I still haven't found the "just right" amount when anemia slithers into bed.  If you've dealt with low iron, you know the feeling.  If you haven't, you're probably thinking, "She's just lazy."  And you can go right ahead and slap yourself in your smug little face, seeing as how my arm is too weary for me to do it.  This gal, right here, ain't lazy.  When it comes to putting laundry away (I have a strong aversion to returning anything to its rightful place) or retrieving the mail (all the way across the street? Why can't they just put it on my porch?), perhaps a tad.  But when we're talkin' workouts, running, lifting, sweating...I am anything BUT.  In fact, I push myself to make these sessions as tough as possible.  I live for this crap.  So anemia really pisses me the f#$k off.

Which is why today I forced myself to mix and drink that E&E and push through Cardio Power and Resistance.  I am so freaking amazing.  Not only did I manage to get through it, but I got through it with very few modifications.  I was a tad slower than usual, but I managed to eke out every move with proper form.  That's pretty balls-to-the-wall awesome, and I thank you for realizing that.  Could I have done it without E&E?  I really don't think so.  A slow walk would have been more my speed.  But with the E&E, anemia was my BITCH. 

So I vow that tomorrow morning, I will drink sooner and save Colbert, Stewart, and Handler for laundry sorting time (that's when I cart the clean clothes to my bedroom, spread them over my bed, and then sit down and watch tv and marvel at how quickly I have run out of time to actually sort the laundry).  That just leaves the question...who's workin' out with me tomorrow morning????

Do More, Indeed.

What have I gotten myself into today?  Lemme tell ya.

It's the first of the month, so automatically that means two things.  1: My TurboLEAN Challenge Group kicks off today!  Love new challenge groups, love all things Chalene, love my challengers!  Automatic motivation boost.  2.  Today ALSO means the start of the SweatItOut AugustAbsChallenge, which includes a new ab move for every day of the month.  Keep in mind that I'm also not only leading but partaking in the Let's Get Crazy Insanity group and doing my best to boost training morale over at the SweatItOut Screamin' Spartans.  How am I doing that, you ask?  Lemme tell ya.

Today, I have thrown down a gauntlet for the Screamin' Spartans and my Insaniacs: do the Spartan Training workout of the day.  No problem, right?  Only today is Buck Furpee Day.  That means 300 burpees over the course of the day.  Fun stuff!  And they took the bait, so we're off and running.  WOOHOO and OOO-RA!

Now, about that AugustAbsChallenge (to be henceforth referred to as the AAC).  I briefly toyed with the idea of starting off slowly with a simple move like crunches to failure.  But...it just felt so vanilla and blah.  I'm much more in the mood for...THE HUNDRED.  Could be the endorphins coursing through my sweaty self after busting out Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Could be the energy rush from a little E&E Formula I drank during my workout.  Could be that it's just the first of the month and that always sounds appealing and clean-slate-ish to me.

Or it could be that I like to jump first and look later.

Because I also forgot that today is the sumo squat "like" challenge for my TurboLEAN gals.  You know, because I like to charge headfirst.  Never mind that wall that I'm bound to crash into sometime this afternoon (or, I hope, this evening.  Big day today - I got a new fridge comin'!). 

So let's rehash that, shall we?  Go over my SweatItOut checklist for the day.

1.  Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs - We can check this one off.  Done, finished, finito, BAM.
2.  AugustAbsChallenge - the hundred.  About to bang this one out as soon as I finish writing all about it. 

True story.

3.  Buck Furpee Day - the plan is sets of 30 throughout the day, but I am gonna make a valiant attempt to kill 'em all as soon as possible.  Because I am ever aware of that wall...
4.  Sumo Squat Challenge - this could go all day, as long as people keep "liking" my photo.  But hey, I wanted to work on my lower body, right?  These thighs will make mincemeat outta that sumo.

Cute, ain't he?

And there you have it.  August 1.  So, uh...what are your workout plans for today?

Challenge Completed!

Well, here we are.  The 30-Day FitPhotoChallenge is complete.  And I have the photographic evidence to prove it.

Day 24: Workout Music

Day 24 was Workout Music.  Now, this is just the top of my favorite running playlist, but of course it contains a handful of my favorites.  You can add these to your "I Got Fitness And I Know It" playlist if you so desire.  Thank me later.

I got a tad sidetracked for a number of days, then cheated on my catchup by lumping three days into one photo (and one glorious fitness shopping spree! Weeeeee!).  The photos needed were: TryingSomethingNew, Fitness Shoes, and Addicted.  I am quite obviously an Insanity junkie, so that one was impossibly easy. 

Days 25-27

The shoes...well, I was in quite desperate need of some new crosstrainers (for Insanity...it's all one big cyclical thing here, folks), so Hubby and I schlepped the kids over to Aardvark and grabbed another pair.  I'm sticking with the Asics Gel TR 170's, just switching up my colors (oooh!aaaah! Coral!).  Unless they come out with a newer and cushier version, this is my shoe.  I'm on my third pair and the love has yet to fade. 

As for TryingSomethingNew...well, I got TWO in one photo.  I snagged my new vegetarian cookbooks (recipes and cooking are coming along slowly, but pretty well, despite what my children may tell you) and I've been trying new dishes every day.  But what I am amazingly excited about is my new Polar heart rate monitor!!!!!  I fully realize that only the deepest of fitness crazies will understand my unbridled enthusiasm at tracking my heart rate and thereby calories burned...but that doesn't even begin to dampen said enthusiasm.  I LOVE MY MONITOR.  I may need to print up a tshirt or maybe a bumper sticker.  Everyone else hearts their dogs, their kids, their spouse...I heart my monitor.  It kept me pushing and I felt an immense satisfaction seeing my effort there on my wrist in readable text.  I highly recommend strapping one on.  (MON-IT-OR.  Strap on a monitor.  Perverts.)



Day 28: Protein

So then we had Day 28: Protein.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  I get my jolt of protein every morning whilst enjoying my delicious Shakeology.  Plugplugplug, advertiseadvertiseadvertise.  But for reals, yo.  Git summa dis.

Day 29: Love/Hate.  I both love my newfound healthy diet - it makes me feel and look fantabulous - but I hate cooking.  I try to find the joy of cooking, but it does not seem to be my area of expertise.  I have no fluidity in the kitchen.  BUT - I can muddle through with it knowing the vast rewards I'll be reaping.  And until I can afford my very own Vitamix, I'll just keep chopping and blending my fit lil' heart out.



Day 29: Love/Hate

Now, then...Day 30.  I did it!  I made it through the entire 30 days of the FitPhotoChallenge! Woohoo!  And I'm stronger, leaner, tougher, healthier, FITTER.  Look at me!  That body is the body of an Insanity-doin', vegetarian-eatin', fitness-gear-usin' MACHINE. 

Day 30: 30 Days Later

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: you don't have to hate!  Don't be jealous!  JOIN ME!  Tomorrow, over at the Facebook SweatItOut, we are beginning the AugustAbsChallenge, a new move for every day of the month.  I may have kicked alcohol to the curb, but you'd better believe I'll be bustin' a six pack by August 30. 

...or show it off with sports bras and compression shorts...

I Work Out

My fitness goals, as you know, include increased strength, increased cardio capability, and all the healthful byproducts of that.  They also include...*clearingmythroat*...lookin' good.

They work ooouuuttt.

Yes.  I, too, am shallow.  I want to look in that mirror and think, "Day-um! She fiiiiiiiinnnnne!"  And there are certainly days when that happens.  More and more often, in fact.  There are those days, yes, when I'm bloated and exhausted and just a mass of MomBlob...but they are fewer and farther between.  Most days, I hear LMFAO blaring in my brain when I'm slipping into my size 6 jeans (they're getting a tad big, you know) or slithering into one of my FOUR bikinis.  It runs through my head as I navigate my cart through the grocery aisles and around the racks at Target.

She be workin' on her fitness.

"When I push my cart through Wegmans, this is what I see...
Everyone stops and is starin' at me.
I got muscles on my arms and I ain't afraid to show it...
I'm sexy and I know it..."

That's right.  And that's just one song.  "Fergilicious" is another that gets its fair share of play time.  Because I be workin' on my fitness, and Jackson - he's my witness.  Don't even try to tell me you're not doing this too.  I see other women who strut and wonder what song it is they've got spinning in their heads.  (I also see the nonstrutting women glaring at those of us who do strut...I gather they're listening to Gilbert Godfried narrate How To Be Unhappy And Jealous Instead Of Doing Something About Your Life...or something like that.) 

Here are the requirements for my tune wedgies:

It must be superficial and shallow, namely about lookin' fine and blowin' minds.

It must have a beat I can wigglewigglewiggle to...yeah yeah.

It must have a catchy refrain that reminds me of my superior rear/abs/delts status.

Check our her guns.

Sometimes, if I catch the eye of jealous MomBlob (and they all immediately take on the appearance of Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia), the song will make an immediate switch to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" while I smile politely yet knowingly.  I can almost hear Gilbert cackling in her head. 

So my gift to you today, dear Readers, is a little "I Got Fitness and I Know It" playlist.  Here's my personal soundtrack as I strut through my day, be it at Wegmans, Target, the public pool, or simply doin' diaper duty here at the M&M Estate.  Feel free to add your own personal "baby got BACK" tunes in the comments section.  I'm always lookin' for more ways to celebrate my outstandingness and music ranks high on that list.

The Queen's "I Got Fitness and I Know It" Playlist:
I'm Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Fergilicious - Fergie
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
Rumour Has It - Adele
Hanky Panky - Joan Jett
Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas
You Could Be Mine - Guns N' Roses
Does Your Mother Know - ABBA
She's Crafty - Beastie Boys
Boys - Britney Spears
Lay Your Hands On Me - Bon Jovi
Dirty - Christina Aquilera
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce

No Excuses

As I sit here and shiver through a layer of salt and sweat, I cannot help but be reminded of just how incredible I am.  Today was Cardio Resistance - lots of power moves, lots of upper body work.  It may be hard for you to hear this, but...my upper body is not as strong as I would like.  I know.  I know.  It saddens me too.  But that's why we work on it!  Well, that's why I work on it and then you read about it later.  Weak muscles are not an excuse to stop; they are a reason to press on!

So when I began this program, I could not do a single moving pushup.  Rewind, and let me explain.  If you were to find me at any other point during my day and ask me to give you a good set of moving pushups, I could fairly easily do so.  But when Shaun T demands them at the end of Cardio Resistance, I am already spent from globe jumps, power squats, v-pushups, and the like.  My lil ol' shoulders are at failure.  So up until today, I was modifying with regular or (gag!) "girly" pushups.  Again, I know.  My head hangs in shame.  Or it would...if I hadn't actually DONE those moving pushups today.  It's okay...your applause is welcome here.  Clap away!

I did 'em.  I had to take breaks, but I did 'em.  And I followed with the ever dreaded floor sprints.  Normally, my shoulders and arms are so taxed by that point that I simply cannot hold my sweaty self up.  Normally, I modify by doing standing mountain climbers.  Normally, I am slightly disappointed in my weak upper body.  Today, I was not normal.  (Hahaha.  Shut it.)  Today, I am about to bust outta my sneakers with pride.  It's working!  It's paying off!  Rope Climb 2013, here I come!!!! I may just knock that damn bell OFF instead of ringing it when I reach the top. 

I feel good.  I can barely keep my hands from sliding off the keyboard and have no idea how I'm going to wash my hair, but I feel good.  I DID IT. 

I Prefer the Term "Sanity Challenged"

I would very much like you to ask me about my workout today.  *pausingpolitely*  Okay, I'm going to assume you took that moment to wonder aloud, "I wonder how her workout went today?"  To which I quickly reply, "FANFREAKINTABULOUS!"

No, seriously!  I am now regularly making it through warmups without pausing to catch my breath (yes, the warmup is that intense).  I am even moving faster during said warmups than I was two weeks ago.  And today I made it through a good 33 minutes before I began any modifications.  My arms are doing the impossible - becoming even more gorgeous than they already were.  I know.  I didn't think that could happen, either.  Turns out, we were all wrong. 

I have these fabulous little cuts between my biceps and triceps, a darling little v-formation taking place.  It's okay to be jealous, but you don't have to be.  Because you can get them too!  Fo' realz, yo.  (I speak incredibly embarassing minivan-mom gangsta when I feel all badass about my workouts.  Fo' rizzle.)  Click on that link over there IMMEDIATELY and order up some Insanity.  I say IMMEDIATELY because that challenge group I keep obsessing over starts on Sunday.  If you show up late, we'll still take you, but you're gonna feel all awkward and out of step.  So you'd better just move your mouse a little faster and start clickin'.

Day 12: Sweat

ANYWAY...back to ME.  I am so incredibly AWESOME.  Today felt like a 10-mile run kinda high, when I just need to babble on and on about my faboo workout, how strong I am, and what sort of changes I noted in my body and my ability...but alas, Hubby went to work today.  Damn him!  I tried being all loud and "Holy CRAP! That was certainly impressive of me!" so the kids would ask, but they were only concerned as to when we would be reaching the cool waters of the public pool.  Of course, that did not stop me from pointing at my sweat and posing for photos I made them take.  Solely for the purpose of keeping up with my Fit Photo Challenge, of course.  It had nothing whatsoever to do with my endorphin rush or infatuation with how muscular I looked in my new Beachbody tshirt. 

I can't wait for tomorrow's workout to see how much I've improved there.  And I can't wait to see me at the end of the 60 days with my challenge group.  I just have a feeling Hubby will have to start wearing oven mitts...'cause I'm gonna be H-O-T.








PS: Here's what I did for days 9 through 11:

Day 9: Proud.  I am proud of my events, my progress, having my nutrition in check, and just plain proud of ME.

Day 10: My Accountability.  When it all comes right down to it, ain't nobody doin' it but me.  No one can make me press play and no one can force me to do floor sprints till I wanna cry. 

Day 11: Stretch.  As fit as I have become, I still have a really difficult time slowing down for an extended stretch session.  But I refuse to skip it because I know the vast array of benefits it provides.  So a-stretching I will go.

Stay tuned for the rest of the month...




Give A Hoot

You know I enjoy challenges, most particularly of the fitness variety.  I am also quite the Instagram addict.  This month, I am combining my two loves by completing a 30-day Fit Photo Challenge, which I first discovered via Chalene Johnson on Instagram. 

How can you participate, you ask?  Good thing for you, I am quite prepared to answer that question!  First, check out and save the picture right there up top.  As I began on July 1, the days of the challenge quite nicely correlate to the days of the month (because some people - not me, of course - can be quite scatterbrained and lose their place at times).  Then start posting your faboo pics on SweatItOut's Facebook page (link over there to your right), and voila!  You're knee deep in a new and fun challenge.  Even better - tell your friends and their friends that your pictures are up for the 'liking' and the pic with the most likes by July 31 wins a fantabulous fitness goodie basket.  Tell me again who your favorite blogger is...
Why am I doing it?  Well, because I find it motivates me and lately I've been requiring excessive motivation.  It makes me think about my workouts, my nutrition, my goals in ways that I, quite honestly, have not been doing as of late.  I have hit a bump in the road, a dry spell, fallen into a fitness funk, if you will.  This body is draggin' more than usual and I am pulling out all the stops to straighten it out.  So please - join me.  Motivate me.  Kick my virtual ass into gear.  Coffee, Shakeology, and E&E Formula can only do so much. 

Day 2: Healthy Lunch

Day 1: Before/Swimsuit Pic

So, Day 1 was the most challenging, at least for me.  And I am willing to bet for most of you readers.  Bathing suit and/or before pics always have strong embarassment potential.  But I find them to be highly motivating as well, because I am never satisfied with them.  Which translates to working harder on every aspect of my FitLife, including (Day 2: Healthy Lunch) my diet.

Day 3 was easy.  I work out nearly every day in some fashion, so I just had to post what that was (INSANITY, just in case you haven't been paying attention).

Day 3: Today's Workout

  Day 4 required more thought, as I typically don't pay much attention to the scale anymore.  I'm more about definition and the fit of my clothes.  But I do read a fair amount of women's fitness mags, which means I know what my goal looks like and what a woman my height and stature typically weighs when she looks that way.  So five pounds is my goal for this month; I'll tack on another five next month.


Day 4: Pounds I Will Lose

Day 5 was "Doing This For."  I have so many of those, but I chose the following: I do this for events (we all know how I feel about medals and bragging).  I do it so I can play with my kids and set an example for them.  I do it because it feels good.  I do it to look fabulous.  I do it for me.



Day 5: Doing This For

Day 6: Rest

Day 6: Rest.  I am not a good rester, in general.  I have explained in previous posts how it makes me feel guilty, though I quite understand my body requires it.  So to treat my body to the rest it so greatly deserves and to quiet those crazy thoughts, I add in light yoga or extended stretching on rest days.  Case closed, problem solved. 



Day 7: Fitness Gear

Day 7: Fitness Gear.  This month, that means surprisingly little.  For past programs, I had weights, weighted gloves, running shoes, fuel belts...This month, I've got my Insanity DVD's, my fitness magazines, and me.  And check out what that's done for my abs.  I anticipate I'll be cutting glass with those suckers by the end of my 60 days.  Don't be jealous.  There's still time to get crazy with my challenge group (with the added fun of trouncing Hubby's P90X group!).



Day 8: Healthy Treat

Day 8: Healthy Treat.  I love me some fruit salad (yummy, yummy - that's for all you parents of toddlers).  So tonight I layered it up with mango, pineapple, strawberries, and cantaloupe.  Woo, boy!  That was T-A-S-T-Y.
And pretty easy, challenge-wise.  I'll need to put more thought and creativity into tomorrow's picture (Day 9: Proud).  But those tend to be my favorites anyway.

So join me, won't you?  Consider this post your engraved invitation without any box to check for "cannot attend."  Help a sweaty sista out, friends.  Gimme that motivational push I seek. 
Ask not what SweatItOut can do for you, but what you can do for SweatItOut.  Read my lips: more new photos.  (New.  Not nude.  You guys and your dirty minds...)  There is nothing to fear but fat itself.  And many more inspirational and totally original motivational quotes, all of which mean the same basic thing: do what I tell you.  Take the pics.  Load 'em up.  Find me on Instagram (@miller343) and join me on Facebook, if you haven't already.  I am a hoot and a half, most days.  Some days, I'm even two or three hoots.  Maybe we can even restore me to a full 10 hoots if everyone rallies. 

In fact, I believe that is how the pictures shall be rated.  On a "hoot scale."  How many hoots are you?

Independence Day



Independence from weakness

Take a moment and think about it: independence.  What, exactly, does that mean to you? 

As it coincides with my fitness journey, this is what it means to me.

Independence from nicotine.  It's been over two years since I laid the PFunks down.  My lungs are thankful, my teeth and throat are thankful, and my family is thankful.  If you are a smoker, let this be your day to declare independence from the pack.

Independence from fast food.  I can't remember the last time I ate anything from the Golden Arches, the King, or that little red-headed slut.  I don't crave it; the thought of it makes me want to hurl.  I no longer sacrifice my nutrition for the sake of convenience.  Just recently, Chic-Fil-A went through the exit door as well.  My goal now?  Never again will I purchase food from a window.

Independence from wishing.  Wishing for health and smaller pants never got me very far.  Turns out, working for my goals not only got me there, but got me dreaming and achieving bigger and better.  I found I can accomplish more on a daily basis than I ever dreamed, or wished, I could.



Independence from negativity

Independence from weakness.  Every day, I make my body stronger.  I work harder, I eat cleaner.  The very rewarding byproduct of this?  Every day, I make my mind and my soul stronger, too.  The more I discover what my body is capable of, the more I realize what I am capable of in my life.  This journey has led me far past the physical. 

Independence from negativity.  I no longer devote my time to the haters, the naysayers, the two-faced gossips.  They are no longer my concern.  I will not waste my energy on those so devoted to building themselves up by tearing others down.  I am far too busy climbing to the top and bringing as many people as I can along with me.  I tend to feel happier and more content when I am helping others to feel the same.  No more exclusive clubs; in this case, independence equals inclusion.



Independence from "can't"

Independence from "can't."  I banished that word from my vocabulary and my house.  In this house, there is no such thing as "can't."  Instead, there are goals and steps to reach them.  A year ago, I was beginning training for my first half marathon.  Running is hard work and there were definite "can't" moments in my head.  I may not be able to pinpoint the exact moment that changed, but I went from training for that race to running a full marathon this year.  Excuses no longer mean anything to me, so don't try to offer them up.  I have an argument or a solution for every "can't" you give me.

There you have it.  My Fourth of July Independence Day diatribe, written in my post-Insanity endorphin high.  So now, tell me - what does independence mean to YOU? 

Truth in Advertising



Truth. If you do Insanity over and over, you will get different results.

So I just finished another round of Insanity.  Dripping does not begin to describe the torrential downpour of perspiration I got goin' on right this moment.  (Yes, I sit in my nasty ass workout gear to write my blogs.  Just be thankful you're reading this from afar.)  And endorphins?  They are RAGING.  I hate to break it to TurboFire, and I will never forget my first love...but...I FREAKIN' LOVE THIS WORKOUT. 

I will swear on a stack of Women's Health magazines, this is by far my favorite workout I have encountered thus far.  More than TurboFire.  More than...dare I say...running?  Yep.  I love that I'm typically done in under an hour and I have nothing more to give at the end of the stretch.  I love that my arms are wobbly and my thighs are aching.  I love knowing I get to do it all again tomorrow.  That's the insane part, I suppose.

I feel some extra pride today because I got through the warmup just a tad easier than the first day and didn't begin modifications until well over halfway through today's session.  Progress already!  The kiddos watched in amazement as puddles of sweat formed under my body during the pushup drills.  They did not speak; they were too afraid.  (Rules at our house: unless someone is bleeding, not breathing, or unconscious, no one is to try to engage Mama in conversation whilst she is working out.  The penalty for such transgressions is joining Mama in said workout.) 

I am brimming with excitement for the Let's Go Crazy Challenge Group.  I can't wait to share this workout and see what the challengers think of it.  I especially can't wait to see Hubby's arms after a few weeks of this...Mmmmhmmm.  ....what was I talking about?  Oh, yes!  My challenge group and my high hopes for them!  There is NO WAY to fail with this program.  If you do it, you will see results.  I love that.  Truth in advertising is so rare.

So join us, won't you???  Get your sweat on, commiserate and brag with us, and tell your friends to get tickets to the gun show you're hosting in 60 days.  If you were waiting for the right moment, I'm here to tell you to STOP.  Because the moment is NOW.

Welcome to the gun show...

Let's Go Crazy

Yesterday, the heavens parted and a special kind of golden light shone upon my back porch.  For there, in what to all others appeared an ordinary shipping box, sat my long-awaited Insanity DVD's.  Listen...do you hear them?  The angels are singing a celebratory workout hymn.

Today, they shut up.  They couldn't speak either.

Because, holy motherf*#kin' SHIT.  (That's me talking now, not the angels.)  That was the most incredibly difficult 45 minutes of my Fit Life.  I mean, even harder than when I worked out live with Shaun T in Bangor.  (No seriously, dude came to Bangor.  How crazy is that?)  The warmup was tougher than any Cardio X in its entirety.  So, yeah.  I'd say I'm gonna get my money's worth.

I am drenched.  That is typical of any workout, as I tend to shine with effervescence after a simple stroll to the fridge.  (I have been informed this indicates a fitter Queen overall; my body is just awesomely efficient at cooling itself due to its recent upgrades in exercise.  I am so fit, in fact, that even my dogs wrinkle their noses if I get too close post-workout.  And Otis regularly sniffs his own farts with pleasure.)  I am also energetically EXHAUSTED.  By which I mean, I could not eke out a single extra burpee or pushup, but I still feel charged and AMAZING.  Make that AMAZING.  That was hard.  But I DID IT.  So, uh...boo to the YAH, my friends.

I am tremendously excited to discover just how much more efficiently I will be cooling myself when the 60 days is up.  My guess is, a single breath and I'll need a new shirt.  But I'm also guessing I'll be able to stop a bus with my abs. 


So I guess the only REAL question is...WHO'S WITH ME???  I mean, I will go it alone if I must...but then you'd all just be jealous of my relationship with Shaun T and your inferior body cooling system.  There's a challenge group starting in just two weeks...I highly suggest you all go crazy and sign up. 

First Degree Murder

Totally guilty.  Book me, Dan-o, because I JUST KILLED MY WORKOUT.  That was the hardest I have worked since before my marathon.  Go ahead, ask me how I feel.  FAN-F#$KIN'-TASTIC.  I haven't felt that way since before my marathon either.  Because I have also been guilty of...*gasp*...slacking.

Yes, even me.  I slack.  I have slacked.  I was slacking.  I hate to admit it or say it out loud, but it's true.  I lost that workout focus, even with the Spartan looming ever closer and my QiDance debut coming up.  Not only was I not pushing myself as hard, I was allowing my diet to creep dangerously close to its old menu.  And I'm supposed to be setting the example, right?  Bad coach.  Bad, bad coach indeed. 

Thank the gods of sweat that the "coach" was already established.  Because that's what got me back here today.  That's what made me push play on two ultra challenging workouts back-to-back.  And then add in a little QiDance practice after.  Abs are on tap for later tonight (because I just know Hubby wants to do them with me).  I know people are looking to me for advice, and I can't just dish it out.  I gotta take it.  So I did.  Once again, thank you, Beachbody.  And thank you, readers and SweatItOut followers.  You have kept my muscles from goin' soft. 

And that's the other awful part: when I lessened my effort, my muscles weren't the only part of me affected.  It's like my brain went soft with relaxation.  Sounds good.  Isn't.  Instead of bangin' out goals on a daily basis, I was instead devoting more time to DVR and Zynga.  Ew.  I narrowly missed turning into a Facebook-game-playing-donut-eating mass.  If I ever invite you to a game of Farmville, you'll know something's amiss.  Thankfully, I pulled myself right outta that trap and am once again full of clarity and ass-kicking intentions.  Fair warning, I'm likely to be posting a lot more.  So if you've been missing all those opportunities to stalk my ever-changing hair, body, or workout schedules, here's your chance to catch up.  Enjoy!