Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Upcoming Labor Day Weekend

Dear Friends,

The year 2011 is, without any question, coming rapidly to an end.  Tomorrow is September 1, 2011.  Before long, we will be celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's 2012.  But, Labor Day has historically been the key indicator that summer has ended, school is now in session, and children wish they could start summer vacation all over again to avoid the havoc of doing homework and writing papers.

Growing up, I remember school starting Tuesday after Labor Day.  Let me tell you, that is definitely NOT the case here in TX!  Peter has been in school since August 17th!

Anyways, I really wanted to emphasize this upcoming holiday weekend as a time to really spend with your family and friends.  Let's face it, we work really hard so a national holiday is certainly the opportunity to sit back and relax for a bit!  I know I am!  BUT, it's no excuse to go hog-wild with your diet.  Remember all those weeks of busting your butt?  All the sweat you poured out in your garage or in your livingroom or in your spare bedroom?  Please don't blow it this weekend.  Be safe and enjoy yourself within reason. Exercise and remember to take care of yourself.

Tomorrow is Day 74 of this P90X program.  Man, only 16 more days of Tony Horton before we are going to tackle Chalene Johnson's Turbo Fire.  I'm so excited!  These past 73 days have been hard and have really pushed me to get outside my comfort zone, to really go after it.  I really don't have a magic number on the scale that I'd like to achieve.  And, I really don't have a specific pair of jeans or size of clothing I'd like to fit into.  Silly, huh?  Not so much in my head.  I just want to be the healthiest person I can be.  It wasn't a mere 2.5 years ago that I was a completely broken person who was struggling with self-image, confidence, and basically every aspect of my life.  That's because my mind was not healthy.  Let me tell you, if your mind isn't focused on the right perspective, your entire body will decline at a rapid pace.  You may not notice it, but those around you certainly do because they are watching you. Casting Crowns have a song entitled, "Slow Fade"...check it out.

So, have a safe and fun-filled weekend.  Take this national holiday as a time to regroup and refocus on those goals you set for 2011.  120 days.  That's what you have left to make them come true.  Go after it with all you have and you just might be pleasantly surprised when Dec. 31st rolls around and you have accomplished everything on your list. 

Let's go!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

P90X Challenge Day 60

Good evening, Friends!

Well, today is Day 60 of this awesome P90X Challenge.  I went the entire day just marveling in the fact that we are 2/3 of the way done with the program.  No, this doesn't mean we are done, done.  It just means that we persevered, we survived, we fought to keep pushing play when the world around us kept throwing obstacles in the way to distract us from accomplishing a goal.  Believe me, there were plenty of times when I would rather have not pushed play to work my machine than lace up the shoes and beat myself up.  But, the rewards are astounding!

I read today, "People are opportunities, not distractions."  What does that mean to you?  Really, think about that for a minute.  Do you go throughout the day with tunnel vision, with your eyes set only on the next task where you miss opportunity after opportunity to engage those around you?  Are people just strangers who are out to get you for what you're worth so you just hang your head low and not say a word as you pass by?  I used to be that person and I fight to open my eyes and pay attention to those around me every day.  You never know what is going on in the life of that person sitting next to you on the bus, or standing in line at the grocery store, or sitting next to you in the church pew.  Just say, "Hello!" and smile.  See what they say.  Be nice.  You might be surprised when you make a new friend.

I've noticed a few things about myself throughout the past 60 days during this challenge.  Chances are when you don't like a particular exercise, it is because your muscles aren't developed enough to perform the exercise as it should be done with proper form and you are uncomfortable.  It is hard!  It pushes you to your mental limits.  All forms of pushups, back flys, crouching cohen curls, flip-grip twist tricep kickbacks, banana's, 50% of Ab RipperX, pike presses, floor flys, single-leg wall sits, and crane are just a few examples of the exercises which push me to the limit every time they come across the TV screen.  I'd rather poke my eye out with a dull spoon than do those...yes, it's that bad.  BUT, I have learned to endure and to modify.  To my surprise, I've gotten better at them each time and actually have increased weight and/or reps with each one.  Stick with the program, never give up, and the results will come.  You just have to make it up in your mind that you are going to do it, then go do it.

For the past 2 weeks I've been waking up at 5am to workout in the morning.  What a switch that was!  I used to be the afternoon/evening workout kind of girl.  Now that Peter is playing football and 2nd grade has began, there's zero time to workout at night.  So, morning it is.  Once you make exercising and taking care of yourself a priority, there really is zero time to make excuses about when you are going to workout.  It's that simple.  I know that it's impossible to workout in the evening now, so I must wake up early and knock it out.  You know what?  My workouts are just as intense as they were in the evening.  It was just a mental hang-up that that time of the day was my prime.  Not so much the case anymore.  The perfect time of the day to workout is the time you schedule.  There isn't a magic time.  It's when you schedule it into day and then you get it done.

Even though today is Day 60 for me, it doesn't mean that it cannot be Day 1 for you.  Please join me on this health & fitness journey.  Take charge of your life.  You can have a healthy fulfilling life.  The only obstacle  preventing you from having all your dreams come true is YOU.  Take the first step.  We are here for you.  Now, let's to make a difference.