Adina’s Cute & Perky Blog!

Good morning people!!!  I’m throwing something different out there today!  I enter a writing contest on the MD website every month.  This was my September entry!  Pretty much the only rule is that it is under 500 words.  And as you can tell by the ending…I’m not ALWAYS so perky.  Just most of the time!!!

So, here you go…

Shut-up and Lift

Having lost a lot of weight I have fielded quite a few questions and comments along the way, but the single weirdest comment came from a man I rarely speak to.

He is the epitome of why God created IPods. He insists on having deep, meaningful conversations with everyone who walks by him, blissfully unaware of the bitch-slapped faces staring painfully back at him.

Oh, it’s bad for the newbies. The ones who haven’t learned to just keep exercising, looking straight ahead. Don’t even nod. And for goodness sakes, don’t ever reply to him.

My first meeting with the man taught me well. I was late getting back to work after my lunch time gym session, because he would not stop talking.

But let me tell you the comment this Chatty Cathy said that stopped me dead in my tracks. I casually walked by, ignoring him as I had grown accustomed. He says to me, “You may have noticed a woman staring at you yesterday.”

No. I had not. Being a woman, I don’t tend to notice when a woman looks my way. I suppose if Angelina Jolie looked my way, I might notice. She’s hot. But this woman was no Angelina. She was just your average woman. And no, I did not notice her.

I didn’t answer. I kept walking. I must admit the next phrase made me slow my pace a little. “That was my ex-wife.”

Hmmm. Wasn’t expecting THAT phrase.

“I brought her here to see you.”

What? See me? Not introduce me, but see me? Hmmm. Where could this possibly be going? Dare I say it? The insufferable bore had peaked my interest. Why would someone bring their ex-wife to see another woman? It just didn’t add up.

Then came the clincher: “I wanted her to see what you look like. It’s not that I think she should look just like you, but she should at least try.”

Immediately, I was enlightened as to why this was an EX-wife. It’s like the clouds parted and I heard the voice from above telling me.

OK, before I go any further, let me tell you what this man looks like. Flabby. My face gets that constipated look just thinking about how to describe him. The gaping half-dollar sized whole that is his belly button stares at you through his size large under armor on a size XXXL body. Rolls of fat tease you. Telling you to just try not to look. Yet you can’t help but stare and wonder why this man has deprived some deserving man of this nice white shirt.

But he was missing the point. He will never motivate one woman to look like another. Besides that, we are so genetically different, surgery and surgery alone would be the only way to make our physiques match in any way, shape, or form.

And my only piece of advice I had had to offer him?

Shut-up and lift.

Good morning, People!!!I’m going to need you to know that I have officially adopted BBDiesel.  She asked me to, and I have consented.  Now if I can just find someone fabulous to be my baby daddy, we will all be one happy family. And I’m going to need to direct you to another favorite profile of mine today.  asmolenski.  Check him out!  He just got back from his first competition, where he scored a third place win!  I am very proud of my bodyspace buddy!!  WOO HOO, Allen.  WOO HOO!

I took one for the team…but that just means team fitness is up one!

Good morning, People! 

Good morning, Colin…BBDiesel….BryanGee!!!  I love hearing from those of you who read this post every day!!! 

And KelKing, the reason you feel I crawl inside your head is because I have been where you are!  Keep at it.  It is SO worth it, and I’m pulling for you!

But I was thinking about something Trixter said…about dealing with parties, and getting over the initial deprivation.

That was actually one of my last struggles to go.

Y’all know I am used to keeping an Oh Yeah! Bar in my purse for emergencies.  UNPLANNED EMERGENCIES.

But what about those planned emergencies?

What about those things we know far in advance, but just don’t want to prepare for?  What about those?

I have a habit of eating one of my bars before I go to an event.  And I went though this stage where every time I ate one, I had this thought, “This is going to spoil my appetite.”

And I would think of the things I wasn’t going to get to eat.  No chocolate.  No chips.  No dip.  No alcohol.

And time and time again I would have that same thought, “This is going to spoil my appetite.”

And a few times I let myself slide.  And I was not happy with the results.  I did not enjoy eating the party food, because that is not who I am anymore.  Just like someone who had given up drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes would not be happy going back to their addiction, I was not happy going back to mine. 

So I learned to look at it in a different light.  When I go to eat that bar, I say, “This is going to spoil my appetite!!!!”

Notice the only difference is in how I said it.  Not in what I said, but how I said it.  I said it with exuberance.  Because that bar stands between me and going back to what I used to be.

And that is a good thing.

Sometimes, all you have to do is change your outlook and everything will fall in to place.  You can’t control everything, but you can control the way you look at everything.  Learn to look at things like this: !!!!

Oh…and if you need some inspiration today, go take a look at Sparkie’s profile.  She just updated it with some transformation information and she looks just incredible!!!

Have a good day, everybody!

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn on my journey was that my diet will never be perfect.

I wanted to have perfect days leading to perfect weeks leading to a perfect year.  I set out to lose all 121 pounds in a year.  I figured if I lost ten pounds a month, I could do it.  I would just have to work a little harder on one month for that one extra pound!

And I did make two perfect months. 

Two.  And no more!  Not months anyway.  I made lots of perfect days and even perfect weeks.  But beyond those first two months, no more perfect months.

But that’s OK, because look at me.  I’m here.  I made it.  It took twice as long as I thought it would, but that’s OK too. 

I was so intent on making it to that two month mark.  So focused.  So driven.

Then?  Those two months came and went.   I thought I had it made in the shade at this point.  I thought that because I made it through those first two months that I would make it from then on.  That cheating wasn’t an option. 

And I did go on a few weeks after that.  Until the first Christmas party of the season!

YIKES!  It wasn’t quite what you would call a feeding frenzy, but it was pretty darn close.

You see, that was before I learned the tricks and tools needed to make it through things like parties.

But key to my success was learning to forgive myself and hop right back on plan.  The very next meal. 

Or go right back to the gym when I realized I had slacked.

But do you notice how often I use the phrase key to my success?

I have a lot of keys on my ring y’all!

I remember the things that work for me, and I keep them there.  That way when I get stuck at the door, I have a lot of keys to use!

Did you mess up yesterday?  Grab a key and open the door.

Don’t have your keys in place yet?  Go find them!  Find what works for you and save it on your ring with the other things you have learned that work for you!

And….good morning StrongerGeek!!!  Welcome to my regular morning crew of readers!!  Have a great day!

Some days are better than others…and then some days are FABULOUS!

I had the best day yesterday.

I started out my morning with a reply to my Blog from Trixter747 telling me he started his morning with my Blog.

So I was thinking…the way we start our day, sets the day. 

I start my day by posting a positive Blog, well…OK…four positive Blogs!  And sitting down to write those words sets my day off on the right foot.  How can I be negative after that?

But yesterday, I was in tune with the little things along the way that when strung together make a good day.

Traffic was not bad.

Coffee was extra good.

A text from a girlfriend asking me to lunch today.

A sweet E-mail from friend who never ceases to make my heart smile.  Don’t we all need one of those?  After I tell him I’m lucky to have him, he tells me, “We are fortunate to have each other.”

But isn’t that part of what makes a good day?  To realize what you are fortunate to have? 

It’s easy to appreciate my friend…he’s my friend and I love him.

But did you notice the other things?  No traffic.  Good coffee.

It doesn’t take grand things to make a good day.

And when I recognize those little things around me, it makes my whole day better! 

And does it transfer to the gym or my diet? 

You bet it does.

Some days that coffee is key to me not feeling deprived on my diet.

That traffic being good can get me to my lunch time cardio a little faster…and I get a few more minutes!

A sweet E-mail from a friend can make me smile as I walk in the gym.  And you bet that’s contagious to the others around me.

Learn to recognize the tiny little miracles that when added up together make a good day.  That will make it so much easier for you to make it to goal.

Today is already off to a good start!  The first thing I read this morning was a comment to my Blog from one of the Bodybuilding.com worker bees.  And I LOVE hearing from the people who work at Bodybuilding.com!  Because don’t they do good things for us?  (Thanks, Colin!)

So…off to another good day! 

It’s Monday!  WOO HOO!!!

So I wonder how many people will start a diet today?  It always seems to be the magical day.  Always was for me anyway.

Until this last time.  The time I made it…

I started on a Tuesday. 

My food arrived on Monday.  I couldn’t see waiting for a week to roll around, so I started the very next day.

And it was one of the best things I could have done.

Why?   Because I gave up the idea that it had to be perfect.

I gave up the idea that my body is on a perfect-week schedule.

I wasn’t born on a Monday.  So why do I think my body revolves around setting things right on a Monday?

And technically, that’s not really the first day of the week anyway.  It’s just the first day of the work week, and that sure isn’t perfection!

One of the biggest factors in my success was learning that my diet would never be perfect, and that I couldn’t afford to wait for another Monday every single time I derailed.

When I messed up Tuesday at lunch, I learned to get back on track by Tuesday at dinner.

It works in the gym too.  If I miss a day, I don’t try to jam pack three workouts into one day.  I just pick up where I left off. 

I don’t punish myself with four hours of cardio in one day if I missed four days in a row.

And stop for a moment.  Did you catch that word?  PUNISH.

This journey you are taking is not about punishment any more than it is about rewards.

Don’t punish yourself for messing up, but by the same token don’t reward yourself for finally eating like a normal person.

This is a lifestyle change you are making.   There will be some slip-ups.  That is to be expected and is OK.

What is not OK is having a free for all when you do mess up as you wait for the next Monday.

If you are starting today, it’s a great day to start.  Because there is never a bad day to start a good habit!

Just remember when you get off track to hop right back on with your very next meal.

Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard yesterday…

I walked into the gym, and I was practically accosted by the guys at the front! 

As I approached the front desk, the manager asked me in sing-song, “Guess what we’re getting tomorrow?”

And I just stared blankly, because y’all, I didn’t know what he was getting!

But before I could say anything, he bursts out, “’Oh Yeah!” Shakes!’ That’s your stuff, right?”

And I just laughed as I walked on and said, “Yeah, Jason.  That’s my stuff.”

And later in the day, a coworker walked by my desk with a plate of cookies.  She stood at my door and said, “I have these.  I know you won’t eat one, but they’re at my desk.”

So, here’s where I’m at in my journey…

People know where I stand.  And that’s a good place to be.

When I first started eating healthy, people tried to get me off track.  I would have cookies mysteriously appear at my desk.  I remember refusing to get a brownie from the break room, so a coworker marched back there and got me one.  Friends would order MY favorite foods in a restaurant, trying to force me to get a bite or two.

But now?

Long ago people gave up on offering me treats.  In fact, if I ever do have one it puts them in shock!  They will even go so far as to say, “Now, should you REALLY be having that?”

And this comes from the same people who once made sport of offering me treats!!

So here’s what I’m telling you…

When you first start out eating healthy, it is a struggle and constant temptation to avoid all the people standing in your way.

People will doubt your intentions of sticking with a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t get discouraged.  And don’t expect people to treat you like you’ve made it when you’ve only been living it a week or even a month.

It takes time for people to know what you stand for.

You will cross over, but it will be so gradual you don’t even know it.

People used to offer me cookies.

Now?

They lay in wait for me at the gym watching to see my reaction to the news of a new shipment of protein shakes.  Like I’m going to do a cartwheel or something. 

I don’t even know how to do a cartwheel!  I just know how to say WOO HOO!!!

And deep down, it’s just nice for me to know that my people know what I stand for… 

I was on the elliptical at lunch yesterday when a gym buddy comes up to tell me congratulations. 

And that reminds me, I forgot to tell y’all…

I’m on page 36 of the November issue of Muscles and Fitness.  It’s just a little picture and letter that I wrote.  Nothing big, but it’s in there!

He had such a funny reaction.  You see, he’s not a close enough friend to know that wasn’t my first magazine.  I know it’s a chance that not a lot of people get, so I am careful not to brag (too much!).  I tell the ones who will hurt me if I don’t.

He has a subscription to the magazine, so he just happened to see me.  And the surprise reaction it brought was priceless to me!

But aren’t surprise reactions the best kind?

But just like Carlos would have never found me in the magazine had he not opened it, there are a world of surprises waiting for you….if you open your magazine!

There are things you will learn that will surprise you along this journey.  I guarantee it.

If I had not ever started this journey, I would have missed so many little surprises along the way…

I like to exercise.

The gym is like a second home for me.

I can be in a room of people eating junk food and not partake.

I can pack my cooler day in and day out.

Seeing the shadow of first noticeable muscle is a thrilling experience.

Going to a bodybuilding show is just about the most fun thing I ever do.

I never tire of listening or talking to people about losing weight or making changes.

I can set a goal, meet it, and maintain it.

And all of these things surprised me. 

Now, I’m used to it.  It’s just who I am.  But if I had never taken that first step toward good health…look at what I would have missed.

If you are overweight or out of shape, you are missing out on so many wonderful surprises.  And we need to do something about that.

So as I sit to write this Blog, I’m a little bit hungry and a little bit sore from an AWESOME leg work out. I have learned to appreciate these feelings as signs of success. 

Too many times I looked too far into the future to mark my success.  But now I know better. If I’m just a little bit hungry at the end of the day, that means my new diet is kicking in gear.  SUCCESS! 

If my legs are sore, then I gave my all on leg day.  SUCCESS! Made it through a birthday party without cake today?  SUCCESS! 

Got back on track today after three days off?  SUCCESS! Every failed attempt I made at losing weight included the idea that the only way to measure success lay in making it to goal.<strong />

But just like any sport where making a goal is involved, there are usually many successful plays that lead up to that goal.  Sure making it to goal is your ultimate measure of success, but it’s not your only one.  Fail to recognize these small successes, and you fail to recognize the little steps you are taking in the right direction.  

You will not make it to goal by taking one giant step.  You will make it there through repeated, small successful steps.  Think of it this way.  If the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step, what one step would you remove and still make it to goal?  Learn to appreciate each successful stop you make, because you will have to repeat it many times over to make it.<strong />

Your journey of a thousand miles begins and ends with one successful day.  And each one is equally as important, and deserves to be celebrated. And…as always…I’m proud of each successful day you have.  And I love it when you drop by to tell me about it!

I went to eat Chinese food with a friend from work yesterday.  And I ate clean, don’t y’all worry!  Just a California Roll.

But anyway…as we were leaving, I noticed the cookies by the door.  Our waitress had forgotten to give us one.   And isn’t that half the fun of going to eat Chinese food?  Watching everyone open their cookie and read their fortune?

And…yeah…our group still plays the game where you add “in bed” to the end of every fortune as we read them out loud.  What can I say?  Not a lot to do in the piney woods of deep east Texas.

But anyway…there at the door was the biggest basket of fortune cookies I had EVER seen!  It was a like a laundry basket! 

So I stood over it, eyeing them all.  Yes, I was going to reach in and get my cookie!

Carefully I perused the cellophane-clad morsels.  I picked the package with just the right look.  After all, my fortune was contained therein!  Shouldn’t I be careful choosing my fortune?!

And I laughed when I read, “What’s the point of having a mind if you can’t change it?”

And y’all know how I relate everything to health and fitness…so….

Half of all that we do is mental and involves changing our minds.

I had to change my mind about overeating all the time.

I had to change my mind about being a couch potato.

I had to change my mind about who I hung out with.

And maybe some of you need to change your mind about drinking too much.

Smoking.

Being lazy.

Being committed.

Dedicating yourself to the task at hand.

Because let me tell you how the cookie crumbles….

What’s the point of having a mind if you can’t change it…in bed!!!

Sorry…had to throw that in!

For today…be a cookie. Change your mind about something and get after it!