~Heather’s World~

OSB-weekly round up, wk 3 

Okay, this week has been a struggle, between work, cravings, being bloated and gassy and having injuries. I would like to give you all a rave review, but at this current point-I can’t. 

Monday, my knee and ankle were killing me! All week I have been craving sweet carbs, then work…gotta love work. I was pretty much alone over someone’s work, because he was out of the office for 2 days. I about lost my mind. 

I totally blew work yesterday. I was NOT happy or pleased. I did well w/ my eating until I got home and I had a rice and some pb. I felt bad, because I have been doing really well. 

I had a cheat day on Saturday. That was a complete mess. I ended up going on a mini road trip w/ my girlfriend and we had to stop and eat, I didn’t grab food before I left. 

All in all, this week has been brutal. My workouts have still been really good. I can’t complain there, but I have just been craving like crazy and wanting to munch for no apparent reason, it’s pms. I know it is!! This week will be better! I know it and feel it! 

The best thing is that I’m okay w/out all of the starch. I’m actually enjoying my protein and salads and things of that nature. I don’t miss the crap-just the sweets and sweets are okay, if they are in moderation. 

So, Saturday is another cheat day, I really don’t want much-for breakfast a bagel and coffee w/ cream, then a candy bar-something really good. That’s all. 

I didn’t do my lifting yesterday, because I had errands I had to run that were important, so Saturday morning before I go and get my hair done, I’m going to do my workout from yesterday! 

Every week I learn a little more about myself, like I don’t munch when I am truly busy. I usually want to munch when I’m bored. I notice that I crave sweets right around 1-2 or late at night. Its terrible. I’m working on ways to overcome it though. Yes, I finally have realized that I love nuts, salted or not-I love them and tend to want to munch on them. After I finished my can in my desk, I made up my mind, no more. Peanut butter..i love peanut butter-a little is okay, but I could eat it by the spoonful. That needs to be put to an end, so no more peanut butter. It’s coming together, slowly but surely, because I know what I want to do and like I said, I have to get my mind right. 

Here is my advice, 1 meal, 1 day, 1 week, at a time. I’m not going to worry about Saturday, when I still have to make it through Friday. Take each day and make the most of them. Enjoy the journey. It’s hard, but its worth it. You can make it and reach your goals. Never let someone tell you that YOU can’t do anything, because you can-but you have to believe it first. 

I have been doing a lot of thinking and focusing on other things. My focus is on God. Yep-he brings me through each day, he gives the energy and strength to have great workouts! He is my rock. I say it, because I believe and feel it. After yesterday at work and this morning…it was HIM he brought me through and gave me peace and at the end of it all, I was able to eat cleanly as planned, but it all goes back to him. 

My advice for this week is this, stop thinking that you can’t change, stop thinking that everyday will be a good day and you will never make a mistake-because you will. Instead, start seeing and believing that change taking place in your life, be thankful for the strength, courge, and know how that he gives y ou to get through the hard days! 

That’s all for now-work calls 

Yours in health & fitness 

HH 

Just when you think that you have things pegged or down to a tee-something happens. Just when you are on a perfect roll-a roadblock is tossed directly in your path! So, what does that mean-YOU ADAPT! YOU DO NOT GIVE UP! 

I have been on point for the past few weeks. I live for my early morning cardio! I enjoy it and it renews me and starts my day. I noticed last night that my ankle was bothering me, but I paid it no attention. 

Well, to my amazement, I woke up at 4am and my left knee and both of my ankles were hurting! Still, I pushed on..started bouncing around and it began to hurt more. I said, hmm-okay. Maybe jumping rope…that lasted all of 5 minutes and my heart rate was steady dropping, 120, 119, 118,117, I felt like I was dieing. I was seriously on the brink of tears. I was going to run. I decided not to, because my knee was bothering me as well. So I hula hoped my heart rate reached all of 131 max. I was so, so, hurt and just pissed. I couldn’t believe it. I got mad at first and thought-what a waste of time. A complete waste of time. Then I thought to myself, no I attempted, I tried. I didn’t just take my shoes off and say oh well. I tried to make it work, but it just wasn’t happening this morning. I still burned about 300 calories through the whole ordeal, none the less I was so disappointed. 

Well, here I am at 10am (cst) and frankly, I still feel blue and disgusted. I honestly, felt like binging. I wanted to just binge, why-cause I felt like the whole day was shot because I didn’t get that morning rush. I didn’t get my am drug of choice. 

I couldn’t believe that I actually wanted to cry. I could still cry, because I tried and I couldn’t. my negative mind started to come into play..all sorts of things started popping through my head… 

Well-you couldn’t do cardio, all is gone, go eat something to make you feel better. Might as well just rest all day and not train tonight. If you rest, you’ll feel better, its leg night, it’ll be another wasted workout, waste of time. Go eat that yummy trail mix you like, you’ll feel better after. 

You know what…it dawned on me-I had an aha moment. Trials come and so do bad days, all is not GONE! This is yet another setback. I’m not going to give up man!

Adapt! That’s the word for the day! I live in Chicago, I was born to adapt. We have 70 degree weather one day and 30 the following! One day its sunny outside, the following, theres a snow storm! I can adapt to the weather, attitudes and everything else, so I can adapt to this minor setback. Work w/ it and not against. I’m not going to risk making it worse, but I’m not going to go a-wall either! I will adapt to the situation until it falls back into place!!!!! 

I realize now that obstacles will come. We can’t just throw in the towel. We have to press on, we have to have faith. I have faith that God is going to relieve the pain and I will be back to normal in no time. I will NOT allow a minor setback to detour me! I will NOT allow this to break my spirit! I will NOT allow this to make me cry, be sad, or broken. HOWEVER, I WILL ALLOW THIS SITUTATION TO MAKE ME MORE APPRECIATIVE OF VITALITY AND GOOD HEALTH! I WILL ALLOW THIS TO MAKE ME STRONGER AND MORE CREATIVE. I WILL GET TOMORROWS AM WORKOUT IN AND IT WILL BE GOOD. EVEN IF IT MEANS I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING CRAZY OR BORING..IT WILL BE DONE AND IT WILL BE GOOD. I am not claiming this pain or sadness- 

This to shall pass! 

Yours in health & fitness, 

HH 

No one puts limits on you, except for YOU!
Happy, Happy Friday! This has been a long week. Granted it’s been a good week, but a long week none the less! I have had one of my most intense weeks ever. My diet has been on point and my workouts have been on point. Once again, last night-I came home and spoted a box of girl scout cookies and once again, I said-nahhh..i don’t want any. I just think I do, but I know well enough now that if I eat those cookies, my tummy is gonna hurt-so forget it. Lol. My mom actually hid all the other boxes because she is sooo proud of me and not eating sweets! They are downstairs in the basement, in the freezer..Out of sight, out of mind. So, I am good on that note. Granted, she still has the samosa’s in her room on the night stand. Lol. I just pretended they weren’t there!
These 2 weeks have been an eye opener for me! Why..whats so different about the past 2 weeks versus the past year. Basically, it all boils down to my diet. I can honestly say for the past 2 weeks, my diet has been good. It’s not perfect. I know now that I can NOT keep nuts around me, cause I tend to want to eat ‘em-granted, I’m not going buck, they are not unsalted, I eat maybe 5 or 10. So, this week, no more ‘available’ nuts. Lol. That is about the worst thing I had this week, unsalted plain almonds, cashews, and macadamenia nuts. But I did NOT go over board. Yet in still, it wasn’t susppose to be on my menu. That’s okay, everything else has been great! No cream in my coffee,bread, junk! Mostly protein, vegetables, water, and I eat my carbs at the ‘proper’ time! I am also logging everything, workouts (weights/reps), my food, what I mediate own. This is my journey and I want all the great details! I want to see the ups and downs. I write how great I feel or how drained I feel. If I had a great day or if I was pissy all day! It makes a difference. I have been religious about everything!
My workouts have been awesome! I have been going to another gym location, because it helps me focus more, because no  one really knows me-therefore doesn’t try to conversate w/ me. So I go in and blast through my workouts and I drag myself out to my car and go home! Lol!
I got up this morning at 3.45a and went to the gym, just to do my spin bike! I wanted to do something different! It was great! I burned about 1000 calories this morning. After that, I came home, jumped in the shower and then had coffee and ran out the door to work and I’m fine. People think I’m nuts, obsessed or  crazy but I’m not-I am dedicated!
I came to the conclusion that NO ONE expect for HEATHER can limit HEATHER! Understand? The only person that can limit me is me. If I put the thought in my head that I can’t, then I won’t because it’s all ready engrained in my mind! If I keep telling myself I can’t do w/out sweets, then I cant because mentally I already think that I have to have ‘em and can’t do w/out ‘em. If I tell myself all the time that I’ll never have abs, then I won’t for the simple fact that deep in the depths of my mind, I don’t believe that I can achieve it. It’s time out for setting limits on ourselves. It’s time to aim for the sky-and maybe-just maybe you’ll touch a star! YOU are your worst enemy! You have go to get so fired up that you live, eat, and sleep the lifestyle. My day just isn’t complete w/out some sort of workout, big or small-doesn’t matter. I need that daily dose, why cause it makes me feel so, so good after a long day at work or early in the morning-it sets my pace.
Don’t feed me that bs that you can’t get up! YOU can get up and workout! Yes, it’s hard, especially that first week. Hell, I said, my cardio sessions were mediocre, because my body was not adjusted to getting up that early-but now..i wake up on my own for the most part and my workouts are totally on point. I don’t do cardio in the am like a walk in the park, I do it to burn this fat, so I can see some sort of ab definition. If I want to do a competition, my mind has got to be RITE! This is NOT a quick fix. I know that I need to really start now and focus on today and the future. I am building my foundation right now, for the months to come.
The main thing that sticks out in my mind is that, there is another girl out there, my size-maybe bigger or smaller that wants to do the same show that I want to and she might be starting now-getting a leg up on me. I CAN NOT ALLOW THAT. I don’t like to lose and I’m not even doing it or considering it because I have to win, I’m doing it for the journey, the braggin rights, to prove a point to myself, but case in point, I NEVER DO ANYTHING TO JUST LOSE AT IT! LOL..LETS BE REAL NOW. Winning anything is just icing on the cake…but it’s still a good cake to me. Understand??
Let’s stop being mediocre and really put our mind and heart into this. I know how it is at times to slip and fall-it happens to all of us, but that’s not an excuse to ever throw in the towel. Remember you might be down, but YOU ARE NEVER, EVER OUT! In the past few weeks, I have realized and learned soooo much and I honestly feel like I am on fire-(hope that’s my metabolism)!!! Everyday isn’t easy, everyday I don’t want to jump outta bed and do cardio, but I do, why-because I’m not going to be lazy, limit myself, or let someone out do me. Nope! Not me and not today! My exercise and physical activity is my therapy. That’s why I workout and do my devotion and prayer. I don’t know why or how I got this fired up, but I do know this-God has his hand in it, because ever since I have started reading these christen woman devotions and praying b4 and after workouts-I have been INTENSE. IF YOU DON’T HAVE GOD- GET’EM! I no longer stress about my food or eating and craving sugar-I let go and Let God and I HAVE BEEN GREAT EVER SINCE!!!
 

There you have it-HH’s soapbox speech for the day!!
Happy Friday
Your sister in health, fitness, and hotness!!
xoxo

OSB-Weekly round up, week 2
Okay! Happy Thursday! Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! Well, let’s get started. First, I’m going to start w/ 2 things, 1 being a definition, and the next thing a quote or saying that I want you all to take w/ you when you are out and about or get lazy or down.
1. Self Discipline-the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
2. Obsessed is how the LAZY describe the DEDICATED.
I’m not sure where I found that quote, but it stuck to me like glue and I have placed it on my monitor at work as well as the definition of self discipline! Those 2 things have been stuck in my head!!
So, let’s talk about this past week! I have been on my game-intensely! It’s been an intense week. My diet was great last week and it’s pretty much been a repeat this week. It’s been a long week, but I feel good! I feel like I have accomplished something!
Basically, my schedule is as follows, Monday-Friday,
3.50-wakeup
4-5a-cardio
7-5p-woooooooork!
5.15-7pm-train
7.30p-home, eat, shower, relax and get ready for the next day
9-9.30p-SLEEEEEP!
That is my schedule. My world revolves around work and the gym and frankly, I’m content! No complaints.
Then on Sundays, I double up on my workouts, 1 long cardio session and another hiit in the evening.
This lifestyle has everything to do w/ planning and nothing to do w/ just going through the motions. That so will NOT get it! Plan your work and work the hell outta your plan! There is no easy way to do this, case in point, you have to truly want it in order to succeed.
My diet has been well, lots of protein, not a whole lot of carbs, little to none at night. I have ate chicken, steak, egg whites, protein shakes, veggies, fish, tuna..etc. I actually feel okay! I don’t think I’m going to die or anything like that! Granted, today, this guy at work had a doughnut and it looked so good I wanted to run and tackle him for it, but I didn’t think that would be lady like so I just sat at my desk and said, hang in there-you don’t really want it anyways and I was okay.
This week has definitely been easier then the first week. It’s so funny to watch people around who think that they are eating clean and its just garbage. Hell, most people do NOT know what clean eating really consists of! It’s not granola bars, its not nutrigrain bars! You guys know what I’m talking about! Special K is NOT clean, check the sugar…lol..I was strung out on Special K vanilla almond..NOT good..look at the sugar and then you tell me how good that is for your body! Riiiiight! Lol.
People just don’t understand it. They don’t understand and they can not call it. They call me fitness freak! Lol! I just laugh about it! The fact is that my mojo is definitely a go right now! I am making progress everyday, slowly but surely! I feel great phsycially, mentally, and spiritually! It’s only by God’s good graces that I have been so on point. He has not only blessed me w/ the energy to get up and do it, but he has placed different people in my life to help me and guide me along the way!
HH is on her way back!!! It’s getting hot over in Chicago!!! I have also decided that I really am interested in doing a competition in November! November 1st to be exact. I think I can do it and do pretty decent. I don’t even want to do it to win, I want to do it, just because I want to say, HEY, I DID A FIGURE COMPETETION! LOL! I have told a few of the boys at work and they are all like, omg! Do it!!! I’ll come see you! Yeah, I’ve got my boys over here rooting me on and they don’t laugh or poke fun at me because I’m so intense w/ it-they commend me. Then of course I have my naysayers! I just blow ‘em off and keep on keeping on..we’ll see who’s laughing once the hot weather hits! Remember, He who laughs last-laughs the loudest!
I’ve also been hitting the H20 hard, atleast a gallon a day, sometimes more. I hate the fact that I have to tinkle so much, but hey with all this protein, I have to! ?
So, this 2nd week has been really good. Workouts have been really intense, I’m burning about 1000 calories every night when I lift-sometimes more, depending on what else I have to do.
I love the fact that I am already noticing changes w/in my body. I can actually see changes occurring! I love the fact that my co-workers compliment me on how I look and how strong I am. I’ve had people say, hey you think you could beat his ass! I bet you could! They look at me as She-ra around these parts and I totally love it!
Funny story-one of the guys I work w/ started going to the gym, got a trainer and the whole 9! I absolutely love it! I feel like I have created a mini me! This guy is totally making me proud. I believe that I am his support at work. I can stand on my own, but I don’t think that he can. I think he loves the fact that he can ask me anything and I can pretty much answer it! He even went and bought a mini fridge to keep by his desk to store his food and told me I could use it to store my healthy meals-that way I wouldn’t have to carry my cooler or use the ‘community’ fridge. Lol!  Its awesome! I keep pushing and encouraging him everyday. He bitchs and complains, im sore-why am I so sore and I tell him, suck it up, it will be okay! Then I explain to him why he’s sore (DOMS) and he’s like okay! I hit the roof one day when he said he had a lean cuisine and a bananna the whole day and then wanted to exercise..i’m like, wtf are you doing! Are you kidding me! I explained my anger in this nature:
If you have a car w/ no gas-how far can you get. He replied no where-I responded, it’s the same thing w/ your body, you need QUALITY FOOD IN ORDER TO BLAST A WORKOUT. NO FOOD, NO WORKOUT. It made sense to him, then when he spoke to his trainer, she went off on him for round 2! So, it was actually rather funny that I WAS RIGHT!!!
So, in conclusion things over here are great! I’m bringing the heat and intensity! Its all about Operation Sexy Back! That’s right hot heather is putting her heart into it and doing it well!
Your sister in health and fitness!!!