buni00girl’s BodyBlog

I hate winter and the older I get, the less patience I seem to have for it. Most winters, I get depressed and fall into a rut. After years of dealing with it, I’ve learned of some ways to cope.
I know working out helps alot but it’s the hardest to stay motivated in the winter than any other time of the year. Just coming on BB.com and looking at photos, blogs or comments helps to motivate me, but ultimately the motivation has to come from myself. So, I’ve learned to give myself pep talks. I think of it like this…if a close family member or good friend needed motivation, what would I tell THEM? That is how I talk to myself. I basically think positive and not focus on the negative. For instance, during the winter I tend to hibernate at home alot, so what better opportunity to work out? I have everything I need at home… weights, a bench, a stepper, elliptical trainer, etc.  Then, there are the days when pep talks aren’t enough and I have to tell myself "JUST DO IT!" "GET OFF YOUR BUTT & GET IT DONE!" The point is, whatever works for you and gets you going. I know once I get started, I feel so much better. Afterwards, I feel like I accomplished my goal and it puts me in a much better mood.
One of the best things that helps me during the winter months, is to remind myself that spring is coming and then I picture how I will look after working out all winter long!

~Without motivation, goals cannot be accomplished.
So, good luck to everyone in 2009 and remember that spring will be here before you know it!

Well, it’s time to post my blog for the month. Being that it is so close to Christmas and my birthday is on Christmas Day…it got me thinking about gifts. I will turn 45 on Christmas & I’ve gotten many gifts over the years. But, this year, I’m gonna give myself the greatest gift I could get… I am going to make this the best year of my life!
I have been eating clean over the years & doing some cardio to stay in somewhat shape but I am really going to push myself to build muscle that I desperately need. As you get older, you lose your muscle mass, it’s inevitable. The only way to maintain it is thru body building with weights. So, I havta step it up and just do it! I don’t know why clean eating and cardio come so easy for me but I can’t seem to stick with a body building routine.
I know that the fountain of youth lies in my hands, and so far, clean eating and doing some cardio have kept me in shape & looking younger…but I know I can look better. And it’s not just about looking good…it’s also about being healthy, feeling strong & having confidence in myself. The high that I get after I work out is awesome! And when I look in the mirror and I love what I see….well there’s just no better feeling!
There is definitely a body and mind connection. That’s why I will never understand how people can let themselves go and yet complain all the time about it! If you don’t like it then do something about it!  So, as I shop for other people this year, I remind myself that I can get the best gift of all…from myself. No one else can give it to me. You can’t buy it in a store or wrap it up. But it will be the greatest gift.

Merry Christmas everyone & Happy New Year!

It has been around a month since I’ve had my operation and started working out again. Obviously, I am easing into to it, which isn’t easy for me, since I am an all-or-nothing type of person! But since recovering and starting to be able to work out again, I have discovered something that I hadn’t really thought about much before. That is…MY MINDSET! Now, I know that in order to be physically fit you have to eat the right foods, work out with weights and do cardio, but perhaps the most important thing that I have come to realize, is that my mindset HAS to be in the right place in order to make any of these things happen.
Your mind is the most powerful part of your body! If you tell yourself something enough times over and over, then you will actually believe it! When I say that I will TRY to do something or MAYBE I can do it, I have already defeated myself. When I used say to myself or to someone out loud that I don’t like to work out, then I was already setting myself up for failure …NOT to work out! So, I tell myself everyday, all day long that I can’t wait to work out! It is like therapy for me…a treat I give myself!
I also think you HAVE to make it a priority as well. It really just comes down to how bad you want it. When someone wants something bad enough, they will do whatever it takes to get it.
Now, I am learning how to make sure that I have the right mindset in order to make my goals happen. Everyday, I am getting better at pushing myself physically and maybe even more important…pushing myself mentally to become the best me possible!

"Your Success Is Only Limited By Your Desire!"

We all have have hardships to overcome and challenges to conquer in our lives, some more than others, but it is at these times that we find out who we truly are and what we are capable of. We often underestimate ourselves, until we are actually put to the test and we find out that we are much stronger than we ever realized.                 Â
 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â                 Well, I have been lucky enough to never have a physical challenge to overcome…until this year. Doctors could not figure out what was even wrong with me, but when they did, they put me on different types of medicine that did nothing to help. For six months I was almost in constant pain…pain like I had never known before. There were days I couldn’t even get out of bed, take a shower, or bend over to put my socks & shoes on.

For the 1st time in my life, I knew what it felt like to not have my health. My mind wanted to do so many things but my body wouldn’t allow me to do most of them. It was so frustrating, but I thought …"I’m not gonna focus on what I can’t do but rather what I can do!" So, I ate healthy foods that would nourish my body, got plenty of rest and never missed a dose of any of my medications. 
Still, I kept getting worse, not better. So, finally, on October 8th, 2008, I had an operation. It has been a week now of recovering and I am happy to say that for the first time in six months…I am pain free! It feels great…like I have a second chance. I know I need to let myself heal, but I can’t wait to start working out! 
So, now as I start on the road to recovery, I am determined to make something really positive come out of this negative experience. I will never take my health for granted again! This next year, I am going to push myself to be the very best that I can be.
By posting this blog, I am holding myself accountable. ~No turning back, no giving up, failure is not an option. Although I may make mistakes and have setbacks, I will learn from them, overcome them and move on. Believe it or not, this experience has changed me…for the better!                  Â
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Now, I have no one to prove anything to…except myself.                  Â
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"What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger"