lorelei729’s BodyBlog

I have always been a dreamer, a visualizer, but up until this morning I’ve had an issue carrying things out, just actually doing them.  I woke up 1/2 hour later than my alarm clock and though I had determined in my mind that I was going to go for a morning jog, my motivation was low and I had to force myself to change into clothes and even put my shoes on.  I started out walking, (I’m very new to long distance cardio-) and I knew right away that if I didn’t try to at least do one interval of jogging that I’d be disappointed in myself.  So I picked up my arms and strutted down the road.  Before long, I stopped and jogged another blocked and walked another, until an older gentleman jogged up past me, saying good morning.  He struck up a conversation and when he found out I was a newbie to jogging (except running intervals on the treadmill) he gave me a little advice.  Breathe through your mouth, loosen your arms up and hold your hands loose, keep a light pace at first.  Since I’ve never been a huge runner in the past, I soaked it up.  And "magically" I jogged with him for at least twice the distance I normally have been able to.  Maybe it was having a running partner, maybe it was the advice, but I was doing what I’d been dreaming about for a while.  We went our ways and I jogged most of the way home.  It was really great.  I am hoping that today I start doing more instead of just dreaming.  Follow through is so important!  So the day after my birthday (woohoo the big 2-7!) is the perfect time to start a new goal:  Dream AND Do. 

"Dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong." ~Oswald Chambers 

(Written by Maria Kang)

Hard work is necessary

if you want to get anywhere.

You have to work hard at keeping your schedule

Work hard at lifting those weights.

You must work hard at being disciplined during dinners.

You must work hard at being planned MOST of the time.

If you want to become FIT

Then you must WORK HARD at it.

You must take your mind, body and spirit…

and work HARD every day -

so that you only focus on the things that reap results.

If you aren’t bearing the right fruits…

THEN rethink the labor you’ve put into your field.

THINK about your strategy -

The combination of seeds -

The times you sow -

THINK ABOUT IT

and work hard towards making it happen.

” You have two choices in this life for everything thing you confront, give up and quit or press on with enthusiasm.”

Well…  I’ve been feeling quite well and impressed with how I look and how my clothes fit, but a step on the scale made me just a little dissappointed.  I am up 1/2 lb from last week.  I understand that I am putting on muscle, but I really don’t want to start plateauing.  So… What am I going to do about it?

1. I’m going to check out my diet and scrutinize the portion sizes.

2. I’m going to incorporate an ealry morning workout and a later evening workout on the days that I can.

3. I’m going to repost my updated goals (like I’ve been saying I will) and find daily motivation.

I have recently found some amazing women in fitness that are my role models.  Like Maria Kang, Diana Chaloux, Monica Brant and Jennifer Nicole Lee.  All of them are just beautiful and simply amazing women.  I am going to be amazing, too, I know I can do this.

<dt class="quote">Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

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I went out with a bunch of my friends saturday night and I’ve been trying to let everyone know that I’ve started the body for life challenge.  I mentioned the 2.5 lb weight loss in a week and a friend of mine said "I’ve lost five this week on atkins."  And even though deep down I know that in 11 more weeks I am going to look amazing and have lasting results and have developed eating habits and making exercise a daily thing I can live with and continue long term, it felt like a shot in the foot from my friend.  I guess that someone always has to be competitive and be the nay-sayer.  We had a fun rest of the evening and everything else was great.  I don’t even think that she realized that she sounded critical, but she did.

Over the last week since I’ve started the Body for life challenge, I’ve been feeling great.  But this morning when I went to weight myself, I felt a dread deep down inside.  That all of the work I’ve done wasn’t going to budge the scale.  But I was wrong!  In my first week I lost 2.5 lbs!!!  That is more than I have ever lost in a week, and I know that just from one week on this program I have learned what I was doing wrong before.

First off, my protein intake hasn’t been superb in a long time.  Second, I have never done such high intensity cardio!  Last night I ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes in intervals and KICKED MY BUTT!  The last high interval I went as fast as I could sustain for a minute and litterally felt like I was going to fall over when I was done.  It was invigorating.  It’s funny, too, because my husband usually critiqes my "sweatiness" after a workout and says I don’t workout hard enough.  But not last night!  He basically applauded me for my intensity.  Between the high energy and the lower number on the scale… THAT’S motivation!!

Yesterday, as soon as I got the chance I went out and picked up a copy of the book that goes with the body for life challenge.  I didn’t have a ton of time to read (I worked 3p-11p last night.) but I got through the first 29 pages and I’m already glad that I got the book.  The following are the questions that the book prompts you to answer and my answers:

Have I made the decision to change? Yes.

When I look at myself, do I honestly like what I see?  Well, mostly no.  I think for being 140 lbs I look okay, and I’ve always had a cute face.  But I know that I have the potential for SO much more.

How do I feel deep down inside? The first word I though of for this is READY.  I am ready for the change, ready to find my potential, ready to make any needed sacrifice, ready to be confident.

How do I really feel about myself? My word here is "disappointed".  I may not have had a choice of how my parents chose to raise me (with snacks readily available, little exercise and huge portions) but I have the choice now to live healthy and be strong.

Am I confident, energetic and strong? Confident? Far from it.  Energetic? Typically. Strong? Nope. I’ve never been truly strong and I lost a lot of strength when I got depressed and stopped working out last year..

Do I often wonder if I’m on the right track? Constantly.  I still don’t know where God is leading me, but I know that this challenge is a step in the right direction.

What are the pros and cons of continuing in the direction I’m currently going?  Is this a trick question?  This question is in here for all the people who don’t see the negative impact of thier habits and lifestyle.  If I continue the way I’m going (or have been going prior to just recently) I’ll be a diabetic like my dad, have heart disease and alzheimers like my grandparents and be obese like almost all the of the older generation on both sides of my family.

Would I like to create a brighter future? Absolutely.

So what is my reason?  I have been selling myself short in all aspects of life.  And I need to break free from the generational issues of my family. (A.K.A. Gluttony, let me be your footstool and not dealing well with anger.)

What are the five most important, specific accomplishments I need to make within the next 12 weeks , for me to be pleased with the progress of my body and life?

1) First and foremost, I want to complete the challenge to the absolute best of my ability and transform my body. 

2) I want to be more indepedent and be a leader not a foot stool.

3) I want to feel confident enough to be myself wherever I am.

4) I want to get my snacking under control.

5) And I want to make healthy living a way of life.