Buffy Buffington gets Buffer

Why? Is it because you LOVE it; killing yourself, I mean?  I wonder if I am hindering my results by NOT killing myself in the gym?  In all honesty, I’m a pretty sedentary individual.  I mean, I always intend to be active, and I was raking and bagging leaves like a madwoman last Saturday, cuz I knew it was a great full body workout.  I occasionally take an evening stroll with my husband.  Take about a 10 minute walk with my pug in the morning.  Occasionally go bowling, batting cages, hiking, mountain biking…Eh.  That’s about it.

 I have two FIFs (Friends-in-Fitness) whom I love and respect for their passion for working out.  I’m not saying that I DON’T have the passion, cuz when I’m in the gym, I’m IN.THE.GYM, but these cool chicks live for the sweat, the challenge, the nausea, the DOMS (I love me some DOMS too), and I’ve watched them workout and they look like they could die right there in the middle of the session (one does MMA, the other works with a trainer at my gym). Just drop dead. Unable to catch their breath, sweating profusely, stinky, red-faced, etc.

See, to me, that ain’t no fun.  No joy.  No redeeming factor other than going for the caloric expenditure.  Are my FIFs "buff", "muscular", or even, God forbid, "TONED" ?  Nope.  Un-uh.  Not even CLOSE.  HOWEVER, they WANT to be "buff", "muscular" and, at the very least, "TONED" ;)!  I keep saying to them, "You really love killing yourself like that day in and day out, huh?"  And they’re all like "Uh-huh!  LOVE it, live for it, gotta have it!"  And do you know what I say (and I’m NOT saying I’m right, just different) in response?  "Huh! Not me, FIF!  I would much rather lift heavy for 45 min., 3-4 days per week, toss in 1-2 sessions of HIIT, pack up my water bottle & head home for some whey."  But that’s just me.  I’m just sayin’.  I get my kicks in the kitchen, sister.  THAT’S where I get my results.  In the kitchen and in the bedroom, people.  =O  And, by "in the bedroom", I, of course, mean 7-8 hours of quality sleep, with a nice lil nap thrown in 1-2 days a week.

Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT dissing the peeps who LOVE the thrill or the challenge or the kick they get from grueling workouts.  I am also not saying that I want to take the easy way out.  I’m just asking if it’s a certain type of personality that thrives on these workouts?  My worry is that they feel that their hellacious workouts are somehow, somewhere going to make up for the lack of control and/or cleanliness in their diets.  I like to keep it real.  My workout are intense, my progress is slow, yet steady.  I know it would even be much quicker if I ate clean 100% of the time, 7 days a week.  But I can’t do that.  Not right now, anyway.  I eat 100% clean for 30 out of 35 meals per week, give or take…When and if I stop progressing toward my physique goals, will I "step it up" in the gym?  Probably not.  I’ll just kick it up a notch in the kitchen. 

That’s just me.  Tell me I’m doing it wrong, or I should be doing something different.  I’m in no hurry though.  And what works for me may not work for someone else.  I guess if I was observing noticeable, significant results in my peers, I would give their way a whirl, but until then…

I am down to the wire in my 40+ group challenge…standards are high, diet is STRICT, workouts are intense.  But, in all honesty, it’s the diet I’ve concerned myself with the most.  Especially, getting enough protein.  It is not easy, and I stumble and make mistakes here and there, but I can tell you, without a doubt, that I am seeing DAILY improvement in my physique.  So, when people tell you "abs are made in the kitchen" and "it’s ALL ABOUT the diet", listen.  Believe.  My pics will be up within 2 weeks.  The proof is always in the pics.  True story.

The chicken breast.  Hate it.  Used to love it.  Then I hated it.  Then it was tolerable.  Well, I’m back to hating it.  Started a new transformation challenge this morning, and I cooked up a crapload of breasts for my work lunches.  Cannot even stand the freakin’ SMELL of it, and I don’t even re-heat those lil b!tches.  I just eat it cold.  Reheated?  DIZZZ-GUSTING!!!  What am I gonna do?????  Perhaps I’ll smother it in ranch dressing…  No.  I won’t.  I’m just gonna have to figure out a different source of lean protein that I can stomach.  I already supp with protein powder 2-3 times a day.  Don’t wanna rely on it so much.  Trying to stay away from the deli meats.  Love red meat, but you know you need to watch it.  Love cottage cheese most days, but it’s becoming more and more like the breasts.  Some days, icks me OWT!!  Crap.  Egg whites?  Eh.  I can only handle ‘em so much, and I really, really only like ‘em with toast.  Maybe I’ll try oatmeal/pp for breakfast, and move my egg whites/toast to lunch. 

 Any suggestions are appreciated! 

It’s been one of those great weeks, my friends!  My diet has been spot on, my workouts have been strong, and my life brings me joy!  We all go through fits-n-starts, do we not?  Days and/or weeks that just SUCK, and we wonder why we even bother striving for something that sometimes either seems unattainable or not really worth the effort.  When I look at everything I do, personally, to achieve the goals I desire, I think, "GIRL, YOU’RE CRAZY!

 I used to be a "junk food junkie".  There weren’t many fast food joints I would drive past; rather I would "drive thru" and pick up a Big Smack with a side of trans fats.  How did I get from there to where I am today?  It’s not that I don’t desire or crave that fast food anymore, ’cause I do!, my mindset if just…..different.  I don’t think about the immediate "buzz" I will get from that food, instead, I think about how it will effect my body tomorrow and the next day.  Will my abs "pop", my biceps "peak", and my quads "sweep" tomorrow if I have the Big Smack today?  Is it a "sacrifice" to NOT hit that drive thru?

I no longer can answer that question "Yes!"  Is it will-power, dedication, motivation, hindsight, vision, perfectionism, confidence, or strength that allow me to drive past that "drive thru" and not feel the pang (or pain) of loss, of "missing out" somehow?

I’m not sure what it is.  I think, in general, it’s that what I’m striving for is so much bigger than the minutiae of those moments of pleasure borne by consuming that junk.  Do I still enjoy a "treat" now and again?  Yes.  Do I experience guilt for it?  No. 

This week has been an epiphany for me.  I AM motivated, and I feel strong and proud of the decisions that I have to make each and every minute of every day to achieve the results I am seeking.  When I reach those goals, what will I do?  I’m really not sure and, at times, it scares me.  But life experience tells me that I will set new goals, make new decisions and continue on this path that I have chosen….or has it chosen me?

This is who I am, what I do, these are the decisions that I gladly make, and each and every day is a new beginning.  NEVER a sacrifice.  Stay motivated, my friends!!

P.S.  I can’t promise that next week will be a "great" one, but I can promise that I will learn something about who I am and what "sacrifices" I am willing to make to reach my goals.  I continuously learn that it IS worth it and I am proud of the choices I make each day!

Well, after my negative post yesterday, I must set the record straight.  Today, I FEEL GREAT!  My mood is up, I’m enjoying my food choices and I’m excited about what’s to come.  My energy is through the roof right now - not what I expected at all.  I have checked out the keto threads and a lot of people complain about fuzziness, lack of energy, sleep problems, etc.  Maybe I’m just not there yet, but right now I’m feelin’ good and kickin’ ass in the gym.  I started a food diary on The Daily Plate and my fat is up around 65% - that’s probably contributing to my energy levels.  It’s still against everything I believe in, but I’m stickin’ with it, darn it all!   I know you were all missing Sarah Palin, so I had to toss that one in there!

I’m heading to dinner now (it’s a long drive - I’m not 80 yet!) and plan to have a cobb salad with ranch dressing.  How awesome does that sound?

 I am making a pledge right now to all my fellow BB.comers that if and when my feelings about this diet go south, I’ll fess up! 

 Be back soon.  I want to start logging my workouts too, but this is so time consuming!

So I’ve been working so hard for so long.  Working out hard and consistently, on and off with a trainer, lifting heavy, cutting back on cardio, eating clean…blah, blah, blah.  Recently we moved into a new house which is an "entertainer’s dream house", and, boy, have we entertained.  I’ve felt my clothes becoming tighter, so I upped my cardio, but became exhausted quickly due to the time I was spending working out.  Well, the parties are done for now, but the holidays are fast approaching and I know I will continue to struggle with clean eating during this time. 

So, yesterday, I started the keto diet, and I am miserable.  I know that I will lose weight on it, but how long can I keep this diet up?  All the fat I’m consuming goes against EVERYTHING I believe in!!  Plus, my mood is in the crapper.  I think I’m really angry that I’ve felt the need to resort to this stupid diet!  I plan to stick it out as long as I can.  Hopefully, I will see results quickly and that will continue to motivate me to adhere to the diet.  When I eat clean and healthfully, I feel great, but am hungry a lot and was getting tired of the same old chicken breast, spinach, oatmeal, avocado, olive oil, etc.  I’m very afraid that if I fail at the keto, that I’ll quickly gain back weight and, possibly, more than I lost!  Am I crazy?