Motivating Mojo

It's amazing how good I feel the past few days. It could be my upcoming trip to Florida, but I think it's a combo of cleaning out the sugar & getting active, as well as the B-12 supplement. Whatever it is, I'll take it.  This week has been crazy busy at work. Real estate is flying in our area. I had an inspection, 2 new listings, multiple offers on one home & wrote two offers, in addition to it being tax season & prepping for my trip. Normally, I'd have been overwhelmed & exhausted. Instead, I actually worked out last night. The hubby & I went to eat and shop, then I came home & worked out at 9:45 p.m. Who am I?!?  I realized I can't do Turbo Fire. My knee just won't allow it. That's OK. I discovered Rockin' Body on my Beachbody On Demand and I love it. It's low impact and simply fun. I look like I'm floundering because I'm not a dancer. My hips were trained to be stationary, due to softball. Even so, I can do this ...

Holy cow, it's been awhile. Nearly 3 years since I've used this blog. In an effort to find harmony in my life, I am resurrecting this as a place to record my workouts and track my progress in all aspects of life. So much has happened in 3 years that I don't even know where to start. Let's just say "Hormones have caused havoc on my body. 3 miscarriages have left me with 50+ pounds to lose." However, I am taking my power back.  Today, I started TurboFire with Chalene Johnson. I always wanted to do it, but convinced myself that I couldn't. Guess what? I fumbled my way through the footwork. I gasped for air, but for 40 minutes, I did high intensity interval training. I plan on rotating this program with other Beachbody programs & my Kelly Coffey Meyer DVDs. It is no longer about a pant size or a weight. Let's be real: both can change daily. It is about me taking my power back and thinking clearly. I want to be able to walk without gasping for ...

Recently, I read "The One Thing" by Gary Keller. In the book, he states that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. I thought that was interesting because I'd always heard 21 days. Apparently, some of us are slow learners when it comes to certain habits. He says that if you focus on the one thing you can do that will positively impact the rest of your work, life will be more productive. The problem? I have about 574863 "one things". (Have I mentioned that I get bored easily?) So what IS my true ONE thing that I need to focus on currently? Without a doubt, it's EXERCISE. Being a former college athlete, I know I can do it. I just need to find my "athlete" again. I know that she will re-surface over time, but for now I just need to focus on moving. I loathe the gym lately, as I get sick every single time. So, I printed off my 66 day calendar  and busted out some old "Firm" videos to do at home. They are effective and I can do ...

Well, my blood work came back & I finally have some answers. In fact, it was so clear that I might even skip my treadmill test. My fatigue, inability to lose weight, headaches, palpitations, joint/muscle pain...all of it is because of one vitamin deficiency, B-12. Yep, I'm anemic. I always thought that was the case, but I figured it was iron. While my iron is technically low, it is nothing like my B-12, which is virtually non-existent. I'm also battling an infection somewhere, but we can't figure that one out. My guess is my sinuses, simply due to history and weather. But the B-12 has been such a revelation for me. Now that I have answers, I can make a game plan to respond. With just two mega doses in me, I already feel lke a different person. Scary to think one little thing can create such havoc in our bodies, especially when I take multi-vitamins.  On a non-health related note, I am currently reading this book:  Oh my goodness, talk about life-changing. The author use...

Contrary to popular opinion, I do have a heart. My new doctor confirmed it today, right before she told me it isn't working properly. Before I get to that though, I must brag on her. It was my first visit with her and after having such crappy doctors in the past, I wasn't expecting much difference. But, I knew I wanted a female as I'm so sick of being told move more, eat less and weight loss will happen by some man who doesn't give a rat's ass about hormonal issues. Luckily, I found a new female doctor here and decided to give her a try. Two minutes into my visit, I knew she "gets it." We discussed my weight, palpitations, working out and stress levels. When I told her I couldn't get my BP down, she mentioned that I'm on allergy meds and they're notorious for fluid retention and raising my BP. Duh, Missy! When I told her I'd gained 30 pounds in a year, despite working out with a trainer, she admitted that she has gained 10+ pounds in t...

Today, I banged out a 3.5 mile walk in the cold, brisk wind. My muscles were tight & it was mainly uphill, which slowed my times. But I am ok with it. Why? I got off the couch and moved. I put the past few days behind me and just did it. I woke up, griping that the Y doesn't open til noon on Sundays. (Side note: I'm seriously going to have to look into a new gym as the Y's hours SUCK) Still, I read another chapter in The Shift and realized I didn't necessarily have to have the gym. I had my own two feet and today that was good enough. Mock my times if you want. I truly don't care. I did 3.5 miles in exactly one hour. It was good enough for me and that's ALL that matters. Suck it haters. 

Watching an interview with Tory Johnson about her book, "The Shift", I realized that I am having a mental shift lately. I am simply fed up with being unhealthy and miserable. Just like any other addiction, we have to be fed up to make a change.  I am no longer focused on the numbers. For instance, I went to the gym this morning. How many calories did I burn? I have no idea. I just moved. I walked on the treadmill for about 20 min and biked for 30 min. I left the heart rate monitor and BodyFit at home. I simply focused on moving. The only number that matters to me right now is 30. My goal is to move 30 min/day every single day. I am throwing the scale away. I am not counting calories. I am not setting up unrealistic goals. I am simply cutting myself some slack and moving.  Next week, I am doing the New Years Day 5k here. My husband agreed to do it with me, which is a good thing. Will I be fast? No. With my shin/achilles pain, I simply want to finish. I don't care wh...

Watching last night's "Biggest Loser", I heard Jillian ask a contestant how he deals with things. He said, "Reactionary. With all the bad that's happened, it's the only way. Nothing has gone as I've planned." Jillian quickly responded, "Defense. You're on the defense." Talk about hitting home. Growing up playing basketball and softball, I won "Defensive Player of the Year" every single year. I was taught "Defense wins championships. Defense is the best offense." Not only did I pride myself on my defensive ability, I took it to the next level. Only last night did it hit me just how long I have lived by that motto. Losing my dad at age 11 and being left with an abusive family, I lived defensively. I had to for my survival. If they couldn't get to me, they couldn't beat me down. It explained why I was constantly striving to be the best, to not be vulnerable or let anyone hurt me. It literally permeated every a...

Today marks Day 3 of trying to cut back on sugar. I was reminded Saturday night, after a day of eating complete crap, just how badly sugar affects me. It makes me a raging bitch if I may put it bluntly. After a nasty fight with my husband and joints so swollen that it hurt to move, I realized (FINALLY) that I didn't just need to cut back, I had to cut back or face an early grave. The chemicals in my brain go haywire when I overload on sugar and seeing my loving husband completely exasperated was exactly what I needed. Sunday, I went to Louisville for the Justin Timberlake concert with my sister-in-law. I didn't worry about counting calories or getting my 10k steps in - I just focused on having fun and appreciating the moment. We spent the whole day looking at Christmas lights and shopping. It was probably close to 4 p.m. before I realized we hadn't eaten. Typically when I counted calories, I'd have been obsessed with my next meal, worried about my intake. But Sunda...

I was supposed to run the Jingle Bell 5k this a.m. Ironically, I woke up with joint pain so severe that I couldn't get out of bed at a normal time, much less walk a 5k. Once again, I failed. With the recent snowstorm, I haven't moved with purpose in several weeks. I have no desire to workout. Why? I see no point. No matter what I do, the scale doesn't budge any direction but up. I'm not sure where to go from here, but I know this: I am lost. 

Today was a NSV. I have taken the past two days as rest days, due to a medical issue and really, really did not want to workout. In fact, I slept til 10 a.m., which is completely unheard of for me, but I also slept through the entire night for the first time in years. Man, it was great! I had planned on going to the 7:15 Body Pump class, but obviously that did not happen. I was deep in slumber at that time. When I woke up, I felt defeated because I missed the class and was ready to declare today another "rest day." But I knew it wasn't really a rest day...more like a "failure" or "lazy" day.  So, I logged onto Twitter and my friend Toni tweeted about what an awesome workout she just had at the YMCA. I felt like she was speaking directly to me, so I grabbed my phone and headed out. Today, I did 60 min on the elliptical and had planned on going home. Instead, I went over to the weight machines and played with some new ones. I ended up lifting more o...

I'm so over the scale. In fact, I'm thisclose to tossing it out completely. Why? It's ridiculous. For the past two weeks, I have worked out, eaten with my calorie limit, eliminated diet soda, increased my weight intake and guess what? I "gained" nine pounds on the scale. Now, I know I did NOT eat 31,500 extra calories. It just didn't happen. So why is the scale showing my heaviest weight ever? My guesses are as follows:  Low batteries - I've had it for awhile & even my husband has complained about it, but I just assumed his late-night Oreo addiction was the issue. Defective - To back this up, I placed two 8-lb weights on it. It registered "zero". I also found that by moving it to different parts of my bathroom floor, I can gain/lose 15 lbs in a day. My Endometriosis - This is the most likely cause of the "gain." With three miscarriages in the past 2 years, I am sure my hormones are completely out of whack. Unfortunately, my ne...

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been awhile. How many times do I say that when I post? I need to get more frequent with posts, but life gets in the way.  While the guys have "No Shave November," I am doing my own version: "No Soda November." Corny, yes but it is necessary. I am addicted to diet soda, namely Diet Mountain Dew. While on vacation, I only drank water and didn't have a single headache. (If you know me at all,  you know what a huge achievement this is.) So why did I start drinking them when I returned? Habit, I suppose. Soon after, my headaches returned with a vengeance, as did my muscle pain. Well, last week was the wake-up call I needed. My father-in-law had a massive heart attack and has been in ICU. As part of his heart healthy program, he is required to give up Coke. He assumed it was because of the caffeine, but the cardiologist pointed out to him that it is really because of the sodium in Coke. Intrigued, I asked him about Diet Mountain Dew. ...

Last night, I had a huge NSV. I was able to walk 3 miles at a decent pace for the first time in nearly a year. Most people would look at my "results" and think, "Big deal." Guess what? It IS a big deal to me and I no longer give a crap what anyone thinks. My achilles/foot issues have been a stumbling block for me, but I think I have finally turned a corner on them. In fact, I was able to log 10,000 steps! Today, I was supposed to meet with my new trainer. I know, I know...I said I wasn't going to do that again. But the people pleaser in me caved and made an appointment. For some reason, I wanted to be one of the "cool, fit kids" and prove my worth. Yet, I woke up this a.m. with some foot pain. My appointment time rolled around and I skipped it. Instead, I popped in a Leslie Sansone DVD and walked 5 miles in my living room, where no one cared how much I sweat or what I looked like.   When I finished, I sent my trainer a message, telling ...

The weekend was a whirlwind for me. Saturday, I went to the Blake Shelton concert in Nashville with a friend. We were on the floor, right by the stage. I knew we were close when my butt was vibrating so badly that I felt like I should be charged $2.99/minute. The highlight for me was when Trace Adkins surprised us! I have always adored him since I interviewed him years ago. He is also an advocate for food allergies, which makes me love him even more. (The pics aren't great, but what can ya expect with an Iphone?) After the show, I caught the red eye to NYC for the Manning Bowl III. I do have some kickass pics of this, but whenever I post them, I get tons of haters so I'm keeping them to myself. I'm tired of having to justify every little thing I do that involves the NFL. After the quick trip, I was exhausted today, so I decided to make it a therapy day. By therapy, I mean cleaning and organizing. My friend Jamie told me over the weekend how much she loved h...

After weeks of not working out and traveling, I stepped on the scale Monday to my highest weight ever. Granted a lot of it is indeed fluid, but still, it was a sign that I needed to get back to focusing on my health. After busting my head wide open and battling the concussion, I was lazy. I was lazy in not just my weight loss battle, but all aspects of my life. The doctor warned me that I might have some slight depression/mind fog from the concussion, but I just shrugged it off. Well, Monday it dawned on me that he was right and it was time to crack down on my mind crack. Yesterday, I was getting ready to head to the gym and sign up with my new trainer. (Yeah I dropped the other one. We just weren't clicking and he was way too focused on the scale. Being a recovered anorexic, I just couldn't deal with that.) I was walking out the door, realizing I had a huge sense of dread and anxiety inside me, just waiting to bust out. In the past, I would have ignored those feelings and...

It's been awhile since I've updated. I've had a whirlwind month or so, which I'll fill everyone in on later. For now, know that I'm gong back to basics, which means no worrying about minutes worked out, calories counted, reps completed, speed walked/jogged....just me and my headset, walking for enjoyment and focusing on what I love.

I'm learning that I can't take "rest days" at this stage. When I do, I let my foot get the best of me and miss workouts. I took one on Sunday and my foot actually hurt worse than it had in months. Between the pain and allowing my husband to sabotage me by staying up too late, I skipped my workout this a.m. I was up sick all night, a side effect of the pain meds for my foot, and basically blew off my workout. While I know rest days are important, at this point I just can't do them. They make my foot hurt and give me excuses. Excuses are what I don't need. I need to move and move often. The more blood my foot gets, the better it feels. Back in the gym tomorrow...period.

Figuratively, not literally of course. While I am facing my fears, let's not get carried away and expect me in water deep enough to row a boat. Silly readers...However, I have found a new love: the rowing machine at Bob's Gym. Eli introduced us on Friday and I realized she offered me exactly what I needed: a workout with no impact. (Before you ask how I know it's a 'she', let me say that no man would ever be that smooth and pain free. HA!) I have seen the machines while I was on the dreadmill or the bike, but never thought about using one. Once Eli broke my fear of looking silly on one, I fell in love. It offered me a full body workout without the pounding of my foot - exactly what my doctor prescribed. After sleeping in some this morning, I went to the gym and hopped on the rowing machine for 2000m. While my time was slower than I wanted, I was more focused on proper form. The last thing I needed was to injure myself again. I did 10 min on the rower, 10...

Today marks the end of my 1st week with my trainer! ::happy dance:: Today also marks a big moment for me. (Seems as if I am having more of those lately, huh?) After getting a hot stone massage yesterday, I took a looooong nap, which interfered with my nightly sleep routine. The result? I woke up at 4:45 this morning, sore and cranky. I debated texting Eli with the old "my foot hurts" excuse. Granted, my foot/achilles does hurt, but I knew from earlier triumphs that it would feel better after working out. I also reminded myself that backing off now would set the tone for more absences.  When I got to the gym, I told Eli I almost skipped. He asked me why and I was completely honest: I hate cardio. He said, "Even on your bike?" I explained that if I was outside, I was fine but the machines drive me batshit crazy. He said, "I got ya. We'll fix this." We then did 5 min on the bike, the elliptical and the rowing machine. I must say, I felt a bit like a ...