Live Today

"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?" ~Tony Robbins~

I've had a hard time lately with sticking with my plans. Every morning I wake with the same renewed sense of empowerment. I go to bed each night guilty for what I did not accomplish, vowing that tomorrow will be a new day. Somewhere in the middle I am jacking things up tremendously.

The scale was really mean today. High, high, high. So this stepping on it once a week thing is not going to work for me. I am going to step on it every day for a while, first thing in the morn. And I am going to post it here. Maybe that will keep me accountable. Today's weigh in? 184.1.

I have come up with a plan for the day, and because it is a busy one, I can't spend a lot of time discussing it ... but I will write it down for all to see. I'll let you know at tomorrow's weigh in if I managed to accomplish it.

Coffee, first thing (am drinking it now)
Cardio (elliptical, level 8-10, 45 minutes), followed by skim milk based protein shake.
Legs/Abs workout, followed by 1 apple, sliced, with 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
Finish processing and canning the vegetable broth. Clean my downstairs (kitchen, living room, family room, bathroom, FL room)
Lunch: Grilled chicken (4 oz) on 3 cups lettuce with 2 tbsp homemade vinegar & oil dressing
Vacuum whole house, water all plants, laundry, Ian's bathroom
Snack: 1 c. sliced carrots. 2 tbsp hummus
Finish cleaning upstairs, including master bath. Take Cloe for a walk, about a 1/2 hour at a good clip.
Dinner: grilled salmon (4 oz), 1 c. steamed broccoli
Relax and enjoy 1 glass of red wine with my husband.

Go to bed at a reasonable hour because I have to get up fairly early to fit in my workout tomorrow morning. Eat NOTHING past 7pm, drink lots of water.

I should probably write something worthwhile, too, but this is more important. I have no intention of going backwards any further, and I can not rely upon the successes of my past. If I fail to accomplish the mission, its a failure entirely, no matter how many small victories I achieved along the way.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.” ~Conrad Hilton~

Deal With It

Deal with it.

How many times have I used those words with my son? Hundreds. Real sympathetic parenting, I know, right? But sometimes, that's just all there is to say. Deal with the fact that you have to get up and get dressed for school. Deal with the fact that 3rd grade brings with it much more homework than previous years. Deal with the fact that YOU wanted to be in both karate & football and that means, sometimes, you are gonna be a little busier than you like. Deal with the fact that your mother cooks at home most days and McD's is simply out of the question.

Deal with it.

Now to turn that pointing gun right around and fire off a few rounds of "Deal with it" for myself.

Deal with the fact that you have a raging headache. Deal with the fact that chocolate is not an acceptable healthy food group. Deal with the fact that you have a busy schedule and fast food is still not an option for you. Deal with the fact that you are always going to struggle with weight, and yes, you are always going to have to eat this way. Deal with the fact that your leg hurts, or your shoulder hurts, or your head aches ... or whatever other ailment it is today. You are 41 years old and have abused your body for years. Not in a good way.

Deal with it.

I don't want to, most of the time. Yes, I feel 100x better after I go to the gym. I feel empowered, confident, even self-righteous. It's the getting me there part that hurts. Right now, I am dressed and ready to go. However, my bluetooth headset is not, because I failed to plug it in last night. So I am drinking one more cup of coffee (I am tired because I stayed up and watched the football game last night. I made the choice, now I have to deal with it.) while I wait for the little red light to turn blue and give me my stereo "go ahead".

I guess the good news is, I get to spend a little time writing.

Somewhat on the same "Deal with it" thread ... Monica Brant, fitness icon and my personal hero, won the WBFF title this past weekend. She switched allegiances from IFBB to WBFF this past February, with much brouhaha. If you follow that kind of stuff, its been made something of a big deal. She switched to avoid the politics that have become associated with the IFBB and to (hopefully) simply compete and be judged on the physique she brings to the competition. In my amateur and humble opinion, that physique was outstanding.
I can't think of any time I have seen her look better, leaner, more defined and absolutely perfect. Yes, I am a huge fan, but seriously ... she looked awesome. Apparently, there was some ... dis-satisfaction from the camps of the runner-up. Some allegations of misjudging. Innuendo's of misdealings. Frankly, side by side, the runner-up, IMHO, didn't even look to be in the same category. Monica beat her hands down. So you didn't come in first ... deal with it. 2nd is pretty darn awesome. You didn't look as good as she did. Deal with it and come back stronger, leaner next year.

Now that the blue light has flashed, I am going to get my aching, old, tired body to the gym and finish today's workout.

Deal with it!

"A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can't."
~ Jack Dempsey

Restart Button

Certain times of the year always feel like "restarts". New Year's is a given. Most of us make decisions to restart or revamp some part of our life on New Year's Eve. Monday's, too, fall under that "restart button" header. For me, September has always held the scent of a "Brand New Start". Most likely, this is due to the beginning of the school year. From kindergarten through college, and then again when we have our own children, September signals the start of a brand new school year. Resolutions to do better this year, be more popular, try out for a new team ... it's practically more resolution packed than New Year's Eve!

I've had a heck of a summer. Most of you reading this know that I lost my father in August. We had a lot more trips this year than in summer's previous. Trying to spend as much quality time with Dad as possible in the waning days, then a surprise 50th Anniversary trip with my in-laws to California. I feel like I have spent very little time in my own home. I'm not ready for this school year to start again. however, time waits for no one, and tomorrow it starts again, whether I am ready or not.

So, ready or not, it is also time for me to kick my workout and healthy eating plans right back into action. I will not make any grandstand promises to blog every day, but I will attempt to be more prolific with my writing. I won't promise to post my every bite, however, I will be journaling them on my SparkPeople page, if you feel like checking it out.

I have a few goals for this month ... and an update on my biggest goal.

1) Lose 8 lbs. by 10/1/10
2) Accomplish 20 workouts before the end of September (that's 5 per week.)
3) Spend a minimum of 5 minutes every single day on my knee rehab exercises.

And the BIGGIE? Be at my goal weight by Spring Break 2010. It's about 33 lbs to go for that one ... and I hope I can accomplish it even sooner than that. However ... this time I am allowing for plateau's. I seem to have a thing for them ... and I don't want their existence to derail me again.

A brand new start. Again. And again. And again.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~