Kick A$$!!

Image via Wikipedia

Holla Peeps! Here I am! Did you miss me again? I know, I know..it's been two weeks since my last post. I have good news though! I haven't given up.

The motivation thing totally struck a chord with me and I haven't been relying on motivation. I've been dragging my butt to my homemade gym and working out.Out of the last 27 days I have worked out 14 of those days! As most of my loyal followers know this is HUGE for me! I tend to do well for a few days and then let something get in the way. Not this time. I'm still at it and just in time too, winter is around the corner. I think I'll do well this winter since I'm already setup with my workouts.

Most of my workouts are from 20-40 minutes depending on the day. I've got 4 workouts that I do regularly - two upper body and two lower body. I discovered a different way of doing cardio at home without a machine. I'm currently only doing about 10 minutes of cardio per workout and I do plan to increase that time but for now that 10 minutes is kicking my behind. I've narrowed it down to a circuit of 4 exercises - toe taps (20), froggy jumps (10), wall push-ups (20) and jump squats (10). I'm trying to add a fourth set of the circuit but I'm not there yet. I'm heaving by the end of my circuit. I then immediately go into my weight training.

I've hurt myself a few times trying to get my routine down. I've discarded a few exercises which just aren't for me...like step jumping jacks....such a bad idea! Let's just say I lack landing control which leads to some major pain!

This month I've been focused on exercise and just getting it done. I'm so pleased to report that it's working for me. Now, I have to concentrate on calories. While I have been tracking my calories I haven't been very diligent with remaining within my daily calories.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post, but I had a run in with my PMDD this month. So, over the course of the last month's birth control pill pack I missed four pills. Let me tell you I discovered how vital that little pill is to my sanity. I went back to my crazy PMDD self for 2 weeks, all because I missed four pills. I make sure I take my purse with me everywhere I go now. At least I can say lesson learned, birth control is vital to my sanity and quality of life.

Waiting for the Motivation Train

Good Morning People. Wow! It's been a long time since I last posted. In fact it's been a month and 10 days! This post is way overdue.

Let me start by saying

Hello, Old Friend! I've missed you. How've you been?

Well, I've had a month of ups and downs. In September I hurt my wrist biking. It rained almost every day in September and killed my biking motivation. Add to that my two oldest kids are in school full time. It's been an adjustment period for the whole family. I think we've finally worked out a routine that for the most part works.

Last week I finally found a routine that works for me at home. With winter around the corner I know I'm not going to go outside to exercise. I came across a link from About.com that has a circuit of calisthenic type cardio exercises. They're simple, but effective and I'm completely out of breath after 10 minutes. You can't go wrong doing froggy jumps and prisoner squats. =)

Yes, for now I'm only doing about 10 minutes of cardio and then I hit the weights for about 25 - 45 minutes depending on which day I'm on. I've got 4 work out days. I've been at it for two weeks and managed to work out twice the first week, three times last week. This week the plan is to complete all 4 work out days. 

A friend of mine sent me this blog post that really struck a chord with me. It's all about the Myth of Motivation. How so often people have false starts and a lack of motivation to stick to it. If this is you I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read it.

Here's a little exerpt:
 So if you find yourself sitting at the train stop waiting for the motivation train, I’m here to pass along the memo that train has been canceled and it never really led anywhere in the first place. Do it because it needs to be done. It’s like brushing your teeth, it’s not optional if you want to keep all of your original teeth in your head. Don’t make your health optional or dependent on anything as fleeting as motivation. 

Since I read this article I've been scheduling workouts into my day and making a point of doing them. I'm not saying I've found some surefire cure to my workout plan. So far this is working and maybe not relying on motivation is the key to actually sticking to it. It's no longer a choice, it's a necessity.

Although I would like to mention that since August 7th I have lost 9 lbs. I've joined a group of women in a bet to lose 10 lbs in 2 months and to keep it off for another 2 months. It starts today and the goal date is December 18th.

Wish me luck!

Procrastination

Good Morning.

So, I procrastinated today. I slept in till 5:50, did the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, took out the recycling, and then left myself with about 10 minutes to read my bible.

Let me back up a little... I did fairly well with the eating yesterday, but I went to Wal-Mart to grab a couple of things we'd missed in school supplies. For the record this was the WORST idea ever. Never go to Wal-Mart the day AFTER Labor Day AND the first day of school! It was a mad house and not just there, but everywhere...add to that heavy rain and traffic...no fun. I really wanted Starbucks and went there after shopping. Traffic was insane, but I was all yea coffee, till I turned the corner through the drive through and saw the sign that said the debit machine was out. I waited and waited to get OUT of the drive through and decided I'd get money out at the RBC which is right beside Starbucks...waited and waited...and then parked too far from their weird messed up machine. So, I gave up and TRIED to go home, again with the traffic.

I got home and was in such a foul mood..no strike that I was ANGRY! I then gave the kids a bath together, cuz I wasn't in the mood for waiting around. I get all the kids to bed and of course they keep messing around. We went into the basement hoping that ignoring them would work...instead the kids kept coming down. I gave up and tried to go to bed myself, but I was NOT tired at 9 pm and that just made me angrier which led me to start thinking about ice cream. I then went on a mission to find said ice cream...two stores later I ate two giants cups of peppermint fudge crackle felt better AND worse.

OK, back to this morning. I procrastinated reading the bible because I knew I hadn't been feeling very Christ-like last night. I believe I even cursed out a few people while driving. Although, normally I just say screw it and eat whatever I want for the next week and completely ignore my bible. So, I'm happy to say that I'm still on track. I didn't read much, but I did read John 17. Here are the excerpts that stood out for me today:

³Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 

I find it extremely hard fully believe I can be loved like that by God. I know it, but at times emotionally I can't believe it. From time to time I still wonder why my husband loves me or why my friends love me. Then I remind myself that if they didn't care, they wouldn't be in my life. So, I must be doing something right for all these people to care about me, especially people not related to me. 

They care about me for me not because they "have" to. There's a saying that blood is thicker than water. I find it's usually family that uses this term as a way to make one feel guilty. I've surrounded myself with my OWN family. The one I've chosen. There was a time my family and I weren't getting along and we had no contact. It was during this time that I found ways of surrounding myself with the family of my own choosing. The friends who're like sisters or brothers to me. 

My church became a big part of my family. These "strangers" have helped me (and now us) through so much. I'm eternally grateful for them and I'm eternally grateful to God for pushing me in the direction of Barrhaven Fellowship. I stood one day at the railway tracks on Jockvale Road debating between Barrhaven United and Barrhaven Fellowship. I'd already been to the United once and nothing really stood out there. So, with some urging from God I crossed the road and was greeted by the most amazing people who I'm proud to call my family. 

Wow, so not sure where that all came from today... See this is why blogging is good, stuff comes out that you weren't expecting.

I'll leave you with pictures I took of the kids yesterday.

Have a great day! 

Off to a Good Start

Well, I managed to wake up at 5:40 this morning, which for me is early. I admit it, I've been spoiled by working from home. It's really nice to be able to roll out of bed at 6:30 or so, grab breakfast and hop onto the computer to start work for 7 am. 

Last night I made a schedule of sorts to follow throughout the day. It's more so I can plan things out better and try to set specific times for things like homework and bedtime. I'm happy to say I managed to get a few things done this morning. I straightened up the kitchen, made breakfast and coffee, set the kids breakfast up and read my bible.

This morning I read John 15-16. I just wanted to share with you the verses that stood out for me from John 15: 

 

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  

¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 

 ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

¹⁹If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 

I blogged last night about how I haven't been very faithful lately and that I wanted to start sharing that part of my life. I believe that's why those verses held so much meaning for me today. I've been watching TV shows and listening to music that isn't exactly good for the soul. I find myself disturbed by some of it so why am I watching or listening to it? To fit in? To follow the world? I've got to do what's right for me and what's healthy for my life. I've just been taking my sweet time to get to this point. I love to fight change and then wonder why it took me so long.

That being said I'm not quite there with the subject of tattoos. I'm sure a lot of my friends don't understand, but for me right now it's a form of expression. I think maybe that sounds cliche, but then again there's a reason things become cliche....cuz they're true. So, my latest tattoo is from a sundial I took a picture of at the Botanical Gardens. It's on my left forearm. 

On another note, I kind of took a week off exercising and tracking calories. Last Monday I injured my wrist while biking. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but I guess I put too much pressure on the right side of my right wrist.  It still hurts today, but not nearly as much as it did  last week. So, today I am back to tracking my calories and I'm hoping the weather holds up so I can get in a bike ride this afternoon. 

I think I'm about done for now. I may post again today if i get the chance. I've been meaning to start reviewing other blogs. I guess I should pick a day of the week to do this...

 

Me: "Sonia, pick a day of the week..."

Sonia: "lol uhmmmm Friday?"

Done. So, stay tuned dear blog readers this Friday will be my first blog review. (Please be gentle.) I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs right now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyv1jUDLY3s