"I Need You Right Now"

The song that defines my health in the year of 2010: Kayne West "Stronger"

My energy levels are back up!  I've been cutting back on the caffeine and have been getting more sleep.  It helps that my schedule is a bit shorter at work with the holidays over, but I've picked up some extra hours at the gym over the next month.  It will be interesting to see how that all goes, but I am proud to say that I am back to working out... finally!  Eating completely different has been helping immensely!

The food I am currently in love with is Arrowhead Mills Puffed Corn:

It's just puffed corn!  There isn't even added salt!  It's become a main food group in this process of mine of discovering how to cure myself of the crap I have delt with the last year.  On a great note, I paid my last hospital bill yesterday.  And, hopefully I won't have to go back for a long while!

...

A few of the things I have missed about my own training:

• the smell of my old weight training gloves
• the taste of my orange preworkout protein shake
• the sound of DMX in my ears
• the feel of the cold barbell against my warm, moist skin

Some things I know for sure:

• I don't want to see another doctor except for regular checkups in 2011!
• it's been far too long since I've had a full, heavy lifting workout!
• mountain man is a great -indirect- motivator!
• my lungs feel stronger having exercised them with the expand-a-lung this last week
• I have twelve days before takeoff to get in crucial workouts

Reasons for staying in on New Year's Eve:

• My friends are okay with it
• I'd rather not consume alcohol or dirty foods late into the night
• I have to work in the morning
• It's really not that fun without getting wild or being with someone special
• It's been rainy, muddy, and cold out all day
• I'd much rather sleep and stay on my normal schedule
• I'm okay with being boring or lame during the winter

I'm heading for some late dinner, some reading, and sleep... So, happy New Year's to you all!  See you next year!

Bring on the New Year!

Happy soon to be new year!  If you know me well, you know I get excited over the little things like Beth jumping up and down waving every time I see her, Mounds candy surprises at work from my regular 'Fat-Rat,' the unexpected hug or touch to the hand from older women at work, and especially the unexpected headbutt from the dog.  I LOVE smiles from strangers, when the members at the gym wave at me before I can wave at them, and the look on my brother's face everytime I make a joke about him to his girlfriend.  I simply light up from the little things in life.

Today my small joys have come from realizations about my health in an unexpected place.  I've been rather absorbed in reading today and am quite glad I have!  I've had my face pretty much jammed in Jackie Warner's "This Is Why You're Fat" book since I got home and woke from my nap.  It's a great read so far, and I'm not even a fourth of the way through it!



This weekend my cousin and I were discussing thyroid problems.  (Imagine that kind of conversation during a Christmas party with kids screaming all around the room.)  Both of us felt that it has been part of the problems that we've, separately, have experienced in the last year.  Warner's book addresses the stress issues on the thyroid as well as the adrenal glands, and I'm going "yup, yup, yup" as I'm reading.  Unfortunately, the severity that my cousin and I have both had along with the likeness of our doctor's both lacking the knowledge to say "duh" or even suggest such a relationship of symptoms absolutely shocks me.  So, I am currently LOVING this book!

Even better, Jackie lists some of the natural "medicine" supplements that are available to help our bodies heal themselves.  Finally, here is someone who is anti Big Pharma who also understands that proper nutrition and not man-made chemical drugs are the way to go.  This woman is amazing!  I know too that somewhere in the book she talks about chemicals that should be avoided in products that we may use on a daily that could cause cancer, which excites me just as much.  We are the killers of our own people, and natural is the way I prefer to live.

....

My brother just left to have dinner with someone I used to date.  It's funny that they're like best buddies, and I sure am glad because they're both great kids.  But, it was in this moment that I realize how happy I am that I'm smart enough to not settle!  I'm so excited that my mountain friend is so excited about me, because I am perfectly happy and excited to see what may come!  (I know you read this.)

....

Happy holidays to you all!  I've got dinner to finish, clothes to put away, and some more Christmas to clean up, so I am outta here!  See you all soon!

"What's This?"

Ah, it is finally over!  It's as though the new year brings with it a celebration for making it through the madness of the Christmas holiday!  I survived the madness of kids!  Three family parties in a row, and I know my brother and his lady had even more madness!  On goes the year to it's nearing end... [Smiles!]

First, my brother did a great thing in getting me the rice cooker I wanted.  We'll see how well this version works, but I'm thrilled to get back to cooking without the need for the stovetop!  It makes me wonder if my George Foreman is still at my mom's.

And, my sister is brilliant having found a breathing fitness trainer for me!

I still think that the plane tickets have beat all other surprises out of the water this year, but I still have to wait a bit to use them!  I am extremely excited!  I still have Christmas chaos to take care of, so I'm gone for the evening!  Keep loving life!

Three Days Before Christmas

For some reason, Ally was my buddy for most of the evening.  It's a great thing too.  I needed the company and feel rather wiped out too.  She's been sleeping in my lap, playing hide and go seek, and is now wrapped up into the open space, as I sit on the floor with my knee bent and foot to one side of me, with her little noggin rested upon my knee.  She's listening to the Charlie Brown christmas music with me and has yet to start snoring.

I, on the other hand, am half tempted to move her so I can get my laundry in the dryer, finish wrapping the last few gifts for this weekend I have been avoiding for a week, and get to bed here rather soon.  Lucky for me, someone just made enough noise to get her up and moving.  Unfortunately now, I have to be wrapped in a blanket because the lil' heater I had is now gone.

Wecome rambling...

I'm in the midst of reading Jackie Warner's new book, am disappointed that John Frieda's Lux. Volumizer doesn't come close to how well Big Sexy's product works, and having watched three epidsodes of Millionaire Matchmaker while cuddling with Ally makes me so happy with who I am.  I don't know how to sleep these days, and I am hoping that Jackie's words can keep me excited with the work I do at the gym a bit longer.  Today I had a great morning with two good classes, and it is the kind of day that I need to continue into the new year.  In other news, I hated how my hair looked this morning, and I am anxious to get my hair chopped a bit more again.  I need to find out if Katie can get me a deal on the Big Sexy root pump plus.  I feel like I would need a whole bottle of Frieda's product to get the same effect, and then I'd also feel like I had a whole candle's wax spread throughout my hair.  Not fun, but at least I'm not crazy about looking red carpet ready and dressed the the nines like some of the people that Patti deals with.  Most of them are seriously NUTS, but they make for great television when I feel like yelling at a screen.

I need to get to bed though, I have work to do in the morning before heading into the office.  Someone wake me from all of this when Christmas is over.  Work has been exhausting!

With My Every Reason

The saffron, tums, and careful diet has been working.  Sleep would help, but the workouts will have to wait another day or two.  I'm beyond ready to get back to the heavy lifting.  Despite some minor upper back pain, I'm feeling a lot better and rarely experience feelings of nausea anymore.  I honestly think the saffron has made a huge impact.  My head feels more clear, my body is sensing less pain, and my energy levels have been increasing dramatically.

The diet is still tough, never knowing what may cause me to feel a bit ill, and often feeling too warm internally at unexpected moments can sometimes hit me hard.  I'm working now on reintroducing foods into my diet and increasing especially my carbohydrate intake.  My brother says I should be paying more attention to my protein levels, but I know I am at least getting the minimum my body needs.  I have probably lost muscle mass, but muscle memory will bring it back.  I'm not too worried about the ratio between macronutrients that I have been consuming.

I am more worried about the lack of sleep I have been getting.  I felt so drained at work this morning after the short three hours I got once the kids got to bed.  Unfortunately they sleep in 'til 8am and my alarms wakes me at 3:30am.  I'm looking to change that as soon as possible, even if it means pushing the reset button and starting over from scratch.  I need to get more sleep.

I doubt it will come tonight though.  I have a huge project I am working on that I am going to need some assistance with once my brother gets home from work tonight after 10pm.  I am working both jobs tomorrow, so I may have to wait until Saturday or Sunday evening to begin hitting the weights hard again.  Saturday will allow me to sleep in, but Sunday wakes me early again.  It is a never ending battle.

Activity outside of work needs to come fast!  I'm looking forward to some chest/back, legs, and arms workouts, and I cannot wait for them to come!  The gym is introducing a new groove class that sounds like fun, but I wonder how closely it may resemble Zumba.  We shall see.  I still prefer a bit of yoga, Centergy, and pilates.  I still have yet to hit the pool, but there has been talk about it with one of my superior colleagues.  Once this weekend hits, though, I will feel so much better.

Thank goodness Christmas is right around the corner as well!  I need it to be over so that work calms down a bit.  I have been selfish mentally working long hours and volunteering to cover extra hours wherever and whenever possible.  I need to give my body some rest as well as the physically selfish workouts!  The new year will bring some early traveling as well.  I cannot wait!

"I have every reason.
To live the dream inside me.
I'm getting up and leavin'.
I want you right behind me."
 
Song of the day by September: "We Can Do It"

Dad Must Be Watching Over Me

I'm currently addicted to listening to Lee Dewyze's song "Sweet Serendipity."  I can't seem to get enough of it.  I heard it on the way to work, wrote down the title while at work, heard it again after work on my route home, and now here it is at the top of the playlist for this post.

I went to yoga last night at the club, and after class I had a short conversation with the group ex instructor about some of the things that have been happening in my life.  Much has gone on in the last year and a half with dad's passing, my traveling, my health, and the things and people to whom I'm considering growing closer.  If anyone upstairs besides God has a hand in what is going on in the lives of my family it's that man whose chromosomes combined perfectly with my mother's to create me!  That former Air Force man himself could very well be influencing my life and my dreams still today.  (I bet I'm not the only one he's influencing.)  The instructor believes it's very possible as well and was excited for the wide possibilities and the good that is yet to come.

I believe there is much greatness yet to come.  I felt amazing today, and the areas in my life where I felt weak recently I felt strong with today.  Retail therapy and my nap probably helped as well, but I have an energy this week that hasn't been this strong for months!  And, for as much as I feel I accomplished today, I cannot wait to see what happens in the next year!  Who knows where I'll end up?  I wonder if God and dad are figuring that one out as I jot down these thoughts.

We will see... We will see!

Lyrics from "Sweet Serendipity:"

"I don’t ask for a lot
No nothing more than I need
Because I love what I got
Don’t need to play the lottery
I just want to be strong
At the end of the road
I don’t want to hold on
I want the strength to let go

...

I ain’t gonna stress
Cause the worst ain’t happened yet
Somethings watching over me
Like Sweet Serendipity"

Back To The Iron

I am feeling nearly back to one hundred percent!  It's been nearly nine months of strong fighting for my health back to normal.  I'm finally feeling like it just might be back.  And, I'm ready to get back to lifting the heavy weights!

Spotting a friend during her heavy lifts this last week made me miss it more than ever before.  It's harder too knowing I was in my best shape right before I began working at the gym.  One of our trainers just the other day was saying too how she felt more out of shape now that she is a full time trainer.  Imagine that!  The company isn't doing something right.  But, I want me right; I want me back to normal and lifting again!

To nearly being there!  Smiles!