The Ugly "D" Word Meets its Match

I was gone from my home in California from July 8 - July 27th. That's an entire 20 days! The night before I left my Mom said to me, '"I can't believe you didn't "cheat" with food once."'

It was at that point when I realized how powerful my mind is.

Every other trip to Minnesota, even if just for a weekend, ALWAYS resulted in a "food mistake," which I told myself was okay because I'd "get back on track once I was back in California."

That old thinking is nothing more than another failed diet. Yes, the ugly, sinful "D" word: DIET. The old thinking says, "I'm on a gluten-free diet when it's convenient for me and so that I can tell all my friends I'm a trendy, gluten-free, intellect."

I never meant to be that way, but looking back that's exactly what I was.

I am proud of what I accomplished! But more than that....I am proud to say I'll never prescribe to the Ugly "D" Word again. And that "unprescribed" kind-of-medicine yields that beautiful, strong mind!

Motivation Monday

Since my Blog has grown and I have found that there are so many things to discuss and provide, I will be moving forward with more "themed" days. 

Mondays will be, "Motivation Monday." We could all use that extra push on Mondays (along with that extra coffee)!

One of my most favorite motivational quotes belongs to Jim Rohn, who says, "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

Motivation comes from within, but is typically driven by or sustained by an outside force (person, thought, action, etc.). What is motivating for one person, will not necessarily be motivating for the next. Some are motivated by a need, others by a want. 

What's important is that you find your motivation. If you don't have any - get some. Without it, you won't form a habit and without a positive habit in place, you likely will not form positive change.

When it comes to your health, fitness and overall vibrant lifestyle - think about my 3 thoughts/questions to find your own motivation: 

• What do you want to accomplish? Set the goal, write it down and have it in your view. You'll be more likely to stay motivated.
• What will the outcome of goal achievement mean for you? (Weight loss, vibrancy, healthier, happier, fitter, etc?) Use motivation as your bridge to that place.
• Just do it. Stop being lazy.

And back to Mr. Rohn, "Motivation is what gets you started....." So what are you waiting for? Get started today - after all, remember last weekend when you said, "Starting on Monday.....?!?"

Stay tuned for next Monday when I'll give you my ways to beat your exercise boredom!

One Month Gluten-Free Anniversary

Happy One Month Gluten-Free Anniversary to me! 

Time flies when you're busy focusing! I remember how miserable I was just one month ago!

Here is my "Food List" to date! If you would like me to email you this Excel Sheet so you can track your own, please let me know, and I would be happy to share with you!

As I mentioned yesterday, Gluten Free is the (only) way for Me! It leaves me smiling, happy and healthy!

My brother JJ & I at the County Fair on Friday night! Blurry? Yes. Why? Because JJ's friend Matt was having issues at midnight getting it right:)

CHEERS! (And here's to month 2 of new discoveries, health, fitness & vibrance - all Gluten Free!)

Gluten Free, the (only) way for Me

I am making an absolute, 100% commitment to ME to be completely Gluten Free. Here's how/why I've come to this conclusion.

How

I see my 20-40 feet of intestines as an "upper" and "lower" half, which they are. This is why doctors do Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. Endoscopy for upper and Colonoscopy for lower. I have problems in both. The difference is that my prior doctor only discussed my lower problems and told me to cure with medications and that I could still eat whatever I wanted and my new doctor has first focused on my upper problems and is helping me (mostly) via food recommendations.

So the new doctor has found a lot of inflammation in my stomach and esophagus so far. And he knows that I get severely bloated and distended. He also knows that me off gluten makes my upper problems disappear. Thus, the first thing he suggested - adios wheat/gluten!

I am confident that the wheat/gluten is the 100% cause for my upper digestive problems. As for the lower, I am still working on this. I am headed in the right direction, but (the lower) is not to the place I want it to be. 

Why

If the "how" didn't explain enough of the "why," then perhaps you've never felt even a slight bloat in your life and you just simply can't relate. Be Thankful!

There is not a day that goes by when I am "upper-bloat" free that I don't thank God! So many times lately I've been having these "mental blocks" where I feel like any moment I may bloat up again. My brain is remembering the past several years of constant discomfort. It's almost like some post-traumatic stress, and I clearly need to reverse those thoughts.

The only way I know how to take care of those lingering issues is to make a pact with myself to be completely, 100% Gluten Free because each day I'm not faced with an "episode" is yet another day of building confidence.  

Will this be easy? No! Will I cry sometimes, as I already have? Sure! Will I want to re-think this pact? Most definitely! But will doing this make all the difference in my life? Absolutely!

Endoscopy Full Results

My full endoscopy results came in yesterday.

Seems as though I'm basically a dog just out there chasing my tail! 

The Doctor said I definitely have a lot of inflammation, but it doesn't point to any specific cause. If I don't know the cause, I don't know the action - well, the full action anyways. 

I don't have Celiac, though he said that staying away from Wheat/Gluten will probably only help me. The only harm he sees with me eliminating Wheat/Gluten is total daily caloric intake (and me not getting enough). I don't have a problem with this, though! I teach myself daily that when I'm hungry, I eat!

In a few weeks, he wants to do further "exploring" via, you guessed it - more blood tests. I won't lie, it's getting old. Very old! I'm just trying to remain positive. And of course, I'm dotting my "I's" and crossing my "T's" when it comes to being careful with food. Between the two, it's been my best bet against this "fight with my 40 feet of intestines!"

My mom says, "I think you're quite healthy." To her I responded, "I sure am. It's just a bum-tum."

I take each day at a time. Smart (food) choices, healthy (workout and movement) habits - and of course, a smile!

CHEERS!

Courage is Grown in the Doing

I heard Paul Coughlin speak. He said, "Courage is Grown in the Doing."

His application was different than mine, and probably different than how you are imagining this now. Take it for what it's worth to YOU!

The first thing I think of is the Nike Courage Commercial.



The second thing I think of is the "softer" side of Courage through the "Courage is..." song and slideshow.

And then I think of how much the both resonate with me - and how I've applied "Courage is Grown in the Doing" to my own life:

• I am courageous each and every time I choose "my food" over the food I actually want. 
• I am courageous when I put my "I can do this" hat on and get the toughest of my workouts in. (Note: Today was one of those days - Legs at 7 sets, final in this series!)
• I am courageous when I take chances to further my professional "self."
• I am courageous when I don't allow "negative" people, thoughts or influences shape the person I am and working so hard to be.
• I am courageous when dessert comes out and I say, "No thank you - I'll just have some Coconut Butter or Watermelon." (Side Note: NOT because I'm on a diet or wanting to be difficult, which is also part of me being "courageous" and not worrying what other people think.)

I am courageous in many ways. But what's important in that whole phrase is the part that comes after "Courage." "...is Grown in the Doing." 


I didn't get the courage to do these or anything else overnight. (And there are many things I'm still working on "growing by doing.") You won't either. But you never will if you don't start now! Having the courage to think, act and do the things I am currently able to has literally "grown" through "doing." 

For example, I practice these "crazy" eating habits on a daily basis so that by the time I am in public, with friends, family and out for social events, I am okay with sticking to what I must. I know my limits. And these daily habits have made me courageous!

Think about it....Courage is Grown in the Doing.

CHEERS!

What more do you have?

I was going to take a "rest day" today, but after being tied up by my computer almost 12 hours, I thought a gym session would do me well. And it did!

Only tonight when I went to the gym, I didn't wear my heart rate monitor or bring any specific workout (because I didn't have one) or even bring my iPod. All I brought was a magazine and a bottle of water. I did 40 minutes of cardio, while catching up on overdue magazine chit-chat. By the time I got to the last 15 minutes of my cardio, I wondered, "What more do I have to give to this workout?" It wasn't as intense as my other workouts, but it wasn't supposed to be. And still....I knew I had more to give. So as I walking on the treadmill, for those last 15 minutes, I cranked the incline to 7 percent and also started doing kickboxing punches. 

15 minutes later - that was all I had! I felt great. And happy! 

You have a choice in everything you do in life, whether it's working out, your diet, your attitude or your work ethic. And you must ask yourself, "Am I doing my best? Can I push harder? What more do I have to give? Have I given at least 110%?"


In other news, I invite you to check out my new "Project Bon Bons." It's in the beginning stages, but I am thrilled for it!

Today marked Day 9! Still feeling great - still amazed. I don't think that's going away anytime soon!

(Only new foods mentioned, since day-to-day I eat mostly the same foods.)

Day 9 Food:

• Items from before......plus
• Wild salmon with (fresh-squeezed orange, lemon & lime juice)
• Probiotics

 CHEERS!

When the going gets Tough....

How many times have you been kicked down and thought, "Wow, how am I going to get myself up and ready for the next challenge?" I guarantee that every single time this has happened you ultimately have gotten up and moved on with it. The only question is,

"HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU?"

Don't let anything take you down for too long, if at all! Get up, look it in the eye and keep moving! 

Of course you have no idea what I'm talking about (okay, maybe like 5 people reading this do). I will reveal it soon - what I'm up to - what I've been up to! 

It's so true...."When the going gets tough, the tough get going (and creative!!)"

Until then, CHEERS!

(Monday-Eve) Inspiration

Sometimes I think that we could all use a little "gas for the engine" on Sunday nights to get prepared for the week ahead!

So I'm giving that to my reader's tonight. 

I received an email this weekend from someone I look up to and respect a lot. I have held this close to me all day since reading it. He told me, 

"Successful entrepreneurs are built on a foundation of failures."

This could not have come at a better time for me. I would guess many of you reading this can relate as well. 


Heading into each and every single week, I have an optimistic outlook. What's exciting for me (now) is the thought of "what if," and never "I am dreading tomorrow because it's Monday." 

I get these visions, imaginations and make my "To Do" list for the week in hopes of moving up, shaking it up and finding the success I'm working so hard to create.


But with that - ultimately - will come (and have come) failures. For you. And for me. 


Heading into the new week, I move forward like I always do - many visions, imaginations & a "To Do" list so large that I just may get great with prioritizing! And I remember, "Successful entrepreneurs are built on a foundation of failures." I know it's coming!

CHEERS!

And ps. Happy Birthday to my Baby Great Dane, Reagan, who turned 2 years old today! She is our heart - our lives would not be the same without her.

ME dot COM

My friend, Ted Rubin says, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

I absolutely love that! But it's time for me to act that out.


Lately, I have been too consumed with work. That's the problem with Social Media and having a career focused around a computer - it's always there! And I have let it consume me. 

Couple that with my inability to run, run, run and I have basically just been nearly "cooped-up," allowing myself to be burried in the computer. 


No More! I am not waiting for my "feet storm" to pass, feeling sorry for the fact that "I can't run." And I'm certainly not going to fore go it while sitting by my computer working!


Time for action! It's not realistic for me to say, "I promise to turn my technology off for 3 hours each day." And the truth is, I don't want to! I currently work with certain individuals who inspire me each and every single day. And for that, I give back my time, energy and brain. But, I must always remember ME first! So, like a diet, I'm not making promises I can't keep (the computer stays on!). The best laid plans will fail with unrealistic goals.

My new "goals" are in the works. I like to call them: ME dot COM. And what does that mean? It means merging my love for Health/Fitness and Food with Social Media once again! Remember ME on NIKE? One project has already begun with Mr. Bob Stanke, Director of Social Media for Lifetime Fitness.

But what will be next?! My "Wild" Card is out there....  

One of those Days....

Rarely do I have "one of those days" anymore! I haven't had one in over 3 months. But I felt like I had a semi-version of one today!

In case you did, too, here are some things that may cheer you up (they sure cheered me up):

1. "Wow, that really IS a low price!"

2. Thingstobehappyabout.com (Yes, there is a website for it!)

3. Rocking Your Summer Body can be simplified if you just read this short bit from Mercola.  

4. Brainstorming Sessions. Some of my favorites lately have included those with (in no particular order):

a. Brainstorming with Mike Schneider (re. country music demo)

b. Brainstorming with Josh Groth (my #socialmediaconferencebff)

c. Brainstorming with Robert Stanke and Rachel Ryan

5."Facebook Limits Landing Tabs to "Authenticated Pages."

(Ha. Just kidding. Definitely not happy about that one! But I'll save that post for a posting on the DigitalMention.) 

6. When You Drink Too Much.

7. Exactly one year ago in Cancun! Now that's a great thought to end my day on!

See....it isn't so bad! Make your own list - there is power in creating a list like that for a simple reminder of how "one of those days" is just that - ONE "of those days"!

One Year Anniversary

It has been exactly one year today since I found out all the things I'm intolerant to.

I can't believe how time goes by. As I look back on the past year, the journey that's happened and all that has already been accomplished I can't help but smile.

I am thinking about 2 things on this day:

1.  Leah Vachani - Thank God for fabulous nutritionists like Leah. I have worked with her for the past year. If it weren't for Leah, I would not be where I am today. If you have been following my Blog all along, you know that we had to try many things before we found out what actually worked for me. But never once did Leah recommend medication or anything unnatural. She was patient and listened to what I was telling her. She modified when needed. And so I listened to her every word because I trusted her. I am so thankful for that!
2. I am Just Getting Started - I still have my struggles. Each and every day. Why? Not because I'm necessarily trying to figure anything out, but because the information I am armed with is not the information I want. Knowledge is Power. But with this power comes decisions I must make each and every day:

• They begin at 6am, when all I want is an egg white omelet with a piece of toast and sugar free jam (NONE of which I can have). And I've got to be honest - that makes me want to cry. 
• And then when I'm trying to achieve fitness goals, but I don't know if I'll ever get there with my hundreds of restrictions. I need to have oatmeal with protein powder or fish with quinoa or chicken and a sweet potato. Yes, I can have the fish and chicken in those scenarios, but it's the carb that I'm lacking. The good carb. And without that carb it's a vicious cycle I circle around: Lack of food - hungry - craving more fruit - more hungry - not enough calories - difficult to build/maintain muscle - repeat. Let's be honest, there is only so much meat I can handle. As a matter of fact, day-in and day-out it makes me super grossed out.
• Finally, going out to eat in restaurants or being out with friends is embarrassing for me. When I order and say, "I just want salmon - plain - no seasonings or anything on it - skip the side," I feel like I'm high maintenance. Typically they don't get it. I don't expect them to. Or when we're out with new people oftentimes I try to "hide" what I order or just simply say "I'm not hungry." I feel like an anorexic. And that's not the case. It just gets old answering 100 questions, when I just want to have fun and enjoy the company of people - not the (unwelcomed) company of food that will probably make me look 9 months pregnant within 3 minutes.

BUT AGAIN, despite all that, I am looking back and smiling. I'm happy to know that I have days that are near flawless now (today is NOT one of them - ha - coincidentally). And those days give me hope for this next year. I am happy that there are people in my life who understand and support me. But mostly, I think I'm the most happy because of the commitment I've made to me! This is not ever going to be easy, but because of it, I know me so well. I know how to listen to my body. I know when something is right and when it's not right. And I take care of it - because I'm worth it. And how can you not smile about a respect like that?!

Cheers to (an even better) Year 2!

Time. Commitment. And new Goals.

In less than a week I will be going to my first ever "Sports Doc" appointment. I guess this could officially prove that I am an addicted health/fitness phene:)

My feet have not improved a ton, despite the fact that I have not been running. They have definitely "uncramped" to a degree, but they are not to the point where I feel like I should be running a marathon.

I do not know what the outcome will be post-visit. But what I do know is this: I have been enjoying myself and I'm not willing to sacrifice my time for the marathon "accomplishment." Let me explain.

I have been running and running and running. Mostly because I love that feeling of "accomplishment." There really is nothing better than knowing you've accomplished something. But what I was finding is that now, not even 13 miles, makes me feel that "accomplished" because I've already achieved it. So then I had to get to 15 miles to have that feeling....and so on. 

And despite this "love" of accomplishment, I was beginning to wonder - "surely there MUST be another way to get this feeling without feeling feet-and-ache-death all the time." Between my addiction for my career, moving up and achieving other things in life WHILE still trying to maintain a personal life, quite honestly - I just don't have the time nor do I want to make the time. Running to achieve 5 miles might take 40-50 minutes. But then you get to 10 miles, 15 miles and more...and the time commitment to have that "feeling of accomplishment" just became a commitment that I"m not willing to make anymore.

I know there are people reading this thinking, "But I thought she loved it so." I do! But I can still run (willing the Doc says) just not running to the ends of the earth. Do you know how hard it is to run 20 minutes High Intensity? I could do that. Or maybe I could do hills for 20-30 minutes. The sky is the limit. 

More importantly, I think I'd like to create NEW GOALS for myself - health, fitness and overall vibrant-type goals. I'm not sure what they are yet. I'm still working on figuring that out. Suggestions?! I will, without-a-doubt get some new goal in place. (Can you tell I'm extremely "goal-oriented" yet?!)

In the meantime, I'm loving that I am extremely excited to get to the gym each and everyday. Or be outside walking with my husband and our dogs. Or going for long bike rides. And guess what? I've lost 2 pounds, am less achy and am doing it all within 1.25 hours! 

CHEERS!

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I got little sleep last night. I laid awake thinking about the last 5 simple words our CEO, Chris Ruggieri, sent me via email last night:

Everything Starts at the Beginning

I kept thinking about what a simple and yet engaging and exciting idea that is! We are all so excited in life because of what we work so hard to produce as the outcome. We strive to be the best we can because we can't wait for success to turn tables. 


Yet, reality is that it's the beginning and the middle that count the most. Sandra Bullock said it best in Hope Floats, "Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. And you need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning."


Today those 5 simple words are still fresh in my mind, lingering there. But today I'm more excited about the beginning. 


I'm excited about the ideas that are generated in the beginning, followed by the process of implementation in the middle and finally end up in pure success! (And if at first we don't succeed, we just re-invent until we get it right. But we appreciate, learn from and have a ton of fun doing it!)


And here's to great beginnings! CHEERS!

I Cherish Today

Today I turned 27!

I Cherished Today for many reasons. Here are just some of them:

"Happy Birthday to my inspiring and beautiful Cali friend!!!  May you enjoy your 27th year, and keep on "catching fire!"  Have a FABULOUS day :-)  Miss you!  XOXO" (Missy Moreno Kilmartin)

5:39am "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SARAH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!" (Text from Mom)

5:50am "Haaappy biiirthday!!!" (Text from JJ, my brother)

6:39am "Happy 27 birthday sarah love you." (My Godmother and Auntie, Lan)

Sarah Kay - I hope you have a wonderful birthday today!  I will keep you in my thoughts all day and I am grateful we have started to form a friendship through social networking! Birthday wishes from Minnesota,

Bob" (Robert Stanke)

'"Every year on your birthday I think back to the day you were born.  What a day that was!  A kind of scary day since I ended up having a C-Section but then ended up so wonderful because I had you (which was especially surprising since you were a girl!)  There’s just something about your first-born—you just remember everything about it.  And I’ve been thankful every year that I’ve been able to wish you “Happy Birthday”!"' (Email from my Mother)

"Nothing else. . .. .just HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Love, Bob" (Email from my Father-in-Law)

"Happy Birthday you inspiration you.  Have your cake and eat it too!" (Margaret Wong-Chan)

My Birthday Card from Work, since tomorrow is my last day -

"Happy Birthday Sarah! I am so happy for the success in your life I just wish we lived closer to share it! Come visit soon!" (Lexy Voyles)

"Happy B-day Sarah! You deserve all the b-day wishes. Your love for life spills over and touches us all. Thank you for being you :)" (Leah Vachani)

"Happy Birthday Darlin'..... take this day to relax & enjoy your husband, family and friends.  May God continue to bless you Sarah!!!!" (Yvonne Meredith)

"Happy Birthday Sarah! I dedicated my run to you this afternoon. I wish for you a perfect day." (Debbie Cessani)

"Hey ya!!  The kids and I have tried to call you a couple times today but you musta been busy...can't imagine you would be doing too much on your birthday...except....working, working out, hanging with Ryan..working out again....eating and enjoying your hubby and babies!!  Hope your day was as wonderful as you are.  Happy 27th!!" (Kelly - my sister-in-law)

"Happy Birthday Sarah! have a great day! we all miss you so much :)" (Abbey Thomsen)

When I got home from work, I continued on my day as normal...workout, emails and follow up. And that was great! My husband drew a bath for me and made me a wonderful fish, vegetable, mango salsa and red wine dinner. We laughed at our dogs chasing each other around outside! It was a beautiful day and a beautiful night - about 60 degrees and sunny.

It is now almost 8pm. My "favorite holiday" is almost over. But as I sit here and type this I am reminded of one simple thing...I cherish today because today was not so different than every other day of my life. (Obviously minus the phone calls, texts and messages!) For all of these fabulous reasons I was able to cherish today, so I am able to cherish each and every single day. 

I am so thankful....I am so blessed....and mostly, I am so HAPPY to be 27!

Cheers!

Frustrating....not Tragedy

After spending a most amazing weekend in Miami, I am (like clockwork) suffering in my stomach and my mouth.

This gets old. Really old. And really fast.

As I have described numerous times: When I don't eat exactly the way I am supposed to, my mouth and stomach flare up. My mouth feels chronically annoyed and my stomach acts as though I'm 7 months pregnant.

And so the story goes - I take myself out of my usual "element," "let loose" and ENJOY myself only to be taken 14 steps backwards. And it is literally 14 steps backwards, since (like clockwork again) that's how long it takes everything to get out of my system completely.

When I am caught up in the fun, I couldn't care less. But after the fact I always wonder, "WHY?" It's a vicious cycle that I am less than thrilled with.

But today, somewhere between frustration and more frustration, I came to the realization that, while this is so frustrating, it's not tragedy. One could never understand what it's like for me to talk when my mouth is flared up, but this is not a matter of life or death. I deal with this in the same way that people deal with chronic things every single day. And for me, the beauty is that I know how to make mine go away. Most people with chronic conditions could only wish for that. 

We all have our battles. This is mine. 

Frustrating....but not Tragedy.  

Reinventing Your Life

I read an article in Oprah's Magazine (O) recently. The article was from June, 2008, so not very recent! It was called, "The One-Box-at-a-Time Way to Reinvent Your Life."

The article hit home for me. It made perfect sense and it was just another fire put underneath me to move up, on and with it! 

Julie Morgenstern wrote the article. She states, "Let's say you want to make a major change....but you're stsalled. Here's the thing: You can't be a new you without to some extent dismantling the old you."

Julie continues by talking about how to fully move into a new phase of your life. She says we must, "shed our old skin." And she does a pefect comparison to an article she read in National Geographic.

In nature, shedding is "a process that must occur in order for growth to be achieved." It is an ongoing process that mammals, arthropods, reptiles, and birds are engaged in most, if not all, of the time. In each case, the animal emerges fresh, lighter, and renewed."

I thought long and hard about this idea, how true it is and how I could apply it to my own life. And then I realized that I had been thinking too long and too hard about it - that was my problem - it was time to act. 

And I think this is exactly what Julie was talking about. It's not that the "old you" is bad, but perhaps it's just an "old you" that had gotten too complacent (with work, relationships and life in general). It is easy to get caught in the day-to-day that monotony somehow becomes OK. We leave ourselves in a place in which we don't necessarily want to be because we are unsure of how to "reinvent" this "new life."

I loved her article, and when I finally listened to my own advice, I started to move in a new direction! I am constantly saying that I love to create and then re-create myself as often as possible. My friend Row. Wallen had a quote today that could sum this all up as well: "If you aren't sure who you are, you might as well work on who you want to be." (Robert Brault)


And with that...Happy Sunday! Enjoy the wonderful day and think about how you can "shed," "move" and Reinvent Your Life! Cheers!

P90X: Makes You Feel So Great!

It was another successful week for me and Mr. P90X! I completed my 3rd week today, with Round 3 of Kenpo X. 



I am addicted to this workkout style! Truly. Addicted. How can that picture, pose and "energy" not make you want to dive right in? 


After doing this workout for 3 weeks, I believe that the Kenpo X is my favorite workout! The workout has you moving, sweating, kicking and punching. I feel like Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby each time I do it. (Of course, let's be honest...I'm nothing like that yet!) I believe that Kenpo X is a fabulous workokut for my mind as well. It's the one workout where I am literally thinking about nothing but working harder and harder, trying to perfect each move. 


Tomorrow I head to Vegas for the weekend. I'll have to "rearrange" my P90X workouts a little. Tomorrow is technically a "rest day" and then Saturday I would head into Week 4: Recovery Week. Once I am back on Sunday I will resume into the Recovery Week. I'm looking forward to that week!


It's amazing how my entire attitude about working out has changed to a degree from P90X. Monotony is not an option for me ever again! Shaking it up, mixing it up...keeping things fresh and new is the only option here on out! 


With 20 days under my belt, I feel confident and I am excited for what's yet to come!


CHEERS!

What I Learned Today from Football

A heartfelt victory for the Minnesota Vikings today (I told you I was a Minnesota girl at heart)!

Not only was it a heartfelt victory, but they taught me a valuable lesson: JUST BECAUSE they bet against you DOESN'T MEAN they are right! And here's what I mean....

The Vikings may have signed Brett Favre to win games precisely like this, but that will not matter when the rejuvenated Dallas defense pressures him and has him running for his life, which is when he is most prone to throwing interceptions.

Our free pick prediction for this game is the Cowboys +3. Dallas is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games and 4-2 straight up in its last six games on the road. Favre is also 0-3 against the Cowboys in the postseason and we have a gut feeling that ol’ No. 4 will cost his team big on Sunday.

For the past week, every time I watched ESPN, yet another person was "betting against" the Vikings. I believe I heard one person say the Vikings would win, but even at that - just a 3 point victory. 

What I witnessed today was all heart from the Vikings! From the beginning of the game up until the last touchdown, there was wild passion, fire and they showed up! We all know they knew they were not the favorites to win. And yet, they came out - strong as ever - for a fantastic victory! 

I''ll be at the Superbowl in Miami. I would love the Vikings to be there. But if not, these are the games I'll remember about them and the season! And I'll remember for my own life....JUST BECAUSE they bet against you DOESN'T MEAN they are right!

Cheers!

Nothing Good After Midnight; Nothing Bad After 4:30am

I am crazy. I have these weird hours of bed before 9 or 10pm and waking up (usually) never later than 6am. Both of these times include weekends! My husband thinks I'm crazy, too. At night he'll say, "What? I haven't even eaten dinner yet!" And on the weekends he'll say, "Just sleep in! Try to not get up the second your eyes open." But it never fails, to bed I go and an early riser I am!

I have always been this way. This isn't anything new. However, what is new (in the past year or so) is this idea that I can workout beginning at 4:30am. My body lets me. As a matter of fact, my body thanks me for it!

I have now become addicted to it! I wake up, have a cup of coffee and workout. In the summer I'll head outside and run or go to the gym out by where we live. In the winter (now) I head to the Club I work at and workout or do my P90X at home. I'm always energized by 3 main things:

1. A little coffee
2. My passion for fitness
3. The idea that the day is just beginning and the opportunities are endless

That positive energy turns into a strong workout (on most days). In turn, that strong workout has me feeling wonderful going into each and every day. It gives me the confidence I need and the sense of accomplishment in the earliest hours of my day.

My Mother used to say, "Nothing good ever happens after midnight." She was right, except that she forgot to tell me that if I can create a habit of getting up, working out and taking care of me first thing in my day that "nothing bad will happen after 4:30am!"

And here I am again...Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 4:33am - awake - about to brew my coffee and appreciate a strong workout of P90X Kenpo X! Cheers!