Monday Manjoyment!

Happy Monday Kittens!!!

MEOW!

How was your weekend? Mine was great, but boy was it hard to be in that "Back To Work" mode. And whoa, let's just say, after looking at my travel schedule for the first quarter, I may not even need a house anymore LOL! For Realz. I'm out there a LOT! But, it's all good. 

Last week, I am SO proud of my first "official" week of the "30-Day No Loose Ends Challenge". I am pleased with my eats, with no cheats (outside of Friday, which was my cheat day) and solid workouts. This week will be even BETTER! Kids, I had to go to a dinner- a birthday dinner no less- yesterday. The menu had a ton of yummy side dishes like mashed potatoes and that green bean casserole (yes I love that) plus an OREO cake, a Carrot Cake, and homemade brownies!! DOH!! I didn't touch ONE thing that was not on my "plan". Not one bite! ;-) Yes, I was absolutely tempted toward the end to sneak one brownie, but then, really, kids, who am I fooling? I'm only screwing my own results there...and if I did something like that every day- with a brownie here, a piece of bread there- then I'm not really 100% on this "plan" am I?

One of my MOST IMPORTANT goals this year is to be 100% Focused. Be 100% present on the task at hand. That means, no Blackberry with me when I'm working out. I'm only checking emails 2x a day. I take NO unscheduled calls- even from friends. No more multi-tasking and being half-assed at anything.

I'm not approaching my fitness goals with 33% effort. It's ON. Do you know how significant my results were this past week? I can see in the mirror my abs are flatter and my hips have lost some fat. I FEEL IT as I move. Everything is working. I had two different people see me- and they'd seen me the week before, and the first thing they said was, "Wow, you've lost some weight!". Score.

And Vin has been texting me ALL DAY. I had to tell him, I have other plans tonight, but he wanted to try out my new TRX system. hehehe and then bake me a cake, and then.....WHAT? Ooops. I got carried away with unclean thoughts.

*Ahem*

So, I am very encouraged and digging the "4-Hour Body" approach. It works for me, is easily adaptable and I also don't have the tummy aches I was having before (when you simplify your eats this much, you realize how much the "other stuff" was bothering you.) As of right now, I am not doing the workouts in the book- simply because I like all the stuff I have, and the ability to mix that up. For me personally, I don't want to be on someone else's plan~ and remember, those are simply suggested plans that worked for Tim and others he tested in the book. For me, I'm all about running, hot yoga, TRX, P90X, isolation training (in the gym) heavy and hard, Insanity, eventually some Crossfit (oy, when I'm in town! DANG!), RevAbs (holy heck you guys, my abs are on FIRE from Saturday's workout!!!!!) and some Cathe, Tracy Effinger and Ilaria Kickboxing. Amen. 

HOLY CRAP- they are coming out with a new version of INSANITY:

I'm packing for my trip- will be in Vegas again this week. I'm bringing my TRX with me and am so excited. I have 3 new circuits that you get when you buy your TRX so I will start with those, and then incorporate some of the videos on YouTube. I'm really psyched about using TRX- both on the road and at home. So I'm packing that, my workout clothes, my protein powder, my bands, my ValSlides, ValBands, Polar Heart Rate Monitor, iPod of course and that should do it. I also pack some detergent so I can wash workout clothes in the sink, let them dry overnight and then I don't have to pack 900 changes of clothes. OY. I'm already using 2 suitcases for long trips so I can bring all my STUFF. 

Since many of you enjoyed my BFF Scott Herman and indicated that you felt he was Manolicious, here is Scott demonstrating some killer ab moves on the TRX:

And some other football dude getting his sweat on with the TRX:

Can you tell I'm psyched to use this?? Slightly. And for those of you that have been telling me, "I'm so jealous of your TRX"- CLICK HERE and get your own!! You know you want to!!

Now- my QUESTION OF THE DAY is: What plans do you have to do things differently in 2011, to create different results?? 

On that note, I'm going to go watch Fast and Furious 4. Or 5. Or 3. Who cares really? I don't even remember the plot, just that there was Vin, and a lot of fast car chases and beating people up. Works for me. #Don'tJudgeMe

;-)

I'm Back.

Good MORNING Kittens! I feel like I've been out of Blog-Land forever! Dang! I will say this, the title of this post is true. I'm BACK. For all of you that have been emailing me, thank you. It appears that everyone has 'turned the corner' sickness-wise. My poor niece broke her fever on Friday, after 6 straight days of a HIGH fever in the hundreds. I was SO worried about her! ;-( Anyway, she was happy that she got to go see "Tangled" over this weekend, so it's all good! AMEN!!

I'm so thinking of Amy at the Vegas Rock n Run right now. I can't wait to hear how she kicked butt, I just know she did. I'm disappointed I am not there, in a big way, but I know I did the right thing. I don't regret staying here one bit. I just got my latest Runner's World magazine and plan to pick my next first (ha ha!) 1/2 Marathon for 1Q2011. I think there is one in Miami!!! Yummy. 

So I had to feature my girl crush Jessica Biel today because she's just killer badass chick. I love her workout approach, you can see that she mixes it up all the time, which is what I love to do, or I have found I love to do. I LOVE running now and can't wait to really be back at that on a regular schedule of some sorts, whether I'm training for 1/2 marathons or not. I love heavy isolation training in the gym, and I also love kickboxing, kettlebells, yoga, bootcamp and SOON.....TRX and Crossfit.! WOOT! That's me. What works for me and what I love may not excite YOU- and that is the key!! YOU have to find what you LOVE to do- because that is the training program that will be most ideal.

Granted, if you only like to sit on the couch and do curls with your Cheetos and Bud Light, you aren't gonna end up looking like this:

*Ahem*

And if your idea of staying active means twiddling your toes around while you sit at your desk drinking Frappuccinos with whipped cream and reading People.com, you probably won't end up looking like this:

So, be realistic. You want to lean? You gotta move. You want fantastic muscle? That doesn't come without moving some serious weight. Ladies, do we really need to get into the whole "I don't want to be bulky..." whine fest? I don't think so. 

I've learned some GREAT (yet difficult) lessons in 2011. I've learned to conquer my psycho-diet mentality and have a more reasonable approach to food. (Yes, for those of you that have asked I will shoot a vlog about the ESE approach and how it helped me and what I'm doing now....) I've learned to stop adjusting MY training whenever I hear some advice, unsolicited or not, about what's the "best" cardio or the "most ideal" way to train in the gym. 

Eat Less, Eat Good. Move More. Lift Heavy. 

That's how I roll now. 

I'm not obsessing over training in a Heart Rate zone and flipping out if I went to 161 instead of training at 155. I'm not losing my mind if I'm on the road and have to have Arby's for lunch instead of that ideal salad with tuna that I'd really like. I'm not pissed off if I only get in 45 minutes of working out instead of 90, when I'm at a conference that keeps me busy from 8am to 11pm. 

I will run when I want to and not listen to ridiculous advice like (cough cough JNL) "No one that trains in the gym EVER runs!! We laugh at those people and call them skinny fat!" #FAIL. 

Jessica Biel is my girl crush because she is buff and isn't trying to look like everyone else in Hollywood. She trains hard and it is clearly a lifestyle choice. I finally feel like that's where I have arrived....this is all part of my life, I'm comfortable with what I'm doing, I'm seeing MAJOR RESULTS now (fat loss AND muscle conditioning and growth plus cardio capacity that blows my mind) and I'm making no apologies.

 

I've read some questions sent in to fitness magazines about "waaah I'm bored with my workouts". Seriously? There are like 100,000 things to do to get/stay fit. My Gosh, I am at the point that if I wanted to, I could do a different routine every day for 5 years. Really. Get creative! Who is going to take the time to write in a letter to a fitness magazine instead of going online and reading some killer blogs and checking out YouTube and getting off you DUFF??? 

  

 Do you see what she's using here? Those are the lovely ValBands from Valerie Waters that I've told you about in the past. AWESOME. I use these when I do Butts N Guts by Cathe. Holy Crap. (Firewalkers!!)

I've also told you about Valerie's Valslides. Seriously, if you want to invest under $50 for two little tools that travel well and have about 200 different moves for your core, your butt and your legs, BUY THESE. I have one set for at home and one set for travel. Best investment ever. I've provided the link HERE and no I don't earn a dime from sending you there. Val is my BFF and she is awesome. 

This really is just a peek. I find that the more I vary my workouts, the more fun it is. It becomes more of a choice in my mind of "What do I GET TO DO TODAY?" as opposed to "What do I HAVE TO DO TODAY?"

Success is all in your head. The only way to FAIL is to QUIT. 

So, the QUESTION OF THE DAY IS: How do you plan to kick it up a notch this month so you have a head start on 2011???

Monday Manjoyment!

Good MORNING Kittens!! I have about 2 minutes to write this blog because....guess what my morning was like? I had to go to Urgent Care because I've been sick with horrid abdominal cramping, throwing up and fever since like Saturday night. Oddly enough, if you recall, on Sunday morning, I went for a run, then came back, had a turkey sandwich and it all started again. I kept thinking it was the turkey or something, I knew it was like food related. Anyway- all last night I couldn't sleep or really lay down- my stomach hurt more and I had to sit up. How ODD is that? By this  morning with a fever AND throwing up ( after drinking water only!) I hauled a** to the Urgent Care. She said they'd had other people in with symptoms like mine from the same restaurant we went to Saturday night! Both my mom and I had burgers and I just get creeped OUT thinking of getting parasites and salmonella from a piece of meat. I'm telling you it will be a LONG time before I have a burger again.

Anyway- they have me on medication to somehow lessen the cramping and pain. They did an IV because I was dehydrated and likely could be so in the next few days if I can't keep food down. They are running tests for salmonella but the two doctors said based on my symptoms and how my stomach felt it is. And apparently that's totally treatable. Either way I am PISSED. This medicine says I cannot "get overheated or exercise" while I'm on it! WTH! You KNOW I was actually considering not taking it so I can workout. But I realize that is sadistic. So I'll be a good girl. ;-( Sadness.

I do feel like 20% better after the IV, I must've been pretty dehydrated. She told me to try to get as much liquid that I can handle in my system. OY. That's all I have to say is OY.

So- I have to be in DC for work. Pray that I'm not gagging on the plane, I do feel like I might start getting better now with medicine and IV. But I had to share with you in case YOU experience something similar! Go to the doctor!! 

;-) Now enjoy some quiet thought-provoking entertainment in the mean time.

Monday Manjoyment

I'm sorry. Me Likey My Vin Diesel. Yummy. 

Insanity Month 2 is KICKING MY ARSE people. Seriously, I feel like a child again. I'm BARELY MAKING IT to the last 5 minutes....whoa. But I LOVE IT!!!

The Olympia is this weekend. JENNY LYNN YOU GO GIRL, YOU GO CRUSH IT!!!

I know she will NAIL IT. Rockstar!! And stay tuned kids, her new DVD and more are coming out!

Ok, gotta go. Conference call, massage tonight. Be nice!! ;-)

OH DEAR A LITTLE BIT MO FO YA!