Dear Fiby...

I see, or rather feel, that you have decided to throw one of your temper tantrums again! SUPER! I'm not sure why we have decided to throw a fit; was it my intense workouts this week, the rain (yes weather DOES play a part), or possibly stress? I'm guessing a little bit of everything.

Today I hurt ALL over. It is an intense, deep, burning, stabbing sensation that is coursing through every fiber in my body. I feel stiff and like all my muscles are wound up into the tiniest possible ball. Staying in one position for more than five minutes is unbearable and all I want to do is scream and cry!

I want someone to knead my muscles like a ball of dough or break my body into a million little pieces! Who is willing to do me this favor?! I swear to you it will feel better then what I'm experiencing right now. That or I just need to find a way to be weightless. Often I daydream of being swallowed by the clouds and smothered in their fluffy weightlessness. I know it is impossible, but I bet it would be glorious!

Of course for those that don't know me well enough, you would NEVER know that my body is its own torture device. That every single day of my life I'm experiencing some level of pain. Nope, sure wouldn't! I look fine and I keep my positive attitude and smile firmly planted for the outside world. But, there are times when all I want to do is scream and cry and throw a tantrum. Not that it would make anything better, but I just WANT to.

I do not wish this on ANYONE, not even someone I strongly dislike...

The final countdown...

Welcome to week 6 of the Look Better Naked health plan! Yes ladies and gents, I'm on the FINAL week of this plan and boy time sure did fly by! As the saying goes: Time flys when you're having fun :)!

As I entered week 6 I thought I would be relishing in the fact that I was almost DONE, but instead I was feeling bummed that it is nearing an end! I don't want to stop this new routine of eating good for your body food and the intoxicating natural high you get from the workouts. So guess what? This health plan is going to turn into a LIFESTYLE! Whoop whoop!!!

Now I must admit that the past two weeks I wasn't in the gym as much as I would have liked. Fiby (refer to Dear Fiby on my blog to understand what I'm talking about)has a way of being a total bitch and doing her own thing. By that I mean that I probably push myself too hard and end up in more pain then I care to deal with and have to rest from the gym. That really did piss me off and I kind of went through a stage where I was angry that I couldn't follow the plan to a T, BUT I have to remind myself that I'm not like everyone else and I need to listen to my body when it is screaming at me in pain.

Let's talk RESULTS:

My baby belly is almost non-existent, I can see the beginning of ab definition (hellooooo abs!), my legs are looking nice and shapely/toned, my arms are beginning to have muscle definition, my skin looks better, and I have more energy! I'm well on my way to my hot self...I knew she existed! I still want to see more improvements, but I have to say that I'm really happy with my current bod! So ladies...if you are interested in doing this, I highly suggest you give it a go!

Hello new lifestyle...

Follow me Friday...

Okay, so I have been seriously slacking on my Follow me Friday blog!! This is due to the fact that I've been traveling to visit a dear friend on my weekends. BUT, here is my second attempt:

This Friday I bring you... http://blumtastic.blogspot.com/ and I apologize because you probably won't be able to link to it on this blog. However, if you look to the right --> and underneath my A-mazing blogs you can find it. I recommend you take the time to do so because you will NOT be disappointed!

Kristin is another dear friend of mine and someone who has inspired me from the day I met her. The story of how we became friends really deserves a blog of it's own, but I will say I think we were destined to be in each others lives!

Her blog reflects on her gypsy soul, creative nature, great sense of humor and beautiful personality! I simply adore reading this and am thankful she started one; since we can no longer walk down the hall, barge into each others rooms, and talk for hours about anything and everything. It's a way to stay connected without having to be bothered with annoying phones. Obviously you can tell I think highly of her and when you take the time to read her blog you will see why she is one of my inspirations.

GO...READ...ENJOY...


I'm late in adding this, but it will be a section on my Follow Me Friday from this point forward.

MEET THE BLOGGER:

Fave restaurant: I'm a big time foodie always in search of the next fabulous meal. I just love Mom & Pop places, especially exotic places like Asian Fusion, Ethiopian, and Mediterranean.

Where I shop locally: I have a great neighborhood not too far from where I live that's full of incredible boutiques, coffee shops, and even amazing thrift stores. Some of my favorites are 10,000 Villages, Ellwood Thompsons, Bygones, Black Swan, and Second Time Around just to name a few.

My pets: Bowser, my 11 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix and Rocko, my 4 year old Shepherd mix. Both of these guys were strays my family rescued off the side of old country highways in my hometown because that's how we roll.

Favorite flower: I'd definitely have to go with wildflowers like poppies, black eyed susans, honeysuckle, and cosmos.

One item always in my purse: Dental floss. I'm really big on oral hygiene.

My workout: I try to keep it interesting and challenging, but at some point during the week it involves pilates, a trusty treadmill, and free weights. I like to try new machines, classes, and workout DVDs for variety... my brother has convinced me to try P90X this summer!

Dream vacation: Wow really? This is a tough question, but since it's my dream then I suppose there are no limits. Ideally I'd love to live on a ship for a few months and travel to the corners of the earth that I haven't explored, like New Zealand, Galapagos Islands, Madagascar, Norway, Greece, Turkey, West Africa, Argentina... just to name a few.

Fav shoes: I don't actually own them yet, but one day Christian Louboutin will be in my closet, possibly on a shrine.

Where you'll find me on Friday nights: Searching for the next adventure here in the River City! I'm part of a Richmond Scavenger Hunt Team looking to take full advantage of all the hidden treasures and tourist traps our city has to offer.

Signature scent: My skin isn't particularly sensitive except when it comes to perfume. I'm not crazy about all the chemicals in "fragrance" anyway, but the natural cosmetics I use smell like a day at the spa. I love rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, mint, clove, cedarwood... mmmm.

My guilty pleasure: Depleting my savings on airline tickets.

Why I love to blog: I've always enjoyed writing, photography, networking, and socializing. Blogging just makes sense!

Challenges make you stronger right...

How do you handle a dear friend not knowing how to be around you? Not because of something you necessarily did, but because of something that happened to you!

A test of our friendship I guess you could say. I'm not thrilled that it has to be tested. In fact it leaves me very VERY sad! I'm praying that it only makes the bond stronger in the end because I'll tell you right now that if it ends broken, another chunk of my heart will turn to ice. I'm not good at handling giving my all in any type of relationship and it falling to pieces. Something I CLEARLY need to work on because it is a part of life and Lord willing I've got a lot more life to live.

This now, almost all out in the open, revelation of honest feelings has also lead to me having to deal with some things. The truth stings all the way down to the core. Not something that I've been denying. Actually, it is something that I've come to a conclusion to two summers ago and have been working on. I've fallen a few times and let me tell you, I don't need anyone to be hard on me for it because I do a phenomenal job at being hard on myself.

I'm so far from perfect it isn't funny, but one thing that I like to think is in my favor, is my realization of my faults. I know I have issues I need to deal with. I'm making an effort at working towards these fixes and shouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe a fault is I try to do it all on my own because I like to think I'm Superwoman?! That and I have a seriously hard time really confiding my true emotions to others. I'd rather they confide in me about theirs because I've always had this need to help people. Plus, I feel silly when I start feeling bad for myself because I really am a very Blessed individual.

Here's to another challenge in life, another notch on the strength belt...

Bluntcard.com

Bluntcard.com



I seriously need to figure iPad and blogger out!! Wanted this attached to my last post....grr

R.A.O.K April...

One of my 101 in 1001 things I want to do is perform a random act of kindness for a complete stranger each month. I generally like to be a nice person; I believe in smiling and saying "hi" to random people that I pass and make eye contact with, I am usually the first to volunteer to help friends in need, and I rarely get outwardly angry. So this choice on my list is one I will hopefully find easy to accomplish!

This month I've decided to hand out compliments. I'm aiming to compliment woman because generally woman are complete Bitches to other woman!!! Instead of shooting daggers at a fellow hottie...COMPLIMENT her! If you like her outfit, tell her! You think she has a great hairstyle, ask her who does it and tell her it looks good! I'm not saying go overboard with the compliments because I'm pretty sure that will just creep someone out and make them think you're psycho. And that's totally NOT what I'm aiming for!

So far I've passed out quite a few compliments. Mainly telling someone that I loved what they were wearing. Some of the recipients of these kind words were very appreciative! Others NOT SO MUCH! Those few who would roll their eyes and give the insincere "thanks" kind of pissed me off. I came close to replying with "actually I think you look like a dogs asshole", but that would defeat the purpose of this R.A.O.K. So, I just smiled while secretly hoping she would trip!

Eventhough I know that there are going to be some very bitchy responses; I'm going to continue handing out compliments. I know that when I get one, it puts a little pep in my step and hopefully I can do the same for someone else!!

Pay a compliment forward this month...

LBN week #3...

That's right! I've made it to week #3 and I'm happy to report that I've been following my health plan with minimal slip ups. By "slip ups" I mean not eating exactly according to plan or following the 2 drink minimum per week. BUT food detours were still healthy choices and I watched my portion control (except for this past Saturday night, but that's neither here nor there). Ohh and with the adult beverages, i've cut out beer and only drinking red wine or vodka and water with extra lime. Just need to work on the two drink per week thing.

I have to say that the food choices are really great, but if you don't like veggies this may not be for you. Some of my fave meals include; Greek breakfast wrap, tuna salad pita, pasta salad, and turkey burger (had that tonight and it was sooo good). I never dread my meals and I feel GREAT when I'm done. Just the right kind of full,but I do find that I have to eat every 3-4 hours. The only thing I'm really having to adjust to is the amount of time I spend in the kitchen. I rarely made all three meals before now and sometimes I would just skip a meal, usually breakfast which is the WORST meal to skip of course!


As far as my workouts go, I did great the first week by making it to the gym 4 days and one day of running outside. Last week I only made it to the gym twice...that wasn't so good. This week I plan on being in there monday thru Friday to make up for last week though. The routines seem to be getting easier each time I do them.

NOW let's talk results! My pants are fitting better....wahoooo!!! I feel like that "baby belly" is starting to flatten out. Even had a gym friend of mine tell this afternoon that he thought my stomach looked flatter. GO ME!! As far as any weight lost...I think the scale in the gym is broken. It has not moved from my starting point since day one and I feel that is impossible. I need to make a point to use a friends scale and see if the results are the same. Other positive side effects: My energy level has increased and I'm not telling(of course by telling on i meant relying on) caffeine as much (have had three cups since I started...that's major for me). My skin even looks better since I've started this!

I'm a believer in this health plan and excited to see where I am in three weeks from now!!!