Before, not yet After

Every month, Shredheads poses a fitness challenge, and this month it’s taking your Before pictures.

I have Befores. They’re sitting on my phone, waiting for me to upload and share them but not yet. I’m not After yet, and I don’t want anyone to see me Before (for some reason Befores always look so much worse than I actually do).

But this week has been the start of me actually doing something about it. I’ve exercised every day this week (if you count cleaning as exercise) (and I totally do; have you ever tried putting a futon cover back on after washing it? STRENUOUS), and I plan on keeping up this streak for the next 27 days. I’ve 30 Day Shred sitting at home, and I have NO EXCUSE not to bust out a 20 minute workout. And this week, I’ve been so busy, that I haven’t been able to sit at home and veg or eat or anything that might derail this. Even though I totally want to; I have the last two discs of Moonlight waiting for me (stop judging me). Today, I’m even going to attempt doing two levels at once, for a 40 minute work out. I might also fall over dead, so if you don’t hear from me again, that’s why.

I’ve also been focusing on eating better. I’ve eaten more fruits and veggies in the last three days than I ever have before, and I’m also stocking my fridge with other good for me snacks: light yogurt and string cheese, walnuts, homemade pasta sauce with whole wheat macaroni, and the most delicious white bean and basil hummus I have ever eaten EVER. I’ve been eating A LOT, but it’s all been tons of watermelon or berries or cherries or peaches or celery or sugar snap peas or broccoli.

I’m feeling good. I’m EXHAUSTED, and I know more sleep will help with weight loss and stuff, and next week, I’m really going to focus on getting to bed by 10, but for now…I’m good.

Also, the times, they may be a-changing, so please send some prayers/thoughts/good vibrations my way that everything works out the way it should.

Also, also, this is pretty much the hottest blog post I’ve ever read. Who knew that I should have been blogging about all my college sexcapades all that time? And now, I’m having them with a feller I respect enough not to blog about his penis or how he fucks (hint: AWESOMELY). I think I missed my calling back then.

Picture this

A beautiful girl, who is really a woman, running barefoot on the beach in a blue dress waving a yellow shawl over her head like a banner.

Blue for serenity, yellow for joy, water for God. Just what I needed to hear. Thank you, Gracie.

When I get stressed the next two days, when I feel about ready to give up, when I begin to wonder if it’s all worth it or if it’s what I’m meant to do, I’m going to remember that. I’m going to remember that the joy of the Lord is my strength and that if he is for me, who can be against me? I’m going to work my ass off for the next month to finish this semester a success. I declare it with the girls who prayed over me tonight; this semester WILL NOT fail.

******

Day 3 was today. It was the first day I didn’t really want to do it, but I think it would have actually been an easier workout had I not eaten right beforehand. Oops.

Yesterday, I learned that 5K is FAR. I did it in 47 minutes (ish), which is …. slow as fuck. I suppose it can pretty much only go up from there.

Guess what I did tonight? Accidentally drove through Palo Alto and Santa Clara. I managed to miss the exit to the bay bridge, though I do recall seeing a sign that said something about the 92. I think I was too busy congratulating myself on not needing my Lady to get out of the city. Well done, me. You added about 30-45 minutes onto your drive tonight. Because you have so much time to spare.

I think…I’m going to bed. I have homework, but it’s midnight and I need to be up at 5-ish for Day 4. I’ll sleep tonight and again on the plane on Friday.

Day 2

DONE BITCHES. It’s not even 7:30 in the morning, and I’ve already got my workout in. I AM AWESOME. And also sore. And tired because for some reason I kept waking up at a time when I should have been sleeping. 3 am? Not pretty.

I am really looking forward to days 6-10 on this. And I’m happy those days will come so quickly.

Running this afternoon.

30 Day Shred: Day 1

Tonight was my first day with Jillian. I can just tell that we’re going to be BEST FRIENDS. /sarcasm

Have I ever mentioned that I sometimes have an issue with authority and people telling me what to do? But you know what, by the end, I was actually feeling pretty inspired by her.

I was really scared going into the workout, but it wasn’t as horrible as I expected it to be. Not that it was EASY, but it went quickly, and I didn’t want to totally collapse and die afterward. Of course, the couple of minutes I paused the workout to put my laundry in the dryer probably helped. That’s totally not cheating, right? Somehow, I don’t think Jillian would agree with me.

Now, I’m trying to figure out when I’m going to Shred tomorrow. I need to start training for my October run (I’m aiming for the 10 mile run; I might be a little insane), and I want to start slowly with Couch to 5K, but I want to walk/run the entire 5K rather than just 20 minutes. Or at least I wanna try, and I’m just not sure I can handle running followed by Shredding or vice versa. I would like to get up early to Shred before work, but my track record for getting up early is…not so great. So…we’ll see.

Also, please see this Friday music post. I have had that song on repeat all day today. I feel a little silly, but I LOVE it.

Wish List

Today, I want:

a motorcycle (a really awesome sexay one with the VROOM VROOM and leather and chrome and GUH)

a new tattoo, but I don’t know what I would get where. I’m happy to take suggestions, though

to go dancing. I was listening to Gaga earlier on the BART, and bitch makes me wanna MOVE. I need to find me an awesome group of people and a club (of the non douchey variety, please) to get my freak on.

a hair cut

new jeans that fit really well

This weekend was fun, but I didn’t do a damn thing I needed to, which means I really need to buckle down the rest of this week before flying out to Pittsburgh. I have a LOT on my plate: school, jeans shopping, car stuff, packing, exercise, retrieving some books I lent to a friend, and I might want to hang out with this feller I’ve been seeing. Maybe.

Tomorrow after work, I’m (hopefully! barring being at work late) hitting the gym for yoga, and then I’m gonna come home to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I’ve started reading the Shredheads blog, and that, combined with Mariam’s desire to run a 5k race, have convinced me that it’s Mother Fucking Go Time.

I tend to have a difficult time exercising/getting into shape because I’m okay with the way I look. I like my body, and while I would like to be more FIT, I’m not super concerned about shedding pounds (though dropping some weight would be nice and probably make my boobs more manageable). And also, I really like food.

But this time FOR REALLY REALS I’M TOTALLY SERIOUS ABOUT, REALLY I’m going to make a serious effort to get more fit. The plan is this: yoga at least once a week (twice would be better, but might be difficult to do), Couch to 5K 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), and 30 Day Shred every day for the next 30 days (or as many as I can; traveling days this weekend might be a loss, but I’ll make them up).

I’m going to try to post everyday with, at the VERY least, a comment that I completed my daily workout, but I’m totally going to need help with accountability. Someone needs to kick my butt if I start slacking! Because this is IMPORTANT. For my health and longevity and waist. I’m probably going to need reminders that even though my body maintains a pretty steady weight I’m happy with, someday soon my metabolism is gonna slow down, and I could quickly end up at a weight I am NOT happy with. And also, that I have two pairs of Gap jeans in a size 10 that I’ve never been able to wear because they fit that ONE DAY when I bought them and then NEVER AGAIN, and I would really like to be able to get some use out of them.

Wish me luck.