another scorpion?

Back in March, I made a post about scorpion pose. You can view it here. Since then I have been working on my core strength and balance. I have little by little been moving away from the wall. Although, I am not yet confidant enough to try it in the middle of a room, I am able to balance in the pose without the support of the wall. Soon, I will be in the middle of the room.

So, I would like to encourage you to keep working towards your goals. You will get there if you set your mind to it. One day you will be doing scorpion in the middle of the room like me, and that's something to curl up with.   

...a week of nothing?

Because, I have totally been MIA for the last two weeks, I decided to do a short recap.

Saturday May 5th, I took park in my first metric half century bike race, The Tour of Long Beach. It was 30 miles and I finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes. I was quite happy with my time. I had expected it to take me about 3 hours, but it was all flat ground, which means a faster time but constant peddling. There is no coasting on a flat course. That night I started looking at up-coming events to see what I would do next. I have yet to choose an event, but I will let you know when I do.

On May 17th, I took my last final for the semester and taught my last lesson for the year. So it has been a couple of hectic weeks, I am glad they are over. Finally, I get to take a week-long break from my crazy life of the past five months. I go back to school on the 29th, and I will be subbing a few days here and there until school is out. And I am glad I do, I think I would go crazy if I did not have something to do.

A short break is definitely something to curl up with.

...getting older?

Last Thursday, I turned 30. And I have to say that I am in the best shape I have ever been in. I look better. I feel better. I am able to do things that even as a child, I wasn't able to do. And, I attribute a lot of that, to the fact that I am more physically active, than I every was before.

I am a strong believer that for one to stay young, one must get up an move. You are only as old as you feel, and if you are able to get up and go for a walk, then you should. Think about it, when you don't use things, you lose them. That includes muscle mass. So get up and use your muscles, and start to feel better.

Feeling better is something to curl up with.

...my trainer?

You are my trainer this week. Text me or

post a comment and I will do some extra exercises. Hey maybe we could do them together. That would be fun. You can do it. I know you can, because I've seen it before.

So come on, send me a message. I know you want to. I dare you to. No wait. I triple double dog dare you to. So, what are you waiting for? It's only a little text. Six letters at the most. Just do it. I'm asking for it.

Support from friends is something to curl up with.

...success?

After 10 weeks of maintaining my non-goal weight, I finally jumped off the edge of my plateau and started losing again. I have to thank one of the women that work at WW for suggesting that, I decrease my points. I don't know why, I never thought of that or why my WW leader didn't suggest it, but Jaime did and I lost 3.4 pounds last week. I am now at my WW goal. Although, I do want to lose 10 more pounds in order to lower my BMI, I finally feel successful.



And Success is something to curl up with.

...something fun?

Finding the motivation can be hard. You really just have to find what you love. If it is something you love you will be less likely to quit. Make it fun. Run with your dog, play soccer with the kids, go dancing with the girls, take a walk with your honey. Just get out and move.

For me, when I don't want to go to the gym or get on my bike, I think about how I will feel after I am finished. I know I will feel better about myself. I will have more energy and just be happier. So I strap on my shoes and go.

What you listen to can also be motivation. Here are some of my favorite running songs. I listened to these when I first started running. Now I listen to books.

Rolling In The Deep-Adele
Set Fire To The Rain-Adele
Keeps Gettin' Better-Christina Aguilera
Echo-Dr. Dre & Eminem
Love The Way You Lie Pt.2-Rihanna & Eminem
Lose Yourself-Eminem
Not Afraid-Eminem
Cinderella Man-Eminem
Just Dance-Lady Gaga
Bleed It Out-Linkin Park
Time Is Running Out-Muse
Famous Last Words-My Chemical Romance
The Hand That Feeds-Nine Inch Nails
Only-Nine Inch Nails
S&M-Rihanna
Only Girl-Rihanna
Disturbia-Rihanna

Music and doing what you love is something to curl up with.

...1:15:11?

Today's Motivational Monday is a pictorial post. On Saturday, March 25, I completed my first ever 10k. I wasn't the fastest, and I wasn't the slowest, but what counts the most is that I finished. I ran the entire race, and I am happy with my results.

That's me in black coming up to the finish line.

6.5 miles in 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 11 seconds.

Celebrating with bananas, juice, and water is definitely something to curl up with.

...a scorpion?

I love yoga. I always have. I find it relaxing, yet challenging. It gets my heart rate up like no other activity. There is just something special about it.

One of my yoga goals is to be able to do the scorpion pose. I have the flexibility in my back and shoulders, as well as the strength in my arms and shoulders. What I need to work on is the balance and strength in my core. I can easily do this pose if I have the support of a wall, but if I move away from the wall, I end up in wheel pose. So I need more control and that comes with balance and core strength.

I know I will eventually get this pose. It is just going to take some time and practice. And like the best things in life, that is something to curl up with.

...a lie?

Saturday, was a rough day for me. It marked the 4th week of me maintaining my weight of 1.5 lbs more than my goal weight. Which is a great thing however, I don't want to be maintaining when I am so close to goal.

I spoke with my WW leader during my meeting about what I could do to get over the hurdle and she decided to change my goal weight by 2 lbs, and made me reach goal and announced to it to my meeting. I was quite upset by this. If I wanted to change my goal I would have done it weeks ago. I wanted some suggestions to get off the plateau that I am on. Instead, I got a lie and a bunch of people congratulating me on reaching a goal I have not yet met.  

I am trying to see the bright side of this. The silver lining, but I am having a hard time. Theoretically, I should only have to maintain my weight for two more weeks before reaching lifetime, if my goal remains changed. And once I reach lifetime I can stop paying. So that's nice. But, still I feel like I am living a lie, and that is not so nice.

I could go and change my goal back to what it is, but there was such a big deal made of me reaching goal, that I don't want to do that because then I would get asked questions that I don't want to answer.

So, I guess I will just "fake it 'til I make it." It won't be long now. If anything I am more determined to reach MY goal. And that's something to curl up with.

...you've got this?

I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. I believe that you can do anything you put your mind to. That if you can dream it, you can achieve it.

Life is hard. It is full of challenges and setbacks, but it is also full of amazing rewards. Just think about how it will feel when you finally reach your goal.

I still haven't reached my goal, but I know I will. I refuse to give up. I am too close to the finish line. Actually,  I don't know how to give up.

And that's something to curl up with.

...my year?

If you read my Motivational Monday from last week, then you know I only have 1.8 pounds left until I reach my goal. I was hoping to reach it on Saturday. Unfortunately, I didn't. I didn't lose any weight this past week. At first I was a little bummed, but then I thought to myself, "What are you upset about? You've lost 69+ pounds. So you didn't reach goal this week. That's okay you'll do it next week."

Thus, my weight loss journey continues, with a positive attitude and smile. As a friend of mine told me... 2012 is my year, and that something to curl up with.

...a little bit of pride?

You've earned more than your pain. You've earned your pride.

As of Saturday, I have lost 69.2 pounds. I am only 1.8 pounds away from my Weight Watchers goal, and I am left speechless. It doesn't seem real. But it is. And I am proud of myself.

My journey has in no way been painless. It has been hours of exersize and shopping and food preparation. My journey has been stressful and frustrating and at the same time, euphoric. I am not going to say that I have loved every minute of it, because that would be a lie. Although, I will own it and be proud of what I have accomplished.

This is my journey. My life. My body. My pain. My pride. And, No-One can take that away from me. Because, I've earned it.

And that is something to curl up with!

...what you might have been?

This thought really speaks to me. In 2009, I looked in to becoming a speech-language pathologist. I found out about the program, realized it was going to take me about 4 years to complete it and decided to pass.

Now 3 years later, I've started my first two SLP classes. If I had started in 2009 I would be almost done, but I didn't and I don't regret that choice. It wasn't right for me at the time. However, now it is, and I am so happy I am doing what I should have done 3 years ago. The timing is finally right.

Here's my challenge for you: this week take the steps to do or become something you have always wanted. If that's running a 1/2 marathon then sign up for one. If that's going back to school then do a search online and find out about classes.

It's never too late to be what you might have been and that's something to curl up with.

...no more excuses?

On Tuesday, I am starting a speech pathology program, which means my time for exercise is going to be drastically reduced. However, that doesn't mean I get to be lazy about my exercise. I just have to find new ways to get moving.

I have two hours between my two classes and the student fitness center is right by the speech building. So guess what, I have no excuse to not use some of that time to run on a treadmill or take a Pilates class or even just walk around campus. 

For me, exercise is a way to relieve stress. It lifts me up, if I am sad. It gives me a boost of energy, if I am tired. It allows me some alone time, to think. I love getting on my bike and riding for 10, 15, 20 miles. It doesn't matter how long or how far I go. What matters is that I am outside moving. I have the opportunity and ability to exercise. So, I do. 

I leave you with this, if you are physically able to exercise, then stop making excuses. Get up. Get out. Get moving. Because not everyone can.

Just something to curl up with.

...more?

This is what keeps me going. It makes me go harder, longer and further than ever before. A few weeks ago, I went for a morning run. It was the longest run I have ever done. I went 4 miles. For some that is nothing, it's a walk in the park, but for me it was an accomplishment.

 I kept saying it to myself. Although, I was a little more harsh about it. In my head, I said, "Go until your body gives out, then MAKE it give you more." I believe that you have to push your limits to succeed. If all you ever do, is what you've done before, then how are you ever going to become more than what you are?

So, challenge yourself. See how far you can go, before you turn around and go back. If it's not hard, then it's not a challenge.

Just some motivation to curl up with.

...don't think, just go?

Over the past 16+ months, I have been on a weight loss journey. As of today, I have lost 63 pounds. I want to lose about 12 more.

On Saturday morning, at my Weight Watchers meeting a woman said, "I had every intention of going to the gym on Wednesday. I even put on my workout clothes. Then I just sat on the couch."

I never even imagined, that I would be one to say, "I love exercise." But here I am, posting it on the internet, for the whole world to see, I LOVE exercise. I love it. I'm going to say it one more time. I LOVE exercise. 

That being said, it's hard for me to imagine someone getting ready to go exercise just to sit on the couch. If you are going to make the effort to change clothes, then go all the way. Don't think! You already have your shoes on, grab your keys, walk out your door, and go. It doesn't matter if you go for 20 minutes or 2 hours, just move.

Then when you get home, you can curl up on the couch and know you did something great for yourself.  

...a little motivation?

I don't think anyone truly likes Mondays. So I decided to start "Motivational Monday". It's my way of giving you a little motivation, in whatever area you need.

My goal is to hopefully inspire you to get up and get moving. It's just something to curl up with.