“If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” ~Lau Tzu

Sometimes – or actually a lot of times- we tend to romanticize a different life than what we have. Or we compare ourselves to others and what others have.  Through experience I’ve learned that no matter which side of the grass you’re on, it won’t get green unless you water it yourself. If you want something bad enough you will do whatever you can to make it happen otherwise you’ll just make an excuse. This applies to every aspect of life, whether its fitness goals, career goals or life goals. When you want something you’ll do whatever it takes to get it and if you don’t, then you don’t want it badly enough.  Nothing in life comes for free or without work or effort.  Typically the things that mean the most are the hardest to achieve, but are also the most rewarding in the end. Forgive me for sounding like a preacher and trust me I need to practice what I preach because I, too, get caught up in the “grass is greener” effect, but when I look at what is important to me and my life and see how blessed I truly am, I get over it!

No one has it easy and even when it looks as if they do, they don’t. So, stop comparing yourselves to others and start holding yourselves accountable for your own life and strive to make it a great one!  That is my motivational speech for the day.  Remember to drink that H20 for thirsty Thursday!!!  ;)

More words of wisdom:

“When you stop trying to change others and work on changing yourself, your world changes for the better.” ~Unknown

This post is inspired by my friend Lea, who reminded me – yet again- today that “change only happens when you are uncomfortable.”  Whether we like to believe it or not, most of us tend to be creatures of habit and most of us -regardless of our zodiac signs- truly do not like change.  We like comfort.  If you want to see change, whether it’s your body, your thoughts, or your actions, you have to make a change. Making a change (depending on what your goal is) can be as little as making your bed every morning! Which by the way I have been doing every.single. day It has to start somewhere… 

Start a new tiny habit and eventually that will turn into a major habit, thus resulting in change! Like I said before, small goals take you to big ones and this applies to habits as well. I guess we should just trick ourselves into making something a habit until it truly becomes second nature.  Fake it ’till you make it!!! 

Change is uncomfortable

And a little something to think about….

“If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” ~Mary Engelbreit

I can’t believe it’s already the third week of January! It’s not too late to get into the game or if you’ve fallen off to get back on! I almost thought I wasn’t going to make my goals for last week, but somehow I managed to pull through!

Weekly workouts unveiled:

Thursday 01/10/13: HIIT sprint/walk for 30 minutes (had the case of the itchy pants)

Friday 01/11/13: Nothing

Saturday 01/12/13: An hour of Zumba

Sunday 01/13/13: HIIT sprint/run/walk combo for 30 minutes (no case of the itchy pants!!)

Three times a week (week 1) accomplished. Boom!

My run on Sunday was pretty rough because I was so sore from Zumba, but I pushed through and, thankfully, I didn’t start itching like a madwoman, but the jiggles were still present…unfortunately.

This weeks workout plan:

Monday: Yoga class or HIIT (I’m leaning toward HIIT since its 30 minutes – I’m always looking for shortcuts)

Tuesday: Hip Hop Class

Wednesday: Latin Fusion (similar to Zumba)

Thursday: Hatha Yoga if i’m up for it and needing a good stretch

Fri,Sat,Sun, Mon: Off on vacation to Toronto to visit my bestie!!!!

PS: I booked my ticket to Florida for my cousin’s Bachelorette party in April. In three months I will need to be in a swimsuit. Shit just got serious.

PSS: I would talk about last night’s fashion at the Golden globes, but I was incredibly disappointed.  There were only two people that stood out to me…

1. Jessica Alba in Oscar De La Renta – looking better than I have ever seen her before.

Jessica Alba Golden Globes 2013

Perfection!! I absolutely loooooove this dress (silhouette and color). Her ombre hair color compliments her skin tone and her orange lip color was a perfect contrast to her dress! Jewels and accessories were also just perfect! Perfect, perfect, perfect. Way to make Oscar proud.  :)

2. Sofia Vergara – This woman knows how to dress for her body.

She ooooozes elegance and sex appeal all at once – a very hard combo to master. Simply stunning!

Other then them, I didn’t really care for anyone else. Sure, some people looked good, but no one else was noteworthy – in my opinion. We’ll see what the E! Fashion Police have to say!

That’s all for now… try and stay awake at work today

Happy Morning and Good Friday! When I tell you I really gave every single ounce of my being on that treadmill last night, I really mean it! I went to they gym right after a dreadful doctor appointment (I showed up fully dressed in workout gear so that I could go straight from there to minimize any chance to reconsider). Once I made it safely inside the building, there was no chance of escape so I quickly got myself to a treadmill before the demons in my head started talking.

The best way to describe my first running experience of 2013:

The only difference is that I did not stop after two minutes. I forced my ass to finish 30 minutes of HIIT and it.was.miserable. I’m not sure if this has happened to any of you, but once I started my ‘run/sprint’ portion of HIIT my entire body – mostly my legs- started itching uncontrollably and I couldn’t help but scratch myself.  The itching was UNBEARABLE and I probably looked like a lunatic or like a person hallucinating that bugs were all over them because I couldn’t stop scratching! This has happened to me before and it’s gotten so bad that I had to just stop all together, but this time I told myself ‘too bad’ and forced myself to endure being uncomfortable. The itching would come when I started my ‘run/sprint’ part of the intervals and go away when I started to walk. Eventually, after about 10 minutes the itching stopped completely and I was able to finish my workout in peace. Hell to the yes. Take that itchy pants!

Since this has happened to me multiple times, I decided to look it up and find out what this was all about.  Here is a small excerpt from an article on livestrong:

Circulation Problems

In some cases, itchy legs might be a symptom of circulation issues — if you haven’t exercised in a while, your body might not be used to it and have trouble pumping blood to your extremities because the capillaries have collapsed slightly. The process of expanding these capillaries can give the sensation of tingling or itching in your legs. Just a few sessions of regular exercise should put a stop to the itching.

Read more:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/341646-itchy-legs-while-running/#ixzz2HgP7fUbQ

In short: my fat ass is out of shape and needs to start running again.

That is all I have for you today, friends. Enjoy your weekend!

Meanwhile…

It’s thirsty Thursday, peeps, so get your water on! I’ve managed to finish one liter of Smart Water and I’m gracefully starting my second. This week was my ‘start working out three-times-a-week’ and regretfully, I cannot inform you on my workouts thus far because there have been none. Eek! How…ever,  today I need to get over it and make it happen And in order to brainwash myself, I will post some motivational words gathered off of pinterest.

My plan today: a quick 30 minute HIIT run on the shred-mill.

And of course some funnies:

Let’s go!!!

This is the first full ‘work’ week of January and oh what a joy that is! I have exactly nine months (no I’m not pregnant) until my wedding day and in exactly nine months I need to be fit! End.of.story.

How do I propose to do this you ask? Well, I don’t really have a well thought out plan – yet- because me and strict plans don’t really seem to work well together. You see, I’m not the type that can just follow a diet/workout plan straight out of a book, so instead I like to create my own ‘plans’ through trial and error to devise something that will work for me. 

I like to keep things simple, so here it goes for the month of January:

• Steer clear of processed snack foods aka junk with one exception: popcorn when I have the munchies and/or healthy cereal for my craving days (because let’s just be realistic here, ladies).
• Any form of exercise three times a week (this number will increase as the months go by.. hopefully) Cardio and or Strength. Whatever, just move!
• Load up on fruits/veggies during the day and stay Lean and Clean at night. Ex: meat, veggies and beans or a whole grain. 
• If sweet tooth hits, dark chocolate or Greek yogurt with berries and honey will have to suffice.  

My goal this month is to rid my body of all the processed junk I fed it and get back into a natural state. I will try to stay as processed-free as possible as that is my weakness, unfortunately, and I feel that adding some exercise is essential to maintain positive energy as well as tone up!

Small goals take you to larger goals. I took my weight and measurements on the first of the month and will report back at the end of the month.  Each month I will try to set a new goal for myself with diet or with exercise and I will be checking in on what has been working and/or not working for me. And let’s not forget that one day may be better than the next. You can’t beat yourself up if you ‘cheat’ or make a mistake. Just move on and do better the next day. That’s all you can do!

It looks like this month is going to call for a little:

Wish me luck!

Sometimes, when I’m feeling uninspired -or just blah- I get an outrageous or vibrant colored manicure. True story. Right now, my nails are bright blue – OPI “Unforgretably Blue” and I love, love, love it!

Below is a poor picture of my nails however,  how cute is this color?! I’ll have to go back and do this on my toesies…

I look down at my nails and I’m instantly in a better mood – I swear.

My rue-la-la  October horoscope read:

Aquarius
“Indecision is totally normal this time of year (burgundy or nude lip?). But there’s an exercise to help enhance your decision-making skills. Step 1: weigh pros and cons – burgundy lips are huge this season. Step 2: assess the facts – nude lips require far less re-application. Step 3: identify winner – who needs statement accessories when you have bold, burgundy, look-at-me lips?”

Here’s the link so you can read yours: http://www.ruelala.com/blog/2012/10/03/rue-horoscopes-october/?cm_mmc=Social+Media-_-Twitter-_-100412-_-postdate

That was posted a day after my ‘red lip’ obsession post -and people tell me I’m crazy for believing in this voodoo crap.  With that said, I found the perfect burgundy lip color that will be accompanying my lips at my engagement party in November:

Nars (of course) Pure Matte Lipstick Collection in “Terre de Feu”

 Above is the lipstick case and below is the color…

Purrrrrrfection. 

Anyway, onto more serious matters,  my fat-ass run is finally over. Sometimes your cravings just take over your life and there’s nothing you can do about it! That’s how it works with me and I’ve learned to just accept the fact that one week out of each month I will be a complete munchie monster and most likely will have gained a solid two pounds. Nbd.  Once you accept that fact it makes your life much easier, I promise.  The key is – when your fat run is over- you have to get right back into the game.  No. Excuses. Period.

Some funnies:

 Right?

 Story.of.my.life.

And the unfortunate truth:

I’m starting this week off right with meals and exercises (that will be executed) planned out.  I expect you all to hold me accountable!!!

Quote of the Day:

“It’s up to you to make everyday as perfect as possible.  It’s a question of will and discipline.”
— Karl Lagerfeld

Happy fun-fit Friday!!! I woke up less stuffed up today- could be all the drugs I’m taking or my workout madness! Anyway, I forced myself to get up and do a 30 minute workout (20 minutes of HIIT) with warm- up and cool- down. Trust me, when you can’t breathe out of one nostril and have a hard time sleeping, the last thing you want to do is get up earlier than you have to – especially for strenuous movement. It wasn’t easy, but there’s a reason why Nike says “Just do it.” I’m not saying I know what that reason is, however I thought that quote applied

Morning Workout:

Warm-up: 3.0 @5 incline for 5 minutes
HIIT: 10 reps of 30s sprints @8.0 followed by 90s walk @3.2 (the last 2 reps I did 8.5 sprints)
Cool-down: walk @ 3.0 for 5 minutes followed by some yoga stretches

Once this lovely routine was over I immediately went straight to the kitchen to eat the breakfast I was dreaming of…

What you see here folks is the breakfast of champions; 2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9 toast with 2 eggs and coffee. Yum and yummers!

Well, that’s all the goodness I have for you today. Remember, weekend doesn’t mean binge fest (reminding myself) stay strong and stick to your goals! If you’re gonna cheat make it a cheat meal not cheat day!!

Happy Friday!!!

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and didn’t eat as much as I did yesterday Anyway, onto the important stuff – my mileage!!

Workout Recap Week of February 1st:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: 60 minutes stepper
Thursday: 4.5 mile run
Friday: 2 mile run/ 30 min step mill
Saturday: 3 mile run outside!
Sunday: 3 mile run

Total miles: 12.5! I don’t even think I ran that many miles in one week when I was training for a 10k so this is a major mission accomplished moment for me! Friday, my leg started to act up again so I decided to stop at 2 miles because I didn’t want to injure myself.  I hopped on the step mill because it’s been a while and it’s one of my favorite machines. I usually put it on the ‘fat burn’ setting level 5 or 6 and step away. At the end of 30 minutes you have yourself a great thigh and bum workout that leaves you drenched!  

On Saturday, I don’t know what inspired me to go outside but I just couldn’t contain myself. I wasn’t feeling the treadmill and it was 40′s outside (perfect run weather for me.) I bundled up in three layers and hit the pavement. This was my first run outside since the Turkey Trot and it was remarkable! Besides having to wipe my snot on my sleeves a few times, it felt so great to run and breathe fresh air and it reminded me of the reason I started running in the first place; it puts me in a good mood. Believe it or not,  a quick run can change your mood almost instantly.  Next time you need to clear your head or need a quick boost, just hit the pavement – it works every-single-time!

Running Disclaimer: I’m not -in any form- a ‘serious’ runner and I don’t get crazy about my running schedule  (I did use Hal Higdon’s 10k training in November since it was my first race and needed some form of structure.) I simply enjoy how I feel after a good run and believe it’s a great way to stay in shape, so don’t expect any ‘runner talk’ (tempo runs, sprints and the like). However, I definitely want to be able to say that a 5 miler is a short run  I find that when I start getting very technical about when to run, how long to run etc etc… I become neurotic and it has the opposite effect on me. I guess that applies to everything in my life. As soon as I feel confined or ‘stuck’ to one particular format and feel that I don’t have options – it’s over, I’m doomed. That’s why journaling my food, tracking calories or points or whatever number system you want to go by never worked for me. I start obsessing about food and gain 5 lbs before I even write what I ate in my journal.  It’s just not for me, I’d rather base it off how I feel because we all know some days are better than others. When you have the energy, push yourself as far as you can go so on the days you don’t feel so hot you wont feel as bad! My motto is simple: run-run-run so I can eat-eat- eat

Motivational QOD:

Happy fabs February!!! Reasons why February is such a great month:

1. It’s short and sweet – like me sorry, I couldn’t help myself…
2. It’s one month closer to spring (in fact it’s going to be 50/60′s this week!)
3. Valentine’s day chocolates – always something to look forward to!
4. President’s day (we used to have off in school)
5. My birthday along with a whole bunch of other fabulous friends who celebrate with me

Forget about January. It’s gone, it’s over. Forget about New Year’s resolution slip ups and take on February with a whole new mindset. Re-evaluate your resolutions/goals. Are they realistic or did you just throw a bunch of crap on a list and hoped that some would stick? If that’s the case, I allow you/myself to start over. Make a new list, one that you will not let yourself fail at so that at the end you can feel accomplished. “Keeping up with Katie,” a blog I follow, wrote a post on ‘running motivation’ today, which was exactly what I needed for the start of the month. My February goals include running 3x a week and I vow to stick to that goal – there is no turning back! For all the other runners out there take a look at her post today, print it out and keep looking at it when you feel lazy or discouraged. Spring is just around the corner and there’s no more time to waste, so here is some February fitspiration.

First and foremost…

Three rules to remember…

The bottom line…

Ain’t this the truth…

What are your limits… truly?

What are you doing this for?

Don’t even think about it…DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

No excuses, start planking…

” Either you run the day or the day runs you” — Jim Rohn