Can’t Walks On Won’t Street

I always find it curious when someone asks me a question about diet or exercise and then cuts me off MID answer to inform me “they can’t” do something. Hmmm… Isn’t that funny… If you think you can’t do something then SURPRISE… you can’t… you are right!! But… at least you are right… We have always had a saying in our home… “Can’t Walks On Won’t Street.”

So I guess you need to look around and see all the people that ARE doing… that ARE succeeding… that ARE winning. Are they better than you? Were they born with the “Can Do” gene? If that guy/girl can do it…. then by hell, so can you! So there you go. I’ve given you permission to succeed!!

People ask me questions all the time.. always the same people… always the same questions, and yet they are never truly ready to hear the answer. They want the easy way out… they want the magic pill… Well don’t we all??  Life isn’t like that… there is no Magic Pill. Getting in shape, building muscle, or losing that last 5 pounds.. or 20, isn’t like that either!

The only way you are going to get in shape… lose those extra pounds… have more energy… and feel good… is to Eat correctly and work your ass off. Literally!!! So here is the “Magic Pill”… hold on to your seats… here it comes… Light weight and lots of reps will NOT get the job done. You MUST eat correctly and go heavy. As HEAVY as you are able to lift and still have good form. That maximum weight is different for everyone. Don’t compare yourself to others. Run your own race… Or in this case, lift your own weights!!! Believe that you can and you CAN!  Remember… “Can’t walks on WON’T street!”

What’s In Your Cart?

Grocery shopping. I hate it! Well, I hate shopping, full stop! I’m not your average woman… I’d rather be poked in the eye than go to the mall. But grocery shopping… it has to be done. There are mouths to feed.

Costco is my store. But you just can’t get all those “little” things at Costco. There are certain grocery stores I prefer, you know the ones, locally owned… clean. But those stores are always a little pricier on everything. So to save a few bucks I go to Walmart. Sigh. Walmart makes me feel bad about myself. I always feel dirty when I go there.. but NOT in the good way But the prices are cheaper, and the bonus… There is always someone interesting to see. It’s fascinating!

It seems I always have the same things in my cart. I am a creature of habit, after all. So what is in my cart you ask?

Red meat: flank/sirloin steak, 93% ground beef
Chicken breasts
Tilapia
Brocolli
Sweet pototoes
Green beans~ I like to roast them with yellow and orange peppers tossed with a combo of EVOO, coconut oil, and spices.. add some chopped pecans… yum!
Pineapple chunks
Oats
Brown rice

Those are my staples! Obviously, there are other things I buy as well, but those items are always in my cart!

What’s in YOUR cart?

What Would You Say?

I watched Glenn Beck’s silent monologue the other day. I was teary through the entire video. It got me thinking. No, not about the state of our country.. It got me thinking on a more personal level. What would I say if today were my last day? What things have I left unsaid to those I love? A LOT! I have regrets. There are mistakes I would try to fix. What would I say? There would definitely be some “I’m sorry’s,” some “I miss you’s,” some “I am really proud of you’s.”

What I would want my kids to know is: It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to do something you wish you hadn’t done, because if we don’t do those things we would never grow, learn from your mistakes. You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens. Love who you are!

If today were your last day, What Would YOU Say?

Blitz Week

I started what Todd calls “Blitz Week” this morning. Todd’s philosophy is to lift heavy and hard for 4 weeks, then take the fifth week off, doing mild cardio and abs only. Better things come after a break.

The body starts to fail after 4 weeks, not burning fat as well and also slows in its response to building new muscle. Blitz week is the week before the break! And some of the hardest workouts you will find!  There were some explicits said under my breath… I hobbled out of my gym this morning..

Let me give you a little idea of what I did today:

Chest
Chin ups
Shoulders
Ez curl bar.. this is where it gets tough.. 3 sets of 100!  Superset that with close grip pushups… to failure
Legs
Abs

All of my workouts this week will be similar to this. Every one of Todd’s workouts are fantastic! If you are in need of something new, you can find him here.

I love pushing myself to the limits and then pushing just a little harder to see how far I can REALLY go!  THANK YOU Todd!!

Memorial Day

This morning started with a great leg workout, written by none other than Todd Mendelsohn.. Have I mentioned that Todd is a fantastic trainer?!  So, with Flogging Molly on my iPod and a quick pep talk from Todd I had a fabulous workout. My quads were on FIIIIIIRE! I love love love leg days!

Being that this is Memorial Day, I wanted to take a minute to thank all those brave men and women who have served and are currently serving our country! I also want to thank their families! All of your sacrifices are much appreciated and DO NOT go unnoticed! Thank you for putting your lives on the line so that we may continue to enjoy the wonderful freedoms of The United States of America!

42!

That’s me in my birthday suit.. Wow! 42 is coming quickly! So, in lew of 42.. ha! I thought I would post 42 random facts about… ME.

1. I have an amazing husband! He is my #1 Fan

2. I love when it rains while the sun is shining

3. I love watching the sunset over the ocean

4. Disneyland is my favorite place.. I would live in the castle if I could!

5. I am afraid of spiders

6. I wear contacts

7. I don’t dye my hair

8. I love coconut oil.. I use it for more than cooking.. you name it, I have used coconut oil

9. I am a dog person.. Siberian Huskies are my favorite.. I miss my Alex

10. My favorite exercises are squats and deadlifts.. they are KEY

11. My last run was on February 6, 2011..the Surf City Marathon

12. I do not miss running.. AT ALL

13. I love Mexican food

14. I am not very coordinated

15. My two middle toes are attached.. right foot is worse than the left

16. I don’t..won’t swim in open water..I can’t see what is under me

17. I don’t like mean people

18. I have never been to the east coast

19. We lived on Kauai for a year

20. I started lifting weights seriously in February 2011

21. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I have been known to watch The Walking Dead, Dexter and Nurse Jackie

22. I could eat oats for every meal

23. I love roller coasters.. the faster, the better

24. I am claustrophobic

25. I don’t eat bread

26. I’m a Mac girl

27. I like avocados

28. I met Matt Damon in Hanalei Bay

29. I just discovered Duck Dynasty… That is some funny stuff!!

30. I like doing dishes.. It is therapeutic

31. I have two of the best kids in the world (ages 12 and 6)

32. I love rosemary

33. My favorite flower is a daisy.. “They are the friendliest flower” (name that movie)

34. I wake up at 5 am.. The quiet of the morning is my favorite time of day. I love being up before the rest of the world, and watching it wake up

35. I love the smell of honeysuckle in the spring

36. I drive a Volvo

37. I ran… And completed.. 25 marathons, 4 half marathons, and one 10k

38. I was robbed at gun point in a bank.. Twice!

39. I lived in England for 2 years..I miss the rain!

40. 5’9″ ~ 38-28-37

41. You’ve Got Mail is my favorite movie

42. Thor! He can drop his hammer ANYTIME..

There you have it! That’s me in a nutshell! Have a fabulous weekend!

What’s The Catch?

Don’t feel sad over someone who gave up on you… Feel sorry for them because they gave up on someone who never would have given up on them.~ Unknown

Earlier this year I was approached by someone offering services that anybody would be ecstatic to accept… with no catch!  Pfft… There is ALWAYS a catch!

Needless to say, I accepted this offer, “with no catch.” Over the past few months I have become accustomed to daily chats and looked forward the ‘work’ banter, because after all, this was a business relationship. The hard work and effort we were both putting in kept me motivated and I was learning many things from the plethora of information my friend had. And I was continually excited about what I would learn next.

Then… as fast as this friend came into my life, he was gone in an instant! He totally cut and ran when things started to get a little bumpy. BLOCKED! No more contact! He gave up on me… lumped me in with his long list of douche bags! Totally hurt my feelings!

The sad part and truly the tragedy in all of this is what my friend doesn’t understand… It really wasn’t the information that was the valuable part to me. It was in the relationship/friendship itself that I found the true value!

So, what was the catch? The catch for me was I let someone into my circle, which honestly, doesn’t happen that often, only to have this person who I thought was my friend say, “Eff YOU! You aren’t worth my time!” YES! Feelings were and are still hurt. (I’m sure on both sides).  But no hard feelings!  I’M STILL A FAN!

I am not going to let the opinion of someone else dictate the way I feel about me, I have come too far. I will continue on my path and work hard toward my goals and dreams! NOTHING can stop me!