Bringing Sexy Back...

Okay, I'm making my way back to the gym! I'm pretty happy with that! I'm not going to lie, ten extra pounds does not make the elliptical any easier! Here's a "cheers" to getting those ten pounds off as soon as possible! I can't keep these pounds on and I can't get them off quick enough! I just feel uncomfy and that's just the worst feeling in the world. But my ass is in gear. Hopefully some lunges and squats will kick it into a higher and firmer gear. Summer is just around the corner and I'd like to show off. The moments that women love when it comes to their bodies are those moments when you're happy bathing suit shopping and when you're happy stark naked. I'm bringing sexy back. Indeed, sexy left for the winter.

Besides getting my ass to the gym, there are other things I need to do to keep the ball rolling on bringing sexy back.

I need to walk my dogs. Poor Stella hasn't even been on a leash. I'm pretty sure she'd absolutely love it. She loves being outdoors and just running like a crazy kid. And Luna has become a fatty. Shhhh, don't say it to her face, she'd be really upset about it, but she's become a chunkier like her mom has for the winter. My pups like to follow my lead. We all need some motivation.

I need to not eat at work. Ever. Stupid menu changes are so damn tasty and I can't help but indulge. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I can't wait for the change in the weather. Why does nice weather always just feel extremely motivating? Maybe I should have followed one of my best friends to Florida or California. Hmmm. The nicer weather just sounds so fabulous. The idea of being in a bathing suit three hundred and sixty five days of the year is definitely motivating. Maybe someone I know needs to move to Hawaii. At least I always have great vacation destinations. But I'd rather just have my friends closer.

It's a Saturday and I'm off from work. I have no desire to go out. I have no desire to be social. All I want to do is watch some old movies and some soaps and drink really crappy, fabulous wine and take a melatonin to fall asleep early. How very Marilyn Monroe of me.

Motivation. Motivation. Motivation.

I gotta bring sexy back and better than ever.

"The Noticer"...

I'm so in love with the book, "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews! It is absolutely amazing and inspiring. If someone can come from nothing and become someone who touches millions of people's lives, then why can't anybody?

My best bud passed this book on to me for my birthday this past year and I couldn't be more thankful. I hope that I can follow through with the inspiration it has given me.

So here I am passing it on to you. It's an amazing read. After experiencing this book, I can't help but recognize God in a lot of little things:

"Have you ever heard the saying ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’?… I’m here to tell you that you’d better. See, the small stuff is what makes up the larger picture of our lives.”

The description by The Noticer, Jones, of people and relationships is absolutely eye-opening. He puts people into four categories based on how they love: A canary, a goldfish, a puppy, and a kitty cat.

Here's an excerpt from goodnewsfl.org that Andrews gave to Karen Granger:

“For example,” Andrews says, “Jones would say my wife is a ‘canary’ – someone who is sensitive to quality time. A canary enjoys sitting on the couch and hopes that someone would just sit and listen to them sing.”

“I’m more of a ‘puppy dog,’” he explains. “Say something nice to me when you walk by like ‘Who’s a good boy?’”

According to Andrews, ‘canaries’ don’t care what you say and ‘puppy dogs’ don’t care about quality time.

“I have to learn canary dialect and my wife has to learn puppy dog dialect,” he says.

Andrews says he majors in puppy dog and minors in kitty cat – the personality type that needs physical touch.

“Then there’s the gold fish,” he continues. “They like little acts of service. All they want from you is to straighten their castle and clean their water.”-

I realized my hubby is a goldfish and a puppy dog, while I'm a canary combined with a kitty. By understanding how we love, we can understand why we can't understand each other at some points in our relationship. He can understand why I always want to cuddle and I can understand why he likes it when I make him dinner so he doesn't have to order take-out.

If you love someone or need a different perspective on life, pick this book up. It's a MUST read!

Up next is "The Traveler's Gift" by Andy Andrews. Hopefully this positive thinking will start a positive outlook on life. I think I'm getting out of my rut?

“Whatever you focus upon, increases… When you focus on things you need, you’ll find those needs increasing. If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don’t have, you will so be concentrating on other things that you had forgotten you don’t have–and feel worse! If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose… But a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person’s life.”

I think this book is moving me in the right direction. Read it, love it, and pass it on people!

It's Time for Something New...

Do you know that feeling you get when you're just tired of doing the same thing day in and day out? That emptiness? I've been feeling that way for a little while now. It's weird because I'm so happy. I think I was so overwhelmed with schoolwork and my actual job, that feeling of always running running running, that now that I've graduated, I feel kinda, well, blah.

My motivation to get out of bed before noon is pretty slim to none. The long nights of my job feel like they're finally catching up with me. I wake up still exhausted. My workouts feel like work. My job feels like a job. And it always seems like something needs to be done around the house. When I was in college, I found myself treasuring the days that I could just lay around and recover from my busy days. Now I find myself lying around a lot. And not from being exhausted from really long days, but being exhausted because of boredom and then late nights at work.

I don't know how to stay motivated. If you have any ideas for getting out of a rut, please share!

My plan is to actually set my alarm clock and get out of bed before noon. Slowly. Maybe I should start with 11:59 a.m. and keep going earlier and earlier? Ten is definitely the earliest, seeing that my bedtime is either 2 or 3 a.m. most nights. I need to start writing again, I need to start enjoying my workouts again, I need to not feel like I could fall asleep at the drop of a dime. Any ideas? Anyone?

Remember That Procrastination Thingy...

Yea, well my procrastination has finally kicked me in the ass. I apparently had two papers due today for my feature writing class and I only did one. Yes, it was on the syllabus, but we deviate from the syllabus so much that I honestly didn't think anything else was due except for the paper we talked about last week in class. Oh well, I'm allowed to slack a little right? I can't do everything on time. I'm the laziest busy person I know. I want to be lazy so bad, but I just can't find the time to do it! Although I did find the time to sleep in today after leaving work at 1 a.m.- sometimes sleep really is the best medicine (well, that and cuddle time with the hubby)

11:30 a.m.- Woke up to my husband taking a shower and getting ready to leave for work early. He had to pick up the dry cleaning that I dropped off the other day. Today was his first day of his winter uniforms (perfect timing by the way, today was also our first day of snow!)

I, of course, had my favorite breakfast in the world, two apples (yes, I'm addicted, but it could be worse) with fresh almond butter. Peanut butter just doesn't cut it anymore, and Soon's Orchard makes the best- just almonds, no oils, no salt, no sugar- just all good stuff.

12:30-1:30- Picked up around the house and made the bed (a little obsession I have before I leave for the day- as long as the hubby isn't still sleeping). I had to print out the paper that I had done for my class too- then I checked my school e-mail and noticed that she mentioned the assignment that I didn't do. By that point it was just too late to even think about it.

1:30-2:55- Drive up to New Paltz listening to my new favorite artists- David Nail and Joshua Bell- two artists that I don't think could be more different, but nonetheless I love them both. David Nail I heard from awhile back but I just newly discovered his album. Jonathan Bell is discovered from an article in The Washington Post and I had to listen to him. Amazing.

3:05-4:30ish- Feature Writing class where we watched a PBS video on the change of media. A little dated even though it's from 2007. Now I have to write a paper on the video for Monday's class. She let us out early again. I'm not complaining or anything, but driving up there in the snow sucks, especially when the class isn't as long as it's supposed to be. I think I'm the only college student to complain about leaving class early.

4:30-6:50- I talked to my mom on the drive home. I love her so much and I miss her even though she's only 10 minutes away. When I'm in school I just have no time and it sucks. I try to have as many moments with her as possible- she better know how much I cherish them. She was telling me how to make a chicken pot pie for the hubby. I found a recipe that was just so detailed and I didn't have time for it. Thank God for mom and quick recipe fixes. You gotta love how working moms always know how to make good food quick. Made it to Shop Rite and the liquor store (I was out of my favorite wine, I always like to have it in my fridge just incase I'm in the mood). Grocery shopped- my favorite thing, as long as I'm not hungry, otherwise I go crazy.

7:00-10- My best bud came over to go to her first Jen Murphy class. I was really afraid that she wouldn't come, but I so badly want her to get motivated so I was glad that she showed up. As always Jen kicked ass and my friend Trish will definitely be feeling it tomorrow. But she will love Jen and I are her wedding day! After the hour class we sat around the kitchen table talking about the upcoming wedding and looking at pictures of what my dress will look like. It's cute, so I'm actually not dreading it! I can't wait to see her in her dress! We're getting so old! Married women, who would have thought it.

After cooking my hubby's pot pie and cleaning up the kitchen, I'm now relaxing with the him (he got out of work late, so he didn't go to the gym) oh, I'm so upset about it too haha. Now I've got to get moving on sending out some e-mails in order to get an internship. I'm hoping to stay local. Here's hoping that I get the chance. Maybe I should try to play catch up on my school work too. I have to send out some e-mails to teachers too for my interviews for my investigative reporting class. So much to do. So little time. Oh well, I guess I'll go cuddle instead. I need some hubby time. He's what keeps me sane.

Exhausted but it Feels So Good!

It's another rainy day in New York but thankfully my friend Trish and I were able to get a nice 5 mile walk in before it started to downpour.  It felt good.  I felt energized.  I'm feeling like everyday that I wake up, I decide that it will be a day that I will conquer.  I've been eating really well and my exercise is definitely on track.  It felt nice to walk for 2 hours and not feel like the end just wasn't coming fast enough.  When I first started walking that's what it felt like.  The moment I started, I wanted it over with.  I always wondered how much longer it was going to be before I could just sit back down and get to my second favorite past time: being a couch potato.  Now I honestly feel motivated.  I'm down 8 lbs since I've started this new plan: exercising and eating right at the same time (what a concept!) I'm loving it.  I love feeling like this weight struggle isn't going to beat me; I refuse to struggle with this anymore!  I refuse to be the girl with the pretty face who could lose a few pounds.  

The walk was nice.  I got to spend time with one of my best friends and I got a great workout in.  We came home, sat on my front porch drinking water and watching the rain.  It was a perfect day.  I love the smell of the rain and I love the feel of it.  I'm just hoping it can hold off until the nights so I can at least keep getting my workouts in.  Tomorrow is my first session with Nykki and Jen Murphy.  Can't wait to be in more pain!  Lovin it, Lovin it... 

Feeling Good and Starting to Believe it...

So another day with Jen Murphy.  Another day of feeling like the most out of shape person that ever lived!  But towards the end of the session I was able to do things that I couldn't last week.  Jen was proud.  I was proud.  I moved through the session pretty well.  Granted I won't be able to wash my hair tomorrow because of the pain my arms and shoulders will be in, but I'm loving it.  I'm going to start meeting with her twice a week: one session with Lori and the other with Nykki.  It's great because I'm getting twice the training for the price I would pay for one session on my own.  It's great motivation.

Another great motivator is my hubby.  The other day, as we were folding and putting away laundry, I caught him staring at me.  When I asked him why, he said, "everyday you get more and more beautiful.  The older you get the more beautiful you are.  You're becoming such a beautiful woman..."  He killed me with that!  He makes me feel so beautiful everyday, but hearing words like that just made me melt over and over again.  I'm a lucky woman.

As for my diet it's also going really well.  When I was up at my moms doing wedding invites and going through her hope chest (which is being passed down to me and will soon be refinished) I didn't eat anything that would trip me up.  My step father has always been a huge junk food junkie and being up at my mom's house is usually torture.  Instead I had a few pretzels, an apple, a banana, some strawberries and a fat free sugar free pudding.  Yea it's a lot but I was up there for hours and it beats eating badly.  I just got home about an hour ago and came up with a delicious way to eat my daily veggies.  Try it, it might sound crazy but it's so tasty:  Take some tomato, green pepper (or any veggie) and place them on a baking sheet with tin foil on it.  Put your oven on broil and then use some wish bone honey mustard spray (the spray dressings) and then put some parm cheese on the top.  Pop in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese browns.  It's a nice quick and healthy veggie snack that beats having a salad every day.  Enjoy!  I'm stuffed from it and can't wait to get some fresh veggies to try again.  Maybe I can get the hubby to eat it too, but it would have to be made with green beans, he hates tomatoes and peppers. I think I'm becoming a housewife, and I love it... how did this happen?!