monday musings...

day 85:
happy monday blogosphere!

so now that the hustle & bustle of thanksgiving is behind us i am super ready to get back to life as we know it.
i think i totally psyched myself out last week – over-thinking the potential foodfest that would be & ultimately sabatoged any decent plan of attack i might have had.
live & learn & something i will not be repeating over xmas!

this time of year is just tough…
and not just in respect to diet. we are all under our own unique pressure & sometimes it can be crumbling & if you are an emotional eater like me & which i suspect most of us are – well it can lead to that which we are trying so hard to avoid.
last year i gained 7 lbs between thanksgiving & xmas. i also avoided my w8 watcher meetings for that 4 week span & did not track & certainly did not exercise. i was working like a fiend at the time & assumed that would be enough & obviously i was oh-so-wrong.
(aren’t i always when i think i know better?!?!)
this year that will not happen.
i will attend my weekly meetings & weigh-in’s no matter what (this past friday case in point).
i will continue to track & exercise daily.
and while i hope to lose – i will be happy not to gain during these next four weeks!

i have learned in these past 50 days (today is day 20 on the ripped in 30 if you can believe that!) that i need my daily workout – it makes everything okay; truly. it is my one time of the day that is solely about me & my needs & i need that. (don’t we all?) it allows me to focus on me & not be overwhelmed by all that life is throwing on my lap. and even when the workout is over i am so elated to have completed it that nothing gets me down!
oh & the added health benefits & the fact that i have noticeable weight loss & muscle tone is just a BONUS!

speaking of the ripped in 30…
as i stated, today is day 20 (tab above details my process) & i am on the tail end of level 3 which is just insanity! i have been able to do most of it but there are a few movements that i am just like *what the fuck* about.
table dips are not my friend!
lunge jacks are also not my friend.
duck walk – blech!
and that’s just a few.

it is without a doubt a whole new level of intense & not completely unattainable – but yesterday was the 1st day i got through it without pausing or copping out on a movement & i am 5 days in.
jillian is the master of pushing you to your limits all while telling you not to quit & that you can do it!
i ♥ her!
and i hear level 4 is just a whole new sorta hell… *gulp*!

also i am 4 days in on the sweet tooth challenge – 21 days of no junkfood.
day 2 so far was the hardest – my sweet tooth nearly got the best of me – but i stayed strong. i knew this was going to be tough & am trying to redefine my idea of a *treat* & *sweets*.
i bought a new blender & am on a smoothie kick – they are filling & sweet!
i make one with plain greek yogurt, fruit & fresh spinach in the morning & have another sans yogurt in the evening for a snack. the one without the yogurt is zero points!
score!
it gets my fruit in, curbs the sweet craving, & it’s healthy!
score!

i wanted to end today with a link to one of my most fave blogs of all time – life after I “dew”-- the 1st blog i ever *followed* even.

shannon is a real gal who says it like it is & has the most adorable little girl & cutie-pie hubby! oh and she is not hard on the eyes either & recently lost 47lbs the right way by diet & exercise.
okay enough gushing…
she wrote this post: healthy today & i just had to pass it along!
if you are a pintrest freak like me/us then you must see all the *thinspirations* floating around along with such mishapped advice on how to become these skeletor-esque women.
this photo was labeled as *thinspiration* and the pinner actually said “nice ribs”!?!?!

i think diet & weight is so personal & every person is entitled to strive for their own ideal – but i have to agree with shannon in that most mainstream ideals are unrealistic & certainly sending out the wrong message!
thanks shannon – you nailed it today with her post & it is a MUST read & as a gal in quest of a healthy fit body & as a mother of little girl it really rang true!
I never want my beautiful little girl to ever feel like she needs to be some emaciated being to be accepted & deemed ideal!
with that i bid adieu & post this question to you all?
what do you think of the *thinspirations* out there?!?!
do they inspire or terrify you?

for the record – this is what inspires me!
peace, l♥ve & margaritas bloggy peeps!
xxoo
cyn