The Face of The Earth Was Lovely, But I'm Back

No, I did not fall off the face of the earth, but I did visit there for a few weeks. Thanks for waiting for me to get back.

I have been busy with plans to open a Max Muscle store in Raleigh, NC. I'm pretty stoked. I have never lived out the greater Fredericksburg area and am so excited about the opportunity to pursue my new endeavor. There's a lot to do between now and opening day! If you have any fitness and health enthusiasts in the Triangle area, let me know. I want to share how Max Muscle's focus on fitness and nutrition can change their life like it has mine. Look for an upcoming blog on supplement use and my opinions and testimonial about it.

The other thing that has kept me busy is this stupid cold. I rarely get sick and this one really threw me for a loop. I revisited a very sedentary, lazy, foggy, unfocused period on my couch for about a week & half straight. Ugh. I figure everything happens for a reason. I had a reminder of what my life was like before I started on this fitness journey. I spent many an unfocused, foggy day sitting on the couch by CHOICE! Now, the idea of sitting around isn't as appealing as it used to be. It took getting knocked on my butt to realize I don't want to go back there. I was able to maintain my workout schedule and forced myself to eat even when I felt like I was going to barf. It paid off. I lost another 7 lbs. So, I'm 7 lbs away from my first milestone of weighing 199 lbs. Baby steps, people!

I'll be posting updates on the bodybuilding.com site next week. Check out my progress there.

Take advantage of this beautiful weather! Get off the couch and move!

See ya in the gym!

I Need A Hero

(Anyone singing the Bonnie Tyler classic?? You'll sing it all day. You're welcome.)

Why is everyone getting on the Tim Tebow bandwagon? Now that he's done his damage to the steel curtain, even some die hard Pittsburgh fans are going to cheer him on. So why the sudden surge of support for an unlikely hero? We love an underdog. We love a Cinderella story. Even if his "te-bowing " and constant talk about his faith gets on your nerves, you have to respect that he appears to be the real deal. No one can dig up any dirt on him. The suits behind the desk on ESPN critique his form, compare it to other world class hall of famers, question his every move. Even John Elway is not a fan. What the heck? But you know what? He's doing it! I don't know how long it will last, but we love the ride. It's fun to cheer on the seemingly impossible.

Get where I'm going here? My motivations are pretty transparent. I want to remind you (and remind myself) that when you decide to take on a challenge, especially one that seems unachievable, people are dying to cheer you on...to see you win. Of course there will be poo poo head naysayers. There will always be malcontents and those who are jealous. There are those who are angry you have forced them to reflect on their own actions.

I've had a really great week. I've received a lot of encouragement and positive feedback. I'm excited again. I'm on an uptick. I believe I can do this. And a lot of that is due to the feedback and cheering from you. I am so blessed to be in a place to really make this happen.

There are stories of people achieving the impossible since the beginning of time. Scared to try? Get a fan club. Be someone else's fan. In the whirl of encouragement you may just find you are the hero someone else has been looking for. Get it done, people!

See ya in the gym!

P.S. Did anyone miss the Thursday Three last week? Oopsie...

This Is A Test...

Bruce challenged me to a test of sorts today. The gym is super crowded because it's Jan 2nd and he made me do three sets of leap frog squats across the gym. If that doesn't draw attention to you, I don't know what does. Must mean he's proud of me.

Get to the gym, walk around your block, run in place in front of the TV. Start the habit or keep it going. Get out there and do it people. I believe in you!

See ya in the gym!

It's a New Year - So What?

Happy New Year! 2012 should prove to be a fabulous, change-filled, goal-reaching year for me! But why do we spend so much time and effort to celebrate the change of one day to the next? Why is it so important for us to make New Year's Resolutions? Why do we seek to be surrounded by people who want to mark the change in year? Because as human beings, we are always seeking the opportunity for a do over...a clean slate...a tabula rasa, if you will...

Most of us celebrate New Year's Eve with more fashion and fanfare than our own birthdays. Some celebrate with more zeal than the birth of my Savior. Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest certainly aren't on TV showcasing a star-studded Easter spectacular. All across the world, like-minded people are choosing to make today a new chance for change.

Hmmm... I've never been one to make resolutions. It is in our very nature to break them. And most do by February 15th. And the reality is, each new day is a new slate - a new chance for change. Each day. Think about that for a moment. Every morning when you wake, take a moment to reflect on the previous day, give thanks for the new one and "resolve" to make a difference within the parameters of that twenty-four hours.

Why do you think we break resolutions we make by mid-March at the latest? New Year's Resolutions are often made in haste like a wish before the crack of a wishbone or the wisp of a blown-out candle. Also, goals that are made are often too lofty or nebulous to focus and take small bites. "I'm going to lose weight." "I'm going to go to the gym more." "I'm going to quit smoking." Whew! How much weight? By when? How often are you going to the gym? Are you training for a 5K? What are the steps you are going to take to quit smoking? Have you sought a support group?

When I have my momentary meltdowns, pity parties, discouraged doldrums, I look to the plan. I focus on the long term goals that I have set for myself and then I look at what I should be expecting in the near term. The plan keeps me safe and keeps the aforementioned hissy fits to a minimum. But what if I had not taken the time to develop a plan? I'd likely look to my final goal and find it too hard in that moment and potentially give up. We have become creatures in need of a schedule. We arrive and depart from work or school at a specific time. We attend church and/or community meetings at a designated time of day. TV shows are based on a schedule that we can peruse as a guide on the screen. Why should be be surprised that we do well to plan out our meals, workout schedule and fitness goals? If it was easy, we'd all have perfect physiques and eat & do whatever we want. It's not easy. Our Creator did not give us this sophisticated machine just so we'd ignore it. It's fully loaded with every app available for use. It's finely tuned and just waiting for you to pay attention to it. Unwrap the gift of life that you have been given and choose each day as a mini New Year's celebration.

...Or maybe the night is just an excuse to party til you puke and get a free cab ride.What do I know?

See ya in the gym! (Every Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs & Friday between 11 and 1 - that's my schedule)