Insanity and an Intervention

   So the last two blogs have been about me doing the Insanity workout. Guess what this one's about?!?! Yep, more Insanity. Well, kind of. My main reason for doing this incredibly stupid-hard workout is to get a flat stomach. Maybe not a six-pack but a good, hard toned stomach.

  They say exercise alone is not gonna get you a 6-pack. Diet plays a super key role in trimming belly fat. Therein lies the problem. I LOVE to eat. I would rather have a softer stomach than skip out on my fatty foods. That's why I have resolved to have a flat, toned stomach rather than a six-pack. There are some things I just refuse to give up. Pasta, butter, and mayonnaise are just a few.

   However, there is one thing that I have to give up: Reese's. I don't mean the regular Reese cups. I mean the holiday bags of Reese's. Reese Christmas Trees, Reese Hearts, and Reese Eggs. Anyone who even kind-of knows me knows that I have an obsession for these little holiday treats. They used to only make the eggs so it was only a problem in the Spring. Now they pretty much make them year-round. Each bag contains approximately 2,000 calories. Not a problem if you spread one bag out for a while, but I average a bag every couple of days. I have no self-control. I even "hid" the last bag from myself thinking that would deter me from eating them. Nope. I sneak into my secret hiding place several times a day. Sometimes I eat them for breakfast. I always have at least two when I get home from work. Then a couple after dinner. It's starting to get ridiculous, and it's not even Reese egg prime time yet.  (I usually eat about 7 bags of the eggs.)

   I know what you're thinking, just quit buying the dang things. Here's the kicker--I haven't bought any of them since Easter season of last year. My sweet, loving friends buy them for me as little gifts. Sweet, right? Absolutely. But they are feeding this exceptionally bad habit.

   So, because I lack the strength to do it in person, I am officially asking people to stop being so thoughtful and buying me my favorite treats. No, I take that back, buy them for me, but only feed me one or two every once in a while. Or, better yet, buy them for me and save them for when I finish the Insanity program in March. Any of these will do.

Ouch!!

   So I made it through our first day of the Insanity Program. I'm not going to lie--it was the toughest workout I've ever done. One second you're  doing push ups on the floor and the very next second you're jumping into the air. All that constant movement and change in positions left me dizzy and nursing a headache. Okay, enough talking about how bad it was---because it was also awesome!!!
   I left feeling like I had really done something. A lot of times I won't push myself as far as I could if I'm in charge of my workout. The only person I have to be accountable to is myself, and, honestly, I'm not that tough on myself if I don't do that great of a job. I usually justify my mediocre workout by telling myself it was good that I just went to the gym in the first place. However, I can't weasel out of pushing myself with this workout. I've got Shaun T in my face reminding me that I can do it and the pain will be worth it in the long run. And when I get tired out and  need to take a break, I see my co-workers continuing on and it makes me want to get back into it as fast as I can. There's definitely safety in numbers.
    I am pretty much sore all over my entire body but not so much that I can't do it today. And, so, we're continuing on today. Hello Cardio Abs.

Physical Fitness is a Pain in the Neck…and butt, and back, and arms, and legs.

I wish I were one of those people who enjoy working out. I know people who literally love it. They like to feel the burn. They don’t see that time as an obligation. They love going through the sweat to get the results. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people; I never have been. I have gotten to the point that it becomes routine and I accept it, but I have never reached the point of enjoyment.

               Before people get all huffy and puffy about my naturally-thin self talking about working out, let me put this disclaimer out there: I’m not working out for weight control. I am aware that I do not need to lose weight. I work out to keep my body in shape and, mainly, for endurance. I work with 12-year olds; they have a lot of energy. I don’t want to be the teacher sitting behind my desk when my kids ask me to go outside and play a game with them. I don’t want to have to take an elevator because I get winded taking the stairs. I don’t want to be that person in the parking lot circling around and around waiting for an up-close spot to become available when I could just park a bit further back and walk. And, honestly, genetics only take you so far; then age steps in. I want to go ahead and make fitness a part of my lifestyle so that when I do actually have to start thinking about portion-control and all that good stuff, it won’t be as hard of a transition.

               That being said, last week was my first time working out in three months. It was torture. I could only run half the distance I am used to, and I had to lower my weights that I lift. I was so sore I didn’t return to the gym until yesterday. It is so discouraging to start back at Square 1 and know that it is all your own doing--especially when you loathe working out to begin with. I left before my workout was over both times that I went this week and last week. I am out of shape and out of routine, and I get bored crazy-easily when that happens. I cannot see any results and I know I won’t be able to for a while so I think short-term and figure what’s the point. Sooo not the thing to do.

               So I’ve come up with a solution: work out with other people. My friend, Jenna, got me a copy of the Insanity workouts. You are supposed to do it 6 days a week for approximately 2 months. Most people see a year’s worth of results in those 60 days. However, as one may assume, those results don’t come easily. These workouts are the most intense I have ever seen. I watched a few of them while lying on my couch last year (that’s right, laugh it up). I decided to do the fit test—not even a workout—and couldn’t get through it. They definitely live up to their name. Anyway, a couple of my co-workers and I are going to do it together a few days a week after-school. We’re not sticking to the strict 6-day a week regimen, but whatevs. I’m just excited to have people to work out with.

               Today is supposed to be our first day. I keep warning them not to be alarmed if I’ve fallen on the floor wheezing. They laugh and think I’m joking. I’m totally not. If I get through today, it will truly be a miracle. I might even have to take a sick day tomorrow because I can’t get out of bed. We’ll see.

               I’ll keep you posted.

Chivalry: On its way to Extinction

I love the concept of chivalry. As a single woman, it’s one of the items on my “wish list”. I believe it’s important, or at least, it’s important to me. But as I look around, I can’t help but wonder, is it dead? And why is it dead or at least well on its way to extinction? I believe it’s one of two things: it’s not being taught or it’s not being accepted.

               One of the perks of my job is that I get the pleasure of being around young people for the majority of my day. I watch my little boys jump in front of little girls, make sure they get a seat for themselves in a crowded room, and leave the door closing in the face of a another person. Case in point: My three female coworkers and I were tailing up the lunch line today. The last little boy opens the door and I immediately start to praise him for being a young gentleman, but before I could get it out, he walked on through. This is the most polite child, and yet he continued on like it shouldn’t even be considered. Was I offended? Absolutely not. Was I disappointed? I was. I don’t know if parents aren’t teaching it to their children because they believe it’s an old-school concept or if it’s just falling by the wayside because they’re too busy teaching them other concepts. Maybe they’re being taught but they’re at the age where they just don’t care. It’s not exactly like my 12 and 13 years olds are out trying to get a date. But the fact of the matter is that whether it is dead or not, chivalry is fleeting.

               After considering young people, I considered adults. I am a single woman, and I encounter chivalrous acts on the majority of my dates. But then I got to thinking, how often do I accept the chivalrous offers. The answer: not a lot. Why? Feminism and its effect on society.

               I have never thought of myself as a feminist. I believe my Baptist upbringing accounts for this. I was taught that the man is the head of the house and family—because the Bible, the ultimate written authority, says so. A lot of women have a problem with this because our society and our own flesh tell us that we should be given equal responsibilities. But I say to you that if the man holds up his end of the bargain and loves a woman as he should then he will treat her as he should and, theoretically, the woman is happy to let the man be the head. (I say theoretically because often times the man doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain. Sound like anyone you know? ;) )

               Even though I am not a feminist, that isn’t to say that some of its ideas haven’t worn off on me. For example, I do not let the guy pay every time that we go out. I don’t like it, and I think it’s unnecessary. Not because I assume he thinks I can’t afford it, but because I think it’s an outdated tradition. Yeah, if this was the 30’s and I probably didn’t have a job and lived with my parents because I am an unmarried woman then I would expect the guy to pay each time. But this is 2011 and I do have a job. It’s not fair to expect the guy to pay each time when I am perfectly capable of picking up the tab every now and then. Why should he have to pay to spend time with me and I get to keep all my money to do whatever I want with it? I understand where the idea came from and how it would definitely apply back in the day, but it’s not applicable anymore.

               And if it’s not feministic ideas killing chivalry it’s self-preservation. I was grocery shopping the other night and it was FREEZING!!! Any passerby could easily tell I was trying to load my bags into my car as quickly as possible because it was so cold. A guy passing by stopped and asked if I needed some help getting my groceries in my car. It totally blew me away--especially because he was wearing shorts. I politely declined, thanked him, and sent him on his way. I would have felt guilty making that poor stranger help me with my bags when it was that cold outside, but I couldn’t help but admire his chivalry. Once I got into the car, I realized that I had definitely done the right thing. There was nothing menacing about this guys appearance. He looked like a clean-cut attractive college guy. But my mom always told me that Ted Bundy was a good looking guy, too. Even though there were no alarms going off, a lot of killers and/or rapists offer a helping hand before they attack someone. Who’s to say this guy wouldn’t have attacked me? Probable? Nope. Possible? Yep. It’s unfortunate that you have to always be on the defensive nowadays, but it’s necessary.

               So whether it’s because of feministic ideas or self-preservation, a lot of times chivalry is not well accepted. Just like everything else, if you get denied over and over again eventually you will quit trying. I can’t really blame the guys.

               So yeah, I think chivalry is a dying art. However, those guys who do practice it definitely get extra points in my book.

National Champs!!!

  So in case you have heard, Auburn won the national championship game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the perfect cap on the perfect season.

Me and my friend, Gary, rolling Toomers Corner

Overhead view

Toomers was crazy!!!!!

After most of the rolling had been done.

 

To Resolve or Not to Resolve

   I normally do not make new year resolutions. I find them to be a bit cliche. People spend January and (maybe) part of February trying to create a better version of themselves. Generally they do not succeed in making this change, or should I saw tweak, a permanent one. Ultimately they wind up disappointed and, truthfully, their real new years resolution is to do better next year with keeping up their resolutions.

   According to http://www.usa.gov/, the most popular new year resolutions are as follows:

• Drink Less Alcohol
• Get a Better Education
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Manage Stress
• Quit Smoking Now
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Save Money
• Take a Trip
• Volunteer to Help Others

Just a bit of trivia.

   Anyway, as I got to thinking about resolutions, I decided that I resolve to tweak myself on a daily basis. Everyday I ask for God's help with a certain aspect of myself where I feel could use a little improvement. My typical requests include (but are not limited to) loving more, serving more, worshipping more, witnessing more, patience, and wisdom.

   This year, I did decide to make a new year resolution: To get closer to God and, consequently, become a better follower of Him. I don't know if it would technically be a resolution--maybe more a lifetime aspiration. It's one where I know that I will stumble and fall, but it's also one where I know I will get  back up, brush off the dirt, and keep on towards my goal.

   After a resolution is shared with others, it is generally followed with a "Wish me luck!". Well I'm not going to say that; I'm going to follow it with a "Pray for me!". I could certainly use it!

   Wishing all a very happy 2011!!!