Eye Candy and The Big Screen

Have always loved Oliver Martinez.

Haven't been to the Big Screen in ages... since... I don't know when ...

I may have to make a trip there soon.
This eye candy is less damaging than butter-drenched popcorn and Junior Mints.

Adversity is like a strong wind.  

It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn,

so that we see ourselves as we really are. 

- Arthur Golden 

Football is a contact support.  You play football, you're likely to get injured at least once during the season.

My son G has played football since he was seven years old.  Plagued with a succession of injuries during his high school years at this sport, one significant enough to keep him out the entire year, he has learned to face adversity bravely, developing an internal toughness and unbreakable spirit.  He's a fighter.

Playing football at the college level ever since his freshman year, he has been blessed with good fortune.  He's had a relatively injury-free season for the past three years of playing Defensive Tackle.  But his luck ran out Saturday night in the second defensive play of their game.  He had just been triple-teamed for the second time, and as bodies were disengaging to return to the line of scrimmage for the next play, I noticed he was down and was struggling to get up.  I knew it was a bad injury.

My heart sank.  Not a good feeling, witnessing this event...oh, please, don't let this be serious...get up, son...c'mon, get up... the not knowing, repeating those words over and over, "Just get up."  And after what seemed like the longest 60 or so seconds in my life, he did.  And we all cheered.  And then there he was, standing on the sidelines with his team, now WATCHING instead of PLAYING, obviously frustrated and pissed off that he wasn't out there with them getting it done.  I think his anger exceeded any discomfort he might have been feeling.

As it turns out, we were told he may have torn his pec muscle to some degree, uncertain of the extent of his injury pending an MRI on the following Monday.  He's likely to be out for the next three weeks, regardless of how serious the injury.  But if it is bad, he could miss his entire season.  His senior year.  That stings.  Maybe my heart a little more than his, but hey, I'm a mom.  That's what moms do.

And that's football.  And injuries happen.  You can't dwell on it.  You just get up, try to heal, keep a positive spirit, and move forward.  You gotta love the game enough to accept and embrace the risks that go along with it.  And he does.  And he will.  He's tough.  His body may be injured, but his will remains unaffected.

He wears the Badge of Resilience.  The game must go on.  And he will either be right there on the sidelines, or on the field, fighting along with his team with that victorious spirit.

Update: 

THIS  BLOG ENTRY  WAS INITIALLY DRAFTED FOLLOWING MY SON’S INJURY, AND WE’VE SINCE LEARNEDTHAT IT WAS NOT A TEAR, BUT RATHER A BAD STRAIN OF SORTS!  YAY!  NO SURGERY!

AS A RESULT, HE WAS KEPT OUT OF LAST WEEK’S GAME, OF COURSE, AND I WAS HOPING THEY’D KEEP HIM OUT OF ONE MORE GAME TO ALLOW FOR COMPLETE HEALING ON AN OTHERWISE COMPROMISED MUSCLE…BUT  THE COACHES MAKE THAT CALL, NOT MOMS. 

WE ARE THREE DAYS AWAY FROM GAME DAY…EVERY DAY OF HEALING COUNTS…

HOPING FOR CONTINUED HEALING, STRENGTHENING, RECOVERY.

REJOICING FOR THE GIFT OF A VICTORIOUS SPIRIT.

BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE.

MARCHING ONWARD. ..

Busy Monday - Add More Caffeine

Take a few days off, a little change of pace, boost to the mood and mindset.


















But that return to reality, to life, to MONDAY --

To a VERY.BUSY.MONDAY. ---

Drink up, T..... Ya gotta get through it!

Rhythm is a Dancer

I am taking the day off from work, leaving town for the weekend.  

My plan was to sleep an extra hour or so, at least, to catch up on rest,

then get up, go through my morning routine, pack, and be on my way.

But my body had other plans.

Unless I am just totally wasted from lack of sleep,

my body wakes up every morning between 5 and 5:15 a.m.

Bam.  Awake.  Eyes open.  Brain churning.

Despite my best efforts to shut it back down,

it does not.  It has other plans.  It's telling me:

why are you still laying here??

get up

So I got up at my usual time, made coffee, and have begun planning my day.

It just goes to prove that our body does adjust to (entrained) 

whatever stimulus we present to it.

It likes routine.  

It FLOWS with routine.

It DANCES with routine.

So get up, T!

And dance like nobody's watching!

happy friday!

Hard Work Rewards

(Excerpt from Fitness Journal September 2010)

 I just read an article earlier this morning that was discussing the rewards of the laborer. One of the sentences read: "

Happiness is nearly always the rebound from hard work.....observe those whose work lies each day before them and who follow the exacting routine with faithful diligence, and you will usually find happiness present....we are happiest when we are using the great powers of body and soul....hard work, constant and sustained, is one of the never-failing springs of health, wealth and wisdom as well as the alleviation of the pains and trials of the mind and heart....."

That packed a huge punch for me.

So much truth to those words.
We reap what we sow.

Is it worth sacrificing foods that taste yummy and sinfully good

for foods that are healthier for me (faithful diligence, routine)

to feel better, look better, sleep better, feel more confident?

Is it worth it to me to sweat and grind it out,

exhaust myself on runs,

pushing myself in the weight room

(hard work, constant and sustained)

to be able to look in the mirror and see those

hard-earned contours in my musculature,

lean muscle where there once was fat?

Is this worth having more energy

to move about my day,

allowing me to sleep better at night,

promoting longevity and health and self-confidence?

Quite simply -- Yes.

Full circle.

It has become what I am, what I'm made of, what moves me.

It’s what defines me.

Vince Lombardi  once said:

The harder you work,

the harder it is to surrender.

Over the last few years, in my quest to better myself, improve my health and fitness, I've gained a lot of knowledge, valuable insight, beneficial lessons and tips and guidance. It's one thing to know. But I wanted more than just to know. I wanted to put what I now know into action.  I wanted to make it happen.

Knowing is not enough, we must apply.

Willing is not enough, we must do.
Johann von Goethe

"Happiness is nearly always the rebound from hard work.....

observe those whose work lies each day before them

and who follow the exacting routine with faithful diligence,

and you will usually find happiness present....

we are happiest when we are using the great powers of body and soul....

hard work, constant and sustained, is one of the never-failing springs

of health, wealth and wisdom

as well as the alleviation of the pains and trials of the mind and heart....."

Nov 2011

To Sing is to Cleanse

I sing in a trio with two other women in my local community.  We practice on Tuesday nights for two to three hours.  That commitment and time spent together has bonded us like sisters (or closer) since we first began singing together.  We laugh.  We cry.  We share.  We whine.  We complain.  We rejoice.  We tease each other.  We boss each other.  We lift each other up in ways that nothing else comes close.  I've told them things I'd never tell anyone else.  There's this unspoken sense of trust, an easiness with them, loyalty and acceptance -- all rolled into one.  When one falls, the others are there to catch her.

Our unconditional love for each other and the time we spend singing is nothing short of cathartic.  I may arrive dirty, tarnished, stained or soured, but I leave their presence cleansed.  Renewed.  Energized.  I'm blessed to have their friendship and influence in my life.  .

Our love for music 

is the thread 

that weaves 

our hearts 

into one.

We are one through music.

This picture was taken at a little country church 

where we sang together one Sunday morning.  

As we entered the sanctuary early that morning 

to practice and warm up our voices, 

my eyes spied this lovely little table with the Bible, 

the morning sun washing over it with a golden glow

from the huge window at the front of the church.  

The scripture I've added was a part of the artwork 

that graced the bulletin for that morning's service.

Fitting and relevant, 

it has become 

a favorite.

I Still Believe in Fairy Tales

Every once in a while in the middle of an ordinary life,

love gives us a fairy tale.

“I’m someone who believes in a fairy tale and when I said‘I do’ … I meant forever," 

"But I don’t know, you never know what happens. 

Life ... changes, it’s that road with all those bumps and holes

and you trying to struggle through them

and — I don’t know, we just couldn’t make it work, you know?”

– Heidi Klum  

"You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales,

that fantasy of what your  life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill.

You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes

and you had complete and utter faith.

Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them,

but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears.

Most people turn to the things and people they can trust.

But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely

‘cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith,

that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true. "

- Meredith, Grey's Anatomy

If you see the magic in a fairy tale,  you can face the future.  

- Danielle Steel

~

~

~

She Will Move Mountains

I decided a few weeks ago that I would prioritize my workout schedule in this manner, allowing for more rest and recovery time,
quality sleep,
and improved performance in the gym
-- as well as all other areas of life, hopefully:


CARDIO (5-6 days per week)

• 3 "dark thirty" mornings during the week, i.e., getting up at 5:00 a.m.
• 2-3 later-in-the-day 30-minute sessions, one or two of those between HIIT intervals
• followup S/S cardio after lifting, 3 days per week, 15-20 mins

STRENGTH TRAINING (3-4 days per week)

• As my schedule allows*, typically Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturday or Sunday
• Preferably splits, unless short on time
• 45-60 minutes per workout

* Saturdays will not be doable during most of football season since I will be traveling to PA for Big G's home games

This allows me to get a full 8 hours of sleep at least 3 days per week, sometimes 4; and a target of 7 hours of sleep all other days.

I realize that insufficient rest triggers a series of undesirable physiological aftermath that serves to backfire on me for all the work I put in towards keeping fit, energetic and "youthful."  Women need their rest.  Fifty-Something women?  Even more -- for, uh, preservation?  Fit-minded, fifty-something women need even more rest to allow their bodies ample recovery time and to keep cortisol levels in check, hormones happy, appetite levels balanced, fat burning optimized.

Today is Friday.  It was a sleep-in day for me.  When I returned home from the gym yesterday evening, after my post-workout shake, a shower, and later my evening meal, I found myself feeling more than ready for bed a little earlier than usual.  Trying to fit everything in as a working mom, I aim for a 10 o'clock bedtime.  Last night I was ready at 9 o'clock.  I washed off my makeup, brushed my teeth, grabbed a book and headed for bed.  Four pages later, I'm switching off the light.  Crashed.

8 ½ hours sleep

Oh how marvelous!

I felt like a new woman today.  My mind was clearer, sharper.  My body moved easier.  I felt energized and ready to take on the day.  Noticeably less aches, moodiness, brain fog.  The extra sleep did me a world of good.

My plan is to make it to the gym by 4:30ish, get in an hour of training and a short amount of light cardio following, and then relax and enjoy my Friday.  It IS FRIDAY, afterall...

Looking forward to that one, long-awaited indulgence.

and some jazz

Tomorrow is Game Day.

A Mentor Leaves a Lasting Impression

Thinking back to 2002, when I first began testing the waters with "low carb eating," I recall all the struggles I went through for the next several years trying to drop some weight.  My weight varied at that time between 168 and 173.  I would lose a little, then gain it back, lose a little, repeat.  A vicious cycle.

I discovered how lowering carbs could help you to lose weight more efficiently, and I began that journey of carb counting.  I knew so very little then about WHAT I was doing, WHY I was doing it, and how there could be so many variables to controlling carbs.  Over that period of time I developed an overblown fear of carbs.  All carbs.  Any carbs.  Convinced that they were the demonic force to my not being able to lose weight and KEEP it off.  Keeping my carbs at 20 or below on a daily basis, I would do well for a while, lose a few pounds, and then my hunger and cravings would skyrocket and I'd blow my diet all to hell, bingeing on high-fat, high-calorie, sugary carbs.  And then I would crawl back to the starting line with my tail between my legs and begin the madness again.  And again.  And again.

Eventually I began experimenting with adding "a few more" carbs to my daily diet plan to help balance out my hunger and cravings.  The elusive search for balance.  This worked for a while, and I was able to shed a few more pounds and managed to keep those pounds off pretty well.

But when I got to within 10-12 lbs of what I considered "goal weight," I found myself on the merry-go-round once more, stalled and frustrated and hungry and disillusioned with the whole weight loss, exercise and nutrition concept.  Confused.  Totally confused.  What was I doing wrong?  I was exercising.  I was keeping my carbs low to very low.  I was watching and controlling my calories.  Yet I wasn't making any progress.

Fast-forwarding to 2008, I began researching articles and reading accounts of people who were having a lot of success with cycling carbs.  I had been testing the waters with this concept through my reading of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto, learning valuable concepts about nutrition, a little here, a little there, but I could never get the nerve to increase my carbs to the levels -- or even anywhere close to the levels -- that he recommended in his book, certain that if I did, my cravings would once again skyrocket, I'd lose total control, and I'd pack on even more pounds in no time at all, stalling my weight loss even further.  I managed to lower my fat to more acceptable levels during that process, increase my carbs somewhat, and throwing in "for good measure" what I deemed to be an adequate amount of protein.  Having recently been introduced to that new term, "macronutrient," little did I know at that time how that word could have such an incredible impact on my fat loss, muscle feeding success.

While experimenting, reading, researching, I stumbled into a friendship of sorts with a very knowledgeable and experienced mentor who began sharing with me a little at a time nutritional jewels that would totally rock my world from that point forward.  It was time to erase the slate.  Start fresh.  Chapter One.  Roll up your sleeves, T, and pay attention.  This dude has got it together and you'd better pay attention to what he says.  And I did.  I became a human sponge for nutritional knowledge.

I embarked upon my first ever refeed in March of 2008.  Oh.How.Daunting.  A refeed, huh?

refeed

Sounds rather dangerous.  Risky.  But admittedly, the notion of eating a huge amount of carbs for a day after restricting to very low levels all week, with the promise that this would trick my metabolism into a frikkin inferno -- BURN, BABY, BURN!   Yep.  I'm in.  Let's do this.  What do I have to lose -- except fat?

I was sustained by one piece of inestimable good fortune.

I had for a friend a man of immense and patient wisdom

and a gentle but unyielding fortitude.

Thomas Wolfe

I share a question I posted to him online just before my first-ever refeed.  His answer, although seemingly too good to be true at the time, laid the groundwork for a whole new way of thinking about nutrition, and was the genesis for my new-found passion for fitness.

His online name was Btinc.  I never knew what those letters stood for.  And I never asked.  But I later came up with an educated guess:

Brilliant

Teacher

of

Impressive

Nutritional

Credentials

I'm forever grateful to this man, my mentor and friend, 
who opened up a whole new world for me,

feeding a passion that was buried deep and unknowingly within me,

instilling knowledge and confidence for a lifetime.

Thank you, once again, Btinc...

Wherever you are.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us.

What we have done for others and the world 

remains and is immortal.

~ Albert Pine

Supreme Protein Wafer Crunch

My new favorite protein bar.  It just tastes too good to be true -- PROTEIN BAR?  REALLY?

Yes.  REALLY.

It's that good.  Who needs high carb, high fat, poison-filled junk food when ya got this as a go-to for a quick snack, energy source and/or craving for -- yep, CHOCOLATE.

crunch!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

…fall!

To heck with this crazy return of humidity and heat.  I decided to stay holed up inside over the weekend, drag out my fall decor, and PRETEND it was fall outside.

The mind is a wonderful thing.  What we think we become ... or something like that ...?

Among the many projects I poured myself into over the long weekend:

Replacing my summer wreath with fall, adding a new giant ear of corn I spied at Hobby Lobby -- too cute, lovin' the whimsy -- and a few preserved mini gourds from last year (I'm getting the hang of this gourd thing) ...

Repainting and distressing my boring, off-white bread box

RED!  GIVE ME RED!

Just for starters.

More to come.

But it kept me busy over the weekend

and my mind off the oppressive humidity outside.

I would normally go out now for a morning run.

My windows are immersed in moisture from the humidity outside,

so it looks like Turbo Jam will be my morning cardio.

Works.  Kicks my butt every time.

Coffee having done its job, I lace my shoes and begin my day...

unleash the beast