#AtoZchallenge Zig Ziglar - It's All About Attitude!

An Attitude of Gratitude

Z is the end of the alphabet, and this post is the end of the A to Z Challenge, but I like to think of this as the kickoff to the beginning of a lifelong fitness journey. I'm delighted to have this blog with my friend Jes to help us share motivation with others and be accountable for our progress. The past 29 posts have helped me focus on what is important to me on this healthy life journey. Today's post is dedicated to the great Zig Ziglar, and why it's so important to have an attitude of gratitude -- and how it can change your life.

I watched this short 9 minute video, where Zig Ziglar speaks about how he helped a woman change her attitude about a situation she was unbelievably angry about. As I was watching I realized that what he had her do, I could easily transfer to my own life. Check it out!

Here's what I noticed that was so important -- in any situation in your life, there is always something to delight in. Health, fitness, workouts, eating, family, relationships, work... doesn't matter what it is. There is something you appreciate or enjoy.

My next post will be the list of things I like about working out. Each night, I'm going to look into the mirror and celebrate the things I love about working out - and we'll see just how much my attitude of gratitude changes my motivation to workout!

I'd love to have you join me -- what would your list be about?

Intro to Jes

It's time to introduce myself. I'm the second half of off the merry-go-round.

So we start this blog with Kelly rockin it and me, well, I'm in a rut. You see, I'm dealing with an injury. Injuries piss me off. I don't eat right unless I'm working out. I'm hurt, so I'm not running. Guess who isn't eating right! Yep. Me. You guessed it. I feel all defeated and say what the hell. Oops. That's my current situation.

Next time, I'll share a little about my past.

#AtoZchallenge Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Do it Yesterday!

I saw a quote today in a children's book that resonated with my fitness journey. This has been circling 'round my head all day, and is becoming my new health and wellness mantra.

"If it's going to be tommorow, it might as well be today. And if it is today, it could have been yesterday. If it was yesterday, then you're over and done with it, and can write your own book. Think about that.” ― Avi, The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail

What have you been putting off that you could be doing yesterday? For me, it's cleaning up my nutrition! No more excuses here -- I'm on-goal from here on out.

#AtoZchallenge Drink More Water Challenge!

Challenge - Drink More Water!

I used to be a total water drinking nut. I'm not proud of getting out of the habit, because I know all the great benefits from filling up with plenty of water each day. If you aren't savvy to the many reasons your body is craving water even when you're jonesin' for coffee and soda, check this out:

So I figured, what better way to get back into the habit than to have a water guzzling challenge? Seems legit to me. And no better time than now, since I'm back heavy on the workout train and stressing about a gazillionty different things at home and work -- my brain and my body need all the help they can get! It's time for a one week water drinking challenge!

Since I like to have apps for pretty much everything in my life, I hopped around Google and found a free app called Waterlogged. Of course I immediately downloaded it, but then I also found this chick's blog. She recommends the same app, but also reviewed a .99 cent app called Plant Nanny, which lets you grow a cute little plant through your water logging efforts. I'm all about cute and having fun, so I decided I needed it too! You should hop on over to her blog and check out her in-depth look at these apps.

Now that I have not one, but two mighty apps to make my water drinking challenge a little more fun, I figure I'll use both for one week to see how it changes my water consumption. I'm starting my challenge tomorrow with the goal of drinking 100 ounces of water a day. Since I've been lucky to get in 50 ounces a day, I think this is a pretty decent goal and hope it will get me back in the right habit.

Next Saturday I'll post an app review and update on how I did for the week. Who's ready to join me and up your water intake for one week?

#AtoZchallenge Victory!

Today I came home ready to jump into my workout clothes and kill some fat! Unfortunately, my husband wanted to wait, and as the night went on my motivation flopped.

However! Later on in the evening he came into the living room and started up the JNL Fusion Bicep Builder DVD. Not to be outdone, I hopped up and got ready to get to work. 

The first two circuits went by fairly easily and I was thinking this was going to be another fast and furious workout like yesterday -- all fun! Yikes. We hit circuit three and started getting into all sorts of crazy pushup variations. By the end of the 30 minutes I was a sweaty mess and my arms were completely spent.  I crumpled onto the floor and lay there hoping someone would magically transport me to bed.

No such luck - but, this is a fabulous victory! It's Thursday night of a very strenuous work week and I have kicked my workout routine into gear. I'm excited about where I'm headed as a BodyFX coach and eager to see the transformation my body goes through with these killer workouts. I could have folded up and gone to bed without a workout tonight, but now I have one more victory to take pride in!

#AtoZchallenge Be Unstoppable!

JNL Fusion TKO Blast - This Girl is Unstoppable Now!

Today was another long day at work and after! But I promised myself a better day, and promises are important! Especially the ones we make to ourselves.

Even though it was another day getting home late, I popped my JNL Fusion TKO Blast DVD in and got to work! I love kickboxing, so this was a great workout for a day with low motivation. Since the workouts are only 30 minutes, and doesn't require any drive time to and from a gym, the time factor was perfect too. JNL keeps a great pace, and doing the workout with my husband was pretty funny. We keep each other going with plenty of trash talking, laughing, and even had a little mock sparring going on with all the boxing moves!

After I got my bootie kicked with the TKO Blast video, I popped in the Stretch video and thoroughly enjoyed the next 30 minutes of stretching out all my tight and sore muscles. I have been needing this for a while! A great wind down to a very busy few days.

And since yesterday was such a bashing, making sure I did things right for myself today makes me feel unstoppable. It would have been easy to just tell myself I could workout tomorrow. But I have big dreams! Making the extra effort on a day when I'm feeling less than motivated will keep me on the right path.

What have you done lately to make yourself feel unstoppable?

#AtoZchallenge Tell the Truth Tuesday

Tuesday seems as good a day as any to start a new theme. And so huzzah and merriment! I give you:

Tell the Truth Tuesday

Wherein, I prattle on incessantly about what's really going on in my little corner of the fitness world.

Well, 2 out of 3 isn't that bad...

Or, because I get distracted easily, and you want to move on to other things, I choose the top 5 truths that seem most pressing.

Here's what's up today:

1. I ate chocolate today. Also, a rice krispie treat. I would like to blame the people that locked me in a room all day with a bag full of sugary junk, but the truth is I could have thrown the bag away. But there ya have it folks. Chocolate. And a rice krispie treat! Not my strongest moment. (I'd really like to defend my honor by whining for a few extra paragraphs about what a rough day today was, but let's face it -- the choice was mine, and I chose sticky sugary rice cakes.)
2. I. did not. work out. today. This bums me out insanely. Sure, I could have done something when I finally got home at 10pm tonight, but I'm dragging big time and just don't have it in me. Perhaps that's because...
3. On top of the sugar-fest, I did not eat lunch today. Healthy breakfast, one healthy snack, and then there was that locked room and chocolate, and things went downhill from there.
4. When I have days like this I tend to beat myself up. It takes a monumental amount of self-talk to keep me from derailing completely into the world of negativity. As much as I talk about the importance of keeping your head in the right place, it's not an easy task. I work hard to keep my mind from running away from me, moment by moment.
5. But the truth is -- we all have bad choices, or bad days, when nothing seems to go right. The important thing is that we shove right on through the bad stuff and keep on running in the right direction.  So that's what I'm doing.

That's why I'll be throwing away the remains of that "goodie" bag when I get to work in the morning. And packing extra snacks to get me through another hectic workday. And lunch. I'm not forgetting to eat lunch tomorrow. It's why I'm doubling up workouts tomorrow -- my normally scheduled Wednesday workout plus a stretching/yoga routine that my body is craving. I can't regain the workout I missed today, but I can take extra time for myself tomorrow that I wasn't able to make happen today.

No matter where you are in your fitness journey -- lost, steadfast and true, or on the stumbly path that I found myself on today -- I really believe success is all in the mind.

I believe I can, so I am.