Monday, February 28, 2011

Wow! Where Does the Time Go?

I can't believe it's been an entire month since my last post. In that time I've finished boot camp, at least as well as I could since starting my new job. For the last month I have gone from being in a physical boot camp to being in a full on professional work boot camp of sorts. Currently I'm casting a pilot and working 12(+) hours a day leaving time for little else.
However, I have had a lot of time to think (ok, over-analyze) my eating habits when under stress. And let me tell you, it's not great. A dinner at around 9:30pm of two glasses of wine and two vegan cookies does not a flat stomach make. Working out with this work schedule has not been, well, working out. What little time I have after work has been for sleeping. And since I've been working so late my social fun times are now only on weekends so I find myself cramming a weeks worth of social obligations (including workshops) into two days. Have I mentioned that I'm exhausted?
Since I have zero time to work out lately (aside from Saturday RealRyder spin classes that I look forward to going back to this coming weekend)- I'm starting a new healthy eating regiment. I've let my eating habits slide with my new office ordering lunches with my new co-workers and eating too much and eating too late at night once I get home. Starting tomorrow I'm on a new no sugar, low carb, low fat, high veggie menu. (Let's leave the word diet out of all of this since diets don't work anyway).

I'm also trying to remember to say "HAWAII" to myself before I eat anything and ask myself if that foody item is getting me closer or farther from my bikini goal.

There is a lot more I want to tell everyone about my self discovery and physical fitness adventures but I feel my eyes closing as I write this.

I promise to be better at keeping this up in the future! Thanks for your continued support!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

CREATURE OF COMFORT

You want to know what the most uncomfortable, difficult work out I have ever done is? RealRyder spin class. Most of you have probably taken a regular spin class, which is no walk in the park itself- but RealyRyder spin uses a stationary bike that isn't so stationary. It moves and dips from side to side and holds a 60-some-odd-pound weight on the back. It also has the hardest, most horrendous, physically imposing seat ever. Even with the extra gel seat cover they give you, the pain of my working muscles spinning away is nothing in comparison to the pain in my crotchular region- even after two classes of adjustment period. I have also never sweat so much in my entire life. Just so we're clear- RealRyder=Not Comfortable. 
You know what's comfortable? Sitting on my couch. 
Now that we have this established, let's move on to food. As if in some bad math equation Dieting=hunger=discomfort so then it doesn't take Einstein to see that my brain assumes Comfort=Over Eating. Uh, oh!

What do working out and portion control have in common for me? They are both new. I have somehow along the lines equated habit and routine with comfort and safety and change with discomfort. I, a girl who moved from FL to Boston alone at 17 and who moved to LA at 21 have somehow and inexplicably become uncomfortable with the idea of change. I first felt the twinge of this fear- which is, let's face it, what discomfort really is- when I moved to my new apartment a few months back. After 6 1/2 years of living in the same apartment in the valley I picked up quite quickly and moved across town to a lovely cottage style apartment. I loved it and couldn't wait to live in my favorite part of town near the beach...so why did I have a sinking feeling of "Oh my God what have I gotten myself into?"  Quickly that feeling subsided and I love my new apartment more then I ever loved my old one.
But, here I am, a creature of so many things not the least of which, habit, and I now also find myself having familiar feelings of doubt concerning a new job I have started after being at my old office for 4 years. A job that is nothing if not positive and that will be amazing for my career- its only flaw is that it is just different. 
So it would make sense that if my body, mind, and spirit, have for lack of a better term- a freak out- over changes to things that have been set for under a decade- that my mind would fight me on making major life changes that I have established over my entire 28 years.  It asks, "What is all this moving around and lifting heavy things you are doing?" and "Ok you've been doing all this for weeks! Arent you done yet? Man I can't wait to be done with all this getting skinny so I can be lazy and get chubby again."
My body just doesn't get it! I've programmed myself to be comfortable and resist change and then am hard on myself for not adapting immediately and want to revert back to the familiar which is what I'm trying to change in the first place! (Phew! If you follow that upon first read you are a better soul than I). Good gracious I am one tricky minx.
But wait- there are hundreds of thousands of people who work out like this regularly- have for their entire lives. And of those people I would wager that the vast majority of them would find MY idea of comfort, well...uncomfortable. So it's time to shake things up and change my idea of what comfort is. I need to settle into the unknown. Love the danger of the new. Expand my horizons both physically and mentally.  
For one more word equation: the opposite of feeling safe is feeling fear. But if my habits have shown me anything it is that feeling safe isn't necessarily what is best for me and isn't necessarily the same as feeling good. I think I need this fear- I need to live in this scary space for a while. Even though my mind may be playing tricks on me trying to get me to stay in my comfortable warm bubble of existence, I know two things for sure- One: I will never regret taking on a higher level of work that will further my career. And two: I will never regret taking better care of my body.
Is it uncomfortable? Yes- but it's SUPPOSED to be uncomfortable. If change were easy no one would get stuck in ruts or in unhappy relationships or miserable jobs. Change is SUPPOSED to be hard so that we know it's worth it. 
I just have to keep reminding myself of that fact. Especially when my alarm goes off at 6am.  Double especially when I don't want to do any more squat thrusts. Triple especially when I don't want to sit on that RealRyder bike seat anymore. 

This was all just supposed to be about me changing my body. I didn't think it would have such an effect on my life and psyche. 

I'm shaking things up. And I hope you are too! 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Hurts So Good

Last night's workout was ROUGH! Good lord it was the hardest I've experienced since starting Boot Camp. Basically we did various routines with free weights- a mix of 40 reps on each side holding plank or doing different lifts, squats, etc and in between each rep of 40 we would run. And each run was farther than the last. The park we meet in is lined with trees and lamp posts which we use as markers. It went like this: 
Rep of 10 on left, 10 on right/Different routine rep of 10 on left, 10 on right/Repeat/Run to the first lamp post. Repeat with different routines/Run to the second lamp post.
By the end we were running all the way to the end of the block and back at the completion of each rep.
We were kept so busy doing so many different things that I hardly had a moment to think about the time and before I knew it the hour was up and my workout was done!

My thighs were burning, my chest was tight, my arms were burning from the weights- but each run as I started complaining in my head I stopped myself, looked out to the dark and beautiful night ocean, and thought one thing: "bikini...bikini...bikini....bikini...bikini...bikini..."

At the end of last night I was weighed in for the first time and discovered that my scale at home is off by 7lbs so that was great to see! I'm 7lbs less then I thought I was- hurray! But I still have 20lbs to go. 
My meausurements, as promised, are:

Last week: 35/27/38
This week: 34/26/37
Progress! And damn near close to the perfect, (at least by Violent Femmes standards), 36/24/36.

Something else happened last night at boot camp. One of my worst fears. Something that has kept me from playing sports my entire girly sedentary life. I fell. It was no more then three inches as I was already very close to the ground in plank; but falling is, I have realized, a huge phobia of mine. I was in plank position and the grass was wet and my foot slipped and - BOOP! Down I plopped for just a second. It took me a moment to even register what happened. After that it took less than a moment for me to tell myself- hey- you did it! You fell, you survived, and it barely hurt! Hardly even registered!  You can do this! You can get dirty and sweaty and fall and get back up! It sounds silly coming from a girl who bravely faces a tattoo and/or piercing needle being afraid of the pain of falling, but it has kept me from playing any sort of sport my entire life. And the weird thing is, I can't even think of what I have been afraid would happen. Not like I am made of porcelain and will shatter when hitting the ground. I think I'm tougher then I've ever given myself credit for.  (Now if only my fear of falling helped protect me in my love life, but that is another story for a book I'm working on...seriously).

Last night I was very thankful for my hot shower and sleeping with heat on my thighs. I'm already seeing a difference in certain parts of my body. Maybe they aren't differences anyone else would notice, but I'm noticing them and it's enough to keep me motivated. My ass is seriously going to look amazing. And not "my ass" as in me in general, I mean my actual ass.

Today I am less sore then I thought I would be and very much looking forward to my workout tonight. 

A dear friend texted me today looking for me to help her be accountable for her bad eating habits and I will share with you what I told her in a nutshell: trick yourself. Think of something small coming up that you want or need to look and feel your absolute best for. Sure, your health goals & my health goals are bigger and more important then an upcoming party but those big health goals can get, well, intimidating. Sometimes it's easier to think "Ok, I'm not going to eat this junk because I want to look great in this outfit on Friday" then it is "I want to loose 20lbs by May." May and 20lbs feel far away and it's easy to frustrate yourself and make a small cheat when you're thinking about a big sliding scale of a future goal- but if your goal is Friday, tomorrow, this weekend- it becomes more tangible.  At least it does for me. It's all in how you spin it. Maybe those 12 steppers have something with that whole one day at a time thing.

Speaking of spin, tomorrow night I attend my intro to RealRyder spin class....apparently it's hell on the abs- bring it on!
Details, dishing, and hopefully more positive changes to come!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Simple Things That Are Hard

I messed up. I thought that Sunday boot camp options were either 8am or 10am when in actuality Sunday is an 8am to 10am hike! I did not get that memo. Oops. 
Instead today I rested my body, napped, took care of my home, and went to two yoga classes. The first was a Restorative class and the second was a lovely Kundalini class that I look forward to going back to next week. In fact I'm thinking again about getting certified as a Kundalini instructor but that will have to wait.  I really miss my old yoga class in the valley where the teacher also did energy work- I'm a huge believer in the healing power of touch.

This past week I have been making small strides towards a healthier me. Simple things that most of you probably already do but if not, maybe you should.
Namely, I started taking vitamins! I haven't taken a vitamin regularly since my beloved Smurf vitamins were discontinued in the 80's and my mom tried to get me to eat those nasty grainy Flintstones vitamins in their place. No. Thank. You.
So I bought a bottle of those adult gummy vitamins and they are so yummy not only do I have to stop myself from eating more then my daily dose but I look forward to taking them! I've also started taking a Super Omega-3 mix of Fish, Flax, and Borage Oil with Omega-3, 6, & 9 fatty acids to support heart health and my immune system.  Whether or not they are actually doing anything so far I don't know but just taking them makes me feel healthier and it's good to know I am doing something positive for myself. Which is what this whole journey is about. And hey, it only took me 28 years! Oh- and I started eating breakfast! I was never a breakfast person. I'm just not that hungry in the morning- but you'd be surprised how much some apple cinnamon oatmeal and a piece of fruit makes a difference in my hunger levels later on in the day. Breakfast and vitamins are not huge new revelations. In fact I think my stupidity for not doing these things in the past far outweighs my genius for discovering them now. But I digress....

I've also decided that since my body is going through such new extremes I'm not going to try to pressure it even more by making it get up at an hour it's not used to. I'm quite good at burning the candle at both ends (I even have a tattoo to attest this fact) - I just don't want to over extend myself and wind up burning out completely. So- that being said I'm going to take advantage of work being quiet and leave early to get to the 6:00pm class on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays instead of waking up early to go in the mornings. I just need to listen to my body on this one. 

Both yoga classes I mentioned earlier have strong roots in Buddhist practice and both teachers read from books or other texts while we held our comfortable stretchy positions. The interesting thing was that while the classes were unrelated and taught by different teachers, their messages happened to go hand in hand. 
The first was a lesson of vulnerability and the second was of being in and aware of the body. If you are vulnerable you can live and love deeply and openly, softening into your experiences. Too often I push and struggle and fight towards a goal and in doing so wind up making things harder for myself than I need to.  But if I just remember to open my heart, relax my body, and be in the moment- all things are possible. All things are possible with love.  And all things are possible with the body. Our bodies are capable of such amazing things! 
So it would then make sense in an old algebra a+b=c kind of way that all things are possible with love of the body. Love of my body. And to be honest, my body and I have had a rocky relationship at best through the years. You know that whole "catching more flies with honey" thing? Well, maybe my body hasn't been responding to my berating it into being in shape. "You stupid body, why don't you look how I want you to look??" would maybe be better worded as: "I love you as you are but you are capable of so much more that even I am not aware of yet. Let's see what you can do!"
Just being kinder to myself. It sounds so simple as it comes to me now. And as Richard Bach said- "The simplest things are often the truest."
I challenge you to do something nice for yourself this week. It can be something small, something secret, something grand, something silly, something luscious.  Whatever it may be, I can promise you your body will thank you!
Thanks for your continued support along my journey!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Adventures in Boot(y) Camp(ing)

Adventures in Booty Camping indeed! I feel like Thor! If Thor had his ass slammed into the side of a mountain. I was trying to wait until the end of the week for a full update but I feel like there is already too much to tell you all!

Let me rewind.

This past Monday night at 7:00 I attended my first Boot Camp session. You have to sign up to attend your first class so they can make sure you actually show, but after that you can go anytime you like within the following schedule: Monday-Friday 6:00 or 7:00 am, Mon, Tues, Thurs also have 6:00 & 7:00 pm options, and Sunday is 8am or 10am.
Monday: Upon arrival I was greeted by a very cheery girl whose name I for the life of me cannot remember but she was the trainer for that session. The owner, Brian "The Tiger" was also there but mostly just in the outskirts. Both of these folks were really nice. Too nice. Too nice to be in as good of shape as they are in.       
     The workout was a bit harder on me then I thought it would be simply because the very first thing we did was a series of sprints and THIS super smart girl ate a peanut butter sammy a few hours before. I had reached something called my "Lactic Acid" threshold and all you need to know is, it's not good. Oops. Other then that, the work out consisted of a lot of different kind of squats with weights, sit ups, holding plank position while the other people did their sit ups, and something called "Green Bay" that involves running quickly in place with legs arched out then when the trainer yells Drop! we drop into a plank/pre-pushup position and pop back up. Nice thing about the Boot Camp is that it is in a park that sits over the ocean. I could only imagine how beautiful it would be at sunrise. 
     Overall the first boot camp session was darn good. I learned to not eat ANYWHERE near the time I will be working out. I felt challenged but not sore. I got this! After the class ended I spoke with Brian "The Tiger" for a bit and talked about my goals and past struggles. He suggested that instead of the 6 days a week I had intended to attend Boot Camp, I only come 3 days a week. At the end of my time when I'm close to my goal, then I can increase my attendance but for now he did not want me to get burned out. As the over achiever I am I didn't love hearing this. But let's be real-I usually do an all or nothing overwhelming regiment when trying to loose weight and what I usually do hasn't been working. He seems like he would know better then I do. So, shock me, shock me, shock me: I'm going to listen to someone else who knows better.  Also this week I also started back with yoga and next week I start taking RealRyder spin classes once a week. (Those of you that are familiar with spin, this is spin with a bike that actually moves with you)  My body conscious calender is full as it is.

Tuesday: My feel goody-ness from the night before didn't last long. Oh my golly gee goodness I could not move on Tuesday. My thighs felt as though they had clamps on them. May I ask WHY toilets need to be so low to the ground? Unless there's a handicapped railing in the stall, it's a no-go for me. Literally. Walking? I felt like I was trying to walk while having a basketball with a bomb implanted in it between my legs that I wasn't allowed to drop for fear of my life. Pain? Oh, sweet burning muscle pain...you have no idea.
     Tuesday afternoon Brian "The Tiger" called to check on me and see how I was after my first class. I thought that was pretty cool. My response "Well, my legs and ass hurt a lot more then I thought they would..."
     So Tuesday night I went to a deep stretch yoga class that was much needed. After yoga I came home, did not pass Go, did not collect $200, and went straight to bed at 10:30 so I could get up for my second Boot Camp experience bright and early the next morning. Still sore but dammit, I'm doing this!

Wednesday 6am: My alarm goes off. I get up and don't feel as horrid as I thought I would. That little voice in my head said "Go back to sleep, you can go Thursday night instead." But no, I was already awake and had already signed up for a meditation class at my yoga studio for Thursday night. Tricky tired me was trying to not only mess with my health but with my schedule? Oh hell-to-the-no.
     Driving to the park I saw so many people out running, biking, etc. Look at all of these people who are always awake and active at this time of day! Who knew??
     The Wednesday morning 7:00am session was a lot more crowded then my night session on Monday. There were about 15 people of various ages and shapes and everyone was really nice. I was the slowest. I never realized how fast people can run! Or maybe how slow I run. Brian "The Tiger" was alone training this session and insisted that it was not a race. The only people we are in competition with is ourselves. Overall walking to and from my car hurt my sore muscles a lot more then the running, "Green Bay's" and other drills we did. He even incorporated some much needed yoga into the workout. It was nice to hear other people moaning in soreness- at least I was not alone!
     Before I knew it it was 8:00am and I was done with my workout for the day! Wow! I had more then enough time that morning to head home to shower and have a healthy breakfast of organic raisin bran cereal with sugar free almond milk (I recently discovered that almond milk has half as many calories as soy and no estrogen) and half an orange before getting to my office. My legs felt worse. To cross my legs, get into my car, or even put them up I had to grab my pant leg and move each leg manually. Seriously. But I can't complain. How lucky am I that I live in a place where I can work out in the morning, outside, at the stunning ocean in January?
     Last night I was able to just take it easy. Note to self: the next time I want to go to a 7:00am class I'm going to have to go to bed even earlier the night before to avoid the mid-afternoon crash.

Thursday: I have today off! Yay! Thank the baby Jesus that today is a day of rest. My legs are almost back to normal and I feel a good kind of muscle strain in my belly. Tonight I am going to a guided meditation workshop at my yoga studio to work out my mind. Currently I am debating either hitting the hay early for another 7:00 am session Friday morning or attending Sunday morning and switching to a Tues/Thurs night/Sunday morning schedule. It's good to have options I just don't want to get too comfortable because comfort=laziness and laziness=chubbiness. Right now I'm thinking I will alternate weeks- one week AM, one week PM in an attempt to compromise with myself.
     Apparently Friday morning we will be doing something called "Tiger Ball." I just hope it doesn't involve actual sport playing with teams or any kind of coordinated catching/throwing. I'm more of the "duck and cover" sort when it comes to sports.

So that's the skinny on my getting skinny.

Also, I just purchased 3 bikinis. Watch out now!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Self Sabotage and pre-Botcamp Beginning Survey

I'm hard on myself. 

Ok, that's the understatement of the century. 

I'm EXCEEDINGLY hard on myself and I'm painfully aware of it. But one thing I never believed I did was to self sabotage. I truly believed that all parts of me wanted me to succeed in all of my goals. This weekend I discovered that is not true. There is a part of me that is a non-believer. A part of me that is a Negative Nancy. A part of me waiting for me to mess up. And I discovered this little bitch while at lunch with some friends. 
Ordering, I could have just gotten the healthy wrap. But there was an option of adding a side. And they had (dundundun) sweet potato fries. Oh how I love you, yummy, crispy, sweet potato fries. And they trick you because they make you think they are somehow healthier for you then regular fries. Like they aren't actually fried in grease and filled with empty calories like regular fries are. 
A big part of my brain said- "No, you don't need them." But this little part of me said, "Come on, go for it! They aren't THAT bad for you...and you are starting Boot Camp in a few days, so they will be worked off anyway....go for it!" And that little part won out. I ordered and ate nearly every single delicious sweet potato fry. And then immediately questioned my decision. As I finished my fries it was as if that same little voice that told me to go for it and eat them was now laughing maniacally like some mustache twirling villain whose trap I had just walked into.
It wasn't until later that I realized why. There is some part of me that thinks the following:
I will not succeed. So, why not eat those fries? Why not get that little cupcake? Why not drink that heavy beer? Why not have one more cookie? I'm never going to reach my goal anyway.
Now, the self sabotaging part of me will never come out and actually say that last bit, but it is EXACTLY what is implied by my actions. I almost fell over upon this realization!A breakthrough! At least now I am aware of it so I can cut it out and silence that bitch forever! She doesn't know what she's talking about anyway. 

Now for the start of my boot camp tonight. (ACK!) They sent me this questionnaire to fill out and bring with me. Besides the usual "Has your Dr. told you that you cannot work out for any reason?" it asks about my goals. Some of these answers came to me easily, some I did not realize I thought until I wrote them, all felt a lot more real putting them in ink. Ask yourself the same questions substituting "Tiger Fitness" with any new work out plan.
1.) What are you most frustrated with when it comes to getting in shape?
How difficult big changes are. I can loose 5lbs then get stuck. People talk about hitting "plateau's"- my whole weight loss experience the last few years has been one big plateau.
2.) What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to getting in shape?
My laziness. Food I can control and am generally a very healthy eater having been vegan and now pesceterian (man I hate that word). I was just never physically active or sporty as a kid so I don't always enjoy it as an adult.
3.) Why did you decide to come to Tiger Fitness today and not last week, or last month?
I found the great deal online at a perfect time. I had finished a 40 day cleanse not long ago and had frustratingly minimal results.  With travel to Hawaii this year it's time I looked good in a bathing suit.
4.) What are the main benefits that you would like to achieve with Tiger Fitness? (Be specific)
I would like to build my strength, loose some of my gut, and have a more toned and shapely physique overall. I'm not expecting a miracle but if I can loose 15lbs I would be ecstatic. I want to feel good about how I look.
5.) What areas of your body would you like to change?
I want a smaller stomach, less flabby arms, and less chunky thighs. I want to see myself in a bikini by spring! I'm willing to put in the work to get the results this time.

At the bottom it says: On a scale of 1-10 (with an option for 11/MOST) how serious are you about achieving your goals?

I circled MOST! 

Tonight begins my new adventure into boot camp. I'z scuuuurd.
Wish me luck! -I sure could use it.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Overwhelmed With Gratitude

Wow. First and foremost I have to say that I am completely overwhelmed with the positive response, common commiseration, and overall love and support I have received since my first post. Not just from close friends but also from people I haven't spoken to in quite some time. THANK YOU!

However, this does give me pause. Now not only am I held accountable to myself and my trainer, but to all of YOU! What have I gotten myself into?! (Kidding...mostly...ok, only just a little). 

Since I started this blog and many have you have committed to reading this blog, I figure I should let you know what I won't do with it. I won't blog every day. I don't have amazing things to say every day. Ok, so maybe I do. But I don't think anyone is interested in hearing them every day and even if they were, they would seem a lot less amazing on a daily basis. I know, I know, you protest! But I promise this.
I won't pretend to be an expert. On anything. I am smart enough to know I have a LOT to learn in life and in health. But I will pass on any words of wisdom and jewels I learn along my way from the experts. 
I won't post my starting weight- let's not go there. My measurements from my first day at training will have to be enough. Pervs. 
I will try not to get too nebbishy or falsely profound. "OMG I'm starting my training on MLK day- HE had a dream...I have a dream..."- Can you imagine? Man, I would hate me.

And I won't "woe is me." At least not often. Not that I won't bitch and moan when I am tired and/or sore. Why else would I start a blog if not to bitch and moan to at least some degree? I realize there are a lot of people who have it a lot worse off than I do in a lot of ways both in life and in health/weight. This is just my experience. Perhaps, (hopefully) you will learn something through me or maybe just get a laugh, or heck, even some future blackmail material on me, (bring it).

But what I will do is hope to find inspiration. And inspire to find hope. 
And maybe even a little love along the way through all of you- and turn that into a lot of love for myself which I think we all could use more of, health goals or not. Body image and weight issues or not.

Something else I've realized is that I'm great at challenging myself mentally. Even food-ily. But bodily? Not so much.  And my body is hungry for it. My muscles want to grow! My tummy wants to flatten! My limbs want to ache! Ok maybe not that last part but I'm really trying to believe all this is true. I'm pretty bomb at being lazy. Blame it on the age of technology and living in a city where I drive everywhere. Helping with that is a physical and mental health focused meditation CD I burned over the holidays by famed medium Rebecca Rosen.  Not only has it been helpful in preparing my mind for the getting in shape/weight loss challenge I have before me, but also in the general healthiness of me. 

Like so many people I am sick of getting sick! Besides my physical appearance I am making a serious effort to restore my immune system and fight off illness- both in body and spirit. Below are some of my favorite lines that resonate with me. If any resonate with you I suggest adding them to your daily prayer, meditation, sun dance, moon noodle, self worship, or other moment of zen:

-I let go of feeling responsible for everything and everyone around me.
-I no longer shield myself with extra weight which acts as a barrier between myself and other people.
-I release the need to plan & control the outcome.
-I no longer hold on to dis-ease within my body.
-I shake off heavy emotions that have manifested as weight gain.
-I give myself permission to slow down and rest my mind & body.
-I focus on the positive aspects of my body.
-I have peace of mind and that is reflected in my body as perfect health.
-I have a healthy relationship with food.
-I feel weight being lifted off of me as I breathe.
-As I breathe deeply I melt away unnecessary weight I am holding onto.
-My lightness of being is a direct result of my self love, acceptance, & inner peace.
-I let go. And trust that my life is changing for the better. 
-I consciously cultivate gratitude for my body.
-I give myself permission to correct and change my life. 
-I have an endless supply of energy.
-I choose to exercise regularly as a moving meditation. 
-I am comfortable sharing my authentic self with others.
-Everything is getting better every day.

Next post I will be entering my answers on the Tiger Fitness Boot Camp Questionnaire they sent me to fill out and bring to my first session. Four days and counting!