Im FITBLOGGIN bound!

Ive been fortunate to go to a *lot* of blogging conferences.

Big and small.

Fitness and general blogging.

There will never be a conference I adore as much as Fitbloggin.

It’s been said before (heck, IVE said it before) Fitbloggin feels like coming home.

Unlike other conferences where Ill freely admit to having the “what if no one talks to me?”  “what should I wear?!”  “what if I HIDE IN MY ROOM THE ENTIRE TIME?!” jitters Fitbloggin feels like a family reunion.

In the truest, best and most authentic sense everyone there is part of the “tribe” because we all get each other.

Whether we’ve met before or not (virtually or in real life)  we *all* start from a place of familiarity and I adore that.

All that love aside, Id not be going this year were it not for my AMAZING SPONSOR DA ACTIVE.

Yes I love their clothing, but more than that I LOVE how they appreciate and value us bloggers.

Thanks to them, if youve no idea what I look like, you will recognize me by the clothing Ill have on:

Although I PROBABLY shall only strip to my, uh, skivvies (<—can I use that in reference to a BRA?) if you’ll accompany me to the nearest secluded spot:

Annnnnnnd you will wanna grab me when Im ambling aimlessly and alone and looking like I need a partner in crime as soon as you see me as Ill have THESE CARDS to pass out:

(cue confetti shaped like D’s & A’s)

Feel free to check them out and hit me up at the conference with questions regarding FIT, SIZING etc. as Im a veritable fountain o’fit knowledge…

OOOH which fortuitously leads me to my next thought.

KNOWLEDGE.

Whether or not I had any to impart is debatable (rimshot!)—- but regardless Id chosen not to speak at the conference this year.

No presenting. 

No Miz Muscles in Minutes. 

NOTHING.

Nothing but good old fashioned mingling, chatting and LISTENING & LEARNING.

Until last week.

Things shifted around and I was given the opportunity to present on two topics about which I am truly passionate:  Freelance writing & Attracting traditional media.

I quickly told Roni I adored her but SUCK at technology and mightcould have a meltdown if I had to do two power points last minute.

I took a moment, pondered my brand, and decided to take a different approach with my presentation:  old school handouts on colored paper selected by the Tornado.

It’s awkward to admit how excited I am by this last minute opportunity to speak.

Ive blogged forever.

Ive made every single mistake imaginable along the way.

I welcome any opportunity to share my knowledge/experiences in hopes I can save others time I wasted.

And speaking of time a’wasting—Im off to finish doing this (why yes. those ARE temporary tattoos in my suitcase. Ill be giving em away!):

Will you be at Fitbloggin this year? What are you most looking forward to?If you cant attend in person—and plan to be glued to twitter for the next couple days—what are you most hoping to learn?

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How atoning is kinda like fitness.

Irreverent, but closest thing I possess to a pious photo.

Tonight at sundown starts the one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar

It’s also a day (or more aptly put a process) to which I look forward all year.

I readily admit Im not the most religious of misfits.

I tend to claim Im a cultural Jew (you know, as opposed to the JewJews who actually attend religious services weekly)—but even that claim can be a stretch.

I fully intend to celebrate all the holidays “culturally”–but I lack much cooking prowess & REALLY what’s more part of the Jewish culture (or any for that matter) than the food & the process of creating it with LOVE.

Let’s just say I frequent the local bakery a lot for Shabbat and my last foray into hamantashen making was a mess.

Kitchen skills lacking aside, the Sabbath is very important to my family.

Ren Man comes home early, we unplug en masse, recite the traditional Shabbat prayers and remain present & family-focused for the remainder of the night.

I look forward to Shabbat starting Monday morning in the same way I begin to long for next Yom Kippur pretty much right after the day’s fast is broken.

Yom Kippur means day of atonement and, for those unfamiliar, that’s what I’ll be doing from sundown tonight until sundown Saturday.

We go to synagogue.

We pray and murmur offerings of apology for wrong doings the previous 365 days.

We are forgiven.

(that’s the short version–but it gives you the gist)

There is, however, a catch.

Tonight and tomorrow we are offered a last opportunity to make amends to G-d but Yom Kippur prayers dont “cover” sins or wrong doings against other people.

This, because I am nothing if not a misfit, is my favorite part of Yom Kippur.

We are told in order to be ‘written in the book of life’ we need to seek reconciliation with the people we’ve wronged and right these offenses if at all possible.

All this straightening up & flying right must be done before Yom Kippur/sundown tonight.

This year Im less busy atoning than I have been in years past.

That said, I still take today to reflect on who I am, think long, hard and honestly about whom Ive slighted, wronged or even gossiped about, and I reach out, apologize and ask for forgiveness.

While it’s hard (and at times embarrassing) it serves as a yearly reminder we all have the choice of what kind of person we wish to be.

I may make mistakes and wander off my path (as with fitness. GO ME bringing these religious mumblings all back to FITNESS!) but Im never as far away from the person I strive to be as my very next action.

For the religious Jew Yom Kippur represents a sort of spiritual rebirth.

For this misfit cultural Jew it represents an overall opportunity for cleansing and rebirth.

On this Yom Kippur I am grateful.

On this Yom Kippur I am reflecting.

On this Yom Kippur, almost more than any other, I am ready and eager for repentance and rebirth.

To my Jewish readers may you be written in the book of life.

To my non-Jewish readers THANK YOU for indulging my religious ramblings and accidental fitness-tie in.

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New Printable: Strength Training Tracker

So, yeah. I whipped up this Strength Training Tracker to use, starting today. Why? Because I need to make sure I’m hitting all major muscles groups at least 2-3 times per week to strengthen and make sexy(er) my body.

click here, or click the image to download/print

For example, it’s no good working the triceps one-time per week and expecting awesome results. Who wants bat wings, right? It’s also no good to be diligent with quad training (front of the thigh), yet barely work the opposing muscle group (the hamstrings – back of the thighs).

Do you have any major muscle groups that you’re NOT training for strength and sexiness on a regular basis?

Remember: Train each area 2-3 times per week (basic/beginners) or a bit more if you’re advanced, but do NOT over-train. Not ever! You could injure yourself and start whining ‘n stuff. You shouldn’t be training the same muscles on consecutive days in a row, or training the same muscle groups too many times per week.

And just a quick work to all the excess-cardio-lovin’ peeps: You have to strength train for a complete body transformation. Cardio will help you lose weight, but your body will mostly stay soft (maybe even saggy for some people) and undefined without putting strength training into the mix.

Transforming your body requires a purposeful, diligent, systematic plan. Being wishy-washy, sometimey, or half-assed with your strength training will not get you there. Work up to your potential. Get crackin’ on the strength.

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Wednesday Weigh In: Small Losses > Big Losses

Every wednesday morning I’m mad at myself for not starting the weeks weigh-in post the night before. Now I’m rushing to get this up with a ticking time bomb in the nursery and a 7 year old who needs to get ready for the bus. But every Tuesday night I’m too busy posting about Tuesday to even think about Wednesday.

Does that make sense? I’m very much an “in the moment” blogger. What you see is what you get. I rarely schedule anything. I write. I publish. That’s my style and why most post are an editor’s nightmare.

Anyway, without further ado, this weeks weigh-in…

HW: 225
CW: 149.2 (down .8)
GW: 145
H: 5' 8”
Age: 36

Down .8 after last weeks up .6 and this is my lowest weigh in since we started! Total down? 4 lbs!

I’m totally happy! I’m feeling good!

Yup, I’m excited to be down 4 lbs in 5 weeks! Again, this isn’t Biggest Loser. My plan is to slowly chip away at that number with all my small choices and consistent healthier lifestyle.

Big numbers are fun, there’s no doubt about it. But wouldn’t you rather a permanent small loss over a short term large one? I’m pretty sure my older self would have said no, but after doing this for 7 years, I’m all about the small loss.

Why?

Because I’m living the life I want to be living regardless of what the scale says and that’s the biggest goal I have achieved.

This week I want you to not only weigh in but tell us at least one thing you are super proud of. One decision that you may not have made just 4 or 5 weeks ago. Maybe it helped nudge the scale for you this week. Maybe it didn’t. But it’s a representation of your commitment to your goals.

Me? I’m proud of myself for trying Sashimi. I decided to go out of my comfort zone and skip the extra rice for lunch. It was yummy! and now I have something else in my bag of tricks for when the husband temps me with a request to eat out. :)

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Wednesday Weigh In: Staying Accountable NO MATTER WHAT

HW: 225
CW: 150.2 (Up 1)
GW: 145
H: 5' 8”
Age: 36

Up 1 lbs after a mini-vacation weekend where I ate donuts, candy apples and most of my meals on the go? I’ll take it!

Don’t think I haven’t noticed the Wednesday Weigh Numbers dropping steadily. Here’s how the total comments look over these past 5 weeks…

235
154
166
152
104

Now I know some of you have decided that weighing in and scale watching is not for you and I applaud it. This form of accountability isn’t for everyone but I really hope you found what is working for you.

I’m literally in the middle of the busiest week of the year for me –the conference starts tomorrow and coming off a weekend cross country trip– and I DECIDED I was going to weigh in with you no matter what.

This is my commitment to myself. In my experience the only way you fail at weigh loss (or anything, really) is by walking away and I refuse to do it.

The Anti-Jared posted this to his wall yesterday…

“I know it can be frustrating when you lose weight real slow.

Nothing is more frustrating than when you are gaining weight real fast though.”

I shared it on Facebook and I’m sharing it here. As someone who used to only live in one of 2 states (gaining/losing) that quote pretty much sums it for me.

I can now say with confidence I will never be in a “gaining” state again. Sure, I’ll go up a few pounds after vacation or a stressful week but that’s no where near the massive weight I used to put on after one of my post diet binges.

It all comes down to accountability for me. This weigh in (this blog) is one way I keep my commitment present in my life.

I could totally talk about this all day but I gotsta go! I’m off to pick up FitBloggin’ signs, then I’m renting a van to transport swag bags, my inbox is a steady stream of questions oh! and I’m eating breakfast with this little one…

His big brother just got on the bus. :)

I hope you’ll continue to weigh in with me weekly and remember “weighing in” doesn’t have to actually be a scale reading. Just leave a comment and tell us about your week. I promise after all this conference hoopla is over I’m going to upgrading my comments for more threaded discussion. I don’t think you realize how many others benefit from your sharing. This isn’t about me. It’s about us. Reaching our goals together.

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Weekend Quote: Choices

“It’s not about time, it’s about choices. How are you spending your choices?” – Beverly Adamo

Isn’t that a great quote? I love that.

Thought I’d share it really fast before going to bed. I’m waking up at 4AM and heading to the airport. I’m hoping to get some posts written on the plane. I have an awesome dinner idea to share on GreenLiteBites and a couple posts are brewing for TheUnwordlyTravelers considering I’m, well, traveling!

Make great choices this weekend! ;)

Talk to you soon.

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Return Of the Pumpkin Head (Holiday Greediness Is Afoot?)

Uh-huh. It all started with The Pumpkin Head Experiment. That’s when I hollowed out my organic orange helmet and affixed it to my cranium. I always look forward to re-attaching my head gear when the season rolls ’round.

Now that Fall is  *this close*  to flinging itself into our midst, I’m readying my chewing jaws for increased pumpkin-pie action, cozy nights of couch-azzing while buried in 15 blankets and, as the months go on, they’ll be free food from people throwing holiday parties.

Free food is FUN. m’kay?

But what else is a greedy gal with fitness goals supposed to do at a time of year like this?

I’m keeping my goals at the forefront of my mind. I’m deciding right now what will and won’t be — how far I’ll allow myself to indulge in the indulgences of the holidays, and when to cut that shizz short.

It’s pre-decision making. Ding! I’ve decided to formulate a set of personal holiday-eating guidelines right now, and I’m imprinting these ideals into my noggin as expectations I intend to follow through on, even while staring into the face of holiday delectable goodness. Although voluntary incidents of splurging will still be had, my Greedy-O-Meter will surely be toned down compared to previous years.

Why?

Welp, I’ve got some amazing body transformation progress going on right now (a new progress pic will be posted on January 1st). Repeated overindulgence “just because” it’s the holidays does NOT fit into my plan, so I’ve pre-decided that no overeating trainwrecks will be had.

My plan is 99.998% foolproof. That other .002% is margin for cupcakes.

The mind is a powerful thing. I’m using my mind (not my food-emotions) to control what happens. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. You see what I’m saying?

But this isn’t about willpower. I see it more as taking charge and following through on the commitments I’ve made to myself. It’s gonna suck sometimes. It might will even feel heart-wrenching as I turn away from the greediness and strive to stay on course, yet I intend to finish what I started and NOT let myself down.

Will you pre-decide along with me? We CAN DO THIS together! ((insert champion music of victory here))

Ye wise ‘ole Pumpkin Head has spoken. Now go… Go from this place to frolic and be merry.

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