5-Bite Diet?!?

It's been a while since I've blogged in here, but I posted my thoughts on this diet on Facebook and MySpace, so why not here? Here it is:

I couldn't resist tearing a new one on this deal.

I took a couple days off because of my grandfather's passing. There isn't going to be a funeral or anything, but I thought I should at least spend some time with my family over the next two days.
On any day I have off, I got up, washed some dishes, turned on the TV, and what? "We're going to have Dr. Alwin Lewis to talk about the new 5-bite diet." That grabbed my attention immediately.

In a nutshell, here's what it is: You can eat whatever you want! Yes, you can (in a non-Obama-type way because I don't want to offend B.O. by that association)! But...you have to skip breakfast, and you can only have 5 bites for lunch and 5 bites for dinner. You can have unlimited (low-calorie) teas, colas, coffee, water, etc. for the day. By doing this, you're supposed to lose weight and change what your stomach considers as "full". This can be 5 bites of a Big Mac for lunch and 5 bites of a tub of lard for dinner...just as long as it's five bites. "It's better than getting gastric bypass surgery and works the same way" (this "doctor's" golden argument of the diet).

Ok, let's briefly forget the fact that you're starving yourself here because that's completely obvious to EVERYONE.
1. You're skipping breakfast. It's not like it was some made-up garbage or part of a fad diet when doctors and nutritionists said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It jump-starts your metabolism for the day. If you skip it, then what? Not only do you not get that metabolism kick, you're robbing yourself of the energy you need for the day. You get the most bang out of your buck with breakfast if you eat within one hour of waking up.

2. You're not taking in enough calories. If your caloric-intake for the day is in the hundreds, you're starving yourself. Plain and simple. Take it from someone who struggled with anorexia for six years of her life until she realized this is no way to be healthy. Yeah, I lost weight eating less, but was I any healthier? No. In fact, I was probably worse off then than I ever was in my life health-wise.

3. You're not getting the nutrients your body needs. This guy claims that you can do this safely as long as you take a multi-vitamin every day for your nutrients. He also says the reason why it's ok for obese people is because they "have too many nutrients" and need to cut back. WHAT?!? Their obesity has nothing to do with having too many vitamins and essential nutrients. They're not eating properly (i.e. the McDonald's diet) and exercising. Of course, health problems (thyroid, for instance) and age can affect it, as well, if you are on a good nutritional plan and exercising regularly. If you're not even trying though, there's no excuse.
I think it's common sense that a person is going to benefit more from vitamins and nutrients coming naturally than through a pill. A multi-vitamin can only do so much for you. You know, they're called supplements for a reason: They SUPPLEMENT. I think someone needs to show this "doctor" the definition of that word.

4. You may lose weight, but you're not getting healthier. Going back to point #2, you're starving yourself and not just of calories but proteins, carbs, etc. These are essential things your body needs throughout the day. Eating 5 bites of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is not going to have the same nutritional value as eating grilled tilapia on with some brown rice. But when we're talking about this diet, I guess the better I eat, the more starved I'm going to be, so I'd pick high-calorie foods to compensate.
It's not all about how MUCH we're eating but WHAT we're eating. This guy is trying to capitalize on saying the only problem here is that we just eat too much, and it has nothing to do with what we're eating. It has been PROVEN that if you pay attention to what it is you're eating and eat properly (even sans exercise), you'll be healthier. Starving yourself doesn't do it. Been there, done that; doesn't work! And not only that, it screws you up mentally. I can't even begin to go into the layers of problems that creates.

I found it interesting that someone who was trying to back up the diet wrote this in a comment on a website: "Many anorexics/bulimics/compulsive over eaters are having success with this diet. Loosing 15-30lbs every two weeks." Do they realize that they mentioned people with anorexia and bulimia as having success with the diet? Why should they be starving themselves anyway? I thought their problem was they needed to gain weight and/or get some help from a psychiatrist.

I guess I'm so passionate about this because I've had to deal with the absolute mental and physical tortures you put yourself through when you don't eat enough. I know anorexia is a different animal than just doing one of these diets, but it perpetuates the problem and could cause it in people who wouldn't have become anorexic otherwise.

As people in the Beachbody community (or otherwise), I think it's so important for us to impress good nutrition even more so when diets like these (don't even get me started on the acai berry diet) pop up. People who are uneducated in this area will jump right on this wagon and potentially destroy their bodies and lives. It's sad but true...

Fitness?

I haven't posted here in almost two months, which makes me wonder if I should even continue. I used to have so many things to talk about (ok, complain about) when I still worked in retail, but I haven't for almost a year now. I don't come in contact with people who get my goat on a regular basis, and I don't have to deal with back-to-school shoppers or the Christmas rush. Some part of my brain misses sharing all that with you, but I certainly don't miss it enough to ever work in retail again. Thankfully, I've been at a job I love where the people are terrific, and I get paid a lot more and put up with little to no bull crap for almost a year, and I don't plan on ever giving that up.

My main focus has been on fitness since the beginning of February when I started this journey with P90X. I never dreamed that I'd get so involved with it when I started. I remember writing that blog and feeling fed-up with feeling tired and not wanting to eat. I was falling in and out of anorexia and therefore, my weight was going up and down, up and down. On top of that, I wasn't happy going to the gym. Even though I was underweight, I still was embarrassed to lift in front of anyone. You would expect those feelings to come from someone who was obese and ashamed of their body. Well, I wasn't obese, but I still felt like I was. It was like talking to a brick wall to convince me otherwise. Sometimes you just have to figure things out for yourself or be lucky enough to have something speak to you. P90X was it for me.

Now I've been spending a lot of my time trying to get other people involved. I became a coach on Beachbody a couple months ago, and I've been able to meet some people through that and sell products. However, I still want more. I've been milling over what to do fitness-wise with any extra time I have. Summer is quickly coming to an end, and people are going to end up in their fitness slump. Not many people want to work out until January 1st comes around. I'm especially having a hard time finding people that like to work out in Erie, Pennsylvania (if that's you, let me know). I think there are a lot of people who are unhappy with how they look and feel, but they'd rather do the quick fix of a diet pill and not put some real effort into it. I don't have a success story where I went from fat to thin, but I know of people who have doing these programs, and it's inspiring.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to start up some P90X classes or something along those lines. Finding people around here would be difficult, but I think if they really wanted to get in shape for next summer, now would be the time to start. If you do want to get involved, please let me know. I'm having the worst time finding any fitness-minded people in this area. Anyone that may know of a way I could get these classes going, please let me know. I sort of feel like I'm stuck.

More P90X/Beachbody News...and I'm Still Alive

I know it's been an incredibly long time since I've written on here, but my blogging has gone by the wayside lately, and something else has replaced it. I think it's kind of obvious what that thing may be...*cough*P90X*cough* I'm already about halfway through my second round of it, and I've become really engrossed in the whole program and the community of people I've able to meet through it.

Over the past month or so, I'd really been considering taking it a step further. Heck, I already have the license plate, and people are sending me messages almost on a daily basis to ask exercise/health-related questions. I'd been thinking about becoming a coach on the Beachbody website. I had been asked several times by random people if I was already a coach, so it made me think about it a little more. I kept questioning myself on whether or not I could do it, but I guess I didn't need to ask that because I've already been doing that for free the past month or two without even thinking about it. So yesterday I took the plunge and signed up to be a coach, and I'm now waiting for my little start-up kit to show up in the mail. I don't really care so much about making money through this, but I thought it would be a nice opportunity to share what I'm passionate about and help other people at the same time. It sounds kind of cheesy, but that's really where I am with this. All due thanks need to go to one guy for giving me that extra push to sign up: Jason "Puckhead" Diebold. Check out his site because he's an awesome coach and person.

Also, I was contacted a couple weeks ago by someone from Beachbody, and he put a cool opportunity on the table for me that I couldn't pass up. Nothing is official so far, but I'm supposed to find out the final word in a couple weeks, and I couldn't be more anxious. If it goes through successfully, it's going to be one of the biggest events to happen in my life. I am just looking forward to the wheels it's going to give to me to spread this whole program around this area because--as you can see--I'm extremely passionate about it, and most people in Erie haven't a clue what P90X is. I'm just praying all goes well. If not, I still have the coaching, and I'm more than happy to have a voice through that.

I'll keep you guys updated with the news when I receive it. I don't want to explain in detail what it is right now, but I'll just say that it's BIG (as in national). I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

You can visit my site here. It needs updated badly, but I'll be getting to that this week.

First 90 Days Gone...

I suppose I should update you guys on the fact that I hit my 90 day mark for P90X, and I've already started my second round. I hit the mark while my husband and I were out in Marienville, PA for a little celebration of our anniversary. We got a cabin out there, and it was really nice to get away even though the weather was cool and very rainy. We still got a lot of indoor time though, which is not bad at all.

Anyway, I got some progress pictures while we were out there, and I'm happy that I finally got the right lighting so you can actually see my definition for once. More motivation to keep pressing on (or pressing play, I should say):





Don't be afraid to try it if you're considering it. If you have questions, feel free to ask me.

Two Years

I've never been great with words, but I certainly know how to talk someone's head off. Maybe what I'm saying isn't the most intelligent thing, the most inspriring, or contain fancy words, but what it does have is sincerity. When I say I love you, I mean it and don't just say it to say it or because it's what I'm supposed to do.

I've spent the past two years being married to you, the past four and a half knowing you, and the nineteen and a half years before that living without you. These past six years have more than made up for the time I've had to live without you, but if I had to spend a day without you, I'd be even more hollow than I was before. You've been more to me than any husband could be for a wife. When you tell me you love me, I think of the time I first saw you when you came to pick me up for our date to the day you looked in my eyes at the altar and said, "I do."
To avoid being verbose, I simply want to say that I love you and happy anniversary.

Day 75

Thanks for all the great comments you guys have been leaving. I'm starting to get a little more attention the past few weeks, and people are noticing and asking questions about the program. I sort of like being the walking advertisement because I really endorse P90X. In fact, I'm getting a personalized plate for my car so I can advertise on my way to work or wherever I go. Sounds kind of cheesy, but I don't care. I feel a lot better than I did before I started, and I look better too.

In fact, we just had a Wellness Day at work on Wednesday, and we took a fitness test during that. The women were supposed to do modified push-ups and the men just regular ones, but I hate doing push-ups on my knees, so I asked if I could do the other instead. After consulting with another Hamot employee, they said it was alright, but my numbers wouldn't come back very accurately. I didn't care. I was competing against my boss (who won anyway). I managed to crank out 28 military-style push-ups in 30 seconds (my boss did 38 wide push-ups). I was hoping to get to 35, but I should have had my hands wider, and I might have.

We also had our BMI and body fat percentage measured. I had around 8.7% body fat, which is awesome (target range for women is 20-32%; men is 12-24%, but lower is better). My BMI, I believe, was around 19, which is just above underweight (18.5 and under is too low). I imagine I was a little lower last year when I was still struggling with my eating disorder, but who knows. I was really satisfied with my numbers, overall.

Yesterday, I just completed day 75 (of 90), so it was a picture day. My husband took a picture the day before while I was doing Yoga X, and it seems to be getting some attention, so it makes me feel like I've made progress:



Here are some regular shots from yesterday. I'm even more flustered than last time because this was Core Synergistics. Forgot to flex my stomach for the first one:







And an ab shot from today since I didn't get any decent ones yesterday:



So there they are. I managed to find one other person in Erie that's doing this program, and it was by accident Monday night. If anyone else is or if you want to join in, I'm starting my second round (classic this time) on May 5th. Just let me know.

Sixty Days and Counting

I'm so happy I've been sticking with this program. If I look a little flustered, it's because I had just finished doing an hour and a half of Yoga X about 5 minutes before these pictures were taken:

Front shot


Back shot


Obligatory ab shot

Incriminating Evidence

She's white, but her cheeks are smeared in guilt.
Word to the wise: Make sure to thoroughly rinse out your spaghetti sauce pans before you put them in the sink.

Walk For Autism

I was thinking about doing this walk out at Presque Isle this April with my husband, and I saw an ad for it on TV. I was almost positive they said there would be information on YourErie.com, but I can't find anything anywhere. I'm either looking in the wrong places or they never updated their site to include it. I'd like to sign up, but it's kind of hard if I can't find any info. All I've been able to find is archived from 2005, which helps about zero. Anyone have any information on this? Dennis?¹

In other news, I suppose I should update you all on our trip down to Cape Canaveral, Florida for the shuttle launch. I'm not sure what to say about it other than that it was amazing. You just had to be there to see it. What was even cooler was that it was a night launch, so the whole sky just lit up like the high-noon sun rose all in a matter of two seconds. The whole ground shook, and it sounded like we were standing in the middle of a thunderstorm--only without the rain. You can catch the video here [If you just hold your mouse over the Snapshot, you can view it without clicking out to YouTube.]. I feel privileged to have seen one of the last shuttle launches.

Afterwards (the next day, of course), we got to tour around Kennedy Space Center for the entire day, which was really neat. I got to see my first IMAX movie...and it was 3D! I have to say I felt like an idiot every time I flinched when there was debris flying at the screen. My brain can't grasp the fact that it's not really flying into my face. I'm a rookie 3D movie viewer, apparently.
We were also able to go visit the ocean on Cocoa Beach, which was just beautiful. I'd never been to the ocean, so it was a nice addition to the trip. Even though I didn't swim in it, I at least stuck my hand in to feel it, which was enough for me. I grabbed some sea shells as souvenirs before leaving.

As beautiful as Florida is, I wouldn't want to live there. I'm still a die-hard Tennessee fan. Thankfully, we got to spend a little time there even though our trip was cut short by a day because of the two feet of snow we got in Erie the day we were supposed to leave. It was supposed to be a little early anniversary trip for me and my husband since we weren't going to be getting down there this year. I was disappointed that we couldn't keep our original chalet (we had this for our honeymoon) that first weekend since we couldn't make it there for Saturday night, but I'm glad we at least spent a little time down there and visited Ripley's Aquarium as we do every year.

Being back in Erie has given me a cabin fever that no amount of cowbell can cure. I just wonder when it's going to be warm again so I can be out running and/or riding my bike. Summer, come soon! If it doesn't rain and is in the 50's on Saturday, I may bust out the cycle and get some outdoor exercise in. I hope, I hope...

¹Nevermind. I answered my own question by accident. I hope to see some of you participate. It's $15, and the link for the form can be found here, and it needs to be in by April 1st. The walk is April 26th at 11:00am, starting at Beach One.

I'm Taking the Dive

Hey, there, folks, and a happy Good Thursday to all of you. Ok, there's no such thing, but it's going to have to suffice for tonight for the sake of my blog. I'm a day too early to say Good Friday. Anyway, I spent--you know--a week out in Tennessee (a sort of faux, early wedding anniversary get-away) and Florida (for the space shuttle launch) last week, and I haven't yet blogged about it. Well, you're going to have to wait another day. I don't really have the time or motivation to go ahead and do that tonight, but I will tomorrow since I have a nice, long, 4-day weekend for Easter [Work for Catholics...you get lots of holidays off.].

Instead, I'd like to talk more about my P90X progress. I've found a couple people (not many) that have shown some interest in my journey, and I feel like entertaining that right now. First, I'd like to say I get a kick out of all the people I encounter that laugh when I turn down candy/donuts/popcorn/etc. and say I'm on a diet: "You don't need to be on a diet, skinny bones! Now eat some sugar!" Yes, I'm thin and have--at times--been quite a bit underweight, but that doesn't mean I can't be on a diet. Many people automatically associate the word "diet" with "LOSE WEIGHT!!" How about a diet that's meant to keep you healthy and in shape? It exists, you know. Isn't that essentially what a diet is supposed to do anyway?

I can't say I don't cheat on occasion (nothing over-the-top though) because I do. I try to slim it down to once a month because if there's one thing I've learned from my very fitness-conscious husband, cheating isn't all bad. In fact, you should do it every so often (in moderation, of course). That doesn't mean I grab a double whopper from Burger King or a dozen Krispy Kremes; just things in the not-so-good-for-you-but-acceptable-in-moderation category.
So do those of you who laugh and/or scoff at my dieting understand now? I'm not trying to lose weight. In fact, I haven't really lost weight at all since I've been doing this program. Well, I dropped some fat weight and replaced it with muscle weight. Really, I'm hanging in the same range; perhaps a little higher.

With that said, let's move on to my progress. I just hit my halfway point of my first round of P90X on Wednesday, and I took some pictures. Now I think I just may be brave enough to show the world my 45-day progress--all in the name of exercise. Unfortunately, I didn't really get any good comparative pictures from the first day, so I grabbed a day 3 photo to throw next to yesterday's. I've been taking pictures mainly of my abs because that's the area I want to see the most progress [Join the club, right?]. My arms and shoulders are generally at the level I want them because I used to work them all the time at the gym; perhaps too much (they don't call me Trizilla for nothing). My goal is to get Dreya Weber abs by next summer (or at least something comparable). Now I know some of you think that's a fleeting motivation, but that's not the entire reason I'm doing this program. I do it because it makes me feel good and gives me more energy. It's all interconnected with my goal. Naysayers, wise up. Anyway, check it out below (unfortunately, the camera seems to wash out the definition):


Constructive criticism is welcome. Creepy and/or sexist comments are not.

Scammer Alert

You would think with the Do Not Call list we wouldn't have this problem, but the government isn't up on this too well, I'm guessing. The other day I got a phone call from (239) 263-5860. I didn't pick up because I was at work, and I usually don't anyway if I don't recognize the number. They never left a message, so I figured it was just someone that got the wrong number. After doing a little research online, I found this number originates from Naples, Florida and is part of a scam. The past few weeks, they've been calling people's cell phones across the country (including ones on the Do Not Call list) and offering to lower their interest rates on their credit cards or claiming that their auto warranty is running out. When asked what cards they're referring to or what company they're from, they hang up.

If you get this call, either don't pick up or hang up on them. I should hope none of you would be foolish enough to give them personal information, but just a heads-up.

Side note: If you try to call the number, it says it's disconnected, but it's really just their automated recording; not a regulated message. I don't think I need to repeat the obvious with this one.

P90X...You There?

So some of you are wondering how the heck I'm doing with the P90X program. Did I still stick with it? If you've seen me on Facebook or MySpace or have talked to me in the past week (you know who you are...Tam and ron), you know the answer to that question. Yes, I have stuck with it, and I am losing fat and some weight; not a lot of weight, of course, because I didn't weigh much to begin with, and some is being replaced by muscle weight.

As some of you may know, my husband, sister-in-law, and I are heading out to Tennessee for the weekend and Florida through Thursday so we can watch the shuttle launch Monday night. I've never been to Florida, so this should be exciting, and I'm definitely looking forward to getting away from all this snow and cold for a while. It's starting to wear on me. This leaves the question, "Am I sticking with P90X during my vacation?" Heck, yeah. Tony Horton is vacationing with me. There's no way I'm giving it up for a week. Can you say "waste of time"? The whole month I've been doing this would practically go down the drain if I did that. So Mr. Bowflex, check out my dedication and discipline [I know, I'm going link-crazy here, so I apologize.].

Along with this exercise, I've been getting pretty strict with my diet--much to the amusement of my coworkers since they connect diet with someone who is overweight. Just because I'm not fat doesn't mean I don't have to eat healthy. It would still catch up to me. In fact, I'm pretty sure all that Burger King and Taco Bell was starting to take its toll. I don't need Dunlop Disease: my belly done-lop over (props to my father-in-law for that diamond).

Anyway, I'm sure I've bored you all with my exercise talk, but it excites me and has made me feel good about myself for the first time in my life. I can't say that's a bad feeling. I hope to have a fairly drastic change from when I started last month to when this lean program ends in May. I know I've already seen some changes. I've been taking progress pictures, so if you've seen them on my profiles, then you know. If not...well, we'll see if you're not too creepy to show them to.

The Demise of Marriage

I don't normally watch a lot of TV, but since I've been at this newer job, I've had a little more time to see what's on weeknights and weekends. Retail made it difficult to have any type of schedule. I've taken up watching a little bit of The Biggest Loser and American Gladiators [I have to be honest: The original was much better.]; however, for the first time last night I decided to tune in to The Moment of Truth. By the end of the show, I was just shaking my head in disbelief.

This show had a girl named Lauren Cleri who seemed sweet enough: She's a hairstylist who loves animals and just got married two years ago to her husband, Frank (ironically enough, her ex-boyfriend's name is also Frank). I knew something bad had to be coming when Lauren said, "The money is no object to me. I just want to get these things off my chest." Guilty conscience? I think Frank is in for a big shot to the heart.
This video shows the last three questions of the episode. Earlier, she'd already been tested with her faithfulness by being asked if she'd ever removed her wedding ring to appear as if she were single, and she truthfully answered that she had. That alone was a sign to me that she has no regard for or sensitivity towards her husband and marriage.

My question is this: Why get married if you don't really want to be married? It's a waste of time, money, and broken hearts. If you can't be monogamous, then you shouldn't walk down the aisle. Unfortunately, this is happening so often these days; especially with people my age. I thought marriage meant being with your partner (and only your partner) until death do you part, but I suppose maybe my husband and I are just old fashioned that way. We follow the rules of marriage the way it should be (unless you're a swinger, but don't even get me started on that), and we don't do it because we feel like we have to because now we're "stuck with each other," but we want to because we love each other.

If she still had feelings for an ex-boyfriend on her wedding day, then I'm pretty sure she saw it coming long before she put on that wedding dress and the ring was slipped on her finger. Not only that, she felt like she should be married to that guy instead. This girl is definitely not marriage material if she can't get herself focused on one person and let go of the past.

Am I one of the few people that gets absolutely frustrated when I see a marriage being jeopardized because someone is being stupid and can't keep it in their pants/keep their legs closed? I think Webster needs to update its definition of marriage to fit today's society: "Noun; the social institution under which a man and a woman temporarily commit to one another without any basis of loyalty, faithfulness, trust, or respect."

One Quick Voting Request

A friend from high school was picked as one of the top ten finalists to sing the jingle for Bonnell's Collision. Her name is Mary Jo Titus, and she has a beautiful voice. That little jingle doesn't do any justice for the real talent she has, but I'd still like you guys to help her out and vote!

If you click here, you'll be directed to the page where you can vote. The poll is on the left, but you can also watch the video if you so desire. You can vote once per day per computer (or vote once on Firefox and once on IE on the same computer each day).

This girl really deserves to win. She was the only one that supported me for Erie Idol the first year since none of my family or friends bothered to come. Neither of us made it onto the next round (which we figured out how it was weighted by the number of people that came to see you, so we didn't stand a chance), but it helped having her there to hang out with.

So anyway, vote, vote, vote! She'd appreciate it! Plus, the girl in the lead (pardon me) isn't very good...

Exercise and Another Blogger Get-Together

Ok, I know it's been quite a while since I last blogged, but ever since I've been doing this workout program, I've been on a completely different plane, and most of my time has been wrapped up in that. I'm finding foods that are better for me to eat, so I'm working on my diet, as well...but you guys don't want to hear about all this anymore, I'm sure.
I will say this though: It is coming along really well, and I'm already starting to see some definition in my abs. Can't say I'm at all unsatisfied thus far.

Anyway, it's time for yet another blogger meeting tomorrow evening. This time we'll be at Borders starting at 7:00pm. Even if you don't want to hang out with us, you can sit in a corner with your book and stare while you sip your mochachino. Whatever works for you...but we would like you to get to know us all. We're a fun bunch.

Maybe I'll pick up some "delicious" baja chicken soup from Moe's to sip on while I read Dostoevsky...

More P90X...

Oy, this is a sorry sight to see: I'm sitting here singing to Barbra Streisand. Please tell me that one of you is belting out Backstreet Boys right now.

Anyway, I'm still sticking with the P90X program, and--man--it's kickin' my butt royally. Today was my third day, and it was a cardio workout, which was quite a break from the first two days. It had some yoga [I can now see why people lose weight doing that.], Kenpō, plyometrics, and core work.
I started on the classic program for the first day and decided to switch to lean since it entails a lot of cardio and shoulder/arm exercises with some legs and back thrown in. That's what I really want to focus on. Yesterday was core synergistics, and I didn't realize how truly weak my core was until I was trying to do those exercises. I held out a lot better than I thought I would and was even able to do the bonus exercises without too much trouble, but that workout was killer. I think I've finally found myself a real challenge. My entire body is writhing in muscle-soreness, but as they say: No pain; no gain.

Come May/June I want to be able to have the strength and physique to do some drawn-out bike rides and runs. I want to be able to get out to the Peninsula more often to keep this up because--let's face it--I'm not getting any younger, and that just makes it that much harder to keep weight off and stay in shape. I'm already starting to feel it, and I'm not quite 24 yet. I hate to see what I'd be like at 30 without exercising and dieting.

Keep me motivated, guys!

A Little Late for Resolutions But...

I think I've finally decided to push myself into better health. My husband has been trying to get me to actively go to the gym on a weekly basis for several years now. It’s been extremely frustrating for him, I can imagine. Working out is something that he enjoys doing, and it’s a healthy hobby. I’ve tried to adopt that into my lifestyle, and I’ve gone in and out of it for the past four years. I guess I just feel a little uncomfortable and somewhat distracted when I work out in the presence of a bunch of people.
When I was a teenager, I was a lot better about exercising. My diet wasn’t necessarily in check, but I went outside and did a lot of cardio-based exercises. I rode my bike practically everywhere [This tends to explain why my calves are bigger than a lot of women’s.]. Once the weather started to get even a tiny bit warmer, I would bust it out and ride it to school over taking the bus or hitching a ride from a friend. As an added challenge, I would race the school bus home, which proved to be difficult, but I managed to do it a couple times. It’s the little things that get me excited and happy.

Now I’m finding that winter is taking a toll on me more and more every year. I see myself getting more senile and depressed each time it comes around. I do less and less, and I never feel like going out. Going to the gym is at the bottom of my list, which sucks because I want to be active. Bottom line: I just don’t want to go out. I do have the motivation to do something but no means of doing it at home (i.e. a decent weight set/resistance bands, curl bars/straight bars, benches, etc.). It makes me wish we had our own gym set.

I know a lot of people say, “I’m going to start working out but rather than getting a gym membership, I’m going to buy a Bowflex and work out at home! I’ll have washboard abs in no time!” Cut to two days after they’ve received the product, and it’s already catching dust. They never really had the true incentive to stick to a workout.
I don’t want to spend money on a Bowflex or Coreliminator (or whatever it's called). I don’t weigh 500 pounds and think I need to lose weight to get that beach body this summer. I just need weights, bars, bands, etc. to get myself going so I can be active again. Being bottled up in a house without being able to exercise for the duration of winter is no fun; especially for someone who loves being outdoors when it’s warm [Well—let’s face it—who doesn’t?].

Over the course of almost a year, I’ve seen these P90X infomercials running on occasion. The first time I saw one was when I couldn’t fall asleep one night and was up coughing, hacking, sneezing, and anything and everything else you want to throw in there (nice timing, right?). After having watched a few minutes of it, I was actually kind of impressed that they had a fairly legit workout program out there. You don’t know how sick I am of seeing ads for aerobic exercises, new machines to help you do crunches “more efficiently”, L.A. Weight Loss, and the like. They’re all a joke, and if they’re exercise DVDs, they make no mention of changing your diet; if they’re diet programs, they make no mention of exercise. Everyone is looking for the easy way to lose weight or be in shape without having to do any (or much) work.

Now, I obviously don’t need to lose weight because if you’ve ever seen me, I’m a stick compared to some people, so that’s not my motivation for wanting to get exercise. I just want to be in shape so I can feel better about myself and possibly have some more energy. That’s why I think I’m going to try P90X to see if it works for me. I’ve watched a lot of the different workouts they have in this series, and that’s enough to wear you out and make you work for everything you want. It’s better because the people they have on there aren’t just standing there smiling without a drop of sweat while they do these exercises. They’re actually struggling to get reps out. To me, that makes more sense and gives people a more realistic view of exercise instead of false hopes. Plus, they give you a diet guide, so it’s not just delving into the exercise aspect of it and completely ignoring the fact that you can’t drink Coke and eat Fritos while you’re doing this. Also, the fact that it contains pure weightlifting (with more than dinky, 1-pound dumbbells, mind you) doesn’t hurt.

I think the nicest thing about this program is that you don’t need tons of equipment to do the exercises. You just need dumbbells and a pull-up bar, basically, and if you don’t have the bar, then resistance bands with a door anchor can do the trick. It’s not exactly the same as doing a pull-up, but I guess faux pull-ups will have to be my workout for the time being.

I think this is a program I’m going to stick out and go through for 90 days (at least), and we’ll see how I look after that. I’ll get my diet in check and do these workouts relentlessly. My husband said he might even do a few with me, which would be cool. It’s nice to have a partner. Don’t expect any progress photos to be displayed on here. I’ll probably take some, but I can’t see myself showing the “interwebs” my midriff, so you’ll have to take a cold shower and forget about it…ha…ha…and ha.

When The Iron's Hot...

Sometimes when inspiration strikes, you have to do something about it. Saturday night I had a dream that I drew a picture of Heath Ledger [that was random, I know], and it really couldn't become any clearer for me that I needed to do just that. What better way to honor someone in their death than to depict them in art?
I went on a mad hunt for any type of magazine that might have several pictures of Heath in them. Maybe I was a bit premature since it hasn't even been a week since he died because I only found an Entertainment Weekly that contained one, full-page picture, plus the cover shot. It just wasn't worth my time and money.

I came home extremely disappointed because I really wanted to act on this. My inspiration in the realm of art strikes once in a blue moon, and I wanted to take advantage of it. My husband suggested looking on the internet even though we need more ink for the printer. I wasn't too thrilled about the idea, but I did it anyway.
Searching on Google was practically a waste of time, so I decided to try Flickr, and luckily, they had tons of great pictures to draw. I saved three to a disc and busted out my husband's laptop and went at it. I decided to take progress shots, so you can all see how it plays out. You can view these on my Flickr account. I'll try to get a little more done each day so you have something new to look at each night (well, newer).

I Have To Know

How about this snow...again? I was late for work for the first time in my life, and it wasn't even by a few minutes: It was ten. It might not seem like a lot to some of you, but for someone who absolutely hates being late for work, it was a big deal to me. Traffic was moving slow, the roads were slippery, and just when I thought I was taking a shortcut at 28th and Peach, everyone and their brother was trying to do the same. I would have been better off staying on Peach. I guess it was a bad judgment this morning.
At least I didn't have to feel too badly about being late since a lot of my coworkers were too. I was the first in my department (aside from my boss) to arrive. I guess I need to allow myself more than a half hour next time even though it normally takes me 15 minutes to get to work. I hate Erie.

Anyway, let's get to the task at hand: All around town there are intersections with lights that don't seemingly need them to begin with, but they're there. Only on occasion do you actually have to sit at said intersection for a few seconds while the other traffic has the green (i.e. prime spots of Water Street by GE, south of Main; and the new light on West Grandview and Schaper [I believe]). I've always wondered why the only time it seems to be red for the busier roads is when there's someone waiting for their light to turn green. I argue that there must be some type of sensor system set up at some lights to detect a car when it pulls up so the light can be changed. My husband says absolutely not.

Therefore, I'm looking for someone knowledgeable in this area who would know the true answer to this question. It comes up in conversation every so often, and neither one of us can determine who is correct. Not to get all Dear-Abby/Ask-Laskas on you guys, but I think both of us would like to know for peace of mind. So who is the crazier one? Ok, don't answer that last question.

Whoa!

I'm usually not that blown out of the water by celebrity deaths, but I can't believe they found Heath Ledger dead two hours ago. Makes me feel so sorry for his two-year-old daughter who will never really get to know him.
I'm just floored. First, Brad Renfro died last week at the age of 25 (leaving a child behind, as well); now Heath at 28. What's with young Hollywood dropping like flies the past week? Makes me wonder if Britney Spears really is next in line...

You Need A Better Plug

Last week, while flipping through channels on the television, I noticed an infomercial for J.D. Byrider. I don't put much stock in their company because I haven't heard anything but bad about them (i.e. their cars suck; their interest is high). I have to say if they're going to have actual customers--which I'm not sure if these were--rather than actors, they need to make sure they script what they say a little better than this. Here's what one woman said (I can't quote exactly because I don't recall everything word-for-word, but this is the gist of it):

I got a call from J.D. Byrider saying that they didn't have the car I wanted in, but they would be able to order it. Finally, I got a call from them saying they had the car I wanted, so I went over, and it was exactly what I was looking for. It was the exact color I wanted too, so I got it. Two weeks later, I had to take it in to be serviced, and I was able to pick it up the same day. I'm really pleased with the sales and service at J.D. Byrider.

Wait a minute: You had to take your car in to be serviced two weeks after purchasing it? After having said that, you're pleased with the sales and service of that company? I think if I had to take my car in two weeks after I got it, I'd be cursing the place I got it from; not praising it. If you think I'm going to purchase a car from you based on that, you're sorely mistaken.
Well, it just goes to show that you certainly get what you pay for...

*If you do nothing else today, make sure you at least read through the comments on this post. It will create a whole plethora of confusion around the globe.

Mr./Mrs. Rich

I can't stand many BMW/Audi/Mercedes-Benz owners. Not only do they think they're invincible, they think they own the entire road, and they're above petty laws such as the school zone speed.
I had one speed around me because I was going a "ridiculous" 18 mph in said school zone. I'd say if you're able to pass my car in a millisecond when I'm already going 3-5 miles above the limit, you're going way too fast.
It would just make my day if I witnessed the police pull over one of these guys and throw their entire schedule off by taking up as much time as possible to issue them a ticket. I think that'd really boil their bottoms...and it'd give me a reason to smile and hurl insults. Own3d!!

Public Etiquette Lesson #1

Don't watch porn on your laptop in a restaurant. No one wants to listen to that. I don't ever want to see Panera Bread turn into a whorehouse. Baguettes could have a whole new connotation.

I just realized that I'm probably going to get a thousand hits today because I have the word,"porn", in my blog (now twice). These people will be sorely disappointed.

Erie Bloggers Meetup...And Other News

This month's meeting will be tomorrow, January 8th at 7:00pm at Patrick's Restaurant in Harborcreek. I've been informed by Mr. Mahler that Lake Erie Lifestyle will be there to take a picture of all of us. I hope the turnout is good because this is the best publicity since the Erie Times wrote a story about us last year.
We're all nice and don't bite, so stop by and socialize with us.

Moving on...I'm about fed up with all the stupidity and ignorance of other people the past couple days because it's taking a toll on my car. Yes, pick the most expensive thing I own and try to damage it. I really appreciate that.
My husband and I were at Wegman's the other night, and as I was getting my things together before I got out of the car, the guy next to me flung his door open, and it smacked into my car and bounced a few times. I looked at him, and he didn't express any remorse or apologize for what he did. There's no way you couldn't realize you'd done it. It made a loud enough noise and shook my car. So I told my husband, and he ran after him and asked him what the deal was. Apparently, he was a total nutcase because he looked past my husband and was mumbling something. It was as if he weren't even there. Why do I park next to the idiots? I may as well have parked next to Britney Spears.

Then when I came home for lunch today, I noticed (or rather my husband did first) that my car had been egged in the back. I wasn't sure if it had happened last night or while I was in the parking garage at work, but I'd surmised that it probably happened at home. Either way, I was really upset. I love that car, and it's just getting banged up left and right. Can't I get a break?

Because It's Absolutely Necessary...

...to blog this (thanks, Eden).

What Monty Python Character are you?

Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!
Take this quiz!





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Well, the thing is, sir, I thought your son was a lady...

Disclaimer

Someone should have informed me when I got Guitar Hero that it comes with a free, lifetime supply of carpal tunnel. It must be in the fine print.

New Year...New Blog?

It's a new year already, so with that usually comes change. People make resolutions and often-times fail because they were either too unrealistic or just didn't put forth an effort after February. I don't personally make resolutions but rather like to do things on my own time, which is partly why this blog has basically gone nowhere the past few months. I'm trying to now figure out what exactly I need to work on.

After sitting through a meeting at work today regarding the changes in our company as a whole, it dawned on me that I need to do the same. They changed our site and spent lots of time getting it to where it's at, and the work definitely shows. I've had this particular blog up for half a year [I know the math isn't going to add up to some of you, but I transfered some old archives onto this one, which will explain why it's technically a year old.], and I haven't done a thing with it in regards to appearance. I've added widgets, but that's about it. I'd like to get my own personal layout like I used to have on my old site. Some liked it; some complained, but at least it fit me.
When our company was discussing the process of changing our logo and turning it into something that represents what we do, it made me brainstorm my own ideas for this blog. If I made a banner, what would be on it? What would it look like to best represent the content I blog about? That's not an easy question to answer because I've blogged about all different subjects. My true medium was complaining about customers, but now that I'm no longer in the retail business, that doesn't apply.

This leads me to my next question: What should I blog more about? What do you guys--as readers--like the most? What kept you coming back to my site in the first place? I guess these have all been questions in the back of my mind ever since I've been in this dry spell. I noticed that as long as I wrote a complaint well enough, I got comments--and sometimes a lot of them. Writing about learning Russian or cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner produced no interest whatsoever. That would lead me to believe you have more fun reading about my crappy day than a good day, but I don't know. You tell me.

What do you guys want to see out of this blog? A new layout will definitely be in the works, but some idea-pitching would be helpful. Oh, and I think a new vlog will be out in the near future since I haven't done one of those in several months. Those seemed to draw interest (and still do a little on YouTube).

Update: I just came up with a quick header which I don't even know if I'll keep or not, but I felt inspired at the moment. I've got more changes in the horizon, but for tonight I'm closing the book since I need to go into work for a little bit tomorrow. Let me know what you think.