Changing Your Body Requires Changing Your Lifestyle

HOW are you living?

Are you stuck in a rut, not feeling well most of the time, and just not living healthy?

How about feeling burned out and unmotivated?

Did you know burnout and frustration are the top reasons people give up and return to unhealthy habits? 

The problem is most of us are unwilling to change things about our life so positive changes can happen. You want the look and feel of good health but really aren't putting forth a change to experience change.

Straight up - change requires change. If you're unhappy with your health, body, or life in general, a deliberate choice to change needs to happen.  

The Struggle is Real

Sometimes it's a difficult process to implement necessary changes to better your health and life. Self-sabotage often gets in the way of your attempts to get healthy. Eating too much of the wrong things, not being able to resist temptations, and making excuses not to exercise are all examples of self-sabotage.

Getting mad about it doesn't bring about what needs to happen. Making a promise to yourself to change and following through with that change is what will make the difference in your life.

I suppose if anger was channeled into positive action and motivates positive change, then getting mad temporarily could be an OK thing. However, anger often leads to bitterness and a give-up attitude. It's best to remain positive while making positive changes. 

Change Takes a Choice

Change takes making a choice and having patience. It's also a focus on progress and not perfection. As you strive to change your health and fitness, it's important to realize it will be a journey and a challenge.

Remember challenges in life are what change you. They are the learning tools of becoming a healthy person physically and emotionally.

You have heard the saying 'do what you have always done and you will get what you have always gotten.' This is true for life, fitness, and health. Without changing what you're doing now, you will remain in the same state of unhealthiness.

It's important to start owning the unhealthy parts of your life so you can figure out what needs to be done to change each area. 

Be Honest with Yourself

Are you unhealthy, unhappy, stressed, anxious, angry or whatever question you want to answer? Why and what needs to be done to change that? Write it down.

The goal for each of us is to implement appropriate changes to create healthy change in our life. Once health is made a priority, you will start feeling better and motivated to make even more positive changes. 

What areas in the list below require a change to improve your health:

• I need to eat better
• I need to exercise
• I need to reduce stress
• I need to deal with this anger problem
• I need to have a better balance in my life
• I need to sleep better
• I need to drink more water
• I need to stop smoking
• I need to reduce my alcohol intake
• I need to start making my health priority

Improving your health and fitness reduces illness, enables you to handle stress, and creates a happier state of well-being. 

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Life's Journey Lately

Blogging and social media are ambiguous. On one side, I love sharing random pictures and writings of my daily life happenings - even the most monotonous that I get poked fun at. Additionally, I enjoy looking into everyone's lives: because of curiosity, to find new beauty tricks,  see new products, and/or find motivation, etc. 

On the other side, sometimes I just want to be quiet. Sometimes I do not want to share about my life, what I am doing, and things like that. When that happens, people close to me or who read here regularly get concerned. It makes me emotional because I am still in awe that people read and follow my writings. I will never get over that either. I will never stop thanking people for reading, believing in me and seeing the good even when I can't. 

Lately I have been in one of the "hermit" moods. My state of mind where I do not want to "publicly" share what is going on. There is not anything wrong, I have just felt in the mood to keep to myself a little more. Being the extrovert I am and how open I have been, I know that may sound odd, but I consider it a "phase". 

I feel as if I am starting a new journey in life. I am finally free of heartache and the life I had. It took one freaking year, but I can tell you, I am absolutely free of it. Now that the smoke around me has finally settled and I can see through clear eyes, I feel different. 

I do not feel weighed down by chains. I absolutely still have my inner demons that come to play more often than not, but I do not have the chains of putting myself, my heart, and my dreams last because I cared more about another person. 

I have not felt this way in over 3 years.

For the most part of this year, I have worked. All of my my time has been spent by working my regular job with a lot of overtime and extra dedication, growing "Fitness Blondie" and not just as a blog, and starting a novel. Plus, numbing myself. Most of the time the only way I could do that was by working.

It is a lot. It's productive and it is essential to me as single woman who is solely responsibility for everything in life, but it is exhausting. At first, I had no balance and I wore myself out tremendously. After I recovered, I proceeded to get better at finding a balance. 

Then a couple of weeks ago, I found myself begging internally for a break. My regular job is busier than ever with everyone more stressed than ever. That is what pays my bills and allows me to have a roof over my head, so it must come first. After the work day is done, I am craving fun and adventure -- more than just a Saturday night. 

Thus I have been going out a lot lately; doing different things. Surprisingly, getting back to my "country" roots some. I have made a ton of new friends. I have laughed and made fun memories, and I have enjoyed myself. 

On the contrary, I know that I have to get back down to business so I don't lose you guys, and I definitely will. I am still here. I have just needed a break. 

Since writing is my outlet, my escape, my high, and everything in between, I have been working hard on my novel. I enjoy that a lot because it is only me and my characters. It almost feels like when I am writing, I am in another world. I like that. 

I have also had this awful cold for over a week and a half now. It is about to drive me insane since there is nothing you can do but stay loaded up on over the counter medications until it passes.

I also got my hair done Monday. I am back to my blonde with red streaks... except there was a problem. My best friend/stylist's sink was clogged up when she was rinsing my color and she did not know it. Thus the rinsed red die was still in the bowl as she was taking out my blonde foils. The result? Pink everywhere. We spent last night trying to do as much damage control as we could, but I am now officially a hot mess. Now I just have to wait for it to fade. I will post a picture when I get the guts.

Other than that, I have truly just been trying to figure things out. I feel different and I feel like I am starting a new chapter and new journey with life. It's exciting, intriguing and still a bit scary. But I have come to realize that I do not have all the answers, and sometimes, I just have to take my feelings and plans one day at a time. Through realizing this, it prompted me to keep to myself a little more than normal. 

I'm still here though, I am just finding that balance (especially with work stress) and I am excited for my friends and readers to go through this journey with me. Like I always say: weight loss, fitness, life... we're all in this together. 

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Lovely News

I have to be honest with you all. 

I have been hiding something from you. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, I am a doubting Thomas. I don't really believe that something good is going to happen until it actually happens. This is especially true when it is something that I have absolutely no control over. I mean, I doubt no matter what, while at the same time hoping that plans will go through, but still keeping that low expectation in my mind so I won't be disappointed later on. I know that is no way to be, since it limits my getting super excited over anything because there is always a seed of..."will it really happen?" in my mind.

Also, I feel like if I say it out loud and then it doesn't happen, I look like a flake, or like someone who doesn't follow through, even if it wasn't my fault that the thing didn't happen. So I just keep my mouth shut until things are in place. 

I am a planner, so when I know for sure something is happening, I like to do everything I can to make it go smoothly and be perfect, but if there is a chance it won't happen, I am kind of at loose ends, not knowing if I should start buying stuff/moving stuff/working on things/organizing things/making plans or if I should just sit back and wait. Which I am NOT good at.

Anyway, this time the waiting has paid off. Mr Lovely, who recently decided to go back to school, applied for some research projects with different schools around the country and he got accepted for one in Santa Cruz, which is about 60 miles away from San Francisco. The project is for 10 weeks and it starts in a week! I am excited because as you may or may not know, he lives near Boston and we only see each other once in a while, so this will be some much needed time spent together. Also, what better place to spend a summer than on the beach!?

Lighthouse Point Park

We had a heck of a time finding an apartment. We wanted something furnished. Since it is only 10 weeks, it doesn't really makes sense for me to move all my furniture etc down there (my storage is about 200 miles away), load it and unload it, just to load it up and move it back in a couple of months. However, you may be surprised, but apparently we are not the only ones looking for a furnished, short term rental near the beach for the summer.  So we went with plan B, which is to get an unfurnished place. I have the essentials already, like kitchen stuff, linens, some small appliances and bedding. Our next adventure is a trip to the thrift store for (hopefully) a couple of ugly cheap pieces of furniture which we will have Salvation Army pick up at the end of the summer.

Something like THIS maybe? (source)

Or this? (source)

So right now my car is jam packed full of odds and ends. Our move in date is set for June 3. We are ready for a new adventure! Bring it on!

Have you ever been to Santa Cruz? Do you have any tips on buying used furniture?

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Can You Spare Some Change?

Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.
Hugh Prather

I bet you thought I was going to talk about money. Well, I'm not. I AM going to talk about change, but not the dollar and cents kind. 

I have been working in the same location for about 3 months. I have a manager who I finally figured out what he wants. I have coworkers who I know and trust and can call up if I need advice or help or a coffee break. I have clients that I have developed a relationship with. They know me (and maybe even like me). I have a running trail and I know exactly how long it takes to get there and back and where each mile point is. I have a grocery store close by. I know exactly how long it takes to get to the airport from here. I have a kitchen in my hotel room and I can make a big meal and stockpile it for the week.

Well, just like Mr. Prather (above) says, just when you get comfortable, boom! That is when things change. We have finished our work here and are moving on today, to a new city, with new clients, a new manager, and new coworkers. I will be in a new hotel and have to figure out where the best place to run is. I don't WANT to have to figure it out. I want to be where I know what I am doing. I hate the feeling of not knowing. I don't have time to check it out. I want to know NOW. (Violet Beauregard anyone!?)   

The only hotel is a Holiday Inn. No kitchen. I will be lucky if I have a fridge and a coffee pot. Not that I am snobby about the hotel, but I do like to have certain amenities to help me eat cheaper and healthier. I have not yet found any running trails. I have to run 17 miles the weekend after next. I really don't want to have to run on the streets the whole time. 

Some people like change. A new hairdo, new house, new dinner menu or new friends. I am not adverse to any of those...sometimes... but usually I stick with what I know, the same long hair, a big pot of chili and that great girlfriend who you can tell anything to. Those are comfortable. They take less time and effort. So maybe that is what is scary about change, you have to take more time and work harder in order to make it work.  Or maybe you just anticipate having to work harder, whether that is the reality or not.

I am sure I will go to the new place and then new manager will be a great guy and all my new coworkers will be very helpful and the running trail will eventually be found and my new hotel will have free healthy dinners ever day (okay I just made that one up). It's hard, starting at the beginning again. But I've done it over and over, as much as I don't like it (and let me tell you, that's a lot). And I can do it again. Everything will work out in the end. I know everything will be fine. But right now I am not looking forward to it.  

Do you like change? What is a big change that has happened in your life recently? How did you deal with it? 

***Also, we have a winner for the My Memories Giveaway... picked by Random.org***

** Lisa of Lisa's Yarns ** 

I will contact you via email to confirm details!  

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