http://annieology.com the science of awesome Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en MichaelRunner [1] mentioned this morning that he'd tagged me in his meme.  This made me deliriously happy and made me question the amount of excitement my life has had recently.  Either way.  Check him out, he's one of my favoritest people on the planet. Rules: Post these rules. You must post 11 random things about yourself. Answer the questions set for you in their post. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them. No stuff in the tagging section about “you are tagged if you are reading this”. You legitimately have to tag 11 people. 11 Random Things About Me I spent the odd numbered days of 2011 doing pushups.  I was unable to do one "real" pushup on January first and ended up doing 365 on December 31. Pushups and running have changed my life in ways I never imagined. Two years ago my diet consisted of the four food groups: Frozen, fast, shelf stable and processed. I stopped feeding my body and started fueling it. I had an autoimmune disease for 12 years.  Doctors told me I'd never be well.  Six weeks of proper nutrition gave me what my own doctor called a "lucky lab day" and I haven't had any problems since. I think the body will heal itself of almost anything if we step out of the way. I want to get three tattoos.  I already have three.  I need an intervention before I look like a ransom note or kids collage project from preschool. Until this year I have not had a truly real best friend.  Now I have two. I think men who carry guns are the sexiest men on the planet. In order to get my attention you have to have run a marathon. I have no time or patience for men without a goal and dedication. My toes are painted to cover up that they are black. 11 Questions for me to answer In one sentence, why did you start running? I started running because I remembered how much I loved it when I used to do it. Do you wear running tights? Do you wear shorts over them? Yes, when it's cold, which it never is here, and no I do not wear shorts over them. Athletically speaking, if you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do/buy? I would make a healthy food chain with playgrounds as an alternative to the McDonald's monopoly on cheap indoor play places. If you could pick one training partner, anyone at all, living or dead, who would it be? I want Michael Phelps to teach me how to swim. What actor/actress would you choose to play YOU in the movie of your life? Christina Hendricks cuz she's sofa king hot. What is you favorite blog post that you have written? (include a link) {damnit} It used to be the one where I bummed a smoke from the ice cream man.  I'm not that person anymore.  I'm this person [2]. If you could be the best in the world at any sport, which sport would you choose and why? Hand stander.  Yes, they have competitions.  It's an interesting conversation and freakin awesome to do things that not many people can. Who inspires you the most and why. I am inspired by people who change their lives.  People who want to lose weight bad enough to do something about it.  People who have goals and complete them.  People who give up the good for the better.  People who constantly are living outside of their comfort zone. Finish this sentence: “2012 is going to be a great year because…” I'm going to be elected President #annie2012 (ok maybe not of anything bigger than my own fan club, but still) Plus, my life is all new. Fill in the blank: I would rather _________ than watch the Super Bowl. {edited for content} If any liquid on earth could be the ultimate recovery drink, what would you want it to be? Whataburger chocolate shake. 11 Questions For You to Answer The song you want to listen to when you get in your car and can turn the music all the way up? If you knew you only had a year to live, what would you do? Have you ever read the terms of agreement? Which reality show will you be stuck in for all eternity if it turns out that you don't make it thru the Pearly Gates? What is  your Super Power? What gets you out of bed every morning? Favorite meal? Celebrity crush? Internet crush? If I showed up on your doorstep and said "Pack your bags" where would you want to go? What's the one thing you wish you hadn't had to learn the hard way? 11 people I'm tagging Megan from Slimming Tater [3] Amanda from Keep It Complicated [4] Darren from "I know you are reading please out yourself already" feel free to use the comment section, they are moderated. Becca from Becca's Crazy Boys [5] Evin from Food Good Laundry Bad [6] I don't suppose I can tag Michael back...... Danielle from @TactFilter [7] 11. (what 11 always comes after 7) The Boring Runner [8] already did one of these Well that's it.  Have fun.  xoxo [1] http://michaelrunner.com/2012/02/tagged.html [2] http://annieology.com/midnight-miles/ [3] http://slimmingtater.blogspot.com/ [4] http://keepitcomplicated.me/ [5] http://ourcrazyboys.com/about/ [6] http://www.foodgoodlaundrybad.com [7] http://twitter.com/tactfilter [8] http://www.theboringrunner.com/2012/01/11-random-things.html http://annieology.com/tag-im-it-11-things/ Once upon a time I had a discussion.  We debated the finer points of "Home is where the heart is vs Home is where you hang your hat." Cliche v. Cliche I fall squarely into the camp of "Home is where your heart is." Do not get me wrong.  My house....that I left....is an awesome house.  My heart no longer hangs there. A month ago I faced the reality that living from couch to couch to extended stay hotel was not working for me.  I needed a place to hang my hat.  Heart optional.  I just wanted a place where all my stuff would be so I knew where to look for it when I needed it.  It was a stop gap between married and divorced.  It was just a place to hang my hat. Last night my girls came over to throw me a house home warming. We ate (too much).  We drank (too much).  We laughed (too much not enough).  We may have even cried and said things we wish we could take back.  We shared secrets and hopes and dreams and spent way too much time posing for candid shots. There is no furniture in my apartment.  There is a bed, a tv on shelves.  A microwave cart or two.  (Yet no microwave, I'm not getting one).  and that's about it.  I have pretty deck chairs that I move from living room to balcony as the whim dictates.  I have a couple of air mattress for when the kids come over or one of my slumber party guests prefer not to share a bed with three other women. Last night, it changed from the place where I hang my hat to the place where I hang my heart.  My tribe breathed its life into the place.  Blessed it with its laughter.  Christened it with its tears.  Shared its secrets so the walls have something to talk about.  Warmed it with its love. If Ty Pennington were here he would say.... "Welcome home Annie.  Welcome home." (and also he'd blow it up, because come on.  The kitchen is stock appliances and particle board cabinets.) http://annieology.com/a-tribal-housewarming/ Let's face it.  I'm a perfectionist. It's true.  Stop laughing.  Grab a DSM V and look it up. It is true. Most days I don't blog because I can't think of a clever title.  There is no SEO going on here. In reality, my only category is annieology, unless it specifically talks about running. Of course I think of a clever title as soon as people start tumblering it (hahahahaha) Like I've ever been tumbled. Anyway.... I guess the topic at hand this week is we have moved from probably divorcing to "yep, we're divorcing". It's fine. In fact.  It's too fine. I am wondering when I'm going to realize it isn't fine. In reality, my marriage has been over for a year, all of my grieving for it is done.  What surprises me is that I'm not looking for next. Being in a relationship doesn't really appeal to me at the moment.  I am ok without one.  For now. There is a lot of crap that needs unpacked in my life, and I intend to unpack it.  I have learned that identifying the problem is more than half the battle and that if I can find the problem, I can focus on it and eliminate it. For the past few weeks I have been pouring over diets and nutritional principals.  I have been doing various "diets" to learn the pros and cons.  Ayurveda, Four Hour Body, Raw, Juice, well, you know.  There are as many diets as there are people.  Turns out, we are all individuals. Last night, for fun, I watched a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  It followed a guy who had the typical Western diet.  He ate from the food groups Fast, Frozen, Shelf Stable and Processed.  At the beginning of the documentary he was on 10 medications.  He had Ultracaria, it is an autoimmune skin disorder.  He had seen numerous doctors and spent 40 plus days in the hospitals getting tests and no one could figure out what was wrong. Over the course of two months he went off all medications and cured all that ailed him by changing his diet and exercise.  He also looked AMAZING. This is exactly why I am doing what I do. Nutrition and exercise works.  It worked for me.  I have changed the outside.  My muscles are defined, my skin is smooth and clear, and recently, I discovered that I have no cellulite.  None.  Had it.  Don't have it.  My original goal was to fix the inside.  I too had an autoimmune disorder.  My body thought my thyroid was a foreign body and has been, under medical supervision even, been attacking it for years.  Only when I asked the question, why aren't we fixing the real problem, did I learn that medicine cannot do that. This past week I met a lady, she had horrible arthritis and back pain.  Upon a consult with an orthopedist was given the option, surgery or drugs.  She was not down with that and decided, I'll try exercise.  She is pain free without medical intervention.  All it takes is simple easy exercises daily.  Less time than it takes to run to the pharmacy for a refill. What makes me sad about this is that the doctor didn't even mention it as an option.  He was ready to book the OR but not suggest that she do something for herself.  Of course he cannot bill her insurance for her taking control of her health, so let's not hold our breath that we will ever get help from the medical community. Don't get me wrong, I get hit by a bus, I hope to God I'm near a doctor. But the diseases that we are bringing upon ourselves because of a lazy, ignorant lifestyle.  That is where the doctors of the world need to say, "hey, just get off your ass and stop eating all that crap." As a personal trainer and nutritionist, I get to say that.  I get to say, "Hey, just get off your ass and stop eating all that crap."  If you don't like it, you can always pack an overnight back and have someone cut you open.  No harm to me. Well, Annie, that is easy for you to say.  You are fucking awesome! Well, I haven't always looked like this.  Two years ago, I was overweight.  I worked out for a year, and was still....overweight. I did not cross the threshold into "normal" for 18 months.  I probably could have worked a little harder and done it a little faster, but I wanted a complete and total lifestyle change. Even though it took me a couple of years, it taught me something.  It is possible.  It is not hard.  Consistency and time are all you need. OK great, but we don't know what to do.  That is why you have me. I am more than happy to help.  I'll even put up with a little whining.  What I won't do is put up with excuses.  If 90 year old women can drag themselves to the pool every day, and chemo patients can train for Ironman then really, I don't think your story excuse will get me to change my mind. So, let me know if I can help you. I'll give away sessions for blog title posts. http://annieology.com/this-may-in-fact-remain-the-title-of-this-post/ This week I participated in a discussion about fear.  What is it that I am really afraid of? I was asked to write down two fears I had. Because I am just starting out in a new career as a health and fitness coach, I focused on my fears as they relate to that. I fear that I do not have the confidence to pull it off. I fear that I don't have the knowledge to help people Next task was to ask myself if those fears were true, or just something I have been telling myself, or letting someone else tell me. Is it true that I lack confidence as it relates to helping others with diet and exercise? Yes.  That is true. Is it true that I lack knowledge? No, no it isn't.  I know a LOT of stuff.  I know more stuff than people who know stuff.  I am not nearly popular enough to not have to know stuff.  Which, hello...I have an abundance of knowledge. So, what to do with that information? When I thought that I lacked the knowledge, my focus has been to gain more knowledge.  I have researched every diet that comes my way.  I can give you the finer points of Raw, 4 hour, Blood type, Ayurvedic, Atkins, local, blah blah blah blah blah and the list goes on and on and on.  You know, there is a diet written by just about everyone.  "I ate nothing but grass for a year and I feel great!" Well, that's just great! Happy for you but, I'm not eating grass for a year. So, I can put that fear to rest.  I know stuff. What I had to do then, was find a new fear.  Maybe lacking confidence had bolstered my need to gain knowledge.  We've established that lacking knowledge isn't a fear.  What is that fear? I'm afraid I can't communicate my knowledge effectively. Shazam! Had I not figured this out, I would spend the next 10 years learning more and more and more about something that I never told anyone about. Discovering that my fear was really that I am afraid I can't communicate my knowledge effectively changes the game.  I can stop seeking knowledge that I already have and work on communicating.  Which I can do.  Communicating is a skill.  I can learn skills.  I can practice that skill.  I can say "screw you shoulder devil, I know stuff and you can't tell me I don't know stuff anymore". Better yet, developing my communication skills will build my confidence and both of those fears will be gone. And then I have to find new fears. Which doesn't scare me at all. http://annieology.com/what-are-you-really-afraid-of/ When we last spoke I was on my way to Phoenix to NOT run a half marathon. Yeah. That didn't happen. I totally ran it. I totally intended to be good, but road to hell and all.... (paved with good intentions) It was pretty much over for me not running when I went to the expo and someone coerced me onto a treadmill. It didn't take much. Once I hit 6.7 mph I was like "DAMMIT I'M RUNNING" As you'll remember my doctor said "no running" of course he has to say that. He may have gone to medical school, but he did not go to Annie school. He knows statistics, but I know me. I decided I was going to take it easy. Really easy. Like 50% slower than normal easy. Yep. I pretty much walked the first 5k. Each mile marker I stopped and honestly assessed my hip. My water. My nutrition. I honestly felt fine. Had I decided a quarter mile earlier that I totally had it, I'd have finished in under 3 hours. Which 3 hours for a half isn't gonna get me into the Olympics, but I was supposed to be DNS. Do not start. Now, in running circles, DNS is worse than DNF, (did not finish) which is worse than DFL. Dead freakin last. Dead freakin last always beats DID NOT START. Of course had I felt that I could have further injured myself I would have set this one out. But I felt great! So, I started. and I finished. [1] Then I went out to eat with people I met on the Internet. and no one killed anyone. That whole bit is overplayed by the news. Can you be killed by someone you meet on the Internet? Probably. Hasn't happened yet. It was good. Monday I put my butt on a plane and came home. After I got my courtesy grope from the screeners at the airport. Thanks taxpayers. While on the plane I did some school work. A writing exercise to figure out two fears I had. I wrote two down. After careful analysis I realized that one of my fears was not true. It was not a valid fear. I could stop thinking I was afraid of it. WHICH ROCKED. I can find a new fear. Which I did. It is a fear. It is a problem. It can be fixed. It's like I won the lottery. Tuesday is joint counseling day with Tech Support. Last week I moved into anger, this week he caught up. Every day our marriage is a little more over than it was the day before. I'm dealing with that. Which is something new. I have never dealt with a break up. Just moved on. Which sucks. Because, I really don't NEED anyone. Of course I want someone, but I don't NEED anyone. I could have dealt with this 20 years ago. That'd been better. Wednesday, Tech Support moved back into denial, like I had. My feet are still firmly planted in anger. And I'm angry that he's in denial. Thursday I got some clarity. It was an individual counseling session. I really like my counselor and I think it's helping. Plus, I cleaned my car. And some guy put pictures of my butt on the Internet (totally with my consent) If you want to learn about foam rolling [2] go check out the post by @michaelrunner [3] Friday ushers in 6 weeks of having three 7 year olds. The twins are SEVEN. We Throw Frisbees?? Yeah, so... That covers my week. Until next time. Be awesome!! [1] http://annieology.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20120120-022807.jpg [2] http://michaelrunner.com/2012/01/how-to-foam-roll-foam-rolling-101.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Michaelrunner-AnAspiringEnduranceAthlete+%28MichaelRunner+-+An+Aspiring+Endurance+Athlete%29 [3] http://twitter.com/michaelrunner http://annieology.com/its-friday-again/ It was the best of times. It was the worst of times..... Do I have to credit that? It came from a book, by a guy, I read it in a peanuts strip once. I don't know, it basically is just a prop to get me out of writing my own intro. I am medically out of running this weekend. Which Suuuuucks as I am getting on a plane in eight hours to go to the city were I was going to run, and well, not run. Fortunately there are fake Internet people waiting to entertain me on the other end of my plane ride. Yes, I meet people on the Internet and then stay at their houses. This weeks lucky winner of me is @myrandomolgy [1] who for those of you who are new here, once came to my house via the Internet and two planes an a car ride and we fell madly in love and lived happily ever after for a couple of days before she disappeared back into the Internet. It's like the Matrix only more boring. Monday, I spent about 37 years trying to get the govt to acknowledge that my former orphans were a. born b. still alive. c. adopted out of foster care and needed new socials. That was fun. After spending 29.2 years there, I was informed that the several pieces of paper I had been told to bring did not complete the paperwork picture and I needed more paperwork, so a quickie round trip to the house and back I lucked out and got the same guy. So, lucky I didn't have to explain all over what I needed. He worked on the paperwork for 19 seconds and announced he was leaving for the day. it was 3:25...... when do you go home? 4:00 - so you can't put those numbers in your computer today? Nope.... but You can leave your certified adoption decree (THE ONLY CERTIFIED COPY THAT EXISTS) and your three certified original birth certs and come back for them when I finish them sometime Tuesday or a week after next Christmas. Heyall no. I have spent 97 days here waiting for this. In the past 6 months I have been here repeatedly trying to prove to the govt standard of 8011 pages that they exist and that their birth family abused them and they need new socials. I am not leaving today, you have picked the wrong week to piss me off, sit down and finish this. OK so what I've done is rejected your application and you can appeal. CAN I DO THAT TODAY??? I did and I waited 749 more minutes and had a lovely lady help me and I left with a piece of paper that said I'd applied for numbers. This is who you want making your medical decisions people. Remember this is what you wanted when you get it. So, that was fun. Tech Support and I had a common enemy for the day and got along swimmingly. That was Monday. On Tuesday, I remembered I was angry, and boy was I. I was so angry I decided that I was going to go all in and be sofa king angry. He mistook my anger for hatred here we are Friday morning. I'm hurt, thus the anger. He, I cannot speak for. Just know that no one is having any fun. Except for me, when I went and shot things at the gun range for an hour. That was fun. Then I road tripped on Wednesday. and that was fun, until an hour left in the trip and I just wanted to be home. but before that it was fun. plus I got my computer fixed which was nice, so I got Internet ordered today. The Internet says it will take 11 days to get here, because it's stupid. When it shows back up, I will pick a new weekly winner of "who in the Internet gets to let me sleep on their couch next". It's like the Matrix only more boring. [1] http://twitter.com/myrandomology http://annieology.com/friday/ Saturday I ran hills. Wonky hip was not happy with that decision and has been a pain in my ass since. So, I went to see my doctor (who needs a blog name) and he grounded me. No running. Three things. Choose the whine decibel you hear in your own head. 1. I have a half marathon in PHX on Sunday. 2. But I don't wanna be grounded. 3. My hip really hurts. Let it be known that I have ignored his doctors orders before. shhhh Yes, I know he went to medical school. His letters do not make him the boss of me. I went to hippie school. I am in touch with my feelings and the universe. If my feelings and the universe say its ok to run on Sunday, I will run on Sunday. It's not that I don't value medical opinion or skill. If I ever get shot my doctor will be very important to me. The rest of it can be skewed. Will I die if I run on a wonky hip? No. Will I risk further injury? Yes, but I risk injury every single day that my ass leaves the couch. Starting with a wonky hip may increase the risk, but starting whole does not eliminate my risk of injury. As much as I want to run, I am not an idiot. I understand that I could be out three months as opposed to three weeks. This is also why I didn't make a mileage goal for the year. We are ten days in, I have 5 miles under my belt and am grounded for the foreseeable future. This would be where my nerd brain tells me, that I'm already 50 miles short and I'll never catch up ever especially of I lose another 75-100 miles. Give up! One thing I've gotten a lot better at over the years is living for today. What gets me through today in a direction towards my goals. I want to run half's and fulls and I want to do an Ironman. PHX is total BS against that goal, but it's still a goal and I want to do it if I can. That being said, if over the next five days you speak to a deity or feel the urge to lay hands on my ass, for heeling, feel free to do so. http://annieology.com/im-grounded/ How is everybody feeling? Getting into the habit of doing something every day? Today we take it up a notch, and by notch, I mean double. I want you to walk for 10 minutes, as briskly as you can. That's it. 10 minutes. Use the time to think. Think about who you are going to be next Christmas. Think about who you are right now. think about which of those parts are coming with you and which parts you need I leave behind. I'm not talking about the weight. The weight will take care of itself when you take care of you. I'm talking about habits, routines, patterns of thinking that you've had for so long you believe them. For me, the pattern of thinking I had to kill was that I was lazy. LAZY? Me??? I am a freakin energizer bunny who can't sit still for ten minutes. I do more in one day than the army. The entire army. Ok, not every day. I re evaluated my "laziness" and decided that it was a label someone had given me a lifetime ago. I was not in fact, lazy. It took me almost two years to not use it as an excuse. Now if someone were to refer to me as lazy, I would laugh hysterically. I will be thinking of what things I need to leave behind this year. What parts of me get to go into 2013, assuming the Mayans are wrong.... If you can't walk due to injury, please see a doctor or physical therapist to help you come up with exercise that suit your needs. I would also caution you to listen to your body. When you are exercising discomfort is not a bad thing. Pain on the other hand needs to be listened to. If you feel pain, step it back. If pain persists see someone about it. Please tell me your wins. I love to hear them. http://annieology.com/day-10-myhc/ Last night I ran into a friend of ours. The "he" part of a couple that Tech Support and I have known for many years. At one point I think we had more meals together than we did apart. At one point I would consider them close. He knows I left my husband. He has apparently grilled him for details. I doubt any were given as we aren't really sharing the details with many. We talked about his family and his job and his Christmas. Not once did he ask me how I was. Just the awesomeness that is his life. Which I'm happy for, but hey, a conversation is a dialogue not a monologue. One of the things I've been working on is finding people who are on my side. Right or wrong, if someone is busting my ass about something they choose my side. Maybe we have a discussion about it later where they tell me what an idiot I am, but in the moment. They are all on my team. Since I left I've had to do a little out with the old and in with the new. I've been meeting new people. Who asks how I am vs who tells me how they are. It's been insightful. It seems so basic and yet, people aren't doing it. They want to know "what happened" or what's "going to happen" I don't know. The people who ask me how I am, those are the people I want to be with. Does it really matter what happened? To you? Is my tale of woe going to help you be a better you? As for what's going to happen, what am I, a psychic? No, what lies behind and before matters little to what lies within. Thank you quote of the day. Can I go back a rewrite it so that I don't get here? No I cannot. Can I learn from it, certainly. What matters right now is "How are you? Really?" and knowing its ok to answer. Maybe I am fine, maybe I just say I am fine. Either way, your job is to believe me. Or listen if I'm not. it really isn't too hard to be a person, or fake it if you aren't. http://annieology.com/ask-me-how-i-am/ We are a week into the health challenge of 2012. Y'all are rocking it. My heart grows three sizes when y'all text or tweet me your wins. I am so proud of you for doing this for yourselves. I hope you are trusting the process. Today is Friday. In my house that means it Tryday. I try out new recipes or foods I never have. Today I'm going to introduce you to my little friend Ch ch ch chia. Yes, like the pet. Chia is my health food choice. I haven't gotten on board with Kale, or Quinoa or a thousand other things but chia. Chia I love. For me chia was for running. It keeps me hydrated without ever feeling sloshy. While the masses are spending $3/pack for Gu. I spend $10 on a 80 serving nag of chia. Maybe they are bigger better badder runners, but whatever. The thing I've learned thru running is the one person you are racing is yourself. I am a whole food raw food barefoot runner. In my opinion science does not beat nature. The created cannot out do the creator. We may not be able to answer the questions we have for nature like we can with science. For me, my health and fitness took off when I committed to being who I am. Who I am is someone who thinks nature wins even if we can't prove it yet. Plus I am always skeptical when something can be monetized. Can you hire me? Yes, but you aren't paying for my knowledge, you are paying for my time. I give away my knowledge, even parts of it I've paid for. My time in the other hand is a valuable resource and I also have to buy chia and race entries. So, chia is awesome. What do we do with it? Chia is a seed that absorbs 10x it's weight in water. 2 Tablespoons has more fiber in it that anything you have for the typical American diet breakfast. For years I hated whole wheat toast, only to discover that it sucked health wise as much as its white counter part. Oatmeal may be good, but not what you are finding for cheap on your grocers shelves. Chia food 101 I add it to water. Nearly every morning my day begins with 16 ounces if water. 2 TBS of chia and the juice of a lemon or lime. I use to add agave to the mix but I've learned to appreciate unsweetened lemons and limes. It wakes you up in a way that coffee can't. [1] Um, Annie? THAT'S GROSS. You expect me to drink that? No thanks. No really. It's awesome. If you can't stand looking at it, put it in a cup you can't see thru. Chia by itself has a subtle nutty flavor. When combined with a stronger flavor it takes on that flavor. Lemons/limes certainly qualify there. My friend just eats the seeds. They are smaller than sesame seeds and she just crunches on them. I have used them as an egg substitute when I realize I'm an egg short while baking. They really are a brilliant thing. They also make a brilliantly awesome pudding when mixed with cacao, coconut oil, coconut water and honey or agave. When I get my computer back, I'll blog a lot of chia recipes, but for now, your assignment is go buy a bag of chia, it's in the health food section of most groceries. You can also buy it at the Vitamin Shoppe or online, thank you Internet. If you are squeamish or scared, try less than the recommended. I started with 1 TBS in 20 ounces of water. I have found that bottles worked best in the beginning. You have to stir or shake pretty often until the seeds begin to gel. Once they do, they turn the consistency of a tapioca. Add whatever you have to for you to enjoy the drink. Confession: my mode of transport in the beginning was XXX Vitamin Water. The goal was to be better forever not perfect this moment. It took me two years of daily work to reach my goals. Now, I'm a whole food, hard body who doesn't take her kids to McDonalds. Baby steps will get you there. As far as exercise for the day. For the beginners I want you to walk. Briskly for five minutes. No need to do pushups. You can, but don't over do it. Walk and enjoy it. We are taking the weekend off to rest and recover. Don't roll your eyes, we are building the habit and routine as much as we are the muscles. So, take two days to reflect on your journey so far. Two days to envision where you want to go. Two days of gimping at the bit to get back out there and exercise again. Two days to go buy some chia and getting it into your body. Just try it. if at first you don't succeed try again. Enjoy your wins. Enjoy your 15 minutes of walking and your fifteen pushups. Next week, we double it. Have an awesome weekend. I'll see you Monday. [1] http://annieology.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20120106-065038.jpg http://annieology.com/myhc-day-6/