Each morning when I wake, I think of how lucky I am to have one more day. My first thoughts tend to be of the blessings in my life and how thankful I am for them.

I wake up in a warm bed, in a warm comfortable house with my husband and my girls are healthy and safe down the hall. How can I ask for much more when there are so many people with far less.

I think about how inconsequential everything else is compared to my health and well-being. Because without my health and well-being, I cannot be a good wife or nurturing mother, let alone a positive contributor to everyone else around me. It’s like the airline safety announcement, “put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others”. I can’t be of any use to anyone else if I’m not taking care of myself first.

Those thoughts just make it a bit easier to drag myself out of my warm comfy oh so wonderful bed and get dressed to workout. It’s dark, the owl is still hooting and if I don’t go down to the garage and workout now, it’s not going to happen later either. Working out first thing in the morning is the only way for me to get it done for the day. I’ve got way too many excuses to workout after work or at night.

When I run out of time or I get up too late, I choose to do Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred video. It says it’s a 20 minute workout, but it’s really more like 27 minutes plus all the time it takes for her to do the introduction (it doesn’t allow you to skip that part).

Although it’s a short workout, it really pushes you to maximize the little time spent on a workout. She also reminds you that you only have “20 minutes” and you have to make the most of it. At one point, she says “You should be gargling your heart” and “You want to feel like you’re going to die!” She pushes you to do more and to do it for yourself.

It really cracks me up everytime I hear those two lines. I’d like to think I’m in pretty good shape but I still have a tough time in her workouts. I can just imagine someone who’s in terrible shape, inspired by The Biggest Loser tv show to buy this dvd and is trying to do this workout. Can you imagine having her hover on top of you and saying that to your face as you’re struggling to push out a few more reps. I’d push myself just so she doesn’t give me another bad visual.

What gets me through the workout is that I know what to expect. She tells you up front that there are 3 stages to the circuit, 3 min strength training, 2 min cardio and 1 min abs and you do that 3 times. Knowing how little time is spent on each exercise makes me do them all (quality movements of course) and get through the workout.

After 27 minutes (cos it really isn’t 20minutes) I’m wiped and feel like I left everything on the mat. Feels great and a great way to start the day. Writing this makes me want to go back and do it again.

You know how they say that for each pregnancy you have, you add another 5 pounds? They also say that each of those 5 pounds is very difficult to lose.

Well, after months of trying, and you know my littlest one is now 3 and a half right? Well, after months of trying, I’m now within those last 10 pounds. Mind you, my goal is 12 pounds away still, but the fact that I’m within the dreaded 10 pounds, 5 pounds per pregnancy, is quite amazing. I’m thrilled, I’m excited, I’m looking forward to pushing through to the end.

Weighing in this weekend (I weigh in each Saturday morning as part of a competition which I’ll talk about another time) made me so incredibly happy! I wasn’t expecting to lose this much this week, but it happened. Something seemed to click in place this past week. I also ate very well and watched all my carb and sugar intakes (apparently makes a big difference) and was vigilant about drinking water to stay hydrated after my workouts.

Today marks the last big push before my Cancun trip. I really want those sculpted arms and firmer middle. I’m on my way! yay!

I’m a natural motivator. I know, pat myself on the back. Really though, I got a whole bunch of people on P90X when I first started. I was so pumped about it, if anyone commented on how great I looked (I was 30lbs overweight and lost 20 at that point) I would just talk to anyone about my workout and all the wonderful results. And these people (sister, brother in law to name a few) would look at me and wonder, well hell, if she can do it, I should be able to.

I’m the least athletic person in the family and the last one to get into such an intense workout program, so seeing me get into P90X made them want to give it a try. They’d think, it’s not that extreme if she can handle it. Ha ha! And I was the one laughing when they said their first workout made them want to throw up!

My latest convert is my brother who just started his first week. I’m using myself as a tool to keep him going. He can’t quit if his oldest sister is on the program. That would just be humiliating and no one would ever let him live that down.

Part of the motivation to lose this weight and get fit is not just for a healthier me, but more to get in shape for my trip to Cancun. I want to feel good in that bathing suit (preferably a bikini since I’ve not been in one in oh so very long) as I lay out by the pool and watch my kids play. I swore to myself I will throw away (and burn if I have to) all my old bathing suits with those silly skirts to “hide” those dimply thighs and wide cushy hips. Ugh, can’t believe I let myself get to that point. Someone shake me the next time I let myself go like that. Please!

Yesterday was a holiday and I indulged myself an extra workout. It felt great. Did I mention that working out isn’t a chore anymore, but it’s something I look forward to? Well, yes, I’ve evolved. Strange how that happened. Wonderful and strange. Progress.

Anyway, yesterday I did my usual P90X workout (the Chest Shoulders and Triceps dvd) and followed that up with a 45min rowing session. OMG it felt incredible! So incredible that I went to bed sore. And I woke up not in the mood for a workout cos I was super sore. Not to worry, a workout is planned for this evening.

As I was doing my pushups (not my fave) I kept telling myself that CUN is getting closer and I really had to take it up a notch if I want to see myself in that bikini. I’m really going to need to do some extra work these next few weeks before I will feel great in that bathing suit. Throwing in a couple extra cardio workouts during the week will help me lose those extra pounds.

Stay tuned… countdown has begun. (BTW, my countdowns go a long while…I just love the anticipation)

So I had a weight goal to get to for the big Rotary at the Ritz event for my Rotary Club. The Rotary at the Ritz is a gala event to raise funds for our club’s programs. Its a big production and we get all dressed up for it and its a grand time.

I planned on wearing a purple dress with a halter top and fitted through the waist to fall in an a-line knee-length skirt. I’d worn it last fall when I was 15lbs heavier and although it was very flattering, I still looked like a sausage (or a budbud) with big shoulders and padded back. Yuck.

Long story short, I didn’t make my weight goal but was very happy with the results of my workouts. I was 2lbs away, which isn’t too bad but I’m just going to continue this slow but steady pace to get back to my target weight (12lbs away).

I’m being realistic with my goal and how I’m getting there. I’m letting myself have treats every now and then and I give myself a cheat day (although sometimes its 2 days). I want to make sure that this time around this is not going to be just another diet adjustment. This has to be for life. So the changes I’m making have to be sustainable otherwise I won’t make it past month 2 of maintenance mode.

These last 12lbs might take a while but I want to make sure it stays off. Stay tuned for updates because I will surely write about them.

So I didn’t do P90X like I thought I was going to do. Instead, I got up and popped in my Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred video. Jillian Michaels is The Biggest Loser trainer and is a really tough woman who yells at people and motivates them to do better. Now, The Biggest Loser has some 400+ pounders on the show and I only really want to lose another 10lbs. But, she’s motivating and really tough and I thought I’d spend the $10 to buy the video and give it a try.

So I gave the video a try and after doing P90X for so long (I’ve been loosely following it these last few months) I figured it might be too easy. What can 20 minutes really do? There are 3 levels of videos each advertised to be 20 minutes long (it really was more like 27min but who’s counting, right?). I chose to try Level 2 and it was great! I was so pleasantly surprised and felt challenged at this level. It got my heart rate up during the strength training and jacked it up during cardio and lowered it a bit (catch my breath) during the ab workout. She does circuits with 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work using only a small hand weight (I used a 3 pounder) and a mat. You don’t need much to get started, so there shouldn’t be too many excuses!

Jillian reminds you to that if you want to get results in 20 minutes you have to “push through” it. That helped me get past the burning shoulders and the seemingly unending pushups (obviously not my forte). After finishing Level 2, I felt like I could still keep going. Considering that I normally workout for at least 40 minutes, I still had some time left. I quickly got the dvd going again and did Level 1 for another 10 minutes or so before I had to call it quits to get started on the lunch-making part of my morning.

Overall, Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred is a good workout. I will be doing it again and this time, I think I’ll give myself enough time to do 2 full sessions. It’s not P90X material, but it’s enough to give a little variety in my routine.

I started this blog because I wanted some sort of journal. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I thought I’d have something to say each day. It’s much harder than I thought. Finding the time to write, coming up with a topic to write about and actually sitting down to do it takes some effort.

Speaking of not having the time. It’s past bedtime for me. It’s Sunday night and I usually try to get to bed by 10:30 so that I can get up for a workout by 5:30am. Working out in the morning seems to work really well for me. Besides not getting enough sleeps, I don’t have many other excuses to throw out to skip a workout. If I wait until the end of the day, I have so many more reasons (kids need dinner, exhausted, homework time etc etc) to bag the workout.

Working out was never my “thing”. It was always a necessity. It still is a necessity, but it’s also become a part of me. Now, if I skip a morning workout, my whole day is off and I lament the fact that I just gave up and slept in. Knowing that the sleeping in wasn’t even quality sleep makes it worst. Now, if I slept in by mistake and was in a deep comatose type of sleep, that’s different.  But my day isn’t right without that morning workout and I will try really hard to have a workout later that day (not always successful).

Now it’s time to close up shop so I can start the week off right with a good dose of P90X and my buddy Tony to keep me company in the pre-dawn hours. G’night.

I missed my workout yesterday morning and felt so blah about it all day. I went home and I squeezed in a workout while Phil took care of the girls. I really didn’t want to end the day on a blah note. It made me feel much better although it did push my bedtime past 11pm. Still worth it.

This morning, I woke up and despite the lack of sleep (tossing and turning kind of night) I got up and worked out because I didn’t want to spend another day thinking about a missed workout.

Phil’s really great about giving me the time to workout whenever I need it. It helps that we’re on the same page about getting healthy and working out. It keeps us both motivated and on track.

My older one asked me why I workout. I explained to her that since I sit behind a desk all day and don’t get to go outside to play and run around, I have to workout to get some exercise. She asked why I sit around all day and I had to tell her that for some people, their jobs make them sit in front of a computer almost all day. She suggested that I should go for a walk or run around after I finish up my lunch. Good idea.

It’s been storming out lately. Last night, there was thunder and lightening. The kind of thunder that shakes your house and lightening you see behind closed eyelids. This is no ordinary storm. We don’t get storms like this on the west coast. Needless to say, it kept me up. It also took down our power for a little while.

I woke up at 5:15 am thinking about whether I should go and workout in the darkened “gym” aka garage. I decided against it. I was beeing a wuss. Climbed back in bed and snuggled the girls who found their way into our room again.

Woke up an hour later to that sick feeling in my stomach. I should have gone to workout. The power stayed on long enough. I had enough time and I really didn’t need that much sleep. I feel guilty for the missed opportunity and my whole day I’ve been thinking of that missed workout.

Now I’m obsessing over when I can make up for it.

It’s actually been a great eye opener for me. This has made me realize how much a part of my day working out has become. I really hope that this will serve to remind me the next time I even think I should miss a morning workout.