Monday, January 3, 2011

New Year..New You!

It's FINALLY the New Year!!

It's the ultimate "Monday"- a perfect time to start the new you - unless you are totally digging the old you - then keep rockin' that one.

But, I personally believe there is always room for improvement and this year is going to be the year of improving for me!

I am going to embark on the ultimate journey or improving on all fronts..and rears, for that matter.

So, I have to start today's blog with some REALLY exciting news!!!!

I got word today that American Country Countdown and Citadel picked my crazy little blog to be featured as the Jan 2011 "Bloggers We Love"!!!!

Can you believe that????


How great is that????!!!!
I was so excited..and honored...and thrilled!!...and shocked, quite frankly! But mostly just tickled that anyone would want to read along and laugh with me!

So - as of tonight - we may have some new folks joining in and reading about all my craziness!
Welcome ACC and Citidel readers - I'm so happy you're here!!!!

I never imagined my 15 minutes of fame would be centered around me talking about my buttocks sliding down the back of my legs  - and what I was going to do about it...
hahah- figures!

But, sincerely...thank you to Nikita, Dawn, and Donna (and Brian, Lonnie and Kix, too!) for making me feel so special!!
I really appreciate your support!!!

So...
For anyone just joining us...last October 3rd I started a 30 day challenge following the Tracy Anderson Method and well...it almost killed me - but I did it- EXACTLY BY THE BOOK - if you go to the beginning of the blog, you can read along and laugh at my daily struggles and then see my before and after photos on day thirty!!!

It totally changed my body, my attitude towards food and has left me with the daunting knowledge that when I completely apply myself I can accomplish anything.

Oh hell...that's a lot of pressure...

But bring it on!!!

We are all more powerful than we think we are- kind of scary -kind of exciting.

I learned that with hard work and commitment... I...WE...can change anything in our lives.
ANYTHING!
How cool s that???

That's the good news.

Here's the not so good news...I've got lots of things to change!!!!

I had never blogged before, and had no intentions of blogging after my thirty days of boot camp...but what I discovered during my thirty days of blogging was that , you know what?...we are all striving for the same things, we are all trying hard in hard times, we are all tired, we are all stressed out, we are all short on time and long on goals...
but we are all in this together!
- and it's a whole lot easier to accomplish your goals with some friends cheering you on!!!

I have learned that ALL OVER THE WORLD there are women - just like me - just like you - wanting to be all that we can be...
amazing women who want it all - and amazing men who want it all for that matter!

We put tough standards on ourselves -probably more tough than we should at times...
we want to be amazing parents, amazing partners, amazing friends, amazing homemakers, amazing providers, AND have amazing bodies...hmmmm... that can leave a girl kinda tired just thinking about it.

We all struggle with time restraints, financial restraints, needy family members, needy jobs, and a lack of motivation from time to time...

but here's the GREAT news.....

WE CAN DO IT ALL!!!
Maybe not all at once, and maybe not everything for everyone..but when we prioritize ourselves, and make time for ourselves, and (gasp) are kind to ourselves...
we can change anything we put our minds to!!!!


Soooooooo - this year, I am going to continue examining things that I think need changing - especially those that I think I CANNOT change - and CHANGE THEM!!!
One at a time I'm going to set em up and knock em down!!


I have always struggled with my weight - I sware I was on Slimfast as a child instead of formula...
so last November - after boot camp - when I saw an ACTUAL ab muscle - on MY OWN stomach...well, I knew anything was possible!!!!!

My goal during boot camp was to survive boot camp..after boot camp it changed to maintaining my results while still having a life.

That is where the rubber meets the road, folks! and guess what..so far so good!

My goal from November 3, 2010 became to maintain my weight loss and results and stay under 130 for an entire year. I allowed myself 4 "coupons" for the year.
These coupons are like "get out of jail free" cards...they are for emergencies only...if I go over 130, each coupon grants me 48 hours to get back under 130.

Before Tracy Anderson's boot camp program - I  had only weighed under 130 once in my entire life...and it was for about 10 minutes.

I have no been under 130 for 2 months!!!

I ate and drank like a redneck on a Carnival Cruise for the last few weeks...but continued to workout and try to not go too crazy!

I made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas - with no problem...however... my trip to Cancun immediately following Christmas was a little more challenging...

I actually ate Cancun. Seriously, I had to declare my extra weight on my customs form...it was ugly.

I did , however, stay hydrated with cranberry juice.
Oh, did I mention that my cranberry juice had vodka in it???

yah - then there's that.

So - I weighed in today and my weight...EXACTLY 130!!!! hahahaahah!!!! I laughed really hard at that!

I do have to confess and tell you that since I weighed in today at 130- then I KNOW I was over 130 yesterday - I could feel it.
so...I am cashing in ONE of my coupons!!! Bummer!

Oh well, it's still- far and away - the best I've ever fared over the holidays!! I'm very proud of my efforts...and am not going to beat myself up about it - it's all about keeping things in check, staying healthy and finding a balance. AND learning what is too much, what is not enough...it's a learning curve.
I'm learning that I like a little less curve! and by curve- I mean BOO-TAY!

I am guessing that I will recover from all indulgences over the holidays in about a week to ten days - and be back to my fighting weight of around 125!!!!!

THEN... to infinity and beyond!!!

This will be the year of HOTNESS! This WILL be the year I loss the rest of the Thass!!! This WILL be the year I loss the old man skin off my stomach. This WILL be the year I like the way I look in a bathing suit. (by my trip to Bora Bora, hopefully)

Lofty goals - but I'm ready to kick it in the teeth and CLAIM IT for my own!!!

Along with that whopper of a goal - I'm going to tackle some other doozies...

BIG LIFE ISSUES:
Time management. That's gonna be a tough one for me. May have to get a life coach!!!

Organization. I am going to drop ALL the "dead weight" of too much stuff (and by stuff - I mean crap)

Saying NO. Another big one for me that will probably involve the above mentioned other two...

SMALLER LITTLE THINGS:

Better Skin Care. Why the hell is my face always red and why do my pores need manhole covers???? That's got to change.

Cellulite. ummmm...where do I begin? ARGH... the Apollo 13 could land on my ass and it would be one small step for man...blah, blah, blah...moon craters...belong on the moon.
 I'm going to FORCE it to go away - if we can send a man to the moon...surely we can make my hiney look less like the moon's surface...right???

you know what - there are too many little things to list - we will tackle those one at a time!

BUT - you can rest assured...good, bad and ugly... I will share all my victories, all my struggles and   missteps, and all my hysterical antics - with you!

I'm going to break some of the issues down to other 30 day challenges!!!
I'll give everyone plenty of warning on what's coming up...just in case it's something you want to try and tackle with me!

Hopefully ,we can all learn together and if nothing else... you are free to laugh at this 5'5", bleach blond, 41 year old, botoxed, chick in Nashville trying to DO IT ALL!!!!


This month- we are going to keep focusing on what we focused on the last few months...our workouts, food plans and learning to love our bodies!!! Since it's the first of the year- it seems only natural.
and who am I kidding... it will always be a major part of our talks, because it always seems to be a major part of my life.


My favorite comment posted last year
and it sums it all up perfectly...
had to be this one:

"My Facebook relationship with FOOD : It's complicated"

hahahaa! you guys post some seriously funny things! hysterical!!!



Lastly... and most importantly... this year, more than ever before...


I am  going to dream.

I'm going to dream big and I'm not going to apologize for it. That will be a first for me.

I am going to believe in myself the way I believe in everyone around me.

I am going to kick this year's ass -and my own in the process!!! It's going to be the best dang year EVER!!!!
Why shouldn't it be?

Right???

Let's do it all together, shall we???

I am also going to dedicate one day a week to addressing all of your comments and question - that way you will have a place to go to get your response... that might work, huh? Ha! Give a girl a blog and she thinks she's an expert!!! :)

So - in review...
after the holidays - I've cashed in one coupon - but hopefully it will be the only one all year long!!!!
I'm at 130 and headed back to my comfort zone of 125 or less.

I started the boot camp mat work and cardio today and will expand on that plan tomorrow - and include what I'm eating - then I can keep you posted on how long  my "recovery phase" takes.

I will also include more photos and video blogs!!! Now that I know how to do them!!!

I may even take before and after photos of my old man skin and ...cellulite. oh geez.

ok, all you beautiful people - I'm going to crash now!!!
Sweet dreams to you all - and make the most of your day tomorrow - for you will never get that day again!!!! Make it count!!!!!!!

Here we go.... I'm excited!!!!!!!!

xoxoLa

9 comments:

  1. great news, great energy! I am excited too!

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  2. such an inspiration!

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  3. Congratulations Laura on the Bloggers We Love title. I really do enjoy your posts. I've been telling a bunch of people and I am linking yours to my boring Seoul one. May take on a few of your goals this year as well as TAM. Keep us posted. Fisnished day 3 and doing well-lost 4.5 already ( I have a lot further to go than you) and I'm sore as hell, but I'm excited. The food is really good-i'm surprised.

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  4. Laura, I am gonna to rock this year too!!!!!!
    Thanks for inspiring me!!!!!!!!!!
    Have a wonderful day!!!
    Hey from Paris:)
    Yana

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  5. You ROCK Laura! keep on going and keep motivating :-)
    p.s: i think I mentioned before.. skin brushing + drinking 3 liters of water a day do AMAZING things for the skin, including drowning the cellulite farmer and the old man... make it two of your new every day healthy habits!

    XO
    P

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  6. Awesome news on Bloggers We Love! Your blog is fantastic, you are such a motivating person. I gained back some weight over the holidays too (4 lbs) and I'm ready to get rid of it!

    Paola, I've heard great things about skin brushing too. I just put my brush next to my workout clothes so that I remember to slough before jumping in the shower... you're supposed to use a dry brush, right?

    Happy New Year everyone :)

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  7. I personally love pictures, so any chance you get put up pics of you working out, at events, showing off something cute you just purchased, whatever. I am the girl who put pics of Tracy and Victoria's Secret models (Marissa Miller) on the fridge. If I see pics, I will do so much better. I really enjoy this blog and hope to keep up for both of our journeys. I love the comment about a "redneck on a carnival cruise ship" That was hilarious!!! Keep it up, Love ya!

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  8. Hi- Nashvillian here too & I plan on starting the TA Method tomorrow. Just found your blog & so excited to read about your journey!! Could you tell me if you followed the 25 day menu (in her book) exactly or did you rearrange days or anything? I also saw a 5 day diet online?? Any coffee?? Thanks so much!!!

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  9. You are SO awesome and such an inspiration!!! I made it through 10 days of Tracy's bootcamp the first time. I'm getting ready to start it again. You have definitely motivated me. I'm going to blog through my 30 days as well. I hope you'll check it out. Thanks again for letting us all in on your experience!!!

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