What Would Buffy Do?

When faced with challenges, and- let's face it- we all have challenges, I find it helpful to look to some kind of role model. If I pretend I'm a person with super strength who is always successful, and imagine what that person would do when faced with my situation, I often become someone who is successful :-)

So, today, I'm offering some tips. I'll call this "What Would Buffy Do?"

1. FOCUS:

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Look at the problem. Focus on the problem. Think it through. What are the action steps that need to be taken? You may not have your very own librarian or computer genius hanging around waiting to help you solve a problem, but you can break it down yourself and see what needs to be done.

2. USE THE FEAR!

Sure. We all get scared. What if there's not enough money to pay the rent? What if I fail? What if I eat a box of crispy cremes? The key is to use the fear to make you strong. Fear can be a powerful ally. Rather than crippling you, it can empower you. But first you have to identify the thing that's scary.

"This is not what it looks like".

3. WALK THE WALK:

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It may seem silly, but look at Buffy's hair. It looks great. She's saving the world, and has great hair. I used to believe that all that mattered was what was inside, and that caring about looks was superficial. Well, I've changed my mind on that. Have you had a bad hair day? Can you ever say a bad hair day was one of your all time favorite days, ever? I can't. 

If you dress like the person you want to be, whether it's a successful student, business person, athlete, or even the cute mom that has it all together (which is a myth, by the way), you start to act like it. So, take a little extra time to make yourself pretty (or handsome. Don't want to leave the boys out).

4. DON'T GIVE UP

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Look at Buffy above. She's been through a lot. Cuts, bruises (but still great hair, if you'll notice)... But she's not giving up.

Do you have struggles along the way? Of course. Do you some times feel like you've just been through enough? Of course. But don't give up. You never know when you're about to have a success. It could be 5 minutes after you almost quit.

5. DON'T EAT THAT!

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Well, you know, everything in moderation... but the point I'm trying to make is this: Sometimes eating "badly" is it's own punishment. Try to make the choices that will make you feel better. As you're considering eating something, ask yourself:

- Will this get me closer or further away from my goal?

- How will I feel 10 minutes after I eat this? 30 minutes after? Tomorrow?

After you've honestly answered those questions, you're ready to make a choice...

6. MAKE A FRESH START!

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Did yesterday not go so well? Did you eat something you shouldn't? Did you eat something that is normally considered healthy, but you ate too much of it? Did you say something to someone that you wish you could take back? Did you make a mistake? Here's the good news: It's another day! Do what you can to make it right, but then know when to let go. You have the power to start over today! You can make the choices to get you where you need to be. Isn't that exciting?

I hope this helps, or at least gave you a little laugh.

Have a great day!

Motivational Monday!

I've had a little trouble getting inspired lately. Sure, I can workout until the cows come home...

Leave me out of this. (Source)

But sticking to my nutrition plan is another story.

So, I've decided to post some folks whose physiques inspire me.

Girls:

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(I don't remember where I found this. Sorry).

Find out more about Jenny here. She rocks so much!

And just so you guys aren't left out...

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You're welcome.

By the way, I took another round of "Before" Pics today. No, I will not post them until I have some pretty impressive afters. Yes, I look pretty good for someone who had a baby 11 months ago (my husband even said so. Bless him). But, I would like to see more progress before I go public...

And here are some quotes for today:

"You don't realize how strong a person really is until you see them at their weakest moment."~Unknown

"Your goals minus your doubts equals your reality." ~ Ralph Marston

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."~David Viscott

So... have a great and wonderful Monday!

(P.S. We are almost at 400 at Sarah Fitness. If you haven't stopped by and clicked "Like" yet, come on over!)

The Plan... this week...

I love planning.

I completed last week's planned workouts *pretty* well. I did take a *complete* day off on Friday, instead of making it a yoga day. Honestly, instead of doing my 30 minutes of yoga I had planned, I snuggled with my son on the couch watching The Wiggles. I think it was worth it.

I am a fan of the "Greg-era" Wiggles. No offense, Sam.

The weight workouts were intense.

I didn't eat as great as I could have.

I didn't run as much as I planned, but I did get 3 runs in, including the "long" run (which made me hate running).

Here's what's coming up this week:

Sunday:

Full Body Program, Day 1:
Full Squats
Flat Bench Press
Romanian Deadlifts
Barbell Rows
Pull Ups (assisted)

All done 4 X 6 with 120 seconds rest

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Monday:

3 mile run


Tuesday:
Full Body Routine, Day 2

Pull throughs
Lunges
Flat Dumbbell Press
Seated Cable Rows
Incline Hammer Curls
Lying Triceps Extensions

All done for 2 X 15 with 30 seconds rest.

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Wednesday:
Run 3 miles


Thursday:

Full Body Routine, Day 3:
Incline Dumbbell Press
Incline Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell Splits Squats
SHELC (Supine Hip Extensions with Leg Curl)
Lat Pulldowns (underhand)

All done for 4 X 8 with 60 seconds rest.

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Friday:

Rest/Yoga

Saturday:
Run 10K
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What are your workout plans this week? 

Duh

Thoughts while running...

This is my generic running failure pic...

I guess it could've been worse..

These are the thoughts I had during today's painful, awful, I hated-every-second-of-it run:

-This sucks.
- Why did I think this was a good idea?
- Help me, David Boreanaz, you're my only hope.

"I got you, baby. Running, don't make me go all Angelus on you..."

- My side hurts.
- I hate running.
- If Cely can run 13 miles on the stupid dreadmill, why I can't I manage a measly 8 miles?
- If I hadn't already registered for those 2 stupid half marathons I would just quit running.
- I'll just run those 2 stupid half marathons, then quit running. I hate it so much.

So, I had planned to run 8 miles. I ran 2.75 and went inside to eat a banana because of crippling side stitches. Then I ran another 2.75 and decided I was done.

It's so much harder outside than on the indoor track.

Maybe things will be better next time.

I will always be here for you..

High Five 5 Blogs Blog Hopping Awesomeness Friday, Hooray!

YES!!

Here's your high five:

Since it's Friday, we've got some fun blog hops going on. Check them out:

For today's 5 things, I'm going to give some shout-outs to some of my FAVORITE blogs. These are the blogs I check daily (in some cases, multiple times a day). I look forward to catching up with these folks every day, and I think you should check them out :-)

1. Running off the Reeses: OMG. Cely is hilarious. I look forward to arriving at work, getting my coffee, and seeing what's going on in Cely's crazy life. Trust me on this.

2. Tri-Living: The stories of a couple who are active tri-athlon-ers (I don't really know if that's a word). I'm inspired by them daily. And, here's a bonus- they are doing the Boulder Ironman 70.3 this weekend! So, hop over and give them some cheers!

3. Run-on-Riot: Stefanie is another high-larious blogger who shares her adventures daily. Definitely check out her antics!

4. My Dirt Road Anthem: Christy is a runner who runs way faster than me, but always has great information and stories. Plus, it seems like she runs a race every weekend, so she has lots of race reports :-)

5.Get Fit Naturally: This is a very informative blog. New and useful tips daily! Lots of motivation too.

So, those are my 5! If you're on this list, it's because I love you. If you're not, I probably wanted to put you on the list, but there were too many of you, and I love you as well. Basically, there's lots of love over here today..

Since I didn't ask any questions (and I *love* to hear from you all every week) I'll be leaving you with one question (and will expect answers, thank you very much):

If you could go back in time and meet your 16 year old self (without creating a time paradox or something like that)(yes I watch a LOT of Doctor Who), what would you say?

I would say: 1. Start running NOW and 2. Say no to student loans.

What about you?

Have a great Friday!

Weird Wednesday..

Happy Awesomeday!

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Rather than a coherent, well-written blog post, I've decided to just list some random stuff in the order it appears in my brain.... because that's how I roll (today, at least).

However, I will number the stuff, just to give the illusion that it is somewhat organized.

1. Matt Damon is kind of cool. As the mom of a boy, I think it's great that he's there to support his mom. It's a good man that loves his mother.




2. I spent two days at home with my kids. They drove me nuts. But I miss them desperately at work today.

Who, us? We're harmless. What are you talking about...

3. So, this new weight training program I'm doing at home is kind of cool. I'm feeling all kinds of DOMS (which is how I measure the success of a workout, of course). The only thing is- eventually I either have to move to the gym or get more weights/a squat rack. The highest weight I can lift over my head is 55 pounds, and I know I'll want to squat more than that (for now, as I'm learning to "full squat", that's just plenty).

4. I was reminded of the awesomeness of this song earlier today, and posted it on Sarah Fitness.



It's amazing how a song can totally take me back: cassette tapes, my Girbaud jeans... do you have a song like that? (p.s. I don't feel old at all. Nope.)

5. I'm doing a fun Facebook Hop today, but for some reason, it won't let me put the HTML here. I'm a little tech-illiterate, but I'm pretty sure I'm doing this one right. Anyway, here's the link: Wacky Wednesday.

Motivational Monday: Brand New Month edition!

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I love the first of the month! A fresh start. Put the first of the month on a Monday, and it's a *really* fresh start!

So... today's Monday Motivation theme is "New Beginnings". I love them!

Here are some thoughts to get you started:


"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."~Seneca (also, this song:)




"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."~Lao Tzu

"So many fail because they don't get started- they don't go. They don't overcome intertia. They don't begin." ~W. Clement Stone

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist, but the ability to start over."~F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The indispensable first step in getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." ~Ben Stein

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I hope these get you in the mood to shoot for a new goal. Whatever it is, whether it's weight loss, a physical goal, a financial goal, pottytraining (see where my mind is..),  today's the day you start!

Have a great week!