My New (and Old) Best Friend!

Back in the day, about 9 years ago, I was "on the hunt" with a husband as a target. Everyday I worked out with my very own personal trainer - Billy Blanks. OK, maybe I was not actually pursuing a husband, but I wanted to be ready when the light shown down from Heaven and the song from "Saturday's Warrior" started playing. ;-)

I have had a Billy Blanks Tae-Bo tape for over 10 years, and it is still a favorite! My most favorite form of exercise is running - I love to breath fresh air and thrust my body to new levels of speed and strength. Somedays, however, running is not a good option. It has been snowy and slippery and yucky outside. As a result, the sidewalks are covered in ice and chunks of hard snow - too nasty to run on. Normally, back in Spokane, I would run in the middle of the road. Here, I would get hit by a car! So, my back-up is Billy Blanks and his crew of kick-boxers. I LOVE it!

Back in the day my best friend Emily and I would do Tae-Bo together daily (a 55 minute advanced tape) in my parents basement. Sometimes, when we were feeling good we would do it twice a day! And that was after our Tae-Kwon-Do class! We were tough cookies! I remember feeling so GREAT!

I did that same Tae-Bo tape today. After the Christmas cookies, and not running for about two weeks (I was sick) Tae-Bo was HARD!! I remember I gave the tape to a friend once and after she tried it she had to go to the ER - she could not breath! I absolutely love the workout and I love taking my body to new heights of strength. At one point I was doing over 50 knuckle push-ups and breaking boards. I want to get there again! HEE-YA!

So, I am not a strong believer in New Year resolutions. I do believe in goals - and conquering them. I have a few new goals. One is to make Billy Blanks my new best friend. If I cannot run, I MUST do Tae-Bo. That is my goal. I find it a little difficult somedays, because I am still breast-feeding, and that makes things a little more "bouncy". I am excited to be done with that most glorious task soon, and then the real work can begin! (I love babies - not breast-feeding!)

Another goal is to eat. Yes, I will continue eating, but I want to try and eat only when I really, actually, truly, FEEL hungry. Like when your tummy starts to growl because it is time to eat. Not like, "Hmmmm . . . that cookie looks yummy, I'm hungry!" Then devouring it like cookie-monster. That is how I have felt lately. I blame it on breast-feeding, but it is honestly - lack of will-power. So, on to waiting for that hungry feeling, and suppressing my inner cookie-monster . . . wish me luck!

I hope you are all pursuing something of interest at this time. I think the whole world goes on a diet on January 1st and gives-up on January 2nd. I have worked my way back to health and fitness 4 times. Once as a teenager, after pregnancy one, after pregnancy two, and now after pregnancy 3 (in progress as it ALWAYS should be). My body is precious to me, and I love it - even the stretch marks! Now to start treating my body as well as I would treat anything that I love . . . a BIG hug to myself and off we go!!

Lots of love,
Mari ;-)