In the moment...

I am so loving THIS moment right now! Biggest Loser is on and they're doing their last chance workout in the gym and guess what? I can identify. The gift of being a BetterU challenger is my last chance workout and after yesterday's personal training session with Kara, I am convinced more now than ever before that my body was meant to M*O*V*E! There were times during the session when I thought, "Aw c'mon...this is a piece 'o cake!" Kara saw the expressions on my face - ha - but she knew I had no idea what kind of burn lay ahead for me. And when I say burn, I mean the only thing hotter than my muscles as I type is the temperature that rises up out of my shirt collar as I go into my personal summer - again - know what I'm talking about? I'm talkin' burn baby, burn - YIKES!

After my strength training session, I saw Dee moving very quickly on the treadmill and I accused her of "showing off"...I was teasing because deep down inside I was thinking that I should get myself on the treadmill as well. So, I did and thank you Dee for inspiring me (smiles). I wasn't on the treadmill very long but I did work hard enough to get my heart rate to the 85% zone if I understand correctly and you know what? I'm happy with that because I was M*O*V*I*N*G - what a concept, eh?

On my way out of the gym I decided to stop by the Life Cafe and treat myself to a Raspberry Peach smoothie...with whey protein...I sound like I know what I'm talking about, don't I? Along with that, I bought a cup of the Asian tuna salad which was spicy and yummy and very filling. As I wrapped up I noticed the Life Salon and decided I'm going to leverage the amenities and reward myself on this journey with manicures, pedicures, and massages. Oh yeah, and shoes - LOOK at this pair - I've GOT to have 'em! YOU should reward yourself for good behavior too! And while I'm at it...you should NOT beat yourself up when, not if, but when, you have the occasional mishap...life happens and we're making some pretty intense lifestyle changes. Yay, us and yay you!

I could go on and on but I've got homework to get too and crunches and leg lifts before beddy-bye.

Here's to your heart...

Sleep well~

Jessica
p.s. So much fun to have Ruthie come greet me with that great big beautiful smile she has and a hug...I love being in the gym with my co-hearts - maybe you'll come join us sometime?

Does this count?

So, I met Kara on Monday. She admires Jillian. 'Nuff said? See where I'm going with this? But I like her, trust her, and going to obey her so that she does not yell at me. LOL.

Imagine me stepping up to the treadmill thinking, "Oh yeah, piece of cake. I know how to handle this piece of equipment." I remember hearing Kara tell me to let her know if the speed was a little fast for me...so I did and guess what? That's right...she told me to just keep going and that I was doing a great job. And you know what? She pushed me beyond my place of comfort and I survived. Yay.

Then we moved over to push-ups. My nephew asked me if they were the 'girl push-ups' and I responded they were the 'modified push-ups'. I was a little touchy about this, you know? Any push-up other than the kind you buy from the ice cream man is effort multiplied. These kids...what'ya gonna do? Anyway, the idea was to see how many I could do in 1 minute. When I got to 10, Kara told me I was doing great so I stopped and guess what? Right again...she told me to keep going - oh my word and can I tell you? Much more of this and I'm going to end up with toned arms! Aw yes, that is the goal though, isn't it?

Hard as it is, I am determined to not let myself down! I feel pretty good about the pain and I'm really looking forward to my workout session on Monday. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime I've promised to walk for at least 30 minutes every day and NO, this walking DVD sitting on top of my step bench does not actually count towards my walk unless I actually put the DVD in and begin moving - yikes.

Thought you'd enjoy the visual...so here we go again..

Sweet dreams~

Jessica