The Daily Groined

Today I pulled my right groin. This might not have been so bad if I hadn't pulled the left side on Monday. Next week I'm hoping to pull each of my buttocks muscles.

I don't need to Kick my own Ass...Jillian does it for me!

I promise the before picture is coming...I had problems downloading it from my camera....it will be here!  I know you're all waiting with baited breath to see my saddlebags and muffintop!!

*****
Anyone who knows about the 30 Day Shred and has seen the torture  exercise video knows that there is a point where Jillian ( because she almost never does all of the exercises with you) is showing you what you're supposed to be doing during butt kicks and says, "Natalie is literally kicking her own ass."  Well, duh, they ARE called butt kicks.

I discovered yesterday, my first day back to the Shred, that clearly butt kicks are not going to be the only time that I'm kicking my own ass.  For the first week or so of this, I can already tell, it's going to kick my ass BIGTIME!

Seriously, I clearly have not been pushing myself hard enough during my one week hiatus from the gym.  All of those supposed butt clenches I've been doing while laying on the couch and suffering through enjoying primetime TV clearly have NOT been working.  And chasing my kids around the house to try and get them to either go to bed or to STOP playing with one of their loud and obnoxious toys did not help my cardio output.

Today?  Tired AND sore.

Jillian kicked my ass and I guess I should have expected it.

Now what?

Now, I lace up my sneakers and I push play again this evening and allow the torture to continue to riddle my body with pain and exhaustion. 

I MEAN I lace up my sneakers and eagerly welcome Jillian and her two minions back into my home to get me in shape.

Also, this means I really have to get back to the place where I push myself beyond my limits.  Because, well, right now I'm just not doing that.  And it's obvious in all areas of my life and physical being.

I was looking at a picture of myself from this past Summer the other day.  In the picture I'm coming out of the ocean waves and just walking regularly but it is clear that I have the body of an athlete.  An athlete who has been working out and training- who has hips.  I'm not so sure I have that body anymore.  I have remnants of it but not even close to what it was- except for the hips.  GAH I HATE MY HIPS!

Ideally, I'd like to be in better shape than I was in that picture.  I'd like for my hips to be smaller and my legs more toned and my arms stronger.  I'd like my abs to be a bit more fit and my jiggle to have a bit less wiggle.

All it takes is a little ass kicking.

Good thing I have Jillian....

Yelp!

If you're like me, you love to eat out, but need to count calories to stay un-morbidly-obese. My hubbs and I are constantly looking for places to dine out that offer low-cal options.

So, if you're from the Central PA area, feel free to follow me on Yelp! I'm going to make sure to mention in my reviews if a restaurant has healthy options.

http://natt444.yelp.com


If you're not from the area, get on Estella to set up her Yelp!

:-) Natalie

The Power of Avocado and Other Reasons I'm Crazy

* Pre- Shred Photo Goes Up Tonight!!  Be Sure to Follow Us and Fan us on Facebook so you can watch the Shred progress!!!*

Sometimes, I really really question my sanity.  Like seriously question how sane could I possibly be or actually, how crazy am I and why am I allowed to walk around with other seemingly "normal" people?

A few weeks ago when I signed my kids up for their swimming lessons I decided I wanted to take a class, too.  I found a great one that I thought would really help me with my tri training.  It was called Land and Sea class.  You would spend 30 minutes in the pool, swimming, exercising, drilling, etc.  Then there was 40 minutes of circuit training, cycling, cardio on land.

Not so bad, right?

Yeah, it was at 7:30am on Saturdays.  But I decided if I wanted to really get myself ready I needed to push myself and 7:30 on a SAturday morning was definitely pushing myself.  Especially since the first class was the day after a surprise party I threw for my husband's birthday!

Well, I kind of lucked out...the class was canceled.  Apparently, I'm the only one who was crazy enough to sign up for a 70 minute class on a Saturday morning.  

That class being canceled was one of the reasons that I felt like I needed to step it up a bit and decided to take on the 30 day Shred- again.

Well, last night the crazy crept in again and I made a decision to do something that really, maybe, I shouldn't have.

A second triathlon.  BEFORE the one I've been training for.

I was having a conversation with a friend and we somehow went from talking about avocados and their power food status to me deciding that I was going to do a triathlon in July.

How do I do this?!  AND WHY?!?!?

Luckily, this race has shorter legs than my August tri and I think it will be good practice for me.  But, crap, sometimes I'm just so stupid.  I let the excitement of the challenge take me away.

I just hope that excitement and challenge can carry me from now until July otherwise I'm going to need a lot more than the power of avocado to get me through.

We Meet Again, You Evil Evil Exercise Masochist!!

About a year ago I was turned on to a new "fad" called Shredding.  People were talking about Shredding for 30 days and seeing amazing results.  They were talking about being tortured each night and in pain each morning.  They were talking about pants fitting better and being able to kick a tiger's ass. 

Ok, maybe not that last one.

But I was intrigued, to say the least.  I started asking around and that is when the evil evil exercise masochist Jillian Michaels entered my life.  Jillian and I would spend evenings and afternoons together- just brief bursts of time, 20 minutes or so.  She'd torture me, I'd cry out in pain, curse her and then move on.  And after some time it appeared that Jillian knew what she was doing. 

And I was seeing results.

When Jillian and I first met I had lost the bulk of my weight and was looking for something to add on to my workout regime along with running.  I hadn't yet joined the gym and I needed something more than just biking and running because those could eventually bore me to death.  Who knew that Jillian might actually try to kill me with her lunges and jumping jacks.

I was a user though.  I used Jillian just for what I needed her for and then tossed her aside.  No concern for her feelings or needs.  Really, I still don't care.  But I miss the results.  I also miss that lovely grinding sound my knees make when I walk- that was a special gift of Jillian's.

All of that being said, I have decided it's time to make amends with Jillian.  It's time to move past the anger and hatred that I once harbored for her and her evil planks and bicycle crunches.  With the impending triathlon I am finding it harder and harder to get myself in a place where I am working out consistently.

As so many of us are, I am busy.  I have two kids, I work full time as a teacher and I coach two seasons a year (three if you count pee wee soccer), I am in grad school full time and I have a husband and a home to help maintain.  It's a busy life we lead.  Sometimes, sadly more often than not lately, working out takes a backseat to, well, everything.  Jillian is 20 minutes and if I can get her in at least once a day with a run or a trip to the gym thrown in I'll be golden.

So, here it is.  The 30 Day Shred.  Either tonight or tomorrow I'll be bearing my soul- and my body- and posting a picture here for all to see.  Yes, that's right- a picture.  Nothing risque- maybe a pair of shorts and a tighter fitting tank top or possibly, but not likely, a sports bra.  And for the next 30 days, come hell or high water, I will Shred.  I will make amends with Jillian and we will argue and I'll end up losing the verbal argument but hopefully winning the physical one.

This is not my idea.  This is not something I've come up with on my own- that's obvious by the title of the DVD.  But truthfully, I really was inspired to bring the Shred back into my life by a blog called Shredheads.  I encourage you to check it out!  I'm hoping, with all my heart and sore big 'ol butt, that they'll link to us and share in the journey of the 30 day Shred as well as the Dirty Thirty Journey!!

So, follow along as I embark on another idea that I'm sure will cost me my sanity and cause me tons of pain, but as with anything hard, be totally worth it in the end!



*In no way was I paid for this post, nor is this a review. If you plan on doing the 30 Day Shred, I encourage you to make sure you are in good physical health and you are cleared by a doctor.*

It's YOUR turn...

This is an all-call for comments.

Estella Getty and I often talk about our negative body/mind/stuff issues. We don't really talk that often about our GOOD body/mind/stuff things, do we?

But we should.

You know, I have thunder thighs. Seriously. My body is disproportionate. While I can get by (sometimes) buying a small shirt, I will never, ever be able to wear a small bottom. It's cuz of my massive thighs. BUT... my thighs are strong. I can kick like nobody's business. I think that's pretty darn cool.

So what about you? What are things you rag on yourself for that are really blessings? Tell us. We want to share in the beauty that is your body (or your brain!). I know that sounds creepy, but I didn't mean it to be...

Stay Tuned

I promise a more substantial post is coming...in the meantime head over and check out Trainer Momma!  She has great advice for the exerciser in all of us!

Plus she's got a giveaway going on!!