Do what makes you happy, don't do what doesn't

Hello January. Im going to make you my mine.
It is a new year and I am going to start it off strong with making everyday a productive one.
In saying that, not only do I want to continue to do something everyday to maintain my health but also, I want to be proactive in building for my future career. Because here I am. After three years of wandering and moving location to location, I have found myself living in the city of opportunity and it's time to start using the tools that are readily in front of me and the passion I have in my heart.
I have realized that it is not about the things that you enjoy at a certain moment that is what's most important. For me, what's most important is the feeling when you have pushed through things that you DIDN'T necessarily enjoy doing. Because the pride of reaching success with no one to thank but myself when I finally reach it gives me the uttermost happiness.
And I'm talking about any goal. I think it is just so important.Whether that goal is to lose 5 pounds, eat better, tone up, get that job, climb that mountain, ace that test, whatever.... I believe a goal constantly gives you something to concentrate on yourself and a reason to get excited to start the day everyday.

For some people it's not the lack of ideas of making there selves better but, it's the fact that some people just TALK about it so much. Talk talk talk. Do they even realize you can't expect anything to change without doing something differently? Can an object move without any force?  Sometimes I even catch myself expecting things to magically happen. I used to be all talk. Saying, "Oh I am going to move.... someday when I'm more stable in my life, oh I will go apply for those jobs... next week, or oh I will start working out.... after I wake up more."
Time to stop talking and start doing. Time to start getting after the life I always wanted, today. Not tomorrow but today.
At the end of January I will be doing things that I didn't think I could. Life is too short to live a day without passion for something.
What's your passion? What are you excited to do tomorrow? :)

One foot in at a time

If I could snap my fingers and magically start eating perfectly tomorrow, I would
but of course that would be WAY too easy...
I mean, after trying this over night miracle several times and miseraby failing, I had to get realistic with myself
It was about time I tried a more practical method. Like setting one goal at a time.
I needed to put one foot in at a time in the pool and give my body a chance to slowly get used to the cold temperature change. Time to stop trying to jump in head first only to hop right out after feeling the shock and noticing I was in way over my head.
This way I could focus on one bad habit at a time in attempts to conquere my "demon"  then, once I felt like I accomplished it, I woud set a new one.
For me, it's not hard to break habits... it's just getting past that first week.
After that first miserable week when you feel like, "how the heck do people do this?"...BOOM, the next day after you have resisted temptation, saying no to the cookies, the carmel popcorn, and the sourdough spinach dip at that holiday work party, you feel unstoppable.
I may be alone on this but personally, just that feeling of success alone, is enough to keep me on track.
I started this method quite shortly after I started this blog
I'll refresh you...

Goal #1 Lose 2 pounds that week (When I was weighing myself)
Goal #2 No more night eating
Goal #3 No sweets, No Bread
Goal #4 No more weigh ins
Goal #5 No more fast food/eating out
Goal #6 No more high sodium food

Goal #2 though darn it...
I understand we all have our personal weaknesses.
but Goal #2 is the DEVIL....My own personal devil that one day I will destroy.
Goal #2 I have had to skip over and over and move on to the next goal and try to go back and accomplish it later. EVERYTIME.
New Years Resoution: Operation No Eating At Night.
I got this.

When beating yourself up doesnt work, beat something else.

WARNING: this is the only post I will write that doesn't exactly fit the theme of health and fitness.

HOWEVER, I think stress, how we feel inside, and how we deal with things can play a huge part on our well being as a whole.
For example stress can turn people to food, some people bury it inside them until they literally become ill. Others let it consume them to the point of depression where they lose all their zest in life or interest in taking care of their body.
Stress can effect you in negative ways and for some people (like me) can affect your attitude and health.

I realized personally I was stressed when I finished writing my blog today. When I went back and re read what I had wrote and saw that it was more like a diary than a heath and fitness blog,.
"Ok Jessica whats wrong now?"
I realized today this Christmas Eve 2010 I belong in Los Angeles NOT Sacramento.
I feel my body getting antsy, my mind wanting routine, and my heart yearning for something exciting. You may even go as far as saying I sort of resemble some kind of wild creature in a cage. Only, my cage is a little place called, Fair Oaks.
But Christmas wasn't even here yet...
I had to figure out a way to stay sane and happy for three more days until I returned home so today I ran.
 And I ran and ran and ran. Seven miles at least. This usually cures me for the time being so I was surprised when I drove the whole way home with my eyes full of tears and a urge to punch something/one.
So I went with my instincts and listened to what my body wanted to do (or so you could say that trapped creature in the cage wanted to do)... and that was to smash something into another thing and I needed to plan it out soon before I took it out on the next person I came in contact with.
I couldn't stand to have it apart of me anymore.

I took a hammer and a few fireplace logs out in the backyard and had at it.

Now I know your thinking I'm crazy at this point but hey whatever I found a temporary release
Sure, I obviously need to find a less dramatic way in the future to cope when I feel as if I hit a wall but for today I had to do what I felt like would help.

When beating myself up didn't work, I beat something else :)

I did it! I did it!

I understand this may sound pathetic and probably, to some people, even roll-your-eyes worthy but today I went a day with no mess ups! YEE

And no, this doesn't mean I didn't eat, or counted my precise calories consumed, or burnt 4,500 calories at the gym.

But on a day where I was on the road for five hours faced with hardly any choices besides grimy packaged 7 eleven snacks and fast food joints for me at every stop, and  the full cabinets of carb's and delicious goodies on every table waiting for me at home. I filled myself up with fresh fruit, chicken, tuna, beans, and greens and I called my friend after my arrival nap and she ran the neighborhood with me as the sun was going down. Followed by a gym session with my boy.
I'm honestly surprised at how little of an effort I had to make to have an "error free day". I think it has something to do with this blog. Talking myself through my own advise, keeping positive, and ultimately being my own guinea pig.
Actually now that I said that, I realize, I haven't dreaded to be active everyday but am excited about it! Dare I say it is even becoming therapeutic? I notice when I get antsy I search for something to do. Since this blog, I have made a habit out of channeled  this energy out on the concrete and running shoes. Now running doesn't feel so much like a chore but a feeling of success.
Also, my cravings for sweet and salty food haven't been nagging at me during my days (and late nights) nearly as much as before. I think I am starting to truly care and understand how I choose food by how I want to feel the rest of the day, and not just talking about it. Like ACTUALLY doing it.

As a matter of fact, I can't even remember the last time I struggled fighting with my "bad side" like I used to.

Maybe CHANGING OVER TIME is the key?
Not expecting to change your habits dramatically overnight but having it be more about setting the particular goals you want to reach/or things you want to cut out of your lifestyle, forgiving yourself when you mess up, and thinking about the conscious decision to be good to yourself that day by taking an hour to break a sweat or choosing an apple over a quesadilla.
Meaning everyday, even if I didn't succeed, I just turned it into more motivation to push to work harder the next meal or the next day.
Changing our minds to healthy thoughts and eventually our bodies will follow. Being patient with ourselves. Allowing ourselves to be human and recognizing even we have to sometimes train ourselves to do simple things.

P.S. There was so much love in my house when I arrived home this afternoon. Just positive energy all around. Could be my change of attitude, who knows, but man it felt terrrrific.

Especially having a great time with my two little sisters company in particular, feels like our relationship gets more mature and stronger every time I go back for an occasion. silly girls :)

Social Life? Or Healthy Life?

Tomorrow morning I am off to the place I was born.
Oh good ol' Fair Oaks, California where the weather keeps you snuggled up inside on the couch, the friends like to eat out, and the grandparents bring the desserts.
The perfect formula for a mini catastrophe.....bring on the bloat which seems to stay through the month of January! ;)
I know I am not the only one who's bad at peer pressure. How many times have you thought you were "being good" until all it took was for someone to casually invite you to a huge caloric trip for a scrumptious ginormous Chipotle burrito? And their buying? How can you say NO?! you can't right? It is free and all.... then for the next meal, and why not the next meal? and the next and next and next.
haha
Hmmm think Jessica, think. What would you tell yourself in a few days that will help you keep your insanity following this lovely holiday week? Sure, I play off like I have a lot of self discipline but do not be fooled. All it takes is a setting where all there is to do is play around with friends and family, no responsibilities, no work to go to, no school to attend....personally, I dive into unhealthy-feel-good-now-world and I never look back.
I am not lying to myself, I know what always goes down over the holidays but I have got to at least attempt what seems like the impossible.
Maybe I will try something I never have before.....
Getting the people I am surrounded with, in my native town, to help me stay motivated and on track without realizing it! I can try and get some family members or some friends to want to make the little rainy drive to the gym if I set a time to go everyday that they are all available.....ORRRR
I can go on field trips to the grocery store to get yummy healthy things each night for dinner and cook meals for my family to avoid the temptations of holiday food and dining out.
(could be an opportunity to learn how to cook a little bit too ;)

So the moral of the story is that I have noticed the influence of the people around me plays a huge part of what I do and don't do. So getting people I love and that are around me to support me, may be my best bet.
Let's see how this pans out.

What do you think? Can you keep a social life and a healthy life at the same time?

Get Excited!

If your dragging your butt getting to the gym on a winter day where you would rather stay inside.... either do something about it to lift yourself up or simply don't go.....

But I would highly recommend changing your mood, figure out what gets you excited and motivated whether it's keeping a few inspiring quotes around the house or going and buying the new magazine that just came out that month and using it to read while doing some high level on the olyptical. O L Y P T I C A L, is that how you spell it?

WHAT I DO: I pop a five hour energy (all natural vitamins and good for you), eat something small portioned healthy snack, get my juices flowing and get in my workout mood  by either running upstairs or doing a quick stretch in my studio, and then I have my man meet me to keep me pumped and push me through my work out.

   Im going to start bringing my iFlip everywhere for documentation. It'll give me a break from typing so much and you'll be able to see my retarded face more.

It's a win, win.
And yes Im aware people that I haven't quite gotten the angles of the camera yet,but maybe with practice I'll get better at getting my whole face on the screen. Maybe.

ok, so I failed.... whatever.... moving on

   Ladies and Gentlemen, here its the epiphany of my city. This picture doesn't do much justice to this poor girl's months of probably starving herself but, in person, I couldn't believe she even had enough muscle to hold her 5'6" body up!
Perfect example of what I am constantly up against, ray bands over her eyes, baggy $300 hobo dress/shirt, messy bun, with high heels on her feet so tall she could hardly keep her ankles from shaking.

The coffee shop across the street from me is a particularly hot spot for these ladies. But it is also a place where I have met the most positive and inspiring people. (I understand in the next paragraph I will not be talking about health and fitness at all....)

I mean just today for example I run into a man who completly made my entire day. A person who has the same positive attitude and zest for life, and love for health and fitness just like me. I believe you attract what you give out. If you talk to, and give your energy to even the strangers that you just happen to come in contact through your day, you have a better chance of meeting other people just like you because you will naturally be attracted to eachother. It's a beautiful thing and even though it does not happen everyday, I have met a few people that have made a strong impact on me at this silly little coffee place. Such an impact in fact, I owe them all a thank you because they have inspired me start going after what I originally came to Los Angeles for. Nothing on purpose, but they did.

P.S. I must confess my sins and tell everyone that I couldn't even make it one night without eating past 8. Thats right folks, I woke up without checking my clock either in a sleep walk or a state of mind in which I had no care in the world. In my mind it was morning so I ate a few chicken sandwiches and some eggs.
I get back into bed and dare to check my phone..... whoops it's 3am....not breakfast time, or even close.
So what do I say to myself when I wake up full and remember my late night feast from a few hours prior?
It's okay lets try again tonight, no need to be upset about it.

"When you fall down get back up or else you'll NEVER get off the floor."