You know what drives me crazy; Excuses. I’m sure you’ve heard them all, or said them all… I know I have too.

“I’m too busy to work out.”

“Its just ONE more cookie.”

“But everyone was going to the buffet for lunch, I had to eat it all too.”

“I’m not losing weight, its so-in-so’s fault for tempting me with food.”

Just stop. Please, just stop. I tell myself this from time to time, when I find I’m making excuses for myself, for my actions and not getting the results I want. Its no ones fault that I missed a workout, or that I ate too much. Its only my own fault. Its only your own fault if you’re not happy with your diet and exercise routine. Its so easy to fall into this trap of blaming everyone and everything else for our own doing, but we have to become better than that. We have to become the type of people to own up to our own shortcomings, but choose to do better, not wallow in self-pity. Don’t wallow, go for a walk.

I saw this the other day and completely 100% agree with this:Don’t be on a diet, ya’ll. If thats the only piece of advice I can ever give, then that would be it. Don’t do a diet. Live your diet. Make healthy choices, make it a lifestyle of healthy living.

And it wouldn’t be right for me to leave you today without giving you some homework, right? Here’s a fun workout that you can do anywhere. Try this out at the gym or at home…

Enjoy!

Have you ever finished a workout, and even through you were exhausted, you felt like a million bucks? You can thank endorphins for that.

en·dor·phin

noun /enˈdôrfin/ endorphins, plural Any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions. They are peptides that activate the body’s opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.

Wikipedia explains what a “Runner’s High” is:

Runner’s high

A publicized effect of endorphin production is the so-called “runner’s high“, which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts, when the level of intensity is between moderate and high, and breathing is difficult. This also corresponds with the time that muscles use up their stored glycogen. During a release of endorphins the person may be exposed to bodily harm from strenuous bodily functions after going past his or her body’s physical limit. This means that runners can keep running despite pain, continuously surpassing what they once considered to be their limit.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, researchers in Germany reported on the mechanisms that cause the runner’s high. Using PET scans combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, they were able to compare runners’ brains before and after a run.^[11]

It is also suggested by many^[who?]that endorphins are some of the many chemicals that contribute to runner’s high; other candidates include epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

Previous research on the role of endorphins in producing runner’s high questioned the mechanisms at work, their data possibly demonstrated that the “high” comes from completing a challenge rather than as a result of exertion.^[12] Studies in the early 1980s cast doubt on the relationship between endorphins and the runner’s high for several reasons:

• The first was that when an antagonist (pharmacological agent that blocks the action for the substance under study) was infused (e.g. naloxone) or ingested (naltrexone) the same changes in mood state occurred as when the person exercised with no blocker.

• A study in 2003 by the Georgia Institute of Technology found that runner’s high might be caused by the release of another naturally produced chemical, anandamide.^[13][14] The authors suggest that the body produces this chemical to deal with prolonged stress and pain from strenuous exercise, similar to the original theory involving endorphins. However, the release of anandamide was not reported with the cognitive effects of the runner’s high; this suggests that anandamide release may not be significantly related to runner’s high.^[14]

I don’t know about you, but I’m grateful for endorphins. During a hard grueling workout or long draining run I’m very well likely to say to myself “I am NEVER doing this again!”… and then those beautiful endorphins kicked in and I’ve suddenly forgotten all the crazy pain my body has just endured and now I’m feeling strong and confident, and ready for my next race or workout. It’s crazy how we were designed, but it all makes beautiful sense, right?

So what workouts do you have planned this week? Any that you’re dreading? Just know that after that hardcore workout, you’ve got some awesome feeling endorphins that are going to flood your body and take away all those ill feelings towards your muscles.

Have you ever experienced a runner’s high? When was it?

Have you ever heard of Popchips? This pretty package showed up at my doorstep the other day…

Thanks Katie & Friends at Popchips for the snacks.

So far… so yummy! There’s a few more to try. I really liked the light, non-greasey taste. Hubs heard me crunching and came to try some as well. He gives two thumbs up!

I just want you to know…  that p90x is crazy. Like, seriously, crazy. But I’m a crazy exercise lovin’ girl, so I think this is a match made in heaven.

Here’s our schedule…

We’re in week 1, day 7 right now. We started last Wednesday and took a rest day Saturday, only because it was a very busy day. We’ve decided to have our rest days be on Monday’s though, much easier. We’re also going to bring the dvd’s with us on our trip to the Derby. Don’t want to miss a beat here. Gotta Bring It!

Have you tried p90x? What are your thoughts? If you haven’t tried it… why not?

***Happy Birthday to my awesome running buddy, Kim!! Be sure to hop over to her page and wish her a fab birthday!***

Today’s Zumba class was “Warrior” day! We dressed in our cameo best and rocked it!

I don’t think I was going for the “hardcore warrior” look so much as the “Barbie Warrior” look. What can I say, I wanna be Brunette Barbie in real life.

All the songs today were awesome. Made you feel strong and empowered. It got me thinking about what my favorite workout go-to songs are. One of my ALL TIME favorite is Survivor from Destiny’s Child. Have you ever listened to the lyrics of that song?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that you’re out of my life
I’m so much better
You thought that I’d be weak without you
But I’m stronger
You thought that I’d be broke without you
But I’m richer
You thought that I’d be sad without you
I laugh harder
You thought I wouldn’t grow without you
Now I’m wiser
Though that I’d be helpless without you
But I’m smarter
You thought that I’d be stressed without you
But I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t sell without you
Sold 9 million

I’m a survivor
I’m not gonna give up
I’m not gonna stop
I’m gonna work harder
I’m a survivor
I’m gonna make it
I will survive
Keep on survivin’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awesome right? I was thinking about it in terms of my weight-loss journey. “Now that you’re out of my life, I’m so much better“. Holy cow. That’s deep. I’m not going to give up, I’m gonna work harder! If those aren’t empowering words then I don’t know what is!

I hope today that whatever you’re facing either it be little or big, that you tackle your obstacle head on and say to yourself that you’re not going to give up, you’re not going to stop, you’re going to work harder, YOU ARE A SURVIVOR and KEEP ON SURVIVING! Get it girl!!

Take second and listen to the song and enjoy the cheesy acting.

What’s your favorite “get you pumped and feel empowered” go-to workout song?