January coming to a end.

I had a very busy weekend...I went home to be with my MOM on Friday and came home on Saturday. I wish that I could say that I was in great spirits over the weekend but I will admit, I wasn't. My mom is having horrible health issues to do with her blood pressure, cholesterol and heart. I went home to literally walk her down each isle of the grocery store to show her what foods to choose instead of the ones that she is use to. Low sodium, fat free, cholesterol free, high fructose corn syrup free, aspartame free and enriched flour free. The last three is what I want her to change the first three is what the doctors want (and I do to) but I figure if she is going to go for it, then go for it. It is not easy for a Southern women to change drastically her diet and on top of that she has to quit smoking as well as her night cap that she has daily. Sigh, it is a journey that has a long and winding road. I know with the support of my sister and grandmother, it is possible. I decided that I would tell her everything that I would want her to know (if something terrible were to happen) and that was emotional but so therapeutic. Sometimes you just don't say what you feel. I am getting better at saying exactly what I feel and get it out. Do you have a hard time opening up?

I can not believe that it is almost over. January, that is. I feel like this month is just flying by and well...it already has. I don't know why but for some reason the time seems to have sped up for me. I am not sure if that is a good thing yet. I almost have one month before the move. I will be trimming down my wardrobe and getting rid of unnecessary items that I have accumulated over the last year. I tell you what. It is just amazing what you can accumulate over just a year! The more that I get rid of, the less that I have to move. Because of having to tote my things up 17 stairs (steep ones at that) I am going to try my best to pair down. My new place may be super small but one thing is for sure....it is all mine! I have never lived in a place by myself that was healthy for me. As you may have read before, I lived in a house for years alone but it was the pits. No heat, no air, in the worst neighborhood with bars on every window of the house. It was not insulated and it was 100 years old. It was a store back in the 60's and older people in the neighborhood still call it "the store front" to this day. I still cant believe I lived like that. A tree fell on my house during a snow storm last year which forced me to move out. My best friend insisted as well. One morning I remember getting up to take a shower and my shower curtain was frozen to the bath tub. You couldn't speak in the house with looking like you were smoking. This new place however (my fingers are crossed) is affordable and yes, it is in a older home (not 100 yrs old though ;) I feel as though it is going to be a very special place for me. I read my horoscope (yes, I do believe in those things but don't take them completely serious). However, I am going to believe what Susan says and she said that the 27-28 in February will be the luckiest day of the year for me. That just so happens to be when I move into my place! YAY!

I promised that I would have a regular post and so I thought what better day than a Monday! I am kinda glad that I don't have a review today. I like telling you guys what is going on and catching up with my favorite bloggers as well! I have been one busy bee.

Something that happened to me that really did make me smile was a phone call that I got from a very special person! I got a direct phone call from Jesse Schwartz, Ph.D.,President of Living Tree Community Foods. This company is by far my favorite that I have ever dealt with or tried. I just couldn't believe that he called me himself to talk to me! I was so happy to speak with him. He informed me that Living Tree would be sending me all kinds of interesting products. Besides Newman's Own Organic's this is the most gracious company yet! He already sent me 6 different products that have rocked my world (I ate the bee pollen again this morning!). Sometimes people have no idea how happy they can make you by just doing little things. It was raining, I was sitting in my house alone, sad about my mom and pretty darn hungry to boot. Then the phone rang and it was him! So very sweet and I could feel how genuine he really is. A company ran by a person who truly wants to make a difference. Alive, organic, vegan products that are far Superior to anything that I have ever tried. Look forward to my up coming post! I am getting pecan butter (mmmmmm) and unpressed olive oil. Wow! Needless to say...My spirits were lifted after hanging up and I was so thankful.

This morning I started the day with this duo. 9:30 AM

12:00 before the gym I had this:

Plain Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries and bee pollen. YUM! Bee pollen is good for so many thing but one is energy! I eat it before the gym and I feel it.

1:00-Gym, weights for 40 minutes focusing on Legs and Biceps and Triceps. I have been doing these intervals and it looks kinda like this. Watch out it is intense.

Three Rounds of this set:

15 push ups

15 weighted squats (30 pounds)

15 weighted dead lifts (30)

10 30 lb biceps curls

10 Blurpees

then

Three rounds of this set:

25 runners lunges

20 inner thigh machine (50 lbs)

15 outer thigh machine (80 lbs)

15 triceps dips unassisted

Then three rounds of this set

15 weighted ball sit ups (laying at an incline holding 8lb ball in the air)

15 barbell curls to each ear, 12 lbs
15 leg lifts on the machine (for the bootay) each leg (80 lbs)

Then three sets of this:

8 push up stance knee to elbow (each leg) looking back at your feet (sorry for the description but that is the best that I can do for this one, it is the best ab exercise EVER).

10 Barbell tricep dips laying down (20 lbs, arms are shaking at this point)

By the end...I am sweating like a freak and have no idea how I will make it back to work without looking like I just got out of the pool. I get in the car, deodorize, perfume and wipe off. The drive back to work is with windows down and breathing deep. I then run upstairs, clock back in and go straight to the bathroom fish out my clothes that I hide in the drawer where they keep the toilet paper, wipe off with my essential organic oil wipes, dress, wash hands and fix my hair (I always wear my hair in a bun at work so I get away with working out and after a good sweat I just look more "sleek" so to speak. Then I get back to my desk, put sweaty clothes in my workout bag to wash and get back in the chair for the remainder of the day. After about 10 minutes of making sure nothing blew up while at "lunch" I then run to the kitchen to fix my lunch and eat it at my desk. Thank goodness I work in a place that they don't mind me eating at my desk! This is what I eat about 30 minutes after my horrible workout:

I always eat a salad...I am too hot to eat anything else! Usually it is Avocado, tomato, onion and some sort of protein either, tofu, boca or chicken. I ate a tuna salad everyday for lunch for a year and a half and now it makes me cringe....2:30 pm

3:30: This is my snackie!

Always sliced cumber paired with some sort of fruit. Today is mango!!! Mmmmm. My fave.

4:45- I get off and hop in the car for my 3 minute drive home.

Run in the house, change clothes and go on a 4 mile walk with the BF, Karen. It is how I decompress. Then I get home, shower the stank off me, moisturize and EAT!

7:00-This week (and really all winter) chunky homemade soup (soup varies each week)! This week

Butternut squash soup with steamed veggies and protein. If I have tofu for lunch I have chicken for dinner. I always only have one soy protein and one animal protein a day. After working out it is best to have a quick digesting protein so I usually go with the tofu.

8:30-30 minutes of yoga to stretch out

10:00pm- Caramel rice cake and PB while youtubing, huluing or reading blogs.

11:30 pm: Bed

Yep that is me. Pretty much Monday-Thursday. During lunch I go to the gym to do weights Monday, Wed and Friday. Tuesday & Thursdays I walk with a co worker for a hour. Monday-Thurs I always try to do the after walk with K. Yoga in the evening when I feel like I need it. That is that! My Monday in a nutshell!

See you tomorrow!

-Heather