For the past two weeks, I have been doing a weight loss challenge at work. For the past two weeks, my partner and I have dominated the competition. 

This week, all the players were asked to keep a log of their exercising. Of course, me being the competitive person I am, I want to win not only the entire contest but the weekly challenges as well. So for this week I am exercising for at least 2 hours a day. I am going to see if I can manage it with work in a more reasonable way then I did two years ago. Back then I would exercise at 11pm just to get the 120 minutes in, I am not going to do that again. I started this on the weekend when it is easy to fit in the time. I'll see how it goes tomorrow with work.

Saturday's Exercise
Ran 11 miles in 110 minutes
Kettlebell 30 minutes
Total 140 minutes

Sunday's Exercise
Kettlebell 30 minutes
STS Mesocycle 2 Back and Biceps 60 minutes
Bike Trainer - Spinnervals High Intensity 30 minutes 
otal 120 minutes

My song. 

There is one key factor that can either damage your relationships or deepen them.  That factor is your attitude.  If you’re hoping to grow and maintain positive relationships in your life, read on.  Below you will find a 20 step attitude adjustment guaranteed to help you do just that.

1. Stop holding grudges. – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.
2. Stop complaining. – Instead, use your time and energy to do something about it.
3. Stop meaning what you don’t say. – People can’t read minds.  Communicate regularly and effectively.
4. Stop making it all about you. – The world revolves around the sun, not you. Take a moment to acknowledge this truth on a regular basis.
5. Stop lying. – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.
6. Stop blaming.  – Blaming others accomplishes nothing.  Either you own your problems, or they will own you.  Your choice.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give-up your power over that part of your life, and you annoy everyone around you in the process.
7. Stop doubting. – If you think that you can’t achieve something, I have some news for you, you’re probably right.  But don’t let your self-doubt interfere with other people’s dreams.  Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.  (Read Unstoppable.)
8. Stop interrupting. – Correcting someone when they’re blatantly wrong is one thing, but always interjecting your opinions out of turn gets old fast.
9. Stop being selfish. – You get what you put into a relationship.  Nothing less, nothing more.
10. Stop judging. – Everyone is fighting their own unique war. You have no clue what they are going through, just like they have no clue what you’re going through.
11. Stop gossiping. – Gossiping about others is a lose/lose situation.  It hurts them, and then it hurts your reputation.
12. Stop making promises you can’t keep. – Don’t over-promise.  Over-deliver on everything you do.
13. Stop being defensive. – Just because someone sees something differently than you doesn’t mean either one of you is wrong.  Keep an open mind.  Open minds discover great things.
14. Stop comparing people to others. – No two people are alike.  Everyone has their own strengths.  We are only competing against our own selves.
15. Stop expecting people to be perfect. – ‘Perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’  And genuine ‘goodness’ is hard to find in this world.  Don’t overlook it.
16. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – It’s impossible.  But making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
17. Stop screwing people over just because you can get away with it. – Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it.  Think bigger.  Do what you know in your heart is right. (Read Life’s Greatest Lessons.)
18. Stop making mountains out of molehills. – People make mistakes.  Crap happens.  There’s no reason to stress out yourself and everyone around you because of it.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
19. Stop being dramatic. – Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.
20. Stop giving out advice, and just listen. – Less advice is often the best advice.  People don’t need lots of advice, they need a listening ear and some positive reinforcement.  What they want to know is already somewhere inside of them.  They just need time to think, be and breathe, and continue to explore the undirected journeys that will eventually help them find their direction.

And remember, your relationship with yourself is the closest and most important relationship you will ever have.  So pay attention to it, develop it, nurture it, and never, ever stop.

The thing about losing and gaining weight is that both take time. This means when you start working out and eating healthy foods, your body doesn't respond right away. Your body banks all that goodness and cashes in a month later when the results begin to appear. 

Inversely, the same is true for gaining weight. When you initially fall off the exercise and good food wagon, you still maintain your fitness level. However, after a month or two (even if you straighten up your diet and exercise), the bill comes due and you gain pounds and inches. 

Unfortunately for me, I have a bill waiting for me in this department. I spent November and December stuffing my face with bad food and lots of beer. Plus I was suffering from Plantar Fasciitis and did not run once. Yes, I did weights and kettlebell but it wasn't enough to offset the diet I was consuming. Cardio is really, really important for maintaining fitness.

So now, instead of beating myself up, I am going to fix the situation and payoff this Fatty Debt I have run up.
Like my blog says, if this is a priority in my life then I need to prove that by exercising regularly and HARD! I need to prove it by eating the proper diet, not out of sacrifice but out of the want to improve myself and my life.

Exercise
Mon Wed Fri  
Upper Body Weights
Running
M-7.5
W- 6 
F- 4
Sat-7.5

Sun Tues Thurs 
Lower Body Weights
Bike
Kettlebell

Food
Clean Eating focusing on lean protein, veggies, fruit, very little processed food.

1. Eat healthier all the time.
2. Appreciate my life and the people in it.
3. Live more simply and save more money.
4. Live in the present- The past is over, the future is unknown.

Goodbye 2011 and Goodbye to....

1. "Starting tomorrow"
2. Complaining
3. Rehashing the Past
4. Gossip
5. Excuses