All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 3)

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

 

Cardio: 2 mile walk during breaks (166)

Weights: Upper Body (chest, back, shoulders, bi's, tri's)

Calories Burned: 166+weights

 

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

         Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwich (with Craisins!) - 338

         Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

         Dinner - Maybe lasagna (we ended up not having guests over so we grilled up brats and potatoes instead yesterday)

Total Food: 658+dinner

 

Self-Confidence: 6ish (I felt good until I spilled coffee down the front of my shirt and pants)

 

As I mentioned yesterday, Dawnetta & Amber directly influenced my overall health and fitness obsessiveness.  Therefore, I blame them for all my current neuroses.  Just kidding.

 

Dawentta started not too long after I did.  She was blonde, skinny, big boobed and beautiful.  I got to know her, and we started hanging out.  I quickly found out she was an amazing person, had amazing (and attractive, both physically and personality wise) friends.  She was my Lisa Kress of my young adult life.  Except, this time I got to be her friend vs. the nerdy girl in the corner she didn't care about.  I was honored. 

 

I learned a lot from Dawnetta, mostly about having confidence in myself and how not to be afraid to ask for what you want.  Especially when it came to work.  But, I also knew she had a personal trainer and took care of herself.  At the time, she had a roommate that was pretty obsessive about what he ate and what vitamins/supplements he took.  I learned a lot about nutrition from her through her roommate. 

 

As for Amber, she introduced me to the Body for Life program.  She completed a 12 week challenge.  I have started many, but, never fully completed one.  I always end up getting bored and switching stuff around (I have an attention span of a 6 year old when it comes to the gym).  However, one thing I did learn from her was how to make fitness a priority.  This was something she did well.  She had determination and she had a goal.  Something I never really had.  I just knew I was supposed to go, and was supposed to look a certain way based on what I saw around me.

 

I too, was jealous of Amber.  Jealous of the fact that she did more than I did exercise wise, and worked out longer/burned more calories than I did.  Maybe jealousy isn't the correct term.  I admired her.  And, I wished I had the motivation she had to put forth the effort she did.

 

I remember our company entered a competition where we measured the number of steps we took with pedometers and such.  She of course "out-stepped" us all!  She began riding her bike to work also, which, only raised her daily total steps.  Something I could not do because I lived too far, and I didn't even own a bike.  Unknowingly, she pushed me to do more, but it seemed no matter what I did - she always beat me out.  And good for her!

 

While in most situations, I would get frustrated to the point where I would resent her, this did not happen.  Amber is too awesome of a person to resent no matter how great she is.  What I liked best about her was that I could identify with her.  She is not overweight, and (to my knowledge) never was.  Neither was I at this point in my life.  Yet, we both seemed to want more from ourselves.  And, not just so we could be "hot" (though, that is a great side effect), but, more for our own personal peace of mind.  This is something we shared, and, not sure if she ever knew that - but, she does now (if you read this, Amber).

 

Working with these ladies only made things more interesting.  Because, guess what daily topic of conversations would bring?

 

Scenario 1:

 

Me: So, what are some good healthy snacks that I can bring to work.  I'm bored of yogurt and popcorn?

 

Dawnetta: I like soy nuts - the lightly salted kind.

Amber: The EAS snack bars are the best I've ever tasted - as far as nutritional snack bars go.  Anything with protein will be good for you.

 

Scenario 2:

 

Dawnetta: I've been adding flaxseed to my salads and oatmeal

 

Me: What is flaxseed? 

 

Dawnetta: Its a healthy source of omega-3's.  My roommate buys it then grinds it up in his coffee grinder and sprinkles it on things.   But, it goes bad fast, so, you have to use it up quickly.  I've also been looking into taking Spirulina.  Its a type of algae that is supposed to have antioxidant properties.

 

Me: You're eating algae now?

 

Dawnetta: Oh,  I also just switched from Soy Milk to Rice Milk.......I'll have to tell you about it later.

 

Scenario 3:

 

Amber:  So I finished my 12-week Body for Life Challenge, and, am now signing up for another one. 

 

Me: You can do more than one?

 

Amber:  Oh yes, you can do as many as you want.  I'm also going to start riding my bike to work, but still walk on my breaks too.  Just to stay healthy, you know?

 

Me: Wow.  You sure are motivated!  Maybe I should spend an extra hour at the gym today....

 

Amber:  Just do whatever makes you feel healthy.  Any exercise is better than no exercise.

 

 

So because of these two wonderful ladies, I now constantly Google "nutrition," "exercise," and "fitness" on an hourly basis.  They were genuinely interested in being healthy vs. being thin.  They were also genuinely interested in passing their knowledge onto their friends so their friends could be healthy also.  They jumpstarted my current health-conscious lifestyle.  And by no means is this a bad thing, because, during my years at NCS and working with them, I hit my lowest weight ever.  136lbs.  This, my friends, is my "Pre-Florida Weight."

 

Part 4 will continue tomorrow - where I will FINALLY sum up my nueroses for you!