I had a fantastic workout this morning. Everything clicked as my feet pounded the treadmill. My posture was good. My stomach was flat. I felt strong and (for me) fast. At one point, I caught the reflection of my profile in one of the gym mirrors. In that profile, I saw a silhouette of a body I could have with just a little more work. Yes, the flab I'm trying to get rid of was still present, but I could imagine a slimmer figure in that reflection. I saw the body I could be, and thought of a quote from the sculptor Michalangelo:
“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Source
I upped the speed on my treadmill as I pictured myself as a sculptor, chiseling away the fat on my body to find the sexy, fit person inside. I walked an extra five minutes following my run, making sure to engage my stomach muscles. I stared at my reflection, viewing my posture from every angle the multitude of mirrors would allow. I stretched on the treadmill, wiped it down, and then headed into the aerobics room (with more mirrors) for some more stretching and ab work.
I did exercises I have never done before this morning. I twisted, and crunched, and stretched, and pressed. I was a machine. It was a great workout. That's when I felt an old monster begin to creep into my life. That obsessive, cruel monster.
I felt the dark hood creep over my eyes, forcing me to only see the negative of my body. Forcing me to obsess over what and how much to eat for breakfast. Forcing me to think that I should have spent more time (after an hour-long workout) at the gym, even though it was time to go to work. I felt a monster creaping back into my life, a monster I haven't seen since college. A monster I thought I had abolished from my life.
I felt really great this morning before this monster of potential made her evil appearance. It was the best workout in months. I don't want to go back to my obsessive behavior from years ago. But I also don't want to quit as I have at other points in my life. I deserve to have a healthy, fit body without becoming obsessed with it. But it's a fine line I walk between apathy and obsession.
How do I find balance without letting the monster take over? I walk a very fine line.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
I walk a fine line
I had a fantastic workout this morning. Everything clicked as my feet pounded the treadmill. My posture was good. My stomach was flat. I felt strong and (for me) fast. At one point, I caught the reflection of my profile in one of the gym mirrors. In that profile, I saw a silhouette of a body I could have with just a little more work. Yes, the flab I'm trying to get rid of was still present, but I could imagine a slimmer figure in that reflection. I saw the body I could be, and thought of a quote from the sculptor Michalangelo:
“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Source
I upped the speed on my treadmill as I pictured myself as a sculptor, chiseling away the fat on my body to find the sexy, fit person inside. I walked an extra five minutes following my run, making sure to engage my stomach muscles. I stared at my reflection, viewing my posture from every angle the multitude of mirrors would allow. I stretched on the treadmill, wiped it down, and then headed into the aerobics room (with more mirrors) for some more stretching and ab work.
I did exercises I have never done before this morning. I twisted, and crunched, and stretched, and pressed. I was a machine. It was a great workout. That's when I felt an old monster begin to creep into my life. That obsessive, cruel monster.
I felt the dark hood creep over my eyes, forcing me to only see the negative of my body. Forcing me to obsess over what and how much to eat for breakfast. Forcing me to think that I should have spent more time (after an hour-long workout) at the gym, even though it was time to go to work. I felt a monster creaping back into my life, a monster I haven't seen since college. A monster I thought I had abolished from my life.
I felt really great this morning before this monster of potential made her evil appearance. It was the best workout in months. I don't want to go back to my obsessive behavior from years ago. But I also don't want to quit as I have at other points in my life. I deserve to have a healthy, fit body without becoming obsessed with it. But it's a fine line I walk between apathy and obsession.
How do I find balance without letting the monster take over? I walk a very fine line.
“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Source
I upped the speed on my treadmill as I pictured myself as a sculptor, chiseling away the fat on my body to find the sexy, fit person inside. I walked an extra five minutes following my run, making sure to engage my stomach muscles. I stared at my reflection, viewing my posture from every angle the multitude of mirrors would allow. I stretched on the treadmill, wiped it down, and then headed into the aerobics room (with more mirrors) for some more stretching and ab work.
I did exercises I have never done before this morning. I twisted, and crunched, and stretched, and pressed. I was a machine. It was a great workout. That's when I felt an old monster begin to creep into my life. That obsessive, cruel monster.
I felt the dark hood creep over my eyes, forcing me to only see the negative of my body. Forcing me to obsess over what and how much to eat for breakfast. Forcing me to think that I should have spent more time (after an hour-long workout) at the gym, even though it was time to go to work. I felt a monster creaping back into my life, a monster I haven't seen since college. A monster I thought I had abolished from my life.
I felt really great this morning before this monster of potential made her evil appearance. It was the best workout in months. I don't want to go back to my obsessive behavior from years ago. But I also don't want to quit as I have at other points in my life. I deserve to have a healthy, fit body without becoming obsessed with it. But it's a fine line I walk between apathy and obsession.
How do I find balance without letting the monster take over? I walk a very fine line.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Groupon, I think I love you.
A couple of months ago, Nate casually asked "do you use that groupon thing ever?"
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.
So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up. And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly. Well, hello! I was just in the market for a photobook.
No, seriously. I make a yearbook for Nate every year. It started with our honeymoon. I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took. I'm dead serious. We took two full cards worth of pictures. 1,200. Tahiti is that gorgeous. So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures. So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery. And then I made one for 2008. Then again for 2009.
2010 was a big year for us. I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year! We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive). I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.
So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet. And then promptly forgot about it. I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done. And then life would interupt me. Until this week.
This week, I got the book done! I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories. Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.
$33.00
This was a $70 book that I got for $33! I cannot believe the savings! Groupon? I love you. Now, what should I purchase next? (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books! I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.
So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up. And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly. Well, hello! I was just in the market for a photobook.
No, seriously. I make a yearbook for Nate every year. It started with our honeymoon. I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took. I'm dead serious. We took two full cards worth of pictures. 1,200. Tahiti is that gorgeous. So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures. So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery. And then I made one for 2008. Then again for 2009.
2010 was a big year for us. I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year! We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive). I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.
So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet. And then promptly forgot about it. I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done. And then life would interupt me. Until this week.
This week, I got the book done! I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories. Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.
$33.00
This was a $70 book that I got for $33! I cannot believe the savings! Groupon? I love you. Now, what should I purchase next? (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books! I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
Groupon, I think I love you.
A couple of months ago, Nate casually asked "do you use that groupon thing ever?"
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.
So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up. And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly. Well, hello! I was just in the market for a photobook.
No, seriously. I make a yearbook for Nate every year. It started with our honeymoon. I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took. I'm dead serious. We took two full cards worth of pictures. 1,200. Tahiti is that gorgeous. So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures. So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery. And then I made one for 2008. Then again for 2009.
2010 was a big year for us. I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year! We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive). I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.
So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet. And then promptly forgot about it. I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done. And then life would interupt me. Until this week.
This week, I got the book done! I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories. Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.
$33.00
This was a $70 book that I got for $33! I cannot believe the savings! Groupon? I love you. Now, what should I purchase next? (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books! I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
Why no, Nate, I keep hearing good things, but I haven't signed up yet.
So I moseyed on over to the site and signed up. And the first offer that popped up was $10 for a 20-page 8x8 photobook on Shutterfly. Well, hello! I was just in the market for a photobook.
No, seriously. I make a yearbook for Nate every year. It started with our honeymoon. I mean, we couldn't frame all 1,200 pictures we took. I'm dead serious. We took two full cards worth of pictures. 1,200. Tahiti is that gorgeous. So I needed a way to remember our wonderful trip without wallpapering my house with pictures. So I made a photobook on Kodak Gallery. And then I made one for 2008. Then again for 2009.
2010 was a big year for us. I mean, we met our daughter in the first month of that year! We took thousands of pictures of our little darling, and all of them deserve a permanent place in our home (besides the external hard drive). I had started one on Kodak Gallery, but it was over 50 pages and cost even more than that.
So when I logged into Groupon and saw the fabulous deal on a photobook, I whipped out my wallet. And then promptly forgot about it. I would remember from time to time that I really needed to get that yearbook done. And then life would interupt me. Until this week.
This week, I got the book done! I narrowed my initial album of 230 pictures to 209, and squeezed it into 53 pages of memories. Then I entered my Groupon promo code and braced myself for the cost.
$33.00
This was a $70 book that I got for $33! I cannot believe the savings! Groupon? I love you. Now, what should I purchase next? (PS - the Shutterfly site is pretty awesome for creating books! I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
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