Oh the horror! - Week 1

I weighed myself yesterday and I can't even believe that I'm putting myself on blast like this, but I feel that it is the ONLY way to force myself to do something about it. 167....That's right! ::shaking my head in disappointment::

It's a shame that I let things get this bad and it was partially because of my ankle injury, I've been out of the workout game for a month, but there is no excuse for that. We (me, myself and I), have to work at a fast and steady pace to lose those extra 27 lbs that I am carrying around. ASAP.



The solution? Well there are a lot of solutions, but I'm starting with P90x. P ninety what, you say? p90x is one of those video workout programs that's supposed to get you in shape by doing boot camp style workouts everyday for 90 days (and in the comfort of your own home). Normally, I wouldn't buy into that shit, but there are people that I know that have tried it and said that it worked for them.

Although, I am pretty good at staying on a strong workout regimen, I need some motivation right now to get me out of this depression. I also need to take a before picture of myself, so that I can awe in all my glory at the after pic, when I have a rock hard body.

Don't know if its worth it? Well don't you worry, I will post what I think about the P90x program over the next 90 days. The greatest thing is that there are no crazy promises. 90 days is definitely enough time to re-shape your body and (in my case) my life.

Here we goooo!

Adventures of a chronic dieter #1

Again and again, I have promised myself that I would lose weight and improve my physical fitness over a period of time and there have been many many times that I have actually achieved my goals in that arena, however, since July I have made promises to myself that I just haven't kept. That all ends today...

"Why are you always on a diet?"...Well, I guess its not really a diet anymore but just a lifestyle choice. It is not that I think that I am obese either, and a lot of weight loss is not about that, but more about being the best you can be. I know I'm better than this, therefore, I have tried to encourage myself to get back to the 'way things were', because I felt better about myself back then. So I don't think I'm overweight more than I know that I feel and perform better at my ideal weight, previously achieved.

We all use excuses about why we have gained weight as we get older; working a desk job, being stressed out, being too busy, loving food too much, not wanting to torture ourselves, etc. Well fitness should be a part of your regular activity and when you want to lose weight you just have to incorporate some extra time into it. Its like when you're a student and you're struggling in a subject, you get a tutor and put more emphasis on it.

My goal is to trim off this excess weight and become a lean mean tennis machine. Along with fitness, I will utilize this 52 day program to improve my focus on everything in my life, improve my tennis game and get my finances situated (for all those trips I'm taking this year).

I have until March 31st to be all that I can be. I'm not going to put an exact number goal because that can be deceiving, but what I can put down are some ground rules:

- Cut sodas and artificial juices
- No candy or baked goods
- No more than eating out 1 time per week
- High protein, low carbs
- Incorporate a master cleanse of maybe 3-5 days in the plan somewhere
- Cut out as much dairy as possible (including cheese...I know....ouch!)
- Replace Coffee with Green Tea and non-sugar energy drinks (if necessary)

Tomorrow morning in the wee hours of the morning is the weigh in. I will not procrastinate to wake up and get out of the house. And alas, to make this the real deal, I will post my starting weight as embarrassing as it is for me.

During this extraordinary promise to myself, I will post my weekly progress, interesting observations, great fitness classes and exercises that I come across and recipes that I discover to keep my 'diet' bearable and exciting. The good news is that I love vegetables and salads. The bad news is this is undoubtedly going to be the hardest thing I have done to date (sometimes I think it is harder to lose weight when you're not overweight).

Here's to achieving the BEST!!! Cheers!!! Stay tuned...

How-To write AND keep your New Year's resolutions!

It's that time of year again and I love it because it means there's a whole year of new-ness ahead. Actually, I don't even know if that make sense ;). Anyway, I have a pretty good ritual of writing my new year's resolutions for the next year around this time. Nothing unique about that right? WRONG!!!

I'm one of the few people I know that KEEP my resolutions, yes...I actually check in with them throughout the year. I keep a copy of them in my planner or phone or wherever and I check in mid-year to see where I stand. Yes, that may be obnoxious to you...but when it comes the end of the year to write new ones; I'm excited about it because its more like a prediction of what i'm going to accomplish over the next year.

There are definitely some key tricks to writing good resolutions, so I thought I would share with you all; so that you can make 2010 your BEST year yet. Especially after the depressing 2009 we just went through.

1. Figure out what you want to accomplish! - Ok, this may be self-explanatory but it has to be said. Take some time for yourself one day, sit down and really think about where you would like to be by the end of 2010. Don't think about where you are today - that will just throw wrenches in your plan.

2. Be realistic - It may sound good to say you're gonna lose 50 pounds next year, but are you really going to do that? Make sure that your resolutions are something that you can stick with and really give effort to. If you think 20 is the realistic number then put down 20, you know your limits. If your goal is too ridiculous in any area, you'll be more likely to forget it or give up.

3. Give yourself measurable goals - Be sure that you are setting some expectation for yourself. Saying to yourself "I'm going to save money next year" doesn't really say much at all. Remember, these are for yourself for the most part. Put a number goal on things like; I'm going to save $1200 in 2010 or I'm going to lose 10 pounds by march. Putting dates and number give your nearer and farther goals and gives you some motivation to work towards things. You don't have to make it ridiculous, its not a competition. Resolutions are just things you feel will make you or your life better. (I promised myself I would play in 10 tennis tournaments next year!)

4. Tell people about it. - Does a tree make a sound when it falls in the woods if no one hears it? Tell someone about your goals/plans, this is probably someone close to you or maybe even a friend that you're writing resolutions with. That way, someone is a witness and possibly may ask you how your getting along at certain points. If you have someone to share it with, it's easier to keep your resolutions throughout the year.

5. Keep them close - Have your resolutions handy. I generally have mine on a half sheet of paper in my planner. Sometimes when i'm flipping through to check something else I run across and re-read them. This is a great reminder of what you have to accomplish and keeps them in your head. It's not surprising that you won't have them memorized. Another good place is your wallet.

6. Check-in mid year! - Right before summer hits, check in with yourself. If you check-in mid year and you kind of put some of the items by the way side, you still have about 6 months to accomplish some of your goals. Most of our goals won't take a whole year to get to, but we give ourselves that much because we've gotta live life. This is a great time to check things off your list (my favorite) so you can see what you have left and how much progress you have made!

7. Celebrate yourself - There's never a bad time to celebrate. I generally see new year's as a time of celebrating the past year and really seeing all that I have accomplished. But along the way, have small celebrations when you accomplish your goals.

8. Keep it short! - Last but not least. Having 100 resolutions for the year is a little out of range. Create as many as you think is important to really get to that year. I generally have about 10 main goals for the year, other stuff comes up; both those 10 I make sure to keep top of mind.

Well, I hope that you get a chance to plan for 2010 and I wish every one a very happy New Year! Good luck and god speed....2010 Here I come!

What's on the horizon? Jini's movie picks!

I've always thought that being a movie critic would be fun, but analyzing a film with so many different personalities in the world is almost impossible. I'd like to think that I'm an objective source of information most of the time, but who knows. Anyway, I have seen some great snippets of movies that have recently been released and are scheduled to come out soon, I thought I'd share some of the films that have intrigued my interest and this is a way of me being able to track back to what I wanted to make sure to catch!

Across The Hall
- Given the recent tragedy that has struck this fabulous Hollywood Starlet, I never even really heard about this movie until I saw an interview, mentioning that it was the last film that she made. Here's a trailer.




Cracks
- I don't even remember how I came across this movie,but it looks thrilling. Its an independent film and Eva Green was one of my favorite Bond Girls. Check out the trailer and you won't be able to wait to catch the flick.




Leap Year
- Cute chick flick with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode (What a hottie!). I've come to appreciate a lot of the films that Amy Adams has been in. Looks like a cute Romantic Comedy.



Sherlock Holmes
- What can I say that everyone else already doesn't know. This looks like a kick-ass movie! I'm only sad that I don't get to see it on Christmas day! YAY I can't wait for Sherlock Holmes; for some reason Robert Downey Jr. just seems perfect for the part. Not to mention I love Rachel McAdams and Jude Law.



The Blind Side
- I've always been partial to feel-good stories about team sports. Although, this is more of a personal victory story; I feel that it falls into that same category. Eager to catch this, but I think I'm waiting until DVD.

An LA Find: 13 Pisces Moon!

Ok, so it would be a really exciting find if I didn't actually know this person, but if it makes it any better I only know him through someone else AND I was shocked when I found out, because these T-shirts are sooo awesome. Ever since I saw one I have always been a fan and didn't realize the array of Tee's that were designed, until I got one for my B-day that I absolutely adore, Erykah Badu.


Now if you're not a Badu fan it's ok (I may think you're nutz, but that's besides the point), he make shirts of all types and even does special order hand painted t-shirts based on what you want. My personal favorite off of the site is the Michael Jackson Billie Jean shirt. Here are a couple of others that my beau owns that what initially attracted me to them:


Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics



Our Fearless Leader, President Barack Obama


If you are still looking for Christmas presents and are not sure what to get, these T-shirts are very unique and you're supporting local designers in LA. I'm not sure if he ships but you can check out the website, http://www.13piscesmoon.com/ for more details and some pretty good shirt shopping music.

Mention this blog and get 20% off.

You would think moving is my favorite thing to do!

Buttt....it is not. My favorite thing to do is work. Sick huh? Anyway, yes I am moving again and my apartment looks awful right now. As a matter a fact, I took a quick photo so that you can see the disaster that is the apartment.
The more I think about it and look around, the more sad I am to leave PE Lofts here in Downtown LA. I mean it is pretty cool, but I have to flow with my situation and move a bit closer to the OC. The good thing is that I'm moving back to Long Beach, maybe a mile from where I used to live. I went to go give my deposit the other day and driving down those old streets surprisingly made me feel like I was home. Never did I think that I would be at 'home' in Long Beach but is has become a safe place for me. I have already lived at 'the beach' for about 4 years, so it is an easy transition. We'll see how the boy takes it though.

The new place is fabulous. A 2 bed 2 1/2 bath townhome. I will finally have enough real space to make me feel comfortable and the upstairs/downstairs element will give the homey feeling. Oh yea and I can't forget my very first fireplace. Woo! Anyway, Sunday will suck, but I think this is the beginning of a beautiful living situation. Excited! Don't try and be social with me until next Thursday.

25/50 - 25 Things to do in 50 days

I was inspired by a post that I read this morning called 101 things to do in 1001 days. I need shorter term goals, so I shortened my list and my time span to see if I can also accomplish what The Little Goat had set out to do. I'm guessing the main goal is to really get things done and stick with them. Everyone knows when you publicly announce something, it's more likely to get done.

So as per style of The Little Goat; the mission if I choose to accept it: Complete 25 goals in the span of 50 days.

Method: By any means necessary. Tasks must be specific with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.

Start: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Celebratory finish: Thursday, December 10, 2009 And so the list begins:

1) Start this list
2) No soda (outside of soda water)
3) Play 1 tennis tournament
4) Run 10 miles/week (including at least one 5K)
5) Lose 10 pounds (starting weight: to be updated soon)
6) Post my first video on Netropolis
7) Blog 2 times/week (14 posts)
8) Straighten out my taxes
9) Go wine tasting
10) Play tennis 3 times a week (at least) - total of 21 times
11) Hit the Santa Monica stairs 1/week (at least) - total of 7 times
12) Read 3 books
13) Learn to ride the scooter
14) Get a king-sized bed
15) Floss everyday
16) Cook 1 new recipe/week
17) Watch 1 foreign or independent film/week (7 total)
18) Golf or hit 1/week (7 times)
19) Hit serves 4 mornings/week (28 times)
20) Get a Carrom board
21) Create an acrylic painting
22) Enter all receipts into an excel spreadsheet
23) Only eat out 1 time/week (7 times)
24) Go to the gym 5 times/week (35 times)
25) Write a new 25 things list

Wish me luck, looks like I'll need it! Look for updates too, each time I accomplish things I will gray them out as I go, although many of them will only be completed on the last day of this target list.