Cheating at fitness. It's kind of like stealing 12-packs from a gas station

I don't know that I really have a lot to say as we start on week three. When I was weighed in on Friday I was down 4lbs, but I attribute it to my lack of eating due to being sick. Although, I guess a loss is a loss, except when it's a gain, which is what I'm worried about for this Friday, now that my appetite is sort of back.

I did two classes last week - Svaroopa Yoga and Cardio Pilates.

I have never done a yoga class before, and was anticipating all sorts of crazy poses, chanting, stretching and flexibility. Well, it wasn't exactly like that. That class was an hour and a half long and it involved a lot of poses that were very gentle and low-key. There was a lot of quiet time and being aware of our surroundings and bodies. I did enjoy the class, but I am an extremely fidgety person and felt like I was very obviously moving around. I also apparently struggle with folding a blanket into "3's" - hey, we can't win 'em all.

I would definitely try the class again, but I think for someone with as little attention span as I have, the hour and a half was JUST about too long. I personally would be better suited to an hour.

On Friday morning we had our group meeting with weigh-in and weekly work out. After the work-out, Jon and I stuck around for Cardio Pilates. I was kind of anxious because I remember my dad took a Pilates class once and when he came back he said that many people had...ummm "broken wind." (Funny that that's what I was most nervous about.)

It was OKAY, though! No one tooted and the workout was INTENSE! I really REALLY liked this class. I took the class again this morning and I plan on trying a straight up mat pilates course this week, too.

Basically, I'm feeling like I'm not giving my all - or at least as much as I could, only because I'm coming into the last 2.5 weeks of school. This is my (fingers crossed) last semester and come May I can no longer write "Professional College Undergrad - 9 years" on job applications. So, needless to say a lot of my time and energy has been focused on getting everything in order to make sure I pass my classes.

I also came up with an analogy while witnessing the usual happenings at my local gas station/convenience store last night. While in line to buy a bottle of water, these two men came in the store. They most certainly had been "indulging" in some "adult-beverages" and one that was more incoherent than the other started yelling about how long the line was. It seemed like these two guys knew the other two guys behind the counter but, no matter, he was angry and wanted his Natty-Ice NOW! The other man, who was standing a little too close to me for comfort, was bobbing and weaving and all of the sudden, his friend, RUNS out of the store with a 12 pack. The guy behind me blocks the aisle so the cashier can't get through and after a small scuffle, the employee is out the door and returns in about a minute, triumphantly holding the 12 pack of beer. The remaining friend is kicked out and the other guy is still outside, dancing and waving like a lunatic in the store window.

Now, why am I telling this story, you ask? My point is - if those guys had just waited, instead of stealing beer, they would have gotten what they had gone in for, only it would have just taken a little longer than they liked.

By cheating, however, they only cheated themselves, because the beer was taken away and they were left to sit out the rest of their buzz in the park with the other fans of Steel Reserve and Natural Ice.

Applying this to MY situation - weight loss and getting healthy are much like standing in line for beer (but instead of beer, insert something much better for you). If I jump the line, I'm not going to be doing myself any favors, HOWEVER, by being patient and going with the program - that is, staying in line and doing as I'm told, the payoff will be bigger and I will be rewarded with a smaller pant size and a healthier state of mind. So, it's okay to stand in line because it means you a.) won't be caught stealing shitty beer and b.) you'll get results that will more worth your while.

...and what a week it's been

Soooo, we're one week into this Quest For Your Best program and I've gotta say, it's been much different than I'd expected.

For starters, I had a bit of a BodyBugg malfunction on Day 1. I wasn't entirely surprised because it's kind of a running joke between myself and my friends that I don't mesh well with electronics. Cell phone calls dropping ten times in two minutes? No stranger to that! Walking onto a main road and having all the street lights go out? Totally the norm! Sitting down at my computer and watching as the entire power strip powers off? Old news!

So when my BodyBugg worked at The Landing but melted down as soon as I walked home it wasn't a shock. When I mentioned this to Catherine, our positive and perky trainer, she made me privy to the power of optimistic thinking. Instead of saying "electronics hate me" I was now to have an affirmation of "electronics and I 'get along' and my BodyBugg will work." Although I wound up replacing my BodyBugg, it was the notion of having a self-fulfilling prophecy that would happen in a good instead of a bad way that wound up being the unintentional theme of this first week.

I am, by nature, a shy and mellow person, someone who takes a bit of time to warm up to new situations and people before actively engaging in conversations or exchanges. Being thrown (in a good way) into this whole situation has been a bit overwhelming for me. The five of us as a group are a lively bunch.

Rachel and Shannon have outgoing personalities and I think all of us have good senses of humor.

Jon and Jeff both have children and a love of baseball, so they have that to bond over, too. Me, well, I kind of feel just sort of like I'm floating, hoping the others don't think I'm a jerk because I'm not talking, and desperately trying to conjure up things to talk about that don't have to do with weather or being broke or my turtle, Otis. (I've found that I'm basically the only one that finds Otis basking on his brick with his head submerged under water really cute).

What does my lack of social skills have to do with this Quest, I'm sure you're wondering? Well, for starters, Catherine's insistence on positive thinking and good affirmations has had me thinking about thinking in a new way. For example, instead of assuming Shannon is quietly telling herself how big my ass is while I was in downward dog on the mat in front of her during Gyrokinesis, I should assume that maybe she's, shocker, not paying attention to me at all, but instead focusing on her own movements in the present moment.

When I was stressed beyond belief with having to tackle school, work, schoolwork and somehow getting to Massachusetts and back for a job interview mid-week, I tried to mellow out and just let myself go with what was happening. As long as I made all my classes then school wasn'! t a problem.

Schoolwork could be tackled on the bus ride to MA., work was flexible with my scheduling needs and the job interview went as well as it could and the rest was out of my hands. When I was hit with a nasty virus this past weekend, I tried to replace the crying and whining with a gallon of water because that would certainly do a lot more for my body than being a grumpsaurus would.

Although I feel like I've gotten off to a rocky start, I also think that I've learned a lot more emotionally and spiritually than I thought would be possible so early into this program. Jeff, Shannon and I took that aforementioned Gyrokinesis class on Thursday night with Randy Matthews. It was a class that focused on distributing our own energy in positive ways while stretching and breathing in order to help our bodies relax and expunge negativity. Randy was a great instructor and I left feeling re-charged yet calm. I definitely plan on going back this week and I recommend taking the class as well if you're looking for something to work on your entire body in a low-key manner. (Read the description here)

I'm anxiously looking forward to starting week two. The overwhelming feeling has mostly faded and I'm now completely ready to shed the past mediocre seven days in exchange for seven more that are surely going to travel in any direction I can hope for.

I've realized I have a lot more to learn and that my journey through these next nine weeks is going to be way more spiritually oriented than I originally thought - but I'm embracing it with open arms.

Suck it up for the 6 am alarm clock

Okay, so...wow, where to start? I guess I'll just give a brief introduction of myself and a few thoughts I have as I'm about to embark on this amazingly incredible journey.

My name is Alexandra but I go by Alex and I'm a 26 year old student at USM. Yes, it's taken me quite a few years to finish up my degree, but I'm in my last semester and I can't wait to graduate.

I'm a somewhat active person - I don't have a car so I walk a lot and I've done a road race or two although really, I don't know if I'd call it "running." On the eating end of things it can be simply put as I've never met a sweet I didn't like (well, except for circus peanuts, but who really likes circus peanuts anyway...) and I have a tendency to gravitate towards the greasy and fried while shying away from the nutritious and healthy. I have a major sugar addiction and while I don't drink coffee I've recently fallen off the soda-free bandwagon.

A significant reason I am glad to be a part of the "Quest For Your Best" program is that I feel I represent a good portion of those of you who may be reading. I am eternally broke - on a typical student budget. I mean, sometimes Ramen noodles seem like a delicacy. I know there are ways to eat healthy on the cheap but I just haven't really found them yet.

Or, maybe it's my laziness. It does, in fact, seem to be easier to walk down to the corner store and buy a chicken sandwich in a plastic bag than it does to take a trip to Hannaford, battle the aisle traffic, walk back home, cook a meal and then clean up.

With a full school-load and work schedule I just don't seem to have the time. And I know I'm not alone. A lot of us don't have the time to properly take care of ourselves - putting others' needs before our own. I'm hoping that these next ten weeks will give me some! insight into how to effectively accomplish my goal of achieving total health both physically and mentally and that those of you who are reading will benefit as well.

I've already met the people at The Landing and Head Games and let me say, so far I'm incredibly impressed with the amazing men and women who are going to be our guides during this process. They offer any type of class you can imagine for your physical as well as emotional well-being and I'm eagerly anticipating our first meeting bright and early on Monday morning. (Okay, truthfully, getting up at 6am is going to be a KILLER, but I am willing to suck it up for such a rare opportunity).

I'm excited to share these next ten weeks with all of you and I hope you feel the same! Until next time,
Alex