Day 3...HELLO. My name is Lethargic...

It's Day 3 and I overslept...again.  I've been really sleepy but I don't know if it's from my body having withdrawals from sugar or because it seems like EVERY night I'm up past 1 AM working on my computer.  Either way...it was a hectic morning and I was glad that I had leftover roast to grab and take with me to the gym to eat for breakfast.

I got there and ate as much as I could before it was time to teach the class and I felt good.  I was excited and had decent energy.  After class, the day was a blur of working out, speaking with an attorney on the phone, emails from my t shirt lady, and a full afternoon of taking my older sister to the doctor, pharmacy, and lunch...a very LATE lunch.  We ate out at Chilis but I still did well.  I asked for grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and a salad with NO dressing and NO cheese and NO croutons.  I'm sure it wasn't optimal as I don't know how it was cooked, but it was better than my usual meals at Chilis.  I had barely enough time to get my sister home and get back in town in time to teach the 5:30 pm class.

Everyone is buzzing about the 30 Day Challenge in the gym.  My friend Keri was saying that she's very tired and not feeling well, and I proceeded to say that I've felt good and had pretty good energy.  There were a ton of people there and once we were done...I headed home to cook.  Normally I would've met my family out and eaten at a local Mexican restaurant...a usual Wednesday night event...but tonight I was determined to cook.  It was ironic that I said I was feeling good and when I got home, I felt EXHAUSTED.  I was slow and lethargic and I had a bad tummy ache.  It took me longer but I pressed through and cooked dinner.

Now I sit here feeling like I have no energy.  It is a struggle to type this and all I can think about is my comfy bed, which is where I'm headed when I'm done writing.  In the past, I would've said "SCREW THIS!" and quit...but now...things are different.  I feel committed to this process and there's some small part of me excited by my discomfort.  It's like the bad, sluggish feeling is an obvious sign that my body is changing and will soon adapt...kinda like when you are sore after a workout.  It hurts, but it's a reminder that you worked hard.  I'm embracing every part of this and I am determined to see this through.  I'm going to bed...not dreading the possibility of waking up and still feeling like this but with passion and high hopes for a better, healthier, STRONGER future!

 WORKOUT:
ROW 1000M

100 KETTLE BELL SWINGS (45 LBS)
50 BOX JUMPS  (22 IN)
50 KTEs (Knees To Elbows)

PLANK HOLDS (1 MIN FRONT, 30 SEC EA SIDE - 2 MINUTE REST BETWEEN - 3SETS

Day 1...And the pendulum swings...

I need another blog and another page to manage on Facebook like I need a hole in the head, but as always...I never start something just because.  There is always a reason or emotion behind it, so here I go with my next blog only this is a little different for me.  To say that I'm amazed and overwhelmed by the way people have embraced my "STRONG LOLA 30 DAY CHALLENGE", is an understatement.  I hoped to have maybe a hundred people willing to indulge my desire to do something good.  To see the number of people rise to over 600 is shocking and heart warming at the same time!

I want to start first by explaining what exactly this means to me and to anyone that joins me and/or reads this.  I'm a control freak and a perfectionist.  I've been through many things in my life that would surprise people, but I've worked hard to overcome them and have a good life.  And I have...had a great life for a long time.  There was a time when it seemed that I had it all...literally.  A handsome, successful husband that provides well and spoiled me...3 amazing, beautiful, smart, healthy, great kids...a nice home...a Mercedes (that I can't seem to stop crashing into things)...a job I love and a great body that was the product of my very own weight loss success story etc etc etc.  I STILL have much to be thankful and I STILL have a great life, but in the past year...many things have gone wrong and things I took for granted have felt like they are slipping through my fingers.  I have felt very sad at times and it has taken a toll.

I didn't like feeling out of control and I wasn't liking what I saw in the mirror when I got out of the shower as much as I use to.  I talked about change and tried to take shortcuts.  But eventually, I knew I needed something more in depth...something more drastic to regain control and start to feel better.  I decided to do a "30 Day Paleo Challenge".  I have never been one for eating super healthy and I LOVE LOVE LOVE sugar.  I knew that if I was going to be successful I needed to be accountable.  I mentioned doing this with the people I train at the gym on Facebook and a lady commented about how she wished she had someone to do this with as well.  The light bulb came on and the idea for the "STRONG LOLA 30 DAY CHALLENGE" was born.  My greatest desire has always been to do something with my life that can help other people and I knew this could change a lot of lives.

I won't lie.  There were times over the past week that I feared these 30 days.  I wondered how a girl that eats out every day and hates to cook and has an extremely busy life and is super picky with the palate of a toddler raised on fried comfort foods would be able to adapt to this lifestyle but I was determined to try do it!  And so today was Day 1 and I'm happy to say that it went MUCH better than expected!  Not every day will be like today, but I know this is worth it and I feel really proud of myself.  I know that every person that does this challenge with me will get different things out of it and is doing it for different reasons.  Because of this, I feel like everyone needs to choose your own way...the "road" that is best for you individually and that fits best into your life.  That is why the challenge doesn't say "Paleo Challenge".  It just says "Challenge".  For me personally, it's a Paleo challenge but for someone else it may be a challenge to workout every day.  I am following the Whole 30 Plan but I think the 21 Day Detox Plan is great as are many other plans.  CHOOSE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND STICK WITH IT.

Everyday, I plan to come here and post my menu and workout and write about my feelings or any issues I may be having.  I do this as a form of help and as a way to stay accountable and motivated.  Today started very rough with my weighing and measuring myself and my "BEFORE" picture was less than flattering.  I felt pretty low but I made a decision that I would not beat myself up or feel negative and defeated all day.  I decided to look forward not back...to be excited for the future and the changes coming my way and get rid of the negativity that I normally would've clung to.  That attitude made all the difference and so I look forward to tomorrow...not with fear, but with excitement!


BREAKFAST

2 Eggs over medium
4 slices of bacon
Strawberries, rasberries, and blackberries  




LUNCH


Grilled Chicken breast
Grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, broccoli, mushrooms, and peppers)
Salad with no dressing...just lemon juice squeezed on top

                                                                            
                                                                             DINNER

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

(And my kids used to eating out and eating fast food liked it!!!)



Recipe:  http://www.primal-palate.com/2011/01/chicken-and-vegetable-lo-mein.html

WARMUP:         1000M Row
                            Dynamic Stretching
                            Shoulder Mobility

WORKOUT:       Power Clean and Jerk

                              3-3-3-3-3   (75 lbs)

                                          
                               THEN: 

                           As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes of:

                           5 Press (65lb)

                           7 Front Squat  (65lb)

                           15 Mountain Climbers

...WHO'S LOLA?...

I never wanted to be a business person. That's just not me. I'm a creative person that loves people. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew that no matter what...I wanted a job where I could help people in some way. I dropped out of college as a social work major when I got married to work and put my husband through school. I never expected to be anything more than a Mom once I started having my children. If anyone would've told me that I would be writing and designing and selling t shirts to motivate people even 2 years ago...I would've laughed and said "NO WAY!". And I would've really never believed that I would start my own business in the process. I'm messy. I keep terrible records. Math and accounting and organization are not my strong points, but our lives take unexpected twists and turns. And so...through a series of twists and turns, and because of one picture of a tank top I made that said "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY" got so much attention on Facebook...here I am today with my own tiny little business called "Strong Lola". Many people have wondered and asked about the name. I've heard, "What's the significance of the name of your business? Does it mean something? And who IS Lola anyways?" So with the recent launch of my website for "Strong Lola", I thought I'd share a little bit about "Lola"...who she is...and why I have such an affection for her that I named my business after her.

I've often said that my life may be crazy and full of chaos at times, but it's never boring. I am one of six children in a crazy, loud, sometimes tragic, loving family. Growing up, my 2 younger sisters and I were all so close in age that we were built in playmates...and not much has changed as we've grown up. The 3 of us are still the best of friends. We fight and makeup and we get annoyed with each other. But in the end, we are as close as can be. We go out together every weekend and share lots of laughter and adventures. It was on one of those nights that I became "Lola".


Last year, my sister Kathy and I had gone to hear our friends and their band play live music outside of a local restaurant with another friend of ours. It was a warm summer night...perfect weather to sit with friends and listen to music outside. The place we went had picnic tables outside for seating and there was an area in front of the stage for dancing. I personally love to people watch and there was one person in particular that caught my eye that night...a woman.

I say this at the risk of sounding like a superficial witch, but she wasn't that attractive and she was a little overweight. No one would ever see this woman and say "Wow! She's beautiful! I want to look like her.", but that's not what I noticed. What caught my eye was the way she was dancing and the way she carried herself. She was dancing with the man that she was there on a date with. Her eyes NEVER left his. She twirled around as if she were a tiny dancer with a perfectly toned body. It was obvious that she felt no discomfort or embarrassment. She was so free and at ease and it wasn't because she was drinking either. She was completely sober.

The more I watched her...the more I was intrigued and drawn to her. In fact, I began to feel a little jealous. It seems crazy for me to say that I was jealous of her...that for a moment I wanted to be that very imperfect lady dancing and laughing...but she looked so sure of herself. She wasn't looking around, and she certainly wasn't worried about what other people thought. I turned to my sister and our friend and said, "Wow! Do you see that lady?" They said "Yes.". I said, " If I had HALF her confidence...I could take over the world!" I wished that I could be more like that.

Later on, she and her boyfriend struggled to take a picture of themselves at the table right behind ours. My sister that never meets a stranger and will talk to anyone, offered to take one of them. Then she introduced herself. "Hi! My name is Kathy." The woman smiled and said, "Nice to meet you! I'm Lola." Through our conversation, we learned that the man she was on a date with had been her husband many years ago. They had been divorced for over 10 yrs and had reconnected. Neither ever had children or remarried and even though they had once failed...they were giving their relationship a 2nd chance.

I said, "I love the name Lola! I wish I had a cool name like that!" and that was the night my sister and friend nicknamed me "Lola". I loved it, because to me...I associate that name with someone that is happy and confident...someone comfortable in their own skin and willing to take chances...someone determined and not afraid to go after what they want in life, even if there are risks. So when I started thinking about starting a business where I could expand upon what I am doing at "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY"...I wanted to choose a name that seemed appropriate. I thought about all the obvious choices, but none seemed to fit. It was almost like naming a baby. I wanted the name to represent all that I wanted my business to be about. One night as I was reading an old note my friend had written to me..."Lola"...it made perfect sense! "Strong Lola" would be the name of my business.


I knew that "Strong Lola" was a name that people would either really like or think was weird. I knew that everyone would say "Who's Lola?" or wonder quietly why I would choose that name...but I also knew that this was the perfect name because it embodies EVERYTHING that I want myself and other women to be! "Lola" is a woman that loves life. "Lola" is kind, but she's not a pushover. "Lola" is true to her heart and carries herself with confidence. "Lola" has goals...a purpose in life...and she isn't afraid to go after what she wants. "Lola" seizes the opportunities that come her way, and "she" doesn't give up or lose hope. "Lola" is comfortable in her own skin but is always seeking to be better...to improve. Combine all these qualities with a strong will and mind...and a healthy, fit, strong body...and I believe this kind of person CAN conquer the world in her own way!

I want the people that follow me on Facebook and my blog to feel empowered...not in a figurative, "rah rah", feel good kind of way...but in the truest sense. I want women and girls to know that you don't have to be perfect or the ideal of what other people think of as pretty to be beautiful. The woman I saw the first time I looked at Lola and the woman I saw by the end of the night were very different. She became beautiful to me in her own way. I also want to change the way women treat each other and THEMSELVES. I want us to stop hating ourselves because we don't look like THAT girl over there and learn to improve upon who we are and what we have. I want women to take care of their bodies and be healthy without feeling guilty or selfish. There is no age limit or boundaries. ANYONE can change. ANYONE can be better and stronger. It's never too late to become more like "Lola"!

I still think about that lady I met a couple of years ago when I'm having a day that I want to quit...or when I'm worried about what everyone around me thinks...or I don't like the imperfections I see in the mirror. Those days, I tell myself..."Remember who you are! You are Lola and you are strong! There is no goal too lofty or problem too big to overcome." "Lola" is my nick name...my alter ego of sorts...but I'm willing to share it with anyone that wants to share it. "Strong Lola" embodies everything that I have done with "STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY" and they fit together perfectly. So, let's all be more like "Lola" and work towards being stronger and happier and more confident than we ever thought possible.