Driving home the other day...

I noticed a sedan with 2 LCD screens in the backrests, both of them turned on! What's the point? Yes, we know, you have money and you know how to spend it frivolously. But most of the time, you drive short distances around the city by yourself. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for spending money on a car entertainment system for a good purpose. e.g. In a minivan...on a long road trip with 2 screaming kids...asking "Are we there yet?" every chance they get. I say spend the money so your can arrive at your destination with some sanity.

The 3 year return policy...

A customer of ours came in the other day asking for a refund on something they purchased 3 years ago! Their reason: they're not happy with it. I'm all for trying to satisfy our customers and giving the best customer service possible but this was ridiculous. If it takes you 3 years to realize you're not happy with what you bought, it's more than just buyer's remorse, you've got other issues. Who would even have the nerve to go into a store and ask for a refund after 3 years?

Although, given the economic climate of the world today, maybe more people will start doing this. I'm going to Nordstrom tonight to return the shoes I bought 4 years ago cause I'm just not happy with them. You think they'll take them back?

Where to find motivation...

I've been lazy these past few weeks with my daily workout. It's getting increasingly difficult to find the motivation to keep it up. Now that the weather's colder and the days are shorter it'll be even more of a challenge. What motivates you to do something you don't want to?

I'm back...finally!

After a long hiatus from blogging, I've finally gathered enough thoughts to start up again.

Here's my first:

The human body is amazing! I just found muscles on me that I never knew existed.

For those of you that love to keep up with what's happening in other people's lives, you can now subscribe to my blog via RSS. Look over to the right ----> for the subscribe link.

Are we too late?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080710/ts_afp/warmingantarcticaice;_ylt=ArZMK41d3y2pkbbWI8l406134T0D

Day 30 of 30

Yesterday was the beginning of my first week without the guidance of Mr. Pain. It was also my first day back to work. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself for 1) getting through the "30 days" and 2) actually getting up early enough to workout on my own.

A little clarification about my 30 day journey. It was actually 28 days, 2 of the days overlapped my return to work.

Here's a quick recap of my "28 days":
81 - Highest % drop of fat on my body (pectoris muscles)
28 - Days off work
20 - Actual days of working out
6 - Pounds lost
5 - Pounds of muscle gained
1 - New me

Looking back, I'm proud to say I accomplished everything I set out to do. Yesterday was not the end, but the beginning of a new lifestyle. I'll continue to post on my progress and hopefully influence others to do what I'm doing. I know it's already working cause Minnie has gotten bit by the exercise bug. You go girl!! I'm proud of you :)

I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Pain (aka Brian, aka my cousin) without whom this would have been a lot harder. His knowledge, experience and most of all guidance was definitely key to my success. Thanks Mr. Pain!

Until tomorrow...

Day 23 of 30

Today is the second day of my final week in this 30 day journey. I was extremely exhausted after yesterday's workout. My carb free diet and late nights hanging out during the weekend really wore me out. I am so craving sweets!! All I want is one Krispy Kreme doughnut! A traditional glazed, hot outta the fryer, still dripping with sugary goodness, doughnut. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Instead, I took a nap in the afternoon and went to sleep early last night to recover.

Today's a different story. The extra sleep really gave me the extra energy to push hard during my workout. We concentrated on the upper body. Mr. Pain's getting me ready for the end of the 30 days when I'll be doing the programs on my own. He's been getting me used to each exercise in the 4 programs he's put together, each about an hour long. Each program will be of different intensity levels as well as target specific parts of my body. Hopefully without Mr. Pain's guidance everyday, I'll be able to push myself just as hard.

Tuesday is usually the body fat and weight measurement day. Today's no exception. I was extremely happy to see that I've lost 6 pounds since last week's weigh in. I weighed 185 last week and today's weight is 179!! It feels awesome to finally see some weight drop. I feel great and this is only the beginning.

I'll post more tomorrow, my cardio day.