T3- Great Advice

Somebody peel me off a golden star because I am actually posting my Three Thing Thursday post on a Thursday today! This never happens :) I'm experiencing a lot of changes in my life right now and I'm always looking for great advice to keep me going, so I thought I'd share the three best pieces of advice I've ever gotten/given.

1.) Be true to yourself- "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you." -Dr. Suess :) It is truer than true. I used to live my life according to standards and opinions of everyone else around me, but ultimately none of it matters if you are unhappy. I think that the most important thing in life is to be true to yourself and live life the way you think it is supposed to be lived. There is no manual or how-to guide for life, so it's up to individuals to pave their own path that meets their dreams, needs, and desires.

2.) Do what makes you happy- I had a wonderful job after I graduated high school; I was a technical writer for a defense contracting company. A job that generally requires a masters degree and a few years of experience; needless to say, I was a bit ahead of my peers. I was making 35K a year with full medical benefits and paid time off...you see what I'm getting at here: it was a really great job. I got laid off last August because the company was making budget cuts; life as I knew it quickly flashed in front of my eyes. I couldn't imagine being happy without my career. Today I am unemployed, living with my father, and struggling to pay for school, but I am the happiest I've been in my life. Losing my job taught me that life is not about working, making money, and sitting at a desk 40+ hours a week...life is about doing what makes you happy, regardless of what it may be. I have time to hula-hoop, read books, exercise, take naps, and savor every minute of my day. 

3.) Love & respect yourself- Let me clarify that I am not promoting selfishness or conceitedness, but love and acceptance of your individual self. I am neurotic, I have ridiculous pet peeves, I have strange eating habits, I have stretch marks on my hips, terrible morning breath, giant hair, and acne that will hang around until my late thirties, but I don't mind so much anymore. It is extremely common, especially for women, to judge themselves and hold insecurities, but I have recently learned that it is completely pointless. When no one else is there to love and respect you, you have to be able to do that for yourself. Know that it's okay to be different, strange, weird, or whatever you may be...

Happy Thursday, err'body :) Fitness Friday post tomorrow! You can count on it!

Fitness Friday!

I know it isn't Friday, but I didn't get a chance to write this post last night, so deal with it :) I'm going to start writing 'Fitness Friday' [which will probably evolve into 'FF' or 'F2'] posts every week now. Basically, each Friday I will post a fitness tip, workout plan, etc. So here we go:

For my first FF post, I would like to share my absolute favorite thing to do at the gym: stationary cycling. Sure, the seat is uncomfortable torturous, it can be monotonous, and it is very challenging, BUT it is a great cardio workout, it is excellent for your lower body and abdominal muscles, and it is fun if you do it the way I do. 

Supplies: 

• Cycle [duh]
• Mp3 player/radio

Workout:

1. Create a playlist with about 10 songs, depending on length of songs.
2. Begin by cycling to the first song at comfortable pace/resistance level to warm up.
3. On your next song, bump up the resistance and climb [standing cycle] during each chorus of the song.
4. Repeat until end of playlist [approximately an hour] and use last song to cool down.

This cycling workout is a form of interval training which has been proven to burn fat more efficiently and add variety to your exercise. I enjoy it because I get to listen to my favorite songs for an hour :) Be prepared to sweat though...this shit is the real deal. 

T3- Traditional

I've gotten away from doing traditional Three Thing Thursdays because I've been trying to be more positive, but today I am throwing caution to the wind. Here's what is pissing me off this week :)

1.) Skeezas- [noun; a dirty, slatternly woman. Synonyms: tramp, skank, hoski, etc.] Call me old-fashioned, but since when is it a positive thing to look and act like a cheap hooker? I'm all down for being proud of your body and expressing yourself, but nobody wants to see buttcrack and nipples when they're eating a sandwich [except for men, I guess]. Women these days just have a severe lack of public-censorship and class...it really means something for me to say that. For example, I watched a girl I know [who was sober, mind you] scream "I love to fuck" multiple times in an extremely crowded place the other day. We all love sex, skeeza, but there's no need to yell about it. 

2.) Tofu- I freaking hate tofu. Everyone assumes that vegetarians love/eat tofu, but I am certainly an exception to this stereotype. There's not even anything to compare tofu to because the world is not large enough for two incredibly disgusting things [except mochi, aka foreskin icecream; somehow Earth has made room for that, too]. I have only come up with one conclusion for tofu: tofu=couch cushion. 

3.) Cell phones- Regardless of the activity [driving, working out, spending time with family, dancing, walking, riding a bike, pooping], cell phones have taken over. I have a ghetto, T9 capable, $25 phone and I have no intent on upgrading. I am so sick of people talking and texting on their phones when there is shit that needs to be done. Text messaging while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than drunk driving, so get the hell off of your cell phone and watch the road! 

Happy weekend, errbody! I'm going to write another post later that will be super :) 

T3- Happy Things :)

Happy Saturday night :) I had a tiring yet excellent day, so I'm being an absolute hobo this evening- we're talking about a Lifetime, sweatpants, and heating pad kind of night here...serious shit, man. I have been a definite slacker in the blogging department lately, but I'm making somewhat of an effort so deal with it. I've been going through a few positive perspective changes for the past few weeks and it has been absolutely wonderful. I am happier now than I have been in a long time and I'd like to share why :)

1.) Exercise- I am not in very good shape nor have I been for the past 4 or 5 years, but I have finally fallen in love with working out. At the end of a great day, I go to the gym, have a great workout, and leave in an even better mood; at the end of a stressful day, I go to the gym and work off my anxiety and frustrations; at the end of a shitty day, I go to the gym and work hard, forgetting the negative things, if only for an hour. I was originally going to write my T3 for the week about exercises I love, but I decided to take a bit of a break on the whole workout obsession (so much for that)...I promise I will write that post soon though; I think it will be very useful :) Exercising everyday has made a insurmountable impact on my physical and mental well-being...I highly recommend it to everyone; maybe experts that have been suggesting it are actually onto something, eh? 

2.) "The Outsides"- I just love being outside :) I usually try to take a walk everyday now...it gives me a chance to clear my mind, get fresh air, people watch, and enjoy this amazing place. I do not understand why people live in Colorado if they do not leave their couch; we live in the most beautiful state...suck it up, California- you lose. There's just something about the sound of trail beneath your shoes, river rushing by, and birds announcing their birdhood ("mrrraaawwk"- annoying in anything other situation) that makes your day a little bit better. It helps me to slow down and relax for the duration of my walk; I think people today need to slow down more often. We're always rushing, always going somewhere, and always wanting to get things done quickly, but it really is okay to slow down for 20 minutes everyday and enjoy life and nature a little :)

3.) Acceptance- I'm a cat lady, I'm a nerd, I drive like a grandmother, I have huge hair, I don't like chewing, I am an "unAmerican" because I don't eat meat, I eat bananas with spoons, I love brussels sprouts, I am a "granola", I like to read, I love knitting, I hate television, I hate America, I talk to strangers, I believe in evolution, and I accept myself for the person I am. I love myself and am hardly concerned with outside opinions for the first time in a long time ever. The insecurities, unhappiness, and self-doubt that most young women are struggling through are pointless and do not contribute to the way that life should be. Maybe I am different and weird, but fretting over it isn't fixing anything, so I shall embrace it all instead; doing this has completely changed perspectives of myself and everyone around me.

I hope everyone is doing well. Feel free to share if great things are happening to you right now :)

T3- You've Got It, Gym!

I like working out; it makes me feel great, it makes me less fat, and the people-watching opportunities are endless. I go to a yuppie gym, so people-watching is even more exciting than usual, but it’s also irritating. Allow me to elaborate :)

Cardio Princess- Oh, you know her. She’s the one that spends more time in the locker room getting ready to work out than she actually does working out. She’s the one looking “super-cute” on the treadmill, walking 2mph and not breaking a sweat, because that would ruin her makeup. Checking out guys and judging the chubs is basically the extent of her workout unless the princess has her minions in tow that day, and then priority goes to gossip. If that is the case, anyone within a 20 foot radius of the CP and her bitches should probably prepare to hear about Maybeline, menstruation, and the Real World. 

Mr. Bogart- I see you; you’re over there working on the shoulder press. You get your shoulder press on, boy, but don’t get all pissed off when I hop on the bench press just because “it’s in your circuit”. It is physically impossible to use two machines at one time, so share the love, grandpa. 

The Window Exerciser- Walking laps around the equipment, are we? Just checking out what everybody else is doing, are ya? Well, get out of my bubble, ass! Can’t you see that I am trying to get my roman chair on? I could kick you in the neck right now. I hate this more than anything at the gym. You see them walk by once, that’s normal. See them walk by again, maybe they liked what they saw. See them walk by three more times, screw that, they are just slacking off! Why do they even go to the gym? Just to be able to say that they went to the gym that day? Post it on your Facebook and go walk around Walmart instead, window exercisers, because you’re pissing me off and getting in my dang way! 

Haha. I’m so awesome. Expect more gym/health related posts in the future because the food nazi is on a health kick lately. 

Hope everybody is doing well :)