June.3.2013

I'm not sure what it is, but I feel great today!

It could very well be from all the energy I have (I'll credit it to pushing my exercising into turbo-drive). And what's great about it is, is that it's not that kind of synthetic energy you get from chugging Red Bulls. It's like an even balance of good feeling and drive. I haven't felt this type of energy in a while, so it is a welcomed surprise.

My money situation is also looking up. If I can manage to keep leaving my debit card at home, I'll be well off for my birthday, which is in a month in a half. I'm going to try to take on extra hours at work so that I can treat myself to a little shopping spree then.

I pray that good times stay ahead for me. I've been working harder on my goals and striving to do the things and be the person I know I can be (cliche, I know). No more letting opportunities pass by without an attempt. No more wasting time. I'm proud of myself thus far, and I plan to continue.

I'm focused.

As the day winds down to a close, I look back on it and think it was actually a good day. Things going on in my life would make me believe it shouldn't be that way. But I'm happy. My money situation hasn't gotten much better, but I'm confident things will turn up. Things could be worse. I have enough to pay my rent, so that is a blessing in itself. I had to stop my 30 day challenges due to lack of time, but I'm starting it up again from day one tomorrow. I won't let missing out demotivate me as it has before in the past. I'm going to do this. And by "this" I mean everything. I'm going to accomplish a goal. I won't falter. I'm focused.

New exercises!

So, in the spirit of trying new things, I've decided to embark on a couple of 30 Day Fitness challenges. These are tasks that anyone can find on the Internet, especially Tumblr, that really help you focus on a specific goal for your fitness. And since it's only 30 days, its realistic and easy to get to! (I don't know about you, but I like seeing the end to any workout plan.) The challenges I'm going to be doing are the 30 Day Squat challenge, the 30 Day Crunch challenge, and the 30 Day Plank challenge. As you can tell, I'm really trying to tone up my tummy and my tush. Haha. Today was my first day, and it went well. I'm pretty excited about this! Below I linked the challenges I found. There may be some different ones around the Web if you want something more or less strenuous.

30 Day Squat Challenge

30 Day Crunch Challenge

30 Day Plank Challenge

New day.

Yesterday The whole weekend was pretty bad. But today is Monday. A new day, a new week, a new chance to embark on something positive. That's what I hope to accomplish today. It's been off to a fair start; I have no major complaints yet. So, we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping I get to interact with more people today. And, I think I'll make plans tomorrow to force myself out of my apartment for a little bit when I get off work.

Also, today I'm going to start using the gym at my complex instead of the other one I've been using. I have been skeptical in the past, but commuting to the gym makes going more of a chore than it already is. Last week, I didn't exercise at all, and I'm feeling it. So I'm hoping this change up will make working out less of a drag and will help me get out of this rut I've been in. Someone told me the first step to breaking a boring cycle is to do what you normally do, but differently. So that's what I'll do. I'm willing to switch up just about anything if it means me not feeling like I have been.

Time for me to press forward with my own life.

Body shaming

I've been reading more and more articles on the Plus-Size industry growing and as I wearer of plus-sized clothing I am very pleased. Before, our options would be baggy, unflattering clothing from Walmart or other discount stores or matronly looking items from high end stores. Fashionable and popular stores like Forever 21 and H&M have been shelling out more and more trendy pieces at a fair price point. Long gone are the days of sacrificing look for budget or vice versa for plus sized ladies. While I am obviously all for this, there has been some interesting debate over this issue.

It seems as though people feel that women accepting their bodies, owning what they look like, and dressing wonderfully are poisonous to health standards. Some argue that this is why obesity is more accepted. I could not disagree more. There is nothing wrong with women of any size looking at themselves and being happy. There is no reason why women of larger stature should go into hiding or wear unflattering clothing just to put others' minds at ease. We can promote a healthy lifestyle while being accepting of bigger body types.

This is the same society that shames women for being thin.

Will we ever see a day where people go about their life without feeling the need to criticize how someone else is going about theirs?