Squeeze this in here...

So I just walked my dog and now I've got 15 minutes before I have to go to my step class but I promised I'd post so here I am. Ironic isn't it? This week I was going to do all these inspiring posts as it's my week with the Christmas Challenge and I have no time. Last week I posted a bajillion times with nothing to say. Well here's what I've been up to.
I had my fitness class on Monday. It was awesome as per usual. I really pushed it with the weights because I wanted to make sure I was gonna be sore the next day at least a little. I think it's maybe not worth it if you don't break down the muscle at least a little right? That's how you get bigger muscles and increase your metabolism and so on and so on. So it worked, I felt it! I felt it on tuesday and I still feel it today. Inner thigh and abs particularly. Which is nice, it's never those muscles. So hopefully it doesn't hinder me tonight though. I wanna push it again as it might be the last strength thing I do for a week because next monday's class is canceled (thanksgiving). I'll try and do stuff myself but it's never as hard as an instructor will push you.
I'm glad some of you liked that article I posted. There's a group of trainers or nutritionists or whatever they are that seem to be at the top of their field. There's of course my guy Alwyn Cosgrove (sorry no links, no time, see sidebar), and the author of Turbulence Training Craig Ballantein (sp?) and a bunch of others. If you want to learn more I'd check out the fitcast podcast or their website. that's how I heard of most of them. Also anybody who's using a Phit-n-Phat program or anything with Corinne (ok maybe I'll put links in later) knows that the key is to lift big and push hard. That's why I can eat more than you and still lose weight! and i like eating!
I'm glad so many of you have starting making a plan for Thanksgiving as well. and I like the tips I've got. I hope you guys read some of the comments as well.
And that leads me to something I wanted to talk about before but I got busy. ARe you all checking out each other's (as in Christmas Challengers) blogs? I think that part of the reason I'm successful (most of the reason) with my weight loss is because of this blog. And what's the point of a blog (as opposed to a journal) if nobody's going to read it. And how do you know if anyone's really reading unless they comment. So since there are no winners and losers (or everyone's a winner) in this Challenge, there's no gain to anyone if somebody else fails. I also think that part of the reason I'm successful is because I'm a cocky know it all to all of you. and my own vanity doesn't want me to look like a hypocrite. Not saying you all should get as nasty as I can be, but if you put it out there that somebody shouldn't eat fat free pudding as a dessert when they maybe don't need a dessert at all, then maybe you shouldn't eat those chocolate covered blueberries you munch on while making supper. Hypothetically speaking of course ;) . Not to mention, you'll be helping somebody else stick to the plan so they can give you tips later on when you need them! win win win folks. So please comment, encourage and kick each other's asses when required. Especially when I'm actually working at work.

I thought I'd share something with all of you Challengers. I was emailing Carolyn about the challenge. She's a cool gal huh? We don't know each other in real life. In fact I think I only found her blog a few weeks before this Christmas Challenge started. She was just an internet girl. I saw her picture and read her words, but didn't really know who she was. Let's face it, any one of us could be a 14 year old boy just trying to see before pictures in underwear. I got to know her a bit better through the challenge. We're emailing now, which seems so much more real than blogging and commenting. So now we're kinda friends in the real world. Anyway, I just emailed her and this is part of what I wrote:
"I would love to go walking with you. Might be hard to carry laptops and email
back and forth while walking though. hehe. I don't know about you but I don't
have anybody that I talk about this stuff (weight stuff) with in real life. I try and
keep it sorta quiet among my friends, I don't have any friends close enough that
I feel comfortable talking about this with. I think it's because it's really putting
yourself out there to them, very vulnerable. Women can be so catty, hell, I'd
probably try and sabatoge people in real life to make myself feel better (I'm
working on this). Just sort of scared of failure kinda thing. Online, if this
doesn't work, then I just change my username. Big deal. In a way that's what's
making me feel close to you and everyone else on the blogs, I don't know
everyone's real names or what they look like, but I'm telling them some very
private stuff that frankly nobody else knows!"

So now that I have an almost real life friend who knows my body issues and knows I want to lose 10 more lbs it's sort of a bit more pressure. Not to mention that I'm co-running this challenge and kicking other people's asses and so I sort of have the pressure or whatever that a real life person would give me. While it's sort of scary, especially when I was maintaining/gaining, making me feel like a fraud, I also think it's really good, because I really don't want to fail in front of you. Now I've got some people who I feel like I know, and I know them. and they know my email address! So there's no escape. And it's not like you'd be mean. You'd just be encouraging. But I know that Carolyn would not let me quit or give up. Katieo would be disappointed if I reverted to former me. So I'm in, I'm here. I'm working it and working hard. Maybe that's some kind of other issues with pleasing others but it's good right now. So I'm encouraging any of you who feel like I do (with keeping your "diet" a secret from people. I know that's not everyone) to make a friend. To put it out there for somebody to see, let another challenger be able to get to you, to get on your case for screwing up. To have somebody who wouldn't tell you it's ok to have a splurge weekend because you've been working so hard, but rather somebody who'd tell you it's not ok, and to knock some sense into you. What's the saying about a real friend will tell you something you don't want to hear. I dont' know, something liek that.
let me know in the comments if you've got a friend like that of if you're looking for one, hopefully all of you can buddy up somehow. And I'm always available for ass kicking, though I generally like to be invited to do so first.
eek late for class!