Day 8! Still rolling ...

Despite my not as consistent posts, my eating is definitely a lot better. Although, I am eager to have a little treat come Wednesday. It's the last three days of National Novel Writing Month, and I have 19,000 words to hit my 50,000 word goal. The good news is that my chronic infection is practically gone, and it is very likely I'll be in the gym come Dec. 1st. Everything is coming together. I would have liked to have started like gang busters on Day One like this, but as long as I'm headed where I need to be, I'll take it!

We're Back!!! New 90 Day Mission with Suzette!

Original shredder, SUZETTE, wrote to me on Facebook to let me know that it was a five years since our first "shredder mission." She came up with the great idea of doing a five-year anniversary shred. It's crazy. So much has happened in five years, and yet, here I am in the Philippines typing from the exact same room that I was in on the first mission. It's like it was meant to be!

I'll take a picture later, tonight. I don't even have a swimsuit that fits anymore. Since my first mission over five years ago, I've managed to remain back injury free, and started a whole new business BUT ...

I've GAINED all the weight back plus about six more pounds. I just recently was diagnosed with PCOS, which helped explain my insulin resistance issues (I thought I was shaking and sweating because I was anxious turns out it my blood sugar was out of whack) and my weight struggle. Armed with new dietary knowledge (gotta watch the glycemic index of my food) and advice from doctor, I'm back in the Philippines and ready to go full steam ahead into good health.

I'm not discouraged about my weight gain as much any more. Before it really bummed me out, but now I'm feeling happy and motivated. It really helps that I finally figured out what was going on with me health wise. It took a bunch of time just to be able to get health insurance to get go to the doctor, then, I was misdiagnosed for a while and then FINALLY we figured it out.

I'm also finishing the NanoWrimo (You write a 50,000 word novel in a month), so these first few weeks will be action packed.

Later today, I'll update this post with a photo and my starting stats and find something to wear so I can post a photo. Bye for now.

Origin of Three Percenters

Marty, one of the founding three percenters, told us a story he'd read in a book about a group of graduates. The top 3 percent who set goals for their careers turned out to be more successful than the other 97% combined or something like that. Hence the name.

Had a great workout and walked 1.5 miles. I was ravenously HUNGRY today. I think it's because I've been working out hard with the weights. I'm actually doing 3 sets of 12 like the book says. Some of the exercises I still have to modify and some are still abbreviated sets, but I'm getting stronger! My body fat % is pretty high, because of all my immobility and inactivity over the last three years. I'm not saying that to get down on me, it's just how it is. The cool thing is that I've lost weight over the three years even while being unable to be a physically active as I would like. That means I can progress even better. Now, if I can only find where I packed that swimsuit. I haven't see it since I left the Philippines. I've gained weight since then (greater mobility, greater access to food, lol). But I'm not sweating it. The extra pounds are already falling off without too much thinking about it. Plus SOME (but not all of the 11 lbs I've gained) has to be muscle. I'm sure like a pound of it is.

It's only up from here.

Settling In--FINALLY!

Moved in--check. Jury duty served--check. Caught up on blogs--not even close.

But I did get around to a few today BEFORE I posted. So many motivating thoughts. It really puts me in a great and positive mood. I have a weekend "mastermind" group called the 3% (Three Percenters) that meets every Saturday that I'm using to help with my accountability. We set fitness and career goals and the person who doesn't meet them that week has to buy the coffee. I've had to buy a week or two here in there, but it's really been working. It's like the blog, but since I make my living online I've kind of needed to step away from the computer a little more and BE OUT with people.

I've been carefully noting my moods, foods, and exercise and have also discovered that I can't be holed up in my apartment on the computer for too many days at a time without it affecting me in a less than positive way. But it was super cool to catch up with everybody.

ANYWAY, the reason I've mentioned the 3 percenters is that it's really helped me up the weight training. I still can't believe how WEAK I am, but all the more reason to keep at it.

Thank You Shredder Council!

Howdy fellow shredders!

I've have been so happy to be a part of Adam's Shredder Council (of Adam Waters RTP 2.0 ) especially, because with the support of such a great group of people, I have been able to not only heal from my injuries, but to actually prosper and take many great steps toward improved health.

Now that I have regained full mobility, and I'm moving into my new apartment (TODAY! Yay! My stuff and Internet won't all arrive until next week, so I'll be roughing it) I'm moving into a new life. My focus is going to my stand-up comedy and other creative endeavors, (Cheap plug: Visit My Otter Blog for My Showbiz news) and I won't be able to honor my pledge as a Council member. So I'm moving into my new life and embracing my fitness as a very proud and grateful member of Adam's Shreddersphere.

Thank you to all the Shredder Council members past and present:
Suzette, Lynda, Mike, Michael, Andrew, Dougal, Debbie, Lilla, Massimiliano, Christina, Joni, Bec, Diane, and I'm sure there are some I've forgotten.

THANK YOU ADAM! Your inspiration and encouragement has changed my life for the better. You can have know idea how much you have and will continue mean to me.

I'm not going anywhere, and I will be continuing my shredder blog. I will make one hearty recommendation. If Adam ever opens up the Council to new members, JUMP at the experience. Your health will be better for it.

This is the official end day of my Otter Vision Mission. I'll have to post stats next week, because according to the body fat thingy this week isn't an ideal time. (Lady issues, I'm sure the world wide web needs to know that. Yikes.)

Welcome New Shredders!

A very quick post today, but I noticed there are so many new shredders in the shreddersphere and I wanted to say a quick welcome.

Thank you for coming to read my blog and your wonderful comments.

Feeling confident

I went out with friends and we decided to walk down the street to get something to eat. I said I was going to walk, and other people asked to walk with me. I warned people in advance that I walk kind of slow, but as it turned out nobody noticed. When we walked back to our cars after dinner, which was about a mile down the road, I didn't even give my disclaimer again. I may have a bit of pain now and again (especially from my workouts and increased stretching), but I am so much more FUNCTIONAL. I'm so happy I could cry.

There's been lots of moments like that lately. Like when I chose my new apartment. Even though I felt a little pain when I climbed the stairs, I knew I could get up that flight of stairs every day. When I was in the Philippines, we were worried I would be able to maneuver the two steps from the family room with my walker. For SO LONG the world had just been a sea of stairs and long walks that I was trying to problem solve my way through (if I walk to the end of the street I could probably rest, I'll wait until those people are up the stairs so I don't slow people down, I'll walk by myself, because I have this tendency to get hyper talking to people and walk faster than I can and end up hurting myself, etc.). But slowly, as I've walked further, worked out little by little, I'm watching my body get stronger. And I've gone weeks at a time without taking even an Advil for the pain. But I may take one tonight. That push-up was hard on my lower back, but it was worth it. :)

Finally did it!

A cabillion years ago in the shreddersphere there was a push-up challenge. I could not do one. I've only recently been strong enough during this mission to do some light weight training. In all honesty, my legs kind of shake after I walk up stairs (but my new apartment is on the second floor, but that's gonna be a BIG help) and I can barely complete two reps of most of the upper body workout exercises, BUT I've been doing wall push-ups for the last few weeks. So today I just gave it one try. I tried an official boy push up. OMG! It was so HARD. I fell the first two times on my face, but I finally did ONE! Better late than never. In the past I've found the hardest progress was from zero to one (like just getting to walk to get my own coffee) and then before I knew it I could walk FIVE miles. So I think the same will be true for these push-ups. :)

Today I'm grateful I got to:
• Meditate
• Eat THREE servings of fruits and vegetables (but I've only been up eight hours so "m sure there will be more)
• Did ONE boy push-up (I'm totally feeling it, for reals, lol)
• Read more of Do You by Russell Simmons

PS Yes, those were my beloved big pajama bottoms in yesterday's shot.

Dark photo

Sorry about the dark photo. Too lazy to move my computer, I guess, but I just had to get this done. Hmm. I've got a lot of things going on, but sometimes when I have a lot on my plate I get a little overwhelmed and it gets hard to do anything. But I just do what I can and have faith that the rest will take care of itself. I'm reading a book by Russell Simmons (Def Comedy Jam, Def Jam Records). It's really inspiring.

Today, I'm really grateful for his book. (Title: Do You)

I GOT IT!

I haven't gone to sleep in over 24 hours. I got a lead on an awesome apartment a few hours after I came home from the USO (6am), and I GOT IT! A great deal. A great neighborhood. Has parking. It's small, but I LOVE IT. And I move next week. Yippee! Edie and I went out to dinner to celebrate (chicken wings YIKES!), but I was too exhausted to cook dinner. Now I'm going to bed, which for me is late 8:30 pm, because I normally go to bed at around 10 am on Tuesdays, but now it looks EARLY. Haha. I did get a lot of walking in today, checking out my neighborhood and to save money on parking.

Here's a shredder benefit that I never thought of: BEING A SHREDDER CAN SAVE YOU MONEY ON PARKING!

More later. I'm EXHAUSTED and so PSYCHED. My new residence on is in Studio City on the main drag--VENTURA BLVD. (like in that Tom Petty song, but not in suburb Reseda end in the cool Studio City side.) SO HAPPY! The photo is so dark, because I'm too tired to move my laptop cam into the kitchen for better lighting.

Slow Internet

At USO again. Internet very, very slow.

A Shift in Focus

I had to buy coffee at my our 3% meeting today (that's what Marty, Brett and I call our weekly career-life meetings). But that's okay. I switched up my goals this week to cut down on my overwhelmed factor. To use one of Joni's phrases from Mary Kay, "I've got a lot of life going on." It's all good stuff.

So I'm going to break it down into doable chunks, do daily meditation, eat my meals more consciously, commit to FOUR weight training sessions and FIVE walking sessions this week. I'll just do my best. I read in Juli's blog that she has a much-loved training log. I keep a journal, but I don't keep an official record of "my workouts." I've only been weight training for a few weeks and just jotting the date and reps right into the book w/ the exercises. And my walking I keep a running tally in my head (like I do my checkbook), and I never forget how far I walk, because I have to map on the computer and that makes it stick. BUT I like the idea of getting in the habit of keeping an official training LOG because I fully expect to progress at much more rapid rate. (I DO keep very good business records and now that I think of it, will keep even better personal finance records, too.)

I'm going to label it training log and call what I do working out instead of practicing walking, my back exercises, or any other apologetic term that pretty much says, "I'm not really working out." Because I don't actually believe in living my life by comparison, but the reality of that kind of phrasing is that there is an underlying thought that I have that because my workouts would not be strenuous to somebody else then it's not "real." And that's not the kind of thinking I like to encourage in myself. I like to run my own race and go my own way, but I have to say my confidence in the physical arena and my own ability to correctly assess what it is I can do has been shaken in the last few years. I'm not regretting or apologizing or beating myself up for having these thoughts, I've just go to the point where I can see them and act on them differently.

The most important thing is to put my focus on embodying fitness now instead of recovering from injury. I feel the shift has arrived at the exact right moment as this kind of stuff generally does.

PS If I ever put the phrase--my workouts--in quotes again, remind me to knock that stuff off. Since the shift is literally taking place as I was writing this, I'm leaving that last self effacing quotation marks in there for posterity. :)

Big Gigs and Traffic Tips for Your Blog

My sister, Edie had a big gig at the Blue Ridge Pickin Parlor tonight. She's the fiddler for the bluegrass band, Murphy's Flaw. The Pickin Parlor is legendary and every seat was taken. It was a long drive but totally worth it.

My eating is a little off. I try not to sweat that stuff too hard, because I live a no regrets life and just keep moving forward (but I do get bummed out from time to time, but not from regret, just plain old sad. I'm not an advocate of emotion stuffing. It leads to food stuffing lol.) BUT things have been pretty great and fun lately. Things are busy, because I'm apartment hunting and putting things together for my show at The Improv. Plus, my second website for comedy and other stuff is getting 100 hits a day. I had some nerve damage on my left side from the car accident and in the past it interfered with my playing any music. I've been practicing a little more each day, and have started writing funny songs again while playing the guitar VERY BADLY. I debuted a few songs on July 3rd and it went okay, and then I did more songs last Wednesday. I may be hitting a few of the music open mics soon, too. I've got plans to put together an comedy music album for sale online and to add to my act. So much work to do.

BTW, if anybody is looking to get more traffic to your blog, I highly recommend doing some good keyword research and submitting to article directories like EzineArticles. I've had over 19,000 visitors just from the 13 articles I wrote and submitted to their site. It's pretty cool. Also, try to use your targeted keywords and keyword phrases in your tags, title, first sentence, and a link and for that particular entry make sure to have at least 125 words.

A little pressed for time

Wow! Life is really getting exciting (and BUSY). More later.

Day 49: Free Day

I've got to do a LOT of walking before Saturday at 3pm, or I'm buying coffee for my friends Marty and Brett. Marty and I are still waiting for our first show date at the Hollywood Improv, but FREE SHREDDER TIX if anyone is visiting LA.

Tonight my sister and I went to the Howard Hughes Center and got to see a really kickin' band Phat Cat Swinger. It was a super fun show.

Day 48: Two weeks left!

In two weeks, I'll have my new apartment and be the fittest I've been in years.

Jury duty did not go as expected in that I didn't go. I'll have to work that out tomorrow BUT Marty and I had our meeting at the Improv and we're getting a night to do a show. Now, the hard part about producing a show--butts in seats. :) I got in a quick mile today, and did a quick set in Culver City tonight.

Jury duty & my meeting?!

My meeting with the Improv was moved to tomorrow, and magically my jury duty number has come up for the same day. We'll see how it all works out. Boo! Thumbs down on that whole deal. Plus, I have to be up in the morning YUCK!

Great day today on the shredder front. I walked three miles. I'm committed to walking 15 miles by Saturday at 3 pm or I have to buy my friends Brett & Marty coffee. So far 5.25 miles. I want Friday to be my "long walk" day, so I'll take Thursday off to prep. That means I better get some walkin' tomorrow or I'm buying coffee.

Day 45: Great Day

I got in a 2.25 mile walk today. What's really cool is that my speed is picking up. It took only 45 minutes. I can't wait until I can walk 8 miles straight (at any speed). Then I can do the marathon training mileage chart I found. I wonder how many miles I'll be able to do on my long walk day. I've gotten up to 4.75 miles. I'm sure I can at least do 5 miles, but I wonder how much more I'll be able to do. My long walk day will be Thursday or Friday.

I'm on call for jury duty this week. We'll see if civic duty calls.

Day 44: Horrible photo

The shirt untucked in a weird way in my photo and totally makes my poochy tummy all the more poochy. Normally, I would take another photo, but I'm pressed for time.

I'm so excited. A good friend and awesome comic Marty Laquidera and I are "doing lunch" with the booker at the Hollywood Improv to book a night there every month. She's a super cool lady, and I'm really psyched about the meeting THIS MONDAY. We're doing it up with lunch (well actually it's dinner 6pm) at a cool Italian joint in Beverly Hills. I haven't taken a meeting in over three years (pre-accident). When I started in comedy I dreamed of performing at the Hollywood Improv. I've performed at the club before, but only once since my car accident, and I've never been made a regular there.

I'm so excited and NERVOUS. We're prepping tomorrow. My proposal is all written up and luckily I have a lot of friends in the business from slugging out all these years to come down and lend their "celebrity" (if comedians can be celebrities) to the show.

It's not until Monday, but feel free to wish me luck in advance. :)

Day 43: Need to update my blogroll

In a hurry. More soon.

I need to add to my blogroll. If you're a shredder reading this and your blog isn't in my shredder blog roll, drop your URL and name of your blog in a comment so lazy me can just copy and paste it into my blogroll. :)