Educate Yourself!

Ya know, I just recently read an article posted on my trainer's website regarding supplements and was inspired to reach out to my readers to educate them on what it takes to lose fat, diet, etc.

It's funny that I even fell upon this article because I actually watched a new workout dvd called Insanity (not sure if anyone's heard of it---very similar to P90x) which showed a Sports Trainer doing various plyometric and calisthetic workouts in what looks like a high school gym with a group of about 15 people. The drills were intense and a great cardiovascular workout overall. The entire package that my father ordered included a few dvds, a nutrition guide and a few brochures. After reviewing most of the material (zooming in on the nutrition aspect most critically) I definitely think this a good, solid purchase that the consumer would get the most "bang for your buck." I was most impressed with the nutrition guide book due to the fact that it gives the reader very simple meals but also provides them with information as to why you are making those choices. I was happy to see that the trainer was not giving the reader what most consumers look for... a magic pill to lose weight.

As I was driving home from my parents, my boyfriend (a trainer as well) and I began speaking about this Insanity program. The one thing we both noticed was that the workouts/drills/routines outlined in the program were really nothing new or improved. It basically consisted of basic plyometric, calisthetic, yoga, core exercises, etc, all jumbled into 1 very intense cardiovascular boot camp style class. Consumers have seen all of this before. They have purchased these types of workout dvds before. But since this particular dvd is brand new... they quickly purchase in hopes of losing weight in some new, improved and possibly easier fashion.

What most people do not realize is that losing fat, toning/building muscle and retaining that leanness/muscle tone is quite simple... it's just that us as people, complicate it. We look for the easiest way possible to get the most work done. We become pill poppers in hopes of that magic supplement that will give us that "head start." We buy video games for exercise and join the local Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig for nutrition. We as a population have become amazingly lazy. When said diets, exercise programs, supplements don't work... who do we blame??? Who we should be blaming, is ourselves.

There is a wealth of health and fitness knowledge out there for everyone to learn and apply to their own lives. Especially in the world today with the internet, there is absolutely no reason why every individual can't search and find the answer to their own battles with weight loss. This goes back to me saying us as people... COMPLICATE things.

Here is the simple answer to losing weight, gaining muscle, looking great:
1. Eat healthy 2. Exercise 3. Stay consistent

That's the million dollar answer everyone is looking for. This is what we as consumers spend billions of dollars on every year (fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry). There is no secret, no magic potion, no magic supplement, no shortcuts PERIOD. New workouts are great for spicing up an old routine, but for those of you who have no routine and just wait around for the next new thing to hit the market so you can buy it and use it for 5 minutes, you are a marketer's dream come true.

Now, as the new year approaches and everyone adds "get in shape" to their new year's resolution list, remember that all of the information you need is at your fingertips. It's just a matter of you applying that information. You don't have to go out and purchase a $200 workout dvd or video game in order to get in shape. You also don't have to buy into these group nutrition programs that you have to pay $400 for frozen meals. Start reading! If you've been struggling your whole life against the scale then it's time for you to stop taking the above shortcuts and start making some major life changes. That means cooking your own food... researching your own workouts... maybe even starting your own fitness support group! The best way for you to keep the weight off and rid yourself of your struggle against weight is to tackle this obstacle head, skip the shortcuts and enjoy the JOURNEY!!!!!

Some good reading:

www.bodybuilding.com
www.leanbodiesconsulting.com/blog
www.siouxcountry.com
www.rxmuscle.com
www.stevemoyerfitness.com/_blog/Steve_Moyer%27s_Blog

It's never too late!

So I'm here @ the gym for the 1st time in a week or 2 and wow, it's amazing how a little time off can completely throw your workouts off. Things I used to do I can't do and it's extremely frustrating. I almost decided to take however long off until I felt like doing it all again. After my last workout session where I was completely humbled, I just thought to myself this is ridiculous, I'm done, I'm fat, I don't wanna do this anymore. I know some of you will think that's crazy but I was so serious. I had an emotional meltdown @ the gym n was just completely over all of the pressure I put on myself to be/get in shape. After about a week of me hiding out from the gym, I missed it in a weird way. I didn't yearn to be there but I knew how completely necessary it was for me to be there. If I was mad @ how out of shape I was now, imagine me 1 year from now after NOT working out? It was time to rearrange my thinking.

So instead of quitting all together, I decided 2 bring it back to basics. I started today with legs. Back in the day when I 1st began working out with a trainer, we ALWAYS did legs on Mondays. It was a fresh way 2 start the week. So today came my old school leg workout:
-warmup, 3x15 leg ext
-leg press toes pointed out
-squats
-deadlifts
-1 leg seated leg curl
-calf raises
-finish w/10 min intervals on arc machine

All in all, I'm beat. I mean completely done. I'm sitting here in the gym still waiting 4 my bf 2 finish his cardio session n I'm nodding off. I think it's safe 2 say, good workout accomplished :).

Point is, never give up on urself. We're all not perfect n there will always be struggles but u just have 2 get back up n ride the wave. I was so discouraged bcuz I wanted to have the "perfect" workout that I used 2 have when I was in better shape n I physically couldn't. Every1 has to crawl b4 they walk n since I had been in n out the gym, I'm no exception. So remember, it's never too late to get back up and do whatever it is u want to do, whether it's getting back into the gym or going back 2 school, going back 2 work etc. Do whatever u have to do to get the job done, even if u have 2 humble yourself along the way :)

Don't worry- be HAPPY!
Xoxo
Lei

Mental Strength

Howdy folks,

Ever feel down? Ever get stuck in a rut and the only thing that makes you feel better is JUNK FOOD or ALCOHOL or anything else unhealthy? Well... I'm right there with you! I had such a rough week this past week that last nite I craved pizza soooo bad! I was so over it all that I just allowed myself to go with it and ate 5 slices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Terrible! But the worst part about it was that I ate all 5 and felt absolutely fine... not bloated, nothing. It's strange because I haven't eaten pizza in forever and definitely not 5 at a time... So... as I'm thinking about it all, I'm wondering... how much does emotions affect your eating? Your cravings for unhealthy food? And WHY???

I've decided to pay extra attention on my "emotional" days. I already journal my eating but on days that I'm feeling down or stressed, I'll make an extra note of it and chart the differences. I'm looking forward to seeing how these emotional cravings can be controlled and manipulated. My idea is to try to transform my mind from automatically running to "cheat" foods and force it to automatically run to healthy foods. Wish me luck! I'll be sharing my experiences!! :)

Stay healthy & strong!

xo

LP

Dead tired but I've been so absent minded lately that I haven't even logged on here so I decided to stop by and say hiiiiiiiiiiii

Taught my class tonite and was completely beat. The class even started late which made it about 40 minutes or so and still, I was done. I really need to step up my conditioning and get it together already!!!!!!!!

Hmm what else... I saw in the Star Mag that Alicia Marie dated A-Rod for 4yrs? wtf?

I have to go into my ridiculous experience over the weekend at my bf's 1st competition... the story is just hysterical and will soon follow :)

Anyhow... gnite folks, sorry I have to keep it brief... but I'm working 14hrs tomorrow and need my beauty sleep...and LOTS of it lol.

xoxo
LP

Worst Blogger in the world?

Soooooooo... it's been so long since I've blogged that I actually forgot my password... MY password to MY own site? wtf? Who does that?

Anyhow-- is everyone ready for the summer??? I can NOT believe it's June already...sickening. I'm super busy these days since everyone wants that "beach" body ;) Plussss, I'll be prepping for a show too (yipee). What do YOU have planned for the summer?

I <3 Sunny Days!

Isn't it just refreshing to wake up and see the sun beaming through your window? I just luvvvv it!! Especially since I'm an East Coast girl and it's been raining like crazy lately. I'm dyinggg for some warm weather wtf. It's supposed to be 70 degrees this weekend and I couldn't be happier!!!

Anyhow - woke up early this morning and normally my boyfriend and I go to the gym together but our days off from lifting are different now, so today was his day off and my day on. So I decided to wake up earlier and get my workout out of the way so I could come home and relax before going to work.

Today's workout was all upper body:

DB Seated Press
20x10
25x8
30x8
35x8

1 Arm Lateral Throws
15x12
20x10
20x12

Close Grip Pulldown
75x8
90x6
90x6
110x6

Pullups 3 sets x 6
superset
1 Arm Cable Pull Ins
70x12
70x12
70x12

Flat DB Flyes
15x12
15x12
15x12
-superset-
1 Arm Rows
35x12
35x12
35x12

Great workout today!! Muscles are feelin really tired. Legs still feel sluggish from 2 days ago :(

Trained 6 clients tonite & held a muscle class for my young girls (age 13). I'm pooped!

Off to watch Making the Band and sleepy time! Tomorrow is another off day from the gym but I'll probably do some outside cardio because it's supposed to be so nice outside. PLUSSS - Tomorrow is my dad's bday!! YAYYYY!

See ya manana
xoxo
Lei

Biggest Loser

Ok, everyone has seen the hit TV show, Biggest Loser. Well since some of my clients tend to lose their motivation easily, plus, my family never had the motivation to begin with (jk lol) I decided to begin this Biggest Loser competition! Everyone has had their official weigh ins today and the contest will end July 12. The total length of the competition is 13 weeks. I'm so pumped to see everyone get going and get healthy and in shape!

If you'd like to track their progress...I've created a message board where we can all communicate and log our own progress. If you're interested in joining, even better!!!

www.fitlei-biggestloser.forumotion.com

Stay fit, get healthy!!!!

xoxo

Turning a negative into a positive

Here we go again. I got pushed back a couple of steps today. What happened ultimately affects my future - BUT - not so much in a negative as in a way that just forces me to make moves immediately.

Personally, I don't think anyone should ever stay in a situation that causes them to stress - turn into a person they aren't - be negative - be unhappy - etc. I truly believe that we are all blessed with 1 life, 1 opportunity to take advantage of all that life has to offer. Why spend time being miserable? I have learned throughout all of this drama that you have to keep moving forward. Sometimes, things don't always work out the way you hope for it to, but in the end you HAVE to keep pushing forward. Any set back is just setting you up for something better. If anyone understands how difficult it is to believe that, it's me, but it's true. Keep your eyes on the prize and never ever settle. NEVER! Life is too precious and TOO short to sell yourself short.

Words of inspiration for today:

*Dream big, believe in miracles, take risks, trust in your abilities - stay strong n keep rockin! *

New Diet - New Attitude

Soo, I just started a new diet with my trainer Erik from leanbodiesconsulting.net. I am LOVING it so far!! Feeling great, even without carbs here and there and I'm pumpedddd!!

*Did 45 minutes of steady state cardio today, day off from lifting*

U'll see me on stage soon :)

-Side note -

Starting a biggest loser competition soon with my clients and family members...you'll be seeing a lot of postings from me regarding their progress, who's working the hardest, who's slacking, who's losing the most weight etc. I will be blogging about the entire experience!!! Keep checking in! If you want to get in on the action, email me at fitlei@hotmail.com :)

Going back to Cali?

Had a dope workout today. Did legs supersetting shoulders and threw in some plyo work...then taught a Muscle toning class for 1 hour and trained 2 clients afterwards... feelin beat!!

So my boyfriend is doing his first Fitness Model show (FAP-Atlantic-Apr 25) and his trainer is a friend of ours who now has moved to LA to follow his dreams (www.stevemoyerfitness.com). Now, my boyfriend wants to go out and check him out in LA so that they can train in person before the show and he can see him in person etc etc. But with him dieting for the show, it makes it hard to take any last minute 6hr flights/trips/vacations/etc. He needs to bring his food n bla n it becomes such a hassle... ugh, decisions, decisions.

Picked up a new client today, an old friend of mine who is ready to rock and roll! So excited for her, we are gonna do BIG BIG things! Can't wait til we get started next week =)

I get my new diet plan tomorrow... super excited! I'm training for the Atlantic City Pro/Am in September so I still have some time but I wanted to get started a lil early and possibly hit a warmup show in July or so. I'm pumped, can't wait to get the party started.

Tomorrow - cardio @ 7am - training client @ 9am - training self @ 10am - then home to eat and relax before heading back to work @ 5pm for 6 more clients! Busy day, sleep tight folks!!

xoxo

Creatine anyone?

Just started taking Prolab's Creatine Monohydrate... So far this week I have felt more energized than ever in my life lol. If this is how creatine is...I'll never let it go lol. My recovery and pumps are amazing!! Stay tuned...hopefully it stays this way!!

I suck...

Ok so I'm thinking I am possibly the WORST blogger on the internet considering it's been WEEKS since I've posted anything. Buttttt, in my defense, a lot of life changing moves have been made during this time like...

- Quit my day job
- Starting taking on more clients
- Starting to "pre" train myself for my show in September
- Due to the "pre" training, am suffering in pain at almost all times from muscle soreness lol
- It was proven that Chris Brown beat up Rihanna and I'm a Chris Brown fan (I needed a lot of time to recover from that one)

So see, with all of this going on... ya can't blame me right? :)

I promise I'll get better...

Disturbia

Ever wish you were somewhere else? Ever been stuck in the Monday blues? Ever hate your job? Why even bother to spend your life somewhere you don't want to be? Work doesn't HAVE to be dreadful, annoying, an inconvenience. Why not spend your time on this earth doing something you love? This year I made a vow to myself that I will no longer spend another day at a job that I hate. I'm taking my personal training to the next level, expanding my knowledge and honing my craft. No more sitting behind a desk wasting 8 hours of my life every day. Time to be productive... time to close the door... time to move on to my destiny :)

I'm so late

Sorry I've been so M-I-A lately, was sick with the shingles for about a week then spent all of last week trying to catch up with everything I missed from the week before...UGH. Hoping to get some time this week to get myself back on track with blogging :)

Shingles??

Sooo, the left side of my head has been bothering me lately. Massive headaches, random bumps on my head, the whole works. About 3-4 days after it starts, I head to the docs to find out that I have SHINGLES... wtf???? Really? The doc was even surprised... for a 20-something young girl to catch shingles when the majority of ppl who catch it are 60+, wtf??

Anyhow- I'm in majorrrrr pain... I'll be back once the pain meds kick in to chit chat about my beautiful new baby nephew :)

Heavy D is in the house!

My cutie baby D was born yesterday, 1/29/09 at 3:17pm, weighing in at 8lbs even and 20 inches long. Mommy and daddy are doing great :) Luv being an auntie again!

Oh the Money Woesss

You ever just wake up and realize, wow... I am broke. Like broke as a joke lol. I calculated my outstanding debt today and although it's not high, it's not paid either lol. Oh I wish money grew on trees...ho hum.

Fit to be a Bride

All you brides out there looking to drop a couple of pounds before your big special day--- I can get you there! Plans include:

• Diet
• Workouts
• Anytime Access by phone and email
• Weekly meetings via webcam or in person
• Cardio
• Any changes as necessary

Contact me at fitlei@hotmail.com for more info :)

16 Random Things - From my Facebook Page

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 r&om things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged. You have totag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more aboutyou (seriously, I want to know more about YOU).
So, I saw this on Corey's profile and since I'm at work and actually annoyed with working, I thought I'd give it a go...

#1 - I have a huge desire to start my own non-profit organization..... I'm not sure if it's my yearning to help people or if it's because as I get older I realize how much I want to my life to be a contribution to this world or both...either way, I'd love to get involved to start an organization that had help for all people...youth, elderly, middle-aged, disease-ridden, overweight, underweight, black, white, yellow...you catch my drift. Something that is a solid contribution to helping people which inturn helps the world.

#2 - I like watching re-runs...... Maybe because I have no life? lol I dunno, but my DVR is set to record every Sex n the City episode on TBS n I've seen em all 10000 times n still I sit n watch as if it's brand new.

#3 - I believe in the power of positive thinking..... I think it's partly due to the fact that I was a very negative thinker in the past. I always attributed my cynicism for "reality" not knowing that it was just creating more negativity. Since watching The Secret and reading some pretty dope books (Rich Dad Poor Dad, From Good to Great etc), I've realized the true power of your mind. Now I strive to always seek out the positive in a situation instead of gravitating toward the negative.

#4 - I take horrible pictures..... I don't know if it's just because it feels incredibly awkward to be dead in front of a camera or if it's because I'm just not as comfortable with my face as I'd like to be but even so, I somehow manage to take the worst pix. My work badge, license, whoa. Not sexy lol but then again I guess those pix probably shouldn't be lol. Anyhow, I'm just really really awkward in front of a camera and it's weird because I'm a pretty outgoing person but once a camera is out and it's a serious picture moment, I'm totally outta there. Been trying to practice more tho...

#5 - I'm over Corporate America...... Been in it for 9 yrs now and I can honestly say, I'm done with it. I'm still physically in it for the $ for now, but mentally I've moved on. Totally focusing my energy on training, doing more shows, building the non-profit, starting my website, etc. Really working on leaning on my creative side.

#6 - I am closet wannabe painter...... I've been thinking about this for some time now. I totally want to have an easel, paints, brushes, the whole 9. I have a hunch that I'll be pretty good at it. Not sure if I'd ever want to sell but I'd definitely like to get some thoughts/feelings onto some canvas.

#7 - I'm annoyingly logical...... 1+1 ALWAYS equals 2. ALWAYS. Doesn't that sound annoying? But that's how I operate. When things don't make sense logically, it totally throws me off my game... I will literally sit confused for hours until I find a way for it to all my logical sense.

#8 - I'm a family person...BIG TIME...... I'm 100% devoted to my family. I will do anything for them at any time any place. I'm the oldest so I tend to have that motherly type quality about myself and because of that, I try to give as much as I possibly can to support my family, even if I get nothing in return. Family is sooo important and when I have kids I want them to have that loyalty to their family too.

#9 - I'm usually the one my friends come to for advice...... I don't know if it's because I'm a virgo (practical, logical) or that I truly enjoy psychology or that I mediated my parent's arguments as a kid growing up but either way, I somehow can navigate through a situation that a friend is going through clearly and give them some good quality advice.

#10 - I believe everyone possesses the power of GREATNESS...... Ya kno, growing up I actually thought I would be a dancer, lawyer, or something like that. Then after hs...I thought...maybe I just don't have a talent???? I always took the easy way out... rationalizing things....oh, Beyonce can sing - that's easy, she knew her talent.... maybe if I could sing...I could be someone? After realizing that was such a cop out...I dug deep and found a true passion for fitness... for helping those that need it and for holding myself to higher standards and achieving those goals.

#11 - I like to be right...ALL THE TIME....... Who doesn't? I've gotten better at accepting when I'm wrong tho, even if it's only once in a blue moon LOL

#12 - I'm a HUGE Joel Osteen fan...... My DVR is set to record him everytime he's on. Anytime I'm feeling down or discouraged...I watch one of the old episodes and it puts me right back on track. The power in positive thinking I tell ya!

#13 - I love tattoos...... I currently have 5... I'm sure I'll have many more. Just love the expression in a tattoo. Some think it's silly, but I love the feeling and meaning behind a tattoo. I don't usually plan my tattoos, it's all spontaneous. But I'd like to get a couple more meaningful ones and definitely a Samoan tribal to rep the culture :)

#14 - I make extreme decisions spontaneously...... This kinda breaks off from my tattoo stuff. Anything extreme I've done in life has always been done on a whim. One day I was growing my hair out, the next day I was bald lol. If a tattoo idea pops into mind, I usually get it right away. Once I started working out, I went straight into wanting to compete. Not sure why I operate this way but there's something liberating about it.

#15 - I'm a "relationship" person...... Never really been single. I've had 4 serious boyfriends in the last 11 yrs (dating back to hs). Sometimes I feel like I have a sign on my forehead or there's some sort of radar alert that goes out to prospective suitors lol but I'm thinking that maybe I just don't like to be alone for too long? Not entirely sure since I've never really had to go there with myself but either way, I've always been locked down lol

#16 - I'm a total "fat" eater...... I could actually be addicted to food...like good tasting food. Food that is the absolute WORST for you. It might seem like an oxymoron but I just LUV LUV LUV food. If it were up to me, I'd eat out all day every day lol. I think as we all get older there is something very social about going out to dinner...I think this was the hardest part besides giving up cigarettes when I first decided I would compete. Giving up some of my fav foods can still be a struggle but as I get older, I am definitely starting to realize that my body does NOT bounce back like it used to lol. I have to literally BUST MY ASS in order to get results so in the end...the fatty food decisions don't seem worth it.

Oh yea it's SEXY TIME!

I just love being here... I mean... it's one thing to train myself but I really do enjoy training others and helping them reach their goals. Stoked for the day when I'll be able to do this full time, watch out! :)

YES WE DID!

I know I'm a lil behind in blogging but between both of my jobs taking up all of my spare time, I've been just a lil stretched - no excuses tho :) Wow... YES WE DID! I can say that Tuesday Jan 20 was such a beautiful day. Knowing what exactly was going to happen my day was just the best...no attitude....no negativity.... no nothing. I even shed a tear or 40 lol. It's just amazing to see how far us as minorities have come...I honestly am not sure I would have seen the day that this would actually happen. It just feels so good to be a part of history and even better that the person making it is Barack Obama. I just love it. I'm still speechless and still get choked up when I see the pix from this incredible day!!

Random...

A client (who has already had 3 free PT sessions but doesn't want to sign up to train) asks me in the middle of my workout... how many calories should I burn every day in order to lose weight?

Anyone understand the frustration of this question????????????????

LOL

YESSSSIRR!!

It just feels so good.... :)

Young Ladies 11-24yrs old, Come Out & Get Healthy!!

Hey chiquitas, if you are looking to get in shape, come to the South Brunswick YMCA and take my Junior Athena Weight Training/Agility Class!! With the obesity crisis affecting adults and children, it's never too early to start getting in shape! This program is geared towards females and will whip you into shape in no time!

$130 for non-members
$65 for members
8 week program beginning Jan 29, 2008
Thursdays, 6:30pm - 7:15pm

Email me if you need more info
fitlei@hotmail.com

First day @ the J-O

Started the new training gig today. Worked from 8-4pm @ the day job n 5-9:30pm @ the new gig, super pooped today. Will write tomorrow, nighty nite folks :o)

xoxo
Lei

Who needs wisdom teeth?

So I call the dentist yesterday because my tooth was slightly bothering me and to my surprise, they were able to squeeze me in! Score! Ok, so I happily head over to the doc office on my lunch break...my bro in law calls on the way asking where's my diet plan!--mental note made -- don't forget to write diet plan when u get back to work -- I check in and almost immediately am brought into the office... must be my lucky day! The doc examines the tooth and of course I feel next to no pain in his presence. He wants some Xrays so I have to take out my tongue ring (ugh) and stand in this weird room with this thing that flies around my head...-- don't you hate it when they say DONT MOVE and all you can think about is moving???? Talk about pressure...sheesh! Anyhow, the doc checks out the Xrays and comes back with the oh so exciting news that... .... ....

HE NEEDS TO PULL MY WISDOM TOOTH... andddd he can do it right away if I'd like. I was also due for a cleaning so I managed to get a combo deal of some sort. So after about 5 painful needle pinches of novocaine(sp?), I no longer felt the left side of my face lol. In a matter of minutes, the cleaning was done -- next up the tooth was gone -- and they sent me on my way... all in under 1 hour...

Props to my dentist :)

Spreading the wealth

Hey everyone!

Just got back from my very 1st Monavie tasting. I'm extremely excited to be sharing this stuff with you all. I started taking it myself late last year after my father bought me a bottle (he had a bulging disk and the pain subsided after taking the monavie - i had a herniated disk)... in the 1st week I felt a huge difference in my energy levels and overall happiness. The pain began to subside and I was hooked ever since! For about 3-4 months of buying the bottles on my own, I decided to sign up and become a distributor. I now am recommending Monavie to family, friends and clients and I'm truly hoping that people will be able to find the same comfort my father and I have found through Monavie.

**If you'd like more info or are interested in purchasing a bottle or becoming a distributor, please email me at fitlei@hotmail.com

I will be holding my own tasting next Friday - Jan 23, for those in the local central NJ area.

Stay happy & healthy,

Lei

I am strong like bull!

Awww yea, 2009 is here and that means I'm finally able to stop nursing these injuries of mine and hit the weights! It feels like it's been FOREVER since I've been hardcore in the gym so I'm sooo excited to be back in the sack again and hittin em hard. Being injured can really be a disappointment and create a bit of depression so I'm super happy the emotional roller coaster with being on the bench last year is totally over. I will still have to check in with the doc and physical therapist but overall...gym time is here and conditioning/muscle here I come!

Muscle goals for this year:

• Regain muscle that was lost during injury


• Strengthen back to ward off possible injury


• Create some major hammies!


• Conditioning Conditioning Conditioning!!!

Super thrilled to be sharing my journey with everyone here. I will post progress pix along the way.

Keep rockin,

Lei

Manic Mondays in Corporate America

Alarm rings ---

6am, snooze, snooze, snooze....SHIT! It's 7:15am and I have to be to work by 8am, way to start off the week. Clothes are out the night before yet when I put them on, I somehow end up looking a bit mannish... it could be that my hair is growing in so it's in its awkward phase or it could be that I just need new clothes, either way, I have to skip breakfast at home in order to find something half way decent to wear...great. Driving to work -- Decent parking spot -- make it to my desk without being seen -- take my heels out of my bag n throw those on (my poor feet) -- and begin to work. Waiting to see if anyone will notice I'm here.... wait time is now = 35 minutes and noone in sight -- head downstairs for breakfast (finally) -- unfortunately have no money on me n have to hike over to the other side of the building to the good old ATM -- yum, I'm finally quenched -- All of this and I've been @ work for less than 1 hour-- Man, the day I will be able to seperate from Corporate America will by far be the happiest day of my life...

Drama in the workplace...

Well...since returning from short term disability(workout injury-out of the gym for the majority of 2008), it seems as tho people have kinda outcasted me. I can say I'm used to the "haters" considering the fact that I work with a LOT of middle-aged and older women who don't work out, eat terribly, gossip more than they work and hate to see anyone else succeed, but having people flat out ignore me... no welcome back high 5... nothing, is a strange feeling. I'm guessing a big part of it has to do with the fact that my boss is angry with me for being out of the office injured... my coworker has lied, manipulated and gossiped about me to the point that not only does she believe her own lies but she has somehow managed to sway others to see it her way and make a promotion out of it...and then the average worker just hating that I was out of the office for 6 months regardless of the reason behind it. Hence we have the "outcasting."

It's amazing how Corporate America literally translates into the 13th grade. You have those that will do whatever it takes to get to the top--being phony--brownnosing--gossiping--manipulating--it's like a game of Survivor or Big Brother lol. Gosh, this is soooo NOT what I signed up for lol. Anyhow, that type of person is my coworker-- obsessed with trying to keep up with the Joneses--talks about herself every 5 minutes-- brags about every job, every knockoff designer bag, every person that likes her bla bla bla bla... She's one of the ppl that believe their own lies. Ya ever wonder what could have possibly gone wrong in a person's life to make them act like that? I mean do they have a hormone imbalance...are they missing a chromosome...are they human....what is it??

Moving along -- what is it about Corporate America that is so entirely draining?

• Is it the people?
• The work?
• The company?
• Their vision?
• What????

I think the one thing to take from my ramblings is this--
Avoid committing yourself to a job/career that you HATE!
(All that comes of this is you waking up everyday and never wanting to be there and finding any reason possible to take a sick day, vacation day, etc etc etc)
Don't sell yourself short!
To my fellow Corporate slaves... have a GREAT week and never stop pushing for more... do whatever it takes to reach your full potential!

--Goals for this week --

• Remain POSITIVE!
• Steer clear of the drama!
• Keep pushing my creativity
• Have a successful week @ the new training gig

All righty folks, have a dope, healthy and productive week!
Never forget who u are and PUSH for more!

xoxo,
Lei

Welcome!

Well as I'm sitting here watching the end of the Golden Globes, I want to formally welcome everyone to my official blog :) I have finally joined the rest of the world... better late than never right? lol Hmm... what's the tone of my blog you may ask? Not sure actually lol. So in advance, I'd like to ask you all to excuse all my ramblings... they will happen often. I'm going to try to keep things positive, but I do want to roll with my feelings even if they are crappy so, in advance, know that I have good intentions but no promises lol.

Alrighty folks, happy reading... stay dope & healthy!

-Lei