Hey there Gypsy Sisters!  So I have never understood why men (in general) like to hit each other.  I don’t get watching wrestling or the mixed marshall arts fighting, well I didn’t – before now.  OH MY GOSH!  SO FUN!  Last week I was so stressed, it was just one of those weeks, you know?  Where nothing goes right and everything you do, you mess up.  I know, you know what I mean.  So stressed that Kerry Tate (Tate’s Total Training, my lead torturer) even noticed.  So on Wednesday, I asked if I could box, or just let me hit the bag, as part of my workout.  On friday he let me.  Although not with him because as he says “his muscles are for show, not for fighting!”  HA!  Love him.  SO I got to work out with James on Friday.  I was actually a little nervous about working out with a different trainer.  I know, that sounds silly, but I was.  I like working out with Kerry, he makes me laugh and he doesn’t take my crap, it is just a great fit for me.  Nervous or not, I needed some stress release and had it in my head that boxing would help, at least a little.  WOW, did it help.  It was better than a day at the spa as far as stress relief goes.  On top of that, it was quite the work-out.

Boxing is actually very scientific.  It has a lot to do with physics and force, but not just in arm strength.  It is about using the movement and momentum of your body in your hits.  So in other words, it isn’t just an arm work-out it is an entire body workout, utilizing your core more than anything.  I would suggest it to anyone as a workout, but don’t just decide to do it at home without someone, that is dangerous.  You need the proper equipment even if it’s just a workout and not a real fight.  My hands had to be wrapped and use gloves, not only to protect my hands, but also my wrists.  If you hit someone without the proper support on your wrists and your wrists are even slightly bent you could sprain or break your wrists.  We can’t have that, how would I type?

So James starts me out with the basics.  I thought, hey I get some gloves and they will just let me stand here and hit the bag for a while.  I had already done my core training with Kerry, I just wanted to hit something.  OH NO – we started out with lunges and Frankenstein’s – did some other core exercises – and then I got to put the gloves on.  I had to learn the proper stance and why its the proper stance.  It’s all about balance, you don’t ever want to put your self in a position to get knocked down, because even if you aren’t hurt – you lose points in the ring for hitting the mat.  Wednesday we worked on stance and four basic punches, yesterday we added uppercuts.  I don’t feel very good about the upper-cuts yet, but I will get there.  I am sure I don’t punch that hard, but it just feels so good.  I was a completely different person when I left that gym on Friday.  I was tired, super tired, but relaxed and way less tense.  Yesterday it was the same thing, I just felt so much better.

I will say this….on Monday I wanted to box again but James was busy, so Scott (another trainer, who is really soft spoken and a sweet guy, or so I thought) offered to hold the pads for me, so AFTER I finished my workout with Kerry, I went with Scott to do some ‘boxing’.  Yeah right, he suckered me in.  Kick Boxing is what he had in mind, and fun as that sounds and is, it was torture.  I thought I was gong to pass out, I haven’t worked out that hard since I was 16, in high school with Coach Yoakum screaming at me.  (I still have nightmares of her)  I will do it again at some point, but not after a full work-out with Kerry and I think I need to be in a little better shape for Scott.  It was just so surprising because he is so soft spoken, I had no idea he would try to kill me.  LOL (Love you Scott!)  I will actually probably try it again soon, but don’t tell Scott in case I chicken out!

So the main point, although how you would get to it in my ramble this morning is – Boxing is a fun stress reliever, but its hard and its a workout.  Don’t be afraid to try new things with your workouts, it helps to change the pace up a little bit.  I even think next week I may try a Zumba class!!  I have no rhythm so that should be interesting!

It is that time of year again!  The time to tell your mother how much you love her and appreciate her, but not just tell her – show her.  Gifts are always good, but pair that gift with spending the day with your mom doing what she wants to do.  The flower bed she has been talking about re-doing – well this weekend seems like the perfect time!  Or what about the movie she has been wanting to go see, that you aren’t that into?  Spend time with your mom, even if it’s just sitting on the porch and talking.  After all that is really all your Mom wants anyway – to spend time with you.

Let’s face it where would we be with out Mom’s?  How many years did they change diapers?  Ugh, that in and of itself is enough for a lifetime gratitude not to mention all the  T-Ball games, Graduations, break-ups, sick days, prom, shopping for that perfect outfit for your first ‘real’ job interview, the list could go on and on and on and on.  Mothers work harder than anyone else out there.  They juggle kids, work, their own personal lives and friends and they do it all out of love.  They are there to wipe away your tears no matter how old you are and celebrate and laugh with you in the good times.  She is the person that will always pick up the phone, always.  Let’s not forget her cooking is probably better than your’s too, I know my mom’s is.  There is a reason for that.  Comfort.  You can use the exact same recipe, make it the exact same way and hers will always taste better even if it is Prego out of a jar.  Something about Mom’s cooking just hits the right spot in your stomach and in your heart.  Whether you are 10 or 40, your mother will always be one of the most important if not the most important person in your life.  So it is fitting that she get a day to spend with you, doing what she wants to do.  Enjoy the day, ask questions, talk about childhood memories, but most of all cherish your mother, she is the only one you are going to get!

Please note:  This is my opinion and no one’s else,  you may not like it or agree with it, and I DO NOT want to offend anyone!

Glamour.com ran an article this afternoon discussing the perceptions people have about body type and what it says about people.  It was an extremely interesting read.  You can read it here.  But don’t click there yet, read it after you finish this please!  :)  They did a survey about how women perceive other women, skinny and fat.  Fat – lazy, slow, incompetent; Skinny – bitchy, mean, cold-hearted.  Sounds about right, huh?  Aren’t all over weight women lazy?  Those skinny bitches are stuck-up and mean, right?  WRONG!!!  Perception though is reality most of the time and its time we all stopped pretending we live in a perfect world where it isn’t.

I have struggled with my weight my entire life.  Everyone from family, parents, friends, bosses & an ex-husband have talked to me about my weight.  Some nicely, some not so nice.  I can remember being very young and my dad patting my stomach and telling me to ‘suck it in’.  I being hard headed tried the embrace who you are, they are wrong, ignore the fact that your miserable, all that counts is what is on the inside approach for a LONG time.  Guess what, they were right even the assholes who weren’t nice about it.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that looks and weight are everything, because they aren’t.  It does matter what’s on the inside.  I have just started thinking about it like this; Let’s say you buy the most amazing gift for someone, I mean it is really amazing you saved up for a really long time to buy this amazing present for someone.  Are you going to wrap it in the best paper and find an equally amazing bow or are you going to pull some newspaper out of the recycling bin and tape it together with duct tape?  That is what your body is, wrapping for the greatness inside.  Right now I am newspaper and duct tape.  Take this one step further and picture that gift sitting with a lot of other gifts on a table, you want your gift to be opened first, you know you do. Wrapped in duct tape and newspaper its going to get pushed aside and saved till last.  It’s the same thing as life and living in a body that doesn’t accurately represent who you are on the inside.

Nobody wants to hear that they are fat, but just because it isn’t said doesn’t mean it isn’t so.  You can ignore it like I did and be miserable and probably have some health problems or you can do something about it.  I work with a lot of bands, so lots of hot guys in other words.  I can’t tell you how much more comfortable and confident I will be when I am not embarrassed by my weight.  I honestly don’t think most people even notice that I am insecure.  I put up a pretty good front.  I am a very confident person about some things and I just let that confidence over-power my insecurities about my body.  I just can’t help but imagine how much more fun my life is going to be when I don’t have all this extra weight to lug around.  Don’t get me wrong, I have great friends, clients, bands that don’t seem to care that I am the chubby photographer, they love me for who I am.  But I don’t and that is WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.  I want to be successful and my weight keeps me from being so sometimes.  As much as it would be great to live in a judgement free world, we don’t.  There is always going to be someone who can’t see past what you look like, long enough to see what you are capable of and how fabulous you are.  Now, not that I think anyone should pander to jerks like that, but reality is reality.  They will always be a jerk, but they may hold the key to your success, so why put that obstacle in your way, you can change, they aren’t going to.

We can preach and preach about acceptance of all body types, but it isn’t going to happen.  Lord knows it the world would be a much happier and better place if it did and I am not saying stop trying to get people to quit judging, but we have to deal with reality.   I know that there are A LOT of you out there that DO NOT like what I am saying, I’m sorry if I am offending you or if you think I am wrong.  I don’t mean to offend anyone, its just time someone said it, spoke the truth wether it hurts or not.  Of course, I know just as well as anyone that anything can be ignored and disregarded.  So disregard if you want, but you know I am right!  Do I want people to stop judging me because of my weight, yes of course I do, who wouldn’t?  The thing is, the only way I can take control over that is to change my weight.  Now I know I could always try the “I don’t care what anyone else thinks” approach, but there are some opinions you can’t ignore.  When something as simple as weight keeps you from doing things you love, want to do, or succeed; why would you not change it?  You have the power, you and you alone.  Loosing weight isn’t complicated.  Eat less, eat healthy and get active.  Tate (my amazing, evil, lovely, horrible, funny, torturous trainer) likes to say “you didn’t gain all that weight in a week, it isn’t coming off in a week”.  He’s right.  Yes Tate I said it.  YOU ARE RIGHT.  Print this out, it will probably be the only time I admit it, so enjoy it while it lasts good buddy!  It is that simple.  It took you awhile to get to the size you are, it is going to take you a while to get to the size you want to be.  So right now I am newspaper and duct tape, next month I’ll be the comic section and scotch tape, and by next year I will look like you bought me at Tiffany’s with a really pretty bow.

I know I said I would blog some at home work-out tips and I will, it has just been a crazy beast in GypsyLand lately.  I have lost 9lbs. in three weeks, so YEAH – GO ME!!!!  I just really wanted to share with you my thoughts on weight stereotyping today after reading that article.  I will share with you a new simple little dish I have been having for lunch lately….

1 chicken breast

2 cups baby spinach

1/3 cup Couscous

20 grams of cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Rotel Mild.

So bake your chicken breast, when it is almost done, take the rotel and put it on top of the chicken, put back in the over for just a little bit.

Cook your couscous with water, no butter no salt.

So get your plate, put the spinach on it, then put the couscous on top of that, then the chicken and rotel.  Sprinkle with cheese and  you have yourself a nice, Chicken Salad.  I add the couscous, because it adds some texture and flavor.  I don’t like salad dressing, so I always add something a little different.  I typically eat this for lunch because it is a big meal.  You can also steam some broccoli and add to it, which I do often.  Its also really pretty and a little twist on normal salad with couscous and the rotel adds some spice.

Till next time! -Kim

PS.  I still want a cupcake