Feeding from the navel...

Its Friday morning, and yes, I've already cleaned my house.
Don't be so shocked.  Its part of the highlight of my Fridays, let's be honest.

The week seemed to fly by faster than I thought it would.  This can be good and bad.  Now here I sit, tired, and ready for a little R & R.  It never fails that on my day off I instinctively wake up at 4:30 and freak out "What day is it?  Am I late?"...its like clock work.  I'll dose off and on for about another hour before I drag myself out of bed and stagger to the coffee pot.  I never have the patience to let it completely fill up.  Once that bad boy hits 5 cups, I'm pouring.

Quick story...
Went to see my nieces last night.  Payton is running around playing and has become quite attached to baby dolls.  She watches my sister-in-law and attempts to care for the baby just as Kelly does for Haven.  Its adorable.  And clearly she's been taking notes...
She comes in the kitchen and announces that she has to "feed her baby"....so she proceeds to sit on her stool, pull up her shirt, and stick the baby's head on her belly button.  I am dying laughing at this point and just mad I don't have my camera.  She keeps her there for about 30 seconds and then says "ok, now I do the other side", and then turned the baby around...still stuck on the belly button.  All I could sit there and think was that this is hilarious now, but not so much in 15 years.  Very observant child....which should scare the crap out of my brother...

I'm looking forward to my workout today...shoulders/hamstings/glutes.  This week I had to split up my leg routine, which is actually fine because I'm not sure I could have survived my cardio wed/thurs if my legs were shot from a brutal workout.  Yesterday's back workout was awesome.  I really focused on keeping my rest periods under 45 seconds, which, by set 4 of supersetting cable row with hyperextensions proved to be killer.  I was breathing like a pregnant woman.
One thing I did find beneficial was doing all my core exercises before my back exercises.  When I was doing it the other way around my mid-back would get so tight that I couldn't get a great contraction in my core.  Such a nerdy meathead.

Have to touch on something serious for a moment that has been on my mind.  Yesterday I had an athlete come in and the first thing she did was pull up her shirt and start pinching her stomach claiming "I'm fat Meredith, this has got to go!!"  Then she pinches her inner thigh and starts spouting off like a mad woman about how she's the fattest person on her team, yadda yadda.  It was not in a joking way...she was anxious and serious.  It broke my heart and angered me at the same time.  This female is extremely tall, and her thighs hardly touch when she puts her feet together, and she's getting ready to face a very competitive atmosphere in Division I sports.  I honestly could not believe what I was hearing.  She kept going on and on and would not let me get a word in.  I finally had to raise my voice and just get very firm and serious with her.  I don't play around with this issue.  Its a vicious and powerful downward spiral that can get out of control very quickly.  Looking back, it still blows my mind that within months in college I was 92 pounds, scared to death of food, and pulling clumps of hair out in the shower.  Its not a pretty picture.
I asked her what she wanted me to do because I knew deep down she was about to be completely thrown off with my response.
She said she wanted me to "fix it."  Ha.  Not going to happen.  To offer any type of advice on how to lose fat when you're already extremely thin would simply be to validate this idea of "I'm fat and need to lose weight."  I had no plans of that.  The whole body-image issue is a tricky thing.  Our reality is what we see.  However, what we see can be skewed by certain ideals, fears, and experiences we internalize and allow to mold our self-perception.  And changing the mind is like going to battle with yourself for yourself.  But it is critical.
Sure, she wasn't to the point I'd suggest professional help.  But an alcoholic never walked into a bar one day and said "I want to become an alcoholic."  And the truth is that its MUCH easier to deal with the thoughts/feelings early than 10 years down the road.  Whole new ballgame at that point.
Ugh...it just left my mind burdened last night and today.
All I can say is if you think someone is dealing with this issue, talk to them and encourage them to seek help in whatever form they need.  It may be your words that spark healthy change.

Well, I've got to work on a hip-hop routine for tomorrow's class.
I always leave my blinds open while I practice in my kitchen...just to keep my neighbors entertained :)
Your welcome Mebane.


Have a lovely Friday!