MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

Sometimes we spend so much time looking after and out for others that we forget to take care of OURSELVES. We work ourselves into the ground trying to do everything for everyone else, being strong for everyone else, making life work for everyone else, that we neglect to take care of ourselves. We allow our energy to be drained in our service to others, our strength to be used to nurture others, our minds to be consumed by thoughts of how to make things better for everyone else, but ourselves. And when that happens, you have NOTHING left for yourself. You drain yourself dry. You don’t nourish yourself, or replace what is being used, giving back to yourself so that you do not lose of yourself.

It’s fine to give, but it’s NOT fine to give and give and give until that’s all you’re doing, not taking care of yourself, not looking out for YOUR best interests, not accepting help from others because you have to be the one doing everything, until eventually you find yourself collapsing, shattered and broken, with nothing left to help yourself, empty and alone.

You have to be GOOD to YOURSELF. You have to nourish and feed yourself – whether it be taking time out every day just for YOU and no one else, meditating, filling yourself with the Spirit and refreshing your soul, speaking positive words of encouragement and empowerment over yourself and your life. You have to relax and recuperate – whether it is having a day off doing everything for everyone and focusing solely on you, so that your body and your mind stays strong and doesn’t run out of energy or spirit. You have to learn to be selfish and say “no” sometimes, because you cannot do and be everything to everyone all of the time, and you need to learn what you CAN do, what you cannot, and accept that, instead of piling all the world’s burdens on your own shoulders.

You have to be GOOD to YOURSELF. When you are good to yourself, then you can be good to OTHERS. You are better equipped to deal with others and their demands, and you will not bleed yourself dry in trying to manage those demands.

You have to be GOOD to YOURSELF to be of any use to ANYONE ELSE! So, if you are not and know you must be, start today! BE GOOD TO YOURSELF!

© Rosie Chee

Day 359: Happy Christmas to the Rest of the World!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Ghandi

For the complete Motivational, review Changing the World | WPM Women.

TRAINING

ANOTHER week out! GRRRRRRR!!!!!!! My body may have not felt it so much the first couple of weeks - probably needed the rest - but this last week has been another story altogether, and I am feeling AND seeing it! NOT cool! I'm praying and hoping that I can at LEAST get back on my bike by the end of next week! This can NOT go on!!!

OTHER NOTES

Body Composition

After having my body composition drop the last two weeks, this week it went soaring back to 8.4% bodyfat - a little to be expected given no training and the fact that I have been eating a lot more than usual (yes, even than I was last week, when I felt like I was hungry all the time and always eating). Higher than what I want to maintain, so there is some definite mental beating going on right now - as bad as it sounds, I do NOT feel comfortable at this body composition and NEED to be LEANER (NOT training DEFINITELY makes a HUGE difference in how I feel and look, since I was 8.4% bodyfat for my photoshoot with Dan Ray re images posted last week)! Definitely noticing the additional bodyfat - as always, the "tyre" that is a much HATED flaw! Losing lean body mass - so hoping that NONE of it is MUSCLE mass, although noticing a little going from my shoulders, which brings another GRRR, because I have worked my ass off TWICE now this year to GAIN muscle there! 

Injuries

Right shoulder is still in a lot of pain, albeit allowing me to sleep at least, so that is a plus. Range of motion I am slowly pushing every day, and a couple of times I have been able to get it to shoulder height as a front raise - the downside is that the pushing it means that the next day I am back to not being able to move it without extreme agony and have to keep my right arm as still as possible. But, slowly, slowly...The swelling is gradually decreasing in both my knees. On Thursday evening I was able to walk around without a walking stick for the first time in a while, so that was good. I can only walk around for 60-90 minutes before my knees REALLY start hurting, I get lightheaded and feel exhausted, but at least I CAN walk around UNassisted now (albeit feeling it a lot in my left hip and upper hamstring/lateral thigh). I end up sleeping a lot the day after being up and about, as well as later on the day (if I am around early). Not being able to train is affecting my breathing and energy levels as well - which is likely why being up and about exhausts me so easily, and I am sleeping more...So, another week of being bedridden and as inactive as possible, to let my body recover - RECOVER FAST!!! Not being able to train is killing me slowly one day at a time!

Recharge with Rosie | 7-Week Motivational

Don't forget that you can download for free, my 7-Week Motivational eBook, Recharge with Rosie. It's not just for others and right now I need motivation as much as anyone else, if just to keep my spirits up.

OAMG 2012 Calendar

If you want one, make sure you get your copies of the Limited Edition OAMG 2012 Calendar before they run out. Email info@oamediagroup.com for this.

Christmas/New Year

Talked to my family back home yesterday - was so nice to see and hear them :) Noah was watching the screen as if to say "whoa - there's someone moving on the computer", LOL :D He is so adorable! Being away from home so long HAS made me more than a little "homesick" I will admit, and I definitely canNOT wait until I am back in my beloved country again!

Had a beautiful Christmas with my second family in the US. It was great to be able to relax and just chill. I have been Blessed indeed :)

Day 352: The Beauty in Strength & Determination

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

TRAINING

ANOTHER week NOT training - instead, being bedridden 95% of the time, because walking around last week made my left knee worse, swelling up more and more (and now my RIGHT knee is starting to swell as well, from all the moving around I have done the last two days). So, not the happiest of people right now, but hoping that the rest HELPS my body RECOVER!

OTHER NOTES

Body Composition

Body Composition continued to drop this week, now back at 7.8% bodyfat this week - again, very surprised, since I have done NO training for ~2 weeks now, and my eating has NOT changed (and if anything, this week, I have had the munchies - and given in, as always - rather badly)! All my injuries must be taking more out of my body than I thought. I will note though, that I DEFINITELY notice the difference from NOT training - although I am the same body composition as I was when I shot with Walt Ostarly ~3 weeks ago, my muscle definition not as hard and therefore not as "defined", and I actually feel rather soft, if I am honest. That said, my girths have also continued to decrease, and I am now 0.5 cm smaller re chest (smallest it has ever been!), glutes, and thighs than I was when I shot with Walt, my arms also smaller (THAT is NOT a good thing, but the glutes and thighs I am ok with). REALLY hoping and praying that I am not out from training for long (I canNOT even do cardio on my bike until my knees stop swelling and go down), because I do NOT want to lose the muscle mass that I have just painstaking built for a second time this year!

Joints

So, an ignored aggravated biceps tendon (since 2007) finally tore - at the shoulder. That single injury created a domino effect in my body re other injuries - some old, but just getting worse, and some new. Not just my right biceps tendon is torn, but also my right rotator cuff tendon. There is impingement in my right shoulder, and I still cannot even lift my right arm - even UNassisted - past ~30 degrees without wanting to fall on the floor and scream in pain. I have nerve root impingement in my neck - an old injury (from when I crushed my cervical vertebrae in 2004) aggravated from the way my right arm has been hanging and the way I am favouring my right shoulder. My lower right back is still bruised and there is literal pain when the bones at the base of my lower back are touched. I have chondromalacia in both knees, and there are now bone fragments in my right knee capsule, causing it to catch and seize, hence the sharp pain, swelling, and lack of range of motion there. The last couple of days, my LEFT knee has also started having sharp pains across the kneecap, and that too has started swelling - despite the fact that I am now using a walking stick to hobble around (when I do). On top of that, my right wrist has been playing up, and my left wrist I have to be careful not to put too much pressure on when I use the walking stick  - my body is falling apart, LOL.

Recharge with Rosie | 7-Week Motivational

Don't forget that you can download for free, my 7-Week Motivational eBook, Recharge with Rosie.

RCS Newsletter December 2011 | The TRAVEL & HOLIDAY Edition

It IS the Holiday Season, so be sure to check out December's RCS Newsletter, The TRAVEL & HOLIDAY Edition.

Christmas/New Year

I survived the 17-hour drive from Texas back to Wisconsin over the weekend, back for another white Christmas (I really wish I was back home, enjoying the New Zealand summer and having Christmas on the beach with a barbeque dinner - with the way this year has gone, that was not an option, even though I have been wanting to go home for a while now, and I am hoping to get back for my nephew's first birthday next year at the latest now!), and a couple of weeks off before having to head back to Texas for work. My goals for 2012 have all been done and my FIRST priority of the New Year (starting now, really) is to recover and rehabilitate myself from all these injuries AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, so that I can get back to training and doing what I want and need to, because 2012 is going to be a BIG year for me (already the plans have been set in motion).

For all of those traveling over the following week - whether back "home", or to visit family and friends, I hope you all have a safe trip. God Bless you all this Christmas, overflowing those blessings into the New Year, giving you more than you could ever hope and dream of!

Day 338: Recharge with Rosie

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work." - Oprah Winfrey

TRAINING

So, enjoyed my week off. Didn't really do a lot, except for another training day on Friday - where I DID do a resistance session, but since it's only been two days training in total this week (even though both have included weights), I still consider this a week OFF.

On Friday I did:

HIIT Run:
a. 3 min jogging
b. 8 x 20 sec sprints/10 sec easy
c. 3 min jogging

Shoulders/Arms/Abs (1 min recovery between trisets):
TriSet A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 3 x 10
2. Plate Hammer Raises 3 x 10
3. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 3 x 10 per side
TriSet B -
4. DB Zottoman Curls 3 x 10
5. V-Bar Tricep Push-Down 3 x 10
6. Alternate DB Hammer Bicep Curls 3 x 10 per side
TriSet C -
7. Rope Crunches 3 x 10
8. V-Sits (on bench) 3 x 10
9. Swissball Crunches (feet on wall, knees at 90 degree angle) 3 x 20

Post-Weights Cardio:
Recline Bike 20 min @ 112-116 rpm

Tomorrow it's back to being a WARRIOR!!!

Training schedule as follows:
Monday - HIIT Cardio + Shoulders/Hamstrings
Tuesday - 10 min Cardio + Arms/Abs
Wednesday - HIIT Cardio
Thursday - 10 min Cardio + Full-Body
Friday - HIIT Cardio + Shoulders/Arms/Abs
Saturday - 20 min Cardio
Sunday - Day OFF

Going to be doing a lot more running, since last week, the running really made a difference I feel to my physique. The Recline Bike will be left to strictly POST-weights and nothing else.

OTHER NOTES

Body Composition went up to 8.1% bodyfat over the week, which I understand and accept (yes, you heard me - I know; hard to believe!), considering that it WAS a week OFF training AND my nutrition has remained the same as it has always been (i.e. NO "diet" or restrictions). Surprisingly, my thighs have LOST a centimetre re girth - not that I'm complaining; it's good, and I wouldn't mind losing another inch from them, honestly. Maintaining everywhere else.

I finished the last of my Alpha-T2 on Wednesday, and emptied my last bottle of Shred Matrix today, so there will be none of either of those staples until I get some more next week. On Thursday, I added in Colostrum - this was one supplement I used without fail when I was cycling, and I never got sick when I was using it (miss even a single day of it though, and I got as crook as a dog), so I wanted to add it back in, especially since my immune system is nothing like it was used to, and when I get anything it seems to linger on and on (like this headcold-sore/swollen throat-voice loss-fever/temperature-cough thing I've been battling getting better and worse for OVER a month!), hoping that it helps boot it back up again. I'm also going to be starting my remaining bottle of Battlefuel tomorrow - it lasts three weeks, so will take me right up until Christmas.

It's going to be a very busy next three weeks for me! I'm all ready for it though, so BRING IT ON!!!

RECHARGE WITH ROSIE | 7-WEEK MOTIVATIONAL

I've been meaning to get a Motivational up for some time now, so I finally sat down today and did it. As I mention in the "Author's Note": "I was initially going to do a 3-Week Motivational because it takes three weeks to change and create new habits...However, instead of a 3-Week Motivational, I have done a 7-Week Motivational. The number seven is significant in many ways...Personally, seven is a number that appears in my life in many ways, with circumstances and important events usually involving a degree of “seven”. Not only that, seven is the number associated with “perfection” - none of us will ever be perfect, but that does not mean that we cannot strive for it!"

So, for all those who have been asking for it, or said I should do on, here it is: Recharge with Rosie | 7-Week Motivational. ENJOY!