What Gives Shay Shay! Days 6-12 of Giving!

Days 6-12 have been pretty sweet! I'm really digging this 25 Days of Giving series!

Day 6--25 minutes of speed intervals on the Step Mill. I really want to shape up these glutes of mine. Other than climbing real stairs, the Step Mill is a great machine to help shape up the rear! I have often either been intimidated by the Step Mill or have declared that it is just "too boring." But, I knew I had to get past this if I want to get the shape I want. With my U2 and Sting tunes in my ear, I climb the Step Mill, and I conquered it. I felt great afterwards and will enhance my use of the Step Mill in my workout plan.

Day 7--Will Power--Travel days are always difficult, but on Day 7 I gave myself the GIFT of WILL POWER! My business trip ended with a very late flight back home, so that meant dinner in the airport---gasp! Airport dining is always tricky because vendors try to make sure they have quick options. This typically means lots of fast food options and unhealthy sandwiches. This makes things very tough. Thankfully I had a little time to spare, so I was able to really study the menu at the restaurant of choice. While the french fries and fried seafood were really tempting, I opted for the broiled crabcakes and two servings of plain steamed green beans. The meal was actually very good, even out of a plastic carry-out container, and I felt really great about the Will Power I exerted to avoid all the more convenient and tasty, but bad for my body options.

Day 8--Extra Veggies--Veggies are essential to Building Muscle and Losing Fat. I have been looking at various eating plans of fitness professionals, and I am finding that my veggie intake is not optimal. Today I had veggies with four meals, instead of my usual two meals (this is out of the 5-6 meals I eat in a day). I need to plan my meals better so that I can get at least 5 servings of veggies a day. This will probably mean scrambling my egg whites with spinach in the mornings instead of put the whites in my oatmeal. This, I know I can do. Then, I'll have to make sure I cook enough veggies and protein to incorporate into my mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals. Morning, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, dinner = 5 servings of meals. Hmmm, not as hard as I tried to make it!

Day 9--Holiday Cheer--This year I did not put up as many decorations as I have in previous years. To most people, I probably still am way above average. I know they are right. Today, I was delighted to share my festive home with my USTA Mixed Doubles Team for our end of the season celebration. I love my Mixed Team. They are an awesome bunch on and off the court. I really wanted them to feel warm and welcomed in my home. So, I dressed up the buffet table in holiday accessories (I really should have taken a picture, it was pretty) and added some additional holiday touches--just for them. As guests arrived, I had on some of my favorite holiday tunes, and the mood was set. It was a great evening of fellowship and full of CHEER indeed!

Day 10--Dance--If you know me really well, you know I LOVE TO DANCE! This evening I attend my sorority local chapter Holiday Party. There was a 65 year old gentleman there who shared my love to dance, and dance he could! He had more energy than men half his age. I had so much for this gentleman and was inspired by his love for dancing and clearly his zest for life! While many stood on the side just looking, we were on the floor whether there were others on the floor or not. It was a really fun evening. It helps that dancing is also a pretty good calorie burner--especially with this feisty 65 year old gentleman!

Day 11--Tennis!!--From reading this blog, you know tennis is a regular part of my life. So, why was today a gift? Today my tennis center--McGhee Tennis Center--held its Toys for Tots Round Robin. It was a chance to do something great to some deserving kids, but also a chance for our tennis community to get on the courts in a fun and non-competitive match atmosphere. Four hours of tennis playing and fellowshipping with my tennis pals. It was awesome!

Day 12--HIIT!--I will admit that when I rose this morning, I was not really all that motivated to get in a workout. After a few minutes of hemming and hawing, I decided I need to get motivated and push myself! Nothing pushes you like High Intensity Interval Training! I love my Turbo Fire HIIT workout dvds, and today did not disappoint. I got in 20 minutes of straight HIITs. Twenty minutes may not sound like a lot, but 20 minutes of HIITs is like 50 minutes on any cardio machine. Trust me! I'm glad I got it in!

Looking forward to the second half of my 25 days of giving.