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January 5, 2011 · 11:47 PM

I’m Squatastic!

Day 5. P90X. Legs & Back.

Today was a rough one.

Last night I worked out live with Tony Horton and then today I spent the whole day walking around NYC with a friend.

While sitting in traffic on the way home, I calculated that we walked roughly 100 blocks while chatting, window shopping and being tourists.

With my legs already sore and tight I stretched out my hamstrings, pressed play and got the show on the road!

Tonight was also my first workout with my new pull-up bar. I have never used one in my other rounds since we couldn’t find a bar that fit the doorways near our workout space properly. Today, we hit the jackpot as my husband decided to pick one up he saw in the store. After a little adjusting he got it to work and I became the guinea pig to test this thing out and make sure it really worked.
Luck me!

I had to use a chair and put an area rug under it to prevent it from sliding, but otherwise it worked great and I loved it. I have plenty of room for improvement in the pull-up department so I welcome the challenge.

Wall squats, sneaky lunges,
iso toe rolls and chair stance were all a challenge tonight. My quads and booty were on fire after this workout and I can feel the major squatastic soreness setting in as I type. I also feel it in my shoulders and back from all of the pull-ups.

I am honestly glad that my rest day is almost here. I am looking forward to doing X Stretch and just taking it easy for a day. Tomorrow however, I’ll have to conquer KenpoX (which is my favorite workout) if I want to earn that rest.

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Tagged as 90 days to a better you, Beachbody, Health & Fitness, Insanecrew, P90X, Personal Growth

January 4, 2011 · 11:24 AM

Namaste, Bitches!

Day 4. P90X. Yoga X.

Yes, I know, my title sounds very tranquil and relaxing. For those of you who have done Yoga X, you know there is nothing tranquil and relaxing about it, especially during Yoga Belly X were he yells at you to reach higher and “Get Em Up“!

I have done two rounds of P90X and I have never developed a love for this workout like some people I know. I have always enjoyed doing my Rodney Yee AM Yoga and meditation style yoga dvd’s, but this is not either of those.

First off, I struggle with the vinyasas. I loath them and I know I mentally talk myself into this funk. If I would just truly focus and lose myself in the motions I am sure I would be ok. However, being a mom of two it is often hard to get 90 mins of quiet so you can truly focus. No excuses….just telling the truth here. I still do it…just not as dedicated as I should.

I will also admit that during the 1st two rounds of P90X I often skipped ahead to the last vinaysa and started at the balance posture sequence. I know it’s cheating, but to me something was better than nothing and I KNOW I am not alone in this. If I didn’t skip ahead I would opt for one of Tony’s One-on-One series yoga DVD’s – either Patience Hummingbird or Fountain of Youth Yoga, because they were shorter.

For round 3 I have decided I need to leave my comfort zone and face Yoga X head on….all 90 uncomfortable minutes of it. This time around, since I didn’t start on a Monday, yoga falls on my day off and the kids are in school so that should help a lot. I have decided that I will truly “do my best and forget the rest” and not just go through the motions. It will be an uphill battle but it is the only way I can grow as a person and better myself.

Plus, I am grateful that Daniel Haas is in this workout. He represents the average person. Not all of us are Gumby and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone with my shaky legs.

As for today’s session, it went well. As some of you who follow me on twitter probably saw, I fell over and busted my ass during the vinyasa section while doing right angle pose & grab. I of course laughed at myself, had to share and then moved on.

The first half of the workout seems to drag on forever to me, and that is because I am not comfortable doing it. Once the second half begins, it’s smooth sailing. I could probably stand in tree pose all day with a clear mind. It’s one of my favorites, followed by happy baby and corpse pose…haha!

Yoga Belly X is definitely a challenge, especially after doing an ab workout late the night before. I can feel that my core is gaining strength since I last did Yoga X which was a pleasant surprise.

Tomorrow is Legs and Back for me….Sneaky Lunges, Wall Squats and Groucho Walk….Oh My!

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January 3, 2011 · 11:03 PM

Glamour Muscles, Baby!

Round 3. Day 3. P90X.

Shoulders and Arms.

Time to work the glamour muscles, baby!

This is hands down my favorite resistance workout in the P90X program. I love the shoulder and bicep definition I get and I think shoulders can be very sexy, so I tend to focus on mine quite a bit.

I was very sore going into today’s workout and to be honest, I almost skipped it since I’m off from work tomorrow. I figured I would just pull a double and go to bed early. Then I remembered I am going to MEET Tony Horton tomorrow and workout with him, (squeeeeeeeee!) so a TRIPLE wouldn’t be a good idea.

At 8:30pm, I dragged my sorry self downstairs to the living room and pushed play. I am so flipping happy I did, too! As soon as I started warming-up, my soreness started to disappear and I felt good. Jumping jax and arm circles were a little rough due to the chest soreness but it quickly worked itself out and I was able to get to it.

Here’s a break down of the moves you do. It works Shoulders/Biceps/Triceps and repeats for each round.

Round 1:

Alternating Shoulder Presses.
In & Out Bicep Curls.
Two Arm Tricep Kickbacks

Round 2:

Deep Swimmer’s Presses
Full Supination Concentration Curls
Chair Dips

Round 3:

Upright Rows
Static Arm Curls
Flip-Grip Twist Kickbacks

Round 4:

Two Angle Shoulder Flys
Crouching Cohen Curls
Lying Down Tricep Extensions (*Tip of the Day – don’t smash your face.)

Bonus Round:

In & Out Straight Arm Flys
Congdon Curls
Side Tri-Rises (*Do more of 26 of these and Tony is coming to your house!)

I followed this routine up with Ab Burner from ChaLEAN Extreme instead of Ab Ripper X. As I have mentioned before, I have 2 herniated discs in my lower back and ARX tends to aggravate them. As long as I feel an abdominal burn, I’m not really picky as to which program the workout came from.

I’m actually looking forward to Yoga X tomorrow. I normally HATE doing it and would prefer to poke my eyeball out with a chopstick than do 90 minutes of this torture Tony calls yoga. However, I actually think my muscles will appreciate and it will be a good thing to do before going to the group workout tomorrow.

Round 1.

Alternating Shoulder Presses.
In & Out Bicep Curls.
Two Arm Tricep Kickbacks.

Round 2.

Deep Swimmer’s Presses.
Full Supination Concentration Curls.
Chair Dips.

Round 3.

Upright Rows.
Static Arm Curls.
Flip-Grip Twist Kickbacks.

Round 4.

Two Angle Shoulder Flys.
Crouching Cohen Curls.
Lying Down Tricep Extensions.

Bonus Round

In & Out Straight Arm Flys.
Congdon Curls.
Side Tri-Rises.

Get Your Jump On

Today was Day 2 of P90X which meant I had a date with Plyometrics – “The mother” of the P90X workout program.

Now, I’ve dealt with “the mother” before back in the spring during my second round, when I decided to give classic a shot. Apparently I didn’t listen to her, because I met “the father” (Insanity) and he kicked my ass for not listening to mom and doing what I should have. Lesson learned.

Safely back in mothers arms today, I pressed play. The warm-up got my heart rate up and those lunges got me sweating. I like that there are two rounds of each set of moves. It’s gives you a chance to really “Bring It” in the second round if you are still adjusting to the moves and learning them in the first. As with every workout I have my least favorite move, in Plyo, it’s the Mary Katherine lunges. Meh!

Tony’s famous words in this workout are “You can do anything for 30 seconds” and it’s true. He also points out that one of the guys in the cast is doing this workout on a prosthetic leg, so no excuses! Point taken. Thank you, Tony.

Overall I have no issues with this workout. Ok. I lied. I have an issue with Dom. One might say I’m jealous of how he hops around like a bunny and makes everything look pretty, effortless and easy. One day I too shall hop around all graceful like that. Until then, I will continue to be like a fish, flopping on deck after being pulled out of the water, and I’m ok with that. No. Really. I am.

Plyometrics is a very challenging workout, but coming off of 63 days of Insanity I felt like I was moving in slow motion. My other issue, was due to the slower pace, my mind had a chance to second guess itself and plant that little seed of doubt. Don’t worry….I did everything and completed the workout…it’s just going to take some readjusting and taking it all 30 seconds at a time.

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January 1, 2011 · 11:38 PM

Round 3…Day 1…Fight!

Happy New Year, everyone! I can’t believe it is 2011 already.

It feels like just yesterday that I made the choice to give P90X a try…..no really….I’m so sore right now that it feels like I just started this program for the first time.

Since I started 2010 with P90X, I thought there would be no better way to celebrate my Beachbody anniversary than with another round. Being reunited with Tony Horton just seemed like the right thing to do, so I bagged the hybrid, joined a group of fellow coaches and rebooted the “90 Days to a Better You” challenge.

Today, I kicked off Round 3 of X with some Chest and Back, which is the first workout in the Classic version on the program. Let’s just say I forgot how hardcore this program is. I still don’t have a pull-up bar set up (I know. This makes me sad too.) so I used my bands to do pull-downs instead. I have definitely improved in the push-up department, although declines, diamonds, military style and the dreaded dive-bomber push-ups are still my nemesis.

I managed to truly push myself to physical failure on every move today, instead of the mental failure were I would tap out in the past. That fact alone proved to me how much I have grown, both mentally and physically in the past year. My mind would always get the best of me and I would tell myself “I can’t” or I would watch Tony do a move and say “No way, I’m not doing THAT”. Now, my mental conversation is more along the lines of “You’ve got this!” and “Ok, this might take some practice”.

The result of my new mindset? Wobbly, shaky, jello arms that make washing your hair post workout very interesting…and painful.

Today’s workout also included Ab Ripper X (ARX), which I have always struggled with due to my herniated discs. I have a hard time doing any core movements that require me to kick my arms and legs out, while balancing on my butt. I tried my best to make it through most of the DVD but I could feel the strain in my back (most likely due to lousy form) so I reverted back to the ab workout from ChaLEAN Extreme, which is effective and doesn’t aggravate my back.

I’m looking forward to this round of P90X and after 63 days of Insanity….I’m really looking forward to Plyometrics tomorrow.

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The New Year Is Approaching…

It’s almost time to say good-bye to 2010 and hello to 2011…are you ready?

For most people, the new year means making resolutions. Topping that resolution list is usually “lose weight” or “start working out” which creates a surge in people going to the gym. After a month of waiting on line for the treadmill and elliptical or dealing with overflowing classes, many people throw in the towel and begin to find reasons not to go anymore. Sound familiar? You know it does…fess up!

It is this very cycle I battled for years. “January 1st is coming, I’ll join the gym” or “This year I’ll try Weight Watchers“. Year after year, I would make these resolutions and NEVER stick with them…..until January 2010!

What happened in January 2010, you ask? Well, that is when I made a promise to myself…a promise to start P90X and FINISH it! I was hell bent on completing this program, even though I knew I might not be ready for it. I HAD to do this for ME….for my children, and for my health. I grabbed my brand new calendar and started marking my 30, 60 and 90 day goals. I printed out check lists for my daily food and water goals….I meant business this time.

The plus to P90X for me? Well, you don’t have to climb into the car and head to the gym. You don’t have a class time schedule to follow (not that I have ever taken a class….more on this at a later date). There is no line for a machine that you end up having to wipe someones sweat off of. It’s just you and the DVD’s in your living room. (or any other space you declare your “home gym”)

People thought I was crazy and many told me I could not do this. They didn’t have faith in me…how could they? I never completed any of my resolutions in the past. The more negative they felt about my new journey, the hotter I felt the fire within me burn…it fueled me and pushed me to great heights.

The key to my completing this resolution and still being committed to it today was my support group. I managed to find an amazing group of people on-line who were all doing the program. Some were already really fit, some were working out the first time, some had a lot of weight to lose and some just wanted a challenge. None of that mattered though, as we were all there to cheer each other on and reassure one another when we had doubts or bad days. Ok…the fact that I was seeing phenomenal results after 30days and felt amazing helped a bit too.

I sit here now as a 2 time P90X graduate. I’ve completed ChaLEAN Extreme and I’ve earned my INSANITY t-shirt. I am somewhere I never though I would be. I am 40 pounds lighter since starting the P90X leg of my journey. I gained a lot of lean muscle and I’ve lost over 10 inches from my waist alone!!

Was it easy? No! It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It was not only a physical journey, but a mental journey, as well. It is the thing I am most proud of that I have accomplished in my life so far. (Well, besides my two kids)

So, my question to you is….As the New Year approaches and you make your resolutions, are you truly ready to carry them out? If losing weight and getting healthy is at the top of your list, I would love to help you get started. You will be amazed at what you are capable of, if you simply allow yourself to push forward.

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

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December 16, 2010 · 11:16 PM

Even If You Don’t Journal It, Your Butt Will!

When I completed my 63 days of Insanity I realized that I was now even closer to my fitness goal than I ever thought I would be.

Notice I didn’t say goal weight…I don’t really use my scale often these days and to be honest, I have no issues with the number on the scale when I do stand on it.

(ok…I do have a number I would like to reach, but I am very happy with where I’m at)

However, it was time for me to step back, look at my routine and see what needed to be tweaked. Of course it didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to focus on my nutrition. I needed to recalculate my caloric needs, take a closer look at what I was eating and begin to make the changes necessary for me to reach my final goal.

Over the past year I have made many changes to the way I eat. I started by cutting back on my sugar intake, changing the amount of carbs and how/when I ate them. I began eating more lean protein, more vegetables, I reduced my diet soda intake (I only have it on occasion now) and just started eating cleaner. While making all of these changes I neglected one thing….tracking what I ate.

I had done Weight Watchers before and I know what a valuable tool journaling and tracking your food intake can be. When you write down the food you eat, it keeps you accountable. I know for myself, if I think about eating something, but it makes me feel guilty when it comes time to write it down, I’m not going to eat it! I also find that when I track my food intake during the day, I don’t mindlessly eat or pop a few crackers or almonds here and there.

Keeping a food journal also helps you to look back and see where you may have went wrong or to figure out what you need to change. For instance, this past weekend I noticed that after my cheat meal at Five Guys, the following day I was sluggish, my mood was lousy and I just felt “off”. After a day of eating well and drinking my Shakeology I felt better and like myself again.

A few weeks ago I decided to download the My Fitness Pal app for my Android phone as well as for my iPod Touch. I wasn’t sure if I would stick with using it, but I have heard people on Twitter rave about it so I figured why not. It asked me for some basic information about myself…age, height, weight, weight loss goals, activity level, etc. Once all of the information was inputted it told me my daily caloric “goal” number and I was ready to go. The food data base is huge and I haven’t had an issue finding anything I’ve needed so far. The Android version of the app even allows me to scan the food items bar code to find the nutrition info, which I LOVE.

Fast forward to the end of week 1…I stepped on the scale and saw a 3lbs weight loss! I haven’t seen a loss on the scale in a long time since I have been doing a lean muscle/fat trade off. The only way I have been able to track progress is with measurements, so this was cool! To date, I have lost 6 pounds while journaling my food and tracking my calories.

Yesterday I tried on and fit into my “goal” jeans! Who know this calorie counting and journaling stuff would actually work! Pft!

Now go download a calorie tracking app onto your phone and try it out for a week! I bet you’ll be happy you did. Remember to track everything you eat, lick or taste. Be honest here, because even if you don’t journal it, your butt will!

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*A special thanks to @BodyByJay for helping me figure out my RMR (resting metabolic rate) this number is important because it represents the energy required to perform vital body functions such as respiration and heart rate while the body is at rest. You don’t want to go below it or your body will begin to use your lean muscle as fuel to make up for the lack of calories.

To find out your RMR click here.

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December 14, 2010 · 4:18 PM

Hortizontal Movie Watching at AMC Dine-In Theaters

Last night I was able to experience the new AMC Dine-In Theater at our local mall during a special “blogger preview”. I went as a guest of my friend, Melysa, and we met up with “ComplicatedMama” and “MrComplicated” (a truly adorable couple) for a night of “horizontal movie watching”.

Normally I do not blog about stuff like this, however I love going to the movies and I know how it can truly mess up a persons “diet”. I felt that this was an interesting approach to movie/date night and I really enjoyed it, so I thought I would share.

So here’s how the AMC Dine-In Experience works:

1. Select your movie, showtime and reserved seating preference.
2. Price includes your movie ticket plus an experience upcharge. ($10 for Fork and Screen/ $15 for CinemaSuites
3. Menus are available at your seat. Press the call button and a server will arrive to take your order.
4. Relax and enjoy the movie while you dine at your seat. If you need anything else, simply press the call button.
5. The server will deliver your check before the end of the film. A portion of the bill, up to the total of the experience charge will be deducted from your bill.

Sweet! Right?! I thought so….

Upon entering the newly renovated theater you are greeted by a bar and lounge area, all with a very nice modern theme. (Forgive the photos, they were taken with my iPod Touch)

To start our special “blogger preview”, we were taken on a tour of the two different types of theaters that they offer and our guide explained how everything works :

A more casual dining experience featuring seat-side service and reserved seating. There is a $10.00 experience fee in addition to the regular movie admission, which is then deducted from your bill once you place your food or drink order.

*Guests must be 18 years or older to enter this theater. If they are not, they must be accompanied by an adult.

The menu includes a variety of items from starters (buffalo wings and onions rings) to entrees (pasta, burgers and quesadillas) as well as dessert, alcoholic beverages and all over your standard movie concessions (popcorn and candy).

To view the Fork and Screen menu on-line Click Here

I was surprised to see that they did have some “healthy offerings” such as a Fresh Fruit Salad and Lime Chicken Griller, which were marked with a heart symbol on the menu.

Next up on the tour, we were taken to theater where our experience would be taking place…dinner and INCEPTION!

An upscale theater experience equipped with luxury recliners. It also features eat-side service and reserved seating. There is a $15.00 experience fee in addition to the regular movie admission, which is then deducted from your bill once you place your food or drink order.

*Guests must be 21 years or older in order to enter this theater.

It has the same menu selections as the Fork and Screen with the addition of a premium menu insert, which includes items such as Blackened Salmon, Lobster Ravioli and Tenderloin Steak Tips.
To view the CinemaSuites Menu on-line click here.

You also receive a small cup of gourmet caramel popcorn when you choose the CinemaSuites as your experience. (aka ComplicatedPopcorn)

There is approximately 9ft of distance between each row and the theater is not keep dark, like a traditional theater. They want it to have a feeling as if you were watching a movie on your couch at home with your friends.

We picked our seats, got ourselves comfy and began flipping through the menu. Shortly, our server came over and introduced herself as Dre, (with a line over the e) – her words….not mine!

The food was ok…I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t anything phenomenal. I don’t know if it is because the staff is still training or if it will always be that way. It was traditional, overly greasy food that you receive from places like Friday and Applebee’s. I’ll admit I did NOT order one of the Healthy Options (I know…bad coach).

We ordered onion rings and loaded potato skins to share and I ordered the Chicken Fajita Wrap as my entree. The onion rings were really good but the potato skins were way to greasy to me and I couldn’t eat them. The wrap was good but there was a lot of cheese on it, so after a few bites I was satisfied and finished.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend “horizontal movie watching” to everyone. It was nice to be super comfy while watching a film, having someone come to refill my beverage anytime it looked almost empty and I love the fact that you have to be 21 years or older to enter the CinemaSuites. I do not get go for Date Nights often and when I do, it’s nice to know that my night will not be ruined by obnoxious teenages or children who won’t sit still.

Here are some photo’s from our night:

Thanks to Melysa for inviting me and ComplicatedMama for making me laugh! Excuse me ma’am….We R Who We R!

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Hybrid Time: Ditching the Routine

This week started a new chapter in my fitness journey…the hybrid. For those of you that do not know what a hybrid is, it’s a mixture of different workout programs, usually a combination of strength training, cardio exercise and stretching. Some of the #insanecrew are doing a P90X/Insanity Hybrid which I posted on here. As for me, I’m doing more of a “best of” or “greatest hits” hybrid. I am basically winging it and have just set up dedicated cardio and strength days (following the same hybrid), however I decide that day what workout I’m in the mood to do. I felt like being a little more whimsical this round and enjoy myself after Insanity.

This morning I decided to try Zumba. Yes, you heard me, Zumba! What’s Zumba? Well, Zumba is a dance fitness method based on salsa and other Latin dance moves, performed to Latin and world music beats, and choreographed to allow people of any fitness or dance experience level to enjoy a fantastic workout. Two twitter friends of mine are very into Zumba and would like for me to attend a class with them. I however, am NOT coordinated and while I have some rhythm it is not up to Zumba class speed. So, yesterday I borrowed a Zumba DVD set from another friend and gave it go today.

I started off with the Zumba Basics DVD which basically runs through all of the moves you will do over the course of the program. They do each step in three stages increasing speed each time until you are at the speed of the actual move. Sounds great right? Maybe if you are capable of moving your feet, shaking your hips and adding “flavor” with your arms all while keeping the beat! I would do great until easy beat 3, then I would over think everything, lose the beat of the music and trip over my own two feet. It was quite a site, I truly could have ran my own comic relief show in my bedroom this morning.

After the Basics DVD I decided, what the heck, let’s see what the Zumba 20 Minute Express is all about. Surprisingly, when I don’t have time to over think, I do pretty darn good! The salsa stuff still tripped me up a little but with time, I’ll get it….I hope! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to run to a gym and attend a class filled with people or anything (those poor people would all pee their pants have broken toes from me stepping on them!). I was however, pretty darn proud! Maybe this white girl can develope some rhythm and hang with her latina friend for a class one day (probably not, but hey, allow me to day dream here).

I felt a great abdominal burn while doing the routine and it was F-U-N! I am definitely looking forward to doing Zumba again and showing myself that this white girl CAN dance. Maybe I will even celebrate completing this hybrid by going to take an actual class….with other people in it…GASP!

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Here is a taste of the Basic’s DVD I did this morning:

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November 28, 2010 · 8:36 PM

Final Fit Test: Revenge Is Sweet!

I did it! I completed Insanity! *cue noise makers, balloons and confetti! I barely made it through the Max month and I just completed my final Fit Test of the 63 day program. I’m a little tired and would like to drink my recovery drink so I’ll just get to it…

Here are the results:

Overall here are my improvements since the first fit test:

Switch Kicks:   +11
Power Jacks:     +14
Power Knees:    +33
Power Jumps:    +10
Globe Jumps: +1
Suicide Jumps: +6
Push-Up Jacks: +13
Low Plank Obliques: +7
I am so happy that I was able to complete all 63 days of this program. As some of you know, I attempted it back in April of this year and had to drop out after week one. My herniated discs just could handle it so with my tail between my legs and pride broken, I went back to do a second round of P90X and then I went on to ChaLEAN Extreme.

While I was doing ChaLEAN, my coach mentioned he was starting a second round of Insanity…with those words, my itch for revenge began to surface. I started thinking about it non stop and finally found a partner to start with a few weeks later since I couldn’t start with him.

Before I knew it we grew into the most amazing group of dedicated people. Without even trying, the #insanecrew was born. Without them, I don’t know if I would have kept going when I hit the Max month. (Don’t believe Shaun T at the end of Pure Cardio when he says “That shits bananas yo” cause that’s a cake walk compared to Max month).

Next up is the “90 Days to a Better You” challenge which I have blogged about. If you haven’t checked it out please take a moment to now. We are starting tomorrow and would love for you to join us!

Special thanks to the #insanecrew: @tmgrant7, @perkinsmichael, @Socee808, @MrThomas619, my husband Mike who was my workout partner at home, @Melysa_S who had to go back to month 1, but is still rockin’ it and will soon taste the sweetness of revenge, @graveidea who gave me the nutrition advice I needed, when I needed it and last but not least, my coach, @Adamsfit who “lied” to us about just how hard Max month would be, but was the one responsible for lighting the fire under my ass and making me want to seek revenge, without even knowing it.

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