Seems like a good day to put steel cut oats in the crock pot!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Fuel your body
I eat all day. It helps me digest and sustain energy to eat several small meals instead of less, big ones.
I try to use leftovers for lunch and keep it interesting. I had shredded meat (addax) and salad and I didn't exactly want that for lunch. Luckily we had some corn tortillas at work and my bomb coworker brought me homemade pimiento cheese.
Breakfast is nearly always the same, even on the weekends. It's easy, it's fast, it's balanced and it works for me.
I don't always use supplements but on a low energy day they are a must!
Snack time in the morning! Fruit (low glycemic) and almonds (good fat!).
I usually also have a post workout or afternoon snack, depending how my schedule plays out. And then dinner.
I'm not a high performance athlete or a fitness coach so I don't count macros or even track my food. I just try to make good choices, and fuel my body.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
30 day challenge ended again!
I will say I was probably only 75% committed to this last challenge. So I didn't expect better than 75% results! I love these programs and the first time I had so much success because of the healthy habits I learned and put into practice in my every day life.
I loved these new workouts and saw a big difference in my body shape and my muscle growth. Excited to see what I can accomplish next!
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Recipes
Made a small version of this today in a loaf/made-for-two casserole dish.
I portioned it out in four containers and froze three. Helps to move forward when you prep for success!
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Week 3
Is it already halfway over?!
Yup. I love the routine of this and how quickly it becomes easy. I love when my friends text me their successes and how they're loving their results.
This week is spring break for Hayden so I'm taking a few days off from work to hang out with him! Monday I wanted a good reset from the weekend's rainy sluggishness so I worked out twice! 50 minutes of cardio and later a second session of leg day! Don't you wish things like that magically made you smaller/stronger/faster?! Ugh. Slow and steady is the name of the game but some days I'm impatient.
Tuesday we took a trip to the zoo so I walked and walked on top of those sore leg muscles! Sometimes being active is the name of the game in order to still hang out with my family, so no gym time but a lot of good exercise. And water!
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Clean Mac and cheese
So I love pasta, cheese and all things macaroni. I tried this recipe and it was a WIN!
Friday, March 25, 2016
Week 2 workouts
Y'all. This week has FLOWN BY!
Thursday was a blur but I remember I stayed on track with nutrition, fell a little short with water and loved loved LOVED my chest and back workout. I got in an extra half-workout when we took the kids to skate night. Talk about a time warp! Smells like it did 20 years ago, which was the last time I was in there. It was the first time for the kids so they both struggles but it was so fun to try!
When we got home there was leftover pizza on the stove and I'm happy to report I resisted the urge to snack on it, and instead just put it away. I watched a little basketball and just drank water. Late night or post dinner snacking is my biggest challenge. I ate that bowl of cereal every night for years and it's an easy one to fall back into.
Friday I had an unprecedented full day in my office and at my desk planned. It's easy to be overwhelmed this time of year, which makes me stress eat, so I was grateful for the time to catch up. I found that I didn't drink enough water during the day today either, so I'm gonna have to make a point to do it this weekend. I'm terrible on the weekends about staying hydrated so I really have to think about it.
I loved and hated my arm workout because I lack upper body strength so it's a big challenge. But I can see some huge progress in leaning out in my shoulders and arms and can actually see some muscle developing! I wore a tank top on purpose so I could watch my muscles and see the progress for myself. I'm already sore!
I've found a few new exercises I really love this week that are quickly becoming my fa rotor. Last time I loved the hybrid workouts but this challenge I really like the body part specific workouts. I'm excited to make it to week 3!
Pizza night!
Hayden loves pizza. He could eat it every day. I love finding healthier options and this is what I had while they ate pepperoni.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
10 Wednesday Cleanse Day
So normally it's Thursday. And I hate change. But love that this program can be flexible with me. Wednesday was a long busy day with no access to the gym so it seemed like a good idea.
I will say this was my most successful cleanse yet. I felt confident and empowered and stayed right on track. A three hour interview helped me forget I was hungry. Overall I feel good about my progress and def my confidence.
Day 9, Tuesday week 2
So cardio. 30-45 minutes of steady state or HIIT. Woof. Up on the elliptical I go. Feeling good. Pressing through that second mile. Onto the third with relative ease. As I approached 45, I was too close to 4 miles to give up. So I pushed it out to 50 minutes and get me to 4 miles. I'm not a runner. But this was amazing for me. If I can do this, I can basically do anything.
Weekend edition
Saturday was pretty easy. Shakes for breakfast and lunch, 2x HIIT workout in the morning, good hydration. We had a plan for moms night out with wine club and daddy daycare. They got takeout and I drove to Asheboro!
Taking into account budget, physical limitations and three of us doing a challenge that limits sugar, dairy, white carbs, wine and coffee. Our fearless leader Emily was undaunted and put together a fun night! We had a chair yoga session, which was unique. Great stretch and relaxation. After that we had a ten minute massage of our choice. I opted for the back and hips, with a lot of strength and stretch and alignment. It. Was. Super.
We had tea and snacks and fellowship and left feeling more relaxed. We headed to dinner at SomethingDifferent where we found great and prompt service. Emily knows the owner well and be brought over a delicious dessert. Well I couldn't be rude yeah? So I had a few bites. Nbd. We sat around chatting a bit and it's so fun to have people on this team with me.
Day 8: Monday, week 2
There's something about a Monday, right? Fresh start. New chance to succeed. This Monday was really different than last, because I felt so much more prepared. I spent a ton of time in the kitchen this weekend so it was no accident!
Monday was leg day, week 2 so a different set of workouts. Watched my videos, made my notes, got to work! Again frustrated by the limits of our work out space and machines, just steady making notes to give feedback. It's another area of campus that really needs the upgrade but there is a long, long list.
Monday's workout focused a lot on hamstrings, which maybe I've neglected altogether ever? That's what it felt like. WOW. But great workout. Exhausting and empowering.
Making strides in my midday snacking and have been a beast at skipping the post dinner snack. That's def my biggest hurdle. Mind over matter!
Wins and losses
Remember how I told y'all I'm an over sharer?
Two wins today. Over the years I have developed these terrible body image issues and terrible relationship with food. When I tell you that my first 30 day challenge gave me my life back last spring, I'm not kidding. I didn't just need to lose weight, I needed a healthier lifestyle both mentally and physically.
I am really adverse to buying clothes that are tight, because of my body image issues. But I have also realized over the past few months the clothes that are too big for me only make me look bigger than I actually am. So today I found a pair of pants that are slim fit, but that I love and I can feel good in so I bought them!
My second is a "fail" win. Remember how I really wanted a sandwich last week? Well today I went to Panera for lunch instead of drinking my shake. Ten months ago I would have thrown the baby out with the bath water and just indulged. And then felt horrible physically and like a failure.
Today I decided my healthy choices were a mental win. This program is about creating healthy habits and loving yourself in the process. I love my shakes and a challenge; I love myself when I don't hit all the targets.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
More crock pot!
This weekend I got some good use out of my crock pots! Saturday I did a chicken breast for Jay, which I'll shred for Chicken salad and leave some plain for wraps. I also did strawberry applesauce for Lila.
Today I decided to try black beans. I love dry beans but I never remember to soak them so the crock pot is the best method for me.
1 lb black beans, sorted and rinsed added to the crock. One whole onion, quartered and two garlic cloves; add a bay leaf. Cook on low 5.5 hours, check for doneness, add tablespoon salt and let cook for 30 minutes.
I also discovered you can freeze the cooked beans, so I let them cool and portioned them into one cup freezer bags and now I have them whenever I want!
Recipes
Today I did boiled eggs in the crock pot and loved how they turned out!
Add eggs, salt, enough hot water to cover. 3 tablespoons vinegar. Cook on high 2.5 hours. Cool down with cold water/ice. Peel and done!
Hayden eats two every morning for breakfast so I loved this method!
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Day 5: Friday
I will admit, Friday was a challenge in a different way. I am SO ready to be over with my period and doing this challenge in a different mindset with different chemical balance in my body and hormones I hate to "blame it" on that but truly it makes a difference in how I feel, what I want to eat and my motivation to be successful. I did wake up feeling pretty great after my cleanse day, which I think I missed the last challenge. I just seemed to wake up feeling starving instead of refreshed. This time I had energy, I had positive feelings and I wasn't dying to eat.
It started off fine, my usual morning routine. I met a friend for a visit in the morning at the MOST delicious smelling pastry shop. Everything was carbs/fat/flaky goodness so I resisted for the most part. After being there about an hour, I really needed a snack and didn't want to go off the rails, so I got a spinach/bacon/mozzarella croissant and split it. I figure the challenge for me this time is to reset and get back on track, so I've been less rigid with the program. In hindsight, next week needs to be much more rigid. But it was delicious!
I got to work kind of in a funk, just because there is much to do and little time in which to do it. I would have rather spent half the day at the gym. There's something freeing about it, and I hate sitting at a desk staring at projects some days. But this weekend I plan to do some work from home to put me in a good, caught up place so I feel less overwhelmed at work. This was the part of the day I really, really just decided I wanted a ham sandwich. I didn't want to drink my lunch today, I wanted something not super terrible for me but something I could chew. I pretty much was just feeling sorry for myself and trying to do some emotional eating.
I run my day pretty close to the chest on time, so I'm essentially always rushing somewhere because I left myself JUST enough time to get there. This day I had a presentation just across the way at the Academy, and went to the cafe with just enough time to eat. I ordered my sandwich, mentally vowed to eat only half of it and waited. And waited. And waited. And then it was time to go do my presentation, so I got my money back and left. It was a disappointment for sure, but I had a job to do.
After my presentation, I was really conflicted about what to do next. Should I go try again to get my sandwich? Should I go back up to my office with the pretense of drinking my shake to go to the gym, knowing that once I get up there I probably won't get to leave to actually GO to the gym? Do I just go to the gym? Well wait I can't do that, I haven't eaten lunch and I know my workout will fail early on an empty stomach. I kind of just sat in my car for a few minutes.
I looked around and realized I had an empty, clean shaker cup in my car thanks to my visit with my friend who returned it that morning. I had left it in her car WEEKS ago and we finally met up so I had it on me (the one I planned to use that day was upstairs at my desk). My lunch bag was upstairs with my shakes and supplements; but look at that, my purse was in the car and it had one shake. Last hurdle, water. I had exactly 8 oz in my water bottle! Okay fine, universe. I mixed up my shake and headed to the gym. With 11% battery on my phone for a workout I hadn't studied yet. JUST DO IT.
I spent a few minutes letting my food digest and then watched my videos for the exercises. I started to get really excited because I knew how to do most of them and was excited about the opportunity to do some new ones. Turned on my music and got to work. I had a rare tank top in my bag, I rarely work out in shorts or tank tops (body image, working on it) but it was serendipitous that I had a shirt that shows off my arms on a day I'm working only upper body! I got to see the progress for myself in how far I've come, but also by the end of the workout how much I had worked those muscles! My gym time has come to be really therapeutic and I love to see my progress.
I went back to work for the end of the day with a renewed faith in myself, in the program, and a TON of energy. I may not have hit all the goals for the day, but I finished strong and loved my workout. I took that momentum and registered for Camp Gorgo this summer, a fitness camp run by many of the coaches I'm working with. I'm nervous to step out of my comfort zone, but I'm excited about the possibility of new friends, new experiences, learning new things...and a weekend away. In July. In Kentucky lol.
I got home from work and my plan was eat leftovers or go out to eat. We ended up watching some basketball before we left, so I was pretty hungry when we finally sat down. I knew I wanted chicken, no matter where we went. I needed a big giant piece of a white meat protein! We went to a steakhouse so I had some pretty good options. I ended up getting a mesquite grilled chicken with sweet potato and salad. I'm proud to say I resisted the delicious-smelling-but-carby-drenched-in-butter yeast rolls and skipped the in-shell peanuts on the table. I had a small salad but went light on the dressing; my chicken came with rice AND sweet potato so I ate some of the rice, a bite or two of the potato and ALL my chicken. My family devoured a banana creme pie but I skipped it, and it was gone so quickly I didn't have time to think about it! Ha!
I mostly felt good about my day, and tried not to dwell on the negative. I'm hoping for a successful weekend and a big prep day Sunday so I feel more successful starting the week off.
It started off fine, my usual morning routine. I met a friend for a visit in the morning at the MOST delicious smelling pastry shop. Everything was carbs/fat/flaky goodness so I resisted for the most part. After being there about an hour, I really needed a snack and didn't want to go off the rails, so I got a spinach/bacon/mozzarella croissant and split it. I figure the challenge for me this time is to reset and get back on track, so I've been less rigid with the program. In hindsight, next week needs to be much more rigid. But it was delicious!
I got to work kind of in a funk, just because there is much to do and little time in which to do it. I would have rather spent half the day at the gym. There's something freeing about it, and I hate sitting at a desk staring at projects some days. But this weekend I plan to do some work from home to put me in a good, caught up place so I feel less overwhelmed at work. This was the part of the day I really, really just decided I wanted a ham sandwich. I didn't want to drink my lunch today, I wanted something not super terrible for me but something I could chew. I pretty much was just feeling sorry for myself and trying to do some emotional eating.
I run my day pretty close to the chest on time, so I'm essentially always rushing somewhere because I left myself JUST enough time to get there. This day I had a presentation just across the way at the Academy, and went to the cafe with just enough time to eat. I ordered my sandwich, mentally vowed to eat only half of it and waited. And waited. And waited. And then it was time to go do my presentation, so I got my money back and left. It was a disappointment for sure, but I had a job to do.
After my presentation, I was really conflicted about what to do next. Should I go try again to get my sandwich? Should I go back up to my office with the pretense of drinking my shake to go to the gym, knowing that once I get up there I probably won't get to leave to actually GO to the gym? Do I just go to the gym? Well wait I can't do that, I haven't eaten lunch and I know my workout will fail early on an empty stomach. I kind of just sat in my car for a few minutes.
I looked around and realized I had an empty, clean shaker cup in my car thanks to my visit with my friend who returned it that morning. I had left it in her car WEEKS ago and we finally met up so I had it on me (the one I planned to use that day was upstairs at my desk). My lunch bag was upstairs with my shakes and supplements; but look at that, my purse was in the car and it had one shake. Last hurdle, water. I had exactly 8 oz in my water bottle! Okay fine, universe. I mixed up my shake and headed to the gym. With 11% battery on my phone for a workout I hadn't studied yet. JUST DO IT.
I spent a few minutes letting my food digest and then watched my videos for the exercises. I started to get really excited because I knew how to do most of them and was excited about the opportunity to do some new ones. Turned on my music and got to work. I had a rare tank top in my bag, I rarely work out in shorts or tank tops (body image, working on it) but it was serendipitous that I had a shirt that shows off my arms on a day I'm working only upper body! I got to see the progress for myself in how far I've come, but also by the end of the workout how much I had worked those muscles! My gym time has come to be really therapeutic and I love to see my progress.
I went back to work for the end of the day with a renewed faith in myself, in the program, and a TON of energy. I may not have hit all the goals for the day, but I finished strong and loved my workout. I took that momentum and registered for Camp Gorgo this summer, a fitness camp run by many of the coaches I'm working with. I'm nervous to step out of my comfort zone, but I'm excited about the possibility of new friends, new experiences, learning new things...and a weekend away. In July. In Kentucky lol.
I got home from work and my plan was eat leftovers or go out to eat. We ended up watching some basketball before we left, so I was pretty hungry when we finally sat down. I knew I wanted chicken, no matter where we went. I needed a big giant piece of a white meat protein! We went to a steakhouse so I had some pretty good options. I ended up getting a mesquite grilled chicken with sweet potato and salad. I'm proud to say I resisted the delicious-smelling-but-carby-drenched-in-butter yeast rolls and skipped the in-shell peanuts on the table. I had a small salad but went light on the dressing; my chicken came with rice AND sweet potato so I ate some of the rice, a bite or two of the potato and ALL my chicken. My family devoured a banana creme pie but I skipped it, and it was gone so quickly I didn't have time to think about it! Ha!
I mostly felt good about my day, and tried not to dwell on the negative. I'm hoping for a successful weekend and a big prep day Sunday so I feel more successful starting the week off.
Day 4: Cleanse day
Ah, the dreaded cleanse day. Last time around, I was only partially successful at cleanse days so I was determined to do better this time. Armed with a little bit of the science surrounding it, I really wanted to do this for my body.
I started off early, with cleanse for life and Ionix supreme. I took my accelerator and really thought between ionix and CFL, I would be fine. And then it hit me again: the overwhelming urge to vomit. GEEZ. I have to figure out what to do about this supplement! It didn't affect me this way AT ALL ONE TIME last time. But I am not giving up.
So as I'm driving the stretch from dropping Lila off to work, about 30 minutes, I am trying to hold back the feeling to vomit by sheer will. I DON'T want to throw up; it hurts, it's messy, and I've gotten an hour into this cleanse day and I don't want to vomit pure money. So I had a few decisions to make: eat and bust my cleanse day before it really starts; throw up and start over; throw up and throw in the towel.
I opted for 2-3 almonds, and my apple. Small portions of food (50 cal or less) are approved for cleanse day, just not enough to really stimulate digestion. But digestion was what I needed to get over this hump and move forward. I also hate to eat an apple without cutting it but when you're driving and about to yak, you make a choice! So I ate the apple, drank water and kept saying, "You are not going to be sick. You are not going to be sick." It worked! By the time I got to work I was feeling much better.
This day was good because I was busy all around, so I didn't have a lot of time to just think about food. I had a college fair at 10am, which was going to bump a little into my next cleanse serving but not so much that I needed to make it while I was there. I drank TONS of water whilst there and it wasn't really hard to avoid the snacks they had out for us. It was all processed, all sugar and calories and sodium, and all in bags. So at least it wasn't delicious smelling pizza or something. I finished up right at 12 and raced back to make my next serving.
The next two hours were work, water, and wafers. When I got super hungry feeling or just needed to chew, I popped in an Isa Snack. My first time friends are NOT fans of them, but I have learned to appreciate their worth when it's the only thing I get to eat on cleanse day! Around 2:30 I left the office because I had scheduled a haircut! Finally! I never get haircuts because I'm terrible at making time for myself AND spending money but I did it and it coincided perfectly with this challenge and my first cleanse day. So I had a little pampering in my day :-)
I got home and realized the blessing and the curse of having dinner in the crock pot of cleanse day: I don't have to stand over the stove and cook food I won't be eating, but dang did it smell delicious! I felt prepared and slightly empowered, as I made the red skin mashed potatoes that looked wonderful. I didn't even taste them, because I have no willpower and that would have turned into full blown dinner. My family ate, I sat with them and drank my CFL and as an added bonus, the NCAA tournament started on my cleanse day which was a surefire way to keep me busy and my mind off food for four hours until bed time. I like to go to bed early on cleanse days to get them over with, but UNC was playing at 720 and I wasn't going to miss it.
I ended up falling asleep on the couch before the end of the second half but watched most of it and felt successful on my first cleanse day of the challenge!
I started off early, with cleanse for life and Ionix supreme. I took my accelerator and really thought between ionix and CFL, I would be fine. And then it hit me again: the overwhelming urge to vomit. GEEZ. I have to figure out what to do about this supplement! It didn't affect me this way AT ALL ONE TIME last time. But I am not giving up.
So as I'm driving the stretch from dropping Lila off to work, about 30 minutes, I am trying to hold back the feeling to vomit by sheer will. I DON'T want to throw up; it hurts, it's messy, and I've gotten an hour into this cleanse day and I don't want to vomit pure money. So I had a few decisions to make: eat and bust my cleanse day before it really starts; throw up and start over; throw up and throw in the towel.
I opted for 2-3 almonds, and my apple. Small portions of food (50 cal or less) are approved for cleanse day, just not enough to really stimulate digestion. But digestion was what I needed to get over this hump and move forward. I also hate to eat an apple without cutting it but when you're driving and about to yak, you make a choice! So I ate the apple, drank water and kept saying, "You are not going to be sick. You are not going to be sick." It worked! By the time I got to work I was feeling much better.
This day was good because I was busy all around, so I didn't have a lot of time to just think about food. I had a college fair at 10am, which was going to bump a little into my next cleanse serving but not so much that I needed to make it while I was there. I drank TONS of water whilst there and it wasn't really hard to avoid the snacks they had out for us. It was all processed, all sugar and calories and sodium, and all in bags. So at least it wasn't delicious smelling pizza or something. I finished up right at 12 and raced back to make my next serving.
The next two hours were work, water, and wafers. When I got super hungry feeling or just needed to chew, I popped in an Isa Snack. My first time friends are NOT fans of them, but I have learned to appreciate their worth when it's the only thing I get to eat on cleanse day! Around 2:30 I left the office because I had scheduled a haircut! Finally! I never get haircuts because I'm terrible at making time for myself AND spending money but I did it and it coincided perfectly with this challenge and my first cleanse day. So I had a little pampering in my day :-)
I got home and realized the blessing and the curse of having dinner in the crock pot of cleanse day: I don't have to stand over the stove and cook food I won't be eating, but dang did it smell delicious! I felt prepared and slightly empowered, as I made the red skin mashed potatoes that looked wonderful. I didn't even taste them, because I have no willpower and that would have turned into full blown dinner. My family ate, I sat with them and drank my CFL and as an added bonus, the NCAA tournament started on my cleanse day which was a surefire way to keep me busy and my mind off food for four hours until bed time. I like to go to bed early on cleanse days to get them over with, but UNC was playing at 720 and I wasn't going to miss it.
I ended up falling asleep on the couch before the end of the second half but watched most of it and felt successful on my first cleanse day of the challenge!
Friday, March 18, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Day 3
Loved the chest/back workout since I want to make some major improvement in both areas, but dislike how inadequate our gym can be! There are many basic machines that don't exist on our campus so I made a few modifications to the workout. But it was a good day!
I've noticed that this challenge is really not as much as a culture shock as last time because of the healthy habits I kept up with months ago. I really do love my gym time; sometimes I just don't make that time for myself so I'm glad to be doing this challenge again to reset.
Making my big batch of brown rice again proves to be a great prep tool, so I have that ready when the kids want something outside of good carbs. I will say, they have really learned to enjoy brown rice, sweet potatoes and whole wheat noodles.
I love the accountability of our group texts and Facebook posts too! We are all a supportive bunch and it's nice to connect with like minded people. Viva la fit moms!
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Day 2 down!
Well it got off to a rocky start!
I woke up Tuesday morning and had a little bit of sleep-fog because I was exhausted and the days seem to get earlier and earlier! I went downstairs to prepare my hot water + Ionix and decided to take my natural accelerator at the same time. Boy was I in for a surprise! I drank most of the ionix and took a shower, and suddenly realized I was TOTALLY going to throw up! Lesson learned: not to take an accelerant on an empty stomach, particularly one that uses extract from peppers and cinnamon to move things along in a healthy way! BURNED coming back up. Ouch.
I felt kind of crappy afterwards and really just wanted to come home and go back to bed and start over. These things aren't an option this time of year with my job, so I came to work and tried to power through. I carried on with the rest of my shake-day plan and tried to be positive.
The pollen is already in full force in North Carolina so my head was swimmy. My cycle is in full force so my belly feels all swimmy. BLAH. Did not want to succeed. Chose to succeed instead. I dragged my butt out of my chair and to the gym for 45 minutes of cardio, and the ab workout. No shock here: I felt a MILLION times better once I had done it!
I kept my momentum going with a few accountability posts to our group, kept drinking my water and powering through. Dinner has been late the past few nights so I'm STARVING when we eat and I really have to work on that. I blame the time change! After dinner I jumped on Periscope and listened to Erica (my fitness coach from last spring) talk about "being a transformation" and it was really inspiring because I have definitely transformed over the last ten months! It was great to talk about the habits I've developed over these challenges and how I've changed my mentality.
Keep it up friends!
I woke up Tuesday morning and had a little bit of sleep-fog because I was exhausted and the days seem to get earlier and earlier! I went downstairs to prepare my hot water + Ionix and decided to take my natural accelerator at the same time. Boy was I in for a surprise! I drank most of the ionix and took a shower, and suddenly realized I was TOTALLY going to throw up! Lesson learned: not to take an accelerant on an empty stomach, particularly one that uses extract from peppers and cinnamon to move things along in a healthy way! BURNED coming back up. Ouch.
I felt kind of crappy afterwards and really just wanted to come home and go back to bed and start over. These things aren't an option this time of year with my job, so I came to work and tried to power through. I carried on with the rest of my shake-day plan and tried to be positive.
The pollen is already in full force in North Carolina so my head was swimmy. My cycle is in full force so my belly feels all swimmy. BLAH. Did not want to succeed. Chose to succeed instead. I dragged my butt out of my chair and to the gym for 45 minutes of cardio, and the ab workout. No shock here: I felt a MILLION times better once I had done it!
I kept my momentum going with a few accountability posts to our group, kept drinking my water and powering through. Dinner has been late the past few nights so I'm STARVING when we eat and I really have to work on that. I blame the time change! After dinner I jumped on Periscope and listened to Erica (my fitness coach from last spring) talk about "being a transformation" and it was really inspiring because I have definitely transformed over the last ten months! It was great to talk about the habits I've developed over these challenges and how I've changed my mentality.
Keep it up friends!
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Fit Mom Challenge: Day 1 (Cont'd)
Day 1 is in the books!
And what a day it was...
I started the day feeling tired from the weekend's activities and ready for a fresh start!
Since I did the challenge before I have a decent memory of what comes when and how to do all the things. Much of it, I incorporated into my real life post-challenge so it wasn't a huge change for me. Supplements, shake, water, GO!
I had time for my morning snack in between my busy time at work, and just kept filling up my water bottle. I'm a better water drinker early in the day so I try to get as much in as possible.
I realized I was sort of hungry at 11am which was NOWHERE near my 1pm possible lunch time because of my event. So I just kept drinking water and tried to shift my thinking from food. This is my problem: I eat all the time. So my body cues that I'm "hungry" and I immediately eat. Instead I waited until 1 to eat, where I sat down with my coworkers and ate my salad and drank my shake. And realized, waiting two hours to eat didn't kill me! And I was much more satisfied with my meal choices. The biggest thing about this 30 day challenge is my chance to reset: my metabolism, digestion, hydration, hunger cues and mindset.
My afternoon went slowly until gym time, and it was LEG DAY. Biggest muscle group, heaviest weight, new routine I LOVED IT. Someone left the big girl plates (35s) on the Smith machine so I figured that was a sign to step it up a bit and go heavier. I felt so accomplished when it was done! I had a post-workout protein bar on the way home and got to work on dinner.
Since Jay had that big exotic game hunt in January, we have a lot of meat in our freezer! Waste not, want not so we are eating the lean meats and saving money on our grocery bill while also keeping me in line with the challenge. Addax burger (1/2 portion), brown rice and green beans for me along with my salad.
At the end of the day I realized that SO much of the challenge last time has been incorporated into my daily life that this time around should be easier. I have a lot of changes I still want to make, but I'm glad I started this journey last year and can see how I've progressed since! My mid-afternoon snacking and post-dinner snacks are my biggest competitors and I'm glad I could conquer them on day 1!
And what a day it was...
I started the day feeling tired from the weekend's activities and ready for a fresh start!
Since I did the challenge before I have a decent memory of what comes when and how to do all the things. Much of it, I incorporated into my real life post-challenge so it wasn't a huge change for me. Supplements, shake, water, GO!
I had time for my morning snack in between my busy time at work, and just kept filling up my water bottle. I'm a better water drinker early in the day so I try to get as much in as possible.
I realized I was sort of hungry at 11am which was NOWHERE near my 1pm possible lunch time because of my event. So I just kept drinking water and tried to shift my thinking from food. This is my problem: I eat all the time. So my body cues that I'm "hungry" and I immediately eat. Instead I waited until 1 to eat, where I sat down with my coworkers and ate my salad and drank my shake. And realized, waiting two hours to eat didn't kill me! And I was much more satisfied with my meal choices. The biggest thing about this 30 day challenge is my chance to reset: my metabolism, digestion, hydration, hunger cues and mindset.
My afternoon went slowly until gym time, and it was LEG DAY. Biggest muscle group, heaviest weight, new routine I LOVED IT. Someone left the big girl plates (35s) on the Smith machine so I figured that was a sign to step it up a bit and go heavier. I felt so accomplished when it was done! I had a post-workout protein bar on the way home and got to work on dinner.
Since Jay had that big exotic game hunt in January, we have a lot of meat in our freezer! Waste not, want not so we are eating the lean meats and saving money on our grocery bill while also keeping me in line with the challenge. Addax burger (1/2 portion), brown rice and green beans for me along with my salad.
At the end of the day I realized that SO much of the challenge last time has been incorporated into my daily life that this time around should be easier. I have a lot of changes I still want to make, but I'm glad I started this journey last year and can see how I've progressed since! My mid-afternoon snacking and post-dinner snacks are my biggest competitors and I'm glad I could conquer them on day 1!
Monday, March 14, 2016
Fit Mom Challenge: Day 1
So I'm really excited to be doing this challenge with some of my good friends: Carol, Sarah, Mary Hilliard, Lisa and Emily!
I'll admit yesterday was a stressful day for me and I almost decided to quit before I started. What? Why would I choose to fail?
1. I worked until 11pm.
2. I haven't studied the workout plan
3. I don't have a shake day plan
4. I know I'm going to be tired.
Turns out, what I needed was to fail first mentally to succeed mentally!
1. That's an unusual work time for me; it's one day. Not a consistent schedule.
2. Once I sat down and focused, it took me TEN minutes to read over today's workout, watch the videos and make my notes. I can do ALL of those exercises!
3. Duh, I have all the products. Literally everything I need. So I fired up the Keurig for hot water at 630, mixed in my ionix supreme, drank it, filled up my water bottle and shaker cup, and walked out the door. The REASON I use these products is for their convenience for an on-the-go mom! Tossed my shake packs in my bag so I have a few at work, I keep almonds at my desk now and grabbed my orange. Today is a weird day in that we have an event at work and lunch is provided; I'll bring my shake with me and eat the salad that I know will be offered.
4. Of course I'm going to be tired. I got 5 hours of sleep. But I'll feel much better about what kind of tired I am when I get to bed tonight because I will have done great things for my body.
I also listened to the Periscope I missed last night while on the way to work this morning. Love the positivity and the support I'm surrounded by in doing this challenge! I love our group texts! I am so excited to see what I can accomplish and what I can help my friends accomplish.
I'll admit yesterday was a stressful day for me and I almost decided to quit before I started. What? Why would I choose to fail?
1. I worked until 11pm.
2. I haven't studied the workout plan
3. I don't have a shake day plan
4. I know I'm going to be tired.
Turns out, what I needed was to fail first mentally to succeed mentally!
1. That's an unusual work time for me; it's one day. Not a consistent schedule.
2. Once I sat down and focused, it took me TEN minutes to read over today's workout, watch the videos and make my notes. I can do ALL of those exercises!
3. Duh, I have all the products. Literally everything I need. So I fired up the Keurig for hot water at 630, mixed in my ionix supreme, drank it, filled up my water bottle and shaker cup, and walked out the door. The REASON I use these products is for their convenience for an on-the-go mom! Tossed my shake packs in my bag so I have a few at work, I keep almonds at my desk now and grabbed my orange. Today is a weird day in that we have an event at work and lunch is provided; I'll bring my shake with me and eat the salad that I know will be offered.
4. Of course I'm going to be tired. I got 5 hours of sleep. But I'll feel much better about what kind of tired I am when I get to bed tonight because I will have done great things for my body.
I also listened to the Periscope I missed last night while on the way to work this morning. Love the positivity and the support I'm surrounded by in doing this challenge! I love our group texts! I am so excited to see what I can accomplish and what I can help my friends accomplish.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
The Fit Mom Challenge is BACK!
I'm so excited that we're doing this challenge again!
In January I decided to actively start selling Isagenix because it's a product and company I believe in, and has helped me be successful, not only weight loss but general better health and fitness. I figured, I paid that associate fee when I did the first challenge and that allowed me a year of access to my own personal website, why not use it? So I jumped on board with Val's team and there are 5-6 of us that are working together to grow our business.
A huge selling point for me to use the products and introduce people to them was my results from the first challenge I did last spring. So when Val & friends decided to host the Fit Mom Challenge again, I knew I would be successful in getting some friends sign up for it with me!
As of right now I have to friends/former co-workers that are joining me, along with two members of my wine club and one mom-of-wine-club. I can't wait to see how different this experience is when I'm one of the support folks cheering people on! I had a tremendous amount of support when I did this, and can't wait to help cheer my team on.
My products are already here and I can't wait to get started!
Last time I did the challenge I spent the week before as sort of "the last supper" and ate a bunch of stuff so I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on things during the 30 days. I have such a different approach this time, because I know how much my health and wellness revolve around my mental game. So I'm actively making good choices this week and trying to hit some of my targets (water consumption, 4 days of gym time) before I even get started.
Emily, Lisa, Mary Hilliard, Sarah, Carol...let's do this!!
In January I decided to actively start selling Isagenix because it's a product and company I believe in, and has helped me be successful, not only weight loss but general better health and fitness. I figured, I paid that associate fee when I did the first challenge and that allowed me a year of access to my own personal website, why not use it? So I jumped on board with Val's team and there are 5-6 of us that are working together to grow our business.
A huge selling point for me to use the products and introduce people to them was my results from the first challenge I did last spring. So when Val & friends decided to host the Fit Mom Challenge again, I knew I would be successful in getting some friends sign up for it with me!
As of right now I have to friends/former co-workers that are joining me, along with two members of my wine club and one mom-of-wine-club. I can't wait to see how different this experience is when I'm one of the support folks cheering people on! I had a tremendous amount of support when I did this, and can't wait to help cheer my team on.
My products are already here and I can't wait to get started!
Last time I did the challenge I spent the week before as sort of "the last supper" and ate a bunch of stuff so I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on things during the 30 days. I have such a different approach this time, because I know how much my health and wellness revolve around my mental game. So I'm actively making good choices this week and trying to hit some of my targets (water consumption, 4 days of gym time) before I even get started.
Emily, Lisa, Mary Hilliard, Sarah, Carol...let's do this!!
Monday, February 15, 2016
Scholarship weekend, 16 years later
It's bizarre enough to know it's been 16 years since mine. But this view never existed bc the building didn't!
Body forward: postscript
So I've kept up with my shakes and until the last two weeks of travel, my workouts! It was great for the last two months to know that a doughnut or skipping a day of the gym wasn't going to derail all my progress.
This week my travel season is officially over so my scheduled workouts are officially back! I have lunch prepped for the week, snacks ready and can't wait to get my hands back on a barbell. Baby Sarah I'll post my workouts and what I'm eating just for you!
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