Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

In an effort to get back into shape, I'm going to go back to doing what seemed to work for me last time...blogging about my successes, failures, and random other stuff in between. However, it's been 2+ years since I've posted anything here and these changes will DRASTICALLY effect how I run things around here, so I should probably give you an update on where I stand now.

Giving birth makes you look kinda terrible

1) I'm a mommy. My amazing daughter, Morgan, entered the world in June 2014 - she is my entire world. She is part diva, part tomboy, part book worm and part mermaid. She is my reason for coming back here and figuring out how to get back to being healthy. And she's really freaking cute. I'm kind of obsessed with her. But, she hates a stroller, so working out with her in tow is something I'm going to attempt to avoid. Also, I eat her leftovers. That's no good. In all, however, other than the affect she has had on my waistline and my bank account, it's been pretty amazing to be a mom. Also - breastfeeding is the shit - for post baby weight loss.

Morgan at 1

2) I changed jobs. Where I was once "the one in charge" at my company, I took a step back and am now working for another small company in a support role. I found myself working 24/7 and I decided that I wanted to focus more on my family. Of course, I had planned to make the job change on my own terms, but it didn't end up working out that way. I was unemployed for about 8 weeks. The job change included a big pay cut, but I've gained a lot of my positive attitude back and I wake up and go to sleep without thinking about work. It was a good change, but a tough one to make.

Family picture on Memorial Day 2015

3) My husband has lost 40 lbs recently. Just on his own. Just by not eating as much. I kind of hate him. He's got more energy though and I can tell he's happy about the changes and I'm happy for him. He can really stop doing the little dance on the scale though, that's kind of pushing it.

4) I lost my brother in October 2013. There will be an entire post coming in reference to this, but I found out I was pregnant on a Thursday, my brother passed on Saturday and I ran my most recent half marathon that Sunday. I was basically floating through the whole thing. I hardly remember it. Such a roller coaster. That race was the last time I ran (with the exception of "national running day" in 2015, but I hardly made it a mile and a half doing intervals, so I'm not counting it).

Me and my brother circa 2009ish.

It's weird to be back here - I'll admit it. I was so proud of myself for my accomplishments back in 2011 and 2012. I was up and raring to go. I WAS AWESOME. Then I stopped for some reason. Looking back on posts, I tried to get back into it, obviously and it never worked. This time, I've got some support in different ways and I've got a 15 month old little girl who will be learning to run soon, I've got to get on it. Plus, nothing in my closet fits for winter.

So here I am. 229 lbs. Let's do this.

So, this is happening.

Some friends and I have started doing a 30 day plank challenge using the picture above as our regimen. As you see, day 30 is 5 minutes. HA! Yeah, we'll see about that. However, I'm super excited to say that I've already completed day two :)

Having the support of friends and family is huge for me - my "Love Languages" are tied between "Words of Affirmation" and "Gifts" and when it comes to things like working out, words of affirmation are a major thing. I'm amazed that when I woke up this morning, one of the first things I thought of was "I gotta get day 2 in so the girls know I'm still in the game."

20 seconds today - 30 tomorrow - we'll see how it works out.

I'm excited to maybe finally have a little bit of core strength!

Monday Motivators (Father's day edition): My Daddy

This is my dad, Greg. He's 58 years old and my favorite man on the entire planet. He knows me BETTER than the back of his hand and sometimes it's like he can read my mind. When I'm having a crap day, it's like he has Dad ESP and knows to call me and let me vent or just say something awesome to cheer me up. 

I freaking love my Dad. 

My dad and I, however, share a special bond beyond the traditional ones shared by father and offspring. My dad and I are both fat and we're both "grazers." This website really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the way my dad and I both overeat:  "Grazing overeaters eat continuously all day, not letting themselves experience hunger. They eat because it's there, they eat to avoid things they don't want to do, they eat because they're bored, they eat because they're uncertain. They have a hard time telling when they're hungry, so they create a rule: when it doubt, eat." BINGO. 

Holidays at my parents' house consist of menus made a week+ in advance with what will be eaten at every meal, plus what will just be "around." My dad is a cheese connoisseur along with a crackers and dip kind of guy. We almost always have seafood dip, about 4 kinds of cheese, about 3 types of crackers, pimento cheese and quite possibly some kind of smoked meat hanging around when holidays and/or my trips home come around. It's a special occasion! Why NOT have delicious food on the counter for us to indulge in - it's CHRISTMAS! A cracker here, some cheese spread there, three Toll House cookies later and of course a delicious meal of seafood gumbo, roasted oysters, delicious london broil or hell, just a burger. We EAT.

Now - I'm not complaining. I love that my family is full of people who love food. I just wish we liked BETTER food more and we weren't the type to just eat because it's laying there on the table looking at us. I guess I should feel lucky that I also have athletic genes that make it somewhat easy for me to do physical things well. 

Our family is genetically blessed to be big. My dad is 6'3, Mom is 5'11, my brother, Brian is 6'5 (Dad's kid) and I'm the short one in the family at about 5'10 and a half. We're all just big people. There's a lot of weight on our big ole frames. I tell people what I weigh and their first comment is always "but you're so tall! You carry it well!" I might carry 230 lbs well, but I'm still a fatty, so, while I don't look AS bad since I'm so tall, it's still no bueno.

My entire life, my dad has said things like "Kid, you gotta watch your weight" and "it only gets harder as you grow older" and "you got a little gut there, baby." I typically grumbled and said "yeah, Dad, I know" - but dammit if he wasn't right - it IS harder as you get older to get rid of extra weight. And it freaking SUCKS to try to fit working out into your daily routine if you don't just make it happen. 

My dad understands how hard it is to have my body. He's had it his whole life. We call our waistlines "The Family Curse" and it's a pretty legit name. 

Now, after AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL of that - on to why my Dad has earned a spot as a "Monday Motivator." My Daddy will call me and say "did you run today?" or "take time for yourself, go on a walk, go work out, MOVE" and I let it roll of my back because I'd much rather lay in bed and read books sleep all day. But thankfully, he's still persistent with the gentle kicks in the rear because once I do get out the door, I feel AMAZING.

When it comes to being that guy that gives me a swift kick in the ass when I need one - my Dad is it. When I want to talk about how much of a badass I feel like after a run - I call my dad. He's been on literally every diet ever and he's gone up and down in weight and it's rough and he knows what it's like to feel AWESOME and then put the weight back on like I've done. He ALSO knows what it's like to get back on the horse and MAKE IT WORK.

I'm hoping that by reminding my dad that he motivates me, he'll let me motivate him to get back into his gym room that he built for himself and hop on the treadmill and walk. Maybe one day I'll get his butt in a 5k with me. Or maybe be able to throw away his "fat pants" for good. 

LOVE YOU, POPS!

Guest Blog Post: 5 Fun Exercise Activities and a Healthy Recipe for Your Family

There's a first time for everything and I guess it's time I add some Guest Bloggers to the rotation! Carolyn from Full-On Fit sent me this great post about getting out and moving this summer - check it out!

5 Fun Exercise Activities and a Healthy Recipe for Your Family

March was National Nutrition Month, and even though we are now sweltering in the summer heat, it’s still important for families to review various ways to stay healthy. With obesity rates in children and families still on the rise, and with summer finally here, many people are especially eager to get fit. Unfortunately, this is also about the time of year when people tend to let go of their New Year's resolutions to exercise and eat healthy. Your year doesn't have to be this way. With the following exercise ideas, you can keep your entire family healthy through the warmer months and beyond.

Hiking in Sand or Soggy Ground
Hiking is excellent exercise for the entire body, and it can be an adventure for parents and kids alike. While some places are already warm enough to start strolling the beach, other locations are still drying out from soggy winters. In either case, hiking can be made more interesting and challenging. Walking on a hard sidewalk is stable and easy, but walking any distance on soft dirt or sand is another story. You'll get an excellent workout, and your kids will have a blast walking on these new surfaces.


Running
If you want to keep your entire family at a higher level of fitness, start a family running regimen. Running has numerous benefits, and there are plenty of ways to add variety to a running program, including races, track running and cross-country. For example, try charity races for a boost of positivity or even run a half-marathon if everybody is up to it. Indoor tracks can be convenient when it's too hot to run outdoors. Cross-country running at parks or nature reserves brings stimulating adventures every time.

Start Gardening
Gardening can provide exercise for everybody, and it can also bring a healthy harvest if you plant fresh fruits and veggies. By switching jobs during the workday, each family member can get a full-body workout. For example, one person can dig holes while another prunes plants. Other jobs include mixing fertilizer, sand and mulch into the soil, weeding plant beds and planting or transplanting additions to the garden. To enhance the family feelings of togetherness in this activity, include everybody in the planning from the beginning. Then, give each person the chance to work on bringing his or her idea to fruition throughout the season!

Get into Fitness

Don’t be afraid to branch out a bit and try some different kinds of fitness classes. You can visit a local gym for a class like Zumba, Kickboxing, Pilates, or Yoga. Or, you can rent some DVD’s and try some of these exercises right in your own home. My cousins love to come over and do Yoga with me on the weekends, which is great because it benefits all of us. According to orthopedic surgeons at St. Joseph’s Orthopedic Center, yoga increases one’s flexibility, balance, posture, overall strength, and bone and joint health – all things I want to increase, and definite benefits to my young cousins who are still developing!

Urban Hiking
Whether you live in a large city or small town, you can enhance an exercise program with foot treks around your area. This can be far more enjoyable than the same old circuits around the neighborhood. Walking
several miles through different neighborhoods and parks will enhance your appreciation for your area and might stimulate your interest in future long-distance walks to see what else is nearby. In small towns, you may be able to circle the town to get a fascinating feel for its scale. Afterwards, your family might feel inspired to regularly walk to the store, school and other places instead of driving.

Recipe for Exercise Recovery
Staying fit will require plenty of healthy calories to refuel the body. Here's a quick recipe that you can serve after an exercise session to keep your family nourished and happy.

Totally Healthy Tacos

Ingredients:

- Non-GMO corn tortilla shells

- Reduced-fat shredded cheese

- Frozen lean chicken breast strips

- Arugula

- Fat-free re-fried beans

- Organic taco sauce

- Extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the chicken breast strips in the oven as specified on the package. If desired, toast taco shells in the broiler. Finely chop arugula for spreading over tops of tacos. Fill tacos as desired with chicken breast strips and re-fried beans, add cheese shreds and arugula and drizzle the tops of the tacos with healthy olive oil. Serve and enjoy!

The activities above will help you and your family stay healthy throughout the year. Always focus on keeping things fresh by trying new activities that everybody will enjoy. If your regimen never goes stale, you'll look forward to your exercise time instead of dreading it. By getting started now, you can count on looking better for the spring and summer months, and your kids will start making healthy habits that will serve them for a lifetime.

Carolyn is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has been known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com!

Update: Becky is still a smilin'

Some of you may remember my friend Becky that was featured as a Monday Motivator on this here blog back in April 2012. She's still amazing - if not more (because she's LESS!) now. She was recently featured on the Today Show when she was inducted into the Joy Fit Club and has become known LITERALLY all over the world for the fact that she's "Single, and losing it!" mentioning that she's available and without a boyfriend on National TV.

I'm sorry, but she's STILL amazing. Even from the last time I saw her back in March 2012, she's lost more weight and just looks more phenomenal each time I see a picture of her. And her attitude is beyond compare - you seriously don't see this woman without her big, beautiful smile on.

In the portion of her Today Show spotlight where Becky got to tell her own story, she mentioned that she found comfort in food - something so many of us (MYSELF INCLUDED!) battle all the time. I know that just last week when I was crampy and PMS-y all I wanted was pizza and wings. My loving husband, of course, gave in to me and we got two big pizzas and 20 wings and cheese bread and I dunked it all in ranch dressing. Damn, it was good. But it didn't make me feel better - just full.

Becky has conquered her weight and is still the bubbly, sweet, caring and happy person her friends have come to know - we just all know a famous person now.

Check out some of her pictures from the show and of course, the video!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Becky on the set with Kathy Lee, Hoda and Joy

Fellas - look at this lady - HOT - and SINGLE.

Officially inducted into the Joy Fit Club! (With 180 lbs of STUFF - she LOST that much weight!)

You can follow Becky and her adventures (and her upcoming book!?) on her Facebook Page - "Becky Sigurnjak - Single, and Losing It!"

YOU GO, BECKY! So proud, LITTLE lady!

Holy crap, I suck at this updating thing.

So, lots has been going on since my last post - and absolutely zero of it has to do with eating well and getting exercise - but it's been interesting nonetheless!

The husband and I at Easely Amused back in MS!

We moved back to Mississippi. I got a call from my old boss not long after MLK day asking who he suggested as a replacement for my boss (not him, my direct boss) - after chatting it over with my husband - we decided that person should be me. I left North Carolina pretty quickly and came back to Mississippi to start back in a job where I knew what the hell I was doing. *Note: I will NEVER work in a bank again.*

I've been living with our good friends Billy and Karen and their almost 3 year old little girl, Katelyn. It's been fun! Brian finally made it her on May 1st and we're all settled in here. We'll be able to move back into our house on July 1 as it was rented out. I'm excited.

However, back to the main topic of this here blog, I'm fat. I'm 230 lbs according to Billy and Karen's scale and I just don't feel good anymore. I mean, I haven't felt "good" in a while, but holy crap, I feel FAT every day. I need to get my ass back out on the pavement and get running.

Since I was never able to do to my Team in Training half marathon due to injury, I've re-signed up and will be running the Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Mandeville, Louisiana in October 2013. I REALLY hope I get to do it this time! I need a little push to get me going and I think this will be it. I'm excited to get going, but I'm so out of shape, it's going to be rough.

I'd also like to add, it's Memorial Day weekend and I'm starting MyFitnessPal again. This could be dangerous. We're grilling out EVERY day. Should be interesting.

It's Sunday, we'll consider this "Week One - COMPLETE!"

New kicks in the new year. Yes, technically I got these in 2012, but who cares. I didn't get to bust them out til 2013 since I've been hurt and they're new and I love them, so whatever. 2013 is the year of the bright orange shoes.

I got super lucky getting these babies, too. One of my dad's friends from high school has become one of MY friends and she won a random NikeID gift card. Since she didn't need it, she passed it to me and I made these sweet thangs. They're super light weight and I can't wait to put some serious miles on these things. Thanks so much, Ms. GiGi!

This week went okay - not anything fantastic, but nothing too terrible either. I've been on 3 different exercisey excursions and I've gone a total of about 6 miles. Nothing too serious, but good for building up my endurance and working back slowly from my stupid injury.

Speaking of my stupid injury, after talking with my Team in Training coordinator, Sandra, I set up an appointment with another Sports Medicine Orthopedic doctor to get a second opinion on this whole hip situation. If she tells me not to run, I'm going to be one unhappy lady. It's starting to feel sooooo good (even if running in the cold is my nemesis).

I've had a general feeling of "people are cheering me on" since Wednesday. A teller from work offered to meet me at the gym in the mornings, I had a GREAT meeting with Sandra about reaching my TNT fundraising goals, and a random guy gave me a thumbs up and said "keep going! You're doing great!" to me yesterday on the path behind the house. I bet that guy does that to everyone, but dangit, he's awesome for doing it. I kept up with him for a while, but then of course, I needed to breathe. Either way, random stranger on the Bicentennial Greenway - YOU ARE AWESOME. THANK YOU!

Speaking of cheerleaders - I'M SO PROUD OF MY DAD! That's us next to the Christmas tree where we had Christmas brunch this year. He's set a goal to walk on the treadmill in his own personal little workout cabin (He sells log homes, y'all. Want one? He can hook you up.) EVERY SINGLE DAY. He's been posting on Facebook when he does it. I'm so proud. He's pretty much my favorite person on the planet (don't tell my husband) and if getting his butt on the treadmill keeps him around longer, I'm all for it. I can't wait til I get his ass in a 5k or something. Love you, Daddy!

Sometimes we just need a cheerleader and if cheering on others makes it so we get on the karma train for people cheering for us, then dammit, let's do it. Be someone's cheerleader today. Seriously! What's not to like about making someone feel good? Making someone's day suck less and maybe, just maybe, giving them a confidence boost? I'll be the first to tell you that I have zero self esteem and confidence isn't exactly my middle name - but when someone gives me a little boost, it's like giving me a shot of awesome. So yes. DO IT. If you're at the gym and see someone getting tired - give them a smile (don't be creepy though, creepers). If you're out for a jog and you see someone who's obviously working on a new year/new them thing - give them a thumbs up or something when you go by. You seriously never know how it can affect someone. But again, don't be creepy. Creepy people are weird. Don't do that. Just be awesome.

'Til next time!

Well, crap.

Well, crap.

Remember that last post I wrote? The one riiiiight down there? This one. Where I said "Goals. Plans...I haz them."? Didn't work out so well for this chick.

Sadly, since moving to North Carolina, I've put on about 20 lbs. I just stepped on the scale - granted, it was after dinner and after a huge diet coke - but it was not a pretty number. 232. MOOOOO. 

<----- This is pretty much how I feel right now. Like a fat ole moo cow with too much going on in the midsection. 

It's not anything I'm not used to, I've always had this gut, but I had done SO well last year. I had gotten down to 190. I did a half marathon in January '12, I did a Warrior Dash, and, I ran my hometown's signature race, The Gate River Run 15K. 

What the hell happened!? How did I go from my energetic and race-runnin' self to my now, lazy and beastly self? It's so frustrating to know where you've been and where you are now and that you did the whole backing the pounds back on thing all by yourself. 

I guess I can't completely blame my lack of enthusiasm and laziness though. I got injured. Who knows how I did it, but all I know is that the Saturday before Labor Day, I ran further than I should have - roughly 9 miles. I came home, took a shower, and thought, "hmm, my hip kinda hurts...that's odd" but walked it off like a champ. That whole weekend my hip was hurting, but, again, I just kinda figured it'd go away. PLUS, my insurance from my new job wouldn't kick in for 30 days. It couldn't be that serious right? 

Uh. Wrong. The first day insurance would cover a doctor's visit, I was at the Orthopedic surgeon saying "My hip hurts...help!" Of course, it was more like my upper pelvis and my IT Band, but I just knew that THIS (see right) hurt. Told the doctor, he x-rayed my hip and said "looks like a muscle strain, go to physical therapy. 

Cool. I'm down for people helping me stretch. They stretched and stretched and stretched me for about 6 weeks. While my IT band was feeling better, my upper pelvis bone thing...my hip bone, I called it, but he called it the Illiac Crest, still hurt. 

By this time, I'd had to postpone the half-marathon I was scheduled to do in Raleigh in November with Team in Training. I've signed up for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in Washington DC in April with TNT - let's hope I make it!

Anyhoo - the doctor still doesn't really know what's wrong with my hip and has suggested an MRI, I haven't gotten one yet, but I hope that when I do, it gives me some answers. It still hurts, but I've decided to push through the pain - probably like a dumbass, but I've gotten so fat that I can't stand being sedentary anymore. I've got a half marathon to train for and pants I want to be able to wear again!

Well, dammit, today is January 1st, 2013. Time to start the F*CK over. I went and walked 2 miles at a "very brisk pace" - it ended up being about a 15 minute mile. I tried to run a bit, but the trail was wet and I started to slip, so I decided that would be a bad idea. So yeah, Jan 1 is here.  Monthly pics are coming back. One 5k a month is going to be scheduled, I'm going to train my ass off for my Half Marathon in April, and I'm not going to look like these pictures anymore. 

For shits and giggles, I also got my husband to take 1/1/13 pictures. I'm jealous of his. Here it goes - Mr and Mrs. Hold the Fries. Don't click if you ever want to be able to eat again.

Damn Yoga Pants

I was just in Food Lion with my husband on a late night run to grab some items for his work potluck party tomorrow. I'm making some buffalo chicken dip that my friend Stacye introduced me to and Brian now loves, so he volunteered me to make some to take to work tomorrow.

Anyway, so we were at Food Lion, minding our own business...getting the items I didn't have on hand for the dip - cream cheese, crackers, and Fritos. Of course, while we're there, we stroll down the ice cream aisle and see that Breyer's ice cream is on sale Buy 1 Get 1 Free. Hard to turn down for this ice cream addict - specifically this kind:  

Breyer's Blasts! Waffle Cone ice cream is the shiiiiiit y'all. Seriously. I adore it. If given the opportunity, I would eat that or a McDonald's vanilla cone every day (and I will probably get that vanilla cone dipped in chocolate if it's available at that McDonald's)...it's serious. 

Anyway, I get a 1/2 gallon of that and a 1/2 gallon of Breyer's coffee ice cream (b/c it's delish) and Brian is on the other end of the ice cream aisle looking at Drumsticks and other novelties which were on sale 2 for $6. He got some Drumsticks and little dip cone things and we were headed to the check out. 

Our cart included: 

-The above mentioned frozen Breyer's Deliciousness

-The above mentioned frozen novelties of awesome

-Two bags of Fritos

-Two boxes of crackers

-A package of cream cheese

-Two gallons of sweet tea

-A gallon of skim milk

Basically, it looked like a cart of junk food - because it was. 

Brian steered our cart into the nearest checkout line and we were behind one of the most athletic, fit and healthy women I think I've ever seen in my life. She was wearing yoga pants - and not in an ironic way. I'm pretty sure these yoga pants had actually been to Yoga. I overheard her talking about getting produce at the farmers market.You could tell by her still sweaty hair that she had just recently finished a work out. On the belt in front of us were 6 packages of boneless/skinless chicken breasts and a 1/2 gallon of almond milk. 

This amazingly healthy looking woman wasn't going down the ice cream aisle. And I bet that if she had, she would have gotten a single serving 150 calorie ice cream cup that wouldn't be sitting in her freezer taunting her for an undetermined amount of time. She would have made the smart decision and given into a small craving, but kept the temptation out of her freezer so she could keep fitting into her teeny weeny yoga pants.  

I was literally ASHAMED of what was on the grocery belt in front of me. I'm still ashamed, to be honest. While the Fritos, crackers and cream cheese weren't for my consumption, the ice cream surely is. And we bought a LOT of ice cream. I wondered to myself "does this lady look at this food we're buying and say 'no wonder those two are fat.'?" Was she disgusted by the CRAP (yes, it's crap) that Brian and I were going to be putting into our bodies?

Not that it really matters what this woman thought of us, but I was ASHAMED to be buying this stuff in front of someone with such self control and who obviously cares about her health and maintaining her physique. 

I need to be that lady. I DON'T need to be the fat girl with the 4 ice cream items in her cart anymore. THIS HAS TO END. I'm making a new goal - it's this:

I want that hot chick in the yoga pant's body. I do NOT want the body I currently have. So there we go. Goals. Plans. Ice cream in the freezer. I haz them.

Oh....um...Hi August!

Whups. I totally failed at that whole "I'm going to start posting my pics and my progress starting August 1!!!" thing. My bad.

Moving is hard, y'all. I left a job I loved and so many of my friends to move to North Carolina with my husband and it's just kind of been difficult. I don't have a job yet, I don't have any friends to just call and hang out with yet, and Brian is starting to get sick of me being around all the time. I need a life! 

I'm still kind of training for the Half Marathon in San Francisco, but I'm worried I won't make my goal of $3,200 and I'm going to need to back down to the Raleigh City of Oaks Half Marathon instead. That's fine, of course, but the San Francisco marathon is devoted to helping the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so the experience would be so much more rewarding! I just can't afford to pay 2k out of my pocket right now!

I think knowing that I don't have the fundraising for the San Francisco 1/2 and then generally being bummed because I don't have a job and friends in the area etc is really setting me back on this whole training/eating well/doing what I need to do to not be a fatty, thing. Happy me = Healthy me. I gotta get happy!

I'm back to where I started when I started this blog. Or pretty close. I'm at 215 again and I'm not happy.

Moving to North Carolina was stressful! We ate crap for 2 weeks before we moved and we've been eating crap ever since. I've been trying to bring us back to eating healthy food, but it's just not exactly working. I need to get my butt in gear.

 THIS ISN'T PRETTY. I don't suggest looking at these pictures. Seriously.

Is this thing on?

So, it's been almost 2 months since I've updated this here blog. I guess I'm a terrible blogger - oh well. I've got good news and some not so good news...

Good news:
- We don't live in Mississippi anymore! We've moved to the Triad area of North Carolina. This place is wonderful! If you've never been to NC - or stayed towards the beaches - come on down/up/over! The scenery is beautiful, there's tons of stuff to do and there are HILLS to practice my running in San Francisco on!

- I'm still signed up for the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon in San Francisco with Team in Training benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - my team here is AMAZING. I'm loving it!

- I'm a stay at home wife right now. I'm told this is good news, but I'm going crazy! However, it DOES give me time to plan healthy meals and do a little exercising and BLOGGING! But I am still dying to find a job!

Not so good news: 
- We don't live in Mississippi anymore. I loved that state. I loved those people. I loved that food. I miss it there. North Carolina is beautiful, but you can't get the same "yes ma'ams" "y'alls" and "fixin tos" that you can get in Mississippi.

- My training for the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon has been rough. I'm enjoying my new TNT team (SO NICE!) but I can't seem to get my ass out of the house to run on days when there's not a group of people waiting on me. I did individual training once this past week and it was SO great, however, I was running on a trail with no bathrooms and had to go (sorry for the TMI) so I had to turn around. I'm not going to potty in the woods just yet. I'm not that hardcore.

- I'm back in some of my fat clothes. Moving is hard on a waistline. My darling husband packed up our kitchen FIRST instead of last so for the last week we were in Mississippi and the first week we were in NC, all we did was eat out - and it was rarely anywhere with decent food since I was with Brian and my father in law. I need to get back on the diet train.

Now that you're thoroughly bored, I've decided that on August 1 I need to go back to taking pictures and posting them here. I think those were keeping me on the right track - or at least keeping me honest. I'm hoping to do more core work since that will apparently really help my belly and running situation. So hopefully that flub you've seen won't be as flubby eventually.

So there's your update! Sorry I haven't been around, but like I said, I'm a stay at home wife for the moment, so who knows how much I might be around.

Want to help me the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with funding for research, patient assistance and generally just knocking out blood cancers? CLICK THE BANNER BELOW!

*Note - I really do have some donations - my donated money hasn't transferred to my NC TNT account yet, I'm at $875 and I'm hoping to be at $1,600 by the end of July - 16 days away! YIKES. If you've got $5 to spare, I'd appreciate it greatly!

Monday Motivators: Jessica B.

This one has been a long time coming. We all have those friends who always make you laugh, will always make you realize you don't suck, and will always dance like a fool with you - my friend Jessica is one of those people. She's the reason I've started Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society - and after my first run on Saturday, I can't thank her enough for getting me involved!

Jess and I met back in 2005 - we were both in sororities and I ended up hanging out with her sorority sisters a lot. They are good folks. Anyway, she's always been super active in all sort of activities and what not. I swear she started this TNT stuff because she had spare time or something and it just wasn't sitting well with her (Kidding, I have zero clue why she started Team in Training, but I'm super glad she did).

As evidenced by the picture to the left, we were recently both bridesmaids in our friend Leah's wedding. That's a pretty normal Jess face. Do you see why I love her so much?

Anyhoo, Jess is the reason I got involved in TNT - she chatted with me about the whole thing after she did her 1st half marathon with them and watching her update her FB on all of the training she has done and is doing has really just made me want to work harder. She's a mentor for Team in Training too and is pretty much all over it.

How's this for motivation? The other day, Jess went and drank a few beers and THEN went on her bike ride. I would never workout after drinking...but she's so much of a champ she did it. She's my hero.

I love my Be-Niggy-No. I can't thank her enough for getting me into TNT - after my first run, I can already tell I'm going to love it!  Even if she ditched me for San Francisco and is going to do the Metairie half marathon instead, I'll still be her friend, I guess.

Thanks for the motivation, help, and sanity phone calls. I love you, JB!

I AM A WARRIOR!

Fire Jumper!

I completed it! I did the Warrior Dash in Jackson, MS on April 21st and holy crap, it was so much fun. If you ever have the opportunity to do a Warrior Dash put on by Red Frog Events, you NEED to do it. I haven't had that much fun in a long time and I really felt like I had accomplished something!

I mean - seriously...I JUMPED OVER FIRE. The obstacles and the general muddiness of the whole experience made me feel like I was such a badass.

One of the greatest things about the Warrior Dash was running with my boss, Nicki. We are great friends, but of course, like every employee/employer situation, sometimes we get into it. Running this event with Nicki really made us work as a team and encourage each other. Nicki cheered me on when I had an issue with an obstacle (seriously, I had an issue with the "teetering traverse" which was just slanted planks - going down freaked me out) Nicki was right there, cheering me on and telling me that I'd survive if I just kept one foot in front of the other. When Nicki fell off of the "Vertical Limit" wall, I made her try again and grabbed her butt when she was almost to the top to help her up. When we both finished the hardest part of the course, "The Great Warrior Wall," we hugged each other. That was super difficult - BUT WE DID IT!

Me and Nicki

I can't give enough thanks to Cassie at Back To Her Roots. She made a post called "Tips for your warrior dash, mudathlon or mud run" that really gave us some great tips and I'm sure kept us from being completely uncomfortable all day. She also had some great ideas that others at the WD obviously didn't have, we looked so prepared and ready to enter battle! Cassie had some great tips, but, I wanted to add a few of my own and give a little bit more information for those of you who, like me before the race, don't have a flipping clue what you're getting into. 

Advice for your Warrior Dash/Muddy Run:

Clothing: Cassie mentions tight fitting clothing, swimwear, gloves and a second set of clothing and I couldn't agree more. Except for the gloves. It might be because my specific course didn't have many ropes, but they would have weighed me down a lot in the water and I probably would have ripped them off quickly. Also, the swimwear was a good idea, but Nicki wore a bikini bottom and ended up changing out of it anyway, so unless you want to stay in muddy underoos or are extremely modest (read: not even willing to wrap a towel around you and change your undies in a tent full of people of your same sex), then I don't see this as too important. 

Socks, yo.

The most important thing I can stress is TIGHT FITTING CLOTHING. I wore yoga type shorts that were a touch too small, they were falling off - yes, this means I was pulling them up - by the end. Wear something that's going to be tight or at the very least snug. My red tank top was a men's large and it was driving me crazy by the end because it kept getting stuck to the side. Wear snug things. You won't regret it. Trust me on this one, okay? I saw lots of hairy boy butt crack and it wasn't fun. 

I also recommend high socks - soccer style. I had so many cuts/scrapes and what nots on my legs in places that weren't covered by my socks or my shorts. To decrease your injuries, wear high socks. Plus, I mean, they look so festive. I also noticed that they helped my shoes not get as waterlogged. My socks didn't fall into my shoes and just collect water. High socks - definitely a good choice. 

Your second set of clothes - bring them in something that A) you're okay with getting muddy B) will keep the mud from getting on your clean clothes that are inside and C) will be comfortable enough to lug around with you after your race. The bag check will be muddy too, and lots of bags will end up on the ground. It would suck hardcore if your "clean clothes" ended up just as muddy as your race clothes. You'll still get mud on you after you race, so don't plan on looking "cute" afterwards. It's a mudfest. Enjoy it!

Shoe donation pile

Shoes: Just like Cassie says, you won't be bringing your running shoes back with you. I mean...you CAN, but I don't suggest it. Wear an old pair of kicks, we didn't have a whole lot of time to run anyway with all of the mud around. Warrior Dash supplies a shoe donation area where they collect muddy shoes, wash 'em up and donate them to the less fortunate. I suggest going that route. Make sure you bring flip flops or some other sandals that you don't care if you get super muddy and are easy to clean as your "change into after the run" pair.

Miscellaneous Things You'll be Happy You have:
I cannot thank Cassie from Back to Her Roots enough for this next suggestion - bring wet washcloths in a ziploc bag. Sure, we were sprayed off by a huge hose (SO COLD!) but hoses obviously can't rinse out the mud and gunk that gets all up in your clothes - specifically, your boobs. My boobs were extremely muddy, even after rinsing off and I don't know about you, but dirt rubbing up against those babies all day long wasn't going to work out well. Having those washcloths (I brought two, but I wish I had had more) was a lifesaver.

Bring a beach towel. One that you're comfortable with getting disgusting. I wish more people in the women's changing tent had thought of this one. I saw lots and lots and lots of T&A. And much of it was not cute. Not cute at all. Bringing a big beach towel that you can wrap around yourself well or your friend can hold up for you, will keep you from showing all of your muddy bits to the rest of the ladies in the tent. Trust me. When it's covered in mud, it doesn't really matter HOW toned you are, it ain't gonna be cute.

Toilet Paper. Okay, so gentlemen, you might not have to worry about this so much, but when I showed up at the run site at 10:30, there was no toilet paper left on site. None. Zilch. Nada. Become the most popular person ever and bring some TP with you - at least enough for you and your neighbor waiting in line for the porta potty. You'll thank me.

Cash/ID. You'll need both and the beer and food can get pretty pricey. I brought $30 with me and it lasted just enough to get me three beers and a hot dog with a bit of change left over.

Me and Trey! WARRIORS!

The most important thing to remember:
Have fun! This could potentially be something you'll never do again. Enjoy it. Realize how amazing it is that you're tackling obstacles and enjoy the camaraderie that comes along with helping others. You're going to get muddy. It's going to be a blast. 

A big thanks to my friend Trey! He's the one who told me about the Warrior Dash back in October and the one who made sure I got my butt signed up. Thank you, Trey! You're such a champ - keep up the good work! You're doing great things!

100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today

Oh, Pintrest, I love you. Someone pinned this and I think it's just what I needed on this rainy, gross day to motivate me to actually get a workout in today. We won't mention that my lunch was a bit heavy. Oof.

SparkPeople came up with some AMAZING Reasons to Work Out today.  You can find a few of my favorites below:

Because it makes you feel confident

Because you have goals you want to reach

Because it burns more calories than not working out

Because you want a great butt

Because it lifts your mood

Because it feels good

Because dieting only works so much

Because you take pride in your body

Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined

I like it, SparkPeople! Thanks for the idea! Can you think of any more good reasons to work out today? My good reason for the day is the chicken finger sandwich from Sonic I ate because I left my lunch at home (DOH!) - that's 450 calories I need back, please!

Team In Training

I'm doing it! I'm running another half marathon in October in SAN FRANCISCO - but this time, I'm going to train my butt off with Team in Training from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I'm extremely excited and terrified all at the same time. I've got to raise $3,200 to be able to go to San Francisco - and I've got so much training to do!

The last time I did a half marathon, I finished in just over 3 hours (3:03) - this time, I'm going for about 2:50. I doubt it will happen (that's a lot of time to make up!), but it's always important for shoot for a goal and that's now mine.

I'm so excited to get my training started with Team in Training - and of course get a jump on my fundraising. It's tax season, you're probably wishing you'd donated more money in 2011, right? I thought so. Go ahead, get ready to get a deduction in 2012 and donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society through this link and help me reach another goal!

Lifting weights like a boss...

I used to hate lifting weights. I dreaded it every time my personal trainers or coaches of the past would make me do it. I'm pretty accepting of the fact that I have zero upper body strength. Or I was.

See that ticker up there? It's for the Warrior Dash I'll be doing on April 21st with my boss, Nicki. If you click on that Warrior Dash link up there, you'll see that without upper body strength (and strength in general) you're SCREWED. I'm going to have to climb over walls, jump over fire, crawl around in mud and generally just question why I paid to do this crap for an hour or so. It's gonna be fun. 

To increase my strength, I've been following this book: The New Rules of Lifting for Women. I love the program. I haven't really paid enough attention to the diet plan, and I slacked off a bit in the lifting as of recently, BUT, when I was doing the lifting, I fell in love. 

When I used the squat rack for the first time, I was a bit miffed. In fact, a personal trainer at the Y came over and said "here, let me show you" - and thank God he came over, because I looked like a moron. I always thought squat racks were for men, but no more! Squats and deadlifts aren't fun by any means, but I love how empowered I feel when I do them. And my legs will start looking sexy soon!

The great thing about this book/program is that it literally lays it all out there for you. For 8 weeks, you do one phase with two different exercises that you rotate every other workout. It tells you exactly which ones to do for which workout, tells you when to add reps/weight and basically just makes it easy. You can run through a strength workout in about 20 minutes (possibly less) - and you get a good workout from it. You only have to work out 3 days a week and you really do see results. 

Today will be my first day back to NROL4W and I'm excited. I've got a Warrior Dash to prepare for!

Monday Motivators: Becky - She's got an electric smile.

This is Becky.

Yes, she always smiles like that.

I touched on Becky a bit when I did my Gate River Run post in March, but I honestly feel that Becky deserves her own Monday Motivators post. Here's why:

Becky Before:

Becky After:

Did your jaw drop? Did you say "Oh My God"? Did you say "SHE LOOKS AMAZING!"? Because that's what I did. Becky's lost over 150 lbs on Weight Watchers. 

Becky is a f*cking rockstar. 

I first met Becky back in 2003 when I was working for one of the most amazing radio stations to ever exist - WAPE in Jacksonville, FL. She was a board-op and I was a promotions assistant. She got to sit on her butt in a chilly studio and listen to Casey Kasem while I lugged around a tent and tables in the Florida heat. I won't lie, she was a big girl - but I wasn't skinny myself, so I never really thought anything of it, until I saw her this past March. She looked like a different person! She basically WAS a different person - except for her attitude. Still the perky, happy, positive Becky I've known and loved. 

She even smiles when she RUNS.

She's been running 5k's, now has a 10k and 15k under her belt and is still going strong. She's also a Zumba fanatic (She's a lover of all things Latin!) and is the most positive and enthusiastic person I've ever met. She's literally someone that brightens a room just by walking in, and now, when she walks in, she's strutting her stuff. 

I love you, Becky! Keep up the good work! You're an amazing person and an inspiration. I'm so proud to be able to call you a friend.

YOU ARE AWESOME.

This is for you:

I love food.

Yes, I'm one of those women who makes lunch for her husband. Judge me all you'd like, but if it keeps him from running to Popeyes or Wendy's on his lunch break and saves us a few bucks, I'll spare 2 extra minutes to make his lunch while I make mine.

Anyway, so while I make our lunches every day, I realize that I put WAY more into my bag that I put into Brian's bag. My lunch bag today consisted of this:

• 1/2 cup of pineapple tidbits
• roughly 3oz of Very Veggie Salad
• roughly 2 tbsp of Ken's Raspberry Pecan fat free dressing (effing delicious, by the way. You should try it)
• Dannon Oikos Blueberry yogurt
• PB and J sandwich
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp reduced sugar grape jelly
• 1 piece of whole wheat bread

It also included my breakfast and mid-morning snack:

• Jimmy Dean D-Light's english muffin with turkey sausage, egg whites and low fat cheese (I'm slightly addicted to these and they're SO cheap at Sam's!)
• Banana - as if you couldn't figure that one out.

That's a lot of stuff to put in a lunch bag, apparently! Brian always requests three things, never more, never less. When I give him 4 (even if it's small like string cheese), he says it was too much. He's weird. 

Do you eat big random lunches too?

Awesome pre/post workout infographic!

More Health and Fitness

I found this infographic today on Pinterest and I love how well it breaks down what to eat and what not to eat before and after workouts.

My favorite pre-cardio snack? Oikos vanilla yogurt with fresh blueberries. I've had the Oikos with blueberries in it and I just don't get the snap and crunch factor that I get with the fresh blueberries. It's so good!

Favorite Post-Cardio Snack? Pretty much any combination of natural peanut butter and bananas. *nom* I won't lie, this is also my go-to breakfast before races.

Obviously, I need to get some chocolate milk in after a workout too! I'll take any excuse to drink more chocolate milk! 

What are your favorite pre and post workout snacks?