I Must be Insane!

Starting this April 1st.  Just in time to be beach ready....if such a thing is possible!  Get insane with me!

Weigh In Wednesday, Paleo Recipes & the Ultimate Warrior

I forgot to post about my weigh in yesterday!   I was down a 1.5 lbs!  I'm happy with that, but I'm still just floating between the same few lbs.  Yesterday's number was the lowest I've ever been, but I can't seem to maintain this weight.  We shall see what the week brings me!

I found this web site recently and I love it!  It has a lot of recipes, fashion, and such, but I really love the paleo recipes.  I tend to look more at the baked goods, but I'm only going to make a few of them!

I had a really interesting conversation with a co-worker of mine who is also very into fitness and body building.  For your reference, he wants to (as is almost there in terms of muscles) look like the Ultimate Warrior (below), so I trusts he knows a little bit about fitness.

He asked me what my goals were and I said lose 10 more lbs.  He asked how much cardio I was doing and I told him I do 4-5 days of high intensity interval training, with each work out being 30-50 minutes long.  I told him I also doing weights with ChaLean Extreme three days a week and I was lifting as heavy as I could. He recommended I increase my cardio to six days a week for as long as I can.  Keep up with lifting three days but don't go as heavy as I can- aim for just enough weight.  Lastly, he said to layer in core work three days. 

It was such an interesting conversation!  When I hit my goal weight, he said to flip the schedule and lift more, and reduce cardio slightly.  It all made sense and I'm eager to try it out.  Once I finish ChaLean Extreme and Turbo Fire, I'm doing Insanity April 1st!  Wish me luck!

100 Days Until Summer

I'm kicking into high gear!  There are 100 days until June 1st and I want to feel confidant in a swim suit (notice, I didn't say GOOD, just confidant).

Decide.  Commit.  Succeed.

Invest in a challenge pack and get me as your FREE coach.

Big Picture

I'm about ready to pull my hair out.  I'm beyond frustrated.

The scale and my gut seem to hate me.

Some pretty negative thoughts have been running through my head these last few days.  I try SO hard.  I work out six, some times seven, days a week.  I've eliminated all junk from my diet.  I've even cut things that aren't junk simply because it's a grain or too much sugar.

The ugly voice of temptation inside my head keeps saying "See? It's not even working!"

I know that isn't the right response, so I tried evaluating what about my eating has been wrong this past week or so.  I'm pretty sure I've pinpointed it to overeating.  I've always struggled with portions...I'm a bottomless pit.

To make matters worse, I keep weighing myself, which is stressing me out.  Then I pull the cashews out of the pantry and binge to make myself feel better.  Before I know it, I've eaten way too many cashews.

Cashews.  Not donuts, not M&Ms.  Cashews.

Pretty healthy, right?

Just not when you eat a cup of them.

So this could be (another) post about how much I hate the scale and how I can't stop eating and how I'm not losing weight (again).

Funny thing is though, as I was getting dressed this morning, I noticed my "lower" belly wasn't hanging as low as it normally is.  In fact, I think I have a lot less extra skin right there as I used to have.  It felt DAMN good.

So, even if the scale goes up and I drown my sorrows in a bag of cashews, I need to remember the big picture and one day or meal does not define me or my journey.

Whole30 Day....

Well, I'm not even sure what day it is.

26 or 17

I do know Sunday is my last day and I have many mixed emotions about the whole thing.

Where to start?  My biggest worry is that I somehow missed the entire point of this challenge.  Did I cut out all processed food?  Yes.  Am I eating a ton of veggies and lean proteins?  I am.  Limiting fruit?  Yes, even though it really sucks because I love fruit.  Consuming healthy fats?  I'm buying canned coconut milk and I hate coconut.

Yes, I feel like I'm following all of the rules, but deep down inside, I feel less than 100% committed.  I feel worn out from all of the prep, shopping, and cooking this lifestyle requires.  I have to find and print out recipes (I do better with physical papers).  Make a grocery list, go shopping, and then start cooking a week's worth of food.  It takes a lot of work and  to be honest, I'm tired of it.

While I love eating better, having more energy, seeing a slight decrease in my belly pudge, I can't say I'm enoying this challenge.  It just takes up so much time that I don't want to do it every single day.  I'm too lazy and I know it.

I will definitely continue with aspects of this eating mentality.  Actually, I'm going to keep most of it up, but I'm not going to berate myself if I want a sandwich one day or fruit more than twice a day.  I'm going to drink my Shakeology for the health and convenience it provides me even if it has six grams of sugar in it.  I'm going to eat a sweet potato every day because I love them that much.  I want Triscuits and hummus, legumes be damned!

I have decided though, to do this again later in the spring. I really do love the philosophy behind it.   I'm going to prep for much longer than I did this time with listing recipes and have more meal ideas ahead of time.  Knowing now what to expect and what is required, I think I've set myself up for success the second time around.

Bittersweet- Colin is Four

My sweet baby boy turned FOUR on Sunday.  It's wonderful and sad at the same time. I can't remember my life before him, yet I want to freeze time so I can keep him this age forever.  I love watching him grow and learn.  I can see him thinking and processing things I tell him- most of the time, it's so neat.  It's amazing to watch this little person discover new things- I'm just so lucky and so in love with him!
Here are some pictures from the weekend and some favorites of mine!

                

                               

Homework

Did you know as a Beachbody coach, I get homework?  

Last week I had to talk about the product or program that's most changed my life.  Watch below to see me babble, use air quotes, and play with my bangs!

Hip Hop Abs- STILL Available

I can't believe the sale is still available!!!

You can still save $40 on this two month program! Here's a video to see what it's about. Shaun T's HIP HOP ABS (normally $60) is now ONLY $20 if you call Beachbody 800-240-0913!! Please give them my coach ID 166128 and ask for the $20 special. Plus, you'll get me (officially) as your FREE coach!! Any one on one support you need, it's yours!

This Sucks

Obviously, I love fitness and working out.

However, it really sucks when the kids are at the grandparents' for the night and I STILL wake up at 5 AM.   Not because I set my alarm, but that's what time my body decided it wanted to get up.  My eyes popped open and I actually thought "lets get going!"

I'm pretty mad about this.  I would have really, really liked to sleep in a little this morning and this just means I will crash tonight by 9 PM.

I laid there for about 15-20 minutes, got up and worked out.  My advice to you though- if you can sleep late- DO IT!

What I've Been Eating

Besides almond butter and cashew butter straight out of the jar?

• Chicken cooked in olive oil with kale and snow peas
• Kale and Pumpkin torte
• Tilapia over spaghetti squash and spinach w/coconut butter
• Sweet potato basil soup

These are just some of the dishes I've been making.  I'm planning to tackle a paleo pad thai today. I also plan on making a paleo banana bread, which is called SWYPO (sex with your pants on) in the Whole30 community and it's not allowed, but I really want it.  I also plan to have "pasta" this weekend with my spaghetti squash and some store bought sauce.  It's organic and I don't think it has any sugar in it, or very little. I'll cook up some ground turkey and go to town on it!  I really love eating spaghetti squash in place of noodles- feels the same, tastes so good, and it SO much healthier!!

My MIL and FIL are taking the kids overnight tonight so we can get ready for Colin's birthday party tomorrow!  Plus, they haven't had a sleep over in forever and both the kids and grandparents are excited.  My husband and I are so lucky our kids have such great grandparents.   I just hope I don't go crazy with some "me" time and get nothing done that I really have to get done.  I seem better at time management when the little ones are underfoot!

MAJOR SALE

Shaun T's Hip Hop Abs (normally $60) is now ONLY $20 if you call Beachbody at 800-240-0913!! Please give them my coach ID 166128 and ask for the $20 special. This is an awesome deal! It's five work outs (abs, thighs/hips and cardio)- SO worth it!!!

Weigh In Wednesday

THREE LBS LOST!!!!!!!

To say I'm excited about this is an understatement.  I'm jumping out of my skin, I'm so happy!  I want to kick and karate chop all over the place.

I shouldn't be that excited though.  I've seen this number on the scale before.  I just can't maintain it or even go below it.  Next week's weigh in will be my make it or break it weigh in.  I'm hopeful though....going to eat well and work out hard.

I'm on Day 19 of the Whole30 Challenge.  I'm pretty in love with it except the amount of time I spend each weekend cooking.  It takes me away from the kids too much.  My goal is to continue on after the 30 days are up with an 85/15 paleo diet.  I definitely do NOT want to eat as much sugar as I was anymore.  I was traveling for work yesterday and I was so nervous about what I would eat.  I think I ate about four hard boiled eggs!  It wasn't so bad though- I found a salad place that I could pick everything that went into it and I opted for a little EVOO as my dressing.  I brought almonds and one of the four hard-boiled eggs with me in case of an emergency.

I have a lot of pictures of the foods/meals I've been eating that are sitting on my phone.  I don't get reception in my office so I can't grab them right now.  So frustrating!  I had a cooking frenzy this weekend that I'm very proud of, so pictures and links to recipes will be coming soon!

I Won the Battle

I started making a video yesterday to post on here.  It was a very long, emotional day and I wanted to capture my thoughts for the day, but I was too drained to write them down.  Every time I'd start the video though, I would get interrupted.

Now, it's a day later and everyone in my house is asleep, so I have some time to write. I do not look presentable right now, so you'll have to wait for a video.

Yesterday was a very rough and emotional day.  I found out some disturbing news while at work; all while working on a large project for clients.  Part of the project included sending gifts out that includes gourmet chocolates.

So, all day long, I had three medium size boxes of these chocolates staring me in the face.

I was sad- my heart literally hurt.  It would have been so easy to just have one, teeny, tiny chocolate.  I would feel better, said a voice inside my head.

Then the other voice inside my head (yes, I have a few!) said "Stay away from that chocolate!"

I managed all day to refrain, but I was getting more upset as the day wore on.  As I was leaving for the night, I took one piece with me to my car.

I sat in the parking lot and told myself I would have half of it.  Just half.

I unwrapped the gold foil and took one small bite.  Immediately, I knew.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I did NOT want this chocolate.  It would NOT make me feel better.  I was only hurting my goals by eating it.

I wrapped the piece back up and put it in the bottom of my bag.  It was such an "a-ha" moment for me.  My entire life I have taken solace in food.  It's the one constant that my brain always thought was what I needed when I was sad or upset.

I don't think if I was doing this challenge, I would have put that chocolate down.  Being off almost all sugar (minus fruit) has helped me kick my emotional eating and freed me from a mind set I always hated.  I hate using food as a crutch.  I felt so empowered that I could wrap it up and put it aside.  I don't think that has ever happened to me in my life!

On one hand I was so proud of myself, and on the other, I was mad at myself for having that bite at all.  It was a great lesson for me to learn.  I fought, and won, a battle I never thought I would!