Going 1/2 Crazy!

My life has taken many turns over the last 3 years but this one is noteworthy.

Dating back to April 2011, I was crazy enough to do the Country Music 1/2 Marathon. For a gal that had rarely ever even walked a mile without feeling exhausted, 13.1 seemed a little hypothetical until I actually committed. I trained with Gilda's Gang in support of those that have struggled with the big C word also known as cancer. I ran in memory of my step-father along with a dear HS friend and in honor of my father-in-law and uncle. As part of the commitment to the Gilda's Club, we were to raise at least $750. I struggled to get donations and definitely didn't have the cash to donate from my own budget. An old HS friend of mine had planned to train with us as well but life's noise got in the way so she wasn't able to participate. She surprised me and rolled her fundraising into my account so I met my minimum with flying colors. Now that's just plain good stuff! Long story short...15 weeks was still not enough time for me to train effectively but I still gave it my all and completed that 1/2 marathon in just over 3 hours.

Over the course of the last 2 1/2 years, my uncle and father-in-law have succumbed to the cancers that they had battled; in addition, my mother-in-law had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lost her battle within this last year as well. I still feel an emptiness in my life where these folks once inhabited but my memories are full of all kinds of wonderful as I remember how each of them touched my life individually. Leading up to this Fall/Winter season, I had contemplated running the Country Music 1/2 again but wasn't certain about the training plan just yet.

Fast forward to today...
That old friend of mine sent me a FB message to inquire if I might be interested in training for the Country Music 1/2 Marathon again. She mentioned that she had trained back in 2010 with Team Rio and would like to give it a shot again. This was definitely music to my ears! Ironically enough, Team Rio supports the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation in Middle TN, and I just happen to have someone to run in honor of this year. This little fella (now 13 years old) came into my life a little over a year ago and has continued to brighten my Sundays. He is my little angel that continues to remind me of why I became a nurse and encourages me to live each day to its fullest. So...I am honored to get to train with Team Rio for this 1/2 marathon in April 2014.
Sign me up!

"Bod"acious

Me and my guy waiting for the Bod Pod assessment

As promised, I am sharing my Bod Pod results as reassessed yesterday after approximately 2 months of continuing my pursuit of "figuring out fit." The truth is...I have been more reckless with my eating than I should have been since the last assessment. In the process of this 2 months, I went ahead and completed another 10 day Herbal Cleanse which definitely reset those cravings back to "could take or leave them" instead of "just one won't hurt." On the upside, I have really focused more on moving this bootie and toning up the flab with running/walking on the treadmill plus a little resistance training on some of the weight machines at our gym.  The scales haven't changed drastically. In fact, I have only reduced my total weight by about 5-6 pounds over the last 2 months.

So...without further delay:

Reggie explained that I had great results but not a true 15+ pounds of muscle building in 2 months. He clarified these findings more accurately as a recovery of my muscle loss that I had been left with after the 2 years of "dieting" rather than focusing on filling those nutritional gaps with supplements and eating cleaner all while balancing exercising. Regardless of the analysis, he wanted me to know that I was making great progress but it is time to get serious about reaching my goals. He said the key moving forward is to keep the Fat Free Weight (aka..muscle mass) in place while reducing the fat %. The recommendation of 1500-1600 calories a day and continuing my current exercise routine was duly noted and gives me a nice guide post for the next 2-3 months. With all this being said, I can honestly say that I am so very glad that I didn't let the scales dictate my mood or deteriorate my motivation.

Yes, I went there.

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I wanted to go ahead and include a little recap of my race today as well on this blogpost. My sweetheart, me, and my oldest girl (not pictured because she does not do cold nor mornings..hehehe) made our way down the road to Springfield, TN to run the Farm Bureau Holiday Run in Historic Springfield. We have watched the runners and cheered them in for the last 2 years but I wanted to be one of them this year. Sign me up...cold or not! The race was just the beginning of a day of fun since we also enjoyed the Christmas parade as it rolled through town and pigged out on a huge Thanksgiving spread with the family at my brother and sis-in-laws house (aka...The Carousel House).

Wowzers, it was chilly! The "coolest" part was that this was my first cold weather run EVER! I was a little concerned about how my lungs would fair but I was totally impressed that I didn't struggle with my breathing. The hills maxed out my legs so I had to walk briskly up 2 of the largest hills I have ever seen. If it tells you anything about the incline, my heart rate never dropped below 155. If you have ever run up a steep hill like these then you know what I mean when I say it felt like I was running in quick sand.

Despite this chilly, Fall day and all the hills, I still managed to score a new personal record for a 5K. My average HR was about 165 with holding an average pace of 11:08. I went back to look at one of the last 5Ks I did recently in my home town and realized that it was not measured correctly by the race/timing officials. I was puzzled that I had completed a 5K in under 33 minutes when my previous best had been over 36 just a few weeks prior. So...I went back and reviewed my Garmin and the Booby Bolt race was only 2.96 miles instead of 3.12. My last true timed 5K was in Nashville (listed below) with a pace of 11:47 and total time of 36:34 which dates back 2 months ago. As I shave off almost 2 minutes of my 5K and increased my pace by about 40 seconds, it looks like I have made progress not only in the Bod Pod but also on the pavement in the last 2 months. Hallelujah! AdvoCare Performance products are really showing their stuff in this fluffy body as it figures out fit. O2 Gold, Arginine Extreme, Spark, Muscle Strength, and Catalyst are my new best friends.

After feeding my face with all my favorites including mom's oyster casserole and dad's turkey cooked in the Green Egg, we have made our way home for a relaxing evening at home. A perfect ending to a great memory making day...VANDY WINS over UT 14-10. Sweet dreams folks. :)

Hanging in the Balance

After losing right at 80 pounds and finding that you can shop in the "regular size" department after about 20 years in the "plus size", that you can now do most anything you desire including RUNNING and that you feel pretty stinkin' amazing for owning your place in the "over 40" crowd, it's extremely easy to get comfortable and complacent. It seems easier to focus on how far you've come because that number is bigger rather than on how far you still want to go in this journey before you get to that "happy place" on the scale and in the jean size that you would love to feel amazing in without waiting on them to stretch to fit. You know what I'm talking about...those jeans that will fit better once you make the car ride into work. Heck, some days I just need that immediate reward and just want them to feel awesome right out of the dryer.The truth is that 80 pounds always seems to look better than the 25% more effort that will be required to get to goal.

That all being said...just know that I am avidly working and balancing self-acceptance with self-improvement. Love this reminder from a friend: "So why is a car's windshield so large, and rear view mirror so small? Because our PAST is nothing compared to our FUTURE. Look forward and move on."

I have scheduled my recheck in the Bod Pod for this Friday. Honestly, I am super excited and scared to death all in the same breath. Reggie will deliver the good, the bad, and the ugly all together with his analysis of body fat % and lean muscle mass as I sit in my skibbies in the egg.

After we joined Planet Fitness about a month or two ago, I have made it a point to be more active and more dedicated to weight/resistance training. My UPband trending results show that I have averaged over 300,000 steps in September and October which is up from around 250,000 in the previous months over the summer. This crisp, chilly Fall weather is not holding me back because I am on track to knock out about the same for November or better. My eating habits have been less than desirable but I have managed to drop about 5-6 pounds in the last 6 weeks and my clothes are fitting less snug in some of the right areas..namely my bootie and mid-section. I am hell bent that I am not going to be held captive by the scale but it is still a nice reminder on occasion that we are accountable at many different levels in life...even those below our feet..hehehe

Last but not least today...I MUST SHARE this clip with you.
We are given the opportunity to reset our thoughts each day that our feet hit the floor. Without much thought, I choose happiness! However, I still struggle on what I see in the mirror and how my afternoon happy factor may take a nose dive if I allow myself to count the wrinkles around my eyes or on my neck let alone the bad hair days that end up making me have that "fresh out of bed" look no matter how much product I use.
So...take about 3 minutes and follow this link. We all owe it to ourselves to view ourselves through the eyes of others. A big thank you to my dear friend, Linda, for sharing this with me this morning even though it started my water works before the work day had begun.
http://www.upworthy.com/2-people-described-the-same-person-to-a-forensic-artist-and-this-is-what-happene?g=2

Finding myself renewed

I am...
   a conqueror, fearless, more, the answer, chosen, changed, a leader, a teacher, a mom, destined, decided, a daughter, a sister, whuth speaker, a wife, a truth seeker, alive, radiant, loved, brave, real, motivated, a champion, a fighter, disciplined, resilient, a believer....

There are not enough words in Webster to describe what my eyes and ears experienced this weekend, but I MUST share just a piece or two that started a rumbling inside of me that simply won't be settled.

Just a few of my favorite people that I had some face time with  this weekend.

Flashing back to the August AdvoCare Success School in Texas, I purchased my ticket to attend the AdvoCare Ladies Alive 2013 event here in Nashville as scheduled this weekend. I knew that I would need a renewal of inspiration about this time of year given all the pressures of work, family, finances, planning holiday celebrations, etc. so I didn't even hesitate to pay the $29. AdvoCare never seems to do anything half way so I was sure the money would be well spent. However, as Friday rolled around, I found myself wishing that I had not signed up to go. The voices in my head kept repeating, "It would only be $29 wasted and I could spend those 8 hours with my family. After all, I rarely get a whole weekend free to enjoy them so that's what I need to do." But...I knew that my friends were counting on me to be there, and I was not about letting them down. The truth is that those friendships that I have developed and rekindled in the last 9-10 months mean the world to me, and I wouldn't want to lose what I had gained all because I was being a bit lazy and feeling withdrawn. I mean seriously...I recognized that about myself back in August when I initially purchased the ticket. I need inspiration poured into me routinely, and AdvoCare events tend to do just that. SO....I put on my big girl panties and made my way to the front doors of Two Rivers Baptist Church just in time to see hundreds...I mean hundreds...of women filing in to register and get their goodie bags filled with great gifts such as a bracelets with "Powerful" and "Empowered" stamped boldly on them. As I was snapping this picture of my keepsakes this morning, I realized that I had one of my other inspirational pieces stacked with them..."The journey is the reward." How very true that is!

1,200+ women with similar goals in life all gathered in one place to allow hope and inspiration to be poured into their hearts. Yep, that's exactly what my eyes experienced within the first 10 minutes of my arrival.

Friday night was filled with story after story of success with weight loss, overcoming financial struggle, and the affects of believing in yourself.

I learned that I must possess 4 weapons for battle in this life.
1. DISGUST (with my current situation)
2. DESIRE (for a better life and for change)
3. Be TEACHABLE
4. Possess the WILLINGNESS TO WORK

The honest truth is that I am disgusted with the time that I must spend away from my kids and the man that I love on the weekends. I have realized that my weight loss efforts are truly part of a journey. I have the desire for relief of these circumstances and need for change. I feel that I am teachable. I am definitely not afraid to work.
However, there must be a 5th weapon that is the very key to being a difference maker. That 5th attribute is definitely....DON'T FEAR STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

Now those that know me would probably agree that I am pretty outgoing and not afraid of change. I will not hesitate to start something new and encourage others to jump in feet first with me. My fear lies with acceptance. I want the likability meter to be pushing toward the top when folks think of me. I have tried to adopt the attitude of "who cares" but I just can't seem to completely take ownership of that idea. My sweet husband tells me that I fret too much about making everyone around me happy. But...maybe that's what makes me who I am. I think most people have a desire (some deeper than others) to be accepted and needed. Now all that being said, I have had some real personal growth over this last year that has allowed me to appreciate what I am today rather than mourning over what I am not.

On a side note...
At this very moment, I am sitting up in the bed typing these words while my hubby is laying next to me listening to his music through his headphones. I have to giggle as I overhear "Better Class of Losers" playing. Brilliant words spoken by that 'ole Randy Travis. Ok, ok...I know you think...this chick is crazy. And...you may be correct :). Now, back on task to sharing...

As the conference reconvened on Saturday morning, I can't describe the feelings that were stirred in my gut as I heard women sharing from their heart about the challenges that they face in this life. Being the CEO of your own company is not without challenges, fear, and frustrations. Along with their honesty and transparency, they were quick to share that we must be careful not to compare our backstage with the highlight reels that were being shared from that very stage, on the Facebook pages of our friends, and in casual conversations in our daily life. Struggles are abundant in everyone's life. The real challenge is being transparent about those struggles but not letting them hold you back from building a better life for yourself and breathing life into those around you.

If I am completely honest with myself, the fear of being "that girl" that walks around talking about vitamins or chatting it up about the importance of healthy lifestyle is what keeps me locked in that boxed comfort zone. I would rather people come to me for those answers rather than me offering them an opportunity like what I have my hands on. Crazy, huh...I know. But...that all goes back to the fear of people not liking me. The truth is that we should all be into taking better care of ourselves with better nutrition, intentional exercise, and adding the best supplements on the market into our life to fill those nutritional gaps. After all, we are only given one vessel to carry us through the storms of life.

All this talk makes me reflect on a conversation that I had with my teenage girls not long ago. One of them asked me if I was popular in school. I replied, "Well, no, not really. I just had a group of friends that I hung out with that accepted my average." The truth is...AVERAGE is sufficient...but finding my AWESOME would be stinkin' amazing. That leads me to one of my favorite lines shared from stage yesterday. "You will become most like the 5 people that you share the most time with." Guess what?! How very true that is. Just know that I am bent on surrounding myself with positive, motivated people that hold me accountable and challenge me to find my awesome. Thinking outside of that comfort zone is right up there with exercising and eating right everyday for me because it's the only thing that will make a difference in my tomorrow.

I am renewed and have a "decided heart" to be a difference maker. I will seize each day and accept responsibility for my future. (Thanks to Brooks Reid)
My "minds eye" tells me to step out of the comfort zone and not limit myself to only what my eyes see but to allow myself to dream again. Allowing myself to do things that are uncomfortable is my new challenge.

This Daily Affirmation  is a quick clip that everyone must experience. Just click and watch.
We all need to take some pointers from this precious blonde-haired beauty.

Final words...
I am working to believe in myself and all that I am meant to be.
I refuse to be trapped by small minded thoughts of my own and of others.

A quote that a dear friend shared with me during my struggles last week.

I am ALIVE and POWERFUL!

I must say NO!

Who's with me? Are you ready to commit?
I decided to say "NO" this month. This is a...
NO excuses
NO cheating
NO quitting
NOvember.

I woke this morning with the burning desire to make a stronger commitment to myself. Being a better version of me is what I have been working on for 3 years now but in all honesty...I kind of envisioned it as a marathon rather than a sprint. I catch myself making numerous excuses for this meal or that treat or for not exercising as I play the old saying in my mind, "I have the entire week to work this off."

Even after spending 2+ hours at the gym last night, I returned home and shoveled fresh salsa verde and Baked Scoops in my mouth until I was stuffed. What the heck?! Why didn't I just come home and fix a protein shake and call that dinner? It's because I have endless cravings that seem to never get satisfied. And before you even think it, it's not because I don't give into those cravings on occasion. Actually, it is more likely that I see those extravagant expenditures of calories as opportunity. Opportunity to indulge after I have battled hard to bust that fat in the gym just hours before. The truth of the matter is...this must stop if I am ever going to feel my best and look my best in a realistic amount of time. Now...I am not talking about the saggy tricep area or my kangaroo pouch of a belly that is residual of 2 C-sections and years of obesity followed by 80 pounds of weight loss. Those areas will take time to mold and sculpt into "my awesome" but I am talking about getting off of that roller coaster of high salt and carb-laden foods that tend to bloat me up like the Michelin man.

Therefore, I will be taking small steps toward correcting my over-indulgent behavior all the while focused on feeling and looking my best through these holidays. After all, I have goals in mind. Initially, I had hoped that the scales would reflect me reaching my goal weight by Turkey Day. Well, that's not gonna happen but I WILL be closer than ever before. I really don't even know what that "perfect" number on the scale will be because I don't ever remember seeing muscles under that adipose tissue in my entire adult life prior to now. Even at my smallest adult weight, I was still not in shape. SO...if I had to guess, I have about 25-30 pounds left to lose but I am not staking a claim on a number until I get closer. Those darn BMI charts are full of bull for the most part but they can at least give me a mile marker to shoot for potentially.

Oh, before I forget, I must mention that I am getting super excited about continuing my running/training in the cool/cold weather this year for the first time since I completed the Country Music 1/2 Marathon back a couple of years ago. I tend to get lazy over the winter and let all that conditioning go to waste that I would spend building on through the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Not this year dang it! My hot, bald man and I have registered for several chilly 5Ks and a 15K leading into February so warmer clothing purchases were a must. I went online today and made a few selections. www.bondiband.com has some of the most awesome wicking headbands that I love to wear so I picked out a new pink one. In addition, we both wanted to try the compression calf sleeves for running so I added a couple of pair to the cart along with a couple of neck gators to keep the warmth tucked in nicely. I offered to get the hubby the bright fuchsia pink sleeves but he so gracefully declined. I mean seriously...have you seen that man sport a tutu? He can rock some pink!

I suspect you are thinking about that leftover Halloween candy that seems to be calling your name after last night's festivities. If you think you have it bad, we still have our stash because the inclement weather warnings prompted our Mayor to reschedule the Trick-or-treat plans for tonight instead. But we are ready for all the princesses, goblins, super heroes, and such with all 13.2 pounds of sugary goodness.

Once the last doorbell ringer trots through our yard and the porch light dims, the rest of this "junk" will need to find a new home because I am starting my Herbal Cleanse on Monday. Cleaning out this gut with good fiber, better nutrition, and probiotics is what I am preparing to do with those next 10 days. Yes, I am ridding this body of those cravings like everyone should. Fluffy or fit...we all need a good flush about every 60-90 days. Stand by and watch the inches melt away and the scales to shift over the next 30 days of November.

Happy Fall y'all. 

Don't forget to TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK before you head to bed on SATURDAY NIGHT.

That's a crock!

You are probably wondering "What the heck is this girl thinking?" as you see this post limited to a lasagna recipe. Well, to be perfectly honest, this is the easiest way for me to share this recipe with friends and with my avid Fluffy followers that like to eat and need an easy dinner. This is my traditional oven-baked recipe that has been adjusted to fit the Crock-Pot since who really has time to let dinner cook 60-90 minutes on top of the prep after working all day. I fixed it for a potluck retirement lunch at work this week, and it ended up being a hit. So...here goes...

 

Crock-Pot Lasagna

 

1-2 pounds (1 package) of ground Italian Sausage

1-2 pounds of ground beef

½ medium onion (chopped finely)

2 large cans of Crushed Tomatoes

2 small cans of Tomato Paste

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tbsp crushed Basil

1 tbsp crushed oregano

Garlic Salt/pepper taste

1 -24 ounce container of cottage cheese (small curd)

1 -16 ounce container of cottage cheese (small curd)

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

6 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese

3 large eggs (lightly beaten)

1 box of No-Bake (Oven Ready) lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown Italian Sausage, ground beef, and onion in skillet. Drain. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes. Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese together with eggs. Layer Crock-Pot with meat mixture (approx. 1 cup) followed by uncooked pasta (broken in pieces to fit in crock to cover), cheese (approx. ¾ cup) mixture, and a small handful of mozzarella. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Be sure to reserve enough of the Mozzarella to make the top layer. Cover Crock-pot and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2-4 hours (or LOW for 7-8 hours). Hint: I put this recipe together the night before and store in fridge until the next morning. It will cook while you work the next day. J

Watcha been doing?

Today's post is geared toward a little bit of this and that. Probably not the best statement to lead with in a new blog post but needed to warn you in case you needed to turn back now...hehehe. 

In all the busy of life in the last few weeks, I have failed to share a couple of races that I have participated in.

The first was on September 28th with a few of my girlfriends from work. We knocked out 3.1 miles in the Women's Running Series in Nashville as others took the long road ahead for the half marathon. 

The most recent was the Booby Bolt 5K in my home town. My hot, bald man and I completed it on October 12th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I actually hit a PR on that race with just under 33 minutes. My Garmin measured the distance at not quite 3 miles so I have my doubts on whether I really improved my run by 3+ minutes in just a couple of weeks so I have been really working on getting faster since this race. Notice that he wore a pink tutu in this race instead of a purple one as before. Even better...he made it himself. :) That's my guy!

Next on the race calendar is the Mayor's Challenge 5K in Nashville on November 17th. This will be my 2nd time competing in this one. The best part...my man is competing with me this go round. In fact, he has committed to me that he will do each and every one of them with me moving forward. True LOVE people :)

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have tried several new recipes and wanted to share a few of them with you all. The first being this pasta dish that I ran across on the web that I have tweeked into a little more of a healthier version. I used whole wheat pasta and substituted pork sausage with chicken sausage as well as Half and Half instead of Heavy Cream. It was pretty scrumptious, I must add. Not to mention easy, peasy for that quick after-work one dish meal.

Spicy Sausage Pasta Dish

1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil, if you prefer)
4-5 links of Chicken Sausage (Got mine from Costco, Brand- Casual Gourmet: Roasted Red Pepper)
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 rounded tsp. crushed garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (original)- do not drain
1/2 cup Half and Half Cream
8 ounces uncooked Rotini pasta, whole wheat

Saute onion and chicken sausage in coconut oil over med high heat until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add broth, Ro-Tel, Half and Half and pasta. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce to medium low heat. Simmer until pasta is tender (about 15 minutes).
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Another creation that I have managed to fall in love with is the Broccoli Slaw Pre-Mix mixed with dried cranberries, pumpkins seeds, and poppy seed dressing.

If you enjoy salads, it's worth you throwing this together. I get my Pre-mix at the local grocery along with the cranberries but the pumpkin seeds are a Whole Foods find.
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Finally, I want to give you all a little snapshot into what is occupying my occasional down time. I completed Jon Acuff's Best Selling book, START. Now...on to another of his great works, Quitter. If you want (or need, like me) a little motivation toward finding your awesome and not being a quitter when life gets tough, these are must reads for even the not-so-avid reader like myself. I started reading Quitter as I left town on a short business trip last Friday and struggled to put it down. I still have about 35 pages to read and won't delay wrapping it up. If you want to find out more about Jon, you can track him down on his blog or on his Facebook page.

Later gators...

10,000 Before Daylight

Isn't it funny how we can go days to weeks without taking the time to sit down and create a blog post but we can't go even a day without thinking "I need to share this with the world" when something pretty awesome happens in our lives?
Well, I have had one of those moments within the last 24 hours so I am committing to sharing it with the few readers that are willing to read my bit of craziness.

Picture this....
I am working to clean out the garage yesterday which was much overdue. Honestly, the garage has been a catch-all for all of the junk that we didn't want to find a place for inside the house for several months now. The hubby and I had cleaned out the travel trailer/camper a couple of months ago and unloaded the goods into a corner of the garage for sorting through later. Well, to be perfectly honest...that stack grew and continued to take over a huge chunk of space that finally limited our walking area to a tight path to and from the refrigerator and exit door. We seem to get around to getting that space organized and tidy about twice a year. Needless to say, we were long overdue. It pretty much resembled a disaster area that needed to be just torched and written off as lesson learned but I woke with a bit of Sunday morning ambition and decided to tackle it and convinced my sweetheart to help me as well. Before we started, I had to take a before picture and share on Facebook. Yes, true to form for me, I love to share the good, the bad, and the ugly with a group of friends that can appreciate my procrastination...hehehe

Thanks to my FB post, the Bragg's felt pity on us and saved us from having to haul another man's treasure to the Goodwill on top of cleaning the garage.As we finished sorting, Bill backed up his trailer and took the load to the Lions Club since they will be having a sale to raise money for the Masons' good deeds.

Now...back to the really cool part. As I stood sorting through some books that were going to the to-be-donated pile, a smiling face crossed the street at the end of our driveway. I locked eyes with her and hollered out, "Hi, how are you doing?"
Before I knew it, she was walking up the driveway making conversation with "Do you do AdvoCare?"
How did she know?
Was it my glowing skin? (Insert giggle.)
Was it the fact that I was dressed in yoga pants and a T-Shirt? (appearing like I was thinking about health this morning)
Was it the aroma of Spark in the air?
Well, of course not. It happened to be the stickers on the back of our vehicles that she had noticed on her walks. How cool is that? Someone besides me and the tailgaters that follow too closely on the road noticed the great window decal that another Advo-friend had hooked us up with a few months ago.

Before we knew it, we were instant friends chatting about AdvoCare and the 24 Day Challenge that she and her sweetheart had started about 5-6 days ago. She has already had great success in her journey that began back in May but the 24 Day Challenge has taken it to that next level for her as she is motivated to meet her personal goals with weight loss and healthy living. She started walking in the neighborhood a couple of months ago as part of her plan. Owning your goals and letting go of the "not nows" are a couple of the first steps to wellness, and she is well on her way. Forty-five minutes later, we were making plans to meet at 4:30am this morning to walk together. Bam! Just like that...an accountability connection is made.

All total so far this AM, I have managed to knock out 10,000 steps before 6am today. Not only have I started this day off with the blood pumping a bit, I have managed to find another buddy to hold me accountable as I work to reach my next health goals. Teamwork ROCKS my world!

Testosterone, TuTus and Gym Rats

Good afternoon "Fluffy..." friends and followers.

Let me start by saying that I am super pumped about this weekend. Tonight is going to be pretty awesome all by itself. My smokin' hot, bald man is spending the evening with loads of his AdvoCare friends at the Armory Gun Range for training, food, and fellowship. Yes, I said gun range. That much testosterone in one place with loaded firearms...yikes! So...back to me. While he is out there on the town, I will be home making our tutus for the Color Me Rad Run tomorrow morning. Yes, my most awesome man will be shooting firearms tonight and wearing a purple tutu tomorrow as we race to the finish line in honor of a dear friend that lost her life way too soon to that evil C word (CANCER) as a member of Shirleena's Purple TuTus.

Never fear, he won't be the only man that is making that transition. One of our friends, Jason, will be doing just the same thing.
His girl, Sara (my precious friend), and I will be hash-tagging it #tattoosandtutus along the way :)

I will be sure to post some pics on my Facebook page (Fluffy and Figuring Out Fit)  tomorrow and in the blog post to follow soon. My smokin' hot, bald man has to make his debut as well. I love this life and the people that decorate it with me!

Well, I have even more to share about this fitness journey that I have been on. Over the course of the last few weeks, I have tried out Cross Fit and Barry's Boot Camp plus Planet Fitness. Loved Cross Fit for sure but couldn't afford the price tag right now. However, Music City Cross Fit was nothing less than amazing and it is still on my wish list for the future. Barry's BC was a WOW sort of experience this past Monday. In fact, my biceps are still recovering. I tagged along with my friend, Denise. She has been a member for about a year and has had great things to say about the gym all the time. The truth is...IT KICKED MY BOOTIE! Arms and Abs were on the class schedule. It think I needed to sign up for a remedial class for starters. From treadmill runs/sprints to lots of bicep/tricep work...I hung in there decently well. Then...ABS truly wrecked me. I just plain couldn't perform. Obviously I need a lot of work in this area! Never the less, I survived the hour workout, paid my $22, and drug myself to the car. But that's not the best part! I couldn't drive. Why? you ask. Well, because I didn't have enough strength left in my right arm to put my standard transmission into reverse. My arm quivered and couldn't seem to muster the strength to make it happen. So.I did what any woman with half a mind and no energy would do...I sat in the car and made selfies with my camera. Anyone watching would have cracked up or thought I was nuts!

After it was all said and done, my man and I ended up joining Planet Fitness. The price is right at $20 per month/per member for the Black Card, and they have a crazy packed gym of treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, weight machines, etc. plus a few extras like HydroMassage Beds, Tanning Beds, nice showers, and much more. They are open 24/7 so that works for our crazy schedules. I feel like I just did a short commercial for them but they really are that great. In fact, the center we just joined is brand new. When you walk through the door, you can still smell the aroma of fresh rubber from the flooring.
My newest found loves are the HydroMassage Bed and the stretching "machine." It's not really a machine but I don't know what else to call something that makes you feel somewhat normal again after you have worked your bootie to the core. That bed is something wonderful! You simply lay on it and a high pressure sprayer beats all the soreness out of those legs,back and neck with warm water trapped under that black vinyl sheet.

Fast forward to Wednesday now. Bod Pod Day...or better known as "reality check." As part of this next 60 Day Challenge for myself, I agreed to get my body fat/muscle mass checked. As we all know, losing weight doesn't always equate to being fit. From the very beginning, I made my mind up that I would work on being more fit and less fluffy so this was just that next step in helping me know where I stand as of now. The great part is that Reggie is going to recheck me again in 60 days (just before Thanksgiving) to see what improvements I have made. The truth is...I wasn't real surprised at the results considering I had been in a study about 18 months-2 years ago that involved a DEXA scan. It measured my body fat at around 50%. So...any improvement would have brought a smile to my face.



The facts are in! I am still too fluffy but I have a lot of muscle to work with. Reggie said that the 37.8% body fat should be reduced to about 25% but that I needed to hold onto the 109% muscle mass. The key to that will be keeping the calories in line with about 1800 on days that I work out and still about 1500 on non-exercising days. I have a plan of action; implementation is key!

Well, that about wraps of this week. I will catch up with the world after my tutu is crafted, the race is complete, and this weekend is thoroughly enjoyed!

#STEPtember #Cleanse #CrossFit....Unbroken!

Please forgive my slacking on my posts this week as it has rolled into the weekend. On the upside, I was able to get a few thoughts on the Facebook page "Fluffy and Figuring Out Fit" but that doesn't really take the place of the blog since I love to just unfold my day in paragraphs rather than simple sentences...hehehe

Thursday and Friday seemed to be just average overall. I remained strong for Day 5 of the cleanse on Thursday with the average eats and then fajitas for dinner at the local Mexican venue. I enjoy that menu selection since I can get chicken/steak/peppers/onions all grilled up while skipping the rice, beans, and tortillas. I did enjoy a little Pico and guacamole though with my meat and veggies. FYI: You don't really need all that filler of rice, beans, and tortillas to really enjoy that meal.

Day 6 (Friday) was a work from home day. I needed to get my steps in for my #STEPtember challenge before the day started strong, so I took out to the pavement way early (around 5:15am) with my girl to get my 3 mile run in and ended up hooking up with a couple of the neighborhood ladies to complete my steps while walking another couple of miles before heading into the "office"...(aka: Kitchen table).

 When I made it back in, I threw together a smoothie. Ingredients: 1/2 frozen banana, 6-8 frozen strawberries, 4 chunks of frozen pineapple, 1 tbsp Chia seeds, 1 scoop Muscle Gain Vanilla Protein Powder, 8 oz water, 2 pkts Stevia. Simply wonderful...

I managed to get a record total of steps in on Friday...love seeing just over 9 miles logged :)

Dinner on Friday night was a bust. I had cooked up some ribs that I picked up at Costco. They were nothing less than horrible. Over-seasoned from the store, too salty, and tough as raw hide. So...instead, I ate some leftover rotisserie chicken with a ton of that yummy Sweet Kale Salad. Yes, I ate that same meal twice today...Lunch and Dinner.

Saturday...can't wait to share this! My smokin' hot, bald man and I went to our first Cross Fit class at Cross Fit Music City. In all honesty, I was a bit nervous. Not knowing what to expect mixed with knowing I was going to be sore...Yes, I was a bit anxious but excited all the same.
Our friend, Loren, had invited me a month ago but I needed to recuperate from a simple dermatology surgery on my back so had to decline. She was kind enough to think of me again and messaged me on Friday to ask if I wanted to meet her at the class on Saturday AM. Of course, I was quick to take her up on that offer. Turns out...David and I could try it out for free at the Community Class so I talked him into going with me. Sucker!

I Sparked it up with Mango Strawberry and added some pre-workout Arginine Extreme. Turns out...that was a perfect combination for energy and fueling my muscles.

A little history on Loren is that she started with this Cross Fit group about 6 months ago. I have watched her grow inside and out as she has found a true passion for toning up and formed friendships with folks that have similar interests and goals. I have seen pictures of her lifting ability; needless to say, I wouldn't want to challenge her with a dead lift.. This cutie is a mother, a wife, a professional in the workplace...and last but not least...a woman that desires to be better. If for no other reason other than that desire to be better...we are connected!

Despite being a little bit sore today, I can wholeheartedly tell you that WE ARE HOOKED! Yes, that smokin' hot, bald man in that pic loved it too. The CrossFit community is a different breed. They don't scowl at you because you are slow and holding up the group. Instead, they lift you up and cheer you on as you are dragging in for the last set of the 200 meter run carrying a 14 pound med ball, 25 situps with the med ball, 200 meter run without the ball, and 25 squats with that same 400 pound med ball (at least it felt that heavy by the end).

After a quick stop at the church for a baby shower, we headed home for a quick shower of our own. Protein was much needed after that kind of workout so we headed to a late date lunch :) Saturdays have really been nice since I am not routinely working away from home any longer. AM workouts rolling into impromptu dates with my man...loving life...thank you AdvoCare :)

After lunch and a quick stop back home, we hit the road again to a Pampered Chef party. Oh how I love me some Pampered Chef! Back home by about 8ish and had to get those #STEPtember challenge steps in so my girl and I walked the neighborhood together...walkin', talkin', makin' memories.

ChaChing..got those 10,000 steps in with some to spare:

Sunday (Today)... Spent the day with my sweet little boy for 12 hours. He was not feeling completely up to par but we still enjoyed the day together. Lunch was a bed of spinach with a mound of rotisserie chicken and 1/4 cup of cashews plus a small handful of grapes sliced of nicely. I drizzled balsamic vinegarette on it. Yum! Dinner... The chili was on the stove and the fire was in the pit waiting on me when I arrived home. We enjoyed a bowl of chili while sitting out by the fire and laughing as David shared a childhood memory of his. Take home lesson..."Don't pour gasoline on a fire." It will end up burning up your dad's work truck along with leaving you with singed eyebrows. Sharing time with the family was far more important than getting those steps in this evening. So... 

Unfortunately, I didn't meet my 10,000 #STEPtember goal today...but I will definitely make it a point to get to goal and then some tomorrow.

Well, it's bedtime so sweet dreams friends. Day 8 of my cleanse is behind me! I will be weighing in on Wednesday to see where I am after the Cleanse Phase of the Challenge as I am heading in to the Max Phase. My workout clothes are looser so maybe that's a good indication that I am less fluffy.

Eat Your Veggies...and a Chicken Leg

Today's blog post is all about making good clean choices for those lunches and dinners. Yesterday (Day 3 of my Cleanse) and today (Day 4) have been successful salad days from beginning to end. Let me put a disclaimer on what you are about to read....Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged!! I have been known to do some pretty crazy stuff when it comes to foods that I really enjoy.

I sucked down the Meal Replacement Shakes for breakfast both days and more or less snacked on fresh fruit and a handful of pistachios or almonds both days. Moment of truth...I am craving salt right now! In fact, I pretty well over did it with the pistachios yesterday before I even realized what had hit me. One handful led to ..oh well...way too many. I'll just leave it at that :(   But...back on track today with no crazy binges to report.

Tuesday Lunch: Included a Mandarin Orange cut into bite-size pieces, a Pluot, and a fresh veggie salad with 4 ounces of grilled chicken. I drizzled some Balsamic Dressing over the salad for a tangy flavor mixed with the sweetness of the fruit. It was a WIN! For those not familiar with pluots...they are a hybrid fruit that is a cross between a plum and an apricot. Yummy!

Tuesday Dinner: Leftover Pork Roast (6 ounces) with Salsa Verde...my Mexican creation.

Wednesday Lunch: A 4 ounce can of Albacore Tuna (drained) mixed with a single serving size of Guacamole (Costco), fresh salad, 1/2 peach, and a pluot. I didn't even need dressing this time since the tuna was so creamy.

Wednesday Dinner: Sweet Kale Salad and Rotisserie Chicken (5 ounces). I found this Kale Salad mix at Costco a couple of weeks ago, and it is simply amazing. I made a special trip to Costco tonight after work to pick up another bag. Well, of course, I had to get one of those fantastic chickens as well. Those at Costco are huge for $4.99. I priced the Walmart birds a couple of days ago...they think a lot of theirs now...priced at a whopping $8.99. Yes...that's ridiculous if you ask me. Now..another moment of truth. I made it to the parking lot and loaded the box of goodies into the back of the Xterra. Then...that chicken leg was calling my name. I could hear it whisper from under the plastic dome that was housing it. So...what other choice did I have but to open it up and grab a bite off of that doggone chicken. Yes, I was eating a piece of the chicken leg while standing in the Costco parking lot all alone with the hatchback of the vehicle hanging in the air. I have been threatening to do this time after time. I mean..come on...have you ever had to ride 35 miles with one of those amazing smelling birds all hot and roasted up? The good news is...I did have ample handi-wipes in the car glove box since my hands were some kind of sticky. Well, it's behind me now. That's all I've got to say about that..hehehe

Back to the salad talk... It comes with all these nutrient-rich superfoods/veggies plus the dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and poppyseed vinegarette dressing. Rumor has it that this salad mix can be found at Publix as well. Also, it is even better the next day so plan to make it a day ahead and enjoy for at least 2 days after.

These last few days have been pretty amazing with getting in my steps. Participating in the STEPtember challenge with my #START Weight Loss and Healthy Living group has been quite encouraging for the accountability. I have made my goal of 10,000 steps daily since September 2nd...3 days and counting now.  Today's steps: 11,203 and this is without a morning workout logged for the day. 

Well, guessing I better close for today. Days 1-4 behind me of the 10 day Cleanse. I am feeling less fluffy around the mid section despite Mother Nature getting ready to whip my bootie in a few days. I will be weighing in again on Day 11 as I jump to the MAX phase of the 24 Day Challenge. I wished that I had measured again at the beginning of this challenge. However, I will be sure to measure at the end and do a little comparison with the first 24 DC that I completed back in Feb/March 2013.

Later gators!