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!

Day 2...Not Labor Intensive...just Labor Day

This day has been nothing less than awesome from the time my feet hit the floor.
I sparked it up and headed out to the pavement to remind myself that heat and sweat are no barrier to a good workout. I really believe the humidity was upwards of 110% by the time we finally made it out there at around 7:30am. You know that feeling you get when you open the front door and the heat wave smacks you in the face. Yep...it was that kind of morning.
Before we headed out for the "real" run, I ran with the neighbor's dog, Chrysler, for about 1/3 mile. That dog is one of the most precious creatures that ever took a breath (besides my sweet canine and feline, of course).

When I made it back in about 9am, I sucked down a little Rehydrate along with my Meal Replacement Shake.

While I cooled off, I had the opportunity to share my AdvoCare journey with a couple of dear friends on the phone. Times like those are what makes this journey so worth it...sharing and helping others find their fit with top-notch products to nourish the body.
Then...off to the shower I went.

My sweetheart took me to eat a nice lunch at Kabutos Japanese Restaurant. WOW! I had some yummy Mahi Mahi and veggies prepared on the Hibachi grill.

We made a pit stop and visited with my grandmother in the late afternoon. She turned 89 years old last week so we had to celebrate at the local Shake 'n Shake per her request. She pigged out on a bowl of chili while I enjoyed a bowl of vegetable soup. After all, there is not much on the SnS menu that is Cleanse friendly but I wasn't going to just not eat while we sat there chatting. My sweetheart tackled a chocolate shake, 2 Chocolate Chip cookies, and a plate a fries like a Champion. :) Amazed how those men can eat like that and hold their own on the scales the next morning. He paid the price with a yucky belly the rest of the afternoon though :(.

Managed to get back home after a very full day and plug in my UPband. My smile just got bigger...I completed at least one big task today. I had set out to get at least 10,000 steps in today considering yesterday was a rather slow day with about 1/2 of that. Plus...I have committed to this challenge with the #START group in celebration of STEPtember. SUCCESS!

With those final thoughts...I am heading to bed for a little pillow time since 4am comes early. Yikes! That only leaves me about 5 hours to get 8 hours of rest. I have downed my Herbal Tablets as part of the Day 2 regimen on the cleanse. Later gators.

Up for the Challenge...Day 1.

Today marks Day 1 of 24 for this 24 Day Challenge. These first 10 days are for cleansing the gut of toxins and junk that has accumulated over the last 90 days. Honestly, I am really looking forward to these 10 because I know that my body needs a good scrubbing in order to jump start my way through these last 25 or so pounds that are still remaining on this fat-brained chick.

The alarm sounded at the 5am hour...time to start the work day. First, I enjoyed a  Spark and my Catalyst. I am definitely doing my best to follow the 24 Day Challenge Booklet that comes with the products. One might think that this would be easy considering I have completed 2 other Herbal Cleanses prior to starting my 3rd today. However, I really want to give this 24 Day Challenge the best of me...which means following it to the letter. As human nature would have it, we get lazy with the best laid plans and guidelines.

Today was a private duty nursing work day so I got to take care of my little fella for 12 hours. Over the course of the day, I made very good food choices. In fact, I kept it very simple by starting today off with a Chocolate Mocha Meal Replacement Shake. I blended it and drank it on the road.

My snacks included a serving of nuts and fruit a couple of times today. Lunch was a 4 ounce can of Tuna in water with some guacamole mixed in for creaminess. My veggies were already cut and ready to bag up. So...I ate a few cucumber slices and red pepper slices, a couple of carrots, and a handful of cherry tomatoes.

Dinner...AMAZING! My sweetheart cooked it up on the grill for us.

I finished up this evening with my OmegaPlex (2 gel caps) at dinner and the Herbal Tablets at bedtime.

It's great when you realize that you have an amazing amount of energy still left in reserve after eating dinner. In fact, I went ahead and snagged a little plank time so that I could pick up where I left off in August for the 30 day Plank Challenge. I managed to hold the plank for 2 minutes so that is where I will start off...Day 16.

My impression of this day...EXCELLENT. I was really concerned that I would feel starved since I have loaded up the belly over the last couple of days with Friday night pizza and a cookout last night in celebration of the College Football Kick-off. The scales showed that indulgence but my body didn't feel starved. I am about 3 pounds up from my weight about a week ago. Honestly, my body was probably thanking me for today as I allowed it to recover after some crazy over-indulgence.

Unfortunately, I didn't make my STEPtember daily goal of 10,000 steps for the #START Weight loss and Healthy Living group. I managed to knock out 4,640 steps today which is actually more than a typical working Sunday for me. Planning to rise and shine early tomorrow (Labor Day) and knock out 3 miles :)

So...here's to sweet dreams and cheers for Day 1 success.

Making Neon Memories

Saturday, July 13th...A wonderful day off with my sweetheart!
We slept in an extra hour or so and then hit the road in the Jeep. Pit stop at the PH Support Group to visit with my patients and enjoy a nice presentation by one of the Vanderbilt Dayani Center's finest, Zack Klint, as he presented the crowd with the importance of exercise. I must share the link to the video that he started the meeting with today...23 1/2 hours
I have heard the importance of exercise presented many different ways but never quite as cool as this one. Brief and to the point but impacted the crowd all the same.

In fact, Zack was quite amazing all on his own. A few of the notable quotes from today...

-"Somebody has to do something, and it's incredibly pathetic that it has to be us."-- Jerry Garcia
-"If exercise is the prescription, then what is the dose?"

Next, we made our way over the Costco since we have been forced to retire our old Bullet after about 5 years. We might have used it a dozen times before this February 2013. Since February, it has been used no less than 3-4 times a day. Blended smoothies and meal replacement shakes for our family is the job that it has been called to do more than ever before. Proud to say that Costco has a heck of a deal. 26 pc set for $44. I think we were gifted the first Magic Bullet years ago for about $60 for a set almost half this size.

We made our way back home in time to snack a little and then don our race clothes and garb for the GloRun. This was our first ever night time run...so we made it nothing less than fun.

Our run goodies

We didn't join the team that my friends at Vandy but had a great time hooking up with them from the beginning.

The Neon Fruit Loops and me and my guy. Pulmonary Clinic folks ROCK!

The GloRun was definitely a fun run that wasn't timed and was intended opportunity for making memories. That is exactly what we did! Just as we were walking toward the start line, David spotted an unsuspecting fella that caught his eye. I had to stop and grab a quick photo with me and him. Loved his shirt and he was such a great sport for allowing me to capture a pic of it for this post. FLUFFY!

 It started out in Downtown Nashville at LP Field at about 8:45pm. As the sun was tucking in behind the clouds, I wanted to snap a quick pic of the Batman tower in the distance.

We finished up at almost 10pm considering we started towards the middle of the pack and then stopped to take pictures along the way. In fact, my sweetheart and I didn't even run much of it. His knee was really paining him so we took it slow most all the way after we ran the first quarter mile.

The Starting Line

 As we neared the end of the course, we stopped one last time to grab a neon picture.

 We live in such a beautiful city...so I had to capture a small piece of the scenery.

OK...back to the work force in about 5 hours as the alarm will sound loud and clear. Sweet dreams...

Bringing Sexy Back...I have aged another year.

Yes, it has truly been forever since I have posted. Honestly, life has been a bit crazy busy recently. However, I have stayed strong on the healthy living wagon, thank goodness. For those that follow me closely, you know that I am no superstar with quick weight loss. Slow and steady...that best describes my journey.

I have been really focused on getting my eats logged on My Fitness Pal (dragonfly248, if you wanna hook up) over the last several days..since last weekend I guess.  After my asking persistently, my P90X kid agreed to hold me accountable and so I don't have much choice when I receive text messages that say, "You better start logging!" :) She is helping me focus on not just eating and then logging it only to figure out that I went over for the day. Plan it, log it, then eat only what you planned and logged. That's the key! So far, so good. I am holding it at about 1400-1500 calories per day for the most part. My UPband is great in that it shows me that my resting burn is about 1350-1400 calories per day. So...with my daily exercise...I am well on my weigh to losing more fluff. It's all really a math formula at the end of the day. Calories In - Calories Burn...you gotta end up in the RED.

Weigh Day Wednesday has come and gone but I do want to share where I am...or was as of Wednesday. My "last chance workout" pic is posted just above. Just know that the humidity here is about 65% at 5am so it was about to kill me with just walking most of it and jogging very little.

So...it's official...I am 75 pounds lighter than I was October 25, 2010...25 pounds lighter since just February 15, 2013. When you do the math and use your calendar, you will see that it took me 2 years to lose 50 pounds and only 4 1/2 months to lose 25. Don't forget, I took Oct 2012 to February 2013 off ...crazy me. Some have asked me, "What is your goal weight?" Well, if I had to choose a number, it would be about 145-150. However, I really don't have any clue. I haven't been this size, this fit, and this healthy since back in high school. I had both of my kids in my mid-20s and weighed 200 pounds when I became pregnant with each of them. So...the answer is...I am gonna keep going until I just feel right in my clothes. I would love to wear a cute size 6 or 8 but I know that I don't want to look emaciated and sickly. So...I have asked several of my accountability partners to keep me aware of my appearance as I near that goal.

I just realized as I was typing that I have never really thought much about talking "goal" because I didn't see that as all that reachable. Thank goodness for top of the line supplements and hard work...I can finally talk about reaching my long-term goals. What does that mean? Well, that just means that I will make more to replace those.

This morning was an indoor quick workout prior to jumping into the workday.

This morning ended up being about 5 miles on the elliptical in 45 minutes. I pushed hard at times but mostly just pushed steady and earned a nice sweat. The calorie burn on the elliptical seems a little off since I think it was more like 400 calories at best instead of the 656 that it tallied.

Since I haven't shared any in a couple of weeks, I did want to mention that I completed a 5K on July 4th that was a true marker for my improvement. I was able to shave off a full minute on the same course that we raced in 2011 and 2012. It rained the entire time we were there but I am happy to say that we did it.

However, it did rain the whole time so there was potential..hehehe

Our next race will be tomorrow evening. We have never raced at night but decided to sign up for a fun run...The GloRun. I will be sure to share some crazy pics :) It's just gonna be me and my smokin' hot, bald man doing that one since a couple of the kids are out of town and the other decided that hangin' with old folks wasn't her cup of tea.

One more item on my honorable mention list today. My Vanderbilt Pulmonary Clinic Team is rockin' the socks off of some fluff as they are into the 9th week of the total of 12 and have lost 61+ pounds among the 9 that are weighing in routinely. I, myself, have lost about 7 1/2 of that and still pushing hard.  I have been awarding little gifts along the way to the highest % lost. It is pretty awesome to see teamwork and competitiveness spring from all of them when you mention CASH prize at the end. Only 4 more weigh-ins to go...Who will claim the Biggest Loser Challenge pot? Only the scale knows...

So, I will wind up this crazy mess of a random post with a few snack ideas for you. We love some almonds around our house. In fact, we are NUTS over them...hehehe. So, I have to share a few of our favorites. We find them at Walmart, Target, Publix...pretty much any store that you buy groceries. Hope you will love them like we do.

The other awesomeness that we have uncovered is these Oikos Dips. Celery sticks, carrot sticks, hummus chips....pretty much anything tastes yummy with this slathered on top. Trust me...you will love them.

Before I forget to mention...
I tend to be a better quick-post kind of gal so if you are on FaceBook...look me up under "Fluffy and Figuring Out Fit". On Instragram...same name. I don't use Twitter all that frequently but I am Fluffy and Fit on that social media station. If you have interest in hearing more about how I have lost these last 25 pounds so smoothly and feeling healthier than ever, then don't hesitate to email me at fluffyandfiguringoutfit@gmail.com or personal message me on the FB page so we can connect.

Have a great evening....later gators.